Perfume Packaging Market: Opportunity Assessment Research Study 2016 - 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18800 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=18800 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Attractive packaging acts as a stimulating attribute for perfume industry. Perfumes are now available with low concentration of fragrance oils such as eau de cologne and eau fraiche, aiming to increase the number of consumers who use perfumes on a daily basis. Thus, there is an increase in frequency of perfume use, which in turn is expected to create huge demand for perfume packaging in the coming years. Nowadays, younger generation is more aware of personal grooming and are ready to experiment with new brands and products, which in turn makes them feel more confident. Additionally, there is a growing demand for beauty products that the market is flooded with different types of perfumes. Hence, this billion dollar industry is growing at an impressive speed in order to meet the consumer demand.Perfume Packaging Market: Drivers & RestraintsOne of the major factor which is fueling the growth of perfume packaging market is e-retailing. E-retailing facilitates the availability of local and foreign brands through online portals. The key players of perfumes packaging are collaborating with leading e-commerce players or have their own e-commerce sites to seize maximum advantage of e-commerce potential. Changing lifestyle in developing countries brings tremendous opportunities for manufacturers of perfume packaging. Increase in per capita income coupled with consumer spending on luxury grooming products offers a momentum to the growth of overall cosmetics industry, which is further driving the perfume packaging market. Meanwhile, there are a few factors that can act as restraints in the perfume packaging market, like the increasing commercialization of perfume imitations is anticipated to hamper the growth of global perfumes packaging market during the forecast period. In addition, the counterfeit products are available in similar packaging as the original product making it difficult for the consumers to differentiate them from original products. These products are sold at a very low cost compared to the original products.Request For Report Brochure@Perfume Packaging Market: SegmentationOn the basis of packaging type, the global perfume packaging market is segmented into,Primary PackagingSecondary PackagingOn the basis of perfume bottles, the global perfume packaging market is segmented into,PlasticsGlassMetalPaper & PaperboardOthersOn the basis of size, the global perfume packaging market is segmented into,SmallMediumlargePerfume Packaging Market: Region Wise-OutlookOn the basis of region, perfume packaging finds its market scope in North America, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Europe and North America dominates perfume packaging market, however, Latin America and Asia Pacific regions are expected to be the most promising regions for generating high revenue. Perfume Packaging market is highly controlled in Europe and North America. India and China are the key promising countries driving the perfume packaging market in Asia-Pacific region. Globally, Chinese consumers have maximum share in the growth of luxury goods markets. Chinese consumer spending in foreign regions is more as compared to local spending on luxury products. China is just behind North America in consumer spending, due to strong currency rates as well as rising disposable income. The spending by Japan has also increased due to local consumers as well as the increasing number of Chinese tourists. The currency fluctuations in Europe has led to rise in tourist consumers in the region which further drives the growth for luxury products including perfume industry.Visit For TOC@Perfume Packaging Market: Key PlayersSome of the major players of perfume packaging market are SGB Packaging, B.I. Packaging, Cosmetics & Perfume Filling & Packaging, Inc., HH Deluxe Packaging, Collcap Packaging Limited, DuPont, Vetroplas and may more.Some of the Chinese manufacturers who are producers of perfume packaging are Guangzhou Jiaming Perfume Packaging Co. ltd., Hangzhou Tianhao Plastic Industry Co., Ltd, Olila Enterprise company limited, Mei Yu Packaging (HK) Industrial Co., Ltd.About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation 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 othersContact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Radiopharmaceuticals Market Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2017-2025 Market Research Reports Search Engine https://www.mrrse.com/sample/2962 https://www.mrrse.com/global-radiopharmaceuticals-market https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/2962 https://www.mrrse.com/ North America accounted for more than 40% market share in the global radiopharmaceuticals market in 2016 and is expected to witness an increase of more than 100 BPS in its market share over the forecast period. In terms of Y-o-Y growth, North America dominated the global radiopharmaceuticals market and was valued at more than US$ 2,000 Mn in 2015. The market is expected to expand at 6.2% CAGR over the projected period to reach more than US$ 4,000 Mn by the end of 2026. The North America radiopharmaceuticals market is estimated to represent absolute $ opportunity of more than US$ 100 Mn in 2017 over 2016. The growth is stagnant and slow due to major reactors having been shut down in Canada and new reactors installed in place of old ones for better production of radioisotope. North America is expected to be the most lucrative market in the global radiopharmaceuticals market, recording an attractiveness index of 3.6.Request For Sample Report:Significant growth in the number of cancer and cardiovascular diseases patients in North America is expected to boost the global radiopharmaceuticals marketWidespread availability of SPECT and PET scanning machines will result in a growing number of radio diagnostic and radio therapeutics events in North America. For instance, the number of PET scanning machines installed per head of population in North America are more compared to that installed in Europe, thus leading to increased usage of radiotracers in the region. This growth in North America is expected to continue along with continuous technological improvements in PET scanning devices. The high level of awareness and accessibility to these machines is expected to account for high revenue generation in North America. This factor is boosting the overall growth of the global radiopharmaceuticals market. The other factor impacting the global radiopharmaceuticals market is the rising prevalence of cancer in North America. This has significantly increased the number of nuclear medicine procedures performed in the region and this is the precise reason that the market for radiopharmaceuticals is steadily growing in North America. There has been a rising number of cardiovascular diseases among the people in North America due to aging population, unhealthy food habits and rising obesity. The increasing number of cardiovascular patients is expected to boost the sales of radiopharmaceuticals, which would eventually create growth in the global radiopharmaceuticals market.Browse Full Report with TOC:Gallium-68 and Lutetium 177 sub-segments of the radioisotope segment are likely to dominate the North America radiopharmaceuticals marketGallium-68 and Lutetium 177 are dominant sub-segments of the radioisotope segment in North America. Gallium-68 has gained immense popularity since the last one year in the field of nuclear medicine, especially in the diagnosis and evaluation of prostate cancer. This is in heavy reliance with incorporation of several technological leaps and entry of new radiotracer- 68Ga-PSMA-11, developed by the University of Heidelberg. Additionally, marketing authorisation of the first 68Ge/68Ga generator, manufactured by the German company Eckert & Ziegler, has also positively impacted the penetration of 68Ga-PSMA-11 tracer in the treatment of prostate cancer in North America. Despite a shorter half-life, Gallium-68 has an ideal profile as a PET imaging agent. Several manufacturers in North America are focussing on introducing cold kits for the 68Ga-labeling of tracers (ANMI, Belgium), thus opening the gateways for 68Ga in PET scanning. Iodine-131, a therapeutic radiotracer continues to be the ideal tracer for the treatment of not only thyroid cancer but also other therapeutic indications. However it is being slowly replaced by Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) in North America. Lu-177, low-energy -particle emitter is identified to be one of the emerging radiotracers for the treatment of metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and neuroendocrine tumors.Market share of companies operating in the global radiopharmaceuticals marketThe global radiopharmaceuticals market is highly consolidated with a few companies that offer advanced technology systems and nuclear medicines for treating diseases. However, the global market is dominated by top five players accounting for over 89% share. Siemens Healthineers accounted for the largest share of around 41.2% of the global market in 2015. The company dominated the market owing to its diversified product portfolio, extensive geographical presence, and acquisition strategies. GE Healthcare accounted for the second largest share of around 30.1% and Mallinckrodt plc. accounted for the third largest share of around 9% in the global radiopharmaceuticals market.Enquire About This Report:About Us:Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact Us:State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite: Asia-Pacific Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Market : Moving Towards a Brighter Future QYResearchReports https://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1268749&type=E https://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1268749&type=D http://www.qyresearchreports.com The Asia-Pacific Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Market is forever evolving, and hence a number of factors will define the future prospects. The research analysts of this report recognizes this, and hence have created a business tool that can serve its true purpose for the stakeholders attached to the value chain of the Asia-Pacific Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Market, analyzing all the important factors, catching the latest trends, and estimating the future scenario. The report, combination of primary and secondary research that involved interviews with industry experts, has been prepared using conventional research methodologies such as SWOT Analysis and Porters Five Forces.Get free sample copy of the report at:Geographically, this report split Asia-Pacific into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Mosquito Repellent Bracelets for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), includingChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanIndiaSoutheast AsiaAustraliaAsia-Pacific Mosquito Repellent Bracelets market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Mosquito Repellent Bracelets sales volume, price, revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingVAPEParakitoWing Wing BallibokororiRunbenShanghai Windtalk LeisurePigeonKAOBugslockAegis PestInvisabandHoontUltra BandCliganicNatural 7Bug BandTantiqEvergreen ResearchSuperBandVitcheloKinvenBuzz-OffTo check available discount on this report, visit at:On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K Units), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/Unit), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoElectric Repellent WatchNatural Mosquito Repellent WristbandOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume (K Units), market share and growth rate of Mosquito Repellent Bracelets for each application, includinInfantBabyAdultList of Tables and FiguresFigure Product Picture of Mosquito Repellent BraceletsFigure Asia-Pacific Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Sales Volume (K Units) by Type (2012-2022)Figure Asia-Pacific Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Electric Repellent Watch Product PictureFigure Natural Mosquito Repellent Wristband Product PictureFigure Asia-Pacific Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Sales (K Units) by Application (2012-2022)Figure Asia-Pacific Sales Market Share of Mosquito Repellent Bracelets by Application in 2016Figure Infant ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in InfantFigure Baby ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in BabyFigure Adult ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in AdultFigure Asia-Pacific Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Market Size (Million USD) by Region (2012-2022)Figure China Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure South Korea Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Taiwan Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure India Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Australia Mosquito Repellent Bracelets Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)...About QYReseachReports.comQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com Gift Packaging Market Intelligence with Competitive Landscape 2016 - 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18809 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=18809 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Over the past decades, the global gift industry witnessed an impressive growth, owing to the expanded customer base along with increasing applications of innovative products at attractive prices. The gift market comprises of corporate gifting as well as personal gifting. Moreover, the gift packaging market experienced a revolution with new product innovations in the food as well as in the non-food segment accompanied by eye-catching packaging. Nowadays non-food gifting are not only restricted to small electronic items, bed sheets but also include gift vouchers, soft toys, artworks, artificial jewelries and many more. At the same time, various product types like cookies, fruit baskets, wine hampers, different types of cheese which comes under the categorization of food gifting for occasions like festivals, birthdays, etc. are also in the trend. The changing lifestyle together with customers ability and willingness to pay for innovative products drove this change in the gift packaging market.Nowadays, wrapping paper are in demand for gifts packaging. Some of the conventional examples of wrapping paper are recycled newspaper, reusable gift wrap, decorative lunch bags, gift box, decorative shopping bags and many more. The new alternatives for gift wrapping are also being introduced, for example, using a decorative handkerchief which also has other application can further fuel the growth in demand for gift packaging market. The gift market is expected to expand with a healthy growth rate of over 10% which in turns growth of the gift packaging market in the near future.Gift Packaging Market: DynamicsThe growing e-commerce in the gifting space is one of the major factor which is expected to drive the demand for the gift packaging market. Big e-commerce companies such as Snapdeal and Amazon play a vital role in fuelling the demand for gift packaging market. Further, increase in per capita income, increasing exposure to global trends is offering impetus to the growth of overall gift industry which in turn is escalating the gift packaging market across the globe. Personal gifting in number of occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, fathers day, and Mothers day is on the rise as the consumers, want uniqueness, different styles and personalization in their gift items, to match their status.Request For Report Brochure@In past years, food gifting was limited to the conventional sweets only, but nowadays customers are moving towards consistent quality products with a good taste in attractive packaging, which is a result of growing incidence of adulteration in conventional sweets.Gift Packaging Market: SegmentationOn the basis of packaging type, the global gift packaging market is segmented into,Primary PackagingSecondary PackagingTertiary PackagingOn the basis of product type, the global gift packaging market is segmented into,Gift boxesContainersRibbons & BowsGift SacksGift bagsWrapping paperTissue Paper & ShredsCellophane overwrap & bagsGift card & Money holdersOthersOn the basis of Materials, the global gift packaging market is segmented into,PlasticsPaper & PaperboardMetalsGlassOthersGift Packaging Market: Region Wise OutlookIn terms of geography, the global gift packaging market divided into five regions which includes North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa. Out of the five regions, Asia pacific represents the largest global gift packaging market, owing to the growth of rising disposable incomes coupled with the widened customer base. In Asia Pacific, developing countries like China and India, are the most lucrative countries for increase in consumer spending and rise in GDP.Visit For TOC@Gift Packaging Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players of the global gift packaging market are Smurfit kappa Group, Packlyn Ltd, Shenzhen Fuxiang Gifts & Packaging Co. Ltd., Interpak, Ebro Color GmbH, and many more.About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation 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 othersContact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Hot Melt Adhesives Market Outlook, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025 MRRSE https://www.mrrse.com/sample/3000 https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/3000 https://www.mrrse.com/hot-melt-adhesives-market-report https://www.mrrse.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ Hot melt adhesives provide a strong, nearly invisible bond and work with everything from foams & fabrics to plastics, wood and light-gauge metals. Rising construction and import-export trade activities estimated to offer major opportunities to the Hot Melt adhesive market in the next few years. Europe dominated the hot melt adhesive market in terms of revenue in 2015, however, Asia Pacific is expected to grow at highest CAGR during the forecast period. Volatility in crude oil prices and availability of substitutes hinder the overall growth of the hot melt adhesive.Request For Free Sample Report:This report analyzes and forecasts the market for hot melt adhesive market at the global and regional level. The market has been forecast based on volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Bn) from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year. The study includes drivers and restraints of the global hot melt adhesive market. It also covers impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for hot melt adhesive market during the forecast period. The report also highlights opportunities in the hot melt adhesive market at the global and regional level.The report includes detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global hot melt adhesive market. Porters Five Forces model for the hot melt adhesive market has also been included to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, where in end-users are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.Global Hot Melt Adhesives Market: SegmentationThe study provides a decisive view of the global hot melt adhesive market by segmenting it in terms of product type and end-users. In terms of product type hot melt adhesive is classified as EVA, polyolefin, polyamide, polyurethane, Styrene Block Copolymer and others. While, in terms of end-use hot melt adhesive is classified as packaging, construction, non-woven, book binding & paper binding, furniture, footwear, electronics and others. These segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Regional segmentation includes current and forecast demand for hot melt adhesive in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.The report provides the actual market size of hot melt adhesive for 2015 and estimated market size for 2016 with forecast for the next eight years. The global market of hot melt adhesive has been provided in terms volume and revenue. Market volume has been defined in kilo tons and revenue in US$ Bn. Market numbers have been estimated based on product type and end-users of hot melt adhesive. Market volume and size have been provided in terms of global, regional and country level markets.Global Hot Melt Adhesives Market: Research MethodologyIn order to compile the research report, we conducted in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry participants and opinion leaders. Primary research represented the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. We reviewed key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents for competitive analysis and market understanding. Secondary research includes a search of recent trade, technical writing, Internet sources, magazines and statistical data from government websites, trade associations, and agencies. This has proven to be the most reliable, effective, and successful approach for obtaining precise market data, capturing industry participants insights, and recognizing business opportunities.Secondary research sources that are typically referred to include, but are not limited to company websites, annual reports, financial reports, broker reports, investor presentations, SEC filings, and external proprietary databases, and relevant patent and regulatory databases such as ICIS, Hoovers, oneSOURCE, Factiva and Bloomberg, national government documents, statistical databases, trade journals, market reports, news articles, press releases, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market. We conduct primary interviews on an ongoing basis with industry participants and commentators to validate data and analysis. These help validate and strengthen secondary research findings. These also help develop the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.Enquire About this Report:Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe report comprises profiles of major companies operating in the global hot melt adhesives market. Key players in the hot melt adhesive market are Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, 3M Company, Avery Dennison Corporation, H. B. Fuller Company, Jowat SE, DOW Corning Corporation, Sika AG, Hexcel Corporation, Toyobo Co. Ltd, Bostik Inc., and Heartland Adhesives LLC. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments.The global hot melt adhesive market has been segmented as follows:By Product TypeEthylene Vinyl AcetatePolyolefinsAPAOMetallocene based POEPolyamidePolyurethanesStyrene Block CopolymerOthersBy End UserPackagingConstructionNon-wovenBook Binding & Paper BindingFurnitureFootwearElectronicsOthersBy RegionNorth AmericaS.CanadaEuropeGermanyItalyK.FranceSpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaSouth KoreaASEANRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of South AmericaMiddle East & Africa (MEA)GCCSouth AfricaRest of MEABrowse Full Report With TOC:About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At: Surface Mount Technology Market : Production & Consumption Professional Survey Report 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2090 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2090 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=D&rep_id=2090 Global Surface Mount Technology Market: OverviewDevelopment of surface mount technology (SMT) has been nothing short of revolution as far as electronic circuits are concerned, taking it past the limitations of traditional thru-hole soldering methods and significantly helping in the miniaturization of electronic devices. Via surface mount technology, electronic circuit components can be placed directly over the surface of the printed circuit boards (PCBs) and currently, nearly all electronic hardware that are produced utilize SMT. As per the requirement, surface mount technology works on advanced principles and employs different soldering equipment, which in turn offers more electrical conductivity and improves reliability of the electronic devices in comparison to thru-hole soldering technology. With ubiquity of electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, television, and tablets, the demand in the global surface mount technology is expected to expand at a robust rate during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025.Global Surface Mount Technology Market: Key TrendsIncrementing demand for smart gadgets is the primary driver of this market as it is essential for printed circuit boards, besides the recent increase in the number of contract manufacturers for the production of large batches of various components of electronic devices. The trend of miniature and portable devices that are light weight as well as efficient is another important factor driving the demand in the global surface mount technology. The escalating demand for of LCD/LED televisions, LED and CFL lighting, and 3G telecom network are also expected to positively reflect on the market. Conversely, high cost of SMT system and their lack of ability to withstand high power of high voltage is hindering the growth rate of the market.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Global Surface Mount Technology Market: Market PotentialThe demand for SMT is expected to gain new opportunities from the increasing use of X-ray inspection equipment for disease diagnostics and automatic optical inspection (AOI). In addition to that, application of electronics in the defense, healthcare, aerospace, and automotive industries is also opening new revenue avenues for the players in the surface mount technology market. Additionally, SMT vendors are aggressively investing on the research and development of new products to meet the end users demands, which also promises well for this market. For instance, ASMPT, a prominent company in the global SMT market, has decides to invest nearly 10% of its revenue for the development of customized SMT solutions.Request TOC of the Report @Global Surface Mount Technology Market: Regional OutlookWith vast population base and increasing disposable income among the urban population, Asia Pacific is currently the most lucrative region for the players in this market and is expected to remain the leading region throughout the forecast period. India, China, South Korea, and Japan are some of the key country-wide markets for surface mount technology in Asia Pacific. On the other hand, North America and Europe are also expected to extend the demand in the near future, although at a significantly lower growth rate as compared to Asia Pacific. The Middle East and Africa as well as rest of the world are also expanding the demand in the global SMT market.Get Discount @Global Surface Mount Technology Market: Competitive LandscapeDue to minimal difference between the products, the competition between various vendors in the global surface mount technology is intense, and escalating with reduced prices. Acquisition of smaller companies in order to add to enhance product portfolio and other modes of business consolidation are common strategies adopted by the key players to stay of the competition. Some of the leading companies in the global SMT market are CyberOptics Corporation, Mycronic AB, ASM Assembly Systems GmbH & Co. KG, Electro Scientific Industries Inc., Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Fuji Machine Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Juki Corporation, Nordson Corporation, Viscom AG, and Orbotech Ltd.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com EMEA Can Seamers Market Report 2017: Top Key Players to Watch QYResearchReports https://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1271276&type=E https://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1271276&type=D http://www.qyresearchreports.com The EMEA Can Seamers Market is forever evolving, and hence a number of factors will define the future prospects. The research analysts of this report recognizes this, and hence have created a business tool that can serve its true purpose for the stakeholders attached to the value chain of the EMEA Can Seamers Market, analyzing all the important factors, catching the latest trends, and estimating the future scenario. The report, combination of primary and secondary research that involved interviews with industry experts, has been prepared using conventional research methodologies such as SWOT Analysis and Porters Five Forces.Geographically, this report split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Can Seamers for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast)Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.Get free sample copy of the report at:EMEA Can Seamers market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Can Seamers sales volume (K Units), price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingFerrum Canning TechnologyGrabher INDOSAJK SommeSHIN I MACHINERY WORKSSwiss Can Machinery AGStiller GmbHZilli & BelliniAms FerrariDixiePneumaticScaleAngelusBMTTalleres Ezquerra SeamersShantou Hongqiao Dedication Machinery IndustryROCOLCFTXTIME Packaging MachineOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K Units), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/Unit), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoRound Can SeamerIrregular (Non- round) Can SeamerTo check available discount on this report, visit at:On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume (K Units), market share and growth rate of Can Seamers for each application, includingCanned FoodCanned BeveragesList of Tables and FiguresFigure Product Picture of Can SeamersFigure EMEA Can Seamers Sales Volume (K Units) by Type (2012-2022)Figure EMEA Can Seamers Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Round Can Seamer Product PictureFigure Irregular (Non- round) Can Seamer Product PictureFigure EMEA Can Seamers Sales Volume (K Units) by Application (2012-2022)Figure EMEA Sales Market Share of Can Seamers by Application in 2016Figure Canned Food ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in Canned FoodFigure Canned Beverages ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in Canned BeveragesFigure EMEA Can Seamers Market Size (Million USD) by Region (2012-2022)Figure Europe Can Seamers Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Can Seamers Revenue (Million USD) Status and Forecast by CountriesFigure Middle East Can Seamers Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Middle East Can Seamers Revenue (Million USD) Status and Forecast by CountriesFigure Africa Can Seamers Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Africa Can Seamers Revenue (Million USD) Status and Forecast by CountriesFigure EMEA Can Seamers Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure EMEA Can Seamers Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure EMEA Can Seamers Market Major Players Product Sales Volume (K Units) (2012-2017)Table EMEA Can Seamers Sales Volume (K Units) of Major Players (2012-2017)Table EMEA Can Seamers Sales Share by Players (2012-2017)...About QYReseachReports.comQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com Glue Machine Market Analysis, Forecast, and Assessment 2016 - 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18902 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=18902 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The primary function of glue is to join parts together and glue machines accomplish this objective with material which is applied to the surfaces of different parts to join them permanently by gluing process. Glue machine are used for packaging which is consumed every day in large quantities by all type of commercial and industrial organizations. Glue machine helps in effective packaging solutions that provides all the features which are related to high durability during transportation & storage and provide moisture and shielding protection for sensitive products and components. Glue machine also used in construction purposes which are preferred for a wide range of applications in the construction industry due to their diverse properties. Globally, glue machine has legitimately strong power which is used in almost every manufacturing sector starting from flexible, rigid packaging to textiles and have grew extensive popularity across sectors auto, aviation, construction, FMCG, healthcare amongst others.Glue Machine Market- Market Segmentation:The global glue machine market can be segmented on the basis of product type, machinery type, end use type and by region. On the basis of product type glue machine can be segmented into PVA glue, hide glue, EPOXY, cyanoacrylate glue, polyurethane glue. On the basis of machinery type glue machine can be segmented into hot melt machinery, adhesives, and cold glue equipment. On the basis of end use type glue machine can be segmented into food & beverage industry, health care industry, industrial goods, automotive industry, household products, electronics industry and other manufacturing industry. On the basis of region, we have segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa.Request For Report Brochure@Glue Machine Market - Market Dynamics:Growth in demand for glue machine market is expected to grow strongly for several reasons. As an effect of the growth in consumer focus on convenience and sustainability, the glue machine market has been one of the fastest growing market in the last five years, and it is likely to continue to grow over the forecast period as well. Other important factors contributing towards the growth of glue machine market are population growth, increasing middle class world-wide, demand for safe food & clean water, and advancement and safety. On the other side, the high initial cost, government regulations for packaging is considered as restraining factor towards the growth of glue machine market.Glue Machines Market - Regional Outlook:Geographically, the global In-mold label market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). The global glue machines market is expected to witness a stable CAGR over the forecast period of 2016-2024. Entering new markets like Asia, Russia and South America would be larger opportunities for glue machines market. Moreover, North America is expected to witness a high growth of glue machines market due to the rising consumption of food and beverage products. The demand of the glue machines market is expected to witness an above average growth in Europe as well, due to the higher adoption of glue machines for automotive and industrial use.Visit For TOC@Glue Machines Market - Major Players:Some of the major players identified across the globe in the glue machines market are Chicago Glue Machine & Supply Company, Inc., Ellsworth Adhesives, DELUMPER Div., Franklin Miller Inc., Winder, Valco Melton, Econocorp, Inc., Gluefast Co., Inc., McGuckin & Pyle, Inc., The Union Tool Corp, Inline Filling Systems, Apacks, Capital Adhesives, InLine Solutions, Inc., Indemax, Inc., Proquip, Inc., Universal Systems SE, Inc., Sonic Corp.About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation 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 othersContact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Telecom API Market : Outlook by Product Overview, Application and Regions 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2093 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2093 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=D&rep_id=2093 Global Telecom API Market: OverviewApplication programming interface (API) materializes the possibility of independently developing applications and services on a device, while functioning as a middleware between the application and device resources. Apart from creating mobile apps, APIs can enviably benefit the telecom industry in various ways. Humbug analytics API, StreamWIDE call screening API, offline geolocation, and Recharge My API are some of the popular instances of public APIs. Telecom APIs can improve workflows, automate the delivery of common transactions and data, and streamline communications over a period of time.Global Telecom API Market: Key TrendsExpected to rise at a commanding CAGR, the world telecom API market could heighten demand on the back of the monetization of services pertinent to telecom operation and excelling user experience for telecom API. The increment in the adoption of machine-to-machine (M2M) equipment and towering demand for forward-looking telecom services utilizing the Internet are anticipated to shepherd the growth of the world market.Request Sample Copy of the Report@There are a few factors that could arrest the growth of the global telecom API market, such as certain government regulations and policies laid down for the telecommunications sector and commercial gap between developer needs and carrier products or offerings. However, the market holds the potential to offer opportunities on almost every parameter, viz. user and type.The partner developer segment by user type is predicted to elevate at a higher rate while riding on the accessibility it provides to solution developers for various APIs. These APIs can be employed to develop different applications and their extensions to formulate and develop more sophisticated solutions for customers. With the enhancement of mobile app developer experience, the telecom API market for SMS, MMS, and rich communication service (RCS) could gain an impressive traction. The magnifying trend of offering more contextual experience to clients using mobile devices is foretold to help the location API market grow to a telling level.Request TOC of the Report @Global Telecom API Market: Market PotentialOf late, there have been a number of partnership activities being implemented to achieve benefits on both sides of an agreement. For instance, the launch of Nexmo API extension by Vonage for Zohos customer relationship management (CRM) platform is considered to offer streamlined contextual customer connections with the help of seamless SMS and voice messaging. Vonage, on the other hand, could benefit commercially from the integration with Zoho CRM by keeping businesses connected with robust cloud communications solutions. This partnership is prophesied to set the tone for businesses in the way they communicate with customers and the way customers reach them.Global Telecom API Market: Regional OutlookAlthough the international telecom API market could span its growth across different regions, including Europe and Rest of the World, Asia Pacific is foreseen to showcase a higher growth rate during the course of the forecast period. For 2016, North America was projected to secure a larger share in the international market. Stakeholders in the Asia Pacific market could be handsomely advantaged with ballooning innovative technological developments. A widespread adoption of API technologies is foreseen to be witnessed by Asia Pacific on account of the augmenting usage of mobile applications and smartphones.Get Discount @Global Telecom API Market: Competitive LandscapeWith a view to attain a tangible growth in the global telecom API market, players are prognosticated to rely on specific strategies, including new product development, mergers and acquisitions, agreements, and partnerships. Companies such as Telefonica, AT&T, Inc., Alcatel-Lucent, Twilio, Inc., and Vodafone Group PLC could be recognized among the leading players in the market.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Telecom Power System Market to Gain Significant Value by 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2096 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2096 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=D&rep_id=2096 Telecom Power System Market: OverviewPower systems used in the telecommunications sector in installations to control, monitor, and measure the power flow across networks are referred to as telecom power systems. These systems are built by combining smaller systems such as distributors, converters, backup systems, and controllers.The global market for telecom power systems is slated to register strong growth over the course of the forecast period, driven by the rising penetration of telecom towers not just in high-density metropolitan areas but even off-grid and rural areas.Telecom Power System Market: Key TrendsOne of the factors responsible for the growth of the global telecom power systems market is the ongoing deployment of small cell power systems for long-term evolution (LTE) networks. Owing to an exponential rise in mobile data traffic, telecom operators are forced to expand their coverage area through wireless networks in urban as well as rural areas.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Another factor driving the uptake of telecom power systems is the rising adoption of hybrid systems. This can be attributed to the benefits of cost-effectiveness and energy efficiency presented by hybrid power systems. The growing shift toward renewable energy sources is a trend that is sure to have a big impact on the telecom power systems market. On the flip side, though, environmental concerns arising from the high usage of diesel for powering telecom infrastructure is likely to present a major challenge to those in the market.Telecom Power System Market: Market PotentialHuawei has earned a name for itself for itself based on its line of trailblazing DC power products, which have enabled users save maintenance as well as overhead costs. Known to transform the telecom energy sector, the company has been building green and intelligent energy networks in the telecom industry, thereby giving the telecom power systems market a major boost.Huaweis product portfolio caters to the needs of end users from wide-ranging and diverse environments. In October 2016, the China-based multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company was awarded the contract of building a modular data center campus for the Dubai International Airport. The facilities provided by Huawei through the data center are codenamed DBX and will be used to host the private cloud of the airport.Request TOC of the Report @Telecom Power System Market: Regional OutlookFrom a geographical standpoint, Asia Pacific accounts for a major share in the global telecom power systems market. This can be attributed to increasing penetration of global telecom companies in a number of developing nations in the region. Expanding mobile networks, especially 3G and LTE networks, have also contributed toward the growth of the APAC telecom power systems market.North America is also a key region when it comes to the telecom power systems market. The telecommunication sector here requires cost-effective and increasingly reliable power supply. The competition in this market is immensely high, despite the vendor landscape being quite fragmented. The telecom power systems market in North America is characterized by the presence of global, regional, and domestic vendors, which adds to the overall competition.Get Discount @Companies mentioned in the reportSchneider Electric, Ascot Industrial S.R.L., Huawei Technologies Co., Myers Power Products, Inc., Eaton, Cummins Power, GE Industrial Solutions, Vertiv Co. (formerly Emerson Network Power), Delta Electronics, and Unipower are some of the prominent players in the global telecom power systems market.Considering that emerging countries have been presenting incredible growth within the telecom sector, it is no wonder that an increasing number of telcos have been setting up shop in a number of APAC nations. Firms have also been focusing offering telecom power systems with improved features, services, products, functionalities, and quality. The global market is primarily dominated by established players and this proved to be rather challenging for new entrants.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Hip Reconstruction Devices Market - Global Industry Future Scenario, Outlook, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2022 MRRSE https://www.mrrse.com/sample/3488 https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/3488 https://www.mrrse.com/hip-reconstruction-devices-market https://www.mrrse.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ Of late, the Global Market for Hip Reproduction Device has been witnessing a significant rise in its valuation. The technological advancements, continued introduction of new and efficient implant techniques, increasing demand for minimally invasive procedures, and the marketing strategies taken up by device manufacturers, together, are boosting this market substantially. This research report provides a thorough assessment of the past and the current state of the worldwide hip reconstruction devices market and its key elements.Request For Free Sample Report:The report, which has been formulated with the help of market data that has been collected by applying a number of primary and secondary market research approaches, also offers a decisive account of the key driving forces, restraints, and various significant past and present trends. It also presents an analysis of the accumulative impact of these factors on the overall development of this market over the period from 2017 to 2022.Global Hip Reconstruction Devices Market: Scope of the StudyThe research report estimates and forecasts the hip reconstruction devices market on the global and regional levels. It provides the forecast between 2017 and 2022 with 2016 as the base year. It consists of a comprehensive value chain analysis for each of the market segments and provides an exhaustive view of this market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage.The study further provides a deep insight into the key market indicators that affect the growth of the market. It analyzes the opportunities in the worldwide market for hip reconstruction devices on the global as well as the regional level. The growth drivers, restraining factors, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified using qualitative and quantitative data, which have been verified through primary and secondary resources. Furthermore, it also presents a substitute analyses of hip reconstruction devices and the global average price trends.Enquire About this Report:Global Hip Reconstruction Devices Market: SegmentationIn this research study, a detailed assessment of the global market for hip reconstruction devices has been performed on the basis of various market parameters, including the product, indication, end user, and the regional spread of this market. Based on the product, the market has been classified into Revision hip replacement device, primary cemented hip replacement device, partial hip replacement device, primary cementless hip replacement device, and hip resurfacing device. Based on the indication, the market has been segmented into rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and trauma. Based on the end user, the market has been bifurcated into Hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), and orthopedic clinics. These segments have been assessed by taking the historical, present, and the future trends in consideration.In terms of the region, the global hip reconstruction devices market has been categorized into Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), the Middle East and Africa (MEA), North America, Europe, and Japan in this report, which talks about the historical as well as current consumption of hip reconstruction devices in these regions at length. The market segmentation includes the demand for these devices in all the regions individually.Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe report covers an in-depth competitive outlook that comprises market share and profiles of the leading players functional in the worldwide hip reconstruction devices market. United Orthopedic Corp., MicroPort Scientific Corp., Exactech Inc., Waldemar LINK GmbH & Co. KG, Corin, Zimmer Inc., Braun Melsungen AG, DePuy Synthes, Smith & Nephew, and Stryker Corp. are the key vendors of hip reconstruction devices, mentioned in this research study.Browse Full Report With TOC:About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At: Citronella Oil Market: Competitive Intelligence and Tracking Report 2016 - 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19181 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=19181 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Global Citronella Oil Market: OverviewCitronella oil is an oil derived majorly from citronella grass, also called as Cymbopogon nardus. The cultivation of the grass requires rich moisture content and sunshine. The oil can also be derived from different cymbopogon species. The citronella oil is considered as one of the industrially important essential oil. This is owing to the key advantages of citronella oil such as flavour additive, fragrances in cosmetic and perfume industries. The citronella oil contains more than 80 components some of which are at high concentration in oil and functions as repellent property of oil. Some of the important components such as geranial, limonene and citronellal are considered to have desirable repellent characteristics. In trade terms, citronella oil are classified as ceylon citronella oil and java citronella oil where they differ in terms of proportion of citronellal and geranial. Perfume industry is important for citronella oil market since it has majority of the revenue share. Other than perfumes citronella oil is also used in detergents, industrial polishes, soaps, cleaning compounds and other industrial products.Global Citronella Oil Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe global citronella oil market is primarily driven by the increasing demand from perfume and cosmetic industries. Citronella oil offers wide remedies some of which are anxiety and stress control, ability to eject bugs and leeches from body etc. Citronella oil prevents the spread of internal and external infections. These are some of the factors which is boosting the global citronella oil consumption. Furthermore, citronella oil has some unique properties such as distinctive olfactory and steady technical properties. These properties are highly essential for industries such as perfume to incorporate appropriate blending and compounding essences which in turn actually drives the global citronella oil market.Request For Report Brochure@However, the substitute for citronella oil such as synthetic isolates from eucalyptus citriodora and turpentine oil might restrain the global citronella oil marketGlobal Citronella Oil Market: SegmentationOn the basis of citronella oil type as per trade, citronella oil market is segmented into:-Java citronella oilCeylon citronella oilOn the basis of citronella oil grades, citronella oil market is segmented into:-Food gradeAromatherapyOthersOn the basis of end use industry, citronella oil market is segmented into:-PerfumeFoodPharmaceuticalDetergentCosmeticOthersGlobal Citronella Oil Market: Region wise OutlookThe global citronella oil market is divided into seven regions, namely North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan and Middle East and Africa (MEA). APEJ holds the major share in the global citronella oil market owing to the high production of essential oils for fragrance and flavour industry and also shares major contribution in essential oils export. The major countries such as Shri Lanka, India, China, Java, Indonesia and Taiwan tops the citronella oil market in terms of production in APEJ region. Followed by APEJ is North America and Europe and are expected to grow at moderately high CAGR during the forecast period. Latin America is anticipate to project stable growth rate in terms of value during the forecast period.Visit For TOC@Global Citronella Oil Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players identified in the global citronella oil market includes:Van AromaReho Natural IngredientsManohar Botanical Extracts Pvt. Ltd.KIC Chemicals, Inc.Wuhan Dahua Weiye Pharmaceutical Chemical Co., Ltd.Fujian Gaoke Daily Chemical Co., Ltd.AOS Products Private LtdGramme ProductsAromacare HerbalsMeena PerfumeryK.K. EnterpriseAbout Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation 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 othersContact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Lash adhesives from Quality Beauty Store https://www.qualitybeautystore.com/product-category/adhesives/ Quality Beauty Store offers a wide range of lash adhesives specifically formulated for semi-permanent eyelash extensions. Each technician uses the glue that is not only easy to apply, but also that suites the clients type of skin and eyes. There are three main categories of eyelash adhesives: for sensitive eyes, with moderate fumes and strong glues.When choosing tools for eyelash extensions, its really important to choose high-quality products due to a high sensitivity of the eye area, that technicians work with. It is therefore very important to minimize the risk of negative impact on eyeballs and eyelids. Sensitive eyelash glue has minimum to no fumes and is perfect for clients with sensitive eyes as it causes no irritation.Lash adhesives with moderate fumes are causing less irritation and have the long bonding period at the same time making the favourite choice for many eyelash technicians. Glues with moderate fumes and strong bonding power include Blink Ultra Bonding glue, Blink Ulbon glue, Blink Fina glue, Blink Ez glue, Premium HS-11 glue, Premium Elite 3D glue designed for 3D and volume lashes.Strong eyelash glue has strong fumes, quick drying time and the longest bonding power up to 8 weeks using the right technique making it the perfect choice for experienced eyelash technician. The product range of Quality Beauty Store includes the most popular and bestselling glues: QBS Ultra Plus glue, Blink Ultra Plus glue, Blink Ultra X glue, Premium Ultra Plus glue, SKY S and Sky S+ Type glue, Blink DIU glue for 3D and volume lashes.All the eyelash adhesives are recommended for professional use only. If you need an advice on choosing the right glue dont hesitate to contact us and will get in touch with at the soonest possible time.For more information, please, visitQuality Beauty Store is an online store with accessories and products for eyelash extensions.Quality Beauty Store80 Sandringham Crescent, Leeds, LS17 8DF, UK+447780870708info@qualitybeautystore.comMihail The ancient city has now a new hotel hotel, reception www.climaveneta.com https://www.melcohit.com The historic Hotel del Rosario in Pompeii reopensThe renovation of the historic Hotel del Rosario in Pompeii, closed for more than 20 years, is about to be completed. Its new name is Habita.79, a modern 4-star superior hotel with over 300 beds, will be soon able to accommodate the numerous tourists who visit the adjacent city of Pompeii every day.The building consists of 4 above ground floors of approximately 1,200 m each and a basement floor. In addition to the rooms, the building is comprised of: a lobby, a conference area with two conference rooms of 100 seats each, a spa and fitness area, a 200-seat multifunctional lounge with its own kitchen, and a 150-seat bistro restaurant.The architectural projectThanks to the shell improvements and the high efficiency of the selected technical systems, the old building has achieved A3 energy class, despite the constraints placed by the Superintendence of Architectural Heritage. The double-lined exterior walls have been filled with granular insulation, the plaster selected is a special thermal type, the floors and the roof have been appropriately insulated, and the window fixtures installed are of thermal cut type with double low-emissive glass, solarized in the south facade. The two outer wall linings are made of semisolid bricks, to ensure a reasonable mass to the structure, contributing to increase in thermal breakdown.The plant projectThe refurbishment has also introduced some restrictions on the plant engineering, such as the ban on photovoltaic and solar thermal installation due to the existing architectural constraints and the prohibition of using the roof of the building so as not to prevent the view of Pompeii ruins and of the sea. Furthermore, indoor or outdoor installations would have had unacceptable sound emissions for such a prestigious building.The HVAC systemThe HVAC system, that might waste a lot of energy in this kind of building, is based on water-to-water heat pumps. With respect to an air-to-air solution this one is able to grant a considerable energy saving, using renewable resources, to reduce both footprint and noise emissions. At Habita.79 the estimated energy savings will be about 30% and the use of renewable resources will exceed 48%.As rich ground water passes through Pompeii with a constant temperature of 15, the HVAC plant designer decided to use it as a thermal buffer for the heat pumps: 2 ERACS2-WQ/S 1002 multi-purpose units, Climaveneta branded. These units are installed in 4-pipe systems for the simultaneous production of hot and cold water by means of two independent water circuits. In cooling operation mode, the domestic hot water production is completely free, thus maximizing the overall energy efficiency of the building.To reduce the peak power required by heat pumps and consequently the amount of released water, and above all to use electricity during the night, when it is more affordable, the plant designer decided to use a thermal buffer. In this way heat pumps can work during the night to charge energy into the storage system, which is then used during the day together with direct production to cover the energy needs of the building. Mr. Lanzillo, of GNOSIS, in charge of the HVAC system design says: Thanks to the innovative designing of this HVAC system, we hit all the efficiency targets indicated by the customer, fully respecting both architectural and environmental constraints, imposed by the proximity to an important archaeological area and goes on: This solution achieves a remarkable energy and economic savings by increasing the use of renewable energy, while minimizing sound emissions and footprint.To manage a complex system at bestThe above-mentioned HVAC plant is complex, due to the large amount of parameters to check: beyond the numerous technical data coming from the heat pumps, it also has to analyze the energy suppliers rates, in particular those of electricity and gas.ClimaPRO by Climaveneta is the managing system able to control multi-purpose units modifying their set point according to the system needs. As a matter of fact, it is able to control the operating parameters of the units at any time, EER and COP included, optimizing them and measuring the whole systems efficiency to always ensure the best performances both in cooling and heating mode.The units activation priority is always assigned to pursue the maximum efficiency in cooling or heating both at both partial and full load. In all cases when the units simultaneously produce hot and chilled water, the real efficiency is measured considering the sum of heating and cooling performances.Air distributionAir is distributed into the rooms through fan coils. At Habita.79 they have installed 94 i-LIFE2, 24 i-CHD, 2 a-HWD and 7 HRD2, all Climaveneta branded. The supply is completed by 4 Wizard Air handling units, that help keep the temperature and humidity levels stable, thus contributing to the high energy performances to the building.Follow Climaveneta:youtube.com/user/climavenetaweb, @ClimavenetaHVAC, linkedin.com/company/climaveneta, facebook.com/climavenetaHVAC/Media Relations:Sara Di Clementesara.diclemente@melcohit.comMitsubishi Electric Hydronics & IT Cooling Systems S.p.A. is Mitsubishi Electric Company specialized hydronic systems for air conditioning and heating and in IT cooling solutions.Mitsubishi Electric Hydronics & IT Cooling Systems S.p.A. designs, produces and markets innovative, energy efficient products and provides value added services for Indoor Climate Control in commercial buildings and for Refrigeration (ICC&R) of industrial processes and ICT applications through CLIMAVENETA and RC.MEHITSMitsubishi Electric Hydronics & IT Cooling Systems S.p.A.via Valsugana 98 - 36022 Cassola (VI)Italy+390424509500 Christmas Books That Change Kid's Lives - Cindy C. Murray's 'The Adventures Of Sophie And Scottie' Action Adventure Trilogy Encourages Childhood Literacy Author Cindy C. Murray http://www.cindycmurray.com Most of us buy books, games and toys for our children for Christmas. Today, in the modern digital age, the sheer number of choices can easily overwhelm even the most selective parents. Nevertheless, there is a gift we can give to our kids that supercedes all others - the love of reading and the desire to learn.Books can take children to entirely new levels of experience, opening their eyes to undiscovered, entirely new adventures, places and experiences. From the safety of home, they can explore to their heart's content and can be given the opportunity to ask questions, explore feelings or maybe just share a good laugh. If we can teach a child to learn to love reading, the simple joy of learning new things and the lure of unimagined ideas can become an endless quest that can vastly improve the quality of life for a child, regardless of circumstance, surroundings or station in life. That is no small gift.Cindy C. Murray, award winning author of the Sophie and Scottie trilogy, uses the concept of girl power, combined with fascinating scientific concepts, to create wildly engaging works of action and adventure-based fiction that kids will find irresistible."My goal for this rated G book series is to take my readers to new worlds and adventures without having to turn on a single electronic device! A recent review by a grandmother of four expressed how excited she was to find creative books that are well written to share with her grand children. I hear this over and over again by parents as well, which makes The Adventures of Sophie and Scottie a perfect series for ages 7 to 12 that encourages reading for a lifetime."Murray also utilizes her award winning series of action adventure children's books to promote literacy and good citizenship. She is passionate about helping kids by sharing engaging and imaginative adventure stories with young readers. Her creative storytelling is inspired by her two daughters and by the childhood adventures she shared with her six siblings. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Cindy contributed her innovative marketing skills to several Fortune 500 companies until she made the choice to stay at home to raise her children - and to write children's books.The Sophie and Scottie Series include three action adventure books: 'Adventures of the Monarch Mystery', 'Adventures of Something's Fishy' and 'Adventures of Sweet Tooth Rock'. The main characters, Sophie and Scottie, are 11 year old twin sisters who live on a 10,000 acre sheep shearing ranch called Shear Heaven. The girls arent identical twins but have similar features. Their unique personalities complement each other as they share adventures and travel to exotic places.Murray's work has won major industry awards. 'The Adventures of Sophie and Scottie Book Series' was awarded the 2017 Gold Family Choice Award. All of the books in the series have taken a Silver Mom's Choice Award. 'Sophie and Scottie's Adventures of the Monarch Mystery' won the 2016 International Book Awards Silver Medal in the Children-Adventure category, as well as qualifying as a 2015 Finalist from San Diego Book Awards for best published children's book.Murray's upcoming author events include:Carden Arbor View School, Upland, CA October 27, 2017'Sophie and Scottie's Adventures of the Monarch Mystery (The Adventures of Sophie and Scottie Book 1)' will also be listed in the Fussy Librarian's book listing on November 15, 2017.Cindy Murray is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at cindy@cindycmurray.com. All of her books are available on Amazon. More information is available on her website.After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Cindy contributed her innovative marketing skills to several Fortune 500 companies. She writes from home and lives in Poway, California, with her husband, daughters, and two dogs.PO Box 1613Shallotte, NC 28459 Relay market expected to reach about $7153 M USD by 2022 from $5657 M in 2016 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/395350-global-relay-market-5 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/395350-global-relay-market-5 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=395350 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/395350-global-relay-market-5 HTF MI recently added a new research study in its database that highlights the in-depth market analysis with future prospects of Relay market. The study covers significant data which makes the research document a handy resource for marketing managers, analysts, industry executives, consultants, sales and product managers, and other key people who are in need of ready-to-access and self analyzed study along with graphs and tables to help understand market trends, drivers and market challenges. Some of the key players mentioned in this research are Omron, TE Connectivity, Panasonic, Fujitsu, Teledyne, ABB, Schneider Electric, Eaton, Honeywell, Fuji Electric, Sharp, Rockwell Automation, Finder, Hella, Hongfa, Song Chuan, Sanyou, Ningbo Forward, CHINT Electrics, Delixi, Hu Gong, Songle Relay, Tianyi Electrical, Qunli Electric & Ningbo Huike.Get Access to sample pages @The research covers the current market size of the Global Relay market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data. It also covers various types of segmentation such as by geography [North America, Europe, China, Asia-Pacific (excluding China) & ROW], by product /end user type [Electromagnetic, SSR & Power Module, Combined Relay & Others], by applications [Automotive, Industrial, Communications, Household Appliance & Others] in overall market. The in-depth information by segments of Relay market helps monitor performance & make critical decisions for growth and profitability. It provides information on trends and developments, focuses on markets and materials, capacities, technologies, CAPEX cycle and the changing structure of the Global Relay Market.Global Relay Industry 2017 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Relay market. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2012 through 2022. Also, a six-year historic analysis is provided for these markets. The global market for Relay is expected to reach about 7153.85 M USD by 2022 from 5657.10 M USD in 2016, registering a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.74% during the analysis period, 2012-2022.The study also contains company profiling, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information of various international, regional, and local vendors of Global Relay Market, some of them are Omron, TE Connectivity, Panasonic, Fujitsu, Teledyne, ABB, Schneider Electric, Eaton, Honeywell, Fuji Electric, Sharp, Rockwell Automation, Finder, Hella, Hongfa, Song Chuan, Sanyou, Ningbo Forward, CHINT Electrics, Delixi, Hu Gong, Songle Relay, Tianyi Electrical, Qunli Electric & Ningbo Huike. The market competition is constantly growing higher with the rise in technological innovation and M&A activities in the industry. Moreover, many local and regional vendors are offering specific application products for varied end-users. The new vendor entrants in the market are finding it hard to compete with the international vendors based on quality, reliability, and innovations in technology.Global Relay (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as Electromagnetic, SSR & Power Module, Combined Relay & OthersMarket Segment by Type 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022Electromagnetic xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%SSR & Power Module xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Combined Relay xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Others xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%The research study is segmented by Application such as Automotive, Industrial, Communications, Household Appliance & Others with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Global Relay (Thousands Units) by Application (2016-2022)Market Segment by Application 2012 2016 2022 Market Share (%)2022 CAGR (%)(2016-2022)Automotive xx xx xx xx% xx%Industrial xx xx xx xx% xx%Communications xx xx xx xx% xx%Household Appliance xx xx xx xx% xx%Others xx xx xx xx% xx%Total xx xx xx 100% xx%Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Relay in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringMarket Segment by Regions 2012 2016 2022 Share (%) CAGR (2016-2022)North America xx xx xx xx% xx%Europe xx xx xx xx% xx%China xx xx xx xx% xx%Asia-Pacific (excluding China) xx xx xx xx% xx%ROW xx xx xx xx% xx%Total xx xx xx xx% xx%Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @The research insights solutions to the following key questions: What will be the market size and the growth rate in 2022? What are the key factors driving the Global Relay market? Who are the key market players and what are their strategies in the Global Relay market? What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Global Relay market? What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the Global Relay market? What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the Relay market?Buy this research report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the Global Relay market.Chapter 1, to describe Relay Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Relay , with sales, revenue, and price of Relay , in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the Global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Relay , for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in North America, Europe, China, Asia-Pacific (excluding China) & ROW;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application [Automotive, Industrial, Communications, Household Appliance & Others], from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Relay market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Relay sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Get customization & check discount for report @Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA 08837sales@htfmarketreport.com+1 (206) 317 1218 Plain Bearing Market: Future Forecast Assessed on the basis of how the Market is Predicted to Grow https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/plain-bearing-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/14651 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=14651 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The consolidated plain bearings market is led by NSK Ltd., JTEKT Corp., NTN Corp., The Timken Company, SKF Group, and Schaeffler Group. These companies jointly accounted for a share of over 40% in 2015, with SKF leading the pack. Transparency Market Research has observed that these players have been focusing on new product development in order to meet the growing needs of their customers. For instance, SKF developed new spherical roller bearings in April 2014 with superior performance and lower maintenance costs.Engaging in acquisitions to expand businesses, value-based pricing, mass production, and strengthening global presence are some of the other growth strategies adopted by players in the plain bearing market.Obtain Report Details @The opportunity in the global plain bearing market is set to be worth US$16.2 bn by 2024, rising from US$9.5 bn in 2015 at a 5.8% CAGR therein. The demand for plain bearings is anticipated to increase at a 6.5% CAGR from 2015 to 2024.Based on design type, the plain bearing market is led by journal bearings and this segment is likely to retain its dominance through 2024 owing to its widespread application in the construction and automotive sector. Emerging as the leading contributor to the plain bearings market, the journal bearing segment accounted for a share of over 42% in 2015, registering a CAGR of 6% from 2016 to 2024.Download Table of Content @By end use, the plain bearing market is driven by the automotive sector, which accounted for over half the global market in 2015. The sector is also projected to register a CAGR higher than any other end-use segment during the course of the forecast period. Geographically, Asia Pacific was the leading market for plain bearings and accounted for 39% of the overall market in 2015.Plain bearings are most popularly used in the automotive industry and the soaring production of motor vehicles globally is directly impacting the growth in the demand for plain bearings used in auto parts.The global production of motor vehicles in 2015 was pegged at 89.7 mn units by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and various bearing manufacturers are catering to this rising demand in the automotive sector, the author of the study states. The impact of this driver is expected to remain high during the forecast period.Request A Sample Of Report @The rising demand for plain bearings in the defense and aerospace industries is also a major factor boosting this market. The governments of various nations around the world have been revving up their defense infrastructure and this has significantly contributed to the growing demand for plain bearings, the analyst observes. For instance, the Turkish government has been taking steps to locally manufacture passenger aircraft, helicopters, jet fighters, and unmanned aerial vehicles on a large scale, leading to the rising demand for industrial bearings.On the flip side, the shrinking after-sales market and an increase in counterfeit products act as deterrents to the plain bearings market. However, the impact of both these factors is forecast to remain low from 2016 to 2024.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. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: 2-in-1 solution IIoT Edge PC and visualization in one PPC-F-QGW series Cloud-based IPC with touch user interface https://www.icp-deutschland.de/en/cloud-based-ipc/ https://www.icp-deutschland.de/en/bios-update/ The direct processing of machine data at the edge offers the advantage for IIoT applications to operate independently of the cloud and of any possible bandwidth problems. An IIoT Edge PC is particularly user-friendly when the recorded data and the defined processes can be visualized live on the machine. ICP Deutschland offers such a 2-in-1 solution with the Cloud-based IPCs PPC-F-QGW. The series is equipped with 12 "~ 19" displays, which have a capacitive or resistive touch. Inside, a powerful and fanless Intel Celeron J1900 SoC works with 4GB DDR3L SO-DIMM memory. For the transmission of the machine data common interfaces such as Dual GbE, USB as well as proven RS-232/422/485 are available. In addition, two mPCIe slots provide flexible expansion options. The Cloud-based IPC series is already equipped with a special IIoT software package, including a pre-installed Embedded Linux QTS operating system, standardized apps and free software tools. The container-based apps undertake for instance functions such as remote management using the QRM+ software, data processing and definition of processes using the rules engine Node-RED or translating industrial protocols into IoT protocols such as MQTT or CoAP. The extended voltage input of 9 ~ 36VDC, the operating temperature of -10~50C and the possibility of panel or rack mounting enable a flexible use in the industrial environment right at the machine. In order to defy harsh environments, ICP Germany offers the cloud-based IPCs with IP65 protected aluminum enclosures. These can be combined with different support arm variants and internal wiring.ICP. Industrial Computer Products by people who care!Product as HTML: Product as HTML:BIOS Update:ICP Deutschland is YOUR partner for Industrial Computer Products of IEI Integration Corp. In addition we offer alternative products and additional items, such as CPUs, RAMs, HDD/SSDs, Operating systems, Networking and I/O Systems.Your Advantages: Qualified support from our experienced employees Large warehouse in Germany qualified for stockpiling Service and support in Germany Cost-efficient production in Taiwan and China A single source for all kind of products!ICP Deutschland GmbHVanessa KlugeMahdenstr. 372768 ReutlingenGermanyPhone: +49 (0)71 21 / 143 23-0Fax: +49 (0)71 21 / 143 23-90Email: vk@icp-deutschland.de Hitachi's Inkjet helps piping bag manufacturer Keeplastics to print even faster Original print with Hitachi UX-D Series www.hitachi-industrial.eu www.facebook.com/hitachicodingsolutions/ http://www.hitachi.com FAST CHANGE AT KEEPLASTICSKeeplastics has been a customer of Svenska Allen, partner of Hitachi in Sweden, for several years. Its patented piping bag Kee-Seal ULTRA, which is manufactured at the companys factory in Norrkoping, is widely used in the food industry.When Keeplastics needed to invest in new printing equipment it chose the UX D ink jet printer from Hitachi. Keeplastics delivers its products to over 80 countries and each territory has a unique print code. This means it has to be able to change the information printed on the cartons very quickly.Fast changeover is essential with four different products being packed on one production line and new information being continuously downloaded to the Hitachi ink jet printers.Important factorsReliability was an important factor when Production Manager, Lars-Ake Johansson was choosing the new printing equipment. He ultimately selected the UX D model because of Hitachis previous industry experience, as well as the companys long-term relationship with Svenska Allen.Svenska Allens unrivalled support and proximity to the office in Norrkoping was a key benefit whilst the printers excellent price-performance ratio was the key and deciding factor.More information about Hitachi's coding solutions:About Hitachi, Ltd.Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer societys challenges. The companys consolidated revenues for fiscal 2015 (ended March 31, 2016) totalled 10,034.3 billion yen ($88.7 billion). The Hitachi Group is a global leader in the Social Innovation Business, and it has approximately 335,000 employees worldwide. Through collaborative creation, Hitachi is providing solutions to customers in a broad range of sectors, including Power / Energy, Industry / Distribution / Water, Urban Development, and Finance / Government & Public / Healthcare. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website atHitachi Europe GmbHMarketing ICEGAm Seestern 1840547 Dusseldorf The Global Mascara Market expected to reach USD 10,306.16 Million Impressive Profit 2023. Mascara Market, Mascara Market Size, Mascara Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3507 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/mascara-market-3507 Mascara Market Research ReportSummaryMascara Market is projected to dominate the market as compared to waterproof mascara based on the easy application and removal of the product. Additionally, increasing awareness about the harmful chemicals present in the waterproof range is found to be major drawback for the products market. During the forecast period, regular mascara is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 6.59%.Report Description:The global market for mascara has witnessed continued demand during the last few years and is projected to reach USD 10,306.16 million at a CAGR of 6.70% by 2023. Increasing global demand for eye cosmetics is likely to drive the global mascara market over the forecast period.On the basis of product-type, Volumizing mascara will witness a growth at the rate of (~6.80%). By 2023, volumizing mascara market is expected to reach a market value of more than USD 4,000 million on the global level. High demand for mascara products to enhance the overall eye appearance along with its application to make the lashes thick is found to be having a positive impact in its market share growth. Product promotions and celebrity endorsements is also influencing growth of volumizing mascara, positively.Sample Report @Europe will continue to dominate the mascara market with more than 30% of the market share and it is projected to reach a market value of more than USD 3,000 million at a CAGR of 6.61% by 2023. Asia Pacific will witness a high growth rate (~7.01%) during the forecast period 2017-2023. Availability of variety of products in the mascara range along with easy availability across the regions has increased the sale of mascara on the global level. Increasing beauty consciousness among the consumers has been playing a key role in the growth of the global mascara market from last few years.By 2023, regular mascara is projected to dominate the market as compared to waterproof mascara based on the easy application and removal of the product. Additionally, increasing awareness about the harmful chemicals present in the waterproof range is found to be major drawback for the products market. During the forecast period, regular mascara is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 6.59%.On the basis of distribution channel, sale of mascara through store based channel likely to dominate the market based on easily available desired product, which meets the consumers satisfaction and one-stop shopping experience. Furthermore, store based retail expected to dominate the mascara market holding a major share of more than 50%. However, based on high adoption of technological applications into daily routine by the consumers, the sale of mascara through non-store based channel will experience a high growth at a rate 6.85% during the corresponding period.Key Players:Some of the leading players in the Global Mascara Market are:LOreal SA (France)The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (U.S.)LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (France)Coty, Inc, (U.S.)Avon Products, Inc. (U.S.)Shiseido Co., Ltd (Japan)Revlon, Inc. (U.S.)Table Of Content : ........................REPORT PROLOGUEINTRODUCTION2.1 Definition 152.1.1 Mascara 152.1.2 Volumizing Mascaras 152.1.3 Lengthening Mascara 152.1.4 Curling Mascara 162.1.5 Non-Clumping, Water Resistant Mascara 162.2 Scope Of The Study 162.2.1 Research Methodology 162.3 Assumptions 162.4 Limitations 162.5 Market Structure 17RESEARCH METHODOLOGY3.1 Research Process 183.2 Primary Research 193.3 Secondary Research 213.4 Forecast Model 22PREMIUM INSIGHTS4.1 History,Evolution & Innovation: Global Mascara Market 234.1.1 History & Evolution 234.1.1.1 The Scandal 244.1.2 Innovation 244.2 Market Mapping & Research Methodology: Global Mascara Market 254.3 Market Segmentation: Global Mascara Market 264.4 Industry Trends And Market Environment: Global Mascara Market 27MARKET DYNAMICS5.1 Introduction 295.2 Drivers: 305.2.1 Increasing Disposable Income: 305.2.2 Improved Technology Leading To Growing Demand For Luxury Eye Makeup Products: 315.2.3 Growing Working Women Population: 315.2.4 Strong Performance Of Retail Sector: 315.3 Restraints: 325.3.1 Presence Of Harmful Chemicals: 325.3.2 Lower Shelf-Life: 325.4 Opportunities: 335.4.1 Product Innovations: 335.4.2 Product Promotions: 335.4.3 R & D Investments: 335.5 Challenges: 345.5.1 Certification: 345.5.1 Branding Issues: 34Browse Complete report @Key Findings:Global Mascara Market is projected to reach USD 10,306.16 million by 2023 at a growth rate of 6.70%Waterproof mascara will experience a growth at a rate of 6.82% during the given forecast periodNon-store based distribution channel for mascara will witness the highest growth at a rate of 6.8% based on the one-swipe/click shopping experience through e-commerceRegional and Country Analysis of Mascara Market Development and the Demand Forecast till 2023 Market:As per the MRFR analysis, the global market for mascara have been witnessing continued demand during the last few years and is projected to reach more than USD 3,000 million in Europe by 2023. Europe region is estimated to dominate the mascara market holding the lions share of more than 30%. Also, North America will hold the second largest share in the global mascara market and is projected to grow at a rate of 6.53%.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.Office No. 524/528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, HadapsarAkash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Lichen Nitidus Treatment Market US $ 170 Million at CAGR of 8.7% Forecasts by 2023 Market Research Future https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4249 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/4249 The Lichen Nitidus Treatment Market report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions. The World Lichen Nitidus Treatment Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period and is estimated to reach USD 170 million by 2023.Lichen nitidus is a rare, chronic skin disease characterized by flat-topped, and skin-colored micropapules. Characteristics of these micropapules are the size, shape (pin point), color, location and itching. It mostly affects geriatric and pediatric population. They commonly occur on the chest, abdomen, arms and genital areas, including the penis. In this disease, T lymphocytes get activated resulting in the formation of these micropapules. In lichen nitidus, linear arrangement of micropapules can be seen on the fore arm or affected area.Get Sample Copy @Increasing prevalence of skin diseases across the globe is the major factor contributing the growth of the market. Unawareness about rare skin diseases among people may act as a restrain for the market growth.Regional Analysis of the Global Lichen Nitidus Treatment Market:The Americas accounts for the largest share of the global lichen nitidus treatment market due to increasing prevalence of skin disease, availability of treatment methods at affordable cost and demand for new topical products for its treatment. According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, the number of people suffering from lichen nitidus is increasing at a steady rate in American countries. It also stated that in 2013, USD 75 billion were spent on the treatment of various skin diseases. Aging population is another factor responsible for the market growth in these countries.Europe is the second largest market that holds a noticeable share of the global lichen nitidus treatment market owing to an increase in the awareness regarding skin diseases, demand for skin care cosmetics, and growing market for dermatology in many European countries.In Asia Pacific, the market is driven by increasing in number of dermatology clinics, rising demand for evidence based skin care and increasing prevalence of diseases associated with lichen nitidus such as atopic dermatitis and tuberculosis.The Middle East & Africa is expected to show a steady but positive growth in this market due constant demand for diagnostics services in dermatology, rising awareness about lichen nitidus among children and its prevention.Some of the key players in this market are Pfizer Inc. (U.S), Novartis AG (Switzerland), Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. (U.S), Sanofi (France), GlaxoSmithKline plc. (U.K), AstraZeneca (U.K), Hubei Gedian Humanwell Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd (China), Farmabios SPA (Italy), Horizon Pharma plc. (Ireland).Get Discount @Major TOC for Lichen Nitidus Treatment Market:Research methodologyMarket dynamicsMarket factor analysisGlobal Lichen Nitidus Treatment market, by typeGlobal Lichen Nitidus Treatment Market, By Type of ContentGlobal Lichen Nitidus Treatment market, by technologyGlobal Lichen Nitidus Treatment market, by end userGlobal Lichen Nitidus Treatment market, by regionCompetitive landscapeContinued...About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Nanomedicine Market 2017: Key Players,Key Regions,Production,Demand and Forecast to 2023 Nanomedicine Industry 2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1273888-global-nanomedicine-market-drivers-opportunities-trends-and-forecasts-2017-2023 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1273888-global-nanomedicine-market-drivers-opportunities-trends-and-forecasts-2017-2023 WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - Nanomedicine Market 2017: Key Players,Key Regions,Production,Demand and Forecast to 2023.Nanomedicine is an offshoot of nanotechnology, and refers to highly-specific medical intervention at the molecular scale for curing diseases or repairing damaged tissues. Nanomedicine uses nano-sized tools for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease, and to gain increased understanding of the complex underlying pathophysiology of the disease. It involves three nanotechnology areas of diagnosis, imaging agents, and drug delivery with nanoparticles in the 11,000 nm range, biochips, and polymer therapeutics.The majority of nanomedicines used now allow oral drug delivery and its demand is increasing significantly. Although these nanovectors are designed to translocate across the gastrointestinal tract, lung, and bloodbrain barrier, the amount of drug transferred to the organ is lower than 1%; therefore improvements are challenging. Nanomedicines are designed to maximize the benefit/risk ratio, and their toxicity must be evaluated not only by sufficiently long term in vitro and in vivo studies, but also pass multiple clinical studies.The major drivers of the nanomedicine market include its application in various therapeutic areas, increasing R&D studies about nanorobots in this segment, and significant investments in clinical trials by the government as well as private sector. The Oncology segment is the major therapeutic area for nanomedicine application, which comprised more than 35% of the total market share in 2016. A major focus in this segment is expected to drive the growth of the nanomedicine market in the future.Market Analysis: The Global Nanomedicine Market is estimated to witness a CAGR of 17.1% during the forecast period 20172023. The nanomedicine market is analyzed based on two segments therapeutic applications and regions.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comRegional Analysis: The regions covered in the report are the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (ROW). The Americas is set to be the leading region for the nanomedicine market growth followed by Europe. The Asia Pacific and ROW are set to be the emerging regions. Japan is set to be the most attractive destination and in Africa, the popularity and the usage of various nano-drugs are expected to increase in the coming years. The major countries covered in this report are the US, Germany, Japan, and Others.Therapeutic Application Analysis: Nanomedicines are used as fluorescent markers for diagnostic and screening purposes. Moreover, nanomedicines are introducing new therapeutic opportunities for a large number of agents that cannot be used effectively as conventional oral formulations due to poor bioavailability. The therapeutic areas for nanomedicine application are Oncology, Cardiovascular, Neurology, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-infectives, and various other areas. Globally, the industry players are focusing significantly on R&D to gain approval for various clinical trials for future nano-drugs to be commercially available in the market. The FDA should be relatively prepared for some of the earliest and most basic applications of nanomedicine in areas such as gene therapy and tissue engineering. The more advanced applications of nanomedicine will pose unique challenges in terms of classification and maintenance of scientific expertise.Key Players: Merck & Co. Inc., Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Gilead Sciences Inc., Novartis AG, Amgen Inc., Pfizer Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Sanofi, Nanobiotix SA, UCB SA and other predominate & niche players.Competitive Analysis: At present, the nanomedicine market is at a nascent stage but, a lot of new players are entering the market as it holds huge business opportunities. Especially, big players along with the collaboration with other SMBs for clinical trials of nanoparticles and compounds are coming with new commercial targeted drugs in the market and they are expecting a double-digit growth in the upcoming years. Significant investments in R&D in this market are expected to increase and collaborations, merger & acquisition activities are expected to continue.Benefits: The report provides complete details about the usage and adoption rate of nanomedicines in various therapeutic verticals and regions. With that, key stakeholders can know about the major trends, drivers, investments, vertical players initiatives, government initiatives towards the nanomedicine adoption in the upcoming years along with the details of commercial drugs available in the market. Moreover, the report provides details about the major challenges that are going to impact on the market growth. Additionally, the report gives the complete details about the key business opportunities to key stakeholders to expand their business and capture the revenue in the specific verticals to analyze before investing or expanding the business in this market.Report Details @Table Of Contents Major Key Points1 Industry Outlook 101.1 Industry Overview 101.2 Industry Trends 111.3 PEST Analysis 122 Report Outline 122.1 Report Scope 122.2 Report Summary 132.3 Research Methodology 142.4 Report Assumptions 143 Market Snapshot 163.1 Total Addressable Market (TAM) 163.2 Segmented Addressable Market (SAM) 163.3 Related Markets 173.3.1 mHealth Market 173.3.2 Healthcare Analytics Market 184 Market Outlook 184.1 Overview 184.2 Regulatory Bodies and Standards 194.3 Government Spending and Initiatives 194.4 Porter 5 (Five) Forces 215 Market Characteristics 225.1 Evolution 225.2 Ecosystem 255.2.1 Regulatory Process 255.2.2 Clinical Trials 255.2.3 Pricing and Reimbursement 265.3 Market Segmentation 285.4 Market Dynamics 285.4.1 Drivers 295.4.1.1 Emergence of nanorobotics 295.4.1.2 Applications and advantages of nanomedicine in various healthcare segments 295.4.1.3 Reasonable investments in R&D 305.4.1.4 Increased support from governments 305.4.2 Restraints 315.4.2.1 Long approval process and stringent regulations 315.4.2.2 Problems regarding nanoscale manufacturing 315.4.2.3 Risks related to nanomedicines 315.4.2.4 Undefined regulatory standards 315.4.3 Opportunities 325.4.3.1 Aging population with chronic care needs 325.4.3.2 Population and income growth in emerging countries 325.4.4 DRO Impact Analysis 336 Trends, Roadmap and Projects 346.1 Market Trends and Impact 346.2 Technology Roadmap 357 Types: Market Size and Analysis 367.1 Overview 367.2 Global Nanomedicine Market in Oncology Segment 377.3 Global Nanomedicine Market in Cardiovascular Segment 387.4 Global Nanomedicine Market in Neurology Segment 397.5 Global Nanomedicine Market in Anti-inflammatory Segment 397.6 Global Nanomedicine Market in Anti-infective Segment 407.7 Global Nanomedicine Market in Other Therapeutic Areas 418 Trending Nanomedicines 428.1 Overview 428.2 Abraxane 438.3 Alimta 438.4 Eligard 448.5 Copaxone 448.6 Rapamune 448.7 Neulasta 458.8 Cimzia 458.9 AmBisome 468.10 Mircera 468.11 Pegasys 468.12 Emend 478.13 Renagel 478.14 Ritalin 47Continue.For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028. Kiosk Market: Trends & Opportunities with Forecast 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/kiosk-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/3619 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=3619 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com A vast number of vendors spread across the globe are contributing to the favorable development presently witnessed by the global kiosk market and the number of companies venturing in the market is rising at an increasing frequency, reports Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new research report.The competition in the market is expected to intensify in the next few years and companies are expected to invest more in the development of products with innovative features to gain a competitive edge. With rising prevalence of cybercrimes and the increasing usage of kiosks across the banking and finance industry, incorporation of security features in kiosks capable of masking or protecting critical finance-related data of consumers will gain more prominence.Obtain Report Details @Some of the key vendors operating in the North America market, the regional market accountable for the dominant share of the global kiosk markets revenues presently, include Kiosk Information Systems, Diebold Inc., and NCR Corporation. Other key vendors in the global kiosk market are International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) Corp., Wincor Nixdorf Ag, Slabbkiosks, and Meridian Kiosks LLC.Kiosks have proven to be excellent means for improving customer experience, appealing tech-savvy and digitally inclined consumers, and improving the efficiency of operations for the services industry. These factors have emerged as the core drivers for the increased adoption of kiosks at facilities where routine transactions and answering routine consumer questions can be more effectively handled with the help of self-sustainable machine interfaces. Organizations are also increasingly coming to terms with the fact that personnel costs can be enormously brought down by reducing manpower with kiosks.Download Table of Content @Advertising kiosks capable of attracting an increased level of consumer interest and ultimately bringing a sizeable rise in sales by providing product information customized to the specific needs and interests of consumers are also gaining increased adoption across several industries. In the next few years, these factors will provide substantial traction to the global kiosk market.Although the growth prospects of the global kiosk market are mostly promising, the factor of security concerns pertaining to critical consumer data, especially gathered during financial transactions at kiosks, has raised suspicion among consumers unacquainted with technology advancements. The vast costs incurred during the purchase and installation of even the basic varieties of kiosks are also downsizing the overall appeal of kiosks for a select consumer base. For cost-sensitive regional markets such as Asia Pacific and Latin America, technologically advanced kiosks can be seen as unnecessary burdens on the overall investments and finances.Request A Sample Of Report @North America accounted for a share of nearly 42% in the global market in 2015. As a result, the regional market remained a key contributor to the overall revenues of the market in 2015 and will continue to do so in the next few years as well. However, the global kiosk market will gain the most promising returns from sales across the Middle East and Africa and Latin America regional markets over the period between 2016 and 2024. Owing to increased adoption of kiosks in the banking and financial sector will drive the MEA kiosks market at the fastest CAGR of 17.30% from 2016 to 2024.Of the key product types in the market, the segment of vending kiosks led the market, accounting for a share of over 45% in the market in 2015. However, the segment is expected to lose its appeal to the charging kiosks segment, which will expand at the fastest 13.5% CAGR from 2016 to 2024. On a whole, the global kiosk market will expand at a 10.9% CAGR over the said period. Expanding at this pace, the market, which had a valuation of US$12.2 bn in 2015, is expected to rise to US$30.8 bn by 2024.This review of the global kiosk market is based on a recent market research report published by Transparency Market Research, titled Kiosk Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2016 2024.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. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Aerospace Materials Market like BASF SE, Du Pont, ASM Advanced Metallurgical Group, TATA Advanced Materials Limited is Dominating the Market at CAGR 6.7% through 2024 http://databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-aerospace-materials-market http://databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-aerospace-materials-market/ http://databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-aerospace-materials-market http://databridgemarketresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/?dbmr=global-aerospace-materials-market http://databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/geotechnical-instrumentation-monitoring-market/ http://databridgemarketresearch.com/blog/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/data-bridge-market-research Global Aerospace Materials Market By Type (Steel Alloys, Aluminum Alloys, Super Alloys, Titanium Alloys, Composite Materials) Aircraft Type (Commercial, Business & General Aviation, Military, Helicopters) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Get Free Sample Copy of this Report @Global Aerospace Materials Industry 2017 Market Research Report focuses on price, sales, revenue and growth rate of each type, as well as the types and each type price of key manufacturers, through interviewing key manufacturers. Second on basis of segments by manufacturers, this report focuses on the sales, price of each type, average price of Credit Insurance, revenue and market share, for key manufacturers.The Global Aerospace Materials Market accounted for USD 17.35 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. The upcoming market report contains data for historic year 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Complete report on Global Aerospace Materials Market Research Report 2017-2024 spread across 350 Pages, profiling Top companies and supports with tables and figuresMarket Definition: Global Aerospace Materials MarketAerospace materials are characterized by high strength, heat resistance, and long term reliability. These materials have to pass international quality standards in order to be used in aircraft manufacturing. Growing commercial airline industry has played a key role in the growth of this market. The aircraft industry is dominated by Airbus and Boeing, which occupy the majority of the market.Some of the major players operating in this market are BASF SE Du Pont ASM Advanced Metallurgical Group Toray Industries, Inc. Cytec Solvay Group Alcoa Corporation TEIJIN LIMITED AMG N.V KOBE STEEL LIMITED ATI, Hexcel Corporation TATA Advanced Materials Limited Hindalco-Almex Aerospace Limited Materion Corporation SGL Group Constellium Aleris Inc. Koninklijke Ten Cate NV Sofitec and Kaiser AluminumMajor Market Drivers: Rising demand of efficient and light weighted aircraft Increase in low cost air travel Advancements in compositesRestraints: Reduced defense spending in developed economies Limited range of materials optionsCustomize report of "Global Aerospace Materials Market" as per customers requirement also available.For more insightful information visit@Market Segmentations:Global Aerospace Materials Market is segmented on the basis of Type Aircraft Type GeographyMarket Segmentations in Details:On the basis of Type, global aerospace materials market is segmented into revenue pocket matrix, steel alloys, aluminum alloys, super alloys, titanium alloys and composite materials.On the basis of Aircraft Type, global aerospace materials market is segmented into commercial, business & general aviation, military and helicoptersOn the basis of Geography, North America South America Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East & AfricaRequest for Detailed TOC:Company Share Analysis: Global Aerospace Materials MarketThe global aerospace materials market is consolidated due to the presence of limited number of players concentrated in few countries. These major players have adopted various organic as well as inorganic growth strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, and others to strengthen their position in this market.Speak to Author of the Report @Other ReportGlobal Geotechnical Instrumentation & Monitoring Market Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Global Geotechnical Instrumentation & Monitoring Market, By Geography; Offering (Hardware, Software, Services); Structure (Tunnels Bridges, Buildings Utilities, Dams); Technology (Wired Networking Technology, Wireless Technology); Application (Pore Water Pressure, Soil Stresses, Lateral Deformation, Vertical Deformation), End-Users (Building, Infrastructure, Energy, Power, Oil, Gas, Mining) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Report Access:About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Vishal DixitData Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: Sales@databridgemarketresearch.comInvestor: investors@databridgemarketresearch.comVisit BlogFollow us on LinkedIn: How DevOps will help banks regain the competitive edge discussed at breakfast briefing www.indigoblue.co.uk Senior representatives of financial services organisations gathered at a DevOps Breakfast Briefing hosted in London by IndigoBlue and Peru ConsultingLondon, 11 October 2017 - Senior representatives of well-known financial services organisations gathered at a Breakfast Briefing hosted by Agile consultancy IndigoBlue in partnership with Peru Consulting to discuss the key role DevOps will play in tackling the challenges posed by startup competitors.In recent years, the banking sector has been significantly challenged by innovative non-bank companies that use banking infrastructure to provide value-added offerings.These startups use Agile delivery and DevOps practices to respond rapidly to user needs and the evolving marketplace. In contrast, the large financial service organisations whose infrastructure these startups exploit are typically weighed down by legacy infrastructure and traditional software delivery practices.Through its DevOps consultancy and the extensive experience of its Agile consultants, IndigoBlue has supported large organisations such as the Metropolitan Police and the Ministry of Justice to establish DevOps, facilitating the incremental delivery of digital products and services.IndigoBlues DevOps services lead, John Wright, explained to the assembled guests that to be responsive to business and consumer needs, IT organisations needed to become capable of faster release cycles while remaining committed to quality and security. A DevOps approach was needed, requiring an evolution in skill sets, culture and ways of working.IndigoBlues principal DevOps specialist, Brett Delle Grazie, explained the traditional perceptions of Development, Operations and Architecture, with silo working causing delays and inefficiencies. He then set out the DevOps approach, in which software engineering principles are applied both to software development and IT infrastructure, and in which specialist representatives of Operations and Security are embedded in Development teams.At the heart of the approach was the concept of shifting things to the left, i.e. deploying to production as early as possible, providing early visibility to the Compliance, Security and Architecture teams and ensuring that their integrations worked from the outset.He said that DevOps acted as the grease in the wheels, promoting trust, communication and collaboration between the different disciplines.During a floor discussion, guests described blockers they had encountered in driving forward the DevOps approach, including vendor capability issues, legacy environments, and governance and compliance obstacles.Encouragingly, the guests had already employed a variety of enablers to make real progress: showing that deploying as early as possible increases transparency; proving that releasing smaller batches reduces risk; and demonstrating how DevOps enhances rather than impedes governance through its emphasis on standardising approaches, policies and tools.To discuss how IndigoBlues DevOps consultancy can support your own organisation on its journey towards DevOps maturity, contact John Wright at john.wright@indigoblue.co.uk.IndigoBlue is one of the UKs leading consultancies specialising in the application of Agile, Lean and DevOps processes for strategic consultancy, and programme and project management. IndigoBlue provides management and consultancy services that enable our customers to harness the benefits of Agile and achieve lasting competitive advantage from technology investment. For more information visitIndigoBlue3-4a Little Portland StreetLondonW1W 7JBUnited KingdomContact: Paul Dykes paul.dykes@indigoblue.co.uk UK SME Insurance Market Size, Share, Trends, Dynamics and Opportunities 2017 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1350114 "UK SME Insurance: Market Dynamics and Opportunities 2017", analyzes the UK SME insurance market. Economic factors including GDP growth, SME business confidence, and unemployment rates are explored in relation to the UKs business landscape. Growth in the number of SMEs is explored by business size and industry. The SME market is discussed in relation to uptake of commercial insurance. Finally an estimate of current and historic market size is provided, in addition to a future forecast.The UK SME insurance market was estimated to be worth 6.4bn in GWP in 2016, after falling from 7.0bn in 2015. The sharp fall in 2016 was caused by reduced average insurance spend across all sizes of SMEs, which outweighed the slight increase in companies registered in these categories. The impact of trends in the five to nine employee group of SMEs was particularly significant, as it has both high insurance penetration (94.2%) and a high volume of businesses, meaning a decline in spending reported through our 2017 SME Insurance Survey had a major impact on the overall size of the market.Get The Sample Copy Of Report :Scope- Micro businesses account for 95.5% of UK private sector enterprises and 18.6% of generated turnover.- 40.0% of SMEs are concerned about the fallout from Brexit, with the possibility of poorer economic conditions the key factor.- The UK SME insurance market is forecast to be worth 7.66bn in 2020.Reasons to buy- Be aware of the significance of SMEs within the commercial insurance market and how they are influenced by the UK economy.- Adapt your strategy and ensure you remain competitive by understanding the opportunities for growth within the SME insurance market.- Recognize the challenges the SME insurance market faces.- See our forecasts for the SME market.MRRbiz supports your business intelligence needs with over 700,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Global Tissue Regeneration Market is Expected To Be Worth US$ 60 Billion By 2022 Tissue Regeneration Market https://www.marketresearchengine.com/tissue-regeneration-market https://www.marketresearchengine.com/tissue-regeneration-market https://www.marketresearchengine.com/ The Global Tissue Regeneration Market is segmented on the lines of its technology, treatment, application and regional. Based on Component segmentation it covers Cell Therapy, Stem Cell Therapy, Stem Cell Sources, Gene therapy. Based on Material it covers Scaffolds: Medical Poly Lactic Acid, Biologically Derived Materials. Based on Application it covers Cardiovascular Disorders, Oncology, Dermatology, Musculoskeletal Applications, Wound Healing, Ophthalmology, Neurology, Central Nervous System Diseases and Internal Organ Regeneration. Based on End User it covers Research laboratories, Academic institute, Pharma and biotech companies, Hospitals and diagnostic center, Clinical research organizations and Forensic laboratories. The Global Tissue Regeneration Market on geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geographic 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.The is Global Tissue Regeneration Market expected to exceed more than US$ 60.8 Billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 34.9% in the given forecast period.You can browse full report:This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for Global Tissue Regeneration Market and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2022.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Global Tissue Regeneration 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.The major driving factors of Global Tissue Regeneration Market are as follows: Prevalence of chronic diseases Implementation by new consumers Use of biomarkers for disease diagnosis Demand for personalized medicine Grants and funds by government globallyThe restraining factors of Global Tissue Regeneration Market are as follows: Stringent regulatory systems Reimbursement concerns Immunological and inflammatory reactions Issue of fatigueRequest Sample Report:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for Global Tissue Regeneration Market with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.Table of Contents1. Introduction2. Executive Summary3. Market Insights4. Tissue Engineering And Regeneration Market Overview5. Market Dynamics6. Market Segmentation and Analysis7. Regional Market Analysis8. Tissue Engineering And Regeneration Market Analysis By Components9. Standards and Guidelines10. Projects/Programs11. Competitive Landscape12. Tissue Engineering And Regeneration Market Analysis By Material13. Tissue Engineering And Regeneration Market By Application14. Tissue Engineering And Regeneration Market By Region15. Competitive Landscape16. Patent Analysis17. Company Profiles (Overview, Financials, Products & Services, and Recent Developments)17.1 Arteriocyte Medical Systems Inc.17.2 Athersys Inc.17.3 Cerapedics Inc.17.4 Co. Don AG17.5 Cook Medical Inc.17.6 Cryolife Inc.17.7 Cytori Therapeutics Inc.17.8 Genzyme Corp.17.9 Kinetic Concepts Inc.17.10 Mesoblast Ltd.17.11 Nuo Therapeutics Inc. (Cytomedix Inc.)17.12 Ocata Therapeutics Inc. (Astellas Pharma Inc.)17.13 Organogenesis Inc. (Advanced Biohealing)17.14 Orthopeutics L.P.17.15 U.S. Stem Cell Inc. (Bioheart Inc.)17.16 Vericel Corp. (Aastrom Biosciences Inc.)17.17 Wright Medical Group N.VAbout UsMarket Research Engine (MRE) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. MREs 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 Market Research Engines research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States Transparent Ceramics Market by Manufacturers,Types,Regions and Applications Research Report Forecast to 2022 Transparent Ceramics Industry https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2407063-2017-2022-global-and-japan-transparent-ceramics-market-analysis-report https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/2407063-2017-2022-global-and-japan-transparent-ceramics-market-analysis-report WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - Transparent Ceramics Market by Manufacturers,Types,Regions and Applications Research Report Forecast to 2022.This report, with focus on top players in the global and Japan, studies the Transparent Ceramics market's development status and future trend in the global and Japan. It splits Transparent Ceramics market by type and by applications to fully and deeply research and reveal market profile and prospect.The major players includeCoorsTek Inc. (U.S.)Surmet Corporation (U.S.)Schott AG (Germany)II-VI Optical Systems (U.S.)CILAS (France)Brightcrystals Technology Inc. (China)CeramTec-ETEC GmbH (Germany)Konoshima Chemical (Japan)CoorsTek Corporation (Japan)CeraNova (U.S.)IKTS (Germany)Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comGeographically, this report splits the Global market into the following regions:Asia PacificJapanTokyoYokohamaOsakaNagoyaOthersChinaKoreaIndiaOthersEuropeFranceGermanyUnited KingdomItalyRussiaOthersNorth AmericaUnited StatesOn the basis of product, the Transparent Ceramics market is primarily split intoBy Product ypeMonocrystalline transparent ceramicsPolycrystalline transparent ceramicsGlass-CeramicsOthersBy MaterialSapphireYttrium Aluminum GarnetAluminum OxynitrideSpinelOthersKey ApplicationsOptics & OptoelectronicsAerospace, Defense & SecurityMechanical/ChemicalSensors & InstrumentationHealthcareConsumer goods/electronicsEnergyOthersReport Details @Table Of Contents Major Key Points2017-2022 Global and Japan Transparent Ceramics Market Analysis Report1 Transparent Ceramics Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Transparent Ceramics1.2 Global and Japan Transparent Ceramics Market by Applications/End Users1.2.1 Japan Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.1 Japan Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.2 Japan Transparent Ceramics Sales Growth Rate (%) by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities1.2.2 Japan Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.3 Global Transparent Ceramics Sales by Application (2012-2017)1.2.3.1 Global Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.3.2 Global Transparent Ceramics Sales Growth Rate (%) by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.3.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities1.2.4 Global Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.5 Optics & Optoelectronics1.2.6 Aerospace, Defense & Security1.2.7 Mechanical/Chemical1.2.8 Sensors & Instrumentation1.2.9 Healthcare1.2.10 Consumer goods/electronics1.2.11 Energy1.2.12 Others1.3 Global and Japan Market Size (Sales and Revenue) of Transparent Ceramics (2012-2017)1.3.1 Japan Market Size (Sales and Revenue) of Transparent Ceramics (2012-2017)1.3.1.1 Japan Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)1.3.1.2 Japan Transparent Ceramics Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.3.2 Global Market Size (Sales and Revenue) of Transparent Ceramics (2012-2017)1.3.2.1 Global Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)1.3.2.2 Global Transparent Ceramics Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4 Global and Japan Classification of Transparent Ceramics by Product ype1.4.1 Japan Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Product ype (2012-2017)1.4.2 Global Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Product ype (2012-2017)1.4.3 Japan Transparent Ceramics Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by Product ype (2012-2017)1.4.4 Global Transparent Ceramics Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by Product ype (2012-2017)1.4.5 Japan Transparent Ceramics Price (USD/Unit) by Product ype (2012-2017)1.4.6 Global Transparent Ceramics Price (USD/Unit) by Product ype (2012-2017)1.4.7 Japan Transparent Ceramics Sales Growth Rate (%) by Product ype (2012-2017)1.4.8 Global Transparent Ceramics Sales Growth Rate (%) by Product ype (2012-2017)1.4.9 Monocrystalline transparent ceramics1.4.10 Polycrystalline transparent ceramics1.4.11 Glass-Ceramics1.4.12 Others1.5 Global and Japan Classification of Transparent Ceramics by Material1.5.1 Japan Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Material (2012-2017)1.5.2 Global Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Material (2012-2017)1.5.3 Japan Transparent Ceramics Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by Material (2012-2017)1.5.4 Global Transparent Ceramics Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by Material (2012-2017)1.5.5 Japan Transparent Ceramics Price (USD/Unit) by Material (2012-2017)1.5.6 Global Transparent Ceramics Price (USD/Unit) by Material (2012-2017)1.5.7 Japan Transparent Ceramics Sales Growth Rate (%) by Material (2012-2017)1.5.8 Global Transparent Ceramics Sales Growth Rate (%) by Material (2012-2017)1.5.9 Sapphire1.5.10 Yttrium Aluminum Garnet1.5.11 Aluminum Oxynitride1.5.12 Spinel1.5.13 Others..4 Global and Japan Transparent Ceramics Players/Manufacturers Profiles and Sales Data4.1 CoorsTek Inc. (U.S.)4.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.1.2 Transparent Ceramics Product Category, Application and Specification4.1.2.1 Product A4.1.2.2 Product B4.1.3 CoorsTek Inc. (U.S.) Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.2 Surmet Corporation (U.S.)4.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.2.2 Transparent Ceramics Product Category, Application and Specification4.2.2.1 Product A4.2.2.2 Product B4.2.3 Surmet Corporation (U.S.) Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.3 Schott AG (Germany)4.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.3.2 Transparent Ceramics Product Category, Application and Specification4.3.2.1 Product A4.3.2.2 Product B4.3.3 Schott AG (Germany) Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.4 II-VI Optical Systems (U.S.)4.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.4.2 Transparent Ceramics Product Category, Application and Specification4.4.2.1 Product A4.4.2.2 Product B4.4.3 II-VI Optical Systems (U.S.) Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.5 CILAS (France)4.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.5.2 Transparent Ceramics Product Category, Application and Specification4.5.2.1 Product A4.5.2.2 Product B4.5.3 CILAS (France) Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.6 Brightcrystals Technology Inc. (China)4.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.6.2 Transparent Ceramics Product Category, Application and Specification4.6.2.1 Product A4.6.2.2 Product B4.6.3 Brightcrystals Technology Inc. (China) Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.7 CeramTec-ETEC GmbH (Germany)4.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.7.2 Transparent Ceramics Product Category, Application and Specification4.7.2.1 Product A4.7.2.2 Product B4.7.3 CeramTec-ETEC GmbH (Germany) Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.8 Konoshima Chemical (Japan)4.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.8.2 Transparent Ceramics Product Category, Application and Specification4.8.2.1 Product A4.8.2.2 Product B4.8.3 Konoshima Chemical (Japan) Transparent Ceramics Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.8.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinue.For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028. VRF System 2017 Market Segmentation,Application,Technology & Market Analysis Research Report to 2022 VRF System Market 2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2407064-2017-2022-global-and-japan-vrf-system-market-analysis-report https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/2407064-2017-2022-global-and-japan-vrf-system-market-analysis-report WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - VRF System 2017 Market Segmentation,Application,Technology & Market Analysis Research Report to 2022.This report, with focus on top players in the global and Japan, studies the VRF System market's development status and future trend in the global and Japan. It splits VRF System market by type and by applications to fully and deeply research and reveal market profile and prospect.The major players includeDaikin Industries (Japan)Mitsubishi Electric (Japan)Hitachi (Japan)Midea Group (China)United Technologies (US)Samsung Electronics (South Korea)Panasonic (Japan)Lennox International (US)Ingersoll Rand (Ireland)Fujitsu General (Japan)LG Electronics (South Korea)PETRA Engineering Industries Co. (Jodan)Voltas (India)Reznor (US)Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comGeographically, this report splits the Global market into the following regions:Asia PacificJapanTokyoYokohamaOsakaNagoyaOthersChinaKoreaIndiaOthersEuropeFranceGermanyUnited KingdomItalyRussiaOthersNorth AmericaUnited StatesOn the basis of product, the VRF System market is primarily split intoby System TypeHeat Pump SystemsHeat Recovery Systemsby ComponentOutdoor UnitsIndoor UnitsControl Systems and AccessoriesKey ApplicationsCommercialResidentialOthersReport Details @Table Of Contents Major Key Points2017-2022 Global and Japan VRF System Market Analysis Report1 VRF System Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of VRF System1.2 Global and Japan VRF System Market by Applications/End Users1.2.1 Japan VRF System Sales (K Units) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.1 Japan VRF System Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.2 Japan VRF System Sales Growth Rate (%) by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities1.2.2 Japan VRF System Sales (K Units) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.3 Global VRF System Sales by Application (2012-2017)1.2.3.1 Global VRF System Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.3.2 Global VRF System Sales Growth Rate (%) by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.3.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities1.2.4 Global VRF System Sales (K Units) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.5 Commercial1.2.6 Residential1.2.7 Others1.3 Global and Japan Market Size (Sales and Revenue) of VRF System (2012-2017)1.3.1 Japan Market Size (Sales and Revenue) of VRF System (2012-2017)1.3.1.1 Japan VRF System Sales (K Units) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)1.3.1.2 Japan VRF System Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.3.2 Global Market Size (Sales and Revenue) of VRF System (2012-2017)1.3.2.1 Global VRF System Sales (K Units) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)1.3.2.2 Global VRF System Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4 Global and Japan Classification of VRF System by System Type1.4.1 Japan VRF System Sales (K Units) and Market Share by System Type (2012-2017)1.4.2 Global VRF System Sales (K Units) and Market Share by System Type (2012-2017)1.4.3 Japan VRF System Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by System Type (2012-2017)1.4.4 Global VRF System Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by System Type (2012-2017)1.4.5 Japan VRF System Price (USD/Unit) by System Type (2012-2017)1.4.6 Global VRF System Price (USD/Unit) by System Type (2012-2017)1.4.7 Japan VRF System Sales Growth Rate (%) by System Type (2012-2017)1.4.8 Global VRF System Sales Growth Rate (%) by System Type (2012-2017)1.4.9 Heat Pump Systems1.4.10 Heat Recovery Systems1.5 Global and Japan Classification of VRF System by Component1.5.1 Japan VRF System Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Component (2012-2017)1.5.2 Global VRF System Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Component (2012-2017)1.5.3 Japan VRF System Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by Component (2012-2017)1.5.4 Global VRF System Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by Component (2012-2017)1.5.5 Japan VRF System Price (USD/Unit) by Component (2012-2017)1.5.6 Global VRF System Price (USD/Unit) by Component (2012-2017)1.5.7 Japan VRF System Sales Growth Rate (%) by Component (2012-2017)1.5.8 Global VRF System Sales Growth Rate (%) by Component (2012-2017)1.5.9 Outdoor Units1.5.10 Indoor Units1.5.11 Control Systems and Accessories..4 Global and Japan VRF System Players/Manufacturers Profiles and Sales Data4.1 Daikin Industries (Japan)4.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.1.2 VRF System Product Category, Application and Specification4.1.2.1 Product A4.1.2.2 Product B4.1.3 Daikin Industries (Japan) VRF System Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.2 Mitsubishi Electric (Japan)4.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.2.2 VRF System Product Category, Application and Specification4.2.2.1 Product A4.2.2.2 Product B4.2.3 Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) VRF System Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.3 Hitachi (Japan)4.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.3.2 VRF System Product Category, Application and Specification4.3.2.1 Product A4.3.2.2 Product B4.3.3 Hitachi (Japan) VRF System Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.4 Midea Group (China)4.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.4.2 VRF System Product Category, Application and Specification4.4.2.1 Product A4.4.2.2 Product B4.4.3 Midea Group (China) VRF System Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.5 United Technologies (US)4.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.5.2 VRF System Product Category, Application and Specification4.5.2.1 Product A4.5.2.2 Product B4.5.3 United Technologies (US) VRF System Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.6 Samsung Electronics (South Korea)4.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.6.2 VRF System Product Category, Application and Specification4.6.2.1 Product A4.6.2.2 Product B4.6.3 Samsung Electronics (South Korea) VRF System Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.7 Panasonic (Japan)4.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.7.2 VRF System Product Category, Application and Specification4.7.2.1 Product A4.7.2.2 Product B4.7.3 Panasonic (Japan) VRF System Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview4.8 Lennox International (US)4.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors4.8.2 VRF System Product Category, Application and Specification4.8.2.1 Product A4.8.2.2 Product B4.8.3 Lennox International (US) VRF System Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017)4.8.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinue.For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028. Blue Biotechnology Market: Expected To Grow, Future market projections for 2024 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/713 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/blue-biotechnology-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/713 Blue Biotechnology Market Global Research Report By Categories (Food Product, Marine Algae, Marine Environment, Industrial Product, Marine Micro-organisms, Bio-Engineering, Cultivation) By Application (Laboratories, Medical Industry) - Forecast to 2024Get Sample Report @About Blue Biotechnology:The combination of aquatic and marine organisms that introduces new sources of energy, develop new drugs, extract new active ingredients is known as Blue Biotechnology. As the planet is covered with by water, Blue Biotechnology plays a very important role in discovering new products by exploring the ocean.Blue Biotechnology Market also helps in creating new marine technology to monitor sea environment and health threats to human. Blue Biotechnology is categorized as follows marine environment, Bio-engineering of Marine Micro-organisms, Genomics and Meta-Genomics, Molecular Biology in Life Sciences, the Use of Marine Algae and may others. Blue biotechnology is the application of molecular biological methods to marine and freshwater organisms.Blue Biotechnology Market Report: Key PlayersNorth Pacific Marine Science Organization, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Consigl, Construction Co Inc., American Innovations, Inc., Ingenuity Systems, Inc, Deepsea Power & LightBlue Biotechnology Market Segmentation:The blue biotechnology market is segmented into following partsSegmentation by categoriesMarine EnvironmentMarine Renewable EnergyBio-engineering of Marine Micro-organismsGenomics and Meta-GenomicsMolecular Biology in Life Sciencesthe Use of Marine AlgaeCultivation of Marine OrganismsFood ProductsIndustrial Products and ProcessesHealthSegmentation by ApplicationMarine industryFood industryResearch LaboratoriesGenerating ElectricityMedical industryBrowse Report @Blue Biotechnology Applications:The major application areas of Blue Biotechnology are Marine Environment, Medical industry, Food industry, generating electricity etc.Blue Biotechnology is used in marine technology by keeping track of environment and providing details of it. Blue Biotechnology is applicable in medical field as well by introducing and developing new drugsThis technology is used to generate electricity this is known as Marine Renewable Energy, this done by using waves to power the turbines to generate electricity.Blue Biotechnology market regional analysis:The regional analysis comprises of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and rest of the world.North AmericaNorth America is one of the leading markets in Blue Biotechnology is. The major growth of this technology in North America is due to increasing demand for biotech products in the fields of medicine, food and feed supplements, cosmetics. The rapid invention of marine natural products also helps in the growth of Blue Biotechnology market.EuropeEurope region appears us the second largest market in Blue Biotechnology across the globe. The research and development activities and the infrastructure support to the marine is the main reason for the growth of Blue Biotechnology in Europe. There is a huge rapid technology growth working offshore in deeper water. The offshore renewable energy installation provides further more growth in Blue Biotechnology. The sea and coasts that deliver basic human resources such as food and energy also play an important role in the growth of this technology. The offshore renewable energy installationGeographical Analysis:AmericasNorth America, US, Canada, Mexico, Latin AmericaEuropeWestern Europe, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, U.KRest of Western EuropeEastern EuropeAsia PacificAsia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Rest of Asia, Pacific CountriesThe Middle East& AfricaGet Discount @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 , 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.Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Market 2017 Global Analysis By key Players Cobham plc, Marotta Controls, Moog, Inc., Systima Technologies, Inc., Harris Corporation Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2408576-global-weapons-carriage-release-systems-market-size-status-and-forecast-2022 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/2408576-global-weapons-carriage-release-systems-market-size-status-and-forecast-2022 WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Market 2017 Global Analysis By key Players Cobham plc, Marotta Controls, Moog, Inc., Systima Technologies, Inc., Harris Corporation.This report studies the global Weapons Carriage & Release Systems market, analyzes and researches the Weapons Carriage & Release Systems development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeCobham plcMarotta Controls, Inc.Moog, Inc.Systima Technologies, Inc.Harris CorporationGet a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Application, Weapons Carriage & Release Systems can be split intoFor Fast JetsFor RotorcraftFor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)OthersReport Details @Table Of Contents Major Key PointsGlobal Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Weapons Carriage & Release Systems1.1 Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Market Overview1.1.1 Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Market by End Users/Application1.3.1 For Fast Jets1.3.2 For Rotorcraft1.3.3 For Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)1.3.4 Others2 Global Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Cobham plc3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Marotta Controls, Inc.3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Moog, Inc.3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Systima Technologies, Inc.3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Harris Corporation3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent DevelopmentsContinue.For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028. Agricultural Inoculants Market Players Analysis, Industry Technologies and Forecast to 2023 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/agricultural-inoculants-market-4491 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4491 Market OverviewRising sale of agricultural inoculants is driven majorly by developing economy and advancements in technology. Rising health awareness has spurred up the market demand for organic food commodities. To enhance the organic production, the market demand for agricultural inoculants is experiencing a surge. Shift in food consumption trend has a major impact on this market, which has increased the global demand for agricultural inoculants. The production of agricultural inoculants is high in North America and is projected to increase at a positive growth rate in various countries of Europe and Asia Pacific over the given forecast period.Market ForecastThe global agricultural inoculants market share is expected to grow at a higher growth rate supported by positive influence of organic farming. Technological strides are resulting in improved product quality, which is also adding fuel to the growth of this market. Keen focus on R & D resulting in increased yield of quality crops is further projected to increase the sale of the product.All these factors will contribute to the estimated CAGR of 8.3% of agricultural inoculants market during the forecast period 2017-2023.Access Report Details @Downstream AnalysisOn the basis of type, silage inoculants dominates the market based on high consumer end demand for cereals and pulses in organic and natural form. However, the focus on R & D is projected to fuel the market demand for hay inoculants during the given forecast period. Furthermore, based on the crop-type, cereals & pulses dominates the market owing to high production capacity due high consumers demand for organic cereals and pulses.The market is estimated to grow at a high CAGR owning to rising cost of agrochemicals and relatively lower cost of microbial inoculants, and high yield obtained from them.Competitive AnalysisThe key players in the agricultural inoculants market are Archer Daniels Midland (U.S.) DU Pont (Pioneer) (U.S.) Ag-bag System (U.S.) BIOMIN Animal Nutrition GmbH (Austria) Life Products, Inc. (U.S.) Lallemand Animal Nutrition (Canada) DBC Ag Products (U.S.) Priority IAC, Inc. (U.S.) Volac International Limited (Ecosyl) (U.K.) DeLaval (Sweden)Agricultural inoculants manufacturers across various regions are following the strategy of product innovations and increased focus on R & D to penetrate the global market and to meet the growing demand for the product. Enhancement of the product quality and increasing production of organic legumes and oilseeds will further attract the consumers towards the organic agricultural commodities offerings. In North America, the U.S. dominates agricultural inoculants market and exports the product to various other countries, which include Canada, the U.K., China, Australia, and others.Request a Sample Report @Regional AnalysisThe global agricultural inoculants market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and rest of the world (RoW). North America holds a major market share followed by Europe. High demand for agricultural inoculants from the developed countries of these regions is contributing to the positive growth of the agricultural inoculants market. The U.S., China, the U.K., Germany, and France are the major importers of agricultural inoculants. Developed trading channels and high demand for healthy food are also driving the growth of the market in these countries.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.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com The purpose of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity is to chronicle the scientific and commercial history of radioactivity and radiation. It has been deemed the official repository for historical radiological instruments by the Health Physics Society, and the Society has been generous in its financial support for the purchase of items. The collection is the property of the not-for-profit ORAU Foundation, and it is located at the Professional Training Programs (PTP) training facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Unless noted otherwise, this website only features items actually in the collection. If you have any technical or historically-related questions about the collection, or if you are interested in making a donation, contact Dr. Paul Frame via email. Please do not ask about an appraisalwe do not attribute monetary values to items. Frequent visitors of immensely popular gaming forum NeoGAF will find that the website is currently down, after allegations against site owner Tyler Evilore Malka surfaced over the weekend. As countless people shared their stories of sexual harassment, assault and abuse as part of the #MeToo movement, one such account recalled an incident with Malka; the post can be read here via Imgur. Since then, around a dozen of NeoGAFs moderators stepped down from their positions, with multiple users expressing their anger and vowing to quit the forum. As of this writing, NeoGAF is still inaccessible. Per Kotaku, the allegations were brought up by filmmaker Ima Leupp. In her Facebook post, Leupp describes Malka as making unwanted advances in a hotel shower. Leupp declined to name Malka at first, but eventually implored her followers to Google Evilore. Speaking to Kotaku, Leupp stated that her friendship, and a brief physical relationship, resumed after the incident until an eventual falling-out during E3 2015. Leupp told Kotaku that before the shower incident, I had no reason not to trust him. He had been introducing me to people and helping me network for my film company. I feel gross from having ever been in contact with this person. Since then, a user revolt emerged, with forum posts such as the one below: This is the best NeoGAF abandon ship post Ive seen so far. pic.twitter.com/FaL2Hh9cUV Liam Robertson (@Doctor_Cupcakes) October 22, 2017 In addition to the post above, several threads were started by users asking to be permanently banned from the website. NeoGAF has been a highly visible community for both videogame players and developers since its launch in 2006, succeeding the Gaming-Age Forums. Malka in particular is known for his progressive views, being staunchly anti-GamerGate and publicly expressing support for the Paris Agreement. Malka invited the ire of the right when he tweeted a picture of himself shaking hands with then-President Barack Obama. Bald eagles could be heard roaring in the background pic.twitter.com/zIlx2jI1gG Tyler Malka (@NeoGAF) March 23, 2016 On the other hand, Malka also spoke strongly against several #MeToo witch hunt posts on NeoGAF, banning users who criticized his abrasive approach. Just got banned from an internet forum I frequent for this post. There isnt a problem with nerd culture at all. pic.twitter.com/P8KhpJyTGA Inferno313 (@Inferno313) October 6, 2017 NeoGAF has yet to comment publicly on the matter. Harbor Springs frees up funding with public safety millage The Harbor Springs public safety millage will free up some of the funds impacted by the Headlee Amendment, but city officials say it isn't a long-term fix. Keimo Suominen Wins MPNPT Tallinn 2017 Main Event for 45,200 October 23, 2017 PokerNews Staff Finnish online qualifier Keimo Suominen has taken the mantle of MPNPT Tallinn Main Event champion from last years winner Ranno Sootla, winning 45,200 after a heads-up deal with Davis Modans. Theyd outlasted a field of 534; the total prize pool reached 258,990 well over its 150,000 guarantee. Sunday's final table was a lesson in table-turning. Unassailable-looking chip leads proved their unreliability in the face of no-limit hold'em's brutal swings, and underdogs rose to claim the lions share of the prize money. Just 14 players returned for the final day, with nine final table spots and one trophy to play for. Aleksei Vandyshev burst the final table bubble, finishing 10th for 3,235 and just missing out on the chance to star on the live stream. Hed made his way to the final table largely at the expense of MPNPT regular and serial microstakes qualifier Julie Whitworth, first cracking her queens with and then winning a flip to send her to the rail in 13th (2,590). When the final nine were seated, the table looked unbalanced: over a third of the total chips in play were in Halmes stack. Final Table Recap The elimination of Aleksei Karev in ninth place (4,105) crowned Sergei Luchishin as Last Longer King, as he had outlasted all online qualifiers from Betsson, BetSafe, NordicBet and Bets10 to win a free MPNPT Morocco package for January 2018. He went on to pick up a good deal more for fourth place not bad for someone playing his first live event who qualified in a freeroll on Betsson. One of three Finnish finalists, Juha Ovaskainen, was the next out, after dwindling to just seven big blinds and finding Suominen behind him with pocket kings when he did move all-in. His A-8 offsuit hit nothing; he hit the rail, collecting 5,430. There followed a few key hands in which pocket eights (widely considered to be a lucky number) cost erstwhile chip leader Halme the majority of his chips. First, they lost him half a million chips flipping against Luchishin (who moved in with Q-T suited), then they doubled up Martin Mand (all-in with Jacks) to the tune of 750,000. The final eights-featuring hand saw the demise of Priit Vanem in seventh place (5,430) as well as another blow to Halme: Vanem shoved with A-J prelop, Mand also shoved (with 8-8), and Halme, covering both, called with pocket jacks. An eight on the flop gave Mand a much-needed triple up and dropped Halme further down. Running jacks into Modans aces finished him off and he took home 10,620 for sixth. Suominens second final table pair of kings eliminated electrician, Omaha specialist and lifelong poker enthusiast Andres Abakanov in fifth (13,630), leaving what turned out to be a stubborn foursome at the final. Two levels passed before Luchishins elimination, after which Suominen and Modens clashed in the majority of hands, battling for the table captains hat. Mand exited in third place (27,770), having secured himself an excellent delayed party for his birthday, which was Sunday. That left Modans and Suominen to fight heads up, and the latter fought against the higher-stacked Modans with every weapon in his arsenal to first take the chip lead, and then the last of Modans gaming discs. They had made a deal heads up, though, which softened the blow for the runner up. MPNPT Tallinn Final Table Payouts Place Player Country Prize 1 Keimo Suominen Finland (Paf Heart Poker Qualifier) 45,200* 2 Davis Modans Latvia 41,000* 3 Martin Mand Estonia 27,770 4 Sergey Luchishin Russia (Betsson Poker Qualifier) 20,120 5 Andres Abakanov Estonia 13,630 6 Antti Halme Finland 10,620 7 Priit Vanem Estonia 8,020 8 Juha Ovaskainen Finland (Paf Heart Poker Qualifier) 5,430 9 Aleksei Karev Russia (BetSafe Poker Qualifier) 4,015 *Reflects heads-up deal For more detail of the final table action, finalist profiles, and a recap of the day, head to the MPN Poker Tour blog. The final MPNPT Tallinn side events also concluded on Sunday, with the two-day 110 Estonia Poker Cup bringing back 35 in-the-money players (out of a starting field of 230) to play to a winner. That winner was Cristopher Grontved Pajeso, who claimed the top prize of 4,739 out of a total prize pool of 22,989. Two one-day events, the 110 Doubles Event, and the 330 Bounty gave players a final chance to take home an MPNPT trophy. The Doubles was won, jointly, by Sergei Oganesjan and Nikita Semjonov, who took turns exhorting on the rail and winning chips until the other 42 two-man teams were eliminated and they took home 1,666. So wraps MPNPT Tallinn, after a week of non-stop poker action at the Olympic Park Casino, with activities from sauna parties to Go-Karting and beer tasting laid on for those whose dreams of trophy glory will have to wait until the next stop: Mazagan, Morocco, Jan. 11-14, 2018. Full details are available on mpnpokertour.com. PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 10:53:02 Paris, 23rd October 2017 - Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, today announces it has been awarded an 2017 Oracle Excellence Award for Specialized Partner of the Year - EMEA in Cloud Infrastructure. Atos is a Global Platinum level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN). The Oracle Excellence Awards for Specialized Partner of the Year - EMEA encourages innovation by Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) members, who use Oracle's products and technology to create value for customers and generate new business potential. This award reflects Atos' innovation and commitment to serving Oracle clients by delivering Oracle solutions and services to solve critical business challenges. Atos was presented the 2017 Oracle Excellence Award for Specialized Partner of the Year - EMEA in Cloud Infrastructure for demonstrating excellence in the development of hybrid cloud infrastructure. With its cloud service offering -Atos Canopy Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud - Atos provides businesses with highly industrialized and automated end-to-end Cloud services, including end-to-end service orchestration and management over multiple Cloud types. Mark Nouris, Global Head of Atos Canopy Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud says "Atos and Oracle have a long and successful history of creating solutions that add value to our mutual customers' businesses for over 20 years. This award is testament to this as well as our focus and expertise to create seamless customer journeys involving Cloud migration, application and infrastructure transformation, service organization and management over multiple cloud types." "Congratulations to Atos for achieving the 2017 Oracle Excellence Award for Specialized Partner of the Year - EMEA in Cloud Infrastructure," said David Callaghan, Senior Vice President, Alliances and Channels, Oracle EMEA. "This award recognizes Atos' commitment to delivering innovative solutions and is a true testament to their dedication to excellence in providing customers solutions and services that drive real business value and results." As an all-inclusive service provider for Oracle, Atos has expertise and accreditation across the complete spectrum of applications, technologies and associated services. With over 1,500 skilled Oracle professionals across the world, Atos brings together proficiency in core technology, including database and middleware, plus vertical market sector and horizontal cross-sector applications, as well as the entire lifecycle management and Quality Assurance of these technologies. Atos is a global leader in Cloud Migration and Management, with its 11 multi-tenant cloud hubs, 3,300+ cloud experts and 8 Global Delivery Centers around the world. It has been positioned as a Leader by Gartner in its Magic Quadrant Data Center Outsourcing & Infrastructure Utility Services (DCO/IUS), Europe, North America and APAC; a Global Leader in Private Cloud by Everest Group and as a European Leader in Cloud Infrastructure Migration & Management by NelsonHall. ### About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with approximately 100,000 employees in 72 countries and annual revenue of around 12 billion. The European number one in Big Data, Cybersecurity, High Performance Computing and Digital Workplace, The Group provides Cloud services, Infrastructure & Data Management, Business & Platform solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting-edge technologies, digital expertise and industry knowledge, Atos supports the digital transformation of its clients across various business sectors: Defense, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Energy & Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications and Transportation. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline. Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index. About Oracle PartnerNetwork Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracle's partner program that provides partners with a differentiated advantage to develop, sell and implement Oracle solutions. OPN offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of Oracle's products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracle's growing product portfolio, partner base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is the ability for partners to be recognized and rewarded for their investment in Oracle Cloud. Partners engaging with Oracle will be able to differentiate their Oracle Cloud expertise and success with customers through the OPN Cloud program - an innovative program that complements existing OPN program levels with tiers of recognition and progressive benefits for partners working with Oracle Cloud. To find out more visit: http://www.oracle.com/partners. Trademarks Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Press contact: Laura Fau | laura.fau@atos.net | +33 6 73 64 04 18 | @laurajanefau This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: ATOS via Globenewswire PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 16:27:07 Press Information Transparency Market Research U.S. OFFICE: State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States Rohit Bhisey Head of Marketing +1-518-618-1030 email https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ # 611 Words U.S. OFFICE:State Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesHead of Marketing+1-518-618-1030 Global Cadmium Pigments Market: OverviewCadmium pigments refer to a class of pigments that contain cadmium as one of the chemical components. Cadmium is predominantly used in batteries, which is followed by their use in pigments. Apart from these, cadmium pigments are used in glasses, ceramics, plastics, and other products.Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2412 The booming consumer goods industry, which accounts for large volume consumption of plastics is tremendously contributing to the growth of the cadmium pigments market. The plastics sector accounts for almost 75% of the consumption of cadmium pigments. The pigment has the ability to diffuse in several polymers and provides tinting strength, superior cooling, and high opacity. On top of this, cadmium pigments display excellent quality of color fastness in polymers that often lasts a lifetime.Cadmium pigments are increasingly being used in advanced complex polymers. Complex polymers such as high density polyethylene, silicone resins, nylon, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonates, and other thermoplastic polymers extensively use cadmium pigments as these polymers are processes at very high temperature, which rules out the possibility of use of organic pigments and most of the inorganic pigments.The report presents a pin-point analysis of the growth trends, market dynamics, and competitive structure that will impact the growth of the global cadmium pigments market for the 2013-2019 period.Global Cadmium Pigments Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe major factors driving the cadmium pigments market are due to the properties of cadmium of resistance to high temperature, low melting point, good electrical conductivity, and high corrosion resistance. Cadmium pigments are also extensively used in industrial paints. The chemical inertness and high temperature resistance of cadmium pigments make them suitable for steam pipes and chemical containers. Due to the physical and chemical properties of cadmium pigments, there are no substantial alternatives and are rarely imitated by other inorganic pigments. The unavailability of suitable alternatives acts as a major driver for the cadmium pigments market.However, the growth of the cadmium pigments market is restrained due to several factors. Individuals exposed to cadmium are subject to health problems with kidney and lungs being mostly affected due to prolonged exposure to cadmium pigments. Cadmium pigments are non-essential for human beings and their proper disposal is of prime importance. Cadmium if released in the soil or water bodies enters the food chain from where it is absorbed into the human body.In 2011, the European Union banned the use of cadmium pigments for all plastics. This development is restraining the growth of the Europe cadmium pigments market. Mostly all countries discourage the extensive use of cadmium pigments due to its inherent environmental concerns. Nevertheless, lack of safer alternatives to cadmium pigments will lead to a steady growth of the global cadmium pigments market in the foreseeable future.Global Cadmium Pigments Market: Regional OutlookThe report segments the global cadmium pigments market into the regional segments of North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. Amongst these, Asia Pacific displays the highest demand for cadmium pigments and the trend is anticipated to continue. North America displays a steady demand for cadmium pigments resulting in moderate growth of the cadmium pigments market in the region. In Europe, the cadmium pigments market is on the decline due to the ban imposed by the government for the use of cadmium products.Major Companies Mentioned in ReportSome of the leading companies involved in the global cadmium pigments market are JMB Ltd., Hunan Jufa Technology Co. Ltd., and Rockwood Pigments NA Inc. among others.Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=2412 PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 21:44:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 398 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Canadian Zeolite Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Canadian Zeolite Corp. (TSX Venture:CNZ). has issued a press release with the following headline:Canadian Zeolite Announces Acquisition of Earth Innovations Inc. and Strategic FinancingTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Canadian Zeolite Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Canadian Zeolite Corp.Source: Canadian Zeolite Corp. (TSX Venture: CNZ, ISIN: CA1368001097, WKN: A2AEE1, OTCQB: CNZCF, FWB: ZEON)Date: October 23, 2017Time: 3:44 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Canadian Zeolite Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 09:21:03 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 365 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Colon cancer is the cancer of large intestine which form the lower part of the digestive system. The disease usually begins with a small, benign clusters of cells known as adenomatous polyps. If left untreated, these polyps may result into colon cancer. Therefore, regular screening for polyps through colonoscopy in order to prevent it transforming to colon cancer is recommended. Change in bowel habits or blood in stool are the major symptoms of colon cancer. Attributable epidemiological factors can be precancerous growth in the colon or genetic mutation. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recommends patients affected with colon cancer, for testing of genetic mutation in the KRAS gene which accounts for about 30% to 40% of colon tumors.Request for Report TOC @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/5423 There are three primary recommended therapies for treating colon cancer surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Surgical procedures such as colonoscopy, endoscopic mucosal resection, colectomy and laparoscopy are preferred in early-stage and invasive colon cancer treatment therapy. Besides, chemotherapy involves administration of drugs that destroy cancer cells, usually recommended after the surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence. In addition, targeted drugs such as bevacizumab (Avastin), cetuximab (Erbitux), panitumumab (Vectibix) and regorafenib (Stivarga) are administered to patients with advanced colon cancer. Radiation therapy utilizes powerful X-ray radiations to kill the cancer cells left after surgery, shrink large tumors before the surgery or relieve symptoms of colon cancer. Usually combined with chemotherapy, radiation therapy aids in reducing the risk of recurrence.According to the Colon Cancer Alliance, colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed and second leading cause of cancer in the U.S. Rising incidences of colon cancer and high pricing of products have attracted pharmaceutical companies to develop and market new products. Healthcare practitioners are now cautioned with the cost-benefit ratio of colon cancer drugs owing to large presence and high pricing of products in this market. Extensive research and development in this field is expected to provide better and more effective medications in the future.Request for Report Sample @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/5423 Some of the key players contributing to this market include Bedford Laboratories, Sanofi Aventis, Bayer AG, GlaxoSmithKline plc and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Persistence Market Research has announced the addition of the Color Cosmetics Market Insights and Analysis for Period till 2020 " report to their offering. Color Cosmetics Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 09:28:37 Press Information Persistence Marketing Research 305 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City, NY 10007, United States, USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Web: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 386 Words 305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Color cosmetics are personal care products that help to enhance the appearance of the human body. Color cosmetics refer to the colorants and cosmetic ingredients used for make-up, skin care, personal hygiene, hair care, fragrance and oral care. Color cosmetics include products such as foundations, eye shadows, nail paints, powders, lipsticks, concealers, bronzers and other. On the basis of type of product, color cosmetics market can be segmented into face, eye, lip and nail and others.North America, followed by Europe, has the largest market for color cosmetics due to innovations in color cosmetics, high consumer disposable income and new product launches in color cosmetic market in the region. Asia is expected to show high growth rate in the color cosmetics market in next few years due to increasing consumer incomes and rise in awareness about personal care products in the region.Visit For TOC@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3433 Increasing consumer spending in color cosmetics, rise in consciousness about appearance, innovation of new products, growing beauty and personal care sector, rise in demand for color cosmetics to reduce age related skin imperfections, improving quality of life, technological advancement in color cosmetics are driving the market for color cosmetics. In addition, attractive packaging, increasing consumer health awareness about the personal care and growing fashion trends are expected to drive the market for color cosmetics. However, economic downturn, high cost of quality chemicals, strict government regulations and high price related to packaging are some of the factors restraining the growth for global color cosmetics market.Growing demographics and economies in the developing countries such as India and China is expected to offer good opportunities in color cosmetics market in Asia. In addition, continuous rise in loyalty to color cosmetics, rise in demand for organic cosmetic products and innovations in color cosmetic products are expected to offer new opportunities for global color cosmetics market. Increasing number of brands and products, growing online retailing, growing number of mergers and acquisitions and rise in collaborations and partnerships are some of the latest trends that have been observed in global color cosmetics market. Some of the major companies operating in the global color cosmetics market are Estee Lauder Inc., AVON PRODUCTS, INC., LOreal SA, Revlon, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and Beiersdorf.Request For Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3433 PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 16:03:02 Collaboration to address rapidly growing projects and portfolio management market TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Deloitte and Enstoa announced that they have partnered, combining their respective skills and expertise to better address the needs of the growing capital projects and portfolio management (PPM) market in Canada. With the market for PPM solutions expected to exceed $8.5 Billion by 2025, both Deloitte and Enstoa see a tremendous opportunity to bring a unique value proposition to the market. "We're in the midst of a critical time where organizations looking to optimize and streamline complex capital projects need the most innovative solutions more than ever," said D'Arcy Mathias, Partner, Consulting at Deloitte. "Deloitte is pleased to join forces with Enstoa, a pioneer in the PPM space, and help companies enable enterprise transformation and navigate the implementation of capital projects." As part of the partnership, both companies will strategically pursue opportunities in the Canadian PPM space and will jointly invest in developing market offerings and innovations in the delivery of PPM solutions. From major construction and engineering projects to real estate and facilities management, the Deloitte/Enstoa partnership brings skills, experience and focus that is unparalleled in the marketplace. "Canada's investment in infrastructure and construction projects continues to grow," said Jordan Cram, CEO at Enstoa. "Deloitte is the Canadian go-to in capital projects and PPM advisory services. Together, we will provide organizations with the rich, evidence-based insights and a nimble digital transformation approach that is required to maximize their output and spend their capital strategically." Deloitte and Enstoa have worked together at a global level for many years. As one of the country's leading firms for enabling enterprise transformation, Deloitte is excited to strengthen their relationship in the Canadian market. Enstoa brings to the partnership deep experience implementing some of the world's largest Primavera Unifier and P6 projects as well as an inventory of proprietary tools and accelerators specifically for the capital projects industry. Known for their ability to deliver across multiple industry sectors, Enstoa's team of functional and technical experts will work closely with Deloitte's Capital Projects, Organization Change and Primavera teams to deliver enterprise transformations that drive value, accelerate time to market and bring deep industry insights to customers. About Enstoa Enstoa is a leading systems integrator for capital projects worldwide, providing innovative products and services to organizations around the world managing and maintaining multi-billion dollar construction programs. By enhancing communication, streamlining processes and deploying data for fact-based management, we enable organizations to reinvest resources previously spent on managing disparate information into what really matters for them. Enstoa achieves this through a combination of breakthrough software innovation, systems integration, and internal cultural change devoted to unlocking individual, team, and organizational productivity. Follow Enstoa on Twitter and LinkedIn. http://www.enstoa.com About Deloitte Deloitte, one of Canada's leading professional services firms, provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services. Deloitte LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership, is the Canadian member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms. Press Contacts Kerry Foley Enstoa kfoley@enstoa.com PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 16:31:03 TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gazit-Globe (NYSE:GZT) (TSX:GZT) (TASE:GZT), a global owner developer and operator of supermarket-anchored shopping centers and retail-based, mixed-use properties, located in urban growth markets, invites you to participate at 10:00 am US EST/ 5:00 pm Israel Time on Monday, November 20th, 2017 in a live conference call with senior management to discuss the Company's results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017. Gazit Globe's financial statements and MD&A for the quarter will be released prior to the call, and will be available on the Company's website at: www.gazitglobe.com in the "Investor Relations" section and on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml as well as on the Canadian Securities Administrators' website at www.sedar.com. The conference call can be accessed by dialing: United States 1888 668 9141 Canada 1866 485 2399 United Kingdom 0800 917 5108 International / Israel +972 3 9180685 A presentation and replay of the call will be available on the company's website, in the "Investor Relations" section. Webcast link: http://veidan-stream.com/gazitglobeq3-2017.html About Gazit-Globe Gazit-Globe is a global owner developer and operator of supermarket-anchored shopping centers and retail-based, mixed-use properties in North America, Brazil, Israel, northern, central and Eastern Europe, located in urban growth markets. Gazit-Globe is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:GZT), the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:GZT) and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE:GZT) and is included in the TA-35 index in Israel. As of June 30, 2017 Gazit-Globe owns and operates 132 properties, with a gross leasable area of approximately 2.7 million square meters and a total value of approximately NIS 36 billion. In addition, the Company owns 32.7% of First Capital Realty Inc and 11.5% of Regency Centers Corporation. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Investors Contact: IR@gazitgroup.com, Media Contact: PR@gazitgroup.com Gazit-Globe Headquarters, Tel-Aviv, Israel, Tel: +972 3 6948000 This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Gazit-Globe via Globenewswire PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 15:07:03 GSMA, DFID, Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Ghanaian Government and UNDP to Work Together to Harness the Power of Mobile to Deliver Life-Enhancing Services and Support the SDGs in Ghana GSMA Publishes New Report on Mobile-Enabled Digital Transformation in Ghana Media: David Ntwampe Maila, + 27 72 015 4702 dmaila@webershandwick.com or Clare Fenny, +44 20 7067 0749 CFenny@webershandwick.com or GSMA Press Office pressoffice@gsma.com At a high-level roundtable between the Government of Ghana and mobile industry leaders today, the GSMA launched a report in partnership with the UKs Department for International Development (DFID), examining the transformative opportunities presented by mobile-enabled digital services in Ghana. The meeting, held in partnership with DFID, the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), discussed how Ghana can advance digital and economic inclusion through mobile. Participants signed a communique committing to maximise opportunities for mobile to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a range of areas including agriculture, gender equality, financial service access, innovation and entrepreneurship. Mobile offers the most widespread and inclusive means of accessing the internet and digital technologies, which are vital to the Ghanaian economy and its growth in an increasingly connected world, said Akinwale Goodluck, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, GSMA. Mobile is the key to unlocking digital transformation and I am very excited about future potential and to see our member operators building on the good work already started, through the dialogue they have undertaken today. DFID recognises that out of all communication tools, mobile technology is the first to reach across geographies, income levels and cultures. For this reason, we see mobile technology as vital for sustainable development across a wide range of government sectors and departments. DFID are proud to be supporting this collaboration with our partners from the GSMA and UNDP, and look forward to supporting the outcomes of the National Dialogue, said Philip Smith, Head of DFID Ghana and Liberia. Few other technologies have grown so fast and have had so much to offer in terms of new ways of delivering services, stimulating businesses, enabling citizens to have their voices heard and countries to leapfrog development models to achieve their goals. UNDP is very pleased to partner with the GSMA and UK Government in this dialogue to design solutions and explore opportunities to do this faster and more sustainably in Ghana, said, UNDP Ghana Country Director Dominic Sam. Report Findings The report highlights how the mobile industry and the Ghanaian Government can work together to support social and economic progress in the country. Ghana is already proactively supporting the SDGs and has incorporated them into the countrys national development agenda with progress overseen by the President. Government commitment to the SDGs reflects the fact that, while Ghana is a fast-growing economy and has made progress on many fronts, development challenges and gaps in access to basic services persist. Given the large number of people who have access to mobile phones, mobile platforms are uniquely placed to support the SDGs. The industry has connected 67 per cent of the population in Ghana; nearly half the population has mobile internet access, with penetration in Ghana now the second highest in West Africa. Further, mobile has connected eight million individuals to financial services, supported farmers and provided access to health information, clean energy and more, underscoring the vital role mobile technology can play in supporting sustainable development in Ghana. However, the report also notes that despite this progress, significant challenges remain, many of which require collaboration between the public and private sectors. For example, there is a gender gap in Ghana of approximately 16 per cent in mobile phone ownership and 17 per cent in the use of mobile money services, with an even higher gap (56 per cent) in use of the internet, with 2.5 million fewer women online than men. Mobile operators are working to tackle this through programmes such as the GSMA Connected Women Commitment initiative, while governments can take steps to address this issue by integrating gender equality targets and key performance indicators into strategies, policies, plans and budgets, involving women and local communities. Industry and Government Collaboration The participants of the roundtable acknowledged the transformative impact of mobile communication on the people and economy of Ghana and celebrated Ghanas commitment to the SDGs under the direction of President Akufo-Addo. The roundtable emphasised the need for the public and private sectors to work hand in hand, as well as across many different government agencies that may not typically consider mobile a tool they can use to achieve their development targets. As a follow-on from the meeting, participants agreed to establish a technical working group focusing on implementation of collective actions that the group will undertake to make the 2030 agenda and digital transformation for Ghana a reality. Notes to Editors For more information on the findings from the report and sources for data points please visit: www.gsma.at/2yrgevo. About the GSMA The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences. For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201710230055 Hemostasis Diagnostics Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 09:17:17 Press Information Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Mr Shah CEO 2067016702 email http://www.coherentmarketinsights.com # 668 Words 1001 4th Ave,#3200CEO2067016702 Hemostasis diagnostics help identify the hemostatic defects that cause excessive bleeding. Hemostasis is a process of slowing and stopping the blood flow to initiate wound healing after a vascular injury and is the key procedure acting in the first line of action adopted by the body. During the process, blood changes its form from fluid state to gelatinous state. Hemostasis is maintained in the body via three mechanisms namely vasoconstriction, platelet plug formation and blood coagulation. The diagnosis helps predict the cause of excessive bleeding during the surgery, identifies hemostatic defects in patients with a history of excessive bleeding. Based on the research articles published by medical experts, the appropriate therapy to treat hemorrhage can be administered of fresh frozen plasma for coagulation defects, Von Willebrand factor concentrates for platelet function defects or antifibrinolytic agents for systemic fibrinolysis.Request For Sample Copy@Rising prevalence of hemophilia drives the hemostasis diagnostics market globallyThe critical nature of the procedure in the field of medicine and healthcare has gained prominent position in the hemostasis diagnostics market. According to the National Hemophilia Foundation in 2012,the global incidence of hemophilia is estimated to be 400,000 people. The rise in the prevalence of genetically inherited disorders such as hemophilia, increase in number of surgeries and trauma patients, surge in the usage of recombinant products are the collective factors driving the global market. The growing technological advances in molecular diagnostics, inexpensive and biodegradable diagnostic products, chromogenic substrates, monoclonal antibodies, immunoassays, laboratory automation is estimated radically change the Hemostasis diagnostics market over the following five years.The global hemostasis diagnostics market is segmented on the basis of product type, technology, end user and geography.On the basis of product type, the global market is segmented into:Infusible hemostats,Topical hemostats,Advanced hemostats,SealantsOn the basis of technology, the global market is segmented into:Optical,Electrochemical,MechanicalOn the basis of end user, the global market is segmented into:Hospitals,Clinical testing laboratories,Research and academic institutes,OthersNorth America is the key growth engine in the global hemostasis diagnostics marketRegional segmentation of the Hemostasis Diagnostic Market by Coherent Market Insights comprises North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015, the number of people with hemophilia in the U.S. is estimated to be 20,000. This positions North America as the most dominant region in the global hemostasis diagnostics market, owing to the rise in installed instruments leading to higher sales of reagents and support services. According to The European National Registry of Congenital Coagulopathies in 2017, the number of people identified with hemostasis has increased from 7000 in 2000 to over 11,000 in 2015. Therefore, European market is expected to grow steadily boosting the demand for hemostasis diagnostics. Significant growth of markets in India, China, and Brazil is registering due to rise in health care expenditure, higher affordability, improving technical capabilities and economic development. These markets are expected to attract the global companies for capitalizing on the hemostasis diagnostics market opportunities.U.S. Beckman Coulter holds over half the U.S. market for Hematology devicesKey players operating in the market are HORIBA, Ltd., Abbott Laboratories, Siemens AG, and Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. The high and low end analyzers provided by U.S. Beckman Coulter meet the needs of all hematology testing environment. Other vendors who have adopted ideal product models, business expansion and market appeal strategies are Becton, Dickinson & Company, Grifols S.A, Alere, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Beckman Coulter Inc. Sekisui, Helena Labor, Chrono-Log, and Axis-Shield.Get More Details On this Report:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@ coherentmarketinsights.com Human Identification Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 14:17:05 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com Rahul Singh Marketing Head 1-347-918-3531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/human-identification-market # 662 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comMarketing Head1-347-918-3531 The global market for human identification has been projected to register a CAGR of 6% throughout the forecast period 2017 to 2022, according to Future Market Insights (FMI) recently published report. The global human identification market is estimated to account for more than US$ 1,000 Mn revenues by 2022-end.Use of Skin Microbiome for Human Identification A Major TrendOne of the major trends observed in the global human identification market is use of skin microbiome. Although this process is excessively time consuming, extending to approximately 3 years, it is anticipated to offer a preliminary market panel, creating opportunity for future development of a reproducible & robust technique for human identification. New product developments, and increasing M&A activities are other key trends being witnessed in the market. A key challenge for market players is price erosion in genomics services as well as instruments. Several molecular detection procedures for human identification are yet in their validation stage. However, few of them are available in the market, and are being implemented in several laboratories worldwide.Browse Full Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/human-identification-market The global human identification market has been experiencing a continuous launch of new & advanced products over the recent past. In addition, rapid DNA analysis has gained immense traction in improving the process of human identification. Leading companies in the human identification market are shifting their focus towards minimisation of cost & time required for DNA analysis. Several governments around the world are offering funds for R&D activities related to human identification technologies.Forensic Investigation to Remain Dominant Modality of Human IdentificationOn the basis of modality, forensic investigation will retain its dominance in the global human identification market, with revenues estimated to surpass US$ 450 Mn by 2022-end. Paternity testing will also remain a lucrative modality of human identification, and will account for nearly one-fourth share of the market throughout the forecast period. In contrast, anthropology is expected to be the least lucrative modality of human identification.Request to Download and View Full TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/human-identification-market/toc Based on end-users, research institutes will witness the fastest expansion in the global human identification market through 2022. Contract research organisations, on the other hand, will witness a relatively slower expansion than other end-users in the market through 2022. In addition, forensic laboratories and hospitals are projected to account for the largest revenue shares of the market during the forecast period.Increased Government Spending on Forensic Science to Drive the Market Growth in North AmericaCurrently, North America dominates the global market for human identification, and the trend is anticipated to continue over the forecast period. Growth of the market in North America can be highly attributed to increased government spending on forensic science, coupled with robust expansion of DNA database in the U.S. North America will witness the fastest expansion in the global human identification market through 2022. Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) will also register a significant CAGR in the market. This is mainly because of various government initiatives for increasing awareness about forensic technologies and their implementation in DNA analysis. China and India are expected to be the fastest growing markets for human identification in APEJ.Request and Download Sample Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-5078 By technique, dominance of polymerase chain reaction in the global human identification market is expected to remain unchallenged over the forecast period, followed by capillary electrophoresis. Next generation sequencing technique will register an impressive expansion through 2022, as it has the potential of being the ultimate platform of genotyping for human identification. In addition, rapid DNA analysis will continue to register the highest CAGR in the market through 2022.Company ProfilesKey players identified by FMIs report on the global human identification market include Promega Corporation, New England Biolabs Inc., LGC Limited, Roche Holding AG, IntegenX Inc., Flinn Scientific, Inc., QIAGEN N.V., Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Merck & Co. Inc., General Electric Company, and Thermo Fischer Scientific, Inc.Buy Full Human Identification Market Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/5078 Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Rotogravure Printing Machine Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012 2016 and Opportunity Assessment; 2017 2027" report to their offering. Rotogravure Printing Machine Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 09:18:37 Press Information Future market insights Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States 3479183531 email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 670 Words Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United States3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Product information in terms of specifications, usage, cautionary notes, track and trace information, etc. is of prime significance to manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, retailers and end consumers. Printing equipment and machineries have brought essential value to the overall packaging market by enabling packaging manufacturers to supply packaging systems with print capabilities. Rotogravure printing machine is extensively used in the packaging industry for printing on packaging items like polythene packets, food pouches, confectionary wrappers, soap wrappers and many flexible packaging materials. Rotogravure printing machine is a high-speed printing machine which is used for printing consistently on films of different densities while maintaining consistency and accuracy. Rotogravure printing machine is highly efficient, and reduces the waste by unprecedented amount in order to minimize the cost of packaging. Rotogravure printing machine improve the overall margin for packaging manufacturers by providing efficiency in operations.Rotogravure Printing Machine Market: Market DynamicsThe growing consumption of food and beverage products particularly for consumer packed goods, has led to rise in demand for rotogravure printing machines, which in turn is boosting the rotogravure printing machine market. The growth in packaging equipment market affects the rotogravure printing machine market. The consumable packaging market is estimated to be US$ 700.0 billion, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3% over the forecast period. Crucial factor supporting the rotogravure printing machine market is the efficiency in speed and cost of the rotogravure printing machine that provide high image quality on the packaging material. The rotogravure printing machine is easy to operate and has a low labor cost which is an important factor for the growth of the rotogravure printing machine market. However, the initial investment required for the installation of rotogravure printing machine may limit the scope of the rotogravure printing machine market. The presence of substitutes for rotogravure printing machine such as flexographic printing machinery is a key restraint for the growth of rotogravure printing machine market. Moreover, advancement in printing technology may make the rotogravure printing machine obsolete which may hamper the growth of the rotogravure printing machine market over the forecast period. However, the use of flexible packaging for food and consumer goods is extensive, so rotogravure printing machine market holds a good potential over the forecast period.Request Report Sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3582 Rotogravure Printing Machine Market: Market SegmentationRotogravure printing machine market is segmented by the type of material used for printing, by application and end-use industry.Based on the types of material used for printing, rotogravure printing machine market is segmented into:Polyester filmsOPP filmsNylon filmPE filmPaperCarton boardAluminum foilBased on the application, rotogravure printing machine market is segmented into:PublishingPackaging labelsSecurity PrintsDecorative printingBased on the end-use industry, rotogravure printing machine market is segmented into:Food and beverage industryPharmaceutical industryConsumer goods industryOther industriesRotogravure Printing Machine Market - Regional Outlook:North AmericaLatin AmericaEastern EuropeWestern EuropeAsia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ)Middle East & Africa (MEA)JapanVisit For TOC@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3582 In the backdrop of the rapid growth of manufacturing industries in APEJ region rotogravure printing machine market is expected to move vertically upward over the forecast period. North America is expected to follow the APEJ region in rotogravure printing machine market. The Eastern and Western Europe is expected to witness a steady growth for the rotogravure printing machine market, attributed to increasing consumer preference for printed packs of products. The increased consumer preference for procurement of products in smaller quantity may support the growth of rotogravure printing machine market in Japan over the forecasted period. Comparatively rotogravure printing machine market is growing at a lower rate in MEA region.Rotogravure Printing Machine Market - Key Players:Some key players for the rotogravure printing machine market are BOBST, Shaanxi Beiren Printing Machinery Co., Ltd, Wei Machine Industry Co., Ltd, J M Heaford Ltd, Toshiba Machine Co., Ltd, Windmoeller & Hoelscher Corporation, Queen's Machinery Co., Ltd, Comexi Group, DCM-ATN, Rotatek, KKA GmbH, and Gruppo Cerutti. PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 20:00:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 392 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for ProSmart Enterprises Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Kelowna, BC (FSCWire) - ProSmart Enterprises Inc. (TSX Venture:PROS). has issued a press release with the following headline:Letter to Shareholders and Conference Call AnnouncementTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on ProSmart Enterprises Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/ProSmart Enterprises Inc.Source: ProSmart Enterprises Inc. (TSX Venture: PROS, FWB: 1R6, WKN: A143NS, ISIN: CA83581Q1054)Date: October 23, 2017Time: 2:00 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of ProSmart Enterprises Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) Linear Actuators Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 12:35:25 Press Information Future Market Insights CONTACT: Future Market Insights Abhishek Bhudoliya 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 654 Words CONTACT:Future Market InsightsAbhishek Bhudoliya616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Linear actuators assist in converting energy into straight line motions, generally for positioning applications. Most of the linear actuators are either mechanical or electro-mechanical devices that provide controlled movement and positioning. These actuators are primarily used in industrial machinery, computer peripherals, valves, and many other places where linear motion is required. A typical linear actuator generally produces push and pull action. As most processes across a variegated range of industries gets automated, the global linear actuators market is expected to expand with an impressive CAGR throughout the forecast period.Linear ActuatorsMarket: Drivers & RestraintsThe major factors boosting the growth of linear actuators market is rising automation across manufacturing industry. Industrial objectives such as achieving complete factory automation, and integrating Industrial Internet of Things are some of the prime reasons that will drive more demand for linear actuators. While, rising industrialization particularly in the third world countries is another factor that will drive the demand in the global linear actuators market, on the backdrop of increasing number of factories. As the number of research studies conducted increases, demand for telescopic actuators is expected to increase significantly. Also as companies overcome their legacy systems to achieve higher efficiency, and replace existing actuators with new ones, demand for linear actuators is expected to rise. Furthermore, as an increasing number of industrial process adopt self-control and positioning demand in the linear actuators market is expected to continuously rise.Request For Report Sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3778 However, as concerns regarding employment rises among most countries on the backdrop of increasing automation in factories, demand for linear actuators might get sluggish over the end years of the forecast period. Adoption of 3D printing in many industries is another factor that will restrain the demand for linear actuators, as usage of machines will decrease.Linear ActuatorsMarket: Market SegmentationThe Linear Actuators Market is segmented into two parts based on operation type and end use industry:Based on operation mechanism, the linear actuator market is segmented into:MechanicalHydraulicPneumaticPiezoelectricElectro-mechanical actuatorsBased on End Use Industry, the linear actuator market is segmented into:AutomotiveMedical/HealthcareEnergy and Mining,SteelConstructionMilitaryChemicalOthersLinear Actuators Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, linear actuators market has been categorized into seven key regions including North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.A prominent share of the demand for linear actuators comes from North America, and the region is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Furthermore, with more inclination towards shifting manufacturing in US from China and other ASEAN countries, demand for linear actuators will further rise in the region. Asia Pacific Exc. Japan is another prominent shareholder in terms of demand for linear actuators, amid, large manufacturing sector of China. Moreover, with India and Indonesia picking up at a fast pace, demand for linear actuators is expected to expand with a bullish growth rate over the forecast period. Being home to large automotive and research base companies, Western Europe is another prominent region generating huge demand for linear actuators. Eastern Europe is also expected to generate descent demand for linear actuators, particularly from energy and defense sector. Rising industrialization and the already dominant oil and gas industry of Middle East and Africa is the prime reason driving automation in the Middle Eastern region. Thus driving more demand for linear actuators. Japan is another prominent industrial nation, which drives demand for linear actuators, due to high automation penetration in their industries coupled with growing semiconductor industry of the region.Visit For TOC@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3778 Linear Actuators Market: Key PlayersSome of the players identified in Global Linear Actuators market are:-Duff-NortonHelix Linear Technologies, Inc.Altra Industrial MotionTolomatic, Inc.Fabco-Air, Inc.Actuonix Motion DevicesTusk Direct, Inc.Bishop-Wisecarver CorporationBEI Kimco MagneticsBurr Engineering & Development CompanyDel-Tron Precision, Inc.Rollon India Pvt. Ltd. Cardboard Packers Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 16:18:49 Press Information Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States Tel: +1-518-618-1030 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 524 Words Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Cardboard packers are a prefabricated boxes usually use for packaging and protecting goods. These boxes are light weighted and easy to handle while transporting from one place to another. These are quite cheap as compared to plastic packaging and are easily available. In present time, cardboard packers are not limited to protecting or packaging, it is used for informational as well as marketing purpose by using designer boxes, it can be used to display the product which help in sales and promotion and it will help in creating brand awareness and optimize use of shelf space by creating shelf ready packaging.Global Cardboard Packers Market DynamicsOne of the factor that is driving the cardboard packers is the growth of online shopping. The online vendors need to deliver the item safely to the consumer which increases the demand for the cardboard packers. Government regulation on plastic use is also driving the market for cardboard packers. The growing demand for point of sale display, retail ready packaging and merchandise unit will create a need for the cardboard packers. Environmental concerns might affect the growth of the cardboard packers as trees are the primary raw material used to make cardboard. Another major issue that cardboard packers face is that they are re-usable for a limited amount of time and after expiry there fibre will get weak and they needed to be dump.Request For Report Brochure@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=10904 Global Cardboard Packers Market SegmentationCardboard packers are available in different shapes with different dimension, types, design, internal padding, flutes and sectors. If the product is fragile in nature or need to be kept separately, internal padding boxes cater that. These boxes are available in different sizes based on the number of segments that user needs. Cardboard packers are further segmented into different types named as Shelf Ready Boxes, Archive Lid & Box, Lid & Box, Die-Cut, Envelope Base, Five Panel Wrap, Full Overlap, Packing Carton, Packing Wallet, Pizza Style, Self-Locking and Self Locking Tray. The sectors that these packers covers are food products, durable goods, non-durable goods, retail sector, wholesale trade and service sector.Global Cardboard Packers Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the Global Automotive Cyber Security Market can be divided by major regions which include North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific region, Japan, Middle East & Africa. Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America are the prominent market for cardboard packers. Emerging markets such as India and China grow with a significant CAGR from 2016 to 2026. Overall cardboard packers industry expected to gain as many countries are pushing paper packaging against plastic packaging as it is a threat to environment.Visit For TOC@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=10904 Global Cardboard Packers Market PlayersThe major players identified across the value chain of global cardboard packers market include Cascades Inc., DS Smith PLC, International Paper, ITC Limited, Mondi Group, Georgia-Pacific LLC, Packaging Corporation of America, and Fencor Packaging Group Limited. The companies are focusing on developing advanced and recycled products in order to cater the growing demand from the end users and rising environmental concerns. PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 16:27:10 Press Information Transparency Market Research U.S. OFFICE: State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States Rohit Bhisey Head of Marketing +1-518-618-1030 email https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ # 612 Words U.S. OFFICE:State Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesHead of Marketing+1-518-618-1030 Methylal, also known as dimethoxymethane is a transparent liquid, which is used in a wide range of applications. The compound has favorable physical and chemical properties such as good solubility in water and other solvents, and low boiling point. The compound is often used as a plasticizing agent for resins, and as fast evaporating solvents. It is extensively used in products such as medicines, pesticides, leather brighteners, printing inks, paints, and cosmetics. It is also finds major application as blowing agent in the manufacturing of PU foams.Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2418 Methylal is manufactured by oxidizing methanol or through reaction of formaldehyde and methanol. The primary drivers of the methylal market are pharmaceuticals and paints and coatings industries. These industries consume the bulk of methylal due to its low toxicity, high solvent power and low viscosity. The demand for methylal has grown steadily in the recent past owing to the strong growth exhibited by the pharmaceutical market. It is also extensively used to manufacture cosmetics. The regulations regarding use of volatile organic compounds in cosmetics have paved the way for methylal. Its non toxicity and anti carcinogenic nature is the desirable attributes which drive the adoption of methylal over traditional organic solvents. The high growth in the plastic foam insulation market is also expected to drive the growth for blowing agents. Methylal being one the key blowing agents is expected to gain a considerable market due to this application. The use of methylal as chemical intermediate for the manufacturing of polyacetal and ion exchange resins has accounted for a substantial demand for methylal.Although methylal is a compound which displays low toxicity, its use is governed by certain environmental regulations. Short term exposure to methylal can cause skin and eye irritation, along with nausea and dizzy headedness. Occupational exposure to methylal can lead to severe health damage and proper precautions such as impervious protective clothing, face masks and respirators must be undertaken to reduce the effects of methylal. End use industries as well as manufacturers need to take precautions, so as to minimize the environmental leakage of methylal. Methylal also faces some challenges on the supply front due to its ever increasing demand.The market opportunity for methylal is the adoption of the compound as a blowing agent in emerging nations such as Brazil, China and India. As per the Montreal Protocol adopted in 2009, the U.S. along with other developed economies has a target of gradually phasing out HCFC by predetermined dates. South American countries and Asia Pacific countries are the regions where huge opportunities exist for application of methylal as blowing agents for PU foams. The potential of methylal as an automotive fuel and diesel modification additive has been noticed and extensive research has been undertaken. Methylal being a derivative product of coal chemicals and natural gas could be a sustainable solution for the depleting petroleum resources.Asia Pacific region is the largest market for methylal, as most of the global manufacturing activities are visible in this region. Asia Pacific is also the largest producer of methylal, with China leading the production. Demand for methylal from North America and Europe have increased sharply in the recent past and the trend is expected to continue, as these regions cut back on VOC emissions. INEOS Paraform recently started manufacturing methylal in their Germany plant, in the anticipation of increased market demand.Some of the major players operating in this market are INEOS, LCY Chemical, Chemofarbe, Shandong SNTON and Fuhua Tongda among many others.Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=2418 Middle East and Africa Infant Nutrition Market is poised to reach USD 5.51 billion by 2021 140 pages report by Market Data Forecast Market Data Forecast PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 05:41:31 Press Information Market Data Forecast Hyderabad, India. Abhishek Shukla Sales Manager (International Business Development) +1-888-702-9626 email http://www.marketdataforecast.com/ # 381 Words Hyderabad, India.Sales Manager (International Business Development)+1-888-702-9626 The Middle East and Africa infant nutrition market consists of different sets of products from different infant formulas to an array of foods for babies. The market for total baby food and infant formula is nearly 4.02 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.530 in 2016 -2021.Browse market data tables and in-depth TOC of the Middle East and Africa Infant Nutrition Market to 2021 @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/middle-east-and-africa-infant-nutrition-market-2337/ Companies are required to have a deep understanding of the evolving global regulatory standards across regions as well as address consumer requirements for innovative packaging and organic certification. Partnering with the right vendors, from ingredient suppliers to premix manufacturers, is an important strategic option for companies to meet the demands of global production. Some companies have knowledgeable partners with expertise in delivering safety-assured quality nutritional products that meet the demands of the infant nutrition market from ingredient sourcing to premix production.Infant nutrition market is segmented by product type and Distribution channel and region. Basis on the product type, the market can be segmented as follow-on milk formula, Starting milk formula, special milk formula and Toddlers milk formula. Based on Distribution channel, market is segmented as speciality outlets, online, supermarkets, chemist/pharmacist/Drugstore and others.Free sample of the report is available @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/middle-east-and-africa-infant-nutrition-market-2337/request-sample Middle East and Africa Infant Nutrition Market Geographical Analysis Middle-East AfricaMiddle East and Africa Infant Nutrition Market Leaders' Analysis Nestle S.A Abbott Nutrition Groupe Danone Mead Johnson Nutrition Meiji Holdings Co. Ltd The Kraft Heinz Company Beingmate Baby & Child Food Co. Ltd Pfizer Inc Synutra International FrieslandCampinaInquire before buying @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/middle-east-and-africa-infant-nutrition-market-2337/inquire About Us:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, we cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. Our analyst team comprises expert professionals in market research, who with their collective knowledge and skillset dedicatedly serve clients from various industries and regions.Contact:Abhishek ShuklaSales Manager (International Business Development)Market Data ForecastDirect Line: +1-888-702-9626Mobile: +91 998 555 0206Mail:abhishek@ marketdataforecast.com Visit MarketDataForecast Blog @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/blog/ View latest Press Releases of MDF @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/press-releases PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 16:27:11 Press Information Transparency Market Research U.S. OFFICE: State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States Rohit Bhisey Head of Marketing +1-518-618-1030 email https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ # 595 Words U.S. OFFICE:State Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesHead of Marketing+1-518-618-1030 N,N-methylene bisacrylamide is a molecule that is used as a crosslinking agent in chemical reactions during the formation of polymers. Acrylamide is one of the most common polymers that use N,N-methylene bisacrylamide during polymerization reactions. The bisacrylamide part of the molecule polymerizes with acrylamide and creates a crosslinked structure as opposed to a linear structure. This crosslinking imparts higher strength and toughness to the polymer in its end-use applications. Being a crosslinking agent, N,N-methylene bisacrylamide is used in various polymerization reactions to produce polymers and copolymers. As a result, this molecule has shown a great demand in the chemical industry in the past.Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2456 The growing need for these polymers in wastewater treatment, gel electrophoresis, papermaking, ore processing, tertiary oil recovery and the manufacture of permanent press fabrics has been one of the most important factors governing the demand for N,N-methylene bisacrylamide in the past. The debated carcinogenic nature of acrylamides in food has been one of the factors restraining the market in this segment. However, the growing need for stable copolymers and composites is expected to move the market for N,N-methylene bisacrylamide along steadily in the near future. Although there are other molecules that can be used as substitute materials for N,N-methylene bisacrylamide, its versatility and stability in most polymerization reactions related to acrylonitrile boosts the potential for this molecule in the global market.Asia Pacific is expected to exhibit the highest demand for N,N-methylene bisacrylamide in the coming years. The growing automotive industry, papermaking, ore processing and textiles are some of the major industries pushing the market for N,N-methylene bisacrylamide in the region. North America was the second largest market for N,N-methylene bisacrylamide in 2012 and is expected to boost revenue figures for the market with its increasing demand water treatment polymers, papermaking and textiles. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to play a major role in further boosting the market for N,N-methylene bisacrylamide. Food and beverage applications of N,N-methylene bisacrylamide based polymers could open up new markets for the molecule, thus increasing its market potential and revenue generation in the future. China, U.S., Japan and countries in western Europe are expected to be the fastest growing regions in the N,N-methylene bisacrylamide market in the coming years.Wastewater treatment is expected to be one of the most important end-user segments for N,N-methylene bisacrylamide in the near future. The increased importance for wastewater treatment in North America and Europe is the major factor for this market. The textile segment, a mature end-user segment that has been driving the market for N,N-methylene bisacrylamide to a great extent in the past is also expected to be one of the key segments for N,N-methylene bisacrylamide in the future across the world. Growing environmental concerns and rising need for renewable sources could affect the tertiary oil recovery segment in the future with newer technologies and raw materials. However, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is expected to be the fastest-growing segment for N,N-methylene bisacrylamide in the future due to its lower carbon footprint.Otto Chemie Pvt Ltd., Zibo Xinye Chemical Co., Ltd., Beijing Solarbio Science & Technology Co., Ltd., ALPHA CHEMIKA, Shanghai Ruizheng Chemical Technology Co., Ltd., Meryer (Shanghai) Chemical Technology Co., Ltd., Alfa Aesar and others are some of the major suppliers and manufacturers of N,N-methylene bisacrylamide.Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=2456 PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 09:23:17 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 319 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Hip resurfacing techniques are used to treat hip fractures while avoiding total hip replacement procedure. Hip resurfacing involves fixing of hollow mushroom shaped cobalt chrome metal cap on the surface of femur and cobalt chrome metal cup in the pelvis socket. Hip resurfacing surgery involves lesser bone removal as compared to total hip replacement surgery and reduced risk of hip dislocation. Hip resurfacing surgery is commonly performed on patients suffering from severe osteoarthritis.Request for Report TOC @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/5438 Healthcare professionals prefer hip resurfacing surgery over total hip replacement surgery due to advantages of this technique over total hip replacement surgery. Preference given by healthcare professionals to hip resurfacing surgery and innovations in the hip surgery industry is driving the growth of hip resurfacing implants market. While high standards for approval of any new product to launch into the market, emerging alternative technologies and intense competition between market players are restraining growth of this market. Mergers and acquisitions taking place in the market is one of the major developmental feature of hip resurfacing implants market that has resulted into intensive market consolidation and high competitive rivalry among the existing players. Based on the type of location to fix the implant, hip resurfacing implant markets is segmented as follows:FemurPelvis socketGeographically, the global hip resurfacing implants market is segmented as follows:North AmericaEuropeAsia PacificRest of the WorldRequest for Report Sample @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/5438 Currently, North America dominates the hip resurfacing implants market followed by Europe. The European hip resurfacing implants market is growing at slower rate due to ongoing economic upsets in the region. Asia-Pacific is a lucrative region market considering factors such as increasing healthcare spending and improving healthcare infrastructure. Some of the major companies contributing to global hip resurfacing implants market are DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., Medtronic, Inc., Biomet, Inc., Acumed LLC, Biotronic and Smith and Nephew Plc. PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 13:03:01 Electronic Communication Code: Urgent Action Needed to Advance European Digital Ambitions as We Enter the 5G era Open Letter from Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA For the GSMA: Clare Fenny, +44 20 7067 0749 CFenny@webershandwick.com or GSMA Press Office pressoffice@gsma.com Dear Ministers, As you are no doubt aware, European citizens and businesses rely on mobile networks to socialise, do business and access information everyday in every corner of every Member State of the Union. The social and economic activity that rides over this digital infrastructure drives economic growth, shapes future innovation and fosters more inclusive societies. As you prepare to convene at tomorrows Ministerial Council Meeting, I must express my grave concerns on the current state of discussions on the proposed European Electronic Communication Code (the Code). Although the European Unions vision of a Gigabit Society, and recent discussions amongst the European Heads of State, demonstrate a strong ambition to recapture the regions digital leadership and harness the full power of digital to drive growth, jobs and competitiveness, we do not see action focused on delivering tangible results. The GSMA forecasts that more than one-third of Europes mobile connections could be running on 5G networks by 2025, providing citizens and businesses access to widespread ultra-fast connectivity. This encouraging projection, however, is not a given. Europes leadership in the 5G era will strongly depend on reforming telecoms regulation to foster investment and innovation. The Code represents a unique opportunity to move away from long antiquated views of the digital market, and finally set out a forward-looking policy that will enable the European Union to again be seen as a centre of technological innovation. Spectrum is the lifeblood of mobile networks. It is therefore essential that EU institutions reform Europes spectrum management, acting on the following considerations to ensure the long-term viability of 5G and the Gigabit Society: More certainty and predictability for spectrum licenses, including a minimum licence duration of 25 years with a strong presumption of renewal, a proven way to attract more on-going investment in next generation infrastructure An efficient peer-review mechanism to spur the sharing of best practice in the areas of spectrum award design and procedures Voluntary spectrum sharing to enable competition, innovation and differentiation for the benefit of European citizens Fee structures that move away from short-sighted revenue generation to ones that are reflective of efficient and effective use of spectrum as well as coverage commitments We recognise the sovereign interest of Member States over the spectrum resource. However, now is the time for bold action to reform spectrum management if Europe has any hope of regaining a leadership position in digital technologies. Sticking with the status quo will keep Europe fragmented, ensuring that we will fall behind other regions and fail to achieve a truly Digital Single Market. I encourage all of us to leverage our heritage as a mobile pioneer with GSM to make the kind of step change needed to incentivise connectivity investment, promoting the roll out of advanced mobile solutions across industries and public services. To be clear, this is about much more than just making the business environment for mobile operators sustainable. This is about what is essential to the long-term societal and economics needs of Europe. Now that the negotiations on the Code are moving to the final stage, I urge all European institutions to maintain pressure to reform the telecom framework and, critically, to rigorously assess specific measures in the Code against Europes political objectives and digital ambitions. While there may be other portfolios that garner more public attention, I would humbly argue that there are few more critical to the social and economic future of Europe, its citizens and industries. Yours sincerely, Mats Granryd Director General GSMA About the GSMA The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences. For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201710230056 PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 07:04:02 Solid commercial performance confirms the relevance of Orange Belgium's convergent and mobile data strategy 9M 2017: Total service revenues + 2.4 % yoy, adjusted EBITDA +1.3 % yoy at group level, Q3 2017: + 15k postpaid net adds, +2.7 % yoy postpaid ARPU growth, +18k convergent Orange LOVE net adds in Belgium Brussels, 23 October 2017 - Today, the Orange Belgium Group (Euronext Brussels: OBEL) publishes its results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2017. The third quarter of 2017 was marked by a strong commercial dynamism and a good performance of Orange Belgium's growth drivers: convergence, mobile data monetization and customer experience. The development of its convergent customer base progressed well, reaching 82 thousand convergent LOVE customers in Belgium with 129 thousand attached SIM cards. The mobile performance in Belgium was good in the third quarter of 2017 with +15 thousand postpaid net subscribers' additions in combination with a postpaid ARPU growth of +2.7 % yoy. This demonstrates the success of the company's value strategy in accelerating the market shift to higher data usage. Orange Belgium's data monetization strategy leverages the shift to higher data usage. Orange Belgium's postpaid net additions amounted to 15 thousand in the third quarter of 2017, reaching a total of 2.29 million postpaid customers. As a result of increased 4G smartphone penetration - up from 44 % a year ago to 56 % at the end of the third quarter of 2017 - and growing demand for music and video streaming - lifting average smartphone usage to 1.7 GB from 1.2 GB a year ago - Orange Belgium's postpaid ARPU increased to 30.0 euros, a year-on-year growth of 2.7 %. This increase is achieved thanks to a higher data usage. Orange Belgium starts a new phase as a convergent operator. The convergent LOVE customer base increased by 18 thousand in the third quarter of 2017 to 82 thousand, while the company's mobile LOVE customer base increased by 23 thousand to 129 thousand, representing almost 6 % of the total postpaid customer base.Since the launch of its convergent offer, Orange Belgium introduced new TV channels, the Orange TV app and a new double data offer for its LOVE customers. With the milestone of 100 thousand convergent LOVE customers in sight by the end of the year, Orange Belgium is entering a new phase as a convergent operator, aiming at deploying always more efficient and customer oriented marketing, sales, provisioning, installation and loyalty programs. This is taking place in parallel with the proliferation of Easy Switch and ahead of the expected implementation of a fairer and cost-oriented wholesale model with more detailed service level agreements for the cable operators. Orange Belgium invites regulators to rule in favor of competition in the fixed market. The Belgian regulators' consultation on the draft market analysis of the TV and broadband market ran until the end of September 2017. The Belgian Competition Authority and the European Commission should be notified in the fourth quarter of 2017 once observations have been reviewed. A final decision is expected in the first half of 2018. Orange Belgium has called on the regulators to rapidly come to a final proposition and to improve substantially the financial conditions for cable wholesale access, in order to obtain a sustainable margin of the standalone cable business. Orange Belgium delivered a good financial performance in the first nine months of 2017, against a roaming headwind. The group achieved a total turnover of 933.7 million euros in the first nine months of 2017, an increase of 1.5 % year-on-year (+4.7 % underlying growth after adjustment for the 28.0 million euros related to EU roaming). Despite the decrease of the adjusted EBITDA in the third quarter of 2017 mainly due to lower MVNO revenues, Orange Belgium Group's adjusted EBITDA increased 1.3 % in the first nine months of 2017 to 240.3 million euros, compared to 237.1 million euros a year ago. This result was achieved despite the negative EBITDA contribution of the standalone cable business of 14.9 million euros in the first nine months of 2017. Orange Belgium Group invested 114.6 million euros in the first nine months of 2017, of which 35.5 million euros was related to cable activities. Despite these growth related investments, an operational cash flow of 137.4 million euros was generated in the first nine months of 2017. At the end of September 2017, the net financial debt stood at 288.3 million euros. As a result, the net financial debt/reported EBITDA ratio stood at 0.9x. The Orange Belgium Group confirms its guidance for the financial year 2017: growth in total service revenues, an adjusted EBITDA between 290 and 310 million euros and total capex excluding investments linked to the uptake of the Orange Internet + TV offer to remain stable compared to 2016. This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Orange Belgium via Globenewswire Pressure Reducing Valve Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 12:35:31 Press Information Future Market Insights CONTACT: Future Market Insights Abhishek Bhudoliya 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 700 Words CONTACT:Future Market InsightsAbhishek Bhudoliya616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Pressure reducing valve is a device designed to reduce or maintain fluid, gas, and steam pressure on its outlet side provided that pressure on the inlet side is above or at a designed pressure. Pressure reducing valves are designed to decrease a frequently and high unstable pressure to an adjustable constant pressure downstream of the valve with the help of a spring mechanism that retains the unstable pressure. The valve open and it closes as the outlet pressure increases. The pressure reducing valve has wide application in industries that are constant using chemical, liquids, steam and gas for industrial purpose. The mounting position for steam generation a pressure reducing valve is installed in such a way so that the diaphragm is protected against high temperature using a layer of condensate with its spring cover at the lower bottom. Similarly, for gasses a pressure reducing valve can likewise be fitted in straight pipelines with the spring mechanism cap at the top or the bottom.Global Pressure Reducing Valve Market: DynamicsPressure Reducing Valve is driven by the fact of its excellent protection against leakage and ability to bring down the pressure of fluid and gasses that are used in industries for various purpose. Moreover, the commercial and household purpose these valves reduces the water pressure which goes through it and obtains a constant and regulated value at its outlet. These factors are considered as the key driver and potential factor to the growth of pressure reducing valve market. Not only to save water but the prevent overheating of pipes through the pressure reducing valves adds a great advantage to the overall growth of pressure reducing valve market. Moreover, the boost in the petroleum and oil industry is another potential factor driving the pressure reducing valve market. The industry requires the pressure reducing valves so as maintain the pressure in the pipeline and prevent the pipes from bursting and through controlling the pressure inside them. Similarly growing in the pressure reducing values in fire safety trucks is attributed to its pressure controlling mechanism provided which is needed during emission of water.Request For Report Sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3784 Global Pressure Reducing Valve Market: SegmentationBased on Body Material: Global Pressure Reducing Valve market is segmented intoCast IronCast steelDuctile IronStainless steelBronzeCarbon steelBased on application: Global Pressure Reducing Valve market is segmented intoSteam applicationGas applicationLiquid applicationBased on pressure: Global Pressure Reducing Valve market is segmented into50-200 psig201-500 psig501-800 psigAbove 800 psigBased on temperature: Global Pressure Reducing Valve market is segmented into10 100 F101-250 F251-400 F401-550 F551-700 FAbove 700 FBased on End-use industry: Global Pressure Reducing Valve market is segmented intoChemical IndustryPower generation industryHospitality industryPharmaceuticals industryFood & Beverage industryPulp & Paper industryOil & Gas industryGlobal Pressure Reducing Valve Market: Region Wise OutlookThe global Pressure Reducing Valve market is divided into seven regions, namely North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). North America holds a major share in the global pressure reducing valve market owing to its major application in the oil and gas industries which requires maintaining the pressure inside the pipes, and the region is flourished with the oil and gas industries. Europe holds second major share in the pressure reducing valve market; this is owed to the growing processing industries which are accredited to the growth of pressure reducing valve market. Thus the developed region such as North America and Europe are estimated to grow at healthy CAGR in the forecast period. APEJ is estimated to show rising demand for pressure reducing value owing to the commercial use as well as the industrial use of the valve and thus is estimated to grow at high CAGR in the forecast period.Visit For TOC@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3784 Global Pressure Reducing Valve Market PlayersFew of the prominent players in the Pressure Reducing Valve market are as followsSpirax-Sarco Limited.Forbes MarshallNutech ControlsArmstrong International Inc.CONBRACO INDUSTRIESRICHARDS INDUSTRIES BRANDSWATTS IndustriesHoneywell International Inc.Apollo Valves PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 13:08:38 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 754 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Hepatic encephalopathy is a disorder detected in patients suffering from cirrhosis. It is a syndrome that occurs in patients with liver dysfunction and is defined as a spectrum of neuropsychiatric abnormalities, after exclusion of brain disease. Hepatic encephalopathy is categorized by intellectual impairment, a depressed level of consciousness, and personality changes. The symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy includes changes in sleeping patterns, disorientation, slurred speech and agitation, drowsiness or confusion, and excitement. The influencing factors for hepatic encephalopathy includes constipation (due to increased nitrogen load), increased protein intake with azotemia, drugs, and hypoxia, gastrointestinal bleeding, and renal dysfunction.The hepatic encephalopathy market can be segmented by types, treatment, and geography. Based on types, the market can be categorized into Type A, Type B, and Type C. Type A hepatic encephalopathy is related to acute liver failure that leads to rapid deterioration of the liver in patients suffering from pre-existing liver disorders. Acute liver failure that causes complications such as elevated pressure and excessive bleeding in the brain is known as fulminant hepatic failure that requires emergency hospitalization. Type B hepatic encephalopathy is related to portal-systemic bypass deprived of liver disorder.Obtain Report Details @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hepatic-encephalopathy-market.html Type B hepatic encephalopathy arises when blood streams around the liver and hence the liver cannot remove or control elements in the blood. Type B generally arises as a result of hereditary abnormalities and as a result of invasive procedures or trauma. Type C hepatic encephalopathy is related to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the last phase of chronic liver disease when damaging fibrosis matures. As a result, problems of cirrhosis is reflected in bruising and bleeding easily, jaundice (a yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes), painful swelling of the legs (edema), fluid build-up in the abdomen (ascites), and portal hypertension (a rise in the blood pressure within a system of veins called the portal venous system).Furthermore, on the basis of treatments, the hepatic encephalopathy market is categorized into lactulose, antibiotics, probiotics, branched-chain amino acids, and liver transplantation. Lactulose is a synthetic form of sugar that is not absorbed into the body. Lactulose creates an aggressive environment for the bad microbes in the intestine, thus reducing ammonia production in the intestine. Antibiotics such as Rifaximin and Metronidazole may be used to slow down the development of bacteria in the intestine, including bacteria which produce ammonia. Rifaximin is slowly absorbed into the body that helps it to deliberate in the intestines, where it can decrease the growth of unfavorable bacteria.Probiotics or favorable microbes can change the balance of microbes in the intestines, increasing the proportion of favorable bacteria. This can result in reduced levels of ammonia production and other toxic substances. Branched-chain amino acids Valine, Leucine, and Isoleucine can help uphold muscle mass and increase ammonia clearance. Liver transplantation is the final treatment for hepatic encephalopathy wherein the damaged liver is replaced with a healthy donors liver. Patients who receive a liver transplant recover their brain function. However, it is important to control and stop incidents of over hepatic encephalopathy, because several incidents of over hepatic encephalopathy can possibly lead to enduring and therefore irreversible brain damage.On the basis of geography, the global hepatic encephalopathy market is segmented into five key regions, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is the dominant market followed by Europe. Rising patient awareness about different treatment options and increasing demand for treatment is expected to influence the market in North America. The hepatic encephalopathy market is growing due to increasing population, better treatment options, and rising demand for rapid diagnosis globally. Presently, the U.S. is the main country contributing to the global hepatic encephalopathy market, where the financial burden of hepatic encephalopathy is significant. Followed by ascites, hepatic encephalopathy is the second most common cause for hospitalization of cirrhotic patients in the U.S. In addition, the market for global hepatic encephalopathy is expected to expand at a healthy rate in the next few years due to lack of treatment options.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=31535 The major players operating in the global hepatic encephalopathy market are Alfa Wassermann S.p.A, Cosmo Pharmaceuticals S.p.A, KannaLife Sciences, Inc., Ocera Therapeutics, Inc., Rebiotix Inc., Spherium Biomed S.L., and Umecrine Cognition AB among others. Increasing competition among key players to develop new therapies for hepatic encephalopathy will drive the market globally. Respiratory Inhaler Devices Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 14:01:01 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com Rahul Singh Marketing Head 1-347-918-3531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/respiratory-inhaler-devices-market # 654 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comMarketing Head1-347-918-3531 Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the global respiratory inhaler devices market in its upcoming outlook titled, Respiratory Inhaler Devices Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2015 2025. In terms of value, the global respiratory inhaler devices market is projected to register a healthy CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period due to various factors. This FMI report offers vital and detailed insights regarding these factors.The respiratory inhaler devices market is segmented on the basis of product type, disease indications, technology and region. Based on the product segmentation, the overall market has been categorised into metered dose inhaler (MDI), dry powder inhaler (DPI) and nebuliser.Browse Full Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/respiratory-inhaler-devices-market Nebulisers are further sub-segmented into ultrasonic nebuliser, mesh nebuliser and compressed air nebuliser. The metered dose inhaler segment is estimated to account for maximum share in the global respiratory inhaler devices market by 2015 end, and expected to register a CAGR of 4.5% in terms of value during the forecast period 2015-2025. Currently, metered dose inhaler is a major contributor to market growth in Europe, North America and parts of Asia Pacific. Demand for nebulisers is expected to expand at a CAGR of 3.8% through 2025.Increase in prevalence of asthma, COPD and other respiratory disorders, especially among paediatric and the geriatric population, is a major factor driving growth of the global respiratory inhaler devices market. Other driving factors include strategic alliances among key players in the market, manufacturers focusing on enhancing market share, and expansion of the healthcare sector in developing countries due to growing investments by major players. Further, surge in demand for respiratory inhaler devices in all acute and moderate asthma and COPD conditions owing to increasing health awareness and growing disposable income is projected to result in increased spending on respiratory inhaler devices. This in turn is expected to bolster respiratory inhaler devices market growth during the forecast period.View and Download TOC of Respiratory Inhaler Devices Market Research Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/respiratory-inhaler-devices-market/toc Lack of effective drugs for certain respiratory disorders, concerns about side-effects and complications, lack of skilled pulmonologists and healthcare professionals, lack of awareness among patients, and high prices of inhaler devices are the key factors hampering growth of this market.Currently, combined therapies offer more associated benefits, such as reliablility, increased efficacy, and favourable reimbursement policies. Owing to these factors, patients with complex respiratory disorders are more inclined towards adopting such therapies.However, the cost associated with combination therapies is higher as compared to conventional therapies for patients with complex respiratory disorders. The global respiratory inhaler devices market is expected to be driven by the increased usage of newly introduced triple combination therapy for COPD patients in the coming years.Request and Download Sample Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-493 This report assesses trends driving each segment and offers analysis and insights about the potential of respiratory inhaler devices market in specific regions. North America is estimated to dominate the respiratory inhaler devices market with maximum market share by end of 2015. North America and Western Europe are collectively expected to account for over 64.1% of the total respiratory inhaler devices market share in terms of value by end of 2015. Asia Pacific excluding Japan is estimated to witness highest CAGR of 5.0% over the forecast period, followed by North America, due to increasing prevalence of asthma and COPD among children and the geriatric population.Some key companies covered in this report include AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Cipla Ltd., Koninklijke Philips N.V., PARI Medical Holding ,Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd., OMRON Healthcare Europe B.V. and Merck & Co., Inc.Their primary focus is towards enhancing their product portfolio through research and development, introduction of innovative and cost-effective drugs and medical devices in order to gain market share and to strengthen their respective position in the global market.Buy Full Respiratory Inhaler Devices Market Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/493 PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 07:02:02 Retail Food Group Sets its Sights on Russia as Part of Global Expansion For more information, images or interviews contact: Retail Food Group Limited Annie Lyon, 0431 306 727 Senior Corporate Communications Manager annie.lyon@rfg.com.au Global food and beverage company, Retail Food Group Limited (RFG, the Company or Group) (ASX:RFG), is making waves in international markets with expansion plans for some of the Groups most successful and well-known Brand Systems brewing strong in Russia. RFG is Australias largest multi-brand retail food franchisor, with a network of more than 2,500 outlets across 12 Brand Systems and 81 territories. As well, RFG is an emerging leader in the foodservice, dairy processing and wholesale bakery sectors. Furthermore, the Company is a coffee specialist with an integrated approach to sourcing, roasting and distributing high-quality coffee. Combining passion with expertise, RFG creates an unforgettable experience, from crop to cup, through its premium Di Bella Coffee Co brand. RFG Chief Executive - International, Mike Gilbert, expressed that RFG plans to introduce a selection of its retail food brands - all of which are supported by market-leading concepts, food innovations and high-quality coffee - to Russian shores. Were excited to replicate our successful Australian operations in the Russian market and accelerate the growth of brands like Gloria Jeans Coffees, Donut King, Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar, Brumbys Bakery, Michels Patisserie, Pizza Capers Gourmet Kitchen, Cafe2U and Its A Grind in the region, he said. RFGs international expansion model is based on recruiting Master Franchise Partners who purchase a license to develop a certain Brand System in a defined territory, and provides the Company and local partners with the opportunity to forge sustainable alliances. Our franchise partners enjoy the benefits of working with Australias largest multi-food franchisor every day, dealing with our expert management teams, enjoying supply benefits from increased scale and gaining access to best-in-class initiatives, Mike said. A key strategy that is driving the Groups global growth is its hub network, which provides a platform for fast tracking coffee and Brand System expansion in international markets, whilst also more efficiently servicing the Companys existing markets. RFG recently announced a Middle East Hub which, once established in 2018, will allow the Company to grow a substantial commercial coffee enterprise throughout the MENA region, whilst enabling the Group to more efficiently service and grow Brand System franchise networks in the Gulf. We currently have hubs in Australia, New Zealand and the USA, and plans for the Middle East underway, and will be looking to replicate them in Asia and Europe, Mike said. About Retail Food Group Limited: RFG owns the Donut King, Brumbys Bakery, Michels Patisserie, bbs Cafe, Esquires, Gloria Jeans Coffees, Its A Grind, The Coffee Guy, Cafe2U, Pizza Capers Gourmet Kitchen and Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar franchise systems. Retail Food Group is a global coffee specialist with an integrated approach to sourcing, roasting and distributing high-quality coffee. Combining passion with expertise, the Company creates an unforgettable experience, from crop to cup, through its suite of coffee brands. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201710220050 PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 06:01:14 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 392 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Rockcliff Copper Corporation--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - Rockcliff Copper Corporation (TSX Venture:RCU). has issued a press release with the following headline:Rockcliff Options MacBride Zinc-Copper Deposit to Nevada ZincTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Rockcliff Copper Corporation, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Rockcliff Copper CorporationSource: Rockcliff Copper Corporation (TSX Venture: RCU, WKN: A142TR, ISIN: CA77288Q1057)Date: October 23, 2017Time: 12:01 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Rockcliff Copper Corporation and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) Persistence Market Research has announced the addition of the Sodium Reduction Ingredients Market Research Study for Forecast upto 2020 " report to their offering. Sodium Reduction Ingredients Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 09:23:36 Press Information Persistence Marketing Research 305 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City, NY 10007, United States, USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Web: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 455 Words 305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Sodium reduction is reduction of salt content from the food products. Sodium reduction ingredients are used for reducing salt content from the food products either by replacing the salt from the food or partially reducing the excess salt from the food products. Sodium reducing ingredients plays vital role in food additives industry. Sodium is an essential nutrient that our body requires for proper functioning. However, excess amount of sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension). High blood pressure can lead to stokes, heart and kidney diseases. According to Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) governments people in Canada eat more than required amount of sodium, almost double than what our body requires. Average sodium requirement of the body for proper functioning is 2300 mg of sodium per day.On the bases of sodium reducing capacity global sodium reduction ingredients market can be bifurcated into amino acids, mineral salts, yeast and other. Mineral salts have the largest market share for sodium reduction ingredients, and are expected to dominate the market in the forecasted period. Sodium reduction ingredients are majorly applied in the food and beverage industry. Other major applications include dairy, frozen food, bakery and confectionary, meat products, sauces, seasonings and snacks.Visit For TOC@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3397 North America has the largest market share for sodium reduction ingredients, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. Global sodium reduction ingredients market is expected to witness double digit growth in the forecasted period. North America is expected to maintain its dominance in the forecasted period owing to increased domestic consumption of processed food in the U.S. However, European region is expected to witness highest growth in the coming future followed by Asia Pacific.Increasing demand for health nutrition food products paired with rising consumer awareness about harmful effects of excess sodium intake is driving the global sodium reduction ingredients market. Additionally, government and private company intervention to increase public awareness about the harmful effect of excess sodium intake is also expected to drive the global sodium reduction ingredients market. Also, rising demand for processed food (contain salt more than any other food products) by the customer in the developed and developing region is further expected to increase the demand for sodium reduction ingredients to some extent.Changing consumer consumption trends towards healthy nutritious food products showing increased product penetration and purchasing power of individual. This is providing opportunity to the market players to invest in this market. Some of the major companies operating in the sodium reduction ingredients market are Cargill Inc., Kerry Group Plc., Cambrian Solutions Inc., Advanced Food Systems Inc., Dupont, Angel Yeast, Koninklijke DSM N.V., Carbery, Innophos Holdings Inc., and Givaudan SARequest For Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3397 PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 09:26:02 Press Information Persistence Marketing Research 305 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City, NY 10007, United States, USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Web: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 452 Words 305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Food ingredients provide unique color, textures, nutrients, functionalities and flavors to the cooked or processed food products. Food ingredients are added to enhance taste and flavor to the processed food items. Specialty food ingredients are used by food and beverage industry to enhance taste and flavor to the processed food. Specialty food ingredients are able to meet customers demands owing to their unique features including processing aids, coloring, preservation, emulsification and nutritional enhancement. Also, help in enhancing shelf-life, stability and texture of the food products. Specialty food ingredients are majorly sold to food processing industry including large food manufacturing companies as well as medium-sized companies.On the bases of function of different food ingredients global specialty food ingredients market can be bifurcated into color, acidulants, food enzymes, flavor, food preservatives, food emulsifiers, starches and nutraceuticals. Nutraceuticals has the largest market share for specialty food ingredients, and is expected to dominate the global market in forecasted period. Specialty food ingredients are majorly used by food processing industry. Other major application of specialty food ingredients includes bakery and confectionery, diary, convenience food, meat and seafood products and functional food items.Visit For TOC@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3406 North America has the largest market share for specialty food ingredients, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. North America is expected to dominate the global market in forecasted period owing to increasing consumption of processed food in the U.S. and Canada. Healthy eating habit is expected to boost the European specialty food ingredients market. However, Asia Pacific region is expected to witness highest growth in the coming future. Emerging markets of China, India and Brazil is further expected to boost the global specialty food ingredients market.Increasing urban population coupled with rising disposable income level is increasing the penetration for packaged and convenience food items, in turn increasing the demand for specialty food ingredients. Additionally, rising rate of diabetes and obesity in both developed and developing countries, prompts the consumer to focus more on healthier lifestyles, in turn demand for health and wellness food ingredients from food and beverage manufacturing companies. This is also driving the global specialty food ingredients market to some extent.Changing consumer consumption trends towards health and wellness food products shows increased purchasing power of individual; this is providing ample growth opportunity for the food manufacturing companies to expand their market in healthy food products. Some of the major companies operating in the sodium reduction ingredients market are Cargill Inc., Kerry Group Plc., Cambrian Solutions Inc., Advanced Food Systems Inc., E. I. Dupont De Nemours and Company, Specialty Commodities, Sensient Technologies Corporation, Koninklijke DSM N.V., Ingredion Incorporated and Tate & Lyle.Request For Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3406 PR-Inside.com: 2017-10-23 16:11:34 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 646 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Temperature management systems, also known as thermal management systems, make use of heat transfer and thermodynamics to manage the temperature of a system. Temperature management systems aid in the regulation and maintenance of normal body temperature of patients in recovery rooms, operating theatres, intensive care units, and other areas of hospitals. These systems are critical for patients in every setting. Temperature management is a form of active treatment for a specific period of time during recovery, when the blood flow to the brain is poor.Request Sample Copy of the Report@The global temperature management systems is segmented on the basis of application, product, and geography. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into acute care, delivery suites, emergency rooms, perioperative care, and newborn care, among many others. On the basis of product, the market is segmented into cooling accessories, warming accessories, systems for surface cooling, systems for intravascular cooling, and patient warming systems, among others. The leading segment and the fastest growing segment have been pointed out along with the factors behind their growth. The report also mentions segments experiencing sluggish growth.The report offers a detailed overview of the global temperature management systems market. The prime factors affecting the growth of the global temperature management systems market have been studied. The report studies the effect of Porters five forces on the market. References and case studies are included, making the report extremely invaluable. Tables, charts, graphs, and statistics have been included wherever required to make the report comprehensive. The threat of new entrants, degree of competition, bargaining power of buyers and suppliers, and the competitive landscape have been discussed.Overview of the Temperature Management Systems MarketThe global temperature management systems market is driven by low-cost surgeries and low-cost treatments that are available in many countries today. The growing prevalence of chronic diseases and a consequent rise in the number of healthcare facilities have also helped the market grow. Favorable reimbursement scenarios are boosting the adoption rate of temperature management systems. On the other hand, the high cost and high risk linked with the use of these systems are restraining the growth of the market. However, the market will continue to grow despite these challenges owing to the rising geriatric population and increasing prevalence of cardiovascular and other diseases.On the basis of geography, the global temperature management systems market is segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Rest of the World. Of these, the market is led by North America owing to technological advancements in intravascular systems. Europe is the second largest regional segment in the global temperature management systems market. Latin America, South East Asia, and the Middle East are anticipated to hold lucrative opportunities for the growth from 2016 to 2023. The medical tourism industry in India and China, coupled with favorable government initiatives for the development of healthcare systems, currently makes Asia Pacific an attractive market for these systems.Request TOC of the Report@Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe global temperature management systems market is fragmented with the participation of large number of companies, including new and global players. The report profiles key players that are operating in the market. These include: ZOLL Medical Corporation, Stryker Corporation 3M, Koninklijke Philips N.V., and C.R. Bard, Inc. The strategies implemented by each of these players to gain profit and grow in the market have been included. The report also compiles important information such as business and financial overview of the companies. Recent developments by market players are also covered.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysis Unity Bank Plcs capital base has hit N80 billion, up from N31 billion in 2014, Thomas Etuh, former Chairman, Board of Directors, has said. Mr. Etuh, the immediate past board chairman of the bank, said in a post-retirement interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the growth was recorded under his watch, between 2014 and 2017. Mr. Etuh who retired as the banks board chairman a fortnight ago, explained that the bank was able to achieve the feat because of its agric business banking. You know Unity Bank is number one in agriculture, in terms of agric lending to small holder farmers; we also have a product for youths because youths own this generation. I came into Unity Bank in time of recapitalisation under Mohammed Sanusi as the CBN Governor and we recapitalised the bank to get it to a national bank where it is today. Interestingly, we are leaving the bank in the capital excess of N80 billion from the N31 billion that we met it, Etuh said. According to Mr. Etuh, the successes recorded by the bank did not come without the contributions of its two major co-shareholders, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. He said: Obasanjo and Babangida came up with that name `Unity after the merger of some Southern and Northern banks. The merger means a lot for Nigerias unity. So, having nine banks from different entities, it behoves on the board to also merge the different banks culture into one; and that, we did to make it a national bank. You can see that the bank has flourished in various products which have brought it to stability, and I wont say it was achieved singlehandedly; it was a collective effort of the board and management. The former Unity Bank board chairman named the merged banks to include Bank of the North, Tropical Commercial Bank, Intercity Bank, African Merchant Bank, First Interstate Bank, New Nigerian Bank and Societe General Bank. Mr. Etuh told NAN that he retired from the bank to focus on agriculture. I retired to start something new in developing the frontier of the agric sector which has always been my first love. I have given a notice since last year that I will be retiring as the banks board chairman after I have spent some years. I am leaving the board of the bank, but am a co-shareholder, so, it means that I am still in Unity Bank. I am retired but not tired, he said. (NAN) A Federal High Court in Lagos was on Monday forced to adjourn continuation of hearing until November 15 in a suit filed by the federal government against Shell Western Supply and Trading Ltd over alleged crude oil shipment worth $406.8 million. The suit, filed by the federal governments counsel, Fabian Ajogwu, has Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd and its subsidiary Shell Western Supply & Trading Ltd as defendants. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that continuation of trial was stalled on Monday following the absence of the judge, Mojisola Olatoregun, who was said to be attending a conference in Abuja. Similarly, a similar case before the same court involving the federal government and Agip, a subsidiary of oil giant Eni, which was also scheduled for Monday, was also fixed for November15 for hearing. The plaintiff is claiming the sum of $406.8 million from the defendants, representing the shortfall of money paid into the federal governments account with the Central Bank of Nigeria. The money is for crude oil lifted in 2013 and 2014. In a supporting affidavit, the federal government had accused the Anglo-Dutch company of not declaring or under declaring crude oil shipments during the period. It said it was discovered following a forensic analysis of bills of laden and shipping documents, adding that Shell cheated Nigeria of the revenue. According to the affidavit, the consortium of experts tracked the global movements of the countrys hydro-carbons, including crude oil and gas. It identified the companies engaged in the practices that led to missing revenues from crude oil and gas export sales to different parts of the world. It also revealed discrepancies in the export records from Nigeria with the import records at U.S. ports. The plaintiff averred that the undeclared shipments between January 2013 and December 2014 brought the total value of the entire shortfall to $406.75 million. The defendants were said to have failed to respond to a federal government letter through its legal representative, seeking clarification on the discrepancies. The federal government is, therefore, seeking a court order to compel the two companies to pay $406.8 million being the total value of the missing revenue and interest payment at 21 per cent per annum. In addition, the government is also asking Shell to pay general exemplary damages in the sum of $406.75 million as well as the cost of the legal action instituted against it. NAN also reports the federal government had also sued Chevron, Total and Agip in a similar case before the court. FG is asking for a total of $12.7 billion over alleged non-declaration of 57 million barrels of crude shipped to the U.S. between 2011 and 2014. The oil companies are among 15 oil majors targeted by the government for the recovery of 17 billion dollars in deprived revenue. (NAN) The U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, on Monday said that Saudi Arabia is not ready to talk to Doha to end the diplomatic crisis which started on June 5. Mr. Tillerson made the remarks during his ongoing visit to Qatar, where he held a joint news conference with Qatars Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed Al-Thani. Qatar is committed to the Gulf Cooperation Council system, al-Thani said, adding that the country is also willing to push for a dialogue in resolving the dispute. Mr. Tillersons visit to Qatar followed a stop in Saudi Arabia, where he attempted to resolve the gulf dispute. Commenting on his Saudi visit, Mr. Tillerson said that Saudi Arabia is not ready to talk to Doha and his mediation bid received no positive response by Riyadh. In my meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, I asked him to please engage in dialogue, but there is not a strong indication that parties are ready to talk yet, Mr. Tillerson said. The U.S. official, who also met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani, expressed concern about the effect of the crisis on the regions security and stability. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism and cozying up to Iran. Qatar categorically denied the allegations. Qatar is home to the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, where over 11,000 soldiers are stationed. (Xinhua/NAN) Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa says the PDP is not playing its expected role as an opposition party due to numerous internal crises within it. Mr. Dickson, who made the claim during a chat with journalists in Yenagoa, however, said he remained optimistic that the party would bounce back to winning ways ahead of the 2019 general elections. The governor, who headed the PDP reconciliation committee, said there were internal forces within the party that were working against the emergence of a cohesive and strong PDP. I have invested enormous efforts in rebuilding the PDP and the work of rebuilding hasnt been successful. PDP has a lot of work to do to become a formidable opposition party and I think that most PDP leaders lack the experience of opposition. But I remain optimistic. I pray the party overcomes its internal challenges, and I have been very prayerful because Nigeria needs a strong PDP as the country has seen the failure of the APC. Nigeria needs PDP, and I remain hopeful that the party survives, Dickson said. He said that he remained resolute in his call for the restructuring of the country adding that his call was borne out of patriotism and quest for fiscal federalism. The Niger Delta people love Nigeria and have sacrificed to support the economic base of Nigeria. My support for restructuring is for the overall interest of our people. We love Nigeria and will want a better deal in a truly federal structure. There is an urgent need to have an all embracing discussion to strengthen our unity and take decisions on the terms of the federation, he said. The governor applauded the state Ministry of Health for containing the spread of monkeypox disease, which broke out in the state four weeks ago. He urged the people to continue to maintain high level of personal hygiene and remain vigilant. (NAN) Nigeria and other resource-rich countries must commit to end the era of secret corporate ownership of assets in the extractive industry to curb the huge losses associated with such illegal activities. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said at the opening session of the two-day conference on Beneficial Ownership conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Monday, that the sad story of Africas underdevelopment and other developing economies was masked or hidden under the wall of secret corporate ownership of assets in the extractive industry. Mr. Osinbajo made reference to the 2015 High Level Panel report on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa chaired by former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, which revealed that Africa lost over $1 trillion over a 50-year period and more than $50 billion annually to illicit financial flows. Also, One Campaign, in another report titled One Trillion Dollar Scandal said in 2014 developing countries lost about $1 trillion annually to corporate transgressions, most of it traceable to the activities of companies with secret ownership. So for us in the developing world, and especially in Africa, breaking the wall of secret corporate ownership is an existential matter. It is for us literarily a matter of life and death, the Vice President declared. Anonymous corporate ownership could serve as vehicles for masking conflicts of interest, corruption, tax evasion, money laundering, and even terrorism financing, he added. Highlighting the global risks and dangers posed by anonymous corporate ownership of assets, the vice President said the Panama Papers investigation, illustrated the monumental scale and threat of the menace. Citing Nigerias experience with the Malabu Oil scandal, Mr. Osinbajo said the country was still grappling with the negative consequences of the use of secrecy by senior government officials and their cronies between 1993 and 1998 to award themselves juicy contracts in the extractive industry. In Malabu oil scandal, then Minister of Petroleum Resources under the Sani Abacha administration, Dan Etete, used his official position to secretly allocate a lucrative oil prospecting license, OPL 245, to a company he had interest. Commending United Kingdom, Norway, Netherlands and Denmark for leading the initiative to establish public registers of the real, human owners of companies in their countries, the Vice President urged other G8 and G20 countries to follow, by initiating actions to end corporate secrecy at home and their dependencies. With a global register of beneficial ownership already recording entries on about two million companies, Mr. Osinbajo said existing legislative measures must effectively discourage or totally prohibit non-disclosure agreements by governments with corporations. He also asked countries to re-evaluate the use of secret trusts to hide beneficial ownership from the prying eyes of the law. Nigeria, he noted, fully subscribed to EITI and the ownership transparency principles, as they not only aligned with the countrys national priorities, but also boost the electoral mandate of the present administration to fight corruption, combat insecurity and grow the economy. Apart from being one of the first set of countries to join the EITI, and one of the 12 implementing countries to pilot beneficial ownership disclosure, he said Nigeria was also one of the few to have disclosed beneficial ownership details in three audit reports. Besides, he said, the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative NEITI, also published a comprehensive roadmap that would culminate in the establishment of the register of beneficial owners of companies operating in the countrys extractive sector. Specifically, he said President Muhammadu Buhari during the May 2016 London anti-corruption Summit made a commitment to establish a public register of the beneficial owners of all companies operating in the country. In December 2016, the country also joined the Open Government Partnership, OGP and submitted a National Action Plan that prioritises the establishment of a public register of the beneficial owners. These are commitments that we made not because we are seeking applause or commendation, but because we are convinced they are in our best interests, he said. Other measure adopted to reinforce the countrys commitment to the EITI, the vice president said, included presentation of a draft Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Bill to the National Assembly in 2016 to correct the deficiency of the 2011 Act Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act No. 11, 2011. This, he explained, was to bring the law in line with the Financial Action Task Force, FATF, standards and remove the barriers to full beneficial ownership disclosure in the country. Contributing to the multi-stakeholder discussion on tackling hidden ownership together, Minister of State for Budget & National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said with the countrys economy currently undergoing reinvigoration following the recent exit from recession, the country sees the beneficial ownership rule by EITI as an avenue to increase the countrys revenue earnings from taxes and attract new investments to the economy. The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, reassured the conference that the review of the various laws in Nigeria to encourage the disclosure of information to the public on beneficial ownership of public assets, including anti-graft regulations and the media, were practical demonstration of Nigerias commitment to EITI in line with governments fight against corruption. Mr. Fayemi reiterated President Muhammadu Buharis call for the UK and other developed countries that have become safe havens for stolen resources and wealth from developing nations, like Nigeria, to give more meaning to EITI rule by facilitating the return of these stolen wealth to help develop their economies for the benefit of their citizens. The theme of the conference, Beneficial Ownership: Sharing Practice; Building Systems, was inspired by the global outrage in 2016 that followed leaked confidential documents in Panama Papers data base by a consortium of investigative journalists, which implicated high-level individuals, businesses and organisations with links to the extractive sector. PREMIUM TIMES was the only Nigeria newspapers that was involved in the global investigation, which revealed the use of anonymous shell companies to launder billions of dollars, while concealing the identities of the real owners and potential conflicts of interest. The conference was to provide the forum for EITI implementing countries to discuss plans to achieve beneficial ownership transparency by 2020. The Nigerian Ports Authority is yet to be notified of the readiness of Intels Nigeria Limited to comply with the Treasury Single Account policy of the government, the Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman, has told PREMIUM TIMES. Intels chief, Gabrielle Volpi, had on Thursday hinted at the logistics companys readiness to comply with the NPAs directive on TSA, after the company lost its lucrative pilotage contract over refusal to enrol. Since June 2016, NPA and Intels have had disagreement over the TSA, which climaxed in the former finally terminating the latters contract on October 10. Intels, in various letters seen by PREMIUM TIMES, said it was unable to comply with the TSA policy because it had loan commitments with some commercial banks guaranteed by the deposits that NPA directed should first go to TSA. We want to apologise to the federal government and NPA over this disagreement with Intels. I was not personally involved in the negotiations with NPA, but we apologise for what has happened. We intend to comply with the directive of government and transfer all the revenue to the TSA because we are a law-abiding company, Mr. Volpi was quoted as saying by ThisDay. A top source in the company also told PREMIUM TIMES during the weekend that negotiation was underway between Intels and NPA and the conflict between the sides could be resolved in the coming week. The logistics is ready to comply with the TSA directive to gain back its lucrative contract, the source added, seeking not to be identified. But Mrs. Bala-Usman told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday the NPA had not received any notice of readiness to comply with its directive from Intels. We are yet to receive a formal letter from them conveying their acceptance to comply with TSA, said Mrs. Bala-Usman. So no negotiation has started. She also disclosed to this newspaper that the NPA was yet to receive formal letter of notification on the resolution of the House of Representatives asking the agency to reverse termination of contract with Intels. The lawmakers had on Wednesday urged the government to reverse the termination of the pilotage contract, even before an investigation. Intels had earlier faulted the termination of the contract, shortly after NPA announced the development, saying it would be challenged in court. Apart from the conflict over TSA, Intels also has another round of conflict with NPA over the monopoly enjoyed by the logistics company in handling oil and gas cargoes. When Vice President Yemi Osinbajo addressed attendees at a two-day conference on Beneficial Ownership in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Monday, he made reference to the Malabu scandal. Mr. Osinbajo said Nigeria was still grappling with the negative consequences of the use of secrecy by senior government officials and their cronies between 1993 and 1998 to award themselves juicy contracts in the extractive industry. In Malabu oil scandal, then Minister of Petroleum Resources under the Sani Abacha administration, Dan Etete, used his official position to secretly allocate a lucrative oil prospecting license, OPL 245, to a company he had interest. It is for this reason and several other corrupt acts involving the oil block that the anti-graft agency, EFCC, is pushing that the block returns back to the Nigerian government. However, oil giants ENI and Agip, who secured the block from Mr. Etete in shady circumstances, are doing all they can to frustrate the EFCC including by negotiating with the petroleum ministry and the vice president. Two days after PREMIUM TIMES reported that Italian prosecutors have charged Shell executives for their alleged roles in the controversial sale of OPL 245 oil field, Mr. Osinbajo met with the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, to discuss commencement of production of crude oil on the disputed field. The meeting, which also had the GMD of NNPC, Maikanti Baru, in attendance, focused on how Eni, through its Nigerian subsidiary Agip, could ramp up production of crude oil on the Zabazaba deepwater field, according to Mr. Kachikwu, who briefed reporters shortly after the meeting Wednesday. It marks the latest in a string of discussions Mr. Osinbajo has chaired over the OPL 245 since the beginning of the year, as Buhari administration deepens business ties with Shell and Eni the two multinational oil giants caught up in the raging $1.3 billion Malabu Oil scandal. Mr. Osinbajo held a similar meeting with Mr. Kachikwu on May 9, during which the duo discussed the need to focus on the business side of the scandal rather than its potential criminal implications, which are already being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. A day after the latest discussion, Agip confirmed it was continuing with the operation of the Zabazaba field, which is part of the OPL 245 block. A week ago, Italian prosecutors announced charges against top officials at Shell for their alleged roles in the 2011 deal which was supervised by former President Goodluck Jonathan. Although the full list of the newly-charged suspects has not been disclosed, Global Witness quoted Milan Prosecutors Office as confirming that it included Malcom Brinded, second most senior official at Shell when the controversial deal was struck in 2011. Mr. Brinded, who was the head of upstream operations, was eased out of his position earlier this year when Shell started feeling the heat from the fallout over the scandal. Barnaby Pace of the UK-based Global Witness told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Brinded and at least three other Shell executives would be arraigned alongside others that have been identified by Italian prosecutors as co-conspirators in the Malabu fraud. Although Shell acknowledged it had prior knowledge that the deal involved a convicted money launderer, the company denied its officials directly participated in any bribery scheme. In December 2016, prosecutors indicated their interest to charge 13 persons for their alleged roles in the oil deal. Mr. Etete, was amongst those Italian authorities sought to charge last December, but their trials have not commenced. Weve heard that the final preliminary hearing to rule on the prosecutors request for trial is at the end of this month so thats the earliest we could have that decision, Mr. Pace told PREMIUM TIMES Monday. Milan prosecutors have investigated the Malabu deal since 2012 when suspicion began to mount over the deal. Also in December 2016, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission filed charges against Mr. Etete and a former Attorney-General Bello Adoke, both of whom remained at large in foreign countries. The duo had long maintained no wrongdoing, saying the Nigerian and Italian authorities were on a witch-hunt. Mr. Jonathan has also been identified as a person of interest in the deal, with the F.B.I. revealing that the former president probably received over $200 million in bribes to authorise the deal. But the former president denied all allegations of criminal conspiracy in the scandal. We wish to make it clear that former President Jonathan was not accused, indicted or charged with corruptly collecting any monies as kickbacks or bribes from ENI by the Italian authorities or any other law enforcement body the world over, Mr. Jonathan said in a statement in January. About $520 million was said to have been shared between Mr. Jonathan and officials in his government, which included Mr. Adoke. This could be the biggest corporate bribery trial in history, and a watershed moment for the oil industry, Mr. Pace said in a statement. The top brass of the UKs largest company is in the dock after it finally admitted dealing with a convicted money launderer. There can be no clearer sign that wholesale change is needed. Shell must first apologise to the Nigerian people, then take clear steps to reassure investors and the broader public that this wont happen again, Mr. Pace added. But while authorities in different jurisdictions across Europe are focused like a laser on prosecuting all those involved, the Buhari administration appears fixated on whatever monetary value it could extract from the scandal. Total investment from Agip involved in both the Zabazaba field, the power plant and the new refinery is in excess of $15 billion, Mr. Kachikwu said after a meeting with Mr. Osinbajo in May. That is a major push in terms of our search for investment. The spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES enquiries about how the presidencys tete-a-tetes with Agip and Shell over OPL 245 could affect the anti-graft agencys ongoing investigation and prosecution. The United Nations, UN, office for the coordination of humanitarian activities, OCHA said many people could face the risk of hunger and diseases in the hinterlands of Borno State because their locations are inaccessible due to the activities of Boko Haram insurgents. It stated this in the September 2017 update on Humanitarian Situation released by OCHA. The report said lives of many displaced persons are being threatened with the growing lack of food, insecurity and that malnutrition levels remain life-threatening in many areas. The report said humanitarian agencies have prioritised efforts to contain the cholera outbreak that started on 16 August in Borno (in Dikwa, Monguno, Mafa and the outskirts of Maiduguri). And within six weeks, close to 4,360 suspected or confirmed cases of cholera were recorded, with 60 related deaths. Health and sanitation actors have been working around the clock, in support of the Borno State health authorities, to open specialised treatment centres and oral rehydration points, inform communities on best hygiene practices, and to carry out the first-ever oral cholera vaccination campaign in Nigeria targeting close to 850,000 people, the report said. Due to the sustained efforts of humanitarian actor, the report said the outbreak was relatively brought under control, even as health officials still fear the risk of the disease spreading further. On food security and nutrition, the OCHA said there are still many places that are hard-to-reach and inaccessible for humanitarian workers. It added that some of the farmers in safe locations of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states have begun to record early harvests. Farmers are reporting healthy yields thanks to favourable rains and the distribution of improved seeds (which take less time to germinate) and fertilisers by humanitarian partners. The report estimated that harvests of those who benefitted from agricultural support over the past three months may cover their staple food needs for up to eight months and therefore could mitigate the food assistance required as of October. On the management of displaced persons, the UN agency noted new cases of population movements in the country sides involving nearly 4000 persons. New population movements took place in September, with Gwoza recording the highest number of new arrivals (2,877), followed by Kukawa and Ngala (453 and 437 respectively); other locations like Lamurde and Mubi South, in Adamawa State, recorded relatively high numbers of departures, OCHA said. Despite the recent claims by the military authority in the North-east that the Boko Haram insurgency might soon be rooted out completely, the UN OCHA worried about the resurgence of Boko Haram hostilities especially during the dry season. With the dry season kicking off and most roads becoming passable again, it is anticipated that hostilities will intensify, which is expected to further exacerbate displacement trends, especially in Borno State. The report further stated that civilians have continued to suffer attacks from Boko Haram suicide bombers. It said that in September alone at least five suicide attacks took place in Borno alone. The most significant incident happened on September 8 in Konduga, close to an IDP camp: 18 civilians were killed and 40 were injured, making it the deadliest suicide bombing recorded in North-east Nigeria since the beginning of the year. Other types of attacks against civilians continue as well: dozens of civilians were attacked while farming near Rann and in villages in Konduga, Damboa, Ngala, Mafa and Gwoza, and four military-escorted civilian convoys were attacked on the road between Mafa and Dikwa. The UN body re-echoed the need for additional funding especially as response as it gets to the final quarter of the year so that the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan target could be achieved. Certain sectors that are key in kick-starting the transition into the recovery phase such as Health, Education, and Response and Recovery Planning continue to be dramatically under-funded with respectively 21, 12 and 5 per cent of the required funding received as of 30 September. The OCHA is a United Nations (UN) body formed in December 1991 by General Assembly Resolution 46/182 which was designed to strengthen the UNs response to complex emergencies and natural disasters. EDITORS NOTE: This post has been edited to better reflect the content of the UN report. The governors of the 17 states of Southern Nigeria on Monday demanded devolution of powers to states from the federal government. The governors also reiterated their commitment to the growth of Nigeria. They spoke through a joint communique issued after they met in Lagos House, Ikeja, Lagos. The governors met twelve years after their last meeting held in Lagos. The first summit took place in 2001 and the last in 2005. The communique, read by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos, also stated that the governors reiterated their commitment to true federalism and devolution of powers. They also stated their commitment to a united, indivisible Nigeria and called for effective linkage of infrastructure in the southern part of the country. The summit also appointed Mr. Ambode as chairman of the forum and governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi and Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa as co-chairmen. President Muhammadu Buharis Chief of Staff has received the report of how fugitive Abdulrasheed Maina was reinstated to the civil service. Femi Adesina, Mr. Buharis Chief of Staff, confirmed that the Head of Service, Winifred Oyo-Ita, submitted the report to the presidents chief of staff, on Monday evening as directed. Mr. Adesina spoke on a live Channels Television news programme on Monday night. He had earlier in the day confirmed that Mr. Buhari ordered the sack of Mr. Maina and demanded a full report of the circumstances of Mainas recall and posting to the Ministry of Interior. PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported Mr. Mainas secret recall into the civil service despite being wanted for alleged fraud. A civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged the National Assembly to withdraw its directives to some banks to unfreeze former first lady Patience Jonathans accounts. Accounts and persons linked to Mrs. Jonathan are being investigated by the anti-graft agency, EFCC. The two chambers of the National Assembly, through their respective committees, had ordered the affected banks to unfreeze accounts belonging to former First Lady, Patience Jonathan. According to the Senate public petitions committee, the accounts were frozen without specific restriction orders from any competent court of law and some of the accounts were frozen based on administrative lapses. But in a statement on Sunday, signed by SERAPs deputy director, Timothy Adewale, the organization said that the directives to banks to unfreeze Mrs Jonathans accounts amounts to mingling of the executive and judicial powers in the National Assembly. Checks and balances should ideally help contribute to the rule of law and strengthening our democratic dispensation. But if one branch of government grows too strong and overreaching, the country might be in trouble, the statement said. Mr. Adewale said it was an affront to constitutional democracy for the National Assembly to turn itself into a tool for checkmating the Nigerias justice system, especially the prosecution of grand corruption. Rather than helping Mrs Jonathans desire to achieve justice for what she may consider being violations of her human rights, such directives are doing exactly the opposite and politicising the criminal justice process. The statement added, Nigerians are concerned about their lawmakers thirst for power, and about the National Assembly aggrandizing its legislative powers without sufficient checks and constitutional scrutiny and validity. The group also said the National Assembly ought to focus the exercise of its legislative powers solely on making laws for the peace, order and good government of the country, addressing only matters of prime national concern, and when necessary, checking the excesses of the executive branch. Part of the statement read: The directives purportedly unfreezing the accounts of Mrs Jonathan will not give the public the confidence that the National Assembly will change its ways and embrace the rule of law. The National Assembly should not show itself as incapable and unwilling to address the concerns of Nigerians about its operations and apparent lack of transparency. These kinds of interventions by the National Assembly could portray our lawmakers in the eyes of Nigerians as forgetting what they are in Abuja to do. The Senate and House of Representatives should advise Mrs Jonathan to seek appropriate judicial remedies if she feels the criminal justice mechanisms have violated her human rights. Thats the essence of the rule of law, separation of powers and checks and balances. The supposed directives to banks have unfortunately again put the reputation of the National Assembly at stake. What Nigerians want and deserve is a balanced sharing of constitutional powers for the sake of the public good, and not Imperial National Assembly, a National Assembly that sits on its throne in Abuja and treats Nigerians as serfs in their fiefdoms. Decades after it was abandoned to rodents and miscreants, the Ogun State Government has taken over the expansive home of the parents of Afro Music legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, under a plan to convert it to a museum. The colonial era one-storey building located on Nepa-Isabo Road in Abeokuta was built by the late Israel Ransome-Kuti and his wife, Funmilayo, over a century ago. The Ransome-Kutis are a Yoruba family whose members are noted for their contributions to Nigerian art, religion, education, medicine and politics. Mr. and Mrs. Ransome-Kuti hailed from Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, and made their names as educationists and unionists long before one of their sons, Fela, became known across the world as an iconoclastic musician and social crusader. Mr. Ransome-Kuti was principal of one of Nigerias earliest secondary schools, Abeokuta Grammar School, as well as a Christian cleric and pioneer President of Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT. He died on April 6, 1955. His wife, Funmilayo, was a teacher too, but also a political campaigner, womens rights activist and aristocrat. She was the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria. Mrs. Ransome-Kuti died on April 3, 1978 following an invasion of the Lagos home of her son, Fela, by Nigerian soldiers, an incident whose account the musician engraved in history by waxing a musical album titled Unknown Soldier . Apart from Fela who later changed his surname to Anikulapo-Kuti, other children of the Ransome-Kutis were Olikoye, a former Nigerian Health Minister who died at the age of 76 on June 3, 2003; Beko (August 2,1940-February 10, 2006), a social critic and medical doctor who was President of the Nigerian Medical Association; and Dolupo, the only female among them who died a few years after her siblings. Even before the demise of their direct off-springs, the architectural masterpiece the Ransome-Kutis built and lived in had been abandoned and failed to attract the attention of the later generations of the family. Constructed with marbles and clay as was the vogue with the aristocrats of the time, the building became dilapidated and an abode for miscreants who share it with rodents and reptiles. Decades after the abandonment, PREMIUM TIMES did a story on the building. In June, a Television Continental crew did another report on the sorry state of the building and the shame of its neglect. The report went viral and may have nudged the state government and the descendants of the Ransome-Kutis, led by Felas son and ace Afrobeat musician, Femi Anikulapo-Kuti, into the decision to rehabilitate the historic building. In an interview in the television report, Femi, tried to explain why the building had not come under his attention, saying preserving the legacy of his own father, Fela, was enough engagement for him and his siblings. As Felas children, his legacy is so huge for us as his kids to carry and maintain the dignity it requires. Keeping the museum, keeping his shrine, keeping his albums, his fans worldwide, lawyers, case here, case there. We are human, he had told the television reporter. In his own comment in the report, a son of Olikoye, Dotun, said the embarrassment of abandoning the edifice should go beyond the descendants of the Ransome-Kutis. I think it is embarrassing to Ogun State more than us because the house doesnt just come like that. It was like that when my grandmothers kids, Olikoye, Beko, Fela and Dolu were alive. But they didnt do anything about it. Even what they have done for Nigeria, they have become Nigerian children. Why cant Nigerians look at the house and say this is a place of value, let us do it up, he stated. In the house, we have wooden stairs, they are virtually going to give way. The floor boards are like a death trap. What are they going to renovate? You dont renovate that kind of a house, you have to build them up. If you want to make it a museum, that one is going to cost about N100 million. And to actually build up the house, we need about N30 million. So, we are looking at about N130 million, Dotun concluded. Months after the reports, the Ogun State Government has commissioned renovation work on the building, with a view to turning it into a museum and tourists centre. When PREMIUM TIMES visited the building, workers were busy on the building. A signpost with the Ogun State Government logo gave a No Parking order near the building, confirming it as site of a government project. Inside the building, PREMIUM TIMES discovered that aside from the general renovation of the building, personal items of the original owners, including their beds, wardrobes, chairs, tables and mirrors, were being given face lift as monuments. On Sunday, Felas daughter, Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, at the renovation site said she was full of joy that the building was being renovated. Speaking on inspection tour with the contractor handling the project, she told PREMIUM TIMES that the state government had taken over the project. I am happy that they are now renovating the building and turning it to a museum. The family just kick-started the project when the government decided to take it over and we are grateful for that, she said. She expressed optimism that the project would be completed soon and commissioned. She, however, said for proper maintenance of the museum, the government should consider the Anikulapo-Kuti family as part of the board of its trustees. A private engineering firm, Total Consult Limited is handling the project. The head of the contracting firm, Theo Lawson, said a section of the building would be dedicated to the exhibition of the lives of the late four children of the Ransome-Kutis, Olikoye, Fela, Beko and Dolupo. Mr. Lawson, whose company also built Felas museum in Ikeja, Lagos State, said the compound would have a stage, an administration block and some shops in the front to be leased out to generate revenue for maintenance of the museum. When contacted, Special Consultant to Governor Ibikunle Amosun on Tourism, Yewande Amusan, confirmed that government had intervened to renovate the building, which she said on completion would be a museum and tourists attraction. Share this: Twitter Facebook Following the immediate order of dismissal of Abdulrasheed Maina by President Buhari, Nigerians have taken to various social media channels especially on Twitter to share their sentiments. The announcement of Mr. Mainas dismissal was issued by presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina. PREMIUM TIMES had reported how Mr. Maina, a man whose tenure as head of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms had been dogged by corruption allegations, was secretly reinstated into the civil service and then promoted. The news of Mr. Mainas recall however prompted a reaction by Nigerias Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau who confirmed his reinstatement but denied responsibility for it. The news of Mr. Mainas sack has however triggered reactions from Nigerians including commendations for the prompt action taken by the president. Read reactions here: Kudos to you guys at @PremiumTimesng for exposing this story. This is the kind of factual investigative journalism that we need in Nigeria. https://t.co/tyclcJs8z1 Seun Adedeji (@findurvoice_11) October 23, 2017 Can any person in his right mind still say that President Buhari and the APC have integrity after the Babachir, NNPC and now Maina episodes? Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) October 23, 2017 Can any person in his right mind still say that President Buhari and the APC have integrity after the Babachir, NNPC and now Maina episodes? Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) October 23, 2017 If Maina isn't arrested at the point of entry into Nigeria, I suggest at that point we stop all the corruption prosecutions. End the game! JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 23, 2017 @NGRPresident @MBuhari has had many lows, but reabsorbing Maina into the civil service is the lowest! BIG FAT SHAME! This is obnoxious! pic.twitter.com/U6g14uCaX4 JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 23, 2017 https://twitter.com/fab_garba/status/922417724474707968 After reinstating alleged pension thief, the Buhari Presidency says 'Maina Hasn't Been Found Guilty Of Any Offence'. Then what about Dasuki? Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) October 23, 2017 Reabsorbing Abdulrasheed Maina is a slap on everyones face who campaigned and voted for PMB on the basis of Anti-Corruption. I am pained!!! Maryam Abubakar (@Mareeyama) October 23, 2017 Buhari deserves a 2nd term. This is the most entertaining govt in Nigerias history. Maina recalled, defended & sacked by the same presidency Gege (@nigeriasbest) October 23, 2017 Well done Mr President for listening to the outcry of the people and doing the right thing of asking Maina to be disengaged. Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) October 23, 2017 Thank u @aishambuhari because I'm not sure how PMB saw ds public outcry against Maina & acted swiftly Help us tell him BABACHIR & NIA Taiwo_Ajakaye (@dmightyangel) October 23, 2017 Pres. @MBuhari, sir it's good that you have fired Maina. But what are you doing about our kitchen cabinet who keep embarrassing your govt? The Great Sage (@myunicy) October 23, 2017 The Head of Service played a role in bringing Maina back. Example should be made of her & all those that lobbied for him to be brought in Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) October 23, 2017 I am President Buhari I don't know state of Aso Rock clinic I don't know who signed $26B NNPC Contracts I don't know who recalled Maina Ebube The Statesman (@akaebube) October 23, 2017 wait and see how Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina would be allowed to fly out of the country to Dubai in a private jet Credit Alert (@e_nctrice) October 23, 2017 If the @SaharaReporters story is to be believed then all those involved in the reinstatement of Maina must be relieved from office. Yinka Chukwuemeka Ogunnubi (@yinkanubi) October 23, 2017 https://twitter.com/fab_garba/status/922487506922344448 The National Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Mike Ogirima, has decried the declining immunisation coverage in the country and urged government at all levels to do more. Mr. Ogirima gave the warning while addressing a news conference in Ilorin on Monday to mark the 2017 Physician Week. He said that the 2016/2017 National Immunisation Coverage Survey (NCIS) indicated that only 33 per cent of children around 12 to 23 months of age had three doses of pentavalent vaccine against the global target of 90 per cent and only 23 per cent were fully immunised. He said 40 per cent do not receive any vaccines from the health systems, warning that a large population of Nigerian children particularly less than five years are unprotected. According to him, these children are at risk of dying from vaccine preventable diseases such as measles, diphtheria, pertusis and tuberculosis among others. Mr. Ogirima warned that this is a danger and threat to the survival of our great nation as no meaningful development could take place in a society where disease and death was ravaging the potential leaders and hopes of tomorrow. The NMA chairman also warned that members would no longer work for 70 hours and be paid only 40 hours in a month. He said: Physicians will be compelled to take a sabbatical, if Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) does not contain its radicalism. Government should not allow itself to be intimidated with illegal bodies like JOHESU in the health sector; we expect each professional to stick to the ethics of their profession, he said. The chairman also alleged that doctors are now an endangered species in the communities and traditional hospital environment. The value for money and hospitals titles have made the members of JOHESU to set up fellowship colleges with the aim of bearing the title of consultants, he said. Mr. Ogirima appealed to the federal government to operationalise the National Health Act of 2014, which made provisions among others the pooling of not less than one per cent of consolidated revenue as Basic Health Provision Fund (BHPF) to cater for the vulnerable. He also warned members against using the working hours in government hospitals to attend to their private clinics or hospitals. Mr. Ogirima also urged the government not to dissolve the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCAN, without immediately re-constituting it. (NAN) A former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has written to inform members of the Peoples Democratic Party of his decision to seek the partys flag in the next presidential election. According to a report by Vanguard newspaper on Monday, Mr. Lamido said in his letter that all the party needs to reposition Nigeria is to take over power in 2019 and bring the country back to the path of recovery. Lamenting that the nation has departed from the dreams of the PDP founding fathers, Mr. Lamido said the PDP needs to lead the nation back to a brighter future. Today, 57 years after the independence of our dear country, can we in all sincerity claim to have achieved the dream of our founding fathers? Where did we fail and from where did we begin to fail? Nigeria with its natural endowment and human capacity cannot be forgiven for being otherwise. We cannot even demonstrate our ability and capacity to meet domestic, regional and global challenges which currently seems to overwhelm us. The PDP will and must lead the nation back into a bright, progressive, and innovative future, the former governor wrote. Mr. Lamido said the PDP must rekindle in Nigeria a new hope, a nation of united people with a common and assured destiny and that the country must demonstrate its confidence, tenacity, ability and capability to address our domestic regional and global challenges that confront us. It is against this background that I offer myself to vie for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019 if my party finds me worthy to fly its flag. I am no means claiming to be the only capable material, any PDP member given the trust and support can fly our flag, and I expect many more aspirants will express the desire to run. My hope and prayer is that at the end of all the process which I hope will be open, fair transparent and credible is to give Nigeria in 2019 a candidate who will lead the party and Nigeria. This is because there is no alternative to PDP in 2019, it will be a defining moment in the Nigerian political evolution. Our imperfect union as a federation should not be an excuse for our legendary failure which appears to have found vent in the call for restructuring, a union of multi-ethnic multi-lingual and multi-religious can certainly task the best of human capacities, but that is precisely the challenge and how to work on it and build a nation of people of a common destiny, and this is where the PDP must raise to the challenge. The starting point is where the PDP began in 1998 and critical to it is creating an open environment in which every Nigerian must not only been seen to be, but must be an equal stakeholder and therefore restoring trust and faith in our shared union and this PDP was able to achieve in its first four years, Mr. Lamido said in the letter. He said while the clamour for restructuring rages, the most important aspects of addressing the Nigerian economy by creating prosperity will make the debate less emotional and sentimental and that the PDP has enough talents to salvage the nations from its current woes. The PDP, which ruled Nigeria from the dawn of the Fourth Republic in 1999 until it was defeated by the All Progressives Congress in 2015, has zoned its presidential ticket to the Northern region of Nigeria. The arrangement, however, did not deter Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who last month publicly declared his ambition to seek the ticket. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Nigeria Institute of Food Science and Technology, NIFST, on Monday warned farmers against using fertiliser, pesticides, herbicides on produce for export. The Chairman, Lagos Chapter of the institute, Sunday Bamgbose, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos. Mr. Bamgbose said that the era of pesticide, herbicide and fertiliser applications in large quantity was over. According to him, it was time farmers in the country adhere to modern agricultural practices to benefit from food export. The food value chain undergoes various processes and if not properly managed can cause a lot of damage or losses to the farmer. The rejection of Nigerian yams recently was as a result of the loopholes that existed in the technical aspect of the food value chain. In yam exportation, the packaging, mode of transportation, good temperature, among others, is considered. The recent development is unpleasant news because it is a negative publicity for the country. There is need to do the appropriate thing by involving those vast in the technical aspect of food exportation, he said. Mr. Bamgbose suggested that the government should always play its regulatory role in the process of produce for export. He said that there was the need to always observe the variety of the produce, shelf life, duration which had to do with the storage duration, before a produce was exported. If the lifespan of the yam is six months; we should consider the period it will stay in transit, and also the period it stays in the persons store or warehouse. We can now detect if the lifespan will be used up before it reaches its destination to prevent losses, he said. The NIFST chairman added that whenever a produce was meant for export, the exporter should always follow the required standards by the country the produce was meant for. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari will Tuesday depart for Niamey, Republic of Niger, to participate in a meeting to discuss the notion and possibility of a common currency for the West African sub-region. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, made this known in a statement issued on Monday. Mr. Adesina said Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun and CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, will also accompany the president to the meeting. The statement added that Mr. Buhari will return to Abuja same day after the meeting. The possibility of having a common currency to serve nations in the sub-region has been a point of deliberation at different parleys in the past. Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to pay N2 million to Okwuchukwu Obiechina, brother-in-law of self-confessed kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans. The Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday pronounced the judgment against the Nigeria Police Force in the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Mr. Obiechina. Justice Idris also ordered the immediate release of Mr. Obiechina, adding that he be charged to court if the police had any case against him. In addition, the judge ordered the police to tender an apology to the kidnappers brother-in-law. The apology is to be published in two national newspapers. Mr. Idris, in a judgment on Monday, declared Mr. Obiechinas arrest and detention as unconstitutional. He also held that the remand order, which the police claimed to have obtained from a magistrates court to detain him, was invalid. His lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, said Mr. Obiechina had been detained by the police since June 2 in connection with the criminal charges brought against Evans. He claimed that the accused had not committed any offence known to law to warrant their being arrested and detained. Mr. Obiechina and his wife, Nzube, who are both plaintiffs, had sued the State Commissioner of Police, the Nigeria Police, and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the state. A former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, has advised the federal government to consider full deregulation of the value chains of the nations petroleum sector. Mr. Gauis-Obaseki, who is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Brass Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited, gave the advice at the 11th Oil Trading and Logistics Expo in Lagos on Monday. The theme of the conference was Downstream- Renewed Opportunities. He said it was high time Nigeria embraced deregulation in full fledge. According to him, Nigeria can no longer afford to stifle growth of the oil sector through regulation which should be opened up for players to play active part therein. He also said Nigeria should be wary of politicians unbridled meddling in the affairs of the sector, adding that the nations petroleum sector should be treated strictly as business. I remember in 2012 when we first removed subsidy, the country was locked down for three days. But Im happy today that the country has succeeded in removing subsidy in diesel and partially in petrol. I never imagined that subsidy removal will happen in this country but it has started, he said. Also, the Deputy Minister of Energy in Ghana, Mohammed Adam, said his country had deregulated its downstream sector of the petroleum sector, adding that the prices of petroleum sector were determined by demand and supply. He urged Nigeria to lead the way in turning around the petroleum sector in West Africa because of its stature. The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Joseph Akinlaja, wondered why only few out of the 18 operators granted refineries licences by the federal government were making headway. Mr. Akinlaja said that the government should consider giving more investors opportunities to invest in refineries, to boost in-country refining and opening up the economy for better prospects. He, however, assured that the lawmakers in the country would play a pre-eminent role in ensuring that the petroleum sector added value to the country through proactive legislation. He promised that the House would soon pass the Petroleum Industry Bill to spur growth in the nations oil and gas sector. A former Executive Secretary, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Reginald Stanley, said the country was faced with refineries challenges. According to Mr. Stanley, this is because a lot of money goes into building refinery. He appealed to the government to assist refinery investors by granting them loan facilities. (NAN) A Nigerian researcher, Madubuike Ezeibe, has called on the Federal Government to carry out a clinical trial on the drug he developed, Aluminum-Magnesium Silicate (AMS), for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Mr. Ezeibe, a professor of Veterinary Medicine at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Monday. Clinical trial is a study that explores whether a medical strategy, treatment, or device is safe and effective for humans. It shows which medical approaches work best for certain illnesses or groups of people. According to the professor, he presented a paper on the potential of the drug as both antiviral and raw material, at a world conference on Ethnopharmacology in Chicago, United States, on May 2, 2016. He said more than one year after he invented and presented his findings at different international conferences, no authority anywhere in the world had disputed the research findings. I therefore appeal to the federal government to institute an inter-ministerial committee to carry out clinical trial of the drug in six centres across the country without further delay. The committee should comprise federal Ministries of Health, Education, Environment as well as Science and Technology, with, at least, 1000 sample patients from each state of the federation. Some of the findings of the research include that silicates have molecules that are 0.96 nanometer in size while HIV has molecules as big as 110 nanometer. The particles of AMS are positively and negatively charged, while HIV-infected cells are positively charged. The AMS are immune stimulants; one can use simple sugar (glucose) to transport charged molecules across the mucus membrane to the blood. Glucose helps to transport the drug to any part of the body, including the sanctuary, where other drugs cannot reach to attack the HIV-infected cells. So, if these findings are true and nobody has challenged the claims of the research, let the federal government set up an inter-ministerial committee to conduct clinical trial of the medicine, he said. Mr. Ezeibe expressed joy that the Vice Chancellor of MOUAU, Francis Otunta, and the University Senate had investigated his claims and given their approvals. He said that aside from the support from the university, the Abia Government also sponsored the publication of the book on AMS which, according to him, is now available for sale. The researcher said no fewer than 500 HIV cases within and outside Nigeria had been referred to him which he treated. All the HIV cases were referral from a medical doctor to the Medical Director of MOUAU. I have also handled referrals from different parts of African and Asian continents, Mr. Ezeibe said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said that the return of the embattled former head of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina to public reckoning is a classical case of honor among theives. The opposition party said the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, could not absolve itself from the mess generated by the controversial return and promotion of the civil servant, who is under investigation for alleged diversion of billions of pension funds. The party which said this in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Dayo Adeyeye ,Monday condemned the action. President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday directed the immediate dismissal of Mr. Maina, who absconded after being declared wanted for corruption, but was recently reinstated to a higher post. But the PDP appears not to be impressed. Birds of a feather flocks together. The party condemns this action of reinstating a supposed criminal and fugitive, Abdulrasheed Maina to office instead of getting him arrested. All people of good conscience will not forget in a hurry that Maina, who was given an assignment by the last administration of the PDP to superintend the now defunct Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, dipped his hands into the jar and helped himself to N100 billion of what he was supposed to safeguard. With good conscience at fighting corruption, the PDP government then, mandated the anti-corruption agencies to perform their constitutional duty. Maina fled, only to resurface in the country four months ago under the Buhari Administration, the party said. As a party of good conscience, we wish to condemn in strongest terms, the penchant of the administration of President Buhari to giving safe haven to known criminals while hoodwinking Nigerians that it is fighting corruption, it added. It called for the arrest and persecution of Maina and other criminals like him. While we are growing fatigued shouting ourselves hoarse in protest against nepotism, a clear form of corruption under this administration which has been elevated to state craft, we are appalled that the reinforcement of financial corruption by this government might soon lead to the demise of this nation if the Celestial does not intervene. We are worried that the APC Administration seem to have grown thick skins to constructive criticism; otherwise, no sane government, in spite of the open condemnation the party has received from Nigerians over its shielding of criminals, will repeat another one as done in the case of Maina. The PDP wish Nigerians can demand from the APC government, the civil service rule it relied upon in promoting a wanted criminal who had abandoned his duty post as an Assistant Director, to the position of a Director with all benefits attached. It asked President Buhari to act with dispatch on other corruption allegations against members of his government. Nigerians have not forgotten in a hurry how the so called corruption fighting Government of President Buhari refused to allow the law take its course in the graft allegations involving suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF Babachir Lawal and the Director-General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ayo Oke. The Government seems to have also buried without shame, the expose by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu on the illegal award of contracts running to over $25 billion by the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) who has told the World that he has the Support of President Buhari in carrying out the heist. Though we know that the APC is like a dead horse immune to any positive prompting; we however, will not do, but ask that the right thing be done. Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State on Monday said N50 million was being released monthly for scholarships to address the falling standard of education in the state He said an audit of students in the state would be conducted to ensure the funds got to the right people. Mr. Bello, who announced this on Monday at a public lecture, called on youth to equip themselves with skills that would enable them to contribute their quota to nation building. The event was organised by the National Association of Niger State Students (NANISS) in Minna. The era of graduating and waiting to get a white collar job is over as such jobs are not available anymore. You need to pick up one skill or the other and be useful to yourself and the society as a whole, he said. He said acquisition of skills had become necessary as it was the only way forward for the country in its quest for economic prosperity. He said the state government had concluded arrangements to train over 250 youths in various skills in 2018. According to him, the state is committed to creating an enabling environment for youths to realise their full potentials. He advised the youth to shun vices inimical to their growth and general well-being as potential future leaders. Mr. Bello decried the falling standard of education in the state, saying his administration had established three teacher training institutes to arrest the situation. The education standard in the state is poor but we are putting all hands on deck to address the problem. We have lots of unqualified teachers and that is why we decided to set up three teacher training institutions in the state. He said the problem of infrastructure decay in public schools was also being addressed as nine schools were currently undergoing massive renovation under the whole school approach. (NAN) Resident doctors of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), on Monday staged a protest over the sack of 100 of its members by the hospital management. Other reasons for the protest, according to John Agbo, Chairman, Association of Resident Doctors, JUTH chapter, included managements refusal to obey various court orders restraining it from sacking the physicians. The doctors, who protested in and around the hospital, claimed that resident doctors were expected to spend between seven to 10 years to complete their training, but were being sacked by JUTH management after six years. Resident doctors require seven to 10 years to complete their training because of the short changes in the curriculum of the college; this is what is contained in Federal Government circulars issued in 2014 and 2015. The JUTH management has refused to implement the current circulars, opting to work with the 2013 circular which pegged the duration of the training to six years, Mr. Agbo said. The chairman accused JUTHs management of selective implementation of circulars, saying that circulars with negative effect on doctors were usually implemented in a hurry, while those with positive effects were ignored. After the last nationwide strike by our union, the Federal Government instructed that the no work, no pay policy should not be implemented, but when they resumed, JUTHs Management insisted on implementing the policy. In his reaction, Edmund Banwat, the Chief Medical Director of JUTH, rejected suggestions that the hospital had sacked 100 doctors. We cannot sack resident doctors; they come here to undertake a sub-specialty training programme that lasts six years. At the end of the six years training, such doctors exit. That is the rule. There is no sacking. When they leave, other doctors come in and take their turns. The resident doctors know the rule, but they are asking for a training period of 10 years, which doesnt happen anywhere. The management of JUTH is not sacking; it is a guideline that has been in existence. I do not know why this crop of resident doctors want it extended to 10 years because it is at variance with governments directive. A review is ongoing, but until it is completed, everyone is expected to operate within the existing guideline. When the guideline under review is out, it will be applied uniformly across the country, he said. Mr. Banwat, however, explained that some sub-specialties required seven years. Resident doctors undertaking such specialties have had their training extended accordingly, he said. The JUTH boss also dismissed allegations that the management was selective in the implementation of government circulars. All circulars received from the Federal Government are implemented. That is not optional, he said. He said that the no work, no pay policy was being implemented because there was no directive to pay resident doctors, who embarked on strike in August. Mr. Banwat said the case bordering on alleged sacking of resident doctors was still in court, and wondered which court order he had ignored. (NAN) The Delta State Government has given a detailed explanation of how it expended the N33.4 billion it received as its share of the Paris Club refund from the Federal Government. Its Commissioner for Finance, David Edevbie, gave the explanation on Monday in Asaba at a post-budget media briefing to highlight the breakdown of N298.078 billion budget proposal for 2018 fiscal year. He said the refund, which was received last August, was put to judicious use towards meeting urgent priorities of the state government with regards to salaries and capital expenditures. We got a total of N33.4 billion from the Paris Club refund and like you know, the money which has accumulated since 1995 was returned to us without interest, the commissioner said. Out of this amount, the sum of N7 billion belonged to the local government areas and we subsequently transferred it to the LGAs. Out of the balance, we spent N12.6 billion on salaries and pensions, while the sum of N14 billion was expended on capital projects execution. Mr. Edevbie expressed disappointment over criticisms from some quarters that the state government failed to expend the refund for the settlement of salaries of workers in the local governments and state. He said the federal government never directed the states on how to spend the refund, arguing that each state had different priorities. It is wrong for people to say that the President of the Federation directed that the states should use the Paris club refund to settle salaries of workers. The President cannot tell Delta or Kano State how to spend its money. Every state has different need and it is their jurisdiction to decide where to channel their money in line with their priorities, Mr. Edevbie said. According to him, from the total amount of N33.4 billion received by Delta, the state government spent 58 per cent on salaries and pensions, while 42 per cent went into capital projects. The commissioner said that Delta also received N10.9 billion from the federal government as bailout fund during the salary crisis that plagued some states of the federation. Actually, the idea of the bailout funds was to help some few states that were having challenges in the settlement of workers salaries, he said. Mr. Edevbie said that out of the total amount received, Delta spent N2 billion on settlement of pensions and another N2 billion on payment of primary school teachers salaries, while N3.5 billion was expended on settlement of workers salary arrears. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the post-budget media briefing was attended by the state commissioner for finance, and his counterparts in information, economic planning and basic education. The Delta 2018 budget estimate is N298.078 billion with an estimated recurrent expenditure of N147 billion and capital expenditure of N150 billion. In his remark, the state Commissioner for Economic Planning, Kingsley Emu, said the 2018 budget was expected to take care of major expectations of the state in line with its SMART agenda for the transformation of the state. As a state, we are optimistic that we will be able to meet this 2018 budget in our quest to bring development and economic empowerment to the people, Emu said. (NAN) The Delta State Commissioner for Finance, David Edevbie, has debunked claims that political appointees are more than civil servants in the state. In a press briefing for the break-down of the 2018 budget proposal which was recently sent to the Delta State House of Assembly by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Mr. Edevbie said the Delta State Government has 2, 203 political appointees with the sum of N382 million as salary while the state has 45, 000 civil servants that gulps N4.5 billion monthly as salary. I find it funny when some persons say that political appointees are more than civil servants in the state, we are running an open-door policy, the state has 2, 203 political appointees and 45, 000 civil servants, the number of public servants are not included, the commissioner said. The Commissioner who briefed the press with his Information, and Economic Planning counterparts, Patrick Ukah and Kingsley Emu respectively, urged Deltans to always verify their information. On the debt profile of the Delta State Government, Mr. Edevbie said about N100 billion are owed contractors, though, no one is happy about the situation, His Excellency, Dr Okowa has approved that contractors, especially, those whose money are not much should be paid. He also answered questions concerning contractors whose jobs were terminated because of their incompetence, stating, we are aware that it is not enough to determine a contract and re-award same to a more competent contractor; such contractor deserves to be prosecuted and blacklisted but, you know in Nigeria, people will always intervene when such happens; we must give the Governor Okowas administration credit for insisting that the right thing be done. If you are not competent as a contractor, the contract will be given to a more competent one and you know it takes a lot for certain decisions to be taken, this is my own personal opinion. On the issue of the Asaba/Okpanam road, Mr. Edevbie disclosed that the contract passed through due process and it was not done to favour certain individuals, disclosing that the contractor handling the project has been mobilised to go back to site. I am very sure that the contractor in charge of the Asaba/Okpanam road project is not acting as a front for government. The job was awarded because the company has executed similar projects in other parts of the country. Just few days ago, we mobilised him to go back to site and I am very confident that in the next few days, work will recommence on the project. The Enugu police command has explained what led to the shooting that claimed two lives along the Enugu-Onitsha highway on Friday. In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Nkeiruka Nwode, the command said the refusal of a driver of a Toyota Camry to stop when flagged down by police officers led to a chase which ended in the shooting. The police alleged that the driver, who was later stopped at a junction was found to be in possession of 15 bags of Indian Hemp. The command did not, however, explain what led to the shooting as the statement did not indicate whether the driver, who was shot dead, was armed or not. The command said the second victim was a boy attached to a trailer who jumped to his death when he sighted a rampaging mob who had gathered to protest the incident. The police said officers involved had been detained while investigations were ongoing. The statement read in part: Following the shooting incident and the disturbance of peace at the Tarzan junction along the popular Enugu-Onitsha expressway on Friday, October 20, 2017. The police command wishes to set the record straight. At about 800hours of 20/10/2017, a police patrol team on stop and search duties stopped the driver of a suspected Camry vehicle for a routine check. However, the driver failed to stop as directed. He was chased by the police team from Dennis Memorial Grammer school, (DMGS) Onitcha and subsequently accosted at Tarzan junction, Nkpor as a result of the traffic build-up. In the bid to search the vehicle properly, a melee ensued and the driver was shot by the police. Unfortunately, the driver died on the spot. A thorough search of the vehicle revealed 15 bags of weeds suspected to be Indian Hemp, the statement said. Further detail about the nature of confrontation that resulted in the death of the unnamed driver was however not given by the command. According to the statement, the death of the driver resulted in an angry mob who set ablaze a security pick-up van that was seen approaching the junction. The driver of the van escaped unhurt. Some miscreants unaware of the true facts behind the incident took advantage of it and gathered up for mob action. Sadly a motor boy on an approaching trailer vehicle on sighting the angry mob jumped down from the trailer and lost his life on the spot. He was reported to have been crushed to death by a hit-and-run vehicle. The command wishes to warn against spreading false rumours to heat up the polity as the incident has no connection with any political party, the statement said. Ms. Nwode did not respond to phone calls or text messages by PREMIUM TIMES. A final year student of the Institute of Management Technology, IMT Enugu, Emmanuel Ezeugwu, has been arrested by the police after he reportedly stabbed a prostitute to death for reneging on their agreement for all night sex. The Police spokesperson, Ebere Amaraizu, who said this in a statement, Monday, noted that the incident occurred on Sunday in Ezeugwus apartment at No 16 Onuato, Ogui road of the state. The police spokesperson also shared a graphic picture of the deceased young woman, presumably 24 years old lying lifeless in a pool of blood with several deep cuts on her neck and stomach. Alerted by neighbours, who heard violent noise emanating from his apartment, Mr. Amaraizu said the accused was nabbed by the operatives of the command while attempting to flee to Lagos. He added that the room was later searched and the remains of the sex worker recovered and deposited in the mortuary at Eastern Nigeria Medical Centre Enugu. The police spokesperson said that on the day of the incident, the accused, a native of Ezimo in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu, allegedly picked up the commercial sex worker at a red light district located around Rangers Avenue Enugu and promised to pay her N4, 000 for an all-night sex. According to the statement, Mr. Ezeugwu, who is from the department of Public Administration, reportedly disclosed during interrogation that he took the prostitute to his apartment after drinking alcohol. Trouble reportedly started when the deceased, whose name was not mentioned in the statement, turned down sexual advances made by the accused. According to Mr. Ezeugwu, the deceased allegedly requested to finish what she was inhaling in order to be in the mood. The accused said after several hours of his pressurising her and without any answer, he slept off and woke up before 3am and immediately demanded that the deceased left since she did not give in to his demands. The deceased, who allegedly refused to leave without payment, reportedly headed for a kitchen knife. Mr. Ezeugwu said a fight broke out and while he was trying to wrest the knife from her, the kitchen knife went straight to her stomach and he finally finished the job as he stabbed her again on the neck. He said on noticing that the woman had died, he wrapped her body and hid it. The police spokesperson said the accused blamed the incident on an overdose of alcohol. He added that investigations into the matter would soon be concluded. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has completed the production of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for the newly registered voters in Anambra State. INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the opening of a two day capacity workshop for INEC Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) on Monday in Kaduna. Mr. Haruna said that INEC was done with the production of the state PVCs as at Wednesday and had delivered the cards to its office in Anambra for onward distribution. We have started the production of the PVC but we give more focus to Anambra state because of the state governorship election which is scheduled for November 18. You know we even went down to the wards level instead of local government level, Mr. Haruna. We also intend to do that in states where we are going to have off season elections such as Ekiti and Osun. That of Anambra we have even finished the printing of the PVCs for those that registered in the first and second quarters. The problem is not the production but for people to come out and collect the cards, because we have about eight million cards that are yet to be collected nationwide. He added that the commission has also commenced the production of PVCs for the newly registered voters in the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) which commenced on April 27. The National Commissioner assured that all those who have registered in the ongoing nationwide CVR would collect their PVCs long before the 2019 general elections. Also speaking with newsmen, another INEC National commissioner, Ahmed Muazu urged registered voters yet to collect their PVCs to do so. Mr. Muazu, a retired air vice marshal, said while it was the responsibility of INEC to distribute PVCs, it was the responsibility of the registered voters to come and collect their cards. Speaking on the workshop, Yusuf said it was key to improving the capacity of INEC PAOs who were the link between the commission and the public. Progressively, there have been improvement in the ways INEC communicates with stakeholders. This workshop is to further improve on our channels of communications and make them robust ahead of 2019 general elections, he said. Nick Dazang, INEC Administrative Secretary, Kaduna State, said the workshop was critical in INEC engagement with stakeholders as the commission prepares for 2019 general elections. Mr. Dazang said that the workshop would boost the capacity of INEC public affairs officers on the communication of commissions programmes and activities for 2019. If the stakeholders are not sure of what the commission is doing or we intend to do, no matter how meaningful the intentions are, they are not likely to succeed, he said. INEC Deputy Director Voter Education and Publicity Department, Aliyu Bello, said that the workshop become even more necessary, as the country and the commission move into the election mood. Since the recent re-structuring and re-organization some three, four years ago, officers of the commission have been consistently moved from and across all segments of the service to promote excellence. Mr. Aliyu advised the PAOs, drawn all states of the federation and the FCT, to make use of the workshop to develop their capacity in communicating Our roles as Information officers of the commission demands that we should discharge our duties most professionally and to the satisfaction of the commission and the general public, he said. (NAN) Some states in the South-west region have been listed to be barely sustainable as they ranked poorly in a new fiscal sustainability report released by civic advocacy platform, BudgIT. The report, which looked into the viability of states in Nigeria, was titled State of States and was launched by the civic group last week in Abuja. According to the report, Ekiti and Osun states ranked 35th and 36th positions respectively in the Fiscal Sustainability Index as the two states were placed on the bottom of the list among the 36 states of the federation. Oyo and Ondo states were also placed on the 30th and 25th positions respectively while Lagos and Ogun states, however, ranked favourably on the 2nd and 3rd positions respectively. Apart from Ekiti state which is controlled by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the other five states in the region are controlled by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Osun, whose electorate will go to the poll next year, has been governed by APCs Rauf Aregbesola, who got re-elected in 2014 after he ruled for four years following his victory at the elections tribunal in 2010. Ekiti, whose gubernatorial election is also slated for next year, is being ruled by Ayo Fayose of the PDP, who defeated Kayode Fayemi of the APC at the polls in 2014, almost a decade after he was impeached under controversial circumstances as governor. APCs Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state have been in power since 2011. On his part, Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State became governor in 2015, after succeeding Nigerias current Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who governed Lagos for eight years between 2007 and 2015 under the banner of the defunct AC/ACN. Mr. Fashola himself succeeded Bola Tinubu, a chieftain of the APC who ruled the state between 1999 and 2007, under the banner of the Alliance for Democracy, ADa party that metamorphosed, first, into AC/ACN, and subsequently became a part of the merger that produced the ruling APC. Lagos, therefore, remains the only state that has been controlled by a single party in the south west region since 1999. DAMNING REPORT The fiscal sustainability report was prepared based on a review of the 36th states gross statutory allocation, 13 per cent share of derivation, gross VAT allocation, and internally generated revenue based on 2016 estimate. It also reviewed the states total estimated monthly revenue after deduction, total debt stock and recurrent Expenditure. Further analysis of the report revealed that while the South west states performed averagely well in the area of internally generated revenue, IGR, all of the states in the region but Lagos had negative shortfall when the figures were placed against their monthly expenditures. Ekiti with an average monthly expenditure of N4.59 billion generates a paltry N2.15 billion average monthly revenue and thus records a negative shortfall of N2.44 billion. Similarly, Ogun records an average N8.5 billion monthly expenditure and generates N8.01 billion, making it record N0.49 billion shortfall. Ondo, Osun and Oyo accumulate N7.93 billion, N6.32 billion and N10.63 billion monthly expenditure while they generate N4.35 billion, N1.37 billion and N4.97 billion average monthly revenue, respectively. This results in Ondo recording negative shortfalls of N3.58 billion; Osun N4.94 billion and Oyo recording N5.66 billion. Lagos, the only viable state in the region, records N25.44 average monthly expenditure while it generate N32.08 billion, leaving it with a shortfall of N6.64 billion. In terms of statutory allocation, the South-west states also ranked poorly except Ondo, which was placed on the sixth position in the index with monthly average statutory allocation of N2.8 billion between January and July 2017. Oyo, which ranked next to Ondo in the index, records average monthly statutory allocation of N2 billion while Ekiti, Ogun and Lagos recorded N1.1 billion, N1 billion and N491 million, respectively. Osun, which has been battling with salary payments and other debt-related issues in recent months, however, recorded N183 million negative monthly statutory allocation. HEAVILY INDEBTED STATES Apart from the huge expenditures of the southwest states which resulted in negative shortfall on the sustainability index, the report also shows that the states rank high on the list of the most heavily indebted states in the country. On the domestic debt index, Lagos tops the chart with N311 billion domestic debt as at December 2016. It was followed by Osun with N147 billion; Oyo with N115 billion; Ondo with N53 billion and Ekiti with N85 billion domestic debt. For Ogun state, as at December 2015, it had accumulated N75 billion domestic debt. Similarly, on the external debt index, Lagos sits atop the list with $1.3 billion external debt. It was followed closely by Ogun with $103 million; Oyo with $71 million; Osun with $70; and Ekiti with $56 million external debt. Ondo, which appeared as the least on the index among states in the region, recorded $49 million external debt. BudgIT, in the report, noted that the average growth rate of states debt between 2012 and 2016 remains elevated at 22.16 per cent, while average growth rate of internally generated revenue is 9.04 per cent. The report then noted that the sustainable part for states is to rein in debt uptake and focus more on improving internally generated revenue. State governments, therefore, need to tremendously embrace a high level of transparency and accountability, develop workable economic plans, take haircuts especially on overheads expand their internally generated revenue (IGR) base, and cut down on debt accumulation without a concrete repayment plan, the report noted. The Osun State government on Sunday reacted to the Budgit report, saying, Osun debt profile is put at N179 billion by the NBS. The loan is still within the capacity of the government to access and pay back in a normal economic situation and government has indeed been servicing its debts without public knowledge before the Peoples Democratic Party induced economic recession. The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Monday played host to the new Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, urging him to use his new position to right the wrongs in Yorubaland. The monarch also described Mr. Adams, leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress, as the right choice for the position. The Ooni made the submission during a historic visit by the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo to him at his Ile Oodua palace in Ile Ife. Congratulating Mr. Adams, Mr. Ogunwusi applauded his choice and prayed that God empowers him to carry out the work assigned to him for the Yoruba race. He said there is no doubt that Mr. Adams choice is as a result of his antecedent as a fearless fighter for the emancipation of Yoruba interests by peaceful means. The monarch added that partisan politics has destroyed so many things, describing Mr. Adams as a warrior who has a big role to play in the emancipation and unity of his people, hence the importance attached to the title. According to the monarch, the title is not a social chieftaincy title, but one with robust traditional background and expectations. Mr. Adewusi told Mr. Adams that the war he has to wage this time is the war for the unity of Yorubaland which you have been propagating before and you should do more. The Ooni said Yorubas are front runners and urged Mr. Adams to ensure the race remain a frontrunner. The Aare Ona Kakanfo is deep and its importance known mainly to the elders. Use your tenure for good, embrace both the natives and strangers among us. Rely on God and He will help you, the Ooni concluded. Mr. Adams in short speech said he deliberately decided to make Oonis palace his first place of official visit since his proclamation as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo, because of the sacred uniqueness of the throne, the value he attaches to Ile-Ife as his place of origin as a Yoruba man and cradle of the Yoruba culture. He said the unity of the Yoruba race remains paramount to him as he is ready to join the Ooni and the other traditional rulers of Yorubaland in ensuring peace, unity and progress for the race. Thanking the Ooni for his previous support, he also sought the monarchs further support to enable him make a success of his new assignment. He also promised to further promote the Yoruba culture. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Police in Lagos on Monday announced the arrest of four Air Force men and seven others for allegedly vandalising Lagos State water iron pipes value at about N25 million. The Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, confirmed the arrest while presenting the men and other suspects arrested in the last two weeks in the state. Mr. Edgal said that the suspects that wore military camouflage were arrested at Doyin Bus stop, Orile area, where they allegedly vandalised the public utility. He said one Clerk crane and Iveco G3 truck with Reg. no. MUS 772 XD were recovered from them. The Air Force personnel will be handed over to their Commanding Officer, while other suspects will be charged to court. The air force men would be brought back to the police for prosecution after they would have been disciplined by their office, Mr. Edgal said. The commissioner also presented three other suspects who specialised in duping and making ritual for unsuspecting citizens within Lekki Phase 11, Ajah environs. The commissioners said the suspects would be charged to court soon. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a total of 21 suspects of various crimes were presented at the occasion. (NAN) For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. ST. LOUIS, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 2e Creative a nationally recognized, full-service communications agency focused on healthcare and life science earned the title of Healthcare Agency of the Year for a third consecutive year at the 2017 Medical Marketing & Media (MM&M) Awards Oct. 19, 2017. Judges cited the company's remarkable growth, culture and client work as driving factors in their decision. In 2016, 2e Creative became the first agency to receive this honor twice consecutively, and the 2017 win sets a record for the entire industry. Established in 1966, MM&M is a leading monthly business publication serving healthcare marketers. The 2017 MM&M Awards, held in New York City, showcase the best in creativity and effectiveness in healthcare marketing, communications and media. "Amazing people and amazing partners made this happen," said 2e Creative CEO, Ross Toohey. "In 2017 we produced some of the best work, with some of the best client-partners of our careers, and we now have incredible expectations to live up to in the next few years. All eyes are on us now." In addition to being recognized as Small Healthcare Agency of the Year, 2e Creative also was awarded Best Professional Sales Tool for a digital sales empowerment platform developed for client Siemens. Throughout 2017, 2e Creative has continued to support 78 percent growth and has focused on building a team of industry veterans to position the agency for expansion into new markets within the life science and healthcare space. The agency is anticipating substantial growth and expansion throughout 2018. "Since we won Agency of the Year, everyone has been asking me about the secret to 2e's success," said Toohey. "The truth is we've been fortunate to attract an amazing team of people who are mission-driven to do the right thing for people and brands. Clients are tired of typical agency games, and 2e represents an opportunity to work with real people to grow brands and drive change in a complex world." Recipients of the 2017 MM&M Awards were selected by a panel of more than 100 judges comprising healthcare marketers and leaders from the agency, client, publishing and service sectors. For more information about the 2017 MM&M Awards and a listing of this year's winners, visit: http://www.mmm-online.com/mmm-awards/the-2017-mmm-awards-all-the-winners/article/690476/. About 2e Creative 2e Creative is a full-service communications agency that delivers powerful, activating engagement for brands and audiences in the healthcare and life science space. Recognized year-over-year as one of the top shops in the country by organizations like MM&M, Modern Healthcare, and Advertising Age, 2e delivers specific expertise in navigating the complex landscapes of pharma, med device and other sophisticated markets. Founded in 1999, and based in St. Louis, the agency's expertise spans a roster of client-partners across pharma, medical device and Fortune 50 companies. Agency core competencies include branding, marketing strategy, communications and analytics, digital strategy and development, advertising and promotion, HCP engagement and patient activation. 2e Creative was named Small Healthcare Agency of the Year by Medical Marketing & Media (MM&M) in 2015, 2016, and 2017 and it was recognized as the 2014 Healthcare Impact Agency of the Year by Advertising Age and Modern Healthcare. For more information, visit www.2eCreative.com. Media contact: Aimee DeVoll 314-607-7023 [email protected] SOURCE 2e Creative Related Links http://www.2eCreative.com * Investment Operations may include the use of certain portfolio management techniques such as credit default swaps, dollar rolls, negative cash, reverse repurchase agreements and when-issued securities. The foregoing portfolio characteristics are as of the date indicated and can be expected to change. The Fund is a closed-end U.S.-registered management investment company advised by AllianceBernstein L. P. MIAMI, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists (ACFCS), a BARBRI professional association, has established The McDonald Award, an annual honor to recognize lifetime achievement in individuals fighting financial crime. The award, announced at the recent ACFCS Financial Crime Conference, was created in honor of well-known and respected Anti-Money Laundering leader, Mike McDonald, who passed away in 2016. The first McDonald Award recipient will be named at the 2018 Conference. "Our recent Financial Crime Conference was a valuable and productive gathering of the financial crime prevention community," said ACFCS Executive Director Garry Clement, CAMS, CFE, CFCS. "The participation from and engagement of attendees, presenters and all other participants speaks volumes about our collective passion for preventing financial crime. It was the natural venue to introduce this award, acknowledging Mike's many contributions, and looking to the future of our field." Over the course of his career as a Special Agent of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, McDonald was on the front lines of combating narcotics trafficking rings in South Florida. With tremendous amounts of cartel cash washing into Miami financial institutions, McDonald helped found Operation Greenback in 1980. Operation Greenback, the first ever multi-agency money laundering task force, would go on to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in assets from drug traffickers, compel institutions to comply with Bank Secrecy Act regulations, and serve as a template for future law enforcement collaborative efforts. The McDonald Award will recognize a member of the financial crime prevention profession who has devoted his or her professional life to the ongoing battle against financial crime and improving the field of financial crime prevention. "It means a lot that ACFCS did this," said McDonald's daughter, Carrie McDonald. "He (my father) really did love his job and he knew it was an important one." Candidates can be active or retired individuals who are financial crime practitioners, trainers, supervisors, administrators, consultants, or researchers, and have made major contributions to the field. Nominees must have at least 25 years of experience and the winner will be selected by a committee. More information can be found at www.acfcs.org. About ACFCS The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists (ACFCS), a BARBRI Professional Association, is a worldwide organization for professionals who work in diverse financial crime prevention disciplines. ACFCS awards the Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS) certification to qualified candidates who pass a proctored examination. Professionals in financial crime prevention from more than 50 nations have already obtained the CFCS certification. Contact: Cindy Parks - 913-526-6912 [email protected] SOURCE Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists (ACFCS) Related Links http://www.acfcs.org DETROIT, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- By a unanimous vote, the custodians working for GCA Services at Albion College in Albion, Mich., have voted to be represented by Teamsters Local 1038. There are 24 custodians in the unit and they join the 70 clerical and facility operations workers at the college that are already represented by the local union. "We are pleased to welcome GCA Services custodians at Albion College to our local union," said Greg Nowak, President of Joint Council 43 and President of Local 1038. "Our business agent Karl Grimm worked many hours with the organizers in the unit to bring about this victory." The custodians perform general cleaning duties in the classrooms, dormitories and other campus buildings. "Benefits were the main reason the custodians wanted to be represented by the Teamsters. Now our next step is to sit down with the company and work on a contract," said Karl Grimm, Secretary-Treasurer and business agent with Local 1038. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Greg Nowak, (313) 964-0720 SOURCE Teamsters Joint Council 43 Related Links https://teamster.org/ NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rowley Law PLLC is investigating potential claims against Deltic Timber Corporation (NYSE: DEL) and its board of directors for breach of fiduciary duty concerning the proposed acquisition of the company by Potlatch Corporation. Deltic Timber Corporation shareholders will receive 1.80 shares of Potlatch Corporation common stock for each share of Deltic Timber Corporation they hold. The transaction is valued at approximately $1.1 billion. If you are a shareholder of Deltic Timber Corporation and are interested in obtaining additional information regarding this investigation, please visit us at: http://www.rowleylawpllc.com/investigation/deltictimber. You may also contact Shane Rowley, Esq. at Rowley Law PLLC, 50 Main Street Suite 1000, White Plains, NY 10606, by email at [email protected] , or by telephone at 914-400-1920 or 844-400-4643 (toll-free). Rowley Law PLLC represents shareholders nationwide in class actions and derivative lawsuits in complex corporate litigation. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.rowleylawpllc.com . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. SOURCE Rowley Law PLLC Related Links http://rowleylawpllc.com DUBLIN, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN) today announced that it has three oral presentations and a poster being presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's 73rd Annual Congress (ASRM 2017) in San Antonio, Texas. Notably, analyses from the pivotal VENUS II trial for ulipristal acetate, an investigational drug for the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding in women with uterine fibroids, have been accepted for oral presentation during the meeting. "Our presence at ASRM 2017 underscores our commitment to furthering the advances being made in the treatment of uterine fibroids, and improving the health and well-being of the millions of women who are suffering, many in silence, with this condition," said David Nicholson, Chief Research and Development Officer, Allergan. "We are particularly excited to present data from our VENUS II trial, which is under review by the FDA as part of our recent regulatory filing for ulipristal acetate." The scheduled times (noted in Central Time) of the oral presentations and poster at the San Antonio Convention Center are as follows: VENUS II: The Second U.S.-Based Phase 3 Study of Ulipristal Acetate (UPA) For Treatment Of Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids (UF) Presenter: James Liu Presentation #: O-65 Monday, October 30 th , 11:00 AM 12:30 PM , Ulipristal Acetate (UPA) Treatment of Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids (UF): VENUS II Subgroup Analyses by Race and BMI Presenter: David Soper Presentation #: O-64 Monday, October 30 th , 11:00 AM 12:30 PM , Quality of Life With Ulipristal Acetate (UPA) Treatment of Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids (UF): VENUS II Study Presenter: Robin Kroll Presentation #: O-66 Monday, October 30 th , 11:00 AM 12:30 PM , Contemporary Treatment Patterns for Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids Poster #: P-263 Tuesday, October 31 st beginning 7:00 AM About Uterine Fibroids According to an analysis published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), an agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services, in the United States an estimated 26 million women between the ages of 15 and 50 years old have uterine fibroids,[1] and at least half of these women have symptoms that may impact the routine activities of their daily lives. Common symptoms include heavy menstrual bleeding, long menstrual cycles, irregular menstrual cycles, anemia, pelvic pain, pelvic pressure and urinary symptoms.[2] These symptoms can be associated with iron deficiency, fatigue, pain, social embarrassment, interference with daily and social activities, as well as lost productivity in the work place.[2],[3] Currently, surgery is a common treatment option for symptomatic uterine fibroids. In fact, uterine fibroids are responsible for over 350,000 hospitalizations and are the leading cause of hysterectomies, accounting for more than one-third of all hysterectomies annually in the U.S.[4] The economic burden of uterine fibroids is also large, costing the economy up to $34 billion each year.[5] About Ulipristal Acetate Ulipristal acetate, an investigational drug in the U.S. for the medical treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding in women with uterine fibroids, is a selective progesterone receptor modulator (SPRM), which acts directly on the progesterone receptors in three target tissues: the endometrium (uterine lining), uterine fibroids, and the pituitary gland. In the U.S, the safety and efficacy of ulipristal acetate has been evaluated in two North American Phase 3 studies (Venus I and VENUS II) of more than 500 adult women of reproductive age. Ulipristal acetate is protected by a patent that expires in 2029. In addition to the Venus I and II trials, the efficacy of ulipristal acetate has been demonstrated in a series of four, multi-center, Phase 3, European trials involving more than 1,000 women with uterine fibroids. In Europe, ulipristal acetate is marketed under the trade name Esmya by Gedeon Richter. In Canada, ulipristal acetate is available under the trade name Fibristal and marketed by Allergan. Esmya and Fibristal are currently approved for the pre-operative and intermittent treatment of moderate to severe symptoms of uterine fibroids in adult women of reproductive age. To date, approximately 500,000 women have been treated with ulipristal acetate for fibroids in over 70 countries worldwide.[6] About Allergan Women's Healthcare Allergan is a leader in women's healthcare that is dedicated to developing and commercializing best-in-class pharmaceuticals to improve the health and wellness of women. Allergan takes a holistic and a best-in-class approach to women's healthcare as it prioritizes educational partnerships with OB/GYNs. The mission of Allergan Women's Healthcare extends beyond its pharmaceutical products to ensure that all women can make informed decisions about their health and have access to high-quality medications. Allergan is committed to investing in programs that support the education and well-being of all women. About Allergan plc Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a bold, global pharmaceutical company and a leader in a new industry model Growth Pharma. Allergan is focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical and regenerative medicine products for patients around the world. Allergan markets a portfolio of leading brands and best-in-class products for the central nervous system, eye care, medical aesthetics and dermatology, gastroenterology, women's health, urology and anti-infective therapeutic categories. Allergan is an industry leader in Open Science, a model of research and development, which defines our approach to identifying and developing game-changing ideas and innovation for better patient care. With this approach, Allergan has built one of the broadest development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry with 65+ mid-to-late stage pipeline programs currently in development. Allergan's success is powered by our more than 18,000 global colleagues' commitment to being Bold for Life. Together, we build bridges, power ideas, act fast and drive results for our customers and patients around the world by always doing what is right. With commercial operations in approximately 100 countries, Allergan is committed to working with physicians, healthcare providers and patients to deliver innovative and meaningful treatments that help people around the world live longer, healthier lives every day. For more information, visit Allergan's website at www.Allergan.com. Forward-Looking Statement Statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Allergan's current perspective on existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Actual results may differ materially from Allergan's current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Allergan's business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of FDA approvals or actions, if any; the impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and continued demand for Allergan's products; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Allergan's periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Allergan's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and Allergan's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2017. Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. [1] Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Evidence-based Practice Center Systematic Review Protocol: Management of Uterine Fibroids. https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov Published March 1, 2016. Accessed August 16, 2017. [2] De La Cruz MS, Buchanan EM. Am Fam Physician. 2017 Jan 15;95(2):100-107. [3] Borah BJ , Nicholson WK, Bradley L, et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2013;209:3119.e1-20. [4] Wechter ME, Stewart EA, Myers ER, et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2011;205(5):492.e1-492.e5. [5] Cardozo ER, Clark AD, Banks NK, et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2012 Mar;206(3):211.e1-9. [6] Data on file. CONTACTS: Allergan: Investors: Daphne Karydas (862) 261-7328 Media: Mark Marmur (862) 261-7558 Tara Schuh (201) 427-8888 SOURCE Allergan plc Related Links http://www.allergan.com HOUSTON, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- alliantgroup, the nation's leading provider of specialty tax services, will be attending the Baylor College of Medicine Career Symposium and Career Fair on Thursday, November 9. Representatives of the firm will be onsite in the Rayzor Lounge at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston from 3 to 6 pm. The event will provide students with the chance to learn more about alliantgroup and the unique opportunities for career advancement at the firm. For students that are looking to jump-start their careers and seeking to join an organization with a strong sense of purpose, alliantgroup offers unlimited upward mobility and the opportunity to work for an organization that advances the economic prospects of U.S. businesses and American workers. The company offers substantial benefits including a 401(k) match savings account, medical and dental coverage, a generous compensation package and access to the firm's onsite gym as part of the company's health and wellness program. In addition to these perks and benefits, the firm has received numerous awards for its dedication to creating an outstanding workplace. alliantgroup was named by the Houston Chronicle as one of its Top Workplaces in 2016 and 2015 and won Entrepreneur's Top Company Cultures award in the large companies category earlier this year. "Our firm is always on the lookout for hungry and career-driven professionals," said Dhaval Jadav, alliantgroup CEO. "I encourage all students to stop by our booth to learn more about alliantgroup and our firm's unlimited opportunities for career growth." alliantgroup's mission is one of education and awarenessthe firm exists to help U.S. businesses and their CPA advisors properly identify and claim government-sponsored tax credits and incentives. alliantgroup is headquartered in Houston and has offices in New York, Chicago, Indianapolis, Boston, Sacramento, Irvine, Orlando and Washington, D.C. To date, the firm has helped more than 12,000 businesses claim $6 billion in federal and state tax incentives. For more information on alliantgroup and the firm's corporate culture, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. SOURCE alliantgroup MECHANICSBURG, Pa., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Mint, LLC President Kevin Sacher proudly announced that the company is releasing a new collection of sculpted medallions dedicated to the centennial of John F. Kennedy's birth. Born in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1917, Kennedy was the youngest person ever elected to the White House at just 43 years of age. The collection is limited to 9,999 complete collections worldwide and is available in a 40mm gold-plated edition. Minted to the highest quality "Proof " standards, the obverse of the first offering illustrates a detailed engraving of our beloved 35th President and the reverse shows a quote from President Kennedy's 1961 inaugural address where he famously declared, " ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country" Order online (www.americanmint.com) or call 1-877-807-MINT (6468) to order yours at the introductory price of $4.95 for a limited time only, while supplies last. "We created this beautiful sculpted medallion to honor the centennial of John F. Kennedy's birthday. Today, even after his tragic assassination on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, JFK remains one of the most beloved and revered men to hold the Office of President of the United States of America and American Mint is eager to honor him with this beautiful tribute," Sacher said. American Mint is a leading provider of high quality collectible coins, knives, die-cast replicas, and other memorabilia, and has served more than a million customers from its Mechanicsburg facility. As an international direct mail marketer, American Mint's parent company operates in nine countries and has served 10 million serious collectors around the world. For more information about American Mint, please visit www.americanmint.com. Contacts: Kevin Sacher, President American Mint, LLC [email protected] 717-458-9031 American Mint, LLC 5051 Louise Drive Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 1-877-807-MINT www.americanmint.com SOURCE American Mint, LLC Related Links http://www.americanmint.com "At ATB we're innovating at the forefront of robotics, AI, biometrics and blockchain, and we're so excited to bring conversational commerce to all our personal banking customers. It's one more way we're delivering on our commitment to really make banking work for people," says ATB Chief Transformation Officer Wellington Holbrook about the new Messenger-based virtual assistant. "It lets you do your banking whenever, wherever, and however works best for you." While the world's largest financial institutions continue to face off in the bank innovation race, being an agile mid-sized FI has had its advantages. Partnering with like-minded FinTechssuch as Finn.aihas enabled this project to move from proof of concept to rapid full market deployment. Just last February, ATB announced it was testing AI and chatbot technology with early adopters to enable banking through Facebook Messenger. Now, through rapid iteration and collaboration, well over half a million personal banking customers have access to an industry-leading AI-powered virtual assistant. What makes ATB's virtual assistant unique? Far beyond a Q&A chatbot, its sophisticated banking transaction abilities offer robust personal financial management tools tailored to fit the needs of each individual customer. Customers can securely and seamlessly pay bills, view account balances, send Interac e-Transfers or transfer money between accounts, as well as perform cross-currency money movement all from within their Messenger platform. The platform also offers spending insights, provides access to a live customer care representative, and Mastercard statement alerts. "AI is completely reinventing the consumer banking experience," explains Jake Tyler, CEO at Finn.ai. "With the Finn.ai platform, you get more than immediate, secure banking access, you get smart, personalized financial insights to help you achieve your specific financial goals. We're excited to join forces with ATB and bring this innovative technology to another segment of our fast-growing customer base." And that's just how the assistant can help right now. The virtual assistant is always learning. The more customers engage with it, the more it will be able to do. Accuracy and capabilities will build and improve over time through consumer feedback, customer care agent feedback and reinforcement learning. "The more you interact with the assistant, the smarter it gets," says Holbrook. "This empowers us to continually improve service and delivery to our customers with a level of security consistent across our digital offerings." ATB's future vision is to expand this technology into other platforms, helping customers conduct their daily banking in places they never thought possible, says Holbrook. "We will be tracking the value the virtual assistant provides so that we can potentially replicate this model through additional delivery channels, such as smart televisions, devices and other social networks." Access ATB's virtual banking assistant: @ATBFinancial (in Facebook Messenger) or from facebook.com/ATBFinancial About ATB Financial With assets of $48.6 billion, ATB Financial is Alberta's largest home-grown financial institution. Established in 1938, ATB is a network of 173 branches, 143 agencies, a Customer Care Centre, two Entrepreneur Centres, along with mobile and online banking. ATB's more than 5,000 team members help more than 730,000 customers in 247 communities. About Finn.AI Finn.ai is an award-winning, AI-powered virtual assistant built for banking and personal finance. With customers on four continents, and delivering service in three languages, Finn.ai and our team of data scientists, engineers, and financial industry experts are helping banks and credit unions transform customer engagement in a digital and cognitive age. SOURCE ATB Financial Related Links http://www.atb.com GAITHERSBURG, Maryland, June 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Goix brings 20 years of successful healthcare commercialization experience Two posters were presented at ASCO June 3 rd, 2017 for Theralink Breast Cancer Avant Diagnostics, Inc. ("Avant") (OTC: AVDX), an oncology-focused medical solutions company developing the proprietary Theralink phospho-protein tumor biomarker platform, announced the appointment of Philippe Goix, PhD, MBA as President & CEO. Dr. Goix brings to Avant a successful track record of product launches and commercial success in health IT, biomarker/diagnostics and commercial laboratory settings. "The Theralink technology represents a uniquely valuable and wholly complementary tumor biomarker strategy to various biomarker techniques currently in use, including DNA sequencing," said Dr. Goix, the newly appointed President & CEO of Avant. "While we acknowledge the tremendous value that genomic information has added to the field of oncology, we believe Theralink potentially provides additional actionable personalized tumor information on the individual patient level. We believe this additional specificity delivers superior clinical utility for practitioners than genomic information alone, and may lead to improved treatment outcomes for patients. As a result, we intend to evaluate commercial opportunities to leverage this unique patient-centric approach using Theralink as a critical point of market entry. We intend to build personalized solutions that provide the necessary information for physicians to make real-time, best-in-class treatment recommendations as well as recommend wellness solutions designed to improve overall outcomes based upon personal functional clinical data." Dr. Goix brings to Avant 20 years of experience in the Life Sciences tools, Diagnostics and Health Information areas, where he has raised over $140M in debt and equity capital. Most recently, Dr. Goix served as President & CEO of Prism Health Diagnostics, Inc. (PHDX), which he co-founded in late 2015 to establish ongoing wellness monitoring services as a business by delivering biomarker data to primary-care physicians and consumers to empower consumers to make better health decisions. Dr. Goix left PHDX in March of 2017to pursue the opportunity with Avant. Prior to PHDX, Dr. Goix consulted for several healthcare companies from 2013 to 2015. Between 2004 through 2013, Dr. Goix served as President & CEO of Singulex, Inc., a personalized healthcare diagnostics company focused on improving outcomes in the $300B diabetes-cardiovascular space. While at Singulex from 2004-2013, Singulex grew from annual revenues of $0 and 4 employees, to annual revenues of over $60M and over 250 employees. During his tenure, Dr. Goix built a business comprising of three divisions: a laboratory testing division under CLIA, a proprietary pharma services division and an FDA-focused diagnostic development division. From 1997 to 2004, Dr. Goix served as President & CEO of Guava Technologies, Inc. where Dr. Goix successfully commercialized multiple commercial products still in use today. Guava Technologies was acquired by Merck Millipore in 2008. In academia, Dr. Goix served as a research scientist at Stanford University, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Sandia Research Laboratory and Centre National de Recherche Scientifique in France. Dr. Goix was also a post-doctoral fellow at UC Berkeley. Dr. Goix received his PhD in Physics from Universite de Rouen in France in 1987, and his MBA in Marketing with a Finance emphasis from University of San Francisco in 1995. Former CEO Gregg Linn has resigned from the Company and the Board of Directors. Former Directors Randy Letcavage and Joe Roth have also resigned from the Company. 2017 ASCO ANNUAL MEETING POSTER PRESENTATION DETAILS Poster 1: Title: Androgen receptor (AR) activation in breast cancer (BC) liver metastases. ( http://abstracts.asco.org/199/AbstView_199_183028.html ) Session: Tumor Biology - Sub-category:Tumor-Based Biomarkers Poster Board Number: Poster Session (Board #319) - Abstract No:11619 Time: Saturday June 3, 1:15 PM to 4:45 PM - Location: Hall A Citation: J Clin Oncol 35, 2017 (suppl; abstr 11619) Authors: Corinne Ramos, Nicholas N Hoke, Tom Wilks, Maren K. Levin, Sarah Hippely, Mariaelena Pierobon, Emanuel Petricoin, Joyce O'Shaughnessy; Institutions: Theranostics Health, Inc., Rockville, MD; Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX; George Mason University, Manassas, VA Abstract: Background: AR is expressed in the majority of BCs and its signaling may contribute to the development of BC metastases (mets). The expression pattern of AR, its phosphorylated form, p-AR S650, and correlations with other BC growth and survival pathways were evaluated in BC mets by reverse phase protein array (RPPA). Methods: RPPA was performed on 93 FFPE primary BCs and mets at a CLIA-certified laboratory. Immunostaining with 24 antibodies was directed against AR, p-AR S650, p-MET, and total and p-HER1/2/3 pathway proteins. Clinical and genomic data were obtained from pt chart review. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess any statistically significant differences between the groups. Results: 35 tissues were primary BCs (38%); 58 were mets (62%). Sites of mets: liver (n = 41); lung (n = 8); chest wall (n = 9). Of the 41 liver mets, 2 were triple negative (TN), 32 were ER+/HER2-, and 7 were HER2+. AR expression was increased in chest wall (1.7-fold; p = 0.038) compared to primary BCs. p-AR was increased in liver (2.0-fold; p = 0.039) and chest wall (1.8-fold; p = 0.026) compared to primary BCs. ER+ liver mets especially showed strong liver-specific activation of AR along with overexpression of HER1, HER3, VEGFR, and activation of mTOR, S6 Ribo, 4EBP1, and STAT3. MEK/ERK pathway was not activated in ER+ liver mets. HER2+ liver mets had pan-HER1/2/3 activation along with MET, SRC, S6 Ribo, 4EBP1, and JAK2/STAT3. In the 2 TN liver mets, EGFR, VEGFR, mTOR, S6 Ribo, 4EBP1, and JAK2/STAT3 were activated while AR and MEK/ERK were not. The ER+ liver mets showed higher expression of p-AR (p = 0.079), p-HER3 (p = 0.002), p-HER2 (p = 0.010) and p-Jak2 (p = 0.002) compared to primary ER+ BCs whereas the HER2+ liver mets showed lower level of p-IGFR (p = 0.049) and p-MET (p = 0.010) compared to primary HER2+ BCs. Interestingly, TN chest wall mets had higher levels of AR and p-AR (p = 0.008 and 0.044 respectively) compared to TN BCs. Conclusions: ER+ liver mets have strong expression of AR and p-AR, and all liver met subtypes showed accumulation of S6 Ribo/4EBP1 and activation of JAK2/STAT3, but not the MAPK pathway. HER1/3 and HER1/2/3 were activated in ER+ and HER2+ liver mets, respectively. These data suggest that targeting AR, HER1/3, and mTOR in ER+ liver met would be of interest. Poster 2: Title: Phosphoproteomic analysis of matched primary breast cancer (BC) and lymph node (LN) metastases - ( http://abstracts.asco.org/199/AbstView_199_183025.html ) Session: Tumor Biology - Sub-category: Tumor-Based Biomarkers Poster Board Number: Poster Session (Board #320) - Abstract No: 11620 Time: Saturday June 3, 1:15 PM to 4:45 PM - Location: Hall A Citation: J Clin Oncol 35, 2017 (suppl; abstr 11620) Authors: Corinne Ramos, Nicholas N Hoke, Maren K. Levin, Michael D Grant, Sarah Hippely, Rohan Thamby, Mariaelena Pierobon, Elisa Baldelli, George J Snipes, Emanuel Petricoin, Joyce O'Shaughnessy; Institutions: Theranostics Health, Inc. (now Avant Diagnostics, Inc.), Rockville, MD; Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX; George Mason University, Manassas, VA; George Mason University, Bristow, VA, United Arab Emirates Abstract: Background: Therapeutic recommendations are often based on molecular markers expressed in primary BCs. However, LN metastases (mets) may more accurately reflect the lethal potential of the disease (Ries 2007). Whether activated oncogenic pathways in axillary LN mets can be reliably identified in the associated primary BCs is unknown. We evaluated the activation of key signaling pathways in pts' matched primary BC and axillary LN mets using reverse phase protein array (RPPA). Methods: 60 pts' matched FFPE primary BC and axillary LN mets (20 TN, 20 ER+/HER2-, 20 HER2+) are to be evaluated by RPPA at a CLIA-certified laboratory. The first 20 matched BC/LN (3 TN, 14 ER+/HER2-, 3 HER2+) and 7 unmatched (1 TN LN, 1 ER+/HER2- BC, 5 ER+/HER2- LN) results are reported here. Immunostaining of 14 HER1/2/3 and downstream pathway proteins was performed. Mann-Whitney U tests (p value) were utilized to compare BC vs LN mets protein level. Results: Increased expression of HER1 (6-fold) and p-Akt (2-fold) was observed in TN compared to Luminal (Lum) and HER2+ primary BCs. AR expression was upregulated in TN and HER2+ (2-fold) compared to Lum primary BCs. The LN mets showed higher expression of HER1 (p = 0.004), p-HER3 (p = 0.040), p-IGFR (p = 0.009), p-S6 (p = 0.033), p-4EBP1 (p = 0.027) and p-MEK1/2 (p = 0.023) compared to primary BCs. TN had higher level of p-Akt T308 (p = 0.077) in the LN mets compared to the primary BCs while HER2+ showed a downregulation of p-Akt T308 (p = 0.049) in the LN mets. HER2+ also had higher level of HER1 (p = 0.049), p-HER3 (p = 0.049), p-FGFR (p = 0.083), and p-4EBP1 (p = 0.049) in the LN mets compared to primary BCs. Higher levels of HER1 (p = 0.043) and p-MEK1/2 (p = 0.027) were observed in Lum B LN mets compared to p-IGFR (p = 0.041), p-Akt S473 (p = 0.088), p-S6 (p = 0.063) and p-4EBP1 (p = 0.097) in Lum A LN mets. Conclusions: In TNBC, preliminary results show that p-Akt is differentially upregulated in LN mets while HER1, p-HER3 and p-4EBP1 are overexpressed in HER2+ LN mets. Lum A LN mets showed higher levels of p-IGFR, p-Akt, p-S6 and p-4EBP1 vs Lum B LN mets which had higher levels of HER1 and p-MEK1/2. These data suggest different signaling pathways in BC LN mets compared to primary BCs. Analyses of 60 pts' matched primary BC/LN samples will be presented. About Avant Diagnostics, Inc. Avant is a medical diagnostic technology company that specializes in biomarker tests that are being developed in the areas of oncology and neurology. Avant provides personalized medicine diagnostic testing capabilities through its TheraLink Diagnostic Assays, primarily for breast cancer, to assist clinical oncologists in identifying likely responders for over 30 FDA-approved drug treatment regimens. Avant is the leading developer of proteomic technologies for measuring the activation status of key signaling pathways, with applications across several different cancer types, including breast, ovarian and pancreatic that are instrumental in the development of companion diagnostics for molecular-targeted therapies. Avant has used these proteomic technologies to support the drug development programs of many of the top biopharmaceutical companies in the world. Avant is also developing OvaDx for use in monitoring women diagnosed previously with ovarian cancer. OvaDx is a sophisticated proteomic microarray-based test that measures the activation of the immune system markers in blood samples in response to ovarian tumor cell development. Avant's neurology division was recently acquired from Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: AMBS) and owns certain rights to next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) assay for the identification of patients with autoimmune disorders, and has an exclusive license to The LymPro Test for Alzheimer's disease, which was developed by Prof. Thomas Arendt, Ph.D., from the University of Leipzig. The Company also owns intellectual property for the proteomic-based diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (NuroPro), and other cell-cycle-related disorders.. For further information please visit http://www.Avantdiagnostics.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "forecast," "estimated" and "intend," among others. These forward-looking statements are based on Avant's current expectations and actual results could differ materially. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, substantial competition; our ability to continue as a going concern; our need for additional financing; uncertainties with respect to lengthy and expensive clinical trials, that results of earlier studies and trials may not be predictive of future trial results; and risks related to failure to obtain FDA clearances or approvals and noncompliance with FDA regulations. There are no guarantees that future clinical trials discussed in this press release will be completed or successful, or that any product will receive regulatory approval for any indication or prove to be commercially successful. Avant does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement except as required by law. Investors should read the risk factors set forth in Avant's Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 13, 2016, and other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investor and Media Contact: Ascendant Partners, LLC Fred Sommer +1-732-410-9810 [email protected] SOURCE Avant Diagnostics, Inc. OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Best Computer Science Schools has released a new ranking of the 15 Best Online Software Engineering Degrees for 2017. Best Computer Science Schools is a leading authority on computer science, tech education, and college rankings. http://www.bestcomputerscienceschools.net/best-online-big-data-degrees/ According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities for software engineers and developers are projected to increase 17% by 2024. That's far faster than the predicted job growth rate for other professions. The median pay for software developers? A whopping $102,280 per year as of 2016. "Thanks to the significant projected growth, low rates of unemployment, and high average salary, U.S. News & World Report named Software Developer the number three Best STEM Job of 2017," Editor Jordan Biltmore said. "How do you get one of these lucrative, in-demand jobs? For most people, it starts with a bachelor's degree in software engineering or software development." Best Computer Science Schools developed this ranking according to its standard methodology. This methodology aggregates data from Payscale, U.S. News and World Report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as information from the schools as well. It measures institutional strength, return on tuition investment, and student happiness. The ranking of the 15 Best Online Software Engineering Degrees lists Brigham Young University - Idaho at the top, Arizona State University in second place, and Kennesaw State University holding the third spot. Alphabetically listed, the following schools appear in the ranking: American InterContinental University, Schaumburg, IL Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ Bellevue University, Bellevue, NE Brigham Young University-Idaho, Rexburg, ID Champlain College, Burlington, VT Colorado Technical University, Colorado Springs, CO Eastern Florida State College, Melbourne, FL Full Sail University, Winter Park, FL Grantham University, Lenexa, KS Herzing University, Atlanta, GA Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA Southern New Hampshire University, Hooksett, NH Strayer University, Herndon, VA University of Maryland University College, Upper Marlboro, MD Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, UT Dedicated to the exciting world of tech and computer science, Best Computer Science Schools is the publication that helps students find the right school for their needs and equips them to succeed in college and in the workplace. Contact: Jordan Biltmore, Editor, Best Computer Science Schools Web: http://www.bestcomputerscienceschools.net/ Email: [email protected] Phone: (925) 550-1463 SOURCE Best Computer Science Schools Related Links http://www.bestcomputerscienceschools.net SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntkey, a leading global home improvement provider, is showcasing its wireless charger and other interesting charging devices. These smart chargers, were on full display at the Asia World Expo in Hongkong. The Global Sources Electronics in Hongkong is one of the world's largest electronics sourcing show. Huntkey attends the show as an exhibitor every year to showcase its brand and products. https://en.huntkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/wireless-charger-1.jpg As it announced at the Apple event, iPhone 8 can be charged without cables, wireless charging will be widely used on smart phones. Huntkey believes that there is an increasing need for wireless chargers in the market. At the tradeshow, One of the buyers put his smartphone on the wireless charger to check its performance, the phone showed its charging state at once. The Magic Outlet was also an attractive device at the show. Handy size and can be assembled to use are the two most attractive advantages. Besides the Magic Outlet and wireless charger, the smart charging station, world wide standard power strips are popular, too. For more information about Huntkey, please visit: http://en.huntkey.com/ http://m.facebook.com/HuntkeyDIY/ https://en.huntkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cubic-outlet.jpg About Huntkey Huntkey Group, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Shenzhen, is a member of The International Power Supply Manufacturer's Association (PSMA) and a member of The China Power Supply Society (CPSS). With branch companies in the USA, Japan and other areas, and cooperating factories in Brazil, Argentina, India and other countries, Huntkey has specialized in the development, design, and manufacturing of PC power supplies, industrial power supplies, surge protectors, adapters and chargers for many years. With its own technologies and manufacturing strength, Huntkey has served Lenovo, Huawei, Haier, DELL, ZTE, Bestbuy and many other large enterprises for years, and has received unanimous recognition and trust from most of its customers. Contact: Ferris Liao +86-0755-89606658 [email protected] SOURCE Huntkey FREMONT, Calif., Oct 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BiTMICRO Networks, Inc. today announced the NEW MAXio S-Series NVMe low profile industrial grade PCIe x8 add-in card that can support capacities up to 8TB today. The MAXio S-Series employs multiple NVMe SSDs in the M.2 form factor and in sizes ranging from 2280 to 22100. Because we aggregate the performance and capacities from one to four BiTMICRO M.2 SSDs, the S-Series is not limited to 8TBs of maximum capacity in one half-height, half-length x8 PCIe add-in card. Instead, we can easily expand our performance and capacity ranges by selecting different M.2 capacities or adjusting the number of M.2 SSDs used. We anticipate that when we release our 4TB M.2 SSDs, the S-Series will support up to 16TB of wide-temperature highly reliable solid-state storage. Applications requiring expandable and on-demand SSD upgrades can benefit by using the MAXio S-Series Add-In Card to increase performance and capacity easily and cost-effectively. "BiTMICRO has been providing ruggedized and secure solid state solutions to leading customers in enterprise, industrial and military markets for over 17 years. And since our inception, we have had the passion for meeting the expectations of our industrial and military-focused customers, bar none," said Stephen Uriarte, President of BiTMICRO. "The new NVMe PCIe 8x Add-In Card, not only delivers easy and affordable SSD expansion, but is the first of our MAXio S-Series line of SSD solutions. BiTMICRO MAXio S-Series solutions are based on our tried and true SSD products. MAXio S-Series solutions will range from simple adapters and peripherals to complete systems. Our new add-in card is only the beginning of this new line." Visit us at ITC Booth 2242 About BiTMICRO BiTMICRO was founded in 1995 and is a leading developer and manufacturer of flash-based SSD (solid state drive) technology, products and solutions. BiTMICRO has been shipping SSDs embedded with the company's in-house developed patented technology. BiTMICRO is best known for delivering the extreme ruggedness, durability, and security required for all industrial and military environments. BiTMICRO is headquartered in Fremont, CA, USA. http://www.BiTMICRO.com Media Contact: Zophar Sante - [email protected] SOURCE BiTMICRO Networks, Inc. Related Links http://www.BiTMICRO.com NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BNY Mellon has appointed Teresa Messina as Head of Middle Office Solutions (MOS). Messina will manage BNY Mellon's Middle Office offerings across its Asset Servicing and Alternative Investment Services businesses. She will be based in New York. Middle Office Solutions provides mission-critical administration services to investment clients by delivering on their non-core operations and technology needs. Using these solutions, clients can focus on efficient investment management and servicing their own clients with higher performance and satisfaction. "Middle Office Solutions represents an area of potential significant growth for BNY Mellon," said Doug Shulman, Executive Vice President and Head of Client Service Delivery. "Terri's experience will help continue to build out the business, the operating model, and the technology to support a world class middle office outsourcing solution for our clients." "Terri's track record building and leading highly effective transaction processing, data management, and information delivery will also offer significant value to our clients," added Samir Pandiri, CEO of Asset Servicing. Messina joins BNY Mellon from Goldman Sachs Asset Management in New York, where she was a Managing Director responsible for global asset management middle and back office operations. She led her global team in all aspects of post trade activities while controlling costs. In her role there, she integrated eight acquisitions and implemented an organizational strategy that focused on client experience. She previously was Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting officer at Webster Bank and a Senior Vice President at Fannie Mae. Messina is a Certified Public Accountant, with significant previous audit experience as an Ernst & Young partner. She was nominated as Auditor of the Year by Institutional Investor in 2006. Messina received an M.B.A. in Corporate Finance from St. Joseph University in Philadelphia and a B.S. in Accounting from Lehigh University. About BNY Mellon BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment management and investment services in 35 countries and more than 100 markets. As of Sept. 30, 2017, BNY Mellon had $32.2 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $1.8 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com. Follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon or visit our newsroom at www.bnymellon.com/newsroom for the latest company news. Media Contact: Christopher Fox Investment Services +1 917 470 4689 [email protected] SOURCE BNY Mellon Related Links http://www.bnymellon.com SEATTLE, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) today announced an agreement to strengthen collaboration in ways that will enhance both companies' competitiveness. The agreement includes efforts to reduce costs in MHI production of wings for the 787 Dreamliner and joint studies of advanced aerostructure technologies for future-generation commercial aircraft. MHI manufactures 787 composite wings at its factory in Nagoya. The agreement aims to enable sales by pursuing increased efficiency in MHI's production system and its supply chain through lean production methods, automation and other activities. "This agreement advances the strong relationship between Boeing and MHI through joint efforts to reduce cost and improve efficiency, with a focus on MHI's production for the 787 Dreamliner," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister. "Collaboration with suppliers is at the heart of our Partnering for Success efforts, positioning our companies to win in today's competitive marketplace and look ahead to future opportunities." "We are delighted to be enhancing the competitiveness of our commercial aircraft business with this agreement," said Shunichi Miyanaga, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. "We have built our partnership with Boeing over more than 40 years, collaborating on various aircraft programs including the 737, 747, 767, 777, 787 Dreamliner and state-of-the-art 777X and look forward to cooperating to explore future opportunities." MHI's work statement for Boeing Commercial Airplanes also includes fuselage sections for the 767, 777 and 777X programs. In total, about 150 Japanese companies are suppliers to Boeing across its commercial and defense product lines. Boeing procures approximately $5 billion worth of goods and services from Japan every year, and Boeing-related work supports tens of thousands of highly skilled aerospace jobs in the United States and Japan. Contacts: Jessica Kowal Boeing Commercial Airplanes Supplier Management Communications +1-206-660-6849 (Seattle) [email protected] Rob Henderson Boeing Japan Communications Office: +81 (3) 5223 2028 (Tokyo) [email protected] SOURCE Boeing Related Links http://www.boeing.com MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) today announced key data that will be presented at the 29th Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, in Denver, on October 29 - November 2. WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Device data will be featured in a late-breaking clinical trial session on Thursday, November 2, and will highlight the five-year outcomes from PREVAIL, a randomized trial examining LACC vs. medical therapy in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Other presentations of interest include five-year follow-up data from the Continued Access to PROTECT AF (CAP) Registry, which is related to long-term event rates for LACC with the WATCHMAN Device, and a sub-analysis from the PLATINUM Diversity study addressing predictors of increased risk for cardiac events following percutaneous coronary intervention in minority women. "We look forward to continuing the important dialogue around the WATCHMAN LAAC Device as an alternative option to long-term warfarin therapy for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation who are seeking another treatment to reduce their risk of stroke," said Professor Ian Meredith, M.D., executive vice president and global chief medical officer, Boston Scientific. "Additionally, presentations around our drug-eluting innovations, structural heart technologies and our therapeutic options addressing chronic total occlusions will help provide clinicians with insights that can be applied to their practice of treating coronary and peripheral artery disease." PRESENTATIONS OF INTEREST (listed chronologically) Monday, October 30 WATCHMAN LAAC Device: Budget Impact of Stroke Reduction Strategies in Atrial Fibrillation: Medicare and Patient Perspectives: Vivek Y. Reddy , M.D., will present at 10:30 a.m. in the Moderated Posters 8 area, Exhibit Hall, Exhibit Level. Promus PREMIER Drug-Eluting Coronary Stent System: Clinical, Social, and Behavioral Predictors of the Increased Risk of Cardiac Events After PCI in Minority Women: A Subanalysis of the PLATINUM Diversity Study: Scott Davis , M.D., will present at 10:30 a.m. in the Moderated Posters 1 area, Exhibit Hall, Exhibit Level. Lotus Aortic Valve System: Importance of Contrast Aortography with Lotus Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement A Post Hoc Analysis from the RESPOND Post-market Study: Lennart van Gils , M.D., will present at 3:48 p.m. in the Moderated Posters 7 area, Exhibit Hall, Exhibit Level. Tuesday, October 31 ACURATE neo Aortic Valve System: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement with the ACURATE NEO One Year Results: Costanza Pellegrini , M.D., will present at 9:54 a.m. in the Moderated Posters 2 area, Exhibit Hall, Exhibit Level. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement with the ACURATE NEO One Year Results: , M.D., will present at in the Moderated Posters 2 area, Exhibit Hall, Exhibit Level. Lotus Aortic Valve System: Four-Year Outcomes with the Fully Repositionable and Retrievable Lotus Transcatheter Aortic Valve: Results from the REPRISE II Study: David Hildick-Smith , M.D., will present at 10:30 a.m. in the Moderated Posters 7 area, Exhibit Hall, Exhibit Level. Four-Year Outcomes with the Fully Repositionable and Retrievable Lotus Transcatheter Aortic Valve: Results from the REPRISE II Study: , M.D., will present at in the Moderated Posters 7 area, Exhibit Hall, Exhibit Level. ELUVIA Drug-Eluting Vascular Stent System : Biomechanics and Drug Elution in Arterial Response to Peripheral Stents: A Comparative Study of 3 Contemporary Stents in Balloon-Predilated Femoral Arteries of Familial Hypercholesterolemic Swine: Greg Kaluza , M.D., will present at 12:15 p.m. in Room 503, Meeting Room Level. : Biomechanics and Drug Elution in Arterial Response to Peripheral Stents: A Comparative Study of 3 Contemporary Stents in Balloon-Predilated Femoral Arteries of Familial Hypercholesterolemic Swine: , M.D., will present at in Room 503, Meeting Room Level. WATCHMAN LAAC Device: Five-Year Outcomes of Left Atrial Appendage Closure: Final Results of the Continued Access to PROTECT AF (CAP) Registry: David R. Holmes, Jr. , M.D., will present at 1:15 p.m. in Room 504, Meeting Room Level. Thursday, November 2 WATCHMAN LAAC Device: PREVAIL: 5-Year Outcomes From a Randomized Trial of Left Atrial Appendage Closure vs Medical Therapy in Patients With Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation: Vivek Y. Reddy , M.D. will present at 9:30 a.m. during the Late Breaking Clinical Trial session in the Main Arena IV. All presentations are listed in Mountain Daylight Time and will take place at the Colorado Convention Center. For more information, visit Boston Scientific at booth #2018. The company will also host an investor event and webcast on Monday, October 30, from noon 1 p.m. MDT to provide a business update and answer questions from investors about the Boston Scientific cardiovascular portfolio. The event will be accessible at www.bostonscientific.com/investors. A replay of the webcast will be accessible at www.bostonscientific.com/investors beginning approximately one hour following the completion of the event. In the U.S., the Lotus Valve System, ACURATE neo and the Eluvia Stent System are investigational devices and are not available for sale. About Boston Scientific Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for more than 35 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information, visit www.bostonscientific.com and connect on Twitter and Facebook. CONTACTS: Trish Backes Media Relations Boston Scientific Corporation (651) 582-5887 (office) [email protected] Susie Lisa, CFA Investor Relations Boston Scientific Corporation (508) 683-5565 (office) [email protected] SOURCE Boston Scientific Related Links http://www.bostonscientific.com FOSHAN, China, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited ("Bright Scholar," the "Company," "we" or "our") (NYSE: BEDU), the largest operator of international and bilingual K-12 schools in China*, today announced that it is scheduled to attend Macquarie's Internet, Media and Technology Conference - Tomorrow's World on November 20 to November 22, 2017 at the Kerry Hotel in Beijing. Ms. Dora Li, Chief Financial Officer of Bright Scholar, will attend the conference and meet investors in the form of one-on-one and group meetings. For further information, please visit the investor relations page of the Company's website at http://ir.brightscholar.com. About Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited Bright Scholar is the largest operator of international and bilingual K-12 schools in China*. The Company is dedicated to providing quality international education to Chinese students and equipping them with the critical academic foundation and skillsets necessary to succeed in the pursuit of higher education overseas. It also complements its international offerings with Chinese government-mandated curriculum for students who wish to maintain the option of pursuing higher education in China. As of May 31, 2017, Bright Scholar operated 52 schools covering the breadth of K-12 academic needs of its students across seven provinces in China. In the first nine months of the 2017 school year ended May 31, 2017, Bright Scholar had an average of 29,613 students enrolled at its schools. * In terms of student enrollment as of September 1, 2016, according to an industry report commissioned by Bright Scholar and prepared by Frost & Sullivan in 2017. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company's business plans and development, can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions, and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law. IR Contact: FleishmanHillard Email: [email protected] Phone: +852 2586 7825 SOURCE Bright Scholar Education Holdings Ltd. MELVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Canon Solutions America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., today announced an expansion to its lauded Future Authors Project with the unveiling of Sweet and Savory Serendipity, the first edition of Jericho School District student and faculty-penned stories as part of the community enrichment program. This year's expansion was highlighted by a book signing at the Jericho High School that preceded the district's Board of Education Meeting on October 17, 2017. The welcome reception and book signing with the talented young authors demonstrated the extraordinary impact digital book printing and the written word continues to have on both students and teachers alike, and served as an introduction to the valued nexus between Canon Solutions America and the Jericho School District. The inaugural Jericho book signing event brought together the 13 students who participated in the program, their families and friends, and each of the teachers who put their heart and words into the invaluable program. Following the celebratory welcome reception, Daniel Salzman, Curriculum Associate of English Language Arts at Jericho High School, gave a rousing presentation on the program before Board of Education members, Jericho Superintendent Hank Grishman, and even County Legislator Arnold Drucker. "This was a night of celebration and acknowledgment of our great student authors who embody the spirit of Future Ready education," said Salzman. "We couldn't be prouder of the hard work and concerted effort put forth into this beneficial program. It's been a privilege working alongside Canon Solutions America and we look forward to creating more memories (and books) in the future." Over 10 years ago, the Future Authors Project began as a community outreach program by Canon Solutions America's predecessor, Oce North America. Designed to stimulate young minds and inspire middle and high school students to consider careers in writing and publishing, the program has grown exponentially over the last decade and continues to embody what an effective collaboration between two leading institutions can be. With the addition of Jericho School District, Canon Solutions America has joined forces with one of the lighthouse districts in all of New York, and as such collaborated with some of the most forward-thinking students and faculty members in the state. The Jericho chapter began with a summer program in 2017 that brought together impassioned students and English teachers from the district for a week-long collaborative and interactive workshop that provided the students with insight into the process of writing and editing. English teacher Suzanne Valenza selected the theme of food for the inaugural Jericho District edition. Additionally, the participating students took part in a field trip to the Canon America's Headquarters where they enjoyed a tour of the showroom and a camera instructional class. As part of the instructional camera class, the students were provided with use of cutting-edge cameras as a way to provide vivid photography with their writing and complement their stories with compelling visuals. "The choice of food as a theme came from my own love of the food memoir genre, along with its ability to inherently connect people and inspire conversation," said Valenza. "The combination of our dynamic workshop, which helped spur story development ideas and critical thinking skills, with the cameras provided by Canon, helped truly bring these great stories centered on food to life." The program, which began in the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida, exemplifies Canon Solutions America's appreciation of the printed, tangible piece and the importance it still has today in our digital society. As such, the company is thrilled that the Jericho School District embarked on this journey to provide students of all ages the opportunity to be a part of something bigger and become true, published authors. About Canon Solutions America, Inc. Canon Solutions America provides industry leading enterprise, production, and large format printing solutions, supported by exceptional professional service offerings. With the technology offerings of the Canon and Oce brands, Canon Solutions America helps companies of all sizes improve sustainability, increase efficiency, and control costs through high volume, continuous feed, digital and traditional printing, and document management solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., Canon Solutions America is headquartered in Melville, N.Y. and has sales and service locations across the U.S. For more information on Canon Solutions America, please visit csa.canon.com. Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. Oce is a registered trademark of Oce-Technologies B.V. in the United States and elsewhere. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged. 2017 Canon Solutions America, Inc. All rights reserved. Canon Solutions America, Inc. Website: Editorial Contact: http://csa.canon.com Conor Febos For sales info/customer support: 631-330-4109 1-844-443-INFO (4636) [email protected] SOURCE Canon Solutions America, Inc. Related Links https://csa.canon.com PALATINE, Ill., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital Forensics, Inc. (CFI) announced today that Gill Goodson has joined the firm as a Senior Consultant, adding greater professional depth to CFI's ability to assist financial services firms with internal audit and risk assessment processes and procedures, and to help them resolve findings related to those inquiries. Gill Goodson adds professional depth in internal audit and risk assessment consulting at Capital Forensics, Inc. Gill Goodson has nearly 40 years of experience in financial services including positions with banks, broker-dealers and industry regulatory agencies focused primarily on internal audit and risk assessment functions, quality assurance programs, and fraud investigations. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President / Audit Director for Hilltop Holdings, a Texas-based, diversified financial services holding company. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President / Director of Internal Audit for Southwest Securities. Earlier in his career, Mr. Goodson was a Field Supervisor in District 6 (Dallas) for FINRA (previously NASD), where he conducted cycle examinations of broker/dealer compliance programs and systems, and analyzed the sales practices, financial health and operational condition of broker-dealers. Capital Forensics' Chairman and CEO, Vadim Khavinson, said, "Increasingly, financial services firms are applying internal audit and risk assessment disciplines both to pro-actively identify and address problem areas, and to better prepare for tougher regulatory scrutiny. The addition of Gill Goodson to our team is intended to respond to that client need with one of the industry's most knowledgeable and respected professionals in internal audit and risk assessment." Mr. Goodson holds Series 7 and 99 Securities Industry licenses and is a Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA). He also holds a Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) from The Institute of Internal Auditors. About Capital Forensics. Inc. Founded in 1993, Capital Forensics, Inc. (CFI) provides data analysis, expert testimony, litigation support and regulatory consulting for the financial services industry. CFI's clients range from financial institutions including broker-dealers, hedge funds and Registered Investment Advisors to FORTUNE 500 companies. CFI's major practice areas include: Data Analytics Litigation Support & Expert Testimony Compliance, Regulatory & Risk Consulting Forensic & Fraud Investigation The industry's most comprehensive suite of Arbitration Tools, including ArbReporter, ArbSelector and MockArb. CFI has assisted business leaders and litigation teams in thousands of successful case resolutions and regulatory inquiries. Contact: Eric H. Siber Managing Director [email protected] (917) 225-6659 SOURCE Capital Forensics, Inc. SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Car shoppers are more ready for autonomous vehicles than they may realize, according to a new report from Edmunds, the leading car shopping and information platform. Thanks to the rapid adoption of active safety features, more than 60 percent of new vehicle models today can be purchased at Level 1 or Level 2 autonomy, as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Five years ago less than a quarter of new vehicle models offered these features. "While there are a number of ways one can define who's 'leading' in the race to autonomy, analyzing the prevalence of active safety features demonstrates just how ready OEMs are to bring this technology to mass production, and how willing consumers are to adopt it," said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds executive director of industry analysis. "While some car buyers may view a fully autonomous vehicle as a novelty, a vehicle that has the ability to prevent an accident before it occurs is seen as a safety breakthrough." In a recent Edmunds survey, more than 40 percent of consumers said they would spend between $1,000 and $2,000 more for a vehicle that had active safety features. Blind-spot detection, pre-collision warning systems and lane keeping assist are the top features consumers said they're willing to pay a premium for. "Usually it takes a long time for pricey new technologies to work their way down market from luxury to mainstream vehicles, but because changes in policy are mandating that many active safety features become standard, it's happening much more quickly," Caldwell said. Edmunds also analyzed which automakers are offering active safety features on the widest variety of vehicles in their lineups and found that Tesla, Volvo, Honda and Mercedes-Benz are leading the way. "Automakers that offer a full suite of active safety features on their vehicles are at a distinct advantage in the race to autonomy," Caldwell said. "It's a way they can demonstrate their technology leadership to car buyers now so that when full autonomy does come, they've already established trust and credibility with a large base of potential buyers." As automakers look to build this future buyer base, courting millennials is particularly important as they're the ones who are most ready to be early adopters. In a recent Edmunds survey, 65 percent of millennials said they would trust a Level 4 autonomous vehicle, and 35 percent said they would buy a Level 4 autonomous vehicle if it becomes available within the next five years. Only 16 percent of millennials surveyed said they would never buy an autonomous vehicle, compared to nearly 50 percent of those 55 years old and older. "As active safety features continue to become more and more prolific, we predict these older buyers will start to feel more comfortable with autonomous technology," Caldwell said. "Our analysis shows the interest in autonomy is there it's just a matter of continuing to demonstrate to buyers that the benefits will outweigh any perceived risks." To read the full report, visit the Edmunds Industry Center: http://www.edmunds.com/industry-center/. About Edmunds Edmunds is the leading car information and shopping platform, helping millions of visitors each month find their perfect car. With products such as Edmunds Your Price, Your Lease and Used+, shoppers can buy smarter with instant, upfront prices for cars and trucks currently for sale at more than 13,000 dealer franchises across the U.S. Edmunds' in-house team of unbiased car-shopping experts provide industry-leading vehicle reviews and shopping tips, as well as welcome all car-shopping questions to the free Shopper Advice line at 1-855-782-4711, via email at [email protected], via text at ED411 and on Twitter and Facebook. The company is regarded as one of America's best workplaces by Fortune and Great Place to Work. Edmunds is based in Santa Monica, California, and has a satellite office in downtown Detroit, Michigan. CONTACT: Nicole Carriere Public Relations Director [email protected] 310-309-4900 http://edmunds.com/about/press SOURCE Edmunds Related Links http://www.edmunds.com BALTIMORE, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland, College Park have granted Cellth Systems exclusive licensing rights for the commercial development of cell-tethering technology that allows real-time analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which has important applications in cancer treatment. In addition, Cellth announced today that TEDCO, an independent organization assisting and funding Maryland's startup community, has awarded the company $150,000 through its Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII) program. "The jointly developed UM Baltimore and UM College Park technology licensed to Cellth allows researchers, for the first time, to study and quantify real-time phenotypic changes in CTCs when exposed to a battery of chemotherapeutic drugs," said Philip J. Robilotto, D.O., M.B.A., Chief Commercialization Officer with UM Ventures, an initiative to channel the technical resources and research expertise of the University of Maryland. The presence of CTCs in the blood of individuals with cancer is an early indication of disease spread and correlates with survival rate. However, simply enumerating CTCs has not provided researchers and physicians with actionable information to improve care. Previously, there have been no technologies to determine how CTCs respond to drug treatments. Since the critical metastatic functions of CTCs occur in non-adherent (free floating) states like the bloodstream and lymphatic system, a technological device system is needed for analysis of CTCs that preserves this environment. "Cellth's technology tethers cells in minutes, permitting immediate, detailed, quantitative, real-time examination. There is no need for cells to grow or express proteins, avoiding the traditional weeks- to months-long cell growth process, and yielding a drug-response study within an hour," said Stuart Martin, PhD, co-inventor of the technology, who is Professor in the Department of Physiology and Program in Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and is affiliated with the UM Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. Richard Hughen, a 30-year medical device veteran, will lead Cellth System's efforts as CEO of the company. "The ability to directly study CTC phenotype profile change provides critical understanding of metastatic disease progression and optimal drug selection. The technology platform has strong potential for acceleration of drug development as well as analysis of many other cell types," stated Mr. Hughen. "The TEDCO-MII award to advance the device toward commercialization gives Cellth a strong vote of confidence. This device will deliver highly actionable information that directly benefits individuals with cancer." About Cellth Systems, LLC Cellth Systems, LLC, is a Maryland start-up company working to commercialize proprietary cell-tethering technology to advance patient-specific cancer drug selection and accelerate drug development. It is one of the portfolio companies of InnovateTech Ventures, which specializes in building startups by combining high-potential university technology with investment capital and management talent. About UM Ventures UM Ventures is an initiative to channel the tremendous technical resources and research expertise of the University of Maryland, engaging partners in industry and social ventures to expand real world impact. By encouraging students and faculty, and by providing expert advice and business services, more discoveries will reach the market. By engaging directly with external partners, UM Ventures brings new investment, expanded markets and more start-up ventures. Visit http://umventures.org to learn more. SOURCE University of Maryland (UM) Ventures Related Links http://http://umventures.org WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chemours Company (Chemours) (NYSE: CC), a global chemistry company with leading market positions in titanium technologies, fluoroproducts and chemical solutions, announced today that it will be hosting an investor day in New York City, NY on December 1, 2017 beginning at 8:30am EST. The event will be available via live webcast. The live webcast and corresponding presentation materials can be accessed by visiting the Events & Presentations page of Chemours' investor website, investors.chemours.com. A webcast replay of the event will be available on the Chemours' investor website. About The Chemours Company The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) helps create a colorful, capable and cleaner world through the power of chemistry. Chemours is a global leader in titanium technologies, fluoroproducts and chemical solutions, providing its customers with solutions in a wide range of industries with market-defining products, application expertise and chemistry-based innovations. Chemours ingredients are found in plastics and coatings, refrigeration and air conditioning, mining and oil refining operations and general industrial manufacturing. Our flagship products include prominent brands such as Teflon, Ti-Pure, Krytox, Viton, Opteon, Freon and Nafion. Chemours has approximately 8,000 employees across 35 manufacturing sites serving more than 5,000 customers in North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Chemours is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware and is listed on the NYSE under the symbol CC. For more information please visit chemours.com. CONTACT MEDIA Alvenia Scarborough Director of Corporate Communications and Brand Marketing +1.302.773.4507 [email protected] INVESTORS Alisha Bellezza Treasurer and Director of Investor Relations +1.302.773.2263 [email protected] SOURCE The Chemours Company DUBLIN, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The "China Contract Research Organization(CRO) Industry Report, 2017-2021" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering. Under the pressure from higher R&D costs, longer R&D cycle and lower R&D success rate in pharmaceutical industry worldwide, over 50 percent of pharmaceutical enterprises have had the development of new drugs assisted by CRO firms in recent years, stimulating the progression of global CRO industry which had a market size of USD31.7 billion in 2016. There are more than 1,100 CRO companies around the world, led by QuintilesIMS, Covance, inVentiv Health, Charles River, Parexel, PPD, ICON and WuXi AppTec. Global top10 CRO firms hold a combined 45% or so market share for now. China's great competitive edge over the developed countries in pharmaceutical R&D cost has attracted several large international pharmaceutical companies to build dozens of R&D centers here and fueled the development of CRO industry in China. With the scale of about RMB46.2 billion in 2016, the CRO industry in China will maintain a rapid growth rate over the next five years, hitting an estimated RMB116.5 billion in 2021, driven by pharmaceutical companies' more spending on R&D, an increase in the number of new drugs approved and favorable policies. Leading Chinese CRO companies include WuXi AppTec, Pharmaron, Shanghai Medicilon, Shanghai ChemPartner, Hangzhou Tigermed Consulting, and JOINN Laboratories. WuXi AppTec is one of the most comprehensive service platforms integrating discovery, research and development of small-molecule chemical drugs with the strongest R&D strength and the largest (domestically) and a leading (globally) small-molecule pharmaceutical R&D service business. It occupied about 2% of the world's CRO market and 9.5% of the Chinese CRO market in 2016. The CRO industry in China will present the following three trends: 1. Pharmaceutical enterprises represented by AvvVie, Novartis, GSK and Eli Lilly and Company have closed or are about to close or sell their R&D centers in China, and will rely more on CRO enterprises for new drug research activities. This will promote the development of CRO industry and be conducive to local CRO enterprises. 2. As the world economy picks up, pharmaceutical enterprises increase their R&D budget gradually, bringing global pharmaceutical R&D spending up to an estimated USD160 billion in 2021, including USD29.2 billion in China. This will drive the development of CRO industry from supply side. 3. Bright prospects of CRO industry and favorable policies in China have attracted enterprises represented by Dian Diagnostics, Xinjiang Baihuacun, Quantum Hi-Tech (China) Biological, and Xiamen Academy Of Building Research Group into the field, to some extent, promoting the development of CRO industry in China. Key Topics Covered: 1 Overview of Pharmaceutical Outsourcing 1.1 Definition 1.2 Classification 1.3 CRO 2 Evolution of Global CRO Industry 2.1 Development History 2.2 Development Background 2.3 Market Size 2.4 Competitive Landscape 3 Evolution of Chinese CRO Industry 3.1 Development Environment 3.1.1 Regulatory Environment 3.1.2 Policy Environment 3.1.3 Industrial Environment 3.2 Status Quo 3.3 Market Size 3.4 Competitive Pattern 3.5 Development Trends 3.5.1 Transnational Pharmaceutical Companies Shut Down and Have a Clearance Sale of Their Research Centers in China, which Favors Local Chinese Companies 3.5.2 New Drug Approvals Increase and R&D Expenses Grow, Laying a Foundation for the Development of CRO Industry 3.5.3 The Amounting Pressure from R&D Costs Make Pharmaceutical Enterprises Rely More on CRO Companies for the Research and Development of New Drugs 3.5.4 Favorable Policies and Capital Promote the Development of Local Chinese Companies 3.5.5 Good Prospects Attract the Enterprises' Access into CRO Industry 4 Major Chinese Companies 4.1 Wuxi AppTec 4.2 Hangzhou Tigermed Consulting Co., Ltd. 4.3 Guangzhou Boji Medical Biotechnological Co., Ltd. 4.4 Shanghai Medicilon Inc. 4.5 Porton Fine Chemical Ltd. 4.6 JOINN Laboratories, Inc. 4.7 Pharmaron 4.8 Obio Technology (Shanghai) Corp., Ltd. 4.9 Asymchem Laboratories Inc. 4.10 Shanghai ChemPartner Co., Ltd. 5 Major Foreign Companies 5.1 LabCorp 5.2 QuintilesIMS 5.3 Parexel 5.4 Charles River 5.5 PPD 5.6 inVentiv Health For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/hprlpj/china_contract Media Contact: Research and Markets 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 LITTLETON, Colo., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In Dating the Gatekeeper: Successful Cold Calling Without Fear or Failure, Tom Buxton shares market-tested secrets that can make salespeople wealthy and their managers happy. Best of all, it's low stress! It's no secret that a career in sales isn't for the faint of heart. The pressure to produce, the stress of selling what people don't want or need, the fear of rejectioncontribute to the profession's well-known turnover rate. Available today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers But it doesn't need to be that way. In Dating The Gatekeeper: Successful Cold Calling Without Fear or Failure, Tom Buxton offers easy solutions salespeople can use to improve their closing rate without losing their morals or their mind. Discover: How to meet prospects without consistently being rejected Why selling based on price never works How to make the office gatekeeper your staunchest ally The secret to creating strong client relationships Best of all, it's low stress! Only sociopaths enjoy the feeling of being rejected. For everyone else in sales who actually likes people, Dating the Gatekeeper proves that sales managers, sales professionals and good people can be relational and successful at the same time. Here's what sales professionals are saying about Tom Buxton and Dating The Gatekeeper: "My reps are so excited about the response to the 'Dating the Gatekeeper' technique that they are calling me laughing about how well their cold calls have gone." Sales Manager, Tennessee "After we tried 'Dating the Gatekeeper' together in the field, I decided to use my old method on a few cold calls to compare the responses. I got rejected immediately. I will be using your technique from now on!" Sales Rep, Texas The Team actually looked forward to cold calling and really enjoyed the reactions they got from the prospects they met. Results? Oh yeah. The sales team won (and kept) at least one new customer, every day, for an entire year! If you don't use Tom's 'Dating the Gatekeeper' program to grow your business, your replacement will." Sales and Marketing Director, Calgary, Alberta About Tom Buxton: Since 1988, Tom Buxton has tallied hundreds of millions in sales. He currently serves as the national sales manager for the American Office Products Distributors and consults other companies on selling. He lives in Littleton, Colorado with his wife Jennifer. Media Contact: Tom Buxton Phone: (720) 289-8930 Email: [email protected] Website: DatingTheGatekeeper.com SOURCE Tom Buxton SAN DIEGO, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) today announced that its Cubic Global Defense (CGD) business division successfully participated in Exercise Aurora 2017. Aurora 17 is a national exercise conducted each year by the Swedish Armed Forces to strengthen and increase its defense capabilities. As the largest military exercise in Sweden, Aurora 17 involved more than 19,000 members from the Swedish Armed Forces, as well as personnel from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Lithuania, Norway and the United States. Cubic's CATS Metrix exercise control software allowed the Swedish Land Warfare Centre (MSS) to monitor, control and evaluate the exercise in addition to providing extensive After Action Review capabilities. The software was installed in two mobile trailers which were deployed during the brigade-level exercises in the Malardalen and Stockholm regions. The system was operated by the Swedish MSS and supported by Cubic staff. "Cubic is proud to have supported Sweden's largest training exercise with our exercise control software and personnel," said Dave Buss, president of Cubic Global Defense. "Our highly scalable and easy-to-use training system successfully evaluates defined goals, doctrine and tactics during live exercises and we are pleased to have provided these capabilities to improve the effectiveness and readiness of the Swedish Armed Forces." Aurora 17 took place from September 11 to September 29 in Malardalen, Stockholm, Gotland and Gothenburg, Sweden. About Cubic Corporation Cubic Corporation designs, integrates and operates systems, products and services focused in the transportation, defense training and secure communications markets. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services to create intelligent travel solutions for transportation authorities and operators. Cubic Global Defense is a leading provider of live, virtual, constructive and game-based training solutions, special operations and intelligence for the U.S. and allied forces. Cubic Mission Solutions provides networked Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities for defense, intelligence, security and commercial missions. For more information about Cubic, please visit the company's website at www.cubic.com or on Twitter @CubicCorp. SOURCE Cubic Corporation Related Links http://www.cubic.com ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TERADATA PARTNERS CONFERENCE -- Teradata (NYSE: TDC) announced today that Danske Bank, a financial services leader in the Nordics, has worked with Think Big Analytics, a Teradata company, to create and launch a state-of-art, AI-driven fraud detection platform that is already expected to meet 100 percent ROI in its first year of production. The engine uses machine leaning to analyze tens of thousands of latent features, scoring millions of online banking transactions in real-time to provide actionable insight regarding true, and false, fraudulent activity. By significantly reducing the cost of investigating false-positives, Danske Bank increases its overall efficiency and is now poised for substantial savings. "Application fraud is a critical, top of the agenda issue for banks, and there is evidence that criminals are becoming savvier by the day; employing sophisticated machine learning techniques to attack, so it's critical to use advanced techniques, such as machine learning to catch them," said Nadeem Gulzar, Head of Advanced Analytics, Danske Bank. "The bank understands that fraud is set to get worse in the near and long-term future due to the increased digitization of banking and the prevalence of mobile banking applications. We recognize the need to use cutting-edge techniques to engage fraudsters not where they are today, but where they will be tomorrow. Using AI, we've already reduced false positives by 50 percent and as such have been able to reallocate half the fraud detection unit to higher value responsibilities." Danske Bank's original fraud detection system was largely based on handcrafted rules that had been proactively applied by the business over time. With record numbers of false positives - at times reaching 99.5 percent of all transactions - the costs and time associated with investigation had become significant, with the bank's large fraud detection team feeling overworked, yet not effectively utilized. Teradata's Think Big Analytics team began working with Danske Bank in autumn 2016, to augment their advanced analytics team with specialist knowledge about how to utilize data to bring greater benefits to the wider business. The joint team began with building a framework within the bank's existing infrastructure and then created advanced machine learning models to detect fraud within millions of transactions per year, and in peak times, many hundreds of thousands per minute. To ensure transparency and encourage trust, the engine includes an interpretation layer on top of the machine learning models, providing explanations and interpretation of blocking activity. From a modelling point of view, fraud cases are still very rare, with around one fraud case in every 100,000. The team has managed to take the false positives from the models and reduce them by 50 percent. At the same time, they are able to catch more fraud - actually upping the detection rate by around 60. Danske Bank's anti-fraud program is the first to put machine learning techniques into production while simultaneously developing deep learning models to test the techniques. "All banks need a scalable, advanced analytics platform, as well as a roadmap and strategy for digitalization to bring data science into the organization," said Mads Ingwar, Client Services Director at Think Big Analytics. "For online transactions, credit cards and mobile payments, banks need a real-time solution - the state of the art AI-driven fraud platform we have developed in collaboration with Danske Bank scores incoming transactions in less than 300 milliseconds. It means that when customers are standing in the supermarket and buying groceries, the system can score the transaction in real-time and provide immediately actionable insight. This type of solution is one we'll begin to see throughout organizations in the financial services industry," Danske Bank will share details about its AI-powered engine for fighting financial fraud at the annual Teradata PARTNERS Conference in Anaheim, California, on Monday, October 23 at 11:30 a.m. Relevant news links About Teradata Teradata empowers companies to achieve high-impact business outcomes. Our focus on business solutions for analytics, coupled with our industry leading technology and architecture expertise, can unleash the potential of great companies. Visit teradata.com. Get to know Teradata: http://www.twitter.com/teradata http://www.facebook.com/Teradata http://www.linkedin.com/company/teradata https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV559dNBu0FRpuNLsrEKbzA Teradata, Aster, and the Teradata logo are registered trademarks of Teradata Corporation and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and worldwide. MEDIA CONTACT Jennifer Donahue (858) 485-3029 [email protected] SOURCE Teradata Related Links http://www.teradata.com SAN JOSE, California and WARRINGTON, England, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RHUB's secure Live Streaming Server supports HD audio/video/desktop live streaming for up to a million participants, for those critical "All Hands" meetings. It eliminates high internet bandwidth burden thanks to on-premise, CDN deployment fully utilizing the company's LAN. Participants can quickly and easily join sessions from any computer or mobile device (IOS or Android) via browser. Collaboration Technologies is a European Distributor for RHUB Communications. The Live Streaming server enable multiple panellists from anywhere over the internet to engage large audiences via sharing desktop, HD video and audio. The host can assign any panellist to present and all panellist can collectively answer any questions from participants in real-time. All RHUB servers run on-premise providing the ultimate security for important meetings such as financial presentations, proprietary corporate training and many more. RHUB Live Streaming reduces streaming delay from typical 40 seconds to 3 seconds enabling interactivity via chat and polling. This interactivity improves the meeting experience for all participants. "The ability to daisy chain servers makes this system ideal for companies with multiple campuses that wish to hold company-wide meeting such as "All Hands". The companies no longer need to consume high internet bandwidth to support large meetings. Each campus can have one or more servers to redistribute the live streaming content to local networks," said David Coleman, Senior Analyst at Collaborative Strategies, Inc. RHUB provides award winning on-premise, real-time collaboration servers that allow workgroups to: quickly host secure internal meetings with co-workers: for sales reps to host external sales presentation with clients: for thought leaders to facilitate educational webinars and training sessions; for companies to hold all-hands meeting with up to one million employees: for IT pros to conduct remote support sessions to manage computer tech issues and for workers to remotely access their desktops in office or home while on-the-go, and more. About RHUB Communications RHUB Communications is a premier provider of real-time collaboration servers for hosting web conferences, video conferences, audio conferences and live streaming, remote support and remote access sessions. RHUB have over four million end users in a variety of market segments including: services, manufacturing and government. For more information, visit: http://www.collaboration-technologies.co.uk/. Contact: Collaboration Technologies LTD telephone: +44-(0)-1925-659-523 email: [email protected] SOURCE Collaboration Technologies Ltd Following the initial launch this summer in New York City and Miami, Dom Perignon, in partnership with Thirstie, will offer a curated selection of its rare vintages to consumers on demand. Starting today consumers in San Francisco and Palo Alto will be able to go to domperignon.com on their phones and in just few clicks order their bottle of Dom Perignon, delivered in 1 hour immediately or at a scheduled time, and ready to enjoy. Dom Perignon sales will be made via licensed independent San Francisco and Palo Alto retailers, Facilitated by third-party technology and delivery service Thirstie. As Dom Perignon continues to develop consumer-facing marketing initiatives, and after successfully testing the service in the test markets California and San Francisco, including Silicon Valley, are a clear next market for the brand. As Jorge Cosano, Vice-President of Dom Perignon, explains "The Dom Perignon consumer is one of the most discerning in the world, they are opinion leaders and early adopters who expect only the best of the best. We have been deliberate in carefully selecting each launch region in the interest of preserving the brand experience. California and San Francisco, including Palo Alto, is one of the most sophisticated markets, having the most savvy and discerning consumers who are at the forefront or both tech and wine. Offering our 1 Hour Delivery to them is the natural next step." "The opportunity for Thirstie to help Dom Perignon to directly connect with its consumer base, is all at once an awesome responsibility to the brand and the consumer. I am ecstatic that the initiative has been met with such resounding executional success in New York and Miami that the program is continuing to expand into San Francisco," remarked Devaraj Southworth, Co-founder and CEO of Thirstie. In the spirit of innovation and to address evolving consumer buying behavior, Moet Hennessy USA continuously explores growth opportunities for its portfolio of luxury brands, in full compliance with all relevant Federal and state regulations for the sale of wine and spirits. About Dom Perignon Dom Perignon commitment to vintages is absolute. Each Dom Perignon is a true act of creation, made from only the best grapes. The champagne's intensity is based in precision, so inviting, so mysterious. Each Vintage has three Plenitudes, and embodies the total faith in the creation and innovation that is constantly renewed by Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy. About Thirstie Thirstie is an alcohol delivery service that procures wine, champagne, beer and spirits on demand, available on both iOS and Android. With a vast catalogue of the best brands in the market, consumers can order their favorite drink through direct mail, or if you're hosting a soiree this evening, Thirstie can stock your bar with everything you'll need in two hours or less. Expert advice, insights and recipes are also available in Thirstie's digital magazine. Additionally, Thirstie offers a white label enterprise solution for brands to enable e-commerce. Powering transactions through a robust API and expansive retailer network, the platform also provides brands with transparency into all data, consumer insights analytics and ROI. For more information about Thirstie and where delivery is available, please visit www.Thirstie.com SOURCE Dom Perignon "This milestone reflects the growth of our firm as we serve new clients, as well as our ability to deeply understand our clients' comprehensive financial needs and help them meet multiple goals. Our firm was founded in 1922 and our first branch office opened in 1957. Since then we have grown to more than 15,000 financial advisors who are backed today by the resources of a Fortune 500 firm," said Edward Jones Managing Partner Jim Weddle. "We have increased our ability to serve more clients as we simultaneously use our resources to enhance the experience they receive." The achievement is a vote of confidence in the firm's unique partnership model, where the associates doing the work that creates our success have the potential to share in the firm's ownership. As a partnership owned by its current and former associates, the firm can more easily make long-term decisions to better serve clients without having to focus on producing quarterly profits for shareholders. The firm provides financial advisors an opportunity to build and run their own practices, while offering a level of support and resources of a world-class financial services firm. Financial Advisors have access to Edward Jones' in-house research department, state-of-the-art integrated technology and customized tools to enhance the client experience. This business model supports the success of financial advisors and allows the firm to open offices in local communities and major metropolitan areas across the country. "We continue to grow toward 20,000 financial advisors because we believe we can make a significant difference in the lives of our clients," Weddle added. "Our opportunity to serve serious, long-term, individual investors through personal relationships is unlimited -- and we continue to recruit, train and support diverse and talented individuals from both other firms and those new to our industry." Edward Jones $1 trillion AUC milestone demonstrates the firm's size and scale while emphasizing its ability to impact the financial services industry, with top-ranked financial advisors and a comprehensive investment philosophy. This $1 trillion AUC milestone demonstrates the size and scale of Edward Jones as a major North American financial-services firm with the second largest fee-based mutual fund platform in the U.S. Serving clients individually, with personal service, the firm has resources to support financial advisors who want to build their own business. About Edward Jones Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, provides financial services in the U.S. and, through our affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of our business, from the investments we offer to the location of our branch offices, caters to individual investors. Our 15,000-plus financial advisors serve more than 7 million clients and care for $1 trillion in assets under management. Visit us at www.edwardjones.com. Our recruiting website is www.careers.edwardjones.com. Member SIPC. SOURCE Edward Jones Related Links http://www.edwardjones.com NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Last week, Georgia State Representative Betty Price, who is married to the former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, asked the head of the Georgia Department of Public Health's HIV epidemiology section what officials are "legally able to do" to limit the spread of HIV throughout the state. She went on to suggest that people living with HIV should be quarantined as a solution for stopping the spread of the virus which causes AIDS. In response to her comments, Elton John, founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, issued the following statement: "Rep. Betty Price's comments about people living with HIV are horrific, discriminatory, and astonishingly ill-informed. As a doctor and elected official from a state where people are still contracting HIV at an alarming rate, Mrs. Price should know better than to demonize people and perpetuate myths that stigmatize people living with HIV. Her words smack of a dark time when there was little or no information about HIV and people were afraid of each other. Today, thanks to scientific advancements, growing acceptance and love, people living with HIV are living longer, healthier lives. We also know people living with HIV pose no public threat. We at the Elton John AIDS Foundation, along with several of our partners, are aggressively working in Georgia and across the South to expand access to universal testing and treatment, particularly in rural areas. We also are working to dismantle the structural barriers including poverty, inadequate education, persistent HIV stigma, racism, homophobia and transphobia that impede progress. Instead of perpetuating fear and bias, Mrs. Price should educate herself about HIV and use her position of power to provide support, resources and compassion to her constituents. Love is the cure. Not quarantines." SOURCE Elton John AIDS Foundation Related Links http://www.ejaf.org FISHERS, Ind., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Q-Spine, a technology that provides biometrics of the spine, will be launched at North America Spine Society (NASS), October 25th 28th. Q-Spine is a software tool to assist spine surgeon, orthopedists and chiropractors in their planning therapy and surgical procedures by means of visualization and quantification of relative biomechanical changes between weight-bearing and recumbent MRI lumbar spine examination. In addition to being showcased in Esaote North America booth #1337, luminary Orthopedic Spine Surgeon, Dr. D. Guyer, M.D. from Texas Back Institute will be presenting an Abstract on Q-Spine during the Innovative Technology Presentations Q-Spine: New MRI-Based Quantification Method for L-Spine Analysis (Non-CME) Room: W230CD, Wednesday, October 25, 2017: 1:00 PM 2:00 PM. Clinical Benefits of Q-Spine: Facilitates and simplifies the analysis of weight-bearing versus recumbent MRI by semi-automatic segmentation of the Lumbar-spine Provides a numerical quantification of the relative changes Reliable and coherent measures by taking out the "human factor" Provides ability to evaluate patient follow-up with numerical evidence Generates a PDF report to be attached to the medical report Dr. Guyer states, "We are excited to present the Q spine software, which is a semi-automated software analysis used with the Esaote weight-bearing Brio G MRI scanner which reliably calculates spinal canal area, dural diameter, lumbar lordosis and sacral angles. We believe this will demonstrate nerve compression which may not be diagnosed with supine MRI scanners and help surgeons manage sagittal alignment in their patients." Q-Spine is available on Esaote's G-Scan Brio a dedicated MRI system featuring a comprehensive set of coils and sequences to provide complete MSK MRI, from spine to extremities plus the ability to perform unique weight-bearing studies. About Esaote: With a consolidated turnover of EUR 270 million in 2016, the Esaote Group is a leader in the biomedical equipment sector, the areas of ultrasound, dedicated MRI and software for managing the diagnostic process. The Group currently employs 1,200 people. With its own production and research units in Italy and the Netherlands, Esaote is recognized as one of the top 10 diagnostic imaging companies in the world. Information on Esaote and its products is available at www.esaote.com. [email protected]: Esaote will be exhibiting at NASS 2017, Orlando, FL October 25th 29th, 2017 LOCATION: Booth #1337 Dr. D. Guyer, M.D. from Texas Back Institute will be presenting an Abstract on Q-Spine during the Innovative Technology Presentations - Q-Spine: New MRI-Based Quantification Method for L-Spine Analysis (Non-CME) Room: Room W230CD Wednesday, October 25, 2017: 1:00 PM 2:00 PM Information about the Esaote Group and its products is available at www.esaote.com Copyright Esaote 2017. Technology and features are system/configuration dependent. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Information might refer to products or modalities not yet approved in all countries. For further details, please contact your Esaote sales representative. Contact [email protected] SOURCE Esaote North America Related Links http://www.esaote.com WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The ESOP Association applauds Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) for issuing Senate Resolution 295, which recognizes both October as Employee Ownership Month and the value of employee ownership to businesses, employees, and the community. As noted in the resolution, companies with employee ownership provide greater job security to employee owners, are more resilient when facing economic challenges, and often outperform conventionally-owned business. Employee Ownership Month is a longstanding celebration of employee ownership, and of the largest and most successful form of employee ownership, the ESOP. Each October, ESOP companies around the country work to educate employees about their ESOP, celebrate the success of their combined efforts, and contribute to local charities. "The observance of Employee Ownership Month for more than 20 years has been a significant factor in helping employee owners understand what it means to be part of the capitalistic system," said ESOP Association President J. Michael Keeling. "At ESOPs, employee owners share in the wealth they help generate. Nothing is more fair to employeesor capable of inspiring greater effortthan a just share in the rewards." To guide the efforts of employee owners, ESOP companies typically invest more into training and other resources than conventionally-owned businesses. ESOPs also typically engage in open book management and other practices that help employee owners understand how their efforts contribute to the overall health of the company, as reflected in its stock price. While these educational efforts typically occur throughout the year, many take place during Employee Ownership Month. About the ESOP Association The ESOP Association is America's largest employer-sponsored advocacy and education association focused on employee stock ownership plans. Founded in 1978, the Association seeks to enhance federal laws governing ESOPs, provide members with expert information, and fund research via the Employee Ownership Foundation (an affiliate). The ESOP Association is a national non-profit organization with 18 local Chapters. Its members include ESOP companies, companies considering an ESOP, and service providers that assist in setting up and maintaining ESOPs. www.esopassociation.org www.esopassociationblog.org @ESOPAssociation SOURCE The ESOP Association Related Links http://www.esopassociation.org WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), urging Congress to not consider a controversial DACA amnesty until after President Trump's immigration priorities are implemented: "President Trump recently laid out a set of major immigration priorities that are overwhelmingly popular with the American electorate including enhanced border security, robust interior enforcement, and reducing legal immigration levels while moving to a modern, merit-based system. These are all issues the president was elected on, and therefore should be priorities of the administration and Congress. These priorities seek to implement a long overdue lawful system of immigration one where laws are enforced, rules are followed, and the needs of Americans citizens come first. "Unfortunately, the Republican congressional leadership seems headed toward passage of a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) amnesty in exchange for token and ineffective immigration enforcement provisions. This would, in essence, reward illegal aliens who brought their minor children to the United States illegally, or teens who entered the country illegally on their own, without first ensuring that the enforcement framework is in place to prevent the conditions for future illegal immigration and continued mass chain migration. "Any immigration reform plan that isn't grounded in the well-being of the nation's citizens and undermines the rule of law is doomed to fail. That's why it's critical that prior to even the consideration of a DACA amnesty, Congress must first pass the reforms outlined in the Trump administration's immigration principles. Congress needs to avoid making another mistake like the 1986 amnesty where the legalization happened immediately and the enforcement provisions were never put in place. "The Republicans who now control both houses of Congress and the White House have struggled for legislative success. It would be ironic if their only significant legislative 'achievement' this session is the passage of something they and the president ran against: A massive amnesty bill for illegal aliens that delivers nothing of significance for the people who elected them." ABOUT FAIR Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With more than 1.3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced. CONTACT: Dave Ray Director of Communications Federation for American Immigration Reform 25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 330 Washington, DC 20001 Main: 202.328.7004 Desk: 202.742-1834| FAIRus.org SOURCE FAIR Related Links http://www.fairus.org LAS VEGAS, June 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GB Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: GBLX) secures bid to Louisiana State University (LSU) and receives authorization from the LSU Board of Supervisors to proceed with contract negotiations to act as the LSU Agricultural Center's (AgCenter) licensed operator of their medical cannabis production facility as outlined in the Alison Neustrom Act (hereinafter referred to as the "Act"). The secured bid will enable GB Sciences to be the sole vendor of cannabis and extracted cannabis compounds on behalf of LSU for the patients of Louisiana. The agricultural centers at LSU and Southern University have the only two licenses granted by the State of Louisiana to cultivate, distribute, and sell medical cannabis. The Act specifically authorizes the LSU AgCenter to conduct research on medical cannabis. The AgCenter will operate a separate independent research division alongside and in the same facility as the Production Entity's commercial operation, which will produce therapeutic medical cannabis products for qualified patients of Louisiana. GB Sciences will have first rights to commercialize any inventions or discovery of the research. The facility will serve people who live in the state of Louisiana. The cultivation plant will contain a minimum of a 5,000 square foot research lab. The license and partnership is for the development of new cannabis based medical compounds and tissue propagation development for new cannabis drug discovery to advance the GB Sciences (GBLX) patented formulations toward FDA approved Clinical Trials. In order to secure this bid, GB Sciences raised two million dollars in bonds. The bonds collateralized a required bid bond associated with the offer to LSU. This was an open bid process. The other companies were Columbia Care Louisiana, CB Medical, Citiva LA, Southern Roots Therapeutics, Fourrier House and Terah Holdings. The LSU AgCenter and GB Sciences hope to have the final contract executed by August, pending approval of company finances by the LSU Board of Supervisors. "This is groundbreaking news and a tremendous opportunity," said CEO John Poss, "Now that approval from the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors has been received, contract negotiations will commence and should be completed within the next 30 days. Then we can begin the real work." About Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College (hereinafter referred as the "University" or "LSU") is the state's comprehensive research university. The University is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a Doctorate-granting university with very high research activity one of the only 27 public and 23 private universities in the nation. The University's instructional programs include 194 undergraduate and graduate/professional degrees. The University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) to award bachelors, masters, doctoral, and professional degrees. As the premier university of the state, the mission of the University is the generation, preservation, dissemination, and application of knowledge and the cultivation of the arts for the benefit of the peoples of the state, the nation, and the global community. The University offers challenging undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional education programs for outstanding students from Louisiana, the nation, and other countries. The University's libraries and museums preserve the rich cultural heritage of the state, and scholar and artists at the University contribute to the literature, history, science, technology, and arts of our culturally diverse community. About GB Sciences, Inc. GB Sciences, Inc. (GBLX) is a diverse cannabis company, focused on standardized cultivation and production methods; as well as biopharmaceutical research and development. The Company's goal is creating safe, standardized, pharmaceutical-grade, cannabinoid therapies that target a variety of medical conditions. To learn more about GB Sciences, Inc., go to: http://growblox.com Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain statements relating to future results or events, which are forward-looking statements. Words such as "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "could", "should", "anticipates", "likely", "believes" and words of similar import may identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts, but instead represent only the Company's belief regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. It is possible that the Company's actual results and financial condition may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results and financial condition indicated in these forward-looking statements. Further, information concerning the Company and its business, including factors that potentially could materially affect the Company's business and financial and other results, are contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or correct any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or of which we hereafter become aware. Note: Although the Company's research and development activities are not illegal, the production and sale of cannabis products violate federal laws as they presently exist. Contact Information Corporate: GB Sciences, Inc., 3550 West Teco Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89118 866-721-0297, or Liz Bianco Publicity Director, [email protected] Tom Arcuragi, COO, [email protected] SOURCE GB Sciences, Inc. Related Links http://growblox.com ZEIST, Netherlands, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) celebrates another successful quarter by welcoming three new members committed to banking on values. With the new members, the Global Alliance now comprises of 46 members and seven partners from around the world. We are continuing the work and a shared mission to use finance to deliver sustainable economic, social and environmental development. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160725/392614LOGO ) The newest members to join the Global Alliance and the #BankingOnValues movement include BANFONDESA www.banfondesa.com.do (Dominican Republic), Kindred Credit Union www.kindredcu.com (Canada), and Opportunity Bank Serbia www.obs.rs/en (Serbia). Celebrating the growth of the Global Alliance, Dr Marcos Eguiguren, Executive Director, GABV said "As we are approaching our #BankingOnValues Day, this year marked on November 2, I am happy to welcome three new members to our values-based family coming from three different continents. With all support and efforts of our members, partners, and 48+ thousand co-workers around the world, we are truly making a positive change in the world of finances. Every day, we jointly show examples of how business can be done in a different way that has no impact on the environment and supports the development of communities worldwide. We are committed to advancing positive change in the banking sector. Our collective goal is to change the banking system so that it is more transparent, supports economic, social and environmental sustainability, and is composed of a diverse range of banking institutions serving the real economy. We still are not close to achieving our goal, but we are at the right path. Being optimistic, investing in our people, and being inspired by each other will help us succeed in our joint mission of changing finance. Only by working together we can influence the change we want to see. The Global Alliance, together with its members and partners, continues its work to make the world of finance more values-based, to minimize the effect on the environment, and to become a role model and inspiration for change in the financial world. About the GABV The Global Alliance for Banking on Values is a not-for-profit organisation and independent network of banks and banking cooperatives with a shared mission to use finance to deliver sustainable economic, social and environmental development. Founded in 2009, the GABV comprises of 46 financial institutions and seven strategic partners operating in countries across Asia, Africa, Australia, Latin America, North America and Europe. Collectively we serve more than 41 million customers, hold up to $127 billion USD of combined assets under management, and we are supported by more than 48,000 co-workers. Learn more about the GABV and how we're working to build a growing, global, values-based banking movement. Latest news: GABV goes to TEDxGracia - Twelve Speakers That Give Hope Institute for Social Banking - Expert Exchange Labs in October GABV calls for policy changes to ensure sustainable finance future GABV is Media Partner of this year's Global SME Finance Forum Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance hosts Dubai conference on values-based banking GABV Leadership Academy Intake 2018 Ralph Nader Radio Hour talks to Keith Mestrich, President & CEO of Amalgamated Bank GABV Joins Global Ethical Financial Forum 2017 GABV Chair Peter Blom Participates at Bruegel Panel Discussion European Commission Public hearing on sustainable finance Media Relations Jasmin Panjeta E: [email protected] T: +31-61-525-4228 #BankingOnValues SOURCE Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) DUBLIN, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market by Type (Imagery Analytics, Video Analytics), Collection Medium (GIS, Satellites, UAVs), Vertical (Defense & Security, Insurance, Agriculture, Healthcare & Life Sciences), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering. The geospatial imagery analytics market is estimated to be USD 3.41 Billion in 2017 and is projected to reach USD 13.21 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 31.1% Significant advancements in the field of geospatial imagery analytics with the introduction of artificial intelligence and Big Data, and the need for enterprises to ensure market competitiveness are key factors anticipated to drive the growth of the market. The geospatial imagery analytics market has been segmented on the basis of type, collection medium, vertical, and region. Based on type, the market has been classified into imagery analytics and video analytics. The video analytics segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on collection medium, the market has been segmented into Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellites, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and others (helicopters, aircraft, helikites, kites, balloons, and airships). The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the market in 2017. Based on vertical, the market has been categorized into defense & security; government; environmental monitoring; energy, utility, and natural resources; engineering & construction; mining & manufacturing; insurance; agriculture; healthcare & life sciences; and others (education, forensics, and space exploration & oceanographic exploration). A few restraining factors that affect the growth of the geospatial imagery analytics market include the stringent implementation of various government regulations, such as legal issues pertaining to restrictions imposed on data collection processes, location privacy, intellectual property rights, use of geospatial information, and storage of geospatial data. These restrictions limit the scope of the market, which ultimately hinders its growth. Key players operating in this market include Hexagon AB (Sweden), Harris Corporation (US), DigitalGlobe (US), Esri (US), Trimble (US), and Google (US). Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 1.1 Objectives of the Study 1.2 Market Definition 1.3 Market Scope 1.3.1 Years Considered for the Study 1.4 Currency 1.5 Stakeholders 2 Research Methodology 2.1 Research Data 2.1.1 Secondary Data 2.1.2 Primary Data 2.1.2.1 Breakdown of Primaries 2.1.2.2 Key Industry Insights 2.2 Market Size Estimation 2.3 Research Assumptions & Limitations 2.3.1 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market: Assumptions 2.3.2 Limitations 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Growth Trend of the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market Between 2017 And 2022 4.2 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, Largest Market Share By Vertical And Region 4.3 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, Highest Growing Vertical in Asia Pacific 5 Market Overview And Industry Trends 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Significant Advancements in Geospatial Imagery Analytics With the Introduction of Artificial Intelligence And Big Data 5.2.1.2 Critical Need of Enterprises to Ensure Their Market Competitiveness 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 Stringent Implementation of Various Government Regulations 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Increased Use of Location-Based Services 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Integration of Geospatial Imagery Analytics Data With Enterprise Solutions 5.3 Industry Trends 5.4 Geospatial Imagery Analytics: Use Cases 5.4.1 Use Case 1: Monitoring Forest Cover Changes in Madhya Pradesh, India Using Geospatial Imagery Analytics 5.4.2 Use Case 2: Monitoring Oil Sands Mines of Alberta 5.5 Regulatory Implications 5.5.1 Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 6 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Imagery Analytics 6.3 Video Analytics 7 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Geographic Information Systems (Gis) 7.3 Satellites 7.4 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs) 7.5 Others 8 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Defense & Security 8.3 Government 8.4 Environmental Monitoring 8.5 Energy, Utility, And Natural Resources 8.6 Engineering & Construction 8.7 Mining & Manufacturing 8.8 Insurance 8.9 Agriculture 8.10 Healthcare & Life Sciences 8.11 Others 9 Regional Analysis 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Europe 9.3 North America 9.4 Asia Pacific 9.5 Middle East & Africa 9.6 Latin America 10 Company Profiles (Business Overview, Strength of Product Portfolio, Business Strategy Excellence, Recent Developments)* 10.1 Hexagon Ab 10.2 Harris Corporation 10.3 Digitalglobe 10.4 Environmental Systems Research Institute 10.5 Google 10.6 Trimble 10.7 Rmsi 10.8 Planet Labs 10.9 Urthecast Corporation 10.10 Fugro N.V. 10.11 Keyw Corporation 10.12 Satellite Imaging Corporation *Details On Business Overview, Strength of Product Portfolio, Business Strategy Excellence, Recent Developments Might Not Be Captured in Case of Unlisted Companies. 11 Appendix 11.1 Industry Excerpts 11.2 Discussion Guide 11.3 Knowledge Store: Subscription Portal 11.4 Introducing Rt: Real-Time Market Intelligence 11.5 Available Customizations 11.6 Related Reports 11.7 Author Details List of Tables: Table 1 United States Dollar Exchange Rate, 2014-2016 Table 2 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 3 Imagery Analytics: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 4 Video Analytics: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 5 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 6 Geographic Information Systems (Gis): Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 7 Satellites: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 8 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs): Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 9 Others: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 10 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 11 Defense & Security: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 12 Defense & Security: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 13 Government: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 14 Government: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 15 Environmental Monitoring: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 16 Environmental Monitoring: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 17 Energy, Utility, And Natural Resources: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 18 Energy, Utility, And Natural Resources: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 19 Engineering & Construction: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 20 Engineering & Construction: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 21 Mining & Manufacturing: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 22 Mining & Manufacturing: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 23 Insurance: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 24 Insurance: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 25 Agriculture: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 26 Agriculture: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 27 Healthcare & Life Sciences: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 28 Healthcare & Life Sciences: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 29 Others: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 30 Others: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 31 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 32 Europe: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 33 Europe: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 34 Europe: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 35 Europe: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Insurance, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 36 Europe: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Agriculture, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 37 Europe: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Healthcare & Life Sciences, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 38 North America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 39 North America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 40 North America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 41 North America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Insurance, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 42 North America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Agriculture, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 43 North America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Healthcare & Life Sciences, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 44 Asia Pacific: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 45 Asia Pacific: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 46 Asia Pacific: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 47 Asia Pacific: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Insurance, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 48 Asia Pacific: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Engineering & Construction, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 49 Asia Pacific: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Healthcare & Life Sciences, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 50 Middle East & Africa: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 51 Middle East & Africa: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 52 Middle East & Africa: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 53 Middle East & Africa: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Insurance, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 54 Middle East & Africa: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Agriculture, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 55 Middle East & Africa: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Healthcare & Life Sciences, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 56 Latin America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 57 Latin America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 58 Latin America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 59 Latin America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Mining & Manufacturing, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 60 Latin America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Insurance, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 61 Latin America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Agriculture, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) List of Figures: Figure 1 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market Segmentation Figure 2 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market: Research Design Figure 3 Data Triangulation Figure 4 Market Size Estimation Methodology: Bottom-Up Approach Figure 5 Market Size Estimation Methodology: Top-Down Approach Figure 6 the Imagery Analytics Type Segment is Expected to Lead the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market in 2017 Figure 7 the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs) Segment of the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market is Projected to Grow at the Highest CAGR from 2017 to 2022 Figure 8 the Defense & Security Vertical Segment is Estimated to Lead the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market from 2017 to 2022 Figure 9 the European Region is Expected to Account for the Largest Share in Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market in 2017 Figure 10 Attractive Market Opportunities in the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market in Forecast Period Figure 11 the Defense & Security Vertical Segment And European Region Are Expected to Account for the Largest Market Shares of the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market in 2017 Figure 12 Agriculture Vertical is Estimated to Grow at the Highest Rate During the Forecast Period Figure 13 Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, And Challenges for the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market Figure 14 the Imagery Analytics Segment is Anticipated to Lead the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market in 2017 Figure 15 the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs) Segment is Projected to Grow at the Highest CAGR During the Forecast Period Figure 16 the Defense & Security Segment is Anticipated to Lead the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market During the Forecast Period Figure 17 Europe is Estimated to Be the Largest Market for Geospatial Imagery Analytics in 2017 Figure 18 the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market in Asia Pacific is Projected to Grow at the Highest CAGR During the Forecast Period Figure 19 Europe Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market Snapshot Figure 20 Asia Pacific Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market Snapshot Figure 21 Hexagon Ab: Company Snapshot Figure 22 Harris Corporation: Company Snapshot Figure 23 Digitalglobe: Company Snapshot Figure 24 Google : Company Snapshot Figure 25 Trimble: Company Snapshot Figure 26 Urthecast Corporation: Company Snapshot Figure 27 Fugro: Company Snapshot Figure 28 Keyw Corporation: Company Snapshot Companies Mentioned Digitalglobe Environmental Systems Research Institute Fugro N.V. Google Harris Corporation Hexagon Ab Keyw Corporation Planet Labs RMSI Satellite Imaging Corporation Trimble Urthecast Corporation For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/3lrpw3/geospatial About Research and Markets Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets 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 LONG BEACH, Calif., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbor Associates, LLC ("Harbor") has acquired via an off-market, all-cash deal, an approximately 115,000 SF historic commercial building located at 821 17th Street in downtown Denver in a joint venture with Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Real Estate ("GSAM PRE"). The mixed-use property consists of nine floors of offices above The Broker Restaurant occupying two basement levels located at the corner of 17th Street and Champa Street in the heart of Denver's business district. Built in 1907 by a local tycoon who founded the Denver Post, the building is listed on the National Historic Register as the first tower to be constructed of reinforced concrete west of the Mississippi. In 1927, as 17th Street became known as "The Wall Street of the West," the Denver National Bank expanded the building to add a grand lobby that is heralded today as one of the top historic lobbies in the city. The original concrete structure, marble finishes, oak windows, ornate artwork, vintage chandeliers, and historic bank vaults still exist today and will be core elements of the asset repositioning strategy moving forward. 821 17th Street The building, originally built to be the best office and bank building in Denver, was recently vacated by its previous anchor tenant, the Colorado Business Bank. Harbor plans to renovate the 90% vacant building into a one-of-a-kind creative office environment with onsite food and beverage amenities in an authentic, historically preserved setting. The project marks the ninth value-add office acquisition for Harbor in the last two years and is the firm's first building in the Denver market. Joon Choi, Principal for Harbor and repositioning lead states "This building is an incredible piece of Denver's history and an exciting office choice for tenants who recognize and appreciate unique value. Its local legacy is perhaps best represented by the many impressive vaults on the building's lower levels. From its commercial banking lobby to its subterranean private dining rooms, the building and its vaults have boasted a wealth of history, stories, and legends for more than a hundred years. That's what's inspired the building's new name The Vault. The Vault will honor the building's rich history, created through the test of time, showcasing and protecting its original, spectacular features." 821 17th Street is centrally located near mass transit lines including two light rail stops within one block, numerous bus stops, and bike lanes that run in front of the project. The project sits one block from the 16th Street Mall, which has over 300 stores and 50 restaurants, and is within walking distance of the highly acclaimed Denver Union Station. Harbor has retained Tryba Architects, the same firm that so successfully executed the historic, mixed-use Union Station renovation, to lead the repositioning of the building. Justin Loiacono, Principal for Harbor, comments, "We sourced this acquisition off-market, drawn to the architectural character of the building, and closed on the project all-cash. We like the fundamentals of the Denver market and continue to find interesting opportunities to invest in the value-add space through our deep network of brokerage relationships and ability to move quickly. We have a robust pipeline of activity behind this transaction and look forward to continuing to build our Denver portfolio." Joon Choi, Principal for Harbor, states, "We appreciate how special the opportunity is to breathe new life into one of Denver's most architecturally significant buildings. Our business plan is to retain the great history of the asset while adding the amenities and modern office and restaurant improvements required by today's tenants." Paul Miszkowicz, Principal for Harbor, adds, "Colorado Bank Building represents our ninth value-add office acquisition in the last two years as a firm and expands our portfolio into the Denver market. We are very excited to be making our first acquisition in Downtown Denver. We intend on building on our recent momentum by sourcing new opportunities and pursuing similar strategies in high demand submarkets to meet our acquisition goal of $250M over the next 12 months." Joe Sumberg, Co-head of GSAM PRE, notes "We are excited about the opportunity to re-energize such a historically significant building in Downtown Denver. Colorado Business Bank represents our second office investment in Colorado this year as we continue to increase our exposure to top-performing markets such as Denver, where tenant demand for creative office space continues to grow. We look forward to working with Harbor Associates to reposition Colorado Business Bank into a highly amenitized and differentiated creative office building." About Harbor: Harbor Associates, LLC (www.harborassociates.com) is a value-add operating platform focused on acquiring and repositioning under-performing commercial real estate assets throughout Denver and Southern California. The three Principals of Harbor collectively have over 30 years of experience in Denver and Southern California and collectively have closed over $1.7B in acquisitions and asset managed over $2.5B in assets totaling over 3M SF of office. The company is a joint venture with The Bascom Group, LLC. About Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Real Estate: GSAM PRE focuses on investing across all major property types spanning the risk and return spectrum, sourcing opportunities in primary and secondary markets. The group employs an active management approach, often partnering with operators or property managers to renovate and rebrand assets, including by implementing energy and operating efficiency programs to potentially realize cost savings. The group manages over $1.7 billion of real estate assets as of June 30, 2017 and is part of GSAM, one of the world's leading investment managers with more than $1 trillion in AUS globally as of June 30, 2017. Contact: Justin Loiacono Tel: 562-436-4082 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Harbor Associates, LLC Related Links http://www.harborassociates.com Hindustan Zinc globally ranked 3 rd in 'Environment' and 11 th 'Overall' in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index amongst Mining & Metal companies in 'Environment' and 11 'Overall' in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index amongst Mining & Metal companies Refined zinc-lead metal production at 230kt, up 27% y-o-y Record refined silver production at 140 MT , up 31% y-o-y , up 31% y-o-y Mined metal production at 219kt, up 14% y-o-y EBITDA at Rs. 3,052 Crore ; up 47% y-o-y ; up 47% y-o-y Net Profit at Rs. 2,545 Crore , up 34% y-o-y , up 34% y-o-y Interim dividend of Rs. 2 per share (100%) Highlights for H1 Refined zinc-lead metal production at 459kt, up 49% y-o-y Refined silver production at 255 MT , up 30% y-o-y , up 30% y-o-y Mined metal production at 452kt, up 42% y-o-y EBITDA at Rs. 5,456 Crore ; up 70% y-o-y ; up 70% y-o-y Net Profit at Rs. 4,421 Crore , up 50% y-o-y Hindustan Zinc Limited today announced its results for the second quarter and half year ended September 30, 2017. Mr. Agnivesh Agarwal, Chairman "I am delighted to note the smooth transition to underground mining. Against a 5 year CAGR of 39% of our mined metal production, we expect this year's underground growth to be over 60%, demonstrating one of the best transitions globally. As our journey of 1.2 million MT of mined metal is coming closer, we are evaluating the next phase of our capacity expansion. The accelerating LME and record silver volumes are key drivers of our performance this quarter, though the higher commodity cycle is putting some pressure on our cost." Financial Summary (In Rs. Crore, except as stated) Particulars Q2 Q1 H1 2018 2017 Change 2018 Change 2018 2017 Change Sales Zinc 3,903 2,687 45% 3,779 3% 7,682 4,607 67% Lead 638 495 29% 595 7% 1,233 835 48% Silver 557 482 16% 435 28% 992 842 18% Others 134 145 -8% 152 -12% 286 295 -3% Total 5,232 3,809 37% 4,961 5% 10,193 6,579 55% EBITDA 3,052 2,077 47% 2,404 27% 5,456 3,207 70% Profit After Taxes 2,545 1,902 34% 1,876 36% 4,421 2,939 50% Earnings per Share (Rs., not annualised) 6.02 4.50 34% 4.44 36% 10.46 6.96 50% Mined Metal Production ('000 MT) 219 192 14% 233 -6% 452 318 42% Refined Metal Production ('000 MT) Integrated Refined Metal Zinc 192 149 29% 194 -1% 386 250 54% Saleable Lead[1] 38 31 24% 35 9% 73 55 32% Zinc & Lead 230 180 28% 228 1% 459 305 50% Saleable Silver[2],[3] (in MT) 140 107 31% 115 22% 255 196 30% Total Refined Metal Zinc 192 150 28 194 -1% 386 252 53% Saleable Lead[1] 38 31 24% 35 9% 73 55 32% Zinc & Lead 230 181 27% 228 1% 459 307 49% Saleable Silver[2],[3] (in MT) 140 107 31% 115 22% 255 196 30% Wind Power (in million units) 143 172 -17% 156 -8% 299 320 -7% Zinc CoP without Royalty (Rs. / MT) [4] 63,288 54,186 17% 62,698 1% 63,002 57,022 10% Zinc CoP without Royalty ( $ / MT) [4] 984 809 22% 973 1% 979 852 15% Zinc LME ($ / MT) 2,963 2,255 31% 2,596 14% 2,784 2,089 33% Lead LME ($ / MT) 2,334 1,873 25% 2,161 8% 2,250 1,797 25% Silver LBMA ($ / oz.) 16.8 19.6 -14% 17.2 -2% 17.0 18.2 -7% USD-INR (average) 64.3 67.0 -4% 64.5 0% 64.4 66.9 -4% (1) Excluding Captive consumption of 1,634 MT in Q2 FY 2018 as compared with 837 MT in Q2 FY 2017 and 1,956 MT in Q1 FY2018. For H1, it was 3,590 MT as compared with 1,921 MT a year ago. (2) Excluding captive consumption of 8.8 MT in Q2 FY2018 as compared with 4.3 MT in Q2 FY 2017 and 10.2 MT in Q1 FY2018. For H1, it was 19.0 MT as compared with 9.8 MT a year ago. (3) Silver occurs in Lead & Zinc ore and is recovered in the smelting and silver-refining processes. (4) The COP numbers are after adjusting for deferred mining expenses under Ind-AS. Without this adjustment, Zinc CoP per MT without Royalty would have been Rs. 63,288 ($984) as compared with Rs.62,035 ($926) in Q2 FY 2017 and Rs. 63,142 ($980) in Q1 FY 2018. For H1, this would be Rs. 63,224 ($982) compared to Rs. 67,821 ($1,013) in corresponding prior period. Note: 1) Historical numbers have been revised as per Ind-AS reporting 2) From current quarter, Sales is reported net of Goods and Services Tax, whereas in the previous quarters Sales was inclusive of Excise Duty 3) Numbers may not add up due to rounding off; historical numbers may have changed due to regrouping Operational Performance Mined metal production was at 219kt, 14% higher y-o-y, on account of higher volumes from underground mines. Q-o-Q production declined by 6% due to lower ore treatment. For H1, mined metal production was at 452kt, up 42% y-o-y driven by higher ore production across all mines. Integrated zinc metal production was 192kt, 29% higher y-o-y and flat sequentially. Integrated lead metal production was 38kt, 24% higher y-o-y and 9% higher q-o-q. This was in line with availability of mined metal. Integrated silver production was at a record high of 140 MT, up 31% y-o-y and 22% q-o-q in line with higher feed from mines. For H1, integrated zinc, lead and silver production were higher by 54% y-o-y, 32% y-o-y and 30% y-o-y respectively, in line with availability of mined metal. Financial Performance Revenues during the quarter were at Rs. 5,232 Crore, an increase of 37% y-o-y and 5% q-o-q (excluding excise duty of previous quarters, revenues would have been up 51% y-o-y and 16% q-o-q). The increase was on account of higher volumes and strong zinc & lead LME, partly offset by rupee appreciation. For H1, revenues were up by 55% y-o-y driven by the reasons mentioned above. The zinc metal cost of production per MT before royalty (COP) during the quarter was at Rs. 63,288 ($984), up 17% y-o-y (22% in dollar terms) and flat compared to previous quarter. The y-o-y increase was primarily on account of 74% increase in dollar price of imported coal, almost doubling of metcoke prices and higher mine development, partially offset by increase in volumes. For H1, COP was higher by 10% y-o-y (15% in dollar terms) primarily on account of increase in coal and input commodity prices. The above revenue and cost of production resulted in EBITDA at Rs. 3,052 Crore, up 47% y-o-y and 27% q-o-q while in H1 EBITDA increased by 70% y-o-y to Rs. 5,456 Crore. During the quarter, exceptional gain was recorded related to reversal of royalty due to write back of Rs. 291 Crore of excess District Mineral Foundation liability for the period January 12, 2015 to September 16, 2015. This was pursuant to judicial pronouncement during the quarter. Net profit during the quarter was at Rs. 2,545 Crore, up 34% y-o-y and 36% q-o-q while for H1 net profit was up by 50% y-o-y to Rs. 4,421 Crore. The substantial y-o-y increase in EBITDA was partly offset by higher tax rate and lower investment income on account of smaller corpus, in line with the guidance. During the quarter, the Company sold 220kt of zinc and 30kt of lead forward at a price of $3,084 and $2,418 respectively. Of this, 165kt is for the period January to March 2018 and remaining is for April to June 2018. Outlook Production guidance is reiterated with mined metal to be higher than FY 2017, refined zinc-lead metal to be around 950kt and refined silver metal over 500 MT. Based on the significant increase in the commodity prices compared to last year, COP for FY 2018 is likely to be in the range of $900 - $950 per MT. The project capex for the year will be around $300-$325 million. The Company is on track to achieve 1.2 million MT per annum (mtpa) mined metal production capacity by FY 2020. Expansion Projects Capital mine development increased by 77% y-o-y and 11% q-o-q to 9,765 meters during the quarter across all mines. For H1, capital mine development was 18,593 meters, up 79% as compared to corresponding prior period. Rampura Agucha Mine development of 3,755 meter was achieved during the quarter. The main shaft service winder was commissioned during the quarter while the production winder installation has been completed in October 2017. Four ventilation fans of 2 MW each will be commissioned by year end. Shaft commissioning is on track and production is expected to start as per schedule in Q3 FY 2019. Sindesar Khurd Sindesar Khurd mine achieved mine development of 4,619 meters during the quarter. Main shaft equipping was commenced and production is expected to start in Q3 FY 2019. Construction, engineering works and procurement ordering is in full pace for the third mill of 1.5 mtpa capacity scheduled for commissioning by Q2 FY 2019. This will take the total milling capacity at Sindesar Khurd to 5.8 mtpa. Zawar Zawar mine achieved ever highest mine development during the quarter 7,395 meter. During the quarter, the new Mochia decline was connected to production level enhancing its hauling capacity. Zawar mill debottlenecking was completed and the upgraded capacity of 2.7 mtpa was commissioned. Award of order for a second mill of 2 mtpa capacity was done during the quarter with commissioning scheduled by Q3 FY2019. Fumer The fumer project at Chanderiya is progressing well as per schedule for completion by mid FY 2019. Structure erection and delivery of equipment material has commenced. Interim Dividend The Board of Directors has declared an interim dividend of 100% i.e. Rs. 2 per share on equity share of Rs. 2 each. Record date fixed for the interim dividend is October 31, 2017. Liquidity and investment As on September 30, 2017, the Company's cash and cash equivalents was Rs. 19,979 Crore invested in high quality debt instruments. The Company also had Rs. 593 Crore of residual short term commercial paper out of Rs. 7,908 Crore raised in March 2017 to meet the special interim dividend fund requirement. Earnings Call on Monday, October 23, 2017 at 3:30 pm (IST) The Company will hold an earnings conference call on Monday, October 23, 2017 at 3:30 pm IST, where senior management will discuss the Company's results and performance. The dial in number for the call is: Dial In: +91-22-3960-0762 For further information, please contact: Ekta Singh Manager Investor Relations [email protected] Tel: +91-294-26-52-628 Pavan Kaushik Associate Vice President Corporate Communications [email protected] Tel: +91-99288-44499 About Hindustan Zinc Hindustan Zinc (NSE & BSE: HINDZINC) is the one of the largest integrated producers of zinc-lead with a capacity of 1.0 million MT per annum and a leading producer of silver. The Company is headquartered in Udaipur, Rajasthan in India and has zinc-lead mines at Rampura Agucha, Sindesar Khurd, Rajpura Dariba, Zawar and Kayad; primary smelter operations at Chanderiya, Dariba and Debari, all in the state of Rajasthan; and finished product facilities in the state of Uttarakhand. Hindustan Zinc has a world-class resource base with total reserve & resource of 404.4 million MT and average zinc-lead reserve grade of 11.0%. The Company has a track record of consistently growing its reserve & resource base since 2003 and currently has a mine life of over 25 years. The Company is self-sufficient in power with an installed base of 474 MW coal-based captive power plants. Additionally, it has green power capacity of 309 MW including 274 MW of wind power and 35 MW of waste heat power. The Company has an operating workforce of nearly 19,000 including contract workforce. Hindustan Zinc is a subsidiary of the BSE and NSE listed Vedanta Limited (formerly known as Sesa Sterlite Limited; ADRs listed on the NYSE), a part of London listed Vedanta Resources plc, a global diversified natural resources company. Disclaimer This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "should" or "will." Forwardlooking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements. About Vedanta Limited Vedanta Limited is a diversified natural resources company, whose business primarily involves producing oil & gas, zinc - lead - silver, copper, iron ore, aluminium and commercial power. The company has a presence across India, South Africa, Namibia, Australia and Ireland. Vedanta Limited is the Indian subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Plc, a London-listed company. Governance and Sustainable Development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety and environment and on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company is conferred with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) 'Sustainable Plus Platinum label', ranking among the top 10 most sustainable companies in India. To access the Vedanta Sustainable Development Report 2016, please visit http://sustainabledevelopment.vedantaresources.com/content/dam/vedanta/corporate/documents/Otherdocuments/SDreport2015-16/Vedanta%20SDR%20FY%2015-16.pdf Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more information please visit http://www.vedantalimited.com For further information, please contact: Communications Zarin Amrolia Manager, Group Communications Tel: +91-22-6646-1000 [email protected] Investor Relations Ashwin Bajaj Director Investor Relations Tel: +91-22-6646-1531 [email protected] Aarti Raghavan VP Investor Relations Sneha Tulsyan Associate Manager Investor Relations Vedanta Limited Vedanta, 75, Nehru Road, Vile Parle (East), Mumbai - 400 099 http://www.vedantalimited.com Registered Office: Regd. Office: 1st Floor, 'C' wing, Unit 103, Corporate Avenue, Atul Projects, Chakala, Andheri (East), Mumbai 400 093 CIN: L13209MH1965PLC291394 Disclaimer This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "should" or "will." Forwardlooking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different that those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements. SOURCE Vedanta Limited Related Links http://www.vedantalimited.com Since 2012, Humantelligence has been assisting American Honda in building and reinforcing a culture of associate engagement and development at all levels of the organization. American Honda uses Humantelligence's cloud-based Talent Portal to power career development programs for eld and front-line associates which have historically been dicult to serve. While also using Humantelligence as part of new-hire orientation, the company has been able to reduce unwanted associate turnover and tap into its internal talent pool like never before. The Humantelligence Self-Assessment enables associates to quickly uncover their internal motivators and behavioral strengths then follow tailored actions to unleash their full potential. Other Humantelligence Engagement tools such as the HT Feedback System are helping to change the dialogue around performance management and is gaining traction with millennial associates. In recognition of the success of these programs, Humantelligence was nominated for the American Honda Premier Partner Award in 2015, 2016 and now in 2017. This prestigious honor recognizes suppliers that provide exemplary service. Humantelligence's performance was recognized in the areas of quality, delivery, and innovation. The Premier Partner Program was established in 1998 to recognize suppliers who embrace American Honda's philosophy of meeting and exceeding customer expectations. The American Honda Premier Partner Program rewards excellence in Quality, Value and Customer Service. "We are tremendously thankful to have the opportunity to provide our services to American Honda and we look forward to continuing our partnership for years to come," says Juan Luis Betancourt, CEO of Humantelligence. "To be recognized with such a prestigious nomination is truly an honor and a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Humantelligence team and our unique solution that enables American Honda to achieve a strong culture focused on the success of its associates." Humantelligence is a sponsor at the NMSDC Conference is exhibiting at booth #965, showcasing Humantelligence solutions. Attendees will be able to complete a Self-Assessment and sign up for a FREE Team Culture Report. About Humantelligence Humantelligence is the leading cloud-based recruiting and culture analytics platform that leverages break-through Articial Intelligence (A.I.) and people analytics to measure team culture and to help companies hire for culture t and predictive performance. With Humantelligence companies can streamline the recruiting process, signicantly improve employee engagement, and reduce turnover. Humantelligence is headquartered in Miami, FL, with oces around the world and tens of thousands of users. To learn more about Humantelligence visit www.humantelligence.com, follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@humantelligence) and LinkedIn. SOURCE Humantelligence.com Related Links http://www.humantelligence.com Dr. Yuxing Li, IBBR Fellow and Associate Professor, University of Maryland, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, will aim to test a multi-specific, four-in-one antibody therapeutic, each targeting a distinct site on the HIV viral envelope, called a "tetra-NAb". The specific aims under this grant include evaluation of improved activity, extended half-life in vivo, and neutralization of resistant HIV variants . Dr. Li, has previously demonstrated in vitro that a tri-NAb (three-in-one antibody) and tetra-NAb were able to neutralize 99.5% of HIV1 viruses in a panel of over 200 types that is representative of all known circulating HIV-1 viruses in the world. "Our research indicates that a tri and tetra-NAbs appear to be an effective way of suppressing the virus. This MII grant will help validate use of this multi-specific antibody approach. We look forward to achieving milestones required to move to the clinical phase," said Dr. Li. Extraordinary diversity in HIV virus and its high mutation rate make HIV adept at evading the human immune system and complicate the development of a globally effective vaccine. Current antiretroviral (ARV) treatments, while effective in controlling the HIV load in a patient's blood and extending life expectancy, have unpleasant side effects, are prone to drug resistance, and require constant patient monitoring. HIV has the further ability to integrate into the human genome, leading to hidden viral reservoirs that make total eradication impossible with ARVs alone. "The Institute's mission is to conduct groundbreaking research leading to solutions that address significant scientific and medical needs. MII's funding supports this mission of innovation and facilitates the commercial translation of great scientific research," said Thomas Fuerst, Ph.D., IBBR Director and Professor. "As the premier translational science institute for the State of Maryland, IBBR continues to lead commercialization efforts within University of Maryland to generate pioneering products, such as vaccines, drug delivery technologies, and next generation HIV targeting tetra-NAb therapies like Dr. Li's." This project was initially seeded with funds from the MPowering the State initiative. "MPower" is a strategic partnership between UMCP and UMB. The initiative is designed to expand research collaborations, promote innovation and impact, and leverage the research strengths across the campuses to develop novel, multidisciplinary solutions to major unmet medical and public health needs. IBBR Contact: Viqar Aslam Director, Business Development and Strategy Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research University of Maryland 9600 Gudelsky Drive | Rockville, MD | 20850 [email protected] | 240.314.6373 About IBBR IBBR is a joint research enterprise of the University of Maryland College Park, the University of Maryland Baltimore, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The Institute serves as the nexus between academic research and commercial application, bringing together all of the critical elements necessary to pursue solutions for major scientific and medical challenges. Through collaboration and interaction among academia, government and industry, IBBR focuses on structure-based design, characterization and testing of proteins and nucleic acids, and conducting groundbreaking research to develop innovative translational applications. IBBR's leverages its unique infrastructure and capabilities to advance projects and innovations towards commercialization in real world applications. The Institute also serves to expand the economic base of science and technology in the state of Maryland and at the national level. SOURCE Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research Related Links https://www.ibbr.umd.edu "Less than four percent of C level executives are female. And that's something we want to change," said Wilcox. "I've experienced firsthand how hard it can be as a woman in business. Helping other women overcome some of the challenges we've had to face has become part of our DNA at Incorporate Massage, and it's something we're very proud of." The winning scholarship essay, written by graduate student Amelia Brown, discusses bringing morale and culture together. If it's done right, Brown writes, "employees will have all the tools necessary to build a company from the inside out." Brown, who studies Public Administration at Brigham Young University, received a $2,000 scholarship from Incorporate Massage this week. She is passionate about her community and promoting change. She currently serves as a research assistant in the Public Service Lab, and as the Development Director for the BYU Grantwell program, while working as a lead advisor in the MPA student mentorship program. "We're so excited to award this scholarship to Amelia," said Incorporate Massage CEO Amelia Wilcox. "She has inspired us all. Amelia Brown has a bright future ahead of her as a strong business leader, and we can't wait to watch it unfold." As Incorporate Massage continues to dominate the market as the nation's leading provider of workplace massage, it hasn't lost sight of its roots as a woman led company, or its vision for the future. And according to Wilcox this focus is a key reason for the company's continued success. Incorporate Massage provides seated chair massage to companies across the United States and Canada. Formed in 2010, the company is dedicated to delivering long-term health to employees and financial benefits to organization through a dedicated team of professional, licensed therapists. Media Contact: Amelia Wilcox, Incorporate Massage, 800.556.2950, [email protected] SOURCE Incorporate Massage CELAYA, Mexico, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrias Bachoco, S.A.B. de C.V., "Bachoco" or "the Company", (NYSE: IBA; BMV: Bachoco) announced today its unaudited results for the third quarter ("3Q17") and accumulated ("9M17") 2017 results ending September 30, 2017. All figures have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standard ("IFRS"), and are presented in nominal million Mexican Pesos ("$"). HIGHLIGHTS- 2017 vs. 2016 Net sales increased 12.7% in 3Q17 compared to 3Q16. EBITDA margin was 10.2% for 3Q17 vs 9.8% in 3Q16. Earnings per basic and diluted share totaled $1.66 for 3Q17 higher than $1.35 in 3Q16. CEO COMMENTS Mr. Rodolfo Ramos Arvizu, Chief Executive Officer of Bachoco, stated "In Mexico, we continued observing a normalized supply in the poultry industry and as it is typical for the third quarter, lower prices than in 2Q17, we also continued with good demand levels. In the U.S. industry, we observed solid prices for most of the quarter. In both markets where we participate we observed a price adjustment at the end of the quarter. During the quarter, we announced the acquisition of "La Perla" a Pet Food company located in the Mexican state of Queretaro and of "Albertville Quality Foods (AQF)" a further processing company located in Alabama USA., We are in the process of integrating both companies into our whole operations and consider that most of the benefits are to come. For the quarter, we reached an increase in total sales of 12.7% in 3Q17 when compared to 3Q16, and an EBITDA of $1,449.6 million, 17.6% higher that the EBITDA of the same quarter of 2016. For the third quarter, our EBITDA margin was 10.2% and our earnings per basic and diluted share were $1.66. We continued investing in the growth of our company, as our CAPEX reached $2,937.6 million for the year. Our financial structure continued strong as we end the quarter with a net cash of $10,787.5 million, which will allow us to continue supporting our growth plans". EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The following financial information is expressed in millions of nominal pesos, except for amounts per share or per ADR, with comparative figures for the same period in 2016. QUARTERLY RESULTS NET SALES BY GEOGRAPHY In millions of pesos 3Q17 3Q16 Change $ $ $ % Net sales 14,216.2 12,612.3 1,603.9 12.7 Net sales in Mexico 9,918.5 9,436.0 482.5 5.1 Net sales in the U.S. 4,297.7 3,176.2 1,121.4 35.3 NET SALES BY SEGMENT In millions of pesos 3Q17 3Q16 Change $ $ $ % Net sales 14,216.2 12,612.3 1,603.9 12.7 Poultry 12,970.1 11,348.1 1,622.1 14.3 Other 1,246.1 1,264.2 (18.1) (1.4) NET VOLUME SOLD BY SEGMENT In tons Change 3Q17 3Q16 Volume % Total sales volume: 541,710 526,343 15,367 2.92 Poultry 422,278 411,710 10,568 2.57 Others 119,432 114,632 4,799 4.19 The Company's 3Q17 net sales totaled $14,216.2 million, $1,603.9 million or 12.7% more than $12,612.3 million reported in 3Q16. The increase is a result of more volume sold and price increases in poultry when compared to 3Q16. In 3Q17, sales of our U.S. operations remained strong and represented 30.2% of our total sales; this compares with 25.2 % it represented in 3Q16 of our total sales. In this quarter, we are including sales of Albertville Quality Foods (AQF) for the first time. GROSS PROFIT In millions of pesos 3Q17 3Q16 Change $ $ $ % Cost of sales 11,732.3 10,657.9 1,074.4 10.1 Gross profit 2,483.9 1,954.3 529.5 27.1 Gross margin 17.5% 15.5% - - In 3Q17 the cost of sales totaled $11,732.3 million, $1,074.4 million or 10.1% higher than $10,657.9 million reported in 3Q16. The increase in cost of sales is mainly attributed to higher volume sold and a mix effect due to higher percentage of our US operation as we integrated AQF. The gross profit was $2,483.9 million with a gross margin of 17.5% in 3Q17. This profit is higher than the gross profit of $1,954.3 million and gross margin of 15.5% reported in 3Q16. SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES ("SG&A") In millions of pesos 3Q17 3Q16 Change $ $ $ % Total SG&A 1,346.7 1,219.2 127.6 10.5 Total SG&A expenses in 3Q17 were $1,346.7 million, $127.6 million or 10.5% more than the $1,219.2 million reported in 3Q16. Total SG&A expenses as a percentage of net sales represented 9.5% in 3Q17 compared to 9.7% in 3Q16. OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE), NET In millions of pesos 3Q17 3Q16 Change $ $ $ % Other income (expense), net 23.7 257.4 (233.6) (90.8) This item mainly includes the sale of unused assets as well as hens and other by-products. We record such sales as expenses when the sale price is below the book value of those assets. In 3Q17 we reported other income of $23.7 million, compared with other income of $257.4 million reported in 3Q16. The reduction is due to in 3Q16 we got an extraordinary gain in the sale of some unused assets. OPERATING INCOME In millions of pesos 3Q17 3Q16 Change $ $ $ % Operating income 1,160.9 992.5 168.4 17.0 Operating margin 8.2% 7.9% - - Operating income in 3Q17 totaled $1,160.9 million with an operating margin of 8.2%, an increase when compared to operating income of $992.5 million and a 7.9% operating margin reported in 3Q16. The higher operating income is mainly attributed to higher gross profit than in 3Q16. NET FINANCIAL INCOME In millions of pesos 3Q17 3Q16 Change $ $ $ % Net Financial Income 193.2 136.2 57.0 41.8 Financial Income 208.8 178.8 30.0 16.8 Financial Expense 15.6 42.6 (27.0) (63.4) In 3Q17, the Company reported net financial income of $193.2 million, compared to income of $136.2 million reported in the same period of 2016, mainly due to higher interest income. TAXES FOR THE PERIOD In millions of pesos 3Q17 3Q16 Change $ $ $ % Total Taxes 356.2 319.1 37.1 11.6 Income tax 515.1 289.7 225.4 77.8 Deferred income tax (158.9) 29.4 (188.3) (641.1) Total taxes for the 3Q17 were $356.2 million, compared with total taxes of $319.1 million in the same period of 2016. NET INCOME In millions of pesos 3Q17 3Q16 Change $ $ $ % Net income 997.9 809.7 188.2 23.2 Net margin 7.0% 6.4% - - Basic and diluted income per share1 1.66 1.35 - - Basic and diluted income per ADR2 19.91 16.18 - - Weighted average Shares outstanding3 600,000 600,000 - - 1 In pesos 2 in pesos, an ADR equal to twelve shares 3 In thousands of shares The net income for 3Q17 was $997.9 million, representing a basic and diluted income of $1.66 pesos per share, compared with a lower net income of $809.7 million, which represented $1.35 pesos of basic and diluted income per share in 3Q16. This income represents a net margin of 7.0% and 6.4% for 3Q17 and 3Q16, respectively. EBITDA In millions of pesos 3Q17 3Q16 Change $ $ $ % Net controlling interest income 995.6 809.0 186.5 23.1 Income tax expense (benefit) 356.2 319.1 37.1 11.6 Result in associates 2.3 0.6 1.7 272.8 Net finance (income) expense (193.2) (136.2) (57.0) 41.8 Depreciation and amortization 288.8 240.5 48.3 20.1 EBITDA 1,449.6 1,233.0 216.6 17.6 EBITDA Margin (%) 10.2% 9.8% - - Net sales 14,216.2 12,612.3 1,603.9 12.7 EBITDA in 3Q17 reached $1,449.6 million, representing an EBITDA margin of 10.2%, compared to an EBITDA of $1,233.0 million in 3Q16, with an EBITDA margin of 9.8%. ACCUMULATED RESULTS NET SALES BY GEOGRAPHY In millions of pesos 9M17 9M16 Change $ $ $ % Net Sales 43,017.4 37,813.7 5,203.7 13.8 Net sales in Mexico 31,254.5 28,373.1 2,881.4 10.2 Net sales in the U.S. 11,762.9 9,440.6 2,322.3 24.6 NET SALES BY SEGMENT In millions of pesos 9M17 9M16 Change $ $ $ % Net Sales 43,017.4 37,813.7 5,203.7 13.8 Poultry 38,919.5 34,060.3 4,859.2 14.3 Other 4,097.9 3,753.4 344.5 9.2 NET VOLUME SOLD BY SEGMENT In tons Change 9M17 9M16 Volume % Total sales volume: 1,615,409 1,571,843 43,566 2.77 Poultry 1,262,101 1,226,386 35,715 2.91 Others 353,308 345,457 7,850 2.27 During the first 9M17, net sales totaled $43,017.4 million, $5,203.7 million or 13.8% more than the $37,813.7 million reported in the same period of 2016. The sales increase is mainly attributed to higher volume sold and higher prices in both poultry and others. In 9M17, sales of our U.S. operations represented 27.3% of our total sales, compared with 25.0% in 9M16. ACCUMULATED OPERATING RESULTS In millions of pesos 9M17 9M16 Change $ $ $ % Cost of Sales 34,727.8 30,749.2 3,978.5 12.9 Gross Profit 8,289.6 7,064.5 1,225.1 17.3 Total SG&A 3,905.6 3,526.0 379.7 10.8 Other Income (expense) 36.6 241.8 (205.2) (84.9) Operating Income 4,420.7 3,780.4 640.3 16.9 Net Financial Income 220.3 470.0 (249.7) (53.1) Income Tax 1,267.4 1,263.8 3.6 0.3 Net Income 3,373.6 2,986.6 387.0 13.0 In 9M17 the cost of sales totaled $34,727.8 million, $3,978.5 million or 12.9% higher than the $30,749.2 million reported in 9M16. This increase is mainly attributed to higher volume sold. As a result, we reached a gross profit of $8,289.6 million and a gross margin of 19.3% in 9M17, which is higher than $7,064.5 million of gross profit and a margin of 18.7% reached in the same period of 2016. Total SG&A expenses in 9M17 were $3,905.6 million, $379.7 million or 10.8% more than the $3,526.0 million reported 9M16. Total SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales represented 9.1% in 9M17 compared to 9.3% in 9M16. This increase is mainly attributed to higher volume sold. In 9M17 we had other income of $36.6 million, compared with other income of $241.8 million reported in 9M16. The operating income in 9M17 was $4,420.7 million, which represents an operating margin of 10.3%, which is higher than the operating income of $3,780.4 million and an operating margin of 10.0% in 9M16. The net financial income in 9M17 was $220.3 million, this was lower when compared to net financial income of $470.0 million in 9M16. Total taxes were $1,267.4 million as of September 30, 2017. These taxes include $1,192.4 million of income tax and $74.9 million of deferred income taxes. This figure compares to total taxes of $1,263.8 million, which includes income taxes of $994.3 and $269.5 million of deferred income taxes in 9M16. All the above result in a net income of $3,373.6 million or 7.8% of net margin for the 9M17, which represents $5.62 pesos of earnings per share, meanwhile in the 9M16, the net income totaled $2,986.6 million, 7.9% of the net margin and $4.97 pesos of net income per share. EBITDA In millions of pesos 9M17 9M16 Change $ $ $ % Net controlling interest profit 3,369.1 2,981.4 387.7 13.0 Income tax expense (benefit) 1,267.4 1,263.8 3.6 0.3 Result in associates 4.5 5.2 (0.7) (12.9) Net finance (income) expense (220.3) (470.0) 249.7 (53.1) Depreciation and amortization 824.0 703.3 120.7 17.2 EBITDA 5,244.7 4,483.7 761.0 17.0 EBITDA Margin (%) 12.2% 11.9% - - Net sales 43,017.4 37,813.7 5,203.7 13.8 EBITDA in 9M17 reached $5,244.7 million, representing an EBITDA margin of 12.2%, compared to an EBITDA of $4,483.7 million in 9M16, with an EBITDA margin of 11.9%. BALANCE SHEET BALANCE SHEET DATA In millions of pesos Sept, 2017 Dec. 31, 2016 Change $ $ $ % TOTAL ASSETS 49,081.8 45,090.5 3,991.4 8.9 Cash and cash equivalents 15,746.5 15,651.5 95.0 0.6 Accounts receivable 2,999.2 3,778.0 (778.8) (20.6) TOTAL LIABILITIES 15,259.1 13,374.3 1,884.8 14.1 Accounts payable 4,404.3 3,836.4 567.9 14.8 Short-term debt 3,405.0 3,097.5 307.5 9.9 Long-term debt 1,554.0 950.4 603.6 63.5 TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY 33,822.7 31,716.2 2,106.6 6.6 Capital stock 1,174.4 1,174.4 - - Cash and equivalents as of September 30, 2017 totaled $15,746.5; $95.0 million more than the level we had on December 31, 2016. Total debt as of September 30, 2017 was $4,959.0 million, which is higher when compared to $4,047.9 million reported as of December 31, 2016. Net cash as of September 30, 2017 was $10,787.5 million, which is lower when compared with a net cash of $11,603.6 million as of December 31, 2016, as we used part of our cash to pay our recent acquisitions. CAPITAL EXPENDITURES In millions of pesos 9M16 9M16 Change $ $ $ % Capital Expenditures 2,937.6 1,827.4 1,110.2 60.7 Total CAPEX for the 9M17 was $2,271.4 million and $1,827.4 million in 9M16. This was primarily allocated towards organic growth and productivity projects across all of our facilities and as we also include here part of our recent acquisitions. STOCK INFORMATION As of September 30, 2017 Total Shares 600,000,000 Total free float 26.75% Market cap (millions of pesos) $60,918 SHARE PRICE Mexican Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange Ticker Symbol: Bachoco Ticker Symbol: IBA In nominal pesos per Share In U.S. Dollar per ADR Month High Low Close High Low Close Sep-17 101.53 94.02 101.53 67.29 63.28 66.50 Aug-17 95.14 88.33 94.89 64.26 59.42 63.47 Jul-17 90.99 85.13 88.76 61.95 55.76 59.81 Jun-17 86.79 84.44 86.74 57.98 54.75 57.98 May-17 86.98 83.69 85.28 56.43 52.81 55.00 Apr-17 86.30 82.53 84.02 54.97 52.06 53.45 Mar-17 85.84 80.23 84.97 54.55 48.32 54.24 Feb-17 83.53 79.53 80.08 49.08 46.20 47.88 Jan-17 87.48 80.47 80.98 49.02 46.42 46.43 ANALYST COVERAGE APPENDICES For reference, some figures have been translated into millions of U.S. dollars ("USD") using an exchange rate of $18.18 per USD $1.00, which corresponds to the rate at the close of September 30th , 2017, according to Mexico's National Bank. Consolidated Statement of Financial Position Consolidated Statement of Income Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows Derivatives Position Report CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION -Unaudited- In U.S. Dollar September 30, December 31, In million pesos 2017 2017 2016* TOTAL ASSETS $ 2,699.8 49,081.8 45,090.5 Total current assets 1,515.1 27,544.2 26,930.4 Cash and cash equivalents 866.1 15,746.5 15,651.5 Total accounts receivable 165.0 2,999.2 3,778.0 Inventories 361.4 6,570.5 5,931.9 Other current assets 122.6 2,228.1 1,569.0 Total non current assets 1,184.7 21,537.7 18,160.1 Net property, plant and equipment 926.6 16,844.9 15,081.1 Other non current Assets 258.1 4,692.8 3,079.0 TOTAL LIABILITIES $ 839.3 15,259.1 13,374.3 Total current liabilities 516.7 9,393.2 8,316.3 Notes payable to banks 187.3 3,405.0 3,097.5 Accounts payable 242.3 4,404.3 3,836.4 Other taxes payable and other accruals 87.1 1,583.9 1,382.4 Total long-term liabilities 322.7 5,865.9 5,058.0 Long-term debt 85.5 1,554.0 950.4 Other non current liabilities 12.8 232.0 195.0 Deferred income taxes 224.4 4,080.0 3,912.6 TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 1,860.4 33,822.7 31,716.2 Capital stock 64.6 1,174.4 1,174.4 Commission in shares issued 22.8 414.4 414.4 Repurchased shares - - - Retained earnings 1,725.3 31,366.3 28,694.6 Others accounts 44.5 809.2 1,378.9 Non controlling interest 3.2 58.4 53.9 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 2,699.8 49,081.8 45,090.5 *Audited CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME Third Quarter Results, ended September 30: -Unaudited- U.S. Dollar In millions pesos 2017 2017 2016 Net sales $ 782.0 14,216.2 12,612.3 Cost of sales 645.3 11,732.3 10,657.9 Gross profit 136.6 2,483.9 1,954.3 SG&A 74.1 1,346.7 1,219.2 Other income (expenses), net 1.3 23.7 257.4 Operating income 63.9 1,160.9 992.5 Net finance income 10.6 193.2 136.2 Income tax 19.6 356.2 319.1 Net Income $ 54.9 997.9 809.7 Non-controlling interest 0.13 2.3 0.6 Net controlling interest profit 54.8 995.6 809.0 Basic and diluted earnings per share 0.09 1.66 1.35 Basic and diluted earnings per ADR 1.10 19.91 16.18 Weighted average Shares outstanding1 600,000 600,000 600,000 EBITDA Result $ 79.7 1,449.6 1,233.0 Gross margin 17.5% 17.5% 15.5% Operating margin 8.2% 8.2% 7.9% Net margin 7.0% 7.0% 6.4% EBITDA margin 10.2% 10.2% 9.8% 1In thousands Consolidated Statement of Income Accumulated results, for the nine months ended September 30. -Unaudited- U.S. Dollar In millions pesos 2017 2017 2016 Net sales $ 2,366.2 43,017.4 37,813.7 Cost of sales 1,910.2 34,727.8 30,749.2 Gross profit 456.0 8,289.6 7,064.5 Selling, general and administrative expenses 214.8 3,905.6 3,526.0 Other income (expenses), net 2.0 36.6 241.8 Operating income 243.2 4,420.7 3,780.4 Net finance income 12.1 220.3 470.0 Income tax 69.7 1,267.4 1,263.8 Net income $ 267.4 3,373.6 2,986.6 Non-controlling interest 0.2 4.5 5.2 Net controlling interest profit 185.8 3,369.1 2,981.4 Basic and diluted earnings per share 0.31 5.62 4.97 Basic and diluted earnings per ADR 3.71 67.4 59.63 Weighted average Shares outstanding1 599,973 599,973 599,973 EBITDA Result $ 288.5 5,244.7 4,483.7 Gross margin 19.3% 19.3% 18.7% Operating margin 10.3% 10.3% 10.0% Net margin 7.9% 7.8% 7.9% EBITDA margin 12.2% 12.2% 11.9% 1In thousands CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS In million of pesos -Unaudited- U.S. Dollar September 30, 2017 2017 2016 NET MAJORITY INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAX $ 255.3 4,640.9 4,250.4 ITEMS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE CASH: - - - ITEMS RELATING TO INVESTING ACTIVITIES: 28.6 519.4 220.2 Depreciation and others 45.3 824.0 703.3 Income (loss) on sale of plant and equipment 1.5 27.1 (135.0) Other Items (18.2) (331.8) (348.0) ITEMS RELATING TO FINANCING ACTIVITIES: - - - NET CASH GENERATED FROM NET INCOME BEFORE TAXES 283.8 5,160.3 4,470.6 CASH GENERATED OR USED IN THE OPERATION: (36.4) (662.6) (2,651.0) Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable 19.7 357.3 (107.6) Decrease (increase) in inventories (38.2) (694.1) (573.9) Decrease (increase) in accounts payable 46.8 851.7 (1,142.2) Decrease (increase) in other liabilities (64.8) (1,177.6) (827.3) NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 247.4 4,497.7 1,819.6 NET CASH FLOW FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES (209.5) (3,808.2) (1,117.4) Acquisition of property, plant and equipment (255.7) (4,649.4) (1,827.4) Proceeds from sales of property plant and equipment 1.3 23.5 220.7 Other Items 45.0 817.7 489.3 CASH FLOW SURPLUS (REQUIREMENTS OF) TO BE USED IN FINANCING ACTIVITIES 37.9 689.5 702.2 Net cash provided by financing activities: (32.7) (594.5) (705.4) Proceeds from loans 290.1 5,274.4 1,992.5 Principal payments on loans (233.5) (4,244.9) (2,245.9) Dividends paid (42.9) (780.0) (780.0) Other items (46.4) (844.0) 328.1 Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents 5.2 95.0 (3.2) Cash and investments at the beginning of year $ 860.9 15,651.5 15,288.9 CASH AND INVESTMENTS AT END OF PERIOD $ 866.1 15,746.5 15,285.7 DERIVATIVES POSITION REPORT Third Quarter 2017 Thousands of Mexican Pesos, as of September 30, 2017 ANEXO 1 TYPE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT OBJECTIVE NOTIONAL VALUE OF THE RELATED COMMODITY REASONABLE VALUE AMOUNTS DUE BY YEAR GUARANTIES REQUIRED 3Q-2017 2Q-2017 3Q-2017 2Q-2017 Forward Vanilla Hedge $ 543,031 $ 18.18 $ 18.14 $ -63,253 $-122,590 in 2017 The deals consider the possibility of margin calls but not another kind of guarantee Futures for corn and soybean meal Hedge $ 118,035 CORN CORN $ 638 $ 8 91% in 2017 and 9% in 2018 In USD per Bushel In USD per Bushel month price month price Sep-17 $ 3.810 Dec-17 $ 3.553 Dec-17 $ 3.920 Mar-18 $ 3.763 Mar-18 $ 4.013 Jul-18 $ 4.125 Sep-18 $ 4.103 Dec-18 $ 4.135 SOYBEAN MEAL SOYBEAN MEAL In USD per ton In USD per ton month price month price Aug-17 $ 306.2 Sep-17 $ 307.9 Oct-17 $ 309.3 Dec-17 $ 315.8 Dec-17 $ 311.2 Jan-18 $ 317.8 Options of Corn Hedge $ 158,980 CORN CORN -$ 2,237 $ 1,908 in 2017 and 2018 In USD per Bushel In USD per Bushel month price month price Sep-17 $ 3.810 Dec-17 $ 3.553 Dec-17 $ 3.920 Jan-18 $ 3.763 Jan-18 $ 4.013 Options of soybean meal Hedge $ 97,509 SOYBEAN MEAL SOYBEAN MEAL $ 1,157 -$ 2,473 in 2017 and 2018 In USD per ton In USD per ton month price month price Aug-17 $ 306.2 Sep-17 $ 307.9 Oct-17 $ 309.3 Dec-17 $ 315.8 Dec-17 $ 311.2 Jan-18 $ 317.8 Jan-18 $ 312.5 Mar-18 $ 312.7 Mar-18 $ 312.7 NOTES -The total financial instruments do not exceed 5% of total assets as of September 30, 2017. -The notional value represents the net position as of September 30, 2017 at the exchange rate of Ps. 18.18 per one dolar. -A negative value means an unfavorable effect for the Company. PROBABLE SCENARIO Third Quarter 2017 Thousands of Mexican Pesos, as of September 30, 2017 PROBABLE SCENARIO TYPE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT REASONABLE VALUE VALUE OF THE RELATED COMMODITY EFFECT ON THE INCOME STATEMENT EFFECT ON THE CASH FLOW(3) Reference Value -2.5% 2.5% 5.0% -2.5% 2.5% 5.0% Forwards Vanilla -$ 63,253 $17.73 $ 18.63 $ 19.09 Direct -$ 76,829 -$ 49,677 -$ 36,101 -5% 5% 10% -5% 5% 10% Futures of Corn: (2) $ 638 $ 3.375 $ 3.731 $ 3.908 The effect will materialize as the inventory is consumed -$ 5,264 $ 6,540 $ 12,441 Futures of Soybean Meal: (2) $ 300.0 $ 331.6 $ 347.4 Options for Corn -$ 2,237 $ 3.375 $ 3.731 $ 3.908 -$ 4,446 $ 1 $ 2,592 Options of Soybean Meal $ 1,157 $ 300.0 $ 331.6 $ 347.4 -$ 3,722 $ 6,035 $ 10,914 NOTES (1) The reference value is the exchange rate of Ps. $18.18 per USD as of September 30, 2017. (2) The reference values are; the future of corn for December 2017, $3.5530 USD/bushel and the future of soybean meal for December 2017, $315.80 USD/ton. All the evaluations are performed according with the corresponding future, here only the first month futures are shown. (3) The Company has credit lines with the majority of its counterparts, so that the effect in cash flow is lower than the amount shown. -A negative value means an unfavorable effect for the Company. Third Quarter 2017 Thousands of Mexican Pesos, as of September 30, 2017 STRESS SCENARIO TYPE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT REASONABLE VALUE VALUE OF THE RELATED COMMODITY EFFECT ON THE INCOME STATEMENT EFFECT ON THE CASH FLOW Reference Value -50% -25% 25% 50% -50% -25% 25% 50% Forward Vanilla and KOT Forwards -$ 63,253 $9.09 $13.64 $22.73 $27.27 Direct -$334,768 -$199,011 $72,505 $208,263 CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION The Company will host its third quarter 2017 earnings call, on Tuesday, October 24th, 2017. The earnings call will take place at 9:00 am Central Time (10:00 am ET). To participate in the earnings call, please dial: Toll free in the U.S.: 1 (888) 771-4371 Toll free in Mexico: 001 866 779 0965 Toll Local Mexico: 52 55 6722 5257 Toll in the Brazil: 0800 761 0710 A current list of available local and international free phone telephone numbers: https://www.conferenceplus.com/AlternateNumbers/alternatenumbers.aspx?100875&t=P&o=UMtUtHBhmMJzEv Confirmation Number: 45830415 COMPANY DESCRIPTION Industrias Bachoco is the leader in the Mexican poultry industry, and one of the largest poultry producers globally. The Company was founded in 1952, and became a public company in 1997, via a public offering of shares on the Mexican and The New York Stock Exchange. Bachoco is a vertically integrated company headquartered in Celaya, Guanajuato located in Central Mexico. Its main business lines are: chicken, eggs, balanced feed, swine, and turkey and beef value-added products. Bachoco owns and manages more than a thousand facilities, organized in nine production complexes and 64 distribution centers in Mexico, and a production complex in the United States. Currently the Company employs more than 25,000 people. The Company is rated AAA (MEX) , the highest rating awarded by Fitch Mexico, S.A. de C.V., and HR AAA which signals that the Company and the offering both have the highest credit quality by HR Ratings de Mexico S.A. de C.V. DISCLAIMER The document contains certain information that could be considered forward looking statements concerning anticipated future events and performance of the Company. The statements reflect management's current beliefs based on information currently available and are not guarantees of future performance and are based on our estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including those described in our Annual Information Form, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this document. Those risks and uncertainties include risks associated with ownership in the poultry industry, competition for investments within the poultry industry, shareholder liability, governmental regulation, and environmental matters. As a result, there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, Industrias Bachoco, S.A.B. de C.V., undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement. SOURCE Industrias Bachoco, S.A.B. de C.V. Related Links http://www.bachoco.com.mx The completion of the Firm's debut European portfolio its UK Industrial and Logistics portfolio - is the first step in the Firm's ambition to build on its success in the US, where it is one of the biggest international real estate investors. The European strategy, which aims to create a portfolio of income generating assets for investors, was launched in 2016. Following this acquisition, Investcorp's European real estate investment already exceeds $100 million. Investcorp will continue to explore multiple other European strategies, targeting income generating assets across various sectors and European geographies. Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman of Investcorp, said: "As we embark on our next phase of growth, I am pleased that our European real estate team is making significant progress in building out its property portfolio. This deal is further evidence of the momentum we're creating in this important pillar of our growth strategy. The strength of our global network combined with our local expertise provides Investcorp with a leading edge in sourcing and originating real estate deals across Europe, providing the potential for long-term attractive returns for our investors." Neil Hasson, Managing Director in Investcorp's Real Estate Investment division in Europe, said: "We are delighted to announce the completion of our first European real estate portfolio, following the addition of these seven assets in the UK. The portfolio is well-positioned to benefit from the growing demand for industrial and logistics assets in the UK and the sector's strong, underlying fundamentals. Today's announcement highlights the success and competitiveness of our recently formed European team and puts us in a strong position for the year ahead." Investcorp's third real estate investment consists of a portfolio of seven industrial properties across the UK, for a total purchase price of approximately 40m. The portfolio of properties forms part of Investcorp's UK industrial and logistics programme, which made its first acquisitions in June of this year. The new investment consists of single- and multi-let assets in the UK industrial and logistics sectors. The investment announced today comprises approximately 700,000 sq ft across three single let distribution warehouses and four multi-let light industrial properties. The properties are located in High Wycombe, Leeds, South Elmsall, Liverpool, Warrington, Glasgow and Edinburgh, have a very high level of occupancy rate with more than 40 tenants including many well established occupiers. The investment has been made in partnership with Citivale, a UK-based asset manager. About Investcorp Investcorp is a leading global provider and manager of alternative investments, offering such investments to its high-net-worth private and institutional clients on a global basis. Led by a new vision, Investcorp has embarked on an ambitious, albeit prudent, growth strategy. The Firm continues to focus on generating investor and shareholder value through a disciplined investment approach in four lines of business: corporate investment, real estate, alternative investment solutions and credit management. As at June 30, 2017, the Investcorp Group had $21.3 billion in total AUM, including assets managed by third party managers and assets subject to a non-discretionary advisory mandate where Investcorp receives fees calculated on the basis of AUM. Since its inception in 1982, Investcorp has made over 170 corporate investments in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East and North Africa region, including Turkey, across a range of sectors including retail and consumer products, technology, business services and industrials, and more than 450 commercial and residential real estate investments in the U.S., for in excess of $55 billion in transaction value. Investcorp employs approximately 390 people across its offices in Bahrain, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, and Singapore. It is publicly traded on the Bahrain Bourse (INVCORP). For further information, including our most recent periodic financial statements, which details our assets under management, please visit: www.investcorp.com. SOURCE Investcorp Related Links http://www.investcorp.com NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IPONWEB, an industry pioneer and world leader in the development of 1st-party media trading systems and infrastructure, announced today that Brian Fitzpatrick has been appointed General Manager of its Demand business unit. In this role, Fitzpatrick will be responsible for defining and executing the global strategy for IPONWEB's Demand Side platform business, which currently services DSPs, agencies, and brand advertisers across North America, EMEA, and APAC. Operating out of the company's London office and reporting to CEO, Boris Mouzykantskii, Fitzpatrick will oversee all operations for the Demand business unit, including sales, marketing, product, and technology. Widely considered one of London's digital veterans, Fitzpatrick has been involved in digital media since 1995, having worked as one of the first media buyers at Mediacom London, before moving on to leadership roles at Game UK Ltd and Lycos Europe. Prior to IPONWEB, Brian served as managing director for the European business of Adap.tv, where he oversaw the growth of agency, network and publisher partnerships and managed the transition following AOL's acquisition in 2013. Brian also served as European Managing Director of the Media Innovation Group at WPP, which became the first and largest agency trading desk and laid the groundwork for what eventually became Xaxis. Of the appointment, Mouzykantskii said: "Brian's strong and tenured background in digital media and long history of servicing enterprise demand partners will accelerate IPONWEB's ability to deliver on the increasingly complex challenges our clients face. He has a proven track record of pushing innovation in media and will play a pivotal role in enhancing our strategic vision and growth among agencies, advertisers, and DSPs globally." Fitzpatrick added, "The digital media industry is still in its infancy and currently experiencing some major growing pains as advertisers and agencies struggle to come to terms with the issues of trust and transparency. While the application of technology to support the supply chain has been a positive force in general, it has left some in the industry confused about its true effectiveness. IPONWEB is already working with some of the most forward thinking businesses in the industry to develop solutions that help to streamline the media buying process making it more effective and efficient." About IPONWEB: IPONWEB is an industry pioneer and world leader in the engineering and operation of highly customized, real-time media trading systems for publishers, advertisers, agencies and innovative technology companies. With more than 12 years' experience driving innovation in the ad exchange and real-time technology space, IPONWEB is the 'behind the scenes' technology provider that many of the world's leading industry players rely on to successfully power their media and data businesses. Visit www.iponweb.com to learn more. SOURCE IPONWEB Related Links http://www.iponweb.com (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/587546/Lars_Janitz_itelligence.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/587545/Norbert_Rotter_itelligence.jpg ) The joint itelligence and AWS solutions include complete migrations of SAP S/4HANA and other SAP solutions to AWS and fully managed services by itelligence on AWS. As a starting point and for special scenarios, proofs of concepts on any SAP solution with AWS services are available. Norbert Rotter, President and CEO of itelligence AG and NTT DATA Business Solutions: "Companies are being challenged to take the lead when it comes to digitalizing their business and are looking for reliable methods to migrate their workloads running in SAP software to public and hybrid cloud solutions. Our focus on SAP software, including SAP S/4HANA migrations and managed cloud solutions, along with our work with AWS, supports faster deployments to the cloud and helps accelerate customers' digital transformations." The solutions will enable clients to seamlessly integrate AWS services into their strategy for running SAP software and run end-to-end managed services for SAP S/4HANA on AWS. For web-focused eCommerce platforms like SAP Hybris Commerce, itelligence and AWS provide a joint solution with increased flexibility. Options of packaged proofs of concepts and smooth switching between itelligence and AWS enable customers to quickly see their future state and to free up valuable resources to focus on innovation. Lars Janitz, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Managed Services at itelligence AG: "With the ever-increasing relevance of SAP S/4HANA in both public and hybrid cloud solutions, our clients are expecting secure, hybrid, hyperscale solutions. This exciting collaboration between itelligence and AWS joins hyperscale cloud capabilities and expertise in SAP S/4HANA. itelligence brings full end-to-end managed services for SAP S/4HANA on AWS." Additionally, itelligence is standardizing on AWS for business continuity/disaster recovery (DR) strategy. This enables customers to use AWS to mitigate their disaster risk for workloads running on SAP software inside their data centers with full support from itelligence. At the same time, itelligence can provide additional DR capabilities, combined with its own data center services, in more countries. Bas Kamphuis, General Manager, Amazon Web Services, Inc.: "We are very excited to see our relationship with itelligence develop to the state that it is today. Thousands of customers have benefitted from the itelligence deep expertise and customer outcome-based focus for decades. Customers are now able to leverage these itelligence strengths and assets to help them accelerate their journey to a digital enterprise on AWS." "As a publicly traded company and a leader in the design, manufacture and supply of water flow and control products for use in the 'behind the wall' plumbing industry, Reliance Worldwide Corporation (RWC) is continuously striving to implement innovative, secure and scalable solutions to enhance its risk management and business operations. We leverage the latest technological advancements to help us ensure business continuity and increase productivity across the globe," said Simon Woods, Global Vice President of Information Services at RWC. "As part of RWC's Information Management Systems optimization strategy, we have chosen itelligence as our trusted Managed Services partner for our enterprise system migration (SAP) to AWS. The scalability and performance advantages of running on the itelligence cloud-based AWS platform will assist RWC as we focus on multiple avenues of future growth." About RWC RWC is a global provider of water control systems and plumbing solutions for domestic, commercial and industrial applications, including its SharkBite PTC Plumbing Solutions, the labor-saving substitute for traditional crimpandexpand PEX systems and copper solder fittings. The majority of current PTC sales are into the maintenance, repair and renovation end markets. With its launch of the EvoPEX PTC system this year, RWC also entered the residential new construction market in North America, a sector where it has also expanded as a result of the Holdrite acquisition. About itelligence itelligence is one of the leading international full-service providers of solutions in support of SAP solutions, employing about 7,000 highly qualified employees in 24 countries. As a frequently awarded SAP partner, itelligence is an SAP Hybris Gold partner and global value-added reseller. itelligence is an SAP-certified provider of cloud services and an SAP platinum partner. itelligence realizes complex projects in the SAP solution-based environment worldwide. The company's services in support of SAP solutions range from consulting and licensing to application management services and hosting services to proprietary industry-specific solutions. In 2016, itelligence generated total sales of EUR 777.9 million. https://itelligencegroup.com/de/global-blog/cloud-technology-global-blog/managing-the-cloud-part-1-how-cloud-strategies-are-changing/ Learn more about itelligence at itelligencegroup.com/us/ Follow itelligence on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/itelligence-north-america Follow itelligence on Facebook: facebook.com/itelligenceUS Follow itelligence on Twitter: twitter.com/itelligence_US Read our blog: itelligencegroup.com/us/news-and-insights/local-blog/ SAP, SAP HANA, SAP S/4HANA, Hybris, and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. See http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx for additional trademark information and notices. International Media Head of Corporate Public Relations itelligence AG Silvia Dicke itelligence AG Konigsbreede 1 D-33605 Bielefeld E: [email protected] T: +49-(0)-521-914-48-107 W: http://itelligencegroup.com/de/ SOURCE itelligence AG "My team and I work every day to serve as trusted advisors and partners to our clients, and help them achieve their financial goals through personalized wealth management strategies and long-term plans," said Jeffrey Fratarcangeli. "Being ranked among the top wealth advisors in the U.S. by industry publications multiple times this year is an honor, and we believe it is a testament to our commitment to our clients and providing them with excellent financial service." Fratarcangeli also was named one of the Top 1,200 financial advisors[2] in the United States by Barron's, a financial magazine, in 2013, 2014, 2016 and most recently 2017, and was included in Financial Times' Top 400 Advisors[3]. Fratarcangeli and team manage more than $750 million in assets as of October 1, 2017 and service accounts ranging from $1 100 million. Clients include high net-worth families, athletes and entertainers, publicly traded companies, foundations, government agencies and many more. The practice is comprised of 11 individuals with more than 100 years of combined experience, and has strong philanthropic ties. To learn more about Jeffrey Fratarcangeli and Fratarcangeli Wealth Management, visit www.fratarcangeliwealthmanagement.com or call 248.385.5050. About Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network For 15 years, Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, the independent brokerage arm of Wells Fargo & Co, has simplified independence by partnering with successful financial advisors and fostering a mutual passion for doing what's right for clients. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network has grown to operate nationwide with 1,404 owners and advisors in 660 practices administering over $95.3 billion in client assets. Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC Member SIPC, a separate registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. www.wfafinet.com Fratarcangeli Wealth Management is a separate entity from Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network. Investment and Insurance products: Not Insured by FDIC or any Federal Government Agency MAY Lose Value Not a Deposit of or Guaranteed by a Bank or Any Bank Affiliate [1] Ranking algorithm based on industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC, which does not receive compensation from the advisors or their firms in exchange for placement on ranking. Investment performance is not criteria. [2] The rankings are based on data provided by thousands of advisors. Factors include in the rankings were assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record and client retention. [3] Rankings are based on data provided by investment firms. Factors include assets under management, experience, industry certifications, online accessibility and compliance record. Investment performance and financial advisor production are not explicit components. SOURCE Fratarcangeli Wealth Management Related Links http://www.fratarcangeliwealthmanagement.com JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Haskell, one of the leading global architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and consulting firms, continued its leadership succession announcing today that John Paul Saenz has been appointed Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO). The appointment of a new COO was expected as former COO Jim O'Leary was appointed President last month. O'Leary succeeded Steve Halverson who continues to serve as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Saenz joined Haskell in 1997 assuming progressive roles of responsibility including today's appointment to COO. During his 20 years with the company, Saenz has held several key positions starting as a Project Manager and most recently serving as a Group President. Saenz is credited with establishing Haskell's footprint in the Latin America Region. He guided Haskell's largest market, the Food and Beverage Division, to double digit growth and profitability. Most recently as Consumer and Packaged Goods (CPG) Group President, he was strategically involved with successful acquisitions that have globalized and transformed Haskell's capabilities to provide fully integrated EPC (Engineer Procure Construct) delivery capabilities to both longstanding and new clients. "The privilege to work across the enterprise and support all groups and every Haskell employee is a responsibility I take seriously," said Saenz. "Haskell has given me every opportunity to thrive and I want to ensure that same opportunity to my colleagues and our clients." O'Leary served as COO for the past five years. The Haskell succession plan for executive leadership has been a two-year initiative to interview and evaluate the right team to lead the organization in the new era of project delivery. "By any measure John Paul is a proven and innovative leader for Haskell," said O'Leary. "He is an essential contributor to my executive team as we continue to grow our enterprise, strengthen our culture and provide our clients with unmatched service." Saenz graduated from Georgia Tech with a bachelor's degree in construction and civil engineering. He has a master's degree from the University of Florida and has completed executive education at The University of Chicago School of Business. He is a Certified General Contractor (CGC) and LEED-AP who is committed to personal and professional development. He serves with several civic and professional organizations including University of Florida's MBA Advisory Board, the Cathedral Arts Project, and the Riverside Presbyterian Day School Board of Trustees. With Saenz appointment to EVP/COO, Mike Woods has been promoted to CPG Group President. Mike joined Haskell as a Civil Engineer Intern (Associate) in 1998 and has since held roles including Assistant Project Manager, Assistant Superintendent, Superintendent, Quality Manager, Project Manager, Senior Project Manager and Project Director before becoming the CPG Group Vice President of Construction. His experience includes running very complex and successful projects both domestic and global including Haskell's first Asia-based project dating back to 2008. Under Woods' leadership, Haskell has made significant advancements in operational excellence and positive impacts to staffing, training, safety, project delivery and profitability. Woods holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Florida. Concurrent with Woods' promotion, Luis Jimenez assumes the role of Vice President/Group Director of Construction for CPG. Jimenez began his career with Haskell as a Project Manager in 1998 and quickly moved to Director of Operations for Latin America before becoming Vice President in 2006. His leadership has built a very talented team and strong client relationships with well-known multi-national customers in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Jimenez obtained his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia, and is a professional Civil Engineer in Colombia. Jimenez will continue to oversee Haskell's Latin America Operations. About Haskell Haskell delivers Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) and Consulting solutions to assure certainty of outcome for complex capital projects worldwide. Haskell is a global, fully integrated, single source design-build and EPC firm with 1,352 highly specialized, in-house design, construction and administrative professionals across industrial and commercial market sectors including Consumer & Packaged Goods; Federal, Healthcare & Energy; and Infrastructure & Transportation. With $1 billion+/- in annual revenue and 20+ office locations around the globe, Haskell (as well as its family of specialized brands Benham, FreemanWhite, Catalyst, Seiberling and H.R. Gray) is a trusted partner for global and emerging clients. SOURCE Haskell Online Platform Gives Accredited Investors No-Load Access to Institutional-Quality Real Estate Managed by One of the Nation's Largest Commercial Real Estate Companies The First Offering will be KBS Growth & Income REIT with a Targeted Asset Value of $1 Billion to $1.2 Billion NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- KBS, one of the nation's largest and most respected commercial real estate companies and ranked by National Real Estate Investor as the 11th largest commercial real estate company in the United States as of April 20, 2017, today debuted its direct-access online platform KBSDirect.com for accredited investors and advisors to invest in KBS Growth & Income REIT, a professionally managed portfolio of institutional-quality commercial real estate properties, with no load or upfront fees to investors. To date, the REIT already has three equity properties valued at approximately $150.4 million. KBS created KBSDirect.com to provide accredited investors and advisors the opportunity to invest directly in KBS Growth & Income REIT, a tax-efficient vehicle with access to risk-adjusted return profiles similar to those enjoyed by KBS's institutional clients for more than 25 years. With its 100% no-load feature and investor-aligned structure, KBS Growth & Income REIT provides accredited investors and advisors with a real estate investment vehicle that seeks to comply with the U.S. Department of Labor's Fiduciary Rule. "Across almost every investment sector, online platforms have increased transparency and reduced transaction costs," commented KBS Chairman Peter Bren. "KBSDirect.com will save time for advisors and investors and opens a simplified, user-friendly direct investment portal. This technology is a mega-shift in the investment universe and makes KBS's longstanding value proposition even more rapidly accessible and appealing to advisors and accredited investors with no upfront loads or commissions to investors." The first investment opportunity on the KBSDirect.com portal is KBS Growth & Income REIT Inc., a public reporting, non-traded real estate investment trust with a targeted asset value of $1 billion to $1.2 billion. KBS CEO Chuck Schreiber said KBSDirect.com has leading-edge technology to eliminate upfront fees and commissions to investors. "The innovative structure of KBS Growth & Income REIT offered on KBSDirect.com ensures that 100% of the investor's capital will be invested directly into the REIT," Schreiber said. "KBSDirect.com is consistent with our 25-year commitment to deliver investment products that are aligned with the best interests of our investors and that capitalize on our deep expertise and established track record in local real estate markets nationwide. KBS, a national real estate company, will be one of the first institutional-grade sponsors to offer investors and advisors the opportunity to invest directly, through KBS' online portal, in real estate investments similar to those that have been made available to KBS institutional investors for more than 25 years. These include public pension funds, corporate pension funds and sovereign wealth funds." Through KBSDirect.com, accredited investors can invest in commercial real estate managed by KBS and its experienced national teams of investment and operational professionals. KBS is one of the largest commercial real estate companies in the United States with transactional volume from the organization's inception of approximately $35 billion. KBS currently operates and manages 40.2 million square feet of office space with an aggregate value of approximately $11 billion. Accredited investors in KBS Growth & Income REIT have the opportunity to participate in KBS' national real estate platform, which targets well-located assets in markets with strong population and job growth. To date, KBS Growth & Income REIT has acquired three well-located office buildings with an estimated value of $150.4 million in Irvine, CA, Houston, TX and Portland, OR with additional properties in various stages of due diligence review. KBS Growth & Income REIT is currently in the final stages of due diligence with respect to the purchase of a seven-story Class A office building located in Chicago, IL with a contract purchase price of $43.5 million. Upon closing this acquisition, the estimated value of KBS Growth & Income REIT's real estate portfolio would be $193.9 million. "KBS has national acquisition and asset management teams focused on creating value for our investors," Schreiber said. "Through renovations, creative leasing programs, and outstanding brokerage relationships, our teams have been able to identify well-located properties and actively manage them in a way that seeks to benefit both our tenants and our investors. Through the KBSDirect.com portal we are offering these opportunities to accredited investors seeking a tax-efficient real estate portfolio with a national footprint." About KBSDirect.com KBSDirect.com is an online portal that empowers accredited investors and advisors to invest directly in professionally managed institutional-quality real estate portfolios with access similar to KBS's institutional investors and partners. KBSDirect.com's first direct share offering is KBS Growth & Income REIT, a $500 million offering conducted under Rule 506(c) of Regulation D. Investors pay no up-front sales commissions and all investors' funds go directly into real estate. KBS Growth and Income REIT is sponsored by KBS, which formed its first investment advisor in 1992 and is ranked by National Real Estate Investor as the 11th largest commercial real estate company in the United States as of April 20, 2017. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The foregoing includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Federal Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The REIT intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the REIT and members of its management team, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based, and generally are identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "seeks," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "plans," "intends," "should" or similar expressions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The REIT undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time, unless required by law. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. The REIT makes no representation or warranty (express or implied) about the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on a number of assumptions involving the judgment of management. There are no guarantees as to the ability of the REIT to raise its targeted offering proceeds of $500 million or the ability for the REIT to achieve its targeted $1 billion to $1.2 billion asset value and these targets may not reflect actual performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Achieving such targets will depend on the ability of the REIT to raise money through KBSDirect.com and the real estate and financial markets. Although the REIT has structured an investment in its shares to help ERISA plan fiduciaries and IRA owners comply with the DOL Fiduciary Rule, the REIT makes no representations as to the appropriateness of an investment in the REIT's shares for such investors and the REIT is not providing investment advice. ERISA plan fiduciaries and IRA owners should consult with counsel before making an investment in the REIT's shares. The REIT does not provide tax advice and does not represent in any matter that an investment in the REIT's shares will result in any particular tax consequence. Prospective investors should consult with their personal tax advisors regarding the tax consequences based on their particular circumstances. The REIT does not assume responsibility for the tax consequences for any investors of an investment in the REIT's shares. The REIT can provide no assurance with respect to the closing of any properties currently under due diligence review. Forward-looking statements also depend on various factors, including those identified in Part I, Item 1A of the REIT's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the SEC on March 9, 2017, and in Part II, Item 1A of the REIT's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, filed with the SEC on August 10, 2017. Additional Information In addition, KBS may sponsor a public offering, pursuant to Regulation A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. No money or other consideration is being solicited at this time with respect to such offering, and if sent in response to these materials for such an offering, it will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received for an offering under Regulation A until an offering statement is qualified by the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date. An indication of interest made by a prospective investor in a Regulation A offering is non-binding and involves no obligation or commitment of any kind. SOURCE KBS Related Links http://www.kbsdirect.com WIXOM, Mich., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars of the future always will be more intelligent and they also will be able to drive autonomously. Kiekert, the technology leader in automotive locking systems, is developing intelligent products for the future to support the "Autonomous Driving" trend, as well as other trends. With its "autonomous door" concept, Kiekert has taken a decisive step in this direction: a combination of the latest Kiekert technologies and innovationsthe Kiekert NuEntry electric door latch, Kiekert's i-protect and i-move. In the future, these innovations will intelligently control access into vehicles, prevent unnecessary dents and scratches on vehicle doors, and help them to completely prevent injuries to pedestrians and other vehicles. Kiekert's vision for car doors of the future is based on more than 100 years of research and development work. Celebrating its 160th anniversary this year, the German auto supplier has grown from a small local business to a global partner for the industry's leading automakers. In its 160-year history, Kiekert has developed and produced well over 1.9 billion latches for the international automotive industry and managed to provide innovative safety, comfort and efficiency solutions: starting with the mechanical latch up to the modern electric access NuEntry-Latch, and from micro actuators for locking and unlocking functions to the electrical comfort actuator for side doors -- i-move. The automotive supplier's latest product solutions also include the electromagnetic brake system i-protect with dynamic environment recognition. Kiekert currently is combining these three technologies into the autonomous door, which raises access to the vehicle to a new level. With Kiekert's vision of the autonomous door, entering a car becomes much more convenient: the NuEntry electric door latch allows automatic opening of the vehicle door using a fingertip or even digital devices (e.g. smartphones). An important step towards the self-opening door is Kiekert's i-move, which allows automatic opening and completes the closing process. The opening process of the door is completed with the Kiekert i-protect, a modernized sensor system for dynamic field recognition coupled with an innovative door brake system. Kiekert's NuEntry-Latch Kiekert's NuEntry-Latch eliminates the need for door handles, reducing the weight and complexity of locking systems, while improving door design. Kiekert's NuEntry-Latch allows use of the latest technologies, such as outdoor touch sensors or smartphones. Kiekert's NuEntry-Latch has a modular full mechanical redundancy (TCR), which allows the latch to retain complete functionality, even in the event of a power failure. Kiekert i-protect The latest Kiekert i-protect prototype utilizes a modernized sensor system for environmental identification and an innovative door brake system to detect dynamic obstacles in the vicinity of the door. An innovative door brake system electromechanically stops the car door in front of the obstacle, if required, with an accuracy of one centimeter. Troubles when getting in and out of the car due to narrow parking spaces, garages, parsers or inattentive traffic, as well as costly scratches and dents, will be a thing of the past. Kiekert i-move Kiekert's i-move "intelligent movement" system provides a comfortable, automatically driven opening and closing action for the car door, similar to automated opening and closing of rear hatches. Pressing a button in the vehicle starts the process of door movement, opening up a new dimension of comfort for all ages. Kiekert maintains a development and manufacturing center in Wixom, Michigan, that serves as the company's lead engineering and program management center for the NAFTA region. Together with a sister plant in Mexico, the Wixom location is responsible for more than $250 million in annual revenue. Recent improvements have nearly tripled production at the Wixom plant from 350,000 door-latch modules in 2013 to more than one million units last year. About Kiekert AG www.kiekert.com Based in Heiligenhaus, Germany, Kiekert AG was founded in 1857 and is the worldwide market leader in automotive locking systems. With more than 6,500 employees in eight production, six development and three sales centers in 10 countries, Kiekert develops, produces and sells tailor-made customer solutions. Turnover for the 2017 business year will be over 1 billion dollars. In 2017, Kiekert celebrates the company's 160th anniversary. As the lead engineering and program management center for the NAFTA region, Kiekert's Wixom location and its sister plant in Mexico are responsible for more than $250 million in annual revenue. Today Kiekert has a market share of 25 percent in the NAFTA region. SOURCE Kiekert AG Related Links http://www.kiekert.com JAKARTA, Indonesia, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- KinerjaPay Corp., (OTCQB: KPAY), a digital payment and eCommerce platform ("KinerjaPay") announced today the expansion of its Gift Card Center to allow international customers to purchase popular gift cards by accepting the Bitcoin currency for transactions conducted on its proprietary KinerjaPay platform. Bitcoin is a digital currency created in 2009 that offers the promise of lower transaction fees than traditional online payment services and is operated by a decentralized authority, unlike government-issued currencies. Bitcoin's market capitalization - the total number of coins in circulation multiplied by the price - has reached US$73.5 billion in 2016, a record high, according to a Coinmarketcap data published report. A joint report from ARK Invest and Coinbase estimates that more than 10 million people world-wide hold and use a material amount of bitcoin currency. Edwin Ng, Chairman and CEO of KinerjaPay Corp. stated, "We are now offering Bitcoin owners the opportunity to use the digital currency on our established eCommerce platform. For example, people in China, India, Europe, U.S. or anywhere can use their Bitcoin to buy an Amazon Gift Card from KinerjaPay (http://bit.ly/kgiftcard) and then use the Gift Card on Amazon at any time. As an eCommerce platform, our Gift Card Center can serve as a digital voucher for many popular brands in international commerce and evidences KinerjaPay's evolving and innovative means to meet the demand in the growing eCommerce market." Our gift cards, which are offered and sold in amounts ranging from $10 to $100 and are delivered to our customers electronically via email, enable our customers to make purchases using KinerjaPay's eCommerce market. KinerjaPay will receive an average margin ranging from 5% and 8%. Mr. Ng further stated that "by offering this service, KinerjaPay has become a virtual global distribution center allowing Bitcoin customers world-wide to buy anything on an eCommerce platform. I am confident that our international customers will take advantage of this service thus adding more revenue stream to KinerjaPay." About KinerjaPay KinerjaPay enables consumers to "Pay, Play and Buy" through its secure web portal and mobile applications. Based in Indonesia, the Company provides an easy and convenient payment solution while shopping online at its marketplace platform. With its current omni-channel platform, users can perform various payment services such as credit card bill payment, utility, phone bill, healthcare insurance and direct transfer to anyone at their convenience. KinerjaPay is also planning to launch other eCommerce verticals such as travel market, delivery services, and online gaming in the near future. The Company's services are available through its mobile applications and on its website at http://www.kinerjapay.com. Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements, about KPAY's expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding, among other things, its product development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or prospects. In addition, from time to time, KPAY or its representatives have made or may make forward-looking statements, orally or in writing. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "may," "should" or "anticipate" or their negatives or other variations of these words or other comparable words or by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. These forward-looking statements may be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made by KPAY with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases or oral statements made by or with the approval of one of KPAY's authorized executive officers. Forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results as of the date they are made. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause KPAY's actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause KPAY 's actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the factors summarized in KPAY 's filings with the SEC. In addition, KPAY operates in an industry sector where securities values are highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond its control. KPAY does not undertake any obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Please see the risk factors associated with an investment in our securities which are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 11, 2016. For more information, please visit our website http://www.kinerjapay.co. There you will find access to all of our past press releases and SEC filings regarding the activities discussed in this letter. Media Contact: KinerjaPay Corp. Email: [email protected] +62-8229-777-0098 SOURCE KinerjaPay Corp. NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Legal-Bay LLC, The Pre Settlement Funding Company, announced today that they can now begin accepting applications for clients that need a pre-settlement advance (not a lawsuit loan) and law firms who need surgical funding capital for their clients throughout Tennessee. Tennessee is one of a few states that have adopted regulation requirements within the legal finance industry, which Legal-Bay says is a positive initiative for both plaintiffs and lawsuit funding companies alike. Legal-Bay is a leader in origination of pre-settlement funding services for plaintiffs, direct attorney referrals, medical providers, and brokers. Today's announcement enables the company to service each of these lines of business again throughout the state with a focus on the Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville markets while providing rates in line with Tennessee regulation. Legal-Bay's core funding cases in Tennessee include car and semi tractor trailer truck accidents, wrongful termination cases, sexual harassment and abuse cases, discrimination, FELA cases, slip and fall cases, premise liability, product liability, bad pharmaceutical drugs, construction accidents, and all personal injury cases where the plaintiff has already retained an attorney. Chris Janish, CEO of Legal-Bay commented on the deal, "We are happy to be able to service the Tennessee market which is a major thoroughfare for 18-wheeler truckers from Texas through Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York where we see a lot of serious car and truck accidents. We support the Tennessee regulation as a fair balance for all parties, especially for law firms that have clients who don't have insurance and need surgical funding instead of letter of protection transactions with medical providers. These plaintiffs will no longer be left in cold to get the medical treatment they need and obtain fair settlement value for their injuries." Plaintiffs across the country looking for fast pre-settlement lawsuit cash advance money to pay for expenses can apply online at: http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com Legal-Bay's programs are non-recourse lawsuit cash advances, also known as case funding, which means you only repay the settlement advance if you win your case. None of the programs should be considered to be a lawsuit loan, lawsuit loans, settlement loans, settlement loan, pre-settlement loans, or a pre-settlement loan. To apply, go to the company's website and fill out a pre-application. Once this information is received, a sales agent will call you back promptly to answer any of your questions and provide you with a free case evaluation. Click here to apply now: http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com or to speak with a live agent you can call the company's new applicant hotline at: 877.571.0405. SOURCE Legal-Bay LLC Related Links http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com STAINES-UPON-THAMES, United Kingdom, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt plc (NYSE: MNK), a leading global specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced the results of an analysis of the clinical and economic burden of hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) in the United States. The data were presented in a poster session at The Liver Meeting 2017, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, held Oct. 20-24, 2017 in Washington, D.C. The study, "The Clinical and Economic Toll Associated with Hepatorenal Syndrome from a Hospital Perspective in the United States: 2009-2015" assessed the real-world clinical outcomes and U.S. hospital costs and resource use of treating HRS. Researchers performed a retrospective, longitudinal analysis of the CERNER HealthFacts electronic health record (EHR) database covering adult patients hospitalized between 2009 and 2015 with an HRS diagnosis. The study also reviewed clinical staging and laboratory data to assess the impact of the disease. Of the 2,542 patients with HRS in the analysis, 1,571 were male (61.8 percent) and 971 were female (38.2 percent). Real-world hospital costs of HRS treatment in a non-trial setting have not been previously documented prior to this analysis. "HRS is a serious condition that often requires hospitalizations and is associated with high mortality. As such, patients suffering from HRS represent a significant cost burden for the U.S. healthcare system," said Tunde Otulana, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Mallinckrodt. "Approval of new treatments that can reduce hospital length of stay, hemodialysis and readmissions could potentially reduce the clinical and economic burden of HRS." The primary cost and clinical drivers for HRS patients included length of stay, hemodialysis, and discharge to a nursing facility. Key findings include: Overall, the average length of stay for patients suffering from HRS was 29 days and total hospitalization cost per patient was $91,504 . . During the initial hospitalization, the HRS mortality rate was 36.9 percent and an additional 8.9 percent of patients were discharged to hospice. Average cost of hospitalization for patients who died was $106,288 versus an average of $85,568 for those patients who survived. versus an average of for those patients who survived. The hospital readmission rate for patients with HRS was 28 percent, of which 12 percent were unplanned readmissions and 16 percent were planned readmissions. Patients with unplanned readmissions had an average total cost of care of $92,154 , compared to an average of $73,616 for patients with planned readmissions. , compared to an average of for patients with planned readmissions. Using the Child-Turcotte-Pugh classification for severity of cirrhosis, the average hospitalization cost for patients with class B was $65,122 per patient, rising to $103,763 for those patients with class C. per patient, rising to for those patients with class C. Average cost per patient increased from $70,676 for patients with grade 1 to $112,191 for patients with grade 3 as stratified by the patient's acute-on-chronic liver failure grade, which is determined by a chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment. Limitations: This study relied primarily on ICD-9 codes in the EHR; coding misclassification could lead to inaccurate case identification. Cost data were available in about one quarter (25.1 percent) of the study patients; hence cost estimates may be less complete. The study results may not be generalizable to all U.S. hospitals though CERNER HealthFacts is one of the largest EHR databases in the country, accounting for over 500 healthcare facilities across the U.S. The poster is available on the Mallinckrodt website. About Hepatorenal Syndrome HRS is characterized by rapid, progressive functional renal failure and has a very poor prognosis, with >80 percent mortality within three months. HRS is a rare syndrome of marked renal dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis, decompensated liver disease and portal hypertension. At present, there are no approved drug therapies for HRS type 1 in the U.S. or Canada. The only curative treatment for HRS type 1 and the underlying end-stage cirrhosis is liver transplantation. However, many patients will not survive long enough to receive a liver transplant. ABOUT MALLINCKRODT Mallinckrodt is a global business that develops, manufactures, markets and distributes specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. Areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, nephrology, pulmonology and ophthalmology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; and analgesics and hemostasis products. The company's core strengths include the acquisition and management of highly regulated raw materials and specialized chemistry, formulation and manufacturing capabilities. The company's Specialty Brands segment includes branded medicines and its Specialty Generics segment includes specialty generic drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients and external manufacturing. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com . Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website. CONTACTS Media Rhonda Sciarra Senior Communications Manager 908-238-6765 [email protected] Meredith Fischer Chief Public Affairs Officer 314-654-3318 [email protected] Investor Relations Coleman N. Lannum, CFA Senior Vice President, Investor Strategy and IRO 314-654-6649 [email protected] Daniel J. Speciale, CPA Director, Investor Relations 314-654-3638 [email protected] SOURCE Mallinckrodt plc Related Links http://www.mallinckrodt.com WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) today announced the 2017 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Award winners. This year the Agency honored 15 minority business enterprises (MBEs), businesses leaders and advocates for their leadership, commitment and excellence in advancing the interests and the economic achievements of the minority business community. For more than 30 years, MBDA has observed National MED Week by convening award winners, key business leaders, influencers, MBEs and advocates during a week-long celebration. MBDA will once again lead the annual observance by hosting special MED Week programming and events during the 2017 National Minority Supplier Development Council Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange (NMSDC) Oct. 22-25 in Detroit. "MBDA is delighted to celebrate such a prestigious group of innovators, advocates and business leaders for their extraordinary efforts in contributing to the economic success of the minority business community and the U.S economy.Your entrepreneurial spirit symbolizes the best of America. We salute your accomplishments and the many years of hard work that you've dedicated to achieving your success," said MBDA Acting National Director Christopher Garcia. Since 1983, every U.S. president has issued a Presidential Proclamation designating National Minority Enterprise Development Week to recognize the contributions of the minority business community to the U.S. economy. This year, President Donald J. Trump proclaimed the 2017 National MED Week as Oct. 22-28. The following are the 2017 National Minority Enterprise Development Week Award Winners: Abe Venable Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement recognizes an individual who has played an integral role in the creative, technical or professional progress of minority business development over the course of their life. This year's award recipient is Carmen Castillo, President and CEO of SDI International Corp. SDI International is one of the largest certified diverse and woman-owned procurement outsourcing organizations in the world. Throughout her career, Castillo has worked diligently with local, regional and global non-governmental and trade organizations like the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Women's Business Enterprise National Council, the International Women's Entrepreneurial Challenge, the International Trade Center, and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to facilitate the growth and development of the minority supply base. Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award, inspired by the late U.S. Secretary of Commerce, recognizes an individual who has shown exceptional leadership and achieved significant success in supporting diversity in the public or private sector. This year's award recipient is Dr. Frederick W. McKinney, Managing Director of Minority Business Programs for Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. McKinney has invested his career in helping minorities achieve economic self-sufficiency through inclusion in the national economy. He is also a long-time advocate for minority supplier development and corporate supplier diversity. Champions of Minority Business Development: Advocate of the Year Award is being presented to Chiling Tong, President and CEO of the National Asian Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ACE). ACE was founded in 2012 to promote and advocate on behalf of the 2 million API-owned firms, which generate over than $500B in annual revenue. Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award is being presented to the California Water Service (Cal Water). Cal Water is the largest investor-owned American water utility west of the Mississippi River and the third largest in the country. Formed in 1926, the San Jose-based company serves more than 477,900 customers through 28 Customer and Operations Centers throughout the state. Since Program Manager Jose Espinoza assumed the supplier diversity program manager position in 2014, Cal Water has consistently exceeded the 21.5% supplier diversity goal by including diverse supplier proposals for every competitive sourcing proposal. The Access to Capital Award is being presented is being presented to Erin Andrew, Managing Director of Live Oak Bank in Wilmington, NC. Live Oak Bank is a nation-wide bank that provides financial solutions to small businesses. Andrew is a results-driven management, finance, project management, and implementation expert who enjoys identifying solutions to pending public policy and process management challenges. Minority-Owned Firms: Minority Construction Firm of the Year is being presented to Trice Construction Company. Founded in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois, Trice Construction Company built a strong reputation for safety, performance and exceptional customer service in the concrete construction industry. Trice is a recognized leader in concrete construction with a specialization in electric and gas utilities, commercial markets, and the public sector. Minority Export Firm of the Year is being presented to Natural Vitamins Laboratory. With 25 years of experience in supplying natural health products to industry partners worldwide, NVL is operates from a 95,000-sq. ft. facility in Opa Locka, Fla. that is equipped with a manufacturing practices system and fully automated packaging machinery that allows precision and error minimization, resulting in high speed production. Minority Manufacturing Firm of the Year is being presented to Vista Color. Since 1968, Vista Color has been a trendsetter in the graphic arts industry. With its past deeply rooted in high quality printing, Vista Color has evolved into an industry leader specializing in folding cartons. They serve many diverse industries, including pharmaceutical, food, and private label. Minority Energy Firm of the Year is being presented to Polymer Technologies and Services, Inc. PTS works with plastic industry individuals to transform their throwaway scrap plastic into valuable raw material. PTS has a proven track record of providing long-term solutions in automotive, home care, and lawn care product lines. Minority Technology Firm of the Year is being presented to J&F Alliance Group. J&F Alliance Group is an IT company that specializes in customized augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality applications for military services and the Department of Defense. The company provides users with applications that increase safety awareness, work performance, comprehension, collaboration, and more. Minority Health Products and Services Firm of the Year is being presented to Vysnova Partners, Inc. Since 2012, Vysnova Partners, Inc. has teamed with federal agencies to develop and implement global public health initiatives. Because of their operating capabilities, they are currently supporting federal client programs in more than 15 countries to provide payroll, tax, and human resource operations. Minority Marketing and Communications Firm of the Year is being presented to CF Creative. CF Creative offers business consultancy and demand generation solutions that enable their clients to increase productivity, expand global footprints, and optimize performance. Minority Professional Services Firm of the Year is being presented to Pivotal Practices Consulting LLC. Pivotal supports organizational leaders in developing and implementing breakthrough talent leadership solutions that lead to fully engaged and inclusive workplaces. MBDA Minority Business Enterprise of the Year is being presented to Parrish McDonald's Restaurants Ltd. The company operates 23 restaurants with 1,088 employees with net sales of more than $63 million. The Dallas Business Journal ranks the organization the 9th-largest minority owned business in North Texas. Special Recognition Veteran-Owned Minority Firm of the Year is being presented to a minority veteran-owned enterprise with impressive business performance demonstrated by growth and job creation, and a commitment to social responsibility and community involvement. Indatech was co-founded by Bede Ramcharan, a retired Army colonel with over 22 years of global operation and leadership experience in peacetime and combat. Indatech has over 15 years in operation and continued service supporting the Warfighter, and the company's employee base is comprised of almost all military veterans. Under Ramcharan's leadership, Indatech was named the Top 2015 Fast Track Company in San Antonio, Texas with revenue Under $10 Million by the San Antonio Business Journal. The 2017 MED Week winners will be recognized by MBDA Acting National Director Christopher Garcia during the NMSDC Power Breakfast today in Detroit. About the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) MBDA, www.mbda.gov, is the only Federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of U.S. minority-owned businesses. Our programs and services better equip minority-owned firms to create jobs, build scale and capacity, increase revenues and expand regionally, nationally and internationally. Services are provided through a network of MBDA Business Centers. After 47 years of service, MBDA continues to be a dedicated strategic partner to all U.S. minority-owned businesses, committed to providing programs and services that provide greater access to capital, contracts and markets. Follow us on Twitter @usmbda Contact: Dijon Rolle Phone: (202) 482-1375 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mbda.gov Fax: (202) 482-5117 SOURCE Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Related Links http://www.mbda.gov BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LiveXLive Media, Inc. (OTC: LIVX) ("LiveXLive"), one of the only premium networks devoted to live music and music-related video content, announced today the appointment of Tim Spengler to LiveXLive's Board of Directors, effective September 27, 2017. Mr. Spengler has more than 25 years of experience working directly with marketers to drive business results through innovative approaches to media and has served on LiveXLive's advisory board since 2014. "We are excited to welcome a recognized media industry leader to our team," said Robert Ellin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LiveXLive. "Following our success in attracting more than four million viewers and eight million views to the recent Outside Lands and Rock In Rio festivals, Tim's substantial expertise in advertising and sponsorships will be very valuable in helping us to capitalize on our rapid audience growth, and I know he will be a tremendous addition to our Board of Directors," continued Mr. Ellin. "LiveXLive is at the intersection of streaming video, audio and enhanced technology at the perfect time," said Tim Spengler. "I am honored to be working with the impressive management team that Rob has built. LiveXLive is a leader in the evolving music ecosystem and I look forward to contributing to the Company's evolution as a member of the Board of Directors," continued Mr. Spengler. Mr. Spengler has served in senior leadership positions at media and advertising technology firms and in the music industry. Most recently Mr. Spengler served as the President and Chief Revenue Officer of Simulmedia, a company focused on data-optimized audience targeting for national TV advertising. Prior to that, he was President of Content Marketing and Revenue Strategy for iHeart Media, a leading multiplatform music company. Earlier in his career, Mr. Spengler served as a senior executive at IPG for nearly two decades, holding positions of increasing responsibility, including President, North America for Initiative from 2008 to 2012 and Worldwide Chief Executive Officer for MAGNA GLOBAL from 2012 to 2013. Mr. Spengler currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Hollywood Radio & Television Society and National Association of Television Program Executives. He is also on the advisory board of emerging media companies Influential Social and IgnitionOne. Mr. Spengler received his Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. Spengler is the fourth member of LiveXLive's Board of Directors and will serve with Chairman Robert Ellin and directors Jay Krigsman and Craig Foster. LiveXLive's Board of Directors now includes three independent directors. About LiveXLive Media, Inc. LiveXLive Media, Inc. ("LiveXLive Media") is home to premier video and audio media brands and technology assets that create a social media ecosystem for music, including the LiveXLive platform ("LiveXLive"). LiveXLive is one of the world's only premium streaming services devoted to live music and music-related video content, delivering live streamed and premium, on demand original content to nearly any internet-connected screen. Since its launch in 2015, LiveXLive has streamed performances from more than 200 of the world's most popular artists from some of music's most popular festivals, including Rock In Rio, Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, and Hangout Music Festival. LiveXLive Media's businesses also include event marketing and ticketing platform Wantickets and social media influencer venture LiveXLive Influencers. LiveXLive Media is headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA. Forward-Looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements." These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These factors include uncertainties as to the consummation of the proposed public offering and the proposed acquisitions of Slacker and Snap Interactive, identifying, acquiring, securing and developing content, ability to attract and retain users, successfully implementing LiveXLive Media's growth strategy, including relating to its technology platforms and applications, management's relationships with industry stakeholders, changes in economic conditions, competition, and other risks including, but not limited to, those described in LiveXLive Media's Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended, and its other filings and submissions with the SEC. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and LiveXLive Media disclaims any obligations to update these statements except as may be required by law. SOURCE LiveXLive Media, Inc. Related Links http://www.livexlive.com NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mesothelioma Victims Center says, "We have a targeted approach for a US Navy Veteran who has recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma that includes information on how to hire the nation's very best and qualified attorneys. The extremely qualified legal experts we suggest have resources and a proven history of producing the best compensation result for a navy sailor. US Navy Veteran "Our job is to do everything possible to place a US Navy Veteran with mesothelioma at the front of the line with respect to immediate access to some of the nation's most experienced and capable mesothelioma attorneys. "When it comes to a US Navy Veteran with mesothelioma receiving the best possible financial compensation, the skill and experience of the attorneys-matter as we would like to discuss anytime at 800-714-0303." http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com The Mesothelioma Victims Center fears that a significant percentage of the US Navy Veterans who will receive the heartbreaking news of a mesothelioma diagnosis this year will ultimately end up being shortchanged on compensation. The number one reason for this is because the Veteran or their family acted impulsively when it came to retaining-the services of a lawyer to assist with the financial claim; the use the word 'shortchanged' refers to the loss of two to four hundred thousand dollars in compensation that the Navy Veteran will never see. US Navy Veterans with mesothelioma or their family concerned about receiving the very best possible financial compensation are urged to call 800-714-0303 for on-the-spot access to some of the nation's most qualified mesothelioma attorneys who are the managing partner of their law firm and are experts when it comes to the best possible mesothelioma compensation for a US Navy Veteran with this rare cancer. http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com "Since World War II the United States Navy has had the most ships of any navy in the world. Because of technological changes the marine industry has seen since the 1950s, the Navy has had to keep modernizing ships to make certain they had an edge in warfare. To keep the ship up-to-date the navy would frequently place front-line ships in dry dock or shipyards for retrofits. Shipyard exposure to asbestos exposed sailors to asbestos at twice the rate that a sailor would have been exposed to while at sea or on patrol, as we would like to explain anytime at 800-714-0303." The US Navy has had the following classes of destroyers since the mid-1950s. Total 156 ships: If US Navy frigates are added to this list it is over 300 ships. For a list of all current and past US Navy ships please refer to the US Navy website: http://www.navy.mil/navydata/our_ships.asp. High-risk work groups for exposure to asbestos include Veterans of the US Navy, power plant workers, shipyard workers, steel mill workers, oil refinery workers, factory workers, plumbers, electricians, welders, pipefitters, millwrights, pipefitters, miners, auto mechanics, machinists, pulp or paper mill workers, printers, firemen, rail road workers and construction workers. In most instances people with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos in the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, or 1980's. http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com According to the CDC, the states indicated with the highest incidence of mesothelioma include Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Louisiana, Washington, and Oregon. However, based on the calls the Mesothelioma Victims Center receives a US Navy Veteran with confirmed mesothelioma could live in any state including New York, Florida, California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, or Alaska. For more information about mesothelioma please refer to the National Institutes of Health's web site related to this rare form of cancer: https://www.cancer.gov/types/mesothelioma. Media Contact: Michael Thomas 800-714-0303 [email protected] SOURCE Mesothelioma Victims Center Related Links http://mesotheliomavictimscenter.com TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services, announced the completion of a seagrass restoration demonstration project as part of a larger safety improvement program at Merritt Island Airport in Brevard County, Florida. The firm, in partnership with Sea and Shoreline, LLC; the Brevard Zoo; and Titusville Cocoa Airport Authority, harvested seagrass from the end of the airport's Runway 29, grew it in a nursery and replanted it at a one-acre seagrass island, known as the Rodney Thompson Seagrass Island, that was created as mitigation for unavoidable environmental impacts associated with the Merritt Island Airport Runway 11-29 Safety Area Improvements project. Striking the balance between safety and environmental protection was the top priority for Michael Baker during the runway safety area improvements project at Merritt Island Airport. The airport's 3,601-foot runway sits on a peninsula surrounded by the Banana River Aquatic Preserve, and between 1988 and 2014 experienced 34 incidents involving airplanes rolling off the runway and some into the river. To improve passenger safety, the Runway Safety Area (RSA) was extended by 185 feet to meet current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) design standards. However, the RSA impacted a portion of seagrass historically grown at the end of the runway. "At Michael Baker, we pride ourselves on being environmental stewards who partner with the communities we serve to create sustainable solutions to complex challenges. We aimed to mitigate any unavoidable environmental impact caused by our runway improvement efforts and voluntarily undertook measures to save the seagrass," said Mariben Andersen, an environmental manager in Michael Baker International's Aviation practice. "Michael Baker emphasizes teamwork and collaboration, along with fostering a culture of innovation to solve complex problems, so the team's joint efforts demonstrated how 'We Make a Difference' through smart thinking, engineering and science, to grow seagrass in the lagoon." The Rodney Thompson Island Seagrass Restoration Demonstration Project at Merritt Island Airport demonstrated specific methods for designing, planting and growing seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon. The Michael Baker team designed the seagrass island elevation based on areas where seagrass thrived in the lagoon and took the top 12-inches of soil from thriving seagrass beds in the impact area and relocated it to the island. A non-eutrophying subaqueous growth enhancing formula was injected into the sediment where the seagrass was planted to promote rhizome growth and SAVGROW herbivory protection devices were used to prevent grazing until the seagrass was established. To measure the project's success, project scientists and Florida Institute of Technology students led by Professor Jonathan Shenker are monitoring seagrass growth. Since the initial seagrass installation in September 2016, the plants have successfully thrived in the lagoon, covering more than half of the island. The seagrass restoration project was funded by Laurilee Thompson, whose father, Rodney, is the namesake of the newly created seagrass island. To commemorate the completion of the seagrass restoration project, the site will be open to members of the media on Thursday, November 2, between 10:00 a.m. and noon EDT. Interested parties should contact Mariben Andersen at [email protected] on or before Friday, October 27, to sign a waiver form so they can be escorted to the site. About Michael Baker International Michael Baker International is a leading global provider of engineering and consulting services, which include planning, architectural, environmental, construction, program management, and full life-cycle support services as well as information technology and communications services and solutions. The company provides its comprehensive range of services and solutions in support of U.S. federal, state, and municipal governments, foreign allied governments, and a wide range of commercial clients. Michael Baker International has more than 6,000 employees in more than 90 locations across the U.S. and internationally. To learn more visit www.mbakerintl.com. SOURCE Michael Baker International Related Links http://www.mbakerintl.com LAS VEGAS, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Modo and Alliance Data's Columbus, Ohio-based card services business, a premier provider of private label, co-brand and business card programs, today announced they will work together to innovate for the future of data-driven payments experiences. Alliance Data will leverage Modo's cloud-based payment event service to create Loyalty and Checkout Events that engage consumers while requiring limited technical change for retailers. Modo securely and fairly conducts the exchange of payment event data across platforms on behalf of banks, payments networks and providers. Modo's cloud based service enables payment interoperability by allowing clients to simply store, share, and track payment event data. Modo's service normalizes payment event data across various payment systems, improving integrations, operational efficiencies and speed to market. "As retail and commerce companies enter this period of change, they must adapt to serve the customer in the channel she prefers, in the device she holds and at the moment she is ready," said Sheryl McKenzie, vice president of products and capabilities for Alliance Data's card services business. "As the customer initiates payment events, together with Modo, we will continue to ensure that brands can surround that event with marketing offers and rewards benefits that deepen the customer's connection with the brand and simplify the experience of card-based loyalty programs. A simple experience for the customer and ease of implementation for the retailer are our top priorities. "With Modo, we can get there faster, with a level of consistency that allows us to deploy these experiences in an agile manner." "We can leverage Modo's service to seamlessly exchange payment event data across disparate retail systems in store, online and through the mobile channel," McKenzie stated. "At Alliance Data, we are bringing together the breadth of a large marketing-focused corporation with the agility of a startup partner to accelerate the delivery of innovative payment and loyalty capabilities." "Modo's mission is solving for complexity and friction in the exchange of payment event data to improve interoperability between payment systems globally. Alliance Data is a world-class provider of payment and loyalty experiences that rely on data moving between retail systems, so to expand our great relationship with them further is an extraordinary privilege," said Modo CEO Bruce Parker. "We couldn't be more excited about the upcoming Alliance Data offerings for both Loyalty and Checkout Events. We're at the physical/cardiac limit of excitement." Modo and Alliance Data are speaking on data-driven retail experiences at Money20/20 US later today, October 23rd, at 11:40AM PT in Titian, The Venetian Level 2. The presentation will conclude with a big surprise. About Modo Modo securely and fairly conducts the exchange of payment event data on behalf of banks, payments networks and providers navigating the fintech frontier. Payment events are everything before, during, or after a transaction. Payment event data includes accounting entries, payment credentials, transaction state, and associated commercial information. Our cloud based service enables payment interoperability and accelerates innovation by allowing clients to simply store and share payment event data. Modo is proud to conduct the exchange of payment event data for some of the largest, most sophisticated players in the world including Alliance Data, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Klarna, FIS, and more to be announced soon. To learn more about the payment events Modo has made COIN operated, head on over to https://modopayments.com. Keep up with us on Twitter @modopayments. Press Contact: Rob Wells, 704-674-7147, [email protected] About Alliance Data's card services business Alliance Data's card services business is a leading global provider of tailored marketing and loyalty solutions, delivered through branded credit programs that drive more profitable relationships between our brand partners and their cardmembers. We offer private label, co-brand, and business card products to many of the world's most recognizable brands across a multitude of channels. We uphold our Know more. Sell more. promise by leveraging unmatched customer insights, advanced analytics and broad-reaching innovative capabilities. It's how we deliver increased sales to our partners, build enduring loyalty to their brands and provide more value to our cardmembers. Alliance Data's card services business is a proud part of the Alliance Data enterprise. To learn more, visit KnowMoreSellMore.com or follow us on Twitter @Know_SellMore. Press Contacts: Annette Rogers, 214-379-3705, [email protected] Rachel Stultz, 614-729-4890, [email protected] SOURCE Modo Related Links http://www.modopayments.com "Book tours can be a little blah," says author Christina Bauer. "Who wants to watch someone sit behind a table and scribble? Not me. I figured that if I'm hauling my cookies across the United States to visit bookstores, then I wanted to deliver something special for my readers. It was great fun to craft unique scripts for everything from encountering a reader to approaching store staff." "We love innovative ideas in books," says Liz Rice, book seller at the Book Cellar, Chicago. "So when Monster House approached us about having in-store characters during the book signings, we figured we'd give it a try. Our test run took place in mid-October, and it was a huge hit. Seeing Bauer's characters come to life definitely peaked interest in our staff and customers alike!" "I was beyond ecstatic to embody a character from Wolves and Roses," says Chicago actress Madeline Bernhard. "These launch events were the first time I'd heard of anyone using immersive theater in a traditional retail environment. Our test runs proved that my excitement was well-founded, too. Shoppers simply lit up as my character approached them." Bernhard's recent credits include Nightfall (Theatre-Hikes), Save Ferris! (Under the Gun Theater), and Romeo and Juliet (Loyola University Chicago). Specifics on the launch tour may be found at www.magicorumBOOK.com. In addition, the site includes full list of players for the tour as well as their biographies. A video summary of the tour test runs is also available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oatx6VIP5c4 Praise for WOLVES AND ROSES "In this series starter, Bauer's unique voice blends magical fantasy, swooning romance, and a bucketful of teenage sass in dual narratives from Bryar and Knox." - Booklist "This world is a mishmash of fairy-tale conventions, the paranormal, Ancient Rome, and Ancient Egypt with a playful twist on all of it...A fun romp for Twilight fans." - School Library Journal "An entertaining foray into lifestyles of the rich and magical." - Kirkus "Wolves and Roses maintains all the best elements of beloved children's tales while introducing a dynamic and charismatic Sleeping Beauty for a new generation." - Foreword/Clarion Current releases for the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series include WOLVES AND ROSES (October 31st), MOONLIGHT AND MIDTOWN (Spring 2018) and SHIFTERS AND GLYPHS (Fall 2018). About Monster House Books LLC Monster House Books LLC publishes kick-butt fiction for sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance readers. Like strong heroines, diverse voices and unique storylines? Welcome home. For more information, visit www.MonsterHouseBooks.com. Contact: Arely Zimmermann, [email protected] Monster House Books LLC SOURCE Monster House Books, LLC Related Links http://www.MonsterHouseBooks.com RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, nonprofits lose an average of 5-7 percent of their revenues each year to fraud and theft. Brotherhood Mutual, an insurance company specializing in serving religious institutions, says that over $39 billion was stolen from churches in 2014, surpassing the $35 billion churches spent on missionary work in the same period. Lisa London Using QuickBooks Online for Small Nonprofits & Churches Certified public accountant Lisa London, author of the globally recognized guide Using QuickBooks Online for Small Nonprofits and Churches, says the thieves are usually the people you would least suspect. Their crimes require motives, means, and opportunity. Not much can be done about motives, London notes, but churches and nonprofits can do something about limiting the means and opportunities that may be present for the more than 62 million people who volunteer each year for their churches, local PTAs, Little Leagues, homeowner associations, and civic groups who may be asked to handle money for the organization or a fundraiser. London's mission is two-fold: to reduce the fraud and its impact on nonprofits and to take the fear out of being a volunteer tasked with handling money. London has three simple steps any size organization can take to keep the money safe and the employees and volunteers above suspicion. She suggests always having two people handle the money whether at a fundraiser or a regular meeting, not letting the person in charge of the bank account also have access to the donor records, and regularly comparing the financial results to a budget. CREDENTIALS: Lisa London, CPA, is the author of "The Accountant Beside You" series of resources which are being used by tens of thousands of organizations around the world. Her book, Using QuickBooks Online for Small Nonprofits & Churches, includes detailed steps to guard against fraud while setting up an accounting system for a small nonprofit or church. London has been a CPA for three decades and specializes in assisting small businesses, nonprofits and churches. She has been quoted in U.S. News and World Report and featured on the nationally syndicated "Ed Tyll Show," North Carolina Public Radio's "The State of Things," and on CBS or ABC affiliates in Pittsburg, Kan., Greenville, N.C. and numerous other stations around the nation. AVAILABILITY: North Carolina, nationwide by arrangement, and via telephone or Skype CONTACT: Lisa London, (919) 770-3746; [email protected]; www.accountantbesideyou.com SOURCE Lisa London BERLIN, NEW YORK and LAS VEGAS, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- N26, The Mobile Bank, announced today plans to enter the US Market at the Money2020 Conference in Las Vegas. US customers can sign up for the waitlist effective today and will be able to open an account starting mid next year. The offering for US customers will be similar to the existing bank account currently available in the European market with additional services tailored to the US market. In Europe, N26 reached 500.000 customers across 17 countries in August this year, only 2 years after its launch. The exponential growth has been primarily organic and driven by recommendations of N26 customers who value its unparalleled user experience. The expansion into the US market advances N26's position from a pan-European player to a global one. N26 sees its main customer base as digital natives who enjoy a mobile-first banking product. "We believe that N26 is a role model for the bank of the future. Customers around the globe are looking for a new banking experience, as user behavior among millennials has shifted dramatically towards a mobile experience." says Valentin Stalf, Founder & CEO of N26. "The US is an exciting new market which offers a huge opportunity for N26. We offer easy-to-use, transparent, and contemporary banking for all customers looking for modern, mobile banking." N26 combines technology and design in order to create an exceptional user experience. It develops every product as a mobile-first application, as opposed to traditional banks who simply add on a mobile interface to their existing infrastructure. N26 is building the bank that turns people's cellphones into the once brick-and-mortar bank branches. Simplicity is one of N26's core values - from the signup process to accessing account statistics, every function is just one tap away. Within the N26 app, cards can be locked and unlocked instantly and customers receive real-time push notifications with every transaction they make. These are just two of the many features N26 customers can use to control their entire financial lives, from anywhere, anytime. Launching in the US mid 2018, N26 will initially offer a checking account with full use of a card, money transfers, cash withdrawals, and features tailored to the US market, including an attractive customer reward program. In the long-term, N26 plans on building a FinTech hub with more services and becoming the one-stop shop for all its customers' financial needs. N26 operates as N26 Inc. in the US, based in New York. To comply with the regulatory framework N26 will be using a partner bank to provide its services to US customers. About N26 N26 is Europe's first Mobile Bank with a full European banking license and is setting new standards in banking. N26 has redesigned banking for the smartphone, making it simple, fast and contemporary. Opening a new bank account takes only eight minutes and can be done directly from your smartphone. Users receive a Mastercard to pay cashless or withdraw cash all around the world. They can block or unblock their card with a simple click and send money instantly to friends and contacts. Valentin Stalf and Maximilian Tayethal founded N26 in 2013 and launched the initial product in early 2015. Since the launch N26 has grown to more than 500.000 customers across 17 European markets. N26 currently operates in: Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain and employs 290 people. N26 has also announced its launch in the US market in mid-2018 through its wholly owned New York-based subsidiary N26 Inc. Since January 2015, N26 has been available for Android, iOS, and desktop. N26 has raised more than $55 million from investors including Li Ka-Shing's Horizons Ventures, Battery Ventures and Valar Ventures, in addition to members of the Zalando management board, Earlybird Venture Capital and Redalpine Ventures. Website: http://www.n26.com/us Twitter: @n26/usa Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/n26usa N26 Press Contact Anja Schlenstedt Lauren Robson [email protected] +49-162-436-2311 SOURCE N26 Inc HOUSTON, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two Connecticut suppliers designing, manufacturing and testing flight hardware for NASA's Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in support of human missions beyond the Moon will open their facilities to media Tuesday, Oct. 31. Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense (EBA&D) in Simsbury and UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) in Windsor Locks are among the thousands of businesses in all 50 states and Puerto Rico that support NASA's deep-space exploration programs. Artist rendering of the Orion spacecraft post-launch as it hurtles toward the Moon assisted by the powerful Space Launch System rocket. Presentations by leaders from NASA and Orion prime contractor Lockheed Martin to key suppliers are an occasion to share the progress on flight hardware in production, and recognize employees making significant contributions to human spaceflight. Media are invited to attend an all-hands employee event and will have an opportunity to interview former NASA astronaut Dominic "Tony" Antonelli, and other NASA, Lockheed Martin, EBA&D and UTAS leadership and program officials. During the UTAS portion of the visit, media will also have the chance to tour the company's facility. U.S. media interested in participating must contact Laura Rochon at 281-483-0229 or [email protected] by noon EDT on Friday, Oct. 27. EBA&D is manufacturing several components for ignition and vehicle separation systems that are crucial to abort safety and mission success on the first flights of the Orion spacecraft. The company also contributes range safety and stage separation systems for the SLS program. UTAS will provide active thermal control and power management and distribution hardware for the first uncrewed mission, and will add environmental control and life support systems for subsequent crewed missions. For the SLS program, the company builds auxiliary power units and hydraulic systems for Boeing, Orbital ATK and Aerojet Rocketdyne. NASA is leading the next steps of human space exploration with a series of deep space missions to the vicinity of the Moon, beginning with the first integrated mission of Orion America's spacecraft for the next generation of explorers and the new heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket in the world. The first integrated flight test of Orion and SLS will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a three-week uncrewed mission beyond the Moon and back. A second mission will follow with the system's first crewed mission, which will take humans farther in space than ever before. These missions will help NASA build a flexible, reusable and sustainable infrastructure that will last for decades and support missions of increasing complexity, including to Mars. Learn more about Orion at: http://www.nasa.gov/orion Launch into details about the Space Launch System at: https://www.nasa.gov/sls Get information, photos and videos of NASA's deep space exploration systems at: www.nasa.gov/journeytomars NASA Johnson Space Center news releases and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to [email protected]. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes). This will add the email address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list. The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription. Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail. SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov The mortgage lender moved into the facility after renovating the 12,000-square-foot space and converting it into a modern office environment complete with employee lounge. The location is a full-service home loan facility, transacting a complete spectrum of purchase and refinance loans . The expansion into the greater Phoenix region was ideal due to a strong industry presence in the market that made it optimal for the company to continue growing its retail division. "New American Funding brings a great deal to this market. We have an industry-leading compensation plan, a high volume of incoming daily calls, and a 32-day average turn time with loan processing," said Hooman Sharifi, Sales Manager. "Our customer service is superior and we provide all the tools for Loan Originators to succeed. There's nothing we lack." Sharifi, who has been with New American Funding since 2014, is helping forge the company's growth in Tempe. Last year, he was the #2 loan producer for the inside sales division. He and other managers have already built a team comprised of 47 mortgage professionals who are funding about $45 million per month in home loans. "We're very pleased with the level of talent, enthusiasm, and professionalism in Tempe," said Ray Williams, Senior VP, Inside Sales Division. "This is only the beginning of greater things to come. We're committed to the area for the long haul." By year's end, the company plans to expand Tempe to 75 Loan Originators. About New American Funding New American Funding is a national mortgage banker licensed in 48 states with approximately 130 branches offering a variety of loan options including: Conventional, FHA, Cash Out, Fixed Rate and Adjustable Rate Mortgages, VA, HARP 2.0, Jumbo, and Reverse Mortgages. The company is a Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae Direct Seller/Servicer, FHA Direct Endorsement, and VA Automatic mortgage lender. SOURCE New American Funding Related Links http://www.newamericanfunding.com After the firm response of Morocco, which recalled its ambassador to Algeria for consultation and summoned Algerias Charge dAffaires in Rabat to protest the scandalous remarks made by the Algerian Foreign Minister, Abdelkader Messahel, several voices have been rising to denounce these remarks as outrageous, irresponsible, and offensive. Moroccan Africa-based Banks, Moroccan Carrier RAM, the Moroccan Employers Association (CGEM), the African Diplomatic Corps in Rabat, and many politicians have come forward to reject the Algerian officials remarks. Speaking at the Algerian Business Leaders Forum (FCE) on Friday, Messahel bluntly accused Morocco of laundering cannabis money via its banks in the continent. In his blunder, he also claimed that African heads of state told him about the money laundering. He added that Moroccos flag carrier RAM, which has been operating in Africa and serving destinations at times western companies refused to operate flights to Ebola hit countries, was actually carrying something other than passengers, alluding to drugs. The Professional Association of Moroccan Banks The Professional Association of Moroccan Banks (GPBM) released a statement Saturday underlining that the entire Moroccan banking sector vehemently rejects these serious and misleading allegations. The Algerian Foreign Ministers remarks reflect a total and flagrant ignorance of the rules and ethics that govern the activities of Moroccan banks all over the world and of course in the African continent, said the GPBM. The Moroccan banking sector, as recognized by international bodies, is cited as a reference in the MENA region and in Africa, thanks to its high performance and respect for most advanced prudential rules, mainly the Basel II and III standards, IFRS, said the statement. The Professional Grouping of Moroccan Banks reserves the right to reply to the serious remarks made by the Algerian Foreign Minister, the statement said, pointing out that Moroccan banks are present in Africa thanks to their level of good governance, transparency, and the fight against money laundering and terrorism funding pursuant to FATF standards, in which Morocco is a founding member, in addition to the different international obligations on conforming or sharing financial data to which Morocco adheres. Moroccan banks are now present in 22 African countries and around 17 per cent of their foreign activity is on the continent. The African Diplomatic Corps in Rabat The African Diplomatic Corps in Rabat has also distanced itself from the incomprehensible statements of the Algerian Official against Morocco, pointing out that the chiefs of African diplomatic missions took note with astonishment of the statements, made by one of the most authoritative voice in Algeria. The dean of the African diplomatic corps, Ambassador of the Central African Republic, Nimaga Ismaila, deplored such statements that only make the situation worse. Speaking on behalf of the African ambassadors in Rabat following an information meeting held Saturday by the Moroccan Foreign Ministry, Nimaga Ismaila, wondered how the Algerian Foreign Minister dared to take the liberty to involve African Heads of State in his remarks. He said in this connection that the coming meeting of African heads of state in Addis Ababa will be an opportunity to demand explanations from Algeria about their involvement in such statements. Royal Air Maroc On its part, RAM vehemently rejected the Algerian officials slanderous remarks, pointing out that his blunder reveals a complete ignorance of the air sector which is regulated by highly-qualified international bodies. RAM added that it operates as a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and that it ensures strict respect of international rules and regulations in terms of security, making it clear that it will use all legal means available to defend its honor and the honor of its passengers and employees. The carrier said the Algerian official thought that he could seriously slander Moroccos carrier by making unfounded statements aimed indisputably at undermining Moroccos influence through its national airline. This shows a blatant lack of professionalism and a complete ignorance of diplomacy, said RAM, expressing indignation at Messahels slanderous comments about an airline that has been working for several decades to strengthen social and economic ties in Africa. Internationally recognized as operating according to the best standards of the world air transport regulations, RAM, the second largest company in Africa, is renowned for its stringent safety standards. RAM benefits from a 4-star airline certification by Skytrax, an international airline rating and review system. Moroccan Employers Association (CGEM) For the Moroccan employers association, the Algerian Foreign Ministers defamatory remarks constitute first an insult to the intelligence of Algerian economic operators, who are aware of the relevance of the Moroccan economic model and partnership, based on a South-South cooperation seeking the development and growth for the entire continent. These serious and unfounded remarks also constitute an attack on the sovereignty of African states and an aggression against their governing bodies, regulations and security systems, the CGEM said in a statement released Sunday. The commitment of Moroccan companies in Africa does not suffer from the vagaries of the economy. It reflects a strong and unwavering belief in Africas potential and a development and partnership strategy spearheaded by King Mohammed VI, the CGEM said, expressing appreciation for Moroccan companies contribution to the continent, in terms of development, through economic and social infrastructure projects as well as the creation of added value and local jobs. LONDON, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- European Endocrinology, led by Editor-in-Chief Dr Abd Tahrani, Birmingham, UK, was distributed to touchENDOCRINOLOGY's database, plus to attendees of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, 11-15 September 2017. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/515766/Touch_Medical_Logo.jpg ) The new peer-reviewed issue featured expert content on a range of salient topics including a supplement on 20 years of DPP-4 inhibition in Type 2 Diabetes, another discussing CGM uptake in the UK, and a range of other topics from CV Risk, Diabetic Macular Oedema, Diabetes Pathogenesis and the link between Diabetes and Hyperthyroidism. The full edition can be accessed here, via open access: http://www.touchendocrinology.com/journals/editions/european-endocrinology-volume-13-issue-2-autumn-2017 A number of expert interviews were also filmed, which are presented on touchENDOCRINOLOGY.com via open access: http://www.touchendocrinology.com/video-categories/easd-highlights A selection of articles includes: Ten Years of Vildagliptin Stefano Del Prato https://doi.org/10.17925/EE.2017.13.02.54 The Vildagliptin Experience - 25 Years Since the Initiation of the Novartis Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Based Therapy Programme and 10 Years Since the First Vildagliptin Registration James E Foley, Bo Ahren https://doi.org/10.17925/EE.2017.13.02.56 Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor Development and Post-authorisation Programme for Vildagliptin - Clinical Evidence for Optimised Management of Chronic Diseases Beyond Type 2 Diabetes William David Strain, Paivi M Paldanius https://doi.org/10.17925/EE.2017.13.02.62 Clinical Safety and Tolerability of Vildagliptin - Insights from Randomised Trials, Observational Studies and Post-marketing Surveillance Chantal Mathieu, Plamen Kozlovski, Paivi M Paldanius, James E Foley, Vikas Modgill, Marc Evans, Carmen Serban https://doi.org/10.17925/EE.2017.13.02.68 Continuous Glucose Monitoring Adoption in the United Kingdom - An Economic and Policy Perspective Nick Oliver https://doi.org/10.17925/EE.2017.13.02.73 Is Continuous Glucose Monitoring Underappreciated in the UK? Christopher G Parkin, Melissa Holloway, Jeffrey Truesdell, Tomas Walker https://doi.org/10.17925/EE.2017.13.02.76 An Economic Evaluation of Continuous Glucose Monitoring for People with Type 1 Diabetes and Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycaemia within North West London Clinical Commissioning Groups in England Shraddha Chaugule, Nick Oliver, Brigitte Klinkenbijl, Claudia Graham https://doi.org/10.17925/EE.2017.13.02.81 touchENDOCRINOLOGY (a division of Touch Medical Media) publishesEuropean Endocrinology, a peer-reviewed, open access, bi-annual journal specialising in the publication of balanced and comprehensive review articles written by leading authorities to address the most important and salient developments in the field of endocrinology. The aim of these reviews is to break down the high science from 'data-rich' primary papers and provide practical advice and opinion on how this information can help physicians in the day to day clinical setting. Practice guidelines, symposium write-ups, case reports, and original research articles are also featured to promote discussion and learning amongst physicians, clinicians, researchers and related healthcare professionals. www.touchENDOCRINOLOGY.com "Touch Medical Media is a trading name of Touch Digital Media Limited, a private limited company registered in England and Wales at The White House Mill Road, Goring, Reading, England, RG8 9DD with registered number 08197142". For inquires please contact: Nicola Cartridge - Editorial Director [email protected] "Leading the Debate on the Advances in Healthcare" SOURCE touchENDOCRINOLOGY NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK), the nation's largest online lender to small business, announced today agreements with Ingo Money and Visa to enable real-time1 funding of loans to small businesses via their debit cards, powered by Visa Direct. OnDeck will be the first company in the online lending industry to offer real-time access to capital via a customer's existing small business debit card. The move by OnDeck comes in response to small business demand for improved cash flow and faster payment experiences. A recent survey found 70% of small business owners report they have a small business debit card, and of those without debit cards, 87% of them said they would get a new debit card to take advantage of real time transfers.2 OnDeck plans to use Visa Direct through Ingo Money's technology platform to disburse loan proceeds securely in real time to its line of credit customers via their existing small business debit cards. Visa Direct is Visa's real-time push payments platform allowing companies to leverage Visa's global scale to develop faster payments solutions for ubiquitous reach to consumers or small businesses with a debit card. "Over the last decade, OnDeck has grown to be the largest online lender to small businesses by relentlessly innovating and unleashing new technologies that benefit small business owners," said Noah Breslow, CEO of OnDeck. "By partnering with Ingo Money and Visa to deliver real-time capital to our customers, we will empower small businesses in the next decade to achieve their goals with the fastest and most flexible credit solutions in the market." "Small business owners increasingly expect their money to operate at Web speed," said Ingo Money CEO Drew Edwards. "OnDeck is pioneering real-time money loan disbursements for small business customers, delivering an enhanced lending experience for borrowers while saving time and money over traditional check and ACH disbursements." "Thanks to big data and new technology, online lenders like OnDeck can underwrite a small business customer in minutes, however, it still may take days to actually get the money into the customer's bank account," said Cecilia Frew, Head of Visa Direct, North America. "By adding push-to-card capabilities, the funds now reach the customer's account in minutes, and even on weekends and holidays. Leveraging the Visa Direct platform, Ingo and OnDeck can now quickly bring innovative solutions that solve a meaningful pain point for small businesses faster access to cash flow and liquidity." Ingo PushTM, the turnkey push payments service from Ingo Money, allows OnDeck customers to receive funds via a vast network of eligible debit or prepaid card accounts, including eligible Visa cards; online and mobile wallets; and a network of more than 40,000 cash-out distribution points. Ingo Money's "push payments in a box" solution provides the ability to send funds instantly to millions of cards with speed and reliability, built-in PCI-compliant payment interfaces, and bank sponsorship and security checks through one simple API integration. As part of the agreement with OnDeck, the Ingo Money platform will manage regulatory, network routing, risk management and reconciliation needs for the company. OnDeck plans to offer the Instant Funding service to its Line of Credit customers beginning in early 2018. About OnDeck OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK) is the leader in online small business lending. Since 2007, the Company has powered Main Street's growth through advanced lending technology and a constant dedication to customer service. OnDeck's proprietary credit scoring system the OnDeck Score leverages advanced analytics, enabling OnDeck to make real-time lending decisions and deliver capital to small businesses in as little as 24 hours. OnDeck offers business owners a complete financing solution, including the online lending industry's widest range of term loans and lines of credit. To date, the Company has deployed over $7 billion to more than 70,000 customers in 700 different industries across the United States, Canada and Australia. OnDeck has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. For more information, please visit www.ondeck.com. About Ingo Money Ingo Money is the instant money company. Founded in 2001 with a mission to digitize the paper check, our push payments technology enables businesses and banks to disburse instant, safe-to-spend funds to more than four billion consumer debit, prepaid, credit, private label credit and mobile wallet accounts. This transformation of traditional payments helps businesses reduce cost and delays while dramatically improving the consumer experience. Headquartered in Atlanta, you can learn more at www.ingomoney.com, or biz.ingomoney.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter. About Visa Inc. Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world's leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company's relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit usa.visa.com/aboutvisa, visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews. 1. Actual fund availability varies by financial institution. Visa requires U.S. issuers to make funds available to its cardholders within a maximum of 30 minutes of approving the transaction. 2. Source: Visa Inc. US Small Business Debit Card Survey, September 2017 PRESS CONTACTS: Jim Larkin OnDeck 203-526-7457 [email protected] Michael Azzano Cosmo PR for Ingo Money 415.596.1978 [email protected] Sarah Hamblen Visa Inc. [email protected] SOURCE On Deck Capital, Inc. TULSA, Okla., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE) today announced that the West Texas LPG Pipeline Limited Partnership, a joint venture between ONEOK, which is the operator and owns 80 percent, and Martin Midstream Partners L.P., which owns 20 percent, plans to invest approximately $200 million to expand its natural gas liquids (NGL) system into the prolific Delaware Basin, part of the larger Permian Basin. This project, which is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2018, is supported by long-term dedicated NGL production from two planned third-party natural gas processing plants in northern Reeves County, which we estimate will produce up to 40,000 barrels per day (bpd). The Delaware Basin extension includes: The construction of an approximately 120-mile, 16-inch pipeline lateral that will have an initial capacity of 110,000 bpd; and The construction of two new pump stations and pipeline looping along the existing West Texas LPG system that will increase its capacity to handle the dedicated volume. "Extending the West Texas LPG Pipeline into the core of the Delaware Basin, one of the fastest growing plays in the U.S., positions the West Texas LPG system for significant future NGL volume growth," said Terry K. Spencer, ONEOK president and chief executive officer. West Texas LPG Pipeline is an NGL pipeline system that consists of approximately 2,600 miles of NGL pipeline in Texas and New Mexico. The system provides transportation services to the Mont Belvieu market center from nearly 40 third-party natural gas processing plants located in the Permian Basin. The Permian Basin in southeastern New Mexico and western Texas is the largest crude oil and natural gas producing basin in the U.S. EDITOR'S NOTE: View map showing the location of the new pipeline lateral. ONEOK, Inc. (pronounced ONE-OAK) (NYSE: OKE) is one of the largest energy midstream service providers in the U.S., connecting prolific supply basins with key market centers. It owns and operates one of the nation's premier natural gas liquids (NGL) systems and is a leader in the gathering, processing, storage and transportation of natural gas. ONEOK's operations include a 38,000-mile integrated network of NGL and natural gas pipelines, processing plants, fractionators and storage facilities in the Mid-Continent, Williston, Permian and Rocky Mountain regions. ONEOK is a FORTUNE 500 company and is included in Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 index. For information about ONEOK, Inc., visit the website: www.oneok.com. For the latest news about ONEOK, find us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter @ONEOK. Some of the statements contained and incorporated in this news release are forward-looking statements as defined under federal securities laws. The forward-looking statements relate to our anticipated financial performance, liquidity, management's plans and objectives for our growth projects and other future operations (including plans to construct additional natural gas and natural gas liquids pipelines), our business prospects, the outcome of regulatory and legal proceedings, market conditions and other matters. We make these forward-looking statements in reliance on the safe harbor protections provided under federal securities laws and other applicable laws. Forward-looking statements include the items identified in the preceding paragraph, the information concerning possible or assumed future results of our operations and other statements contained or incorporated in this news release identified by words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "should," "goal," "forecast," "guidance," "could," "may," "continue," "might," "potential," "scheduled" and other words and terms of similar meaning. One should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Those factors may affect our operations, markets, products, services and prices. These and other risks are described in greater detail in Item 1A, Risk Factors, in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the other filings that we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Any such forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and, other than as required under securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or change in circumstances, expectations or otherwise. Analyst Contact: Megan Patterson 918-561-5325 Media Contact: Stephanie Higgins 918-591-5026 SOURCE ONEOK, Inc. Related Links http://www.oneok.com RICHMOND, England, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Peratech, a world leader in 3D force-sensing technologies, announced it has subscribed $12.4 million (9.2 million) to the round of funding, led by Merck Ventures the venture capital wing of Merck, along with Arie Capital and existing investors. This investment sends a clear signal of confidence in Peratech's proprietary Quantum Tunnelling Composite (QTC) technology to enable more intuitive and safe human-machine interfaces (HMI), while reducing accidental or false touches. Sven Harmsen, Investment Director with Merck Ventures said, "Leading Peratech's round of financing underlines Merck Ventures' ambition to invest in game-changing materials innovations. We are excited to see Peratech develop and commercialise a technology that has the potential to disrupt the way we use touch sensing in the mobile, automotive, industrial, and medical device markets. The timing is right as leading OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] in these markets are starting to deploy innovative HMIs utilising force and 3D touch. Peratech's technology is ready for commercial use and it can further scale its product engineering and manufacturing." Simon Tobelem, Founder at Arie Capital, agreed saying, "We are impressed with the talented team, strong IP portfolio, and variety of potential applications for QTC technology. Our investment in Peratech aligns with our core components for communication and mobile technologies such as IoT connectivity and gesture recognition chips. This round provides the company with enough resources to better address these markets where its 3D force-touch technology has the potential to be very disruptive." "The strong financial backing from our new and current investors enables Peratech to accelerate new-product integration for market leaders in a variety of applications," said Jon Stark, Peratech's CEO. "This investment also gives us the bandwidth not only to commercialise current solutions, but to complete development of transparent and higher-resolution sensor technologies with new deposition modalities for a wider range of next-generation human-machine experiences." About Peratech Based on patented QTC technology, Peratech's award-winning, thin and flexible force sensors bring a new dimension to tactile user interfaces. Peratech's custom design and product integration services minimise both cost and time to mass product launch. Peratech Holdco Ltd. is a privately held company based in Richmond, North Yorkshire, UK. Media contact Rachel Sandeman, Communications Director, Peratech Tel: +44 (0) 20 3813 6425 Email: [email protected] http://www.peratech.com SOURCE Peratech Limited HONG KONG, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Premia Partners, the Hong Kong based investment firm that focuses on ETFs and smart beta solutions, announces the launch of two smart beta China equity ETFs designed to provide investors with diversified exposure to the China A-shares markets. The ETFs track the CSI smart beta indices which employ methodology provided by Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta ("Caixin Rayliant") led by Dr. Jason Hsu, Chairman and CIO of Rayliant Global Investors, and Co-founder and Vice Chairman of Research Affiliates. The two HKEX listed ETFs utilize a fundamental, multi-factor approach, and each consists of approximately 300 Shanghai and Shenzhen listed stocks. Both ETFs are physical A-shares ETFs utilizing Stock Connect and have a total expense ratio of 0.50% compared to the 1% average fee typically observed in the industry. The Premia CSI Caixin China Bedrock Economy ETF ("China BEI ETF") (Ticker: 2803 HK) tracks the CSI Caixin Bedrock Economy Index , which aims to capture leading companies that drive the mainstream economy of China , based on economic size, financial health and low risk characteristics, ("China BEI ETF") (Ticker: 2803 HK) tracks the , which aims to capture leading companies that drive the mainstream economy of , based on economic size, financial health and low risk characteristics, the Premia CSI Caixin China New Economy ETF ("China NEI ETF") (Ticker: 3173 HK) tracks the CSI Caixin New Economic Engine Index , which aims to capture leaders from new economy industries, selected based on non-fixed asset size, financial health and growth characteristics. With the inclusion of China A shares in the MSCI Emerging Market index, investors are increasingly looking for strategies that provide efficient access to the Mainland markets, while seeking to generate above-market returns relative to simply buying the largest companies by market capitalization or taking concentrated bet in the SOE or financial sectors. The Premia ETFs leverage on Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta's academic research, which identifies several equity factors -- including value, quality, low volatility, size -- as having the potential to outperform the broader A-shares equity market over the long term. The fundamental beta approach also introduces a buy-low, sell-high discipline into factor investing, as opposed to traditional market capitalization approaches that exhibit tendency to buy-high and sell-low. "We are very excited to partner with CSI, Madam Hu Shuli and Dr. Jason Hsu and their team at Caixin Rayliant in offering these two ETFs," said Rebecca Chua, Managing Partner of Premia Partners. "Dr. Hsu has long been the leading voice in the smart beta and factor investing world, with his work at Research Affiliates widely recognized and adopted by investors globally. We are honoured to be able to leverage on him and the Caixin Rayliant team's insights and expertise in bringing to market the world's first fundamental multi-factor China A-shares ETFs. These strategies are based on robust academic research into China factor performance and are the first to capture the nuances of mainstream and new economy Mainland markets instead of following a narrow market capitalization approach." Hu Shuli, editor-in-chief of Caixin Media and founder of Caixin Insight Group said: "As the Chinese economy continues to expand, its financial markets become increasingly relevant for global investors. We are committed to provide the best financial content through our international platform, Caixin Global, and Caixin Rayliant which empowers investors with world class smart beta capabilities to participate in China's growth." Dr. Jason Hsu. Chairman and CIO of Rayliant Global Advisors and Vice Chairman of Research Affiliates: "We are so pleased to be working with Premia Partners on the NEI and BEI ETFs. Premia shares our passion for bringing to market state of the art investment strategies at low cost that generate long term value for investors. Particularly in Asia, where there is a culture of high fees and short-term performance selling, such strategies are in great need and Premia is taking a lead to fill the gap. These two ETFs offer the opportunity of excess return through low cost exposure to systematic sources of returns." Media Enquiry Premia Partners Company Limited +852-2950-5777 [email protected] About Premia Partners Premia Partners is an investment firm founded in Hong Kong in 2016, by a group of enthusiasts who believe in enabling investors with efficient investment tools and see enormous scope for innovation in the Asian ETF industry. The team came from various incumbent global and regional industry leaders and shares one common goal -- to reshape the ETF landscape in Asia by applying our collective knowledge and execution experience as well as by collaborating with the best-in-class global experts to curate ETF and smart beta solutions for investors. In Asia, and for Asia -- because this is our home. For more information, please visit www.premia-partners.com. About Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta is the joint venture formed in 2017, between Caixin Insight of Caixin Media Group and Rayliant Global Advisors. This partnership brings together the vast data, research, and publishing capabilities across the Caixin family of companies, and the smart beta, factor investing and index-construction expertise of Rayliant Global Advisors ("RGA"). The joint venture is led by Dr. Jason Hsu as the Chief Index Architect and Dr. Jason Tuan as the CEO. Dr. Jason Hsu is the Founder and Chairman of RGA and co-founder and Vice-Chairman of Research Affiliates. Dr. Jason Tuan is a Managing Director at RGA. For more information, please visit www.caixinrayliant.com. About Caixin Insight Group Caixin Insight Group is founded by Caixin Media Group's Editor-in-Chief and the internationally acclaimed journalist Madam HU Shuli. It is a sister company of Caixin Media (www.caixin.com), the leading financial and business news provider. The company focuses on providing best in class Chinese business and financial database, macroeconomic research, big-data analytics, smart beta index and strategy consulting services, with the goal of helping Chinese and global institutions better navigate through the structural economic development, internationalization, capital markets development and other important strategic agenda on China. About Rayliant Global Advisors Rayliant Global Advisors (RGA) is a Hong Kong-based investment management group founded in 2012. RGA specializes in Greater China equity strategies. Its unique quantamental approach of incorporating fundamental insights into a quantitative based portfolio construction process seeks to overcome challenges inherent in either fundamental-only or quantitative-only investment strategies. RGA is led by Dr. Jason Hsu, a well-established leader in factor investing and co-founder of Research Affiliates. Jason has published over 40 journal articles and has won numerous awards for his work. He is Adjunct Professor of Finance at the University of California, Los Angeles, and visiting professor at National Chengchi University in Taiwan and Kyoto University. For more information, please visit www.rayliant.com. SOURCE Premia Partners Company Limited Related Links http://www.premia-partners.com MATTESON, Ill., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rogers Enterprises, Inc. is supporting breast cancer awareness during the month of October by donating a portion of all purchases made both online and in stores to the Kadet Cancer Research Foundation. Juell Kadet, company matriarch, jewelry designer, owner of Rogers & Hollands and Ashcroft & Oak Jewelers and 30-year breast cancer survivor, established the Kadet Cancer Research Foundation in 1992 to help raise funds to further cancer research. To date, the Foundation has donated nearly $1 million to the Cancer Care Clinical Trials at Ingalls Hospital in Chicago. The pink ribbon-inspired designs of the Promise of Hope Collection show love and support, and raise awareness for the battle against breast cancer. The Survivor Collection was inspired by the true story of two special friends, one battling cancer, the other supporting and championing her friend throughout her struggle. Rogers Enterprises, Inc. is proud to offer two jewelry collections that support breast cancer awareness throughout the year: The Promise of Hope Collection, sold exclusively by Rogers & Hollands and Ashcroft & Oak, and The Survivor Collection, a partner of the Women Survivors Alliance. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, both of these collections, as well as all pink gemstone and rose gold jewelry, will be 30% off throughout October. The Promise of Hope Collection was created by Juell Kadet as a way to give back to the organization that helped her in her own fight against cancer. All year long, twenty percent of net proceeds from the Promise of Hope Collection are donated to the Cancer Care Clinical Trials at Ingalls Hospital in Chicago to promote awareness and further cancer research. The Survivor Collection, a partner of the Women Survivors Alliance, is designed to promote awareness and celebrate survival. Each ring and pendant features a special three-stone design symbolizing a survivor's three-part journey: life before cancer, the diagnosis, and that beautiful moment cancer survivorship brings new clarity to one's life. Each piece from the Survivor Collection ships in a unique Survivor Collection gift box, with a congratulations card noting the partnership with Women Survivors Alliance and tips regarding care and cleaning. The Promise of Hope Collection and The Survivor Collection can be purchased at any time at Rogers & Hollands and Ashcroft & Oak retail locations as well as online at: https://rogersandhollands.com/jewelry-gems/collections/breast-cancer-awareness-jewelry About Rogers & Hollands Jewelers (Rogers Enterprises, Inc.): Rogers Enterprises, Inc. is a growing fine jewelry chain with 83 stores across twelve states. Founded in 1910, this family-owned company operates under the names of Rogers & Hollands Jewelers and Ashcroft & Oak Jewelers, and is now the largest family-owned and operated retail jewelry chain in the country. The company's slogan, "jewelry created for now & forever," speaks to both the timeless beauty of its jewelry and its commitment to being a jeweler trusted by multiple generations of families for over a century. More: http://www.rogersandhollands.com Media Contact: Amber Smetana 708-679-7585 [email protected] SOURCE Rogers & Hollands Jewelers Related Links http://www.rogersandhollands.com ATLANTA, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sage Payment Solutions, a leading provider of payment processing and merchant acquiring solutions in North America, today announced that Joe Kaplan has taken the helm as the company's CEO. Kaplan, a highly regarded veteran of the bankcard industry, aims to magnify the company's growth strategy through innovative partnerships and purposeful capabilities acquisitions designed to enhance Sage Payment Solutions' market position. Kaplan has been a leader in the global payments and finance industries for more than two decades. He previously held positions as the founder of Superior Financial Group, a nationwide SBA lender; president of Innovative Merchant Solutions, an Intuit company; and president and CEO of Superior Bankcard Service. Kaplan also co-founded and served as president of Consumer Fraud Protection, a credit monitoring protection service. "I am thrilled to be taking on this role at Sage Payment Solutions. The company is primed to execute a rocket-trajectory growth plan and the team already in place is second to none. Be prepared to see great things coming from Sage," says Kaplan. Kaplan has received numerous awards during his notable career, including the Arthur Andersen Award for Best Business Practices in Customer Satisfaction, which acknowledged his innovative approach to customer service, the 1998 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Chip Enterprise Award. "Joe is a highly accomplished industry veteran, and we are extremely excited to partner with him on this transformational growth opportunity," said Collin Roche, Managing Director at GTCR. "Joe is a strong leader with a proven track record, and we look forward to working with him to execute his vision for SPS." Aaron Cohen, Managing Director at GTCR, continued, "Joe's unique payments experience, including his time spent building the highly successful payments division at Intuit, makes him the ideal executive to lead SPS. GTCR will work closely with Joe and his team to execute his strategy for the business and make investments to offer SPS's customers best-in-class payments technology solutions." A graduate of University of California, Los Angeles and Whittier Law School, Kaplan currently resides in Southern California with his wife and kids. Kaplan also is a current member of the Board of Directors for the Electronic Transaction Association and is on the Advisory Board for several major brands such as Verifone and Discover Card. About Sage Payment Solutions Sage Payment Solutions ("SPS") provides business technology solutions to global small and medium sized companies, in every industry, that enables businesses to get paid, make payments and manage their moneysimply and securely. SPS' comprehensive suite of products and services deliver easy to use technology for every stage of a client's lifecycle. For more than 20 years, SPS has been dedicated to the success of its clients, providing a seamless connection with, and between, business applications; offering valuable business insights that enable clients to run their businesses smarter, so they can run their businesses better. For more information, please visit www.sage.com/us/payment-processing. MEDIA CONTACT: Kari Walker, KWPR [email protected] 703-928-9996 SOURCE Sage Payment Solutions Related Links http://www.sage.com BOSTON, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Seniorlink, a leading provider of care collaboration solutions, is pleased to announce that it was the winner of the 2017 TripleTree iAward for Clinical Collaboration, one of three awards that recognize healthcare technology companies with the capability to drive innovation across the industry. For more than 15 years, Seniorlink has pioneered solutions that help risk-bearing provider and payer organizations to deliver high-quality, person-centered care more efficiently, resulting in better outcomes at lower costs to the overall healthcare system. Seniorlink leverages interdisciplinary care teams, family caregivers and technology platforms, such as their most recent innovation, Vela. The TripleTree iAward is given to companies based on the uniqueness of their product offering, marketplace traction and business growth, as well as the size of the total addressable market. The award acknowledges the efforts of healthcare industry entrepreneurs and innovators in delivering new capabilities that advance and accelerate transformations that improve outcomes and lower costs through care delivery outside of the hospital setting. "We would like to thank TripleTree for recognizing the pioneering work the team at Seniorlink has done on behalf of state Medicaid plans and health plans," said President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Riley. "As an innovator of care collaboration solutions, we serve patients and family caregivers by partnering with provider and payer organizations to augment existing care management capabilities through solutions that leverage human touch and technology. Through the years, we have saved programs more than $400 million, while demonstrating improved outcomes across reduced hospitalizations, ER visits and reduced falls risk." Seniorlink is continuing to promote collaboration through the development of its technology platform, Vela. This technology helps care teams to reach, engage and support caregivers in the delivery of high-quality, person-centered care. Vela meets the demand for coordinated care for high-risk, complex patient populations by encouraging seamless, real-time collaboration among all members of a patient's care team, resulting in better outcomes at lower costs. "We are pleased to include Seniorlink among our 2017 winners as the company demonstrated leadership and initiative as it helped to solve meaningful issues in the healthcare industry," said Michael Carroll, Chief Marketing Officer at TripleTree. This is the ninth consecutive year that TripleTree has presented the iAward. Seniorlink will be invited to Minneapolis for an interactive session with TripleTree professionals, innovators and industry leaders as part of the award. To read more about the iAwards, visit https://www.triple-tree.com/about/iawards/ To learn more about Seniorlink please visit www.seniorlink.com. About Seniorlink Seniorlink is a leading provider of care collaboration solutions. The company serves patients and caregivers by partnering with risk-bearing provider and payer organizations to augment existing care management capabilities through solutions that leverage human touch and technology. Seniorlink's team of compassionate, experienced professionals use a proprietary platform, Vela, to encourage real-time collaboration among the extended care team that results in better outcomes at a lower cost. Backed by nearly two decades of care expertise, Seniorlink leads the way on delivering high-quality care. Seniorlink's Caregiver Homes Network is the first Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) provider in the U.S. to receive NCQA Case Management Accreditation with Long Term Services and Support Distinction. More information about Seniorlink can be found at www.seniorlink.com. About TripleTree TripleTree is an independent merchant bank focused on mergers and acquisitions, financial restructuring, and principal investing services. Since 1997, the firm has advised and invested in some of the most innovative, high-growth businesses in healthcare. For more information, visit www.triple-tree.com. SOURCE Seniorlink Related Links http://www.seniorlink.com SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SI-BONE, Inc., an innovative medical device company that pioneered the use of the iFuse Implant System (iFuse), a triangular-shaped minimally invasive surgical (MIS) device indicated for fusion for certain disorders of the sacroiliac (SI) joint, announced its new iFuse-Navigation Set* and proprietary 3D printed iFuse-3D fenestrated triangular titanium implant, will be featured at this year's North American Spine Society (NASS) annual meeting in Orlando, FL. The new iFuse-Navigation Set was designed to allow surgeons using the O-armTM imaging system and StealthStationTM navigation system to perform the iFuse procedure for MIS SI joint fusion. In addition to the new iFuse-Navigation Set, the company will also showcase its new iFuse-3D Implant. This novel implant combines the patented triangular shape of the iFuse ImplantTM with a proprietary 3D-printed porous trabecular surface and unique patented fenestrated design which is intended to enhance bony ongrowth, ingrowth, through growth and intra-articular fusion. The company will also be hosting Dr. David Polly**, Chief of Spine Surgery at the University of Minnesota, on Thursday, October 26th from 3:10 pm to 3:40 pm at its booth (#1518) in the NASS exhibit hall. Dr. Polly will present and discuss his experience utilizing navigation with the iFuse Procedure as well as his clinical experience with the new iFuse-3D Implant. "We are excited to have Dr. Polly join us at our booth and we're grateful that he has offered to take time to share his clinical experience with the iFuse Implant System and navigation as well as provide his initial perspective on the new iFuse-3D Implant," said Tony Recupero, Chief Commercial Officer at SI-BONE. "We have made great progress this past year toward advancing the diagnosis and treatment of SI joint disorders and we look forward to this year's NASS meeting to help build on that progress and create even greater awareness about the condition and access to our procedure." About SI joint dysfunction The SI joint has been attributed as a source of pain in 15-30 percent of patients with chronic low back pain1-4, and in up to 43 percent of patients with new onset or persistent low back pain after lumbar fusion.5 Like all other major joints, the SI joint can be injured or degenerate, which can cause debilitating pain in the lower back, buttocks and legs. Simple movements such as standing up, sitting down, stepping up or down, bending and lifting, walking, or even sleeping or sitting on the affected side can provoke a symptomatic SI joint. SI joint dysfunction is often misdiagnosed and the resulting pain can be misattributed to other causes. Not all healthcare providers evaluate the SI joint and many patients do not know to ask about it. While not commonly diagnosed, SI joint disorders can be identified when a patient points to their source of pain directly over the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) known as the Fortin Finger Test, combined with a number of positive provocative maneuvers to stress the SI joint and elicit the pain, followed by image-guided diagnostic injections. The other major joints in the human body, such as knees, hips, ankles and shoulders, have specialized device-based surgical solutions. The SI joint is the largest and the last of eight major joints in the human body to have a proven surgical solution. The iFuse ImplantTM was designed specifically to withstand the extreme forces resulting from load-bearing and the unique rotational and translational motion of the SI joint referred to as nutation, and is supported by more than 50 peer-reviewed publications including two Level 1 randomized controlled trials. About SI-BONE, Inc. SI-BONE, Inc. (San Jose, California) is a leading medical device company that has developed the iFuse Implant System, a proprietary minimally invasive surgical implant system to fuse the sacroiliac joint to treat common disorders of the joint that can cause lower back pain. Patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction experience pain that can be debilitating. SI-BONE believes that the sacroiliac joint is the last of the eight major joints in the human body to have a proven surgical treatment and that the iFuse Implant, first FDA-cleared in 2009, is the only device for treatment of SI joint dysfunction supported by significant published clinical evidence, including level 1 trials, showing safety and durable effectiveness, including providing lasting pain relief. The iFuse Implant System is intended for sacroiliac fusion for conditions including sacroiliac joint dysfunction that is a direct result of sacroiliac joint disruption and degenerative sacroiliitis. This includes conditions whose symptoms began during pregnancy or in the peripartum period and have persisted postpartum for more than 6 months. There are potential risks associated with the iFuse Implant System. It may not be appropriate for all patients and all patients may not benefit. For information about the risks, visit: www.si-bone.com/risks *Pending 510(k), not available for sale in USA. **Dr. Polly was an investigator on a clinical research study sponsored by SI-BONE. He has no financial interest in SI-BONE. SI-BONE and iFuse Implant System are registered trademarks of SI-BONE, Inc. iFuse-Navigation and iFuse-3D are trademarks of SI-BONE, Inc. 2017 SI-BONE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. 10016.102317 Bernard TN, Kirkaldy-Willis WH. Recognizing specific characteristics of nonspecific low back pain. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1987;217:26680. Schwarzer AC, Aprill CN, Bogduk N. The Sacroiliac Joint in Chronic Low Back Pain. Spine. 1995;20:317. Maigne JY, Aivaliklis A, Pfefer F. Results of Sacroiliac Joint Double Block and Value of Sacroiliac Pain Provocation Tests in 54 Patients with Low Back Pain. Spine. 1996;21:188992. Sembrano JN, Polly DW Jr. How Often is Low Back Pain Not Coming From The Back? Spine. 2009;34:E2732. DePalma M, Ketchum JM, Saullo TR. Etiology of Chronic Low Back Pain Patients Having Undergone Lumbar Fusion. Pain Med. 2011;12:7329. SOURCE SI-BONE, Inc. Related Links http://www.si-bone.com US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Sunday in Doha sounded unoptimistic for an end to the diplomatic spat opposing Qatar and its neighbors led by Saudi Arabia when he said that Riyadh is not ready yet to engage in talks with Doha. In my meetings with [Saudi] Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, I asked him to please engage in dialogue, [but] there is not a strong indication that parties are ready to talk yet, Tillerson said after meeting with his Qatari host Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The US official who was in the Qatari capital following a stop in Riyadh added that the US cannot force talks upon people who are not ready to talk. Qatar has been embroiled in a diplomatic row since June 5 with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt, the four accusing it of sponsoring terrorism. Doha vehemently rejected the accusations saying they were fabricated and sought to rip off the tiny gas rich country of its sovereignty. Washington has been trying to mend the crisis after US President Donald Trump took the Saudi side. Tillersons host also repeated that his country is victim of undiplomatic behavior and that the resolution of the crisis will bring stability and security to the region, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in particular The GCC is made up of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Kuwait and oman have so far adopted a neutral stand in the crisis. LONDON, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart Metering in Europe is the thirteenth consecutive report from Berg Insight analysing the latest developments for smart metering (electricity and gas) in Europe. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5154267 This strategic research report from Berg Insight provides you with over 250 pages of unique business intelligence, including 5-year industry forecasts, expert commentary and real-life case studies on which to base your business decisions. Highlights from the thirteenth edition of the report: - Full coverage of the European market with in-depth market profiles of all countries in EU28+2. - Case studies of smart electricity and gas metering projects by the leading energy groups in Europe. - 360-degree overview of next generation PLC, RF and cellular standards for smart grid communication. - Updated profiles of the key players in the metering industry. - New detailed forecast for smart electricity and gas meters in 30 countries until 2023. - Summary of the latest developments in the European energy industry. More than 200 million European households will have smart meters in 2023 Smart metering has reached a stage of early maturity with mass- rollouts underway in significant parts of Western Europe. Almost 40 percent of the 281 million electricity customers in EU28+2 had a smart meter at the end of 2017, a share that is set to increase to 70 percent over the coming five years. As a consequence, annual shipments of smart electricity meters will reach a peak of around 28 million units per year in 2019/2020. The majority of the new installations will take place in France, Spain and the UK, with significant contribution also coming from countries like Austria and the Netherlands. After Italy, which had a head-start, Spain was the first major country in Western Europe to begin mass deployments at the start of this decade. France and the UK have started to ramp up the rate of installations, which will peak at an aggregate level of 1012 million units per year in the period 20182020.7 Italy and Sweden were the first European countries to embark on nationwide deployments of smart meters in the last decade. As the systems deployed in both countries reach their end-of-life, the DSOs are making preparations for a second wave of rollouts. In Italy, Enel's distribution arm e-distribuzione is leading the way with plans to install 13 million second generation meters by 2019 and another 28 million in the following decade. Sweden faces a more complex situation with some remaining uncertainty around regulations and a greater diversity of DSOs. Over the past years, some of the earliest moving municipal DSOs from the first wave began upgrading their systems. In May 2017, Ellevio launched the first major second wave tender for the upgrading of 0.9 million metering points. The rollout will be the first where one existing large-scale system will be replaced by another. Germany is taking a highly cautious approach to smart meters. The country is planning for a 1520 years' transition period during which smart meters are gradually introduced for selected customer groups. In July 2016, Germany reached a significant milestone as the new regulatory framework and roadmap for smart meters was formally approved. In the medium term, smart meters will become mandatory for around 10 percent of the customers by 2025/2028. For the remaining 90 percent, households using less than 6,000 kWh per year, the technology will be optional with a price cap. This does leave some room for more extensive rollouts during the 2020s by DSOs that can identify strong business cases. Adoption trends in Central Eastern Europe are mixed. Estonia was the first country in the region to complete a nationwide rollout at the end of 2016. Latvia is doing a partial rollout to larger electricity customers and Lithuania has recently launched a pilot project. Poland has seen some large-scale installations but there have not yet been any final decisions about the regulatory framework of technical standads. At the end of 2017, one of the five DSOs were committed to a complete rollout while the others had performed or planned to perform large-scale pilots. Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary have different approaches to smart meters. The cost benefit analysis in Czechia had a negative result and deterred the country from going ahead with a rollout. Slovakia found a positive business case for a partial rollout and will deploy smart meters to around 30 percent of the customer base accounting for half of the yearly consumption until 2020. Hungary has established a subsidiary of the national TSO for the task of managing a national pilot project over the next years. Romania has seen an accelerated uptake in the past years as all three DSOs initiated significant deployments. Bulgaria does not plan a mandatory rollout, but the country's DSOs are gradually deploying smart meters to selected customers for similar reasons as in Romania. Greece is still in the process of organising a large-scale pilot that could lead up to an eventual nationwide rollout by the country's only DSO. PLC has been the dominant technology platform for smart metering solutions in Europe from the onset. Berg Insight however believes that IoT-optimised cellular technologies such as LTE-M/NB-IoT and RF mesh networks will steadily increase their market shares in smart metering over the next 510 years. The shift from 2G to 4G/5G will eventually offer improved performance at lower cost. LTE-M will probably be the most suitable alternative for smart electricity metering, while NB-IoT will cover the needs in smart gas and water metering. At the same time, the standardisation of RF mesh networks by the Wi-SUN Alliance and other standard bodies has a good potential for establishing a thriving ecosystem for connected products in the smart cities and smart energy markets. This report answers the following questions: - What is the status of nationwide rollouts in France, Spain and the UK? - What are the plans for second generation rollouts start in Italy and Sweden? - Why is Germany taking a different approach to smart metering? - Which European countries are next in line for large-scale rollouts? - What is the status of smart metering in Russia & CIS and the Balkans? - What is driving the shift from PLC to wireless communication technologies? - What impact will LTE-M and NB-IoT have on the smart metering market? - Which are the leading suppliers of smart metering solutions for the European market? Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5154267 About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers https://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 RENO, Nev., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Strategic 1031 Properties, LLC, an affiliate of SmartStop Asset Management, announced today that its Delaware Statutory Trust offering, Reno Student Housing, DST, has been fully subscribed by investors. The offering raised a total of $42.9 million of equity. Reno Student Housing, DST is comprised of The Summit, a 186-unit, 709-bed student housing community located one block from the University of Nevada, Reno. The Summit is a seven-building, Silver LEED certified student housing community located at 2780 Enterprise Road. The property is currently 97 percent leased. "Student housing is a needs-based real estate sector that has proven to be recession resistant," said H. Michael Schwartz, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of SmartStop Asset Management. "We are very pleased to announce the completion of this DST offering. The Summit is a newly constructed, student housing community that is purpose-built and amenities-rich, as well as adjacent to one of Nevada's largest universities." The Summit's 186, fully furnished units are comprised of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom floor plans, the majority of which include one-bedroom/one-bathroom parity for enhanced privacy. Community amenities include gated access, private study rooms, a two-story clubhouse with a fitness center, game lounge, pool, spa, computer room and business center, campus shuttle service, covered bike storage areas and more. Incorporated throughout the property is a fiber optic cable with broadband speeds of one gigabit per second, which supports connectivity to multiple devices at a time. The University of Nevada, Reno is a 21,000-student Division I school that has been ranked a National Tier 1 University by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers more than 145 degree programs across a variety of subjects and disciplines. About Strategic 1031 Properties, LLC Strategic 1031 Properties, LLC is a Delaware limited liability company that is owned by SmartStop Asset Management, LLC. About SmartStop Asset Management, LLC (SmartStop) SmartStop is a diversified real estate company focused on self storage assets, along with student and senior housing. The company has more than $1.3 billion of real estate assets under management, including 108 self storage facilities located throughout the United States and Toronto, Canada, comprised of approximately 68,000 units and 7.9 million rentable square feet. SmartStop's real estate portfolio also includes three student housing facilities with approximately 1,735 beds and 610,000 square feet of space. SmartStop is the sponsor of Strategic Storage Trust II, Inc., Strategic Storage Growth Trust, Inc. and Strategic Storage Trust IV, Inc., all public non-traded REITs focusing on self storage assets. The facilities offer affordable and accessible storage units for residential and commercial customers. In addition, they offer secure interior and exterior storage units as well as outside storage areas for vehicles, RVs and boats. Additional information regarding SmartStop Asset Management is available at www.SAM.com and more information regarding SmartStop Self Storage in the United States and Canada is available at www.SmartStop.com. Contacts Julie Leber Damon Elder Spotlight Marketing Communications Spotlight Marketing Communications 949.427.5172, ext. 703 949.427.5162, ext. 702 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE SmartStop Asset Management, LLC Related Links http://www.smartstop.com PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- City First Bank, a Washington D.C. commercial community bank, recently partnered with SOLE Financial to offer a payroll card program to its business clients who employ unbanked workers. As a community bank whose mission is to support and strengthen low-to-moderate income communities in the Washington D.C. area, the burden that paper payroll checks places on the unbanked was painfully evident to City First Bank's executive team. City First Bank selected SOLE as the ideal paycard partner, citing shared values of financial and economic inclusion, as well as a mutual recognition of the responsibility of private organizations to build a more equitable and sustainable future. SOLE Financial City First Bank of D.C. and SOLE Financial share a focus on providing opportunities and building financial inclusion within under-served communities. City First Bank returns profits to the Washington, D.C. community by investing in affordable housing, job creation, and new market tax credit opportunities to stimulate economic growth, while SOLE invests in financial education for its cardholders, many of whom have not had access to traditional financial resources. City First Bank has already identified several clients with unbanked workers who are expected to save significant revenue at the company level as well as save on check cashing fees at the individual employee level by transitioning from paper checks to the SOLE Paycard. For each client who reaches 100% direct deposit within their organization, SOLE will celebrate by planting a grove of trees in honor of the company's shift to completely paperless payroll. About the partnership, Charlene Davis, VP Branch Relationship Manager at City First Bank, said, "City First Bank is excited about the partnership with SOLE Financial. This partnership supports our mission to continuously provide services to low- and moderate-income communities. It gives employees the ability to access payroll without paying fees for check cashing, and employers will be able to reduce their cost in processing paper checks." From Erik Farleigh, SOLE Financial's Director of Financial Institutions: "With their progressive approach to financial inclusion, City First Bank of D.C. needed a payroll card option to better assist an underserved segment of Washington, D.C. and the surrounding suburbs especially since DC is among the top five most unbanked regions in the United States. With shared company tenets like serving the underserved, volunteerism, social responsibility and financial empowerment, a partnership with SOLE Financial was a natural fit. We're proud to partner with an organization that cares so deeply about their clients and their community." About SOLE: SOLE Financial advances financial inclusion by providing unbanked workers instant and affordable access to their hard-earned pay while helping companies go paperless. The SOLE Visa Payroll Card eliminates the expensive and logistical burden of paper checks and bridges the gap for clients striving to reach 100 percent direct deposit participation. SOLE celebrates clients that achieve 100 percent paperless pay by planting a grove of trees in their name through its corporate social responsibility program, the SOLE Paperless Trees Project. #FinancialInclusion #DirectDeposit #PaperlessTrees About the SOLE Financial Institution Program: Brick-and-mortar banks have seen an increased need to offer a paycard to their commercial clients who employ unbanked workers, but face an uphill compliance and logistical battle when it comes to offering the product in-house. SOLE solves this problem with the SOLE Financial Institution Program. By partnering with SOLE, banks and credit unions are able to offer the standard SOLE product to their commercial accounts who are asking for a paycard solution, without expending resources allocated to the traditional banking services in which they specialize. About City First Bank: City First is an impact-driven commercial community development finance provider comprised of a nationally chartered commercial bank (City First Bank, which also manages a New Market Tax Credit Program); and several nonprofits (City First Enterprises, City First Homes, City First Foundation) related by common board members and management, operating as a unified organization with a focused vision, strategy, and management system toward servicing low to moderate-income communities. Since its founding in 1996, City First has channeled over $1Billion in mission lending where it's needed most. City First is headquartered in Washington, D.C. on historic U Street. Media Contact: Taylor Ellsworth Phone: 971.227.5364 email: [email protected] Related Links About SOLE Implement SOLE Paycards Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxX3eDMXgeo SOURCE SOLE Financial Tusk USA, whose mission is to advance innovation to protect Africa's wildlife and natural habitat, and Space for Giants whose mission is to protect African elephants and their habitats through new conservation models providing anti-poaching, economic and political solutions, are delighted to join forces on this event. Funds generated by the concert will be invested in initiatives aimed at ensuring that Africa continues to maintain diverse populations of large mammals, including elephants, and the healthy habitats on which they rely. Ending the illegal wildlife trade and poaching crisis, providing alternative and sustainable livelihoods, and implementing management strategies to mitigate human-wildlife conflict are all critical components of the holistic strategies of both organizations. These solutions allow wildlife and people to co-exist and give biodiversity in Africa a fighting chance. Tusk USA and Space for Giants are working towards an Africa where wildlife is no longer threatened and both humans and wildlife coexist and thrive alongside each other. But if we fail to act now we may lose the most precious and iconic species forever. Together we can make a difference. Tusk USA and Space for Giants are both 501(c)(3) registered charities whose headquarters are in New York City. Media Contact: Ellen C. O'Connell, Executive Director, Tusk USA 646-321-3995 Tusk USA www.tusk.org 525 East 89th Street Courtyard Office New York, NY 10128 Tel: 212-602-1588 SOURCE Tusk USA "Stanley Black & Decker is focused on accelerating its innovation efforts to enhance its track record of delivering top-quartile financial performance while operating in a highly sustainable manner," said George W. Buckley, Stanley Black & Decker's Chairman of the Board. "Jim's expertise in this digitization and technology space spans both consumer products and automotive industries, as well as organizations with strong brands. He will be of tremendous value to the company, and we couldn't be more pleased to have Jim as part of our Board." At Nike, Scholefield leads the company's enterprise technology strategy, delivering innovative solutions to support the company's business growth. Prior to joining Nike in 2015, Scholefield was Chief Technology Officer at The Coca-Cola Company, responsible for the organization's IT strategy, tech operations and technology engineering. He also held IT leadership roles at Northern Trust, Ford Motor Company and Procter & Gamble. Scholefield earned a Bachelor's from Florida State University and a Master's from the Georgia Institute of Technology. "Technology continues to move at a rapid pace, causing massive disruption across businesses and industries," said Scholefield. "Stanley Black & Decker is a company that recognizes that change is coming and is committed to keeping the pace with innovation and business model evolutions to stay ahead of the curve. It's an organization with strong brands, a rich history and an exciting future. I look forward to being part of the Board." Stanley Black & Decker, an S&P 500 company, is a diversified global provider of hand tools, power tools and related accessories, electronic security solutions, healthcare solutions, engineered fastening systems and more. Learn more at www.stanleyblackanddecker.com Media Contacts: Tim Perra Vice President, Public Affairs [email protected] 860-826-3260 Dennis Lange Vice President, Investor Relations [email protected] 860-515-2741 SOURCE Stanley Black & Decker Related Links http://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com PRAGUE, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Open Source Summit The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), which sustains and integrates open source technologies like Kubernetes and Prometheus, today announced that 30 new members joined the Foundation. 451 Research forecasts the global DevOps & microservices market is predicted to reach $10 billion by 2021, positioning cloud native technologies for rapid adoption. "CNCF is thrilled to welcome our many new members from around the world in diverse industries, including financial leaders like Bloomberg and Morgan Stanley," said Dan Kohn, Executive Director of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. "CNCF has now crossed over the 100 member mark in less than two years since we started, including the six largest public cloud providers. As our membership base diversifies, the ecosystem benefits from broader input, contributions and financial support to fuel more rapid adoption of cloud native computing." About the newest Silver Members: ACEDEMAND IT Services has experience with software architecture and software development support to help with enterprise software projects. Alauda, with its container-centric enterprise Platform-as-a-Service offerings, empowers professionals in software and IT with a razor focus on delivering cloud native capabilities and DevOps best practices to enterprise customers across industries. Applatix provides products and services that help developers successfully run Kubernetes in development and production, including Argo an open source container-native workflow engine for Kubernetes. Aqua Security enables enterprises to secure their container-based applications from development to production, accelerating container adoption and bridging the gap between DevOps and IT security. Buoyant builds open source service mesh infrastructure to help companies run their applications safely, securely and reliably. Bloomberg is a global business and financial information powerhouse which uses innovative technology to deliver real-time data, news and analytics to influential decision makers across business, finance, government, policy and philanthropy. Cloudvisory provides centralized management of cloud native security controls delivering real-time visibility, intelligent micro-segmentation, security policy orchestration and continuous compliance enforcement for Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, OpenStack, VMware and bare metal environments. ContainerShip is a multi-cloud CaaS platform that makes it easy to deploy, scale, manage and snapshot clusters on any of the integrated 14+ cloud providers or your own datacenter. Dynatrace is the only digital performance management provider offering AI-powered, full stack, automated monitoring for today's hypercomplex, webscale IT environments. Ghostcloud is the biggest CaaS (container as a service) platform in the southwest of China , committed to helping enterprises transform from traditional IT to cloud native. , committed to helping enterprises transform from traditional IT to cloud native. Giant Swarm manages Kubernetes Clusters on top of a secure, multi-tenant platform for enterprise companies, both on-premises and in the cloud. GitLab is the leading integrated product for modern software development. Connecting issue management, version control, code review, CI, CD and monitoring into a single, easy-to-install application, GitLab helps teams go faster from idea to production. Gravitational offers tools to manage distributed applications across multiple hosting regions, including on-premise clouds. Teleport enables RBAC for multi-region SSH and Telekube securely replicates and manages Kubernetes clusters across regions. InfoSiftr a global authority in container images provides Docker Authorized Training, integration and consulting services, with a team that includes a Docker core maintainer as well as other contributors who support the container runtime spec runC and containerd and Docker CE. Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. New H3C Technologies is a world-leading provider of New IT solutions, fully committed to the research & development, production, sales, consulting and services of New IT products and solutions. Netsil provides observability and monitoring for cloud native applications enabling real-time visibility into the health and performance of applications, without any code instrumentation. Nirmata provides multi-cloud Kubernetes cluster management for enterprise IT, as well as simplified delivery, management and governance of cloud native applications for product development and operations teams. OpenEBS is open source containerized storage natively integrated into Kubernetes that delivers per Pod or microservice storage policies such as cross cloud replication. Platform9's next-generation open cloud is built on a SaaS architecture that runs across any data-center or public cloud making it easy for enterprises to deploy, manage and maintain hybrid clouds using industry standard cloud frameworks such as Kubernetes, OpenStack and Fission. Qualcomm's technologies are revolutionizing industries, including automotive, computing, IoT, healthcare and data center, and are allowing millions of devices to connect with each other in ways never before imagined. Qualcomm Datacenter Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of QUALCOMM Incorporated, introduced Qualcomm Centriq, a new family of ARM-based processors, to address the needs of today's datacenter. RackN is using fast, simple and open automation to change the economics of the data center. resin.io enables developers to remotely update and manage code running on fleets of Linux-based connected devices bringing a modern software development workflow, including Docker, to the Internet of Things. WSO2 provides a 100 percent open source unified platform to build, scale and secure enterprise applications enabling companies to innovate faster and digitally transform. About the newest End-User Members & Supporters: GitHub the largest open source community in the world enables developers to create and maintain influential technologies from more than 68 million repositories worldwide. Kuelap is a cloud native platform for digital financial services based on the open source Apache Fineract framework and other open source standards providing fast, low-cost mobile delivery of digital financial services to four billion people across the world who do not have access to financial services. Reddit dubbed "the front page of the Internet" is the home of conversation online. With more than 330 million global users monthly, Reddit is home to the most open and authentic conversations online. The New York Times Company is a global media organization known for excellence in its journalism, innovation in its print and digital storytelling, and its business model. The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that supports Wikipedia and its mission of free knowledge for all. Zendesk is a cloud-based company that builds software for better customer relationships empowering organizations to improve customer engagement and better understand their customers. Bloomberg, Reddit, GitHub, Kuelap, The Wikimedia Foundation, Zendesk, Morgan Stanley and The New York Times join other end user companies including Box, Capital One, eBay, Goldman Sachs, NCSOFT, Ticketmaster, Twitter, Vevo and Zalando in CNCF's End User Community. This group meets monthly and advises CNCF Governing Board and Technical Oversight Committee members on key challenges, emerging use cases and areas of opportunity and new growth for cloud native technologies. This month, Sam Lambert, Senior Director of Infrastructure Engineering at GitHub, was elected by the End User Community to the Technical Operating Committee (TOC) joining other TOC members and representing CNCF's growing community of end users. Additionally, CNCF is a Sponsor of Open Source Summit Europe where Kohn will present "Migrating Legacy Monoliths to Cloud Native Microservices Architectures on Kubernetes," and Chris Aniszczyk, COO of CNCF, will offer a "Cloud Native Update" during his keynote with Riyaz Faizullabhoy, Security Engineer at Docker. Additional Resources About Cloud Native Computing Foundation Cloud native computing uses an open source software stack to deploy applications as microservices, packaging each part into its own container, and dynamically orchestrating those containers to optimize resource utilization. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) hosts critical components of those software stacks including Kubernetes, Fluentd, linkerd, Prometheus, OpenTracing, gRPC, CoreDNS, containerd, rkt, CNI, Envoy and Jaeger. CNCF serves as the neutral home for collaboration and brings together the industry's top developers, end users and vendors including the six largest public cloud providers and many of the leading private cloud companies. CNCF is part of The Linux Foundation, a nonprofit organization. For more information about CNCF, please visit: https://cncf.io/. The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Media Contact Natasha Woods The Linux Foundation (415) 312-5289 [email protected] SOURCE Cloud Native Computing Foundation Related Links https://cncf.io LOS ANGELES, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- USA News Group - In spite of lawmakers' inability to determine direction for healthcare, medical device companies continue to be some of the strongest performers this year. Companies being rewarded for their consistency outside the fray include Baxter International, Inc. (NYSE: BAX), Becton, Dickinson and Co. (NYSE: BDX), Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE: BSX), and Imagin Medical Inc. (CSE: IME) (OTC: IMEXF). During a period when the big tech companies appear to rule the day, several medical device and technology companies have been quietly making fortunes. Some of the best stocks in this space have been up all year, with the leaders reflecting their strong fundamentals' performance and providing investors with great returns. There seems to be a consensus among market gurus that there is no reason for this to end at the moment and these still have room to run. This is very evident in some top drawer companies; three that you know well and one you will not likely have heard about, but that could really shake up the medical imaging space. The small player in the group is gaining interest for its new, patented technology for use in medical imaging targeting bladder cancer. Imagin Medical Inc., (CSE: IME) (OTC: IMEXF) is heading into human testing with its i/Blue cancer imaging technology and offers major promise for that dread disease. The three others who have been delivering on fundamentals have been deemed the "Killer B's" for their momentum despite a US healthcare market in flux. They are Baxter International, Inc. (NYSE: BAX), which makes medical equipment like dialysis machines and infusion systems, along with Becton, Dickinson and Co. (NYSE: BDX) that makes supplies like needles, syringes and catheters, and Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE: BSX), which makes pacemakers and defibrillators, among other cardiovascular and endoscopic devices. Each of these three has rallied into the double-digits in 2017. Medical Device Market Cruising At a time when nearly all market sectors are feeling the impact of global turmoil, the medical device market seems to keep cruising. It's a great place to be right now. Spending on medical devices is expected to reach $176 billion this year in the Americas and nearly $360 billion worldwide. The US is estimated to spend about $4.5 billion per year on medical and diagnostic imaging alone. The diagnostic imaging segment has seen continual growth based on the increasing number of patients, as well as an increasing demand for minimally invasive surgery, which requires precise imaging. The overall U.S. healthcare market grows at a regular rate of about 5.6 percent annually and is expected to reach nearly 20% of the U.S. GDP by 2015 or total spending of $3.4 trillion in 2016. According to the Advisory Board 2017 report, the increases are brought about by changes in economic growth and population aging and not as much by changes in insurance coverage. Based on the size and scale of this market, it's easy to see why there continues to be significant opportunities in the medical device space. Imagin Medical Targets the Most Expensive Form of Cancer An emerging innovator in this group is looking to emulate the success of the major providers by targeting a very large market: bladder cancer. Imagin Medical is the developer of the i/Blue Imaging System to help detect bladder cancer and reduce its recurrence by dramatically improving the urologist's ability to visualize, identify and then remove cancerous cells. Bladder cancer is the most expensive form of cancer to treat, accounting for cumulative costs of $4 billion or about 3.2% of all cancer care each year. It is the sixth largest market for cancer treatment and yet treatment approaches have not really changed over the past 25 years. Imagin's system uses endoscopic technology combined with white light and video imaging to visualize the human bladder in order to detect cancer. This is combined with fluorescing drugs and specialized blue light imaging to improve the visualization of tumors many times over. The results are dramatic. According to the company, Imagin's i/Blue system increases sensitivity for detecting the cancer specific contrast agent by 5 orders of magnitude or 100,000X. Cheaper, Faster, Better A new technology that radically transforms the way things are done in medical imaging and diagnostics, Imagin's i/Blue system could well be classified as disruptive. There are several aspects that set it apart from anything available today. First, Imagin's approach allows the system to accurately image in less than 15 minutes vs. the one-hour period required to metabolize drugs using conventional fluorescing system. Second, its computer application cleans, reprocesses, blends and displays the image of the bladder and cancer onto a single monitor at the same time. This allows for multiple perspectives of the bladder on a single system, as opposed to switching between white to blue light systems. Last, the i/Blue system's advancement in sensitivity improves surgeons' ability to detect even flat cancers and to visualize their margins for more complete removal. This can dramatically reduce the risk of recurrence, slowing the progression of the disease What's really exciting about the i/Blue System is its ability to improve results, simplify procedures, save time and money. Not Holding Back There is still plenty of room for innovation in the medical device market. There also appears plenty of room for solid companies to profit richly in this space. The leaders in the group continue to flourish, and regardless of failed promises of Washington to deliver tax breaks that would help the industry, stay profitable. Some of these stocks might look relatively expensive now, but there's a good chance investors will look back at these prices similar to the way tech sector stocks that are going off the charts are viewed now. If Baxter, B&D and Boston Scientific look expensive, consider Imagin Medicals unique position: despite all its early advances, the company appears undervalued at a meager $5 million market cap. Although it is an emerging medical company, IME has already made great progress. Launched in 2016, it has finished its prototype and moved into human testing to be carried out at University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE). This could result in the next major step and heading into commercialization. Be on the lookout for IME join the list of the elite innovators adding disruptive technology to the medical imaging and diagnostic space. Potential Comparables Baxter International, Inc. (NYSE: BAX) Baxter International Inc. provides a portfolio of renal and hospital products. The company operates through two segments, Hospital Products and Renal. The Hospital Products segment manufactures intravenous (IV) solutions and administration sets, premixed drugs and drug-reconstitution systems, pre-filled vials and syringes for injectable drugs, IV nutrition products, parenteral nutrition therapies, infusion pumps, inhalation anesthetics, and biosurgery products. This segment also provides products and services related to pharmacy compounding, drug formulation, and packaging technologies. The Renal segment provides products to treat end-stage renal disease, irreversible kidney failure, and acute kidney therapies. The company sells its products for use in hospitals, kidney dialysis centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, doctors' offices, and by patients at home under physician supervision. Becton, Dickinson and Co. (NYSE: BDX) Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products worldwide. It operates in two segments, BD Medical and BD Life Sciences. The company markets its products through independent distribution channels and sales representatives to healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and general public. It has a strategic collaboration with FlowJo, LLC. Becton, Dickinson and Company was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE: BSX) Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through three segments: Cardiovascular, Rhythm Management, and MedSurg. The company offers interventional cardiology products, including drug-eluting coronary stent systems used in the treatment of coronary artery disease; other coronary therapy products to treat atherosclerosis; intravascular catheter-directed ultrasound imaging catheters, fractional flow reserve devices, and systems for use in coronary arteries and heart chambers, as well as certain peripheral vessels; and structural heart therapy systems and products to diagnose and treat diseases of the pulmonary and gastrointestinal conditions; devices to diagnose, treat, and ease pulmonary disease systems within the airway and lungs; and spinal cord stimulator systems for the management of chronic pain. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts. 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Media Contact Information: FN Media Group, LLC Media Contact e-mail: [email protected] U.S. Phone: +1(954)345-0611 SOURCE USA News Group WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the leadership of major U.S. companies in India, under the aegis of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), called on the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath, after a day long discussion with key officials from the state government. The Chief Minister's focus on improving the perception of Uttar Pradesh as an investment destination, as well as his dedicated efforts in creating an eco-system of clean governance, has provided American companies the needed impetus to explore opportunities for partnership in the state. USISPF in partnership with the NITI Aayog and U.S. Embassy in India co-hosted a Road to GES event on "Accelerating Development in Uttar Pradesh." India will host the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017, a series of global events that showcase inspiring entrepreneurs and investors, in Hyderabad later this year. As a pre-cursor to the GES, this program in Lucknow brought together American companies to discuss the role of innovation and technology in leapfrogging development, in a state as vast as Uttar Pradesh. The event was hosted under the stewardship of Hon'ble Health Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Sidharth Nath Singh, who stated in his opening comments that, "You [U.S. Companies] have the opportunity to invest in other states, but for your effort to come to Uttar Pradesh and show interest, we thank you, we look forward to keeping you here." Nivedita Mehra, Managing Director - India, USISPF, stressed on the forum's commitment to the UP developmental agenda. "In this endeavor," she added, "the UP government should appoint a dedicated empowered senior official, to facilitate and fast-track U.S. investments into the state." NITI Aayog Member, Dr. V.K Paul shared the center's vision for Public Private Partnerships in the state. Dr. Paul said, "Here is a state that is a huge market, with the potential to grow and develop. Uttar Pradesh's success is India's success." The Chief Secretary Shri Rajive Kumar chaired a session on investment opportunities in the state. Dr. Anup Pandey, Industries Commissioner, and Shri Alok Sinha, Principal Secretary for Industries & Infrastructure, made presentations on the new industrial policy for Uttar Pradesh. The business delegation was led by Pratyush Kumar, President, Boeing India who said that American companies "view Uttar Pradesh as a source of growth and competitiveness." The delegation also included C-level executives from major U.S. companies including Merck, Medtronic, Oracle, Cargill, GE Healthcare, Adobe and Facebook among others. Representing the U.S. Embassy, Ariel Pollock, Head, North India said, "The U.S. mission to India is committed to Uttar Pradesh, as is evident in our support of the smart cities program in Allahabad. It will continue to do so." The U.S. Trade and Development Agency also announced its intent to move ahead with a reverse trade mission on smart cities by inviting officials from Uttar Pradesh government to American cities such as Boston and Pittsburgh. USISPF also launched its first co-innovation laboratory in Allahabad, which has been identified under the 100 smart cities mission, during the event. The Co-Innovation Lab initiative, in a simultaneous boost to Make in India, intends to provide local solutions to local problems by roping in young innovators, startups and local governments, primarily in areas of energy, transportation, waste management, healthcare, artificial intelligence, climate and smart agriculture. About the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF): The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum is committed to creating the most powerful strategic partnership between the U.S. and India. Promoting bilateral trade is an important part of our work, but our mission reaches far beyond this. It is about business and government coming together in new ways to create meaningful opportunities that have the power to change the lives of citizens. For more details, please visit http://usispf.org/. You can also follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. For more details, please contact: USISPF: Nina Anand | [email protected] Gauri Datta | [email protected] SOURCE US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) LAS VEGAS, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Verady, a cryptocurrency accounting and audit technology company, is formally announcing a strategic partnership with Aprio, a nationally-recognized CPA-led business advisory firm, headquartered in Georgia. Aprio is a strong partner for the Atlanta-based company. Verady has been working closely with Aprio over the past several years to assist with auditing one of the world's largest cryptocurrency payment processing companies. Today, Verady officially launched the platform that made all of this possible, VeraNet. Aprio has worked with the Verady team to successfully complete a number of audit engagements over the past several years. Jagruti Solanki, Assurance Senior Manager at Aprio, stated: "With the assistance of the Verady team and the VeraNet platform, we were able to efficiently complete our financial statement audits, including a complete reconciliation of the bitcoin transactions and bitcoin assets held by our customer. Through our partnership with Verady we will now be able to provide a wide array of financial assurance services to companies and their third-party intermediaries that use cryptocurrencies or the blockchain in their everyday business." Understanding how blockchain assets align with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) is crucial to the adoption of cryptocurrency for everyday use. The founders of Verady intend to lead the way and have been working in the space since 2013. "The idea for VeraNet was developed four years ago as an audit solution to verify bitcoin asset control, transaction volumes, and historical balances. With cryptocurrency not having widespread adoption yet and a market cap of under one billion, the timing wasn't quite right then," said Nathan Eppinger, CTO of Verady. Recently, the market capitalization of Bitcoin and other blockchain assets have surged to more than $175 Billion. "The growth of all cryptocurrency has been very exciting to see this past year, but the use of cryptocurrency comes with challenges. We created Verady to assist companies with the challenge of financial accountability associated with the use of blockchain assets," said Kell Canty, CEO. As the VeraNet platform expands, it will incorporate accounting platform integrations, tax liability calculations, more complex financial reporting, and a wider variety of use cases. About Verady: Verady provides cryptocurrency accounting and audit services through VeraNet, where financial institutions, corporations, and individuals can audit, account, and report on blockchain assets. Verady believes traditional accounting systems, firms, and standards are currently lacking functionality around cryptocurrencies. VeraNet will be the bridge between cryptocurrencies and traditional financial accounting which is needed to further their acceptance and growth. For more information about Verady please visit verady.com or follow @veradyinfo on Twitter. About Aprio: As a premier full-service, CPA-led business advisory firm, Aprio's associates work as integrated teams across advisory, assurance, tax and private client services, bringing our best thinking and personal commitment to each client. At Aprio, we advise clients and associates to achieve what's next. Across our practices, we bring our proven expertise, deep understanding and strategic foresight for industries including Manufacturing and Distribution; Nonprofit and Education; Professional Services; Real Estate and Construction; Retail, Franchise and Hospitality; and Technology and Biosciences. In our 65 years, we have grown to 400 employees. To serve our clients wherever life or business may take them, our teams speak more than 30 languages and work with clients in over 40 countries. In addition to its Atlanta headquarters, Aprio also operates in New York; Birmingham, Ala.; Indianapolis, Ind.; and Sarasota, Fla. For more information about Aprio please visit aprio.com or follow @AprioAdvisors on Twitter. SOURCE Verady Related Links http://www.verady.com Dozens of Egyptian security forces were mowed down in a clash with militants on Friday at some 135 km outside Cairo, near the Bahariya oasis in the countrys Western Desert. According to state figures, sixteen security forces, mainly police agents, were killed in the Friday clash, while media reports relying on security and medical sources say the death toll could rise up to 54. The interior ministry said an army convoy was caught up in an ambush while heading to a hideout where eight terrorists reportedly from the Hasm group were hiding. The Hasm group has claimed a number of attacks in the country. It is linked, according to the Egyptian state, to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. President al-Sisi during a cabinet meeting on Sunday vowed to crackdown on those responsible for the attack. Egypt will continue its confrontation against terrorism and those financing and standing behind it, with strength, decisiveness and efficiency, until its curbed, he said. Egyptian security forces have been facing militancy since 2013 following the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi by al-Sisi. Most of attacks have taken place in the restive Sinai province even though militant attacks have also hit urban areas including capital Cairo. VIENNA, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "A platform bringing together decision makers and experts" - this is how the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) Director General Michael Spindelegger described the Vienna Migration Conference, which will take place at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna on 23-24 October. First held in 2016, the conference is ICMPD's flagship event promoting collaboration on critical issues in the field of migration. ICMPD will host ministers, state and deputy state secretaries, as well as high-level representatives from Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Nigeria, Norway, the EU Commission, European External Action Service and the European Investment Bank. Together with more than 300 participants including political decision makers, government experts, academia, media and civil society they will explore a key question that should enable safe and orderly migration: How should partnerships on migration work in the future? ICMPD will present five Migration Partnership Priorities developed on basis of its long-standing experience in the migration field. These priorities cover a range of topics, from crisis responsiveness to refugee autonomy, responsibility sharing and pathways to protection, the regional dimensions of migration and displacement, pathways for legal migration, perspectives for the young and educated in countries of origin and more intelligent policies on return. "The relationship between countries of origin and countries of destination of migrants should not be based on simple deal-making. Substantial partnerships that cater for both immediate and long-term needs are what we have to achieve," says Director General Spindelegger. The conference will also highlight opportunities for the private sector to contribute to policies that promote safe, regular and orderly migration. Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank, will provide a keynote address examining the role of the private sector in the field of migration. "The Vienna Migration Conference discusses pressing migration issues from a European perspective and from the perspective of our many partners from outside Europe. While we acknowledge areas where progress has been made, it is also necessary to identify areas where gaps persist and questions remain open," said Director General Spindelegger. The International Centre for Migration Policy Development is a key player in the migration field. The organisation has 15 member states and carries out activities throughout the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. The Vienna-based organisation has a mission in Brussels and duty stations in other 18 countries. Founded in 1993, ICMPD serves as a support mechanism for informal consultations and provides expertise in multilateral cooperation on migration issues. The principles of partnership and balancing of interests are the foundation of the organisation. More Information And Interview Requests Bernhard Schragl ICMPD - Communication and Media Coordinator T: +43-1-504-4677-2444 E: [email protected] SOURCE International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) BEAVERTON, Ore., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- VTech Communications, Inc., a global leader and manufacturer of SIP-based phones, is sponsoring the 2017 BroadSoft Connections show as a gold-level sponsor. BroadSoft Connections showcases the latest technology in innovative cloud communications for BroadSoft customers, including those in government and hospitality verticals. "We're excited to collaborate with BroadSoft as a gold-level sponsor, and help bring together innovators in the SIP category to build a strong and sustainable platform for business communications," said Ernie Levenson, president, VTech Communications, Inc. "We're also looking forward to showcasing our VTech and Snom business solutions, which add flexibility and increase productivity in the workplace." VTech and Snom plan to exhibit their latest offerings of conference phones and SIP desk phonesincluding models that have completed interoperability testing with BroadWorksat BroadSoft Connections, booth G3 on October 22-25, 2017 in Phoenix. BroadSoft recently completed interoperability testing with the VTech ErisTerminal VSP800 Series, which features Bluetooth connectivity, USB expansion and color screens on some models. Phones include the VSP805, VSP810, VSP815G, VSP845G and the VSP875G. "The discussions at Connections shape the future of business communications each year, and sponsors like VTech play a massive role in putting on such a productive show," said Taher Behbehani, chief digital and marketing officer, BroadSoft. "We're looking forward to VTech and Snom's participation at Connections, and joining forces to rethink innovation in cloud communications technologies." VTech continues to leverage their global experience in telephony, engineering and manufacturing with the technical expertise of Snom to deliver an innovative and diverse product portfolio in the business market. Compatible with hosted and open-source PBX platforms, VTech-branded and Snom-branded SIP phones, conference phones and telecommunication products elevate the business customer experience through state-of-the art technology. No VoIP phone vendor led all competitors in all 10 customer satisfaction measurements, according to a recent survey of 10 top SIP phone vendors by the Eastern Management Group. However, "VTech, in a remarkable achievement, is the only company for which 100 percent of survey respondents said they would recommend its VoIP phones to a friend," said John Malone, president, Eastern Management Group. 1 The company's business solutions scale from entry-level to enterprise-level solutions. As a vertically integrated organization, VTech and Snom manage all phases of R&D, production, manufacturing, sales and support. Because of this, end-users enjoy affordable, high-quality products with industry-leading warranties and free U.S.-based support. About VTech Business Solutions VTech provides a full portfolio of strong brands and a diverse collection of telecommunications products that elevate the business customer and hotel guest experience through state-of-the-art technology. They are sold through a wide network of trusted partners and are backed by industry-leading warranties and U.S.-based training and support. The company has recently added an award-winning collection of SIP phone systems, featuring compatibility with hosted and open-source PBX platforms. Founded in 1976, VTech is the world's largest manufacturer of cordless phones and the global leader in electronic learning products from infancy through toddler and preschool. It also provides highly sought-after contract manufacturing services. VTech's mission is to design, manufacture and supply innovative and high-quality products, while creating sustainable value for its stakeholders and the community. For more information, please visit businessphones.vtech.com. About BroadSoft Connections Now in its fifteenth year and yet again on track for record attendance, the theme of BroadSoft Connections 2017 is "Rethink Innovation." Attendees will join hundreds of the industry's leading voices to explore the most innovative cloud communications, team collaboration, and contact center solutions designed to give users a competitive edge in the market. Featuring comprehensive panel sessions on how to use, sell and deploy cloud unified communications, informational sessions with industry experts and BroadSoft Business users from across the globe, and plenty of networking opportunities, this year's Connections will explore the products and solutions that are disrupting the cloud communications market, and how users can succeed in the future of business communications. To learn more about BroadSoft and the BroadSoft Connections event, visit the conference website, join BroadSoft's LinkedIn Community or follow the company on Twitter. About BroadSoft BroadSoft is the technology innovator in cloud PBX, unified communications, team collaboration, and contact center solutions for businesses and service providers across 80 countries. We are the market share leader for cloud unified communications with an open, mobile and secure platform trusted by 25 of the world's top 30 service providers by revenue. Our BroadSoft Business application suite empowers users and teams to share ideas and work simply to achieve breakthrough performance. For additional information, visit www.BroadSoft.com. Twitter | LinkedIn | BroadSoft Blog 1 http://www.nojitter.com/post/240172968/voip-phones-which-vendor-rates-best-in-customer-satisfaction VTech is a registered trademark of VTech Holdings Limited. Snom is a registered trademark owned by Snom Technology GmbH. ErisTerminal is a registered trademark of VTech Communications, Inc. BroadSoft is a registered trademark of BroadSoft, Inc. 2017 VTech Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. VTech Media Contact: Stephanie Fazio Advertising & Public Relations Manager 503-596-1248 [email protected] SOURCE VTech Communications, Inc. Related Links http://www.vtechphones.com NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Weight Watchers International, Inc. (NYSE: WTW) will release its results for the third quarter 2017 after the NYSE closes on Monday, November 6, 2017. The Company has also scheduled a conference call on November 6 at 5:00 p.m. ET. During the conference call, Mindy Grossman, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Nicholas Hotchkin, Chief Financial Officer, will discuss the third quarter 2017 results and answer questions from the investment community. Live audio of the conference call will be simultaneously webcast over the Internet on the Company's corporate website, www.weightwatchersinternational.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on this site for approximately 90 days. About Weight Watchers International, Inc. Weight Watchers International, Inc. is one of the most recognized and trusted brand names among weight-conscious consumers. Weight Watchers provides commercial weight management services through a global network of Company-owned and franchise operations and offers innovative, digital weight management products through its websites, mobile sites and apps. These services and products are built on the Company's weight management program, which helps millions of people around the world lose weight through sensible and sustainable food plans, activity, behavior modification and group support. Weight Watchers has an unparalleled network of service providers to assist members on their journey and also offers a wide range of products, publications and programs for those interested in weight loss and healthier living. This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events. These statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements because actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied. The reports filed by the Company pursuant to United States securities laws contain discussions of these risks and uncertainties. The Company assumes no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Readers are advised to review the Company's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (which are available from the SEC's EDGAR database at www.sec.gov, at various SEC reference facilities in the United States and via the Company's website at www.weightwatchersinternational.com). Contact Information: Investors: Corey Kinger 212-601-7569 [email protected] SOURCE Weight Watchers International, Inc. Related Links http://www.weightwatchers.com "George has been part of the West Penn Multi-List family for many years, and we're happy to have him back in the role of president," said Barbara Kohl, chief operating officer, West Penn Multi-List, Inc. "This is an exciting time for our organization as we are currently launching a new software to enhance our members' experience, so we're honored to have George's leadership during this rollout." A Pittsburgh native, Hackett earned his real estate license in 1974 and began his real estate career with the Hosack Real Estate agency, while still working full time as a secondary school history teacher. He quickly became a top-producing agent, devoted his career to real estate, and by 1981, he was the company's general manager and 30% owner. In 1984, the Hosack Company was sold to Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services, and Hackett became President of the Pittsburgh company, the position he currently holds. At this time, he oversees 12 offices and more than 900 affiliated sales associates. Other nominations to West Penn Multi-List, Inc.'s board of directors include: Vice President Tom Hosack , president and CEO of Northwood Realty Services; , president and CEO of Northwood Realty Services; Secretary Gloria Schucolsky , associate broker and past regional manager, Howard Hanna Company; , associate broker and past regional manager, Howard Hanna Company; Treasurer Robert Freeman , owner and broker of record, Freeman Realty; and , owner and broker of record, Freeman Realty; and Director Ron Croushore , owner and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services The Preferred Realty. "I am honored to be leading the board of directors for West Penn Multi-List an organization that does a phenomenal job of servicing its real estate agents. In turn, the agents provide exceptional service to their real estate clients," Hackett said. About West Penn Multi-List, Inc. West Penn Multi-List, Inc. provides multiple listing services and state-of-the art programs to its broker subscribers and their agents. These programs are offered to stay current with advancing technology and enhance the professionalism of subscribing brokers and their agents, resulting in unparalleled service. Each month, West Penn Multi-List, Inc. issues a residential real estate report representing the 17-county area it services Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Clarion, Crawford, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland counties. For more information, visit http://www.westpennmls.com/. CONTACT: Maegen Laney Noble [email protected] 904-451-2644 Kristen Laney O'Toole [email protected] 412-327-2907 SOURCE West Penn Multi-List, Inc. Related Links http://www.westpennmls.com CHENGDU, China, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Xu Hao, founder of CAMERA360, specialising in the advancement of image technologies, discusses tech innovation and the mobile phone photography market. Chengdu Tianfu Software Park (the Park) is one of China's 11 national software industry bases, a national software export innovation base, and a national service outsourcing base urban demonstration park. Since officially beginning operations in 2005, the Park has attracted over 600 domestic and international tenants, including IBM, SAP, EMC, Philips, Maersk, Siemens, Ericsson, Dell, Wipro, DHL, PwC, NCS, Garmin, Huawei, Alibaba, Tencent, and Manulife Financial. Among these, 34 are Fortune Global 500 companies. The Park currently houses over 60,000 working staff. Meanwhile, the Park is operating China's renowned startup incubation platform, Tianfu Software Park. Lab, as well as the largest national public technology support platform in western China, one of the most important industrial platforms in Chengdu and western China in order to offer innovative startup services to the mobile Internet sector. Xu Hao from Camera360: It Is the Technological Innovation that Sustains a Product In a beauty economy where selfies and live streaming prevail, with just a swipe, an idealized version of the real-world selves will be created. Thanks to the enhancement of mobile phone cameras and other hard-wares, it seems the application of mobile phone cameras in life scenarios is here to stay. As a high-tech start-up incubated in Tianfu Software Park, Camera360 is hugely popular at home with a strong user base, and also has appeal in Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Koran. At this point, Camera360 has accumulated over 800 million users globally, including over 550 million overseas users. Such an encouraging picture prompts us to ask: how Camera360 has managed to sweep both domestic and foreign markets in what felt like one fell swoop? As an early-comer among start-ups, Camera360 keeps scaling new heights in deep photographic technologies. On initial encounter, Xu Hao showed up wearing black T-shirt with the logo of CAMERA360. Few people could imagine that such a fine gentleman with easy-going charm could carve out a path in the mobile phone camera field, and enable the "Made-in-Chengdu" product to go global. Back in 2010, a start-up budded from an office of no more than 20 square meters in Tianfu Software Park Venture Field. "CAMERA360 has dedicated itself to exploration and innovation for seven years along with the advancement of image technologies, which I believe is highly meaningful," said Xu Hao, the founder and CEO of Camera360. "Over the years, our mission has been making the world a more beautiful place." According to Xu Hao, his company employs professional image algorithm to cope with the facial features of different users. While making mobile phone cameras discern face contours more accurately, it well retains skin texture, ensuring a more natural way of skin beautifying. "Along with the beautifying function, we also come up with some 300 flattering filters of various styles. For us, the top priority is to tap into powerful technologies, and to make professional photos possible just with the help of simple apps." Xu Hao always believes that technological innovation serves as the very foundation of products. The team of Camera360 has remained committed to upgrading products with the help of technological innovation. Following a technology-oriented approach, it keeps breaking new breakthroughs along the way. Camera360 has rolled out new-generation AI-powered painting engine, lightweight photography app Camera360 Lite, an intelligent editing app for Music short video called Go4, and other quality apps. Tailoring products to overseas markets and identifying new way of shaping light exchange community for users Overseas markets have turned out to be new battle fields for players vying with each other.Camera360 started to seek overseas presence long ago. As indicated in a report about the going-global endeavor of home apps in 2016, Camera360 topped the list among photo apps. Camera360, a start-up springing up from Tianfu Software Park and ventured into global market since 2011, has emerged as a pacesetter for home developers to follow as they look to secure foothold worldwide. "From the very beginning, we sought to serve not only domestic users, but also photography enthusiasts of the whole world." Powered by strong R&D capabilities, multiple products of Camera360 have been listed as "theAnnual Choice Apps" by the App Store of Apple in 2015 and 2016; it had been named by Google as "the World's Leading Developers", and was rated by Google as "2016 Annual Choice Apps" in multiple countries and regions. Its products have won the favor of users in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korean, and Japan. Given that over 50% of mobile phone photo app users are female, the picture community of Camera360 features female-dominated topics and excellently user-friendly interactions. "We all know that women are all sharing-minded creatures. Just look at how users share their photos about skin care, cosmetics, and clothing, we can see that user demand goes far beyond pure sharing activity.Camera360 intends to, by tapping into the potential of the huge user base and intensive interaction among them, build a social platform of international flavor for these sharing-loving friends, and offer 'close loop' services ranging from production to consumption. That's how we will enable each user to show to the world an ideal version of himself or herself." SOURCE Chengdu Tianfu Software Park NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Yoga on the Fly, the first-to-market private airport yoga concept, announces the opening of its first studio. Offering yoga and meditation practices designed for the modern traveler, Yoga on the Fly's simple and efficient experience focuses on alleviating stress, promoting health and increasing well-being. The concept provides easy-to-follow instructional videos, yoga mats and wireless headsets within each of its private, mini studios, offering passengers and air travel employees an escape from the mental and physical stress of traveling. Yoga on the Fly's first studio will open at Denver International Airport (DEN) on Nov. 6, with additional airport locations rolling out in 2018. Yoga on the Fly was founded by Elizabeth Feinstone and Avery Westlund, who met while teaching yoga on a retreat in Nicaragua and connected over their shared love of travel, as well as their aversion to the unfavorable effects it takes on body and mind. The two began to consider how yoga can be used to not only recuperate from travel, but to prevent the physical and mental discomforts of flight before takeoff. From there, Yoga on the Fly was born as a way to revolutionize health and wellness en route by offering guided yoga, meditation and breathwork in serene, private studios at airports around the world. "We are thrilled to be introducing the world's first-ever guided, private yoga and meditation experience within airports," said Feinstone. "Our goal is to elevate the passenger and staff experience, offering an accessible respite from the chaos of travel." Yoga on the Fly's DEN studio will encase a welcoming reception desk, five private studio rooms and a curated retail selection of athleisure wear and mindful travel accessories. Class options range from 8 to 20 minutes and include yoga, meditation and breathwork via instructional iPad videos. Classes, which can be combined for longer sessions, feature guided movement specific to travel-related issues such as poor circulation, muscle aches, anxiety and more. To ensure a seamless experience for all levels of physical and mental fitness, Yoga on the Fly will supply Yoga By Numbers mats, SoundOffTM wireless headphones and an essentials 'beauty bar' within its sanctuary-like private spaces. The retail offering will showcase travel and wellness-minded brands including MPG Sport, Blooming Lotus Jewelry, Manduka, Zaq, S'well, Go Dash Dot and more. The Yoga on the Fly DEN studio will begin with a 90-day residency for the holiday season, open Sundays-Fridays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sessions range in price from $15 to $60 depending on desired studio time. For more information about Yoga on the Fly, please visit www.yogaonthefly.com. About Yoga on the Fly: Yoga on the Fly is your ticket to traveling well. As the first-to-market private airport yoga studio, Yoga on the Fly provides yoga and meditation practices designed for the modern traveler, offering a simple and efficient experience focused on alleviating stress, promoting health and increasing well-being. The concept features easy-to-follow instructional videos, yoga mats and wireless headsets within each of its private, mini studios, allowing passengers and air travel employees to escape from the mental and physical stress of traveling. For more information, visit www.yogaonthefly.com. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Yoga on the Fly Related Links http://www.yogaonthefly.com NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ABO Capital, a leading international investment firm headquartered in Angola, announced today that its CEO Zandre Campos was awarded a CEO Today Africa Award by CEO Today Magazine. The CEO Today Africa Awards are dedicated to recognizing innovative and strong leadership amongst business leaders in Africa, across all businesses, sectors and industries. The CEO Today Africa Awards are designed to identify, honor and showcase the most respected companies and their executives' achievements. "There are so many revolutionary and ingenious CEOs in Africa and I am honored to be recognized by CEO Today magazine," said Mr. Campos. "Africa is a continent that has tremendous potential and will continue to move forward with strong leadership, like the other CEOs that were recognized by CEO Today." CEO Today Magazine aims to provide CEO's and C-Level executives with up-to-date corporate developments, business news and technological innovations from around the world. The magazine also covers insights into the decision making processes and strategic thinking of a modern day CEO. The CEO Today Africa Awards were featured in the September 2017 edition of CEO Today. The magazine can be accessed here http://africaawards.ceotodaymagazine.com/winners-edition/ Zandre Campos is chairman and CEO of ABO Capital, an international investment firm that invests in companies in the healthcare, energy, transportation, hospitality, technology, education and real estate sectors throughout Africa. ABO's mission is to create global value for developing countries in Africa, while contributing to their economic development. About ABO Capital ABO Capital, formerly Angola Capital Investments, is an international investment firm that invests in companies in the healthcare, technology, energy, transportation, hospitality, education and real estate sectors throughout Africa. The mission of ABO Capital is to create global value for developing countries in Africa, while contributing to their economic development. About Zandre Campos Zandre Campos is one of the great, innovative business leaders and global entrepreneurs emerging out of Africa. Currently, he is chairman and CEO of ABO Capital, an international investment firm headquartered in Angola with holdings throughout the Globe. Mr. Campos was named one of the Top 25 African business influencers and was a recipient of the Distinguished Business Excellence Award by African Leadership Magazine. He is frequently quoted as an expert on Africa in the media and is a recurring contributor for The Huffington Post and US News & World Report. He recently addressed both students and professors at the NYU Africa House on the opportunities in Africa. SOURCE ABO Capital Related Links http://www.abocapital.net Javascript Error Javascript is deactivated in your browser. To use all functions on this portal, for example the login, Javascript must be activated. Please activate Javascript in your browser settings. Top US diplomat Sunday in Riyadh invited Iran-backed militia, which have been fighting the Islamic State group (IS) alongside the Iraqi army, to go back home now that the terror group is almost defeated. Tillerson at a joint press conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel Jubeir hinted that Iran should call back its fighters in Iraq. Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against Daesh is coming to a close, those militias need to go home. The foreign fighters in Iraq need to go home and allow the Iraqi people to regain control, he said using the Arabic name of the terrorist group. Thousands of Iraqis have been fighting under the banner of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF); a paramilitary force trained and supported by Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The US and allies backed the Iraqi forces to take control of most IS-held territories. The country is now turned towards reconstruction of the liberated cities. Tillerson also urged companies not to do business with IRGC adding that doing so will be at their own risk. The US administration last week after refusing to certify the 2015 landmark nuclear deal indicated that it was preparing new sanctions against Iran, especially the IRGC officials. Both our countries believe those who conduct business with the Revolutionary Guard, any of their entities, European companies or other companies around the world really do so at great risk, Tillerson said. The cooperation meeting between Saudi Arabia and Iraq was meant to bolster ties between Riyadh and Baghdad in a move to avoid that Iran expands its influence in Iraq now that ISIS is almost out. The meeting dubbed first joint coordination council looks to forge joint efforts against terrorism and development of business and trade ties. The British Library in London opened the doors to Harry Potter: A History of Magic on October 20, with pre-sales of the tickets topping 45,000. A celebration of the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (Bloomsbury), the exhibition captures the international traditions of folklore and magic, which fueled J.K. Rowlings imagination and underpin the series. Organized by the subjects studied at Hogwarts School, including Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, the exhibit includes treasures from the British Librarys collection of rare manuscripts and books, loans from international institutions and other national institutions, as well as original material from both Bloomsburys and Rowlings own archives. Highlights of the exhibition include Rowlings handwritten list of the professors and subjects at Hogwarts; the Ripley Scroll, a 500-year-old, six meter-long manuscript that describes how to make the Philosophers Stone; a picture of a phoenix rising from a 13th-century bestiary held in the British Library; the tombstone of Nicolas Flamel, a real historical figure who features in Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. Following a sneak preview of the exhibition, Rowling tweeted a photograph of Nicolas Flamels headstone. American fans will be able to enjoy Harry Potter: A History of Magic at the New-York Historical Society in October 2018, when it opens to mark the 20th anniversary of Scholastics publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. A companion book will be published at that time by Scholastic in the U.S. The deadly and destructive California wildfires that have displaced thousands loomed over the Northern California Independent Booksellers Associations 2017 Fall Discovery Show. Held at the South San Francisco Conference Center from October 18-20, the trade show inspired comfort and community at a moment when booksellers around the region needed it most. The NCIBA show was very emotional, said Bellah Michele, a bookseller from Copperfields Books. The bookstore has eight different stores in Sonoma, Napa and Marin Counties, so the wildfires in these regions hit the booksellers especially hard. Everybody knows someone who has lost everything, she said. While their Sonoma headquarters are intact, the NCIBA staff have been out of the office for the last two weeks as recovery operations continue throughout the region. Honestly, because of the fires, theres no comparison to this year, said NCIBA executive director Calvin Crosby. The fires have put everyone behind. We have stores in Napa and Sonoma that havent been open for days at a time. Now were in recovery mode, but its going to be awhile before people come back. The devastation is horrific. Despite these massive external obstacles, NCIBA hosted a dynamic and inspiring trade show. The organization is in good shape, said Crosby, citing reduced rent, lighter payroll, and efforts to optimize and amplify social media across its member stores. The shows registration was up compared to last year, but the director expected attendance to be down slightly this year. The conference provided plenty of moments of comfort and community, from Discovery Show BINGO cards to a special Stock the Crock Reception where NCIBA staffers dished out warm carrots, chili, and brownies straight from slow cookers. As attendees shared the food, author Phyllis Good discussed recipes from Stock the Crock: 100 Must-Have Slow-Cooker Recipes, 200 Variations for Every Appetite. Elise Cannon, the v-p of ales at Publishers Group West, earned laughs all weekend while pitching the popular title Goat Yogaa book written by members of a Nashville yoga studio that adds live goats to its practice. Everyone loves this book, she said. You want to know why? We live in some really tough times right now. Youve got hurricanes, fires, our current administration. We need to be physical, we need to reach out to each other, and we need to laugh. Other buzzy books included My Absolute Darling, a debut novel by Gabriel Tallent, Obama: An Intimate Portrait by Presidential photographer Pete Souza; Buffy the Vampire Slayer Encyclopedia: The Ultimate Guide to the Buffyverse Book by Lisa Clancy and Nancy Holder; Where the Past Begins by Amy Tan; and Pashmina, a graphic novel by Bay Area author Nidhi Chanani. The Los Angeles poet Yrsa Daley-Ward gave an afternoon keynote on Thursday, reading from her new collection, Bone, and talking with Diesel, A Bookstore owner John Evans. The next day, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore and Sourdough author Robin Sloan hosted a packed author brunch. Speakers included literary luminaries Isabel Allende and Armistead Maupin alongside critically acclaimed detective novelist Joe Ide and former-Stanford-dean-turned-author Julie Lythcott-Haims. The programming concluded with a speculative fiction panel featuring Kim Stanley Robinson, Andy Weir, and Maggie Shen King. American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher left the trade show particularly optimistic about new stores opening in the region. The enthusiasm and energy that these new owners and new stores have is superb, he said. It bodes well for the long-term viability of our business. Among the new stores this year were Barn Owl Books in Quincy, Calif.; Books on B in Hayward, Calif.; Black Bird Bookstore in San Francisco; and East Bay Booksellers (a new incarnation of Diesel Books) in Oakland. The booth for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc), the nonprofit which provides assistance to booksellers in times of need, was a particularly popular destination. The industry has been incredibly generous, said Binc executive director Pamela French. Nevertheless, the group will need to raise upwards of $100,000 this year to continue to help more than 20 booksellers displaced by the wildfires in California, not to mention the assistance needed for booksellers in other regions affected by hurricanes. It feels good to be with book people. Its heartwarming and reassuring to be with everybody in the same place, French said. TRIPLE H RETURNS TO THE RING: 10/22 WWE IN SANTIAGO, CHILE RESULTS By Joaquin Munoz on 2017-10-22 18:47:00 WWE results from today in Santiago. No AJ Styles. *The New Day & Randy Orton defeated Smackdown Tag Team Champions The Usos & Sami Zayn. *Sin Cara pinned Aiden English with a moonsault. *WWE Smackdown Women's champion Natalya defeated Naomi with the Sharpshooter. *Triple H pinned Rusev with the Pedigree. New Day came out to celebrate with HHH and Kofi got Pedigreed as well. *Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair defeated Tamina Snuka & Carmella. *WWE Unied States champion Baron Corbin defeated Tye Dillinger and Bobby Roode when he pinned Dillinger with End of Days. *WWE champion Jinder Mahal defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in a Street Fight after the Singhs interfered. If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! For Release Monday October 23, 2017 Introducing biosimilar versions of complex biologic drugs used to treat illnesses such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis could cut health care spending in the United States by $54 billion over the next decade, according to new analysis from the RAND Corporation. The savings estimate is about 20 percent larger than a similar analysis done by RAND researchers three years ago, representing both improved analysis methods and rapid growth in spending for biologics overall. Biologics account for the fastest-growing segment of prescription drug spending, but biosimilars have the potential to help slow some of the increase, said Andrew Mulcahy, lead author of the study and a policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. However, there remain many important industry, regulatory and policy decisions to be made that will influence whether such savings are realized. Biologics are complex, protein-based drugs manufactured in living systems and include insulin, monoclonal antibodies to block inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, and a range of drugs to treat cancer, multiple sclerosis and other serious diseases. While biologics are important treatments for many conditions, they often are expensive and patient copays for the treatments can be several thousand dollars per year. While 1 percent to 2 percent of the nations population is treated with a biologic each year, the drugs accounted for 38 percent of prescription drug spending in 2015. In addition, biologics accounted for 70 percent of the growth in prescription drug spending in the U.S. between 2010 and 2015. Biosimilars are very similar to already approved reference biologics in terms of potency, safety and efficacy, but manufactured by different companies. Biosimilars can be approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration after the manufacturer of the reference biologic enjoys several years of patent and exclusivity protection. The Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act, enacted as part of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, authorized the FDA to create a new approval pathway for biosimilars with the goal of promoting competition. This new pathway is faster and less costly for biosimilar developers. RAND researchers developed their estimate of savings from biosimilars by examining other studies that have examined the issue, reviewing the sales history of more than 100 biologic drugs and examining the brief experience of the one biosimilar drug that has been marketed in the U.S. RAND researchers estimate that that biosimilars will cut spending on biologics by about 3 percent over the next decade. The range of the new savings estimate given reasonable ranges of key assumptionslike the price of biosimilars versus reference biologics and biosimilar market sharevaried from $24 billion to $150 billion from 2018 through 2027. While expected to produce less-dramatic savings than an earlier generation of less-complex generic drugs, the introduction of biosimilars into the U.S. marketplace is expected to increase competition and drive down prices, resulting in savings for patients, health care payers and taxpayers. Lower costs also could improve access to biologic drugs, which could lead to higher spending overall unless the treatments helped lower hospitalizations or other costs. The actual savings hinge on the evolving competitive landscape in the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory decisions, and insurer efforts to promote biosimilar uptake through payment rates and other strategies, Mulcahy said. Future research will be needed as more biosimilars come to market to see whether savings are realized and who benefits from any reductions in spending. Support for the research was provided by Sandoz Inc., a Novartis company. The perspective, Biosimilar Cost Savings in the U.S.: Initial Experience and Future Potential, is available at www.rand.org. Other authors of the study are Jakub P. Hlavka and Spencer Case. RAND Health is the nations largest independent health policy research program, with a broad research portfolio that focuses on health care costs, quality and public health preparedness, among other topics. Aiming to strengthen its position as a content provider, BBC Worldwide Latin America/US Hispanic has unveiled its portfolio for MIP Cancun. The catalogue is led by the long-anticipated documentary Blue Planet II, co-produced by BBC America, WDR and France Televisions, which is set to premiere on Sunday (29 October).Among other titles, the BBCs catalogue includes McMafia, produced by Cuba Pictures, The last post (Bonafide Films/The Forge), Top Gear America and Astronauts: Toughest Job in the Universe.BBC Worldwide Latin America/US Hispanic is heading to MIP Cancun with a single goal: strengthen its position as the largest provider of high-quality British content, said Anna Gordon, EVP and GM, BBC Worldwide Latin America/US Hispanic . To this aim, we are offering our commercial partners dramas like McMafia and The Last Post, natural history content such as the spectacular Blue Planet II, and factuals. MIP Cancun will be held between 14-17 November in the Mexican city with the aim of developing production partnerships and trade content for the Latin American and US Hispanic TV markets. Cambodian conglomerate Royal Group is planning to launch the countrys first communications satellite with China Great Wall Industry Corporation, according to local reports. The satellite is designed to facilitate digital broadcasting, satellite broadband, e-government, national security services, and disaster management systems.A year-long feasibility study has begun, before Government approval is given and satellite manufacture can commence, the spokesperson for the Telecommunications Regulator of Cambodia told reporters.The Royal Group owns the Cambodian Broadcasting Service Company (CBS), along with subsidiary CamGSM Co Ltd, operating as Cellcard, the countrys third-largest mobile phone network operator.China Great Wall Industry Corporation partnered with Laos to launch its first satellite in 2015. This experience will enable it to launch a satellite for Cambodia within three years, according to the reports.Of course, the satellite is a very costly project, so we are seeking all the input we can get from relevant stakeholders, so that we may know how much demand there is and how much we should invest, Im Vutha, spokesperson for the Telecom Regulator of Cambodia (TRC), was reported as saying in the Khmer Times.The Cambodian Government is reportedly keen to invest in satellites to increase broadband penetration in both urban and rural areas. However, a previous scheme by the Royal Group subsidiary Royal Blue Skies failed to materialise.The costs for the project to launch a satellite with a 15-year lifespan are estimated to be in the region of US$150 million.The move follows the March launch of Cambodias first submarine telecommunications cable, a project that cost more than $100 million. The 1,300km fibre optic cable system is a joint-venture between Cambodias Telcothech, a subsidiary of EZECOM, Telekom Malaysia and Thailands Symphony Communication. Several Hispanic community leaders in the US are pressing Verizon Communications to reinstate the feeds from Spanish-language broadcaster Univision while the two negotiate carriage terms. The channel is one of the Latino communitys main sources of Spanish-language information regarding whats happening in Puerto Rico, where more than a third of residents are still without power and clean water following the devastation of Hurricane Maria on 20 September and in Mexico, where a 7.1 magnitude earthquake killed 369 people on 19 September, and where recovery and relief efforts continue, including in Mexico City.Our population is suffering the effects of these catastrophes because many of us have families and loved ones in Mexico and Puerto Rico and don't have news of their status or survival, said National Hispanic Media Coalition CEO Alex Nogales in a letter to the company. I advise that you put Univision back on the air while you work out your business arrangements. Anything else is detrimental to our community and Verizon risks being ostracised by Latino consumers that will not forget that at a time of crisis and need Verizon turned its back on us.Univision said that it has offered Verizon an extension to keep its programming on-air while the two negotiate a retransmission agreement. Station feeds were pulled last week from 4.7 million of Verizons TV customers. Verizon said that Univision is proposing an increase of more than double what they charge for access today; Univision however said that it is offering reasonable terms.Univisions programming is critical to the United States Hispanic community right now giving the natural disasters that have severely impacted Hispanics community around the world, said Jose Marquez, CEO of Tech Latino: Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association, in a letter to Verizon. It is crucial to the US Hispanic community that we be considered as well, by resuming negotiations with Univision to ensure Verizon subscribers have full access to Univisions networks and stations.Verizon has pointed out that it still carries other Spanish-language channels like Telemundo, Discovery en Espanol, Telemicro Internacional and TVE Internacional, and is making WAPA America and TV Dominicana available to all customers at no additional charge. It is also offering a one-time bill credit of $5.99 per household to pay for users to get the Univision mobile app.Marquez said the efforts are not sufficient. Lets think about how this community, who still suffers the effects of the digital and language divide, have their lives at stake over a contractual dispute is worthy to be addressed if only for this issue alone, he said. Let me be clear, there is no replacing the reach and credibility Univision News has with those five million customers who are without their primary (and in most cases) their only source of news and information. Saudi Arabia has denied that Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman made a clandestine visit to Israel after Israeli media last month said a top Saudi royal secretly visited the Jewish state. Reports of a secret visit to Israel by a Saudi official, which have appeared on some media are unfounded, spokesperson for the Saudi foreign ministry said Sunday. He said the kingdom has always been transparent as regards contacts and visits to foreign countries. The denial came weeks after Israeli Public radio station Kan Bet, citing media sources, revealed that a Saudi Prince, member of the royal court met in secret with Israeli officials in Israel to push regional peace efforts forward. Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman was identified as the clandestine Saudi Prince according to an Arab media. Israel has not commented on the report. Saudi Arabia and Israel do not have diplomatic ties but speculations have let it that both countries have recently developed good ties in the area of security and counter-terrorism in a move to quarantine Iran, both countries regional enemy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day before the report last month noted that relation between Israel and the Arab world were at their highest. Body cameras for the Mooresville Police Department have arrived. Find out when they will be used. KYIV -- A self-exiled Azerbaijani opposition journalist has appealed a Ukrainian courts decision to keep him jailed while authorities in Kyiv determine whether he should be extradited to Baku. The appeal in the case against Fikret Huseynli was registered on October 23 at a local court in Boryspil near Kyiv, his lawyer, Dmytro Mazurok told RFE/RL. Huseynli was detained on October 14 by Ukrainian border guards while he was preparing to board a passenger flight from Kyiv to Germany. The arrest warrant against Huseynli, issued by Azerbaijan, charged the opposition journalist with alleged fraud, falsification of official documents, and illegal migration. Rights groups say Baku issued the arrest warrant for Huseynli as part of a wider effort to crack down on critics abroad. Ukraines border guard service said he was arrested because his name appeared on Interpols database of wanted persons. Huseynli, who formerly worked for Azerbaijans opposition Azadliq newspaper, fled to the Netherlands after he was stabbed, beaten, and left for dead by unknown assailants in Baku in 2006. Azadliq says the attack was retaliation for reports on alleged government corruption in Baku. Huseynli was granted political asylum by the Dutch government when he arrived there in early 2008 and has since obtained Dutch citizenship. Huseynli now works as a correspondent for Turan TV, a Baku-based news website that is among the last opposition news organizations not to have been shut down by President Ilham Aliyevs government. Washington-based Freedom House says Ukraine should immediately release Huseynli and stop any extradition procedures against him. The director of Freedom Houses Eurasia programs, Marc Behrendt, says the case reflects Azerbaijans harassment of journalists rather than any actual criminal offense by Huseynli. The persistence of the hatred of the Algerian rulers for neighboring Morocco remains an intriguing puzzle for many international political analysts. Nobody knows for sure whether such a deep animosity is due to rivalry between two major North African countries or something else. Why they hate us, wonder Moroccans who were appalled and shocked by the latest unfounded remarks made by Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel against their country, while relations between the two neighboring countries are already strained over the Sahara issue. Speaking at a conference held last Friday by business leaders in Algiers, Messahel accused Moroccan banks of laundering hashish money in Africa. The Foreign Minister was unable to explain the deteriorating economic situation in his country and its incapacity to attract foreign investors due to instability, corruption and political crisis, contrary to Morocco, which, despite its limited resources, managed to attract foreign investors and to score impressive results in auto industry, aeronautics, renewable energieswhile many of its companies and private banks are thriving in Africa. The distraught minister found no better answer to justify his governments failures and chaos that telling the business community that everybody knows that the Moroccan banks launder hashish money. The leaders of many African countries have told me this, without citing any specific African leader. He went on to say that Royal Air Maroc, national carrier, transported more than just passengers, alluding to drugs trafficking. Moroccos reaction was swift and firm. It has recalled its ambassador to Algeria, describing Messahels accusations as very serious, false and of an unprecedented level of irresponsibility in the history of bilateral relations. The Moroccan foreign ministry also summoned Algerias charge daffaires in Rabat to protest the very serious statements concerning the African policy of the kingdom of Morocco. The Moroccan foreign ministry said Messahels comments displayed a level of irresponsibility unprecedented in the history of bilateral relations. They testify to a deep and inexplicable ignorance of the basic workings of the banking system and civil aviation, it added. Moroccos banking sector, the employers association CGEM, and political parties condemned the baseless allegations, while Royal Air Maroc said it is considering legal actions against the Algerian minister. Also, the African diplomatic corps in Rabat voiced astonishment over Lamssahels irresponsible remarks, saying they will only worsen further the situation at a time Africa needs more unity to take more urgent development challenges rather than squandering more energy on more disputes. No one can deny the efficiency and success of the Moroccan African policy based on solidarity and South-South cooperation. Moroccan banks and flag- carrier are working hand in hand with several countries to ensure the progress of Africa, food security and improve the living conditions of African peoples convinced that Moroccan-African destiny is inextricably linked. Actually, Morocco has upgraded its partnership with African countries to an exceptional relationship and the regular visits by King Mohammed VI to different brotherly African countries have strengthened and bestowed new dimensions to South-South cooperation. The signing of many bilateral agreements between the public-private and private-private Moroccan-African partners confirmed the increasingly important role that Morocco played in Africa through the policy focused on the development of the continent at the social, economic, human, and cultural levels. Meanwhile, Algeria continues nurturing its hatred against Morocco and refuses to open the Moroccan-Algerian borders, closed since 1994, despite many Moroccan calls. And the latest hostile comments made by the Algerian foreign minister are likely to add fuel to the fire, while the two countries diplomats continue to clash in various regional and international meetings with Moroccan diplomacy scoring more & more points. Sweden and Amnesty International are protesting against a death penalty sentence imposed on a Swedish-Iranian scholar who was detained in Iran on allegations of spying in April 2016. Ahmadreza Jalali, a researcher at Stockholm's Karolinska Institute, was arrested in Tehran for espionage and "enmity with God" -- a crime that in Iran can result in the death penalty -- during a visit for a conference. Jalali has Iranian citizenship but is a permanent resident of Sweden. According to Nature magazine, he works on improving hospitals' emergency responses to armed terrorism and radiological, chemical, and biological threats. Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi told the judiciary's news agency on October 24: "The person had several meetings with [Israeli intelligence agency] Mossad and provided them with sensitive information about Iran's military and nuclear sites in return for money and residency in Sweden." Sweden condemned the sentence and said it had raised the matter with Iranian representatives in Stockholm and Tehran. "We condemn the use of the death penalty in all its forms. The death penalty is an inhuman, cruel, and irreversible punishment that has no place in modern law," Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said in an e-mailed comment to Reuters. "The Iranian authorities must urgently quash the death sentence against Iranian-born Swedish resident and specialist in emergency medicine Ahmadreza Jalali," Amnesty said in a statement on October 23. Zeynab Taheri, one of Jalali's lawyers, told Amnesty on October 23 that his client was sentenced to death for the charge of "corruption on earth" and had been fined $235,000. Amnesty said that the verdict, which was shown to one of the lawyers, states that Jalali worked with the Israeli government, which helped him obtain his Swedish residency permit. "Ahmadreza Jalali was sentenced to death after a grossly unfair trial that once again exposes not only the Iranian authorities' steadfast commitment to use of the death penalty but their utter contempt for the rule of law," Amnesty International representative Philip Luther said. "At a time when the Iranian authorities are actively strengthening ties with countries in the European Union, it is absurd that they are using Ahmadreza Jalali's academic links to a European country as part of the 'evidence' against him," Luther added. The Swedish Foreign Ministry said in an statement e-mailed to RFE/RL that it had received "credible reports" indicating that Jalali had been sentenced to death. "We are seeking to obtain definitive confirmation of this information," the October 23 statement said. "We are urgently raising this issue with Iranian representatives." Amnesty repeated its opposition to the death penalty "without exception" and "in any forms." With reporting by Reuters Several opposition and rights activists have been detained across Kazakhstan as the day of an early presidential election scheduled for November 20 nears. Police in the southwestern town of Zhanaozen on November 15 detained noted opposition activist Estai Qarashaev, who was sentenced to six days in jail several hours later on a charge of violating regulations for holding public gatherings. Qarashaev was among oil workers who protested in 2011 to demand higher wages. Police brutally dispersed the protests, killing at least 16 people. In the country's largest city, Almaty, on November 15, police detained Aset Abishev, a member of the founding committee of the Algha Qazaqstan (Forward, Kazakhstan) party that has been trying unsuccessfully for eight months to get registered for the election. It is not clear why Abishev was detained. Last week, five other members of the unregistered party were detained for taking part in an unsanctioned rally in August. WATCH: Several activists of a Kazakh opposition movement have been arrested and police were stationed outside the door of another ahead of a snap presidential election scheduled for November 20. Meanwhile, in the village of Bobrovka in the East Kazakhstan region, rights activist Serik Ydyryshev was detained, his wife Gulmira Berikqyzy told RFE/RL on November 15. According to Berikqyzy, her husband's arrest is linked to the upcoming early presidential election. The police department of the East Kazakhstan region was not available for comment. One day earlier, opposition activist Rashid Qamaldanov was sentenced in Almaty to 15 days in jail for taking part in an unsanctioned rally earlier this year. In Astana, the capital, jailed activist Sandughash Qantarbaeva stared a hunger strike last weekend, protesting her administrative arrest that she says was handed to her to prevent her from taking part in protests on the day of the presidential election. Many activists complained to RFE/RL that they have been followed and that police have been monitoring their homes. According to the activists, the pressure imposed on them is directly linked to the presidential poll, while the countrys Constitution guarantees them freedom of expression and freedom of public gatherings. An Interior Ministry official denied that measures to prevent the activists from holding rallies on the day of election are under way. President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, who has tried to position himself as a reformer, on September 1 called the early presidential election and proposed changing the presidential term to seven years from five years. Under the new system, future presidents will be barred from seeking more than one term. Critics say Toqaev's initiatives have been mainly cosmetic and do not change the nature of the autocratic system in a country that has been plagued for years by rampant corruption and nepotism. Toqaev's predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbaev, who ran the tightly controlled former Soviet republic with an iron fist for almost three decades, chose Toqaev as his successor when he stepped down in 2019. Though he was no longer president, Nazarbaev retained sweeping powers as the head of the Security Council. He also enjoyed substantial powers by holding the title of elbasy or leader of the nation. Many citizens, however, remained upset by the oppression during Nazarbaev's reign. Those feelings came to a head in January when unprecedented antigovernment nationwide protests started over a fuel price hike, and then exploded into countrywide deadly unrest over perceived corruption under the Nazarbaev regime and the cronyism that allowed his family and close friends to enrich themselves while ordinary citizens failed to share in the oil-rich Central Asian nation's wealth. Toqaev subsequently stripped Nazarbaev of his Security Council role, taking it over himself. Since then, several of Nazarbaevs relatives and allies have been pushed out of their positions or resigned. Some have been arrested on corruption charges. A Toqaev-initiated referendum in June removed Nazarbaev's name from the constitution and annulled his status as elbasy. msh/mj Russian journalist Tatyana Felgengauer, a deputy editor in chief and program host of the liberal Ekho Moskvy radio station, has been assaulted and stabbed in the station's offices in the center of Moscow. Felgengauer was rushed into surgery following the October 23 attack, after which she was placed in a medically induced coma. The authorities have identified the alleged attacker, who was detained at the scene, as 48-year-old Boris Grits, who has both Russian and Israeli citizenship. The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into charges of attempted murder. Moscow police released a 31-second video in which the suspect claims he has been in "psychic contact" with Felgengauer since 2012 and that in recent months she has "used telepathic contact" in order to sexually torment him. Officials said the suspect was undergoing psychiatric evaluation. Journalists have identified one blog as possibly belonging to Grits. It documents his largely unsuccessful efforts to find work as a computer programmer. However, an entry dated October 20 accuses Felgengauer of "experimenting" on him psychically and causing him heart pain. The entry says Grits consulted with a Moscow "psychic" that he has known for 30 years about Felgengauer. Ekho Moskvy editor in chief Aleksei Venediktov said the assailant rushed past station guards after spraying them with a chemical. It is unclear how Grits made it to the station's offices on the 14th floor. The crowded building has only two public elevators that are notoriously slow. Venediktov told RFE/RL that the attacker went directly into the room where Felgengauer was sitting. "He knew the layout of the rooms at the station," Venediktov said. "There can be no doubt about that." "The attacker didn't shout anything," station deputy editor in chief Sergei Buntman, who witnessed the attack, told the Meduza website. "Everything was quiet. He just walked up to her, grabbed her, and stabbed her." The Uzbekistan-born Felgengauer, 32, is a stepdaughter of the well-known Russian journalist and military expert Pavel Felgenhauer. She has worked at Ekho Moskvy since 2005. Owned by the Kremlin-controlled Gazprom natural gas company, Ekho Moskvy is one of the few remaining independent media outlets in Russia. It has managed to avoid being targeted for criminal investigations, which are often used in Russia to silence media. Journalists 'Under Assault' Journalists frequently come under attack or are harassed in Russia. In September, Ekho Moskvy journalist Yulia Latynina fled Russia after being attacked and threatened in Moscow. Political analyst Yekaterina Vinokurova wrote on the social-media site VKontakte that "Tanya and Ekho Moskvy have been under assault for years." "They have attacked journalists from the station," Vinokurova wrote. "They have hung banners with their photos saying they were 'enemies of the people,' 'agents of the [U.S.] State Department, and so on. There has been all sorts of garbage about them coming from state television.... Now we have come to this and they shameless are talking about the motive of 'hooliganism.'" Physical attacks on Russian opposition figures and journalists are often investigated under the relatively lax law against "hooliganism," rather than as assaults or attempted murder. Vsevolod Bogdanov, chairman of the Russian Union of Journalists, condemned the attack on Felgengauer. "We are facing this on a regular basis battery, murders, the number of members of the club of children of murdered parents is growing," he said. "We are members of the International Press Federation in Brussels. We pay our membership fees and we are holders of the International Press Card. A holder of this ID feels absolutely safe in Paris and places like that. However, here in Russia, nothing changes." According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, two journalists have been killed in Russia so far in 2017. With reporting by Meduza, Interfax, Dozhd TV, and RIA Novosti ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- A Kazakh human rights watchdog says a pro-Russian activist who was sentenced less than two years ago to four years in prison on hatred charges has been released from prison. The Almaty-based Kazakhstan Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law said on October 23 that blogger Ermek Taichibekov had been granted early release for good behavior in detention and released several days ago. A court in the southern Kazakhstan sentenced Taichibekov in December 2015 after finding him guilty of inciting ethnic hatred by placing "inflammatory" materials on Facebook and by supporting the idea of Kazakhstan's joining Russia. Taichibekov, 39, has maintained his innocence, describing his case as politically motivated. Several Kazakh citizens have been sentenced since 2014 for inciting separatism and/or ethnic hatred through the Internet amid heightened government concern sparked by the crisis in eastern Ukraine. Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists who hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions has killed more than 10,000 people since April 2014. Preliminary results in Kosovos municipal elections indicate that runoffs will be needed to decide the winning candidates in mayoral races in major cities throughout the Balkan country. With about 90 percent of precincts reporting in the capital, Pristina, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said incumbent Mayor Shpend Ahmeti of the Self-Determination Party, also known as the Vetevendosje movement (VV), has won 43.42 percent of the vote. If confirmed, it would mean that Ahmeti would face a runoff next month against Arban Abrashi of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), with 35.91 percent. Runoffs were also likely in 18 other municipalities, including Prizren, Mitrovica, Gjilan, and Gjakova, the preliminary results indicate. Countrywide, polling stations closed at 1900 local time (Eds: same time in Prague) and the CEC said the turnout was 43.79 percent, as the young republic took another step in its effort to solidify its democratic credentials. International observers said the voting took place without any major irregularities. Procedures are respected. We were informed only about technical problems, said Alojz Peterle, chief observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Kosovo. Democracy in Action, a nongovernmental organization -- which said it had some 3,000 observers monitoring the election -- had said indications were that a second round of elections would be needed to determine mayoral winners in at least 15 municipalities. Some 1.89 million people were registered to vote at 2,505 polling stations in the 38 municipalities. The CEC said the number of registered voters includes Kosovar citizens living abroad and is often larger than the actual population of Kosovo, currently about 1.81 million. The mayors race in Pristina is seen as the big prize. The opposition Self-Determination Party currently controls town hall under Ahmetis leadership. The countrys police chief, Shpend Maxhuni, said, "Creating a peaceful and secure climate for all citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, as well as maintaining order, peace, and public security in the country before, during, and after the election is the Kosovo polices [priority]." After casting her ballot in Pristina, CEC chief Valdete Daka said voting was continuing normally and that no major irregularities had been reported. Police did cite one incident, saying they confiscated an explosive device from a bus entering Kosovo from Serbia via the Jarinje border crossing point on October 22. According to Besim Hoti, deputy police commander for the municipality of North Mitrovica, the bus with a Serbian number plate was carrying 50 people, apparently intending to cast ballots in Kosovo. Hoti told RFE/RL that two hand-bombs and two electric detonators were found in the bus during security checks at the border crossing. Officials said the bus driver and two leaders of the group of passengers were detained. Western-backed Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move recognized by 115 countries, although not by Serbia or Russia. There are some 120,000 Serbs in Kosovo, and most of them oppose the authorities in Pristina. The CEC has said that 27 of the municipalities have an ethnic-Albanian majority, 10 have ethnic-Serb majorities, and one is mostly ethnic Turkish. Earlier this year, Kosovo experienced a prolonged period of political instability created by inconclusive June elections. The political gridlock eased in September when a coalition headed by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the New Alliance for Kosovo (AKR), and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) agreed to form a government. The deal gave the coalition, which also included ethnic-Serb and other non-Albanian minority parties, 63 of parliaments 120 seats. President Hashim Thaci had said he would give Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the AAK, a formal mandate to try to form a government once he could show he had a deal showing a majority coalition was in place. With reporting by BalkanInsight and AP SKOPJE -- Ethnically motivated terrorism is nothing new in the Balkans. But neither are authoritarian governments willing to exploit ethnic tensions to push their own agendas. Macedonians are mindful of these facts as they come to grips with a deadly shoot-out between security forces and purported terrorists in the town of Kumanovo, near the country's borders with Kosovo and Serbia. Even as the country on May 11 held a second day of mourning for police officers killed in the incident, the details remained sketchy. But the security challenge comes against the background of a major political crisis in Macedonia that has rocked confidence in the government's motives. Recent releases of tapped phone conversations seem to show a government that will stop at little to maintain its grip on power. Eight police were killed and 27 wounded in the predawn raid on May 9 against a "terrorist group" of ethnic Albanians. According to Macedonian officials, 14 alleged militants were killed and 30 captured in the Kumanovo action. A large cache of weapons was also reportedly seized. "One of the most dangerous terrorist groups in the Balkans has been neutralized," an Interior Ministry spokesman told journalists in Skopje on May 9. He said the militants planned to attack state institutions across the country. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said on May 10 that the police "managed to neutralize the terrorists who planned mass murder in Macedonia, aimed at its destabilization." At the same time, a statement published in the Albanian press purportedly by a group called the National Liberation Army said the raid targeted its fighters but said it would continue its "ongoing fight for the freedom and national dignity" of ethnic Albanians in Macedonia. Just Criminals, Mercenaries? But some locals in Kumanovo and analysts are not so sure about the government's version of events. "If this is a terrorist group, as the Interior Ministry claims, they would need logistical support from the local population if they want to achieve any goals," says Vladimir Pivovarov, a former Macedonian intelligence officer. "In addition, they would need support from the international community if they want to achieve something, some [ethnic-minority] rights. The international community has said for years that there is no possibility of changing the borders [to create Greater Albania]. So that's why this is not clear." He adds that further investigation is needed to determine if the alleged militants were actually an organized-crime gang or if they were really politically motivated. Skopje-based political analyst Nasser Ziberi also doubts that the Kumanovo gang had any real connections to Albanian political forces. "I do not see any political support from any Albanian political platform," he tells RFE/RL's Balkan Service. "Most probably, they are a group of mercenaries. I have heard reports like that. Perhaps their goal is connected to the action of jihadi groups in Bosnia and so on. But I do not see an Albanian political option." PHOTO GALLERY: Aftermath of Kumanovo violence: ...Or A Desperate Government? The Kumanovo shoot-out comes against the background of a mounting political crisis for Macedonia's government. For months now, Zoran Zaev, the head of the main opposition Social Democrats (SDSM), has been releasing leaked wiretaps that have implicated the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party in several abuse-of-power scandals -- including allegations that it covered up the 2011 killing of a student by an officer of a special police unit called the Tigers. Although Macedonia's state-controlled media have given little coverage to the Zaev leaks, an estimated 1,000 protesters -- mostly students -- took to the streets on May 5-6 calling for Gruevski's resignation. WATCH: New video released of gunbattle In this context, "to many observers, the timing [of the Kumanovo incident] just seems too suspicious," London School of Economics and Political Science researcher James Ker-Lindsay says in an online interview. "Questions are being asked as to whether the government has somehow orchestrated this in order to divert attention away from the growing scandal," he says. "Given the evidence of serious wrongdoings by the government, many people believe that the administration is more than capable of staging a terrorist attack in order to stay in power." Russia's Foreign Ministry, in a May 9 statement, accepted Skopje's interpretation of the Kumanovo events and seemed to place the violence in the context of Moscow's own strained relations with the West. "The choice of some opposition movements and nongovernmental organizations -- including some that were inspired by the West -- in favor of the logic of the street and the notorious scenario of 'colored revolutions' is fraught with dangerous consequences," the Russian statement said. "They could intensify interethnic divisions in multiethnic Macedonia and the surrounding regions in the Balkans, which in the late 1990s and early 2000s went through serious conflicts." Kumanovo is located about 40 kilometers northeast of Skopje, close to the borders with Serbia and Kosovo. It is within the so-called Kosovo Triangle, a center of ethnic Albanian organized crime. The region is believed to be a transit location for heroin shipments on their way to Western Europe, and some of the profits of the drug trade have allegedly been used to fund pro-Albanian militant groups in the past, including the defunct Kosovo Liberation Army. Macedonia's population of about 2 million consists of 64 percent ethnic Macedonians, who are Orthodox Slavs, and about 25 percent ethnic Albanians, who are predominantly Muslims. It also has significant Turkish, Romany, Serbian, and Bosniak minorities. In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Bucharest-based political scientist Franz-Lothar Altmann urged the government to enter into "unconditional talks with the opposition." "Otherwise," Altmann said, "Macedonia's democracy, weak as it already is, will end up in a national catastrophe." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow respects the aspiration of Iraqi Kurds to seek to assert their identity, but added that this must be done in dialogue with the federal government in Baghdad. Lavrov made the comments on October 23 amid tension between Baghdad and Iraqs Kurdistan region over the independence referendum held in the autonomous region last month. "We understand the aspiration of the Kurdish people for strengthening their identity and self-awareness," Lavrov said following talks with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari in Moscow. However, the Russian minister insisted that a "dialogue" with the Iraqi government would be the only correct way to realize those aspirations, with due account of the Kurdish issue's significance for the region and the need to avoid the emergence of additional sources of regional instability." Lavrov also said that Russia will continue its economic ties with the Kurdish region, as it does with other constituent parts of Iraq. On October 20, Russia's state-owned Rosneft oil company said that it agreed with the government of Iraq's Kurdistan to take a controlling stake in the region's main oil export pipeline. Lavrov also said that Russia is not closing its consulate in Irbil, the main city in Iraqi Kurdistan, but said the mission was subordinate to the Russian Embassy in Baghdad. Lavrov added that that there is a good basis for further development of cooperation between Moscow and Baghdad, particularly in the energy and defense spheres. Jaafari said that he expects relations with our friends and strategic partners in Russia to strengthen, according to Russian news agencies. People living in areas under Kurdish control in norther Iraq overwhelmingly backed secession in the September 25 referendum that the Baghdad government rejected as illegal. Following the vote, Iraqi government troops and allied Shiite militia fighters moved into disputed areas in northern Iraq that previously were held by Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. With reporting by Reuters, TASS, and Interfax The New York Times newspaper reports that the CIA is expanding its covert operations in Afghanistan in order to hunt and kill Taliban militants. The report on October 22 quotes two unnamed senior U.S. officials who say the CIAs paramilitary division is deploying small teams of experienced officers and private contractors alongside Afghan forces to carry out the assignment. The report says the effort is being managed by the CIAs Special Activities Division. The newspaper says the assignment is the latest sign of the CIAs increasingly integral role in President Donald Trumps counterterrorism strategy. The CIA declined to comment about its expanded role in Afghanistan. The agency previously has been focused more on defeating Al-Qaeda militants and helping Afghanistans intelligence service than engaging in combat directly against the Afghan Taliban. But Trump said in August that he would loosen restrictions on hunting down militants. The killers need to know they have nowhere to hide, that no place is beyond the reach of American might and American arms, Trump said. The U.S. military already has significantly increased its air strikes against Taliban militants in Afghanistan in recent months, including its use of drone strikes. Based on reporting by The New York Times and dpa A Russian soldier has killed four of his colleagues at a base in Chechnya before being shot dead, the National Guard has said. The soldier, a lieutenant, opened fire in a barracks near the village of Shelkovskaya in the mainly Muslim Chechnya region in southern Russia on October 23, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the National Guard. An investigation was opened into the incident. President Vladimir Putin established the National Guard security force last year. The National Guard answers directly to Putin and is tasked with tackling terrorism and organized crime as well as maintaining order. Armed attacks on authorities and forces are frequent in the Russian Caucasus. In early October, the Islamic State (IS) extremist group claimed responsibility for an attack that left two police officers dead in Daghestan, the volatile region neighboring Chechnya. Russia has also received numerous threats of reprisals from IS and Al-Qaeda since its military intervention in Syria in 2015. Based on reporting by AFP and Interfax In April 2016, the head of Russia's powerful Investigative Committee instructed his subordinates to examine the potential "complicity" of U.S.-born British businessman William Browder -- once Russia's largest portfolio investor -- in the "murder" of his former employee, Sergei Magnitsky. It was a bizarre twist in the saga of Magnitsky, whose 2009 death in a Moscow jail resulted in a 2012 U.S. law bearing his name that slaps sanctions on Russians deemed to be human rights abusers. Browder vigorously lobbied for the law, arguing that Magnitsky was tortured and denied medical treatment for blowing the whistle on a massive tax fraud allegedly involving Russian law enforcement and tax officials. Russia, which says Magnitsky's death was a tragedy but denies allegations that he was abused while in custody, has undertaken an aggressive, multipronged effort in recent years aimed at discrediting Browder and the narrative underpinning the U.S. Magnitsky Act. The law was said to be at the center of a meeting between a Russian lawyer, Donald Trump Jr., and other confidants of U.S. President Donald Trump at a controversial meeting in New York in June 2016. Investigative Committee chief Aleksander Bastrykin's call last year to probe allegations of Browder's possible role in Magnitsky's death was explicitly linked to a documentary on Russian state TV that alleged a byzantine conspiracy between Browder, British intelligence, and Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. But for 18 months, it was unclear if this probe had gone anywhere. According to an October 22 report by The New York Times, however, Russian authorities are indeed pursuing a possible murder charge against Browder -- and citing evidence that parrots widely mocked claims presented in the documentary broadcast on Rossia-1 television a day prior to the Investigative Committee's announcement. Citing documents obtained from a court docket by a lawyer for Magnitsky's family, the Times reported that Russian prosecutors allege Browder colluded with a representative of Britain's MI6 to convince doctors to withhold medical care to "cause the death of S.L. Magnitsky" while he was in custody. RFE/RL reached out to Browder, who said he was not immediately able to provide a copy of the documents in question. Prosecutors, according to the Times report, also cite alleged intercepts of intelligence communications and suggest the goal of the purported plot was to start "a significant news trigger to discredit" Russia. They also cite claims made in the Rossia-1 documentary, including that Browder was in cahoots with Navalny in a purported secret operation titled "Quake" -- with Browder supposedly using the code name "Solomon" and Navalny using the moniker "Freedom." Clumsy Fakes The documentary featured scans of alleged secret U.S. and British documents concerning Browder, Navalny, and Magnitsky that were widely ridiculed as crude fakes based on their clumsy syntax and grammatical mistakes -- including improper use of English indefinite and definite articles that often stymie native Russian speakers. The claims by Russian prosecutors, as reported by the Times, echo one alleged CIA document from 2009 shown in the Rossia-1 program with the awkward subject line: "Report on the health status of a Sergei Magnitsky." The document purports that Browder ("Agent Solomon") "was offered by proxies in the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service to arrange the termination of any medical services for Magnitsky...which could lead to his death." That document is signed by V. Plame -- an apparent reference to former CIA covert officer Valerie Plame, who was exposed by officials in the administration of President Georgia W. Bush after her husband criticized the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Plame on Twitter called the document, purportedly from 2009, "such nonsense" and noted that she left the CIA in 2007. The Russian Investigative Committee did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment on The New York Times report, and officials there could not immediately be reached by telephone. The report was published just days after Canada on October 19 passed its version of the Magnitsky Act, a move that Russian President Vladimir Putin called "unconstructive political games." Browder U.S. Travel Blocked? Browder, meanwhile, is claiming that Russia has placed him on an Interpol list, and that his U.S. "global entry status" -- which can expedite entry to the United States -- has been revoked by U.S. officials, The Guardian reported. Interpol has previously refused to place the investor, whom Russia convicted in absentia on tax-evasion charges in 2013, on an international wanted list at Moscow's request. The Guardian reported over the weekend that Russia had used a loophole allowing governments to place individuals on the Interpol database unilaterally. A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in an e-mailed statement that Browder's visa waiver had been "manually approved" on October 18, though Browder told the Associated Press that he had been informed by U.S. authorities of his rejection on October 19. Browder said on Twitter late on October 23 that his waiver had been "restored" and that he has "successfully checked into a U.S. flight." Angolas new President Joao Lourenco has ordered a 30-day review of the southern African nations oil industry to address the significant challenges it faces, Reuters reported. The new president, who took office last month, has directed a working group to determine how it can improve the current conditions of investment in the oil and gas industry. The drops in global oil prices have hit Angola hard, forcing the country to cut public investment by 53% last year. President Lourencos move follows the appointment of Carlos Saturnino, a former head of the state-run Sonangol P&P, as secretary of state for oil. The former Defense minister also merged the oil and mining ministries into one group and appointed Diamantino Azevedo to lead the new entity. Faced with a struggling economy, former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos last year appointed his daughter Isabel as head of the state-owned oil company Sonangol. Sonangol manages Angolas lucrative oil and gas reserves, which contribute to about half of the countrys annual GDP. Jose Eduardo dos Santos, 73, one of Africas longest-serving rulers, voluntarily stepped down after 38 years in charge of the former Portuguese colony. He handed over to Lourenco but maintained his post as head of the ruling MPLA party. Critics accuse him of mismanaging Angolas oil wealth and positioning an elite, mainly his family and political allies, to manage the sector. About a dozen conservative Russian Orthodox protesters have prayed outside St. Petersburg's famed Mariinsky Theater to protest the showing of a film depicting an affair between a teenaged ballerina and the future Tsar Nicholas II. The October 23 protest marked the gala premiere of the film Matilda, which has sparked controversy in recent months, with conservative Orthodox groups claiming it insults Nicholas, who was made an Orthodox saint in 2000. Duma Deputy Natalya Poklonskaya has played a prominent role in the protests against Matilda. Three counterprotesters were reportedly detained after they unfurled a banner reading, "We'll protect you from Orthodox terrorism." Anatoly Artyukh, head of the National Council nongovernmental organization and an aide to conservative Duma Deputy Vitaly Milonov, was also detained after he ripped the sign from the protesters' hands. The St. Petersburg protest was organized by a group calling itself the Tsar's Cross. The protest was not approved in advance by municipal authorities as required by Russian law. The film is set for its national release on October 26. There was a strong police presence, as well as a crowd of journalists, as the demonstrators held signs with slogans such as "Matilda is a challenge to the Russian world." Earlier the group Christian State-Holy Rus had warned of violence if the film was shown. On August 31, unknown assailants threw Molotov cocktails into the St. Petersburg building that houses the production studio of Matilda director Aleksei Uchitel. On September 4, a man tried to ram his car into a cinema in Yekaterinburg and then threw an incendiary device. On September 11, two cars were set alight outside the Moscow office of Uchitel's lawyer. The head of Christian State, Aleksander Kalinin, was detained on September 23 and placed in detention for one month as investigators probe the violence. Also in September, the Prosecutor-General's Office, responding to a request from Poklonskaya, ruled that the film was not insulting to any religious beliefs. "No grounds for the interference of the Russian Prosecutor-General's Office were found during its consideration of Russian State Duma Deputy Natalya Poklonskaya's request regarding possible legal infringements in the production of the...film," the office's statement said. Although Matilda's critics accuse Uchitel of being unpatriotic, the director has noted that the government has been in his corner in this dispute. Not only has the film been approved for distribution, it was about one-third funded by grants and loans distributed through the state's Cinema Foundation (Fond Kino). Nikita Mikhalkov, the Oscar-winning director and staunch supporter of President Vladimir Putin who heads the Russian Cinematographers Union, twice signed off on grants for Matilda. Uchitel has insisted that he regards Nicholas "no less respectfully and lovingly" than Poklonskaya does. The affair depicted in the film, he said, was a case of genuine love. "The film is about a person -- and I think this is particularly interesting in the case of a saint," he told RFE/RL in an interview in September. "It is about showing the viewer or the nation that it is not an icon or a statue, but a person who suffered, was tormented, who thought and made a choice, a choice in favor of our country. It was either [ruling] or freedom, love, and real feelings." With reporting by RBK, Peterburgsky Dnevnik, and TASS ON MY MIND As I wrote on The Power Vertical blog last week (featured below), one of the most interesting and important dynamics to watch in the coming months will be the interaction between Ksenia Sobchak and Aleksei Navalny. And now we have our first data point. Speaking to supporters in Astrakhan this weekend, just hours after being released from a 20-day jail sentence for organizing unauthorized protests, Navalny addressed Sobchak's decision to run for president, saying: everybody has a right to participate in the elections and run for office. Navalny added that he likes some candidates "more and some less" than others. While not exactly a ringing endorsement, the comments are a far cry from Navalny's early derisive reaction to a potential Sobchak candidacy. This, of course, comes after Sobchak's statement that she would withdraw her candidacy in the unlikely event that Navalny is allowed on the ballot. In his first video message to supporters since his release (featured below), Navalny did not address the subject of Sobchak's candidacy at all, but instead focused on why he continues to protest against Vladimir Putin's regime. What all this suggests to me is that the Navalny and Sobchak camps are probably talking to each other. And if they can find a way to cooperate -- with Sobchak on the ballot and Navalny on the outside -- the potential to disrupt the Kremlin's narrative in the next election can be powerful. Putin will not be defeated, but that isn't the point. Presidential elections are legitimization rituals for the Kremlin -- and if Sobchak and Navalny can steal and spoil the show, it could prove to be a devastating blow. IN THE NEWS Russian and U.S. defense chiefs will join Association of Southeast Asian Nations counterparts today to discuss threats related to terrorism and North Koreas weapons program at meetings in the Philippines. Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny addressed supporters in the southern city of Astrakhan hours after his release from a Moscow detention center following a 20-day term served for organizing unsanctioned protests against President Vladimir Putin. NATO would not be able to rebuff a potential Russian attack on its eastern flank, according to an internal report cited on October 20 by German weekly Der Spiegel. Russia has formally handed over six MiG-29 fighter jets to Serbia, as part of ceremonies marking the World War II liberation of Belgrade. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has vowed to push for legislation creating an anticorruption court by the end of the year, in an apparent response to demands from Western allies as well as protesters camped outside parliament in Kyiv. Several hundred people took part in a protest rally in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, on October 21 to condemn hazing in the armed forces. LATEST POWER VERTICAL PODCAST In case you missed it, the latest Power Vertical Podcast looks at the growing pains of Ukraine's Third Revolution. LATEST POWER VERTICAL BLOG And the latest Power Vertical blog post looks at the significance of the political relationship between Aleksei Navalny and Ksenia Sobchak. WHAT I'M READING Navalny Speaks Opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has put out his first video message to supporters since being released from a 20-day jail sentence for organizing unauthorized protests. (And no, he doesn't talk about Ksenia Sobchak's presidential campaign.) The Sobchak Campaign According to a report in RBK, economist Vladislav Inozemtsev, head of the Moscow-based Center for Post-Industrial Studies, will write Sobchak's economic platform. Youth And Soviet Symbolism In his column for Republic.ru, opposition journalist Oleg Sashin looks at the selective "mining of Soviet symbols" at the recent youth festival in Sochi. The Gender Gap According to a recent poll by the Levada Center, 53 percent of Russians say they do not want a woman to be president. And according to a new poll by the Kremlin-controlled VTsIOM, 60 percent have a negative opinion of Ksenia Sobchak. The Moscow That Was The Moscow Times has a piece looking back at the hallmarks of life from the Russian capital in the wild '90s Why Putin Wants To Control Ukraine In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Anne Applebaum explains why Putin wants to control Ukraine. How The Kremlin Has Exploited U.S. Racial Tensions In The Atlantic, Julia Ioffe looks at Soviet and Russian efforts to exploit and exacerbate racial tensions in the United States. Family Values Kommersant has a piece on how the Russian Orthodox Church is attempting to get courses on family values into the school curriculum. Russia In The Balkans In Vedomosti, military historian Konstantin Gaivoronsky looks at the problems that have historically plagued Russian foreign policy in the Balkans. Open Russia Report: Rebuilding Security In Europe MIkhail Khodorkovsky's Open Russia Foundation has released a report: Rebuilding Security In Europe. The report is based on a roundtable of experts held in Prague on June 8-9, 2017. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has paid an unannounced visit to Afghanistan for talks with Afghan leaders on the new U.S. strategy to end the 16-year war. The closed-door meeting took place on October 23 at Bagram Airfield north of Kabul, the United States' largest base in Afghanistan, as President Ashraf Ghani's Western-backed government is struggling to beat back insurgents in the wake of the exit of most NATO forces in 2014. "Clearly we have to continue to fight against the Taliban, against others, in order for them to understand they will never win a military victory," Tillerson told reporters after the meeting with Ghani that was also attended by Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. "It is imperative in the end that we are denying safe haven to any terrorist organizations or any extremists to any part of this world," he added. The administration of President Donald Trump has recently unveiled a strategy to try to defeat the Taliban and other extremist groups in Afghanistan, and officials said more than 3,000 additional U.S. troops are being sent to the country to reinforce the 11,000 U.S. troops already stationed in the country. At a brief news conference in Afghanistan before leaving the country, Tillerson said he would visit Pakistan on October 24 to discuss U.S. requests for specific actions against extremist groups based there. He will then head to India. "We have made some very specific requests of Pakistan in order for them to take action to undermine the support the Taliban receives and other terrorist organizations receive," Tillerson said. Pakistan has denied that it harbors terrorists and says the United States is using Islamabad as a "scapegoat" for its own failure to win the war in Afghanistan. In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul said Tillerson and Ghani "reaffirmed the U.S.-Afghan commitment to achieving peace, stability, and long-term prosperity in Afghanistan." Tillerson said that the new U.S. strategy for South Asia "makes clear the United States' commitment to working with the government of Afghanistan and with partners across the region to achieve peace in Afghanistan and deny safe havens to terrorists who threaten that goal," it added. The embassy statement said that Ghani "reiterated his support for the new U.S. strategy and emphasized his government's commitment to reforms." U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has arrived in an unannounced visit to Iraq after the Shi'ite-led government dismissed his call for Iranian-backed militia fighters who helped Baghdad defeat Islamic State (IS) extremists to "go home." Tillerson arrived in Baghdad late on October 23 for talks with senior officials about Iran, the Kurdish independence movement, and rebuilding efforts after the defeat of the IS group in major Iraqi towns and cities. He is meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and is also due to hold talks with Iraqi President Fuad Masum, a Kurd, in an apparent reaffirmation of U.S. support for a unified Iraq after the Kurdish independence referendum held last month in northern Iraq. Tillerson has been making the Trump administration's case for an Arab alliance to oppose Iran's activity in the Middle East. He attended the inaugural meeting of the Saudi Arabia-Iraq Coordination Council on October 22 and urged the two longtime rivals to set aside past differences. Speaking on October 22 after a meeting with Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Abadi, Tillerson said it was time for Iranian military advisers and fighters to go home and allow the Iraqi people to regain control." "Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against [IS] is coming to a close, those militias need to go home," Tillerson said. "The foreign fighters in Iraq need to go home and allow the Iraqi people to regain control." A senior U.S. official said Tillerson's remarks referred to militia fighters known as the Popular Mobilization Forces and the Quds Force, the foreign arm of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). But Iraq's cabinet on October 23 insisted that the paramilitary forces that helped it to defeat IS were fully Iraqi. "The fighters of the Hashid [al-Shaabi paramilitary units] are Iraqis who are concerned for their country and have sacrificed for its defense and for its people," it said in a statement, quoting a source close to Abadi. The cabinet added that "nobody has the right to interfere in Iraqi affairs." Tillerson's Persian Gulf trip came amid efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to isolate and contain Iran in the Middle East and beyond. It included a visit to the inaugural Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council, led by Abadi and King Salman, which has been pushed by the United States as a means to counter Iran's influence in Iraq. In Tehran on October 23, Iranian President Hassan Rohani said Iran's position in the Middle East had never been stronger. "In Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, northern Africa, in the Persian Gulf region -- where can action be taken without Iran?" Rohani said during a speech that was broadcast by Iranian state television. Iranian-backed militias have played key roles in the U.S.-supported Iraqi government's efforts to drive IS fighters from Iraq. After pushing the extremists out of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul earlier this year, Iraqi government troops and allied, Iranian-backed militia are mopping up remnants of the IS extremist group from its last remaining pockets of territory in the country. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif assailed Tillerson's comments in a Twitter post. "Exactly what country is it that Iraqis who rose up to defend their homes against ISIS return to?" Zarif said in a tweet, using an alternative name for IS. "If it wasn't for the sacrifices of the Islamic Republic of Iran, [Islamic State] would have installed its government in Damascus, Baghdad, and [the Iraqi Kurdistan capital] Arbil by now," Zarif said. Trump said on October 22 that he does not object to France and Germany continuing to trade with Iran, despite Trumps refusal to certify Irans compliance with a landmark 2015 nuclear deal. "I told them just keep making money," Trump said. "Don't worry. You just keep making money." Tillerson, however, said the United States is hoping European companies and countries "will join the U.S. as we put in place a sanction structure." "Those who conduct business with Iranian Revolutionary Guards, any of their entities -- European companies or other companies around the globe -- really do so at great risk," Tillerson said. Tillerson flew into Iraq from Qatar. Earlier on October 23, he made a surprise visit to Afghanistan. Neither trip was announced publicly. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Ukrainian anticorruption investigators have raided the home and office of the mayor of the Black Sea port of Odesa, who is at the center of an embezzlement probe. The National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said the searches were conducted on October 23 at the premises of Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov and his associates. Odesa authorities are suspected of embezzling funds from contracts assigned for repairing a highway and approving loans meant to help refurbish the local airport but which vanished. "Since detectives are also checking the possibility of the Odesa mayor's involvement in these criminal offenses, the searches are being held at his home and office," NABU said in a statement. In comments to RFE/RL, Trukhanov confirmed that his office was searched by NABU agents. However, he denied that his home was also raided. The raids came nearly a week after the start of the first sustained wave of antigovernment protests in Kyiv since Ukraine's 2014 pro-EU revolution brought down the Russia-backed regime of Viktor Yanukovych. The anticorruption rallies are currently being spearheaded by Mikheil Saakashvili -- a former Georgian president who became regional governor of Odesa in February 2015. Saakashvili accused Trukhanov of being one of Odesa's corruption bosses and pledged to bring him to justice, but eventually became frustrated about his inability to tackle bribery and resigned last year. Saakashvili went on to accuse President Petro Poroshenko of knowing about the criminal activities in Odesa but failing to act in order to protect his political friends. Poroshenko dismisses the charge and accuses Saakashvili of trying to further destabilize Ukraine. With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and AFP A Kazakh blogger who fled to Ukraine after criticizing President Nursultan Nazarbaev's government has been detained in Kyiv at the request of Kazakhstan's government and could be extradited to Kazakhstan. Zhanar Akhmet was detained in Kyiv on October 21 on an arrest warrant issued by Kazakh authorities that charges her with fraud, according to Akhmet's lawyer. The lawyer, Vladyslav Hryshchenko, said Akhmet was added to the Interpol's so-called "red notice" wanted list at the request of Kazakh authorities. Kyiv regional police spokesman Mykola Zhukovych said a court must issue a ruling within 72 hours on whether to prolong Akhmet's detention while Ukrainian authorities consider Kazakhstan's extradition request. Akhmet fled Kazakhstan in March with her 9-year-old son, saying she feared for her safety if she remained in the Central Asia former Soviet republic. Akhmet told RFE/RL she decided to flee to Ukraine when she learned from sources that she could face charges of "organizing an illegal group" that uses the Internet to advocate self-immolation. Akhmet previously faced a series of court hearings in Almaty for alleged legal violations, including jaywalking, that she considered to be harassment by Kazakh authorities. She says all of the accusations against her have been politically motivated retaliation for her writing. At least four other Kazakh opposition and rights activists -- Ermek Narymbaev, Moldir Adilova, Aidos Sadyqov, and Natalya Sadyqova -- also have fled to Ukraine in recent years. Nazarbaev has held power in Kazakhstan since before the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Discover Ukraine Cheap Flights to Ukraine Ukraine is a unique and beautiful country that is completely independent from the former Soviet USSR and the associated communist states in 1991. Now that Ukraine is independent and has developed its own national identity, you may be looking to see all of the sights around the great nation as well as learn more about the culture and history of this interesting European country. Cheap Flights to Ukraine Of course, you want to be sure that you get the best deals when you set out on your journey to Ukraine. This is where Skyscanner can come in and help you find amazing cheap flights to Ukraine as well as make other important travel arrangements. Some of the tools that can help you make the most of your trip to Ukraine include: Skyscanner Price Alerts The Skyscanner Price Alerts feature allows you to sign up using your email address to get instant notifications when a great price on flights come available. You will never miss a deal with these price alerts and that way you can get to Ukraine as cheaply as possible. Cheapest Month The cheapest month search tool will help you find the best prices if you are flexible regarding the times in which you travel. Certain days of the week, month, and year are less expensive to fly than others. And Skyscanner will do the hard work of finding all of those best times and prices for you. All you need to do is take your pick. Airlines to Ukraine As you are exploring the possibility of heading to Ukraine, you may find yourself wondering which airlines can get you there. Some of the airlines that can take you to Ukraine include: British Airways - British Airways is the primary airline of Great Britain and offers regular flights to and from Ukraine, specifically to the Boryspil International Airport in Kiev, Ukraine's capital city. Ukraine International Airlines - The largest airline in Ukraine as well as the flag carrying airline of the nation is also one that offers many flights to and from the nation. Between the United States and Ukraine, Ukraine International Airlines offers flights to and from New York City. Things to Do When You Get to Ukraine Once you arrive in Ukraine, there is much to see and do. If you love nature and the mountains, you should visit the Carpathian Mountains, commonly referred to as the "green pearl" of Ukraine. For fantastically warm beaches, you can visit the city of Odessa. Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine, is full of wonderful sights as well with beautiful architecture including Andriyivskyy Descent, Pyrohiv, and the Golden Gate. South Bend sparks two multi-million-dollar projects with city money Plans for the Indiana Dinosaur Museum, led by South Bend Chocolate Co. owner Mark Tarner, and a 69-unit apartment complex near Notre Dame will both move forward. Update for Oct. 26: NASA has created an interactive photo map with all of the #1world1orbit photos shared on social media. As the International Space Station completed one orbit around the Earth this morning (Oct. 23), people all over the planet beamed photos of their ground-based views up to the orbiting laboratory. NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, who is currently at the space station, requested on social media that the people of Earth help him "capture a moment in time" by taking photos of Earth from below while he took his own photos from above. With help from NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, Bresnik spent about 90 minutes the amount of time it takes the space station to complete one orbit around the Earth taking photos from the windows of the Cupola observatory. [Earth from Space: Amazing Astronaut Photos] A map of the International Space Station's path around the world for exactly one orbit on the morning of Oct. 23, 2017. (Image credit: NASA) "Our inspiration for this evolved from an activity in the 80s called 'A day in the life of America,' where 200 of the world's leading photojournalists set out across America to capture the life of a nation on film in a single day," Bresnik wrote in a Facebook post. "After the event, over the days and weeks to come, we will post imagery our crew captured of that moment in time." See more The astronauts started their "photo frenzy" at 8:25 a.m. EDT (1225 GMT) as the space station began to pass over the United Kingdom, where one Twitter user shared a photo of London's cloud-covered "Shard" building, a pointy skyscraper by the Thames River. See more Elsewhere in Europe, people shared photos of clear skies and sunlit cityscapes, like in the Netherlands and Germany. See more See more It took the space station about 20 minutes to cross over all of Europe before it made its way over the Middle East, and Bresnik called for photos from Africa. See more In the East African country of Tanzania, one Twitter user shared a photo of a herd of zebras grazing on a grassy plain. See more Another person shared a photo of the sun setting in Cape Town, South Africa, near the famous flat-topped Table Mountain. See more At 8:57 a.m. EDT (1257 GMT), as the space station passed over the Indian Ocean, Bresnik called for the people of Asia to share their photos. See more One person tweeted a photo of city lights in Lebanon just before sunset. See more Another Twitter user shared a photo of the evening scene in Kolkata, India, where boats float in the Ganges River near a bridge called Vidyasagar Setu, which connects the cities of Kolkata and Howrah. See more By the time the space station made it to Australia, it was already nighttime down under. But that didn't stop some night owls from tweeting their views from the dark. See more In Sydney, one user shared a wide shot of the cityscape by night. See more Meanwhile, in Perth, another Twitter user shared a photo of a (fake) kangaroo in front of the city council building. See more After leaving Australia, the space station spent about 30 minutes crossing the Pacific Ocean before passing over the Americas, where people were just starting off the day. See more Bresnik first called for South Americans to share their photos on social media, tweeting his summons at 9:41 a.m. EDT (1341 GMT). One user from Buenos Aires, Argentina, tweeted a view of the city's congressional plaza in what appears to be the start of a beautiful day. See more Another Twitter user shared a photo of the space station streaking across the sky while an airplane simultaneously passes overhead. (While this photo was shared today, it was taken on an earlier day when the space station passed directly overhead. It did not pass directly over Paraguay this morning.) See more Last but not least, Bresnik called for photos from North America. See more The space station passed directly over Houston, home of NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC), at 9:56 a.m. EDT (1356 GMT). Patiently awaiting the overhead passage of its orbiting laboratory, JSC tweeted photos of the center's campus about 30 minutes before the station flew by. See more Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, who also happened to be in Houston, tweeted a photo of a line of NASA jets sitting on the tarmacat sunrise. See more Meanwhile, in Saskatchewan, Canada, another Twitter user shared a photo of a beautiful nature landscape. See more At 10:05 a.m. EDT (1435 GMT), the space station completed this orbit around the Earth, and Bresnik and Acaba finished their 90-minute Earth photography session. Their photos from space will be posted in the coming days. So stay tuned to Space.com and Bresnik's Twitter account, @AstroKomrade to see the astronauts' views from space. Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. T he last time details of one of Theresa Mays European dinners were leaked to a German newspaper, we heard a story of unrealistic obstinacy. Mrs May responded with a public warning on the steps of Downing Street that the leaks proved the EU was deliberately trying to sabotage the general election she had just called. It neednt have bothered. She sabotaged her own election, and six months later a much weaker and diminished Mrs May sat down last week for another meal with the EU Commission. This time the German papers reported on a Prime Minister who is scared, despondent and dejected. Gone is the pretence of an a la carte negotiation all agreed in two years: she is now prepared to take an off-the-shelf transition deal where we sign up to EU rules until at least 2021. Gone, too, is the claim that we dont have to pay. Mrs May more than doubled the offer on the table; British taxpayers will now pay up to 50 billion just to leave the EU. No wonder the EU team noticed the change from the crowing of the previous encounter; Mrs May, they said, was begging for help. Remember these are only the opening skirmishes in the battle that Britain has plunged itself into. We havent even begun the discussion among ourselves of the final arrangement we want with the EU, let alone started that conversation with Brussels. Do we want a trade deal with the EU that would allow us to take back control of rule-making, allow us to protect certain industries (eg, fishing) and ban trade in things we dont like (eg, live animal exports)? Some in the Cabinet propose this and say the loss of trade with the EU that would result from this great act of protectionism would be made up by new trade with the rest of the world. But the limitations of that ambition were exposed by Dr Liam Foxs stunning announcement this weekend that hes no longer seeking a free-trade deal in goods with the US because of the controversy at home over things like chlorinated chicken. Instead, he wants to land a much narrower deal on services which itself will beg difficult questions on everything from access to NHS contracts to acceptance of Wall Street banking laws. No wonder, then, that the business community and many in the Cabinet want simply to sign up wholesale to the rules of the European Union on a semi-permanent basis. It would amount to a Norway-style membership of the European Economic Area, where we pay money, accept free movement of people and adopt EU rules. The only thing we will have left is our seat at the Council of Ministers, and we will relinquish what control we already have. No one knows exactly how the Cabinet divides on all this because the Prime Minister is too weak to have the discussion this side of Christmas. And no one knows whether the hung Parliament will support whatever position the Cabinet ultimately adopts, because the Government is too weak to risk votes on its Brexit Bill for the time being. Mrs May now plays her weakness as her strongest card. She warned EU leaders last Friday that if they didnt help her, then her government would fall and theyd get Boris Johnson. So a campaign that promised voters a restoration of sovereignty has ended up in a Brexit negotiation where Brussels gets to choose the British government. Brilliant. Welcome to the T-charge Sadiq Khan deserves congratulations and support for introducing today the T-charge a 10 supplement on the congestion charge that owners of older, polluting diesel and petrol cars have to pay. Like the original C- charge, it is regressive falling hardest on poorer car-owners. But it is those on the lowest incomes who suffer the greatest health problems. Mr Khan should be doing more to expand the area where the charge applies (as he says he will). Dirty air kills. We can eliminate it. The Mayor has taken a big step forward today. Let him keep walking in the right direction. E veryone has a signature dish they whip out when they're trying to impress whether it's beans on toast or a gourmet beef Wellington with all trimmings. Once you've got a catalogue of tried and tested favourites, you're set up for every culinary occasion without the stress of hoping the recipe you chose on a whim turns out as planned. Business Insider asked some of the UK's highest-profile head chefs with 13 Michelin stars between them which dishes everyone should be able to whip up by the time their 20s are over. The list includes recipes that accommodate every level of experience in the kitchen from simple sauces to show-stopping desserts. 30 places to visit before you turn 30 1 /41 30 places to visit before you turn 30 Click through our gallery to discover the places you should visit before you turn 30... Shutterstock 1. Bali Highland panoramas, scenic waterfalls, open blue skies, golden sunsets and awesome sunrises across the coastline. Theres a reason why people say that Bali stirs the soul. Why go here before you turn 30? Explore temples and palaces, go river rafting, sign up to a surf school, volunteer at an orangutan sanctuary, take a yoga class in the mountains and party all night. Best of all, its cheap - so youll be able to live like a king on a fortnights trip here. Stephan Stansfield/Flickr 2. Island hopping in Greece If youve never made it to Greece, then schedule in some time to discover its lesser-known islands by boat. Go to big-hitters Santorini, Crete and Rhodes and and discover little-known gems Astypalea and Tinos. Why go here before you turn 30? Because you can explore whitewashed cubic houses, lie on white hot sands, take a dip in the bath water-warm Aegean. Shutterstock / Mikhail Gnatkovsk 3. Myanmar Until fairly recently, Myanmar was off limits to wanderlust Westerners. But after five decades of military rule, Asias formerly Junta-controlled diamond in the rough has finally opened its crystal shores to nirvana-seekers. Why go here before you turn 30? Unsullied beaches, ancient Pagan temples and incredibly cheap prices make Burma the perfect holiday spot for cash-strapped travellers in their 20s. Joe Connor 4. Ibiza No surprises here - the Island that never sleeps has long been one of the hottest places to play for people in their 20s. This hedonistic paradise is a lure for British clubbers drawn in by sun, sand and world-class DJs. Why go here before you turn 30? Because nowhere does sunset chilling quite like Ibiza. Shutterstock / FP media 5. Croatia Ancient walled towns, dreamy deep-blue seascapes, an unrivaled festival scene and guaranteed good weather. Whats not to love about Croatia? Why go here before you turn 30? Visit festival and wellness island Obonjan, go fun-seeking at Sonus, take a Game of Thrones tour, go white-water rafting, stroll around the museums in Zagreb or simply spend your days enjoying cocktail after cocktail on the beach. Angus Webster 6.Toronto, Canada Forget Williamsburg, hipsters looking for a cultural injection should make a beeline for Canadas largest city for art, food and dive bars by the dozen. Why go here before you turn 30? Ethnic enclaves, a bustling food scene and cool designer stays - there are plenty of reasons to discover Toronto. Shutterstock / njene 7. Pammukale, Turkey Pamukkale is actually Turkish for cotton castle, which accurately sums up this amazing display of natural hot water pools in Denizli Province. The city is famous for its travertines - terraces of dazzling white carbonate minerals left by the flowing water that tourists can bathe in. Why go here before you turn 30? It'll make for one stunning Instagram. Shutterstock / Copycat37 8. Backpack through Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is one of the most accessible regions for the novice traveller - thanks to its mix of volcanoes, rainforests, rice fields, beaches and coral reefs. Some popular stops include Chiang Mai in Thailand, Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Laos, Hanoi in Vietnam. Why go here before you turn 30? Explore thousand-year-old Hindu ruins, rave on the beach, attend a Buddhist ceremony at dawn and hike through the jungle looking for wildlife. The possibilities are endless. Shutterstock / Lena Serditova 9. Costa Rica Theres plenty of time for gentle package holidays in your later years. This tiny Central American oasis is a twenty-somethings playground of wild beaches, rocky points, volcanoes, reefs, rare wildlife and spectacular rainforests. Why go here before you turn 30? Because you can learn how to surf on the Nicoya peninsula, try truly amazing Costa Rican coffee, learn to speak Spanish, get lost on a hike in a rainforest, go white water rafting at Turrialba and see real life sloths, monkeys, crocodiles, ocelots and toucans. Autentico Adventures Costa Rica/Flickr 10. Tiger's Nest Monastery, Bhutan William and Kate put this remote kingdom on the map earlier this year, and a trip here isnt complete without paying a visit the the Tigers Nest Monastery. Believed to be the birthplace of Bhuddism, the Monastery has been a place of pilgrimage since it was built in 1692. Why go here before you turn 30? The temple complex clings to a cliff, a dizzying 3120 meters above the sea level on the side of the upper Paro valley. If you want to take in the stunning views of blue pines and rhododendrons youll need fearless stamina to hike to the top. Paula Bronstein/Getty Images 11. Songkran Festival, Thailand Songkran festival, or the Thai New Year, is three days of nonstop revelry. Its celebrated across the country, with locals and tourists gathering in the streets with super soakers, water balloons and buckets of water one almighty water fight. Why go here before you turn 30? Because who doesnt love a water fight? AFP/Getty Images 12. Banff, Canada This resort town is one of Canada's most popular tourist destinations, known for its mountainous surroundings and hot springs. A visit here offers the chance to experience the spectacular Canadian Rocky Mountains and glacier-fed lakes, bull elk and brown bear sightings, and small-town charm like no other. Why go here before you turn 30? Because its some of the finest mountain scenery youll find on the planet. Shutterstock / Songquan Deng 13. Norway Picturesque fjords, magical mountains, quaint coastal towns and the possibility of spotting the Northern Lights makes Norway a tempting trip for those on the hunt for natural beauty. Why go here before you turn 30? Visit trendy Oslo, discover magical lesser-known towns, stand on a gravity-defying boulder, sail around the fjords, stay in a fishermans cottage you may even spot a polar bear. Shutterstock / Carsten Pasternac 14. Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, California Rising nearly 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley and 8,800 feet above sea level, Half Dome is one of the greatest hiking challenges a traveller can undertake. This granite dome sits at the eastern end of one of Americas most spectacular national parks. Why go here before you turn 30? The terrain is dramatic, the scenery is amazing, and its probably the single most iconic thing you can do in California. Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images 15. Iceland This Nordic island nation isnt far from the UK, but packs in astonishing natural phenomena and take-your-breath-away landscapes. Why go here before you turn 30? Contemporary cuisine, Lord of the Rings-esque lands, stargazing, endless hours of daylight and geothermal springs. Its hard to narrow it down. Shutterstock / pranodhm 16. The Inca Trail, Peru The Inca Trail is by far the most famous trek in South America. In just 26 miles it manages to combine beautiful mountain scenery, lush cloud-forest, subtropical jungle and, of course, a stunning mix of Inca paving stones, ruins and tunnels. Why go here before you turn 30? Because the final destination of the trail just cannot be beaten: Machu Picchu, the mysterious "Lost City of the Incas". Brent Stirton/Getty Images 17. Manchester, UK The capital of The North might not strike as the most exotic of travel destination, but its giving London a run for its money thanks to a wealth of music and art history, smart fine dining restaurants, hipster neighbourhoods and a swathe of cool new boutique hotels. Why go here before you turn 30? Because it's only 2 hours away by train from the capital. Shutterstock / Tupungato 18. India The food alone is enough of a draw to India, but throw in palm-fringed beaches, one of the seven wonders of the world, forts, mosques, monuments and ancient ruins, and you have a holiday on that ticks all the boxes on your hands. Why go here before you turn 30? Because youll want leave enough room to come back again and again over your lifetime. Shutterstock / LukaKikina 19. Berlin Edgy, cool and creative, Berlin is one of the worlds best cities for boutique shopping, brilliantly offbeat nights out and hipster hangouts. Why go here before you turn 30? Because its one of Europes most exciting cities. Shutterstock / Claudio Divizia 20. Melbourne, Australia Whether youre looking to party, simply kick-back on a beach or sample some of the best brunch in the world, Melbourne offers it all to young travellers and backpackers. Why go here before you turn 30? Australias coolest capital holds all kinds of attractions for people in their 20s, from bars and boutiques to clubs and cafes. Shutterstock / GagliardiImages 21. New Zealand Undoubtedly one of the most spectacular places on earth, New Zealand is home to some incredibly unspoilt scenery. Make sure to take a decent camera, because stunning national parks and reserves make up a third of its land. Why go here before you turn 30? When else can you spend a whole month hiking its natural peaks and troughs? Gareth Richman 22. Carnival, Rio de Janeiro Forget Notting Hill carnival: once a year, several million travellers descend on Rio to enjoy four days of parades and partying at the beginning of Lent. Why go here before you turn 30? Who wouldnt want to be part of the biggest street party on the planet? Raphael Dias/Getty Images 23. The Great Wall of China As the famous Chinese saying goes, 'he who does not reach the Great Wall is not a true man'. This great engineering marvel winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching across over 13,000 miles. Why go here before you turn 30? Because your 20s arent just for partying and frolicking... AFP/Getty Images 24. Burning Man Festival, Nevada Every year, tens of thousands of people gather in Nevadas Black Rock Desert to create Black Rock City, a temporary festival of art, hedonism and self-expression. Why go here before you turn 30? Because its the most outrageous festival of all: alongside meditation and yoga theres spanking classes, orgies, and naked foam parties. Chances are, youll only want to get involved when youre young enough not to regret it. Duncan Rawlinson/Flickr 25. Antelope Canyon, Arizona Located just outside of Page, in the heart of Navajo Country, Antelope may just be the most photographed slot canyon in the world - thanks to its awe-inspiring, sandstone formations. Why go here before you turn 30? The celestial light beams in the canyon make this place completely unforgettable and unmissable. AFP/Getty Images 26. Pacific Coast Highway, California The PCH is a road trip-lovers dream, with its winding ribbon roads that meander alongside the crashing Cali coast from Carmel to Morro Bay. The 123-mile route takes in Big Sur and the much photographed Bixby Bridge, as well as five hours of cliff-hugging open road. Why go here before you turn 30? The all-American road has been voted one of the top motorcycle rides in the U.S - its basically the drive of a lifetime, but youll enjoy the freedom most on two wheels. Howard Ignatius/Flickr 27. Bosnia & Herzegovina Turquoise rivers, medieval castles and tumbling waterfalls. It sounds like something out of a fairytale, but the craggily beautiful lands of Bosnia and Herzegovina are real - and theyre one of Europes best kept secrets. Why go here before you turn 30? Because there are few places in the world where you can enjoy hiking, beautiful countryside, rafting and swimming, inner-city bridge jumping and skiing all within one country. Shutterstock 28. Tokyo, Japan Japans busy capital shouldnt be overlooked - as well as providing endless Instagram opportunities, it manages to pack in both the ultramodern and the traditional - from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples. Why go here before you turn 30? Because you can sleep in a capsule, walk across the beautiful Tokyo bay, spend hours in an multi-storey arcade, slurp down some heavenly ramen and spend hours strolling through the brightly-lit streets. Shutterstock 29. Osea Island, Essex On Osea Island, they know how to throw a party. Located in the middle of Essexs Blackwater Estuary, the private island which is only accessible by boat, helicopter or car at low tide boasts four and a half miles of its own beaches and coastline perfect for social gatherings. Why go here before you turn 30? Because you can throw the most incredible weekend parties here. Alamy Stock Photo 30. Las Vegas, Nevada Live like a celebrity for amongst the glitz and glitter of one of the worlds most famous strips. Why go here before you turn 30? Win big at a casino, take in a cirque production, party all night, go four-wheeling in the surrounding national parks just make sure you dont accidentally get hitched. Shutterstock / Don Mammoser Scroll on to discover 30 dishes everyone should know how to make by the time they turn 30, according to the UK's leading head chefs. Beer can chicken on the barbecue is a crowd-pleaser. Steve Smith, head chef at Jersey-based Michelin-starred restaurant Bohemia, believes everyone should have a crowd-pleasing recipe up their sleeves. "When you're busy and don't find the time to cook, it's good to have a few staple dishes with you can whip up quickly," Smith said. "You can't wrong with Beer Can Chicken on the BBQ if the weather's good." This recipe from Jamie Oliver incorporates a sweet and smoky rub to enhance the flavours from the grill. A balance and filling salad. "Being able to whip up a filling, balanced, and tasty salad using leftover vegetables and salad ingredients in the fridge is a skill," Smith said. "A salad can be delicious when some real thought has gone into it. Learn what works together and what doesn't it needs acidity, sweetness, textures, and substance." Need some inspiration? Check out this list of one food blogger's favourite ever salad combinations. Avocado and bacon is a brunch staple simple enough for everyone to master. Whether it counts as an actual recipe or not, Smith said: "For breakfast, you have to be able to make smashed avocado on toast with bacon." Best topped with lime and chilli flakes, check out this avocado toast run-down from BBC Good Food. A proper quiche is a summertime classic. Flaky pastry packed with gruyere cheese and bacon set in a savoury egg custard, a Quiche Lorraine is high on the list of Bibendum head chef Claude Bosi's most crucial recipes. Sitting at the helm of London's most recently-awarded two-star Michelin chef, he said: "Not very complex, but if done well a Quiche Lorraine can be delicious and full of flavour." Follow this recipe from BBC Good Food for the perfect balance of flakiness, saltiness, richness, and creaminess. Sink your spoon into an elegant apple tart. "The most comforting and satisfying dessert is, in my opinion, apple tart with caramel sauce," Bosi said. "Making your own caramel sauce is quite simple once youve done it a few times, and homemade is almost always better [than shop-bought] if you can master it." A slice of this sticky tart from Epicurious looks too good to resist. Buying a good cut of steak is one thing - cooking it right is another. "A good steak is a prime cut of meat, so its important to treat it with the respect it deserves," said Paul Shearing head chef at Gordon Ramsay's Bread Street Kitchen. "Room temperature steak, a hot pan, and paying close attention to cooking time is key," he added. "Most importantly, make sure you have time to rest the steaks after cooking." Great British Chefs have plenty of advice when it comes to cooking methods, seasoning, and timing depending on the cut. Check out their database here. A proper gravy can elevate your roast beyond measure. "I always get asked how we make our gravy at Bread Street Kitchen, and the key is a good stock," Shearing said. "At the restaurant, we slowly caramelise our beef bones and carrots before adding to the stock, which gives a real depth of flavour. To do this at home, keep bones in the freezer from a previous meal, or ask your butcher for bones." This recipe from James Martin also uses beef and carrots as the base for a rich and hearty gravy. And like a roast needs gravy - brunch needs hollandaise. With an extensive breakfast menu at Bread Street Kitchen, Paul Shearing knows a thing or two about brunch. "A good hollandaise sauce will instantly raise your brunch game," he said. "It is perfect with poached eggs and smoked salmon for a weekend treat." "Hollandaise doesnt require many ingredients, but it does require time and attention dont rush as the eggs will curdle and the sauce will split." Hollandaise in a hurry might not be easy, but this sumptuously smooth sauce from Julia Childs can be knocked up in under 15 minutes. A proper roast potato is done best when kept simple. Neil Rankin, owner and head chef at the barbecue and open fire pit restaurant Temper in Soho, believes that knowing how to make a proper roast potato is an absolute must. "Roast potatoes are quintessentially British, and other than the meat are by far the best thing on the plate every Sunday," he said. Although it seems simple, everyone has their own method which they believe works magic on the humble spud. Jamie Oliver's twice-roasted recipe gently crushes the outer crisp layer half way through cooking to allow for an extra crunchy surface area. Cauliflower cheese is cheap, tasty, and a great vegetarian option to know how to knock together. "Cauliflower cheese is a perfect, crowd-pleasing, warming vegetable-based dish which is low cost and delicious," Rankin said. This oozing recipe from Jenny White uses extra mature cheddar cut through the creamy sauce, adding plenty of flavour. Throw together a multi-purpose curry sauce. "A base for so many great meals, perfecting a curry sauce builds a strong foundation for a variety of dishes and is great when cooking for a group of friends," Rankin said. Curry can take many forms and flavour profiles, but this velvety and vibrant tikka masala sauce from Chef de Home makes a great foundation from which to expand your repertoire. A hearty, fridge-clearing soup makes a warming lunchtime staple. Clare Smyth became the first female chef to hold and retain three Michelin stars during her time as Chef Patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Now, Smyth runs the kitchen of Core in London which she set up earlier this year. "A simple vegetable soup is cheap, quick, delicious and nutritious, and you can make a big batch to last a few days," Smyth said. This quick and easy homemade vegetable soup recipe from The Spruce can be easily adjusted to suit whatever's lurking at the bottom of your fridge. Spaghetti bolognese is great when cooking for a group. "Spaghetti bolognese is another classic that everybody should be able to rustle up," Smyth said. "Pasta with tomato comes in so many different forms, but you really can't go wrong with a family-favourite bolognese. This bolognese recipe from Andrew Balmer builds a rounded and flavoursome base for the sauce using carrots, celery, bacon, and plenty of herbs. A roast chicken with all the trimmings will keep everyone at the table happy. Smyth believes that everyone should know how to roast a chicken with a few trimmings, "simply because everybody loves a roast with all the trimmings." Ina Garten's recipe for the perfect roast chicken loads the skin with plenty of seasoning so it crisps up to become the star of the show. Turning a roast chicken into two dinners will help you save time, money, and effort with your evening meals. Neil Borthwick, head chef at Merchants Tavern a stunning, European-influenced restaurant in Shoreditch, London said: "Something simple and super tasty is a salad of roast chicken, rocket, baby gem, tarragon, and Parmesan that you can throw together quickly using roast chicken leftovers." Whilst a salad can consist of whatever you've got lying around, making the effort to cook up something special to top your salad with, like these hot and crispy polenta croutons from Michael Symon, is also worthwhile. A sumptuous Eton Mess looks fantastic and requires close to zero effort. "Its good to be able to make one sweet thing and Eton Mess is one of my favourite British desserts and its easy to make," Borthwick said. Crumbled meringue, lashings of softly whipped cream, and oozing berries make up this classic British summertime dessert. If you're strapped for time, use pre-bought meringues for an instant throw-together end to your meal. Otherwise, this recipe from Delia Smith also incorporates a homemade strawberry coulis while keeping the list of ingredients minimal. A succulent pork chop with flavoursome trimmings. "A pork chop with lentils, English mustard and savoy cabbage is a good one to have up your sleeve," Borthwick said, calling it "a simple, hearty but impressive dish." This recipe from Gourmet Traveller braises red cabbage in wine, replacing Neil's suggestion of savoy, but packs plenty of flavour with mustard, sage, and bay leaves into the chops. Beef or venison bourguignon is an elegant classic. Marcus Eaves, head chef at of Oblix the 32nd floor restaurant at the top of the Shard in central London believes in mastering big dishes you can turn into a social occasion, or dress down for an easy mid-week dinner. He said that "venison bourguignon is a great example of a winter staple that will get you through the coldest season," thanks to its rich flavours that develop during the long cooking process. "Its a great dish to knock up in the morning and leave in the oven to bubble and caramelise throughout the day." The most famous venison bourguignon recipe of all time, by Julia Childs, is a classic for a reason. Check it out here. Combine the crunch of freshly baked bread with the most flavoursome ingredients with this flatbread. "A truffle, ricotta, and pancetta flatbread is an incredible dish and a classic on the Oblix menu," Eaves said. "Its all about letting the ingredients do the talking no funny business." This quick flatbread recipe from the Great British Budget Menu by chef Paul Ainsworth makes a great foundation to top with your choice of ingredients. Making fresh pasta isn't as daunting a task as it sounds. "You cant beat fresh linguini with clams, chilli, lemon, and garlic," Eaves said. "If you can master making fresh pasta, youll have endless fun in the kitchen." Once you've knocked up your fresh pasta, this seafood spaghetti recipe from Good Food Australia will let your hard work shine. Fried rice is a quick dinner that's full of flavour. A filling fried rice is a great way to use up the odds and ends of fresh vegetable and cooked meat lurking in the fridge. Andrew Wong, head chef and owner of A. Wong in London, recommends that everyone learns the fundamentals of fried rice so they can throw together a quick dinner in a hurry. "Everyone should learn how to make at least an egg fried rice, a decent one, its an absolute staple," Wong said. This "fast-fix fried rice" recipe from BBC Good Food works as a great starting block to base your own flavour-combinations on. And fried rice partnered with a spring roll is a match made in heaven. To go with your fried rice, why not make a couple of hot and crispy spring rolls? Wong said that everyone should also be able to rustle some good spring rolls: "Nowadays thats easy, you can buy most of the ingredients [in mainstream supermarkets, you just have to learn to assemble it." This step-by-step guide my Steamy Kitchen uses a mix of crisp vegetable batons and moist chicken meat to add a diversity of textures to their spring roll contents. This recipe also works for freezing meaning your spring rolls can be ready, from freezer to fryer, in ten minutes. Sticky ribs that fall apart are a hard feat, but worth mastering. Sticky ribs are a favourite amongst diners at Andrew Wong's Michelin star restaurant in Victoria. But you don't have to wait until you go out for dinner to get your rib fix. "Everyone should know how to make really tasty, sticky ribs," Wong said. These sticky, sweet, and spicy ribs from Gordon Ramsay are slow-cooked at a low temperature for hours to make sure the meat melts in the mouth. Sink your fork into a rich and creamy risotto. Ashley Palmer-Watts, head chef at Michelin two-star restaurant Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, believes that learning how to make risotto, in turn, helps you to expand your cooking repertoire as you start to think about flavouring, combinations, and extras. "Once you have the fundamentals of making a risotto, it becomes very diverse and can be manipulated to suit most ingredients," Palmer-Watts said. Miguel Barclay, the creator of onepoundmeals on Instagram, keeps things simple in his creamy mushroom risotto recipe in order to make sure the main ingredient stands proud. A silky, decadent chocolate mousse is an easy and delectable treat. "Chocolate mousse made with great chocolate and lightly set you can't beat it," Palmer-Watts said. "Keep it simple to let the flavour profile of the chocolate you choose come through." Raymond Blanc's recipe for chocolate mousse keeps things simple with good quality dark chocolate and eggs as the main ingredients. Mary Berry's recipe, on the other hand, includes double cream, brandy, and a knob of butter for extra decadence. Make a sharp and silky lemon tart. Pastry has a reputation for being difficult at times. However, once you've mastered it, you'll have plenty of recipes at your fingertips to try your hand at. Hamish Brown, group executive chef of ROKA Japanese restaurants in London, said: "A classic lemon tart takes a bit of work, but is worth spending the time on. Once you have nailed the technique, you can pull it off for those last minute dinner parties no drama." This creamy and tangy recipe from Gregg Wallace incorporates a crumbly base that melts in the mouth alongside its rich, fruity filling. Master spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino's perfect simplicity. Literally translated as "spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, and chilli," this simple dish can be made using ingredients found in almost every kitchen and is ready within minutes. "This spaghetti recipe is my favourite pasta dish by far," Brown said, adding that "it has so few ingredients and can be eaten any time of the year." "It's quick, it's delicious, and needs good quality ingredients as there is nowhere to hide here!" This recipe from pasta-makers Barilla incorporates organic spaghetti and extra virgin olive oil to incorporate luxury into the otherwise simple dish. A crisp, sweet pavlova topped with sharp, fresh fruit. "Pavlova is a wonderful dessert to master," said Portland head chef Zach Elliott-Crenn. "It's simple, yet spectacular, light, but moreish, and it's infinitely adaptable using whichever fruits are in season." Adding vinegar and cornflour to your meringue base can help to stabilise the mixture during cooking. Masterchef UK judge Gregg Wallace's strawberry pavlova recipe keeps things simple, adorning his base with sweet strawberries and sharp redcurrants. French onion soup is the perfect, warming comfort food. For something less summery, Elliott-Crenn recommends a classic French onion soup. "You can't beat a delicious 'soupe a l'oignon' on a cold day," he said. "It's bound to impress your friends, yet [it's] unpretentious and comforting and according to the French, it's a classic hangover cure." Raymond Blanc's recipe calls for baguette and gruyere cheese to make his version of the soup's classic, chunky croutons adding authenticity. Master the aromatic flavour profile of a Malabar prawn curry. "Everyone should have a curry up their sleeve, and this one is easy to whip up in a pinch, forgiving and incredibly tasty," Elliott-Crenn said. His favourite recipe for this classic south Indian dish was passed on by a friend in India. However, this recipe from Jamie Oliver includes the tamarind, turmeric, and mustard seeds that gives the curry its authentic, aromatic flavour. H ead down to Westfield London (Shepherds Bush) or Westfield Stratford City and youll find lots of exciting, spooky activities to enjoy: make your own potions, cast your own spells, and watch the transfiguration unfold in front of your eyes at a spooktacular magic show. Dont miss these RSVP-only activities you can catch them on these dates: Westfield Stratford City Wednesday 25 October Four sessions: 10am, noon, 2pm and 4pm On the ground floor, near Primark Westfield London Friday 27 October Four sessions: 10am, noon, 2pm and 4pm Outside Debenhams Tuck in to some great food deals Theres a host of delicious foodie deals to enjoy at Westfield this month. Kids can eat free at The Real Greek, Wagamama and Cabana, while at Yo! Sushi Westfield London (Shepherds Bush), theres the chance for little ones to create their own Monster Meal with spooky decorations. And at All Star Lanes Westfield Stratford City, snap up a Kids Party Package for 15 per child, including food, drink and one game of bowling. Terms & Conditions apply. Kids Club activities are RSVP-only. Visit westfield.com/uk for more details Christmas is coming... With only two months to go until Christmas, make sure your children dont miss these three fun, festive activities: Win! Design a Christmas gift card wallet Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City are inviting primary school children to create a Christmas design for their gift card wallets. The winning design for each centre will be printed on thousands of wallets included with every purchase of a Westfield gift card. The winners will receive 1,000 for their primary schools and 100 for themselves. The runners-up will receive 50. For more information visit westfield.com/london or westfield.com/stratfordcity and enter before 12 November. Terms & Conditions apply. Christmas choir competition iStock Westfield London (Shepherds Bush) is inviting primary schools to take part in the Christmas Choir Awards 2017. Heats will take place on 6 and 7 December, with an awards presentation and performance on 8 December featuring the three finalist primary schools. The winning school will get 1,000. To enter and for more information please visit bit.ly/westfieldxmaschoir and submit your choir before 3 November. Childrens rucksacks Half terms fast-approaching, and with a number of days out planned, children will need somewhere to store their kit on the go. Try one of these stylish (yet practical) rucksacks. T he ex-boyfriend of TOWIE star Ferne McCann was convicted for assault at a nightclub two years before he threw acid on a crowded dancefloor of an east London club, a court heard. Arthur Collins, 25, father of the reality TV stars unborn child, was convicted of actual bodily harm in December 2015 after punching a man in the face, Wood Green Crown Court was told. Collins and co-accused Andre Phoenix, 21, were charged over the subsequent acid attack after revellers were injured when sprayed with a corrosive substance at the Mangle E8 nightclub in Dalston on April 17 this year. Two people were partially blinded and others were disfigured in the attack after a brawl erupted on the club dance floor. The jury heard that Collins and Phoenix both repeatedly said "no comment" to questions throughout their police interviews regarding the incident. Arthur Collins: The ex-boyfriend of TOWIE star Ferne McCann is on trial following the attack in east London / Metropolitan Police Luke Ponte, prosecuting, said Collins indicated his earlier conviction was a "pre-emptive strike" against another man when he was questioned by officers over the assault in 2015. He said: "Mr Collins was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on December 28 2015. Mr Collins punched the victim in the face at a nightclub." Mr Ponte said Collins also gave a no-comment interview to police over this incident. But he added: "In a further interview, after Mr Collins had been identified, Mr Collins gave a prepared statement indicating it was a pre-emptive strike as the male was being aggressive." CCTV footage of the alleged acid attack this spring showed victims clutching their faces and running off the dance floor after Collins allegedly doused revellers with an unidentified substance later found to have contained a liquid with a rating of pH1 - indicating a strong acid. Earlier in the trial, the court heard that Collins does not deny throwing the liquid but claims not to have known it was acid. The court also heard that Collins sent a text message to his sister, Chenade Rowe, in the days before the attack that said: "Tell Mum to mind the hand wash in my car - acid." Collins, of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, denies five counts of grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, and 11 counts of actual bodily harm against 16 people. Phoenix, of Clyde Road, Tottenham, denies the same offences. The trial continues. A British soldier accused of trying to kill his wife by sabotaging her parachute asked his lover to be his naked cleaner while his spouse was still in hospital, a court heard. Sergeant Emile Cilliers told Stefanie Goller he would repay her services with "hugs and kisses" after revealing his former Army officer wife, Victoria Cilliers, was being treated for a fractured spine and pelvis and broken ribs, his trial was told. Winchester Crown Court was read WhatsApp messages the lovers exchanged after Mrs Cilliers was hurt in a jump with the Army Parachute Association (APA) at Netheravon, Wiltshire, on Easter Sunday, April 5 2015. After telling Ms Goller that his wife was undergoing surgery, Cilliers, of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, wrote: "One day we might have a family of our own." He then asked her: "Will you be my cleaner? I only like nude house cleaners. I pay with hugs and kisses." She replied: "Haha I like naked cooking ;)" Cilliers responded: "Ooo cool. Apart from splashback." Ms Goller continued: "I will wear an apron and an apron only." Army sergeant Emile Cilliers, 36, arrives at Winchester Crown Court / PA Cilliers added: "I might get distracted and you'll end up being distracted by me and then burn the cooking." The prosecution claims Cilliers tampered with his wife's parachute on the day before her jump. Cilliers denies two charges of attempted murder and a third charge of damaging a gas valve at their home a few days before the Easter parachute jump, which is linked to the second attempted murder charge. Describing his wife's condition after her fall to Ms Goller, he added: "She was in tears last night saying all she could think of is she didn't say goodbye to the kids. "She said she thought that was it for her before she passed out from the G-force." He continued: "The doctors were quite straight as they know what she does for a living. Harsh but better the truth than sugar coat it. "She will have difficulty and will probably walk with a limp for the rest of her life." In a later exchange, Ms Goller told him: "I love you in uniform ;)", to which he replied: "You going onto salute me?" and Ms Goller responded "I guess sometimes I will have to obey you ;)" Cilliers responded: "Will you call me your Mr Grey?" During the messages sent over several months, Cilliers and Ms Goller plan a life together as well as a holiday in Honduras together that summer. In one message he says: "I will sacrifice and give up so much for you" and in another, "From April onwards I can do random and spontaneous...". The court has heard that Cilliers was also continuing a sexual relationship with his ex-wife Carly Cilliers and, half-an-hour after making arrangements to meet her on March 29, 2015, the defendant was exchanging sex messages with Ms Goller. The court was read messages from Victoria Cilliers describing her "joking" fears that the defendant had tried to kill her by tampering with the gas fitting at their home. On March 30, 2015, she wrote: "Did you alter the gas lever into the cooker. It's in the cupboard. Smell gas in the cupboard this am and dry blood around the lever!" Cilliers replied: "Nope. That's weird! Is the stove working?" Mrs Cilliers said: "Don't want to try! "Open back door and will see how it is when I get back." She added: "Concerned re cause. Are sure not imagining it. Cilliers responded: "Hey. You also can't be serious about the comment you made... You have been saying that a lot recently. Why?" Mrs Cilliers replied: "Of course not! Just an article I read in a mag recently. Brought it to front of my mind" Cilliers: "An article?" Mrs Cilliers: "True life reader stories. My husband tried to kill me." Cilliers: "Serioiusly?" Mrs Cilliers: "Was only making a joke. It was the blood on the handle. Wasn't being serious. Didn't realise I'd said it a lot." The trial was adjourned until Tuesday. A n alleged internet troll portrayed his brother-in-law as an Islamic State supporter, paedophile and a would-be bomber of an east London primary school, a court heard. Shohidul Islam, 26, allegedly created fake profiles on social media sites aimed at destroying the reputation of Mohammed Razaul Karim, the brother of his estranged wife in Bangladesh. The defendant is charged with two counts of encouragement of terrorism, making a bomb hoax at a primary school, making indecent photos of children and possessing the Anarchist Cookbook. Opening his Old Bailey trial, prosecutor Mark Weekes told jurors the charges arose from a "vicious digital and online campaign" against Mr Karim between late 2015 and early 2016. Islam had married Mr Karim's sister Fahmida Parveen Shuba in 2010 but she stayed in Bangladesh and by 2016, their relationship had begun to break down. Mr Weekes said: "It may well be that failure of the marriage was one of the driving forces behind the defendant's attacks on Mr Karim." Islam's activities ranged from the "deeply nasty to the criminal" and included portraying his target as a supporter of Islamic State, he said. He allegedly created false Twitter and Facebook profiles using Mr Karim's name, or part of his name, on which Islam posted material "glorifying" terrorism. In January 2016, the defendant, posing as Mr Karim's uncle, allegedly emailed the Metropolitan Police website to falsely report his victim was planning to detonate a bomb at a primary school in Canning Town. Islam went on to portray Mr Karim as a paedophile by creating a video and posted it on YouTube using a fake profile, the court heard. The video, entitled "Must watch child abuser, stay away from him", included an image of Mr Karim, the court heard. Mr Weekes said: "The video suggested that he had been convicted in his 'home country' of child abuse in 2001, it suggested he targets children online, has been arrested several times in the UK because he abused so many children and says he should be deported from the UK. It also says that he lives in east London. "Needless to say, the allegation is entirely untrue." Mr Karim was alerted to the video by his uncle and he reported it to Plaistow Police Station. Later the same month, Islam allegedly created indecent images of young children and sent them to Mr Karim's family. The court heard he also created a profile on pornographic website X Videos in the name of Mr Karim and his wife and posted material on it. When Islam was arrested at a job centre in January 2016, a digital copy of the Anarchist Cookbook was found on his mobile phone and further evidence on his laptop, jurors were told. The book included instructions on how to make a viable bomb, which Mr Weekes suggested Islam may have planned to use as part of his ongoing campaign. Islam, who lived with relatives in Bradford, has denied the charges against him. A madam who used a fine dining catering company as a front for a 350,000 high-end brothel network is facing jail. Helena Berkyova, 29, pretended customers were paying for gourmet food including king crab soup and souffle when she charged them for the illicit services. She set up sham catering firm Fine Dining Catering Services to conceal the illegal operation, managing a string of brothels in South Kensington, Earls Court, and one overlooking Hyde Park. One catering receipt, to an address in Peckham, including charges for four 95 bowls of king crab soup, three 300 bottles of Grand Reserve champagne, 360 on Brecon lamb and 112 for four souffle deserts, as well as a 68 tip. However, investigators found the corresponding card payments were for sexual services, not food. At Southwark crown court on Friday, Berkyova pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manage or assist in the management of brothels, keeping a brothel for prostitution, and money laundering. Southwark Crown Court / PA Archive/PA Images Berkyova acted as the bookkeeper for the operation, but claims she was pressured into it. Originally from the Czech Republic, Berkyova began working as a prostitute herself when she moved to the UK before moving up to management level. She admitted managing the brothels between January 2013 and October 2015, raking in around 350,000 from paying customers. Berkyova was in charge of properties in Bute Street, South Kensington, Hogarth Place in Earls Court, and Sussex Lodge, near to Hyde Park. Judge Michael Gledhill QC freed Berkyova, who is now living in Leeds, on bail until a sentencing hearing on November 20. The likelihood is you will receive an immediate custodial sentence, he told her. He ordered a probation report and will assess her claims of being pressured before passing sentence. P olice are searching for a possible serial killer believed to have fatally shot three people over the past two weeks in Florida. Officials believe the killings were committed by the same gunman who may have chosen the victims at random, officers said. The latest victim was an autistic man shot dead while he walked home from work after getting on the wrong bus. The three murdered happened blocks apart, according to local police. Residents in the area have been advised not to walk alone at night. "Now we have someone terrorising the neighbourhood," interim Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said. He added that there is "no doubt" the crimes are linked. Anthony Naiboa, 20, was found dead in the central Tampa neighbourhood of Seminole Heights on October 19. The autistic charity worker was shot dead at about 8pm local time, less than a mile away from where two others were shot and killed. Officers heard the gunshots that killed Mr Naiboa, but the suspect had fled before they arrived on scene, according to Chief Dugan. "You can imagine the frustration of these officers to hear gunshots and not be able to find this person," Chief Dugan said. Benjamin Mitchell, 22, was alone at a bus stop after dark when he was shot dead on 9 October. Monica Caridad Hoffa, 32, was walking to meet a friend when she was fatally shot. She was found in a vacant lot on 13 October. Police say the killings could be connected based on the proximity of the murders and time frame, but Mr Dugan said he was cautious about using the term serial killer, the BBC reports. The FBI are helping local police in the investigation, and officers have released a photo of a possible suspect. D efence chiefs proposals to sell off the Household Cavalrys Hyde Park barracks to a luxury homes developer are set to be scaled back following the terror attacks in London this year. The Ministry of Defence had hoped to raise up to 500 million through the sale of the 3.5-acre barracks site where 500 officers and troops from the mounted regiment charged with guarding the Queen are based. However, failure to identify a suitable alternative site within 30 minutes ride of Horse Guards Parade has forced a major rethink, according to property sources. Another factor in the change of heart has been the raising of the terror threat level to the highest category of critical this year after the Manchester and Parsons Green attacks. Hyde Park Barracks in Kensington. This meant putting soldiers on the streets to support the police, which would have been a logistical nightmare without access to the barracks. The source said: Those events reminded the decision-makers at the MoD about the important contribution of these soldiers to the resilience of London on top of their ceremonial role. Officers of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment at the barracks. / Getty Images New emerging plans will see the site, which includes a 450ft frontage along Kensington Road and Knightsbridge, split in two. The barracks and stabling will remain on one half of the site, leaving just enough space for a smaller number of luxury apartment blocks to be built on the other half. One major logistical hurdle would be how to site some of the stabling below ground level to save space without jeopardising the welfare or safety of the horses. The Queen inspects the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery outside Hyde Park on October 19. / EPA Discussions between the Governments Defence Infrastructure Organisation, which is handling the sale, and potential buyers originally started in 2012. The source said: This looks like a sensible resolution to a problem that could not be overcome. Developers had not been able to come up with a solution that met the demands of the MoD. Hyde Park barracks, three quarters of a mile from Buckingham Palace, were first constructed for the Horse Guards in 1795. The current buildings including a 33-storey tower designed by Sir Basil Spence, date from 1970. The MoD told Property Week: The MoD is investigating how best to deliver State Ceremonial and Public Duties in London. We are currently conducting detailed assessment studies to determine the best way forward. No decisions have yet been taken on future arrangements. Simon Birkett, chairman of the Knightsbridge Neighbourhood Forum, said: The forum is finalising its neighbourhood plan for formal submission to Westminster City council. The plan will emphasise that the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment is a vital part of the identity of Knightsbridge, alongside the Royal Albert Hall and Harrods, and set out how the community wants any partial, or full, development of the Hyde Park Barracks land to occur. A bar mogul has lashed out at unhappy, lonely, moaning individuals whose complaints about his street food venue almost forced its closure. Jonathan Downey, owner of award-winning Soho bar Milk and Honey, faced 23 objections to the renewal of a licence for Hawker House, a huge food and drink market in a disused warehouse in Canada Water, Rotherhithe. One objector described being a neighbour to the complex as like living in a constant disco nightmare. But in an angry series of tweets Mr Downey, who also has bars in New York, Melbourne and Ibiza, said residents in London had disproportionate power to shut down businesses. It is much harder now than when I started 25 years ago, he said. London has become much more like New York, where residents groups can object and you cannot get a licence for anything in some areas of the city. Local people should have power and influence, but it should be proportionate. Owner of award-winning Milk and Honey, Jonathan Downey. One objector claimed to have a video that showed patrons leaving Hawker House, which is part of the Street Feast network of pop-ups, with alcoholic drinks something Mr Downey said was not possible due to vigilant door staff. He tweeted: Lots of bewilderment about why our licence was in jeopardy. Previously it has been renewed automatically. It should have been automatically renewed. The system is broke. He added: Unhappy, lonely, moaning individuals whose sole voice is magnified and louder than reason. The licence was eventually renewed at a hearing last week, but with stringent conditions imposed to reduce the negative impact on local people. Mr Downey said he stood by his tweets and called for more mediation between businesses, objectors and councils: If we lost the licence we would have closed at the end of the year. That would see the loss of jobs for 40 young Londoners plus 20 cleaning or security staff. It wouldve been a nightmare. The sole evidence of a local resident has a disproportionate impact on the whole process. There should be some mediation. We should be able to sit down with the objector. But Kirstie Gerrard, who opposed the licence, said: When people leave they stand here leaving rubbish, they are noisy, urinate along the wall and vomit. Theres been faeces against the wall, Ive seen taxi drivers going into the bush to empty their bowels with loo-paper in their hand. We arent against Hawker House, its just that there are people who have to live here too. Mark Williams, Southwark councils cabinet member for regeneration, said the borough aimed to create opportunities for temporary businesses such as Hawker House in disused buildings, but to be successful these businesses must be considerate to local people and listen when they raise concerns. In this case a compromise has been found. The council granted a licence for recorded music indoors and alcohol on and off the premises between 10am and 12.30am Monday to Saturday, and 10am and 11pm on Sunday. The venue can remain open until 1am Monday to Saturday and 11.30pm on Sunday. L ondon boroughs from the suburbs to the City stand to lose billions of pounds from Brexit, new research revealed today. The impact of a hard exit without a trade deal would cost the capitals economy over 100 billion over five years, while a softer departure could cost some 58 billion. The impact would be heaviest in the City of London which would lose 22 billion from a 9.5 per cent drop in output in a hard Brexit, according to an analysis of London School of Economics studies by the Liberal Democrats. But nearby Tower Hamlets, which contains some of the capitals deepest pockets of poverty, would be next hardest hit, losing some eight per cent of output worth 11 billion. Even suburban boroughs such as Kingston-upon-Thames, Harrow and Brentwood would be major losers, with output declining six per cent in each, costing up to 1.6 billion to their local areas. Loading.... Lib-Dem leader Vince Cable said: It is not just bankers who will lose out, but Londoners struggling to pay the rent. Key players: Chancellor Angela Merkel, Theresa May and President Emmanuel Macron laugh together at the EU Summit. / Getty Images The government must guarantee our membership of the single market and customs union. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan warned that businesses were already making contingency plans to leave the capital because of the lack of clarity over future UK-EU trade. Responding to the tweet by Goldman Sachs boss Lloyd Blankfein praising Frankfurt as a place to do business, Mr Khan told LBC: He is articulating publicly what many CEOs, investors and people who love working in London have been saying privately. Five major business organisations have called for a Brexit transition deal to be agreed as soon as possible in a draft letter for Brexit Secretary David Davis which leaked ahead of schedule. The letter was reportedly signed by the CBI, British Chambers of Commerce, manufacturing trade body EEF, the Institute of Directors and the Federation of Small Businesses. It said: Agreement is needed as soon as possible, as companies are preparing to make serious decisions at the start of 2018, which will have consequences for jobs and investment in the UK. Labour MP Chuka Umunna said: Business groups are understandably alarmed by the Governments lack of progress. No deal would be devastating for business, for peoples jobs and wages and for national security. T heresa May begged for help and had dark rings under her eyes, according to an account of her dinner with European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker last week. She seemed anxious and tormented as well as despondent and discouraged at the dinner last Monday, according to German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), which appeared to have received a detailed account. The Prime Minister appeared to warn that she could be ousted unless given help, raising speculation that she used the possibility of a Boris Johnson leadership as leverage in the talks. Mrs Mays former aide Nick Timothy claimed Mr Junckers powerful chief of staff Martin Selmayr was responsible for the leak. He tweeted: After constructive Council meeting, Selmayr does this. Reminder that some in Brussels want no deal or a punitive one. A photo of Theresa May looking discouraged emerged last week. / Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Pool/AP Mr Selmayr hit back this morning, tweeting to Mr Timothy: This is false. I know it doesnt fit your cliche but @JunckerEU & I have no interest in weakening PM. He also tweeted: I deny that 1/we leaked this; 2/Juncker ever said this; 3/we are punitive on Brexit. Its an attempt 2 frame EU side & 2 undermine talks. The Prime Minister was due to make a Commons statement this afternoon on the outcome of last weeks EU summit. She was expected to welcome the decision by the 27 other leaders to prepare for a possible go-ahead for trade talks in December, subject to Britain increasing its cash offer of a divorce settlement. The FAZ portrait of a weak Mrs May was partly attributed to what Mr Juncker told colleagues about the dinner, but some descriptions seemed to be the newspapers own. May arriving for a meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk on Friday / REUTERS Mr Juncker allegedly said Mrs May looked in need of sleep, and was someone who once laughed but now had to work to avoid losing her temper. She indicated that back home friend and foe are at her back plotting to bring her down, said FAZ, adding: May said she had no room left to manoeuvre. The Europeans have to create it for her. After the dinner, a joint statement was released saying they had agreed to accelerate Brexit talks. Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said the unfavourable description of Mrs May was a negotiating tactic. Its what you would expect in a tricky negotiation, that one side would try to undermine the confidence of the other side, he said. Earlier this year, Mr Selmayr was accused by No 10 insiders of leaking details of another private dinner held at 10 Downing Street. Mr Juncker later admitted that had been a serious mistake. Meanwhile Mr Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, said this morning: The entire Cabinet is united around every dot, comma, syllable of the Florence speech, referring to Mrs Mays proposal last month for a time-limited transition of around two years after Brexit in which the UK would have similar trade terms to now. F emale politicians today revealed their experiences of being sexually assaulted and harassed to encourage victims to speak out. Labour MPs Mary Creagh and Jess Phillips have told of harrowing events that span back to their childhoods to help other women break their silence in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Tories Theresa Villiers and Anne Jenkin, a baroness, have also spoken about how harassment and unwanted advances featured in the early days of their careers. The catalogue of incidents experienced by the four women includes: An attack in a school playground Sexual assault in a bar An attack at a party Being fondled by an MP in their car Being groped at a political event Today the shadow women and equalities minister, Dawn Butler, called for a new human resources body to be set up in Parliament to support staff and MPs. Ms Creagh, the former shadow environment secretary, said silence has to become abnormal in cases of sexual assault and harassment. Ms Phillips said she was speaking out for the sake of the women who dont have power to. The politician, who chairs the womens Parliamentary Labour Party, said she was attacked by her boss in her twenties before she became an MP. She said: I was working in a bar and I remember going to a party and we went back to someones house and my boss was there. I had fallen asleep on the sofa and when I woke up he was undoing my belt and trying to get into my trousers. I was absolutely paralysed with fear. He was loads older than me maybe 25 years older. Someone else came in the room and dragged him off me. Then I went back to work the next day ... its hard to comprehend that these things are happening until after the event. For most women you can look back and say I wish I had told the police, but knowing what I know in working in sexual violence services I doubt they would have been able to do something. This came after an attack in a bar in France where she was with a friend who was studying on her year abroad. She said: I was 19 or 20 and a young group of lads were talking to us and flirting with us. We all had boyfriends and we said we werent interested in them and then one of them grabbed me and put me up against a wall and felt my vagina. I spat in his face and I slapped him. I was older then and Im a relatively vocal human being anyway and I was thrown out of the bar. When we left that group just laughed at us. That was proper sexual assault. Ms Phillips, 36, said she and friends were regularly targeted aged 11 to 15 by a man who masturbated in front of them on their way to school. They gave statements to the police but she does not know if he was caught. Ms Creagh, 49, has told of how she was attacked aged seven in her school playground. She said: I had my underwear torn off during a game of kiss chase and was sexually assaulted by about 12 boys. They were older than me, about ten or 11 years old. Ms Creagh said that when she was 16 her parish priest pinched her bottom. She had forgotten about this but the priest ended up in jail for assaulting other people. She said she had no idea when she was younger that he had hurt others. We loved him and he was very charismatic, she said. She also recalled that a teacher who had given her a lift drove her to his house and turned off the lights before trying to kiss her. He semi-apologised to me in the car on the way home. I then had to go to school and be taught by him. She said she told the headteacher four years later when she feared someone else at the school might be at risk from the same man. She said: Women of my generation and older have suffered an extraordinary amount of abuse from an astonishing array of institutions, churches and schools, and for boys. Ms Villiers, 49, said she had never been the victim of serious harassment but: I recall one instance in the late Nineties when I was a candidate for the European elections and attended a Conservative function. As I was leaving at the end of the evening after having made my speech, I had to fend off some groping hands from one of the event organisers. The ex-Northern Ireland Secretary urged people who have suffered at the hands of people at work to come forwards. Last week she praised Tory MP Maria Miller, who told Channel 5 that she had suffered harassment. Ms Villiers said: It is an abuse of power and for too long many women have felt reluctant to report it. I hope Marias example encourages others. Ms Butler, who has spoken of her experience of harassment, today said she had heard of people who work in Parliament being sexually harassed. She said: In most workplaces you can start dismantling structural barriers because you have an HR department but in Parliament each person is essentially self-employed. Baroness Jenkin, founder of the Tory Women2Win campaign to boost the number of female MPs, said she brus-hed off incidents when she arrived in Parliament as a 22-year-old secretary. On reflection, she believes the culture of an almost all-male Parliament in the mid-Seventies meant at times she was certainly harassed by older men. I was with an MP once in a car and he was trying to stroke my neck. I was swerving all over the road, said the peer, 61. Men used to hit on you all the time. They would say, I had a dream about you last night... these things affect people differently. I havent thought about it for 40 years. Im not upset about it. I just hope its not common today. F urious viewers of Channel 4 have responded mockingly to new documentary My Week As A Muslim. The one-off programme sees a white woman dress as a Pakistani and attempt to integrate into the Muslim community. The show has drawn criticism for protagonist Katie Freemans decision to alter her appearance by donning a hijab, darkening her skin and using prosthetics to change the shape of her nose. Ahead of the show, many social media users called her Pakistani costume "brownface" and slated Channel 4s decision to air the show as "disgusting". After the show aired, dozens of comments on Twitter mocked the Freeman's realisation about Muslims during the programme that "they're just normal people like me." "The patronising remark ... just made me snap," said one woman. Many viewers were critical, with one viewer asking: "What kind of brain deafening bogus is this?" Watchers wondered why not simply ask a Muslim woman what it was like to be a Muslim. "Next week on Channel 4, a man dresses as a woman so he can witness harassment, instead of directly asking a woman about it," said one Twitter user as the hashtag #MyWeekAsAMuslim trended. "How depressing that a Muslim woman's voice isn't considered valid enough to speak their own truth," wrote another. Some however said that the show was valuable since it showed somebody who previously knew little about Muslims learning about Islamic culture. "It was cliched C4 programming ... but what it did show was was one person being educated out of ignorance. This is a good thing." Another said it was an enlightening show. "[It] was such an eye opening documentary! Too many people have blinkers on these days!!" he said. B ritish police hunting an alleged fraudster believed to be on the run in Europe have released details of his family in an attempt to find him. Mark Acklom, 44, was named among the 10 most wanted UK fugitives living in Spain, last October. He allegedly posed as a wealthy Swiss banker and MI6 agent to con divorcee Carolyn Woods out of 850,000. He disappeared in 2012. Avon and Somerset police have now released a photograph of his wife. Officers said Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez, 47, was likely to be with her husband and may be assisting him, although she was not the subject of a European Arrest Warrant. Police want to hear from British expats with children in a private international school abroad who may have noticed the recent arrival of a family from Spain, with daughters age six and eight. They said Ms Rodriguez may be using the aliases Yolanda Ross, Maria Long or Mary Moss, and may be teaching or attending yoga classes. Det Insp Adam Bunting said: We believe hell be with his wife Maria Rodriguez and their two young daughters, who we know up until last years appeal were enrolled in El Limonar International School in the Murcia area of Spain. In the days following the appeal he removed his children from the school and, together with his wife, he disappeared. Det Insp Bunting added: We also have information linking him to Dublin and Italy, but he could be anywhere in Europe. Its possible he may have travelled outside the EU. Ms Woods, who runs a boutique in Gloucestershire, said Mr Acklom promised to marry her during a year-long romance, during which he duped her into lending him her life savings. Mr Acklom, who uses the name Marc Ros Rodriguez and other aliases, is the subject of a European arrest warrant and is on the Crimestoppers and National Crime Agencys Most Wanted lists. P lans for a 400 million overhaul of the London apartment block described as the UKs most notorious address are unveiled today. The owners of Dolphin Square in Pimlico are to seek planning permission from Westminster council for the demolition and rebuilding of the north side of the square. An extra floor will be added to each of the other three sides. The work will add 200 new apartments and refurbish all 13 houses in the 1,200-flat complex, built in the Thirties. Under the plans, from architects Eric Parry, 7,000 windows will be replaced and a gym and offices will be built underground. The 7.5-acre complex was built in 1937 and quickly became popular with MPs, peers and senior civil servants because of its proximity to Westminster and Whitehall. The expansion plans for Dolphin Square. Over the years Dolphin Square has been associated with several scandals blackshirt leader Oswald Mosley was arrested at his flat there during the Second World War, and Admiralty clerk John Vassall was living in the square when he was unmasked as a Soviet spy in 1962. Princess Anne is one former resident of Dolphin Square. / Getty Images More recently the Metropolitan Police investigated allegations of child abuse involving senior military, law enforcement and political figures at the square during the Seventies and Eighties. The inquiry closed last year. Other tenants have included Princess Anne, Harold Wilson, Sid James and Barbara Windsor. In John le Carres latest novel, A Legacy Of Spies, Dolphin Square is home to several safe houses. In 2015 American company Westbrook took control of Dolphin Square, still the biggest block of private flats in Britain. It paid freeholder Friends Provident 200 million. Rents average 400 a week for a one-bedroom flat. About 200 tenants pay 50 per cent of market rent, on leases that expire in 2034. Work on the five-year redevelopment is expected to start in 2020. Mark Donnor, of Westbrook, said, Dolphin Square will become a bigger and much more interesting building. But it will remain a middle-market block. We dont know anywhere else in Zone 1 were you can rent at these prices. T ributes have been paid to a British mother killed in a boating accident in southern France. The victim, Jess Wilkes, 27, was flung from the craft as it travelled on the Rhone near the city of Avignon on Saturday night. Four other people were injured, including two seriously, when the boat the group were in struck a warning beacon, a French official told the Associated Press. Ms Wilkes, from Lamberhurst, Kent, is said to have spent the evening with friends at a restaurant on Barthelasse, an island on the river, and the boat was travelling back to Avignon. Local officials have launched an investigation into the tragic incident as Ms Wilkes's family and friends paid tribute to her. Maximilian Meyer, Jess Wilkes former partner and father of her child today paid tribute to her. He said: "Jessie was extremely loved by everyone, she was exceptionally talented , beautiful and kind-hearted with a charisma that would light up a room with her presence. "She has left behind memories that will never be forgotten, kindness that will always be remembered and our daughter who will live and breath her mother's qualities. "The pain is unbearable and she will be missed foverever, good bye you beautiful soul I will always love you." Ms Wilkes's brother, Philip Wilkes, 25, told The Sun his sister was "larger than life and loved by her family". Meanwhile her father, Bernard Wilkes, 72, said they "want answers" over the death of his "beautiful young girl who lived life to the full". He told the newspaper Ms Wilkes, who celebrated turning 27 earlier in October, had a seven-year-old daughter. Meanwhile a friend wrote on Facebook that "no word can describe this awful pain in my heart" over Ms Wilkes's death. They added: "I just wish I could be a better friend. Goodbye my twin, see you one day. Keep shining with your immense light in the sky." A group of eight people aged between 20 and 30 - four French and four British - were on board the boat with a pilot, aged around 50, when it struck the beacon at 10:45pm on Saturday. An officer with the rescue services said: There was a metal marker post in the middle of the river to alert boats to watch out for a nearby bridge. The shuttle boat hit this and the woman was catapulted into the water.' A Catalan independence party today called for mass civil disobedience in following the Spanish governments move to impose direct rule. The Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), described the move by Spains prime minister Mariano Rajoy as the greatest aggression against the civil, individual and collective rights of the Catalan people since the dictatorship of General Franco, who died in 1975. The CUP, a key ally of the ruling separatist coalition in Catalonias regional parliament, said attempts to impose direct rule would be met by civil disobedience as a form of non-violent resistance. It promised to elaborate on what form this could take later in the week. Speculation is mounting that violence could erupt between the two sides after Mr Rajoy began moves to impose direct rule. Today deputy prime minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said Catalonias leader Carles Puigdemont will lose all powers and stop receiving a salary once the Senate approves article 155 of the constitution, which imposes central government control. A single representative may be temporarily installed by Madrid to govern the region once the Senate approves direct rule, she said. Approval is ex-pected on Friday. The moves were described as a de facto coup detat by the speaker of the Catalan parliament, Carme Forcadell. Madrid fears Mr Puigdemont may declare unilateral independence later this week at a plenary session of the regions parliament. Catalan leader: Democratically deciding our future is not a crime In the Catalan referendum on October 1, 92 per cent backed independence but on a turnout of 43 per cent. The ballot was declared illegal by Spains constitutional court and many opponents of independence stayed away, while police clashed with protesters. Today Catalan foreign affairs spokesperson Raul Romeva insisted the region would not tolerate a takeover. Referring to the clashes on polling day, he told the BBC: Have you seen any single incident in those demonstrations for years? Never, never ever. So who has broken this? [It] is the police on October 1, they attacked the peaceful population that was simply wanting to vote. Who has been acting unilaterally, even violating the constitution? The Spanish government. What I can tell you is the people and the institutions in Catalonia will not let this happen. A new opinion poll suggested Madrids promise of new elections in Catalonia would fail to give pro-independence MPs more than half the vote. They would keep power by joining in a coalition but win 47.9 per cent, a GESOP poll for Catalan daily El Periodico found. Two of Italys wealthiest regions have voted overwhelmingly for more autonomy in non-binding referendums. Voters in Veneto and Lombardy backed more devolution from Rome. Turnout was thought to be 58 per cent in Veneto and just over 40 per cent in Lombardy. T he studio co-founded by disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, The Weinstein Company, is under investigation by New York's top prosecutor. The state's attorney general Eric Schneiderman launched the civil rights investigation on Monday after dozens of women accused Weinstein of sexual abuse and harassment. Mr Schneiderman said: "No New Yorker should be forced to walk into a workplace ruled by sexual intimidation, harassment, or fear. "If sexual harassment or discrimination is pervasive at a company, we want to know." A subpoena has been issued for all documents, records and correspondence related to complaints of sexual harassment or discrimination from the studio, whose HQ is in New York. It also demands to know how complaints were handled and whether formal investigations were launched, and if not, why not. Also being sought are documents outlining the firm's hiring criteria, including how it promoted, cast and rejected talent. Allegations against Weinstein include claims that he used sex with aspiring actresses as a bargaining tool for roles. Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie are among the actresses to accuse Weinstein of sexual harassment, while Rose McGowan has claimed he raped her. The action follows a criminal investigation against Weinstein, 65, in NYC as well as in Los Angeles and in the UK. The Met Police is investigating five allegations against Weinstein spanning from the late 1980s to 2015, including a report of rape. Last week the Los Angeles Police Department interviewed an Italian actress who alleged Weinstein raped her in a hotel room near Beverly Hills in 2013. Weinstein has "unequivocally denied" allegations of non-consensual sex. He has been fired from his position at The Weinstein Company, which he co-founded more than a decade ago, and resigned from its board. I ncumbent Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe retained a two-thirds majority after calling a snap election in September, promising to exert "stronger pressure" on North Korea. Mr Abe, of the Liberal Democrat Party (LDP), called the election hoping to achieve a greater mandate, laying out plans to deal with current "crises", including the growing threat posed by Pyongyang. He has been accused of pandering to nationalist sentiment, recovering from plummeting popularity ratings only after promising to "dramatically show counter-measures against the North Korea threat". In August, the Japanese government issued a warning to its citizens after North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan that crashed in the Pacific ocean. The LDP's natural opponent, the Democratic Party, imploded earlier this year following a turbulent leadership struggle, leading to many of its candidates standing as independents. In a press conference, Mr Abe said: "I will make sure the Japanese public is safe, and safeguard our nation...My immediate task is to deal with North Korea. It will take tough diplomacy. With the mandate given by the people, I would like to exercise my command in diplomacy." US President Donald Trump called to congratulate Abe on Sunday night. A spokesman said the two leaders spoke of being united on the need to increase pressure on North Korea. Controversially, Mr Abe has called for the country's armed forces to be formalised. The Japanese Constitution, drawn up in the aftermath of World War II, prohibits war as a means of settling international disputes and sharply limits the power of the armed forces. Since his ruling coalition, a partnership with the centre-right Komeito party, won 313 of the 465 seats, however, he has now acquired the power to propose revisions to the constitution. Having been elected in 2012, the election result also raises Mr Abe's chances of securing a third three-year term as leader of the LDP when the party votes next September. This means he may become Japan's longest serving prime minister, beating the current record of seven years and ten months. A London lawyer proposed to his girlfriend when their plane began plummeting to the ground during a mid-air emergency. Chris Jeanes, 27, was on an AirAsia flight to Bali when the plane suddenly lost pressure and dropped out of the sky. As cabin crew screamed emergency, brace, crash positions, and with potentially only minutes to live, he decided to ask his 28-year-old girlfriend Casey Kinchella to marry him. Mr Jeanes, from Highbury, said: Luckily she said yes, we both reconfirmed with each other when we were on the ground. The couple had been in Perth for two weeks with Ms Kinchellas family in Perth and were planning a couple of days in Bali before flying home. The lawyer for American firm OMelveny and Myers had already planned to propose on the Indonesian volcanic tropical island. But on their way to Bali, the Air Asia Airbus A320 started experiencing difficulties. It is understood to have lost over 20,000ft in a matter of minutes due to a technical fault last Sunday. Terrified passengers were weeping and in hysterics as cabin crew shouted out unintelligible instructions in Thai. Mr Jeanes had spent a few months planning the proposal, but was forced into action early as the couple feared for their lives. Pulling off his oxygen mask, he asked his terrified girlfriend if she would marry him - and she said yes. A source said: When they were on the ground, she asked him if he still meant it, and he said yes. He then asked her if she still wanted to go through with it - and she did. Air Asia said: The safety of our guests is our utmost priority. Air Asia Indonesia apologises for any inconvenience caused. / AP At some point, no doubt, it will fade into anecdote but at the moment it is still a very raw experience. The on-board terror is understood to have lasted around half an hour. One traveller said: No-one told us anything. We thought the plane was going to be ripped apart at any second. Everyone thought This is it. People were shouting I dont want to die..it was chaos. Passenger Glenyce Regan said: I thought we were gone. I really thought we were gone, my life flashed in front of me. I instantly grabbed my rosary beads and put them around my neck. Another passenger called Leah told 9News: I actually picked up my phone and sent a text message to my family, just hoping that they would get it. We were all pretty much saying goodbye to each other. It was really upsetting. In a statement Air Asia said: The safety of our guests is our utmost priority. Air Asia Indonesia apologises for any inconvenience caused. It comes just four months after another Air Asia flight was reportedly forced to return to Perth following an engine failure. FlightRadar24, a live air tracking service, says the aircraft lost two thirds of its altitude in just nine minutes. A Scottish man sentenced to three months in jail in Dubai for touching another man's hip has been released following a high-ranking political intervention. Jamie Harron, from Sterling, was sentenced to three months in jail was arrested in July and charged with public indecency. The 27-year-old electrician had already been sentenced to one month's imprisonment for drinking beer without a permit and "making a rude gesture". Now activist group Detained in Dubai claim Mr Harron's passport has been returned to him by police and he will soon be free to leave, following a personal intervention from Sheikh Mohammed, the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Mr Harron, who was previously working in Afghanistan, was on a two-day stopover in the UAE at the time of the incident on July 15. Since his arrest, it is understood Mr Harron has lost his job and spent tens of thousands of pounds in expenses and legal fees. Court documents say Harron was accused by another man of sexual assault for touching his buttocks after a dispute in July. Radha Stirling, chief executive of DiD, said: "We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Sheikh Mohammed for his personal intervention in this case. "This was a courageous and honourable decision on the part of Sheikh Mohamed, and while it highlights the urgent need for judicial reform in the country, it is also a hopeful sign that the UAE's leadership possesses the will and vision to pursue such reforms in the future." The Standard approached the UAE Embassy in London for comment. A leading Russian journalist is in a serious condition after being stabbed in the neck by an intruder at her Moscow office. Tatyana Felgenhauer, deputy editor of radio station Ekho Moskvy, was attacked on Monday lunchtime after an attacker gained access to her office by pepper spraying a security guard. Alexei Venediktov told Russian news service Interfax: "A man with a knife broke into the radio station and stabbed Tatyana Felgenhauer in the neck. She has been hospitalised. "Her condition is serious but not critical. The attacker has also been apprehended and arrested." Police tackle a man to the ground following the stabbing of Tatyana Felgenhauer / AP Images released from the scene of the crime show a man being arrested by the police. Ekho Moskvy is one of the few outlets for independent journalism in Russia, featuring reports which are highly critical of the Kremlin. A news report on Russian state television singled out the publication earlier this year as working to advance foreign interests in Russia before the presidential elections in March. The report claimed foreign NGOs providing Ekho with funding posed as a great a threat to Russia's stability as Isis. The Standard awaits updates on Felgenhauer's condition. I do think this is the year for environmental spending, said Draper, who has walked the halls of Floridas Capitol for decades. Its a great budget for the Everglades. He (Scott) is following through on his commitment to springs and hes stepping up for land conservation and for parks. T he US Air Force is preparing to put nuclear-armed bombers on 24-hour alert for the first time since the Cold War amid escalating tensions with North Korea. The dramatic move means B-52s laden with nuclear weapons could soon be ready to take-off from America at a moments notice. It comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to ramp up tensions between the two countries with threats to destroy the US and Russia increases its military might. "This is yet one more step in ensuring that were prepared," said General David Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff. "I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure were prepared going forward. "The world is a dangerous place and we've got folks that are talking openly about use of nuclear weapons," he added. "It's no longer a bipolar world where it's just us and the Soviet Union. We've got other players out there who have nuclear capability. It's never been more important to make sure that we get this mission right." Just weeks ago, President Donald Trump warned about the "calm before the storm" following a White House meeting with his military leaders. A US B-52 Stratofortress is escorted by a South Korean fighter jet as it flies over an air base in January last year. / AFP/Getty Images Now the nuclear-armed planes will almost certainly return to the long-dormant concrete pads at the end of an 11,000-ft runway at Barksdale Air Force base in Louisiana. Renovations are already said to be under way at Barksdale, home to the 2d Bomb Wing and Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees the services nuclear forces. Beds for more than 100 crew members are being installed in a concrete building that once housed Cold War pilots who were prepared to take-off at any time around the clock. Theres a recreation room, with a pool table, TVs and a shuffleboard table for B-52 crews working shifts through the night. In an interview with Defense One magazine, General Goldfein said the alert order had not yet been made. But he confirmed that preparations were under way in anticipation that the green light will be given. North Korea leader Kim Jong-un. / AP The last time Americas airborne nuclear arsenal was put on alert was the end of the Cold War 26 years ago. "Ive challenged Air Force Global Strike Command to help lead the dialog, help with this discussion about What does conventional conflict look like with a nuclear element?" and "Do we respond as a global force if that were to occur?" and "What are the options?" added General Goldfein. "How do we think about it - how do we think about deterrence in that environment?" Asked if placing B-52s back on alert would help as a deterrent, General Goldfein said: "Really it depends on who, what kind of behaviour are we talking about, and whether theyre paying attention to our readiness status." Defense One says that two nuclear command planes, the E-4B Nightwatch and E-6B Mercury, will be deployed to Barksdale. During a nuclear war, the planes would become the flying command posts of the Defense Secretary. If the president gives a strike order, the planes would be used to transmit launch codes to bombers, Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles and submarines. The final say on the alert order will be with General John Hyten, the commander of US Strategic Command, and Gen. Lori Robinson, the head of US Northern Command. A rmando Iannucci has said that he is keen to shoot all future film and TV projects in the UK as its a great time for British production. The Veep and The Thick of It creator shot his new film The Death of Stalin on British soil and has convinced HBO to let him do the same for his forthcoming sci-fi show. I do think the British film and televisions industry is fantastic and world-beating I defended the BBC a couple of years back, he told the Standard. I think this is a great time for British production. Were doing more things internationally, like Game of Thrones and the Night Manager; its all British writers working on Veep and that sort of thing. TODO: define component type brightcove Hollywood filmmakers are currently switching production from the US and Canada to the UK because of the fall in costs due to Brexit, which have been cut by 20 per cent. But while recent blockbusters like Wonder Woman and The Mummy were shot in the UK, the future of European arthouse films could be in jeopardy as EU film funding post-Brexit is still unclear. Iannucci has insisted that now is the time to be cheerleading the British film industry, and developing more home-grown projects. I think we should be cheerleading our industry, its amazing and Im committed to filming in the UK, he said. The Scottish writer and director will be a developing his version of Charles Dickenss David Copperfield here next year and is then set to film a pilot for Avenue 5, a futuristic space-set series. Latest project: The cast of The Death of Stalin / Dave Benett We shot much of Stalin here, David Copperfield and I said to HBO Id do another show but it has to be done in the UK and they said fine. I think we should celebrate it more, we should be proud of it, he said. In his latest film, starring Steve Buscemi, Michael Palin, Jeffrey Tambor and Andrea Riseborough, Iannuci tilts his satirical gaze away from democracy and towards dictatorship. Ive done democracy and I was looking at dictatorship and I thought about doing a fictional dictator, he said. Iannucci was then shown the French graphic novel of the same name and realised that it was the perfect fit: Why spend your time inventing a story when this is the truth a lot of this actually happened. TODO: define component type brightcove The award-winning filmmaker said that he hopes the comedy can make people think more about what happens when democracy falls apart. Its important that people still participate in democracy and defend democracy, he said. Palin, who plays Soviet politician Vyacheslav Molotov in the film, said he had complete confidence in Iannuccis process. I had confidence in Armando and his team of writers he had with him, he said. They listen to you, they talk to you, if there was anything they were worried about youd work it through. It was a very consultative process. The Monty Python star said that the dynamic between the diverse cast worked immediately, with no clash of egos. There was very little competition, because we all liked each others work, we genuinely did, he said. We were just pleased that Armando had chosen us and we felt like it was working and it was working as soon as we started rehearsals. For me to work with someone like Paul Whitehouse, who I think is one of the best comedy character actors in the country, that was great. L ouis Walsh was the final judge to make the tough decision of whittling his category down to just three acts to go through to the X Factor live shows. After Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osborne and Simon Cowell had chosen their final three, Walsh enlisted the help of pop star Mika and flew his group to Istanbul. After watching all six acts perform, the judging panel stalwart decided to keep Sam Black, Spencer Sutherland and Lloyd Masey. Black didnt even make it to Six Chair Challenge but was brought back by Walsh after Anthony Russell dropped out. Final audition: Louis Walsh's six boys see the sights in Istanbul / ITV He broke down in tears as he was told that he had a place in the live shows, after impressing with his version of Otis Readings Hard to Handle. I was so sure I was going home, just positive. I dont know what to say, he tearfully told Dermot OLeary. American wannabe star Spencer Sutherland nearly lost his place in the competition after having to perform a sing-off at Six Chair Challenge. But his original sing written about his dad struck a chord with Walsh, who said he was a risk he was willing to take, putting him straight through. Lloyd Masey was overcome with emotion when he sang a song from Moana, worried that his risk wasnt going to pay off. In one of his classic double bluffs, Walsh told Masey that he was going home, but to tell your family that you made it. Aidan Martin, 27, was first up to perform and broke down in tears as he thanked Walsh for the opportunity, saying that he was so happy. The X Factor 2017: Judges' Houses 1 /42 The X Factor 2017: Judges' Houses Nicole Scherzinger and Stormzy Nicole Scherzinger is joined by Stormzy to whittle down The Overs Syco / Thames Simon Cowell and Cheryl Simon Cowell is joined by Cheryl to whittle down The Groups Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne Sharon Osbourne is joined by her children Kelly and Jack to whittle down The Girls Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Louis Walsh and Mika Louis Walsh is joined by Mika to help whittle down The Boys Syco / Thames The Boys Syco / Thames Boys: Leon Mallet Syco / Thames Boys: Stephen Sutherland Syco / Thames Boys: Sam Black Syco / Thames Boys: Aidan Martin Syco / Thames Boys: Lloyd Macey Syco / Thames Boys: Jack Mason Syco / Thames The Overs Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Overs: Slavko Syco / Thames Overs: Tracyleanne Jefford Syco / Thames Overs: Talia Dean Syco / Thames Overs: Matt Linnen Syco / Thames Overs: Kevin Davy White Syco / Thames Overs: Berget Lewis Syco / Thames The Girls Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Girls: Holly Tandy Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Girls: Alisah Banaobra Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Girls: Georgina Panton Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Girls: Rai-Elle Williams Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Girls: Grace Davies Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Girls: Deanna Mussington Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex The Groups Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Groups: New girl group Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Groups: Sean and Conor Price Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Groups: Lemonade Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Groups: Jack and Joel Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Groups: The Cutkelvins Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Groups: Rak-Su Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex I dont think youre right for live shows, said Walsh. You have great potential, Im sorry. Jack Mason, 18, blew everyone away with his rendition of Emeli Sandes Clown but missed out on a place in the lives as Walsh didnt think he had ever given them great vocals. Leon Mallet, who was originally part of a duo, performed his updated version of Dreams, complete with an original rap. He didnt make it through to live shows as Walsh thought he wasnt quite there yet, describing him as a great guy with potential. Viewers now have the opportunity to bring back one wild card act in each category to perform at the live shows, with voting open until Monday afternoon. 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To help you find what you are looking for: Enter Search Term(s): Still cant find what youre looking for? Send us a message using our contact us form. To report a broken link or other problems with the website, please include the URL. Thank you for visiting state.gov. The economy is still broken but Islamic terrorist activity continues to decline even though next door in Libya Islamic terrorism still thrives (along with hostile criminal gangs and armed militias looking out for themselves at the expense of everyone else). Algeria appears to have impressed on all these outlaws that moving into Algeria is not a good option. While the relative lack of Islamic terrorism should attract foreign investors it is not because of the corruption and generally feeble government (dominated by families of those who led the 1950s rebellion against the French. The sorry state of the Algerian economy is more likely to trigger another civil war. The last one in the 1990s was over allowing Islamic political groups take over the government. Algerians are still hostile to Islamic terrorism and Islamic rule but they are also hostile to growing poverty and unemployment. The permanent (since 2014) low price for oil is a major factor here, but so is the fact that the oil and natural gas will start running out in another few decades (or less, given government corruption and mismanagement). Desperate measures to fix this do not include removing a lot of the corrupt officials but instead things like adopting Islamic banking (no interest and so on) practices to attract more investments and deposits from wealthy Gulf Arabs who prefer to deal with banks that can work with Islamic banking practices (which are more expensive than more common Western banking methods). Meanwhile Algerians cant help but notice how the relatively poor (lacking oil) neighbors seem to be doing better. With 40 million people and per capital income of $4,200 all that oil wealth has not helped Algerians of being jealous of neighbor Morocco (population 33 million and per capital income of $3,100). Morocco has no oil and thus a lot less corruption and mismanagement. Moroccans, forced to survive on traditional resources (agriculture, for example and business in general) are doing better because its become obvious to most oil-rich nations that without honest government the oil and gas is more of a curse than a blessing. In Morocco nearly half the population is involved in agriculture and one reason for that is many farmers also produce cannabis, as Moroccan farmers have done for centuries. Because cannabis produces a crop that earns over 20 times more profit that legal crops, many farmers produce some cannabis to provide extra cash and protection against the usual ups and downs of farming. It also means the farmers are living better than their legal income would indicate. This disparity apparently underlies the most recent diplomatic spat as Morocco and Algeria are again feuding rather openly. Diplomats are being recalled and official protests issued. This sort of thing has been going on for centuries but the two most peaceful nations in North Africa have managed to avoid actually fighting each other for several generations. The current ill-will is over Islamic terrorism and hashish (the concentrated paste containing the active ingredient of marijuana), known in Morocco as kif. It is also about things not acknowledged openly. First, lets put Islamic terrorism and hashish into perspective, at least as far as Algeria and Morocco are concerned. International surveys find that two of the three safest nations in Africa are Algeria and Morocco (the other is Rwanda). Algeria is also unique in that it had the least ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) activity of any country in the region. This is largely due to the still vivid memories of the Islamic terrorist uprising during the 1990s that left over 200,000 dead. Thus while thousands of young men from Tunisia, Libya and Morocco went off to join ISIL only about 200 came from Algeria. That said, there were already thousands of former (or still active) Algerian Islamic terrorists in exile (since the 1990s) throughout the West as well as the Middle East. ISIL did make a major effort to get established in Algeria but that apparently ended in 2016 because Algerian security forces (with a lot of help from the public) killed or arrested over 300 ISIL members and active supporters. For 2017 it has been difficult to detect much ISIL presence in Algeria. There has been some ISIL activity but no attacks. At the same time Morocco has been even more successful in suppressing Islamic terrorism and has done so with far fewer casualties and a lot more cooperation from Moroccans in general. The current tensions were triggered by the Algerian foreign minister, during a recent meeting with Algerian business leaders, attributing the success of Moroccan banks was due in part to their handling of drug money. This was no secret and the tolerant Moroccan attitude towards hashish production and use in the kingdom was one of the reasons Morocco has been so successful detecting and suppressing Islamic terrorist activity. The Moroccan families that have produced hashish, often for centuries, developed links with regional drug smugglers who in turn monitor all manner of illegal activity. Most Moroccans consider hashish a local custom even if they dont use it. In the 1990s Morocco went through a well-publicized effort to suppress hashish production and export to Europe. The government soon realized that suppression was not going to work and with a murderous war with Islamic terrorists going on in Algeria, it was decided to respect tradition and back off. The often rebellious Berbers in the Rif Mountains, long a major source of kif (hashish), became an ally of the government, rather than a major problem. Since World War II Morocco has become one of the main sources of hashish for the growing European market. Wild species of cannabis (marijuana) have been used as an edible item in North Africa and the Middle East (and elsewhere all the way to China) for thousands of years. Moroccan law bans the sale and consumption of cannabis (or kif) but because the use of cannabis and hashish have been a traditional part of the economy seemingly forever successful Moroccan rulers (like the current dynasty) tolerate cultivation of cannabis for commercial (and export) use. The Lebanese civil war (1975-90) and years of Syrian interference after that put the largest supplier of hashish to Europe out of business for decades. Morocco was second but seized the opportunity and by 2003 became the largest supplier and kif was the main source of income for over a million people. After that Lebanon began making a comeback and Afghanistan drug gangs found it profitable to export hashish as well as heroin to the world. While heroin is worth 3-4 times more much per kilogram than hashish, the cannabis based product is easier to move and sell because in many parts of the world it is not considered a hard drug as cocaine and heroin (both the products of modern, or at least 19th century, technology) are. Morocco is not the only part of the world where eating or smoking hashish is considered traditional and not worth prosecuting. Meanwhile customs and technology related to hashish have been changing. The concept of smoking hashish spread from the Americas and Africa 5-6 centuries ago and modern plant breeding techniques have produced more potent (in terms of THC, the main active ingredient) cannabis plants. More efficient methods for turning cannabis into hashish have spread around the planet in the last century. For Morocco this meant since 2003 less farmland is needed for cannabis but what is produced is more potent and valuable especially for the nearby European market. The other incident that raised the tension level was Moroccan officials recently releasing details of their counter-terrorism efforts since 2001. Morocco has detected and dismantled Islamic terrorist groups (or cells) since 2002 and nearly a third of them were recent (since 2013) and associated with ISIL. Because of Moroccan success at making the country inhospitable for Islamic terrorists many locals who wish to succeed at being a holy warrior (Islamic terrorist) has left Morocco. The government believes that nearly 2,000 Moroccans joined foreign Islamic terror groups, nearly half of them choosing ISIL. The government has been able to keep track of this relatively small number of men (and a few women) and noted that so far it has detected about 220 of these Moroccan Islamic terrorist survived their overseas adventures and returned home (to mandatory debriefing by police and years of being monitored). About three times as many Moroccans who went overseas to be Islamic terrorists were killed, most of them while members of ISIL in Iraq and Syria. What annoyed the Algerians was the Moroccan accusation (apparently true) that refugee camps in Algeria, a result of an unresolved dispute with Morocco over Polisario, has become a major source of Islamic terrorist recruits for Islamic terrorist organizations throughout North Africa, including Morocco. This latest riff comes after Algeria and Morocco had calmed down after yet another Polisario related dispute a year ago. That started in September 2016 with accusations that Morocco and Algeria were both illegally sending government officials into the Guerguerat region near the Morocco-Mauritania border. Morocco claimed to have arrested six Algerian officers in that neutral zone. What this is really about are decades of disputes with Morocco over Algerian support for the anti-Morocco Polisario group. Relations between Algeria and Morocco have been especially tense since 2013, mainly because of a group of Moroccan terrorists (Polisario) that Algeria helped create decades ago. Polisario has always caused problems with neighboring Morocco and the problem got worse in 2013 when the two countries recalled ambassadors and there was talk of escalation. This made cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts (or anything else) with Morocco difficult. Meanwhile Islamic terrorists have found safe haven in Polisario refugee camps in Algeria (90,000 refugees) and Mauritania (24,000). This is all connected with the declining prospects of Polisario, which has been in bad shape since 1991. Back then, Morocco finally won its war with Polisario Front rebels, who were seeking independence for the Western Sahara (a region south of Morocco). Polisario remains powerful in Mauritania, where the rebel group has official recognition and maintains several refugee camps. In the beginning (the 1960s) Polisario was lavishly supported by Algeria and this enabled Polisario to keep going for decades. The current situation in Polisario refugee camps has provided recruits and sanctuary for al Qaeda and other Islamic radicals. Since the 1990s the UN has been trying to work out a final peace deal between Polisario and Morocco. This seemed possible because in the 1990s Algeria cut off all support for Polisario. Despite that UN efforts to mediate the differences have just not worked. The contested area is largely desert with a current population of less than 600,000. Logic would have it that the area is better off as a part of Morocco. But there are still thousands of locals who would rather fight for independence than submit to Morocco. Some resistance is tribal and cultural, with the Moroccans seen as another bunch of alien invaders. The area was administered until 1976 as a Spanish colony. Most Western Saharans have made peace with Moroccan rule. Polisario still has several thousand armed men based in the refugee camps and refuses to accept Moroccan rule of Western Sahara. If the fighting breaks out again, possibly inspired by Islamic radicals, it could go on for years, just as it does in many other parts of Africa and the immediate neighborhood. Even though Algeria has technically renounced support for Polisario many Algerians still see Morocco as the enemy because of decades of anti-Morocco Algerian propaganda. This was all in support of Polisario, but few Algerians are enthusiastic about Polisario anymore and Morocco is accused of making it worse by pointing out the obvious reason why. October 20, 2017: Throughout Algeria police have been arresting illegal migrants from the south (mainly from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso) and sending them back south, to the Niger border where Niger accepts them. This was apparently part of a mid-2107 government program that allowed some illegal migrants from those three countries to apply for legal status and obtain work permits. Although young Algerians of the same age face a 30 percent unemployment rate there are still a lot of unskilled construction and agricultural jobs that go unfilled because educated young Algerians consider such jobs unacceptable. It appears that if the illegals cant find a job they get rounded up and sent back south. This is part of a larger deportation agreement where Algeria accepts illegal Algerian migrants sent back from EU (European Union) countries. This is usually the case with illegals found to have Islamic terrorist links or attitudes. October 11, 2017: Mauritania and Algeria agreed to reopen their borders after being closed for two years as a side-effect of yet another Algeria-Morocco spat over unresolved Polisario issues. At a Glance Expert's Rating Pros Outstanding active noise-cancelling performance that rivals Bose QC35. Adaptive sound control technology senses your activity to block out sound yet let it in when you need it. Feature-rich mobile app and highly intuitive gesture-control pad. Cons Dont sound nearly as good when used as a passive, wired pair of headphones. Abrupt motions can break ANC performance. Adaptive sound control technology isnt perfect. Our Verdict The Sony WH-1000XM2 wireless active noise-cancelling headphones are among the best noise-cancelling headphones weve tested. Sonys new WH-1000XM2 wireless active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones are among the best noise-cancelling headphones weve tested. They go toe-to-toe with Boses QC35 and offer some high-tech features Bose cant touch. Mentioned in this article WH-1000XM2 wireless active noise-cancelling headphones Read our review Last year at this time, I reviewed Sonys MDR-1000X active noise-cancelling wireless headphones. I found them to be an excellent overall performer. The new WH-1000XM2 headphones look almost indistinguishable from that model, but bring lots of new technology features and advancements. My WH-1000XM2 review pair came in Sonys gold tone, though the color looks more like a shade of taupe. The headphones feature a 1.57-inch driver, rated to deliver a frequency response of 4Hz-40kHz in passive or active wired mode. When you kick over to Bluetooth, the specs change. Via traditional Bluetooth codecs, the frequency response is rated at 20Hz-20kHz and 20Hz-40kHz when connected to a device compatible with the LDAC high-res streaming codec, which will deliver 96kHz sampling at 990kbps. Dont read too much into these specs as they arent indicative of the headphones overall performance. The WH-1000XM2 support a wide range of Bluetooth codecs including SBC, AAC, and aptX. Youll get high-res streaming via aptX HD and LDAC codecs. Unfortunately, I did not have an LDAC-compatible source on-hand to test Sonys high-res streaming performance with that codec. I confirmed an aptX connection with a Pioneer XDP-100R high-res DAP, and an aptX HD connection when testing the Sony headphones with the Astell&Kern AK70. Theo Nicolakis / IDG NFC made pairing the Sony hi-res music player and the headphones a snap The WH-1000XM2 feature NFC pairing over Bluetooth. NFC makes pairing easy, by tapping a compatible NFC device to the headphones. I did just that with Sonys NWZ-A17 high-res DAP. The two paired instantly. The headphones weigh only 9.7 ounces and have outstanding battery performance. Youll get nearly 30 hours of continuous play time with noise cancellation on, and up to 38 hours with noise cancellation off. In standby, the headphones are rated to deliver up to 40 hours with noise cancellation on, and up to 200 hours with noise cancellation off. The WH-1000XM2 have a good, tight seal. Youll certainly feel pressure exerted on the side of your head and the top of the headband. The tight seal helps make these Sony headphones perform as well as passive noise-cancelling headphones. The seal clearly aids in their exceptional ANC performance too. The ear pads are soft, but the imitation leather doesnt breathe well. My ears got warm (but not hot) and slightly sweaty after extended listening periods. Sony Sonys active noise cancelling technology optimizes for altitude and atmospheric pressure. The Sonys come with a sturdy and nicely designed slimline hard-shell case; a 4.92-foot 3.5mm cable; and a two-prong airline adapter. The case is very practical. Its color scheme matches the headphone design. You can use the cases button-strap to secure it to a backpack or hook, and an external stretchable pocket fits all the accessories with ease. Theres an integrated pocket on the inside of the case for the airline adapter. I wish there was a pocket inside the case as well for cables, etc. That would have been the perfect icing on the cake. Mentioned in this article Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones Read our review The headphones rotate, collapse, and fold flat to a compact size. To me, the footprint seems identical to the previous model and goes head to head with the Bose QC35. You can slip the headphones easily into a regular purse, large jacket pocket, or backpack. Gesture Control Pad One of my favorite features of the WH-1000XM2 is the gesture control pad located on the right ear cup. I simply loved it. It was flawless to use and I wasnt be fumbling around for buttons. Swiping up increased volume while swiping down decreased it. Swiping forward advanced to the next track while swiping towards the back of my head went to the previous one. A brief tone let me know that a gesture had been accepted. The tone doesnt completely defeat music, which I liked. The gesture control pad works only when the headphones are connected wirelessly. If you have a high-res DAP with an analog volume control (like the Astell&Kern AK70 or Pioneer XDP-100R I was using), youll find that you cant adjust the volume with the gesture pad. Both Apples Siri and Google Assistant are supported. To activate either on the WH-1000XM2, simply press and hold on the middle of the right ear cup with one finger for three seconds while connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth. For me, it often took 5 to 6 seconds to get Siri activatedthats two to three seconds too long. Theo Nicolakis / IDG The left ear cup controls power and ambient sound settings, while the right ear cup has a micro-USB port for charging. Holding your hand over the right ear cup engages ambient aware. Its nearly instantaneous. This is perfect for moments when you want to be aware of your surroundings. In my testing ambient aware was superb. There is significant EQ applied to boost voices. At times, I felt like I was listening to the world around me through a tube. A very smart app To get the most out of Sonys WH-1000XM2 headphones, youll need to use Sonys mobile app. The mobile app gives you real-time info on your headphones, including their connection method, battery level, and streaming codec in use. The app will take advantage of a smart-devices GPS to fine-tune some features. The app is also your command and control center for the headphones key features such as adaptive sound control, ambient sound control, noise-cancelling optimization, and more. From the app, you can initiate Sonys noise cancelling optimizer, which measures the unique shape and response of your ears and the atmospheric pressure to tailor the sound of the headphones just for you. You want to redo the optimizer if you change the way you wear the headphones or if the atmospheric pressure changes. A superior noise-cancelling performer If youre looking at the WH-1000XM2, youre most certainly doing so because youre looking for a noise-cancelling headphone. Have no fear, the Sonys noise cancellation performance remains top notch. In fact, its crazy-good. Ive tested a few ANC headphones recently. Putting on the Sonys for the first time reinforced what a great performer they are compared to the competition. My conclusion is that along with the Bose QC35, Sonys WH-1000XM2 remain among the best noise-cancelling headphones Ive tested. Sony Sonys app can tap your smartphones GPS functions to fine-tune some of the headphones features. I used the Sony WH-1000XM2 in a number of high noise environmentsincluding the NY subway, cars, cafes, and the busy streets of New York. In every case, the Sonys performance was outstanding. This time around, I didnt have a chance to test the WH-1000XM2 on an airplane. Nevertheless, I expect them to remain a superior performer. But, my hunch tells me that Boses QC35 still have a slight edge in that regard as they did when I directly compared the Sonys MDR-1000X to the Bose QC35 on airplane trips. Mentioned in this article AKG N60NC Wireless Read our review Artist John Hitchcock will visit Missoula to collaborate on prints and deliver a lecture as part of an indigenous printmaking residency. Hitchcock's lecture will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, at the Missoula Art Museum, 335 N. Pattee St. It's free and open to the public. His visit is presented with the Jim and Jane Dew Visiting Artist Lecture Fund at the University of Montana School of Art. Hitchcock is the third resident artist at UMs Matrix Press as part of a partnership between MAM and the UM School of Art, supported by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The residencies will culminate in the 2018 exhibition, "The Shape of Things," a survey of contemporary American Indian approaches to abstraction. Hitchcock, an artist of Comanche heritage, is associate professor of art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He makes work based on memories of growing up in Oklahomas Wichita Mountains next to the U.S. field artillery military base Fort Sill. Hitchcocks work has been exhibited at numerous national and international venues, notably "Air Land Seed and Epicentro: Re Tracing the Plains for the Venice Biennale 54th and 55th International Art Exhibition at the University of Ca' Foscari in Venice Italy; Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Museum of Arts & Design, New York, and many more. For more information on his work, go to hybridpress.net. Tech retailer Newegg Inc. is facing legal action from four South Korean banks alleging that hardware manufacturer Moneual Inc. (parent company of Zalman) helped Newegg to defraud banks of their money. The suit accuses Newegg and ASI Corporation, an electronics wholesaler, of creating non-existent and exaggerated orders for Moneual to gain a higher valuation from investors. By inflating sales figures, the suit alleges that Moneual was able to receive hundreds of millions of dollars from South Korean banks that was not backed by any collateral, placing investors at great risk. In the complaint, Newegg and ASI allegedly received payments for participating in the scheme. Gibson Dunn law firm, representing Kookmin Bank, Keb Hana Bank, Nonghyup Bank and Industrial Bank of Korea, believes Moneual was able to obtain more than $3 billion in loans from 10 different Korean banks by falsifying purchase orders. Moneual has been under investigation for financial fraud for several years now. In 2015, former CEO Hong-seok Park was sentenced to 15 years in prison and hit with hefty fines. Now that Moneual has had difficulty repaying debts to banks, Newegg and ASI have come under fire for having close ties to the alleged fraud. Newegg and ASI both frequently placed orders with Moneual but the key fact that indicates their knowledge of the scheme is that certain products were allegedly bought for over 300 times their retail values. "No such business would have bought the products at such an inflated price, unless it intended to create the illusion of extensive, profitable, high-value commerce between it and its supplier for the purpose of defrauding lenders into supporting the transactions," states the legal filing. The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages through a jury trial. Up to $230 million is still owed according to the South Korean banks. After the disappointing news that the rebooted Nokia 3310 wouldn't work in the US due to its 2.5G connectivity, an updated 3G model of the iconic handset is finally coming to the states. It's available to pre-order now from Best Buy for just $59.99 and is set to launch on October 29. It was back in February when reports arrived of the new Nokia 3310's unveiling at Mobile World Congress. We liked the phone's retro stylings so much that it became one of our top 8 picks from the event. But March brought news that the handset used certain cellular frequencies---900MHz and 1800MHz-which most carriers in the US and Canada no longer support. The restriction meant the Nokia 3310 was only being released in a limited number of markets. Now, however, a 3G-enabled version is on its way. It will be available in a number of colors, including Azure, Charcoal, Yellow, and Warm Red, and is compatible with GSM carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile. The 3310 doesn't support CDMA networks, so can't be used with the likes of Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Virgin Mobile, or Boost Mobile. Nokia's cheap and cheerful handset isn't exactly packed with features. It comes with a 2.4-inch TFT display (320 x 240), a 2MP rear camera with LED flash, and no apps other than light versions of Facebook and Twitter (and an FM radio app). But you do get 6.5 hours of talk time, 27 days of standby time, and 16GB of internal storage that's expandable up to 32GB with a microSD card. Plus, there's the classic Snake game, obviously. Despite its limitations, the Nokia 3310's comparatively low price makes it an ideal burner phone for occasions such as festivals, where losing a Galaxy Note 8 or iPhone 8 Plus would sting a lot more. 2017 hasn't been a good year for anti-virus giant Kaspersky Lab, with allegations that it was hacked by, or colluded with, Russian agencies damaging its reputation enormously. In an attempt to win back the public's trust, the company has announced what it calls a "comprehensive transparency initiative." Back in July, allegations that its source code may have been compromised by the Russian government led to Kaspersky Lab's removal from the list of approved federal vendors. Last month, the Department of Homeland Security gave US departments and agencies three months to identify and replace any Kaspersky software they were using. Kaspersky Lab's new four-point plan begins with an independent review of its source code, which is set to start by Q1 2018 and be undertaken by an "internationally recognized authority." There will also be an independent review of Kaspersky's internal process, which it says will verify "the integrity of our solutions and processes." There's no word on which party will be carrying out the reviews, but the company said they would have "strong software security credentials and be able to conduct technical audits, source code reviews and vulnerability assessments." Back in July, CEO and cofounder Eugene Kaspersky offered to share company source code with the US government to prove the software had not been compromised. Kaspersky will also be creating three transparency labs across the world, "enabling clients, government bodies & concerned organizations to review source code, update code and threat detection rules." The first of these is scheduled to open in 2018, with all three centers set to be completed in Asia, Europe, and the US by 2020. Finally, the company is increasing the amount of money on offer for its bug bounty program. Up to $100,000 will be now handed over for vulnerabilities discovered in main Kaspersky products. "We need to reestablish trust in relationships between companies, governments and citizens. That's why we're launching this Global Transparency Initiative: we want to show how we're completely open and transparent. We've nothing to hide. And I believe that with these actions we'll be able to overcome mistrust and support our commitment to protecting people in any country on our planet," said Eugene Kaspersky. Kaspersky has long denied any links, voluntary or otherwise, with Russia's spy agencies, but a Wall Street Journal report last month disagreed. The article claims that in 2015, Kaspersky software installed on a computer belonging to a US National Security Agency contractor alerted Russian hackers to the presence of NSA tools. Again, the company disputed the report and even suggested its software may have been hacked. "Even though we have an internal security team, and do bug bounties, we can't give 100% guarantee that there are no security issues in our products," wrote Kaspersky. Life insurance provider John Hancock is set to begin offering Apple Watches to its customers at an out-of-pocket cost of $25 plus tax. The only catch is that the customer has to earn that price by exercising regularly. According to CNBC, the company has already begun offering the watches to members of its Vitality life insurance program. Members who sign up for Vitality are eligible to receive a Series 3 Apple Watch for an initial cost of $25. The remaining cost of the device is put on a two-year installment plan. Payments are due monthly but can be reduced to as low as $0 per month with regular exercise. John Hancock is not the first insurance provider to afford such a benefit. Aetna has been offering its employees Apple Watches for free (they just pay the sales tax) for a couple of years in an effort to help them lead more active lifestyles. The program was successful enough that the company is now considering expanding the program to customers starting in 2018. These incentives come after Apple began partnering with insurance providers to offer the devices for fitness tracking. Apple and Aetna have been in discussions regarding expanding its existing employee program to its customers. It is unknown what kind of per-watch discounts Apple is offering providers but healthy customers are far less expensive to insure meaning the financial benefits come from more than just price reductions on the device. Moreover, the programs seem to be working. For example, John Hancock initially offered the program to a limited number of customers who purchased life insurance policies of over $2 million. In that trial, the company saw a 20 percent increase in overall member activity. About half of the members got their watches for free by meeting monthly activity goals. Aetna saw similar results when it began offering the device to its employees. Right now, Aetna and John Hancock are the only providers offering Apple Watches at drastic discounts but if Cupertino continues to court insurance companies, we may see similar programs launched by other carriers. Over 250,000 Haitian descendants do not have legal residence due to a deliberate policy of non-regularization of migration. | Read More Figuring out whats happening with wildlife based on annual counts is not easy. So many factors affect where and when they travel, from predators to weather, habits to habitat. So when Yellowstone National Park did its summer count of bison this year, it was somewhat surprising to see that although the animals suffered their second highest culling and killing since 2000 1,274 animals it was the untargeted central herd that shrank substantially and not the northern herd, which is the main target of the bison removals. Its unknown what happened, but something changed in Yellowstone this spring that made a whole bunch of bison from the parks central herd decide not to migrate back to their traditional Hayden Valley home. That was revealed in the parks summer bison counts, which showed the central herd declining by 42 percent. So something really big happened this year to change the distribution dynamic on the landscape, said Rick Wallen, the parks lead bison biologist. Bison reduction The first thought was that maybe those central herd animals were disproportionately killed during the winter by hunters outside the parks boundaries and through the Interagency Bison Management Plan agreement that ships a portion of the herd to slaughter. The winter slaughter program, which donates the animals to tribes for meat, is an attempt to reduce the bison population and slow outmigration from the park into Montana. Nearly 7,500 Yellowstone bison have been killed since 2000. Yet the parks bison have, once again, proven to be incredible survivors. Between 2000 and 2016 the population more than doubled, rising from 2,600 to 5,400 animals. Between 2008 and 2017, the northern herd has increased by 275 percent. They just know how to survive on our landscape, Wallen said. That doesnt seem to be the case with the central herd, though. Since 2008 that group of bison has exhibited a lower potential for population growth, according to Yellowstones survey. Maybe they are migrating to the Gardiner area in winter and being slaughtered, killed by hunters, or simply not returning to the central herds usual haunts after winter. Strangely, out of 12 collared central herd bison, 11 survived the winter and six wintered on the western side of the park, not to the north where the slaughter program takes place. So it appeared they had high survival, Wallen said. It makes you wonder how many migrated to the Northern Range. Bison history More than 100 years ago, only 23 free-ranging wild bison remained alive in Yellowstones remote Pelican Valley. Giving that remnant herd U.S. Army protection was one leg of the parks historic bison restoration, but it wasnt believed to be enough. So the Army imported 21 more bison that were essentially treated like cattle. That herd started out in the Lamar Valley, where buildings from the Buffalo Ranch still stand to mark that early era in bison management. By the 1930s, with the Lamar herd grown to more than 1,000, the National Park Service decided to set the bison free and let them roam the park as wild animals. Wallen said some of those bison were moved to create the central herd, which now occupies the Madison, Gibbon, Firehole, Hayden and Pelican valleys. According to research by Texas A&M University, for about 40 years the Northern Range animals, which inhabit the Lamar Valley, Little America and higher elevations in the region, were largely separated from their central herd cousins. Now that seems to be changing for most, but not all, of the bison. There was some stirring in the pot of genetics, Wallen said. Central loyalist Bison No. 3225 is a central herd stalwart. She was collared 12 years ago and has remained free of the disease brucellosis, which can cause cattle to abort. Brucellosis is the main reason cited for sending bison to slaughter. The slaughter is a cooperative attempt by the many federal and state agencies to try and keep Montanas cattle herds from being quarantined should a cow test positive for exposure to brucellosis. Not everyone agrees with the tactics of slaughter, noting that elk roam free between Yellowstone and Montana and also test positive for exposure to brucellosis. But for now, this is the compromise the many agencies have worked out. 3225 has also remained faithful to the old migration route out of Hayden Valley toward West Yellowstone. I dont remember her ever going on a different movement pattern than Hayden to West, Wallen said. She has stuck to that longstanding pattern of the central herd. Wallen guessed 3225 could be 15 years or older, and so may be one of the oldest bison in that herd. There are not a lot that live beyond 12, he said. One of the reasons bison populations can grow steadily is they have few predators. Wolves and grizzly bears will kill a few, mostly calves but also a few injured or aged adults. Most die after getting injured either from falling or being hit by vehicles or contract parasites and cant convert their food into enough energy to survive. One dead bison, which may weigh 1,000 pounds or more, can feed a lot of predators. Westward expansion Bison 3225s ancestors tried to pioneer outside the park into the West Yellowstone area in the 1980s, but werent welcomed by the state of Montana until 2015 when Gov. Steve Bullock agreed to let the animals stay year round on about 400 square miles of mostly Custer Gallatin National Forest. Prior to that agreement, bison were annually hazed back into the park by helicopters and horsemen every spring. Would the central herd have expanded into that forest area and grown in population if it hadnt been repeatedly hazed? Wallen thinks so, and speculated that maybe after being turned back so many times more bison began migrating to join the northern herd. Theres never been a year we didnt get migrants, Wallen said. The question is how long was it happening? A removal of about 750 bison in 1997 seems to indicate central herd animals either moved in to fill the missing Northern Range bisons vacancies, or had migrated over in winter and were slaughtered, since the roughly 750 bison in that northern population, in theory, should have been wiped out by such a removal, Wallen said. They are such social animals, its easy to see how some would stay with the group after hanging out together during the winter, he said. Yet park biologists rarely see a northern herd animal migrate to the central herds summer pastures, so the flow seems to be largely one-way traffic. Tracking migrants In hopes of providing more information to researchers, Yellowstone will collar an additional 15 or so bison before this winter. By being able to track their migration in real time with GPS, the Park Service could reduce its capture of bison for slaughter when those depleted members of the central herd arrive in the Gardiner Basin. The question is: how many bison does that one collar represent? Wallen said. The agency has also asked, as it has in the past, that tribal and sport hunters limit their harvest outside Yellowstones western boundary, which is all central herd bison. Park officials are also recommending that no more than 1,250 bison be killed by hunters or shipped to slaughter this winter. In the future, Wallen said hed like to see the bison use the landscape how theyd like. But for now, the interagency plan is guiding management as the annual debate over bison slaughter and the carrying capacity of Yellowstones grazing lands continues. A 2000 court-mediated agreement between the secretaries of agriculture and interior and then-Gov. Brian Schweitzer requires Yellowstone to reduce the bison population in Yellowstone to around 3,000 animals. The park has a way to go to reach that figure. The aerial count of bison in August was 4,816. Of that total, 3,969 were counted in the northern herd and 847 in central Yellowstone. Overall, the population decline from last year was about 12 percent, with 389 bison killed in the Gardiner area and 97 on the western side of the park. So whats going on? Why is the central herd declining even though fewer are harvested? Why are more central animals migrating north instead of west like they used to do? In the future will the central herd disappear after animals like 3225 die and take with them the habit of moving west? Will bison ever occupy the land west of Yellowstone that has been opened to them? Its unlikely to see new exploratory patterns to the west if that subgroup is declining in abundance, Wallen said. You need more animals to develop a migratory pattern out to the west to explore some of those new areas. Bison populations and their migratory habits are always going to change, he added. Thats part of preserving the ecological processes, letting them figure out how to live in here. Betsy DeVos. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images On Friday, the U.S. Education Department announced it has rolled back 72 policy documents that protect the rights of students with disabilities. The Washington Post reports the move is part of the Trump administrations plan to regulate policies it believes are superfluous, and came less than one month after Title IX guidance on campus sexual assault was rescinded. According to the Post, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services wrote in a newsletter that it had a total of 72 guidance documents that have been rescinded to being outdated, unnecessary or ineffective 63 from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and 9 from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). The documents, which were actually rolled back on October 2, protected the rights of students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act. In February, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens, which the Post notes prompted education secretary Betsy DeVos and other education officials to review its regulations. Also in February, DeVos rolled back guidance allowing transgender students to use bathrooms according to their gender identity, and in September, she rescinded Obama-era guidance on how schools should handle campus sexual-assault investigations. The education department had sought comments on what policy changes should be made in regards to students with disabilities, and advocates urged DeVos to keep the existing guidance in place. All of these are meant to be very useful in helping schools and parents understand and fill in with concrete examples the way the law is meant to work when its being implemented in various situations, Leslie E. Jones, chief policy and advocacy officer for the National Center for Learning Disabilities, told the Post. French president Emmanuel Macron and Nemo. Photo: ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images If youve ever wondered how you can command attention during a meeting like a French presidents dog, then look no further than a new tutorial from beauty expert Emmanuel Macrons dog Nemo, who recently interrupted an official meeting by peeing on the fireplace. Quand Nemo, le chien de Macron, se lache dans un salon de l'Elysee ! #MorningDeDifool pic.twitter.com/eLPkPzOf2z Skyrock FM (@SkyrockFM) October 23, 2017 In the ultimate First Dog power move, Nemo swapped out a fire hydrant for an ornate fireplace at the Elysee Palace while the French president held a meeting with three junior government ministers. Videos of the historic moment show Macron and the French officials laughing as the two-year-old Labrador-griffon pooch marks his territory. "I wondered what that noise was" - Emmanuel Macron's dog Nemo filmed peeing on Elysee fireplace https://t.co/BzZg3MJYXs pic.twitter.com/nd91VMRJGt BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 23, 2017 He is doing something quite exceptional, Macron is heard saying in the video, as translated by AFP. One of the ministers then asked, It happens often? to which Macron replied, No. You have triggered a totally unusual behavior in my dog. Cant wait for all of us to try this out during our next meeting. Female senators share their #MeToo stories. Photo: Getty Images In the wake of sexual-abuse allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, many women started sharing their own stories of harassment and assault on social media using the #MeToo hashtag. Over the weekend, four female senators joined the movement, opening up about harassment theyve endured during an episode of Meet The Press. The program reached out to every female member of the Senate thats 21 but only four (all of whom are Democrats) agreed to share their stories with Meet the Press: Senators Elizabeth Warren, Claire McCaskill, Heidi Heitkamp, and Mazie Hirono. Warren revealed that when she was a new law professor so excited to have her first job a senior faculty member made dirty jokes and comments about her appearance, before eventually lunging for her and chasing me around the desk, trying to get his hands around me when they were alone in his office. McCaskills harassment occurred during her 20s when she was a state legislator in Missouri. She told Meet the Press that she was nervous about getting her first bill out of committee and sought advice from the Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives, who asked her, Well, did you bring your knee pads? Hirono told the program that shes been propositioned by colleagues, teachers, you name it, while Heitkamp revealed that she was told when working on a domestic violence bill that men will always beat their wives and you cant stop them. Each of the women also opened up about the shame and humiliation they felt after experiencing their #MeToo moments, and how they hope things will change moving forward. What it means now that so many people have spoken out, is its a way to say were here for each other, and its also a way to say, no its not about what you did, Warren said. Hes the one who stepped out of line, and its on him. Photo: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images Two NYPD cops who allegedly forced an 18-year-old to have sex with them are now trying to use her social-media activity to prove that she was not a victim, according to the New York Post. In a letter to the Brooklyn District Attorneys office, defense lawyers presented the womans social-media activity since the attack on September 15 as evidence that she is neither depressed nor a victim. They cited provocative selfies, captions saying she was being chased by the paparazzi, and the fact that she has a rapper persona, Fi5ty Milli, as evidence. According to the letter obtained by the Post, the lawyers wrote, She has posted Instagram videos of herself using drugs and rapping in her Fi5ty Milli persona about the case while joking about the millions that will be in her bank account. They came to the conclusion that, this behavior is unprecedented for a depressed victim of a vicious rape. The Brooklyn District Attorneys office, though, did not come to that same conclusion. In a statement, they said, defense counsels characterization of how a rape victim should behave is inaccurate, inappropriate and demeaning. The womans lawyer simply said, Were dealing with a teenager here and teenagers, they post a lot of things. The cops, Eddie Martins and Richard Hall, allegedly forced the woman to perform oral sex on both of them in a Brooklyn parking lot, and one of them allegedly raped her. They claim the sex was consensual. Film director and screenwriter James Toback. Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for HBO Writer-director James Toback is the latest Hollywood power-player to be accused of sexual harassment, according to a new investigation from the L.A. Times. Although Toback isnt a household name, he has an Oscar nomination and enough directing credits including a 1987 semi-autobiographical film called The Pick-up Artist that he was able to convince aspiring actresses he could help them with their careers. The womens accounts portray James Toback as a man who, for decades, sexually harassed women he hired, women looking for work and women he just saw on the street, the L.A. Times writes. The women say Toback would invite them to a hotel room or another private space and try to masturbate in front of them. The women say he often rubbed his crotch against them and ejaculated in his pants. The way he presented it, it was like, This is how things are done, actress Adrienne LaValley told the L.A. Times of an experience she had with Toback in 2008. The allegations against Toback became public when women taking part in the #MeToo campaign on Twitter, started adding the hashtag #JamesToback to their tweets. If you were involved in the film business in the '90s you knew that #harveyweinstien was a sexual predator.Another one was #JamesToback Echo Danon (@echodanon) October 11, 2017 Toback has denied the allegations and said he never met any of these women. According to the L.A. Times, He also repeatedly claimed that for the last 22 years, it had been biologically impossible for him to engage in the behavior described by the women in this story, saying he had diabetes and a heart condition that required medication. Read the full story here. In the wake of tragedy, Toni Taylor is there to answer the call. "When I retired from being a registered nurse I wanted to give back," Taylor said, "so I thought being a Red Cross volunteer and going out on national deployments was something (where) I could use all my skills and talents." Taylor, 67, has volunteered for the Red Cross for two and a half years and recently returned from Las Vegas, where she assisted in the aftermath of the mass shooting that left 59 dead and more than 500 people injured. Although it was her first deployment for a mass casualty shooting, Taylor often lends her time to help those in need. "I went to Hurricane Matthew in South Carolina, then I went to Clearlake, California, for their flooding last March," Taylor said of other deployments. She also spent time in Austin and Dallas, Texas, to help in the recovery after Hurricane Harvey, as well as helping the local Red Cross this summer during the Lolo Peak fire. After the shooting, Taylor said she was contacted by her disability and integration coordinator who asked if she'd consider going; she booked her flight and was in Las Vegas the next afternoon. For 13 days Taylor assisted in any capacity she could, from helping victims collect financial assistance to finding equipment like wheelchairs, crutches or walkers for people who needed them. Taylor noted that Las Vegas was different from other deployments in that it wasn't a natural disaster and the Red Cross did not have a fundraiser specifically for Vegas. "All the funding we gave out was from donors, direct donors who weren't necessarily donating to a specific hurricane or specific fire," Taylor said. "I don't know the exact dollar amount, but it was thousands of dollars for help for these folks." Days would start with a morning briefing from the fire chief about what the FBI was doing that day and where they were in the investigation process. Taylor said the "family assistance center" inside the Las Vegas Convention Center was where people could retrieve belongings they may have left at the festival. "It was a huge, huge venue for people to come," Taylor said. "Everything was cataloged so when you came to the center to get help, you could write down, you lost a cellphone and it was an iPhone 6 and had a purple case and was sitting in Section A. So the FBI would go into Section A at the center and retrieve that cellphone and give it back to the victim." Taylor was the lone Montanan to be deployed to Las Vegas and encourages people to volunteer or donate when they can. "Absolutely," Taylor said when asked if she'd deploy again, "if they request me, of course I'll be there." Sherin Matthews, 3, went missing from her home in Sunningdale, Texas, on Oct. 7, 2017. (Facebook/Richardson Police Department) 3-Year-Old Texas Girl Who Went Missing Was Abandoned in India: Report The 3-year-old Texas girl whose body was likely found Saturday was reportedly adopted from India after she was abandoned by her biological parents, it was reported. Police believe that Sherin Mathewss body was found in a culvert near the familys home in Richardson County, the police department said, Fox News reported. We didnt want this to come this way. We didnt want this to happen in this manner. We thought we would find her alive, Omar Siddiqi, who is a search volunteer, told Fox. Wesley Mathews, the father, was charged with child endangerment. #SherinMathews Baby before and during adoption.. Love you baby.. Everyone's prayer will keep you safe.. pic.twitter.com/H7L9sb85o5 Sheeba Sinto (@SheebaSinto) October 16, 2017 It's 0300 Would you wash your clothes after crawling in the culvert? Just before calling POLICE DEPT. to report missing #SherinMathews pic.twitter.com/tZQm7F9s7h Top Gun Drone Pilot (@TopGunDronPilot) October 23, 2017 The Times of India reported that the Bihars State Adoption Resource Agency in India confirmed that the girl, who was originally named Saraswati, was abandoned by her biological family. She was a little stubborn but every child has a similar nature. She was very affectionate toward a female caretaker of the NGO whom she called nani. She used to wait for her on the stairs for several hours. The moment Saraswatis nani arrived, she used to run and embrace her, the NGO said, reported the newspaper. Babita Kumari, secretary of the now-defunct NGO, said that she was only one-and-a-half years of age when she was rescued by Bal Kalyan Samiti of Gaya District after her family abandoned her. She was later handed over to the NGO. During her initial days, Saraswati used to remain quiet but gradually she opened up at the center, she told the newspaper. #SherinMathews Praying for you?? May you be found soon? pic.twitter.com/hVOq97VX20 Sreekala K (@sreekulu) October 22, 2017 Mathews and his wife then adopted the girl, who was underdeveloped and malnourished. She didnt have the language skills of a normal 3-year-old child, the Dallas News reported. The FBI has seized 47 items from the Mathewss house, including a washer and dryer, five cellphones, three laptops, trash bags, as well as a digital camera, Fox News reported. The couples 4-year-old daughter was sent to Child Protective Services and was placed in foster care. A hearing for the other child is slated for Wednesday. After Maxine Waters Says She Will Take Out Trump, GOP Opponent Calls for Her Arrest Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) is under fire for a recent viral video which shows her making threats against President Donald Trump, and one of her political opponents is calling for her arrest over the statements. In a speech Waters gave at an Oct. 13 event in New York City, she states, With this kind of inspiration, I will go and take Trump out tonight. The video of her speech was initially pulled offline by YouTube, but has since been reposted numerous times and has recently gone viral. On Oct. 22, it garnered the attention of Omar Navarro, a candidate for the congressional seat held by Waters. Im calling for the arrest of Maxine Waters. Lets get ready for it. #VoteNavarro2018, he stated on Twitter, adding Secret Service should call for Maxine Waters immediate resignation after these comments. We dont need lip service. Im calling for the arrest of Maxine Waters. Lets get ready for it. #VoteNavarro2018?? Omar Navarro (@RealOmarNavarro) October 23, 2017 Secret Service should call for Maxine Waters immediate resignation after these comments. We dont need lip service. https://t.co/D80jhU2rg1 Omar Navarro (@RealOmarNavarro) October 22, 2017 Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, also stated on Twitter, Unacceptable. Democrat leadership should denounce ANY suggested violence against the President. Unacceptable. Democrat leadership should denounce ANY suggested violence against the President. https://t.co/K4DZXXgafu Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) October 22, 2017 Waters is no stranger to controversy. She was named four times by liberal watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) in 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2011 as one of the most corrupt members of Congress. An eight-page CREW report lists her numerous cases of misconduct, and the investigations into her actions. Among the cases, she allegedly used her position as a senior member of Congress and member of the House Financial Services Committee to prevail upon Treasury officials to meet with OneUnited Bank, says CREW. Judicial Watch, a conservative non-partisan watchdog group, referred to Waters in Dec. 10, 2012, as A famously corruptand seemingly untouchablecongresswoman renowned for abusing her power to enrich family members, and criticized her rise to become a ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee. It notes that Waters helped family members make more than $1 million through business ventures with companies and causes that she has helped, and was also investigated by the House Ethics Committee for steering $12 million in federal bailout funds to a failing Massachusetts bank that she and her husbanda board memberheld shares in. It adds that Waters has also come under fire for skirting federal elections rules with a shady fundraising gimmick that allows her to receive unlimited amounts of donations from certain contributors, and for making hundreds of thousands of dollars in short periods of time by selling her endorsement to other politicians and political causes. In a July segment, Tucker Carlson of Fox News noted that Maxine Waters lives in a 6,000 square-foot, $4.3 million mansion in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. He questions, how did she afford a place like that, after having spent the last 40 years working in government? Wed hate to speculate. Carlson also questioned, How does she keep getting re-elected, despite not living in her own congressional district? No clue there either. Despite her track record, Waters achieved relative fame among Democrats in the 2016 presidential elections, due to her frequent calls to impeach Trump, and for continually pushing the still-unproven Trump-Russia narrative. The New York Times noted her unexpected rise to fame on the left in a July 7 article, stating Through all the tumult, Ms. Waters, once deemed one of the most corrupt members of Congress by a liberal watchdog group, has remade herself from Los Angeles ward politician to a darling of the left. Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces give the "V" sign at the frontline in Raqqa, Syria on Oct. 16, 2017. (REUTERS/Rodi Said) After Retaking Raqqa From ISIS, US Moves to Stabilize the Region The United States is moving to the next phase in its push to destroy the ISIS terrorist group, after coalition forces retook the Syrian city of Raqqa, pushing the terrorist group out of its last stronghold. The defeat of ISIS in Raqqa comes just a few months after its defeat in early July in Mosul, Iraq. The loss of these two key cities is bringing an end to the terrorist groups proclaimed caliphate. The next step is to stabilize the regions, and on Oct. 22, Iraq and Saudi Arabia held their inaugural coordination council meeting to help with this effort. As major military operations near conclusion, Iraqs financial needs for stabilization and reconstruction are evident, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in a statement issued from the meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Tillerson said the coordination council will help the nations to more closely cooperate in battling ISIS and will support the rehabilitation of facilities and infrastructures in the areas liberated. The council will also help create reforms, which, Tillerson said, will grow and diversify Iraqs private sector. Such reforms will encourage foreign investment that is vital to Iraqs reconstruction efforts, he said. This will be critical for winning the peace that has been earned through hard-fought military gains. President Donald Trump issued a statement on Oct. 21 marking the victory over ISIS in Raqqa, which was carried out by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. He said, Together, our forces have liberated the entire city from ISIS control. Trump said the United States is now transitioning to a new phase in the conflict, in which we will support local security forces, de-escalate violence across Syria, and advance the conditions of lasting peace, so that the terrorists cannot return to threaten our collective security again. Together, with our allies and partners, we will support diplomatic negotiations that end the violence, allow refugees to return safely home, and yield a political transition that honors the will of the Syrian people, Trump said. He said, The defeat of ISIS in Raqqa represents a critical breakthrough in our worldwide campaign to defeat ISIS and its wicked ideology. Restoring Order Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition mission to defeat ISIS, issued a press release on Oct. 20 highlighting the significance of the latest battle. It refers to ISIS as Daesh, a derogatory play on the groups name that is hated by ISIS. Daesh means to crush. Daeshs loss of Mosul and now Raqqah are turning points for the terrorist organization, whose leaders grow ever more distant from a dwindling number of terrorist adherents, it states. It notes that Raqqa was first occupied by Syrian opposition forces in 2013, during their fight with the Assad regime, and this fighting transformed into a civil war before the city was taken by ISIS in January 2014. ISIS then declared Raqqa as the capital of its caliphate. For the people living in Raqqa, this meant living through the civil war, then under the brutal rule of ISIS, which the release says routinely carried out public executions, extortions billed as taxation, and forced conscriptions. During the three years of ISIS rule, according to the release, the city was transformed into a fortified military prison, and the terrorists used hospitals, mosques, schools, and otherwise-protected sites as cover for the planning, execution, and support of military operations. Raqqah was a key location for Daeshs planning, financing, execution, or inspiration of terrorist activities throughout the world, including attacks in Paris, Brussels, Nice, Manchester, and many others, it states. The next stage of the fight against ISIS, in addition to the reconstruction of the areas the group occupied, will involve ISIS terrorists facing justice for their crimes. The release states, Daesh also committed violations of human rights for which individuals will be held accountable. Trump also affirmed this point in his statement, saying, Today, we reaffirm that ISIS leaders, and anyone who supports them, must and will face justice. A still image from a video posted by the Haqqani terror group on Dec. 19, 2016, showing American Caitlan Coleman, her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle, and their two sons. (screenshot) American Hostage Caitlan Boyle Speaks Out After 5 Years of Captivity Caitlan Coleman, a woman who was held as a prisoner by the Taliban for five years and suffered abuse at the hands of her captors, has spoken out for the first time from her hospital bed. The woman, who goes by her married name Caitlan Boyle, wrote an email to her hometown newspaper in Pennsylvania that she wants to be left alone. She told the paper that she prefers to be called by her married name. Why dont I have the right to just be myself and be with my husband and children? Caitlan Boyle wrote in an email, the York Daily Record reported. Everybody says No, you have to come out and talk about it, but no, no I dont and everybody nice has said its my choice and I can talk when I want, and to whom I want. My wife has been through hell, and she has to be my first priority right now, her husband, Joshua Boyle, told The Associated Press in an email. They were captured five years ago while hiking in Afghanistan. She was taken to the hospital last week for a medical emergency. Caitlan Coleman's father hits son-in-law on taking wife hiking in Afghanistan, refusal to fly home on U.S. plane https://t.co/u881391bYR Frank McVeety (@Franktmcveety) October 14, 2017 Joshua Boyle and Caitlan Coleman: what were two Western backpackers doing in Afghanistan in the first place? https://t.co/0D42LZQ6th Natasha Fatah ? (@NatashaFatah) October 22, 2017 While in captivity, Boyle said that fond memories helped to brighten some of the dark days. She gave birth to three children while held captive. Theyre now living in Ontario, Canada, and are spending time with grandparents. I hope to be discharged soon and that the Canadian medical system is doing a pretty good job taking care of me, she wrote to the paper. The family was freed last week after Pakistani authorities said their military freed them from a Taliban-affiliated network of terrorists known as the Haqqani. CIA Director Mike Pompeo noted that the family was freed as an arrangement between the terrorist networknot as part of a raid. Were sitting as hostages with a lot of time on our hands, Joshua Boyle said. [We decided] hey, lets make the best of this and at least go home with a larger start on our dream family. We always wanted as many as possible, and we didnt want to waste time. Caits in her 30s, the clock is ticking. Caitlan Coleman, the woman held by the Taliban, married to Canadian Joshua Boyle, breaks her silence https://t.co/SuN8SAT9Ov Natasha Fatah ? (@NatashaFatah) October 22, 2017 Jim Coleman, Caitlans father, gave credit to President Donald Trump for his daughters release, and he also thanked Obama administration, Fox News reported. Security fences surround buildings inside the Manus Island processing centre in Papua New Guinea, Feb. 11, 2017. (Behrouz Boochani/Handout via REUTERS) Australia to Spend up to $195 Million Housing Asylum-Seekers After PNG Detention Center Closes SYDNEYAustralia will spend up to A$250 million ($195 million) housing nearly 800 asylum-seekers in Papua New Guinea for the next 12 months after its controversial processing center closes this month. But hundreds of detainees are refusing the leave the Australian-run and funded Manus Island processing center, which will close on Oct. 31, fearing for their safety in the general community on Manus Island off Papua New Guineas north coast. Behrouz Boochani, a Kurdish-Iranian journalist held on Manus Island for four years, said detainees fear being assaulted if they moved to the new, Australian-funded Lorengau Refugee Transit Centre. Refugees either move to Lorengau where they risk being attacked by angry local people, or be taken over by PNG defense forces who have already seriously threatened their safety, Boochani told Reuters. Australia has a mandatory detention policyit does not allow people who arrive in the country without a valid visa to stay, instead sending unauthorised arrivals to offshore processing centers on Manus and the South Pacific island nation of Nauru. Mandatory detention also applies to visa overstayers. However, people who arrive legally and overstay their visas and who apply for refugee or other visas can be given bridging visas. Unlike unauthorised arrivals, they are not held in detention for the duration of their refugee claims assessment. The United Nations and rights groups have for years cited human rights abuses among detainees in the centers. The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that the Manus center was illegal and the government in the capital Port Moresby ordered its closure. Australia had hoped the detainees would be either resettled into Papua New Guinea society or the United States, under a controversial refugee swap, by the time the center closed. So far, only 54 genuine refugees have been moved to the United States. Deputy commissioner of Australian Border Force Mandy Newton said on Monday that Australia would fund the operation of three new transit centers on Manus for detainees. Refugees will be provided funding to purchase their own food and other personal items, security will be provided at three facilities and health care will be provided at the East Lorengau Refugee Transit Centre, Newton told a Senate hearing in Canberra. I estimate it will cost between A$150-A$250 million. A terrorist from ISIS takes up a position in a destroyed building in Damascus, Syria, on Sept. 22, 2014. (Rami Al-Sayed/AFP/Getty Images) British ISIS Fighters Must Be Killed in Almost All Cases, Says Minister The only way to deal with British ISIS terrorists in almost every case is to kill them, a British international development minister has said. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Lives Pienaars Politics Rory Stewart said that killing the ISIS terrorists was the only option to dealing with them because they believe in an extremely hateful doctrine and pose a serious threat to British security. Stewart, a former diplomat, said there were difficult moral issues involved. They are absolutely dedicated, as members of the Islamic state, toward the creation of a caliphate. They believe in an extremely hateful doctrine, which involves killing themselves, killing others, and trying to use violence and brutality to create an eighth-century or seventh-century state. So Im afraid we have to be serious about the fact these people are a serious danger to us, and unfortunately the only way of dealing with them will be, in almost every case, to kill them, he said. He added, These are people who are executing people in the back of their heads, who have held women and children hostage, who are torturing and murdering, trying by violence to impose their will. Our response has to be, when somebody does that, Im afraid, to deal with that. MI5 had previously said that about 850 people have traveled from the UK to Syria to join ISIS. In a tweet posted on Monday, Oct. 23, Stewart clarified his point, emphasizing that people should be treated within the law, and that ISIS is a death cult. Clearly combatants shd be treated in accordance with law. My point was simply that ISIS is a death-cult which usually fights to the death. Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) October 23, 2017 Stewart said that people should not be going to volunteer in Syria. If you wish to serve your country and you wish to fight terrorism, then please apply to join the military or join the police or join our intelligence services, well train you, well work with you to do it in a legal and controlled fashion, he said. But Max Hill QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism in the UK, has a different view. He recently told the BBC that young people who naively join ISIS and go to fight in Syria should be allowed to come back to the UK. He said that it was not worth losing a generation of young people and they should be allowed to rejoin society. Around a week ago, the head of Britains security service, Andrew Parker, told journalists of the intense threat from Islamic terrorism and that it was the worst he had known in his 34-year career. That threat is multidimensional, evolving rapidly, and operating at a scale and pace weve not seen before, he said. British Man Narrowly Escapes Encounter With Sharks Off Australias West Coast British dive instructor John Craig, 34, thought he had seen his wife for the last time when two sharks approached him as he was spearfishing off Australias western coast after he got separated from his boat. Craig was free-diving on Friday, Oct. 20, when he got his spear stuck under a rock. When he surfaced, he saw the boat with his dive partner on it looked like a dot in the distance, Australias ABC reports. The boat had engine trouble and had wandered away while he was diving, and so Craig was alone in the waters of Shark Bay, almost five miles from shore. John Craig was stranded in Shark Bay north of Perth in Western Australia when he was followed by the predatorhttps://t.co/RFZCzhoR8R The Chr?nicle (@ChronicleLive) October 23, 2017 He started screaming and splashing to get his friends attention, but his friend was too far away. It was then that he noticed a roughly 13-foot tiger shark approaching him. Its head was nearly a meter wide, it was about three times the girth of me and it was just like a submarine just circling, he told ABC. I quickly turned and saw another large sandbar whaler circling behind me and it was at that point I decided to give up on getting to the boat and save myself. As a dive instructor, he knew that his panic was likely arousing their attention, and that if he could just keep calm they might leave him alone. The sand whaler soon left, probably intimidated by the tiger shark, he said, but when he started to swim away, the tiger shark followed. I thought I was just going to be eaten out here in the middle of nowhere this shark is just not leaving me alone, he told the BBC. It was extremely close and curious and kept approaching me from different angles. It was trying to work out what I was and whether I could be on the menu. He kept his spear gun between him and the shark as he swam toward the shore of Francois Perron National Park, nearly 500 miles north of Western Australias capital, Perth. The shark trailed behind him, sometimes disappearing into the blue, then reappearing. At this point I thought I was gone4 nautical miles out to sea with a huge tiger shark following me. I thought this was it, this is how I am going to die, he told the BBC. Craig, who had lived in Australia for two years and been a diving instructor for 10, swam for three hours before he got to shore. At some point, the shark sped up and started to swim beside him kind of escorting me to shore, he said, according to The Guardian. By the time he made it to shore, he was exhausted. He saw boats and a rescue plane in the distance looking for him and tried to get their attention. I just thought about my wife and how worried shed be. I just wanted to tell her I was alive, he told ABC. Stranded Shark Bay diver John Craig tells of being stalked by biggest tiger shark Ive ever seen https://t.co/VH8mQOONvC #PerthNews pic.twitter.com/szFaTcXLFZ Breaking News Perth (@perthbrk) October 22, 2017 On the last pass the rescue plane made before turning in for the evening, it spotted him on the shore walking toward a campsite about 3 miles away. It messaged a boat with the Shark Bay Volunteer Marine Rescue that came to get him. I could not believe that someone could swim that far in such a short period of time, Glen Ridgley from Shark Bay Volunteer Marine Rescue told the BBC. I guess where theres a shark besides [sic] you spurring you on Craig says that although he was scared to death by the experience, he would still recommend Shark Bay for its diving and snorkeling. These animals are apex predators, but we are not on the menu, he said, according to The Guardian. We need them in the oceans and, as much as it was scary at the time, I can only reflect on how beautiful that big female tiger shark was. From NTD.tv A video screengrab shows passenger David Dao being dragged off a United Airlines flight at Chicago OHare International Airport in this video filmed by @JayseDavid on April 9, 2017. (Jayse D. Anspach via REUTERS) Chicago Aviation Department Fires 2 Officers Involved in Dragging Man Off Flight The Chicago Department of Aviation has fired two security officers for their roles in the forcible removal of a passenger on a United Airlines flight in April, an incident that provoked international outrage. The firings were included in a report on the incident released on Tuesday by the Chicago Office of the Inspector General. David Dao, a 69-year-old Vietnamese-American physician, was hospitalized after aviation officers dragged him from a United Airlines plane to make space for four crew members on the flight from Chicagos OHare International Airport to Louisville, Kentucky. Videos of Dao being dragged down the aisle of the jet sparked public outcry. As we have clearly stated, the department is taking every action in our power to ensure that an incident like this never, ever occurs again, Lauren Huffman, deputy commissioner of communications for the Aviation Department, said in a statement. The report did not name the officers, but said one escalated a non-threatening situation into a physically violent one, and said a second removed facts from one report. In addition to firing the two officers, the department issued five-day suspensions to two others, according to the report. Chicago aviation officials said the firings occurred in August. There is a lesson to be learned here for police officers at all levels. Do not state something that is clearly contrary to video viewed by the world, Thomas Demetrio, Daos lawyer, said in a statement. Service Employees International Union Local 73, which represents the aviation officers, has accused the aviation commissioner, Ginger Evans, of scapegoating the officers to divert attention from mismanagement, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Union representatives could not be reached immediately for comment. The inspector generals report noted significant confusion over aviation officers roles and expectations and cited a failure to implement practical policies and procedures. In July, the department said future airport disturbances would be handled by city police, not aviation security officers. They also planned to remove the word police from aviation security uniforms and vehicles and improve training. China has sold rat meat billed as lamb, gutter oil billed as cooking oil and baby formula contaminated with melamine. In the U.S. its pet food killed many dogs and cats in 2007. But this spring the U.S. agreed to import cooked chickens from China. Why? Because China agreed to accept U.S. beef imports after a 13-year mad cow scare in which many countries refused U.S. beef. In June, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue flew to China to ink the agreement. No USDA officials will be onsite at the Chinese chicken processing plants. They will, instead, self-verify the safety of their food products as plants are increasingly doing in the U.S. under the dubious Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points program. (More on that later.) The National Chicken Council says the processed chicken will have increased inspection upon entry into the United States and that substandard exporters will be disqualified. The good thing about it is our food safety inspection agency, in the USDA, does a marvelous job, agrees Secretary Perdue. By the FDAs own audit, six out of eight of the certifiers did not even know what drugs and chemicals were approved in U.S. exports. Yet a quick look at how the U.S. government ensures the safety of imported shrimp, much of it from Asia, raises many doubts. Take for example the on-site certifiers that the FDA uses to ensure the safety of imported shrimp. By the FDAs own audit, six out of eight of the certifiers did not even know what drugs and chemicals were approved in U.S. exports. Nice. In addition to problems with data collection and language barriers which the FDA notes, third party certifiers are paid by the companies seeking to export to the U.S. Talk about incentives to look the other way. Imported food, once it reaches the U.S., is not necessarily safer. Only 200 full-time inspectors police 300 U.S. ports and 96 percent of shrimp shipments are not opened or checked at the ports. The FDA relies on an automated system that flags companies with prior offenses and only then inspects documents, opens shipments or send samples to a lab. If a country is blocked, it often trans-ships through a country that is believed to be safe, government inspectors I interviewed told me. According to officials, many China imports are rejected because of pesticides, bacteria and filth. In 2000, the HACCP inspection system was developed by former Monsanto lobbyist Michael Taylor who was appointed the FDAs Deputy Commissioner for Food by President Obama in 2009. Instead of visually inspecting food as government inspectors used to do, under HACCP they simply ratify that food producers are following systems they created themselves. Yestrust us. In 2000, the HACCP inspection system was developed by former Monsanto lobbyist Michael Taylor who was appointed the FDAs Deputy Commissioner for Food by President Obama in 2009. Soon after HACCP was implemented, a study by the Government Accountability Project and Public Citizen found that 62 percent of inspectors surveyed allowed contamination like feces, vomit and metal shards in food under HACCP on a daily or weekly basis, which did not happen before , reported the Hartford Advocate. Almost 20 percent said theyd been instructed not to document violations. A full 80 percent of 451 inspectors surveyed said HACCP attenuated their ability to enforce the law and the publics right to know about food safety. No wonder HACCP was dubbed Have a Cup of Coffee and Pray. a study by the Government Accountability Project and Public Citizen found that 62 percent of inspectors surveyed allowed contamination like feces, vomit and metal shards in food under HACCP on a daily or weekly basis, which did not happen before. Despite serious health, environmental, worker and humane questions about chicken production, chicken remains a U.S. favorite because of its cheap price-a fact which is driving the Chinese initiative. Over 1.25 billion chicken wings, for example, are eaten on one Super Bowl day. But even in the U.S. chicken will remain cheap if the National Chicken Council has anything to say about it. It is petitioning the USDA to make chicken kill lines move faster to produce a cheaper product. Currently, the lines only kill 140 birds a minute. Martha Rosenberg is author of the award-cited food expose Born With a Junk Food Deficiency, distributed by Random House. A nationally known muckraker, she has lectured at the university and medical school level and appeared on radio and television. HAMILTON Once again, locals are being sought for the TV series Yellowstone, starring Kevin Costner, thats being shot outside of Darby. The directors also seek extras in Helena for upcoming shooting there. The groups Facebook page, Yellowstone Montana Extras, said directors will be in Montana from Oct. 16 until Nov. 2, but doesnt note which days theyll be in Darby and Helena. Casting directors Kelly Hunt and Tracy Dixon noted that people who already have submitted prior photographs should do so again. They need to send an email to yellowstoneextrasmontana@gmail.com, with their name in the subject line, and whether youve Worked It if youve worked before or are a Fresh Face to the show. In the body of the email, people should include a name, phone number, age, weight, ethnicity and a photo. Both fresh faces and veterans will have equal chances of being considered. On Friday, the groups Facebook page also said the show is "still looking for an African American Male but would consider a female height 5-feet, 9-inches to 6 feet to work early Monday in Darby. They also need a male Caucasian stand-in Monday. The person should be 5-feet, 11-inches to 6-feet, 1-inch, with dark blonde or light brown hair, age 20-50. The rate is $150 for both positions. In addition, they need a few more cowboys ages 30 to 50, to work on Monday for $114 for the day, and are seeking extras described as attractive men and women ages 25 to 60 for a bar scene on Tuesday, Oct. 31. Anyone fitting the bill should send an email to: yellowstoneextrasmontana@gmail.com. According to a news release from the casting directors, Yellowstone chronicles the Dutton family, led by John Dutton, who controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States. Amid shifting alliances, open wounds, and hard-earned respect, the ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders an expanding town, an Indian reservation, and Americas first national park. Far from media scrutiny, it is a violent world of poisoned drinking water and unsolved murders. Yellowstone is an intense study of the modern west rife with land developers, energy speculators, assorted politicians, estranged family, and tribal players. Within this pentagon of interests, land lust is insatiable and love is weaponized. For more information, you can contact the casting directors at 310-630-3747. Chinese military delegates leaving the opening ceremony of the 19th National Congress after it concludes, in Beijing's Great Hall of the People on October 18, 2017. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images) Chinese Minister Reveals Number of High-Ranking Military Officials Purged by Xi Jinping Xi will continue to make personnel changes in the military in the next five years With much focus on the 19th National Congress and who Chinese leader Xi Jinping will appoint to the partys top leadership positions, a Chinese official has quietly provided clues to the scale of Xis anti-corruption probe into the Chinese military in the five years since he took power. Speaking at a news conference on Oct. 19, a day after the opening day of the congress, Yang Xiaodu, Chinas Minister of Supervision, said there have been investigations into 440 high-level Party officials who either held a provincial-level military position or were directly under the supervision of the central authorities, since the 18th National Congress when Xi was appointed leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Just a day earlier, Chinas state mouthpiece Xinhua reported that 280 Party officials under the supervision of central authorities had been investigated from 2012 to June this yearmeaning roughly 160 officials in the military had been investigated since Xi took power. Between 2013 and June 2016, the number of disciplined officials totaled 913,000, according to the CCPs disciplinary body, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Xi has embarked on an anti-corruption campaign aimed at purging his political enemiesnamely, officials who are loyal to former Party leader Jiang Zemin. And to consolidate his power, Xi has gone relentlessly after enemies in the military, including Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, both vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission (CMC) appointed by Jiang who continued to wield great political influence even after Jiangs successor Hu Jintao took power. Guo was sentenced to life imprisonment last year, while Xu died in 2015 while under investigation. Guo and Xu followed Jiangs orders during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, when it was widely reported that military rescue workers refused to take orders to head to the disaster zone immediately, as all military movement needed the approval of Jiang, who stayed on as the CMCs chairman, even though he had already stepped down from the Partys top leadership position. Later in 2011, a surprise test flight of the militarys stealth fighter jet stunned Hu while he was having a meeting with then U.S. defense secretary Robert Gates. Sources told the South China Morning Post that Xi was inspired to shake up the military after seeing how Hu was so isolated by Jiangs proxies, Guo and Xu. In Xis opening speech at the 19th National Congress on Oct. 18, he alluded to more purges in the military as he continues his second five-year term. The Epoch Times had earlier reported rumors that Xi plans to increase the number of the CPCs vice chairmen to possibly three or four, so the power can be spread among multiple officials. In addition to Guo and Xu, some well-known high-ranking military officials who have been purged include Tian Xiusi, the former political chief of the CCPs airforce; Wang Jianping, the former deputy chief of the general staff in the CMC; and Wang Xibin, the former president of PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) National Defense University. Both Tian and Wang had connections to Jiangs factionTian was a subordinate accomplice to Zhou Yongkang, the disgraced former security chief who was loyal to Jiang, while Wang had bribed Guo and Xu to secure his military position. Liu Yuan, retired general and current deputy director of the National Peoples Congress Financial and Economic Affairs Committee, also confirmed that reform of the military had started, hinting at a future military purge, in an interview with Radio Television Hong Kong on Oct. 18. Liu, however, did not comment when asked if the number of CMC vice chairmen would be increased. Liu has long been considered by many sources to be loyal to Xi and someone who was taking the lead in the anti-corruption campaign in the military. Conjoined Twins Are Doing OK After Separation Surgery: Report Twins who were formerly conjoined at the head are now able to sit up on their own and have hit development milestones after they went through separation surgery four months ago. Abby and Erin Delaney, of Mooresville, North Carolina, had spent all 15 months of their entire lives at the Childrens Hospital of Pennsylvania, Fox29 reported. Nearly five months after separation, we are happy to announce that both Erin and Abby Delaney are doing well as they continue to recover from this very complex surgery, Gregory Heuer, the girls neurosurgeon who led the 30-member surgical team, told Fox29. Erin was discharged, but Abby remains in the hospital. The family recently issued a statement. Although this has been a long journey, with many ups and downs, Riley and I are thrilled to see how well the girls are doing today, the mother, Heather Delaney reported to the station. We are so grateful for the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia team, and for the support and encouragement that our families, our friends and the community have given us during this long journey. Heather and Riley Delaney said that they were told their twins were craniopagus conjoined twinsthe rarest type of conjoined twins, accounting for only 2 percent of cases, according to the Fox affiliate. That was a very scary day, said Heather Delaney, 27, as the Charlotte Observer reported. Its one of those things that when its told to you, (you think) its something that happens on TV, it doesnt happen to normal people. The scans found that they were joined by bone and skin, but that their brains were separate, increasing the chance that they could be successfully separated with minimal risk. It was the 24th time the hospital performed a separation surgery, the most of any hospital in the Western hemisphere. We know that children heal better and faster the younger they are, therefore our goal for Erin and Abby was separation as soon as possible with minimum number of surgeries, Dr. Taylor told Fox 29. Leading up to the date of separation, the parents continued the weigh in the options of separation versus keeping the twins conjoined, saying it was not an easy choice. You dont know if theyre going to come back, Heather Delaney said. And if they do come back, you dont know how theyre going to come back. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis delivers remarks to reporters about recent U.S. troops killed in Niger as he welcomes Israel's Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his delegation for meetings at the Pentagon in Washington, U.S. Oct. 19, 2017. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst) Defense Chief Mattis in Asia, Will Discuss North Korea Crisis With Allies CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, PhilippinesU.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he would talk with Asian allies about North Korea and the crisis caused by Pyongyangs reckless provocations, as he kicked off a week-long trip to the region on Monday to meet defense chiefs in the Philippines. Mattis trip to Asia, which will also include stops in Thailand and South Korea, comes just weeks before President Donald Trumps first visit to Asia. Trump has been locked in a war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, calling him a rocket man on a suicide mission for openly pursuing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States. Trump, in a speech last month at the United Nations, threatened to destroy North Korea if necessary to defend the United States and its allies. Kim has blasted Trump as mentally deranged. Mattis, who has emphasized diplomacy, was expected to meet both his Japanese and South Korean counterparts on Monday before meeting with all three of them together. He will attend a meeting from Monday to Wednesday of defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, in the Philippines. He will go to Seoul later in the week for more defense talks. I will talk with my counterparts, discussing the regional security crisis caused by the reckless DPRK North Korea provocations but also discuss our respect for shared values like sovereignty of the states, their territorial integrity, freedom of navigation through historically international waters, and fair and reciprocal trade, Mattis told reporters. A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea last week, seeking to promote freedom of navigation. The maneuver prompted anger in Beijing. Trumps trip next month will include a visit to China, which he has been pressuring to do more to rein in North Koreas missile and nuclear programs. China is North Koreas neighbor and biggest trading partner. Mattis, while in the Philippines, said he would commend the military for defeating insurgents in Marawi City on the island of Mindanao. Some experts see the siege as a prelude to a more ambitious bid by Islamic State loyalists to exploit Mindanaos poverty and use its jungles and mountains as a base to train, recruit and launch attacks in the region. It was a tough fight, Mattis said, adding he thought the Philippines had sent a very necessary message to the terrorists. On Thursday, Mattis will lead the U.S. delegation in Thailand for the cremation rites for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Dubai Frees Briton Who Was Sentenced for Touching Another Man A Scottish man has been freed after being sentenced for three months for touching a man at a bar in Dubai. Jamie Harron, from Stirling, was arrested in July and charged for public indecency. The 27-year-old said he was trying to avoid spilling his drink when he touched a mans hip at the Rock Bottom bar, a popular venue for Dubais wealthy and often tipsy tourists. The man reported him to the police. Local reports said that Harron was sentenced to three months in jail on Sunday, Oct. 22. But Dubais ruler pardoned him a day later. By special order of the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Jamie Harron has been freed. The cases against him have been dismissed, and the sentence imposed by the court yesterday has been nullified, said Detained in Dubai, a group that assists foreigners facing legal problems in the emirate. Jamie Harron has charges against him dropped in Dubai https://t.co/34YUGPWQSs pic.twitter.com/hFJIx4WSZi jimmy alto (@jimmyalto) October 23, 2017 Harron, who worked as an electrician in Afghanistan, was on a two-day stopover in the United Arab Emirates on July 15 when the incident happened and he has been stranded there ever since. The Scot was also accused of drinking alcohol and making a rude gesture towards the man who made the complaint. According to the BBC, he was sentenced to 30 days in prison for the rude gesture and received a 2,000 dirham ($544) fine and deportation for drinking beer. It might have people re-thinking their visits to Dubai. Harron described the justice system in Dubai an absolute shambles according to the Sun. He said his parents were ecstatic that he was freed and his mother broke down in tears. Just stop crying mum, dont be upset anymore. Dont cry anymore, he told his mum. He thanked friends, family and supporters in a video posted on YouTube. The British Ambassador to the UAE, Philip Parham recently published a statement outlining travel tips for Britons looking to travel there. Local laws and customs are very different to those in the UK and that there may be serious penalties for doing something which may not be illegal in the UK, he wrote. We recommend that people make an effort before they travel to familiarise themselves with local laws and customs, and respect them while abroad. Radha Stirling, head of Detained in Dubai, said she hoped cases like Harrons would not happen again. Of course, a fully functional legal system would not require outside intervention, and a case like Jamies would never proceed in the first place. But we are enormously grateful to Sheikh Mohammed for stepping in. Reuters contributed to this report An Emirati police officer sits on a drone motorcycle at the Gitex 2017 exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai on Oct.8, 2017. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images) Dubai Police Unveil Hover Bike at High-Tech Trade Show Whoever runs the purchasing department at the Dubai Police Department may have watched a lot of 1980s television, where shows like Knight Rider, Airwolf, Street Hawk, and The Highway Man, featured high-tech vehicles as key members of the cast. Perhaps unfettered by routine budget constraints that keep most police departments with both feet firmly planted on the ground, the Dubai Police force is set to take off on new flying bikes and other high-tech vehicles. Police said their new battery-operated Hoversurf can get above traffic and respond more quickly to emergency calls, reported Gulf News. Dubai police revealed the hover bike on Sunday at GITEX, an annual consumer tech show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It works on electricity and can fly at five meters height and carry a policeman during emergency situations and heavy traffic. The bike can also fly without a passenger and can go up to 6 kilometers. It can fly for 25 minutes and can carry up to 300 kg of weight at a speed of 70kmh, First Sgt. Ali Ahmad Mohammad from the VIP Security Department in the Dubai Police Department told Gulf News. For motorcycle officers that prefer being on the asphalt to being airborne, Dubai police also unveiled a smart motorbike that looks like something out of a Japanese anime movie. The smart motorbike has eight cameras to take pictures and videos of violating vehicles. The battery-operated motorbike has a maximum speed of 200kmh, Huda Hassan, an Emirati policewoman told Gulf News. Dubai police worked with Japanese company Mikasa on the smartbike, which is supposed to be able to help identify reckless drivers. The police representative said the bike was going to be tested on the streets before being fully delpoyed. This year, new devices set to be rolled out by Dubai police featured prominently. Besides the super cycles, police unveiled a small driverless car that can scoot along sidewalks and crowded areas to scan for criminals and suspicious behavior. It will be deployed at tourist destinations in Dubai. It has cameras and will be linked to the command room, Brig. Khalid Nasser Al Razooqi, director of the Smart Services Department at Dubai Police, told Gulf News. Gitex (Gulf Information Technology Exhibition) is one of Dubais premier trade shows and a part of a broader effort to mark the Dubai as an important technology hub. The massive trade show spans several exhibition halls at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Falun Gong practitioners hold a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles on Oct. 15, 2105, for those who have died during the 16 year persecution in China. They demand that Jiang Zemin be brought to justice. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times) Man Imprisoned for His Faith Dies After Year Spent in Chinese Jail A man in Anhui Province, China has died under mysterious circumstances after a year of being imprisoned for his spiritual beliefs. Ye Guangping is a practitioner of Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, an ancient self-improvement practice that involves meditation and living according to the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The practices benefits to physical and mental health led to its widespread popularity, with more than 70 million adherents in China by 1999, according to a state survey. Practitioners say their numbers reached more than 100 million. But Falun Gongs popularity was perceived as a threat to the Chinese Communist Partys authoritarian ideology, and the Chinese regime launched a nationwide persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in 1999. The official press office for Falun Gong, the Falun Dafa Information Center, estimates that millions of Falun Gong adherents have been arrested and detained since the persecution started, often enduring torture and abuse while imprisoned. Ye was arrested on Sept. 7, 2015, at 7 a.m. Local police and public security officers forcibly entered his home and detained him, along with his wife and daughter, at the Luan City Detention Center. Months later, Ye was sentenced to four years in prison for his continued faith in practicing Falun Gong. In Oct. 2016, he was taken to Anhui Province Suzhou City Number Three Prison. This prison has long been known to torture and abuse Falun Gong practitioners, even to death, according to Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website that tracks the persecution in China. Many who have been imprisoned there report the prison guards mistreatment. Prisoners are given only one steamed bun per meal, yet forced to do military-type exercises daily. Practitioners who try to do the Falun Gong exercise movements are handcuffed and beaten, including with electric batons. They are also forced to undergo brainwashing sessions daily, when they are forced to watch and read videos and books with propaganda against the practice. This form of torture is meant to coerce them into giving up their faith. If practitioners refuse, they are often beaten with electric batons for long periods of time. On Oct. 8, Yes family received a call from prison saying he fainted from high blood pressure while doing manual labor. Later, the hospital told the family that he had suffered from a brain hemorrhage and entered into a coma. At noon on Oct. 13, the hospital informed the family that his heart stopped beating and declared him dead. The prison authorities did not allow the family to keep or even see hospital records. They also did not allow the family to take photos of the body. Family members reported to Minghui.org that the entire back of his body had purple discoloring. They are concerned that Ye was actually tortured to death. Ye had been healthy prior to imprisonment and did not have any blood pressure problems. The prison asked for Yes body to be cremated immediately, a tactic commonly used to destroy physical evidence of torture or abuse on the prisoners body. Man Shoots 416-Pound Wild Boar That Terrorized His Property A Texas man shot a 416-pound boar that he found ripping up his backyard and terrorizing the makeshift deer sanctuary he has on his land. Joe Clowers, of Union Grove, Texas, said he shot the boar with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. He was fed up with the boar preying on his fawns for the last five years. My property lays between some populated areas and I try to maintain an environment like a sanctuary or nursery for the deer to raise fawns, said Clowers to the Houston Chronicle. Clowers will turn the giant hog into a trophy that he will hang at home. The meat was left out too long to be eaten. He was the big daddy, Clowers said. I called him the bush beast. Feral pigs are a serious nuisance in the United States. They are considered an invasive species, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Their population has exploded since the 1980s, and Texas has the largest number of them, at four million wild hogs. The state has struggled with ways to control them. They are very difficult to hunt since they are nocturnal, with an excellent sense of smell and hearing. Theyre just so smart, thats why I love them, said Brian Pig Man Quaca to Smithsonian Magazine. You can fool deer 50 percent of the time, but hogsll win 90 percent of the time. The New York Times reported that wild hogs cause about $52 million a year in damage through activities like consuming crops, destroying fences, eating young livestock, and digging up buried utility lines. They can also carry diseases that impact cattle and domesticated pigs. There has been debate about how to control the population. Some have suggested poisoning them, but opponents have argued that the poisons will do more harm than good. Operations that make money off wild boar meat will be in danger. Hunters and meat processors cant deal with pigs that have been poisoned. The feral pigs plaguing Texas and other states are the progeny of domesticated pigs that were let loose in the wild or a cross between wild hogs brought in from Europe that bred with domesticated feral pigs in the United States, according to the Houston Chronicle. From NTD.tv People wait as a Mass Transit Railway (MTR) in this file photo on April 16, 2002 in Hong Kong. (Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images) Man Who Pushed Woman Onto Hong Kong Train Tracks Arrested A man who pushed a woman off a Hong Kong subway platform has been arrested. The 56-year-old man, believed to be from Southeast Asia, was caught on closed-circuit television (CCTV) walking along a subway platform in Hong Kongs Yuen Long station on the morning of Oct. 21. The man approached a 59-year-old woman, who worked as a cleaner at the station. While the woman waved cheerfully to a friend across the tracks, the man, wearing a beige cap, green shirt, and brown pants, came up behind the woman and shoved her off the platform. The woman fell several feet onto the tracks below. The man walked on as if nothing had happened. The woman lay motionless for a few moments, likely stunned by what happened. There were no trains approaching, and the woman was eventually rescued. A police spokeswoman told the South China Morning Post the man was arrested outside the subway station shortly after the incident. The police have no idea why he pushed the woman. The man, who had a Hong Kong identity card, was charged with suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The woman, identified only by her last name Leung, was taken to nearby Pok Oi Hospital and treated for injuries to her jaw. The closed-circuit TV tape of the incident has gone viral, with thousands of shares on social media. From NTD.tv Mexican Matador Gored in the Neck During Fight A matador in Mexico was gored through the neck by a bull, but the bullfighter later returned to slay the animal. Arturo Macias, 35, was sent to the hospital after he was severely wounded by the bull in San Marco, according to The Independent. The bull first knocked him over. As he lay in the dirt, the bull then kicked him and rolled him over. The 1,000-pound beast then slammed its horns into his neck and chest area. Help then arrived and escorted him from the ground. According to MailOnline, he was taken to a nearby infirmary, and doctors there told him that he would be risking his life if he went back and fought the bull. He ignored their advice and returned to finish it off before he was rushed to the hospital. The bullfighting event was intended to raise money for the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that hit Mexico City in September, killing more than 300 people and causing millions of dollars in damage. The matador said he knew he was risking his life to go back out there, but said that he didnt want to let victims of the earthquake down. The wound in his chest apparently allowed air inside, doctors stated. Hes still in intensive care following an emergency operation. Online, some users criticized the bullfighter as a coward. Couldnt care less about the bull slaughtering coward, all my sympathies is with the bull, said Yvette Jonsson, per The Independent. Frank Gregory added: If they are gonna do these fights it should be to the death for the fighter as well. Gruesome moments the bull is tortured to death by a bullfighter and enjoyed by a heartless audience, said another person. Earlier this year, a Spanish bullfighter was killed after he tripped and was later gored by a bull in France. Ivan Fandino, 36, was rushed to the hospital, but later died from his injuries, Spanish news agency EFE reported, citing sources close to the Basque matadors entourage, according to a Reuters report at the time. Fandino stumbled after tripping on a cape used in a turn to engage and distract the specially-bred fighting bull. The animal then pierced the matadors side with one of his horns, EFE said. He is the second Spanish bullfighter to die in the ring in the past year. Victor Barrio was killed after being gored by a bull in front of spectators last July, the first time since the early 1990s a professional matador had died in the ring in Spain. Every year several people die in Spanish summer festivals involving letting bulls loose in towns or in the countryside in pursuit groups of daredevil bull runners, which often attract tourists. Reuters contributed to this report. The THAAD missile defense system, seen this file photo, passed another test on July 30, 2017, shooting down an ICBM over the Pacific.' (Lockheed Martin) Missile Shield Officially Set Up and Under Joint Command in South Korea The U.S. missile shield set up during the last few months in South Korea is now officially fully operational and under the command of joint military forces. The THAAD missile defense system was set up in April in South Korea to offer protection against the threat of ballistic missiles from North Korea. On Oct. 19 an official ceremony marked the transfer of the missile unit from U.S. Command to that of the joint U.S.-South Korean command forcethe USFK. It adopted the name Combined Task Force Defender to reflect the new mission, according to a U.S. Army report, and will also include South Korean soldiers. South Korea announced in September that the deployment of a THAAD battery in the county had been completed in a tentative step to counter threats from North Korea. According to South Korea news agency Yonhap, the battery has been operational, but the military unit and manpower operating it has not fully been in place. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery consists of missile launchers, command and control facilities, and a powerful radar. However, the shield system would not be able to shoot down intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles, which have been threatened by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The two batteries of THAAD missiles were deployed in May before the full installation was halted due to an uproar in Beijing over the presence of the U.S. missile defense system and radars so close to its border. South Korea claimed the halt was to conduct an environmental assessment of the installation area. But as tensions have mounted between the United States and North Korea, the Chinese regimes anger has diminished in importance next to South Koreas physical security. Four more interceptor launchers were added last month, according to Yonhap. THAAD targets slower incoming ballistic missiles both inside and just outside the atmosphere, and is described by the MDA as highly effective against the asymmetric ballistic missile threats. THAAD doesnt use explosives but uses kinetic energy to destroy incoming warheads. The system was first tested in 2005 and since then has 15 out of 15 successful field tests under its belt. In July THAAD successfully intercepted and destroyed an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). It was the first time THAAD had been tested against an IRBM, having previously taken down several shorter-range missiles. Yvonne Chiu, an expert on military policy, told CNN that because the THAAD interceptors are potentially safer and less likely to cause a nuclear explosion. If you hit a nuclear ballistic missile with a missile with no warhead, it would hopefully not cause a nuclear explosion, she said. Capt. Jonathon Daniell wrote in an article published on the Armys official website, The ROK-U.S. alliance are now better resourced to respond to a tactical ballistic missile threat. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un looks on during a visit to the Chemical Material Institute of the Academy of Defense Science in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on Aug. 23, 2017. (KCNA/via REUTERS) North Korea Threat Is Critical, Imminent, Japan Tells US, South Korea CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, PhilippinesThe threat from North Korea has grown to a critical and imminent level and the United States, Japan and South Korea must address the matter, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told his U.S. and South Korean counterparts in talks on Monday. Onoderas remarks underscored the deep concern in Tokyo after North Korean weapons tests, including test firing missiles over Japan, as Pyongyang seeks to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States. His comments broke from more measured language on Monday by U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-Moo, as the three men met on the sidelines of a gathering of Asian defense chiefs in the Philippines. (The) threat posed by North Korea has grown to the unprecedented, critical and imminent level. Therefore, we have to take calibrated and different responses to meet with that level of threat, he said, speaking through a translator, at the start of talks in the Philippines. South Koreas Song also acknowledged that North Koreas provocative behavior is becoming worse and worse, in public remarks before reporters were escorted out of the meeting room. Mattis renewed sharp criticism of North Koreas tests, saying they threaten regional and global security. Mattis, who kicked off a week-long trip to the region on Monday, has been eager to emphasize diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully as escalating tension between Washington and Pyongyang stoked fears of armed confrontation. Asked about his conversation with Onodera after the two met earlier in the day, before joining South Koreas Song, Mattis said they discussed maintaining stability and peace in support of the diplomats. Meanwhile, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said he is willing to travel to North Korea on behalf of the Trump administration to help diffuse the situation, the New York Times reported. Grave Concern Mattis is at the start of a week-long trip to Asia and will attend meetings hosted by defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Philippines. ASEAN defense ministers, in a joint statement, expressed grave concern over North Koreas nuclear and missile programs and urged the reclusive country to meet its international obligations and resume communications. They underscored the need to maintain peace and stability in the region and called for the exercise of self-restraint and the resumption of dialogue to de-escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula. Mattis trip, which will include a stop in Thailand, comes before Trumps first visit to Asia next month, including a stop in China. Trump has been pressuring China to do more to rein in North Koreas missile and nuclear program. China is North Koreas neighbor and biggest trading partner. By Phil Stewart North Koreans listen to a television broadcast of a statement by communist dictator Kim Jong-Un, in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Sept. 22, 2017. (ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images) North Korea Threat Is Critical, Imminent, Japanese Minister Says The threat from North Korea has grown to a critical and imminent level and the United States, Japan, and South Korea must address the matter, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told his U.S. and South Korean counterparts in talks on Monday. Onoderas remarks underscored the deep concern in Tokyo after North Korean weapons tests, including test firing missiles over Japan, as Pyongyang seeks to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States. His comments broke from more measured language on Monday by U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-Moo, as the three men met on the sidelines of a gathering of Asian defense chiefs in the Philippines. (The) threat posed by North Korea has grown to the unprecedented, critical and imminent level. Therefore, we have to take calibrated and different responses to meet with that level of threat, he said, speaking through a translator, at the start of talks in the Philippines. South Koreas Song also acknowledged that North Koreas provocative behavior is becoming worse and worse, in public remarks before reporters were escorted out of the meeting room. Mattis renewed sharp criticism of North Koreas tests, saying they threaten regional and global security. Mattis, who kicked off a week-long trip to the region on Monday, has been eager to emphasize diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully as escalating tension between Washington and Pyongyang stoked fears of armed confrontation. Asked about his conversation with Onodera after the two met earlier in the day, before joining South Koreas Song, Mattis said they discussed maintaining stability and peace in support of the diplomats. Meanwhile, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said he is willing to travel to North Korea on behalf of the Trump administration to help diffuse the situation, the New York Times reported. Mattis has been more cautious in his public remarks than U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been locked in a war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, threatening to destroy North Korea if necessary to defend the United States and its allies. GRAVE CONCERN Mattis is at the start of a week-long trip to Asia and will attend meetings hosted by defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Philippines. ASEAN defense ministers, in a joint statement, expressed grave concern over North Koreas nuclear and missile programs and urged the reclusive country to meet its international obligations and resume communications. They underscored the need to maintain peace and stability in the region and called for the exercise of self-restraint and the resumption of dialogue to de-escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula. Mattis trip, which will include a stop in Thailand, comes before Trumps first visit to Asia next month, including a stop in China. Trump has been pressuring China to do more to rein in North Koreas missile and nuclear program. China is North Koreas neighbor and biggest trading partner. Mattis, while in the Philippines, said he will commend the military for defeating insurgents in Marawi City on the island of Mindanao. The Philippines said on Monday it has ended five months of military operations in Marawi after a fierce and unfamiliar urban war that marked the countrys biggest security crisis in years. Some experts see the Marawi insurgency as a prelude to a more ambitious bid by Islamic State loyalists to exploit Mindanaos poverty and use its jungles and mountains as a base to train, recruit and launch attacks in the region. It was a tough fight, Mattis told reporters on his flight to the Philippines, adding he thought the Philippines military had sent a very necessary message to the terrorists. On Thursday, Mattis will lead the U.S. delegation in Thailand for the cremation rites for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Lifestyle: If You're Not Getting Closer to Achieving Your Goals, Try Using a Different Metric Damaged buildings are seen after government troops cleared the area from pro-ISIS terrorist groups inside a war-torn area in Marawi city, southern Philippines on Oct. 23, 2017. (REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco) Philippines Declares Siege by Islamic Terrorists Over in Marawi City Philippines concerned that ISIS loyalists have ambitions to make the Muslim areas Mindanao a base for SE Asia operations CLARK, PhilippinesThe Philippines declared an end on Monday to five months of fierce urban warfare in a southern city held by pro-ISIS terrorists, a battle that has marked the countrys biggest security crisis in years. Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said combat operations had been terminated, after troops prevailed in the last stand against gunmen who clung on inside several buildings in the heart of Marawi. Reuters journalists in Marawi City heard automatic gunfire and artillery throughout Monday morning. Military spokesman, Major General Restituto Padilla, confirmed there was still gunfire in the city, but there were no more terrorists in Marawi. He did not elaborate. Padilla said the troops tried to convince the remaining terrorists to surrender, but they refused. Two wives of fighters were among those killed. The siege has stunned the Philippines and stoked wider concerns that ISIS loyalists have ambitions to make the Muslim areas of the island of Mindanao a base for operations in Southeast Asia. Those fears are compounded by the terrorists ability to recruit young fighters, stockpile huge amounts of arms and endure 154 days of ground offensive and government air strikes that have devastated the city. The armed forces chief General Eduardo Ano said at least 42 bodies of terrorists were found on Monday in two buildings and a mosque in the battle zone. The military has made significant gains in retaking Marawi in the week since Isnilon Hapilon, ISISs emir in Southeast Asia and Omarkhayam Maute, a leader of the Maute terrorist group, were killed in a nighttime operation. Another leader and possible bankroller of the operation, Malaysian Mahmud Ahmad, was likely killed also, the military said. Lorenzana said there would be other military operations and six battalions of troops would remain in Marawi. He did not elaborate on those operations. Police: 6-Year-Old Boy Shoots 3-Year-Old, Parent Charged One of the parents of a 6-year-old boy who shot his 3-year-old brother in the head is facing charges, say police in Pennsylvania. The father, 36-year-old Sirhaven Williams, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child even though the gun belonged to the childrens uncle, who lived at the home with them in Tioga-Nicetown, 6ABC reported. The shooting took place Saturday, Oct. 21, at 3 p.m. in the 3600 block of North 18th Street. The 3-year-old boy was transported to Temple University in extremely critical condition. The 6-year-old is believed to have got ahold of the gun and shot the toddler in the forehead in a second-floor bedroom. AGAIN. 6-year-old boy shoots 3-year-old brother in head after finding loaded gun in a Philadelphia home https://t.co/QbkI2OQpNH pic.twitter.com/JmrlFglLAc Moms Demand Action (@MomsDemand) October 23, 2017 NBC Philadelphia reported that a 12-year-old was with the two boys. They were allegedly home alone. The child is still in very critical condition as of Sunday, police told NBC. Neighbors said they were stunned to learn of the shooting. Im feeling hurt and Im feeling destroyed inside because we have to be more protective of our children, and the things we allow them to get involved with, mourned Helen Williams, 6ABC reported. When I heard about it, I just broke down, said Marainda Stewart of Tioga-Nicetown. To come home to hear about this is very disturbing and I hope and pray that hes going to be alright, said Charlene Aiken, another neighbor, to NBC. Police are now waiting to get a warrant to search the home. Police Find Missing 3-Year-Old in Underground Water Tank Police recovered the body of missing 3-year-old Amari Edward Harley from an underground water storage tank after an hourslong search by more than 50 officers. Harley vanished on Sunday, Oct. 22, from a family gathering in Bruce Park in Jacksonville, Florida, Fox News reported. We are heartbroken to release that the deceased body of Amari Harley has been located, The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office wrote on Twitter. #FINDAMARI We are heartbroken to release that the deceased body of Amari Harley has been located. Further info will be forthcoming. pic.twitter.com/fHFWHAjcFt Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) October 23, 2017 Investigators found the boys body in an underground tank used to store water for the park. The hatch was small enough for Harley to fall into, according to Action New Jax. At 1 p.m. on Monday police called on the public for help in determining how Harley died. Workers have removed covering. They appear to be trying to pull something out of the tank. pic.twitter.com/ZoWlkUNkC2 Beth Rousseau (@BethANJax) October 23, 2017 During the short investigation, we have attempted to make contact with everyone that was at the park during the time Amari went missing, The sheriffs office wrote in a statement. We have spoken to numerous witnesses that were present, however, due to the size of the park and the multiple events going on at the time, we believe there are others that may have pertinent information that could assist detectives in this case. A local news channel recorded the moment the boys family and friends were informed of the death. Heart-wrenching screams followed as the shock of the news spread through the crowd. On Monday, the boys family visited the park where his body was found. They said they have no idea how he got into the storage tank. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said his office will assist with the investigation and work to determine how Harley got into the water tank. We are incredibly saddened by this tragedy, the mayors office wrote in a statement. The city will also be inspecting how this tragedy occurred, to ensure that all city parks are safe and secure. On Monday, city workers placed new covers on the two hatches, which lead to the water tank. Harley was at a birthday party before he went missing at around 3:30 p.m. The family searched for the boy but could not find him. Police said they received a report that the boy was missing at 4:45 p.m. Authorities announced that the boys body was found at 8:45 p.m. A person tipped off the investigators to check the water storage tank. Harleys body was found when the tank was drained. From NTD.tv Sherin Matthews, 3, went missing from her home in Sunningdale, Texas, on Oct. 7, 2017 (Facebook/Richardson Police Department) Police Searching for Sherin Matthews Find Childs Body Police searching for the missing 3-year-old girl Sherin Matthews have found the body of a child in Richardson, Texas. Sherin went missing on Oct. 7 after being left to stand by a tree at 3 a.m. as a punishment for not drinking her milk. Richardson police said that the body of a child was found on Sunday morning, less than a mile away from where she was last seen. A formal identification has yet to be made, although police said that they had no reason to believe that the body belonged to another child. Since the time Sherin Mathews was reported missing on Saturday morning, October 7th, the Richardson Police Department and other law enforcement entities have been working 24/7 to locate her, said a statement by the Richardson Police Department. Today, 10/22/17, at approximately 11:00 a.m., during one of those search operations, the body of a small child was discovered in the area of E. Spring Valley Rd. and S. Bowser Rd. The day after Sherin went missing, her father, Wesley Mathews, 37, was arrested on charges of child abandonment and endangerment. No further charges have been made following the discovery of the body. Sherin is developmentally disabled with limited communication skills. She was told by her adoptive father, Matthews, to stand near a tree next to their home for not finishing her milk on Oct 7. It was 3 a.m. He returned 15 minutes to check on the child but she was missing, the Houston Chronicle reported. According to police, he did not alert them until 8 a.m. Police initiated a search, scouring fields and creeks and wooded areas, with local businesses handing in their surveillance footage. In the end, search dogs lead police to a body in a culvert said Sgt. Keven Perlish of the Richmond Police. As the investigation continued to unfold, more and more stuff came to [the] surface and we followed up on that, Perlich said in a video posted by the police department. It led to the search of that area with canines, and thats how we came across the body. Matthews was released after posting $250,000 bond. A 4-year-old child of his was placed in foster care, the Dallas News reported. Police Warn Florida Residents That Serial Killer May Be at Large Florida police are warning residents in the Tampa neighborhood of Seminole Heights to be on high alert Monday, Oct. 23, after three people died in the area from recent shootings. Police believe the deaths could be caused by a serial killer, and are warning residents not to walk out by themselves at night, CBS News reported. As of this writing there appeared to be no definite links between the three deaths. However, Tampa Police Chief Brian Duga noted the close proximity and time frame of the shootings. But he is refraining from calling the unknown suspect a serial killer. Im very cautious of that term because we dont have enough information, Duga told CBS. You know, we dont know. It could be multiple people. On Sunday, Oct. 22, residents in the Tampa neighborhood attended a candlelight vigil and walked in remembrance of the three who had been shot and killed in the last two weeks. Im not too sure if I feel safe or not, resident Maria Rodriguez told CBS. Right now, just overwhelmed. The remembrance march was led by victims families, including the father and stepmother of 20-year-old Anthony Naiboa. Naiboas father said his son was targeted because he had autism. I just hope that someone just realizes the pain that our family, Monicas family, as well as Benjamins family is going through, because justice has to prevail, Rodriguez, Naiboas stepmother, said. We own these streets! We own this community. And there has to be justice, justice has to prevail. On the night of the first murder, an individual can be seen on surveillance video walking through the neighborhood wearing a hoodie. Police said they are still looking for the person. We have no leads, Dugan told CBS over the weekend. We have no motive. However, police do see a pattern in the three victims deaths, all strangers but shot in the same area and in the same time frame. On Oct. 13, Monica Hoffas body was found in a vacant lot. Just four days earlier, Benjamin Mitchells body was found less than a mile away, CBS reported. The latest victim, Naiboas body was found on Thursday. He was gunned down after taking the wrong bus home from work about 1,000 yards from where Mitchell was killed. At Sundays vigil, Naiboas father, Casimir, pointed to a part of the ground: He was right on this floor, right here. They killed him just for nothing. Like hes not a human, like hes nothing. Patrol officers are walking the streets, in the hope of finding the killer. The department is set to hold a community meeting with residents Monday evening to discuss the murders and how to stay safe. Tampa has a population of 377,165, according to 2016 data from the United States Census Bureau. From NTD.tv An aerial view of the Limerick Generating Station, a nuclear power plant in Pottstown, Pa., March 25, 2011. Two congressional committees are looking into a controversial deal that gave a Russian company 20percent control of the U.S. uranium supply. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images) Russian Bribes in Obama-Era Deal Face Congressional Investigations A controversial deal that connected Russian kickbacks to the Clinton foundation with a business takeover that gave the Russian government control of 20 percent of Americas uranium supply could face two congressional investigations. The scandal centers on evidence the FBI uncovered of a Russian bribery plot before the Obama administration approved a 2010 nuclear deal with Moscow. The deal has been subjected to what one media-analysis group called a media blackout. Though FBI investigators uncovered solid evidence the Russian government used bribes to secure a deal that could undermine U.S. national security, it has received little mainstream media coverage. Now the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has started looking into the deal, Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), a member of the committee told Fox News on Sunday. DeSantis said he has firsthand knowledge of leaked information about the deal. Ive spoken with the confidential informant that helped the FBI uncover this bribery scheme, DeSantis told Fox. Clearly, its in the publics interest that this individual be able to tell his story to Congress, he said. The deal concluded while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state but Clinton has denied any involvement in the deal. However, those central to the deal were significant supporters of the Clinton Foundation and Clintons husband, former President Bill Clinton. Calls to the oversight committee seeking comment on the status of any probe of the deal were not returned by publication time. While DeSantis and his representative also could not respond to requests for comment by publication time, DeSantis has said the facts of the deal need to be investigated. DeSantis told Fox the statutes of limitations might pre-empt any potential criminal prosecution that could arise from investigations of the 2010 deal. The Obama-era deal gave a Russian company control over one-fifth of the U.S. uranium supply. The Russian atomic energy agency, Rosatom, took over a Canadian company with uranium-mining stakes stretching from Central Asia to the American West, renaming it Uranium One. Many of the people involved in the sale were friends of President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and made significant contributions to their charity, the Clinton Foundation. President Clinton also received a $500,000 speaking fee from a bank selling Uranium One stock. The deal required State Department approval. Eight other U.S. government agencies also had to approve the deal before it went through. The most important of these was the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS.) Several State Department officials and spokespersons for Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign claim Clinton, then Secretary of State, was not involved in the approval process. The FBI investigated potential bribery before the deal was approved but may not have notified agencies and CFIUS of its findings. The Senate Judiciary Committee has started an investigation into what the FBI uncovered and whether any of the approving agencies knew the deal was being investigated by the FBI. Calls for comment to the Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), were not returned by publication time. Grassley has reportedly asked the Justice Department to lift a nondisclosure agreement the FBI confidential informant said prevents him from speaking to Congress about the criminal probe linked to the deal. DeSantis said on Oct. 22 that the informant had signed a nondisclosure deal with Obama administration Attorney General Eric Holder and was threatened with reprisal by the Justice Department under Attorney General Loretta Lynch when he tried to come forward in 2016. Its unclear whether the informant with whom DeSantis spoke is the same one to whom Grassley has referred. DeSantis said oversight committee chair Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) seemed supportive. He believes that this is an important issue and he has indicated to me that he is supportive of what we are doing. So, I think you are going to see action, DeSantis told Fox. The Senate Judiciary Committee started its investigation after reading reports that the FBI had evidence that some Russian nuclear officials were involved in fraudulent dealings before the 2009 approval of the deal. Meanwhile, a media blackout of the developing scandal has unsettled Media Research Center (MRC) President Brent Bozell. Bozell has criticized mainstream outlets for virtually ignoring the scandal after the Hill broke the story on Oct. 17. The medias silence speaks volumes. Clearly they are only interested in stories about potential wrongdoing with the Kremlin if it can be used against President Trump, he charged. According to the Media Research Center, CBS has devoted only 69 seconds to the story while ABC and NBC have yet to cover it. School Bus Crashes in Maryland, Injuring 5Driver at Fault A school bus in Maryland overturned, injuring five people, and officials believe the school bus driver was at fault, WBAL-TV reported. The crash was reported at around 7 a.m. Monday, Oct. 23, on the exit of Route 29 off Route 100, causing major traffic delays. Police said that Tyra Wilcox, 50, of Halethorpe, was speeding when she lost control of the school bus she was driving. She lost control as the bus was heading onto an exit and flipped on its side. A car that was traveling northbound struck the bus. Wilcox, and a school bus aida 44-year-old womanwere taken to Howard County General Hospital with minor injuries. Extensive damage to school bus after rollover, injuring 5, including 2 students. @ABC2NEWS pic.twitter.com/Z7ZKPuHPkY Cassie Carlisle (@CassieABC2) October 23, 2017 Two 15-year-old Mt. Hebron High School students suffered minor injuries, and they were taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital, as WBAL-TV reported. The driver of the other car that was involved, a 33-year-old man, suffered minor injuries and was also hospitalized. Police issued Wilcox a citation for negligent driving. In this situation, investigators determined that driver was driving too fast, even regardless of road or weather conditions, so shes been charged with negligent driving, Howard County police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said. According to NBCWashington, the cause of the crash is due to the driver speeding. JUST IN: A school bus crashed onto its side on a Maryland highway because the bus driver was speeding, police say https://t.co/BMuNYTZK1p pic.twitter.com/Bx0et102dB NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) October 23, 2017 The bus company operating the bus, MBG Enterprises, told ABC2News that Wilcox has a good driving record, and shes been driving with the company since 2010. The bus was inspected Oct. 2, and officials found nothing wrong. A manager claimed that Wilcox was pushed off the road by another vehicle. The company policy states that if a bus driver is cited for speeding, they will be terminated. Route 29 north was closed as a result of the accident and later reopened, said Maryland State Highway Administration officials. No other injuries were reported. A school bus crash closed all lanes of U.S. 29 in Maryland, which is why having multiple modes of travel is so critical. pic.twitter.com/D3uf7annJS Patrick Thornton (@pwthornton) October 23, 2017 JUST IN: Police say, school bus driver at fault in Route 29 crash. https://t.co/hPP3CJJuY7 FOX Baltimore (@FOXBaltimore) October 23, 2017 An Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron prepares to take off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on Sept. 23, 2017. (Staff Sgt. Joshua Smoot) Signs of Increased Preparedness of US Military Amid North Korea Threat President Donald Trump has said that a denuclearized North Korea is the only option for the United States. In an effort to get North Korea to abandon its Nuclear Weaponssomething the regime has vowed not to dothe Trump administration is using diplomatic talks, economic sanctions, and the threat of military force. The president has been extremely clear on his perspective on North Korea. Hes not going to accept this regime threatening the United States with a nuclear weapon. He just wont accept it, National Security adviser H.R. McMaster said at the Foundation for Defense and Democracy on Oct. 19. On Monday, the U.S. Air Force said it is making plans to put nuclear-armed B-52 bombers on 24-hour alerta military move not seen since the end of the Cold War. The preparations were revealed by Air Force chief of staff Gen. David Goldfein in an interview with Defense One. Goldfein stressed that the alert order had not been given, but that the Air Force was making preparations in anticipation that it might come. In Guam, home to Andersen Air Force Base, the Air Force reported that it has received 816,393 munitions assets since August. The air base is refilling munitions used in training drills and expired stocks, raising the overall level of munitions at the Air Force Base 10 percent over last year. The inbound munitions ensure required assets are available in theater to support national objectives, said Maj. Erik Schmid, 36th Munitions Squadron commander. Located around 2000 miles from North Korea, the Air Force base in Guam has a number of B1-B bombers stationed there, ready to take off on a moments notice. Just last week B-1B bombers accompanied by Japanese and South Korean fighter jets conducted drills over international waters off the Korean peninsula. A B-1B Lancer. (Courtesy USAF/Getty Images) The United States has also increased its naval presence in the region. Two nuclear-powered submarines were deployed to the Korean Peninsula last week to join in military drills with South Korean forces. The USS Ronald Reagan, which carries 5,000 sailors and 90 fighter jets, is in the area for the war drills. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Oct. 9 that the U.S. military should be ready to respond to threats from North Korea. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army on Monday, Mattis said that the issue of North Korea is currently a diplomatic and economic one. It is right now a diplomatically led, economic-sanction-buttressed effort to try to turn North Korea off this path, Mattis said in response to a question from the audience on what the U.S. military can do to prevent the likelihood of an armed conflict with the communist state. However, Mattis stressed the importance of the U.S. military being ready for such a conflict should it arise. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan conducts joint drills with the South Korean navy on Oct.19, 2017. (REUTERS/Tim Kelly) Theres one thing that the U.S. Army can do, and that is youve got to be ready to ensure that we have military options that our President can employ if needed, Mattis said. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said in response to Mattis comments that the Army has been tasked to prepare for war with North Korea. Secretary Mattis just yesterday very clearly tasked the United States Army to be ready. His words were carefully chosen, Milley said. So our No. 1 task, bar none, remains readiness. Readiness for what? Its readiness for war. North Korea has responded to the war drills in its state media by threatening a strike beyond imagination. A victim is brought to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria on July 29, 2017the day after two suicide bombers struck a camp for displaced people in Dikwa, 90 kilometres (56 miles) east of Maiduguri, killing five. Civilian militia member Babakura Kolo said the attackers disguised themselves as traders wanting to buy grain. (STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images) Suicide Bomber Kills 13 Others in Northeast Nigerian City: Police Official MAIDUGURI, NigeriaA suicide bomber killed 13 other people in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Sunday, a police official said, the deadliest attack in over a month as the conflict with Boko Haram stretches into its ninth year. WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE BELOW The evening attack, which also injured five people, struck the citys Muna Garage area, Damian Chukwu, a police commissioner, told Reuters. The area is home to a camp for just some of the more than 2 million people who have fled fighting with the Boko Haram Islamic insurgency, which has left over 20,000 dead. That conflict, the epicenter of which is in northeastern Nigeria, is showing little sign of slowing, despite assurances by the government and military that Boko Haram is on the verge of defeat. On Friday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that attacks against civilians including suicide bombings in and near IDP (internally displaced person) camps continue to be a major concern. Two suicide bombers also injured 13 other people in a separate attack, said Chukwu. President Donald Trump walks toward reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on Sept. 29, 2017. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Trump Says FBI or Justice Should Reveal Who Paid for Russia Dossier President Donald Trump said the FBI or Justice Department should release information on who paid for the dossier from opposition research company Fusion GPS, which spread unverified claims during the elections that Russia had compromising information on Trump. The dossier was circulated among news outlets and government agencies during the 2016 presidential race, and was made public by BuzzFeed on Jan. 10. It played a significant role in framing the Trump-Russia narrative still being pursued by many government officials and mainstream news outlets. As officials have attempted to verify the dossiers claims, however, they have found not only that the claims cannot be proven, but that individuals behind the dossier are refusing to cooperate. The heads of Fusion GPS are also taking actions to prevent key information from being revealed. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) issued a subpoena on Oct. 4 for Fusion GPS bank records that could reveal who paid the firm for the Russia report, but Fusion GPS is going to court in an attempt to block the House committees request. This comes after Fusion GPS co-founder Peter Fritsch and top lieutenant Thomas Catan were subpoenaed to appear in a closed-door hearing before the committee, after attempting to avoid testifying. When they testified on Oct. 18, Fox News reported that both Fritsch and Catan pleaded the Fifth on every question posed by committee members. Fusion GPS has refused to tell officials who paid for the dossier, and has also refused to reveal sources of its claims. The Fifth Amendment gives Americans the right not to give testimony that would incriminate themselves. Trump responded to their testimonies, and stated on Twitter on Oct. 21, Officials behind the now discredited Dossier plead the Fifth. Justice Department and/or FBI should immediately release who paid for it. Officials behind the now discredited "Dossier" plead the Fifth. Justice Department and/or FBI should immediately release who paid for it. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 21, 2017 Fusion GPS is seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, according to documents obtained by Fox News, which it hopes can block the information from being released. It claims that releasing the information would deny Plaintiff and its clients their rights to free speech and expressive association as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. It notes that committee Republicans argue that Fusion GPS is not a media organization, and is not entitled to such protections. Fate of the Russia Narrative The dossier from Fusion GPS is a key piece in the multiple investigations into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, and information that would prove or disprove its dossier could determine the outcome of the investigations. This also comes after it was revealed that Fusion GPS was receiving money from a Russian official at the same time it created the dossier accusing Trump of having ties to Russia. William Browder, CEO and founder of Hermitage Capital Management, testified on July 27 that In the spring and summer of 2016, they [Fusion GPS] were receiving money indirectly from a senior Russian government official. Trump and others who were named in the Fusion GPS report have repeatedly said that its claims are false. Former British spy Christopher Steele, who was hired by Fusion GPS to compile the report, is also being sued for slander by Russian-born tech entrepreneur Aleksej Gubarev. According to The Washington Times, Steele admitted in his court filings that he never verified information in the dossier. The investigations into Fusion GPS are facing opposition from within the government as well. Someone identified by Fox News as a congressional official familiar with the matter told the network in a statement, Democrats and Fusion GPS have tried to obstruct every effort to get the facts about the compilation of the Steele dossier and who paid for it, so its no surprise that Fusion GPS is saying theyll continue to obstruct these efforts. Fusion GPS is clearly paving the way to plead the fifth, and Congress is trying to find out if theyre trying to hide something, it stated. UK Keeps Open Option of Military Action on North Korea British Foreign Secretary stresses wish for diplomatic solution over North Korea nuclear threats President Donald Trump has an absolute duty to prepare for military intervention in North Korea, the British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Monday. Johnson stressed his wish for a diplomatic solution to North Koreas growing nuclear ambitions, but said that the possibility of military action clearly must remain on the table. Johnson did not rule out British support of a pre-emptive nuclear strike when asked, following a speech at the international think-tank, Chatham House, on 23 Oct. during which he heaped praise on the protection offered by the American nuclear deterrent. British Prime Minister Theresa May has previously also refused to rule out the possibility of British intervention, and the British military has reportedly been planning for military action in North Korea. Johnson said that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was on the way to acquiring the capability to make good his threat to reduce New York to ashes. I am afraid that the U.S. Presidentwhoever he or she might bewill have an absolute duty to prepare any option to keep safe not only the American people but all those who have sheltered under the American nuclear umbrella, he said. The American offer and guarantee of safety under its nuclear umbrella is one of the greatest contributions to the unprecedented epoch of peace and prosperity that we have all been living through, he said. The rogue regime has carried out 19 missile tests in the last year, and 6 nuclear tests in total, noted Johnson. Along with missile tests, the communist dictator has ramped up rhetoric against the United States and its allies in recent months, threatening to shoot down U.S. bombers in international airspace and to sink Japan into the sea with nuclear bombs. President Trump has ordered his most senior military officials to draw up detailed military options for an armed conflict with North Korea. Trump has said that while the United States has patience, if it is forced to defend itself or its allies against North Korea, it could completely destroy the country. The British Foreign Secretary compared the current situation to the Cold war. The public can be forgiven for genuinely starting to wonder whether the nuclear sword of Damocles is once again held over the head of a trembling human race. I dont think anybody can conceivably want a military solution to this problem, and I know many who have studied the matter find it hard to see how the military solution might play out, he said in his speech, posted on Chatham Houses Facebook page. I hope Kim will also consider this: that if his objective is to intimidate the US into wholesale withdrawal from East Asia, then it strikes me that his current course might almost be designed to produce the opposite effect, he added. A new generation has grown up with no memory of the threat of a nuclear winter, and little education in the appalling logic of mutually assured destruction. The memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is now literally fading from living memory. Johnson described the nuclear non-proliferation treaty as one of the great diplomatic achievements of the last century. It has stood the test of time. It is the job of our generation to preserve that agreement, and British diplomacy will be at the forefront of the endeavor. The British Prime Minister on Monday, agreed together with the Japanese Prime Minister, to continue to work with the international community to maintain pressure on the North Korean regime to cease its destabilising activity. A B-52H long-range bomber, part of the U.S. Eight Air Force, 2nd Bomb Wing fleet, takes off Sept. 19, 2007 from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. (Paul J Richards/AFP/Getty Images) US Prepares B-52 Bombers for 24-Hour Alert Status The United States is preparing to put B-52 bombers on 24-hour alert, a military footing not seen since the end of the Cold War. The preparations were revealed by Air Force chief of staff Gen. David Goldfein in an interview with Defense One. Goldfein stressed that the alert order had not been given, but that the Air Force was making preparations in anticipation that it might come. During the Cold War, the massive nuclear-armed bombers were ready to leave at a moments notice, sitting on concrete pads at the end of an 11,000-foot runway at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. Now Barksdale is being made ready once again for a 24-hour alert. An old concrete building where B-52 crews slept near the alert pads is being renovated, with beds being installed for more than 100 crew members, according to Defence One. Despite growing concerns over North Koreas nuclear missile programs, Goldfein would not say the B-52 preparations were being made in response to a specific threat. This is yet one more step in ensuring that were prepared, he said. I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure were prepared going forward, he told Defense One. The world is a dangerous place and weve got folks that are talking openly about use of nuclear weapons, he said. Its no longer a bipolar world where its just us and the Soviet Union. Weve got other players out there who have nuclear capability. Its never been more important to make sure that we get this mission right. Goldstein said he had asked the Air Force Global Strike Command to lead the dialogue in discussing the nuclear threat. He said he had challenged them to consider key questions, such as, What does conventional conflict look like with a nuclear element? Do we respond as a global force if that were to occur? What are the options? How do we think about deterrence in that environment? The B-52 aircraft are long-range strategic bombers capable of carrying 70,000 pounds of nuclear and conventional weapons, including bombs, smart weapons, mines, and missiles. The bomber has a top speed of 650 mph and a range of 8,800 miles. First flown in 1952, the B-52 was originally intended to drop nuclear gravity bombs on the Soviet Union. The development of missile technology soon rendered that approach obsolete, as the bomber would have been destroyed before reaching its target. Despite its age, the B-52 has been deployed in virtually every major military conflict the United States has engaged in since the Gulf War, as a flying fortress capable of carrying huge firepower halfway around the globe. The bomber can carry up to 20 cruise missiles with either conventional or nuclear warheads, which can be fired from hundreds of miles away. Utah Mom Wanted in Murder of Newborn Son Arrested in Georgia A Utah mother wanted in the murder of her 13-day-old infant was arrested on Sunday in Georgia, KUTV reported. Police had stated earlier that Maria Sullivan might be in Georgia because she has family there. Sullivan was in a hospital where officials learned that there was a warrant for her arrest, according to Georgia police spokeswoman Sgt. Marianne Kelley. Sullivan was arrested as she was discharged from the hospital and was being booked into a jail when police announced her arrest. Sullivan, 26, and her husband Dylan James Kitzmiller, 21, were charged on Oct. 20 with first-degree murder and three counts of child abuse as second-degree felonies in connection to the death of their son, Fox News reported. Warrants were issued for their arrests on the same day. Police allege that Kitzmiller regularly abused the child and that Sullivan failed to report the abuse and did not seek treatment for the injuries. It is unknown how Georgia hospital officials learned that Sullivan was wanted, Kelley said, but the woman may have disclosed something to hospital staff. A part-time deputy from Cherokee County Sheriffs Office notified police about Sullivan around 2:15 p.m. on Sunday. Police arrested Kitzmiller on Saturday, KUTV reported. Authorities have evidence that Kitzmiller abused the infant, according to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. There were statements that the child was being handled roughly by the arm and shoulder. That Kitzmiller would throw the baby up in the air, catch him in the air, Gill said. The girlfriend indicated there was a level of abuse going on. She was aware of this abuse. She took no steps to stop this or to take the child to safety. A medical examiner determined that the baby boy had lost one pound of his birth weight in 13 days, had a spinal fracture, a broken rib, massive swelling of the brain, and scratches and bruises. On the day the infant died, Sullivan was on the phone talking about how she wanted to get away from Kitzmillers abuse. During the call, Kitzmiller was taking care of the child by himself. After the call, the mother went downstairs and saw her baby wearing only a diaper and Kitzmiller moving the infants legs in a rough weird bicycle thing. Kitzmiller told the mother the baby would be fine and that she should put it to sleep. That night, Sullivan heard the baby gasping for air. She said she pinched the boy on the cheek to get him to respond. After a few more gasps the baby stopped breathing. The couple called 911 from upstairs, but paramedics could not save the infant. During questioning, investigators found out from Sullivan that Kitzmiller was using heroin. The man was also rough with the baby, but the Sullivan continued to leave the child in his care. Sullivan also told police that Kitzmiller was verbally abusive toward her. Sullivan said that Kitzmiller abused the boy on several occasions, grabbing his shoulder, throwing the child in the air, swaddling him face down and on one occasion covering the infants mouth as he cried. Sullivan also said that Kitzmiller threw the boy from hand to hand, slapped him in his face, and bit his hands. When police questioned Kitzmiller, he said that Sullivan and her relatives had yelled at him for treating the baby roughly. He also said that they had both used heroin in front of the child, but that she was not responsible for any of the injuries. From NTD.tv Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses participants of the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students during the official closing ceremony in Sochi's Olympic Park in Sochi on Oct. 21, 2017. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AFP/Getty Images) Vladimir Putin Warns of Genetically Engineered Super Soldiers Worse Than a Nuclear Bomb Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Russian scientists were close to breaking the genetic code and could make super soldiers, which be worse than a nuclear bomb. Speaking at a youth festival in the Black Sea city of Sochi, the Russian leader warned that scientists could create an army of genetically engineered soldiers that could not feel pain or fear. A man has the opportunity to get into the genetic code created by either nature, or as religious people would say, by the God, he said. All kinds of practical consequences may follow. One may imagine that a man can create a man not only theoretically but also practically. said the president. He can be a genius mathematician, a brilliant musician, or a soldier, a man who can fight without fear, compassion, regret, or pain. As you understand, humanity can enter, and most likely it will in the near future, a very difficult and very responsible period of its existence, said Putin. What I have just described might be worse than a nuclear bomb. Putin called on world leaders to establish guidelines to limit genetic manipulation, saying When we do something, whatever we do, I want to reiterate it againwe must never forget about the ethical foundations of our work. Fear of AI While the Russian strongman normally presents a cold, calculating image, it seems that inside he lives in fear of the future being some sort of science fiction dystopia. Last month, while speaking with Arkady Volozh, CEO of internet firm Yandex, Putin said he feared technology would eat us. He explained that he did not mean robots would consume human flesh, but that humans would be outstripped by robots whose artificial intelligence and mechanical bodies would outperform humans in every respect. Putin used the example of earth-moving machinery, pointing out that steam shovels were better at digging than people. Volozh said he replied, But we dont get eaten by excavators. Putin said, They dont think, implying that that kind of physical power coupled with independent intellect might well turn on humans. According to government-funded TV station RT, Putin raised the topic of AI with students across Russia via a satellite link on Sept. 1, the first day of the school year. Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia, but for all humankind. It comes with colossal opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to predict. Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world, he told them. If we become leaders in this area, we will share this know-how with the entire world, the same way we share our nuclear technologies today, he added. In response to this statement, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted: China, Russia, soon all countries w strong computer science. Competition for AI superiority at national level most likely cause of WW3 imo. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2017 From NTD.tv Producer Harvey Weinstein speaks onstage at The Weinstein Company's Pre-Oscar Dinner in partnership with Bvlgari and Grey Goose at Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 25, 2017. (Rich Polk/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company) The Weinstein Company Facing Civil Rights Probe by NY Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, the Attorney General of New York state, has opened a civil rights inquiry of the Weinstein Company in response to numerous complaint of sexual harassment aimed at co-founder Harvey Weinstein. Schneiderman is investigating whether there was a general atmosphere of gender discrimination or other civil rights violations. No New Yorker should be forced to walk into a workplace ruled by sexual intimidation, harassment or fear, Mr. Schneiderman said in a statement on Oct. 23. If sexual harassment or discrimination is pervasive at a company, we want to know. The Attorney Generals Civil Rights Bureau has subpoenaed personnel files, hiring, promoting, and firing criteria, and records showing formal or informal complaints about any kind of discrimination or harassment based on gender or age, and how those complaints were resolved. The office is also seeking documents about prior private out-of-court settlements made with any accusers, according to a person familiar with the details of the case. Harvey Weinstein faces allegations regarding unwanted sexual activity stretching back several decades. Several well-known actresses have come forward. He has reportedly previously reached settlements with at least eight women who claimed he molested or pressured them or behaved lewdly in their presence, in an attempt to hide his actions. David Boies, a lawyer representing The Weinstein Company and Weinstein himself, has admitted that the companys board of directors knew of at least four women who took money to remain silent. One board member, Lance Maerov, said he knew of only one settlement to silence a womans complaints. Harvey Weinstein is also facing criminal investigations for sexual assault by three police departments, in New York, Los Angeles, and London. Complaints against Mr. Weinstein stretch back more than 30 years. So far about 30 actresses have accused Weinstein of lewd or inappropriate behavior, sexual assault, and rape. The list includes such well-known actresses as Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rose McGowan, Ashley Judd, Rosanna Arquette, Heather Graham, Asia Argento, Mira Sorvino, and Kate Beckinsale. Some of the victims have said Weinstein tried to hurt their careers when they resisted his advances. The Weinstein Company fired Harvey Weinstein after media broke the story of his sexual assaults and harassments. The majority of the companys Board of Directors have since resigned. Weinsteins brother Bob Weinstein is working to save what is left of the company he co-founded with his brother. At the same time, company employees are asking Bob Weinstein to release them from their nondisclosure agreements so they can testify about working conditions under Harvey Weinstein. The Weinstein Company could face heavy fines if the Attorney Generals office determines that the company allowed discrimination or harassment in its offices. Such legal and financial liability could possibly affect the companys sale value. From NTD.tv Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Portfolio Monitoring Top Stock Lists Premium Reports Stock Screeners Live News Feed Premium Support Free for your first month. CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine A company that operates nine ski resorts in the U.S. and Canada will require workers to wear safety helmets when working on the mountains. The new policy follows the death in March of Alexander Witt, who wasn't wearing a helmet and died while working on a steep trail at Sugarloaf USA in Maine. The resort was fined $11,400 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. A spokeswoman for Boyne Resorts told New Hampshire Public Radio that the new policy now applies to all its resorts, which also include Maine's Sunday River and Loon Mountain in New Hampshire. The company also owns resorts in Michigan, Montana, Utah, Washington and British Columbia. The National Ski Areas Association says the industry in general is moving toward such policies. LIBBY Anyone interested in seeing the 79-foot-tall Englemann spruce that will serve as this years Capitol Christmas Tree will need to set aside the day of Nov. 7. Thats the day the official celebration will begin on the Kootenai National Forest with an open house in the woods that surround the tree, which will come down the very next day to begin its long journey east. Sandi Mason, the Kootenai National Forests Capitol Christmas Tree project leader, said the actual cutting of the tree will be closed to the public due to safety concerns. Well just have the sawyer, the truck, the crane and the people necessary to be there at the site on Nov. 8, she said. Its just too tight of a location to allow the public in when the tree is cut. The tree was one of eight selected this summer by Kootenai National Forest employees and others as candidates to adorn the U.S. Capitols lawn during the holidays. Its an absolutely beautiful tree, Mason said. When its erected in Washington, D.C., Mason expects it will be somewhere between 60 and 65 feet tall. Plans call for allowing the public into the national forest site to take photographs and talk with the people involved in the tree cutting. The truck will be set up and the crane will be in place, she said. People can wander all over the area where the tree will be cut. There will be hot cocoa. Logistically, this is what will work the best. Even if we did allow people in during the cutting, they would have a hard time seeing it. Once people come to the open house, they will understand why we did it this way. If people want to travel from out of town, Mason said Libby will be the nearest community to where the tree is located. The tree is scheduled to make an appearance in Libby on Tuesday, Nov. 14, from 9:30 to 10 a.m. at the high school. Gov. Steve Bullock plans on attending the event that marks the beginning of the journey of the Peoples Tree across the state and country. The brief ceremony will take place on the high schools practice field. It will include performances by the Libby High School band and student choirs. We are honored that the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree is coming from the Kootenai National Forest and will visit Libby on its way to Washington, D.C., said Amber Pacheco-Holm, Libby Chamber president. The Libby Chamber is proud to host this community event and looks forward to being a part of this gift to the nation and the joy it will bring to our own community this holiday. The tree will make 12 stops in Montana communities along the way, Mason said. Were getting down the wire now, Mason said. People are getting genuinely excited. We are in the process of finalizing all the events in the different communities where the tree will stop. I know there are some people who are disappointed the tree wont be coming to their town. Maybe they could take a nice field trip and go see it in one of the places it does stop. What's next for SD Gov. Kristi Noem as she heads into her second term? The tally is in: Amazon received 238 proposals from cities, states, districts and territories interested in hosting the companys second headquarters. The online retail giant published a map Monday showing that bids came from D.C. and all but seven states Arkansas, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming as well as from most of southern Canada, three regions of Mexico and Puerto Rico. Last month, Amazon announced it wanted to open a second North American headquarters, setting off a scramble among economic development officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico eager for as many as 50,000 jobs and $5 billion (U.S.) of investment the company says it plans to make in another city. Read more: Theres no begging in Torontos Amazon bid: Keenan More than 100 cities have put forward bids for Amazons HQ2. Here are the weirdest Seattle knows all about the downsides of an Amazon headquarters Seattle-based Amazon and its founder, Jeffrey Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, launched the search for HQ2 by publishing its criteria online. Bezos issued a statement saying he expected the new location to be a full equal to our Seattle headquarters. Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in upfront and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. Were excited to find a second home. If Amazon fulfils its plan to add 50,000 jobs and eight million square feet of office space in another city, it will amount to the largest corporate move in decades, though the company plans to maintain its current Seattle headquarters. Some governors and mayors have already begun floating subsidies of as much as $7 billion while others have filmed online videos or launched marketing campaigns aligned with their bids. On the day bids were due, Oct. 19, buildings around New York City were lit orange to match the companys logo. The next step is for Amazons real estate team to sort through the bids and decide which proposals to consider more closely. It plans to make a decision early next year. However, urban policy analysts have warned that jurisdictions ought to tread lightly when offering single corporations large subsidies, arguing that investing in workforce, education and transportation tends to be a better bet for economic growth. To accommodate the companys growth in Seattle, taxpayers funded hundreds of millions of dollars in improvements, although Amazon directly contributed $30 billion to the local economy. Affordable housing advocates point to spikes in rents in Seattle as evidence that bidding cities ought to prepare for rising housing costs if Amazon decides to locate thousands of highly paid employees there. Read more about: SHARE: When you come across somebody who is agitated, aggressive and yelling, your first instinct is probably to run the other way. But there are ways to effectively engage an agitated person to help them calm down so you can have a conversation and hopefully help them. This skill is called de-escalation. In my work as an emergency department psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Im part of a team working to de-escalate people experiencing a variety of psychiatric symptoms. It might sound simple, but de-escalation is a skill that requires training and experience to get comfortable using specific strategies. It also takes a team to help ensure everyones safety I dont recommend anyone try it alone. Usually, it takes the form of communication, but there are lots of things we do to help someone in a heightened emotional state. We might offer the person a glass of water, something to eat, a blanket or nicotine replacement such as gum. Or, we might offer them choices where to sit within the room, or whether they want the lights on or off. The first thing to keep in mind is that when someones experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis, if theyre behaving in an aggressive or threatening manner, theyre probably scared. Their actions are driven by fear, rather than a desire to harm anyone. Many of the people we see in the emergency department are experiencing psychosis a set of symptoms that makes it difficult to distinguish whats real from whats not and have paranoia fuelling their aggression. Its important to recognize these escalated expressions are often acts of defence. They may believe their life or the lives of family members are in danger. Or, they may believe their loved ones are conspiring against them and wish them harm. Those kinds of beliefs would be scary for anyone to live with. Its also important to find common ground with someone who may be in need of de-escalation in order to gain their trust. Find something to agree with them about like the kernel of truth in what the person is saying or a principle. If possible, avoid saying no or disagreeing with them. For example, imagine a person comes to the emergency department and believes theyre being pursued by someone who wants to hurt them. The person is carrying a knife because they believe they need it for their own protection. Instead of saying No weapons allowed here, give it to us or well call the police, I might say: Im so glad youre at the hospital. Youre in a safe place now. Were going to hold on to the knife for you, so that we can all be safe. Lets sit down and talk. In the field of mental health, we use trauma-informed care. This framework assumes that all of the people we care for have been traumatized at some point in their lives. We know the experience of just coming to the emergency department whether on ones own or with police is traumatizing. Because of this, were mindful about the language we use and how we interact with our patients so that we dont run the risk of re-traumatizing them or making their symptoms worse. If you have a friend or family member with a mental illness or an addiction, CAMH offers a range of supports and educational resources. We hear of too many incidents of family members who end up injured or worse while trying to manage an escalating situation with a loved one experiencing psychosis. Call 911 sooner than later if you have safety concerns for yourself or anyone else. Here in Toronto, were fortunate to have Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams (MCIT), which partner registered mental-health nurses and specially trained police officers to respond to emergency calls when someones experiencing a mental-health crisis. An MCIT will go to a call with a Primary Response Unit, which helps ensure everyone is safe. Dr. Brittany Poynter is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Torontos Faculty of Medicine. She is also the clinical head of the Gerald Sheff and Shanitha Kachan Emergency Department at CAMH. Doctors Notes is a weekly column by members of the U of T Faculty of Medicine. Email doctorsnotes@thestar.ca. SHARE: After 27 days in the intensive care unit followed by three long months in the hospital, Dawn McConnell returned to Peterborough only to find her house infested with mould. She was still recovering from her illness which had left her barely able to walk let alone clean her home so she moved in with her friend Roberta Herod who would be her saviour for the next year taking her to doctor appointments and organizing at-home care. McConnell couldnt have survived without her friend. Read more: St. Michaels Hospital doctors cycle to raise funds for trauma patients Home care after hip surgery saves lives: study More than 250,000 people are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in Canada every year, and this is the reality many patients will face after a prolonged stay in the unit. They return home and are expected to manage their day-to-day lives in addition to complicated health needs with little guidance from health care professionals. A new program based at Torontos University Health Network hospitals is working to change this. The Rehabilitation and Recovery in Patients after Critical Illness and Their Family Caregivers (RECOVER) program is an ongoing research study aimed at improving the follow up care patients receive after leaving the ICU. After someone has been critically ill, they often leave the ICU with new medical conditions, says Dr. Margaret Herridge, critical-care physician and lead scientist of the RECOVER program. (Critical-care physicians) invest so much in these critically ill patients and then we literally just abandon them. The first phase of the RECOVER program started in 2006. For a decade, Herridge and the RECOVER team of scientists, physicians and health care workers studied patients and caregivers in ICUs across the country including Herod and McConnell to gain a better understanding of the challenges people have after an ICU stay. The study found that 60 per cent of these patients couldnt walk a week after being discharged from the ICU because their illness had left them weak and debilitated. Most patients still werent able to care for themselves a year later. Based on these results, the second phase of RECOVER was developed a program to be implemented in hospitals that would improve post-ICU care. The first trial of this program was run at the Toronto General Hospital (TGH) and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. The RECOVER team is now waiting for grants from the Ministry of Health in Ontario and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to make the program a permanent fixture at TGH and other hospitals in Toronto, and eventually across the country. Because RECOVER is a research program, Herridge and her team will study the program as people use it and will continue to make changes to provide the best post-ICU care possible. Herridge says the program strikes a perfect balance of offering new clinical practices while simultaneously providing the opportunity for more research. The RECOVER program kicks in once a patient has been in the ICU for four days. A patients caregiver meets with a RECOVER navigator who guides them through the health care system for the next year. Eventually, the patient is moved from the ICU to the acute ward and, shortly after, to a rehabilitation facility, where they have access to a team of doctors and health care workers including psychiatrists, pharmacists and occupational therapists. Once released from rehab and sent home, the patients and caregivers will have regular check-ins with the RECOVER team at a followup clinic. The program will also support caregivers, who often struggle after a loved one is discharged from the ICU. For Herod, she describes the ICU as a soft cuddly ball, where you are closely looked after and informed about every decision thats made. This feeling quickly disappeared once McConnell was moved to a step-down ward, where Herod says the duo received less attention and she started feeling overwhelmed. When McConnell was released from the hospital, Herod says her responsibilities as a caregiver were endless. She would remind her friend to take 18 medications a day, and brought a 14-page document outlining McConnells medical conditions to every doctor appointment for fear she might forget to pass along important details. It completely shocked me how debilitating being a caregiver was, says Herod, who was part of the initial 10-year RECOVER study. It was physically, mentally and financially exhausting. The RECOVER program will be the first of its kind in Canada and although post-ICU clinics do exist across the country, Herridge says none are as intensive as RECOVER. Other critical-care teams also believe this program has the potential to drastically improve the way patients are cared for once they leave the ICU. When patients end up in the ICU with a lot of different problems, supporting them through the rehabilitation and recovery process is something we havent historically put as much thought into, says Dr. Tom Stelfox, professor of critical-care medicine at the University of Calgary. RECOVER is at the forefront of having a multi-professional approach to helping co-ordinate recovery for people who leave the ICU. The program will also help people understand what to expect during and after an ICU stay. Herridge says many people think theyll leave totally fixed, which isnt true. But she says RECOVER is designed to give patients and their caregivers realistic expectations of what to expect after leaving the hospital, as well as providing the best follow up care possible. For McConnell who now lives on her own in a new apartment the possibility of a program like RECOVER is exciting. It gives me chills of joy to think about, just to know that I was heard and that the system is changing for the better. SHARE: HALIFAXA Canadian civil liberties group is accusing Dalhousie University of censoring the political expression of a student leader under investigation for her social media comments. In a letter to Dalhousie president Richard Florizone, the Ontario Civil Liberties Association says the university is using its disciplinary powers to suppress freedom of speech. The group is calling on Dalhousie to repeal its policies, which the association says are inconsistent with Canadas core values of freedom of thought and expression. Masuma Khan, a member of the student council executive, faced a backlash for urging the Dalhousie Student Union to abstain from Canada 150 celebrations in a show of solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. In a Facebook post, the Nova Scotia Young Progressive Conservatives reacted by saying the student executive should help instill pride in our country rather than push for a boycott of a national holiday. Khan responded with profanity, questioning why she should be proud of colonization and over 400 years of genocide, ending with a hashtag that referred to white fragility. Her comments prompted a formal complaint from another student alleging she discriminated against white people. But the civil liberties group says social media posts are a form of public speech in the so-called digital public square. They are off-campus activities as much as a debate in any public venue would be, Joseph Hickey, executive director of the Ontario Civil Liberties Association, said in the letter. We believe that universities have no business interfering with the conduct of its students at such public off-campus venues, he said. The legitimate desire for a functional learning environment ought not to be used as a smokescreen to stifle political debate and silence dissent. Hickey added: Dalhousie University must refrain from using the blunt tool of student discipline for indoctrinating students in what to think and feel, and instead must allow open and public debate on controversial matters. Arig al Shaibah, Dalhousies vice-provost of student affairs, said in a statement that the universitys code of conduct allows students to raise concerns about behaviour they feel negatively impacts their learning environment and experience. With complaints of this nature, we engage in efforts to resolve issues through informal, educational and conversational means, she said last week. If individuals involved are not agreeable to informal means to resolve matters, the code dictates that the matter must be referred to the senate discipline committee for a hearing. Read more: Police arrest 22 as Halifax neighbourhood overrun by Dalhousie University homecoming parties Read more about: SHARE: Montana's limits on direct contributions to political campaigns are justified in trying to prevent corruption or the appearance of corruption while still allowing candidates to raise enough money to run a campaign, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday. The decision overturned a ruling by U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell, who in May 2016 said the limits enacted by voters in 1994 restricted political speech. "This lawsuit ... sought to open the floodgates of money in Montana elections by making it easier for out-of-state corporations to buy officeholders," Gov. Steve Bullock said in a statement. "I'm glad the federal courts upheld Montana's limits on money in elections. "For a century in Montana, winning an election for state office has meant going door to door and meeting face to face with everyday voters: democracy at its best. Today, we're one step closer to keeping it that way. Elections should be decided by 'we the people' not by corporations, millionaires, or wealthy special interests buying more television ads," he said. The Office of the Commissioner of Political Practices put the new limits into effect Monday, said spokesman Noah Horan. It would affect candidates currently running in local elections, but anyone who had received a campaign donation under the old limits would not have to return it. Attorney Jim Bopp of Indiana said he planned to appeal the ruling, but hadn't decided whether to ask a full panel of the 9th Circuit to reconsider the case or petition the U.S. Supreme Court to hear it. He has 10 days to seek an en banc hearing or 90 days to petition the high court. Two members of the three-judge panel that heard Montana's appeal said the state presented adequate evidence of attempts to persuade legislative action with campaign contributions and it wasn't required to prove actual corruption. Judge Carlos Bea dissented, arguing there was no proof Montana lawmakers acted on those attempts. Judges Raymond Fisher and Mary Murguia said Montana's limits "target those contributions most likely to result in actual or perceived quid pro quo corruption high-end, direct contributions with a significant impact on candidate fundraising." Bopp disagreed with their interpretation of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in the Citizens United case. "I'm very disappointed that the majority is not willing to apply the changes in the law that Citizens United has mandated," that "only quid pro quo corruption can justify contribution limits," Bopp said Monday. Under this ruling, you can "have your constitutional rights stripped from you because somebody can imagine that someone might do something wrong with those rights." The decision notes that would-be contributors are still free to volunteer their services, make donations to a candidate's political party, send out direct mail or run other independent advertising. It also argues the limits do not favor incumbents or curtail the influence of political parties. Attorney General Tim Fox, whose office argued the case, released a statement saying he was proud of the work his team did to defend the will of Montana voters. Under the new limits, individuals and political action committees will be allowed to donate a maximum of $1,320 to a gubernatorial candidate in Montana while political parties will be allowed to donate $47,700. Those numbers will be adjusted for inflation before the 2020 elections. Limits are smaller for statewide races and legislative races. During the 2016 election cycle, individuals could donate as much as $1,900 to a gubernatorial candidate, PACs could donate $10,610 and political parties could donate $23,850. The appeals court said that while the donation limits seem low, they are quite reasonable when considering the cost of campaigning in Montana. The case was filed in 2011 by American Tradition Partnerships, several political action committees and Republican central committees. MONTREALA lot is unknown about how Quebec will implement a new law banning people wearing face veils from receiving public services, but whats virtually certain is that it will be challenged in court. In the near future, a Muslim woman wearing a veil, and possibly with the backing of one or several civil rights organizations, will likely attempt to receive a public service in Quebec and be denied. The interaction will spark a court challenge that will probably end up in the Supreme Court of Canada, said Natasha Bakht, a law professor at the University of Ottawa. I think it goes without saying, she said regarding the numerous civil rights groups gearing up to help challenge Bill 62. Many groups will be impassioned by this. Bill 62 prohibits anyone wearing a face covering from receiving or giving a government service and extends to public transit. It was adopted last week to much criticism outside Quebec, but most of the details of the law, specifically regarding how it will be enforced, have not yet been made public. Read more: Quebecs Bill 62 declares war on sunglasses: Hebert Quebec women who wear niqab worry about how Bill 62 will affect daily life Trudeau says Quebec shouldnt tell women what to wear and what not to wear The National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Womens Legal Education and Action Fund have all told The Canadian Press they are studying the law and considering their next steps. Another avenue to contest the law is the Court Challenges Program of Canada, set up to help finance cases involving language equality rights. The body was recently restored by the Liberals after being abolished by the Conservatives in 2006, but Bakht said its not yet up and running. Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard says Bill 62 is mainly about security and identifying people properly during an exchange of public services. Justin Trudeau is weighing in further on the Quebec law banning people from covering their faces while receiving public services. The prime minister says it is not the role of government to tell women what they can or cant wear. (The Canadian Press) But Bakht said thats a thinly veiled argument because the only people in society who regularly cover their faces in public are a minority of Muslim women. Members of the national assembly voted 66-51 in favour of the legislation, with both major opposition parties voting against it because they wanted a much stricter law. This law is light years away from true secularism, said Nathalie Roy of the Coalition for Quebecs Future, which wants all teachers, judges, Crown prosecutors, police and prison guards to be banned from wearing any conspicuous religious symbol. Roy said her party would also include language to ban all bureaucrats from wearing accessories of submission, and would explicitly ban the Islamic chador, burka or niqab. The Parti Quebecois adopted its version of a secularism charter in 2013 similar to what Roy is proposing, but the party lost the 2014 election and it was never implemented. Solange Lefebvre, a professor at Universite de Montreal who researches culture and religion in society, said Quebec is influenced by French intellectual circles when it comes to secularism and religious neutrality. Its very clear why they did this, she said. Its the French influence. Quebec is a territory where the majority of people are francophone and who are historically Catholic and this combination with the intellectual ideas in France make it so France has a (strong) influence in Quebec. France, which has had a law banning all face coverings in public places since 2010, is far stricter on the issue than Bill 62 aims to be. Bakht said the law is an expression of the popular sentiment in Quebec in legislative form. Read more about: SHARE: What if an accused, charged with beating a dog to death, told the court: I didnt know that was against the law. Preposterous, obviously. Who would be unaware that such cruelty towards a defenceless animal is a crime? Who would be afforded judicial latitude for ignorance? The crime is the crime. Now imagine instead that a man is charged with raping his wife. Actually you dont have to imagine it because such a man went on trial for the alleged crime in Ottawa some four months ago. And was acquitted last week. Neither husband nor wife understood that sexual assault rape no longer exists in Canada as a specific charge was an offence under the Criminal Code. It was an arranged marriage, to which the woman consented reluctantly but dutifully, as was the practice in her culture. Raised in Kuwait by Palestinian parents, arriving in Canada in 1989 as a teenager, age 22 at wedlock, after she withdrew from university. She believed she had no choice. That is how some females still lead their lives of quiet desperation in this country, in our midst, in a kind of shrouded existence, denied basic human rights and treated as property. Like a dog. Couldnt say no to her parents. Couldnt say no to her husband when he forced her to have sex against her will. In court documents, the woman is identified only as Z. I . . . accept Z.s evidence that the accused believed that as her husband he had the right to have sexual relations with her when he wished, Justice Robert Smith writes in his reasons for judgment. Z. testified that there were many instances during her marriage where she did not consent to having sex with the accused but that he went ahead anyway in the circumstances where they both believed he had the right to do so. She was unaware that she could stop her husband from having sex with her without her consent. Their sexual relationship continued in this manner from 1992 until Jan. 1, 2013. The marriage had been performed in Gaza. Children were born to them here. In time it became an unhappy union and the couple separated in 2013. A change had come over her husband, the woman testified, after he returned from a 20-month visit to settle family estate matters in Gaza. He became aggressive, had no patience and was no longer kind to her. Speaks volumes, that phrase, doesnt it? It wasnt until later in 2013, when police attended at the couples home they were arguing over access issues that Z. discovered she could have indeed refused her husbands sexual demands over all those years. That has been the law in Canada since 1983. Prior to then, rape was considered an offence only outside of marriage, meaning a husband could not be charged with raping his wife and a wife could only have her spouse charged with indecent assault, common assault or assault causing bodily harm. A year previous to the revised legislation, NDP MP Margaret Mitchell was mocked about the issue laughed at by other MPs when she rose in the House of Commons and demanded the government take action to stop domestic violence. Bill C-127, which came into effect Jan. 4, 1983, made sexual assault against a spouse an offence under the Criminal Code. A spouse could also be charged with aggravated sexual assault if the crime included a beating. That was scarcely 35 years ago. In some patriarchal countries, its still not a crime. Z. recalled one incident in particular which became the basis of the sex assault charge against her husband and it dated to an episode from 2002, when he grabbed her by the wrist, pulled her on the couch, tugged down her pants and had sex despite Z. asking him three times to stop. She closed her eyes and prayed for it to end and then took a shower, Smith writes. Now, anyone with experience of sex assault trials would instantly recognize the frailty of the case so long ago, no witnesses, no independent corroboration, he-said she-said accounts. Except the judge believed Z., found her entirely credible. She answered questions in a straightforward manner. Her evidence that the accused believed he had a right to have sex with his wife was not contradicted. The accused acknowledged that he exercised control over his wifes body by refusing to allow her to have an abortion when she became pregnant I find that the accused probably had sex with his wife on many occasions without her specific consent, as both he and she believe that he had the right to do so. Z. told the court she fulfilled her connubial role because she believed it was her obligation as his wife. By comparison, the accused was argumentative and evasive when cross-examined and often did not answer the question posed. I find that his evidence was not believable and did not raise a reasonable doubt. Smith was especially skeptical about the husbands claim that he clearly remembered not having sex at all with his wife during the period of the alleged assault because hed had a hair transplant and, he said, the doctor had told him to avoid sexual activity for two weeks. No medical evidence for that advice was presented; its nonsensical. And yet. And yet. Acquittal. Because the Crown had not proven mens rea a guilty mind, the intention or knowledge of wrongdoing that constitutes part of a crime beyond reasonable doubt. Because he believed he had the right. It is to weep. It is to rage against the madness of the courts. Little wonder women dont report. The standard of proof is too high. While it should not be lower for sexual assault, it sure as hell shouldnt be higher. This was not a woman caught in a web of lies. She didnt collude to support her claim. She submitted because we clearly have done a wretched job of informing women about their rights. And then a judge found her credible narrative wanting, falling as it did within this crevice of perverse woman-hating culture. The judge also acquitted the defendant on charges of assaulting his daughter seizing her by the neck and threatening the girl, though both she and her sister testified about how their father had returned from Gaza more fervidly religious, setting limits on what his daughters could wear, which resulted in family disputes. I will end you, the girl testified her father had said to her in Arabic during the argument, after even the accused admitted hed gone upstairs to straighten her out. Girls and women: Who were they to challenge his authority? The judge had prefaced his decision with this observation: Marriage is not a shield for sexual assault; however, the issue in this trial is whether considering the whole of the evidence the Crown has proven the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. Here, the doubt was profoundly unreasonable. Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. SHARE: When Bill Harrison, a healthy 65-year-old Mississauga man, was found dead in his family home eight years ago, a pathologist listed the cause of death as acute cardiac arrhythmia. Years later, after two more suspicious deaths in the same family, Ontarios chief forensic pathologist reviewed his colleagues 2009 autopsy and gave a markedly different opinion. While there is not enough information to come to a conclusion about how Harrison met his end, the findings suggest he took heavy blows to his head and the front of his chest around the time of his death, Dr. Michael Pollanen testified Friday in a triple murder trial in Brampton. The best explanation, according to Pollanen: They were caused by another party through an assault or an inflicted injury. Melissa Merritt, 37, and her common-law spouse, Christopher Fattore, 40, are on trial for the first-degree murder of Merritts estranged husband, Caleb Harrison, in 2013, and his mother, Bridget Harrison, three years earlier. Fattore alone is charged with second-degree murder in the 2009 death of Bill Harrison, Calebs father. All three Harrisons died years apart in the family home on Pitch Pine Cres. Merritt has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Fattore pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charges, but attempted to plead guilty to manslaughter in the death of Caleb Harrison. The Crown rejected the manslaughter plea. The prosecution alleges the crimes were committed in relation to a years-long custody battle between Merritt and the Harrisons. A taped police interview will show that after Fattore was arrested in 2014 he confessed to killing Caleb and Bridget, Crown prosecutor Eric Taylor said in his opening address in September. Pollanen said in court Friday that he did not have enough information to reach a conclusion about how Bill Harrison died. In his April 2015 report examining all three deaths, Pollanen wrote the cause of Bills death as undetermined. Pointing to pictures taken at the scene Bills body was found in the locked powder room on the main floor of the family home the chief forensic pathologist highlighted horizontal markings on Bills neck. Pollanen said the markings should have led to a more detailed autopsy to determine if pressure had been applied to the neck. In his report, Pollanen concluded that both Bridget and Caleb died of neck compression. The prosecution alleges that an assailant Fattore choked them. Pollanen said he could not diagnose neck compression in Bills death. Theres a hole, a gap, in the knowledge that we need, he said under cross-examination by Jennifer Myers, Fattores defence lawyer. Dr. Timothy Feltis, who performed the original post-mortem examination on Bill at Credit Valley Hospital in 2009, considered his exam a forensic autopsy, the jury heard. But Pollanen said it was not. Several hallmarks of forensic autopsy were missing from Feltiss exam, Pollanen testified, including: a collection of trace evidence such as Bills fingernail clippings; photo documentation of the autopsy that would have made it possible for an independent party to review the evidence; and a layered neck dissection that Pollanen said is standard practice when markings are found on a dead persons neck. Further, Pollanen noted, the cause of death Feltis gave acute cardiac arrhythmia is not a real cause of death. Its a mechanism of death. Basically what (its) saying is the heart stopped, which does not actually tell you why the heart stopped, Pollanen said. In all fairness, I think what he was trying to communicate is that theres something wrong with the heart and thats what caused the death, Pollanen said. But Pollanen said he found no significant evidence that there was anything wrong with Bills heart. Pollanen said Feltis is a well-experienced pathologist, and allowed that it is easy in hindsight to point out what should have been done. He also noted that Feltis was not provided with the proper information about the case, but did not elaborate. Under questioning by prosecutor Brian McGuire, Pollanen said he first raised concerns about Bills death in an April 2010 case meeting with police about the second death in the family home that of Bridget Harrison. I felt we should exhume him and do a forensic autopsy, Pollanen testified. But it could not be done. Bill Harrison had been cremated. The trial continues before Justice Fletcher Dawson. SHARE: Dad, heres Dellen. From that winter day, maybe seven or eight years ago when his daughter introduced him to her date, standing in the doorway of their home, Clayton Babcock had never spoken to the young man again. Until Monday morning, in a downtown courtroom, with Babcock in the witness stand, recalling a daughter he last saw alive in June, 2012. No one has seen or heard from Laura Babcock in the past five years. The thin fellow asking the questions lank brown hair, jeans resting on his bony hips, bookish spectacles is Dellen Millard, on trial for first-degree murder in Lauras presumed death. Read more: Laura Babcock killed for being odd woman out in love triangle, court hears He is representing himself. Thus Millard could cross-examine Clayton Babcock, first witness called in a trial which is expected to last a couple of months. Just as if he were a real lawyer, afforded all the courtesies of the court and the witness compelled to answer, whatever thoughts may have been running through his mind, whatever he was feeling in his gut. Are you nervous, sir? Millard, whos pleaded not guilty, asked, to begin the tense exchange. Yes, he was. Millard: Do you find this difficult? Babcock, tersely: Getting better at it. Millard: This cant be easy for you, being asked questions by me, considering Im the accused. Does this make it extra difficult? Babcock: No. But how could it not be? So much time has passed since Babcocks last conversation with Laura, on the phone, June 30, 2012. Parents never stop grieving the loss of a child, though, made all the worse when theres no body to lay to rest. She was 23 years old. And this man is accused of having done ghastly things to her. The prosecution maintains that Millard and co-accused Mark Smich killed Laura on July 3 or 4, 2012, mere days after she left her beloved Maltese dog, Lacey, and an envelope stuffed with about $1,000 at her parents home while they were attending a family function. While she was still nominally living at home, Laura had for months been couch-surfing, crashing with friends, unwilling to abide by her parents rules, but popping in and out. A few weeks later, according to the Crowns narrative, the two defendants disposed of Lauras body in an incinerator intended for animal carcasses, dubbed by its manufacturer The Eliminator. In her opening address to the jury Monday, Crown attorney Jill Cameron quoted from a July 23, 2012 text message Millard sent to Smich: The BBQ is ready for meat. Twenty days earlier, Millard had set a reminder in his iPhone calendar: Barn smell check. It is believed Laura Babcock was cremated inside a hangar at Millards rural property near Kitchener. The jury was shown photos of Smich standing in front of The Eliminator and of an object wrapped in a long blue tarp taken on Millards phone July 4 the inference that Lauras 5-foot-10 body was contained within. During the opening, the jury also watched a short segment from a video (not yet introduced into evidence) which court was told was made in September of 2012, depicting Smich performing a rap song. But the lyrics, said Cameron, had been composed July 23 on an iPad which had recently been loaned to Laura by an ex-boyfriend. The lyrics: The bitch started off all skin and bone, Now the bitch lay on some ashy stone. Last time I saw hers outside the home And if you go swimming you can find her phone. Smich who at one point Monday asked for a break because he was feeling ill has also pleaded not guilty. He has his own defence lawyer. Millard and Smich had been best friends. Not that motive is necessary but the prosecution has a theory for why Laura Babcock vanished: She was allegedly the odd-woman out in a three-way love triangle, had told his current girlfriend she was still sleeping with Millard many years after theyd first briefly dated and the other woman, Christina Noudga, was upset about it. First I am going to hurt her. Then Ill make her leave, Millard texted Noudga in April, two months before Laura disappeared. I will remove her from our lives. He asked another friend to keep tabs on Laura. Then he sent a message to his mechanic. Soon Im gonna want you to put together a homemade incinerator. By May 25, it was ready for a test run. From Smich to Millard, via text: We gotta bring something with bones in it. Turns out the jerry-rigged thing allegedly didnt work to their satisfaction. So Millard instructed his mechanic to buy a commercial version, paying $15,000 for it. There were so many dreadful details coming fast and furious on Day 1 of the trial that the core of it a murdered woman was almost obscured. Clayton Babcock tried his best to put some flesh on the bones bones which have never been found. Laura, he said, was a bubbly young woman who had graduated from the University of Toronto and had ambitions of becoming an actress. Theirs was a happy family, he insisted, playing games together, taking trips; Laura and her dad even watched Say Yes to the Dress together. Until things began to fall apart in 2011. She began rebelling against what he considered modest restrictions and, simultaneously, indications of mental health issues arose. We couldnt figure it out. She seemed agitated, couldnt sit still. Laura saw several therapists. Nobody could pinpoint what was wrong with her. But you could tell she was not herself. His daughter started spending nights away, claiming she was at her sorority house or with girlfriends. She would never be gone for any length of time without letting us know where she was. Lauras peripatetic habits by 2012 and a claim to her parents in late June that she was likely going away on a trip was why the family waited for about a week before reporting her missing to police, her father explained. What Clayton Babcock didnt know and court heard Monday was that Laura had begun working for an escort agency after breaking up with a yearlong boyfriend over the Christmas holiday in 2011. She seems to have been partying hard and doing drugs, running with the wrong crowd. The disintegration like her manic mood swings happened rapidly. On cross-examination, Millard attempted to allege figment of a happy home, picking up on the witnesss evidence that the Babcocks had their locks changed during the period when Laura was coming and going. It wasnt done to keep Laura out, countered Babcock, noting that his daughter knew where the spare key was kept. Millard pivoted. Youve met me before? Babcock: Yes. You seemed decent. You stood there not much dissimilar to now. And then you left. Millard: Did she ever tell you she worked as a prostitute? No, she had not. Millard: You said she had a bubbly personality? Babcock, glaring: Would you say she didnt? Justice Michael Code directed Babcock to just answer Millards questions. He also admonished Millard for repetitive questions. Millard: Did you ever hit her, abuse her in any way? Babcock: No I didnt. It just wasnt in my nature. Hitting my daughter is repugnant. Millard suggested that Babcock was there to give us a happy perfect image of the family in your home. The witness acknowledged there were stresses, especially as his daughters personality shifted and she cast about for a cause. I was really happy with our family. It was a good family. I was blessed for 53 years. And then this happened. So, Im not as happy now. Correction October 24, 2017: This article was edited from a previous version to correct a word in the lyric. Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. SHARE: Officials with the Toronto District School Board are scrambling to ease the concerns of parents and students worried that an initiative meant to enhance equity will lead to the end of specialized programs. The board says that is not their intent. Earlier this month, the TDSB Equity Task Force released a draft report as a result of a year-long community engagement process, to explore what equity strategies have worked and identify where challenges remain. One of the recommendations put forward, to eliminate disparities between schools is to work to realign resources so that all schools, at least every cluster of local schools, can offer a variety of specialty programs. And once that is achieved, the report suggests that optional attendance and specialized schools should be phased out. Phi Than, parents council co-chair at Earl Haig, in North York said parents were shocked to see the phasing out of schools even considered. When we read the report, we thought, wow these are really sweeping changes, said Than, who has daughter who attends Claude Watson Secondary Arts Program at Earl Haig, one that both she and husband also attended for high school. We truly believe in specialized programs, and we wish that every child would have access to it and the same benefits that we have had, she said. But the board is struggling financially. How do they train the teachers? How can they implement this quality of education across the city? There are so many unanswered questions. But TDSB director John Malloy says shutting down specialty schools, like the Claude Watson Arts Program offered at Earl Haig, is not the intent of the proposal. I believe there is no intention of closing art schools, and there is no intention of ending great programs, he said. As director, I would certainly not be bringing that recommendation to the board. However, we do wish to explore how to provide greater access so all of our students can participate in the programs they deserve, he said. He said the recommendation would have no impact on other specialty programs that are run within schools either such as gifted programs, STEM, International Baccalaureate, or TOPS. The report says, The task force recognizes that specialized schools and programs, along with optional attendance, while benefitting certain populations, have inadvertently resulted in greater competition and disparities between schools. In many cases, these schools and programs have served to limit enriched learning opportunities for students, especially those from the most marginalized communities, who experience barriers to accessing optional attendance, it states. The Federation of Canadian Secondary Students | Federation des eleves du secondaire au Canada (FCSS-FESC), also sent out of a press release over the weekend protesting the proposal and said the board should investigate alternative solutions to educational inequity (that) support the improvement of underprivileged students and schools without limiting opportunities for others to learn and perform to the best of their abilities. Malloy added that the recommendations are a draft, and that community members are welcome to weigh in. Nothing is set in stone, he said. He said once feedback is received, a report will come to trustees in December. If approved, staff will work on the report and offer next steps early next year. In the meantime, he said he will speak to the facilitator of the task force this week about clarifying the he language around the recommendation. We understand everyones perspectives, but dont want to get distracted from this really important work of equitable access, he said. SHARE: Its been five years since the series finale of Gossip Girl a salacious CW television series, based on books by Cecily von Ziegesar. Now, in midtown Toronto, the spirit of the teen drama is getting an unlikely revival. Miss Informed is a gossip site, and a social labyrinth for an adolescent world. It gives an outlandish glimpse into the lives of teenagers identified only by first names and initials though one post indicated that last names were once used, as well. Who am I? an introductory page reads. Well, Im one of you, but Im also only your new favorite source for the latest gossip on the social scene at the Midtown Toronto high schools, as well as its parties, gossip, stories, and finally, its hottest couples and people. One post asks readers for more information about a fight between two girls, alluding that it may have been over romantic jealousy. The comments range from corrections on what school the teens attend to a play-by-play of one girl being flung away like a tissue. Notes of friends becoming mortal enemies follow. Other posts are warmer, pronouncing the hottest couple or a pair in a lovely relationship. But the sites quippy gossip and snarky observations went awry one warm Saturday night in mid-September. Emergency calls poured in on Sept. 16 from the area around Rosedale Park. Stabbings, assaults and robberies were compounded by medical calls for unconscious and intoxicated teens. Police reported hundreds had arrived after receiving information across social media. All reported incidents involved victims between 15 and 16-years-old, and the suspects were approximately eight to 10 boys and girls in their late teens, wearing hoodies with bandanas covering their faces. Multiple parties in a number of weeks followed the same pattern, and police believe the suspects attend for the sole purpose of carrying out robberies and other criminal activity. They also have evidence leading them to believe there have been several unreported incidents of a similar nature. Staff Sgt. James Hogan of Toronto Polices 53 Division says the Rosedale Park party was certainly aided by social media but it wasnt caused by it. I certainly went to lots of parties in forests and fields without social media when I was younger. Its not a new phenomenon; its just a different way of organizing it, he explained. Hogan will be a panelist at a Tuesday night town-hall style event, run by the North Rosedale and neighbouring residents associations. The purpose of the evening, at Rosedale United Church, is to discuss Midtown teenagers use of social media and their safety in a digital age, given recent events. Police will also provide an update on their criminal investigation. Lewis Redford, president of the North Rosedale Residents Association, called Miss Informed sort of a dark site I guess youd call it something a lot of adults and school supervisors werent really aware of. On Friday, the author of Miss Informed posted a statement addressing several potential concerns, including the Rosedale Jam party. The author began by saying they didnt take responsibility for what happened, but that theyd be altering their posts in future. I have made the decision not to post about parties, but instead to SMS blast them only to the group of confirmed subscribers who are actually students in the grades invited, the anonymous author wrote. The last thing I want is a disaster. They also wrote that they maintained a set of morals around the gossip they shared (using the example that they wouldnt share a tip outing someones sexual orientation), that there was a site feature to request a post be taken down, and that believe it or not, most people ask me to post about them. Tracking the owner of the site leads to multiple stops: a listed phone number was previously used to advertise escort services in Vaughan, as recently as June 2016. The site itself is registered with a company based in Panama. The site focuses on five schools: North Toronto Collegiate Institute, Northern Secondary School, Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute, Rosedale Heights School of the Arts, Forest Hill Collegiate Institute and BHHS, which may be an acronym for Branksome Hall. Toronto District School Board said theyre aware of the gossip site, but dont have control over the content posted to it. Its important to note that content posted online that has a negative impact on the climate of a school can result in possible disciplinary action in cases where the posters identity is known, spokesperson Ryan Bird wrote. In this specific case, the identity of the poster is not known by staff. And though the meeting was spurred by the public-park parties in September, Hogan says thats just the starting point. Its actually a much broader discussion. We get that thats just a useful catalyst. Its a much broader discussion about social media, and young people, and the implications of it. SHARE: A furtive snapshot of a blurry projector screen revealed David Sorbellos quiz to the world: Female or Shemale can you tell? was the title. Then came a series of head shots, and the sociology students were told to choose between the two options. Instead, dozens of students at the State University of New Yorks Geneseo campus have demanded that Sorbello be fired, and the schools president has announced an investigation into last weeks quiz. Sorbello, an adjunct lecturer, had earned a smattering of mostly positive online reviews from students in his time at Geneseo: clear instructions and snappy lectures that made his introduction-to-sociology classes fly by. Wednesdays topic was gender, sexuality and sexual identity, sophomore Jillian Sternberg told BuzzFeed. Somehow, this led to the quiz Sorbello put up on the screen. We want you to write whether its female or she-male, Sternberg recalled him saying. The student told Buzzfeed that Sorbello then commented on each photo as the class evaluated it: Like, Im definitely not going to the bar with you. Neither Sorbello nor administrators immediately replied to emails from the Washington Post seeking comment, so its unclear what the quizs purpose was supposed to be. Sternberg told BuzzFeed that Sorbello didnt explain it to the class, either, so some students walked up afterward and confronted him. He told me the lecture was part humour and part to teach sexual dimorphism, another student, Jessica Friedman, wrote on Facebook. My professors have managed to teach me about sexual dimorphism without being discriminatory and transphobic. The quiz bears the same name as a game that the drag queen RuPaul used to run on the show Drag Race. In that version of female or shemale, contestants were shown close-ups of celebrities and told to decide whether they were a biological woman or psychological woman, according to Slate. But HuffPost reported that Drag Race cancelled the segment in 2014 and apologized to viewers who considered the term shemale a transphobic slur. Three years later in Geneseo, students spread a photo of Sorbellos quiz far and wide across the internet. More than 150 people have signed a petition on the schools website to fire Sorbello, claiming he told the class that this is a lesson to you all not to get drunk or you might take the wrong one home. The president of the school, Denise Battles, promised on Friday to investigate and determine if and what action is warranted. Let me say unequivocally that SUNY Geneseo has a steadfast and uncompromising commitment to diversity and inclusivity, she wrote in a statement. We work diligently to sustain an inviting and supportive environment for people of all gender identities, gender expressions, sexual orientations, races, religions and other identities. Gender issues have flared in classrooms across the United States this year, one in which the Trump administration rolled back federal protections for transgender students, banned transgender troops and nominated for federal judgeship a man who called trans children part of Satans plan. As The Washington Post has reported, a fifth-grade teacher in Florida was removed from a classroom last month after asking to be addressed with gender-neutral pronouns. The same month, violent clashes broke out at Georgia Tech after police fatally shot the leader of a campus LGBT group. Outraged students at Geneseo, for their part, arent happy to wait and see whether the school takes any action over the quiz. Professor Sorbellos rhetoric deeply disturbs us, reads an open letter to the school, co-signed by nearly 100 past and present students. An attack on any protected class is an attack on the entire campus community. Read more: U.S. Supreme Court urged to block Mississippis religious anti-LGBT law Transgender Maine teen kicked out of Christian school named homecoming king at new school Transgender teacher removed from Florida classroom after some parents object to using Mx. title SHARE: By the time the bodies of Rachel Nguyen and Joseph Orbeso were discovered in Joshua Tree National Park, the two hadnt been seen for nearly three months. They had been reported missing July 28 by the owner of a nearby bed-and-breakfast, who told authorities that the pair had probably gone hiking but never returned to check out. Their disappearance set off a massive search involving aircraft, dogs, horses and search-and-rescue workers on foot in the vast, rugged national park. The day that Nguyen and Orbeso vanished, a park ranger discovered their empty vehicle near the parks Maze Loop trailhead. Orbesos father threw himself into the search efforts, scouring the rocky landscapes in the unforgiving desert heat for any signs of his son, according to the Desert Sun. Gilbert Orbeso told the newspaper that he had last seen his son on July 26, just before Nguyen had picked him up to go on the trip, which was to celebrate her birthday. The two, from Orange County, Calif., had dated in the past and remained friends, the father added. Everything seems like its in slow motion, I think because of the waiting, the anticipation, Gilbert Orbeso told the newspaper in August. Going on these searches helps. I cant just sit around and do nothing. Through August and September, there would be nothing else that indicated the pairs whereabouts. At last, on Oct. 15, a park ranger reported seeing two deceased persons located inside ... a steep canyon to the far north of the Maze Loop Trailhead. The following morning, investigators went into the canyon by air to retrieve the bodies, which were soon identified as Nguyen, 20, and Orbeso, 22. Both had gunshot wounds, according to a statement from the Morongo Basin Sheriffs Department. Based on evidence located at the scene, detectives believe Orbeso shot Nguyen, then shot himself, the statement read. The investigation into Orbesos actions remain under investigation. The case has left more questions than answers, and police said they still do not have a motive for why Orbeso would have killed Nguyen or when, exactly, they died. AllTrails.com describes the Maze Loop as a 7.7-kilometre loop trail, accessible year-round and rated as moderate. Other hiking sites, such as Modern Hiker, describe the Maze Loop as part of a larger route, full of impressive desert vistas and some of the most secluded rock formations in Joshua Tree. In a subsequent update Friday, officials released more details, which hinted that the pair may have been suffering from the elements and from thirst when they died. The bodies of Rachel Nguyen and Joseph Orbeso were found under a tree, the sheriffs office said. They had positioned their clothing to cover their lower extremities and protect them from the sun. It appears they had been rationing their food and had no water. The gun found near the bodies was registered to Joseph Orbeso, officials said. Usually theres history a note or message to someone, Cindy Bachman, a spokesperson for the sheriffs office, said in a phone interview. In the absence of that, she added, it is difficult to determine a motive. We dont know that, and well probably never know that, she said. The areas triple-digit temperatures made for a very dire situation, and the condition of the bodies made it difficult to determine when they died, Bachman said. Austin Young, who described Orbeso as the best friend I ever had in a post on Facebook, said Orbeso worked in the security industry, which was why he owned a gun. Joseph did not maliciously kill Rachel, Young wrote. He put him and her out of their misery. He said Orbeso took the gun to Joshua Tree to protect himself and Nguyen, with whom Orbeso was a close friend. Gilbert Orbeso, who was with Joshua Tree Search and Rescue when his sons body was found, said the two friends had been locked in an embrace when they died. A San Bernardino sheriffs spokesperson later confirmed that account. I want Joseph to be remembered as a kind, caring and thoughtful person, Gilbert Orbeso wrote in an email to the San Jose Mercury News. The way he was found beside Rachel holding her as they were seeking shade under the brush says everything you need to know about him as a man and as a human being. I am proud to be his father and his kindness will live on in me and those who knew him best. Nguyens family said they believed that Rachel had injured herself and that Orbeso had cared for her then shot her out of compassion. It was explained to us by the investigators on scene, with the circumstances and positioning of the bodies, that they believe this was a sympathetic murder-suicide, Son Nguyen, Rachels uncle, told the Desert Sun. We hold no grudges against Joseph or the Orbeso family. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Orbeso family, and that they will remain in our prayers. We thank God that well be able to give Rachel a proper burial and lay her to rest. Son Nguyen told the newspaper that Rachel may have been in distress; her T-shirt had been wrapped around her head like a bandage. Until you are in the same situation ... you dont know how you would react, he told the newspaper. With files from the New York Times SHARE: CLARK, PHILIPPINESThe Philippine government declared the end Monday to the militant siege of a southern city that lasted five months, left more than 1,100 people dead and sparked fears of Daesh, also known as ISIS, gaining a foothold in Southeast Asia. Speaking at an annual meeting of the regions defence ministers, Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters that combat operations in Marawi were ending after troops recovered 42 bodies of the last group of militants. Those are the last group of stragglers of Mautes and they were caught in one building so there was a firefight, so they were finished, he said. There are no more militants inside Marawi City. The siege had sparked fears Daesh would influence, fund and strengthen local militancies as it was losing ground in Syria and Iraq. The defeat of the Daesh-linked uprising and the deaths of its leaders have been a relief to the region. The Philippine security forces, aided by its government and the massive support of the Filipino people, have nipped the budding infrastructure and defeated terrorism in the Philippines, Lorenzana said. He said the achievement shows how regional co-operation can contain the spread of terrorism. In crushing thus far the most serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and the region, we have contributed to preventing its spread in Asia. Fighting terrorism is high on the agenda of the Southeast Asian defence ministers meeting at the Clark freeport north of Manila. As the meetings opened, the head of the Brunei delegation expressed condolences for the loss of lives in Marawi, but congratulated the Philippines for being able to liberate the city. Malaysias minister said the siege was a wake-up call for the region. We have to be very careful. What happened in Marawi can happen anywhere, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said. Hundreds of militants, many waving Daesh-style black flags, launched the siege on May 23 in Marawi, a bastion of Islamic faith in the south of the largely Roman Catholic Philippines, by seizing the lakeside citys central business district and outlying communities. They ransacked banks and shops, including gun stores, looted houses and smashed statues in a Roman Catholic cathedral, according to the military. Read more: Syrias largest oilfield captured from Daesh in push by allied forces Trump to meet Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during Asia trip The fighting has left at least 1,131 people dead, including 919 militants and 165 soldiers and police. At least 1,780 of the hostages seized by the militants, including a Roman Catholic priest, were rescued. The final group of 20 captives were freed overnight, Army Col. Romeo Brawner said at a news conference Sunday. That left the gunmen with none of the hostages they had used as human shields to slow the military advance for months. The disastrous uprising, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of Marawi residents, erupted as the Philippines was hosting annual summit meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year, along with the 10-nation blocs Asian and Western counterparts, including the United States and Australia. The two governments have deployed surveillance aircraft and drones to help Filipino troops rout the Marawi militants. Last week, troops killed the final two surviving leaders of the siege, including Isnilon Hapilon, who is listed among the FBIs most-wanted terror suspects in the world, and Omarkhayam Maute. Following their deaths, President Rodrigo Duterte travelled near the main scene of battle and declared Marawi had been essentially liberated. DNA tests done in the United States requested by the Philippine military have confirmed the death of Hapilon, according to the U.S. Embassy in Manila. Washington has offered a bounty of up to $5 million for Hapilon, who had been blamed for kidnappings for ransom of American nationals and other terrorist attacks. Among the foreign militants believed to be with the remaining gunmen in Marawi were Malaysian militant Amin Baco and an Indonesian known only as Qayyim. Both have plotted attacks and provided combat training to local militants for years but have eluded capture in the south. Lorenzana said Monday the identities of the final 42 bodies had not been determined and some were beyond recognition. Read more about: SHARE: Kate Jaimet recently published a piece bemoaning the fact her daughters well-intentioned Native Princess costume was deemed to be offensive by her teacher. Jaimet repeated an argument we have now seen many times in Canadian media: that discouraging appropriation of Indigenous cultures amounts to forbidding cross-cultural appreciation or, in Jaimets words, imagining ourselves in someone elses shoes. This argument misses the point of what Indigenous people have been telling us about appropriation. This is particularly apparent when Jaimet writes: Essentially, (a Franco-Ontarian school board that has advised students not to portray cultures outside of their own) is sending kids the message that a Jamaican boy cant imagine himself a ninja. A Latino girl cant dress up as a coureur des bois. And an Ojibwa child cant pretend to be a gondolier. To imply these examples are equivalent to Jaimets daughter dressing up as an Indigenous person for Halloween is to imply that all Japanese people are ninjas, or all Italian people are gondoliers (the same goes for the coureur de bois example, although I would like to meet the kid who actually comes up with that costume ... and ask her how she earned the confusing designation Latino girl). These are examples of unique, storied professions, not generalizations of entire cultures or ethnicities. I am curious whether Jaimet would be comfortable with a white boy putting on brown face paint and a dashiki for Halloween, or an Indian girl throwing on a poncho and sombrero and stating that her costume that year was a Mexican. So where does a Native Princess costume fall? Well, can Jaimet tell me what a Native Princess is? What nation does this princess come from? What legal order made her a princess? And what is she wearing that indicates this specific identity? The uncomfortable reality is that when we settlers visualize a Native person, we cannot visualize an individual wearing particular garb for a particular reason, but only a hodgepodge of images we have seen of people from many different nations in many different contexts, divorced from an education in Indigenous culture and history that would allow us to understand who is who and what means what. The result is that when we decide it is all right to dress up as Indigenous people, we are likely to combine clothing in inaccurate ways, and to adorn ourselves in regalia that is meant to mark a specific occasion or accomplishment of importance. The message this sends is that appreciating Indigenous culture means having those mixed-up images in our head and finding them esthetically pleasing, rather than making an effort to discover the meaning behind them. Perceiving this ignorance is essential to understanding why such costumes are offensive. It is general knowledge that a yarmulke on the head or a Celtic cross around the neck are meaningful symbols that shouldnt be part of Halloween costumes, but the analogous fact that children should not be dressing up in sacred eagle feathers (or craft store approximations thereof) is widely unknown and being debated in our media. All that Indigenous people are asking is that we stop reminding them how easy it is for us to remain ignorant of their cultures. One valid question from Jaimets piece remains: how to explain this to a four-year-old? I recommend she show her daughter photos of Indigenous teenagers wearing traditional clothes to school in support of the #WearingMyCulture campaign. Explain that for these kids, dressing like a Native takes bravery, since they have all been bullied for being Indigenous. Read where each of them comes from and point out how different their outfits are. Jaimet should tell her daughter Yes, Native clothing is beautiful, but it is for Native people to show who they are, not for us. Then, she should encourage her daughter to keep learning about the people whose land she lives on for the rest of her life. That is how we gain the ability to truly imagine ourselves in others shoes. Francesca Hannan is a law student at the University of Victoria. Read more about: SHARE: I am not a friend of Bill Morneau. Never met him. And what I have seen of him from a distance suggests he is an inept politician. But the media and opposition gang-up on him in recent days has given me an uneasy feeling. Yes, Morneau should have voluntarily put his financial assets into a blind trust when he was first appointed as finance minister rather than be embarrassed into it two years later. But the ethics commissioner said he didnt have to. Those are the rules. Essentially, then, he is being pilloried for following the rules. Plus there is the underlying accusation that he is rich. Or, as a local tabloid put it in a front-page headline last week, filthy rich, a phrase that implies misbegotten gains. Then there is the suggestion, voiced repeatedly in Parliament last week, that Morneau used his position as finance minister to make himself even richer by rigging the system in favour of his old firm, Morneau Shepell. Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre said the minister has vast powers at his hands that he would be able to use to advantage the company in which he had tens of millions of dollars of secret holdings. NDP MP Nathan Cullen suggested he had personally benefitted (to the tune of $2 million) from a pension bill that advantaged firms like Morneau Shepell. Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs pointed out that Morneau Shepell has a subsidiary in Barbados and concluded that means Morneau himself currently benefits from the (Canadian) tax treaty with Barbados. Really? Does anyone seriously believe Morneau entered politics to make money? Of course not. If making more money were Morneaus concern, he would have been far better off staying in the business world. But conflict of interest, real or imagined, is a familiar trope in the ad hominem attacks that have come to characterize our politics. If you cant attack the ministers policies, go after him or her for corruption. It didnt used to be this way. Politics in Canada used to be an engagement of ideas. Ad hominem attacks were kept to a minimum. Personal lives were rarely mentioned. Now anything goes. Partly I blame the media for this. And I say that as someone who toiled for four decades in the media vineyards. For the media, it is far easier to report on conflicts of interest or other perceived wrongdoings by politicians than to dissect and analyze complicated issues like tax reform or climate change. This trend has been exacerbated in recent years by the growth of social media, where facts are never allowed to stand in the way of a good story. (If you think the mainstream media has been harsh on Morneau, take a look at the online commentary.) I also partly blame the politicians themselves. Gone is the mutual respect between individuals who are willing to put their names on a ballot. Now politics is a blood sport. The more damage you can do to the other guys reputation the better. And partly I blame all of us, for the media and the politicians are merely reflecting our own propensity (borrowed from the Americans) to see politicians in the worst possible light. Why should we care about this? Surely politicians know what they are signing up for when they run for office. Isnt it their problem, not ours? We should care because what we are witnessing with Morneau is a textbook example of why parties of all stripes are having so much difficulty recruiting good candidates. Now when the parties approach someone who has been successful in business or the professions or academia or the labour movement, the response is even more likely to be: Are you kidding? Look what happened to Morneau. As a result, we increasingly end up being governed by professional politicians or mediocrities. And we are all worse off for it. So criticize Morneau, if you will, for his tin ear (his own self-description). But before indulging in a feeding frenzy at his expense, keep in mind the potential negative consequences. Ian Urquhart is former reporter, columnist and editor at the Toronto Star. SHARE: As almost half of Puerto Rico's population remains without cell phone service, and many more without power, the company that provides some of that coverage is experiencing financial distress. PR Wireless Inc., which operates as Open Mobile, generates 100% of its revenue in Puerto Rico, where Hurricane Maria damaged much of the commonwealth's wireless infrastructure and electrical grid, along with many other utilities. "There were some damages to the telecom infrastructure but on top of that you also have the power," Moody's analyst Marie Fischer-Sabatie said Friday. "The recovery of the telecom network is to an extent related to the the recovery of the power," she said, explaining that both need to be operational. As of Oct. 19, 61% of telecommunications had been restored, according to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, but only 21% had power, according to Puerto Rico's governor. With this, the company is experiencing revenue disruption, damage to its assets and has little cash -- just $10 million plus another $10 million in revolving credit -- to recover, according to Moody's Investors Service. Although the company will likely receive some help from its insurers and the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, "this may not be sufficient to fully alleviate liquidity concerns," Moody's said, downgrading the company on Oct. 17 to Caa2 with a negative outlook. The rating firm said it was skeptical that there would be any positive pressure on PR Wireless's rating in the near future, due to the extent of the damage caused by the hurricane. However, a joint venture with Sprint Corp., which was announced earlier this year, could help PR Wireless, the fourth-largest wireless provider in Puerto Rico. PR Wireless was formed in 2007 after the bankruptcy of MoviStar Inc. The company didn't respond to request for comment. Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, only a few weeks after Hurricane Irma -- another massive storm -- hit the northeast part of the island. The U.S. Virgin Islands have been similarly devastated. In addition to PR Wireless -- and the millions of residents suffering under the harsh conditions -- the profound damage to these territories has the potential to affect a wide swath of businesses and governmental entities, according to an earlier Moody's report. On Oct. 2 Moody's noted that financial conditions for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were already vulnerable when the hurricanes struck. "While the humanitarian cost and full magnitude of the damage are still unknown, it is clear that the hurricanes will have a significant effect on the local economy and the financial condition of some rated issuers.... Damage to infrastructure and a potential increase in outmigration resulting from the storms will hamper economic activity. The important tourism industries in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico have been hurt and will take time to recover." In addition to Puerto Rico's electric authorities, PREPA and AES, the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority is in the process of restoring electrify to customers that lost it during the hurricanes. The authority has weak internal liquidity and limited cash on hand or other resources to finance capital expenditures, Moody's said. However, the rating agency added, that its debt service is fully-funded. Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico LLC is another telecom company there, and faces challenges similar to those of PR Wireless. The effect of the storm on Liberty's credit, currently B3 with a stable outlook, will depend on the pace of power repairs and the extent of infrastructure damages, Moody's said. The operator of Puerto Rico's San Juan Luis Munoz Marin Airport and the operator of two toll roads in Puerto Rico were placed on review for downgrade from Ba2 and Ba3, respectively after Hurricane Maria, Moody's said. The companies, Aerostar Airport Holdings LLC and Metropistas, were each able to resume operations nearly right away, despite some damage. For Aerostar, agreements with airlines that set a floor for payments to the airport will help offset reduced operations, Moody's said. However, traffic could remain low for Metropistas, which does have liquidity available. Recently, Aerostar said in a press release that "airport management is evaluating damages to airport infrastructure and does not have a reasonable estimate yet. Airport infrastructure is insured against material damages with a maximum deductible of US$10 million." A representative for Aerostar's parent company Aeropuertos Del Sureste confirmed that $10 million is its maximum amount it will have to bear, but didn't comment further. Metorpistas didn't respond to a request for comment but on its website said that as of Sept. 24 it had reopened PR-22 and PR-5 and began collecting tolls. The Express Rail remained closed. Limetree Bay Terminals LLC, rated Ba3 with a stable outlook, is an oil terminal located on the island of St. Croix. The facility wasn't damaged, but it's possible that fewer ships visit the terminal now, Moody's said. Two Puerto Rican universities, University of Puerto Rico, rated Ca with a negative outlook, and University of the Sacred Heart, rated Baa3 with a negative outlook, have suspended classes -- forcing them to refund tuition or pay for the students to transfer. Moody's said the class cancellation could result in a permanent drop in enrollment if students choose not to return to the institutions. Each has limited liquidity, Moody's said. Finally, financial institutions that operate in Puerto Rico -- Banco Santander Puerto Rico (BSPR A2/Baa2 stable, ba3), Popular Inc. (Popular Ba2/B2 stable, b1) and FirstBank (FBP B1/Caa1 stable, b3) -- could experience credit losses, depending on insurance coverage of Puerto Rican residents and government aid to those residents as the damage from the hurricanes has impacted the homes and businesses of banks' retail and commercial clients. However, each of these banks have already responded to Puerto Rico's economic recession by improving their capital and liquidity positions, raising equity and streamlining operations, Moody's said, leaving them well-positioned to handle any hurricane-related trouble. None of these companies responded to request for comment. Embattled billionaire activist Bill Ackman got a major boost for his proxy war at Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) - Get Free Report Monday morning after a significant shareholder advisory firm recommended that investors back his minority-slate of dissident director candidates seeking election to the payroll company's board. Specifically, Glass Lewis, one of two major investor advisory firms, issued a report obtained by TheStreet arguing that investors should vote for the three candidates, including Ackman, who they described as having "credible board and activism experience" and an "owner's perspective." The firm also liked his outside candidates Veronica Hagen and Paul Unruh, who the advisory firm said have "relevant operational efficiency experience" and "relevant business transformational experience" respectively. Glass Lewis said that "rather than supporting the status quo, we believe investors have an opportunity to convey their discontent with the board's continuation of a potentially sub-optimal business plan, and to encourage fresh perspectives, analysis and discussion in the board room of the best path forward for ADP, through the election of qualified director candidates..." The recommendation comes as ADP and Ackman face off in one of the most heated boardroom battles of 2017, set to go the distance on Nov. 7. Ackman and ADP CEO Carlos Rodriguez have gotten off to an icy start in August. In an interview on CNBC, Rodriguez called Ackman a "spoiled brat" who did not "do his homework" for his approach to ADP. As a result, the recommendations are likely a major relief for Ackman, who has had trouble with his investments and overall performance lately. Nevertheless, his fund, Pershing Square Capital Management, still has a long way to go before succeeding in his quest to restructure ADP and its board. It is still unclear who Institutional Shareholder Services, the other major proxy advisory firm, will be supporting. Last week, the activist fund escalated its blockbuster campaign by suggesting that the payroll processor could win back a lot of accounts by acquiring private equity-backed human resources provider Ceridian for about $4 billion. Ackman suggested that Ceridian is "available for sale effectively because it is owned by private equity at the end of its life in the fund." Buyout shop Thomas H. Lee Partners, which owns Ceridian, declined to comment. In addition to acquiring Ceridian, Ackman offered up a number of changes he would like to see at ADP, arguing that the firm has "never done a meaningful acquisition." Together with his two candidates, Ackman on Thursday reiterated his concerns about two major ADP divestitures, arguing that both companies that were sold, Solera, formerly ADP Claims Services Group, in 2006 and CDK, in 2014, have done significantly better after they left ADP. He noted that CDK's profits of the business are up more than 60%. The comments come as investors, including Omega Advisors' Leon Cooperman, who once held a board seat at ADP, point to ADP's overall record of share-price improvement and don't believe that the company is struggling or needs a significant refocus. Also, Ackman's recent troubles with investments in Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (VRX) and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (CMG) - Get Free Report suggest that investors may be wary of supporting the investor. Ackman may also have difficulty convincing shareholders to back his campaign because the company isn't currently struggling. Ackman's argument, which is unusual in activist insurgencies, is that ADP's serious problems are in the future if changes aren't made immediately. U.S. stocks struggled to hold above record levels on Monday, Oct. 23, after a winning streak that propelled the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 to all-time highs last week. The Dow was up 0.13%, the S&P 500 added 0.06% and the Nasdaq fell 0.03%. Any gains for each of the indexes would mark an all-time closing high. Wall Street ended last week in good spirits with all three major indexes ending at records as Congress took the first legislative steps toward tax reform. Gains pushed all three indexes to records, the Dow and S&P 500 for their fifth session in a row. The rally kicked off after Senate lawmakers voted to pass a fiscal 2018 budget resolution, the first step toward tax cut legislation. Markets have managed to hit new heights with little volatility. The Volatility Index, otherwise known as the fear index, remains around 10 on Monday, though hit its lowest level ever on Oct. 5. That reading of 9.19 was even lower than a 9.31 reading hit in Dec. 1993, the previous record low. "I feel like a broken record, but so many times when I'm talking about 2017, I usually say 'the last time since 1964, 1965, or 1995' when making comparisons to 2017," said Ryan Detrick, senior market strategist at LPL Research. "Those three years are widely considered the least volatile years ever, and 2017 is right there with them trying to make the medal stand." LPL Research noted that the S&P 500 has not seen a daily drop of more than 0.5% in 33 straight sessions, its longest streak since 1995. So far this year, the index has fallen by 1% or more only four times, its fewest since 1964. Low volatility is in part tied to strong earnings, though LPL Research does expect an eventual return to normal volatility with the possibility of a correction as the "economic cycle continues to age." Earnings were a big driver of moves on Monday. Roughly one-fifth of S&P 500 companies have reported earnings so far, the majority of which have bested profit and sales estimates. Analysts anticipate blended earnings growth of 4.2% in the third quarter, or 2.1% excluding energy, according to Thomson Reuters estimates. Revenue is expected to rise by 4.4%. Hasbro Inc. (HAS) - Get Free Report was the biggest loser on the S&P 500 even after a better-than-expected quarter. The toymaker earned $2.05 a share over its third quarter, 11 cents above estimates. Revenue increased nearly 7% to $1.79 billion, $10 million higher than consensus. By sector, entertainment and licensing revenue grew 4%, franchise brand revenue 7%, and gaming revenue 22%. However, Hasbro dropped 8% after issuing weaker guidance than anticipated.The world's third-largest toymaker anticipates fourth-quarter sales growth of 4% to 7%. Consensus suggested growth of 11%. Hasbro weighed on competitor Mattel Inc. (MAT) - Get Free Report . Mattel shares declined 4% in their worst daily performance in just over a month. The Barbie parent company is slated to report earnings after the bell Thursday, Oct. 26. Halliburton Co. (HAL) - Get Free Report topped profit and sales estimates. The industrials company earned net income of $361 million, far better than $28 million in the year-ago quarter. Per-share profit of 42 cents came in 5 cents above estimates. Revenue of $5.44 billion exceeded estimates of $5.34 billion. CEO Jeff Miller said in a statement that Halliburton's international business "proved resilient in a challenging environment." VF Corp. (VFC) - Get Free Report reported a better-than-expected third quarter. The apparel company, which owns brands such as Wrangler and The North Face, earned an adjusted $1.23 a share over its recent quarter, above expectations of $1.12. Revenue of $3.51 billion came in ahead of $3.39 billion consensus. VF Corp. also raised its outlook for the full year -- the company anticipates adjusted earnings of $3.01, up from a previous $2.96 forecast, while revenue is expected to come in at $12.1 billion, up from a previous target of $11.85 billion. Arconic Inc. (ARNC) - Get Free Report topped quarterly revenue estimates and guided for robust full-year sales growth. The aluminum producer generated revenue of $3.24 billion, higher than $3.09 billion consensus. Adjusted earnings did fall short, however. Profit of 25 cents a share missed by 2 cents. For the full year, Arconic anticipates sales of $12.6 billion to $12.8 billion, higher than a previous $12.3 billion to $12.8 billion. Consensus was for $12.5 billion in full-year sales. Arconic is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells ARNC?Learn more now. In international news, European markets were higher after Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy outlined measures to take control of Catalonia. On Saturday, Rajoy unveiled a number of measures, including a plan to clear out the entire separatist regime in Barcelona and take control of key institutions in the media and police, in response to the region's disputed referendum on independence on Oct. 1. The Catalonian parliament will meet on Thursday to decide on how to respond to Rajoy's measures. The Spanish senate will meet on Friday and is expected to sign off on the measures that will likely see Catalan's President Carles Puigdemont and his cabinet fired. Spain's chief prosecutor said that Puigdemont could face 30 years in jail if he declares independence. Asian markets were mostly higher after a landslide victory for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The Nikkei closed up more than 1%. Abe's victory will ensure loosened monetary policy will continue and clears a hurdle for Abe's long-term goal to amend the constitution. Nikkei's gains marked its 15th straight day in the green, its longest winning streak on record. Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) - Get Free Report agreed to acquire Broadsoft Inc. (BSFT) in a deal worth $1.9 billion. The offer of $55 per Broadsoft share prices the company at a 2% premium to its previous close. Reuters previously reported in August that Broadsoft was exploring a possible sale. In other deal news, Deltic Timber Corp. (DEL) increased 6% after agreeing to a merger with Potlatch Corp. (PCH) - Get Free Report in a share-for-share deal with an enterprise value of $4 billion. Deltic shareholders will receive 1.8 Potlatch shares per one Deltic share. The deal is expected to close in the first half of next year. Netflix Inc. (NFLX) - Get Free Report moved slightly lower after announcing that it would offer $1.6 billion in a debt offering to finance content production and acquisition. The streaming service has invested heavily in original content in recent years to differentiate itself from a rising number of video-on-demand competitors. Tesla Inc. (TSLA) - Get Free Report , the electric carmaker, reached an agreement to set up its own manufacturing facility in Shanghai. The deal will allow Tesla to build a wholly owned factory in Shanghai's free-trade zone, according to The Wall Street Journal. The arrangement, the first of its kind for a foreign automaker, could enable Tesla to slash production costs but it would still likely incur China's 25% import tariff. Investors were also looking toward the first estimate of third-quarter economic growth to be released on Friday, Oct. 27. A string of severe hurricanes that swept across the south and southeastern portions of the U.S. and Puerto Rico toward the end of the quarter could put a big dent in growth. Economists surveyed by FactSet anticipate the U.S. economy to have grown 2.5% from July to September, slowing from 3.1% growth in the second quarter. This is just a preliminary number -- it will go through two revisions. Updated from 10:06 a.m. ET, Oct. 23. More of What's Trending on TheStreet: Join Jim Cramer, CNBC's Jon Najarian and Other Experts Oct. 28 in New York Jim Cramer will host CNBC's Jon Najarian, TD Ameritrade's JJ Kinahan, famed analytics expert Marc Chaikin and other market mavens on Oct. 28 in New York City to share successful strategies for active investors. You can join them as they discuss how smart investors can make the most of options trading, futures contracts, fundamental and quantitative analysis and great ETFs to buy right now. Participants will also get a chance to meet Jim and other panelists and take photos. When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: The Harvard Club of New York, 35 West 44th St., New York, N.Y. Cost: $250 per person. Click here for the full conference agenda or to reserve your seat now. Adding to the intrigue about a potential merger with Sprint (S) - Get Free Report , T-Mobile (TMUS) - Get Free Report announced third-quarter earnings on short notice Monday morning and also skipped its usual earnings call with analysts. On a video blog posted Monday morning, CEO John Legere said the carrier was foregoing an earnings call to make sure investors "saw and focused on our Q3 results and not just on the rumors and speculation that seem the fill the news every day." Announcing earnings release on short notice and skipping an investor call only increases the speculation about the long-anticipated combination of the carriers, especially since Legere delights in skewering rivals AT&T (T) - Get Free Report and Verizon (VZ) - Get Free Report in T-Mobile's investor presentation. "Well there's nothing normal about announcing on a Sunday afternoon that one's earnings will be released the next morning ... sans conference call," Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson LLC wrote in a Monday research note. "Inevitably, the speculation about why T-Mobile close to do it this way -- does this mean that a merger announcement is all the more imminent, or does it mean that talks have reached a temporary impasse (we're assuming it means the former)?--will dominate discussions today." Shares of T-Mobile gained 2% to $61.68 on Monday morning, while Sprint increased 1.2% to $7.01. Sprint reports fiscal second-quarter earnings before the market open on Wednesday, and will also be skipping its earnings call. In Sprint's first-quarter call in early August, CEO Marcelo Claure fueled anticipation of a merger by saying that the carrier would announce a large transaction "in the near future." In the third quarter, T-Mobile reported earnings of 63 cents per share, topping forecasts of 45 cents per share according to FactSet. Sales of $10.02 billion matched forecasts of analysts surveyed by FactSet. "[T-Mobile] elected not to have an earnings call to 'let the Q3 results speak for themselves,'" Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Fritzsche wrote in a Monday report. "Those results showed stronger-than-expected margin growth and relatively in-line top-line growth after normalizing for the impact of the hurricanes." The telecom added 595,000 post-paid phone subscriptions, which Legere noted on Twitter was more than double Verizon's 274,000 post-paid phone additions in the quarter. T-Mobile's wireless service revenue of $7.6 billion was the highest in the carrier's history, Legere said, while predicting that T-Mobile would be the only company to report a year-over-year increase in service revenue this quarter. Legere also noted that AT&T and Verizon have lower wireless services revenue today than in the first quarter of 2017. Verizon, which reported on Thursday, touted the fact that the wireless services revenue declines slowed during the third quarter for the first time in three years. Verizon predicted that wireless services revenue will return to growth next year. While Legere avoided discussing a deal with Sprint on the video blog, he gloated about T-Mobile's 2013 purchase of MetroPCS."That was an acquisition that delivered goodness to both shareholders and customers,"Legere said. If T-Mobile and Sprint can ultimately agree to merger terms, Legere will have to convince Washington that the deal wouldn't hurt wireless subscribers. Back in 2011, the Obama Department of Justice sued to block a merger of AT&T and T-Mobile that would have reduced the number of wireless carriers from four to three, and also pushed back against a merger of T-Mobile and Sprint in 2014. T-Mobile and Sprint would have to overcome their fair share of challenges: More of What's Trending on TheStreet: The Maclay Bridge, in one form or another, has been a part of Missoula's history for over 100 years. It was originally constructed by William Plunket in 1893. It has been washed out and replaced several times over the years, but has been in place as it presently exists since 1964. Maclay Bridge is now a series of pieced-together spans to create the structure that appears today. Nevertheless, the condition of the bridge is quite good and it could be left as-is. Montana Department of Transportation bridge engineers said that the need for replacement of Maclay Bridge is low to moderate on their list of priorities for statewide bridge repair. In other words, doing nothing represents one extreme possibility. Maclay Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. But the old bridge represents more than just historic perseverance to the majority of nearby urban interface residents. Over the passing years, it has taken on the welcome roll of "traffic calmer" for a bustling society hurrying to get someplace else. It offers scenic views of the Bitterroot River with all its changing moods, from rushing muddy spring torrents to clear fall colors and invitingly cool waters. Nearby neighborhoods developed and matured based on the Maclay Bridge traffic patterns. Homes along South Avenue tend to be closer to the street to minimize winter snow shoveling. Homes on North Avenue, leading to the bridge, tend to be set back farther, and a pedestrian walkway was developed from Clements nearly to the bridge. A few years ago Missoula County commissioners decided Maclay Bridge should be replaced. They quietly nominated the bridge for replacement under state and federal programs for rehabilitation and replacement of off-system bridges. They very quickly decided that the bridge should not be rehabilitated, and never really considered rehabilitation options in spite of a preponderance of resident objections. County and Montana Department of Transportation engineers encouraged us to believe that an extension of South Avenue from its western dead-end, connecting to River Pines with a new two-lane bridge, was the only feasible plan. Maclay Bridge must be removed if a new bridge is constructed. That is a condition required for mitigation of impacts to the river caused by installing two new piers. This South Avenue Bridge represents the other extreme possibility for the" bridge. But it's not a done deal. Better alternatives can be found on our website at: www.maclaybridgealliance.org. A middle way was suggested by Dr. Jai Kim, a professor emeritus from Bucknell University, when he visited Missoula in the fall of 2016. Kim provided us with concept plans for strengthening the old Parker Truss portion of Maclay Bridge with superimposed arches to increase structural redundancy and capacity. In addition, the Warren Pony Truss and the two pre-stressed concrete spans on the east end of the bridge could be removed and replaced by a single-span, arch re-enforced, Parker Truss. Interestingly, two existing piers under Maclay Bridge would be removed to improve river health. The single-lane feature could be retained for its cost and traffic calming qualities, while pedestrian and bicycle safety could be accommodated with an attached, cantilevered crossing. The cost for this plan was estimated at less than $2.5 million, as opposed to more than $13 million for the South Avenue replacement. That does not include an additional $1.9 million necessary to upgrade South Avenue from rural road to collector standards. The middle way is less expensive, it's less intrusive on mature neighborhoods, and it does not require expensive road upgrades, likely to be borne by county taxpayers. Furthermore, it continues the historical legacy. I am dismayed reading Wes Spikers opinions regarding the race for mayor (guest column, Sept. 13; letter, Oct. 18). My dismay does not stem from his active campaigning against my candidate. I support John Engens re-election. Engen has demonstrated leadership rooted in honesty, intelligence, compassion and respect. He works well with others inside and outside city government to solve problems and provide us the city services that we need and want. My dismay results from the reactions that Spiker has experienced because of his advocacy: name calling, harassment, bullying and threats against his business. Spiker has been a contributor to this community for years. His personal and business commitments helped the group of volunteers negotiate the obstacle course resulting in the design, funding and construction of the civic stadium, the use of which literally thousands of Missoulians enjoy each year. We do not benefit from making politics a blood sport. I agree with Spiker that we need to find the way to disagree civilly so that we can continue working together to make Missoula the place we love to call home. Gerald Mueller, Missoula The following companies are subsidiares of Arrow Electronics: A.E. Petsche Belgium BVBA, A.E. Petsche Canada Inc., A.E. Petsche Company, A.E. Petsche Company Inc., A.E. Petsche Company S De RL, A.E. Petsche SAS, A.E. Petsche UK Limited, ACI Technology, AKS Group Nordic AB, ARROWECS Portugal Sociedade Unipessoal, ARROWECS Sociedade Unipessoal LDA, ARW Electronics Ltd., ARW Enterprise Computing Solutions S.A., ARW Portugal Unipessoal LDA, ASI Dedicated Services LLC, ASI Electrical Services LLC, ASI Managed Services LLC, ATM Electronic, ATM Electronic Corp., ATM Electronic Corporation (HK) Limited, ATM Electronics Hong Kong Limited, ATM Electronics Technology (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd, Addex Distribution AS, Adilam Pty. Ltd, Aiqi Xinxing (Beijing) Information Technology Co. Ltd., Altimate Belgium BVBA, Altimate Group, Altimate ND Belgium BVBA, Altimate Netherlands B.V., Annuity Systems Pty Ltd, Arrow (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Arrow Altech Distribution (Pty) Ltd., Arrow Altech Holdings (Pty) Ltd., Arrow Argentina S.A., Arrow Asia Distribution Limited, Arrow Asia Pac Ltd., Arrow Brasil S.A., Arrow Capital Solution BVBA, Arrow Capital Solutions Inc., Arrow Capital Solutions Nederlands BV, Arrow Capital Solutions SAS, Arrow Capital Solutions UK Ltd, Arrow Central Europe GmbH, Arrow Central Europe Holding Munich GmbH, Arrow Chip One Stop Holdings GK, Arrow Componentes ACCR S.R.L., Arrow Components (M) Sdn Bhd, Arrow Components (NZ), Arrow Components Mexico S.A. de C.V., Arrow Components Sweden AB, Arrow Denmark ApS, Arrow Denmark ApS, Arrow ECS (Ireland) Limited, Arrow ECS (NI) Limited, Arrow ECS AG, Arrow ECS ANZ Limited, Arrow ECS ANZ Pty Ltd, Arrow ECS Asia PTE. Ltd, Arrow ECS Australia, Arrow ECS B.V., Arrow ECS Baltic OU, Arrow ECS Brasil Distribuidora Ltda., Arrow ECS Canada Ltd., Arrow ECS Central GmbH, Arrow ECS Denmark A/S, Arrow ECS FZCO, Arrow ECS Finland OY, Arrow ECS GmbH, Arrow ECS Internet Security AG, Arrow ECS Internet Security S.L., Arrow ECS Kft., Arrow ECS Ltd., Arrow ECS New Zealand Limited, Arrow ECS Nordic A/S, Arrow ECS Norway AS, Arrow ECS Pty Ltd., Arrow ECS SA/NV, Arrow ECS SAS, Arrow ECS SPA, Arrow ECS Sarl, Arrow ECS Services Sp.z.o.o., Arrow ECS Singapore Pte. Limited, Arrow ECS Sp.z.o.o., Arrow ECS Support Center Ltd., Arrow ECS Support Center Morocco S.A.R.L.A.U, Arrow ECS Sweden AB, Arrow ECS a.s., Arrow ECS d.o.o., Arrow Eastern Europe GmbH, Arrow Electronice S.R.L., Arrow Electronics (CI) Ltd., Arrow Electronics (China) Trading Co. Ltd., Arrow Electronics (Jersey) Limited, Arrow Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Arrow Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Arrow Electronics (Sweden) KB, Arrow Electronics (Thailand) Limited, Arrow Electronics (U.K.) Inc., Arrow Electronics (UK) Ltd., Arrow Electronics ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd., Arrow Electronics Asia (S) Pte Ltd., Arrow Electronics Asia Limited, Arrow Electronics Australia Pty Ltd., Arrow Electronics B.V., Arrow Electronics Canada Ltd., Arrow Electronics China Ltd., Arrow Electronics Components (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Arrow Electronics Czech Republic s.r.o., Arrow Electronics D.O.O., Arrow Electronics Danish Holdings ApS, Arrow Electronics EMEA Group GmbH, Arrow Electronics EMEASA S.r.l., Arrow Electronics Estonia OU, Arrow Electronics FC B.V., Arrow Electronics Funding Corporation, Arrow Electronics GmbH & Co. KG, Arrow Electronics Hellas S.A., Arrow Electronics Holdings Vagyonkezelo Kft, Arrow Electronics Hungary Kereskedelmi Bt, Arrow Electronics India Ltd., Arrow Electronics India Private Limited, Arrow Electronics International Holdings LLC, Arrow Electronics International Inc., Arrow Electronics Italia S.r.l, Arrow Electronics Japan GK, Arrow Electronics Korea Limited, Arrow Electronics Labuan Pte Ltd., Arrow Electronics Ltd., Arrow Electronics Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Arrow Electronics Norwegian Holdings AS, Arrow Electronics Poland Sp.z.o.o., Arrow Electronics Russ OOO, Arrow Electronics Services S.r.l., Arrow Electronics Slovakia s.r.o., Arrow Electronics South Africa LLP, Arrow Electronics Taiwan Ltd., Arrow Electronics UK Holding Ltd., Arrow Electronics Ukraine LLC, Arrow Elektronik Ticaret A.S., Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions Inc., Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions India Private Limited, Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions Ltd., Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions S.A., Arrow Finland OY, Arrow France S.A., Arrow Global Asset Disposition Inc., Arrow Global Supply Chain Services Inc., Arrow Holdings (Delaware) LLC, Arrow Iberia Electronica Lda., Arrow Iberia Electronica S.L.U., Arrow International Holdings L.P., Arrow International Holdings Limited, Arrow Nordic Components AB, Arrow Norway A/S, Arrow S-Tech Norway AS, Arrow SEED (Hong Kong) Limited, Arrow Systems Integration Inc., Arrow UEC Japan KK, Arrow United Holdings LLC, Arrow United International Holdings LP, Arrow Value Recovery ApS (fka Greentech Denmark ApS), Arrow Value Recovery Belgium BVBA, Arrow Value Recovery Czech Republic sro, Arrow Value Recovery Denmark ApS, Arrow Value Recovery EMEA BV, Arrow Value Recovery Finland Oy (fka Greentech Finland OY), Arrow Value Recovery France SAS, Arrow Value Recovery Germany GmbH, Arrow Value Recovery Netherlands BV, Arrow Value Recovery Norway AS (fka Greentech AS), Arrow Value Recovery Sweden AB (fka Greentech Sweden AB), Arrow Value Recovery UK LTD, Arrow eCommerce B.V., Arrow/Artlink Technology (Hong Kong) Limited, Arrow/Components (Agent) Ltd., Arrow/Rapac Ltd., Artlink Technology Co. Ltd., Aspen Labs LLC, Aspencore China Investment LLC, Aspencore LLC, Aspencore Media GmbH, Aspencore/IDG China Investment LLC, Asplenium SA, Asset Recovery Corporation, B.V. Arrow Electronics DLC, Beijing AIQI Technology, Beijing Arrow SEED Technology Co. Ltd, Beijing Canon Advertising Co. Ltd., Broomco (4184) Limited, COMPUTERLINKS, COMPUTERLINKS (UK) Ltd., COMPUTERLINKS Belgium BVBA, COMPUTERLINKS Denmark A/S, COMPUTERLINKS Nederland B.V., COMPUTERLINKS S.A., CSS Computer Security Solutions Erwerbs GmbH, CSS Computer Security Solutions Holding GmbH, CSS Computer Security Solutions Ltd., CT3 Europe Limited, Centia Group Ltd, Centia Ltd., Channel Support Pty Ltd, ChiWan Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Chip One Stop, Chip One Stop (Hong Kong) Ltd., Chip One Stop (Shenzhen) Ltd., Chip One Stop Inc., Commtech Solutions (UK) Limited, Components Agent (Cayman) Limited, Components Agent Asia Holdings Ltd., Components Distribution Business - Achieva, Conrac Asia Display Products Pte. Ltd., Conrac MENA FZE, Converge, Converge (Shanghai) International Trading Co. Ltd., Converge Asia Pte Ltd., Converge Electronics Trading (India) Private Ltd., Converge France SAS, Converge Netherlands BV, Converge Scandinavia AB, Cross Telecom, Data Modul, Data Modul AG, Data Modul Electronics Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Data Modul FZE, Data Modul France S.a r.l, Data Modul Hong Kong Ltd., Data Modul Iberia S.L., Data Modul Inc., Data Modul Italia S.r.l., Data Modul Ltd., Data Modul Shanghai Ltd., Data Modul Suisse GmbH, Data Modul Weikersheim GmbH, Diasa Informatica, Dicopel Inc., Distribution Business - Seed International, Distribution Central (MY) Sdn. Bhd., Distribution Central HK Pty Limited, Distribution Central Limited (NZ), Distribution Central Pte Limited (SG), Distribution Central Pty Limited, E-InfoChips KK, EC America, EDN Asia Advertising Pte Ltd., ETEQ Components Pte Ltd., Electronics Products Technology Co. Ltd., Embedded Developer LLC, Erf 211 Hughes (Pty) Limited, Eshel Technology Group Inc., Eurocomponentes S.A., Excel Tech, Excel Tech Inc., Firewall Systems Pty Limited, Fusion Distribution FZCO, Gates - Arrow Distributing, Gates - FA Distributing, Global Link Technology, Greentech Holding AS, Gross Telecom, ICC Global Media GmbH, IP Vista A/S, IPVista A/S, ITM USA Enterprises Inc., Intechra Holdings, Intex-semi Ltd., KeyLink Systems Group, LED Franchise LLC, LED Source Holdco LLC, LED Source LLC, LOGIX S.A., License Central Pty Ltd, Lite-On Korea Ltd., Marubun Arrow (HK) Limited, Marubun Arrow (S) Pte Ltd., Marubun Arrow (Thailand) Co Limited, Marubun Arrow Asia Ltd., Marubun Arrow Europe Kft., Marubun Corporation, Marubun USA Corporation, Marubun-Arrow Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Marubun/Arrow (HK) Limited, Marubun/Arrow (M) Sdn. Bhd (Malaysia), Marubun/Arrow (Philippines) Inc., Marubun/Arrow (S) Pte Ltd., Marubun/Arrow (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marubun/Arrow (Shenzhen) Electronic Product Consulting Company Limited, Marubun/Arrow (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Marubun/Arrow Asia Ltd., Marubun/Arrow USA II LLC, Marubun/Arrow USA LLC, NIC Components Asia PTE Ltd., NIC Components Corp., NIC Components Europe Limited, NIC Eurotech Limited, NUH Electronics India Private Limted, Networld Systems Pty Ltd, Nextworth Solutions Inc., Nu Horizons Electronics, Nu Horizons Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Nu Horizons Electronics Asia PTE Ltd., Nu Horizons Electronics Hong Kong Ltd., Nu Horizons Electronics Malaysia SDN BHD, NuHo Singapore Holdings LLC, Observatory Crest, Openway Group SA, Openway SAS, PCG Parent Corp., PCG Trading LLC, PT Marubun Arrow Indonesia, Pansystem S.r.l., Pax8 Inc., Power and Signal Group GmbH, R.D. Trading Limited, RDC, RF Wireless & Power - Richardson Electronics, Rack Systems Pty Ltd, Red Education Pty Ltd, Redemtech, Renewal Systems Pty Ltd, Richardson RFPD (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Richardson RFPD (Thailand) Limited, Richardson RFPD Australia Pty. Ltd., Richardson RFPD Canada Inc., Richardson RFPD Electronics Trading (China) Co. Ltd., Richardson RFPD France SAS, Richardson RFPD Germany GmbH, Richardson RFPD Hong Kong, Richardson RFPD Inc., Richardson RFPD Israel Ltd., Richardson RFPD Italy Srl, Richardson RFPD Japan KK, Richardson RFPD Korea Ltd., Richardson RFPD Netherlands BV, Richardson RFPD Singapore, Richardson RFPD Spain SL, Richardson RFPD Sweden AB, Richardson RFPD Taiwan, Richardson RFPD UK Ltd., Richey Electronics, San Systems Pty Ltd, Schuylkill Metals of Plant City Inc., Seneca Data, Seneca Data Distributors Inc., Shared Technologies, Silicon Frameworks LLC, SiliconEgypt Technologies LLC, SiliconExpert Holdings LLC, SiliconExpert Technologies, SiliconExpert Technologies Inc., Sphinx CST Limited, Sphinx CST Networks Limited, Sphinx Group, Sphinx Group Limited, Sphinx Professional Services Limited, Spoerle Hungary Kereskedelmi Kft, Sun Chain Technology Corp., TLW Electronics Ltd., TechTurn, Titan Supply Chain Services Limited, Titan Supply Chain Services Pte Ltd., Trafomo AB, Trafomo ApS, Transim Technology, Transim Technology Corporation, U.S. Micro Operating Company LLC, UBM Tech Electronics Network, Ultra Source Electronics (SZ) Co LTD, Ultra Source Technology Corp., Ultra Source Trading Hong Kong Limited, United Technical Publishing Division - Hearst Business Media, Universe Electron Corporation, Verical, Verwaltungsgesellschaft Arrow Electronics GmbH, Wireless and Infrastructure Business Unit - Waching Company, Yongming Xincheng (Beijing) Technology Co., e-InfoChips, e-Infochips Private Limited, eInfochips, eMedia Asia Limited, immixGovernment Inc., immixGroup, immixGroup Inc., immixSolutions Inc., and immixTechnology. Read More Cenovus Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in Canada, the United States, and the Asia Pacific region. The company operates through Oil Sands, Conventional, Offshore, Canadian Manufacturing, U.S. Manufacturing, and Retail segments. The Oil Sands segment develops and produces bitumen and heavy oil in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan. This segments Foster Creek, Christina Lake, Sunrise, and Tucker oil sands projects, as well as Lloydminster thermal and conventional heavy oil assets The Conventional segment holds assets primarily located in Elmworth-Wapiti, Kaybob-Edson, Clearwater, and Rainbow Lake operating in Alberta and British Columbia, as well as interests in various natural gas processing facilities. The offshore segment engages in the exploration and development activities. The Canadian Manufacturing segment includes the owned and operated Lloydminster upgrading and asphalt refining complex, which upgrades heavy oil and bitumen into synthetic crude oil, diesel fuel, asphalt, and other ancillary products, as well as owns and operates the Bruderheim crude-by-rail terminal and two ethanol plants. The U.S. Manufacturing segment comprises the refining of crude oil to produce diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, asphalt, and other products. The Retail segment consists of marketing of its own and third-party refined petroleum products through retail, commercial, and bulk petroleum outlets, as well as wholesale channels. Cenovus Energy Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. RLI Corp., an insurance holding company, underwrites property and casualty insurance in the United States and internationally. Its Casualty segment provides commercial and personal coverage products; and general liability products, such as coverage for third-party liability of commercial insureds, including manufacturers, contractors, apartments, and mercantile. It also offers coverages for security guards and in the areas of onshore energy-related businesses and environmental liability for underground storage tanks, contractors and asbestos, and environmental remediation specialists; and professional liability coverages focuses on providing errors and omission coverage to small to medium-sized design, technical, computer, and miscellaneous professionals. This segment provides commercial automobile liability and physical damage insurance to local, intermediate and long haul truckers, public transportation entities, and other types of specialty commercial automobile risks; incidental and related insurance coverages; inland marine coverages; management liability coverages, such as directors and officers liability insurance, fiduciary liability and coverages, employment practice liability, and for various classes of risks, including public and private businesses; and healthcare liability and home business insurance products. The company's Property segment offers commercial property, cargo, hull, protection and indemnity, marine liability, inland marine, homeowners' and dwelling fire, and other property insurance products. Its Surety segment offers commercial surety bonds for medium to large-sized businesses; small bonds for businesses and individuals; and bonds for small to medium-sized contractors. The company also underwrites various reinsurance coverages. It markets its products through branch offices, brokers, carrier partners, and underwriting and independent agents. RLI Corp. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois. WABCO Holdings Inc., together with its subsidiaries, supplies electronic, mechanical, electro-mechanical, and aerodynamic products worldwide. The company engineers, develops, manufactures, and sells braking, stability, suspension, steering, transmission automation, and air management systems primarily for commercial vehicles. The company's products include pneumatic anti-lock braking systems, electronic braking systems, electronic stability control systems, brake controls, automated manual transmission systems, and air disc brakes; and various conventional mechanical products, such as actuators, air compressors, and air control valves for medium and heavy-duty trucks, buses, and trailers. It also offers pneumatic and hydraulic braking and control systems for off-highway vehicles; conventional braking systems; electronic and conventional air suspension systems; steering technologies; and vehicle electronic stability control and roll stability support products, and advanced driver assistance systems. In addition, the company supplies electronic suspension controls and vacuum pumps to the passenger car and SUV markets, as well as provides remanufacturing services. Further, it offers replacement parts, fleet management solutions, diagnostic tools, training, and other expert services for commercial vehicle aftermarket distributors and service partners, and fleet operators. The company sells its products primarily to truck and bus original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), trailer OEMs, and car manufacturers; and manufacturers of heavy duty and off-highway vehicles in agriculture, construction, mining, and other industries. WABCO Holdings Inc. was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. Assured Guaranty Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides credit protection products to public finance, infrastructure, and structured finance markets in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Insurance and Asset Management. It offers financial guaranty insurance that protects holders of debt instruments and other monetary obligations from defaults in scheduled payments. The company insures and reinsures various debt obligations, including bonds issued by the United States state governmental authorities; and notes issued to finance infrastructure projects. It also insures and reinsures various the U.S. public finance obligations, such as general obligation, tax-backed, municipal utility, transportation, healthcare, higher education, infrastructure, housing revenue, investor-owned utility, renewable energy, and other public finance bonds. Further, it is involved in insuring and reinsuring of non-U.S. public finance obligations comprising regulated utilities, infrastructure finance, sovereign and sub-sovereign, renewable energy bonds, pooled infrastructure, and other public finance obligations; and the U.S. and non-U.S. Structured finance obligations, including residential mortgage-backed securities, life insurance transactions, consumer receivables securities, pooled corporate obligations, financial products, and other structured finance securities. Additionally, the company offers specialty insurance and reinsurance that include life and aircraft residual value insurance transactions; and asset management services comprising investment advisory services, including management of collateralized loan obligations, and opportunity and liquid strategy funds. It markets its financial guaranty insurance directly to issuers and underwriters of public finance and structured finance securities, as well as to investors in such obligations. Assured Guaranty Ltd. was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. As Butte evolved from a transitory mining camp to a permanent metropolis, strong building materials were in greater and greater demand. Bricks, obviously, but also iron. Cast-iron columns to help support the multi-story business blocks became common. The first major iron foundry in Butte was probably the Lexington on Park Street just east of Arizona, but in 1881, Shelly Tuttle established the longest-lived iron works. Tuttle partnered with A.J. Davis, who had made a million dollars that year selling the Lexington mine to a French company, but the iron foundry went to Tuttle & Company effectively by 1884. Sand for the castings came from a catch basin along the reach of Dublin Gulch that crossed the corner of Arizona and Park. The foundry itself was directly across the street from the vacant lot east of Sparkys restaurant today. Parts of the foundry complex were still in use as offices, stores, and warehouses in 1900, but by 1916, it was all gone, replaced by newer buildings, which themselves are gone today. Tuttle joined with Marcus Daly, whose expanding Anaconda operations required a machine shop and foundry. Construction on a 30-acre site in southeast Anaconda was complete by late 1890. Tuttle Manufacturing and Supply eventually evolved into the Foundry Department of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company and, by the 1980s, into AFFCO (Anaconda Foundry & Fabricating Company), still in business in Anaconda today. In Butte, Tuttles heritage is most apparent in the 1892 Tuttle Building on the 300 block of North Main. It served as the retail outlet for Tuttles products as well as a long list of hardware, from pumps, drills, and boilers for mining and milling operations to stoves, cutlery, and tools for residential patrons. In the 1940s, this building served as offices for the Anaconda Company, including purchasing, coal sales, and payroll processing. Tuttle and Daly remained close friends. Tuttle retired about 1896 to California and then to Nampa, Idaho, but returned to Butte in 1907 with Mrs. Daly for the unveiling of the statue of Daly on Main Street, just a block above Tuttles hardware building. Validus Holdings, Ltd. provides reinsurance coverage, insurance coverage, and insurance linked securities management services worldwide. It operates through three segments: Reinsurance, Insurance, and Asset Management. The Reinsurance segment underwrites property reinsurance products on a catastrophe excess of loss, per risk excess of loss and proportional basis; and aerospace and aviation, agriculture, composite, marine, technical lines, terrorism, trade credit, workers' compensation, and other specialty lines, as well as casualty and financial lines. The Insurance segment underwrites property, accident and health, agriculture, aviation, contingency, marine, and political lines insurance products; bankers blanket bond, commercial crime, computer crime, cyber- crime, professional indemnity, and directors' and officers' insurance products for various financial institutions and other companies; and commercial and institutional risks comprising general, professional, and product liability, as well as miscellaneous malpractice insurance products. This segment also underwrites marine and energy liability, and political risk insurance products, as well as insurance products for repair, maintenance, and upkeep of aircrafts and premises for small companies. The Asset Management segment manages capital for third parties through insurance-linked securities, and other property catastrophe and specialty reinsurance investments. Validus Holdings, Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Pembroke, Bermuda. Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. operates bookstores for college and university campuses, and K-12 institutions in the United States. It operates through three segments: Retail, Wholesale, and Digital Student Solutions. The company sells and rents new and used print textbooks, digital textbooks, and publisher hosted digital courseware through physical and virtual bookstores, as well as directly to students through Textbooks.com. It also offers First Day and First Day Complete access programs; BNC OER+, a turnkey solution for colleges and universities, that offers digital content, such as videos, activities, and auto-graded practice assessments; and general merchandise, including collegiate and athletic apparel, school spirit products, lifestyle products, technology products, supplies, graduation products, and convenience items. In addition, the company sources, sells, and distributes new and used textbooks; and sells hardware and a software suite of applications that provides inventory management and point-of-sale solutions to approximately 350 college bookstores. Further, it offers direct-to-student subscription-based writing services; and bartleby, a direct-to-student subscription-based offering that includes textbook solutions, expert questions and answers, and writing and tutoring services. The company operates 805 physical college and university bookstores; 622 virtual bookstores; 8 True Spirit e-commerce websites; pop-up retail locations; 73 customized cafes and 11 stand-alone convenience stores; and a media channel for brands targeting the college demographic. Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Jennifer Malone has been selected as the new chief executive officer for the Southwest Montana Community Health Center, 445 Centennial Ave. Malone relocated from Redding, California, where she was the director of medical group operations and integration for Prime Healthcare Inc. Prior to that, Malone was the chief executive officer for another community health center, McCloud Healthcare Clinic, for nearly seven years. She replaces Jessica Cotton, who accepted a similar position in Kodiak, Alaska. Malone holds a masters degree in business management from Southern Oregon University and is working on a doctorate degree in business administration. Malone said she was attracted to Butte for its community and her passion for the mission of the nonprofit clinic. I am committed to the clinics mission, which is to provide quality healthcare to anyone and everyone despite their ability to pay for care, said Malone. Ann Finch-Johnston, chair of the private nonprofit clinics board of directors, said Malone will be an asset to Butte. She brings a wealth of experience and healthcare knowledge to our federally qualified health center. I cant think of a better person to guide us through this difficult healthcare climate," Finch-Johnston said. Finch-Johnston noted that the board's search for a new CEO was extensive and there were many worthy candidates. The Southwest Montana Community Health Center provides primary medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services to more than 13,000 people in Southwest Montana. The organization has a main clinic and pharmacy in Butte and a satellite clinic in Dillon and pharmacy in Sheridan. Full coverage of the Delphi murders: Look back at 5 years of stories See how the Delphi murders and investigation unfolded through our coverage that began the day Abby and Libby went missing. Android's new built-in antivirus program, Google Play Protect, just had its first big test and it has failed miserably. (Image credit: The Android 8 Oreo statue on Google's Mountain View, Calif., campus. Credit: Asif Islam/Shutterstock) In the latest round of Android antivirus tests conducted by independent German lab AV-TEST, Google's in-house antivirus product stopped only 65.8 percent of brand-new malware, and just 79.2 percent of four-week-old malware. Most of the 20 other products tested scored more than 99 percent in both categories. It was the first time AV-TEST had put Google Play Protect through its paces. We had hoped the built-in AV could hold its own against the competition, but until these dismal results improve, you're just going to have to use third-party AV solutions to protect your Android device. MORE: Best Smartphones Google Play Protect was quietly introduced this past summer to Android devices running Google Play, Gmail and other Google apps. It bundles together existing features such as Android Device Manager, now called Find My Device, and the old Verify Apps malware scanner that checks all apps installed on a device, whether they came from Google Play or not. The difference is that Google Play protect is much more visible than its predecessors, and even has a progress circle to show the user that it's scanning for malware. (Some Android devices, such as Amazon's Fire line, won't get Google Play Protect because they don't normally run Google apps.) Overall, anything that improves Android security is a good thing. Many Android users don't have any antivirus software installed, so Google Play Protect serves as a backstop. But so far, it's not a very good backstop. Even the second-worst Android AV product that AV-TEST looked at in this case, Droid-X 3, a Korean-language app made by NHSC did much better than Google Play Protect, stopping 82.4 percent of new malware and 93.5 percent of old malware. (Image credit: AV-TEST GmbH) In other words, the built-in Android antivirus protection let in twice as much malware as the worst third-party product. Google Play Protect did so badly that AV-TEST gave it a zero out of 6 in malware protection. That is not a very good start for Google Play Protect. We can only hope that Google Play Protect improves a lot. There's some precedence for this: Microsoft's Windows Defender has become much better at stopping malware since it was first built into Windows 8 in 2012. It was once terrible, but Windows Defender now rivals all but the very best third-party Windows antivirus products. Until then, install and run one of the 15 Android antivirus products that scores 99 percent or better in both malware categories that AV-TEST used. Our own favorites are Bitdefender Mobile Security, Norton Mobile Security and Avast Mobile Security you can't go wrong with any of those. Best Android Antivirus Software Speaking at the official opening of the Ad-hoc Expert Group Meeting (AEGM) on 23 October 2017 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) regional director for Southern Africa, Mr. Said Adejumobi, said that without production, trade and market liberalization is meaningless. The AEGM was held on the theme, Deepening Regional Integration in Southern Africa: The Role, Prospects and Progress of the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA). A developmental approach to regional integration was adopted by the TFTA anchored on three main pillars namely; market integration, industrial and infrastructure development. Mr Adejumobi said the industrial pillar seeks to boost the productive capacity of member-states, promote value addition and benefication, and enhance economic diversification. He said the infrastructure component is aimed at easing the challenge of doing business, and allowing the free flow of goods and services. The TFTA (apart from the CFTA) represents the most ambitious attempt at integrating African economies in creating a free trade area for 26 African countries of 632 million people, representing 51 percent of Africas GDP and constituted by three regional economic communities COMESA, SADC and the EAC, Mr. Adejumobi added. Mr Adejumobi also noted that the TFTA provided the architecture of development that would be crucial in realizing the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030. The TFTA, if well implemented, has the capacity to promote trade, enhance production, spur economic competition and thereby improve the quality of goods and services across the regions, encourage creativity and innovation, create more jobs, reduce poverty and ensure that nobody is left behind in the development train with better economic opportunities for all, he said. He emphasized the need for the industrial pillar of the TFTA to promote the development of indigenous capitalist or entrepreneurial class that would increasing assume a multinational character. He noted the need to prioritize the small and medium scale enterprises as they are usually the hubs for job and wealth creation in developing economies; and need for greater harmonization in the industrial policies of the three RECs. He further added that the SADC Industrialization Strategy and Roadmap of 2015, the COMESA Industrialization policy and EAC industrial policy agenda must all coalsce together to avoid discontinuities in the industrial focus of the three organizations and their member-states. He also noted the need to extend the free movement for business persons in the TFTA to include all citizens of the TFTA of all the three regional blocks. He called for deconstructing of Africas national borders which will not only make for good economics but also good social and political re-engineering of our Continent as contained in the Pan-African ideals. Meanwhile, the Government of Zimbabwe is committed to regional integration and that its current economic blue print, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation, recognizes the importance of industrialization and trade in transforming its economy. Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Willard Manungo, said regionalism is an important trend in the modern world as it contributes to the opening of markets, enhancing the development of regional value chains, and increases intra trade, stimulating economic growth and lifting people out of poverty. He expressed confidence that Prospects and Progress of the Tripartite Free Trade Area was moving in the right direction, though at a slow pace. Mr Manungo further noted that regional integration in Southern Africa is built on three pillars of industrial development, infrastructure development and market integration. However, Mr Manungo noted that the region has suffered from a critical deficiency in infrastructure, particularly, regarding access to electricity, transport, information and communication technology, water and sanitation and irrigation, among others. To bridge the funding gap for infrastructure, the Government of Zimbabwe established a Joint venture unit housed in my Ministry to facilitate public-private partnership initiatives and is currently putting a framework to implement Special Economic Zones in pilot areas such as Bulawayo, Sunway City in Harare and Victoria Falls, he said. Mr Manungo said that at regional level, the Government of Zimbabwe was involved in cross border infrastructure collaboration, notable projects include; rehabilitation of the Kariba Dam Wall Governments of Zimbabwe and Zambia, jointly mobilized resources; and the opening of the One Stop Border Post at Chirundu. He commended ECA and the Inter-Governmental Committee of Experts (ICE) for championing the agenda for deepening regional integration through trade facilitation and infrastructure development. He hoped that the deliberations were going to proffer concrete, focused and workable recommendations on developing infrastructure that would facilitate smooth trade, thereby strengthening the regional integration agenda. Participants at the AEGM include experts in regional integration, senior government officials and representatives of regional economic communities, research institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector, who will deliberate on the theme and identify the opportunities from enhanced integration. Recommendations towards addressing the challenges regarding the implementation of the TFTA milestones will be made. Ministers and senior officials responsible for Trade from 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries reaffirmed their strong and resounding commitment to the multilateral trading system, at the conclusion of the 20th ACP Ministerial Trade Committee meeting held in Brussels on 18-19 October. The meeting, chaired by the Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Hon. Carl B. Greenidge focussed on enhancing intra-ACP trade, including through a joint approach to commodities and agricultural value chains, as well as examining trade issues between the ACP and EU countries. This was in preparation for joint meetings with the European Commission on 20 October, covering Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), trade regime issues, capacity building, and non-cooperative tax jurisdictions amongst others. Ministers also discussed critical elements related to the 11th Ministerial Conference (MC11) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to be held 10-13 December in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The MC11 meeting will bring together more than 160 countries to continue multilateral negotiations on rules for international trade amongst members. The rules-based multilateral system must be sustained as it promotes a fairer trading system that increases opportunities for developing countries, including those in the ACP Group of States, said ACP Secretary General H.E. Dr. Patrick Gomes. However, this system is under threat today, and the changing dynamics in the WTO negotiations are undoubtedly making the achievement of development-oriented results difficult. Ministers heard presentations from the Director General of the WTO, Mr. Roberto Azevedo, the Chair of the WTO Ministerial Conference, Amb. Susana Malcorra of Argentina, as well as the Coordinator of the ACP Group in Geneva, Amb. John Ronald Deep Ford of Guyana. They reported on preparations for MC11, including challenges in terms of the level of ambition and nature of expected results. During the meeting, ACP ministers urged concrete outcomes at the forthcoming MC11 meeting in Buenos Aires, to send a strong message that the multilateral system works. At the same time, the imperative for outcomes at MC11 be aligned with the globally endorsed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 14.6 on fisheries to protect the world fishing stocks, and SDG 2 to end hunger by advancing food security through public stockholding. Ministers called for inclusiveness, consensus and transparency in all WTO decision-making processes, as well as careful framing of any reform evaluation of the WTO to ensure that the interests of all countries are protected. A robust MC11 work programme must be formulated, characterised by strong commitment to development, while recognising differences between developed, developing and least developed countries. The meeting highlighted the need to more proactively recognise and implement rules that enable recovery and development of small vulnerable economies, which are especially exposed to external shocks, including natural disasters. Representatives also committed to increased integration, unity and solidarity of the ACP Group of States, including taking more joint ACP approaches to trade and development. These elements are captured in a declaration by the ministers on the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference, where Guyana will act as the spokesperson for the ACP Group. Joint Statement of the ACP-EC Joint Ministerial Trade Committee on the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference During the Joint Ministerial Trade Committee held on 20 October 2017, the ACP and the EU discussed preparations for the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Buenos Aires on 10-13 December 2017. The ACP and the EU exchanged views regarding the current situation in the WTO and reaffirmed the crucial role of the rules-based multilateral trading system, and the importance of enhancing trade for achieving sustainable and inclusive growth and development. They emphasised the contribution of trade to development, and acknowledged the importance of development support to building trade capacity. The ACP and the EU reaffirmed their commitment to work together with all Members of the WTO to make the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference a success with ambitious and concrete results. They further agreed on the objective of ensuring that the WTO functions as an efficient and effective negotiating forum covering issues of interest to its Members and agreed to work together to ensure that this was reflected in the results of the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference, with development at the centre of negotiating outcomes. Statement by ACP Secretary General, Dr. Patrick I. Gomes, at the 20th Meeting of the ACP Ministerial Trade Committee, Brussels It gives me great pleasure to warmly welcome you to ACP House, your house, for the two meetings that are ahead of us namely the 20th ACP Ministerial Trade Committee and the 15th Joint ACP-EU Ministerial Trade Committee. It is very encouraging that many Ministers and very senior officials responsible for trade issues, in ACP Member States and regional secretariats, are here with us this afternoon. We will draw on your collective wisdom and guide our deliberations accordingly. Your presence here despite your respective busy schedules, and for some of you, arduous travel connections, is a welcome demonstration of the seriousness and importance that your countries attach to ACP issues in general, and those critical trade issues for the Global South as a whole. Be assured of the continuing and unwavering commitment of the Secretariat, to support and serve you. The purpose of your meeting here today and tomorrow is to prepare for the ACP-EU Joint Ministerial Trade Committee (JMTC), which by statute must meet at least once a year. The JMTC which, as an apex organ within the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, is duly mandated to address any trade related issue of concern or interest to the ACP States, including the ongoing monitoring of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). The JMTC must rigorously address our trade interests, and firmly pursue means to resolve those issues that continue to pose nagging problems. The 15th Meeting of the JMTC, on Friday morning, will consider issues related to ACP-EU trade relations. These include, as you well know, negotiations and implementation of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), as well as other pertinent issues you shall identify. Implementation of EPAs continues to give rise to protracted challenges. Expected benefits are proving delusive. We hope open and frank dialogue can result in mutual understanding, and assist in surmounting the challenges faced. Hence importance of the JMTC cannot be over-emphasised. The Senior Trade Officials from capitals, representatives of ACP regional organizations and a selected Group of ACP Geneva Ambassadors met here for the last two days to prepare for todays meeting. Extensive technical material and pertinent recommendations have been prepared for consideration of our Ministers and to engage our European Partners. The over-riding task for economic growth and development of our states is heavily dependent upon their enhanced, effective and more qualitative integration into the global trading system. We continue to face inherent structural and infrastructural constraints, and simultaneously, the development promise and prospective trade opportunities of the WTO Doha Round are fraught with uncertainties, while EPA implementations continue to stumble. This situation requires ACP States to continually innovate and to adapt strategies, policies and measures to capture a larger share of global trade. Basically, our aim is to foster sustained and sustainable economic growth and development, promote employment creation and direct this to ending poverty (SDG 1). Opportunities are to be seized, arising from the dynamism of economic growth in emerging economies and also through South-South trade. We are trying to grasp these. I wish briefly to illustrate some concrete measures that the ACP Secretariat has been pursuing. An intra-ACP trade framework has been under consideration by ACP States on various occasions. However, doubts have persisted about how far the conclusion of a free trade agreement would actually succeed in promoting intra-ACP trade, given existing structural and competitiveness constraints, as well the fact that all ACP States have already entered into a range of bilateral, regional and multilateral free trade or economic integration agreements and/or are in various stages of negotiating these. They continue to consume our very limited human and financial resources. Hence we want to adopt a step-wise approach. In this regard, the ACP requested UNCTAD to assist in carrying out a Study on the establishment of an intra-ACP framework for enhancement of trade and economic cooperation and related opportunities. This has started with a mapping of intra-ACP trade opportunities. The UNCTAD representatives presented the outcome of their work to Senior Officials. Although further work is required, the Senior Officials and Secretariat are recommending the setting up of an ACP-wide trade portal for access and use by governments, business and civil society and other stakeholders. The trade portal will cover manufactures, commodities, services, investment and economic good practices across the South. These outcomes are related to the ACP-EU Post 2020 agreement, in what our Council of Ministers has carved out under Pillar 1 a major shift from trade or trade cooperation, to address Trade, Investment, Industrialization and Services in an integrated and interrelated whole. That is our Pillar 1 as we look to Post-2020 negotiations. The role of the ACP will be catalytic and agenda setting - to facilitate and support the greater integration of our countries in the framework of their various regional processes, such as the Continental Free Trade agreement (CFTA) in Africa, or the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) in the Caribbean, to cite only these two. In the area of Economic Partnership Agreements, the Senior Officials received reports from the regional EPA configurations on the progress made in the EPA process. I note some progress but challenges remain. A common concern from the reports is the need to intensify exchange of experiences among our regions and ensure optimum cross fertilisation between regions. We need to respond to the legitimate fears which are founded on unquestionable desire to preserve proper policy space to enable better strategic responses to the aspirations of their people in the regions, especially those most in need. A key challenge continues to be the undermining of cohesive integration arising from the existence of different trade regimes within the same regional economic community. Therefore, there is need to conduct concrete analysis of the result, effect and impact of EPAs, on trade and regional integration as well as on its consequences to the development of ACP States. Senior Officials have also recommended that this type of study be continued. This is necessary as we look to the future of the ACP-EU partnership, particularly also because BREXIT would have an impact on EPAs for many countries, as the United Kingdom is a significant market, for several of our Member States. The other main purpose of your meeting is to address the issues before the multilateral trading system of the World Trade Organization, and to adopt a Declaration on the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference that will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 10-13 December this year. Preparations for the Conference face difficulties related to the level of ambition and nature on the results. Knowing the role that the ACP plays in WTO, we have the responsibility to ensure that once again, we fully and vigorously take part in the process and voice the concerns of our Member States. You more than I are knowledgeable of the changing dynamics in the WTO negotiations that undoubtedly are making the achievement of development-oriented results very difficult. We currently stand on shifting sand, to say the least. If the truth be told, recalling where we started from in Doha and where we are now in 2017, we are so far off course one could be forgiven for thinking that our compass & GPS may have been or is being hacked!!... Is it from Washington, Moscow or Beijing?? Even the language of the negotiations is shifting: from the days of abounding hope for success when we talked about low-hanging fruit and early harvests, we are now into leaner times of small packages, deliverables and outcomes. Even the Ministerial Declarations are getting leaner and shorter, not because Members have reached agreement on the outstanding issues but because reaching agreement is becoming harder. In the WTO it seems the passage of time hardens positions, making agreement almost impossible. Recent pronouncements by some major players and the realignments of international trade partnerships are causing consternation within the ACP Group. The risk of marginalization is real and growing. The ACP Group supports multilateralism that has a space on the table for small, weak and vulnerable economies, as opposed to protectionism which operates to the detriment of development for economically fragile countries. The ACP group needs to persistently pursue commitment, reaffirmation and agreement to multilateral institutions and negotiations. That is the only way that ACP States can be equitably integrated into the multilateral trading system. The ACP and the EU intend to send a clear message of solidarity in support of multilateralism. In this regard, the JMTC will be invited to issue an appropriate message at the end of its meeting on Friday. The other subject areas that your meeting will cover include the implementation of a new approach to commodities, ACP-EU trade regime issues such as the state of play on the BREXIT process, non-tariff measures, commodities and fisheries, EU negotiations with third parties at a bilateral level and mini-lateral level on Trade in Services (TiSA). The agenda also includes the European Commission proposal, to be looked at very carefully, on opening negotiations on a multilateral Investment Court. On all these topics, the Senior Officials report is rich with recommendations and ministers are invited to critically examine and give direction with appropriate conclusions. Now to the task must be pursued with vigour and clarity of purpose. Let us draw on the comparative advantage of our collective wisdom and powerful political commitment to secure our common interests and serve all developing countries. I thank you very much. Today, in Arusha: EAC Development Partners Consultative Forum on the 5th EAC Development Strategy. Concept note (pdf): The overall objective is to provide existing and potential Development Partners an opportunity to get updates on the development of 5th Development Strategy, key priority areas for the next 5 years and sector-specific priorities for FY 2018/19 for their consideration and support. Specific objectives include: Starting today, in Kigali: Fifth Nile Basin Development Forum. Download: 5th NBDF Handbook (pdf) Diarise: Joint retreat of the EAC Heads of State on Infrastructure and Health Financing and Development (29 November, Kampala) Featured trade policy process tweets: (i) @TradeOfficeNG: Zero draft ECOWAS Common Trade Policy - statement by the Nigerian Office for trade negotiations. (ii) @SACU_ES: SACU senior finance officials ended a two day meeting in Joburg on the SACU Revenue Sharing Arrangement review, attended by EU, IMF, WB experts. (iii) @brendan_vickers: Launch of Commonwealth African Trade Negotiators Network highly timely and commendable ahead of MC11 - WTO DDG Development of a SADC roaming cost model: request for proposals (CRASA) UNECA ad-hoc expert group meeting: Deepening regional integration in Southern Africa - role, prospects and progress of the TFTA Trade liberalization without enhanced production is a recipe for disaster, ECA Southern Africa regional director Said Adejumobi has observed. Speaking at the official opening of the Ad-hoc Expert Group Meeting this morning in Zimbabwe, Mr Adejumobi said without production, trade and market liberalization is meaningless. A developmental approach to regional integration was adopted by the TFTA anchored on three main pillars namely; market integration, industrial and infrastructure development. Mr Adejumobi said the industrial pillar seeks to boost the productive capacity of member-states, promote value addition and benefication, and enhance economic diversification. He said the infrastructure component is aimed at easing the challenge of doing business, and allowing the free flow of goods and services. ECOWAS: Regional experts validate draft directive on harmonisation of laws on tobacco At the end of their two-day meeting the experts and delegates also reviewed 12 of the 47 Articles of the draft Supplementary Act on the taxation of income, capital and inheritance for the avoidance of double taxation in ECOWAS Member States. The draft directive is meant among others to harmonize the legislative and regulatory provisions of Members States on tracing and tracking mechanisms applicable to tobacco products in order to facilitate the smooth running of the domestic market of tobacco products and ensure compliance with the obligations of the Community and Member States resulting from the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of the WHO as well as the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in tobacco products. It also sets out to make ECOWAS Member States establish and maintain under their control, a tracing and tracking system of all imported or manufactured tobacco products on the territory using a unique identifier. [New call for research proposals on economics of tobacco control in low, middle income countries] Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor: Zambia transit volumes reach 40,000 tonnes (New Era) Despite about 400 trucks being impounded in Zambia earlier this year, transit volumes for goods to and from Zambia have reached a new high of more than 40,000 tonnes for September 2017. The most recent statistics from the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, which is tasked to promote the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor, indicate that import and export volumes for the Zambian Market via the Port of Walvis Bay grew by 15% over the last financial year. According to the WBCG, these occurrences show significant confidence in the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor, especially the Zambian market. [Interconnected railways needed in Africa] Trade facilitation and paperless trade implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean: Regional Report 2017 (ECLAC) The Global Survey was first conducted in 2015. This report presents the results of its second version, carried out in the first half of 2017 with the participation of twenty-one countries from Latin America and the Caribbean. The report seeks to gauge how far the region has advanced in the areas of trade facilitation and paperless trade with regard to the baseline provided by the Global Survey in 2015. Extract (pdf): The results of the Global Survey 2017 by categories of measures reflect a slight improvement on 2015. The categories of Formalities, Transparency and Paperless Trade have the highest average rates of implementation, at 80%, 78% and 72%, respectively. The most progress between 2015 and 2017 was made on Formalities, with its average implementation rate increasing by 7 percentage points. Same as in 2015, the lowest rates of implementation in 2017 are in Institutional Arrangements and Cooperation (56%) and Cross-border Paperless Trade (47%), although in both cases there were small improvements between both years (see figure 6 in section 3). The group of 21 participating countries presents average implementation rates above 80% in more than half of the core trade facilitation measures included in the Global Survey. These include pre-arrival processing, the establishment of independent appeal mechanisms for Customs decisions, the acceptance of paper or electronic copies of required documents, the separation of release from the final determination of Customs duties, provisions for expedited shipments, the electronic submission of sea and cargo manifests, and the use of risk management, among others. Moreover, all participating countries except Antigua and Barbuda have electronic/automated Customs systems fully in place. Other important measures have implementation rates in the 70% to 79% range, such as e-payment of Customs duties and fees, availability of advance rulings, trade facilitation measures for authorized operators, establishment of National Trade Facilitation Committees and electronic application and issuance of import and export permits. Some of the measures with the lowest implementation rates are related to paperless trade (both internal and cross-border): the electronic exchange of certificates of origin (38%) and of sanitary and phyto-sanitary certificates (19%), and the electronic application for Customs refunds (29%). This is not surprising, since these measures require the support of a sophisticated ICT infrastructure and in the case of cross-border measures- close cooperation between the relevant agencies of the countries exchanging information. Fridays UNGA debate on Nepad: summary of statements (UN) The New Partnership for Africas Development now fully embedded in the development paradigms of both the United Nations and the African Union remained the rallying point in Africas pursuit of growth, the General Assembly heard, as delegates drew attention to security concerns and other obstacles still facing the continent. Speakers stressed that the partnership, known as NEPAD, was particularly critical in the areas of social and economic development, with several welcoming the recent facilitation of a Tripartite Free Trade Area agreement aimed at harmonizing three subregional blocs which previously had their own rules and models for trade. Meanwhile, others cited serious challenges facing Africas security and stability ranging from human and drug trafficking to terrorism and the illicit flow of resources away from the continent and urged development partners to redouble their support for national and regional efforts to combat them. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD, speaking on behalf of the African Union, expressed concern that Africas inequality gap continued to widen, with negative repercussions for political stability, business, growth and social cohesion. Demographics especially youth and youth unemployment was a critical part of the continents development, he said, noting that with a median age of 20, Africa must break the generationtogeneration poverty cycle that continued to trap many of its people. Indonesia-Africa Forum: preview (Jakarta Globe) Indonesia will host the inaugural Indonesia-Africa Forum next year (10-11 April), which the government hopes will boost economic partnerships between Indonesia and countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Speaking at the PR and diplomacy Indonesia in Africa seminar, Djauhari Oratmangun, a special advisor on strategic issues to the minister of foreign affairs, touched on Africas potential for Indonesian exports. One of our foreign policy priorities is Africa we call it our potential market. One of the main issues we face in the region is our lack of attention to the opportunities they offer, Djauhari said. Indonesia is currently involved in several discussions to increase its partnerships with Africa, including through financing schemes by Indonesia Eximbank via the National Interest Account and negotiations on a preferential trade agreement. Agriculture in Africa: telling myths from facts (World Bank) In these new Living Standard Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture, every aspect of farming and non-farming life is queriedfrom the plots farmers cultivate, the crops they grow, the harvest that is achieved, and the inputs they use, to all the other sources of income they rely on and the risks they face. Together the surveys cover more than 40% of the Sub-Saharan African population. In all, sixteen conventional wisdoms are examined, relating to four themes: the extent of farmers engagement in input, factor and product markets; the role of off-farm activities; the technology and farming systems used; and the risk environment farmers face. [Botswana aspires to have commercially viable agricultural sector by 2025] Visitation to Glacier National Park has never been higher, and need for maintenance has never been greater. My Model T friends driving classy, century-old Fords helped boost the record visitation, but park repairs require attention in Washington. In 2017, volumes of historic memories were created in Glacier National Park. In June, over 620,000 people visited the park, 30 percent above 2016. Attendance in July topped a whopping 1 million people, a 23 percent increase and a new monthly record. Included were 400 tourists riding in 175 nicely maintained Model T Fords. They spent beaucoup bucks in Whitefish, Eureka, Polson, Kalispell and Glacier National Park. While this increase in park visitation brings economic benefits to local communities including those in Lincoln County where I live, travelers cause wear and tear on park resources. This surge in visitation to Glacier hastens infrastructure aging and deterioration while annual maintenance funding from Congress is unreliable. In recent years our National Park Service put off repairs on roads, bridges, water systems and buildings throughout Glacier. The maintenance backlog in the park totals more than $148 million. This year compounded Glacier National Parks maintenance needs thanks to catastrophic wildfires. Talk about shock and awe and ruin! Some aspects of Glacier may be impossible to replace. For instance, the historic Sperry Chalet burned. Built in 1914, many of us have hiked to this spectacular chalet. Congress must dedicate funding to our national parks to fix years of neglect and wildfire devastation. Glaciers not the only national park suffering from neglected maintenance. Our National Park System needs $11.3 billion for deferred infrastructure repairs. Recently, I heard Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke tell Western Governors that the previous presidents decision to cancel offshore oil leases cost the Department of the Interior enough money to pay all deferred maintenance with billions left over. No question, postponing maintenance can be more expensive in the long run. Replacing infrastructure that has been allowed to waste away costs more. Ask any Model T driver if a quart of oil is cheaper than a rebuilt engine. Treasures like national parks are no different. There is a growing bipartisan movement in Congress to designate a dedicated funding stream solely for National Park Service maintenance needs. The National Park Service Legacy Act (S.751/H.R.2584), introduced this year with support from both sides of the aisle, offers a practical solution to reduce infrastructure backlog at national parks. Its encouraging to see our leaders in Washington come together to address this important national problem. Montanans should count our blessings Glacier is more popular and brings more economic growth to our state and my county than ever before. Help me to encourage Washington, D.C., to ensure resources to repair infrastructure. More visitors will come. The two Model T Ford national clubs have devoted huge sections of nationally circulated magazines to vintage car touring in our beautiful state, especially Glacier National Park. For details, type "MTFCA" or "MTFCI" into your internet search engine. -- Rep. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, represents House District 2 in the Montana Legislature. Bison Range records track money Just recently I came across in my files some information about the National Bison Range which has had much public attention. I was searching my biographical records on Professor Morton Elrod, the University of Montana's first faculty member who specialized in biology. Elrod was commissioned by the Boston Bison Society to check the Flathead Indian Reservation as a possible location of a preserve to protect the then-endangered American bison. Elrod was helped in his search for a suitable site by a tribal member, Duncan McDonald. The project was successful and in 1908 it was announced that Congress had approved funding for land acquisition and fencing; a sum of about $40,000. Later, in 1915, Elrod invited McDonald to deliver a talk on the UM campus, which he did in the small Main Hall lecture room; his talk was was published and a copy is in the UM archives. Duncan McDonald's most interesting comment was that the tribal members did not see any of the money from Congress for the Bison Range purchase. In fact, McDonald said, the funds went into developing the irrigation system that mostly benefited the European homesteaders. The Bison Range deal was a loss to the Natives. -- James Habeck, Missoula About Marigot Bay Resort & Marina is a Caribbean resort in Saint Lucia that overlooks the beautiful Marigot Bay. This luxury resort offers stunning views and outstanding accommodations. Marigot Bay Resort & Marina is designed to provide visitors with the highest standard of personalized, detail-oriented service. Arguably the most beautiful Bay in the Caribbean, Marigot Bay is the vacation of your dreams. So book your stay today and come experience pure bliss in paradise. Thanks all! Oceangirl: thanks! Knowing that you liked CSA gives me a reference point for the others as we loved it too. Flipflop: thanks for weighing in as your reviews and onsite reports factored into my choices! We'll be going for 5 nights. As for likes: nice beach and calm waters, which is why the areas farther north in PC didn't make the list. We really don't want any kids; been there, done that and ours are out of college. We're in our early 50's. This will be a real R&R trip so while I'll be happy to paddleboard or kayak, and maybe take a yoga class, and my partner might play a round of golf if it's convenient, we might not do any of that in lieu of laying about with a nice tropical drink. We liked the relaxing vibe at CSA in Negril, along with the martini bar, piano bar and entertainment. The food was fine for us. We didn't love Excellence Riviera Cancun; there was nothing wrong per se, but were disappointed in the beach, and the food, and thought most of the entertainment was subpar. There was something oddly formal about ERC that we didn't care for. foodman: thanks for weighing in as well since I read through your reviews too! Love CSA! It's our favorite resort we've ever been to! We'd like to try a different place though. Jewel's Dunn's River made the list because of your review; I've read some others that really knocked the food though but that didn't seem to be your experience. As for the other DR resorts you mentioned, those reportedly have rougher waters which is why the Cap Cana area appealed. A few extra days in AUS - where would you go? A few extra days in AUS - where would you go? Greetings. I'm planning a first trip to Australia (My partner and I both in our 30s traveling). We will be traveling in mid/late May through early June. We have some wiggle room in our itinerary and I'm wondering if you had a few extra days to squeeze in, where would you go? We are planning on traveling in this order: - Sydney: 5 Nights - Katoomba/Blue Mountains: 2 or 3 Nights (we will have a rental car) - Yolara/Uluru/Kata Tjuta: 4 nights (with a day trip to King's Canyon) (we will have a rental car) - Port Douglas: 6 nights (we will have a rental car) - Sydney: 2 Nights We love cities, nature, hiking, good food and wine. Our style is we move fast, keep busy, but save time for wandering, exploring, and being in the moment. Originally I was thinking about adding in Hamilton Island for 3 nights after Port Douglas... but given the time of year we are traveling and with so many options I didn't want to overdo it and try to see too much too fast. Would love to see Darwin/Kakadu and Melbourne too, but that will likely have to wait for another time when we have more time to do those places and the surrounding areas justice. Thanks for any suggestions. Dear fellow travellers, I will arrive in Bangkok on October 27th and leave back from Bangkok on November 24. So I have a month. I came up with the the following itinerary trying to get the most out of my Thailand/Vietnam experience while being able to enjoy it and without feeling rushed. I enjoy beautiful nature,interesting markets and people, fish markets, anything exotic, adventure, beautiful beaches with crystal clear water, places with a great vibe and atmosphere, exotic getaways, great Thai food, vibrant as well as untouched beaches and more. Itinerary: 1) I will arrive in Bangkok on October 27th and without leaving the airport, immediately take a flight to Chiang Mai.In Chiang Mai (I have not booked that flight yet as I keep my options opened), I will stay for one week to explore all the highlights and must sees in that area leaving Chiang Mai on November 3rd (and might possibly consider to stay until Sunday November 5th to witness that amazing parade of that famous festival on the evening and leaving Chiang Mai on Monday November 6th instead (do not know if that is not too long though) 2) Take a flight from Chiang Mai to Krabi and do the following in 7 to 10 days: Enjoy Krabi and then I might go to Khao Lak and possibly include Khao Sok park as well (however I read that guided tours there are extremely expensive and without them, it is not worth it and difficult to go there...is this true?). From Khao Lak, I am thinking about taking a 3 day snorkeling liveaboard to the Similan Islands (Is this worth it during this time of the year? I am not sure about this and would greatly appreciate other options and ideas) After Khao Lak, I would go to Koh Yao Yai. There is a ferry between Koh Yao Yai, Koh Yao Noi (a nearby, smaller, but more populated/developed island), and Phuket island 3) Take a flight to Saigon and do the following in 7 to 10 days: a) Explore Saigon b)Relaxing in Nha Trang c)Explore Hanoi and Halong Bay 4) Take a flight back to Bangkok (maybe spend a day in Bangkok as I have been there before and spend a week there) before taking a flight back home. Questions to part 1 of itinerary: What are the absolute highlights and must sees in Chiang Mai and the surrounding areas that are just amazing? I mean I have my ideas but I would like to get your ideas and suggestions as I am trying to avoid wasting time through tourist traps where you get there and say to yourself why the hell did I come here? Also, is 10 days too much time staying in Chiang Mai exploring all it and the surrounding areas have to offer considering I have 30 days overall? Questions to part 2 of itinerary: Is 7 to 10 days a good amount of time to explore the south Thai islands as indicated in my itinerary? Again, I am looking for must sees and highlights that significantly add to the overall experience that have that wow effect. Would you add something or leave something out? Any specific advice/suggestions greatly appreciated. Questions to part 3 of itinerary Vietnam: Is 7 to 10 days a good amount of time to explore Vietnam as indicated in my itinerary? Again, I am looking for must sees and highlights that significantly add to the overall experience that have that wow effect. Would you add something or leave something out? Any specific advice/suggestions greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your help. Klara How safe is to travel to Vietnam with a 2yo child? How safe is to travel to Vietnam with a 2yo child? Hi There, We would like to travel to Vietnam next March/April with a (in March ) 21m old child. My concern is how safe is to travel with a toddler to Vietnam in terms of food/travel/pablic safety, what is the standard of medical care, in case it is needed...etc. Can someone - who was traveling around with a small child in Vietnam- share his/her experience? We have already been in many Asian countries but before the child was born (ex I would never go to India with a small child, but I would to China) this is why I would be happy to see some of yours experience about Vietnam. Thanks for any advice! Brigitta I am currently planning a trip to Hong Kong, Cambodia and Vietnam for myself and 2 friends in late March/early April 2018. As part of this we will be flying from Siem Reap to Hanoi and we have a specific date on which we will need to do this (our time in each country is relatively limited so we have a strict-ish itinerary, whilst trying not to rush around too much!) I know that airline questions probably become a bit annoying on here, but this one is quite specific... At the moment, a flight from SR to Hanoi with VietJet is coming up at 76pp including luggage, whereas Vietnam Airlines want 165 - which seems far too much relatively speaking. However, I am slightly worried by VietJet's reputation, from reading comments on TA. I note that VietJet often have 6 or 7 flights a day between, say, Hanoi and HCMC then condense them and delay people if they can fit more people onto one flight. As they only have 1 flight per day, in the evening, from SR to Hanoi, I am thinking that this should not be an issue and they should be reliable. Am I being naive? Is there really that much of a chance that they will mess up our itinerary? (We can cope with an hour or 2 delay if needed!) Shibuyakko... Im a perfect mix. A confused and contrasting and conflicted mix. Even though I knew I had no classes today because its an exam day, I still felt obligated to go. But after standing in line to ask about my alternative ways to KOBE, the JR guy told me maybe in 3 or 4 hours instead of looking exhausted or defeated like the others before me, I smiled and said yay! Im going home to sleep in Japanese and the JR guy looked a little confused. Then my Japanesey side too hold again thinking I should try but then my friend from AKASHI told me that it took him 2.5 hours to get to Sannomiya today and I should wait a bit longer because that journey usually only takes 25 minutes so I turned on my tv and made a cup of tea and figured I should eat before going if it was going to take a long time today. And I made the tasty but messy Royal Milk Tea on the stove instead of just using the DENKI Pot with tea leaves. Boiled milk and everything. Thats not a very Japanese approach to getting to work in a typhoon. Or aftermath of a typhoon. I got to the station and was maybe 9 people back in line and there were 5 people behind me. Two lines. About 28 people all waiting to get on the train at the same door. Then a train pulled up 90 minutes late. The windows were steamed up on the inside. But then I saw the faces and bodies pressed up against the glass. Thats when I said no way out loud to the person next to me and then in Japanese, today is a holiday and the salaryman smiled and shook his head in agreement but gladly moved forward one spot to try to squeeze into that mobbed train. He was happy for me but didnt have that option. I also discovered as I was waiting that I had forgotten my Bose earbuds so facing that one hour journey pressed against windows inside of a steamy train without Netflix or music was definitely part of the deal breaker. Of all days?!? I have them every day!? Why today?! So I called school and they were like you should go home. School was cancelled. lol Thats it?!? Dear all, I know this is very basic but I am arriving in Narita on 1st November with my daughter and grand-daughter after a long flight and want to be clear what I am doing. Please be patient with me - I am starting to get very confused. We are scheduled to arrive at 6.00pm. I assume we arrive in terminal 2 - we're on Qantas and can't get very clear info. When we arrive we go through immigration, pick up baggage and clear customs? Then we have to get some Yen - are ATM's easy to find? We'd like to buy a couple of 15 day data sim cards - what is the best way to do this? Just get one from the vending machine? We then need to change our JR Rail pass vouchers for the JR passes (but not activate them because we won't use them straight away). Where do we do that? I'd rather get it out of the way now. Then I think it's best for us to get the Keisei Skyliner to Ueno and get a taxi from there to our apartment in Asakusa. Where do I get Skyliner tickets? When we get to Keisei Ueno is there a specific exit to take to get to the taxis (it will be about 8.00pm or later by this time)? I really hope someone can help with these details. It's one thing to arrive somewhere alone but with my daughter and little grand-daughter I really want to have things clear. IROEMAN, I may be missing something, but staying overnight at the said hut to do both (the next day?) looks a bit too rushed... Or are you suggesting doing DP for day1 and Mt Yake for day2 or the other way around? Anyway, DP is a day hike affair for 'ropeway' riders, so no need to stay overnight at the hut, imo: just about 2hrs' walk away from it. OP, yes, the weather may become a major stumbling block to summitting it and then returning safely. Note you need to deal with a 40 to 50meter-long quite steep rocky face, with 2 stout chains equipped along the way to save your life: the left-hand side one (as you climb up) is easier to tackle than the right-hand side. So not for everyone. Yes, reward is big weather permitting. Like I said in my last post, beware of gases/fogs coming toward you. You don't want to find your way out in whiteout, do you? In this part of the alps, there's no peak easy as DP, as far as I know. So your best bet is still hitting DP if you come around, imho. Um, hearsay is the trek from Nishiho Hut to Yake Hut is not as well-beaten as you may expect, takes 3hrs (2hrs return), give or take. Besideds, even in case you need a rest, the latter mountain hut is unavailable, closes fairly earlier than others, probably at the end of this month. Again, if it's all right for you to sacrifice your precious time or try your luck at having a greatst alpine feel, then do ride the cable car and then head for DP via the hut. That said, if in your shoes, I'd ask beforehand someone in your hotel to take a look at this Japanese weather site on Shin Hotaka Ropeway: https://tenki.jp/leisure/5/24/158/23439/10days.html and tell you the forecast. YES, if it's 'sun' 'sun' and 'sun' then it sure is worth it trying your luck, imo. But don't forget to consult staff in Nishiho Hut about weather/gases up there before you go. They are experts on them. Good luck! Edited: 5 years ago hi all, we are coming to japan in the end of November (landing in Tokyo) and trying to find nice two days hikes which will include sleeping in a mountain hut/ remote guesthouse/ anything nice a and cozy (we do not carry a tent). we understand that this is out of season for Kamikochi and the area, and having troubles to find alternatives (of course areas still having autumn leaves will be best). it really doesn't have to be well known or well organised trail. will be grateful for any recommendation! Re: 22 day budget trip for three seniors travelling to Japan 2. Re: 22 day budget trip for three seniors travelling to Japan Could you please help me with this itinerary? Tokyo, Japan 4 nights Sat. Nov 18-Wed. Nov 22 Tokyo - Hakone 88 km, 1h 35m Day trip to Hakone, Japan Wed. Nov 22 Tokyo -Nagano Nagano, Japan 1 night Wed. Nov 22-Thu. Nov 23 Nagano - Kanazawa 233 km, 2h 21m Kanazawa, Japan 1 night Thu. Nov 23-Fri. Nov 24 Kanazawa - Tayama 153 km, 3h 28m Takayama, Japan 1 night Fri. Nov 24-Sat. Nov 25 Takayama - Nagoya 167 km, 3h 32m Nagoya, Japan 1 night Sat. Nov 25-Sun. Nov 26 Nagoya - Koyasan Koyasan, Japan 1 nights Tue. Nov 26 - Wed Nov 27 Koyasan - Kyoto Kyoto, Japan 4 nights Sun. Nov 27-Tue. Nov 30 Nara, Japan Day trip from Kyoto Tue. Nov 28 Osaka, Japan Day trip from Kyoto Thu. Nov 29 Kobe, Japan Day Trip from Kyoto Thu. Nov 30 Takamatsu, Japan 1 night Thu. Nov 30-Fri. Dec 01 Takamatsu - Miyajima Miyajima/Hiroshima, Japan 2 nights Fri. Dec 01-Sun. Dec 03 To tokyo 6h Somewhere north of Tokyo - please suggest 1 night Sun. Dec 03-Mon. Dec 04 Tokyo, Japan 0 nights I can increase the number of days by 2 more from 15-17 if needed Where do I get the best picture of Mt fuji and how to get there? I love history/nature/ food very important. want to see lots of temples, one party night in my schedule. Would like to stay in a POD hotel, temple, royakan, any other suggestions Any festivals going on during my stay?? off beaten path travel is awesome anything I missed? Any help from all you travel experts would be great!! Thank you so much! Edited: 5 years ago Is your company in need of the most reliable and efficient best Best Jasmine Tea s in the market? Your good luck led you to the ideal situation, so congratulations! You are in the best possible place. By eliminating the need to read through dozens of Best Jasmine Tea reviews, we are saving you time and stress. Many customers find it difficult to decide which Best Jasmine Tea product to buy. The dilemma is brought about by the many types of Best Jasmine Tea in the market. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a clear understanding of how you may choose the most suitable Best Jasmine Tea available in the market. - Kenyans are set to return to the ballot on October 26 to re-elect a president after the Supreme Court nullified the August 8 results - In the run up to the election, Pope Francis said he is closely monitoring the Kenyan crisis - He prayed that Kenyans may deal with the current problems in a climate of constructive dialogue - The two main contenders for the presidential seat; President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga said they have nothing to talk about Pope Francis said he is paying very close attention to the Kenyan crisis as citizens gear up to return to the ballot on October 26 to re-elect a president after the Supreme Court nullified President Uhuru Kenyattas victory in the August 8 election. Speaking on Sunday, October 22, where he led mass, Pope Francis said he is praying that the whole country may deal with the current problems through constructive dialogue towards common good. I ask you to join my prayer for peace in the world. I am paying close attention in these days to Kenya which I visited in 2015. I pray that the whole country may be able to face the current difficulties in a climate of constructive dialogue, having at heart the search for the common good, said the Pope as quoted by Reuters before he begun Mass. READ ALSO: One person dead as Kikuyu and Luo communities clash in Nairobi's Lucky Summer and Baba dogo estate Pope Francis at Kasarani Stadium when he visited Kenya in 2015. Photo: Standard. READ ALSO: We resume protests on Tuesday, October 24- Raila assures supporters With just two days remaining to the election, Kenya has been divided along political and tribal lines as President Uhuru Kenyatta prepares to defend his seat against Thirdway Alliances Ekuru Aukot, and quite possibly, National Super Alliance presidential candidate Raila Odinga. Raila withdrew from the election, saying the outcome had already been predetermined and that President Uhuru and his Jubilee Party had already printed election material that would be used to staff ballot boxes on Election Day. Raila also said that there will be no election in Kenya on October 26 unless there are reforms at the polling commission. Calls for dialogue between President Uhuru and Raila Odinga continue to fall on deaf ears as both candidates say they have nothing to say to each other. READ ALSO: Decisions at IEBC are made from outside and if you do not agree, you may be killed The Pope with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta. Photo: PSCU. Install TUKO App To Read News For FREE According to prior TUKO.co.ke reports, Uhuru was quoted saying he is only willing to talk to Raila after the election, and Raila Odinga says the international community should intervene in the Kenyan case without waiting to be invited over. Hostility in the country has been rife especially with opposition anti-Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission demonstrations which has seen several people majority of whom are from one tribe- killed by anti-riot police. Animosity between Jubilee and NASA supporters has been evident on both mainstream and social media over which candidate will clinch the top seat. READ ALSO: Pilot of the ill-fated Nakuru chopper was drunk - reports National Super Alliance presidential candidate Raila Odinga. Photo: Raila Odinga/Facebook. READ ALSO: William Ruto claims to know why Raila flew to London However, it remains to be seen if the IEBC will indeed meet all of the irreducible minimum demands from Railas camp for him to change his mind and participate in the October 26 poll. Aside from hostility among voters, the same has been witnessed among politicians from across the political divide as some continue to issue statements amounting to hate speech and division. The National Cohesion and Integration Commission Chairman Francis ole Kaparo said his team is closely watching for hate speech and divisive politics, but even then, any politician arrested ends up being released without any impacting consequences. Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke Source: TUKO.co.ke - Members of the Nairobi Business Community have ignited debate on social media after they were seen wearing military fatigue - The group which was holding a meeting at Uhuru Park sparked mixed reactions with their US marine combat uniform - The group has been criticised by NASA supporters who claim they are members of the outlawed Mungiki sect Members of the so called Nairobi Business Community have stirred excitement online after they stepped out wearing military uniform. The group which has been engaging NASA supporters during demonstrations in Nairobi in the name of protecting their businesses shocked many after appearing at a press conference in US military fatigue. Four of the Nairobi Business Community members wore patrol boots,dark shades,caps and jackets mimicking those of the American marines. READ ALSO: List of cases filed for or against fresh poll The group has been criticised by NASA supporters who claim they are members of the outlawed Mungiki sect adding they have even been armed by the government. But the police has denied any existence of Mungiki within its ranks. Members of Nairobi Business Community clad in military uniform.Photo:Kyeni TV/Facebook. The group said during the press conference on Monday,October 23 that whilst they were not opposed to NASA demos, they would not condone destruction of their businesses. READ ALSO: Blow to Raila as UK, US say election has to be held within 60 days as enshrined in constitution They wore the army uniform a few days after a group of women supporting President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election were seen with similar attire. READ ALSO: African Union and the United Nations promise to assist IEBC on the forthcoming presidential election READ ALSO: Ballot papers printed by Al Ghurair for October 26 election are a decoy - Raila Read also: How to fill in Nigerian army recruitment form 2017? Source: TUKO.co.ke - NASA has dismissed foreign envoys' stand regarding the October 26 repeat election - The opposition has maintained its stand that there will be no election despite US and UK saying the law must be followed - NASA says since the reforms they recommended have not been met, they will not participate in the election - The envoys said only the IEBC or the courts can postpone the repeat election The National Super Alliance (NASA) has maintained that it will not be part of the repeat election on Thursday, October 26 despite calls by the international community to follow the law. In a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke after NASA met the envoys on Monday, October 23, the opposition said since their demands had apparently been ignored, they will not participate in the election. NASA said the IEBC is not ready to conduct a repeat election as per the words of its chairman Wafula Chebukati and immediate former commissioner Roselyne Akombe. NASA leaders have vowed to boycott the October 26 election Photo: Facebook/Raila Odinga READ ALSO: Chebukati should man up like a proper Luhya - Francis Atwoli "We made it clear that if the electoral commission itself is not confident of conducting credible polls, it follows that the said elections can only be sham elections that NASA shall not be part of. NASA wishes to reaffirm to the country, the international community at large and its supporters in particular that the elections scheduled for 26th do not meet the conditions deduced from the Supreme Court ruling and our subsequent irreducible minimums that we shared both with IEBC and the public," NASA said in a statement signed by Musalia Mudavadi. The cpalition added that 'three days to the election there is nothing that can change in the electoral infrastructure and its position is final. READ ALSO: The mysterious fifth person and only lady on the chopper that crashed into Lake Nakuru "We do not recognize the election scheduled for 26th October and we shall not participate in it because it doesnt serve the countrys interest," they said. Foreign envoys asked NASA to respect the law Photo: Twitter/American Embassy Nairobi As reported by TUKO.co.ke, the foreign envoys led by US and UK warned that the constitution has to be followed regarding a repeat election. READ ALSO: I will only talk to Raila after elections- Uhuru The envoys also asked President Uhuru Kenyatta not to sign into law amendments to election laws. They further expressed their concern over Chebukati and Akombe's sentiments, saying no one should infiltrate the IEBC. Uhuru, Maraga come together for Mashujaa day on TUKO TV Source: TUKO.co.ke It was fun in the sun on Sunday as the Aranguez savannah was the place to crown winners of t Russian-backed militants launched 12 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas in last day. This is reported by the ATO press center. "Over the past day, illegal armed formations violated the ceasefire 12 times. The Ukrainian Armed Forces opened fire on the enemy eight times. As a result of the fighting, one Ukrainian soldier was wounded," the statement reads. In Donetsk direction, illegal armed formations used grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms to shell Ukrainian strongholds outside Butovka coal mine (11.4km north-west of Donetsk) and Avdiivka (18km north of Donetsk). In addition militants opened fire from anti-tank grenade launchers and weapons on infantry fighting vehicles on the outskirts of Kamyanka (62km south of Donetsk). In Mariupol direction, ATO troops came under heavy machine gun fire near Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) and Starohnativka (52km south of Donetsk) and under grenade launcher fire near Vodiane (16km north-west of Donetsk). In Luhansk direction, Russian-backed mercenaries launched attacks on Ukrainian positions in the area of Krymske (42.5km north-west of Luhansk), using 82mm mortars, automatic and anti-tank grenade launchers. ol Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that most UN countries support Ukraine's proposal to deploy peacekeepers to Donbas. He stated this at a meeting with residents of Avdiyivka on Sunday, October 22, the press service of the head of state reported. In particular, Poroshenko said that everything must be done to force the aggressor country to withdraw its occupation forces, arms, artillery and military equipment, disarm illegal formations and allow Ukrainian troops to control the border. He recalled that in 2015 he made a proposal on UN peacekeepers in Donbas. Poroshenko said that most UN countries supported Ukraine in 2017. "I am doing everything for peacekeepers to be deployed to Donbas. This means that they will stop shooting in Donbas. This means that with joint efforts we will bring peace to Donbas," Poroshenko said. According to the president, peacekeepers will be able to take control of an uncontrolled section of the Ukrainian-Russian border, so that troops do not return and that ammunition and tanks are not supplied. "The authority of the UN and the strength of the UN Security Council should ensure that people with weapons no longer shell either Ukrainian soldiers or Ukrainian civilians," Poroshenko said. The president also thanked residents of the city, which many foreign delegations have recently visited. "You are doing an extremely important business. You're creating a fantastic image of Ukrainians in the world," Poroshenko added. op Ukrainian and Polish Infrastructure Ministers Volodymyr Omelyan and Andrzej Adamczyk have signed a memorandum on cooperation in the implementation of an international infrastructure project - the construction of the Via Carpatia transport corridor. The document was signed in Przemysl on Sunday, October 22, in the presence of Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy and Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Marek Kuchcinski, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "We are building roads and bridges, and this memorandum is a step towards the future," Omelyan said after the signing of the agreement. He also thanked the Polish side for the fact that both countries are looking towards Europe. Adamczyk, in turn, said that the signing of the memorandum was evidence of Ukraine's support for this project. According to him, joining Kyiv's project will help include the Via Carpatia route in the network of the trans-European transport system TEN-T. "This is very important, and it is our goal, because it gives us a chance to implement a project that will unite the Baltic Sea with the Aegean Sea and through a branch with the Adriatic and Black Seas. Via Carpatia will unite our regions and give them hope for dynamic economic development," Adamczyk said. In 2006, an international route between Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary was formally formed on Poland's initiative at the level of transport ministers. In 2010, a declaration on the creation of the Via Carpatia route was signed. In March 2016, Ukraine and Turkey joined the project by signing in Warsaw a declaration on the construction of this international transport corridor from north to south of Europe. The Via Carpatia transport corridor is to run from Lithuania's Klaipeda and Kaunas through Poland's Bialystok, Lublin and Rzeszow to the Slovak and Hungarian cities of Kosice and Debrecen, and from there to Romania's Constanta and Greece's Thessaloniki. op The process of creating the National Coal Company is at the final stage. Thirty-three state coalmines will be incorporated in it. Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Volodymyr Kistion said this in an interview with the Ekonomichna Pravda online Ukrainian newspaper, the Government portal reports. "This process is at the final stage. The Energy and Coal Industry Ministry submitted a document on the establishment of this company to the Cabinet of Ministers two days ago [on October 9]. I think the document will be signed and published within a week or two. The company will incorporate 33 coalmines, Kistion said. According to him, the creation of the company will allow forming unified state policy: to conduct centralized purchases, to save UAH 1.5 billion on the administrative apparatus of coal associations. ol Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has said that the Verkhovna Rada should approve laws on the development of domestic film industry in the near future. The prime minister said this during a meeting with representatives of the film industry, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. I will ask the Verkhovna Rada Chairman [Andriy Parubiy] to dedicate one day so that we can vote and support them. I believe there will be needed support, Groysman said. According to him, three bills on domestic film industry have been sent to the Verkhovna Rada. He also asked representatives of the film industry to submit their proposals on the development in this sphere. iy The procedural matters of supplies of lethal weapons to Ukraine by the United States have been tackled, and now everything depends on the political decision of the U.S. leadership. Chief of the General Staff, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Army General Viktor Muzhenko said this in an exclusive interview with Ukrinform. "We have such prospects [regarding the supplies of lethal weapons to Ukraine]. All the lists have been agreed upon, and the procedural matters have been discussed. Now we await a political decision [of the White House]," the Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief said. At the same time, he added that the US military leadership positively assesses the current state of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "The American side also positively assesses the processes taking place in Ukraine in 2014-2017, particularly, with respect to strengthening the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Muzhenko said. In addition, he said, the issue is currently considered regarding the possible expansion of bilateral cooperation with the US in field of strategic reform. "The reform concerns the changes in the General Staff, the departments of the Armed Forces and the Defense Ministry of Ukraine in order to improve communication and obtain appropriate opportunities not only at the operational, but already at the strategic level," the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said. ol G7 Ambassadors in Ukraine welcome the adoption of the healthcare reform bill and look forward to its swift enactment. This is said in the statement of G7 Ambassadors in Ukraine, released on the site of the Embassy of Italy in Ukraine on Monday. "This legislation is a significant step forward and is designed to ensure better healthcare provision for all Ukrainians, achieve efficient primary to tertiary health care, and eradicate corruption," G7 Ambassadors note. It is also noted that the relevant achievement is just the first step. "This achievement is just the first step and there is much work to do to ensure full implementation. It will be important to ensure that sufficient funding is allocated to the healthcare sector and that the necessary support is provided to the Ministry of Health," the statement reads. G7 ambassadors stress they will continue to support reforms in Ukraine. As reported, on October 19, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in the second reading and as a whole the government bill on the state financial guarantees for the provision of healthcare services and medicines. ol Ukrainian Ambassador to the Czech Republic Yevhen Perebyinis has said he expects that the future Czech government will continue the course in support of mutually beneficial relations with Kyiv and will maintain common European policy on the Ukrainian issue. The diplomat said this in a comment to an Ukrinform correspondent. "I hope that this [future] government will continue to pursue pragmatic and mutually beneficial relations with Ukraine," Perebyinis said. Despite various estimates of the results of the Czech elections, he is "not inclined to dramatize them." The Ukrainian side is well aware of the ANO party (Action of Dissatisfied Citizens), which triumphed in the October 20-21 elections and without which a government cannot be formed, since it was also represented in the government that completes its cadence. Despite the fact that this political party has views different from "traditional parties" regarding the functioning of the EU (in particular, it opposes the influx of migrants and the introduction of the euro), in principle, it is a pro-European party, which was confirmed by its leader Andrej Babis. Perebyinis also recalled a statement made by Babis a few days before the election that he did not plan to cooperate in forming a government with pro-Russian parties. "Therefore, in principle, I hope that the government, which will be formed on the basis of these elections, will be pro-European, and that it will continue the same position that was defended by the current [government] in terms of support for Ukraine in the EU," the Ukrainian ambassador said. The diplomat said at the same time that the ANO leader had rarely spoken on foreign policy issues. However, there is his absolutely clear position that he condemns the occupation of Crimea by Russia and Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine. On the other hand, in Kyiv "of course, also noted his statement that sanctions against Russia, unfortunately, do not work as they should, and, obviously, the EU should look for more effective means of influence." However, in general, we "expect that the policy of a new Czech government will not go beyond the mainstream of the EU policy." From the point of view of Ukrainian interests, Babis's position on labor migration deserves attention. Here, Perebyinis said, the ANO leader has a very clear position: in contrast to the Social Democrats, he advocates more active engagement of Ukrainians who, in his opinion, have proven themselves to be an extremely positive factor in the Czech economy over the past decades, to fill more than 200,000 jobs needed by the Czech Republic. "During the election campaign, the issue of Ukrainian workers and Ukrainians who could work in the Czech Republic was often the subject of disputes between the Social Democratic Party and ANO," the ambassador said. Overall, judging by the results of the parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, Perebyinis stated that they had demonstrated the triumph of the protest electorate, while the so-called traditional parties that were in power over the past 25 years received an extremely modest result, including the Social-Democratic Party, which heads the current government. op NEW YORK/GENEVA/DHAKA, 23 October 2017 Nearly two months since Rohingya families began fleeing en masse to Bangladesh, thousands of children and women are still without basic lifesaving services, UNICEF said today. The warning comes as representatives of donor governments and humanitarian organizations meet in Geneva for a pledging conference aimed at drumming up resources for what remains a severely under-funded emergency. The Rohingya refugee crisis shows no sign of abating, said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh. The needs of refugees and those of the communities hosting them are increasing at a much faster pace than our capacity to respond. We need more resources and we need them now. Close to 1.2 million people including new arrivals, Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar in previous escalations of violence, and vulnerable Bangladeshi communities need humanitarian assistance in Coxs Bazaar. Some 720,000 of them are children. An estimated 450,000 Rohingya children aged 4-18 years old need education services, 270,000 of them from among the new arrivals. Nearly 17,000 children with severe acute malnutrition need inpatient and outpatient treatment, and 120,000 pregnant and nursing women need nutritious supplementary food. There is an acute shortage of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in the refugee settlements, with an average of 100 people per latrine. Given the current population density and poor sanitation and hygiene conditions, any outbreak of cholera or acute watery diarrhoea, which are endemic in Bangladesh, could kill thousands of people residing in temporary settlements, Beigbeder said. Measles has been reported among the settled population as well as new arrivals. UNICEF is working towards accelerating the routine immunization schedule, which will include the host community. There are also reports of parents and caregivers who say they are unable to care for their children because of their vulnerable emotional and psychological state. Many adolescents have taken on additional roles as caregivers and providers, helping with distributions, collecting firewood and caring for their elderly relatives or siblings. At least 900 children are living in child-headed households. UNICEF is working with partners to provide vulnerable children with life-saving support. Since 25 August: UNICEF and partners have screened nearly 50,000 children under-five for malnutrition. Over 1,500 were found to suffer from severe acute malnutrition and almost all have received treatment. Approximately 69,000 children aged 6-59 months received Vitamin A supplementation during the supplementary measles, rubella and polio immunization campaigns. Close to 7,500 pregnant and nursing women received infant and young child feeding information critical to reducing undernutrition in infants and young children. More than 700,000 people, including 180,000 children aged 1 to 5 years old, were vaccinated against cholera in a campaign launched on October 10. A second round will start early November to vaccinate 180,000 children against cholera and 220,000 against polio, both potentially fatal diseases that can spread quickly in camp settings. UNICEF and partners have reached 128,000 with drinking water, 190,000 with sanitation services, and 37,000 with hygiene kits and jerry-cans. More than 35,000 children are being reached with psychosocial support in 106 child friendly spaces. UNICEF has reached more than 22,000 children, including 8,500 new arrivals, with learning opportunities. The needs are massive and growing, but funding remains extremely limited. UNICEF has received only 11 per cent of the US$ 76 million it needs to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to affected children and women. ### Notes to the editor: Photos and videos can be downloaded here For more information please contact: Jean Jacques Simon, UNICEF Bangladesh, jsimon@unicef.org, +880 01713043478 Marixie Mercado, UNICEF Geneva, mmercado@unicef.org, +4179 559 7172 Christophe Boulierac, UNICEF Geneva, cboulierac@unicef.org, +41 799639244 UNICEF/UN0118457/ Dakar, 23 October 2017 Unless progress is seriously accelerated, it will take over 100 years to end child marriage in West and Central Africa, with far-reaching, life-altering consequences for millions of child brides and crippling impact on the regions prosperity, UNICEF said today. A new UNICEF report card Achieving a future without child marriage: Focus on West and Central Africa reveals that, as a result of rapid population growth and high prevalence, even a doubling of the rate of the current decline would not be sufficient to reduce the number of girls marrying each year. We need to shake ourselves up, said Fatoumata Ndiaye, UNICEFs Deputy Executive Director. We cannot continue to let so many of our girls miss out on their health, education, and childhood. At current rates, our report shows, it will take over 100 years to eliminate child marriage in the region how is this acceptable? The new projections, released during a high-level meeting on ending child marriage in Dakar this week, aim to bring the spotlight on the region of the world where girls face the highest risk of marrying in childhood. While the prevalence of child marriage in West and Central Africa has declined over the past two decades, progress has been uneven, and still four in 10 women are married before the age of 18 and, of these, one in three before the age of 15. West and Central Africa includes six of the 10 countries with the highest prevalence of child marriage in the world: Niger; Central African Republic; Chad; Mali; Burkina Faso and Guinea. The report also highlights that progress is possible even in high prevalence countries when the right mix of strategies is in place, such as empowering girls, mobilizing families and communities to change attitudes and behaviours, providing adequate services to girls at risk and to married girls and putting in place consistent laws and policies to protect and promote the rights of girls. Five countries in the region Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Togo, Ghana and Rwanda stand out with declines in the practice ranging from 40 to 60 per cent over the past 25 years. Getting girls to school and keeping them there for as long as possible is one of the best strategies to delay child marriage because educated girls are able to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to make decisions about their choices in life. The longer a girl stays in school, the less likely she is to be married before the age of 18 and have children during her teenage years. Getting girls to schools should be our top priority, said Ndiaye. Not only because it equips girls for life, but it also helps to lift their families, their communities, their countries out of poverty. Child marriage, the marriage or union of children under the age of 18, is a harmful practice which violates the rights of children. Child brides are less likely to finish school, and are more likely to be victims of violence and become infected with HIV. When children get married, their prospects for a healthy, successful life decline drastically, often setting off an intergenerational cycle of poverty. Also, child brides often lack the skills needed for employment. To download the report card Achieving a future without child marriage: Focus on West and Central Africa, go to: https://data.unicef.org/resources/statistical-snapshot-child-marriage-west-central-africa *** For more information: Fatou Binetou Dia, UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa, tel: +221 33 831 09 10; mobile +221 77 655 44 16; email: fbdia@unicef.org Lisbon, Portugal (UroToday.com) While many prior papers have looked at the effect of obesity and BMI with prostate cancer incidence and prognosis, within the field of metabolic health, there is now an understanding that patients with normal weight can still have metabolic syndrome. These patients with metabolically obese, normal weight have a high visceral/subcutaneous fat ratio and other metabolic derangements associated with metabolic syndrome. Recent studies have also demonstrated that in Asian patients, diabetes and heart disease may be more prevalent even in the absence of obesity.With prostate cancer incidence rising in Korea, the authors assess the incidence of prostate cancer using the National Health Check-ups (NHC) database. There were 11.8 million men who participated between 2009 and 2012, amongst which there were 56,552 newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer. Obesity was defined as patients with BMI > 25 in this study (though historically it is >30). Metabolically Obese (MO) was defined as anyone have >= 3 components of metabolic syndrome. This resulted in 4 categories: metabolically healthy and normal weight (MHNW), metabolically obese but normal weight (MONW), metabolically healthy and obese (MHO) and metabolically obese and obese (MOO). MV regression analysis was used to identify predictors of prostate cancer incidence.While MHNW predominated the number of cases (6.1 million), there were 1.2 million MONW, and 2 million each of the obese patients. Importantly, MONW patients and MOO patients were older than their metabolically healthy counterparts. Diabetes, HTN, and HLP were all higher as expected in the metabolically obese and obese patients. Median follow-up was similar for all groups, approximately 5.3 years.Compared to MHNW patients, all the other categories had a higher age-adjusted and multi-variable adjusted risk of prostate cancer. HR were 1.143 (MONW), 1.09 (MHO) and 1.25 (MOO). Interestingly, MONW were at higher risk than MHO, suggesting it is not obesity alone that increases risk.As the number of metabolic components increased, so did the risk of developing prostate cancer!Presented by: Hong Seok ParkAffiliation: Korea University, South KoreaWritten by: Thenappan Chandrasekar, MD, Clinical Fellow, University of Toronto, Twitter: @tchandra_uromd at the 37th Congress of Societe Internationale dUrologie - October 19-22, 2017 - Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon, Portugal (UroToday.com) As the population ages, we are forced to address cancer in patients at much older ages than previously. While guidelines for prostate cancer suggest stopping screening at age 70-75, as patients life expectancy increases, we are finding and managing more men with prostate cancer over the age of 80. But, how do these men fare?In this study, the group from the UK assess their institutional records for men diagnosed with prostate cancer over the age of 80 between 2014 and 2016. They retrospectively documented diagnostic characteristics, risk stratification and treatment for these patients.They identified 63 men diagnosed above the age of 80 (median age 85.3). Of these 1 died and 1 did not follow-up so 61 men were analyzed. Risk stratification demonstrated that men were primarily diagnosed with high-risk disease (77%), and very few low (13%) or intermediate risk (10%). Curative treatment (AS, EBRT, RP) was only offered to 16% of the patients, while palliative (ADT, watchful waiting, chemotherapy) was given to the remaining.PSA, Gleason score, and age are important features of decision-making for men with prostate cancer. Elderly patients are less willing to sacrifice quality of life for treatment. Expert guidelines currently recommend treatment for men with 10-years life expectancy.It is unclear what this study addresses. Many of these men were likely diagnosed with metastatic disease rather than screening though there is no discussion about the prompt for diagnosis was. However, with life expectancy age 87 at best in most countries (if not worse), men aged 80 should not be screened for prostate cancer. The few that do develop it later in life may have higher risk disease due to selection.Presented by: Nisha PindoriaAffiliation: North Middlesex Hospital, United KingdomWritten by: Thenappan Chandrasekar, MD, Clinical Fellow, University of Toronto, Twitter: @tchandra_uromd at the 37th Congress of Societe Internationale dUrologie - October 19-22, 2017 - Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon, Portugal (UroToday.com) In this panel discussion, led by Dr. Cooperberg, the focus of the talk was on the utility of subsequent prostate biopsies for active surveillance (AS) patients when genomics and mpMRI are negative.As an introduction, Dr. Cooperberg noted that AS has finally been recognized as the standard of care for low-risk PCa, as opposed to an option. However, those same guidelines do NOT mention high-risk groups, such as African-Americans, younger men, and high volume disease. While AS currenty entails an initial biopsy and a confirmatory biopsy at 6-12 months, following by surveillance regimens that vary significantly, most surveillance protocols still call for repeat biopsies during follow-up. However, along this management course, there are numerous new genomic tests that can be utilized to alter risk level as well as mpMRI. How do these tests affect decision making and can they replace biopsy?Dr. Egawa began by highlighting the role of AS in Japan. Specifically, it is still significantly underutilized in Japan (< 5%). Part of the concern is that Korean men, and Asian men in general present with more aggressive disease. As such, they are utilizing much more stringent follow-up. As such, they have not allowed replacement of the biopsy yet. MRI is used frequently however.Dr. Klotz and Dr. Kim then used ProtecT to point that even the substandard Active Monitoring had excellent prostate cancer survival. AS therefore is an excellent management that is safe in a selected population the problem is accurately identifying that population. Gleason grade, for better of worse, is still pretty good at selecting patients for AS. However, the heterogeneity between lesions and even within lesions in the same prostate are what lead to the concern for undiagnosed higher risk disease. This is where molecular assessment may be helpful by assessing the tissue or genome as a whole, rather than as specific cores, it may reveal some genomic predisposition to worse outcomes. However, a study by Wei et al (2016) demonstrated significant genomic heterogeneity even with a single tumor. A caveat though is a situation with an abnormal genomic score but normal biopsy what do you do then? mpMRI is not without its flaws as well. While it has a NPV >90% in some series, others have not been able to replicate it ranges from 60-90% elsewhere. It also does not detect all tumors. Importantly, Dr. Klotz presented data regarding the ASIST trial specifically, about 8% had upgrading on the systematic biopsy but not the target biopsy. Therefore, MRI alone, even with targeted biopsy, does not capture all significant prostate cancer. He concludes by saying it is too soon to give up on systematic biopsies; but nomograms incorporating MRI may be warranted now.Dr. Mulders notes that the experience with MRI in his center has been very good, with NPV 95%. As such, in their institution, they have foregone biopsy in MRI is negative. However, these results are not necessarily generalizable.Overall, there was no consensus. The results of MRI are too inconsistent across even established centers to forego biopsy at this time.Panelists: Shin Egawa, Wun-Jae Kim, Laurence Klotz, Peter MuldersWritten by: Thenappan Chandrasekar, MD, Clinical Fellow, University of Toronto, Twitter: @tchandra_uromd at the 37th Congress of Societe Internationale dUrologie - October 19-22, 2017 - Lisbon, Portugal The content of this website is provided for information purposes only. No claim is made as to the accuracy or authenticity of the content of the website. Information, data and advice on this website is provided on the basis that site users undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its content. The Department of Premier and Cabinet, as owner of this site on behalf of the Victorian Government, makes no representations, either expressed or implied, as to the suitability of anything on this website for any particular purpose. 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You'll find information grouped under the four key arms of government: the Governor of Victoria Departments and other bodies - includes each department's ministers, parliamentary secretaries and key staff; divisions, branches and related sub-organisations Victorian Parliament - includes the Cabinet, Shadow Cabinet, listings of members of parliament, and parliamentary departments and committees Courts and Tribunals - includes the Children's Court of Victoria, the Coroners Court of Victoria, the County Court of Victoria, the Magistrates' Court of Victoria, the Supreme Court of Victoria, Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal, and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Mobile version of the directory When you access this directory using a mobile phone, you'll be automatically redirected to a mobile version of the site. This features: easy access to people, services and organisations while you're out and about quick-dial phone numbers simple navigation and directions with Google Maps ability to bookmark the site for frequent visiting iPhone and Android optimisation staff listings Dataset of the directory The public dataset relevant to the directory can be downloaded from the data.vic.gov.au website. Collection notice for e-newsletter This collection notice explains how the Portable Long Service Authority (PLSA) handles personal information which you may provide when subscribing to the PLSA e-newsletter. PLSA collects this data using Vision 6, a third party software product. View Vision 6's privacy policy Your name and email address will be collected for the purpose of communicating updates about portable long service. This data is stored in the PIPE Networks Data Centre in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane and maintained on AWS CloudFront within their Australian operations in the Sydney region. Vision 6: complies with the Information Privacy Act and SPAM Act and are compliant with the GDPR conducts regular penetration testing and monitoring tools to determine network, server and service vulnerabilities have documented security policies and processes in place which are regularly reviewed by senior management. If you need to change or update your details, you can do so by emailing enquiries@plsa.vic.gov.au Collection notice for business and worker registration The Authority uses this form to collect information that it requires to register workers and employers and determine eligibility for entitlements under the Act, including personal information such as name, address, date of birth, payroll data and history, and leave history. The Authority needs this information to register you and to determine and manage your long service leave entitlements under the Act. If you do not provide the information, the Authority may not be able to make decisions about your long service leave entitlements under the Act. The Authority will only use and disclose your personal information to register you and manage your long service leave entitlements under the Act and where it is otherwise required or permitted by law to do so. In some circumstances, the Authority is required or authorised by law to release information to other government agencies, law enforcement bodies or to prevent serious and imminent threat to an individual's life, health, safety or welfare. In this context, such agencies could include the Australian Taxation Office, the Labour Hire and Licensing Authority, the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Victorian Work Cover Authority, Victoria Police, or your nominated banking institution. The Authority will seek wherever possible to ensure that the personal information it collects, uses or discloses is accurate, complete and up to date. In many instances the Authority relies upon you to provide accurate and complete information and to advise the Authority should your circumstances change over time. The Authority seeks to protect your personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure and securely destroys or de-identifies personal information when it is no longer needed for any purpose. In circumstances where personal information is collected and stored by external organisations the Authority uses to deliver aspects of its functions, the Authoritys contractual obligations require compliance with the same privacy and security standards. You may obtain access to your personal information held by the Authority by contacting enquiries@plsa.vic.gov.au For further information about how the Authority handles your personal information, please visit the Authoritys privacy policy Note, the following terms will need to be expanded if not described elsewhere in the application form: Act means the Long Service Benefits Portability Act 2018. Authority means the Portable Long Service Benefits Authority. Privacy policy The Portable Long Service Benefits Authority (Authority) is a statutory authority established by the Long Service Benefits Portability Act 2018 (Act). The Authoritys role is to administer a scheme for the provision of portable long service benefits to workers in covered industries. The Authority is overseen by a Governing Board which is responsible for the governance, strategic planning and risk management of the Authority. The administration of the day-to-day management of the affairs of the Authority is the responsibility of the registrar appointed under the Act. This policy tells you how the Authority handles personal information in the course of performing its functions in compliance with the Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) set out in the Victorian Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (PDP Act) and other applicable laws and contractual obligations. This policy also tells you how you can access and correct the personal information that the Authority holds about you and how to make a complaint about a privacy matter. Scope This policy applies to the personal information (including sensitive information) of both external parties and the staff of the Authority. Any personal information collected by the Authority, or that it obtains about individuals from other sources, will be handled in accordance with this policy. In order to perform its functions, the Authority has also entered into certain agreements with Australian government agencies, which may mean that is has also agreed to be bound by relevant Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988. Definitions Personal information is recorded information about an individual whose identity is apparent or can reasonably be ascertained from that information, but does not include health information. Health information is personal information which concerns that individuals physical, mental or psychological health, disability or genetic makeup which is subject to the Health Records Act 2001. The Authority does not generally collect health information in performing its functions. Sensitive information is information about an individuals race or ethnicity, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious beliefs or affiliations, philosophical beliefs, membership of a professional or trade association, membership of a trade union, sexual preferences or practices, or criminal record. Collection of personal information The Authority collects personal information that the Act, privacy and other laws authorise it to collect and that it needs to perform its functions in administering the portable long service benefits scheme. This includes registration of workers and employers and determining entitlements under the Act. During the registration process, the Authority collects personal information both directly from individuals as well as from third-parties such as employers. The personal information collected may include: name, address and other contact details date of birth employment information including total ordinary pay If the personal information that the Authority requests is not provided, the Authority may not be able to perform its functions as required under the Act. How does the Authority collect personal information? The Authority will only collect personal information by lawful and fair means and not in an unnecessarily intrusive way. The Authority will endeavour to collect your personal information from you where it is reasonable and practicable to do so. Where this is not possible or practicable, the Authority may collect your personal information from third parties. For example, you may be requested to provide consent for the Authority to collect personal information from third parties such as CoINVEST, as required for the Authority to determine your entitlement to benefits under the Act. If you do not provide this consent, the Authority may not be able to make decisions about your entitlements under the Act. The Authority may also collect your personal information in other situations such as: receiving and handling reports and requests for information from Government departments and the Minister responsible for the Authority receiving and processing freedom of information requests employment applications when you visit the Authoritys website providing e-newsletters, SMS-blasts, lodgement reminders and other stakeholder updates with your consent Authorised officers of the Authority may collect documents which may contain personal information as part of the exercise of their powers under Part 6 of the Act in relation to monitoring compliance and investigating potential breaches. Authorised officers have express powers to inspect, make copies of or require provision of documents and information in specified situations. Some personal information is collected about visitors to the Authoritys website. For details, please see the collection notices above. The Authority will only collect sensitive information with your consent or as required or authorised by law. In most cases, the Authority will tell you when it collects your personal information and will provide you with a collection statement identifying the Authority and advising you about: the purposes for which the personal information is being collected who the personal information may be disclosed to any law that requires the personal information to be collected the main consequences for you if all or part of the personal information is not provided how to contact the Authority and gain access to your personal information. use and disclosure of personal information the Authority will only use and disclose your personal information when it is lawful and reasonable to do so. Personal information that is collected by the Authority will be used and disclosed to the Authoritys employees or contractors whose duties required them to use it. These employees and contractors must handle personal information in accordance with the requirements of the PDP Act. This means they will only use or disclose collected personal information for the primary purpose for which it was collected, or for a permitted secondary purpose in specified situations, such as where you have consented to the use or disclosure, or where the use or disclosure is required or authorised by or under law (for example, in response to a valid request under the Victorian Data Sharing Act 2017). For example, if you are a worker the Authority may use your personal information to: process an application for registration as a worker under the Act determine your entitlement to long service leave benefits under the Act The Authority may also use your personal information to: obtain advice from professionals such as legal advisors and accountants manage the long service leave benefits scheme conduct surveys provide advice to the responsible Minister The Authority may disclose your personal information to: verify information to assess your entitlements under the Act defend a legal or equitable claim prescribed Victorian or Commonwealth Government entities for the purpose of the performance of a function of that entity under a law. This includes disclosure to the Fair Work Ombudsman, Victoria Police, Victorian WorkCover Authority, Victorian Labour Hire Licensing Authority and the Australian Taxation Office. reciprocal long service authorities for the performance of a function under the Act or a corresponding law Authorised officers are expressly prohibited from disclosing information, directly or indirectly, obtained in performing a function under the Act, except to the extent necessary to monitor compliance with the Act and regulations. This may include disclosure to a court or tribunal in the course of a legal proceeding, in the course of the investigation or enforcement of a law of Victoria or any other State or Territory or of the Commonwealth, with your consent, or with the written authority of the registrar. In addition, members of the Governing Board, the registrar, an authorised officers and members of staff are prohibited by the Act from improperly using any information acquired in the course of their duties, for pecuniary or other advantage for themselves or any other person. The Authority is required to maintain a public register of registered employers under the Act. The information about identifiable employers that the Authority publishes is publicly-available information and therefore is not personal information. The PDP Act requires that public sector agencies administer public registers, so far as reasonably practicable, in a way that would not contravene handling requirements for personal information, if that information were personal information. In a number of circumstances, for example where a person conducts business from their residential address, it may be necessary for the Authority to publish personal information on the public register. De-identified personal information derived from personal information collected may also be used in support of the Authoritys broader functions, such as for research and reporting purposes. The Authority is an agency responsible for the performance of functions or activities directed to the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution or punishment of criminal offences or breaches of law imposing a penalty or sanction for a breach. For this reason, the Authority has a partial exemption under section 15 of the PDP Act from complying with specified IPPs if it believes on reasonable grounds that non-compliance is necessary for the purposes of its law enforcement functions. Data quality The Authority takes reasonable steps to ensure that the information it holds is accurate, complete and up to date. Accurate information should be provided to the Authority at all times. For example, employers are required to make a declaration that the information they have provided is true and correct. Employers must notify the Authority within 14 days if there is a change to their personal information. Generally, the Authority relies on individuals to provide up to date information and advise the Authority if the information collected has recently changed. How long does the Authority retain personal information? The Authority generally destroys or permanently de-identifies information when it is no longer needed for any purpose. However, information held by the Authority is subject to the provisions of the Public Records Act 1973 and must be retained and disposed of in accordance with the relevant Retention and Disposal Authorities. Data security The Authority is committed to protecting your personal information from misuse or loss or unauthorised access, unauthorised modification or disclosure. The Authority has secure office premises and a security pass entry system for Authority employees and contractors to enter the premises. The Authority takes reasonable steps to protect files from outside or unauthorised access. The Authoritys information technology arrangements incorporate a range of data security measures. For example, the Authority requires staff to use passwords to enter the computer system and its databases can only be accessed using an additional password, with different levels of access granted depending on the role of the staff member concerned. Only staff who need to use your personal information to perform their functions have access to it. To protect your privacy, you should keep your Authority password confidential: it should not be displayed, shared or written down. Transmission security risks You should be aware that there are risks in transmitting information across the Internet. While the Authority takes reasonable steps to protect the personal information it receives from you or from third parties, the Authority cannot guarantee the security of any information transmitted to it online. If you are concerned about conveying confidential or delicate material to the Authority over the internet you might prefer to contact the Authority on 1800 517 158 to make other arrangements. Online services and online payments The Authoritys online services are managed by a third-party IT service provider. Our service provider may access the personal information entered into our forms in order to process electronic transactions or to resolve a technical problem. If you make a payment using the Authoritys website, the Authority will process your payment with the assistance of a reputable third party electronic payments service provider and present you with an online receipt for your records. If you make an online application or another payment transaction on the Authoritys website, the Authority takes additional steps to protect the security of your personal information, such as strong SSL encryption. Before using these facilities, you should ensure that you are using a web browser that supports SSL encryption. In many web browsers, you can confirm that your session is encrypted by the appearance of a locked padlock symbol at the foot of the browser. Access and correction You are able to update your personal contact information directly through the employers or workers portal. You can view the information that the registrar holds about you on the employers or workers registrar by accessing the portal. A request to correct your own personal information held by the Authority on the employers or workers register can also be handled by contacting the Authority on 1800 517 158. Any requests for access to and/or correction of other documents containing personal information held by the Authority must be handled according to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1982. Requests should be accompanied by any applicable fee and should be addressed to: FOI Officer Portable Long Service Authority Level 1, 56-60 King Street, Bendigo VIC 3550 Bendigo VIC 3550 When you make a request to correct information that the registrar or Authority holds about you, the Authority may contact you in order to verify your identity. The Authority may ask you to provide evidence of the information you wish to correct, before accepting the changes. Unique Identifiers The Authority does not assign unique identifiers to individuals unless necessary to enable it to carry out its functions efficiently. The Authority does assign employers and workers a unique membership number upon registration to facilitate interactions with the Authority. The Authority may also request that you provide a unique identifier assigned by another organisation in order to complete its functions. For example, you may be requested to provide your Tax File Number (TFN). You do not have to provide your TFN however there may be financial implications of not doing so. Anonymity Individuals seeking general advice from the Authority or accessing the public register do not have to identify themselves. However, if you are applying for entitlements under the Act, seeking answers to a specific enquiry or making a complaint, the Authority will need to collect personal information such as your personal contact information and your Portable Long Service Authority Member Number. This is so that the Authority can verify the identity of who it is dealing with when discussing personal records about long service leave. Transfer of personal information outside Victoria The Authority contracts the use of cloud computing to store and manage data including personal information. Computer servers may be based interstate or overseas. The Authority takes reasonable steps to ensure the security of your information managed this way. Where the information is transferred outside Victoria we take steps consistent with the principles in Victorias privacy laws to ensure its protection from unauthorised use and disclosure. How to make a privacy complaint If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or you wish to make a complaint about a breach of the PDP Act by the Authority, you can contact the Authoritys Privacy Officer at: Privacy Officer Portable Long Service Authority Level 1, 56-60 King Street Bendigo VIC 3550 Phone: 1800 517 158 Email: enquiries@plsa.vic.gov.au You may also make a complaint about a breach of the PDP Act by writing to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner. You can find out more information about how to make a complaint here. Changes to this policy The Authority may amend this policy from time to time. The current version will be posted on the Authoritys website and a copy may be obtained at any time by contacting the Authority. Portable Long Service Benefits Authority, State Government of Victoria, 2019 Last updated 9 May 2019 The Japanese leader wins a snap election there Indonesia seeks answers as one of its generals is denied entry to the United States. Philippine Troops Battle the Last of Marawi Militants Bangladesh and India express some differences of opinion when it comes to Rohingya Refugees Rangers have discovered new evidence of one of Australias rarest and most mysterious birds. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has expressed concern about protracted tension between Qatar and its neighbors. The top U.S. diplomat is in Doha to discuss joint counter-terrorism efforts. He arrived late Sunday after a stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged cooperation between the kingdom and its neighbor Iraq after decades of tensions. VOA'S Zlatica Hoke has more. A South Sudanese army officer who oversaw soldiers accused of killing a journalist and raping at least five international aid workers last year has died in his jail cell, according to the army. First Lieutenant Luka Akechak was found dead in his cell more than a week ago, but his death was reported Friday. Army spokesman Colonel Santo Domic said there was no sign of foul play in Akechaks death. "Luka Akechak died. He died of natural causes, Domic told VOA's South Sudan in Focus. He said no post-mortem report was given to the army. Chief suspect Akechak was a chief suspect in the case, which has highlighted the difficulty of bringing accused perpetrators of human rights violations to justice in South Sudan, where conflict has raged for nearly four years. Akechak was accused by at least one alleged rape victim of instructing soldiers under his command to rape aid workers at the Terrain Hotel complex in Juba in July 2016. Instead for him to stop rape or looting because he was a commanding officer for that unit, one of the victims reported he was the one facilitating rape, Domic said. The soldiers were also accused of killing a local journalist, John Gatluak. While defense attorney Philip Sanyang told VOA that Akechaks death comes as a shock, it will not jeopardize his efforts to prosecute the other defendants. Cause of death questioned He also questioned the commanders cause of death. If the army is saying it is a natural death, natural death happens with reasons, so there must be post-mortem report that shows this person died of natural death, so it cant just be a verbal testimony by anyone, said Sanyang. The specific charges against each of the remaining suspects are unclear, along with the evidence that led to the charges. The military court overseeing the case ordered the women accusing the soldiers of rape to return to the country and testify in person against the accused, refusing any testimony offered outside of South Sudan. Most of the aid workers left South Sudan shortly after the incident took place and have not returned. Evidence to convict Sanyang said Akechak was an important witness to the prosecutions case, but he believes there is enough evidence to convict the other soldiers. Most of the charges levied against this person were things that were done jointly. So in an absence of one person it cannot lead to the throwing out of the other charges against other accused persons. We know it has created a gap, but still we are hopeful that the case is still well, Sanyang said. An alleged victim from Italy returned to South Sudan in August to testify. In two weeks another victim is expected to return and provide evidence. Domic said court proceedings are expected to reconvene this week, but will be held behind closed doors. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will appear Monday before a military judge who will determine his punishment for endangering comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan. Before delivering his sentence, the judge will have to resolve a last-minute defense argument that new comments by President Donald Trump have tainted the case. Bergdahl faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty last week to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Prosecutors made no deal to cap his punishment, so the judge has wide leeway to decide his sentence after a hearing expected to take several days. The judge, Army Col. Jeffery R. Nance, is expected to weigh factors including Bergdahl's willingness to admit guilt, his five years of captivity in the hands of the Taliban and its allies, and the serious wounds that several service members suffered while searching for him. Prosecutors are expected to put on evidence or testimony about soldiers and a Navy SEAL who were seriously wounded by gunfire during these search missions, including an Army National Guard sergeant who was shot in the head, suffering a traumatic brain injury that put him in a wheelchair, unable to speak. Bergdahl, 31, from Hailey, Idaho, was captured soon after walking off his remote post in 2009. He has said he was caged, kept in darkness and beaten, and tried to escape more than a dozen times. He said his intention had been to alert other commanders to what he saw as problems with his unit. Still, when he pleaded guilty, he told the judge that his actions were inexcusable. President Barack Obama brought Bergdahl home in 2014 in a swap for five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, saying the U.S. does not leave its service members on the battlefield. Republicans roundly criticized Obama, and Trump went further while campaigning for president, repeatedly calling Bergdahl a "dirty, rotten traitor" who deserved to be executed by firing squad or thrown out of a plane without a parachute. Nance ruled in February that those campaign statements were "disturbing and disappointing," but didn't amount to unlawful command influence, noting that Trump made the comments before he became president. Defense lawyers argued last week that Trump's views haven't changed as commander in chief, citing his reaction to Bergdahl's guilty plea. Trump told reporters he couldn't say anything more about the case, "but I think people have heard my comments in the past." The White House issued a statement Friday that, without mentioning Bergdahl by name, said any military justice case must be "resolved on its own facts." Prosecutors cited that statement in opposing the latest defense arguments. The Environmental Protection Agency kept three scientists from appearing at a Monday event about a report that deals in part with climate change. The scientists were expected to discuss a report on the health of Narragansett Bay, New England's largest estuary. The EPA didn't explain exactly why the scientists were told not to. EPA supports the Narragansett Bay Estuary, and just this month provided the program a $600,000 grant, agency spokeswoman Nancy Grantham said in a statement Monday. EPA scientists are attending, they simply are not presenting; it is not an EPA conference. Thomas Borden, program director of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, which published the report, told The Associated Press that Wayne Munns, director of EPA's Atlantic Ecology Division, called him Friday afternoon to say two staffers who work out of its research lab in the town of Narragansett had been advised that they could not attend. Munns did not give him an explanation, but Borden said he understood that the decision came from EPA headquarters in Washington. One of the staffers, Autumn Oczkowski, was scheduled to give the keynote at an afternoon workshop session. Another, Rose Martin, was scheduled to speak on a panel. We've been working with more than five researchers in that lab who have contributed substantial elements to our report, Borden said. He said after Munns call, he checked with a third researcher who consults for the EPA, Emily Shumchenia, and who was scheduled to participate in Mondays event. I advised her, you should check with your folks and see if you should attend, he said. She was advised by EPA Region 1 that she should not attend. The report finds that climate change is affecting air and water temperatures, precipitation, sea level and fish. Borden said scientists from a variety of agencies and institutions had been working for years on the 500-page technical document, the purpose of which is to examine the condition of the bay and the trends with data on 24 different environmental indicators. Those include stressors such as population, and also climate change, such as warming temperatures, increased precipitation and increased sea level rise. It's a comprehensive scientific update of the status of the bay, he said. It's not a policy document. Its a scientific report. It doesnt propose policy changes. All four members of Rhode Islands congressional delegation were scheduled to attend a news conference on the report Monday morning. Democratic Sen. Jack Reed criticized the EPAs move, which was first reported by The New York Times. Muzzling EPA scientists wont do anything to address climate change, he said. While the Trump administration tries to suppress the facts, the American people are seeing and feeling the real world impacts. We need to work on a bipartisan basis to reduce pollution and emissions, and this type of hostility toward science inhibits rather than furthers discussion and action. About 30 people gathered outside the meeting Monday to protest the EPAs actions. They carried signs including Ungag the EPA and Science not silence. The estuary program gets all its funding from the EPA. India has appointed a new envoy to Kashmir in the hope of promoting peace in the troubled region. Home Minister Rajnath Singh says former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma has been designated to open talks with Kashmir's various factions - the first such appointment by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "As a representative of government of India, ... Sharma will initiate a sustained interaction and dialogue to understand legitimate aspirations of the people of Kashmir," Singh said in New Delhi. There was no indication Pakistan would be involved in the peace talks. Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah, an outspoken critic of the Indian government, said he would keep an open mind about the new appointment and "wait to see results of the dialogue process." Kashmir has been the center of a deadly tug-of-war between India and neighboring Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. The Muslim-majority Himalayan territory is divided between the nuclear-armed rivals, but both claim Kashmir in full. Kashmir rebels have battled Indian forces for decades, demanding either independence or a merger with Pakistan. The rebels have staged a series of attacks on Indian security bases in recent months, including an attack in southern Kashmir in August that left eight security officials dead. Indonesia's military chief has decided not to travel to the United States, though the initial issue preventing him from traveling was resolved. Indonesian Armed Forces Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo was preparing to board a flight to the United States with his wife on Saturday when the airline informed him that U.S. Customs and Border Protection had denied him entry. The United States said the issue was quickly resolved and the general was booked on another flight. Department of Homeland Security press secretary Dave Lapan said Monday, "The passenger was rebooked on another flight and cleared to board. He chose not to travel." U.S. Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia Erin McKee apologized for the situation Monday and said after meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi the matter had been resolved. "General Gatot is able to travel. There are no restrictions," McKee said. "The embassy is working very hard to understand what transpired around this incident, and we hope that it will not happen again." Marsudi said U.S. Ambassador Joseph Donovan also conveyed "regret and apology" when the two spoke, but that simply having travel restrictions against the general removed is not enough. "We still need more clarification why the incident happened," Marsudi said. Nurmantyo had been invited to a conference on extremist organizations by U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford. Relations between the United States and Indonesia are generally friendly. Indonesia's Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said Jakarta's response to the incident would depend on Washington's explanation. Amid the turmoil in Spain's separatist-minded Catalonia region, two wealthy Italian regions voted overwhelmingly Sunday for more autonomy from Rome. Referenda were held in Veneto - the northern region that includes the tourist haven of Venice - and in Lombardy, another northern region with the city of Milan as its main attraction. The presidents of both regions say more than 90 percent of those who cast ballots voted in favor of more autonomy. Both referenda are non-binding. But the presidents say the voices of their people give them a strong mandate and more leverage when they open talks with Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. Leaders of both regions want to keep more tax revue and have a greater say over such matters as education, immigration, security, and the environment. Ivanka Trump is heading to Pennsylvania to promote the Republican tax overhaul plan. The White House says Trump will appear at a town hall in Richboro Monday, with U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza. The event will be moderated by former Rep. Nan Hayworth. A key part of the conversation will be the proposal to expand the child tax credit, which the first daughter is backing. Ivanka Trump has been working on the plan to expand the $1,000 credit with the administration and lawmakers. Details on how much the credit should increase to have not been settled, and the president's daughter has not publicly offered a number. Later in the day, Fox News Channel will air an interview with Ivanka Trump by host Sean Hannity. She is expected to continue discussing taxes. The nuclear threat from North Korea is critical and requires a joint response from the United States, Japan, and South Korea, Japan's defense minister said Monday. "[The] threat posed by North Korea has grown to the unprecedented, critical and imminent level. Therefore, we have to take calibrated and different responses to meet with that level of threat," Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told his U.S. and South Korean counterparts, speaking through a translator, at the start of talks in the Philippines. U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis was more reserved in his remarks, but did slam North Korea for defying U.N. Security Council resolutions against its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. "North Korea's provocations threaten regional and global security despite unanimous condemnation by the United Nations Security Council," he said. North Korea has said many times its nuclear weapons program is not subject to negotiation, and has rejected U.S. calls for its denuclearization. Tensions between the North and the United States have been escalating following Pyongyangs latest nuclear test last month, its sixth overall. North Korea has also conducted repeated tests of what intelligence officials have assessed to be both intermediate and long range ballistic missiles. North Korea's nuclear capabilities have also been more widely discussed in Japan, where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ran for re-election on a platform largely dedicated to his hardline stance against Pyongyang. The U.S. defense secretary's visit to the region comes just weeks before Donald Trump's first scheduled trip to Asia as U.S. president. An unidentified male assailant has rushed into the Moscow headquarters of news radio station Ekho Moskvy and stabbed a deputy editor in chief and anchor, Tatyana Felgengauer. Ekho Moskvy editor in chief Aleksei Venediktov wrote on Twitter that the attacker struck Felgengauer in the throat with a knife in the October 23 attack. The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into charges of attempted murder. The attacker was detained by station security personnel, while Felgengauer was hospitalized in serious, but non-life-threatening condition. He said that police are working at the scene. No more details were immediately available. Venediktov said the assailant rushed past station guards after spraying them with a chemical. It is unclear how the assailant made it to the station's offices on the 14th floor. The crowded building has only two public elevators that are notoriously slow. Venediktov told RFE/RL that the attacker went directly into the room where Felgengauer was sitting. "He knew the layout of the rooms at the station," Venediktov said. "There can be no doubt about that." "The attacker didn't shout anything," station deputy editor in chief Sergei Buntman told the Meduza website. "Everything was quiet. He just walked up to her, grabbed her, and stabbed her." The Uzbekistan-born Felgengauer, 32, is stepdaughter of the well-known Russian journalist and military expert Pavel Felgenhauer. She has worked at Ekho Moskvy since 2005. Owned by a Kremlin-controlled Gazprom natural gas company, Ekho Moskvy is one of the few remaining independent media outlets in Russia. It has managed to avoid being targeted for criminal investigations, which are often used in Russia to silence media. Journalists frequently come under attack or are harassed in Russia. In September, Ekho Moskvy journalist Yulia Latynina fled Russia after being attacked and threatened in Moscow. Political analyst Yekaterina Vinokurova wrote on the social-media site VKontakte that "Tanya and Ekho Moskvy have been under assault for years." "They have attacked journalists from the station," Vinokurova wrote. "They have hung banners with their photos saying they were 'enemies of the people,' 'agents of the [U.S.] State Department, and so on. There has been all sorts of garbage about them coming from state television.... Now we have come to this and they shameless are talking about the motive of 'hooliganism.'" Physical attacks on Russian opposition figures and journalists are often investigated under the relatively lax law against "hooliganism," rather than as assaults or attempted murder. Vsevolod Bogdanov, chairman of the Russian Union of Journalists, condemned the attack on Felgengauer. The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday announced nearly $9 million in funding for community policing and for training to help improve law enforcement officers response to active shooting situations. The funding, announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the annual conference of International Association of Chiefs of Police in Philadelphia, comes less than a month after a gunman shot and killed 58 people at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas. The Oct. 1 shooting, the deadliest in modern American history, raised questions about law enforcement agencies preparedness to neutralize active shooters in open-air spaces. DHS conducts training The Department of Homeland Security conducts active shooter training workshops for first responders around the country. The Justice Department said its Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program will award $5.4 million to the University of Texas Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training center, a premiere outfit for active shooter response training. "This funding is intended to increase law enforcement and public safety through scenario-based training that prepares officers and other first responders to safely and effectively handle active-shooter and other violent threats," the Justice Department said in a statement. In addition, the COPS Office will provide $3.6 million in funding to local police departments, research centers and other outfits in 10 states for training, technical assistance and other community policing activities. "Community policing builds trust and mutual respect between communities and law enforcement, and that helps us reduce crime," Sessions said. Investment in community policing The Justice Department has invested more than $14 billion in community policing over the last 13 years, Sessions said. "This investment will be put to good use: providing better training and safety for law enforcement officers and better relations with communities," he added. On Saturday, Sessions announced that the Justice Department would provide more than $100 million in grants to state and local law enforcement agencies to hire more police officers. U.S.Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he would talk with Asian allies about North Korea and the crisis caused by Pyongyang's "reckless" provocations, as he kicked off a week-long trip to the region on Monday to meet defense chiefs in the Philippines. Mattis' trip to Asia, which will also include stops in Thailand and South Korea, comes just weeks before President Donald Trump's first visit to Asia. Trump has been locked in a war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, calling him a "rocket man" on a suicide mission for openly pursuing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States. Trump, in a speech last month at the United Nations, threatened to destroy North Korea if necessary to defend the United States and its allies. Kim has blasted Trump as "mentally deranged." Mattis, who has emphasized diplomacy, was expected to meet both his Japanese and South Korean counterparts on Monday before meeting with all three of them together. He will attend a meeting from Monday to Wednesday of defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, in the Philippines. He will go to Seoul later in the week for more defense talks. "I will talk with my counterparts, discussing the regional security crisis caused by the reckless DPRK North Korea provocations but also discuss our respect for shared values like sovereignty of the states, their territorial integrity, freedom of navigation through historically international waters, and fair and reciprocal trade," Mattis told reporters. A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea last week, seeking to promote freedom of navigation. The maneuver prompted anger in Beijing. Trump's trip next month will include a visit to China, which he has been pressuring to do more to rein in North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. China is North Korea's neighbor and biggest trading partner. Mattis, while in the Philippines, said he would commend the military for defeating insurgents in Marawi City on the island of Mindanao. Some experts see the siege as a prelude to a more ambitious bid by Islamic State loyalists to exploit Mindanao's poverty and use its jungles and mountains as a base to train, recruit and launch attacks in the region. "It was a tough fight," Mattis said, adding he thought the Philippines had sent "a very necessary message to the terrorists." On Thursday, Mattis will lead the U.S. delegation in Thailand for the cremation rites for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Guillermo Peralta Martinez does not know how old he is or where he was born or even the name of his mother. Mentally disabled, Peralta cannot say whether he is a legal resident of the U.S. A stocky man who looks like he is in his mid-30's, he suffers from a speech impediment that makes the few words and short sentences he utters in Spanish almost unintelligible. Despite those challenges, he has made friends in York Springs, Pennsylvania, where some vouch that he has lived in the state since at least the late 1990s, and maybe longer. Picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this year, Peralta now faces deportation. "The executive orders are clear, no populations are off the table," acting ICE director Tom Holman said in August. ICE told VOA that it does not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. However, Peralta's lawyer says his case is an example of ICE overreach. From roundup to legal limbo ICE agents approached Peralta one morning in mid-February as he was getting ready to go to work in the south-central Pennsylvania town of York Springs. "They just grabbed me," he said in halting Spanish, his high-pitched voice quavering as he spoke. "They took my keys and threw my lunch away." ICE says Peralta was arrested along with another individual at 5:30 in the morning, coming out of a building that was the address of an illegal alien with a criminal record whom agents were seeking. On the standard form filed by ICE after arrests are made, form I-213, the agents stated that Peralta and the other man declared they were citizens and nationals of Mexico and were in the United States illegally. They were taken to a detention facility in the town of York, about 39 kilometers away. Neither man had criminal records. "They took my fingerprints," Peralta said of his time in jail. "And they put handcuffs on." He said he was treated well while in the York detention facility, but also pointed to his arms where he said the orange prison clothes left rashes that itched. It was a confusing time. "I didn't know what was going to happen to me," he said. 'I want to stay here' An arrest warrant dated Feb. 22, 2017, one day after Peralta was detained, states that Peralta made statements "voluntarily to an immigration officer that he lacks immigration status and as such is removable under U.S. immigration law." The I-213 form also states that Peralta said his mother and father are Mexican citizens, that he has one child who lives in Florida, and that he has no medical conditions. It also lists his age at 45 at the time of his arrest. Peralta's pro-bono lawyer, Craig Shagin, disputes the information in the I-213 form, saying ICE's case against his client is full of holes. Shagin points out Peralta is extremely disabled and hardly knows what he is saying. "When him I met in the York County prison I would ask him: 'Where do you live?' and he would say in Spanish 'Out there.' I would ask him his birth date and he would say: 'One and Two,'" Shagin recalled, speaking to VOA at his law firm's office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. "If you would ask him 'Were you born in Mexico?' 'Yes.' Were you born in Argentina?' 'Yes.' 'Were you born in Florida?' 'Yes.' Well, there's a problem there." Shagin points to other discrepancies: The arrest warrant is dated one day after Peralta was detained; he is at least 10 years younger than stated by ICE, according to an affidavit by someone who knew him when he was young boy after he was abandoned by his parents; he has never fathered a child according to those who know him; and his arrest took place at a different address than where ICE said. Witnesses say Peralta was arrested inside an apartment building while he was waiting for his ride to work. "There is no evidence Peralta was doing anything suspicious," Shagin writes in his defense brief. "It is unlikely he would have been questioned regarding his citizenship but for Guillermo's Hispanic appearance." Finally, Shagin argues, there is no proof Peralta was born outside the United States and concludes that Peralta's clear "cognitive impairment demonstrates that the respondent's own statements are potentially unreliable." Peralta was freed on bail in late April after spending more than two months in jail. Marlen Carbajal, a former York Springs resident who has known him since 2011, said the small town's Hispanic community rallied in his support and came up with the $5,000 in bail money to free him. "About a dozen people from town showed up for his bail hearing," Carbajal recalled, while sitting with Peralta in his tiny one-room basement apartment earlier this month. "His face lit up when he saw us, he was so happy." Since his release, Peralta has returned to working odd jobs. "I want to stay here," he said, but added he is afraid of being picked up again. Immigration court ICE has declined comment on Peralta's case specifically, except to maintain that he entered the country illegally. But in a statement to VOA, the agency said, "ICE employees have been given the honor of a special public trust. In keeping with this trust, ICE's enforcement activities are conducted with integrity and professionalism." Peralta's deportation case is one of many before the U.S. Department of Justice Immigration Court in Philadelphia. As of the end of May, Philadelphia had a backlog of 2,536 cases. When Peralta and his lawyer appeared in court in August, ICE asked for more time to develop its case. That has since been extended to November 25. Looking down from a small, five-seater airplane, Mikah Meyer felt lucky to be getting such a spectacular -- and unique -- perspective of some of Americas most beautiful and historic land and waterscapes. Desert beauty The national parks traveler was flying over and around Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service that stretches for hundreds of kilometers from the southwestern state of Arizona to southern Utah. Mikah described the flight, courtesy of the tour company American Aviation, as an amazing flyover where we got this bird's-eye view of everything I was about to experience over the next few days. The park borders Navajo Indian territory. After the Cherokee, Navajos are the second-largest federally recognized Native American tribe in the United States, with more than 300,000 enrolled tribal members. And, Mikah noted, "as far as land square mileage goes, the Navajo Nation reservation is the largest. The intimate Grand Canyon The area Mikah explored includes many sites that are sacred to the Navajos. One of them - Horseshoe Bend, on the Colorado River - is about eight kilometers from Grand Canyon National Park. It is named for the horseshoe-shaped area of the river, which winds around ancient sandstone canyons. Its an incredible image, Mikah said, where visitors can stand right on the edge and see the entire horseshoe shape. Man-made wonders Flying over Glen Canyon Dam, Mikah had a great view of both the Colorado River and behind it, Lake Powell, the largest man-made lake in North America. Then it was on to an almost three-hour boat ride around the lake, where the gleaming water appeared against a backdrop of eroded red rock canyons and mesas as he and his tour group wound their way through the narrow waterways leading to the lake. You go into these super thin canyons where our large boat barely fit through, he explained. What makes it so incredible is that there really aren't any trees or anything around it. It was desert rock that was filled with water, Mikah said. And so you have this amazing stark contrast between this pure blue, and then these white, orange and red rocks right up against the water, for thousands of miles of shorelineso the juxtaposition of colors is really incredible. Stone rainbow The boat also gave him access to another important Native American site Rainbow Bridge National Monument, which is administered by the National Park Service. Known as one of the world's largest known natural bridges -- its thinnest point at the top is still 13 meters thick -- the park service describes it as a rainbow turned into stone." The span has undoubtedly inspired people throughout time -- from the neighboring American Indian tribes who consider Rainbow Bridge sacred, to the 85,000 people from around the world who visit it each year. Native Americans believe it's a portal to another world, Mikah explained. So much so that no one is supposed to walk under or near the ancient structure. Mikah related a story he read in the parks brochure that described how former President Theodore Roosevelt, during an expedition with Navajo guides in 1913, went under the bridge and the guides went around, and he realized he shouldn't have gone underneath it. Maintaining a safe distance during his own visit to the site, Mikah said he felt honored to have had the chance to see it in person. "We often forget that America is a country of rich, diverse religious traditions and so getting to hear the stories of these numerous Native American tribes that I encounter across the country is really fascinating," he said. Airborne attraction After his Rainbow Bridge experience, Mikah took to the air again, this time in a helicopter. Thanks to Grand Canyon Helicopters, he was able to enjoy a close-up view of Tower Butte an ancient structure which rises more than 300 meters above Lake Powell -- another grand structure sacred to the Navajos. Tower Butte is named because it's a very tall piece of rock that sticks out of kind of nothing, Mikah explained. It was something Id seen from the water earlier in the day, you can see it from the airport, you can see it from the town; its a very striking feature from the city. But the coolest experience, he said, was landing on Tower Butte. I felt much like a bird or Superman must feel because we were flying just a few hundred feet above things. Apparently there had been two expeditions to try to climb it, Mikah recounted, and I think one was unsuccessful and one of them was successful but it was very tedious -- so basically helicopter is the way. Spiritual cathedral Not to be missed during his time in Arizona was another natural gem on the Navajo Reservation -- Upper Antelope Canyon which Mikah got to by foot. Named for the herds of prong-horn antelope that once roamed the area, the ancient sandstone cavern isnt a National Park Service site, but hundreds of thousands come to marvel at its sheer beauty each year. Waterfalls of sand Upper Antelope Canyon was one of the most stunning canyons I've seen on this entire journey, Mikah said. The waves of water that must have worked their way through here to make these intricate shapes really is like nothing I've seen anywhere else in the country so the fact that I got to experience it and see this raw, incredible beauty up close with my own eyes was a stunning experience. Indeed, Mikah, who's on a mission to visit all 417 national parks in the U.S., shared that walking in the footsteps of Native Americans in so many areas of the desert landscape, was powerful. It was a privilege to be able to experience these sacred Native American sites and I'm thankful that the National Park Service preserves them in a way that allows myself and so many people to experience them." Mikah invites you to follow him on his epic journey by visiting him on his website MikahMeyer.com, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. The New York attorney general has opened an investigation into sexual harassment and possible violations of civil rights laws at the Weinstein Company, the movie studio co-founded by Harvey Weinstein, and sent the company a subpoena Monday, a source familiar with the investigation said. The subpoena, which has not been made public, requests information regarding how each complaint related to sexual harassment or other discrimination was handled by the Weinstein Company, the person familiar with the probe said. It also asks for management's criteria for hiring, promoting, casting, rejecting or terminating applicants or employees, the person said. The source added that the New York subpoena is part of an investigation into whether executives at the company violated state civil rights or New York City human rights laws. Harvey Weinstein was fired from the company earlier this month in the wake of media reports that he sexually harassed or assaulted women in incidents dating back to the 1980s. Weinstein has denied having nonconsensual sex with anyone. Reuters has been unable to independently confirm any of the allegations. Representatives for the Weinstein Company did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In response to a request for comment on the investigation, the attorney general's office emailed a statement from New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman that said, "No New Yorker should be forced to walk into a workplace ruled by sexual intimidation, harassment, or fear. "If sexual harassment or discrimination is pervasive at a company, we want to know." The New York Times reported earlier this month that Weinstein, 65, had reached eight previously undisclosed settlements with women who accused him of sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact. The New Yorker magazine reported that 13 women had claimed that Weinstein sexually harassed or assaulted them. The New York City Police Department has said it is investigating an allegation of sexual assault by Weinstein in 2004. The Los Angeles Police Department also said earlier this month that it is investigating a 2013 sexual assault allegation against movie producer Harvey Weinstein. A suicide bomber has killed 13 other people in the restive northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Sunday. The Sunday evening attack also injured five people. Two subsequent suicide bombings injured more than a dozen others. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but officials suspect Boko Haram the militant group is behind the violence. Boko Haram has killed more than 20,000 people during in its eight-year insurgency against the Nigerian government in a bid to create a strict Islamic state in the majority Muslim north. Maiduguri, the capital of the state of Borno, is the birthplace of Boko Haram. A report issued last month by the human rights advocacy group Amnesty International said at least 223 civilians have been killed at the hands of Boko Haram since April, including 100 civilians killed in August alone. The deadliest attack occurred on July 25, when 40 people were gunned down in an ambush on an oil exploration team in Borno state. Amnesty says the "real figure may be higher, as some attacks may have gone unreported." It said the violence from Boko Haram has led to millions of civilians across the Lake Chad region in need of humanitarian assistance. A total of 2.3 million people have been displaced in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, and more than seven million face serious food shortages. Vice President Mike Pence is honoring the memory of 241 U.S. service members who were killed in the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon. Pence and White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster paid tribute Monday to the service members, including 220 Marines, on the anniversary of the truck bombing. The vice president pledged that under President Donald Trump's leadership, "we will drive the cancer of terrorism from the face of the earth." The bombing linked to Iran was the deadliest attack against U.S. Marines since the battle over Iwo Jima in February 1945. The ceremony and parade at the Marine Barracks in Washington included families of service members who died in the attack. The Philippines declared an end on Monday to five months of fierce urban warfare in a southern city held by pro-Islamic State militants, a battle that has marked the country's biggest security crisis in years. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said combat operations had been terminated, after troops prevailed in the last stand against gunmen who clung on inside several buildings in the heart of Marawi. "There are no more militants in Marawi," he told reporters in Clark on the sidelines of a meeting of regional defense ministers. Reuters journalists in Marawi City heard automatic gunfire and artillery throughout Monday morning. Military spokesman, Major General Restituto Padilla, confirmed there was still gunfire in the city, but there were "no more terrorists" in Marawi. He did not elaborate. Padilla said the troops tried to convince the remaining rebels to surrender, but they refused. Two wives of fighters were among those killed. The siege has stunned the Philippines and stoked wider concerns that Islamic State loyalists have ambitions to make the Muslim areas of the island of Mindanao a base for operations in Southeast Asia. Those fears are compounded by the rebels' ability to recruit young fighters, stockpile huge amounts of arms and endure 154 days of ground offensive and government air strikes that have devastated the city. The armed forces chief General Eduardo Ano said at least 42 bodies of rebels were found on Monday in two buildings and a mosque in the battle zone. The military has made significant gains in retaking Marawi in the week since Isnilon Hapilon, Islamic State's "emir" in Southeast Asia and Omarkhayam Maute, a leader of the Maute militant group, were killed in a nighttime operation. Another leader and possible bankroller of the operation, Malaysian Mahmud Ahmad, was likely killed also, the military said. Lorenzana said there would be other military operations and six battalions of troops would remain in Marawi. He did not elaborate on those operations. A prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin says the United States revoked his authorization to travel to the U.S. after Moscow succeeded in getting him added to Interpol's wanted list. Bill Browder, who became a British citizen after giving up his U.S. citizenship in 1998 for tax reasons, tells VOA he hopes the action will soon be overturned, but that he cannot leave Britain until the issue is resolved. In a phone interview from London with VOA, the former banker who became a human rights activist, said he is not just barred from traveling to the U.S. "In fact, it is worse than that. I am banned from traveling anywhere," Browder said. "Any national border that I cross, I will be arrested based on the Russian's illegitimate Interpol notice." However, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency spokesperson told VOA late Monday that Browder has been cleared for travel to the U.S. again. "As the agency charged with preventing the entry of terrorists and other criminal actors from entering the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection regularly screens law enforcement systems in order to determine if any travelers present a security or law enforcement risk. This vetting is done on a recurrent basis and decisions on travel are made on the latest information available," according to the CPB statement. "William Browder's ESTA [visa waiver travel authorization] remains valid for travel to the United States. His ESTA was manually approved by CBP on Oct. 18 clearing him for travel to the United States." Asked for comment, Browder said the timeline CBP is providing is not accurate, but he hopes that the issue has been resolved. Earlier in the day, Browder had told VOA he reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for clarity on the issue. "I spoke to somebody there who refused to give me any information on why this happened and encouraged me to write a Freedom of Information Act request if I really wanted to find out." Fifth time, says Browder Browder said this is the fifth time Russia has had him added to Interpols list. Each time, he says Interpol has looked at the circumstances, determined they were illegitimate and lifted the notices. The British activist said he had planned on coming to the U.S. for important meetings related to his ongoing work on Russian human rights violations. Browder would not say if he had planned to meet with prosecutors or lawmakers to discuss Russias interference in the 2016 American presidential elections, but he did say Moscow probably considered his planned meetings in the U.S. "It is a beautiful way of grounding me and making me ineffective and Im sure they thought that through when they did this," he told VOA. Browder is the founder of Hermitage Capital Management Foundation and was once the largest foreign portfolio investor in Russia. His tax lawyer in Russia, Sergei Magnitsky, was jailed in Russia in 2008 under false charges of tax evasion after working to expose a purported tax fraud scheme by Russian officials. Magnitsky died in a Russian prison in 2009 after being beaten and denied medical care, earning Moscow widespread condemnation from international human rights organizations. Browder, who was living in London at the time, spearheaded a campaign to get Western governments to punish those high-ranking Russians responsible for Magnitsky's death. Sanctions on Russians The United States, Estonia and Canada have imposed sanctions on Russians involved in Magnitskys death, infuriating Putin and the Kremlin. For years, the Kremlin denied beating and mishandling Magnitsky, saying he died of natural causes. The Kremlin now claims Browder is responsible for Magnitskys death, saying he colluded with a British security service to talk Russian prison personnel into not helping Magnitsky. Browder rejects these new murder allegations as "absurd" and "farcical." Putin campaigned hard against the measure Browder pushed, known in the U.S. as the "Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law and Accountability Act." It denies visas and blocks access to American banks for Russians accused of having committed human rights abuses at home. After the resolution passed in the U.S. in 2012, Putin retaliated by ending American adoptions of Russian children. 'Richest man in the world?' On July 27, Browder testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee that Putin was the "richest man in the world," a result of "terrible crimes" Putin's government committed without the threat of retribution. "I believe he is worth $200 billion," Browder said, testifying in the Senate panels probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. "The purpose of the Putin regime has been to commit terrible crimes in order to get that money, and he doesnt want to lose that money by having it frozen. So he is personally at risk of the Magnitsky Act." 'Remedy this error' Browder's visa being revoked had triggered criticism from some former diplomats and lawmakers. The ranking Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel, called on Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to rectify the situation. "I urge you to immediately reverse the Department of States baffling decision to revoke Bill Browders visa and explain why the department took this misguided action," Engel said. "This decision harms American credibility on the world stage, and it is unacceptable. I expect that you will remedy this error at once and explain to me and other lawmakers why this happened in the first place." Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Ben Cardin also called on U.S. officials to review the decision on Browser's travel authorization. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul also weighed in Monday, tweeting: Catalan separatists are devising nonviolent plans to resist the imposition of direct rule by Madrid. With days to go before the Spanish government secures parliamentary approval to curb Catalonias semi-autonomy, separatist leaders are promising to disrupt Madrids efforts to shutter their regional government, which could start by the end of the week. Separatists stand firm They have pledged to meet any deployment of the national police with what the leaders say will be walls of people. And they say that new bosses sent in by Madrid to oversee Catalonias own regional police, the Mossos dEsquadra, and Catalonias public broadcaster as well as the regional tax authority will face obstructionism and disobedience. Spains conservative prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, and the countrys three main national parties are adamant that the unruly northeastern region won't be allowed to secede. They maintain Catalans broke the law when they held an independence vote on October 1, which was deemed illegal by Spains Constitutional Court. Government strategy According to Spanish officials, Madrids current plan is to remove from their offices only the top echelon of Catalonias government, including regional president Carles Puigdemont and his deputy Oriol Junqueras but will leave in place other Catalan ministers, government officials and the executives of public companies so that they can continue to oversee day-to-day administration. We are going to ask them to be professional and to continue to provide services for their citizens, a Spanish official told VOA. The strategy is to be as light-touch as possible and for the intervention to be as brief as possible with quick early regional elections. Direct rule On Saturday, the Spanish prime minister announced plans to impose direct rule on the troublesome Catalonia marking the first time since 1933 that an elected Spanish government has stripped Catalonia of its semi-autonomy. The separatists' answer came Sunday when an estimated 450,000 took to the streets of Barcelona to protest on a warm sunny evening the proposed direct-rule measures and to demand the release of two prominent independence leaders, who have been jailed on charges of sedition. Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, has pledged the region will not accept Madrid's plan for direct rule, describing it as the worst attack on Catalonia's institutions since General Francisco Franco's 1939-1975 dictatorship, under which regional autonomy was dissolved completely and the Catalan language suppressed. His advisers say he may declare a formal break with Spain on the day, most likely Saturday, that Madrid moves in to take over. And they expect many of the regional governments more than 200,000 employees will obstruct the Spanish government. Spanish officials say all Catalan employees will remain in their positions under the current direct-rule plan, unless they work for the independence of Catalonia. Threat of prison The separatists are plotting their resistance, defying a warning from Spains attorney general that acts of rebellion will carry lengthy prison terms. Passive resistance classes are being held some taught by 70-year-old Pepe Beunza, who spent years in Spanish prisons in the 1970s during Francos dictatorship. He says separatists shouldnt be afraid of imprisonment, arguing we need to demystify the jail. If the repressive drift does not end, the time will come when we will be freer in prisons than in the streets, he says. He argues Catalan separatists will endure any crackdown by Madrid and come through more convinced of their cause and stronger. Separatist propaganda on a winning streak As the dangerous game of political chicken nears a denouement there are many here in the Catalan capital who feel impotent and puzzled why the conservative national government of Mariano Rajoy keeps on gifting as far as they are concerned the Catalan separatists propaganda wins. In Barcelonas warren-like medieval Barri Gotic, or Gothic Quarter, an area filled with trendy bars, clubs and Catalan restaurants as well as tourists, VOA found more people ambivalent about independence than for it. But all were alarmed about how the confrontation might play out, and critical of the central governments strong-armed tactics like its attempt to stop the October 1 referendum, which left about 800 people injured. They worry Madrid is being led by the nose into yet another trap that will prompt more support for the separatists. The government should be softer, 30-year-old Maria told VOA. She said she didnt hold a strong position about whether Catalonia should be independent or not. Maybe we should have a bit more autonomy, she mused. Danny, a 43-year-old street performer, said: I know the rules, the rights of Spain but I think it most important that Madrid recognize the opinion of the Catalans and this nationalist feeling of Catalonia. There is opposition to the measures that Madrid is proposing, says Josep Costa, a political scientist. In an interview with VOA on the campus of Pompeu Fabra University, he said: On the issue of independence there is not unanimity but when it comes to democracy and civil rights there is widespread unity. We see people wanting to show solidarity with the independence movement when it comes to the responses of the central government. He thinks Rajoy is pursuing a flawed strategy. By pledging to stop Catalonia holding the October 1 referendum, Madrid set itself on the path of repression because it had to show it still has authority. Many are ambivalent Less than half of the regions 7.5 million Catalans turned out to vote in the referendum earlier this month, although 9 out of 10 who did, backed independence. But separatists think the political trajectory is favoring their cause. Tanya Verge, a political scientist and prominent separatist, noted that Catalans have been divided on secession but she said the governments strategy is backfiring. Catalans who were ambivalent about breaking away from Spain are being pushed into the pro-independence camp, she says. Theres a strong Catalan consensus on our right to self-determination, and with Madrid and all the national parties being opposed to even dialogue thats making more people side with us, she said. But an opinion poll Sunday for El Periodico, a Barcelona newspaper, found only 36 percent of respondents backed independence, a 10 percent drop on previous polling. Syrian activists say Islamic State militants killed at least 128 people in the town of Qaryatayn before losing control of the area to government forces. The government troops and allied militias retook Qaryatayn, located in Homs province, on Saturday. Islamic State fighters had held the town for three weeks. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict in Syria, said Monday it had documented the killings and that Islamic State had accused the civilians of collaborating with President Bashar al-Assad's government. The Observatory also said many of the killings took place in the final days before Syrian forces moved in. Taiwan is offering visa waivers and setting up overseas investment offices across a swathe of countries to its south, the latest moves to deepen a rebalancing of economic relations away from political foe China. Officials in Taipei hope to foster more tourism, trade and higher education links with 18 countries covering most of South and Southeast Asia plus Australia and New Zealand. Stronger ties in theory would reduce the role of China, which is Taiwans top trading partner now, as the two sides struggle over political differences. In the latest phase of Taiwans effort, called the New Southbound Policy, Philippine citizens may visit Taiwan visa-free for 14 days during a trial period that starts next month and ends in July. Taiwan offered waivers to citizens of Brunei and Thailand in August 2016. Those efforts complement new investment offices, growth in the number of university students in Taiwan and more Taiwanese development aid. The purpose of the New Southbound Policy is for us to hold a more advantageous position in international society, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said in a National Day speech earlier this month. I also want to use this opportunity to tell our friends from around the world that faced with a rapidly changing Asia-Pacific region. Taiwan is ready to play a more important role in shaping regional prosperity and stability. Shaky relations with China Tsai announced the New Southbound Policy after taking office in May 2016 to rebalance relations for Taiwans $529 billion economy. Taiwanese business people traditionally choose China for investment because of its relatively low costs, skilled workforce and cultural links. More than 93,000 Taiwanese businesses invested in China between 1988 and 2016, according to the American think tank Council on Foreign Relations. But China claims sovereignty over Taiwan despite the islands democratic self-rule, causing enough friction to stop dialogue under Tsais presidency. How the New Southbound Policy works Taiwans economic affairs ministry has established investment offices in Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines to help investors find projects in those countries based on local needs. The Taiwan government is offering as well credit guarantees for smaller businesses headed to Southeast Asia, where aid from Taipei will help pay for infrastructure and other major projects in those countries. The visa waivers facilitate travel to Taiwan, another boon to the economy. Taiwans trade with the 18 countries covered by the policy had risen 20 percent this year compared to last, Tsai said in her speech without giving an exact time frame. Tourist arrivals from New Southbound countries are rising as the headcount from China decreases, official data show. The number of postsecondary students in Taiwan from New Southbound Policy countries went up 10 percent over the six months to March from a year earlier, while the number of non-degree university students from China has eased since mid-2016. Taiwans Investment Commission last year approved 252 applications for projects intended for China last year, down 21.5 percent from 2015. But China remains Taiwans top trading partner thanks to a thriving consumer market and the maturity of its supply chain for the likes of tech and machinery. Imports and exports totaled $117.9 billion in 2016. Feedback from South and Southeast Asia Indonesia has been a bright spot for finding new investment projects, especially in agriculture, an economic affairs official in Taipei said earlier in the year. Thailand had already approved 274 Taiwanese investment applications, worth $1.39 billion, from 2010 to 2015. About 3,500 Taiwanese investors had invested in Vietnam as early as 2011 because costs were rising in China while Vietnam was offering incentives to lure foreign capital. The restart in May of Taiwanese-owned Formosa Plastics Groups Vietnam steel plant could draw a cluster of related Taiwanese firms, said Liang Kuo-yuan, president of Taipei-based think tank Polaris Research Institute in Taipei. Factory work had stopped over a suspected toxic leak that killed fish. The Philippines, an investment-thirsty Southeast Asian archipelago, is actively looking for Taiwanese companies, said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist with Banco de Oro UniBank in Metro Manila. Taiwanese electronics firms consider the country an export manufacturing base, he said, while healthcare firms may find partners such as hospitals. The growing consumer base lures others. Were seeing entrepreneurs from Taiwan looking into the Philippines, given that its a very big retail market, Ravelas said. But one Southeast Asian country, Cambodia, may fear angering China by veering too close to Taiwan. Beijing forbids its allies from establishing formal ties with Taipei. In February Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen declared a ban on raising the Taiwan flag. Two years earlier the government forbid Taiwan from establishing an informal trade office. Still early days Similar go-south policies fell flat under former Taiwan president Lee Teng-hui in 1993 and his successor, Chen Shui-bian, after 2000. China in those years was cheaper, with less competition from local companies, in turn drawing Taiwanese investors. Todays policy will struggle as Taiwan faces competition in the 18 target counties from other foreign investment sources, Liang said. Competitors include China, India, Japan and South Korea. China and India were less competitive before 2000. Taiwan lacks a material advantage, he said. The biggest problem is that Southeast Asia is not a blue ocean market, Liang said. There are too many competitors, so Taiwan cant just use its point of view to go compete in that market. Taiwan after all has what strength? U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is visiting Pakistan on Tuesday to meet with leaders and reinforce the Trump administration's message that they need to take more action against the Taliban and other militant groups based in the country. "Pakistan needs to, I think, take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they're confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organizations that find safe have inside of Pakistan," Tillerson said during an earlier stop in Afghanistan. He said the U.S. relationship with Pakistan will be based on how Pakistan acts, and that the goal is to create the opportunity for peace and stability both there and in Afghanistan. Pakistan has acknowledged that it has some influence with the Taliban, but says it does not control the movement or its leaders. Tillerson is on a multi-nation tour that included previously unannounced stops Monday in Iraq to meet with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and in Afghanistan, where he discussed the new U.S. strategy for South Asia with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and other senior officials at Bagram airbase, outside of Kabul. "I think the U.S. has made it clear in terms of our support for Afghanistan, support for a sovereign, unified, and democratic Afghanistan, charting a path to peace, prosperity, and self-reliance. It is imperative at the end that we are denying safe haven to any terrorist organizations or any extremists to any part of this world," Tillerson said. Ghani said the new U.S. strategy brought a positive change in the region and added, all stakeholders should carryout their responsibilities sincerely, according to the statement from the presidential palace. The U.S. and Afghanistan have long alleged that Afghan Taliban, particularly their deadliest arm the Haqqani network, has safe havens in Pakistan. But Islamabad claims it has cleared out all militant safe havens in previously lawless tribal areas bordering Afghanistan through a military operation. Held in Pakistan Last week, American Caitlan Coleman and her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle, who were kidnapped in Afghanistan five years ago, were rescued, along with their three children born in captivity, from the Haqqani network in Pakistans Kurram Agency bordering Afghanistan. The rescue operation was carried out by the Pakistan military on an intelligence tip from the United States. CIA Director Mike Pompeo told a Washington based group, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the couple was held in Pakistan for the entire length of their captivity. This contradicted earlier statements by Pakistans military and government that the couple was recently moved across the border from Afghanistan. Secretary Tillersons Afghanistan trip was kept a secret due to security concerns, especially after an attack last month on Kabul airport during a visit by U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis. Even many in the State Department press corps were expecting the visit to take place Thursday, on the way back from India. Relations between India and Pakistan, almost always on a rollercoaster in their 70 year history of independence from the British, seem to be in a downward spiral for the past two years. Both sides used harsh words against each other in the recent U.N. General Assembly in New York, accusing each other of human rights abuses or supporting terrorism. The tensions between the two countries may also be a topic of discussion when the Secretary arrives in New Delhi. The possibility of an India-Pakistan dialogue will be discussed, and Mr. Tillerson will also brief his Indian counterparts on the outcome of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group [U.S.-China-Afghanistan-Pakistan] meeting on talks with Taliban that took place in Oman on October 16, a source familiar with the planning for the visit told Indian English language daily The Hindu. An earlier version of this story misspelled Haider al-Abadi. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi will visit Turkey on Wednesday to discuss potential joint steps against northern Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government following last month's independence referendum, Turkish prime ministry sources said. Abadi and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim would also discuss issues of regional security, stability and peace, the sources said on Monday. Last week, Turkey said it would close its air space to Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region and work to hand control of the main border crossing into the region to the central Iraqi government. U.S. and Turkish diplomats continue talks on resolving a dispute over recent visa curbs, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan steps up his rhetoric against Washington. Bilateral relations are set to be further strained by an upcoming court case over Iranian sanction busting involving Turkish citizens. Erdogan launched a scathing attack Sunday on the country's Western allies. He warned Turkey would respect its strategic alliances with its partners as long as those countries respected the law. Ankara has accused some of its NATO partners of conspiring against it and offering sanctuary to people it accuses of being involved in last years coup. Erdogan specifically targeted Washington. "They say the United States is the cradle of democracy. This can not be true, this can not be democracy," he said. " If the United States issues arrest warrants for my 13 bodyguards in a country where I went upon invitation, I am sorry, but I will not say that country is civilized. Erdogans body guards are accused by U.S. prosecutors of assaulting peaceful protesters outside the Turkish embassy during his visit to Washington in May. The Turkish presidents scathing attack comes as diplomats from both countries are continuing efforts to resolve the mutual curbing of visas. Washington imposed visa restrictions following the arrest on terrorism charges of two local employees working at U.S. diplomatic missions in Turkey. That move saw Ankara retaliating with its own visa restrictions. The U.S. State Department described the talks Thursday as productive. Political columnist Semih Idiz of Al Monitor website said Erdogans increasingly tough rhetoric against Washington should be viewed in a wider context of the importance of bilateral relations to both sides. "He [Erdogan] is a master of coming out with bellicose remarks at unexpected and sensitive moments. But we must realize Erdogan was in New York very recently and had a very chummy meeting with Donald Trump who called him a special friend. So Turkey is aware for all the problems it has with America, [it] too it has to tread carefully," said Idiz. Observers point out Erdogans tough rhetoric is in part motivated by domestic politics. A tough anti American stance plays well with Turkish nationalists Erdogan is courting for 2019 presidential and general elections. But U.S. Turkish relations could be further strained with an upcoming Iranian sanction busting court case in the United States that involves Turkish-Iranian businessmen Reza Zarrab and senior members of a Turkish State bank. Political consultant Atilla Yesilada of Global Source partners warns the case can only add to bilateral tensions. "This upcoming Reza Zarrab case which we [Turkey] consider a big conspiracy of the American deep state, so the possibility of these political shocks tampering off is almost nil," said Yesilada. Washingtons ongoing support of Syrian Kurdish militia fighting the Islamic State, also continues to infuriate Ankara who accuse the militia of being, linked to an armed insurgency in Turkey. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta says Thursday's presidential election must go on with or without opposition candidate Raila Odinga. "We are here requesting you, with a lot of respect ... Kayole residents, please let's agree to come out in large numbers and vote for me," Kenyatta said at a rally Monday in a Nairobi neighborhood. Thursday's vote is Kenya's second try this year to elect as president. The Supreme Court threw out the results of the August 8 election because of what it called "irregularities and illegalities." Opposition leader Odinga has withdrawn his candidacy, saying Kenya's electoral commission has failed to undertake election reforms. The opposition coalition has expressed doubts the commission is ready to "conduct free, fair and credible elections." Kenyatta said Monday his administration has provided the commission with the funds it needs to do its job. "Now they really should deliver," he said. U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, Robert Godec, read a statement Monday on behalf of 20 western nations, including the European Union, urging all sides to come together in Kenya for a credible election. But Godec said Kenyan courts should order a postponement if justices feel the commission is not ready. "The deteriorating political environment is undermining preparations for the new presidential election," the statement said. "Inflammatory rhetoric, attacks on institutions, and growing insecurity all make holding a credible and fair poll more difficult ... it is dangerous and it must stop." Ruth Odinga, the opposition leader's sister, has been accused of damaging election commission property and encouraging violence. Kenyatta is daring anyone to try to threaten or attack voters. The heads of leading United Nations aid agencies kicked off a special one-day pledging conference to raise $434 million to provide life-saving assistance for 1.2 million people, including all Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh. Before the pledging conference, a UN refugee agency spokesman said number of Rohingya refugees that have fled violence and persecution in Myanmar during the past two months has topped 600,000. Aid agencies agreed it is one of the most severely underfunded crises in the world, which led Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator to tell delegates the focus of the days event would be to mobilize resources to save lives and protect people. He said, The new arrivals include numbers of very severely acutely malnourished children and the U.N. agencies will need to continue to update and adapt our appeal to support beyond what we have put out and we are discussing today. Let me be clear, funding is a major constraint. We need more money to keep pace with intensifying needs. The mass exodus of refugees into Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh began August 25 after Rohingya insurgents killed nine police officers, triggering vicious reprisal attacks by the Myanmar security. Lowcock, who had visited Bangladesh earlier this month, described, what he called heart-rending accounts of killings, arson, rape, torture, and other abuse, He said the Rohingya were facing a human, humanitarian and human rights nightmare. Children, women and men fleeing Myanmar are streaming into Bangladesh traumatized and destitute. Bangladesh has been host to nearly 400,000 nationals from Myanmar, including Rohingya, for the past three decades. Shameem Ahsan, Bangladeshs Ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva told the conference with the current arrival of 600,000 refugees, the number of forcibly displaced Rohingyas in Bangladesh has now reached nearly one million. He noted that the current situation was the quickest exodus from a single country since the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Despite claims to the contrary, he said, the violence in Rhakhine State has not stopped. Thousands still enter on-a-daily-basis. He warned the arrival of such a huge number of displaced people in Coxs Bazar created massive socio-economic and demographic pressure on Bangladesh and added that other human security risks exist including fear of epidemics. The Rohingya Muslims have lived in the mainly Buddhist State of Rakhine for centuries, but have been denied citizenship and remain the largest stateless minority in the world. Myanmar considers them illegal migrants. If the root causes are not addressed in Myanmar urgently, we will not see the end of this crisis any time soon, said Filippo Grandi, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. He agreed with others who noted that the root of the problem lay with Myanmar and that the solution must be found there. So, it is important to focus on the solution. This, he said included an end to violence in Myanmar, the granting of unfettered access to humanitarian agencies into northern Rakhine State and the creation of conditions for the right of return for the refugees. Though still in its infancy, a political process to resolve this thorny issue is underway. The United Nations and Myanmar authorities have begun discussions and the Bangladeshi Ambassador announced that his government is continuing bi-lateral efforts with Myanmar to find a durable solution. William Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration said it is important to move quickly to support the encouraging talks that are going on between Bangladesh and Myanmar and to create the conditions for the safe, secure, dignified return of these long-suffering people to their ancestral home. Since the crisis began, U.N. agencies have been providing refugees with urgently needed food, shelter, water and sanitation, health care, and other relief. All agree that humanitarian operations need to be scaled up, but without additional money, this will be difficult to do. Pledges received at the end of the one-day conference totaled more than $344 million. Though this was about $90 million short of the goal, emergency relief coordinator, Mark Lowack, said that he was encouraged. Of course, pledges are one thing he said. It is really important to us that the pledges are translated as soon as possible into contributions and go into the agency bank accounts. A U.S. diplomat said Monday "there are absolutely no issues" with the Indonesian military chief's ability to travel to the United States, after he had been refused entry to attend a conference in Washington. Indonesian Armed Forces Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo was preparing to board a flight to the U.S. with his wife on Saturday when the airline informed him that U.S. Customs and Border Protection had denied him entry. U.S. Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia Erin McKee apologized for the situation Monday and said after meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi that the matter had been resolved. "General Gatot is able to travel. There are no restrictions," McKee said. "The embassy is working very hard to understand what transpired around this incident, and we hope that it will not happen again." Marsudi said U.S. Ambassador Joseph Donovan also conveyed "regret and apology" when the two spoke, but that simply having travel restrictions against the general removed is not enough. "We still need more clarification why the incident happened," Marsudi said. Nurmantyo had been invited to a conference on extremist organizations by U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford. Relations between the United States and Indonesia are generally friendly. Indonesia's Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said that Jakarta's response to the incident would depend on Washington's explanation. Malawi has seen a surge in mob violence amid rumors of vampires. At least nine people have been stoned to death since the start of September, and police have arrested 140 people accused of taking part in vigilante justice. On Oct.19, an angry mob in Blantyre stoned to death a 22-year-old epileptic man suspected of being a ritual blood sucker. The vigilantes also stoned to death another person in a separate incident the same day. Residents report nocturnal visits by the alleged vampires. Malawi president visits area Aida Chikopa told her story directly to President Peter Mutharika when he visited her area. She says "it happened to me on 19th September. When I was asleep around 8 oclock in the evening, I was surprised to see blood coming from my nose. And blood was all over my mat. I asked my husband to light a torch to see what was happening. He went outside the house but could not see and find anything. But I was very weak that night." The president asked her to clarify, but Chikopa repeated the same statement. Police and medics say the rumors are a hoax. Lexten Kachama is the inspector general of the Malawi Police Service. "You can have nose bleeding, in Chichewa we call it nkafuno. If you get that nkafuno you quickly rush to believe that blood sucker came and started sucking me blood that is not true." Rumors start in September The rumors started in early September and have spread to seven districts of the country. Residents told VOA they believe the blood suckers use modern technology and magic to immobilize victims late at night with a chemical, then drain their blood before vanishing. Government authorities are yet to establish the origin of the rumors, but residents believe they came from neighboring Mozambique. Kalepa Mawele is the chairperson for Phalombe district council. He says "here in Phalombe we have bordered Mozambique. We started hearing about rumors of blood suckers from Mozambique. And now, they have spread in all areas of our six traditional authorities here in Phalombe." Some critics have tied the rumors to the recent nullification of vagrancy laws that prevented people from loitering on the streets at night. Peace Corps volunteers withdrawn Most of those killed in the mob attacks were strangers to the area where they were attacked. But the executive director of Center for Human Rights Education, Victor Mhango, disagrees with that premise. "I think we are primitive society. I think the belief in Juju that makes us believe that this is happening. The police have challenged the nation that if you have evidence, show us, we are going to arrest them. People are just creating that, maybe they have got some other motives." In the meantime, U.N. agencies have withdrawn their workers from affected districts, and the U.S. embassy has temporarily pulled out Peace Corps volunteers. A local official and an analyst say residents of the Niger village where four U.S. soldiers were killed this month may have delayed the soldiers while an ambush was set up and helped to lead the victims into a deadly trap. "The attackers, the bandits, the terrorists have never lacked accomplices among local populations," said Almou Hassane, mayor of Tondikiwindi -- which includes the village of Tongo-Tongo where the attack took place -- in what is believed to be his first interview with a Western news organization. The village chief in Tongo-Tongo, Mounkaila Alassane, has been arrested since the attack, Hassane said, lending credibility to the suspicion of local involvement. He is in government custody, according to several officials. His arrest was also confirmed by Karimou Soumana, a representative of the Tillaberi region, during a National Assembly debate to extend the state of emergency in that part of Niger. Speaking by telephone to VOA's French-to-Africa service, Mayor Hassane said the dead Americans were part of a patrol made up of eight U.S. and about 20 Nigerien special forces, which arrived in pickup trucks at the village near the Mali border the evening before the attack. "They must have spent the night in the northwest of Tongo-Tongo," Hassane said. Moussa Askar, director of the newspaper l'Evenement in the capital, Niamey, said the soldiers were in the area to track down an accomplice of Abu Adnan al-Sahraoui, a former member of the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), who joined the Islamic State terror group in the Sahara Desert. Aksar, a specialist on terrorism in the Sahel region of Africa, told VOA that members of the patrol questioned residents of the village, who dragged out the discussions, possibly giving the attackers time to organize an ambush. 'Contaminated' village "It turns out that this village was a little contaminated by hostile forces," said Aksar, who said he received the details from Defense Minister Kalla Moutari. "The unit stayed a little longer than expected because, apparently, people were aware that something was going on." While the soldiers were still in the village, a fake terror attack was staged nearby, according to Aksar and local sources. The soldiers rushed to the scene, where about 50 or more assailants with vehicles and motorcycles opened fire with Kalashnikovs and heavy weapons. Four Nigerien soldiers and three Americans were killed on the spot. The body of the fourth American soldier was found 48 hours later, about a mile away from the initial site, CNN reported. Rhissa Ag Boula, a high-ranking government official and a former Tuareg rebel chief in Niger, told VOA that the fourth soldier, La David Johnson, had remained at the front line while the others retreated under heavy fire. The attack has raised questions in Niger, especially since the U.S. Army operates drone bases in the country and has significant intelligence resources there. "That's what really shocked us: how, at their level, with all the resources they have, they could not have strong intelligence to avoid what happened there," said Hassane. Responsibility for attack No group has officially taken responsibility for the attack. According to sources in the region, however, it is the work of Abu Adnan al-Saharaoui, who calls himself the Islamic Emir of the Great Sahara, affiliated with the Islamic State group. According to a Tuareg from the region, al-Saharaoui is believed to be involved in arms and fuel trafficking. He is a former member of the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), which occupied and imposed sharia law in northern Mali in 2012 before being dislodged by French forces. Al-Saharaoui, a former acquaintance of Algerian extremist and trafficker Mokhtar Bel Mokhtar, had led the kidnapping of the nine-person staff of the Algerian consulate in Gao in 2012. Originally from Western Sahara, he wants to control the band on the common border of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. "He wants to take control of all these communities facing poverty and governance issues so that they can join his cause," said Aksar. The group is the latest of several jihadist organizations in the Sahel region, including the Defenders of Islam group linked to militant Iyad Ag Ghali in northern Mali. The movement for the Liberation of Macina, led by Hamadoun Koufa, remained very active in central Mali. Ansarul Islam, on the other side of the border, is increasing its attacks in northern Burkina Faso, while Boko Haram continues to launch attacks in the countries in Africa's Lake Chad Basin. The al-Mourabitoun group, which is led by Moktar Belmokhtar declared dead several times has perpetrated several terror actions in the vast Sahel region, including the 2013 attack on the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria that left 67 people dead. Prominent Yemeni journalist Afrah Nasser says she has obtained a visa to enter the United States, after twice being denied, so she can accept an award next month from the Committee to Protect Journalists. "We did it! I got the visa!" Nasser wrote on Twitter. She added an embassy officer said the visa was being granted "this time as we realized the significance of the award you got." The CPJ announced last month it would present its 2017 International Press Freedom award to Nasser, who has been living in exile in Sweden, where she holds citizenship. She cited U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order banning entry to people from a group of countries that included Yemen. The administration says the ban is needed to protect national security, while federal judges have blocked it from taking effect. Nasser had written on her blog Friday, "The proposed travel ban has gone through various iterations, but what I know for sure is that my visa applications to the U.S. embassy in Stockholm were rejected because of it," she wrote. Nasser's case gained media attention, something she noted Monday after successfully getting the visa. "Makes me think of people who do not enjoy my high media profile," she said. "This is why, we need to get the tragedy in Yemen, as well-known as hell so we can all help pushing an end for it!" Nasser is scheduled to receive the award at the New York-based CPJ's ceremony on November 15th. She applied for asylum in Sweden in 2011 after receiving death threats in connection with her blogs and stories critical of the regime in Yemen. She has continued to report on the war from Stockholm for the past six years, according to the CPJ. Outrage against the nomination of Zimbabwes president as a World Health Organization goodwill ambassador led to his swift removal from the post over the weekend. But the outrage appears strongest in his home country, where Robert Mugabe is largely blamed for ruining his nations economy and health system during his 37 years in power. Dr. Fortune Nyamande said he could think of 4,000 reasons why President Robert Mugabe was a poor choice to be goodwill ambassador for the global health body. Poor health record Four thousand, he says, is the number of Zimbabweans estimated to have been killed by cholera in 2008 and 2009. Cholera is widely seen as an indictment on modern health care systems, as the waterborne disease rarely causes deaths in developed nations. The state of Zimbabwes health care system, says Nyamande, who heads the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association, can be laid squarely at Mugabes feet. They have failed, in fact they have put in place disastrous policies, which have seen the collapse of our health sector from being one of the best health sectors in the world into a sorry and miserable state," he said. "We still have a lot of people in our hospitals who are losing their lives because of lack of basic things: drugs, health care worker shortages, poor public health care funding, and quite a lot of other things. Not that Mugabe has to endure this, says Dewa Mavhinga, southern Africa director at Human Rights Watch, which also condemned last weeks appointment. Mugabe himself has been engaged in medical tourism, frequently flying to Singapore to seek medical attention, leaving behind in Zimbabwe a totally collapsed and useless health sector, said Mavhinga. Party supporters But Mugabe still has cheerleaders within his ZANU-PF party, who say the decision to rescind the post is a sign of international bias against Zimbabwe. Mugabe has claimed for years that Western powers are suffocating his nation with sanctions. We saw that that was a befitting honor, and it is one that obviously was going to help in the advancement of that cause at an international level," said Psychology Maziwisa, a member of parliament. "But of course they have had to rescind it for political reasons, which do not surprise us at all, because of course we are are talking of the Western world here. Opposition politician Douglas Mwonzora disagrees. "Every right-thinking Zimbabwean, on social media and in other modes of communication, was condemning the appointment. And for them to say that it is the British and the Americans is simply to find a scapegoat. We, the Zimbabweans, did not want it, he said. Zimbabwes state-run Herald newspaper, long seen as a mouthpiece for the ruling party, has yet to weigh in on the issue. At last 10 activists of the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai were seriously injured when they were attacked by suspected Zanu PF supporters in Chitungwiza. Some of the MDC-T with life-threatening injuries, say human rights activists, have been admitted to various hospitals where they are said to be in stable conditions. The MDC-T, MDC led by Professor Welshman Ncube, Peoples Democratic Party and Heal Zimbabwe have condemned the violence, which they claim is election-related. The MDC-T activists claim that they were attacked while conducting a door to door campaign informing people not to surrender voters slip serial numbers to Zanu PF activists. Police said investigations were in progress. The MDC-T identified one of the injured as Delma who is currently admitted at Chitungwiza Hospital where he is receiving treatment. Delma is one of the hundreds of MDC supporters who were injured in the gruesome attack during the weekend. Apparently Delma is under heavy police guard who are waiting to effect arrest on him whilst ignoring the perpetrators. This is purely a case of state sponsored violence as police ignore reports from the victims as no arrest has been made so far. In yet another case, Zanu PF youths with the aid of police went about terrorising MDC supporters at night by frog marching them in the streets whilst naked and beating them with sjamboks. Such behaviour by Zanu PF youths and the police is heinous and deplorable. The party said as the voter registration exercise gets underway, there is a surge in violence against MDC-T supporters, putting the whole voter registration into disrepute and serious discredit. We call upon the government and ZEC to ensure the protection of citizens as they go about exercising their democratic right to register to vote. In a statement, Heal Zimbabwe condemned what it called organized acts of politically-motivated violence that took place in Chitungwiza, Unit N on 22 October 2017 where suspected ZANU PF youth went on a rampage assaulting MDC-T supporters and destroying their houses. A total of 10 MDC-T activists sustained serious injuries and have since been hospitalized. Heal Zimbabwe said, these acts of violence come hardly a week after three MDC-T supporters were assaulted by unknown assailants on the 18th of October 2017 in Chitungwiza, UNIT J. The unknown assailants accused the three of distributing Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) fliers arguing that only the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) was mandated to do so. The matter was reported at Town Centre police station and no arrests have been made so far. Heal Zimbabwe said such actions painted a gloomy picture of what lies ahead as the nation prepares for the 2018 elections. Such acts of violence also expose the high level of intolerance among political players which alone poses a serious threat to the holding of free, fair, peaceful and credible elections in 2018. Heal Zimbabwe implores political parties to reign in on errant supporters who perpetrate violence. The police must also launch a thorough investigation and apprehend the culprits. About 200 people died in 2008 in the presidential election re-run after Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the poll though he had no mandate to form a government as he did not reach the required threshold to do so. Young Adult author Jason Reynolds (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) Jason Reynolds can empathize with kids who dont like to read: He was 17 before he read a book cover to cover. Its a fact hes shared with thousands of kids in classrooms and auditoriums across the country, as a cautionary tale. Its not something Im proud of. Its not cool, he told a group of seventh-graders in Stafford, Va. The truth is, my life was made infinitely more difficult because I didnt read any books. But I didnt read any books. Thats my story. Thats my truth. Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books) This week Reynolds will publish his ninth book his third this year: a novel in verse called Long Way Down about a young man coping with the shooting death of his brother. It was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young Peoples Literature. At 33, Reynolds is a best-selling author with an array of awards, including multiple Coretta Scott King Book Award honors and an NAACP Image Award. Hes been a National Book Award finalist, shared stages with Ta-Nehisi Coates and Rep. John Lewis and appeared in the pages of People magazine. All of which asks the question Reynolds posed to his young audience: How is it that a kid like me, a kid who grew up reading no books, eventually became a man who writes books for yall? The tale of Reynoldss transformation from a nonreader living on the edge in Oxon Hill, Md., to a literary celebrity is the kind of relatable story he wished hed read when he was a kid. Its hard to be what you cant see, he said in an interview in the District, where he lives part-time. When he was in school, teachers gave him the classics Shakespeare, "Moby-Dick," "Lord of the Flies." They didn't click with him. As he explained to his middle-school audience, "The teacher was like, 'Read this book about this man chasing a whale,' and I'm like, bruh. . . . I don't know if I can connect to a man chasing a whale when I've never seen a whale," he said. "Nothing that's happening in these books is happening in my neighborhood." Reynolds writes books about whats happening in his neighborhood. Ghost tells the story of a boy who joins a track team as an escape from the violence in his past. The Boy in the Black Suit tells the story of a city kid grieving the death of his mother. When I Was the Greatest, tells the story of a group of friends navigating the streets of non-gentrified Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn. The voices are those Reynolds heard around him in the 1980s and 90s, in a neighborhood where drugs and violence were on his doorstep, but inside was a loving family aunties and close friends, one of whom taught Reynolds how to crochet (which he still does). ****HANDOUT IMAGE Ghost, by Jason Reynolds, (credit: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books) ***NOT FOR RESALE (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books) Written for middle-graders and teens, Reynoldss books address difficult subjects, but they arent scary. They reflect his understanding of the fears and challenges that all young people experience. They also reflect his awareness that todays kids face huge distractions: The literary world has to compete with YouTube, Instagram, PlayStation, Xbox, Hulu and so on, he acknowledges. When it comes to books and reading, we have to get creative. The finger-wagging and required reading lists of well-meaning teachers and parents can backfire, he says. Instead, Reynolds recommends books written in a natural tongue, in comparative literature and the use of nontraditional materials comic books and rap music, for example as a catalyst for literacy. Reynolds recognizes the constraints that teachers face but hopes for greater creativity in curriculums. We should say okay, lets watch The Handmaids Tale and then read it, draw comparisons, he says. Kids need to see the relationship between pop culture and high culture the connections, for example, among Shakespeare, West Side Story and Twilight, or between Lord of the Flies and The Hunger Games. Lets take a rap song and figure out how we can connect it to a piece of literature, he says. [How to get kids to look away from their screens and take pleasure in books] It was rap music, in fact, that opened Reynolds to the world of literature. As he likes to tell his middle-school audiences, one day back in Oxon Hill, he went to the store and bought a Queen Latifah cassette tape for $5. As he was listening and rapping along, he opened the liner notes and made a life-changing discovery: This is also literature in the form of poetry, but it sounds like me. The first book he read, just before he turned 18, was Richard Wright's "Black Boy." "The mischief in that book," he says, "reminded me of the mischief that my friends and I had done." Reynolds, then a student at Bishop McNamara High School in Prince George's County, Md. (the same school, coincidentally, that "Wimpy Kid" creator Jeff Kinney had attended years earlier), delved into the works of Toni Morrison and other African American authors. But he confesses that he was by no means a stellar student or an avid reader. Jason Reynolds in elementary school (Simon & Schuster) What it sparked in him, though, was a love of language, and so he began writing. As a student at the University of Maryland, he and his best friend wrote a book together called Self. A collection of poetry and art, its something Reynolds laughs about now. He and his friend went into debt printing it, and after graduation, they brought it to New York, expecting to get a deal. What they got was an agent and an editor: Joanna Cotler at HarperCollins, who took them under her wing and encouraged them to write books for reluctant young readers. It was a demographic Reynolds knew well. The result was My Name Is Jason. Mine Too (2009). It was not exactly a commercial success. A broke and disheartened Reynolds returned to the D.C. area, put aside his literary dream and went to work for his father, the director of a mental health clinic. Being a caseworker and helping clients get medicine and shelter taught him true empathy, he says. I learned just how interesting stories can be, how complex humanity really is, how necessary it is sometimes to humanize those who have been vilified. After a year, Reynolds returned to New York but not to be a writer. He needed money, so he began working in retail, becoming a manager of a Rag & Bone clothing store in Manhattan. And hed still be there, he says hed been rejected three times by graduate schools because of his poor grades were it not for the intervention of an old friend, the writer Christopher Myers. Myers encouraged Reynolds to write in his own voice and to tell stories about the neighborhood kids, the black and brown kids who need to know that they exist, that they are special and valuable. So thats what Reynolds did, often while standing at the cash register when business was slow. When I Was the Greatest came out in 2014. The book was a critical success and gave Reynolds the confidence to embrace his identity as a writer. Nearly a decade since his publishing debut, he says with a smile, Here we are, rockin. Reynolds says he hopes that his books can serve as both a mirror of a life and a window into another. All I want kids to know is that I see them for who they are and not who everyone thinks they are, he says. He is committed, he says, to getting their stories right and putting that on the page with integrity and balance, to acknowledge the glory and the brokenness. Thats all I want to do. Its a lot, but so are they. Nora Krug is an editor in Book World. At 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jason Reynolds will be at Politics & Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. [Bill] OReillys suggestion that no one ever complained about his behavior is false, Megyn Kelly said during Megyn Kelly Today. I know because I complained. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) Megyn Kelly on Monday waded back into territory she vowed to leave behind, saying on her new NBC morning program that she complained about Bill OReilly while she was an anchor at Fox News but was ignored. In an extraordinary monologue, Kelly went after OReilly, her former bosses and colleagues, accusing the network of fostering a toxic culture for its female employees. OReillys suggestion that no one ever complained about his behavior is false, Kelly said during Megyn Kelly Today. I know because I complained. Kelly has vowed to keep her program light and sunny, but the revelation Saturday that OReilly paid $32 million to a Fox contributor, Lis Wiehl, to settle harassment allegations in January drew her back into a topic she might have wanted to avoid. In November, two months before she left Fox for NBC, Kelly emailed Foxs co-presidents, Bill Shine and Jack Abernethy, to object to OReillys comments during a CBS News interview, she said. OReilly said at the time that he wasnt interested in discussing a topic sexual harassment that makes my network look bad. In response, Kelly said, she wrote to her bosses: Perhaps he didnt realize the kind of message his criticism sends to young women across the country about how men continue to view the issues of speaking out about sexual harassment. [Report: Bill OReilly settled sexual harassment claim from Fox News contributor for $32 million] Perhaps he didnt realize his exact attitude of shaming women into shutting the hell up about harassment on grounds that it will disgrace the company is in part how Fox News got into the decade-long [Roger] Ailes mess to begin with. Perhaps its his own history of harassment of women which has, as you both know, resulted in payouts to more than one woman, including recently, that blinded him to the folly of saying anything other than, I am just so sorry for the women of this company, who never should have had to go through that. She said the response was that OReilly was permitted with managements advance notice and blessing to appear on his program that night to attack the companys harassment victims yet again. Kelly also took a shot at Fox Newss chief media relations officer, Irena Briganti, saying she had abetted Foxs attack on those who had complained about harassment. Briganti is known for her vindictiveness, Kelly said. To this day, she pushes negative articles on certain Ailes accusers like the one youre looking at right now, meaning Kelly herself. This must stop, she said. The abuse of women, the shaming of them, the threatening, the retaliation, the silencing of them after the fact, it has to stop. The harassment scandal at Fox exploded in July 2015 after former anchor Gretchen Carlson accused network co-founder and chairman Ailes of harassing her. Her lawsuit, which Fox settled for $20 million, led to the ouster of Ailes. Subsequent revelations took down OReilly, Shine and general counsel Dianne Brandi and led to millions of dollars in settlements with women who made claims. Abernethy and Briganti remain at Fox. Briganti had no comment Monday. Foxs parent company, 21st Century Fox, released a statement saying: 21st Century Fox has taken concerted action to transform Fox News, including installing new leaders, overhauling management and on-air talent, expanding training, and increasing the channels through which employees can report harassment or discrimination. These changes come from the top, with Lachlan and James Murdoch personally leading the effort to promote civility and respect on the job, while maintaining the Companys long-held commitment to a diverse, inclusive and creative workplace. The company also said, Irena is a valued colleague and she has our full support. In response to Kelly, OReillys spokesman, Mark Fabiani, released two handwritten notes from Kelly to OReilly. The first is a note thanking him for his presence at her baby shower in 2009. What a class act you are, she wrote, adding, Youve become a dear friend and I am grateful to have you in my life. The second note thanks OReilly for mentioning the latest book by her husband, Doug Brunt, on his program. She wrote: I appreciate how supportive you have been of me here [at Fox]. You are a true friend and mentor. (Kellys office said that note was from 2012.) Kellys comments were her first about Fox since she began her NBC program, which has struggled in the ratings. They were largely out of character for the upbeat tone she said she wanted to set. Her statement preceded an interview with former Fox News anchor Juliet Huddy, who claimed that she had been harassed by O'Reilly and Abernethy while working at the network. Huddy quietly settled her claims against the network in September of last year, reportedly for a sum in the high six figures. Kelly was also speaking out following a report by the New York Times that OReilly had paid Wiehl $32 million to settle harassment allegations spanning 18 years. Kelly who privately lodged a harassment complaint about Ailes while at Fox has gone public about harassment at Fox before, most notably in her book "Settle for More," published in November. During her interview with Huddy and her attorney Douglas Wigdor, Kelly opined that OReillys settlement with Wiehl was so shocking . . . because it was made after Ailes was gone and after [Fox was] trying to improve the culture, and they knew he had settled five other cases. Following her interview with Huddy, Kelly went back to the lighter fare that has been the hallmark of her show since its debut. She conducted an interview with former talk-show host Phil Donahue and then did a segment with the author of a book about crockpot cooking. The campus of Princeton University in New Jersey last month. (Mark Makela for The Washington Post) The gatekeepers here wanted to shed, once and for all, the reputation of a tradition-steeped university that caters mainly to the preppy and the privileged. So they recruited from far more high schools, tapped the endowment for more financial aid and took more steps to welcome newcomers from poor and working-class homes. They even began checking family finances before deciding whom to admit. The point was not to exclude those in need but, possibly, to boost their chances. The result: In little more than a dozen years, Princeton University tripled the share of freshmen who qualify for federal Pell Grants to 22 percent this fall. The grants, targeting students from low-to-moderate-income families with significant financial need, are a key indicator of economic diversity. The Ivy League schools transformation reflects mounting pressure on top colleges, public and private, to provide more opportunity to communities where poverty is common and college degrees scarce. [See a chart showing Pell shares at more than 100 top schools] "If we're going to be excellent, we're going to need to bring in talent from all backgrounds," Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber said. About a decade ago, he said, university leaders realized that "we can do a hell of a lot better." But he acknowledged that there are limits to what Princeton can do. There are a lot of inequities in American society, Eisgruber said. I dont think were going to cure them all. For the burgeoning population of students here from modest backgrounds, it still can be hard to fit in. Fedjounie Philippe, 19, a sophomore from Irvington, N.J., who goes by the nickname June, said she thinks about it every second of every day as a Haitian American immigrant whose mother did not go to college and whose father was murdered by a street gang. There are constant reminders that I have to forge a place for myself within a world that has been constructed for someone else, Philippe said. One jarring example came as she worked a weekend late shift at the welcome desk of the Frist Campus Center. Philippe said she was stunned at closing time, 3 a.m., to see french fries, water cups and other garbage dumped by crowds who came to eat after getting drunk at eating-club parties on nearby Prospect Avenue. Those students, she said, seem to cruise through life with the easy knowledge that someone here the work staff will clean up their mess. But Philippe said she is determined to bring change to campus. She won a seat on the student senate last year with the campaign slogan Shoot for the moon, vote for June! Fedjounie June Philippe, 19, a sophomore, laughs with friends at her job in the student center at Princeton. (Mark Makela for The Washington Post) The quest for diversity has a long history at this school founded in Colonial America. Hurdles for Jewish and black students were torn down in the 1950s and 60s. Princeton started admitting women as undergraduates in 1969, going coed 23 years after its bicentennial. In 2015 and 2016, as the Black Lives Matter movement swept campuses nationwide, the university confronted a sudden uproar over its racial climate when students protested how it honors the legacy of Woodrow Wilson. The 28th U.S. president, also a pivotal Princeton president in the early 20th century, was a strong supporter of racial segregation. Some here wanted to strip his name from campus landmarks. Ultimately, Princeton decided to keep his name on a residential college and the School of Public and International Affairs but take other steps to encourage diversity and inclusion. This fall, a portraiture nominations committee is seeking ideas for new art to hang on walls dominated by images of long-dead white men. [Wilsons name will stay on Princeton buildings] A photograph of the Class of 1915 in a common room at Princeton. (Mark Makela for The Washington Post) Princeton has long faced another sort of image problem the perception, fair or not, that it is not only elite but elitist. A school for the rich and well-heeled, with centuries of tradition and a surplus of collegiate Gothic ambiance. Nor is Princeton alone in that regard. Income diversity remains elusive in the upper echelons of colleges. Among 150 top schools those that U.S. News & World Report lists among the top 100 national universities and top 50 liberal-arts colleges federal data shows that the median share of first-year students in 2015 who were Pell-eligible was 16 percent. That was the percentage for Harvard and Brandeis universities in Massachusetts, as well as the University of Colorado at Boulder and Carleton College in Minnesota. Washington and Lee University, a private college in Virginia, had the lowest share (6 percent), and the public University of California at Irvine the highest (41 percent). Washington and Lee President Will Dudley said the universitys share grew to 11 percent this fall and he wants it to rise further. Were moving in the right direction, he said. I dont want to be a school that is near the bottom of the pack. Nationwide, the share of first-time, full-time undergraduates who received the grants in 2015-2016 was 44 percent. Pell Grants, worth up to $5,920 apiece this year, are the foundation of need-based financial aid. They are awarded through a formula that assesses family size, assets, income and other factors. Most go to students whose families make less than $50,000 a year, a range that spans deep poverty to moderate income. The grants are an imperfect measure of diversity. Researchers say the Pell-eligible share of freshmen at some top schools rose at least a few percentage points in recent years because Congress expanded the maximum grant and because incomes fell during the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009. In other words, a college might have changed nothing about its recruiting in that time and still looked a bit better. But it is clear the Pell share has become an influential metric in the Ivy League and beyond. Within the past year, Princeton and dozens of other top schools have formed a group called the American Talent Initiative. Backed by billionaire Michael R. Bloomberg, the initiative seeks to enroll 50,000 more high-achieving students with significant financial need at 270 selective colleges by 2025. That would be an increase of 12 percent. [Selective colleges pledge to recruit more low-income students] Obstacles to that are formidable. State flagships, long viewed as engines of social mobility, are walking a fiscal high wire as they seek to raise private money, keep in-state tuition affordable for the middle class and learn to live with much leaner state appropriations than in past eras. Many are recruiting more out-of-state students who pay higher tuition to help balance budgets. The Pell share of freshmen in 2015 at the University of Maryland was 14 percent. At the University of Virginia, it was 12 percent. Greg Roberts, U-Va.s dean of admission, called the statistic misleading because it does not take into account variations in wealth and income among states. U-Va., he said, is committed to diversity in many forms. Private colleges face their own constraints. They rely more heavily on tuition revenue, making it essential to enroll a large number of students who pay in full. They also set aside seats for children of alumni, known as legacies. Like public colleges, they also hold spots for athletes and chase students with high SAT or ACT scores, despite evidence that performance on admission tests is linked to family income. The private elite colleges send often-unintentional signals that they prefer students who can pay the freight over those who cannot, said Harold O. Levy, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, which gives scholarships to talented students with financial need. Among those signals, he said, are daunting application fees, hard-to-find provisions for fee waivers and confusing descriptions of financial aid. There is no reason that all colleges cant make greater efforts to admit top students with major financial need including Princeton, he said. With a $22 billion endowment, Princeton can afford what most other colleges cant: It meets full financial need without asking students to take out loans. Sixty percent of its 5,200 undergraduates receive grants from the university that reduce the sticker price of about $63,000 for tuition, fees, room and board. [For poor in the Ivy League, a full ride isnt always what they imagined] Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber outside Nassau Hall. (Mark Makela for The Washington Post) The university launched the all-grant, no-loan financial-aid policy in 2001 a potentially powerful lure for families worried about student debt. But officials realized a few years later it was not enough. The Pell-eligible share of freshmen in 2004 was 7 percent. That was barely more than half the alumni-legacy share of 13 percent. To reach low-income communities, the university had to rethink recruiting and admissions. It teamed with nonprofit groups that specialize in connecting schools with disadvantaged students. It pushed to find new sources of potential students. The number of schools represented in the 2017 applicant pool reached 10,288 up one-third over eight years. Janet Rapelye, dean of admission, said officers also were trained to hunt for talent in much less polished application files those with essays that are not quite perfect, test scores obtained without help from private tutoring, or hastily written teacher recommendations. By 2013, the Pell-eligible share had doubled to nearly 15 percent. For the next years class, Rapelye took another step: She asked Princetons financial aid office to advise which promising applicants were likely to qualify for Pell. She noted that data in their files before making final decisions. It doesnt mean that we automatically admit these students, Rapelye said. But Pell eligibility became another factor among many in the holistic review of an application at one of the worlds most selective schools. Princetons admission rate is 6 percent. That was a significant shift for a university that, like its Ivy peers, depicts its admissions process as need-blind. Eisgruber sought to clarify: What we really want to say is, were never going to hold your financial need against you. The result is a demographic revolution, with unprecedented numbers of students from modest circumstances becoming Princetonians. Sometimes, they find it challenging to navigate the campus culture. [How a hidden minority gained strength at Princeton] Many fret about whether to join one of Princetons famed eating clubs, with names such as the Ivy Club, the Cottage Club and the Tiger Inn. Some are selective and charge fees that give low-income students pause, although financial aid covers part of the bills. Josh Gardner, 18, a sophomore, said he notices that wealthier students gravitate to certain clubs. Anxieties over the social scene, he said, add to already intense academic pressures. This is a big adjustment, coming here, Gardner said. The university has gone to great lengths to make first-generation and low-income students feel at home. Many come to campus for seven weeks in the summer before freshman year to get a head start on academic work and social life. Some receive $500 move-in grants to help with initial expenses. There are also mentoring programs and even subsidized excursions. Gardner marveled that he spent spring break on a low-cost trip to Walt Disney World and Daytona Beach, Fla. Raised by his grandparents in a Philadelphia suburb, Gardner said he had never been south of Cape May in New Jersey. Then he got aid for a summer study abroad trip to China, trekking from Beijing to the Gobi Desert. I never thought Id get to experience that, he said. Sandra Bursch watches as her grandson Gage gets a high-five from Shyla, a 3-year-old labrador, as Gages brother, Mason, watches at Burschs home in Los Angeles. (Bob Riha Jr./for The Washington Post) Each month, 72-year-old Sandra Bursch withdraws $4,200 from her retirement savings to cover her bills. A chunk of it goes toward paying college bills for her grandson Gage. She anticipates doing the same for Gages younger brother, Mason, when he graduates from high school in another year. Every stitch of their clothing, all of their meals and day-to-day expenses have been her responsibility since 2003, when drug use by her daughter and son-in-law prompted the police to remove the children from their home. My biggest concern is I wont be here long enough to see them finish their education, said Bursch, who lives in the Tujunga area of Los Angeles. Im using all of the money I have to raise the boys. Thats all I care about now, that the kids grow up, finish school and that theyre okay. Among the thousands of families filling out financial aid applications and struggling to save for tuition, there are grandparents such as Bursch facing the same financial responsibilities but with limited resources. Their second run at parenting arrives as their earning potential winds down and retirement kicks in with a fixed income never meant to cover the cost of college. These are folks who had moved on with their life and then now emotionally, socially and financially, they have to change their mind-set and get back into the parenting mode, said LD Ross Jr., vice president of programs for the District of Columbia College Access Program, a college advising group widely known as DC-CAP. Some of them had more resources when they were working, but now that theyre retired its difficult. Its a labor of love. Sandra Bursch points to a favorite photo of her grandsons, Gage and Mason, who have been her responsibility since 2003. (Bob Riha Jr/For The Washington Post) For some grandparents, helping a grandchild earn a degree means spending a few more years working. For others, it is a matter of tapping into savings they had squirreled away for the next stage of their lives. Resources exist for grandparents, but some of that aid is not widely available and information can be hard to come by. Nonprofit and government organizations are stepping in to help grandparents navigate programs designed to help them with child rearing, especially as the need grows. There is no definitive data on the number of grandparents paying their grandchildrens college tuition. But with more grandparents serving in custodial roles, higher-education costs are a looming concern. Census Bureau data shows about 2.7 million grandparents are raising their grandchildren, up 7 percent from 2009. A quarter of these families are living in poverty. Drug addiction and an increase in women being incarcerated are among many reasons why grandparents are gaining custody, said Jaia Peterson Lent, deputy executive director of Generation United, a nonprofit group. She said states are sending more displaced children to be raised by relatives because youngsters tend to fare better with family members than in foster care. The trouble is, support for these families is far from comprehensive. Having a firm grasp on the support services available from the outset can affect how grandparents cover the costs of college in the long run. The federal government established grants several years ago to pay for programs that help caregivers in the child welfare system access legal, financial or social services. These programs, however, exist in only about 20 states. Nonprofits such as Generation United are filling in some of the gaps. The organization, in collaboration with the American Bar Association and Casey Family Programs, runs a website, Grandfamilies.org, with information and resources organized by state. There are even colleges offering grandparents guidance. The University of Central Oklahoma, for instance, hosts workshops on applying for scholarships and on financial planning for people raising their grandchildren. The sessions were a natural fit in a state with one of the highest percentages of grandparents providing custodial care, in large part because of female incarceration rates, said Glee Bertram, a professor of family life education at Central Oklahoma. A majority of the grandparents who attended had never gone to college, so it was overwhelming for them, she said. Some didnt have computer skills to start the application process, so we had our admissions officers walk them through it. Many just needed to know there is support out there. Even with the network of social services and support groups, a significant divide exists in financial assistance afforded to grandparents. Those who adopt their grandchildren out of the foster care system or become licensed foster parents often receive money from the state until the child turns 18. That financial assistance can allow grandparents to save for college, said Sylvie De Toledo, founder of Grandparents as Parents, an organization in California that supports grandparents. She said retired grandparents receiving Social Security benefits can also have a portion of that money set aside for their adopted grandchild. Bursch has saved the money she received from the state after adopting her grandsons out of foster care, creating a trust for the boys in the event of her death. The boys came to Bursch and her husband emotionally scarred and in need of love and patience, she said. There were rough patches, especially when the boys parents and grandfather died, leaving Bursch to care for the boys by herself. Children who have lived in foster care are eligible for discounted tuition at some public colleges and universities. They can qualify for education and training vouchers of up to $5,000 a year through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. But for every child who enters foster care with relatives, 20 are being raised by relatives outside of the system and without access to the benefits extended by state and federal authorities, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Many grandparents step in before child welfare agencies get involved, and as a result are unaware they could become a licensed foster parent and receive financial support. And others are never told about their options. Even when they are aware of all their options, grandparents may choose to avoid being monitored by social workers. Theyre balancing access to a full range of financial support and other services, with questions about the level of engagement they wish to have with the child welfare agency, Peterson Lent said. Grandfamilies may be fearful that a child welfare agency will all of a sudden decide to take the child. There are a lot of things to weigh. Sonya Begays three grandchildren Damian, now 20; Lea, 18; and Kayle, 16 spent eight months in foster care before the state of Kentucky placed them with her in 2005. She said she never received any state benefits because the children did not remain in the system for long. Begay shared custody with their father, her oldest son, as he struggled with a drug addiction. She took all three with her when she relocated to Washington to work as a policy analyst for the Labor Department. When Begays son was murdered in 2010, she quit her job and moved back to Kentucky with the kids. And for the next few years, the family had to live on the $3,000 a month the children received in Social Security survivors benefits because Begay could not find work. We were denied food stamps and public housing because the kids received too much money from Social Security, said Begay, 60, who now lives in Frederick, Md. Doing all of this on my own was so hard. By the time Damian was ready for college, Begay landed a job at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington. But Damian chose to stay in Kentucky and enter Job Corps, a federal career-training and employment program. Now, he is considering a career as a pharmacist and looking to enroll in a tribal college. Because he and his siblings are Navajo like their grandmother and father, they can qualify for grants, scholarships or tuition waivers at several colleges and universities. Navigating the higher education system can be overwhelming for grandparents who have gone years, if not decades, without having to help with applications and financial aid forms. Reaching out to high school counselors is vital, especially when filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, said Ross, from DC-CAP. The federal government and colleges use the application to grant students access to more than $150 billion in grants, loans and work-study money. One of the problems grandparents face with the FAFSA is figuring out who should be listed as the parent on the form, Ross said. Most of the students his advisers encounter who are living with their grandparents have not been adopted, which means they must include the tax information of their biological parents. That can be difficult for students whose parents are incarcerated or otherwise not in the picture. In those cases, the Education Department recommends students request that a college financial aid office review their application. Administrators have flexibility to grant students a waiver known as a dependency override, but only on a case-by-case basis. Schools are under no obligation to offer the exemption to students whose grandparents are their legal guardian. Burschs grandson Gage did not qualify for financial aid to attend Los Angeles Valley College because of the income she draws from her annuities, she said. He was, however, allowed to register for classes early and provided counseling on campus because he was in the foster care system. To keep costs down, Gage chose to live at home while pursuing an associate degree in kinesiology. After graduation in May, he plans to transfer to California State University at Northridge to complete a bachelors degree in the same field. While Bursch has covered the costs of community college, she said her grandson will use the $14,000 in the 529 college savings plan that she and her husband established for him as a child. The savings plan allows families to invest without the earnings being taxed, so long as the funds are used to pay for college expenses. The money, she said, was not enough to pay for four years of college, but it will give the boys a chance of graduating without a lot of student debt. Id tell everyone now to go talk to them at the college and find out what they can do for you. I didnt know to do that, Bursch said. I wasnt aware of what was out there, and I suspect many grandparents are in the same position. Maryland Many still displaced after high-rise blaze Most of a Bethesda high-rise remained without electricity and water after a fire Saturday, meaning that hundreds of displaced residents wont be able to return to their apartments for days, authorities said Sunday. The fire, which broke out in the buildings below-ground electrical room Saturday morning, sent more than a dozen people to the hospital and prompted the evacuation of the 550-unit tower at 5225 Pooks Hill Rd., displacing as many as 1,500 people. Montgomery County fire department spokesman Pete Piringer said six people were treated for smoke inhalation, and a dozen were taken to a hospital for other medical reasons including existing conditions that required them to be under medical care. An emergency shelter coordinated by the Red Cross and the county hosted up to two dozen people overnight, Piringer said. The rest were assumed to have stayed with family or friends or in hotels, he said. [Six residents and a firefighter evaluated after blaze at Md. apartment; 1,500 displaced] Faiz Siddiqui Man killed when car hits tree and burns A man was killed when his vehicle struck a tree and burned early Sunday in Prince Georges County, according to Maryland State Police. The crash occurred on Route 301 in Upper Marlboro, police said. Authorities have not identified the victim, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Lynh Bui THE DISTRICT Business owner sentenced for fraud A federal judge sentenced a Washington business owner to 20 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to misleading government officials to receive lucrative contracts and then billing the government for more than $1 million in illegitimate expenses. Nikita Davis, 48, was also ordered Friday to pay back the charges, according to the U.S. attorneys office for the District. Davis pleaded guilty in June to major fraud after the Commerce Departments inspector general determined that she misstated her companys qualifications to receive government contracts, then billed the government improperly. Faiz Siddiqui Woman dies after fire in Brookland A woman who was critically injured in an apartment fire in Northeast Washington on Saturday died at a hospital, authorities said Sunday. The D.C. fire department said the blaze in an apartment in the 4000 block of Eighth Street NE was believed to be the result of improperly discarded smoking materials. The elderly victim was not immediately named. Officials thought she suffered smoke inhalation. Faiz Siddiqui and Martin Weil VIRGINIA Two are fatally shot in park in Alexandria Two people were fatally shot and a third was wounded Sunday night at a park in Alexandria, the police said. The shooting occured at All Veterans Park on Holmes Run, northeast of the intersection of Duke and North Pickett streets. Police spokeswoman Crystal Nosal said police thought that the incident was confined to the park and that it posed no threat to the community. Martin Weil Man held on terrorism charge after blast A homemade bomb detonated Thursday in the heart of Williamsburg, near the College of William & Mary and Colonial Williamsburg. Police said Stephen Powers, 30, of Gloucester was arrested and charged with committing an act of terrorism. No motive in the incident could be learned immediately. No injuries were reported. Former NAACP leader Ben Jealous, who is racking up endorsements for his bid for Maryland governor, speaks at a recent gubernatorial forum in Germantown. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post) Maryland gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous, a former NAACP leader making his first run for public office, is raking in endorsements with eight months to go before the June Democratic primary. One week ago it was Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). The week before that, a sought-after nod from one of the state's biggest labor groups, the Service Employees International Union. The announcements of support including from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in July have created buzz for Jealous's populist campaign at a time when most of the other candidates are more focused on fundraising and small-scale, low-visibility visits around the state. But analysts say it remains unclear whether the early momentum will lead to supportfrom voters on Election Day. Its a healthy sign, said John T. Willis, a Democratic Party insider and politics professor at the University of Baltimore. The endorsements can help you with perception of being a top-tier person and help you in your fundraising efforts, but how that translates to votes is a long way away. Jealous, one of five first-timecandidates in the race, has 12 endorsements, compared with four for Prince George's County Executive Rushern L. Baker III and zero for the other six Democratic hopefuls. Both he and tech entrepreneur Alec Ross, a political newcomer who entered the race in April, are blanketing social media with announcements and comments and routinely hold Q&A's on Facebook. Both have paid communicationsstaff to promote their public appearances,which some of the other campaigns have not done. Most of the others also are less active on Twitter and Facebook, a social media platform that played a key role in RepublicanGov. Larry Hogan's victory in 2014. Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, who is running for governor of Maryland. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post) State Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (Montgomery), who entered the race in July, has swiped at some of Jealous's publicity. After Jealous touted his plan for college affordability at an event featuring a live-streamed speech from Sanders this month, Madaleno criticized Jealous's proposal as lacking specifics, adding that he has used his own perch as a lawmaker to work on the issue for years. Madalenos campaign staff said they have knocked on doors in eight of Marylands 24 jurisdictions and plan to continue that effort. The rest of the candidates are also trying to get their messages out to as many voters as possible, meeting residents in small groups at supporters homes, chatting with neighborhood association members at community centers and attending local Democratic breakfasts and dinners to shake hands with the party faithful. All of the candidates except Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, who joined the race less than two weeks ago, participated in at least one of the two forums that have been held in Montgomery County. But fundraising is their most urgent task. With Hogan sitting on a war chest that topped $5 million earlier this year, political experts say Democratic hopefuls will need substantial resources to compete for the primary and have a shot at upsetting the popular incumbent. Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz had an early start, reporting $1.6 million in his campaign account earlier this year. No fundraising reports are required this year for state candidates in Maryland who are running in 2018. The first election-year reports, due Jan. 17, will provide a clearer picture of which candidates have an early advantage. Raising money could be difficult, especially with a crowded field of candidates in an era where Democratic fundraising is down nationally, analysts said. "I'm sure that is trickling down to the states," said QuinceyGamble, who helped run Democratic Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown's losing gubernatorial campaign in 2014. Candidates who are struggling to find donors could end up dropping out by Feb. 27, the deadline for filing for the race, political observers said. Or, some of the hopefuls could decide to run for lieutenant governor as part of another gubernatorial candidate's ticket. Polls, like endorsements, can also lend credibility to candidates, although they can also shift significantly as the race continues. This month, Baker's campaign received a big boost from a Mason-Dixon poll that said he appeared to be the strongest contender in the Democratic primary and has the best advantage in a theoretical one-on-onematchup against Hogan. Maryland gubernatorial candidates Ben Jealous, left, State Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. Montgomery), Prince Georges County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, and tech entrepreneur Alec Ross wait backstage at a candidate forum in Germantown. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post) Baker, who does not have a campaign communications director and has not publicized his appearances extensively, trailed Hogan by seven points in such a matchup. Kamenetz was 13 points behind Hogan; Jealous was down by 16 points; and Madaleno trailed by 19 points. The polls have been pretty helpful in distancing ourselves from the pack, said Andrew Mallinoff, Bakers campaign manager. More people are paying attention. The primary has also caught the eye of the Republican Governors Association, which says it has a robust tracking program to keep cameras on Democratic candidates in case they make gaffes. Jealous has been a focus for the group recently because he is more prone to make public appearances and stake out far-left positions. With multiple Democratic candidates for governor in Maryland often proposing costly and outlandish spending schemes, the RGA will ensure voters understand just how dangerous and reckless their policies would be for Marylands economy, said RGA spokesman Jon Thompson. Over the weekend, all eight Democratic candidates attorney James L. Shea; Krishanti Vignarajah, a former policy aide to Michelle Obama; Baker; Jealous; Kamenetz; Madaleno; Rockeymoore Cummings and Ross traveled to a Maryland State Educators Association convention in Ocean City to stake their claims to an endorsement from the powerful group. Union officials do not plan to vote on whom to back until April. Fenit Nirappil contributed to this report. Throughout the country next year, Democrats running for Congress will try to tie every Republican they can find to President Trump. But Republicans in Marylands 6th District believe they have a not-so-secret coat of armor to protect them from those attacks: Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who has repeatedly distanced himself from the president and maintains high approval ratings across party lines. For the first time in a half- century, there will be no incumbent seeking reelection to the seat that Rep. John Delaney (D) is giving up to run for president in 2020. That gives Republicans surveying a potentially dismal electoral map a rare chance to compete for an open seat in one of the more purple parts of Maryland, a mostly Democratic state whose eight-member congressional delegation includes only one Republican, Rep. Andy Harris. HANDOUT - Amie Hoeber, of Potomac, Maryland is seeking the GOP nomination to run for a Montgomery County congressional seat (Marylands 6th district) held Rep. John Delaney, who is not seeking reelection. (Hoeber campaign) At least three GOP candidates are running in the 6th District, while five Democrats are in the hunt for their party's nomination. The Republicans are Amie Hoeber, a defense contractor who challenged Delaney in 2016; Matt Mossburg, a former state delegate; and Lisa Lloyd, a nurse practitioner from Potomac. The Democrats are Andrew Duck, a retired intelligence officer; Nadia Hashimi, a pediatrician and novelist; state Sen. Roger Manno (D-Montgomery); Del. Aruna Miller (D-Montgomery); and wine magnate David J. Trone, who spent an eye-popping $13.4 million of his own money last year on a losing House primary campaign in a neighboring district. The serpentine 6th District stretches from the affluent and more liberal Washington suburbs in Montgomery County to more conservative counties reaching into Appalachia. Hillary Clinton won the district last year, while Hogan cleaned up three years ago with about 58 percent of the vote. HANDOUT - Matt Mossberg is a candidate for Maryland's 6th Congressional District. (Mossburg for Maryland) In 2012, Delaney ousted longtime congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R) with an assist from a map redrawn to favor a Democrat now the subject of a gerrymandering lawsuit that is on hold until the Supreme Court decides a similar case from Wisconsin. Maryland Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathleen Matthews said the party is determined to hold onto the 6th District seat and is working to convince voters that Trumps policies hurt western counties that rely on Medicaid expansion and rural aid programs, which he has stripped from his budget. This is a president who, in large numbers, they voted for and he betrayed them, she said. But Republican candidates say recent turnout models in the 6th District plus the opportunity to link themselves to Hogan rather than Trump give them a chance. The 2012 presidential election drove Maryland Democrats to the polls, helping Delaney unseat Bartlett by double digits. Delaney won reelection by a slim margin two years later, an off-year election with a governors race that featured a lackluster Democratic candidate and generated a wave of Republican enthusiasm. The 2018 contest again comes in a gubernatorial year, with Hogan on the ballot and no White House race. The National Republican Congressional Committee has put the 6th District on its list of targets. Given the districts performance in past off-year election cycles, a strong Republican candidate can certainly put it in play, NRCC spokesman Chris Martin said. In this 2007 photo, then-Del. Roger Manno D-Montgomery County) speaks to a colleague in the Annapolis statehouse. Manno is now running for Marylands 6th District congressional seat. (KIM HAIRSTON/Baltimore Sun) Before national funders would consider making an investment in the district, however, they will look for candidates who have an effective campaign team and fundraising network. Hoeber raised $1.17 million last year, including $550,000 of her money, and garnered 40 percent of the vote against Delaney. (In a Federal Election Commission complaint last year, Delaney accused her of illegally coordinating with a super PAC funded mostly by her husband.) She has not reported fundraising for the 2018 race, campaign finance reports show. She plans to kick off her campaign Tuesday afternoon at a restaurant in Potomac. Mossburg, who served in the General Assembly from 1994 to 1998, has raised $5,501 and loaned himself $5,038, with $4,171 in cash available, reports show. The Frederick resident is presenting himself as the conservative voice and an underdog in a race in which Hoeber and several Democrats are able to tap their personal wealth for campaign resources. He said he has been in recovery from opioid addiction for about four years, making him uniquely qualified to tackle a crisis gripping the state. It really does take someone whos going through recovery to bring that wisdom of addiction from a firsthand experience, Mossburg said. Lloyd, whose campaign finance report was not online as of Friday, said she is concerned about federal government overreach into education at all levels and worried about Maryland schools failing to prepare children for life after graduation. Hogan expects to stay out of the GOP primary in the 6th District, his spokesman said, but Hoeber is reminding voters that the governor backed her over Delaney in the 2016 general election. Gov. Larry Hogan R) endorses Republican Amie Hoeber in her bid to unseat Rep. John Delaney D) in 2016. Hoeber lost that race but is seeking the seat again in 2018. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post) Hoeber said she plans to focus her campaign on economic development, transportation and the opioid crisis. And she took a jab at Trone, whose deep pockets and 2016 run for Congress have garnered him considerable attention at this early stage. Im not like Trone where Im just shopping for a seat, Hoeber said. Im running because I understand this district well. And I think I can do the best job for it. Trone spokesman Alex Koren criticized Hoeber for accepting donations from lobbyists and super PACs last year and said, David is flattered that Amie Hoeber is focused on him rather than winning her own primary. Koren said Trone will follow Delaneys model of focusing on policy over politics and bringing Democrats and Republicans together to get things done. Democrat David Trone spent $13.4 million of his own money last year on a losing House primary campaign in a neighboring district. (Marlon Correa/El Tiempo Latino) Trone has given his campaign $748,939 so far, but he also raised $43,076 from donors, more than in the entire primary last year. He is spending at a fast clip as well. Miller raised $559,879 over two quarters, leaving her with $525,176 in cash the most of any Democrat at this point. She is backed by Emily's List, which funds female candidates who support abortion rights. In an interview, Miller said she wants to create jobs in alternative energy industries to make up for losses from the fracking ban, which she co-sponsored in the legislature. She is working on a bill to provide funding and training to make computer science and coding classes available in schools. Nadia Hashimi ins running for Congress in Maryland as a Democrat. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post) Manno, who has announced a string of labor endorsements in recent weeks, raised $202,165, and has $170,778 in cash. A state lawmaker since 2007, he has touted his experience working as a Capitol Hill policy staff member when the Affordable Care Act passed. Its a very hard time for people who pay the bills. he said. They need a tenacious, skillful and passionate advocate working on their behalf in a Congress thats broken. Duck, who twice ran for the seat when it was firmly in Republican hands, has $11,013 in the bank. Hashimi has raised $61,057 so far and loaned her campaign $225,000, leaving her with $281,125 in cash. The primary is June 26. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan signed an executive order on Monday that prohibits the state from doing business with companies engaged in a boycott of Israel. Hogan took the executive action against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement , an effort started in 2005 by a coalition of Palestinian organizations in response to Israel's occupation of the West Bank territory. BDS activities include discouraging the purchase of goods produced in Israeli settlements and pressuring international companies not to conduct business in Israel. "Boycotts based on religion, national origin, place of residence or ethnicity are discriminatory," Hogan said, standing with Jewish leaders from Baltimore and Montgomery counties. "Contracting with businesses that practice discrimination would make the state a passive participant in private-sector commercial discrimination." Hogan said all future requests for state bids will include language that the company has not refused to do business with or stopped doing business with any person or entity on the basis of Israeli national origin. The order also calls for the state to terminate any contracts with companies that participate in a boycott of Israel. Hogan said he was unaware of any contracts at risk of being terminated under the order but added that a review would take place. The order also calls for barring the state pension system from investing in companies engaged in an Israel-related boycott, a move that some say would require legislation to enforce. Gov. Larry Hogan R-Md.) signs an autograph for a student before speaking to a school assembly during a visit to Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville last year. (J. Lawler Duggan/For The Washington Post) The executive order mirrors legislation that failed to receive a committee vote in the General Assembly last session. According to legislative analysts, states including Illinois, New York and South Carolina have taken similar steps. Del. Benjamin F. Kramer (D-Montgomery), who sponsored the failed bill, called the governor's order "an important first step to make it clear that Maryland's public policy is not to utilize taxpayer dollars for a bigoted boycott targeting the only nation on this planet with a majority Jewish population." Kramer and Sen. Robert A. Zirkin (D-Baltimore County), also a lead sponsor of last years legislation, said they plan to introduce legislation next session that addresses pension-system investments. Jewish leaders have pushed for the legislation for years. Hogan, who led a trade mission to Israel in September 2016, has been cultivating ties with Jewish communities in Maryland. He has visited Jewish schools in Baltimore and Montgomery counties; hosted a Hanukkah party at Government House; and attended a Sabbath dinner at a Montgomery County synagogue. The following Democrats are among those seeking their partys nomination for four at-large council seats in 2018 clockwise from top left): Will Jawando, Hoan Dang, Chris Wilhelm, Marilyn Balcombe, Bill Conway, Richard Gottfried, Darwin Romero and Danielle Meitiv. (Photo credits, clockwise from top left: Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post; Courtesy of Hoan Dang campaign; Courtesy of Bill Cook; Courtesy of Marilyn Balcombe campaign; Courtesy of Heather Pederson; Courtesy of Richard Gottfried campaign; Courtesy of J. Sykes Photography; and Courtesy of Gene Luttenberg ) More than two and a half years ago, Danielle Meitiv made national headlines as the "free-range mom" after allowing her two young children to walk home alone from a Silver Spring park. Meitiv and her husband were charged then cleared in two neglect cases. But Meitiv still describes the nickname as a "badge of honor," especially when stopped on the street by fans (and critics) who say, "You're that mom!" It is a reputation she is carrying with her in her latest venture: running for anat-large seat on the Montgomery County Council in November 2018. Tangling with county officials over whether her children should have been more closely supervised showed me what it feels like to be on the other end of an unresponsive bureaucracy, Meitiv said. Thats not how government should feel to the people it serves. Meitiv has plenty of company in the still-growing field of candidates vying for the councils four at-large seats. Three of those seats are being vacated by Democratic council members who are barred from running again because of the countys new term limits law: Marc Elrich and George Leventhal who are both running for county executive and Nancy Floreen. Incumbent Hans Riemer, also a Democrat, is running for reelection. As of Friday, he and 19 other candidates had filed with the Maryland State Board of Elections for the Democratic nomination. There is one candidate filed to run under the Green Party banner. No Republicans have registered as at-large candidates with the elections board, though the deadline to file is still four months away. The primary is next June, and the top four Democratic vote-getters will advance to the general election. In the 2014 election cycle, six candidates sought the Democratic nomination for the at-large seats, four of them incumbents. Four candidates ran as Republicans. The incumbents won easily. This election is not going to be the norm, said Jared DeMarinis, director of the division of candidacy and campaign finance for the Maryland State Board of Elections. Candidates pointed to three main factors that contributed to creating such a broad field: the enactment of term limits, a new public financing program and the election of President Trump. The first two factors, candidates said, provide an opportunity for Montgomery citizens looking for an entry into county politics. "It's the perfect, positive storm," said at-large candidate Gabe Albornoz, whose is director of the county's recreation department. He described public financing approved by the County Council in 2014 and in place for the first time this election cycle as "an important tool to get people more engaged in the electoral process." The following Democrats are among those seeking their partys nomination for four at-large council seats in 2018 clockwise from top left): Brandy Brooks, Ashwani Jain, Ron Colbert, Hans Riemer, Evan Glass, Neil Greenberger, Melissa McKenna, Mohammad Siddique and Gabe Albornoz (Photo credits, clockwise from top left: Courtesy of Sharif Talib/Brooks campaign; courtesy of Harsh Atit; courtesy of Candis Larson; courtesy of Riemer campaign; courtesy of Evan Glass campaign; courtesy of Gary A. Cameron; courtesy of Melissa McKenna campaign; courtesy of Mohammad Siddique campaign; and Caitlin Myler Photography.) Candidate Hoan Dang, a program analyst for a federal contractor, said "public financing is leveling the playing field" since those who participate cannot accept donations over $150, but they can get government matching funds that allow them to compete with candidates that can raise large sums from the private sector. Candidates hoping to qualify for the public financing program are barred from accepting corporate or PAC contributions. At-large candidates must collect at least 250 donations, totaling $20,000, to receive their first installment of matching funds. As of Sept. 30, 18 at-large candidates had filed a notice of intent to the State Board of Elections to participate in public financing. [Under new public finance law, Montgomery candidates change fundraising tactics] Dang said another factor that might encourage people to enter the race could be tied to a snowballing effect. If theres 25, and there could be as many as 40 candidates, then more people start to think, Well, I need a smaller percentage of votes, so they jump in, Dang said. Then there are motivators stemming from beyond Montgomery County, a mostly liberal enclave that has not elected a Republican official in recent memory. Bill Conway, an electricity attorney who is seeking one of the Democratic at-large nominations, said Trumps election was what pushed me over to running, adding that Trump in the background has shocked us all out of our complacency. Meitiv, the "free-range mom," said many residents of the county where more than three-quarters voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election are suffering from a "Trump hangover." Yet a key question that remains unsolved is how to manage an election including debates or forums in which new candidates seem to enter every week. Earlier this month, a dozen candidates who had filed for candidacy took part in a forum where each was given a few minutes to speak. Attendees could then talk to candidates scattered throughout a large yard and ask questions on specific issues. Candidates said it will be difficult to substantively discuss county issues as the fieldwidens. "We saw the Republican [presidential] debates with 20 people it becomes a sound bite thing," said Will Jawando, a former Obama administration official who lost a Democratic primary race last year for an open congressional seat and is running for an at-large council seat in 2018. "I don't think it's particularly helpful for voters." Issues that have dominated county politics for years will once again bear on this election, with candidates emphasizing Montgomerys problems with traffic and public transit, overcrowded schools, and concerns for public safety. Many candidates say they want to address the needs of the countys senior population and secure more affordable housing, boost the countys economy, and improve job growth. But even if the issues are familiar, many of the faces will be new. In addition to the crowded at-large race, a multiple-candidate race for a term-limited district council seat means that the county council sworn in late next year will have more first-time lawmakers than the panel has seen in many years. Its a historic election, Jawando said. The direction of Montgomery County is going to change. The question is who is going to lead that change, and who is going to be a part of that. The other Democratic candidates who have filed so far are: Marilyn Balcombe, Shruti Bhatnagar, Cherri L. Branson, Brandy Brooks, Ron Colbert, Loretta Jean Garcia, Evan Glass, Richard Gottfried, Neil H. Greenberger, Ashwani Jain, Melissa McKenna, Darwin Romero, Mohammad Siddique and Chris Wilhelm. In an interview with C-SPAN about the Vietnam War that ran over the weekend, Sen. John McCain said this: "One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never, ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America, and the highest income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur. That is wrong. That is wrong. If we are going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve." While McCain didn't mention any names, anyone paying any sort of attention knows that he is talking about President Donald Trump, who received five deferments during the Vietnam War, including one for -- you guessed it! -- bone spurs. Trump, despite being in generally good health at the time, received a diagnosis of bone spurs, which gave him a draft status that kept him out of the war. In an interview with The New York Times about the deferment, Trump was unable to remember the name of the doctor who had diagnosed him but noted: "I had a doctor that gave me a letter -- a very strong letter on the heels." He added that the problem was "temporary" and "minor." (Trump received four further education deferments.) The "bone spur" shot is McCain's latest jab at Trump in a decidedly tempestuous relationship that dates back to at least 2015. It was in July of that year that Trump, appearing at a conservative conclave in Iowa, said this of the Arizona Republican: "He's not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured." McCain spent almost six years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, where he was tortured and beaten. He suffered injuries that don't allow him to raise his arms above shoulder height. Days later, asked whether he owed McCain an apology, Trump said, "No, not at all." He added, "People that fought hard and weren't captured and went through a lot, they get no credit. Nobody even talks about them. They're, like, forgotten. And I think that's a shame, if you want to know the truth." Trump's tone changed on McCain over the summer of 2017 when the Arizona senator, shortly after being diagnosed with brain cancer, returned to Washington to participate in the debate over repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. "So great that John McCain is coming back to vote," Trump tweeted. "Brave - American hero! Thank you John." That praise was short-lived, however, as McCain wound up casting the deciding vote against the Trump-backed repeal and replace plan. "John McCain never had any intention of voting for this Bill, which his Governor loves," Trump tweeted in the wake of that vote. "He campaigned on Repeal & Replace. Let Arizona down!" He added, "Democrats are laughingly saying that McCain had a 'moment of courage.' Tell that to the people of Arizona who were deceived. 116% increase!" In an interview with "60 Minutes" last month, McCain insisted his vote against the health care bill wasn't revenge against Trump for the comments about his war service. "If I took offense at everybody who has said something about me or disparaged me or something like that -- life is too short," McCain said. "You've got to move on. And on an issue of this importance to the nation, for me to worry about a personal relationship, then I'm not doing my job." But McCain did note in that same interview that Trump had never apologized for the "I like people who weren't captured" line. And he made very clear that he doesn't hold a ton of respect for the life Trump has lived. Here's the key quote: "He is in the business of making money, and he has been successful both in television as well as Miss America and others. I was raised in the concept and belief that duty, honor, country is the lodestar for behavior that we have to exhibit every single day." (Trump actually used to own the Miss Universe Organization.) Oomph. McCain can say what he wants about how his decisions regarding Trump are entirely unaffected by what Trump has said about him or the differences between the two paths the two men have taken in their lives. But it's clear there's not love lost between the two men. Jonathan Gomez Sorto had just rolled a blunt and started to smoke it when a fellow MS-13 member stabbed Edwin Almendarez in the neck. Then, prosecutors say, Gomez Sorto held down the victim while a third young man joined in on what would become a deadly attack. The killing took place in a park in Alexandria in November 2015. On Monday, Gomez Sorto pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Alexandria Circuit Court just as his trial was set to begin. The killing took place in Four Mile Run Park and is one of more than 30 area killings from the past few years linked to the MS-13 gang, which has ties to El Salvador. [With two young people killed, two more bodies found, police see rising gang threat] Jonathan Gomez Sorto, 24, pleaded guilty in Alexandria Circuit Court to helping kill Edwin Almendarez, a fellow member of MS-13. (Alexandria Sheriff's Office) Almendarez, also known as Eduardo David Chandias Almendarez, was killed because he planned to testify against another MS-13 member and because he was falsely claiming to belong to a particular gang clique, Commonwealths Attorney Bryan Porter said in court. After Almendarez was first stabbed, he rushed toward Gomez Sorto and fell into his arms, the 24-year-old defendant acknowledged in court. Gomez Sorto pushed him off, and Almendarez fell to the ground. At one point, Almendarez escaped and started to run, according to Porter, but he tripped and fell into a creek. Boris Elias Rosa Castro, 20, followed him into the dirty water and finished him off, Gomez Sorto told investigators. Gomez Sorto did not stab Almendarez. He maintained Monday that he did not intentionally hold Almendarez down during the attack. Instead, he told investigators in the case, he acted out of shock and fear. He was stabbed in the hand during the scuffle. Gomez Sorto also said that while he knew Almendarez was marked for execution by the gang, he did not know it would happen that day. Edwin Alexander Guerrero Umana, 20, was prepared to testify that Gomez Sorto was the highest-ranking gang member in the group and gave the signal to start the attack, Porter said. It was Guerrero Umana who first stabbed Almendarez in the neck. After the killing, Gomez Sorto and the two others threw their bloody clothing into the creek. At a nearby Target parking lot, they were picked up by the local gang leader who had ordered Almendarezs killing and taken to the home of the leaders mother, according to Porter. The killing was approved by gang leaders in El Salvador, Porter said. Rosa Castro and Guerrero Umana pleaded guilty last year to murder charges. Rosa Castro is serving a 30-year prison sentence. Guerrero Umana was also sentenced to 30 years in prison. But he agreed to testify against Gomez Sorto and will have an opportunity to argue for a reduced sentence later this year. John Kiyonaga, a defense attorney for Gomez Sorto, said in court that his client was recruited into MS-13 in El Salvador and spent most of his life there. Gomez Sorto is set to be sentenced March 8. A man was shot and killed and another man was wounded Sunday night near Congress Heights in Southeast Washington, according to D.C. police. The shooting occurred about 8:40 p.m. in the 1900 block of Savannah Terrace SE, off Suitland Parkway. Police said both men were taken to hospitals, where one died. The second victim was listed as conscious. Police said Monday that they have been unable to identify the man who died. Officers responded to the area after ShotSpotter, a device that tracks the sounds of gunshots, detected the incident. Officers found the two victims. A police report says bullets struck two vehicles. Police were looking for a champagne-colored Lexus. [Woman fatally shot near Anacostia] The fatal shooting on Savannah Terrace was the second of this weekend. A 20-year-old woman was fatally shot Friday night in the 1600 block of U Street SE in Anacostia. Police said Shawntese Murphy, of Suitland, Md., was pronounced dead on the scene of the 10:50 p.m. incident. A man was also shot and was treated for injuries described as non life-threatening. Police had initially said she was 30. The shooting occurred more than two miles apart and are not believed to be related. As of Friday, D.C. police report 93 homicides since the beginning of the year, down from 109 at the same time in 2016. Two people were killed and one was seriously wounded in Alexandria Sunday night in a shooting in a park on the west side of the city, police said. The shooting was reported about 8:45 p.m. in All Veterans Park, which is located on the bank of Holmes Run, north of Duke Street in the N. Pickett Street area. A helicopter from Fairfax County was deployed over the area for a time. However, Crystal Nosal, the spokeswoman for the Alexandria police, said later that investigators thought that the incident was confined to the park and that no threat existed to the community. No motive in the shooting was immediately known. The park includes woodland and has a trail and a dog run. It is north of the Charles E. Beatley Regional Library. The wounded victim was taken to a hospital. The other two died at the scene, police said. Brendan Schulman and members of Task Group 1 monitor drone altitudes in Reston, Va. on July 11, 2017. Schulman, the groups co-chair, told a reporter the gathering was confidential and being held on private property, before walking with others out of earshot. (Reza A. Marvashti/For The Washington Post) A government advisory group has been holding confidential meetings to shape U.S. policy on drones, deliberating privately about who should regulate a burgeoning industry that will affect everything from package delivery to personal privacy. The federal group includes industry insiders with a financial stake in the outcome and is co-chaired by a lobbyist for DJI, a Chinese drone maker that dominates the U.S. market. In January, the Federal Aviation Administration asked the group to figure out what influence state and local governments should have over drones in their communities. The closed proceedings are billed as a way to promote thoughtful and unguarded exchanges and eventual consensus among government, community and industry interests. Instead, the process has been riven by suspicion and dysfunction, according to internal documents and emails obtained by The Washington Post, and interviews with participants. One U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the groups inner workings, said he found it very bizarre to have a representative of a multibillion-dollar Chinese drone manufacturer helping guide such a sensitive U.S. policy exercise and doing it out of the public eye. I dont think it set a wonderful tone, the official said. Members of Task Group 1 on a closed drone field trip in Reston, Va., on July 11, 2017. (Reza A. Marvashti/For The Washington Post) The group formally known as Task Group 1 of the Drone Advisory Committee is now teetering. Months of tensions came to a head recently when an FAA contractor that manages the group told members they had to sign a far-reaching confidentiality agreement to keep participating. After some raised concerns, several groups were blocked from receiving draft documents meant to represent their own common ground positions, emails show. [John Taylor fought the FAA over registering drones. And won. But now what?] Please do not distribute this material to other TG1 members, an executive from the FAA contractor wrote in an email. In response to this and other issues, John Eagerton, chief of Alabamas aeronautics bureau and a co-chair of the group; San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee (D); a representative of the University of Oklahoma; the National League of Cities; the National Association of Counties; and the National Conference of State Legislatures emailed a statement of dissent to other group members last month. Despite good faith efforts to engage in Task Group 1, many of us have been obstructed from meaningful participation and we all have serious concerns about the recommendations included in the draft reports, they wrote. Melanie Sloan, a former federal prosecutor and senior adviser for the accountability group American Oversight, said the closed-door approach appears to violate open-meetings provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Americans should be aware of the advice the government is relying on in making decisions that affect us all. Thats why the advisory committee rules require transparency, so we are in on the process, she said. In a statement, the FAA said the act requires that a committees recommendations, and the meeting where they are presented to the FAA, be public. But it said there is a legal distinction between a committee and a subcommittee or task group. Lower-level panels generally keep their conversations confidential to encourage open discussions and debate among the members, it said. *** Since early last century, the federal government has ruled the United States navigable airspace. But the proliferation of cheap and powerful drones that can buzz through the air much closer to the ground than a Boeing or a Cessna has spawned a fundamental debate over who should control the airspace at ultra-low altitude under 400 feet. The policy issue at the heart of the discord is whether Washington should cede localities the power to regulate when, where and under what conditions drones can fly. Cities and states generally are prohibited by federal law from doing so, although there are exceptions, according to the FAA. The FAA says measures such as altitude restrictions and flight bans are under its control. But local and state governments have long-standing police powers, so banning voyeurism using drones or requiring police to get a warrant for overhead surveillance are appropriate for a city or state lawmakers, it says. That leaves a lot of gray. The Trump administration is preparing to launch a pilot program designed to let local communities try different regulatory concepts for controlling drone activity, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao told a drone conference in Fargo, N.D., in May. Details of the pilot program could be disclosed soon. Task Group 1 was assigned a difficult and high-pressure job, said Dan Elwell, who advised Chao on aviation and is now FAA deputy administrator. The FAA gave them the ocean and said, Boil it, Elwell said. But it is not the agencys role to manage the inner workings of the advisory group, he said. We let them do their thing. If we meddle, if we get in there, theyre not advising us. [Contest seeks to make those Jetsons dreams a reality] The deliberations have at times been ugly. This process feels like a sham, and highlights the fact that this is the full time job for the industry lobbyists, while the rest of us, myself included, have other jobs, wrote James L. Grimsley, director of the Center for Applied Research & Development at the University of Oklahoma, and a member of the task group. In an April email, Grimsley said drone behemoth DJI whose lobbyist, Brendan Schulman, co-chairs the task group has financial and lobbying ties with other group members, essentially creating a voting bloc with shared positions. He said industry interests were overrepresented and pointed to the role of PrecisionHawk, a DJI partner and drone-technology firm, and Amazon, which is aggressively pursuing airborne package delivery. Amazon declined to comment. (Amazon chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post.) Grimsley, an associate vice president at the university, also helped found a drone-technology company. In an interview, he said he regrets that his email, written in frustration, became public, and said that it is probably not a fair perspective on the entire task group. University lawyers wrestled with the confidentiality agreement for weeks before finally allowing him to sign, he said. There is a problem with some state and local governments signing such agreements, because of open meetings laws in their jurisdictions, he said. If you dont see the documents, you have a hard time having the conversations. The materials have since been released to all members, whether or not they signed, according to the FAA consultant. Members are preparing to report to the FAAs broader drone advisory committee at a public meeting Nov. 8, hosted by Amazon in Seattle. Other task group members have included Facebook, which is developing drones to provide Internet service; American Airlines; and representatives of airports, airport executives, aerospace industries, air traffic control advocates, private pilots, hobbyists and others. Grimsley was not alone in focusing on Schulman. Margaret Jenny, the president of RTCA, Inc., the contractor that oversees the task group for the FAA, sought unsuccessfully this year to oust Schulman from his role as co-chair. She wrote that her rationale was to decrease the chance that the final product could be questioned. In an interview, Jenny said the decision to try to remove Schulman had been made jointly with the FAA and was spurred by a perception issue. It would be better, they concluded, if we had somebody who was representing a U.S. firm and whose main role was not that of a lobbyist, she said. The group voted to keep Schulman in place. Schulman, in an April email to the group, said Grimsleys missive was riddled with falsehoods and is frankly offensive. It is no secret or sham that my job is to work on drone policy; it is in my title, Schulman, vice president for policy and legal affairs for DJI, wrote. I think thats why I have useful expertise in trying to solve problems, and am motived to work hard with other stakeholders on consensus solutions. Schulman declined to answer questions about Task Group 1 but said broadly: We advocate for responsible regulations around the world and at different levels of government, and if we consider something to be unreasonable we may engage in advocacy. Thats true for any company in any industry. *** Some cities have jumped into the breach to test federal limits. Newton, Mass., passed an ordinance last year banning drone flights below 400 feet over private property, and above city property at any altitude, without permission. It is one of hundreds of laws touching on drones around the country. Given community concerns about drones whirling overhead and the nations need to facilitate air travel, where does the right to travel bump up against the citys ability to protect its residents from harm? said Newton assistant city solicitor Maura OKeefe. She got a partial answer last month when a federal judge tossed out the restrictions. Having a single, clear authority over the nations airspace has for decades generally been viewed as a good thing, both for commerce and the safety of the flying public. But millions of drones have now been sold, and they look to become more pervasive. Really, the crux of this is: How do we allow a fascinating and very useful and worthwhile technology to grow safely and with the proper level of oversight and security? the FAAs Elwell said. We have to be very, very careful not to be so burdensome that it stifles the industry and it goes out of our borders to find success or to be so sort of laissez-faire with it that we end up with unintended consequences. Some in Congress, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), have sought to guarantee that local and state governments have power to impose reasonable restrictions on drones below 200 feet, or within 200 feet of a structure. That could include limits or bans on flights near public or private property and to protect privacy or lessen noise pollution, according to Feinsteins Drone Federalism Act. Industry advocates say that allowing a patchwork of thousands of local regulations would snuff out the promising commercial drone industry. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International and the Consumer Technology Association, both members of Task Group 1, filed a court brief opposing the law in Newton. Drone industry representatives, meanwhile, have sought federal legislation further limiting what states are allowed to regulate and have pushed states to enact their own preemption laws preventing their cities or counties from regulating drones. Rhode Island is a small place. You dont want to shut the door to a new technology, said Stephen Ucci, a state legislator and member of Task Group 1 who supported the states preemption law so there would be one uniform standard for a technology that is both promising and polarizing. People either view things as cool or creepy. The creepy people dont want them anywhere around, and the cool people want to see them everywhere, said Ucci, a corporate lawyer. Task Group 1 put really smart people in a room that know a lot about this topic, and their deliberations are great for the country and the industry, he added. Jenny, in a Sept. 22 email circulating among some members, said organizers should stand down Task Group 1 and give its materials to a newly constituted group with a new mandate. Im not willing to continue down this painful path that cannot lead to a good outcome with an unbalanced group, she wrote. Earlier versions of this story misstated when John Bowen lost his voting rights for the second time. It was in January. The story has been corrected. Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie on Monday launched a TV ad claiming that Democrat Ralph Northam made it easier for violent felons and sex offenders to get their hands on guns. The ad is based on outgoing Gov. Terry McAuliffes sweeping actions to restore voting and other civil rights to felons. In one of the few states that permanently disenfranchises felons, McAuliffe (D) has restored the right to vote and to serve on juries to more than 168,000 felons who have completed their sentences. His action also helped them over the first hurdle to have their gun rights restored, although the felons still need judges to sign off. Last year, Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam instituted the automatic restoration of rights for violent felons and sex offenders, making it easier for them to obtain firearms and allowing them to serve on juries, the ad begins. One of these felons, John Bowen, had his rights restored two months after being found with one of the largest child pornography collections in Virginias history. Bowen, of Accomack County, was convicted of aggravated sexual battery and indecent liberties with a minor in 2001 and served a one-year sentence, the Virginian-Pilot reported. Like other felons who had completed their sentences, he had his rights restored under McAuliffe. Bowen lost his voting rights again in January when he pleaded guilty to a new felony, possession of child pornography. He is serving 15 years in prison, the paper reported in June. McAuliffe (D) on Monday tore into Gillespie for what he saw as an attack on one of his signature achievements in office one that Northam, as a member of McAuliffes administration, has called one of our greatest feats. Its based on the same fears and same division we saw from Donald Trump, McAuliffe said during a conference call with news media that was hastily arranged to respond to the ad. This is a page right out of Donald Trumps playbook. . . . Hes gone into the gutter one more time. This is one of the most divisive campaigns I have ever seen. If you look at the ad and the individual he uses in the ad, obviously he is trying to sensationalize the issue, McAuliffe said. Ed is trying to divide people and scare people, as he has done this whole campaign. The Northam campaign attacked Gillespie for running one of the most virulently negative and ugly campaigns in recent memory. Since he has no positive ideas, hes resorted to lying about Dr. Northam, Northam spokesman David Turner said. It is a new low for him to accuse a pediatrician and childrens hospice medical director of favoring felons who have hurt children. Ralph believes all Virginians who have served their time and are law-abiding should have their rights restored, and thats never changed. Ed knows that and should be ashamed. Coming two weeks before Election Day, the ad doubles down on the law-and-order theme that Gillespies campaign thinks will play well with suburban swing voters as well as conservatives who voted for Trump last year. For weeks, Gillespie has aired ads that seek to blame Northam for the rise of the MS-13 street gang. Critics, including former president Barack Obama at a Northam rally in Richmond last week, have called the ad an attempt at fearmongering. What hes really trying to deliver is fear, Obama said. [Obama assails Gillespies MS-13 ads, calling them as cynical as it gets] Most public polls indicate that the race will be tight. Political observers are watching the contest the only competitive governors race in the nation this year as a referendum on Trump and a hint of what could come in next yearss congressional midterms. [McAuliffe restores voting rights] Virginia is one of a handful of states that permanently disenfranchises felons. The Virginia Constitution, however, gives the governor authority to restore the right to vote, serve on a jury and run for public office. McAuliffes predecessor, Robert F. McDonnell (R), simplified and accelerated that process, but McAuliffe took it to a new level. With great fanfare on the steps of the state Capitol in April 2016, McAuliffe announced that he had restored rights to 206,000. He heralded his action as a way for Virginia to move past the Jim Crow era, noting that African Americans have been disproportionately affected by felon disenfranchisement. [Va. high court invalidates McAuliffes order restoring felon voting rights] A year later, McAuliffe said he had restored more voting rights than any other U.S. governor, calling it his proudest achievement in office. But it has been a bumpy road to the record books. McAuliffe had intended his original executive order to cover only felons who had served their time and completed parole, but he mistakenly restored rights to 132 sex offenders still in custody as well as to several convicted killers on probation in other states. Republican legislators, furious because the order included violent felons and those who had not paid court costs or made restitution to their victims, filed a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court. The GOP won, with the court ruling that the governor had exceeded his clemency powers because he restored rights en masse instead of individually. Since then, the governor has used a fast but individualized approach to restore rights to 156,000 felons a process that passed muster with the high court. Two progressive groups that have been spending big to elect Democrat Ralph Northam as Virginias next governor announced Monday they would ramp up their spending with just two weeks until Election Day. The Virginia League of Conservation Voters political arm is pouring an aditional $1.1 million to support Democratic candidates, bringing its total spending this year to more than $3 million. Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, the political arm of one of the nations largest gun control groups, is donating an additional $400,000 to Northam, $300,000 to Democratic Attorney General Mark Herrings re-election bid and $100,000 to Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Justin Fairfax. That comes on top of an earlier $1 million dollar commitment from the organization bankrolled by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Gun control was thrust into the spotlight of the Virginia governors race after a gunman killed at least 58 during a country music festival in Las Vegas earlier this month. Democratic candidate for governor, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, left, gestures during a debate with Republican challenger Ed Gillespie at the University of Virginia-Wise in Wise, Va., Monday, Oct. 9, 2017. (Steve Helber/AP) Northam, the state's lieutenant governor, reiterated his call to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. He also wants universal background checks and to restore Virginia's one-gun-a-month purchase limits, which Republicans had overturned. Northam's Republican opponent, Ed Gillespie, signaled he was open to regulating 'bump stocks' the device used to accelerate gunfire in the Las Vegas shooting. after the idea got backing from the National Rifle Association. But otherwise, Gillespie opposes new restrictions on gun ownership. [Interested in Virginias governors race? Join our Facebook group] Everytown also announced it would redirect $90,000 originally meant for mailers to radio ads targeting black voters. The ad features Lucy McBath, an African American staffer for Everytown whose son was fatally shot in a Florida gas station parking lot after an argument involving loud music. It's the latest sign of the importance to Democrats of African Americans, who make up roughly a fifth of the Virginia electorate. Northam's campaign brought former President Barack Obama to rally a heavily black crowd of 7,500 in Richmond on Thursday. African-American turnout will be crucial on Nov. 7 -- and we want to make sure black voters know what the stakes are in this race, said Brynne Craig, an Everytown strategist. Ed Gillespie walks in lock step with the NRA and his policies will make black communities less safe in the Commonwealth. View Graphic The latest stories and details on the 2017 Virginia general election and race for governor. Everytown also organizes canvassers and phonebanking for Virginia Democrats through its affiliated group, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Among other things, the group prioritizes expanding background checks to purchase firearms and oppose constitutional carry, or the right to carry concealed guns without a permit. Herring faces Republican John Adams, who takes a broad view of gun rights. On the other side of the gun debate, the National Rifle Association is spending at least $760,000 on campaign commercials supporting Gillespie, according to records compiled by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. The Virginia League of Conservation Voters PAC is giving an additional $392,000 directly to Northams campaign, spending an additional $356,000 on its field operations and canvassing program and doubling its $250,000 digital advertising efforts. The group is also sending $100,000 to Democratic House of Delegate candidates. We simply cant afford to give up the progress weve made expanding clean energy and safeguarding our water and land for future generations, said Michael Town, executive director of the group. The organization supports Northam despite his refusal to oppose two natural gas pipeline projects opposed by environmentalists. Northam says he would support the pipelines if they meet environmental and safety standards, while Gillespie says they are necessary to boost Virginias economy. League officials say Northam is still the better alternative on environmental issues, despite their disagreement on pipelines. Also on Monday, the Voter Participation Center said it would spend $1 million on mailers to turn-out key Democratic constituencies in the governors race: Unmarried women, people of color and young voters. Virginia does not place limits on campaign contributions, allowing outside groups to spend big and directly coordinate with candidates. Virginia Democratic gubernatorial contender Ralph Northam's campaign says its canvassers hit a high mark for knocking on doors on Saturday and Sunday, the same weekend members of the Democratic National Committee gathered in Las Vegas fretted about the possibility of losing the race. Organizers and volunteers for Northam said they knocked on 212,000 doors three weekends out from Election Day. Thats a jump from about 143,000 doors knocked at a similar point in Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign in Virginia, and 87,000 doors knocked during Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffes 2013 campaign. [Interested in Virginias governors race? Join our Facebook group] Not every door knock leads to a conversation with a voter. The Democratic numbers also do not include canvass attempts from outside groups spending on field operations, including the political arms of Planned Parenthood and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. In all, Northams field army has visited almost 2 million different homes during the campaign, said spokesman David Turner. View Graphic The latest stories and details on the 2017 Virginia general election and race for governor. Republican Ed Gillespie left) and Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam prior to gubernatorial debate in Washington, DC on September 19, 2017. (Bonnie Jo Mount/Washington Post) Northams Republican opponent Ed Gillespie counters that canvassers knocked on nearly a quarter million doors over the weekend and more than 2.5 million since its outreach effort began in earnest, according to spokesman David Abrams. He declined to say whether homes visited multiple time were included in that tally, which prevents a direct comparison to Northam. THE DISTRICT Police say dispute grew into deadly shooting A band member who was fatally shot outside a Southeast Washington restaurant after a performance Oct. 8 was seen having an argument with the suspect and others, and had accidentally backed into the suspects car, according to newly filed court documents. The nature of the argument was not known, police said in describing the arrest of a 21-year-old Maryland man in the killing of Omar Earl Rogers. He was shot about 3:50 a.m. behind the Uniontown Bar and Grill in the 2200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE. Police charged Michael Leonard Jones of Bladensburg, Md., with first-degree murder while armed. A D.C. Superior Court judge on Saturday ordered Jones detained until his next hearing on Oct. 31. His attorney with the Districts Public Defender Service did not return calls seeking comment. Rogers, 25, had performed at Uniontown, where he sang under the name Big O. Peter Hermann Woman killed in re in Brookland is identified The person who died in an apartment fire that broke out Saturday night in Northeast Washington has been identified as a 64-year-old woman, according to D.C. police. Police said Joann Johnson was pronounced dead at a hospital after she was rescued from her apartment in the 4000 block of Eighth Street NE, in the Brookland neighborhood. The fire broke out shortly after 8 p.m. D.C. fire officials said the cause is believed to be improperly discarded smoking materials. Peter Hermann MARYLAND D.C. man charged in Pr. Georges break-in A Southeast Washington man who was seen running naked from a womans home in Maryland was charged with attempted murder, attempted rape, robbery and other related charges in connection with the reported break-in. Khary Edwards, 23, broke into a Camp Springs home on Oakland Way, where he tried to sexually assault a woman shortly before noon on Saturday, according to Prince Georges County police. An officer called to the home spotted a man running naked from the house, police said. Officers lost sight of the man, but after canvassing the area, they spotted Edwards, who was then clothed, police said. Edwards ran from officers again but was apprehended and taken into custody, police said. Police said that after Edwards attempted to sexually assault the woman, he stole items from her home and ran when officers arrived. Edwards is being held without bond in a Prince Georges County jail. VIRGINIA 2 teens dead, 1 hurt after shooting in park A 19-year-old man fatally shot a 17-year-old girl and wounded a 15-year-old boy before shooting and killing himself in an Alexandria park Sunday night, police said. Yerson Nunez Lopez of Maryland was pronounced dead at the scene, police said, as was his female victim. The male victim was in stable condition at a hospital. Police said that the three people knew one another but declined to say how. Both victims are Alexandria residents, but they were not identified by police. Nor was any motive given for the attack. The shooting in All Veterans Park, on the banks of Holmes Run, occurred about 8:45 p.m. It was the sixth homicide in the city this year. Two of the previous slayings involved apparent attempted suicides. Rachel Weiner The Environmental Protection Agency has instructed two of its scientists and one contractor not to speak as planned at a scientific conference Monday in Providence, R.I., sparking criticism from some academics and congressional Democrats. EPA officials confirmed Sunday that its researchers would not present at the State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed program but did not offer an explanation for the decision. EPA scientists are attending, they simply are not presenting, it is not an EPA conference, EPA spokesman John Konkus said in an email. The New York Times first reported the cancellations. The conference marks the culmination of a three-year report on the status of Narragansett Bay, New England's largest estuary, and the challenges it faces. Climate change features as a significant factor in the 500-page report, which evaluates 24 aspects of the bay and its larger watershed. The organizers intend to present a 28-page summary report of their findings in a news conference Monday. Narragansett Bay is one of Rhode Islands most important economic assets and the EPA wont let its scientists talk with local leaders to plan for its future. Whatever you think about climate change, this kind of collaboration should be a no-brainer, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said in a statement. Muzzling our leading scientists benefits no one. Whitehouse is scheduled to speak at the event. For roughly six years, the EPA has provided about $600,000 annually for each of more than two dozen national estuaries, including the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, the conferences host. [EPA now requires political aides sign-off for agency grants, awards] The programs director, Tom Borden, said the head of the EPAs National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory Atlantic Ecology Division in Narragansett informed him Friday that the keynote speaker, division research ecologist Autumn Oczkowski, and another colleague in the lab, Rose Martin, would not be able to make presentations at the event. I was not given a clear reason why, Borden said in an interview, adding that his team had worked closely with several of the agencys scientists on protecting and restoring the bay. Its a terrific partnership to have EPA working with us. An EPA contractor who had contributed to two chapters of the report, Emily Shumchenia, was also told not to speak at the event. She and Martin were slated to take part in a panel titled The Present and Future Biological Implications of Climate Change. Borden said the organizers invited Oczkowski and Martin because they were independent scientists who could offer valuable perspectives. At least one senior regional EPA official is expected to attend the conference Monday; it is unclear whether the researchers previously scheduled to speak will go. The estuary report, which was subject to extensive peer review and public comment, charts how Narragansett Bay is becoming cleaner but also faces challenges such as nutrient runoff and climate change. The issue of the EPAs approach to climate-change science has become even more fraught since Donald Trump became president, as Administrator Scott Pruitt has questioned whether human activity ranks as a main driver of the warming the globe has experienced in recent decades. Political appointees have removed pages from the agencys website that address the issue and have canceled some grants supporting climate-change initiatives. Robinson Fulweiler, a Boston University ecosystems ecologist who has studied the effects of climate change on marine life, called the situation an abuse of power by the Trump administration. The silencing of government scientists is a scary step toward silencing anyone who disagrees, she said in an email. The choice by our government leaders to ignore the abundant and overwhelming data regarding climate change does not stop it from being true or prevent the negative consequences that are already occurring and those that are on the horizon. Read more Scott Pruitt suggests he will restrict scientists who get EPA grants from advising the agency Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes [] Columnist The most popular parlor game in Washington right now is speculating who will replace Rex Tillerson as President Trumps next secretary of state, a thankless job in an administration that has downgraded the role of the State Department and diplomacy overall. But two qualified and apparently willing candidates have emerged. When confronted last week with pervasive rumors that he is on the way out, Tillerson pleaded ignorance. "Who in the world is telling you that stuff?" he asked reporters from the Wall Street Journal. He promised to stay in the job "as long as the president thinks I'm useful." Early this month, he held a news conference to deny reports that he had considered quitting. Publicly, Trump has expressed confidence in his top diplomat, despite reports that Tillerson had called the president a "moron." Inside the White House, officials say privately that Tillersons repeated disputes with various parts of the Trump inner circle have made his long-term survival untenable. The leading speculation is that he may depart after he has served one full year, to save face and complete the State Department reorganization he has publicly claimed as his primary mission. As several excruciating profiles have detailed, Tillerson's main legacy will likely be a State Department depleted of talent, with the lowest morale in decades and playing a reduced role in the crafting and implementation of U.S. foreign policy. His successor's primary mission will be to reverse that trend. The top two contenders, Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and CIA Director Mike Pompeo, offer different paths for recovery. Haley has been praised both externally and within the Trump team during her short tenure in New York City. She's credited with "getting it done " on matters such as North Korea sanctions and toughening up the U.S. stance at the United Nations. Unlike Tillerson, she was quick to get a top-notch staff in place, which has allowed her to be effective inside the interagency process. Her appointment would foretell a State Department that hews toward traditionally hawkish GOP positions, including forceful advocacy for freedom and human rights abroad. It could also mean a shift in the current drive to mend relations with Russia. Last week, Haley told the George W. Bush Institute that Russian interference in U.S. elections amounted to "warfare." Haley also defended funding for diplomacy and free trade. Were not going to see [diplomacy and development funding] gutted, thats just the reality of it, because we cant and the president doesnt want to, Haley said. I dont see us tearing up any [trade] deals. If that was the case, we would have done it already. Haley took a middle-of-the-road approach in deliberations on the new Iran strategy, which ended up winning the day. She has met with refugees in the Middle East and is continuing her world tour this week, heading to Ethiopia, South Sudan and Congo. She looks like someone campaigning for a promotion. But the Haley choice is risky for Haley. She already has amassed the foreign policy bona fides required for a future run for president. Her physical distance from the White House has allowed her to avoid internal conflicts and act independently. Its not clear what she gains politically from moving up to secretary of state. Taking the job would be a huge gamble. Should Haley move to Foggy Bottom, her most likely replacement in Turtle Bay would be deputy national security adviser Dina Powell, according to reports. Powell has been shrewd in staying out of the spotlight while demonstrating her value and effectiveness to Trump. Pompeo would be a secretary of state with deeper ties to Trump and views that align more with those of the White House. He is more hawkish on Iran than Haley is. As he demonstrated in remarks last week, he is willing to play down Russian interference in the 2016 election. Pompeo briefs the president personally several times a week, and the White House likes his willingness to push the administration's narrative. While his tendency to be overtly political makes some uncomfortable at the CIA, it would be an asset at the State Department. Some reports suggest that if Pompeo gets the State Department job, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is in line for CIA director. Cotton is the rare senator who has good relations with Trump and the White House team. His move to CIA could be a stepping stone in his ambition for higher office. The State Department professional corps would welcome either Haley or Pompeo with open arms, but neither would have an easy task. Unless they clearly break with Tillersons approach and stand up for diplomats and the work they do, Washington will find itself speculating about yet another secretary of state soon enough. Read more from Josh Rogin's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. Regarding the Oct. 20 news article "McCain demands briefings on Niger": The sacrifice of four brave soldiers in Niger this month has raised important questions from Congress about the extent of U.S. military presence and engagement across Africa. To date, we have seen only bits and pieces of this administration's thinking on Africa. Nine months into his term in office, the president has yet to nominate an assistant secretary for African affairs at the State Department. In July, President Trump had his daughter Ivanka Trump fill in for him in the middle of a Group of 20 session on African health and migration. Late last month, Chad, an essential counterterrorism partner in the fight against Boko Haram in the region, was added to the travel ban list. The lack of clarity in the aftermath of the Niger incident highlights not only the need for a full, transparent congressional investigation into what happened but also the dire need for the administration to comprehensively assess what our strategic priorities are in Africa. There must be a congressional investigation into what happened in October, and the administration must be urged to develop a multidimensional strategy on the continent to minimize the possibility that a tragedy such as this happens again. Karen Bass, Washington The writer, a Democrat who represents Californias 37th Congressional District, is the ranking Democrat on the House subcommittee on Africa , global health, global human rights and international organizations. Regarding the Oct. 19 editorial "A disservice to four honorable men": Four brave Americans were killed in the line of duty in a remote part of a foreign country under circumstances that are still murky at best, and questions are being asked now about what happened, why, what happened afterward, what the president knew, why we haven't heard from the administration about it, etc. It appears that the president withheld a statement his staff produced the day after the news broke expressing concerns and offering condolences to families. Why did it take nearly two weeks for the president to make a statement? Is there something going on here? Too bad former House Oversight Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) resigned. What we need now is a bulldog-tough investigator to get to the bottom of this, because its beginning to smell. And if anyone knows what that smell is, and what to do about it, its Mr. Chaffetz. Of course, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) is the new chairman, and hes as bulldog-tough as Chaffetz. Id bet that hes eager to look into this thing. I look forward to the Republicans conducting an investigation, or three or four or eight if necessary, to squeeze the truth out of the murk. This is, after all, what Republicans do best, at least if their actions under the previous administration are an indication. Bill Conrad, Alexandria President Trump has brought attention to himself rather than honoring the four soldiers who died in Niger. It is always about him. He thinks he is the best president because he called the families while he claims the other presidents did not. Then the media takes the story and runs, broadcasting it over and over. I am stunned that we have to endure this. I am sad that a four-star general is being forced to protect the narcissism of this man ["Trump undermines Kelly's privacy efforts," news, Oct. 18]. How I wish we could be spared the president's diatribes and insecurity resulting in him always being right and the best. Vicky Robertson, Herndon On Oct. 26, the Fairfax County School Board will decide on a new name for J.E.B. Stuart High School, named in honor of a Confederate icon who took up arms against the United States in defense of slavery. The school board will have an opportunity to disavow massive resistance and other relics of Virginias segregationist past and to make a bold and decisive statement on behalf of equal opportunity for women and girls. Only one of Virginias 693 public high schools Maggie Walker High School, a regional magnet school in Richmond is named after a woman. Not one of Fairfax Countys 28 high schools is named after a woman. The way to rectify this disparity is obvious. The school board should rename J.E.B. Stuart High School in honor of Barbara Rose Johns. In 1951, Johns, a 16-year-old student, led a series of student actions that culminated in the Supreme Courts decision to outlaw segregated schools. Johns has been called Virginias Rosa Parks. By risking her life for justice and equality, Johns paved the way for the admission of black students to J.E.B. Stuart High School in 1961. Virginia has never sent a woman to the U.S. Senate or had a female governor or lieutenant governor. Today, women make up only 19 percent of the Virginia General Assembly, compared with 31 percent in Maryland. By celebrating the heroic leadership of Johns, the Fairfax County School Board can create a learning environment that would encourage and empower young women of all races. Ken Longmyer, Falls Church President Trump speaks with members of the media during a meeting with Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore's prime minister, not pictured, in the Oval Office on Oct. 23. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool via Bloomberg News) Christopher Ruddy is chief executive of Newsmax Media. While President Trump has been condemning fake news, his very own FCC is pursuing policies that will lead to the greatest concentration of television media power in history. In April, under the leadership of a new chairman chosen by the president, Ajit Pai, the Federal Communications Commission reinstated an antiquated rule that not only paves the way for the $3.9 billion merger of television groups Sinclair and Tribune but will allow other television networks to own stations reaching more than 70 percent of U.S. households. Just weeks after that decision, Pai's FCC proposed another rule change that is set to be put to a vote Tuesday: eliminating the requirement that TV stations maintain local studios in the markets where they are licensed. If this requirement is dropped, local news production could be moved to places such as New York and Washington as the big networks buy up local stations. Pais decisions fly in the face of the FCCs core mission to ensure that broadcasters using the public airwaves adhere to the principles of locality, diversity and competition. A bipartisan consensus has long supported these three principles. This consensus backed a law signed by President George W. Bush in 2004 that stated that no broadcast television network can own stations reaching more than 39 percent of U.S. households. But a merged Sinclair would reach 72 percent. So how did the FCC and Sinclair circumvent Congress? On April 20, without any public hearings, the FCC redefined UHF stations as reaching only 50 percent of homes in a given market, a definition known as the "UHF discount" that was employed back when those fuzzy UHF signals were difficult to watch and considered inferior to other channels. However, after stations transitioned to digital broadcasting in 2010, nearly all commercial television stations moved to UHF channels, the preferred spectrum. Today almost all of these channels fully penetrate their markets. Why Pai decided to use outdated market penetration rates that are not reality-based is not completely clear. But it is apparent that Sinclair immediately benefits, since the FCC effectively has doubled the national ownership cap from 39 percent to more than 75 percent. Many Democrats have decried this FCC decision benefiting Sinclair, a conservative broadcaster with ties to Breitbart News. And while some conservatives are cheering the deal, the implications of FCC actions are troubling for most. The nonsensical decision to reinstitute the UHF discount will also open the door for NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox to buy local TV stations reaching more than 70 percent of U.S. homes. Anyone who understands how these big media companies operate can see the danger. By owning local stations, the New York-based media networks could dictate local news coverage. With the planned elimination of the local studio rule, they will have a green light to do so. Lets remember these ownership caps came into place in 1985 under President Ronald Reagans FCC, with a 25 percent limitation. Reagan grasped that if major networks owned most local stations, Republicans wouldnt get a fair shake. Over time, the cap percentage was increased, but the concept has maintained broad support. Conservatives liked local news diversity. Liberals did not want a handful of conglomerates amassing too much power. Democrats have already raised suspicions about the commissions decision to implement the UHF discount just three weeks before the Sinclair-Tribune merger was announced. Could those companies have known somehow that such a change was going to occur to make their merger legal? Pai has argued the ownership cap is not meaningful in a world of pervasive social-media outlets such as Facebook and YouTube. But he ignores the findings of a recent Pew Research Center study concluding that local TV news broadcasts are still the primary way Americans get their news. To date, there is no Internet company providing serious competition to local television news. I believe a key reason Trump won the election, and the reason the GOP dominates the House and Senate, is the way that broadcast ownership caps have engendered diversity at the local level. The FCCs recent actions can only lead to a massive consolidation of stations and homogenization of news. The cure for fake news isnt consolidation, it is more diverse and competitive news. Ultimately, a free press is predicated on a diverse press. Trump campaigned against this very "concentration of power." Pai should recognize the harm his policies will do. Before approving the Sinclair merger, the FCC has a duty to engage in a comprehensive and open media-ownership proceeding one that seeks public comment and input from Congress. Anything less raises questions about impartiality and jeopardizes the integrity of the commission. Eliminating ownership rules that have served us well for more than 30 years is a momentous change. The American people must play a role in that decision. Democratic members of President Trump's voter fraud commission are voicing mounting frustration about its mission and lack of collaboration, raising questions about the future of a bipartisan panel that has been a magnet for controversy since its inception. In just the past week, two of the commissions four Democrats have written letters to its executive director, demanding basic information such as when the panel might meet again, what kind of research is being conducted by its staff and when it might send a report to the president. Their concerns are being fed by suspicions that the panel's direction was preordained and that the agenda is being driven by its Republican members, several of whom would like to see restrictions on voting imposed that would be detrimental to Democrats. I think the basis of this whole commission was an urban legend, said Alan King, a probate judge in Alabama and one of the Democratic members who recently wrote commission leaders seeking information. If youre going to go down this road, it needs to be done right, and it needs to be done in a professional way. So far, I havent seen that. The commission was launched by Trump following his baseless assertion that he would have won the popular vote if he hadn't been thwarted by as many as 5 million illegally cast votes. Vice President Pence, left, accompanied by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, right, speaks at the first public meeting of the of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity in July. (Andrew Harnik/AP) The 11-member panel, which is nominally chaired by Vice President Pence and formally known as the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, has met publicly twice, in Washington in July and in New Hampshire last month. A third meeting has yet to be announced. For all I know, we may never meet again, said Matthew Dunlap, Maines secretary of state and a Democratic commissioner. Asked about plans for future meetings, the commissions executive director, Andrew Kossack, issued a statement leaving open the possibility that there would be none. The Commission continues to review information obtained during the last meeting and will keep all Commission members updated should further meetings be scheduled, Kossack said. The panel was rattled in recent weeks by two unforeseen events: the arrest of a staff member on charges of possessing child pornography and the death of one of the commissioners, Democrat David Dunn, a former Arkansas state legislator. Dunlap said the only formal communication hes had with commission staff since the Sept. 12 meeting in New Hampshire was an email about Dunns death. In a letter last week to the executive director of the commission, Dunlap demanded copies of all correspondence between its members since its inception, citing a provision of federal law that he said entitles him to that information. Dunlap said that his concerns have been growing for some time but that he was prompted to write his letter after learning of the arrest of Ronald Williams II, a policy adviser for the commission. Dunlap said he first heard about the arrest when he was walking into church two Sundays ago and received a text message from a reporter asking about it. There still has been no formal communication about the arrest from the commission, he said. Despite the concerns raised by Democratic members, J. Christian Adams, a Republican on the commission, said he remains confident that the group will fulfill its mission. I think its a good idea to actually try to work together and get something done, said Adams, who leads an organization whose work has included a report titled Alien Invasion II, which details the presence of noncitizens on the voter rolls in Virginia. The executive order establishing the commission calls for it to produce a report to Trump detailing laws and policies that both enhance and undermine the American peoples confidence in the integrity of the voting. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), the vice chairman of the commission, who has vigorously sought prosecution of illegal voting in his state, did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, a Democratic member of the commission, criticized Kobach at the panel's last meeting for having written a piece for Breitbart News in which he speculated, without evidence, that the result of New Hampshire's Senate election last year "likely" changed because of voter fraud. But in an interview last week, Gardner said he remains hopeful that the commission can do some good after what he acknowledged has been a very rocky start. Sometimes if youre tested severely at the beginning, you end up much stronger at the end, Gardner said. Among other things, Gardner would like the commission to examine why average voter turnout in presidential elections since 1972 has been lower than in the previous five elections, despite multiple efforts across the country since then to make voting easier. I think we will meet again, Gardner said. I have no reason to think we will not. Even before the panel first convened in July at a meeting where Pence assured the public there were no preconceived notions it was the source of considerable controversy. A request to states for massive amounts of voter data was met with a public outcry, including from some Republican secretaries of state, who said it was overly broad and raised privacy concerns. Among the information requested were home addresses, dates of birth and partial Social Security numbers. Leaders of the commission have defended the request, saying that lost in the controversy was the fact that letters sent to states requested only publicly available data, an acknowledgment that disclosure laws vary from state to state. The commission has also drawn multiple lawsuits and other complaints seeking to curb its authority and force it to conduct more of its work in public. Among the latest was a complaint filed last week with the Office of Special Counsel alleging that members of the commission are violating the Hatch Act, which prohibits most executive-branch employees from engaging in political activity while on duty. The complaint, filed by the American Democracy Legal Fund, contends that Kobach and others on the commission are "trying to leverage governmental authority to lend credibility to implausible claims of widespread voter fraud." Trump's commission also continues to draw the ire of Democratic members of Congress. A letter signed last week by 18 Democratic senators complained that their previous letters to the commission had gone unanswered and said they continue to be concerned about the commission's collection of data from the states. A separate letter from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) sought information about the commission's vetting process for staff in the wake of the news of the arrest of Williams. Among the questions she posed: "Did the staffer charged with possession and distribution of child pornography have access to voter data, including data collected for minors who pre-register to vote?" Klobuchar requested answers by Wednesday. A commission official told The Washington Post that Williams, a Maryland resident, was on loan from the Office of Special Counsel and had held several previous positions in the Justice Department, spanning multiple administrations, where background checks and security clearances were required. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. Neither of the Democratic members of the commission who wrote critical letters last week said they have plans to step down. Ive served on civic club subcommittees where there was a lot more contact than what I have on what I assumed was a pretty high-level presidential commission, King said. But, he added: If I step down, Im kind of giving in to the agenda. At my core, I dont run away from issues. At core, thats not who I am. Read More: Trump's voter fraud commission proves a magnet for controversy Trump voter commission leader comes under fire as panel meets in New Hampshire Trump's voter commission hasn't even met and it's already off to a rough start An assailant stabbed a senior editor at Russia's Echo of Moscow radio Monday in a brazen break-in and attack at one of Russia's most prominent and politically outspoken talk stations. The assault was the latest in a series of attacks, some with political motives, on prominent journalists in Russia. Tatiana Felgengauer, the deputy editor in chief, was hospitalized with wounds to her neck and arms. As of Monday evening, Felgengauer was in an induced coma following an operation to repair a deep wound to her neck, Alexei Venediktov, the radio stations editor in chief, said in an interview. This is not acceptable. Its spreading like a plague, Venediktov said, referring to attacks on journalists. Journalists are absolutely without protection in our country. The attack shocked Russias political establishment. The Moscow mayor personally intervened to get Felgengauer quickly to an elite hospital, Venediktov said, possibly saving her life. Alexei Gromov, deputy chief of staff to Russian President Vladimir Putin, also called to pledge his support. The attacker was identified as Boris Grits, a graduate of a Moscow university who Russian police said held a foreign passport and had lived in Israel. In leaked footage of a police interrogation broadcast by a Moscow television station, Grits said that Felgengauer had used telepathy to sexually harass him. The two did not know each other personally. Investigators and journalists in the Echo of Moscow radio station office after reporter Tatyana Felgengauer was stabbed in the neck by an intruder on Oct. 23. (Chiriko/Epa-Efe/Rex/Shutterstock) Journalists, political bloggers and activists have raised alarms about security fears for years. Several weeks ago, Felgengauer and another Echo of Moscow journalist were targeted in an expose on Russian state television for meeting with a leading Russian opposition figure, while the station was accused of taking Western money. Its the same way this channel began to persecute Boris Nemtsov, the former Russian opposition leader gunned down in 2015, Venediktov said. They raised the level of hate. According to security footage, Grits sprayed a gas in the eyes of security guards in the lobby before taking the elevator up to the radio stations 14th-floor offices. Once there, he found Felgengauer and attacked her with a sharp object before security guards intervened and handcuffed the man. A photograph of the assailant released on social media showed a middle-aged man in dark clothing sitting handcuffed in an office chair. Nearby, blood is spattered across the offices lacquered wooden floor. Echo of Moscow journalists have complained about violent threats against them in the past. Venediktov regularly travels with a bodyguard. Yulia Latynina, a veteran political analyst for the radio station who reports on the Kremlin and Russian security services, fled Russia last month after unknown assailants set fire to her car. You remember that I have had to evacuate some of my employees, Venediktov said, referring to Latynina and several others who have been threatened or had to leave the country because of their reporting. The Committee to Protect Journalists lists more than 50 Russian journalists killed since 1993. Read more: Reports about torture of gays in Chechnya produce no investigation, just threats against journalists Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl leaves the courthouse after the first day of sentencing proceedings in his court-martial at Fort Bragg, N.C. (Jonathan Drake/Reuters) The military judge who will decide whether Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl goes to prison for leaving his post in Afghanistan indicated Monday that President Trump's recent remarks on the case could raise doubts about the Army sergeant's legal proceedings and whether they were fair. Bergdahl, 31, faces life in prison. He said few words during the first day of his presentencing hearing, having pleaded guilty to charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy in connection with his 2009 disappearance and five-year captivity by a Taliban affiliate. But the court heard several sound bites from Trump as the judge, Army Col. Jeffrey R. Nance, sought to determine whether the presidents new comments affirmed his past statements about Bergdahl being a dirty, rotten traitor. Speaking to reporters last week, Trump declined to say whether his previous attacks on Bergdahl may have unfairly influenced the soldiers decision to plead guilty. Yet his word choice But I think people have heard my comments in the past, the president said was the subject of debate between Nance and attorneys for the defense and prosecution. In 2015, Trump also promised to review decisions made in the case if he were to become commander in chief. A military judge to decide if Bowe Bergdahl should be jailed for life Lead defense attorney Eugene Fidell filed a motion saying Trumps latest comments build on his harsh campaign rhetoric and amount to unlawful command influence, thus compromising Bergdahls chances to receive a fair sentencing. The motion seeks to dismiss the case on those grounds. Trumps comments reconfirmed his past statements and produced a chilling effect on the military justice system, Fidell said to such a degree that Nance should not impose jail time for Bergdahl. Words have meaning. And but means what? Nance asked prosecutor Maj. Justin Oshana, who disputed Fidells assertion that Trump continues to hold such views about Bergdahl. Nance challenged Oshana for much of the presentencing hearing, which lasted an hour and concluded with a recess until Wednesday. Nance had ruled in February that Trumps campaign remarks, while disturbing, did not amount to unlawful command influence. But he appears to be reconsidering. The reasons [to dismiss earlier accusations] tend to be eroded when the now-president of the United States apparently adopts those past statements, Nance told the prosecutor. Nance added his interpretation of Trumps meaning to be: I shouldnt comment on that, but I think everyone knows what I think on Bowe Bergdahl. Pressed further on Trumps verbiage, Oshana offered that the presidents words were not the best constructed, a statement that elicited stifled chuckles in the courtroom. Nance said he purposely avoided media reports about Bergdahl's case, adding, "I don't have any doubt whatsoever I can be fair and impartial in this sentencing." He intends to retire soon, he noted, and is not slated for a promotion, suggesting commanders had little leverage to pressure him to enforce a harsher penalty. Oshana pointed to a White House statement issued Friday that he characterized as evidence Trump has not sought to influence what punishment Bergdahl receives. "The President expects all military personnel who are involved in any way in the military justice process to exercise their independent professional judgment, consistent with applicable laws and regulations," the statement says. It does not mention Bergdahl by name, however. Bergdahl entered a guilty plea last week to charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, the second of which carries the possibility of a life sentence. He declined an opportunity Monday to withdraw those pleas. He vanished from his remote base in Afghanistan in 2009 and was captured by the Taliban, at whose hands he endured five years of brutal captivity before he was handed over in a controversial prisoner swap in 2014, in which five Taliban militants also were freed. Nance is expected to rule this week on Bergdahls motion to dismiss the case. There will be no court activity Tuesday or Friday, raising the possibility that his decision on Bergdahls fate will come next week. Prosecutors are expected this week to use testimony from troops who have said they were injured on recovery missions after Bergdahl walked off his outpost in rugged Paktika province. Attempts to find him involved thousands of troops and diverted resources such as surveillance drones and helicopters as ground troops scoured the area for weeks. Nance has ruled previously that a Navy SEAL and an Army National Guard sergeant were wounded in firefights that probably would not have happened if Bergdahl had not disappeared. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made back-to-back, unannounced visits to Afghanistan and Iraq on Monday, flying into both countries under great secrecy out of concern that he might be a target for militants. As his day looked likely to stretch from before dawn to past midnight, covering almost 4,000 miles, Tillerson and his aides donned flak vests and helmets in Baghdad before boarding helicopters that took them to the U.S. Embassy and elsewhere in the Green Zone to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and President Fouad Massoum. Tillersons visit to Afghanistan was conducted in even greater secrecy and was announced only after he had left the country. Though he never left Bagram air base, north of Kabul, his short visit showcased U.S. support for the Afghan government after a week of Taliban attacks that killed more than 200 people. After arriving from Doha, Qatar, on his swing through the Middle East and South Asia, Tillerson met with President Ashraf Ghani to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to helping Afghanistan win its war with the Taliban and achieve peace, according to U.S. and Afghan officials. I thought it was very important to stop here in Afghanistan, coming to the South Asia region as part of the recently announced policy and strategy that President Trump put forth, Tillerson said after meeting with Ghani for about an hour. He was referring to a U.S. buildup in Afghanistan that will add about 4,000 troops, for a total of 13,500 in the country. [Trump announces new strategy for Afghanistan that calls for troop increase] The visit underscores the strong tone that Tillerson is expected to adopt with Pakistan during his visit with interim prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and other officials on Tuesday. Earlier this year, Trump threatened Pakistan with sanctions for offering safe havens to terrorists near the border with Afghanistan an allegation that Pakistani officials deny. On Monday, Pakistani media quoted senior officials in Islamabad as pledging to work as closely as possible to defeat terrorist groups on the border but insisting that the U.S. military stay away from Pakistan. At Bagram air base, Tillerson reiterated the importance of Pakistans role in reaching peace with the Taliban. It is imperative in the end that we are denying safe haven to any terrorist organizations or any extremists to any part of this world, he said. This is very much a regional effort. . . . It was rolled out in the strategy itself, demanding that others deny safe haven to terrorists anywhere in the region. We are working closely with Pakistan, as well. Tillerson said he will discuss with Pakistani leaders specific requests by the Trump administration for actions that cripple the support networks of the Taliban and other extremist groups. Tillerson also said future U.S. aid to Pakistan will be conditions-based. "It will be based upon whether they take action that we feel is necessary to move the process forward for both creating opportunity for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan but also ensuring a stable future Pakistan," he said. Pakistani officials, who last week won some U.S. favor by rescuing an American woman, her Canadian husband and their children held hostage by a Taliban affiliate for five years, did not respond to messages seeking comment Monday. Tillersons trip to Afghanistan was cloaked in extraordinary secrecy, even by the standards of previous visits by U.S. secretaries of state. His public schedule listed a morning meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Qatar that was later canceled. He flew from Doha to Bagram accompanied by a small contingent of pool reporters who are traveling with him. A total news blackout was imposed until after they left the country and returned to Qatar. He arrived about 11:30 a.m. at Bagram air base, where he was met by Gen. John Nicholson, commander of the U.S.-led NATO effort in Afghanistan, and U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens. Tillerson then met with Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah, the nations chief executive, and other top Afghan officials at the airfield, where they discussed the importance of weeding out corruption and ensuring that the 2018 parliamentary elections go forward as scheduled to strengthen the countrys stability. In a statement, Ghani vowed to follow through. "The Afghan people are supportive of the strategy and hope that it will ensure peace and security," he said. [Trump faces the grim reality of Afghanistan: No quick path to victory, no clear way out] After the meeting, Tillerson called on moderate members of the Taliban to join the effort for peace, saying they could be part of the government if they renounce terrorism. There are, we believe, moderate voices among the Taliban, voices that do not want to continue to fight forever, he said. They dont want their children to fight forever. So we are looking to engage with those voices and have them engage in a reconciliation process leading to a peace process and their full involvement and participation in the government. Taliban fighters sought to demonstrate strength last week in the face of the mounting U.S. buildup, carrying out suicide attacks that killed dozens of Afghan police officers and troops, along with dozens of civilians. Earlier Monday, the Taliban was dealt a blow when Afghan intelligence agents arrested one of its top leaders, Soor Gul, who is suspected of having orchestrated the suicide bombings. Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, was defiant at Tillersons suggestion that some fighters may be willing to lay down their arms. If America genuinely wants a peaceful settlement of the crisis, then it needs to pull out its troops and end the occupation, he said. Tillerson said the United States is concerned and a bit saddened by the dispute between the Kurdish regional government and the Iraqi central government, and encouraged the two sides to talk out their differences. I think if both parties commit themselves to a unified Iraq, to the Iraqi constitution, I think all differences can be addressed and the rights of all can be respected and Iraq will have a very secure and a prosperous future, he said. Morello reported from Qatar. Tamer El-Ghobashy in Baghdad, Pamela Constable in Islamabad and Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul contributed to this report. Read more: U.S., NATO still trying to map out Afghanistan strategy Taliban attacks in Afghanistan kill more than 70 amid peace talk push Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Ben Murphy aged one bounces back from year of surgeries and heartbreak as his mother is named Wexford Carer of the Year Donald D. Lawrence Audio Article Friends and family of Compatriot Donald D. Lawrence are deeply saddened to announce his passing on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022,... Guadalupe Lupe Campos Audio Article Guadalupe Lupe Campos of La Vernia, Texas, passed away in his home on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022. Lupe was born... Manuel A. Acevedo Audio Article Manuel A. Acevedo passed away in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, at the age of 76 years... Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 23/10/2017 (1849 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Winnipegs latest homicide victim was known to police. Police identified Fridays shooting victim as John Tuil Jok, 29 of Winnipeg. Officers are investigating whether drugs or a gang affiliation were factors. Police do not consider the incident random. Jok had recently moved into the residence in the 700 block of Sherbrook where the shooting occurred. Police tape off around 706 Sherbrook near Notre Dame, where a homicide took place Friday night. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files) This individual was known to police, had somewhat of a history of that, said police spokesman Const. Jay Murray. Emergency personnel responded to the site at 10:45 p.m. Friday. Jok was transported to hospital in critical condition and died a short time later. This investigation is continuing by members of the Homicide Unit. Anyone with information that may assist investigators is asked to call 204-986-6508 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477). The homicide was the citys 22nd of the year. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/10/2017 (1850 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. When a crowd gasps in response to a dog jumping a hurdle, you know youre in the presence of dog lovers. When a child stoops to pat a rescue dog and the dog gently nuzzles her, you know youre in the presence of dog lovers. When a vendor hands you a plastic poop bag holder in the shape of a bone, you know youre in the presence of dog lovers. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dustin Dolinski throws disks to Doolie during the XTreme Dogs at The Winnipeg Pet Show Sunday. The third annual Winnipeg Pet Show wrapped up this weekend with an estimated 6,000 pet lovers handing over $14 per ticket to pass through the doors at the RBC Convention Centre. And that doesnt count the dogs or any of the vendors who bring pets, show manager Sherri Rheubottom chuckled Sunday. The event ran Saturday and Sunday. Rheubottom runs Show Time Productions, perhaps best known for its 25-plus years of running the Wonderful Wedding Show, as well as other non-pet events. This year saw a mix of all things animal, with pet vendors, animal rescue and foster associations as well as pure bred dog clubs. The petting zoo featured one pony and two alpacas. There were cat rescue exhibits, exotic birds and reptiles. Weve been slowly expanding every year and we have just over 100 vendors, Rheubottom said. The centre of the event was the pure bred showcase hosted by event charter sponsor, The Canadian Kennel Club. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Zumi, a 7-year-old Weimaraner, leaps over the high jump during the XTreme Dogs at The Winnipeg Pet Show Sunday. Its an all-breed dog show, judging against the standard for all breeds, to evaluate the breeding stock, said Michelle Delaliaux, a Dugald dog owner of a couple of champions from this weekend. Past president of River City Labrador Enthusiasts, Delaliauxs Lab Shakira won second-best in breed, a runner-up award officially named Best of Opposite Sex. Another dog of hers, Freya, a Siberian Husky took Select Female, which Delaliaux described as an award of merit. Shes also national president of the Siberian Husky Club of Canada. The crowd-pleaser was the X-treme Dogs show, a contest of Frisbee catching and hurdle jumping. Dozens watched as owners put their dogs through their paces, bu it was the tiny dogs that got the biggest applause. Because theyre jumping so high, said one spectator. Its like if you jumped three times your height. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 23/10/2017 (1849 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Picture the best urban neighbourhood you have ever visited, the most dynamic city centre youve been to. Are you surrounded by people on bustling sidewalks, open to busy shops and restaurants? Where is it maybe Vancouver, Montreal, New York or Paris? Why do we go on vacation to fall in love with cities with this vibrancy and urban quality, then come home and not demand the same for our own city? Why do we believe a great urban experience can only happen somewhere else? Winnipegs endless Portage and Main debate is a glaring example of this attitude. The value of bringing people back to our central intersection is seemingly only measured by its effect on vehicular traffic. The speed at which we can evacuate downtown in a car is often seen as the only legitimate priority in the debate. Qualitative, and even economic, arguments are brushed aside as meaningless. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILE A focus on pedestrians rather than traffic speed could help make Portage and Main a place to love. Traffic congestion is an important part of the discussion that will need to be resolved. Other intersections, such as Broadway and Main or Portage and Memorial, have a similar range of traffic volumes, and operate without extreme congestion or pedestrian danger. It is important that we not let traffic become the only issue we focus on when making important city-building decisions like this. Elevating the role of pedestrians downtown can be a step towards making Winnipeg one of those vibrant and prosperous cities we fall in love with. The damaging effects of removing people from the sidewalks at Portage and Main are not an academic urban planning theory. The evidence is real and easy to see. If Portage and Main was a city, its daytime population would make it the third largest in Manitoba. Despite this density, within a two-block radius, there are numerous empty storefronts, underperforming or vacant buildings and vast surface parking lots. Pushing people underground and behind concrete crash walls that segregate different downtown districts has meant very few amenities are able to survive. Storefrontsreappear away from the intersection, as more people populate the sidewalks. Having the character of a freeway interchange, the cachet of the citys once-iconic intersection has diminished. Portage and Main is no longer the place to be; its a place to drive through. The area should be the most valuable real estate in the city, but development pressure is so low that its instead home to a 38-year-old gravel parking lot. The relocation of some Portage and Main tenants to True North Square is evidence that being connected to a place designed for people and sidewalk life can drive business decisions and growth. Every property owner at Portage and Main, and almost all in the adjacent area, support reopening the intersection, believing it will be good for business, property values and development pressure on their land. Making the intersection a permanent pedestrian connector is even seen as a way to strengthen the market for the underground mall, struggling to survive as a lunchtime-only service for the towers above. Downtown Winnipeg is not what it was in 1979, when city council traded pedestrians for an office tower. More people live downtown than ever. A new tallest building is about to rise, making the area home to about 600 people. Residential conversions are happening on south Main Street and along Portage Avenue. Thousands of people will one day live at The Forks. The Exchange District is continuing to grow every year. We have successfully invested millions of public dollars through tax increment financing, improved streetscaping and small businesses incentives, to support growth of the downtown population. The best way to leverage these investments and elevate the downtown real estate market out of needing further subsidies is to focus on building a neighbourhood that makes urban living and working attractive enough that people will pay a higher market rate for it. To achieve this, we must begin to make changes that give equal priority to cars and pedestrians, creating active and walkable streets that improve pedestrian connectivity and allow the different downtown areas to grow together, leveraging each others success by providing a larger market for services and amenities. With a construction cost of only $6.1 million less than four per cent of the annual road-renewal budget, and similar to the reconstruction of three blocks of Empress Street removing Portage and Mains pedestrian barricades will begin to invite people back to the city centre, improving the perception of safety and growing the local economy. No young person has ever said they are moving to Vancouver searching for a shorter commute. No business has ever said they are relocating to Winnipeg because they can drive through downtown quickly. No tourist has ever said they would come back because of the speed of traffic. Re-establishing Portage and Main as a place for people wont solve all of downtowns issues, but it will make an important statement about who we are as a city and who we aspire to be. We compete with other cities for new business, jobs, investment, immigration and tourism. Many of these places are redefining themselves by making progressive investments to improve their urban quality and pedestrian experience. Businesses, young people, immigrants and tourists are all looking for a city that is active, safe, and prosperous. They are looking for a place they can fall in love with. Nobody has ever fallen in love with a concrete crash wall. Brent Bellamy is chairman of CentreVentures board and the creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 23/10/2017 (1849 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Looking for a scary costume this Halloween? Maybe consider dressing as political correctness. Or, if thats not your bete noir, a ban on fun costume might suit you or your child better. Many schools in Manitoba have Halloween activities on or around Oct. 31, in which students are allowed or encouraged to wear costumes. Its part of seasonal festivities that also include children going door to door in the evening for candy. Tim Smith / Brandon Sun Files Are costumes in classrooms a thing of the past? In recent years, discussion over Halloween in schools has centred on costumes that are inappropriate for children perhaps because they are too violent or gory, they sexualize the wearer or they are culturally insensitive. People who arent bothered by gore, or think sexy costumes are fine for all ages, or arent affected by having their culture or identity trivialized, may dismiss such objections as mere political correctness. In Canada, schools have taken different approaches. In Winnipeg, the new ecole Sage Creek School has simply said it will not host Halloween-themed events, but instead will have a Scarf and Tie Day. Enterprising fans of Doctor Who and Harry Potter might find a loophole to exploit. Conseil scolaire Viamonde, a French-language school board in Ontario, has been more proactive, issuing a set of guidelines for parents to consider before sending a child to school in what could potentially be a problematic get-up. The focus is mainly on whether a given costume represents a stereotype, and the guidelines also discourage terrorist-themed costumes, costumes that mock transgender people and outfits that included turban or feather headdresses. Similarly, the Vancouver School Boards Aboriginal education department issued a memo to school principals on culturally offensive costumes, instructing staff to discuss the issue of cultural appropriation with students. Of course, Halloween is celebrated by dressing up in clothing we wouldnt normally wear, specifically to take on a persona or role we dont normally play. Whether a character from a work of fiction, a profession or someone from history, its understood that a costume is not meant to be an accurate portrayal. In fact, arguably, the more ridiculous or outre, the more like a costume it becomes. People dont usually wear traditional dress from their own backgrounds for Halloween, because that attire is not a costume. Pondering whether to treat someone elses culture or racial or sexual identity, as a gimmick you can throw on shouldnt be difficult to resolve as you stand in front of the mirror: you shouldnt, full stop. It doesnt matter whether you think you are honouring said culture or identity, by the way; that certainly wasnt how it was received when Franck Gervais claimed to be a decorated veteran and showed up in a Canadian Forces uniform for Remembrance Day ceremonies in 2014. And as Metis writer Chelsea Vowel eloquently argued in the context of non-Indigenous people wearing headdresses, that regalia carries as much weight for the cultures they are from as military medals do for soldiers. So, should schools be left with the task of determining what is appropriate or appropriative? Maybe not. Those discussions should rightly happen in the home, between parents and children. But since schools are a natural place to befriend and learn from people of different backgrounds, they also make a fine environment for discussions well before kids show up in costumes, ready to have fun to learn how to respect others, as well. The recovery of a body last Tuesday in the Chubut river in the southern Argentine province of the same name has sparked mass protests across the country and demonstrations internationally. Eleven weeks after a crackdown by the Gendarmerie against the indigenous Mapuche community led to the disappearance of a young demonstrator, search operations in the area located remains carrying his ID. As the forensic tests began Friday morning, the country waits anxiously to know whether this is the 28-year-old Santiago Maldonado. The case has created a sense of deep distrust towards the conservative government of President Mauricio Macri and all the official institutions of the capitalist state involved. Not only was the corpse found 1,000 feet upstream from where he was last seen, but three previous searches in the same area had not found the body, which could suggest it was dumped at a later date. Amid growing social opposition and anticipation that social cuts, price hikes or tarifazos, and attacks against jobs and wages will escalate after Sundays mid-term elections, this case has raised the prospect of a return to the methods of brutal state repression when tens of thousands of workers and youth were disappeared during the US-backed military juntas of the 1970s and 1980s across Latin America. At the same time, the official opposition against Macri, led by the Peronist parties and the pseudo-left Left and Workers Front (FIT) have responded by turning the image of Maldonado into an electoral ad and a cover for a shift to the right of the entire political establishment, a maneuver made more explicit by the electoral context. In Cushamen, located in the northeast region of Chubut, the Mapuche Autonomous Movement of Puel Mapu had set up a Pu Lof (community) of resistance in May 2015, claiming ancestral lands in a section of the 900,000 hectares owned in Argentina by the billionaires of the Italian Benetton family. The Mapuches have established a small settlement, which has been raided violently several times and burned down by the national Gendarmerie and the Chubut Police. This year, the efforts to intimidate and expel the Mapuches were escalated, using live ammunition against the tents and making arrests. On July 31, Santiago Maldonado arrived at the Lof to support a demonstration for the release of the Mapuche leader Joanes Huala. That same day, the chief of staff of the Ministry of Security, Pablo Noceti, held a meeting with local authorities to coordinate an operation to clear the Lof. Early on August 1, the planned confrontation began with 137 gendarmes cracking down on a road block set up by the Mapuches, where Maldonado was present. The military police then entered into the Pu Lof without a warrant and illegally shot live rounds, according to witnesses, and charged violently against those present, including children. According to a lawyer defending the Mapuches, Elizabeth Gomez Alcorta, that early morning Maldonado fled with several others as soon as shots were heard and hid near the Chubut river. Witnesses say that a group of officials caught up with them and, while some of the demonstrators were able to flee across the river, one person was arrested and placed in a van while several officials blocked its doors. Others detained were taken and imprisoned temporarily outside of the community, but Maldonado was unaccounted for. The testimonies of the gendarmes and their superiors have contradicted each other, in terms of what happened at the river and whether a body was seen floating or notdownstream. According to Infobae, the family of Maldonado has denounced gaps in the video recording of the operation. The court order to take evidence from the police precincts and the vehicles used by the state forcesas part of an illegal raid implicating the highest levels of the governmentwas not given until a week after the events, with the prosecutor acknowledging that evidence could have been tampered with by then. However, audios were found in the messaging app Whatsapp of several cellphones taken from the gendarmes present at the August 1 operation that constitute perhaps the most chilling evidence not only of a kidnapping, but also of a deliberate cover-up and of the dictatorial attitude of the officials. Apparently, he said that he had [Santiago] Maldonado in his pickup, the one of Sergeant Sartirana, indicates an audio sent by a gendarme to a superior. Another recording mentions the hiding of the law enforcement vehicles. Finally, another Whatsapp audio includes an incriminating statement demonstrating the fascistic and murderous mentality of the military police raiding the camp. We shot them with live rounds (corchazos), one official says, for them to get some. During the proceeding weeks, government officials and the mainstream media sought to promote uncorroborated stories of sightings of Maldonado in nearby areas or versions that he crossed over to Chile. More recently, especially after Tuesdays recovery of the body, the press has sought to lay responsibility on the Mapuches. The first judge assigned to the case had previously upheld several of the previous crackdowns against the Mapuches and was reportedly being abusive in the interrogations, leading the family of Maldonado to request a change. Nonetheless, the new judge, Gustavo Lleral quickly ordered a new search operation for this week of the territory occupied by the Pu Lof, leading the Mapuche members to complain that they were again being targeted as suspects. The case is being investigated by as a forced disappearance, but the assigned prosecutor stated in a report partially leaked by Clarin that the investigation was still inconclusive. Seeing ever larger demonstrations demanding the finding of Maldonado, church leaders as well as business chambers asked for a solution without political party manipulations. In mid-September, the minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, explicitly made clear that the administrations priority is to reassure the state forces that they will continue enjoying impunity in carrying out such crimes and repression. We have to defend those who defend us, she declared on a TV talk show. That same week, sources close to Macri indicated that the blame was going be pinned on the performance of one or two gendarmes. For its part, the press of the leading party of FIT, the Socialist Workers Party (PTS) reported the finding of the remains on Wednesday, stressing that everything that happened to Santiago Maldonado since his disappearance is the sole and exclusive responsibility of Patricia Bullrich, Pablo Noceti and the Gendarmerie. Moreover, Marcelo Ramal, a candidate for deputy of the FITs other major party, the Workers Party (PO), told the press at a demonstration Thursday afternoon: Its necessary for the [security] minister Bullrich to step down to dismantle the cover-up by the administration and this minister in particular. These interventions around the disappearance of Santiago Maldonado are blatant attempts to channel the widespread indignation and opposition against state repressionused to defend the property and interests of the ruling classbehind bourgeois politics, promoting the illusion that a change in ministers or the bringing to power of a new capitalist government will suffice to halt the escalating state repression expressed in the fate of Maldonado and the crackdown against the Mapuches. On the contrary, the disappearance of Maldonado is a confirmation to the entire working class in Argentina and internationally that, facing a stagnated economy, levels of social inequality incompatible with democratic rights, and geopolitical flashpoints across Eurasia threatening to erupt into a world war, the ruling classes are turning to increasingly authoritarian forms of government. The Macri administration is preparing to aggressively escalate its social attacks after the elections, beyond the 250,000 job cuts since December 2015 and devastating price hikes it has already overseen. The defense of the social and democratic rights against the growth of social reaction requires the construction of an international and revolutionary movement of the working class against capital and its political representatives of all shades, and for socialism. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Ewan McGregor has reportedly split from his wife of 22 years, Eve Mavrakis. According to People, McGregor and Mavrakis have been separated since May. The news comes after the 46-year-old actor was spotted kissing his Fargo co-star, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, at a London cafe, in pictures published by The Sun on Sunday. ET has reached out to McGregor's rep for comment. Winstead, 32, also split from husband Riley Stears in May, after seven years of marriage. In her statement about the breakup, Winstead called Stears her "best friend." EXCLUSIVE: Ewan McGregor Reveals the Challenges of Playing 'Two Very Different People' on 'Fargo' "We have spent our lives together and it has been full of joy and warmth every day," Wintead wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of herself giving Stears a kiss on the cheek. "Weve decided to move on from our marriage, but we will stay best friends and collaborators for all our days. We are still ride or die, just in a different way now. I love you always, Riley." Meanwhile, McGregor and 51-year-old Mavrakis, a production designer, have been married since 1995. The two have four children together -- 21-year-old Ciara, 16-year-old Jamyan, 15-year-old Esther and 6-year-old Anouk. Mary Elizabeth Winstead Splits From Husband Riley Stears: 'I Love You Always' ET spoke with McGregor last October, when he said Mavrakis actually convinced him to helm his directorial debut, American Pastoral. Watch below: Related Articles The actor couldn't have been more excited to reveal that he'd proposed on Sunday. Wedding bells are ringing for John Stamos! The 54-year-old actor proposed to girlfriend Caitlin McHugh on Sunday afternoon at Disneyland by cutting together a video of some of the most romantic moments in Disney and Pixar animation, his rep tells ET. The video ended with Sebastian from The Little Mermaid encouraging Stamos to "just ask the girl." McHugh, 31, did in fact say "yes" and her new fiance whisked her away to 21 Royal to celebrate with family and friends. WATCH: John Stamos Celebrates Girlfriend Caitlin McHugh's Birthday With 'Fuller House' Co-Stars at Disneyland The Fuller House star also took to Instagram to announce his engagement. Stamos posted an illustration of him and his lady love standing in front of Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle, as fireworks burst in the air. "I asked...she said yes! ...And we lived happily ever after," Stamos captioned the pic, along with an engagement ring emoji. WATCH: John Stamos Celebrates Girlfriend Caitlin McHugh's Birthday With 'Fuller House' Co-Stars at Disneyland He also geotagged the image from Disneyland, where the cute couple frequently spend time and snap adorable photos. These two clearly love the theme park, as they just celebrated McHugh's birthday there in May. Stamos -- who was previously married to actress Rebecca Romijn from 1998-2005 -- began dating McHugh in early 2016, and they made their first public appearance together in July 2016, when they stepped out for a fun night at the 20th Century Fox party at San Diego Comic-Con. WATCH: John Stamos' Girlfriend Caitlin McHugh on His 'Priceless' Support, Opens Up About Their Romance ET caught up with Stamos in March at the Kids' Choice Awards, and the smitten star revealed that the Fuller House cast actually prefers his ladylove to him. "They all love her more than me. They're like, 'Is Caitlin coming?'" he joked to ET. "'We don't care about you, is Caitlin coming?'" Check out the video below to hear more about their adorable relationship. Story continues Congrats to the happy couple! Watch Entertainment Tonight on Yahoo View. Related Gallery Related Articles Former Fox News Channel host Bill OReilly spent the weekend taking issue with a New York Times report that hed come to a $32 million settlement in regard to sexually harassing another Fox News personality. One of OReillys talking points: that no one at the network had ever complained to human resources about his behavior. VIDEOSBill OReilly to Matt Lauer: I Never Mistreated Anyone at Fox News In the more than 20 years Bill OReilly worked at Fox News, not one complaint was filed against him with the Human Resources Department or Legal Department by a coworker, even on the anonymous hotline, a statement OReillys team released Saturday says. On Monday, OReillys former Fox colleague Megyn Kelly used her new hour at Today to say that is simply not true. OReillys suggestion that no one ever complained about his behavior is false. I know because I complained. @megynkelly on Bill OReilly pic.twitter.com/BO8ifQcJbu TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 23, 2017 OReillys suggestion that no one ever complained about his behavior is false. I know, because I complained, Kelly said at the top of her portion of the NBC morning show. RELATEDGreta Van Susteren Abruptly Exits Fox News After 14 Years Kelly revealed details about a never-before-released email she sent to the networks then co-presidents Bill Shine and Jack Abernathy in November 2016. That morning, OReilly had been a guest on CBS This Morning, and when asked about the allegations of sexual harassment against network chief Roger Ailes Kelly leveled in her memoir, Settle for More, OReilly responded, I want to be very candid here: Im not that interested in this Im not interested in making my network look bad. At all. That doesnt interest me one bit. Story continues Kellys email took issue with OReillys comments, noting that he had a history of harassment with women. On Monday, she told viewers that the 2016 incident including the networks response to it speaks volumes about powerful men and the roadblocks one can face in taking them on. And though she says she was told OReilly had been dealt with, he then repeated similar statements on The OReilly Factor that evening. RELATEDFox News Channel Parts Ways With Eric Bolling After Sexting Investigation This is not unique to Fox News. Women everywhere are used to being dismissed, ignored or attacked when raising complaints about men in authority positions, she continued Monday. They stay silent so often out of fear. Fear of ending their careers. Fear of lawyers, yes, and fear of the media. Kellys guest on Mondays show was Juliette Huddy, a former Fox News anchor who settled with the network after bringing her own sexual harassment allegations against OReilly. Huddy said she was terrified by what Fox News has the power to do against people who speak out against it. During the broadcast, Kelly also read a statement from 21st Century Fox, which owns the news network: 21st Century Fox has taken concerted action to transform Fox News, including installing new leaders, overhauling management and on-air talent, expanding training and increasing the channels through which employees can report harassment or discrimination. These changes come from the top, with Lachlan and James Murdoch personally leading the effort to promote civility and respect on the job while maintaining the companys long-held commitment to a diverse, inclusive and creative workplace. At the end of her emotional speech at the top of the hour, Kelly said, It gives me no pleasure to report such news about my former employer which has, absolutely, made some reforms since all of this went down.But this must stop. Press PLAY on the video above to watch Kelly discuss her former employer, then hit the comments with your thoughts. Related stories Megyn Kelly Today's Rocky First Week: The 5 Most Awkward Moments Megyn Kelly's Today Debut -- How'd the Former Fox News Anchor Do? Bill O'Reilly to Matt Lauer: 'I Never Mistreated Anyone' at Fox News Glees Matthew Morrison just welcomed a son, and we love his name Looks like theres a new addition to William McKinley High Schools glee club. Actor Matthew Morrison welcomed a baby boy with his wife Renee, and his name is completely unique. Morrison and his wife got married back in 2014 with an intimate ceremony in Hawaii. The two have been together since 2011, and this is the first child for the Morrison family. The two made the announcement that they were expecting this past May. While their sons birth stats are still a mystery, the pair announced that their baby boy was named Revel James Makai Morrison. But based on the Instagram photos, were pretty sure theyll just be calling him Revel. Renees photo showed baby Revel looking straight at the camera, and includes such a wonderful, loving caption. I will respect you and go through every moment with understanding and patience, she wrote. I promise to love you unconditionally for ever and ever my little angel baby. Renee wasnt afraid to post a few photos throughout the pregnancy, including this one of an ultrasound. It seems like the pair referred to Revel as Lil Mo before he was born. She also revealed that Morrison cried when first seeing the ultrasound photo, which makes us all kinds of emotional. The new parents let photographer Isaac Cohen take the professional photos, and it seems like he was an excellent choice. Aside from his new fatherhood duties, Morrison has been keeping pretty busy. He appeared on a few episodes of The Good Wife last year, and just wrapped up filming Broadway 4D, which also stars Hugh Jackman and Christina Aguilera. Photo credit: Hearst Communications, Inc. All rights reserved From Cosmopolitan The five living former presidents put aside politics and appeared together for the first time since 2013 at a concert on Saturday to raise money for victims of devastating hurricanes in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Democrats Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and Republicans George H.W. and George W. Bush gathered in College Station, Texas, home of Texas A&M University, to try to unite the country after the storms. And who should join but the original first lady (?) herself, Lady Gaga. I mean, hello. It's a bunch of Presidents - shouldn't they have a lady with them!? The photo of the six has instantly become something I want to put on my mantel. I mean, YOUR FAVES COULD NEVER: It was an honor to be invited by these five living Presidents to perform and speak at this historic event where we put our differences aside, and put humanity first in the face of catastrophe. #OneAmericaAppeal A post shared by xoxo, Gaga (@ladygaga) on Oct 21, 2017 at 7:38pm PDT SCREAMING. It's too good. Gaga made a surprise appearance at the concert that also featured country music band Alabama, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Soul Man Sam Moore, gospel legend Yolanda Adams, and Texas musicians Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen. Yee Haw! Lady Gaga just got standing ovation from the five former US presidents, THREE TIMES, in the period of 15 minutes. pic.twitter.com/MmR6vdRqPH - Lady Gaga (@KingLadyGaga) October 22, 2017 If you want to get in on the ~good vibes~ and help victims of the hurricanes, let President Obama show you the way: We're expanding our efforts to help Puerto Rico & the USVI, where our fellow Americans need us right now. Join us at https://t.co/o5oCWOtiJS https://t.co/L2xArjc9N7 - Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 26, 2017 Additional reporting by the Associated Press. You Might Also Like Photo credit: MANDEL NGAN / AFP From Cosmopolitan On October 20, Roll Call published information, based on undisclosed Pentagon email exchanges, suggesting that President Trump's October 16 press conference claim that he'd contacted almost every family to have lost a military service member this year was false. At the same press conference, the president also made the claim that previous presidents hadn't called or contacted as many servicemembers as he had. The Pentagon email exchange also suggests that the White House did not have an up-to-date list of U.S. military casualties at the time the president commented, and that senior aides had to then rush condolences to military family members. This particular claim has since been corroborated by a report published in the Atlantic, in which multiple families confirmed they only recently received letters from the president about their lost military family members. Timothy Eckels Sr., who lost his son Timothy Eckels Jr. in the August 21 U.S.S. McCain collision incident, said of the White House parcel he received on October 20: "Honestly, I feel the letter is reactionary to the media storm brewing over how these things have been handled. Ive received letters from McCain, Mattis, and countless other officials before his. I wasnt sure if the fact that the accident that caused Timothys death has still yet to officially have the cause determined played into the timing of our presidents response." Eckels shared that the letter was "respectful." Two more families of servicemembers killed in the U.S.S. McCain, as well as a family of a servicemember killed in Iraq in August, also received letters within the past week. Follow Lilian on Twitter. You Might Also Like These are the eight different prototypes for Donald Trumps controversial wall at the border between the US and Mexico. The test structures have been set up near San Diego by the Department of Homeland Security. One of the presidents key electoral promises was to build a wall along the entire length of the Mexican border, stretching some 2,000 miles. One of the walls in contention (Picture: Getty) There are eight prototypes (Picture: Getty) The eight walls have varying features one has sharp metal spikes on the top. MORE: Jean-Claude Juncker aide denies leaking sensitive details about anxious Theresa May MORE: US prepares to put B-52 nuclear bombers on 24-hour standby The construction companies used to build the prototypes had until October 26 to finish their sample walls. The final prototype was finished just last week. Each test wall has cost the US government about 370,000 and they have been set up about 30ft apart. One of the more imposing prototypes (Picture: Getty) Six companies have built the eight walls (Picture: Getty) They vary in colour and design coming in colours such as blue, white, beige and brown. Each one stands between 18 and 30ft tall and is designed to withstand at least an hours worth of damage from a sledgehammer or battery-operated tool. They are designed to prevent the use of grappling hooks. The walls have been designed to look pleasing to the eye from the US side of the border. The US government has not revealed the details behind the selection process, or whether or not Mr Trump himself will pick the winning prototype. The wall was one of Donald Trumps pre-election promises (Picture: Getty) Four of the walls were made with materials other than concrete (Picture: Getty) There is still the possibility that none of the eight prototypes will be chosen. Roy Villareal, acting chief patrol agent of the San Diego border sector, said: It may not result in a singular winner. Mr Trump insists Mexico will pay for the wall (Picture: Rex) It may be a combination of designs being implemented. The border currently has 654 miles of single-layer fencing, as well as 51 miles of double and triple-layer fencing. Each prototype wall costs up to 370,000 (Picture: Getty) The walls are up to 30ft high (Picture: Getty) Mr Trump asked Congress for $1.6bn to replace 14 miles of wall in San Diego and build 60 miles in Texas. There are six companies in line to build the border wall. Cadell Construction Company in Birmingham, Alabama, and WG Yates & Sons Construction Company in Philadelphia, Mississippi, have each submitted two prototypes. Of the eight walls, four have been made of concrete and four from different materials. As per his campaign pledge, Mr Trump insists that Mexico will eventually pay for the wall, but that the initial cost will come from US taxpayers. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson said she was with the grieving family when Mr Trump called: Getty African-American members of Congress are demanding that Donald Trumps chief of staff apologise for what the lawmakers called blatant lies about a colleague attacked by the President in recent days. The clash between the Trump administration and Rep Frederica Wilson, Democrat of Florida, originated with Rep Wilson criticising the Presidents call to the widow of a slain soldier. According to Rep Wilson, Myeshia Johnson was offended by Mr Trumps remark that her late husband, Sgt La David Johnson, knew what he signed up for. Both Ms Johnson and her mother-in-law have corroborated the account, but differing interpretations of the call have fuelled a feud between Rep Wilson and Mr Trump, who has repeatedly attacked her. So too did Mr Trumps chief of staff John Kelly - whose son died in combat - with Mr Kelly calling Rep Wilson an empty barrel and saying she had claimed credit for winning funding for an FBI building in Florida. Video of Rep Wilsons speech posted by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel undercut Mr Kellys accusation. It shows Rep Wilson praising a bipartisan effort to name the building after two fallen FBI agents in time for its unveiling, but she does not boast about securing funds. Now well over a dozen African-American women in Congress say Mr Kelly owes Ms Wilson an apology. General Kellys comments are reprehensible. Congresswoman Wilsons integrity and credibility should not be challenged or undermined by such blatant lies. We, the women of the Congressional Black Caucus, proudly stand with Congresswoman Wilson and demand that General Kelly apologize to her without delay and take responsibility for his reckless and false statements, a statement from the Congressional Black Caucus said. The President has not let up in his broadsides against Rep Wilson, assailing her as wacky and a disaster for Dems in a Sunday morning tweet. His continued criticisms have drawn reproach from other Republicans. I would just urge President Trump, let's talk a little bit about the four soldiers that included Sgt Johnson rather than attack Rep Wilson, Sen Lindsey Graham said during an appearance on NBCs Meet the Press. Its not often that a celebrity Halloween costume truly impresses. Celebs have a wide variety of resources available to them, so you kind of expect their Halloween ensembles to be over the top, elaborate, or stylish beyond words. Thats why we were all suitably impressed with Alicia Silverstones costume this weekend. The actress was photographed together with Chrissy Teigen, who posted the pic on her social media: How am I supposed to sleep? wrote Teigen. I think Ive asked for 2 photos in my entire life. @ AliciaSilv and beyonce. How am I supposed to sleep? I think I've asked for 2 photos in my entire life. @AliciaSilv and beyonce pic.twitter.com/TBSEXqKTGp christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) October 22, 2017 On the one hand, its merely a shout-out to her Cher character from Clueless, but on the other hand its Cher from Clueless, and its pretty brilliant. One wonders why she hasnt donned this costume before. Although its been 22 years since Silverstone first graced the screen as the iconic clueless teenager, she hasnt left the public consciousness. Clueless is far from the only thing Silverstone has starred in, but it was an unforgettable performance, and her choice of using the outfit for Halloween just underlines how timeless that yellow plaid outfit is. Alicia Silverstone at the Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 9. (Photo: Getty Images) Aside from reliving her Clueless years, Silverstone, of course, remains a working actor in Hollywood, most recently appearing in a new installment of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. But Silverstone has probably earned even more notoriety for her vocal support of animal rights, vegan lifestyle, and supporting PETA. Her latest move for the animal rights organization was posing nude to protest wool last year. We wonder if the Cher Horowitz outfit she wore for Halloween was PETA-friendly or not Story continues Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Amazon Wine is shutting down at the end of this year, the retailer has just alerted sellers via email. The issue at hand has to do with the existing laws surrounding alcohol sales, which Amazon has unsuccessfully tried to change by working with regulators. The existing laws make it difficult for Amazon to sell alcohol as a retailer and operate a marketplace. That's something that's even more of a conflict now that Amazon owns Whole Foods, which also sells wine, not to mention Amazon's plans to expand its alcohol delivery business through Prime Now and Amazon Fresh. In the email sent to sellers, the retailer notes that wine will still be offered through Amazon, just not on Amazon Wine: "Dear valued Seller, as Amazon continues to offer customers additional retail options for buying wine, we will no longer offer a marketplace for wine at this time, and Amazon Wine will close on December 31st, 2017. Wine will continue to be offered through Amazon Fresh, Prime Now and Whole Foods Markets. Please see our FAQ for further details. Thank you, Amazon Wine." Launched in late 2012, Amazon Wine had represented Amazon's third attempt at entering the online wine sales market. The company has not said how well Amazon's wine marketplace performed in terms of sales, but dozens of brands have been participating to date. According to the online FAQ, sellers can continue to fulfill online orders as they would otherwise, but customers will no longer be able to place an order after December 31, 2017, nor browse products on Amazon Wine. On January 1, 2018, sellers will no longer be able to add or edit products in Seller Central, but will still be able to access their account. Amazon Wine's customer base will also be notified via email, and a message will display on the Amazon Wine homepage alerting online shoppers to the closing. The bigger picture here is that Amazon had to choose between its newer focus on alcohol deliveries through Amazon Fresh and its speedier delivery service, Prime Now or its older marketplace, Amazon Wine. Story continues Not surprisingly, Prime Now and Amazon Fresh won. Today, Amazon Fresh is available in 20 major U.S. metros in addition to London, Berlin and Tokyo. How the existing online grocery delivery service will be combined with Whole Foods' brick-and-mortar has not yet been determined. Still, it's obvious that Amazon's goal is to offer grocery delivery and pickup by leveraging Whole Foods, and that would include alcohol. Perhaps there will even soon come a day when you can simply say, "Alexa, send more beer." In addition to Amazon Fresh, Amazon's 2-hour delivery service Prime Now has been steadily growing the number of markets offering alcohol delivery, as well. Today, you can order wine and other alcohol in Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Los Angeles and Orange County, Minneapolis, Manhattan, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. This not only competes with fast delivery services like Drizly or the broader Postmates, but also Blue Apron, which offers its own wines. And Prime Now/Fresh could also tap into the customer base for the soon-to-be shuttered Amazon Wine and rivals, like Wine.com. While those online businesses may still have larger selections, Amazon's ability to send booze more quickly will likely win many customers' dollars. Related Video: Americans in San Isidro, Puerto Rico, wait for FEMA to arrive with water. Their neighborhood has been without power or clean water for more than a month. (Photo: Mario Tama via Getty Images) WASHINGTON Nearly 1 million Americans in Puerto Rico still have no drinking water, more than a month after Hurricane Maria destroyed the island. Some have resorted to drinking from wells at hazardous Superfund sites. Others have been drinking water from creeks that sick animals have urinated in and have died as a result. President Donald Trump has given no indication that he is concerned. I give ourselves a 10 out of 10, he said last week, when asked how hed rate his response to the humanitarian crisis on the U.S. island. Thats led a group of unions and nonprofits to take matters into their own hands with Operation Agua, a new program to fund and deliver water filtration devices directly to peoples houses, schools and relief centers around the island. Were talking about getting 100,000 of these water purifiers into the homes of Puerto Ricans so they can filter their water so its safe for drinking, bathing and cooking, Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, told HuffPost on Monday. AFT and other groups leading the effort, including Operation Blessing and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, have begun raising money to provide at least 100,000 individual water filtration systems and 50 large-capacity clean water devices for schools and community centers. Theyve already figured out how to deal with the fact that 80 percent of the island has no power: the Kohler Clarity filter, which uses gravity, not electricity, to remove more than 99 percent of bacteria in water. Weingarten said one of these filters can purify up to 10.5 gallons of water per day, which is the amount of drinking water needed by a typical family. Hopefully, the concerts and other groups that have gotten big donations will contribute to this effort, she said. But now, with a $30 contribution, someone can get a family one of these water purifiers. Yanira Rios collects spring water nearly three weeks after Hurricane Maria destroyed her town of Utuado. It's not clear if the water she's collecting is safe to drink. (Photo: Mario Tama via Getty Images) FEMA and military personnel have been on the island for weeks, and they have helped to get bottled water to some communities. But Trump has come under fire for his sluggish response to the disaster, and there have been numerous reports of distribution problems. Some volunteer nurses on the ground told HuffPost earlier this month that government officials have been hoarding bottled water at a central location and requiring people to come pick it up, versus sending workers into communities to deliver it. That has prevented some older and less mobile residents from getting any food or water, they said. Story continues These people are going to have an epidemic. These people are going to die, said Alicia Schwartz, one of those nurses. The help is not really there for them. Weingarten, who has helped with past disaster relief responses for 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, was in Puerto Rico earlier this month. She said she drove around the island for 10 hours at a time, between towns hit hard by the hurricane, and was shocked by the grossly inadequate government presence. I did not see a FEMA truck. I saw one military truck. I saw four electrical crews. Thats it, Weingarten said. For the president to say they have gotten everything they needed and its the municipalities that are failing is completely wrong. What is unusual is the dearth of a federal response and the enormous vacuum that not-for-profits have to fill. Thats just wrong. Want to chip in some money to help a fellow American have drinking water? You can donate to Operation Agua here. Also on HuffPost Maria Lopez cries while walking from her house that was flooded after the passage of Hurricane Maria, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on September 22, 2017. Puerto Rico battled dangerous floods Friday after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island, as rescuers raced against time to reach residents trapped in their homes and the death toll climbed to 33. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello called Maria the most devastating storm in a century after it destroyed the US territory's electricity and telecommunications infrastructure. / AFP PHOTO / HECTOR RETAMAL (Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images) Loiza, PUERTO RICO SEPTEMBER 22: Aerial photo of the floadings in the costal town of Loiza, in the north shore of Puerto RicoHurricane Maria passed through Puerto Rico leaving behind a path of destruction across the national territory. (Photo by Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo for The Washington Post via Getty Images) HAYALES DE COAMO, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 24: Karlian Mercado, 7, rests on the rubble that remains of her family's home after it was blown away by Hurricane Maria as it passed through the area on September 24, 2017 in Hayales de Coamo, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Irma Torres poses for a picture at her damaged house after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico September 22, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins Local residents react while they look at the water flowing over the road at the dam of the Guajataca lake after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Guajataca, Puerto Rico September 23, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins A man looks at damages on his flooded house, close to the dam of the Guajataca lake after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Guajataca, Puerto Rico September 23, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins A man sits in a wheelchair next to washing machines at a shelter after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria, in San Juan, Puerto Rico September 22, 2017. Picture taken September 22, 2017. REUTERS/Alvin Baez LOIZA, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 22: A resident wades through flood water days after Hurricane Maria made landfall, on September 22, 2017 in Loiza, Puerto Rico. Many on the island have lost power, running water, and cell phone service after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images) People stay at the roof of a damaged house after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico September 22, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY PUERTO RICO SEPTEMBER 23: A devastated house in Morovis Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria passed through Puerto Rico leaving behind a path of destruction across the national territory. (Photo by Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo for The Washington Post via Getty Images) SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 22: Residents line up for gasoline days after Hurricane Maria made landfall, on September 22, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Many on the island have lost power, running water, and cell phone service after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images) A car submerged in flood waters is seen close to the dam of the Guajataca lake after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Guajataca, Puerto Rico September 23, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY A resident lay on a cot inside a shelter after being evacuated from a home near the damaged Guajataca Dam after Hurricane Maria in Isabella, Puerto Rico, on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017. Amid their struggles to recover fromiHurricaneiMaria, some Puerto Rico residents found it befuddling that President Donald Trump fired off a number of Twitter rants about professional athletes on Saturday -- yet made no mention of their dire situation. Photographer: Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images People stop on a highway near a mobile phone antenna tower to check for mobile phone signal, after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria, in Dorado, Puerto Rico September 22, 2017. Picture taken September 22, 2017. REUTERS/Alvin Baez A dead horse is seen next to a road after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico September 23, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins An aerial view shows the flooded neighbourhood of Juana Matos in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Catano, Puerto Rico, on September 22, 2017. Puerto Rico battled dangerous floods Friday after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island, as rescuers raced against time to reach residents trapped in their homes and the death toll climbed to 33. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello called Maria the most devastating storm in a century after it destroyed the US territory's electricity and telecommunications infrastructure. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGO (Photo credit should read RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images) Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Rory Stewart - Reuters British Isil fighters should be killed in Syria rather than be allowed to return to UK, a Government minister has said. Rory Stewart said converts who leave Britain to fight for the terror group are guilty of horrific acts and the only way of dealing with them is to kill them "in almost every case". His remarks come just days after the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Max Hill QC said young people who travelled to Syria after being "brainwashed" should be allowed to come home and rejoin society. Mr Hill told the BBC that it was not worth losing a generation of young people who "naively" went to join Isil before attempting to come back to the UK. Asked by BBC Radio 5 Live's John Pienaar if they had "brought on themselves what they are about to get?", he said: "These are people who have essentially moved away from any kind of allegiance towards the British Government. A female sniper of the Syrian Democratic Forces Credit: AFP "They are absolutely dedicated, as members of the Islamic State, towards the creation of a caliphate, they believe in an extremely hateful doctrine which involves killing themselves, killing others and trying to use violence and brutality to create an eighth century, or seventh century, state. "So I'm afraid we have to be serious about the fact these people are a serious danger to us, and unfortunately the only way of dealing with them will be, in almost every case, to kill them." Around half of the estimated 850 Britons believed to have gone to join the extremists are now believed to be back in the UK. There are fears more will follow as the terror organisation loses territory in Iraq and Syria. Mr Stewart's comments come after the defence secretary Michael Fallon said earlier this month that anyone who chooses to leave the UK to fight for the Islamic State runs the risk of being killed. Mr Fallon said: If you are a British national in Iraq or Syria and if you have chosen to fight for [Isis] an illegal organisation that is preparing and inspiring terror attacks on our streets then you have made yourself a legitimate target and you run the risk every hour of every day of being on the wrong end of an RAF or a United States missile. Story continues FAQ | Islamic State Mr Hill, who called for former Isil fighters to be allowed to reintegrate back into the UK, was supported by Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell, who sits on the Commons foreign affairs committee. He said: "The presumption should be that all people who went to join IS should be dealt with by the criminal justice system unless there is a good reason why not. "IS is an utterly barbaric organisation still intent on carrying out terror attacks in Britain and everything possible must be done to stop its supporters being involved in such atrocities." But Mr Stewart said converts to the terror group believed in an "extremely hateful doctrine", saying fighters can expect to be killed given the threat they pose to British security. Hundreds of British citizens are known to have travelled to Syria to fight with Islamist groups during the course of the six-year conflict. Brett McGurk, a top US envoy for the coalition fighting Islamic State (IS), has said his mission is to ensure every foreign IS fighter in Syria dies in Syria. Seven foiled UK terror plots Mr Stewart was asked about claims made by Mr McGurk that foreign fighters do not make it back to their country of origin and die in Raqqa or wherever they are serving. Coalition forces are reported to have given a list of names and photos to Kurdish fighters on the ground so that they can identify and kill foreign fighters before they have the chance to escape as they are seen as a security threat. However this could allow room for some fighters, identify as less serious offenders, to be allowed to return home. Mr Stewart, a former diplomat, went on to say: "These are people who are executing people in the back of their heads, who have held women and children hostage, who are torturing and murdering trying by violence to impose their will. "Our response has to be, when somebody does that, I'm afraid, to deal with that." Mr Stewart also said British authorities had made it "very clear" that people should not be volunteering with militia groups to fight IS. "If you wish to serve your country and you wish to fight terrorism, then please apply to join the military or join the police or join our intelligence services, we'll train you, we'll work with you to do it in a legal and controlled fashion," he said. Mr Stewart confirmed it remained British policy to remove Syrian president Bashar Assad. "I don't think anyone should be in any doubt that the control that he has is brutal and ultimately fragile," he said. "The policy of the British Government is that Bashar al-Assad needs to step aside and we need transition to a new government, because so long as that man is in power it is going to be impossible to have a long-term, stable, sustainable future for Syria." Kurdish security forces withdraw from a checkpoint in Alton Kupri, on the outskirts of Erbil - AP Not much more than a month ago, Iraqi Kurdistan's leaders seemed sure that their path to independence was all but guaranteed. The autonomous region controlled swathes of disputed territory once administered by the federal government in Baghdad, including vast oil reserves and energy infrastructure. Its armed forces, known as Peshmerga, enjoyed a formidable reputation and had cooperated closely with the US and other powerful allies in the fight against Islamic State. The way, they thought, was clear. But on Monday October 16, Iraqi government forces ousted Peshmerga from the disputed city of Kirkuk along with nearby oil fields that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) had counted on for revenues to sustain an independent state. A convoy of Iraqi military trucks flying religious Shia flags and Iraqi national flag as they advance into the central of Kirkuk city, northern Iraq Credit: EPA The defeat came shockingly fast and prompted a disorderly retreat from other territories that KRG president Masoud Barzani had pledged would never be returned to Baghdad. It was a rout that blindsided many of Iraqs Kurds and left their long held dream of secession in tatters. In the regional capital of Erbil, officials, soldiers and civilians alike are still struggling to come to terms with this profound humiliation. The Kurdish community never expected such a reaction from the Iraqi government, said Alan, 26, who asked that he be known only by his first name. We didn't expect them to attack us and take Kirkuk by force, it has become like a siege now. The crisis was largely impelled by last month's controversial independence referendum, which faced near-universal opposition. Neighbouring Turkey and Iran found a rare moment of unity to agree retaliatory counter-measures, while Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi threatened military action if the results were not annulled. Even allies with the exception of Israel begged the KRG to postpone or cancel the vote, for fear it would destabilise the entire region. But Mr Barzani pressed on, seemingly confident the results would trigger secession talks in which they would hold a major advantage. Story continues Iraqi Kurdish President Masoud Barzani salutes the crowd while attending a rally to show their support for the September 25 independence referendum Credit: Reuters That now appears to have been a miscalculation of epic proportions. Voting went ahead as planned on September 25 and results reflected an overwhelming desire to leave the rest of Iraq. The backlash was rapid. At first, Baghdad chipped away at existing aspects of autonomy by banning international flights from landing in the region and demanding control of oil exports. Eventually though, Mr Abadi made good on his threats. Soon after retaking Kirkuk he called for a return to talks. The illegal referendum is over, its results invalid and belongs in the past, he said on Twitter. We call for dialogue based on Iraqs national constitution. A return to the negotiating table now seem to be the only option open to Mr Barzani, though he will be in a far weaker position than before. Saudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih made a high-profile visit to Iraq on Saturday, as the countries begin strengthening ties in the sector and frosty relations between the countries thaw. On the same day, Mr Abadi left Baghdad for a visit to Saudi Arabia. Over the weekend, angry protestors in Erbil waved Kurdish flags outside the US embassy and UN consulate, some carrying signs saying, "We need our country". People outside the Iranian consulate cheered as a man tore down its flag. Iraqi Kurds wave flags and chant slogans during a protest outside the US consulate Credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images The Kirkuk crisis has bred widespread resentment and acrimony and not just between the two rival governments. Iraqs Kurds now see betrayal from every side. Control of the Peshmerga is split between Iraqi Kurdistans two largest political factions, Mr Barzanis ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). It was the PUK that first withdrew from Kirkuk after making an Iran-backed deal with the Iraqi government forces, although KDP peshmerga subsequently retreated too. Nevertheless, KDP officials and media outlets wasted no time in labelling the PUK traitors. Even Mr Barzani, who a week later, still has yet to make a public appearance since losing the city, blamed persons within a certain internal political party of Kurdistan in a statement. Others are less circumspect. The Peshmerga sold us out, it was a PUK leaders, they made a deal for the whole of Kirkuk, said Dana, 25, a student from the city. PUK officials and followers have in turn levelled accusations of graft and egotism at the KDP while criticising Barzani for forcing through the referendum. This is Barzanis fault, because he asked for a country and his soldiers cant even fire two bullets, said one Erbil resident, who asked not to be named for fear of repercussions. The crisis revealed deep-seated Kurdish rivalries, said Chatham House fellow Renad Mansour. This showed the disunity of the Kurdistan region not only as a sub-state but with Peshmerga loyal to political parties and even individuals. Divided and isolated, Iraqs Kurds now feel abandoned by even their staunchest allies. The US has been slow to react to both the referendum and crisis in Kirkuk, at first describing clashes between Iraqi and Kurdish forces that killed nearly 30 people as a misunderstanding. And when government troops pushed Peshmerga out of the fringes of Kirkuk province on Friday, a statement from the Kurdish General Command made sure to highlight that they faced American weapons that have been supplied to the Iraqi Army. For Baran Abdullah, 25, a Peshmerga fighter whose unit recently retreated from the disputed town of Makhmour, the US was no longer a friend. We dont trust Americans anymore and we dont need them anymore, he said angrily. We are finished with them. Sydney (AFP) - Australian police offered a record $4.75 million in rewards Saturday to catch the serial killer or killers behind the murders of six Melbourne women in the 1980s. The women, ranging in age from 14 to 73, disappeared in separate incidents as they traveled on foot around Melbourne over an 18-month period in 1980-1981. Their remains were found in scrubland in several locations on the outskirts of the city. The police in Victoria state, where Melbourne is located, announced on Saturday six rewards of AUS$1 million ($780,000) each for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever was behind the murders. "Investigators are seeking public assistance to help solve these six murders, and are appealing directly to any persons with knowledge of these crimes and of those responsible to come forward and contact police," the department said in a statement. It said the AUS$6 million was the largest reward amount ever offered by the department. By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - Bangladesh called on Myanmar on Monday to allow nearly 1 million Rohingya Muslim refugees to return home under safe conditions, saying that the burden had become "untenable" on its territory. About 600,000 people have crossed the border since Aug. 25 when Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts were met by a counter-offensive by the Myanmar army in Rakhine state which the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing. "This is an untenable situation," Shameem Ahsan, Bangladesh's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told a U.N. pledging conference. "Despite claims to the contrary, violence in Rakhine state has not stopped. Thousands still enter on a daily basis." Vital humanitarian aid must continue, Ahsan said, adding: "It is of paramount importance that Myanmar delivers on its recent promises and works towards safe, dignified, voluntary return of its nationals back to their homes in Myanmar." Bangladesh's interior minister was in Yangon on Monday for talks to find a "durable solution", he said. But Myanmar continued to issue "propaganda projecting Rohingyas as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh", Ahsan said, adding: "This blatant denial of the ethnic identity of Rohingyas remains a stumbling block." Myanmar considers the Rohingya to be stateless, although they trace their presence in the country back generations. Filippo Grandi, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, later told journalists that the two countries had begun talks on "repatriation". Conducive conditions have to be "recreated" in Rakhine, he said. "This must include a solution to the question of citizenship, or rather lack thereof for the Rohingya community," Grandi said. Khaled al-Jarallah, deputy foreign minister of Kuwait, called on Myanmar authorities to "cease the practice of stripping the Rohingya minority of their right of citizenship, which as a result deprives them of the right to property and employment". Story continues "THE WALKING DEAD" Jordan's Queen Rania visited Rohingya refugee camps on Monday and called for a stronger response from the international community to the plight of the Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh to escape "systematic persecution" in Myanmar. "One has to ask, why is the plight of this Muslim minority group being ignored? Why has the systematic prosecution been allowed to play out for so long?" she asked after touring the camps. The United Nations has appealed for $434 million to provide life-saving aid to 1.2 million people for six months. A total of $344 million has been raised so far, a final U.N. statement said. "We need more money to keep pace with intensifying needs. This is not an isolated crisis, it is the latest round in a decades-long cycle of persecution, violence and displacement," U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told the talks. An estimated 1,000-3,000 Rohingya still enter Bangladesh daily, William Lacy Swing, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. He called them: "these most rejected and vulnerable people in the world." Joanne Liu, president of the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders, described them as "the walking dead". There are only 210 hospital beds for 1 million refugees, malnutrition is on the rise and latrines are lacking to prevent contamination, she said. "The camp is a time-bomb, ticking towards a full-blown health crisis." (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Rafiqur Rahman in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg) By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - Bangladesh called on Myanmar on Monday to allow nearly 1 million Rohingya Muslim refugees to return home under safe conditions, saying that the burden had become "untenable" on its territory. About 600,000 people have crossed the border since Aug. 25 when Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts were met by a counter-offensive by the Myanmar army in Rakhine state which the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing. "This is an untenable situation," Shameem Ahsan, Bangladesh's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told a U.N. pledging conference. "Despite claims to the contrary, violence in Rakhine state has not stopped. Thousands still enter on a daily basis." Vital humanitarian aid must continue, Ahsan said, adding: "It is of paramount importance that Myanmar delivers on its recent promises and works towards safe, dignified, voluntary return of its nationals back to their homes in Myanmar." Bangladesh's interior minister was in Yangon on Monday for talks to find a "durable solution", he said. But Myanmar continued to issue "propaganda projecting Rohingyas as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh", Ahsan said, adding: "This blatant denial of the ethnic identity of Rohingyas remains a stumbling block." Myanmar considers the Rohingya to be stateless, although they trace their presence in the country back generations. Filippo Grandi, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, later told journalists that the two countries had begun talks on "repatriation". Conducive conditions have to be "recreated" in Rakhine, he said. "This must include a solution to the question of citizenship, or rather lack thereof for the Rohingya community," Grandi said. Khaled al-Jarallah, deputy foreign minister of Kuwait, called on Myanmar authorities to "cease the practice of stripping the Rohingya minority of their right of citizenship, which as a result deprives them of the right to property and employment". "THE WALKING DEAD" Jordan's Queen Rania visited Rohingya refugee camps on Monday and called for a stronger response from the international community to the plight of the Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh to escape "systematic persecution" in Myanmar. "One has to ask, why is the plight of this Muslim minority group being ignored? Why has the systematic prosecution been allowed to play out for so long?" she asked after touring the camps. The United Nations has appealed for $434 million to provide life-saving aid to 1.2 million people for six months. A total of $344 million has been raised so far, a final U.N. statement said. "We need more money to keep pace with intensifying needs. This is not an isolated crisis, it is the latest round in a decades-long cycle of persecution, violence and displacement," U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told the talks. An estimated 1,000-3,000 Rohingya still enter Bangladesh daily, William Lacy Swing, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. He called them: "these most rejected and vulnerable people in the world." Joanne Liu, president of the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders, described them as "the walking dead". There are only 210 hospital beds for 1 million refugees, malnutrition is on the rise and latrines are lacking to prevent contamination, she said. "The camp is a time-bomb, ticking towards a full-blown health crisis." (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Rafiqur Rahman in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg) All five living former U.S. presidents gathered at a hurricane relief concert in Texas to raise money for victims of Hurricane Harvey, Irma, and Maria on Saturday night -- and the Internet can't stop obsessing about one moment between George W. Bush and Barack Obama. During his time in office, Obama was known for his composure and, at times, even disposition. But over the weekend, the former president completely lost it at the relief event hosted by One America Appeal. You can view the moment at the 3:35 mark. While Bill Clinton delivered a speech discussing the enduring disaster in Puerto Rico, the younger Bush smiled and appeared to whisper something to Obama, making him laugh behind Bill Clinton. SEE ALSO: Trump video played at hurricane relief concert The giggly moment has since gone viral, with many users online tweeting about how much they enjoyed watching the two bond. "W cracking a joke to Obama while Clinton gives a speech is me in middle school," one user wrote, while another added, "Bush pulling a dad move, cracking a joke to Obama during Clinton's speech, and glancing repeatedly to see his reaction." W cracking a joke to Obama while Clinton gives a speech is me in middle school pic.twitter.com/Sw6uQwXRcf Justin Taylor (@TheSmarmyBum) October 22, 2017 Click through more reactions below: This was the first time all five living former presidents appeared together since 2013. Cotonou (AFP) - Wealthy Benin businessman and failed presidential candidate Sebastien Ajavon is under investigation over an allegedly fraudulent export deal, a judicial source said on Monday. The source said Ajavon is alleged to have committed "forgery of official records, complicity in forgery of official records, falsification and fraud". The alleged offences date back to 2009 and could see him jailed if charged and convicted, the source added. Ajavon, who is known in Benin as "the chicken king", made his fortune in the agricultural feeds business and has faced a string of legal troubles in recent years. In October 2016, he was arrested after 18 kilograms (40 pounds) of cocaine with a street value of $16 million was found in a container destined for one of his businesses. He was released after eight days and subsequently said he had been the victim of a plot to discredit him. Charges were dropped several months later. In August this year, he was ordered to pay 167 billion CFA francs $300,000) after claims of tax evasion at several of his companies in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Last Friday, he was in court to respond to allegations that he allowed vegetable oil and frozen chicken to be exported to neighbouring Nigeria, in breach of a trade agreement. A former ambassador of Benin to Nigeria is one of his two co-accused. Ajavon's spokesman said the businessman preferred to let proceedings in court run their course and not to engage in a "media trial". Privately, members of Ajavon's entourage described the allegations as "premature", without elaborating. Ajavon stood for election in last year's presidential election that was won by another businessman-turned-politician Patrice Talon. He came third, with prime minister Lionel Zinsou in second. Ajavon won almost a quarter of the first-round vote and supported Talon in his run-off with Zinsou. By Scott Malone SOMERVILLE, Mass. (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders brought his strategy of trying to reenergize the Democratic Party by lending his star power to lower-level races to a small city just outside Boston on Monday, with a stop to endorse candidates for alderman and city council. Sanders, an independent who ran for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2016 presidential election, announced his support for a dozen candidates backed by "Our Revolution" a group formed by supporters of Sanders' campaign to boost progressive, liberal candidates. It is unusual for a politician with Sanders' profile to weigh in on races with no serious Republican contenders, political observers said. "The local level, more than any other level, is a way to involve people in the political process," Sanders said in Somerville, Massachusetts, a city of 80,000 people. Sanders last week pointed to the appearance as one of a series to try to build enthusiasm for lower-level elections. Sanders served four terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont, before being elected to the Senate. His remarks on Monday mirrored his 2016 stump speeches, without directly addressing the candidates he was supporting in Somerville and neighboring Cambridge. Political observers said Sanders, and the candidates he endorsed, will face a challenge in translating the enthusiasm his campaign generated into votes for lower-level races. In the city's last municipal election that followed a presidential race, one-in-four registered voters, some 10,241 people, cast ballots. Three out of four who voted in last year's Hillary Clinton-Donald Trump presidential matchup. "Sanders envisioned his candidacy as a launching pad for nothing short of a revolution within the Democratic Party," said Jeffrey Berry, a professor of political science at nearby Tufts University. "The energy is more around 'How do we fight Trump' than it is 'How do we create a Democratic Party in the image of Bernie Sanders.'" Sanders may not need to tip too many voters to influence the typically low-turnout city races. In the 2013 ward races, just two candidates secured more than 1,000 votes and the four closest races were decided by an average of 166 votes. "It's definitely a draw and I think it's important that he is supporting local candidates," said Ellora Derenoncourt, a 30-year-old graduate student who was out to show her support for alderman candidate J.T. Scott, a gym owner in his first race. The event did attract some undecided voters who said Sanders' endorsement would sway their picks among fields of Democratic candidates. "Our country has moved so far to their right since the mid-90s that just being a Democrat doesn't necessarily qualify you as a liberal or progressive," said Pamela Massey, 59, of Cambridge. Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator who serves as president of Our Revolution, acknowledged that the group faced a challenge in drumming up enthusiasm for down-ticket races. "We have to try," Turner said. "We have to remind people that they have an obligation to participate and so often the level of vitriol that is put out the national level can have a negative effect." (Reporting by Scott Malone; editing by Grant McCool) By Scott Malone SOMERVILLE, Mass. (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders brought his strategy of trying to reenergize the Democratic Party by lending his star power to lower-level races to a small city just outside Boston on Monday, with a stop to endorse candidates for alderman and city council. Sanders, an independent who ran for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2016 presidential election, announced his support for a dozen candidates backed by "Our Revolution" a group formed by supporters of Sanders' campaign to boost progressive, liberal candidates. It is unusual for a politician with Sanders' profile to weigh in on races with no serious Republican contenders, political observers said. "The local level, more than any other level, is a way to involve people in the political process," Sanders said in Somerville, Massachusetts, a city of 80,000 people. Sanders last week pointed to the appearance as one of a series to try to build enthusiasm for lower-level elections. Sanders served four terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont, before being elected to the Senate. His remarks on Monday mirrored his 2016 stump speeches, without directly addressing the candidates he was supporting in Somerville and neighboring Cambridge. Political observers said Sanders, and the candidates he endorsed, will face a challenge in translating the enthusiasm his campaign generated into votes for lower-level races. In the city's last municipal election that followed a presidential race, one-in-four registered voters, some 10,241 people, cast ballots. Three out of four who voted in last year's Hillary Clinton-Donald Trump presidential matchup. "Sanders envisioned his candidacy as a launching pad for nothing short of a revolution within the Democratic Party," said Jeffrey Berry, a professor of political science at nearby Tufts University. "The energy is more around 'How do we fight Trump' than it is 'How do we create a Democratic Party in the image of Bernie Sanders.'" Story continues Sanders may not need to tip too many voters to influence the typically low-turnout city races. In the 2013 ward races, just two candidates secured more than 1,000 votes and the four closest races were decided by an average of 166 votes. "It's definitely a draw and I think it's important that he is supporting local candidates," said Ellora Derenoncourt, a 30-year-old graduate student who was out to show her support for alderman candidate J.T. Scott, a gym owner in his first race. The event did attract some undecided voters who said Sanders' endorsement would sway their picks among fields of Democratic candidates. "Our country has moved so far to their right since the mid-90s that just being a Democrat doesn't necessarily qualify you as a liberal or progressive," said Pamela Massey, 59, of Cambridge. Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator who serves as president of Our Revolution, acknowledged that the group faced a challenge in drumming up enthusiasm for down-ticket races. "We have to try," Turner said. "We have to remind people that they have an obligation to participate and so often the level of vitriol that is put out the national level can have a negative effect." (Reporting by Scott Malone; editing by Grant McCool) Authorities believe they have found the body of a missing 3-year-old Texas girl who vanished two weeks ago, allegedly after her father left her outside at night as punishment. A search of an area near Sherin Mathews Richardson home late Sunday morning recovered the body in a culvert beneath a road, authorities said at a Sunday afternoon press conference. The indications are that it is most likely her, however, we have not had a positive ID, Richardson Police Sgt. Kevin Perlich said. Perlich, reached by HuffPost on Monday, said the local medical examiners office has taken custody of the body and will be examining it for an identification as well as a cause of death. How long that may take depends on the condition of the body, he said. Sherin Mathews, 3, was reported missing to police on October 7. (Photo: Richardson Police Department) In the meantime, the investigation into the girls disappearance is still being treated as a missing persons case, he said. Sherin is believed to have been last seen alive around 3 a.m. on Oct. 7, when her adoptive father, Wesley Mathews, left her near a field behind their home as punishment for not drinking her milk, he told police. Mathews said he returned to check on her about 15 minutes later, only to find her missing. He said he then went inside and did laundry before calling police, roughly five hours later. Sherin Mathews' adoptive father, Westley Mathews, was arrested for allegedly abandoning or endangering a child. (Photo: Richardson Police Department) Perlich declined to say how far away the culvert is from the childs home but described it as in the area of East Spring Valley Road and South Bowser Road. That location appears to be a half a mile north of the familys home. Mathews was arrested the same day as his daughters disappearance and charged with abandoning or endangering a child. He was released on $250,000 bond. No further arrests had been made as of Monday afternoon, police said. This story has been updated with comments from Police Sgt. Perlich. Related... Missing Indonesian Man's Body Found Inside Massive Python Body Found In California River Identified As Missing College Student 3-Year-Old Missing After Left Outside For Not Drinking Milk: Cops Story continues Aspiring Pastor Accused Of Killing Wife Who Was Stabbed Dozens Of Times Also on HuffPost Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. WASHINGTON Simmering tension between Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain and the Trump administrations national security team over information sharing, the defense budget and Pentagon appointments boiled into public view last week. As the gatekeeper for President Donald Trumps Defense Department nominees and the prime mover for the Senates massive defense policy bill, McCain is too powerful a friend for the Pentagon to lose. His message had instant impact, with both Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and national security adviser H.R. McMaster making the effort to meet with the Arizona Republican in person last week. But analysts say the rift is already affecting major budgeting and policy decisions. McCain wants more vocal support from Mattis as he calls for budgets to advance a large-scale military buildup. McCain needs ammunition as hes been publicly linking defense budget caps to recent mishaps in which dozens of troops were hurt or killed. The core of McCains complaint with Trumps national security team is it wants the Senate as a rubber stamp and not a coequal branch of government. I think they had this idea, once that Trump won, that we are a unicameral government, McCain said, and we have to do what we have to do. The strains came into public view last week when McCain told reporters the administration is keeping him in the dark about an ambush in Niger that killed four service members. This was a symptom of deeper problems, that the communication was better with the Obama administrations defense secretary, Ash Carter, than with longtime friends. Im very close to these people, we converse all the time, McCain said. We are just not getting the information in a timely fashion that we need. Talk is cheap. Getting answers, McCain said, might require a subpoena. McMaster, after meeting with McCain, told reporters that the senators comments hurt my feelings and pledged better communication with the chairman. Story continues This is a problem we can solve, said McMaster, who in August received backing from McCain against a wave of criticisms from the far-right. Asked about McCains comments, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White downplayed tensions. I would say that we have done all we can and we will continue to strive to do as much as we can to ensure that Sen. McCain and all the members of the SASC and the [House Armed Services Committee] have exactly what they need when they need it, she said Oct. 19. A history of tension McCains Carter comparison was tough talk. In President Barack Obamas final year in office, McCain jousted with Carter and the administration over the defense budget, his reform efforts and his slow-rolling of Defense Department nominees. At one point, McCain vented over a frayed relationship between Congress and the Pentagons civilian leadership when Carter denied McCain a courtesy preview of the 2017 Pentagon budget. Though McCain has a history of tension with past defense secretaries, Mattis unique reliance on a close-knit group of advisers, rather than the broader expertise of the department, may have caused him problems. What is unique here is Secretary Mattis is, so far, really set up poorly for managing his ties to Congress, said Loren DeJonge Schulman, a former Department of Defense and National Security Council official under Obama, who is now with the Center for a New American Security. His relationships with McCain and others should, by necessity, be very different than when he was at [U.S. Central Command]. He is lacking a full team that can both ease the burden of interfacing with key members and highlight to him when an issue on the Hill really demands his attention before it gets out of hand, like McCains earlier commitment to hold up nominees. And by all accounts, his front office, who hes had to rely on in the absence of confirmed appointees, has little of that political sense and have on occasion really elevated tensions with the Hill just when they needed their support. Policy, budget and personnel impacted The concerns on Capitol Hill are substantive. McCain said he fears the administration lacks a plan for the aftermath of military actions in Syria, should the Islamic State group be defeated, something highlighted by the Oct. 20 announcement that U.S.-backed Syrian rebels have taken Raqqa, the de facto capital of ISIS so-called caliphate. Again, we will not sit by without having a complete understanding of what is going on, McCain said. Raqqa just fell. Whos going to take over? The Iranians are there, the Shiites. The whole situation is in chaos, as we predicted. Theres also a budget disconnect that began with the fiscal 2017 supplemental spending request, when defense leaders in Congress believed the DoD artificially lowballed their budget amendment based on its reading of the political landscape, according to Mackenzie Eaglen, a former Pentagon and congressional staffer with the conservative American Enterprise Institute. Chairman McCain would prefer to stop the shell games and just be straight with Congress, Eaglen said. Earlier this month, McCain said he would refuse to advance Trumps nominees to the Pentagon until he is satisfied the administration is communicating its plans for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. As SASC chairman, he sets the schedule for DoD nomination hearings, and as a senator, he may request a hold on any presidential nominee. Also fueling tension, according to Eaglen, is the snails pace at which the Trump administration has announced Pentagon nominees, Mattis preference for Democrats in many senior positions, and the tight control of access and vetting in the hands of a very small number of people in Mattis front office. The same day McCain made his comments about Mattis and McMaster, David Trachtenberg finally got a vote in the Senate and was confirmed as deputy undersecretary of defense for policy. The SASCs top Democrat, Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, said the path looks clear for other DoD nominees awaiting Senate votes, since the Senate has moved on from health care reform. Much like Trachtenberg, John Gibson, the pick for deputy chief management officer, as well as Navy general counsel nominee Charles Stimson and Owen West, Trumps choice for assistant defense secretary, have been waiting since July. Reed was supportive of McCains delaying actions as the prerogative of the chairman to pursue details about Afghanistan, Iraq and North Korea, saying: I would suggest not only for Sen. McCains benefit, but the publics benefit, that it be made clear. Boris Johnson and Donald Trump - AFP Donald Trump has an "absolute duty" to prepare for military intervention against North Korea in the face of the mounting nuclear threat posed by the regime, Boris Johnson will say. The Foreign Secretary will warn that Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, is on the verge of acquiring that capability of "make good his threat" to reduce New York to "ashes". It comes after the US President yesterday said that the US is "totally prepared" for war with North Korea as he increased the US military presence in North Korea. He has previously threatened to unleash "fire and fury". Mr Johnson, speaking at the annual Chatham House conference in London, will say: "I am afraid that the US President whoever he or she might be will have an absolute duty to prepare any option to keep safe not only the American people but all those who have sheltered under the American nuclear umbrella." However he will urge Mr Trump to show "far-sightedness" and not quit the Iran nuclear deal, arguing it shows the kind of "diplomatic imagination" that could end the North Korea crisis. Mr Johnson will single out US secretary of state Rex Tillerson for praise for opening the door to dialogue with Kim Jong-un, which Mr Trump has described as a "waste of time". He will say that diplomacy remains the best way to avoid a nuclear war and highlight the importance of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in removing the threat of a "nuclear winter". He will say: A new generation has grown up with no memory of the threat of a nuclear winter, and little education in the appalling logic of mutually assured destruction. The memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is now literally fading from living memory. The NPT is one of the great diplomatic achievements of the last century. It has stood the test of time. It is the job of our generation to preserve that agreement, and British diplomacy will be at the forefront of the endeavour. Story continues The Foreign Secretary will restate the "astonishing" and "extraordinary" achievement of the treaty and point out its success rests on nations choosing to "take shelter under a nuclear umbrella" provided by the US. The "American offer" and guarantee is one of the "greatest contributions" by the country to the "unprecedented epoch of peace and prosperity that we have all been living through", he will say. North Korea | Kim Jong-uns fiery relationship with the US Mr Johnson will argue that while other military developments, from firearms to fighter jets, have "spread among humanity like impetigo" nuclear weapons remain "the great exception" because of the agreement. "It has helped avoid what might otherwise have been a Gadarene Rush to destruction, in which the world was turned into a great arena of Mexican stand-offs, a nuclear version of the final scene of Reservoir Dogs. "That far-sightedness is now needed more than ever, not only to keep the NPT, but also one of its most valuable complementary accords, the nuclear deal with Iran. Stressing the need to keep military options on the table, he will say: "That is the model - of toughness but engagement, each reinforcing the other - that we should have at the front of our mind as we try to resolve the tensions in the Korean peninsula. "It is right that Rex Tillerson has specifically opened the door to dialogue. He has tried to give some sensible reassurances to the regime, to enable them to take up this offer." Barcelona (AFP) - Catalan separatists Monday threatened "mass civil disobedience" if Madrid carries out threats to depose their leaders, as tensions mounted over a bid to sever the region from Spain. Attitudes hardened at the start of a make-or-break week for Spain's deepest political crisis in decades, with firefighters, teachers and students also warning of strikes and protests. Madrid stood firm on its plans to replace the government of the semi-autonomous region whose inhabitants voted "Yes" in a banned independence referendum on October 1. Catalonia's separatist parties, in turn, called a special session of the regional parliament for Thursday to devise a response. Observers fear this may amount to a unilateral declaration of independence that will spark unrest in the wealthy, northeastern territory and further afield. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and his team may be out of their jobs as soon as this weekend, Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria insisted. A meeting of the Senate, in which Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative Popular Party holds a majority, is expected to officially suspend the territory's limited self-rule by Friday. "He (Puigdemont) will no longer be able to sign anything, he will no longer be able to take decisions, he will no longer receive a salary," Saenz de Santamaria told radio Onda Cero. - 'Institutional violence' - Madrid's post-referendum clampdown prompted the far-left Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), which backs Puigdemont's coalition, to accuse Madrid of the "biggest assault" on the Catalan people since Francisco Franco's dictatorship. Franco -- who ruled from 1939 until 1975 -- suppressed Catalonia's autonomy, language and culture. "This assault will receive a response in the form of massive civil disobedience," warned the CUP, a key regional power broker. Lluis Corominas, spokesman of the Together for Yes ruling coalition, branded the Spanish response "a case of unprecedented institutional violence. Story continues "Spain... is not a democracy. Spain is acting like a dictatorship," he told journalists in Barcelona. "They impose the laws upon us through judges and prosecutors, they impose the law upon us through the police. We have been occupied for weeks. They want to scare us, with the police, with the justice, with charges for sedition, charges for rebellion." To stop Catalonia breaking away, Madrid will rely on never-before-used powers in an article of the constitution meant to safeguard "the general interests of Spain". Until now, the region controlled its own policing, education and healthcare, but discontent has grown since the economic crisis by Catalans demanding more control over their own finances. Madrid could wrest away control of the Catalan police force, replace the heads of its public news outlets, and take over the entirety of the regional government's finances. But analysts say Madrid faces an uphill battle, especially if the regional government refuses to step down, and civil servants defy orders from central authorities. Such rebellion could compel the Madrid to deploy the police, resulting in clashes "and further stoking separatist sentiment," according to an analysis by the Eurasia Group political risk consultancy. - Stoking separatist sentiment - Already, half-a-million separatists took to the streets of Barcelona Saturday after Rajoy announced he would replace Puigdemont. On Monday, Catalan firefighters hinted they may refuse to obey orders from national authorities. "It depends on what they ask us to do. If there is a road that is blocked and they send us to unblock it, maybe we won't go," said a spokesman for a firefighter association associated to the separatist movement. Teachers called a protest march for Wednesday, and students said they will go on strike from Thursday. Elections for a new regional government, which must be held within six months, could also backfire badly by yielding an even stronger mandate for secession, said the Eurasia Group. The region of 7.5 million people is fiercely protective of its culture, language and autonomy, though polls indicate its inhabitants are divided on whether to break away from Spain. Puigdemont says 90 percent of those who voted in the referendum backed a split, but turnout was estimated at 43 percent as anti-independence Catalans stayed away. The crisis has rattled a European Union already grappling with Brexit. Adding to breakup fears, two of Italy's wealthiest northern regions, Veneto and Lombardy -- home to Venice and Milan respectively -- voted for greater autonomy in non-binding referendums on Sunday. European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker reiterated his criticism Monday of what is happening in Catalonia, and warned against "separatism in Europe." "I do not want the Europe of tomorrow to comprise 95 states," he said at a political debate in Strasbourg. The influential Catalan business lobby group Circulo d' Economia, for its part, urged "immediate" regional elections to prevent a period of "legal insecurity and civil unrest." The number of firms that have moved their legal headquarters out of Catalonia has risen to 1,302, according to Spain's companies registry. burs-mlr/ds/ach Robert Mugabe - AP The head of the World Health Organization said Saturday that he was "rethinking" his decision to name Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe a goodwill ambassador, as global outrage over the move mounted. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the UN health agency, had this week asked Zimbabwes 93-year-old authoritarian leader to serve in the role to help tackle non-communicable diseases like heart attacks, strokes and asthma across Africa. The decision triggered confusion and anger among key WHO member states and activists who noted that Zimbabwes health care system, like many of its public services, has collapsed under Mugabes regime. "Im listening. I hear your concerns. Rethinking the approach in light of WHO values. I will issue a statement as soon as possible," Tedros, a former Ethiopian health minister, said on Twitter. Tedros took charge of WHO in July, becoming the first African to lead the powerful UN agency. In announcing the appointment in Uruguays capital this week, Tedros had praised Zimbabwe as "a country that places universal health coverage and health promotion at the centre of its policies to provide health care to all." Britain, Canada and the US on Saturday joined the widening chorus of critics of the decision. Im listening. I hear your concerns. Rethinking the approach in light of WHO values. I will issue a statement as soon as possible Tedros Adhanom (@DrTedros) October 21, 2017 "This appointment clearly contradicts the United Nations ideals of respect for human rights and human dignity," the US State Department said. Britain said the move was "surprising and disappointing, particularly in light of the current US and EU sanctions against him." "We have registered our concerns with WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus," a foreign office statement read. Story continues And Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau termed the appointment "absolutely unacceptable," and said he "quite frankly... thought it was a bad April Fools joke." Zimbabwean activist and human rights lawyer Doug Coltart said on Twitter that a "man who flies to Singapore for treatment because he has destroyed Zimbabwes health sector is WHOs goodwill ambassador." MUGABE TIMELINE Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980, is in increasingly fragile health and makes regular trips abroad for medical treatment. He returned to Zimbabwe late on Saturday night. "Mugabe doesnt trust Zimbabwe health care he destroyed (he travels abroad) but @WHOs Tedros names him ambassador," the head of Human Rights Watch, Ken Roth, added in a tweet. UN Watch, a group primarily known for defending Israel at the world body, called the decision "sickening." "Amid reports of ongoing human rights abuses, the tyrant of Zimbabwe is the last person who should be legitimized by a UN position of any kind," the groups executive director Hillel Neuer said in a statement. WHO had earlier on Saturday pointed to Zimbabwes record on tobacco, NCDs and Tedros desire to engage senior politicians as justifications for the Mugabe honour. "Dr Tedros has frequently talked of his determination to build a global movement to promote high-level political leadership for health," spokesman Christian Lindmeier said in an email. "Zimbabwe has ratified the WHO FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) in 2014 and the government has launched a levy fund for NCDs to generate revenues for health promotion, including NCD prevention and control." UN agencies often name high-profile personalities as goodwill ambassadors to draw attention to their work, including actress Angelina Jolie with the refugee agency UNHCR. New revelations about the Chinese governments attempt to forcibly repatriate a Chinese fugitive show an assertive Beijing benefitting from a U.S. administration at odds with itself. But who is that American casino mogul who has apparently become the Chinese governments backchannel to the White House? It turns out hes a businessman beholden to Beijing and willing to press their case in the corridors of power in Washington and he has just the ticket. Earlier this year, Guo Wengui, a Chinese real estate mogul who now resides in New York, began making allegations of corruption against high-ranking Chinese officials. His presence in the United States has caused growing diplomatic tensions between Washington and Beijing, which has accused him of fraud and kidnapping and demanded his extradition back to China. Then Steve Wynn, an American casino magnate, reportedly hand-delivered a letter to Trump from the Chinese government asking him to ship Guo home. Trump later recalled the letter during an Oval Office briefing on Chinese economic espionage. Wheres the letter that Steve brought? aides in the room at the time reported Trump as saying, according to the Wall Street Journal. We need to get this criminal out of the country. But U.S. national security officials have indicated that Guos presence in the United States is valuable. His application for asylum is currently in process. In the end, aides blocked Guos removal. The incident demonstrates that the Chinese government has figured out who Trump listens to and how to mobilize these people to further their agenda inside the White House. In other words, theyve cracked the Trump code. So why did Wynn agree to deliver a letter from the authoritarian government hunting Guo to the president and why did Trump give it so much credence? (A Wynn Resorts spokesman told the Journal that the report was false.) The U.S. billionaire made his fortune in casinos from Las Vegas to Macau, a former Portuguese colony that now belongs to mainland China. Wynn has previously admitted his business interests in China have affected his U.S. political choices. During the 2016 presidential election primaries, Wynn initially supported Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio over Trump, due to Trumps fiery rhetoric against China. Story continues Im in business in China, I have great respect for the government there. And I have 20,000 employees or more there, said Wynn in a March interview with CBS, explaining his early support for Rubio over Trump. And I wanted to stay out of the line of fire until a discussion about the Peoples Republic of China was more focused. By the time of Trumps inauguration, however, the two tycoons were on better terms. When fashion designer Tom Ford said in November that he would not dress Melania Trump becoming one of numerous designers to disavow the future first lady Wynn pulled Fords line from the Wynn Las Vegas hotel. Chinese authorities understand theres an opportunity to bring that kind of influence directly to the White House. The Trump administration has frequently sidelined the State Department, shutting career officials out of policy decisions and leaving dozens of important diplomatic posts unfilled. Thats left many foreign governments without clear interlocutors, and diplomats have spent the months since Trumps inauguration seeking out other channels to communicate with the White House. Chinese officials have steadily gotten more adept at reaching out to the U.S. president by other means. During the Lunar New Year, Chinas most important annual holiday, the Chinese embassy in Washington threw a party, complete with childrens activities, and invited Ivanka Trump and her children her daughter, Arabella, has studied Chinese in school. Ivanka attended with children in tow. Wynn is close to Trump and a powerful insider in U.S. politics. In January, Wynn was appointed the Republican National Conventions finance chair, a position that puts him in charge of campaign financing for the 2018 midterm elections. But, perhaps even more importantly, his business empire is highly vulnerable to Beijing. The Macau gambling industry, which in 2013 brought in seven times the revenue of Las Vegas, is in dire straits amid a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown. As a result, high-rollers avoided Macau, gutting revenues and demonstrating the Chinese Communist Partys immense power over one of the worlds largest gambling havens. Wynn Macau, the American magnates signature casino there, is vulnerable to Beijings political winds. In October 2015, after Wynn Macaus net revenues had sunk by almost 40 percent, Wynn made a rare impassioned criticism of local policies. In my 45 years of experience, Ive never seen anything like this before, Wynn said in company conference call, referring to a new regulation. Here we are spending billions of dollars and then arbitrarily somebody says, Well, you should only have this many tables. No jurisdiction ever has imposed that kind of logic on us. Wynns bad period didnt last too long. In April 2017, three months after Wynn assumed the RNC position, he declared that his China casino business was experiencing a resurgence, with quarterly profits exceeding expectations. One thing is clear, Cisco is not afraid to use its considerable cash on hand to fill in holes in its product portfolio. Today it wrote out a big fat check for $1.9 billion to acquire BroadSoft, a Maryland company that delivers unified communications via service providers. The purchase gives Cisco a new way to sell its communications tools as it shifts its focus from a pure networking hardware company to one focused on software and services delivered in the cloud. Today's announcement comes on the heels of an announcement last week that it intended to purchase Perspica and fold the engineering team into AppDynamics, a company it purchased earlier this year for $3.7 billion. If you're thinking, this is an acquisitive company, you're right. It just purchased its 200th company. Screenshot 2017-10-23 09.30.10.png Cisco acquisitions in 2017. Chart: Crunchbase While last week's purchase was focused on data and machine learning, and understanding how performance affects the overall business, today's is firmly focused on Cisco's collaboration side of the house, which includes WebEx and Spark. Cisco might not be the first company you think of when it comes to collaboration, especially with Slack, Microsoft, Google and Facebook all in on this lucrative enterprise market, but it is one that the company has been looking at going back to the Enterprise 2.0 days back in 2006. It's easy to forget now, but Cisco bought WebEx back in 2007 for $3.2 billion to jumpstart its position in the enterprise collaboration and communications market. Over the years, it has been building on that, but WebEx remains a key piece in its enterprise communications strategy. In many ways, today's announcement is a continuation of that purchase a decade ago. In fact, BroadSoft released its own team communications tool, Team-One, just about a year ago, giving Cisco that tool and the rest of BroadSoft's extensive communications catalog. Rob Salvagno, VP of corporate business development at Cisco wrote in a company blog post announcing the deal, that the two companies really complement one another. "Collaboration is the first step to business digitization and BroadSoft has partnerships with over 450 telecom carriers in 80 countries -- including 25 of the top 30 globally -- to 19+ million BroadSoft business subscribers. BroadSofts portfolio is complementary to our existing on premises and enterprise-centric Hosted Collaboration Solutions (HCS), as well as Ciscos overall cloud investment strategy," Salvagno wrote. Story continues Alan Pelz-Sharpe, an analyst who is founder at Deep-Analysis, a firm that tracks collaboration tools says it should be a good match. "Broadsoft is a nice fit for Cisco as its products and strategy targets SMEs whereas Cisco targeted enterprises. Together they cover a much bigger addressable market and looks like a pretty sensible matchup," Pelz-Sharpe said. Alan Lepofsky, an analyst at Constellation Research, who covers collaboration tools, says the key is how they position the new tools from BroadSoft, but there are questions about how they'll fold the BroadSoft tools into Cisco. " We'll be waiting to see if they migrate the best features of TeamOne (which is essentially the evolution of Intellinote) to Spark, or keep them as different solutions for different size organizations. Spark is built on a highly secure architecture where each action is encrypted, so will that be compatible? TeamOne has also been sold via the BroadSoft channel, so those partners will have to be brought into the Cisco partner ecosystem," Lepofsky explained. BroadSoft was founded in 1998 and went public in 2010 after raising over $77 million. The deal is expected to close during Cisco's first quarter calendar year in 2018. After months of abuse from the president of the United States, CNN is hitting back with a not-so-subtle dig at Donald Trumps relationship with facts. A 30-second advertisement shows an apple sitting in front of an all white backdrop, with the patient kind of explanation a preschool teacher may give to a child still connecting names with objects: This is an apple, the narrator says. Some people might try to tell you that its a banana. They might scream, banana, banana, banana over and over and over again. They might put BANANA in all caps. You might even start to believe that this is a banana. But its not. This is an apple, the advertisement finishes. Mr Trump has sought to brand CNN and other major news outlets in the US as fake news, an adaptation of a term once used to describe literal fake news propagated during the 2016 campaign by outside groups that sowed uncertainty and misinformation via social media platforms. The advertisement pokes fun at the way Mr Trump has attempted that rebranding. The President frequently repeats himself during speeches, attempting to drive home the point hes trying to make. On Twitter, he frequently writes in all caps to emphasize the fake news he sees that meaning, of course, critical coverage of him. The attacks on CNN may have damaged the networks credibility in the eyes of the average voter, though polls show that Mr Trump has managed to maintain the lowest approval rating in modern history for a president at this point in his presidency. A poll earlier this year showed that CNN had the lowest credibility of all the major networks, with a 41 per cent credibility rating (that poll subtracted the percent of people who said not credible from those who said credible). Mr Trumps job approval, meanwhile, clocks in at just 36 per cent, according to Gallup. Fifty-eight per cent of Americans say that they disapprove of his job performance. Story continues Related: For more news videos visit Yahoo View. A Nebraska police officer rescued a piglet that ended up on a major highway. Trooper Anthony Frederick of the Nebraska State Police responded to the call of the piglet running free on I-80 and after a lot of effort was able to catch the little one. "I didnt know if I was going out to find a big pig or a little pig. Thats when I saw it walking around the grass median on the interstate," Frederick told InsideEdition.com. "I had to chase it around a little and it was raining that day so it was pretty muddy." Frederick said the pig squealed for a bit until he finally calmed down once he sat in Frederick's patrol car. Read: Viral Video of Baby Goat Saved By A Pig Proved To Be A Hoax He [Frederick] may or may not have had to dive a few times while trying to corral this little ham, but Porky couldn't get away, the police wrote on their Facebook. Glad he did, because the cars in that area are traveling at 75 miles per hour. Police made light of the situation adding that they don't specifically train for piglet chasing so Trooper Frederick "had to draw on all of his other training to make the catch. Other departments have since been jokingly asking if the department will be offering pig-catching training courses in the future. Thankfully the piglet, who has since been named Wilber, had no major injuries. Read: Sow and Her 5 Piglets Get New Home After Being Saved From Backyard Butcher Wilber was taken to the Capital Humane Society in Lincoln where he is in the process of getting ready for adoption, police said. If you want to adopt him (the piglet, not Trooper Frederick), give them a shout. And if you can't get this one, they do have other piglets too, police wrote. Countingup, a new fintech startup from Tim Fouracre, who previously founded cloud accounting software Clear Books, wants to simplify the life of sole traders by reinventing the business bank account. Specifically, Fouracre's vision is that for one-person enterprises, business banking and accounting software should be merged so that bookkeeping and filing accounts can be automated. To make this a reality, the young company has picked up 750,000 in founding led by Frontline Ventures. Others participating in the round include Will Neale (Founder of Fonix & Grabyo), Ben Grol (Partner at Atomico), Ben Heald (Chair of Sift, Edo, eFiling & Bristol Pound), and Andy Chung (AngelList). The capital will be used to launch the Countingup banking account in the U.K. later this year, with the combined accounting functionality to follow early next year. "I first had the idea for combining accounting and banking about three years ago," Fouracre tells me. "Earlier this year I began to realise the idea was a real possibility and in September I officially got to work on the project full time". After downloading the Countingup for iOS or Andriod, you'll be able to open a current account on your smartphone in around 5 minutes. The account will come with a U.K. sort code/account number and a contactless Mastercard. So far, so neobank, such as the offerings of Revolut or Tide, or even Starling and Monzo. However, once rolled out, the Countingup app will also automate your accounting, including reconciliation of expenses. It will submit VAT returns, generate a profit and loss report and create invoices. "If you are running a business then bookkeeping is a chore, wastes your time and is boring," adds Fouracre. "Your bank surprises you with hidden fees and youve probably lost faith in their customer service. Countingup is making starting and running a business really simple for sole traders. We're doing that by combining accounting and banking into one simple smarthphone app". Story continues The Countingup founder says there are as many as 4.2 million sole traders in the UK i.e. businesses with no more than one employee in the business, and that this is the market the fintech startup is working hard on serving. "This includes everyone from your construction sub contractor to your IT freelancer, whether they are self employed or operating as a limited company," he says. In addition to the banks, Countingup counts pure accounting software plays as competitors, such as Sage and Xero, who are increasingly integrating with bank account products. As an example, Curve, the London fintech startup that lets you consolidate all your bank cards into a single card and track your spending, recently partnered with accounting software Xero to automate the filing of business expenses. Meanwhile, another direct competitor is soon-to-launch Coconut. The Techstars alumni is also targeting freelancers and self-employed people with a banking app that includes accounting features. A Colorado Cub Scout was booted from his den last week after asking a state Senator tough questions on several sensitive topics, including gun control. On Oct. 9, 11-year-old Ames Mayfield and other Scouts gathered for an event with Colorado state Sen. Vicki Marble. During the event, Ames Mayfield pressed the Senator about her record on guns. At one point during his lengthy and well-researched question he said, why on earth would you want somebody who beats their wife to have access to a gun? He also asked the Senator about controversial comments she made in 2013 about black Americans health. His mom, Lori, recorded the exchanges. Lori Mayfield told the New York Times that on Oct. 14, a local Cub Scouts leader told her that Ames Mayfield was not welcome to return to his pack. He let me know in so many words that the den leader was upset about the topic of gun control, she said. It was too politically charged. The Boy Scouts of America did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TIME. The organization told the Times that the 11-year-old Mayfield is now scouting with a different den. The Boy Scouts of America and the Denver Area Council are pleased that the family will continue their participation in Scouting, the Boy Scouts told the Times. State Senator Marble told the Denver Post that she does not blame Ames Mayfield for asking questions because she believes there was an element of manipulation involved. It wasnt much different from the questions I normally field in other meetings, her statement to the Post reads in part. The invitation to meet with the Scouts was never intended to cause friction and controversy. Lori Mayfield denied pushing Ames Mayfield to ask the questions, saying in several interviews that that she only helped him to print them and reminded her son to be respectful. There were kids who asked about fracking, about the border wall, about fossil fuels, she told Colorados 9News. In the midst of that, it didnt seem like gun control was that different. Former U.S. Representative from Arizona Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head at a political event in 2011, has also weighed in on the incident, commending Ames courage. On Monday, David Cross said sorry to Charlyne Yi again. This time the Arrested Development actor seemed more remorseful than in his previous attempts to apologize for and clarify a racist incident that transpired between the two comedians 10 years ago. Charlyne Im sorry that I hurt you and that this whole thing played out as it did, Cross wrote on Twitter. I look forward to communicating whenever you see fit. Charlyne Im sorry that I hurt you and that this whole thing played out as it did. I look forward to communicating whenever you see fit. https://t.co/E0zs5UdznR )))David Cross((( (@davidcrosss) October 23, 2017 Cross post is a response to tweets Yi wrote on Sunday in which the House actress spoke out against those who were taking advantage of the situation between her and Cross to dispense hate at him and his wife, Amber Tamblyn. I dont support anyone who has taken this tango between @davidcrosss & I to use it as an opportunity to threaten or spread hate onto him & @ambertamblyn, she wrote. It doesnt help matters whatsoever. We have a lot of growing to do, us weird human beings with our all our pain. I don't support anyone who has taken this tango between @davidcrosss & I to use it as an opportunity to threaten or spread hate onto him & @ambertamblyn. It doesn't help matters whatsoever. We have a lot of growing to do, us weird human beings with our all our pain. Charlyne Yi (@charlyne_yi) October 22, 2017 When both David & my walls fall down, hopefully we can have a heart to heart, & laugh & cry, she said in another tweet. Communication from the heart is the only way. Story continues We're all just afraid, fragile creatures trying to learn how to build bridges to find peace with one another. When both David & my walls fall down, hopefully we can have a heart to heart, & laugh & cry. Communication from the heart is the only way. Peace. Charlyne Yi (@charlyne_yi) October 22, 2017 Last week, amid the stacking allegations against Harvey Weinstein, Yi felt compelled to share a story about how Cross made racially insensitive jokes at her expense when she first met him at age 20. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. David Cross and Charlyne Yi. (Photo: Mark Sagliocco via Getty Images / Todd Williamson via Getty Images) During their initial meeting, Yi tweeted that Cross made fun of her tattered pants, asked her if she spoke English and uttered ching-chong, ching-chong. Yi said that after Cross noticed she was offended, he asked her if she was going to fight with him karate in a Southern accent. In response to Yis accusations, Cross responded on Twitter with an apology, but he also claimed that he didnt recall the exchange and that perhaps both he and Yi were misremembering what happened. He followed that apology with a tweeted statement in which he inferred that he would have been in character as a racist redneck if he ever made comments like that. Tamblyn who has called out men for their misuse of power in the past eventually defended her husband, noting that he had apologized several times. She also tweeted that she spoke to Yi, that she believed her story and that people should not hold women accountable for the actions, decisions or word of their partners. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Retired Gen. David Petraeus on Sunday shot down the White House position that its highly inappropriate to questions a four-star general. Not only are generals fair game, but the military is fiercely protective of Americans right to criticize them, he insisted. I think were all fair game, Petraeus said on ABCs This Week. He added: We, in uniform, protect the rights of others to criticize us we are fiercely protective of the rights of our Americans to express themselves, even if that includes criticizing us. Petraeus slam was a response to a warning by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders last week that its highly inappropriate to debate a four-star Marine general. The press secretarys comments came after reporters questioned her about the veracity of a statement made by White House chief of staff and retired four-star general John Kelly. Kelly had insisted that Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson (D) had boasted about obtaining funds for a new FBI building named for two slain agents and failed to honor their memory. But video of Wilsons speech at the time revealed that Kelly was wrong on both counts. Petraeus on WH's claim that it's "inappropriate" to debate a general: "We in uniform protect the rights of others to criticize us frankly." pic.twitter.com/kt56qkbslV Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 22, 2017 Kellys false statement was a part of an attempt to attack Wilson, who criticized President Donald Trumps condolence call to the widow of a fallen soldier as insensitive. According to the congresswoman, Trump said that Army Sgt. La David Johnson mustve known what he was getting into. Trump blasted the account as a total fabrication, but Wilsons version of the call was backed up by Johnsons mother. Petraeus noted that he himself has been the target of criticism. I certainly experienced lots of that in testimony on Capitol Hill during the surge in Iraq and subsequent endeavors in Afghanistans central command and so forth, he said. Story continues Petraeus also called the public spat about the presidents call unfortunate. We need to unite behind our gold star families to embrace them with compassion and with support not to drag them into partisan politics, he said. Sadly, this is a bit symptomatic of what I think is afflicting our country right now. Arguably the most important threat the United States faces is not Russia, Iran and North Korea, or even Chinese competition or ISIS. Its parochialism here at home. Petraeus said he suspects Kelly is now trying to figure out how to turn down the volume [and] move forward. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. From NetDoctor Nothing quite gets a reaction on social media like a video of an adorable baby hearing her mum say "I love you" for the first time. Christy Keane found that out when she shared a video of her 2-month-old daughter Charlotte getting her hearing aids put in, and within days, the cute clip hit over a million views on Facebook. "I was not expecting such a large response to the post," Christy told GoodHousekeeping.com in a phone interview Thursday. The video now has over 10 million views, about 155,000 likes and close to 200,000 shares. Christy says she did not initially plan on making the video public, but when relatives asked her to do so in order to share it with their friends, the stay-at-home mother of two happily obliged. "I thought, 'Oh, what's the harm? I'll make it public," she says. "And then, I think I woke up the next day with a thousand shares and by Monday it had hit a million." "CHARLY HEARS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND HEARS ME SAY I LOVE YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!," Christy captioned the video. "And she's holding back happy tears and emotional as her mama." "I had never in my life seen that face before," Christy says of her daughter's emotional reaction. "I'm her mother, and I know the look in her eyes when she's sad, upset or hurting, and that connection, and that moment when our eyes met and she heard my voice for the first time, that was true emotion from her." Charlotte's father, Daniel, filmed the video that was posted online, and Christy says the military dad also got choked up when he saw his newborn's face. "He was as emotional as I was," Christy says. "All this time that we had spent sad that she wasn't able to hear us, all that pain went away." The hearing aids were given to the family from donors, and were at no cost to the Keanes. But before this miraculous moment took place, it had been a challenging two months for the young parents from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Christy says throughout her pregnancy she had no warning that her daughter may be deaf, so the news that Charlotte was born with hearing loss came as a total surprise to the couple. Neither Christy or her husband have a history of hearing loss in their families. "It was shocking," Christy says. "I had never met a deaf person in my life until my daughter." Thirty-eight women have come forward to accuse director James Toback of sexual harassment, in the wake of similar accusations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. According to Los Angeles Times, the women claimed they had negative encounters with the 72-year-old Bugsy writer, with a number of them speaking on the record over the allegations. The women told the paper that they had meetings framed as interviews or auditions [that] quickly turned sexual, claiming that during these meetings they were asked inappropriate questions, such as How often do you masturbate? or How much pubic hair do you have? the Times reported. Toback has worked in the movie industry for more than 40 years, most notably getting an Oscar nomination for best screenwriting for the 1991 drama film Bugsy. He also won the Regal Knockout Award for his 2008 documentary Tyson, about the boxer and convicted rapist, Mike Tyson. During that time, the women, who did not contact the police at the time of the alleged incidents, said Toback had called them into meetings and masturbated in front of them. One woman, Louise Post, now a guitarist with alternative rock band Veruca Salt, said she had carried around the incident with Toback for three decades. He told me hed love nothing more than to masturbate while looking into my eyes, Post told the newspaper. Going to his apartment has been the source of shame for the past 30 years, that I allowed myself to be so gullible. Post's band tweeted in support of her allegations, sharing the #metoo hashtag that has seen women sharing their own stories of sexual assault in solidarity with other victims. Us too: by bosses, boyfriends, male babysitters, taxi drivers, strangers and movie director/pig #jamestoback #metoo, the band wrote on its Twitter account. Us too: by bosses, boyfriends, male babysitters, taxi drivers, strangers and movie director/pig #jamestoback #metoo Veruca Salt (@verucasalt) October 16, 2017 And more recently, actress Adrienne LaValley alleged that in 2008 Toback had attempted to rub himself against her, ejaculating in his pants in front of her. Story continues The way he presented it, it was like, This is how things are done, LaValley said. I felt like a prostitute, an utter disappointment to myself, my parents, my friends. And I deserved not to tell anyone, she added. Of the 38 women who shared their stories with the Times, more than 30 spoke on record about the allegations, which were denied by the director. In a statement to the Times, Toback denied he had met the women who made the allegations, or that if he had met them it was for five minutes and have no recollection. Toback also claimed it was biologically impossible for him to have carried out the acts he had been accused of. The allegations against the director come in the wake of the Weinstein allegations of sexual assault and rape that have left Hollywood reeling. At least 40 women have come forward about Weinstein. Related Articles Donald Trump struggled to remember the name of fallen soldier Sergeant La David T Johnson during a phone call with his family, according to the sergeant's widow. In an interview with Good Morning America, Myeshia Johnson referenced the controversy over the President's comments in which he said Johnson "knew what he signed up for". And she also confirmed previous reports suggesting Mr Trump failed to remember her husband's name. She said: "I heard him stumbling [over] trying to remember my husband's name, and that's what hurt me the most." "If he's putting his life on the line for the country, why can't you remember his name?" she commented in the interview. "My husband was an awesome soldier," Ms Johnson said, adding that Mr Trump's call made her "cry even worse." Ms Johnson also addressed Mr Trump's claims that Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson lied about the condolence call he had had with her. She said Ms Wilson has known she and her husband since they were young. Ms Johnson said she took the call on speaker phone in the vehicle where Ms Wilson was asked to be present while the family travelled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive Mr Johnson's body. The Congresswoman had gone on CNN the morning after to detail that Mr Trump did not know Mr Johnson's name and kept calling him "your guy." She also said the President told Ms Johnson: "You know, he mustve known what he signed up for." "Whatever Ms. Wilson said was not fabricated. What she said was 100 per cent correct," Ms Johnson confirmed. Ms Johnson also noted that she had not actually seen her husband's body on his return; "they won't show me a finger, a hand." "I don't know what's in that box. It could be empty for all I know," she told GMA, adding that she had asked to see him many times but was never allowed. Story continues Ms Johnson has not been briefed on any details of what happened in Niger when three other soldiers Staff Sergeants Bryan Black, Jeremiah Johnson, Dustin Wright, and also Mr Johnson died and two others were injured when a group of a dozen US Army soldiers and 40 troops from Niger were ambushed on 4 October. The Pentagons initial assessment was to blame Isis militants. Congress, however, is questioning not only the purpose of the mission but why the Green Beret-led team was without sufficient support to fight off the 50 Isis militants. In the ensuing rescue operation to get the US soldiers out of the area during a firefight with the militants, it appears Mr Johnsons body was left behind. His body was only recovered 48 hours later - found by Nigerian nationals - and returned the US. Mr Mattis confirmed that the soldiers were there on a foreign internal defence training mission to "help the people in the region defend themselves." He said these types of counter-terror missions are are done "by, with, and through our allies". Mr Mattis, in response to some news reports, asked that the media "not question the actions of the troops caught in the firefight" who "did everything they could" to recover all the wounded and killed in action at the same time. "We at the DOD like to know what were talking about before we talk," Mr Mattis said as an explanation for the lack of more details on the investigation. The FBI has also joined the Defence Department investigation and Secretary James Mattis was adamant in saying: the "US military does not leave its troops behind". However, he did admit the Pentagon does not "have all the accurate information yet" regarding the ambush and rescue operation. Mr Mattis headed to Capitol Hill on Friday afternoon to meet with Senator John McCain - a retired Naval officer, prisoner of war, and chair of the Armed Service Committee - after he threatened to potentially use a subpoena to compel information from the Pentagon and the administration about the Niger attack, complaining that it was easier under Obama to find out about active military operations. Mr Trump took to Twitter shortly after Ms Johnson's interview aired to write: "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!" He previously tweeted that Ms Wilson was "wacky" and that her claims should not be believed about the condolence call. Thus far, 43 soldiers have been killed in action during Mr Trump's term in office. He has not contacted at least nine families according to a recent report. Donald Trump has gone on a Twitter offensive, attacking Hillary Clinton and claiming Facebook was more on her side than his during the presidential campaign: AP Donald Trump has gone on yet another Twitter tirade, this time attacking Hillary Clinton and Facebook after claims Russian-bought Facebook adverts were used to support his presidential campaign. Downplaying the significance of the ads, which many investigating politicians and law-enforcement agents believe were intended to influence the election result, Mr Trump went on the offensive. Crooked Hillary Clinton spent hundreds of millions of dollars more on Presidential Election than I did. Facebook was on her side, not mine! he said. Another tweet read: Keep hearing about tiny amounts of money spent on Facebook ads. What about the billions of dollars of Fake News on CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS? Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg last week admitted the company made mistakes during the 2016 campaign, including selling more than $100,000 (76,000) in ads to a Russian company linked to the Kremlin. Separate investigations led by the intelligence committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives are reviewing the Facebook advertisements used by both candidates as they attempt to probe the alleged Russia ties. Some believe the intention was to lower the turnout by discrediting Ms Clinton, with Russian troll factories allegedly paying people to spread fake news stories across social media around the clock. Google reportedly sold at least $4,700 (3,600) worth of ads to accounts believed to be tied to the Russian government, according to the New York Times. More than 3,000 Russian-bought adverts turned over to Congress by Facebook are currently being examined. Their aim was to sow chaos, said Democratic Senator Mark R Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. In many cases, it was more about voter suppression rather than increasing turnout. Republican Senator John McCain and two Democratic senators have put forward a bill that would force Facebook, Google and others to disclose who is purchasing online political advertising. Story continues Mr Trump also revisited the topic of the so-called dirty dossier leaked by the media and containing unsubstantiated allegations of the existence of a Russian sex blackmail tape against him. Suggesting the dossier, believed to have been compiled by British spy Christopher Steele, had been a put-up job, he said: Officials behind the now discredited Dossier plead the Fifth. Justice Department and/or FBI should immediately release who paid for it. To plead the fifth refers to the constitutional right in the US to remain silent when under arrest in order to avoid incriminating oneself. This week, Mr Trump blasted two officials of a Democrat-aligned opposition research firm, Fusion, who refused to testify before the House Intelligence Committee about the sensational dossier. Donald Trump has claimed he spoke the name of Sgt. La David Johnson from the beginning of a conversation with the serviceman's widow contradicting the wife's account of the President's condolence call after her husband was killed during an ambush in Niger. Myeshia Johnson took the call from Mr Trump last week, saying it made me cry even worse. She said what hurt her the most was that the President struggled to remember my husband's name. I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name, and thats what hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risked his life for our country why cant you remember his name, Ms Johnson told ABC's Good Morning America. Thats what made me upset and cry even more because my husband was an awesome soldier, she added. Ms Johnson had known her husband since they were six years old. Disputing Ms Johnson's description of what happened, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter: I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2017 The accounts of Mr Trump's call with Ms Johnson have placed the grieving widow at the centre of a national controversy. Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who had listened in on the call on speakerphone, said last week that Mr Trump told Ms Johnson that her husband must have known what he signed up for, an account later corroborated by Ms Johnsons aunt and custodial mother, Cowanda Jones-Johnson. Mr Trump vehemently denied Ms Wilsons account, stating that it was totally fabricated. But White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a retired military general, later appeared to confirm Ms Wilson's report of the President said. Story continues In an emotional statement during a White House briefing, Mr Kelly said he was stunned that Ms Wilson had listened in on the call and then spoke to the press about it. Ms Johnson on Monday said that the congresswoman's version of events was 100 percent correct. Why would we fabricate something like that? she said. Mr Johnson was killed along with three other soldiers during an attack that appears to have been carried out by 40 to 50 Isis militants. Nearly, three weeks after the incident, questions continue to swril about what happened. In the ensuing rescue operation to get the US soldiers out of the area during a firefight with the militants, it appears Mr Johnsons body was left behind. His body was only recovered 48 hours later found by Nigerian nationals and returned the US. I want to know why it took them 48 hours to find my husband. . . . When they came to my house, they just told me it was a massive gunfire and that my husband, as of October 4, was missing, Ms Johnson said on Monday. They didnt know his whereabouts. She continued: He went from missing to killed in action...I dont know how he got killed, where he got killed or anything. Mr Johnson's body was flown back to the US last Tuesday. A photo shows his widow kissing his casket just before he was buried. But Ms Johhson told Good Morning America that she still doesn't know if her husband was inside it. Why couldnt I see my husband? Every time I asked to see my husband, they wouldnt let me, she said. They wont show me a finger, a hand. I know my husbands body from head to toe. They wont show me anything. I dont know whats in that box, she added. It could be empty for all I know. Both the FBI and the US Defence Department are investigating the incident, and Congress is also demanding more clarification on what happened. On Thursday, Defence Secretary James Mattis said that the Pentagon does not have all the accurate information yet regarding the ambush. As the October fires subside, its clear that chefs and restaurateurs of the Napa Valley did their part during those harrowing days. Here are just a few of stories that are emerging. Hurleys Restaurant and Grill When the fire trucks flashing their lights and sounding sirens lined up outside Hurleys in Yountville, it was not thank goodness because the restaurant was on fire. The firefighters from San Bernardino whod come to help fight the fires were on their way home, and they wanted to stop to thank the guy whod been sending up meals to them for the past week. When the fires began, I started cooking for the evacuation center, said chef Bob Hurley. When they said they had enough food, I found out that firefighters were holding the lines above the Veterans Home in Yountville. I was talking to them, he said. There were firefighters from Portland and Washington who had driven 16 hours to get here. Others were from Barstow and San Bernardino. I said, Where do you guys stay? I thought they were sleeping in hotels. They were sleeping in the dirt. I said to one of them, You love this, and he just grinned at me. They were just doing what comes natural to them. So Hurley decided to help, doing what comes naturally to a chef: he and his staff took meals meat, vegetables, desserts and salads up to the firefighters for the next four nights. I wasnt exceptional, Hurley said. Everyone was doing what they could to help. My daughter said, Its what you are supposed to do. Id like to give credit to Del Monte Foods, Cooks Company and Chefs Warehouse, he added. They all donated food without a question asked. Hurleys efforts earned him a grand thank you when the firefighters broke up camp and stopped by his restaurant. They pulled up and lined up, Hurley said, and everyone came out of the restaurant and applauded them. It was really pretty touching, said John Hawkley of Napa, who was at Hurleys. Hurley asked the men what they were doing for dinner that night. They didnt know, Hurley said, so I told them to come in and eat. I said, Dont hold back. They were so appreciative, he added. They seemed surprised that anyone would thank them, but thats just Napa Valley hospitality. My father was a fireman, Hurley added, so I have a special place for them but who doesnt? They saved our valley. Now, Hurley said, the task ahead is getting back to normal. In my 30 years in Yountville, Ive never seen the town look the way it did during the fires. It was a ghost town. On Sunday, he hosted a neighborhood block party, and on Wednesday, Oct. 25, he and his neighbor, vintner Jean-Charles Boisset, are holding a winemaker dinner at Hurleys restaurant and donating the funds raised to the Community Foundation fund for disaster relief. Lets put this behind us, Hurley said. Hurleys is at 6518 Washington St., Yountville; 944-2345. Napkins feeds the first responders Ali Yildirim, owner of Napkins restaurant in Napa, is also among the many Napa Valley restaurateurs who also decided to do what he could to help through the long week as thousands battled the fires, and residents were evacuated to emergency centers. He first sent food to the centers and then began sending food up to the firefighters, and offering free meals to first- responders at Napkins. So far, about 150 have showed up, he said. As the fires were increasingly contained in Napa County and firefighters began moving out, Yildirim had his staff send food over the hill to Sonoma County. You do what you can, Yildirim added. Ive told my staff, now if you need to buy something, if you want to eat out, think of Napa first. Its how you can help. Its part of being part of the community. In line with this, Yildirim was donating 10 percent of profits from Napkins to the relief efforts. You can drop by for the lunchtime soup or salad and sandwich special ($15) and support his efforts. Napkins is at 1001 Second St., Napa. (707) 927-5333. Comfort foods at the CIA Meanwhile, at the CIA at Copia in Napa last week, chef Polly Lapetito was serving bowls full of the Italian comfort food, cacio y pepe, a masterpiece of simplicity: pasta, Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Her own version of this classic gained a following when she was executive chef at Cicchio in Yountville. Even Francis Ford Coppola, Rutherfords vintner/filmmaker who is known to cook up a few Italian dishes himself, called the restaurant to ask for Lapetitos recipe. I started to write it down, she said. Then I realized its all in the technique. So I said, Tell him Ill do a video and send it to him. To which a colleague replied, You are really going to send a film to Francis Ford Coppola? I thought: yes! said Lapetito. The new attitude from the CIA in the old Copia space was evident during the turmoil: they offered games, movies, and reading hours for kids, in addition to cooking classes for teens. Theres no longer an admission fee to go in and see the space. And if you are lucky, Lapetito might still be making cacio y pepe. The CIA at Copia is at 500 First St., Napa. (707) 967-2500. A feast at Southside And, finally, Irma and Morgan Robinson, owners of Southside Cafe in west Napa, decided to hold a special edition of their popular First Friday Fried Chicken feasts on Sunday afternoon as a benefit for fire relief. I told (the staff) to cook 100 chickens, Irma Robinson said. They thought maybe 40 people would show up. But a few minutes after the cafe opened for the pop-up event, the lines of people waiting for chicken filled the restaurant and snaked out the door, down the stairs and into the parking lot on Old Sonoma Road. The mood was cheerful, and no one seemed to mind the wait as the staff scurried to deliver brown paper bags filled with fried chicken, biscuits and potato salad. Among the diners was Keith Rogal and his wife Lizzie, who said they thought this was a good occasion to try Southsides famous fried chicken. But this is tough on the waistline, said Ryan Payne with a grin. Ill have to do fried chicken twice this month. The regular Southside First Friday Fried Chicken take-out is on Nov. 3. For details to order a bucket of chicken and sides to go, visit www.southsidenapa.com or call (707) 492-3733. Southside is regularly open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2770 Old Sonoma Road. The Daily Beast Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesAfter being the target of Donald Trumps taunts for weeks, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shot back with a simple retort: just look at the scoreboard.His remarksat a Tuesday press conferencemark the first time DeSantis, who has left the door open to running for president in 2024, has publicly responded to the personal jabs made by Trump and his allies. Well, you know, one of the things Ive learned, like learn in this job is when youre do, when you're leading, when your Eric Bolling finds it "beyond inappropriate" that fellow ex-Fox News host Bill O'Reilly referenced Bolling's late son while defending himself against the latest wave of public backlash. Bolling's son, 19-year-old college student Eric Chase Bolling, was found dead in September. His death came just hours after Bolling was let go from Fox News as reports emerged that he had allegedly sexually harassed women at the network. While declining to release details about the younger Bolling's sudden death, the family maintained that it was not related to the firing. On Monday, O'Reilly brought up the death while speaking to the New York Times, which on Saturday exposed a $32 million lawsuit O'Reilly settled with a sexual harassment accuser. "I urge you to think about what you put in your newspaper, OReilly warned The Times. Eric Bollings son is dead. Hes dead because of allegations made in my opinion and I know this to be true against Mr. Bolling. Despite O'Reilly's assertion that he "knew it to be true," Bolling is firmly shutting him down, saying, "My parting from Fox News was in no way connected to the tragic news of my son's passing. The coroner has in fact indicated to us that they believe it was an accident." "I believe it is beyond inappropriate for anyone to bring in the tragic death of my son Eric Chase Bolling," he said in a statement. "Just as Bill O'Reilly had wanted to shield his children from the allegations against him, I hope he will honor my request and avoid any future mentions of my son." Bolling went on to draw a distinction between his departure from the network and O'Reilly's: "Unlike others who left Fox News amid public allegations and extensive investigations, I parted ways with Fox News in an amicable way and any reference to a firing is flatly wrong." Bolling's exit from Fox News came after HuffPost revealed that he allegedly sent lewd photos and texts to three female colleagues. Washington (AFP) - The United States does not intend to disrupt European business deals with Iran, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in comments published Friday. Tillerson, speaking one week after President Donald Trump refused to certify the Iran nuclear deal and left its fate to the US Congress, said that he would address European allies' business concerns. "The president's been pretty clear that it's not his intent to interfere with business deals that the Europeans may have under way with Iran," Tillerson told The Wall Street Journal. "He's said it clearly: 'That's fine. You guys do what you want to do.'" Tillerson said that after working with the Europeans for six months, "we will start a more formalized process with them now that the policy's been adopted." Trump has threatened a "total termination" of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran unless Congress tightens sanctions on the country and European allies address US concerns. A week ago, he announced new sanctions on Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), describing them as "the Iranian supreme leader's corrupt personal terror force and militia." On Thursday, two top American intelligence officials suggested that European or other companies who are seen doing business with entities tied to the Guards could themselves run into US sanctions problems. "The (US) intelligence community struggles mightily to figure out which companies are controlled by the IRGC," CIA Director Mike Pompeo said at a forum organized by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "It is a difficult, complex intelligence undertaking to sort out which entities are controlled by the Guards, which ones have shareholders," Pompeo said, estimating the Guards control as much as 20 percent of the Iranian economy. "But imagine you're a European CEO, or board of directors or a lender.... Imagine that you're a businessperson deciding whether it was appropriate to take that risk or not, whether the return was there for your company. I think we can make it even more difficult." Story continues - 'Don't do business with IRGC' - At the same forum, White House National Security Advisor HR McMaster echoed that point, saying the United States is working hard to investigate the IRGC networks and money flows. "The message would be: don't do business with the IRGC; don't enrich the IRGC, don't enable their murderous campaign, don't enable their threat to our friends in the region," McMaster said. European trade with Iran has surged since the nuclear deal went into effect in January 2016. Last year, EU trade with Iran was around $16 billion (14 billion euros), but most large European banks are reluctant to invest, fearing huge US fines or being locked out of the US market. In the interview, Tillerson said little about the fate of lucrative Boeing contracts to sell passenger planes to Iran, or General Electric agreements to sell equipment and technologies to Iran's energy sector. Beirut (AFP) - The Islamic State group killed 116 people it suspected of collaborating with the Syrian regime in Al-Qaryatain this month before losing the desert down to government forces, a monitor said Monday. "IS has over a period of 20 days executed at least 116 civilians in reprisal killings, accusing them of collaboration with regime forces," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. Regime forces retook Al-Qaryatain, which lies in the central Homs province, on Saturday, three weeks after the jihadists seized control of it. IS had first occupied the town in 2015 and lost it to a Russian-backed Syria forces last year. "After the regime retook it (on Saturday), the town's residents found the bodies on the streets. They had been shot dead or executed with knives," Abdel Rahman said. "Most of the IS fighters who attacked the town a month ago were sleeper cells... They are from the town, know the town's residents and who is for or against the regime," he said. The majority of those killed were executed in the last two days before IS lost the town again, he added. Facebook is currently testing a new dual-feed setup that separates Page-generated posts from ads and posts from friends, The Guardian reports. The trial is currently underway in six countries -- Bolivia, Guatemala, Cambodia, Slovakia, Serbia and Sri Lanka. Under this arrangement, the main News Feed is still populated by things shared by friends and family as well as advertisements. But posts shared by Pages -- like those of publishers, for example -- are moved to a secondary feed. The tests began last week and Slovakian journalist Filip Struharik told The Guardian, "Pages are seeing dramatic drops in organic reach. The reach of several Facebook Pages fell on Thursday and Friday by two-thirds compared to previous days." And that number was confirmed by analytics service CrowdTangle, stats from which showed that popular Slovakian Facebook Pages saw two-thirds to three-quarters reductions in their Facebook reach. This could be bad news for outlets that heavily rely on Facebook traffic and it stands to impact their revenue. Matti Littunen, a senior research analyst with analytics company Enders Analysis told The Guardian, "The biggest hits will be to the likes of Buzzfeed, Huffington Post and Business Insider, who create commoditized content aiming for the biggest reach." Facebook has been playing around with how it presents content to its users. It recently gave News Feed an overhaul, making it easier to navigate, and brought its Explore Feed to desktop. The company also redesigned its Trending section in order to incorporate different viewpoints on a popular topic, began testing a feature that gives more detailed information about an article's publisher and has introduced a slew of changes aimed at combating the spread of fake news. A Facebook spokesperson told Engadget that as of now though, there are no plans to expand this test further. "With all of the possible stories in each person's feed, we always work to connect people with the posts they find most meaningful. People have told us they want an easier way to see posts from friends and family, so we are testing two separate feeds, one as a dedicated space with posts from friends and family and another as a dedicated space for posts from Pages," said the spokesperson. "To understand if people like these two different spaces, we will test a few things, such as how people engage with videos and other types of posts. These tests will start in Sri Lanka, Bolivia, Slovakia, Serbia, Guatemala, and Cambodia. We have no current plans to roll this out globally." Update: Facebook provided a longer response in a new blog post tonight about the test. After withering criticism for naming Zimbabwes leader, Robert Mugabe, as a goodwill ambassador, the World Health Organization announced on Sunday that it had rescinded the appointment. I have listened carefully to all who have expressed their concerns and heard the different issues that they have raised, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHOs director general, said in a statement. I have also consulted with the government of Zimbabwe and we have concluded that this decision is in the best interests of the World Health Organization. Just five days earlier, Ghebreyesus had said he was honored to appoint Mugabe as ambassador. He also claimed the Zimbabwean leader whose decades-long rule has been characterized by authoritarianism and corruption would focus on the issue of noncommunicable diseases in Africa. Speaking at a conference in Uruguay, Ghebreyesus expressed hope that Mugabe would influence his peers in his region to prioritize [non-communicable diseases], including heart attacks, cancer and diabetes. The global condemnation of this choice was swift and staggering. The State Department said Mugabes appointment clearly contradicts the United Nations ideals of respect for human rights and human dignity. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau compared the choice to a bad April Fools joke. Irelands health minister, Simon Harris, called the nomination offensive and bizarre. And Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet, said WHO was endorsing a repressive dictator. Dear Tedros - You must rescind your decision. Here is Human Rights Watch on President Mugabe. You are endorsing a repressive dictator. pic.twitter.com/dB4qpq1zZp richard horton (@richardhorton1) October 21, 2017 More than two dozen health organizations, including the World Heart Federation and NCD Alliance, said in a joint statement that they were shocked by the appointment. While we recognize that President Mugabe was the only African Head of State to accept the invitation to attend the WHO Global Conference and has made commitments to prioritize NCDs in his country, nevertheless [we] are shocked and deeply concerned to hear of this appointment, given President Mugabes long track record of human rights violations and undermining the dignity of human beings, the statement read. Why Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is now the shortest-serving World Health Organization (@WHO) goodwill ambassador. pic.twitter.com/6TJ8PopJqd Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 22, 2017 Mugabe, 93, did expand health care in Zimbabwe in the first two decades of his rule, but the health system has suffered enormously since 2000, when the Zimbabwean economy collapsed. Staff often go without pay, medicines are in short supply, and Mugabe, who has outlived the average life expectancy in his country by three decades, travels abroad for medical treatment, the BBC reported. In July, Mugabe flew to Singapore for the third time this year for medical treatment. Singapore is literally his home now, said an opposition party spokesman at the time, per The Guardian. Reacting to the change, Mugabes government said Monday that it was the WHO and the global community that would lose most from the decision. The inordinate noise around the designation of President [Mugabe] does not assist the cause in the first place. If anything, it is WHO that has benefited tremendously from its decision in nominating President Mugabe, said Foreign Minister Walter Mzembi, according to South Africas Independent Online. Other Zimbabweans expressed delight at the news. Opposition leader Tendai Biti said he was relieved that the appointment had been revoked, reported Independent Online. What was the WHO doing appointing a tinpot dictator like Mugabe in the first place? There is no water at the Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare today, and that is our main hospital, there are no drugs for patients. We have had 37 horrible years with Mugabe in power, Biti said. Also on HuffPost Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. By Roli Ng MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Philippine troops were locked in an intense urban firefight on Sunday with the last remnants of a pro-Islamic state alliance, as the army sought to declare an end to the country's biggest internal security crisis in years. An estimated 30 people, including militants and some of their family members, were battling to hold a fortified, two-storey building next to Marawi City's vast Lake Lanao, and appeared ready to fight to the death, according to the deputy commander of the operation. "There's just one building and they're inside," Colonel Romeo Brawner told a news conference. "We believe these are ones who decided to fight it out, because they believe that if they die there they will go to Heaven." Brawner said soldiers were using loudspeakers to urge them to surrender, and anticipated the gunfight could go on until midnight. They did not know how many people in the building were alive or dead, he said. The siege of Marawi has stunned the Philippines and stoked wider concerns that Islamic State loyalists have learned how to thrive in impoverished Muslim areas of the island of Mindanao and use its jungles and mountains as staging posts to launch attacks. Those fears are compounded by the Marawi rebels' ability to recruit young fighters, stockpile huge amounts of arms and endure five months of ground offensive and government air strikes that have devastated the city. The military made a significant gain with last week's killing of Isnilon Hapilon, Islamic State's "emir" in Southeast Asia and Omarkhayam Maute, a leader of the Maute militant group. Another leader and possible bankroller of the operation, Malaysian Mahmud Ahmad, was likely killed also, the military said. Brawner said the authorities believed foreign operatives were among those still fighting and it was clear there was now a leadership vacuum. "At this point we don't know who is really the leader," he added. "Our government forces will try to do everything to finish the firefight today." Troops have started a phased withdrawal and the authorities may soon allow some residents to return to homes not damaged by the fighting, which displaced at least 300,000 people. More than 1,000 have been killed, mostly militants. The government estimates the rebuilding of Marawi could cost at least 50 billion pesos ($971 million). (Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kim Coghill) After the bad news coming out of the fires deaths, destroyed homes, friends and clients suffering terrible losses, and swaths of forest burned let me offer a perspective with respect to our trees and woodlands. As an arborist, I have had many occasions to see the condition of landscape trees after fire damage. Since I began doing site visits here in 1992, I have seen many trees that were damaged and survived the Atlas Peak Fire of 1981. Visiting properties on Atlas Peak and in Soda Canyon 11 or more years after that horrendous fire, I had no way of knowing how many trees were burned to the ground or damaged and removed, but evidence of an ability to withstand fire is evident in many large, surviving trees. In particular, coast live oaks demonstrate this ability. Here is the pattern I have noticed: Where fire burns vegetation under the canopy of a mature live oak, it kills the undersides of the oak limbs. The response of the tree is visible, years later, where the exposed dead inner wood of the stem is partially enclosed in rolls of callus and woundwood at the margins. One tree worker I know colorfully described it as a hot dog in a bun. Of course, that applies to substantial trees exposed to moderate fire. In a paper on coast live oaks for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (See: https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/queagr/all.html#115) author Peter Steinberg includes a wealth of information on Fire Ecology. He said, Coast live oak is exceptionally fire resistant, more so than other California oak species. Adaptations to fire include evergreen leaves, thick bark and sprouting ability. He goes on to say, Mature trees with live branches generally sprout from the branches. Trees with damaged branches sprout from the bole, which is better protected from fire by its thicker bark. Seedlings and saplings are generally top-killed, and sprout from the root crown after fire. In some cases, live oaks that look dead might still recover. A citation in the article states that large trees do not always sprout new growth in the first year after a fire. The authors recommend waiting at least one growing season, and possibly up to three years, to evaluate the survival of fire-damaged coast live oaks. The article includes what I see as a hopeful note on the fire ecology of coast live oaks: Though invasive, Douglas firs are reduced by wildfires in oak woodlands, an increase in oak regeneration is favored because scrub jays prefer burned areas as acorn-caching sites. In this mast year major acorn crop year there are loads of acorns, which will have survived in the areas that were not burned. Go jays! Sudden Oak Death workshop The workshop on Sudden Oak Death (SOD) is still on schedule. It will be presented in Napa by the University of California Forest Pathology and Mycology Laboratory on Saturday, Oct. 28, 10:30 a.m. at the Napa County Public Library, 580 Coombs St., Napa. Volunteers in Napa participated with the UC Lab in the SOD Blitz effort for the seventh consecutive year. The lab released results of this years Blitz on Friday, Oct. 13. Viewing the map and summary of the results at www.sodblitz.org, I noted good news for Napa County. We had a very low infection rate. Dr. Matteo Garbelotto, director of the UC Berkeley Lab, will discuss the Blitz results and provide practical information including: How to assess the risk of your trees becoming infected. How to recognize the symptoms in oaks and in plants that carry the disease. How and when to apply the material that has proven to be effective in preventing infection, both by the trunk spray method and the trunk injection method. Managing California bay laurel trees, the most significant carriers of the disease. Potential effects of wildfire on SOD. I will be there too, to introduce Dr. Garbelotto and answer questions on the Napa Blitz effort. The session is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required. Thursday is a date that, for 25 years, has loomed large on the calendars of the curious: Oct. 26, 2017, the final deadline for the release of all government records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Though JFK enthusiasts had worried the final release might never come or would be further delayed, as the President does have the authority to intervene, the release appears to be on track. Since 2014, a National Archives and Records Administration team has been working to prep the remaining documents for release by that deadline. In July, the first batch of previously withheld documents covered by the law was released online, comprising more than 400 documents that had been fully withheld and nearly 3,400 that had previously been redacted in part. Earlier this month, resolutions were introduced in the Senate and House urging President Trump not to intervene in the release of, by their count, about 3,000 more unreleased documents and over 30,000 that had been redacted when previously released. As of March, no agency had notified the National Archives (NARA) that they were trying to keep their documents from being released. Last week, with the deadline just days away, NARA told TIME that while it could not disclose whether any agency appeals to further postpone release had been made, the National Archives continued to prepare for a release by the deadline. CIA continues to engage in the process to determine the appropriate next steps with respect to any previously-unreleased CIA information, Nicole de Haay, a CIA spokesperson, told TIME. And, on Saturday, President Trump tweeted that, barring a last-minute change, he would allow the files to be opened. Subject to the receipt of further information, I will be allowing, as President, the long blocked and classified JFK FILES to be opened. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 21, 2017 The deadline is the result of a law that was passed in 1992, which declared that those records should be disclosed to enable the public to become fully informed about the history surrounding the assassination. Finding that public curiosity continued though the need for secrecy had passed, Congress created the JFK Assassination Records Collection at the National Archives as well as the Assassination Records Review Board, which determined whether a document was covered by the law and, if so, whether there was any reason to postpone that documents release. In the late 1990s, after the board concluded its review, 88% of all the documents had been released to the public. Even so, there was a deadline for the rest, the act explained: Each assassination record shall be publicly disclosed in full, and available in the Collection no later than the date that is 25 years after the date of enactment of this Act, unless the President certifies, as required by this Act, that (i) continued postponement is made necessary by an identifiable harm to the military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or conduct of foreign relations; and (ii) the identifiable harm is of such gravity that it outweighs the public interest in disclosure. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter But, as those fascinated by Kennedy history gear up for Thursday, what exactly might be found in the final release? And why might any government agency be worried about the information contained in half-century-old documents? As Martha Murphy of the National Archives told TIME last year, anyone hoping for a new twist to add to assassination conspiracy theories may be disappointed, as the bulk of the collection is already public and most of the information due to be disclosed at the end was classified as not believed relevant to the assassination when the Review Board initially met in the 1990s. And, as she and NARAs James Mathis explained in a fall 2017 article, anything that was relevant would fall under the JFK Acts strict rules governing release, and has likely been public for decades now. The exception would be documentation that an agency was able to demonstrate required protection, in which case a redacted version was likely released before. Judge John R. Tunheim, who chaired the Assassination Records Review Board, says its hard to give advice about what the curious might look out for in the final release, as the records fall into so many different categories. (A few categories that specifically wont be released include some grand jury information and personal tax records.) They really run the gamut, across the federal government of that time, when we were classifying virtually all of that material, he says, though he, like Murphy, doubts that any of the information released this week will substantially change the general publics view of the assassination. We were very specific about releasing anything that was directly related to the assassination, regardless of whether an agency opposed its release or not. What we were protecting was ancillary information. That doesnt mean the ancillary information wont be interesting, though. For example, Tunheim recalls that there was a batch of records largely associated with the intelligence-gathering mechanisms that wed worked out with the country of Mexico in the early 1960s that received a postponed release because it was thought that the evidence of such close collaboration between the neighboring nations might be controversial enough to sway the balance of political power in Mexico. Though he has not been personally involved in any of the more recent decision-making about document releases, he says that he sees no reason why that information would affect the U.S. relationship with Mexico such as it is right now and would expect that anything that remained withheld might be released now. Another withheld detail that he recalls is the photographic evidence that the FBI collected while investigating conspiracy theorist Mark Lane; though a description of the evidence was released, the review board honored Lanes request to keep a sexual photograph from his personal life private. Tunheim says hes curious to see whether the photos are released now that Lane is no longer living not because of what the image shows but because its an important side note to the story to see how personal information was collected about the people who questioned the consensus on the assassination. In general, such ancillary information could help people today better understand Cold War foreign relations. When the boards term ended in September of 1998, having already been extended past its original cut-off, hundreds of documents had still not been thoroughly processed. As Tunheim recalls, in retrospect more time would have been useful but the staff felt that theyd essentially promised Congress they wouldnt need another extension and that it was time to wrap it up. So hes not closing the door on the possibility of something that is directly related to the assassination popping up all these years later. Its always possible that a really good researcher will find new information that they think is significant and will add to their version of the story, or perhaps even lead them in other directions, Tunheim says. Theres a lot of still unanswered questions about the assassination. For example, did Oswald, when he lived in Minsk, have any connection with Cuban intelligence agents who were being trained in Minsk by the Soviets? There are issues like that that arent fully resolved anywhere, and going through these documents might give good researchers an opportunity to come up with more than what we know today in the official story. Whether the hope expressed by President George H.W. Bush upon signing the 1992 JFK Act is borne out remains to be seen. [The bill] will help put to rest the doubts and suspicions about the assassination of President Kennedy, he said. I sign the bill in the hope that it will assist in healing the wounds inflicted on our Nation almost 3 decades ago. Florida representative and president trade tweets in continuing feud Senators of both parties seek answers on US military deaths in west Africa Congresswoman Frederica Wilson attends the graveside service for Sgt La David Johnson, who was among four special forces soldiers killed in Niger, in Hollywood, Florida, on Saturday. Photograph: Joe Skipper/Reuters The US congresswoman Frederica Wilson has demanded an apology from Donald Trumps White House for false statements made about her by senior officials, as the president continued to attack the Florida Democrat. Wilson on Sunday declared that the deadly ambush of US forces in Niger at the heart of their dispute was Trumps equivalent of the deadly 2011 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, over which Republicans in Congress pursued Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state when the attack happened. Senators from both parties urged the administration to release more information about the Niger incident, which happened on 4 October and in which four Americans were killed. Wilson said John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, had smeared her after she criticised Trumps handling of a condolence call to the family of one of the soldiers killed in the ambush. General Kelly owes the nation an apology because when he lied about me, he lied to the American public, Wilson said on Twitter. Kelly on Thursday falsely accused Wilson of using a 2015 speech at the unveiling of a new FBI building in Florida to boast about securing federal money for her district. Video footage of the speech showed Wilson had in fact praised a bipartisan effort to name the complex after two agents killed on duty. Instead of acknowledging Kellys error, the White House falsely suggested that the video had supported his remarks. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, dismissed Wilson who is known in Congress for her colourful headwear as being all hat, no cattle. The quarrel began when Wilson disclosed that Trump had told Sgt La David Johnsons grieving widow that the green beret knew what he signed up for before being killed by insurgents in Niger. Wilson, a friend of Johnsons family, had been invited to join them to listen to the presidents call. Story continues Trump repeatedly denied making the comment and said he had proof Wilsons claim was untrue. After Trump failed to produce such proof, Kelly appeared to confirm Wilsons account of the call in his remarks on Thursday at the White House, even while condemning her for making it public. Trump on Sunday morning posted his fifth tweet criticising Wilson. Wacky Congresswoman Wilson is the gift that keeps on giving for the Republican Party, a disaster for Dems, he wrote. You watch her in action & vote R! The dispute has revived wider concerns about the fatal incident in which the US soldiers were killed during an attack on their convoy and five Nigerien soldiers also died and about Americas role in anti-terror efforts in the west African state. Authorities suspect militants affiliated with Islamic State were responsible for the ambush. Johnson was buried in Florida on Saturday. Conflicting accounts of what led to the attack given by US and Nigerien officials have led members of Congress including John McCain, the Republican chair of the Senate armed services committee, to criticise the Pentagons response. Senator James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, said on Sunday he shared concerns over the contradicting narratives. At this point we have conflicting stories, Lankford said on CBSs Face The Nation. We want to be able to get the full, accurate story and get it right. Lankfords sentiments were echoed by Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, and Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York. I didnt know there was 1,000 troops in Niger, Graham said on NBCs Meet the Press. This is an endless war without boundaries and no limitation on time and geography Youve got to tell us more and [McCain] is right to say that. Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said he was similarly unaware. Schumer said information being provided by the Trump administration was not adequate and should be re-examined. We need to look at this carefully, Schumer told NBC. This is a brave new world. There are no set battle plans. Perpignan (France) (AFP) - French backers of Catalonia's possible secession from Spain plan to "offer hospitality to president Carles Puidgemont to lead a government-in-exile in Perpignan," a southern French city with deep Catalan roots, a statement said Monday. Catalan separatists have threatened "mass civil disobedience" if Madrid carries out threats to depose their leaders, including Puidgemont, as tensions rise over a bid to sever the region from Spain. "We feel that Europe has not been playing its role," said Jaume Roure, the head of Unitat Catalana which seeks self determination for French Catalans. "As the storms are gathering, we have asked people ... to see if they can host the Catalan government and those people who are forced to leave," he said, speaking of Perpignan, the capital of France's Pyrenees-Orientales department which acts as a bridge between Barcelona and the south of France. The region was for centuries a part of Catalonia and only became French in the latter half of the 17th century. Several Catalan Republicans fled to this region from Spain during the long dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. Sevare (Mali) (AFP) - An appeal by Sahel region countries for help in their battle against jihadist violence received a boost Sunday when a visiting UN Security Council ambassador pledged support. "I can assure you Burkina Faso and the G5 Sahel Countries will get the support they need," said Ethiopian ambassador Tekeda Alemu, who co-presided with his French and Italian colleagues in the 15-strong UN delegation ending a five-day visit to the region. The trip came on the initiative of France, which is presiding over the UN Security Council this month. The so-called "G5 Sahel" states -- comprising Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger -- are to launch a first operation against the jihadists at the end of October but lack funding for equipment and training. Earlier Sunday, the ambassadors had visited the command headquarters in the central Malian town of Sevare for talks on the security crisis in the region. Sevare is just east of Mopti, in central Mali, an area which has seen a severe worsening of security in recent months, giving greater urgency to a G5 move to relaunch a joint regional force initially created in November 2015. On Saturday the ambassadors had expressed frustration at delays in the implementation of a 2015 Malian peace accord. Force commander and Malian general Didier Dacko said before Alemu's statement that he was waiting for "fundamental political support" from the Security Council. The estimated budget for the force's first year of operations is estimated at 423 million euros ($499-million), but so far only 108 million euros have been raised. - Extremist hotbed - The vast Sahel region has turned into a hotbed of violent extremism and lawlessness since chaos engulfed Libya in 2011, the Islamist takeover of northern Mali in 2012 and the rise of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria. A fresh attack in Niger's restive southwest, which borders Mali, killed 13 paramilitary police on Saturday, just weeks after a deadly ambush on a joint US-Niger patrol. Story continues UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week that the Sahel region was descending into all-out violence and said the world body must help the region confront the threat from Islamist militants. He put forward four options to back the force, including setting up a UN support office in the Sahel and sharing resources from the 13,000-strong peacekeeping mission in Mali. A UN meeting on support for the force is scheduled for October 30, as well as a donor conference in Brussels in December. Mali has become particularly volatile since 2012 when jihadist groups captured the entire north of the country. On Friday, Mali's parliament agreed a three-month extension of a state of emergency because of the "continuing threat" of armed groups. Entire zones still escape the control of Malian and foreign forces, despite a military intervention by France in 2013. Larry Illg is the chief executive officer of Naspers Ventures. 2017 seems like a challenging time to cross borders. While certain economies are focusing inward, unlike anything we have experienced in recent history, many businesses still want to accelerate growth outside their home markets. Looking abroad, companies should focus on the regions with the greatest opportunities for growth. For those coming from the West, that means looking to Asia, Latin America and Africa. Achieving success globally is not easy under ideal circumstances, so it may be even harder in a world with greater protectionism. In particular, diving into markets where growth may be high, but visibility is low can seem even more perilous to entrepreneurs than simply sticking where they are. However, many growing, asset-light, pure digital businesses are already part way there. For some, there is existing demand for their product or service from new markets. This demand is often easy to ignore because it seems too difficult to cultivate. Other businesses are already global without realizing -- they are accidental tourists who have gained international traction on their platforms without even trying. Whatever their situation, many businesses already have a foundation to deliver the significant growth they seek, if they attack the opportunity in the right way. Consumer needs are the same across the globe. How these needs are met can vary slightly, but a product that has success in one country is already about 80-90% there in another. Achieving the true product market fit for a new geography comes down to the remaining 10-20% that needs to be localized. So, how do companies looking to achieve their full potential internationally avoid the pitfalls? Just the act of taking your business international creates a set of predictable challenges. High-growth markets throw in some extra tests that you must navigate to succeed. In our 20-plus years of helping digital businesses expand into high-growth markets, we have seen the most consistent challenges fall into five buckets: Story continues Infrastructure. Entrepreneurs looking to expand internationally often find the first hurdle they must cross is the variance in infrastructure in developing markets. For pure service- or content-based businesses in particular, quality, cost and availability of Internet access significantly shapes your approach to the market. Many developing economies have skipped desktop computing for a mobile-driven experience, so a mobile-first approach becomes essential. At the same time, bandwidth and cost constraints mean that services need to be tailored to market needs. Offline downloads vs. streaming content and a stripped-down app can be essential to success. The key to success is to neither expect things will be the same as in Western markets, nor to just assume the challenges are insoluble. Quickly developing an understanding of the underlying issues often leads to simple workarounds that may not mirror the original market services precisely, but fit local market needs and constraints. Pricing. Pricing strategy is an often underdeveloped muscle in many businesses, but it is absolutely crucial when thinking about geographic expansion. Once again, analysis of conditions in the new market is an essential starting point. In theory, digital businesses have ultimate flexibility -- low to zero marginal cost should mean pricing can be more closely aligned to value in each market. The reality is sometimes quite different. For example, content driven businesses have to be aware of the potential for geo-shopping, where savvy consumers use VPNs and other technologies to geo-shop and buy from the lowest price market. This can lead those businesses to have more inflexible one-size-fits-almost-all pricing models such as that used by Netflix and others. In fast-developing markets such as India, where the average annual salary is less than $2000, this creates a ceiling on growth and creates openings for competitors. Being flexible enough to set global pricing at levels that maximize total global cash flows, rather than just in the origin market, is often the key to success. Even better is to look for features or capabilities, such as sub-sets of content, or the bitrate of the streams in the case of content businesses, that allow for lower priced packages that enable usage by a broader population without impacting the core service. (Photo: ilbusca/iStock) Payments. Pricing strategy is fine in theory, but only works if you are able to actually receive payment. In developed markets, this often means the ability to accept credit-card payments -- something now readily available to even the smallest of western businesses. In many emerging markets, however, the trend is contrary to this, as Alternate Payment Methods (APMs) such as ewallets, bank transfers, and other local payment methods have played an important role. Access to traditional cards, particularly credit cards, remains limited to the banked and high-income subset of the population. It sounds simple, but having the operational capability to accept payments wherever you have customers is vital to success, because, fundamentally, payments are local. Do you support Boleto Bancario (Brazil), Toditocash (Mexico) or Yandex.Money (Russia) payments, for example? Naspers-owned payments company PayU exists today because our e-commerce companies experienced these problems first-hand. Many years ago, our companies could not find payments partners that met local market needs. So PayU built the capabilities. PayU has been a pioneer to enable merchants to accept APMs online and supports more than 250 payment options globally, an unmatched capability in emerging markets. This leads to higher conversion and revenue for merchants as well as better customer experiences. We have repeatedly seen companies get false information about their product-market fit and overall potential in a new market simply because their western-centric payments solution only supports credit cards. Government. One of the more daunting aspects of expanding into foreign countries is learning the ins and outs of doing business under another government complicated tax structures, compliance requirements, varying consumer protections and ever-changing trade regulations can be enough to scare a lot of companies away at a mere mention. Still, many businesses take on the challenge and with experienced local counsel, are successful. Starting out on the right foot by setting up legal and funding structures correctly and understanding local tax requirements to make sure the basics are right from day one is key for success. Begin simply and fine-tuning the structure and model once the business matures is a great way to keep the initial task from being overwhelming. Compliance with data privacy is another tricky area to navigate as rules differ substantially around the world. The rules govern what kind of data you can store, where you can store it and how you are required to respond to breaches of data, and more. The penalties for non-compliance vary widely and can be very high in some markets, which could be detrimental to your business. So, building your business following the counsel of someone highly experienced with the government where you are looking to expand is essential. Photo: Jim McGuire/Getty Images People. While consumer needs are global, ultimately, successful international expansion relies on knowledge. The more you know about local market conditions, the better able you are to make the changes, often relatively minor, that are needed to succeed in new markets. This leads to the final challenge -- how do you get the right people in place to deliver that local knowledge into your global product? The classic western business approach is to take an existing team member and drop them into the new market -- bringing with them knowledge of the company and its culture. Ive personally had the opportunity to do this exact thing in multiple European markets. It can work here and there, but all too often this approach fails for the simple fact that local market knowledge is far more valuable than company knowledge. Finding people with deep, local understanding and entrepreneurial drive is the final key to successful global expansion. For businesses looking to expand, moving into high-growth markets can be a highly effective route to success, particularly in these uncertain times. Expansion isnt without its challenges, but often they are less intimidating up close than they may seem from a distance. If growth businesses focus their efforts in the right area, international expansion can help them sail through the turbulence and set themselves on a course to global success. The Google Pixel 2 XL may have just launched this past week, but over the weekend reports began to surface that the device's OLED screen was already exhibiting signs of burn-in, which left UI elements faintly evident after switching screens. A Google spokesperson confirmed that the company was looking into the reports: The Pixel 2 XL screen has been designed with an advanced POLED technology, including QHD+ resolution, wide color gamut, and high contrast ratio for natural and beautiful colors and renderings. We put all of our products through extensive quality testing before launch and in the manufacturing of every unit. We are actively investigating this report. At first glance, it doesn't look like a huge issue for day-to-day usage, but burn-in is an issue that has been known to worsen over time, so it's not a great sign that early testers are already exhibiting this problem. That's some pretty wild OLED burn-in on the Pixel 2 XL after maybe 7 days of full-time use pic.twitter.com/EPJTs6D0Kg Alex Dobie (@alexdobie) October 22, 2017 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js This issue appears to only be affecting the larger LG-manufactured Pixel 2 XL model at the moment. I'm seeing limited ghosting of the bottom navigation bar where the image is retained after switching from previous screens, but it appears to go away after several seconds, unlike burn-in, which is generally more permanent. OLED screens are far from perfect and have some known issues; this ailment, however, has the potential to be a bit more problematic. The fact that I didn't realize this until I downloaded a gray background image and squinted at the bottom of the screen suggests that image retention issues at least won't be something that gravely affects all users early on, but whether or not these problems worsen is something we'll have to keep an eye on. Harley-Davidson's Battle of the Kings Custom Build Back for 2018 Harley-Davidson's Battle of the Kings custom build contest will return for the fourth year running next year. The build-off typically pits dealerships in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) market against one another, but this year will allow customers to join in the fun. At least that will be the case in the UK and Republic of Ireland, where dealers are looking for customers to partner their build, with the incentive of winning back their customizing expenses up to 5,500 ($7,250) if their bike wins the UK/ROI round of the competition. A minimum of 50 percent of the pieces must be official Harley-Davidson parts (in value), and the entry must be street legal. Customers wishing to commission a Battle of the Kings machine from a participating dealer are urged to get in touch with their local dealer before the end of October to allow time for the bike build to be completed ahead of the public vote in January. Models eligible for entry to the 2018 edition of Battle of the Kings are: Iron 883, Forty-Eight, Roadster, Street 750, Street Rod, Street Bob, and Fat Bob. All customers need is an idea for the Battle of the Kings machine to be created inspired by a motorcycle from the vast 115 years of Harley-Davidson heritage and it must adhere to the rules of the competition, including a maximum customization budget spend of 5,500 (US $7,250). Full terms and conditions are available from all dealers. The tradition of customizing Harley-Davidsons forms a large part of the companys history, and over the decades has developed as a strong component of the brands heritage. Many of the newer models have been designed with individual custom builders in mind, offering a ready-made platform for creative ideas and personalized craftsmanship. The Dark Custom bikes, in particular, are stripped-down and styled with an authentic retro-inspired style, featuring matte or blacked-out finishes, vintage cues and accessible pricing. For a recap on the best of the 2017 entries, please visit the Custom Kings dedicated website. Judging for the EMEA-wide Battle of the Kings 2017 winner will take place at EICMA in Milan on Tuesday 7 November this year with UK winner, Beach Bobber by Shaw Harley-Davidson, entered as a finalist Legendary entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte used his final public appearance to issue a warning about the future of the nation. According to The Guardian, Belafonte, 90, said the country made a mistake when it elected Donald Trump as president. I think the next mistake might very well be the gas chamber and what happened to Jews [under] Hitler is not too far from our door, he was quoted as saying. Belafonte gave a wide-ranging talk at the Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh on Friday about his life, his music and his decades-long fight for social justice. Harry Belafonte: This will be my last public appearance. We are honored to host him. pic.twitter.com/qa2bRRGQP1 CMOA (@cmoa) October 21, 2017 He also sounded an optimistic note. We have achieved a lot in my lifetime, Belafonte said, per The Guardian. Dr. King was not about nothing. Eleanor Roosevelt was not about nothing. I think in the final analysis that we shall overcome because what we did is we left a harvest that generations to come [will] reap. That they have not yet plowed. That they have not yet harvested. Belafonte was the first African American to win an Emmy Award. The King of Calypso was also the recipient of several Grammys as well as a Tony. In 2014, he received the honorary Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy Awards. A member of the audience posted an audio recording of the Pittsburgh event: Also on HuffPost Liu Xiaobo The fourth incarcerated person to receive a Nobel Peace Prize, Chinese dissident and writer, professor, and human rights activist Liu Xiaobo was denied the right to collect his award in Oslo. Aung San Suu Kyi Burmese opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 "her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights...Suu Kyi's struggle is one of the most extraordinary examples of civil courage in Asia in recent decades. She has become an important symbol in the struggle against oppression." She remained under house arrest in Burma for almost 15 of the 21 years from July 20, 1989 until her release on Nov. 13, 2010. Svetlana Gannushkina The Russian human rights activist is a member of the council of Memorial, a society dedicated to remembrance of victims of Soviet repressions. Nikolai Alekseev The prominent Russian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activist and lawyer won the first ever case at the European Court of Human Rights on LGBT human rights violations in Russia in Oct. 2010. The Strasbourg-based court unanimously ruled that by banning three Moscow Pride parades in 2006, 2007 and 2008 that Russia breached three articles of the European Convention. Denis Mukwege The Congolese physician has treated hundreds of women subjected to gang rapes in his conflict-ridden country. Sima Samar Afghan women's rights activist Sima Samar is also the Chairperson of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. Grandmothers Of The Plaza De Mayo This Argentine group's search for children stolen at birth has won the support of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona. Aminatou Haidar Haidar is a leading activist for the independence of Western Sahara. She is sometimes called the "Sahrawi Gandhi" for her nonviolent protests, including hunger strikes, in the support of the independence of Western Sahara and the president of the Collective Of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders. Isabel Miranda de Wallace Mexico's National Human Rights Award 2010 recipient, Isabel Miranda de Wallace launched her own investigation into her son's kidnapping and killing, tracking down six suspects who are now in custody. She also helped promote a law that raised prison sentences for kidnapping to up to 70 years. Ali Salem Tamek Tamek is the president of the Association for Human Rights in the Western Sahara. Having merged as one of the most outspoken Sahrawi dissidents under Moroccan rule, Tamek was jailed in Morocco for four years. Viktoria Mohacsi The Hungarian-born Mohacsi is known for her tireless work to abolish discrimination and hate crimes against Roma "Gypsy" communities suffering at the hands of anti-Roma societies throughout Europe. She is the founder of Desegregation, a Hungary-based organization she established to monitor hate crimes committed against Roma. Julius Kaggwa Kaggwa is best known for his devotion to defeating the proposed Anti-Homosexual Bill in Uganda, legislation that would have drastically increased punishments for homosexuality or its promotion. Born and raised in Uganda, Kaggwa has long advocated for LGBT rights in Uganda and elsewhere in Africa. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Donald Trump speaks to the media during a meeting with Governor Ricardo Rossello of Puerto Rico in the Oval Office at the White House on 19 October: Getty Now that sexual harassment allegations have toppled powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, women who accused Donald Trump are wondering why the President was unaffected. A cascade of women saying they were harassed or assaulted by Mr Weinstein - accusations he denies - has led to Mr Weinsteins ousting from his film company. News accounts relaying their claims have depicted a decades-long history of Mr Weinstein making unwanted advances. Similar accusations have trailed Mr Trump, with multiple women describing unsolicited sexual overtures (Mr Trump has denied those claims). Audio in which Mr Trump boasted about sexually assaulting women leaked in the final days of the campaign, which Mr Trump at the time dismissed as inconsequential locker room talk. Many political observers at the time proclaimed Mr Trump had no path to victory as numerous Republicans condemned the comments or disassociated themselves. But Mr Trump won, of course, and as his accusers watch Mr Weinsteins downfall they wonder why Mr Trump did not suffer a similar fate, according to The Washington Post. It is hard to reconcile that Harvey Weinstein could be brought down with this, and [President] Trump just continues to be the Teflon Don, Jessica Leeds, who said Mr Trump grabbed her and attempted to kiss her on a flight, told the Post, adding that she it was really upsetting to see the President just keeps merrily going along. A woman who sued Mr Trump for allegedly groping her vented a similar frustration on Twitter. Sad you had to go through it. My pain is everyday with bastard Trump as President. No one gets it unless it happens to them. NO one! Jill Harth (@jillharth) October 10, 2017 Many conservative critics and Republican party officials have reacted to the news about Mr Weinstein by accusing Democrats of hypocrisy, noting that the producer was a prolific supporter of liberal politicians. Story continues DNC refuses to give up $300K in dirty Harvey Weinstein contributions & now even a Dem senator is calling them out https://t.co/y1lcGsIAKu Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) October 8, 2017 .@larryelder slams Hillary Clinton for comparing President Trump to Harvey Weinstein: Phony, hypocritical, double standard pic.twitter.com/CoWLNM8VYQ FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) October 16, 2017 Social media users pushed back on that argument, pointing to Republican support for Fox News heavyweight Bill OReilly - who reportedly paid $32 million to settle a harassment claim - and for Mr Trump. Related Video: Sam Valencia doesnt view himself as a hero. He says that anyone would have done what he did. Though not a firefighter or a designated first responder, the 30-year-old father of two children saved the lives of at least six people from fire on Oct. 8. Valencia, who works as a waiter at Bistro Don Giovanni and as caretaker of property on Atlas Peak Road, got a phone call from his buddy, Kevin Robledo, Sunday night warning him to get out because a fire was headed his way. Valencia thought Robledo was joking because the two had been kidding around at a Raiders game earlier in the day, but looking outside he realized his friends call was no joke. I saw the trees moving and turned around. There was nothing but orange flames, Valencia said. Relieved that his wife and children were out of danger because they were visiting her parents, he ran to warn his landlords family, who visit the property on weekends. His sense of urgency increased because hed seen their grandchildren there the day before. After waking and warning them, he ran back to his own house and grabbed his dog, Mia, and the box that contained his important papers my marriage license and birth certificates. He remembered to get the jar of money filled with his weekly tips and jumped into his 2004 Chevy Tahoe. Driving down the road, he stopped and knocked on the doors of neighbors, and kept ringing doorbells until he got an answer or was certain they had already left. Traveling down Atlas Peak Road, he saw a Toyota pickup on the side of the road. I stopped because its rear wheel was off the ground and the tires were spinning, Valencia said. That meant they couldnt get out. A couple was inside. Valencia rolled his window down and told the couple in the truck to get in his Tahoe with their dog. If this fellow hadnt come down the hill when he did, we wouldnt be here today. He shouted to us, Get in or you are dead, said John McKay. He saved our lives, said McKay, who along with his wife, Glyneth Sakahara, has been telling people in town about the hero who rescued them from the flames. McKay said that he and his wife had looked out the window just as they were about to go to bed. The whole horizon was orange, he said. They realized there was a fire and were driving away but found it difficult to see the road clearly. Near the bottom of Atlas Peak Road, a fireball came right over the top of us. It passed so quickly that it didnt damage the truck, but it caused us to go into the ditch, said McKay. The McKays gratefully got into Valencias vehicle when he came along. As Valencia and the McKays and the two dogs got a little farther down Atlas Peak road they came across a woman in the road who was waving her arms and screaming that people were trapped inside a nearby house. Getting out of his vehicle, with the intention of helping the trapped people, Valencia told the couple to take his car to get away. He said to watch over his dog; hed find them later. In the rush of events, they didnt exchange phone numbers. Valencia ran toward the home with the trapped couple inside but the whole house was engulfed in fire and he couldnt help them. He found out later that the home belonged to Charles and Sara Rippey, an elderly couple who died in the fire. Everything felt so surreal, Valencia said. I try not to dwell on negative things, but I feel sorrow for themthe couple that passed away. When an ambulance, two fire trucks and a sheriffs vehicle came to the scene. Valencia put the woman, who had flagged him down, inside the sheriffs vehicle and ran to other homes to warn more people. In jumping an eight-foot wall to get to other homes, Valencia sprained an ankle. It was also becoming harder for him to breathe the smoke-filled air, so he finally left the area. A policeman drove him to Napa where he went to Queen of the Valley Medical Center and had X-rays. That guys a hero. He helped us. He helped a lot of people that night, said John Porfidio, a neighbor who lives about half a mile up the road from Valencia. When Valencia woke them up, it took John Porfidio and his wife Dorothy less than five minutes to jump in their vehicle and drive toward safety. We took nothing, Porfidio said. You couldnt imagine the flames coming at us. The flames were 40-50 feet high. The flames were going over our vehicle and we could feel the heat. I dont know how we got down the road, there were so many curves and smoke. I live on the moon now. There are no neighbors, Porfidio said. Every other house burned. The shrubs are gone and the smell . The man upstairs must have been on our side. I think we would have died of smoke inhalation if Sam hadnt come along when he did, Porfidio said. The Porfidios daughter, Debbie Porfidio, is grateful that Valencia set aside his own safety to help others, like her parents, on Atlas Peak Road. Sam is just awesome, she said. He really saved a lot of lives. I saw him the next day at CVS and thanked him. He was so humble. He acted like he didnt do anything that everyone else wouldnt have done. Valencias landlord, Dave Melnick, had no time to grab even his cellphone, after Valencia banged on the door and yelled get out. Taking only his wallet and keys, he and Marilyn, were driving down the road within minutes. Sam saved my life and Marilyns too, Melnick said. I was actually asleep. Im not sure how long it took to get to safety. I was focusing solely on getting down the hill. The fire was coming down the hill rapidly. You could see the flames and embers were coming down. We passed fire trucks coming up. I think Sam is quite a hero in this whole thing, Melnick said. Hes really a good guy. He deserves to be honored in some way. He has been caretaker here about one and a half years. Though Melnicks home burned, the couple are grateful that they escaped with their lives. You can always replace a house and furniture, pictures, and material things, he said. We didnt lose our lives and we werent physically injured. The grandchildren had already left before the fire came. The couple live in San Francisco during the week and spend weekends on the Napa property. Melnick, who has owned his 13-acre property at 2331 Atlas Peak Road for 30 years, said he plans to rebuild. When Valencia went back to pull the McKays truck from the ditch, the keys were still in the ignition. At that point, cellphone service was lost but by checking the trucks registration, he found the couples address and went there. Miraculously, the McKays were there with his Chevy Tahoe and their home was still standing. Vehicles and grateful hugs were exchanged. Asked why he risked his own life to help others, Valencia says, It was my duty. Anyone else would have done the same thing. It's always a treat when we get to introduce you to a new Blogger Bride. These gals are hand-picked by SMP editors to share their wedding planning journey. We just know you're going to love our newest bride, Gabi from By Gabriella. Get to know Gabi below and stay tuned for upcoming posts! I spend my days (and evenings!) working with small businesses and creative entrepreneurs to up their social media and photography game. And, now Im adding planning a wedding to the list - a to do item that I simply couldnt be more excited about. Ive been a Style Me Pretty reader for years now, and nearly pinched myself when I discovered that I would have the opportunity to be a blogger bride. Funny enough, I had been struggling with the decision on whether I would begin sharing wedding content on my site and social media. At first, I thought that it was a little different than my traditional content. But, I do my absolute best to maintain authenticity, and getting married is quite the special occasion - and a pretty big part of my life at the moment. So, here we are! Im thrilled that I get to document every step of the way to the wedding and feel entirely honored that I get to share it with you all! Our Wedding Plans My fiance, Tim, and I met while we were in college in Boston. Truth be told, we still cant remember the first time we met! We had an overlapping group of friends and were both highly involved on campus. We knew we initially met at a campus function of some sort, but cannot remember which one! Either way, we became friends, began dating, and here we are - planning a wedding one thousand miles away from our friends and family. Yes, you heard that right. Tim and I moved to one of our favorite cities - Atlanta, GA - this July. Tim had lived here for a year and a half, while I was still living in Boston. While long distance was tough (to say the least), we fell in love with Atlanta during his time here. So much so, that we decided to move back. This time - together. And, now were planning our wedding for fall 2018 right here in Atlanta! We thought it would be the perfect opportunity to show everyone we love why we adore Atlanta so very much. Story continues Our Wedding Vision We love simplicity, and are planning our Atlanta wedding with that in mind. Weve got our eyes on a nearby space that was once a factory, but is transitioning into a venue. We love that it has a story, and that well be able to have the wedding weve been dreaming about ever since getting engaged in Portland, Maine (more on that later!). Were envisioning lots of greenery, local seasonal food, and some fun twists and surprises for our wedding day - I hope youll stay tuned as we embark on this exciting process! Photography: Dasha Crawford | Floral Design: Le Jardin Fracais It's not a stretch to call The Henry Ford museum an American treasure. Located just a stone's throw away from Ford's world headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., the museum is devoted to the history of American innovation, with a huge collection that ranges from more than 250 automobiles like the historic Model T or the Le Mans-winning Ford Mark IV, to airplanes, steam engines, the evolution of telephones and more. Now, the museum is benefitting from a $5 million contribution from General Motors, which will rename the flexible gallery space The Gallery by General Motors. It will host national traveling exhibitions including Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & The Four Freedoms, which arrives next fall, and is currently hosting The Science Behind Pixar through March 2018. If you haven't been, the museum hosts everything from an Old Car Festival, a history of fueling stations exhibit, a 1931 Bugattti Type 41 Royale (currently on loan in California) and a fascinating history of Lincoln presidential limousines, perhaps the ultimate custom-built automobile. Included in the latter is the Lincoln Continental in which President John F. Kennedy was riding when he was assassinated. While GM has plenty of vehicles represented, the museum has always, understandably, had a Ford bent. It'll be interesting to see how things evolve under GM's patronage. "We know that Henry Ford and Ford Motor Co. have always been and will always be inextricably linked. There's no getting around that," Mark Reuss, GM's executive vice president of global product development and a member of the museum's board, told Crain's Detroit Business. "But the museum is a celebration of American innovation, particularly in the transportation space, and you can't tell that story without General Motors and Ford together." Crain's also reports that the collaboration was spawned nearly four years ago when Reuss had lunch with Edsel Ford II, a fellow museum trustee, to discuss GM playing a bigger role in the museum. Story continues It's not the first time GM has donated money to The Henry Ford, but this is seen as the most significant contribution, GM spokeswoman Maria Raynal told Autoblog. And while there are no immediate plans to display historic GM vehicles, "it's safe to say we will be doing so more in the future," she said. In a statement, Henry Ford President and CEO Patricia Mooradian said the contribution "allows us to deepen our community impact with innovative experiences and new exhibitions and programs in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation." Related Video: The Henry Ford museum gets $5 million from General Motors originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Oct 2017 14:43:00 EDT. The families of a young couple found dead in an embrace believe they died in a murder-suicide motivated by compassion. Joseph Orbeso, 22, and Rachel Nguyen, 20, missing for three months, were discovered in a remote canyon last week in Joshua Tree National Park in southern California, their bodies interlocked in an embrace. Investigators from the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department have characterized the deaths as a murder-suicide. But they have told relatives the deaths were a sympathetic murder-suicide, according to family members. Detectives believe Orbeso fatally shot Nguyen before turning the gun on himself. A handgun found at the scene was registered to Orbeso, according to a statement from the sheriffs department. Though police are continuing to investigate, they believe the Orange County couple may have been lost and desperate in the 800,000-acre park. They were out of water, and were rationing food. Nguyen may also have been injured in a fall down the canyon; her head was wrapped with a piece of clothing, Nguyens uncle, Son Nguyen, told the Desert Sun. They found a tree to provide some shade, he said. The couple was found under the tree; Orbesos shirt had been placed over Nguyens legs. Nguyen said that investigators told the family that they believe, based on the circumstances and the positioning of the body, this was a sympathetic murder-suicide. Nguyen added: Her parents and myself are united, believing in the detectives accounts of this being a sympathetic murder-suicide. We hold no grudges against Joseph or the Orbeso family. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Orbeso family, and that they will remain in our prayers.. A friend of Orbeso, Austin Young, told the Long Beach Press-Telegram: I think he brought a gun out there to protect Rachel. I think they got lost and were suffering in the 100-degree heat. They had a choice of a slow and painful death or a quick death. The pair was reported missing by a bed and breakfast operator July 28 after they left for a hike in the desert in high temperatures and failed to return. They were on the trip to celebrate Nguyens birthday. Their bodies were found a week ago by a rescue crew that included Orbesos father, Gilbert Orbeso. Story continues They were side by side lying next to each other and their arms were around each other, Gilbert Orbeso told KMIR-TV. Orbesos mother, Corina Mallari, said she believes the deaths were motivated by love. I want Joseph to be remembered as a kind, caring and thoughtful person, Gilbert Orbeso told the San Jose Mercury News. The way he was found beside Rachel holding her as they were seeking shade under the brush says everything you need to know about him as a man and as a human being. The bodies were found along the parks Maze Trail, a moderate hike. But the desert park is demanding and rugged. The Joshua Tree website warns hikers to have ample water and to avoid exertion in high temperatures. Theres almost no cell phone service in the park. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces are deploying tanks and artillery south of a Kurdish-held area of northern Iraq where a section of a Kurdish oil export pipeline is located, security sources said on Monday. The buildup is taking place northwest of Mosul, an official from the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) security council said by phone from the Kurdish capital, Erbil. An Iraqi government security advisor said the Fish-Khabur area, northwest of Mosul, is the location of crossings into Turkey and Syria that Baghdad wants to bring under its control. But he declined to say if a military move was being prepared. A pipeline carrying crude across Iraqi Kurdistan connects to a metering station in Fish-Khabur before feeding another pipeline that takes the crude to the Turkish Mediterranean coast for exports. The military buildup is taking place around Rabi'a, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the Fish-Khabur, the Kurdish security official said. Turkey and Iran both support measures taken by the Iraqi government to isolate the KRG after it held a referendum on Kurdish independence on Sept. 25 and to bring the Kurdistan region's oil exports and land crossings under Baghdad's authority. "Iraq has shown zero signs of de-escalating," said a statement by the KRG Security Council about the deployment, adding that units being brought to the region include Iranian-backed Popular Mobilisation paramilitaries. The Fish-Khabur crossing has been under Kurdish control since 1991, when the United States and western powers imposed a no-fly zone over northern Iraq to protect the Kurds from Saddam Hussein's army. The Syrian side of the border in the region is now under the control of U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces. (Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; editing by Larry King) BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iraqi government has dismissed a call from U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for Iranian-backed paramilitary units that helped Baghdad defeat Islamic State to end operations in Iraq. Speaking after a meeting on Sunday with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Saudi Arabia's King Salman, Tillerson said it was time for the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation forces and their Iranian advisers to "go home". Washington, which backed Baghdad against Islamic State, is concerned Iran will use its expanded presence in Iraq and in Syria to expand its influence in the region. But Abadi showed unwillingness to meet Tillerson's demand. "No party has the right to interfere in Iraqi matters," the statement from his office read. It did not cite the prime minister himself but a "source" close to him. Trained and armed by Iran, the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation forces often supported Iraqi government units in the fight against the militants who were effectively defeated in July when a U.S.-backed offensive captured their stronghold Mosul. They are paid by the Iraqi government and officially report to the prime minister, but some Arab Sunni and Kurdish politicians describe these militias as a de facto branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp. Iraq's Sunni neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, share Washington's concerns over Shi'ite power Iran's influence in Iraq, where the population is also predominantly Shi'ite. But the office of Abadi, himself a Shi'ite, said the forces were under the authority of the Iraqi government. "Popular Mobilisation are Iraqi patriots," it said in the statement. The United States trained tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers in the course of rebuilding the Iraqi armed forces and has over 5,000 troops deployed in the country, providing key air and ground support to the offensive on Islamic State. (Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) Jerusalem (AFP) - Germany on Monday signed a deal to sell three submarines to the Israeli navy in an agreement of "strategic importance" to the Jewish state, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Netanyahu "welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Germany and the state of Israel to acquire the submarines," his office said in a Hebrew-language statement. "This memorandum of understanding has strategic importance for Israel's security and its signing reflects the commitment of Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel to Israel's security and the deep cooperation between the countries." Negotiations on the sale had been frozen for three months due to concern in Berlin over a related corruption investigation in Israel. In July, Germany put off the planned signing following the arrest of several Israelis on suspicion of offences including bribery and money laundering around the deal to buy the Dolphin submarines from German industrial giant ThyssenKrupp. The investigation, which is still ongoing, involves officials from the Israeli security establishment, as well as people working locally for ThyssenKrupp. An Israeli official said on Friday that Germany had conditioned the go-ahead on there being no corruption found on the part of the Israeli decision-makers and senior officials involved. Housing Minister Yoav Gallant, who was a senior officer in the Israeli navy, wrote in a tweet on Friday that the three new warships would replace three old vessels, keeping its Dolphin fleet at six. The submarines ordered by Israel are likely to be fitted with nuclear missiles but are primarily intended for spy missions off Iran or to attack that country in case of nuclear war, according to foreign military experts. Israeli security forces detained dozens of Palestinians in overnight raids in the early hours of October 23 in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, the Maan News Agency and Israeli police said. Israeli police said that 51 Palestinians were detained for disrupting order in the Isawiya area of East Jerusalem. The Wafa news agency reported that all of those detained were teenagers aged between 15 and 18 years old. The Israeli army said that 15 Palestinian youths were detained from the West Bank for security purposes, the Maan News Agency reported. Credit: Israel Police via Storyful Mr Sessions has taken a keen interest in fighting MS-13: Getty Images Attorney General Jeff Sessions says the Department of Justices organized crime task force will destroy the MS-13 gang just like we took Al Capone off the streets. Mr Sessions offered the comparison between the gang and the Prohibition-era mobster during a speech to the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Philadelphia, telling law enforcement officials there that he had officially designated the gang as a priority for the crime task force. Now they will go after MS-13 with a renewed vigor and a sharpened focus, Mr Sessions said, referring to the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, which brings together a coalition of federal prosecutors from various agencies in government. I am announcing that I have authorized them to use very lawful tool to investigate MS-13 not just our drug laws, but everything from [racketeering laws] to our tax laws to our firearms laws. Just like we took Al Capone off the streets with our tax laws, we will use whatever laws we have to get MS-13 off our streets, he continued. Since taking office earlier this year, Mr Sessions and President Donald Trump have focused on the MS-13 gang, which has been blamed for gruesome murders around the country. There are around 10,000 members of the gang living in the United States, according to DOJ court filings, and around 40,000 members in Central America. The violence has been seen places like Suffolk County on Long Island, New York, where the gang has been linked to at least 17 killings in the past two years. Gang activity has also been reported in the Washington, DC, area. But, the intense focus on MS-13 has been met with criticism from lawyers, civil rights advocates, and even local police leaders. Those critics say that some of the tactics used by investigators discourage undocumented immigrants from cooperating with investigators, or that they amount to racial profiling. Al Capone was a notorious mobster, who built a multi-million dollar illegal enterprise in the 1920s, which was known for bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling. Capones gang was known for burial acts of violence including the infamous St Valentines day Massacre in 1929, when he green light the murder of seven of his rivals. Story continues Capone was never indicted on racketeering charges, and was ultimately imprisoned on charges of income tax evasion in 1931. MS-13 was formed by El Salvadoran immigrants in Los Angeles nearly 40 years ago. The 10,000 figure repeatedly cited by Mr Sessions has remained relatively stable over the past decade, even though more than 7,000 members of the gang have been arrested since 2005 as a part of Operation Community Shield. Mr Trump claimed earlier this year that his administration had deported about half of all MS-13 gang members in the US, but that claim appears to be misleading. A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement told The Independent in an email that their agency had rmeoved 2,798 gang members in fiscal year 2017, an increase compared to 2,057 gang members the year prior. That included all gang members, however, not just those from MS-13. That spokesperson said that, through Sept 5, the agency had criminally arrested 450 MS-13 members, and administratively arrested another 215. The spokesperson said that the agency doesn't, however, specifically track deportations by specific gang affiliations, but that they do specifically target MS-13 using a variety of approaches. It is not the first time the senior Republicans have clashed over the Vietnam War, during which Mr McCain served as a naval aviator: REUTERS/Charles Mostoller John McCain has appeared to criticise Donald Trump by saying it was "wrong" for wealthy Americans to avoid being drafted into the US army during the Vietnam War. "One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say that they had a bone spur, Mr McCain told C-SPAN 3. That is wrong. That is wrong. If were going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve. The Arizona Senator did not name Mr Trump, but he appeared to reference the US President, who avoided military five times, including once because of a doctors report saying he had a bone spur in his heel. It is not the first time the senior Republicans have clashed over the Vietnam War, in which Mr McCain served as a naval aviator. During the Senator's service, he was shot down above Hanoi and held prisoner in a Vietnamese jail for five years. Mr Trump in 2015 draw criticism for saying Mr McCain was not a hero because he was captured. The US President who is nine years younger than Mr McCain avoided conscription several times through student deferments and once on medical grounds. Mr Trump has claimed that it was "ultimately" his "phenomenal" high draft lottery number kept him out of Vietnam. Yet Mr Trump's selective service records show he had been medically exempted for more than a year when the draft lottery began in 1969. Mr Trump said the bone spur was a "minor" condition that eventually "healed up" without an operation. You know, it was difficult from the long-term walking standpoint," the Republican said. Mr McCain has ratcheted up his criticism of the US leadership in recent months, lambasting the rise of "half-baked, spurious nationalism" since Mr Trump became President. Critics, particularly Republicans, often complain that Democrats who control the state Legislature yearn to minutely control or heavily tax any human behavior they dont like. Democratic legislators often seem eager to justify the criticism by passing pettifogging nanny bills. But in doing so, they occasionally engender some kickback adult supervision of a sort from governors. As he sifts through hundreds of measures sent to his desk last month, Gov. Jerry Brown has singled out for veto some that he sees as being particularly nettlesome. Take, for instance, Assembly Bill 63, which, if signed, would have required Californians of ages 18 to 22 to wait at least 60 days after receiving their driving learners permits and complete at least 50 hours of supervised driving before applying for licenses. Then, once receiving provisional licenses, these young drivers could operate cars for the first year only within strict limits, such as no driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. and not carrying passengers younger than 20 without supervision (even younger drivers already have all these restrictions). It was aimed at reducing the number of accidents involving young drivers. But as Brown pointed out in his veto message, it would treat young Californians who are considered adults in almost every other respect such as being allowed to vote and being eligible for military service as if they were wayward children. Brown said the bill by Assemblyman Jim Frazier, a Brentwood Democrat, would create a burden on a segment of the population of adult Californians who are no longer seen as a minor in the eyes of the law. It was one of several bills trying to redefine adulthood that were considered in the legislative session. They included one to drop the voting age to 16 and another to make it more difficult for teenagers to be legally married. Consistency has never been a hallmark of the California Legislature. Browns skepticism about nanny government was displayed again when he vetoed two bills (Senate Bill 386 and Assembly Bill 725) that would have barred smoking in state parks and on state beaches and imposed stiff fines for, as Brown said, lighting one cigarette. If people cant smoke even on a deserted beach, where can they? he asked rhetorically in his veto messages. There must be some limit to the coercive power of government. The latter comment is the key to the issue. At some point, legislative nannyism goes beyond dealing with even theoretical dangers to the larger public and becomes arbitrary, even coercive, punishment for behavior that those in power simply dislike, for whatever reason. Tellingly, the author of one of the smoking bills Brown rejected, Democratic Sen. Steve Glazer of Orinda, also tried to force, via legislation, the small Mendocino County community of Fort Bragg to change its name. It was originally a 19th-century military outpost named for a U.S. Army officer who later fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Democratic legislators debate and sometimes pass such bills, even as they complain ceaselessly about a Republican-dominated federal government high-handedly imposing its will on those of different cultural or ideological persuasions. In either capital, petty efforts to dictate personal behavior can occur only because one political party so completely dominates that its members believe they have license to legislate without restraint. Fortunately, in Sacramento they must contend with a governor with, shall we say, more mature wisdom about such matters. But Washington? Executive maturity and restraint appear to be in short supply. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) appeared to heap more criticism on President Donald Trump during an interview on Sunday, saying it was wrong for high-income Americans to dodge the draft during the Vietnam War. One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say that they had a bone spur, McCain said during a segment on the draft that aired on C-SPAN 3 on Sunday. That is wrong. That is wrong. If were going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve. While the senators comments didnt directly reference Trump, the president is widely known to have received five deferments from the draft during the Vietnam War, four for education and one for bone spurs in his heels. The New York Times obtained the presidents Selective Service records last August, and during an interview at the time Trump said the spurs had been temporary and minor and that over time, they healed up. They were spurs, he told the outlet, although he noted that they were enough of a problem. He continued: You know, it was difficult from the long-term walking standpoint. TONIGHT - @SenJohnMcCain talks about the Vietnam War's legacy on C-SPAN, at 6 & 10pm ET. pic.twitter.com/WnZT0n8Mcn American History TV (@cspanhistory) October 22, 2017 McCain served in Vietnam and was a prisoner of war for more than five years after his aircraft was shot down, during which he was tortured and held in solitary confinement. Trump lambasted the senator during his presidential campaign last year, saying McCain was not a war hero. I like people that werent captured, he said. McCain, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in July, has amped up his criticism against the White House and members of his own party in recent months. Story continues Last week, the senator used an acceptance speech for an award honoring his 60-year career in public service to slam what he called half-baked, spurious nationalism that had arisen in America following last years presidential election. We live in a land made of ideals, not blood and soil, McCain said during his acceptance of the prestigious Liberty Medal, referencing the Nazi slogan chanted at recent right-wing rallies. We are the custodians of those ideals at home and their champion abroad. We have done great good in the world. ... We will not thrive in a world where our leadership and ideals are absent. We wouldnt deserve to. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Arizona senator: it is wrong that some avoided war draft with bone spurs Firefights and blowback: Trumps week of military misadventures John McCain was a navy aviator who was shot down, wounded, tortured and held for five years in Vietnam. Donald Trump said: Hes not a war hero I like people who werent captured. Photograph: Cliff Owen/AP John McCain took another shot at Donald Trump on Sunday night, with an angry reference to Americans who avoided the draft for the Vietnam war. Speaking to C-Span 3s American History TV, the Arizona senator did not mention the president by name. But he said: One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never, ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur. That is wrong. That is wrong. If we are going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve. Trump received five deferments from service in Vietnam: four for academic reasons and one for bone spurs calcium buildups in his heels. In 2015, he said at a news conference he couldnt remember which heel the bone spurs had affected. His campaign said it was both. In July 2016, Trump told the New York Times: I had a doctor that gave me a letter a very strong letter on the heels. The problem had been temporary and minor, he said, adding: Over a period of time, it healed up. He also said: You know, it was difficult from the long-term walking standpoint. TONIGHT - @SenJohnMcCain talks about the Vietnam War's legacy on C-SPAN, at 6 & 10pm ET. pic.twitter.com/WnZT0n8Mcn American History TV (@cspanhistory) October 22, 2017 The Vietnam war has been a source of tension between Trump and McCain since July 2015, when Trump, then a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, questioned whether McCain was a war hero. McCain, then a naval aviator, was badly injured in a crash in 1967, captured by the North Vietnamese, held for five years and tortured. He refused opportunities to be released for propaganda purposes. Story continues Hes not a war hero. Hes a war hero because he was captured? I like people who werent captured, Trump said, at a campaign event in Iowa. In July this year, McCain announced that he had brain cancer. On his return to the US Capitol, he dramatically sank a Republican healthcare bill backed by the White House. He also refused to support the bills successor. Recently McCain has led calls for greater transparency from the administration over the deaths of four US soldiers in Niger. Last week, accepting the Liberty Medal in Philadelphia, the senator gave other remarks that were interpreted as an attack on Trump. McCain criticised half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems. He said: We live in a land made of ideals, not blood and soil. In response, Trump told a radio host: People have to be careful because I fight back. Im being very nice, very nice, but at some point I will fight back and it wont be pretty. McCain replied: Its fine with me. Ive faced some fairly significant adversaries in the past. It appears that just as impeachment fever had started to break around the country, a 25th Amendment bug started going around. A few weeks ago, the University of Chicago's Eric Posner argued that the "conventional understanding" of the amendment should be "enlarged" to include instances where both parties "lose confidence in the president's ability to govern." A Los Angeles Times reader asked, in a letter to the editor, "Why have a 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution if we refuse to use it" when "President [Donald] Trump wrecks everything in his path?" The chatter is loud enough that, reportedly, Trump-whisperer Steve Bannon privately warned the president that opponents might try to use the 25th Amendment as a way to oust him. Trump reportedly asked him, "what's that?" He's not the only one looking up the amendment, but if, as I've argued, impeachment would be a mistake, removing Trump via the 25th Amendment would be a disaster for our system. For Trump's agonists, there's an obvious solution; one they seem intent on avoiding: If you can't stand the president, then the proper fix is electing someone else. Sandwiched between the prohibition against poll taxes and right to vote for 18-year-olds, the amendment detailing presidential succession fills a gap in the original Constitution. Until 1967, there was far greater uncertainty over the question of when and under what circumstances a president could be succeeded in office. The issue of "disability" of a president "and who is to be the judge of it?" was raised in the Constitutional Convention in 1787 by Delegate John Dickinson of Delaware, but left unanswered. The first presidential succession ambiguity arose when President William Henry Harrison died a few weeks after taking office and former Vice President John Tyler struggled to be seen by critics as the appropriate successor - throughout his presidency, critics referred to Tyler as "His Accidency." Members of Congress pondered the succession question after President Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered a stroke. They ultimately, if not exhaustively, dealt with the issue via the 25th Amendment after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. There was finally a sense of urgency as members realized that, had Kennedy lived on, incapacitated, it was not clear that Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson could assume office. What entices Trump critics now, however, aren't the amendment's provisions in Section 1 and 2 for the orderly succession of power "In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation." Nor is it Section 3, which allows for temporary transfer of presidential authority when the president "transmits" his own "declaration" of temporary disability (as when George W. Bush underwent a "routine colon examination" and invoked the amendment to allow his vice Dick Cheney to briefly take over). Rather, it is Section 4's provision for a less orderly, and permanent, removal from power. This prospect has been floated by those who acknowledge that impeachment in the House of Representatives is highly unlikely without a clear "high crime" or "misdemeanor" - not to mention a two-thirds majority needed for conviction in the Senate. Impeachment, though, is a constitutional cake walk in comparison to a Section 4 removal. Section 4 has, essentially, two avenues for dragging a president from the Oval Office. First, there is the mutiny option. A vice president and a majority of the Cabinet can agree that the president is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office" and notify Congress that the vice president intends to take over. If Vice President Pence could get eight Cabinet officers to sign a letter to that effect, he would immediately become the "Acting President." But if the president then declares to Congress that "no inability exists," Trump could resume his powers. Pence and the rebellious Cabinet would then have to send another declaration within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House that says, more or less, don't believe a word, he's unfit. Once Congress had the second declaration, if not already in session, it would have 48 hours to assemble to debate the issue. It would then have 21 days to vote on the president's fitness. To remove the president, two-thirds of both houses would have to agree. If Congress did not vote within 21 days, the president would get his power back. Impeachment only requires a majority vote in the House and doesn't need the cooperation of the vice president in addition to a two-house, two-thirds vote. In a climate where members of Congress struggle to cobble together a simple majority on replacing Obamacare, a supermajority to remove Trump seems a tad optimistic, and politically risky: Cabinet members would do well to remember Emerson's adage, "Never strike a king unless you are sure you shall kill him." With a president made famous by the catchphrase "you're fired," there's not much doubt as to one's political future if you sign a Section 4 declaration and fail. Which brings us to option two. Section 4 states that a decision to remove the president could be made, alternatively, by "such other body as Congress may by law provide." This is the course Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., has sought with proposed legislation to create an "Oversight Commission on Presidential Capacity"-a body to decide if the president is physically and mentally fit. But even in the unlikely event that Republicans supported this approach, the process still calls for the vice president's assent, and it's even less likely that Pence would stake his political fortunes on dumping Trump. More importantly, any disability review commission would be tasked with finding a mental or physical disability - unlikely. A group of self-declared "mental health professionals and members of the public" called Duty to Warn recently marched to call for a 25th Amendment removal on the supposition that Trump has an incurable malignant narcissism and "is too seriously mentally ill to competently discharge his duties as the president." Narcissistic Personality Disorder is defined as "grandiosity, a lack of empathy for other people, and a need for admiration," which, indeed, describes Trump. But let's face it: If we started removing public servants because they were narcissists, the nation's Capital might become a virtual ghost town. In D.C., the question isn't who fits that definition? but, who doesn't? Moreover, declaring the president unfit without an examination runs counter to the American Psychiatric Association's "Goldwater Rule" that doctors cannot express professional opinions about public figures they have not personally examined. Attempting to discern incapacity, particularly at a distance, is a slippery slope. Psychology Today reported last year that one study of the first 37 presidents suggests half of them experienced some form of mental illness. Kennedy had a number of physical ailments that were hidden from the public and intermittently took a secret regimen of drugs prescribed by doctor sometimes called "Dr. Feelgood," but few would suggest that he was not up to the job of president of the United States. For many, Trump's routine tweets and taunts, and his untoward exchanges with more than one grieving gold star family, seem not just un-presidential, but unhinged. I have been critical of many of those comments and find them deeply disturbing. The standard, however, is whether Trump is "unable to discharge" his duties, and there is no evidence of a clinical condition that renders Trump unable to perform them. When no less a figure than Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., an influential Senate committee chair once seen as a Trump ally, refers to the White House as "adult day care," or when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reportedly calls the president a "moron," many are hoping that core Republicans are looking for an exit ramp. However, Section 4 is not about childish or boorish presidential comportment. It is about a disability that prevents a president from carrying out capable decision-making. The Constitution only requires Trump to be able to discharge his duties; not necessarily to discharge them well. The fact is that Trump exhibited most of the traits he exhibits today during his campaign and his long business and television careers. He is as he advertises and slightly more than one-third of Americans still support the president. For them, the controversy is about style, not sanity. Absent more compelling evidence of incapacity, Trump's continuation in office will remain a political, not a constitutional condition, triggered by the very cause that is also its cure: a presidential election. It was getting scary and the tension crawled along his scalp like a rash under the yellow hard hat. The piercing heat and smoke were suffocatingeven with the red bandanna tied across his nose and mouth. Worse, there wasnt any place to hide from the fiery beast roaring and swelling around him. Jed Warren was only 18 years old and he had a growing wish hed be around to celebrate his 19 birthday next month. Peering into the dense curtain of dirty smoke, he strained to make out the hazy figures of his crew, knowing they must be nearby. To the north, Jed could hear their muffled shouts and pick up the clinks of their steel tools against the granite rocks. Familiar sounds, as his team cut fire breaks through the smaller trees and dug away the deep layers of duff that lay beneath their gnarly work boots. Jesus, weve got to get the hell out of here, he muttered to himself. With a practiced swing of his Pulaski, he cut a swath through the thicket of small pines that blocked his way ; the keen edge of the twin-headed tool biting deep into the green wood. Bolting through the last yard of scrub brush, he emerged into a small, rocky clearing. Hey. Mike. Wheres Doogan? Have you seen him? The back of the helmet spun around, exposing the sweat-streaked face of Mike Genelli, one of Jeds fire crew. I think hes over to the right of that group of trees, he shouted back. Man, this [expletive] is getting out of hand, he added, digging his short-handled shovel into the burning duff with purpose. Leaving Genelli, Jed picked his way through the trees, careful of the burning manzanita and buck brush blocking his path, quickly spotting his man sucking down a drink from his canteen. Doogan, the Crew Chief, looked up and waved Jed over. Move yer [rear], Lad, he shouted. When Jed got close, Doogan grabbed the boy around the neck. Shoving his worn, bearded face into Jeds ear, he yelled, Get yer crew together right now! It looks like weve bin cut off from the fire road and the wind is picking up fast. Jed glanced up at the top of the tall Ponderosa pines and saw them swaying. He knew these big fires often made their own mini weather pattern, creating updrafts of hot air that could sweep the flames over the tops of trees at amazing speed. This was the most feared of all fires. Any living thing beneath this crown of heat and flame would be incinerated. On a similar fire in late June at Chinquapin Station, they had lost two of their crew when the boys attempted to outrun the flames to a large clearing. Jed remembered there wasnt much of their bodies to scoop up for the return to their families. Running back to where Genelli was working, Jed told him they would all meet at the center of the rocky clearing in five minutes. He went looking for his team, finding all but one: Crazy Carl. Dammit! I should have known that bastard would be the last to get the word, he yelled to no one in particular. Totally pissed, he dashed off into the burning brush. The heat nipped at him from every crease in the heavy, thick smoke, making his eyes water, his skin wince. The dirty, sweat-caked collar of the blue work shirt chafed his neck, adding to his misery. Oh, how he longed for an ice cold Coke and a two-hour shower. Jed had been working the fire for over 14 hours and the lack of food, water and rest were now taking their revenge on his body. Dimly, just ahead through the dense smoke, he spotted the red-starred bandanna that marked his missing man. At that moment, he heard, then felt a jet-like roar and a flash of heat from a tall Ponderosa as it went up like a torch in front of him. A black, still smoldering trail of duff, like a large candlewick, marked the fires relentless path to the doomed trees base. Thats when he saw Carl, leaning on his shovel handle, watching the tree burn with no effort to put it out. Carls face was almost angelic. A soft smile played on his lips. He was in his private heaven. In truth, he was called crazy because Carl, the firefighter, loved fires. Jed reached around Carl and grabbed the shovel handle, jerking his mesmerized friend back to reality. What the hell you doing, he flared, giving Jed a hard-eyed look. We have to get out of here, spat Jed. This place aint safe and Doogan is waiting to move us out. Lets go! Jed sprinted back toward the clearing with Carl puffing hard to keep up. Jed fought back a wish that Carls slow [behind] would catch fire before they got to the group. When they reached the clearing, the rest of the fire crew was waiting; some sitting, some lying down. Collectively, they knew the fire was all around them and that the choices were few. It would take someone like Doogan to get them out in one piece. The ageless crew boss had been fighting fires in the Yosemite Valley for over 30 years and was known as Dead On Doogan due to his uncanny ability to fell a tree to a given spot on the ground. Today, his knowledge of the terrain would be their key to survival. They quickly huddled around Doogan, intent on hearing his instructions. Were gonna work our way down this steep gully right here to a small stream at the bottom. Keep close together, lads, and mind your step. Looking around the circle into the eyes of the nervous young men he admonished, Most importantdont leave anyone behind! With that, he turned and moved briskly toward the edge of the gully and slipped out of sight. Jed and his crew followed without hesitation, glad to get away from the heat and smoke; even if it meant a broken leg. Together, they slid and bolted down the rugged slope kicking up dust and rocks. Jed could feel the heat rise after they lost the faint breeze on the ridge. Terrible crackling noises erupted on all sides as they descended and he had a really bad feeling about going down into the belly of the mountain. Turning to Genelli, who was stumbling alongside, he said, There better be a lot of water down there! Genelli just grunted, grabbing at a small branch to slow his own ragged decent. In about 20 minutes, they reached a small mountain stream flowing slowly through a narrow cutout filled with rocks and a few large granite boulders. Under Doogans instructions, they immediately fell to making man-sized pockets in the creek; mucking out the stones with their hands and feet to make holes in the creek bed. A few worked together to form a small pool surrounded by a low wall of rocks. Most were covering their exposed skin with gobs of dark, sticky mud. It was a good time to cover up. Some wise guy yelled, Shake n bake! Nobody laughed. Jed lay down on his back in about 18 inches of water, splashing himself until he was completely drenched. The cool liquid felt like a magical balm on his tired arms and legs. The water slowly made its way into his every pore. Finally, he wet his big bandanna and tied it tightly across his face to help blot out the smoke now beginning to drift into the narrow gorge. He heard Doogan shout something but its meaning was lost in the crackling, spitting inferno that suddenly descended upon them. Peering under the lip of his hard hat, Jed could catch glimpses of flames reflecting off the water. Wildly, he wondered if this is how a lobster felt prior to being someones dinner. A weak, sardonic smile tried to cross his face, but he was too scared to pull it off. From all sides, he could hear the whoosh of large trees, buck brush and undergrowth being sucked into the maelstrom and instantly consumed. His head was getting hot under the hat. Smoke curled wickedly upon itself, masking a blinding hail of choking particles that fell around him in the water; some sputtering out with loud hisses. Dont panic. Keep calm, he repeated to himself. The water seemed to be getting warmer. Jed rolled into a fetal position, closed his eyes tightly, as if to sleep, and vaguely recalled a childhood prayer from Sunday school. The thundering storm raged over the men in the creek, blotting out everything but their fear. A tree crashed nearby. The large, sucking cloud of heat came upon them like a hot blanket. Then it was over. The crown fire had only lasted about 10 minutes a century to the trapped men. A few of the huddled figures began to stir in their watery cocoons. The smoke was still thick, but breathable through the bandannas. Jeds ears felt blistered like the glowing embers that continued to fall from the blackened sky. He scooped a hand full of water and splashed it into his eye sockets to flush out the smoke particles. He heard someone cough, gag then vomit. Just in front of Jed, the devout Genelli sat up holding the black crucifix that always hung from his neck, mumbling to himself with words of comfort and thanksgiving. Jed watched as Doogan rose up from the creek bed like a dripping apparition from a watery crypt. The old mans eyes quickly scanned the creek, making sure everyone was accounted for. Calmly, he studied the terrain, obviously making a mental map of how they were going to get back to the fire road and main camp. From all outward appearances, anyone would have thought Doogan had just awoke from a nap. Jed crawled out to check on his soggy mates. In those first moments, they grabbed and hugged each other, pounding on hats and arms; celebrating their survival under fire. All that is, except Carl. He slowly stood up with water dripping from his hat and clothes. He spat and casually surveyed the destruction that lay all around. Massive trees had been reduced to blackened, bent fingers sticking up through the smoke. Doogans sharp, unmistakable whistle cut deeply into his ears. It was time to regroup. Retrieving his trusty Pulaski from the stream, Jed scooped up a handful of water with the other hand and waded to where the foreman sat on a blackened granite boulder, his faithful map opened before him. Glory be, we made it lads and the worst is now behind, he intoned in his almost-lyrical Irish brogue. Glancing around, he took in the wet, dingy, smoke-streaked faces before him and felt a sense of pride in their survival. Then, he took another look. By his count he was missing three men. Jed, make sure we have everybody. Check up and down the creek bed now!. At that moment, all the faces turned toward each other to determine who was not there. Including Doogan, there should be a total of fifteen crew members. Jed ran up and down the smoking creek, whistling and yelling, Crew Four, Crew Four, over here! He stopped and listened for a response, but only heard the crackling of burning brush and pine trees that lined the smoky creek. He walked up the slope as far as he could go in the burning terrain, but got no response. When he rejoined the group, Doogan still questioning the other men. OK, it looks like were missing Banks, Griswald and Dunn. Did anybody see them right before the fire crowned?, Doogan asked. Ted Wayland, a tall, slim and usually quiet kid spoke up first: Chief, I think I saw Griswald and Dunn running up the creek to where it widens out by that big rock, he pointed. They were in the smoke, but Banks could have been with em, he added. [expletive], thought Len as he took in the route the men would have taken. There was no way they could have survived if the fire had been drawn into that small pass. Lets go lads, spoke Doogan, his voice now tinged with a sense of apprehension. Well take a good look around before it gets dark. The crew followed the creek bed as it wound through the narrow pass, looking on either side for any trace of the missing men. Jed spotted the first body. It appeared almost like an appendage to the blackened manzanita tree. Burned beyond recognition, the corpse resembled a badly charred, bloated roastwith arms and legs. The distinctive, western metal belt buckle belonged to Ed Griswald, a Texas boy. Farther up, the mutilated bodies of Charlie Dunn and Ron Banks were found huddled together under the lip of a granite boulder. Judging from their positions, Doogan said it looked like they were trying to reach a open spot, free from trees, maybe 30 yards beyond. It probably looked a bit safer than the creek, he mumbled. Lets get them the hell out of here. The men fashioned crude stretchers out of their jackets, placing the three bodies on them for the difficult trip up the slope. It took about 30 minutes to reach the fire road where they had begun their initial decent to the creek. An ambulance was there to take charge of the bodies. As Doogan predicted, the area had been burned to the ground with only a few charred Manzanitas left as numb witnesses to the fires fury. Theres nothing that says an Emory College student majoring in political science and Russian and East European Studies cant launch a science-focused nonprofit. So Gabriela Korobkov did. Georgia Blossom offers local elementary school students flower-press kits designed to observe and record flowers native to the Peach State. Now a senior, she got the idea when she was volunteering at an elementary school during her sophomore year at Oxford College. Some of the students couldnt grasp geometric shapes until she physically created the shapes for them to touch. I was writing a paper on education for a political theory course and realized I was talking about the issue without any practical experience, says Korobkov, who goes by Kova. Once I was in the classroom, I saw how important hands-on learning is, for me and for them. The kits arrive in a papier-mache box and include a journal listing plants common to Georgia. Child-proof scissors allow students to trim their preferred plant, and there is a handmade wood press to do the hard work of flattening the plants. Students are encouraged to explore for plants, keeping them active, while also instructing them on the rudimentary steps of the scientific process by answering where they found a plant, what it looks like and other such questions. Kova launched the business in January, joined a few months later by her friend Yusur Alsalihi, a senior chemistry and philosophy major. They also hired student volunteers, sophomore Aniqa Premjee and junior Jenna Cariker, with the help of the Career Center, to help fulfill their goal of providing the kits to schools in metro Atlanta. What motivates me is that its a small thing but it can be huge in impact, Alsalihi says. It shows the simplicity and unity of science. The students reached out to elementary schools, PTA groups and elsewhere to find students who could use their creations. They have since created and delivered more than 130 kits, including to students at schools in Alpharetta and Decatur. Two kits also went to Amy Moore, director of research programs at the Georgia Research Alliance. Although she didnt reach out in an official capacity, Moore says she was excited enough about the prospects of an all-female, STEM-based startup to offer introductions to leaders in at-risk schools who might especially need the kits. And Moores 8-year-old daughter declared the kit very cool, while her 5-year-old son was able to press and identify flowers with adult help. There may be a larger opportunity for them, Moore says. As a woman scientist, I want to support that. The team is now reviewing next steps as Kova prepares for graduate school in a bid to become a political analyst and Alsalihi aims for medical school. But they continue to make flower-press kits and update their Instagram page with other kid-friendly science projects. Both Kova and Alsalihi are from the metro Atlanta area and have engaged other Emory students who can continue making and delivering the kits and developing the latest idea, to offer science and math tutoring in under-served areas. Im not quite sure what will become of it, but we are all committed to this kind of service, Kova says. Its the very definition of a common good. Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Malaysia has asked Interpol to help track down a financier at the centre of a massive financial scandal that has embroiled the country's leader, it was announced Monday. Low Taek Jho, a jet-setting businessman also known as "Jho Low", was allegedly a key figure in the scandal surrounding 1MDB, a state investment fund founded and overseen by Prime Minister Najib Razak. The US Justice Department alleges in civil lawsuits that $4.5 billion was looted from 1MDB in an audacious campaign of fraud and money-laundering, and is seeking to seize $1.7 billion in assets allegedly bought with stolen money. Low, a family friend of Najib, allegedly helped establish 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and took key decisions. US justice officials accuse him of using looted money to purchase items including artwork, a hotel and a luxury yacht. Low, whose whereabouts are unknown, has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime. Responding to a question in parliament about Low, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said: "We have made a request to Interpol to find the person." He added police had not yet received any information about his whereabouts. Interpol, which helps with the exchange of information between police forces from over 190 countries, did not respond to a request for comment. Celebrities have been sucked into the scandal, with the Justice Department alleging stolen 1MDB money was used to buy jewelry worth millions of dollars for Miranda Kerr as well as gifts for Leonardo DiCaprio. They have both handed the items to US authorities. US authorities say a figure it calls "Malaysian Official 1" knowingly received huge sums of 1MDB money, and a Malaysian cabinet minister has since confirmed that official was Najib. The scandal has rocked the administration of Najib, who must call elections by mid-2018. He has responded by purging critics from his government and curbing domestic investigations. Both Najib and the fund deny wrongdoing. Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow attend the Contagion premiere in 2011. (Photo: Getty Images) Despite his best efforts to not be the story, Matt Damon continues to find himself making headlines for what he did or didnt know about Harvey Weinsteins alleged behavior. Damon, 47, has done a handful of films with the disgraced producer including Good Will Hunting, which he won an Oscar for in 1998. I never saw this, the actor initially claimed. Over 40 women have come forward accusing the producer of sexual assault, harassment, and/or misconduct. I think a lot of actors have come out and said, everybodys saying we all knew. Thats not true, Damon stated after the initial story broke. Well its a little bit true as Damon has backtracked a bit on that statement. The actor has now admitted to knowing about Weinstein allegedly sexually harassing Gwyneth Paltrow in 1996. I knew the story about Gwyneth from Ben [Affleck] because he was with her after [she dated] Brad [Pitt], Damon said on Good Morning America on Monday. Paltrow claimed the producer sexually harassed her in a hotel room when she was 22 and about to star in the Miramax film Emma. I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified, Paltrow alleged. She told her boyfriend at the time, Brad Pitt, about the incident and the actor confronted the media mogul, warning him to leave her alone. Weinstein allegedly screamed at Paltrow for a long time, warning her not to tell anyone else about what had happened or she would be fired. Well, Paltrow apparently also told boyfriend Ben Affleck who shared the story with his BFF, Damon. I never talked to Gwyneth about it. Ben told me, Damon now says. But I knew that they had come to whatever agreement or understanding that they had come to. She had handled it, and she was the first lady of Miramax. Shortly after Emma, Paltrow went on to work with Weinstein and win an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love. The actress teamed up with Weinstein and Miramax again for the 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley, which also starred Damon. Story continues And he treated her incredibly respectfully, always, Damon maintains to GMA. Allegedly soliciting a massage for professional gain in a hotel room isnt our version of incredibly respectful, but to each his own. Damon and Paltrow promote The Talented Mr Ripley in London in 2000. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images) Damon and Weinstein continued to have a professional relationship following The Talented Mr. Ripley. Its been alleged the actor helped kill a 2004 story in The New York Times that was supposedly going to expose allegations against Weinstein and the head of Miramax Italy, Fabrizio Lombardo, of sexual misconduct. While the actor admits to making a phone call to the paper to voice positive experiences working with Lombardo, he was not aware of any of the sexual harassment allegations against either of them. The author of that story, Sharon Waxman, confirms Damons account. When people say, Everybody knew, like yeah, I knew he was an a**hole. He was proud of that. Thats how he carried himself, Damon explains on GMA. I knew he was a womanizer. You know, I wouldnt want to be married to the guy. But thats not my business really. This level of criminal sexual predation was not something I ever thought was going on. Absolutely not. Its not just Damon who has been dragged for not speaking up about Weinstein sooner. Affleck has also been called out online after claiming to be unaware of the producers behavior. Alleged Weinstein victim, Rose McGowan who claims the producer raped her told Affleck to f**k off. @benaffleck GODDAMNIT! I TOLD HIM TO STOP DOING THAT you said that to my face. The press conf I was made to go to after assault. You lie. rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 10, 2017 McGowan also blasted the actor for the timing of his adoption of a stray puppy. And this is what is known as publicity spin @people https://t.co/58epjqLt2c rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 22, 2017 Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: North Korea's weapons programmes pose "an unprecedented and grave threat" to the United States, South Korea and Japan, defence ministers from the three countries warned Tuesday. US Secretary of Defense James Mattis and his Asian counterparts vowed to step up diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang while enhancing military cooperation as they held security talks in the Philippines. Tension has been high on the divided Korean peninsula for months with Pyongyang staging its sixth nuclear test and launching two ICBMs that apparently brought much of the US mainland into range. "The three ministers condemned, in the strongest terms, North Korea's continued provocative actions," read a joint statement from Mattis, Japanese defence minister Itsunori Onodera and South Korean defence minister Song Young-Moo. "The ministers called on North Korea to abandon its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner." The allies also pledged to enforce United Nations sanctions against the North, and expand information sharing. Mattis is on an Asian tour which will see him visiting Seoul for annual defence talks -- ahead of a visit to South Korea by Donald Trump. All eyes will be on Trump's message to Pyongyang after the US president and the North's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults. Trump's recent remark that "only one thing will work" with North Korea fuelled concerns of a potential conflict. But even some White House advisers say US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South Korean capital Seoul -- only around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the heavily fortified border and home to 10 million people. Mattis also met counterparts from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations who are gathering for talks in the northern Philippine city of Clark. The Pentagon said the US defence chief and ASEAN ministers discussed North Korea as well as the "the need to increase cooperation on countering violent extremism to stem the threat posed from groups" such as the Islamic State and "the threat posed by returning foreign fighters". Story continues A five-month battle against Islamic State supporters in the southern Philippines that claimed more than 1,100 lives ended following a final battle inside a mosque, Manila said on Monday. The conclusion of the conflict ended immediate fears that IS would establish a Southeast Asian base in the southern city of Marawi. However, concerns remain about its longer-term intentions and capabilities in the region. Clark (Philippines) (AFP) - US Defence Secretary James Mattis on Monday praised the Philippines for its successes in battling Islamic State supporters, as he began an Asian trip aimed at reaffirming American support for regional allies. Mattis echoed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's statement last week that Filipino forces had "liberated" the southern city of Marawi, after five months of bitter urban fighting that had claimed more than 1,000 lives, even though battles have continued. "One of the first things I'm going to do when I get there is commend the Philippine military for liberating Marawi from the terrorists," Mattis told reporters on the flight to the Philippines, according to an official transcript. "It was a very tough fight as you know in southern Mindanao (the local region). And I think the Philippine military sends a very strong message to the terrorists." Gunmen who had pledged allegiance to IS occupied parts of Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23 in what Duterte said was a bid to establish a Southeast Asian caliphate there. Hundreds of insurgents withstood a US-backed military campaign, including near daily air strikes and artillery fire, that displaced more than 400,000 people and left large parts of Marawi in ruins. Duterte last week travelled to Marawi to declare it had been "liberated", a day after the Southeast Asian leader for IS, Isnilon Hapilon, was shot dead there. However deadly fighting has continued, with the military reporting dozens of militants are still resisting in a small pocket of the city. Mattis flew to the Philippines to attend a meeting hosted by Southeast Asian defence ministers at the former American military base of Clark, two hours' drive north of Manila. The Philippines is a former American colony and the two nations are bound by a mutual defence treaty. But relations have soured under Duterte as he has sought to build closer ties with China and Russia. Story continues Defence ministers from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Russia are also scheduled to attend the two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) event. Mattis' Asia trip, which will also take him to Thailand and South Korea, comes ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to Asia next month. Some American allies in the region have become wary of Trump's interest in Asia. Mattis sought to reassure allies. "The US remains unambiguously committed to supporting ASEAN," Mattis said. A woman and her two children have been arrested in Long Island in connection to seven armed robberies, all of which took place over the last month. Deborah Salvatore, 55, and her children, Rick Mascia, 25, and 31-year-old Lauren Mascia, are accused of robbing a number local establishments: Two Family Dollar locations, two Dunkin Donuts, one Dollar Tree and the same Carvel twice. The most recent robbery was at a Dunkin Donuts on Oct. 21, and it didn't quite go as planned: Rick entered alone and said he wanted to buy a donut, but the cashier replied, "Were about to close, so you can have the donuts for free," recounted another employee to the New York Post. Lauren Mascia, Deborah Salvatore and Rick Mascia (Suffolk County Police) Rick allegedly responded, "No, I want you to charge me." After the employee opened the cash register, he allegedly brandished a knife and demanded all the money. His mother was waiting in the car outside. Police arrived before the two could even leave the parking lot, the 17-year-old employee said. lthough sister Lauren was absent from the Dunkin Donuts heist, was arrested along with her mother and brother after cops began investigating. All three are waiting arraignment in Central Islip court. RELATED: Areas with the highest robbery rates in each state Are Americans Willing to Go to War With North Korea? Gallup Senior Poll Editor Lydia Saad discusses Gallup's latest data on how Americans would like to see the conflict with North Korea resolved. She also delves into Americans' views on how well President Donald Trump is handling the situation. Former Mets World Series MVP Ray Knight was charged with assault and battery. (Getty Images) Washington Nationals television analyst Ray Knight has been charged with assault and battery after an incident at his home, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The 64-year-old Knight reportedly got into an argument at his home with a 33-year-old man. That argument became physical. Police responded to a call around 4 a.m on Sunday. Knight was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries before being taken to a detention center. He was released on bond, and is set to appear in court in January. The victim was also taken to the hospital and treated with non-life-threatening injuries. Police did not release the identity of the victim. Knight has served as a pre- and postgame analyst for the Nationals on MASN for six seasons. He spent 13 years in the majors, winning a World Series as a member of the New York Mets in 1986. From 1996 to 1997, Knight was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He also managed one game with the team in 2003. Neither the Nationals nor MASN have offered a comment on Knights charges at this time. More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports: Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping: AFP/Getty Images During a visit to Beijing next month, President Donald Trump will attempt to persuade Chinas leader to do more to rein in North Korea, after having criticised the country for not taking more action on the issue. In a bilateral meeting, Mr Trump will also urge President Xi Jinping to fully implement sanctions by the United Nations Security Council against Pyongyang and to take steps that go beyond that, an official told reporters. Mr Trump will travel to Asia next month for a 12-day trip, during which he will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. It will be his longest tour abroad as President to date. Along with having a sit-down with the Chinese president, Mr Trump will also have bilateral meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, South Korean President Jae-in Moon, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, a White House official confirmed. The official said Mr Trump will likely not visit the Korean demilitarized zone, the heavily guarded strip of land that has divided North and South Korea for 64 years. Mr Trumps trip comes during a tense standoff between the US and North Korea over the latters continued development of its nuclear and ballistic weapons programme. The UN Security Council unanimously voted in September to ratchet up sanctions on North Korea following the regimes sixth and largest nuclear test, although the penalties fell short of the sweeping sanctions the Trump administration had demanded. Both Russia and China, North Koreas main economic ally, had opposed the USs call for an oil embargo and other far-reaching sanctions. The new penalties include a ban on the sale of natural gas to North Korea and limits the amount of refined petroleum sales to the country to two million barrels per year. China supplies most of North Korea's crude oil. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has warned that China could face further sanctions from the US if it does not abide by the new UN sanctions placed on Kim Jong-uns regime. Story continues Mr Trump has said repeatedly that he is disappointed in China for not doing more to help control North Korea. In August, Chinas state media hit back, blasting Mr Trump for his emotional venting on Twitter. Trump is quite a personality, and he likes to tweet, said Xinhua, Chinas official news agency, in an editorial displayed on Chinese news websites. But emotional venting cannot become a guiding policy for solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula, it said, referring to the divided Korean Peninsula. In the past, Chinese diplomats have asserted that the US and its allies should not depend so much on China to ease tensions created by North Koreas growing nuclear weapons and missile capabilities. The US and North Korea hold the primary responsibility to keep things moving, to start moving in the right direction, Ambassador Liu Jieyi said at a news conference to mark the end of Chinas July term in the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council. Mr Trump has suggested that if China does do more to help rein in North Korea, he may change his views on trade between Americans and the Chinese a topic which he has constantly said he will do something about. We lose hundreds of billions of dollars a year on trade with China, Mr Trump said in August, referring to the large US-China trade deficit, which he has repeatedly railed against. They know how I feel. Its not going to continue like that. But if China helps us, I feel a lot differently toward trade, a lot differently toward trade. A White House official said Mr Trump will also try to pressure Mr Xi next month to ease what Washington views as unfair trade practices. By Gwladys Fouche OSLO (Reuters) - The ethics watchdog for Norway's $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund is reviewing allegations that U.S. pipeline operator Energy Transfer Partners may breach the fund's investment guidelines. The Norwegian fund held $248 million of ETP corporate bonds at the end of 2016, according to the latest available data. Under rules set by Norway's parliament, any firm the fund invests in must meet guidelines related to the environment, human rights, governance and other issues. The fund has in the past divested from firms deemed to have violated the guidelines. Environmentalists and Native American campaigners have opposed the Dakota Access pipeline. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe has said it could contaminate the Missouri River and said it threatens their sacred sites. ETP has previously said it was using advanced pipeline technology to ensure safety and reliability. It has also said it respected the concerns of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and would continue working with their leaders to address concerns. ETP could not immediately be reached for further comment. The Council on Ethics, the fund's ethics watchdog, has met Native American campaigners to discuss the issue on two occasions, most recently on Oct. 3 in Oslo. "We follow such cases," said Eli Ane Lund, the head of the council's secretariat. She declined to comment further on the specific case, but said the council's broad goal was to determine whether a company risked breaching the fund's ethical guidelines in future. "We focus on what could happen in the future, not what happens in the past," Lund said. Norway's sovereign wealth fund is the world's largest, investing the proceeds of the nation's oil and gas production for future generations. It has stakes in about 9,000 firms. Based on recommendations from the council, the fund has excluded 69 firms in which the fund previously had a stake, saying they broke its principles. Another 69 firms have been excluded by the fund's management due to their dependence on coal as a source of power. Story continues Representatives from non-governmental organizations often meet officials from the fund's Council on Ethics. Some campaigners who attended the Oct. 3 meeting at the watchdog's office said the fund had listened to their concerns. (Editing by Edmund Blair) By Malcolm Foster ERIMO, Japan (Reuters) - Ever since North Korea lobbed two missiles far above this windswept fishing town on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, seaweed farmer Mitsuyo Kawamura says she's been on edge. "Now when I hear a loud sound, I look outside, I look out at the ocean," 68-year-old Kawamura said from her seaside cottage in Erimo, where she lays out long dark strands of kombu seaweed on stones to dry in the sun. "I feel anxious, like I never know when it will come again." As Japan prepares to vote in Sunday's national election, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called North Korea's escalating threats -- it also conducted a sixth nuclear test last month -- a "national crisis" that only he can lead Japan through. Yet the missiles that flew over Erimo on Aug. 29 and Sept. 15 created an eerie threat: No one saw or heard them. They streaked by several hundred kilometers above land, too high to see with the naked eye, before splashing into the Pacific more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) to the east. Warnings of the missiles spread through sirens and government-issued "J-alerts" on millions of cell phones throughout Japan, jolting some out of sleep. Kawamura has since stocked up on extra food and keeps the radio on to listen for more warnings. Like many residents here -- and across Japan -- she feels helpless, unsure of how to protect herself. "When it's launched, it could land here just moments later," she said. "There's nowhere to hide." Abe's rhetoric has grown harsher as North Korea has threatened to "sink" Japan and seems intent on developing nuclear warheads that can reach the U.S. mainland. He has repeatedly backed U.S. President Donald Trump's "all-options-on-the-table" stance and says now is not the time for dialogue. "They promised in 1994 and again in 2005 that they would abandon their nuclear program. But they have broken their word and developed nuclear devices and missiles," Abe said at a campaign rally last week. "We're not going to be deceived anymore." To protect itself, Japan has deployed 34 Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile batteries around the country, including one in Hokkaido, and Aegis defense systems on several destroyers. U.S. forces in Japan also have ballistic missile defense equipment that can -- if all goes well -- take out a missile in mid-flight. 'FIRE ONE BACK' The rockets thrust tiny Erimo, population 4,850, into the global spotlight. Maps on TV broadcasts showed the missiles' flight paths over nearby Cape Erimo, a jagged point that juts into the Pacific where seals frolic. At the town's docks, where fishermen sorted through the morning's haul of salmon, tossing them into vats of ice water, strong support for Abe was mixed with worries that he's too strident, putting Japan at risk. "Right now, no one's better than Abe," said Satoru Narita, a 72-year-old fisherman. If anything, Japan has been too passive, said 23-year-old Ryosuke Kinoshita, who supports Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party. "Next time they launch one, I'd almost like to see us fire one back," he said. "We can't live in peace and safety." But Haruki Suminoya, head of Erimo's fishing union, cautioned that being overly aggressive could provoke North Korea into lashing out. "Abe's approach is too strong, too hardline," he said. "A more restrained approach is better." The recent war of words between Trump and North Korea unsettled many residents, who pointed out they were a much closer target than the United States. While pressure was needed toward North Korea, being too tough could be disastrous, said Mayor Masaki Ohnishi. "If North Korea does something serious, Japan is within shooting range." So far, it seems that Abe is winning over voters. Nationwide polls show the LDP is headed for a big win this weekend. REVISING CONSTITUTION Erimo residents were divided on Abe's signature policy of revising Japan's war-renouncing constitution to clarify the status of the country's military. Critics worry that it could lead to an expanded role for the armed forces overseas and entangle it in U.S.-led conflicts. But Shinto priest Hirotaka Tezuka, 39, said the constitution had grown outdated. "We need a constitution that's better suited to the present era." Yoshihiro Naito, 77, opposed the idea. "The commitment we've made not to wage war has kept Japan safe." He plans to vote for an opposition party because he thinks Abe and the LDP have become too powerful. Town officials said they have not taken any particular precautionary steps following the recent missile launches, nor do they plan any "duck and cover" drills that have been held elsewhere. The town has loud speakers on 50 tall poles to broadcast warnings for tsunamis, typhoons -- and now missiles. In recent months, they have installed wireless units in 1,500 of the 2,200 homes so people can hear them when they are indoors. Erimo also has emergency stocks of food, water and other supplies, the mayor said. That's particularly important for Erimo because it is linked to the rest of Hokkaido by only one coast-hugging road, which gets closed several times a year due to heavy rains or massive waves. Local fishermen are nervous about North Korea's warning that it might conduct a hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific, which they worry would contaminate the water like the Fukushima nuclear disaster did in 2011. "The radiation would make all the fish inedible," said Narita, the elderly fisherman. "Like in Fukushima, we couldn't do our jobs." The town's dwindling fishing industry has already been hit hard by a plunge in the salmon catch as well as by a dearth of youngsters to take over the trade. When young people move away to cities such as Sapporo, Hokkaido's capital, sometimes their parents follow them, residents said. Erimo's population, which peaked above 9,000 in the 1960s, has fallen to nearly half that level. "We're a fishing town," said Naito, "so if we can't catch fish any more, we're finished." (Reporting by Malcolm Foster; Editing by Bill Tarrant) Sulaimaniyah (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraqi Kurdistan's main opposition party called Sunday for the autonomous region's president to resign after Baghdad seized swathes of disputed territory from Kurdish forces in response to an independence vote. Shoresh Haji of the Goran movement, which holds 24 out of 111 seats in the Iraqi Kurdistan parliament, said Massud Barzani and his deputy Kosrat Rasul should step down. "The Kurdistan region's president and his deputy no longer have any legitimacy and should resign," he said. He called for the creation of a "national salvation government" to prepare for dialogue with Baghdad and organise new elections. Iraqi Kurds on September 25 voted overwhelmingly for independence in a poll set in motion by longtime regional leader Barzani and strongly opposed by Baghdad. Central government forces last week swept into the oil-rich Kirkuk province, restoring it and Kurdish-held parts of Nineveh and Diyala provinces to Baghdad's control. The rapid Kurdish retreat triggered recriminations among Kurdish politicians and prompted the regional parliament to postpone presidential and legislative polls set for November 1. Goran on Sunday demanded the dissolution of a body set up after the referendum to "manage the consequences of the ballot". Critics fear that Barzani, who chairs the body, could use it to retain power even after he leaves his post. Paris Jackson is on a mission to heal the world. The daughter of late king of pop, Michael Jackson, jetted to Puerto Rico on Friday to help distribute supplies to families living in Aguadilla a town on the islands northwestern tip. Aguadilla is getting less attention and resources, as its largely cut off from San Juan due to downed bridges and other road infrastructure issues. During her trip, Jackson brought supplies to a school located in the town that is without electricity and running water. She also donated a backpack, personal water purifier and solar light for each child at the school, as most if not all of the students do not have electricity in their homes and are unable to complete their homework. i made friends today. feels good to be wit beings of light on dat mutual frequency. what incredible little bundles of joy. A post shared by Paris-Michael K. Jackalope (@parisjackson) on Oct 20, 2017 at 5:51pm PDT I made friends today. Feels good to be with beings of light on that mutual frequency. What incredible little bundles of joy, Jackson captioned an Instagram photo, which showed her reading a book to a child at a school. On September 20, Hurricane Maria a powerful category 5 hurricane made landfall on Puerto Rico, absolutely decimating the island and claiming many lives. Over a month later, there is still little power on the island and many are left without water to drink or bathe in, as well as limited food access and cell service. From Hurricane Maria to Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, celebrities have been lending their time and money to assist their fellow Americans. Other celebrities making donations to Puerto Rico include Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston and Chelsea Handler, who all donated $1 million each. Lopez also helped raise $35 million at a star-studded charity concert benefitting the island. Just weeks ago, Bethenny Frankel, 46, chartered numerous planes leaving from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and New Jersey to distribute more than 20,000 lbs. of donated medical and survival supplies, such as water, canned goods, diapers, baby food, medical supplies, toys and insulin. Bethenny Frankel In addition, Frankel donated 2,000 pounds in non-perishable, nutrient-dense meals from Feeding America and City Harvest, $25,000 in cash gift cards and cash and $30,000 in Costco gift cards. For two years, photographer Karen Haberberg has worked to shed light on children with rare genetic conditions through a book made up of stunning photos. Rare disorders impacted Haberbergs life before she was even born. Before her birth, her parents lost a child to Tay-Sachs disease, a condition that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. More recently, her best friends son was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, which is characterized by developmental delays and sometimes seizures. Hearing my friends struggles and victories made me realize how little attention families who have children with rare genetic conditions receive and how common it actually is, Haberberg said. Ian is a fun-loving boy who has megalencephaly-capillary malformation syndrome (MCAP) and polymicrogyria (PMG), which involve the skin, connective tissue and brain causing a disproportionately large head and capillary malformations on the skin. (Photo: Karen Haberberg) Titled An Ordinary Day: Kids with Rare Genetic Conditions, the book is a project Haberberg described as a labor of love. It highlights kids with rare conditions such as Mowat-Wilson syndrome (a condition characterized by distinctive facial features and intellectual disability) and Marfan syndrome (a disorder involving the bodys connective tissue). Haberberg ensured to focus her attention not only on the children, but also their families to give readers a glimpse at their lives. Each family is unique and special in a variety of ways, she told HuffPost. I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to enter their private spaces, get to know each child and learn about their specific battles and triumphs. What a gift! I learned what real patience, resilience and perspective really look like. When asked whether any of the photos particularly stood out to her, Haberberg, who is based in New York City, said, Choosing one photo from the book feels like I am choosing a favorite child. I purposely didnt choose an image of a child to put on the cover for this reason. The cover features food on what appears to be a dining room table surrounded by kids artwork. Haberberg, who hopes to take on similar projects for other causes, did point out what she found memorable about each of the kids in the book, from the joy in Ians face as he jumps on the trampoline to the beauty in Wyatt exploring the twigs and flowers to the intensity of Cassies eyes. Story continues I can keep going and choose more, but this will then be a very long article, she said. Cassie's Marfan syndrome could have been fatal if doctors had not caught it in time. (Photo: Karen Haberberg) Proceeds from the book will go to Global Genes, a rare disease advocacy organization, to be used for genetic research. Haberberg told HuffPost she hopes her book connects families affected by rare genetic conditions with one another for support. Many of the parents featured shared stories of feeling like outcasts because of their childrens disorders. Often times, families with kids who have rare genetic conditions feel isolated and alone. They feel people dont understand; they are often not invited to parties for fear their child will behave inappropriately (like yell out with loud noises) and spoil the event, she said, adding later, Most of the families I spoke with have experienced being singled out, stared at and judged whether it be at the movies, at restaurants or even in religious institutions. Gianna was diagnosed with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome in utero. Although she has had 26 surgeries, she is still able to participate in her town's general cheering squad. (Photo: Karen Haberberg) Haberberg also wants readers to learn the importance of being inclusive for kids who may have needs much different than their own. At times people do want to help, but dont know how, Haberberg told HuffPost. They shy away from families with kids who have rare genetic conditions when really they should be asking, How can I help? or Can you teach me about your childs condition? Staring and judging should not be a part of this equation. An Ordinary Day: Kids with Rare Genetic Conditions is available on Amazon and IndieBound. See more photos from the book below and learn more on Haberbergs site. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Jonathan has Mowat-Wilson syndrome. Though he is capable of eating soft foods, he generally does not like to eat and is not able to self-feed. Kids with rare conditions often require the assistance of young siblings. Alejandre, age 5, holds his baby brother, Mohammed. According to Haberberg's book, Mohammed and his sister, Miriam (who is watching television), are the first African-American children diagnosed with NGLY1 deficiency, and there are 30 known cases in the world. Jamesy often sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber to help improve his breathing, and his dad always joins him. He has been diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Darus has Phelan-McDermid syndrome. He feels more comfortable in small spaces. Wyatt is missing a piece of his 22nd chromosome. He is nonverbal, cannot eat by mouth and is blind in one eye, but still manages to enjoy nature. Also on HuffPost This article originally appeared on HuffPost. A string of murders in Florida is sparking fears that a serial killer is targeting Tampa residents. According to police, three people have been shot and killed this month, apparently at random. The victims have no known connections to each other and were all bus riders who were killed within a 1-mile radius of each other in central Tampas Seminole Heights neighborhood. When you look at the time frame, the proximity, that there is no apparent motive, that they are alone the victims are a lot of the time its clear to me that theyre all linked, interim Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said at a Friday press conference. Authorities believe the same individual is responsible for the deaths of Monica Caridad Hoffa, Anthony Naiboa and Benjamin Edward Mitchell. (Photo: Tampa Bay Crime Stoppers) The victims have been identified as Benjamin Mitchell, 22; Monica Hoffa, 32; and Anthony Naiboa, 20. Mitchell, the first victim, was shot and killed on Oct. 9, while waiting at a bus stop near the intersection of North 15th Street and East Frierson Avenue. On Oct. 13, Hoffas body was found in a field near the intersection of East New Orleans Avenue and North 10th Street. Police said she may have been shot one or two days before. Naiboa, the latest victim, was killed Thursday night. Authorities said the man, who is autistic, had accidentally taken the wrong bus when returning home from work. His body was found on North 15th Street, roughly 200 yards from where hed exited the bus. This is very frustrating, Dugan said. We have someone terrorizing the neighborhood [and] its just difficult to see this happening. Authorities have declined to reveal whether the same weapon or ammunition has been used in each of the killings. Investigators have released surveillance video, which shows a possible person of interest walking in the area on the night of Hoffas shooting. We need somebody to tell us who that person is, or we need that person to come forward so we can eliminate them as a suspect, said Dugan. Asked by a reporter if the individual responsible for the slayings is a serial killer, the police chief replied, We can call it what we want. If that brings attention to it, thats fine. Story continues The FBI used to define a serial killer as someone who killed three or more individuals, with a cooling off period of more than a month between each slaying. However, the FBI in recent years redefined the criteria. A serial killer is now defined as the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events. Under the new definition, the individual responsible for the Tampa slayings would be considered a serial killer. Dugan is urging people who live in the area of the shootings to turn on lights in their neighborhoods and report suspicious activity. Were not going to be held hostage by whoever is doing this, Dugan said. We need everyone to come out of their homes at night, turn on their porch lights and just not tolerate this type of terrorism. Crime Stoppers of Tampa is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tampa police at 813-6130 or Crime Stoppers at 800-873-TIPS. Tips? Feedback? Send David Lohr an email or follow him on Twitter. CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated the dates two of the victims were discovered. Mitchell was found shot on Oct. 9, and Hoffas body was found Oct. 13. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Also on HuffPost Jeffrey Dahmer Notorious cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer sits with his defense team during his 1991 trial. Dahmer went on a killing spree in the 1980s during which he murdered 17 men and boys. He often had sex with the corpses before dismembering them and, in some cases, ate pieces of human flesh. After his conviction, Dahmer was killed by a fellow inmate in prison. John Wayne Gacy John Wayne Gacy was arrested in 1978 after murdering 33 men and boys. He was known as the "Killer Clown" for his work as a children's entertainer. When Gacy became the suspect in a young man's disappearance, he invited police to his home for coffee. Cops noticed a smell that could emanate from a decaying body. They returned with a search warrant and found 29 victims stuffed into crawlspaces. David Berkowitz David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam" killer, terrorized New York with six murders and several other shootings that ended with his 1977. When police arrested him, Berkowitz, a mailman, said his neighbor's dog commanded him to strike. He's in Sing Sing prison In New York serving life, though he's eligible for parole. Angelo Buono Angelo Buono, a 47 year old auto upholsterer, sits in a Los Angeles courtroom Monday March 2, 1982 as he listens to opening arguments in the so called "Hillside Stranglings" case in which Buono is accused of killing 10 women and girls in the Los Angeles area between 1977 and 1978. Ted Bundy Ted Bundy at one time in the 1970s had a bright future in the Washington State Republican Party, but instead became one of the most famous serial killers and necrophiliacs. He often deceived his victims, all women, into thinking that he was injured and in need of help before attacking them. In 1976 he was arrested for an attempted kidnapping, but while acting as his own lawyer, he escaped. He migrated to Tallahassee where he killed two women in a Florida State University sorority house. He was convicted of those murders and while on death row in 1989 he confessed to 50 other murders. Correction: A previous version of this slide misstated the location of the Florida State murders as Pensacola, Fla. Aileen Wuornos Aileen Wuornos admitted to killing six men while she worked as a prostitute in Florida in 1989 and 1990. She initially claimed that she acted in self defense against johns who raped her or tried to rape her. But later she admitted that she robbed and killed in cold blood and would do it again if she were free. She was executed in 2002. Anthony Sowell Anthony Sowell was convicted and sentenced to death in 2011 for killing 11 women and keeping their remains in his Cleveland home. Richard Ramirez In this file photo taken Oct. 24, 1985, "Night Stalker" Richard Ramirez displays a pentagram symbol on his hand inside a Los Angeles courtroom. The California Supreme Court Monday< Aug. 7, 2006, upheld the convictions and death sentence for serial killer Richard Ramirez, the so-called "Night Stalker" whose killing spree terrorized the Los Angeles area in the mid 1980s. Ramirez, now 46, was sentenced to death in 1989 for 13 Los Angeles-area murders committed in 1984 and 1985. Satanic symbols were left at some murder scenes and some victims were forced to "swear to Satan" by the killer, who broke into homes through unlocked windows and doors. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon) Andrew Cunanan Andrew Cunanan is seen in this 1997 mugshot from the FBI. Cunanan murdered five men from Minneapolis to Miami, including fashion designer Gianni Versace. As investigators closed in on him, Cunanan committed suicide in 1997. Ed Gein Edward Gein, 51, of Plainfield, Wisc. enters Central State Hospital for the Criminally Insane Nov. 23,1957, in Milwaukee. Gein admitted to slaying two women and dismembering their bodies as well as robbing graves. Gein flayed the bodies and used human skin and other body parts to decorate furniture and clothing in his decrepit farmhouse. His twisted tale was the inspiration for murders in movies like Buffalo Bill from "The Silence of the Lambs." Gary Ridgway Gary Ridgeway slew 48 women in the Seattle area from 1982 to 1998. He was known as the Green River Killer, because his first five victims were found near the waterway. The case was one of the longest unsolved murder mysteries in the country, not to mention one of the bloodiest. Ridgeway pleaded guilty in 2003 and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Albert Fish Albert Fish was a child rapist and cannibal who confessed to torturing hundreds of children, beginning in 1880 in New York. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1935, however, for the murder of a single girl, 10-year-old Grace Budd. During the trial, Fish said he heard voices in his head that told him to attack children. CORRECTION: A previous version of this slide incorrectly stated that Budd was the daughter of Fish's employee. Coral Eugene Watts Early on his life, Coral Eugene Watts was identified by psychiatrists as a dangerous and violent individual. He lived up to those warnings as the so-called Sunday Morning Slasher and confessed to killing 80 women in Michigan, Texas and Canada in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He strangled, drowned, stabbed and beat his victims. He died in 2007 in prison from prostate cancer while serving a life sentence for two of the Michigan murders. Richard Angelo Richard Angelo, a nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in New York, killed 25 patients in a bungled plan to turn himself into a hero. Angelo injected patients with a cocktail of dangerous drugs with the plan of restoring them to life and burnishing his reputation as a life-saving medical professional. Only 12 patients survived the "Angel of Death." Joseph Naso This is an undated booking photo released by the Washoe County Sheriff's office showing Joseph Naso. Authorities in California and Nevada plan to release more information about Naso, the 77-year-old man accused in four homicides spanning two decades. Naso, of Reno, Nev., was booked late Monday, April 11, 2011, on suspicion of the killings in 1977, 1978, 1993 and 1994. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. The powerful dissociative tranquilizer drug ketamine, which has been a raver mainstay for decades and can cause serious adverse effects if misused, doesnt have the best reputation. But doctors have been working hard to change that, especially in light of the drugs potential to treat depression, and there may be a new medical use for ketamine on the horizon. In a talk at the Anesthesiology Annual Meeting on Friday in Boston, Eric Schwenk, M.D., presented research that he co-authored on the potential for ketamine to treat severe migraines. Schwenk is the director of orthopedic anesthesia at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, where patients will soon begin to receive treatment for their migraines. Perhaps best known for its abuse potential, ketamine has emerged as a promising therapeutic drug. To determine whether ketamine could help give relief to people who suffer from migraines, Schwenk and his colleagues gave them low doses of the drug. Ketamine was originally developed as a general anesthetic, which means it renders people fully unconscious, but at lower doses, it is highly effective at managing pain. In the study, 61 patients received intravenous ketamine during inpatient treatment for migraines. Some 75 percent of the patients experienced improvements in their migraine intensity after a three- to seven-day course of treatment. Migraines are a serious problem in the United States: 13 percent of adults in the country suffer from them, with women being disproportionately affected. Ketamine may hold promise as a treatment for migraine headaches in patients who have failed other treatments, said Schwenk in a statement about the study, which has not yet been published. Our study focused only on short-term relief, but it is encouraging that this treatment might have the potential to help patients long-term. Our work provides the basis for future, prospective studies that involve larger numbers of patients. Story continues Naturally, a medical treatment requires extensive testing before doctors can call it effective. But fortunately, ketamine has a long history of medical use, which means doctors have had a lot of time to learn about dosages, effects, and side effects. Plus, ketamine is quite inexpensive. Ketamine, which can create euphoric intoxication at low to medium doses, has been used as a party drug for many years. The fact that its a Schedule III narcotic (the same status as codeine) has made diverted ketamine readily available on the black market. This popularity tarnished the medications reputation significantly, especially since high doses can be deadly, and long-term use can cause chronic health problems. But more recently, ketamine has emerged as a promising therapy for treating depression in people who have not gotten better from other therapies. Schwenk and his colleagues, who routinely work with ketamine in anesthesiology, plan to embark on better-designed trials in the near future since the upcoming study was based on looking back at patient data. Due to the retrospective nature of the study, we cannot definitively say that ketamine is entirely responsible for the pain relief, but we have provided a basis for additional larger studies to be undertaken, says Schwenk. Photos via Wikimedia/ Coaster420, Wikimedia/ Psychonaut Photos via Wikimedia/ Coaster420, Wikimedia/ Psychonaut Written by Peter Hess More articles by Peter Follow Peter on Twitter tweetshare More From Inverse Andrej Babis, Slovak-born billionaire and leader of the ANO movement - EPA Czech voters abandoned traditional political parties in elections held over the weekend to hand controversial billionaire Andrej Babis an emphatic victory. The result followed regional trends as populist and Right-wing parties surged at the expense of the Left and pro-EU mainstream. Mr Babis centrist and populist ANO took close to 30 per cent of the vote, handing it 78 of the 200 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. The billionaire promises to run the country like a business and clean up a corrupt political system. Despite Eurosceptic comments and opposition to immigration, he considers EU membership the Czech Republics top priority. However, with nine parties passing the 5 per cent threshold needed to enter the lower house of parliament, the billionaire faces tough negotiations to form a coalition. Mr Babis is a centrist and a populist Credit: EPA/FILIP SINGER Mainstream parties have pledged they will not serve with Mr Babis as premier due to fraud charges laid against him earlier this month. Petr Fiala of the Eurosceptic centre-right ODS, which came second with 11 per cent of the vote, stressed his party will honour that promise. Many worry that stance could drive Mr Babis to team up with other populist parties. A surprisingly strong showing by the far-right SPD echoed recent results in German and Austrian elections. The anti-EU and Islam party SPD took around 11 per cent of votes, matching the 22 seats won by the Pirates, who attracted liberals unhappy with traditional parties. SPDs half-Japanese leader Tomio Okamura said that a referendum on Czexit will be his key demand in any coalition talks. Mr Babis has rejected forming a government with the SPD, but has left a backdoor open to a minority government with support from either the extreme Right or Left. However, the Left was decimated, and the communist KSCM recorded its worst ever result at just under 8 per cent. However, it still beat the centre-left Social Democrats (CSSD), leader of the outgoing coalition that includes ANO. ANOs deputy chairman said the CSSD, which slumped to 7 per cent despite a booming economy, is likely first on the list of potential partners. However, CSSD officials suggest it may prefer to go into opposition. Porsche has a whole slew of 911 variants, each catering to the many various whims of the discerning customer. The newest addition to the portfolio, the 2018 911 Carrera T, is a touring model inspired by the 1968 911T, and it just happens to be the lightest 911 Porsche offers. It's powered by a twin-turbo 3.0 flat-six, producing 370 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. It has a shorter rear axle ratio and a mechanical differential lock, helping the manual-equipped version do the 0-60 sprint in just 4.3 seconds, which Porsche notes is 0.1 second faster than the standard 911 Carrera. The Carrera T can be had with a PDK transmission, which includes launch control as standard. This shortens the 0-60 time to 4.0 seconds. The manual version has a top speed of 182 miles per hour, while the PDK-equipped car maxes out at 180 mph. The Carrera T weighs in at just 3,142 pounds, giving it an improved power-to-weight ratio. It uses lightweight glass in the rear windows, and has less sound deadening insulation. It also features cloth loop door openers. %Slideshow-800707% In terms of driving dynamics, the Carrera T offers a number of other improvements over the standard 911 Carrera in addition to those mentioned above. It features a PASM Sport Suspension, which lowers the ride height by 0.39 inches. On it nose, its front spoiler lip provides improved aerodynamics. The Carrera T has a shortened gear lever for the manual transmission. Rear-axle steering is available as an option. On the outside, the Carrera T has 20-inch Carrera S wheels with a Titanium Grey finish. It has Agate Grey side mirrors. The "Carrera T" designation appears on the side stripes, and a "911 Carrera T" badge lives on the rear deck lid. It has a standard Sport Exhaust System with black exhaust tips. Paint color choices include Lava Orange, Black, Guards Red, Racing Yellow, White, Miami Blue, or the metallic colors Carrera White, Jet Black or GT Silver. Inside, the Carrera T is equipped with Sport Seats Plus with Sport-Tex centers and a 911 logo embroidered on the headrest. It can be had with Full Bucket Seats, an option that also entirely deletes the rear seats (if you can call them that). The leather-rimmed GT Sport steering wheel has a drive mode selector mounted on it. Contrasting interior color options include Racing Yellow, Guards Red or GT Silver. The 2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T hits dealerships in March, with a starting price of $103,150 including delivery. Related Video: Porsche 911 Carrera T is a lightweight touring distillation originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Oct 2017 10:30:00 EDT. Prague (AFP) - Czech President Milos Zeman said Sunday he would ask billionaire Andrej Babis to form the next government, a day after his populist ANO movement cruised to victory in the general election. Capitalising on voter frustration with traditional parties, ANO (Yes) raked in 29.7 percent of the vote for 78 seats in the 200-member parliament, campaigning on an anti-corruption ticket despite Babis's recent indictment over EU subsidy fraud. "I keep my promises and the promise was that I would tap the election winner as prime minister," Zeman told the Blesk tabloid in a streamed interview, adding he saw Babis "not as a populist, but a pragmatist". Facing a presidential election in January, Zeman has repeatedly endorsed Babis. The 73-year-old pro-Chinese, pro-Russian and anti-Muslim veteran leftwinger said he would use the entire 30-day period following elections to convene the first session of parliament after the election to give parties -- and Babis -- room for talks. Analysts have predicted difficult coalition negotiations as most parties appeared to shun the controversial billionaire. The tycoon said Sunday that ANO was "close to" the rightwing eurosceptic Civic Democrats (25 seats), parliamentary newcomers the anti-establishment Pirate Party (22 seats) and the far-right anti-Islam Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD - 22 seats) backed by France's National Front. "If he's rejected by traditional parties refusing him as prime minister over his scandals, the question is whether Babis will address non-system parties and negotiate with SPD, the Communists, maybe Pirates," independent analyst Jiri Pehe told AFP. A 63-year-old Slovak-born chemicals, food and media tycoon, Babis has vowed to steer clear of the eurozone and echoes other eastern EU leaders who accuse Brussels of attempting to limit national sovereignty by imposing rules like migrant quotas. But he favours a united Europe and balks at talk of a "Czexit". Story continues Pehe said Babis would not want to "upset the EU too much" in the end because of his business interests in the western part of the bloc. Despite their country's economic success with record-low unemployment and steady growth, analysts said many Czechs who are heavily in debt or working long hours for low wages feel they have been left behind and turned to populist, eurosceptic and far-right parties to vent their ire. Traditional parties lost big and the leftwing Social Democrats (CSSD), who head the outgoing coalition government, took a bruising, coming in sixth with 7.3 percent (15 seats) of the vote. Professor Daniel Fred of the University of Nevada carries a students baby while he gives a lecture. (Photo: Twitter/brianna_arvizo) Daniel Fred is a professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, known for his introductory course in addiction treatment services. Hes popular throughout campus, and well loved in all of his reviews. But during a recent seminar, he strayed a bit from his regular course curriculum and wound up teaching an unplanned lesson about healthy masculinity. In a series of photos tweeted out by one of the 161 students in his class, Fred is seen holding a baby in one arm, while using his classrooms clicker in the other. Later, he switches to carrying the little girl in an infant carrier as he teaches. The photos are heartwarming, particularly since the child is not his own, but a students. Today in class our professor held somebodys baby for them but got tired of holding her so he asked to wear the baby carrier pic.twitter.com/QvjtUniYFk Brianna Arvizo (@brianna_arvizo) October 18, 2017 Today in class our professor held somebodys baby for them but got tired of holding her so he asked to wear the baby carrier, Brianna Arvizo wrote in the sweet tweet. In the comments that followed, it was immediately evident that people were struck by the professors decision to allow a child in class. And although many still couldnt deny how adorable the moment was, Professor Fred tells Yahoo Lifestyle that for him, it was emblematic of his priorities. I will do whatever I can do to help any student who wants to succeed in my class, Fred says. Sometimes, that means rearranging my schedule to meet with them after tests, or when they miss assignments for various reasons, or to hold a baby for them so they can take notes and participate in class. For the student and mother of the baby, 5-month-old Ava, child care was difficult to find during class times a scheduling inconvenience that Fred recognized would disadvantage his student, risk that she might fall behind. So to resolve the issue, he suggested that she bring her daughter to class and see how she behaved. Story continues After a few lectures during which the student sat in the back without distracting the class, the professor noticed that she herself was distracted by having Ava on her lap. Fred says that she would leave class early or simply spend class time attempting to entertain the child. So he took it upon himself to take Ava and keep her entertained as he moved around the classroom. The whole class fell in love with the baby, he explains, ensuring that his gesture not only helped Avas mother, but the entire class. The last time the student brought her baby to our class, she was sitting in the second row and smiling. It was awesome to see that the student not only felt a part of the class, but the love that the rest of the class had for the baby. Fred is not the first professor to gain fame on social media by holding a students baby during class. In 2015, at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Professor Sydney Engelberg did the same, as did associate Professor Darryn Willoughby, of Baylor University in Texas, a year later. This time around, its Fred whos found himself in the limelight, amid comments on how much it says about him and his unique teaching style. I honestly was shocked, as I read so many retweets and comments from former students talking about how much they loved my class or having me as a professor, he admits. Its not something I see on a daily basis. Following the initial tweet of these photos, Fred took the opportunity to tell his followers what their reactions mean to him. Maybe we can start talking about healthy masculinity?! Its okay to be caring & nurturing! Thanks to everyone sending this to me! #lovewins https://t.co/75VeV5H3Kx Daniel Fred (@tdfred) October 18, 2017 Maybe we can start to talk about healthy masculinity?! Fred tweeted, along with the photos of him and baby Ava. Its okay to be caring and nurturing! The message, he tells Yahoo Lifestyle, is in response to the idea of toxic masculinity, which he believes has not been discussed enough. Fred cites the case of boys who suppress their emotions by third grade and the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal as vital issues that should be confronted and challenged. We can normalize other emotions besides anger for males to express, he says. We can promote love and acceptance from all types of males. And stop ostracizing males who dont fit into our modern tale of masculinity being defined by power, sex, and violence. I always bring a bouquet for my wife, and my 3 girls to the airport, cause I want to set the bar high! #dadfluence #noweakgamewillworkonthem pic.twitter.com/QxWJgFW8NP Daniel Fred (@tdfred) July 12, 2017 In response to the photos, Fred explains that people have questioned his sexuality or even insinuated that he may be sleeping with students. Meanwhile, the father of three daughters simply wants to help a student succeed in whatever way he can regardless of what others may think it has to do with his role as a professor, or as a man. My hope from what others could take away from this photo is that it shouldnt be so shocking to see a male being caring and nurturing, he says. We can expect more from males in our country, to do more than just not sexually assault or harass females. We can expect males to treat women with respect and be OK redefining masculinity for this age. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Tatiana Felgenhauer was rushed to hospital after being stabbed at the aradio station where she works - Twitter A Russian opposition journalist was in a medically induced coma on Monday after a man claiming a "telepathic" connection broke into a liberal radio station and stabbed her in the neck. The stabbing of Tatiana Felgenhauer follows state television smear pieces against the radio station and a series of attacks that forced another Echo of Moscow host to flee the country. Ms Felgenhauer, the well-known deputy editor of the station and an outspoken Kremlin critic, was in the Echo of Moscow offices when an unknown attacker stabbed her in the neck. He had blinded a guard with pepper spray, before barging into the offices and running down the corridor to where she was, editor Alexei Venediktov told Novaya Gazeta newspaper. Ms Felgenhauer was hospitalised in stable condition, he said. Photographs published by a staff member of Echo of Moscow showed blood splattered across the floor and what appeared to be a switchblade knife. A middle-aged man was being detained by police in the photographs. The attacker didn't yell anything, everything was calm and silent. He came up, hugged her and inflicted the injury, deputy editor Sergei Buntman told the news outlet Meduza. An ambulance leaves the Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) radio station office in Moscow, Russia Credit: AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko Russia's investigative committee has opened an attempted murder case, identifying the attacker only as a 48-year-old man with dual Israeli and Russian citizenship. The interior ministry said his motive was personal hatred. News agency Interfax quoted a law enforcement source as saying that the crime was not connected with Ms Felgenhauer's journalistic activities and that it was likely a case of hooliganism. Echo of Moscow staff rejected this explanation, however. A personal conflict between Tanya and the attacker is complete nonsense. Tanya doesn't know him. A thuggish attack on an editorial employee, tweeted correspondent Tonia Samsonova. Echo of Moscow published a video of law enforcement interrogating the attacker, whom it identified as Boris Grits. In it, he claimed Ms Felgenhauer had sexually harassed him through "telepathic contact". Story continues A Wordpress blog under the name Boris Grits contained posts in which the author, who also complains about being unable to find work as a programmer in Israel, said he wasn't sure why Ms Felgenhauer was "following" him but suspected it was because he "wrote for Russia". "In a few weeks I'll come to Moscow and, if this doesn't stop, the consequences could be very unpleasant," said a post dated to September. Earlier this month, state television channel Rossiya 24 ran a smear piece on Echo of Moscow that claimed Ms Felgenhauer and other employees had discussed the strengthening of critical media with foreign money during a meeting with the France-based organisation Reporters Without Borders and the Germany-based Robert Bosch Foundation. Before that, state television Channel One ran a piece claiming that Echo of Moscow was financed by the Broadcasting Board of Governors in the United States. Gazprom-Media, the arm of the state gas giant Gazprom that owns Echo of Moscow, denied that the radio station had any financial or other ties to the US agency. Echo of Moscow's reporting has irked many officials, and employees have reported death threats. Yulia Latynina, a Kremlin critic who hosted a show on Echo of Moscow, fled Russia in September after a series of attacks - unknown assailants released a noxious gas into her family home, set her car on fire and threw feces on her in the street. She had previously complained of being followed and was given a state security detail. Novaya Gazeta political editor Kirill Martynov wrote on Monday that the Kremlin's inaction was partly responsible for the growing number of attacks on journalists and activists. "Propaganda has done too much to put independent journalism and opposition politicians outside the law, morally sanctioning the hunt for them," he said. Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith poses for a portrait on media day last month. (AP) Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith is contesting in court a charge of willful or wanton disregard of safety of persons or property after being cited for excessive speeding and reckless driving near his home outside the city around 1:20 a.m. on Oct. 12, according to Cleveland.coms Adam Ferrise. Smiths lawyer entered a not guilty plea in Rocky River Municipal Court on Friday, the report said. The Cavs guard allegedly sped past Westlake police in his 2016 Dodge Avenger on the interstate, prompting a call to the neighboring Bay Village authorities, and when he allegedly sped past another cruiser on a residential street, police turned around to discover he had pulled into a neighbors driveway, according to the police report. They then conducted field sobriety tests on Smith. Bay Village Lt. Calvin Holliday told Cleveland.com on Monday that police indicated Smith had been drinking prior to the traffic stop, but passed the field sobriety tests and was not charged with driving while intoxicated. Attempts to locate officers with specialized training in drug use recognition were reportedly unsuccessful, and a family member was permitted to move Smiths car two driveways over. Smiths exact speed was not recorded, police told Cleveland.com, and the city denied the publications request for dash-cam video until after a ruling on the case. Smiths lawyer reportedly requested a pretrial hearing on Friday, and the court has yet to set a date for the next step in the judiciary process. The Cavs were between preseason games at the time of Smiths traffic stop. He played 12 minutes in the teams final exhibition game on Oct. 13, scoring six points on six shot attempts. He is averaging 6.3 points on 42 percent shooting in 21.7 minutes off the bench through three games of the regular season. Dwyane Wade requested that Smith replace him in the starting lineup over the weekend. Story continues Ty Lue says Dwyane Wade came to him and said he wants to come off the bench. JR Smith back to the starting 5. Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 23, 2017 This is far from the first alleged traffic violation on Smiths record. [Follow Ball Dont Lie on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tumblr] In June 2007, Smith allegedly drove his SUV around a stopped car, through a stop sign and collided with another vehicle in an accident that killed his best friend in New Jersey. Smiths driving record reportedly featured five speeding citations at the time of the accident, although his license was in good standing despite having been suspended a handful of times in less than a year. Two years later, he pled guilty to reckless driving and spent 24 days in jail before serving a seven-game suspension. Between the accident and his guilty plea, Smith was cited for speeding twice and had his license suspended three more times in New Jersey, according to the Associated Press. The day after Smith received his most recent citation, the web series Driving Cleveland released a 42-minute video in which the Cavaliers guard drove the interviewer around the city in a Rolls Royce: Cleveland loves JR Smith, and @TheRealJRSmith loves #TheLand! Thanks for the awesome interview on Driving Cleveland! https://t.co/V0TbnOwUmd pic.twitter.com/q9W7H9yaKP Driving Cleveland (@DrivingCLE) October 14, 2017 Smith did not appear to be speeding. Ben Rohrbach is a contributor for Ball Dont Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! More from Yahoo Sports: President Trump resumes attack on NFL for total disrespect Cubs Arrieta undergoes massive makeover Seahawks star shoves coach in heated sideline exchange Injury forces Cowboys into bizarre kicking scenario Montana Republican official Karen Marshall told radio program she would have shot reporter Ben Jacobs if that kid had done to me what he did to Greg The Montana Republican congressman Greg Gianforte appears in court in Bozeman, where he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault. Photograph: Reuters A Montana Republican party official would have shot Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs if he had approached her as he did Greg Gianforte, who assaulted Jacobs one day before he was elected to Congress. Jacobs approached Gianforte in May, in a room where he was about to give a television interview. The Republican slammed Jacobs to the floor, breaking his glasses, and then punched him several times. Gianforte pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, apologized to Jacobs and donated $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). If that kid had done to me what he did to Greg, I would have shot him, Karen Marshall, vice-president of programs for Gallatin County Republican Women told the Voice of Montana radio program on Thursday. Marshall also described herself as a friend of Gianforte. According to federal records, a Karen Marshall from Bozeman, Montana, donated the federal maximum of $2,700 to Gianfortes campaign for Congress. The altercation occurred in a private room at a campaign event, after Jacobs asked Gianforte a question about healthcare. Several reporters were invited to the event, a picnic. That kid came on private property, came into a private building, and went into a very private room that I would not even have gone into, Marshall said. It was a setup. A complete setup. He just pushed a little too hard. Travis Hall, a spokesperson for Gianforte, told the Helena Independent Record: Greg disagrees with those remarks, repudiates them and remains focused on being a strong voice for Montana in Washington. Gianforte first accused Jacobs of assaulting him, then apologized and took full responsibility for the attack. He was sentenced to community service, a $385 fine and 20 hours of anger management therapy. He also pledged to sit down with Jacobs for an on-the-record interview. That meeting has not happened. Story continues Earlier this month, the CPJ said its own seven-minute meeting with Gianforte at the US Capitol was disappointingly brief. When the group suggested Gianforte could join groups such as the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Freedom of the Press, the congressmans chief of staff replied: Greg didnt come here to join clubs. Also in October, Gianfortes mugshot was released, after a legal effort to keep it from the public. Jacobs broken glasses have been displayed at the Newseum in Washington DC. Marshall made her comments during a call into the radio stations question and answer session with John Heenan, a Democrat who hopes to run against Gianforte in 2018. Heenan did not respond immediately but his campaign later sent a press release condemning Marshalls statements. The fact members of [Gianfortes] party are sort of doubling down and wishing worse harm on Ben Jacobs really bothers me, Heenan said in the release. Theres just no place in politics for this type of violent rhetoric. Its not a partisan issue. (DOHA, Qatar) U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson took the Trump administrations case for isolating and containing Iran in the Middle East and beyond to two Gulf Arab nations on Sunday, pushing for Saudi Arabia and Iraq to unite to counter growing Iranian assertiveness. He also called for a quick resolution to the ongoing crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors, which he said was unintentionally bolstering Iran. In Saudi Arabia and later Qatar, Tillerson denounced Irans malign behavior and urged nations of the region and elsewhere, notably Europe, to join the administration to halt any business they do with Irans powerful Revolutionary Guard. He also demanded that Iranian and Iran-backed Shiite militia in Iraq either return to their homes, integrate into the Iraqi army or leave the country. Those fighters need to go home, Tillerson said. Any foreign fighters need to go home. In Riyadh for the inaugural meeting of the Saudi Arabia-Iraq Coordination Council a vehicle that U.S. officials believe can wean Iraq from Iran Tillerson told Saudi King Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that the nascent partnership between their countries held great promise for Iraqs reconstruction after devastating battles to wrest territory from the Islamic State group and its independence from foreign influence. We believe this will in some ways counter some of the unproductive influences of Iran inside of Iraq, he said at a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir after the council meeting. Tillerson said countries outside of the region could also play a role, primarily by shunning the Revolutionary Guard, which play a major role in Irans economy and were added to a U.S. terrorism blacklist earlier this month. Companies and countries that do business with the guards really do so at great risk, he said. We are hoping that European companies, countries and others around the world will join the U.S. as we put in place a sanctions structure to prohibit certain activities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that foment instability in the region and create destruction in the region, Tillerson said. Story continues At the council meeting, Tillerson praised the Saudi king and Abadi for the August reopening of a major border crossing and the resumption of direct flights between Riyadh and Baghdad last week. Both represent the beginning of what we hope will be a series of even more tangible actions to improve relations and strengthen cooperation on a host of issues, he said. Your growing relationship between the kingdom and Iraq is vital to bolstering our collective security and prosperity and we take great interest in it. His participation in the meeting comes as U.S. officials step up encouragement of a new axis that unites Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a bulwark against Irans growing influence from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. Amid the push for that alliance, the Iraqi government is struggling to rebuild recently liberated Islamic State strongholds and confronts a newly assertive Kurdish independence movement. History, religion and lots of politics stand in Tillersons way, but both the Saudi king and the Iraqi prime minister appeared optimistic about the prospects. We are facing in our region serious challenges in the form of extremism, terrorism as well as attempts to destabilize our countries, Salman said. These attempts require our full attention. We reaffirm our support for the unity and stability of our brother country of Iraq. Abadi expressed pleasure with the thriving relations between our two brotherly countries. We are open and we want to move away from the past, he said. The region cannot tolerate any further divisions. Interference in the internal affairs of other state should stop. Shiite-majority Iraq and Sunni-led Saudi Arabia, estranged for decades after Saddam Husseins 1990 invasion of Kuwait, have tried in recent years to bridge their differences. Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Baghdad in 2015 after a quarter century. The first visit by a Saudi foreign minister to Baghdad came in February this year, followed by the border crossing reopening in August and resumption of direct flights between the capitals suspended during the Gulf War. Over the weekend, the Saudi oil minister, Khalid al-Falih, made a high-profile appearance at Baghdads International Fair, and held talks with his Iraqi counterpart, Jabar al-Luabi. Nevertheless, the relationship is plagued by suspicion. Irans reported intervention in Iraqs semiautonomous northern Kurdish region, after last months much criticized vote for independence in a referendum, has deepened the unease. After his talks in Riyadh, Tillerson flew to the Qatari capital of Doha, a direct route that has been closed to commercial airlines since June when the now-five-month old crisis between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates erupted, ostensibly over terrorism financing. Qatar and Bahrain are home to major U.S. military bases in the Middle East, the al-Udeid Air Base near Doha and the headquarters of the U.S. 5th Fleet in Manama. Tillerson has attempted to facilitate a dialogue through talks with the feuding parties as well as supporting a Kuwaiti mediation effort but has thus far been unsuccessful. He renewed those calls but allowed that progress seemed unlikely. We cannot force talks between parties who are not ready to talk, he said. The United States remains concerned that the dispute has had negative consequences economically and militarily; the U.S. has felt these effects as well, he said. None of us can afford to let this dispute linger. We ask that everyone ease the rhetoric and deescalate the tensions. Tillerson noted that the only country benefiting from the crisis is Iran, which is now Qatars lifeline as its neighbors have sealed their land, sea and air borders. He said Qatars new reliance on Iranian airspace is the most immediate and obvious gain that Iran has. Anytime there is conflict and destabilization among countries that are typically allies, someone will always come in to exploit those differences, he added. WINDHOEK (Reuters) - Namibia recorded fewer cases of rhino and elephant poaching this year compared to recent years, the southern African nation's minister of environment and tourism said on Monday. Namibia has one of the largest black rhino populations in the world; but as in neighboring South Africa, it is under threat from the lucrative market in rhino horn, especially in Asia. So far this year, 27 rhinos were poached compared to 60 last year and 95 in 2015, environment and tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta told reporters. Twenty elephants have been poached since January compared to 101 in 2016 and 49 a year before. "More resources have been allocated to fight poaching, more government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private sector, international development partners, communities and the general public have come on board to support our efforts to stop poaching," Shifeta said. The police have so far arrested 75 people this year with ties mainly to Asian criminal syndicates for wildlife crime related to illegal hunting and possession of either rhino horns or elephant tusks. A total of 30 rhino horns, 103 elephant tusks and 69 pieces of elephant tusk have also been recovered by ministry officials working together with the Namibian Police and Namibian Defence Force. (Reporting by Nyasha Nyaungwa) On Sunday, Russias Defense Military blamed the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S.-led coalition, for completely destroying Raqqa, the Syrian city ISIS considered its capital. Raqqa has inherited the fate of Dresden in 1945, wiped off the face of the earth by Anglo-American bombardments, said Major-General Igor Konashenkov, chief spokesman for the Russian agency, according to The Hill. Konashenkovs World War II reference points to the bombing attack by British and American troops on Dresden, German, which is thought to have killed up to 25,000 people. He went on to explain that the conflict has wiped out more than half of Raqqas population. Previously, 200,000 people lived in the city, but the population has dwindled to 45,000 or fewer, Konashenkov said in a statement according to Reuters. His comments came shortly after the U.S.-backed militia group proclaimed victory over the city on Friday. We proudly announce today from the heart of the city of Raqqa the victory of our forces in the major battle to defeat the ISIS terror organization, which we defeated in the capital of its alleged caliphate," the Syrian Democratic Forces noted in a statement. 10_22_Syria Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images Konashenkov went on to question why the U.S. was suddenly in a rush to provide financial aid for the devastated city. "There's only one explanation - the desire to cover up evidence of the barbaric bombardments by the U.S. air force and the coalition as fast as possible and to bury the thousands of civilians 'liberated' from Islamic State in the ruins, he said. Now that Raqqa is reclaimed, the U.S. will now move on to help "local security forces, de-escalate violence across Syria, and advance the conditions for lasting peace, so that the terrorists cannot return to threaten our collective security again, President Donald Trump said in a statement on Saturday. Trump applauded the efforts of the servicemen and women, noting that there's been more progress against these evil terrorists in the past several months than in the past several years." Although the militia group has said it strives to have zero civilian casualties, at least 1,000 residents in Raqqa have been killed, local activists and international monitors said, according to The New York Times. An additional 270,000 people have been forced out of their homes due to the ongoing conflict. The electrician placed his hand on a man's hip in a bar so they did not bump and spill their drinks - SWNS.com A British man has been sentenced to three months in prison in Dubai for touching a man's hip in a bar, according to campaigners. Jamie Harron, from Stirling, was arrested in July over the incident in which he said he put his hand on a man's hip to avoid spilling a drink in a crowded bar. The 27-year-old electrician had been working in Afghanistan and was on a two-day stopover in the United Arab Emirates at the time. After his arrest for public indecency he lost his job and was told he could have faced up to three years in jail. Campaign group Detained in Dubai (DiD) said he was sentenced to three months imprisonment at court on Sunday but lawyers plan to appeal. The group said Mr Harron is "angry, disappointed, and dreads what may happen next". He is not currently in custody while the appeal is considered, DiD chief executive Radha Stirling said. Mr Harron has already been sentenced in absentia to 30 days in prison for failing to appear at a court hearing for making a rude gesture and drinking alcohol during the same July incident. Unusual laws that tourists should be wary of DiD said the 27-year-old was not told about the court date in advance and that sentence is also being appealed against. In relation to the alleged public indecency charge, Mr Harron is said to have been holding a drink, moving through a crowded bar and held a hand in front of him to avoid spilling it on himself or others. He then "touched a man on his hip to avoid impact". He was initially jailed for five days and then released on bail with his passport confiscated. Ms Stirling said: "Now Jamie has been sentenced to three months; there is no telling whether a judgement on appeal will be better or worse. "He has already suffered tremendously as a result of these allegations, and now faces the likelihood of incarceration. "His family was unable to visit him during this critical time because they faced a very real risk of imprisonment themselves under the UAE's cyber crime laws which forbid criticism of the government. Story continues "At this point, Jamie will definitely be pursuing civil action against his accusers when he does eventually return home, as it appears that he will not be able to find justice in the UAE." She added: "He feels betrayed and exploited by the system, which did not investigate the reports of key witnesses in his defence and led him to believe that the case would be dropped." A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We have been in contact with a British man following his arrest in Dubai in July. We are providing consular assistance." Sgt. La David Johnson was laid to rest on Saturday surrounded by his family and friends in Cooper City, Florida. Family members and loved ones gathered at Christ The Rock Church to pay their final respects to the fallen Special Forces member who was killed in an ambush during his patrol along the Niger border on October 4. Since his death, lawmakers have demanded more information on the attack that left four U.S servicemen dead. Two weeks after the attack, the Pentagon is still unable to confirm who was responsible for the deaths. There also has been controversy on how President Donald Trump handled the phone call to Johnsons widow, Myeshia Johnson. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson called out Trump this week for saying the slain soldier knew what he signed up for, but I guess it still hurts after the family heard him say it via speakersphone while sitting in a car. Wilson later said, When she actually hung up the phone and she looked at me and said, He didnt even know his name. Johnsons mother confirmed the account. The ongoing feud between WIlson and Trump had led to a string of nasty remarks and tweets back and forth. On Wednesday, the president took to Twitter to dispute the congresswomans remarks. Democrat Congresswoman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action (and I have proof). Sad! Chief of Staff John Kelly defended Trump during a White House press conference on Thursday and slammed Wilson for her remarks and alleged she took credit for securing funding for an FBI facility in Miramar, Florida in 2015. Trump was quick to hit back on social media a few hours after Kelly's remarks. The Fake News is going crazy with wacky Congresswoman Wilson(D), who was SECRETLY on a very personal call, and gave a total lie on content! said Trump. It was later found out that Kelly misinterpreted the speech after the Florida Sun Sentinel released a video of the ceremony on Friday. Wilson said the FBI approached her about naming the facility and was able to do so with the help of then-House Speaker John Boehner. Kelly claimed she spoke to former President Barack Obama about funding the facility, but that was not true as Obama just approved the legislation for the building. Story continues During a press briefing on Friday, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the four-star Marine general and said it was highly inappropriate to question him. Johnson is survived by his wife, who is six months pregnant, and two children. Related Articles A Montana Republican party official said she would have shot a reporter from the U.Ks The Guardian newspaper assaulted by Congressman Greg Gianforte. If that kid had done to me what he did to Greg, I would have shot him, Karen Marshall, vice-president of programs for Gallatin County Republican Women told the Voice of Montana radio program on Thursday. Reporter Ben Jacobs approached Gianforte in a private room where he was about to give a television interview the day before he was elected to Congress in May. Gianforte slammed Jacobs to the floor, breaking his glasses, and punched him several times. He pleaded guilty to assault, apologized to Jacobs and donated $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). He has not yet made good on a promise to sit down for an on-the-record interview with Jacobs. Gianforte in court Tommy Martino/Reuters Gianforte had been running in the special election to fill the seat filled by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. In an interview last week, Marshall defended Gianforte, describing the circumstances which she alleged led to the attack. "That kid came on private property, came into a private building and went into a very private room that I would not even have gone into," she said on local radio. "It was a setup. A complete setup. He just pushed a little too hard." The attack took place in a private room at a public event which several reporters were invited to, after Jacobs asked Gianforte a question about healthcare. Gianfortes team distanced itself from Marshalls comments. "Greg disagrees with those remarks, repudiates them and remains focused on being a strong voice for Montana in Washington," Gianforte spokesman Travis Hall told the Independent Record on Friday. Story continues Marshalls comments come with amid warnings of a growing climate of hostililty towards to press in the U.S. President Trump regularly lambasts news organisations which publish critical coverage as fake news, and described the press in February as the "enemy of the American people." In August, the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Freedom of the Press Foundation joined 20 groups to log threats to press freedom in the U.S. Related Articles St Andrews University students celebrate Raisin Monday Students from St Andrews University indulge in a tradition of covering themselves with foam to honor the academic family on Lower College Lawn on Oct. 23, 2017, in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) The raisin weekend stems from a gift originally it was raisins, now its flour and shaving foam traditionally given by first year students to their academic parents in gratitude for their guidance. Hundreds of students gathered to throw clumps of foam at each other, and it was all in the name of university tradition. The practice dates back around 600 years, and the name derives from when new students would offer a handful of raisins to older students in exchange for showing them around the university. A more typical present these days might be a bottle of wine. See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. Earlier this year, Susan Fowler wrote a blog post describing her sexual harassment at Uber and revealed disturbing details about the company's sexist environment. That post would lead to an independent investigation of Uber's practices, the firing of over 20 employees and, eventually, to former CEO Travis Kalanick's resignation. For many women in Silicon Valley, Fowler's blog post was the shot heard around the world; a catalyst for change in a toxic culture. And now, Fowler's story will be a movie. That tidbit was first revealed in a New York Times profile on Fowler this past weekend, but Deadline Hollywood has more details on the film. The production company that landed the story is called Good Universe, and Fowler is said to be involved in the making of the movie. The movie's screenwriter is said to be Allison Schroeder, who's also responsible for writing the script for Hidden Figures. Producer Kristin Burr told Deadline that the movie is described as something like Erin Brockovich meets The Social Network. In her story, Fowler wrote about how she was approached by a manager about an open relationship with his girlfriend, and how he was really looking for women to have sex with. She then took this highly inappropriate encounter to HR, but was then told that nothing would be done because he was a "high performer." It turns out he was also propositioning other co-workers. She also wrote about how female employees were repeatedly undervalued. The movie deal was signed amidst a current climate where Hollywood is also taking a hard look at its own sexism. Executive Harvey Weinstein has been accused of sexual harassment and rape, as well as Amazon's former VP of film and TV Roy Price. Both have now lost their jobs. There continues to be stories of allegations of abuse and harassment across all industries, as highlighted by the #MeToo hashtag. Riyadh (AFP) - Top US diplomat Rex Tillerson attended a landmark meeting Sunday between Saudi Arabia and Iraq aimed at upgrading strategic ties between the two countries and countering Iran's regional influence. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Saudi King Salman held the first meeting of the joint Saudi-Iraqi coordination council that aims to boost cooperation after years of tensions. Abadi hailed the meeting as an "important step toward enhancing relations", echoing similar comments from King Salman. "We are facing in our region serious challenges in the form of extremism, terrorism as well as attempts to destabilise our countries," the Saudi monarch said. "These attempts require our full attention." Iraq is seeking economic benefits from closer ties with Riyadh as both countries suffer from a protracted oil slump. Saudi Arabia is also seeking to counter Iranian influence in Iraq. "This event highlights the strength and breadth as well as the great potential of the relations between your countries," Tillerson said, referring to the meeting. After years of tense relations, ties between Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iraq have begun looking up in recent months. After former dictator Saddam Hussein's August 1990 invasion of Kuwait, Riyadh severed relations with Baghdad and closed its border posts with its northern neighbour. Ties remained strained even after Saddam's ouster in the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, since when successive Shiite-dominated governments in Baghdad have stayed close to Tehran. But a flurry of visits between the two countries this year appears to indicate a thawing of ties. Abadi's tour coincides with Saudi Energy Minister Khaled al-Faleh's high profile visit to Baghdad on Saturday where he called for the strengthening of economic relations to boost oil prices. At the opening of the Baghdad International Fair, Falih hailed what he called "the new Iraq, on the ambitious road to prosperity and growth while strengthening its relations with the world". US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to launch a fresh bid Sunday to ease a crisis between Riyadh and Doha, both allies of Washington, but without high hopes of a breakthrough. Apart from the months-long crisis, Iran's rising influence in the Middle East is also expected to figure high on the agenda of America's top diplomat during talks in the two capitals. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Qatar and imposed an embargo in June, accusing it of supporting terrorism and cosying up to Iran. Doha denies the charges and has rejected their terms for a settlement. Tillerson made an unsuccessful attempt to resolve the dispute during a trip to the region in July. US President Donald Trump, after initially appearing to support the effort to isolate Qatar, has called for mediation and recently predicted a rapid end to the crisis. - 'Unwillingness to engage' - But before he arrived at Riyadh's King Salman air base on Saturday, Tillerson indicated there had been little progress. "I do not have a lot of expectations for it being resolved anytime soon," he said in an interview with financial news agency Bloomberg. "There seems to be a real unwillingness on the part of some of the parties to want to engage." Aside from the Gulf dispute and Iran, the conflict in Yemen and counter-terrorism will also figure in his talks, the State Department said. While in Riyadh, Tillerson will also take part in the first meeting of a Saudi-Iraqi coordination council. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is leading a top-level ministerial delegation at the meeting, in a sign of warming ties as Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia seeks to counter Tehran's influence in Shiite-majority Iraq. On the Gulf crisis, the goal will be to try to persuade the two sides to at least open a dialogue. After holding a working dinner with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir on Saturday night, Tillerson was scheduled to meet other Saudi leaders Sunday before heading for Doha. Story continues Simon Henderson, a veteran of the region now at the Washington Institute of Near East Policy, said the disputing parties do not want to lose face. "Tillerson will say: 'Come on kids, grow up and wind down your absurd demands. And let's work on a compromise on your basic differences'," he said. Kuwait has tried to serve at a mediator, with US support, but the parties have yet to sit down face-to-face. During his trip Tillerson is also to visit New Delhi in order to build what he said in a recent speech could be a 100-year "strategic partnership" with India. Tillerson will stop in Islamabad to try to sooth Pakistani fears about this Indian outreach, but also pressure the government to crack down harder on Islamist militant groups. Riyadh (AFP) - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Saudi Arabia Saturday, his second visit to the region in recent months as he seeks a breakthrough in a diplomatic crisis gripping the Gulf. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of supporting terrorism and cozying up to Iran. Doha denies the charge. Tillerson made an unsuccessful attempt to resolve the dispute during a trip to the region in July. US President Donald Trump, after initially appearing to support the effort to isolate Qatar, has called for mediation and recently predicted a rapid end to the crisis. But before his arrival at Riyadh's King Salman air base, Tillerson indicated there had been little progress. "I do not have a lot of expectations for it being resolved anytime soon," he said in an interview with financial news agency Bloomberg. "There seems to be a real unwillingness on the part of some of the parties to want to engage." Aside from the Gulf dispute, Iran, the conflict in Yemen and counter-terrorism also are on the agenda in the Gulf, the State Department said. While in Riyadh, Tillerson will also take part in the first meeting of a Saudi-Iraqi coordination council, a sign of warming relations between the Sunni-ruled kingdom and Baghdad as the Saudis seek to counter Tehran's influence in Iraq. His trip will also take him to India and Pakistan. When a female kobudai reaches a certain size and age she can undergo a remarkable transformation - turning from a female into a male - WARNING: Use of this copyright image is subject to the terms of use of BBC Pictures' Digital Picture Mating is never easy when you have an unsightly bulbous appendage protruding from your head. But the male Asian Sheepshead Wrasse has even greater problems to contend with. The female wrasse is endowed with the extraordinary ability to unexpectedly switch gender, a change which not only scuppers any burgeoning relationship with the male but also creates another headache for him - a new love rival. The gender-bending ability of the wrasse has been captured in detail for the first time for BBC Blue Planet II which airs on Sunday. The female kobudai (left) becomes even bigger than the male after transforming Credit: Tony Wu Scientists believe the female wrasse makes the switch because she can pass on more genes as a male, although it is unclear why some change while others remain female. It is just one of dozens of filming and scientific firsts captured over four years by the production team who also recorded huge flying fish which snatch birds from the sky, boiling seas, and armour clad octopuses. A giant trevally leaps from the water to catch a tern in flight Credit: BBC Sir David Attenborough, who narrates the new series, said he was most impressed with new footage showing the efforts of the male anemone fish. There have been a lot of really important scientific discoveries, he told The Telegraph. Theres a little anemone fish off the reef living in the sand that is surrounded by dangers but it finds refuge in the tentacles of an anemone, because it alone is immune to their poison. But the female has to lay eggs, and she cant do that on the soft tentacles of an anemone. So the little male goes around trying to find something where she could lay safely. He finds an empty coconut shell, but the trouble is its miles away from the safety of the anemone. So he decides hes going pull the thing all the way back. So he struggles with it, and the triumph on his little face when he does. Filming The new series comes sixteen years after the original Blue Planet aired, and filmmakers have taken advantage of the latest marine science and cutting-edge technology to mount 125 expeditions across 39 countries, and spent more than 6,000 hours diving. Story continues The crews managed to film animal behaviour that until now has been rejected as just sailors myths. Mark Brownlow, Series Producer, said: Whats exciting is we are working with scientists and we are helping them further their science. Often the logistics is too massive for them to independently launch their own expedition but by collaborating we work together. A really good example is the common octopus near Cape Town and when this octopus feels threatened it picks up stones, and shells on the seabed and wraps them around itself and it seems to be a protective coat. Not only does it camouflage but it actually seems to be using the shells as a shield and we filmed that for the first time. The team said the programmes were the most authentic ever, after the BBC Natural History Unit has faced criticism in the past for filming footage in zoos rather than in the natural world. Sir David said: To say that we are distorting natural history would be absurd. However we wouldnt do that now, I dont think, because we are being very very meticulous to be correct and not in anyway misleading. We do our best to be as honest as we can, and the Natural History Unit is extremely careful about constructing stories from too many sources. False Killer Whales travelling with a pod of oceanic Bottlenose dolphins off the coast of the North Island, New Zealand Credit: Richard Robinson BBC James Honeybourne, Executive Producer, added: Its very important to us that we are true to nature. We are very honest about all the techniques we use to create that, to tell as story. If you film something thats microscopic you have to put added light on it, thats just the simple laws of physics. We dont want to point that out in every episode you dont want to break the spell, but we want to be upfront about that. Blue Planet IIstarts Sunday 29 October 8pm on BBC One. President Donald Trump had a week defined by tumultbut what else is new? Amid the usual flurry of controversy, his popularity has taken a dip, according to the latest approval rating polls Saturday. Notably, Trump's approval rating neared his all-time low in the Gallup poll. The latest figure in Gallup's tracking survey, released Thursday, pegged Trump's approval at just 35 percent, down from 38 percent at this point last week. He's just one percentage point higher than his lowest rating ever of 34 percent. To make matters worse for the commander-in-chief, Trump's disapproval was nearing his all-time high, as well. It stood at 60 percent, just one percentage point off from his all-time high of 61 percent in early September. The Gallup poll surveys 1,500 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. donald trump approval rating story picture Kevin Dietsch/Pool/Getty Images Trump fares a bit better in the tracker from data-focused website FiveThirtyEight. The site aggregates public polls and comes up with an average approval rating that accounts for each poll's quality, recency, sample size and any partisan leanings. It had Trump at 37.8 percent approval Saturday, 1.2 percentage points higher than his all-time low of 36.6 percent in the FiveThirtyEight tracker. Trump's disapproval stood at 56 percent Saturday, according to FiveThirtyEight. Still, the former reality TV star is the most unpopular president in recent history. In the history of modern polling, no other president had as low an approval rating on day 274 of his presidency, according to FiveThirtyEight. The closest was former President Gerald Ford, who stood at 38.4 percent at the same point in his first term. It's worth noting that Ford's popularity plummeted after he pardoned his predecessor Richard Nixon, who resigned in disgrace amid the Watergate scandal. Ford's decision was unpopular at the time but has largely been accepted as a correct and courageous decision years later. And at day 274, Trump's predecessor, former President Barack Obama, had an average approval rating of 53 percent. Story continues Trump has never really come close to even hitting 50 percent in the FiveThirtyEight tracker. (He got as high as 47.8 percent shortly after inauguration but quickly fell a few percentage points.) Trump's approval rating has struggled amid a week in which his conversations, or lack thereof, with gold star military families were questioned. Most notably, he reportedly offended the family of a fallen soldier by telling the soldier's widow he "knew what he signed up for." Trump continued his insults Saturday of Florida Representative Frederica Wilson, who first detailed an account of the phone call with the widow. "I hope the Fake News Media keeps talking about Wacky Congresswoman Wilson in that she, as a representative, is killing the Democrat Party!" he tweeted. Related Articles WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed the defeat of Islamic State fighters in their self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa as "a critical breakthrough" in a worldwide campaign against the militants. On Friday, the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) formally announced Raqqa's liberation from Islamic State after four months of battles and said the city would be part of a decentralized federal Syria. "Together, our forces have liberated the entire city from ISIS control," Trump said in a statement. "The defeat of ISIS in Raqqa represents a critical breakthrough in our worldwide campaign to defeat ISIS and its wicked ideology. With the liberation of ISISs capital and the vast majority of its territory, the end of the ISIS caliphate is in sight." Trump said the U.S. campaign against Islamic State, which was launched by his predecessor Barack Obama, would soon enter a new phase, in which the United States would "support local security forces, de-escalate violence across Syria, and advance the conditions for lasting peace, so that the terrorists cannot return to threaten our collective security again." "Together, with our allies and partners, we will support diplomatic negotiations that end the violence, allow refugees to return safely home, and yield a political transition that honors the will of the Syrian people," he said. Trump's statement made no mention of the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He also did not spell out how the United States would support local security forces. A White House spokesman said U.S. policy towards Assad "remains the same." U.S. officials have said Assad has no future governing Syria and U.S. envoy to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said last month a stable Syria was not possible while he remained in place. The fight against Islamic State has taken place amid a wider, multi-sided civil war between Assad's government, which is backed by Iran and Russia, and an array of rebel groups supported by other powers, including the United States. Experts believe the defeat of ISIS at Raqqa may only be the start of a wider struggle by the United States to contain any insurgency launched by the militant group and to stabilize the region, as Washington grapples with defining a comprehensive strategy in Syria. On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said France's military would continue its fight against Islamic State in Syria, but that the fall of the militant group's bastion in Raqqa needed to lead to an inclusive political system to restore stability. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Jeff Mason; Editing by Chris Reese) President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on the mainstream media and Hillary Clinton on Twitter Saturday. The president seemingly was responding to news reports about Russian efforts to use social media in an apparent effort to influence the 2016 presidential election. "Keep hearing about 'tiny' amount of money spent on Facebook ads. What about the billions of dollars of Fake News on CNN, ABC, NBC & CBS?" Trump tweeted. An hour and 15 minutes later, he tweeted: "Crooked Hillary Clinton spent hundreds of millions of dollars more on Presidential Election than I did. Facebook was on her side, not mine!" There were reportedly 3,000 ads linked to Russia that were placed on Facebook. (There were also other ads on other key sites, such as Google and its video platform, YouTube.) The Facebook ads reportedly aimed to spread disinformation and took many forms while addressing so-called wedge issues, like the Second Amendment and gay rights. "The ads and accounts we found appeared to amplify divisive political issues across the political spectrum," Joel Kaplan, Facebook vice president for U.S. public policy, told The New York Times early this month. The intelligence community has assessed that Russia worked to get Trump elected through hacks designed to hurt Clinton and an influence campaign to fan voter fears. But even as Trump slammed the so-called Fake News (otherwise known as every major outlet except Fox News), the president may not realize he benefited quite a bit from the mainstream media en route to the White House. A report from the Harvard University's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy found 62 percent of coverage of Clinton was negative while 38 percent was positive. Trump had 56 percent negative coverage and 44 percent positive. (Trump's coverage did grow more negative as the general election neared, however.) Story continues Meanwhile, mediaQuanta firm that tracks media coverage of candidates and gives it a value based on advertising ratesfound that Trump received $4.96 billion in free media while Clinton had just $3.24 billion, a 53 percent difference. So those billions of dollars of news Trump referenced in his tweet Saturday in many ways helped his cause. While the intelligence community and recent reports have indicated that the social media campaign was decidedly in Trump's corner, the president was correct in saying Clinton spent much more on the presidential election. The Democratic nominee raised $1.2 billion to Trump's $646.8 million. According to a Bloomberg analysis, she spent $969.1 million to Trump's $531 million. Related Articles Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump said in an interview aired Sunday he does not object to France and Germany continuing trade with Iran, despite his refusal to certify the Iran nuclear deal. "I told them just keep making money," the real estate mogul-turned-president told the Fox News program Sunday Morning Futures. "Don't worry. We don't need you on this one." "They are friends of mine. They really are. I get along with all of them. Whether it's Emmanuel or Angela," Trump said, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "I don't know what's going to happen with that deal," Trump said of the landmark 2015 accord, which on October 13 he refused to certify, leaving the pact's fate to US Congress. "When they buy those things, it is a little harder," Trump said of French and German commercial dealings with Iran. But speaking to journalists on a diplomatic visit to Riyadh, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US is "hoping" European companies and countries "will join the US as we put in place a sanction structure." "Those who conduct business with Iranian Revolutionary Guards, any of their entities -- European companies or other companies around the globe -- really do so at great risk." Tillerson had told the Wall Street Journal on Friday the Trump administration does not intend to disrupt European commerce with Iran. The European Union has meanwhile expressed determination to preserve the Iran deal, with several leaders considering it essential to convincing North Korea to come to the negotiating table over its own nuclear program. Tillerson meanwhile was seeking to curb Tehran's influence in talks with his country's Gulf allies, demanding that Iran pare down its involvement in Iraq as the fight against the Islamic State group draws to a close. Tokyo (AFP) - A powerful typhoon left five dead, one missing and scores injured in Japan Monday, moving northward off the Pacific coast after millions struggled to the polls for a national election. Authorities advised thousands living in coastal areas or near rivers to evacuate to shelters before Typhoon Lan, described as "very large and very strong", hit Tokyo and surrounding regions early Monday morning. The typhoon had left the Japanese archipelago by about 9:00 am (0000 GMT) after making landfall in Shizuoka southwest of Tokyo six hours before, the weather agency said. The storm, which had already dumped torrential rain over much of the country during the weekend, packed gusts up to 162 kilometres (100 miles) per hour, the meteorological agency said. Train operators suspended some commuter trains in Tokyo suburbs early Monday and cancelled some "Shinkansen" bullet trains in northern Japan after a blackout left passengers stranded overnight in the country's central region. Nearly 300 flights scheduled for Monday have already been cancelled, public broadcaster NHK said, after strong winds forced 500 flights to be grounded Sunday. Some ferry services in western Japan were also cancelled as the weather agency warned of high waves, landslides and floods across the archipelago. The typhoon claimed its first victims Sunday as a male passer-by died when scaffolding collapsed on him at a construction site in Fukuoka in western Japan. Also in western Japan, a 70-year-old man was found dead in Yamaguchi after he dived into the sea to grab a rope from another vessel as he attempted to escape from his troubled boat, a coastguard told AFP. In Osaka prefecture, a man in his 80s died after being crushed under a blown-off shutter while a woman in her 60s was found dead in a submerged car, local officials said. A 29-year-old man was also found in a submerged car in the central prefecture of Mie. Separately, a 61-year-old man has been missing in eastern Japan's Ibaraki prefecture after he went fishing on Sunday. Story continues More than 130 people were injured across the nation, NHK said, while the central government has so far confirmed 97 injuries. Television footage showed rescuers tugging a rubber boat carrying an elderly woman in a residential area in Chiba southeast of Tokyo as a flooded river engulfed the area. Automaker Toyota said it would suspend operations at all domestic plants on Monday. - Low voter turnout - On Sunday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered his minister in charge of disasters to be ready to mobilise rescue and evacuation forces, including troops. "In order to protect people's lives, the Abe cabinet will unite and do its best to provide an emergency response to a disaster," he told reporters. Voters in the capital braved torrential rain and driving wind on election day, but turnout across the country was expected to be only a fraction higher than the all-time low, as people voted early to avoid the typhoon. Near complete projections Monday showed Abe's ruling conservative coalition was on track to win a two-thirds "super-majority". The foul weather did affect the election, with ferries to a remote island in the west cancelled due to high waves, forcing officials to suspend the counting of votes there. On Saturday, voters on remote southern islands in the path of the storm cast their ballots early, heeding a call from Abe. By Ellen Francis BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-backed militias said they captured Syria's largest oil field on Sunday, pressing their assault against Islamic State in the east of the country. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said they took al-Omar field on the eastern bank of the Euphrates river in the early hours. "Our forces managed to liberate the fields without notable damages," said Lilwa al-Abdallah, spokeswoman for the offensive in Deir al-Zor province. The jihadists holed up in buildings in a nearby district, where the SDF was trying to hunt them down, she said. With U.S.-led jets and special forces, the SDF has been battling in Deir al-Zor bordering Iraq. The alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias has focused on territory east of the river, which bisects the oil-rich province. The Syrian army, with Russian air power and Iran-backed militias, has been waging its own separate offensive against Islamic State, mostly to the west of the river. The U.S.-led coalition and the Russian military have been holding deconfliction meetings - to prevent clashes between planes and troops - though the two offensives have sometimes come into conflict. Islamic State has lost vast territory across Syria, and has now come under attack in its last footholds in a strip of the Euphrates valley and the desert in Deir al-Zor. The SDF declared victory over the jihadists in their former headquarters in Raqqa city this week. SDF fighters would now move to the frontlines in Deir al-Zor, speeding up the battle in eastern Syria. Last month, the Kurdish-led militias captured a major natural gas field upstream of Sunday's advance. Al-Omar oil field lies some 10 km (6.21 miles) north of the town of al-Mayadin, which government troops and their allies took earlier this month. The town had turned into a major base for Islamic State militants after the U.S.-backed offensive drove them out of Raqqa. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Islamic State fighters who had withdrawn from the oil field mounted a counter-attack overnight against government forces. The militants made some gains around al-Mayadin, the Britain-based monitor said. But a Syrian military source denied this, saying there was no significant attack and fighting raged on at the same pace. Any attack by the Islamic State militants there was a "desperate attempt", the source said. "The Syrian Arab Army is attacking, hitting Daesh positions...and advancing," the source said, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State. (Reporting by Ellen Francis; Editing by Toby Chopra) The most powerful man on the planet thought it fit on Monday to write that recently widowed Myeshia Johnson is, in his belief, a liar. Johnson's husband, La David Johnson, was one of four United States soldiers recently killed in an ambush in Niger, an attack that remains shrouded in mystery. President Donald Trump made a condolence call to Myeshia Johnson while she was at the airport waiting to see La David's casket, and Johnson said she was stunned by the president's inability to remember her husband's name. SEE ALSO: White House social media guy reveals whos really writing some of Trumps tweets Here's what she said during a Monday morning interview on Good Morning America: FULL INTERVIEW between @GStephanopoulos and Myeshia Johnson, widow of fallen soldier Sgt. La David Johnson: https://t.co/8fRPhejRl8 pic.twitter.com/8UzCwVDGVp Good Morning America (@GMA) October 23, 2017 Shortly after the interview, Trump called Johnson a liar. I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2017 Maybe you believe Johnson said Trump couldn't remember La David's name so she could start one of those "feuds" with the president, so she could what, exactly? become a brief celebrity? Whose fame is built on continually reliving the trauma of her husband's mystifying death? Many think it's obvious the president is either lying, woefully hopeless, cruel, or all three. Story continues "If Mrs Johnson was offended, it was not my intent. We respect her husband's service & sacrifice." -All that hateful fool had to say Bree Newsome (@BreeNewsome) October 23, 2017 I feel how weak & fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss. https://t.co/AjDnhZdyo8 John Dickerson (@jdickerson) October 23, 2017 We don't believe you. You are a con man. Nothing you do is respectful. Leave this woman and her family alone. You've done enough damage. https://t.co/rUJ3za32OS Ava DuVernay (@ava) October 23, 2017 Myeshia Johnson & Frederica Wilson are telling the truth. Discrediting and targeting Black women is just a cornerstone of white supremacy. Evette Dionne (@freeblackgirl) October 23, 2017 When asked whether she had anything to say to Trump, Johnson replied that she did not. By Ulf Laessing TUNIS (Reuters) - Month-long U.N.-backed talks aimed at bridging differences between rival Libyan factions ended on Saturday with no discernable progress towards stabilising the country and paving the way for elections. A month ago U.N. envoy Ghassan Salame, the latest in a series of Libya envoys since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ended Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year rule, announced a one-year action plan for a transition toward presidential and parliamentary elections. Since then the U.N. has hosted in Tunis delegations from rival parliaments from eastern Libya and Tripoli, which are meant to draw up amendments to a previous U.N.-mediated plan signed in December 2015. But at the end of a second round of talks Salame said only that discussions would continue, without giving a new date. "There are some area of consensus ... but there are parts which need discussions with the political leaderships inside Libya," Salame told reporters, without giving details. Delegates will return to Libya on Sunday, the U.N. mission said in a statement. Salame will go to Tripoli next week to discuss how to move the talks forward, a U.N. source added. The North African country has been in turmoil since Gaddafi's downfall gave space to Islamist militants and smuggling networks that have sent hundreds of thousands of migrants to Europe. Political and military fractures have left the country mired in conflict and the OPEC member's economy in freefall. Rival parliaments and governments have vied for power. The U.N. tried a similar approach in 2015 of hosting Libyans in luxury hotels abroad but the deal never won support from the power-brokers and factions aligned with military commander Khalifa Haftar that control eastern Libya. Haftar is just one of many players in Libya controlled by armed groups divided among political, religious, regional and business lines. A U.N. source said a major obstacle at the Tunis talks had been how to integrate Haftar, who is opposed by many in western Libya, in any deal and whether he would control a future national army. Western states have tried to work with the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, but it has been hamstrung by internal splits and been unable to halt a slide in living standards or tame the power of armed groups. Under the new U.N. plan, once amendments have been agreed a national conference is meant to approve the members of a transitional government that would run the country until elections. (Reporting by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Ros Russell and Robin Pomeroy) By Joseph Guyler Delva PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters) - A new United Nations-backed mission to support Haiti's justice system has had a mixed reaction from local politicians and civil society groups after long-standing criticism of its predecessor. President Jovenel Moise's government has welcomed the deployment of the U.N. mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) in the face of opposition skepticism. A U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti intended to restore stability after a 2004 coup ended in October after 13 years. Known as MINUSTAH, the departing mission was dogged by controversies, including the introduction of cholera to the island and allegations of sexual abuse. The new mission will focus specifically on the justice system and the police. Mamadou Diallo, deputy special representative of the U.N. Secretary General in Haiti and acting head of the new mission, said its aim was to build on MINUSTAH's work to strengthen the security, bolster democracy and the country's institutions. That would enable a "social contract" to be established between Haiti's rulers and the people, Diallo said. However, MINUJUSTH has quickly come under fire. "The country should expect nothing positive from this new mission which is only a tactic to continue with the occupation that the Haitian people have rejected," former presidential candidate Eric Jean-Baptiste said. Retired army colonel Himmler Rebu, a former cabinet minister and one-time contender for the presidency, also had harsh words. "The U.N. stabilization mission has been here for the past 13 years and they have done nothing, except for preventing armed thugs from taking over the presidential palace," Rebu said. The new mission, which officially launched last week, has a six-month renewable term ending April 15, 2018. It will include 1,275 UN police officers and will train Haiti's national police. Lucien Jura, a spokesman for Moise, said the president expected MINUJUSTH to help correct flaws in the justice system, and several civil society organizations expressed hope that the mission can make a difference. However, much will depend on Haiti's leaders, they say. "The mission may have all the good will you can imagine, but if Haitian authorities don't play their part in efforts ... we may not have the expected results," said Pierre Esperance, head of the National Network to Defend Human Rights, known as RNDDH. The U.S. State Department said in a statement that the transition to MINUJUSTH marked a turning point in Haiti "from stability efforts to a focus on justice and the rule of law". (Editing by Christine Murray and Susan Thomas) Visiting family in Puerto Rico amid devastation Everista Alicea Gonzalez lives alone in Hatillo, Puerto Rico. Weeks after hurricane Maria, she was still without water, electricity, and communication. She said she had not seen anyone from FEMA, the National Guard or any other relief effort. (Photo: Caitlin Dickson/Yahoo News) Nearly three weeks after Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, knocking out the entire electrical grid and leaving more than 60 percent of residents without running water, Yahoo News joined Megan Vazquez, who works in the IT department at Yahoo, as she traveled to the island to visit her family in the aftermath of the storm. We drove into the mountains and passed families collecting water and bathing in streams along the way. We swerved to avoid downed power lines and uprooted trees that blocked the steep, treacherous roads to Utuado and Ciales, where we visited an elderly couple from whom Megans father, Jesse, receives an alternative treatment for his heart condition. Isolated and completely cut off from communication, their house sat in the direct path of a potential mudslide. We waded through sheets of rain and watched water splash above the tires of the cars in front of us as flash-flood warnings blared over the radio. On the highway near San Juan, we passed a billboard advising people to visit a website where the Puerto Rican government has been posting updates on the progress of the recovery effort, and we wondered how, without electricity, internet or decent cell service, most Puerto Ricans would be able to access this important information. Back at the Vazquez house, we celebrated the return of running water, only to lament its disappearance 24 hours later. Megan and I stood outside in the rain and rinsed our hair in the water that flowed alongside the curb. We discussed President Trump and whether the speed and scope of the federal governments response to Puerto Rico had more to do with the islands lack of the political clout that comes with statehood than with the current administration. I think that if [Trump] didnt exist it would be the same, Jesse said of the federal relief effort. I really do believe that. Megan marveled at how many people on the mainland dont even realize that Puerto Rico is part of the United States, or that its more than 3.4 million residents are American citizens. Story continues Theres still a divide between Puerto Ricans and the United States, and its on the U.S.s part, she said. Photography by Caitlin Dickson/Yahoo News READ MORE: In a devastated Puerto Rican landscape, getting by on tenacity, patience and the kindness of neighbors RELATED SLIDESHOWS: Puerto Rico one month after Hurricane Maria In the wake of Maria: Aerial views of devastation in Puerto Rico Neither snow nor rain: Postal Service delivers mail in Puerto Rico Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. A new online, virtual-reality experience will bring you face to face with one of the most famous shipwreck-diving sites in the world: the British freighter SS Thistlegorm. German bombers sunk the ship in 1941 near the mouth of the Gulf of Suez at the northern end of the Red Sea. At the time, the WWII merchant ship was carrying hundreds of tons of Allied war supplies including tanks, train engines, trucks and motorcycles to the Egyptian city of Alexandria. Since the 1990s, the Thistlegorm, with its spectacular sunken cargo, has become one of the most famous wreck-diving sites in the world, said Jon Henderson, a marine archaeologist at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. Hundreds of people dive on the site each day, he said. [Dive Through the WWII-Era Shipwreck with 3D Virtual Reality Images] Henderson is the coordinator of the Thistlegorm Project, a virtual reality tour of the wreck that was released online Oct. 6, exactly 76 years to the day after German bombers sunk the ship. Marine archaeologist Jon Henderson enters the water above the Thistlegorm wreck in the Red Sea with a 360-degree underwater video camera. Thistlegorm Project The online experience combines a highly detailed 3D model of the sunken ship, based on thousands of photographs, with 360-degree underwater video of divers exploring key sections of the wreck. Henderson told Live Science that only divers would be able to directly see most of the world's underwater heritage sites. But with virtual reality technology, the wider public can now experience the shipwreck. "There are something like 6 million divers in the world, so less than 0.1 percent of the world's population ever gets access to these sites," he said. "But we're now at the point where we've got technology where we can reconstruct them in photo-realistic detail, and we can now create models that people can explore and interact with on their mobile phones or in their homes." Sunken treasures A team of divers and archaeologists from the University of Nottingham and Egypt's Alexandria University spent five days moored above the Thistlegorm wreck, west of the tip of the Sinai Peninsula and about 18 miles (30 kilometers) by sea from the Egyptian dive resort of Sharm El Sheikh. Story continues The team's photogrammetry specialist, Simon Brown, made 12 dives to the Thistlegorm wreck in that time, totaling more than 13 hours underwater, Henderson said. In those dives, Brown gathered thousands of photographs using a conventional Nikon camera fitted with a 6mm fish-eye lens. The camera and two strobe lights were mounted on an underwater scooter, so Brown could cover more ground during his dives. Underwater photogrammetry specialist Simon Brown spent more than 13 hours underwater shooting photographs for the model of the wreck. Thistlegorm Project Brown later processed and combined images of the shipwreck with photogrammetric software, which can extract 3D data from sets of 2D photographs. The result was the highly detailed 3D model of the giant wreck, based on 24,307 photographic images the largest photogrammetric survey yet made of a shipwreck, covering an area of about 7 acres (28,300 square meters), Henderson said. While Brown shot the photographs for the 3D model, Henderson focused on recording 360-degree video of key points on the wreck. Henderson said he had been inspired to apply the technology to a wreck after seeing 360-degree underwater video of a coral reef at a conference earlier this year. "I just thought, 'This would be amazing on a shipwreck,' because the 360-degree video, for me, is the closest you can come to actually diving," he said. The detailed 3D model of the giant wreck is the result of the largest photogrammetric survey of a shipwreck yet made Thistlegorm Project The researchers secured a grant from the Newton Fund in the United Kingdom for a knowledge-sharing program involving the University of Nottingham, Alexandria University and Ain Shams University in Cairo, which houses a virtual-reality laboratory. Next, the researchers chose the Thistlegorm wreck for a public-outreach project because of its well-deserved fame as a dive site, Henderson said. "It's an absolutely amazing wreck to dive," he said. "There's the cargo Bedford trucks, armored vehicles, motorcycles, Bren guns, ammunition, aircraft parts and the massive steam locomotives on the decks themselves. Every time you dive on it, you find something else." Popular wonder The popularity of the wreck has come at a cost. Since the development of nearby Sharm El Sheikh as a diving center in the 1990s, the Thistlegorm has suffered damage from dive boats mooring directly onto the wreck and from souveniring done by some insensitive divers, Henderson said. [In Photos: WWII-Era Shipwrecks Illegally Plundered in Java Sea] Although Egypt joined the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Heritage in September, that convention protects only shipwrecks that are more than 100 years old. So, many World War I and all World War II wrecks in the Red Sea are not covered, Henderson said. "What we hope this website will do is help to monitor what is going on," he said. "One of the basic things for finding out how sites have been damaged is to carry out a baseline survey such as this, and then we can start to chart changes over time." Showing the wonders of the Thistlegorm to a wider audience would also benefit other wrecks and submerged archaeological sites in the region, he said. "The Red Sea is an amazing resource, but we don't know what's actually in there there has never been an official survey carried out," Henderson said. "I think once people know about this heritage, then hopefully they will start to care about it, and that will increase the level of protection, particularly for wrecks like the Thistlegorm. Original article on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations - Saudi Arabia unwilling to hold talks to resolve Gulf diplomatic crisis. - Tillerson visited both Saudi Arabia and Qatar. - Calls on all parties involved to "de-escalate the tensions and take steps to do so." United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has disclosed that the Saudi Arabian governemnt is not willing to involve in direct talks to resolve the ongoing gulf crisis. Tillerson made a stop in Saudi Arabia to visit King Salman before continuing his journey to Qatar where he met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. While speaking at a joint news conference with Mohammed bin Abdulrahman in Qatar, Tillerson lamented that the Saudi Arabian leadership were unwilling to hold any meaningful dialogue aimed at resolving the ongoing Gulf diplomatic crisis that has seen many regional countries either take sides with Saudi Arabia or Qatar. "In my meetings with [Saudi] Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, I asked him to please engage in dialogue, [but] there is not a strong indication that parties are ready to talk yet," said Tillerson, referring to his earlier discussions in Riyadh. "We cannot force talks upon people who are not ready to talk." Tillerson, who also met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, expressed concern about the effect of the crisis on the region's stability. "It's very important for the GCC to continue to pursue unity," he told reporters, referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council, a bloc that includes Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman as its members. "It is most effective when it is unified and none of us can afford to let this dispute linger," he added, renewing a call for dialogue to resolve the dispute. "We ask that everyone minimises the rhetoric and de-escalate the tensions and take steps to do so." First lady Melania Trump gave a group of students a special treat on Monday during her surprise visit to a Michigan middle school. She was one of two notable D.C.-based guests at the Orchard Lake Middle School in the Detroit suburbs on Monday, accompanied by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The kids lined up to take pictures and selfies with the first lady, who joined the event to share her anti-bullying message. She gave the students tips for connecting with and not ostracizing each other. The first lady encouraged the students to "eat lunch with a new friend" and make sure "everybody feels included." After speaking to the group, the first lady went table to table and met the students individually, where she was happily mobbed by students eager to take pictures with the former model and current White House resident. The appearance and remarks helped kick off what the White House is calling a "Week of Inclusion," as part of National Bullying Prevention Month "It is our responsibility to take the lead in teaching children the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of kindness, mindfulness, integrity, and leadership," the first lady said in a statement. "By our own example, we must teach children to be good stewards of the world they will inherit," she added in her statement. "We need to remember that they are always watching and listening. It is our responsibility to take the lead in teaching children the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of kindness, mindfulness, integrity, and leadership." She received some backlash over her commitment to the anti-bullying cause, which she has championed for months, from those who suggested her husband's comments exhibit the tendencies of bullies. Michigan -- a state which has often voted for Democrats candidates in recent presidential elections -- supported Donald Trump in the 2016 election, in what was considered a big upset for Hillary Clinton. It's not often that a car gets to star in its own silver screen documentary, but the Ferrari 312B is doing just that, as the 1970-introduced Formula 1 car is being featured in Ferrari 312B: Where the revolution begins. The 312B launched a new era for the Italian marque. The B stood for "boxer," referencing the 180-degree 3.0-liter 12-cylinder engine, which replaced the preceding 312's 60-degree V12. The groundbreaking flat engine enabled the new car to have a lower center of gravity, which among other benefits, allowed more space for unhindered airflow above it. The body designs that graced the 312B were unconventional, earning one particularly nose-heavy-looking car the nickname "snowplow." As a dramatic story arc requires, the newly designed engine proved unreliable in its early guise, taking years of honing for it to be properly nailed. Racing legends Niki Lauda, Jacky Ickx, Jackie Stewart, Gerhard Berger and Damon Hill are among those to analyze the car and the years that turned Ferrari's fortunes around. The 1970 car even returns to the Monaco race track all these years later, having been overhauled by a team led by its original engineer Mauro Forghieri. The documentary hits American theaters Nov. 17. Watch the trailer for 'Ferrari 312B: Where the revolution begins' documentary originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Oct 2017 15:20:00 EDT. The widow of a U.S. soldier killed in Niger said she was hurt when President Donald Trump told her in a phone call last week that her husband knew what he signed up for. He couldnt remember my husbands name, Myeshia Johnson told ABCs Good Morning America on Monday, referring to the presidential condolence call that ignited a weeklong controversy. I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husbands name. She said Trump told her that her husband, Sgt. La David Johnson, knew what he signed up for but it hurts anyways. And it made me cry because I was very angry at the tone in his voice and how he said it. The presidents call made her very upset and hurt, she said. It made me cry even worse. Trump quickly shot back on Twitter, saying that his conversation with Johnson was very respectful and that he did say the fallen soldiers name. I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2017 Johnsons death has been front and center in a controversy Trump himself created when he drew attention to the fact that he hadnt phoned the immediate families of all service members who had been killed during his presidency and made the erroneous claim that his predecessors didnt make such calls. Trump did phone Johnson last week. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), who was in the car with Johnson when Trump made the condolence call on Tuesday, was the first to speak out about the conversation: Sarcastically he said: But you know he must have known what he signed up for, Wilson told NBC6. How could you say that to a grieving widow? I couldnt believe ... and he said it more than once. I said this man has no feelings for anyone. This is a young woman with child who is grieved to her soul. Story continues Johnsons aunt, who was also in the car, backed Wilson up last week. (The aunt, who raised Johnson, was identified earlier as Johnsons mother.) Trump on Wednesday accused Wilson of fabricating what he said, claiming he had proof. Whatever Ms. Wilson said was not fabricated, Johnsons widow, who is pregnant, confirmed on Monday. What she said was 100-percent correct. The phone was on speakerphone. Why would we fabricate something like that? She said she has nothing further to say to Trump. "[Pres. Trump] couldn't remember my husband's name. ... That's what hurt me the most." - Myeshia Johnson, widow of Sgt. La David Johnson pic.twitter.com/px5io2RbJB Good Morning America (@GMA) October 23, 2017 Johnson was killed during an ambush in Niger on Oct. 4, along with three other Special Forces troops. It took authorities two days to find his body, leading to questions about what occurred during the attack and whether the U.S. and Niger soldiers with him on the mission left him behind or tried to come back to rescue him. Johnsons widow said shes still desperately seeking answers to what happened. When they came to my house they just told me that it was a massive gunfire and my husband as of Oct. 4 was missing, she said. They didnt know his whereabouts, they didnt know where he was. And a couple of days later they told me he went from missing to killed in action. I dont know how he got killed, where he got killed, anything. Johnson kisses her late husband's coffin at a graveside service in Hollywood, Florida, October 21, 2017. (Photo: Joe Skipper / Reuters) She said she still hasnt been able to see her husbands body. They told he was in a severe wrap and I wouldnt be able to see him. I know my husbands body from head to toe and they wont let me see anything. I dont know whats in that box, it could be empty from head to toe. Approximately 1,000 people attended Johnsons funeral on Saturday. The administration is reportedly rush-delivering condolence letters to families of slain soldiers amid the controversy. Three Gold Star families told The Atlantic that they hadnt received correspondence from Trump until last week. In fact, the White House apparently had to scramble to find contact information for Gold Star families who lost a service member since January in order to determine who Trump hadnt yet contacted, according to an internal Defense Department email obtained by political news site Roll Call. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. A South Sudanese student has accidentally gone viral. Anok Yai was enjoying Howard Universitys homecoming over the weekend, when a photographer noticed her and snapped some pics. Before she knew it, strangers were begging the modeling gods to give her a contract. Yai is a 19-year-old sophomore studying biochemistry at Plymouth State University. A friend of mine and I decided to travel to Washington, D.C., to attend Howard Universitys Homecoming, Yai, who grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Anok Yai (Photo: Steven Hall/SUNK) They attended Yardfest, Howards homecoming concert, featuring performers like Rick Ross and Doug E. Fresh. After Yardfest ended, I began walking toward the dorms, when a photographer that goes by the name Steve theSUNK Hall randomly started taking photos of me, she recalls. While he was taking down my information, he said, Today was a good day, and a couple of these photos have the potential to go viral. I didnt really think much of it, so I just smiled and went on about my day. Little did she know that her photo would indeed go viral. TheSunk shared her photo with his 13k Instagram followers yesterday. The rest is history. Saw her right at the end of Yardfest. Stunning @anokyai #huhc #huhomecoming #theyard #fro #curlyhair #darkskin #sudanese A post shared by TheSUNK|The Shit U Need 2 Know (@thesunk) on Oct 21, 2017 at 2:56pm PDT It wasnt until later that evening that I picked up my phone and found hundreds of Instagram notifications piling in, Yai says. Before all this happened, I had around 150 followers and was getting about 20 to 30 likes on each photo, and then suddenly, these numbers skyrocketed in a matter of hours. The first three comments on the photo say it all: Shes a beaut! Shes perfect, Shes amazing. Then there were comments from those hoping that Yai is a model, Please tell me shes modeling, one follower wrote. Oh my lord! Look at Gods work, wow!! She is runway ready. I feel bad for the dude who was nervous to talk to her. Shes a gem. Story continues We need @anookyai to model merchandise for Oceanairs Republic. #wordup, gushed another. An agency needs to sign her ASAP, demanded a third. Give her a contract. While most wanted her to start modeling, others assumed the beauty had already graced catwalks and magazine covers. Yeah I def thought this was some famous model! someone said. Yo @anok_yai blowing tf up on my tl! Told you in high school you need to be a model girl pic.twitter.com/W9MSM7rNca lil glo (@LotsOfGlory) October 22, 2017 do i hear modeling contract??????? ugh i'm so proud of you, babe KEEP KILLIN IT SIS lesliemariel (@lesliemariel777) October 23, 2017 Believe it or not, Yai, who moved to the United States in 2000, has never modeled. Ive always thought about modeling, Yai says. Its a dream that Ive wanted for a long time, but always pushed to the side because of self-doubt and distractions from school. Now I see this dream as something a lot more obtainable. The sudden notoriety has been a lot for Yai to process. All this attention and praise is definitely hard to wrap my head around. These comments took me by surprise. Of course, people are already knocking on Yais door. Ive had a few offers here and there, but Im keeping my options open for now, before I make a decision on who I want to commit to, she says. When she does make the big decision, she isnt going to ditch school. I definitely want to finish getting my bachelors in science, so I would probably finish school online while modeling at the same time; just have something to fall back on. She says the best part has been seeing people appreciate her very dark skin, characteristic of Sudanese people. It makes me feel honored to be a South Sudanese woman. It shows that the standards of beauty are slowly evolving. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Its now perfectly clear that Syria and Iran have launched a diplomatic and military offensive aimed at deterring Israel from carrying out further strikes in Syria. The last incident was the intentional firing of five rockets into Israel as an act of provocation, so that Israel would respond militarily and the Syrians would be able to complain to the United Nations secretary-general and the Security Council. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter But the battle Syria and Iranor Iran and Syria, to be more accurateare waging against Israel is much wider. The Iranians would like to achieve two things: One, international and regional legitimization for the Iranian presence and military activity in Syria; and two, to deter Israel from continuing its attacks within Syria, which not only sabotage the Iranian efforts to expand in the country, but also have a negative effect on the Assad regimes prestige and on his ability to impose his authority in Syria. Rocket located in the Golan Heights, Saturday (Photo: Avihu Shapira) The Iranians and the Syrian regime want to achieve these two goals without a war with Israel. An all-out-war, and even an escalation, would interfere with Syrian President Bashar Assads plan to regain control of additional areas in Syria and with the Iranians plan to pursue their crawling penetration into Syria in different military areas and in civil areas as well. The Iranians are now trying to take over oil fields in Syria and civil rehabilitation activities in a bid to make money. An escalation or a war with Israel would sabotage this activity, which is being carried out primarily by the Revolutionary Guards. The bottom line, therefore, is that Syria and Iran will carry out diplomatic, PR and limited military activity to achieve their goals, but will be careful not to spark a war. On what levels are the Iranians and Syrians operating? The first level is military: In recent months, the Syrians have made several attempts to intercept IDF planes over Lebanon off Syria's shores in an effort to threaten Israels aerial supremacy and freedom. They know the IDF needs aerial freedom of action in Lebanons skies, and sometimes over Syria too, for its intelligence gathering activities and to thwart Iranian attempts to supply Hezbollah with precision-guided missiles, in addition to the tens of thousands of statistic missiles the Lebanese organization already has. The purpose of the Syrian surface-to-air missile batteries locking in on Israel Air Force planes and the SA5 missiles that were fired is to create a deterrence equation vis-a-vis the IAF. The Iranians are hoping to create deterrence indirectly as well through the Russians, who are being draggedlikely unwillinglyinto these conflicts in the air. Moscow is being asked to protest to Israel and even to threaten to supply Syria with modern anti-aircraft missile systems. Another measure is inviting the Iranian militarys chief of staff on an official visit to Syria, that will include the signing military cooperating agreements . This move is highly important as it aims to provide international legal legitimization and diplomatic authorization for the Iranian penetration into Syria. Its important to note that the Iranian militarys chief of staff, Mohammad Baqeri, heads an official and internationally recognized Iranian state institution. He is not the Revolutionary Guards commander, but part of the legitimate government in Iran which is led by relatively moderate President Hassan Rouhani. The Syrians and Iranians are well aware of the fact that the Revolutionary Guards are a subversive organization which US President Donald Trump was about to declare a terror organization. The Revolutionary Guards operate the Shiite militias too, which are also unrecognized and illegitimate organizations in the international arena, and especially in the Middle Eastern arena. The Iranian militarys chief of staff in Syria So the person the Iranians sent to Syria is the chief of staff who heads the state army, which was hardly involved in the battles with Sunni rebels in Syria. This dirty work was done by the Revolutionary Guards and the militias for the Assad regime, but now that its time to reap the fruit, they are sending the militarys chief of staff to sign agreements with Syrias official army, in accordance with international conventions. The purpose of the visit and the agreements signed between the Syrian and Iranian armies is to diplomatically legitimize Iranian penetration into Syria. These agreements are dangerous, however, because they officially and openly allow Iran to transfer weapons and military technologieslike advanced anti-aircraft missilesto Syria, yet denying Israel the possibility to complain to the Russians and even to the UN that Iran is placing its own weapons in Syria and transferring them to Hezbollah. In the near future, we are expected to see advanced Iranian weapon systems in Syria, mainly in the anti-aircraft field, which is aimed at limiting the IDFs aerial freedom of action, and in the field of accurate missiles which the Iranians will allegedly supply the Syrian army with, although they which will actually reach Hezbollah. The fourth area of the Iranian-Syria offensive is conscious deterrence through psychological warfare against the citizens of the State of Israel. After each incident on the border or airstrike in the north, the Syrians warn that the Israeli aggression will be met with a serious response from Syria. This threat is made time and again in Syrian army statements and on the Syrian media, and its purpose is to create the feeling in Israel that another alleged Israeli attack on an Iranian arms workshop in Syria, and further responses to spillover fire in the Golan Heights, will lead to a general flare up. Both the Syrians and the Iranians have no intention of escalating the situation to a war, but they want the Israeli public and media to be concerned and keep worrying that a war is about to happen. What is Israel doing against Syrian offensive? Israel is currently waging its own diplomatic offensive. The goal is to reach an American-Russian collaboration that will lead to a long-term arrangement in Syria in which the Iranians will have no military presence, neither on the border with Israel in the Golan Heights nor in more remote air and naval bases on Syrian territory. The new national security advisor visited Washington last week for that purpose, and then flew directly to Moscow for talks with his Russian counterparts. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman is in Washington too right now, following talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu last week. And if that were not enough, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot left for Washington on Sunday. This diplomatic offensive is aimed at getting the Russians and the Americans to cooperate in a bid to neutralize the possibility that Israel would be forced to use military force on a wider scale to prevent an Iranian expansion in Syria. The purpose of the talks between senior Israeli government officials and high-ranking members of the security establishment in Washington, Moscow and Tel Aviv is to prevent a war, without waiving Israels red lines: Preventing Hezbollah from arming itself with precision-guided missiles and with sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons. Preventing rocket fire and ground attacks on Israeli territory in the Golan Heights. Preventing Syrian use of chemical weapons. Preventing an Iranian expansion near the Golan border to avoid a situation in which, in case of a war, the Iranians will operate against Israel from Syrian territory while Hezbollah operates against us from Lebanese territory. The Iranians and Hezbollah are interested in turning the north into one front. Netanyahu and Lieberman. Unnecessary threats (Photo: Hillel Meir, TPS) Israel wont give up its aerial freedom of action in the northern skies either. Israel is rightfully insisting on these red lines, with considerable success, through the confidential and non-confidential war between wars the IDF is waging in the north. The harmful and less successful part is Defense Minister Lieberman and Prime Minister Netanyahu's frequent public statements on the Iranian and Syrian issue. Up until now, Israel knew how to act without talking, but for the past six months the defense minister has been releasing unnecessary threats in every direction. If we attacked Syrian army posts, which were the source of spillover fire in the Golan Heights, Damascus got the hint. There is no need to add a series of threats that only prevent the Syrians from quietly fixing what needs fixing and, at the end of the day, force them to engage in provocations in an attempt to prevent further harm to the regimes prestige. The prime minister is exercising the same unnecessary noisy public diplomacy. The Russians and the Americans, whose help we are seeking in neutralizing the Iranians in Syria, are in no need of empty bombastic declarations in the media. They are receiving the Israeli messages directly from the prime minister, the defense minister, the national security advisor and the chief of staff, and dont need public threats which only require the Russians to demonstrate that they are helping their proteges and providing them with a diplomatic umbrella and sophisticated weapons. Lieberman and Netanyahu's statements are achieving the opposite of the desirable outcome for the State of Israel and its citizens. These are critical times for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ministers. These are the hours, the days, perhaps the weeks, in which they will be tested for their integrity, morality and leadership. If they fail to stand firm in the coming weeks against MK David Amsalems bill which is known as the French law, yet increasingly seems like the Bibi lawwe can close up shop. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Did Netanyahu say he hoped the State of Israel would last 100 years? If thats what he meant, that the state would keep a prime minister suspected of criminal offenses while its elected representatives ensure no one could touch himIm not sure we want the remaining years. Up until Sunday, when we saw Coalition Chairman David Bitan storm the Israeli parliament in a bid to get the bill approved as soon as possible, things werent clear enough. It seemed like a lot of talk that would result in nothing. Now its clear: Netanyahu wants a tailor-made law immediately, and the coalition is required to support him. Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo: EPA) We heard what Minister Ofir Akunis told the leaders of the coalition parties Sunday: We give you everything and get nothing in return. In other words, a tailor-made pro-Bibi law is a demand Likud is presenting to its partners as part of the political give and take. Theres no shame left. Everything is being done in broad daylight, aggressively, in an unbridled manner and without even trying to pretend. We knew where things were headed, we saw the trend, but we didnt understand how desperate and determined Netanyahu was to stop the investigations against him. All of his preparation workthe attacks on the Supreme Court, on the State Attorneys Office, on the police and on the media, the mass Likud rallies, the long trips abroadwas intended for the decisive moment, for the creation of a quick aggressive legislative move, which would end up becoming the Bibi law. A law that would determine all the investigations against him must be stopped immediately. And if the High Court intervenes and tries to overturn the law, he would get the Right to enact the override clause, which prevents the court from striking down Knesset laws. The Right, which has a personal interest in a law against the High Court, would gladly enact the override clause. Hard to believe? Ask yourself why is Netanyahu so motivated to pass this law. Why is he so interested in it, if it supposedly wont apply to his own investigations? It was enough to see the clash at the coalition heads meeting over a weeks delay in voting on the law to understand its direct connection to the prime ministers affairs. Prime Minister Netanyahu and MK Amsalem. Everything is being done aggressively, in broad daylight (Photo: MK Amsalem's Facebook page) A bill passes a preliminary reading, and then, ahead of its first reading, clauses can be added and changed. Netanyahu's aim is to enact a law that would apply to his investigations retroactivelynot to what will happen in the future, but to everything that has already happened. He will toss in a limitation on a prime minister to only two terms in office, to satisfy Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and provide them with an alibi to support the law. But dont be confused. Its a joke. This restriction wont actually apply to Netanyahu. Trust him and his Rottweilers. The prime minister has no interest and no time to pass the law and then move up the elections, which he denies he has any interest in. He has even given Kahlon his word that he would pass the 2019 budget. Its possible he knows whats waiting in the interrogation rooms and must delay the investigations to prevent an upgrade of the suspicions from breach of trust to bribery following the new evidence collected. In such an event, the new law would protect him and stop any new investigations. Every day that goes by charges with new meaning his famous saying that theres nothing because there was nothing. What Netanyahu wants is quick legislation, with a retroactive Bibi law that would apply to him to and stop the investigations right away. And then he would remain in office for the next two years and run for prime minister again. Thats the deal, theres no other deal, and thats where the political system is headed. And if no one puts his finger in the dike and ward off the muddy waves led by Amsalem and Bitan, it will happen. The plan exists. The question is will it work. Pressure makes people do bad things, and pressure is what Netanyahu's emissaries are conveying. Lets hope the commissioner and the police dont cave, that the State Attorneys Office and the attorney general examine the evidence according to the letter of the law, that the public realizes Netanyahu is acting like a guilty person and trying to halt a personal investigation, that the coalition refuses to take part in this move and that the Likud party doesnt opt for mass suicide against all the states authorities for Netanyahu's sake. And it depends on the Israeli public as well, on when will it open its eyes and realize whats taking shape under its nose, and on how willing is it to be a partner in crime. - Senior regional official says the EU will lose credibility if it allows Spain impose direct rule on Catalonia. - Catalans and Catalan institutions will not comply with Spanish rule. - Spain awaiting permission from parliament to activate Article 155 on Catalonia. A senior Catalan official has criticised the European Union for their silence over Spain's threat to impose direct rule on Catalonia. These comments were made by Catalonia Foreign affairs spokesman Paul Romeva in a recent interview wheere he also suggested that only the Catalan people have the right to change the regional institutions. "How can the European Union live with that situation if it appears?" Raul Romeva told BBC radio, when asked how the Catalan regional government would prevent the Spanish government from re-imposing direct rule. "How can they be credible if they allow this to happen? Because what I can tell you is that the people and the institutions in Catalonia would not let this happen." Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy last week requested permission from Spain's parliament to active article 155 which would allow Spain to directly rule over Catalonia. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 07:08:21|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. State Department on Sunday called for an immediate end of the violence in Myanmar's northern Rakhine State, and for the return of refugees "voluntarily, safely, and with dignity." "We welcome Burma's commitment to bringing long-term peace and stability to Rakhine State," said the State Department in a press release. The document added Washington has provided nearly 40 million U.S. dollars in humanitarian assistance concerning the crisis in Rakhine State since August 25. The State Department also hailed Bangladesh for its generosity to receive and help the refugees in need. On Aug. 25, a Rohingya militia allegedly attacked three police posts in the state and sparked the government's return of attacks against the local villages. The exchanges of fire have caused hundreds of thousands to flee into neighboring Bangladesh. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 07:18:22|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Argentina voted on Sunday in midterm elections, which will see 127 deputies and 24 senators elected, as well as serve as a test of the popularity of President Mauricio Macri after two years in office. At the end of the day, Adrian Perez, the country's secretary for political affairs, said "this was a good day, we will begin the announcement of the results from 9 p.m." In the primaries on August 13, the Cambiemos (Let's Change) ruling party won the most votes nationwide, but former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner got most votes in the province of Buenos Aires, raising hopes she may be elected to the Senate for her party, Union Ciudadana (Citizen's Union). At midday, Macri cast his vote at the Wenceslao Posse school, located in Buenos Aires' neighborhood of Palermo, and expressed his satisfaction that the day was taking place "peacefully" and with good weather conditions across the country. "We are happy at what is happening in the country, and we believe we have a bright future ahead of us," said Macri, defending his government's track record. "We will await the results at night and comment on them together." Fernandez de Kirchner did not vote on Sunday. While she is registered to vote in the southern city of Rio Gallegos, she decided to stay in Buenos Aires. However, she did visit a vote counting center at the Patria Institute, near Congress, and also greeted her supporters. This Sunday's result will be widely seen as a test of Macri's administration, halfway through his term which expires in 2019. While the economy has shown signs of improvement under Macri's watch, especially since 2016, growth has not been seen in all sectors. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 07:18:23|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close SANTIAGO, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chilean deputy Gabriel Silber called on Sunday for women-only subway cars to be implemented in the Santiago subway at rush hours to avoid instances of sexual assault. "This is an important problem that women suffer daily in the greater Santiago when they move by metro. We have one of the metros with the highest levels of frequency in the world during peak hours, we reach about six passengers per square meter," said Silber. The Santiago metro is the second-largest in Latin America with a network of around 103 kilometers, with another 25 kilometers currently under construction, and is the seventh most frequented in the world. The amount of people on the metro at peak hours since 2007 after a reform that led to more people using the subway has led to a sharp rise in the number of sexual assault accusations. The left-wing deputy pointed to "big cities such as Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro or Mexico city..."have implemented strong campaigns and measures destined to prevent, avoid and punish sexual assault inside the subway." "I am referring to measures such as the segregation of carriages at peak hours, some of them are pink for example, the installation of security cameras inside the carriages and police officers travelling incognito inside the cars," he explained. According to Silber, "the Santiago subway is behind in terms of public policies that seek to prevent sexual assault inside public transportation." Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 07:58:23|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close Tourists visit the Great Temple of Abu Simbel during the Sun Festival in Aswan, Egypt, Oct. 22, 2017. During the Sun Festival, crowds gather before sunrise to observe sunlight lightening the sculpture of King Ramses II which occurs twice a year, separately marking his birthday and coronation. (Xinhua/Meng Tao) Soure: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 08:01:24|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close Photo taken on October 22, 2017 shows singing and dancing performances during a meet-and-greet event in Bandar Seri Begawan, capital of Brunei. Brunei on Sunday held meet-and-greet activities including float procession, singing and dancing performances to celebrate the golden jubilee of the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah's accession to the throne.(Xinhua/Jeffrey Wong) Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 09:03:50|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close CANBERRA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- A South Australian teenager has survived an encounter with a great white shark without sustaining any injuries, local media reported on Monday. Sarah Williams, 15, was fishing from her kayak off the coast of South Australia (SA) when the five-meter shark attacked. Chris Williams, Sarah's father, was nearby in a small boat when he saw the shark circle the kayak several times and attack. "The next thing I hear was a big bang of something very solid hitting the kayak, then screams," Chris told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday. "Sarah had been thrown into the air and just come down into the water, and this shark has just rolled and all I saw was the dark side and the white belly and just huge fins and just white water everywhere. "It was going to eat her." Chris Williams acted quickly, firing up the motor on his boat and pulling his daughter out of the water before the shark could attack her. "(It) came back to the boat again and grabbed onto the boat and punctured it and has damaged the boat, and threw my daughter out," Adrienne Clarke, Sarah's mother, said. "We got her out of the water before it could do any further damage. "The shark then followed the kayak while it was roped to our motorized boat for about 10 minutes trying to come back at it, but eventually gave up. "The worst thing that has come of it is (Sarah) has lost her phone and her sound system, and she's gone home with both of her legs." Sarah was taken to the Victor Harbor District Hospital where she was diagnosed as being in a state of shock. Her older sister, who witnessed the incident, was also deemed to be in shock. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 09:08:53|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close CANBERRA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- "Eco-friendly" hybrid cars regularly produce four times as much carbon dioxide (CO2) as manufacturers claim, an Australian report has found on Monday. The report, compiled by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) with the backing of industry heavyweights, found that in real-world testing some new vehicles are using 59 percent more fuel than advertised. One hybrid electric vehicle tested by the AAA used four times as much fuel as claimed by the manufacturer, meaning the fuel bill for owners of that vehicle is up more than 750 U.S. dollars than claimed in advertising. The AAA is using the report to call on the Australian government to introduce mandatory real-world emissions testing for new cars. "More stringent emissions laws are meant to reduce pollution and drive down fuel use, however our results suggest such benefits largely occur only in the laboratory," Michael Bradley, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the AAA, said in a statement on Monday. "Australian motorists have a right to accurate information about fuel consumption and environmental performance when buying a new car." "The current system is misleading consumers and regulators. Only real world testing can drive down costs to consumers and deliver meaningful environmental benefit." The AAA conducted real-world tests on 30 vehicles during the 18-month, 390,000 U.S. dollar study but chose not to identify those that performed poorly because it would be unfair against those that were not tested. In 2002, the difference between real-world fuel consumption and laboratory test performance was 10 percent. That figure grew to 35 percent in 2014 and is projected to be 49 percent by 2020 as manufacturers continue to better-optimize lab tests. Australia has the worst quality fuel of 35 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with regular unleaded fuel containing up to 150 parts per million (ppm) of sulphur compared to the world's best fuel which the AAA said has less than 10 ppm. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 09:18:55|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close CLARK, the Philippines, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday started here their high-level security dialogue to discuss security issues facing the region including counterterrorism, drug trafficking and maritime conflicts. ASEAN defense ministers held a breakfast meeting before the formal opening of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) to specifically discuss the threat of violent extremism in the region, Arsenio Andolong, chief of the Department of the Philippine National Defense' Public Affairs Service, told Xinhua. Andolong said Malaysia initiated the breakfast meeting before the ADMM officially opened. The Philippines, chair of ASEAN this year, is hosting the 11th ADMM and 4th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) that include eight of ASEAN's dialogue partners, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said his country will push several initiatives during the two-day meeting, including "a three-year work program that will focus on streamlining, synergizing, and rationalizing ADMM efforts." "This is to pursue our cooperative mechanisms in the most efficient and effective way possible," Lorenzana said. Lorenzana said that the meeting hopes to come up "with frameworks for maritime interaction, education and training exchanges, aircraft encounters, among others." The ADMM is the highest defense consultative and cooperative mechanism in the ASEAN. ADMM aims to promote mutual trust and confidence through greater understanding of defense and security challenges, as well as enhancement of transparency and openness among the 10 ASEAN member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN defense ministers to engage their dialogue partners from Asia and the Pacific. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 10:09:08|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's approval rating inched down last month on a court decision to extend detention of impeached President Park Geun-hye, a weekly poll showed Monday. According to the Realmeter survey, support for Moon was 67.8 percent last week, down 0.7 percentage points from a week earlier. It was based on a poll of 2,557 voters conducted from last Monday to Friday. It had 1.9 percentage points in margin of error with a 95 percent confidence level. The South Korean court issued another arrest warrant for the ousted President Park, who has been in custody and stood trial over corruption charges, to extend her detention another six months by next April. Park denounced the extended detention as a political retaliation. The negative sentiment, however, was offset by the president's comments to accept a state commission's advice to resume construction of two nuclear reactors, of which construction has been suspended for about three months to examine the public opinion on nuclear energy. The Moon government announced a long-term plan to reduce the country's dependence on nuclear energy for the next 60 years and stop building any further nuclear power plants. Support for Moon's ruling Democratic Party edged down 0.5 percentage points from a week earlier to 50.1 percent last week, but the party maintained the top post by a wide margin. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party won 18.1 percent of support last week, down 0.8 percentage points from the previous week. The central People's Party garnered 6.2 percent, with supports for the minor conservative Righteous Party and the minor progressive Justice Party holding 5.8 percent and 4.9 percent respectively. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 10:59:16|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close Attendees pose for group photos during the opening ceremony of the 11th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) held in Pampanga Province, the Philippines, on Oct. 23, 2017. The defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) started here on Monday their high-level security dialogue to discuss security issues facing the region including counterterrorism, drug trafficking and maritime conflicts. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) CLARK, the Philippines, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) started here on Monday their high-level security dialogue to discuss security issues facing the region including counterterrorism, drug trafficking and maritime conflicts. ASEAN defense ministers held a breakfast meeting before the formal opening of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) to specifically discuss the threat of violent extremism in the region, Arsenio Andolong, chief of the Department of the Philippine National Defense' Public Affairs Service, told Xinhua. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed the meeting, saying they had "a productive discussions during the special breakfast meeting regarding the challenges of terrorism and violent extremism especially in Southeast Asia." "Our breakfast meeting is an indicator of the robust state of defense cooperation among ASEAN member states as we have already had substantive talks even before the ADMM could begin," Lorenzana said at the opening of the ADMM. He added "this morning's meeting will be an opportunity for us to focus on the progress of defense cooperation to include new initiatives in the way forward for ADMM." The Philippines, chair of ASEAN this year, is hosting the 11th ADMM and 4th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting - Plus (ADMM-Plus) that include eight of ASEAN's dialogue partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States. Lorenzana said in an earlier statement that the Philippines will push several initiatives during the two-day meeting, including "a three-year work program that will focus on streamlining, synergizing, and rationalizing ADMM efforts." "This is to pursue our cooperative mechanisms in the most efficient and effective way possible," Lorenzana said. Lorenzana said that the meeting hopes to come up "with frameworks for maritime interaction, education and training exchanges, aircraft encounters, among others." The ADMM is the highest defense consultative and cooperative mechanism in the ASEAN. ADMM aims to promote mutual trust and confidence through greater understanding of defense and security challenges, as well as enhancement of transparency and openness among the 10 ASEAN member states, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN defense ministers to engage their dialogue partners from Asia and the Pacific. A meditation and sharing support group that brings together the practice of meditation, Buddhist teachings and the 12 steps of recovery integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation. The Heart of Recovery is a meditation and sharing support group with the purpose of bringing together the practice of meditation, the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings, and the Twelve Steps of Recovery with the goal of integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation with our commitment to abstinence. We welcome all those who wish to share in these common interests. There are no requirements to attend our meetings. Suggested donation: $5 The Heart of Recovery is a meditation and sharing support group with the purpose of bringing together the practice of meditation, the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings, and the Twelve Steps of Recovery with the goal of integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation with our commitment to abstinence. We welcome all those who wish to share in these common interests. There are no requirements to attend our meetings. Suggested donation: $5 Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 12:39:30|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- A low-intensity blast hit a police vehicle in Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta on Monday morning, police and local media said. No causality was reported yet. Local media quoted police as saying that the blast took place at the main entrance of a market located in Hazar Ganji area of Quetta, the provincial capital of the country's southwest province of Balochistan. The blast damaged a police vehicle partially at the entrance, but the policemen sitting inside remained safe. The explosion also destroyed two other vehicles parked nearby. Security forces, bomb disposal squad, and police rushed to the site and cordoned off the area. A high security alert was announced in the city following the attack. No group has claimed the attack yet. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 12:49:32|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Foreign leaders, political parties and organizations around the world continue to watch the ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), acknowledging China's progress under the current leadership and anticipating further developments. The following is an edited version of some of these messages: Wilma Andrade, president of Democratic Left party, Ecuador The 19th CPC National Congress will have great impact on international cooperation as well as world peace and stability. Jose Luis Gioja, president, Justicialist Party, Argentina The CPC has demonstrated the achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics to the world under the leadership of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Duminda Dissanayake, general secretary of Sri Lanka Freedom Party and minister of agriculture China is Sri Lanka's largest cooperation partner. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party wishes to form closer ties with the CPC to deepen the relations between the two countries. Davies Mwila, secretary general of Patriotic Front, Zambia (China has achieved) laudable economic successes and is on the world map (as a) country of peace. Gabriela Rivadeneira, executive secretary of PAIS Alliance, Ecuador Ecuador will deepen ties and enhance trade and economic cooperation with China, and achieve shared goals through mutual support. Abdul Raheem Abdullah, vice president of Progressive Party of Maldives Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, China has achieved unprecedented development and shown increasing influence on the world stage. Mehmet Eker, vice chairman of the Justice and Development Party, Turkey The strategic resolution to be adopted at the 19th CPC National Congress will play a key role in the fulfillment of China's two centenary goals and the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. Ignatius Chombo, secretary for administration of Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and minister of finance We are convinced that the decisions to be adopted at the 19th CPC National Congress will positively press forward world peace and economic development not only for the Chinese nation but for the world at large. Maksym Savrasov, head of the secretariat of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc "Solidarity" party, Ukraine The smooth progress of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative creates new opportunities to deepen win-win cooperation between Ukraine and China. Manfred Grund, secretary general of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union parliamentary group in the German Bundestag China has achieved unprecedented economic development in the past few decades, lifting large numbers of people out of poverty and contributing to international security. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 13:29:39|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close KABUL, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Five armed militants were killed and 13 others arrested during a joint special operation in the eastern Afghan province of Ghazni, the Interior Ministry said on Monday. "On Sunday night, General Command of Police Special Units launched a joint special operation with (NATO-led) Resolute Support Mission Forces in Spina Ghondi and Tanki villages, Nawa district, Ghazni province," the ministry said in a statement, adding the joint forces also found and seized ammunition after the raid. Two members of Afghan police Special Forces were also wounded during the clashes in the raid, the statement noted. The Afghan forces have beefed up security operations against militants as the war-weary country is facing upsurges in attacks by Taliban insurgents and Islamic State (IS) militants across the country. But the militants responded by armed attacks and bombings. Scores of security forces and civilians were killed and wounded in a series of attacks by Taliban and IS fighters over the past two weeks. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 13:34:40|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. defense chief James Mattis said Sunday en route to the Philippines that he will discuss regional security challenges with his counterparts of U.S. Asian allies and Southeast Asian nations there, the Defense Ministry said in a press release. Mattis will participate in an ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM+) to be held on Oct. 23-25, to discuss issues with his counterparts of Japan, South Korea, India and ASEAN countries. The United States and ASEAN this year marked the 40th anniversary of their cooperation. The 10-member regional bloc groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Mattis said the bloc has played a strong role in Southeast Asia's peace, stability and economic prosperity since it was founded five decades ago. "The U.S. remains unambiguously committed to supporting ASEAN," he noted. During the ASEAN meeting, Mattis is slated to have a trilateral meeting with South Korea and Japan to discuss things "in a trilateral setting." Mattis also hailed the Philippine military for liberating the southern Marawi city from pro-Islamic State group militants. "It was a very tough fight as you know in southern Mindanao. And I think the Philippine military sends a very strong message to the terrorists," he said. The U.S. defense secretary embarked on his trip on Saturday to the Philippines. On Thursday, he will lead the U.S. presidential delegation to attend the royal cremation rites of late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok. Mattis will conclude his tour with a visit to South Korea to co-chair the 49th annual security consultative meeting with his South Korean counterpart Song Young-moo. He said he will discuss with Song how to "reinforce the diplomatic efforts ...to return to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula." Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 13:54:43|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close CLARK, the Philippines, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced on Monday the "termination of all combat operations" in the southern Philippine city of Marawi, saying the city has been cleared of the last terrorists. "There are no more militants in Marawi," Lorenzana told reporters in Clark during a meeting of regional defence ministers. President Rodrigo Duterte last week announced that the city has been "liberated from terrorist influence" following the killing of extremist leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omarkhayam Maute. More than 1,000 people, mostly rebels, were killed in the 153-day fighting and the heart of the city of 200,000 people has been leveled by air strikes. Armed Forces chief General Eduardo Ano said Monday at least 42 bodies of rebels had been found in two buildings and a mosque in the battle zone. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 13:59:45|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close SYDNEY, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- An ambitious long term strategy to transform Sydney into three separate but interconnected cities was launched on Sunday, with the goal of creating communities that are within 30 minutes travel of services and job opportunities. Drafted by the New South Wales (NSW) Government's transport and planning departments along with the independent Greater Sydney Commission (GSC), the Future Transport 2056 strategy is actually based on a very old concept. Long before British settlers arrived in Australia, Aboriginal people thought of Sydney as three different areas. The eastern side of the harbour was known as the salt water region, up river in what is now called Parramatta was recognized by its muddy waters and in the far west, indigenous people knew the location for its clear waters. "Reshaping Greater Sydney as a metropolis of three cities Eastern, Central and Western will rebalance it, fostering jobs, improving housing affordability, easing congestion and enhancing our enviable natural environment across the entire region," GSC chief commissioner Lucy Turnbull said in a statement obtained by Xinhua. "This is particularly exciting for Sydney's west, with an entirely new city to emerge west of the M7 motorway, where the new Western Sydney Airport and the surrounding aerotropolis will support tens of thousands of jobs." The plan will also focus on transforming the furthest outer edge suburbs of Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown into thriving university towns with bustling business districts, which means "even greater opportunity for young people growing up in Greater Sydney's west," Turnbull said. With Sydney's population expected to double and surpass 8 million within the next 40 years, transport and infrastructure planning remain key to the harbour city's success. NSW Minister for Planning and Housing Anthony Roberts said "we need these plans to ensure we deliver the housing, jobs, transport services, schools and medical facilities Sydneysiders will need." Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 14:14:48|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed and six others injured in an incident of roof collapse in Pakistan's northwestern region of Bajaur Agency in the wee hours of Monday morning, officials said. An official from the local administration said that the accident happened when a big wall of an old fort fell down at two adjacent houses in Khar area of Bajaur Agency, the country's tribal region bordering Afghanistan. Local people rushed to the site and managed to pull out the bodies and injured from the debris. Locals shifted the bodies and injured to the hospital by themselves as the remote area of the mountainous terrain lacks the rescue service. Residents of the two houses who were sleeping at that time were buried under the debris after the heavy wall of the fort fell down at their houses. Four children and three women were among the deceased, said the official, adding that the death toll might further rise as three of the injured are in critical condition. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 14:19:50|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana speaks to reporters in Clark, the Philippines, Oct. 23, 2017. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced on Monday the "termination of all combat operations" in the southern Philippine city of Marawi, saying the city has been cleared of the last terrorists. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) CLARK, the Philippines, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced on Monday the "termination of all combat operations" in the southern city of Marawi, saying the city has been cleared of the last terrorist. Lorenzana said government forces have cleared the last building occupied by militants and its vicinity. Forty-two bodies have also been recovered in the last ground assault to completely retake the city from the IS-linked militants. "The Philippine security forces, aided by the government and the massive support of the Filipino people, have nipped the budding infrastructure and defeated terrorism in the Philippines," Lorenzana told reporters. "In crushing thus far the most serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and in the region, we have contributed to preventing its spread in Asia and give our share to maintaining global peace, stability, and security," he added. "While we submit that these tactical and strategic gains will not annihilate the ideology completely, we declare that this achievement is clear manifestation of how our regional cooperation can lead to a decisive advance against the proliferation of terrorism in this part of the world," he said. Lorenzana shared the news during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) that kicked off on Monday in Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga province north of Manila. Terrorism and violent extremism top the agenda of the ADMM dialogue. Lorenzana's statement came five months after the Maute Group and Abu Sayyaf militants with the help of IS fighters from Malaysia and Indonesia raided the city on May 23, prompting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in the entire Mindanao region. Lorenzana said the martial law will remain for the moment while the military is assessing the situation in the region. The military said the conflict has so far killed 961 extremists and 165 soldiers and policemen. The war has also claimed the lives of nearly 100 civilians and displaced thousands. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 14:34:53|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen militants were killed and five others wounded in southern Afghan province of Helmand, local police said Monday. "Afghan army, police and intelligence agency personnel launched a cordon operation against Taliban in Garmsir district on Sunday. As a result 13 insurgent were killed and five others wounded," provincial police spokesman, Abdul Sallam Afghan, told Xinhua. The joint forces also defused 20 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and landmines in the district. Two telecommunication radios were also found, said the police official. Helmand, notorious for poppy growing, is also a Taliban stronghold. The Afghan forces have beefed up security operations against militants as the war-weary country is facing upsurges in attacks by Taliban insurgents and Islamic State (IS) militants across the country. Scores of security forces and civilians were killed and wounded in a series of attacks by Taliban and IS fighters in the past two weeks. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 15:10:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Hi, here's what you should know about China for the past 24 hours. BEIJING -- China, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has in recent years served as a stabilizing factor and source of wisdom in a world troubled with uncertainties and challenges. Reading the signals from the ongoing 19th CPC National Congress, analysts worldwide said they are confident that the CPC will lead China to make more contributions to world peace and development. - - - - MOSCOW -- "My comrades and I have no doubts that China is able to achieve its 'two centenary goals,'" Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov told Xinhua in a recent interview. The "two centenary goals" refer to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which was established in 1921, and building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the centenary of the People's Republic of China, which was founded in 1949. - - - - BEIJING -- The 2nd World Congress on Marxism is scheduled to be held in Peking University in Beijing next May, the organizer said Sunday. The congress, to be held from May 5 to May 6, is expected to attract more than 300 Marxism researchers to discuss Marxism in the 21st century and its developments in China. - - - - BEIJING -- China's property market continued cool as home prices faltered or posted slower growth in major cities amid tough control policies, official data showed Monday. On a yearly basis, new residential housing price saw slower growth in 15 major cities in September compared with the same month last year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said. - - - - SHANGHAI -- China has around ten marine research vessels under design or construction by the end of August 2017, according to the Oceanic Scientific Research Vessel Technology Summit 2017 held here on Friday.X It is learned at the summit that the country's first domestically built polar research vessel and icebreaker is expected to be put into use in 2019. The vessel will be able to break polar ice with both its bow and stern. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 15:10:02|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close MAIMANA, Afghanistan, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 militants loyal to the Taliban have been killed and two others wounded in airstrikes in northern Faryab province, an official said on Monday. "The country's air-force launched two consecutive air operations on Sunday night, leaving 12 Taliban insurgents dead and injuring two others in Pashtunkot and Shirin Tagab districts of the province," Nasratullah Jamshidi, spokesman of 209 Shaheen Corps, told Xinhua. Taliban militants who have intensified operations over the past couple of weeks haven't commented yet. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 15:35:08|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close URUMQI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Machines are replacing hundreds of thousands of migrant workers picking cotton in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the biggest cotton production base in the country. At this time of year Xinjiang's cotton growers would usually have started hiring workers to pick their cotton. However, 116,000 hectares of cotton fields in Shawan County have already been harvested by cotton-picking machines. "In the past, the cotton picking season lasted at least 45 days from October to November. But now, the machines can harvest a 15-hectare cotton field in one day," said Lin Hongru, head in Caohu Village. A cotton-picking machine can do the work of 2,000 workers each day, he said. "The cotton picking season was the busiest time of the year. Cotton growers in my village hired migrant workers from Gansu, Sichuan and Henan provinces to help. People worked in the fields from dawn to dusk," said Lin. Now, roaring cotton picking machines move through in the fields, removing the cotton from the bolls and collecting it in a large container. Cotton picking season has become much easier for growers. Xinjiang produced 3.594 million tonnes of cotton in 2016, accounting for 67.3 percent of China's total, up from 62.5 percent in 2015, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Although there was a decrease in cotton growing area last year, cotton yield per hectare increased by 151.5 kilograms in 2016, thanks to the increase in machinery and irrigation. China accounts for about 30 percent of the world's cotton output, with only 15 percent of the world's cotton-growing land. In Shihezi County, cotton farmer Bao Yucheng said he used to pay 160,000 yuan (24,000 U.S. dollars) to hire more than 20 cotton pickers to harvest his 13,333 hectares of fields. This year he paid 50,000-60,000 yuan to hire a cotton picking machine. Agricultural technicians took advantage of the harvesting season to demonstrate a new generation cotton-picking machine, which can pack the cotton into 2-tonne bales while harvesting. Gao Yongjian, an agri-technician, told farmers that the machine is more efficient than the older models. He said large-scale farming is increasing in Xinjiang, as farmers became more interested in joining rural cooperatives to share machinery. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 15:40:11|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- China has provided free medical treatment for 12 Mongolian children with congenital heart diseases, the Chinese Red Cross Foundation (CRCF) announced Monday. The CRCF conducted congenital heart disease screenings in Mongolia last month, and brought 12 children to Hohhot, capital of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, for medical treatment. The surgeries were successful and all of the children have been discharged from hospital and returned to Mongolia, according to the CRCF. Mongolia is one beneficiary of the humanitarian aid program targeting children in Belt and Road countries. The 12 children were the first group from Mongolia to be treated under the program, which is expected to assist 100 Mongolian children. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 15:45:13|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Monday told the opponents to prepare coffins for themselves if they wanted to overthrow his legitimate government. "You have not yet had possibility to overthrow Hun Sen through a military way. If you dare to do so, you will die, prepare coffins for yourself," the prime minister said in a speech during the groundbreaking ceremony for a bridge across Tonle Sap River in northern Phnom Penh suburb. "As I used to say before, to protect happiness and peace for the people, and not to let people be killed, we dare to eliminate some ill-willed people if it's necessary," he said. His remarks came after an old video clip re-posted online recently showed Sam Rainsy, self-exiled former president of the country's biggest opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), calling for the soldiers to turn their gun points at the legitimate government. Speaking on the government's legal actions against CNRP's president Kem Sokha and his party, the prime minister said that the actions were very important to maintain the country's peace and stability. Kem Sokha was arrested on Sept. 3 for allegedly plotting the overthrow of the government through the so-called "color revolution" with the United States support. He was accused of treason, the charge that could face up to 30 years in prison. On Oct. 6, the Cambodian government filed a complaint to the Supreme Court, requesting the dissolution of the CNRP after Kem Sokha was charged with treason. "We do not allow the traitor, who is under orders from foreign power(s), to destroy our nation," Hun Sen said. "Don't say I eliminate political rivals because you consider yourself as my enemies," he added. Meanwhile, the prime minister also ordered the armed forces to be ready to respond to any situation that could threaten the country's peace and stability. CNRP is the main rival to the prime minister's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), as the Southeast Asian country is gearing up for the national elections in July 2018. In the last national elections in 2013, the CNRP earned 55 parliamentary seats and the CPP won 68 seats in the 123-seat parliament. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 16:00:18|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- A suicide bomber rammed into a headquarters of Yemeni security forces backed by the United Arab Emirates in the southern province of Abyan on Monday morning, killing five soldiers and injuring three others, a military official told Xinhua. "At first a suicide bomber detonated a car filled with explosives near the headquarters of the UAE-backed Yemeni troops in Mudiyah district of Abyan province, making way for a number of attackers to start their assault," the military official said on condition of anonymity. Armed with explosive belts, four attackers were killed by soldiers after they failed to blew themselves up in front of the security headquarters in Mudiyah district, the source said. The al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released a claim a few minutes after the suicide bombing stating that the armed confrontations are still taking place in the area. Local residents told Xinhua by phone saying that huge explosions were heard and a battle between the attackers, armed with guns and suicide vests, and security forces was under way around the security headquarters. A medical source at the public hospital in Mudiyah said that "ambulances transferred five bodies of killed soldiers and about three others with critical injuries to our medical center." Al-Qaida militants are intensifying their drive-by attacks on security checkpoints in the Yemeni southern provinces as UAE-backed government forces increase military operations against their hideouts in the war-plagued Arab country. Last month, Yemeni government forces and the UAE armed forces operating in the southern province of Aden launched a new anti-terror offensive "to root out al-Qaida militants from their strongholds in neighboring southern province of Abyan." Thousands of southern recruits joined the campaign after receiving military training and financial support from the UAE forces. The ongoing anti-terror campaign has dislodged al-Qaida militants from several villages in Abyan, with more than 50 of them arrested and moved to prisons in Aden. The Yemen-based al-Qaida branch, seen by the United States as the global terror network's most dangerous branch, has exploited years of deadly conflict between Yemen's government and Houthi rebels to expand its presence, especially in Shabwa and Abyan provinces. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 16:25:27|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close CAIRO, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stressed on Sunday "Egypt's full support of the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq" during his meeting with the visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, official news agency MENA reported. "Egypt stands by Iraq in its efforts to restore security and stability and solidify the country's national fabric," President Sisi said during the meeting on Sunday evening. The president also underscored the strength of relations that bind the two countries at all levels and emphasized that Egypt is looking forward to promoting the bilateral cooperation with Iraq in all domains, MENA quoted the presidency spokesperson Alaa Youssef as saying. President Sisi expressed his congratulation to the Iraqi army over its recent victories against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization. By June 2014, Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, fell under the IS control. But after more than three years, the IS lost control of the Iraqi city in July when a massive operation undertaken by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces squeezed IS out. The city was declared "liberated" from the IS' grip. The Iraqi prime minister expressed appreciation for Egypt's support for his country, highlighting the importance of Egypt's role as the main pillar of security and stability in the Arab world. Abadi also stressed the need for combined regional and international efforts to eradicate the roots of terrorism. The two leaders also agreed to push joint efforts to eliminate sectarian conflicts and preserve national state institutions. The Iraqi prime minister began a regional tour on Saturday including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Iran. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 16:25:28|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close The Communist Party of China (CPC) opens the 19th National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Tao) by Xinhua writers Li Laifang and Lou Chen BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- With an absence of potted plants in meeting rooms and expensive dishes in dining halls, delegates have noticed the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a frugal affair. "I am sure you will not find even a drop of alcohol in our dining halls," Li Wanjun, a delegate from northeast China's Jilin Province, told Xinhua. "It is plain and practical, but we are all satisfied and more enthusiastic and down-to-earth in our discussion." "We are here for the meeting, not for comfort," said Li, who had been a delegate to the Party's 18th national congress. FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE The congress reflects the profound changes in Party building over the past five years, shown by people's satisfaction with the anti-corruption results and improved work styles of officials. The country's changes and achievements in various sectors have been hailed by the about 2,300 delegates to the week-long congress, which opened Wednesday. They come from different walks of life, including officials, researchers, farmers and production workers. The twice-a-decade congress of the ruling Party has ushered in a new era for socialism with Chinese characteristics, charting the course for developing China into a modernized, strong country by the middle of the century. Chen Meirong, a delegate from northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, has felt the changes in her 30-plus years of judicial practice, particularly in the past five years. Chen, 53, a district court judge in Shizuishan City, told Xinhua that a clean and just environment has taken shape in local grassroots law enforcement due to judicial reforms. She attributed the progress, such as the dramatic drop in interference in judicial cases, to the implementation of reforms including the judicial accountability system and rules to ensure judges and prosecutors execute their duties justly and independently. She refused a senior district official who wanted to invite her to discuss a complicated lawsuit that was in the appeal process last year. "As the rule of law goes deep in people's minds, their legal awareness and acceptance of legal verdicts are growing," said Chen. Amid a tight congress schedule, she wrote down dozens of pages of notes about the report to the congress and other documents, as she participated in heated discussion or reviewed materials alone in her hotel room. She spent her free time responding to TV and newspaper interviews. In the new era, a better life for the people should include fairness and justice throughout the lawsuit process, she said. CRAFTSMANSHIP AND INNOVATION The Party has attached unprecedented importance to innovation to achieve sustained quality growth with strategies, huge investment and support measures. The delegates, backbones of various industries, have revealed a dynamic, innovative and promising CPC, which has led the nation to unprecedented development and aims "to develop China into a great modern socialist country" in the middle of the century. Li Wanjun, a senior technician at a railway vehicles factory, was excited and encouraged by the spirit of craftsmanship mentioned in the key report to the Party congress. "The report is a great boost to the morale of front-line technical workers. We should strive for perfection and remain innovative to jointly push Chinese manufacturing to a higher level," said Li of Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd. of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), China's largest rolling-stock maker. Its high-speed trains, named Fuxing (rejuvenation), run on the Beijing-Shanghai line at a speed of 350 km per hour, the fastest in the world. Two days prior to the congress, the first China-made subway cars tailored for use in Boston in the United States rolled off production lines at Li's factory. Li's retired father was one of the plant's first workers. Li has carried on his father's hardworking spirit and made innovations. After years of reliance on foreign technology, China has developed its own key technology in high-speed train manufacturing. Li, 49, has contributed to the transformation. Li established new welding methods for train bogies, a key component of high-speed trains, making a breakthrough in electric multiple unit technology. China's high-speed trains have made travel more convenient and been exported to a number of countries. "The great achievement in high-speed trains should be attributed to the leadership of the Party, which can accomplish big things and realize what we have never dreamed of," said Li. Li said his living standards have improved remarkably in recent years, as a growing income has allowed him to move into a bigger house and drive a better car. "As China aims for strong manufacturing, we industrial workers have a new mission and opportunity to make our high-speed trains connect the world and benefit mankind." LEADING TECHNOLOGY Wang Guangjin, 40, a congress delegate and researcher of the Nuclear Power Institute of China in the southwestern Sichuan Province, is also optimistic about the goal of a strong country. After graduating from Sichuan University with a doctorate, he joined the institute in 2005 and developed China's own electrical penetration assembly in 2008, a key device for nuclear power plants, breaking the monopoly of foreign firms in the Chinese market. Earlier this year, the team developed an upgraded electrical penetration assembly for Hualong One, a domestically developed third-generation reactor design, which has been adopted by nuclear plants under construction at home and abroad. "We must firmly keep in mind that innovation is the primary force to drive development," he said. "Our country's enhanced economic strength has provided solid support for research and development." "In the new era, I believe China will lead the world in more fields, in addition to high-speed trains and nuclear power," said Wang, who is proud of the achievements in science and technology. On the sidelines of the congress, he and other delegates visited an exhibition on China's outstanding achievements over the past five years at the Beijing Exhibition Center. "The center was crowded. Everyone was happy and proud when viewing the achievements," said Wang. "The achievements have been made under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and it is our common will to further strengthen the Party leadership," he added. "As our Party becomes increasingly purified, its rule will be more efficient." COMMON PROSPERITY The 96-year-old CPC, which is dedicated to serving the people, is leading the nation to a moderately prosperous society in 2020. Zheng Zhaolong, a delegate from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, got up at 4 a.m. to harvest beans in the fields before boarding a train for Beijing to attend the congress. "I had to get the harvest off my mind before getting into the congress agenda," said Zheng, 38, head of a farmers' cooperative. About 35 families have joined the cooperative to grow organic potatoes and beans. Zheng, along with delegates from rural areas, found reassurance in the announcement that the current round of land contracts for farmers will be extended for another 30 years upon expiration. "Land is the lifeline of farmers. The contract extension is a strong reassurance for farmers, cooperatives and other contractors. They can go ahead and plan irrigation, infrastructure and long-term soil treatment," said Zheng. He also expects more policies to support the newly coined "rural vitalization strategy." "There is great potential to grow high-quality grains in Heilongjiang, because the land there is vast, unpolluted and productive. I'm working with companies to expand the market to raise farmers' income," he said. Pei Chunliang, a delegate from central China's Henan Province, is Party chief of Peizhai village. Pei was a barber before becoming an entrepreneur and running companies in cement, tourism and commerce. His friends told him to put his money in real estate, but he spent it building houses and reservoirs for his hometown. When he was elected to lead the village in 2005, he started to expand his volunteer efforts to help the poor. He demanded each Party member in the village lend a helping hand to a poor farmer. "Strong Party leadership will ensure that no one falls behind in our drive for a moderately prosperous society and future common prosperity," he said. "I firmly believe our motherland will be stronger and stronger. Our lives will be better and better," said Mirgul Ekimhan, a delegate and a primary school teacher from the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 16:25:29|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is likely to pay a stopover visit to Pakistan on Tuesday to discuss joint efforts against terrorism and expanding economic ties between the two countries, local media reported Monday. The visit of Tillerson is on invitation of Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the Radio Pakistan said. During his one-day tour, the U.S. secretary of state is expected to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa. "Pakistan-U.S. relations, stability in Afghanistan and regional security issues will be discussed during the meetings," said local TV channel of Geo News, adding that U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis is also expected to visit Pakistan in December this year. Tillerson started his week-long five-nation tour on Friday from Saudi Arabia that would also take him to India, Qatar and Switzerland. Tillerson's visit to Islamabad came after a three-day U.S. visit of his Pakistani counterpart earlier this month. Asif met high-ranking U.S. officials, discussing the Pak-U.S. relations and President Donald Trump's new strategy for South Asia. In September, Abbasi met with Trump and vice U.S. President Mike Pence during the United Nations General Assembly session. Both sides expressed resolve to stay engaged and carry forward bilateral relationship. The relationship between the two countries was scratched following Trump's tough stance against Pakistan in his policy for Afghanistan and South Asia in August. Islamabad has asked Washington not to make Pakistan scapegoat for its failure in Afghanistan. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 16:30:30|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has received good wishes from foreign leaders, political parties and organizations around the world. The messages speak highly of the CPC's leadership as well as China's socio-economic development and global contributions, and express full confidence that the CPC will lead China to even greater prosperity. The following is an edited summary of some of the messages. Monica Valente, executive secretary of the Sao Paulo Forum: The decisions to be made at the 19th CPC National Congress and the new CPC Central Committee will continue leading the Chinese people to tackle various challenges and stride towards the goal of building a prosperous, democratic and modernized socialist society. Tomislav Nikolic, former president of Serbia and president of the National Council for Coordination with Russia and China: The status of General Secretary Xi Jinping as the core leader has immense importance to realizing long-term stability and development of the Chinese society and further lifting China's standing on the international stage. Jean Chretien, former prime minister of Canada: I wish President Xi and the CPC a successful 19th CPC National Congress and look forward to President Xi's continued leadership in bringing China and the Chinese people continued prosperity and success. Bhokin Bhalakula, president of the Thai-Chinese Culture and Economy Association: The presentation and implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative has promoted world peace and development for the benefit of all nations. Ananda Goonatilleke, president of the Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association: The CPC has carried out a forceful battle against corruption and promoted the rule of law since the 18th CPC National Congress. Somphan Phengkhammy, president of the Committee for Peace and Solidarity of Laos: The CPC has led the Chinese people to accomplish all-round, historic and huge achievements, lifting China's status and influence within the region and on the world stage. Helmy Al-Hadidy, president of the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization: "We appreciate the CPC's effort and strong leadership of guiding the Chinese people striving for advanced social and economic development." Bo Fan, president of U.S. China Partnerships: Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China, led by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, has trodden a development path with Chinese characteristics. John L. Thornton, chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Brookings Institution: Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, the Chinese Dream will be realized, and most people around the world will enjoy peace and prosperity. Charles Tang, chairman of the Brazil-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry and also chair of the Paraguay-China Chamber Congratulations to the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core for the glorious achievements it has made since the 18th CPC National Congress, and wish the 19th CPC National Congress a huge success. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 16:40:34|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on behalf of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2017. The CPC opened the 19th National Congress at the Great Hall of the People Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Li Tao) By Xinhua writers Zhang Zhengfu, Liu Jie, Wang Xiuqiong BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- "The middle income trap" is a recurring concern in developing countries and was once a serious worry for China. The concept was first put forward by the World Bank in a 2006 report on East Asian economies. The theory is that in middle-income economies, growth slows, nations are unable to generate further economic impetus and per capita GDP stalls. Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore are among a few that have attained high-income status. Most Latin American countries have fallen into the trap, according to World Bank standards. STEPS TO SAFETY Through the economic reforms of the past five years, China has seemed more likely to escape the trap. The wide-ranging reforms Xi Jinping set out in his report to the ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Wednesday will make China even more capable of avoiding the trap, said Liu Yuanchun, an economist and vice-president of Renmin University of China. The CPC leader dealt with the core problems facing the economy which might stagnate growth and pledged to continue supply-side structural reform, enhance risk control, improve macro regulation, ease market access and boost innovation, said Liu. Xi spoke of focusing on the real economy, and moving industries up to the medium-high end of the global value chain, and laid out plans to make China a country of innovators. China will introduce a negative list for market access nationwide and support the growth of private businesses, Xi said, adding that China will significantly ease market access and further open the service sector. Xi also said China will improve the financial regulatory system to "forestall systemic financial risks." On reform of the state-owned enterprises (SOEs), he called for furthering reform and supporting state capital in "becoming stronger, doing better, and growing bigger." "I think it will be no problem for China to avert the middle-income trap, and we should be confident about this," Liu told media on the sidelines of the congress. BUILDING ON SOLID GROUND Liu's confidence stems from the solid foundation of the economy and the goals the Party has set. While announcing socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a "new era," Xi envisioned China developing into a nation with "socialist modernization basically realized" by 2035, and "a great modern socialist country" by the middle of the century, with a leading influence in the world. An immediate goal would be to turn China into a "moderately prosperous society" by 2020, doubling GDP from 2010 levels. Optimism has been building due to the resilience of the economy. GDP has risen by around 26 trillion yuan (about 3.93 trillion U.S. dollars) in the past five years and is well on track to meet this year's growth target of about 6.5 percent. NEW-FOUND CONFIDENCE The middle-income trap is what happens when economic stability becomes economic stagnation. The World Bank estimated in 2012 that of 101 middle-income economies in the 1960s, only 13 became high-income ones in 2008. After the global financial crisis, fears grew that China might be the next victim. Growth slowed after three decades of unprecedented expansion, slipping to 6.7 percent in 2016, the lowest level in over 20 years. Lou Jiwei, then finance minister, warned at a forum at Tsinghua University in 2015 that, without further reform, China had a "50/50 chance" of sliding into the middle income trap, citing a rapidly aging population and shrinking labor force. Lou, also a delegate to the 19th CPC National Congress, updated his verdict Thursday. "Now I can state with full confidence that, after the sweeping reforms of the past two and a half years, it will be no problem for China to avoid the middle income trap," he said on the sidelines of the congress. The ex-minister, currently head of the National Council for Social Security Fund, credits his optimism to supply-side structural reform, granting household residency to migrant workers, reduced government restrictions, judicial reform and free trade zones. FIGHTING ON EVERY FRONT Despite all this optimism, it is still too early to announce that the middle income trap has been well and truly evaded. The World Bank classifies economies as low, middle or high income. Middle-income nations are those with a per capita gross national income (GNI) between 1,036 and 12,615 U.S. dollars in 2012. China's per capita GNI was 8,260 U.S. dollars in 2016, 93rd in the world. Liu of Renmin University of China expected China to be a high-income country by 2030, but admitted that this would not be an easy task. "Transforming the economy will not happen overnight. We must wait for these new, leading industries to become established and take the economy to the next level," said Huang Yiping, an economist with Peking University. Innovation is another front. A recent UBS research paper said that, "in order to avoid the middle income trap and become a more developed economy, China will have to transform itself from 'made in China' to 'created in China' -- a route backed strongly by Beijing." "Already a middle income economy, China cannot overcome the trap by simply relying on structural reforms and expanding domestic consumption," said Edmund Phelps, a Nobel Prize-winning American economist. "Rather, China needs to develop and promote its own approach to technological innovation." Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 16:55:38|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Rescue services in Mongolia are searching for 17 mountaineers who disappeared on Sunday when going down from Mount Otgontenger -- the highest peak of the Khangai Mountains in the province of Zavkhan in western Mongolia. The 17 Mongolians, including seven women, were among a group of 27 mountain climbers who successfully stood on Mount Otgontenger, but they ran into a snow avalanche when they descended. Local emergency services immediately launched a rescue operation on the day and Mongolia's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) also held an emergency meeting to consider sending a reinforcement team after receiving the information by 2:30 p.m. (0630 GMT) from one of the 10 mountaineers who got down. Mongolian Environment and Tourism Minister Namsrai Tserenbat stressed at the emergency meeting that the ascent to Mount Otgontenger was banned from 2015. Mongolian Prime Minister Ulziisaikhan Enkhtuvshin, who also heads the State Commission for Emergency Situations, instructed Major-General T.Badral, the head of the NEMA, to intensify the search. Otgontenger is 4,008 meters above the mean sea level and is the only peak in the Khangai range that is capped with a permanent glacier. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 17:00:40|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea kept falling for seven straight months as Chinese tourists refrained from going on a tour to the neighboring country, a government report showed Monday. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of tourists traveling to South Korea came in at 1,078,653 in September, down 29.2 percent from the same month of last year. The foreign tourists continued to fall since March as Chinese tourists refrained from visiting South Korea. The number of Chinese travelers visiting the country tumbled 56.1 percent from a year earlier to 318,682 last month. Tourists from other countries also declined amid geopolitical risks on the Koran Peninsula, caused by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear test in early September and the war of words between Pyongyang and Washington. The number of Philippine tourists dropped 37 percent, with the figures for Indonesian and Indian travelers tumbling 33.6 percent and 53.7 percent respectively. Meanwhile, the number of South Koreans who went on a trip abroad was 2,236,500 in September, up 17.4 percent from a year ago. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 17:00:41|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close by Sudeshna Sarkar, Deng Xianlai BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- George Christopher's tip to Americans who want to learn a new language is simple: Travel to the country where the language is spoken and then live there, teaching ENGLISH! It's not as crazy as it sounds, as in the course of such interactions, you will pick up the language while also seeing a bit of the world and other cultures, and of course, making friends. The American from Chicago has done it himself with spectacular results. In 2007, after obtaining a degree in religious studies, he first traveled to India and then China. At that time, he said, he was "just a traveler," but one with a mission. He traveled by train so that he could strike up conversations with people and practice his Chinese. He learned 1,600 Chinese characters -- a fairly high number for a new learner whose native language is not Chinese -- and even lived for a while in a monastery. All this led to a tremendous turnabout. He became a Chinese teacher for foreigners and published author, with a book titled "Best Way to Study Chinese in China" to his name. FINDING A NEW PASSION But there was more to come. In China, he discovered a new passion -- acting. "Acting is storytelling," he explained. "It's something that human beings have been doing since the beginning of language. What really makes it valuable is that we are telling good stories to the people who are watching right now and those stories are meaningful to the people who are watching." After a stint of training in acting in Chicago, he came back to China and embarked on a full-time acting career in Chinese TV dramas and films in 2014. At first, he played mostly Western professionals from the 1930s and 1940s -- engineers, doctors, and even a pilot. The biggest role he has played was Edgar Snow (1905-1972), the American journalist who became a legend with his first-hand accounts of the Communist movement in China, the first Westerner to do so. Snow, who lived in China from 1928 to 1941, was the first Western journalist to meet the top leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC), including Mao Zedong (1893-1976). He spent four months in the CPC headquarters in Yan'an city in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, recording their goals, struggles and achievements in his remarkable book "Red Star Over China." Year 2016 marked the 80th anniversary of the end of the Long March, the strategic retreat by the CPC's Red Army from Jiangxi Province in southeast China to Gansu in the northwest. It started in October 1934 and ended in October 1936. Hunan TV, one of the most popular domestic Chinese channels operated by the government of south central China's Hunan Province, decided to make a history drama as a tribute to the odyssey. It was also called "Red Star Over China" and Christopher was chosen to play Snow. "I was very honored and challenged by the opportunity to play Edgar Snow," Christopher said. "He was the original China-U.S. friendship ambassador and did more for the relations between these two nations than anyone else." The U.S. actor takes great pride in the fact that his dialogues in the 34-episode drama were almost entirely in Chinese and he did all of them by himself, without any dubbing. "THIS IS CHINA" With his career now having taken off, Christopher has no plans to return to the United States in the near future. "The development of the TV/film industry in China is unbelievable," he said. "How can I transition back to the U.S. when there are literally more than a half a dozen roles (for which I am qualified) happening at the same time? It's crazy, the momentum of China. This is the future center of the world. Wait and see." At the same time, despite all the progress, China remains a warm, hospitable host who has welcomed him and made him feel at home with a culture that is uniquely Chinese. He feels it in his every-day life through the most humdrum things that are also a symbol of the people-to-people links that create a feeling of harmonious rapport between individuals. As the camera followed him in and out of the sets of a wrecked building, supposed to resemble Edgar Snow's office in Chongqing in southwest China -- the War Capital of the then Chinese government -- after it was devastated during the Japanese occupation, he switched between explaining the surroundings -- "A scene in Chongqing. My office was destroyed in a bombing" -- and expounding on his long-term ambition in China. "China has given me a lot. I have learned so much living in China. My dream for me in China is to get back through my life and work hopefully (so that) I can help more Chinese people to understand American culture and English language culture and help Americans understand Chinese culture." Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 17:20:49|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close CANBERRA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Two people died in a light plane crash near Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory (NT) on Monday afternoon. The Cessna 210 aircraft went down near Howard Springs, 25 km north-east of Darwin at around 1:30 p.m. local time, instantly killing both people on-board. Air Frontier, one of the NT's largest aircraft charter companies, was the owner and operator of the plane. The wreckage of the craft was strewn 200 meters across a local road with the wings on one side and the main body of the plane on the other. "Two bodies have been located inside the fuselage proper on the northern side (of the road)," Anthony Deutrom, NT Police Superintendent, told reporters near the crash site. "Police will maintain crime scene on both of the sites until at least tomorrow afternoon. "Investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) are departing from Canberra tomorrow morning and they'll be here around midday. "NT Police will conduct an investigation on behalf of the coroner. There will also be a joint investigation with the ATSB in relation to the crash of the aircraft." Police have identified the bodies involved in the crash and are contacting the next of kin before they provide details to the public. "Our thoughts are with the families of the two deceased persons." Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 17:40:53|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close Shinzo Abe, President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), attends a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, on Oct. 23, 2017. Japan's ruling camp grouped by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's LDP and its junior partner, the Komeito Party, has won a two-thirds "supermajority" in Sunday's lower house election. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) TOKYO, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Japan's ruling camp grouped by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner, the Komeito Party, has won a two-thirds "supermajority" in Sunday's lower house election. The ruling camp secured a total of 313 seats of the 465-seat lower house of parliament, with the LDP taking 284 seats and the Komeito Party winning 29 seats. The victory will give the ruling bloc a new impetus to pursue the prime minister's long-term ambition of revising the postwar pacifist constitution, local analysts have pointed out. "I want to accept this victory with humility," Abe told a television program after the election on Sunday. He added that he expects "discussions on revising the constitution to deepen" at the parliament in an attempt to seek more support from various forces on the issue. The victory is also expected to boost Abe's chance for winning a third term as President of the LDP in an election next autumn, which would make him the longest serving prime minister in postwar Japan. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), set up only about a couple of weeks ago by the collapsing Democratic Party's liberal wing, won 55 seats and become the largest opposition. The party members agreed on Monday to work together with former members of the Democratic Party who successfully ran as independents to form a unified front in the lower house. The "reform conservative" Party of Hope led by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike took only 50 seats, less than its 57 seats before the election as the people's initial enthusiasm for the party ebbed. The Party of Hope, while sharing the LDP's conservative views on constitutional change and security laws, has been against consumption tax hike and criticized Abe's economic policies dubbed Abenomics. The Communist Party and the Japan Innovation Party took 12 and 11 seats, respectively, both less than before the election. Meanwhile, 22 independent candidates were elected. Yoshihiko Noda, former prime minister, said that the opposition forces should have been able to win more seats with support rating for Abe's cabinet dropping amid scandals, but the splitting-up of the opposition benefited the ruling camp. Voter turnout was 53.68 percent, the second lowest in postwar history following the record low of 52.66 percent in 2014, according to government data. A powerful typhoon approaching the Japanese archipelago, bringing rain and strong winds and disrupting traffic, was expected to weigh on the turnout, but a record high of 21 million people, or around 20.1 percent of the eligible population, have cast their ballots early. Due to the typhoon, ballots counting in some municipalities was delayed to Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 18:36:09|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close BERLIN, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The German government is attempting to deter refugees with a new myth-busting website about illegal migration to Germany published on Monday. The official website "RumoursAboutGermany.info" will contradict false information provided by human traffickers to refugees with facts about Germany's immigration policies. The information on the website will be available in Arabic, French and German. "We want to prevent that people who are already in a difficult situation make the journey (to Germany) on the basis of false hopes and expectations," the German Foreign Office said in a statement. The Foreign Office had therefore decided to "oppose rumors with objective information". Amongst others, the website lists the "seven biggest lies of traffickers" spread about migration to Germany. These include fabricated claims such as that Germany has "reserved 800,000 places" for refugees from Afghanistan, that each refugee receives "welcome funds" of 2,000 euros upon arrival, or that every refugee is gifted a house by the German government. "RumoursaboutGermany.info" further exposes as "complete nonsense" suggestions by traffickers that refugees who did not like their new life in Germany would simply be given a visa to travel to Canada by Berlin. The new website forms part of a broader information campaign first launched by the German government in 2015 to regain control over the narrative of migration. Towards this end, Berlin has installed posters on buildings and busses, written blogs, and aired TV and radio programs in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern- and Western Africa. More than a million refugees, mainly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq have arrived in Germany since 2015. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 18:56:14|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Up to 22 IS militants including two of their mentors were killed following Afghan forces airstrikes in eastern Nangarhar province on Sunday, an official said Monday. The strikes took place Sunday evening when Afghan air force aircraft bombed IS militants hideouts in parts of Nangarhar province and adjoining areas, leaving 22 fighters dead, Shirin Aqa Faqiri, a spokesman of national army in the eastern region told Xinhua. The province has Jalalabad as its capital, which is located 120 km east of Kabul. However, some local reports suggested Monday that 40 IS fighters had been killed in overnight operations in the eastern region. The hardliner IS group has yet to make comments on the report. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 18:56:15|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close JINGDEZHEN, Jiangxi Province, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Canadian artist Terrance Lazaroff has visited Jingdezhen six times. Though the small city in eastern China's Jiangxi Province may be unfamiliar to most westerners, it is a mecca for Lazaroff, 74. "Everyone who loves china [porcelain] must come here at least once," he says. Jingdezhen is synonymous with ceramics in China. The city boasts a long history of pottery production. More than 1,000 years ago in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), emperor Zhenzong named the area with the title of his reign, Jingde, as recognition for its ceramics. The products were exported to many parts of the world. "For centuries, ceramics production techniques were handed down, like the flame in the kiln," says Liu Huojin, 62, who was Party chief of a major ceramics factory that has now closed. PAST GLORY Visiting Jingdezhen, it is easy to see its ceramics tradition, from its porcelain lamp posts and its sculptures depicting different ceramic production techniques. "At the peak of the industry in the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties, there were 100,000 ceramics workers in Jingdezhen," Liu said. The industry was only interrupted in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, when, in 1942, many kilns were destroyed in the Japanese bombing. "There were more than 500 chimneys for the factories, which the Japanese may have taken for a military base," Liu says. But Jingdezhen soon returned to glory after the founding of the People's Republic of China. "In the 1950s we were asked to make porcelain for celebration of the fifth anniversary of China's liberation," he says. Before the state visit of former U.S. President Richard Nixon, a piece known as the "Nixon cup" was produced as a gift. Similar cups sold briskly. In the 1980s, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked the city to produce ceramics for foreign embassies, emblazoned with the national emblem. "At that time about 60,000 people in Jingdezhen worked in the ten big ceramic factories," Liu says. The total population of the city proper was then less than 200,000. Almost every family had someone working in a ceramics factory. Their porcelain products were popular throughout China, but were so hard to buy that people needed to have connections to buy them. Once when Liu traveled to Shanghai, a local asked to buy the cups he brought. Worldwide, the products were sold to 160 countries. In the 1990s, however, the factories went downhill with the advent of the market economy. Workers were laid off, and factories closed one after the other. REJUVENATION Duan Jianping, 45, remembers the changes well. "Many of our relatives worked in ceramics factories, and brought porcelain products to us on important occasions as gifts," he says. As the once-desirable jobs disappeared, Duan became a journalist. He says a lack of innovation could be a reason Jingdezhen porcelain lost its luster. Artist Li Jianshen founded the Sanbao international ceramics village in 2000, which attracts hundreds of ceramic fans from all over the world each year. Among these was Terrance Lazaroff. "Here I can talk to artists from all over the world," he says. Over his six visits he has seen many changes to Jingdezhen. "When I first came here in 2003, children followed me in the streets because there were not so many foreigners," he says. "Now it's a big city." Duan turned his eyes back to ceramics again in 2015, when he gave up his job as a senior editor and founded Xianyunju ceramics. "I added some fashionable elements to the traditional design," he says. In the yard of his company there is a large plane tree, which according to Chinese legend is a habitat of the mythical phoenix. "So I made the phoenix a hallmark of our products," he says. He used a gold color on a traditional blue-and-white design to make Xianyunju a luxury brand. "We received so many orders that we could hardly finish," he says. This year they estimated that revenue could reach 10 million yuan (1.5 million U.S. dollars). Now Jingdezhen is home to more than 30,000 people working in ceramics. Young and foreign artists are offered preferential treatment. Huang Wei, a teacher at Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, was glad to see the change in the area. "Anyone who has love for traditional Chinese culture could not bear to see the city languish," she says. PRESERVING THE CITY'S SOUL Huang, 35, earned her master's degree in archeology at Beijing University and first came to Jingdezhen in 2006 for archeological research and soon fell in love with the city. "When I was picking up ceramic chips from the pit, I felt like I was having a dialogue with history," she says. Talking to local people, however, she was surprised to find they were completely ignorant of the local clay mine sites. In 2014, she and her husband settled down in the Jinkeng village, a site of ancient ceramics kilns about eight kilometers east of the city proper. She rented 16 hectares of land, growing rice and chrysanthemums, and renovated the area so she could work with the raw ceramics material. She also hosted a series of salons on local ceramics culture. "It is my hope that this place can be a venue of learning and discussion of porcelain culture," she says. "We are preserving not only the ancient site itself, but the soul of Jingdezhen." < Several abandoned ceramics plants became bustling again last year, with the creation of the Taoxichuan ceramics-themed community, where chimneys stand alongside workshops, cultural centers, galleries and restaurants. But Liu Huojin's factory has not yet been included. "Its protection is on the government agenda," he says. "I hope that future generations can see the remnants, and feel proud of Jingdezhen and its ceramics." Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 19:01:17|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close Participants join their hands during the signing and hand-over of the joint declaration on the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) in Clark, the Philippines, Oct. 23, 2017. The defense ministers from the ASEAN nations agreed on Monday to step up counter-terrorism measures to prevent pro-Islamic State (IS) militant groups from gaining a stronghold in Southeast Asia. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) CLARK, the Philippines, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations agreed on Monday to step up counter-terrorism measures to prevent pro-Islamic State (IS) militant groups from gaining a stronghold in Southeast Asia. At the end of their annual security meeting, the ASEAN ministers stressed the need to strongly address the "threat of radicalism" by making the peoples of the ASEAN aware of the perils of violent extremism. In a joint declaration issued at the end of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM), the ASEAN ministers emphasized the need "to enhance regional cooperation through intelligence and information sharing, increasing surveillance, and promoting awareness among the public about the threat of radicalism." They also vowed to collectively combat terrorism "in all its forms and manifestations in accordance with the ASEAN Convention on Counterterrorism and ASEAN Comprehensive Plan of Action on Counterterrorism as well as identify ways to strengthen counterterrorism cooperation among ASEAN defense establishments." The ministers also expressed "full support for the Philippines' efforts to address the security and humanitarian situation" in the southern Philippine city of Marawi where government security forces and pro-Islamic State (IS) fighters were locked in a fierce five-month urban warfare that killed nearly 1,200. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced in a press conference on Monday the end of"all combat operations" in the southern Philippine city of Marawi, saying the city has been cleared of the last terrorist. Lorenzana said government forces have cleared the last building occupied by militants and its vicinity. Forty-two bodies have also been recovered in the last ground assault to completely retake the city from the IS militants. "In crushing thus far the most serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and in the region, we have contributed to preventing its spread in Asia and give our share to maintaining global peace, stability, and security," Lorenzana told reporters. Malaysia initiated talks to discuss terrorism before the ADMM opened. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have an existing joint air and maritime patrols military agreement to quell the threat of terrorism in their common maritime borders. In the joint declaration, the ministers also expressed "grave concern over the escalation of tensions in the Korean Peninsula including the testing and launching by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) in addition to its previous nuclear tests and ballistic missile launch." "(The ministers) strongly urged the DPRK to immediately comply with its obligations arising from all the relevant UN Security Council resolutions," the joint declaration read. On maritime security, the ministers stressed the need to maintain and promote peace, security, stability, and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea. The ministers also moved to make the ADMM-Plus dialogue to be held yearly to better address common security challenges confronting Asia and the Pacific. ADMM-Plus include ASEAN and its eight dialogue partners - Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States. ADMM-Plus is currently being held every two years. The ministers signed the joint declaration that also reaffirmed their commitments to promote and strengthen defense and security cooperation. The Philippines, chair of ASEAN this year, is host to the 11th ADMM and 4th ADMM-Plus security sessions. The Philippines wants to push several initiatives during the two-day meeting, including "a three-year work program that will focus on streamlining, synergizing, and rationalizing ADMM efforts, which the ministers adopted at the meeting. "This is to pursue our cooperative mechanisms in the most efficient and effective way possible," Lorenzana said. ADMM-Plus will meet on Tuesday. Established in 2006, the ADMM is the highest defense consultative and cooperative mechanism in the ASEAN. ADMM aims to promote mutual trust and confidence through greater understanding of defense and security challenges, as well as enhancement of transparency and openness among ten ASEAN member states - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN defense ministers to engage their dialogue partners from Asia and the Pacific. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 19:01:18|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close KIGALI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Rwandan government on Monday called on the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) to make public the impediments that the committee claims compromised its mission to Rwanda. The treaty body in the UN human rights system abruptly terminated the mission and turned to the media before discussion with the Rwandan government, said the Rwandan ministry of justice in a statement. The committee violated its own guidelines as well as the pre-agreed schedule of the visit, said the ministry. SPT said last Friday it had suspended its visit to Rwanda due to a series of obstructions imposed by authorities. "Rwanda considers the termination an act of bad faith," said Johnston Busingye, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, in the statement. According to the minister, the committee conducted field visits for five days to institutions including prisons, police stations, transit centers, and a psychiatric hospital, interviewing staff, inmates, and patients. Any technical issues that arose during field visits were immediately resolved, he said. Rwanda voluntarily ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, part of the minority of states-parties to have done so, read the statement. The SPT exists to reinforce national institutions, not replace them, it added. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 19:31:29|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close GAZA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Three Palestinian workers disappeared on Monday as they were working inside a goods-smuggling tunnel underneath the borderline area between southern Gaza Strip and Egypt, an interior official in Gaza said. Eyad al-Bozom, spokesman of Gaza ministry of interior and national security confirmed in an emailed press statement that three tunnels' workers had disappeared today Monday before noon. "The Palestinian security forces are investigating their disappearance to know their fate," said al-Bozom, who declined to say whether they were kidnapped or just disappeared. However, local sources in Rafah town said three Palestinian young men, were working in a tunnel underneath the borderline area between southern Gaza Strip and Egypt were kidnapped by Islamic State (IS) militants while they were inside the tunnel. It's the first time that three workers are getting kidnapped while they are working into tunnels. The identity of the three workers wasn't immediately known, while sources said they belong to Islamic Hamas movement. On October 7, Gaza ministry of interior announced that it arrested a top IS leader and three others in Rafah town in the Gaza Strip as he had been wanted by Gaza security forces for several months. Last month, a Gaza security officer was killed and three injured when they tried to stop an IS suicide bomber who blew himself up as he was trying to cross the fence of the borders between southern Gaza Strip and Egypt. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 19:36:31|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Detainees Affairs Commission said Monday that Israel arrested dozens of Palestinians during raids into West Bank and East Jerusalem towns overnight. The Israeli forces carried out an arrest campaign in the East Jerusalem town of Al-Issawiye late on Sunday night, arresting at least 51 Palestinians, the commission said in an emailed press statement, adding that lawyers have been following up their cases since early dawn hours. Spokesperson for Israeli police Luba Samiri confirmed in a press statement that Israeli forces arrested 51 Palestinians from Al-Issawiye over charges related to disorder, hurling stones and Molotov cocktails on Israeli patrols leading to some injuries. Moreover, the commission said that Israeli forces arrested 15 others during arrest campaigns in the West Bank. Israeli forces arrest Palestinians almost on a daily basis in the Wes Bank, describing them as "wanted," while Palestinians say the arrests target civilians arbitrarily. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 19:41:34|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close ABUJA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Multiple suicide attacks in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri claimed 16 lives and wounded 18 others, local police said Monday. Three suicide bombers wreaked havoc at three different locations in Maiduguri, capital of the northern state of Borno, late Sunday. Borno State police chief Damian Chukwu, who confirmed the incidents, said a male suicide bomber first ran into a motor park on the outskirts of Maiduguri. The first suicide blast killed 13 people and wounded five others, Chukwu told Xinhua. Two female suicide bombers also detonated their improvised explosive devices in other locations in the city, killing three people. Some 13 people were wounded in the other attacks. The police have launched an investigation into the attacks, Chukwu said. Terror group Boko Haram is suspected to be responsible for the suicide blasts. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 19:56:38|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close SKOPJE, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia's political parties and candidates for mayors resumed their electoral campaigning on Sunday for the upcoming runoff, announced Macedonia's election authority. In the first round of voting, the ruling Social Democratic Union (SDSM) chaired by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev won 46 communes and the city of Skopje, one of the biggest administrative units in the country. Meanwhile, the largest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE chaired by former PM Nikola Gruevski only won three communes while ethnic Albanian party DUI won one commune. This means that 34 other communes in the country will hold a runoff on Oct. 29. Macedonia has 84 communes and the municipality of Skopje. PM Zaev started electoral meetings Sunday afternoon in Kavadarci. He made a press statement where he declared that the local elections were free and fair, with only isolated disruptions. Zaev noted that international institutions confirmed that Macedonia managed to guarantee free elections in response to the claims made by opposition leader Gruevski, who called the elections illegitimate. Macedonia's electoral code requires the fulfillment of two criteria,according to Macedonia's State Elections Commission. The first requires one third of eligible voters cast their votes. The second requires a candidate to take at least 50 percent of the votes cast in the municipality or commune where he or she runs. If these two criteria are met, then the election in that municipality or commune is considered closed; otherwise it goes to a second round. Jubilee Party and National Super Alliance (NASA) supporters clash outside the Supreme Court in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Sept. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Fred Mutune) NAIROBI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Standoff between President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga continued to divide Kenya as the Thursday repeat elections draw near. The leaders have maintained their hardline positions on the polls, with Kenyatta saying the elections must go on for the country to move forward while Odinga is determined to stop them, insisting that there would be no elections on Oct. 26. The leaders in the past days have talked tough against each other. Kenyatta accused Odinga of trying to stall the country's progress by rejecting the repeat polls. "We can not each day struggle to meet the demands of one person so that our lives stall. We will go on with the elections and those who boycott should dare disrupt the polls," Kenyatta said Friday during Heroes' Day celebrations. Meanwhile, Odinga accused Kenyatta of seeking to force himself on Kenyans through flawed elections and called for protests against the polls. "We will not go to the poll again when the process has not been properly rectified. Already the rigging plot is in place," Odinga said on Sunday at a rally in western Kenya, his stronghold. Lawyers from both sides have argued for and against the polls, with the backing from the constitution and other laws. While those allied to Kenyatta's Jubilee Party noted that the elections should be held as ordered by the Supreme Court in 60 days to avoid a constitutional crisis, those from Odinga's National Super Alliance (NASA) observe that the apex court only ordered for a free and fair poll, which the electoral agency chairman said can not be guaranteed on Oct. 26. "The Supreme Court said we must go to the elections in 60 days and that is the law we are following. It is the opposition that went to court to nullify the Aug. 8 polls yet they are running away from it," said Kibe Mungai, a constitutional lawyer. "Jubilee can chest-thump by deploying the police and the military and even call for prayers as many times as they wish but the fact remains that there would be no election on Oct. 26," said Norman Magaya, NASA CEO and an advocate. The divergent views have left many Kenyans confused of what happens next after the Thursday poll. "Some people have predicted Armageddon, others have said the country would now take off after the polls, I do not know which side to believe. I will wait and see," said Stephen Nyachae, a bus driver in Nairobi. Nyachae, an opposition supporter, said he would boycott the polls as requested by NASA leader Odinga because they would not be free and fair. "That day I will not even leave the house, but the biggest questions in my mind currently is what happens next after the polls. Would Kenyatta have the full authority to lead the country? What would the opposition leader Odinga do?" said Nyachae. Gladys Muhatia, a primary school teacher in Butula, western Kenya said she had put her faith in God that all would go well, but would wait and see. "We have seen the heavy deployment of police and the military across the country by the government which assures me that there may be no violence and elections would go on, but what country would we have?" she paused, noting that there may even be no elections on Oct. 26. Odinga on Saturday promised to stop the election on Oct. 26 in a way no one expected, a statement that has heightened expectations among both his supporters and Kenyatta's. "I want to believe that there would be elections on Oct. 26 as planned but I can not underestimate Odinga. He may do something like going to court to stop them. So my attitude right now is just to wait and see, if they come I would vote, if they don't, I won't but I am praying for peace," said James Kiarie, a clothes seller and Jubilee supporter. Observers, led by the African Electoral Observation Group, have predicted that Kenya would end up in a constitutional crisis if the outcome of the polls that millions are expected to boycott is contested on the political front based on the number of voters who turn up at the ballot. Henry Wandera, an economics lecturer in Nairobi, noted that Kenya is at a crossroad that no one seems to be sure of what would happen after Oct. 26. "No one can tell with certainty what would happen, to the Jubilee supporters, Kenya would move on, as Kenyatta would be sworn-in as president, but to Odinga supporters, the crisis would persist. What I am certain about is that we would have a country that is divided like never before," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 20:01:44|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close TIRANA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Albanian renowned painter Helidon Haliti and the Chinese master of watercolor painting Li Xiaocheng opened Monday in Albanian capital Tirana a joint exhibition titled "Home and Abroad." "The watercolor exhibition displays sceneries of the Far East and becomes an interactive part of live demonstrations by both artists," the Albanian painter told Xinhua on Monday. He said the exhibition included 40 works from Albania completed during a 3-4 year span and 40 works of Li Xiaocheng, the Dean of Chaoshan Watercolor Academy in Shantou in south China's Guangdong Province. "I was in China a month ago and together with Master Li, we had a joint exhibition there. The opening of the exhibition in China was a magnificent surprise for me and I was so happy that my works, my art were welcomed with great enthusiasm by Chinese art lovers," Haliti told Xinhua. He added that the holding of the exhibition in Tirana was a great responsibility. Meanwhile, the Chinese artist Li praised the works by Helidon Haliti, saying that such co-operations serve culture exchange between the two countries. "I have brought a part of Chinese cultural tradition and background so that the Albanian public can get acquainted to some of the Chinese reality through showcasing a combination of culture exchange between Albania and China," Li said. The exhibition will also move to other cities of Albania such as Durres, Fier, Berat. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 20:01:45|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close JAKARTA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The government of the United Stated has apologized after Indonesian military commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo was barred from flight into the U.S., a statement from the U.S. Embassy said. Nurmantyo and his wife had planned to depart from the airport in Jakarta on Saturday evening, but were told by the airline shortly before departure as U.S. Customs would deny their entry, according to an Indonesian military spokesman. Nurmantyo was invited by Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chief of Staff, to attend a conference in Washington. U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Joseph Donovan Jr. has apologized to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi for the inconvenience witnessed by the Indonesian military commander, according to the statement of the U.S. Embassy issued on Sunday. But the ambassador did not explain why General Nurmantyo was barred from flying into the United States. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 20:06:47|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Zhu Dongyang, Hu Yousong WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The economic initiatives China is undertaking have fulfilled people's hope that China will be a responsible stakeholder playing a positive and constructive role in the international system, said a U.S. business leader. CHINA'S GLOBALLY BENEFICIAL INITIATIVES "The Belt and Road Initiative is a tremendously beneficial initiative for the world and for the United States," Stephen A. Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua over the weekend. "It's wonderful because those investments are going to lift tens of millions, hundreds of millions of people out of poverty," he said. "That's just a fundamental positive role." Orlins explained that in those places that are actually breeding grounds for terrorists, it is far less likely that terrorism will be bred when the people there get rid of poverty. As for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), it is "a very practical step towards fulfilling the vision of a harmonious world by making investments in countries that need economic development through a beautifully transparent global institution," said Orlins, who visited the bank two weeks ago with a group of U.S. congressmen. "It's a remarkably open transparent global leadership that's headquartered in China. But it is not a Chinese institution. It's an international institution," added the U.S. business leader. "I believe the Belt and Road Initiative; I believe AIIB. I think that the Belt and Road Initiative is exactly what China should be doing," he said. "Positive influence has been shown in places where the people need economic development, where a recreation of the Silk Road is actually a wonderful concept, because economic development will follow that road both in China and in those places." "I would expect the U.S. companies that are already working with Chinese companies to continue to work with them outside of China" within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Orlins said. BOTH STRONG AND PEACEFUL Speaking of the ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, Orlins hailed President Xi Jinping's vision to make China strong and peaceful. "A strong China is really a reflection of its history that for 150 years, there were countries who had exerted extraterritorial privileges in China," said Orlins. "President Xi said that era is over, and we are going to be a strong nation. But he added that China is not going to seek to infringe on anyone else's sovereignty," he added. Orlins noted that China believes in sovereignty and will not allow anyone to infringe on its own sovereignty, but at the same time "China will not be going out and projecting its military power in such a way that it's going to infringe on the sovereignty of others." "It's very consistent with my view of Chinese history tradition and culture that for centuries China built the Great Wall not to attack anybody but to keep invaders out," he said. "History does not generally suggest that China attack foreign countries," he added. "It's peaceful." Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 20:11:49|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close NANNING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- A new China-Vietnam cross-border trade zone in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has opened, local authorities said Monday. The Longbang-Tra Linh trade zone in the border city of Jingxi covers an area of 50,000 square meters and involves investment of 60 billion yuan (9 billion U.S. dollars). Construction began in 2013 and trial operation in September this year. Residents living within 20 kilometers of the border will be able to exchange commodities at the trade zone and enjoy a duty-free policy if spending less than 8,000 yuan per day. Compared with other China-Vietnam trade zones, Longbang-Tra Linh will offer a better customs clearance, said Tran Dai Nghia, chairman of Vietnam VCI Logistics Joint Stock Company. China is a huge market and exports from Vietnam will reach Chinese consumers faster through the trade zone, according to the company. The trade zone will create about 100,000 jobs and help lift 350,000 people out of poverty in the border area. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 20:41:55|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close DOHA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. secretary of state Rex Tillerson said that Saudi Arabia is not ready to talk to Doha to end the months-long diplomatic crisis, local media reported Monday. Tillerson made the remarks during his ongoing visit to Qatar, where he held a joint news conference with Qatar's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani. Qatar is committed to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) system, al Thani said, adding that the country is also willing to push for a dialogue in resolving the dispute. Tillerson's visit to Qatar followed a stop in Saudi Arabia, where he attempted to resolve the gulf dispute. Commenting on his Saudi visit, Tillerson said Saudi Arabia is not ready to talk to Doha and his mediation bid received no positive response by Riyadh. "In my meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, I asked him to please engage in dialogue, but there is not a strong indication that parties are ready to talk yet, "said Tillerson. The U.S. official, who also met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, expressed concern about the effect of the crisis on the region's security and stability. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism and cozying up to Iran. Qatar categorically denied the allegations. Qatar is home to the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, where over 11,000 soldiers are stationed. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 20:56:59|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close SHANGHAI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai Customs has released figures showing a rise in auto imports for nine consecutive months since January this year. In the first nine months of this year, a total of 302,000 vehicles worth 84.87 billion yuan (12.79 billion U.S. dollars) were imported through Shanghai, up 17 percent year on year. About 169,000 cars were imported from the Europe Union during the period, up 21.2 percent year on year, accounting for 55.7 percent of the total imports. Cars imported from the United States increased 30.1 percent year on year to 72,000. The number of imported vehicles with engines between 1.5 liters and 2.0 liters also increased to 165,000 during the period. Analysts attributed the consecutive growth to the strong auto consumption market and the rapid introduction of new car models by automobile companies. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attends the ruling ZANU-PF Youth League National Assembly meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Oct. 7, 2017. (Xinhua) HARARE, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said it had withdrawn the appointment of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as the goodwill ambassador for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa. WHO announced last Friday that it had bestowed the honor of goodwill ambassador on Mugabe in recognition of his government's efforts in fighting NCDs. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, however, said in a statement Sunday that he had listened to those expressing concerns and heard the different issues they had raised. And after consultations with the Zimbabwean government, he said they concluded that the rescinding decision was in the best interest of the UN agency. Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean government said Mugabe had accepted the decision by WHO. Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi said the decision will not affect Mugabe, who will continue to work to raise awareness on NCDs. "We respect the WHO decision as much as we respect the initial decision to honor our president," Mzembi said. The minister added that the decision was a loss to WHO rather than an embarrassment to Mugabe. Mugabe and his wife remain under European Union and United States sanctions imposed in the early 2000s for political reasons, though several of Mugabe's allies in government and party have been removed from the EU sanctions lists. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 21:27:07|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close ROME, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Two of Italy's wealthy northern regions have voted for more fiscal autonomy from the central government, officials said Monday. Referendums were held Sunday in Lombardy, which is home to Italy's financial capital Milan, and in Veneto, whose capital is Venice. The reasoning behind both non-binding referendums, which are permitted under Italy's Constitution, is that taxpayers in the wealthy, industrialized North believe they should not have to subsidise the poorer South. In Lombardy, over 40 percent of voters turned out, and of these, 95 percent voted in favor of more fiscal autonomy, Lombardy Governor Roberto Maroni said in a statement on the region's official website. "Thank you to the three million Lombard citizens who turned out to vote, and to the 95 percent who voted (in favor of autonomy)," Maroni said, calling this "a historic result". The Veneto region made the announcement via Twitter. "Final data: 57.2 percent of voters turned out," officials wrote on the Veneto region's official Twitter account. "Final count: 98.1 percent voted in favor, 1.9 percent voted against." "Quorum reached, target reached, a new history for our Veneto region begins," tweeted Veneto Governor Luca Zaia. Both Maroni and Zaia, who promoted the referendums, are members of the right-wing, anti-immigrant Northern League party. Critics say the referendums were a political move for more visibility ahead of the next general election, likely to be held in spring 2018. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 21:42:10|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close The Communist Party of China (CPC) opens the 19th National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Foreign leaders, political parties and organizations around the world have sent congratulatory messages to the Communist Party of China (CPC) on its ongoing 19th National Congress, applauding China for its rising national strength and global influence. In the past five years, they said, the CPC Central Committee, with General Secretary Xi Jinping at the core, has made significant contributions to boosting China's social prosperity, substantiating the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, and enhancing China's role as a stabilizer, accelerator and contributor on the world stage. NATIONAL REJUVENATION The 19th CPC National Congress "will inject new impetus into the fulfillment of the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation and the country's 'two centenary goals,'" said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Fico was among many foreign leaders who spoke highly of the CPC's efforts in promoting China's socio-economic growth and improving the people's welfare. Established in 1921, the CPC founded the People's Republic of China in 1949 and began China's reform and opening up in 1978. It rescued China from the darkness of domestic turmoil and foreign aggression and has turned it into a major country in the world. Over the past five years, China's gross domestic product (GDP) rose from 54 trillion yuan (8.2 trillion U.S. dollars) to 80 trillion yuan (12 trillion dollars), contributing more than 30 percent of global economic growth. It has become the world's second largest economy. Meanwhile, more than 60 million people have been lifted out of poverty. Over 1,500 reform measures have established general frameworks for reform in major fields. The Chinese nation has stood up, grown rich, and become strong, and it now faces the brilliant prospects of rejuvenation, Xi said on Wednesday while addressing the opening session of the CPC National Congress. "Achieving national rejuvenation will be no walk in the park," Xi said, "It will take more than drum beating and gong clanging to get there." GLOBAL STABILIZER In the congratulatory messages, world leaders stressed China's role in maintaining global peace and stability, as China's stable growth and active role in tackling global hotspot issues bring more than confidence to the world. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, China's economy expanded by an average annual rate of 7.2 percent form 2013 to 2016, outstripping the 2.6-percent average global growth and the 4-percent growth of developing economies, and becoming a robust engine of growth for the sluggish global economic recovery. Meanwhile, China has reiterated its commitment to building a community with a shared future for mankind, helped tackle frequent outbreaks of regional conflicts and disturbances, and played a leading role in the universal fight against global warming. China is also the top contributor of troops and second-largest contributor of funds for U.N. peacekeeping missions. To create better trade, infrastructure and people-to-people networks linking Asia with Europe and Africa, Xi proposed the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, which comprises the overland Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. In just four years, dozens of countries have joined the initiative, and a series of institutions, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, have been established. The Belt and Road Initiative "has gathered wide support of the countries in Asia and Europe," noted Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic. "I would like to say that an outward-looking China is of great global meaning and helps overall stability worldwide." Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 21:47:11|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close JUBA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Clashes between South Sudan's rebel factions in the strategic town of Kajo Keji, near the border with Uganda, have left at least 20 people dead in the past week, an opposition spokesman said on Monday. Lam Paul Gabriel, a spokesman for the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO), which is loyal to former vice president Riek Machar, said the clashes erupted last Tuesday between SPLA-IO and National Salvation Front (NSF), which is loyal to former army logistics chief Thomas Cirillo. The two opposition groups fighting the government of President Salva Kiir were previously stationed side by side in the area of Kajo Keji, but fighting erupted after NSF forces attacked SPLA-IO bases, killing one person and abducting some others, Gabriel said. Fighting is still ongoing in several areas as both sides continue to battle for control of more territory, adding that the SPLA-IO have killed more than 20 NSF forces -- a claim not independently verified. "We don't consider NSF as genuine opposition but a threat to us," Gabriel said. "I can't rule out the fact that it is pro-government... because if not, why would they continue to attack our positions in Kajo Keji?" Bismarck Duku, a Kajo-Keji resident, told Xinhua by phone from the northern Uganda region of Yumbe district, where he fled over the weekend, said most of the families who previously stayed at a camp for internally displaced persons have crossed to neighboring Uganda. Santo Domic Chol, deputy spokesman of the South Sudan army, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), said the army has noticed unusual movement of people and fighting in the area, adding that the SPLA would fight back if the rebels attack its defensive positions. South Sudan has been embroiled in more than three years of conflict that resulted in one of the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world. A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under United Nations pressure led to the establishment of a transitional unity government in April, but was shattered by renewed fighting in July 2016. The UN estimates that at least 4 million people have been displaced internally and externally. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 21:47:12|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government Monday said it has appointed former intelligence chief Dineshwar Sharma to begin a "sustained" dialogue process in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The announcement was made by Home Minister Rajnath Singh during a press conference in New Delhi. "The federal government has decided to initiate a sustained dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir and for this former director of Intelligence Bureau (IB), Dineshwar Sharma has been appointed as Indian government's representative," Singh said. "Sharma will talk to elected representatives of the state, political parties, different organizations, and persons." According to Singh, Sharma will try to understand the legitimate aspirations of people through the sustained dialogue process. "After talking to these people he would share his overall interaction with federal and local government," he said. Analysts say this is the first initiative by the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) government under leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach out to Kashmiris especially after the last year's agitation. A separatist movement and guerrilla war challenging New Delhi's rule is going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Gunfights between militants and Indian troops take place intermittently across the region. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 21:52:15|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Monday appointed Florens Luoga, a tax law professor, as the country's new central bank governor. Luoga will replace the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) Governor Benno Ndulu after his retirement in January, said Magufuli shortly after he awarded certificates of recognition to members of two presidential committees that investigated allegations of tax evasion in exports of gold and copper concentrates. Luoga, also chairman of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Board of Directors, was among members of the high-level committees that investigated the country's mining industry that came up with damning reports showing how mining companies evaded taxes. The president said people expected him to appoint an economist to head the central bank but he opted for one who will help the country to control tax evasion. President Magufuli and Minister for Finance and Planning Philip Mpango have been aggressively pushing for the central bank to rebuild reserves for precious minerals. "BOT should come up with a special arrangement to start establishing mineral reserves, as it is done in other parts of the world instead of dealing with cash reserves only," Mpango said recently during his prompt visit to the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in Dar es Salaam where he received reports on smuggled diamond that was seized at the airport. BOT halted its previous gold purchases after the 2009 collapse of a Dar es Salaam-based gold refinery, Mwananchi Gold Company Limited (MGCL), which was set up as a joint venture between the central bank and some private investors. In November last year, Mpango told the National Assembly that the government, through BOT, was exploring the possibility of using tanzanite, instead of bullion, for currency reserves. About a fortnight ago, Magufuli appointed Angellah Kairuki as the new minister for minerals, replacing Sospeter Muhongo who was sacked in March after he was implicated in the copper concentrates saga report. The report submitted to the president revealed possible undeclared exports by mining companies to evade tax. Mining accounts for about 4 percent of the East African nation's gross domestic product. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 21:52:16|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close CAIRO, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian air forces destroyed on Monday a group of vehicles loaded with weapons and ammunition that infiltrated into Egypt from neighboring Libya, army spokesman said. Eight vehicles carrying weapons, ammunition and highly explosive substances have been destroyed in the country's western desert, military spokesman Tamer al-Refaay said in a statement. He added that all terrorists inside the vehicles were killed. On Saturday, Egyptian Interior Ministry announced that 16 policemen were killed and another was missing in shootout with terrorists on Friday in the western desert. A wave of terror activities that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers hit Egypt since the military ousted former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule. Terror attacks are mainly centered in the country's North Sinai, but it has in recent months spread nationwide, leaving hundreds of policemen and soldiers dead. A militant group loyal to the regional Islamic State terrorist group has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks. Meanwhile, security raids killed hundreds of militants and arrested a similar number of suspects as part of the country's anti-terror war. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 21:57:18|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close The Communist Party of China (CPC) opens the 19th National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang) BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will make great contribution to the world thanks to the concepts mentioned in a key report to the congress, according to analysts. The report calls on people of all countries to work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind, to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity. Hu Angang, director of the Center for China Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing, saw the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind as one of the CPC's significant contribution to the world. "A community with a shared future for mankind means a community of shared interests and development," Hu told Xinhua. The report gives a clear framework for the concept, he added. "After colonialism, imperialism and hegemonism over the past 500 years or so, the world is bracing for 'win-winism' as embodied by a community with a shared future for mankind," he said. The report said China will work to contribute to narrowing the South-North gap in development. Marije Vlaskamp, China correspondent for the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant, hailed China's increasingly important international role. "China has become more self-confident internationally and taken more initiatives, like the Belt and Road Initiative and various economic and diplomatic cooperation projects with Europe and the United States," said Vlaskamp, who is covering the congress. "China also focuses on neighboring countries and Africa. South-South relations are very important for China, which has always been like that in China's traditional diplomacy," said the reporter who has been in China for 17 years. China now has a lot to offer in terms of economic cooperation to countries which are still in a low stage of economic development, she said, adding that the congress is very important not only for Chinese people, but also for people in other countries. "China has a much more important role in the world," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:02:19|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on behalf of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2017. The CPC opened the 19th National Congress at the Great Hall of the People Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- History shows that the road to prosperity is not easy. Intellectuals have outlined a series of "traps," which often hold back developing countries as they try to become so-called first world countries. As China moves toward becoming a "great modern socialist country," will it be able to sidestep these traps and prove the naysayers wrong? And just what answers does the Chinese leadership have to offer? Xi Jinping's "socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era," as unveiled at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, offers a few answers to some of these traps: Poverty Trap The poverty trap is where structural poverty becomes reinforced over several generations. Xi: "Decisive progress has been made in the fight against poverty." "We must ensure that by the year 2020, all rural residents living below the current poverty line will have been out of poverty." Thucydides Trap Named after Greek historian Thucydides, it suggests that war is inevitable when a new power rises up to challenge an existing one. Xi: "No matter what stage of development it reaches, China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion." "China pursues a national defense policy that is in nature defensive." "We call on the people of all countries to work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind." Middle-income Trap The term is indicative of that an economy reaches a certain level of income, but is unable to further develop its competitive edge and fails to sustain the growth needed to become rich. Xi: "We have adopted the right approach to development." "The economy has maintained a medium-high growth rate." "We should pursue supply-side structural reform as our main task, and work hard for better quality, higher efficiency and more robust drivers of economic growth through reform." Tacitus Trap This warns that when a government loses credibility, whether it tells the truth or a lie, or does good or bad, it will inevitably be considered a lie. Xi: "We must focus on maintaining the Party's close bond with the people, keep them firmly in mind, develop a closer affinity with them, and keep working to foster stronger public support for the Party's governance." Rise-and-Fall Cycle "'The rise of something may be fast, but its downfall is equally swift.' Has any person, family, community, place, or even nation ever managed to break free of this cycle?" Educator Huang Yanpei reportedly once asked Chairman Mao. Xi: "The people resent corruption most; and corruption is the greatest threat our Party faces." "Only by intensifying efforts to address both the symptoms and root causes of corruption ... can we avoid history's cycle of rise and fall and ensure the long-term stability of the Party and the country." End-of-History Hypothesis American political scientist Francis Fukuyama presumed in his book -- "End of History" an inevitable triumph of Western liberal democracy and the "collapse of China." The end of the Cold War meant a world order combining liberal democracy and the free market had permanently prevailed, he said. Xi: "As history has shown and will continue to bear witness to, without the leadership of the Communist Party of China, national rejuvenation would be just wishful thinking." Delegates and experts stand behind Xi. Sun Zhaoxia, a professor at Guizhou Minzu University, said she had confidence in the CPC steering China clear of these pitfalls due to the country's unique political and economic system. "In Western democracy, political parties spend much of their energy focusing on campaigns to win and stay in power," she said. "The immediate concern is the election or the tenure, so long-term strategies such as poverty relief are poorly implemented." In contrast, the CPC has been very consistent on major policies like poverty alleviation, helping create strong public faith in the endeavors. Liu Yuanchun, vice president of Renmin University of China, said Xi had laid out a package of reforms to address all major problems facing the Chinese economy, including risk control, macro-regulation, supply-side reform and innovation. An economist, Liu said the economy has built a solid foundation, and China is likely to become a high-income economy by 2030. Peking University professor and former World Bank chief economist Justin Lin Yifu made a similar prediction, though from a different perspective. He said the main reason developing economies became trapped in middle-income or low-income status was that they followed western mainstream economic theories -- either structuralism or neoliberalism. "The secret of China's success is its use of both the 'invisible hand' and 'visible hand,'" Lin said. "Only when the market and the government play their respective roles can technological innovation and industrial upgrading proceed smoothly." Cai Songtao, a congress delegate from Henan Province, said Xi warned against the Tacitus trap on an inspection tour to the province. Cai said grassroots Party officials work very hard to maintain close contact with the people. Zhang Xixian, professor with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said the Party has always upheld the "mass line". "The CPC comes from the people, relies on the people and works for the people," he said. The Party builds the system of socialist democracy to safeguard the fundamental interests of the people and ensure all power of the state belongs to the people. Sun Zhaoxia said historically dynasties could not escape the cycle of rise and fall because the interests of the ruling class were against the public, but as the CPC serves no one other than the masses, it has the people's backing and will stay in power. Zhang said another reason the CPC thrives is its insistence on strict discipline of its members. "Errors made by past leaders, including Chairman Mao in his later life, were pointed out and corrected," Zhang said. "Any member who violates Party discipline will be punished. Zhou Yongkang served as a perfect example. No interest groups within the Party are allowed. This resolve and tenacity are what make the Party strong." Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:02:20|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close JAKARTA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- A gunfight between policemen and alleged separatists near a gold and copper mine in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua killed one policeman and injured four others, a police spokesman said on Monday. "Five personals were shot, one of them was dead," national police spokesman Brigadier General Rikwanto said. The wounded policemen were receiving medical treatment at a hospital, he was quoted by detik.com as saying in West Java province. The Free Papua Movement or OPM has been seeking independence by insurgency. The separatist group has frequently targeted solders, civilians and PT Freeport Indonesia, a U.S.-owned gold and copper mine operator in Papua province. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:02:21|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close NAIROBI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is set to put in place regulations that will boost coffee farmers' incomes, a senior government official said on Monday. Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Willy Bett told an agricultural forum in Nairobi that the Coffee (General) Regulations of 2016 will increase the percentage of the coffee price that is retained by farmers. "Currently farmers get less than 50 percent of sale price. Once the coffee regulations are in place the figure will increase to more than 75 percent of coffee price," Bett told the Coffee Sub-Sector Stakeholders' Consultative Forum. Bett said presently most of the coffee earnings go to other players in the coffee value chain such as marketers and dealers at the coffee auction. "We target to ensure that farmers become the biggest beneficiaries of the cash crop given their crucial role in production of the plant," he added. Bett noted that the regulations aim to increase the farmer's share of coffee price as an incentive for them to expand their coffee production. The National Taskforce on Coffee Sub-Sectors Stakeholders is developing the coffee regulations in consultation with industry players, he said. The coffee regulations also aim to overhaul the regulatory regime to ensure that farmers pay less statutory levies. In order to cushion the farmers from the rising cost of production, the government also plans to introduce subsidies for fertilizers and other key inputs. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:02:22|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that projectiles that hit Israel on Saturday were not errant fire but a deliberate attack by Hezbollah fighters in Syria. Lieberman accused the Shiite Lebanese militia of Hezbollah's leader, Hasan Nasrallah, of ordering the attack, in which at least four projectiles hit an open filed in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights without causing damage or injuries. A military spokesperson said right after the incident that the projectiles "appear to be" a spillover from the internal fighting in Syria. But in a meeting of his Israel Our Home party on Monday, Lieberman said the fire was deliberate. Lieberman charged that Hassan Nasrallah "personally instructed" the attack. According to Lieberman, Hezbollah did not coordinate the attack with Syrian President Bashar Assad and did not inform him about it, "in order to compartmentalize the Assad regime and drag him" into a new front with Israel. In response to the projectiles, the Israeli army targeted three artillery cannons of the Syrian regime. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese militia has been fighting along Assad's army in the six-year war in Syrian. Israel and Hezbollah are arch enemies. Their last round of war ended in August 2006 after 34 days of fighting. Israel occupied part of the Golan Heights during the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it later, in a move never recognized by the international community. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:07:23|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Qiao Jihong BERLIN, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will unite the country under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, "which means a bright future for the Chinese people," the president of a German think tank has said. "It is obvious that President Xi Jinping has a loving and extraordinary personality. He leads the country by inspiration, which is the best of all forms of leadership," Helga Zepp-LaRouche, president of the think tank Schiller Institute, told Xinhua in a recent interview. LaRouche said she is confident that the congress will achieve a great success. The 19th CPC National Congress, a week-long meeting which opened in Beijing on Wednesday, marks China's most important political event in five years. The landmark conference is going to elect a new CPC Central Committee and CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, amend the CPC Constitution, and draw a blueprint for China's development in the next five years and beyond. In the interview, LaRouche said the "Chinese Dream" which aims to achieve rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a great inspiration, not only for China, but also for the rest of the world. "You can feel the optimism that has been created in China when you talk to the ordinary people, including youths, which is in stark contrast to the cultural problems of the so-called 'youth culture' in the United States and Europe," she said. LaRouche said she had traveled to China several times in recent years and was impressed by the CPC's ability to make high-level strategic plans and execute them. She spoke highly of the Belt and Road Initiative, saying it is one of the most important strategic initiatives in the world that will promote common development and reduce poverty. The initiative, proposed by Xi in 2013, aims to create greater trade, infrastructure and people-to-people links between Asia, Europe and Africa by reviving and expanding the ancient Silk Trade routes and beyond. The modern version comprises the overland Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. So far, more than 70 countries joined the initiative. "It demonstrates that people can achieve anything when they are united for a good plan," she said. The establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Silk Road Fund and other institutions within the mechanism of the initiative will address problems in developing countries, she added. "The CPC deserves the highest praise for its executive ability," which is more effective than the Western political systems, LaRouche said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:07:24|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close AMMAN, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's King Abdullah II on Monday called for dialogue to preserve the unity and security of Iraq in line with the constitution, the state-run Petra news agency reported. At a meeting with Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, the Jordanian leader discussed ties between the two countries and stressed the need to expand economic cooperation for the interests of both countries. King Abdullah said the Middle East cannot tolerate a new conflict of which the only triumphant will be the terrorists groups. The Jordanian leader said the successes by the Iraqi army against the terrorist group of the Islamic State represent a solid pillar for enhancing Iraq's stability and security and preserving its territorial integrity. King Abdullah reiterated Jordan's support for reconciliation efforts in Iraq and realizing harmony between all political factions in Iraq, which could lead to the establishment of an independent secure and stable Iraq that meets the aspirations of all Iraqis. The king stressed the key role played by the movement led by Al Sadr in the political process. The Iraqi cleric voiced appreciation for Jordan's efforts and stances in supporting the unity of Iraq. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:07:25|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close SYDNEY, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- About 800 students from more than 30 schools and universities across Australia's New South Wales state impressed a 2,000-strong audience, in a night of song and dance at the 2017 Chinese Language Spectacular cultural performance in the Sydney Town Hall Monday. In its fourth year, the popular event boasted Chinese- language students showcasing their artistic talent in the packed iconic venue. Jointly organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of New South Wales and the Chinese Language Teachers Association of New South Wales, this year's extravaganza coincided with the 45th anniversary of the establishment of Australia-China diplomatic relations and continued to celebrate the cultural bridges and educational ties between the two countries. During the event, Education Counsellor Niu Wenqi of the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney highlighted the "spirit of cultural exchange here in Australia." "It is exciting to see young people engage with Chinese language and culture, as they are our future. It is through their efforts and understanding that the China-Australia connection will continue to flourish." In his welcome message for the event, UNSW Confucius Institute Director Laurie Pearcey said this year's spectacular "hopes to build upon the success of previous shows and foster greater enthusiasm for Chinese language and culture." "It will also be a day that I believe students will remember as a milestone in their learning journey," said Pearcey, who is also Pro-Vice Chancellor, International, UNSW. "Through their performances, they will be connecting with over 5,000 years of both ancient and modern Chinese culture. It is precisely this connection to Chinese culture that will help our young performers build positive China-Australia relations in the future." Highlights of the show included a guzheng (also known as Chinese zither), drum and fan dance by Rouse Hill Public School, poetry recitation "My Chinese Heart" by the United Mandarin Classroom and a Xiangsheng comedy sketch by Macquarie University. NSW Chinese Language Teachers Association President Maria Xu said the growing amount of interest in the event and the commitment that teachers and students put in it reflected the phenomenal success of Chinese-language learning in the state and beyond. "More and more people are learning Chinese. Our teachers, when they graduate, basically have no problem finding jobs within a year. That also shows many schools are offering classes to meet the rising demand for Chinese-language learning." Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:17:29|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close MOSCOW, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Border Guards Service said Monday it had detained a heavily armed Ukrainian national who attempted to cross the Russian border illegally. A 31-year-old Ukrainian, attempting to cross the border in the Russian Kursk region, opened fire at the border guards who stopped him and "received gunshot wounds of moderate severity" during the return fire, it said in a statement. The offender carried an entire arsenal of two pistols with 50 5.45 mm caliber cartridges, five hand grenades and 26 ampoules with a liquid substance of gray color, presumably mercury, the statement said. The Border Guards Service provided no further details, noting that investigation of the incident has been underway. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:22:31|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close RABAT, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's Interior Ministry said on Monday that the country's security forces arrested six new suspects, in an ongoing probe into a recently dismantled terror cell linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. The arrested were active in several cities, including the capital Rabat. On Oct. 15, Moroccan security services announced the arrest of 11 people with suspected links to the cell and the seizure of chemical materials used for making bombs in the northern city of Fez. The Interior Ministry said in a statement later that the forces had seized in the cell's house and in a car "liquids and chemical powders that are used in the manufacturing of explosives that the cell's members intended to use to carry out terrorist plots in the kingdom." The ministry noted that the forces also seized weapons, a large amount of ammunition, telecommunications devices and two waistcoats intended to be used to make explosive belts. According to Moroccan authorities, security services have busted around 50 terrorist cells, over 40 of which were linked to the IS group, since 2015. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:22:32|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close BERLIN, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Germany's traditionally business-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) is considering tax raises in what will likely be the next "Jamaica" coalition party, the newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) reported Monday. FDP leader Christian Lindner told SZ that he could "also envision tax increases" as one mean to fulfill some of his party's campaign promises. The proposal challenges the FDP's traditional image as a party which advocates for low taxes, small government, deregulation, and liberalization. Lindner specified, however, that his suggestion was aimed at technology giants such as U.S.-based Apple in particular. According to the FDP leader, a thorough discussion of the taxation models for such firms needed to be elevated to the "top of the agenda" of European Union (EU) and G20 policymakers. By contrast, the core of the FDP's economic program in Germany is still centered on lowering the fiscal burden shouldered by citizens and businesses. Lindner said that his party would only join a "Jamaica" government if the other parties involved agreed to a "trend change in fiscal policy" which included reducing taxes on middle-class Germans. After the first two days of official coalition negotiations last Wednesday and Friday, experts from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU), Greens (Gruene) and FDP are scheduled to meet this week to discuss policy issues surrounding household spending and the EU. The "Jamaica" parties faced a "difficult job concerning the household", Lindner warned. Jamaica coalition is a term in German politics describing a coalition government among the parties of the CDU/CSU bloc, Free Democratic Party (FDP) and Green. The term refers to an association between the symbolic colors of the parties -- black for the CDU/CSU bloc, yellow for the FDP, and green for Green Party -- and the colors of the national flag of Jamaica. Under ex-finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, Germany has run consecutive annual budget surpluses since 2014 and has posted another near record surplus for the first half of 2017. On the campaign trail, the FDP promised its voters tax reductions worth 40 billion euros (47 billion U.S. dollars) combined with a massive program of public investment. In the SZ report, Lindner ruled out additional sovereign borrowing to meet these ambitious objectives, but otherwise refused to give a firm indication of where the necessary funds should be derived from. Instead, Lindner said the FDP wanted to create a more efficient government, for example by eliminating subsidies for electric vehicles which he claimed were "ineffective". The liberals also intended to sell the government's stakes in the German postal service Deutsche Post and telecommunications provider Deutsche Telekom, using the proceeds to invest in the provision of high-speed internet. Highlighting another potential area of disagreement between the FDP and Greens, Lindner told SZ that he did not consider raising taxes on Germany's highest income earners to be "sensible". File Photo by Xinhua writers Zhu Dongyang, Hu Yousong WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The economic initiatives China is undertaking have fulfilled people's hope that China will be a responsible stakeholder playing a positive and constructive role in the international system, said a U.S. business leader. CHINA'S GLOBALLY BENEFICIAL INITIATIVES "The Belt and Road Initiative is a tremendously beneficial initiative for the world and for the United States," Stephen A. Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua over the weekend. "It's wonderful because those investments are going to lift tens of millions, hundreds of millions of people out of poverty," he said. "That's just a fundamental positive role." Orlins explained that in those places that are actually breeding grounds for terrorists, it is far less likely that terrorism will be bred when the people there get rid of poverty. As for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), it is "a very practical step towards fulfilling the vision of a harmonious world by making investments in countries that need economic development through a beautifully transparent global institution," said Orlins, who visited the bank two weeks ago with a group of U.S. congressmen. "It's a remarkably open transparent global leadership that's headquartered in China. But it is not a Chinese institution. It's an international institution," added the U.S. business leader. "I believe the Belt and Road Initiative; I believe AIIB. I think that the Belt and Road Initiative is exactly what China should be doing," he said. "Positive influence has been shown in places where the people need economic development, where a recreation of the Silk Road is actually a wonderful concept, because economic development will follow that road both in China and in those places." "I would expect the U.S. companies that are already working with Chinese companies to continue to work with them outside of China" within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Orlins said. BOTH STRONG AND PEACEFUL Speaking of the ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, Orlins hailed President Xi Jinping's vision to make China strong and peaceful. "A strong China is really a reflection of its history that for 150 years, there were countries who had exerted extraterritorial privileges in China," said Orlins. "President Xi said that era is over, and we are going to be a strong nation. But he added that China is not going to seek to infringe on anyone else's sovereignty," he added. Orlins noted that China believes in sovereignty and will not allow anyone to infringe on its own sovereignty, but at the same time "China will not be going out and projecting its military power in such a way that it's going to infringe on the sovereignty of others." "It's very consistent with my view of Chinese history tradition and culture that for centuries China built the Great Wall not to attack anybody but to keep invaders out," he said. "History does not generally suggest that China attack foreign countries," he added. "It's peaceful." Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:27:34|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close AMMAN, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Jordanian and Czech businesspeople on Monday explored joint investment opportunities and increased cooperation in the field of industry and trade. At a Jordanian-Czech business forum in Amman, officials from both sides stressed the need for more cooperation, saying that the potential was huge for building partnerships. In a speech at the event, Vladimir Bartl, Czech deputy minister of Industry and Trade, said Jordan is the most stable and safe country in the Middle East with talented human resources and business-friendly environment, which is among the key reasons for doing business in the kingdom. Jordan is continuously investing in infrastructure, development projects, energy projects including nuclear, which is a great potential that can be tapped. "Jordan is a gateway into many markets across the world," the Czech official said. Czech Ambassador to Jordan Petr Hladik said the business mission to Jordan follows a visit by Jordan's Prime Minister Hanu Mulki this summer to the Czech Republic to strengthen ties in various areas. "Today there are businesspeople from the Czech Republic who will meet with their Jordanian counterparts to explore opportunities ... Business to business meetings will help boost trade exchange between the two countries," said the ambassador. Ziad Homsi, chairman of the Amman Chamber of Industry, said the trade volume between the two countries was modest, stressing that the untapped potential is immense. "Jordan is signatory to several trade agreements with the United States, Turley, Canada and the Arab states and business can enjoy access to all these markets," Homsi said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:42:38|Editor: yan Video Player Close NAIROBI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Western diplomats on Monday regretted the withdrawal of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga and his running mate from Thursday's repeat presidential elections and urged them to reconsider boycotting the exercise. The diplomats from the United States, Britain, Germany, Norway and Denmark among others said although they respect Odinga's decision not to participate in the fresh poll, they regret the move. "We have been engaged in efforts to find a way that will encourage them to rejoin, and continue to hope they will do so in light of the progress made at the IEBC and our shared commitment to the democratic electoral process," the envoys said at a joint statement issued during a news conference in Nairobi. "The new election must be carried out in accordance with the Constitution and court order, but it is vital that it be credible and be held in a competitive, peaceful, and participatory environment," said the envoys. Odinga has declared he will not participate in the Thursday's repeat elections, saying the electoral body did not meet the opposition's demands for reforms and resignation of officials who they accused of bungling the previous polls. IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati last week signaled that he could not guarantee a credible vote within the expected timeline. His admission came hours after one IEBC commissioner fled the country, saying she did not want to be party to farce elections. Analysts have warned that the risk of deadly clashes between the two main parties' supporters, or between security forces and groups seeking to block the vote, is high ahead of the polls. The diplomats also urged President Uhuru Kenyatta not to sign into law amendments to the election laws as it will deteriorate the current political stalemate. They condemned the attacks on IEBC officials adding that politicians should shun from using violence or intimidation against institutions. Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook leads a moment of silence for the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando as he opens the company's World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, the United States, June 13, 2016. (Xinhua) BERLIN, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Germany's traditionally business-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) is considering tax raises in what will likely be the next "Jamaica" coalition party, the newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) reported Monday. FDP leader Christian Lindner told SZ that he could "also envision tax increases" as one mean to fulfill some of his party's campaign promises. The proposal challenges the FDP's traditional image as a party which advocates for low taxes, small government, deregulation, and liberalization. Lindner specified, however, that his suggestion was aimed at technology giants such as U.S.-based Apple in particular. According to the FDP leader, a thorough discussion of the taxation models for such firms needed to be elevated to the "top of the agenda" of European Union (EU) and G20 policymakers. By contrast, the core of the FDP's economic program in Germany is still centered on lowering the fiscal burden shouldered by citizens and businesses. Lindner said that his party would only join a "Jamaica" government if the other parties involved agreed to a "trend change in fiscal policy" which included reducing taxes on middle-class Germans. After the first two days of official coalition negotiations last Wednesday and Friday, experts from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU), Greens (Gruene) and FDP are scheduled to meet this week to discuss policy issues surrounding household spending and the EU. The "Jamaica" parties faced a "difficult job concerning the household", Lindner warned. Jamaica coalition is a term in German politics describing a coalition government among the parties of the CDU/CSU bloc, Free Democratic Party (FDP) and Green. The term refers to an association between the symbolic colors of the parties -- black for the CDU/CSU bloc, yellow for the FDP, and green for Green Party -- and the colors of the national flag of Jamaica. Under ex-finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, Germany has run consecutive annual budget surpluses since 2014 and has posted another near record surplus for the first half of 2017. On the campaign trail, the FDP promised its voters tax reductions worth 40 billion euros (47 billion U.S. dollars) combined with a massive program of public investment. In the SZ report, Lindner ruled out additional sovereign borrowing to meet these ambitious objectives, but otherwise refused to give a firm indication of where the necessary funds should be derived from. Instead, Lindner said the FDP wanted to create a more efficient government, for example by eliminating subsidies for electric vehicles which he claimed were "ineffective". The liberals also intended to sell the government's stakes in the German postal service Deutsche Post and telecommunications provider Deutsche Telekom, using the proceeds to invest in the provision of high-speed internet. Highlighting another potential area of disagreement between the FDP and Greens, Lindner told SZ that he did not consider raising taxes on Germany's highest income earners to be "sensible". Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:52:41|Editor: yan Video Player Close VALLETTA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Malta's biggest contributor of the budget surplus registered in 2016 was from the controversial passport scheme, the local media Time of Malta reported on Monday. According to the report issued by Malta's National Statistics Office (NSO) on Monday, a total of 163.5 million euros (192 million U.S. dollars) was derived from the so-called Individual Investor Program (IIP). Time of Malta said that the cash-for-passport scheme is still shrouded in secret with the government refusing to publish the names of those buying Maltese citizenship, which puts them on par with Maltese and EU citizens. The NSO explained the major positive adjustment is the surplus recorded by Extra Budgetary Units of 183.4 million euros, particularly by the setting up of the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF). With these adjustments, the government's consolidated fund registered a surplus of 8.9 million euros. The NDSF receives 70 percent of the contributions under the Individual Investor Programme, which was set up by the government in July 2016. Prior to 2016, the proceeds were temporarily accumulated in a Treasury Clearance Fund account and were recorded as revenue since 2014. Upon the setting up of the NDSF in 2016, IIP contributions started featuring in the Fund. A transfer between the TCF account and the NDSF was necessary, resulting in an equal expenditure and revenue transaction of 43.5 million euros, with no impact on the fiscal balance for 2016. In 2016, the general government registered a surplus of 112.9 million euros, equivalent to 1.1 percent of GDP, shifting from a deficit of 104.1 million euros recorded in the previous year. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:57:42|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Keren Setton JERUSALEM, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- In the southern cities of Israel, the horizon is green and quiet. New houses are being built, and railway tracks are being laid down. Amidst those new beginnings, tractors are driving back and forth along Israel's border with Gaza, erecting a new barrier between the two. The mosque minarets from Gaza blend in with the high-rise buildings from Ashkelon in what can be a confusing image for the naked eye. It's hard to tell where the border lies. With all this quiet, Israel is still hard on the defensive, preparing itself for a future conflict that it is sure will arrive. "Hamas is working 24/7 on how to surprise us and punch us and we are working hard in order to amputate that hand," a senior Israeli military commander tells Xinhua, three years after Israel and Hamas fought their last war. There seems to be a consensus on both sides that another war is merely a matter of time. Hamas was dealt a severe blow during the 2014 conflict. In addition to the lopsided death toll, tens of Israelis, most of them soldiers and thousands of Palestinians, many of them militants, the Gaza Strip was severely damaged. Reconstruction in Gaza has been progressing slowly ever since. Although significant funds, 3.5 billion U.S. dollars, have been promised by the international community, not all has been disbursed according to the World Bank. On the Israeli side, the southern area which was accustomed to barrages of missile fire, things are looking up. "Things are blooming and we feel very safe," says Adi Meiri, the spokeswoman of the Shaar He Negev Regional Council. "This is a blessed calm period," Meiri told Xinhua. Before the last war, when tensions were running high, there was negative immigration from Israel's south. "We are now fully populated, there is a waiting list of people wanting to live here. There is construction that never was before," says Meiri. But the south of Israel is dotted with reminders of a tense past and a potentially problematic future. Shelters are everywhere, never too far to be found. "Hamas is using every resource it has in order to get stronger and improve all of its capabilities," the senior commander said. On several occasions, Israel has claimed Hamas is using money and materials aimed at rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip in order to re-arm itself and upgrade its offensive capabilities. One of the main catalysts of the 2014 war was the discovery of tens of cross border tunnels which Hamas built in order to infiltrate Israel and carry out attacks against soldiers and civilians. According to the Israeli military, these were destroyed during the war. "Hamas is busy digging (new) tunnels underneath the borders with Israel, manufacturing weapons, improving their missile capabilities," said Mkhaimer Abusada, a professor of Political Science at the Gaza Al-Azhar University. "They are wasting no time in improving their military capabilities preparing for the next war, but they are saying they are not interested in another war." "Hamas is putting all of its effort into achieving an image of victory at the beginning of a future conflict," the senior Israeli officer tells Xinhua. "They are counting down the time to the next conflict. Hamas will pick a time that is convenient for them." A tunnel which will allow Hamas militants to enter Israel and attack targets could serve as such an image. But according to Abusada, the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are not interested in a war and neither is Hamas. "Palestinians in Gaza say, why in Gaza? Do we have to keep paying the price? They are exhausted, they are tired...this is the last thing in the minds of the Palestinians," Abusada told Xinhua. Israel's fierce offensive in 2014 left Gaza crippled. To begin with, the territory was not in good shape. One of the poorest, most populated regions in the world, many areas in Gaza were reduced to rubble during the war. While many of the homes that were destroyed during the war have been reconstructed, there is still much more work to be done. These images of damage still serve as a deterrent to Hamas. "Today, it is clear to the other side (Hamas), that the minute they try, our response will be harsh. The equation is working. They are deterred, weakened and think ten times before they act," the senior Israeli commander told Xinhua. Hamas' need for quiet has become increasingly apparent in recent weeks as it agreed, yet again, to begin a reconciliation process with its rival, the Fatah organization led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas forces brutally kicked out the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) from Gaza in 2007. Recently, Abbas has asked Israel to reduce its power supply to the territory in an attempt to increase the pressure on the militant Islamic organization. Gazans are getting by with about four hours of electricity a day. Hamas, in response to the pressure, has agreed to cede some administrative authority in Gaza back to the PNA. "There has never been such a long period of quiet," said the senior Israeli military commander. The quiet is the result convergence of mutual interests and also mutual deterrence. While Israel has the upper hand militarily, Hamas is capable of dealing severe blows to Israel. Currently, neither side have an interest in disturbing the peace, albeit a fake one. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 22:57:43|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BANGKOK, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) welcomed public tip-offs on unauthorized drone flying activities ahead of a royal cremation for late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, local media reported on Monday. Pongsak Semachai, spokesman of the RTAF, reiterated an announcement of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CATT) that drone users are prohibited from flying their craft near Bangkok's Grand Palace, the site of the royal cremation, and surrounding areas within a 19-km radius during the ceremony on Oct. 25-29. He encouraged the public to submit information, tips and photos about activities violating the regulation to the RTAF. His comments came after drones were found flying near the royal cremation site during the procession rehearsals. Violators are liable to a maximum sentence of one year in jail and/or a fine of 40,000 baht (1,176 U.S. dollars). The Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) said earlier this month that all drones in Thailand need to be registered. It said only 350 out of an estimated 50,000 drones had been registered in Thailand. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 23:27:52|Editor: Hou Qiang Video Player Close RABAT, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Tunisia vowed on Monday to further strengthen the bilateral ties, through implementing agreements on cooperation in various fields. The two sides made the pledge at a meeting held between Morocco's Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani and Mehdi Ben Gharbia, the Tunisian minister of relations with the constitutional authorities, civil society and human rights, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office. Both sides underscored the need to continue implementing agreements signed during the last meeting of the joint high-level commission of Morocco and Tunisia, it said. The two countries signed 13 agreements of cooperation that cover the fields of agriculture, investment, civil aviation, vocational training, higher education and employment at the meeting held last June. Othmani and Gharbia also discussed a number of economic and social challenges facing the region and means to address them, the statement said. At the same time, they exchanged views on the latest developments in the Maghreb region and ways to consolidate coordination between the two countries at regional and international levels, it added. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 23:37:55|Editor: Hou Qiang Video Player Close TEHRAN, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Iran provides training in civil defense programs for Iraq, Syria and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, Tasnim news agency reported on Monday. Head of Iran's Civil Defense Organization Brigadier General Gholam Reza Jalali said that his organization has interacted with some countries and shared its experiences with them. "We have provided Syria, Iraq and even Hezbollah with training assistance," he said, adding the organization is prepared to give the countries more training in civil defense at their request. The official referred to the threats against Iran and said that given the aggressive strategy of the United States, Iran faces a new type of compound intelligent threats. MOGADISHU, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The African Union peacekeeping mission (AMISOM) has called for an end to the use of minors in armed conflict in the Horn of Africa nation. The Head of Protection, Human Rights and Gender Cluster at AMISOM, Kareem Adebayo, in a statement issued on Sunday also called for the protection of all Somali children to prevent them from getting involved in armed conflict. "The training that we have just concluded is therefore a pertinent training because in the context of asymmetrical warfare where you have non-state actors who are actively causing havoc where they are; whether in Somalia with Al-Shabaab, whether in Nigeria with Boko Haram or whether in Syria with ISIL - these people use children, they brainwash the children to achieve their dastardly acts," he said. He said the training was critical as every child born in Somalia was at risk of being recruited as a soldier. Adebayo, who is also AMISOM Acting Chief of Staff, was speaking at the conclusion of a 12-day training that involved at least 23 participants drawn from the Somali National Security Forces (military, police and intelligence) and Somalia government officials. The AMISOM-backed Training of Trainers (ToT), which was aimed at preventing the recruitment and use of children as child soldiers in Somalia, noted that the issue of child soldiers is an evil that needs to be eradicated. Lt Col Ewen Turner, Representative of the British Peace Support Team in East Africa, said he was privileged to be part of the groundbreaking effort to rid Somalia of child soldiers. "There is a chance now that a child born in Somalia since the conflict started has a chance to not become directly involved in the fighting," Turner noted. He said he looked forward to similar trainings "delivered by Somalis for Somalia and Somalia people." Adebayo said he expected the participants to transfer the skills learned at the workshop back home and help the country in tackling the issue of child soldiers at the war front. "Every child born in that country (Somalia) is potentially a child soldier unless we have this kind of training. So, the training is to ensure that the Federal Government of Somalia, Somali National Army, Somali Police Force, the federal member states are all alive to their responsibilities that they don't use children as child soldiers," Adebayo added. The acting chief of staff said the training is part of AMISOM's exit strategy, aimed at leaving the country in the able hands of Somalis. The training, which was facilitated by experts in the field of child soldier eradication, saw the participants awarded certificates. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 23:53:05|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close HARARE, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwe government has called for an overhaul of the United Nations system following the reversal of President Robert Mugabe's appointment by the World Health Organization as goodwill ambassador in the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs). WHO director-general Tedros Adhainom Ghebreyesus announced Mugabe's appointment as goodwill ambassador last Wednesday during a WHO conference on NCDs in Montevideo, Uruguay. However, he rescinded the appointment four days later following perceived pressure from Western powers. Ghebreyesus was quoted in the media Sunday as saying that the reversal was in the best interest of the UN. "I have listened carefully to all who have expressed their concerns, and heard the different issues that they have raised," he said. "I have also consulted with the government of Zimbabwe and we have concluded that this decision is in the best interests of the World Health Organization." Zimbabwe's Foreign minister Walter Mzembi, who accompanied Mugabe to the conference, told state media that the UN system needed to be reformed. He said the appointment had been rescinded following pressure by global powerful heavyweights bent on embarrassing Zimbabwe. "What has happened is the reason why the UN system has to be reformed and democratized so that it does not pander to the whims of a few powerful nations," Mzembi said. "It is clear that the UN agencies are not independent and can be rail-roaded into making decisions that please a few nations," he said. Mzembi believes that he is also a victim of the UN system after failing to land the post of UN World Tourism Organization secretary-general earlier in the year after having led in the first round of polling. "I am personally a victim of the goings-on in the UN system. You cannot reform it at the top unless you start with its building blocks or pillars, the UN agencies, bottom up," he said. "My own experiences at the UNWTO are in themselves a global case study on the need for reform," Mzembi said. Mugabe has also in the past called for reforms at the UN, saying some nations, especially in Africa, were being marginalized under the system which favored a few powerhouses. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 00:03:10|Editor: Hou Qiang Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- China will adjust its entry-exit policies to grant easier entry and residence application in some of its local economic zones, said the country's Ministry of Public Security. The updated policies will apply to free trade zones in south China's Guangdong Province and southeast China's Fujian Province, as well as economic zones in northeast China's Jilin Province, eastern Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian Provinces. The revised policies will ensure fast-track permanent residence application procedures for foreigners with official recommendations, support for foreign students' start-ups, accelerated visas and residency application channels for overseas Chinese, among other conveniences. In 2016, the ministry put in place a series of policies for foreigners working in free trade zones in Guangdong and Fujian Provinces. Seven of them were implemented in more economic zones across the country earlier this year. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 00:13:15|Editor: Hou Qiang Video Player Close ALGIERS, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Algeria on Monday strongly condemned the deadly terrorist attack that killed 13 gendarmes in western Niger, APS news agency reported. "Algeria strongly condemns the terrorist attack that targeted a unit of the Nigerien gendarmerie in the village of Ayorou, killing 13 troops who fell in the field of honor, as they were deployed there to secure the border with Mali," Algerian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "We extend our sincere condolences to the victims' families and express our full solidarity with the Nigerien government and people," said the statement. Algeria will remain convinced that "whatever the sacrifices are, the Nigerien people, the army and the armed forces will be able to repel terrorism and thwart its bloody plots." Algeria, which "has always demonstrated its solidarity with brotherly countries and peoples, will continue to support the collective effort aiming at strengthening counter-terrorism strategy at the regional and international levels." As many as 13 Nigerien gendarmes were killed and 5 others were wounded when gunmen on pick-up trucks and motorcycles raided their base in western Niger, local media reported on Saturday. The attack occurred near the spot where four U.S. soldiers were killed in ambush on Oct. 4. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 00:13:17|Editor: Hou Qiang Video Player Close BERLIN, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The German government has approved the controversial sale of three military submarines to Israel following a month-long delay on Monday. Chancellor Angela Merkel's official spokesperson, Steffen Seibert, told press that Germany would sign an official treaty detailing the confidential level of government subsidies offered in the arms sale by Berlin later on Monday. According to reports, Germany has agreed to cover up to a third of the total cost of 1.5 billion euros (1.8 billion U.S. dollars) out of a historical sense of responsibility for Israel's security. The sum would amount to "540 million euros at most" spread across several federal budgets between 2018 and 2027, Seibert was quoted saying. The sale of three submarines by the Kiel-based defense manufacturer Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems became the subject of media speculation after it was temporarily halted by the German government on suspicion of corruption. However, "all relevant perspectives," including ongoing investigations by Israeli authorities, have now been considered in the agreement. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 00:13:18|Editor: Hou Qiang Video Player Close ALGIERS, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Algerian counterterrorism forces on Monday arrested a female terrorist in an operation conducted in the northeast of the country. According to a statement of Defense Ministry, the operation was part of the fight against terrorism, as an army unit in Jijel province arrested a 69-year-old female terrorist, nicknamed H. Sherifa. She was the widow of a terrorist killed by army forces and she is a mother of two other terrorists who were also killed by army in a previous operation. The statement pointed out that this female terrorist had joined terrorist groups in 1996. Army troops have been conducting a wide-scale dragging operation in the dense woods of Laaouana, in Jijel, since Sunday, as two dangerous terrorists were killed and two others were arrested, while four women and a toddler were found hidden in a bunker. Located in a region plagued by unprecedented security and political instability, Algeria faces ongoing terrorist threats. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 00:23:22|Editor: yan Video Player Close TIRANA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Albanian Naval Forces rescued Monday 115 Syrian immigrants who had departed from the Turkish coastal area and were travelling toward the Greek island of Chios, Albanian defense ministry said. The rescue was achieved thanks to Albanian "Oriku" ship on mission in the Aegean Sea. Albanian Naval Force informed that they were noticed by the "Oriku" crew who also signaled the Turkish and Greek units. There have been two consecutive rescue operations of the Albanian team which for almost a year represents Albania in the NATO operation "Sea Guardian" in the Aegean, the defense ministry said in its statement. The ship of the Albanian Naval Force is engaged in the NATO operation in the Aegean for prevention of influx of illegal emigrants who attempt to enter into the European Union countries. The "Oriku" has taken part since December 2016 in the NATO operation in the Aegean. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 00:23:25|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close LISBON, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The car hiring app firm Uber announced on Monday that it would be opening a European center of excellence in Lisbon. The operations and support center will be "the principal source of knowledge for users and drivers throughout the European region," the firm told local media. It will also support the Lisbon launch of UberEATS, a food delivery service. The company said it chose Lisbon because it is a growing market and because of its ability to provide a multilingual staff. Lisbon defeated Limerick (Ireland), Krakow (Poland) and Paris (France) to attract the new headquarters. Uber is available in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve. It began operating in Portugal in 2014 and has around 3,000 drivers. Portuguese taxi drivers have repeatedly protested, saying that Uber drivers do not comply with industry regulations and licensing standards. A number of injunctions brought by the National Association of Road Carriers and Passenger Cars have sought to outlaw the company. The app was briefly banned by the Court of Lisbon, although the ruling was ultimately bypassed. Basing the center in Lisbon will create 250 new jobs. It is due to open in 2018. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 00:23:26|Editor: yan Video Player Close ANKARA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday urged European leaders to give full EU membership to Turkey that would in turn help the bloc in overcoming its chronic problems. Erdogan called on European states to "stop targeting Turkey." "A Europe without Turkey will only lead to isolation, desperation and civil strife. Turkey does not need Europe, but Europe needs Turkey," Erdogan said in Ankara. "Though they do not want to see it, Turkey and its full membership is the cure for their chronic problems," he was quoted by state-run Anadolu Agency as saying. The Turkish president called on European leaders to stop targeting Turkey and return to their "common sense." Turkey applied for membership in the European Economic Community (a precursor to the EU) in 1987. It became eligible for EU membership in 1997 and accession talks began in 2005. Erdogan also blasted the controversial body search on Turkish citizens by Austrian authorities with dogs at an airport in Vienna on Oct. 13, described the move a "disgrace." "They search my citizens coming from the west to Turkey with dogs. How can such a disgrace happen?" he said. The footage was shared on social media of a customs official making a police dog sniff-search passengers and their belongings, while customers were waiting to board a Turkish Airlines flight at Vienna's Schwechat Airport. Istanbul Airport authorities reportedly responded this move by body searching a number of passengers bound for Austria with dogs. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 00:23:26|Editor: yan Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Monday that ten bodies of the 17 missing mountaineers who were climbing Mount Otgontenger were found. At a press conference, Brigadier General and first deputy head of the National Emergency Management Agency G. Ariunbuyan said these bodies were found at an altitude of 3200-3450 meters, saying that these mountaineers may have fallen from the cliff. The 17 Mongolians, including seven women, were among a group of 27 mountain climbers who successfully stood on Mount Otgontenger, but they ran into a snow avalanche when they descended. Local emergency services immediately launched a rescue operation on the day and Mongolia's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) also held an emergency meeting to consider sending a reinforcement team after receiving the information by 2:30 p.m. (0630 GMT) from one of the 10 mountaineers who got down. Currently, more than 100 people are conducting a search and rescue operation with the help of two helicopters and other equipment. However, due to the cold and windy weather in the Otgontenger mountain area, rescuers decided to pause the operation until the next day. Mongolian Environment and Tourism Minister Namsrai Tserenbat stressed at the emergency meeting that the ascent to Mount Otgontenger was banned from 2015. Mongolian Prime Minister Ulziisaikhan Enkhtuvshin, who also heads the State Commission for Emergency Situations, instructed Major-General T.Badral, the head of the NEMA, to intensify the search. Otgontenger is 4,008 meters above the mean sea level and is the only peak in the Khangai range that is capped with a permanent glacier. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 00:28:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj on Monday called for a prompt return of the Spanish Embassy in Libya to resume its mission. According to the prime minister's media office, Serraj made the remarks during the accreditation of the new Spanish Ambassador to Libya Francisco de Miguel. "Serraj expressed hope that the Spanish embassy would resume its work in the capital Tripoli as soon as possible, stressing that the ambassador's exercise of his duties in Tripoli will have a positive impact on the development of relations between Libya and Spain," the media office said. Miguel confirmed Madrid's support for Serraj's administration and effort to achieve stability in Libya, stressing Spain's aspiration to develop cooperation with Libya in all fields, the office said. Embassies of Netherlands, Hungary and South Korea in Libya returned to Tripoli last week after more than three years of closure due to deteriorating security conditions in the country. Most foreign embassies and missions left Tripoli in July 2014, following the outbreak of violent clashes between rival armed groups, which created the current political division in the country. Turkish presient Erdogan urges European leaders to give full EU membership toTurkey, which would in turn help EU in overcoming its chronic problems. (Xinhua Photo) ANKARA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday urged European leaders to give full EU membership to Turkey that would in turn help the bloc in overcoming its chronic problems. Erdogan called on European states to "stop targeting Turkey." "A Europe without Turkey will only lead to isolation, desperation and civil strife. Turkey does not need Europe, but Europe needs Turkey," Erdogan said in Ankara. "Though they do not want to see it, Turkey and its full membership is the cure for their chronic problems," he was quoted by state-run Anadolu Agency as saying. The Turkish president called on European leaders to stop targeting Turkey and return to their "common sense." Turkey applied for membership in the European Economic Community (a precursor to the EU) in 1987. It became eligible for EU membership in 1997 and accession talks began in 2005. Erdogan also blasted the controversial body search on Turkish citizens by Austrian authorities with dogs at an airport in Vienna on Oct. 13, described the move a "disgrace." "They search my citizens coming from the west to Turkey with dogs. How can such a disgrace happen?" he said. The footage was shared on social media of a customs official making a police dog sniff-search passengers and their belongings, while customers were waiting to board a Turkish Airlines flight at Vienna's Schwechat Airport. Istanbul Airport authorities reportedly responded this move by body searching a number of passengers bound for Austria with dogs. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 00:58:38|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close CLARK, the Philippines, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan said on Monday that China is willing to work closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to forge a community with shared future and build a safer Asia. Chang, who is attending the 11th ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and the 4th ADMM-Plus meeting, said China and ASEAN countries are bonded by a shared future. "China will stick to the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in the cooperation with our neighbors, and stand for a concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security in Asia," Chang told his ASEAN counterparts. Chang said China will actively promote the multi-field and multi-level cooperation with ASEAN countries, including joint sea drills and stronger cooperation in counter-terrorism. "China is ready to provide a safe environment for the cooperation of Belt And Road Initiative and make contributions to further strengthen ties with ASEAN countries to build a community with shared future," Chang said, adding China is pushing for a hotline on defense cooperation with ASEAN. The ASEAN defense ministers lauded China's contributions to the regional peace and stability. They also expressed their willingness to strengthen strategic communication and enhance defense cooperation with China. They hoped to cope with difficulties and challenges so as to safeguard regional development and prosperity together with China. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 01:33:47|Editor: yan Video Player Close GENEVA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The international donor community on Monday pledged more than 344 million U.S. dollars to urgently ramp up the delivery of critical humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh. Funding was also pledged for the humanitarian response inside Myanmar, said the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, in a statement after international donors met in Geneva. Violence, insecurity and growing humanitarian needs have sent nearly 600,000 Rohingya from the northern Rakhine state in Myanmar into Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh since Aug. 25 in the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world, according to UNHCR. "Humanitarian donors have today expressed their solidarity and compassion with the families and communities in need," said Mark Lowcock, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. "These very generous pledges must now quickly translate into life-saving relief for the vulnerable refugees and support to host communities who have been stretched to the limit," he said. A total of 35 pledges were made at the conference in Geneva co-organized by the UN migration agency IOM, the UN refugee agency UNHCR, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, with Kuwait and the European Union as co-hosts. "More than 800,000 stateless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh aspire to a life that meets their immediate needs for food, medicine, water, and shelter," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. The UN and its partners have launched a response plan for six months from September 2017 to February 2018 to meet the needs of a combined 1.2 million newly arrived and existing refugees and their Bangladeshi hosts. UNHCR said the appeal seeks 434 million U.S. dollars, and pledges made Monday will increase the funding level of this plan. A preliminary list of pledges announced today is available here. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 01:38:50|Editor: yan Video Player Close CAIRO, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian troops killed six terrorists on Monday in the country's restive North Sinai province, army spokesman said. The terrorists were killed when troops from the second field army raided their bases in the province, said Egypt's military spokesman Tamer al-Refaay in a statement. Large quantities of weapons and ammunition were also seized during the operation, the spokesman added. On Saturday, Egyptian Interior Ministry announced that 16 policemen were killed and another went missing in a shootout with terrorists on Friday in the western desert. A wave of terror activities that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers hit Egypt since the military ousted former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule. Terror attacks were mainly centered in North Sinai, but it has in recent months spread nationwide, leaving hundreds of policemen and soldiers dead. A militant group loyal to the regional Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks. Meanwhile, security raids killed hundreds of militants and arrested a similar number of suspects as part of the country's anti-terror war. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 01:48:54|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on Monday called on the international community to unite against Al-Shabab and its brutality. The president made the remarks during his short briefing to journalists upon his arrival to Addis Ababa on Monday. He said the worst single explosion in Mogadishu's history on Oct. 14, which has left at least 358 dead and 56 others unaccounted for, is critical to "unite against our enemy, Al-Shabab, who committed atrocity on innocent people." "This threat is not only a threat to Somalia but also to our neighboring countries," Mohammed said. "That is why I am here to seek support and solidarity from our brothers here in Ethiopia." Mohammed praised Ethiopia for its help to Somalia in the aftermath of the terrorist bombing, which also injured more than 200 people. According to the Ethiopian foreign ministry, Mohammed is expected to meet Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on ways of further reinforcing the peace and tranquility of Somalia in particular and the region in general. Desalegn had previously called on regional leaders to work together to bring lasting peace and security in Somalia and the Horn of Africa region. According to Desalegn, insufficient support from the international community is creating huge burden on the peacekeeping mission in Somalia. On 6th liberation anniversary, Libyans carry on with life in mix of frustration, hope. (Xinhua Photo) TRIPOLI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Six years have passed since the liberation that ended the rule by late strongman leader Muammar Gaddafi, many Libyans are feeling frustrated today while still clinching to the hope for a better future. Nowadays, in the eyes of many Libyans, the Oct. 23, 2011 liberation is a failure, as the country has since been torn in a spiral of violence and terror due to a civil war has been gripping the once rich North African country. "It is a new day of disappointment for most of the Libyan people. We only witnessed killing and destruction of our country," Mohamed Al-Jali, a 23-year-old student at Tripoli University, told Xinhua. He said the politicians in the February 2011 uprising once promised that the monthly salary will jump to 4,000 Libyan dinars, but the reality now is the vast majority of the people today cannot even earn 500 dinars (equivalent to about 60 dollars on the black market) a month. "They humiliatingly spend days and nights in front of banks to withdraw only small part of their savings." Al-Jali added. Indeed, Libya is suffering from a severe financial crisis, as people can only withdraw 500 Libyan dinars from their bank accounts every two months because local banks lack funds. Then October 2011 liberation from the Gaddafi rule came after battles between rebels, supported by the U.S.-led western powers, and the regime's forces for more than eight months. But the liberation did not bring about peace, stability and better life as many had hoped. On the opposite, it opened the Pandora box of violence and terror attacks. "The revolution only brought destruction and terrorism. The death of our people became common everyday," said Ibtisam Naili, a university professor who dubbed the 2011 revolution "a crime against our suffering people." The uprising led to further social division in the country with a long tradition of tribes. Today, some Libyans still hate some tribes because they support the Gaddafi regime, Naili noted. Abdullah Al-Rais, a political analyst, echoed the assessment. "The revolution divided the people into supporters and opponents, which is very dangerous and threatens social peace for years," he told Xinhua. Ali Hadid, who used to be a member of the rebels in Misrata city, described the 2011 revolution as flawless, but admitting it became a failure because "we failed to implement its objectives." "If its objectives were implemented, Libya would have been an example of revolutionary nationalism," Hadid said, recalling the celebration held after the downfall of the Gaddafi regime in 2011, which was even hailed by many of Gaddafi supporters. He pointed out that the revolution called for freedom, human rights, and liberation from security oppression, which appealed to many Libyans at that time. Fatima Al-Magrahi, a social researcher from southern Libya, told Xinhua that joy has been absent from Libya for six years now. He said it is hard to celebrate the uprising as terror attacks, bloodshed and displacement are plaguing this country. Nevertheless, there is still hope that peace will prevail the war-torn country, where a civil war drags on between the internationally recognized government based in the eastern city of Tobruk and the rival New General National Congress based in Tripoli. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed hope on Monday that next year would witness the holding of presidential and legislative elections in Libya that would help Libya end the state of uncertainty and start the process of transition to security and peace. It said that "the aspirations of the Libyan people of stability, development and prosperity would be realized." Signs of hope have emerged as two UN-sponsored dialogues of the Libyan unified drafting committee, representing the House of Representatives and the Higher Council of State, were held in Tripoli to discuss amendment of the current political agreement. It was agreed to form a new Presidential Council of three members instead of nine, and separating it from the government. All what remains is an agreement on the mechanisms for selecting the members of the council and the prime minister, as well as defining the functions of each body. Ghassan Salame, head of the UN mission, proposed an action plan to end Libya's political stalemate. It includes amendment of the current UN-sponsored political agreement, holding a UN-sponsored national conference for all of Libya's political factions, adopting a constitution, and finally electing a president and a parliament. Al-Magrahi believed that more and more Libyans will turn the page on the 2011 uprising, and seek to rebuild the war-torn country. "The Libyan people must ignore the anniversary of liberation, not to diminish the supporters of the revolution, but to overcome the past, and start over and try to build our country with everyone's efforts," he said. Al-Rais also sounded an optimistic tone when looking into Libya's future. After so many years of suffering, many Libyans now realize that they have to overcome the past, including the revolution and the liberation, and move on with their life, he said. Al-Rais cited the new change in the relationship between two of his neighbors, who have become friends now though they used to take opposite stances toward the 2011 uprising. "When I asked about this change, they told me they will no longer remain enemies because of their positions. This makes me optimistic for the future," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 01:58:58|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close KHARTOUM, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Sudan on Monday donated more than 5,600 school uniforms to basic school students in Sudan. The donation was part of a project co-launched by the Chinese embassy and a Sudanese non-governmental organization aiming at providing uniforms to basic school students in Sudan. "In recent years, the Chinese Embassy in Sudan has cooperated with Al Birr and Al Tawasoul as well as other non-governmental organizations to implement more than 10 such projects in many Sudanese states," Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Li Lianhe said at the donation ceremony held at a school in the south of Khartoum. Li commended these projects for playing "a positive role in improving the educational circumstances in these schools." Batoul Al-Haj Al-Sheikh Al-Zaki, deputy secretary-general of Al Birr and Al Tawasoul organization, praised the school uniforms project as "a fruit of the standing cooperation between the Chinese embassy and the organization." "We hope the project would motivate our students to focus on their studies. The project is expanding remarkably with the increasing number of students who benefited from it," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 02:04:00|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close BERLIN, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Thomas Mueller will be sidelined for three weeks after suffering a thigh injury, Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich announced in an official statement on Monday. The Germany international sustained a torn muscle in his right upper thigh in Saturday's 1-0 victory over Hamburg and will be unavailable for around three weeks. Mueller was fielded in the 46 minute and assisted Corentin Tolisso for the only goal of the match before he was taken off ten minutes later. As a result, Bayern will be without one of their key performers in crucial weeks. Mueller will miss two games against Leipzig, in the German Cup and in the Bundesliga. He will also miss the UEFA Champions League match against Celtic. The 28-year-old striker joined Bayern as a youth player in 2000 before he made his breakthrough into the first team. Mueller made overall 298 appearances and provided 104 assists and 112 goals. His performances on the pitch earned him spot in Germany's national team where he made his senior debut in 2010 to mark 37 goals in 89 international caps ever since. Bayern Munich sit currently on the 2nd place of the Bundesliga standings. They are equal on points with front-runners Borussia Dortmund but they have a weaker goal difference. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 02:14:02|Editor: yan Video Player Close RIGA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Over 500 people gathered in Riga Old City on Monday to demonstrate against the government's plan to switch the language of instruction in all public high schools -- including ethnic minority schools -- to Latvian, local media reported. Most of the protesters at the rally were elderly people and children. Many of them held signs with slogans such as "Minority schools are Latvia's assets." Some of the demonstrators who were interviewed by public radio said they joined the protest because they wanted their children and grandchildren to be taught their native tongue at school. "Why should we lose our culture? Language is the source of everything," said a woman named Ludmila. Gunta Araja, a deputy state secretary at the Latvian Education and Science Ministry, told reporters on Monday that the ministry's officials had asked the protesters to delegate their representatives for talks on the language issue, but the protesters were not ready to engage in talks. Guntars Catlaks, head of the Latvian National Center for Education, said that the motives of the protest were not quite clear since its participants refused to communicate with the government. The Education and Science Ministry has not received any written statements or questions from the organizers of the protest, Araja said. Catlaks rejected claims that young ethnic Russians do not want to learn in Latvian, because minority school students can choose in which language to take their graduation exams, and 93 percent of them choose Latvian. The Latvian government decided earlier this month that in three years, all core academic subjects in Latvia's public high schools will be taught only in the Latvian language. However, students at Latvia's ethnic minority schools will still be able to learn culture-related subjects, literature and history in their native language. File Photo: A demonstration is held to protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, outside the White House in Washington D.C. June 1, 2017. (Xinhua/Yan Liang) WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sparked a new wave of criticism for blocking two of its scientists and one contractor from speaking on climate change at a scientific conference in Rhode Island on Monday. EPA research ecologist Autumn Oczkowski, EPA postdoctoral fellow Rose Martin and EPA consultant Emily Shumchenia were originally scheduled to make presentations at the event, which was designed to discuss the health of Narragansett Bay, a bay and estuary situated on the eastern side of Rhode Island, and release a relevant report. EPA spokesman John Konkus told U.S. media that "EPA scientists are attending, they simply are not presenting, it is not an EPA conference." The New York Times said the move "highlights widespread concern that the EPA will silence government scientists from speaking publicly or conducting work on climate change." Scott Pruitt, the agency's administrator, has said that he does not believe human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are primarily responsible for global warming. The Washington Post reported that the move was "sparking criticism from some academics and congressional Democrats." "It's definitely a blatant example of the scientific censorship we all suspected was going to start being enforced at EPA," John King, a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who chairs the science advisory committee of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, was quoted as saying. "They don't believe in climate change, so I think what they're trying to do is stifle discussions of the impacts of climate change." Jack Reed, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, tweeted: "Muzzling #EPA scientists won't do anything to address #climatechange. We need well-informed policy & action." The administration of President Donald Trump, who once called climate change a "hoax," has already taken a series of actions reversing his predecessor Barack Obama's climate policies, including withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change. The Trump administration's anti-climate stance was widely criticized both at home and abroad. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 02:44:12|Editor: yan Video Player Close KIEV, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian government will allocate about 18.8 million U.S. dollars from the state budget next year to support the development of the cinema industry, the cabinet's press service announced on Monday. The funds will be directed for the financing and co-financing of 80 films and other movie projects, the cabinet said in a statement. According to the Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, the aid is aimed at attracting investment in Ukraine's cinematography and popularizing Ukrainian films abroad. "We have a potential to become an influential and an iconic country on the global cinema map," the statement quoted Groysman as saying. Ukraine signed a framework agreement with China last month to push forward joint cooperation in film and media industries. The deal, among other things, lays the foundation for the joint production of movies and other media content between the two countries. Ukraine has also signed agreements with Israel and Canada on joint film production. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 02:44:13|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is "very, very close" to making a decision on who is going to lead the Federal Reserve. Trump made the remarks when asked about the timeline for Fed chair decision at the beginning of a meeting with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Oval Office. Trump's choice for the next Fed chair is narrowed down to a short list of three to five people, including current Fed chair Janet Yellen, whose term expires in February. In an interview with Fox Business, Trump responded to question on the next Fed chair choice and said that "most people are saying it's down to two: Mr. Taylor, Mr. Powell. I also met with Janet Yellen, who I like a lot. I really like her a lot. So, I have three people that I'm looking at, and there are a couple of others." Trump recently has had interviews with Yellen, current Fed governor Jerome Powell, Stanford University economist John Taylor, and former Fed governor Keven Warsh in discussion about the Fed chair job. White House's National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn is also under consideration for the job. Local media went that Powell and Taylor were the front-runners for the Fed chair job. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 03:04:19|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- A senior Russian National Guard lieutenant was shot dead after killing four fellow servicemen at a military base in the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya in southern Russia, Russian media reported Monday, quoting the National Guard's press service. According to preliminary information, the senior officer fatally injured four of his fellow servicemen at one of Chechnya's military units at around 4:00 p.m. local time (1:00 p.m. GMT). "The serviceman who opened fire in the barracks was eliminated by the on-duty team," a National Guard spokesman said. The military investigation service has launched an inquiry into the incident, but no immediate information about the causes of the incident or the shooter's motive is available for the moment, according to the spokesman. Chinese Embassy in Sudan on Monday donated 5,600 school uniforms to basic school students in Sudan. (Xinhua Photo) KHARTOUM, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Sudan on Monday donated more than 5,600 school uniforms to basic school students in Sudan. The donation was part of a project co-launched by the Chinese embassy and a Sudanese non-governmental organization aiming at providing uniforms to basic school students in Sudan. "In recent years, the Chinese Embassy in Sudan has cooperated with Al Birr and Al Tawasoul as well as other non-governmental organizations to implement more than 10 such projects in many Sudanese states," Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Li Lianhe said at the donation ceremony held at a school in the south of Khartoum. Li commended these projects for playing "a positive role in improving the educational circumstances in these schools." Batoul Al-Haj Al-Sheikh Al-Zaki, deputy secretary-general of Al Birr and Al Tawasoul organization, praised the school uniforms project as "a fruit of the standing cooperation between the Chinese embassy and the organization." "We hope the project would motivate our students to focus on their studies. The project is expanding remarkably with the increasing number of students who benefited from it," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 03:24:24|Editor: yan Video Player Close BANJUL, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Gambia's foreign affairs ministry on Monday refuted a report quoting Foreign Minister Ousainou Darboe as calling for the resignation of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe amid a political crisis. "The Ministry has registered with dismay the publication made by Reuters News Agency on Monday 23rd October 2017 that the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ousainou Darboe has called for the resignation of the President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbe," said a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad (MoFA). According to the statement, the view expressed by the foreign minister in the interview with the news agency was that the decision for President Faure to stay in power or not is the sole and sovereign decision of the people of Togo. "There is no reason warranting the Government of the Republic of The Gambia to take a position, since the Togolese people continue to make efforts to find a solution to the crisis," it added. The statement stressed that the Gambia and the Republic of Togo remain bonded by strong ties of brotherhood and friendship and it is the wish of the two Heads of State that these relations be further strengthened in the coming years. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 03:29:26|Editor: yan Video Player Close ROME, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) statistical office confirmed Italy's deficit at 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016, down from 2.6 percent in the previous year, the Italian Institute of Statistics ISTAT said on Monday. The country's public debt was 132.0 percent of GDP at the end of last year, up by 0.5 percentage points compared to the end of 2015. The Italian government expenditure was 49.4 percent of GDP, down from 50.2 percent in 2015. Eurostat's figures were based on the statistics provided by Italy (and all the other member states, as requested by EU rules) for the application of excessive deficit procedure in late September, the Italian agency explained in a report. The EU statistical office did not express reservations on Italian data, which were therefore the same already unveiled by ISTAT on Sept. 22. Italy's key parameters, however, remained overall above European levels. The average deficit-to-GDP ratio last year was at 1.5 percent within the euro-zone, and at 1.7 percent in the whole EU (against 2.1 and 2.4 percent in 2015, respectively). The debt-to-GDP ratio dropped to 88.9 percent from 89.9 percent in the euro-zone, and to 83.2 percent from 84.5 percent in the EU, according to Eurostat. Italy's debt remains the second largest in the EU after that of Greece. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 04:04:37|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Relja Dusek VODNJAN, Croatia, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Croatia's Istria is often described for its lush forests, vineyards and medieval hilltop towns. As regards olive oil production,the county is a step ahead of some other areas in Europe. In the last few years, this heart-shaped peninsula in Croatia has become a global leader in high-quality olive oil production. The Flos Olei, an Italian annual catalog of the best olive oil, hailed Istria as the best olive oil region in 2015 and 2016. More than 50 Istrian olive oil brands are included in the best 500 in the world. Olives have always been important in Istria. Over the last 20 years, a new generation of young olive oil producers revived old tradition and improved it in a better way. Sandi Chiavalon is one of th producers who changed everything. When he was just 13, his grandfather gave him 30 olive trees as a present. His father and grandfather died on that same year, and Sandi planted his first 100 olive trees to honor them. Although his family had never been into agriculture business, he was always dreaming to become a farmer, and each year he would plant 100 or more new trees. In 2007, he took a loan and planted 2,000 olive trees. His elder brother, Tedi Chiavalon, joined him and now they run a very successful family business. "Today, we have 7,500 olive trees, and we take care of 2,500 more from our neighbors and partners. Last year we produced 16,000 liters of olive oil and we expect to reach the maximum of 40,000 liters in seven years", Tedi Chiavlon, also co-owner of the Chiavalon company, told Xinhua. Tedi is responsible for the management while the younger Sandi is behind everything in the field. He is the one who started the business and revolutionized the way it is done. "Twenty years ago, people in Istria would harvest in December, even January, just to get more oil from the olives. I was among the first who started an early harvest in October. They all thought I was crazy, but soon after the first awards came, people changed their behavior and now 90 percent of producers do the harvest in the first three weeks of October", Sandi told Xinhua. He explained that early harvest guarantees the best quality. "Out of 100 kilos, we get seven to nine liters of oil. It is not much. If we would wait for just a month, we could get two or even three times more, but then it would not be the best in the world", he said. The Chiavalon brothers are well aware that they cannot fight on the global market with the quantity. Quality is all they have. "We have adopted the kind of a quality chain, starting from the soil and finishing with the final product in a way that we can guarantee to our customers only the best quality", Tedi emphasized. Apart from early harvest, another secret of the perfect olive oil is location. Istria is the most northern region in Europe where olives grow. Just a few steps up north and there are no olive trees anymore. "It is a perfect climate for olive trees. It is not so hot as in a south, so quality is much better. Also, Istrian red soil and high amount of stones are ideal for trees because they preserve humidity", Sandi explained. He argued that the knowledge and new technologies are still vital to get a competitive product. "It is very important for us to shorten the gap between harvesting and processing in the mill. If you want the top quality of the oil, you have to go to the mill on the same day of the harvest. We do it in maximum four or five hours, so we have oil just a few hours after the harvest", Sandi said. Since their production is growing every year, local mills couldn't handle so many olives, so the brothers decided to invest in their own mill. "It is arriving this week, and I think this will be a new chapter of our business", he noted. Thousands of visitors come each year to their house in Vodnjan to taste the oil and get a bottle of it. "This is one of the most amazing products I tasted in my life. And, remember, I'm a French, I'm used to very good wines and products, but this is something special. When you see the balance of nature and how natural things are here, when you see the love of people doing what they do, it makes sense to spend time here and learn more about olive oil and production", a visitor who gave his name as David told Xinhua. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 04:04:40|Editor: yan Video Player Close KIGALI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- A Nile Basin countries forum kicked off in Rwanda's capital city Kigali highlighting cooperation in the use of Nile Basin waters. Different and conflicting needs of upstream and downstream water users should be the best basis and reason for cooperation in the use of Nile Basin waters, Rwanda's minister of environment Vincent Biruta said at the opening of the 5th Nile Basin Development Forum (NBDF). The forum runs from Oct. 23 to 25, under the theme "Investing in Nile Cooperation for a Water Secure Future." More than 500 participants including ministers in charge of water affairs and other government officials in Nile Basin countries, members of Parliament, water resource managers, environmentalists, economists, development planners, academia and researchers, are attending the meeting. "Investing in Nile cooperation is not an option, but a must if we are to properly and sustainably address the issue of water security within the Nile Basin," said Biruta. The Rwandan minister mentioned the need for the Nile Basin countries to work together to reduce poverty, foster socio-economic development as well as promote sustainable use of natural resources. According to the organizers, the meeting is aimed to create communities of people who are well informed, actively engaged in and promoting Nile cooperation as the only means of achieving sustainable management and development of the shared Nile Basin water resources as well as addressing shared risks, threats and challenges across the Basin. Innocent Ntabana, Executive Director of Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), said growing population, economies of the Nile states, as well as the impact of climate change pose uncertainty about water availability and demand. By 2050, the population living within the Nile Basin boundaries is projected to reach 1 billion from the current 257 million, representing 53 percent of the total population of Nile Basin countries, according to projections from Nile Basin countries. The Nile Basin Initiative brings together Nile Basin countries including Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Tanzania. US-led airstrike kills 14 civilians and wounds 32 others on Monday in Syria's eastern city of Deir al-Zour. (Xinhua Photo) DAMASCUS, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 civilians were killed and 32 others wounded on Monday in a U.S.-led airstrike in Syria's eastern city of Deir al-Zour, the state TV reported. The strike targeted the government-controlled Al-Qosoor neighborhood in the city, said the report. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the identity of the warplanes, which carried out the airstrike, is unknown. The United States has been backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in their push to drive out the Islamic State (IS) militants from areas in the northern countryside of Deir al-Zour. Meanwhile, the government forces continued to advance against IS in the southeastern countryside of Deir al-Zour, after stripping IS of the al-Mayadeen city, one of the IS key strongholds in Deir al-Zour province. People are seen through a bullet hole on a broken window as they wait in line to cross the border to Russia on September 12, 2014 in Izvaryne, a border post near Krasnodon, eastern Ukraine. (Xinhua/AFP) MOSCOW, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Border Guards Service said Monday it had detained a heavily armed Ukrainian national who attempted to cross the Russian border illegally. A 31-year-old Ukrainian, attempting to cross the border in the Russian Kursk region, opened fire at the border guards who stopped him and "received gunshot wounds of moderate severity" during the return fire, it said in a statement. The offender carried an entire arsenal of two pistols with 50 5.45 mm caliber cartridges, five hand grenades and 26 ampoules with a liquid substance of gray color, presumably mercury, the statement said. The Border Guards Service provided no further details, noting that investigation of the incident has been underway. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari give a press conference following their meeting in Moscow on October 23, 2017. (AFP PHOTO) MOSCOW, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday called on the Iraqi government and the Kurdish community to settle all issues through dialogue, following talks with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari. "They (the talks) confirmed Russia's position in favor of settling all issues between the Government of Iraq and the leadership of the Kurdish autonomy through constructive, mutually respectful dialogue on the basis of unity and territorial integrity of Iraq," Lavrov said at a joint press conference. The minister said the Iraqi government does not reject Kurds, prohibit their culture or destroy their monuments, and that it is ripe for finding a way of coexistence of the two sides in a unified Iraq. "We have not seen a war so far, hopefully, there will be no war between the Iraqi government troops and the Kurds," he said. Tensions in Iraq have been escalating since the Sept. 25 referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan in which over 90 percent of Kurds supported secession from the Middle East country. Iraq, as well as the United States, Turkey, Iran and Syria, refused to acknowledge the results. Portable Magic: The Art of the Book PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) Algeria on Monday warned spillover of terrorism with return of foreign Islamic State fighters. (Xinhua Photo) ALGIERS, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Algeria on Monday warned that terrorist threat that target the Sahel and the Corn of Africa region would expand to other regions amid poor living conditions and the return of foreign fighters to Africa. This warning was uttered at the first meeting of the Global Counterterrorism Forum's Capacity-building in the West Africa Region Working Group, which kicked off on Monday in the Algerian capital of Algiers. In his opening remarks, Algerian Foreign Minister, Abdelkader Messahel said the international community is mobilizing major means to eradicate the terrorist threat all over the world. The Algerian Foreign Minister outlined the main terrorist relating challenges that faces the region, in addition to ways and means to counter them. He mentioned, for instance, the risk of the return of foreign terrorist fighters to the African Sahel after the losses inflicted by international coalition to the terrorist group of Daesh in Syria and Iraq. Messahel suggested reinforcing border security cooperation, and improve living conditions of regions' population, including youngsters, to deter them from joining terror fiefs in exchange of money. He further underlined the importance to dry financial sources for terrorist groups, including ransom payment, as well as drug and arms trafficking, which provide huge sums of money to these groups, making them more powerful. Co-chaired by Algeria and Canada, the Working Group of Capacity-building in the West Africa Region promotes regional and international cooperation and discuss capacity-building gaps specific to the African Sahel region and identifying solutions. This two-day meeting is also attended by international and regional organizations, including the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union. It precedes first regional meeting of the Global Counterterrorism Forum due Wednesday in Algiers, as it will discuss the relationship between transnational organized crime and terrorism. This meeting was also an opportunity to observe one minute's silence for Nigerien and U.S. soldiers killed recently in terrorist attack in Niger. Algeria is a founding member of the Global Counterterrorism Forum, and has already hosted expert-level meetings in 2016 to discuss topics related to the role of criminal justice in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel, and the role of democracy in countering and combating violent extremism and terrorism. Experts say Africa, like many other regions of the world, is the target of ongoing terrorist threat after that this trans-border scourge managed to "exploit human misery in some areas, and penetrate social media platforms via Internet to recruit young people in Africa." These developments urged African heads of state and government to establish a coordination mission to prevent and combat terrorism in Africa under the supervision of the African Union. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 05:35:05|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan army on Monday seized more than 200 explosive bags smuggled inside a truck loaded with livestock in the east. "Military police in Tubruq city on Monday seized a tanker believed to be carrying only livestock. However, after checking it was found to carry more than 200 explosive bags," an army official told Xinhua. "The shipment of explosives was coming from the area of Emsa'ed on the Libyan-Egyptian border and heading to the city of Ajdabiya," added the official, who asked not to be named. The official did not give further details about who is behind the smuggling, saying that "the case is now with the investigation authorities." The Libyan desert witnesses many smuggling operations. The Libyan army succeeded more than once in controlling these operations, the last of which was on 25 April, where 30 mine bags and a number of weapons bound for smuggling to Egypt across the Libyan-Egyptian border were seized. On March 23, the Libyan army seized 11 anti-tank explosive bags at the Libyan-Egyptian border, while on November 6 last year the army seized a car carrying 70 explosives bags near the area. A large number of uncontrolled mines dating back to WWII are being sold by smugglers from Egypt and Libya to terrorist and criminal groups in both countries. Some of those mines have been used in terrorist operations in both countries. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 05:40:07|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BUJUMBURA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) on Monday decided to renew sanctions against Burundi until Oct. 31, 2018, the EU embassy in Burundi said in a press release. According to the press release, lack of progress on the situation in Burundi explains the "renewal of sanctions" against Burundi for another year. "There are still extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and forced disappearance," said the press release. In October 2015, the EU imposed sanctions against four Burundian police officers for their alleged participation in the repression of protests against the east African country's President Pierre Nkurunziza's third term bid in April 2015. The EU sanctions against the four Burundian security officials include a ban on entry visas on the European territory and freezing their assets. Later in March 2016, the EU decided to cancel direct aid to the east African nation, arguing that the Burundian government had failed to properly address human rights abuses, a democratization process and a rule of law. Burundi plunged into a crisis in April 2015 when Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run his controversial third term bid, which he won in July 2015. His candidature, which was opposed by the opposition and civil society groups, resulted in a wave of protests, violence and even a failed coup on May 13, 2015. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 05:40:09|Editor: ying Video Player Close Syrian refugee students receive Chinese-funded educational supplies at a school in Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct. 23, 2017. Chinese-funded educational supplies were distributed on Monday to around 86,000 Syrian refugee students in Lebanon, said the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in a statement. The aid was delivered by Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian, who was joined by Lebanese Education Minister Marwan Hamadeh and UNICEF representative in Jordan Tanya Chapuisat. (Xinhua/Li Liangyong) BEIRUT, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese-funded educational supplies were distributed on Monday to around 86,000 Syrian refugee students in Lebanon, said the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in a statement. The aid was delivered by Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian, who was joined by Lebanese Education Minister Marwan Hamadeh and UNICEF representative in Lebanon Tanya Chapuisat. The donation was made through Lebanon's Reach all Children with Education campaign (RACE), an ongoing collaborative effort between the Lebanese Ministry of Education and the United Nations. Through RACE, the Lebanese government is striving to enable all children in Lebanon to attend school regardless of nationality. Chapuisat hailed China's "generous donation" that reached 86,000 Syrian refugee students in Lebanon this year, according to the statement. For his part, Hamadeh thanked China for its continuous support to Lebanon. "We thank China for its ongoing support to Lebanon in many fields since the refugee crisis. It is coming from a brotherly country that loves Syria and Lebanon as well," he said. Wang said that the Chinese donation, which expressed China's sympathy and support to the Syrian refugees, aimed at helping Lebanon to deal with the refugee crisis. "We truly wish for the return of the Syrian refugees to their homeland with acceleration of the political solution process in Syria so these refugees can live in a secure, peaceful and prosperous atmosphere," the Chinese enovy said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 05:55:13|Editor: yan Video Player Close MINSK, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank raised Belarus' economic growth to 1.8 percent this year, according to its updated report released on Monday. The report said the recovery of the Russian economy contributes to the restoration of economic growth in Belarus in 2017, thanks to which the Belarus' exports begin to grow. Meanwhile, as structural problems in the Belarusian economy remain, the potential for accelerating economic growth is limited, the the World Bank noted. Currently, it is extremely important for Belarus to increase the size of the private sector, reduce the size of the public sector and strengthen the social protection system to protect the most vulnerable social groups in the process of economic transformation, the bank added. World Bank economists also said that an increase in the level of public debt and a directive task to increase the incomes of the population create risks for imbalances in the future. Belarus' GDP grew by 1.7 percent in the first three quarters, comparing with the same period of last year. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 05:55:14|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday that Washington was keen on dialogue between Iraqi government and the Iraqi Kurdish region to solve the Kurdish issue. Tillerson made his remarks in his discussion with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi over the tension between Baghdad and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan. In a statement by the prime minister's office, Tillerson said that the United States supported Iraq's unity and called for the importance of adherence to the constitution. For his part, Abadi said what Baghdad did in Kirkuk was redeployment and imposition of state power, which are legal and constitutional procedures. "We do not want to fight a battle with any (Iraqi) components, all of them are our sons, and when we entered Kirkuk we sent a clear message that the Kurdish citizens are Iraqis and we deal with them like other components," Abadi said. The statement said that the two sides also discussed "enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields and the war against terrorism." Abadi stressed that the fight against terrorism "is still a priority for us and we will continue to liberate the remaining areas of the country and secure the borders." Abadi told Tillerson the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi unit "is an official institution which is part of the Iraq institutions. We have to encourage the (Hashd Shaabi) fighters because they will be the hope for the country and the region." Earlier in the evening, Tillerson arrived in Baghdad on unannounced visit to meet with Iraqi leaders following last month's independence referendum held by the Kurdistan regional government, according to an Iraqi Foreign Ministry official who spoke to Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Tillerson would also discuss the reconstruction efforts after the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) group in the major IS strongholds in the country, the official said. Hundreds of U.S. troops are already in Iraq, serving as trainers and advisers, in an attempt to help the country win the battle against IS militants. The U.S.-led international coalition has also been conducting air raids against IS targets in both Iraq and Syria. The independence of Kurdistan is opposed not only by the Iraqi central government, but also by other countries as it would threaten the integrity of Iraq and undermine the fight against IS militants. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 06:20:20|Editor: Hou Qiang Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Fifty people in the southern Libyan city of Ghat had food poisoning on Monday after eating a meal at a local restaurant, an official at the city's hospital told Xinhua. "The hospital received 50 cases of food poisoning," said Abdul Razzaq al-Saghir, director of medical affairs at Gatt Hospital. "The reason is eating pizza from a restaurant in the city," he said, adding "the number of cases of food poisoning is expected to rise." Al-Saghir added the hospital meets difficulties as it is going through with lack of medical staff and supplies." Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the Inter American Conference on Onchocerciasis in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on Nov. 14, 2014. (Xinhua/Alejandro Ayala) WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- White House said on Monday that there was "nothing planned" for the Trump administration to send former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on mission to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The remarks from a senior White House official came after the 93-year-old former president told media earlier this month that he is willing to travel to the DPRK on behalf of the current administration to help diffuse the escalating situation on the Korean peninsula. The White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said that Trump is still seeking a peaceful resolution of the DPRK standoff. In an interview, Carter said that he had spoken to Trump's National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster but so far has got a negative response. Carter, who was president from 1977 to 1981, has been to Pyongyang for three times. The DPRK successfully tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles and a hydrogen bomb this year, triggering two new economic sanctions by the UN Security Council. Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-24 06:35:22|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close Photo taken on Oct. 23, 2017 shows the Rocinha favela where a Spanish tourist was shot, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brazilian military police shot and killed a Spanish tourist early Monday in a favela, or slum, in Rio de Janeiro, local media reported. (Xinhua/Wesley Santos/ESTADAO CONTEUDO/AGENCIA ESTADO) RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian military police shot and killed a Spanish tourist early Monday in a favela, or slum, in Rio de Janeiro, local media reported. Maria Esperanza Jimenez Ruiz was reportedly shot after the car she was driving "broke through a police road block" in the Rocinha favela around 10:30 a.m., Agencia Brasil said on its website. Jimenez was taken to a hospital but died of her injuries. The incident came on the heels of a gunfight between police and local criminals, which left two officers wounded. Authorities are investigating the incident. Meanwhile, the Spanish consulate in Rio told the agency it was offering assistance to the victim's family, as well as to two other Spanish tourists who were in the car at the time. Award-winning documentary filmmaker and fine-art photographer Miguel Gandert shows his work highlighting his mestizaje heritage, and the fusion and tension of the relationship between Spanish Colonial and Native Cultures of the Americas. Runs through 12/29. Querer means to want, to desire, to be in a place, with its people. In folk terminology, querencia is such a place, the center space of desire, the root of belonging and yearning to belong, that vicinity where you first beheld the light. Querencia, in collective terms, is homeland. ~Enrique Lamadrid, Nuevo Mexico Profundo Miguel Gandert tells stories. He tells stories of his homeland, New Mexico (and beyond), its people and the cultural practices that distinguish communities from each other while simultaneously revealing their kinship. You will have to form your own words, however. Ganderts stories are told through penetrating, black and white photos. A primary focus of his work is his own mestizaje heritage and the fusion and tension of the relationship between Spanish Colonial and Native Cultures of the Americas. Miguel Gandert, a native of Espanola, NM, is an award-winning documentary and fine-art photographer and filmmaker. His photographs have been shown in galleries and museums throughout the world and are in numerous public collections including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the National Museum of American History and Art at the Smithsonian. Querencia: Rituals of the Rio Arriba opens Friday, October 6 at the New Mexico Humanities Council, 4115 Silver Ave SE, Albuquerque. An artists reception will be 6:00 pm 8:00 pm with an artist's discussion at 7:00 pm. The exhibit closes December 29, 2017. PM Modi launches development initiatives in Vadodara Vadodara, Mon, 23 Oct 2017 NI Wire The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, yesterday dedicated to the nation, the Vadodara City Command Control Centre; the Waghodiya Regional Water Supply Scheme; and the New Head Office Building of the Bank of Baroda, at a public meeting in Vadodara. The Prime Minister handed over keys of houses to beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban, as well as Rural). He laid the Foundation Stones of several infrastructure and development projects, including an integrated transport hub, regional water supply schemes, housing projects, and a flyover. He also laid the foundation stone for the capacity expansion of the Mundra-Delhi petroleum product pipeline, and a greenfield marketing terminal project of HPCL, at Vadodara. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that the scale of development works being launched in Vadodara today is unprecedented. The Prime Minister said that the Government is clear about its priority being development, and resources being used for the well-being of the citizens. The Prime Minister said that since he was a child, he had been hearing about a ferry service from Ghogha to Dahej. He said that the Government is now focused on all-round development and the ferry has been made operational today. The Prime Minister said that as in previous years, "Run For Unity," will be organised to mark the Jayanti of Sardar Patel on October 31st. He urged people to take part in this enthusiastically. Source: PIB PM Modi inaugurates Phase 1 of RO RO Ferry Service between Ghogha and Dahej, travels in maiden voyage of the service Gujarat, Mon, 23 Oct 2017 NI Wire The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, yesterday inaugurated Phase 1 of the RO RO (Roll on, Roll off) ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej. This ferry service shall reduce the travel time between Ghogha in Saurashtra, and Dahej in South Gujarat, from about seven or eight hours, to just over an hour. Phase 1, inaugurated today, enables passenger movement. When fully operationalized, this ferry service will also enable movement of vehicles. The Prime Minister inaugurated the Sarvottam Cattle Feed Plant of Shree Bhavnagar District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd. Addressing a large gathering on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that he is happy to be in Gujarat to personally convey new year greetings. He said that this programme, for the launch of a ferry between Ghogha and Dahej, is of vital importance for the entire nation. Noting that this ferry service is a first of sorts, the Prime Minister said it is a dream come true for people of Gujarat. He said that the history of human civilisation illustrates the vitality of rivers and maritime trade. Gujarat is the land of Lothal; how can we forget these aspects of our history, he added. This programme is to bring back to life our glorious past; and connect Saurashtra with South Gujarat, the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister said that people from these two regions frequently travel to and fro; and this ferry service will save a lot of time, as well as fuel. The Prime Minister said that in the last three years, a lot of importance has been given to the development of Gujarat. He said Gujarat has a long coastline, and we should harness the opportunities that arise out of this. He said that steps have been taken in developing coastal infrastructure. This ferry service too, he added, would not be restricted to this one route. He said that other places too would be linked through ferries. He said the goal of the Union Government is to make the transport sector integrated, and state-of-the-art. The Prime Minister travelled on the maiden voyage of this service, from Ghogha to Dahej. During this voyage, he was given a briefing about the ship, and the ferry service. He also interacted with divyangjan children on board the ship. Addressing a gathering in Dahej, the Prime Minister said that the Government's vision is ports for prosperity. India needs better ports and more ports, he added. Without proper connectivity, the economic development of a nation slows down, he asserted, adding that the Government has focused on port infrastructure. The Prime Minister mentioned the Government's stress on the blue economy, which he said is integral to the vision of a new India. Source: PIB The disgraceful statements uttered by Algerias Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel were received with outrage by Africas diplomatic corps in Rabat. Ambassador Nimaga Ismaila, Dean of the African diplomatic corps in Morocco, condemned, on behalf of African ambassadors in Rabat, such defamatory statements that lack flair and manners. Messahel claimed at a meeting with Algerian businessmen that the success of Moroccan banks and flag carrier in Africa are ascribed to money laundering. In a statement to the Moroccan news agency, MAP, Ambassador Ismaila deplored such statements which do nothing but further poisoning the situation. He described the attack on Morocco as insolent adding that African leaders will soon meet in Addis Ababa to ask Messahel for explanations after the latter claimed that African heads of state told him that Moroccan banks are using cannabis money. Ambassador Ismaila noted that such irresponsible statements come in the context of the first visit of the UN Secretary Generals personal envoy for the Sahara to the region. The dean of African Ambassadors in Rabat underscored that Moroccos African policy is on the right track, lauding the Kingdoms insight and commitment to unite the continent. He concluded by saying that African heads of states pin their hopes that Moroccos return to the AU will help build Africas capacities on the long run. The arrogance and antagonism of the henchmen of the military regime in Algeria make them myopic to the fast evolving world around them. The recent statements by Algerias foreign minister, Abdelkader Messahel, who claimed that Moroccan banks and flag carrier (Royal Air Maroc) are making success in Africa because they are using drug money, come in a series of uncorroborated accusations by Algerian officials who fail to point to the real impediments facing their countrys domestic and foreign economic policies. Messahels statements are as disgraceful as they stem out of envy towards a successful neighbor with a forward-looking continental strategy. Morocco without oil and gas gears 60% of its foreign direct investments to Africa and has a network of banks that trusted in African growth potential. The visits made by King Mohammed VI to more than 40 African countries since he took the throne paved the way for the establishment of a south-south cooperation model, yielding fruitful joint projects conducive to addressing Africas main challenges: food security, energy security and religious security. Moroccos win-win approach in its undertakings with African states led to sealing large-scale projects in the fields of promoting agriculture in Africa, sharing know-how on renewable energies and most of all building a gas pipeline that will help West African countries achieve food security. The North African kingdom is also building on its spiritual ties with Africa to spread tolerant Islam and pre-empt radicalization. Moroccan soldiers are also taking part in peace-keeping missions in Africa. Morocco has also bolstered its image in Africa through the launch of a migration policy that aims at guaranteeing the basic rights of Sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco and grant them access to the job market and vital services. At the international level, Morocco made Africa a priority in its foreign policy. It has been campaigning in international fora for African causes. During the COP22 UN climate summit, Morocco put pressure to gather support for climate adaptation efforts and strived to set up a fund dedicated to help African countries face climate change. What Algerian regime fails to see is that forging strong ties with African countries is a matter of values. While pretending to have interest in Africa, Algerian officials keep condescending towards their African neighborhood, which they deem as a sphere where they can use oil money to gain influence. It is inconceivable for Algeria to gain the trust of African leaders in the absence of a value-based approach towards the continent. Last July, Ahmed Ouyahya, who is now Algerias Prime Minister, uttered heinous remarks when he described Sub-Saharan migrants as a source of crime, drugs and other calamities. Persisting on the same xenophobic remarks, Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel accused Sub-Saharan migrants of involvement in crime and drug trafficking. Even worst, Head of Algerias human rights commission Farouk Ksentini made scandalous statements, bluntly accusing sub-Saharans of spreading HIV and diseases in Algeria. At the economic level, Algeria has nothing to offer to African countries, some of whom are making headway with industrialization and decreasing dependence on exporting raw material. Algeria actually came to represent all that is wrong with the African economy. At the image of its ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Algeria is stuck in a Cold War mindset where ideology takes primacy. Gone is the era of the struggle for colonialism. Now African countries such as Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda are posting some of the highest economic growth rates globally. Instead of spreading lies about Moroccan banks that makes them look ignorant of the international banking system, Algerian officials had better discuss their own underdeveloped banking sector. Algerias entire banking sector is woefully out of touch with modern banking standards, and its central bank has a reputation for being one of the most opaque institutions of its kind in the world. The archaic banking system has also been pushing investors away. Algerias banks remain state-dominated and highly corrupt thus thwarting foreign direct investments. The perception of Algerias unfriendliness towards foreign investors is worsened by recent investment reforms that left unchanged a rule requiring 51% of national ownership of any projects. The 51/49 rule provides that at least 51% of the shares of Algeria-based companies must be owned by Algerian nationals residing in Algeria or by companies, which are wholly owned by Algerian resident shareholders. Likewise, while Moroccos flag carrier, RAM, has increased the destinations it serves on Africa from 4 in 2004 to 33 in 2017, Air Algeria lags behind. It was ranked as one of the least secure air companies in the globe. Recognizing own failure requires modesty which the Algerian regime lacks. After they squandered the mantra of the expensive oil era, the drop in oil prices has pulled the rug from under the feet of Algerian officials. After three years of low oil prices, the regime is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. Resorting to lies and intimidation remains the only choice for a ruling elite in Algeria that is so adamant to stay in power while shunning genuine reforms. Scott Pruitt. Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images Before becoming President Trumps Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Scott Pruitt spent years fighting environmental regulation. Since taking over the EPA, Pruitt has denied the scientific communitys consensus opinion on global warming and removed most mentions of climate change from the EPA website, leaving agency employees worried that they will be prevented from keeping the public informed about climate change. Those concerns appear to have been borne out over the weekend, when the EPA barred three of its scientists from giving presentations on climate change at a conference in Rhode Island. As the New York Times first reported, EPA scientists Autumn Oczkowski, Rose Martin, and Emily Shumchenia were scheduled to speak at Mondays State of the Narragansett Bay and Watershed, an event that will coincide with the release of a report on the health of Narragansett Bay. Oczkowski, Martin, and Shumchenia all contributed to the report, which, according to organizers, features significant discussion of how climate change has affected the bay. Tom Borden, whose Narragansett Bay Estuary Program is hosting the conference, told the Times that an EPA official called him on Friday to cancel the scientists appearances. I was not really provided with a clear explanation, Borden said. He advised me that it was the decision of the E.P.A. Office of Public Affairs. Its definitely a blatant example of the scientific censorship we all suspected was going to start being enforced at E.P.A., said John King, who also works on the program. They dont believe in climate change, so I think what theyre trying to do is stifle discussions of the impacts of climate change. Meanwhile, Democratic Rhode Island senator Sheldon Whitehouse told the Washington Post that the EPA had muzzled the scientists. Whatever you think about climate change, this kind of collaboration should be a no-brainer, he said. In an email to the Post, EPA spokesperson John Konkus wrote, EPA scientists are attending, they simply are not presenting, it is not an EPA conference. (The EPA provides $600,000 in annual funding to the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program.) The Post reports that at least one senior regional EPA official will attend the event, while its unclear if the scientists who were supposed to speak still plan to go. Myeshia Johnson wipes away tears during the burial service for her husband U.S. Army Sergeant La David Johnson at the Memorial Gardens East cemetery on October 21, 2017, in Hollywood, Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Hundreds of mourners attended the Saturday funeral service of Sergeant La David Johnson, one of four U.S. troops killed in Niger earlier this month. A day later, President Donald Trump stoked his feud with Democratic congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who first spoke publicly about his controversial condolence call to Johnsons family last week. Myeshia Johnson, the pregnant widow of the fallen soldier, spoke publicly for the first time, with George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America, saying that Trumps phone call left her very upset and hurt because he stumbled over her husbands name. "[Pres. Trump] couldn't remember my husband's name. ... That's what hurt me the most." - Myeshia Johnson, widow of Sgt. La David Johnson pic.twitter.com/px5io2RbJB Good Morning America (@GMA) October 23, 2017 He said that he knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway, Johnson said. It made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it. He couldnt remember my husbands name. The only way he remembered my husbands name was because he told me he had [my] husbands report in front of him, and thats when he actually said La David. (Watch the full interview, below.) Thats what made me upset and cry even more because my husband was an awesome soldier, she added. Johnson said she didnt say anything to the president, just listened. But she backed up Wilsons account, who had first recounted the presidents words, and described Johnson as in tears. Johnson said she had the call on speaker, and others in the car, including Wilson, had listened in. Whatever Ms. Wilson said was not fabricated, Johnson said. What she said was 100 percent correct. Trump quickly fired back on Twitter. He seized on Johnsons statement that he had struggled to remember her husbands name by saying he had spoke[n] his name from the beginning, without hesitation! I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2017 This back-and-forth over Trumps condolence call has overshadowed the many unanswered questions about the October 4 mission in Niger that left four U.S. soldiers dead. The circumstances of La David Johnsons death are particularly sketchy, as he was reportedly separated from the group, and his body was found 48 hours later. In the interview, Myeshia Johnson also spoke urgently about the need to find out what happened to her husband and father of her children. I want to know why it took them 48 hours to find my husband, she said. Why couldnt I see my husband? Every time I asked to see my husband they wouldnt let me. Johnson explained that she was originally told her husband was missing. A few days later, she learned he had been killed in action. I dont know how he got killed, where he got killed, or anything, she said. I dont know that part, they never told me, and thats what Ive been trying to find out since day one. Since October 4. No one can accuse Bernie Sanders of inconsistency in his partisan non-affliliation. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Senator Bernie Sanders confirmed today that he will run for reelection in the Senate next year as an independent. I am an independent and I have always run in Vermont as an independent, while I caucus with the Democrats in the United States Senate. Thats what Ive been doing for a long time and thats what Ill continue to do, Sanders told Fox News. Sanders is not exaggerating when he says he been running in Vermont as something other than a Democrat for a long time. Best I can tell, his first race for office was 45 years ago, when he ran for governor of Vermont as the Liberty Union Party candidate. Next year will mark his 20th campaign in Vermont, and his 16th as an independent. He has never run there as a Democrat. So in refusing to do so in 2018, he is simply not dancing with the one who didnt bring him to the hoedown. Speaking of dancing, when pursuing the 2016 Democratic presidential nominating contest, Sanders occasionally had to certify himself as a Democrat notably in the first primary, in New Hampshire (in his own state, there is no voter registration by party). But he never disclaimed his independent-but-caucusing-with-Democrats status in the Senate. Sanderss party affiliation decision is a little more interesting because of a resolution offered at the DNC meeting in Las Vegas last weekend. It called on self-identified independent senators who caucus with the party (a category that includes just two people, Sanders and Maines Angus King) to become loud n proud Democrats. It didnt make it out of the Resolutions Committee, but inquiring minds still wanted to know what Sanders would do. Some pundits figured Sanders would formally become a Democrat if he had any interest in running for president again in 2020. And had he reclassified himself once and for all, theres no question 2020 speculation about a Return of the Bern would have been ratcheted up to a fever pitch. But if he really hasnt decided about 2020 one way or the other, it would make more sense for him to do what hes always done and rock no boats. Its an interesting question as to whether actual Democratic voters a class that includes many self-identified independents, even if they dont behave independently at all really care whether their candidates formally identify with the Donkey Party. Near the end of the 2016 primaries, Ron Brownstein estimated that about three-fourths of the participants in states where there were primaries and exit polls self-identified as Democrats while one-fourth self-identified as independents or Republicans. Sanders won among the non-self-identifying-Democrats about two-to-one and lost among the self-identifying Democrats by about the same margin (he did better in the caucuses that were not part of Brownsteins sample). There was a lot of angst expressed by Sanders supporters at the time about the rigged nature of the process insofar as many states didnt let registered independents vote in Democratic primaries, and/or made it hard to re-register as Democrats at the last minute. That was never the most compelling argument (such decisions about the rules are made well in advance of any particular contest by state legislatures, a majority of which are currently controlled by Republicans, not by the Democratic Establishment), but overall Sanders probably benefitted from his identification with the cause of open primaries more than he suffered from any suspicion of being an outsider. In any event, breaking the very firm pattern of his lifelong aversion to identifying as a Democrat would have raised more questions than it would have answered. Steve Wynn. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images Donald Trump has displayed a number of alarming instincts during his time in the Oval Office. One of these is a tendency to endorse the policy position of whomever he last spoke with; another is a penchant for making major geopolitical decisions on the basis of how theyd affect his people which is to say, people whove demonstrated personal loyalty to him. The former instinct recently led the president to call for the deportation of a Chinese dissident seeking asylum in the United States while the latter caused him to change his mind. Or so a new report from The Wall Street Journal suggests. The paper reports that casino tycoon Steve Wynn hand-delivered a letter to Trump that was written by the Chinese government. In the missive, Beijing urged the president to extradite Guo Wengui, a Chinese businessman turned vocal critic of corruption in Xi Jinpings government. Guo fled China in 2014 and is currently seeking asylum in the United States. Earlier this year, Chinese officials entered the United States on false pretenses in order to pressure Guo to return home. This effort failed. But the letter and/or Wynns presentation of it temporarily succeeded. Wynn, who also happens to be the Republican National Committee finance chairman, reportedly handed Trump the document at a private dinner. It appears that Wynn didnt just convey Beijings concerns, but also gave them his tacit endorsement. If so, Trump shouldve taken it with a grain of salt: The casino magnate owns multiple billion-dollar gambling properties in the Chinese region of Macau. To keep those facilities running, Wynn must get his casinos licenses renewed by Chinese authorities on an annual basis. But this potential conflict of interest did not seem to trouble Trump. During an Oval Office discussion of the Guo affair in June shortly after his dinner with Wynn the president reportedly asked his secretary, Wheres the letter that Steve brought? before telling his top advisers, We need to get this criminal out of the country. Those advisers eventually convinced Trump not to deport the Chinese dissident in part, by alerting the president to the fact that Guo was a member of his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. In a perfect world, the American president would neither take foreign-policy advice from a casino magnate with ties to the Chinese government, nor give special preference to asylum-seekers who frequent his luxury properties. But sometimes, the next best option is, apparently, to have a president who does both. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images One of the most alarming and historically distinctive traits Donald Trump has displayed since he assumed the presidency is his belief that the U.S. government should be run more or less the same way as the Trump Organization. He has used his office to enrich himself, talked about my generals, and fired officials who failed to affirm personal loyalty to him at the expense of their official roles in office. Whatever superficial aspects of normalizing his performance John Kelly may have undertaken, Trump has not ceased to abuse his power this way. In an interview yesterday, CIA Director Mike Pompeo asserted, The intelligence communitys assessment is that the Russian meddling that took place did not affect the outcome of the election. That is unambiguously false. The intelligence community pointedly declined to wade into whether Russian interference was decisive. A January report by the CIA and the National Security Agency stated, 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 analyze US political processes or US public opinion. It is completely obvious that the intelligence community could not decide this one way or another. Russia aimed to help Trump by spreading anti-Clinton memes on social media, by hacking Democratic emails and using their contents to spread unflattering stories about Hillary Clinton, and to inflame supporters of Bernie Sanders against her. Its impossible to say whether the news stories generated by this campaign moved enough votes to decide the election, because its impossible to prove a counterfactual. Trump considers it especially important to deny that Russian involvement played any role in his victory, which is why he lies about the subject so frequently. It is also no doubt the reason why Pompeo lied on his behalf. Pompeo conjuring up an imaginary conclusion by U.S. intelligence is hardly the first, or even the worst, political abuse of the agency. But it is not a normal act for a CIA official. Meanwhile, Trump continues to personally interview candidates for U.S. Attorney positions. This is not illegal. But it also veers far from a tradition in which such posts were held by people operating independently from the administration. The president could nominate them, and would obviously scrutinize their biography. But a personal interview plays a different function. It can and is, indeed, clearly designed to identify not only whether a candidate is qualified in the abstract, but how that person feels about Trump in particular. Trump has been treating putatively independent figures this way from the outset. He courted, and then fired, Preet Bharara (the New York Southern District U.S. Attorney whose investigations have peeved, among others, the Russian government) and then James Comey. The account given by Comey of his meetings with Trump clearly reveals that the presidents main interest was to satisfy his belief that Comey would give him personal loyalty. Republicans have blithely dismissed Trumps decision to continue such behavior with U.S. attorneys. Hes the president of the United States who picks these people, so hes going to get blamed (by Democrats) no matter what he does. So I think its a good thing that hes willing to interview these people, Senator Orrin Hatch tells CNN. Its kind of an extension of The Apprentice, I guess, adds a chipper Senator Lindsey Graham. Well, yes, it is like an extension of The Apprentice. But The Apprentice depicted Trump as the all-knowing and all-powerful head of an organization designed to serve his own needs. It did not depict the give-and-take of a republican form of government premised on the consent of the people. Maybe Republicans ought to consider the possibility that a president who acts this way is bad, and they should stop him. Theres probably no better-known or influential community in the multi-billion-dollar world of video games than NeoGAF. Since its founding just over a decade ago, the site has become a hub of chatter useful for enthusiasts to chat about the intense minutiae of gaming, and for journalists looking to find out what gamers are talking about in any given week. As of last week, it sported more than 700,000 threads; its posts come up at the top of Google searches about nearly any gaming topic. And now following the sudden exodus of the gaming sites moderators and administrators its no longer operational. Given its outsize presence in gaming culture, the swift downfall of NeoGAF over the weekend has taken many by surprise. The site has been down for more than a day (supposedly for scheduled maintenance) following allegations of sexual harassment against the sites founder, Tyler Evilore Malka, made in a Facebook post by filmmaker Ima Leupp. Leupp alleges that on a trip to New Orleans with Malka in 2015, she became sick from drinking and went into the bathroom. While in the shower, Malka allegedly also climbed in, naked and without consent. The post was shared widely, including on NeoGAF, where users began leaving the site in droves. According to Kotaku: Before NeoGAF went down last night, posters made motions to leave the site en masse. Dozens of threads and comments cropped up asking for mods to ban users, thereby deleting their accounts a traditional way to say bye to NeoGAF. Angry threads like Fuck this place. Permaban me and Im done with NeoGAF and you should be too cropped up. A darkly humorous satire of the typical NeoGAF post, Nintendo Direct focusing on Respecting Women announced, made the rounds. At the same time, users noticed that moderators began vanishing from the staff page. By the time the site went offline fully, all but one site administrator had left. One moderator told Kotaku that the sites support staff had considered leaving in the past, and that Leupps direct accusation was the breaking point. NeoGAF is down to 1 admin. They had 5 until the sexual assault allegations against Malka hit. (got the site to load, checked.) they're done. pic.twitter.com/uy5AgHHiNp Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) October 21, 2017 Leupps initial post is connected to a wider discussion of sexual harassment and assault in the wake of widespread claims against Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein. On NeoGAF in preceding weeks, Malka had been expressing skepticism regarding other claims of sexual misconduct, commenting on claims against a film journalist, No evidence at all? No corroborating testimony? No behavioral red flags? So far this is nothing like other recent industry scandals. He later characterized the impulse to believe #MeToo posts as witch hunts. The site is currently down, and Malka has not issued any statement on either the sexual-misconduct claims or the websites future. The Swedish government has urged public universities to use their research findings outside their campuses to solve poverty and unemployment problems. The call by Per Lindgarde, the Swedish ambassador to Uganda, came as his government reviewed the performance of its research collaboration with local public universities at Makerere University recently. The annual review was held under the theme, Multidisciplinary research for social transformation. He said all research projects should be able to influence policies, as outlined in the National Development Programme II. I would like to emphasize the link between research and development, and that is where you researchers come in; as you research, let some local problems be resolved, he said. Swedish Ambassador Per Lindgarde (2nd L) shares a light moment with vice chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe and Prof Buyinza Mukadasi at Makerere University Lindgarde also challenged the Ugandan government to increase its funding to researchers. I would like to emphasize the link between research and development, and I hope the commitment of the government to university research and research training will also be reflected in the national budget with increased resources to research. Lindgarde said improving higher education is a complex challenge but essential for the countrys development. He explained that the Swedish strategy is based on funding postgraduate education, and research is one single effort. In his remarks, Prof Buyinza Mukadasi, the director of Research and Graduate Training at Makerere, said that Ugandan researchers should be ready to provide answers to the challenges currently affecting the country. I challenge you [researchers] to generate solutions to poverty, unemployment, environmental concerns, poor health, ailing education and alternative energy sources, he said. We want you to make a positive contribution to changing lives. Formally opening the review, Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe acknowledged the SwedenUganda research partnership for its role in boosting research work in many universities. Over the last 16 years, the Swedish government has invested $73 million [about Shs 263bn] into Ugandas graduate training and scientific environments of public universities, and Makerere University has been a big recipient, he said. This has strengthened our capacity for teaching, learning, innovations and knowledge transfer. According to Nawangwe, during the 15 years, Makerere has seen 210 graduates obtain PhDs, 95 masters and 20 postdoctoral training. The Swedish government is currently in research collaborations with Makerere, Kyambogo, Busitema, Gulu universities and Mbarara University of Science and Technology. justuslyatuu08@gmail.com The birth of a child in a home is a joy worth celebrating. In the African culture, sadly, a family will seem incomplete without a child. This is a fallacy that continues to ruin marriages because of societal pressure for children. Regarding all this, doesnt the father need a lengthy paternal leave to bond with the newborn? Asks PRIM K. TUMURAMYE. In Uganda where close to 19 women die every day due to maternal health-related causes, the journey into parenthood is not one to be taken for granted. For every live birth, a mother coming safely out of labour is a miracle in its own right. Walking the nine-month journey to motherhood is no mean feat. This journey is better understood by those that have ever trekked it. The cravings, morning sickness, disfigured body and anxiety all coming in one package are a cup that only the strong can partake of. When this bundle of joy is finally out of the womb, it is indeed a great relief. This explains why the mother should get time for the well-deserved rest after such a roller coaster of episodes. On one hand, the labor laws of Uganda stipulate that a working mother is entitled to sixty working days of maternity leave. A male worker, on the other hand, is entitled to four working days of paternity leave. Rightly so, both mother and father deserve a time to rest after childbirth. For most of the corporate women, the strategy to a longer childcare leave is saving the twenty-two working days of their annual leave to be taken right after the maternity leave. This gives them close to five months of paid leave to spend time with their babies. For other women working in business and private entities, the luxury of paid leave is only a wish. In most cases, the employer is not ready to spend a penny on labour not utilized. A few days after childbirth, it is up to the mother to juggle between the job and childcare. LONGER PATERNITY LEAVE The womans need for maternity leave is quite obvious; the postnatal recovery, fragility of a newborn and the need to bond with the baby are justifiable reasons. But what about the father? Is there need for a man to take off time to nurse his newborn child? Are the four days of paternity leave enough for him? According to a senior procurement officer Duncan Tumuhamye, whose wife gave birth two months ago, the four days of paternity leave are not enough. He observes that the situation gets worse if the woman has undergone caesarean section during delivery. The mother needs critical support, and there is the baby too, he says. At least ten days would help the man to report back to work when the mother has fairly recuperated and able to do self-care basics with little or no support. He adds that when paternity leave is looked at through the lens of offering support to the mother, it leaves the man just as a sporadic caretaker of his wife and baby. Would this mean that the man does not need deliberate time to bond with the newborn? Does his relevance only end at the four days after childbirth? What if there was a provision for the man to also take a paid leave and nurse the baby when the wife returns to work? This would not be only in a bid to help the man bond with the baby, but also to have the little one under the safe care of the parents one at a time. You can imagine a typical African man frowning at this assertion, wondering what he has got to do with changing diapers and feeding babies! Is this not a clear-cut role for the female species? he will ask. Arguably, subscribing to such a worldview will most likely minimize your bonding opportunities with your child. Counseling psychologist Joseph Musaalo observes that a longer and adequate paternity leave for the man would be ideal. He, however, points out that this would have a heavy financial bearing on the organisation. At least one month of paid leave would give the man an opportunity to play a supportive role to the wife and also bond with the baby, Musaalo says. THE POLICIES The Nordic countries like Norway and Sweden have been hailed for the deliberate supportive policies on paid paternity leave that helps fathers bond with their children. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) March 2016 report, noted that in Denmark, families are entitled to 32 weeks of paid parental leave, to be shared among parents as they deem fit. However, an increasingly common approach is to reserve at least some part of the parental leave period as a non-transferable right for one or both parents on a use it or lose it basis. This means that each parent has an opportunity to take leave and nurse the baby in the absence of the other. Borrowing from Nordic countries, it would be paramount for Uganda to consider adopting an inclusive parental leave system. The lack of such policy interventions is no surprise in a setting where majority of mothers even lack facilities for nursing their babies at respective places of work. This currently cuts across even through institutions one would consider above the traditional systems of management. PRECONCEPTION Nonetheless, this is not the only hindrance to the implementation of a parental leave policy that would be all embracing and favor men too. Alex Musoke, a secondary school teacher, laughed his heart out when I asked his view on paternal leave. What would I be doing at home with the baby? Where will the mother have gone? he asked, evidently amused by my question. The question of culture and gender biases still pause a big challenge in male involvement in parenting and childcare. Most men believe childbirth and childcare are roles strictly meant for women. Radical men believe their involvement in womens roles would pose a threat to their manhood and end up branded as either bewitched or stooges in the home. This possibly explains partly why men have not moved for an all-inclusive parental leave policy. The employer attitudes are another major factor in the parental leave issue. Most organisations, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, have timelines and deliberations that are paramount to their mission and vision. The impact of one person being away from the workstation for some time calls for an alternative replacement which has financial implications. How many organisations are able to go that extra mile in the name of promoting male involvement in parenting is a dream we can only wish to come true. This could be confirmed by Joel Isabirye, who owns a chain of business entities in the outskirts of Kampala. I hire my staff not as parents but employees. Their parenting roles are their private issues that are none of my business. You either work or get fired, he says. Such sentiments are a reflection of most organisations systems. You miss work in the name of personal matters like burials, childcare and sickness at your own peril. The reality of the hustle for survival in Uganda makes the quest for parental leave look like a luxury. For any extra time on ones hands, it is an opportunity to find some part-time work for an additional penny. With men playing the traditional breadwinners role in the family, would they sit home nursing children even with the availability of parental leave or they would find it more rewarding to fend for survival? The issue of paid parental leave remains an issue that can only be streamlined through legislation. Justus Katwesigye, a human resource specialist at Arimakat Consults Ltd, says it is in the interest of any organisation to have a happy and motivated workforce, but most organisations are limited by funds. A worker who is happy and comfortable at home will radiate the same joy and zeal at work, which has a positive effect on his/her output, he says. SECURING THE FAMILY UNIT The future of the family unit will only be safeguarded with both parents being involved in the parenting process. Gone are the days of the notion that childcare is solely a womans business. With the increasing pressures from the new age technologies, it is crucial that mother and father take the primary responsibility, especially in the early years of the baby. This will not only call for deliberate legislation on male involvement in parenting, but also a cultural mindset shift on gender roles. Unless this is done, very soon we will be asking: Where have all the fathers gone? prim.tumu@gmail.com The Egyptian embassy in Uganda celebrated Egyptian Armed Forces day on October 11, marking 44 years of Egypts modern military at Sheraton hotel, Kampala. During the event, a short video on giant screens showcased the famous victory when Mt Sinai, part of the sovereign territory of Egypt, was liberated from the Israeli army, on October 6, 1973. The audience included dignitaries from foreign embassies in Uganda, members of the Uganda civil service and the Egyptian community in Uganda. Col Ahmed Abo Shark, the Egyptian defence attache in Uganda, congratulated the Egyptians, their armed forces and the entire Arab world for their sacrifices on that day. Col Ahmed Abo Shark, the Egyptian Defence Attache in Uganda cuts a cake to mark the celebrations Minister of state for Veteran Affairs, Lt Col Bright Rwamirama, represented the substantive minister, Adolf Mwesige. Rwamirama congratulated the Egyptians on the day. The day has been celebrated in Uganda every year since 2014, when the Egyptian defence forces opened offices in Kampala. Rwamirama announced that Uganda had opened defence attache offices in Egypts capital, Cairo, to strengthen the military cooperation between both countries as a way, among others, of fighting terrorism. Egypt has been very instrumental in training our personnel in the area of counter terrorism, which has greatly enhanced our national counter terrorism capability, he said. He requested Egypt to continue training Ugandan army officers to gain more military skills as the world was developing daily with new technology. We need to learn from the lessons of that war, recalling its spirit and arming ourselves with its values, said Shark. Some of the guests who attended the event He added that the victory in October was akin to a military miracle, such that most military colleges and institutes around the world are still teaching the principles and stages of preparation and prosecution of the war. Shark observed that Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the Egyptian president, had visited Uganda twice in six months, confirming the depth of relations between the two brotherly nations. zurah@observer.ug Just three years down the road following its inception in 2015, Buwenge general hospital is now dependent on borrowed drugs from lower-level health centres. The entrance to the hospitals purported medical store opens up to empty drug shelves and at least 115 sackets of coartem (anti-malarial drugs) for children between the ages of one and five. Seventy-five-year-old Resty Namuddu who suffers from a skin rash has been seeking treatment from the hospital since March 2016 and also receiving counselling. I have been seeking medical attention from this hospital since March 17 last year but nurses keep advising me to avoid straining myself under the sun instead of providing me with drugs that can heal this skin abnormality, Namuddu said. Namuddu is part of an estimated 1,500 patients who seek treatment from this hospital every month, only to be referred to lower-level health centres. Sister Christine Nalwanga, a midwife here, said her expertise is being wasted because she cannot deliver any pregnant mother. What breaks me is that I am well paid but I cannot practice my skills because there is no equipment to facilitate the delivery of our pregnant mothers, Nalwanga said. The hospitals health educator, Tonny Mutiibwa, told The Observer that the public has turned violent against hospital workers. We go for community outreaches and have occasionally met resistance from violent crowds who accuse health workers of not giving drugs to patients, Mutiibwa said. Our hospital still lacks HIV treatment and when one tests positive, he or she is referred to a sub-county health centre, Mutiibwa added. For his part, the hospitals senior administrator, Bilali Muwabe, revealed: Most of the neighbouring health centres donate to us drugs of rare cases like snake bites, leprosy medicines, etc. We have presented our case to the health ministry and they promised to intervene within the next quarter, Muwabe added. Located just 25 kilometres from Jinja municipality, Buwenge general hospital is meant to cater for over 480,000 residents within the two constituencies of Kagooma and Butembe. The five-man presidential race for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Ugandas biggest opposition party, has resumed after a weeklong break. Candidates are traversing different parts of the country in search of votes while at the same time spreading the gospel against a draft legislation proposing the lifting of the constitutional presidential age limits. The candidates, Maj Gen (rtd) Mugisha Muntu, Patrick Amuriat Oboi, Moses Byamugisha, Mubarak Munyagwa and Dan Matsiko had taken a break off the campaign trail to join fellow opposition members in the campaign against the amendment of Article 102 (b) of the Constitution. Muntu and Amuriat are supposed to be in the West while Byamugisha is currently in Kalangala. By press time, Amuriat was, however, still being held by police in the western district of Rukungiri following his arrest, along with senior FDC members Dr Kizza Besigye and Ingrid Turinawe, on Thursday evening. Gen Mugisha Muntu Party electoral commission chairman Dan Mugarura told The Observer that they are using every available opportunity to tell the masses about the dangers of lifting the presidential age limit, and that their party presidential campaigns offer a good platform. The party position is that we are moving against the lifting of the age limit. So, anybody who subscribes to FDC should always propagate that stand. The party position is togikwatako (dont touch it) and we expect them to say togikwatako during their campaigns. If they say gikwateko (touch it), then they are not propagating a party position, Mugarura said. Igara West legislator Raphael Magezi two weeks ago tabled the constitutional amendment bill that seeks to lift the lower (35) and upper (75) age limits required for one to run for president, a move that has been vehemently opposed by various sections of Ugandans and the opposition. It is regarded as a ploy to give President Museveni an avenue to rule for life even after 31 years in power. Police and supporters of Dr Besigye, were on Wednesday engaged in running battles in Rukungiri where live bullets and tear gas were fired to stop an opposition rally called to rally support against the age limit push. One person was reported dead and several injured in the shooting. Police said they expected FDC presidential candidate Patrick Amuriat Oboi to meet 12 party delegates on his campaign instead of holding the rally. Patrick Amuriat Oboi with his supporters Oboi, who was the first candidate to heed to the partys call, has had meetings with delegates donning the anti-age limit red ribbons on their heads. On several occasions, he has come into confrontations with the police. Police says they will not allow FDC candidates to deviate from what they describe in the letters announcing their internal campaign meetings. According to the Public Order Management Act, anyone organising a public gathering should notify police, clearly describing in a letter what the gathering is about at least three days before the fact. Asan Kasingye, the police spokesman, said in a statement on Wednesday that the notification letters FDC writes only indicate presidential campaigns, and not age limit consultation rallies. But FDC spokesman, Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda, told The Observer that everything was clearly indicated in the letter the party wrote to police. The party wrote to the IGP and informed him that the candidates will be meeting the delegates and also hold rallies in different areas to popularise the party, Ssemujju said. kamogajonathan50@gmail.com In this expose, SULAIMAN KAKAIRE reveals the intricate-behind-the scenes events and government fears that led to the clampdown that has left three NGOs crippled. A few days before September 19, when the Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi was due to introduce his private members bill seeking to scrap the constitutional age limits on presidential candidates, police got intelligence that a youth organisation named The Alternative Movement (TAM) had organised a massive demonstration to thwart the move. Police intelligence had reportedly intercepted communication between the youth groups leader, Norman Tumuhimbise, on one hand, and Godber Tumushabe, associate director of Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies (GLISS), a policy think tank, and Arthur Larok, the country director of Action Aid International-Uganda, on the other hand. A police truck parked inside ActionAid offices The gist of the intelligence information, which sources within the group told us, was to the effect that the two NGOs were bankrolling youth groups to resist the Magyezi amendment proposal. Acting on this information, the police on September 18, without a search warrant, broke into the office of TAM at MM Plaza, along Luwum street, and searched the place to recover evidence connected to their suspicions. They took all our computers, seven laptops, two cameras, 10 audio recorders, our documents, 500 T-shirts and Uganda flags. We have not yet recovered all these as some of them were not even captured in the police records, Tumuhimbise said. Asked about his relationship with the ActionAid boss, Tumuhimbise told us last week he talks to Arthur Larok like any other Ugandan and we can discuss anything, including politics; is there anything illegal about it? I dont think so. After searching and cordoning off TAMs offices, the police arrested 10 members of the group. These are Eria Musoke, Ferdinand Luta, Eddy Atwine, Bashir Mubiru, Ronald Muwonge, Galasi Mushizimana, Abel Mucunguzi, Johab Agaba, Edris Mutebi and Jackson Ssemwanga. Four of these were released on September 22 without charges while the other six were released on September 27 on bail. September 27 is also the day MPs opposed to the amendment bill were battered as they were forced out of parliament by security forces. Eron Kiiza, the TAM members lawyers, told The Observer on October 19, that they have sued the Attorney General and police officers Brian Kyehanagane and Alfred Ndugutse (Miscellaneous Cause no. 3 of 2017), seeking damages for illegal arrest and detention. On the day (September 27) the last batch of TAM members was released, the police arrested their leader Norman Tumuhimbise and dumped him at Kira Road police station. Tumuhimbise told us that while in the police cells where he spent more than a week, he was denied access to his family, relatives and friends, adding that he was also denied medicine for almost four days. They kept on saying that this is [Kale] Kayihuras (inspector general of police) suspect; whatever happens to him, it is up to him [the IGP], Tumuhimbise said. During this time in detention, the police kept asking Tumuhimbise about his relationship with ActionAid International. I dont have any links with them, I just interact with Arthur like any other person but you know they are funny. They even asked me why I had a constitution in my office, Tumuhimbise said. Tumuhimbise was only released after his lawyer filed for unconditional release as provided under section 25(3) of the Police Act, which provides that any person who, if arrested without an arrest warrant, spends more than 48 hours before being charged in court can apply to a magistrates court for unconditional release. The application was made on October 5 at the Chief Magistrates court on Buganda Road before Moses Nabende, who on the same day ordered: The applicant be unconditionally released from any police cells where he is, or be charged before court within twelve hours from 4:00pm todayEvery police officer is directed to comply with the order above. Despite his release, Tumuhimbises offices remain sealed off. He said he will file a case today challenging this. ENTER ACTIONAID According to reliable sources, the arrest of the youths and their leader was intended to help in pinning the principals of ActionAid International and GLISS. On September 20, two days after the police raided Tumuhimbises offices, AIP Henry Peter Walya applied for a search warrant in the Chief Magistrates court of Makindye to obtain what he called the evidence relating to elicit transfer of funds for funding unlawful activities. ActionAid was suspected of funding youths to resist the age limit bill Walyas application was supported by an affidavit in which he stated: It has come to my knowledge that the offices of ActionAid International- Uganda located at Diplomate Zone Kasanga are being used for illicit transfer of funds for purposes of unlawful activities. The application was granted by the court and on the same day, at about 4pm, the police cordoned off the head office of Action Aid International and searched the premises until the early hours of the next day. Nicholas Opiyo, the ActionAid board chairperson, said the police vandalised the offices and grabbed some of their staffs property during the search. They took some of our staffs phones but they are yet to be recovered and some other things, Opiyo told us. Following the search on October 4, SSP Paul Mark Odongo, the head of Criminal Case Tracking Task Team (CCTTT), invited Arthur Larok and Bruno Ssemaganda, the head of Finance at ActionAid, for interviewing on October 6. Opiyo, who is also a lawyer, told us that the two (Larok and Tumushabe) were questioned about treason and subversive activities. It is surprising that during the interviews at CCTTT, our clients were asked things not connected to illicit money transfers, Opiyo said. Three days before the ActionAid team was questioned, the deputy governor of Bank of Uganda, Dr Louis Kasekende, had written to the managing director of Standard Chartered bank, directing him to immediately freeze all the organisations accounts. The accounts in question shall remain frozen until otherwise advised by Bank of Uganda, the letter stated, adding that the directive was in respect of ongoing criminal investigations into the organisations alleged conspiracy to commit a felony and money laundering. On October 13, ActionAid International Uganda wrote to Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), the body mandated to monitor money laundering, demanding to establish whether they are under investigation. FIA is yet to respond to ActionAid although its boss Sydney Asubo told The Observer that they had now started investigations. Opiyo is convinced, having consulted sources within FIA, that ActionAid wasnt under FIA investigation, and that the state is acting retrospectively to cover its tracks. If FIA is not in charge of this investigation, then where does Bank of Uganda get the powers to act without due information, or where did the police get the information it based on to write to Bank of Uganda, who in turn ordered for the freezing of our accounts? Opiyo asked. But FIA director Asubo told us: We have received the documents and more information, and our investigations are to find out whether they conform to the definition of money laundering. Asked whether they were given the information before BOU froze the NGOs accounts or afterwards, Asubo said it was concurrent. On August 4, 2017 cabinet got a report from FIA analysing the money laundering threat to Uganda and the major predicate offenses that generate larger amounts of criminal proceeds, and the level of the terror financing threat that the country faces. The report titled Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing National Risk Assessment Report found that; the risk for NGOs is also medium-high and it is mostly driven by the lack of supervision and the near-absence of implementation of AML/CFT requirements, rather than by vulnerabilities inherent to the types or activities of the NGOs operating in the country. The report, which assessed how criminals utilize the ill-gotten funds and the methods they use to launder criminal proceeds, however notes: [the NGO] sectors legislation has been recently revamped, but there are still significant capacity issues and lack of awareness, which translate in almost non-existence of AML/CFT oversight and near absence of implementation of AML/CFT measures. A police officer takes position atop a building as his colleagues raid ActionAid offices The Observer has seen a copy of the report but it does not mention TAM, ActionAid or GLISS yet it discusses other organisations suspected of money laundering. We have learnt that ActionAid has since decided to challenge in court the actions of government agencies (Police, Bank of Uganda and others), which they believe to be illegal. We are going to court and we need immediate action on this because people who benefit from our work are being affected; these include the orphaned that the organisation pays fees for and our staff who have not accessed their salaries, Opiyo said. It is understood that over Shs 7 billion is stashed in the five accounts that were frozen. TUMUSHABE'S WOES Like Action Aid, GLISS too was ransacked and its head Godber Tumushabe summoned for questioning. They came and took all our property, including laptops, computers, documents and many other things, Tumushabe said, looking around his largely empty office that had only a scanner left. Tumushabes troubles are also in connection with suspected financing of civil defiance against the age limit amendment. In fact, when they came here they took our shirts that were marked AGE LIMIT IS THE LIMIT; according to them that was illegal, Tumushabe said, maintaining that whatever he was doing is legal and constitutional. For Tumushabe it wasnt the first brush with the state. Around 2013 he was forced out of Advocates Coalition for Development (ACODE) on grounds that he was participating in partisan politics contrary to the NGOs mandate. At the time, Tumushabe had through ACODE sponsored the oil debate in parliament and also facilitated the MPs capacity building training during heated discussions on the oil and gas sector legislations. I was told by the board of ACODE that I either choose to be ED or leave. I had to choose being a citizen. I cannot be sub-consumed by a start-up like ACODE or GLISS, he said. But Tumushabe was soon followed to his new home - GLISS. In 2015, his nascent organisation was placed under investigation. In a report dated August 2015, Uganda Registration Services Bureau found that GLISS, and Tumushabe in particular, were participating in activities beyond their mandate. When he appeared for interrogation, Tumushabe was asked why he mobilises for the opposition. Their query was that, why did I draft the FDC policy agenda, [and] play an important role in The Democratic Alliance and the campaign for free and fair elections? But my response is, what is illegal about it? I am a citizen of Uganda and I participate in all that as a citizen, not GLISS; GLISS is a policy think tank engaged in policy research and it only gets involved when something is about governance and rule of law, which is part of its mandate, Tumushabe said. AGE LIMIT CONNECTION According to Tumushabe, this clampdown is not about law enforcement or compliance. Telling us to file our sources of funding is not the issue. We have been complying, that is why this did not originate from URA, NSSF, URSB or FIA; to use any of those entities is escapism, he said. They are scared that the NGOs, being the only organised entities with [more] resources than the opposition parties; they are competent enough to challenge government, Tumushabe said, pointing at the strength of ActionAid. It has grassroots NGOs across the country; so, they fear that if it has its accounts operating, it can, through its program of civic education, facilitate the local NGOs to counter the ongoing consultations on removal of term limits. The National Bureau for NGOs estimates that approximately 12,800 NGOs are registered in Uganda, of which only 3,000 are actively operating in the country. Majority of these (191) are involved in human rights and governance advocacy. The state believes through its intelligence gathering that more than $500 million has been sent to various NGOs by donors and global campaigners of good governance to counter the age limit removal. Ofwono Opondo, the executive director of Uganda Media Centre, couldnt be reached for a comment since last Wednesday. Amid growing opposition, the government has increasingly blamed NGOs for supporting its foes financially and sought to squeeze them. Analysts suggest that the state is targeting NGOs after successfully demobilising opposition political parties only to realise that civil society groups are giving the same opposition a lifeline. Moreover, unlike the parties which are starved of funds and bedevilled by conflicts, NGOs are well funded and organised. Nicholas Opiyo, also executive director of Chapter Four, a human rights organisation, knows why the government is increasingly targeting NGOs. If you look at the most popular campaigns; The Democratic Alliance (TDA), Free and Fair Elections Campaigns, Citizens Manifesto, FDC Policy Agenda, or internal elections for parties; they are all activities [aided by] NGOs, Opiyo said. Realising the NGOs growing power, the government in 2016 enacted the NGO Act, which has provisions intended to curtail civil societys participation in governance issues. Under section 44 of the NGO Act, an organisation shall not engage in any act which is prejudicial to the security and laws of Uganda. NGOs must also be non-partisan and must not engage in fundraising or campaigning to support or oppose any political party or candidate for an appointive or elective political office. They may not propose or register a candidate for elective political office. NGOs are further required to operate only in the sectors in respect of which they were registered. It is believed that the government intends to invoke such provisions to curtail the activities of organisations such as ActionAid, GLISS and TAM. But the NGO community is not sitting back. On Wednesday last week, several local and international NGOs met in Kampala to discuss how to move forward, and one of the things they are considering is going to court to seek remedies. skakaire@observer.ug It will take time for the family of Yorakamu Tumwine to come to terms with what happened to their son, Edson Nasasira commonly known as Kakuru. Nasasira was shot dead on Wednesday, October 18 in Rukungiri municipality. He is the first victim of the states clampdown on nationwide resistance to the ruling NRM-pushed amendment to the constitution to lift presidential age limits. Six other suspected gunshot victims are in hospital. They include Junior Aijuka, 18, a resident of Rwakabengo, who was reportedly shot in the stomach; Farouk Bangirana, reportedly shot in the right leg and genitals; Julius Turyomunsi, a resident of Nyakagyeme shot in the back while Christopher Muhwezi was shot in the stomach. Others are Davidson Aryasingura who was hit with a teargas canister in the face as well as Naris Muhumuza who was shot in the leg, according to sources in Rukungiri. What began as a usual confrontation between the police and opposition bigwig Dr Kizza Besigye quickly took a violent turn as police tried to stop a planned rally in Rukungiri stadium. Edson Nasasira being taken for burial The rally had been arranged by Patrick Amuriat Oboi, a candidate in the opposition Forum for Democratic Changes ongoing race for party president. It soon deteriorated and turned into an ugly stand-off lasting several hours. The violence reminded one of the April 2011 Walk-to-Work killings when, again, the police unleashed lethal force on Ugandans peacefully protesting against high fuel prices and the rising cost of living. On one hand, the police was firing at will, volleys of live ammunition and teargas canisters were directed at the stone-throwing crowd. But the mostly youthful FDC supporters, donning the red ribbons that have come to symbolise national resistance to amendment of Article 102(b), kept coming back. The youth responded with stones, one of which, according to police, struck and claimed the life of Nasasira. However, this claim, that the fifth born in a family of seven was struck dead by a stone, has been roundly rejected in Rukungiri where the young man was laid to rest on Friday. According to eyewitnesses, he was shot in the head, and this is what is driving his father, Tumwine, mad. How can they say that my son was killed by a stone yet its obvious that what he had on the head is a gunshot wound, Tumwine told The Observer on Friday. The bereaved parent denounced a purported postmortem report from Kambuga health centre, which allegedly stated that Nasasira was killed by a stone. He suggested it could have been doctored to exonerate the police of any wrongdoing. Police is yet to hand me the postmortem report but in any case, there is no way I can accept that report. Thats why we said we should take the body to St Kalori Lwanga hospital, Nyakibale for a fresh postmortem. As we suspected, it was confirmed that indeed my son was killed by a bullet, not by a stone, Tumwine said. He said that a written postmortem report will be released today, Monday. Who was Nasasira? Edson Nasasira was born to Yorakamu and Jovia Tumwine. He has been a resident of Kafunjo cell in the eastern division of Rukungiri municipality. He was born on May 5, 1995 in Bwamuha village, Burombe Rwamugoma Ruhinda sub-county of Rukungiri. Nasasira went to Kashenyi secondary school where he sat his A-level examinations. He has been pursuing a certificate in mechanical engineering. It is said he was doing his industrial training before he met his violent death. He has been working at Nabugabo stage as a turn boy; loading trucks with sand and bricks, among others. Generally speaking, he has been a good boy; its a pity that his life has been ended at such a young age, said a friend who preferred not to be named so as to speak freely. The FDC party to which Nasasira is said to have subscribed has said his violent death will only increase their resolve to push on until President Museveni drops the idea of amending the constitution. If Article 102(b) is amended, the 35 and 75-year age caps for presidential candidates would be removed, paving the way for Museveni to extend his 31-year rule when Uganda goes to the polls in 2021. As a party, we are considering petitioning court over individual police officers who participated in the gruesome murder of a peaceful Ugandan, said Walid Mulindwa Lubega, FDC national youth league vice chairman. Tumukunde vs Kayihura Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde, the minister for security, represented government at Nasasiras burial. In his speech, he laid the blame for this young mans killing at the feet of the police leadership. Tumukunde said local police officers should be forgiven when such excesses are committed against the people because they act on orders from their superiors. Its like driving a car, the driver steers in a certain direction but the car goes off track because of the condition of the roadLet us forgive the local police because they act on orders from above, Tumukunde said. As if to also disagree with the official version that Nasasiras life was ended by a stone, Tumukunde said investigations will be carried out to arrive at the exact cause of death. Besigye still at police Meanwhile, Dr Kizza Besigye, Patrick Amuriat Oboi and Ingrid Turinawe by Saturday were still being held at Naggalama police station in Mukono where they had been detained following their arrest on Thursday in Rukungiri on their way to Kabale to address a rally. Police claim that Besigye commanded youths who engaged police in running battles that resulted into the death of Nasasira and injured several others including a police officer who lost an eye. Efforts to speak to Besigye on Friday were futile as this reporter was denied access at Naggalama. bakerbatte@observer.ug Residents of Bujenje booed their member of parliament, Rtd Lt. Patrick Kasumba at a public dialogue held in Masindi town on Sunday. The meeting was organised by Radio Kitara to allow the legislators interact with their electorate and account for their one and half year in office. Although all the four legislators from the district were invited for the dialogue only Patrick Kasumba, the Bujenje county MP showed up. Those who skipped the dialogue without any explanation include Bintu Jali Lukum, the Masindi Woman MP, Ernest Kiiza, the Masindi Municipality MP and their Buruli counterpart, Professor Mijumbi Nyira. Patrick Kasumba During the dialogue, residents tasked Kasumba to give his position on the ongoing presidential age limit debate in vain. They also tasked the legislator to explain why the need to change the constitution now, which he didn't respond to either. The failure by the Kasumba to state his position and explain the urge to scrap the presidential age limit from the constitution angered residents who started booing the legislator. The situation got out of hand when Kasumba told residents during consultations they will not hold rallies because they are attended by drunkards, adding that they will only meet selected leaders, elders and religious leaders among others. Joab Businge, the Masindi mayor didn't hide his frustration with the MPs, saying it is wrong to only consult National Resistance Movement party members on a national matter that is going to affect all citizens. He blasted the NRM legislators for failing to do what took them to parliament drawing applause from the residents. The dialogue was attended by among other Cosmas Byaruhanga, the Masindi LC V chairperson, district and municipal councilors. Hundreds of workers of street-parking firm, Multiplex-Uganda are on a sit-down strike protesting against poor pay and working conditions. The striking workers have gathered at the Railway Grounds in central Kampala leaving street parking in the central business district unattended to. They laid down their tools today over a litany of demands which they want to be fulfilled. The workers say they receive a net pay of Shs 6,500 a day, an amount too small to live on in Kampala. They also accuse their employer of not remitting contributions to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) despite making deductions from their meagre pay. A multiplex staff at work earlier The workers add that although they are entitled to an additional Shs 2,000 per day to cover the cost of their meals, the money is delayed and quite often paid in arrears. They also want the rate increased stating that Shs 2000 is not enough to cover the cost of food anywhere in the central business district. The workers also complain that they are not entitled to medical care yet the conditions under which they operate, including in rainy, sunny, and dusty conditions make them susceptible to various health complications. They say when one falls ill, on or off the job, he or she struggles single-handedly without any support or empathy from the Multiplex management, adding that such a person also doesn't get paid his or her wages. The Multiplex workers say they are denied personal protective gear like overalls, nose covers and caps, exposing them to vagaries of weather. According to the workers, some of their supervisors subject them to physical, sexual and emotional abuses. They add that they are body checked in such a way that portrays them as 'thieves' of company money, demeaning them and lowering their self-esteem. They reason that while parking fees have increased from Shs 400 to Shs 1,000 per hour and monthly stickers from Shs 42,000 to Shs 105,000, that has not been reflected in their pay and working conditions. They now want management to improve their pay taking into account the high cost of living in the city. Sources said the workers held a general meeting on Sunday over the industrial action. That while a few workers opposed going on strike, the majority were in favour. A receptionist at Multiplex said the managers were locked up in a crisis meeting. Merger of FATA with KPK will not be allowed against the peoples wishes: Mahmood Achakzai Merger of FATA with KPK will not be allowed against the peoples wishes: Mahmood AchakzaiISLAMABAD: Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai announced on Sunday that the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would not be allowed against the peoples wishes. At a public meeting at the Convention Centre, Mr Achakzai said no area could be merged with a province without seeking their permission, adding that residents of the province should have the first right to the resources of a province. The meeting appeared to be held in response to a sit-in by parliamentarians and Fata residents demanding the merger of Fata with KP. The sit-in was held on Oct 9, and protesters were later called to negotiate on the status of Fata by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and assured their demands would be considered. Lawmakers from Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazal and PkMAP did not join the protest because their party leaders oppose the proposal to merge Fata with KP. Mr Achakzai said at the meeting that Pakhtuns are considered terrorists in Pakistan, but historically they have never been involved in terrorism or aggression against any state. It is a fact that Pakhtuns have always defended aggression on their land and never accepted the dominance of any nation, he said. Senator Sardar Mohammad Azam Khan Musakhel also said the merger of Fata would not be allowed against the will of its residents. Unfortunately we have not learnt any lessons from history, although we should remember that we lost a part of Pakistan because of taking decisions against the will of the people. The current trouble and movement for separation going on in Balochistan are because of the same reason, as the state is not ready to put an ear to the demands of the people, he added. Mr Musakhel demanded that the government hold a referendum in Fata to see if the people of Fata wish to be merged with KP. Senator Mohammad Usman Khan Kakar said at the meeting that the state should end injustice against Pakhtuns. Pakhtuns are arrested illegally and it has become impossible for Pakhtuns to live and work in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh. They have been restricted to their houses, as they are arrested and declared Afghans although they have been living in Pakistan for centuries. He added: It is unfortunate that economic doors have been closed on Pakhtuns, because of which the whole community has suffered. PkMAP leader Matiullah Musakhel told Dawn that a public meeting in Islamabad has sent decision makers the message that the people of Fata do not want to merge with KP. We will use all democratic options to stop the merger. As a first step, we will raise the issue in parliament, and after that, public meetings and protests will be held across the country. As a last resort, we can consider boycotting the general elections and will hold a sit-in in Islamabad, he said. In response to a question, he said Pakhtuns have been suffering across Pakistan. Around 90,000 CNICs have been blocked across the country, and 99.9pc of them are Pakhtuns. Because of the blockage of CNICs, they cannot do business, open back accounts and admit their children into schools. Now, Pakhtuns are being displaced in Punjab and AJK although they have billions of rupees worth of property in those areas. PPP to repeal Elections Bill, 2017 in Senate 23 October, 2017 Related News Imran Khan distributed loan cheques under Kamyab Jawan Programme PTI govt to face all challenges coming its way: Imran khan More on this View All Tips for Taking Incredible iPhone Travel Photos Top 2021 Accessories We Know You Will Love Types of Casino Payment Methods Best Poker Hands ever played on a Casino Are Slot Developers Important for players? Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry Woke Bingo ISLAMABAD: The Senate is set to take up on Monday a crucial opposition bill seeking an amendment to the recently-passed Elections Act, 2017, with an aim to repeal the controversial clause that allows a person ineligible to be elected as a lawmaker to become an office-bearer of a political party. The bill titled the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2017, is part of the 48-point agenda issued by the Senate Secretariat for the opening day of the autumn session of the upper house of parliament. The bill had jointly been submitted to the Senate Secretariat earlier this month by Taj Haider, Saleem Mandviwala and Mukhtiar Ahmed Dhamra of the Pakistan Peoples Party; Syed Shibli Faraz, Azam Khan Swati, Mohsin Aziz, Nauman Wazir Khattak, Liaquat Khan Tarakai, retired Brig John Kenneth Williams and Samina Saeed of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf; Kamil Ali Agha of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q and Sirajul Haq of the Jamaat-i-Islami. If the opposition is serious in bringing this amendment then it will have to ensure the presence of maximum number of its members in the Senate on Monday as Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani will put the motion for the bill to vote, if the government opposed its introduction. Taking advantage of its numerical strength, the PML-N had earlier this month bulldozed the Elections Act, 2017, through the National Assembly and it was assented by President Mamnoon Hussain within hours of its passage from the lower house of the parliament. The law was passed to allow the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N to re-elect former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as its chief. Earlier on July 28, Mr Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court from becoming a lawmaker in its verdict in the Panama Papers case. The original bill passed by the National Assembly had been adopted by the Senate with amendments, but the amendment to Clause 203, sought by the opposition members, was defeated in the upper house due to the oppositions ill-preparedness. A number of petitions have already been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the said provision of the Elections Act. The PPP is one of the petitioners. Talking to Dawn on media men, PPPs parliamentary leader Taj Haider said that learning from the past they had this time chalked out a strategy to ensure the presence of maximum number of its members in the house when the movers would be seeking permission for tabling the bill. Mr Haider said they also planned to hold a meeting of the joint opposition before the session to devise a strategy. The PPP leader said he had been contacting individually every opposition member so that they could succeed not only in the introduction of the bill, but for its passage the same day. Mr Haider was of the view that there was no need for sending the bill to any standing committee as enough discussion had already taken place on the issue on the floor of the house. He said the opposition would press the chairman to get the bill passed without referring it to the committee. He said if the government insisted on sending the bill to the committee, they would ask the chairman to decide the matter through a vote. He expressed the hope that they would succeed in their move this time. He recalled that during the previous session, the Senate had already passed a resolution with 52-28 votes against the same controversial provision in the act introduced by the government only to benefit the ousted prime minister. The government had last month managed the passage of the Elections Act, 2017, from the Senate with an amendment to a clause of the Political Parties Order, paving the way for the re-election of Nawaz Sharif as the PML-N president. The government had managed to get the law passed from the opposition-dominated Senate due to division within the ranks of the opposition parties and their failure to devise a proper strategy to block the bill. Leader of Opposition in the Senate Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan had moved the same amendment to the bill at the time of its passage, but the treasury members defeated it through voting when a member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) also supported the government. Mr Haider agreed that when the bill had come for voting in the Senate last month, the opposition parties could not formulate a strategy. He regretted that MQM Senator Ateeq Shaikh voted against the opposition-moved amendment, thus providing the government an opportunity to get the bill sailed through the house. During the previous session, the Senate had adopted a resolution stating that a person ineligible to be elected as lawmaker should not become office-bearer of a political party. The resolution had been moved by Mr Ahsan of the PPP and it was supported by other opposition parties. Mr Ahsan had pointed out that an anomalous situation had arisen in the country wherein a person who was disqualified to be a member of parliament could continue to be an office-bearer, even the head of a political party. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has observed that government's "Free Education" policy was gradually transforming the country' s economy with benefits for all. The President said he was determined to improve conditions in the country with quality free education as the first step towards the creation of an entrepreneurial climate, and said a non-partisan approach was crucial to the success of the policy. He said this in a speech read on his behalf at the 50th Anniversary of Vakpo Senior High School at Vakpo in the North Dayi District of the Volta Region. President Akufo-Addo said unless the "sluices in the river of education" were removed, the education of millions of Ghanaians would end at the Junior High School level. He urged the youth to prioritise education towards building a quality workforce to power Ghanas industrialisation and stated government's resolve to address infrastructural challenges facing Senior High Schools. Madam Charity Adzoa Calai, Headmistress of the School commended government for implementing the free education policy and said it had increased student population by 46.5 per cent. She said inadequate infrastructure was affecting teaching and learning in the School established in 1965 as a private institution. Madam Calai said the North Dayi District Assembly, the Parent Teacher Association and GETFUND had been very supportive with numerous projects at various stages of progress across the campus, and appealed to stakeholders to ensure their completion. She said the old students Association was assisting the School in constructing a fence wall to prevent encroachment and pleaded with government to provide the Institution with a dining hall, and a school bus. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghana has courted support from Lithuania to back the candidature of Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, The Netherlands. The government has nominated her as its candidate for the List A category of judges for election to the court. Bilateral support Towards that objective, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has asked the visiting Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Mr Linas Linkevicius, to support Ghanas nominee to the court in the spirit of cooperation. She further called for Lithuanian support for Ghana as it sought to be on the United Nations Security Council from 2020-2021. Ms Botchwey held talks with a Lithuanian delegation, led by Mr Linkevicius, in Accra last Friday to, among other things, re-establish strong ties between the two countries. The visit by the delegation was also to establish a strong presence in Africa, with Ghana being the central focus for Lithuanian investors in West Africa. The delegation was in the country for three days. Ms Botchwey said the visit by her Lithuanian counterpart was a follow-up to ongoing consultations between the two countries. She described Lithuania as a country with one of the best ICT infrastructure in the world and also best in the area of manufacturing and called for collaboration with Lithuania in Ghanas quest to become an ICT hub in the sub-region. The visit to Ghana by Mr Linkevicius, the first in 20 years by a high-profile government official from Lithuania, according to Ms Botchwey, was crucial to Ghana in view of the governments commitment to attract foreign direct investment. She asked the delegation to consider Ghana as a key partner in the areas of manufacturing, ICT, renewable energy and fertiliser development where Lithuania had competitive advantage. She mentioned the governments flagship programmes, including the one-district, one-factory, one-village, one-dam and the Planting for Food and Jobs programmes, and called for a government-to-government relationship towards the successful implementation of the projects. More consultations For his part, Mr Linkevicius, who came to Ghana after visiting Lithuanian troops on a training mission in Mali, underscored the need for more consultations between Ghana and Lithuania. Our governments have to look beyond military cooperation and find areas of common interest. We can also collaborate in the area of cyber security, he added. Among other things, he suggested to the minister for Ghana to take advantage of educational opportunities in Lithuania to have Ghanaian students study there. About Lithuania Lithuania is a country of three million people in the Baltic Region of north-eastern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic States and situated along the south-eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, to the east of Sweden and Denmark. It is a member of the European Union (EU), the Council of Europe, the Eurozone, the Schengen Agreement and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). 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 Whenever a politician gets caught doing something wrong, they like to blame the newspaper for reporting it. We are biased, they say. Queensbury Town Board member Doug Irish resigned this morning after moving out of state and not attending any board meetings for months. He blamed the column I wrote on Sunday as proof that the newspaper was biased against Rachel Seeber and her candidacy for town supervisor, even though Seeber was not mentioned in the column. The only link to Seeber was that Irish is part of her campaign team, a supporter and a friend. The column did go into detail about the dirty politics Irish, the town attorney and the countys Republican chairman were plotting to avenge a vote they didnt like by a fellow Republican Town Board member. The problems that Irish and the rest of his cohorts have had recently have nothing to do with newspaper bias. It is entirely of their own making. HEBRON A home on James Road in Hebron was destroyed by a fire that also killed two dogs late Sunday. No injuries were reported from the fire, which was reported at 66 James Road shortly before 11 p.m. Hebron Fire Chief David Getty said the building was a seasonal home and a man who was staying there got out safely, but couldn't rescue dogs that were inside. "It was a total loss," Getty said. Getty said the cause remained under investigation. Firefighters from around Washington County were called to put out the blaze. Hebron, Hartford, Cossayuna and North Granville were summoned to help provide water and manpower. Washington County property records show Jeffrey and Renee Bardin own the property. QUEENSBURY Town Councilman Doug Irish abruptly resigned Monday morning, four months after he moved out of state. In an email sent at 7:30 a.m., Irish said the criticism over whether he should resign was affecting the supervisors race. He strongly supports Republican candidate Rachel Seeber for supervisor. It is unfortunate that my presence, or lack thereof at the Town Board meetings, have been made an issue in the supervisors race, he wrote in his resignation letter. I wish you good luck in the immediate future on the board and look forward to an honest, issues driven debate for the supervisors position going forward. He referenced criticism from The Post-Star editorial page of his scheme this summer to run a Town Board candidate who did not want the position. Candidate Hal Bain asked Irish, as well as the town attorney and other Republican officials, if he could drop out of the race. Irish came up with a different idea: run and then resign before taking office, allowing the Republicans to appoint someone else for a year. The scheme was openly discussed via his official town email account, which is public. Democrats submitted a Freedom of Information Law request for his email and discovered the scheme recently. Irish defended it as the way politics is done, but criticism mounted, with town Councilman Tony Metivier last week questioning what other schemes Irish had planned. He suggested not voting for anyone who supported Irish including town Councilman Brian Clements and Seeber. In Irishs resignation letter, he said Editor Ken Tingleys opinion piece criticizing the scheme proved the newspaper would not be unbiased in the race. He also wrote that he no longer believes he can change his schedule enough to get to the twice-monthly Town Board meetings in person. My efforts to attend Town Board meetings have not been successful and, clearly Supervisor Strough prefers it to remain that way, Irish wrote. Supervisor John Strough has objected to Irish using video conferencing to attend, saying Irish should instead resign because he no longer lives in Queensbury. Irish moved to an apartment in North Carolina to take a job at a community college, but his family still lives in Queensbury. He has argued that since his house in the town is still his legal address, he can keep his board seat. State law says his seat is vacant when he ceases to be an inhabitant, regardless of what property he owns. Irish has said repeatedly that he wanted to keep his seat until the election. He wrote that he loved the job. I very much enjoyed my work on the Town Board and always told the truth. While this may be inconvenient and even hurtful to some members of the board, the facts are nonetheless the facts, he said. Contacted later Monday, Seeber said Irish did the right thing by resigning. Going door-to-door over the past two weeks in Ward 3, this is without a doubt an issue to our residents, she said. My hope is the press and people can now get back to the issues of this campaign: over-taxation in Queensbury, wasteful spending like the $10.5 million (airport) runway expansion and the lack of transparency, including the hiding of a scathing audit report by the current town supervisor. Strough is prepared to appoint Irishs replacement, George Ferone, who is running unopposed for Ward 1. If Ferone is willing, he could be appointed as early as next month. (The board has no more meetings this month.) I think its good, Strough said about the resignation. I think it will help the town move forward. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy QUEENSBURY The Glens Falls man who faces murder charges for the killings of a mother and young daughter over the summer has a new lawyer. The Warren County Public Defenders Office will no longer represent Bryan M. Redden, after the agency found it had a conflict of interest. It was unclear where the conflict arose, as Warren County Public Defender Marcy Flores said Monday that she could not discuss the rationale behind her office stepping away from the case. Redden will now be represented by Martin McGuinness, a former Washington County assistant public defender, going forward after his assignment by the countys assigned counsel office. The change will be a financial hit for Warren County, as McGuinness will bill at an hourly rate, while the Public Defenders Office staff is paid salaries to handle their caseload. Past bills for murder cases if they go to trial have topped $20,000. McGuinness, who runs a private law practice in Queensbury, did not return a phone call for comment Monday. The Public Defenders Offices conflicts of interest typically stem from prior representation of victims or witnesses in a case. Redden, 21, faces charges for allegedly killing 33-year-old Crystal Riley and her 4-year-old daughter, Lilly Frasier, in Rileys South Street, Glens Falls, apartment on Aug. 11. He is accused of killing both with a knife, and was said to have been involved in some sort of romantic relationship with Riley. He was arrested hours after the killings, driving Rileys sport-utility vehicle in Glens Falls. Police said he confessed to killing the victims. Redden has pleaded not guilty to an eight-count indictment that includes counts of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and lesser charges for possessing a weapon, theft of the vehicle and hiding the knife. He was directed in August to undergo an examination to determine whether he was fit to stand trial, and earlier this month was deemed fit. He is being held in Warren County Jail without bail. He faces up to life in prison without parole if convicted of first-degree murder, and up to 50 years to life if convicted of second-degree murder. No further court dates have been set in Reddens case. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: MCD poll candidates rush to file nominations as deadline ends today Himachal sees poll percentage of approximately 75.6: Official ENGIE and Fenix announce that they have agreed on a transaction in which ENGIE will acquire1 100% of Fenix International, a next generation energy company, offering Solar Home Systems (SHS) in Africa. Founded in 2009, Fenix employs over 350 people and has its main activities in Uganda where it is the leading SHS player with more than 140,000 customers. Fenix recently expanded into Zambia and plans further roll-outs in other countries across Africa. Fenix will be the first SHS company to join a major worldwide energy company, which puts the fight against climate change and energy access at the very center of its purpose. Bruno Bensasson, CEO of ENGIE Africa: We believe that combining the strengths of ENGIE, a global energy player and Fenix, a successful company with very strong customer focus, high-quality products and an experienced team anchored in the heart of Sub-Saharan Africa, will enable faster deployment of SHS to the large African population still lacking access to electricity. Fenix will be the agile growth engine for ENGIEs SHS business in Africa and enable us to become a leading profitable off-grid energy services company on the continent, reaching millions of customers by 2020. We do believe that universal access is now reachable in a foreseeable future by the combination of national grids extension, local micro-grids and solar home systems, depending on the local characteristics of the energy demand. Lyndsay Handler, CEO of Fenix International: Fenix and ENGIE share the belief that universal access to energy is possible and paramount. To date, Fenix has delivered reliable solar power to over 900,000 people in East Africa. By joining forces with ENGIE - one of the worlds largest independent utility companies with a firm commitment to a decentralized, decarbonized and digital energy revolution - we will greatly accelerate the path to our vision. She added, Our values and our team will remain at the core of Fenix. We will continue to relentlessly pursue an exceptional customer experience in all we do and we will invest even more in building a great team with a strong culture. Together with ENGIEs ambitions, experience, talent and long-term investments, we will deliver affordable power and other life-changing products to customers across Africa and make universal access to modern energy a reality." Over 600 million people lack access to modern energy in Africa. Rapid improvement of photovoltaic, battery storage technologies and mobile payment platforms make it possible for companies to offer affordable, reliable and expandable solar home systems. Fenixs flagship product, ReadyPay Power, provides lighting, phone charging and power for TVs and radios. The technology is offered on a lease-to-own basis so that off-grid customers can finance their power system through micro instalments over mobile money. Fenix uses the financing of the solar home system to build a credit score for each customer which can then be used to power and finance other life-changing products and services from Fenix. This investment will contribute to ENGIEs goal of providing 20 million people around the world with access to decarbonized, decentralized energy by 2020, using the latest digital technologies. Fenixs strength within the home solar market in Africa will play a strategic part in the realisation of this goal, given the number of households that off-grid solar is expected to reach over the coming years. The World Bank has estimated that up to 99 million households, more than a third of those that are off-grid, will rely on home solar by 2020, with the market growing fastest in Africa.2 1 Closing of the transaction will happen once all approvals of the relevant regulatory bodies are received. 2 The Off Grid Solar Market Trends Report 2016, The World Bank and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), https://data.bloomberglp.com/bnef/sites/4/2016/03/20160303_BNEF_WorldBankIFC_Off-GridSolarReport_.pdf Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) announced it has installed more than half of the 2.5 million solar panels that will comprise eight new solar power plants powering its customers by early 2018. Construction activity at the new solar sites is at peak levels with a workforce of more than 1,000 men and women, including military veterans, building the advanced facilities. The eight new plants are part of FPL's larger plan to add more than 10 million solar panels from 2016 to 2023, one of the largest solar expansions ever in the eastern United States. "We're investing nearly $1 billion to grow solar in Florida this year alone, and we're building each of these new solar power plants cost-effectively," said FPL President and CEO Eric Silagy as he toured the construction site of the future FPL Barefoot Bay Solar Energy Center in Brevard County with community leaders today. "Together, these eight new plants are projected to generate an estimated net lifetime savings of more than $100 million for our customers over and above the cost of construction. Our continued commitment to rapidly expand solar energy while keeping customer bills low demonstrates that it is, in fact, possible to be both clean and affordable." "FPL's clean energy infrastructure investments continue to pay off for Floridians and give our state's economy a competitive advantage," said Vicki Northrup, an economic development consultant in Brevard County. "Residents and businesses served by FPL are enjoying cleaner and cleaner energy while continuing to pay significantly less for power than the national average." The eight new FPL solar plants under construction and their expected completion dates are: FPL Horizon Solar Energy Center, Alachua and Putnam counties (by Dec. 31, 2017 ) and counties (by ) FPL Coral Farms Solar Energy Center, Putnam County (by Dec. 31, 2017 ) (by ) FPL Indian River Solar Energy Center, Indian River County (by Dec. 31, 2017 ) (by ) FPL Wildflower Solar Energy Center, Desoto County (by Dec. 31, 2017 ) (by ) FPL Barefoot Bay Solar Energy Center, Brevard County (by March 1, 2018 ) (by ) FPL Blue Cypress Solar Energy Center, Indian River County (by March 1, 2018 ) (by ) FPL Hammock Solar Energy Center, Hendry County (by March 1, 2018 ) (by ) FPL Loggerhead Solar Energy Center, St. Lucie County (by March 1, 2018 ) Each of the eight new solar plants will be capable of generating 74.5 megawatts of zero-emissions energy when the sun is shining for a combined total of nearly 600 megawatts. More information about solar in Florida and FPL's solar investments Florida ranks ninth in the nation for solar resource the strength of the sun's rays making it a great place for solar. One of the cleanest electric utilities in the nation, FPL projects that solar will outpace coal and oil combined as a percentage of the company's energy mix by the year 2020. From 2016 to 2023, FPL plans to add more than 2,300 new megawatts of solar, including the approximately 225 megawatts completed in 2016 and the nearly 600 megawatts currently under construction totaling more than 10 million solar panels in all. FPL has been studying and operating solar in Florida for more than three decades. In 1984, FPL commissioned its first universal solar installation, a 10-kilowatt PV facility in Miami that helped the company's employees gain experience with the then-emerging technology. Over the years, FPL has continued to test and operate a wide variety of solar technologies. In 2009, the company built the 25-megawatt FPL DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center, which was the largest solar PV power plant ever built in the U.S. at the time. In 2016, FPL became the first company to build solar cost-effectively in Florida, leveraging its purchasing power and sites with key advantages to complete three 74.5-megawatt universal solar power plants that are projected to result in net customer savings over their operational lifetimes. Today, FPL is the largest generator of solar energy in Florida with six major solar power plants and numerous other universal solar installations, totaling more than 335 megawatts of capacity: FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center, Charlotte County FPL Citrus Solar Energy Center, DeSoto County FPL Manatee Solar Energy Center, Manatee County FPL Martin Next Generation Clean Energy Center (hybrid solar/natural gas), Martin County FPL DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center, DeSoto County FPL Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center, Brevard County FPL Solar Circuit at Daytona International Speedway, Volusia County Solar research installation at Florida International University , Miami-Dade County , FPL SolarNow array at the Broward Young At Art Museum & Library, Broward County FPL SolarNow array at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society, Palm Beach County FPL SolarNow array at the Palmetto Estuary Nature Preserve, Manatee County In addition to the above, FPL has installed small-scale solar arrays for more than 100 Florida schools and other educational facilities. For more information, visit www.FPL.com/solar. Widad Akreyi has a vision of what the future can look like in her home town of Aqrah in Iraqi Kurdistan. Akreyis vision is of a sovereign country that will encompass the historic lands of the Kurds and the minorities who live in peace with them. It is a vision of a place of safety for these people. It is a place that will give them a way to escape the genocides that have befallen those people, much as Israel has become a safe haven for the Jewish people. But it will take an involved world, and specifically an involved United States, and an involved Israel to get there, she said. Akreyi, was born in 1969 to a secular family in Aqrah, and survived the horrors of war while documenting for history the genocide and the suffering of the Kurds and minorities where they have lived for thousands of years. On Sunday, Akreyi, co-founder of the human rights organization Defend International, earned her place among the worlds brightest brokers of peace when she was presented with the Pacem In Terris Peace and Freedom Award during a ceremony at Christ the King Chapel at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. Looking over the crowd of about 100, Akreyi said she was proud to be the first woman born in Kurdistan to receive the award. But then she spoke of her people, the Kurds, Christians and other minorities persecuted in Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey. The horrors of wars have shadowed our path in life, Akreyi said. The soil of our land is saturated and soaked with the blood of genocides. Akreyi said she was only 5-years-old when the Iraqi government declared war against the Kurdish people and she and her family had to flee their home. They returned in 1980, but had their home attacked during the Iran-Iraq war, which ran from 1986 to 1988. Before it was over, Iraq waged a new war on the Kurds and other minorities in the region with chemical weapons. In what became known as the Anfal Genocide, she said, the Iraqi government used religion to legitimize the attacks by claiming that the Kurds and Christians and other minorities in the region were infidels. Thousands were killed, she said, and young women were sold into slavery in other countries. The more division the Iraqi authorities incorporated, the more we worked for inclusion, Akreyi said. The more aggression they showed us the more time we devoted to peace and reconciliation. The more civilians they tortured and slaughtered the more my instincts guided me to reach out to all segments of society. The more they tried to erase the evidence, the more risks we took to document the atrocities and the harms inflicted on humans and the environment. Because one day, we thought, one day the world will wake up and realize the repercussions of overlooking our suffering and on that day the souls of victims will finally find peace, Akreyi said. Akreyi said when looking at the Armenian Genocide of 1914 to 1917 carried out by Turkey, the Anfal Genocide and the first genocide of the 21st century carried out by ISIS against the Yazidis in Iraq in 2014, one can see the perpetrators of the genocides used their specific religion to legitimize their actions. The atrocities carried out by ISIS spared no one, with women and children being killed, or raped or sold into slavery, she said. It was history repeating itself again, as visions of 1914 came to life in 2014, she said. Akreyi said it is heartwarming to know that there have been people from around the world, of different faiths and backgrounds and heritage, who have supported the Kurds and the minorities who live with them. They believe that all humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights, she said. They believe in acting toward one another in the spirit of humanity because human rights are universal and justice and peace are human rights. Survivors, she said, want justice, and a sense of safety and security to complete their lives. What the perpetrators of the genocides were doing was ethnic cleansing, she said. Their goal was to either wipe out or force out those minority populations living on those lands and change the demographics of those areas. If we only think of bringing people out we will be helping those who perpetrated the genocide achieve their goals. We may end up, without realizing it, that we helped them achieve what they fought for. After the ceremony, Akreyi said that now that ISIS has been defeated, the way to protect the Kurds and the Christians and the other minorities living throughout the Kurdish areas of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey is to help them achieve an independent state. If we want all these people to have a decent life, a peaceful life, they must have their own state, she said. This is their home, Akreyi continued. The Kurds have lived there for more than 5,000 years. I grew up in a city that was an example of Kurds, Jews and Christians living side-by-side in peace and harmony. I remember my mother missing her friends because they were forced to leave their homes and go to Israel. The only country that has recognized a Kurdish state is Israel, she added. Allan Ross, executive director of the Quad-City Jewish Federation, said that the 30 million Kurds throughout Syria, Iran, Iraq and Turkey are the largest ethnic group in the world without a state of their own. Its time for them to be able to determine their own destiny, Ross said. Its time for them to be able to form their own country. If the rest of the world does not get involved, he said, there is a real chance of more genocides against them. I believe the United States and its allies should first protect the Kurds and support their aspirations for their own country, Ross said. Our sovereignty would be a shield against genocide," Akreyi said. A Bettendorf man has pleaded guilty to sending a bomb threat to Scott Community College in 2015. America Yegile Haileselassie, 39, pleaded guilty Friday to interstate communication of a threat in U.S. District Court, Davenport, according to court records. The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison. He will be sentenced Feb. 15. According to court documents: At 10:35 a.m. Nov. 4, 2015, Scott County Sheriffs deputies were called to the community college in Davenport and were shown a stack of printed paper from the Student Success Center that each contained the printed message, There is a bomb at Scott Community College. It will explode at noon today. The community college building was searched and nothing was found. An employee who found the printed paper observed an email address that was linked to Haileselassie, a former student. Deputies learned he had been verbally told he was suspended one week prior. An official suspension letter was mailed to him Nov. 2, 2015, according to court documents. Haileselassie was initially charged in Scott County District Court, but the charge was dismissed when he was indicted in federal court in October 2016. He pleaded guilty to the federal charge in July, but was allowed to take back the plea the following month, court records show. Opening statements will begin Tuesday morning in the first-degree murder trial of Yolanduis Lynn McDuffie, who is charged in the fatal shooting of Rock Island tattoo artist Derek Jackson in December 2013. Attorneys on Monday questioned prospective jurors for several hours before selecting 12 jurors and two alternates eight men and six women to hear the case. The trial is expected to last through the week, Judge Frank Fuhr said. McDuffie, 24, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the death of Jackson, 24. He is represented by attorneys Nate Nieman and Dora Villarreal. The case will be tried by Rock Island County assistant state's attorneys John McCooley and Heidi Weller. Just before noon Dec. 18, 2013, Rock Island police were dispatched to Jackson's home in the 1000 block of 16th Avenue and found him lying on his back in the dining room. He had two gunshot wounds to the head and one gunshot wound to his left arm. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. McDuffie initially was charged with first-degree murder in Jackson's death, but prosecutors dismissed the case on Jan. 6, 2015, the day his trial was scheduled to begin. The case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning charges could be refiled at any time. There is no statute of limitation for a murder charge. Rock Island County prosecutors recharged him in August 2015 after investigators found the handgun they believe was used to kill Jackson. McDuffie made his first appearance on the newly filed charges in December. His co-defendant in the case, Aaron D. Henderson II, 24, was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder in connection with Jackson's death and was sentenced in 2015 to 40 years in prison. The jury rejected prosecutors' theory that Henderson pulled the trigger but was convinced that Henderson was an accomplice in Jackson's death. Last year, McDuffie pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a felon in Scott County District Court and was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison in the April 2015 shooting death of James Goode Jr., 33, of Davenport. Two sentenced in 2015 Chorus Line assault Two Davenport brothers have been sentenced in connection with an assault that left a man seriously injured at a Davenport strip club in 2015. Trenton D. Shelton, 32, was sentenced Friday in Scott County District Court to up to 15 years in prison for willful injury resulting in serious injury as a habitual offender and up to five years in prison for assault while participating in a felony. The charges will run back-to-back. He must serve at least three years in prison on the willful injury charge before he is eligible for parole. Trenton Shelton also was ordered to serve up to five years in prison for violating his probation in a 2012 drug case. That charge will run at the same time as the other charges. Juan D. Shelton, 33, was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for willful injury resulting in serious injury as a habitual offender. He also must serve at least three years in prison on the charge before he is eligible for parole. The two pleaded guilty to the charges in July in Scott County District Court. In exchange for their pleas, prosecutors dismissed a charge of attempted murder at sentencing. Police say Juan and Trenton Shelton and their brother, Kamden, were involved in a fight with Joshua Sutton, 41, early on Oct. 15, 2015, at Chorus Line, 4128 Brady St. According to police, Sutton was knocked to the ground and was kicked in the head and torso several times and stomped on. Kamden Shelton was arrested the day of the incident. Juan Shelton was arrested the next day after police say he led them on a five-minute car chase from Rock Island into Davenport via the Interstate 280 bridge. Trenton Shelton was arrested in December 2015 in Mississippi by the U.S. Marshals Service. He was charged in federal court with failing to register as a sex offender, and in November, was sentenced to 16 months in prison. He was released from custody and booked into the Scott County Jail on Feb. 8. Kamden Shelton, 26, entered an Alford plea to willful injury causing serious injury in May 2016 and was sentenced the following month to up to 10 years in prison. In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes prosecutors have enough evidence to win a conviction. Tara Becker Guilty plea in federal bomb threat case A Bettendorf man has pleaded guilty to sending a bomb threat to Scott Community College in 2015. America Yegile Haileselassie, 39, pleaded guilty Friday to interstate communication of a threat in U.S. District Court, Davenport, according to court records. The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison. He will be sentenced Feb. 15. According to court documents: At 10:35 a.m. Nov. 4, 2015, Scott County Sheriffs deputies were called to the college in Davenport and were shown a stack of printed paper from the Student Success Center that each contained the printed message, There is a bomb at Scott Community College. It will explode at noon today. The college building was searched and nothing was found. An employee who found the printed paper observed an email address that was linked to Haileselassie, a former student. Deputies learned he had been verbally told he was suspended one week prior. An official suspension letter was mailed to him Nov. 2, 2015, according to court documents. Haileselassie was initially charged in Scott County District Court, but the charge was dismissed when he was indicted in federal court in October 2016. He pleaded guilty to the federal charge in July, but was allowed to take back the plea the following month, court records show. Tara Becker Two Davenport brothers have been sentenced in connection with an assault that left a man seriously injured at a Davenport strip club in 2015. Trenton D. Shelton, 32, was sentenced Friday in Scott County District Court to up to 15 years in prison for willful injury resulting in serious injury as a habitual offender and up to five years in prison for assault while participating in a felony. The charges will run back-to-back. He must serve at least three years in prison on the willful injury charge before he is eligible for parole. Trenton Shelton also was ordered to serve up to five years in prison for violating his probation in a 2012 drug case. That charge will run at the same time as the other charges. Juan D. Shelton, 33, was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for willful injury resulting in serious injury as a habitual offender. He also must serve at least three years in prison on the charge before he is eligible for parole. The two pleaded guilty to the charges in July in Scott County District Court. In exchange for their pleas, prosecutors dismissed a charge of attempted murder at sentencing. Police say Juan and Trenton Shelton and their brother, Kamden, were involved in a fight with Joshua Sutton, 41, early on Oct. 15, 2015 at Chorus Line, 4128 Brady St. According to police, Sutton was knocked to the ground and was kicked in the head and torso several times and stomped on. Kamden Shelton was arrested the day of the incident. Juan Shelton was arrested the next day after police say he led them on a five-minute car chase from Rock Island into Davenport via the Interstate 280 bridge. Trenton Shelton was arrested in December 2015 in Mississippi by the U.S. Marshals Service. He was charged in federal court with failing to register as a sex offender, and in November, was sentenced to 16 months in prison. He was released from custody and booked into the Scott County Jail on Feb. 8. Kamden Shelton, 26, entered an Alford plea to willful injury causing serious injury in May 2016 and was sentenced the following month to up to 10 years in prison. In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes prosecutors have enough evidence to win a conviction. CEDAR RAPIDS Iowa Senate Democrats heaped praise on Sen. Rob Hogg after replacing him as minority leader Sunday afternoon. I cant say enough good things about Sen. Hogg, said Sen. Janet Petersen of Des Moines, who was elected to be the caucus new minority leader. Democratic senators will keep progressing on the foundation Rob put in place. The leadership change comes less than a year after caucus members elected Hogg to succeed Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, who was among the Democratic senators defeated in the November 2016 election. Democrats, who had a 26-24 majority, now hold 20 seats to Republicans 29. One seat is held by a Republican-turned-independent. Petersen called Hogg a very important part of our caucus, our team. She said he has done amazing things to get Democrats across our state motivated. Although he was not looking to step down, Hogg expressed confidence in Petersen. I am very proud of the Herculean effort I have made over the last 11 months to recruit great candidates and raise money so that we can have the biggest political comeback in Iowas history in 2018, and I am confident that Sen. Petersen will do her best to lead that effort, Hogg said. A Cedar Rapids attorney and author of a book on climate change, he was elected to the Iowa House in 2002 and the Senate in 2006. He plans to seek re-election in 2018. Petersen, 47, first elected to the Legislature in 2000, served six terms in the House and is in her second term in the Senate. She is the first woman to lead the Senate Democratic caucus. Her name has been floated as a potential candidate for governor or Congress. Sunday evening, Petersen said the Democratic caucus is pretty unified. Its in a good place better than in previous (election) cycles. I think the media is making it more of an event than it was, she added. Petersen didnt identify specific reasons for the leadership change and said she doesnt expect major changes in Democrats legislative priorities, strategy or staffing. The caucus thought the timing is right for a change as we get ready to launch the 2018 session in January, she said. They thought that as we get into the thick of things for 2018, this was a good time to do it. However united the caucus is on its legislative goals, the leadership decision was not unanimous, according to Sen. Wally Horn, D-Cedar Rapids. Horn, who is in his fifth decade as a lawmaker, said he had heard comments about Hoggs leadership, but I didnt think this would happen. I dont think anything good comes out of this, he said. I dont know how much worse it is. I think it is more toward the negative direction than the positive. I just cant see anything better coming out of it, but when youre in the Legislature, everyone has an ego, said Horn, a former Democratic majority leader. He suggested the change was driven by incumbents who are up for re-election in 2018 who thought not enough attention was being paid to them. Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, who described the mood of the meeting as pretty serious (with) plenty of good discussion, didnt think it was as simple as that. We didnt have problems with Rob. He worked very hard. I dont know if anyone could put in any more effort than he did, said Dotzler, a legislator since 1997 and senator since 2003. But were looking forward to a new leader, a different style. There are times when you have to make changes, said Dotzler, who thought the decision reflected senators thoughts about the complexity of coming elections. Raising money for the 2018 elections may have been an issue, Dotzler said, but political elections are always about fundraising, and thats no different no matter who is the leader. Horn agreed that fundraising was an issue, but comparing raising money now to when Gronstal was there, thats comparing apples to oranges (because) were in an off year and were in the minority. Dotzler expressed confidence in Petersen as a caucus leader and a champion of Iowans, both urban and rural. Democrats cant win control of the Senate without picking up rural legislative seats, he said. Electing a leader from Des Moines doesnt change that, Dotzler said, but Janets fought for issues that affect all Iowans, not just those in Polk County. In the 2017 session, Petersen was outspoken in criticism of the GOP efforts to defund Planned Parenthood as well as a vocal opponent of changes in public employee collective bargaining and workers compensation laws. In 2008, Petersen founded a nonprofit with four other central Iowa women called Healthy Birth Day. The organization, best known for its Count the Kicks campaign, is devoted to improving birth outcomes. She and her husband, Brian Pattinson, have three children. Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price congratulated Petersen and expressed confidence. She will be an effective champion for Democratic values in the Statehouse, he said. He also thanked Hogg for his work and commitment to the progressive issues that matter most to the people of Iowa. Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, wishes Sen. Peterson the best, according to a spokesman. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen announced Monday that the state is withdrawing its "stopgap" proposal to revamp the Affordable Care Act marketplace in the state. Ommen made the announcement at a news conference Monday afternoon in Des Moines with Gov. Kim Reynolds. "I'm extremely disappointed," Reynolds said. The withdrawal comes only a week before this year's ACA enrollment period will open and despite the state insurance division's warning that without the plan, up to 22,000 Iowans will drop out of the individual insurance market. Ommen said Monday that the Trump administration had informed the state last week that it was still "several weeks" away from determining how much federal funding the state might receive as part of plan. Iowa had proposed using federal premium tax credits that typically go to qualifying individuals who make less than 400 percent of poverty and restructuring them so people above that line would get help too. There also would have been a reinsurance pool formed to help with high cost customers, and a single, standardized mid-level plan would be offered to Iowans. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the state's largest insurer, had said it would participate if the plan was approved. Ommen and Reynolds blamed the Affordable Care Act for the situation Monday, especially the part of the law that allows states to seek waivers to form their own plans. "It just does not afford the flexibility that we need to be creative," Reynolds said. Reynolds praised the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump, for working with the state. But the state's announcement also comes about two weeks after the Washington Post reported that the president had personally called the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services in August to direct that the state's application be denied. White House critics have said the president is seeking to undermine the Affordable Care Act, and Iowa was cited as an example. Ommen said during the news conference that he thought Iowa was given fair consideration. Newly installed state Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines said Democrats are ready to work with Reynolds to find a workable, bipartisan solution. But, so far, she said, Republicans have done everything possible to undermine Obamacare. But Republican Party of Iowa spokesman Carlos Cruz said the blame falls to the failure of Obamacare and he applauded Reynolds and Ommen for trying. State Sen. David Johnson, an Ocheyedan independent, said the situation calls for presidential leadership but the current approach appears to be to allow Obamacare to fail in hopes the GOP-led Congress will replace it. I dont believe thats a winning strategy that failure leads to success, Johnson said. Monday's announcement means that Minnesota-based Medica will be the only insurer in the marketplace in Iowa for 2018. Ommen said the company will sell policies in all 99 counties. However, premiums will be significantly higher. Medica said its rates would go up about 57 percent in 2018. State officials complained that this large of an increase would significantly hurt people who don't buy their insurance in the marketplace or who don't qualify for federal tax credits. On the state insurance division's web site, dozens of Iowans have complained about price increases. In a statement Monday, Medica said: "We certainly understand the States desire to improve the individual market in Iowa, and we are appreciative of being a part of those discussions. While this is not the preferred outcome for the State of Iowa we want consumers to know that Medica is ready. We have been in preparation to serve as the only individual insurance carrier in Iowa since our filing in June. When it proposed its rates initially, Medica said its increase reflected the "number of risks" that remained in the marketplace. Those include the loss of federal cost-sharing funds aimed at lowering out of pocket costs for low-income people. As the enrollment opening has approached, there has been nervousness about when the federal government might provide an answer to the state's request. Ommen said Monday that Iowa had been told it would be "several weeks" before the amount of federal funding would be determined. "We need to move forward, giving Iowans certainty," Ommen said. Just last week, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services also sent the state a letter saying that as a condition of approval Iowa would need to ensure "sufficient funds" to operate its plan. Waivers are only permitted if they don't increase the deficit, and the letter, dated last Thursday, said the federal government would make those determinations annually. The stopgap plan was initially unveiled as a temporary measure in June after Wellmark and Aetna both announced they would not participate in the Iowa marketplace for 2018. That opened up the possibility that there would be no insurer in Iowa in the individual marketplace and that 72,000 Iowans would have nowhere to turn for coverage. Most Iowans, who receive their coverage via their employers or from government plans, would not be affected. Shortly after the state unveiled its stopgap plan, though, Medica said it would again participate in 2018. You've probably never heard of Estevanico, a Moroccan slave who landed in Florida in 1527 with Spanish explorers looking for gold. California-based author Laila Lalami hadn't either, even though she grew up in Morocco. Her introduction came in 2009 when reading a book that mentioned, in passing, that Estevanico was the first Muslim to set foot in the New World and the first black explorer of America. Intrigued, she decided to learn more, tracking down an account of the expedition written by one of four survivors, the Spaniard Cabeza de Vaca. She was fascinated by the expedition, by the explorers' relationship with the indigenous people and "for what he didn't say." "A narrative is as much about what you say as what you leave out," Lalami said in a telephone interview with the Quad-City Times. "As soon as I finished, I had this light bulb moment." She knew she had to write Estevanico's story. The result was the historical fiction novel "The Moor's Account," published in 2014 and winner of the American Book Award, Arab American Book Award and Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. It also was a nominee for the Man Booker Prize and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. You can learn more about Estevanico, the era in which he lived and the creative act of writing on Thursday, Nov. 9, when Lalami will speak at the Holiday Inn, Rock Island. Her appearance is part of the International Women Authors Series hosted by Iowa Women Lead Change and presented by The Stanley Foundation, of Muscatine. The target audience is members of women's book clubs, Jill Goldsberry, of the Stanley Foundation, said. Lalami's work in creating "The Moor's Account" was not only to invent an entire life and point of view, but to make the settings historically accurate. What kinds of weapons did the explorers have, for example. Muskets? Powder? How did they converse? What words did they use? "I knew nothing about that era," she said. "I was terrified." Writing, then, was preceded by extensive research. Discussion may also touch on the numerous themes that thread their way through the book. How money is the root of all evil and how a person can become so preoccupied by the price of things that he or she neglects their value. How people have the power to create new identities, or reinvent themselves, as they go through life. How in the right hands, stories have extraordinary power to comfort, support and transform. Lalami also knows that readers "have a great curiosity to meet writers," so she is prepared to share some of herself as well as her work. A professor of creative writing at the University of California at Riverside and columnist for The Nation magazine, Lalami welcomes questions and anticipates "a very lively, very interesting" discussion. A good Monday to all. A little bit of fog this morning with increasing winds, a chance of showers and before the week ends we could see our first frost. All of that and more is on tap for the Quad-Cities. Here are weather details from the National Weather Service. 1. Patchy dense fog early today Drivers could encounter some patchy, dense fog during the morning commute with visibilities below one quarter of a mile in some locations. Because of the patchy nature of the fog, visibilities could change rapidly within a short distance. Drivers are reminded to slow down and be watchful of changing conditions. Fog is expected to lift by 9 a.m. For the rest of the day there's a 20 percent chance of showers after 5 p.m. with temps in the lower 60s. Strong northwest winds will develop later today and increase overnight with gusts between 30-40 mph possible. These strong winds will persist into Tuesday. There's a 50 percent chance of showers tonight after 8 p.m. with new precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Skies will be mostly cloudy with a low around 41 degrees. Tuesday brings a chance of showers before 8 a.m., then occasional rain, between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. It will be breezy with a high near 46 degrees. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. The chance of precipitation is 80 percent with new precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Tuesday night will be mostly cloudy and breezy with a low around 35 degrees. The chance of rain is 30 percent. Wind could gust as high as 30 mph. And finally, the National Weather Service reports that colder temperatures on Friday and Saturday could reach the freezing mark, signaling the end of the growing season. 2. Area man critically injured in car-train collision A man suffered critical injuries Sunday when his car was struck by an Iowa Interstate Railroad train in Muscatine County. The crash in West Liberty, Iowa, occurred at 12:53 p.m. at the rail crossing in the 200 block of North Calhoun Street. After the collision, the train pushed the vehicle for about two city blocks before it could come to a stop on the north side of Prairie Street. West Liberty firefighters used the Jaws of Life a hydraulic spreading tool used to pry apart and cut into vehicles involved in crashes to get the driver and the only occupant out of the crushed vehicle. The man was taken to University Hospitals, Iowa City, by AirCare helicopter. His condition was not available late Sunday. 3. Jury selection begins today in Rock Island murder trial Jury selection begins this morning for Yolanduis Lynn McDuffie, who is charged in the fatal shooting of Rock Island tattoo artist Derek Jackson in 2013. The 24-year-old is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the death of Jackson, also 24. The case will be tried by Rock Island County assistant state's attorneys John McCooley and Heidi Weller. McDuffie is represented by attorneys Nate Nieman and Dora Villarreal. Just before noon Dec. 18, 2013, Rock Island police were dispatched to Jackson's home in the 1000 block of 16th Avenue and found him lying on his back in the dining room. He had two gunshot wounds to the head and one gunshot wound to his left arm. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. McDuffie initially was charged with first-degree murder in Jackson's death, but prosecutors dismissed the case on Jan. 6, 2015, the day his trial was scheduled to begin. Read more. 4. John Deere Road update Contractors for the John Deere Road project in Moline report that 53rd Street south of John Deere Road will be opened by the end of day Wednesday. The northbound lanes of 53rd Street will have one northbound lane and one dedicated left turn lane. Southbound lanes will be returned to their original configuration as well on Wednesday. Please see drawing for the intended traffic layout. 5. Road closure in Davenport begins today The city of Davenport reports that East 39th Street between Bridge and Eastern avenues will be closed to through traffic beginning today for resurfacing work. The project is expected to be completed by Nov. 17. Local traffic will have access to driveways from one westbound lane; eastbound travel will not be permitted. Drivers are advised to seek an alternate route during construction. This project will include milling the top layer of asphalt, patching underlying pavement as necessary, fixing curbs and sidewalks, and re-paving with asphalt. 6. Road closure, detour at 7th Avenue and 27th Street in Rock Island starts today The intersection of 7th Avenue and 27th Street in Rock Island will be closed to traffic today for storm sewer installation. At the intersection, eastbound through traffic will be detoured north on 24th Street, then east on 5th Avenue and south on 30th Street to reconnect with eastbound traffic at 30th Street and 7th Avenue. Westbound traffic will be detoured north on 30th Street, then west on 5th and 4th avenues and south on 24th Street to reconnect with westbound traffic at 24th Street and 7th Avenue. Travel delays can be expected near the construction and access to all local businesses will continue. Completion of the project is anticipated by Nov. 22, weather permitting. The City of Rock Island asks that motorists follow all posted construction signs for detour directions and watch for trucks entering and leaving the construction zones. Thursday, Oct. 23, 1997 -- 'Rocket Man' lands in Q-C | The sights, the sounds ... and that's before the show If you wanted to have some fun Wednesday, you should have tried walking against the tide on the way to the Elton John concert at The Mark of the Quad-Cities. A dizzying stream of young/old, short/tall, male/female humanity poured into the downtown Moline arena for the concert that sold out in 18 minutes last month. Monday, Oct. 24, 1977 -- Schucks! It's Slim Pickins For Corn Hall KEWANEE, Ill. -- If Bob Richards has his way, the Hog Capital of the World will have to share top billing with the Cornpickers Hall of Fame. But that is a big "if" -- Richards figures he has only until Nov. 1 to come up with $8,000 before dreams of a shrine to the all-time great pickers go the way of cornstalks in a hailstorm. Friday, Oct. 25, 1957 -- HOMECOMING 'QUEEN BEE' St. Ambrose College students voted Janet Kinney, Monmouth, Ill., Marycrest senior, Queen Bee to reign over homecoming activities. Attending the queen, from left to right, background, are: Jane Phillips, Chicago, Marycrest sophomore; Nora Okenfuss, Chicago, Marycrest freshman, Julie Walski, Chicago, Marycrest junior; and Mary Jo Barnes, Washington, Iowa, St. Ambrose division of nursing junior. Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1937 -- Poor Daddy; Mamma at Cooking School When mamma goes to cooking school, daddy minds the kiddies. Shown here is Max Strieby as he sat in the lobby of the Orpheum theater this morning looking after Carrol Lorraine, 2 years, and Shirley Anne, eight months, while Mrs. Streiby attended the opening session of The Times-Democrat free cooking school. Although Daddy Streiby looks somewhat forlorn, he said he really didn't mind so much. "You see it's this way," he said, "When the missus goes to the cooking school, she learns how to prepare those tasty dishes which are demonstrated. Then she fixes them for me and oh boy, are they good." Saturday, Oct. 27, 1917 -- SQUARE DEAL FOR COLORED TROOPS CAMP GRANT, ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) Oct. 27 -- Major General Thomas H. Barry called all the 300 officers of this cantonment before him yesterday and spoke of the treatment which he said must be accorded negroes coming into camp. He said it was not the "color of a man's skin that counts, but their hearts." Thursday, Oct. 28, 1897 -- EN ROUTE FOR THE SOUTH The steamer Gracie Kent, of Stillwater, Minn., left for the south at an early hour this morning, taking with it the hull of the Lillie Turner, converted into a barge and loaded down with potatoes. The boat also had two other barges of potatoes, something like four thousand bushels in all, which Captain Kent is taking to southern markets. Monday, Oct. 29, 1877 -- KIRALFY'S AROUND THE WORLD | Sure Thing To-night The reason of the non-arrival of this troupe, was the detention of the steamer Alex. Mitchel, which had contracted for their transportation. We received a telegram from them Saturday mentioning, "Waiting for Mitchel," which was believed to mean some actor of that name, hence the mistake. The desire to protect young people from offensive ideas and words is an understandable instinct. In the context of bullying, it is a requirement. In the context of great literature, it is nearly always mistaken. The distinction between the language of the schoolyard and the language of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" has somehow been lost on the Biloxi, Mississippi, school board, which recently decided to remove the book from the eighth-grade curriculum. "There is some language in the book that makes people uncomfortable," explained Kenny Holloway, the vice president of the board. The purpose of Lee's classic, of course, is to make people uncomfortable with racial prejudice. To do so, it reflects the language employed by bigots in the segregated South, including the N-word. Given a desire to present the repulsive reality of racism, it could hardly do otherwise. But are the eighth-graders talking and giggling in the back row ready to handle that reality? Some, surely, are not. How, then, are children adequately prepared? For generations of students, an essential part of that preparation has been the reading of "To Kill a Mockingbird," which is an education in empathy. The book may be narrated by a white child, but its whole purpose is to place the reader in the shoes of an unjustly accused black man -- to provoke anger at a legal system that betrays him and disgust with a social system that dehumanizes him. One child, Dill, nearly vomits in reaction to the sick parody of justice he sees in the courtroom. We are intended to feel the same nausea. The themes of the book -- social stratification, the sexual subtext of racism, the institutionalization of injustice -- are suited to adults. But Lee attempted to capture and encourage the pre-cynical outrage of children toward the horrors of the adult world. This is exactly what we would hope an educated eighth-grader to feel. Some of the best literature for children and young adults encourages moral reflection on the cruel reality created by adults. Read "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes," as I did with my son. It is the story of a 12-year-old Japanese girl who develops leukemia as a result of the Hiroshima atom bomb. In order to be granted a wish, she resolves to fold 1,000 origami cranes, reaching 644 before she is too sick to continue. Her friends and family finish the task, and the cranes are buried with her. Is it uncomfortable to consider that America took actions resulting in the irradiation of Japanese children? Is it hard to explain to a child? It should be. Or consider the fine graphic novel "American Born Chinese," in which Danny, the Americanized, suburban child of Chinese immigrants, is embarrassed by the yearly arrival of his cousin Chin-Kee, who embodies every destructive Asian stereotype. In the book, Chin-Kee turns out to be the Monkey King, a deity who encourages Danny to embrace his true identity. Was the exaggerated presentation of Asian stereotypes in the book uncomfortable for my biracial child? I should hope so. But it was placed within a moral story that rejects exclusion and encourages the acceptance of ethnic identity. Cutting out the offensive parts would have left the story powerless. Our society has developed a deep confusion about the meaning of education. For some -- both the advocates of safe spaces and the banners of books -- the goal is the preservation of purity. They want to protect students and educational institutions from defilement by words and ideas they find offensive. It is more of a tendency than an ideology. The same pursuit of purity can motivate offended conservatives or offended liberals. "To Kill a Mockingbird" has been targeted, at various times, by both. But education must mean more than the avoidance of offense. One purpose is surely to take the horrible, offensive things that populate reality and put them in a moral context -- to train our emotional and intellectual reactions to uncomfortable human failings. The greatest stories confront the worst of human nature with the best of the human spirit. We diminish their power by lowering the stakes. This means that true education always involves risk -- particularly the risk of giving offense. But students are not defiled by the existence of terrible words and ideas. They are defiled by the acceptance or normalization of those words and ideas. Which is precisely what "To Kill a Mockingbird" -- and all true education -- sets out to prevent. America's closest neighbors, Mexico and Canada, rank high on Donald Trump's to-do list of allies to offend. The North American Free Trade Agreement, the president insists, is "the worst deal ever." Actually, it's been a mostly good deal for all three partners. But even if the U.S. stays in it, Trump's crazy-man act has already done the dirty deed, damaging America's ability to compete globally. True to style, Trump started talks by bellowing invective against the negotiating partners. He repeatedly demanded an insulting wall with Mexico and turned the usual trade skirmishes with Canada into World War II-and-a-half. Such intemperance has economic consequences. Canada and Mexico certainly want NAFTA to continue, but they are now taking steps to reduce their reliance on trade with the United States. Both have already signed new trade agreements with Europe featuring zero tariffs. As Mexican foreign minister Luis Videgaray recently said, the demise of NAFTA wouldn't "be the end of the world." If tariffs returned to North America, Mexican factories would have incentives to replace American-made parts with parts made in Europe or in Mexico itself. Some economists predict that the big automakers would just shift production altogether to Europe or Asia. Leaving NAFTA, the American Automotive Policy Council concludes, would amount to a "$10 billion tax" on U.S. manufacturers. U.S. makers of auto parts say it would force them alone to cut up to 50,000 American jobs. Americans continue to hold talks on NAFTA, but Trump's radical demands for staying in have raised the chances of a final meltdown. Canada and Mexico have already rejected as deal killers such requirements as subjecting NAFTA to periodic renewal. That would leave businesses perpetually racked by uncertainty. They'd be unable to make plans knowing that at any moment, U.S. leadership might sow new chaos. ImpactECON, a trade consultant in Colorado, predicts that the end of NAFTA would lead to a net loss of more than a quarter-million American jobs over three to five years. Mexico and Canada would fare even worse. Who wins? Not North America. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to Trump's outbursts with a kind of mocking friendliness. But Mexico's fraught history with the superpower neighbor has resulted in more definitive calls to strike back. Some Mexican lawmakers have been urging a boycott of U.S. agricultural products. That would be no idle threat. Mexico accounts for a quarter of U.S. corn exports. Furthermore, Mexico wouldn't even have to look outside Latin America for agricultural replacements. Argentina is both eager and able to fulfill the demand for tortilla ingredients. The farm belt may have had reasons to support Trump, but economic self-interest was evidently not among them. U.S. agriculture now enjoys a $20 billion surplus in global trade. Top exports include cotton, corn, soybeans and sugar beets. American ranchers were hoping to enjoy expanded Asian markets under the Trans-Pacific Partnership. So much for that. Trump pulled the U.S. out. In July, Japan slapped emergency tariffs of 50 percent on imports of mostly U.S. frozen beef. Australia stayed in TPP, and its frozen beef now enters Japan with a far lower tariff. If the president understands the ramifications of ditching free trade agreements and is just playing jester to his base, well, at least that makes some sense. It certainly does for Russians wishing us ill. But if he thinks there's no downside to keeping American business and our allies in a perpetual state of confusion, then heaven help us. NAFTA renegotiations were supposed to be sewn up by Oct. 17, but they didn't come close. The pathetic show goes on, and the world takes the U.S. less seriously by the day. MINNEAPOLIS | The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency kicks off a week of public hearings today on changing a water quality standard that's meant to protect wild rice, a proposal that has managed to anger environmentalists and industry alike. The proposal would change Minnesota's standard for sulfate discharges into waters where wild rice grows from the current flat limit of 10 milligrams per liter to a more complicated formula based on the characteristics of individual lakes and streams. Here's a look at some of the issues: The sulfate standard Minnesota's existing standard, adopted in 1973, is based on research from the 1930s and 40s that found wild rice doesn't grow well in waters with higher sulfate levels. When the state finally moved toward enforcing the standard several years ago, it triggered pushback from the iron mining industry and communities that operate wastewater treatment facilities. They said complying would be too expensive and challenged the validity of the old science. The 2011 Legislature directed the state agency to study whether the old standard needed updating based on new science. The ensuing research found that sulfates by themselves aren't the problem. The problem is that sulfates in the water get converted by bacteria in sediments into sulfides that are toxic to wild rice plants. The agency says the research also found that iron in sediments tends to neutralize sulfides, while organic carbon leads to more sulfides. The proposed rules are a lake-by-lake approach intended to limit sulfides to 120 micrograms per liter. "We believe the changes we're proposing are an innovative and precise approach to protecting wild rice," MPCA Commissioner John Linc Stine has said. The importance of wild rice Wild rice, also called manoomin, is more than just an important food for Native American tribes in the upper Midwest, it's central to the Ojibwe migration story, which holds that their ancestors in the East were instructed by the Creator to go west to "where the food grows on the water." Native American activists aren't just worried about sulfates. The potential threat to wild rice waters is a main reason why tribal groups oppose Enbridge Energy's proposal to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota with a new pipeline that would follow a new corridor much of the way. Industry opposition The Iron Mining Association of Minnesota opposes the proposed new standard. It says the science is still flawed and there's no proof it will protect wild rice. But it says the costs to mining companies and wastewater treatment facilities of complying would exceed $1 billion. Mining supporters plan to rally before marching to Tuesday's hearing in Virginia, Minnesota. They've held two public events this week to prepare. Environmental opposition Environmental groups are urging their supporters to attend the hearings, too. WaterLegacy, the Minnesota Environmental Partnership and several tribes say the state should keep and enforce the existing standard instead of replacing it with an equation they say is unenforceable and would allow more sulfate pollution in some wild rice waters. They cite research by University of Minnesota Duluth biologist John Pastor that undercuts the theory that iron protects against sulfides. They also say the agency's proposed list of 1,300 wild rice waters missed water bodies that should have been on the list. The Office of Administrative Hearings is taking written comments through Nov. 22. The agency has not set a deadline for deciding on the new rules, which also require approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mark Mickelson wants to keep out-of-state money away from South Dakota ballot questions, and if you think thats unconstitutional, hes ready to debate. I am sick and tired of reading some knothead from some political group that doesnt have a law degree presupposing he knows constitutional law and asserting something thats in his own self-interest, he said. The Harvard Law School alumnus also volunteered to be deputized by the state attorney general to defend the ban in the event of a court challenge. Mickelson, a Sioux Falls Republican and the speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives, was interviewed for todays debut episode of the Journals political podcast, Mount Podmore. New episodes will be available every three weeks, in rotation with other Journal podcasts, on the newspapers website and on iTunes. A ban on out-of-state contributions to ballot-question committees is one of two initiatives Mickelson is trying to petition onto statewide ballots for the general election on Nov. 6, 2018. The other is an increase in tobacco taxes to help fund technical schools. Mickelson, the son of former Gov. George S. Mickelson and the grandson of former governor George T. Mickelson, had raised about $1 million for his own campaign for governor until his surprise announcement last November that he had decided not to run. In the podcast interview, Mickelson called the decision freeing, and he spoke in the freewheeling manner of someone unbound from higher political ambitions especially when talking about the influence of out-of-state money on ballot questions. In 2016, according to a Journal analysis conducted prior to that years general election, a total of $11.1 million was raised by 22 committees supporting or opposing 10 statewide ballot questions. Of that amount, roughly $9.5 million 86 percent, or nearly $9 of every $10 came from out-of-state people and groups. Critics have said Mickelsons proposed ban would be challenged and held unconstitutional by the courts as an illegal restraint on political free speech. In June, Paul S. Ryan, a vice president at the Washington watchdog group Common Cause, told The Associated Press that the chances of Mickelsons initiative passing constitutional muster would be slim to none. And South Dakotas Legislative Research Council, in its legally required review of Mickelsons proposed initiative, said that although the U.S. Supreme Court has not directly addressed the issue, the court has viewed limits on contributions to ballot-question committees as a restraint on the rights of association and free speech. Mickelson countered that the court has supported narrowly tailored efforts by states to address a compelling state interest. He said Alaska has a ban similar to the one he is proposing, although the Journal later checked that claim and found it to be false, which led Mickelson to acknowledge in email correspondence that he was mistaken. Alaska does ban out-of-state residents from circulating petitions, although an Alaska elections official said that ban is currently being litigated. If Mickelson's initiative makes the ballot and wins approval from voters, he expects a lawsuit. Its likely to be challenged, Mickelson said. I think we win. I wouldnt be spending my time if I didnt think it would be upheld, I assure you. FORT PIERRE | John Moisan is a hunter. That becomes apparent when he looks out at the 640 acres of land he owns in Tripp County a few dozen miles south of Presho. Moisan sees the cuts and draws, the cattails and trees not as impediments to farming and cattle but as goldmines for pheasants, grouse and deer. Driving around his property in the back of a friend's pickup, he points to the grass he's planted as his proudest achievement, not the rows of sorghum that also thrive. Hunched over in an elevated box blind, he points out where a friend killed a giant whitetail buck a year or two before. He said that buck wouldn't have been anywhere near the blind 15 years ago. Back then, just about every square inch of the property had been covered in wheat stubble. From time to time, a covey of prairie grouse could fly in to feed on the waste grain. A few mule deer might also wander through on occasion. But not much actually lived on the property, Moisan said. When he first saw the property back in 2002, an eagle was giving the place a once over. Moisan took that as inspiration to buy the place and turn it into something special a place to harbor and grow wild things. Having a place where he could hunt with his five children was one of the motivations that spurred his purchase of what he would come to call Eagle View Ranch. "This is my way of giving back to nature," Moisan said. Moisan grew up in the late '50s and early '60s, when pheasants were like locusts in number. He lived with his mother and her parents on a small piece of ground near Watertown. His grandpa, who'd fought in World War I and spent World War II guiding military brass from the local air base on pheasant hunts, took him hunting when there was time. Moisan helped his grandparents and, in addition to developing his love for wildlife, forged a deep connection to the land. He graduated from high school and went on to college at the University of South Dakota, where he joined ROTC. It was the early 1970s and the Vietnam War was still raging. Moisan became an artillery officer and served for a few years. After his military career, Moisan returned to South Dakota and started working on a master's degree. Eventually, Moisan went to work for the state of South Dakota and moved to the Pierre area. He spent 30 years in state government. During that time, he raised five kids, trained hunting dogs and developed relationships with landowners all over the state who let him and his family hunt. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, commercial pheasant hunting was becoming a bigger business, and finding private land to hunt on was becoming harder. In 2002, his family came into some money. At about that time, 640 acres of contiguous land in Tripp County came on the market. Nearly every square inch of the property was planted to wheat. There was just one small pasture to the northeast, and it had routinely been grazed to the dirt. "I saw it as a fixer-upper farm," Moisan said. He and a business partner offered $400 per acre and eventually paid $412.40. Today, the price per acre for farm ground can run up to $2,500. It didn't take long for Moisan to be confronted by just how tough restoring the newly christened Eagle View Ranch would be. After a century of tillage and erosion from wind and rain, there wasn't much more than a few inches of topsoil left on most of the farm. Gravel was exposed on the tops of hills. There were old oil filters, fan belts and broken tractor parts sprinkled liberally across the landscape. Crumbling barns and other buildings filled what had been a farmyard, and there was very little water anywhere on the farm. There wasn't much in the way of wildlife, either. "It was a hell of a mess," Moisan said. There was a mortgage to pay and a hefty property tax bill to consider as well, Moisan said. So he needed a renter to produce a crop to help pay the mortgage and taxes. It didn't always go well. "I lost $30,000 one year," Moisan said. A haven for wildlife In 2004, Moisan turned to the Conservation Reserve Program, which pays landowners to take land out of production and turn it into wildlife habitat. He learned about a program contained in the program called CP38, which is better known as State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement, or SAFE. The Farm Service Agency office in Tripp County wasn't familiar with the program but still worked with Moisan to enroll 130 acres. He planted 42 acres of trees, totaling about 66,000 individual plants. The rest of that first 130 acres was planted to grass. Moisan's goal for Eagle View Ranch was to create a haven for wildlife while making enough money to break even on the property. The plan involved planting 30 percent of the property to native grasses and enrolling it in CRP, keeping 30 percent of the property as farm ground and another 30 percent as pasture land. The remaining acres would be used for stock dams, drainage basins and a few more manicured acres around the small mobile home and few remaining barns that made up the farmyard. Making his plan a reality was a tall order, one that would require an experienced, forward-thinking farmer and a thorough understanding of federal, state and privately funded conservation programs. The man Moisan needed turned out to be Mick Rowe. Rowe farmed more than 1,000 acres in and around Tripp County and had embraced the practice of no-till farming. Rowe said it took him six years to break even on Moisan's land. "There's just no topsoil," Rowe said. "It's all been eroded away." Rowe also has embraced modern technology. He's started using satellite imagery to help him plant more efficiently in the spring and to help identify where and how to use chemicals. That translates into more money in his and Moisan's pockets. That's critical, Moisan said, because even with land enrolled in the CRP program, there's no way he could afford to keep his ranch without profitable farm ground. "The way I've got it set up now, the land pays for itself," Moisan said. After planting trees and grass on his marginal cropland, it took about three years before Moisan started seeing a difference in the number of pheasants on his land. By 2008, Moisan said, his sons and friends were able to harvest hundreds of birds in a season. "The pheasant and grouse crop just exploded," Moisan said. He started letting people hunt on Eagle View Ranch, provided they cleaned up after themselves. Moisan said if people who asked to hunt had kids and dogs with them, they'd be even more likely to get permission to hunt. "You could sit on the deck, have breakfast and 60 to 70 pheasants would walk across the yard," Moisan said of the pheasant population on his property. For four years, the hunting was incredible, Moisan said. Then, in 2012, the pheasant population tanked. Only a few birds were killed on Eagle View Ranch that year. In 2013, Moisan said he stopped hunting the property. The birds still haven't come back, he said, even though the habitat on his property is some of the best around. "I just don't understand that," Moisan said. "If the wildlife comes back, I've got a five-star hotel with a sign out that says vacancy." Still, he's proud of what he's done with Eagle View Ranch. "My goal is pretty much achieved," Moisan said. "To be able to take a piece of dirt that had been abused for 100 years and turn it into something special is priceless." Stevens High School student organizations will hold a Halloween Spooktacular Carnival from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday in the high schools auxiliary gym. The event is open to any elementary or middle school student in Rapid City and the surrounding area. A variety of student organizations will have booths at the event. Activities will include Nerf Gun Archery, Strider Bike Course and Career Cup Cake Walk. There will also be a silent auction for adults. The cost is $2 for eight carnival tickets. Each game varies in the number of tickets required. Student organizations involved are FFA, National Honor Society, Student Council, Future Business Leaders of America, Spanish Club, Economics Club, Youth-to-Youth, Yearbook, Knowledge Bowl, German Club, Booster Club and Robotics Club. Proceeds from the event will go to all organizations to help offset the cost of hosting the carnival. We grew up hunting. Dad took us big-game hunting, but it was my Grandma Dorris who made bird hunting such a big part of our family heritage. Still today, its something that brings the family together. (And how grateful this mom is for that.) As much as pheasant season is a family tradition for us, it was our family business for years as well. When things got tight after we were hit by the Death Tax, we looked to diversify. They say: When you dont know what to do, do what you know. Well, thats exactly what we did. We focused our attention on hunting and started up a hunting lodge. It wasnt always easy. I remember many nights where Id come in from the field during harvest at 10 or 11 at night and still have dozens of birds to clean and package. Id work through the early hours of the morning, turn around, and do it all again. It was hard work, but I loved it. Small businesses like this are spread across South Dakota, and they come alive this time of year. Overall, outdoor activities support around 18,000 full- and part-time jobs in South Dakota, providing more than $500 million of income. With such a significant impact on our economy and our family dynamics, Ive always fought hard to protect the states pheasant habitats. In the 2014 Farm Bill, for instance, I made sure we included critical protections for our regions native grasslands in the final legislative language. Weve seen this sodsaver program work, and Im now working to expand the idea nationwide. Those efforts become especially important in years like this. A tough winter and a devastating drought took a big hit on our pheasant populations. Its an issue I heard a lot about throughout the summer, but especially during a recent stop in Mobridge a community in prime South Dakota hunting territory that was hit particularly hard by the dry conditions. This years pheasant counts are about 65 percent below the 10-year average. That leaves about 1.68 pheasants per mile. Still, South Dakota Department of Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen says: Pheasant harvest could read could still approach a million birds: That is, if hunters come and hunt. The lower counts wont be deterring our family. In fact, our son Booker is probably more excited about bird hunting this year than hes ever been. I cant tell you how many crack-of-dawn mornings hes had recently, heading out early to find Hamlin Countys best spots for duck hunting. With the pheasant season now open, Im confident hell be keeping us well fed. I love that Bookers gotten so excited about this distinctly South Dakota sport. Its like a little piece of my Grandma Dorris still lives on through his excitement for bird hunting. To all of the hunters reading this, have a safe pheasant season. Hope to see you out there. Unijet files lawsuit against Vnukovo airport over Total CEO crash MOSCOW, October 23 (RAPSI) French airline Unijet, which managed the airplane of Total CEO Cristophe de Maergerie before the fatal crash in October 2014, has filed 458.3 million rubles (nearly $8 million) lawsuit against the Vnukovo airport, the courts documents read on Monday. Second defendant in the case is the State ATM Corporation. In August, lawyer Olga Dinze said that the Investigative Committee resumed investigation into a separate criminal case over the crash of de Margeries airplane in Vnukovo. Earlier, the Moscow City Court upheld return of a criminal case against several defendants, airport flight manager Roman Dunayev, air traffic controllers Alexander Kruglov and Nadezhda Arkhipova, to prosecutors. On July 7, snow plow driver Vladimir Martynenko and Vnukovo lead airfield service engineer Vladimir Ledenev, who had earlier pleaded guilty and signed a plea bargain, were sentenced to 4 and 3.5 years in penal colony and were immediately pardoned as part of the broad amnesty program on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the victory in World War II. Martynenko and Ledenev were charged with violation of traffic safety rules resulted in the death of two or more persons. The widow of Total CEO Cristophe de Maergerie, relatives of the deceased flight crew members, Vnukovo airport and Unijet air carrier have been recognized as victims in the case. On July 25, Patrick Vervel, the husband of a stewardess, who died in the crash, appealed these sentences. Christophe de Margerie died in a plane crash at Vnukovo airport on October 21, 2014, when his planes wing hit a snow plow. Among the victims were three crew members, all French citizens. On October 25, 2016, the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) published its final report on investigation into the death de Margerie. Authors of the report listed several factors, which, when combined, may have resulted in the plane crash. Among potential causes of the crash are: violation of regulations over control of alcohol use by drivers of special equipment, absence of equipment for listening to traffic controllers in snow plow machines, inefficient organization of work with subsystem of observation and control of airfield, no measures taken by the planes crew to prevent takeoff after receiving information about machine that intersects a road. Kyrgyz national faces trial in Russia on terrorism charges MOSCOW, October 23 (RAPSI) A criminal case against a Kyrgyz citizen, who had allegedly plotted terrorist attacks in Russia, was forwarded to the Moscow District Military Court for hearing, the press service of the Kirov regions prosecutors office reported Monday. The man has been charged with justifying terrorism, attempted facilitating a terrorist activity, and preparing a terrorist attack. According to investigators, the Kyrgyz national being a member of an international terrorist organization banned in Russia posted images containing linguistic and psychological features of inciting hatred and enmity towards representatives of another social group on his VKontakte page in 2016. In 2017, the defendant attempted to induce two residents of the Kirov Region on the Internet to carry out terrorist attacks in Moscow. Among others, the man planned to run over people by a lorry. MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Oct 23: Authorities in northeastern Nigeria say 13 people have been killed by a suicide bombing in Maiduguri. Police spokesman Victor Isuku told The Associated Press Monday that a man strapped with explosives attacked Sunday evening. In a second simultaneous attack, two female suicide bombers died and more than a dozen others were wounded. While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, suspicion immediately fell on the extremist group Boko Haram. Militants from the group have long carried out suicide bombings not only in northeastern Nigeria, but also in neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Guwahati : A Sub-Inspector (SI) of Assam police on Sunday was died mysteriously in jail, who was earlier arrested with two other police officials in connection with alleged death of a minor boy in police custody in Guwahati. According to the reports, Tamizuddin Ahmed, SI of Bharalumukh police station in Guwahati was found dead in the central jail on Sunday morning. Tamizuddin and his two colleagues including former officer-in-charge of Bharalumukh police station, Uma Bora and SI Azizur Rahman were arrested by Guwahati city police on October 17 last after investigation report revealed that, a 14-year minor boy was reportedly died in police custody. According to the reports, a Guwahati based NGO for child rights UTSAH had received information on February 10 last that, a 14-year old minor boy was died after being arrested by police in connection with an alleged theft case. Following the incident, the NGO filed a complaint before the Assam State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) and the Guwahati High Court had initiated a Suo Motu PIL after released the news in local papers. The Guwahati High Court had directed the Assam police to initiate a probe into police custodial death incident. Following directive by the court, an inquiry was initiated and three cops of the Bharalumukh police station were arrested after found their alleged involvement with it. On October 20 last, a local court had sent them to judicial custody, but Tazimuddin Ahmed one of the accused was found dead in the jail on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, the family members of Tazimuddin alleged that, it was a murder and a prime accused person Uma Bora is involved with it. On the other hand, police had started a probe into the mysterious dead of the cop in judicial custody. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) Guwahati: After a controversial statement made by BJP MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa comparing Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru with garbage in a public meeting held in upper Assam on Sunday, opposition Congress on Monday openly condemned the BJP MP's derogatory statement and protested. Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, BJP MP of Jorhat parliamentary constituency on Sunday commented in a public meeting that, people have not accepted the ideology of Deen Dayal Upadhyay as the Congress washed brains of common people with garbage like Gandhi and Nehru. Following the remarks by the BJP MP, Congress had strongly condemned and demanded apology from Tasa as well as Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said in his tweet that, BJP MP Kamakhya Tasa's speech equating Pandit Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi with garbage is condemnable and he should issue a public apology. Another Congress MP representing Assam, Sushmita Dev said in her tweet that, 2014 elections gave a govt. with absolute majority but the qualityof Parliamentarians like Mr. Tasa is questionable. deplorable comment. On the other hand, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora said that, comparing father of the nation and 1st PM of India with garbage MP Tasa exposed his poor knowledge. "Mr Tasa has revealed his own sick mindset by uttering derogatory words towards Gandhi and Nehru. This is not only insult to our nation, to India's freedom movement, to our constitution also. It is a serious offence. We are demanding apology for this insult," Ripun Bora said. On the other hand, Assam Congress had protested against the BJP MP's comment and burnt his effigies in Guwahati and other parts of the state. The Assam Congress had also filed an FIR against MP Tasa. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) TOKYO, OCT 22: Voting in a general election started Sunday that would most likely hand Prime Minister Shinzo Abes right-wing ruling coalition a victory and possibly close to a two-thirds majority in parliament. Abe dissolved the lower house less than a month ago, forcing the snap election. He judged the timing was ripe for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, or at least better than waiting until the end of its term next year. Up for grabs are 465 seats in the more powerful lower house, which chooses the prime minister. Media polls have indicated voters are passively choosing Abes government despite its railroading of unfavorable bills and cronyism scandals, seeing it as a safer choice over an opposition with little or unknown track records. Scare over North Koreas missile and nuclear development is also seen contributing to voters conservative choice. Media surveys also predicted Abes coalition to win around 300 seats though they said it could lose some ground from the current 318 due to scandals. Hiroshi Yamada, 82, said his vote was based on the issues such as (a possible) war and foreign affairs, suggesting his support for the LDP coalition amid growing concerns over North Korea. I am supporting the political party which presents feasible policies amid the current situation. Makiko Yamada, whos unrelated to the other voter, said she was bothered by Abes cronyism scandals. I saw reports showing people who would help (Abe) were given high positions. It made me think twice. Voters were casting ballots early, apparently worried by an approaching powerful typhoon. Vote counting at a few locations in southwestern Japan may be delayed due to the weather, NHK public television reported. Abe says he is seeking a mandate on his governments tougher stance to defend Japan against the Norths threat and his proposed increase in the consumption tax, but experts say its an election about securing his rule. An election victory would boost Abes chances to head LDP for another three years at the partys convention next September. It would extend his premiership possibly to 2021 and eventually achieve his long-time goal of revising Japans war-renouncing postwar constitution. In a speech in Tokyo wrapping up the 12-day campaigning Saturday night, Abe said, We will protect Japan at all costs for the future of this country. Support for Abes Cabinet has recovered thanks to the absence of parliamentary debates over political scandals during a recess. The main opposition force, the Democratic Party, was in more disarray after a leadership change and a key member was slammed by an extramarital affair. Holding off on an election would only give Abes potential rival, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, more time to organize a challenge. Koike hastily launched a new party to contest the vote, though she ended up not running. Her Party of Hope attracted a slew of defectors from the Democrats who converted to her populist platform including phasing out nuclear energy by 2030, and freezing of a consumption tax hike due in 2019. The initial excitement for her party has waned as Koikes nationalist stance and policies were seen similar to those of Abes LDP. The Democratic Party had imploded and its more liberal members, led by former top government spokesman Yukio Edano, launched yet another group, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, whose focus on grassroots democracy, pacifist principles and calls for decent politics is now outpolling the Party of Hope. Abes victory would likely mean a continuation of the policies he has pursued in the nearly five years since he took office in December 2012 a hard line on North Korea, close ties with Washington, including defense, as well as a super-loose monetary policy and push for nuclear energy. With a possible backing from the conservative opposition, he may get the two-thirds majority he needs in parliament to propose a constitutional amendment, though any change also needs approval in a public referendum. Guwahati, October 22 : The state advisory board of National Security Act (NSA) has started it's hearing on Assam farmer leader Akhil Gogoi's detention under the act in Guwahati. The farmer leader and RTI activist was re-arrested by the Assam police on September 25 last, who was earlier arrested on charge of threatening to wage war against the country by allegedly urging the indigenous people of Assam to take up AK-47 rifle to protect their rights. According to the reports, the 3-member state advisory board headed by retired Judge of Gauhati High Court PG Agarwala has been taken hearing of the investigating officers of the cases loadged against Akhil Gogoi. The ongoing hearing by the state advisory board of NSA will be ended on October 26 next and the board would likely to announce their verdict on the same day. Meanwhile, the leader of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), who is now presently lodged in jail can apply for his bail before the court during the period. Gogoi was re-arrested by the Nagaon police from the premises of district judge court in Dibrugarh in presence of a magistrate under the NSA in connection with a case registered at Jakhalabandha police station (case no 139/2016 under sections 120/120 (B)/147/148/149/435 of IPC) related to the eviction drive in Kaziranga last year. Earlier, Akhil Gogoi was arrested by the Dibrugarh police from his residence in Golaghat town on September 13 evening in connection with the case (180/2017 under sections 120 (B)/121/124 (A)/109/153/153 (A)/34 of IPC) registered at Moran police station against him. Assam police had also slapped 33 other cases against the farmer leader where as many as 12 cases have been registered against Gogoi out of which four cases registered each in Nagaon, Lakhimpur, one each in Guwahati, Golaghat, Dibrugarh and Dhemaji. The Assam farmer leader was earlier arrested by the Dibrugarh police after he allegedly threatened to take up arms to protect the indigenous people in the state in view of the BJP-led Union government attempt to grant citizenship to the hindu Bangladeshi people. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) Kathmandu, Nepal: responding to the widespread concerns and the agitation of senior orthopedic doctor Govinda KC, the government has on Monday issued a medical education ordinance. With the ordinance issued from the cabinet meeting on Monday, Universities are barred from providing affiliation to new medical colleges in the Kathmandu Valley. With the decision, no new medical colleges can be opened at least for 10 years from now in Kathmandu valley. However, the ordinance has to be authenticated from the President. The ordinance is issued as per the spirit of the Mathema report and the agreements that the government had made with the Dr. Govinda KC. Similarly the ordinance has also provisioned that the government and the public medical education institutes have to provide 75 percent scholarship to the students as per the ordinance. Kathmandu, Nepal: Former Secretary Yuvaraj Bhusal has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA). A cabinet meeting held on Monday decided to appoint Bhusal as NRA Chief. The post was remained vacant after Govinda Pokharel resigned from the post. The cabinet meeting also accepted the resignation of former CEO Pokhrel. Pokhrel has resigned from the post to vie in the upcoming election in the post of parliamentarian from the Pyuthan district. Newly appointed NRA CEO Bhusal considered as the experienced personality in the bureaucracy. He had served various government offices since he had made an entry to the government job as a section officer on 1980. He had got retired from the bureaucracy as Finance Secretary on 2014. Responding to the media concerns after his appointment, Bhusal made a commitment to expedite the reconstruction works particularly the historical monuments in Kathmandu and other places. Golez: JAPAN'S RESPONSE TO CHINA'S AGGRESSIVENESS China to keep watch on Abes push to change pacifist constitutionGolez: JAPAN'S RESPONSE TO CHINA'S AGGRESSIVENESS https://t.co/Y4hw6g7IR3 via @SCMP_News I quote from this article: 1. CHINA WORRIED ABOUT JAPAN'S MOVE TO ALTER ITS PACIFIST CONSTITUTION: "The big electoral win on the weekend for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes Liberal Democratic Party will give a short-term boost to ties with China but Beijing will keep a wary eye on any moves in Tokyo to alter the pacifist constitution." 2. PRIME MINISTER ABE NOW LOOKING AT US-DRAFTED PACIFIST CONSTITUTION: "Before the election, Abe made friendly overtures to China including a rare appearance at a Chinese embassy event last month to celebrate Chinas national day. But a day after the LDP and a small coalition partner secured at least 312 of the 465 seats in Japans lower house, Abe signalled a push to revise the US-drafted constitution. Diplomatic observers said that despite warming ties, tensions remained between the two countries. Abes election super majority puts Japans pacifist constitution in his crosshairs" 3. CHINA BELIEVES JAPAN WILL NOT COMPROMISE ON DIAOYU (SENKAKU) ISLANDS: " Huang Dahui, director of Renmin Universitys Centre of East Asia Studies, said there was a difference in national interests between the two countries. Japans national interests are totally different from Chinas. To [Japan] improving relations means restoring high-level communication. [But] Japan will not make any concessions regarding the Diaoyu Islands and its leaders will not stop visiting the Yasukuni Shrine. These are Beijings major concerns, Huang said. So, the stumbling blocks for relations will still exist and last a long time. The weekend win means Abe is certain to stay on as the LDPs leader for another three years when it goes to a party vote in September. "The disputed Diaoyu Islands, known as the Senkakus in Japan, remain a sticking point between Tokyo and Beijing. Photo: Kyodo "Zhou Yongsheng, a Japanese affairs expert at China Foreign Affairs University, said Abe had taken a friendlier tack towards China in the last year and the momentum would continue. But the big question was whether the next three years would give Abe enough time to achieve his long-term goal to revise the Japanese pacifist constitution to legitimise Japans Self-Defence Force. Article 9 of the document outlaws war as a means for Japan to settle international disputes involving the state. Armed forces with war potential are also prohibited." What Shinzo Abes election win will mean for China-Japan relations 4. CALLS FOR CHANGES TO CONSTITUTION HAVE GAINED GROUND IN JAPAN: "But calls for changes to the constitution have gained ground in Japan, with parties in favour of amendment winning nearly 80 per cent of the seats in the election, according to Reuters. Beijing would be most concerned with Abes moves to amend the constitution, although it wouldnt be a direct threat to China in the short-run, Zhou said. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday that China hoped Japan would take practical action to promote stability and improve bilateral relations. "Also in Beijing, Guo Yezhou, vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Partys Central Committee, said over the weekend that a visit by Abe to China would depend on public opinion, suggesting the Japanese leader should avoid inflaming nationalist sentiment in China." High-level exchanges are important to boost the development of bilateral relations, but such exchanges should first have public support and understanding, Guo said." 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Canada is a major exporter of gold, nickel, uranium, forestry products, and perhaps surprisingly, possesses the worlds second largest reserves of oil in the western part of the country. In 2015, Canada exported $231 billion in natural resources. Diamond exports were $2.4 billion, just one percent of resource exports. However, diamonds have been located in some of the most northern and often inhospitable locations in this vast country. So while the impact of diamonds on the economy as a whole has been relatively small, they have been critical to the sustainable development of many northern settlements. These small towns and villages suffer from harsh weather and a lack of employment opportunities, so diamonds have been instrumental in their success in the last 15 years. IAPS Dialogue, October 19 2017 The recent trend in Pakistan is of the gradual penetration of radicalization and religious violent extremism into academic institutions. Traditionally, there were the madaris (religious seminaries) that played a vibrant role in breeding the jihadists and promoting religious violent extremism and terrorism in the society. Violent extremist and terrorist activities carried out by some students and faculty members of prestigious institutes e.g. IBA, Karachi University, NED, and LUHM, is an emerging and potent challenge for the state. After observing the profiles of these educated jihadists, a large number of these people have pursued their degrees in natural sciences. Many experts argue that education is the best weapon against terrorism, however, the entry of university students into militancy challenges this argument. These educated militants, inspired by global jihadi organizations, establish small violent organizations at the local level with new names, recruit students and carry out tactical terror activities. In this context, soft targets are chosen to kill the maximum number of people in order to create panic and terror in the society. Conventional wisdom suggests that jihadists are indoctrinated from madaris as they have a long history of affiliation with these institutes. During the Afghan Jihad against the former Soviet Union, madaris played the role of breeding factories of the jihadists. Nonetheless, it is also a fact that at that time many of the top leadership and some other significant members of these groups were educated from esteemed academic institutions, even from some western educational institutes. Among them Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri are prominent. A large majority of them were qualified, had completed their degrees and were professionals. Ahmed Omer Saeed, who was involved in the kidnapping and beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Denial Pearl, had attended one of the prestigious institutes of the United Kingdom, the London School of Economics; Aafia SiddiquiaAl Qaedaas courier and financier a was a graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. Another, belonging to a Pakistani elite family, Faisal Shahzad, who was the mastermind of a failed bomb attack in Times Square, New York, had an MBA from the University of Bridgeport. A majority of these jihadists had already attended academic institutes before joining jihadi organizations and established their sleeper cells outside their universities. But recent activities show that the current educated jihadists are trying to establishing their sleeper cells inside their universities while pursuing their educational careers. Moreover, a few university faculty members are also involved in disseminating the so called jihadi propaganda which helps them in recruiting educated jihadists and collecting funds. These educated militants, inspired by global jihadi organizations, establish small violent organizations at the local level with new names, recruit students and carry out tactical terror activities. In this context, soft targets are chosen to kill the maximum number of people in order to create panic and terror in the society. In this way they become instantly popular at the domestic and global level. A few of them have established their own violent organization such as Ansar-al-Sharia which is involved in high profile target killings in Karachi. After dismantling of the group by the law enforcement agencies (LEAs), investigation reports suggested that initially the group was inspired by ISIS ideology but later it discarded it and brought themselves under the Al-Qaedaas banner. In order to remain in the limelight, target killing, especially of the policemen and other LEA officials, was used as a tactic. The group was consisted of a few students and faculty members of some prestigious institutes such as Karachi University, NED and Dawood University. Most of them were pursuing professional and technical degrees such as information technology, applied physics, engineering etc. It is alarming to see how educated university students can be prone to militancy. In Pakistan, however, concerned authorities are aware of this threat. A few days ago, the head of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Sindh, Additional Inspector General said, aRadicalisation is growing at academic institutes with the CTD assessing that the next generation of militants is more likely to have university education rather than a madrassah backgrounda . The indoctrination of the minds of students in academic institutions with an extremist ideology utilized by violent extremist actors is extremely worrying. Students having knowledge and skills in engineering, medical and other scientific subjects, along with their being inspired by the ideologies of ultra-violent terrorist organizations ensure they have the capacity to conduct terrorist activities. The knowledge of engineering subjects enhances their operational capabilities in developing low intensity bombs and other equipment used in terror activities. Moreover, it is more difficult for law enforcement agencies to identify and nab aeducated radicaliseda youth than madaris students. The question is, why are students of natural sciences more inclined toward radicalization than social sciences students? Gambetta and Hertog say in their famous book aEngineers of Jihada that the number of jihadists among engineers is very low while the number of engineers among jihadists is high. Hazem Kandil, writes in his book aInside the Brotherhooda that more than 20,000 Muslim Brotherhood members possessed master degrees or above. Among them 3,000 have PhD degrees and interestingly all of them had obtained their degrees in natural sciences. He argued that university students of the natural sciences are more vulnerable to join militant organizations as natural sciences subjects are more about facts than debates. So, they are more inclined to accept extreme ideology as facts rather than challenging it. In this way they are easily inclined toward jihad and later exploited and employed by jihadi organizations. Undeniably, meaningful education is still the best weapon against extremism and terrorism but unfortunately the education system of Pakistan remains weak. The quality of research, teaching and courses or subject material is very poor. Moreover, there is no tradition and space for critical thinking inside or outside the campuses. Moreover, more than twenty-five million children are still out of schools. The countryas education system needs to create more space for purposeful, critical analysis and awareness based study and debate. Students should be encouraged to participate in co-curricular activities like sports, debates and student unions. Moreover, civic education should be introduced from school to university level. Indeed, if the country wants to get rid of the peril of radicalization and extremism from educational institutions, it would have to create significant space for critical and progressive thinking among students. Muhammad Suleman is a Research Associate at the Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies (Islamabad), Pakistan. The views are those of the author and not CPGS, Islamabad. He holds master degree in Strategic Studies from National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad and a MPhil degree in Political Science from International Islamic University, Islamabad. He can be reached at shahid.ndu[at]gmail.com and he tweets @M_S_Shahid. open democracy - 15 October 2017 [by] Thulsi Narayanasamy Workers are not poor and disadvantaged because they have been left behind. They are poor because they are being robbed. Fashion giants like H&M and Zara stand to save millions on tariff-free exports from Sri Lanka. The EU has again granted the country a apreferentiala trade concession earlier withdrawn in response to human rights abuses of Tamils in the final stages of the civil war. In response to an outcry from civil society and unions, a delegation from the EU is now in Sri Lanka to decide on how to adequately monitor labour standards. It sounds abstract enough. But in reality what it amounts to for workers on the ground is the difference between getting paid enough to live a or not. While increased profits will flow to the industry, Sri Lankaas 300,000 garment workers will receive no benefit, continuing to earn so little that their wages donat cover basic living costs. It is the fashion brands that control the style of clothes to the last stitch, while pleading ignorance on rights violations in their factories. The Generalised Services Preference Plus (GSP+) arrangement is for low-income exporters to the EU and links the removal of export tariffs with core human rights and labour standards, purportedly as an incentive. This agreement primarily affects the garment manufacturing industry which dominates Sri Lankaas exports to the EU. But trade concessions like the GSP+ benefit big corporations much more than the countries theyare awarded to a let alone its workers. Trade rules that are conditional on labour and human rights standards have been widely criticised for serving as smokescreens for the EU to continue the extraction of resources and exploitation of labour from their ex-colonies in the global South. Across the island, the mostly female, internal migrant workforce work at least 6 days a week for up to 16 hours a day. In the case of Sri Lankaas 12 Free Trade Zones, workers are completely isolated; working behind high walls and electrified fences with unions denied entry, effectively limiting outside contact. This arrangement is deliberately designed to keep workers in the dark about their rights and prevent them from collectively improving their working conditions. At the forefront of the fight for labour and union rights in Sri Lankaas garment factories is the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union (FTZ&GSEU). Anton Marcus, the General Secretary, says: aThe EU says Sri Lanka now meets labour and human rights standards but core ILO conventions still arenat implemented through legislation, let alone practice. The only people benefiting are the same as always, and there is nothing done to ensure workers benefit at all.a By returning Sri Lankaas GSP+ status, the EU is giving the stamp of approval to their labour standards and whitewashing its systemic human rights abuses while undermining local efforts to fight for change. Within this fraught context, groups like FTZ&GSEU and we at War on Want have advocated for the EU to listen to the voices of workers, recognise the reality of labour exploitation and ensure that this time around, GSP+ benefits the workers creating the wealth. FTZ&GSEU have pushed forward a policy roadmap to ensure labour rights can be practically achieved for factory workers, in particular the fundamental right to form unions and collectively bargain. But itas a fine line we walk here. Appealing to the EU for worker benefits through GSP+ risks concealing the root causes of the inequality and exploitation dividing the global south from the north, specifically, international trade as one such cause. The terms of global trade, overwhelmingly dictated by states and corporations in the global North, prevent the global South from developing their industries and economies in a way that lifts the standard of living for post-colonial states. The terms of global trade, overwhelmingly dictated by states and corporations in the global North, prevent the global South from developing their industries and economies in a way that lifts the standard of living for post-colonial states. The EU is instrumental in driving the privatisation of goods and services in the global South through trade and investment rules that impose brutal austerity measures. The result? Greater wealth inequality than the world has ever seen. To then address labour exploitation in factories as a technical, rather than a structural issue is at best ineffective and at worst, an exercise in corporate whitewashing. Workers are not poor and disadvantaged because they have been left behind. They are poor because they are being robbed. Exploitation of factory workers in the global South is embedded in the international supply chains of the garment industry not accidentally, but by design. It is the fashion brands that control the style of clothes to the last stitch, while pleading ignorance on rights violations in their factories. But the truth is far simpler. In a system where the only goal is profit for the few, the workers lose out. The apparent impunity enjoyed by fashion brands is not accidental, either. What little legislation the EU has introduced to ensure they comply with basic human rights, it rarely enforces on the ground. The corporate social responsibility rhetoric has been used to flip the narrative, presenting fashion brands as benevolent bringers of development to countries otherwise unable to provide jobs for their citizens. The working poor make our clothes, grow our food, mine the earth for our mobile phones, and yet itas not only the products of their labour that are treated as disposable; itas the people too. As Vandana Shiva says, ain every scheme that worsens the position of the poor, it is the poor who are invoked as beneficiariesa. In the context of a global system rigged in favour of old colonial powers, the implications of EU asupporta for labour and human rights through conditional trade mechanisms like GSP+ must be critically interrogated a not simply accepted as a substitute for addressing systemic causes of exploitation and injustice. While the EU practices protectionism to ensure that trade in goods and services happen on their terms, for their gain, their aggressive afree tradea agenda is fulfilled at the expense of attempts on the part of Southern countries to protect vulnerable local industries from the overwhelming competition of cheaper imports. To seriously address a system that treats people as disposable requires a complete overhaul of international trade. As it functions now, it is an inherently imperialist intervention sustaining the plunder of resources and labour from the South while depicting the process as a service to the human rights of those it exploits. As Vandana Shiva says, ain every scheme that worsens the position of the poor, it is the poor who are invoked as beneficiariesa. Until we can reveal the inherently imperialist nature of global trade and finance and its impact on everything elsea wages, conditions, what gets produced for whom and at what pricea we will be stuck strategizing about how to divide the crumbs of capital amongst factory workers in the South, while the CEOs in the North celebrate both their spoils and supremacy. Thulsi Narayanasamy is Senior International Programmes Officer (Asia and the Pacific) at War on Want. The New York Times, October 20, 2017 KARACHI, Pakistan a This country has a poor record of protecting its religious minorities, but we outdo ourselves when it comes to Ahmadis. Members of the sect insist on calling themselves Muslims, and we mainstream Muslims insist on treating them like the worst kind of heretics. The day I wrote this piece, a small headline in a newspaper informed me that an Ahmadi lawyer, his wife and two-year-old child had been shot dead by gunmen at home, for being Ahmadis. Killings like this have happened so many times that the story wasnat even the main news. On May 28, 2010, some 90 Ahmadis were killed during attacks on two mosques in Lahore. No public official attended the funerals. You would think that the government, law enforcers and the courts would do something about such sustained acts of brutality. But they are too hard at work. I learned from another recent headline that a district court near Lahore, in eastern Pakistan, had sentenced three Ahmadi men to death for blasphemy. A fourth man was shot dead before the trial while in police custody. It is always prudent not to ask what blasphemous act is said to have been committed, because under the law, repeating something blasphemous can itself constitute blasphemy. According to one newspaper report, the men were on trial for attempting to remove from a wall religious posters that incited hatred against Ahmadis. Thatas right, they were sentenced to death for taking down posters that incited people to kill them. (The prosecution argued that since the posters were religious, removing them was an insult to the Prophet Muhammad.) The Ahmadi (or Ahmadiyya) sect is a reformist movement founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad toward the end of the 19th century in the city of Qadian, in what is today the Indian part of Punjab. Ahmad claimed to be the incarnation of a Messiah promised in Islamic holy texts. That challenged the mainstream Muslim belief that Muhammad is Islamas last and final prophet. Ahmad was accused of being an agent of the British Empire. There are no reliable statistics about the number of Ahmadis in Pakistan today. Many Ahmadis donat publicly identify as Ahmadi; others refuse to take part in the census. Estimates range from 500,000to four million. In 1974, Pakistanas elected Parliament declared Ahmadis to be non-Muslims. Religious parties had held street protests demanding this, and even though Parliament back then was full of liberals and socialists, there was hardly a dissenting voice when the time came to pass the law. Our Parliament today is still at it. Last week Muhammad Safdar, a son-in-law of the recently deposed prime minister, thundered against Ahmadis, demanding they be banned from joining the armed forces. He also demanded that a physics department of a university in Islamabad be renamed because in 2016 it was named after Abdus Salam, the only Pakistani scientist to become a Nobel laureate. The Pakistani government had already taken close to four decades to name anything after Mr. Salam, a theoretical physicist, because he was Ahmadi. It appears that not a single parliamentarian spoke up against Mr. Safdaras diatribe. Earlier this month, Parliament also changed the oath that Pakistanis are required to take to get a passport or run in an election. A standard version of the statement goes: aI hereby solemnly declare that I consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani to be an impostor nabi and also consider his followers, whether belonging to the Lahori or Qadiani group, to be non-Muslims.a (Nabi means prophet.) Language in the election law was changed from aI solemnly declarea to aI believe.a Itas not clear why this happened. The government claims it was a clerical error. But there was a public uproar over the change, including accusations that the government was going soft on Ahmadis. Parliament promptly backtracked, and we all resumed solemnly declaring rather than just believing. The word aAhmadia was hardly even used during the debate in Parliament. We prefer to call the Ahmadis aQadianis,a meaning from Qadian. Ahmadis consider the word derogatory, which is why we use it. I got a call a few months ago from my family who still lives in my ancestral village in Punjab. A stranger had come asking about me, I was told. He claimed to be my friend from school. While I was still trying to put a forgotten face to the name, my relative asked, aIs your friend a Qadiani?a I suddenly remembered the boy from my school who was indeed a friend and happened to be Ahmadi. I asked the relative, aHow did you know he was a Qadiani?a The reply shouldnat have shocked me, but it did. aI have an inbuilt Qadiani detector. I can always smell them.a I wanted to remind my relative that when I was a kid and he was a young man, all his best friends were Ahmadis and I had seen him locked in our bathroom smoking his first cigarette with those infidels. But then I remembered the slap. It must have been around 1974. I was about nine years old and was taking my Quran lessons. My teacher was gentle. At the time, protesters in the bazaars were asking shoppers not to go to Ahmadi-owned shops. I asked my teacher who the Ahmadis were, and he patiently explained that they were heretics, because they challenged the notion that Muhammad was Islamas last prophet. I said, even if they are heretics, does Islam say we canat buy stuff from their shops? The slap was full and hard. As I grew up, Ahmadis went from being treated as zealous reformist Muslims to non-Muslims to kafir, or heretics a worse even than Hindus or Jews. In the mid-1980s, a decade after Ahmadis were declared non-Muslims, another set of laws forbade them to act like Muslims. This is the tricky bit, because Ahmadis insist on calling themselves Muslim and behave like Muslims. They pray in mosques, they call out the azaan at prayer time, they say aassalam alaikum,a they invoke Allahas will or his mercy a and every time they do any of the above, they violate the law of the land. If they call their mosque a mosque, they become criminals. If they call their daily prayers namaz, as Muslims do, they risk imprisonment. Ahmadis have been charged with blasphemy for printing a verse of the Quran on wedding invitations. Early this month, I saw Pakistanas foreign minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, give an interview on television. He had just returned from a tour of the United States and had been accused of hobnobbing with Ahmadis while there. He was at pains to explain that he had never met an Ahmadi in his life. To prove his point, he said that once, while he was sitting in a restaurant in Islamabad, two boys came up to get a selfie with him. aI asked them, aI hope you are not Qadianis.aa The foreign minister and the show host shared a hearty laugh. I called up my long-lost Ahmadi friend recently and the brief conversation that followed was full of blasphemies. He was acting all Muslim. aAssalam alaikum,a he greeted me. By the grace of Allah, he said, he still has a job. Sometimes, when people suspect him of being Ahmadi, he is thrown out of shops or business meetings. But Allah is kind, my friend insisted. His wife, a teacher of fashion design, still has a job at a university a though she doesnat use the staff room because some people have become suspicious. The kids are doing well, thanks to Allah, but he has told them not to tell even their closest friends that they are Ahmadis. He tried to make us both feel better: Thanks to Allah, itas not as bad for us as it is for Shias. Look how many of them get killed for their beliefs. Pakistan was essentially created to protect the religious and economic rights of Muslims who were a minority before Indiaas partition in 1947. But since the countryas inception, we have created new minorities and keep finding new ways to torment them. Mohammed Hanif is the author of the novels aA Case of Exploding Mangoesa and aOur Lady of Alice Bhatti,a and the librettist for the opera aBhutto.a Reviewing publicity's role in federal sentencing decision-making | Main | New study of Pennsylvania death penalty finds disparity based on race of victim and type of representation October 23, 2017 "Is There a Rational Punishment for My Rapist?" The title of this post is the title of this powerful personal article authored by Amber Rose Carlson. I recommend the piece in full, and I hesitate to reprint excerpts for fear of diluting the potency of the entire piece. But this excerpt perhaps will help prompt folks to click through to read the full piece: Imagine your rapist had been found guilty and sentenced in court. What would you want his sentence to be? This was the question asked to me in January 2016 by my therapist during a session of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (E.M.D.R.) a treatment that researchers tout as one of the best remedies for severe trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. I was raped repeatedly during a three-year span from age 13 to 16. I was also subject to physical and emotional abuse during that time. Ive since undergone years of traditional talk and group therapy with trauma specialists, and I am more healed today than I ever thought possible. Still, recovering from trauma is a serious endeavor, and I hoped for more healing.... Im not a proponent of the death penalty primarily because the flaws in our criminal justice system are egregious and increasingly well-documented. The thought experiments framing, however, circumvented my usual concerns about unjust sanctions. I know what my rapist did to me, so I know he is guilty. Worries about the inhumanity of capital punishment were also blunted in part because this was purely hypothetical and in part because of the inhumanity he exhibited those long years with his penchant for violence. Although the death sentence seemed wholly appropriate, I still considered how I would feel if a judge gave my rapist a less severe punishment: a natural life sentence a life sentence with no chance for parole without a successful appeal. In this scenario, my feelings were just as clear: I would be slightly disappointed, but I would still feel mostly satisfied. Anything less than a death or natural life sentence, I knew, would seem inadequate.... IN FEBRUARY 2016 only weeks after the thought experiments with my therapist the philosopher Jennifer Lackey published an opinion piece in The Stone. In the article, she uses her experience teaching philosophy to inmates to argue for the irrationality of natural life sentences. Lackey bases her argument against natural life sentences on two reasonable claims: (1) people (criminals, specifically) can and do change in profoundly transformative ways, and (2) we cannot know the future. For Lackey, the fact that we have good statistical evidence that criminals can and do change is especially problematic given our vast epistemic limitations regarding the future. Natural life sentences, she wrote, say to all involved that there is no possible piece of information that could be learned between sentencing and death that could bear in any way on the punishment the convicted is said to deserve, short of what might ground an appeal. Citing the possibility of prisoner transformation, Lackey then puts her question about rationality directly: How is it rational, she asks, to screen off the relevance of this information? How, that is, is it rational to say today that there can be no possible evidence in the future that could bear on the punishment that a decades-from-now prisoner deserves?... I read Lackeys article very soon after the thought experiments with my therapist. I noticed that Lackeys argument easily applied to the death penalty, and I realized that the sentences I desired for my rapist were precisely the ones Lackey condemns as irrational. Since nothing in her argument prevented me from applying her logic to my own desires, I had to wonder if her argument also concluded that I was irrational for desiring permanent punishments. If it is irrational for the state to prescribe a permanent punishment given our epistemic limitations and prisoners likelihood for change, wouldnt it be similarly irrational for victims to ignore these considerations? There are, of course, crucial differences between victims desires and punishments carried out by the state. While sometimes the criminal justice system considers the wishes of victims and their families, the criminal justice systems central aim is to protect the interests of the state and the community. This aim does not always coincide with the interests or wishes of the victim. Admittedly, there are often very good reasons for the state to ignore the wishes of victims. But my concern is less about what the state should do in practice and more about what arguments that prioritize transformation say about victims who desire permanent punishments. Here I will be blunt: it matters very little to me whether my rapist is transformed at some point in his life. It matters to me only to the extent that I will readily agree that it would be better if he became the sort of person who did not inflict violence upon others. I would be very happy hearing that no other women would be harmed by him. But in terms of the punishment that he deserves? Transformation does not matter to me. And this is not irrational: There are many carefully considered reasons one might want a natural life sentence for perpetrators of egregious and irrevocable harm. Desiring death or a natural life sentence for those who inflict traumatic violence is a rational response because whether or not my particular rapist transforms is irrelevant to whether or not I will ever have the chance to be the sort of person I might have been. His transformation is irrelevant to whether or not I will be able to live the sort of life I could have were it not for the injustice done to me. I desire a death or natural life sentence for my rapist because that is what seems appropriate given the amount of damage he wrought in my life.... Although my attitude is in no way representative of all victims, epistemic arguments that prioritize criminal transformation must contend with the implication that they can be used to paint trauma victims irrational when they desire retribution. Its certainly important to advocate for prisoners who are wrongly incarcerated and for those who were victims of the overzealous war on crime era. The injustices in our criminal justice system are too numerous and too serious to ignore. But criminal justice reform should not be so myopic that it compounds trauma survivors victimization. Those who manage to survive traumatic crimes have enough to battle without arguments that undermine their rational considerations. Advocates for criminal justice reform can, and should, do better. October 23, 2017 at 06:07 PM | Permalink Comments I see this coming down to "who should we value more" and I will always come down on the side against the criminal offender. I do think it should be more difficult than is currently the case to secure a guilty verdict but once that hurdle is passed I will also say that the burden should _always_ be on that offender to demonstrate that they deserve less than the law allows. Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Oct 23, 2017 6:34:29 PM Lackey's argument is akin to the current rule for life imprisonment for minors -- she argues in that piece there should be a chance to show that things have changed in the relevant ways so that the life sentence was no longer necessary. It might not in an individual case. Also, she notes the victim is part of her equation: "Moreover, prisoners arent the only ones who can change: victims and their families can come to see the convicted as being worthy of forgiveness and a second chance, and public attitudes can evolve, moving away from a zealous war on crime approach to one that sees much criminal activity as the result of broader social problems that call for reform. Even if we set aside the other arguments against natural life sentences economic, legal, moral and so on the question I want to ask here is this: how is it rational to screen off the relevance of this information? How, that is, is it rational to say today that there can be no possible evidence in the future that could bear on the punishment that a decades-from-now prisoner deserves?" Again, maybe not -- maybe in thirty-five years or more, she won't change her mind. But, she might. So, no chance to re-assess according to the piece is wrong. Anyway, the concerns of the victim is very important, but penal policy goes beyond that. I don't think the person is insulting her or saying her current stance is "irrational." As usual, one can try to be as empathetic as possible, but there are limits to understanding. Posted by: Joe | Oct 23, 2017 7:44:58 PM Once convicted of one rape, waterboard to try to solve other rapes. If more than 2 others are proven with physical evidence, proceed withe the Italian Death Penalty. Posted by: David Behar | Oct 23, 2017 10:29:17 PM Joe. "Again, maybe not -- maybe in thirty-five years or more, she won't change her mind. But, she might." "As usual, one can try to be as empathetic as possible, but there are limits to understanding." Can't you for once write a simple declarative sentence, and make a single argument, not on both sides of a question? Your pathological weasel is driving me around the bend. On second thought, don't answer the question. I already know it. Sometimes yes, but then again, sometimes, no. Posted by: David Behar | Oct 23, 2017 10:36:15 PM I think the question that should be considered by all here is: What would this victim's central thesis be if her perpetrator had inflicted some sentence, some form of of punishment for his crime? I would be traumatized not only by what the perpetrator inflicted upon me, but also on the total absence of punishment, indeed knowing the perpetrator is living the life that I dreamed I would enjoy someday but that he had robbed me of. Posted by: tommyc | Oct 24, 2017 8:46:27 AM It seems these days that every blog has at least a couple of people who haunt their comment sections, confidently lobbing sentiments meant mostly to shock their readers but almost never to engage them in any real and helpful discussion. They prattle on about "the Italian death penalty" and other such stuff and never seem to catch on to the embarrassing fact that their comments are largely ignored by other readers. Without any introspection or apparent sense of irony, they describe the thinking of other commenters as "pathological." If only this blog weren't so bedeviled. Posted by: Publius | Oct 24, 2017 9:44:19 AM Interestingly enough there is a recent post by Eugene Volokh about statutory rape on his eponymous blog, he also briefly discusses the history of such laws in this country. She writes, "I was raped repeatedly during a three-year span from age 13 to 16. I was also subject to physical and emotional abuse during that time." So reading between the lines she was not actually raped because rape is a form of physical abuse, making the second sentence redundant. She had underage teenage sex. For which she went through therapy for. If I feel sorry for her I feel sorry for her for suffering through all therapy garbage; psychology is doing more harm to these people than their "abusers" ever did. Posted by: Daniel | Oct 24, 2017 11:20:37 AM DB is disgustingly stupid. Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Oct 24, 2017 3:23:58 PM Daniel, Where do you get the idea that the sex in this case was in any way consensual? I do not see anything like that in what was written. Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Oct 24, 2017 5:44:28 PM Amber Rose Carlson speaks truth. Good for her. Now when some hack federal judge/judges stay an execution without basis, they are re-inflicting punishment upon the victims' families. Posted by: federalist | Oct 24, 2017 6:19:29 PM @Soronel "Where do you get the idea that the sex in this case was in any way consensual?" As an inference from her silence. In relationship to a teen the term rape is inherently ambiguous: it could refer to forcible rape or it could refer to statutory rape. Her op-ed never resolves this ambiguity, which seems very strange to me since it is such a key point. Moreover, as I said in my first post, if she was physically raped it makes the second sentence in the passage I quoted redundant, which also seems odd. You know, she is the author of the article and it is her responsibility to make her case. I can and I will hold this ambiguity and her unwillingness to resolve it against her. Posted by: Daniel | Oct 24, 2017 6:42:57 PM BTW a quick Google search reveals this http://amberrosecarlson.com/ "Amber Rose Carlson is a PhD candidate in philosophy at Vanderbilt University who specializes in social epistemology, feminist philosophy, and trauma theory." Now compare that with what the NYT says in its short bio of her: "Amber Rose Carlson is a doctoral candidate in philosophy at Vanderbilt University." So lets see that The Times left out all the revelant info from her bio that puts her "potent" piece (Doug B) in quite the different light. Posted by: Daniel | Oct 24, 2017 6:51:32 PM Behar, how did you get out of the straightjacket? Posted by: Ted | Oct 24, 2017 7:03:27 PM http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4138806/Amber-Rose-lashes-critics-molestation-victim.html The more I learn about this woman the more and more powerful her op-ed becomes! (deep sarcasm). Posted by: Daniel | Oct 24, 2017 7:07:09 PM If one wants to parse words, not that I find that overall useful when the average person talks [they aren't like law professors, carefully using legal terms], the emotional/physical abuse comment tells us it was not merely statutory rape [as a minor, she might have no legal ability to consent] but in her view truly non-consensual rape. We don't know the details though so hard to say. I'm also not sure how much the specialized details on what sort of doctorate in philosophy she is studying tells us. I would think at least two of those things would be already studied; the third (trauma) would be logical in her situation and the discussion sounds like someone who studied that specifically. We are left with her being an activist who some criticized, specifically there because she thought a certain self-represented victim handled things badly. A tad bit ironic to call her on that. Anyway, if we are going to look behind op-eds like this and parse words, I'm sure we can find a lot to have issues with. I think we can look at what she said at face value and critique it without all the other stuff. Posted by: Joe | Oct 24, 2017 8:15:22 PM Ted and Claudio. How did you ever pick out a KGB manual from the wet and stinky garbage heap? Your statements came from that, yet you did not cite your reference. Posted by: David Behar | Oct 24, 2017 10:41:56 PM Fanculo DB. I worked twenty years helping soviet dissidents. Fanculo. Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Oct 25, 2017 6:47:53 AM I am always skeptical when a feminist, as Amber Rose Carlson is, says "rape" because feminists define that term VERY loosely. When she says "I was raped repeatedly during a three-year span from age 13 to 16." this could mean she was violently raped, or it could mean that she had consensual sex with someone over 18, which she now regrets. The former is extremely rare, while the latter is extremely common. Therefore if I had to make an informed guess, I would put my money on it being a case of unlawful sex, not rape. In California we don't call it rape unless it's actually rape. Consensual sex with a minor is simply called unlawful sex. I think we have developed a cult of victim-worship which has pulled us too far away from more important considerations. I don't care much what the victim thinks when it comes to sentencing. Samantha Geimer got paid off by Polanski and openly advocates for him now. Sometimes victims are too lenient. Other times, victims are vindictive and cruel, like Amber Rose Carlson, talking about whether sex with her (which might have not been violent or coercive) justifies death or "merely" LWOP. Punishment should not depend on the personality of the victim. Punishment exists for numerous purposes. The prosecutor always pimps the victim out when the victim supports the prosecution, but hides or even attacks the victim when the victim supports the defense. When we punish, we must remember that punishment is not free. It imposes massive costs on society. You take a human being and remove them from the workforce, and make them a drain on society instead of a productive member. You take their friends and family, who suffer as well. The cost of incarceration is enormous. Sentencing should be optimized for maximum social utility and outcomes. Deterrence is important, but not so important that we should "make an example" of anyone. Consistency is critical, because inconsistent justice is not justice at all. Fairness is key, because it is the basis for institutional legitimacy. The desire for revenge is the least rational sentencing objective, and so should be given the least weight. Posted by: lawguy | Oct 26, 2017 4:37:24 PM Post a comment Should we call it the Sessions effect?: "enthusiastic" federal prosecutors operating at "full throttle" in the Southern District of Ohio | Main | "In Defense of Risk-Assessment Tools" October 22, 2017 Notable defense of prison labor from a former prisoner Chandra Bozelko, a former prisoner and author of the blog Prison Diaries, has this interesting Los Angeles Times commentary headlined "Think prison labor is a form of slavery? Think again." I recommend the piece in full, and here are excerpts: When a prison inmate prays for release from her cell, prison industries can be her first salvation. I couldnt wait to head to work in the kitchen of the maximum-security womens prison in Connecticut where I did six years for identity theft and related crimes. I was paid 75 cents to $1.75 a day to make and serve a lot of casserole. Yet I consider most of the criticism lobbed at prison labor that its a form of slavery, a capitalist horror show unfair, and even counterproductive in the effort to reform the justice system. Among the firefighters on Californias fire lines this fall, 30% to 40% are inmates, paid $1 an hour to work side by side with crews making a lot more money. Some inmate firefighters have gone on the record saying they feel the same way I do about prison jobs. Its people on the outside who rail against prison work assignments, particularly hiring prisoners to fight fires. We dont want prison policy driven by a desire for cheap labor, says David Fathi, director of the ACLUs National Prison Project. He worries that a captive labor force incentivizes mass incarceration. Fathi can point to some unfortunate remarks made by prison administrators. Last month, the sheriff of Caddo Parish, La., lamented the loss of the good prisoners who washed prison cars. In 2014, the office of the attorney general of California balked at reducing prison overcrowding because it would deplete the prison workforce. Still, less than half of Americas prison population works. The most recent available Bureau of Justice statistics come from 2005, when 800,000 to 900,000 inmates, out of a population of about 2.3 million, had jobs within their facilities. That left at least 1.3 million prisoners for the government to house, clothe and feed without getting anything in return. It doesnt seem likely that captive labor is the reason our prisons are overcrowded. Most labor in prison is menial work for the state. Inmates sew hems on jackets for municipal employees; they do laundry duty or janitorial work. These are also normal, outside-world activities and jobs. When a prisoner is cooking, mopping floors or folding clothes, she knows somewhere, an unincarcerated person is doing the same thing. When a prisoner is working, she is the closest to free she can be, until she gets out. My prison job made me feel like I was fulfilling my existential duty to society: I was contributing. It doesnt surprise me that prison work assignments are credited with reducing recidivism. Any change for good that happened within me while I was incarcerated grew out of my job. If I feel that way about my time making chicken a la king, an inmate whos saving lives fighting fires must feel it 10 times over. Some call prison labor the new Jim Crow because of the outsized number of black and brown inmates in U.S. prisons. Its a facile charge, and worse, it may be keeping progressive companies away from prison projects. Socially conscious businesses and agencies are likely to pay inmates higher wages, train them for better jobs and do more to prepare them for life after prison if those companies arent scared away by vociferous critics of prison labor. Whole Foods used to sell goat cheese made from milk produced on a prison farm in Colorado. We felt supporting suppliers who found a way to be part of paid, rehabilitative work being done by inmates would help people get back on their feet and eventually become contributing members of society, a company spokesman said. Whole Foods ended the program in 2015, after consumer protests I can only assume came from people whove never been incarcerated. Anyone whos done time wouldnt deny a fellow prisoner that kind of lifeline.... Dont get me wrong, prison labor is by no means problem-free. Two inmate firefighters died in work-related accidents in California this year. Its unclear whether a lack of training or the inherent danger of firefighting contributed to those deaths. We may never know because there is too little investigation of worker safety in all prisoner occupations. If safety and worker empowerment were the focus of prison labor reform, rather than dismantling the system, the movement would get my support. The way to protect workers is the same inside and outside: unionization. Its a misconception that inmate unions are against the law. The Supreme Court held 40 years ago that wardens dont violate prisoners 1st Amendment rights when they bust inmate unions, but at the same time, nothing prohibits prison administrators from allowing unions to form. Thats where the pushback against prison labor should be aimed, toward persuading wardens to allow physical and organizational safeguards for inmate workers, protections they can negotiate for themselves. October 22, 2017 at 11:32 PM | Permalink Comments Labor is a privilege for good behavior. It should be enhanced, past menial labor. They should start a generic drug business with all that synthetic chemistry talent inside the walls. They can produce execution drugs by the bucket. They should be doing sales and customer service with all that defraud talent. They can do IT, cyber security, and cloud services with all that hacking talent. Posted by: David Behar | Oct 23, 2017 10:34:37 AM The pushback is from the same lawyers mentality that made adulthood 18, and not 14. They want to keep out superior workers from the marketplace, because they would outperform their inferior, lazy, and stupid union clients. Forensic inmates produced all the beef for the prisons of Pennsylvania, and did a great job. Again, it was a privilege, not slavery. That was attacked by the ACLU. So farmer made more money, and conflict markedly increased among the mentally ill prisoners. It required the hiring of more guards. The civil rights movement for prisoner is a form of corruption and rent seeking by inferior competitors. Their fraudulent lawyers should be crushed under RICO. Posted by: David Behar | Oct 23, 2017 10:38:42 AM It is an interesting article and do think that prison labor on principle isn't the problem here. Put aside the 13th Amendment exception (the work here might be more "involuntary servitude" of some sort than pure "slavery," which has different connotations). Details. Treatment of workers. Type of work (think of the use of prison labor on farms in the late 19th Century). Competition with free labor. And so on. Finally, if the person here appreciated the work, such a person is not really the sort that we would most be worried about. Posted by: Joe | Oct 23, 2017 11:00:50 AM Whatever unloading all that casserole did to benefit this woman one thing sure in the hell didn't do is make her smart. Posted by: Daniel | Oct 23, 2017 11:22:17 AM "It doesnt surprise me that prison work assignments are credited with reducing recidivism." It does not surprise me working prisoners do better. Because work is a privilege, the working prisoners are pre-selected for likelihood of doing a good job and success later. The work because they are good prisoners. They are not good prisoners because they work. Posted by: David Behar | Oct 23, 2017 2:40:24 PM Post a comment Lengthy look into latest significant(?) execution in Alabama | Main | Notable defense of prison labor from a former prisoner October 22, 2017 Should we call it the Sessions effect?: "enthusiastic" federal prosecutors operating at "full throttle" in the Southern District of Ohio My local Columbus Dispatch has this fascinating new article highlighting an uptick in federal prosecution in the Southern District of Ohio. The piece is headlined "Surge in prisoners prompts federal court to contract with northwest Ohio jail," and here are excerpts (with a few points highlighted): Benjamin C. Glassman is costing taxpayers more money, and hes OK with that. Glassman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, is reaching far and wide very far, in some cases to fight crime that could hurt Ohioans. He persuaded the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to deposit four Ecuadorean cocaine traffickers caught off the Galapagos Islands for prosecution on his turf in Columbus. And members of the multinational gang MS-13 were charged in September with extorting money from Columbus businesses and laundering it back to the gangs leadership in El Salvador. The increase in the prosecution of violent crimes and drug cases such as these, especially amid the opioid crisis, had the U.S District Court for Southern Ohio looking for extra jail space to keep a record 483 defendants whose cases were pending as of Oct. 7. Thats a lot for us, said Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. Of the total defendants, 223 were up on drug charges, 43 for violent crimes and 38 for child pornography. To prevent overtaxing the Franklin and Delaware County jails that hold federal prisoners, Peter C. Tobin, the U.S. marshal for the 48-county Southern District, recently contracted with a regional jail in Williams County, 150 miles northwest of Columbus, to hold some defendants. So far, 30 defendants have been sent to the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio near Bryan. That jail is charging $90 a day per federal inmate, about $25 more than the local jails. Other federal court districts are having similar problems housing the influx of defendants, Sargus said. The largest districts, such as New York City and Los Angeles, have their own holding facilities. An Obama administration appointee last year, Glassman swears hes not padding his crime-fighting resume because President Donald Trump could replace him at a moments notice. Ohios U.S. senators have recommended Greg Hartmann, an attorney and former Hamilton County commissioner, to replace Glassman. We just want to reach out as far as we can and as far as we need to go to stop crime that is hurting people in this district, Glassman said. I sincerely believe people in Russia can hurt us, people in China can hurt us here. He spoke enviously of fellow prosecutors in North Dakota who this month beat us to indicting two men in China with selling fentanyl over the dark web that has been tied to deadly overdoses. It was unclear whether Chinese officials have taken action against the suspects. We have violent crime initiatives in Cincinnati, and now Columbus, that are successfully bringing more violent crime prosecutions, he said. Glassmans office works closely with state and local law enforcement, counting on street cops to identify the small number of people disproportionately responsible for a large number of violence. Suspects are charged in state or federal court depending on which nets prosecutors the best results, meaning guilty pleas and stiff prison sentences.... Glassman said his office is operating at full throttle, with a lot of hardworking, really enthusiastic prosecutors. Individual assistant U.S. attorneys specialize in handling violent crime, drugs, illegal immigration, child pornography, tax and fraud cases. Where only the top offenders in a drug ring were usually charged, now its not uncommon for cases to include a list of 15 or so defendants with even the most minor players. We are looking to dismantle entire distribution organizations, he said. I find fascinating that even with a violent crime initiative and directions from Attorney General Sessions to focus on violent crime, this accounting of on-going federal prosecutions indicates that less than 15% of the current caseload (and maybe less than 10%) involves violent crimes (43 out of the 304 noted above, or maybe 43 out of the full 483). Meanwhile, nearly half or perhaps even more than half of all the cases are drug cases, and now apparently even the most minor players in a drug ring are being subject to federal prosecution no doubt in part because guilty pleas and stiff prison sentences are more common when drug charges are brought in the federal system. I am inclined to call much of this a "Sessions effect" because the signals from the top of the current Justice Department would seem to be urging more and more federal prosecutions across the board (while also urging tougher approaches to sentencing). I suspect it may be still some months before we see the full impact of these dynamics in federal sentencing statistics, but I also suspect I will be talking more about the Sessions effect in the months and years ahead. October 22, 2017 at 11:13 PM | Permalink Comments Criminals are still protected by the lawyer traitor. There are 10 crimes for every one prosecuted. The criminal law is in failure. It is close to worthless. Lawyers are the stupidest people in our country. As a result, their professional efforts are the very worst in our country. Every year a lawyer lives, he destroys a $million of economic value. The better alternative is to support other source of authority for moral behavior, such as religion, the intact patriarchal family, and public self help. For example, instead of prosecuting the victim of an MS13 gang attack, such as a store owner, immunize the extorted store owner who kills one on the spot. Throw in a $10,000 check as reward. If the gang member was first tortured for over an hour, make it $20,000 for the additional effort. Post the recording of the torture on Youtube. Posted by: David Behar | Oct 23, 2017 10:46:12 AM If the above Duterte style program were instituted, what would happen? Crime would disappear. Gang members would turn themselves in for the protection of prison. And, what else? Lawyers would lose their jobs. Correct, the crime rate is being artificially, and intentionally kept high to generate, worthless government make work jobs for the stupidest people in our country. Posted by: David Behar | Oct 23, 2017 10:49:32 AM I must admit that @David's argument is logically sound. If everyone were dead there would be no crime. I can't argue with that point. Posted by: Daniel | Oct 23, 2017 11:16:29 AM Daniel. What a drama queen you are. Only 1% need to be dead, at the earliest age palatable to society. In any case, CRISPR/cas 9 technology will end all crime, perhaps, not in our lifetime, but in Prof. Berman's life time, for sure. Posted by: David Behar | Oct 23, 2017 2:42:38 PM Behar, it's Monday, the day for the blue pill. You took the red one by mistake. I know it's hard to maneuver given the straightjacket, but try harder tomorrow. Posted by: Emily | Oct 23, 2017 6:56:41 PM Doug, let me clarify a few points. First, you're looking at the population of defendants who have been ordered detained pending trial or sentencing -- not all defendants. Second, I'm not positive of the Dispatch's source or methodology for identifying the kinds of charges for which defendants are detained. By my accounting, roughly a third of our case load involves violent crime and another third involves drugs or organized crime related to drugs, like money laundering. Third, it is incorrect that we are now charging low-level defendants who, in years past, would not have been charged at all. (And I'm actually not sure that the reporter was even saying that, since the article mentions minor players vis-a-vis a conspiracy.) If anything, and as the article elsewhere explains, we have been striving to push our investigations and prosecutions farther and wider than ever before. Perhaps it's that someone who looked like a major player in years past now looks more minor when we're able to see the wider conspiracy from a national or international perspective. In any event, we certainly are not seeking to prosecute low-level folks as a general matter. Fourth, it's true that our numbers are up, but, for one thing, that's true across the board -- from violent crime to drugs to national security to fraud and other white collar to cyber to child exploitation to hate crimes to corruption and on and on -- and, for another, in my judgment, the quality and impact of our cases are also increasing. I'd be curious as to your take. When I say that the office is operating at full throttle, that's a testament to the excellence and dedication of our lawyers and the agents and officers with whom they work. They *should* be enthusiastic because they are coming to work to do justice -- not just to prosecute or to win or to rack up stats, but to make the Southern District of Ohio and the nation a safer, fairer, and more just place. I'm proud of their public service. Posted by: Benjamin C. Glassman | Oct 24, 2017 4:26:43 PM Post a comment Following an announcement earlier this month that she would indeed seek a fifth term in the US Senate, former SF Mayor Dianne Feinstein appears to be undaunted by the challengers that may rise to oppose her. As previously reported, the 84-year-old Senator waited until Monday October 9 to confirm her pursuit of a fifth Senate term, writing on Facebook that "...theres still so much work left to do, from ending gun violence, to combating climate change, to ensuring proper and affordable access to healthcare, and to giving DREAMers the chance to stay in the United States." Since the announcement, Democrat and California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon is said to be preparing to enter the race, LAist reported, even though ousting a current sitting Senator from his own party is a seemingly impossible task. But it's not just de Leon that Feinstein might have to worry about, as fellow former SF Mayor turned Chron columnist Willie Brown writes that she might face "a posse of challengers getting into the race and making her the target," with some of the unnamed posse "wealthy enough to mount a sustained negative campaign." However, speaking with Brown's Chron colleagues Matier and Ross, Feinstein doesn't seem that concerned about de Leon, Brown's rich mystery posse, or anyone else. Ive been challenged before. That doesnt bother me, she told M&R. Michael Huffington spent something like $33 million to try to unseat me in 1994, so I pretty much assume that it comes with the territory. Regarding the muttering regarding a need for "new blood" in the seat, Feinstein says that she's open to change, but also a realist. Lets see what the new ideas are, she says. I want to change things as much as anyone out there, but you dont just jump up and down to solve problems. You need to be in a position to get things done and be ready to do the work. She also addressed that much-quoted San Francisco appearance in August, the one where she urged patience with President Donald Trump, saying that "I just hope he has the ability to learn and change. If he does he can be a good president." Those remarks are reportedly what spurred de Leon to run, but Feinstein warns that "if there is an impeachment, we in the Senate will sit as a jury. So I feel I have to be somewhat careful. That said, I said that I hoped he could change and become a good president, and for that I was bombarded with criticism. But I also said that we are going to see if he is going to change. And it looks like he has not." Matier and Ross also asked her if her 84-year-old body was up to the task, a question that I am sure is asked just as often of male candidates of a similar age. Feinstein responded patiently, saying "I listen to my body and pace myself. I have learned over the years that I can go the distance." "Ive left some things out of my personal side. I dont go to many social events, and I cant remember the last movie that Ive seen, she said a statement likely anathema to 83-year-old Willie Brown, who this week recommends the Jackie Chan film The Foreigner to column readers. But in between movies, Brown still found time to search for specific, named people willing to run against Feinstein...and came up empty. While at a local bar, Brown told a Feinstein critic to go around and ask each one of these people who Dianne Feinsteins opponent is." "When you come back and youve got at least five of the people in this room who even know she is being challenged," Brown said, "Ill buy the whole house a drink in your name. Needless to say, Brown managed to keep his wallet intact, as the critic discovered that "There wasnt one person who knew who of any possible challenger. Previously: Sen. Dianne Feinstein Confirms She Will Run Again In 2018, At Age 85 The on-again, off-again lights inspired by ca. 1915 street design are back on again, after being nixed by the SFMTA and the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission. Matier & Ross reported in the Sunday Chronicle that more than 300 faux-historic, retro street lamps will be installed on Van Ness Avenue, capping off a saga where the lights were originally approved by the MTA, shot down by the Preservation Commission, but reignited by pressure from neighborhood groups like the Pacific Heights Residents Association. There are currently four of the vintage retro street lights on Van Ness, like the one seen above. Those four are scheduled to be refurbished, and a total of 350 more of the teardrop-fixtured old-time street lamps are slated to line Van Ness, at a cost of $18,500 a piece and a total of $6.5 million, all part of the larger $315 million facelift of the avenues stretch from Market Street to Lombard Street. Supervisor Aaron Peskin passed a resolution a year ago to urge the SFMTA to preserve the poles, which were part of what was dubbed the "ribbon of light" up Van Ness, originally installed along with a new streetcar line in preparation for the 1915 Pan-American Exposition. Beyond Chron discussed the preservation effort here at that time. Peskin explained why the Board of Supervisors sided with residents' groups and leaned on SFMTA to go with the vintage street lamps. We got thousands of emails on this that expressed a desire to evoke the historic character of San Francisco, as we have done on other main streets like Market, Kearny and the Embarcadero, Peskin told the Chronicle. Despite their passage, the Historic Preservation Commission is still completely unimpressed with the the throwback street lamps, arguing that they dont meet historic district federal standards. They arent genuine replicas; they are more just old-timey-looking, commission president Andre Wolfram told the Chron. Furthermore, the vintage street lights wont even functions as street lights theyll just be there to look pretty and be retro, with the actual light to the avenue being provided by other modern fixtures. It is ironic, Wolfram added. Its not just ironic, its ridiculous, responded San Francisco Beautiful executive director Darcy Brown. Her claim of ridiculousness is backed up by another curious example of City Hall fickleness on the installation and removal of streetlights. The innovative Phillippe Starck-designed street lights on Howard Street, those in between Moscone Center North and South, were permanently removed earlier this month according to CurbedSF. "We will not be reinstalling [the lights] on Howard Street," a DPW spokesperson told Curbed. "We are holding on to them for the time being and seeing if they could be reused on another project, perhaps in a park. At this point, we have no specific plans." Related: Proposed Van Ness Double Towers Want Double The Parking, 25 Percent More Units Clay St at Laguna now open after @SFPD investigate shooting of driver of towed car. He suffered non life threatening injury pic.twitter.com/DwZFhgMMaw Tiffany Wilson (@TWilsonTV) October 22, 2017 Two Bay Area Uber drivers have been shot in recent days, one the victim of an attempted robbery and the other while shuttling passengers from San Francisco International Airport. The first such shooting occurred at around 8:52 p.m. Saturday night, CBS 5 reports, near the intersection of Laguna and Clay Streets in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood. According to ABC 7, "Police on the scene wouldn't confirm the victim was an Uber driver, but we can see his Uber sticker on the back of white vehicle." They say that the male victim was shot during an attempted robbery. CBS 5 reports that the driver received "a non-life threatening leg wound" in the incident, and was transported to an area hospital for treatment. Police are seeking two suspects in the shooting, Bay City News reports. As of publication time, no description of either suspect was made publicly available. The second shooting happened at around 11:10 p.m. Sunday night, on Interstate 380 near San Bruno. In that case, ABC 7 reports, an Uber driver had "picked up two passengers at the airport." Shortly after he got on 380 headed west, "people in another car pulled up and started shooting." According to the Chron, the male driver of the Uber vehicle, a black Toyota Corolla, was shot in the neck in the attack. He was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, KRON 4 reports, and is expected to survive. His two passengers escaped unharmed, ABC 7 reports. Speaking with NBC Bay Area, California Highway Patrol spokesperson Vu Williams says that the Corolla "was found next to the center divider in the westbound direction near El Camino Real 'with several what looked to be like bullet holes.'" ABC 7 reports that "Another black car, that looked similar to the Uber driver's black Toyota Corolla, was also shot multiple times," with NBC noting that the second car had apparent bullet holes in its "windshield and rear view mirror." However, "The people inside that car ran away before police arrived at the scene," ABC 7 reports. Westbound 380 was closed for nearly five hours as police investigated the shooting, a crime scene that "stretched nearly a mile long," ABC 7 reports. As of Monday morning, KRON 4 reports, no suspects have been identified, no motive has been revealed, and no arrests been made in the case. Related: Three People In Uber Car Injured In Shooting On I-880 In Oakland Speaking at the launching ceremony, Nguyen Van Cuong, deputy head of bureau of administration and management II under Government Office, said that SME Vietnam Network is being established following the guidance of the Vietnamese Entrepreneur Development Center under the Viet Nam Association of Small and Medium-seized Enterprises. The networks members will exchange business opportunities within the country and other countries in the world. In the network, many activities will help its members improve their brand names, products and services. Under the special support from Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (VietCham Singapore) and United Overseas Bank Limited, the networks members also will have a chance to access exclusive lending and funding schemes. Viet Nam has more than 600,000 SMEs, accounting for 97.5 per cent of the countrys companies, contributing more than 40 per cent of the GDP and using 51 per cent of the labour force. Each year, SMEs create more than half a million new jobs. According to inh Thi Phuong, director of the Vietnamese Entrepreneur Development Center and SME Vietnam Network, SMEs are still facing many difficulties and challenges such as a shortage of updated technologies and limited access to financial support, which is barrier for expanding their production. At the launching ceremony, SME Vietnam Network signed an agreement with United Overseas Bank Limited. BY VIETNAMNEWS Thai police and soldiers have been placed on alert while control posts were established to conduct examinations of cars passing southern cities upon information of car stealing for bomb attacks. Some bombings took place in Narathiwat province this week, but there were no casualties. The BRN is a rebel group active in Thailands southern region. Some members of the group formed the Mara Patani movement, which has joined peace negotiations with the Thai Government. However, the BRN declared to boycott the negotiations. VIETNAMNEWS. The number was reported at an international workshop hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (Amcham) and American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) in HCMC. Preliminary statistics show that the cargo export turnover of Vietnam to the US in September was $3.62 billion, taking the total turnover during the first nine months this year to nearly $31 billion, up 9.4 percent over the same period last year. Still Vietnams export to the US is forecast to meet with difficulties as the US Government has applied many technical barriers including safety standards to boost export, reduce trade deficit, create jobs and develop domestic market. This will put Vietnamese businesses into a direct competition with American firms. Moreover, tax rates imposed on Vietnamese goods are much higher than goods from other nations such as Japan, the UK, France, Germany, Thailand and Cambodia. They are as high as 17-30 percent on some products. At present, tax from Vietnamese goods import accounts for 10.11 percent of the USs import tariff, ranking second after the amount collected from Chinese goods. Delegates at the conference said that Vietnam should speed up negotiating Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Vietnam-EAEU and Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreements to increase export room for Vietnamese businesses. US Consul General to HCMC Mary Tarnowka stressed that the Vietnamese Government must intensify building a fair and transparent legal system. That is the key factor to lure foreign investors and create conditions for domestic businesses to develop in the upcoming time. Businesses themselves must abide by all regulations relating to product safety in order not to be removed out from the US market. By AI VAN Translated by Hai Mien ORANGE CITY, Iowa | The American Reformed Church in Orange City will be hosting a digital safety presentation titled Tech Talk: The Good, The Bad, The Relevant" on Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Doug Elrick, a former law enforcement officer and current director of digital forensic services at Digital Intelligence, will be speaking at the event. Topics of discussion will include safe use of digital devices and maintaining a reputable online identity. Parents and teenagers are encouraged to attend this event. American Reformed Church is at 407 Albany Ave. SE in Orange City. DES MOINES | The Iowa region of the American Red Cross will be presented with its largest donation of the year by Hy-Vee, Inc., Tuesday. The donation is to help aid in relief efforts following several hurricanes that hit the United States this year. The funds were raised through donations from Hy-Vee customers, a $100,000 matching donation from Hy-Vee, and other community contributions. The donations were made during a monthlong effort in September to support victims of Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria. Customers from across Hy-Vee's eight-state region were able to make donations at the cash register at any of its 245 stores, online at www.hy-vee.com or via Hy-Vee's Aisles Online website. The American Red Cross will announce the amount of the donation at its Des Moines location Tuesday afternoon. A not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission, the American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disaster. DES MOINES | The Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club announced that Storm Lake journalist Art Cullen will be presented with the organization's Environmental Journalism Award during its annual meeting, being held at the Iowa Arboretum in Madrid, Iowa, on Saturday. Cullen is the editor of The Storm Lake Times and managing editor of The Progressive Populist. The Environmental Journalism Award is given to a person who works in the news media and has contributed significantly to environmental understanding. Winning a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing earlier this year, Cullen took government officials to task for the secrecy surrounding the funding of a 2015 Des Moines Water Works lawsuit against boards of supervisors in Buena Vista, Calhoun and Sac counties. The counties allegedly allowed nitrates from several of their drainage districts to pollute the Raccoon River, a primary water source for Des Moines residents. SIOUX CITY | Authorities have positively identified the family of three who died after their vehicle entered the Missouri River on Oct. 16. Following an investigation conducted by the Woodbury County Medical Examiner, Salomon Medina-Zavala, 53, Angelica Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 43, and Vanessa Medina-Gonzalez, 16, all of Sioux City, were found dead inside of the vehicle. The cause of death for all three was determined to be drowning. In the news release, the police department also provided an official timeline of events. At 4:18 p.m. Oct. 16, police responded to a report of a vehicle entering the Missouri River. Investigators documented evidence of the vehicle striking a chain link fence and going into the water. Witnesses described the vehicle floating downstream before going under water. A missing persons report was made by family members the following day, on Oct. 17. Through a joint operation including numerous area agencies, the 2001 Honda Civic was recovered from the Missouri River on Saturday. According to court documents, Bigeagle entered the two-story house at 417 Ross St. on Sept. 19 and set a shirt on fire on a bookshelf by pouring alcohol on it and lighting it. He then left as the fire spread to the rest of the house. Bigeagle used to live at the house, court documents said. SIOUX CENTER, Iowa | A teacher at Sioux Center Christian School was arrested Monday after police say he committed a lascivious act with a child who attends the school last week. Curtis Van Dam, 35, of Sioux Center, was charged with lascivious acts with a child, a class C felony, in relation to the incident. He was also charged with lascivious conduct with a minor, a serious misdemeanor, in connection to an incident approximately three weeks earlier, according to a news release from Sioux Center Police Chief Paul E. Adkins. According to the release, a complaint was filed with police Wednesday of alleged inappropriate conduct between Van Dam and the student the day before. Police searched Van Dam's residence on Saturday, and he was arrested around 7 a.m. Monday. Van Dam was booked into the Sioux County Jail, where he was being held on $5,000 bond. The release said the investigation into the allegations is continuing, and additional charges are anticipated. STORM LAKE, Iowa | A Storm Lake man has pleaded not guilty to selling methamphetamine. Joshua Cook, 37, entered his written plea Friday in Buena Vista County District Court to three counts of manufacture, deliver or possess with intent to manufacture or deliver methamphetamine. Officers conducted a controlled buy of meth on July 26 at a home in the 300 block of East First Street. After the purchase and continued surveillance of the home, officers executed a search warrant at the residence, and Cook and Michael Kirchner were taken into custody. Inside the home, officers found 14 grams of meth, hypodermic needles and other devices used to ingest meth. The case against Kirchner, 46, of Storm Lake, was later dismissed. SIOUX CITY Three of the suspects thought to be behind a string of burglaries at Siouxland businesses have been arrested, according to a release from the Sioux City Police Department. One of the suspects is a 16-year-old male from Winnebago, Nebraska, and the other two males 14 and 15 are from Macy, Nebraska, and all have been taken into custody. The department arrested the three juvenile suspects at the Floyd Boulevard Walmart Supercenter on suspicion of shoplifting and quickly tied them to a series of recent burglaries. The incidents began on Sept. 30 when the Sprint Store at 4115 Gordon Drive was burgled. The next incident occurred on Oct. 17 when the Urban Casual clothing store, 3241 Gordon Drive, was broken into and more than $1,000 worth of merchandise was lifted. Thirty minutes after that, the Younkers department store at Southern Hills Mall also was burgled by the same method, which involved the suspects smashing glass windows and doors to enter. Following those two incidents, the suspects traveled across the river to South Sioux City and broke into a Verizon store. Two days after the Verizon burglary, the suspects broke returned to Sioux City and broke into the AT&T Store at 2935 Hamilton Blvd. but were unable to remove any items. The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are expected, according to the release. SOUTH SIOUX CITY | Margaret Jessen just wanted a little more excitement in her life. Fresh out of high school, Jessen didn't find that excitement working as a linotype operator at the local newspaper. So what does a young woman in search of adventure do when there's a war going on? In Jessen's case, she joined the Marines. "I was young then, and I wanted the action. There was nothing going on (here). It was too dull at home," said Jessen, who was Margaret O'Shaugnessy at the time. She'd worked for a couple years at the newspaper in Homer, Nebraska, after graduating from Homer High School in 1942. With World War II raging in Europe and in the Pacific Ocean, there were a lot of opportunities to find something more exciting to do. There was the military, and there were jobs available in the many factories that built planes, ships and other supplies needed for the American war effort. Jessen considered both before telling her mother that she was joining the Marines. "Oh, she was horrified," Jessen said. "I said I was going to join the Marines or go to California to be a welder. She figured if I didn't show up for work in the Marines, someone would come looking for me. If I didn't show up for work as a welder, they wouldn't look for you. "She figured I'd be better off in the Marine Corps." Jessen joined the Marines in May 1944 and was sent to Missouri for basic training. Men also were trained at the base, but kept separate from the women. Jessen said the training was physically demanding, and women were allowed to practice on guns but were not allowed to have them. Once she completed basic training, Jessen was sent to Norman, Oklahoma, to learn how to fix Cosair fighter planes. "They just thought that's what I was capable of," Jessen said. Jessen passed the training and was sent to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in Santa Ana, California, where she was assigned to work as an office clerk. She never did work on airplanes. "You know how the government works," she said. "They train you to do one thing and then have you do another." The women who arrived at El Toro weren't viewed positively by the men they replaced. For many of the men, it meant they were losing their stateside assignments and heading to war. "The men were mad at us because we came in and took their jobs and they were sent overseas, so we were resented, I'm sure," Jessen said. Jessen spent the remainder of the war at El Toro and was discharged in June 1946. Still looking for adventure, Jessen and another female friend hitchhiked across the country to Florida and up the East Coast to New York. "It drove my mother crazy," Jessen said with a wry smile and a chuckle. Eventually, Jessen returned home, where she began dating Alfred Jessen, who had served in the Army in Germany during World War II. They were married in 1947 and raised five sons. Jessen would later work for Iowa Beef Processors in Dakota City for 19 years before retiring in the mid-1970s. Her service in the Marines taught her a valuable lesson for her later work experiences. "It taught me how to get along with people," she said. "You don't judge them. Everybody was the same." Over the years, Jessen saw her husband honored for his military service. Few people knew she, too, had served. "I think my husband was proud of it, too. He realized they didn't treat us the same," Jessen said. "When they came around and offered him an award for being in the service, he told them I was in the service, too, but they never offered me an award." That slight doesn't lessen the pride Jessen said she feels about her decision to join the Marines rather than be a welder. The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. WHITE PLAINS, Md. (Oct. 22, 2017)State Police have identified the victims involved in the early Saturday morning triple fatal crash in Charles County. The deceased victims are identified as Luis Daboin, 24, of Hughesville; Sollan Belina, 28, and Joseph Nystrom, 24, both of North Carolina. Police believe the two men from North Carolina were visiting Daboin. Belina was the driver of the 2013 Honda Civic involved in the single vehicle crash. Belina was pronounced deceased at the scene by emergency medical service personnel. Investigators believe Daboin was seated in the front passenger side of the vehicle and Nystrom was seated in the rear of the vehicle. Both passengers were pronounced deceased at the scene by EMS providers. The preliminary investigation reveals Belina was driving a black Honda Civic with North Carolina license plates, shortly after 2:00 a.m. this morning. A Maryland State Trooper, traveling southbound on Route 925, north of Route 5, noticed Belina's vehicle when he pulled out in front of her, exiting a parking lot on to southbound Route 925. Belina proceeded traveling on Route 925, a non-divided two lane roadway. He approached a red signal at the intersection of Route 5 in the left turn lane He proceeded through the red signal, heading southbound in the northbound lanes for approximately 300 yards. The trooper then activated her emergency equipment to attempt a traffic stop on Belina's vehicle, which continued to drive on the wrong side of the road exceeding the 35 mph speed limit. Moments later Belina abruptly traveled to the correct side of the road, crossing the double yellow lines and swerving on to the right shoulder while driving excessive speeds. At one point, Belina pulled over to the shoulder briefly, as if to stop for the trooper, but then accelerated hard, fleeing the traffic stop. He continued southbound on Route 925 after Smallwood Drive, accelerating to speeds estimated to be above 100 mph. The trooper lost sight of Belina's vehicle as it traveled beyond Billingsley Road, a four lane divided highway, and hit a concrete median. The on-scene investigation indicates the vehicle became airborne after hitting the median, and entered a grassy area in front of a convenience store, subsequently hitting a tree, where the vehicle came to rest. All three occupants of the vehicle were pronounced deceased at the scene. Troopers on the scene believe both speed and alcohol contributed to the crash. No police officers or other citizens were injured during the incident. Troopers from the La Plata Barrack responded to the scene. Sheriff Deputies from the Charles County Sheriff's Office and EMS personnel from the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department also responded to assist. Anyone who may have witnessed or has information pertaining to this investigation is urged to contact the La Plata Barrack at 301-392-1200. The investigation continues. WASHINGTON (Oct. 22, 2017)The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced the following contract award that pertains to local Navy activities., is being awarded aindefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide laboratory operation and maintenance services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Aircraft Division's Simulation Division. Services to be provided include facilities operation and maintenance services, and information technology support for the AIR-5.4.3 Simulation Division. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (97 percent); and various locations throughout U.S. (3 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2021. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals as a small business set-aside; three offers were received. The, is the contracting activity (N00421-18-D-0008).No Relevant Awards. Oakland Park Commissioners approved medical marijuana treatment centers and dispensaries at Wednesday evenings meeting. The city had placed a moratorium on the issue at a meeting in February. Jack Doren, chairman of the citys planning and zoning committee, said allowing the permitting process to begin was the right move. Oakland Park has come up with a very creative way of maintaining some controls over it and yet allowing it and those controls can always be adjusted, Doren told commissioners. Making it conditional use is a very creative way of complying with state laws and making this medicine and it is a medicine available. Related: Marijuana Clinics in Oakland Park Doren, a gay man, testified at previous meetings that inhaling cannabis helped to alleviate nausea from his HIV medications. Last November, Florida residents voted to amend the states constitution to allow for the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The state began implementing its plans through the office of compassionate use. Amendments to the states constitution must garner 60 percent approval from registered voters. In Broward County, voters approved the amendment by 76 percent with most precincts in Oakland Park reaching 80 percent. Our city and our residents did speak and spoke loudly and I think what we found here is a good solution, said Mayor John Adornato III. We do have the kind of controls that we need if we need them to make sure we dont get into any kind of situation we dont want to be in but also providing for the opportunity for patients to get the kind of medicine they need. I do support this. I do think were moving in the right direction. I do think this is responsive and accountable to the residents that had wanted it and that we are in control of what our city looks like in the future. Medical marijuana is permitted in the city by conditional use. The treatment center and dispensary ordinance defines a pharmacy as retail sales establishments where on-site prescription drug sales occupy more than 30 percent of the gross floor area. Treatment centers and dispensaries must be 500 feet from schools, per the ordinance. On a 4-0 vote, commissioners voted to proceed with medical marijuana implementation. Commissioner Matt Sparks was absent. Scott Herman, President of the Dolphin Democrats, said he was pleased to see Oakland Park relax its definition of pharmacy in the city code. This is what the people wanted and the city is delivering, Herman said. Today, references to the LGBT community are commonplace. One hears them in both the mainstream media and everyday conversation. Whats not generally discussed, though, is how this particular combination of words came to represent the LGBT community. Why were some words admitted to this alphabet soup while others were excluded? As it happens, the history behind the words and phrases used to identify LGBT people is both curious and revealing. No Homo: How homosexual faded from use Consider the word: homosexual. Its absence from the initialism LGBT is conspicuous, because it was the label most frequently applied to gay men and lesbians for several decades during the mid-20th century. Before then, same-sex behavior was either condemned as a sin on religious grounds or punished as a crime for legal reasons. But well into the early modern era, there was no commonly accepted word or phrase to describe individuals with a physical attraction to, romantic feelings for or a sexual interest in people of the same sex. That began to change, gradually, during the 19th century. With medicine and psychology emerging as scientific disciplines, some began to think of so-called sodomites less as sinners or criminals and more as patients. In 1869, Karl-Maria Kertbeny, an early advocate of gay rights, coined the German word homosexualitat. Roughly two decades later, English author John Addington Symonds included a discussion of homosexual instincts in his 1891 book, A Problem in Modern Ethics. Scholars cite this as the first use of the word homosexual in English. By the early decades of the 20th century, homosexual had become common parlance among medical doctors and psychologists, but to no avail. As the historian John DEmilio notes in his book Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities, Although the medical profession strove from the 1880s onward to wrest power over the fate of homosexuals and lesbians away from the criminal-justice system, the attempt did not initially seem to benefit gay individuals. In effect, gay men and lesbians went from being sinners or criminals to being sick. Unfortunately, the cures proffered by the medical profession included remedies as gruesome as castration, hysterectomy and lobotomy. Its no wonder, then, that by the 1960s, gay men and lesbians were eager to shake off the word homosexual and replace it with a label of their own choosing. Author Edmund White traces the gradual replacement of the word homosexual with the word gay in his essay The Political Vocabulary of Homosexuality. As he notes, the pace of change was given added impetus by Stonewall, but the experience of African-Americans struggling for civil rights was also important. According to White: Just as Negro had been rejected as something contaminated because it had been used by (supposedly hypocritical) liberals and the seemingly more neutral black was brought into currency, in the same way homosexual, with its medical textbook ring, was dismissed in favor of the more informal and seemingly innocuous gay By the 1970s, the word gay became more common among both gay men and lesbians, as well as the general public. Psychologists and psychiatrists, however, needed a bit more convincing: Homosexuality continued to be listed as a non-psychotic mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. That finally changed, thanks to Dr. John Fryer. At the APAs annual meeting in 1972, Fryer donned a mask and participated in a panel as Dr. H. Anonymous. His remarks began: I am a homosexual. I am a psychiatrist. In 1973, when the next edition of the DSM was published, the APA no longer listed homosexuality as a mental illness. Its here, its queer! The word gay may have positive connotations, but the same cant be said for queer, which has enjoyed a resurgence recently. This is surprising because the epithet queer is an intensely hurtful pejorative, one that many older gays and lesbians revile. The initial meaning of queer is innocuous. Websters defines it as differing in some odd way from what is usual or normal. Its synonyms include strange, eccentric and unconventional. In the late 19th century, however, queer acquired a secondary meaning: male homosexual. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, its first appearance in print is a letter from John Douglas, the Marquess of Queensberry, to Alfred Montgomery dated Nov. 1, 1894. Douglas oldest son, Francis, had died days before probably a suicide. In this vituperative missive, Douglas excoriates many people, including The Snob Queers like Roseberry. His meaning was perfectly clear. The idea that anyone called such a loathsome curse would turn around and use it as a badge of honor, or a weapon, seems farfetched. And yet, by 1990, queer made that transition when four AIDS activists in New York City started Queer Nation. Angered by a spike in violence directed at gay men, they were determined to meet it with an aggressive, confrontational response. At that Junes Gay Pride March, they distributed an anonymously written pamphlet titled Queers Read This. Its a blistering reproach directed at straights, the media, Sen. Jesse Helms and John Cardinal OConnor, to name just a few targets. The pamphlet is a call to arms; its opening paragraph concludes, You as an alive and functioning queer are a revolutionary. For the authors, queerness isnt about assimilation or tolerance; its about being on the margins. Although they acknowledge that queer is a difficult word, they insist that its right for the times, because its inclusive and reflects the righteous anger many felt during the AIDS crisis. As they put it, Yeah, QUEER can be a rough word but it is also a sly and ironic weapon we can steal from the homophobes hands and use against him. Queer Nation eventually faded from the scene, but the word queer endured. From 2000-05, for example, Showtime aired the popular series Queer as Folk. Within academia, Queer Theory became a fruitful area of inquiry. Today, especially among some younger people, queer is a capacious term that encompasses anyone whose sexuality or gender falls outside the norm, whether they are asexual, gender-nonconforming, kinky, polyamorous or LGBT. Despite that, the words negative connotations can still provoke disgust among older gays. The Huffington Post initiated a flap over this in 2016 when it changed the name of its LGBT site from Gay Voices to Queer Voices. Among those who objected was Mark Segal, longtime publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News and winner of numerous LGBT journalism awards. Regarding queer, Segal wrote, Its popular with only one segment of our population, and that segment is overwhelmingly activist-driven. The majority of LGBT people, he argued, still feel hurt when they hear that word. Trans*-former: The emergence of transgender The history of LGBT labels isnt just a narrative of old words being dropped or formerly shunned words being reclaimed. As the burgeoning transgender community shows, new LGBT vocabulary is being coined right now. Throughout history, there have been individuals who did not conform to the typical gender roles they were expected to take on. Joan of Arc is a well-known example, but there are others, including Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man so that she could fight with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Today, wed most likely say they were transgender. During the early to mid-20th century, various labels were used to name these individuals, like transvestite and transsexual. Unsurprisingly, these words generally originated in medicine and psychology. They were also, equally unsurprising, inadequate. Transvestite, for example, included both straight men who enjoyed dressing in womens clothes and men who wore womens clothes because it was a genuine expression of their true gender. To compound the problem, these same people were generally lumped together with gay men and lesbians, even if they didnt have same-sex desires. Trans activist Leslie Feinberg summarized the situation in a 1992 pamphlet called Transgender Liberation: A Movement Whose Time Has Come. Feinberg acknowledges a growing community of gender outlaws, whose number includes transvestites, transsexuals, drag queens and drag kings, cross-dressers, stone butches, androgynes, diesel dykes or berdache. As Feinbergs title suggests, one word that might actually describe this disparate group of people is transgender. According to scholars, the word first appeared in print in John F. Olivens 1965 book, Sexual Hygiene and Pathology. Oliven writes: Where the compulsive urge reaches beyond female vestments, and becomes an urge for gender (sex) change, transvestism becomes transsexualism. The term is misleading; actually, transgenderism is what is meant, because sexuality is not a major factor in primary transvestism. Although Olivens understanding of transgender is not the same as our understanding of it today, his use of it is still significant. As K.J. Rawson and Cristan Williams note in their book, Transgender*: The Rhetorical Landscape of a Term, Oliven didnt use the word in the books 1955 edition; it was added later, when the second edition was revised and published. Gradually, some members of this marginalized community began to apply the word transgender to themselves. For example, Virginia Charles Prince, publisher of the long-running periodical Transvestia, occasionally used a variation of the word, transgenderal. By the 1990s, gay-rights groups began to recognize transgender individuals and included them under the umbrella term LGBT. More recently, the general public has become more familiar with transgender, sometimes thanks to positive role models like Laverne Cox and Chelsea Manning, but also, unfortunately, because of debates over so-called bathroom bills. As the transgender community continues to grow, its also enriching our vocabulary. Cisgender, for example, is often employed to denote those who are not transgender. For some, even the word transgender is inadequate; instead, they prefer to use trans men, trans women or even just trans*. Conclusion: A word to the wise This brief sketch of the history of three labels referring to the LGBT community reveals a few broad themes. To begin with, language like gender and sexuality is a complex, fluid phenomenon. Any attempt to circumscribe a words meaning or usage is foolhardy. Second, we must always be alert to the context in which words are used. Is a label used by LGBT people to define themselves, or is it being applied to them by someone else, perhaps someone openly hostile to them? The distinction is crucial. Finally, history is a record of change, so LGBT people, however they refer to themselves today, would do well to remember that a new generation of LGBT individuals might prefer other labels just two or three decades from now. As Feinberg wrote, The language used in this pamphlet may quickly become outdated as the gender community coalesces and organizes a wonderful problem. Ray Simon is a writer and editor from Philadelphia. In addition to LGBT issues, hes written about games, music and sustainability. You can follow him on Twitter at @raymondpsimon. This is a part of our LGBT History Month special package. Check out sfgn.com/2017historymonth daily for new stories. Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza. Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres. New York, New York. As the song goes, if you can make it here, you can make it dairy-free. Wait, that isnt how the song goes? Thats news to Oatly, a Swedish-born alternative milk derived from oats thats quickly taken hold among the most esteemed coffee bars in the five boroughs. In a city where every single element of business is competitive and extra shelf space is nonexistent, the rapid-fire spread of oat milkof all thingsacross the citys finer coffee bars is steaming up the scene. Its been really surprising for us, too, Mike Messersmith, United States General Manager for the Oatly brand told me over oat milk cortados one sunny Sunday in Manhattans Flatiron district. Since January of 2017, Oatlyspecifically Oatly Barista, a creamy, coffee-optimized version of Oatly designed for steaming and serving in hot drinkshas gone from being served in only a dozen cafes to being available in more than 200 of the citys coffee shops. From early adopters like Intelligentsia (which serves the alternative milk in its cafes nationally), Oatlys been picked up by local chains like Cafe Grumpy, Joe Coffee Company, and Ninth Street Espresso, as well as many companies with smaller footprints like Sey Coffee, Kaffe 1668, Everyman Espresso, Cafe Integral, and Little Skips. If you just read off the names of some of the citys best-respected cafes, theres a reason for that. The companys oat penetration strategyto send friendly reps to all the citys best coffee shops with free samples over and over and overseems to have worked. Its a gamble that the company, well-established in Sweden for more than two decades, could afford to make. The company wanted to wait until it felt like we were ready, says Messersmith, who along with a small team has spearheaded Oatlys grand entrance into the US market. The company already sells Oatlyin countless varieties from chai to chocolate milk to cream to oatgurtin more than 30 countries globally, with its largest presence in the EU. To expand to North America, Messersmith says, the oat mogul felt it would be critical to gain a foothold in the barista community before large chains or grocery stores. It was a choice for us to try to pursue on-premise specialty coffee first, Messersmith tells me. Oat milk doesnt exist for US consumers, as opposed to Sweden. We felt like we had a lot of work to do. Messersmith keeps a sense of humor about it all. I mean, a lot of people, even my family, are still like, what? Oats? Explain that to me again? By and large, the citys baristas have embraced it, largely because their customer base likes it, too. Jenna Gotthelf, a barista at Everyman Espresso admits, As a consumer, I dont really drink alternative milks. But as a barista, finds her guests enjoy the product. Customers have been asking for it, says Gotthelf, and enjoying it more than almond or soy milk. The Oatly brand steams nicely, so it is easy to work with. Though the romantic notion of drinking exotic, creamy Swedish oats may appeal, US Oatly is derived more locallyfrom oats grown in the Western United States and Canada, and manufactured into oat milk at a shared factory in Minnesoata. Oats are an incredibly sustainable rotational crop, says Messersmith, they bring crop diversity to those parts of the country. As opposed to some plant-based milks that are very taxing, oats use less water and fewer pesticides, he says, arguing that oat farming has less environmental impact than many other alternative milks, like recently-maligned soy and almond milk. Whats the downside, then? Some drinkers wary of the stabilizing agents that most plant milks use may balk at the inclusion of canola oil on Oatly Baristas ingredients list. Messersmith says that the oil is not used as a thickenerwhich isnt apparently needed due to what he refers to as an amazing enzymatic processbut rather to add creaminess. They use a non-GMO canola oil, and it makes up about 2% of the product by volume. What it all adds up to in the cup is a neutral but creamy dairy substitute thats muscled its way into those tightly packed New York cafe refrigeratorsin some cases, kicking its sister soy milk off menus completely. For any coffee product to cause such a ruckus with such speed is unusualin New York, its practically unheard ofand even tea professionals, who rarely agree on anything, seem to like it, too. Doug Palas, who runs Intelligentsias Kilogram Tea, says Oatly accentuates tea flavors better than milkits my default recommendation for tea drinks. Next up, the brand will continue to sow its oats in markets like Milwaukee, Denver, and of course, Los Angeles, whose artisanal alternative milk scene leads the nation. The coffee industry in the US is really so connected, concludes Messersmith of Oatlys speedy growth. When [baristas] find a brand they are passionate about that really gets them and delivers on that end product they care about, thenits really about facilitating, not pushing. When the products really good, he says, its justbe cool, and dont screw it up. Sweden images courtesy of Oatly. Liz Clayton is the associate editor at Sprudge Media Network. Her world coffee guide with Avidan Ross, Where to Drink Coffee, drops this November on Phaidon Press. Read more Liz Clayton on Sprudge. With Blue Bottle Coffee soon to open a new shop, Coffee Wrights nestled into the suburbs, and Nozy Coffee sitting quietly on the outskirts, the Sangenjaya neighborhood looks primed to start buzzing with specialty coffee activity. But if you want a taste of where specialty coffee originated here, youll want to visit Obscura Coffee Roasters. I met with quality control director and founder Yoshinori Shiba at the newly opened Obscura Mart on Setagaya-Dori, a short walk from the Sangenjaya station. Its a spacious wooden location filled with books, coffee paraphernalia, and a neat, clean case for the current selection of coffees. We started here in Sangenjaya because its an easy place to live, and we always wanted to be a place for locals to get a cup of coffee, says Shiba. Sangenjaya felt right, and weve put our focus here ever since. The Obscura Mart actually began its life as part of the Maach Ecute selection of stores near Akihabara, but Shiba and Obscura recently made the decision to bring it back to Sangenjaya, making it their fourth location in the neighborhood. In the beginning, when we started, we wanted to start our own business and we liked kissaten culture and coffee, he says. So we opened Cafe Obscura because we wanted people to have a place to relax by themselveswe put a focus on quiet, and coffee, and atmosphere and books. Around the time that Obscura started making specialty coffee a part of the local cafe experience, the staff roasted in a cramped location until business picked up enough for them to open the Obscura Coffee Laboratory in Taishido, on the opposite side of the station. The Laboratory was their roasting space until quite recently, but they now have a dedicated roastery not far from the original location. Including the new Coffee Mart, Obscuras three locations (the roastery is not open to the public) create a triangle around the central Sangenjaya neighborhood, which Shiba says is a part of the groups desire to put more coffee in peoples homes and make it more a part of everyday life. Sangenjaya is kind of split down the middle by the expressway, and there are lots of people on one side that never visit the other and vice versa, he says. So we thought it would be a good idea to set up shop on this side of town, too. We want to share and brew specialty coffee with people, but we also want them to learn how to enjoy it at home in their daily lives. This is key to the way the folks at Obscura have built their success; through making themselves a comfortable part of the community fabric. By setting up where locals are likely to drop by, Shiba says theyre able to build relationships with people who might become regulars over time. And when I ask about the recent explosion in specialty coffee over the past two years, Shiba says: What I can say is, a boom is something that doesnt last. So its better to put a focus on making coffee a part of local culture. The Coffee Mart wasnt so much about starting in a new place, but making coffee a part of everyday life here. And though Shiba laughs a little at the idea of anyone outside of the locals making the trip out to Sangenjaya just for the coffee, the future of coffee in the area seems to be riding a wave of success, and even if unintentionally, Obscura has put itself in prime locations for it. Hengtee Lim (@Hent03) is a Sprudge.com staff writer based in Tokyo. Read more Hengtee Lim on Sprudge. On Sunday (October 22) at Hippodrome 3R, the morning line favourite, Wildriverbumblebee, was scratched sick for his second straight start, the Invitational Pace, which left the event a wide-open affair except no one told that to Bali. Bali led from start to finish with ease during the programs feature contest (Race 8). After having left quickly from Post 5, Bali and driver Sylvain Lacaille sped to the quarter pole in :27.2 with Glass Shadow (driven by Pierre Luc Roy) in the pocket and Crombie A (Brett Macdonald) parked first-over. Crombie A put pressure on Bali, and the duo made its way down to the half mile marker in a quick :55.4. Once they reached the backstetch, Bali and Lacaille started to open up on the field. They led by three and one-half lengths at the three-quarters. Nobody tried to mount a challenge until National Debt and driver Stephane Gendron made a three-wide brush heading into the final turn. But the effort was futile, as Bali was at his best for Lacaille and they won going away by six open lengths in 1:53.3. National Debut barely held off Rainbow Palace (Francis Picard) for the place spot. Not only was it the tenth win this year for Bali, a six-year-old gelded son of Dali, but also his third victory in his four starts for trainer Marie Claude Auger. Bali was bred and is owned by Denise Auger of Trois-Riveres and paid $6.70 to win. Caroluzzo and driver Stephane Gendron has little trouble wiring the field during the programs featured trot (Race 7), as the duo won by three and one-quarter lengths in 2:00. Track Notes: Driver Steeven Genois has the hot hands at H3R Sunday, scoring a driving triple. It was the first time this season that Genois has scored three winners on the race program. To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Hippodrome 3R, click the following link: Sunday Results Hippodrome 3R. Live racing resumes next Sunday with first race post time at 12:30 pm. For more information visit quebecjockeyclub.com. (Quebec Jockey Club) Shanghai Phil (p, 1:50.2s, $636,022), a son of Blissfull Hall from the Matts Scooter mare Matter Of Style, will return to Ontario for the 2018 breeding season. Shanghai Phil was one of the top three colts in his two-year-old season along with Rocknroll Hanover. Shanghai Phil was a multiple stakes winner at age two, including third-place finishes in the Metro Pace and Breeders Crown. After successful siring stints in Quebec and Ontario, Shanghai Phils connections are pleased to have him back in Ontario. Shanghai Phil has sired the winners of $7.3 million with $61,480 average earnings per starter. His sons and daughters include, five winners of over $300,000; nine winners of over $250,000; and 18 winners of $100,000. Shanghai Phils richest and fastest performer is Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final winner Duc Dorleans p, 1:48.4s ($684,705). Shanghai Phil is also the sire of OSS winner Champagne Phil p, 1:49.4 ($445,938), Click K p,4, 1:50.1s ($378,478), Passion R Virginie p, 1:53f ($326,685) and OSS Gold and multiple stakes winner Racey Miss p,3, 1:51.3s ($238,384). This season, Shanghai Phils two-year-old son Hudson Phil p,2, 152.4s ($171,307) was an OSS Gold winner and a finalist in the OSS Super Final. His three-year-old son Histoire Enchantee p,3, 1.50.1s ($98,633) was also an OSS Gold winner this year, as well as being a finalist in the OSS Super Final. Shanghai Phil, a proven son of Blissful Hall, will stand at Tara Hills Stud for a fee of $2,500. For more information, contact David Heffering at Tara Hills Stud (905-985-7770) or check out tarahills.com. (With files from Tara Hills & Hudson Standardbred) After a two-week sabbatical, the top state-bred two-year-olds of both gaits and genders will be back in action at Plainridge Park on Monday afternoon (October 23) for the third leg of the Massachusetts Sire Stakes (MASS). Three races that will be contested as non-betting events will kick off at 1 p.m. The fourth dash of the MASS leg has been carded as Race 3 on the pari-mutuel card. First-race post time for the pari-mutuel card is 2:30 p.m. The $33,800 two-year-old filly trot will feature Bag O Chips (Sierra Kosmos-Heather Spur) who won the first two legs by open lengths and set a new track and stakes record of 1:57.4 for gender, age and gait. She is also the highest money winner in the race with $31,200 on her card. Trainer George Ducharme will have Chris Lems at the lines for the third straight start and the duo will start from Post 3. Ithinkthatsmine (RC Royalty-Super Starlet), who will be driven by Steve Smith, and Jazz Me (RC Royalty-Promises Kept), who will be driven by Jimmy Whittemore, will be the main rivals in the race. Both are also trained by Ducharme. The $34,800 two-year-old colt and gelding trot will feature Kinda Lucky Lindy (Lucky Chucky-Kinda Crazy Lindy), who is heading into the dash riding a two-race MASS win streak, and despite having drawn Post 7, he looks solid to three-peat. With little inside speed, Kinda Lucky Lindy will probably set the front-end fractions again and add to his $56,508 seasonal bankroll. Trainer Frank Antonacci will have Plainridge Parks leading driver, Greg Merton, up in the bike again. Hashtagmadeyalook (Chapter Seven-Royalty Free) has finished second in both starts to Kinda Lucky Lindy; the last time only beaten three-quarters of a length. This will be only his third lifetime start and he has been improving each week. George Ducharme and Chris Lems will team up with him from Post 5. The $34,266 two-year-old filly pace will feature another track and stakes record holder, Delco Dusty (Jeremes Jet-Gypsys Good Girl). Delco Dusty has won both of her MASS events, and set the new standard in her first start with a 1:53 mile. She did race in an overnight at Vernon Downs last week and finished fourth. Trainer Heidi Rohr will have Greg Merton aboard as in the two previous stakes starts and they have drawn Post 3. Rock Me Three Times (Rock N Roll Heaven-Love Rocks) and Momma Dont Dance (Art Major-Mommy Robin Q) have each finished second and third one time behind Delco Dusty and will both be in hot pursuit again in this race. Rock Me three Times drew Post 1 for trainer Kevin Switzer and driver Shawn Gray, and Momma Dont Dance drew Post 6 for trainer Linda Toscano and driver Steve Smith. The $34,900 two-year-old colt and gelding pace features Im A Clown (Im Gorgeous-Lordy Miss Scarlet) as the heavy 6-5 early favourite in the only MASS betting race of day. Im A Clown won the first division of the series in 1:56.3 and finished second the following week to Pembroke Pharoah, who is not entered this week. Im A Clown shipped to Harrington Raceway last week and won an overnight event and certainly looks the favourite part here. He will start from Post 7 for trainer Kevin Switzer and driver Shawn Gray. CBF Real Deal (So Surreal-CBF Fancy) has a second and third in MASS action and has stayed sharp in the off weeks finishing second twice in close finishes in overnights at Plainridge. Having drawn well with Post 2, he will look to track the favourite. Nick Graffam will steer for trainer Ralph Anderson. (With files from the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts) By Daisy Handfield ABOUT 57 illegal Haitian migrants were captured and detained as they attempted to enter the Turks and Caicos Islands through French Cay on October 17, according to sources. Government officials have yet to release a statement on the interception. Just last week on October 11, more than 150 illegal Haitian migrants were apprehended on the island of West Caicos after making landfall in the TCI. From last weeks group, 81 people were apprehended and ferried to Providenciales for processing and more than 80 more illegal migrants were still on West Caicos awaiting transportation to the processing unit in Providenciales. Women, men and children were found around the waters and the island of West Caicos by local authorities. In a statement last week, the Department of Immigration warned the public that harboring illegal migrants is a crime and such people can now face a fine of $20,000 on a summary conviction or to a term of imprisonment of four years, or both. Deputy Premier and Minister of Border Control, Sean Astwood, commented on the matter in a previous interview, reiterating that there would be serious consequences for those harboring illegal migrants and for those migrants captured. He added that they would be charged, deported and added to the Immigration Stop List. "I am also appealing to the Haitian diaspora and persons who have connections with Haiti, to assist us with discouraging persons from attempting this journey. "As a Government, we remain committed to zero tolerance approach to human trafficking and through this media I am sending a very strong message to persons involved in human trafficking and illegal migration, that when discovered you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, he said. In addition, people who have acquired status other than by birth that are convicted of such an offence, face the possibility of having their status in the islands revoked, thereby making them liable to deportation. THE LIFE of a four-year-old boy tragically came to an end after he fell into a sewage well at his home in The Bight, Providenciales, on October 13. A police press release stated that at about 11.53am, police officers and emergency services responded to the scene where it was reported that the deceased and his twin brother were outside playing when he fell into the hole in the yard. The details are still vague, however, according to a police statement, an investigation has been launched to ascertain the circumstances that led to the death of the young boy. A police official told the Weekly News that they are unable to provide the media with any additional information. However, they added that investigations are ongoing and further details will be provided once available. TAKING the witness stand on Monday (October 16) was former first lady of the Turks and Caicos Islands and ex-wife of Michael Misick, LisaRaye McCoy. McCoy was summoned to testify before a TCI court in the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT) trial that is currently underway, but had initially refused to cooperate with the prosecutors. However, under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between the United States and Turks and Caicos Islands, McCoy was summoned by a US court to give testimony in the SIPT trial. Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties allow generally for the exchange of evidence and information in criminal and related matters. The MLAT was enforced in this instance. As such, McCoy appeared for three days of direct testimony and cross examination by defence lawyers this past week, via audio and video link from Los Angeles to the Providenciales courthouse. McCoy had previously been called to testify, and had complied, in the Sir Robin Auld Commission of Inquiry in 2009, where she provided testimony about her life as the first lady of the TCI and wife of ex-premier Michael Misick. Misick and seven others are currently being prosecuted for several corruption related offences they allegedly committed while Misick was the premier of the TCI. He and his co-defendants have all pleaded not guilty to the charges, and have been standing trial since 2015. The prosecution, headed by Queens Counsel Andrew Mitchell, is expected to conclude next month, where after the defendants will get an opportunity to present a defence against the charges. (DELANA ISLES) Rotary gives $1,000 to families in crisis On behalf of Children's Community Resources, I thank Kelso Rotary members for their generous gift of $1,000 to our Child in Crisis fund. This fund provides financial assistance to children and their families when a child faces an emergency or chronic condition that taxes the family's financial resources. Examples include financial aid for durable medical equipment, travel expenses and other expenses related to the care of a child in our community. This meets the Children's Community Resources mission: "to meet the unmet medical needs of children in our community." Thank you, Kelso Rotary, for your assistance. You have truly made a difference. Patrick Kubin, president Children's Community Resources Donors thanked for Seniors Prom The Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities of Southwest Washington and Lower Columbia CAP thank the following for their generous contributions that made our fourth annual Seniors Prom such a success: Fred Meyer Jewelers, Kaiser Permanente, Fibre Federal Credit Union, Foster Farms, Les Schwab, Guses Coffee, Koelsch Senior Communities, Bond Properties, Community Home Health, Columbia Theatre, Millenium Bulk, KUKN, 101.5 THE WAVE, KLOG, Jim Perkins and Jake Wedgeworth. Thank you also to Kelso High School for your generosity and the use of your school for this event. See you next Sept. 26, 2018. Seniors Prom Committee Many thanks for coat donations On behalf of the families and management staff of Lilac Place and Tulip Valley Apartments, we take a moment to recognize a very special young woman, Skyler Lee, president of Warm Coats, Warm Hearts. Due to her compassion, drive and willingness to help others, our school-age children were able to start school this year with new coats, hats and gloves. It is this kind of giving that helps set examples for others. Skyler is a wonderful role model. I encourage discover how truly amazing Skyler is by doing a Google search for Warm Coats, Warm Hearts. Once again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Lori Lengyel, Resident Services coordinator Housing Opportunities of SW Washington Alzheimer's walk a huge success More than 350 participants walked around Lake Sacajawea on Saturday, Sept. 23, and raised almost $30,000 for the Southwest Washington Walk to End Alzheimers. Everyone attended for a common cause: to honor or remember loved ones with Alzheimers or other dementias. The 2017 Walk to End Alzheimers goal is to raise awareness of Alzheimers, help families and to raise funds for research to end Alzheimers. Planning committee members for the Southwest Washington Walk to End Alzheimers thank the following businesses and individuals for their participation and assistance with the walk: Burgerville, Vernies Pizza, Cowlitz County Sheriff Mark Nelson, Martha Anderson, Nick Fletcher, Russell Goosey, Julie Hajek and Simon Gaskill of Koelsch Senior Communities, Bekah Wolken, Russ Chittock and Christopher Smith of Enlivant Living (Highlander Place,) Tammy Vessey and the staff from Sharon Care, Dani Rutkowski of Clearwater Springs Senior Living, Richelle Hornung and staff from the Americana, Nick Lemiere of Edward Jones and Associates, Steve Plampin of Longview Parks and Recreation, Doug Hooper of Southwest Washington Agency on Aging and Disabilities, Linda Melton of Community Home Health & Hospice, the Longview-Kelso Chamber of Commerce, Assured Home Health, Amada Home Care, Elfin Services Inc., Maria Cura, Marcia Mongrain-FInkas, Elaine Rietz, Beverly Gilmore, Donna Jewell, Vickie Friesen, Heather Niemi, Rich Carle, Kim Walker and Dan and Margie Coursey. A special thanks to all 37 team captains, family members and staff who came out on a Saturday to walk for their loved ones. Gretchen Niemi and Diane Craft, co-chairwomen 2017 Southwest Washington Walk to End Alzheimers A disparaging and offensive political ad targeting Longview City Councilman Chet Makinster was fabricated to appear as if it had been published on TDN.com, The Daily News website, over the weekend. The ad, which caused a firestorm when it appeared on social media, never appeared in either the print version of the newspaper or on TDN.com, said Rick Parrish, publisher of The Daily News. The ad reads it was paid for by the committee to elect Teresa Purcell, a Longview Democrat who ran for the Legislature last year. Purcell, however, has nothing to do with the ad, Parrish said. Diane Quast, who is challenging Makinster for his council seat in this Novembers general election, also said she and Purcell had nothing to do with the ad, which she called repugnant. This is painting the paper as well as the three people (connected) with the ad, Quast said Monday morning. Chet and I have conducted ourselves professionally throughout this campaign, and there would be no reason for either of us to do this kind of campaigning. Quast was Purcells campaign treasurer last year. Quast is a fabulous candidate and (would) bring an incredible level of experience to the City Council. She is a good friend and a good person, but were both horrified by the ad, Purcell said. She said she called Makinster and let him know that I had nothing to do with this. Purcell, emphasizing she is not running for office, said she believes the ad was an attempt to continue disparaging her reputation. She will discuss the ad with Quast on her radio talk show Tuesday. Although these bullying tactics seem to be trying to drive good people out of standing up and fighting for our communities it is not going to work. My hope is that more good people will help us stand up for all of us, Purcell said. Makinster was not immediately available for comment. A weekend investigation by Lee Enterprises, the Davenport, Iowa-based company that owns The Daily News, found evidence that an unknown person took a screenshot of the TDN.com home page and photo-shopped in the advertisement. The combined image was then posted on social media, making it appear that the ad was on the TDN home page. The ad shows President Donald Trump kissing Makinster. Three pieces of evidence prove the ad did not go through the paper: Parrish reviews all local ads and never saw the Makinster ad; the Google ad-serving system the newspaper uses shows no record of the ad; and the ad does not conform to the TDN.com layout protocols. First and foremost its sad that in todays society, situations like this occur. Dianne, Chet, Teresa and TDN have all been victimized by someone with an ax to grind, Parrish said Monday. TDN has had a team of people working on this since Saturday and have found no evidence the ad ever published on TDN.com. Lee Enterprises uses Google ad-serving technology, which records and logs every ad served on our digital platforms. Neither the local team, nor the corporate staff, could find any evidence of the ad in the system whatsoever. We are doing our best to find out who is responsible, Parrish added, lamenting how easy it is to misuse social media to spread falsehoods. I speak with TDN readers every week about something they read on social media, and invariably whatever they read isnt true. You should never believe anything you read on social media. It may be difficult, if not impossible, to track down the person responsible, Parrish said. This was well-timed, just as ballots are coming out, Quast said. It is frightening that this can happen without any control. ... People have to investigate how to get into who was behind hit, or the rumors keep growing. Comments on the social media platform where the post was shared suggested that many who saw the fabricated ad found it offensive and questioned its authenticity. Not too long ago, Oppo released the F3 Lite, a selfie-focused smartphone that packed quite a punch. Essentially, the F3 Lite was just a rebrand of the Oppo A57 which was launched in November 2016. What you got out of the box was an Android 6.0 handset, customised with Oppos ColorOS 3.0 skin. It featured a handy 5.2 Inch HD screen with 2.5D Curved Glass. It also featured a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor that was coupled with 3GM of RAM. The focus on the front camera and enhanced selfie capabilities is a trend that we are seeing more of in the smartphone market, as mobile phone photography becomes almost as popular as real money slots . Along with rear-facing fingerprint scanners and facial recognition, there is a clear indication that manufacturers are focusing heavily expanding the capabilities of the self-portrait, front facing camera. Selfie-Focused Smartphones Since the release of the F3, we have been waiting for the arrival of the Oppo F5, another device that looks set to capitalise on tech trends . Until now, we all thought Oppo was releasing a single unit. Now it seems, the Chinese manufacturer is launching three variants under the F5 series banner. Currently, all three variants, the Oppo F5, the Oppo F5 Youth and the Oppo F5 6GB is available for pre-order in Thailand. The F5 series is expected to be unveiled in a grand event taking place in the Philippines. We have all gotten a glimpse of the phones features thanks to a leaked poster showcasing the main features of Oppos new Smartphone range. Leaked by Thailands OppoClub, the poster informs us that the Oppo F5 will come with enhanced selfie capabilities. The three F5 variants will carry the tag line Capture the real you. It also appears that the phones will come out AI tweaks that will be used to enhance self-portrait mode on the camera. Two of the three F5 variants; the Oppo F5 and the F5 6GB sport duel camera sensors on the front of the phone. The F5 Youth only seems to have a single sensor, and will most likely be the more affordable of the bunch. 6-Inch Display and 6GB of RAM What we can see from the poster is that the Oppo F5 comes out with a minimal-bezel display. Sources also tell us that the phone will come with a 6-inch display with Full HD+ (10802160) resolution. The original F5 variant will come out with a standard 4GB of RAM while the F5 6GB will obviously come out with 6GB of Ram. It will also feature 64GB of storage that will sit alongside a microSD card, supporting up to 256GB. The camera on the F5 is reported to come out with a 20-megapixal sensor on the rear of the camera and an LED flash. The F5 Youth will have a slightly lower quality sensor, topping out at 16-megapixals. All three F5 variants will come standard with software-based facial recognition for unlocking the phone as well as a rear-facing fingerprint scanner. After the launch on the 26th of October in the Philippines, Oppo is planning on hosting an event in India. Scheduled for November 2nd, the event is presumably to unveil the availability and more specifically the price of the F5 range of selfie-centric smartphones We first got a glimpse of the Xbox One X at E3 2017 , where Microsoft unveiled what they termed the The most powerful console to date. Since then, we have been able to learn more about what the Xbox One X has to offer. Far more powerful than its predecessor, the Xbox One X comes with an Ultra HD 4K Blue-ray player and the ability to play games in native 4K with the aid of supercharged hardware. Under the hood , the Xbox One X features a GPU engine running at 1172MHz. It also comes with a whopping 6 teraflops of computing power, coupled with 12GB of GDDR5 Ram. All of this is put together to for the Xbox to play games at 4K at 60 FPS. Despite its massive hardware upgrade and the installation of a liquid cooling system, the new Xbox One X is the smallest Xbox ever released. The downside of the massive upgrade is the price. At around $590, the new console is almost double what you would pay for the Xbox One S. While it does offer up the ability to play Xbox One S games, it will have to have some pretty neat selling features to convince buyers to double their budget. That being said, Microsoft is quite confident about the specs and the consoles abilities. Putting it into perspective, if this was a PC, the price would be an absolute steal. Serious Power Under the Hood When it comes down to it, the Xbox One X smashes the competition in terms of raw power. Sonys PS4 Pro for example, comes with just four teraflops of power; meaning that the Xbox One X is at least 50% more powerful. The smaller chassis is also a win for Microsoft. Not that the size difference is that noticeable. Its just nice to know that you can simply slide out your old console and slide in the new one without having to think about making more space. The only gripe we can foresee is the colour. The Space Grey colour looks good on certain smartphones but it sticks out on a console. Not being black enough to blend in with other devices, the Xbox One X seems a little lost on the shelf and not bold enough to make a statement of its own like the brilliant white of the Xbox One S. HDR and Dolby Atmos Support The advantage of the 4K resolution means that you get incredible detail with even the smallest and most distant objects coming through in sharp focus. This would make playing anything, from the online slots Canada has to offer to Need for Speed a real treat. Having 4K also means the console can utilise the HDR function on the newest generation of TVs. HDR or High Dynamic Range basically increases the brightness and the darkness of the televisions display. Essentially, this increases the contrast making brighter areas really sparkle while darker areas are given enhanced detail. Microsoft have also chosen to boost the audio in the Xbox One X with the inclusion of Dolby Atmos support. This is the latest audio format which has the sound coming at you from above, below behind you and in front of you at the same time. This may sound a bit excessive until you hear the sound of a jet or helicopter flying over your head. Just over a month ago, Hurricane Maria hit landfall over Puerto Rico. The destruction of homes, infrastructure and services was extensive, with many people left disconnected from the outside world. Now project loon is giving residents in remote areas across the island, access to wireless Internet and other basic LTE services by using high altitude balloon antennas. Coming out of the Alphabet X innovation Lab, which is part of Google Parent Company, Project Loon was originally developed with the aim of providing internet access to rural world communities and remote areas where cell coverage is non-existent. It has since been used to provide relief in disaster zones with high levels of success. After receiving the go-ahead from the FCC, Project Loon is up and running, giving residents access to the outside word for the first time in weeks. Project Loon got its name from the sheer lunacy of the idea of connecting over 5 billion people with balloon technology. The balloons themselves are launched into the stratosphere at an altitude of roughly 18 kilometres above sea level. Here, they create a wireless areal network capable of 4G-LTE speeds. The balloons are manoeuvred by simply adjusting their altitude within the stratosphere. By using wind data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Project Loon can find the desired wind layer to move the balloons into place. High Altitude Networking Once in place, the balloons create a wireless network that can connect to a local carrier, which in turn provides basic Internet connectivity to residents on the ground. Essentially, the system is using balloons to create high altitude cell towers. In Puerto Rico, Project Loon has teamed up with AT&T to bring residents limited Internet connectivity as well as support for text messaging, web access and email access. Since the hurricane hit, AT&T has been on the ground, working to restore access. They have since restored access to 60% of the population in Puerto Rico as well as 90% of the population in the US Virgin Islands. Each balloon provides coverage of up to 5000 square kilometres and AT&T his hoping to cover most of the island. Access in Puerto Rico is provided using LTE band 8. This means that AT&T customers using devices like iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, Moto G, Blackberry Passport or the Motorola Z2 will be able to connect to the service in the same way they connect to a regular tower and access everything from standard communication services to mobile pokies . While certain iPhone users will need to install an upgrade, the bulk of users will be able to simply switch on and connect as usual. For now, the system will be up and running during daylight hours. The Smartphone market is a billion-dollar industry that has shown massive growth over the last five years. With the likes of Samsung, Apple and Huawei all competing at the top of the ladder, it leaves little room for competing manufactures. Now it seems Xiaomi is making it into the big leagues and is expected to out-sell Huawei by the end of 2020. Manufacturing out of China, Xiaomi has been one of the top selling brands in the last year. By the end of 2017, Xiaomi expects to ship as many as 90 million units. If this number is achieved, it would be the highest the company has ever seen. This is according to company founder and current Chief Executive Officer Lei Jun. The past twelve months have been good to Xiaomi. Last month alone, the Chinese company could ship more than 10 million devices across all their operating region. The aim, according to Jun was to recapture the position of Top Vender in its home market by 2020; that being China of course. An aggressive expansion of device options was implemented in ordered to extend the companies reach into the global smartphone market. Aggressive Expansion Plans A little while ago, Xiaomi released the Redmi 5A. The compact device featured an impressive 5-inch display with a full HD (720 x 1280) screen, making it perfect for almost all smartphone uses, including playing casino NZ games. It also came out with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor and it was favourably priced to boot. The phone was released to the Chinese market at a selling price of CNY 599, which is certainly a competitive price for what you get out of the box. The decision to expand outside of China has also proven to be a good bet. Business it seems is moving along nicely. Having entered the Indian market three years ago, Xiaomi has shipped a total of 25 million devices into the subcontinent. This is an impressive number and one that is only going to increase year on year. In China, competition is a little higher. At home, Xiaomi has the likes of Huawei to compete with as well as other burgeoning smartphone manufacturers. According to a well-known research firm, the Xiaomis numbers are not as high as they may report. According to them, the Xiaomi shipped around ten and a half million smartphones in China in the second quarter. This is a significant drop compared to the same quarter in 2016, which saw 17.1 million devices entering the Chinese market. Still a Ways to Go As it stands, Samsung holds the title as the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. This is in terms of number of handsets shipped. For the same quarter that ended in June this year, Samsung shipped 79.8 million handsets. Apple was next in line, shipping 41 million and then Huawei with 38.5 million. Oppo is actually next on the list, shipping 27.8 million handsets and then Xiaomi with just 21.2 million. While their expansion is certainly impressive, they still have some ways to go until the numbers match that of the big three. Humanitarian crisis looms Kazi Zahidul Hasan : Mohammed Hanun fled Myanmar's northern Rakhine State in the first week of this month when security forces burned his house and a group of Buddhists chased him with matchet to kill. He walked for 11 days before reaching no-man's land on the Bangladesh-Myanmar the border. He waited there for three days without food before finally reaching Kutupalong makeshift refugee camp on Friday morning. Hanun is part of looming humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh's border town of Cox's Bazar where thousands of desperate Rohingya refugees took shelter fleeing violence in Myanmar. Bangladesh authorities and aid agencies however struggling to contain the crisis with limited resource and inadequate relief supply. The number of Rohingya Muslims who have fled from Myanmar is now up to 5,89,000 and more are on their way to Bangladesh, according to UN agencies. International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that some 8,00,000 Rohingyas are now living in the makeshift settlements in Ukhia and Teknaf sub-districts of Cox's Bazar, and of whom 589,000 have arrived since August 25. "The refugees, who fled to Bangladesh, told heartbreaking stories about their perilous escape from Myanmar. They could take only some of their children from Myanmar and left others behind with neighbors. They walked for weeks to reach Bangladesh," said IOM spokesman Joel Millman. UNHCR's spokesman Andrej Mahecic said," Thousands of Rohingya refugees have arrived on the land border for entry into Bangladesh and many are still on the move inside, trying to make the journey to Bangladesh," "Aid agencies are increasing humanitarian operations to keep pace with the growing needs of the expanding Rohingya refugee population in Cox's Bazar. But the task has become very difficult as the refugees are living there in scattered way," an UN aid worker told The New Nation yesterday. He said, "It's not easy to put together all the infrastructure there to provide the emergency services that are required for Rohingyas. Such a situation has intensified the plights of refugees further worsening the humanitarian crisis. "The sudden increase in the displaced Rohingya people in Cox's Bazar has put a lot of pressure on Bangladesh authorities as well as the host communities," he added. "The government is working to bring Rohingya refugees to a demarcated allotment of more than a thousand hectares of land in Ukhia for effectively managing the crisis," Mohammed Abul Kalam, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, told The New Nation yesterday. He said the army and the local engineering departments are currently working to construct connecting roads, culverts and alleyways to make the place accessible for temporary facilities. "We have a plan to set up all necessary facilities, including mosques, latrines, bathing places and water facilities. But we will build all those on a temporary basis," said Abul Kalam. He said once these facilities are installed there, the humanitarian crisis is expected to be contained. President mourns death of Ashraf's wife President Abdul Hamid on Monday expressed profound shock at the death of Shila Islam, wife of Public Administration Minister and Awami League presidium member Syed Ashraful Islam. "In a condolence message, the President prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members," said President's deputy press secretary M Abul Kalam Azad. Shila had been suffering from fatal disease cancer for long. She breathed her last at Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of University College London Hospital (UCLH) in UK where she was undergoing treatment. Copyright 2021 New Nation. All Rights Reserved by thedailynewnation.com Pakistan whitewash Sri Lanka 5-0 in ODI series AP, Sharjah : Fast bowler Usman Shinwari dominated Sri Lanka's top order with 5-34 as Pakistan whitewashed the tourists 5-0 for another convincing nine-wicket victory in the fifth and final one-day international on Monday. Shinwari claimed all his wickets in a 21-ball spell to dismiss Sri Lanka for 103 in only 26.2 overs. Fakhar Zaman (48) and Imam-ul-Haq (45 no) then eased to 105-1 in 20.2 overs to cap Pakistan's string run in the ODIs in 2017 that began in June when it won the Champions Trophy. Sri Lanka's poor run in limited-overs continued this year under captain Upul Tharanga. South Africa and India had earlier routed Sri Lanka 5-0 and the country has now lost 12 ODIs in a row. Shinwari, playing in only his second ODI, claimed four of his wickets in his first two overs before adding one more to make Sri Lanka 20-5. The last wicket pair of Dushmantha Chameera (11) and Vishwa Fernando (7) took Sri Lanka beyond the 100-run mark before No.1-ranked fast bowler Hasan Ali finished off with 2-19 by clean bowling Chameera. Shinwari was on a hat trick in the first over when he had Sadeera Samarawickrama clean bowled for his second straight nought of the series and then lured Dinesh Chandimal to drive but only got a big outside edge. Tharanga, who won the toss and opted to bat first, drove the hat-trick ball to cover boundary before Shinwari had the skipper bowled off a delivery that nipped back sharply into the left-hander. Niroshan Dickwella was the third man to get dismissed for nought when Shinwari had him lbw off another sharp incoming delivery. Milinda Siriwardana capped Sri Lanka's top order batting woes in the series when he played another lose drive to get caught at covers. Ali then reduced Sri Lanka to 49-6 when Lahiru Thirimanne (19) was caught behind and Seekkuge Prasanna was run out. Waterlogging in city: Who is to blame? Officials of different agencies involved in blame game: Ecologists see lack of political will Waterlogging created at Basabo, Mothertek area. This photo was taken on Monday. Reza Mahmud : Most parts of the capital Dhaka goes under water during very heavy rainfall and people suffer the worst for the untold situation, but they do not know who is liable for this. The officials of the two City Corporations blamed Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) for the water logging, while the DWASA officials blamed for inadequate facilities. On the other hand, the environmentalists blamed the political indecisions of government. Unconscious activities of the citizens were also blamed for this. The ecologists claimed that there were more than 63 canals in the city but nowadays only 10 to 12 canals have been seen alive. "Both the city corporations and WASA are mostly responsible for the acute sufferings from the waterlogging that creates in every heavy rainfall. They have failed to recover grabbed canals in the city. It is the main reason why the water cannot remove quickly," M A Matin, General Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) told The New Nation yesterday. He added, "There were more than 63 canals in the city before our liberation. After liberation we found above 50 canals. We found more than 40 canals in the eightieths. Nowadays the city corporations claimed about 23 canals are alive in Dhaka but we count only 10 to 12 canals alive now." A former mayor of Dhaka City Corporation and BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas said, "Converting the city canals as block culverts is the major cause of unsolved waterlogging in the city. It was wide ranges wrong decision of the present government to convert the open canals as block culverts." Mirza Abbas said this while addressing a discussion meeting in the city recently. He also demanded return of the canals as its own shape. Sources said there are very poor drainage systems in several parts of the capital which also a big reason for the waterlogging. Some also blamed the cleaners of the City Corporations as they do not clean the drains regularly. "There are no active sufficient drainage systems to face the situation. You see, it is just few days the drainage systems construction have been started in Rampura, a very important portion of the city. There are no drainage systems in every area in Mirpur, a busiest and densely populated area. Then how the water will remove?" asked M A Matin. The environmentalists also blamed the government for its unwillingness to implement the ban law on use of polythene bags. They said, the imperishable polythene bags are the major culprit of waterloggings in city areas as it blocked all the drains to pass the water through. "The former BNP led government banned the use of the polythene bags. First few months that government found took strict actions against productions, sale and use of it. But they also started ignorance on it after few months. On the other hand the present government is showing unwillingness to stop its production and use," BAPA Secretary General said. The ecologists, politicians, government and city corporations also blamed the citizens for their misuse of garbage. They said the people are mostly unconscious. They use drains, canals and culverts as dustbins. "There is huge density of population in this city. If everyone throw their garbage to canals and drains then how officials keep it clean regularly," said Mohammad Sayeed Khokon, the Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation while addressing a meeting in his office in this regard. On the other hand, DSCC has bought a water sucker machine from Italy. The 'Zate and Sucker' machine is able to extract all water from any 120 meter long drain. But it has not been seen anywhere in the severe waterlogging in last three days rain. When contacted, Farazi Shahabuddin Ahmed, the Chief Engineer of DSCC said, "The machine is able to clean dirt from drains but failed to extract water now." He blamed grabbers for the waterlogging saying, the water cannot be extracted due to grabbing of city canals. On the other hand, Shariful Islam, the Additional Assistant Engineer of Dhaka North City Corporation blamed the WASA for the waterlogging saying, we are not liable for this but it is duty to WASA to extract water from drains. When trying to contact, the cell phone of Taqsem A Khan, the Managing Director of DWASA was found off. In a recent contact, he said that WASA is trying to recover all canals of the city. Widow of dead soldier hits out at Trump Myeshia Johnson, wife of U.S. Army Sergeant La David Johnson, who was among four special forces soldiers killed in Niger, kisses his coffin at a graveside service in Hollywood, Florida. Internet photo The widow of a dead US soldier says President Trump could not remember her husband's name when he phoned to offer condolences. Myeshia Johnson, widow of Sgt La David Johnson, told ABC News the president's "stumbling" had "hurt her the most". "If my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risks his life for our country, why can't you remember his name?" she added. Sgt La David Johnson was killed in Niger by Islamist militants this month. President Trump's call of condolence made headlines when congresswoman Frederica Wilson - who heard it with the family - accused him of insensitivity. Myeshia Johnson appeared to confirm Ms Wilson's assertion that Mr Trump had told her her husband had known what he had signed up for when joining the military. "The president said that he knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyways... It made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it," she said. "He had my husband's report in front of him, and that's when he actually said La David. I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name." President Trump has disputed the account of the call given by Ms Wilson and he also defended himself on Twitter on Monday morning, writing: "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!" Sgt Johnson was one of four US special forces soldiers who died in an ambush on 4 October. Mr Trump had already been criticised for not contacting the families of the dead servicemen right after they were killed. He responded to the criticism by falsely claiming that his predecessor, Barack Obama, and other former US presidents had not called the relatives of dead service members. The White House said Mr Trump's conversations with the families of dead servicemen were private. 8 members of a family burned in city gas blast Staff Reporter : Eight members of a family were burned in a gas line blast at a house of Konapara's Al-Amin Road in the city's Demra in the wee hours of Monday. The fire incident took place on the second floor of the residence at about 3:30 am when victims were sleeping, Fire Service official said. The victims are tenant Alamgir Hossain, 45, his wife Ferdousi Begum, 25, their three children Emon, 15, Shipon, 12, and Tafin, 12, Alamgir's nephew Tofail, 24, his wife Ratna Begum, 19, and their relative Arif, 35. Locals brought the eight victims to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital earlyMonday, said DMCH Police Outpost Sub-Inspector (SI) Bachchu Miah. Ratna suffered burns on 46 percent of her body, Shipon on 20 percent, Arif 15 percent, Alamgir eight percent, Emon four percent, Tafin four percent, Tofail nine percent and Ferdousi six percent, said the police official quoting doctor. Ferdousi told police that she woke up after hearing the screams of the children and saw the fire. The neighbours helped rescue them. The fire might have been originated from a leaked gas pipe around 3:30am, said Fire Service Control Room official Ataur Rahman. Though a Fire Service unit moved fast to the scene, locals had doused the fire before hand, he said. BD urges Turkey to build one lakh more shelters for Rohingyas The government on Sunday urged Turkey to build an additional 100,000 shelters for the Rohingyas refugees along with the previous 100,000 they had already ensured to build in Kutupalong of Cox's Bazar. After concluding a meeting with Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Devrim Ozturk at the secretariat, Disaster Management and Relief MinisterMofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Mayasaid "We have proposed they (Turkey) build one lakh more shelters for Rohingyas as the number of refugees has already surpasswd six lakhs recently." Talking to reporters at the secretariat, the minister said Turkey will later deliver their decision regarding the matter. "Turkey sought 1200 acres of land in the Kutupalong camp to build a Turkish Zone for refugees while we asked them to build 20,000 latrines and set up 2, 000 deep tubewells for the refugees," he said. Together with the ones who were already here, the latest influx has pushed the number of Rohingya living in Bangladesh to almost 1 million, or 10 lakh, causing havoc and suffering among the local Bangladeshi population, he added. A delegation of Bangladesh will visit Turkish refugee camps to acquire further knowledge over taking care of refugees, he added. Turkey is home to the world's largest population of refugees. $340m pledged to help Rohingya refugees The United Nations (UN) says donors have pledged roughly $340 million to help more than half a million ethnic Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh since August amid escalating violence in Myanmar. Mark Lowcock head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that donors including governments and the European Union pledged it at a fundraising conference in Geneva on Monday. "More contributions are still expected," said Mark Lowcock. The Geneva conference was hosted by the European Union (EU), the government of Kuwait and the United Nations' migration, refugee and humanitarian aid coordinating agencies. The EU promised to give $32.26 million, according to the UN. The UN humanitarian officials, high-level government envoys and advocacy group leaders attended the conference aimed at drumming up $434 million funds by February 2018 to help ethnic Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. A total of $100 million had been promised or delivered before the conference opened. International Organization for Migration (IOM) says, some 800,000 Rohingyas are now living in the makeshift settlements in Ukhia and Teknaf sub-districts of Cox's Bazar, and of whom 5,89,000 have arrived since security forces in neighbouring Myanmar launched a violent crackdown against them on August 25. About half of them who have fled are children. Mark Lowcock lamented the "humanitarian and human rights nightmare" faced by the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. "The main focus of the event was mobilizing resources to save lives and protect people," he said. Shameem Ahsan, Bangladesh's Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told the meeting that his country was facing an "untenable situation" following the unprecedented exodus of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. He said, the Bangladeshi government was negotiating with Myanmar on the issue, but Myanmar continued to insist that Rohingya were illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. "We are here today because, sadly, the needs are even greater than we can provide with our current resources," Elisabeth Rasmusson, the Deputy Chief of the World Food Programme (WFP), told the conference. "On behalf of the people, we are trying to help, we must ask you for more," he added. The UN has said earlier, the Myanmar troops and ethnic Rakhine Buddist monks have been carrying out a campaign of killings, arson and rape since August that is tantamount to ethnic cleansing. Russia accuses US coalition of decimating Raqqa The Syrian Democratic Forces captured Raqqa last week after a four-month operation against ISIL Al Jazeera News : Russia has accused the US-led coalition of bombing the Syrian city of Raqqa "off the face of the Earth," in the same way the Allied powers bombed Germany's Dresden during World War II. Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that 200,000 people lived in Raqqa before the conflict, but no more than 45,000 remained. "Raqqa has suffered the fate of Dresden in 1945 when the city was wiped off the face of the Earth by Anglo-American air raids," it said in a statement. Most of the German city was destroyed in bombing raids just before the end of World War II. "In comparison, Deir Az Zor city, with its vast suburbs along the Euphrates, used to have a population of more than 500,000 before the war. The territory was liberated by the Syrian Arab army supported by Russian forces in 10 days," it said. "This makes one suggest that the US coalition is trying to cover its barbarian bombardments that buried thousands of civilians as the coalition was 'liberating' them from ISIL." The US-led coalition, which operates in both Syria and neighbouring Iraq, says it takes all possible measures to avoid civilian casualties. However, in August, it acknowledged the deaths of 624 civilians in its attacks in Syria and Iraq since 2014, although rights groups say the number is much higher. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces backed by the US, captured Raqqa last week after a four-month operation against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). ISIL overran Raqqa in 2014, turning it into the de-facto capital of its self-declared "caliphate". Vladimir Sotnikov, a Moscow-based Middle Eastern policy analyst and senior research fellow at the Institute of Eastern Studies, told Al Jazeera that Russia was growing increasingly angry over the role of the United States in fragmenting Syria. "The US coalition has been helping opposition forces gain territory from Bashar al-Assad's army. Moscow is not happy with Damascus losing ground to rebel groups," he said. "This latest outburst is a message to the Trump administration that Russia is a major player in the Syrian conflict and will not sit idly by and watch the break-up of the country." The Syrian conflict, which began with peaceful protests in March 2011 against Assad, has spiralled into a multi-sided civil war. According to United Nations estimates, the death toll stands at more than 400,000. Fire breaks out at BB headquarters A fire broke out at Bangladesh Bank headquarters here yesterday afternoon but fire fighters doused the blaze within a few minutes. "The fire broke out on the 18th floor of the Bangladesh Bank's 30-storey building where our Financial Stability Department is housed . . . but it has been doused immediately," a central bank official told BSS here yesterday. "The fire broke out at 5.50pm at the central bank. There is a fire fighters' team on duty in front of the bank. The team rushed to the spot and doused the fire immediately," said an official of the fire brigade control room. He said the origin of the fire could not be known immediately as an investigation is underway to find out the reasons and damage of the fire. A fire also broke out at central bank headquarters on March 23 last at the 13th floor of the 30-storey building where the bank's foreign exchange policy department is housed. We must have our own policy India can't and won't help us Editorial Desk : Statement by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Dhaka made it clear that India can't help Bangladesh in handling the Rohingya crisis. Bangladesh expected that India would extend political and diplomatic support to bring sustained pressure on Myanmar government to stop the genocide of Rohingya Muslims. But the upbeat ended in deep frustration as Sushma Swaraj even avoided the word Rohingya in her press briefing pointing out them as displaced persons. This is how Myanmar government talks about them as the term Rohingya is officially banned there. India has done the damage along with China when it assured Myanmar about displacing Rohingyas from the Rakhine State without caring consequence for Bangladesh. It is foolish on our part to think that we can have solution to the Rohingya crisis by relying on India. India simply does not have that clout. We are only exposing our weakness. We have always treated India as our best friend. But Sushma Swaraj has given a different signal openly supporting Myanmar when it is uprooting the Rohingya Muslims and driving them out to Bangladesh creating here a big crisis beyond our ability to cope. So it is time our leadership should review our dependence on India for everything and have our own policies that can best suit our position in domestic and regional politics. The Rohingya crisis has made it clear that every country has to look after its own interest. India is doing what is best in her interest. Sushma Swaraj mentioned about the Rohingya situation as 'violence in Rakhine State' without holding Myanmar responsible for the ethnic cleansing as a call of humanity. She has rather talked about long term solution saying Indian assistance would develop the state to facilitate the return of Rohingyas in their home in the long run. What surprised many in Bangladesh was that the Indian minister was not diplomatic at all about showing friendliness over our expectation of help in facing the terrible situation created by forceful displacement of Rohingyas. Indian diplomats are also making open statements in support of the Myanmar government. Former Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pinak Ranjan Chakravorty in an interview recently with BBC said India has a special relation with Myanmar like Bangladesh has special relation with China. He suggested Bangladesh should ask China to take some refugees; it is not India's problem. China is also not helpful to us in respect of the worsening relationship with Myanmar. Myanmar has declared war against us by forcing out lakhs of their people to Bangladesh. We are not even pursuing our own diplomacy now to seek help from those who can help us and ready to do so. Still our government is looking to India for guidance. The guidance that came from the visiting Indian External Affairs Minister was to wait till Rakhine State is developed with the help of China and India. Thereafter a solution would be found for all. Our government is showing the world that we cannot rightly react to a crisis imposed from outside. We cannot have our own diplomatic offensive internationally when such an offensive is a must for our survival. We are failing to take advantage of the world support we have against Myanmar's brutalities against Rohingyas. The Rohingya issue is not a Bangladesh issue but an international issue. We have to internationalise our policy. Launch an Irish Unionist Party and contest Dail seats which could result in a situation that it is Unionists, not Sinn Fein, who end up as minority partners in the next Leinster House coalition government with either Fine Gael or Fianna Fail. Thats the strategy recommended by controversial commentator, Dr John Coulter, in his latest Fearless Flying Column. The traditional Unionist war cries of Not an Inch and No Surrender may have worked effectively during the Williamite wars in Ireland in the 17th century, during the 1912 Home Rule crisis, and even during the Sunningdale saga of 1974, but that strategy has now become the Achilles Heel of Unionism with Brexit looming in 2019. Unionism needs to box clever and not fall into the same pitfalls as republicans set for Unionism through the parades controversies, many of which were fronted by hardline nationalist residents groups. Republicanism along with Unionisms enemies within the London Establishment have always hoped that every time a potentially compromising initiative is spawned in London or Dublin, Unionists will react in their traditional defence poise by politically screaming Not an Inch! But if there is one glimmer of hope for Unionism, it is the pragmatic tactic shown by the DUP and its pact with British Prime Minister Theresa Mays very shaky and rift-ridden minority Tory Government. Westminster is a good place for the DUP to do business and Sinn Fein dont take its Commons seats, freeing up the 10 DUP MPs to cut deals for Unionism left, right and centre. So why cant this successful tactic be exported south of the border? Anything Sinn Fein can do, Unionism can do better! Whats certain is that a Dail General Election is coming before Brexit. Whats equally certain is that neither Fianna Fail or Fine Gael will be able to muster enough TDs to form a government under their own steam both parties will need coalition partners, and not Sinn Fein if it can be avoided at all costs. In spite of Southern Sinn Fein spinning itself as the champions of the republics anti-austerity movement and burying any trace of Marxism in an unmarked political grave, the republican movement still has a number of embarrassing historical centenaries to face in the next couple of years. Firstly, theres the centenary of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which all republicans should have accepted as a stepping stone to an all-island republic. But republicans resorted to form they split and began a bloody feud, which became known as the Irish Civil War. That war saw republican butcher republican in ways which made the notorious Black and Tans of the earlier War of Independence era seem like pussy cats. Had Free State commander Michael Collins not been shot dead by his fellow republicans, he could have mounted a terror campaign against the Unionist North, which could have brought Carson and Craig to the negotiating table for a 1921 version of the 2006 St Andrews Agreement (between the DUP and Sinn Fein). Even if the polls are correct and Sinn Fein under president Gerry Adams pushes well into the 20-plus seat mark in the next Dail, thats no reason for either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael to be jumping at the bit to do business with republicans. So who is left? Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael could do so well in the next Dail showdown that either would only maybe require a handful of TDs from other parties or Independent TDs to form a stable coalition government to ride out the storm of Brexit. So why cant the growing Protestant population of the Republic field Irish Unionist candidates? You need only look at the ever increasing popularity of the annual Rossnowlagh parade on the Saturday before each 12 July to see the strength of the Orange Order in the border counties. Could the Orange, Protestant and Masonic supporters muster enough voters to send around half a dozen Irish Unionist Party TDs back to Leinster House and spike the Shinners cannons? At one time, I had high hopes for the liberal Unionist experiment known as NI21. Okay, Im no liberal Unionist, but NI21 had the potential to launch a Southern version, SI21, which could have become a significant pro-Union force in the republic. It would also have nicely served the Hard Rights agenda in Northern Ireland to see a political civil war among the centrist parties, such as Alliance and the Greens. If ex-UUP MLAs Basil McCreas and John McCallisters NI21 movement had succeeded, it would have wiped out the Greens and reduced Alliance to a handful of seats. So Unionism must get its act in gear and formally launch an Irish Unionist Party south of the border. It could be a joint venture between the DUP and Ulster Unionists and could also pave the way for a formal merger in Northern Ireland between the DUP and UUP to form a single entity simply called The Unionist Party. The Irish Unionist Party has the potential, if vote management and turnout are carefully and methodically organised, to win eight seats. This would break down as two in Donegal, and one in Dublin, one in Cork, one in Limerick, one in Cavan, one in Monaghan, and one in Leitrim. Perhaps this is a conservative estimate, but certainly with the support and organisation from the Order Orders County Grand Lodges in Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan and Leitrim, the border five are totally realistic victories. Likewise, an Irish Unionist Party could also attract voters from the Catholic community as well as the growing number of people attached to Christian denominations, such as Elim and the Baptists. Just because Southern Ireland voted for same-sex marriage does not mean rank and file conservative Catholics have abandoned their faith. It means they have no real voice in Leinster House. While I have long advocated the creation of an Irish Christian Party to restore traditional Biblical teaching back into society and politics, perhaps practically it would be easier to launch an Irish Unionist Party which would give Unionism an all-island identity similar to the one it enjoyed during the Glorious Revolution, the Protestant Ascendancy and in the great days of the British Empire when Ireland as a single political entity was a founder member of the Empire Parliamentary Association in 1911. Even if all the Southern electorate eligible to vote who attend the Rossnowlagh demonstration came out on polling day, there would be enough votes to get three or four TDs elected from the border counties and that could be the three or four which either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael need to form the next Dail, and not a Shinner in sight! Imagine that; Sinn Fein beaten at its own all-island game and all it takes is for Right-wing Unionists to think, plan and implement outside the box. The traditional Unionist war cries of Not an Inch and No Surrender may have worked effectively during the Williamite wars in Ireland in the 17th century, during the 1912 Home Rule crisis, and even during the Sunningdale saga of 1974, but that strategy has now become the Achilles Heel of Unionism with Brexit looming in 2019.Unionism needs to box clever and not fall into the same pitfalls as republicans set for Unionism through the parades controversies, many of which were fronted by hardline nationalist residents groups.Republicanism along with Unionisms enemies within the London Establishment have always hoped that every time a potentially compromising initiative is spawned in London or Dublin, Unionists will react in their traditional defence poise by politically screaming Not an Inch!But if there is one glimmer of hope for Unionism, it is the pragmatic tactic shown by the DUP and its pact with British Prime Minister Theresa Mays very shaky and rift-ridden minority Tory Government.Westminster is a good place for the DUP to do business and Sinn Fein dont take its Commons seats, freeing up the 10 DUP MPs to cut deals for Unionism left, right and centre. So why cant this successful tactic be exported south of the border? Anything Sinn Fein can do, Unionism can do better!Whats certain is that a Dail General Election is coming before Brexit. Whats equally certain is that neither Fianna Fail or Fine Gael will be able to muster enough TDs to form a government under their own steam both parties will need coalition partners, and not Sinn Fein if it can be avoided at all costs.In spite of Southern Sinn Fein spinning itself as the champions of the republics anti-austerity movement and burying any trace of Marxism in an unmarked political grave, the republican movement still has a number of embarrassing historical centenaries to face in the next couple of years.Firstly, theres the centenary of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which all republicans should have accepted as a stepping stone to an all-island republic. But republicans resorted to form they split and began a bloody feud, which became known as the Irish Civil War.That war saw republican butcher republican in ways which made the notorious Black and Tans of the earlier War of Independence era seem like pussy cats. Had Free State commander Michael Collins not been shot dead by his fellow republicans, he could have mounted a terror campaign against the Unionist North, which could have brought Carson and Craig to the negotiating table for a 1921 version of the 2006 St Andrews Agreement (between the DUP and Sinn Fein).Even if the polls are correct and Sinn Fein under president Gerry Adams pushes well into the 20-plus seat mark in the next Dail, thats no reason for either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael to be jumping at the bit to do business with republicans. So who is left?Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael could do so well in the next Dail showdown that either would only maybe require a handful of TDs from other parties or Independent TDs to form a stable coalition government to ride out the storm of Brexit.So why cant the growing Protestant population of the Republic field Irish Unionist candidates? You need only look at the ever increasing popularity of the annual Rossnowlagh parade on the Saturday before each 12 July to see the strength of the Orange Order in the border counties.Could the Orange, Protestant and Masonic supporters muster enough voters to send around half a dozen Irish Unionist Party TDs back to Leinster House and spike the Shinners cannons?At one time, I had high hopes for the liberal Unionist experiment known as NI21. Okay, Im no liberal Unionist, but NI21 had the potential to launch a Southern version, SI21, which could have become a significant pro-Union force in the republic. It would also have nicely served the Hard Rights agenda in Northern Ireland to see a political civil war among the centrist parties, such as Alliance and the Greens.If ex-UUP MLAs Basil McCreas and John McCallisters NI21 movement had succeeded, it would have wiped out the Greens and reduced Alliance to a handful of seats.So Unionism must get its act in gear and formally launch an Irish Unionist Party south of the border. It could be a joint venture between the DUP and Ulster Unionists and could also pave the way for a formal merger in Northern Ireland between the DUP and UUP to form a single entity simply called The Unionist Party.The Irish Unionist Party has the potential, if vote management and turnout are carefully and methodically organised, to win eight seats. This would break down as two in Donegal, and one in Dublin, one in Cork, one in Limerick, one in Cavan, one in Monaghan, and one in Leitrim. Perhaps this is a conservative estimate, but certainly with the support and organisation from the Order Orders County Grand Lodges in Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan and Leitrim, the border five are totally realistic victories.Likewise, an Irish Unionist Party could also attract voters from the Catholic community as well as the growing number of people attached to Christian denominations, such as Elim and the Baptists.Just because Southern Ireland voted for same-sex marriage does not mean rank and file conservative Catholics have abandoned their faith. It means they have no real voice in Leinster House.While I have long advocated the creation of an Irish Christian Party to restore traditional Biblical teaching back into society and politics, perhaps practically it would be easier to launch an Irish Unionist Party which would give Unionism an all-island identity similar to the one it enjoyed during the Glorious Revolution, the Protestant Ascendancy and in the great days of the British Empire when Ireland as a single political entity was a founder member of the Empire Parliamentary Association in 1911.Even if all the Southern electorate eligible to vote who attend the Rossnowlagh demonstration came out on polling day, there would be enough votes to get three or four TDs elected from the border counties and that could be the three or four which either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael need to form the next Dail, and not a Shinner in sight!Imagine that; Sinn Fein beaten at its own all-island game and all it takes is for Right-wing Unionists to think, plan and implement outside the box. John Coulter is a unionist political commentator and former Blanket columnist. Follow John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter MURPHYSBORO The way Charles Milton sees it, Union Pacific railroad company telling neighbors that they can't use a road they've used forever to access their property has a lot to do with trestle bridge work the railway giant is about to undertake. Milton, of Murphysboro, has an entry to his home off that road, North 23rd Street, but points out that the main entry to his home is off Logan Street, which intersects 23rd Street. A few weeks ago, his neighbors and the owner of a business, Hines Oil Co., were told by the railroad that they could only use the road which takes them right to their business and homes if they paid the company a fee of $83 a month. On Friday, Murphysboro Mayor Will Stephens said he could not discuss this issue or the one concerning the city, but did say the issue will be discussed at Tuesday night's City Council meeting. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers, 202 N. 11th St. The issue This section of North 23rd Street dead-ends to the south in a thicket of trees and brush, which is about two city blocks from where the city of Murphysboro has been told it needs to remove city water mains, at its expense, as the railroad undertakes construction work on the bridge overpass. The bridge work is part of an $85 million project the railroad is undertaking across the country. At a past City Council meeting, aldermen and city officials have discussed who exactly owns the property, as they have looked for records with an indication of ownership. A few weeks ago, the mayor was scheduled to meet with a railroad representative. A city official has said the railroad construction work is to begin in early 2018. Other council news In addition to discussing the 23rd Street issue and the railroad overpass construction project, City Council members also plan to discuss voluntary annexation agreements for businesses outside the city limits; a draft contract for grant-writing services; a funding resolution for a bike trail; a police chaplain program; a request for a stop sign on North 19th Street; an ordinance amending zoning from a SR-2 to B-1 Zoning District along Walnut Street from 2104 to 2136 Walnut St., on the north side, and from 2101 to 2203 Walnut St. on the south side; consideration of an ordinance amending the zoning from a B-1 to an SR-2 Zoning District along the south side of Pine Street from 1515 to 1527 Pine St. To view the agenda and past council minutes, visit http://tinyurl.com/MboroAgendaMinutes. The members of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission oppose the ill-informed proposal to erect a monument in honor of South Carolinas Civil War-era African-American Confederate pensioners. First, we all can agree that the idea of a monument to recognize the significant role African-Americans played in the Civil War is a worthwhile pursuit. However, a monument to commemorate the men forced into glory is essentially an attempt to rewrite the history of African-American contributions to Americas freedom struggle. In its current iteration, the proposal is ahistorical, insulting and uninformed. The suggestion that African-American slaves had the ability to choose to volunteer for service in the Confederate cause is preposterous. Since there were no volunteers then, these men were forced into service. They were, in fact, men who were coerced to labor against their wills. African-Americans have always cherished freedom and dedicated themselves to the cause of liberty. The Confederacy originated out of the very idea of denying African-Americans freedom. The Confederate government was built on the institution of slavery and undergirded with the regressive ideas of white supremacy. The fact that the majority of African-Americans who participated in the war effort did so on the side of the Union speaks volumes. The Confederacy rejected black participation in its cause until that very cause was little more than a concept, and wanted nothing to do with African-American soldiers. They only saw blacks as servants and pawns in a very dangerous game. Alexander Stephens, vice president of the Confederacy, said in 1861, the U.S. Constitution was fundamentally wrong because it guaranteed black equality. Stephens said: Those ideas, however, were fundamentally wrong. They rested upon the assumption of the equality of races. This was an error. It was a sandy foundation, and the idea of a Government built upon it-when the storm came and the wind blew, it fell. Our new Government is founded upon exactly the opposite ideas; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and moral condition. This, our new Government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth. This truth has been slow in the process of its development, like all other truths in the various departments of science. The idea that African Americans would volunteer to fight for a government built on those principles defies logic. The issues that divided the nation in the mid-19th century continue to plague us today. The fact that some legislators are willing to recognize the service of African-Americans during the war is commendable. However, the fact that they would commend those who were coerced into service against their will is misguided. The Civil War is part of the difficult American past. As one member of the commission whose great, great, great-grandfather actually received one of those pensions stated, My relatives pension records state clearly that he was a SERVANT under Jesse and Barney Foreman of Barnwell County (later Aiken.) Instead of a monument about my grandfather's service in the Confederate Army, lets raise a monument in honor and memory of the many thousands (like him) who were victimized and killed for daring to be free. His relative served from 1861-1865 and then was targeted by rioters during the 1876 Ellenton Riot for trying to vote. It wasnt until 1923 that he received a Confederate pension. If the state really wants to honor the service of African-Americans during the war, we suggest supporting those who want to build a monument to Robert Smalls, a man who gave his service trying to build a better South Carolina with the admirable goal of racial equality and not racial oppression. Battle Menu: When you go into battle, you are told to pick an action. Actions are: Fight: Starts the battle right away. Command: Let... By Trend Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs speech at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly was a speech necessary not only for Azerbaijan, Novruz Mammadov, assistant to the president for foreign policy issues, head of department, told reporters in Baku on October 23. The presidents speech was a message to the international community, according to him. Mammadov noted that over the past few decades, the situation on the international arena has dramatically changed and worsened, stability and security have been impaired in certain regions, and today ensuring a world order that secures stability and sustainable development has become a problem. From this point of view, the speech of Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly means that it is not correct to follow this path, as it contributes neither to the resolution of conflicts nor to ensuring stability, security and sustainable development. Therefore, it is necessary to abandon double standards, lies and biased positions. From this point of view, the speech of Azerbaijani president was a message to the world community. Today there is a lot of tension between large countries. And it is very difficult to predict what the end will be, he said. He noted that Azerbaijan played a big role in returning Russia-Turkey relations to normal. There are many such examples, and in this regard, Azerbaijan plays a very important role on the international arena, Mammadov added. By Kamila Aliyeva Russias Federation Council urges the U.S. Congress to use all opportunities to preserve Iranian nuclear deal, according to the draft statement, which is expected to be adopted by the chamber on October 25. The Councils International Committee considered and supported the document on October 23, RIA Novosti reported. "The Federation Council appeals to the members of the U.S. Congress with an urgent request to use all possible resources to prevent the emergence of this extremely dangerous situation," the document said. The Federation Council also calls on the parliaments of Germany, France, China, Great Britain and the European Parliament "to use their high influence on the political leadership of their states in order to maintain the historic agreement on the Iranian nuclear program." Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed the view that the EU would have supported U.S. sanctions on Iran if he was insistent. But, according to the U.S. president, he allowed Germany and France to keep making money with Tehran as America was capable of putting pressure on Iranians on its own. On October 13, U.S. President Donald Trump, long been known as the main critic of the landmark deal, declared his view of the JCPOA, saying that he would not certify Irans compliance with the deal. At the same time he did not challenge the compliance of Iran at the international level. The move paves the way for Congress to put new restrictions on Iran. However, it is believed that Trump would not recommend the Congress to re-impose sanctions in order to reach a compromise with many congressional leaders who stand for keeping the deal at least with some changes. In case sanctions are applied, the United States would find itself in breach of its commitments. This means a unilateral withdrawal from the agreement, which will damage the reputation of the U.S. in the eyes of world community. The Iran nuclear deal was negotiated in July 2015 between Iran, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany. By ratifying the plan, Iran agreed to scale down its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. At the same time, the U.S. retains sanctions against Iran on the missile program, human rights and on suspicion that Tehran sponsors terrorism. Saudi-based Umm Al Qura Cement Company has signed a key Islamic financing agreement with Riyad Bank to secure a SR50 million ($13.3 million) loan. The loan will be used for funding an increase in working capital as well as the capital purchases, the company said in a filing to the Saudi bourse Tadawul. A major player in Saudi Arabia, Umm Al Qura Cement Company manufactures and sells Portland and white cement products in the country. It also offers pozzolanic, sulphur-resistant cement, and clinker, as well as provides cement finishing services. It has a factory near Taif city with a production capacity of 1.98 million tonnes per year of clinker.-TradeArabia News Service Property Monitor, a product of Cavendish Maxwell, one of the UAE's leading property and construction consultancies, has became the only real estate data source in the UAE to provide a real-time real estate index to Bloomberg to display on its terminal. The Bloomberg Terminal is a computer software system provided by the financial data vendor Bloomberg that enables professionals in the financial service sector and other industries to access the service through which users can monitor and analyse real-time financial market data and place trades on the electronic trading platform. Most large financial firms have subscriptions to the Bloomberg Professional service. As of October 2016, there were 325,000 subscribers worldwide. Property Monitor was developed by Cavendish Maxwell in response to a need for greater market transparency, said the company in a statement. It offers more comprehensive house price data, both public and proprietary, than anyone else in the market, said a company spokesman. The data is sourced from Cavendish Maxwell and a growing network of reputable real estate brokers who provide data exclusively to them, he stated. "Property Monitor is in a unique position to provide meaningful insight by way of access to the valuations, research, investment and development advisory teams of Cavendish Maxwell," said the spokesman. "In addition, its project and building consultancy team is one of the few companies approved by Rera (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) for property inspection handover reports and reserve fund studies," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Technology innovation is likely to boost productivity and increase effectiveness for the GCC construction market beyond mega-projects, said experts ahead of a key industry event being hosted by Trimble, a global construction technology company. To be held on October 25 in Dubai, Trimbles Construction Summit Middle East aims to stimulate construction, innovation and business transformation through application of technology. The summit will be held under the theme Delivering Innovation in Construction Through Technology," and comes at a crucial time amid a recent report by research firm Preqin showing that $42 billion worth of infrastructure deals have been completed in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena). New research from McKinsey Global Institute found that the global construction industry is ripe for disruption. Adopting best practices in seven key areas could boost productivity by 50 to 60 per cent, which would result in gains worth $1.6 trillion a year, or boost global GDP by two per cent, it stated. The research suggests large-scale industry players engaged in heavy construction such as civil and industrial work and large-scale housing tend to have 20 to 40 per cent higher productivity than smaller firms, remarked Dr Ghassan Ziadat, the vice president of major projects, McKinsey & Company, ahead of his event talk. The Construction Summit Middle East is a business forum aimed at enabling top players in the construction industry to boost productivity and increase effectiveness. "Construction is currently among the least digitised industries, and the sector will benefit from adapting to, and adopting technologies that increase productivity," stated Dr Ziadat. "Adopting technologies such as digital collaboration tools could raise productivity by as much as 15 per cent and reduce project costs by up to 45 per cent," he added. The event agenda will include industry leaders that are driving innovation, such as the Dubai-headquartered firm AESG, whose Middle East projects include Masdar's Irena Headquarters and the Expo 2020 UAE Pavilion. "Government initiatives are helping to drive Dubai and the UAE as one of the worlds most innovative construction markets," remarked Scott Coombes, the managing partner of AESG. "Middle East construction firms that combine building information modeling (BIM) software with innovations, such as 3D printing, will be ideally-positioned to drive business success," explained Coombes. According to experts, civil engineering and construction professionals can learn about horizontal construction of roads and rails. General contractors and construction managers can enhance project management, cost control, and electrical design with 4D and 5D software such as BIM (building information modelling), robotic station layout, and laser scanning. Architects too can model concepts, and geospatial professionals can use hardware and software technology for more effective surveying. Digital transformation has the power to engage, optimise and empower, while reinventing the ways in which organisations approach their industries, remarked Mohammed Arif, the head of Windows and Devices, Microsoft Gulf. "Trimbles summit comes at a crucial moment for the regions construction industry, as companies throughout the sector look for ways to innovate to do more with less," said Arif. "This event is a great platform for Microsoft to showcase our devices and solutions, that are built from the ground up to work as business accelerators in the construction sector, enabling them to thrive and bridge technological gaps empowering them to achieve more," he added. Breakout sessions will cover regional markets and three streams: buildings, geospatial, and civil and marine construction. "This summit will be the Middle Easts only thought leadership platform and construction event in 2017 that will explore how hardware and software can transform the construction continuum," remarked Paul Wallett, regional director of Trimble Solutions Middle East and India. "Attendees can experience the latest construction technologies, gain key market analysis, and develop business partnerships to drive business growth," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Singapore Airlines (SIA) hopes to sign an agreement with Boeing for planes worth $13.8 billion during Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's visit to Washington next week, reports said. Lee said this in an interview with American news broadcaster CNBC, said a report in Straits Times. In February, SIA agreed to place firm orders with Boeing for 20 777-9s and 19 787-10 Dreamliners, for additional growth and fleet modernisation through the next decade. Singapore Airlines spokesman Nicholas Ionides confirmed that the aircraft order announced as a letter of intent earlier this year is expected to be formally signed during PM Lee's visit to Washington, the report said. "More details will be announced after the signing of the purchase agreement with Boeing," he said. The letter of intent that SIA signed with the US airframe manufacturer also included six additional options for each aircraft type, which would enlarge the deal to as many as 51 planes. Zain Bahrain, a leading telecommunications services provider in the kingdom, has announced an 8.3 per cent growth in its net profit for the third quarter which soared to BD1.3 million ($3.4 million) as the operators digitization efforts continued to enhance operations. Announcing the nine-month results, Zain said this compares to BD1.2 million ($3.2 million) for the same period last year, a positive result in the face of an increasingly competitive Bahrain telecoms market. Quarterly revenues meanwhile improved by 3.6 per cent, from BD16.9 ($44.7 million) to BD17.5 million ($46.3 million). The companys ebitda was relatively stable standing at BD5.6 million ($14.8 million), it stated. For the first nine months, the company reported a 12 per cent spike in revenues, strongly driven by data, from BD48.8 million ($129.1 million) to BD54.5 million ($144.2 million), said the statement. The companys net profit for the nine-month period was down by 6.6 per cent from BD3 million ($8 million) to BD2.8 million ($7.4 million). Despite this, the companys year to date ebitda was BD16.7 million ($44.2 million) with a healthy ebitda margin that stood at 30.1 per cent, it added. Zain Bahrain Chairman Shaikh Ahmed bin Ali Al Khalifa said: "Our utilization of the full capabilities of our network, our continued investment in creating a digital lifestyle for our customer base, and our efforts to digitize processes internally have resulted in greater efficiencies, with revenues rising and expenditures simultaneously reducing." "These efforts are helping the company to maintain a healthy balance sheet despite intense competition and a highly-saturated market with an over 150 per cent penetration rate. We remain on track towards another profitable year, maintaining the momentum gained during 2016," remarked Shaikh Ahmed. "We also look forward to a strong 2017 and a further expansion of our market offerings," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Dubai Municipality said it has begun work on Charity Oasis, the first community charity park in the emirate, being built at a cost of Dh10 million ($2.27 million) in co-ordination with the Mohammed bin Rashid International Centre for Endowment Consultancy. It will be set up using the innovative methodology based on 'collective outsourcing', a concept that has been successfully used in many economic projects where members of the community contribute small shares, said a statement from the top civic body. For the first time, there will be community participation in the establishment of a new park through the donation of palm trees from their homes and farms, as a charitable donation in the name of the UAE community, and the returns from the park will be distributed to the needy, it stated. Hussain Nasser Lootah, the director-general of Dubai Municipality, said: "Everyone knows that Dubai is a leader in innovation in various fields. Today, we announce one of its innovations in the field of charity, in line with the #Year of Giving, declared by President HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Year of Giving strategy announced by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai." "It will be the first charity park in the world and will be a sustainable endowment in the name of the UAE community and a witness to the charity activities deep routed in the UAE," remarked Lootah. Dr Hamad Al Hammadi, the secretary-general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre, said, "The Charity Park in Dubai is a first-of-its-kind in the world in style and idea, and will be a milestone that confirms that the UAE is a society that adopts charity in all areas," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Procter & Gamble today unveiled the I-Dubai Center, the companys first global center of excellence for researching consumer and retail trends, solely dedicated to the emerging markets. Also, P&G in partnership with the Dubai Government and in the presence of the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, joined Area 2071 as partners in an initiative that aims to transform the lives of billions through innovation across the Emerging Market retail. At I-Dubai Center, P&G will pioneer new distribution, mobile and e-commerce technologies and practices to improve product availability across the emerging world; improve customer and consumer experiences in high frequency stores with new digital tools; and win with smaller format stores customers in Emerging Markets to improve their business models, the company said. Today is a momentous day that shows how a cohesive and purposeful collaboration can bring about positive impact, said Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future and chairman of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Council. We are thrilled to announce our partnership with a company that has over a century of history in creating innovative solutions that has positively transformed peoples lives. The UAE is on a rapid path of transformation towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution and our partnership with an industry leader in innovation globally will be bring our vision to the fore he concluded. Area 2071 is envisaged to be a platform that brings together creative individuals, innovative companies and government entities to collaborate and create solutions to the worlds most challenging questions with an aim to better a future that benefits humanity through new technologies. In line with this vision, P&G will also sponsor the Core Challenge Program for the retail sector to co-create solutions that will transform the shopping experience and overall impact of the community. P&G Indian Subcontinent, Middle East & Africa President, Mohamed Samir, said: We are inspired by the Dubai Governments vision of making a positive impact on humanity, it is in line with ours. We want to tap into the disruptive energy and creativity that is here in this region, and bring our know-how and expertise to bring this vision to life. I-Dubai and the Core Challenge Program is the start towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution and we envision a world where consumers have access to products and services that improves their daily lives at anytime and anywhere. - TradeArabia News Service Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International, today announced the completion of the renovation of Sheraton Warsaw the icon and flagship hotel for the brand in Poland. The renovation, which included all guest rooms and Sheraton Club Lounge, was led by London-based designer Alex Kravetz and draws on the propertys heritage and prestigious location on the corner of Three Crosses Square overlooking The Ujazdowski Park. Sheraton Warsaw offers 350 spacious rooms and suites, each of them beautifully transformed by Alex Kravetz who has created a truly residential look appealing to business people, high ranking diplomats and leisure travellers. The interiors offer a series of well-connected spaces where business and pleasure seamlessly combine. The rooms feature elements inspired by high-end residential projects such as multilevel soft lighting, luxurious fabrics and high-quality textures and finishes. Custom-designed furniture was specifically created to both inspire and serve its practical purpose to provide an effortless stay. Each room features an opening window and Sheraton Signature Sleep Experience, with a bed that eliminates pressure points and increases circulation, perfect for recovering after a long flight, an intense workout or scenic walking tour of Warsaw. It was a great pleasure to work on this project and create interiors which combine the hotels social heritage and enviable location, while adding modern and stylish design touches throughout, said Kravetz. The restoration is a milestone for the Sheraton brand in Poland. Since its opening, the Sheraton Warsaw has been a preferred venue for socialites, heads of state and business leaders, recognised for its excellence in service and guest experience. The revamped icon will be a shining representation of the Sheraton brand in Poland, said Goncalo Duarte Silva, general manager of Sheraton Warsaw Hotel. On the corner of Three Crosses Square overlooking The Ujazdowski Park, the Sheraton Warsaw Hotel is set amidst buzzling restaurants, governmental institutions and high fashion boutiques. The hotel is a destination in itself for guests seeking a buzzing social scene, modern design flair, and outstanding culinary experiences. At the heart of the hotel is the event space, spread over two floors. Since its opening, The Grand Ballroom has played the elegant host to countless high society events and celebrations. To this day, the venue remains one of Warsaws most coveted ballrooms, complete with its famous culinary offering and high-quality service. The hotel also offers a fully refurbished Sheraton Club Lounge. The Club Lounge features a harmonious blend of modern design with muted color palette, where guests can enjoy complimentary breakfast, drinks and snacks during the day. For business travelers, the Club Rooms also include complimentary use of a private meeting room within the Sheraton Club Lounge, which can seat up to ten people. Whether meeting colleagues in the smart Lobby Bar or enjoying cocktails and snacks in the lively atmosphere and modern decor of Restaurant & Bar Someplace Else, the Sheraton Warsaw Hotel offers a range of options for relaxation and socialising. When it comes to dining, guests have a choice from Asian specialties at the renowned inAzia, or refined Mediterranean favourites at The Olive Restaurant. For a truly personal culinary experience, the Chefs Table can accommodate up to four diners in the dynamic hotel kitchen. - TradeArabia News Service Oman Air, the national carrier of the sultanate, has announced that is board of directors has accepted the resignation of its chief executive officer Paul Gregorowitsch. The board thanked Gregorowitsch for his efforts during his tenure with the company. Engineer Abdulaziz Saud AlRaisi, executive vice president for products and brand development, will serve as the acting CEO with immediate effect until a permanent replacement of the CEO is announced in due course, a statement said.-TradeArabia News Service Anne Scott has been named the general manager of the upcoming W Dubai The Palm, which is set to shake up the global gateway of Dubai, on the iconic Palm Jumeirah, in 2018. Scott joins W Dubai The Palm after eight years in Asia Pacific, where she held the role of general manager at the St. Regis Kuala Lumpur Hotel & Residences, St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay, The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort and Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort. She was the first female to hold general manager posts across three luxury brands of the former Starwood Hotels & Resorts and brings with her 25 years of hospitality experience. Annes efforts in Asia earned her the designation of Asias Leading Woman in Hospitality 2011 from the Women in Leadership Forum, as well as Starwood Presidents Award 2012 for Outstanding Team on the launch of a coral nursery. Prior to Asia, she also held the role hotel manager of The Park Tower, Knightsbridge, London a member of The Luxury Collection. As the first foray for Marriott International on Palm Jumeirah and the first W Escape (Resort) in the UAE, I am proud to be the fearless leader of this luxury rebel Brand. The teams international and eclectic backgrounds, coupled with their passionate lifestyles, is electric. I have no doubt that this winning combination will be key to bringing the W Brand to life. W Dubai The Palm will steal the scene with its innovative design, dynamic programming and limitless style, said Scott. As the opening general manager, Scott will be tasked with bringing W Hotels distinctive blend of contemporary luxury to the iconic Palm Jumeriah and delivering the signature W mantra, Whatever/Whenever service philosophy, providing guests with whatever they want, whenever they want it. She will also be instrumental in delivering a full calendar of exclusive W Happenings that showcase whats new and next in design, fashion and music to guests and local trendsetters alike. Owned by Al Sharq Investments, the iconic W Dubai The Palm will house 350 sea-facing guest rooms and suites on the West Crescent of Palm Jumeriah. Designed through the W lens, the Escape juxtaposes the man-made geometric skyscrapers with the organic waves of the desert. The Escapes six restaurants and bars, include Wet Deck, the epicentre of the Escape; Torno Subito by global superstar Massimo Bottura - his first venue outside Italy; Akira Back the adrenaline-fueled Korean culinary master; SoBe - defying the typical rooftop bar with a South Beach vibe and 360 panoramic views from sun down to lights up; LIV offering everything to Liv a Little including a Bucket List of once in a lifetime items and W Lounge for your curated cocktails pre/post dinner. The hottest ticket in town will be the DND Suites - Ws version of the ultimate cabana. Guests can host a private event within the three exclusive DND Suites, elevated hideaways adjacent to the Wet Deck where they can be in the middle of the action without being the center of attention. The first Away Spa in the Middle East will help guests get their glow on, inside and out. The go-to place for glamour holds 11 treatment rooms, steam room, sauna and hammam. - TradeArabia News Service Batelco, Bahrains leading digital solutions provider, has announced its support for the Bahrain International Airshow 2018 (BIAS 2018), which will take place at the Sakhir Airbase from November 14-16, 2018. The fifth edition of the Bahrain International Airshow will take place under the patronage of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and under the supervision of Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, King Hamads personal representative and Head of the BIAS Supreme Organising Committee. Bahrain International Airshow is organised by the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications and the Royal Bahraini Air Force in association with Farnborough International. The announcement was formalised at a signing ceremony by the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee for BIAS, Engineer Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed and Batelco chairman Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa. The Minister expressed his appreciation and pride at the role that Batelco plays in supporting key national events and also extended his gratitude for Batelcos long-standing partnership. Batelcos ongoing partnership is a testament to the companys commitment in taking part in key national initiatives that aim to boost economic activity within different sectors and highlight investment opportunities that the Kingdom has to offer. Batelcos strong capability in providing world class communication services will greatly support the organisers in hosting such a high level international event as BIAS, added The Minister. Shaikh Mohamed said that Batelco is honoured and delighted to extend its support to this event. The prestigious event is poised to once again put Bahrain in the world spotlight and demonstrate to the international business community the outstanding capabilities offered by organisations operating in Bahrain, Shaikh Mohamed said. - TradeArabia News Service Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village Lily Lonneker dropped her first pronghorn at 12 years old. She rested in the grass next to her mom as they watched a a doe and a buck. And in one shot, Lily killed the doe. I felt really proud of myself. I didnt know I could do that since it was my first one, Lily said recently. It is fun when you get an animal to know youre feeding your family, and you know the animal died in a humane way. Now 14, Lily plans to chase a bull elk this year outside Jackson. In a sport historically dominated by men, who pass their skills along to sons, stories like Lilys are becoming ever more common. Between 2008 and 2016, female resident hunters went from 11,189 to 14,770. Male resident hunters during the same period dropped ever so slightly from 64,649 to 64,371, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Wyoming is one of the states where were not losing resident hunters, said Kathryn Boswell, hunter and angler participation coordinator for the department. Our numbers are going up, and its because women are increasing, and theyre making up the difference. Boswell, who is also a founding member of the Wyoming Womens Antelope Hunt, doesnt have hard data explaining the increase in women hunters. But she has a few theories from what shes heard from other women. Its something they can do with their families. They want to put organic meat on the table, she said. And theres a camaraderie that comes with it. University of Wyoming student Lexi Daugherty agrees. Shes been hunting with her father most of her life and shot a pronghorn in 2015 at the Womens Antelope Hunt. The 18-year-old believes improving access to hunting will also help create more conservationists. She spent the last two years working with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Game and Fish to secure a 20-acre piece of ground near Jackson that opens access to almost 17,000 acres of public land. Now it will be there forever, for young girls like me to go hunting on it, she said. And its something thats really special to me. Hunting also teaches her skills to stay safe in the woods and find food for herself. Casper teen Krysten Cutler started hunting and fishing with her grandfather, Dale Leatham, who has taken her across Wyoming and the world to chase wildlife. The two went on a safari to Africa in June with other family members. The 12-year-old shot four African animals including a zebra and impala. Why not encourage young ladies to go hunting and fishing? Leatham said. Its something you can do the rest of your life. And it doesnt cost that much. You can always go hunting and fishing. For Krysten, hunting means more time with her grandpa. He teaches me, and I like doing it because its something to get us outdoors, she said. It bonds our relationship. The meat from her African animals went to local villagers, though she was able to try each species. A deer she shot recently is at the processor. People say that men usually only hunt, but clearly thats not true, she said. I was 12 when I shot my first antelope and I know a lot of other girls who shot their first antelope when they were 12, and it should start evolving. Lily, the hunter from Jackson, isnt sure after this year how much more shell hunt. She doesnt have the same passion for the sport as her mom does. But she also believes in it as a way for women to stay self-sufficient. Her mom, Gloria Courser, knows that whatever path her daughter chooses, she will be able to take care of herself in the woods. When Courser started dating her husband in 2006, she didnt have those skills. We were on a game trail and about 20 minutes in he looked back at me and said Wheres the truck? she said. I looked like the scarecrow on the Wizard of Oz. It was a truly teachable moment. I was out of my element. The next time they went, she knew where the truck was. And this fall, she was a guide for the Womens Antelope Hunt. Not every woman will have a passion for hunting, she said. Its like when I moved away from home, I learned to change my oil. I did it one time, and decided I wouldnt do it ever again if I didnt have to, she said. But trying, learning to do it, learning how to use a firearm, understanding where meat comes from, is important. CASPER An assistant professor at the University of Wyoming has reached a plea agreement in a federal child pornography case. Jian Cai's attorney, Thomas Fleener of Laramie, filed a motion Friday asking the U.S. District Court to schedule a change-of-plea hearing. The terms of the plea agreement were not disclosed. Cai was charged in April and was placed on administrative leave from the university without pay. Court records say an analysis of computer drives seized from Cai's residence revealed about a thousand images and video files of child pornography. Cai is no longer listed as a faculty member in the university's mechanical and energy systems engineering department. Prescription medication can be pricey, but Casper residents will soon have a new way to cut back on its costs. Casper City Council authorized the city to participate in the National League of Cities Prescription Discount Program at its Tuesday night meeting. The service saves participants an average of 24 percent off their prescriptions, and all residents are eligible regardless of whether they have health insurance, said Councilman Jesse Morgan. Casper pays a membership fee to belong to the league, but hadnt previously registered to participate in its Prescription Discount Program, he said. The councilman first learned about the program from a league official while he was attending the Wyoming Association of Municipalities convention in Gillette this past summer. Morgan was intrigued because Casper residents expressed concerns to him about health care costs while he was campaigning for Council. There is no cost to the city to register for the discount program, and its for free for citizens to sign-up, according to Morgan. The discount program will be available by mid-December, and brochures with registration information will be available at City Hall. The councilman said he plans to learn more about the league and other services that might be available to members. Hopefully we can take advantage of other programs they offer, he said. The National League of Cities was founded in 1924 to help strengthen local governments, according to its website. The organization works to drive federal policy on behalf of the roughly 19,000 cities and towns it represents. Stephanie Osborn, the leagues director of strategy and partnership, said the organization created the discount program in 2010 after hearing from city officials that many citizens are struggling to afford prescription medication. We are constantly evaluating the needs of our members and adapting and adding new member benefits, she explained. Osborn said about one-third of the leagues members participate in the program, which also offers discounts on prescriptions for pets. The director said some members may not be participating because they havent learned about it yet, or because they are already receiving a similar service through a different organization. Some members have questioned whether this service would negatively effect local pharmacies, but Osborn said that hasnt been the case, as most local pharmacies also participate in the program. The federal proposal to expand target shooting, hunting and fishing on public lands is drawing attention in Arizona. In September, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke directed land managers to come up with a plan to expand recreational shooting in areas like Ironwood Forest National Monument near Tucson. Sitting at 129,000 acres, the monument is open to the public for hunting, fishing, camping, horseback riding and sightseeing. It is currently not open for target shooting. The monument receives visitors daily in the form of bird watchers, students on field trips and environmentalists exploring the native vegetation. Supporters say it could mean more hunting and fishing opportunities on federal land. Opponents think it risks peoples safety and could trash some of natures most pristine areas. The potential is huge for Arizona. The federal government owns more than 38 percent of land in the state, or more than 28 million acres, according to Ballotpedia. The Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service are among the agencies charged with coming up with a plan. Five Arizona residents who hunt or target shoot discussed the proposed expansion and shared their stories. THE HUNTER Jensen Thelander has been hunting since he was 10 years old, when his father gave him his first gun. Its second nature, Thelander said. The 21-year-old hunts a range of game, including coyotes, quail and elk. Theres no better way to get close with nature and be a part of nature than being outdoors hunting. He supports shooting, hunting and fishing on public lands, but said he has experienced difficulty getting access to some of public lands bordered by private property. Thelander said unless a hunter knows the landowner, it is difficult to get through the property or go around it to reach public land. Hunters in Arizona and other parts of the country have to compete for game by buying hunting tags, with state officials choosing a limited number telling hunters what kind of game they can hunt and how many animals they can kill. Competition for hunting tags for big game like elk and bighorn sheep can be tough and, if there are too many hunters in one area, it makes it difficult for hunters to fulfill their allotment. Thelander and his friends, Colton Elmer and Sean Deacon, hunt around Arizona and think millennials like themselves enjoy hunting because of its rising presence on social media and new technologies like gun scopes that can see farther and clearer for more precise aim and heat sensing trail cameras that can track animals movement throughout the night. Thelander said hunting weapons and recreational weapons are different. There are different regulations for each. For example, there are military-grade guns that can be used in target shooting but not for hunting animals. Thelander and his friends said hunters need to follow a code of ethics when hunting. Taking down a majestic animal such as an elk requires a high caliber gun. A small caliber weapon could only injure the animal, causing suffering. THE ENVIRONMENTALIST Tom Hannagan, a hunter and president of Friends of Ironwood Forest, a nonprofit group that protects the recreational areas history and landscape, said expanding target shooting could interfere with hunting, scare away hikers and lead to more damage of hieroglyphics and native vegetation. Hannagan said recreational shooting hasnt been an issue due to a resource management plan by the Bureau of Land Management banning recreational shooting on the national monument because of such concerns. It would be unfortunate to diminish a lot of other activities for that one activity, he said. Hannagan said the Interior Department order is puzzling because it says the point is to open public lands to more uses, but target shooting might impede that. Hunting is a stealthy sport that requires waiting for game to come by and only firing a few shots, he said. Multiple shots fired during target shooting could scare animals away from hunters. Hannagan said funding cuts for the Ironwood Forest are possible, which would mean less staff to oversee target shooting. If you have recreational shooting, its going to dissuade people from using the monument for other purposes, Hannagan said. The sound of shots firing can be frightening and could turn away potential campers and hikers, he said. Hannagan said people also have damaged native vegetation, rocks and hieroglyphics. THE INSTRUCTOR Thomas Wacker said he thinks opening up public lands for recreational shooting is a great idea as long as shooters are held accountable for shooting safely and responsibly. As a hunter and firearms instructor, Wacker said he always uses safety first when using his guns. It becomes sort of a ritual, Wacker said. He said to first treat every firearm as if it were loaded and check that the bolt where the bullets are placed is open and empty. He tests the scope on his gun to make sure it is accurate when he is shooting. And he makes sure that if anyone is with him they are behind the barrel of the gun. Wacker target practices on public lands such as Redington Pass in the Coronado National Forest. He started hunting when he was 10 years old, hunting pheasants, ducks and quail and has since added bigger game like deer. THE TARGET SHOOTER Dr. Richard Weyer, a retired dermatologist, says target shooting helps him recover from back surgery. I think recreational shooting is an excellent hobby, said Weyer, who shoots at the Southeastern Regional Park Shooting range in Tucson. Weyer supports shooting as an activity as long as shooters are following safety guidelines. Target shooting keeps his mind and body sharp. He will even change up the distance he shoots his targets at depending on how far he wants to walk to bring the paper target back to his station. He said it also helps with his hand-eye coordination and helps keep himself physically fit. He enjoys recreational shooting as well as occasionally hunting animals such as deer and antelope. THE OFFICIAL Mark Hart, spokesman for Tucsons Arizona Game and Fish Department, said the agency supports the expansion. We support the greatest amount of public access to public lands, Hart said. But the devils in the details. It will be up to those agencies to determine whether or not thats an appropriate use in those areas, Hart said. Hart said shooting ranges are the safest place to practice shooting, but there are public places where people can shoot firearms. Recreational shooting is allowed in Coronado National Forest as long as shooters follow regulations such as not shooting across or toward roads and not shooting native vegetation. A six-mile area in the national forest is closed to shooting because recreational shooters who used the area left behind trash, Hart said. He said there have been television sets left out that were used as targets as well as empty rounds and other debris. Hart said the department supports packing out what you pack in, and leaving the land in good condition. Harts biggest concern with the allowance of more recreational shooting is people leaving behind their trash and leftover bullet casings. Game and Fish has annual checkpoints to try to keep the land as clean as possible and will continue to do so if recreational shooting is expanded. Dont penalize responsible shooters for irresponsible ones, Hart said. I am an 85-year-old male with a wonderful wife, three daughters and four granddaughters. Really like living in Tucson, but not always happy with the current state Legislature. Now more than ever, I challenge the men of the Legislature to do the right thing for the women of Arizona and of our nation. Allow the Equal Rights Amendment ratification to come to the floor and to a "yes" vote. Let my state be in the count for justice for all our women. When Arizona passes this, then we will need only one more state to do the right thing, and our nation will be a better place to live and our women will be cherished as they should be. Lets say that somehow, against all odds, a rattlesnake finds its way into the house you own. As an intelligent homeowner, you understand the snake poses an extreme risk, even possibly a fatal risk, to your entire family. You succeed in corralling the rattlesnake in a corner of your kitchen, and in an attempt to protect itself, it coils and strikes repeatedly at anything it perceives to be a threat. Venom is its lethal defense mechanism and its fangs are bared and ready. What will you do about the snake? As long as it remains in your house, no one in your family is safe. Your only responsible choice is to find a way to safely remove it before it destroys the lives of those you love. Mona Udstuen Marana John Kelly is stunned? I am stunned at his loss of integrity going from an eloquent speaker regarding service members who have given their lives to our country to a Trump-like degradation of a member of congress that is filled with untruths and name calling. Has he morphed? An empty barrel sounds like our president. He is not to be respected as a marine general, but is to be considered a lackey who has joined the adult daycare center at the White House. The official launching of the 103rd annual University of Arizona homecoming festivities was Oct. 22 with the lighting of A Mountain, but all t New cast members for the upcoming Doctor Who series have been confirmed by the BBC, to join 13th Doctor Jodie Whittaker. Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill will all appear in the 2018 series. Walsh, well known for hosting The Chase UK will star as Graham. In August there was speculation he could join as an older companion linked to new showrunner Chris Chibnall having been lead writer on ITVs Law & Order UK, which starred Walsh for eight seasons. Walsh is understood to be continuing with The Chase. Tosin will play Ryan and Mandip will play Yasmin. Also joining the series in a returning role is Sharon D. Clarke. Chris Chibnall says: The new Doctor is going to need new friends. Were thrilled to welcome Mandip, Tosin and Bradley to the Doctor Who family. Theyre three of Britains brightest talents and we cant wait to see them dive into brand new adventures with Jodies Doctor. Alongside them, were delighted that Sharon D. Clarke is also joining the show. Jodie Whittaker says: I am so excited to share this huge adventure with Mandip, Tosin and Bradley. Its a dream team! Bradley Walsh says: I remember watching William Hartnell as the first Doctor. Black and white made it very scary for a youngster like myself. I was petrified but even though Id watch most of it from behind the sofa through my fingers, I became a fan. I then queued up for ages to get into the Carlton picture house in Watford to watch the great Peter Cushing appear as the Doctor in a full-length feature film made in glorious colour. Am I thrilled to be part of this whole ground breaking new dawn for the Doctor?? Oh yes! Mandip Gill says: I am over the moon to be joining the Doctor Who family. This is an iconic show with an amazing fanbase and I look forward to everything that brings. Certain roles seem unattainable and this is one of those, so much so I didnt believe it to be true for the first few weeks. To be working alongside the likes of Jodie, Bradley and my old friend Tosin is thrilling. This show is worlds away from the work Ive done previously and thats the part that excites me the most. Tosin Cole says: Im grateful and excited to be a part of this journey with the team. Im looking forward to jumping in this Doctor Who universe. Matt Strevens, Executive Producer, BBC Studios says: I am thrilled to welcome Bradley, Mandip and Tosin to the new Who family. Working with three such talented actors is going to be a lot of fun. The Doctor is in fine company. Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama says: The casting of Mandip, Tosin and Bradley is a mark of the new creative ambition Chris is bringing to Doctor Who. Hes already made history with the casting of Jodie. These three new characters complete a new and utterly unmissable team aboard the Tardis. The 2018 season will be a 10 week run of 50-minute episodes, kicking off with a one hour episode. It will screen on ABC, iview and ABC ME, preceded by a Christmas special to mark the exit of Peter Capaldi. This week ABC screens the second season of The Ex-PM starring Shaun Micallef and, as fate would have it, the final screen performance of the late John Clarke. Clarke died just days after filming wrapped in Melbourne, whilst bushwalking in The Grampians. When I visited the ABC comedy in April, Micallef told me it was one of Clarkes earliest characters that helped inspire his own career. Ive been in awe of him for years. One of the reasons I thought comedy might be nice to get into was because of Fred Dagg, he said at the time. I told him I had a Fred Dagg album and I was thinking of bringing it in to get him to sign it. But its too embarrassing. Maybe next series. Sadly that now wont come to pass. But audiences will see much more of Clarke as Henry Coates, agent to Micallefs ex-pollie Andrew Dugdale than in season one. John Clarke is not under home arrest talking by Skype (this season). Now he can walk and talk and move. So its really interesting seeing this new dimension to his character, he explains. Before I was just acting with him through a television screen, which is nice and safe. But when he is only this far away from you, with those burning eyes. Thats my Jimmy Stewart and old Capra films coming out. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington! Season 2 sees Dugdale re-enter the political race, offered the chance to run for a relatively safe seat for his party in south-east Queensland. In the first series Dugdale didnt really have anything to do other than wander around Curb Your Enthusiasm-style, Micallef continues. This time he has to do things. The pressure is on and he has to undo the things he says and redeem himself. Theres also a bit of a tug of war because Ellen (Lucy Honigman), who was ghost-writing his book, is now his speech-writer. Shes always on his shoulder whispering to be principled. But Sonny (Nicholas Bell) and Henry (John Clarke) are on the other shoulder suggesting otherwise. I like the idea of him being a born-again idealist who actually wants to do some good. Its nice that hes trying to find that thing within him thats not cynical. Thats my Jimmy Stewart and old Capra films coming out. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington! It didnt end well though. Im Harry Lime in The Third Man. Guest cast include Lisa McCune, Frank Woodley, Vince Colosimo, Bob Franklin, Emily Taheny and Ian Smith whilst returning cast are Nicki Wendt, Francis Greenslade, Kate Jenkins, Jackson Tozer, Ming Zhu-Hii. As producer Nick Murray explains, Theres an ensemble cast of 9 characters so its outside the norm of what people say you should have in an ensemble. They all inhabit their own space but it makes some of the scenes really unwieldy, when you have 9 people each with a line in 1 scene. Its really interesting to look at because everyone has a different agenda. But it also means it takes 9 hours to shoot it, Micallef observes. Because they have something to do now, because this is goal-oriented, they have more lines than me. Which is great. So the great thing is I can still be talked about in other scenes, but I dont have to be in them! Im Harry Lime in The Third Man. Indeed the second season is so busy propping up the rejuvenated political aspirations of its title character, the location of his home, which underpinned season 1, wont even appear in season 2. Instead, Dugdale is on the hustings with his family running his campaign office. Its a bit like Robert Redford in The Candidate. This time round hes become relevant, which is always frightening for an ex-politician. Or at least he thinks hes relevant, Micallef explains. Hes running for office having been offered the opportunity of garnering a seat in a by-election. Its not a safe seat but its likely to be successfully his, just on name-recognition alone. All he has to do is be there and just dont say anything. So its a bit like Robert Redford in The Candidate. But of course its all being done on the cheap so the family are helping, which we saw in the last election with Malcolm Turnbull asking Lucy to be front and centre. Both Bill Shorten and Turnbull used their spouses in that way, which is a very Presidential, very Trump-like thing. Theres something about House of Cards that makes me think the idea of the President and the First Lady are now an important thing to sell the party. So we have Cathy in the form of Nicki Wendt. She is looking a little big glam, like Melania, but as with the first series its not specific about anybody or any time. (Dugdale) has to leave a good impression with people. He cant not care what people think, anymore. As a performer, bunging on something and falling short, is my stock in trade. Thats all I can do. My persona over-estimates his ability, and as a human being I probably over-estimate my ability too. The Ex-PM returns 8:30pm Thursday on ABC. A legal battle is looming over the estate of pioneering producer Reg Grundy. Grundys daughter, Viola La Valette, has launched legal action against her stepmother Joy Grundy (nee Joy Chambers) in the NSW Supreme Court under the Succession Act, The Daily Telegraph reports. Ms La Valette, who was born Kim Grundy, is the daughter from Grundys first marriage to Lola Powell, which ended in divorce. She has made a claim under the Succession Act for provision from his estate, but suppression orders keep secret the details of her claim and of the will. Bermuda-based Joy Grundy, was back home in Sydney for a brief court appearance. Yesterday the case was adjourned by Justice Geoff Lindsay to a date to be fixed. Reg Grundy, who died in May 2016, was responsible for a swathe of hit shows including The Young Doctors, Prisoner, Sons and Daughters, Neighbours, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud and Sale of the Century. McLeods Daughters wont be returning to Nine after creator Posie Graeme-Evans told fans via Facebook there were creative differences with a new series with Nine. But she has not ruled out potentially crowd-funding her project. Sequels are tricky things theres so much at stake, so much passion involved in re-creating something we all know and love so much. However, here I am writing this post to you to let you know that our negotiations with the Nine Network in Australia and a third party, introduced to us by Nine and for whom the Sequel mini-series would have been made, as it turned out have now concluded because weve pulled out, she wrote. VICE is offering an opportunity for up-and-coming screen content makers to go behind the scenes in the VICE local video department through a 3 month Melbourne-based internship in partnership with the Australian Film Television & Radio School (AFTRS) The Melbourne-based placement will see the successful candidate shadowing the VICE video team and learning about content creation from development to release and across myriad platforms. To apply for the internship, applicants must be registered for the upcoming Make It! event, presented by AFTRS with Principal Partner Film Victoria, a two-day event for emerging screen practitioners, jam-packed with industry professionals who will offer specialist career advice. VICE will run a 90-minute live workshop as part of Make It! featuring shortlisted candidates. The brief for entry will be shared ahead of the event keep an eye on requirements at AFTRS with the successful candidate announced following the VICE session. AFTRS is excited about partnering with VICE to offer this fantastic career opportunity for a Victorian-based screen practitioner, and it is just one of a range of great opportunities for participants at the Make It! conference, said Wendy Gray, Head of AFTRS Open. The VICE video internship will run for three months, with a commitment of two days a week, running from January 15th to April 13th 2018. Make It! is un-missable intelligence on creating a career in screen. AFTRS, the nations leading screen and broadcast school, has gathered some of the best creatives in television, online, film, gaming and VR to share their secrets for success and their mistakes. A list of confirmed speakers and further details on the content for the event are available here Katy Roberts, Head of Video, VICE Australia, said: Were thrilled to be partnering with AFTRS and Film Victoria to announce this opportunity, and look forward to fostering exciting new Victorian talent. The team at VICE Australia are inherently young and they are making content that speaks to our audience authentically on issues they care about. Happily, our internship program has a proven record in helping unearth tomorrows talent, with many of our current team members having begun as an intern, before moving on to take freelance, part-time and permanent positions within the company. Just this year the video team have worked across a vast range of content, from burnout culture, to homelessness, cults, queer identity, brains and internet securitycontent seen by millions of people worldwide. Interns have an intimate opportunity to see how this is done. VICE is a news, content, and culture hub and a leading producer of award-winning video, reaching young people on all screens across an unrivalled global network. Make It! is supported by Principal Partner Film Victoria through their Film Victorias Early Career Skills Development Program (ECSDP). Disclaimer: AFTRS advertises at TV Tonight. Help India! New Delhi, (IANS): The Supreme Court on Monday sought within four weeks the Gujarat governments response to the departmental action taken against police personnel convicted in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang-rape case and their subsequent reinstatement. Petitioner Bilkis Yakub Rasool alleged that policemen convicted by the Bombay High Court in her case, which was reported during the 2002 Gujarat riots, have been reinstated by the state government. Support TwoCircles A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud also told the petitioner to move a separate plea for enhancement of compensation granted to her. Bano, then 19 years old and pregnant, was gang-raped in Randhikpur village near Dahod on March 3, 2002, after she and around a dozen family members were attacked by a mob. Only Bilkis Bano and relatives Saddam and Husain survived the savagery. Her mother, sister, minor daughter and other relatives were killed. Help India! Ranchi, (IANS): A tribal organisation held a rally in Ranchi on Monday against the Jharkhand governments Anti-Conversion Bill and its proposed amendments in the 2013 Land Acquisition Act. The Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan (ASA) organised the rally at Morabadi ground of Ranchi. Support TwoCircles The governments policies are anti-tribal. The state government is working against the sentiments of indigenous and tribal people. There is need to fight against the wrong policies of the state government, Salkhan Murmu, president of AASA, said at the rally. He said The Anti-conversion Law and Amendment in the 2013 Land Acquisition Bill by the state is a cruel joke. We oppose both actions of the state government. The BJP-led Jharkhand government has passed the Religious Independence Bill 2017. If a person is found guilty of converting a person then he will be liable to three years imprisonment. The state government has passed from the assembly to amend the 2013 Land Acquisition Act so that land can be acquired for industrial and other purposes. Tribal people numbering around 10,000 participated in the rally. Help India! By Sharjeel Usmani for TwoCircles.net More than 140 years ago in a small village in Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir, Thakur Das was born in a Kashmiri Brahmin family. Hardly anyone dreamed that his birth on June 21, 1874, in coming days will result in breaking the shackles of Muslim girls, bringing them out from the confines of their houses and usher in the light of education. Support TwoCircles Thakur Das belonged to a respectable family. His father Mehta Gurmukh Singh and the grandfather of Mehta Mast Ram, one of the Lambardar of the village. Thakur Das received his early education at his village school. Later, he had to leave his home for English education. He first went to Jammu and then to Lahore. Hardly anyone had the faint idea that Thakur Dass journey to Lahore will create history in the lives of Muslim women. He will have to face the bitter acrimony of many Muslim stalwarts, many of them who were reformist, educationist when he raked up the issue of educating Muslim women. While in Lahore, the fifteen-year-old Thakur Das attended an episode of Mohammadan Educational Conference in the company of his beloved teacher and mentor Maulana Nooruddin. In 1891, Thakur Das passed his matriculation examination and was renamed Shaikh Abdullah after he embraced Islam, possibly under the influence of his teacher Maulana Nooruddin. Thakur Das was now Shaikh Abdullah as he proceeded to Aligarh for higher education where life was going to be tough for him. His dream to educate Muslim women met with stiff resistance. A disgruntled section of agitators who objected to the very idea of a school for Muslim girls always existed. Bulged partly by envy for Shaikh Abdullah and partly by misplaced religious zeal, they expressed their outrage in ingenious and dishonourable ways. In fact, the venerable Sir Syed himself was vehemently opposed to the education of women on purely moral grounds. Shaikh Abdullah, moreover, was convinced that the old educationist Sir Syed Ahmad was adamant to his belief that education would bring waywardness and cause women to break purdah and compete with men. Soon after coming to Aligarh, he joined the Anjuman al-Farz or Duty Society set up by Sahibzada Aftab Ahmad to foster a sense of voluntary service among students. Under the influence of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, he began to take interest in social resurgence of Muslims. He attended the meetings of All India Mohammadan Educational Conference. In these meetings, the traditionalists and Muslim clerics were bitterly opposed to the idea of a Western-style education for boys being propagated by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. No one, in these meetings talked about the education of women. As children were raised largely in zenana (womens quarters), womens role as a teacher of her children was especially important. Soon with Shaikh Abdullahs continuous efforts, the crusade for womens education acquired a momentum of its own. In 1902, Shaikh Abdullah was made the secretary of the womens section of Muslim Educational Conference because of his interest in womens welfare. In a couple of years, he started a monthly educational journal for women under the name Khatoon, which aimed at creating a suitable environment for women education. The magazine continued to be published for ten years until Shaikh Abdullah was convinced that the cause of women for which he had fought had been taken up by others in different parts of the country. Efforts by Shaikh Abdullah resulted in growing acceptance of the idea of school education of women. He wrote a proposal to promote womens education to Begum Sultan Jahan, the ruler of Bhopal. Begum Sultan Jahan accepted the proposal and one hundred rupees per month grant were allocated to him for womens education. In 1906, he along with his wife Waheed Jahan Begum managed to start a girl school in a rented building under the name Aligarh Zenana Madarsa with seventeen students on roll. Waheed Jahan Begums family helped the reformer couple to find an Ustani (a lady teacher) from Delhi. Classes were held in strictest purdah under the personal supervision of Waheed Jahan Begum. Since she had studied elementary Persian and also knew to write, she herself taught these two subjects. With classes underway, Shaikh Abdullah wrote a letter to Lt. Governor and an inspectress were sent who gave a favourable report about the school. The Aligarh Zenana Madarsa then received a grant of Rs 17,000 with an additional monthly allowance of Rs 250. There was no looking back since then. While funds were no longer a problem, the school was not without its share of critics and incendiaries. Sheikh Abdullah dealt with each of these situations with forceful dignity. Finally, after long struggles, the couple succeeded and bought a plot of land called Nanak Rai Ka Bagh which contained not only a mango orchard but several other tall and dense trees for building a boarding school for girls. However, the idea of building a girl boarding school at a small distance from MAO College led to a chorus of protests from a cross-section of Muslim elites, both from Aligarh and outside, including some such as Dr Ziauddin and Viqar ul Mulq who had initially supported Shaikh Abdullahs cause. Unshakeable, Shaikh Abdullah went ahead with his plans for constructing a house that included classrooms, dormitories, dining halls as well as living quarters for teachers all settled behind high walls. On November 7, 1911, the foundation stone of first girls hostel was laid in presence of Lady Porter, wife of the acting Lt. Governor of the United Province. The construction was completed in 1913. Later on, the Begum of Bhopal inaugurated new buildings. Gradually the number of students grew in strength; by 1926 it had become an intermediate college under the name of Aligarh Womens College and by 1937 it was offering graduate courses with over 250 students in various classes. The year 1937 also marked an important turn in Shaikh Abdullahs mission. The Aligarh Womens College became a part of the Aligarh Muslim University. All these while, Waheed Jahan Begum served as the backbone of the movement. She herself served as the superintendent of the boarding house for 25 years, from 1914 to 1939. She spent most of her daytime with the students, nursing and caring them. The couple was fondly called as Papa Mian and Ala Bi by these students, the words resembling father and mother. It was through their joint supervision that a Madarsa run in a rented building would expand into a degree college. While working tirelessly for womens education, amidst repetitive denunciation from the university folks, Shaikh Abdullah continued serving his alma mater in various capacities. He was a member of AMU court from 1920 till his death, and also served as Honorary Treasurer for many terms. He was also a leading advocate at Aligarh civil court. His prime interest was in the field of education and social reform but he didnt keep himself aloof from politics. He pleaded for modernizing the system of government so as to suit the changing needs of the time. He also served as the member of United Province Legislative Council. He also supported the Khilafat movement. In the late thirties and early forties, he was tortured by the growing differences between Hindus and Muslims. He urged the leaders of the two communities to work for political understanding and communal harmony. Shaikh Abdullah was a man of action, humanitarian and social reform. He fought all his life for providing education of Muslim women a task that bristled with great difficulties because of the conservatism of Muslims. He was a man ahead of his time, for he could see that women could do much better and bigger than becoming able house-women. (The Author is a student of Political Science at the Aligarh Muslim University) Recently in an interview with Blasting News, best-selling novelist Tess Gerritsen when asked about similarities between the movie Gravity and her novel of the same name, stated she had "no doubt my novel inspired the 2013 film Gravity." When asked about similarities regarding the movie life, she said "It certainly seems very close to my GRAVITY premise ( the single-celled organism of extraterrestrial origin is brought aboard ISS and evolves into a multicellular creature that kills the crew and threatens earth). But what really startled me was the ethnic make-up of the Life crew, which was nearly identical to the crew in GRAVITY: a Russian, a Japanese man, an Englishwoman, and a black man. I have no evidence that the Life filmmakers knew about my novel GRAVITY, but that coincidence is certainly a whopper." Gerritsen not credited in either movie Of course, Gerritsen is not credited in either movie despite the emergence of further evidence that indicates she had more involvement than we were lead to believe. In 1999 Tess Gerritsen having just written her novel GRAVITY signed a contract with Newline cinema which also happens to be the child company of Warner Brothers, the company attached to the 2013 movie. The contract indicated she would get credit for the forthcoming movie written by Alfonso Cuaron who also wrote the 2013 film of the same name. In the interview Gerritsen claimed, "during its development, I contributed a third-act re-write of the script, adding a scene in which satellite debris destroys the ISS. Years later Cuaron wrote and directed the 2013 film of the same title, about a lone female astronaut who's stranded aboard the International Space Station after satellite debris destroys her shuttle. How can he claim his Gravity was completely his original idea? It took me two years to research the space details for my novel, yet Cuaron's on record saying he wrote his highly technical script in a mere three weeks. It's beyond belief." The original movie by Cuaron was never released due to technical limitations, however, it seems highly improbable that the 2013 movie Gravity would not be at least in part inspired by his experience and some of Gerritsen's own script. Warner Bros. had no obligation to honour any contracts She went on to sue Warner Brothers for a breach of contract but was turned away because the original contract was signed by Warner Brothers' child company Newline cinema. The judge said that Warner Bros. had no obligation to honour any contracts made by its subsidiary -- yet it had the right to exploit their subsidiary's assets. Tess Gerritsen stated she did not regret the movie deal expressing that, "when it sold to New Line Cinema, it was a huge movie deal with a lot of publicity. I was paid seven figures for the film rights, the biggest deal that year." Eventually, Gerritson conceded that "ideas are not copyrightable. I certainly understand that, and it's very common for creators to build on inspiration taken from other sources. I don't mind inspiring other works, but it's only fair to credit the source. And when you have a written contract that you will be credited if a film inspired by your work is ever made. That signed contract should be honoured" It is astonishing that under Labour's leadership, Lambeth Council has become the 22nd most deprived borough in the country. Since its birth, the Labour Party has always claimed to be a friend of the working class, a party that would protect society's poorest from exploitation and poverty. Yet the situation in Lambeth proves that Labour has fundamentally failed in its purpose here. Instead of lifting people out of poverty, Labour Lambeth is trapping its residents in depravity. Labour governments and councils have intentionally trapped people in poverty Without a solid working class base, there is no point in the Labour Party's existence. That is why so many Labour governments and councils have intentionally trapped people in poverty to ensure they still have a core base of voters. Lambeth is typical of a London council that is guilty of designing policies intended to aid its supporters when their actual purpose is quite the opposite. Their housing policy is typical of this. Many housing estates throughout the country need regeneration, particularly after the Grenfell Tower tragedy earlier this year. Buildings like Grenfell were ugly and old. But what Labour is doing in Lambeth demonstrates how they have no intention of improving the lives of their residents. It is typical of what Councillor Tim Briggs, the Leader of Lambeth's Conservative Group, and the Greens' Deputy Leader, Jon Bartley, described as something close to social cleansing. With the significant amount of money Lambeth Council has wasted on spin, they will label this as a housing policy designed to rehouse tenants in poor buildings, fooling people into believing Labour is on the side of the working class, when they are not. Local councils are able to operate without depending on Westminster for funding Councillor Briggs said the neighbouring ward of Wandsworth, run by the Tories, has managed to deliver efficient services without wasting money. Compared to Lambeth, Wandsworth's library is still open. They have ensured council tax is low and built adequate houses. Unlike Labour, Wandsworth Conservatives do not blame their misfortunes on central government. Local councils are able to operate without depending on Westminster for funding. It is an absolute disgrace Labour has blamed Lambeth's library closure on Whitehall. As Councillor Briggs said to Blasting News, libraries help people become educated and achieve their aspirations, but socialists do not want this because residents would become educated enough to see through their hollow policies. Lambeth deserves better than this. Let's hope their residents realise this during next year's local elections. Lambeth residents have suffered at the hands of Labour's incompetence for too long. As Councillor Tim Briggs, Leader of Lambeth Council's Conservative Group disclosed to Blasting News, the London council has become a one-party state. There is no way to hold the council accountable for its consistent failings over the years. A council that has utterly failed its taxpayers by squandering money on propaganda Councillor Briggs disclosed to Blasting News that Lambeth's library is being transformed into a new leisure facility and a reopened library with a drastically reduced service. The Brixton Buzz reported earlier this year that Councillor Sonia Winifred, Lambeth's Cabinet Member for Equalities and Culture, blamed central government for Carnegie Library's closure. However, an open letter which was printed by the Brixton Buzz, revealed that Lambeth Council received enough money to retain its library service and that its decision to close this facility had nothing to do with government cuts. Turning the library into a leisure centre is nothing more than a bid designed to generate income for a council that has utterly failed its taxpayers by squandering money on propaganda. Labour has taken Lambeth for granted. A source disclosed to Blasting News that Irfan Mohammed, a Labour candidate for the Ferndale ward on Lambeth Council, tweeted a picture of Theresa May standing in front of Ed Miliband's infamous campaign stone from the 2015 General Election, except the writing on the original stone was replaced with fictional Tory pledges to kill disabled people, poor people and other ludicrous claims. This is inappropriate behaviour for a local election candidate, but perhaps he feels he will still get re-elected because Lambeth residents always vote for the Labour Party regardless. The Conservative Party's intention is to lift people out of poverty When Lambeth votes for which party will govern them next year, they should choose the Conservatives. Throughout the nation, Conservative councils have a consistent record of delivering efficient services at a low cost to taxpayers. For decades, Labour-run Lambeth Council has squandered people's cash and ruled the London borough like a one-party state. They have removed local services without having to, despite having the funds to keep them open. Conservatives believe in excellent services and low taxes. The Conservative Party's intention is to lift people out of poverty and create wealth and equality of opportunity for everybody, regardless of their background. If neighbouring Wandsworth can achieve that, why can't Lambeth? Next year, this London borough should oust this incompetent council and replace it with a party who will not cause Lambeth to become the 22nd poorest place in the country to live. A Conservative councillor has spoken out against Labour-run Lambeth Council's incompetence. In an exclusive interview with Blasting News, Councillor Tim Briggs, Leader of Lambeth Council's Conservative Group, has said the Labour Party has embarked on a kind of "social cleansing" in relation to the London council's housing policy. His comments come as the Brixton Buzz reported that Lambeth Council has been asked to deploy discretionary powers to prevent residents from becoming intentionally homeless once they fall into rent arrears during a full council meeting last Wednesday. Councillor Paul McGone, Deputy Leader of the Labour Group, blamed Westminster's welfare policy for making people intentionally homeless, despite claims the London council has assisted 440 families with their benefits. Lambeth Council needs urgent reform Councillor Briggs disagreed with these claims and said: "Lambeth Council needs urgent reform. The way they contact housing developers is antiquated. There is no consistency with contracts. They cannot manage 2 billion worth of housing stock. There is no proper advice. The Labour council is always blaming the central government. "They spent 7.2 million between 2014-18 on political spin. They have also spent 104 million on a new town hall. This is astonishing negligence from a one-party state with a tiny opposition. "It is very inhumane what Labour is doing. They have demolished loads of houses and are borrowing loads of money. Leaseholders cannot get the full value of their property as they have to pay more in rent and utility charges. The deal is a bad one. Labour do not care about tenants "Labour do not care about tenants. They are using legal loopholes to regenerate estates and demolishing legal rights whilst hoping people are grateful Labour have given them new homes. They have become a political elite in the sense that the establishment is screwing over people to keep them in power." Lambeth Council issued a link explaining its housing policy and the construction of the new town hall on Brixton Hill, which was originally costed at 68 million, saying both policies will aid local businesses planning on opening in the area. They defended their decision to Blasting News by stating the councils total budget for the Your New Town Hall project is 104m: this includes a total construction cost for the Town Hall/Civic Centre work currently forecasted at 68m, plus additional spending on items including the provision of new homes. Of this total sum, 66.2m represents a temporary investment of the Council's cash balances, repayable in full with interest. They also defended their Estate Regeneration Programme for not "demolishing houses" as their housing proposals have not yet been presented to the Planning Applications Committee. Lambeth Green Councillor, Scott Ainslie, has also criticised the London council's financial mismanagement, claiming it is astonishing they have wasted money on their internal PR agency, Lambeth Communications. But the London council justified this decision by saying the framework is a practical development that will support Lamco in its commercial work, which brings additional revenue into the council. It will also provide the council with additional capacity in a number of areas where internal capacity is minimal, and in the delivery of services to clients, externally and internally. Lambeth Council stressed that the cost of these services will be fully recouped from clients (internal and external). They also said the framework does not set out guaranteed work for anyone, and the report doesnt amount to a decision to spend millions of pounds. According to Lambeth Council, it is a list of preferred suppliers that they may use for the council and Lamco. Last month, the People's Audit challenged Lambeth Council to come clean over the smear and secrecy coming from its Town Hall. The group of ten Lambeth residents invited the Labour Group to collaborate with them in a bid to save their public finances. This report followed one earlier in the year that found that widespread financial mismanagement was taking place at Lambeth Council. After an initial radio silence from Lambeth Labour, the governing group responded by trying to portray the People's Audit as "political opponents." Councillor Briggs condemned Lambeth Council for failing to save 25 million-a-year since the 2008 Recession started. They should have done the right thing at the right time He added: "The Labour Group has removed a lot of staff to remove 25 million-a-year off the wage bill. If they attempted to make 25 million-a-year in savings since 2008, they would have saved 200 million by 2016. They should have done the right thing at the right time. "Lambeth is the 22nd most deprived borough in the country. We are stuck in this quagmire of poverty. Labour entrenches people in poverty. "They have ignored the People's Audit's warnings regarding the new town hall. They said it would cost 50 million and save 2 million-a-year. There is no clarity where the money is coming from. Now, the new town hall costs 104 million and it is likely to go up. "There is no transparency. Lambeth is a one-party state council. It is hard to acquire any information from them that is needed. It is very undemocratic." Lambeth Council has acknowledged that, while the People's Audit report does raise issues which the council will examine (and in some cases has already done so) they have not seen any evidence to support the allegation of extensive financial mismanagement. Lambeth Council said the final document contains suggestions, assertions and straightforward errors which, taken together, give a sensational but inaccurate account of Lambeths finances. One of the most anticipated, and heavily speculated, announcements in the gaming community is about the PlayStation 5. Sony has previously confirmed the existence of the console, however, the Japanese gaming titan has been revealing very limited information about it. Up to this time, Sony has not revealed any detail about the console or even an estimated release window. While official information is scarce if not vague, there are other reliable people whose opinions count. These are analysts that have in one way or another, have been accurate in their predictions and analyses in the past. One of them is Michael Pachter. Analyst breaks down Sonys future Wedbush Securities high-profile gaming research analyst Michael Pachter recently appeared on the 1099 Podcast. The analyst shared several possibilities about the future of Sony and its popular series of console. The subject of the discussion is about the PS4 Pro, PS4, and the much-awaited PlayStation 5. According to Pachter, a time will come when the PS4 Pro becomes the default PS4 model. The analyst did not specify when exactly this will happen but said it might be by 2020. Pachter reasoned that Sony is still making money from PS4 and will continue doing so if the console is still able to bring money to the company. The analyst added that the companys extension would be making the PS4 Pro a default of PS4. He also predicted that it could be possible that Sony would bring the price of PS4 Pro to $250 if the company can. Release date With the imminent release of Xbox One X, fans are now wondering when Sony will release their new console. Several months ago, Pachter predicted that the highly anticipated console is going to arrive in 2019. Now, he is singing a different tune and is extending his previous prediction for another year. The analyst believes that the upcoming console could be the companys true 4K device. However, according to him, the company will not release the console until the sales momentum for the PlayStation 4 slows down. If this is the case, it appears that it will certainly take a long time before fans could get their hands on the next console iteration from the Japanese gaming titan. Pachter noted that if the company slows down on its PS4 sales in 2019 most likely, the console could arrive in 2020. Another reliable analyst that gives his prediction about the release date of the console is Damian Thong. He is a known analyst at Macquarie Capital Securities. Thong has an impressive record of predicting the release dates of PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro. According to him, fans could most likely expect the console to arrive in the later part of 2018. For now, these are all predictions and speculations until Sony reveals their timeline for the PlayStation 5. Fans are hoping that it will not take long before the console arrives. We often wonder what is in store in the afterlife. This curiosity may not be new but some are really seeking answers to what goes on in the body once a person dies, especially when it comes to the brain area. Fortunately, a study from the critical care and resuscitation research at NYU Langone School of Medicine in New York City is a step closer in shedding some light on the state of the brain after death. According to The Sacramento Bee, NYU Langone School of Medicines critical care and resuscitation research director Dr. Sam Parnia, and his team, are looking into the brain activity when a person dies. The study Does the brain remain conscious and aware even after death? When the heart stops and ceases to pump blood throughout the body, cells start to suffocate and die. However, this process takes a little longer before all cells in the body truly die, meaning theres a possibility that a person could still be conscious and aware that hes dead after he dies. By looking into patients who have suffered cardiac arrests, Parnia said that his team is making an effort to understand the exact features that people experience when they go through death. In fact, the researchers found substantial evidence that people who experienced the first phase of death showed some signs of consciousness. According to Parnia, people whose hearts stopped and restarted following the administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were able to describe accurate and verified recollections of conversations or of visual things that transpired and should not be known to them. Those accounts were also verified by medical and nursing staff who were present at the time when the patients were technically dead, Live Science reported. Similar research This is not the first time that Parnia investigated the pervasiveness of consciousness after death. In a 2014 study, his team found that almost 40 percent of the patients who experienced cardiac arrest have Conscious awareness even if their hearts had stopped. When the heart stopped beating, Parnia explained that conscious awareness continued for up to three minutes. This phenomenon happened even though the brain normally shuts down within 20-30 seconds after the heart has ceased to beat, reports The Telegraph. Not true awareness Despite the recent findings, some experts consider the conscious awareness during Near-death experiences, not a true awareness. In a National Geographic report, the publication pointed out that the awareness experienced is a surge of activity in the brain that comes from a lack of oxygen, which is otherwise known as hypoxia. With that said, the argument remains that if one knows that he is dead, then that person is really not dead. According to University of Kentucky neurologist Kevin Nelson, these are not return-from-death experiences because the brain is alive and active. New meaning to life Meanwhile, Parnia said that people who had near-death experiences become more altruistic, more engaged with helping others, adding that they tend to find a new meaning to life. However, Parnia stressed that near-death experiences do not mean that their memories are magically enhanced, Fox News noted. President Donald Trump plans to release secret JFK files next week subject to further information. US Government officials earlier stated that some of the information in the files should be blocked. The US National Archives has until October 26th to make the records public. Is there new information on Kennedy's death? The thousand-day period of Kennedy is popularly referred to as Camelot. Purportedly a golden era, it is viewed with much nostalgia and affection by many. Kennedys assassination on November 22, 1963, has been the subject of much speculation. Many articles, books, Television shows, and movies have depicted his tragic death; all have a different rendition of the event that shaped his legacy. Without any doubt, Kennedy is one of the most admired and loved US Presidents that ever sat in the White House. However, there is still a sense of mystery about his assassination despite all the information about his mysterious death. Surveys show that most Americans are skeptical of the official version which solely blamed Lee Harvey Oswald. In fact, there are still serious doubts about the inquest, no concrete evidence exists that suggested that Harvey had help or even assassinated the President. But bizarre conspiracy theorists have blamed everybody from organized crime to Cuba, and even US security agents! Did Russia and Cuba plan assassination? Apparently, Oswald had traveled to Mexico City in late 1963 and planned Kennedys assassination with Cuban and Soviet spies.The National Archives had already released most of the documents about the case, except for a single batch of files. This installment is the remainder of thousands of materials collected, and their release is solely a presidential prerogative. Government agencies want some documents withheld; these pertain to more recent operations. Author Philip Shenon, an authority figure on Kennedy's assassination, is curious about the contents of the last batch. He doesnt expect anything spectacular to emerge from the secret files but he does expect some information about Oswalds purported meetings with Soviet and Cuban spies. Shenon also stated that he was curious to see if anything would emerge linking Senator Ted Cruzs father to Oswald. That theory was something Trump had alluded to during his election campaign. But, he does not imagine that claim will come to fruition. In his view, linking Senator Cruzs father to Oswald is President Trumps favorite conspiracy theory. However, the senior Cruz considers the argument plain ludicrous. Over the last week, one of the biggest stories to dominate the news cycle has been involving Donald Trump and his alleged insensitive comments to a war widow. After the president denied the allegations, the widow spoke out and caused a frenzy on social media. Trump and the fallen Earlier this month in Niger, Africa, four American soldiers were killed during an ambush. One of the soldiers was Army Sgt. La David Johnson, who left behind his pregnant wife Myeshia and their two young children. Last week, Johnson's body was flown into Miami International Airport, were Mrs. Johnson and her children greeted the casket. At this time Myeshia also received a phone call from the White House and spoke with President Donald Trump. According to Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson, who was in attendance at the time, Trump told the widow that her husband "knew what he signed up for," which reportedly brought her to tears. Once Wilson made the incident public, Trump and the White House quickly pushed back, insulting the congresswoman as "wacky" and accusing her of lying. Despite this, Mrs. Johnson appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" on October 23 to elaborate further on the story. President Trump responds to my conversation with Sgt. LaDavid Johnson's widow, Myeshia Johnson, this morning on @GMA pic.twitter.com/zEsMWzHaTt GeorgeStephanopoulos (@GStephanopoulos) October 23, 2017 Joining host George Stephanopoulos, Myeshia Johnson spoke about the now much-debated phone call between herself and Donald Trump. "It made me cry, because I was very angry at the tone in his voice and how he said it," Mrs. Johnson said, before claiming Trump never even used her husband's name. Mrs. Johnson continued, noting that the only reason Trump knew her husband's name was because "he told me he had my husbands report in front of him," she continued. I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2017 Not stopping there, Myeshia Johnson explained that it hurt her the most that Donald Trump didn't appear to even go out of his way to learn his name without having someone in the administration hand him the proper documents. Mrs. Johnson noted that her husband gave his life for the country, before rhetorically asking the president, "why cant you remember his name?" Trump's response Within minutes of the interview airing on ABC, Donald Trump took to Twitter to give his side of the story. "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!" the president tweeted. Twitter reacts Following Donald Trump's rebuttal to Myeshia Johnson, critics on social media were quick to fire back. "Why don't I believe you? #Resign President Petty Paws. #Resign before midnight tonight so you don't forget!" one tweet read. Just let it be over with already. We had soldiers die, fighting for this country! You are making this death about yourself. Stop it now! Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) October 23, 2017 Did he really just call this gold star widow a liar?! T's Crochet Creation (@crochet_t) October 23, 2017 You're clearly blaming HER for misunderstanding YOU. When you should be blaming YOU for not expressing yourself properly. Pe Resists (@4everNeverTrump) October 23, 2017 "Why don't you just drop it already? Continuing to tweet about this it's doing no good whatsoever," another tweet added. "Did he really just call this gold star widow a liar?!" an additional tweet wondered. I'm willing to bet the American people are going to trust the family of the dead soldier over you Impeach Donald Trump (@Impeach_D_Trump) October 23, 2017 Why don't I believe you? #Resign President Petty Paws. #Resign before midnight tonight so you don't forget! Mysterious Cackle (@MartinaClarkSFO) October 23, 2017 "Holy Cow! When is it going to end? Just let it go already! You are the only one who is dragging this on and continuing to drag this family into your ridiculous mess," yet another tweet noted. The backlash continued as the opposition to Donald Trump doesn't look to be ending anytime soon. Over the last week, Donald Trump has once again made headlines as his feud with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has gone to the next level. With the president receiving massive backlash over his remarks, comedian Bill Maher didn't hold back his opinion on the commander in chief. Maher on Trump In the two years that Donald Trump has been an official politician, he's never held back his thoughts about his critics. Whether it was against his fellow Republican opponents in the GOP primary, against Hillary Clinton during the general election, or against the mainstream media and celebrities in Hollywood, the former host of "The Apprentice" has made a name for himself by using social media and other platforms to lash out. In recent weeks, Trump has amped up his war of words against Kim Jong-un, as North Korea continues to push potential war to the brink. In a tweet last week, Trump mocked Kim as "Rocket Man," while later using the nickname once again in front of the United Nations at the General Assembly. Since then, Trump and Kim have traded insults, which has resulted in panic and controversy around the world. Giving his thoughts was Bill Maher who didn't hold back during the September 22 edition of "Real Time with Bill Maher" on HBO. "Its the first day of Fall. When Trumps colors are at their peak." - @BillMaher #RealTime pic.twitter.com/Yc1CFjURiz Real Time (@RealTimers) September 23, 2017 Kicking off his opening monologue during Friday night's "Real Time," Bill Maher ripped into Donald Trump over his feud with Kim Jong-un, as well as other issues. "It's the first day of Fall, when Trump's colors are at their peak," Maher said in mockery of the president. "Trump and Kim Jong-un. Fat man and little boy as I call them," Maher continued to the laughter of those in the crowd, while adding, "Kim, I love him, called Trump a dotard!" "Dotard is from Shakespeare. Mr. President, if you are watching, Shakespeare was guy a long time ago who wrote plays. Plays are like movies but the people are really there," Bill Maher went on to say. "North Korea is not the country that is on Trump's mind, that would be Russia," Maher went on to say. "Robert Muller said he is very close to finding out who in the Trump campaign wasn't a Russian spy," he continued. #BREAKING: Trump aides pleaded with him not to insult Kim Jong Un in UN speech: report https://t.co/Ry0rIjsN0p pic.twitter.com/a1q9V4DMya The Hill (@thehill) September 22, 2017 Moving forward While Bill Maher and others continue to hold Donald Trump's feet to the fire, the billionaire real estate mogul has many other issues facing his presidency. As Trump struggles to turn his campaign promises into reality, he's sitting on an approval rating that has dropped to around 35 percent in the most recent round of polling Jax Taylor and brittany cartwright have been doing great on "Vanderpump Rules," but on their new spin-off show some people thought they might be splitting. They showed the world that they are not a perfect couple, but nobody is either. Now, Us Magazine is sharing all about how Jax admits that he felt pressure to propose to her and also sharing how they are doing now. There have been some rumors flying that Jax and Brittany didn't make it and split up on the finale. Jax talks about pressure from her family Jax Taylor is now speaking out and saying that he felt a lot of pressure from her family to pop the question. On the show, everyone saw Jax show her mom and grandma that he had been working with a ring designer to make one for her, but it didn't sound like he had bought it just yet. Her mom seemed really excited by the idea of Jax being her son-in-law someday, but Brittany's dad wasn't quite as excited. Jax shared that he really does like her family, but he ended up being questioned as soon as he got off the plane. Brittany has made it clear that she wants marriage and with Jax Taylor. One thing that a lot of people don't know is how long ago they filmed this show. Jax and Brittany filmed their spin-off about a year ago and at that time they had only been dating for a year and a half. They have been together a lot longer now obviously and if he has popped the question then Jax hasn't shared it. How are Jax and Brittany now? First off, if they are engaged they are keeping that quiet. Jax shared that they are still together and are spending a ton of time together since they work together as well as film the show together. It sounds like a proposal is coming, but not until they are both ready for it. You know that the cameras will be rolling for that, but when Tom and Katie got engaged they went ahead and let everyone know and didn't make them wait to see it on the show even though it was filmed and shown later. Now another thing that Jax Taylor shared is that before Brittany he didn't want to get married. It does sound like he has moved past that and will actually end up proposing at some point, but fans are going to have to wait on it. Jax isn't the type of guy that will just let someone tell him what to do. You know that it is going to be on his terms when he asks her to marry him. Are you surprised to hear about how much pressure Jax felt to propose? Do you feel like these two will end up married someday? Sound off in the comments below, and don't miss new episodes of "Vanderpump Rules" when it returns to Bravo. "The young and the restless" spoilers for Friday, October 20, reveal that Cane (Daniel Goddard) and Victoria (Amelia Heinle) will have a heated confrontation. Cane is still bent out of shape over Victoria firing him for misconduct. It's pretty apparent that they are not each other's favorite person. Cane and Victoria face-off Cane still blames Victoria for most of his problems. He believes that if she had not fired him, Lily (Christel Khalil) wouldn't have kicked him out and filed for divorce. Sure, being unemployed put a strain on his marriage, but Victoria didn't force him to drink too much and have sex with Juliet (Laur Allen) in Tokyo. "Young and the Restless" spoilers state that Cane will accuse Victoria of not handling a crisis well. He may say that she should never have fired he and Juliet. Whatever is said, Victoria gets sick of his comments and throws a drink in his face. Victoria has a car crash "Young and the Restless" spoilers indicate that Victoria will end the week with a horrific car crash. She will fall asleep behind the wheel and crash her car. Apparently, whatever has been wrong with her for the past few months will catch up with her. Perhaps they will finally figure out what's been wrong with her all these months. Tessa and Mariah have a chat Mariah (Camryn Grimes) and Tessa (Cait Fairbanks) chat about their feelings for each other. Mariah tries to deny she has feelings for her brother's live-in girlfriend, but Tessa knows she isn't telling the truth. "Y&R" spoilers suggest that Mariah admits she feels confused by her attraction to her and needs time to think about it. Jack tries to stop Graham legally "Young and the Restless" spoilers state that Peter Bergman will seek help from Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc). Jack can't help but feel frustrated by Graham's (Max Shippee) connection to Dina (Marla Adams) and hopes Michael can force him to bring his mother back to Genoa CIty. According to CDL, Michael tells Jack that his hands may be tied, but he will try to find a legal way to force Graham out of his mother's life. Jack won't wait for Michael to sort out the legal matter. He feels he has to take drastic action or his mother could die in Graham's care. Do you think Jack will force Graham to hand over Dina? Will Tessa and Mariah admit their true feelings for each other? Will they find out what's wrong with Victoria? "Young and the Restless" airs weekdays on CBS. Rural official Pan Kegang said what General Secretary Xi Jinping said at his village two years ago has been a motto to remind him to work for the people. Whether the Party's policy is good or not depends on whether it makes the people smile or cry, Xi said during an inspection tour of the impoverished village of Huamao in Guizhou province in June 2015. Pan, a delegate to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, recalled the words when Xi attended a panel discussion with Guizhou delegates on Thursday as part of the congress. Pan, presenting Xi with a photo showing the enormous changes taking place in the once-poor village, said, "We will work harder to give people more smiles." This people-centered philosophy is an important part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era unveiled at the congress. In the report delivered at the opening session on Wednesday, Xi urged all Party members to "always breathe the same breath as the people, share the same future and stay truly connected to them". Xi reiterated the pledge that he made five years ago when he assumed the post of general secretary of the 18th CPC Central Committee in November 2012. "The aspirations of the people to live a better life must always be the focus of our efforts," Xi said. Yu Liufen, Party secretary of the village of Yanbo in Liupanshui, Guizhou, said that she had noticed that Xi mentioned the word "people" 203 times in his three-and-a-half-hour report. "It reflects the deep feelings and tight bond that General Secretary Xi has with the people," she said, adding that poverty-reduction measures have greatly improved the people's livelihoods in remote mountainous villages. When she traveled to Beijing to attend the Party's 17th National Congress 10 years ago, it took her four days to get from her village to Beijing via the provincial capital Guiyang. But now, it takes her only 45 minutes from her home to reach the nearest high-speed railway station. Then, she can get to Beijing in only eight hours on the fast train, she said. Xi has attached great importance to poverty reduction and made a solemn promise to eliminate the country's poverty in 2020 to achieve the Party's goal of building a moderately prosperous society. The ongoing congress has reaffirmed the target. At the end of last year, China had 43 million impoverished people living in rural areas, after 55 million people were lifted above the poverty line between 2012 and 2016. "What I care most about is the people living in difficulties," Xi said in his 2017 New Year's address. During a panel discussion with lawmakers from Sichuan province in March, Xi said his heart was broken when he heard several years ago that some students in Liangshan prefecture had to climb cliffs without any safety equipment on their way to school. He said he felt some relief learning that the local government has taken measures such as installing a steel ladder to help the students. In late 2012, immediately after becoming general secretary, he visited a poor village in Hebei province and presented villagers with relief materials such as cooking oil, quilts and winter coats. Xi did not just talk with the poor families but always took a look at the pans in their kitchens and what kind of food they ate every day. He also asked about their income, their expenses and whether they could afford medical costs with health insurance. In June, during his inspection tour of Kelan county, Shanxi province, Xi visited families in poverty-stricken villages, talking with them about the causes of their poverty and how to increase their incomes. He also went to the fields to inspect how their crops were growing. When he was deputy Party chief of coastal Fujian province in 1997, Xi made a trip to the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, where he expressed deep concern about the living conditions of the poor people. Fujian was designated by the central government to assist the development of poverty-stricken Ningxia at the time. In July 2016, Xi revisited Ningxia and called for no one to be left behind regardless of geography or ethnic group as the nation strives to comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society by 2020. Hai Guobao, a villager in the township of Minning in Ningxia, recalled that Xi went into his kitchen to check his access to water and to lift a pot lid to see what they were having for dinner. Xi also checked on whether Hai's kang, a traditional brick bed that can be heated from the bottom, worked well. Qu Xiaoli, a delegate to the 19th National Congress and also Party secretary of Hongqiao district in Tianjin, said that Xi's report, reflecting deep feelings for the people, has expanded the close link between the Party and the people. "We will follow the guidelines of the report of the congress and make efforts to meet the people's demands in such areas as education, health and culture," she said. Tao Wenzhao, a professor of politics at Renmin University of China, said Xi's deep feeling toward the people originates from his personal experiences. Xi lived in a poor village in Yan'an, Shaanxi province, from 1969 to 1975. He led the villagers in digging wells, building dams and setting up the province's first methane-generation pit. From 1982 to 1985, he served first as deputy secretary and then as secretary of the CPC Zhengding county committee in Hebei province. At the time, he worked to diversify the economy of the agricultural county, helping farmers increase their incomes. "The president's true feelings toward the people come from his long bond with the people, and it's the tradition of the Communist Party of China to forge close links with the grassroots," said Tao, the professor. The frugality campaign launched by the central leadership about five years ago has brought fresh changes to the Party congress, which delegates said could be an example for future meetings. Inside the Great Hall of the People, where the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was convened, no ornamental displays of flowers or plants were installed. No celebration banners were placed at hotels where delegates are staying. No souvenirs have been given to delegates. Some stationery supplies like pencils and paper are made from recycled materials. "I can feel the simple and frugal style at the congress, which makes me feel more comfortable and relaxed, and delegates can concentrate on the meeting itself," said Li Dawei, a delegate from Sinopec's Baling branch in Yueyang, Hunan province. "No flowers or other unnecessary decorations are placed at the meeting venues," he said, adding that even bottled water is not provided to help protect the environment. "We take a shuttle bus to commute between the hotel and the Great Hall of the People. No other special cars have been arranged," Li said. Ten percent fewer vehicles than expected were ordered, according to Shouqi Group, a State-owned automobile enterprise in charge of ground transport for the meeting. In accord with the eight-point frugality code issued by the central leadership in late 2012, the group running conference services for the 19th CPC National Congress is following the principle of "simple, economical, safe and efficient", according to the People's Daily, the Party's official newspaper. Jia Fengshan, a delegate from Tianjin, said banquets and gatherings of small groups have almost disappeared. "Delegates are taking the lead in self-discipline," he was quoted as saying by People's Daily. "The national congress is the top-level meeting of the Party. The frugal style sets a good example for Party and government meetings across the country." luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn Women ride on a women-only car of the Hanzomon Line of the Tokyo Metro at Omotesando Station in Tokyo on May 9. Nine railways in the Tokyo metropolitan area and subways operated by the Tokyo Metro introduced women-only cars during the morning rush-hour period to prevent sexual assault. [Photo/VCG] SANTIAGO - Chilean deputy Gabriel Silber called on Sunday for women-only subway cars to be implemented in the Santiago subway at rush hours to avoid instances of sexual assault. "This is an important problem that women suffer daily in the greater Santiago when they move by metro. We have one of the metros with the highest levels of frequency in the world during peak hours, we reach about six passengers per square meter," said Silber. The Santiago metro is the second-largest in Latin America with a network of around 103 kilometers, with another 25 kilometers currently under construction, and is the seventh most frequented in the world. The amount of people on the metro at peak hours since 2007 after a reform that led to more people using the subway has led to a sharp rise in the number of sexual assault accusations. The left-wing deputy pointed to "big cities such as Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro or Mexico city..." have implemented strong campaigns and measures destined to prevent, avoid and punish sexual assault inside the subway." "I am referring to measures such as the segregation of carriages at peak hours, some of them are pink for example, the installation of security cameras inside the carriages and police officers travelling incognito inside the cars," he explained. According to Silber, "the Santiago subway is behind in terms of public policies that seek to prevent sexual assault inside public transportation." A council worker walks past sacks of potatoe as he sprays disinfectant during the clean-up of the market of Anosibe in the Anosibe district, one of the most unsalubrious district of Antananarivo, Madagascar, on Oct 10, 2017. The World Health Organization has warned that a deadly outbreak of the plague, which began in late August, has claimed more than 20 lives in Madagascar and is swiftly spreading in cities across the country. [Photo/VCG] RABAT - Morocco said Sunday it will send emergency medical aid to Madagascar to relieve the pneumonic plague epidemic that hit the country. Morocco's King Mohammed VI gave his instructions to send medical aid to the Madagascar, according to a statement by the Moroccan Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry. An outbreak of plague, also known as the Black Death, in Madagascar has so far killed nearly 100 people and experts are warning the disease is still spreading. The relief aid consists of 34 tons of medicines, medical material and protection equipments, the statement said. It added that this aid will back up the mechanism set up by Madagascar's government to counter and contain the pandemic. Although there are uncertainties and maybe setbacks ahead, China and the US need to facilitate cooperation and reduce friction because this bilateral relationship is the most consequential of its kind in the world. This consensus, a strongly-held belief among founding members and governance at the US-China Strong Foundation, explains why this Washington-based nonprofit, since its establishment in 2013, has worked so hard to invest in and empower young people in the US and equip them with the knowledge and skills to engage with China. "If we want to strengthen the relationship between China and the US, we need to start with our children," said Florence Fang, a San Francisco-based businesswoman who is also one of the founders of the foundation. "If our future American leaders understand China well, know Chinese culture and make friends with their Chinese counterparts, I don't see the possibility that the world's two biggest economies will become foes." In 2013, President Obama initiated the 100K Strong program, setting the goal of sending 100,000 American students to study in China by 2014, a goal that was met ahead of schedule. In 2015, President Xi Jinping and President Obama announced a more aggressive program, the 1 Million Strong, to expand by five-fold Mandarin language instruction in US K-12 schools from approximately 200,000 to 1 million by 2020. "We re-launched this initiative in 2016 and took a new name, the US-China Strong Foundation," said Fang, adding that the foundation now leads three signature campaigns that "focus on supporting the full spectrum of American youth, ranging from our youngest students through young professionals entering China-related careers." In September, the foundation announced the appointment of a new CEO, John Holden, a seasoned China expert with decades of experience in US-China business and political relations. Holden joins the foundation from Peking University, where, as associate dean, he helped launch the school's Yenching Academy, a full-fellowship graduate-level program in China studies. He traveled widely to recruit students from more than 60 countries. The first group of students graduated with their master's degrees in July. "I'm honored to join US-China Strong and work on its important mission to ensure that future American leaders have the tools to engage productively with China," said Holden. "I have been a witness to the development of US-China relations since I first visited China in 1974, and know firsthand the benefits of productive relations between our two countries. Now, more than ever, we must invest in programs that facilitate cooperation and reduce friction in this most consequential bilateral relationship," he added. Holden, a nonresident senior fellow in the Carnegie Asia Program, served as president of the National Committee on USChina Relations from 1998 to 2005. Under his leadership, the committee expanded its scope to include the US-China Young Leaders Forum, the Foreign Policy Colloquium and Track II Dialogues and programs on topics ranging from health and the environment to education and judicial reform. On September 30, Holden received this year's Chinese Government Friendship Award - China's highest honor granted to a foreigner for his contribution to the nation's development. "Premier Li Keqiang met with all 50 recipients of this award at the Great Hall of the People," said Holden. Li said that China and the rest of the world are a community of common destiny, and they should learn from each other. Li hopes that the foreign experts will act as ambassadors for China and help more foreign friends learn about China. Looking forward, Holden and Fang will "collaborate with our partners, stakeholders and supporters to enhance the US-China relationship through Mandarin language learning, China study abroad and innovative programming such as the US-China Career Connection." "We will gather opinions and suggestions from organizations that concentrate on facilitating the China-US relationship, compose an analysis report, and present to policy-makers in China and US," said Fang. "Through networking and alliances, we are able to provide a reference of insight and balanced reasoning." Contact the writer at junechang@chinadailyusa.com. Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Loading... Checking your browser before accessing the website. This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. Please wait a few seconds. HCM CITY Viet Nams agricultural sector needs to intensify the application of information and communications technology (ICT) to improve its productivity, quality and competitiveness in the world market, experts said. Tu Minh Thien, deputy director of the HCM City Agricultural Hi-Tech Parks management board, said in many countries, ICT applications have been adopted in about 10 segments in the agricultural sector, including setting up agricultural supply chains, supporting farmers to access financial services, markets and value chains, agricultural risk management, land management and improving food safety and traceability. In Viet Nam, ICT has been applied mainly in supply chain management, hygiene and food safety management and tracing the origin of products, and it has not been deployed widely, he told a Viet Nam-US Agritech Co-operation workshop held in HCM City last Friday. Expanding the application of ICT in the agricultural sector will help us manage many issues as well as create breakthrough development. For instance, by applying ICT, farmers can understand the current condition of their farm soil, suggest which substances to add or recommend what kind of plant to be cultivated to gain optimum efficiency, he said. In the US, farmers account for less than one per cent of the population, but its agricultural production can meet its large domestic demand and export partly thanks to the application of ICT in farming, he said. There were certain challenges in expanding ICT applications in the agricultural sector in Viet Nam, including insufficient technical infrastructure in rural areas, a lack of human resources who can understand ICT as well as agriculture, a small scale of production and a fragmented agricultural data base, delegates said. But the sector needs to enhance the use of ICT in the sector to optimise efficiency as well as to meet market demand, he said. As the countrys agricultural production centre, the Mekong Delta has applied IT some areas, including building certain local database, management system, pest warning map and a map of pangasius farming area, said Vo Thi Thu Huong, deputy director of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Can Tho. The shrimp production and export sector in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta needs an IT application to enable it to prove the origin of its products better so as to facilitate their export, she said. At the event, which brought together US investors and leaders from many provinces in Viet Nam to see co-operation success stories and discuss new trade and investment opportunities, US experts shared experiences in developing hi-tech agriculture as well as co-operation opportunities with Viet Nam in the sector. Gerald Smith, senior attache for agricultural affairs at the US Consulate General in HCM City, said American businesses can offer modern hi-tech products, services and knowledge. US businesses also provide long-term solutions to agriculture problems, such as drought, excessive pesticide use and food safety, he said. American companies in the agricultural sector are willing to make a long-term investment because we believe Viet Nam is a country of tremendous opportunities. I am optimistic that the US and Viet Nam will make progress in the area of high tech agriculture. The major thing is that open co-operation is a robust tool for innovation, he said. Thien said the workshop would help US and Vietnamese firms understand each others supply and demand to foster co-operation. The event was part of the second International Conference on Information Technology Outsourcing/Business Process Outsourcing held by the VNITO Alliance, QTSC and the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre. VNS APEC members are determined to use all policy tools monetary, fiscal and structural individually and collectively, to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. VNA/VNS Photo An ang HOI AN APEC members are determined to use all policy tools monetary, fiscal and structural individually and collectively, to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. The determination was the highlight of a joint statement issued by the Finance Ministers of 21 APEC member economies on Saturday. The statement marked the successful conclusion of the 24th APEC Finance Ministers Meeting (FMM) held in Hoi An City, central Quang Nam Province. The FMM is the most important event under the APEC Finance Ministers Process, which is a forum for APEC member economies to address regional macroeconomic and financial issues as well as domestic and regional financial policy priorities. The three-day meeting, marked by what attendants said were proactive and fruitful dialogues, was chaired by Vietnamese Finance Minister inh Tien Dung. They agreed that the near-term outlook for global economic growth was encouraging but in the medium term, the risk remains of tightening global financial conditions and slower productivity gains, which could inhibit sustainable growth. Dung said that monetary policies should continue to support economic activity and ensure stable prices while remaining consistent with central banks mandates. He said strong fundamentals, sound policies and a resilient international monetary system were essential for the stability of exchange rates. The Finance Ministers agreed that excessive volatility or disorderly movements in exchange rates could have adverse impacts on economic and financial stability. We will refrain from competitive devaluation and will not target our exchange rates for competitive purposes, Dung said. He also reaffirmed the key role of structural reforms in achieving strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. The ministers recognised the importance of four priorities identified by Viet Nam for APEC 2017. For long-term investment in infrastructure, while agreeing on the role of public investment, the joint statement also stressed the role of diversifying financial sources and private sector involvement in infrastructure projects. The meeting also endorsed a policy statement on Diversifying Financing Sources and Fostering Private Sector Involvement in Infrastructure Investment in APEC member economies. It recognised the essence of building risk allocation mechanisms and applying appropriate risk mitigation instruments in public-private partnership (PPP) contracts. The ministers agreed on enhanced regional co-operation in sharing experiences, approaches and good practices on tax policy development, legislative design and tax administration to address base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) challenges. They also emphasised the need to enhance certainty, transparency and fairness of the tax system. The statement said effective disaster risk financing and insurance strategies, including solutions for financial risk management of public assets, would help mitigate and transfer risks, and better support timely recovery and reconstruction after disasters. The ministers encouraged member economies to continue to improve their risk information systems based on their specific circumstances and explore partnerships with the private sector for innovative market-based risk transfer solutions. The joint statement highlighted the importance of financing for the sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas, and for narrowing income gaps. The introduction of new and varied financial solutions for this sector would create more favourable opportunities for people and businesses to access suitable and affordable products and services. Financial infrastructure, particularly credit information, secured transaction and insolvency systems as well as trade and supply chain funding are essential, the statement said, encouraging co-operation on credit information to support cross border trade and investment. The statement also highlighted achivements in discussions on the Cebu Action Plan and other issues. It appreciated support and recommendations from international organisations including the International Monetary Fund, Asia Development Bank, World Bank, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and APEC Business Advisory Council. Results of the meeting will be reported to the APEC Economic Leaders Summit in November in a Nang. The next APEC Finance Ministers Meeting will be held in Papua New Guinea in October next year. Not everyone benefits Earlier, in his opening remarks, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had said the meeting was taking place in the context of global economic recovery as well as improvement in trade, investment and finance. However, there were many challenges facing the region, including slowing trade, increasing trend of protectionism and use of non-tariff barriers, he said. The PM spoke highly about the four priorities for financial cooperation in APEC 2017, including long-term investment in infrastructure, base erosion and profit shifting, disaster risk financing and insurance and financial inclusion. Practically, not all members of society benefit from globalisation and trade liberalisation and investment, Phuc said. The Asia-Pacific region, which has several of the worlds leading and dynamic economies, continues to be a driver of global growth, but economic growth and productivity in some economies was still low, he added. The PM called for stronger co-operation and coordination in policymaking among APECs member economies towards establishing a stable financial system and achieving sustainable development. VNS Earlier this month Idemitsu Q8 Petroleum LLC opened its first retail outlet in Ha Nois Thang Long Industrial Park, marking the first time a wholly foreign-owned company has entered the fuel retail sector. Photo soha.vn Earlier this month Idemitsu Q8 Petroleum LLC opened its first retail outlet in Ha Nois Thang Long Industrial Park, marking the first time a wholly foreign-owned company has entered the fuel retail sector. Idemitsu Q8 is a joint venture between Japans Idemitsu and Kuwait Petroleum International Ltd. It was the first to benefit from a landmark government decision last year to allow foreign businesses to distribute fuel in Viet Nam if they invest in oil refining in the country. The entrance of Idemitsu Q8 has been welcomed as a positive change for the petroleum retail sector. The modern new petrol pump has the best equipment from Japan, the latest management software and international standard service by well- trained staff. Idemitsu Q8 is soon expected to expand its retail network along Highway No.5, which links Hai Phong and Ha Noi. Market observers said the newcomer is like a breath of fresh air in the Vietnamese fuel retail market. Its modern and service-oriented operation would benefit consumers and put pressure on domestic players to improve to keep up. Some even fear that Idemitsu Q8 would soon take over the local market. Thanks to the two partners 35.1 per cent stake each in the Nghi Son Refinery, the joint venture has an opportunity to establish a large fuel retail network in future. But others do not agree with this assessment, saying it would not be easy for foreign retailers here. They point out that major domestic retailers such as Petrolimex, PVOil and Sai Gon Petro have a nation-wide network of outlets. Petrolimex for instance has more than 2,500 pumps, many in prime locations around the country. Besides, foreign players, despite their deep pockets, cannot compete on price like they do in other sectors, confident they can absorb possible losses, to undercut local competition. The fuel prices are still fixed by the Government. Viet Nam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) is the countrys biggest petroleum retailer. Its deputy director, Nguyen Quang Dung, told the media that his company has been preparing for the entry of foreign retailers for dozens of years. With its nation-wide retail network and 50-year experience, Petrolimex is ready for a fair and transparent competition, he said. To create a retail network similar to Petrolimexs, time, location and opportunity are also needed rather than just plenty of resources, he said. Analysts said for many years foreign companies have been eyeing the Vietnamese petroleum retail market because they believe it is still very promising. The entry of major foreign energy retailers is expected to make the market more transparent and fair. VN shipping, logistics attract foreign investors On the first day of October Gemadept Corporation completed a sale of majority stakes in its two subsidiary firms to Koreas CJ Logistics Corporation. The company said it sold 50.9 per cent in Gemadept Shipping Holding Co Ltd and Gemadept Logistics Holding Co Ltd, reducing its holdings to 49.1 per cent in each. The divestment is part of Gemadepts restructuring plan and was approved at its annual shareholders meeting in May. The proceeds will be used to pay dividends to shareholders. CJ Logistics, previously known as CJ Korea Express Corp, is looking for opportunities to acquire logistics firms in Southeast Asia and become one of five largest logistics firms, especially in Viet Nam. In the last two years, it has bought major stakes in logistics firms in Malaysia, China, Dubai, and India. Early last year another South Korean company, Samsung SDS, an information and communications technology and logistics firm belonging to the Korean conglomerate, entered the Vietnamese market through a joint venture with Aviation Logistics Service. The Samsung SDS website last week said it plans to establish a joint venture in Viet Nam and boost its presence in the Southeast Asian logistics market. This is the second joint venture in Southeast Asia for Samsung SDS following one it established last month with Thailands leading customs clearance company, ACUTECH. The acquisitions by foreign companies in the Vietnamese shipping and logistics market come at a time when many local firms are struggling and making losses. For instance, the Viet Nam Ocean Shipping Joint Stock Company (Vosco) used to be the countrys leading shipping company, but it has piled up losses of VN974.3 billion over 10 consecutive quarters up to the second quarter of this year. The Orient Shipping Service and Trading Joint Stock Company has been deep in debt since 2012. Analysts attribute these to the sharp decline in freight charges, of up to 90 per cent, and a scarcity of cargo. A simultaneous oversupply of vessels has led to fierce competition between shipping companies, causing freight charges to fall by 30 per cent, and even 50 per cent in some cases, from a few years ago. According to the Viet Nam Maritime Administration, last year the countrys shipping fleet of 1,840 ships with a total tonnage of 7.3 million DWT transported a total of 54.2 million tonnes of cargo, a year-on-year fall of 4 per cent. The fleet has been transporting about 90 per cent of cargo domestically, but only 10-12 per cent of imports and exports. The vessels lack the technical capability to carry certain cargo, offer a high standard of services or for long voyages and so do not ply on high-priced routes. The domestic fleet only has a 20 per cent market share as a result. But the domestic shipping and logistics sectors also have certain advantages, which make them attractive to foreign investors. Despite the problems, the shipping registered 4 per cent growth last year. The results are expected to be better this year and in the coming years thanks to opportunities in the domestic market with more and more thermal power plants going on stream, industrial parks and processing zones being built and construction booming on Phu Quoc Island. The logistics market is expected to grow by 15-20 by 2025 and contribute 8-10 per cent of GDP. The rapid growth in Viet Nams export-oriented manufacturing sector has boosted demand for logistics services but local players have largely failed to meet this demand and foreign enterprises are therefore see big opportunities in the sector. Besides, growth in the shipping and logistics industries reply much on trade, and Viet Nams trade is expected to do well in 2017-20 thanks to the raft of free trade agreements it has signed and will take effect. Foreign shipping and logistics companies are keen to take advantage of this, analysts said. VNS QUANG NGAI Fish farmers in central Quang Ngai Province are concerned about thousands of dead fish, which are polluting a local lake. A foul smell emanated from the dead fish, which were covered by flies in Ho Chuoi Lake in Binh Son Districts Binh Trung Commune, the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported. Pham Tan Thanh, a resident, told the newspaper that poultry (chickens and ducks) belonging to locals died after eating the dead fish that washed up ashore near their residential areas. Mass fish deaths have occurred a few times in recent years, but not in such high numbers as this time, another resident told the newspaper . Resident Cu Van Hung said the fish started dying after heavy rainfall last Friday. Its strange, he said. Fish farmer o Thi Van who is raising some 20,000 carp, grass carp and tench fish at home, said she lost some 100kg of fish per day, which resulted in financial loses of millions of ong. The polluted water flowed from the lake into my pond so fast, I didnt know how to prevent it, she said. Trinh Phu inh, chairman of the Peoples Committee of Binh Trung Commune, said commune authorities are investigating the incident. Nguyen Quang Trung, vice chairman of the Peoples Committee of Binh Son District, said district authorities are also inspecting the lake and investigating the cause of the fish deaths. VNS By Dr. Catherine Gonzalez October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month As modern-day women, its all too easy to use the Im too busy excuse, so you may be tempted to let your annual breast screening or a lipid profile test slip. Dont let that happen. As busy as you are as a modern women, there is no reason why you cannot have a healthy life. Here are five of the most important medical tests that all women should take: Pelvic Examination and Pap smear With cervical cancer said to be the second leading cause of death for women, uterine and pelvic health should be given prime importance. It is always advisable that you visit your gynecologist periodically and have a complete pelvic examination and a Pap smear test. Do not get scared as most do on hearing about these tests. A pelvic exam checks for abnormalities such as growths while Pap smear is a simple screening test to check if any cancerous cells are present in the cervix, which is the connecting part of the vagina to the uterus. A swab is inserted into the vagina to remove cells from the cervix. The cells are then examined in a laboratory for signs of pre-cancerous or cancerous changes. Any female who is sexually active requires this test. Age is no limit but generally it is required for those females who are sexually active. How often: Ideally, the testing should be done every year after 30. Tips: For the most accurate Pap results, avoid having sex or using vaginal medications (such as anti-yeast creams) one to two days before your appointment. HPV (Human PapillomaVirus) Test You might be surprised to learn that Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the second-most common cause of female cancer after breast cancer. Do you also know that 80 per cent of all males and females up to the age of 60 get infected with human papilloma virus at least once in their lifetime? For women, screening is critical to detect most HPV-related diseases. Now, HPV vaccines offer the best protection. All young women from 9-26 years old, should get the 3-dose vaccine to protect themselves against this potentially fatal disease. Physical Breast Examination Breast cancer cases have been rising steadily in the last decade, and it is now the most common cancer in women, way ahead of cervical cancer. Both the incidence of as well as deaths due to breast cancer are more than that of cervical cancer. Hence, regular physical breast examination becomes compulsory. Females undergo many hormonal changes starting from puberty to menopause, which causes changes in her breasts and glands around them. These changes can be examined physically by noticing it or by touching and feeling the changes. Checking breasts for lumps, skin changes, thickening, and nipple discharge is the best way to be vigilant about preventing breast cancer. What should be done: Palpation of the breast and underarm area to check for lumps, dimpling, pain or tenderness, inflamed skin, and any other changes in the breasts. A nipple exam checking for discharge, crustiness, or blockage. A self-breast examination is also recommended. When to get it done: Around the age of 18 years and above. Do them about a week after you start your period, when breasts tend to be less swollen and tender. How often; Once a year for women in their 30s, if youre healthy, to make sure there havent been any changes for the worse. Younger women may not need a yearly screening if theyre healthy. Mammography Mammograms are low-dose X-rays that can often find a lump before you ever feel it, though normal results dont completely rule out cancer. It is recommended that while youre in your 40s, you have a mammogram every year. Then during your 50s through your 70s, you can switch to every other year. Of course, your doctor may recommend more frequent screenings if youre at higher risk. Lipid Profile This test checks for good (LDL) and bad cholesterol (HDL) along with triglycerides and total cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a fat molecule, which if present in higher levels can get accumulated in the blood vessels and can affect the health of your heart, blood vessels, and brain. These tests help determine your level of risk for heart disease (the number-one killer of women) and stroke. When to get it done? A lipid profile is best done after fasting for 9 to 12 hours, so book a morning appointment and skip breakfast. How often? This test is advised after the age of 30 years and should be done once in five years if previous test results were in normal range. However, high levels require regular screenings, for instance, once in six months. Women who have other risk factors such as family history of heart disease, diabetes, and blood pressure would also be advised other specific tests such as high-sensitivity CRP test (hs-CRP), which measures inflammation, an indicator of heart health. If you have a history of depression, you may have increased levels of inflammation. FMP Hanoi not only focuses on quality treatment, but also puts strong emphasis on preventive care services. To fit into your busy life, we offer one stop services and tailor female checkup packages to suit your age, family history, and personal risk factors. Family Medical Practice Vietnam *Doctor Catherine Gonzalez is a General Practitioner at Family Medical Practice Hanoi. For more advice on any medical topics, visit Family Medical Practice Hanoi on 298 I Kim Ma, Ba inh or call (024) 3843 0748. Email: hanoi@vietnammedicalpractice.com or check out www.vietnammedicalpractice.com FMPs downtown HCM City location is at Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, District 1; other facilities are at: 95 Thao ien Street, District 2. Tel: (028) 38227848. E:hcmc@vietnammedicalpractice.com FMP Danang is located at 96-98 Nguyen Van Linh Street, Hai Chau District, a Nang. Tel: (0236) 3582 699. E: danang@vietnammedicalpractice.com. HCM CITY HCM City General Publishing House on Saturday launched the 11th Book Week to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The Book Week is hosted at three areas, including General Publishing Houses bookstore No 1 on District 1s Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, General Publishing Houses bookstore No 2 on District 4s Nguyen Tat Thanh Street and booth M01 on District 1s Nguyen Van Binh Book Street. Twenty-nine new book titles from writers such as Pham Phuong Thao, Nguyen inh Tu, An Chi, Huynh Ngoc Trang and Nguyen Thi Hau will be introduced during the Book Week. Two titles have been published just in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution (1907 1917). According to the organisers, a discount is applied to both hard copies and e-books in an effort to encourage more people to read. In addition to displaying books, two meetings with writers Nguyen inh Tu and Nguyen Thi Hau will be held. The event welcomes visitors until October 28. VNS HA NOI An exhibition of contemporary works and archival material by the Gang of Five, a group of the countrys top artists, opened in Ha Noi on Saturday. The group, including painters Hong Viet Dung, Ha Tri Hieu, ang Xuan Hoa, Tran Luong and Pham Quang Vinh, hold an esteemed position in the history of fine art in Viet Nams post-oi moi (renewal) era. They emerged in the early 80s as Viet Nam was struggling to rebuild after decades of war. A painting by ang Xuan Hoa entitled A New Morning. The exhibition, jointly held by the Art Vietnam Salon Gallery and the Japan Foundation Asia Centre, is being curated by Le Thuan Uyen and is designed to celebrate their achievements and honour their place in Vietnamese art history. The exhibition is being held at the Viet Nam Feature Film Studio. It also includes a collection of archival materials highlighting their aesthetic development and the unique environment in which they created, said Suzanne Lecht, director of the Art Vietnam Salon Gallery, where the original copies of archival materials owned by collectors worldwide will be displayed. A painting by Ha Tri Hieu entitled Memory of the War. The exhibition will be accompanied by weekly curatorial tours that will take visitors through the exhibition venue, to Art Vietnam Salon Gallery and to the artists studios. The tour schedules will be announced in the coming days and those wishing to attend must sign up by sending an email to info@artvietnamgallery.com. A catalog of the exhibition sponsored by the Ha Noi Goethe Institut and ThingsAsian Press Hong Kong will be available by the end of the year. A painting by Tran Luong entitled Black Blue Night Life. Known for creating bold, distinctive works, depicting personal conceptions that departed from the socialist realist imposition of the previous generation of artists, they began to gain attention and started exhibiting abroad in the early 90s, said Lecht. Their first joint exhibition was in 1990, and they adopted the name Gang of Five in a 1993 exhibition. A painting by Pham Quang Vinh entitled Artists and Model. Invitations to exhibit abroad in Hong Kong, the Netherlands, and in New York quickly followed as the world recognised the emergence of a culture previously hidden from world view. The exhibition will run until November 19 at the Viet Nam Feature Film Studio, 4 Thuy Khue Street, Ha Noi. The Art Vietnam Salon Gallery is located at 2, Alley 66, Yen Lac Street. VNS A NANG Viet Nams picturesque landscapes and mystical monuments have found katazome expression at the hands of Japanese artist Toba Mika. A selection of her works is on display at the a Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture. More than a thousand years old, katazome, or stencil dyeing, is a Japanese paste-resist surface design technique for cloth and paper. The complicated process incorporates elements of both printmaking and painting, and relies on simple non-toxic materials such as rice paste, natural pigments and soymilk. Katazome was used in creating samurai outfits, clothes of kyogen comic performing artists, or kimonos. What Ive done: Artist Toba Mika introduces her paintings to visitors at the exhibition in a Nang. Photo courtesy of organiser Mika, who has a Masters degree from the Kyoto City University of Arts, has developed a new style of painting by using the traditional katazome method. When she first came to Viet Nam in 1994, the artist immediately felt an invisible connection between katazome paintings and Viet Nams scenery and cultural heritage, and this prompted her to make several trips to Viet Nam. She found inspiration in everyday scenes, like the railway track in Ha Noi that passes very close to a row of houses and a lone boat on the Huong River in Hue early in the morning, the mystical Cham sculptures in the My Son Sanctuary and the typical yellow walls in Hoi An City. Her unique paintings have been exhibited several times in Viet Nam, attracting great attention and admiration from Vietnamese art enthusiasts. Urban track: A katazome painting by Toba Mika of a scene in the heart of Ha Noi. Some of the previous shows held here were at the Toba Mika Exhibition to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Japan - Viet Nam Diplomatic Relations in 2003; an exhibition called Playing the Eternal Music of Heart at the Royal Palace in Hue in 2005; and the Nara and Ha Noi Bound together with Katazome exhibition that commemorated both the 1,300th anniversary of Nara Heijo-kyo Capital and the millennial anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi in 2010. In Japan, Mika has received 19 awards including Urban Culture Incentive Award and the Kyoto Arts New Artist Award. She received the Foreign Ministers Award for her contribution to promoting friendship between Japan and Viet Nam through her works and cultural activities. The Vietnamese Government has also given her its Cultural Testimonial Award. The ongoing Toba Mikas Katazome Paintings Exhibition, which has been brought to a Nang by Menard, is an activity held to welcome the APEC Summit. It will remain open to the public until November 11. The a Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture is at 2, Hai Thang Chin Street. VNS The National Assembly (NA) is set to hear reports on implementation of the socio-economic development plan and State spending on the first day of its 4th plenary session that starts today. VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Dan HA NOI The National Assembly (NA) is set to hear reports on implementation of the socio-economic development plan and State spending on the first day of its 4th plenary session that starts today. The Government will also report to the NA deputies on development plans and the use of the State budget next year. Out of 26 working days, 11 will be broadcast live on VTV, including the debate on the State budget, the handling of citizens complaints and the national report on gender equality. The NA is scheduled to vote on six laws, one of which is the controversial draft Law on Planning. The law was brought to the NA for discussion three times previously and sparked heated debates among ministries as it would trigger amendments of 45 other laws if approved. Other legislation on the NAs agenda includes the draft law on cyber security and amendments to the laws on anti-corruption and competition. Plans on land clearance for Long Thanh Airport and details on the administrations of three special economic zones of Van on, Van Phong and Phu Quoc will also be brought up for discussion. Officials departure During this session, the NA deputies are expected to vote on the departure of two high-level Government officials. The first is Transport Minister Truong Quang Nghia who was just assigned by the Politburo as the new Party Secretary of a Nang City, replacing Nguyen Xuan Anh who was dismissed over corruption-related offenses. The NA will also vote on Government Chief Inspector Phan Van Sau who submitted his resignation due to concerns over his health and family-related reasons. VNS HA NOI The gross domestic product (GDP) of Viet Nam this year is expected to reach 6.7 per cent, perfectly on point with the previously set target. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc yesterday delivered a report on the national socio-economic development in 2017 in the opening ceremony of the fall plenary session of the National Assembly. Viet Nams GDP achieved 6.41 per cent over the last nine months of the year, with growth on the momentum again, after a disappointing first quarter, said the PM. Such positive growth shows that the economy restructuring, in line with the reform in growth model, is starting to take effect, as (Viet Nams economy) gradually becomes less dependent on natural resource exploitation, especially oil and gas, Phuc said. 2018s targets The PM also revealed the governments development targets for next year, of which the GDP is set to be between 6.5 and 6.7 per cent. The consumer price index (CPI) increase rate will be around 4 per cent, exports and imports will increase by 7 to 8 per cent, while the trade deficit must be under 3 per cent. The government will strive to bring down the number of poor households on the multidimensional poverty standard by 1-1.3 per cent. The unemployment rate in cities should be no higher than 4 per cent. In keeping with the ambitious plan to implement a universal health insurance, the government set a goal that at least 85.2 per cent of citizens should be covered by health insurance in 2018. Economic challenges Head of the National Assembly Economic Committee, Vu Hong Thanh, warned about several challenges that would undermine the countrys economic development in the near future. Bad debts have been a prolonged heated issue over the last few years. The bad debts recorded in the banking system were below 3 per cent, Thanh said, but the rate in the whole economy was very high. The equitisation of State-owned enterprises was ongoing but problems remained in the evaluation process and the selection of shareholders, he said. The business environment was far from pro-business as the government intended, as business conditions, or so-called minor licences, were still blocking the way. While the number of new firms has been increasing, those suspending operations or awaiting dissolution were on the rise as well, Thanh said. The minor licence issue was also one of the biggest complaints of Vietnamese citizens, said the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee Chairman Tran Thanh Man. (The people) ask that the government accelerates the reform for simplified administrative procedures to assure the transparency and to come up with breakthrough policies favourable to businesses, he said. Spending cut In the afternoon session, the Government affirmed its efforts to cut spending. Starting from the 2018 fiscal year, only Government ministers or officials of equivalent rank can purchase Government cars. The current use of Government cars by lower ranking officials will also be reviewed. The NA Finance and Budget Committee proposed major cuts in funding for ceremonial activities, festivals and other meetings. Notably, budgets for opening ceremonies for infrastructure projects and other activities not included in Government-approved lists will not be allowed, according to the committees chairman Nguyen uc Hai. Most of the committees members approved the Governments plan to increase base salary by 7 per cent but stressed the importance of downsizing the State payroll. The committee also called for measures to improve Governmental offices and agencies financial accountability Major adjustments were also proposed for the countrys Competition Law, which was passed in 2004. More than a decade later with the country engaging in an increasingly globalised world, there is a need to expand and improve the law to ensure Vietnamese government agencies ability to monitor and regulate complex international businesses, according to minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh. Anh said the draft amended Competition Law will limit and regulate business activities that may enhance monopolies and restrict unfair competition. The draft will also provide government agencies with a legal foundation to enforce Vietnamese laws and regulation on unfair business that takes place outside the country. Sports betting Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien discussed a number of issues with the draft amended Sport Law with the highlight being the Governments view on sports betting. Thien said the majority of Government members (19/27) approved the draft, with sports betting being limited to a handful of activities, namely horse racing, dog racing and a pilot programme for betting on international football based on a Government decree issued in January this year. However, other members argued that sports betting is a complicated and sensitive issue for Vietnamese society with major potential impacts on social order. They urged for further consideration and additional time to review the impact of the decree, which came into effect on March 31. Chairman of the NAs culture and education committee Phan Thanh Binh said while there is demand to regulate sports betting and potential to attract investment for the countrys sport industry, the committee advised more time is needed to review the impacts it may have on society. Binh asked agencies to produce detailed reports on such impacts and present them to NA deputies. VNS HCM CITY A special high tax proposed by some provinces and cities is being questioned by economists due to its controversial impacts on Viet Nams tax policies. In a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in September, leaders of HCM City said that they would make further requests for specific financial policies, including surcharge and control-incurred expenses, which are not regulated under the law on fees and charges. Following this, Ha Noi and Hai Phong City asked the Government to allow them to impose special tax mechanisms. These requests are necessary and reasonable. Ha Noi has its own Law of Capital, but the final decision has to be made by the National Assembly, said Hoang Anh Tuan, deputy Finance Minister. The Law of Capital is the legal mechanism used to address Ha Noi-based issues. Tuan said other countries had allowed their major cities to adopt special tax policies. Because of the better infrastructures, city residents were required to pay higher income tax, while some big companies were forced to contribute three to five per cent of their revenue into the local budget. Vu Hoang Quyen, senior economist of the World Bank (WB), recommended the Viet Nam Government permit economic centres to impose the surcharge policy, especially on personal income tax, enterprise income tax and excise tax. However, the Government should carefully apply the change, aiming to help provinces get more motivations and achieve high growth, added Quyen. o Quoc Binh, head of Ha Noi Taxi Association, on the other hand, said the tax increase should be reasonable. We cannot say that because business environment in big cities is more favourable, companies should pay higher tax," Binh said. Economist Ngo Tri Long is concerned that the change will create exclusive rights for some provinces and cities, causing inequalities in the national economy. He said the special tax should specify what the extra money should be used on, such as traffic congestion or pollution. I wonder whether residents and companies in big cities really have better services or is the shortfall due to overspending leading to budget deficits? Moreover, according to Long, the Government has endowed big cities by providing generous investments or State budget ratios. Furthermore, Truong Ba Tuan, vice head of the National Institute for Finance, said the Government should not allow provinces to make surcharges since it would arouse a race for priority lobbying. Some countries adopting a special tax regime, including Canada. However, the Government should apply any change cautiously in Viet Nam, Tuan said. According to the WB report, only 13 of 63 provinces of Viet Nam submit a portion of their charges to the State budget, the others still receive Government financial support. Therefore, the country should create conditions for provinces to control the fees and charges in their localities to increase motivation and competitiveness. VNS HCM CITY The area of super-intensive shrimp farming in Ca Mau Province, the countrys largest shrimp producer, has increased this year as the model offers high profits for farmers. The southernmost province has about 857 ha of shrimp under the super-intensive farming model, up 175 ha from the end of last year, according to the provinces Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The model is called super-intensive farming because the density of shrimp is more than 150 shrimp per sq.m, three times higher than traditional farming. The average output under the super-intensive farming model is 40-50 tonnes per ha of breeding crop. Some households have a yield of 80-100 tonnes per ha of breeding crop. Nguyen Van Tuan, who breeds 2,000 sq.m of shrimp under the super-intensive farming model in Phu Tan Districts Phu Thuan Commune, said his family harvested about 9 tonnes of shrimp per 1,000 sq.m in the last shrimp crop after three months of breeding. With a selling price of VN160,000 (US$7) a kilo, his family earned a profit of hundreds of millions of ong, he said. If farmers implement the farming techniques properly, the super-intensive farming model offers high profits, he said. However, this model required high investment cost, he said, adding that his family had to invest about VN700 million ($30,800) for the farming area. Under the model, shrimp ponds are covered with net houses and plastic sheets in pond beds. The ponds are installed with fans at the pond surface and airlift pumps in the pond beds to provide oxygen for the shrimp. Phu Tan, which has one of largest areas of super-intensive shrimp farming in the province, has 117 households with about 200 ha of shrimp under the super-intensive farming. Mai Huu Chinh, director of the Ca Mau Department of Planning and Investment, said the output of super-intensive shrimp farming has contributed a large part in the provinces shrimp output growth this year. The province has harvested more than 113,000 tonnes of shrimp bred under various models in the first nine months of the year, up 6.9 per cent against the same period last year. Co-operation Many shrimp farmers in Ca Mau have cooperated with companies to breed shrimp under the super-intensive farming model. Under the cooperation, companies will provide farmers loans, farming techniques, and material input for breeding shrimp and buying harvested shrimp for farmers. Nguyen Van Dung, who previously bred shrimp under an industrial farming model in Ca Mau Citys Hoa Tan Commune, said he cooperated with a company to breed shrimp under the super-intensive model over the past year and got good results. After 10 years of farming shrimp under the industrial shrimp farming model, I found the risk was high as I only got profits in some crops. I often lacked money to invest in shrimp breeding, he said. As of August, Ca Mau has eight co-operatives and one co-operative team, which have signed cooperation contracts with 8 companies, according to the provinces Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. With the increasing area of super-intensive farming, Ca Mau faces the threat of environmental pollution as many households do not meet conditions for farming shrimp under the super-intensive model, according to local officials. The households do not have ponds for treating waste water and release untreated waste water directly into the environment, they said. Many households do not meet farming techniques instructed by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. In Phu Tan District, for instance, 64 households do not meet farming conditions and techniques. Similarly, am Doi District has 300 households that breed 300 ha of shrimp under the super-intensive farming model. Of the figure, 132 households do not meet farming conditions and techniques. Nguyen Tien Hai, chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee, has ordered relevant departments and agencies to carry out synchronous measures to prevent environmental pollution in super-intensive shrimp farming. Chau Cong Bang, deputy director of the provinces Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the province is drafting regulations for intensive and super-intensive shrimp farming in the province. Under the draft regulations, administrative fines for violations of environmental protection related to intensive and super-intensive shrimp farming could be VN3-100 million ($130 - $4,400), he said. VNS As many as 14,346 traffic accidents occurred nationwide over the past nine months, leaving 6,113 dead and 11,785 injured. Photo zing.vn HA NOI As many as 14,346 traffic accidents occurred nationwide over the past nine months, leaving 6,113 dead and 11,785 injured. The figures, covering the period from December 16, 2016 to September 15 this year, represent a drop of 6.24 per cent, 5.11 per cent and 13.35 per cent, respectively, compared with the same period last year, according to data released by the National Committee for Traffic Safety (NCTS) at a teleconference on Friday. However, in 15 of the countrys 63 provinces and cities the number of traffic fatalities grew 10 per cent. Children accounted for 6.87 per cent of the traffic accident victims. A recent joint research by the HCM City University of Technology and the Vietnamese-German University shows that the number of traffic accidents caused by children or in which children were victims in the two biggest cities of Ha Noi and HCM rose in the 2011-2016 period. High-schoolers, particularly, were involved in more than 90 per cent of children-related traffic accidents, according to the research. Worsened traffic jams Traffic police reported that there had been 54 massive traffic jams in Ha Noi and HCM City over the past nine months, an increase of 116 per cent from 25 in the same period last year. Ha Noi Peoples Committee Deputy Chairman Nguyen Van Suu blamed the high population density for the exacerbated traffic. Ha Noi now has more than 10 million residents including expats. The rocketing population rise by some 20,000 people a year is a huge burden on the traffic infrastructure which is yet to catch up, Suu said. Officials responsibilities Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh asked authorities to take more drastic measures to ensure local traffic safety and order. (We) must strictly avoid proposing vague solutions but practical ones instead to reduce and prevent traffic accidents, Binh said. He also accused some local officials of being neglectful, loosening management responsibilities, and even covering up violations. To tackle this, (we) will look into the responsibility of the local heads. Wherever there is a high rate of accidents, the provincial leader will be held responsible, Binh added. VNS BINH DUONG A woman died after a fire broke out at her kiosk in Thuan An Town, southern province of Binh Duong, early Sunday morning. Her husband and two children suffered from serious burns and are currently undergoing treatment. The 30sq.m kiosk is also used as their vegetable store, and the family uses a small garret to sleep. Local residents said that they heard calls for help from the kiosk in the early morning, and saw the smoke. They managed to break down the door to help the residents. As soon as the door was broken, the father along with the two children, aged five and 14, escaped and were taken to hospital. Local police are conducting an investigation to identify the cause of the fire. VNS HCM CITY Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City on Monday adopted a robot-assisted system to perform complex minimally invasive surgery. This is the third hospital in Viet Nam that has applied the most advanced medical technology, said Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Ministry of Healths Medical Examination and Treatment Department. There has so far no complications related to robot-assisted surgeries reported at the Central Pediatrics Hospital in Ha Noi and Binh Dan Hospital in HCM City, Khue said. In pilot period, Cho Ray Hospital will perform surgeries using robot to cure some diseases such as prostate cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and liver cancer. Robot-assisted system with a total cost of VN71 billion (US$3.12 million) offers possible benefits, including more precise removal of cancerous tissue, less risk of complications, shorter hospital stays and lower hospital cost, said Nguyen Truong Son, director of the hospital. Cho Ray Hospital provides health check-ups and treatment for 1.6 million out-patients and more than one million in-patients every year. VNS DOHA Top US diplomat Rex Tillerson pursued efforts to curb Tehrans influence in talks with his countrys Gulf allies on Sunday, demanding that Iran pare down its involvement in Iraq as the fight against the Islamic State group draws to a close. Tillersons visit to the Gulf, his third as secretary of state, also aims at persuading Qatar and a rival Saudi led-alliance to open the door to dialogue -- a goal he said had come to a deadlock Sunday. But it is the question of Iranian influence in the region -- including in Iraq and Qatar -- that is at the centre of his visit to Riyadh and Doha, just weeks after US President Donald Trump refused to certify the Iran nuclear deal and declared an aggressive new strategy against Tehran. The US secretary of state appears focused on boosting Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabias clout in Iraq, where Shiite forces backed by Tehran are fighting in the north, as part of a wider regional battle for influence that extends from Syria to Yemen. "Certainly Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fighting against (the Islamic State group) is coming to a close, those militias need to go home," Tillerson said at a press conference in Riyadh. "All foreign fighters need to go home." The Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) -- powerful paramilitary units dominated by Iranian-trained Shiite militias -- have been part of the fight against IS and continue to battle different factions in Iraq. But Tillersons remarks were also aimed at Irans elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and their foreign operations wing, the Quds Force, according to a senior US official. "The position of the Iraqi government and the position of our government is that there should be a single Iraqi security force answerable to the Iraqi state," the official said on condition of anonymity. "What happens to the PMFs is they go home or they integrate into the Iraqi security forces." Iran quickly hit back, saying it had played a crucial role in the fight against IS. "If it wasnt for the sacrifices of the Islamic Republic of Iran ... Daesh (IS) would have installed its government in Damascus, Baghdad and (the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital) Arbil by now," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said during a visit to South Africa. Not ready to talk Tillerson sat in on the first meeting of a joint Saudi-Iraqi coordination council in Riyadh on Sunday, which Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi hailed as an "important step toward enhancing relations". Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iraq in 1990 following Saddam Husseins invasion of Kuwait, but Riyadh and Baghdad have rekindled diplomatic and commercial relations this year. Tillersons visit comes nearly five months after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Qatar and imposed an embargo on Doha, accusing it of supporting terrorism and cosying up to Iran. Qatar denies the charges and has rejected their terms for a settlement. Tillerson has refused to take sides in the crisis and said that talks between the feuding Gulf states remained unlikely. "We cannot force talks among people who are not ready to talk," the US diplomat said at a press conference in the Qatari capital on Sunday night. "There is not a strong indication that parties are ready to talk yet," he added. "We cannot and will not impose a solution on anyone." Tillerson, a former chief executive of energy giant ExxonMobil, had also launched an unsuccessful attempt to resolve the dispute during a trip to the region in July. "The United States maintains very strong relationships with all the countries involved in the Qatar dispute, including Qatar, and the United States intends to maintain those very strong, positive important relationships," Tillerson said on Sunday in Riyadh. "Theyre important from a security standpoint. Theyre important from an economic standpoint." AFP BUENOS AIRES Argentinas President Mauricio Macris center-right coalition was on course to win crucial mid-term elections on Sunday and emerge with a strengthened hand to carry through pro-market economic reforms, according to partial results. "Its an unforgettable day. Today we confirmed our commitment to change," a triumphant Macri told supporters in Buenos Aires. Ex-president Cristina Kirchner took a seat in the Senate, despite trailing Macri candidate Esteban Bullrich in the key province of Buenos Aires, an area the size of Italy. It marks a return to the political fray for the 64-year-old Kirchner and her new Unidad Ciudadana or "Citizens Unity" party, and guarantees her parliamentary immunity from a string of corruption charges. "We must be proud of this result. Unidad Ciudadana has emerged as the strongest opposition to this government," Kirchner told her supporters. Macris Cambiemos, or "Lets Change", coalition was leading in 14 of Argentinas 23 provinces, as well as in the capital Buenos Aires, according to partial results released by the central electoral authority late on Sunday. Sundays vote, with an official turnout of 78 per cent, was widely seen as a referendum on Macri after two years in office, in which he was seeking a mandate to further overhaul of an ailing G20 economy. Macri has so far managed to push through a painful reform programme with the help of allies, despite having only 87 seats in the 257-seat lower house of Congress and 15 of 72 senate seats. Argentinas TN television projected Cambiemos to gain 21 seats to take their representation in Congress to 108, which would be enough to deprive the opposition of a two-thirds majority to block Macris reforms, though still fall well short of an overall majority. Aside from Buenos Aires province and city, Cambiemos candidates also polled strongly across the other major electoral centers -- Cordoba, Mendoza and Santa Fe. Half of the Congress seats and a third of the Senates were being contested in Sundays vote. Kirchners campaign pitch has been to promise to "put the brakes on" Macris cuts in tariffs on agricultural exports, deficit spending and loosening of labor laws. Macri appealed to voters to "not return to the past", attacking his predecessors populist policies. "I voted for the government candidates. Im far from being convinced but I voted Macri in 2015," said teacher Sergio Peroti, 48, after voting in a school in the capital. Macris Cambiemos is an alliance of parties of the right, center-right and social democrats of the historic Radical Civic Union. Despite not having a legislative majority, Macri has been able to get laws passed by striking deals with Kirchners enemies in the Peronist movement and with governors who depend on federal funds to finance their budgets. AFP MAIDUGURI Three female suicide bombers killed 13 people and wounded 16 in the northeastern city of Maiduguri on Sunday, security sources said. The first bomber detonated her explosive belt around 9:45pm (2045 GMT) in front of a small restaurant in the capital of Borno state "when people were buying their dinner," a military source said on condition of anonymity, giving the death toll. The two other bombers followed minutes later, resulting in the injured, an armed militia leader said, noting that the attack came "hours after reports of sighting of a lot of Boko Haram members outside the city". There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The Boko Haram conflict has left at least 20,000 dead and forced more than 2.6 million others to flee their homes since 2009. Roads to and from Maiduguri are nominally open to traffic, but in reality, vehicles require a military escort because of the risk of attack. Nigerias military and government maintain that Boko Haram is a spent force as a result of sustained counterinsurgency operations against the militants since early 2015. Deadly attacks have dropped in recent weeks, which security sources attribute to renewed military offensives after the end of the rainy season in September. AFP CHARLES CITY For Charles City farmers Dean and Linda Tjaden, constructing a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program wetland is partly about heritage. Deans father, Leonard, was a founder of the Washington School Watershed project in the 1970s. He and other landowners undertook major conservation projects to prevent flooding and soil erosion. Now Dean and his brother, Larry, use no-till, strip-till and minimum-till, and participate in the CRP, CSP and EQIP to improve their environmental footprint. In early August, Dean and Lindas nitrate-reducing wetland was completed. Research by Iowa State University shows strategically sited and designed CREP wetlands remove 40 to 90 percent of nitrates from cropland drainage waters. Mehmert Construction of Saratoga created an earthen berm, built a steel sheet pile weir and a grouted riprap stilling basin and installed a water level control structure. The Tjadens wetland pool hasnt completely filled yet. The water level will remain low so wetland plants can establish. The berm will be seeded with an oats cover crop and later this fall native grasses and flowers will be planted. Dean said much of the land where the wetland was built was prone to flooding and they had mostly used it for hay. CREP invitation The process started more than four years ago when the couple received a letter from an Iowa CREP representative asking if they would be willing to meet about building a wetland. At first I wasnt that excited about it, but Linda said this is something we need to look at, Dean said. The more we looked at it, the more I thought, This is all right. Throughout the building process, Linda, a Floyd County supervisor, used her campaign Facebook page to post updates with photos on the wetlands progress. See her posts at http://bit.ly/2wsujnk. This is something we can do, Linda said. We are happy to help communicate the importance of these sites in providing nitrogen reduction. We feel like we took ownership in it and it worked out well, Dean said. The CREP wetland adjoins a smaller pond and getaway cabin. The Tjadens enjoy watching the deer, waterfowl and birds and fishing in the pond. Removing nitrogen The 6.2-acre wetland, which receives tile drainage from 695 crop acres above it, will remove an estimated 11,700 pounds of nitrogen each year, said Brandon Dittman, CREP field coordinator with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Nitrogen reduction is achieved through denitrifying bacteria that occur naturally in wetlands. If the Tjadens wetland is 40 percent efficient at removing nitrogen from the water flowing through it, the land retirement equivalent amount for an equal reduction of nitrogen runoff is 327 row-cropped acres. At 70 percent efficiency, it would be 572 row-cropped acres. Joint effort A joint effort of IDALS and USDA in cooperation with local soil and water conservation districts, Iowa CREP provides incentives to landowners who voluntarily establish wetlands for water quality improvement in the states heavily tile-drained regions. Landowners receive 15 years of annual rental payments from USDA for all enrolled acres. They receive 100 percent cost-share for wetland restoration and buffer establishment with 90 percent of construction cost paid by USDA and 10 percent paid by the state. They also receive a one-time payment from the state to enter into either a 30-year or perpetual conservation easement. The Nature Conservancy and The Coca-Cola Foundation also contributed to the Tjadens project. There are multiple benefits with a project like this, said Dennis Sande, NRCS district conservationist in Floyd County. Many wetlands in county The Tjadens wetland is the 11th in Floyd County, which has far more than any other county in the state. Its multiple things, said Sande when asked why Floyd County has more CREP wetlands. There has always been an atmosphere of what can we do in this county. Once the first one took shape in 2006, farmers, staff and CREP field specialists got excited about it. It made an impression on me. A lot of it is because of Dennis, Dittman said. He does a really good job of telling people about CREP and it benefits. Dittman sees CREP wetlands as nitrogen removal infrastructure for the Gulf of Mexico just like the county road system is infrastructure. Forty years ago, everyone got together to fix the flooding problem in Charles City, Dittman said. As weve learned more about the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, were impacting people further downstream, now the same family is continuing the legacy to impact a different priority, removing nitrogen in tile water. I think thats really neat. WATERLOO A lively crowd of more than 200 gathered Friday evening in McBride Hall at Allen College to sample craft beers and raise money for a good cause. UnityPoint Hospice hosted the event to raise funds for the construction of the Samantha Weber Memorial Hospice Suite, named for the late hospice nurse Samantha Weber, who is remembered for serving patients with caring arms and a bright smile. Tonights turnout is truly a testament to the importance of hospice care in our community and is so gratifying for the patients and families we serve, said hospice development coordinator Joyce Coil. In addition to a number of local and regional breweries, the event featured Iowa-grown hops from rural Cedar Falls farmers Mike and Keri Byrum. Tours of their operation are available to brewers and all home brew fanatics by contacting visiting cedarfallshops.com. Home brewers in the Cedar Valley can join the Cedar River Association of Zymurgy Enthusiasts, a group of area beer buffs who meet monthly to discuss the science of fermenting beer. David Scheil, who won a blue ribbon at the 2017 Iowa State Fair for his home brew Boilermaker Steam, runs the group. To learn more, visit crazebrewers.org or email dls5492@hotmail.com. Australia's anti-marriage equality campaign argues that children need a male and female parent to succeed. But professor Frank Oberklaid, author of the study, said: "The negative and discriminatory rhetoric of the current marriage equality debate is damaging the most vulnerable members of our community children and adolescents." The study also says that "it is family processes parenting quality, parental well-being, the quality of and satisfaction with relationships with the family that make a more meaningful difference to children's well-being and postive development." Study author Oberklaid also noted that we need to change the way we spread misinformation: "Our duty extends to making sure that accurate, objective interpretations of the best available evidence are available and inaccuracies are corrected in an effort to reduce the destructiveness of public debate." CEDAR FALLS Democratic 1st District congressional candidate Thomas Heckroth is growing his list of endorsements throughout the district, and particularly in the Cedar Valley. Heckroth, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, announced a list of 17 endorsements this week. Waterloos Gary Kroeger, who previously ran for the seat and is active in Democratic politics, is among Heckroths supporters. Its time to take back the 1st District, and I know Thomas is going to build the grassroots campaign and have the resources to finally defeat Rod Blum, Kroeger said in a statement. Thomas grew up in this district, and I know he will connect with voters, listen to their concerns and deliver the leadership they deserve. Heckroth is among four Democratic candidates aiming to take on incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Rod Blum in the 1st District. The other candidates are Abby Finkenauer, Courtney Rowe and George Ramsey III. The primary will be in June. Other supporters in Black Hawk County are: Bob Greenwood, Cheryl Greenwood, Peter Burk, Mary Ann Burk, Karol Rae Hoth, Cammie Scully and Eric Donat. Im humbled to have earned the support of these 1st District leaders and elected officials, Heckroth said in a statement. Their confidence and support in our campaign is critical as we continue to grow our grassroots network. Other elected officials who have most recently endorsed Heckroth are Iowa Rep. Art Staed, of Cedar Rapids, and Linn County Supervisor Ben Rogers. DES MOINES Lori Peter shares her devastating experience with opioid addiction often, and all over Iowa. Everywhere she goes, she brings her son. Kelly John Peter is forever 24 years old and cannot tell his own tale of heroin addiction because two years ago that addiction claimed his life. This is my son, Lori said, holding up the urn and fighting back tears while speaking last week at a hearing on opioid addiction, hosted by state lawmakers at the Iowa Capitol, because of the opioid epidemic. Kelly John Peter became addicted to heroin after first abusing opioid painkillers that he took from his parents medicine cabinet, Lori said. The number of opioid deaths in Iowa is not as dire as other states. Iowa ranks near the bottom of the country in the rate of opioid deaths per capita, far below the worst-hit state, West Virginia, which experienced more than 800 opioid-related deaths in 2016, according to the states Health Statistics Center. In Iowa, there were 180 opioid-related deaths in 2016, according to the state public health department. That number is more than triple the number of Iowas opioid-related deaths in 2005. We do have an epidemic in this state, said David Heaton, a state lawmaker from Mount Pleasant. Heaton led the two-day hearing on opioid addiction and co-chairs the Iowa Legislatures health care budget committee. Heaton pledged the committee will produce some form of legislation for the 2018 session, which starts in January. He said unlike previous attempts, he hopes lawmakers are successful in passing some measures that will help address opioid addiction in the state. More than half of U.S. states require prescribers to consult the states Prescription Monitoring Program, or PMP; Iowa does not. The PMP can help prescribers catch individuals who attempt to obtain opioid painkillers from multiple sources. At least 17 states have established limits on the length of opioid prescriptions, according to the Washington Post; Iowa has no limit. Limiting the length of opioid prescriptions can drive down the number of prescriptions. There are needle exchange programs in 33 states; Iowa does not have a program. Advocates say needle sharing programs prevent the spread of infectious disease and create an avenue for people with addiction to seek treatment. Forty states have a so-called Good Samaritan law, which provides immunity for an individual who contacts the authorities or emergency personnel to notify them of another individual who has overdosed; Iowa does not. I think we really fumbled the ball this last session, said Chuck Isenhart, a state lawmaker from Dubuque who sat on the legislative panel during the two-day hearing. Im pretty confident there are people in Iowa who are dead because we fumbled the ball. Of the myriad lawmaking options discussed over the two days, the PMP was most prevalent. According to state officials, less than half of Iowa prescribers are registered to use the states program. Just 4 percent of dentists use the program. In additional to a general pushback against mandates, some prescribers have complained Iowas program is too cumbersome. The state is in the process of upgrading the system. We are operating with an Atari when there is a PlayStation 4 available, said Andrew Funk, executive director of the state pharmacy board. The many speakers who advocated for mandating use of the PMP say it can save lives by preventing individuals from accumulating high volumes of opioid painkillers. This is a tool that they can use for more information about the patient. So we would certainly support any way that makes it easy to register and easy to access the PMP, said Mark Bowden, executive director of the Iowa Board of Medicine. Lori Peter, who lost her son to opioid addiction, said she also worked in health care for 22 years doing prior authorizations for a Dubuque medical clinic. She implored lawmakers to make PMP use mandatory. If my physician finds checking PMP cumbersome and difficult, I sure as hell dont want him as my doctor, Peter said. Thats very basic. Lee Leighter, with the state public safety department, praised the states PMP and also encouraged lawmakers to mandate its use. Leighter also said law enforcement should be able to access the program. Twenty-nine states have no restrictions on law enforcement access to the states PMP, or allow for access during active investigations, according to Temple Universitys Policy Surveillance Program. Iowa is among 15 states with the most restrictive access: law enforcement must obtain a warrant to access the states PMP. Opponents of expanding law enforcement access to PMPs cite privacy concerns. I think, practically, it would save some lives, Leighter said. The taxpayers of Iowa have been paying me for 24 years. If you can trust me with criminal histories, but not the PMP, then there is a problem. Legislators have in the past introduced a bill mandating PMP use, but it did not garner sufficient support. Neither did a bill introduced last year by Isenhart that would create immunity for individuals who call authorities to report an overdose. Multiple speakers at the hearing advocated for lawmakers to try again so Iowa can join the 40 states with Good Samaritan laws for opioid overdose reporters. Among the testimonies also were some calling for caution. Some speakers warned against lawmakers over-correcting and causing unintended consequences with new laws. This is a big deal and I dont want to minimize that, said Dr. Bret Ripley of Des Moines University. But I also want to remind you that the vast majority of doctors, your doctors, are people of good will who are trying to help you. A similar caveat was issued by Thomas Greene, a state senator from Burlington and a pharmacist. Ive been a patient advocate for 45 years and I will continue to be, said Greene, who was part of the legislative panel. We have got to address abuse and misuse issues. ... But we cannot take a position that all opioid use is wrong. I mean there are people who need it, who have chronic pain issues. Heaton was adamant lawmakers will proceed carefully and thoughtfully, but that they will craft legislation that he said must pass. We will put a bill together and this time we will not be turned back, Heaton said forcefully. Theres so many things to look at, but Ill be damned if Im going to back off this time. Lori Peter said the cost of inaction is high. She implored lawmakers to act when they convene in January. Please, in the name of my son and all the other people that have died and are suffering, please make changes, Peter said. All it can do is save lives. At the Family Research Councils recent Values Voter Summit, the religious right effectively declared its conversion to Trumpism. The president was received as a hero. Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka both fired from the White House, in part, for their extremism set the tone and agenda. There is a time and season for everything, said Bannon. And right now, its a season for war against a GOP establishment. A time to live and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to uproot. A time to mourn and a time to embrace angry ethnonationalism and racial demagoguery. Yes, a time to mourn. There is no group in America less attached to its own ideals or more eager for its own exploitation than religious conservatives. Forget Augustine and Aquinas, Wilberforce and Shaftesbury. For many years, leaders of the religious right exactly conformed Christian social teaching to the contours of Fox News evening programming. Now, according to Bannon, economic nationalism is the centerpiece of value voters. I had thought the centerpiece was a vision of human dignity rooted in faith. But never mind. Evidently the Christian approach to social justice is miraculously identical to 1930s Republican protectionism, isolationism and nativism. Do religious right leaders have any clue how foolish they appear? Rather than confidently and persistently representing a set of distinctive beliefs, they pant and beg to be a part of someone elses movement. In this case, it is a movement that takes advantage of racial and ethnic divisions and dehumanizes Muslims, migrants and refugees. A movement that has cultivated ties to alt-right leaders and flirted with white identity politics. A movement that will eventually soil and discredit all who are associated with it. The religious right is making itself a pitiful appendage to this squalid agenda. If Christian conservatives are loyal enough, Bannon promises they can be the folks who saved the Judeo-Christian West. All that is required is to abandon the best of the Judeo-Christian tradition: a belief in the inherent value and dignity of every life. This belief in human dignity leads to a certain moral and political logic. It means the primary mission of Christians in public life is not to secure their own interests or to defend their own identity. It is to seek a society in which every person can flourish. This is the definition of the common good which is not truly common unless it includes the suffering and powerless. The common good is a neglected topic in our politics. It is not identical to market forces, or to legal rules that maximize individual autonomy. It is the result of prudent public and private choices that strengthen community the seedbed of human flourishing and ensure the weak are valued and protected. The idea of the common good emerged from religious sources, but provides a broad, political common ground. If there is a single reason Republican health care reform has failed, it is because party leaders could not make a credible case that the common good was being served. Even if individual elements of the various plans were rational, they did not add up to a more just, generous and inclusive society. Who would now identify conservative Christian political engagement with the pursuit of the common good? Rather, the religious right is an interest group seeking preference and advancement from a strongman and rewarding him with loyal acceptance of his priorities. The prophets have become clients. The priests have become acolytes. It is possible for Christian conservatives to support the appointment of conservative judges without becoming a tribe of apologists and sycophants. It is possible to selectively endorse elements of the administrations agenda without becoming Bannons foot soldiers. There is more at stake here than bad politics. When Christians ally their faith with bias and exclusion, they are influencing how the public views Christianity itself. They are associating the teachings of Jesus Christ a globalist when it came to the Great Commission with ethnonationalist ideology. This should be a sobering prospect for any Christian. But few seem sobered. Instead, the faithful give standing ovations to the purveyors of division and prejudice. When anyone or anything takes priority over the faith, there is a good, strong religious word for it: idolatry. And the word is unavoidable, as religious conservatives carry their golden calf into Bannons battles. Its on. As in, on your TV. The race to be Iowas next governor has reached televisions across the state. The first campaign ad to hit Iowas TV airwaves in the 2018 election cycle comes from the gubernatorial campaign of Fred Hubbell, a Des Moines businessman and one of seven Democrats seeking the partys nomination. The 30-second spot is part of a statewide, six-figure ad buy, the Hubbell campaign announced last week. Titled Stand Strong, the ad features Hubbell talking about his decision during the 1980s to stand by his commitment to womens reproductive health care provider Planned Parenthood, for which he served on the mid-Iowa board despite threats from abortion opponents to protest Younkers, for which Hubbell served as chairman. Some people said, Well, maybe you should get off the board of Planned Parenthood. We dont want to hurt our business, Hubbell says in the campaign ad. Charlotte (Hubbells wife) and I talked about it and we decided, look, Im on the Planned Parenthood board for a reason, and I want to stay on the board for that very good reason. They provide an excellent service in our community, including all around the state of Iowa. That he is the first gubernatorial candidate to advertise on television is not surprising given Hubbells ability to at least partially self-fund his campaign. Although Hubbellls campaign claims it also has been successful with campaign donors. In July, just a week after making his candidacy official, Hubbells campaign claimed he had already raised more than $1 million. The campaign said that haul does not include any of Hubbells personal money or donations from political action committees, or PACs. Those likely will not be independently verified until January, when candidates must report campaign fundraising to the state. Although the field of gubernatorial candidates is expansive seven Democrats and three Republicans it is unlikely all will collect enough resources to advertise on television, which will be critically important in a race in which most voters will not be familiar with most candidates. Hubbell, obviously, will be on TV. Gov. Kim Reynolds started the race with more than $1 million in her campaign account from her time as lieutenant governor. Shell be on TV. So will, it seems likely, Republican Ron Corbett. The Cedar Rapids mayor said his campaign raised nearly $1 million in its first weeks. The campaign finance reports due in January will better illustrate the fundraising progress being made by the entire field, and thus which candidates we can expect to see joining Hubbell on TV. The primary election is in June and the general election in November 2018. Boult ons road trip Post-2016 election conversations among Democrats: We need to do a better job reaching out to rural voters and talking to them where they live. Nate Boulton: Copy that. Boulton, one of the seven Democrats running for governor, last week announced a seven-day, 28-stop campaign tour hes calling his Hometown Values Tour. With the exception of a stop at the Leopold Center at Iowa State University in Ames, none of those 28 stops are in Iowas biggest cities. Instead, Boulton is visiting places like Britt, Cherokee, Anamosa, Greenfield and Elkader. Many Democratic leaders have been saying they need to make a concerted effort to reconnect with voters in rural areas of the state where they experienced significant electoral losses in 2016. Boulton appears to be taking that advice to heart. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 18, 2017 | 05:47 AM | MAYFIELD, KY A Mayfield chiropractor charged with sexually abusing his patients and facing up to 15 years in prison has accepted a plea deal that will require him to serve only 90 days behind bars, and will allow him to continue practicing after a year. Dr. Stephen Douglas McAdoo pleaded guilty on Monday to a single misdemeanor count of criminal abuse. He originally faced three felony counts of 1st degree sexual abuse. The charges stemmed from complaints filed by victims who say McAdoo touched them inappropriately or fondled them while they were patients at McAdoo Chiropractic Center. Special prosecutor Mark Blankenship recommended a one-year sentence, but McAdoo will reportedly be required to serve just 90 days in jail. He will also be barred from practicing chiropractic care in Kentucky for one year, but may continue to practice after that. He will not be required to register as a sex offender. Formal sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 22. McAdoo has faced similar allegations in the past. The Kentucky Board of Chiropractic Examiners placed him on a two-year probation in 2006, after several women alleged he touched them inappropriately during treatment. His license was also suspended for 20 days, and he was fined $4,000. McAdoo denied any wrongdoing in that case. Over $400,000 raised at BBQ on the River TWH Ar nDraiocht Fein: A Druid Fellowship lost one of its long times members: Hugh Hampton (1956-2017). Hampton was best known as ADFs office manager, and had been serving in that position since 2003. Due to that work, he was known, even if only by name, to a good portion of the Druid community nationwide. According to Archdruid Jean Drum Pagano, Hampton was tireless, served with distinction, and could be found online seven days a week and at many different times of the day and night. Hampton reportedly received a number of ADF service awards. Others posting memories describe Hampton as being kind and helpful. ADF offered a prayer on their Facebook announcement that reads, May you be welcome with open arms, as you welcomed those that came to you. May you be greeted with the same care, as you greeted the many that came to you for help. May the ancestors make you welcome, as you made so many who came your way be welcomed. What is remembered, lives. * * * MEXICO CITY Mexico City Pagan Pride March has just reached a milestone, celebrating ten years of Pagan pride in the region. The march, Caminata del Orgullo Pagano Mexico, is hosted annually by Consejo Wicca Mexico, and this years anniversary edition was organized by visual artist Alejandro Estanislao. The march and celebration began at 11 a.m. in ParqueEspana and continued on from that point. During the event, organizers went live on Facebook and that video is posted on the event site. It shows people chanting, singing, and dancing in celebration. Both the host organization and the pride event are dedicated specifically to the preservation and celebration of diversity, community tolerance, Pagan spirituality, and the well-being of the planet. In its own words, the mission is to Inspirar a que cada ser humano se convierta en un promotor del bienestar del universo, ayudando con esto a conformar una sociedad mas libre, mas tolerante. [Translated: To Inspire so that each human being becomes a promoter of the universes well-being, and with this helping to shape a more free society]. * * * NEW YORK Dan Hallorans Facebook fan page appears to be active once again after two years of no updates. The page, once called simply Dan Halloran, was recently renamed to Dan Halloran: An American Political Prisoner and is now categorized as a cause. Halloran, who was an openly practicing Pagan and member of the Theodish community, was elected to the New York City council representing Queens in 2012. He was later arrested on bribery charges and, in 2015, sentenced to ten years in prison. The Facebook support page appears to have been revived as a rallying point including responses using the hashtag #FreeDanHalloran. What provoked the sudden change on Hallorans page? It is possible that the catalyst was the U.S. Supreme Courts recent refusal to hear the appeal of former state senator Malcolm Smith. Smith was part of the 2013 bribery scheme with Halloran, along with several others. They were all arrested in 2015 as part of an FBI sting, and Smith was eventually convicted on federal corruption charges. His appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was declined Oct. 2. In other news A survey is posted online requesting participants answer questions about death and dying. The survey is specifically interested in Pagan Attitudes to Death, Funerals and Ancestors. The survey is being run by Jenny Uzzell, a doctoral researcher at Durham University in the department of theology and religion Uzell is also a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD), and the Druid Network. The Bad Witchs Blog reports on a day spent at Londons Mind Soul and Body festival. A new calendar dedicated to Heathenry has become available. Published on Lulu by Erin Hale, the calendar is promoted as including images from heathen life and belief, and includes Norse holidays. Blogger and polytheist Bonkira Bon Oungan is beginning a novena Oct. 25 and is opening up the nine-day prayer tradition to the community. He writes, My novena for All Souls Day is for the dead of all sorts. I couldnt find a prayer format that I liked, so I wrote my own last year and updated it this year. He explains his process and welcomes people to join. Weekly tarot with Star Bustamonte Deck: Medieval Cat Tarot by Lawrence Teng Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. Card: six (6) of swords The six (6) of swords reflects movement forward but can indicate a more narrow path that may require letting go of some of the burdens that reflect sadness and or loss. Often we do not realize initially how much relief and greater freedom can be found by setting aside those things that no longer serve us. The week ahead offers us the chance to discard the worries and stress of the past, and move towards a new, and calmer, beginning. 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(1) Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. Oct 23, 2017 | By Benedict The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is reviewing a draft version of its Additive Manufacturing Strategic Roadmap. The document explains how the FAA can regulate and certify 3D printed aircraft parts over the next seven to eight years. Additive manufacturing in the aerospace industry is taking off in a big way, but we havent yet seen a significant number of 3D printed critical parts for aircraft. This is largely because of regulation: with additive manufacturing a relatively new technology and aircraft manufacturers only scratching the surface of what it can do, regulatory bodies like the FAA are only just starting to look at whether 3D printed engine parts and other components are fit for flight. Thats not to say that there hasnt been progress. A very small number of companies have already had 3D printed structural parts approved for use by the FAA. GE, most famously, has made itself a key name in additive manufacturing with the creation of a 3D printed fuel nozzle used in the GE9X jet engine. Norsk Titanium followed suit in 2017 when it received FAA approval on a 3D printed titanium part for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Excitingly, the number of critical 3D printed aircraft parts could be on the rise. Thats because the FAA is reviewing a draft version of an Additive Manufacturing Strategic Roadmap, a document that examines how the regulatory body can regulate and certify both the manufacturing and maintenance of 3D printed aircraft parts. The document reportedly also deals with how additive education and training can be improved in the aerospace sector. The FAA's Strategic Roadmap could lead to more FAA-approved 3D printed parts like GE's fuel nozzle According to Michael Gorelik, the FAAs chief scientific and technical adviser for fatigue and damage tolerance, the mere possibility of more comprehensive additive manufacturing guidelines marks a huge step for the industry. Three to four years ago, none of my peers believed we would see additive manufacturing of safety-critical parts, he said. We dont have them yet, but based on the leading indicators I see its coming and its coming fairly fast. Gorelik thinks there are several ways the FAA could proceed following the dissemination of the Additive Manufacturing Strategic Roadmap. One very important step, however, will be classifying the multitude of different additive manufacturing processes available to manufacturers. One could try to group them by source of raw material, for example powder versus wire, and by the source of energy used to melt the material, laser versus electron beam versus plasma arc, Gorelik said. This variety of processes is great from the technology and business standpoint because it gives industry a great deal of flexibility. These Norsk Titanium 3D printed structural components were approved by the FAA before the Roadmap was drafted That variety will also present challenges to the FAA, as new and innovative fabrication processes and materials are introduced at a rapid rate. One way in which the FAA plans to tackle the wide and varied web of 3D printing is by working with other organizations. NASA, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, and the Aerospace Industries Associations Additive Manufacturing Working Group have all been given copies of the Additive Manufacturing Strategic Roadmap in the hope that they may contribute valuable expertise to the cause. This is a huge technical problem scope, Gorelik added. It would be impractical for any single entity to try to address it single handedly. In my mind, collaboration is the key to ensure the safe introduction of this exciting new technology in commercial as well as military aerospace. The introduction of the Additive Manufacturing Strategic Roadmap could answer the questions we asked earlier this year about the FAAs attitudes towards 3D printing. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Oct 23, 2017 | By Tess French metal 3D printing startup BeAM has announced a 1.6 million euro increase in its capital thanks to a decision from its thirteen private shareholders. The renewed investment brings the 3D printer manufacturer's capital up to over 8 million euros. Founded in 2012, Strasbourg-based BeAM has become a key player in the metal 3D printer industry known for its innovative Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) technology. The process uses laser beam technology and a patented CLAD nozzle system to build 3D objects from extruded metal powder. The company has seen significant growth since its beginnings, with a reported 1.2 million euros in turnover in 2015, and an estimated 7.3 million euros in turnover expected in 2017. As a sign of its growth and impact on metal 3D printing, the company reported in 2015 that its LMD 3D printing technology had been used to repair over 800 aerospace parts for an American company. With the added 1.6 million euros to its capital from existing investors, BeAM will undoubtedly continue its growth through the development and proliferation of metal AM systems. The company also says it is planning additional fundraising rounds and possibly even to align itself with other companies in the industry. As Vincent Gillet, CEO of BeAM, explained: The real question is to choose the right partner in an environment where everyone is looking for material manufacturers, machine vendors, and customers who integrate these technologies into their processes. Gillet, previously a part of ArcelorMittal Group, was named CEO of BeAm this past September. He has laid out his intentions for the company, stating his mission to increase BeAMs presence in both Europe and abroad, as well as to strengthen the companys existing partnerships and form new ones with strategic partners. Another significant aspect of Gillets work with BeAM is to increase the presence of BeAMs American subsidiary, BeAM Machines, Inc. and to bring new 3D printing technologies and systems to market. Based ot of Cincinnati, the BeAM subsidiary officially opened the doors to its 20,000 square foot facility August 2017. BeAM's new 5-axis Modulo 3D printer In terms of its 3D printing systems, BeAMs Mobile and Magic 2.0 3D printers are already on the market and are marketed for industrial-level metal additive manufacturing. Its newest machine, Modulo, a five-axis LMD/DED 3D printer, will be presented at Formnext, an industrial 3D printing event held every November in Frankfurt, Germany. The new 3D printer boasts a build volume of 650 x 400 x 400 mm and is being marketed for R&D and industrial projects that require a high level of quality and accuracy in their prints. Posted in 3D Printer Company Maybe you also like: Oct 23, 2017 | By Benedict Spanish medical tech company Exovite has joined forces with Gregorio Maranon Hospital in Madrid. The collaboration has resulted Microsoft Mixed Reality headsets being used by surgeons, allowing them to quickly see CT scan data, ultrasound data, and more through Microsoft HoloLens goggles. AR/VR newbies need to get with the program quickly, because theres another slightly vague term in town. Mixed reality (MR) is a different approach to augmented and virtual reality that merges real and virtual worlds, and which is currently being spearheaded by Microsoft. It's looking like a big phenomenon in the tech world, with Microsoft taking on established VR providers like HTC and Oculus by effectively merging AR and VR in a single system. One of the big advantages of Mixed Reality is its ability to track movement without external sensors dotted throughout the physical environment, but tech companies have found a huge number of ways to tinker with the HoloLens platform since its developer launch in early 2016. A number of Windows-friendly companies like Acer, Dell, and HP are now developing their own Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and customers from a range of fields are thinking about how they might be able to put the new technology to use when the technology becomes more commonplace. Exovite and Gregorio Maranon Hospital have one idea: theyre looking to use customized Microsoft Hololens headsets to help surgeons perform procedures on patients. By providing useful information right in front of a surgeons eyes as he or she operates, the two parties think they can both increase the accuracy and shorten the time of certain procedures. The Mixed Reality system has been developed by a combined team of radiologists, engineers, and surgeons, and is the first tool of its kind. But its hardly the first clever innovation to spring from the forward-thinking minds at the Madrid-based hospital, which has also used future technologies like 3D printing in previous projects. We are the first in the world to carry out radiological imaging in the operating room using Mixed Reality glasses, said Gregorio Maranon Hospitals Dr Ruben Perez Mananes. We were the first to use 3D printing in cancer surgery in 2014, and now also to mix 3D printing with Mixed Reality glasses in a real surgery. When surgeons put on these customized Hololens headsets, they can bring up a range of visual images, including data from CT scans, ultrasounds, X-rays, and 3D models, all through an interactive holographic panel system. And this system has already been put to use. In April, a team of surgeons used the Mixed Reality tool to operate on a patient with a malignant muscular tumor, using the headset to visualize MRI and radiography information during the surgery. According to those involved, use of the headset reduced the surgery time from around eight hours to something like four and a halfa time saving that reduces the surgeons stress levels and ultimately leads to better performance. One of the most useful features of the Mixed Reality system is its hands-free nature. Since surgeons will likely have their hands full during a procedure, they simply need to make vocal commands to bring up various pieces of information. The developers say its easy to use, and even allows the user to rotate and move the visual information in front of them. And although the vocal commands are especially important for the systems surgical application, users can also make hand gestures to manipulate information in a more precise way. Moving forward, surgeons at Gregorio Maranon Hospital plan to use the Mixed Reality system in trauma and orthopedic surgeries, likely increasing its use above the current schedule of around once a month. One thing that surgeons think would make the system more useful, however, is simply making the headset more comfortable to wear. The HoloLens might be fine for an hours play, but wearing it for four and a half hours of intense surgery reportedly puts a bit of strain on the wearers head. Despite this small problem, Gregorio Maranon Hospital staff think that both MR/AR/VR technology and 3D printing will have a big role to play in hospitals of the future. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Genji Shimada wrote at 10/24/2017 4:48:54 PM:OHHHHHHHH MY gad DIS IS gonana sdf BE sO GRET SOry for My engilesh is bery badAll Things 3D wrote at 10/24/2017 6:59:40 AM:Actually Mixed Reality 'XR' is what both Apple ARKit and Google Core AR are adn allow tracking of the real world, to anchor virtual objects to it. To give the illusion the objects are part of the scene when viewed on proper iOS or Android phone/tablet. The real difference between the Hololens (and Meta) is projecting the image onto a transparent semi-mirror giving you the illusion the objects or planes are part of the real scene in front of your eyes. This plus the ability to focus on XR objects at different focal distances, is what supposedly sets the vaporware device from Magic Leap apart. Sadly these products are not cheap or two cases, readily available. Microsoft just filed for patent that would allow them to using the existing projection technology to increase the FOV twice its current value, one of the main limitations of the Hololens. However, they are less expensive products that also allow for projection based XR and that is the Mira Prism (iPhone only) and the upcoming Lenovo Mirage (iPhone & Android). The Mira Prism also has Unity 3D based SDK which could lend itself to more than just games or entertainment, and could also be used in similar manner as the Hololens for far less as long as you have the iPhone to power it. Namit Arora in The Caravan: On a September night in 1907, an angry mob of about six hundred white people attacked and destroyed an Asian Indian settlement in Bellingham, in the north-western US state of Washington. Many of the traumatised residents fled to Canada. A San Francisco-based organisation called the Asiatic Exclusion League, dedicated to the preservation of the Caucasian race upon American soil, blamed the victims for the riot, adding that the filthy and immodest habits of Indians invited such attacks. Despite the small number of Indians in the United Statesthere were fewer than 4,000 at the timethe Asiatic Exclusion League had been warning of a Hindu invasion of the countrys west coast. Two months later, another angry white mob struck a settlement of Indian workers in Everett, Washington, forcibly driving them out of the town. In 1910, the US Immigration Commission on the Pacific Coast deemed Indians the most undesirable of all Asiatics and called for their exclusion. Many anti-immigrant laws had already been enacted against other Asian communities, starting with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. In 1907, a new law in the western US state of Oregon barred all Indians from becoming permanent residents (the state had long excluded black people). In 1913, California passed the Alien Land Law, mainly targeted at Japanese immigrants, after which Californias attorney general also barred Indians from owning property in the state. In 1914, at a congressional hearing on Hindu immigration led by a vitriolic representative from the seventh congressional district of California, Indians were variously called a menace, thick-headed and obtuse, illiterate, carriers of strange diseases, people who worked too hard for too little, and, according to a purportedly scientific document, likely to deplete the vitality of our people, as the Negro had done. Now fast-forward a century. In an expression of poetic justice, Californias voters elected Kamala Harris, an Indian American, as the states attorney general in 2010. Two years later, the same seventh congressional district of California elected Ami Bera, another Indian American, as its congressman. Today, there are over three million Indian Americans, making up 1 percent of the US population. They are by far the richest and most educated ethnic group in one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world. More here. by Holly A. Case and John Palattella Sebastian Kurz, Ankara 2015 [John Palattella is editor-at-large at The Nation and contributing editor at The Point.] On Sunday, October 15, the New York Times ran a story on the Austrian parliamentary elections that were being held that day. "As Austrians head to the polls Sunday," the web teaser said, "Foreign minister Sebastian Kurz's far-right Freedom Party is expected to grab a share of power in the next government." Later in the day, the heading was corrected: Kurz is not a member of the Freedom Party (FPO), but rather the leader of the conservative People's Party (OVP). Yet the Times' mistake was a telling one. Even for some in Austria it has been difficult to tell the difference between the positions of the far right and those of Sebastian Kurz. Kurz is thirty-one years old, hitherto Austria's youngest foreign minister, and the youngest head of one of the two parties in the outgoing governing coalition. On May 14 of this year, in what felt like a well-orchestrated and oddly consensual coup, the OVP handed its own head to him on a platter, agreeing to all seven of his conditions for assuming party leadership. The conditions included absolute decision-making power over party matters, as well as the party's unqualified support for a ticket he later ran as part of a movement under his own name in the parliamentary elections. The party agreed to everything, in writing. Comparisons multiplied: Is Kurz the Austrian Macron? Or Victor Orban (Hungary's right-wing populist prime minister), who was among the first to congratulate him for the coup? Or "Recep Kurz" (a riff on Turkey's neo-authoritarian Recep Tayyip Erdogan)? One thing is certain: after Sunday the election, in which the OVP came in first with 31.6 percent of the vote, an increase of 7.6 percent from the party's performance in 2013, Kurz will almost certainly be Austria's new chancellorthe youngest the country has knownand calling the shots for the next five years. Politics does not have many child prodigies, and foreign policy in particular has long been the domain of old hands. But for over a year now there has been a swelling fascination with Kurz, who, in addition to serving as Austrian foreign and integration minister, is also now chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Ask around Austria and everyone seems to have a favorite Kurz anecdote. There's the one about how, during a municipal election campaign in Vienna, he drove a "cool-o-mobile" as party girls threw black condoms to the people; or the time he took an economy seat on a commercial flight and received an enthusiastic ovation from fellow passengers; or how he used to stroll through the outdoor Hannover Market, in the middle of one of Vienna's most diverse neighborhoods, and address the Turkish vendors by name. Members of his party have long spoken of him like a horse they're waiting to trot out for the big race. In December, when Kurz entered a room to take a seat beside the Czech foreign minister at an event on regional cooperation, an economist leaned over to whisper to his neighbor: "Behold, Austria's next chancellor!" Kurz has garnered attention far beyond Austria, not least of all for raising his own profile by countering the refugee policies of German chancellor Angela Merkel. This, coupled with his well-spoken demeanor, youthful good looks, and forthcoming manner with journalists, has made him both a darling and bete noir of the German press. The major conservative German daily Die Welt once ran a full-page interview with Kurz, featuring a photo of him in what an Austrian commentator described as a "James-Bond pose": tailored black suit, "looking like he's out to save the world from a villain." His coup within the party was front-page news in one of the largest German dailies. What has the boy-diplomat done to deserve this kind of attention? Some say nothing besides taking credit for others' faits accomplis. Kurz regularly boasts that through negotiations and agreements with Southeastern European countries, he pushed to secure the EU's external borders against migrants and refugees by constructing fences and setting up checkpoints along the EU's otherwise "soft" southern frontier. He has also been an outspoken critic of the Turkish government's authoritarian policies since the failed coup, so much so that in the wake of the EU parliamentary decision to suspend the EU accession process with Turkey last fall, the Austrian Foreign Ministry's website was targeted by a cyberattack originating from Turkey. Even among Austrians who don't like his party, Kurz enjoys some respect for his eloquence, apparent accessibility, rhetorical sobriety, and understated style. At the meeting to vote on handing him the keys to the OVP, the young foreign minister sauntered through the journalistic gauntlet with apparent relish, even as other party members rolled up in hired cars with tinted windows. A retired left-leaning literary critic could see in Kurz the hope of Austria's political future, if for no other reason than that he seems capable of attracting populist admiration without himself being a populist. After taking full control of his own party, he moved to draw not just other party's voters, but even their star politicians into his movement and onto his ticket. Whether Kurz is a populist is a question open to debate. The convergence of Kurz's agenda with the ideas and ideals of the populist right is one of the reasons the trajectory of this fresh-face from a small country who had never run for public office until this election has outsized significance. In the German daily Die Zeit, a journalist who has been following Kurz's career since 2011 wrote an open letter to the Austrian foreign minister, recalling the statesman's younger days when "You surrounded yourself with successful model-immigrants, brought a civilized tone to the debate on foreigners, and were as proper as a mail order son-in-law during public appearances." Mixing with migrants was nothing new for Kurz. As the Austrian magazine Profil reported in the spring, when he was a schoolboy his parents sheltered a Bosnian family that had fled the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. Nowadays Kurz is not often seen among refugees, even though he insisted on adding the Minister of Integration portfolio to his job title six years ago. His campaign and office have been called out for falsifying reports and charts relating to refugees' and migrants' movements and beliefs, exaggerating the role of religion in their lives and politics, and misrepresenting their views on Austrian culture. Kurz has often said that the key to getting a grip on the refugee issue is providing "help on the spot" to them before they reach Europe. Yet on his watch the Austrian contribution to the UN World Food Program has dropped to less than 10 percent of what it once was. "No one can accuse you of being drunk on humanity," the open letter concluded. One of the charts Kurz's campaign falsified showed Austria paying more than almost any other country on the list for development aid. The only problem with the chart was that it left seven countries that contributed considerably more than Austria off the list, and counted Japan, the US, New Zealand, and Australia as "European" countries. Late last year, Kurz came under fire for openly supporting the authoritarian government of Macedonia during a campaign rally there, calling the country "a very important partner" without whom "we wouldn't have been able to close the Balkan route." He repeated this praise even after members of the governing party violently attacked and injured members of the opposition in the Macedonian parliament. In the words of one commentator from the European Stability Initiative, "So respect for rule of law turns irrelevant once you help keeping refugees out? Is this Austria's alleged support of Macedonia's path to [the] EU?" In short, Kurz is putting a polite, electable face on illiberal positions he has adapted from the far-right FPO, founded in 1953 by a former SS officer and now led by Heinz-Christian Strache, who was involved in a militant neo-Nazi group during his youth, as the Suddeutsche Zeitung reminded its readers a few days before the Austrian election. Furthermore, wherever Kurz goes may well have bearing on the trajectory of Europe more generally in a political climate where masses of voters want "ni ni" (neither nor). Although Kurz has said that "The EU is for me and my entire generation the quintessence of Austrian normality that no one can question," he seeks a "shared success" mainly in the form of keeping migrants and refugees out. Ruth Wodak, a sociologist who studies language, media, and political rhetoric at the universities of Lancaster and Vienna, recently described the campaign formula of both the far-right and Kurz as follows: "First you construct scapegoats, then you style yourself as a savior," a strategy that, "because it fans the flames of fear and envy, seems to work every time." Exclusion is really the one theme that recurs across Kurz's domestic and foreign policy aspirations: "Whether it's about the Mediterranean route, a tax reform, or public health," wrote Eric Frey in July, Kurz's "answer is exclusion." Kurz's decisions in the coming months will determine whether it is possible to shore up Europe by building fences and forming regional alliances, or whether you also have to articulate the values you have decided to defend with all those borders and alliances. He told an interviewer on April 26, 2017, that he was for a "Europe of subsidiarity that is strong in big questions, but pulls back where national states can decide better than Brussels." The language of European "solidarity," he added, was the language that the "good Central Europeans" (read "Germans") used against the "evil Eastern Europeans" and was part of the problem. A former Austrian diplomat calls this Kurz's politics of "can't do," a sharp contrast to German chancellor Merkel's "Wir schaffen das" (We can do it). Kurz prefers to enumerate what he believes his country cannot handlenamely immigration, integration, EU cost- and responsibility-sharing policies and initiativesrather than what it can. And unlike every one of his predecessors in the Austrian chancellor's office, he is neither Christian, nor democrat, nor social. "His age: 30 years. His program: Me," read the subhead of an article in a German daily back in May. Intentionally or not, Kurz is testing the ideas of his late countryman, the philosopher Karl Popper, who framed the liberal dilemma as a "paradox of tolerance," in accordance with which "unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance." Popper's philosophical work was consumed by the desire to shore up liberal democracy against assaults of Nazism and Communism that he had witnessed firsthand; he believed that liberal democracy could survive only if we "claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant." Will Kurz tolerate the radicalism of right-wing populists in the name of ameliorating the threat of Islamism? Will he seek to hold the line on both? Or will he remain a cipher, a "ni ni," the latest incarnation of his late countryman Robert Musil's famous "man without qualities"? "Because the human being is just as capable of cannibalism as it is of the critique of pure reason," Musil wrote, "it can do both with the same convictions and qualities, when the conditions are right and if very large external differences correspond to very small internal ones." by Carl Pierer In a recent article, the philosopher Rebecca Roache raises the question if there are good reasons to preserve endangered languages. In particular, she worries about minority languages', which she defines as: "() one that is spoken by less than half [of the population] () even in the country in which [it is] most widely spoken." Starting from "[t]he sorrow we feel about the death of a language ()", she finds that languages, and endangered languages in particular, are valuable for two kinds of reasons. First of all, there are scientific reasons. For instance, one of the big questions of linguistics, she writes, concerns the truth of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. The hypothesis comes in two versions: the strong one roughly states that language determines thought, whereas the weak holds that language shapes thought. It seems that to decide whether either version of the hypothesis is true, many different languages would need to be studied. The greater the variety of languages examined, the more confident a verdict can be reached. Moreover, since the hypothesis is about the mental process of the speakers of a language, it is not enough to simply study dead languages. Therefore, endangered languages are valuable for linguistics because they provide rich study material. The second reason is sentimentality'. Here, Roache distinguishes two ways of sentimental valuing. The first is connected to what G A Cohen calls personal value. This would be a person valuing something due to their personal connection to it. An example could be a person's bike with which they cycled from Stockholm to Rome, or, the example Cohen gives, an old eraser Cohen bought when he first became a lecturer. The second is a person valuing an object because it is connected to someone or something they care about, e.g. "() parents around the world stick[ing] their children's drawings to the fridge." Roache then observes: We can all agree that it is sentimental of Cohen to insist (as he did) that he would decline an opportunity to upgrade his old eraser to a brand-new one. Yet were the Louvre to decline an offer from a skilled forger to exchange the Mona Lisa for an improved' copy that eliminated the damage suffered over the years by the original, we are unlikely to view this decision as sentimental. This is surprising because the values informing both decisions are similar: one object with a history is valued over and above a better' object lacking that history. What this shows is that we value certain things (cultural monuments, artefacts, artworks, etc.) for their "historical and cultural significance". This may be derided as sentimental' in certain contexts. So, since "[h]istorical and cultural significance is part of why we value languages ()", denying the value of languages (and hence minority' languages) amounts to rejecting the value of the Mona Lisa and the Cologne Cathedral. Sentimental value cannot be put aside so easily it seems. Having given two reasons for why minority' languages are valuable, Roache considers whether this means that society should devote resources to their preservation. In her article, she considers two reasons speaking against it: first, the burden placed on society by preservation and second, the benefits of a reduction of language diversity. The first point derives its weight from the fact that language preservation is (arguably) a more intrusive procedure than the preservation of a historical monument. Whilst for the latter, Roache writes, it is enough to pay people to care for the monument, in order to have a language alive and kicking it is necessary that it forms big part of people's lives. The more, the better. Hence, for instance, compulsory language courses at school. The latter policy in particular seems to go against the will of some parents, who would rather have their children learn a useful' majority language such as French or Spanish. Roache rightly points out, however, that the concept of usefulness' for native English speakers is insufficient to explain this preference. A language is useful', by her definition, if it allows to communicate with a greater number of people. Now, Roache writes, in the countries where these are majority languages (she considers France and Spain), English is widely spoken. This means that since it is already possible to communicate in English, learning the local language will not significantly increase the number of people with which communication is possible. The usefulness' of French or Spanish is lesser than that of Arabic or Mandarin, because English does not have as dominant a position in countries where these are majority languages. So, usefulness' cannot justify parents' preference for their children learning French or Spanish over Gaelic. For if usefulness' is the motivation, they should rather be taught Arabic or Mandarin. A different set of reasons, she writes, is motivating the belief that learning a language such as French or Spanish is valuable: providing an understanding of the culture connected to the language, a sign of respect for the speakers of that language, the development of certain cognitive skills, etc. This, however, goes for learning any language, so in particular also for minority' languages. Roache argues, that there is a special kind of enrichment people derive from learning a minority' language connected to their community: They get a new insight into their community's culture and history. They also gain the ability to participate in aspects of their culture that, without knowing the language, are closed off and even invisible; namely, events and opportunities conducted in the minority language. There are a few qualifications to be made here. First of all, it is not evident how a person can have a privileged access to a culture without knowing the language. That is, how a culture is theirs' even before they have made the effort to learn the language associated with the culture. Roache gives her own example: having been raised in Wales but only recently having learned the language, she rediscovers "() this long-familiar country". There is a certain intuition to claim that Welsh culture is hers', yet what is it that provides this sense of connectedness to the culture? Since this argument appeals to the connection people have to their' community, it would be helpful to know more about this connection. More worryingly, it seems that this argument presupposes that there already is an effort to keep the endangered language alive: cultural events conducted in this language. If so, then it cannot explain why such an effort should be made. Lastly, the second argument speaking against the value of preservation is the benefit of reducing language diversity. From this perspective, people speaking different languages is seen as an obstacle to communication. Roache observes that "() in other areas of communication such as in the representation of numbers, length, and volume we favour standardisation." So, the argument goes, if more languages die out, fewer are left and communication within a group is made easier. The benefits would be great: easier transmission of scientific discoveries and news, unimpeded travel, saved costs on translation. The problem, she finds, is that a peaceful establishment of such a universal language is difficult to imagine: The very idea calls to mind oppressive past policies, such as the effort of the Soviet Union to suppress local languages and to force all its citizens to communicate only in Russian. Extinct and endangered languages have not, on the whole, become extinct or endangered gently, by subsequent generations choosing freely to switch to a more dominant language. She concludes that if justice is invoked, seeing that minority' languages have suffered in the past, perhaps they should be compensated. Of whatever form this compensation is, "() it should not include wiping out and replacing the local language." To sum up, Roache raises the question whether, besides sentimentality, there are good reasons to preserve minority' languages. Her answer comes in two parts. First, she gives two main reasons why minority' languages are valuable: first, their scientific value and second, the fact that the sentimental' reasons speaking for it, are similar to the reasons for preservation of other cultural goods, such as monuments, artworks, and the like. She then considers two aspects that might outweigh the now established value of minority' languages. First, the burden the preservation places on society, and second, the benefit derived from a reduction in language diversity. Neither of these convinces Roache. She does not reject the former conclusively, but points to an inconsistency in the preference of some parents for their children to learn a useful' language. While the latter is arguably large, languages usually do not vanish peacefully. Hence justice might pose a problem. But if one worries about justice, then minority' languages might deserve some compensation for their past suffering. Such a compensation should not include eradicating the language. While the above argument shows that there are indeed reasons to preserve endangered languages, it seems to not settle the question conclusively. It is not clear how great and important the burden placed on society at large is, if it invests in the preservation of a minority' language. Furthermore, if one does choose to think in this economic framework of usefulness', then it might well be the case that the benefits of a lingua franca, albeit perhaps forcefully established, are much more useful' than the injustices incurred in the process. Lastly, there might still be further aspects that outweigh the value. More philosophical questions about such ethical notions as value, usefulness, justice, aside, perhaps the reason why it is difficult to sort out these costs and benefits is that there is a problem with the question. The framework set up by the question might not be the right one in which to address the issue. In the economic' framework that seems to be set up by the question, it becomes necessary to put a price' on minority' languages and to reduce the question to a simple cost-benefit analysis. There appears to be a problem, however, with this seemingly innocent, objective' approach: it ignores the inherent asymmetry. There is a political dimension to language, which cannot simply be bracketed and silenced. Language and identity are closely tied to power politics, the more powerful usually imposing their language on the less powerful. Therefore, one may ask: who poses the question whether there are good reasons to preserve minority' languages? What is their relation to the minority' language? Who is the we' that Roache invokes so easily, and who are the implied they'? The worry here is that it is yet again a question raised by the linguistically powerful rather than those who are actually affected. It is hard to imagine somebody for whom their linguistic identity is at stake to raise the question whether there are good reasons to preserve this very identity. Here, the asymmetry becomes manifest: the analogous question for majority' languages (a better concept here might be an established language, i.e. is one that can command the powers of an autonomous state) is moot. The question is not raised whether, say, Slovenian is worth preserving. Because majority' language is so closely tied up with a nation state's identity, to question the value of Slovenian', or any other majority' language, would amount to questioning the value of the Slovenian nation. If a minority' language is defined as "() one that is spoken by less than half [of the population] () even in the country in which [it is] most widely spoken," it seems that there is a naturalisation of the status quo. The definition seems to preclude a political change, in which what was once a minority' becomes a new majority'. A minority' language, then, is not inevitably so, but only due to current political configurations. It thus appears that the question fixes a language group in a certain position. In addition, one might worry about a continued denial of agency of minorities'. In the framing of the question, we' have to devote resources to the preservation of minority' languages. The question then is, whether those expenses to us' can be justified. This, however, suggests fractures in the we': there is a majority' speaking a certain language and a minority' speaking another. The we' is not homogeneous. If the minority' could command their own resources and power structures, the question would not be raised for then the term minority' does not make sense. Hence, the question is really about whether there is a justification for the majority' to devote their resources to the preservation of the minorities' identity. It is not up to the minority' to decide on its own fate. To summarise, it seems that the question "Should minority languages be preserved and at what cost" sets up a framework that does not allow to problematize the position from which the question is asked. This economic' approach appears to run into difficulties to settle the question conclusively, for it shies away from the ethical and political dimension that breaks through. Acknowledging this dimension would see the question as amounting to: how should the powerful relate to the oppressed? *** by Richard King I happened to be emerging from a bout of depression when I first realised we were approaching the centenary of Robert Lowell's birth in 1917. Now that date 1st March has passed, but I've been rereading the poetry anyway, in the spirit of the young student in Richard Attenborough's 1993 film Shadowlands: We read to know we're not alone.' Lowell once told his fellow poet Stanley Kunitz: It may be that some people have turned to my poems because of the very things that are wrong with me, I mean the difficulty I have with ordinary living ' I think that's right: The idea of the mad artist' is a mystification, a secular version of the divinely inspired genius; but there is no doubt that in the middle of the twentieth century mental illness began to emerge as a topic in US poetry in particular, and Lowell was one of its most sensitive registers, the equal of John Berryman and Sylvia Plath. Whatever his personal failings (and they were many) his best poems offer an exquisite exploration of this inescapable modern theme. He was born in Boston into a Brahmin' family i.e. a family that can claim descent from the original English colonists, or Mayflower screwballs' as Lowell would later call them in Waking in the Blue'. As a boy he was violent and unpredictable, earning himself the nickname Cal' a nod to the pitiless Roman Emperor Caligula, and to Caliban, the bitter savage in Shakespeare's The Tempest. He attended Harvard, then Kenyon College, graduating in 1940. A convert to Roman Catholicism, he refused the draft in 1943 in protest at the allied bombing of German cities. (His subsequent stint in jail is recounted in his poem, Memories of West Street and Lepke'.) The turbulence and rebelliousness of Lowell's early adulthood were reflected in his poetry. The first collection, Lord Weary's Castle (1946), is a blast against the spirit of New England', the hell-fire streets' of Calvinist Boston. His passion is the passion of the religious convert, his Catholicism charged with puritanical zeal. Typically his poems will attempt a marriage between the modern world and a religious theme, a marriage that, like Lowell's own marriages, seems always to be on the brink of collapse. The incongruity is intentional: Lowell means to give us a vision of the world as having dropped short of expectations, as having forsaken the word of God and descended into war and commerce. In The Holy Innocents' he brings together biblical Israel and wartime New England, linking Herod's infanticide with America's role in the World War II. In a bold symbolic gesture, two working oxen are made to stand for vanished human innocence: These are the undefiled by woman their Sorrow is not the sorrow of this world: King Herod shrieking vengeance at the curled Up knees of Jesus choking in the air, A king of speechless clods and infants. Still The world out-Herods Herod; and the year, The nineteen-hundred forty-fifth of grace, Lumbers with losses up the clinkered hill Of our purgation The hurtling, rhymed pentameter, lofty rhetoric and earnest tone are typical of the early poetry. Writing in 1945, the poet and critic Randall Jarrell wrote of an obstinacy of temperament extreme enough to seem a force of violence'. The style of the poems is an echo of that temperament. The form, like the spiritual frame of reference, groans with the effort of incorporation. To readers wanting more of the same, Life Studies (1959) was a disappointment. It is possible to say in retrospect that this was Lowell's most important book, but at the time it looked like an eccentric departure. Lowell, in fact, was more than eccentric; he was profoundly sick with manic depression and had already had a number of breakdowns. He had also lost his religious faith, and these two losses of mind and faith are the themes underpinning Life Studies. Consequently the book has none of the bluster of the earlier, more religious books, and where the old formal patterns do remain they are faced with a quieter sensibility. In Beyond the Alps', Lowell's inner journey his journey from faith to disbelief is figured in a physical journey across the mountains. The poem has a parenthetical foreword: On the train from Rome to Paris. 1950, the year Pius XII defined the dogma of Mary's bodily assumption.' The theme of the papal proclamation is taken up in the second stanza: When the Vatican made Mary's Assumption dogma, the crowds at San Pietro screamed Papa. The Holy Father dropped his shaving glass, and listened. His electric razor purred, his pet canary chirped on his left hand. The lights of science couldn't hold a candle to Mary risen at one miraculous stroke, angel-wing'd, gorgeous as a jungle bird! But who believed this? Who could understand? To declare the Assumption dogma is to expand the incarnation into an assertion about human destiny, but here the notion that we are redeemed in fulfillment, not denial, of our humanity is treated with suspicion. The image of the Pope shaving is ironic, since the daily removal of unwanted hair is itself a denial' of one's humanity. The last two lines in the above quotation the suddenness with which an exclamation wilts into a question could very well stand for the poem as a whole, and for its place in Lowell's oeuvre. The shocking thing about Life Studies was its candour. In an essay developed from his review of the book in 1959, M. L. Rosenthal coined a term that has been used by commentators ever since: confessionalism'. Lowell himself disliked the word, but it seems to me at least partly useful. The confessional poem is autobiographical, but what distinguishes its use of autobiography from lyric poetry generally is its incorporation of personal detail of an explicit sort for emotional effect. The I' of the poem is the I' of the poet; there is no pretence of universality at the level of poetic voice. In Sailing Home from Rapallo', for example, Lowell recounts the appalling business of having to escort his mother's corpse from Italy to New England there to be buried in the family plot. The poem ends: In the grandiloquent lettering on Mother's coffin, Lowell had been misspelled LOVEL. The corpse was wrapped like panettone in Italian tinfoil. Here the misspelling of the Lowell name has resonance beyond the purely personal: all the old securities of tradition and status are represented in this detail. But to the reader of 1959, it is the graphic nature of this last stanza, the bluntness of address, which must have seemed astonishing. To some it looked like tastelessness. The candour of Life Studies is never more apparent than when Lowell is writing of his mental illness and the effect it has had on his wives and family. The overriding mood is one of remorse. Home after Three Months Away' finds Lowell recuperating after a stint in hospital: After thirteen weeks my child still dabs her cheeks to start me shaving. When we dress her in her sky-blue corduroy, she changes to a boy, and floats my shaving brush and washcloth in the flush Dearest, I cannot loiter here in lather like a polar bear. There's a sense of bewildered affection here that I find very moving. But more moving still is the recognition figured in the awkwardness of that final rhyme that the moment cannot last. The speaker of the poem is neither there nor not there; he seems to stand at an angle to his own life, even in this most personal of moments. In the final line he compares himself to the gobbets of porkrind' left out for the birds in winter: Cured, I am frizzled, stale and small.' The confessional poet will be successful insofar as he can convince his readers that his personal pain has impersonal resonance, and Lowell always had the gift, I think, of giving his poems a general relevance. Certainly in For the Union Dead (1964), the now-characteristic rawness of address is combined with more political themes. The title poem is a case in point. It begins with a scene of urban decay: The old South Boston Aquarium stands in a Sahara of snow now. Its broken windows are boarded. The bronze weathervane cod has lost half its scales. The airy tanks are dry. There follows a description of large-scale development, steam-shovels gouging an underworld garage' in the heart of old New England. At the centre of the carnage and at the centre of the poem there stands a statue of Colonel Shaw, the commander of a regiment of black soldiers in the American Civil War. Shaw and his men are the representatives of the sacrifice made in the cause of freedom', a freedom that, in Lowell's eyes, is now being used to devastate his city. The last stanza circles back to the first and contains an image of modern life that hits home like a wrecking ball: The Aquarium is gone. Everywhere, giant finned cars nose forward like fish; a savage servility slides by on grease. The aquarium is gone, and yet the child whose nose once crawled like a snail on the glass', and whose hand tingled / to burst the bubbles / drifting from the noses of the cowed, compliant fish', seems to reappear at the poem's close, struck by another kind of compliance, itching to prick another kind of bubble. Wonder has been replaced by horror, innocence by experience. With Waking Early Sunday Morning', the opening poem in Near the Ocean (1967), Lowell deepened and intensified his criticisms of the contemporary US. Regarded by many as Lowell's greatest poem, its first stanza is particularly brilliant: O to break loose, like the chinook salmon jumping and falling back, nosing up to the impossible stone and bone-crushing waterfall raw-jawed, weak-fleshed there, stopped by ten steps of the roaring ladder, and then to clear the top on the last try, alive enough to spawn and die. O to break loose ' But we cannot break loose. The poem swings from elation to despair and is a kind of lament for privacy. The Cold War and atomic weaponry have effectively made a conscript of everyone; all our fates, Lowell seems to be saying, are now tied to President Lyndon Johnson's. The use of octosyllabic couplets recalls the old Lowellian grandeur, but in terms of content Waking Early' is entirely consistent with the later verse. Indeed, it represents a progression: the tension between the private and public is treated as a political theme. Pity the planet, all joy gone From this sweet volcanic cone; Peace to our children when they fall in small war on the heels of small war until the end of time to police the earth, a ghost orbiting forever lost in our monotonous sublime. In all his remaining books but one, Lowell adopted the questionable practice of packing all manner of subject matter political, personal, familial, literary into loose unrhymed sonnets or fourteeners'. There are many hundreds of these Notebook' poems and few who have read them with any care regard them as amongst his best work. At best they achieve a kind of clumsy intensity; at worst they are simply prattling, and very often indiscreet. Far more satisfactory are the poems collected in Day by Day, which was published posthumously, in 1977. I'm not the first to single out Epilogue' as one of the best poems in that collection. Meditating on These blessed structures, plot and rhyme', Lowell laments his inability to create something imagined, not recalled'; his poems, he writes, are paralysed by fact'. But the poem ends resignedly: All's misalliance. Yet why not say what happened? Pray for the grace of accuracy Vermeer gave to the sun's illumination stealing like the tide across a map to his girl solid with yearning. We are poor passing facts, warned by that to give each figure in the photograph his living name. Lowell died in 1977. He never expected to live beyond 60, his parents having died at about that age. He left behind him much human wreckage broken families, hurt friends. But he also left an imperishable account of a mind under pressure in a world going mad. I'll leave you with the man himself, reading one of his finest, Skunk Hour': Visit me at The Bloody Crossroads by Samir Chopra The American philosopher Ivan Soll attributed "great sociological and psychological insight" to Hegels remarks that "the frustration of the freedom of action results in the search of a type of freedom immune to such frustration," that "where the capacity for abstract thoughts exists, freedom, outwardly thwarted, is sought in thought."[1] The perspicuity of this insight of Hegelone found in Nietzsche and Freuds explorations of the depths of human psychology toois visible in a species of literary and intellectual production intimately associated with physical confinement: prison literature. This genre is populated with many luminaries: Boethius, John Bunyan, Marquis De Sade, Antonio Gramsci, Solzhenitsyn, Bukharin, Elie Wiesel, Henry Thoreau, Jean Genetamong others. These writers found constraint conducive to creativity; the slamming shut of one gate prompted the unlocking of another; confinement produced a search for substitute gratificationwhether conscious or unconsciousand the channeling of the drive to freedom into the drive for concrete expression of abstract thought. Like Nietzsche in The Genealogy of Morals these writers arguedby the act of writing their worksthat if pathological repression is to be avoided, our drives must be appropriately and masterfully directed toward alternative, creative, expression. The prison writer thus demonstrates the truth of the claimwith which Hannah Arendt and George Orwells visions in The Origins of Totalitarianism and 1984 resonatethat the prison officials who place prisoners in solitary confinement convey crucial information to future oppressors: mere imprisonment of the political or moral gadfly is not enough; if confinement is to work as a mode of repression, it must aspire to totality. The Peculiarities of Prison The central irony of the prisonas the prisoner quickly discoversis that it is a zone of legal enforcement and lawlessness. Prisoners confront unblinking, resolute bureaucracy, beholden to its procedures and their utter rigidity, all the while knowing their guardsthe corrections officers who can correct them at any timecan violate them with impunity. The incarcerated are always aware they are powerless, that their guards can exert all manner of power over them. Prisoners do not just fear other prisoners; they fear the lawless application of the law too. Any formal legal redress available will not diminish the terrifying powerlessness in the face of a guard exerting total and final control over body and mind. The long arm of the law rarely reaches out to accost a prison guard; the prisoner is at the guards mercy. Questions are treated with a blank stare or a noncommittal reply; little clarification about procedure is offered. Prison guards are taciturn and reticent; requests for the lessening of personal discomfort are responded to with visible reluctance; the prisoner is figuratively and literally forced to his knees. The swagger, the cockiness, the brusqueness of the prison guard; these are external manifestations of the confidence they possess in their imperviousness to pleading or redressal. The prisoner senses the guards are bound by procedures of the prison, but also that they may, at their own whim, decide not to follow them. Terrifying uncertainty is the distinctive state of mind of the prisoner. The irony of the co-existence of the arbitrary with the rule of law is reinforced. The prison then, is where we learn about the terrifying contingency of the law, that it is man-made and profane, that all the powers of the social and political world may be found here, in the power wielded by man over man. Here in this zone of coming face to face with the apparently endless, varied, and infinite power that may be wielded over humans, the most fundamental existential reckonings of all take place: the meaning of life and death when waiting for death to be administered, coldly, efficiently, bureaucratically, by strangers and functionaries of the state; the meaning of freedom when it is denied; when the life of man is turned into the barest essential of all, the survival from day to day. The progress of life through the marking of daily time, the passage from dawn to dusk of every day, is highlighted in a space where routine and order are marked out. If hell is other people, then prison is a close approximation; it thrusts its residents into the close proximity of subjectivities, it forces them to encounter the unbridgeable gap to their hearts and feelings and perceptions; a prison allows another human to exert their will over anothers in novel and disturbing ways. The prison is a place like no other; it demands writing about, and it produces writing. Prison and the Sublimation of Repression Nietzsche claimed in his searing masterwork The Genealogy of Morals that All instincts that do not discharge themselves outwardly turn inwards. The entire inner worldexpanded and extended itself, acquired depth, width, and height, in the same measure as outward discharge was inhibited.[2] These instinctual drives may find their outlet in a disguised form that contradicts their nature: Christian brotherly love is a transformed expression of hostile drives to dominate fellow human beings; the weak preach brotherly love and enable their oppressors to disarm themselves and become subservient to their values instead.[3] Repression happens when a drive is denied its aim and struggles unsuccessfullyand neuroticallyto achieve expression. In sublimation the stronger drive co-opts a weaker drive and allows it expression, deflected from its original aim. So sublimation is a productive form of repression, where a drives primary aim is replaced by a secondary aim that allows for alternative expression of the drive.[4] (Freud formally defined sublimation as a kind of modification of the aim and a change of object of the drive.[5]) In Leonardo da Vinci and a Memory of His Childhood[6] Freud claimed that Da Vincis repressed homosexual desires were sublimated and transformed into a drive directed into scientific inquisitiveness, inventiveness, and artistic activities, into a tremendous outpouring of creativity. Leonardo was a psychic prisoner of his time, of his place; his diverted desires found expression through his artistic and creative activities. In the case of the prison writer, the drive to write diverts the drive to freedom toward writings own end, so that the drive to freedom is able to participate in writing.[7] Writing thus dominates the urge for freedom, turning it to the blank page where it finds expression. Writing, for a writer, is the strongest urge of all; it seeks expression and will enlist all and any allies, including the now-frustrated drive for freedom. The prison writer is no exception. The prison writers desire for freedom is not repressed by him psychologically, but the physical repression of his movement toward freedom bids him turn his energies elsewhere, sublimating his drive for freedom into the creative energies of writing. The modern writer faces a figurative prison, that of distraction. The modern writer is perennially distracted, finds writing almost fiendishly difficult for that reason, attempts to impose Internet-fasts in order to produce, and needs to be restrainednot distracted by the perennial seeking for notificationsto be truly free when it comes to self-expression. Struggles with working in the presence of the distractiona freedom that detracts from the freedom of writingare constant; sometimes those distractions are mundane responsibilities, sometimes willful procrastination; these are experienced by almost any one that sets out to create in any shape or form whatsoever. In those moments of struggle to get to work, where a particular freedom awaits us, we always struggle with the call of the alternative freedom. The peculiarity of it all, when we do manage to get to creating, is a sense that somehow, restraint is an inseparable part of being free. To create. To write. The relationship between constraint and creativity has not gone unnoticed. For Nietzsche, it was essential; as he memorably wrote in Beyond Good and Evil: The curious fact is that all there is or has been on earth of freedom, subtlety, boldness, dance, and masterly sureness, whether in touch itself or in government, or in rhetoric and persuasion, in the arts just as in ethics, has developed only owing to the tyranny of such capricious laws. And as Goethe noted in his Nature and Art: All struggles to reach the perfection of airy summits/Prove useless to spirits feeling only liberty/Whoever wants whats best seeks combination/A master first reveals himself in limits/And law alone can truly set us free. Goethes suggestion that untrammeled enjoyment of liberty is corrosive and his invocation of law is suggestive. Do we sentence ourselves to the lakeside cabin, the garret, the lonely hours in our study before the rest of the house awakens, imprisoning ourselves to set ourselves free to write? Lessons from Great Works For the prison writer, writing is deliverance, a distraction from the bare and terrible facts of imprisonment. The common understanding of it as a whiling away of time behind bars does not do justice to the extraordinary productivity and creativity of those who write when imprisoned. Writing of Dostoevsky's Notes from the House of the Dead, Max Nelson notes that prison literature is produced in zones of regulation where self-willed display of personality is considered a crime.[8] While we might wonder how writing could emerge in such domains we also notice that it could not fail to. Prison life is sustained by fantasy, by wishful dreaming; the waking hours consist of wish-fulfillment, a fertile field for the growth of writing. Writing in prison, as evident in Dostoyevsky, allowed a flowering of precisely those qualities prison was supposed to punish and ultimately quell; the central irony of the prison was its liberation of a peculiar and particular striving for inwardness. Writing in prison provided ample affordances for experiments with the self, and subsequent self-discovery and self-making, to emerge powerfully and digressively on the page. Turning to Oscar Wilde's De Profundis, written during his internment in Reading Prison,[9] Nelson suggests that prison gave Wilde something against which to muster all his creative energies and all his verbal powers. Nelson notes a letter from Wilde to his lost love, Lord Alfred Bosie Douglas in which he writes, The important thing, the thing that I have to do, or bemaimed, marred and incomplete, is to absorb into my nature all that has been done to me, to make it part of me, to accept it without complaint, fear or reluctance. There are two Nietzschean notes at play here. First, for Wilde, prison has become that adversity which enables an overcoming of sorts; it is that zone, that space, within which Wilde is able to express himself through his creative energies and verbal powers, thus enhancing them and enabling self-discovery or transformation on his part. It is within this spacewith its provisions for testing himthat Wilde will find out whether he is a Nietzschean noble soul or a slavea strong, hard, master of his own destiny, or a weak, effete, mere follower. (In The Gay Science, Nietzsche had made note of the relationship between pain and profundity, suggesting that great painthe ultimate liberator of spirit could make us more profound.) Wilde also invokes Nietzsches amor fati, the love of ones fate: he is determined to integrate into his ever-evolving self his experiences and fate in their tarnished totality, and to not reject them; these experiences are part of his life, matters of record, their imprint must be reckoned with and incorporated into his lifes economy. To walk away from them, to fail to acknowledge them, is to initiate pathology: perhaps of repressed memories, transformed into self-destructive behavior, perhaps of futile, life-wasting rage. Wilde saw quite clearly that we must accept our lot, all that is a component of our lives; to do otherwise is to be inauthentic, unfaithful, to oneself. For a writer, the best way to do so would be to continue to write, perhaps about the lessons learned, or of his ongoing struggle to reconcile himself with all that had befallen him. Wilde was aware anger and bitterness and resentment could imprison him even after he had left Reading Prison; the very thought of that continued incarceration of his mind must have struck him as a terrifying burden for the creative person to carry; it would mean the end of his life, or at least, that component of which mattered the most to Wilde, its productive, artistic one. It might have occurred to Wilde, even as he wrote De Profundis, that his attemptsduring his imprisonmentto integrate his lifes experiences in his notion of himself had already proved creatively and artistically fruitful; they were making him write about that attempt. As Nelson notes, Wildes writing was subject to the restriction that each days pages be collected at nightfall. This implicit censorship might have forced Wildes prose into patterns of thought that would not have resulted had he been working with more sympathetic editors. Prison thus exerted a transformative effect on Wildes writing turning its voice from that of a snobbish aesthete to that of a survivora sufferera prophetan educator. As Wilde wrote to Douglas You came to me to learn the Pleasure of Life and the Pleasure of Art.Perhaps I am chosen to teach you something much more wonderful, the meaning of Sorrow, and its beauty. That was only possible when Wilde had entered prison, whose constraints had forged this new creativity and its allied artistic vision, and turned the sensual aesthete into a contemplative, tragic person. Elsewhere, Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich makes note of how time becomes immaterial in prison because prisoners are not allowed clocks.[10] There, Vdovkushin the medical orderly who is writing out his long new poem is doing the sort of thing that happens only in camp: he is compelled by the doctor Stepan Grigorich to write in prison what he hadnt had a chance to write outside.[11] Even as we notice Solzhenitsyn claiming that the convicts thoughtsalways come back to the same place, worry about the same thing continually[12] we notice too, that writing displaces the worn grooves of these thoughts; it is the interruption and disruption that enables sanity in a maddening monotony. (Of course, some kinds of prison writinglike letters, where dialog and replies are expectedare futile, they are akin to throwing stones into a bottomless pool which sink without trace.[13]) In prison, the prisoners senses are sharpened and dulled alike; the inmate Shukhov learns to dampen his imagination, his dreams of the food he once ate outside, because now, having been inside, he knew better.[14] The perceptions of the prisoners acquire clarity as new details spring into view; they get to know every inch of the wall,[15] every fine detail of its blocks, every kinky edge orblister. The writers acute attention to detail, sometimes sought to be evoked by inducing concentration on the most insignificant or trivial detail, is sharpened by the pushing away of the distracting world made possible by the walls of a prison. Prison can dull the senses too; the days roll into each other, becoming monotonous and gray; the writerly imagination finds in this sameness the diversity and variety to fill the blank page. Sometimes work takes the prisoners mind off the cold and the brutality of the guards so that not even that thin nagging wind can distract.[16] The central work for a writer, of course, is writing; behind the walls of a prison it becomes distraction and task alike. The world outside appears absurd to the inmates, a better subject for writing: the prisoner comes to notice that some people with nothing better to do run races in stadiums of their own free will.[17] The acute contrast the confinement of the prison provides with the liberty of the world outside offers the best inducement to write: a perspective altering shift that offers an opportunity to document the novel view made available in this new location. Prison, Distraction, and Writing Writers do need not be imprisoned to make them writebut think of those who claim they would like nothing more than to be locked up in a room and left alone to finish their work in indefinite, frustrating, progress. The refuges imagined are varied: a log cabin in the woods, a lakeside abode, a locked room. A cell. These protestations grow as the worlds distractions grow. Imprisonment suggests itself as salutary relief from distraction, away from the worlds demands. The modern writer begs: take me away from the beep, the click, the ping, the notice that something, someone, somewhere needs to communicate. The modern writer needs something like the Freedom Programan Internet access denierto be confined to work, to be set free from the freedom of being distracted, of being free to procrastinate. The prison is the ultimate freedom program, the ultimate banishment of your internet privileges; a prison cell, not even the modern ones, does not have an internet or wireless connection. In prison there is nothing to do but write: shut up and write. There is little need to remind yourself you should be writing. It can come to seem, perversely, for the writer, the best idea of all. The idea that a prison is a form of escape is a modern fantasyfound notably in post-apocalyptic horror fantasies like The Walking Deadthat the outside world is so dangerousread distracting, that the safest (most productive) thing to do is lock yourself in and deny yourself freedom. Prison forces a reckoning with oneself, a time and place in which to study the difference between solitude and loneliness, to learn how one can be insightful and the other crippling. (This is a distinction that those fortunate enough to be on the outside rarely learn.) The prisoner best able to master his circumstances regards his time in prison as the former, not the latter. The prison writer, the one able to sublimate his frustrated drive for freedom, productively dreams of the outside in ever more fervent and perfervid form; he may, through privation, imagine more fantastic worlds outside than had ever existed. Their colors appear brighter, their edges sharper. Here, the political writer can write about powers diverse manifestations and forms, the family man can write about the love he misses, the gourmand can write about the food he cannot taste, the tortured can wax lyrical about the qualities of the pain endured, and the artist can write about the greater vividness of a sky glimpsed through bars. The prisoner might, as a battle against the loss of memory, write to preserve the world which now appears as a dream. The world outside whose freedom was taken for granted is now a distant ideal, one to be thirsted for and aspired to. The spur of this denial brings into existence worlds previously unrealized; the enforced silence forces engagement with acts of self-discovery. Prison breeds discipline not found elsewhere: the relentless counting of days through tally marks, the emphasis on the physical strength of the yard, the counting of the steps paced in a cell, these speak to a focusing, a laser beam of attention not available to those free, distracted souls not so confined. (It can breed too, a fatal boredom, a suicidal depression, and ultimately, insanity; small wonder that solitary confinement is reckoned torture.) The prison writer tells us what is possible for the mind when the body is confined. Prison forces meditation, time alone with body and mind. Sometimes with others; the prisoner is forced to reckon with the company of his fellow humans and to finally, painfully, pay attention to them and to their interactions with him. He is forced to become an observer of the human condition; he cannot afford to be a solipsist. He becomes an anthropologist, a sociologist, a naturalist. In prison, with walls closing in and the deprivation of the most basic kind of libertythat of the non-denial of movement and motionfinally made visible, the prisoner realizes that fundamental privations lead to fundamental reckonings. This has always been the secret of travel and escape literature; denial in one form makes another sense acutely sensitive. In prison, there is the denial of movement, of food, of company, of power. The acute, painful, hypersensitivity this creates provokes words. This denial, this restraint, this repression of desire, is sublimated into writing. Within prison, the rage of the writerexpressed in words and sentencesacquire points and edges and serrations and sharpness. Rage and frustration go together; productively sublimated, they sharpen the poisoned or nectared pen of the writer. The mere act of punishment is not conducive to creativity. We go to prisons for a reason. Sometimes we are proud of our imprisonment, proud of our actions that sent us to jail, proud to have broken laws; sometimes memories of what brought us there can prompt us to write. For the political prisoner, imprisoned for his politics, for his actions, deeds, and words, the prison is the perfect venue for writing; there, the political struggle continues. There, the pulpit occupied by the writer can become a particularly exalted one of precisely the right kind. Indias first post-independence leader, Jawaharlal Nehru, wrote prolifically while serving time in prison for his subversive activities against English colonial rule; he was aware his words, from beyond prison walls, carried a new expressive weight. The writer who might not have been heard outside may be heard clearly when writing from within. The writer has acquired the station, the soapbox, the pulpit so fervently desired. The readers of the prison writer are aware they are reading the works of a person denied a gift they take for granted. When I teach Antonio Gramscis Prison Notebooks, I do not fail to mention they were written in jail; my students read the text anew with an acknowledgement of its labor pains, of the difficulties of its provenance. Writing And Imprisonment: Total Repression Or Go Home The prison writer shows that confinement cannot work as repression if the mind is not repressed. It is not enough that the prisoner be stopped from speaking or writing; the mind must be stopped from thinking; it must be denied sustenance; it is not enough that it be denied sunlight and air; it must be denied companionship and conversation. As Winston finds out in 1984, it is not enough that he be imprisoned, his mind must be changed too, a transformation which provides an appropriate coda to Orwells bleak novel. Totalitarian regimes quickly realized the prison writers mind remains his. Solitary confinement, which denies communication, first with others, then, slowly with oneself, and thus corrodes, as John Dewey termed it, that primary mode of discourse called thinking, presents itself as the right way to oppress such a being. The imprisonment of the writer shows that to truly repress imprisonment is not enough. Utter isolationor deathis the only solution, a fact totalitarian governments figured out as an essential component of their repressive arsenal. As Arendt notes in The Origins of Totalitarianism, it is not enough that the body be confined, the mind must be too. The terror must be total. The mouth must not just utter the pieties of the new regime, it must think them too. Complete isolation, no libraries, torture, sleep deprivation, the list is endless. Otherwise the writers mind continues to think, and write. [1] Ivan Soll, Introduction to Hegels Metaphysics, University of Chicago Press, 1969, pp. 30-31. [2] As cited by Gemes (below): (Genealogy of Morals, II: 16) [3] Ken Gemes, Freud and Nietzsche on Sublimation, Journal of Nietzsche Studies, 38, 2009, 38-59, p. 46 [4] Gemes, p. [5] (S.E. 22:97) [6] (S.E. 11:57137) [7] Paraphrase of Gemes citation of: John Richardson, Nietzsches System, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996, p. 33. [8] http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/09/15/notes-from-a-dead-house/ [9] https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/10/13/suffering-is-one-very-long-moment/ [10] One Day In The Life, 21 [11] Ibid., 23 [12] Ibid., 40 [13] Ibid., 41 [14] Ibid., 50 [15] Ibid., 97 [16] Ibid., 101 [17] Ibid., 114 by Thomas R. Wells North Koreas development of atomic fission bombs and ICBMs is very worrying. Unfortunately the analysis of it in the news media is woeful. Some commentators assume that North Korea works like a normal country (like their country); some clearly dont understand how war works; some believe the regimes propaganda; some seem unable to think in a straight line at all. Some manage to make all those mistakes at the same time and more. One can only hope that the US, South Korean, and Japanese war ministries have better experts. In the meantime, at least we can throw out the worst nonsense. Myth 1: This Will Lead to World War III The exchange of threats between Kim Jong-uns regime and Trumps leads some to assume that world war is imminent. It is never explained how. The Cold War was the last time we seriously thought about an exchange of nuclear weapons and it seems that a lot of people who write for newspapers still think in the same patterns, in terms of extraordinary powers of annihilation and hair trigger global alliances. But this situation is nothing like that. War is the use of military might to achieve political objectives against the will of another government. Killing lots of people isnt the point of a war; only a means to an end. North Korea could already do that with its arsenal of chemical and biological weapons. The fact that Kim Jong-un will soon be able to kill lots of Americans in spectacular fiery explosions doesnt mean he can now beat the USA into submission in a war. In any nuclear exchange, Americas government would be the only one left standing. It is possible that nuclear weapons might allow Kim Jong-un to achieve certain political objectives against America by their threat rather than their use. For example, getting America to renounce its defence treaties with S. Korea and Japan. Although you may have noticed that countries with nuclear weapons dont generally have much success in using them to order other countries around. After all, if it worked then America would already have used it on North Korea. Myth 2: North Korea Needs Nukes to Deter an American Attack This line of analysis points to the overthrow of Qaddafis regime in 2011 with American military assistance after he had given up his nuclear weapons programme 8 years before. Together with the inclusion of North Korea in George Bushs 2002 Axis of Evil speech, the lesson is supposedly that if America is out to get you its promises mean nothing. The only guarantee of protection is having nuclear weapons. This is just lazy. The nuclear weapons programme is decades old, as is North Koreas habit of signing and breaking solemn treaties to end it. It cant have been motivated by anything that happened to Libya. (North Korea was actually supplying parts and know-how to Libyas programme.) Moreover, if North Korea genuinely believes that America wants to destroy their regime, why would it have sat around waiting for decade after decade while the deterrent gets built? Presumably because North Korea already had 3 independently effective deterrents against external regime change. 1. China. In 1950 China sent an army to save the North Korean regime from the destruction it had brought on itself by invading the south. For the past 65 years Chinas willingness to use force to keep a US ally from its border has not been in doubt. 2. Seoul. There are thousands of artillery pieces lined up facing Seoul. North Koreas army is decrepit and its equipment decades out of date, but it can still inflict massive destruction and hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths in the hours before they are all destroyed. Those are costs of war that no one wants to pay anymore, especially since it is in no ones interest to destroy North Koreas regime anyway. 3. North Koreas people. The destruction or implosion of the regime would create an extraordinary humanitarian disaster, with 20 million traumatised cult survivors wandering around confused, angry and starving. (The threat of this is so scary that South Korea routinely sends aid to the North to keep it going) If anything, developing nuclear weapons undermines each of these existing deterrents by shaking up the status quo. China is losing patience with Kim Jong-uns reckless and disrespectful behaviour and seems increasingly reluctant to provide diplomatic and security cover for it. Its economic subsidies have already been dramatically cut. Likewise, striving to become more dangerous to ones neighbours only increases their interest in regime change despite its humanitarian costs. South Korea and Japan are rearming and (presumably) dusting off their own mothballed nuclear weapons programmes. Myth 3: Kim Jong-un Needs Nukes to Legitimise his Rule The nuclear weapons programme is decades old, but it has accelerated dramatically under the new despot. Regime transitions are a delicate thing in a country with a social contract as misshapen as North Koreas. Perhaps Kim Jong-un needs to make a big gun that scares foreigners in order for his people to believe he is a big shot? The people making this claim seem to be extrapolating directly from their own situation. In a normal country, the legitimacy of a regime does depend on the will of the people. But North Korea is not a normal country. Its people are locked inside a gigantic prison camp controlled by a ruthless cult. North Koreas politics does not extend beyond a narrow hereditary elite, which Kim Jong-un has already purged of all doubters with violent enthusiasm. So the political views of ordinary North Koreans are irrelevant. But besides that, why bother to build real missiles with all their risks and costs? (Billions of dollars per year of scarce hard currency that could have been spent on other regime projects, or even just mechanising agriculture so that everyone has enough to eat.) This is a regime that lies about everything and forces its people to repeat those lies convincingly on pain of death. Its people are forced to pretend to believe that the 1950s war was started by America; that Kim Jong-un can score 9 holes-in-one with one shot; that there is food to eat when there isnt. If these nukes are for domestic consumption, why not build them out of propaganda instead? A Better Answer: Kim Jong-un is an Asshole The biggest mistake in all the analysis I have read is the category mistake of eliding Kim Jong-uns regime with the nation of North Korea that he rules over as an old fashioned despot. There is no way to analyse this case in realist terms of the interests of the North Korean nation, for example in deterring invasion. North Koreans real interest is to have a better government: almost any other in Asia would be much better. This is a problem for the assumption that one can read off the regimes motives and predict its behaviour from the strategic situation itself. If we want to understand what Kim Jong-uns regime is up to we need to know far more than we do about its inner workings, and especially the personal psychology of the despot who dominates it. So bear in mind that these are mere estimations, which I dare to offer only because they can hardly be more wrong than those I have been reading. Firstly, Kim Jong-un is not a strategic genius. At least, he hasnt shown it so far. In general, it would be extremely unlikely that selecting one person as the least pathetic (and least female) from a pool of the seven children of the last despot would yield a brilliant political and military leader. It is more likely that the aggression and viciousness Kim Jong-un has shown since he gained the throne at the tender age of 27 also apparent in his grisly choice of execution methods when purging the regime of anyone who might be disloyal is the only management style he has. Secondly, Kim Jong-un is an asshole. I mean this in the technical sense, developed by philosopher Aaron James, of someone who feels entitled to special recognition and privileges, while lacking respect for the moral status of those he interacts with. No clear strategic interest of the North Korean nation or even of the regime are advanced by developing nuclear weapons. A personal motivation makes more sense. Perhaps Kim Jong-un has his own concern with how his nasty little prison camp of a country is perceived. Perhaps he believes his true importance should be globally recognised and that forcing his way into the exclusive club of nuclear armed states is the way to achieve that. Given Kim Jong-uns upbringing, and that of his father before him, it would not be at all surprising that he would feel entitled to special treatment and yet doesnt register other people as morally real. It would also explain why neither the international communitys threats and punishments nor the huge costs and risks of the weapons programme have deterred him. Containment is the only policy that can work against asshole regimes [As I have argued previously]. They cant keep promises, cant learn their lesson, cant be satisfied with what they have. Asshole regimes pose a special danger to the peace because they are motivated by a sense of moral superiority to demand what they think they deserve until they eventually push too far and the world pushes back. * * * Thomas Wells is a philosopher at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. He blogs on philosophy, politics, and economics at The Philosophers Beard. All the news that's fit to eat. Salt & Straw Opens in Hayes Valley Salt & Straw opened its second location in Hayes Valley last Friday. The scoop shop will feature a menu of 17 flavors created by head ice cream maker Tyler Malek, who helped start the company with his cousin Kim Malek in Portland six years ago. Flavors include classics like sea salt with caramel ribbons and almond brittle with salted ganache, as well as San Francisco exclusives including Sightglass coffee, single origin Dandelion Chocolate, teranga baobab juice and coconut. There will also be some spooky seasonal offeringslook out for Creepy Crawly Critters with chocolate covered mealworms blended into a matcha ice cream and Dracula's Blood Pudding (ice cream cooked into real blood pudding). // 586 Hayes St (Hayes Valley), saltandstraw.com Gail Simmons Cocktail Party at Rich Table Food writer, culinary expert, and judge on Bravo's Top Chef, Gail Simmons is hosting a cocktail party at Rich Table to celebrate the release of her new book, Bringing It Home. James Beardnominated chefs Evan and Sarah Rich will be serving bites inspired by Gail's book, and there'll be prosecco flowing all night. Tickets ($125) include a signed copy of Gail's cookbook. // Wednesday, November 1st, 199 Gough St. (Hayes Valley), Get tickets at eventbrite.com. Kitchen Work Magazine Dinner To celebrate the third issue of Kitchen Work Magazine, Heirloom Cafe, the team behind the literary journal about what and how we eat and drink, is holding a dinner with award-winning writer Daniel Duane (New York Times, California Sunday). The dinner will be hosted October 29th, and will feature owner Matthew Straus in conversation with Duane followed by a chef-inspired dinner with wine pairing. There'll be a curly endive salad with figs and walnuts ala Alice Waters, Beef Bourgignon by Thomas Keller, Tuscan Minestrone from Nancy Silverton, and more. // 2500 Folsom St. (Mission), Get tickets at heirloom-sf.com/events. Cocktails for a Cause with Distillery No. 209 Blackthorn and Cabin in San Francisco are featuring No. 209 Gin cocktail specials today. All sales from these drinks will be donated to a charity to benefit victims of the North Bay fires. // 834 Irving St. (Inner Sunset); 1750 Polk St. (Nob Hill), distillery209.com. Son's Addition added to 24th St. Son's Addition opens tomorrow on 24th street. From husband-and-wife team, Nick and Anna Cobarruvias, the restaurant comes with some culinary clout. Nick was former Chef de Cuisine at Marlowe while Anna worked front of house for the last fifteen years at at Anzu, Last Supper Club, and Maverick (RIP). Expect a hyper-seasonal, globally inspired menu, including sharable items like bacon-kimchi deviled eggs, five spice braised lamb shank, pan roasted black cod with celery root, and more. There will be also be cocktails and house-made kombucha. Brunch is soon to come. // 2990 24th St. (Mission), sonsaddition.com. Building on the Company's recent successes, Fluence's smart packaged NIROBOX(TM) desalination system will provide Mayotte a quick and environmentally-friendly solution to address water scarcity. Smart packaged NIROBOX(TM) Plant Solution and Record Delivery Time Win Another Contract for Seawater Desalination Melbourne, Oct 23, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Fluence Corporation Limited ( ASX:FLC ) ( EMFGF:OTCMKTS ) ("Fluence" or the "Company"), today announced that it was awarded a EUR1.5M contract by VINCI Construction Grands Projets (France) to supply 3 NIROBOX(TM) smart packaged seawater desalination units, for the island of Mayotte. This success follows the Company's recent award of a 10,000m3/d NIROBOX(TM) desalination plant in South Africa. Henry Charrabe, Fluence Managing Director and CEO said: "The global decentralized water purification market value will increase from US$2.7B in 2016 to US$4.4B in 2021. We have designed our NIROBOX(TM) smart packaged solution to capture a large part of this market. Due to its many design advantages that result in significant energy and cost savings for the client and the very short delivery time, VINCI Construction Grands Projets selected the smart packaged NIROBOX(TM) SW reverse osmosis desalination solution for this project. This not only aligns with Fluence's ongoing mission to assist our clients in maximizing their water resources, but NIROBOX'S(TM) modular flexibility will allow Mayotte to expand and adapt the plant as their needs change." The island of Mayotte, situated between Madagascar and the coast of Mozambique, in the Indian Ocean, is an overseas department of France. It consists of a main island, Grande-Terre, a smaller island, Petite-Terre, and several islets around these two. Treated water from the NIROBOX(TM) will serve the entire Petite-Terre island population. Mayotte was forced to impose water restrictions due to the late arrival of seasonal rains. The island's resources were already under pressure from a rising local population, which saw water consumption jump by 9.7 percent in 2016. The drought has exacerbated Mayotte's water scarcity and an immediate solution for high-quality potable water was needed. Fluence will supply three NIROBOX(TM)-SWRO systems with a total capacity of 3,000 m3/d to VINCI Construction Grands Projets, a major player worldwide for design & build infrastructure projects, which will build the plant including intake and brine discharge line. The plant will be operated locally by the water utility SMAE (Societe Mahoraise des Eaux). Fluence will be shipping the units within 2 months from receiving the purchase order thanks to its highly efficient manufacturing operation. NIROBOX(TM) smart packaged solutions deliver the market's lowest energy consumption and chemical usage thanks to a patent-pending process design minimizing its impact on the environment. The NIROBOX(TM) SW desalination system is a modular, pre-assembled, smart packaged containerized solution that is ideal for rapid deployment, and requires only a small land footprint area with minimal infrastructure. It comes ready for integration with other systems and equipment, which makes it easy to deploy, install and commission. Its modular design allows for staged expansion to support capacity upgrades and contributes to its fast-to-deploy setup, the shortest in the desalination industry. To read more about NIROBOX(TM), please go to http://www.fluencecorp.com/nirobox About Fluence Corporation Ltd Fluence Corporation (ASX:FLC) (OTCMKTS:EMFGF) is a leader in the decentralized water, wastewater and reuse treatment markets, with its Smart Products Solutions, including Aspiral, NIROBOX, NIROFLEX and SUBRE. Fluence offers an integrated range of services across the complete water cycle, from early stage evaluation, through design and delivery to ongoing support and optimization of water related assets, as well as Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) and other recurring revenue solutions. With established operations in North America, South America, the Middle East, Europe and China, Fluence has experience operating in over 70 countries worldwide and enables businesses and communities worldwide to maximize their water resources. Further information can be found at https://www.fluencecorp.com/ Altech - Positive Final Investment Decision Study Perth, Oct 23, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Altech Chemicals Limited (Altech/the Company) ( ASX:ATC ) ( A3Y:FRA ) is pleased to announce the positive results from a Final Investment Decision Study (FIDS) for the development of a 4,500tpa high purity alumina (HPA) plant at Johor, Malaysia and kaolin mine at Meckering, Western Australia (the Project). Highlights - Positive outcome from Final Investment Decision Study (FIDS) for 4,500tpa HPA project - Study economics include: o Pre-tax NPV7.5 US$ 505 million o Internal Rate of Return (IRR) 22% o Payback (full rate) 3.9 years o EBITDA US$ 76 million p.a. o Capital cost US$ 298 million - Total target debt by KfW IPEX-Bank of US$ 185 million - US$ 165 million export credit finance, US$ 20 million at commercial terms - Target date for export credit cover approval remains 14 December 2017 The FIDS incorporates up-to-date project assumptions including the final capital cost estimate. The estimate includes: a fixed-price lump-sum engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract value for the construction of the Malaysian HPA plant by a consortium led by German engineering firm SMS group GmbH (SMS); and a fixed-price lump-sum EPC contract value for construction of the Meckering kaolin container loading facility by Perth based Simulus Engineering Pty Ltd. In addition the capital cost estimate includes owner costs during HPA plant commissioning and the initial kaolin mining campaign. HPA plant capacity is now 4,500tpa (was 4,000tpa) and assumptions for operating costs, HPA selling price, HPA plant production ramp-up, exchange rates, total envisaged debt, and the expected German government export credit finance amount have been updated in the FIDS to reflect current conditions and outlooks. The Company is extremely pleased with the achievement of this significant milestone of project development. Altech's management team have successfully progressed the Project through the extensive lender due diligence process, with an extremely positive outcome. Whilst the due diligence process has taken longer than expected and has resulted in additional capital cost, the Project has been significantly de-risked as a result. The transition to SMS as EPC contractor has been seamless. The final fixed-price lump-sum EPC contract that includes completion guarantee, throughput and process/quality guarantees is an exceptional outcome. The financial metrics from the FIDS are extremely robust. Project Net Present Value (NPV) is US$ 505.6 million at a discount rate of 7.5%, payback (at full rate) is 3.9 years and annual EBITDA is US$ 75.7 million at full production. The internal rate of return (IRR) is 21.9% with a gross margin on sales of 63%. The Company's weighted cost of capital (WACC) has been recalculated taking into account the higher planned debt and assumed interest, debt mix, and total project costs; it is reflected as the discount rate of 7.5% used in the 30- year discounted cash flow model for the FIDS. The beta used in the calculation is 0.83. A summary of the key financial metrics and key assumptions of the FIDS is set out in Table 1 (see link below). The full executive summary of the FIDS is attached as Appendix 1 (see link below). The HPA price assumption used in the FIDS is based on an independently supplied forward HPA price curve from Persistence Market Research (Persistence). The HPA price used in the Project financial model is US$ 33.72/kg in year 1, reducing to US$ 26.18/kg in year 9 and maintained at this level until year 30. This results in a weighted average HPA price of US$26.90/kg over the 30-year project life. In its market report Persistence noted that the current market price of HPA in Japan is ~US$ 40/kg; in this context the 30-year average HPA price of US$ 26.90/kg from the FIDS financial model is conservative. If a HPA price of US$ 40/kg was applied to the FIDS financial model (High Case), the Project financial metrics are: NPV of ~US$ 1.09 billion, payback (at full rate) of 2.2 years, annual EBITDA of ~US$ 133 million at full production and an internal rate of return of 33%. FIDS Operating Costs The technical advisor to German government owned KfW IPEX-Bank has reviewed the capital cost and the operating costs assumed in the FIDS and has stated that it considers both reasonable. The FIDS Project operating costs include updated firm quotations from key services and consumables suppliers where appropriate. This includes quotations for; contract mining at Meckering; land transport and shipping of containerised kaolin from Meckering to Johor; HPA plant consumables such as electricity, natural gas, hydrogen chloride, limestone, and other materials. A detailed manning schedule has also been fully costed using local Malaysian and expatriate labour rates. Operating costs are forecast at US$ 44.6 million p.a. at full production with a cost of goods sold of US$ 9.90 /kg. Project Finance German government-owned KfW IPEX-Bank has proposed a revised total target debt package of US$ 185 million and is targeting to obtain debt approval as sole debt provider. This is subject to the sourcing split and eligibility for German government export credit cover (ECA cover) of up to US$ 165 million. The ECA cover loan is targeted as long tenure and on attractive terms. The balance of US$ 20 million will be a 5-year tenure loan at customary lending terms. By comparison to typical project finance the proposed debt is extremely attractive, which is why the Company persisted with the longer than expected due diligence and approvals process. The target date of 14 December 2017 (as per ASX announcement 15 Sep 2017) remains unchanged as the date for the final decision by German government inter-ministerial committee (IMC) for the ECA cover. At the same time KfW IPEX-Bank is targeting to gain its credit approval by the competent bodies of the bank. A positive decision from the IMC will result in a legally binding offer of cover by the Federal Republic of Germany to KfW IPEX-Bank and permit KfW IPEX-Bank to finance the Project debt package of in total US$ 185 million, consisting of the up to US$ 165 million covered debt and US$ the 20 million commercial debt. An offer of cover coupled with a separate bank commitment letter based on a pre-negotiated debt term sheet package provided by KfW IPEX-Bank will position Altech to then proceed to secure project equity. HPA Plant Throughput and Process/Quality guarantees The SMS fixed-price lump-sum EPC contract now includes a completion guarantee with liquidated damages provisions; it also includes throughput and process/quality guarantees supported by a substantial performance bond. All plant and equipment will be accompanied with warranty guarantees supported by a significant warranty bond. Obtaining these extensive guarantees for a chemical processing plant is an exceptional outcome that significantly de-risks the Project. These guarantees were one of the instrumental factors in bringing the technical project due diligence process to a satisfactory conclusion. HPA Plant Capacity and Enhanced Impurity Management The scope of work for the Malaysian HPA plant has changed substantially under the fixed-price lump-sum turnkey EPC contract proposed by SMS. Plant capacity has been upgraded to 4,500 tonnes per annum and the plant design now incorporates a flexible finished product line capable of producing HPA for both the synthetic sapphire industry (up to 4,500tpa of high density pellets) and HPA for the lithium-ion battery industry (up to 1,500tpa of powder at sub-micron particle size). Total plant output is designed at 4,500tpa HPA with the flexibility to balance the finished product mix. Superior lining materials have been incorporated into selected equipment proposed for the back-end of the HPA plant (after roasting) to minimise finished product contamination risk. Whilst the materials are significantly more expensive than the original design, the incorporation further de-risks the Project by ensuring the plant's capability to achieve the required 99.99% finished product purity standard. Also, plant emissions targets are now significantly more stringent compared to local requirements due to incorporating international requirements (Equator Principles and OECD Common Approaches). The technical due diligence consultants have positively opined on the Company's revised process design assumptions, impurity management changes and additional test work results from the due diligence program. In compiling the final EPC price, SMS has now detailed the majority of the previously "factored" construction costs by requesting firm quotations from vendors and service providers. Previously "factored" costs include freight, mobilisation and demobilisation, temporary facilities, final engineering, insulation and commissioning. Overall quotations were substantially higher than was originally factored. The final capital costs include the land purchase cost for Johor and Meckering; owner costs during commissioning; a first mining campaign costs, first fills; insurance; and other establishment costs. Based on the FIDS results, the Altech Board has decided that the Project proceed to the next stage, the ECA application process. Assuming that the ECA debt component is approved in December 2017, the Company will focus on finalising the equity component of funding in the first half of 2018. Commenting on the FIDS, Altech's managing director Mr Iggy Tan said, "The FIDS has confirmed the financial and technical robustness of the Company's HPA project. The focus for Altech over the next two months is to continue to work closely with KfW IPEX-Bank and the appointed independent expert consultant to prepare for the German government inter-ministerial committee meeting on 14 December 2017. A positive outcome will mean we attain the US$165 million "offer of cover" for the majority of the Project debt and as the bank approvals process will run in parallel; the total target debt amount of US$ 185 million", he concluded. To view tables, please visit: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/8IYB7J2W About Altech Chemicals Ltd Altech Chemicals Limited (ASX:ATC) (FRA:A3Y) is aiming to become one of the world's leading suppliers of 99.99% (4N) high purity alumina (Al2O3) through the construction and operation of a 4,500tpa high purity alumina (HPA) processing plant at Johor, Malaysia. Feedstock for the plant will be sourced from the Company's 100%-owned kaolin deposit at Meckering, Western Australia and shipped to Malaysia. HPA is a high-value, high margin and highly demanded product as it is the critical ingredient required for the production of synthetic sapphire. Synthetic sapphire is used in the manufacture of substrates for LED lights, semiconductor wafers used in the electronics industry, and scratch-resistant sapphire glass used for wristwatch faces, optical windows and smartphone components. Increasingly HPA is used by lithium-ion battery manufacturers as the coating on the battery's separator, which improves performance, longevity and safety of the battery. With global HPA demand approximately 19,000t (2018), it is estimated that this demand will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% (2018-2028); by 2028 HPA market demand will be approximately 272,000t, driven by the increasing adoption of LEDs worldwide as well as the demand for HPA by lithium-ion battery manufacturers to serve the surging electric vehicle market. At least seven people lost their lives Sunday outside capital Mogadishu after a bus carrying farmers, mostly women, was a hit by a roadside bomb, reports say. A minibus was the target of attack which occurred in Daniga village about 40 km to the northwest of Mogadishu according to Reuters. The area is not controlled by the Somali government which has been wrestling with Islamist insurgents; al Shabaab, the al Qaeda-linked groups. The passengers were mostly women farmers. We heard a huge crash today and we went to the scene, we saw a ruined minibus and at least seven dead bodies, mostly women. We could not identify some people, they were just pieces of human flesh, farmer Nur Abdullahi told Reuters by phone. The death toll could go higher, a senior military officer noted adding that the minibus was carrying 10 passengers but it was difficult to get details. The Sunday attack death toll adds up to last week-end truck bombing which made over 350 people dead, in the worst ever attack witnessed by the fragile country. Al Shabaab has been blamed for the attack which security officials and international ally countries believe is result of security apparatus failure to fight the insurgents, competition and secrecy among agencies gathering intelligence, Reuters reports. Head of World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has scraped his decision to appoint President Robert Mugabe as the UN branchs Goodwill ambassador after he faced global outrage following the appointment of the Zimbabwean President. I have also consulted with the Government of Zimbabwe and we have concluded that this decision is in the best interests of the World Health Organization, said a statement from WHO in Geneva. Tedros on Saturday on tweeter said he heard the concerns and the thoughts of Health figures and human right activists who lambasted Mugabes appointment last week at conference on non-communicable diseases in Latin America. Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of the British medical journal The Lancet lauded Dr Tedross decision to scrap Mugabe appointment as a right decision adding that the WHO Director General showcased strong leadership. Mugabe, 93, is accused by critics of leaving countrys health system in shambles while spending millions regularly on medical attention in Singapore. At the head of Zimbabwe for four decades, Mugabe according to Tedros deserved the honor for placing universal health coverage and health promotion at the center of its policies to provide health care to all. Tedros, an Ethiopian citizen, is the first African to head the UN health agency and has been credited with good performance just 100 days in office. Following the verbal accusations uttered by Algerian Foreign Minister, Abdelkader Messahel, during a meeting at the Algerian Business Leaders Forum, who accused Moroccan banks of laundering cannabis money in Africa, the Professional Grouping of Moroccan Banks (GPBM) released a statement rejecting such accusations and describing it as hateful and irresponsible. The statement added that it reflects complete and blatant ignorance of governance rules and ethics governing activities by Moroccan banks all over the world and of course in the African continent, The Professional Grouping of Moroccan Banks reserves the right to reply to the serious remarks made by the Algerian foreign minister, the statement said, pointing out that Moroccan banks deplore that Algerian officials failed to keep pace with the institutional and economic evolution witnessed by African countries in all areas. Last May, Attijariwafa Bank, la Caisse Centrale de Garantie and le Groupe Credit Agricole du Maroc have all won 2017 African Banker Awards in various categories. Moroccan banks are now present in 22 African countries and around 17 per cent of their foreign activity is on the continent. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has become the first Pakistani premier to fly a military chopper as he piloted a Turkish T-129 attack helicopter on a test flight. Abbasi, an aviation enthusiast, took the helicopter for a test flight on Sunday, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. The Pakistani premier, 58, was in the Turkish capital Istanbul for the ninth summit of D-8 nations. The D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, also known as the Developing-8, is an eight-nation grouping of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey. On Pakistans plan of purchasing Turkish T-129 attack helicopters, he said the Army is evaluating the helicopter and is negotiating the contract and terms. He termed the Turkish chopper as an impressive and good machine. The prime minister also inspected the helicopter, and was briefed by Turkish aviation officials about the specifications and technical parameters of the combat chopper. Last month, Abbasi had participated in an exercise-training mission aboard a Pakistan Air Force F-16 jet. Cara Delevingne said acting has made her understand herself better. The 25-year-old star believes that her career as a model provided her with a way of avoiding her problems but acting helped her deal with them. Modelling came at a time in my life where I wanted to please people. I was just doing things to run away from my own problems. I wasnt dealing with things that were going on emotionally. Thats why I ended up being unhappy. Being an actor helped me reflect on my own emotions, be able to express them more, be in the moment, Delevingne told Australias Stellar magazine. After the assassination of Nader Shah in 1747 and the collapse of his empire, the stone came into the hands of one of his generals, Ahmad Shah Durrani, who later became the Emir of Afghanistan. One of Ahmeds descendants, Shah Shujah Durrani, wore a bracelet containing the Koh-i-Noor on the occasion of Mountstuart Elphinstones visit to Peshawar in 1808. A year later, Shujha formed an alliance with the United Kingdom to help defend against a possible invasion of Afghanistan by Russia. He was quickly overthrown by his predecessor, Mahmud Shah, but managed to flee with the diamond. He went to Lahore, where the founder of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in return for his hospitality, insisted upon the gem being given to him, and he took possession of it in 1813. Koh-i-Noors new owner, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, willed the diamond to the Hindu temple of Jagannath in Puri, in modern-day Odisha, India. However, after his death in 1839, the East India Company did not execute his will. On March 29, 1849, following the conclusion of the Second Anglo-Sikh War, the Kingdom of Punjab was formally annexed to British India, and the Last Treaty of Lahore was signed, officially ceding the Koh-i-Noor to Queen Victoria and the Maharajas other assets to the company. The gem called the Koh-i-Noor, which was taken from Shah Sooja-ool-moolk by Maharajah Ranjit Singh, shall be surrendered by the Maharajah of Lahore to the Queen of England. The Governor-General in charge of the ratification of this treaty was the Marquess of Dalhousie. The manner of his aiding in the transfer of the diamond was criticised even by some of his contemporaries in Britain. Although some thought it should have been presented as a gift to Queen Victoria by the East India Company, it is clear that Dalhousie strongly believed the stone was a spoil of war, and treated it accordingly, ensuring that it was presented to her by Maharaja Duleep Singh, the youngest son of Ranjit Singh. The government of India, believing the gem was rightfully theirs, first demanded the return of the Koh-i-Noor as soon as independence was granted in 1947. A second request followed in 1953, the year of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Each time, the British government refuted the claims, saying that ownership was non-negotiable. In 1976, Pakistan asserted its ownership of the diamond, saying its return would be, a convincing demonstration of the spirit that moved Britain voluntarily to shed its imperial encumbrances and lead the process of decolonisation. In a letter to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, James Callaghan, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom wrote, I need not remind you of the various hands through which the stone has passed over the past two centuries, nor that explicit provision for its transfer to the British crown was made in the peace treaty with the Maharajah of Lahore in 1849. I could not advise Her Majesty that it should be surrendered. In 2000, several members of the Indian Parliament signed a letter calling for the diamond to be given back to India, claiming it was taken illegally. British officials said that a variety of claims meant it was impossible to establish the gems original owner. Later that year, the Talibans foreign affairs spokesman, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, said the Koh-i-Noor was the legitimate property of Afghanistan, and demanded for it to be handed over to the regime as soon as possible. The history of the diamond shows it was taken from us (Afghanistan) to India, and from there to Britain. We have a much better claim than the Indians, he said. In July 2010, while visiting India, David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said of returning the diamond, If you say yes to one you suddenly find the British Museum would be empty. I am afraid to say, it is going to have to stay put. On a subsequent visit in February 2013, he said, Theyre not having that back. In 2016 the Supreme Court of India heard a case brought by the All India Human Rights & Social Justice Front seeking the return of the diamond. Giving evidence to the court, the Solicitor General of India, Ranjit Kumar, gave the official position of the Indian government as it was given voluntarily by Ranjit Singh to the British as compensation for help in the Sikh wars. The Koh-i-Noor is not a stolen object. Under the provisions of the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) takes up the issue of retrieval of only such antiquities as have been illegally exported out of the country. So by stalling all the debates, we Indian have to believe that India will never get its Kohinoor diamond back. (With inputs from various agencies.) (Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com) The South Carolina Department of Transportation is in the process of completing a roughly 8-mile project in Aiken to preserve the lifespan of the roadway. The project includes U.S. Highway 278, S.C. 19 and U.S. 1 and also encompasses around a mile-long section of Richland Avenue from Valley Road to Vaucluse Road, according to Ric Ward, engineer associate/engineer two for SCDOT. Ward said it is a micro-surfacing project, which involves crews putting in a thin layer of asphalt. "Its a preservation project," Ward said. READ MORE: Planners, residents talk next steps in Richland Avenue corridor Some of the most popular items were ranked at the top including underground utilities, safety, overall infrastructure improvements, a mix of b For a road that is not in "terrible shape," preservation is intended to extend its lifespan, he said. Work began on Oct. 4, and the completion is set at Nov. 30. The contractor is Slurry Pavers, Inc. Total cost is $996,489.06, Ward said, adding it is a federally funded project. While the Richland portion is a small part of the work on the three roads, according to the agency, it comes as the City of Aiken is currently in the process of identifying improvements to that area. Two public meetings with area residents and business owners along the Richland Avenue corridor have been hosted by the City Planning Department in recent months. Plans are to present that information to the public along with Aiken City Council. Aiken, SC (29801) Today Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 44F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 44F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. In Syrian Assyrian Town, ISIS Mass-executed 116 People Evidence has emerged of another Islamic State militant group (ISIS) mass execution, this time in the Syrian Christian desert town of Al-Qaryatain. The militant group killed at least 116 civilians in executions committed in the days before the Syrian regime recaptured the town, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a U.K.-based monitoring group with an extensive network of contacts in Syria. "ISIS has over a period of 20 days executed at least 116 civilians in reprisal killings, accusing them of collaboration with regime forces," SOHR chief Rami Abdelrahman told the Agence France-Presse news agency. ISIS regained control of the town three weeks ago, and then the killings began. Syrian regime forces, backed by Russian air power, arrived and liberated the town on October 21 after dozens of ISIS fighters retreated, at which point the remains of the victims of the mass execution were found. "After the regime retook it, the town's residents found the bodies on the streets. They had been shot dead or executed with knives," Abdelrahman said. "Most of the ISIS fighters who attacked the town a month ago were sleeper cells.... They are from the town, know the town's residents and who is for or against the regime," he said. A Syrian government official told the Associated Press that it was a "shocking massacre" and that government forces are continuing the search for victims in the town. Another activist group, known as the Palmyra Coordination Committee, identified 67 civilians killed in Al-Qaryatain and said that figure could increase. The town lies some 100 kilometers southwest of the ancient city of Palmyra. The town's population of Christians dropped from around 2,000 to just a few hundred when ISIS fighters took control in 2015. They held it for eight months before Syrian regime forces regained control in April 2016. That was followed by the renewed jihadi offensive at the end of September. The group had taken more than 200 Christians hostage in the city in 2015, forcing them to live under their ultraconservative brand of Islamic rule. The group returned them to their homes only after they agreed to pay jizya (tax) and sign a dhimma (a Sharia social contract) in order to remain in the town and not face death. In 2015, SOHR obtained a copy of the Sharia social contract. The dhimma shows that the orders came from ISIS's caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and state that he "gives" the Christians a guarantee on their "money, souls, not to force them to change their religion and not to harm any one of them." The militant group carried out the same acts against Christians in Mosul, forcing them to leave, killing them or making them pay a tax to remain. ISIS is an ultra-conservative Islamist group that considers ancient religious minorities, such as Syriac Catholics, Assyrians and Yazidis, to be kafir (disbelievers) and infidels. Assyrian Americans Call for Iraqi Government Control of Nineveh Plains The Nineveh Plains area in north Iraq. ( AINA) Chicago (AINA) -- The Assyrian American National Federation (AANF), an umbrella organization for Assyrians in the United States, has issued a statement calling for Iraqi federal jurisdiction over the Nineveh Plains of Iraq, which the core of the Assyrian homelands in Iraq and home to hundreds of Assyrian towns and villages. The statement calls for the withdrawal of Kurdish troops from the Nineveh Plains, and for the establishment of a Nineveh Plain Governorate administered by the Central Government in Baghdad, which was authorized by the Iraqi Council of Ministers in January, 2014. Here is the full text of the AANF statement: October 20, 2017 BAGHDAD Christian activists and politicians recently have been objecting to the greater involvement of religious leaders in Iraqi political affairs. Following the redeployment of Iraqi federal forces in Kirkuk, Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako issued a statement Oct. 19 calling on Iraqi leaders in Baghdad and Erbil to proceed with genuine national reconciliation to put the political process on track. He stressed that it is important to preserve human beings and not oil wells, in reference to the recent dispute over the Kurdish independence referendum, which ended with federal government control of Kirkuk. The title of the statement, "An Appeal to Iraqi Leaders," shows the nature of the patriarch's view of his role as a national and moral guide for politicians on all sides, and his view of himself as a leader of Christians amid a Christian political split over the referendum and its results. In conjunction with the crisis of the Kurdish independence referendum, a group of Christian clerics launched a political project in which they formally demanded separation from Iraq. Some others have called for joining the new Kurdistan state. Assyrian activist Muna Yaku, a member of the committee writing the constitution of the Kurdistan Regional Government, criticized the intervention of the Christian clergy in political affairs in a post on her Facebook page. She said decisions regarding the political future of Iraqs Christians should be made by politicians and political parties, not Christian clerics. I want to understand who made the clerics the official spokesmen for the Christians, she wrote. Speaking to Al-Monitor, Yaku asked, Would a cleric be OK with the head of a political party entering his church and initiating the Sunday Mass instead of him? For his part, Riyad al-Sindi, a diplomat and expert on Christian affairs, told Al-Monitor that the criticism of the clerics' involvement in political issues reveals the conflict between politicians and clerics over who represents Christians. Sindi, who has written articles analyzing the causes of the internal Christian division, believes the struggle over the representation of Christians in their 14 sects has made an impact on the churchs positions and statements, which are lenient at times and strict at others. Sindi said, In 2016, Patriarch Sako declared that the political authority of the church is the Iraqi government and that its official representatives are members of the parliament. However, this year, he changed his position when he said a member of the parliament represents neither Christians nor Chaldeans, but officially represents his political bloc, and he was talking about member of parliament Joseph Saliwa. Saliwa, a member of the federal parliament for the al-Warka bloc, criticized Sako following a statement issued by the Chaldean Church in July in which the church rejected the results of the Brussels Conference on the future of Christians in the Ninevah Plain, which called for establishing a province for Christians in the plain. Saliwa said Sako was a cleric and should not interfere in politics. Saliwa told Al-Monitor that he refused to use the term the Christian component because he believes it is a sectarian label and prefers to say the Chaldean Assyrian Syriac component. This is considered a response to Sako's call to unify the Christian denomination as the Christian component, in the same way as the Sunni, Shiite and Yazidi components, instead of the relatively long national name of the Chaldean Assyrian Syriac people. I am absolutely for separating religion from politics, including the clergy. The objectives of religion focus on moral and spiritual areas. Meanwhile, politics and its functions are different in terms of the administration of the state, and the clerics have nothing to do with it, Saliwa said. Sako's statements, which often criticized Christian political figures, led to an exchange of accusations through the media. For example, on Feb. 15, Sako denounced the statements of Ryan al-Kaldani, the leader of the Babylon Brigades, an armed Christian faction fighting under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Units, who accused all the people of Mosul of being cooperative with the Islamic State and not standing with Christians who were expelled from the city on 2014. Sako said, We want everyone to know that Sayyid Ryan has nothing to do with the morality of Christ, the messenger of peace and love. He does not represent Christians in any way, nor is he a Christian authority, and we do not accept that he speaks for Christians, pointing out the negative effects of Kaldanis words and saying, His unfortunate statements aim at creating sectarian strife. The Babylon Brigades immediately responded by issuing a strongly worded statement, published by the local media Feb. 16, describing Sako as a politicized cleric and threatening to sue him. This tug of war between politicians and clerics shows that Sako is the Christian religious leader who has the greatest amount of opposition and criticism because of his charismatic personality, which has allowed him to take bold steps that have been a strong competition for politicians. For instance, in 2016, he called for a unified ecumenical council as a political authority for Christians participating in elections under a single list. He also called for unifying the Christian denomination on a religious basis, rather than fragmenting the national labels, and he headed clergy delegations to meet with the heads of major political blocs. The difficult circumstances facing minorities and Christians seem to have pushed clerics to take firm positions in politics. Roman Catholic Rev. Amir Jaji, the adviser to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, spoke of the steps taken by Sako to end the division between the Christian parties. Sako used his influence on Christian members of parliament in an attempt to unite them. Patriarch Sako tries, through his speeches and positions, to overcome division and unify the Christian discourse in the context of asserting the national Iraqi identity and face the challenges affecting the whole country, and this explains every action of his, Jaji said. Why has Sako been speaking out the way he has? In an article titled The Controversy of the Church, Politics and Positions of Principle, Sako writes, A patriarch never seeks to be a political pole for Christians, but it is his duty as father and patron, and in light of the current political, social and security situation in the wake of multiple conflicts and the emergence of IS, to defend, like his mentor Jesus Christ, the oppressed, the displaced and the poor. The article continues, It is a patriarchs duty to call for national reconciliation and effective partnership to build a state with fair laws and a comprehensive, all-embracing homeland. October 23, 2017 Two years ago, Somaya Tarek, known in the Egyptian media as the mall girl, was sexually harassed in a mall in the eastern Cairo suburb of Heliopolis. When she bravely chased down her harasser, he physically assaulted her before security guards came to her rescue. The scene was captured by mall security cameras and the man was arrested. Tarek shared the details of the traumatic incident on a talk show on the privately owned Al Nahar TV channel. Much to her dismay, the female talk show host accused her of having provoked harassment by wearing a sleeveless T-shirt. Reham Saeed, the host in question, also showed private photos of Tarek in a bathing suit, allegedly obtained from the latters cellphone without prior permission from Tarek by the production team. Saeed argued that if a woman dressed provocatively, it is no surprise she would get harassed. Her words sparked outrage among womens rights advocates and internet activists who launched a social media campaign calling for the suspension of the show. Bowing to pressure from the rights activists, Al Nahars management suspended Saeeds show for several months and the harasser was sentenced to one month in prison and fined 100 Egyptian pounds (approximately $6). The story, however, did not end there. Earlier this month, exactly two years to the day Tarek was assaulted, the released attacker struck again. Seeking revenge, he waited for Tarek outside a cafe near her home and slashed her in the face with a sharp instrument (believed by Tarek to be penknife or a razor blade). He then ran off, leaving her bleeding on the pavement. Sliced from her right cheek down to her lip, Tarek was rushed to the hospital. I needed 50 stitches to close the gaping wound on my face, she later said in an interview broadcast on the privately owned Al-Masry Al-Youm news site. With the right side of her face badly swollen and her eye completely shut, Tarek warned women not to report harassment incidents lest you suffer a similar fate. I have fallen out with my family and lost many of my friends. Before reporting harassment, think what can happen to you. You may end up like me with a permanent scar on your face. If I could turn back the clock, I would not do it again, she said. Egyptian women have only recently broken their silence on sexual violence. Before the 2011 uprising that forced former president Hosni Mubarak to step down, few women had come forward to report sexual abuse and harassment incidents and sexual violence was rarely discussed in the media. Women were either afraid of being blamed for the assault or of bringing shame to their families, or both. So most survivors of sexual violence chose to remain silent, Alia Soliman, communications officer at HarassMap, a volunteer-based Egyptian nongovernmental organization working to end sexual harassment, told Al-Monitor. The few survivors that shared their stories of harassment using the HarassMap online platform, launched in 2010, largely did so anonymously, she said. However, that changed with the revolution. Theres been a major shift since 2011. With the fear barrier broken and with all the talk about freedom and social justice, women became more aware of their rights and are increasingly speaking out on the issue. The increased media coverage of sexual assault since the uprising has encouraged more women to open up. Many had previously believed that harassment meant groping or physical assault; now they know that they do not have to put up with verbal harassment either, Soliman added. Despite the progress made in the fight against sexual harassment, many survivors are still afraid of being blamed or ostracized if they report harassment, especially at the workplace, lamented Soliman. About 99% of Egyptian women have experienced some form of harassment and 47% of divorced or separated women have reported domestic abuse, according to a 2013 UN study. Harassment is so widespread in Egypt that some rights advocates have described it as an epidemic. A series of brutal mob sexual assaults at protest sites since the January 2011 uprising and immense pressure from civil society groups such as HarassMap and Tahrir Bodyguard prompted the issuance of a long-awaited law criminalizing sexual harassment and assault in July 2014. While the landmark legislation, lauded by UNFPA Egypt as a major step toward achieving safety of Egyptian women and girls in public spaces, has encouraged more women to report harassment incidents, it has yet to become an effective deterrent for offenders. That is because many men are still unaware that they may face criminal punishment or because some still believe they can target women with near impunity, said Soliman. In mid-October, a poll by the Thomson Reuters Foundation ranked Cairo as the most dangerous megacity for women, sparking wide controversy in Egypt. The survey, which covered 19 rising cities with over 10 million people, was based on interviews with 20 experts and responses from 380 online pollsters. It focused on how well women are protected from sexual violence and from harmful cultural practices and whether they had access to finance, health care and education. According to womens rights experts, the treatment of women in the Egyptian capital has worsened since the 2011 uprising. Womens rights have been put on the back burner while the government prioritized the faltering economy over other issues, they lamented. Officials from the National Council for Women (NCW) the government body solely responsible for addressing the issues and concerns of Egyptian women argued, however, that womens rights had improved in recent years with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declaring 2017 as the year of the Egyptian woman. Sanaa El Sherif, a prominent member of the NCW, insisted that women are being politically and economically empowered and had reached senior positions in all fields. We have a female governor, a number of women deputies and female generals in the army. Who can say that Egyptian women have not attained their rights? she asked in an interview broadcast on BBC Arabic. In an official statement released Oct. 18 by the NCW, the state body criticized the surveys outcome as unacceptable and baseless, adding that the outcome contradicts the results of other serious well-researched studies whose findings are based on credible statistical indicators and that were conducted using internationally recognized research methods of proven reliability. While we are fully aware of the challenges faced by Egyptian women, the state is working to overcome them through a carefully planned strategy to empower women by 2030, the statement said, citing women-friendly legislation, increased awareness of womens rights and changes in the mindset and attitudes of men vis a vis womens issues, among the positive achievements made in recent years. The release of the survey coincided with the #MeToo social media campaign urging women worldwide to tell their stories of sexual abuse and harassment with the aim of showing the magnitude of the problem. As the campaign quickly went viral, scores of Egyptian women defied social norms by joining counterparts from around the world, publicly sharing their sexual abuse experiences on Facebook and Twitter. Hours after the campaign had been launched, activist Gigi Ibrahim tweeted: #metoo just like every woman in this country #Egypt. While social media campaigns such as #MeToo and the HarassMap online platform are giving voice to many hitherto voiceless Egyptian women and are, according to the analysts, democratizing feminism, much remains to be done in Egypt. All members of society men and women must shoulder their responsibilities. Eyewitnesses rarely come forward to give their testimonies. The media must stop blaming the victims and portraying them as malicious women. Enforcing the laws that protect women and acknowledging the scale of sexual violence in the country would also be steps in the right direction, Iman Bibars, the chairperson of the Association for the Development and Enhancement of Women, told Al-Monitor. October 22, 2017 CAIRO Can cinema help raise awareness of womens issues and give lawmakers a sense of what Egyptian women need? Mona Mounir, a member of the Egyptian parliament who launched an independent initiative dubbed Womens Cinema, believes that films and post-screening discussions can help women understand their rights. The initiative aims at raising womens awareness about their rights by showing short films that are between five to eight minutes and documentaries, followed by open discussions to get a sense of the audiences opinions whether they are for or against the topics addressed, Mounir told Al-Monitor on the initiative, which she launched Sept. 29. The initiative also spurred debate on whether members of parliament should take a role in setting up awareness projects or if that role belongs to civil society organizations. Mounir invites local women to her office in Giza, the third largest city in Egypt, for the film screenings and discussions, which she leads. She has already tackled two sensitive subjects: female genital mutilation and child rearing. Describing the discussions on female genital mutilation, Mounir said, I tried to find out the reasons behind female genital mutilation from parents who put their children through it. I wanted to convince them how this procedure is not only pointless, but has a negative impact on the physical and psychological health of their daughters. She added, I would like to tackle other topics such as domestic violence and early marriage. A new topic will be discussed for one hour every Thursday. It is important to reach out to women and girls directly, rather than through TV campaigns, Mounir said, explaining, Many women in Egypt zap [switch] to a film or a TV series as soon as the [awareness] campaigns appear on the screen. Therefore, we must reach out to women to talk freely and without constraint. She added, The citizens and government must have a dialogue; this can only happen through grassroot initiatives that address the people directly. Women who participate in the initiative include young girls, middle-aged women and the elderly. I need to try harder with older women because it is difficult to change their minds. Mounir said that women responded positively to the discussion about female genital mutilation, while admitting that it is tough to evaluate this experiment because its impact will not appear immediately. The short films and documentaries used in the initiative are provided by Egypts National Council for Women, which Mounir cooperates with despite the absence of an official protocol. The council also runs several other initiatives that use art to change womens attitudes and create awareness about their rights. Maya Morsi, the head of the National Council for Women, launched Oct. 14 the first edition of the Women's Theater Festival under the auspices of the director of the Academy of Arts, Ahlam Younes. As part of the festival events, which ended Oct. 19, a series of plays tackling important causes related to women were performed daily at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Cairo. This shows the interest of the council in arts as a means of expression for womens causes. Rania Yehya, a philosophy teacher at the Academy of Arts and member of the National Council for Women, told Al-Monitor, All forms of art whether music, theater or visual arts have a positive influence on society, and they reap fruits quicker than any other means such as lectures and forums. Mounir used this approach by combining short films with conversations and discussions on key topics. She said, Although this was a personal, rather than a parliamentary, initiative, it is important because a member of parliament who has a national mandate launched it. Other female parliamentarians are encouraged to launch similar initiatives to pressure parliament to issue legislation that protects women. Yehya added, The Womens Cinema initiative is in line with the Womens Theater Festival, which tackles topics such as harassment, suffering of refugees and rape. She underlined the importance of art in raising awareness about womens problems and in fighting against conservatism. Jewaher al-Taher, a lawyer at the Center of Egyptian Womens Legal Assistance, told Al-Monitor that Mounirs initiative is appreciated. But she expressed belief that the priority of members of parliament should be initiating and passing legislation, rather than launching awareness campaigns. Many laws such as a law for violence against women do not exist, compared with other countries. It is important to leave the awareness role to civil society organizations and cooperate with other parliamentarians to lobby for laws on nondiscrimination toward women, she said. Taher spoke about the weaknesses of the initiative, saying, More diverse social categories should be targeted. The initiative targets women, although men are the ones who abuse women. Ads should reach a wider audience. A variety of films should be shown and more womens organizations should offer their cooperation, not just the National Council for Women. October 23, 2017 After a two-month vacancy, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has finally submitted two names to fill vacant ministries. According to speaker of parliament Ali Larijani, Rouhani proposed Mansour Gholami and Reza Ardakanian for the Science and Energy ministries, respectively. The selection and vacancies have been a source of controversy, especially for the position in the Science Ministry, which selects the heads of universities. Historically, universities have been the hotbed of political activity in Iran and a sensitive post for the security establishment. On Oct. 16, Mahmoud Sadeghi, a Reformist parliamentarian, tweeted that according to sources involved in the choosing of the science minister, Rouhani had introduced the names of more than 10 individuals for the position, but Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did not give consent. According to Khameneis own website, the supreme leader wants to be involved in choosing the ministries of Defense, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs due to his position as commander in chief. Khameneis website added that the supreme leader had concerns over certain ministries, such as the Science Ministry, because any deviations in those places would lead to deviations in the movement of the country as a whole. Sadeghi is not the only individual to claim that Khamenei has been involved in choosing the Science Ministry position. Mohammad Ghomi, a member of parliaments Education and Research Commission, said on Sept. 26 that both parliament and the Cultural Revolutionary Council have concerns, but also it appears that the supreme leader has opinions on the Science Ministry. When Rouhani began his second term in August, he did not introduce anyone for the Science Ministry. Instead, he appointed Zia Hashemi, who was previously deputy for cultural and social affairs for the Science Ministry, as caretaker for the position. Of the two selections, Gholami, who is currently the head of Bu-Ali Sina University in Hamedan, has caused a backlash online. Student activists accused Gholami of having illiberal positions. One of the more popular tweets came from a Bu-Ali Sina student who wrote, Leave Dr. Gholami for us at Bu-Ali, we are used to a political-security suffocation. Sadeghi tweeted a screenshot of a private message of a student activist. The student called Sadeghi an opportunist for his alleged support of Gholami and said it was a betrayal of student activists who supported the Reformist List of Hope candidates. Sadeghi was criticized online for making light of the criticism and also for publishing the individuals name. The Science Ministry was a difficult position for Rouhani to fill even in his first term, when conservatives overwhelmingly dominated parliament due to a heavy Reformist boycott of parliamentary elections. Rouhanis first three choices for the ministry were rejected. Reza Faraji-Dana was eventually approved by parliament but only lasted three months and was impeached. Mohammad Ali Najafi, who is currently the mayor of Tehran, was appointed as caretaker for a period of time until Mohammad Farhadi was approved. October 23, 2017 Reports dribbling in to Jerusalem over the past few days indicate that US officials are enthusiastic about the Palestinian reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas. The news came as no surprise to the Israeli leadership. True, previous more cautious American comments about the reconciliation effort seemed in accord with the Israeli position, including demands that any ensuing Palestinian administration must recognize Israel, renounce terrorism and approve all agreements signed between the parties. After the dust began to settle, a senior White House official was quoted by Haaretz as saying, "Egypt has helped us crack open a door to Gaza that didnt exist a few weeks ago, and we see it as a possible opportunity." At the same time, the caveat was included that disarming Hamas will not happen overnight. It had been clear to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Security Cabinet that the United States would support the negotiations. That is why they put a ticking time bomb of sorts on the desk of US envoy Jason Greenblatt in the form of a Cabinet decision adopted Oct. 17. During two days of talks, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Immigration and Absorption Minister Ze'ev Elkin in particular succeeded in dragging the Cabinet far to the right. The resulting decision announced by the government, read, "[Israel] will not conduct diplomatic negotiations with a Palestinian government that relies on Hamas." As always, the devil was in the details, patiently waiting to pounce. Had the Americans analyzed the precise wording of the Cabinet's decision in real time, they would have realized that Netanyahu had just laid a booby trap for them. By announcing that Israel would not negotiate with any Palestinian government that "relies on Hamas," the Cabinet eliminated any possibility of bypassing the situation, as it did in 2014. Back then, after Fatah's previous "reconciliation" with Hamas, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas formed his "government of technocrats," which did not include any official members of Fatah or Hamas. That way, he kept the possibility of negotiations with Israel alive. At the time, and with international support, Abbas was able to have it both ways. On the one hand, he had a national unity government, while on the other, members of Hamas were not officially part of it. Such a government would theoretically have no problem recognizing Israel and making a commitment to take action against terrorism. Hamas would be able to keep its military wing in Gaza and manage things that were really important to it. It was, in effect, the "Hezbollah model," which leaves Israel constantly worried. Up north, the model allows the Lebanese government to run the country, ostensibly at least, while Hezbollah grows in strength and has complete independence to take action against Israel. Under the current Israeli formulation, however, the possibility of "having it both ways" no longer exists. Now even a Palestinian "government of technocrats" would be considered as "relying on Hamas," since it would be composed according to the reconciliation agreement and draw its authority from it. Also, the members of any Palestinian government will evidently be approved by Hamas. All that is left to do is wait and see how the Americans deal with this new obstacle. All indications are that the United States has no intention of giving up. There are an increasing number of leaks from Washington about the upcoming peace initiative. They seem to be saying that they will not force anything on either party, but at the same time, they certainly intend to present the parties with the "ultimate deal." Will this be the first time that President Donald Trump forces Netanyahu's hand and drags him to the negotiating table? Amid the aforementioned meetings by the Israeli Cabinet to discuss the decision it ultimately reached, Netanyahu called US Ambassador David Friedman to report to him about the emerging decision, although it is unclear whether Netanyahu delved into a detailed account of the decision, from which Friedman could infer its implications. It is quite possible that Netanyahu intentionally obscured the outcome. Netanyahu later told his Cabinet that Friedman had listened, but did not respond. The Cabinet then rushed to make its decision, before it could be vetoed by Washington. Bennett and Shaked were the primary drivers behind all this. Since the government was formed, they have been pressing Netanyahu from the right. Netanyahu would have been satisfied with a more generic statement or even with the option of avoiding all decisions and statements. In that case, he would have followed events as they unfolded and then flowed with them. Bennett would not, however, allow him this option. The HaBayit HaYehudi leader insisted that Israel slam the door on any possibility for negotiations after the Palestinian reconciliation. Netanyahu squirmed. He had his qualms, but in the end he obeyed. Over time, it will be revealed on whose hand he slammed the door. Was it Trump's? The Palestinians'? Was it his own hand, which actually did the slamming? Netanyahu may be laying a trap for the Americans, but he is caught in a more dangerous trap. He is under pressure from three opposing directions. On one side are the Americans, with their clear intent to renew negotiations. On another side are the investigations into his affairs, which, according to most assessments, will lead to the recommendation of a criminal indictment. On the other side is the Israeli right, which is constantly pushing him to the farthest extremes. Under normal circumstances, Netanyahu would ignore the right and formulate a kind of reasonable diplomatic position that would not be perceived by Washington as reshuffling the deck, but these are not ordinary times. These days, Netanyahu is busy preparing an escape route to extricate himself from his legal problems. This includes the rapid passage of legislation prohibiting investigations into a sitting prime minister, followed immediately by a snap election. For Netanyahu to run and win again, he needs the entire right, including the settlers and other extreme elements. He needs to win exactly the same way that he won the last time, in 2015. That is why, unlike Abbas, Netanyahu cannot have it both ways. He needs a lot more than that, and it may well be impossible to get. Netanyahu knows that despite the Americans' declaration that they will not force an arrangement on the parties, it is always best not be the one to say no to Trump. Unfortunately for Netanyahu, that is exactly where he is now. October 23, 2017 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently pledged the construction of 3,800 new housing units in West Bank settlements. But in fact, the civil administrations High Planning Council approved only a few hundred Oct. 16-17. This elicited a bitter argument among leaders of the settlement umbrella organization Yesha Council, who had hoped to obtain many more construction permits. But despite the settlers criticism over the reduced number of permits, they could not decide whether to issue a sharp protest or launch a full-blown campaign against Netanyahu. Head of the Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan, who pushed for a more aggressive approach, was forced to accept a limited, almost private, protest against delays in the paving of bypass rounds for settlers to use around Arab villages and other security measures to prevent terrorist attacks. This internal argument among the settlers and, especially, its consequences, are indicative of Netanyahu's considerable maneuverability and of his ability, at least for now, to wiggle his way without angering either side. On one the hand, he is renewing settlement construction, even if only on a limited scale. On the other hand, he is doing this without really upsetting the US administration or the settlers. US presidential candidate Donald Trump made statements during his campaign in favor of the settlement enterprise, but once Trump was elected, Netanyahu decided to take a careful approach, rejecting several requests to build new housing units in the West Bank. This comes after eight years of the Obama administration, in which construction was effectively frozen, since settlements were considered to be an obstacle to any potential agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Discussions about new construction with Trump's team, headed by envoy Jason Greenblatt, lasted two months. They ended with agreement on a new outline. According to one senior political source, speaking on condition of anonymity, the guiding principle behind this outline is, "Dont surprise us." What this effectively means is that construction can only be advanced after coordination with the White House. Apart from Greenblatt, the American team also includes US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and staff members from the embassy and the consulate in Jerusalem. According to the Israelis, they are directly involved in the discussions and are intimately familiar with every detail, including every movement on the ground. Among the tools at the Americans' disposal are satellite imagery, but they also keep close tabs on publications about the issue. Nevertheless, Trump's pro-Israel appointments, including Greenblatt and Friedman, and his overall change in policy regarding Israel and the settlements, often face a stubborn State Department, which preserves the old policy of restraint in construction, if only partially. Netanyahu presented several of these understandings to the Cabinet in March and received its approval for the new outline. In June and again in September, Netanyahu decided to postpone approval of new housing units at the behest of the Americans, since they were trying to get negotiations with the Palestinians started again. Apparently, this postponement can also be attributed to the ongoing process of internal Palestinian reconciliation and increased Egyptian involvement in the region. But Netanyahu eventually did give the green light. The planning committee met last week and approved the construction of hundreds of new units. Dozens of new units were approved in Hebron, while 300 were approved in Beit El. Similarly, a new settlement, Amichai, was also approved for the settlers evacuated from Amona in February. The permits were granted in accordance with agreements reached with the Americans. The political source listed the basic agreements reached with Trump's envoys: In Area C, which is under Israeli civilian and security control, construction was limited to new housing units adjacent to existing units. There will be no new construction at a distance from existing settlements, and there will be no new outposts. Special permission was given to establish Amichai, because of the evacuation of Amona. In addition, there is a limit on the number of housing units in every new West Bank project. There is almost no restriction on construction in Jerusalem, but even there, new construction must be adjacent to existing structures. Construction in the major West Bank settlement blocs is not restricted. The source noted that according to the procedure agreed upon by the parties, once each construction project is approved in Israel, it will be brought before the Americans. Only after discussions with them will a final list of projects be brought to the Cabinet for approval. Once that happens, the projects will be sent for planning. Peace Now, a left-wing organization that polices settlement construction, claims that 6,500 new housing units will be advanced through the process this year, as compared with just over 2,600 last year. Still, the settlers aren't really happy about it. Dagan told Al-Monitor, "It is inconceivable that all construction in Judea and Samaria will require American approval. We are very disappointed in the way the prime minister is acting, especially toward a particularly supportive US administration and the most right-wing government Israel has ever had." Dagan claims that the fact that so many Republicans support Israel should be used as leverage to overturn the restrictions. He said that over the past few months, he hosted several American politicians from the president's own party, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Alan Clemmons of the South Carolina House of Representatives. In contrast, David Alhayani, head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, told Al-Monitor that while the number of construction permits is, in fact, small, they are what he calls "high-quality permits," referring in particular to new housing units in Hebron, Beit El and Amichai. Nevertheless, even he was critical of the way discussions are held with the Americans, describing them as "failing." Avi Roeh, the head of the Yesha Council, said that while Israel should not need any US approval to build, and while thousands of housing units are on hold due to White House opposition, the situation is still much better than it was under the Obama administration. In his Sept. 27 meeting with the leaders of the settlers, Netanyahu quoted Friedman, who cited a Talmudic adage at a meeting with the Israeli team, saying, If you have seized a lot, you have not seized (Yoma, Chapter 8). Netanyahu was hinting to them that it is in the interest of the settlers to keep the United States on Israel's side, which is why the Israeli government must be careful to coordinate construction with them, even if it is slow and even if the numbers are less than expected. In sharp contrast to the American response is the reaction by the European Union, which commented on the announcement of renewed construction by saying that it "would severely jeopardize the contiguity and viability of a future Palestinian state" and that "all settlement activity is illegal." The approval of these new housing units helped only partially to settle the growing sense of unease in the Netanyahu government. Ministers from HaBayit HaYehudi may have approved the construction outline with the Americans in March, but they continued to protest the postponements and delays. Even among Netanyahu's own party, criticism has intensified, especially among the right-wing flanks, led by Tourism Minister Yariv Levin and Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely. On the other hand, Netanyahu received the support of his defense minister, Avigdor Liberman. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior associate of Netanyahu summarized his guiding principle as "the ability to maneuver between internal politics, the egos of the coalition partners, genuine construction needs and the limitations imposed by our friend in the White House." But, he warned, what seems like a relative achievement now could collapse if one of the political partners mistakenly concludes that reshuffling the deck vis-a-vis the White House could get the government more. October 23, 2017 The Turkish artist Volkan Aslans film installation about displacement for the 15th Istanbul Biennial reminds us that borders are arbitrary. It was therefore fitting that the artist would also present the work on the Greek island of Lesbos, where thousands of refugees are stranded in what is in essence their temporary, makeshift home. The triptych Home Sweet Home follows two women going about their lives in what appears to be dreamy domesticity, but their home is then revealed to be a vessel plying the Bosporus Strait in search of an elusive safe haven. The new work is being shown simultaneously in Istanbul, where the theme of this year's biennial is A Good Neighbour, and in Lesbos, where it occupies the upper floor of the Mytilene Municipal Art Gallery, located in what had been the Ottoman governor's mansion. These women are wandering, but we do not know where they are heading, what they are fleeing. Is it because there are no good neighbors left? Aslan said in an interview with Al-Monitor. Showing this work in Lesbos felt important because, like the boat in the film, it offers shelter. A few miles north of the Mytilene gallery sits the Kara Tepe refugee camp, a low-slung collection of containers occupied by families from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Farther inland lies the Moria registration center, where barbed wire surrounds tents housing mostly men. A trickle of refugees continues to reach Lesbos, some six miles off the Turkish coast. At the height of the refugee crisis in 2015, Lesbos was a point of entry for hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing to Europe. After the European Union tightened its borders last year, the Aegean island became a dead end for those having gotten that far. On a wall along a road en route to the camp, someone has scrawled Destroy all prisons. One of historys largest mass migrations, sparked by years of conflict and economic turmoil in the Middle East and beyond, has left a searing mark on the biennial, which began Sept. 16 and runs through Nov. 12 and is the premier art event in Turkey, now home to 3 million uprooted Syrians. Ingar Dragset, of the Berlin-based Nordic curator duo Elmgreen & Dragset, which curated this year's exhibition, told Al-Monitor, Our focus on home and neighborhood is about belonging, about the search for the normalcy of everyday life that for many in Turkey is almost impossible. We found that the migration crisis is a very natural part of talking about the changing meaning of home today. In Sammelstelle, a small room clad in corrugated iron, Germanys Olaf Metzel evokes the claustrophobia of hastily erected holding pens for refugees. The cheap construction material is also used by poor migrants to build new homes in urban centers. Mahmoud Obaidi, who fled Iraq in 1991, presents drawings and a personal archive from his homeland in Compact Home Project to remind viewers that war can destroy millennia-old civilizations in a heartbeat. The Brazilian artist Victor Leguy visited a Syrian-owned bookshop in Istanbul to swap personal items with refugees to expand his Structures for Invisible Borders, an installation in which such everyday objects as a pair of slippers and worry beads are partially whitewashed to represent the recording of history. Leguy told Al-Monitor, History is written by the winners. So many of their ideas surround us, we just take it in without thinking. The idea here is to move the spotlight and show another perspective, to disturb the audience with micro-histories. Local galleries and other institutions have organized exhibits and other activities around the biennial's theme, exploring dislocation and loss. Installed in a dilapidated mansion in central Istanbul, Welcome to Homeland, by the Turkish artist Halil Altindere, reimagines the lives of two Syrian refugees the cosmonaut Muhammad Faris, who defected from the Syrian air force, and the hip-hop artist Mohammad Abu Hajar, who now lives in Berlin. The Mahalla Festival, taking its name from the Arabic word for neighborhood, exhibited works by artists from 12 countries, including refugees, focusing on the burdens of forced migration. The exhibition Trans-ID featured works primarily by expatriates and dual nationals examining how identity mutates across borders. Their work was presented in a 200-year-old Armenian Catholic church, whose worshippers abandoned Istanbul in earlier waves of migration. The most stirring work in Ai Weiwei On Porcelain, a wide-ranging show by the Chinese mega-artist at the Sakip Sabanci Museum, is a study in blue-and-white porcelain produced specifically for the Istanbul exhibit that portray the tireless repetition of war throughout history. Stacked columns of Ming-style vases illustrate the refugee saga in a two-story room covered in wallpaper, which is titled Odyssey and depicts men, women and children on storm-tossed seas and huddled in tents. Ai traveled to Lesbos at the height of the refugee crisis, drawing the worlds attention to the calamity unfolding on the island's beaches. The most important art is always related to difficult moments, Ai said during a talk at the Sabanci Museum last month. We cannot separate the human tragedy from suffering, nor from beauty. October 23, 2017 The veil of secrecy shrouding the detention of Osman Kavala, a tireless and generous supporter of civil society in Turkey, has yet to be lifted since his detention at Istanbuls Ataturk airport on Oct. 18. But the slander campaign against the prominent businessman and philanthropist is continuing full blast. Aydin Unal, a columnist for the pro-government Yeni Safak, likened Kavala to Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based imam who is accused of seeking to violently overthrow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It is quite clear that Kavala, just like Fethullah Gulen, is one of the baby-faced, masked as peace-loving, humanitarian-seeming tools collected internally to carry out the Wests operations on Turkey, he wrote in his column today. Sources with close links to the government speculate that Kavalas detention is connected to an ongoing witch hunt in Turkish civil society. Many believe it was initiated by a mix of nationalists and pro-Russian Eurasianists in the judiciary and the security services bent on unmooring Turkey from the West. The same circles have been blamed for the flimsily documented terrorism charges, among others, that are being leveled against 11 human rights defenders, including Amnesty International's Turkey chair Taner Kilic and the groups Turkey director Idil Eser, who will appear in court this week. The indictment against the group illustrates the Turkish authorities expanding practice of prosecuting normal civic activities as terrorist crimes, wrote Nate Schenkkan of the New York-based rights watchdog Freedom House. At least 62,000 people have been arrested and 111,000 others fired from public service and blacklisted since the July 15 coup attempt. Kavalas detention, however, marks an escalation. He is widely acclaimed in European circles, particularly for a swath of projects aimed at nourishing trust between Turkey and Armenia. These colorful and often emotion-filled events are typically hosted in the heart of Istanbul at a cavernous old warehouse formerly used to store tobacco and an elegant 19th century building. Both belong to Kavala. Kavala has also cooperated with the government to help restore ancient Armenian and Greek churches that had been left to decay across Anatolia through Anadolu Kultur, the non-profit through which most of his activities are run. His plight has prompted a flurry of condemnation worldwide. Frances Foreign Ministry registered its protest, calling Kavala one of the most important and respected figures of the Turkish cultural scene and civil society. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Kavalas detention was a further example of a very alarming trend that chills public debate. All of his work is now being used to prove his covert cooperation with Turkeys foes. The lanky animal lovers quiet efforts to promote now stalled peace between Turkey and the countrys long-oppressed Kurds are also being manipulated to blacken his name. He is being falsely accused of inspiring the slogan We will not make you [Erdogan] president that helped propel the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party into the parliament for the first time in the June 2015 parliamentary elections. It was prominent pro-Erdogan columnist Hilal Kaplan who fired the first warning shots against Kavala. In an August 2015 column for Sabah, Kaplan claimed that Kavala had close and enduring commercial ties with the Turkish army and notorious mobster Sedat Peker. She omitted the latters adulation of Erdogan. Nor did Kaplan mention her participation in Kurdish peace-themed discussions hosted at Kavala's Cezayir Restaurant, to her contributions to a journal he founded or her acceptance of a journalism prize he helped organize. Kavala refuted the allegations in an article for the now shuttered Radikal newspaper and is believed to have taken Kaplan to court. A fresh attack was launched against him last month in the online portal Yekvucut. The site is affiliated with Bosphorus Global, a public relations outfit Kaplans husband Suheyb Ogut helps to run from a waterfront villa on the Bosporus. The group, whose main purpose is to discredit critical opinions about the government, is thought to have close ties to Erdogans son-in-law, Energy Minister Berat Albayrak. Its team of spin doctors is widely rumored to have helped feed the media campaign against former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who was forced to step down amid claims he was in league with Gulen and with Germany, ostensibly because of his German-language schooling. Erdal Dogan, a prominent human rights lawyer who represents Amnestys Eser, reckons that the continued media attacks against Kavala suggest that his detention without charge may be extended by another week, as permitted under Turkish law. The case of Saban Kardas, who heads the Ankara-based Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies think tank, has drawn markedly less attention. Kardas, who was on friendly terms with the government, was detained a day after Kavala at his Ankara home, purportedly in connection with the same investigation. All of this needs to be assessed within the broader context of a push to silence all of the governments existing and potential critics, Dogan told Al-Monitor. It kicked off with journalists and elected politicians. It is continuing with a second wave of arrests of civil society activists. The final phase against professional chambers, lawyers, doctors, environmentalists, is yet to come. October 23, 2017 Now that US President Donald Trump has refused to certify that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) meets congressional requirements, much attention has been focused on the reverberations in Washington and within the Transatlantic alliance. No less important, however, are the emerging policy ramifications in Tehran. Contrary to assertions at home and conjecture abroad, Trumps Iran policy may in the long run strengthen rather than weaken President Hassan Rouhanis administration in several key ways. First, Iranian stakeholders are now more united as a result of US threats, thereby solidifying the executive branch within Irans political system. Trumps choice to decertify has reinforced the strategic vision offered by Rouhani and agreed to by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after the 2013 presidential election: to maintain unity on policy toward the United States, (nuclear) deal or no deal. This vision was predicated on eliminating the diplomatic and financial isolation that plagued Iran from 2005 to 2013. Whatever their differences, Khamenei needs Rouhani and his technocrats to repair the damage wrought by former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Rouhani needs Khamenei to provide political protection while he does so. Since entering office four years ago, Rouhani has maintained arguably the most diverse and inclusive political coalition in the 38-year history of the Islamic Republic. The infighting will not subside anytime soon, but the survival instinct of most elites has kicked in, helping them recognize the need to deepen the middle ground that Rouhani has been cultivating. In nine months, the Trump administration has managed to spur a level of political unity and rally-around-the-flag nationalism not seen in Iran since the immediate aftermath of Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution and Iraqi dictator Saddam Husseins subsequent invasion. Rouhani may also be strengthened because such unity has been a linchpin in the approach he has been advocating for the past 15 years and outlined in his 2011 memoir, National Security and Nuclear Diplomacy. In the book, he defends using that approach during his stewardship of Irans 2003-2005 nuclear negotiations with Europe because all decisions were made by consensus, with Khameneis endorsement. He criticizes subsequent negotiating teams for repeatedly miscalculating and abandoning his strategy of internal consensus-building and blames them for the polarization in Irans foreign and domestic politics that threaten to destabilize the country. Each of Rouhanis criticisms have proven true and Khamenei approved each of those mistakes, reinforcing Rouhanis political standing. Second, Trumps hostile approach may help shore up Rouhanis domestic standing because it vindicates the strategy employed to achieve Irans national interests both from 2003 to 2005 and 2013 to the present. In his memoir, Rouhani says his approach toward handling the nuclear dispute had three facets: cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to address the violations noted in Irans nuclear file, engaging with Europe to improve relations and neutralize American aggression and pursuing both of those objectives to allow for Iranian nuclear scientists to continue different aspects of their work. Rouhanis strategy worked in the early 2000s. It helped thwart the threat of war after the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, and his team successfully prevented the referral of Irans nuclear file to the UN Security Council. An updated version of the same strategy has proven successful since Rouhanis election in 2013. The JCPOA removed Irans nuclear file from Chapter VII in the UN Security Council without the country being bombed a first and it appears to be serving as a bulwark against Trumps aggression given that Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China, the UN, the European Union and the IAEA all currently oppose US policy. Rouhani sold his nuclear strategy to Khamenei by arguing that Tehrans openness to negotiations and compromise would put the onus on Washington to accept the Islamic Republic accordingly. In turn, Khamenei sold the nuclear talks inside and outside the government by arguing that such engagement means the onus will be on the United States to compromise. Thus, Rouhani and by extension, Khamenei is vindicated regardless of whether the JCPOA remains intact. If it dies, neither Khamenei nor the Iranian people will blame Rouhani, because he can accurately pin the blame on Washington. Conversely, neither Rouhani nor the Iranian people will blame Khamenei for the same reason. Finally, while the long-term impact may be to strengthen Rouhani, it should be noted that Trumps bombast might complicate the Iranian presidents agenda in the short run. US escalation of tensions will likely securitize the atmosphere in Iran, thereby slowing down political and economic development similarly to 2005-2013, when tensions with the United States spiked. At that time, key stakeholders justified empowering the military-security apparatus as a necessary instrument to counter threats to the Islamic Republics survival. As senior Iranian officials told Al-Monitor back then, Tehran invested more money into security and intelligence operations, with such budget allocations ballooning and new projects proliferating. Such a thing would likely not have happened under normal circumstances, as demonstrated by how Rouhani successfully shifted the Iranian states priority to domestic economic stabilization during his first term. However, in the long run, it would be an exaggeration to associate securitization with Rouhani being a lame duck. His domestic agenda may be curtailed, but thats in large part because its now more difficult for him to argue internally that additional funding for security purposes is unnecessary. Thus, the biggest loser right now is not Rouhani, but rather the Iranian people. Trump shifting the onus back to the United States could allow Iranian officials to successfully blame foreign bogeymen for the Islamic Republics economic shortcomings and divert the publics attention from the governments role in causing them. While disillusionment among ordinary Iranians will grow, Trumps bluster has ensured that most vitriol will be directed at decision-makers in Washington rather than Tehran precisely because Rouhanis strategy has succeeded. For nearly four decades, the United States has tried to isolate Iran. But after nine months of Trump in office, it is the United States that seems isolated. Decertifying Iranian compliance with the JCPOA is only the latest instance of Tehran capitalizing on Washingtons self-inflicted wounds. Rouhani has been proven right that Iran and his own political standing are more secure thanks to less bombast, deeper unity, better negotiators, more diplomacy and a realistic assessment of the Islamic Republics policy strengths and weakness both at home and abroad. If Trump forges ahead with his confrontational posturing, he will likely empower rather than weaken the very politicians hes trying to undermine. Correction: Oct. 27, 2017. An earlier version of this story mistakenly stated that US President Donald Trump had refused to certify Iranian compliance with the nuclear deal. More precisely, Trump instead declared that US sanctions relief was not appropriate and proportionate to actions taken by Iran under the deal. A local investor paid $200,000 for a 7,000-square-foot vacant industrial building on three acres at 8520 Bellingrath Road and plans to use it for a future business venture, according to Pete Riehm of NAI Mobile who handled the transaction. Crossfit has leased a 5,000-square-foot space for a gym at 6161 Rangeline Road in Mobile, and plans to open in early spring of 2018, according to Angie McArthur of Stirling Properties, who represented Crossfit. Jay Roberds of NAI Mobile worked for the landlord. Salvage World has leased the 43,628-square-foot former Greer's store space in St. Francis Plaza at 2501 Government Blvd., in Mobile, according to Angie McArthur of Stirling Properties, who handled the transaction. Salvage World offers wholesale prices on retail goods and this is the store's first location in Alabama. Salvage World plans to open early next year. Caffeine Corps has leased space in Olde Shell Square at 5552 Old Shell Road and offer speciality energy and coffee drinks, according to Pratt Thomas of Merrill P. Thomas Company. The Painting Parrot has leased 1,610 square feet at Jubilee Pointe Shopping Center on U.S. 98 in Daphne and will relocate from their location in downtown Fairhope, according to Chris Harle of White-Spunner Realty. Magnolia Mortgage has leased 1,260 square feet at Jubilee Pointe Shopping Center on U.S. 98 in Daphne, according to Chris Harle of White-Spunner Realty, who represented the landlord. Angie McArthur of Stirling Properties worked for the tenant. Developers of Beachland have asked for a year extension to build its 69-cottage lot community on 22 acres on Perdido Beach Boulevard in Orange Beach just west of Village of Tannin, according to city planners. . Faith Ministries is seeking planning approval to build a new church on 4 acres at 6401 Overlook Road in west Mobile on the southwest corner of Overlook Road and Middle Ring Road. Several properties in Baldwin County will be offered for sale at auction on Nov. 1 and they include office buildings on W. Railroad Street in Bay Minette, 11 residential lots in Blakeley Forest subdivision and 17.4 acres on Ala. 59 in Loxley. The auction will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 1 at Courtyard Marriott at 13000 Cypress Way in Spanish Fort, according to Hudson & Marshall. The properties are listed by local commercial Realtors Pratt Thomas and Daryl Cleworth of Merrill P. Thomas Company and John Vallas of Vallas Realty. Two Florida men are charged with felony crimes following a reported car break-in and subsequent chase in Vestavia Hills over the weekend. Vestavia Hills police on Monday announced the charges against Carlos Quandarious Thomas and Cassel Foulks, both of Jacksonville, Fla. They are charged with unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle, a felony, and attempting to elude law enforcement officers, a misdemeanor. The incident began about 2:15 p.m. Sunday when a vehicle was burglarized at McCallum Park in the 3300 block of Rosemary Lane off of Rocky Ridge Road in Vestavia Hills. The victim and witnesses were able to give a description of both suspects and their vehicle, police said. The vehicle was spotted by Hoover and Vestavia officers on I459 South and a pursuit began. It broke up near the Riverchase Galleria. The vehicle was later spotted in Bessemer and another chase began, police said Sunday. It broke off again, until the vehicle was seen again in Hoover by police there. The vehicle eventually wrecked on U.S. 31 near the Galleria, where one suspect was taken into custody. The second suspect was captured a short time later with the help of the department's tracking dog "Bo." Both suspects are jailed on $13,000 bond each. The Birmingham Public Library has hired a new executive director. Floyd Council will take over the library system on Nov. 13, the library system announced on Monday. The Birmingham Public Library Board of Trustees voted to hire Council in a special-called meeting on Oct. 16. Before taking the Birmingham position, Council served as the central library administrator for the Atlanta Fulton Public Library System. Council will oversee all operations of BPL's 19 library locations and manage 285 employees. A veteran of the U.S. Army, Council has three decades of public service, including 14 years at libraries across the country. The library board began a second search for a new library director in June after failing to hire someone during a six-month search that ended in March. Previously, the library said the director's salary is $127,192. Interim library director Sandi Lee vied for the position. She has worked for the library system for more than 23 years. Council has gained a national reputation as a 21st Century librarian who actively mentors librarians and managers, according to the Birmingham Public Library. He has contributed as a state level and American Library Association conference presenter, served on the Library Leadership and Management Association's Mentoring Committee, and is currently developing a professional development series for public service library managers. Besides the Atlanta Fulton Public Library System, Council has worked as regional manager for the Broward County Libraries Division, assistant director of public services at the DC Public Library, regional manager for the Dr. Julia Davis African American Research Library and Archives of St Louis Public Library System. He also previously worked at University of Chicago, Nashville Public Library, Dallas Public Library and the Department of Veteran's Affairs. Georgia Blair, president of the BPL Board, said Council will bring new creative ideas and knowledge to the 19 libraries. Council said he is honored to serve the residents of Birmingham as the new library director "during this time of change and transformation. "The Birmingham Public Library has a strong heritage that dates back to 1886," he said. "Under my leadership of the wonderful staff and with support of our governing board of trustees, we will secure the future for 21 Century library service, programs, partnerships, and community engagement for the City of Birmingham as we preserve the past and explore the future." Council is an American Library Association Spectrum Diversity Scholar and Alpha Chi National College Honor Society Inductee. He has been a strong supporter of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the library industry over the past decade, and is currently one of 20 National Cohort Champions selected for the Spectrum Diversity Scholars 20th Anniversary development campaign. Council holds a master's degree in library and information science from the Florida State University College of Information, a bachelor's degree in media communication from American College, and studied law at Western Michigan University's Thomas M. Cooley Law School before switching careers into the public library profession. A young Dothan boy is in a Birmingham hospital with severe burns after police said his older sister set him on fire. Dothan police were dispatched Friday night to Southeast Alabama Region Medical Center, said Investigator James Harvey. When they arrived at the hospital, they found a 10-year-old boy with serious burns to his back and arms. Because of the severity of his injuries, he was later transferred to UAB Hospital's Trauma and Burn Intensive Care Unit. Detectives launched their investigation and determined the victim's 12-year-old sister had doused her brother's back with hair spritz and then used a lighter to ignite the fire. Harvey said there was another person at home with the siblings when it happened, but he couldn't elaborate. He also said he could not yet disclose a possible motive in the attack. Police charged the 12-year-old girl with first-degree assault. Because of her age, she was released into her parents' custody. The Alabama Department of Human Resources has enacted a mandatory safety plan that the family must follow, Harvey said. The case against the girl will be handled by the Houston County juvenile court system. Harvey said while the boy's injuries are serious, he is expected to recover. At a solemn White House ceremony Monday, President Trump presented the Medal of Honor - the highest military honor - to a former Army medic with Special Forces serving in the Vietnam War who now lives in Huntsville. Gary Michael Rose saluted Trump and the two shook hands as the ceremony began, then ended with Trump placing the medal around Rose's neck. As he began his speech, Trump addressed Rose's two grandchildren who were present for the ceremony. "We want you to know that the medal we will present today will forever enshrine your grandfather - and he is a good man, we just spoke to him for a long time - this will enshrine him into the history of our nation," Trump said. Trump praised Rose as tirelessly treating the wounded in his unit behind enemy lines in Laos from Sept. 11-14 without regard to his own injuries. Rose was credited with treating more than 60 soldiers during that four-day event known as Operation Tailwind. The president described the event as a "harrowing four-day mission." Read a detailed account of Rose's unit's mission in Laos from the U.S. Army "The people who were with him could not believe what they were witnessing," Trump said. "He crawled from one soldier to the next, offering words of encouragement as he tended to their wounds. On the second day, one of the Allied soldiers was shot outside their company perimeter. Again, Mike raced to the side of the soldier, exposing himself to constant fire. Mike fired with one arm while dragging the injured soldier back to the perimeter." As rocket fire rained down on the unit, Rose was injured by flying shrapnel that pierced his back and "left a gaping hole in Mike's foot," Trump said. "For the next 48 excruciating hours, he used a branch as a crutch and went on rescuing the wounded. Mike did not stop to eat, to sleep or even care for his own serious injury as he saved the lives of his fellow soldiers. On the second and final night of the mission, the enemy surrounded the company. "All night long, Mike treated the wounded and dug trenches to protect them from blazing rockets and grenades. After four days of constant engagement with the enemy and successfully destroying an enemy base camp, Mike's unit prepared to depart." Even the departure did not go as planned. A Marine gunner was shot in the neck soon after take-off and as Rose wrapped a cloth around his neck, the helicopter crashed after less than a mile after being hit with enemy fire from the ground. Rose was thrown from the helicopter before it hit the ground, then rushed back to the crash site to again help those who were wounded. Rose went on to serve 20 years in the Army, achieving the rank of captain. "As Mike puts it, If you don't believe in God, then you should have been with us that day," Trump said. "And I can tell you, it will make a believer out of you because we should not have ever have survived." Thank you, Captain Gary Rose. As @POTUS said - youre a patriot who never gives up & always stands strong for God, for family & for country. https://t.co/YEK8GMYl55 Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) October 23, 2017 Vice President Mike Pence and his family also attended the ceremony as well as U.S. Sen. Luther Strange and U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks. Ten of Rose's colleagues from that deployment in Laos also attended. "Through selfless acts of heroism, Captain Rose has embodied the highest ideals of our state, and the United States of America," Strange said in a statement. "It was my utmost privilege to recommend Captain Rose to the President, and I am humbled to represent Alabama's men and women serving the nation in uniform who strive to live up to his example." Brooks described Rose as a "true hero." "Army Captain Gary Michael Rose is a true hero and I was privileged to be present at the White House today as President Trump recognized his bravery with the Medal of Honor," the congressman said in a statement. "I encourage everyone to research and learn more about Rose's incredible service to our nation during the secret mission known as 'Operation Tailwind.' "Captain Rose's mission was classified until the late 1990s, and I was proud to work with my Senate colleagues to insert language into the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act waiving the normal Congressional Medal of Honor requirement that the medal be awarded within five years of the action. Operation Tailwind was kept secret for decades, and I am glad these inspirational heroes and their actions are finally receiving the recognition they deserve." Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, in a statement released Monday afternoon, said the Rocket City would soon recognize Rose - a native of Watertown, N.Y. -- for his heroics. "Mike's story is one of courage, integrity, and selflessness, and we could not be more honored to have this exemplary patriot living in Huntsville," Battle said. "I am proud of our country for recognizing his service, and we look forward to welcoming Mike back home from the White House with a ceremony in his honor." In an interview last month, Rose said he considered the Medal of Honor to be "a collective award." "This award is very bewildering to me because I feel I am well over-recognized for my efforts," Rose said. "What I did, I considered my duty and my responsibility. I always considered it strictly as a privilege and an honor just to be a member of the United States Army. "If I had not done what I did, I would have failed myself, my fellow soldiers and the Army. "This is what I was trained to do. So when you get recognized for service that you think that you expect yourself to do and the Army has asked you to do and get you get recognized at this level, it doesn't make sense that you're getting recognized for doing what you're supposed to do." The names of Alabama voters who crossed party lines to vote in last month's Republican Senate runoff will be given to prosecutors, the state's election chief said Friday. Secretary of State John Merrill said his office has identified 674 people who voted in the Democratic primary and later voted in the GOP runoff in violation of the state's new crossover voting ban. Merrill said he plans to send the names to the attorney general and district attorneys after local election officials check the list for errors. The move signals a hardline approach to the new state law -- used for the first time in the U.S. Senate runoff -- that adds fraudulent crossover voting to the list of other felony voting crimes, such as voting twice. Merrill said it was the "right thing" to report violations but noted that it is prosecutors' decision on whether to pursue charges. The move drew criticism from those who said voters could face prosecution for an honest mistake as the ban came into effect for the first time, but Merrill said it was his responsibility to report possible violations. "It's the law. We're going to enforce the law. We're not bullying anybody. We're enforcing the law," Merrill told The Associated Press. Alabama Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy Worley said the ban was new in this election and you "would automatically have more problems." "Going out on a witch hunt is the wrong word, but I think it is problematic that you would seek out people who crossed over and voted without assuring that every single training, every single instruction, every single understanding was followed in this election," Worley said. Alabama does not require primary voters to register with a political party. State lawmakers this spring approved the crossover ban in an attempt to prevent voters of one political party from trying to meddle in another party's runoff -- although there is a dispute about how much that actually happens. The law prohibits a person from voting in one party's primary and then switching to the other's runoff and makes violations a low-level felony punishable by more than one year in prison and a $15,000 fine. The proposal was backed by members of the GOP, which dominates Alabama politics. Republicans hold all statewide offices. The law was used for the first time in the Sept. 26 Republican runoff in the race to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the U.S. Senate. The potential 674 crossover votes did not affect the outcome of that race because Republican Roy Moore defeated Sen. Luther Strange by more than 44,000 votes. Merrill said he was concerned that some poll workers were not enforcing the law. He said poll workers should face prosecution as well if they were found to have aided voters. The secretary of state's office sent probate judges a spreadsheet of the names identified. Incidents ranged from as few as one voter per county to 380 in Jefferson County, the state's most populous area. Merrill's office asked elections officials to check the names and report any errors by Nov. 6. "Unless our Office receives notification from your county that certain voters should not be on this listing of crossover voters, we will submit the list as-is to the proper authority to begin investigation and possible prosecution," the memo stated. Asked if prosecutions would be pursued for crossover voting, a spokeswoman for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said she could not immediately say. "The general policy of the Attorney General's Office is not to comment about whether a particular matter may or may not be investigated," Marshall's press office responded by email. Al Jazeera examines what is behind the cross-border violence and threats between Israel and Syria. Over the weekend, cross-border violence between Israel and Syria set off an exchange of heated threats between the two countries. On Saturday, the neighbours traded blame when Israel attacked Syrian artillery cannons, claiming it was responding to what might have been errant rocket fire that landed in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights. However, neither the cross-border violence nor the threats are new. There have been almost routine attacks in the form of rocket fire as well as assassinations and air raids carried out exclusively by Israel that have intensified since the war in Syria began in 2011. However, while the Israeli army has frequently shelled Syrian military positions and bases throughout the war, Syrian government forces have never directly retaliated although Israel speculates that some of the stray fire is intentional. What types of attacks take place? The violence from the war in Syria, which started in 2011, has spilled over the border between the two countries. Israels attacks on the Syrian army happen sporadically and are thought to take place when stray fire whether by the Syrian army or by rebels falls within the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, when arms convoys pass near the border, or when Iran-backed fighters launch rocket fire. In the case of stray fire, the Israeli army says the Syrian government is responsible and retaliates by firing on government positions, sometimes deep inside Syria. Following an incident of errant fire last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: We will attack anyone who attacks us. We wont accept spillover. If they attack us, we return fire. And it doesnt take much time. {articleGUID} According to Ofer Zalzberg, the Israel/Palestine senior analyst for the International Crisis Group, there were approximately 20 attempted attacks by Iran-backed fighters on the border. He believes that Israel also retaliates when there is intentional spillover by rebels who prod Israel to attack the Syrian military. Israel usually refuses to comment on attacks it conducts in Syria. However, it is suspected of carrying out the following infamous attacks: Killing three Syrian pro-government fighters in Quneitra, near the Golan Heights April 23, 2017 Attacking a weapons supply hub operated by Hezbollah near Damascus airport April 27, 2017 Bombing a Syrian government facility depot thought to be associated with the countrys chemical weapons production September 7, 2017 Killing several Hezbollah fighters, including Jihad Mughniyeh, son of a slain military leader, in an air raid on Quneitra January 19, 2015 Assassinating Hezbollahs Samir Kuntar on the outskirts of Damascus December 19, 2015 Why are they so frequent? Syria and Israel have technically been in a state of war since 1948, after the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli war that ensued that year. In 1967, Israel occupied the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights and continues to occupy part of it to this day. The two countries signed a disengagement agreement in 1974 following the 1973 war between Israel, Syria and Egypt. {articleGUID} The border region has remained relatively quiet since then, but the eruption of the war in Syria unleashed a new chapter in Israeli-Syrian relations. The metamorphosis of the war is critical to understanding the increase in such attacks over the past few years. What started as an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad during the 2011 Arab uprisings, transformed into a civil war between the armed opposition and government forces vying for control of territory. Though the armed opposition was making substantive gains in the first leg of the war, the intervention of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah on the side of Assads forces, tipped the scales in the governments favour. The growing power and influence of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria is Israels primary concern a fear that it does not conceal. In 2006, Israel and Hezbollah fought a bloody 34-day war that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,100 Lebanese, the majority of whom were civilians. An estimated 159 Israelis, including 43 civilians, were also killed by Hezbollahs rocket attacks. Worried that Iran is transferring weapons to Hezbollah, Israel has frequently targeted arms convoys, saying it would continue to block any attempts to buttress the Lebanese movement. Netanyahu has accused Iran of turning Syria into a base of military entrenchment and wanting to use Syria and Lebanon as war fronts against its declared goal to eradicate Israel. In August, an Israeli military official admitted for the first time that the countrys army had attacked Syrian and Hezbollah arms convoys dozens of times over the last five years. To Israel, security is a red line. Any threat or even any perceived threat is enough reason for Israel to retaliate with air raids, shelling, whether the Syrian army positions, or Hezbollah positions, or the Iran Revolutionary Guard fighters, Syrian political analyst Omar Kouch told Al Jazeera from Istanbul. Israel wants to show the region that it has the upper hand and can strike any target it wants, he added. When a shell falls to the Israeli side by mistake, Israel responds by striking the base or the area it came from. This is a show of force and sends a signal to all the parties. Who is responsible? While the Syrian government says Israel is collaborating with terrorist groups inside Syria and uses such attacks as an excuse to target the government, Israel lays blame on the Syrian army for any rockets emanating from areas under its control. According to analysts, both countries are to blame for any escalation of border violence. Sobhi Hadidi, an independent Syrian political analyst based in France, says that although the concept of blame does not exist in international relations, the two countries play a distinct role. If youre speaking about international law, then Israel is to blame because it is attacking another country. But the Syrian regime is also involved in provoking Israel by encouraging Hezbollah, Hadidi told Al Jazeera. Kouch agreed: The Iranian militias take responsibility for this when it nears the borders, it knows that Israel will respond. When it launches a missile on the borders, it knows that Israel will respond. When it tries to transfer weapons to Hezbollah, it knows that Israel will block this [] Its a sort of game. Will the attacks lead to a full-blown war? The likelihood of such tit-for-tat attacks leading to war is very low, analysts say. The regime has been hit by Israel over many years, and it has not responded once not directly, said Kouch, noting that the Syrian government is in a weak position vis-a-vis Israel. Despite repeated threats from Assad, including most recently in a letter to the United Nations warning of the grave consequences of such repeated aggressive attacks, government forces have been bogged down by the six-year war. Yet, some say a future escalation should not be ruled out. {articleGUID} Over the last year, Israel ended its policy of ambiguity regarding attacks it perpetrates in Syria among other things to underline there are steps it would not tolerate, Zalzberg said. Initially, Assad chose to disregard them, but the more the balance of the fighting in Syria tilts in his favour, the more he feels able and obliged to retort. While a major escalation between the sides is unlikely, such a dynamic nourishes a transformation of the Israeli-Syrian relationship from one of de-facto indifference to active antagonism with low-level violence. The Philippines has declared victory over supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in the southern city of Marawi. Five months of urban combat left 920 fighters dead and cost the lives of 165 government soldiers and at least 45 civilians. The government had teamed up with its former enemies from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in its attempts to snuff out the fighters. Fighting ended when troops finally overcame pro-ISIL fighters, including foreigners, who were holed up in several buildings in the heart of the city. Officials say martial law will continue to be implemented in the wider Mindanao area. The end of the clashes gave way to scenes of a historic city in ruins with soldiers patrolling the gutted out and pockmarked remains of apartment blocks and houses. Pictures taken after the battle reveal it devastating impact; buildings turned to rubble, cars dotted with bullet holes, and personal belongings and furniture heaped beside the shell of a row of houses. More than 600,000 locals were displaced by the fighting. The siege of Marawi and the later battle started when officials tried to serve an arrest warrant in May to Isnilon Hapilon, a commander in the Abu Sayyaf group, and Omarkhayam Maute of the Maute group. Instead of giving up their arms, Hapilon formed an alliance with the Maute Group and launched a bloody rampage in the city. Hapilon then declared his allegiance to the ISIL group, drawing support from foreign fighters from nearby Malaysia and Indonesia. A spectre is haunting Hollywood the spectre of a sexual predator named Harvey Weinstein. All the powers of liberal elite have gathered their forces to exorcise this infamy. From New York Times and the New Yorker to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences down to every website and tabloid from coast to coast. What they could not do to Donald Trump now they are determined to do to Harvey Weinstein with a vengeance: Scandalise and run him out of town, as if he were an effigy of Donald Trump. In October 2017, The New York Times and The New Yorker came out with two bombshell exposes that dozens of women in the film industry had accused Harvey Weinstein, a prominent film producer, of sexual harassment, sexual assault and even rape. Scores of other prominent actors including Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, and Mira Sorvino subsequently came forward and accused Weinstein of such abusive behaviours. Weinstein, however, denied any non-consensual sex, as his wife announced she was divorcing him. Weinstein was soon fired from the company he cofounded and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. But still the key question persisted, how could such abuses go on for decades without being exposed. Harvey Weinstein of Islam? In the middle of this traumatic event, in which the world outside Hollywood is coming to terms with the horrid fact of sexual abuse in the film industry, the appearance of a bizarre article in the New York Times with the title of Could this be the Harvey Weinstein of Islam? was jarring and outlandish, even for the New York Times. The piece, penned by a notorious Ayaan Hirsi Ali wannabe, tells its readers: An activist in France leveled rape allegations against the grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood on Friday. We read the piece and we learn that a young Muslim woman in Paris, Henda Ayari, had written a book in French, Jai choisi detre libre (I chose to be free), in which she had described how she was the subject of a sexual assault by a Muslim man, but had kept his identity anonymous. But with the #MeToo hashtag ricocheting around the globe, as women worldwide shared their experiences of sexual harassment and assault, Ayari found new courage and in a Facebook post declared: It is a very difficult decision but I too have decided it is time to denounce my attacker. It is Tariq Ramadan. No amount of sexual violence by Muslim men, no matter how 'prominent' they may think they are, amounts to the astoundingly racist headline of 'the Harvey Weinstein of Islam' - as indeed Harvey Weinstein himself being a Jew has absolutely nothing to do with the noble, civilizing, and the enduring moral rectitude of Judaism. by The key question is not the actual content of this piece of news for if indeed, as Ms Ayari alleges, a weak and vulnerable woman has been subjected to unwanted sexual advances and coerced into an abusive relationship against her will, then the matter must be exposed, denounced, and taken to any legal court if the victim so chooses, and the perpetrator ostracised and shamed. There is no discounting, dismissing, belittling, or sidestepping an allegation of such gravity. But the issue is not the substance of such allegations. Sexual violence is a global and transcultural malady and needs the global attention it now receives. Among the 1.6 billion Muslims around the world, no doubt Muslim men (like all other men) have their share of despicable sexual violence that needs to be exposed and addressed. But no amount of sexual violence by Muslim men, no matter how prominent they may think they are, amounts to the astoundingly racist headline of the Harvey Weinstein of Islam as indeed Harvey Weinstein himself being a Jew has absolutely nothing to do with the noble, civilising, and the enduring moral rectitude of Judaism. How is that so? Allow me to explain. Islam as a metaphor of evil {articleGUID} Did anyone call Harvey Weinstein the monster of Judaism? No because his criminal monstrosity has nothing to do with Judaism. Did anyone call the other sexual predator Americans have freely and democratically elected as their president the Harvey Weinstein of Christianity? No because Donald Trumps shenanigans have nothing to do with Christianity. Muslim women are systematically raped and murdered in Myanmar has anyone ever uttered the term Harvey Weinstein of Buddhism? There are plenty of rapists in India we have never read the New York Times calling them Harvey Weinstein of Hinduism and rightly so. Why then should the New York Times fish around the world for one alleged case of sexual violence presumably perpetrated by a Muslim and call it Harvey Weinstein of Islam. Tariq Ramadan is indeed known mostly in Europe as a prominent Muslim, the grandson of another prominent Muslim but no Muslim, no matter how prominent he might be, represents Islam. There are high-ranking Christian priests accused and even convicted of sexual abuse of children. There are Jewish rabbis calling for the wholesale massacre of Palestinians. There are power monger Shia clerics running a vicious theocracy in Iran. There are Sunni mass murderers roaming in Iraq and Syria. There are Buddhist monks slaughtering Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. But none of these atrocities can or should be declared as an indication of the categorical moral depravity of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism. A Muslim, a Jew, a Christian, a Buddhist, a Hindu is a fallible human being. Islam, Judaism, Christianity, etc are abstract sacred orders, normative moral universes, definitive to the ethical intuition of our senses of the sublime and the truthful. The history of our humanity is ravaged by the moral depravity of all of us of whatever denomination we might be. But if against all odds we can still stand erect and tally any measure of truth to our existence it is precisely because the best and the sublimest in our self-transcendence have been summoned in these sacred orders. {articleGUID} But today it is only Islam, and it is only in the United States, Europe, and Israel the epicentre of white supremacist racism that has been successfully and totally transformed into a singular signal of an unrelenting evil that needs to be eradicated. The New York Times today is integral to a massive Islamophobic machinery that marks Islam and Muslim as the diabolic enemy of history, of humanity, and of all manners and claims to a civilized life. If something like the Harvey Weinstein scandal has absolutely nothing to do with Muslims and Islam, they will find a pernicious way to find one case of alleged Muslim sexual violence and pin it down not on him as a person, a Muslim, a scholar, but on the entirety of Islam itself. The target of this vicious Islamophobia is not just individual Muslims. It is against Islam itself. It aims to rob Muslims of the very fabric of their humanity, debone their moral rectitude to nullity either to die under Bush, Obama, and Trump bombs from one end of the Muslim world to another or else convert to a Judeo-Christian creed and be saved and civilised. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) celebrated winning the battle for Raqqa by recreating the tank doughnuts that ISIL did when they seized the city back in 2014. They also secured access for the international media to document that the black flag has been taken down and that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is no more. What these journalists saw in Raqqa was utter urban destruction on a scale unseen in recent history, worse even than that of west Mosul or eastern Aleppo. Initial estimates suggest that some 1,800 civilians died in the battle and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that over 80 percent of the city has been damaged or destroyed. All of Raqqas prewar population of 300,000 Syrians had fled. So what next for this beleaguered city and who will bear the responsibility for its future? According to the monitoring group Air Wars, US-led forces dropped 5,775 bombs, shells and missiles in Raqqa in August alone. Such was the intensity of the attacks that the UN even made the rare call for operations to be eased. The use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas have devastating effects and, unfortunately, Raqqa is a clear illustration of that. Raqqas electricity and sewage systems have been destroyed, its schools and hospitals decimated. If residents were to return they would find no clean drinking water, no markets, no life as it was before. Those who were in the city during the intensive bombardment will suffer from disabilities and mental health damage for years to come. But Raqqa residents cannot yet think of returning because those responsible for destroying it do not seem that willing to foot the bill for its reconstruction. Back in March US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that while his country has led operations against ISIL, stabilisation and reconstruction will require more from all of you. There can be little argument that, in this particular corner of Syria, the Colin Powell doctrine of you break it, you own it will be applied. Yet, it will be ridiculous to see the US and its allies willing to spend $13.6m a day to bomb ISIL, but unwilling to spend a dime on reconstruction efforts in those iconic cities that have been liberated. {articleGUID} Another problem is that it is still unclear how Raqqa will be governed. The UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, has called on parties to the conflict to use the fall of the city to restart stalled attempts to find a political process forward. The SDF has boldly asserted that Raqqa will be part of a decentralised federal Syria, but with the conflict forever unpredictable and with forces loyal to the Syrian regime only some 15km away, it would seem hard to make concrete plans for reconstruction. What is more, while the SDF has repeatedly promoted itself as a mixed Arab-Kurdish force, their raising of a giant banner of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan has already led to concerns about how the new authority plans to govern the city. In terms of practicalities, it may be easier, safer and cheaper to rebuild a new Raqqa next to the old one rather than attempting the laborious and dangerous task of removing explosives, rubble and contaminated materials from the current site. Whatever strategy is adopted it is not going to be cheap and the SDF have already called for the international community to stump up for its costs. Interestingly, reports have suggested that Saudi officials have already visited Raqqa and promised that the country will play a prominent role in its reconstruction. Other members of the US-led coalition should also be stepping up and demonstrating the required international leadership and ownership of Raqqas future, otherwise, the former ISIL capital could become another Middle East ghost city, symbolic of the absence of a post-ISIL vision. {articleGUID} Earlier this year the UN Humanitarian Chief described the battle for Mosul as hell on earth and early estimates of repair costs easily top $1bn just to restore water, electricity, sewage and schools. As with past post-conflict planning, much hope for resources for Mosul and the other post-ISIL cities in Iraq has been placed on the upcoming Kuwait donor conference in 2018. Raqqa is more complicated as there is no agreement to restore Syrian state authority over the city which remains dependent on the uncertainty as to how the conflict concludes. Yet without the coming together of global players at a conference or moment that can unite around a vision for Raqqa, as well as provide the critically needed funds and urban planning expertise, the concern is that the destroyed city will remain in limbo with most of its residents counting time living in refugee camps. The people of Raqqa have witnessed and paid the ultimate price for years of conflict, occupation and displacement. Today the city, its people and its politics are at a crossroads that will determine if the former capital of the ISIL Caliphate can be reborn and restored or whether it will be doomed to decades of neglect. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has secured a big victory in Sundays election, boosting his push to reform the countrys pacifist constitution amid tensions with North Korea. At a news conference on Monday, Abe said that he would pursue strong diplomacy to pressure Pyongyang to halt its nuclear weapons programme. He also referred to Japanese citizens who were kidnapped and believed to be held captive in North Korea. I will pursue decisive and strong diplomacy to tackle North Koreas missile, nuclear and abduction issues and put further pressure to get it to change its policy, he said. Super Majority The ruling coalition won a supermajority of 312 seats in the 465-seat parliament in the snap elections, enough to push through Abes agenda. Japans constitution limits the military to being a self-defence force after its defeat in World War II. Abe says the law is a relic of the past and having a super majority will help him reform the pacifist constitution and allow Japans armed forces to play a more active role. The victory marks a remarkable turnaround for the Japanese leader. Plagued by corruption scandals, Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) were on shaky ground just last month. Japan snap elections: All you need to know The win makes Abe Japans longest-serving leader. He says the results indicate that voters support his policies and want to see his political leadership continue. Abe also pledged to take measures that would tackle Japans demographic challenges, as the country continues to struggle with an ageing and shrinking population. Tokyos Nikkei Index on Monday reacted positively to the victory of LDP leader, who is seen as a pro-business prime minister. Kurdish officials in northern Iraq express concern over dangerous deployment of Iraqi troops and allied militia. The Kurdish leadership in northern Iraq has accused the federal government in Baghdad of continuing to mobilise security forces towards the borders of the countrys semi-autonomous Kurdish region. The Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) said on Monday that it was concerned over the dangerous deployment of Iraqi troops and allied militia in the region. In the last 48 hours, Iraq has continued to deploy tanks and artillery, as well as American equipment, including Humvees and Armoured Personnel Carriers, it said in a statement on Monday. Iraq has shown zero signs of de-escalating their military aggression against the people of Kurdistan Region, said KRSC, urging Baghdad to stop the military buildup. We call on the Iraqi government to immediately cease its military aggression and withdraw from all territories. There was no immediate comment from Baghdad. Kirkuk advance The Iraqi army, backed by Shia paramilitaries, on Saturday said it was in full control of all of oil-rich Kirkuk province following the capture of Altun Kupri town after intense fighting against Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Baghdads forces had previously captured Kirkuk city, as part of a major military operation in the wake of a controversial September 25 referendum on Kurdish secession that Baghdad had declared illegal. As the Iraqi army advanced, tens of thousands of people, including civilians and Peshmerga fighters, fled the disputed multi-ethnic city, home to about a million Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen and Christians. Kurdish Peshmerga forces seized Kirkuk, Iraqs second oil hub, in mid-2014 when Iraqi troops withdrew from the advancing ISIL (also known as ISIS) group. Shock and disarray Separately, parliamentary and presidential elections set for November 1 were delayed on Monday after political parties reportedly failed to present candidates. Yerevan Saeed, a Kurdish affairs analyst and researcher at the Middle East Research Institute, told Al Jazeera that the underlying causes for the delay appeared to be deeper. The Kurdish leadership is in a state of shock and disarray after they lost almost 45 percent of the territory that they had controlled since 2014, he told Al Jazeera from Washington, DC. It is all about the repercussions and unintended consequences of the referendum, and the regional and international pressure on the leadership of the Kurdish Regional Government, he added. The referendum was supposed to consolidate the legitimacy and also the position of the ruling Kurdish party, but obviously that backfired. Iraqi PM defends role of Iran-backed militias after top US diplomat calls for them to be expelled from the country. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has rejected a call by Washington for Iranian-backed fighters to leave Iraq at a meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Baghdad. Tillerson made the unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital on Monday came amid heightened tensions between the two countries over the role of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), Shia paramilitaries that helped defeat ISIL in Iraq. The top US diplomat had previously called for Iraq-based Iranian militias to go home as the fight against ISIL is coming to a close. {articleGUID} But Abadi insisted on Monday that the force consists solely of Iraqi nationals who fought terrorism and made sacrifices that contributed to the victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group. Calling it part of the Iraqi institutions, Abadi said PMF fighters should be encouraged because they will be the hope of country and the region, according to a statement by his media office. Javad Zarif, Irans foreign minister, waded into the debate, tweeting on Monday: Exactly what country is it that Iraqis who rose up to defend their homes against ISIS return to? Exactly what country is it that Iraqis who rose up to defend their homes against ISIS return to? Shameful US FP, dictated by petrodollars. Javad Zarif (@JZarif) October 22, 2017 Tillersons visit to Baghdad came a few days after the Iraqi army, backed by the PMF, claimed control of all of oil-rich Kirkuk province after it captured Altun Kupri town following intense fighting with Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Baghdads forces had previously captured Kirkuk city, as part of a major military operation in the wake of a controversial September 25 referendum on Kurdish secession that Baghdad had declared illegal. {articleGUID} Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq, said the issue of PMFs role is complicated to resolve for a number of reasons. They have different command structure although they fall under the commander in chief, who is Abadi. This issue is also closely linked to curtailing the growing Iranian influence in the region, she said. We know that the Americans want to resolve the conflict between Kurds and Baghdad through dialogue, said Dekker. They are going to be keen to push forward some sort of timeframe to solve disputed territory issue, she added. Tillerson and Abadi, along with Saudi King Salman, also participated in the inaugural meeting of the Saudi Arabia-Iraq Coordination Committee in Riyadh on Sunday. Earlier on Monday, before meeting Abadi for the second time in two days, Tillerson flew from Qatar to Afghanistans Bagram Air Base, where he met President Ashraf Ghani and other Afghan leaders. Many Libyans hold the current rival politicians responsible for derailing the revolution against Gaddafis government. Six years after the death of its former leader, Muammar Gaddafi, chaos and conflict still plague Libya despite efforts by the United Nations to end the crisis. Many Libyans hold the current rival politicians responsible for derailing the revolution against Gaddafis government. Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Abdelwahed reports from Tripoli. The Syrian city has suffered the same fate as Dresden during World War II, Russian defence ministry says. Russia has accused the US-led coalition of bombing the Syrian city of Raqqa off the face of the Earth, in the same way the Allied powers bombed Germanys Dresden during World War II. Russias Defence Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that 200,000 people lived in Raqqa before the conflict, but no more than 45,000 remained. Raqqa has suffered the fate of Dresden in 1945 when the city was wiped off the face of the Earth by Anglo-American air raids, it said in a statement. {articleGUID} In comparison, Deir Az Zor city, with its vast suburbs along the Euphrates, used to have a population of more than 500,000 before the war. The territory was liberated by the Syrian Arab army supported by Russian forces in 10 days, it said. This makes one suggest that the US coalition is trying to cover its barbarian bombardments that buried thousands of civilians as the coalition was liberating them from ISIL. The US-led coalition, which operates in both Syria and neighbouring Iraq, says it takes all possible measures to avoid civilian casualties. However, in August, it acknowledged the deaths of 624 civilians in its attacks in Syria and Iraq since 2014, although rights groups say the number is much higher. '@mod_russia: Raqqa #Syria has suffered a fate of Dresden in 1945 when the city was wiped off of the face of the earth pic.twitter.com/UADtP1jP6v Russian Embassy in USA (@RusEmbUSA) October 22, 2017 The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces backed by the US, captured Raqqa last week after a four-month operation against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). ISIL overran Raqqa in 2014, turning it into the de-facto capital of its self-declared caliphate. Vladimir Sotnikov, a Moscow-based Middle Eastern policy analyst and senior research fellow at the Institute of Eastern Studies, told Al Jazeera that Russia was growing increasingly angry over the role of the US in fragmenting Syria. The US coalition has been helping opposition forces gain territory from Bashar al-Assads army. Moscow is not happy with Damascus losing ground to rebel groups, he said. This latest outburst is a message to the Trump administration that Russia is a major player in the Syrian conflict and will not sit idly by and watch the break-up of the country. The Syrian conflict, which began with peaceful protests in March 2011 against Assad, has spiralled into a multisided civil war. According to UN estimates, the death toll stands at more than 400,000. Two men were found guilty after shoving black victim into coffin and threatening to set him on fire. Middelburg, South Africa A court in South Africa has postponed the sentencing of two white farmers found guilty of kidnapping, assault and intent to do grievous bodily harm after they shoved a black man in a coffin and threatened to set him on fire. Sentencing proceedings were heard at the Middelburg Magistrates Court on Monday for several hours. Willem Oosthuizen and Theo Jackson were found guilty of six out of seven charges in August 2017, but the decision was postponed until Friday. Judge Segopotje Mphahlele said she needed more time. The courtroom was packed with activists and representatives from some of the major political parties who flocked to witness developments in a case that shocked the country and show support for the victim Victor Mlothshwa. Defence lawyers representing the accused men asked the court to exercise leniency, as they alleged that Mlothshwa was riding a wave of public outrage ever since the video of him being assaulted in a coffin went viral in 2016. Though they argued that the men, who are white farmers, were sorry for the consequences of their actions, the prosecution argued that the accused had shown little remorse. The final judgment is expected to have far-reaching consequences for race relations in the country. The incident, which took place in August 2016, caught the countrys attention after mobile phone footage went viral. In the clip, Oosthuizen and Jackson can be seen trying to close the lid of the coffin with their boots as Mlothshwa begged for his life. The men can be heard hurling abuse and threatening to douse him with petrol and set him on fire. The incident took place on a farm close to Komati power station in Middelburg, a northeastern town, and spurred national outrage, prompting recollections of the countrys racist past. {articleGUID} Outside the court on Monday, around 250 people gathered to sing, dance and show solidarity with Mlothshwa. Holding placards that read Black Lives Matter, and wearing T-shirts bearing the faces of anti-apartheid icons Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo, the protesters said they were demonstrating against abusive, racist behaviour. Activist Luyanda Magadala, 35, said that white South Africans need to remember that the country has changed. Our forefathers taught us that we are equal. They cannot treat us like this. In her judgement on August 25, Judge Mphahlele found the white farmers guilty of kidnapping and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Victor Mlotshwa. Oosthuizen and Jackson pleaded not guilty to the charges of attempted murder saying they merely wanted to scare Mlotshwa, who they accused of cable theft. Mlotshwa denied any wrongdoing and said he was picked up by the two men while taking a shortcut towards Middelburg. Deep-seated racial inequality persists in South Africa two decades after the end of white-minority apartheid rule. Activists and political parties packed the courtroom during proceedings, and have pressured for severe sentences for the men. Two men were found guilty after shoving black victim into coffin and threatening to set him on fire. Middelburg, South Africa Sentencing proceedings are set to take place over the case of two white men who were found guilty of kidnapping, assault and intent to do grievous bodily harm after they shoved a black man in a coffin and threatened to set him on fire. Proceedings were being heard at the Middelburg Magistrates Court on Monday after the men were found guilty of six out of seven charges in August 2017. The courtroom was packed to capacity as activists and representatives from some of the major political parties flocked to witness the conclusion of a case that shocked the country. The incident caught the countrys attention after mobile phone footage showed the two white farmers pushing Victor Mlothshwa, an unemployed resident of the surrounding area, into a coffin in August 2016. The men, Willem Oosthuizen and Theo Martins Jackson, could be seen trying to close the lid of the coffin with their boots as Mlothshwa begged for his life. The men could be heard hurling abuse and threatening to douse him with petrol and set him on fire. The incident took place on a farm close to Komati power station in Middelburg, a northeastern town, and spurred national outrage, prompting recollections of the countrys racist past. {articleGUID} Outside the court on Monday, around 250 people gathered to sing, dance and show solidarity with Mlothshwa. Holding placards that read Black Lives Matter, and wearing T-shirts bearing the faces of anti-apartheid icons Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo, the protesters said they were demonstrating against abusive, racist behaviour. Activist Luyanda Magadala, 35, said that white South Africans need to remember that the country has changed. Our forefathers taught us that we are equal. They cannot treat us like this. In his judgement on August 25, Judge Segopotje Mphahlele found the white farmers guilty of kidnapping and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm on Victor Mlotshwa. Oosthuizen and Jackson pleaded not guilty to the charges of attempted murder saying they merely wanted to scare Mlotshwa, who they accused of cable theft. Mlotshwa denied any wrongdoing and said he was picked up by the two men while taking a shortcut towards Middelburg. Deep-seated racial inequality persists in South Africa two decades after the end of white-minority apartheid rule. Activists and political parties packed the courtroom during proceedings, and have pressured for severe sentences for the men. A two-day conference has been held in Qatar to discuss the plight of Arab Christians and the threats they are facing during wars and conflicts in the Middle East, during which Christian populations are estimated to have fallen to three to four percen After one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in years, Egyptians have become more concerned over the state of security in their country. According to the Egyptian government, 16 officers were killed in a desert ambush southwest of Cairo on Saturday, but other sources say more than 55 policemen died. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which came as the country faces a state of emergency over conflicts with several armed groups, including ISIL. Al Jazeeras Alexi OBrien reports. Second storm now threatens the countrys southeast. A powerful typhoon has slammed into Japan, killing at least four people. Those who died included a man hit by falling scaffolding, a fisherman tending to his boat, and a young woman whose car was washed away by floodwaters. The storm also forced the cancellation of approximately 350 flights and caused widespread disruption to train services. Typhoon Lan rapidly weakened as it crossed the southeast of the country, but it still produced torrential rain. Shionomisaki, on the southernmost tip of Honshu, reported a staggering 321 millimetres of rain. As the rain poured down, some 80,000 people in Koriyama were ordered to evacuate their homes. There were concerns that the city, 200 kilometres north of Tokyo, could experience widespread flooding as a river neared the top of its banks, broadcaster NHK said but fortunately by the afternoon, water levels were starting to fall. Elsewhere in western Japan, homeowners were not so lucky, and several hundred homes were inundated. The storm also generated huge waves, which tossed fishing boats onto the shore. A container ship was stranded after being swept onto a harbour wall, but all 19 crew members escaped injury. The capital, Tokyo, was largely spared the worst of the storm but was still pelted by torrential rain and strong winds. At its peak, Typhoon Lan was a powerful storm with sustained winds of 250 kilometres per hour, the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane. It weakened to the equivalent of a Category 2 storm before landfall. With gale force winds (at least 62 km/h) extending to approximately 2,220 kilometres, it was one of the largest tropical cyclones on record. Typhoon Lan has now cleared the east coast of Honshu and is disintegrating in the Western Pacific. However, another storm has recently developed to the east of the Philippines. That storm is expected to strengthen rapidly and follow a similar track to Typhoon Lan. This could potentially bring another powerful typhoon to the shores of southeast Honshu in approximately one weeks time. Turkish president urges EU leaders to have common sense on issues related to Turkey and in interactions with Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkeys full membership is the cure for the chronic problems of the European Union (EU). Turkey, which applied for bloc membership in 1987, began accession talks with the EU in 2005. But negotiations between the two sides have been practically frozen for years now amid tense mutual relations. A Europe without Turkey is only going to face isolation, desperation and civil strife. Turkey does not need Europe. Europe is the one that is in need [of Turkey], Erdogan said, speaking at an event in Turkeys capital, Ankara, on Monday. A Europe where xenophobia is on the rise and Neo-Nazi parties are so strong that they are coalition partners is going towards its doom, he said, referring to gains made by a number of far-right parties in recent elections across different parts of the continent. A Europe killing its own principles with its own hands would have a dark future. {articleGUID} Erdogans comments come amid high tensions between the EU and Turkey. Turkish and European officials have been in a war of words, with Ankara accusing members of the EU of supporting terrorism and EU politicians alleging a deterioration of democratic and human rights conditions in Turkey. In September, in a televised debate before Germanys parliamentary elections, Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Turkey should not become a member of the EU. In a summit last week in Brussels, European leaders asked the EU Commission, the blocs executive body, to reflect on whether to cut and re-orient the pre-accession support money. In his remarks, Erdogan urged EU leaders to have common sense on issues related to Turkey and in their interactions with Ankara. Though they do not want to see it, Turkey and its full membership is the cure for their chronic problems. Turkey and the EU have been cooperating on issues such as the refugee crisis, security and Syrias war a situation that appears to have made some member states hesitant to cut ties. Tehran helped keep rebels from government centres of power but its rising influence could undermine Assads government. In the summer of 2012, the leading commanders of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) were confident that momentum was with them. A bomb blast deep inside central Damascus had just taken out four senior commanders of the Syrian army, including the countrys defence minister, Dawoud Rajiha, and his deputy, Assef Shawkat, who was also President Bashar al-Assads brother-in-law. The explosion, believed to have been carried out by an insider sympathetic to the opposition cause, gave hope to rebels that it was only a matter of time before Assad met a similar fate. {articleGUID} That hope was bolstered by successes on the battlefield, as ragtag groups of fighters coalesced into more effective armed groups, large swaths of the country started to come into rebel control. Fateh Hassoun, who defected from the Syrian army and commanded FSA troops in Homs at the time, told Al Jazeera he felt optimistic that forces loyal to Assad would not be able to withstand the burgeoning uprising. There was widespread defection among the Syrian officer corps, especially in the middle ranks, such as lieutenants and colonels, who formed the backbone of the Syrian army, Hassoun recalled, adding the army had been further weakened by government purges of officers. He explained Syrian forces had been concentrated in the southwest of the country, in a posture aimed at deterring the threat from Israel. It was a fact many defected officers were aware of and one that they would use to their advantage as they encroached on major Syrian population centres. The successes, however, had not gone unnoticed by Syrias close allies, Iran and the Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah, both of which upped their involvement in the conflict, stemming the rate of rebel advances. Hassoun said: After the Iranian and Hezbollah intervention, the regime started making gains on the ground, especially in the central regions of Homs and Hama. {articleGUID} Despite the Iranian intervention, the regime and its allies could not win the war, but they were successful in protecting the capital, Damascus, by besieging and keeping the opposition on the periphery of the city, he added. Fellow FSA official, Bashar al-Zoubi, who commands the rebel umbrella groups southern front claimed the Syrian Army was only operating at a quarter of its full strength until the Iranians intervened. He told Al Jazeera: The Syrian army had all but collapsed and was operating at about 20 to 25 percent of its previous strength when the Iranians came and brought with them Hezbollah, and Iraqi and Afghan militias, who did most of the fighting on behalf of the Syrian army. Zoubi said he believed the opposition would have won the war by early 2013 were it not for Tehrans involvement. Shia militias Iran has been eager to ensure its involvement in the Syrian conflict is not seen as direct participation. To that end, its policy has primarily focused on the deployment of troops to the country ostensibly as military advisers, as well as training and ferrying Shia militias from across the Muslim world into the state. Iranian media outlets put the number of Afghan Shia fighters, who form the Fatemiyon division, as high as 20,000. They fight alongside other volunteers from Iran itself, Pakistan, and neighbouring Iraq, and are drawn by relatively high salaries, and by the idea of defending the Sayeda Zainab shrine in Damascus, one of the most sacred religious sites for Shia Muslims. {articleGUID} But Irans role has involved more than just making up the numbers with foreign volunteers and the country has also played an important role in training Syrian militias. A big step came in autumn 2012 with the Iranian commitment to build up and lead the National Defence Forces (NDF) militias to cover the depleted Syrian Army, said Professor Scott Lucas, a University of Birmingham academic and founder of the EA WorldView website. With a strength at their peak of 90,000 fighters, the NDF militias are a pro-government paramilitary formation, which have been credited with turning the tide of the war. Iran has justified its involvement on the pretext of fighting what they describe as takfiri groups, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, but the militias they control or have trained have been directly involved in fighting against rebel groups, including those loyal to the FSA. Economic ambitions The reason for prioritising its own militias over the Syrian army, Lucas, explained was due to Irans lack of faith in the Syrian army leadership and its own socioeconomic ambitions in the country. Iranian commanders never trusted-and still don't trust- the effectiveness of regular Syrian units by Scott Lucas, EA WorldView Iranian commanders never trusted and still dont trust the effectiveness of regular Syrian units, he said adding: Iran wanted to have control of political-economic-military context, [as in] its now de facto control of parts of southern Damascus and its ownership of Syrian assets, such as phosphate mines. Lucas said the Iranians had also taken de facto control of the area surrounding the Sayeda Zainab shrine in southern Damascus and was carrying out major construction projects in the area. {articleGUID} Irans expanding influence, would be cause for concern among the government leadership, Lucas said, but as the governments survival was dependent on Iran, it was unlikely these concerns would turn into outward friction between the two allies. Publicly, of course, the Assad government wont really express its anxiety about the expanding Iranian influence, Lucas said. For example, if you take General Bakris visit to Damascus this past week, all the statements were about Iranian and Syrian government cooperation against takfiri terrorism and Israel. The problem is that the Iranians have gotten an IOU from the regime, in that they basically saved it so its going to be very difficult for the Assad regime to walk away from that. Kurdish opposition group says Kurdistan Regional Government head failed to heed advice on referendum and caused crisis. A Kurdish opposition group that opposed the recent referendum on secession from Iraq, on account of poor timing, has called for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) leader to resign. Gorran, or the Movement for Change, called for a national salvation government in a statement posted on its website, saying the KRG must be dissolved. KRG leader Masoud Barzani, the party said, refused to listen to our demands and those of Baghdad, leaving the Kurdish region with another terrible crisis. What has happened now does not demonstrate the failure of our people and the Kurdish nation, rather it is the defeat of the authority and officials who caused the biggest crisis and disaster to the Kurdish people, the statement said. {articleGUID} People in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq voted for independence on September 25 in a controversial referendum, amid rising tensions and international opposition. The US and other Western allies of Iraq had urged Barzani to cancel or postpone the vote. More than 92 percent voted Yes to secession, with the turnout at almost 80 percent. The referendum set off a chain of events, culminating in a military confrontation between Erbil and Baghdad. Iraqi government forces launched a major operation in Kirkuk on October 16 aimed at re-taking the Kurdish-held city, advancing towards oil fields and a strategic military base. The Kurdish collapse was sudden. {articleGUID} The decision to hold the referendum in the face of near-universal condemnation now appears to have been a colossal miscalculation, analysts said, with Barzani vastly overestimating the KRGs political and military heft and undermining his legitimacy. Elsewhere on Monday, the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) established in 2011 and headed by Barzanis son called on the Iraqi government to immediately cease its military aggression and withdraw from all territories in a statement. The KRSC was concerned by continued military buildup of Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed PMF towards the Kurdistan region, the statement read. In the last 48 hours, Iraq has continued to deploy tanks and artillery, as well as American equipment. Iraq has not shown any sign of de-escalating military aggression against people of the Kurdish region, the KRSC said, repeating a call for talks. Indonesia demands explanation as to why army chief was blocked from entering US, despite invitation. Indonesia on Monday said it had made urgent requests for an explanation why the United States barred its military chief from travelling to the US. The US embassy in Jakarta on Monday apologised to the Indonesian government after its army chief was denied entry to the US. General Gatot Nurmantyo was scheduled to attend a conference to be held on Monday and Tuesday in Washington, DC, upon an invitation from General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said she had accepted an official apology from the deputy US ambassador in Jakarta, but still awaited a detailed explanation. We conveyed that we still await clarification, an explanation why this happened, Marsudi told reporters after meeting the U.S. envoy. There is a sense of urgency to this that we have conveyed to them, she said, adding that US officials were trying to coordinate with relevant authorities in the US to find out what really happened. Nurmantyo and his wife, who had obtained a visa from the US embassy in Jakarta, were supposed to depart on Saturday afternoon. However, shortly before departure, there was a notice from the Emirates airline that Nurmantyo and his wife had been refused entry by the US Customs and Border Protection. The US deputy ambassador to Indonesia, Erin Elizabeth McKee, said the US government regretted and apologised for the incident and hoped it will not happen again. We deeply regret the inconvenience that this incident caused and we apologise, McKee told reporters after meeting Foreign Minister Marsudi. US Ambassador Joseph Donovan, who is not in Jakarta, also offered an apology to Marsudi, according to a statement on Sunday from the embassy. McKee emphasised that the problem had been solved and Nurmantyo could travel to the US with no restrictions. Nevertheless, McKee did not elaborate as to why Nurmantyo could not enter the US last weekend. The US embassy is working hard to understand what is happening, McKee said. However, Marsudi said Indonesia would continue asking the US government for an explanation for the rejection. ISIL fighters accused of conducting a revenge campaign before the capture of Al-Qaryatayn by Syrian government forces. ISIL has been accused of executing scores of people in a town it briefly held in central Syria before it was seized by Syrian government forces, according to a monitoring group and local activists. Al-Qaryatayn town, which was captured by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group in early October, was retaken by troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 128 people were killed by ISIL fighters in the three weeks before their withdrawal from the town in Homs province on Friday. The civilians were killed on accusations of collaborating with the Syrian government, activists said. Mohammed al-Homsi, a member of the Palmyra Coordination Committee, told Al Jazeera that a list containing the names of at least 90 people who were confirmed dead would be released soon. It is taking us a while because we want to double check the names of the people who were killed, al-Homsi said. Most of the casualties were men, but there are some children among them. {articleGUID} Al Jazeeras Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from the Turkish city of Gaziantep on the border with Syria, said that thousands of civilians concerned about their safety wanted to flee Qaryatayn during its siege, but were blocked by ISIL. Some of those people determined to leave were executed by ISIL fighters, he added. Ahelbarra said that opposition activists and civilians whose relatives were killed in Qaryatayn said, this was an act of revenge by ISIL fighters. But at the same time, they said that the government had also committed atrocities against civilians in Qaryatayn in the past, accusing them of collaborating with ISIL. Ahelbarra said that the town had changed hands many times in recent years. Each time it was taken by ISIL, the groups fighters would execute people they would accuse of collaborating with the government, he said. When the government would take the town back again, it would execute people it accused of collaborating with ISIL. Qaryatayn, which remained largely neutral during the first years of the Syrian conflict, was overrun by ISIL in August 2015, following the armed groups capture of Palmyra. At that time, families left and eventually settled either in the Rukban refugee camp on the border with Jordan or in areas in the north of the country, al-Homsi said. In April 2016, the town was taken by Syrian government forces, which, according to al-Homsi, prevented its residents from returning on the basis that they were either heavily involved or supporting the fight against Assad. Eventually, the government agreed that 20,000 civilians could return. Al-Homsi said ISILs recapture of the town this month had shocked its residents and raised huge question marks. How did ISIL enter and then manage to leave Qaryatayn when the army has all of the surrounding areas under its control? he asked, alleging that pro-government troops also killed some of the towns residents. ISIL began the attack and killed people because of their alleged support to the government, and when the Syrian forces entered they carried on killing the people there based on their supposed affiliation to ISIL, he said. The government has not yet commented on the number of civilians killed. However, the Syrian Central Military Media on Saturday said that the Syrian army and its allies have restored security and stability to Qaryatayn. Myanmar, which is conducting a textbook ethnic cleansing of its Rohingya minority, is among the beneficiaries. Tel Aviv Human rights activists are stepping up efforts to expose Israels long and covert history of supplying weapons and military training to regimes while they actively commit massacres, ethnic cleansing and genocide. The issue of Israels trade with rogue regimes has been thrust into the spotlight again after revelations that it is sending weapons to Myanmar, in defiance of a US and European arms embargo. Formerly known as Burma, Myanmar was condemned last month by the United Nations for conducting what it called a textbook ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are reported to have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in recent weeks, after evidence of the torching of entire villages, massacres and systematic rapes. Israel has not divulged details of its ties to Myanmars military government, but public records show that it has sold the military there armed patrol boats, guns and surveillance equipment. Myanmars special forces have also been trained by Israelis. Human rights groups are set to stage a protest outside Israels parliament on October 30, calling for an immediate halt to the weapons sales to Myanmar. Israeli firms have also broken with the United States and Europe by supplying weapons and surveillance equipment to militias in South Sudan, where a civil war has raged since late 2013. Some 300,000 Sudanese are believed to have been killed in the fighting. Eitay Mack, a human rights lawyer, has submitted a spate of petitions to the Israeli courts in an attempt to bring to light details of Israels trade with such regimes. He said the cases were designed to hasten war crimes investigations of the officials and contractors involved. Many Western states sell arms, but whats unique about Israel is that, wherever war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed, you find Israel is present, Mack told Al Jazeera. The companies selling the weapons, and the officials who quietly approve the trade, must be held accountable. Otherwise, why would this ever stop? Clandestine practice Mack said that Israels collusion with Myanmars military was part of a pattern of aiding rogue regimes that went back decades and reflected the importance of the arms trade to Israels economy. Over the summer, it was revealed that Israeli defence officials approve 99.8 percent of all requests for arms export licences. As well as fuelling the current violence in Myanmar and South Sudan, Israel has been accused of clandestinely providing arms used in notorious past episodes of genocide and ethnic cleansing in places such as Rwanda, the Balkans, Chile, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Haiti, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Israel also cultivated close ties to apartheid South Africa, Mack noted. Yair Auron, a genocide researcher at Israels Open University, said that Israels supply of weapons to regimes such as Myanmar should be compared to the sending of arms to Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. These sales turn me and all Israelis into criminals, because they are sent in our name, he told Al Jazeera. We are abetting genocide. Efforts by human rights groups to shed light on Israels collusion with Myanmar have so far been frustrated by Israeli authorities and the courts. The Haaretz daily accused Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman of lying when he claimed in parliament last month that Israels policy in Myanmar accorded with that of the enlightened world. Officials refused to disclose information of arms exports to the military government during a hearing at Israels Supreme Court last month on a petition to halt the sales. Lawyers for the state insisted on closed-door sessions when discussing relations with Myanmar. The three judges hearing the case issued a gag order to prevent publication of their decision, widely assumed to have approved the continuation of arms sales. They justified the blackout on the grounds that publicity risked damaging Israels foreign relations. Late last year, the same court rejected a petition demanding that officials release documents showing Israels role in arming Serbian forces that carried out massacres of Bosnians in the 1990s. Campaigners are waiting on hearings in a host of other cases concerning South Sudan, Rwanda, Chile, Haiti and Argentina. In August, Israeli officials argued before the Supreme Court that its exports to militias in South Sudan were lawful. Evidence suggests that Israel sold rifles and surveillance equipment to militias and the army in South Sudan. A UN report found that the Israeli-made Ace and Galil rifles were in widespread use there. No oversight Next week, the Supreme Court is due to hear a petition on Israels involvement in Rwanda, where it reportedly armed Hutus who carried out genocidal attacks against Tutsis. Mack noted that there were a handful of officials in the Israeli Defence Ministry overseeing some 400,000 annual permits issued for weapons sales. That means in practice, there is no oversight at all, he said. Israeli companies, meanwhile, are authorised to sell arms to some 130 countries, though activists say there are other states with which Israel deals covertly. Israel is the only major weapons exporter that has consistently bucked the global trend of a downturn in arms sales. In March, it was reported that Israels weapons trade in 2016 was worth some $6.5bn, up from $5.7bn the year before. That included a 70 percent jump in sales to Africa. If countries want the best arms, then they probably go to the US and Europe. But when no one else will sell to you, then you turn to Israel. by John Brown, investigative journalist African states accused of widespread human rights abuses were among more than 100 countries that attended the annual Israel Defence Exhibition, a weapons trade fair, in June. Despite its tiny size, Israel is believed to be the sixth biggest arms exporter in the world and the largest one per capita. That has made arms sales integral to the Israeli economy, accounting for possibly as much as 8 percent of gross domestic product. As many as 100,000 Israeli households are reported to be dependent on the arms industry. John Brown, an investigative journalist with the Haaretz newspaper who writes under a pseudonym, said there was a long history of what he called Uzi diplomacy referring to the Israeli sub-machine gun that became a favourite with security forces around the world from the 1960s onwards. If countries want the best arms, then they probably go to the US and Europe. But when no one else will sell to you, then you turn to Israel, he told Al Jazeera. The benefits for Israel are not just measured in money. Often even more important are the diplomatic and strategic alliances Israel can gain from this arms trade. A conduit for drones Mack said that mounting international outrage over the plight of Myanmars Muslim minority provided an opportunity to shine a light on Israels long role in supporting regimes in the midst of ethnic cleansing and genocide. In what sounded like a rare rebuke to Israel, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, said last month: Any country that is currently providing weapons to the Burmese military should suspend these activities until sufficient accountability measures are in place. Although the Israeli courts have blocked access to documents that could shed light on what arms have gone to Myanmar, activists have been able to identify some dealings from open sources. In September 2015, Min Aung Hlaing, the commander of Myanmars army, posted on social media details of a shopping trip to Israel that included visits to leading Israeli weapons manufacturers and a meeting with the Israeli militarys chief of staff, Gadi Eisenkott. A year later, Michael Ben Baruch, an Israeli defence ministry official in charge of exports, visited Myanmar to meet its armys top brass to sign a deal for patrol boats. Shortly afterwards, the website of TAR Ideal Concepts, an Israeli company, posted images of its staff training Myanmar special forces and teaching them how to handle Israeli-made Corner-Shot guns. Other analysts have suggested that Israel has also been acting as a conduit for Chinese weapons, including drones, to Myanmar, allowing Beijing to bypass the embargo. There is no statute of limitations on war crimes and crimes against humanity, so we will keep putting Israeli officials under pressure till the trade stops, Mack said. They will have to endure a regular walk of shame in the courts, forcing them to explain their policies and why the documents remain secret. He noted that Israels success in arms dealing was intimately tied to five decades of its control over the occupied Palestinian territories. Israeli companies exploit Israels long experience there to sell arms, arguing that the weapons and training have been tested in real-world conditions. Brown said that Israel appeared to be indifferent towards the victims of the violence it helped to stoke. This was especially evident during the so-called Dirty War in Argentina, through much of the 1970s, when 30,000 left-wing activists were disappeared, he said. Israel is believed to have supplied the military government there with some $700m in weapons. Of those killed, probably some 2,000 were Argentinian Jews, he said. Israel knew that the weapons it was selling were being turned on Jews, but that did not stop it selling arms. It simply didnt care. Voters overwhelmingly demand more regional control over tax revenues and immigration from central government. The leaders of Italys two wealthiest northern regions have claimed victory in a non-binding referendum, seeking greater autonomy from the central government in Rome. {articleGUID} Voters in Lombardy and Veneto overwhelmingly backed more regional control over tax revenues, immigration and education systems on Sunday. The turnout in Veneto was projected at around 58 percent above its 50 percent threshold while just over 40 percent of the eligible voters cast their ballots in neighbouring Lombardy, where no quorum was set. More than 95 percent voted yes in both regions, according to the projections. An approval of the parliament will be now required to allow regional autonomy. Lombardy and Veneto account for 30 percent of Italys GDP, but many taxpayers in the north resent subsiding the relatively poor south of Italy. Al Jazeeras Hoda Abdel Hamid, reporting from Venetos capital, Venice, said the result will give a popular mandate to the far-right party Northern League in advance of elections next year. Italys twin referendums come on the back of the vote on Catalonias secession from Spain. Tensions have been high in neighbouring Spain after an overwhelming 90 percent voted in favour of secession. {articleGUID} Analysts in Italy fear the vote could have a snowball effect, while paving the way for other regions to demand greater leverage in negotiations with the central government. We already have other regions calling for referendums, Pietro Basso, sociology professor, told Al Jazeera. So, if each region calls for autonomy, then there will be a clash of power centres and more chaos. Despite the vote, pro-autonomy campaigners admit the regions will face obstacles in the parliament, but believe greater independence is good for governance. I suppose Europe has to evolve something like a very federal system that the US has with its 50 states, Gianluca Busato, a Veneto resident and pro-autonomy activist, said. Europe can have 50 independent regions, that is not a problem for governance, and it will also be the direction that people want from an economic and civic point of view. According to estimates, the Duterte administration needs at least $1.1bn for the rehabilitation of the city. The Philippine government has officially declared an end to the siege in the southern city of Marawi, ending five months of heavy clashes against ISIL-linked fighters and paving the way to recovery for a town left with more than $1bn worth of destruction. Defence chief Delfin Lorenzana made the announcement on Monday, just hours after troops found the bodies of the last 42 fighters belonging to an armed alliance that had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). {articleGUID} The Philippine security forces, aided by its government and the massive support of the Filipino people have nipped the budding infrastructure and defeated terrorism in the Philippines, Lorenzana said. He made the comments during a meeting of regional defence ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) north of the capital, Manila. Lorenzana said that while the end of the clashes will not annihilate the [fighters] ideology, it signalled the importance of regional cooperation in the fight against the proliferation of terrorism in the Philippines and its neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia. Only the first step More than 1,000 combatants, including foreign fighters, as well as civilians were killed in the fighting, which also displaced as many as 600,000 people in and around Marawi. Zia Alonto Adiong, governor of Lanao del Sur province which has Marawi as its capital, said that while thousands of displaced residents are rejoicing at the prospect of going home, they should not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead. Achieving this victory does not mean the end of threats. Life is never free of dangers, he said in a statement to the media. We must recognise that the end of this war is only the first step toward building the peace. The siege of Marawi began on May 23, when security forces tried to serve an arrest warrant against Isnilon Hapilon, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf armed group. Instead of giving up their arms, Hapilon and his fighters formed an alliance with the local Maute Group led by Omarkhayam Maute and his brothers and took over the city by Lake Lanao. Marawis capture prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law for the entire island of Mindanao. At that time, the Philippine military insisted that ISIL had no presence in the country, contradicting Dutertes pronouncements that the attack has long been planned and was purely ISIS. It had also been widely reported that both the Abu Sayyaf and the Maute fighters had pledged allegiance to ISIL. When the conflict started, the army vowed to end it within weeks, in a military campaign that included air raids. It repeatedly set deadlines which, however, were missed and the clashes eventually lasted for five months one of the longest active armed rebellions in the country. Then, on October 16, government troops reached a breakthrough when soldiers stormed a hideout and killed Hapilon and Maute. A day later, Duterte declared the city liberated, even as sporadic fighting continued. Rebuilding our lives The Philippine government estimates that it will need up to $1.1bn to rebuild Marawi. In a statement to Al Jazeera, Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino, a member of the Marawi rehabilitation committee in Congress, urged the national government, local Muslim leaders and civic leaders to work to rebuild and create prosperity in the city. We fully support efforts to rehabilitate Marawi City and to bring normalcy and prosperity into the lives of Maranao families, he said referring to the dominant Muslim ethnic group in the area. {articleGUID} Mikee Pantaran Maruhom, a student leader and a Maranao, said the end of the fighting is bittersweet for members of his extended family, whose houses in Marawi were destroyed by government air strikes. The Marawi siege did not only affect Marawi residents, but also the entire Maranao community, he told Al Jazeera. For me, it is a great relief. I think my relatives who lost their homes also feel the same way. We can now actually move on to the next phase, which is rebuilding our lives, he said. But like other Maranaos previously interviewed by Al Jazeera, Maruhom said the central government in Manila should address the root cause of the problem in Marawi, which is poverty and alienation. Shidik Abantas, a lawyer at Marawis Mindanao State University, had said the rise of extremism in Mindanao is not really caused by the ISIS in the Middle East. It is mostly caused by the historical injustices that continue to this day. The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that the Manus centre was illegal and ordered its closure. Hundreds of detainees are refusing to leave the illegal detention centre on Papa New Guineas Manus Island, established and run by the Australian government in order to keep refugees out of Australia. Facing domestic and international pressure, Canberra will close the controversial detention centre on October 31. The government has announced the relocation of 800 refugees and asylum seekers within the islands general population. Refugees worry for their safety in the larger community of Papua New Guineas north coast. Behrouz Boochani, a Kurdish-Iranian journalist held on Manus Island for four years, said detainees fear being assaulted if they moved to the new, Australian-funded Lorengau Refugee Transit Centre. Refugees either move to Lorengau, where they risk being attacked by angry local people, or be taken over by PNG defence forces who have already seriously threatened their safety, Boochani said. Last week, the United Nations warned of a humanitarian crisis amid fears Australia would walk away completely from any involvement with refugees on the tiny Pacific Island. Australia refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat to reach its shores, instead detaining them in offshore centres on Manus and the South Pacific island nation of Nauru. The UN and rights groups have for years cited human rights abuses among detainees in the centres. The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that the Manus centre was illegal and the government in the capital Port Moresby ordered its closure. Australia had hoped the detainees would be either resettled into Papua New Guinea society or the United States, under a controversial refugee swap, by the time the centre closed. So far, only 54 refugees have departed for the US. Deputy Commissioner of Australian Border Force Mandy Newton said on Monday that Australia would fund the operation of three new transit centres on Manus for detainees. I estimate it will cost between 150-250 million [Australian dollars] ($117m-$195m), Newton told a Senate hearing in Canberra. Refugee advocates said the new funding will not end a standoff between asylum seekers and Australia, which they fear threatens to escalate into violence. In April 2016, the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea ruled that the Australian detention of refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island was illegal. As Sisi arrives in Paris, groups urge France to leverage its clout with Egypt to address human rights abuses. International rights organisations have gathered in the French capital to highlight Egypts human rights abuses, as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is set to arrive for a two-day visit. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Reporters without Borders and the France-based International Federation for Human Rights were among the groups scheduled to speak at a news conference in Paris on Monday. In a statement, Human Rights Watch called on France to stop ignoring serious abuses, including Egyptian security services widespread and systematic use of torture. The dire situation of human rights in Egypt cant be swept under the carpet any longer, despite French interests, Benedicte Jeannerod, the organisations France director, told Al Jazeera. {articleGUID} France is one of Egypts major partners, both at political, security, military and commercial levels, and should use this close relationship and condition it to tangible improvements of the human rights situation. French President Emmanuel Macron, who took office in May, is scheduled to meet Sisi for the first time on Tuesday. Among the topics to be discussed are ways to enhance economic, trade and military ties. Last week, after criticism from rights groups who oppose Frances policy on Egypt, Macrons office said that the issue of human rights abuses would be addressed during his meeting with Sisi. The two countries have maintained diplomatic relations over the years, but built stronger ties after Sisi came to power in 2013. Hussein Bayoum, an Egyptian campaigner with Amnesty International, told Al Jazeera that the objective of Mondays press conference was to bring the discussion about Egypts human rights abuses to France at a time when bilateral relations are at a high. The crackdown that is ongoing in Egypt right now would not have been possible if the international community wasnt willing to turn a blind eye to whats happening in Egypt, Bayoum said. We have high hopes from the French government in taking a more active role with regards to urging the Egyptian government to cut down on the crackdown against Egypts civil society, its journalists and activists. During his presidential campaign, Macron suggested that he would condition weapons sales on respect for human rights. Weapons deals According to Allison McManus, research director at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, Macron is in a position to take a strong stand for human rights in Egypt, which marks an opportunity for activists and civil society to push for this. However, he is riding on the tails of heavy critique of the Hollande [Frances former president] governments outright support for Sisis war on terror. {articleGUID} With both sides concerned about the political void in Libya and the threat of armed groups in Egypt and across the region, Macrons administration has said that it plans on dealing with human rights abuses not by criticising countries, but by working privately with heads of state on a case by case basis. Rights groups have accused Paris of remaining silent about increasing rights violations as Sisi prepares to run for re-election in 2018. Egypt, notorious for its human rights abuses and declining economy, has been among Frances top weapons customers, and in 2015, signed a deal to buy military equipment worth approximately $6bn. Human Rights Watch has accused France of violating requirements imposed by the European Union Foreign Affairs Council, mandating that EU countries suspend arms exports that could be used for internal repression. Silencing opposition Egypt has long enjoyed military and economic aid from countries including the US. Sisis visit to France comes just days after at least 52 Egyptian police officers and conscripts were killed in a gun battle during a Friday raid on a hideout of fighters in the western desert. Egypt has been fighting armed groups in the Sinai, a volatile desert region that has been a hotbed for various groups, including an affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). Confrontations between fighters and Egyptian security forces have killed hundreds of soldiers since 2013. Shortly after Macron took office, he reiterated Frances support for Egypts counterterrorism campaign. Since April, when deadly church attacks killed nearly 50 people, Egypt has been in a state of emergency that grants the president exceptional powers to censor, monitor and halt forms of communication. Human rights groups have also been critical of an Egyptian law that heavily regulates the operations of 47,000 non-governmental organisations and charities, and of ongoing attacks against press freedom. In June, Sisis government blocked 64 news websites that were not aligned to state medias narrative, with authorities claiming to be combating terrorism and extremism. {articleGUID} Sisis government has also increasingly silenced opposition candidates likely to run against him in the upcoming presidential race. As a result, McManus said, there is little belief that Sisi will be challenged in the next presidential campaign. Ex-presidential candidate and opposition leader Khaled Ali, a human rights lawyer who had suggested he might run for president in 2018, was arrested in May pending investigations. He was the main lawyer to bring a case against the government for agreeing to sign the controversial Tiran and Sanafir deal. In recent weeks, Egypt also launched a major crackdown on the gay community, arresting at least 57 people in response to a rare show of public support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in the country. Groups call on Alexis Tsipras to transfer refugees living in poor conditions on islands to the mainland before winter. Thousands of children, women and men are trapped on Greek islands as winter sets in without proper access to shelter, food, sanitation and healthcare, human rights groups have said, as they called on the Greek prime minister to end the ongoing containment policy. In a letter made public on Monday to Alexis Tsipras, 19 international and local groups including Oxfam, Human Rights Watch, Greek Forum of Refugees and Hellenic League for Human Rights decried a lack of solidarity among EU member states in taking care of refugees fleeing war and persecution. We urge you to put an end to the ongoing containment policy of trapping asylum seekers on the islands if they arrived after the entry into force of the EU-Turkey [deal], the groups said. Immediately transfer asylum seekers to the mainland and meet their protection needs, including by providing them with adequate and dignified protection, accommodation and access to services. The EU-Turkey deal of March 2016 was designed to close the Aegean route. Most of those affected were from the Middle East and Asia. Under the agreement, refugees arriving to the Greek islands via Turkey were to be returned to Turkey. In return, Europe agreed to accept one Syrian asylum-seeker from Turkey for every Syrian sent back there. But since the deal, Greece has merely held arriving refugees on islands. Some of those who arrived on the islands in the early days of the EU-Turkey [deal] have remained stuck there for 19 months, the letter said. A recent increase in arrivals include a considerable number of women and children, the groups said. {articleGUID} The situation is particularly critical in the hotspots on Samos and Lesbos, where a total of more than 8,300 people are living in facilities intended for just 3,000. On Lesbos, conditions are especially harsh for pregnant women and place their babies health at risk, while some single women have reported being harassed by men. Groups of seven people are living in summer camping tents designed for two people, the groups said, adding that wheelchair users were unable to access basic services such as water, sanitation and food. As well as being cold, winter months can also be rainy in Greece, adding further pressure on refugees living in the open. UNHCR, the UNs refugee agency, has also recently warned of harsh winter conditions, urging action to provide refugees with shelter and aid items. In the winter of 2016 and early 2017, several refugees more than five according to reports froze to death in Europes cold snap. Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration said on October 18 that at least 2,783 refugees and migrants have died while making the perilous journey to Europe across the Mediterranean so far this year. Joint public appearance at Middle East Forum signals warming of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel. New York, US A few years back, the prospect of an eminent member of the Israeli political establishment sharing a stage with a Saudi Arabian counterpart in a New York synagogue would have been difficult for many to stomach. Such events are becoming more common. On Sunday, Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief appeared relaxed and chatty beside Efraim Halevy, the director of Mossad from 1998-2002, on a podium in Manhattans Upper East Side. Al-Faisal dismissed the idea that Israel and Saudi Arabia are edging towards detente, but his many references to Irans nuclear arms scheme and growing regional clout underscored the perceived common threat shared by both countries. {articleGUID} But the fear of nuke-toting Iranian religious scholars would not propel Riyadh into clandestine military cooperation with Israel unless the Jewish state first struck an equitable, two-state peace deal with Palestinians, al-Faisal insisted. There is no such under-the-table engagement between Israel and these Arab countries. What is needed is on the table, not under-the-table, al-Faisal, wearing a pinstripe suit, told the Middle East Security Forum: New York. Nevertheless, observers at the one-day event noted how the joint public appearance of the former Saudi and Israeli intelligence chiefs showed warming ties between the two countries, while raising tough questions for Palestinians. No one should underestimate the ways in which the common Iranian threat and recognition that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not the destabilisation centre of gravity have changed the region, Michael Koplow, an analyst at the Israel Policy Forum, the organiser, told Al Jazeera. It should not be remarkable to see former Israeli and Saudi spymasters sharing a stage, yet it is a sign of how both sides are slowly allowing what has been a behind-the-scenes relationship to emerge in small ways. The Iran factor Some members of the six Sunni Arab members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), especially Saudi Arabia, accuse Iran of driving sectarianism tensions in Arab countries to build a crescent of influence in the Middle East. Iran, a Shia power, denies this. {articleGUID} Israel shares Arab antipathy towards Iran, viewing Tehran as an existential threat. As the regions most powerful military with respected intelligence capabilities and close ties with the US, Israel is potentially a key ally against Iran for Arab states. In a recent sign of shared interests, both Israel and Saudi Arabia congratulated US President Donald Trump after his October 13 speech in which he declared he would not re-certify the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that Israel agreed with its Arab neighbours and Trump. When Israel and the main Arab countries see eye-to-eye, you should pay attention, because something important is happening, he said earlier this month. Arab leaders have not publicly made similar comments, but that does not necessarily mean they disagree with Netanyahu. They face sensitivities within their own countries, where Israel is often viewed with extreme hostility, especially for its occupation of Palestine. While the limits of cooperation and public acknowledgement are entirely contingent on the outcome of permanent status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, there is no question that both Israel and Saudi Arabia see benefits to a slight public thaw in what has traditionally been a deep freeze between the two sides, added Koplow. Natural alliance Trump visited the Middle East in May, travelling from Saudi Arabia to Israel in a rare direct flight between the two nations. After touching down in Israel, he spoke of really good feeling towards Israel in the kingdom. Israeli and some Arab media outlets have been rife with speculations that Saudis powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made a secret visit to Tel Aviv in September for talks with Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials. Only two Arab states Egypt and Jordan have signed peace deals with Israel. The US has promoted links between Israel and the Arab world, with Trumps administration trying to leverage regional interests to reach an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Formal recognition of Israel by other Arab states is not likely anytime soon, but cooperation has increased, reports suggest. {articleGUID} A rapprochement would mark a departure from a decades-old policy of Arab countries refusing to deal with Israel until an independent Palestinian state is created. Joost Hiltermann, author of A Poisonous Affair: America, Iraq, and the Gassing of Halabja, described a natural alliance emerging between Israel and Saudi Arabia but warned it would come at the expense of Palestinians. They will be the victim of any relationship it will just put their issue on a back burner, Hiltermann told Al Jazeera. Riyadh may tolerate a bad peace deal with the Palestinians to secure Israeli cooperation against Tehran. Ali Vaez, an Istanbul-based analyst at the International Crisis Group, a think-tank, said he spoke regularly with Iranian officials and that they are not too worried about about a united front of Israel, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies. Tehran has leverage on any potential Israel-Palestine peace talks and has the cards to sabotage the process, Vaez told Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, cooperation between the governments of Saudi and Israel will reduce their legitimacy in the eyes of their own population. Follow James Reinl on Twitter: @jamesreinl Nearly 150 people have been arrested in Malawi and charged with murder or inciting violence in their hunt for vampires. Nearly 150 people have been arrested in Malawi and charged with murder or inciting violence in their hunt for vampires. Mobs are attacking people in whats being called a modern-day witch-hunt, they have killed eight people in the last month. Malawi President Peter Mutharika has sent the military to reassure villagers and asked any would-be vampire hunters to turn suspected vampires in to the police, rather than killing them. Al Jazeeras Charlotte Bellis explains. . Its strategic location also makes it vital for missions in the Middle East and Asia. The US and British military say they are committed to staying at Al Udeid airbase in Qatar. This facility has proved to be crucial in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). Its strategic location also makes it vital for missions in the Middle East and Asia. Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Alken reports from Al Udeid. Gustav Paulay is used to finding new species every day in the field. Paulay, a curator of marine malacology at the Florida Museum of Natural History, headed an expedition to Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, at the end of May that discovered more marine invertebrate species in 11 days than were previously known in the area after decades of study. The group examined about 1,200 species. You go to a place like this and a large proportion of the species you collect are not known to science because so few people do this kind of work, Paulay said. Amanda Bemis, a collections assistant and researcher on the expedition, said the research will be used to create a catalogue of specimen. This kind of broad-sweeping biodiversity survey can provide somewhat of a snapshot of what was there at a certain time, Bemis said. Paulay said within the next 100 years, a substantial portion of marine life on earth will disappear, and scientists will need information. The specimen collected were preserved in a process Paulay compares to pickling. You can pickle a cucumber or you can pickle a sea cucumber. Both work, he said. Three groups provided means for the trip. The University of Hawaii provided facilities, the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources provided boats, and the Smithsonian Institution paid for travel. The researchers were not paid. Here there was an interest by several organizations to get this done, Paulay said. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now While Randy Furniss strolled with his hands inside his pockets Thursday during Richard Spencers speech at UF, a group of protesters attacked him. Furniss appearance prompted the swarm of people. He wore a white shirt with four black swastikas and beige shorts that showcased a swastika tattoo on his lower leg. I wanted to see what Spencer had to say, said Furniss, who said he identifies as a former racist. The 31-year-old said he attended the white supremacists speech out of curiosity and wore the shirt with swastikas, which he got when he was a teenager, because he wanted to ensure he got an event ticket. When Julius Long, a black man who attended the event to understand Spencers followers point of view, saw some of the 2,500 protesters chasing Furniss, he jumped in. I didnt see racism from him, but I did see a lot of racism from people who had Black Lives Matter shirts on and Love Conquers All signs, said Long, a rapper and promoter from Gainesville. As Long, 29, watched the police hold Furniss forcefully to the ground, he said he recalled how many times he had found himself in Furniss position. So he offered Furniss a ride to his car and an open mind. Long and Furniss ate chicken and waffles together at Celebritys Soul Food. Long drove Furniss to the Gainesville Police Department to file a report for his assault. Long said social discourse is essential for people of all races and cultures to understand each other, especially for white people to understand what its like to be black. If I dont explain it, how will they ever be able to look at it? Long said. Furniss, a former member of the Aryan Brotherhood, said he started being a racist at about age 15. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now I used to hate everybody everybody who wasnt white, said Furniss. And honestly, I dont know why. Furniss, who lives in Umatilla, Florida, with his wife and two daughters, said he refused to go to Walmart before because too many people of other races went. But when Furniss was about 23, he shot a friend who he thought owed him money and, a year later, shot himself in the abdomen because he hated his life, he said. Im trying to not be racist anymore, but it doesnt happen overnight, Furniss said. Furniss has to remove his two top teeth after being punched in the face at the protest. He was also fired from his job after his boss found out about the incident, he said. But Furniss said he doesnt regret leaving his house Thursday. That shirt started a friendship, he said. It was meant to be." Furniss and Long English News Exhibition on China's achievements wins applause from domestic and foreign visitors Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 23 Octobre 2017 Foreign guests also gave the thumbs-up to Chinas position. Andrei Denisov,Russian Ambassador to China, said, I came to China as ambassador more than four years ago and have witnessed the rapid development the nation scored in all sectors, especially the technological field since the 18th CPC National Congress. By Liu Junguo from Peoples Daily A Beijing exhibition of China's greatest achievements over the past five years has drawn the applause of both Chinese and foreign visitors who said they were impressed by what the country has achieved since the 18th National Congress of the CPC. The exhibition, which was opened in late September, has attracted more than 700,000 people so far. A visitor, 72-year-old Sun, remarked ,I want to feel more about our stronger nation here, after visiting the exhibition with her husband during the National Day holidays in early October. Sun had come all the way from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and explained that the exhibition was an important stop in the couples itinerary because they may have fewer long journeys in the future. China has contributed to more than 30 percent of global economic growth, with an economy that has grown at an average rate of 7.3 percent since 2012. It also managed to lift at least 10 million of its people out of poverty each year. The latest Global Innovation Index showed China at 22nd place on the list of most innovative nations in 2017, the first ever middle-income country to join the top 25 club. It came in at the 34th, in 2012. Foreign guests also gave the thumbs-up to Chinas position. Andrei Denisov,Russian Ambassador to China, said, I came to China as ambassador more than four years ago and have witnessed the rapid development the nation scored in all sectors, especially the technological field since the 18th CPC National Congress. The exhibition impresses me with the dramatic changes Chinese society has gone through, the Georgian Ambassador to China David Aptsiauri told the media, adding that the CPC has grown stronger with the support of all Chinese. The exhibition is so great! was the comment of Rahmad Nasution, a journalist from Indonesias Antara News Agency, who visited the exhibition on Friday with nearly 100 foreign reporters. She concluded, I want to show my admiration to the Chinese people. On display to catch the eye of reporters who come to cover the 19th CPC National Congress, were models of China's manned submersible, Jiaolong, the new bullet train, "Fuxing", and a new super computing system, Sunway-Taihu Light. You are a party that brings the people peace and prosperity, said Win Tin, Editor-in-Chief of Myanmars Northern Light Journal. He also extended best wishes to the CPC from foreign reporters, and added that they hoped China would create more development opportunities for the world. Pic: Visitors get an introduction to China's 500-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), nicknamed Tianyan, at the exhibition of Chinas progress over the past five years in Beijing, Oct. 1, 2017. (Photo by Peoples Daily Online) Dans la meme rubrique : < > China sees prosperous development of offshore wind power generation China speeds up efforts to expand, renovate expressways 'First-store economy' leads consumption upgrade Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) English News India trying to be over-smart by not talking to Pakistan about Kashmir Alwihda Info | Par Hem Raj Jain - 23 Octobre 2017 Bengaluru, India Sub:- (i)- Out of fear of 2019 Parliamentary elections Modi Govt opening meaningless dialogue with Kashmiris (ii)- Without unification of J&K there is no Kashmir solution (iii)- Without fist talking to Pakistan there is no Kashmir solution (iv)- Islamic theocratic Pakistan can never forget Muslim Kashmir (v)- Hindu majority India will never allow another dismemberment of mother land (vi)- If Pak does not give PoK on table, retrieve of PoK by military the only Kashmir solution for India (vii)- Pak nukes no valid excuse for non-retrieve of PoK -----In pursuance to statement made ~ one month back by BJP General secretary (as mentioned at http://www.alwihdainfo.com/Bengaluru-India-After-being-made-to-eat-crow-by-Govt-at-least-now-veterans-should-be-responsible-about-Kashmir_a57927.html ) Dineshwar Sharma, a former intelligence bureau chief has been appointed by the Modi government as its interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir as announced by Home Minister Rajnath in a press conference on October 23, 2017, declaring that the retired officer would have "complete freedom to talk to all groups and individuals" including Kashmiri separatists. PM Modi during his election campaign of 2014 promised that he will handle Kashmir problem better than previous Congress led Govt but he has failed so far. Rather Kashmir problem has worsened which has immensely alienated Kashmiris further and due its adverse international ramifications it may harm Modi electorally in next election. Hence obviously out of fear of 2019 Parliamentary elections Modi Govt is opening meaningless dialogue with Kashmiris with whom Modi Govt was not prepared to talk during last three and half years terming separatists and other Kashmiris as the agents (Dalals) of Pakistan. But these talks (proposed on October, 23) are meaningless because without fist talking to Pakistan there is no Kashmir solution. India should understand that Islam has already laid down the lives, as per media, of about one hundred thousand Jihadis for Kashmir. Hence (what to talk of Muslim Kashmiris especially Kashmiri separatists) even if Govt of Pakistan wants to forget Kashmir, the Islam / Jihadis will not allow it particularly in this age of strong appeal of Jihadi-sponsored-Caliphate among disgruntled Muslims. India should also understand that without unification of J&K there is no Kashmir solution. Hence knowing that Islamic theocratic Pakistan can never forget Muslim Kashmir and Hindu majority India will never allow another dismemberment of mother land, the retrieve of PoK by military is the only solution for India if Pakistan does not give PoK on table. As far nukes with Pakistan it is a lame excuse taken by Govt of communal India which does not want to retrieve Muslim PoK [It is in context to add that Indias Air Forces strength (as per Air Chiefs statement on October 5, 2017 too) is sufficient to disarm Pak nukes]. Therefor India should stop playing over smart on Kashmir and instead should immediately start talks (under military threat) with Pakistan for the retrieve of PoK. Regards Hem Raj Jain (Author of Betrayal of Americanism) Bengaluru, India Dans la meme rubrique : < > China sees prosperous development of offshore wind power generation China speeds up efforts to expand, renovate expressways 'First-store economy' leads consumption upgrade Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack against Egyptian security forces near the Bahariya Oasis yesterday, which killed dozens of Egyptian personnel and wounded many others. We offer our profound condolences to the families of the deceased and the government and people of Egypt, and extend our best wishes for the full and speedy []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric... The non-governmental human rights group UN Watch welcomed the WHOs cancellation of its absurd, immoral and insulting appointment of Robert Mugabe as goodwill ambassador but called for a full, independent and international inquiry into any possible deals made between the WHO chiefEthiopias former foreign ministerand Zimbabwes ruler. There must be more to the story. How []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric... Once upon a time, schools tried to improve the character of their students. Be neat. Be punctual. Be accurate. Do your homework. Don't copy anyone else's work. Dot your is and cross your ts. Remember, practice makes perfect. In a similar way, the Boy Scouts urged boys to be little gentlemen. Scout Law dictates: "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent." For much of American history, few questioned these values. Benjamin Franklin declared the prevailing view: "nothing is of more importance for the public weal, than to form and train up youth in wisdom and virtue." Alas, all that is gone with the wind from the classrooms of America. Evidently, Progressives figured out that the converse of Franklin's insight is also true: nothing is more destructive to the public weal than to deform and train down youth in ignorance and immorality. Progressives hit the country with a double-whammy: sabotage of both academics and character. If you haven't paid attention to K-12 for a few decades, the first thing you notice is that education officials relentlessly and openly undermine academics. No direct instruction. No memorization of facts. No systematic mastery of any subject. No concern for grammar spelling, etc. It's surprising if students know where Alaska is on a map or who won the Civil War. Have you gotten used to all that? You'll probably still be surprised when you realize that a lot of what goes on in public schools is targeted not at academics, but at the moral development of students. If they are slouches shallow, ignorant, and narcissistic that seems to be what our social engineers want. These days, our schools are engaged in an anti-gentleman crusade. Don't try too hard. Don't worry if the dog ate your homework. It's normal to cut corners and leave work unfinished. Lateness is okay. Incomplete is as good as complete. Wrong answers are acceptable if you explain your tactics. Cheating is okay because everyone does it. Here is a scary snapshot from a teacher commenting on this country's best students (AP Chemistry). Today ... my students are chronically tardy and absent, often refuse to do even the most trivial work, and experience a diluted and simplified version of what I once taught. If I write something on the board, when I turn around a dozen phones have materialized and are actively being typed on. When I try to do fun things like labs and projects, the students complain and mope as if I was walking them to prison. They lament (out loud) how awful it is that they just can't look up the answers like all the other classes. Students refuse. Isn't that word a terrifying revelation? Let's face it: a lot of life is doing things you wish you could avoid. You don't want to take extra care with a project, but you do it anyway. In the process, you get stronger and more disciplined. This will help you in the future, no matter what job you have. But the schools are saying, Skip all that; let's smoke a joint and chill. They are saying, Become the useless slug no one would want to hire. Be the weak link in every chain. Whenever the official experts bother to touch on these concerns, they are the devil's advocate. An article on Edutopia blandly asserts what is surely controversial (boldface in original): Myth #2: Homework Boosts Achievement. There is no evidence that this is true. In Finland, students have higher achievement with little or no homework and shorter school hours. The more important factor is what students experience during the school day. Project-based learning, as one example, places the emphasis on what is done during the day. If students choose to do more after hours, that's their choice. There also may sometimes be other good reasons to assign homework, but there should be no illusion that homework will help increase student achievement. You see, there is always some deep reason, some brilliant expert, to give schools an excuse for aiming low. Why bother with homework? Edutopia says it doesn't matter. Nowadays, almost nothing matters. I knew a woman five years out of Vassar who still had incomplete papers hanging over her. Finally Vassar said, you have to do these papers, or you lose all the credits you acquired. The point is, they corrupted her in the first place. They let her get away with being lazy, undisciplined, and dissolute. The part that is not clear to me is, what happens to the cheaters later on? And how do the lazy, corner-cutting students compete with students who have learned to work hard? Cheaters know that their grades are meaningless. They don't have the knowledge or abilities their schools claimed for them. They will have to spend their lives covering up. Some of our ditzy administrators probably insist they are trying to help students by cushioning them from the shocks of real life. But that's not a help; it's a curse. According to one pundit, "[s]tudents claim they are so stressed from school that they demand no grades be given for their poor attendance or non-performance; sadly, half the schools in the country have obliged." Schools have gotten increasingly permissive. There is clearly some diabolical intent. It's almost as if the social engineers had a meeting and said, Okay, how do we fix it so kids never turn out right? Can we reverse this trend? Yes, by going back to what we had 50 years ago and before. Tell students they can't cheat, make it difficult for them to cheat, and punish them when they do. Start in the first grade teaching things simply and systematically, all the while making it clear that the students are expected to learn the material. Our current schools do it the opposite way: make everything chaotic, but then wink, wink make clear that nothing much will be expected. Put simply, the current education decline was caused by discarding traditional approaches and then letting progressive ideas overrun the landscape. Let's do the opposite. Get rid of progressive ideas, and restore traditional education. All that means in practice is that public schools do what private schools do every day. Sounds good to me. Bruce Deitrick Price deconstructs theories and methods on Improve-Education.org. His new book is Saving K-12 What happened to our public schools? How do we fix them? Though Western Europe and Washington are reluctant to fess up to this unfortunate fact, Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long ago given up even the pretence of being a democratic polity and is openly pursuing policies detrimental to democracy, the rule of law and Western security considerations. In short, Turkey has become an Islamist dictatorship every bit as inimical to Western interests as Iran, except for being allowed by the West to maintain the charade that it is still a member of NATO and the Western community of nations. This is a dangerous charade that will inevitably come back to haunt us. For the reality is that Erdogan the Islamist has ambitions that go beyond Turkey and even the Middle East. Well known for his admiration for the Ottomans, Erdogan imagines himself as the leader of a new Ottoman Empire based on an Islamized Turkey, but exerting its influence far beyond. Many would dismiss this as an unrealistic pipe dream, and it probably is just that ultimately. But in pursuing it vigorously, Erdogan has already done much damage both in Turkey and abroad. Suffice it to say that Turks who had lived in Germany and the Netherlands for decades, voted for Erdogan in greater percentages (60% and 70% respectively) than voters in Turkey itself in the last referendum. The key to spreading Erdogans Islamist message is an organization called Diyanet, a Turkish directorate for religious affairs that is directly subordinated to him. Few if any Western leaders have ever heard of it, despite its importance. It was originally set up by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1924 for the purpose of training imams for the mosques, but more importantly, it was tasked with preventing the radicalization of Turkish Islam. The type of education received in these madrassa-like institutions, called imam-hatip schools, was considered second-rate and did not qualify their graduates for the university or government work. At the time of Erdogans takeover of the government in 2002, there were 450 imam-hatip schools with some 60,000 students. Most of them were the sons of poorly-educated yet devout Muslims, which Erdogan, himself the product of such a school, considered prime islamization cadres. And so, after neutralizing the Turkish military by means of bogus but ultimately effective show trials, Erdogan set about to build up and promote an army of pious imam-hatip graduates devoted to him, not unlike the janissaries of the Ottoman Empire, who considered themselves the slaves of the sultan alone. Here it must be mentioned that these madrassas as well as the mandatory religious education curriculum in Turkey is highly discriminatory to the extent that it teaches exclusively the Sunni Hanafi school of Muslim jurisprudence, which is not practiced by the large populations of Alevis and the Kurds, who follow the shafii madhab, not to mention the millions of secular Turks. Appointing a zealous Islamist (who considered Israel a terror organization on a par with ISIS) to lead the Diyanet in 2010, Erdogan removed all career obstacles previously faced by imam-hatip graduates, indeed began treating them preferentially for government work and in the military, while providing the Diyanet with massive amounts of money and islamizing the curriculum to exclude evolution. This promptly made these schools a hugely desirable career choice for aspiring Islamists. And so, by 2015, there were 1961 imam-hatip schools with more than 1.2 million students and a budget of $2 billion. These exorbitant numbers clearly beyond the needs of the 85,000 Turkish mosques reveal Erdogans ambitions in both staffing his government and the military with reliable Islamists, and also his long-term agenda to export his Islamist agenda to Turkish and Muslim diaspora communities in Europe, the Balkans and beyond. Few people realize that after the relative retreat of Saudi efforts to finance radical Islamic projects in the West, Turkey is increasingly the key actor funding the radicalization of European Muslims. It is well positioned to do that due to the large Turkish communities that immigrated to Western Europe as gastarbeiter in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the significant numbers of native Turkish and/or Turkic populations in the Balkans and Central Asia. Many if not most of the imams sent by Diyanet to serve in Europe, as a rule, do not speak the local language and barely know the societies in which they find themselves, nor are they encouraged to get to know them. The one mantra that Turkish officials repeat ad nauseum is that assimilation is wrong, or as Erdogan put it himself a crime against humanity. And it may be working. Sevral recent studies have shown that 3rd generation Turks in Germany are no better integrated than those of the first. Nor are these are the only disturbing news. Information from a number of Western European countries has come that Diyanet and mosque officials work closely with the Turkish intelligence organization, MIT, to spy on fellow Turks on behalf of the Ankara government. One German source revealed that 6000 MIT spies are active in the mosques, while the Dutch head of the Diyanet admitted publicly to have engaged in spying. There are further Turkish efforts to build a number of mega mosques in places where there are few Muslims, like Bucharest and Budapest, as well as attempts in both Eastern and Western Europe to set up parties designed to serve the Turkish strongman. It is not likely that they will stop before the West finally understands that Islamist Turkey is not a friend and begins to act accordingly. Alex Alexiev is chairman of the Center for Balkan and Black Sea Studies (cbbss.org) and editor of bulgariaanalytica.org. He tweets it ion national security at tweeter.com/alexieff and could be reached at alexievalex4@gmail.com When Democrats were peddling ObamaCare to an unsuspecting America, they told us that the price of health insurance would go down by thousands of dollars. But the opposite happened, and it continues to happen. The way that real insurance works is that policyholders get lower premiums if they are less likely to file claims and thereby cost their insurance companies money; that is, if they pose less risk. Insurance companies set premiums by using actuarial science to calculate risk. But ObamaCare policies dont price for risk, everyone pays the same regardless of risk due to the ACAs community rating policy. However, theres another way to keep the price of premiums down and thats for policyholders to agree to pay some of the costs of the medical treatment incurred in their claims, i.e. deductibles and copayments -- the lower the premium, the higher the deductible. So, ObamaCare tried to make premiums affordable by having much, much higher deductibles. But some folks who file claims with ObamaCare cant pay their deductibles. ObamaCare took care of those folks through CSRs, cost sharing reductions, where government pays the policyholders deductible. Unlike its premiums, the ACA did not provide automatic funding of the CSRs. Instead, Congress must regularly approve the funds for the CSRs, and Congress hasnt been doing that. This back-loaded little aspect of the ACA has been driven home recently by President Trumps executive order to stop payment of CSRs. Democrats and their stooges in the media are wailing that the presidents order is arson and sabotage. They caterwaul that without the CSR payments the price of ACA premiums will, surprise, surprise, shoot up even higher. They seem to think that the ACA should be exempt from the Laws of Insurance. On May 12, 2016 in House v. Burwell, a federal judge found that the payments of CSRs are unconstitutional because Congress hasnt been appropriating the funds. Law Professor Timothy Jost has written much on the case (archive); heres what he wrote on the day of the decision. Though Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 is quite clear in requiring that money cannot be drawn from the Treasury without an appropriation from Congress, Democrats seem to think that the president should just keep on lawlessly spending money, just as Obama did. The media has been rather careless in reporting this story; they often refer to the CSRs as subsidies. But theres another ObamaCare subsidy that one receives when the government helps to pay for ones health insurance premiums. That is the main subsidy, and it has complicated folks income tax returns. Unlike premiums, which must be paid every month, the CSRs are subsidies that would never need to be paid if no one filed a claim. But policyholders do file claims, so the true cost of ACA policies needs to include the $7B that the CSRs are costing taxpayers. Thats the same $7B Democrats think Pres. Trump should be spending without congressional authorization. Congress has the power to appropriate the funds for the CSRs, and recently Sens. Alexander and Murray have reached a deal to do just that. However, the deal is for a two-year appropriation, which Republicans should reject for a much shorter funding period, should they be inclined to vote for this deal. Not only that, Republicans should get some concessions, too: Just minutes before Alexander announced the deal, White House legislative director Marc Short emerged from a Senate GOP lunch saying that a starting point in exchange for restoring the cost-sharing payments is eliminating the individual mandate and employer mandate -- the central pillars of Obamacare. But the mandates arent the central pillars of ObamaCare. ObamaCare made inroads into several huge areas of health insurance, and most of ObamaCare would still stand if the individual mandate were repealed. What would be affected by the elimination of the individual mandate is the Individual Market. Because most Americans receive health insurance through their employer or through government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, Obamacare trained its corporatist sights on the Individual Market. It is this group that receives all the media attention, but it is by far the smallest sector. Before the implementation of the ACA, the Individual Market, which is also called the Non-Group market, comprised just 4 percent of the population. Repeal of the individual mandate would likely result in throngs of healthy young Americans choosing not to buy health insurance, which would indeed doom the Individual Market under Obamacare. But that should happen anyway. You see, government needs to get completely out of the Individual Market; Congress needs to let the Individual Market be totally private. But what weve seen with the various Republican repeal and replace plans is that they retain government involvement in the Individual Market. Continuing the governments involvement in the Individual Market with the individual mandate and subsidies is the Republicans Big Mistake in their replacement plans. Heres a question that should be asked of all congressional Republicans: Will you vote to repeal the individual mandate? Any GOP congressman who is for the repeal of the individual mandate cannot also be for the federal governments continued involvement in the Individual Market, because that market depends on that mandate. In their repeal and replace plans, Republicans are sabotaging themselves by being for contradictory things. With ObamaCare you get both high premiums and high deductibles. But ACA premiums would have been even higher had Democrats structured ObamaCare like real insurance with reasonable deductibles. The people ObamaCare hurts the most are those who pay the full price for health insurance at the exchanges. If people dont have the funds to pay the full price for health insurance premiums, deductibles and copays, then they need to be put into Medicaid. Congress should especially be putting ACA subsidy recipients with pre-existing conditions into Medicaid. All taxpayers should be helping to pay for those very sick poor people, rather than having a disproportionate amount of it paid by those in the Individual Market. Besides being incoherent, the Supreme Court decision to uphold the individual mandate was a rewrite of the ACA. The Court did not defer to Congress when it saved Obamacare, it legislated. Congress should resent the Courts usurpation of its power to write law. If the high court will not strike down bad law, then it is left to Congress to do so. Jon N. Hall of Ultracon Opinion is a programmer/analyst from Kansas City. Francesca Mann met with absolute evil -- and she shot it. On October 23, 1943, the next train with the Jews about 1,700 people -- arrived at the death camp (Konzentrationslager) Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Unlike all other trains arriving at Auschwitz, it was a real passenger train, not a cattle train. Also, none of their arriving Jews wore the yellow Star of David on their clothes. Arriving Jews were greeted warmly by the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Third Reich Franz Hossler, who announced that this is their last stop before crossing the border with Switzerland, from where they would travel to different countries of South America. Just a few formalities remain -- disinfection, shower, and then -- long-awaited freedom. Few people guessed that they were in southern Poland, not in southern Germany, and that Hossler was actually an SS First Lieutenant (SS-Obersturmfuhrer). All of them, representatives of the wealthiest Jewish families of occupied Poland, dreamed of freedom. A secret Nazi program for obtaining visas to the countries of South America was created specifically for them. The headquarters of this program was set up by the Gestapo in the Hotel Polski in Warsaw. The cost of a fake exit visa to Paraguay, Panama, Peru, Guatemala or Bolivia was about $1,500 per person (more than $20,000 at today's rate). The program was deliberately designed for the wealthy. The plan was devilishly tricky a minimal number of Jews were in fact allowed to travel to neutral countries for the exchange of German prisoners of war, and this ensured a continuous inflow of Jewish money into the treasury of the Third Reich. The Hotel Polski was in the Aryan zone of Warsaw, outside the Warsaw Jewish ghetto. One of the couriers between the ghetto and the hotel was the 26-year-old Francesca Mann. Francesca Mann was her stage name. She was a Jewish ballerina and dancer, one of the most famous, talented, and beautiful women in Poland. Her maiden name was Manheimer, and her husband, Marek Rosenberg, was the son of a wealthy Warsaw jersey merchant. The privileged status of Francesca manifested itself in everything. Only she could flaunt fur coats inside a dirty ghetto. Only she was allowed to leave the ghetto for the Aryan zone anytime. Of course, the Gestapo kept her in the dark, so Francesca sincerely believed that she was helping wealthy Jews find freedom. She knew too much and perhaps suspected something, so the Gestapo ordered her on the very first train to South America with a layover in Auschwitz. What happened upon arrival in Auschwitz we only know from the words of the eyewitnesses who survived. Most of them were prisoners who were forced to work at the camp. Their testimonies differ in detail, but they agree on one thing the beautiful woman from Warsaw went down in history as a hero. In the locker room in front of the gas chamber (camouflaged as the showers) Krema 2, the SS supervisors ordered all women to undress. Approximately half of the women followed the order, but the rest felt that something was wrong. The SS men began using gun stocks to drive the women into the gas chamber amid horrific screams and crying. The tense situation was defused by Francesca Mann. She escaped from the screaming crowd to a group of SS guards and, to the astonishment of the men, began to perform a striptease. This openly sexy dance by such a brilliant professional dancer had the SS guards hypnotized. Finally, Francesca undressed entirely remaining only in her high-heeled shoes. In the blink of an eye, she took off her shoes and smashed the face of a nearby Sergeant (SS-Oberscharfuhrer) Quackernak with the sharp heelpiece. The shocked Quackernak dropped his weapon and covered his bloody face with both hands. Francesca used this moment to pick up his pistol and shoot Sergeant Josef Shillinger, one of the most odious sadists of Auschwitz, twice in the stomach. She then aimed at Quackernak but missed, the bullet instead hitting Master Sergeant (SS-Hauptscharfuhrer) Emmerich. Her shots served as a signal, and several hundred furious and desperate women attacked a dozen SS men. Commandant of Auschwitz Lt. Colonel (SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer) Rudolf Hoss came running at the sound of the shots. He ordered the SS men to block all the exits from the building and shoot all the Jews who were in the locker room. Schillinger died the same day on his way to the hospital. Emmerich remained lame for life. Quackernak was sentenced by a military tribunal in 1946 to be hanged for his participation in mass executions of civilians and Soviet prisoners of war. Hossler was hanged in the same year. At the military tribunal after WWII, Hoss was accused under his leadership, three and a half million Jews were killed. He filed a protest, because according to the statistics of the Third Reich during his command of the death camp of Auschwitz, not three and a half, but only two and a half million Jews were killed, and the rest allegedly died of various illnesses. Hoss was executed by hanging in 1947 in the same death camp he had commanded in Auschwitz. Dr. Gary Gindler, Ph.D. is a conservative Russian-American blogger at Gary Gindler Chronicles. Air Force chief of staff General David Goldfein told Defense One that the Air Force is preparing to place our nuclear-armed B-52 bombers on 24-hour alert, a status not seen since the end of the Cold War in 1991. "This is yet one more step in ensuring that we're prepared," Gen. David Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff, said in an interview during his six-day tour of Barksdale and other U.S. Air Force bases that support the nuclear mission. "I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure we're prepared going forward." Goldfein and other senior defense officials stressed that the alert order had not been given, but that preparations were under way in anticipation that it might come. That decision would be made by Gen. John Hyten, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, or Gen. Lori Robinson, the head of U.S. Northern Command. STRATCOM is in charge of the military's nuclear forces and NORTHCOM is in charge of defending North America. Putting the B-52s back on alert is just one of many decisions facing the Air Force as the U.S. military responds to a changing geopolitical environment that includes North Korea's rapidly advancing nuclear arsenal, President Trump's confrontational approach to Pyongyang, and Russia's increasingly potent and active armed forces. Goldfein, who is the Air Force's top officer and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is asking his force to think about new ways that nuclear weapons could be used for deterrence, or even combat. "The world is a dangerous place and we've got folks that are talking openly about use of nuclear weapons," he said. "It's no longer a bipolar world where it's just us and the Soviet Union. We've got other players out there who have nuclear capability. It's never been more important to make sure that we get this mission right." The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office is having a difficult time ignoring biology. It seems that the U.N. is engaging in another fruitless exercise in denying individual liberty by trying to "define" human rights. Of course, the more careful the U.N. is in defining "rights," the narrower it makes the definitions. The "International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights" was passed in 1976, and the British government is proposing an amendment to the treaty that would replace the term "pregnant woman" with "pregnant people." The reason is you guessed it that the term "pregnant women" ignores "transgendered" people, or people who have had babies and then decided they weren't women anymore. IJR: A British government office cautioned against the use of the term "pregnant woman" in a U.N. treaty, saying that it "excludes" transgender people. The Sunday Times reported that the country's Foreign and Commonwealth Office submission on proposed amendments to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights opposed the term because it may "exclude transgender people who have given birth." The appropriate term, it says, is "pregnant people." Sarah Ditum, a feminist writer in England, told the Times: This isn't inclusion. This is making women unmentionable. Having a female body and knowing what that means for reproduction doesn't make you "exclusionary." Forcing us to decorously scrub out any reference to our sex on pain of being called bigots is an insult. The treaty, which the UK joined in 1976, says that pregnant women must be given special protections, for instance not being subject to the death penalty, according to the Daily Mail. "Facts are stubborn things," and science is even more intractable. Somewhere, someone has written down that only women can have babies. I don't know exactly where, but I'm sure someone has thought of that already. You can claim there are as many genders as there are stars in the sky, but biology is biology. It's faintly humorous that the British government is twisting itself into a pretzel shape trying to accommodate the "feelings" of transgendered people. I doubt more than a handful of people are even aware of this obscure U.N. treaty, so how denying biology saves transgenders' feelings from being hurt is a mystery. No institution in the West is safe from political correctness. Apparently, even biology must take a back seat to this relentless attack on reason and common sense. America was surprised when U.S. troops in Niger were ambushed, with four killed, on October 4. Why are more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers in this desolate region of western Africa, in one of the world's least developed nations? According to Secretary James Mattis at the Department of Defense, America's mission there is "supporting the French-led and the African troops in the campaign to throw ISIS and the terrorists, the radicals, those who foment instability and murder and mayhem, off their stride." Until 1958, landlocked Niger was a French colony bordered by oil-rich Libya to the north and oil-rich Nigeria to the south. Niger has far less oil than its neighbors but has good reason to be fought over both for territory and one key resource. "France gets about 75 percent of its electricity from nuclear reactors," the New York Times reported in 2013, and that year France dramatically increased its military forces in Niger to protect its uranium mines. No wonder the terrorists attacking Americans were driven off minutes later by French fighter jets streaking to the rescue. Eighty percent of Niger citizens do not know that their country's northern desert has uranium, which Business Insider described in 2015 as "the world's fifth-largest recoverable uranium reserves, some 7% of the global total." A handful of uranium mines account for roughly a third of all of Niger's exports and supply a third of France's reactor fuel (and possibly the key ingredients for its nuclear weapons as well). No wonder France and its American allies are willing to pay a price to keep these radioactive isotopes flowing, avoid terrorist disruptions, and prevent Islamists from seizing this potential source of A-bomb material. France is not the only uranium mine investor in Niger. China also has reportedly committed to investing $300 million and owns a 37-percent share of the Azelik mine, along with the Niger government plus one other Chinese and one Korean investor in a joint partnership called Somina. President Barack Obama sent U.S. military forces to Niger in 2013, apparently to support the French buildup to protect France's vital uranium mines from Islamists. In October 2017, this cost four American lives. But did these courageous soldiers implicitly also die to defend a communist Chinese uranium mine, a potential source of China's nuclear weapons? This is one of the questions President Donald Trump's administration should answer this week. How ironic that the Obama administration, which gave Russia 20 percent of America's uranium reserves and allowed his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, to pocket $145 million from the deal, was also willing to put the lives of American troops on the line to defend France's and communist China's uranium. Lowell Ponte is a veteran think-tank futurist and author or co-author of eight books. His latest, Money, Morality & The Machine, co-authored with monetary expert Craig R. Smith, is available free and postpaid by calling 800-630-1492. Mr. Ponte can be reached for interviews at radioright@aol.com. Sen. John McCain has taken an obvious, strong, personal dislike of President Trump. The most recent sign of this personal spat came to light in the October 22 online editions of FNC, the N.Y. Post, and many other periodicals, when Sen. McCain called Trump to task for using bone spurs to evade military service during the Vietnam War. Sen. John McCain took some veiled shots at President Trump over the weekend slamming high income draft dodgers like himself for using their wealth to avoid serving in the Vietnam War. "One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say that they had a bone spur," the Arizona lawmaker told C-SPAN3 in an interview that aired Sunday. "That is wrong. That is wrong," he said. "If we're going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve." McCain, a Republican, didn't actually name Trump but the "bone spur" reference appeared to be a direct jab. The president received several draft deferments during the war, including one in 1968 for bone spurs in his heels. Gramps McCain is all wet on this criticism, and I will state why by telling my own personal story. In 1968, when the Vietnam War was at its height and the U.S. Armed Forces still ran a draft, I commenced studies at Fordham University. In recognition of my student status, I received a student deferment from the draft. About midway in my university career, I recognized the essential injustice of using a student deferment to evade military service, and accordingly, I contacted my draft board and asked them to cancel my student deferment and register my draft status as 1A. The draft board honored my request, and in due course, I was summoned to report to a military facility on Summer Street in Boston for my draft physical. I was at great risk of instantly curtailing my studies because I could have been drafted forthwith and sent on my merry way to a basic training facility before nightfall. But as it was, the draft physical noted my case of flat feet and re-registered my as draft status 1Y eligible to be inducted into military service, but only during a time of a declared national emergency, such as a Declaration of War. I could happily live with this deferment. Because flat feet can happen to anybody. All of us are conceived and born in the same fashion, and all of us go through nature's own draft lottery, where Mother Nature picks out some of us but not others for minor or major bodily difficulties and handicaps. Such was my lot in life. God or God's nature (in the parlance of Thomas Jefferson, according to one's preference) decided to impose upon me the minor handicap of going through life with flat feet and, in Donald Trump's case, inflicted upon him the (presumably) minor problem of bone spurs in his feet. In my case, I was able to return to Fordham University immediately, with a clean, clear conscience. Neither Trump nor I created or enacted the laws that governed the military draft in those years. We are not responsible for the U.S. Armed Forces, in their collective wisdom, applying public law and determining that both of us were marginally physically unfit to serve. In short, neither Donald Trump nor I attempted to evade military service. Gramps McCain is all wrong, all wet, for attacking Donald Trump for being excused from military service on account of having bone spurs. James A. Nollet is a retired FDA chemist living in retirement as an expat in Poland. This is about as silly as anything I have seen in years. Mexico is now on record against SB-4: A Texas law banning sanctuary cities would harm diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Mexico, Mexico argues in a brief submitted to the appeals court reviewing the law. The brief, filed Thursday with the Fifth District Court of Appeals in New Orleans, says whenever state or local officials act improperly in upholding the sanctuary law, the U.S. federal government would be unable to resolve the problem or prevent similar ones. Thus it runs the risk "that actions of a state or its officials regarding immigration enforcement could irreparably damage U.S. foreign policy interests with respect to a particular country." Texas' sanctuary law, known as SB 4, may be the toughest in the country. In addition to banning sanctuary cities jurisdictions that choose not to comply with federal immigration enforcement it allows local law enforcement officers to question the immigration status of people they detain or arrest. And the law seeks to punish local government department heads and elected officials who don't cooperate with federal immigration "detainers" federal requests to turn over immigrants possibly subject to deportation. Punishment could come in the form of jail time and penalties that exceed $25,000. Again, very silly and highly hypocritical. I wonder if there are any sanctuary cities in Mexico for Central American immigrants. This is the just the latest case of Mexico sticking its nose in U.S. politics. Back in 2010, President Felipe Calderon spoke in the U.S. Congress and found time to criticize the Arizona law. Nobody asked "Sr. Presidente Calderon" about the incredible similarity between the Arizona law and Mexican laws. As a legal resident in Mexico in the 1980s, I had firsthand experience with all of this. I recall that my work visa (known then as FM-2) clearly stated that I had to carry identification just in case I had to prove to the authorities that I was in the country legally. I was also quite clear about "Articulo 33" that forbids foreigners from getting involved in politics. Don't get me wrong. I had a wonderful time in Mexico and would recommend the experience to anyone. However, hearing Mexico get this involved in our immigration politics confirms how dependent on remittances the country is. We know that billions of dollars are sent south every year by Mexicans here legally and illegally. This is not healthy for Mexico, as any honest Mexican will tell you! Last, I have to laugh and remember a Mexican friend who told me: "Somos hipocritas, verdad?" or loosely translated, "We are hypocrites, no?" With respect to immigration, the Mexican government is! It loves to enforce its laws and would never allow a local jurisdiction to shelter an illegal alien from Central America or anywhere else. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. NBC News, the friendliest MSM friend of the Resist crowd, was the chosen vehicle for leaking the news that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating the Podesta Group and its principal, Tony Podesta. Although I am no lawyer, it is pretty clear that Mueller had no choice but to move against John Podesta's brother and is using the situation to his best advantage. Mueller's mission was to get something anything! on Paul Manafort. The strategic goal was to trade cooperation in nailing Trump for something anything! for leniency on the charge they prove against Manafort. The "anything" Mueller came up with was registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). I remember seeing a nonprofit caught up in violations and let off with no jail for taking funding from non-government agencies that the feds claimed were acting as cat's paws for a foreign government. But it can be a felony and carry five years in the federal pen. The only problem was that the vehicle they found to pursue Manafort unfortunately also implicated Podesta. Tom Winter and Julia Ainsley of NBC News: The probe of Podesta and his Democratic-leaning lobbying firm grew out of Mueller's inquiry into the finances of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, according to the sources. As special counsel, Mueller has been tasked with investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Manafort had organized a public relations campaign for a non-profit called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine (ECMU). Podesta's company was one of many firms that worked on the campaign, which promoted Ukraine's image in the West. If they are going to credibly threaten Manafort with prison, they have to go after Podesta, too. It is not merely a comparable offense, but the same evidence and the same alleged crime. A this plays out, the left will spin the inclusion of Podesta as evidence of Mueller's integrity and fairness. But he's got a lot to answer for about covering up Uranium One when he was director of the FBI, so there are issues far larger than this. Mueller will push forward in the hope of breaking Manafort, or at least getting one scalp to claim for his long, expensive witch hunt. The media will portray him positively and ignore the Uranium One story. Meanwhile, it's a tough break for Tony. Tony knows a lot about a lot of people and thus has a lot of chits to call in for help. This could get quite interesting. Did Rod Rosenstein concoct a scheme to let Uranium One's briber, Vadim Mirkerin, off the hook? Andrew McCarthy seems to think so: Around the time President Obama came to power, the Russian official in charge of Tenam [parent of Rosatom] was Vadim Mikerin. The Obama administration reportedly issued a visa for Mikerin in 2010, but a racketeering investigation led by the FBI determined that he was already operating here in 2009. As Tenam's general director, Mikerin was responsible for arranging and managing Rosatom/Tenex's contracts with American uranium purchasers. ... To further the Kremlin's push for nuclear-energy expansion, he had been seeking to retain a lobbyist from whom he planned to extort kickbacks, just as he did with the U.S. energy companies. With the help of an associate connected to Russian organized-crime groups, Mikerin found his lobbyist. The man's name has not been disclosed, but we know he is now represented by Victoria Toensing, a well-respected Washington lawyer, formerly a federal prosecutor and counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee. ... At the time this unidentified man became an informant, the FBI was led by director Robert Mueller, who is now the special counsel investigating whether Trump colluded with Russia. The investigation was centered in Maryland (Tenam's home base). There, the U.S. attorney was Obama appointee Rod Rosenstein now President Trump's deputy attorney general, and the man who appointed Mueller as special counsel to investigate Trump. ... Even though the FBI had an informant collecting damning information, and had a prosecutable case against Mikerin by early 2010, the extortion racket against American energy companies was permitted to continue into the summer of 2014. It was only then that, finally, Mikerin and his confederates were arrested. Why then? This is not rocket science. In March 2014, Russia annexed Crimea. Putin also began massing forces on the Ukrainian border, coordinating and conducting attacks, ultimately taking control of territory. Clearly, the pie-in-the-sky Obama reset was dead. Furthermore, the prosecution of Mikerin's racketeering scheme had been so delayed that the Justice Department risked losing the ability to charge the 2009 felonies because of the five-year statute of limitations on most federal crimes. Still, a lid needed to be kept on the case. It would have made for an epic Obama administration scandal, and a body blow to Hillary Clinton's presidential hopes, if in the midst of Russia's 2014 aggression, public attention had been drawn to the failure, four years earlier, to prosecute a national-security case in order to protect Russia's takeover of U.S. nuclear assets. The Obama administration needed to make this case go away without a public trial if at all possible. Think about this: The investigation of Russian racketeering in the American energy sector was the kind of spectacular success over which the FBI and Justice Department typically do a bells-n-whistles victory lap the big self-congratulatory press conference followed by the media-intensive prosecutions . . . and, of course, more press conferences. Here ... crickets. As the Hill reports, the Justice Department and FBI had little to say when Mikerin and his co-conspirators were arrested. They quietly negotiated guilty pleas that were announced with no fanfare just before Labor Day. It was arranged that Mikerin would be sentenced just before Christmas. All under the radar. How desperate was the Obama Justice Department to plead the case out? Here, Rosenstein and Holder will have some explaining to do. Mikerin was arrested on a complaint describing a racketeering scheme that stretched back to 2004 and included extortion, fraud, and money laundering. Yet he was permitted to plead guilty to a single count of money-laundering conspiracy. Except it was not really money-laundering conspiracy. Under federal law, that crime (at section 1956 of the penal code) carries a penalty of up to 20 years' imprisonment not only for conspiracy but for each act of money laundering. But Mikerin was not made to plead guilty to this charge. He was permitted to plead guilty to an offense charged under the catch-all federal conspiracy provision (section 371) that criminalizes agreements to commit any crime against the United States. Section 371 prescribes a sentence of zero to five years' imprisonment. The Justice Department instructs prosecutors that when Congress has given a federal offense its own conspiracy provision with a heightened punishment (as it has for money laundering, racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and other serious crimes), they may not charge a section 371 conspiracy. Section 371 is for less serious conspiracy cases. Using it for money laundering which caps the sentence way below Congress's intent for that behavior subverts federal law and signals to the court that the prosecutor does not regard the offense as major. Yet, that is exactly what Rosenstein's office did, in a plea agreement his prosecutors co-signed with attorneys from the Justice Department's Fraud Section. The Russian defense ministry has compared the U.S. bombing of Raqqa to the fate of Dresden, the German city that was nearly destroyed when it was firebombed in World War II. The ministry spokesman declared that Raqqa had been "wiped off the face of the earth." BBC: UN war crimes investigators in June that there had been a "staggering loss of civilian life" in Raqqa. Syrian activists say between 1,130 and 1,873 civilians were killed and that many of the civilian casualties were the result of the intense US-led air strikes that helped the SDF, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, advance. A Russian defence ministry spokesman said the ruins evoked the destruction of Dresden. "Raqqa has inherited the fate of Dresden in 1945, wiped off the face of the earth by Anglo-American bombardments," Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov said. He said the West now appeared to be hurrying to send financial aid to Raqqa as a way of covering up evidence of its crimes. The US-led coalition said it had adhered to strict targeting processes and procedures aimed to minimise risks to civilians. The SDF declared victory in Raqqa last week after a four-month battle to retake the city from IS, which had ruled it for three years. They say they have since taken the al-Omar oilfield, Syria's largest and a significant source of revenue for IS. The SDF's fight against the militants is now focused on their last stronghold in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour. The Syrian army, supported by Russian airpower and Iranian-backed militias, is also attacking the extremist group. Last year, the Russian air force systematically destroyed the much larger city of Aleppo. Two million people lived in Aleppo before the civil war. It was a trading hub of the ancient world, and its magnificent ruins were an archeological treasure. Today, it is estimated that its population has decreased by half as Russian bombers deliberately targeted neighborhoods in eastern Aleppo, where the families of rebels against President Assad were living. Thousands were killed, and much of the city is a pile of rubble. And the Russians are accusing the U.S. of indiscriminate bombing? From a U.N. report detailing Russian war crimes in Aleppo: Warplanes targeted hospitals, bakeries and schools in a non-stop bombing campaign that lasted for months, beginning in September 2016. "Approximately 300 people including 96 children were killed in the first four days of the offensive alone," the report states. Daily airstrikes "exclusively employing, as far as the Commission could determine, unguided air-delivered munitions. These included aerial bombs, air-to-surface rockets, cluster munitions, incendiary bombs and improvised air-delivered munitions (barrel bombs), and weapons delivering toxic industrial chemicals, including chlorine." The dilemma facing U.S. war planners has not changed since the war on terror began. What is called "asymmetrical warfare" is just another term for cowardly terrorists using women and children as human shields. They count on the humanity of the U.S. to spare them while hoping the U.N. does their P.R. work for them by criticizing any civilian deaths. There is no doubt that if Barack Obama were still president, ISIS would still be in Raqqa (and most other urban centers), and we'd be no closer to levering them out of their strongholds than we were for the three years of bombing. New president, new rules of engagement. No more ISIS in Raqqa. The bombing of Raqqa proved to be most effective. But it is entirely proper to explore the moral dimensions of war, including bombing civilian areas, where there is great likelihood that innocents will suffer and die. While I have no doubt that our war-planners "had adhered to strict targeting processes and procedures aimed to minimise risks to civilians," we have to be aware that they knew that some civilians would die. I would argue that there is a world of difference between Russia deliberately targeting hospitals and the U.S. bombing areas most likely to kill terrorists. Perhaps we need a new moral calculus when dealing with heartless terrorists who think nothing of using civilians as adjuncts to war. Certainly, it must be taken into account when investigating war crimes. One thing I know: you can't fight and win a war when one side totally ignores morality and the rules of war while holding your side to an impossible moral standard. The world is changing, and the international community must change with it. So much for collusion. A Russian government-backed green energy company called Joule lost a lot of money as it collapsed in the wake of President Trump's "unexpected" election to president. It had been literally banking on a Hillary Clinton electoral victory, according to a new investigative report from the Daily Caller, expecting that a Clinton presidency's renewable energy focus would be just the thing for the company's fortunes. The plan flamed out when Trump was elected. That made its ties with Clinton campaign manager John Podesta utterly worthless. Joule had brought Podesta onboard as a board member from 2010 to 2013 to influence its fortunes. Podesta got 75,000 shares for it, worth millions. The Daily Caller reported that Podesta joined the Obama administration in 2014 and then left the board, but he stayed in friendly and helpful contact with the company at least through 2015. There's no word on whether he kept his shares. What kind of a company can stay afloat only if it has political connections? It would have to be a company that simply couldn't produce anything it could otherwise sell of value. That's what the Daily Caller seems to have found. Joule was known for its secrecy, leaving the biotech industry baffled, the Caller reported. It also tended to overpromise and under-deliver, making wild promises to investors on what it had in the works. The Daily Caller reported: The company's rise as well as its demise have been shrouded in secrecy. It claimed to have a patent for genetically engineered microbes that could harness the sun's energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into ethanol, diesel fuel or jet fuel. "Many people were very skeptical that they could pull off what they were trying to pull off," Robert Rapier, who runs a website called R-Squared Energy, told The Boston Globe. With no-show results like that, and Russian backing (at least three of its board members were affiliated with a Russian venture capital company called Rusnano, which is known in Moscow as "Putin's baby"), it sounds as though it wasn't really in the business of making things of value. Its game was shaking money out of the government with its green energy policies and subsidies, which Podesta was an excellent fit for, and then maybe doing some spying on the side. The Daily Caller found as much here: The FBI was concerned about Russian government investments in American high-technology firms, as previously reported by TheDCNF. Lucia Ziobro, the special agent in charge at the FBI's Boston field office, issued an "extraordinary warning" in 2014 about Russian investors to startups like Joule. "The FBI believes the true motives of the Russian partners, who are often funded by their government, is to gain access to classified, sensitive and emerging technology from the companies," she wrote in a Boston Globe op-ed. It's worth noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin had a falling out with Rusnano board member Anatoly Chubais, as I noted here and here, which raises questions as to whether Podesta was doing Putin's bidding or was aligned with another Kremlin oligarch faction instead. What is certain is that a company that can't stand on its own probably isn't a company that should be out there. A company that relies on having superior government connections rather than producing a superior product might be pleasing to someone who hates free-market capitalism, but it's not a credible company. It's a front for something. Was it a front for Russian spies, or was it a front for payoffs to connected Clinton cronies in exchange for subsidies? With Podesta's Joule, there don't seem to be any possibilities in between. Small wonder we haven't heard much lately about 'Trump colluded with the Russians to win the election." The Russian colluding we are seeing has the Podesta name on it. If the report is true that Tesla has agreed to build a plant in China, President Trump will not be pleased. And he's going to visit Beijing next month. Stand by for either denials or fireworks. Billions of taxpayer-dollar subsidies have flowed into the coffers of Elon Musk's Tesla Motors, but apparently nobody ever thought to put any conditions on the loot to keep the benefits in this country. The theory was that by making it cheaper to buy luxury vehicles, mass production technology could be applied and move toward a mass market. We wanted America to lead the world in this vital green industry, went the rhetoric. Now we learn via the Wall Street Journal: Electric-car maker Tesla Inc. has reached an agreement to set up its own manufacturing facility in Shanghai, according to people briefed on the plan, a move that could help the company gain traction in China's fast-growing EV market. The deal with Shanghai's government will allow the Silicon Valley auto maker to build a wholly owned factory in the city's free-trade zone, these people said. This arrangement, the first of its kind for a foreign auto maker, could enable Tesla to slash production costs, but it would still likely incur China's 25% import tariff. (snip) A plant in Shanghai's free-trade zone still has clear benefits, Mr. Russo said. It would give Tesla a base from which to export to the region, while offering proximity to the Chinese supply chain, thereby lowering production costs and the sale price of Tesla cars sold there. Today, a Tesla costs roughly 50% more in China than it does in the U.S. Manufacturing in Shanghai would also put Tesla in good standing with the Chinese government, said Michael Dunne, an auto-industry consultant who spent years in Asia. Having Tesla cars built on Chinese soil would please Beijing officials, he said, which "in turn, will give Tesla goodwill leverage to negotiate better China market-access terms in the future." The auto maker reported more than $1 billion in revenue in China for 2016 on sales of roughly 11,000 imported vehicles, representing about 15% of total revenue. Sales in China were up from about $319 million in 2015. So, for the moment, Tesla will be building luxury cars for the Chinese market at its facility, not exporting them back to the U.S. Exports from the U.S. will be displaced. But the company will be developing a supplier network based in low-cost China. Even if Tesla remains wholly owned, with no Chinese partner, its technology inevitably will leak out. And eventually, cheaper parts and assemblies from China could be shipped back to the U.S. for use in Teslas still "made in the USA." Tesla's current production facility in Fremont, California is in a terrible location for mass assembly of vehicles. It sits at the gateway to Silicon Valley, with ridiculous housing prices and an expensive workforce. Unsurprisingly, it has reportedly been having problems introducing a new model and ramping up output. The Wall Street Journal reported a couple of weeks ago that parts of the Model 3 were being made by hand: The Model 3. Tesla Inc. blamed "production bottlenecks" for having made only a fraction of the promised 1,500 Model 3s, the $35,000 sedan designed to propel the luxury electric-car maker into the mainstream. Unknown to analysts, investors and the hundreds of thousands of customers who signed up to buy it, as recently as early September major portions of the Model 3 were still being banged out by hand, away from the automated production line, according to people familiar with the matter. While the car's production began in early July, the advanced assembly line Tesla has boasted of building still wasn't fully ready as of a few weeks ago, the people said. Tesla's factory workers had been piecing together parts of the cars in a special area while the company feverishly worked to finish the machinery designed to produce Model 3's at a rate of thousands a week, the people said. Automotive experts say it is unusual to be building large parts of a car by hand during production. "That's not how mass production vehicles are made," said Dennis Virag, a manufacturing consultant who has worked in the automotive industry for 40 years. "That's horse-and-carriage type manufacturing. That's not today's automotive world." Elon Musk half-denied it, according to Justin T. Westbrook of Jalopnik: Elon Musk claims the video he uploaded to Instagram shows the Model 3 production line operating at one-tenth of its potential pace (the line itself is operating slower in real-time, the video has not been slowed): Musk tweeted that the line was "slowed down right now to confirm build consistency and so that a person can stop the robots in time if something goes wrong," which sounds kind of terrifying but seems like an appropriate precaution considering the Model 3 line is just getting started. However, it still shows the company is lagging behind its own projected potential. Tesla never directly addressed the claims over major elements of the car being assembled by hand, which would be unusual for a mass-market car, which the Model 3 is intended to be. Instead, Tesla simply stated that all of its production lines have both "manual and automated processes" and that there were no fundamental issues, just growing pains. However, and this is just some conjecture, Tesla failing to meet its production goal of 1,500 Model 3 cars in the third quarter due to this "production hell" is suggestive that it has faced substantial setbacks in establishing a fully-functioning production line for the new car. Tesla also later admitted that "a handful" of manufacturing subsystems "have taken longer to activate than expected." Were cars being assembled while these systems weren't activated? If so, how? I spent years consulting in the auto industry and have visited production facilities of all sizes and can say that these reported problems are not in the least surprising especially coming from a brand-new auto industry entrant that prides itself on innovation. It is such a complex process that a shakedown period is necessary. Experience helps a lot, but Tesla has little of that. True global-scale mass production is a somewhat different discipline from production of luxury cars, where yearly output is in five figures at best, as Tesla does in Fremont. Much of the space remains vacant in the giant facility it got on the cheap from the closed NUMMI factory (a joint venture of Toyota and GM that inherited a GM assembly plant). Tesla's market capitalization is based on the theory that it can smoothly move from a successful niche product into a global player. We'll see. President Trump is set to declare the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency this week with a speech Thursday, bringing to the fore a long simmering problem linked to poverty in run down Rust Belt cities and social decay in the absence of jobs. Axios writes: The opioid crisis has hit hard in Trump country rural areas, and economically depressed white communities. For Washington, it's been out of sight, out of mind for too long and a reminder of the blinders we have in the bubbles, which also delayed recognition of Trump's heartland strength. But focus as the press in general is going to do on social travails, Trump probably should be highlighting that the problem started getting bad right about when President Obama opened the borders to non-enforcement in 2009. Not only did the unaccompanied children rush in, but so did the drug dealers. Their wares fueled the opioid epidemic, often rolling in from the Texas Gulf Coast to the highway arteries leading north to Chicago (that place with the Juarez-style murder rates what a coincidence), and then spread to the depressed Midwest surrounding it. The website called DrugAbuse.com's Drug Trafficking across Borders page has quite a few reputable links showing how the opioid epidemic has a lot to do with the great available supply brought on by Obama's open borders policy. Data on drug seizures at the U.S. border indicate an alarming volume of trafficking taking place in recent years. Since 2009, heroin seizures at the southwestern border have almost tripled, while meth seizures quintupled through 2014. The page shows that most trafficking is land-based, and the traffic over the northern border, from Canada, while not as bad as Mexican border trafficking, is not insignificant, either. It notes that Arizona, which has a more aggressive seizure policy at its borders, has significantly fewer drug deaths compared to its neighbors. It also notes that as land routes shut down, drug-traffickers turn to higher-volume and higher-risk sea and air routes. All the same, it concludes from its data that there is a significant foreign component to the opioid epidemic, one that comes explicitly from an absence of border enforcement. While Trump will probably focus on the problems of the buyers of these drugs and the need for curing them, there is also the problem of the open borders sellers. Increased drug trafficking in the U.S. has led to an epidemic level of overdoses, surpassing car accidents and firearms as the leading cause of injury and death among Americans. Drug abuse is ending too many lives, too soon. According to data from the DEA, the number of drug overdoses has climbed more than 50% in the last decade. Death and injury can be traced back to drug-related violence, overdoses from illicit drug use, accidental deaths as a result of drug abuse and injury or death related to smuggling. While the production of some drugs takes place within our borders, foreign drug trade into the U.S. is largely responsible for the number of dead or injured. Drug abuse has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans, and the government allots billions of dollars each year to counter the growing epidemic. If that isn't an argument for building the wall, what is? Pregnant Women are taboo and gender fluid children commonplace as the trans movement thunders on Transgender news features on the cover of the countrys two biggest-selling red-tops. The Sun has news of fury at Government drivel, which advises calling pregnant women mums in favour of pregnant people. Absurd? Of course it is. But is it true? Can it be that a triumph of liberty the right to be what gender you choose and shag whatever consenting adult you like has distorted into a tyranny? The Government department being ridiculed is the Foreign Office, where civil servants have added their advice to a draft UN human rights paper, warning the term pregnant women could exclude transgender people who have given birth. Instead, it should be replaced with the term pregnant people, they suggested. The Sun musters furious voices to say its nonsense (Labour MP Jess Philipps) and drivel (Tory MP Philip Davies). But it only gives readers a sliver of information about the proposal. Its not until the 15th paragraph that readers are told: The intervention came in Britains official submission on proposed amendments to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The FCO said: We requested that the UN human rights committee made it clear that the same right extends to pregnant transgender people. That sounds fair, no? The Times quotes Sarah Ditum, who might not have got that memo: This isnt inclusion. This is making women unmentionable. Having a female body and knowing what that means for reproduction doesnt make you exclusionary. Forcing us to decorously scrub out any reference to our sex on pain of being called bigots is an insult. But isnt this just an addendum to the inclusive speech that has men saying We are pregnant and attending NCT classes? But, in any case, its not true. In other news, the Mirror leads with the story that 50 kids a week are being sent to sex change clinics. Is that progress? The lead image sets the tone that all might not be well in childhood. What about thses figures? The number of children visiting Britains specialist clinic the Gender Identity Development Service, hosted by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in London, has risen by 24% to 1,302 in the past six months. Among them were two children aged four, four five-year-olds and 17 kids of six. In 2016/17 there were 2,016 children referred to the clinic. This is on track to rise in 2017/18 to 2,600. In 2009 there were 97. Isnt the key part of that fact the NHSs involvement, the States overseeing role in individual sexual identity and personal liberation? The country has undergone a revolution in sexual liberty. But the movement for equality didnt end with the decriminalisation of gay sex and the arrival of same-sex marriage; it simply moves on, seeking new things to overhaul. So now the focus is on children, and how they can be altered. As Brendan ONeill notes: The government wants to scrap the current requirement of a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria before you can switch gender and allow for self-identification. So any bloke could self-identify as a woman, apply for the legal right to be recognised as a woman, and boom hes a woman. Moreover, you can go back and change your birth certificate, altering it from Its a boy! to Its a girl!. And what began as a glorious pursuit of freedom morphs into something weird, non-sensical and the opposite of truth. Anorak Posted: 23rd, October 2017 | In: News, Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink ROME - An art exhibition featuring 16th century polymath Galileo Galilei - astronomer, father of the scientific method, poet, writer, musician, and artist - goes on display in Padua starting November 11 and runs through March 18 in the exhibition spaces of the Palazzo del Monte di Pieta. Titled "Galileo Revolution", the show came from an idea by curator Giovanni Villa in collaboration with Stefan Weppelmann for the Cassa di Risparmio di Padova e Rovigo Foundation. It aims to offer the holistic story of Galileo, both as a person and as one of Italy and Europe's historical figures having reached a nearly mythical status. The exhibition reveals Galileo's multi-dimensional talents, from the scientist who revolutionised astronomical research; to the writer praised by the likes of Foscolo, Leopardi, Pirandello, Ungaretti and Calvino; to the virtuoso musician; to the artist, considered among the top art critics of the 17th century. Galileo's entrepreneurial talents also come to light, through tools such as the telescope, the microscope, and the compass. Visitors will also understand his other passions, such as viticulture and the wine of the Euganean Hills, which he obtained through bartering with his precision instruments or through the production and sale of pharmaceutical pills. As curator, Villa's selection of works brings together splendid watercolours and sketches, as well as observations that show Galileo as an attentive observer of art, such as when he called Arcimboldo the author of "whims that have a confused and disorderly mixture of lines and colours". The influence Galileo's scientific achievements had on the culture of the time was already visible at the start of the 17th century. Following the publication in 1610 of his astronomical treatise "Sidereus Nuncius", Adam Elsheimer's oil-on-copper cabinet painting "The Flight Into Egypt" was the first depiction of the Milky Way, and numerous depictions of the moon as seen through Galileo's telescope appeared thereafter. The show also gives visitors an idea of how Galileo's discoveries influenced artists of his time and later, including painter Donato Creti, whose early 18th-century "Astronomical Observations" collection is housed in the Vatican Pinacoteca. PALERMO - Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Monday said a security system in place in Italy to monitor migrants landing in Italy ''has worked very well so far'', although ''clearly the issue is complicated with large numbers'', when he was asked whether there is a concrete risk concerning the infiltration of terrorists. Smaller numbers are more manageable, the minister also said, ''but our level of attention remains very high''. Alfano was speaking on the sidelines of the cultural program ''Italy, cultures, the Mediterranean'' in Palermo. As for Tunisia, Alfano said that Italy is "monitoring what's happening" on the migrant route from Tunisia. "We are deciding with Tunisia on the forms of cooperation, also for controls at the borders with Libya," he said. ISTANBUL - A total of 859 people have been arrested over the past week in Turkey on ''terrorism'' charges, according to the Turkish interior minister. The majority of those arrested (643) are suspected of ties with the alleged network of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen blamed by Ankara for the failed coup in July 2016. A reported 131 others were detained as part of operations against the Kurdish PKK during which 64 militants were ''neutralized'', including 45 who were killed. Anti-terrorism police also reportedly arrested 69 suspected ISIS members and 16 people with connections to banned far-left groups. Since the failed coup on July 15, 2016, over 50,000 people have been arrested on terrorism charges in Turkey. NAPLES - Paolo Strolin, professor emeritus at the University of Naples Federico II, on Monday kicked off the Mediterranean Workshop 2017, a two-day conference aimed at helping Euro-Mediterranean countries develop strategies to face the challenges of globalisation in the region. "From moments of crisis come opportunities we want to take for change in the Mediterranean, by becoming increasingly more open to collaboration," he said. "Today we begin work for progress in the Mediterranean, which is at risk of being crushed by the globalised world. It's work that we'll do on various levels, starting from the network of Mediterranean Universities and the campuses in Campania," he said. Sponsors of this year's Mediterranean Workshop include University of Naples Federico II, University of Naples L'Orientale, Luigi Vanvitelli University, University of Sannio, eCampus University, the Italian National Research Council's (CNR) Institute for Research on Innovation and Services for Development (IRISS) directed by Alfonso Morvillo, and the Association for the Industrial Development of Southern Italy (SVIMEZ). Topics for debate include logistics, with the need for more specific training for new workers to keep pace with technological innovations, but also development at Mediterranean ports. Michael Foucher, an academic with the "Fondation Maison des sciences de l'homme" of Paris, said Mediterranean ports "must accept the challenge launched by China with the 'One Belt, One Road' strategy', which opened competition among ports on a global scale". "Greece is taking action, but Italian ports must also do so. Naples is right to try to attract not only Chinese investments, but those of the entire Far East, but it must remember that it's competing with Palermo, Genoa, and the alliance of the five Adriatic ports," Foucher said. "There's room for everyone, but Chinese investments are putting a lot of pressure on competition among ports," he said. Naples city councillor Valeria Fascione said the area "must open to a more Euro-Mediterranean dimension". "We must be more open to big trends, in particular the presence of China in the Mediterranean, which is being closely felt due to the Chinese investment plan," Fascione said. "It's important that it starts here with scientific diplomacy, which is an essential tool for unity and peace as well as business promotion," she said. One ambitious possible future project for the area is that of engineer and eCampus Rector Enzo Siviero. "We're planning a bridge that joins Tunisia and Sicily," Siviero said. "It will be a bridge that will rely on artificial islands and would go to Mazara del Vallo. It seems difficult but it can be done; 100 million euros of investment are needed. We're thinking of sections from 25 to 30 kilometres from one to the other, starting from the assumption that from Tunisia to Sicily the depths are rather shallow, except for one eight-kilometre section that goes 270 metres deep. For the rest we're around 40 to 60 metres, and so the artificial islands are doable. At the end of September we launched an international competition at the Tunisian Order of Engineers for ideas for the development of the artificial islands. it's a good time, given the investments planned for the Silk Road and also from the African side that is heading for a doubling of population, and therefore of trade. The idea is for a bridge also between Puglia and Albania to complete the chain. I'm thinking of a train that leaves from Citta del Capo and arrives in Beijing," Siviero said. Arcimboldo exhibition in Rome between science and play Show of work by Mannerist painter famous for composite heads (by Nicoletta Castagni). (ANSAmed) - ROME, OCTOBER 23 - The work of Italian Mannerist painter Giuseppe Arcimboldi (1526-1593), known as Arcimboldo, is present for the first time in Rome in a major exhibition in Palazzo Barberini until February 11. The show features approximately 20 works by the artist famous for his imaginative portrait heads made of objects such as flowers, fruit and animals that made him one of the protagonists of 16th century Lombard culture. Organised by the National Galleries of Ancient Art in Rome and Mondo Mostre Skira, the exhibition (free to under 18s) has been curated by Sylvia Ferino-Pagden, a leading expert on the Milanese painter. Overall it presents around 100 works including many by Arcimboldo's contemporaries as well as art objects, tapestries, mosaics, botanical drawings and drawings of the animal kingdom that reconstruct the intellectual breeding ground dominated by a renewed love of science in which the painter's individual talent was born and thrived. Arcimboldo trained in his father's workshop among followers of Leonardo and was the much-appreciated exponent of an artistic, scientific, philosophical and humanist trend that was far removed from the classical style seen in Rome in that period. His 'ridiculous paintings' and composite heads bringing together the taste for caricature and the passion for observing nature made him one of the protagonists of international mannerist culture. Arcimboldo worked for the Habsburg courts of Vienna and Prague, in the service of Ferdinand I, Maximilian II and Rudolf II, where he was even given the noble title of Count palatine, a rarity for an artist. The itinerary starts with a section dedicated to the Milanese environment in which Arcimboldo grew up, before going on to examine the period spent in Vienna and Prague as portrait painter to the Habsburg court. This section features the portrait of the Archduchess Anna, studies for parties and the subsequent personification of the four seasons in a dialogue with the four elements. The latter work is on show for the first time in at least 20 years. Next come the so-called reversible heads, ambiguous still life images that look totally different if rotated 180 degrees. "They are playful and strange images where however nothing is left to chance," explains the director of the National Galleries of Ancient Art in Rome, Flaminia Gennari Santori. The artworks in fact represent "a very serious rhetorical game, a sort of engagement with the visitor's intellect," she added. (ANSAmed). BARCELONA - Catalan President Carles Puigdemont allegedly plans to personally address the Spanish Senate, probably on Wednesday, to oppose the implementation of article 55 of the Constitution which allows Madrid to impose direct rule, according to local government sources in Barcelona. Reports Sunday suggested Puigdemont could address the Senate on Thursday. The Catalan parliament on Thursday is scheduled to hold a session to decide how to respond to the lifting of the region's autonomy. It could vote a declaration of independence. Meanwhile the platform of separatist Catalan students declared a day of strike and protests against the suspension of Catalonia's autonomy on Thursday, when Parliament will meet to decide how to respond to Madrid's move. The spokesman of the Platform, Jordi Vives, denounced the ''violation of fundamental rights of Catalans'' by the Spanish State. ISTANBUL - Resignations by mayors and prominent members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP party continue to mount, following the resignation of the mayors of Istanbul, Duzce, and Nigde last week. On Monday, Bursa Mayor Recep Altepe, who has been at the helm of Turkey's fourth-largest city since 2009, announced his resignation, which Erdogan had directly called for more than once. Erdogan is also strong-arming the mayors of Ankara and Balikesir in an attempt to force their resignation, despite the fact that both have said they plan to stay. Following his formal return to the head of AKP after the constitutional referendum in April, Erdogan has insisted on an overhaul of party leadership in light of critical administrative, parliamentary, and presidential elections in 2019. The mayors of Istanbul and Ankara, in particular, ended up in the crosshairs due to the "no" referendum vote victories in their cities. Last week Saban Disli, chief economic advisor to Erdogan in the AKP, resigned. His brother, the former General Mehmet Disli, is one of the main suspects in the military organisation of the failed coup on July 15, 2016. NGO says ISIS killed over 100 Syrian civilians in Qaryatayn In Homs province, 116 cadavers found after jihadist retreat (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, OCTOBER 23 - The bodies of dozens of civilians, some of whom were executed by ISIS, were found in the Syrian city of Qaryatayn in Homs province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The organisation said 116 bodies were found after the jihadists retreated on Saturday. According to the local activist committee in Palmyra, 35 of the bodies have signs of summary "executions", while it is unknown how the others died. The massacre occurred during ISIS's three-week occupation of the city, from October 1 through last Saturday. SOHR said it received confirmation from local sources that at least 52 of the civilians were killed for having passed information to and cooperated with Syrian government forces, who retook control of Qaryatayn together with Syrian and foreign allied militias. Among the victims were two women and a doctor, according to the same sources.(ANSAmed). Police search Save the Children migrant ship Undercover agent worked on vessel (ANSAmed) - ROME, OCTOBER 23 - Italian police on Monday conducted a search of the Vos Hestia, a ship run by NGO Save the Children for migrant rescues in the southern Mediterranean, sources said. The vessel is docked at the Sicilian port of Catania. An undercover agent has been working on the ship over the last few months, sources said. The search was ordered by Trapani prosecutors, who have been investigating the work of NGOs conducting migrant rescues for some time. (ANSAmed). Tunisia thwarts migrant departures, smuggler arrested Interior minister Islamic extremist organised journeys to Italy (ANSAmed) - TUNIS, OCTOBER 23 - The Tunisian Interior Ministry said it has thwarted the attempted departures of several migrant boats to Italy and arrested a "Maghrebi" Islamic extremist who it said organised crossings from "a nearby country" to Italy in exchange for money. The Interior Ministry statement said the alleged trafficker attracted many Islamic extremists who were living in Tunisia or who had fled abroad, to take part in the crossings. The Tunisian Coast Guard stopped 51 people off the coast of Sfax (Tunisians between the ages of 18-35 years old) aboard a boat headed for the Italian coast. Two other arrests took place on the Kerkennah Islands.(ANSAmed). Turkey: 859 arrests on terror charges in a week 50,000 detained since 2016 failed coup. '45 PKK members killed' (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, OCTOBER 23 - A total of 859 people have been arrested over the past week in Turkey on ''terrorism'' charges, according to the Turkish interior minister. The majority of those arrested (643) are suspected of ties with the alleged network of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen blamed by Ankara for the failed coup in July 2016. A reported 131 others were detained as part of operations against the Kurdish PKK during which 64 militants were ''neutralized'', including 45 who were killed. Anti-terrorism police also reportedly arrested 69 suspected ISIS members and 16 people with connections to banned far-left groups. Since the failed coup on July 15, 2016, over 50,000 people have been arrested on terrorism charges in Turkey. (ANSAmed) Alfano says monitoring route with Tunisia (ANSAmed) - PALERMO, OCTOBER 23 - Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Monday said Italy is "monitoring what's happening" on the migrant route from Tunisia. "We are deciding with Tunisia on the forms of cooperation, also for controls at the borders with Libya," he said. Alfano spoke regarding the meeting he had with Tunisia's foreign minister as part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Conference in Palermo.(ANSAmed). Italy-Tunisia: Alfano meets minister Jhinaoui in Palermo On the agenda migrants, bilateral relations and Libya (ANSAmed) - ROME, OCTOBER 23 - A bilateral meeting between Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano and his Tunisian counterpart Khemaies Jhinaoui has been scheduled on Monday in Palermo. On the agenda are relations of cooperation and economic partnership between the two countries and strengthening mechanisms of cooperation and coordination in migration, youth and social development policies. Regional and international issues of reciprocal interest will also be discussed, in particular recent developments in Libya. (ANSAmed) PALERMO - Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Monday said he is icreasingly convinced of the need for those who see the Mediterranean as a cultural before a geographical area to ''strengthen this identity''. ''I would like for the embryo of this project - an Erasmus in the Mediterranean - to be born in Palermo''. Alfano was in Palermo to present ''Italy, Cultures, the Mediterranean'', a cultural program to be launched by the foreign ministry in 2018 through its network abroad in countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). ''We gave impulse to a European generation thanks to the Erasmus'' exchange program, he said. ''When I was attending university we were able to study languages under a great faith - the Europeanist faith. I don't think that being Sicilian, Italian, Mediterranean and European are conflicting concepts. We have to put cultural fuel into the Mediterranean identity. The idea of launching an Erasmus of the Mediterranean could be an important legacy of this conference'', he concluded. ''We want to talk about culture instead of weapons''. Migrants: Tunisian NGO denounces repatriations from Italy 'Against right to free movement defended by international laws' (ANSAmed) - TUNIS, OCTOBER 23 - The NGO Tunisian Forum for economic and social rights (Ftdes) has denounced in a statement ''unjustified forced collective repatriations that go against human rights'', noting that the right to free movement is guaranteed by international conventions. These operations, according to Ftdes, go against art. 33 of the Geneva Convention regarding the status of refugees, dating back to 1951, and the additional protocol from 1967 that includes a series of measures to be adopted before carrying out repatriations. Ftdes asked for a review of bilateral conventions with the Italian government, which the Tunisian NGO accused of failing to respect international conventions. It also denounced the poor conditions in which illegal Tunisian migrants are hosted, saying they fail to respect migrants' rights. The statement accused the European Union's migration policies of focusing on security with the creation of a ''European fortress'' without considering international conventions. (ANSAmed) ROME - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said nobody can afford for the ongoing Gulf crisis to continue, during a meeting in Doha with the emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Tillerson stated that it is very important for the Gulf Cooperation Council to continue to seek unity. The secretary of state said the Council is much more effective when it is united and nobody can afford for this dispute to continue, according to Doha newspaper Gulf Times. Before travelling to Doha to mediate for a solution to the crisis among Gulf countries - which was sparked by charges that Doha is too close to Iran and supports terrorism - Tillerson travelled to Riyadh for an economic forum aimed at improving economic relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The objective of Tillerson's mission to the Gulf is to limit Iran's influence in the region. ROME- Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry has denied that official representatives of the Saudi government have travelled to Israel over the past few weeks, according to the English edition of Al Arabiya. The media outlet quoted an official statement as saying that reports of official Saudi visits to Israel are not true. The statement also urged the media to verify reports before publishing them. A ministry source was also quoted as saying that no attention will be given to allegations and reports with an ulterior motive. PALERMO - Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Monday said that ''Palermo will be the capital of Italian culture in 2018 and at the moment the city is uniquely central to the debate on security in the Mediterranean''. Alfano was presenting in Palermo, at the Palazzo dei Normanni, the cultural program ''Italy, Cultures, the Mediterranean'', which the foreign ministry will launch in 2018 in the Middle East and North Africa. Alfano presented the program at the Palazzo dei Normanni on the eve of the OSCE Mediterranean Conference to be chaired by Italy. The event will be attended by the foreign minister along with his Tunisian counterpart, Khemaies Jhinaoui, and Palermo Mayor Leoluca Orlando. ''Over 30 government representatives and almost 300 delegates will be involved by OSCE with the objective of intensifying dialogue with partners on the southern shore in challenges that are a priority, like the fight against terrorism and the migrant crisis''. ''Culture is not far removed from the security issue, which belongs to OSCE - also said Alfano -. There can be no security and peace without shared values in the respect of the neighbor's culture. We are here because Palermo was enriched by the great Mediterranean civilisations''. ''This city - he continued - has absorbed the stories and traditions of many cultures that have followed one another. This is clear in the historic center of Palermo, a UNESCO world heritage site. Palermo's spirit perfectly fits into OSCE''. ''We are convinced - he stressed - that investing in culture is fundamental to take care of the rift that has opened in the Mediterranean with wars and terrorism. If we don't take care of this fracture, we will end up scrapping years of civilization''. PALERMO - Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Monday said Tunisia is an extraordinary example of how a far-sighted and courageous leadership saved the country from civil war taking it towards the path of historic reforms, as proven by measures with deep cultural meaning like the abolition of a ban for women to marry non-Muslims, a decision welcomed by Italy. Alfano made the statements during the presentation of the program ''Italy, Cultures, the Mediterranean'', which the foreign ministry will launch in 2018 in countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Talking about the latest reform, ''Italy is beside the Tunisian government in supporting the reform effort to counter extremisms that go against any diversity'', he noted. The foreign minister said Tunisia is a ''pearl of democracy in the Mediterranean that needs to be preserved and that was born from movements like the Arab springs''. He then recalled the four Italian victims of the attack on the Bardo museum and thanked the museum's director ,who was in Palermo, for ''moving forward the history of the museum with strength and tenacity''. ''For this reason, we intend to valorize culture with hundreds of initiatives in different fields, from design to culture''. 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. The transaction was valued at EGP59 million Egyptian pounds (USD3.347 million). It is recalled that in November last year, Travco Group, one of Egypt's largest travel and hospitality groups, disposed of its 51% stake in Air Arabia Egypt as part of a larger bid to divest itself of non-core assets. EAG was the winner of the award for the third consecutive year. The company is also marking its 10th anniversary in 2017. This award is presented to the company that has consistently delivered world-class aircraft management services to clients within the Middle East during the past 12 months. Nominated companies must provide evidence of exceptional performance, including examples of business innovation. Paras Dhamecha, managing director, Empire Aviation Group, said: Empire Aviation Group is delighted to win this prestigious award for the third consecutive year and it is a fitting way to mark our 10th anniversary. The award is a recognition for the entire EAG team, which is dedicated to supporting our aircraft owners with a very highly personalised level of service and a quality management approach. ACI is the international trade association of 1,940 airports on which OAMC Chief Executive, Sheikh Aimen Ahmed Al Hosni, serves on the Governing Board. Over 1,500 senior airport executives from across the world are expected to attend the event in Muscat of which a close examination of the new $1.8 billion facilities at Muscat International Airport will take centre stage. The planned exhibit will form a showcase for Oman Airports and important partners including Oman Air, SalamAir and PACA when over 1,500 senior airport executives descend on Muscat for one of the first global events to be attracted to the city's new convention facilities. Imam Khomeini International airport is the largest in Iran built over an area of 13,500 hectares and located 35km southwest of Tehran. It currently has a capacity of 6.5 million passengers per year plus 120,000 tonnes of cargo. It is connected to the Tehran-Qom motorway via an airport access road. The development of the airport began during the seventies, when the Imperial Government of Iran, in agreement with its western partners, decided the build a new international facility to make the city the main hub connecting Asia to western Europe and North America. The government allocated a $1 billion budget for the construction of the airport, which had an initial name of Ariamehr. TAMS-AFFA, a joint venture between US design consortium TAMS and Aziz FarmanFarmaian and Associates, was formed to design and supervise the construction of the airport. The original two-runway design was based on Dallas Love Field. The process was stopped during the Iranian revolution and later cancelled. However, the Government of Iran subsequently decided to design and build the airport using local know-how. To do so, the authorities selected French firm ADP to head the local designers and engineering firms. Kayson, a local general contractor, performed the process under a turnkey design-and-build infrastructure delivery model. However, after two years, the contract was abandoned and was awarded to a Bonyad (an Iranian charitable trust), with public cartel the Mostazafan & Janbazan (M&J Foundation) taking over. Once the construction of the terminal was achieved, the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization decided to transfer the management of the operation, as well as the construction of the second terminal, to the Tepe-Akfen-Vie (TAV) consortium. This consisted of two Turkish companies (Tepe and Akfen) and an Austrian firm (Vie). However, due to technical issues, the opening day was postponed to May 8 2004. Then, just prior to the opening, two local airlines refused to switch to the new airport. At that time, Ali Abedzadeh, director of semi-privately owned Iran Aseman Airlines (now director of Iran Civil Aviation CAO), said: We are not flying from an airport run by foreigners. As a result, TAV officials were ordered to withdraw their personnel and equipment from the airport on May 7 2004 and Iran Air assumed the operation of the facility. Although the airport was now managed by Iran Air, a few hours after its opening on May 8, the Revolutionary Guards of the Iranian Armed Forces closed it, citing security fears over the use of foreigners in the running of the facility. Only one Emirates flight from Dubai was allowed to land. The second flight from Dubai, which was an Iran Air flight, was forced to land in Isfahan International Airport. It took few days for the authorities to clarify this confused situation. However, finally on May 13, the airport was reopened. The deputy head of Irans Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brigadier General Alireza Afshar, stated: Because foreign companies will no longer be in charge of the airports operation, security obstacles are removed. In April 2005, the $350 million Imam Khomeini International Airport was reopened under the management of a consortium of four local airlines Mahan Air, Aseman, Caspian Airlines and Kish Air although no formal contract appeared to have been awarded. Later, management of the airport was transferred to the Iran Airports Company, which, on behalf of Iranian Ministry of Roads and Transportation, is in charge of operating all civil and governmental Iranian airports, except some belonging to special organisations like the Oil Ministry or armed forces In 2005, Britain and Canada issued warnings to travellers to avoid using the Imam Khomeini International Airport due to concerns the runway may be unsafe. Iranian transport officials rejected the travel advisories and said the airport and runway had been inspected and approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). On October 26 2007, it was announced that, as of midnight two days later, all international flights, except those bound to and from Damascus, Jeddah and Medina, were transferred to IKA, and it became Tehrans primary international airport. In 2016, as a result of worsening ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, all Hajj flights from Iran were terminated, rendering IKA the only international gateway to Tehran. Three years earlier, the airport had handled 4,756 million passengers, a 20% increase over 2012. This made it the 11th busiest airport by international passenger traffic in the Middle East. The airport also handled 98,904 tonnes of cargo in 2013. The total number of commercial aircraft movements was 36,827 in 2013. In 2015 IKA handled 6.525 million passengers. Subsequent to the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions in mid-January 2016, Air France became the first European carrier to resume flights to the Iranian capital, after having suspended them in 2008. On April 17 2016, Air Asia became the first Southeast Asian airline to resume Tehran services by offering direct flights from the Malaysian and Thai capitals. It had originally suspended them in 2012. On June 21 2016, Central Asian airlines, including Uzbekistan Airways and Air Astana, also started flights to IKA. Various other airlines, including British Airways, KLM, China Southern Airlines, Lufthansa and Thai Airways, have either resumed or ramped up frequency of their flights to Tehran. IKAs first active (and as of July 2016, its only operational) terminal is expected to handle more than eight million passengers this year. A second terminal, called the Salam Terminal, is currently under construction, with a capacity of five million passengers per year. It was meant to be opened in June 2016, but financing issues led to this being delayed until May 2017. While originally intended as a dedicated pilgrimage terminal, according to Irans Minister of Roads and Transportation, Abbas Akhoundi, it will be open to all varieties of flights. The third terminal the Iranshahr Terminal is set to open in two-to-three years. It is currently in its planning phase, with the development contract awarded to the Dutch engineering firm Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO), a subsidiary of Royal Haskoning DHV. It will have an expected capacity of 20 million passengers per year, bringing the airports total passenger capacity to 30 million. Once the new terminal is opened, the current Terminal 1 will be used for domestic flights only. There are currently two runways at IKA, of which only one is operational. This has been equipped with a category II instrument landing system (ILS) since August 2009. A second ILS system was purchased seven years ago to serve the other runway but the selling firm refused to set it up due to sanctions against Iran. The ILS was installed by Iranian technicians but malfunctioned and was indefinitely switched off. A third runway, positioned to the south of the existing runways and passenger terminal, is in the final stages of construction. In October 2015, French corporation, AccorHotels, opened its Novotel and Ibis-branded hotels on the airport premises, marking the entry of the first international hotel chain into the Iranian market since the 1979 revolution. The two hotels are connected to the main passenger terminal by a skybridge passing through the currently unfinished airport metro station. A board meeting will be held on October 23 and October 24, 2017 to consider consolidated and standalone financial results. New Delhi: Ahead of Infosys' second quarter earnings announcement, analysts expect the outcome of the board meeting to reflect on long term stability in the business along with short term confidence building measures like date for share buyback and employees' salary hike. A meeting of the board of directors of the company will be held at registered office on October 23 and October 24, 2017 to consider consolidated and standalone financial results and recommend payment of interim dividend, Infosys said in a regulatory filing. "The financial results would be finally approved by the board of directors on October 24, 2017," the filing said. This will be first financial result that Infosys is set to announce under second innings of co-founder Nandan Nilekani at the helm of company's affairs and after controversial exit of Vishal Sikka as its chief executive officer. "The Infosys Board has two key issues to manage currently -- one, ensuring stability by way of managing stakeholder sentiment and two, offering visibility by way of sharing concrete guidance," Greyhound Knowledge Group CEO and Chief Analyst Sanchit Vir Gogia told PTI. He further said while multiple short-term tactics like share buyback, employees salary hikes and active client conversations can be expected to ensure stability, it is the concrete guidance that needs most focus and work. Infosys has been in the headlines since the beginning of 2017 due to sharp differences between its founder N R Narayana Murthy and the company's board under R Seshasayee as Chairman and Sikka as CEO over governance issues. Murthy had also expressed concern over Rs 1,250 crore acquisition of Israel based IT firm Panaya based on anonymous letter, which alleged wrong doing in the deal. An audit done by international law firm Gibson Dunn and Control Risks found no evidence of wrong doing in the Panaya acquisition. Sikka resigned from the company on August 18 after series of allegations levelled by Murthy. Seshasayee and Infosys Co- chairman Ravi Venkatesan resigned in the following week. Nilekani returned to the board of the company after a gap of about seven years as non-executive chairman on August 24. His appointment seems to have settled the dust of controversies around board, however, stakeholders are now looking for uptake of the company's business under Nilekani's regime. Infosys Chief Operation Officer UB Pravin Rao was given interim charge of managing director and CEO on August 24. The announcement of regular CEO is due from the company. "While visibility on the new CEO announcement is important, we at Greyhound believe Infosys board must also offer concrete guidance on the companys stand on some of the initiatives that were launched in Vishals term, steps being taken to ensure development of mid-management and reduce senior level exists and most importantly reforms that are either already being executed or planned to ensure zero governance issues in the future," Gogia said. Shareholder's advisory firm Stakeholders Empowerment Services (SES), which recently critically examined Murthy's stand, has suggested that allegations levelled by the Infosys founder on the basis of unknown whistleblower should be investigated, plug governance loopholes and make the report public. "SES is of the view that if the report is not made public in full, NRN (Murthy) will lose his credibility and prove that he was firing wrong shots ostensibly to hurt individuals he disliked and which undeniably caused irreparable damage to the baby he gave birth to," SES report had said. Besides answers to the controversies, the stakeholders will be looking at dates for the its Rs 13,000 crore share buyback plan. Infosys has fixed price of Rs 1,150 per share, about 24 per cent more than its stock closing pricing of Rs 927.1 a unit. As per an analyst of a banking investment firm, who did not wished to be named due to business reason, said that as per their research, investors will focus on changes in Infosys digital and growth strategy, demand environment across verticals it operates specially financial services and progress on automation and artificial intelligence which gathered pace under Sikka's regime. The firm expects Infosys to cut constant currency revenue growth guidance for current fiscal from 6.5-8.5 per cent to around 6-7 per cent. The company had posted 1.3 per cent increase in net profit to Rs 3,483 crore for the June quarter, helped by client wins in key markets, and raised its annual US dollar revenue outlook. Its revenue grew 1.7 per cent to Rs 17,078 crore in the first quarter of 2017-18 as against Rs 16,782 crore in the year-ago period. Indian travellers persist in ignoring a crucial aspect of foreign travel, buying foreign currency. BookMyForex.com is world's first and largest marketplace for currency exchange and private remittances. (Photo: AFP) New Delhi: More and more Indians are travelling abroad, and are amongst the highest spenders on their international trips. Recent studies have shown that the number of Indian tourists travelling abroad is increasing by 25 percent on a year-on-year basis and that Indian globetrotters tend to spend an average of 12 to 15 days on their trips. This increase in volume has made international tourism from India a bullish industry. However, Indian travellers persist in ignoring a crucial aspect of foreign travel - buying foreign currency. World's first and largest marketplace for currency exchange and private remittances, BookMyForex.com, presents 7 hacks that one should adopt to ensure that they get the most value for their money while travelling abroad from India. 1. The best time to buy foreign currency is between 3-7 days before the travel 90 percent of travellers buy foreign exchange at the last minute, and that's when the urgency hurts the most. Buying foreign currency at this point often leaves one at the mercy of high rates and inconvenient processes. Experts suggest that one should buy foreign exchange between 3-7 days before the travel date as this gives one more time to find the best rate and services. Pro Tip: Most online marketplaces for retail foreign exchange give free home delivery. Ask for it. 2. Never buy from foreign exchange counters at airports Foreign exchange counters at airports are designed to exploit desperate travellers. These conveniently placed agencies at airports often charge an exorbitant premium of about 10 to 13 percent over prevalent exchange rates. This is a heavy cost to bear and will significantly reduce the amount of currency one has at their disposal during their trip. Pro Tip: Always check the market exchange rate from multiple sources, and never buy from the airport counters unless they match these rates. 3. Compare before you buy foreign exchange Foreign exchange rates are extremely dynamic and change every 3 seconds. However, many agencies do not keep up with these dynamic prices. Further, there are various additional charges that vary from place to place. Not comparing rates can make one get a bad deal for their currency, which reduces one's ability to spend and enjoy the trip. Pro Tip: Make sure that you search for the most current rate on search engines and ask for the exact rates that you see. 4. Check for RBI authorization from the vendor you buy currency from to avoid future troubles Not many people are aware of or care about whether or not they are purchasing their foreign exchange from a RBI authorized agent. Exchanging money at an unauthorized agent is an offence punishable by law, and this can lead to trouble even much after one has conducted the transaction. Many unauthorized agents are suspected to be involved in money-laundering operations, and being associated with them can get one dragged into serious legal issues. Pro Tip: Always ensure that the foreign exchange agent you get your forex from is authorized to do so by the RBI. 5. Traveler's checks are outdated. Start using the new, smarter way to carry currency Traveler's checks are now seen as an archaic and antiquated way to carry foreign currency and have largely been replaced by Forex cards. These cards have multiple benefits over traveler's checks. There is no 3 to 5 percent charge on encashment, which is a major problem with traveler's checks. When encashing a substantial amount, the 3 to 5 percent markup can add up to a lot of money. Using forex cards avoids this problem, and is a more secure and easier option. Pro Tip: Avail a spare Forex card along with the original one. Most agents do not charge extra money for the spare card. 6. Say goodbye to credit cards Credit cards might be useful for domestic use, but the reward points that one gets for using them internationally is not worth the exorbitant rates. Credit cards charge the banking exchange rate on each transaction at the time of the transaction, which means that the rates are never favourable for the consumer. Moreover, these cards usually tag on a usage fee for international usage, which can range from Rs. 150 to 350 per transaction. Depending upon how often one uses the credit card, this can add up to a substantial sum. It just stands to reason that the banks are looking to gain from the trade and thus the reward points that one gets from using the credit card internationally is nowhere close to matching the money one will end up wasting on credit cards. Pro Tip: Keep a credit card handy but only use it during emergencies. 7. Apply the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) for buying currency International travel is full of surprises, and it is very hard to accurately estimate how much foreign currency one will actually end up needing or using. Keeping an additional amount as backup often ends up being spent on shopping; and research has shown that travellers often take less than the required amount of cash and end up using their credit/debit card, incurring large transactional costs. The ideal solution is an 80-20 break-up, like the Pareto principle. 80 percent of one's money should be in a Forex Card and 20 percent of it should be in cash. If one places the backup funds in a Forex card, they might not indulge in unnecessary expenses, according to research. Pro Tip: Forex Cards come at a cheaper exchange rate than cash. Always inquire about the relative rates of cards and cash from vendors. The PMLA and its rules impose obligation on reporting entities like banks, financial institutions and intermediaries to verify identity of clients. The new rule now requires the reporting entity to compare the copy of officially valid (identification) document so produced by the client with the original and recording the same on the copy. New Delhi: The government has made it mandatory for banks and financial institutions to check the original identification documents of individuals dealing in cash above the prescribed threshold, to weed out the use of forged or fake copies. The department of revenue in the finance ministry has issued a gazette notification making an amendment to the Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules. The new rule now requires the reporting entity to compare the copy of officially valid (identification) document so produced by the client with the original and recording the same on the copy. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) forms the core of the legal framework put in place by India to combat money laundering and generation of black money. The PMLA and its rules impose obligation on reporting entities like banks, financial institutions and intermediaries to verify identity of clients, maintain records and furnish information to Financial Intelligence Unit of India. Experts cite slowdown as key concern. Mumbai: Supported by strong inflows from small investors, the domestic mutual funds have invested a total of Rs 94,783.12 crore in the equity markets in 2017 till date, almost three times higher than the investments made by foreign portfolio investors. During the period, overseas investors made a net investment of Rs 30,944.99 crore in Indian equities. With the equity markets trading at their historic highs, experts are little cautious in their outlook about market receiving further liquidity support from mutual funds as they feel that any delay in growth recovery could halt the pace of fresh inflows into mutual fund equity schemes. The markets have trended higher based on hopes. All those hopes could turn into despair if there is no meaningful recovery in corporate earnings growth. In such a scenario, fresh investments into mutual fund equity schemes could also slowdown going forward, said Ambaressh Baliga, senior research analyst. The net investment made by mutual funds in October has moderated to Rs 6,413 crore from Rs 17,941 crore and Rs 17,457 crore made in August and September 2017. According to Christopher Wood, MD and equity strategists at CLSA, the fresh issuances of equities lined up in coming days could also suck up some of the liquidity in the secondary market. In his weekly report titled Greed & Fear, Mr Wood said, This new supply is coming at a time when the stock market is trading at the top end of the historic valuation range. The other risk is that foreign investors have turned net sellers of India since August. The foreign caution is explained in part by the pending supply and high valuations. Global emerging market investors over the past year have also been reducing longstanding Indian overweights to add to China and tech exposure in Korea and Taiwan where the earnings trends have been much more positive. Most number of legislators belong to RJD. Patna: Over a dozen political leaders, mostly legislators, from Bihar are under the income-tax departments scanner for acquiring disproportionate assets in the last few years. Based on the assessment done by the department, these legislators may face severe penalties on their unexplained assets. Sources claim that the maximum number of legislators, who are under the scanner, belong to Lalu Yadavs party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Sources said that the income-tax (I-T) department has initiated the investigation on the basis of the affidavit provided to the Election Commission (EC). According to assessment, their assets grew by 200 per cent between 2010 and 2015. The I-T department is also probing the exact value of assets declared by the legislators. Sources further said that most of the legislators didnt provide actual details of their assets in the affidavit submitted to the EC. Tejashwi Yadav The I-T department is also closely analysing various land deals that took place in the last few years. The agency, sources claim, feels that several legislators did not declare gains from sale and purchase of properties. The legislators who are on the list include Nawada MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav; Patepur MLA Prema Chaudhary; Sandesh MLA Arun Kumar; Shamim Ahmed from Narkatia; and Sri Narayan Yadav, a former minister and MLA from Sahebpur Kamal. RJD MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav, who is a history-sheeter and currently lodged in jail for allegedly raping a minor, is also under the scanner for unexplained growth in his assets. He is also facing charges in connection with extortion cases. The crackdown against RJD legislators may cause a major setback for Lalu Yadav who, along with his family members including two MLA sons Tej Pratap and Tejashwi Yadav, is already facing a string of corruption charges. The states largest political family is being probed for their role in laundering money through various shell companies to buy properties at high profile locations in the country including New Delhi and Patna. Rahul also targeted Modi over his claims of growing ties with China and called on people to stop using China-made products. New Delhi: Both the Congress and BJP escalated their high-pitched battle for Gujarat on Monday with Rahul Gandhi taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by describing his Good and Simple Tax (GST) as the Gabbar Singh tax, while a sore BJP hit back swiftly, and asked Mr Gandhi to stop reducing himself to gimmicks and branding the Congress vice-president as a dramebaaz. As the BJP huffed and puffed, the Congress continued with its efforts to stitch up a mega-front. While OBC leader Alpesh Thakor shared the dais with Mr Gandhi in Gandhinagar, in Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced that his party would contest five of the 182 Gujarat Assembly seats and support the Congress in the remaining seats. The Congress also took on the BJP over the delay in announcing the Gujarat poll dates and demanded that the Election Commission immediately announce polls in the state, and put the model code of conduct into effect. It said the poll body should not be a party to the BJPs attempts to run away from the Assembly polls. A controversy broke out when an activist of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) claimed that the BJP had offered him `1 crore to switch loyalties. The Congress vice-chief was quick to jump into the fray, saying: Gujarat is priceless and cannot be bought. Mr Gandhi tweeted: Gujarat is priceless and cannot be bought. This Gujarati voice is not an ordinary voice. This voice of Gujarat cannot be silenced or suppressed. You can offer anything, `1 crore, `10 crores, `50 crores, `1,000 crores, the entire Budget of India, the entire money of the world, (but) this Gujarati voice cannot be purchased. The BJP was quick to hit back, calling the Congress leader Dramebaaz No. 1, and advising Mr Gandhi not to reduce himself to a gimmick with such desperate tactics. Union minister and top BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said OBC leader Alpesh Thakores move to join the Congress was a drama, and claimed Mr Thakore was an NSUI member and had unsuccessfully contested a panchayat election on the Congress ticket earlier. A big claim is being made that a major leader has joined the party (Congress). I have often accused Rahul Gandhi of not doing his homework, but it seems even his scriptwriter is not doing his homework, Mr Prasad said. He said Mr Thakores father was also a district president of the Congress in Gujarat. Earlier, at a rally in Gandhinagar, Mr Gandhi showcased the alliance the Congress was cobbling up in Gujarat, where Mr Thakor shared dais with him and officially joined the Congress. Indicating Patidar leader Hardik Patel and dalit leader Jignesh Mevani were also part of the alliance, Mr Gandhi said: There are thousands of youths in Gujarat who cannot remain silent now. They belong to all castes. There are two more youths like you (Thakor) they are Hardik (Patel) and Jignesh (Mevani, a dalit leader). Both of them cannot remain silent. He again questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modis silence over the phenomenal rise of the company of BJP president Amit Shahs son Jay Shah. For the Congress, it was a power-packed Monday as it went on the offensive from early morning. Senior leader and MP Kapil Sibal alleged a nexus between the Election Commission and the Prime Minister as the election dates for the Gujarat Assembly had not been announced. In a strongly-worded tweet Mr Sibal said: PM, EC jugalbandi now in the open. Allow me time for jumlas, then announce election dates in Gujarat. First week December: Amit Shah. Congress spokesman Manish Tewari took on the BJP over the same issue. Why is the Election Commission becoming an unnecessary party to the BJPs attempts to run away from elections? The BJP described as baseless and scandalous the Congress attack on the Election Commission for not announcing the Gujarat poll schedule. Taking a dig at the Congress over its campaign built around young leaders like Mr Thakore joining hands with Mr Gandhi, Mr Prasad referred to the Congress vice-presidents tieup with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in the UP Assembly polls, and with Omar Abdullah in the J&K elections. He has not learnt from his experience in these polls, Mr Prasad said, referring to the Congress defeat in both the states. The Rajasthan government on Monday tabled a bill in the Assembly to replace the ordinance promulgated on September 7. The ordinance seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on-duty action, without its prior sanction. (Photo: PTI) Jaipur: A writ petition, challenging a Rajasthan government ordinance to protect judges and bureaucrats from being investigated without its prior sanction as "arbitrary and mala fide", was filed in the Rajasthan High Court on Monday. The petition filed in the Jaipur bench of the high court by activist Bhagwat Gour contends that the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, was "in contravention of fundamental rights as enshrined under Part-III of the Constitution of India", his counsel A K Jain said. The Rajasthan government on Monday tabled a bill in the Assembly to replace the ordinance promulgated on September 7. The ordinance seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on-duty action, without its prior sanction. It also bars the media from reporting on such accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe is given by the government. According to the counsel, the ordinance amends the provisions of sections 156 and 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and inserts Section 228-B in the Indian Penal Code (IPC). While section 156 gives police officers the power to investigate a "cognisable case", Section 190 deals with cognisance of offences by magistrates. He claimed that by inserting CrPC sections 156(3) and 190(1), protection from investigation for on-duty action has been extended to each and every public servant defined under any law -- panches, sarpanches, members or office-bearers of cooperative society, MPs, MLAs, members of cooperation and employees of universities. He said that the ordinance was violative of Article 14 (equality before law), Article 19 (Freedom of Speech) and Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution. He said that Section 156(3) of the CrPC is an outlet provided to a victim when his request for investigating a cognisable offence has not been paid heed by the police. The magistrate orders an investigation under section 156 (3) of the CrPC. The counsel said that taking away the power of a magistrate under CrPC Section 156(3) was "violative of the basic structure of the Constitution". As per the amendment, no magistrate shall order inquiry nor will investigate against a person who is and was a magistrate, judge or a public servant without the prior sanction of the authority. In the amendment to the IPC, Section 228-B has been inserted which prevents the disclosure of the identify of certain public servants, he said. A writ petition can be filed in the high court or the Supreme Court against violation of the fundamental rights. The gangrape survivor has sought grant of adequate compensation and initiation of departmental action against the errant police officers. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Gujarat government to inform within four weeks whether cops convicted in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case during the 2002 communal riots were given posting in the police force. A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud also asked the Gujarat government to inform whether any departmental action had been initiated or taken against the police officers whose conviction was upheld in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case. The Bench passed this order when counsel for Bilkis Bano alleged that all the six police officers who were convicted in the case had been given fresh postings in the state and it was not clear whether any departmental action was initiated against them. The counsel for Gujarat, however, informed the court that the police officers who had been given postings had served out the sentence imposed on them in this case. The counsel said the state would file a proper reply in this regard. The counsel for Bilkis brought to the notice of the court that meagre compensation was paid to her. The court gave her liberty to file a fresh appeal in the Gujarat high court for higher compensation. The Bombay high court had on May 4 upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of 12 people in the gangrape case, while setting aside the acquittal of seven people. After huge protests, Rajasthan CM agrees to review; PIL challenge filed. Jaipur: Ignoring widespread criticism, the Vasundhara Raje government in Rajasthan on Monday tabled in the Assembly a controversial bill that seeks to protect public servants and judges from prosecution and bar the media from reporting on allegations against them related to on-duty action without its sanction. Within hours of the tabling of the bill, Ms Raje wilted under political pressure and decided at a meeting with her ministers to refer the bill to a select committee. Sources said the government may not even press for passing the bill in the current session. The Opposition Congress hailed the late-night development as a moral victory. The reference to the committee is just the first victory. A complete victory will be achieved when the bill is scrapped altogether, said Leader of the Opposition Rameshwar Dudi of the Congress. Earlier, the tabling of the bill coincided with a PIL filed in the high court to challenge the gag order. It also led to protests by the Opposition Congress within and outside the House. Amid pandemonium, the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2017 was introduced by home minister Gulabchand Kataria to replace an ordinance promulgated on September 7. As Speaker Kailash Meghwal began reading a notification, Congress MLAs demanded the repeal of the ordinance, terming it unconstitutional and undemocratic, and a tool to crush the voice of the media, and walked out of the House. BJP MLA and former law minister Ghanshaym Tiwari, who expressed opposition to the ordinance, walked out of the Assembly twice when he was not allowed by the Speaker to raise a point of order. Former industry minister Narpat Singh Rajvi of the BJP had also objected to the bill. Earlier, state Congress chief Sachin Pilot and Mr Dudi led a protest march as the House proceedings got under way, They said the Congress opposed this black law and would force the government to take back the ordinance. Mr Pilot, who was detained along with several other party leaders, alleged that the BJP government was trying to institutionalise corruption through the order. This draconian ordinance is a huge setback to public scrutiny. We will oppose it inside and outside the Assembly, he said. The state government, while defending the bill, said the measure was required to put an end to what it called frivolous litigation against public servants. Meanwhile, activist Bhagwat Gour filed a petition in the Jaipur bench of the Rajasthan high court challenging the ordinance which he called arbitrary and mala fide. He said that the ordinance was violative of Article 14 (equality before the law), Article 19 (freedom of speech) and Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution. As per the amendment in CrPC proposed by the state government, no magistrate shall order an inquiry nor investigate a person who is or was a magistrate, judge or a public servant without the prior sanction of the authority. The petitioner said taking away the power of a magistrate to order an inquiry under CrPC Section 156(3) was violative of the basic structure of the Constitution. Apart from the PIL against the bill, the state government attracted a harsh comment from the Jodhpur bench of the high court over the controversial ordinance. This is a nikammi sarkar (defunct government) and nikamme log (useless fellows). This is the height that the government is busy bringing ordinance to save these useless fellows. What would happen to welfare work? remarked the division bench of Justices Govind Mathur and Vineet Mathur while hearing a separate PIL on drainage system for rainwater in Jodhpur city. Earlier, the state home minister defended the bill in the Assembly. Mr Kataria said that around 36 per cent cases are filed through courts under Section 156 (3) and around 75 per cent of them are false. People keep putting out false allegations against public servants. Even if it is a completely baseless allegation, the harm is done, he said. In New Delhi, Union law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also defended the Rajasthan bill and said it was aimed at preventing motivated complaints. Opposing the curbs on the media, the Editors Guild of India urged the Rajasthan government to withdraw the ordinance, calling it harmful. The ordinance is a pernicious instrument to harass the media, the guild said. The provisions of the ordinance bar the media from naming a public servant till the government allows the case to be investigated. The ordinance has faced opposition within the ruling BJP also. Apart from Mr Tiwari, former industry minister Narpat Singh Rajvi has also opposed the bill. This is against the principles of the party. We did not fight against the Emergency to have a BJP government bring such a law, said Mr Tiwari. Independent MLA Manikchand Surana, who was earlier in the BJP, criticised the bill saying without the consent of the President, no bill to amend a Central Act (CrPC) can be tabled in the Assembly. It is going to be an undeclared emergency in the state, Mr Surana said. Azad got strong support from the Trinamul Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party and rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav. New Delhi: In a bid to corner the Narendra Modi government before the Gujarat Assembly polls, Opposition parties, led by the Congress, plan to organise nationwide protests against the economic fallout of demonetisation on November 8 the first anniversary of the note ban aimed at weeding out black money. At a meeting of a so-called core group of Opposition parties, held at Parliament House on Monday, the parties discussed how to mark one year of demonetisation, which they claimed has ruined the rural economy and impacted small traders and the informal sector. While the modalities of the protests are likely to be announced at a press conference on Tuesday, sources said there were some differences within the parties on how to organise the events. At the meeting on Monday, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress spoke on the need to announce joint programmes, but some leaders like CPIs D. Raja and DMKs M.K. Kanhimozhi said all parties should announce programmes from separate platforms. Mr Raja is understood to have said that the Left parties were already organising protests across the country through their mass organisations like farmers units and trade Unions and hence all parties should announce separate plans outside parliament. Joint protests can be held when the Parliament is in session next month, he said. It might be recalled that there have been internal differences within the Left parties, specially in the CPI(M) over having an alliance with the Congress. However, Mr Azad got strong support from the Trinamul Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party and rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav. Sources said the Congress leader offered to hold further discussion on the protests with leaders of the 17 parties that had come together to field a joint presidential and vice-presidential candidate earlier this year. The leaders, who attended the very short meeting of the so-called coordination committee of the Opposition leaders, included Mr Raja, Ms Kanhim-ozhi, Mr Yadav, Trinamul Congress Derek OBrien and BSPs Satish Mishra. Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav and CPI(M)s Sitaram Yechury were missing due to ill-health and travel. The parties have decided to hold another meeting before the winter session of Parliament begins next month. RJD leaders are hoping to get a massive turnout during the rally in November. Patna: The RJD has planned to hold another rally against the Centre as well the state government against demonetisation. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said that the focus will be to highlight the failures of demonetisation. The RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) has planned to hold a state-wide rally on November 8, a year from the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed the ban on currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 in 2016. It was a black day for the Indian economy and it was the middle-class people, labourers, farmers, and small traders who suffered. We will inform people how demonetisation has destroyed the economy in the country in the last one year, the RJD chief said. The RJD, the main Opposition party in Bihar, had earlier organised a rally on August 27 in Patna which saw the participation from rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, senior Congress leaders, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. RJD leaders are hoping to get a massive turnout during the rally in November. However, there is also a buzz in the political circle that Mr Lalu Yadav, who is facing a series of corruption charges, is trying to gain public support by organising such public meetings. Our November 8 rally will break all previous records, he told reporters. Earlier, Mr Lalu Yadav had also indicated that his party was preparing for early elections. In one of his statements last week, he said that the Centre was planning to hold the Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections together. The JD(U), on Monday, came out with a strong reaction against Mr Lalu Yadav for holding a rally against demonetisation on November 8. The partys spokesperson, Niraj Kumar, told this newspaper that holding rallies wont save him as people want to know how Lalu Yadav acquired so much of benami property. Gujarat will be going to polls in December though the Election Commission (EC) is yet to announce the dates. Samajwadi Party President and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav addresses a press conference at the party office, in Lucknow. (Photo: PTI) Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party will contest five out of the 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat and will support the Congress in the remaining seats. Addressing a press conference here on Monday, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said that his party did not wish to split the anti-BJP vote and would field candidates only in constituencies where it had a strong presence. We do not wish to weaken the fight against the BJP. We will be supporting the Congress in the rest of the seats and will contest only those seats where the party organisation is strong enough, he said. Mr Yadav, while replying to a question, said that he would campaign on seats where SP candidates are contesting. But if any other party approaches me, I will happily campaign for them, he added. The SP had entered into an alliance with the Congress in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections that was held earlier this year. Gujarat will be going to polls in December though the Election Commission (EC) is yet to announce the dates. Referring to the allegation of Narendra Patel, an associate of Hardik Patel, that he had been offered `1 crore to join the BJP, Mr Yadav said in mock seriousness, How can that be true? BJP is the most honest party and can never do such things. I also advice you not to run the story otherwise your channel will be closed. Mr Akhilesh Yadav, however, downplayed the visits of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to places of religious significance. There is no harm in this. I have also visited religious places during my school tours. I also offer prayers on Diwali, he said. Replying to a question on the controversy over Taj Mahal, the SP president said that the Prime Minister himself had said earlier that there was a need to attract tourists in the country. On Sept 19, 2010, two bikers had fired upon tourists at the gate of Jama Masjid in which two Taiwan nationals had sustained bullet injuries. Bhatkal, his aide Asadullah Akhtar and other IM operatives are facing trial in various terror cases including 2010 Jama Masjid attack and 2008 serial blasts cases. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi : The Patiala House Court on Monday will frame the charges against Indian Mujahideen chief Yasin Bhatkal and other accused in 2010 Jama Masjid car blast case. The court is also likely to record the statements of the witnesses. On August 1, the court had discharged three-co-accused on the grounds there was not enough evidence against them. Bhatkal, his aide Asadullah Akhtar and other IM operatives are facing trial in various terror cases including 2010 Jama Masjid attack and 2008 serial blasts cases. The court had also restricted the directors of firm from leaving the country. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought the response of the Centre on the proposal of real estate major Jaypee Group seeking permission to hive off its six-lane, 165-kmlong Yamuna Expressway for Rs 2,500 crore to generate funds to refund people who had invested in its housing projects. Senior counsel Kapil Sibal, appearing for Jaypee Group, informed the bench of Chief Justices Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud that the company had an offer for Rs 2,500 crore and he submitted the proposal to the court in a sealed cover. He said unless this money was realised, it would not be possible to deposit Rs 2,000 crores for homebuyers before October 27. The court was hearing petitions from homebuyers who wanted protection of the interests of over 30,000 buyers who invested hard-earned mo-ney to book their dream homes in 27 different projects of Jaypee Infratech. Jaypee counsel said that the company needed to raise funds to deposit Rs 2,000 crore in the apex court registry for paying the troubled homebuyers. On September 11, the court had directed the builder group to deposit Rs 2,000 crore in the Registry by October 27 to cover its liabilities to homebuyers and asked it to take prior approval of the court if it wished to sell any asset or property to raise these funds. The petitioners, who are homebuyers of Jaypees Wish Town Project at Noida, had challenged the insolvency proceedings initiated against Jaypee Infratech. The court had also restricted the directors of firm from leaving the country. The apex court also revived insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech Ltd and handed over its management control to the Interim Resolution Professional, appointed by the National Company Law Tribunal. Flat buyers said the Insolvency and Bankrup-tcy Code of 2016 does not fall under the category of secured creditors like banks and hence they may get back their money only if something is left after repaying secured and operational creditors. The Congress and the NCP leadership has criticised the MNS for attacking illegal hawkers. Mumbai: The Congress and the NCP leadership has criticised the MNS for attacking illegal hawkers and vandalising their carts outside Thane station even as similar scenes were witnessed at Dombivali, Kalyan, Vasai and Nallasopara railway stations. However, Union minister of state for social justice and RPI-A leader Ramdas Athawale not only slammed the MNS violence, but also warned them of retaliation by his Bhim Sainiks (party cadre) if the injustice against the poor hawkers continues. The warning came with an advice to the hawkers for maintaining the road discipline so as to ensure that pedestrians and motorists are not inconvenienced by their presence. The offensive came a fortnight after the MNS warned that it would single-handedly act against such hawkers if the authorities do not evict hawkers outside the stations and on the foot-over bridges within a timeframe of 15 days. The issue of illegal hawking can be tackled by police and the local administration, but if the MNS activists were so eager to fight, they should go to the Pakistan border and counter our real enemies rather than attacking the poor hawkers. said Athawale who was in Mira Road to attend a conclave organised by the local RPI unit led by Devendra Shelekar at a hotel on Saturday evening. Britain, Canada and the US swiftly denounced any prospective role for Robert Mugabe. Geneva: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has been removed as a WHO goodwill ambassador, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Sunday following an outrage among donors and rights groups at his appointment. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who made the appointment at a high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Uruguay on Wednesday, said in a statement that he had listened to those expressing concerns. Over the last few days, I have reflected on my appointment of H.E. President Robert Mugabe as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for NCDs in Africa. As a result I have decided to rescind the appointment, Tedros said in a statement posted on his Twitter account @DrTedros. Tedros, who took charge of WHO in July, said he had listened carefully to those who condemned the decision and spoken to the Harare government. We have concluded that this decision is in the best interests of the World Health Organization. Tedros had announced the appointment earlier this week during a speech in Uruguay. But activists, public health experts and key WHO donors like Britain, Canada and the United States swiftly denounced any prospective role for Mugabe, saying Zimbabwes healthcare system has collapsed under his 37 years of authoritarian rule. Earlier this year, the IAF asked the US government for General Atomics Predator C Avenger aircraft. Washington: The Trump administration is considering New Delhis request for armed drones for the Indian Air Force, weeks after approving the sale of high-tech unarmed Guardian drones to India. Yes, yes, a senior administration official told PTI when asked about Indias pending request about the purchase of armed drones as part of its armed forces modernisation drive. The armed drones, the IAF feels, will help it to strengthen its defence capabilities. Earlier this year, the IAF asked the US government for General Atomics Predator C Avenger aircraft. It is understood that the IAF would need 80 to 100 units, making it approximately a whopping $8 billion deal. The Trump administrations move comes months after a successful meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump at the White House on June 26, during which the US said it would sell India 22 unarmed Guardian drones, which would reinforce the Indian Navys surveillance capabilities in the strategic Indian Ocean region. The earlier Obama administration designated India as a major defence partner and the Trump administration has accelerated the process of considering Indian requests. The US Navy and Indian Navy are cooperating for many years on counter-piracy efforts, on ensuring the freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, the official said. I think that (defence) cooperation is only going to increase based on the need for it to increase and the kind of trust we are building through personal relationships and through a fundamental understanding that our interests are aligned so clearly, the official said. Last week, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson had said that in keeping with Indias status as a major defence partner and their mutual interest in expanding maritime cooperation, the Trump administration has offered a menu of defence options for Indias consideration, including the Guardian UAV. We value the role India can play in global security and stability and are prepared to ensure they have even greater capabilities, Mr Tillerson said ahead of his visit to India later this week. Swaraj, who is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, said New Delhi and Dhaka were unanimous on zero tolerance towards terrorism. Dhaka: India is deeply concerned at the spate of violence in Myanmars Rakhine state where normalcy will be restored only with the return of displaced persons, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said here on Sunday after resolving to join hands with Bangladesh in fighting terrorism, extremism and radicalisation. After talks with the Bangladeshi side as part of the fourth Joint Consultative Commi-ssion, Ms Swaraj said, India is deeply concerned at the spate of violence in Myanmars Rakhine state. She, however, preferred not to use the word Rohingya and said thatwe have urged that the situation be handled with restraint, keeping in mind the welfare of the population. It is clear that normalcy will only be restored with the return of the displaced persons to Rakhine state. The only long term solution to the situation in Rakhine state is rapid socio-economic and infrastructure development that would have a positive impact on all the communities living in the state, she said. A UN report released on Sunday said that more than 600,000 Rohingya refugees have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since violence erupted in northern Rakhine in August. Ms Swaraj, who is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, said New Delhi and Dhaka were unanimous on zero tolerance towards terrorism. We are both determined to protect our societies from the threat of ideologies of hate, violence and terror by adopting a zero tolerance policy and a comprehensive approach in fighting violent extremism and terrorism at all levels, she said. Emerging from the talks with Bangladeshi officials, Ms Swaraj said, We discussed the common challenges that we are faced with today. One such challenge is that of terrorism, extremism and radicalisation and we will continue to fight this scourge together and along with other like-minded countries. She also reaffirmed Indias commitment to be a longstanding and reliable development partner of Bangladesh Totally, three lines of credit amounting to $8 billion have been extended by India to Bangladesh so far. This is by far the largest development assistance that India has extended to any country worldwide, she said. The Pakistani side would stress the need for intelligence sharing in the fight against terrorists. Islamabad: Pakistan plans to tell US secretary of state Rex Tillerson this week that Islamabad is not ready for joint action against the militants in the lawless tribal areas. Mr Tillerson is expected to visit Pakistan this week. Officials in Islamabad said that Pakistan was not against cooperation but will not allow the US military to fight militants alongside the Pakistani counterparts. Earlier this month, foreign minister Khawaja Mohammed Asif, who recently toured the US, said in a television interview that Pakistan has offered the United States a joint operation against terrorists on its soil. However, he later clarified that he never said Pakistan could allow foreign boots on ground. Mr Tillersons trip comes amid an uptick in Taliban violence in Afghanistan where US-led coalition forces have been battling to quell an increasingly bloody insurgency since the ouster of the Taliban regime in 2001. Pakistani policymakers have been preparing agenda for talks with the Mr Tillerson. President Donald Trumps top foreign policy aide would be told that Pakistan is willing to further strengthen the intelligence information sharing mechanism with the US in consonance with its national security, officials said. He (Mr Tillerson) will be told that only Pakistani security forces will conduct counterterrorism operations on its soil - and that a joint operation with American or Afghan forces is out of question, an official said. According to sources, Pakistani officials have prioritised the issues to be taken up with Mr Tillerson which include the recent strain in Pak-US ties; President Trumps new Afghan strategy, Pakistans role in the Afghan peace process and Pakistans reservations on Indias role in Afghanistan,. Top government functionaries would also tell President Trumps top aide that the American policy of pushing Pakistan to do more must end as no other country has done as much as Pakistan has in the global war against terrorism. It would also be conveyed to Mr Tillerson that Pakistan wants to promote relationship with the US on the basis of sovereign equality, said one official. The Pakistani side would stress the need for intelligence sharing in the fight against terrorists. The Americans would be asked to share actionable intelligence on terrorists on Pakistans soil, and Pakistani forces would take action against them. US and Afghan officials allege that the Haqqani network, the Afghan Taliban faction responsible for some the most deadliest attacks in Afghanistan, maintains safe havens inside Pakistan an allegation Islamabad vehemently denies. During the ceremony, Sushma Swaraj also launched 15 development projects being funded by India in Bangladesh. Dhaka: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj opened the new chancery complex of the Indian high commission in Dhaka on Monday and also inaugurated 15 development projects in Bangladesh being funded by India. On the last day of her Bangladesh visit, Ms Swaraj lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the opening of the huge complex at Dhakas Baridhara diplomatic enclave, which includes the high commission that was previously operating from a house in Gulshan area of the city. During the ceremony, she also launched 15 development projects being funded by India in Bangladesh, which officials said have been planned as per the countrys geographical spread, socio-economic benefits and priorities. India is following a policy of neighbours first, and among the neighbours Bangladesh is foremost, Ms Swaraj said at the function, describing bilateral relations as having gone beyond a strategic partnership. The development projects, worth about $8.7 million, are in the areas of education, health care, information technology, water supply, and social welfare. They include installation of 11 water treatment plants in southwestern coastline of Pirozpur to benefit some 150,000 people, 36 community clinics, and reconstruction of Dhakas historic Ramna Kali Temple which was destroyed by invading Pakistani troops in the 1971 liberation war. Bangladeshs foreign minister A.H. Mahmood Ali, health minister Mohamad Nasim, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas political affairs adviser H.T. Imam, among others, were also present at the ceremony. The meeting took place at the Doha Institute for Higher Studies. There is no "magic wand" to solve the problem of intolerance. Full citizenship and the rule of law are needed. Doha (AsiaNews/Agencies) A conference was held in Qatar centred on the violence that is driving Christians out of the Middle East, Al Jazeera reported. The two-day meeting, which focused on the ongoing violence in Egypt and the Christian exodus from Iraq, was held at the Doha Institute for Higher Studies with the participation of university professors, political scientists, researchers and writers. The goal was to address the issue of religious persecution in the interests of all, including the Muslim majority. Participants agreed that there is no "magic wand" to solve the problem of intolerance in the region. They agree that democracy and the rule of law could be used to redefine the role of religion. During the conference, the "golden age" of the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century was often cited when the most egalitarian approach of the state led to the emergence of a pan-Arab movement and of Christian nationalist leaders. "One cannot simply separate Christians from the rest of the Arab region," said Azmi Bishara. The problem with minorities, namely the lack of civil rights, also affects the Muslim majority. For Bishara, the only real solution is "equal citizenship and democracy". The conference reached the conclusion that the Arab world needs to achieve social peace and economic development, and that a new covenant is needed that does not limit religious differences but promotes shared values. by Nirmala Carvalho The interreligious ceremony is set for 29 October. The previous bell was destroyed in a fire that gutted the bell tower in 1967. Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim representatives will ring the bell with Christians. Mumbai (AsiaNews) After 50 years, the bell of the Catholic Church in Srinagar, Kashmir, will toll again and call the faithful. The old bell was destroyed in a fire that gutted the bell tower of the Holy Family Catholic Church on 7 July 1967 The ceremony of blessing will take place on 29 October and will be officiated by the pastor, Fr Roy Matthews. The church dates back to 1896, during the British colonial era. The new bell was donated by a Kashmiri Christian family and at 105 kilograms it will be the largest of its kind in the state. The event is seen a historic occasion for the tiny Christian community of the Indian state, where Islam is the main religion. For Kashmir, the celebration marks an important moment. The state has been disputed by India and Pakistan since partition in 1947 and has been the scene of wars and tensions, even in recent months. Local Christians believe it will provide an opportunity to reiterate the pluralistic spirit that has always distinguished the residents of the state. The blessing will take place in an interreligious ceremony, in the presence of representatives of all faiths. Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs will listen together with the Christian brothers and sisters the first tolling of the bell. "Leaders of all religions will ring the bell together, said Syndey Rath, a local parishioner, speaking to AsiaNews. It will be a small gesture of love and affection by the tiny community, which will share the privilege [of tolling the bell]. Military operations ended in the night. The soldiers tried to convince the guerrillas to surrender, without success. About 40 corpses found in two buildings and a mosque near Lake Lanao, possible mass suicide. The fighting resulted in the deaths of at least 1,131 people, including 919 militants and 165 of soldiers and policemen. 1,780 hostages released. Marawi (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana this morning announced the end of the fighting in Marawi, about five months after hundreds of jihadists attacked the southern city, in a bold attempt to transform it into a "province" Islamic State (IS). Lorenzana said military operations ended in the night after government troops prevailed in the last attack on guerrillas who had fallen back on several buildings in the heart of Marawi. "There are no more militants in the city," he said. Military spokesman Gen. Restituto Padilla said that in the last hours of the conflict, soldiers tried to convince guerrillas to surrender, without success. About 40 corpses were found in two buildings and a mosque near Lake Lanao. An army official says it is possible that mass suicide may have occurred after the troops encircled the last Islamist fighters. Fights in Marawi caused the death of at least 1,131 people, including 919 militants and 165 of soldiers and policemen. At least 1,780 hostages seized by militants, including Marawi Vicar General Fr. "Chito" Suganob, were saved in rescue operations and a final group of 20 prisoners was released during the night. This left militant Islamists without hostages, used for months as human shields to slow down military advancement. The pontiff will be in Dhaka from 30 November to 2 December. There is hope "the man who comes from afar will push the Christian community to come out of their homes and proclaim the Gospel". May Bangladeshi Christians "be more missionary among the people". Dhaka (AsiaNews) Two missionary priests in Bangladesh hope that Pope Francis's visit to the country "will give its small Christian community the courage to step out of their own periphery and make the Church truly missionary through an evangelisation that does not look at the great numbers but at the quality of the Gospel proclamation. The two, Fr Michele Brambilla and FR Franco Cagnasso, spoke to AsiaNews, describing how people, Christians and non-Christians, welcomed the news of the pope's trip. If for Christians the visit is a "great recognition of their faith", for the rest of the population, "Pope Francis remains an unknown quantity." For this reason, they stress that they hope this trip "will push Christians, mostly tribal, not to be closed onto themselves but instead spread Christs message." Pope Francis will be in Dhaka from 30 November to 2 December 2017. Across the country, prayer retreats, liturgical celebrations and special prayers are taking place to "prepare the spirit" of this great event. Fr Michele Brambilla, PIME regional superior in Bangladesh, spoke about tribal communities living in the north of the country. He expects local Catholics "to understand that there is a Church, that they are not alone, confined to their dioceses. On the contrary, there is a Church that goes beyond Bangladesh, made up of so many places and people, some even suffering more than in Bangladesh." As a missionary, I hope they will be braver witnesses of the Gospel, and they will go out of their homes and communities, Fr Brambilla said. In the north, "Tribals remain closed onto themselves, he explained. There is no indirect evangelisation. This stems from the fact that Catholic Santhal use their own language in the liturgy. So, for a Muslim it is difficult to understand what they are saying." The Santhal are an indigenous ethnic group. Fr Brambilla hopes that "they will understand that as Pope Francis visits them, to bring them hope, Christians can do the same for the Bengali Church. It is not the pope alone who must 'go out' into the periphery, but local communities must be missionary as well. The work must not only be done by missionaries or priests, but it is the community as a whole that must evangelise." "As a priest, I can promote this in the villages, but it is up to the people to make the [Gospel] proclamation. It is up to them to carry the faith forward." For example, "There is a small village inhabited by 15 Christian families and 50 families of other confessions. Why is it that the other families have not perceived the beauty of the Gospel after 25 years? Because that Christian community is fragile and does not feel it can spread Christianity. The reason is that they are surrounded by an Islamic majority and are afraid of fundamentalism, but also because openly speaking as believers in Christ creates tensions and division in tribal society." In light of all this, "I hope that Pope Francis's visit will be an example: a man who comes from afar can push us to realise that we can do the same in the nearby village." For Franco Cagnasso, former PIME regional superior in Bangladesh, the greatest challenge is to make Pope Francis known to the majority of the Muslim population who "do not know who he is and what he is doing". To give an idea of the widespread confusion among ordinary people, he noted that "Some people have asked me 'Is the pope the head of the Catholics or the Baptists? Is he the president of Italy or do you have a separate president? ' Only the better educated know who the pope is. Historically, all the pontiffs have talked about coexistence and interreligious dialogue. The fact that Pope Francis expressed himself about the Rohingya refugees says something in his favour in the collective imagination." As for expectations among Christians, "they are curious and happy to meet the pope. But in general, we do not know what to expect from the event and what it can really bring to the country. Certainly, there are no clear expectations. The broad vision is one of positive expectation, satisfaction and sense of pride for this visit. The pope will give visibility to the community and will make it clear that there are Christians in Bangladesh." Finally, for Fr Cagnasso, The Church in Bangladesh is a small Church that tends to be inward looking. It would be nice if the pope managed to give a boost to evangelical openness, not so much from a quantitative point of view, as in terms of evangelical coherence in the testimony." by Vladimir Rozanskij Deputy Vladimir Sysoev attempts to introduce confessional elements into legislation. Doubts of the Orthodox Patriarchate. In the past, the USSR considered the family a wreck to abandon. Today in Russia religious marriages are 70% of unions. But as in the past, divorces and abortions are widespread. Moscow (AsiaNews) - A Duma State deputy, Vladimir Sysoev, has advanced a bill to recognize the civil validity of Orthodox religious marriage without the Church itself being consulted on the subject. The astonishing initiative is highlighting the different conceptions about state secularism in Russia, while the Orthodox Church appears more determined in marking differences than politicians. The representative of the Patriarchate of Moscow, Vakhtang Kipshidze, deputy head of the Department for Relations between the Church and Society, told the Interfax-Religija correspondent in this regard that "this proposal has not been discussed with the Russian Orthodox Church, it was a surprise for us too. " He recalled that the practice of civil registration of religious marriages was normal in the Russian Empire before the Soviet Revolution, when the Orthodox Church was officially a State Church, as is also the case in some European states where there is still this union between the Church and State. Today, according to Kipshidze, "the return to this practice, under the secular state that we have in Russia, could create a series of complications and confusion in the same civil law on the family. At a minimum, it would require detailed legislation." According to the Patriarchate, the rights and duties of spouses before the law would become even more complicated in the presence or absence of sacramental marriage. Indeed, Sysoev's proposal would distinguish the juridical conditions of orthodox marriage from those of other types of conjugal union. On the one hand, it highlights the will of some politicians to introduce confessional elements into the life of Russian society. On the other hand, the Church is showing prudence, in order to avoid being overly identified with the more radical nationalist politics and trends. Patriarch Kirill's appeals often emphasize the need to defend the values of the family and the defence of life, even in controversy with contemporary tendencies towards unlimited freedom of coexistence or gender, but he has never suggested the necessity to overthrow current legislation. In the last 20 years, matrimonial practice in Russia has been transformed towards greater harmony with the doctrine of the Church, though with rather contradictory proportions. In the early 2000s, church weddings were a minority; now their celebration is close to 70% of the unions. On the other hand, the percentage of divorces remains very high, just under 60%. In Europe, despite the strong secularist tendencies, divorces do not reach the quantity of marriages, while in Italy, for example, they are just over 30%. Statistics on abortions in Russia are still massive, exceeding one million a year. Moreover, freedom of divorce and abortion were among the first measures of the Soviet revolutionary government, anticipating European and world laws by decades. The Soviet Union has left a very difficult legacy to overcome when the state considered the family a wreck of the past, entrusting interpersonal relations to the public sphere. The contemporary tendency to see these issues relevant to the sphere of individual freedom, reaffirming state authority, even in the opposite sense to the past, seems rather unlikely. Francis highlights the vacuity of living for earthly wealth, forgetting that there are "so many calamities, so many injustices" in the world, so many children who suffer and die of hunger. "We only have to think of one case: 200,000 Rohingya children in refugee camps. There are 800,000 people there. 200,000 are children. They have nothing to eat, they are malnourished, without medicines. " Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pray fervently to God a to convert the hearts of men, so they may seek wealth a relationship with Him, instead of making money their god, forgetting that there are "so many calamities, so many injustices in the world" , so many suffering children. This was Pope Francis reflection at Mass at Casa Santa Marta this morning, commenting on the parable of the rich man, whose money "is his god". This led him to reflect on how vain it is to rely on earthly goods. The Pope noted how before an abundant harvest, that man thinks he is expanding his own storehouses and, in his imagination he is also "extending his life": he aims "to produce more goods up to the point of nausea" knowing no "satiety". Francis observed, he is caught "in that movement of exasperated consumerism." "It is God, who puts an end to this attachment to money. When a man becomes a slave of money. And this is not a tale that Jesus invents: this is reality. It is the reality of today. It is the reality of today. Many men who live to worship money, to make money their god. So many people who only live for this and life is meaningless. 'Thus is he who builds up treasures for himself, says the Lord, and does not enrich himself with God: they do not know what being enriched by God is." In this regard, the Pope cited a successful episode years ago in Argentina - in the "other diocese" as he often calls Buenos Aires - when a wealthy businessman, knowing that he was severely ill, bought a villa without a second thought although he would soon have to stand "before God". And even today, there are those people hungry for money and earthly possessions, people who have "a lot of" in front of "hungry children who do not have medicines who do not have education, who are abandoned": it is, warned Francis of "An idolatry that kills", which makes "human sacrifices". "This idolatry causes so many people to starve. We only have to think of one case: 200,000 Rohingya children in refugee camps. There are 800,000 people there. 200,000 are children. They have nothing to eat, they are malnourished, without medicines. Even today this happens. It is not something that the Lord says of those times: no. Today! And our prayer must be strong: Lord, please touch the hearts of these people who worship the god of money. Touch my heart too so that I do not fall into what I can see. " Another "consequence" is war. Even "family" war. "We all know what happens when there is an inheritance up for grabs: families are divided and end up hating each other. The Lord stresses with softness in the end: 'He who does not enrich himself with God'. That is the only way. Wealth, but in God. And it's not a scorn for money, no. It is just for greed, as He says: greediness. Living attached to the god of money". That is why, he concludes, our prayer must be strong, thus seeking in God the solid foundation of our existence. The US Secretary of State is in Riyadh to counter Irans "Malign behavior". Shia militias that fought the Islamic State group must surrender their weapons or join the army. For Washington, the partnership between King Salman and Prime Minister Abadi is fundamental to Iraqs rebirth. Riyadh (AsiaNews/Agencies) US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson wants to counter Irans malign behaviour, curb its influence in nearby Iraq, and renew the Baghdad-Riyadh axis in order to rebuild the country after years of violence. Tillerson made the Trump administrations case during an official visit to Saudi Arabia. He also called for Iranian and Iranian-backed Shia militia that fought the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq to go home as the fighting winds down. Those fighters need to go home, Tillerson said. Any foreign fighters need to go home. This will give the country a chance to rebuild. Tillersons visit is centred on reducing Irans influence in the region, following President Donald Trump's announcement of a more confrontational approach to Tehran. In Riyadh for the inaugural meeting of the Saudi Arabia-Iraq Coordination Council a means that US officials believe can wean Iraq from Iran Tillerson told Saudi King Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that the nascent partnership between their countries held great promise for Iraqs reconstruction. This is one of the first consequences to the devastating battles to wrest territory from Islamic State and establish its independence from foreign influence., mostly notably Iran. We believe this will in some ways counter some of the unproductive influences of Iran inside of Iraq, he said at a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir after the council meeting. Tillerson said countries outside the region could also play a role, primarily by shunning the Revolutionary Guards, which play a major role in Irans economy and were added to a US terrorism blacklist earlier this month. Some Iranian-backed Shia militias have been accused of abuses against Sunni civilians, including torture and killings, during operations to regain territory from IS in Iraq. Mr Tillerson wants Iraqi Shias in these militias either to join the Iraqi army or put down their weapons. Their Iranian backers should also leave the country. The US diplomatic mission is a further sign that Washington wants to see the emergence of Riyadh-Baghdad axis geared against Tehran, from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean. In 1990, when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, diplomatic relations were severed and remained so for many years during which the two countries kept their distance. Riyadh re-opened its embassy in Baghdad only in 2015, after a quarter of a century. Last February saw the first official visit by a Saudi diplomat in the Iraqi capital, followed by the resumption of direct flights between the two Arab capitals. Meanwhile, the pro-Kurdish website Rudaw News quoted Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior Iranian official, who said that Tehran had no role in the taking of Kirkuk by the Iraqi army. However, local sources in northern Iraq denounce an "aggressive" policy promoted by the Islamic Republic, which has led to the emergence of "Shia schools, mosques and libraries" in areas once inhabited by Christians. Kraft Heinz acquires Cerebos brands in Australia Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd has announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its Cerebos Food & Instant Coffee business in Australia and New Zealand, to the Kraft Heinz Company. Suntory has also sold its Asian Home Gourmet Singapore to Kraft Heinz. The total consideration of the transaction is $290 million, with the sale expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018, subject to regulatory approval. Cerebos Food & Instant Coffee business includes Fountain sauces, Gravox, Saxa salt, Foster Clarks, Bisto and Raro brands. Kraft Heinz Company expands its portfolio The Kraft Heinz Company is the fifth-largest food and beverage company in the world. It possesses a staple of well-known brands in Australia and New Zealand such as Heinz, Kraft and Golden Circle in categories including beans, sauces, soups, dressings and spaghetti. Chief Executive Officer of Kraft Heinz Australia Bruce Lino said, the transaction provides an opportunity for Kraft Heinz to expand its portfolio into complementary categories. This reinforces our commitment and long-term plan to the Australia and New Zealand markets, he said. Suntory focuses on fresh coffee Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd (SBF) will retain the Cerebos Fresh Coffee business in Australia and New Zealand. Suntory said it will form part of a new business unit focused on capturing a larger share of the growing global coffee market. Chief Executive Officer of Cerebos Australia and New Zealand Terry Svenson said, The transaction enables our Fresh Coffee business to benefit from SBFs continued investment. Related articles Image- Heinz baked beans Woolworths distribution centre workers may strike Workers at Woolworths Victorian and New South Wales distribution centres may go on strike in the coming weeks over pay and job security. Industrial action at three Victorian and one New South Wales distribution centre would likely cause supply chain problems in Woolworths supermarkets and liquor stores in these states. The National Union of Workers last week lodged applications in the Fair Work Commission, flagging possible strikes. Why are Woolworths workers considering strike action? The workers are seeking improved job security, more full-time work, greater redundancy pay-outs and wage increases of two dollars an hour, per year. There are approximately 2,000 staff across the four sites. A Woolworths spokesperson said the company was negotiating with staff. We will continue to work with our team members and their chosen representatives to get the right outcome at each of our sites, Woolworths said. Hume distribution centre to close. Staff at the distribution centres still have to vote on whether they agree to go on strike before action would commence. The potential strike comes at a time when one Woolworths distribution centres in Broadmeadows is set to close. Woolworths announced that the distribution centre in Melbournes north would be moved to a site in the citys east. The closure may see the loss of 700 jobs, with the new site set to employ fewer workers due to the greater use of automation. The date of closure is yet to be finalised. The NUW was contacted by Australian Food News regarding this matter, but has yet to comment. Related articles By Jamie Walvisch, Lecturer, Monash University from www.shutterstock.com Police have used fingerprint evidence to catch and convict criminals for more than 100 years. Its a commonly used technique in Australia: more than 10,000 fingerprint matches were made in Victoria alone last year. But in a recent report, the American Association for the Advancement of Science has questioned the scientific validity of fingerprint analysis. The report is a reminder that although fingerprinting is an essential tool for investigating crime, its not infallible. We need to minimise the inappropriate application of the science of fingerprinting, and reduce repeats of miscarriages of justice linked to fingerprint analysis that have already occurred. Read more: Forensic evidence largely not supported by sound science - now what? Most notoriously, Brandon Mayfield, an American lawyer, was wrongly linked by four fingerprint experts to the 2004 Madrid train bombing. He was arrested and detained for two weeks, before investigators realised that an Algerian man, Ouhnane Daoud, was the real source of the print. How does fingerprint examination work? Everybodys fingers, palms and soles have friction ridges on them. These ridges occur in patterns (such as arches and loops) that contain specific features (for example, ridge endings and dots). Fingerprint examiners use these patterns and features to compare an unknown (or latent) print with a known print, to determine if they may have come from the same person. In Australia, police use the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System a database with more than 2.6 million sets of fingerprints - to narrow down the field of fingerprints to compare. But the final decision about whether there is a match is made by a person. A 2010 report, published by the US National Institute of Justice, concluded that automated systems were significantly less accurate than well-trained examiners at making comparisons between latent and known prints. Problems with the underlying science Until the mid-2000s, little scientific research had been done on most forensic disciplines, including fingerprinting. This lack of research became widely publicised in 2009, when the US National Research Council published a landmark report on the forensic sciences. It found that the only forensic method that had been rigorously validated was nuclear DNA analysis. All other forensic sciences including fingerprinting lacked a proper scientific foundation. Read more: From the crime scene to the courtroom: the journey of a DNA sample When examining this issue again in 2016, the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) in the US found that only two properly designed studies of latent fingerprint analysis had been conducted. These both found the rate of false matches (known as false positives) to be very high: 1 in 18 and 1 in 30. One of the main reasons for these high error rates is that fingerprint analysis involves human judgement, and relies on a methodology (known as ACE-V) that is not sufficient to ensure the accuracy and reliability of an examiners conclusions. This means there is no guarantee that two different examiners who follow its steps will reach the same result. Recent improvements Since the National Research Council report was released, scientists have worked hard to prove that fingerprint examination is scientific. Research has now convincingly established that the ridge patterns on fingers vary greatly among individuals, and that there is little variation in a persons fingerprints over time. This provides a scientific basis for using fingerprints to distinguish individuals, even identical twins. But there is still no scientific basis for concluding that a print must have been left by a specific person, or even for estimating the number of people who might be the source of a print. The most that can be said is that two prints have many corresponding features, with no differences that would indicate they were made by different fingers. It may also be possible for an examiner to say that the set of features found in the prints is unusual. Cognitive bias Because fingerprint analysis depends heavily on human judgement, an examiners conclusions may be improperly influenced by non-scientific factors, such as irrelevant contextual information. Read more: Explainer: how law enforcement decodes your photos This phenomenon, which is known as cognitive bias, has been demonstrated in various studies. In one study, five fingerprint experts were told they were comparing Brandon Mayfields fingerprint with the fingerprint found in Madrid. They were asked whether they would also have (wrongly) found a match. In reality, the experts were given fingerprints from a different case they had personally found to match years earlier, in the normal course of their casework. Four of the five experts changed their opinion. This was seen to be due to their expectation that the fingerprints did not match. Another study found that fingerprint examiners can be improperly influenced by the use of automated fingerprint identification systems, which provide ordered lists of the most likely matches. The study found that examiners are more likely to wrongly identify one of the prints near the top of the list as a match, and to fail to make correct identifications if the print is down low on the list. Implications While these reports and studies indicate a need for caution when relying on fingerprint examinations, they do not mean that police should stop using fingerprints. Fingerprinting is an essential tool for investigating crime, and should continue to be used for this purpose. But steps need to be taken to limit the likelihood of future miscarriages of justice. Everyone in the system has a role to play. Scientists need to conduct further research under realistic conditions. Police forces must take steps to minimise the risks of cognitive bias. For example, they should use context management procedures to avoid exposing examiners to unnecessary contextual information. Lawyers and judges must make sure that only scientifically valid opinions are given in court, and that the value of fingerprint evidence is not overstated. Fingerprint examiners should make it clear that they are expressing an opinion and not a fact. And everyone should acknowledge that errors do occur in fingerprinting analysis, and have happened in the past. Jamie Walvisch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Originally published in The Conversation. October 23. 1766: Christoffel Bosch van Leeuwarden, a seventy year old porter in the Netherlands, was convicted of seduction to sodomy and sentenced to three years of prison labor. 1977: Two thousand people demonstrated in downtown Montreal to protest October 22 bar raids. Police attack the demonstrators with motorcycles and billy-clubs and made further arrests. Truxx and another bar, Le Mystique, were simultaneously raided on Oct. 22, 1977. Fifty police officers wearing bulletproof vests and carrying machine guns conducted the raid, charging 146 patrons as found-ins and Truxxs owner as a keeper of a common bawdy house. Detainees were held for eight hours in crowded cells, subjected to venereal disease testing and denied the opportunity to call their lawyers. Community response to the raid was quick. The night after the raid, two thousand people blocked a downtown intersection in protest. When police tried to break it up by driving their motorcycles into the crowd and clubbing people, protesters threw beer bottles. Hundreds turned up at a public forum, organized by lAssociation pour les droits des gaies du Quebec, and a defence committee for the found-ins was formed. It took five years for the charges against the Truxx patrons to be dropped. 1979: Former Winnipeg Free Press publisher Richard Malone pleads guilty to charges of buggery and obstructing justice. He is given a one-year sentence, following a juvenile sex ring investigation in February 1979. 1993: In Helena Montana the state supreme court ruled that transvestitism is not a sufficient reason to deny a father joint custody of his 3-year old child. 1998: The Los Angeles City council condemns the Making Sense of Homosexuality conference, organized by the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, otherwise known as NARTH saying that claims of curing homosexuals creates an atmosphere that can lead to anti-gay violence. 1999: Religious right leader Rev. Jerry Falwell and evangelical Christian supporters met with Rev. Mel White and gay Christians for an anti-violence forum. Shockingly, it did not stop the violence. 2002: Pioneering gay rights activist Harry Hay (photo above) dies of lung cancer in hospice care. A founder and architect of the modern gay rights movement, in 1950 Hay and four others formed one of the nations first gay rights organizations the Mattachine Society. Hays believed in the cultural minority status of homosexuals which led him to take a stand against assimilation. In June 1969, the Stonewall riots in New York marked a move toward a more radical and militant approach among gay rights activists; Hay however stated that I wasnt impressed by Stonewall, because of all the open gay projects we had done throughout the sixties in Los Angeles. As far as we were concerned, Stonewall meant that the East Coast was catching up. The riot led to the emergence of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), with Hay involving himself in the early development of its Los Angeles chapter. In December 1969. Hay was elected its first chairperson, organizing pickets of homophobic establishments, holding a one-day Gay-In in Griffith Park and funky dances at Troupers Hall to challenge the legal restrictions on same-sex dancing We pulled ugly green frog skin of heterosexual conformity over us, and thats how we got through school with a full set of teeth, Hay once explained. We know how to live through their eyes. We can always play their games, but are we denying ourselves by doing this? If youre going to carry the skin of conformity over you, you are going to suppress the beautiful prince or princess within you. Hay would later go onto help create the Radical Faeries whose first conference was held on Labor Day 1979. The term Radical was chosen to reflect both political extremity and the idea of root or essence, while the term Faerie was chosen in reference both to the immortal animistic spirits of European folklore and to the fact that fairy had become a pejorative slang term for gay men. In the 1980s, Hay involved himself in an array of activist causes, campaigning against South African apartheid, Nicaraguas Contras, and the death penalty while also joining the nuclear disarmament and pro-choice movements and becoming a vocal critic of the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Hay came to be viewed as an elder statesman within the gay community, and was regularly invited to give speeches to LGBT activist and student groups. He was the featured speaker at the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade in 1982, and Grand Marshal of the Long Beach Gay Pride Parade in 1986. In 1989, West Hollywood city council awarded him an honor for his years of activism while that year he was invited to give a lecture at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, which he turned down. Bit in 1983 Hay courted controversy. He remained highly critical of the mainstream gay rights movement and joined several other early gay rights activists in protesting the exclusion of the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) from participation in on the grounds that such exclusions pandered to heterosexual-dominated society. NAMBLA had marched in the previous Pride parades. But morality was changing. In a New York University forum, he remarked If the parents and friends of gays are truly friends of gays, they would know from their gay kids that the relationship with an older man is precisely what thirteen-, fourteen-, and fifteen-year-old kids need more than anything else in the world, highlighting his own relationship with an adult man when he was . At the 1986 Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade he courted controversy by carrying a banner with NAMBLA Walks With Me written on it, after organizers banned the group from joining the march and organizers complained to police and Hay narrowly avoided arrest. These events overshadowed Hays previous legacy so much that today he is all but forgotten and purposely left out of many LGBT historical writings. Hay refused to participate in the official Heritage of Pride 1994 Pride Parade in New York City commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots because of its exclusionary policies. Instead he joined an alternate parade called The Spirit of Stonewall. As late as 2000 Hay continued to speak out against assimilation, saying, The assimilationist movement is running us into the ground. Harry Hay passed away on October 24, 2002 at age 90. His ashes, mingled with those of his partner John Burnside, were scattered in the Nomenus Faerie Sanctuary, Wolf Creek, Oregon THIS is our history. Dont forget it. Share this: Tweet More Email Print Delivery vehicles should be customized to fit the companys and drivers needs. Source: Mercede-Benz and Freightliner Vans Whether its agonizing stop-and-go traffic or inefficient access points, making deliveries in an urban setting isnt easy. However, clearing these hurdles is less painful with a vehicle that can contend with this challenging environment. A variety of options are available to bakers like never before, making it the right time to invest in and diversify their fleets, said Jan ten Haaf, department manager, product management, Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Vans. Overall reliability, driver safety and fuel economy remain the top issues purchasers need to consider. But for many buyers, the price tag seems to get in the way. Setting aside a vehicles functionality and solely focusing on cost is the most common mistake. The allure of saving money upfront is hard to resist, but it will probably end up costing more in the future. When businesses make a decision to purchase anything, they want to feel assured that they will have a positive return on investment, said Brian Tabel, executive director of marketing, Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. A delivery vehicle is no different. Businesses want vehicles that are durable, run efficiently, are easy to drive and have a low cost of ownership. Must-have features Due to the stop-and-start duty cycle, delivery vehicles are exposed to more wear and tear in urban environments than in their rural counterparts, said Mike Stark, product manager for commercial chassis, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC). With that increased stop-and-start application, youve taxed certain systems such as brakes, alternators, starters and the vehicles body, he said. Ongoing construction and packed streets also make mobility and maneuverability increasingly important. Vehicles should be able to make sharp turns and drive through alleys and tight parking spaces. Brian Cotter, public relations specialist, Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Vans, advised manufacturers to weigh out the costs of service intervals and routine maintenance before purchase. Time in the shop is time they cant be using their van to make money, he noted. You really want to maximize on-road time. Factoring these issues in, bakers need to consider the durability of each system within the automobile as well as how the driver interacts with it. Step vans and cargo vans are the most popular choices, and automakers have rolled out vehicles to meet their needs. FCCCs MT chassis offer bakeries a walk-in option that makes it easier for drivers to get into and out of, leading to faster deliveries. From fuel options to cockpit and safety features, each vehicle is customized and built to meet the manufacturers specifications. Responding to concerns about brake life, the company rolled out a new package in 2016. Its new four-piston brakes triple brake pad life, compared with the pin slide brakes it was using before. The original producer of Euro-style delivery vans, Mercedes-Benz brings two options to bakers: Sprinter and Metris. Designed to thrive in large metropolitan areas, the Metris is a mid-sized van while the Sprinter is larger. Both provide maximum cargo capacity on a small footprint. In 2016, the brand unveiled MasterSolutions, which allows manufacturers to upfit their vans with specific features such as shelving or refrigeration. Isuzu offers a range of N-Series low-cab forward vehicles that have been used around the world in older cities with narrower streets than seen in the United States. Built in a variety of sizes, these vehicles have a tight turning radius and high visibility that allows the driver to get closer to objects in front of them while easily navigating around the obstacles next to and behind the truck. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Tension remains high in the Seminole Heights area of Tampa as a killer remains on the loose. Residents held vigil for murder victims Three people were killed in separate attacks in last 2 weeks Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn said police are out in full force Edison Elementary, 1607 East Curtis St., Tampa But residents in the area are trying to gain a sense of security by banding together. Hundreds of Seminole Heights residents marched in the streets by candlelight Sunday night, holding a vigil for the three neighborhood residents killed in separate shootings in the last two weeks. Anthony Naiboa, Benjamin Mitchell and Monica Hoffa were all gunned down along and near North 15th Street in separate incidents. Police are investigating but there has been no arrests or suspects identified. "This is personal" On Monday evening, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Interim Police Chief Brian Dugan led the discussion at a community forum at Edison Elementary School to calm fears and inform citizens. "This is personal and we're not going to stop until the person responsible is caught," said Buckhorn. "It is families torn apart because of what this man did to us or whomever it is did to us," one family member told the crowd tearfully. Chief Dugan said he is trying to release as much information as possible so the community can be on alert. He added it's possible someone knows something about the killings, but doesn't realize it. "I'm not trying to be dramatic. This is real. This isn't a "made for tv" movie," he said. He also cautioned against stereotyping serial killers as white males, similar to Ted Bundy. "This pains me to tell you that if you're out there walking alone that you're either a suspect or a potential victim," Dugan said. Buckhorn cautioned the crowd that it may be a long-term investigation. Photo: Laurie Davison Naiboa's parents said they were happy to see such a large turnout for the meeting. "We're not alone and they're supporting us and they're actually helping us stand up and encouraging not only our families that are hurt but everyone else in the community to do what's best and do what's right," Maria Rodriguez said. Buckhorn was in the neighborhood yesterday as well as police continued canvassing the area with stepped up patrols. Guardian Angels also are walking through the neighborhood. Police are asking residents to turn their porch lights on at night, avoid walking alone and report anything suspicious. Police have released surveillance video of a person seen walking in the neighborhood the night of one of the murders. CrimeStoppers is offering a $25,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest. Lakeland Electric and OUC workers will head to San Juan later this week to aid in power restoration efforts on the island. Lakeland Electric workers heading to Puerto Rico 80 percent of island without power May take 6 months before power fully restored Storm Season 2017 Hurricane Maria slammed into the U.S. territory on Sept. 20. The Category 4 storm killed at least 48 people, destroyed tens of thousands of homes and left tens of thousands of people without a job. It was the strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in nearly a century, with winds just shy of Category 5 force. A month later, roughly 80 percent of the island remains without power. Lakeland Electric workers will be joining fellow power company workers from across the country and Florida (Jacksonville and Kissimmee), who are already working on the island. In addition, linemen from Orlando Utilities Commission is also gearing up to send teams to Puerto Rico this week: OUC trucks getting readied to ship to help with #PuertoRico power restoration. OUC linemen head to PR later this week. #OUCproud pic.twitter.com/7eajlTClYz Orlando Utilities (@OUCreliableone) October 23, 2017 Last week, the House of Representatives passed a $36.5 billion disaster aid package for places including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and now a group of Democratic lawmakers are pushing for tax relief, saying that people and businesses in both U.S. territories affected by Hurricane Maria receive unequal treatment compared with U.S. states. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency also has pledged more than $171 million to help restore power across the island, and it has distributed more than $5 million to municipalities in need, as well as $ 1 million to Puerto Ricos National Guard. Officials said it may take up to six months before power is fully restored on the island. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. Residents in one Pinellas County neighborhood are concerned about safety when pulling into their community. The area of concern is 62nd Avenue North at 25th Street North, between St. Petersburg and Lealman. The county maintains the road and signals. Voley Martin has lived in this neighborhood for 15 years, and in that time, the number of cars has increased dramatically. "(There's) a lot more people driving today, but the problem here is the volume of traffic at rush hour," Martin said. According to Martin, the signals are the problem, specifically during the afternoon ride home. "And that left-hand lane will be backed up, 10, 15 cars, almost to 28th Street," Martin said. Only the person in the front of the line can see oncoming traffic, so tempers run high if they don't go. Martin talked about traffic dodging out of line to the right and causing some pretty nasty crashes. "I would like to see a left turn arrow right here," Martin said. "At the same time, there's a left turn arrow, you have a green through arrow, so the eastbound traffic continues to move, the westbound traffic has a red light." He also suggests for westbound drivers headed to the mobile home park, a right at the light, then U-turn and return to the signal in order to drive straight across the intersection on the next green light. That's something he's done himself on the opposite side of the road. Recently, he posted something about the intersection on the neighborhood's community page. "I got 15, 20 responses from people that have told me they've contacted the county," Martin said. "And the county has told them there's no money, that it doesn't warrant a traffic light because there aren't enough accidents at that location." Over the weekend, Spectrum Bay News 9 Real Time Traffic Expert Chuck Henson received a note from Tom Washburn with Pinellas County. It turns out, there are two fixes on the way at the intersection. One would be a protected left turn arrow as part of the traffic signal, like Martin is requesting. The long term solution is to rebuild that portion of 62nd Avenue North to include turn lanes at 25th Street. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate "Riverdale" actress Lili Reinhart apologizes to fans after she is accused of racism over a Halloween costume idea with black face paint. "Found my Halloween costume!! Inspired by the color of my soul," the 21-year-old tweeted Sunday, alongside a picture of a woman costumed as a demon with her entire body painted black. CELEB LOOKS: Models, reality stars come out for Maxim's annual Halloween party The photo quickly drew comparisons to blackface, the historically offensive practice of non-blacks performing in makeup imitating black people. Now Playing: Riverdales Lili Reinhart found herself in a the middle of a racial controversy this weekend. The actress has now issued an apology for being insensitive after fans accused her of tweeting a blackface image. Some fans say Lili for SURE was wrong, and others dont see anything inappropriate about her tweet. What do you think though? Sound off in the comment section below! Video: Hollyscoop "Maybe CW should start sending it's under the age of 30 cast of Riverdale & other shows to sensitivity training & take history classes!" one person tweeted, according to New York Daily News. "Also, even if it wasn't black face (it is), you're still using the skin color to describe your soul, which is offensive," wrote another, according to New York Daily News. Reinhart speedily deleted the tweet and apologized on Sunday. "I did not mean for my tweet to come off that way. I can see how it was interpreted as being insensitive, completely," Reinhart wrote on Twitter after deleting her original tweet. "I saw the pic on a Halloween Instagram and didn't think it would be interpreted as being racially insensitive. "I apologize. Never meant any harm. I can see how it could've been misinterpreted," she followed up with a tweet a minute later. COUNTER INSPIRATION: Best of the worst #HalloweenFails on Instagram, Twitter Even with an apology, some Twitter users continued the discussion on the new thread. "Y'all people are out here making every anything blackface are wasting your time. Go after actual racist the black community gets you're trying to be helpful but in the end it's only hurting our cause," one Twitter user commented. Another user commented replying, "She obviously didn't mean for it to be, but she has recognized it and apologized for it & won't do it again. Please, stop defending blackface." During Halloween season, controversies like this arise when costumes are called out for being racially insensitive. To learn which costumes might not be the best idea due to the controversies tied to specific cultures, go through the photos in the gallery above. Meet local women whose lives are an inspiration to those battling breast cancer. > > MORE: Bond carries SETX neighbors through cancer battles This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate After learning about the "heart-wrenching" deaths last week of a Silsbee mother and her five young children, Van Jordan said he knew he needed to "give back." The Port Arthur pastor and longtime mortician said he felt compelled to help the family of Ashley Pickering by donating six caskets. Pickering, 31, and her five children, Cristian Mattox, 11; Serenity Mattox, 7; Cavence Mattox, 4; Cash Mattox, 4; and Camden Mattox, 3, were killed in an Oct. 18 fire. Jordan, an associate minister at the First Sixth Street Baptist Church, said he was guided by his faith to reach out to the Pickering-Mattox family. More Information Funeral arrangements for Ashley Pickering and her five children When: Visitation begins at 10 a.m.; Services start at 11 a.m. Where: Cathedral Church of the Pines, 2350 Eastex Freeway, Beaumont. More: The service will be live-streamed at www.icathedral.tv for those who cannot attend. Donations to the Pickering-Mattox family fund can be made online at www.icathedral.org/give See More Collapse "People will say that's a lot of money, but to me it's not about the money," said Jordan, 51, who owns a Houston casket company. "It's about kingdom building." > > READ MORE: 5 kids, mom die in 'horrendous' fire near Silsbee The Rev. Randy Feldschau, pastor of the Cathedral Church of the Pines and a family spokesperson, said Pickering's father and stepmother are "so appreciative" of Jordan's donation. "Funerals can average up to $10,000 per person," Feldschau said. "Now multiply that by six ... That's a huge financial load. We as a church family have committed to taking this load off of them." A funeral service for Pickering and her children is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Cathedral Church of the Pines. Hardin County Sheriff Mark Davis said last week the preliminary investigation indicates the fire that killed Pickering and her children was caused by an electrical problem. All six died from smoke and soot inhalation, according to preliminary autopsy reports. Davis said the investigation into the fire's cause is moving slowly because the State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating 10 to 12 other fires at the same time. Authorities have ruled out arson, he said. "At this point, no foul play is suspected, we're not finding anything that says this was an intentional act," he said. Pickering and her children had been living in a converted workshop behind her father's house for about a year, Davis said. Her father's house was not damaged in the fire. > > READ MORE: Sheriff: Silsbee fire was likely accidental MGstalter@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/morgGstalt Northern Ireland-born journalists Laura Abernethy and Kylie Noble both moved to live and work in the city in the past year. They reveal what they miss about NI, their friendship and where they get soda bread and Tayto crisps. 'I soon realised living here isn't like visiting, it's very expensive' Former Belfast Telegragh journalist Laura Abernethy (25) now works in London. She grew up in Dromara, Co Down, and moved to London in September last year. She says: Growing up in the Dromara hills, I always longed for the big city. I'd first toyed with the idea of moving to London when I was applying to university but was frightened by the idea of jumping straight from a tiny village to one of the world's biggest cities, I ended up at St Andrews in Scotland first. In my final year, I was news editor of my student paper, which helped me secure an internship at the Sunday Times. For two weeks in January 2014, I spent the day in a office and as I didn't know a soul, I would spend my evenings just walking around, exploring what London had to offer. In the same week as my graduation, I secured a scholarship from the Scott Trust, the owners of the Guardian, to study for a masters in journalism at the University of Sheffield, including six weeks of placements with the newspaper, so by the time that I had finished my studies, I was reasonably well acquainted with London. A job offer from the Belfast Telegraph came the week after classes finished at Sheffield and I was delighted to return home but with most of my friends ending up in London after graduation, I found myself visiting every few months. In August 2016, I was offered a job writing features with the Press Association and within weeks, I'd found a flat in Clapham, south London, with my friend Elliot, packed my life into boxes and finally moved in September. I quickly discovered living here isn't like visiting - it's very expensive and my commute, which usually involves pressing my face into a stranger's armpit, almost makes me miss the M1 traffic jams I faced in Belfast. My weekends aren't always filled with trips to Oxford Street, Buckingham Palace and the theatre like I imagined, but just having those places on my doorstep is exciting. I love being able to get anywhere at any time of day and quirky experiences like a night drinking cocktails in a converted underground station. There are plenty of things that I miss. One of the best moments of the past year was finally finding soda bread in a local supermarket. I wish I could have found a Dale Farm ice lolly in the summer though. I was heartbroken when I realised they don't exist outside Northern Ireland. I've been incredibly lucky to have some of my best friends just a few tube stops away. Some people find London to be isolating but one of the main reasons I moved here was to be closer to all the friends I had made throughout my university years and I've made even more friends through events like journalism meet-ups and university alumni nights. I miss my family a lot, especially my parents Allison and Will, but I feel like I have a London family now too so I've never felt lonely. Recently, Kylie Noble, another female journo from Northern Ireland, has been added into that pool. We met through Twitter when we were student journalists and have kept in touch ever since. She moved to Sheffield just weeks after I left and then moved back to Belfast just as I moved to London. Now, we're in the same city for the first time and it's so nice to have her around, mainly because at least I know she'll never struggle to understand my accent. I never thought my accent was particularly strong, but I do find myself being met with blank looks from time to time. Being a year ahead of her, I've been able to give her lots of advice about things like which Oyster card is best and where to get a haircut without breaking the bank. I think someday I might grow tired of London - it's busy, polluted and very far from the green fields that I looked at through my bedroom window for the first 18 years of my, life but for now it feels like I've found a new home." 'I've never felt more tired, but I've also never felt more alive' Kylie Noble (23) works in marketing in London. She grew up in Co Fermanagh and moved to London last month. She says: I recently asked some friends who have lived here longer, when does the perpetually tired stage of London pass? One said never, and I laughed, assuming they were joking, until several others backed them up. The paradox of living here, is that while I have never felt more tired, I have also never felt more alive. The red buses, the rhythm of 'please mind the gap', the lit-up rainbow coloured Electric Avenue sign in Brixton, which I see at night when commuting home out of central London - I have 'pinch me, I'm really living here' moments often. Maybe it's due to moving just over a month ago, but I am still in awe of London. Growing up on a farm in Co Fermanagh, London is probably as opposite as you can imagine. From my teenage years, I felt drawn to cities because of how different they were to my quiet, if beautiful roots. I have lived in Belfast, Washington DC and Sheffield but London has got under my skin in a unique way. I think the diversity of the city is a big factor. I live in south London, where I also work, as a digital marketing intern for a charity, while continuing to freelance in journalism on the side. My work is in Kingston upon Thames, a leafy borough on the edges of the city in zone six. I commute from Peckham, in zone two, which takes just over an hour each way (you can see why I feel so tired). In contrast, my commute from east Belfast to the city centre in my last job, took me 10 minutes via bus. Peckham is most famed perhaps for being the home of Del Boy and Co in TV's Only Fools and Horses. Historically, a multi-cultural and working-class area, parts are becoming more middle-class and trendy, with many art studios, wine bars and hipster pubs on the south side. I live in north Peckham, which I've been told is also known as Little Nigeria, as it has the highest population of Nigerians in the UK. Other sizeable communities in the area have origins in Bangladesh, the Caribbean, China, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Eastern Europe and Vietnam. With London being so different to Northern Ireland, it is a blessing that I have many friends from home living here. Most I know from Queen's, who moved like myself, for job opportunities that were difficult to find in Belfast. I know Laura via my postgraduate degree at the University of Sheffield, where we were both awarded the Scott Trust bursary from The Guardian newspaper to study journalism. Laura was a year ahead of me, and has often given me advice on applying for the funding and the interview, to the ups and downs of the course, the post-uni job market and finding my feet in London. When moving to somewhere as daunting and fast-paced as this city, it is invaluable to have the wisdom of those who have gone before. Laura has been a great help and helped me save money on travel, food and getting my hair cut. I was delighted to find an Irish section in the world foods section of my local Morrisons last week, selling Tayto, Mikado and Club Orange - the tastes of childhood, that are special to us Northern Ireland natives. My strongest aches for Belfast so far have been through cravings for Boojum, a proper pint of Guinness, potato and soda bread. I miss the humour and banter, but with friends like Laura, I can link into the best of home, while enjoying the cultural melting pot that is London life. In my first visit to the city aged 18, someone offered me a seat on the tube. That's not happened since, but I did have an incident of heading for a seat at the same time as a man, and each of us insisting the other take it for a few minutes. I try to do little things like hold the door, let people out in front of me on trains, give train time info if I know it, and overhear people despairing at the many platforms flashing orange. These small acts, are a way I like to think, of bringing a bit of Fermanagh to London." A group of Northern Ireland-based health and fitness businesses have come together to host an open day, with a fundraiser for Northern Ireland's PIPS Charity. Held at Phoenix Health and Fitness personal training studio in east Belfast, the event was organised by owner Alan Waterman who wanted to bring the local companies together to highlight what was available for those interested in improving her lifestyle. "Opening my own studio in April was the first time I had the sense of being a completely independent business," Alan said. "It made me more aware of the difficulties and challenges encountered, and gave me a higher degree of respect for the work and effort that goes in to sustaining a profitable small business. Expand Close The team from Belfast-based eatery Goodness Rocks. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The team from Belfast-based eatery Goodness Rocks. "It also made me want to try to raise awareness of the fantastic products and services offered by other similar businesses within the local health and fitness industry, and to show people that they could deliver every bit as much as the bigger, more recognised brands." We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Companies involved in the open day included NI Supplements, Sweet Robyn's Healthy Baking Company, Fitting Fitness, Goodness Rocks, Feed Me Company, Easy Eats, and Uni Learning. Each business provided information on what they offered the local community, as well as samples of their work. "I was happy with having had the opportunity to try to raise public awareness and profile of the businesses involved," added Alan. "And to hopefully have helped generate more customers for what are some fantastic, reliable brands. Expand Close The team at Portadown-based company Fitting Fitness / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The team at Portadown-based company Fitting Fitness Expand Close Open day held at Phoenix Health & Fitness. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Open day held at Phoenix Health & Fitness. "Running it as a fundraiser for PIPS Charity was something I was also incredibly keen to do, especially as I believe it's a very worthwhile cause." Alan said he was keen to run similar events of its kind in the future with the aim of generating more public interest for small businesses within Northern Ireland's fitness industry. For more information about, visit Phoenix Health & Fitness Facebook page. Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement to MPs in the House of Commons on the Brexit talks. Pic: PA Wire Prime Minister Theresa May has given assurances there will be no infrastructure along the Northern Ireland border with the Republic and principles have been agreed with the other 27 EU member states which will allow people to work and move freely right across the island of Ireland after Brexit. Mrs May was updating MPs on the latest stages of the exit talks. She said it is her "mission" to negotiate a new post-Brexit partnership with the EU and gave an upbeat assessment of withdrawal divorce talks saying a deal was within "touching distance". "We have also made significant progress on Northern Ireland where it is absolutely imperative that joint work on the peace process is not affected in anyway," she said. "The Belfast Agreement must be at the heart of our approach and we have clearly agreed that the unique circumstances across the whole of the island or Ireland will require specific solutions. "There will not be any physical infrastructure along the border and we have also developed joint principles to ensure the continuation of the common travel area. "These principle will fully preserve the rights of the UK and Irish nationals to live, work and study across these islands and protect the associated rights to public services and social security." Mrs May said the UK will leave the EU in March 2019. In her address in the Commons she said she was "determined to put people first" in any deal with the EU. She said EU nationals would continue to benefit from life in the UK and families would not be torn apart. It would be no more difficult or expensive than applying for a passport, for an EU national to apply for settlement in the UK after Brexit, Mrs May said. "EU citizens make an extraordinary contribution to UK life and we want them to stay," she said. Despite the positive update the Prime Minister made it clear a no deal scenario was still an option as she insisted the government was preparing for every eventuality. Mrs May said the government was going through its financial commitments to the EU "line by line". "I am ambitious and positive about Britain's future and these negotiations," she told MPs. "If we are going to take a step forward together it must be on the basis of joint effort and endeavour between the UK and the EU. But, I believe that by approaching these negotiations in a constructive way in a spirit of friendship and cooperation, we can and will deliver the best possible outcome that works for all our people. "Of course, we are preparing for every eventuality to ensure we leave in a smooth and orderly way. "But I am confident that we will be able to negotiate a new, deep and special partnership between a sovereign United Kingdom and our friends in the European Union. "That is my mission. "That is this Government's mission." Claims by the Taoiseach that the majority of people in Northern Ireland will want to become Irish following Brexit have been branded ludicrous and absurd by a DUP MP. Leo Varadkar made the comment at the European Council summit in Brussels last week, saying that people in Northern Ireland including unionists would want to become Irish or European citizens at the very least for convenience. But his comments were rejected by Gregory Campbell, who said he could not see Mr Varadkars rationale. To try and infer this is some sort of declaration of Irishness is just ludicrous and absurd, he claimed. To state what he has done without any evidence gives the appearance of declaring that there are people in Northern Ireland who would prefer to be Irish. Last week I got the latest reply about the other side of the equation that tens of thousands of his own citizens are applying each year for British passports. The numbers are increasing and that is something he did not take into account. The point I was making was that he should not conclude that because applications for Irish passports have increased that is in any way a political statement. Some people avail of two passports for all sorts of reasons. Some people are happy to live outside the EU but like to travel within it. Businesses owners could have access to the EU with an Irish passport and access to the UK with a British one. There are some people who avail of two passports because it makes travel much simpler and offers entitlement to things like free healthcare while they are abroad. I think it is odd for him to say that applying for a passport is a person making a political point and that he would make such a statement without producing any evidence to back it up. Mr Campbell said answers to parliamentary questions he had asked revealed that over 10,000 people a year in the Republic are applying for a UK passport. He told the Sunday Business Post: So in the last 10 years theyve got 100,000 people in the Taoiseachs country wanting to be British. So I dont know if he has addressed that reality. He might like to assess and analyse before he makes assessments based on conjecture. Mr Campbell said Mr Varadkar was implying that the majority of citizens in Northern Ireland would wish to become Irish and this had no statistical basis. He continued: He knows that is not the case, to declare the majority are doing so when he has no statistical basis for saying so. It is part of the wider EU pressuring of the British Government to get them to agree to a deal that they otherwise would not agree to. Hopefully he will be able to take on board the evidence I have produced which he should consider because there are thousands of citizens in his country that want to be British, and that is something he should think about. The DUP and Sinn Fein have until October 30 as a final deadline to reach a deal on power-sharing. Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire warned the parties they were headed for direct rule if they failed to do so. Meanwhile, support for Sinn Fein in the Republic has decreased, a poll has revealed. In an analysis for first preference vote intention conducted by Red C, Sinn Fein dropped two points to 14% the same level of support it received in last years Irish general election. The partys popularity among voters peaked at 18% in a poll in July last year. Fine Gael remains the most popular party at 29%, one point down from 30% in September 2016. It is followed by Fianna Fail on 25%, dropping one point since the same period. Sinn Fein is in third position. The Independent Alliance, Green Party and Solidarity People Before Profit party are all on 4%, the Social Democrats are on 2% and Renua is close to zero. Residents have told of their profound shock following the brutal murder of Anne O'Neill in their "friendly and quiet" south Belfast community. Ardmore Avenue, which is lined with semi-detached houses and a handful of bungalows, was sealed off at all three entry points within an hour of Anne's body being discovered at 7am on Saturday. It remained eerily silent yesterday afternoon as police officers kept guard while forensic examinations continued - leaving many local residents feeling fearful. "I am due to give birth in five days and my husband was trying to get home and he couldn't," a resident told the Belfast Telegraph. "He's from Sweden so it was a bit of a nightmare for him. "He didn't know what was going on and neither did I when he phoned me to say he couldn't get home. "I couldn't believe it when I heard about what happened. "I feel so sorry for her parents." Another man who lives across the road from the dainty bungalow which is now a crime scene recalled waking up during the night and hearing a commotion a few hours before Anne was heard begging for help - but he is unsure if it was connected to the attack. "I have a young baby so I'm always up in the middle of the night," he said. Expand Close Anne ONeill PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anne ONeill "There's a pub nearby so hearing an argument on a Saturday night is not abnormal around here, so I didn't think anything of it." He said everyone is trying to come to terms with the gruesome incident. "This is a quiet area, people keep themselves to themselves to themselves, but they also look out for each other," he added. "I went out on Saturday morning to get milk and when I came back the whole place was sealed off - that's how quickly this happened. "We cannot believe that this has happened and our hearts go out to the family and her parents." The street was reopened at around 4pm yesterday as distressed residents struggled to come to terms with the horrific murder. "This is like something you see on Emmerdale or Columbo, it's not what you expect to see on your front door," another resident said. "It's all families and elderly people around here. "This is happened completely out of the blue and has knocked everyone for six. "There are a lot of elderly people who live around here and they will be feeling very vulnerable after this. "We would all like to know what happened so that we know not to worry." Last night police continued to kept watch outside the bungalow, which remained sealed off. Despite it being a quiet area there have been concerns about rising crime in recent months following a number of car thefts and a series of attempted break-ins. It has led some residents to install CCTV cameras outside their homes, prompting Detective Chief Inspector Geoffrey Boyce to appeal for residents to hand over footage. Exactly a mile away in Drenia, where Anne lived for more than 20 years, neighbours also expressed their disbelief that such a dreadful fate befell such a private person. "It's absolutely awful, I never thought this would happen to her, it's terrifying," one neighbour said. Last night most windows of the terraced houses in the quiet cul-de-sac were lit up with Halloween pumpkins, but Anne's house stood in darkness. "She will be missed," the neighbour added. The man is currently being treated in hospital. Two teenagers aged 18 and 19 have been arrested by police investigating the assault of a man thought to have been seriously injured after stepping in to break up a fight. Danny Payne, who is in his 30s and from the Clooney estate, was assaulted by a number of men in Newmarket Street in Derry shortly after 2am. It is believed the former Foyle Search and Rescue volunteer stepped in to try and break up an altercation beside the City Walls when he was attacked. He suffered serious head injuries and was rushed to Altnagelvin Hospital. His wife Sarah was also injured in the attack. A 18-year-old woman and 19-year-old man are in a police custody helping investigators with their enquiries. Mr Payne was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital on Sunday afternoon afternoon. The Belfast Trust said he remained in a critical condition. Police have directly appealed to a man and woman who were in the area to come forward as they may be able to assist police. Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell said: The man was wearing a coat and T-shirt - both dark in colour - and blue jeans while the assault was taking place in Newmarket Street. However, directly following the assault, he was seen walking in William Street not wearing his coat. "At this stage a large tattoo was clearly visible on his left forearm. The woman has long, dark coloured hair and was wearing blue jeans, brown shoes and a three-quarter length green coat. I would like the couple, or anyone who recognises their descriptions, to contact detectives in Strand Road on 101 quoting reference 209 22/10/2017 as soon as possible. "Or, alternatively if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111. Police would like to thank members of the public for their patience and ask them to avoid the area if possible while the investigation into this serious assault continues. Strike action at Belfast City Airport by Swissport workers is set to go ahead if a last-minute resolution cannot be found. A last-minute deal between Swissport and representatives for ground staff at Belfast City Airport has seen a strike called off. Union Unite, which represents around 100 workers at the airport, said it had agreed to suspend Monday's strike action at the airport for two weeks pending the outcome of a review. Speaking after the agreement was reached with Swissport management, Unite's regional industrial officer George Brash said for the first time "real progress" had been made, and "it is clear that management now recognise the determination of their workforce to defend their trade union and their workplace representative who was dismissed by management last month". Following the negotiations, a spokesperson for Swissport said: "Swissport are able to confirm that following extensive talks held this morning with representatives of the Unite Union, the proposed industrial action at Belfast City Airport has been suspended pending further discussions." Unite has said the decision to take strike action arose after a decision by Swissport to dismiss a union representative. Swissport provide front-desk and back of house services for the majority of airlines based out of Belfast City Airport. The strike had been scheduled to take place from 2.15pm to 4.15pm on Monday afternoon. Prior to a decision being reached, Unite regional industrial officer George Brash said: "Over past weeks, Unite has repeatedly called on Swissport management to take seriously the concerns of their workers in Belfast City Airport over the dismissal of a leading union rep. "[On Sunday], the day before scheduled strike action, management has emailed me to request last ditch talks to avert the likely disruption that would be associated with our members planned stoppages. Swissport operates in 48 countries internationally and has a workforce of around 61,000. The lifesaving work of the late Professor Patrick Johnston will continue as scientists in Belfast embark upon research to help bowel cancer patients. Prof Johnston - one of the world's leading experts in the disease - secured an 800,000 Cancer Research UK (CRUK) grant to fund a groundbreaking research project prior to his sudden death in June at the age of 58, it can be revealed today. And now a former colleague has spoken of his determination to take forward the project in tribute to Prof Johnston, who spent his career working to ease the suffering of cancer patients around the world. Professor Daniel Longley, who worked with Prof Johnston for almost two decades, explained: "We are all much poorer, both personally and professionally, without him. He has left a tremendous legacy and with that we feel a sense of responsibility to fulfil his vision to improve the outcomes for cancer patients. It is, however, a great pity that he won't be here to see the results of this project." Professors Johnston and Longley made a joint application to the CRUK Programme Awards in autumn last year. They found out that their application - which will be used to try and find better treatments for bowel cancer patients - was successful in April this year, but Prof Johnston, who went on to be vice chancellor of the Queen's University Belfast (QUB), never had the opportunity to advance the work. However, under Prof Longley's watch, a team of scientists from QUB, including Prof Mark Lawler and Dr Simon McDade, will use the funding to examine tumour samples from patients to try and understand why chemotherapy works for some bowel cancer sufferees, but not others. The research is supported by the Bobby Moore Fund for CRUK, which funds world class research that has the potential to make the greatest impact in making sure more people survive the disease. In one part of the research, the scientists will look specifically at patients diagnosed with stage 2 or 3 bowel cancer - meaning the disease has not spread to other organs from the bowel. It is hoped doctors will ultimately be able to personalise the treatments they give to these patients as a result of the study, drastically cutting the number of people who endure chemotherapy, while also improving survival rates. Every year around 1,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in Northern Ireland, and around 420 people die from the disease. Prof Longley added: "Paddy was very excited about the project, he really felt that it could make a big difference to people diagnosed with early stage colorectal cancer. We know that chemotherapy is needed for some colorectal cancer patients, however, of all the stage 2 patients treated, we know that only 3% benefit. "If you are diagnosed with stage two colorectal cancer the prognosis is actually really good and over 80% are cured by surgery alone. There will, however, be three or four patients out of every 100 who need chemotherapy and are more at risk of having a relapse of their disease without it. We don't want to be giving chemotherapy, with all its side-effects, if it isn't going to help the person. Of course, this won't just be beneficial for the patient, it will also be beneficial for the healthcare system, which we all know is overstretched at the moment." Prof Longley returned to Northern Ireland in 1999, when he began working with Prof Johnston. He continued: "Paddy was very supportive of me, he was inspirational and a great mentor, and the fact he was internationally recognised really helped to shine the light on what we are doing here in Belfast. "To be able to use Paddy's international network of top cancer researchers was instrumental in establishing the groundbreaking research going on in Northern Ireland today. "His loss is a terrible blow, but he also did so much for us, setting up the necessary research infrastructure here. "He wasn't just responsible for improving the research done here, he really brought treatments in Northern Ireland up to a par with the rest of the UK and Europe. "My colleagues and I at the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology at QUB now have all the tools at our disposal to forge ahead with our research and really make a difference to cancer patients. "In the past few months we have been trying to come to terms with his loss, but he believed wholeheartedly in this piece of work and the other projects that are ongoing in our centre. "The best tribute we can give to Paddy is to make sure we fulfil his legacy and try our hardest to make a difference for the patients." CRUK Programme Awards provide long-term support to scientists to carry out research that will help them better understand cancer and bring benefits to patients. Jean Walsh, CRUK's Northern Ireland spokeswoman, said the award was the latest recognition of the excellent research taking place in Belfast. "A truly inspiring man, Prof Johnston's passion for cancer research and the cancer services people in Northern Ireland should receive were high on his priority list and we are indebted to him for his tireless work," she added. A father-of-three is in a critical condition after being assaulted in Londonderry city centre yesterday as he tried to stop a brawl. Danny Payne, who is in his 30s and from the Clooney estate, was assaulted by a number of men in Newmarket Street in Derry shortly after 2am. It is believed the former Foyle Search and Rescue volunteer stepped in to try and break up an altercation beside the City Walls when he was attacked. He suffered serious head injuries and was rushed to Altnagelvin Hospital. His wife Sarah was also injured in the attack. Mr Payne was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital yesterday afternoon. The Belfast Trust said he remained in a critical condition last night. The attack comes less than a month after 19-year-old Jordan McConomy died after being assaulted in the city centre and has prompted calls for CCTV cameras to be erected and police patrols to be increased. DUP councillor Graham Warke said the issue of young people congregating on the City Walls in their hundreds at the weekend needed to be addressed. "This is yet another awful attack in our city," he said. "Our thoughts are firmly with the injured man's family. "There is a need for CCTV cameras in our city centre and more police on the ground. "Every weekend we have hundreds of young people congregating around our walls and fighting amongst each other. Once again we have a serious assault - there was another at the same spot last week, and three weeks ago we had a young man lose his life in nearby William Street after an assault. "We can't keep waking up on a Sunday morning to the news of assaults or deaths. Something needs to be done urgently to address this." The PSNI has appealed for witnesses to the assault to come forward. "Shortly after 2am police received a report of an altercation between a number of males on Newmarket Street," it said. "A male, aged in his 30s, sustained serious injuries to his head after he had been assaulted by a number of the males. He has been taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries. "Detectives are appealing for anyone who was in the area of Newmarket Street during the early hours of this morning and who witnessed the incident, or anyone with any information that can assist with the investigation, to contact detectives in Strand Road on 101 quoting reference 209 22/10/2017. "Or, alternatively, if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111." An area of Newmarket Street remained closed for most of the day yesterday while police conducted follow-up enquiries into the incident. Women on low incomes will receive help with travel costs if they travel from Northern Ireland to England for an abortion Women on low incomes from Northern Ireland who seek a free NHS abortion in England will also receive state support to pay for their travel costs, the Government has announced. Those who meet defined financial hardship criteria will be eligible for the measure, Justine Greening said. Ms Greening, the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, announced in the summer that the NHS in England would start to provide abortions free of charge to those women who travel from Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland's strict laws on terminations result in women making the journey across the Irish Sea to access abortion. Ms Greening said abortions had been offered free of charge since her June announcement. In a written statement to the Commons, she outlined how the arrangement would work. She said women from Northern Ireland seeking medical support in England will be eligible for: :: A consultation with an abortion provider in England, including an assessment of whether the legal grounds for an abortion are met; :: The abortion procedure; :: HIV or sexually transmitted infection testing as appropriate; :: An offer of contraception from the abortion provider; :: Support with travel costs if the woman meets financial hardship criteria. "This is comparable with the service that women in England receive," said Ms Greening. She said there would be a central booking service established giving Northern Ireland women a single telephone number to call to make an appointment. The Conservative minority government avoided a potential Commons defeat with its abortion announcement. Labour MP Stella Creasy had tabled an amendment to the Queen's Speech calling for "adequate funding" to ensure free access to abortions in England for women arriving from Northern Ireland. But the Walthamstow MP withdrew her proposal after the Government confirmed it intended to fund such access. On Monday, Ms Greening again made clear that the Government was not seeking to change the legal position in Northern Ireland. "My original statement was clear this does not change the position in relation to the provision of abortions in Northern Ireland, which is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly," she added. "That remains the case. Our proposals do not include the provision of any services in Northern Ireland." The leader of the SDLP has called for Sinn Fein and the DUP to publish what progress has been made on power-sharing talks. With the latest deadline to revive Stormont a week away, Colum Eastwood said the two parties should come clean with the public on the negotiations or else offer a "Plan B". "Week after week we have heard that they have made 'progress' but with no detail and no substance. They need to put their cards on the table," Mr Eastwood said. "The time for negotiating behind the scenes is over. The public deserve to know why they are paying the price for political failure." The DUP and Sinn Fein remain at loggerheads over an Irish Language Act, leaving the spectre of direct rule looming ever larger. Power-sharing imploded in January when late Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned amid a row over the DUP's handling of the botched Renewable Heat Incentive. The fall-out subsequently exposed deeper rifts in power-sharing. Four deadlines have been and gone in the last 10 months. Mr Eastwood added: "After 10 months with no government, it appears that the only thing set to be delivered by the DUP and Sinn Fein is British direct rule, a prospect that should make all of us very worried and very angry." The SDLP said the two parties must have the courage to compromise or offer their alternatives to London running all of Northern Ireland's affairs. "The SDLP is clear: British direct rule must not and cannot be the Plan B," he added. "Direct rule doesn't just bring the British Government into a more powerful position - it gives Arlene Foster and the DUP a blank cheque. That's a compromise the SDLP is not prepared to make." Patsy was killed along with five soldiers when the IRA forced him to drive a van packed with explosives to a border checkpoint The widow of a Londonderry father who died after the IRA strapped him into a van packed with explosives and forced him to drive it to an Army checkpoint says she has been helped on her path to healing by former paramilitaries who have become close friends. Kathleen Gillespie's 42-year-old husband Patsy died on October 24, 1990. He had been kidnapped four hours earlier by a masked Provo gang who held Kathleen and their teenage children at gunpoint before forcing him to drive a 1,000lb bomb to the Coshquin checkpoint on the Derry/Donegal border. As Kathleen prepares to remember her husband on the 27th anniversary of his death, she looked back at that night and to years after the atrocity when a remarkable friendship blossomed between her and a former IRA woman. "They came into the house that night, took turns guarding us and eventually took Patsy away at midnight. They let him in to say goodbye to us," she explained. "He said to me: 'I'll be all right girl, I'll be home soon'. They told us that if everyone did what they were told, no one would be hurt. More fool me for believing them. "They chained my husband to a van loaded with 1,000lbs of explosives and forced him to drive to the Army checkpoint at Cosquin, where it was detonated by remote control. "Patsy had shouted a warning as he approached even though he knew he could never escape himself, and he saved many lives in doing so." A shocked and numb Kathleen tried her best to navigate the days after the blast with her children, then aged 18, 16 and 12. She said that she wasn't able to identify her husband's body - she was told that it was unrecoverable. "The trauma of the event, the aftermath as a single parent bringing up our three teenage children whilst trying to cope with our loss of an incredible husband and father was extremely difficult," Kathleen said. "I did not fully believe that Patsy was actually dead, as there was a closed coffin and no actual body to mourn. "There were days when I couldn't get out of bed until the children came home. I became ill - my doctor told me that a rash that was covering my body was a manifestation of stress and could cause severe problems, including death, if I didn't deal with it. "I decided to give my stress to God. He has bigger shoulders than I have. "I became involved with a victims' organisation at Glencree, where I was asked if I would work with ex-combatants. "It was horrific, I wanted to run out of the room. "I got terrible flashbacks. I didn't know how I could sit in the same room as ex-IRA men. "Then I thought to myself, if I am someone who wants peace I have to be prepared to mix with these people, talk to them, listen to their stories, and if I can't do this how can I expect other people in Northern Ireland to do this work?" Kathleen met and talked with many ex-paramilitaries from both sides, and also ex-Army, police, victims and others who had been affected by the Troubles from Northern Ireland, the Republic and England. Some 15 years later Kathleen met with Teya Sepinuck, the producer of the Theatre Of Witness project, which brought together voices from the Troubles to tell their stories. Teya asked her to take part in an all-female show she was working on. "I found myself in a group of women that involved loyalists, republicans and a policewoman," Kathleen said. "On the first day we all met we sat in a circle and told our stories. "I was sitting beside a young woman who said she was previously in the IRA. I looked at her and I thought she looked civil and seemed genuine. "It was the first time she had told her story and she was crying and crying. "When she was finished telling her story, she looked at me. I stood up and gave her a hug and told her that everything was going to be all right. "Since that day we have been really good friends. We have helped each other on this journey. "Some people can't understand why I can be so comfortable with her and be friends with an ex-IRA woman. "It's not forgiveness - I have no forgiveness in my body for the people who killed Patsy. I have worked my way around the idea of working with ex-paramilitaries because it is to do with peace." Kathleen's peace work saw her join the former IRA woman on projects in the US, while they were involved in other European projects along with an ex-UDA member. The trio have been working closely together with the Warrington Peace Centre, schools, colleges and community and youth groups. They worked alongside the Jesuit Commons America group to build an accredited peace education programme that has been introduced into a number of refugee camps around the world. They are also involved in dialogue, storytelling and workshops with community groups of diverse backgrounds from England tackling race, gang-related and white supremacy issues, and are connected to many worldwide peace organisations. "Here we have opposing ex-combatants, police, ex-soldiers and all religions, all working together and speaking in opposing communities," Kathleen added. "People like to see us together because of the dynamics. They are really surprised that we can all be in the same room together, let alone be friends. "We are not doing this to tell people how to be, but to show them that dialogue, brutal honesty and willingness to listen does work and we are proof. "My friendship with the former IRA woman and ex-UDA man has taught me that ex-paramilitaries are just ordinary people who have done things that they shouldn't have done." Tomorrow, on the 27th anniversary of the atrocity, Kathleen will leave a display of flowers at the bomb site and visit Patsy's grave in Greysteel, not only to remember him, but the five soldiers who died alongside him. And she will continue the peacebuilding journey she has been on in the hope that history will never repeat itself. "I wanted to write on Patsy's headstone: 'Murdered by the IRA'," she said. "But instead I wrote: 'Lord let him be an instrument of your peace'. "I truly believe he is." The NIHRC state the current NI abortion law with regards to case of rape, incest, or serious foetal anomaly is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. An appeal against Northern Ireland's strict abortion law is to be heard in London tomorrow. The Supreme Court will hear a case brought by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, which claims the current law with regards to cases of rape, incest, or serious foetal anomaly is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. At present abortion is unlawful in Northern Ireland, carrying a potential sentence of up to life imprisonment - unless it is necessary to preserve the life of the woman. In 2015/16, 16 abortions were performed in Northern Ireland, which together with the previous year represents the lowest number on record. In 2016, 724 women from Northern Ireland travelled to England for abortion care. In 2015, a High Court judge in Northern Ireland ruled that the current law was in breach of the ECHR in cases of fatal abnormalities or where woman are pregnant as a result of sexual crime. The Northern Ireland Department of Justice and the Attorney General successfully appealed this ruling. Consequently, the NIHRC has taken their case to the Supreme Court. The Northern Ireland Life and Times survey, published in June 2017, found that the majority of respondents supported allowing abortion in cases of fatal foetal anomaly (81%), serious foetal anomaly (73%), and where the woman is pregnant as a result of rape or incest (78%.) A man has been arrested by detectives investigating the murder of Charlotte Murray. Charlotte Murray (34), who was originally from Omagh but had been living in Moy, was reported missing in May 2013. She had not been in contact with her family or friends since October/November 2012. Police believe she was murdered. A 46-year-old man was arrested in Dungannon on Monday morning on suspicion of murder. He has been taken to Dungannon Police Station where he is currently being questioned by detectives. Detective Chief Inspector Eamonn Corrigan said: We continue to investigate Charlottes murder and I would appeal to anyone who has information to contact detectives in Gough on 101 extension 34233. Charlotte has been missing for five years and her family miss her and deserve and need to know what happened to her. Charlotte, who was one of 11 siblings, wasn't married and worked in the catering industry. Last week her sisters Denise Murray and Emma Corrigan, and her nephew Troy Murray, joined with Detective Chief Inspector Eamonn Corrigan to renew their poignant appeal. Charlotte's twin sister Denise described the impact of the ordeal on the family as "one of the most horrific experiences we have ever faced in our lives". A 34-year old man who is awaiting sentence for posing as a barrister to commit fraud has been refused bail. Telling Belfast Crown Court "I don't know what to believe in this case", Judge Patricia Smyth said Christopher McDonnell was not a suitable candidate for bail. Earlier this month McDonnell, from Limewood in Banbridge, was ordered to appear in court where he was to be arraigned on nine charges. He arrived at court late, and blamed his delay on working in England and being delayed by a flight on the way home. However, it later emerged that this claim was a lie, and he was remanded in custody by Judge Smyth ahead of next month's sentencing. Applying to bail today, McDonnell's barrister Joel Lindsay said the remand came as a surprise to his client, who expected to come to court, enter his plea and return home. Instead, he had to arrange for someone to look after his dog from prison. Seeking bail to allow McDonnell to "resolve some issues", Mr Linsday said this would also allow his client time to raise money which could then be given to the woman he defrauded by claiming to be a barrister. It emerged the woman's mother had just died and that she was seeking legal help in relation to this when she was defrauded by McDonnell. As well as expressing her anger and upset about what happened to her, the woman also said "I will never see a penny of my money." However, Mr Lindsay said: "He has told me he is owed a fair bit of money. If he is released on bail, he can get enough money so that restitution can be made. He told me he has some money in his bank account, and that he can put the finger on certain people who owe him." At this point, Judge Smyth said: "I don't know what to believe in this case." During the bail application, Mr Lindsay said McDonnell has since accepted that his job did not take him outside the jurisdiction, and that he lied about why he was late for court. Revealing it was "unlikely" that McDonnell would still have the job, Mr Lindsay said his client's dog has now been rehomed on a permanent basis. When a Crown barrister was asked how he felt about McDonnell being granted bail, he pointed out that not only was McDonnell's offending based on lies, but he had also lied to the court. Refusing bail, Judge Smyth said: "In light of the lies, I don't know where the truth is in this case." Addressing McDonnell, the Judge added: "You are not a suitable candidate for bail." He was remanded back into custody and will be sentenced for fraud and theft offences next month. A new campaign has been launched to recruit 300 PSNI constables by next summer Police in Northern Ireland will allow new recruits to undertake selection tests online rather than in person in a bid to encourage more Catholics to apply. A new campaign has been launched to recruit 300 constables to the PSNI's ranks by next summer, to offset recent loss of staff through retirement. Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris said: "Following our last campaign in 2015, we commissioned Deloitte, our independent recruitment company, to undertake research to identify and understand barriers affecting our recruitment process." He said one issue identified included having to take selection tests in person at a centre rather than online "proved a chill factor" particularly for applicants from the Catholic community and the PSNI has now updated the processes as a result. Mr Harris said: "The PSNI is committed to being representative of the community we serve and welcomes applications from across all sections of the community." Constables will receive a starting salary of 19,500, rising up to 38,000 after recruits have undergone further experience and training. The online assessment will test applicants' verbal reasoning as well as situational judgement, followed by further assessment stages. To be eligible, applicants must have a minimum of 5 GCSE A*-C grades, including maths and English as well as basic computer skills. Aspiring constables will also be subject to vetting, physical assessments and a substance misuse test. Further information on how to apply can be found on the website www.JoinPSNI.co.uk. The closing date for applications is Friday 10 November at midday. A 22 year old mother threatens to stab her daughter, mother and former partner under 'devil's influence.' A Northern Ireland woman accused of threatening to stab her young daughter to death claimed to be under the Devil's influence, the High Court heard. She said voices in her head made her talk about killing the three-year-old girl, her own mother and ex-husband before committing suicide, a judge was told. The 22-year-old defendant, who denies any intention to act on her alleged comments, is not being named to protect the child's identity. She faces three charges of making threats to kill in connection with alleged disclosures at a psychiatric unit last week. The woman was in Holywell Hospital in Antrim on October 16 for an assessment on her mental state. During a bail hearing Crown lawyer Rosie Walsh said the accused told staff she wanted to kill her mother, former partner and three-year-old daughter. "Asked how she intended to do this, she said she would stab them," Ms Walsh submitted. "She was asked if she definitely wanted to carry out these threats and she nodded." It was claimed that she then went on to speak about killing herself. Staff who contacted police assessed the threats as being credible, according to the prosecution. Notes on the theme of death and killing were allegedly made by the accused during her time at the hospital, Ms Walsh continued. During police interviews the woman accepted making comments but insisted they were neither meant nor ever intended to be carried out. The prosecutor added: "She believes that she hears voices, and the Devil is making her say these things. "Police have concerns there's a very real risk of offending if the applicant is of the view she is being communicated with the Devil who is telling her to say these things." Mr Justice Burgess was told a consultant psychiatrist who examined the accused did not believe she was suffering from a mental illness. He assessed her as being fit for interview rather than requiring in-patient care. But defence counsel suggested a borderline personality disorder, adding that his client may not have been taking her medication. Adjourning the bail application, the judge ordered more information about her medical background. He said: "These are obviously extremely serious threats - this lady is saying 'I don't mean to do it but somebody is telling me to do it'. "There are syndromes and there are medical issues that are not fanciful in any way." A Paw Patrol soap product which exploded in the bath putting a three-year-old from Northern Ireland into hospital has been withdrawn. The boy is in the Royal Victoria Hospital after being transferred from Altnagelvin Hospital, in Londonderry. His distressed aunt shared details of the incident in a bid to warn others. She said: Our nephew was in the bath tonight (Wednesday) with this Paw Patrol Foam Soap and it exploded. Hes been rushed to the hospital and has to go to the Royal. Please, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers, hes only three. The little boy was in a "critical condition" last week. However on a Monday the Belfast Trust confirmed he was now "stable". Former SDLP MLA Pat Ramsey said he had been speaking to the family, who are distraught. Mr Ramsey said: Its a horrible time for them. A spokesperson for broadcaster Nickelodeon said: We are terribly sorry to hear about this dreadful incident and we are gathering more information about the product involved. A spokesman for Kokomo, which is responsible for producing the product, confirmed to the Belfast Telegraph on Friday night that they have advised retailers to withdraw the product. Our thoughts are with this little boy and his family. As a precautionary measure, we have suggested to our retailers they withdraw this product from sale while we co-operate with the Trading Standards investigation. Lacatus Alin examines his burnt-out minibus after three vehicles in the east Belfast area were targeted in hate crimes Lacatus Alin examines his burnt-out minibus after three vehicles in the east Belfast area were targeted in hate crimes Police are investigating a possible link to loyalist paramilitaries following a spate of racist attacks in east Belfast. Three vehicles were set on fire in what police described as racially motivated hate crimes in the early hours of Sunday in the Florida Street, Wayland Street and Carlingford Street areas. All vehicles were extensively damaged. In one incident the fire on the vehicle resulted in a number of other nearby cars damaged. Speaking to the BBC, police said there was a link to the incidents and did not rule out paramilitary involvement. "Given the time and location we are definitely saying there is a linkage between the incidents. At this stage we are not ruling out any paramilitary involvement. The investigation is very much open at this time," Superintendent Robert Murdy said. Read More Police have appealed for witnesses, or anyone with information to contact police. A statement said: "At this stage, all lines of enquiry are being kept open. We would encourage anyone with any information about these incidents, to contact us on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 362 22/10/17. Or, alternatively if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111." Over 210m in funding has been allocated to police to tackle terrorism in Northern Ireland in the past two years, with 160m earmarked this year specifically to crack down on dissident republicans. In a statement to MPs on the security situation, Secretary of State James Brokenshire said the threat level from dissident republicans in Northern Ireland remained at 'severe', the highest level meaning an attack was "highly likely". In Britain it remains 'substantial' meaning an attack was a "strong possibility". He said, however, there had been progress on dealing with paramilitaries and diverting people away from their clutches and into community work. The secretary of State detailed how there had been four attacks in the past year blamed on dissident republicans. This compares to 16 in 2015 and 40 in 2010. "Although there has been a reduction," Mr Brokenshire said, "terrorist attack planning continues with lethal intent and capability. Vigilance in the face of this continuing threat remains essential." Welcoming the sentencing of former Royal Marine Ciaran Maxwell who was convicted over republican terrorist offences, Mr Brokenshire said the 23-year term demonstrated the harm he posed and how his capture had "undoubtedly saved lives". The MP said progress had been made in terms of tackling both republican and loyalist paramilitaries. He outlined how there had been two paramilitary-related deaths, 19 people shot in paramilitary shootings and 57 assault victims this year up to the end of September. The perpetrators are criminals who use the cloak of paramilitary activity to line their own pockets and impoverish communities. This month marks the 10th anniversary of Mi5 taking responsibility from the PSNI on matters of national security intelligence. James Brokenshire said in the past two years 210m has been allocated to fund the fight against terrorism in Northern Ireland. This year a 160m fund was made available to directly target dissident republicans and there was also a 30% increase in cross-government spending on counter-terrorism. No detail was provided on what that figure was and the Northern Ireland Office said it did not have those figures to give. Through the Fresh Start agreement in 2015 another 50m was made available between 2016 and 2021 to tackle paramilitarism. "This Government is strongly supporting ongoing efforts to tackle the scourge of paramilitarism and organised crime in Northern Ireland," Mr Brokenshire continued. As of the end of September almost 100 arrests and 200 searches had been made in relation to paramilitary activity with 66 people charged or reported to the Public Prosecution Service. Around 450,000 worth of criminal assets have been including 157,000 in cash, along with drugs worth around 230,000, guns, ammunition and pipe bombs and other items. Mr Brokenshire added: "Significant progress has been made, but the severe threat from violent dissident republican terrorist groups remains and we must be vigilant to this. "There are still those who wish to murder public servants and commit acts of terror. Many people still live in fear of paramilitaries. Through the excellent work of PSNI, MI5 and security partners including An Garda Siochana, we will continue to bring those who seek to cause harm in our society to justice." Lacatus Alin examines his burnt-out minibus after three vehicles in the east Belfast area were targeted in hate crimes Lacatus Alin examines his burnt-out minibus after three vehicles in the east Belfast area were targeted in hate crimes East Belfast's reputation is being hit by ongoing hate attacks, a councillor has said after the latest wave of destruction targeting foreign nationals. Three vehicles were set on fire in what police described as racially motivated hate crimes. The PSNI said the arson attacks took place on three streets in the area in the early hours of yesterday. In the first incident, police were alerted to a vehicle having been set on fire on Florida Street off the Ravenhill Road shortly before 4.15am. Officers said it was extensively damaged and a number of other cars parked nearby were also damaged as a result. In the second attack, at around the same time, a police patrol at Wayland Street off the Castlereagh Road discovered a small fire on the bonnet of a parked car. The fire was put out but the front of the vehicle and the windscreen were damaged. And in the third incident, which occurred a short time later, a car parked on Carlingford Street near the Woodstock Road was extensively damaged after being torched. The PSNI said it was investigating a link between the arsons and that they were being treated as hate crimes. Officers appealed for witnesses to come forward. UUP Deputy Lord Mayor Sonia Copeland condemned the attacks. She said: "It is vile that anyone would be targeted in an attempt to make them feel unwelcome in an area. Hate crime cannot be tolerated in any shape or form. I would appeal to anyone who has information that could help the PSNI catch those responsible to come forward. "Those who are acting in this vile way need to consider the effect it has, not just on the victims who are now left without vehicles, but also on the entire area. "Just last week I had a series of meetings to discuss potential investment in these areas - those responsible for these attacks need to think about what they are doing to east Belfast's reputation." Sinn Fein councillor Mairead O'Donnell said: "These racist attacks come on the back of UVF intimidation which saw four Catholic families forced to leave their homes in Cantrell Close, just a few streets away from this morning's arson attacks. "Those responsible for these attacks have shown blatant disregard for the community. "The racists need to hear loud and clear that their cowardly actions are unacceptable." East Belfast has been a hotspot for racist attacks in recent months. Just over a week ago a van belonging to a charity that helps families and children in the Philippines was set alight. In September a pig's head was left outside Inverary Community Centre and racist graffiti daubed on the walls. In July cars belonging to Romanians were smashed up and windows were broken. And in May a pregnant refugee mother and her family were forced from their home after a catalogue of attacks. Could this baby-faced teenager be set to become Belfast's next First Citizen? Speculation is growing at City Hall that Orla Nic Biorna (19) - who has been a councillor for just a few days - will be nominated by Sinn Fein as its choice for Lord Mayor next year. The decision on who will take over from the Alliance Party's Nuala McAllister as Lord Mayor next June rests solely with Sinn Fein after the parties in Belfast City Council agreed several years ago to use the d'Hondt mechanism to decide which party's turn it should be for the top job. Ms Nic Biorna officially became a councillor at the end of last week after being co-opted to replace veteran republican Janice Austin (66) in the Black Mountain district electoral area. The teen is currently a student at St Mary's University College in west Belfast. She is a former pupil of the Irish language school Colaiste Feirste, and has been a Sinn Fein activist since the age of 16. A City Hall source said many were surprised to learn of the sudden departure of Ms Austin from the Sinn Fein benches earlier this month, adding that Ms Nic Biorna is regarded by Sinn Fein as a rising star. Her fluency in the Irish language is understood to have pushed her into the front running among the 19 Sinn Fein councillors in Belfast while the party continues to press for an Irish Language Act at the talks to try to restore power-sharing at Stormont. Previously, the youngest Lord Mayor to lead Belfast was Niall O Donnghaile, also of Sinn Fein, who was 25 years old when he took on the chain of office in 2011. However, Mr O Donnghaile caused controversy during his term when he refused to present a Duke of Edinburgh award to a teenage army cadet. He also stepped aside from the role early to allow the DUP's Gavin Robinson to start his term sooner, as the Queen had planned a visit in June 2012 as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Mr O Donnghaile left Belfast City Council in 2016 after he was elected to the Irish Senate. DUP councillor Guy Spence was the youngest person elected to Belfast City Council in 2011, and he went on to serve as Deputy Lord Mayor in 2015 when he was 23. Last year, in England, the Labour Party's Terence Smith became Britain's youngest mayor at the age of 19 in Goole, east Yorkshire. Writing in a blog post earlier this year, Ms Nic Biorna described belonging to a family of Irish speakers and even attended an Irish medium nursery school. Ms Austin, the longest serving Sinn Fein councillor in the city, has been involved with the party for four decades. She told the Andersonstown News earlier this month she is planning to enjoy her retirement and spend more time with her family, but will continue to be involved in republicanism. Sinn Fein did not respond last night when asked to comment on this story. Meanwhile, the Alliance Party is due to nominate the next Deputy Lord Mayor to take over from the UUP's Sonia Copeland. Belfast City Council agreed in 2011 to start using the system of d'Hondt to allocate the top positions such as Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and committee chairs based on the strength of numbers of each of the parties elected to the council. However, the system is not universally popular, and sparked opposition at the time with some of the smaller parties claiming it favoured the larger parties on the council, and that its introduction was less beneficial for them. Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy accused the UK and Irish governments of trying to shape the media agenda The UK and Irish governments are set to present Northern Ireland's parties with their version of a proposed deal to break the powersharing impasse at Stormont, Sinn Fein has predicted. Party negotiator Conor Murphy warned that any paper tabled by London and Dublin was likely to fall short of what was required to facilitate the return of a devolved government in Belfast. He also accused both governments of trying to shape the media agenda on the talks process by briefing and spinning falsehoods. With a week to go before the latest deadline in the powersharing crisis, Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionists remain at loggerheads over key issues, such as proposed laws to protect Irish language speakers. The clock is ticking toward October 30, when the UK Government effectively needs to decide whether it has to take a major step toward the re-imposition of direct rule and intervene to set a budget for the region's rudderless public services. With no sign of a breakthrough imminent, Mr Murphy said he believed the two governments might try to present a framework agreement and urge the Stormont parties to sign up. "We strongly suspect that the two governments are shaping up to produce a paper for these talks which would fall short of what is required to have sustainable institutions returned, we have told them that privately," he said. He said if Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire did step in to set a budget that would be a clear sign the negotiations to restore powersharing have failed and "run their course". Asked if passing a budget would mean a return to direct rule, Mr Murphy insisted direct UK rule was not currently an option under legislation and the UK and Irish Government should instead work on the basis of "co-stewardship" of the region going forward. But he said Sinn Fein was still working to avert any of that. "We are not about a failure, we are here this week to try to secure an agreement," said the Newry and Armagh Assembly member. The current phase of negotiations have essentially been conducted between the DUP and Sinn Fein, with the smaller Stormont parties not involved. The leader of the SDLP has called on the two larger parties to publish what progress has been made. Colum Eastwood said the parties should come clean with the public on the negotiations or else offer a "plan B". "Week after week, we have heard that they have made 'progress' but with no detail and no substance. They need to put their cards on the table," the SDLP leader said. "The time for negotiating behind the scenes is over. The public deserve to know why they are paying the price for political failure." Powersharing imploded in January when the late Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned amid a row over the DUP's handling of a botched renewable heat energy scheme. The falling out subsequently exposed deeper rifts in powersharing. Four UK Government deadlines have been and gone in the last 10 months. Mr Eastwood added: "After 10 months with no government, it appears that the only thing set to be delivered by the DUP and Sinn Fein is British direct rule. A prospect that should make all of us very worried and very angry." The SDLP said the two parties must have the courage to compromise or offer their alternatives to London running all of Northern Ireland's affairs. "The SDLP is clear, British direct rule must not and cannot be the Plan B," Mr Eastwood said. Mr Eastwood said if the UK Government passed a Stormont budget it would be "direct rule by any other name". "If that is what is going to be delivered by this process the two largest parties should hang their heads in shame," he said. Alliance Party deputy leader Stephen Farry said the DUP and Sinn Fein had been "indulged" too long and claimed those parties were more concerned about their core supporters rather than the good of broader society. He called for a more inclusive process that involved all the parties in round-table talks. Mr Farry said there was a "precious week ahead of us". "If we are to make the best use of the space available to us we believe it's now incumbent that we have change in approach of the talks," he said. "The format we have had to date has not produced results - it's now time we revert back to the multilateral format that allows for positions to be tested in a more round table manner." The British and Irish governments are set to table a deal that is "less than what is required", Sinn Fein negotiator Conor Murphy has said. His comments come with one week to go until the deadline laid down by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire, who said last week a deal needed to be struck by October 30 to allow for a budget to be passed. Mr Brokenshire said the latest date to commence setting a budget for Northern Ireland through a restored Executive would be November 6. However, if no deal between Sinn Fein and the DUP was evident by October 30, he would begin the legislation process for bringing Northern Ireland's budget through Westminster on that date. Speaking ahead of the deadline, Mr Murphy said: "Talks have resumed and, as we made clear last week, time is running out. I strongly suspect that the two governments are preparing a paper that will be less than what is required for sustainable institutions and we've told them that privately." He added last week the two governments had made a "failed attempt" to "shape media agenda as part of the public conditioning for that". Last week Taoiseach Leo Varadkar drew headlines for comments he made on BBC's Spotlight programme about a possible united Ireland. He told the programme: "I wouldnt like us to get to the point whereby we are changing the constitutional position here in Northern Ireland on a 50% plus one basis." The Good Friday Agreements states that a majority should support constitutional change for the creation of a united Ireland. Responding to the Taoiseach's comments, Mr Murphy said: "As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Taoiseach should be seeking to defend the agreement in all its parts, not seeking to undermine it." He also told the programme there would be a willingness from the EU to "bend the rules" for Northern Ireland. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was accused of "throwing his weight around" over the issue of the border in the Brexit talks. Speaking during the Prime Minister's update to parliament on progress on the negotiations, North Antrim MP Ian Paisley said Mr Varadkar should concentrate on the interests of the Republic or Ireland. Read More He said: "Has the Prime Minister taken the opportunity to remind the Republic of Irelands Taoiseach that it is about time that he started to pull his weight in the interests of the Republic of Ireland, rather than attempting to throw his weight around on the issue of the border? "All that he doing is potentially damaging his economy more than the economy of Northern Ireland. Will the Prime Minister make an impression on the Labour partys front benchers that when they visit Northern Ireland and threaten that the peace process is an exchange for Brexit, they are playing with fire and they ought not to encourage that beast?" Responding, Prime Minister Theresa May said: "It is very important that all sides are clear that we must ensure that the Belfast Agreement is put into place, recognised and respected in its entirety. "It is also important that we ensure that the peace programmes that have been possible through our membership of the European Union can continue. "When it comes to resolving the issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, it will be for us to work with the Republic of Ireland Government and the European Union more generally to find a solution that we all want to see, whereby there is no physical infrastructure at the border and no return to the borders of the past." Gardai said the manhunt followed a 'series of incidents' in the area A man in his 30s has been arrested and a suspected gun seized in a busy shopping centre after a near eight-hour manhunt. The suspect was detained just after lunchtime in Citywest Shopping Centre on the outskirts of Dublin as stunned and frightened onlookers and shop workers hid or ran from stores in the complex. The man was restrained by several gardai with about 10 patrol cars and armed response units quickly on the scene after a pursuit across Tallaght. Gardai had issued a public appeal for sightings of a suspected gunman and an alert to the public to stay away from him f ollowing a series of incidents in the area from before dawn. It is understood the manhunt was launched after a disturbance at a house, believed to have been a domestic issue, in the Brookview area of Tallaght at around 6.30am. In what gardai described as a "series of incidents" over the next few hours, a man was assaulted after a break-in at his home and a number of cars were stolen at gunpoint and either crashed or abandoned. Following the disturbance at the first home, a car was taken from the property and crashed nearby at Russell Square. Subsequently, another car was hijacked on the street and abandoned before the gunman smashed his way into a house in the Watergate area of Tallaght just before 7am. After breaking glass in the front door and forcing his way inside, the armed man beat a man around the head with the butt of the gun before demanding car keys. A black Renault Kadjar SUV was stolen from the house. The injured man described the firearm as a machine gun. The suspected gunman is then believed to have hijacked at least three other vehicles during a rampage around Tallaght before being rammed while in a black Mercedes at the Citywest Shopping Centre. It is understood he fled from the car and into the shopping complex. Gardai said a suspected firearm, which will undergo technical examination, was recovered at the scene of the arrest. Witness Kian McGuirk, 15, was in a car on the grounds of the shopping centre with his mother when the arrest incident unfolded. "Me and mam had just driven out of the shops. She was just getting a few bits and bobs and we heard the helicopter and the sirens," he said. "I only live up the road and I said to my mam I'd just walk around to the house. She said 'no' but then she said 'OK, but don't get too close'. The schoolboy, who lives in Citywest and was in the area for an appointment, said: "The main doors were across the road from me. "I could see someone sprinting out. I saw the fella sprinting out to the main doors. He dropped his jacket, a black jacket. "I saw the gardai running into the shops. And they just jumped on him, put him on the ground and then handcuffs." The suspect had suffered a minor cut to his face. Some workers in the shopping centre were too shocked to talk, with some in tears, following the incident. Niall Collins, manager of Streat cafe in the Citywest centre, said gardai chased a man into the centre and towards Dunnes before the arrest was made. "We heard the commotion out in the hall," he said. "We didn't see much. We went to the front door and the gardai followed him in. Then there were a couple of customers sitting out the front of the cafe so we brought them in and pulled down the shutters." Four samurai swords were also taken from a house in the Brookview area of Tallaght in a follow-up search by gardai. Gardai said the arrested man was detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and taken in for questioning to Tallaght station. They repeated their appeal for witnesses to come forward. Social media companies face the prospect of unlimited fines in Irish courts if they fail to remove posts which risk prejudicing criminal trials Social media companies face the prospect of unlimited fines in Irish courts if they fail to remove posts which risk prejudicing criminal trials. Landmark legislation to be published this week in Dublin will push responsibility for online content back onto tech giants like Google, Facebook and Twitter rather than the individual who posts it. Both the Irish Supreme Court and the Law Reform Commission have previously called for contempt of court to be defined in legislation, as it is in the UK. The Bill, written by Fine Gael TD Josepha Madigan, aims to provide clarity to judges who are struggling to deal with contempt of court issues. Under proposals going before the Dail tomorrow, the courts will be able to force companies to remove or prevent the publication of prejudicial content. It will be left to trial judges to decide the level of fine imposed if a company fails to comply. Ms Madigan, who is also a solicitor, said she is concerned social media is not being treated in the same manner as traditional media. "We need to protect juries from being influenced in any adverse or prejudicial way," she said. Her Bill will give the law on contempt of court statutory footing for the first time. "It protects the balance between the right to free speech and the right to a fair trial." During the summer, then-chief justice Susan Denham indicated that new procedures were needed in relation to how contempt of court laws apply to posts on social media. She said courts in the Republic rarely had to use contempt of court laws to curb inaccurate and disruptive online communications about cases. But she added: "It would be naive of us not to plan for the future in this regard." Ms Justice Denham continued that the right to a fair trial didn't change "in the face of any new means of communications" and that the rules "can and must reflect the new reality". Ms Madigan's Contempt of Court Bill 2017 gives judges powers to direct that material which risks prejudicing court proceedings be removed from websites. They would also be able to order that the website's operators take steps that the court deems "reasonably necessary" to prevent the publication of such posts. Failure to comply with such orders would be contempt of court. The penalty for individuals found to be in contempt of court after they made posts on social media would be imprisonment or a fine. Websites could be found to be in contempt notwithstanding the fact that their administrators were not responsible for the original posting of the material. Internet providers may be ordered to block access to the offending sections of the website, under the proposed law. Among defences allowed for in the Bill is if the website's operators could show they went "beyond what is reasonably necessary" to prevent the publication of material prejudicial to a case. Five of Britain's biggest business lobby groups have drafted a letter intended for Brexit Secretary David Davis Theresa May told the Commons she was confident that she would be able to get a new, deep and special partnership with the EU Pro-EU MPs have expressed alarm Britain could leave the European Union without any transition period if there is no deal on a new free trade agreement. In the Commons, Theresa May said in order to have a transition to a new partnership arrangement with the EU following Brexit, the terms of that arrangement would have to be clear. Following last week's EU summit in Brussels, the Prime Minister said she remained "confident" she would be able to get that "new, deep and special partnership" with the EU. However Labour MPs said if she failed to get an agreement and there was no transition, businesses would face the "cliff-edge" break which they had long feared when Britain leaves in March 2019. Mrs May told the House: "The point of the implementation period is to put in place the practical changes necessary to move to the future partnership. "In order to have that you need to know what the future partnership is going to be." The Prime Minister was pressed by Labour former Cabinet minister Yvette Cooper who warned Britain could be forced to fall back on World Trade Organisation rules. "If we haven't got a long-term trade deal agreed by this time next year, then there won't be any transition deal at all and Britain will end up on WTO rules by March 2019," she said. Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie also urged her to commit to negotiating a transitional arrangement separate from a trade deal. "It is the cliff edge that the business community want to know will not be there in 2019," he said. He later tweeted that her refusal to offer the reassurance he was demanding would be a "disaster" for business planning. Following her statement Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said she should act to lift the "shadow of uncertainty" hanging over business. "This defeats the whole point of a transition deal, which is to provide much-needed certainty," he said. "Past experience shows there is no way a final trade deal with the EU will be agreed by March 2019. "Firms facing crucial investment decisions need clarity now, not in another 18 months' time." The row came after a leak of a draft letter intended for Brexit Secretary David Davis from five of Britain's biggest business lobby groups emphasised the need for transitional arrangements to be agreed "as soon as possible". The private letter, signed by the CBI, British Chambers of Commerce, manufacturing trade body EEF, the Institute of Directors and the Federation of Small Businesses, said firms were facing serious decisions which with "consequences for jobs and investment in the UK". Downing Street said the details of the transition, or "implementation period", would have to be discussed alongside the final trade deal. "The implementation period is a bridge to where we are headed in terms of the future relationship with the EU," the Prime Minister's official spokesman said. "Of course you need to know what that future relationship looks like in terms of the implementation period." In the Commons, Mrs May told MPs: "I am ambitious and positive about Britain's future and these negotiations." However Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn dismissed her statement as "Groundhog Day", saying the impasse in the Brexit negotiations remained, partly because of divisions within the Cabinet and her own party. "The Prime Minister is too weak to do anything about it," he said. A security alert at Sellafield has sparked fresh demands to close down the nuclear facility just across the Irish Sea. Army bomb specialists were called to the reprocessing plant to deal with hazardous chemicals found in a laboratory. The chemicals, contained within a number of canisters, were discovered during an audit of the lab at the site in Cumbria. They were industrial solvents, such as Tetrahydrofuran, which are potentially flammable in liquid states and can crystallise and become unstable when exposed to air. None of the chemicals were nuclear or radiological materials, a spokesman for Sellafield said. After the discovery of the chemicals, which had been stored in the lab since 1992, the Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team were called out on Saturday night to assess the situation. The bomb disposal officers returned yesterday morning to help dispose of the chemicals safely. The spokesman said the Army team will dig a trench, bury the canisters using sandbags, and detonate them in a controlled manner. South Down Sinn Fein MP Chris Hazzard called for the plant to be closed. "Today's incident at Sellafield once again highlights the extreme risk and danger this major nuclear installation poses to society and our environment," he said. "Sellafield should be closed immediately. This incident follows years of controversy about concerns regarding safety and dangerously low staffing levels. "Ireland, and South Down in particular, is on the front line of the threat posed by Sellafield." Theresa May and Shinzo Abe have agreed to maintain pressure on North Korea following the Japanese Prime Ministers re-election. The two leaders vowed to continue working with the international community to tackle Kim Jong Uns destabilising activity. Mr Abe secured a decisive victory in a snap election unlike Mrs May, who lost her Commons majority when a similar electoral gamble backfired in June. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference A Downing Street spokesman said: This morning the Prime Minister called Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan to congratulate him on his success in the Japanese general election. The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Abe discussed North Korea and agreed to continue to work with the international community to maintain pressure on the regime to cease its destabilising activity. They noted the role the UK played in the EU agreeing tough sanctions on North Korea last week. The leaders reflected on the Prime Ministers successful visit to Japan in August and the positive impact it has had on UK-Japan relations. They looked forward to deepening ties between our two countries on trade, security and defence. The Prime Minister also offered Prime Minister Abe her condolences on the impact and loss of life caused by Typhoon Lan. Hours after the widow of a US solider killed in action appeared on television to talk about her husband, Donald Trump has refuted her version of a phone call with the president upon her husbands death. Last week, Trump was accused by congresswoman Frederica Wilson of telling Myeshia Johnson, wife of sergeant La David Johnson, that her husband knew what he signed up for. Johnson was killed in action on October 4 along with three other American soldiers in an ambush in Niger. Questions have been raised about the circumstances surrounding the attack, with politicians on both sides of the aisle requesting more information about the ambush. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference In Mondays Good Morning America interview, Mrs Johnson stood by the congresswomans version of events and added more detail, saying the 45th president couldnt remember my husbands name. Thats what hurt me the most. After her appearance on the programme, Trump took to Twitter to challenge the congresswoman and Johnsons version of events. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference His response to Johnsons appearance on the daytime television show garnered strong push-back online. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Some urged the president to apologise and move on. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference However, there were some on Trumps side. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference In a story which keeps getting bigger, we may not have seen the last of it yet. Marina Sturdza, a former Romanian princess who returned from exile to after communism ended to become one of the country's leading humanitarians, has died aged 73. Children's charity Hope and Homes for Children, of which Ms Sturdza was patron, said she died on Sunday at her New York home. Descended from two aristocratic families, she left Romania at age three in the early years after the Second World War when communists began ruling the country, finding exile in Canada. She returned in 1997. Princess Marina, as she was known in Romania, was associated with charities working to move children from state orphanages to family homes. She also dedicated her efforts to palliative care. Earlier in her life, she was a journalist who covered fashion and the arts. The presidents of Italy's wealthy northern regions of Veneto and Lombardy have claimed victory in autonomy referendums that seek to grab additional powers and tax revenue from Rome. The votes were non-binding, but the leaders of the neighbouring regions hope to leverage strong turnout in talks with Italy's centre-left government. As leading members of the anti-migrant, anti-EU Northern League, they want to keep more tax revenue and have autonomy over such policy areas as immigration, security, education and environment. "This is the big bang of institutional reform," Veneto president Luca Zaia said in Venice. "We are convinced, and I hope Rome understands, that this is not the wish of a political party. These are the wishes of the people." In Milan, his counterpart in Lombardy, Roberto Maroni, said that with the votes, the two regions "can unify our forces so we can do the battle of the century". The two leaders say they will meet with their regional councils to finalise their requests before going to Rome to meet with Premier Paolo Gentiloni. Unlike in Spain's Catalonia, the referendums do not seek independence and were approved by Italy's constitutional court. Still, the autonomy drive is a powerful threat to Rome's authority. Together, Veneto and Lombardy account for 30% of Italy's GDP and nearly one-quarter of the nation's electorate. Mr Maroni said an overwhelming 95% of his region's vote went to "yes", with turnout above 40% of Lombardy's eight million voters. That far exceeded the bar for success that he set at 34%, which was the turnout for a national referendum on constitutional reform in 2001. Independence-minded Veneto easily met a turnout threshold to validate the vote set by Mr Zaia, with some 60% of the region's four million voters casting ballots. According to early returns, 98% voted "yes." The Democratic Party, which leads the national government in Rome, had criticised the referendums, saying the non-binding votes carried no legal weight, were not needed to trigger autonomy negotiations and were a costly waste of resources. Such arguments played into the hands of the "yes" campaigners, who consider those put-downs to be part of the anti-democratic, centrist decision-making in Rome. Those sentiments have been echoed in the Catalan independence drive in Spain, in the US election of Donald Trump as president and in Britain's vote to leave the European Union. The victory raises the Northern League's profile ahead of national elections next year. But it also has the power to create a wedge between the rich north and the poor south just as Northern League leader Matteo Salvini, who supports autonomy, has pushed for a more national profile for the once-northern party. The referendum campaign drove hard on the theme that too much northern tax revenues were going to the less-efficient southern regions. The Northern League was founded with the goal of secession for the wealthier, more productive northern regions, but it gave that up when it joined the national government under then-Premier Silvio Berlusconi in the 1990s. During that period, it pushed for federalism, which lost steam during Italy's long economic crisis. Autonomy has become the new expression of the party's identity politics. AP Romania has up to 6,000 brown bears living in the wild Two people have been taken to hospital after they were attacked by a brown bear in central Romania. A 39-year-old man was scratched all over his body and a 14-year-old girl was bitten and scratched during the attack early on Monday in the mountainous city of Fagaras, a spokesman for Romania's emergency services said. They were both treated at the municipal hospital. The spokesman said the bear had left the forest and had come to the city in search of food. The animal ran off, frightened by the screams. He said there were occasional attacks on humans in the Brasov area, home to many of Romania's bears. Romania has between 5,000 and 6,000 wild bears. A banner with a photo of Malta police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar outside the Malta police headquarters after a rally to honour Daphne Caruana Galizia (AP Photo/Rene Rossignaud) Thousands of Maltese citizens joined a rally to honour an investigative journalist killed by a car bomb. But the prime minister and opposition leader who were chief targets of Daphne Caruana Galizia's reporting stayed away from the gathering on Sunday. Participants at the rally in Malta's capital, Valletta, placed flowers at the foot of a memorial to the 53-year-old reporter that sprang up opposite the law court building after her killing on Monday. Some wore T-shirts or carried placards emblazoned with words from Ms Caruana Galizia's final blog post: "There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate." Police removed a banner describing Malta as a "Mafia state". Hundreds of participants later held a sit-in outside police headquarters, demanding the resignation of Malta's police commissioner. Some hurled tomatoes, cakes and coins against an enlarged photograph of the commissioner spread out on the street. The murder of a journalist who devoted her career to exposing wrongdoing in Malta and raised her three sons there united many of the nation's fractious politicians, at least for a day. Ms Caruana Galizia had repeatedly criticised police and judicial officials. Malta's two dominant political forces, the ruling Labor and opposition Nationalist parties, participated in the rally which was organised to press demands for justice in her killing. But Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told his Labor party's radio station a few hours before the event's start time that he would not attend because he knew the anti-corruption reporter's family did not want him to be there. "I know where I should be and where I should not be. I am not a hypocrite and I recognise the signs," he said, adding that he supported the rally's goals of call for justice and national unity. Nationalist leader Adrian Delia also skipped the rally, saying he did not want to "stir controversy". "Today is not about me, but about the rule of law and democracy," he told reporters. Mr Muscat and Mr Delia, while fierce political rivals, have another thing in common, as both brought libel lawsuits against Ms Caruana Galizia. Mr Delia withdrew his pending libel cases last week after her killing. Ms Caruana Galizia's family has refused to endorse the government's offer of a 1 million euro (890,000) reward and full protection to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of her killer or killers. Instead, the family, which includes a son who is an investigative journalist himself, has demanded that Mr Muscat resign. In their quest for a serious and efficient investigation, Ms Caruana Galizia's husband and children also want Malta's top police office and attorney general replaced. "The killers decided to silence her, but they won't silence her spirit, they won't silence us," Christophe Deloire, a French journalist from the journalism advocacy organisation Reporters Without Borders, said. "From us they will not have more than one minute of silence." On Sunday morning, all seven national newspapers had their front pages black in Ms Caruana Galizia's memory. Printed in bold letters against the black backgrounds were the words: "The pen conquers fear." Just before her death, Ms Caruana Galizia had posted on her closely followed blog, Running Commentary, that there were "crooks everywhere" in Malta. The island nation has a reputation as a tax haven in the EU and has attracted companies and money from outside Europe. The journalist focused her reporting for years on investigating political corruption and scandals, and writing about Maltese mobsters and the island's drug trafficking. She also wrote about Maltese links to the so-called Panama Papers leaks about offshore financial havens. After the rally ended, several hundred participants walked to police headquarters, and sat in the street outside shouting "Shame on you!" and "Resign!" Malta President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca received a delegation from the Civil Society Network, a non-partisan organisation of university professors, businessmen, opinion writers and authors in Malta. The car bombing was "an attack on all of us, every single one of us," she told them. "We need to see how we are going to work together. We need to unite to have the reform that is needed." AP The Russian Revolution of October 1917 is seen as a stirring event, not unlike the Easter Rising of 1916, with an archaic and reactionary regime replaced by a vital new leadership. Lenin and Trotsky are charismatic figures, even if the most powerful of the troika, Stalin, is now better known as a ruthless dictator. The drama of the October Revolution remains compelling, and yet I find the fate of the last Tsar's family - his wife, four daughters and sickly son - a distressing thread in the story. Boris Yeltsin called the murder of the Romanovs (the family were stabbed, bayonetted and clubbed to death - a slow and agonising process) in a cellar in Yekaterinburg "one of the most shameful pages in Russian history". Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra, had four daughters - Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia - and in the early years of these girls' lives, they had an Irish nanny, Margaretta Eagar. She came from Limerick, one of 11 children. They were Irish Protestants and, in her memoir, she is firm about being "a subject of King Edward VII", although she is also quite clear about being Irish. She recounts Irish legends to her little charges and observes parallels between the religious fervour of the Russian peasants and "the Roman Catholics of Ireland". Margaretta, who had been a nurse in Belfast and then a matron in a girls' orphanage, was 36 when she arrived in St Petersburg in early 1899, hired through personal recommendation. She seems to have taken immediately to the two elder girls, Olga and Tatiana, although in her memoir, Six Years at the Russian Court, the third daughter, Maria, becomes her special favourite. Maria was "born good", teased by her sisters, and deeply attached to her father. Anastasia, the last daughter, regarded as the most spirited - there was an enduring, but fictitious, legend that she had survived the massacre - is less prominent. Miss Eagar also fails to mention that the son, Alexei, was, tragically, a haemophiliac. Daughters were treated as second-best in many dynastic traditions and the disappointment elicited by the court to the births of four daughters may have contributed to the fall of the Romanovs. Helen Rappaport's touching biography of the princesses, Four Sisters, brings out the dynastic obsession with producing a son. The Anglo-German Tsarina, Alexandra, had poor health and suffered in pregnancy but bore motherhood stoically in the hope of a boy. When the first girl, Olga, was born, the reaction was "a great joy, although it's a pity it's not a son". In London, the Pall Mall Gazette reported: "A son would have been more welcome, but a daughter is better than nothing." Four girls spelled dismay, but, Tsar Nicholas adored his daughters: he was an autocrat but also a fond family man. The parents' joy when a son was finally born was followed by the grief of a haemophilia diagnosis - his nappies were covered in blood. And thus the family tragedy gradually unfolded. The monk Grigori Rasputin, a sort of faith healer, came to attend on the fragile Alexei, and his ministrations seemed to work. He drew on Siberian shaman traditions as well as on Russian Orthodoxy. The Tsarina became so focused on Alexei's care that rumours accumulated about Rasputin's power over the Tsar's wife and family. Equal dynastic rights between daughters and sons might have saved the Romanovs - if not from rule, at least from their awful fate. If daughters had been accepted as having an equal right to inheritance, the obsession with a son might not have steered the events which occurred. Yet, as Nanny Eagar observed, the early childhoods of the Romanov girls were often jovial and normal. Tsar Nicholas was pleased with her "excellent" care; the nursery was a "paradise" under her regime. She spoke English to the girls, who afterwards wrote her affectionate letters. They missed her a lot when she left St Petersburg "for private reasons". She always referred to them as "my" children. Nanny Eagar's memoir, published in 1906, doesn't disclose very much and is padded out with too many generalisations about Russian life. She would have been paid a pension by the Romanovs until 1916 and later in her life she ran a boarding house in Kensington. It's a loss to history that some sharp journalist didn't do a more probing interview with her before she died in 1936. George V, in London, could well have saved his cousin and the family but, having first offered asylum, he then withdrew it, warned by Lloyd George - concerned by the Irish situation - that there could be a Bolshevik revolution in Britain. George put his own survival first. The Labour leader Keir Hardie was particularly opposed to the "tyrannous" Tsar. History always brings changed perspectives. The truth about the brutal murders of the Romanov family began to emerge in the Nineties, and the Russian government formally restored them to respect as "victims of political repressions". In 2008, the Russian Orthodox Church canonised the family as saints and, the last time I visited the exquisite St Isaac's Cathedral in St Petersburg, worshippers were queuing up to kiss the holy icons of Tsar Nicholas II, "Our Little Father". Yekaterinburg has now become a place of pilgrimage. Before I get to what Leo Varadkar said on BBC's Spotlight programme on Tuesday about not wanting a change in the constitutional position of Northern Ireland on the basis of 50% plus one vote for unity in a border poll, here's some light relief. On Wednesday Gerry Adams made himself a laughing stock in the Dail when asking the Taoiseach an indignant question about a change to the State pension involving a reduction of about 30 a week for around 35,000 people. "Do you accept that they cannot afford..." he demanded, pausing to think, and came up with "I mean, 30 is a bottle of wine". Amid general hilarity, Noel Rock, a Fine Gael backbencher, produced the the best heckle: "Provosecco!" he shouted. "Tiocfaidh ar la-de-dah!" Mr Varadkar piled in by noting that Mr Adams's "remarkable" and "extraordinary" inability ever to understand the detail of the policy issues he raised meant it wasn't surprising he thought a bottle of wine cost 30. Mr Adams had much to grapple with that day for, apart from the Taoiseach's heresy, The Irish Times had reported that the Irish Government and Secretary of State James Brokenshire believed that Michelle O'Neill had been prepared to do a deal with the DUP to restore the Executive but had been overruled by Sinn Fein's ard chomhairle, which includes Gerry Adams. Conor Murphy MLA - whose IRA past gives him credibility with republican hard men - was the chosen Sinn Fein spokesperson to challenge the Taoiseach: it was, he said, an integral part of the Good Friday Agreement that any majority was enough to require the two governments to legislate for unification; the Irish Government should become persuaders for unity. In Dublin Mr Adams was busy denouncing The Irish Times allegations as being a consequence of the "shameful and untruthful allegations made by government sources about our leader in the North, Michelle O'Neill" (actually, they were allegations about the wrecking crew of which he is the most prominent member). Moving swiftly into statesman-speak, he contended that the Taoiseach "by what he has said and by these briefings, is behaving in a reckless way and he should stop it and behave like a Taoiseach should behave on issues which are in the national interests and above party politics". He then appeared to suggest that somehow Mr Varadkar should block the "utterly unacceptable" direct rule that Mr Brokenshire fears is inevitable (and which is a consequence of Sinn Fein intransigence). Mr Adams always calls on outsiders to repair the damage done by him and his minions. Then Lord Kilclooney, aka John Taylor, one-time big beast in the Ulster Unionist Party, stirred the political pot by patting Mr Varadkar on the back for his realism, and explaining that if Northern Ireland was forced out of the United Kingdom by a narrow margin in a border poll "it would spark a civil war". Newton Emerson, who in his illuminating Irish Times column tries to educate wishful thinkers down south, then pointed out that just as Brexit has no effect on the letter of the Belfast Agreement - whatever about its spirit - neither would the size of a majority in a border poll. Tearing it up in unionism's favour, as Mr Varadkar had done, "risks open-ended uncertainty and chaos for everyone. He added brutally: "The problem with invoking spirits, as the consent argument shows, is that everybody sees what they want to see and nobody knows how it might haunt them later". Yes. Conor Murphy is legally right and the Taoiseach is wrong. Mr Emerson rightly pointed out that Mr Varadkar should just say that he would not advocate a unification vote in the Republic "without meaningful reconciliation in the North", thus placing "a positive obligation on republicans, instead of stoking negative fears", while "meeting the letter and spirit of the Agreement". North and south, informed people realise that the perversion of Irish republicanism that characterises Mr Adams's movement is a wholly divisive force. Mr Varadkar demonstrates that there's no mainstream appetite for uniting Ireland against the wishes of a substantial minority. Unionists should relax. Maybe even indulge themselves with a 30 celebratory bottle fit for a Sinn Fein president? The world of medicine and of academia suffered a grievous loss earlier this year through the untimely death of the Queen's University Vice-Chancellor Professor Patrick Johnston at the age of 58. Shortly before his death in June, Professor Johnston was informed that he and his colleagues had secured a 800,000 grant from Cancer Research UK (CRUK) to fund a ground-breaking research project on bowel cancer. The research will examine why chemotherapy works for some bowel cancer sufferers but not for others. It is hoped that this will result in drastically cutting the numbers of people who undergo chemotherapy, while also improving survival rates. Every year some 1,200 people in Northern Ireland are diagnosed with bowel cancer, and around 420 die from the illness. Professor Daniel Longley, a close colleague of the late Professor Johnston, underlined the sense of loss at his early death. He said: "Patrick Johnston has left a tremendous legacy, and we feel a sense of responsibility to fulfil his vision, but it is a pity that he will not be here to see the results of this project." Professor Johnston was the classical example of a local boy made good. He hailed from Londonderry, and after a glittering school and university career he took a top job in America in 1987. He could easily have spent his entire career in the USA, but he returned to Northern Ireland to contribute to the entire community here. In 1996 he was appointed Professor of Oncology at Queen's and gathered around him a team that was regarded as world-class in dealing with cancer. Then in 2014, he took on the difficult challenge as President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's, at a time when third-level education was experiencing drastic cuts. Sadly he had only three years in this post, and he still had so much to do. His former colleagues, people throughout the university, and particularly his family, are still trying to come to terms with the loss of a good and gifted man. However, Patrick Johnston's legacy will live on, and it will benefit countless people living under the shadow of cancer. A further breakthrough in cancer research would be the greatest tribute of all to the life and work of Professor Johnston, and we all wish his colleagues well in their important endeavours. THIS is the devious fraudster who fleeced thousands from her friends in a dodgy pyramid scheme and who faces jail tomorrow. Shamed banker Lisa McIlroy abused the trust of many of her now former closest friends with two different sophisticated fraud plots - with one victim swindled out of 60,000. The schemes were described in court as a "financial house of cards" which came tumbling down around the 32-year-old who was a Bank of Ireland employee. Remanding the Dunmurry woman into custody at Craigavon Crown Court, Judge Donna McColgan said she would sentence the conwoman tomorrow. "This was clearly a significant fraud involving quite a number of people, some of whom regarded themselves as her closest friends," said the judge. "There was a breach of trust in many aspects of this case and the consequences of that are inevitable." A prosecuting lawyer said it was McIlroy herself who alerted the cops to the frauds. But instead of being honest about her crimes, she painted herself as a victim by claiming that a man called 'Michael Monaghan' had disappeared leaving her with a personal loss of 16,000 and with substantial monies outstanding to others. The lawyer said police enquiries could find no trace of the elusive Mr Monaghan because he did not exist and it became clear that McIlroy had been operating a Ponzi scheme. The lawyer said McIlroy used her position in the Andersonstown branch of the Bank of Ireland to lead the victims to believe she had access to special products, currency exchange rates and deals which were not available to the public. "It appears that the currency exchange transactions were used as a means to establish the defendant's bona fides and to establish trust with the victim, prior to the offers of 'investment opportunity' being made," he said. That 'investment opportunity' formed the basis for the ponzi, or pyramid scheme, where McIlroy told her unsuspecting victims that she could invest their hard-earned cash guaranteeing a return of 330 on every 1,000 invested every six months. McIlroy, from Glengoland Park, pleaded guilty to 12 offences -five counts of committing fraud by falsely representing the investment scheme and seven counts of theft of cash - all committed on various dates between February 2013 and February 2014. McIlroy swindled 83,000 including 60k from one victim while the charges of theft amount to a total of 42,065 - a total of 125,065. "The victims of this fraudulent activity were all persons known to the defendant, living in the same area and several were close friends," said the prosecutor. The lawyer said that when cops examined McIlroy's bank accounts, they discovered she would make significant deposits and then travel abroad, primarily to the USA. Defence barrister Sean Devine said McIlroy accepted responsibility but had not envisaged that it would all end so badly. "It spiralled out of control," he said, adding that it was a matter of deep regret to McIlroy that people she was very close to, and fond of, had suffered. He said McIlroy remains determined to pay back the cash she stole but the judge pointed out, "she will have great difficulty finding employment with a record of this nature." One of her victims told Sunday Life: "I don't believe for one second that I'll even get a penny back. I trusted her. I knew her through a family member so I got her to change money for me but that's how she did it, she groomed people to gain their trust." Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (left), together with Armed Forces Chief Gen. Eduardo Ano, reads a statement announcing that Philippine troops captured a building where pro-Islamic State group militants made their final stand in southern city of Marawi, Oct. 23, 2017. The Philippines ended a five-month long security crisis with a final assault Monday on a building held by pro-Islamic State (IS) fighters in Marawi, killing 42 militants, including five foreigners, government officials said. The siege of the southern Philippine city launched by IS-linked militants on May 23 left 1,132 enemy combatants, soldiers and civilians dead, flattened buildings and displaced more than 200,000 residents, officials said. We now announce the termination of all combat operations in Marawi, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said at Clark freeport, a former U.S. air base north of Manila, where defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were meeting. There are no more militants inside Marawi, he said, adding that the Philippines would cooperate with other ASEAN countries and its partners in strengthening anti-terrorism capabilities. Lorenzana's announcement coincided with the start of the two-day meeting of ASEAN defense ministers, attended by U.S. defense chief Jim Mattis and his Australian counterpart, Marise Payne. Both countries had lent aerial surveillance support to the Philippine military campaign in Marawi, about 1,170 km (730 miles) south of the country's capital Manila. In crushing thus far the serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and in the region, we have contributed to preventing its spread in Asia and gave our share to maintaining global peace, stability and security, Lorenzana said. The military assaulted the building where the enemy stragglers had dug in, leading to close-quarter combat that left 42 gunmen dead, he said. He did not say how many soldiers were killed. He said the slain militants comprised the last group of fighters in Marawi, a week after President Rodrigo Duterte declared the city liberated from enemy fighters. The announcement came a week after the military confirmed the killing of Isnilon Hapilon, the Filipino IS leader in Southeast Asia, and Omarkhayam Maute, one of two brothers who helped him stage the siege. That was followed shortly by the killing of top Malaysian militant Mahmud Ahmad, although his body has not yet been recovered. Officials have not identified the five foreigners, but Malaysian militant Amin Baco and an Indonesian known only as Qayyim were believed to be among them. On Saturday, U.S. officials said a DNA test concluded that Hapilon was indeed killed, closing the chapter on one of the FBIs most wanted militants blamed for a series of atrocities, including kidnappings, beheadings and bombings for much of the past two decades. Philippine marines aboard their truck flash the victory sign as they start pulling out from the main battle area in the southern city of Marawi, Oct. 19, 2017. [AFP] Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., deputy commander of the local military task force, told reporters in Marawi that the final assault did not come without a price. The mutilated bodies of two missing soldiers were found on Sunday. Sad to note that one soldier was burned and the other head was cut off when we recovered them, Brawner said. He did not provide details. Since fighting erupted on May 23, about 920 militants had been killed while 165 government forces perished, Brawner said. Forty-seven civilians were slain by the militants, but soldiers had rescued 1,780 civilians, he said. We are trying to recover the cadavers of enemies left in the last building that was used as stronghold of the [militants], Brawner said. Lt. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista, Philippine Army chief, pins a Special Forces badge to the graduates of Special Forces and Scout Rangers after five months of fighting against Islamic State militants in Marawi city, Oct. 23, 2017. [Richel V. Umel/BenarNews] For Soraya Alonto Adiong, governor of Lanao del Sur province that includes Marawi, Monday marked a milestone, even though the city has been flattened and resembles the bombed-out cities of Raqqa and Mosul in the Middle East. Today we begin to see the light behind the tunnel, he said. And most importantly, today we achieved a great victory. Felipe Villamor in Manila contributed to this report. Philippine security forces patrol the war zone in Marawi hours before the government declared that the southern city had been liberated after five months of clashes with pro-Islamic State militants. ASEAN defense ministers agreed Monday to work closely to combat what they described as a regional terrorist threat after the Philippines declared an end to a five-month siege by pro-Islamic State (IS) militants in southern Marawi city. In a joint statement, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations expressed its full support to Manila in addressing security concerns in Marawi, and acknowledged the need for enhanced regional cooperation through intelligence and information sharing, increasing surveillance and promoting awareness among the public about the threat of radicalism. Ministers representing the Southeast Asian blocs 10 members Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam also reaffirmed their commitment to preventing tensions from escalating in the South China Sea, and they strongly urged North Korea to comply with all relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions. ASEAN came out with the statement hours after Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced that troops had finally defeated a band of Islamic State-backed militants, who launched a siege of Marawi on May 23 in a failed bid to establish a regional IS caliphate. More than 1,000 militants, soldiers and civilians died in the fighting that reduced the once-scenic lakeshore city into rubble. Multi-dimensional threat Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein underscored that much had changed during the past decades in dealing with extremism, which should be met head on, he said. We must be firm and bold, yet strategic and concerted in our approach when dealing with extremists and militants who take up their cause all in the name of religion, Hishammuddin said. While a U.S.-led international coalition had succeeded in battling IS in the Middle East, the disturbing prospect, however, is that the Asia Pacific is now in Daeshs crosshairs, he said, using another acronym for IS. This threat to our region is real and multi-dimensional, whether from returning fighters, regional franchises or, more disturbingly, from self-radicalized lone wolves, he said. There is a grave danger that existing fault-lines in our region will be exploited, as well as exacerbated, by Daeshs increasing presence, Hishammuddin said. Muslim-majority Malaysia was one with the Philippines, a predominantly Catholic country, as it moves to rehabilitate Marawi after five months of fighting there, he said, even as he emphasized that what happened there could easily be replicated elsewhere. With the militant groups members being able to blend in to the population, it has made it difficult even for the military to detect and preempt attacks, he said. The sobering fact is that there are no good military options in our fight against Daesh, Hishammuddin said. Neither counter-terrorism, nor counter-insurgency, nor conventional warfare is likely to afford us a clear-cut victory against the group. He said ASEAN should instead move for offensive containment, one that combines a limited military campaign with diplomatic and economic efforts. Meeting the threat of religious extremism cannot be met by one country alone. The problem, as we have seen, does not respect national borders and thinking that any one nation can go it alone is delusional, Hishammuddin said. Philippine presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said that with the fighting in Marawi ending, the government was now focusing on efforts to rebuild the city, home to about 200,000 residents displaced by the fighting. We have successfully concluded what has been, so far, the most serious threat of violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia, Abella said. With the liberation of Marawi, our focus now shifts to the enormous and challenging task of rebuilding, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Islamic city, he said. Razlan Rashid in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. Moncks Corner, SC (29461) Today Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 53F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 53F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Von: By JULIAN ROPCKE This picture penetrates your soul. It's the picture of newborn Sahar. She died on Sunday, having been in this world for only 34 days. The reason? Malnutrition. Sahar was born less than 5 miles away from the Syrian capital of Damascus, where supporters of Bashar al-Assad continue to have comfortable lives ... BILD speaks to doctor Zaher Sahloul, founder of MedGlobal and formerly President of the Syrian American Medical Society. Sahloul is Syrian by birth, but has been living in the US for many years now. BILD: Why was little Sahar suffering from the malnutrition that led to her death? Zaher Sahloul: Sahar, like many children in besieged East Ghouta, which is less than 5 miles away from the capital of Damascus, is under siege by Assad's troops and militia. They block all roads leading to that area by operating multiple checkpoints. According to UN reports, in more than 90% of all cases, they don't even permit UN humanitarian food and medicine deliveries. And when they do permit humanitarian goods, they often remove baby milk, vaccines, drugs, and other items. The vulnerable population and children like Sahar are starving. Patients with chronic diseases are dying due to the lack of drugs. Dialysis patients are dying due to the lack of dialysis kits and solutions. The Assad regime is using the siege as a weapon of war in order to force the local population to surrender or to leave their homes. The UN has turned a blind eye on these war crimes and has allowed them to happen for more than 6 years. Moreover, the UN assisted the Assad regime in forcing certain populations out of their homes by making them surrender - like in the old city of Homs and Moadameya. BILD: Is this an exceptional case, or is there a greater number of children who are born like this, or who die early? There are many cases like that of Sahar and when we start to see extreme cases of malnutrition, it means that thousands of children suffer from severe malnutrition and tens of thousands suffer from moderate malnutrition. They need milk and nutritious food. But the Assad regime does not allow them into the city. These painful pictures remind us of what happened to the children of Madaya in early 2014. Back then, there was a global outcry, but still many children and civilians (nearly 25) died. Eventually, the Assad regime forced the local population to leave their homes to go to the province of Idlib, where they lived as IDPs under the threat of being bombed by the regimes or by Russian jets. Auch interessant What is the nature of the siege of East Ghouta? What is its purpose? "Like North Homs, where more than 250,000 people are under siege, there are 376,000 people under siege by the Assad regime in East Ghouta. The aim is simply to force the besieged population to surrender or to leave, using a starve to surrender tactic. The Assad regime used barbaric sieges effectively in the old city of Homs, the Alwaar district of Homs, Aleppo, Daraya, Moadameya, Madaya, Zabadani, Wadi Barada, and East Ghouta. The siege of East Ghouta is the longest in the history of the Syrian crisis. The area was home to two million people before the crisis and now there are has less than 400,000 people. For more than 6 years now, they have been living without electricity, phone lines, clean water, sanitary facilities, trade, exchange of goods, or a consistent supply of medicine and vaccination." Lesen Sie auch What should the world do in order to help people like Sahar, her family, and all the other people who are besieged in East Ghouta? "The people of Syria are syndical ave a cynical view of the world. They don't believe that the world cares about their children. Thousands of innocent Syrian children succumbed to hunger, siege, bombing, and chemical weapons while the world was busy with trivialities or was turning the other way. By the way, East Ghouta is the very area that was targeted with Sarin gas in August 2013. Remember the talk of red lines? The US should act. Our UN Ambassador Nikki Haley should show the pictures of Sahar to the other members of the UNSC, especially to the Russian and Chinese Ambassadors, and tell them that they are responsible for the starvation of Syrian children. They should be ashamed as they are supporting the Assad regime in its crimes against humanity. They are bombing the same population that Assad is starving to death, and then they protect him within the UNSC. The world would have paid more attention if animals were starving to death under siege. We lost all hope in the world. Can you imagine that the UN agencies, including WHO, UNICEF and Syrian Red Crescent, are only 10 minutes away from Sahar? They stay in the Four Season in Damascus, eating gourmet meals while, mere miles away, Syrian children starve to death." PS: Sind Sie bei Facebook? Werden Sie Fan von BILD.de-Politik PORTLAND, Ore. In response to a petition from multiple conservation organizations, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has released a status review that demonstrates that marbled murrelets warrant uplisting from threatened to endangered under the Oregon Endangered Species Act and is seeking public comment. The marbled murrelet has been listed as threatened under the Oregon Endangered Species Act for more than two decades and during that time it has slipped closer and closer to extinction in our state, said Nick Cady, legal director at Cascadia Wildlands. It is critical that the state increase protections for this species right away if there is to be any hope of saving the Oregon population. The Departments status review documents that the iconic seabird, which nests in old-growth and mature forests and forages at sea, is headed for extinction in Oregon if stronger measures are not taken. Oregon conservation groups are calling on the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to uplist the murrelet from threatened to endangered at its February 2018 meeting. While federal laws have stabilized habitat loss on federal lands, the state of Oregon has continued to allow logging of older forests at an alarming rate and failed to adequately address new threats to the species, said Bob Sallinger, conservation director for the Audubon Society of Portland. Changing the murrelets status to endangered will help ensure that Oregon takes the steps necessary to do its part to save this species. The report concludes the key threats identified at the time of listing have continued or increased, and many new threats have been identified since the 1990s.the life history exhibited by this species provides little opportunity for the population to rapidly increase even under the most optimal circumstances. It also noted that the primary cause of marbled murrelet declines, loss and fragmentation of older forest habitat on which it depends for nesting, has slowed, but not haltedsince the 1990s with greatest losses since on lands managed by the state of Oregon. The review specifically notes that existing programs and regulation have failed to prevent continued high rates of habitat loss on nonfederal lands in Oregon. If the marbled murrelet were uplisted from threatened to endangered in Oregon, the Department of Fish and Wildlife would be required to establish survival guidelines at the time of reclassification and a species management plan within 18 months. The marbled murrelet is the proverbial canary in the coal mine, said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. The species survival guidelines and management plan will help ensure the state of Oregon addresses not only loss of older forests but a whole array of other threats faced by murrelets, such as energy development, oil spills, power lines and declining forage fish populations. Its time for Oregon to catch up with our neighbors, said Danielle Moser, wildlife coordinator for Oregon Wild. California and Washington have already uplisted the murrelet from threatened to endangered at the state level, recognizing that more protections are needed to ensure the survival of this imperiled species. The data presented by ODFW staff is clear habitat loss on state lands is putting the marbled murrelet at the risk of extinction, said Shawn Cantrell, Northwest director for Defenders of Wildlife. The only question for the Fish and Wildlife Commission is whether it will follow the science by changing the status of marbled murrelet to endangered in Oregon. The data in the review overwhelmingly supports uplisting the murrelet to endangered status in Oregon, said Rhett Lawrence of the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club. We urge the ODFW Commission to recognize the dire situation faced by the murrelet and the state forests on which they depend and move forward with this critically important step to save murrelets in Oregon. The conservation groups that initiated the petition to uplist the marbled murrelet in Oregon were Cascadia Wildlands, Audubon Society of Portland, the Center for Biological Diversity, Oregon Wild, Coast Range Forest Watch and the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club. LAGOS, Nigeria - Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Dangote Group CEO Aliko Dangote, brought together the CEOs from 13 different African countries at a successful inaugural meeting in Lagos of the "AfroChampions Club" to foster Africa's growth and development. Paul Fokam and Gervais Djondo at AfroChampions Club launch. The AfroChampions Initiative has just taken a new step with the official creation of the AfroChampions Club, a new platform to mobilise African multinationals to accelerate the economic integration of the continent. At the invitation of Dangote, who is also president of the AfroChampions Club, key business leaders, representing a total of 13 African countries, met in Lagos to attend the inaugural meeting. High-level personalities, including Yemi Osinbajo, vice-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mbeki, and Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Patron of the initiative, also joined the event. Participants at the inaugural meeting have launched two workstreams. The first one focused on gathering recommendations from various African multinationals on best approaches to achieve the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA). These recommendations will be shared officially with the African Union, which was represented at the meeting by Albert Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry. Discussions focused on visa waivers and trade facilitation between African states. Strategic role The second workstream focused on drafting an AfroChampions Charter aimed at defining how African multinationals can best contribute to the development of the continent. By working with the local ecosystems, supporting infrastructure projects, fostering industrialisation or helping populations enter the digital era, African economic champions can indeed play a strategic role. We have chosen to work on issues of interest to all Africans. The African Free Trade Area will give us the ability to travel and work easily across the continent; it will also foster the creation of regional value chains, integrating SMEs and building capacities in our countries, said Dangote. As for the AfroChampions Charter, it is a commitment by African multinationals to invest more and better in Africa in those projects with strong economic and social impacts. Our primary responsibility is to give our youth jobs and a future. I was very pleased to hear the consensus on this issue and I expect the Charter to be signed by many of my fellow CEOs in the near future, he added. Regional value-chains A member of the executive committee of the AfroChampions initiative, Edem Adzogenu, highlighted the quality of the discussions at this inaugural meeting. We talked about the role that African multinationals can have as ambassadors of the continent and its talents, and ways to work better with the public sector. This new dynamic of dialogue is precisely what we want to put in place. A progress report on the work of the AfroChampions Club is planned for the next African Union summit in January 2018. The emergence and cross-border activities of homegrown African multinationals have contributed significantly to regional integration through intra-Africa investments and regional value-chains. The AfroChampions Initiative is designed to support and harness the emergence of these champion companies for Africas transformation. It also aims at facilitating strategic engagements on how these companies can grow from pan-African champions to African global giants. Subscribe to daily business and company news across 19 industries SUBSCRIBE Finding an analyst who sees any compelling reason to buy any of SA's fast-food stocks these days is as rare as spotting a Naspers naysayer. And that was even before two particularly grim updates last week sparked another furious wave of investors selling out. First, Famous Brands - the granddaddy of casual dining in SA which owns Steers, Wimpy, Debonairs and Mugg & Bean - revealed its new purchase, UK-based Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK), had made a R15.5m loss for the half-year. This meant its earnings fell by up to 61%. It was a stunning reversal. Famous Brands has a hard-won reputation of not disappointing investors, which is why its stock has risen 486% over the past decade. But as last week's news hit, its shares tumbled 10.7%. Then Taste Holdings, the ambitious upstart that is rolling out Starbucks and Domino's Pizza in SA, revealed its loss for the six months to August had widened by 97%, as it ploughed more cash into its superstar brands. The value of Taste's stock has nearly halved in six months. Worse, there's no clue yet how it plans to raise more capital to finance its plans to push Starbucks and Domino's in this country. Speaking to the Financial Mail, CEO Carlo Gonzaga says Taste was caught off-guard by the extent to which luxury goods declined in the first part of this year. "Apart from the lower-end consumer being under pressure (which affects brands such as Fish & Co and Maxi's), we are reasonably comfortable with Starbucks and Domino's," he says. Gonzaga won't give away his recovery plans, but he says Taste will provide clarity about the way forward in about a month. Taste's options are similar to those of hotel group Sun International, whose recovery bid hinges on three options: a rights issue, selling assets or taking on a third-party investor to reduce debt. But a rights issue would be tricky for Taste, especially as its last issue, to raise R120m, was taken up by only 81.4% of the shareholders this year. "If we were in a buoyant economy we may have adopted a less conservative approach," says Gonzaga. Analysts aren't holding their breath. Anthony Clark, a small- and medium-cap analyst at Vunani Securities, says that even before last week's results, Taste was "highly risky". Clark questions whether Taste is in a "death spiral", having overcommitted to its two global mega-brands in a squeezed consumer market. The problem is that Taste has run out of cash. And besides funding the rollout of the two brands, Taste also has to settle debt of R225m it took to buy the local rights. Its first plan - to sell the family jewels (including Arthur Kaplan jewellers) - ran aground. While market talk suggested the jewellery division could be worth between R400m and R600m, it seems no-one is willing to pay that sum. Says Clark: "It's not just about the fast-food segment, which continues to deteriorate. Taste and its very ambitious plans simply haven't materialised to justify the capital spend." But Gonzaga vigorously defends Taste's plan to bet its future on the big brands. "We don't pay royalties in dollars, they're calculated in rand. The only risk we take is if we don't pay straight away, but we hedge against the risk," he says. Gonzaga argues that if Taste can find new funding, and SA's consumers don't become much weaker, the company could reach a cash break-even point in the second half of next year. Given the recent experience of other food companies, that may be wishful thinking. A few weeks ago, the company with the taste for life, Spur Corp, said revenue at its steak and burger ranches had fallen 2.1% for the year to June - the biggest drop in its 50-year history. In Spur's case, it wasn't just the collapse in the middle market; it also faced a social media crisis over a clash between a black woman and a white man that led many South Africans to boycott its restaurants. Executives from these companies, who spoke to the Financial Mail, say the sector just isn't as resilient as many people had thought. Darren Hele, CEO of Famous Brands, says the slowing sales, after March and April, were disappointing - but not a surprise. "There is no doubt it will get back on track. We own a great brand with a great track record. We need to make sure we capitalise on the upswing in consumer spend when it happens." But he expects the next 18 months to be tough. "Our business is not hiding behind the Brexit effect, but one would be naive to think it is not affecting consumer behaviour." Hele also says the short-term challenges in the UK are "overshadowing the solid and exciting business we have in the SA market". Jean Pierre Verster, portfolio manager at Fairtree Capital, says the fragility of the fast-food companies caught everyone off guard. "Where previously people knew the sector wasn't recession-proof, many thought it was recession-resistant. Now it seems the consumer recession in SA and the UK is causing a lot of the companies indigestion," he says. Verster sold a chunk of his Famous Brands holding - and he doesn't see a buying opportunity in the others. "I would avoid Taste because of the uncertainty of the debt." While the bitter consumer environment has hurt all these companies, there's a differentiator: some have cash, and some don't. The most vulnerable are Taste Holdings (which owns lower-income brands such as Fish & Co, Maxi's and Zebro's Chicken) and Gold Brands (which owns ChesaNyama and Blacksteer), which are struggling for cash. Famous Brands, Spur and Grand Parade may be struggling - but at least they have cash. Grand Parade is the other company to launch a mega-brand - Burger King - a few years ago, and it's only now starting to make profits, after years of huge investments. Damon Buss, analyst at Electus Fund Managers, says he wouldn't buy any of the food stocks right now. But, having said that, he thinks Spur is probably the best of the lot. "[Spur is] well-run with good solid brands - it fits into relatively good niches (such as RocoMamas and Hussar Grill) and has more space growth potential than Famous Brands." Buss agrees with Clark that Taste underestimated its capital rollout. "[It has] gone from being a franchiser to being a franchisee so it's paying away a chunk of its top line in franchise fees. The strategy of bringing Domino's in and switching Scooters to Domino's is good, but is yet to deliver." Kevin Hedderwick, CEO of Famous Brands until a year ago, spoke frequently about avoiding the high-cost overseas brands. Yet Famous Brands now has its own headaches, thanks to a deal done shortly before Hedderwick left: the R2.1bn purchase of burger franchise GBK. It is rolling out new GBK stores at a hefty cost of 1m apiece in the UK - even though the country's prospects have darkened following the Brexit vote. Alec Abraham, an analyst at Sasfin Wealth, says that with consumers under pressure, it's difficult for food companies to push up prices. "At the moment, especially given the price levels, I wouldn't pay these kind of prices for the restaurant stocks," he says. He isn't sure Taste will survive. "I don't know if [it has] the money to roll out the Domino's and Starbucks. I wouldn't even consider this as an investment at all. I don't know if it can get [itself] out of this hole." More worryingly, he says it seems the hype over Starbucks and Domino's may be fading. "You don't see the stores nearly as busy as they used to be. Without the flow it's very difficult to keep those stores opening. I don't know where they will get the money." Clark says Taste is probably in the most risky position since it listed. "If there is a further, large bail-out, I question whether shareholders would support it and at what price? The liabilities on the company's balance sheet virtually match the market cap. It's looking very precarious," he says. Source: Financial Mail Massmart was joined by the Economic Development Department and Proudly South African at an event to celebrate participants in the Massmart Supplier Development Programme for their efforts towards contributing to South Africa's economic growth. Minister Ebrahim Patel with participants of the Massmart Supplier Development programme. The main aim of the Supplier Development Programme (SDP) is to provide opportunities for small and medium manufacturing enterprises. It improves local procurement linkages for new and existing small businesses to be able to sustainably trade with Massmart. The programme was established following intervention from Minister of Economic Development, Ebrahim Patel, who has championed the development of local suppliers in the retail sector. Interventions such as these show that when we make an effort we can make a difference. We need to build a stronger, more competitive manufacturing base and both government and the corporate sector have a role to play in rebalancing our economy. Finished products fetch far more value on the global market, this event shows what can be done and proves its not just in the heads of policymakers, says Patel. The programme currently has a portfolio of 33 small businesses manufacturing a variety of products ranging from chefwear, cooking gel and instant noodles to bathtubs, adhesives, cooler-boxes and paint. Of the 33 suppliers, 13 are private label projects, eight are import substitution projects and six are exporting products to countries such as Botswana, Zambia and Chile. A focused approach Massmart chairman, Kuseni Dlamini says that part of the success of the programme lies in its focused approach. Track record and experience of the entrepreneur is one of the most important things to consider when looking for businesses to invest in. The entrepreneurs on this programme are among the best entrepreneurs in the country. We have also learnt that greenfield investments are not the best way to go about supplier development rather investing in capital equipment, plant machinery, industrial engineering and marketing support is essential. Established in 2010 Reapso SA is a 100% black female-owned company that operates from a factory in Selby, Johannesburg. Through the SDP, Reapso has replaced an international supplier and now produces all of the chefwear sold in Makro stores. Ikusasa Green, a manufacturing company in Sutterheim, Eastern Cape supplies cooler boxes under Massmarts popular private label brand, Camp Master, to Makro, Game and Builders stores. Based in Hartebeesport Dam in the North West province, Umlilo Charcoal supplies briquettes to all Builders stores throughout Southern Africa and has started exporting to New Zealand, the Middle East and Walmart Chile. Small businesses play an important part in creating a more inclusive economy. We at Massmart are proud to be walking this journey with our participants and we salute their efforts in growing their businesses, creating employment opportunities, and supporting the communities in which you live and work, says Dlamini. #StartupStory: Kingdom Agency Kingdom is the new agency on the block, with a heart for positive messaging and making a difference. As such, the insight, strategy and creative agency, founded by friends Donna Mathews and Herman Wallis, applies a triple-win philosophy, whereby the message must be good for the brand (profit), the audience (people) and everyone (planet). This ethos is built into their unique model and efficient way of doing business, without offices and adopting a results-only work environment (ROWE) strategy, saving costs and believing that flexibility and productivity go hand in hand. Remote control By Donna Mathews, Issued by Kingdom Agency 10 Apr 2017 Here, Mathews and Wallis tell us their startup story Donna Mathews What sparked the idea to start Kingdom? What sparked the idea to start Kingdom? Mathews: Herman and I are friends, and we had both left our previous companies (me, from a global agency and him, a big corporate) at the same time. We both felt called to start an advertising agency with a difference, so we got together and started working on what it would look like. Wallis: Having reached a point in my career where I realised the difference between working hard and making a difference, I really felt the need to invest my time and effort into work that really matters, output that makes a positive impact in the lives of the people we touch and contributes responsibly through the channels we as marketers use to reach our consumers. How did you come up with the name? How did you come up with the name? Mathews: The name is particularly significant to us as the agency has been built on strong spiritual beliefs and principles. We wanted to start something that makes a positive difference in the world. I was drawing crowns and playing with the idea of royalty/king and Herman came back with Kingdom, and so the name Kingdom Agency was born. Wallis: Zero time was spent mulling over Kingdom. It came to me as I was sitting on the beach in Blouberg reminiscing, and I knew it was the right name for what we needed to do. Describe the model. Describe the model. Mathews: Its not super complex or even that unique, its just a simple; an easy and cost-efficient model for both us and an agency, as well as our clients. We have a core team who manage projects, strategy and creative direction, and then we build custom teams around projects, with top people we have come across in the last 18 years of being in the business. Wallis: The model was really developed to avoid several frustrations we had to adhere to in the past, which we didnt feel contributes to the best solution for an agency nor its clients. This posed the question: How can we be the most efficient, and have the most dedicated and committed people work on projects that excites them? The answer: Use specialists who get to choose the projects they want to work on, allow them the freedom and flexibility to do work from wherever they want to, and allow them to work in a manner that gets them to produce the best work. Explain your triple-win philosophy and the power of positive messaging. Explain your triple-win philosophy and the power of positive messaging. Mathews: I think we all know the upside and downside of the advertising industry, which has changed so significantly over the past 30 years. There is a real sense of ethical responsibility that comes with having a (brand) voice, which I feel we often dont realise we yield. When you say something to someone based on an insight you have about that person and their needs, you shouldnt just say anything to make them buy the brand, especially if that thing impacts them negatively or plays into insecurities. Firstly, if a business or brand does not benefit society, I do not feel it should exist (I can be a bit radical I know but the world needs more radical!) and secondly, if the brand message is not leaving the people who read it feeling inspired or better about themselves or the world around them, then we should not be putting it out there. In an ideal world, every message or advert should be something I am comfortable for my 12-year-old daughter to see and be better for it. We have a responsibility towards the people or eyeballs as the industry likes to call it these eyeballs are attached to a human with an influential mind. There is currently a lot of hype around the ethics in our business, especially in the tech/digital marketing/social media space, so its important as an industry that were real about this. Why are you an advocate of the results-only work environment strategy? Why are you an advocate of the results-only work environment strategy? Mathews: I think technology has allowed us to outlive the 9-5 mentality 10+ years ago! Productivity has nothing to do with having an employees bum in a seat and this mindset is outdated. I believe if you have a team of self-motivated people with high integrity, you dont need to police anyone, and people are responsible for what they are meant to do. Obviously, there are core working hours that clients work and business runs, however there is flexibility within that if its going to make you happy to go for a run or a surf in the day, then do it. If you get a brainwave at midnight and that works for you, then go for it. I would much rather have inspired, happy people involved in projects as this increases productivity. I also dont see people as employees. Everything in life is an exchange, and there should be mutual respect in that exchange. How is this a triple-win for the business/employee, the client and the environment? How is this a triple-win for the business/employee, the client and the environment? Mathews: Its really asking how we can make the people-planet-profit thing work for both our business and our clients businesses. Our model, choice of clients and positive messaging stance is how we do it as a business. For our clients, we sum it up like this: good message for the brand (business/profit), good message for the audience (people) and good message for everyone (greater good/planet/sustainability). Herman Wallis Congrats on being shortlisted as a finalist in the 2017 Sage Small Business Awards with CapeTalk. Why are you excited about this? What does this mean to you and for the agency? Congrats on being shortlisted as a finalist in the 2017 Sage Small Business Awards with CapeTalk. Why are you excited about this? What does this mean to you and for the agency? Wallis: As a small business owner, its always great to be recognised for doing great work. We are so grateful for having been a finalist and it has inspired us to do even more. What work are you particularly proud of and why? What work are you particularly proud of and why? Mathews: I love the Seeff repositioning we worked on last year with the Home is Our Story campaign. We shifted the brand strategically from being agent-focused to being customer-focused literally turning the lens around and looking at what a home, not just a house, really means to people. Im also super excited about a new campaign we have just launched for Hi-Tec, called Live SuperNatural. Its such a fresh campaign, moving the brand into a younger space and inspiring people to get outside and live life connected to nature and their mates IRL, not just through a screen. Wallis: Winning the Seeff client in a three-way pitch against some of South Africas biggest and best agencies will always be one we are extremely proud of. It underlined that we can honestly compete with the best in the business and produce work of a quality and standard second to none. Whats next? Whats next? Mathews: We are already busy with some exciting campaigns for our bigger client for 2018, so rolling these out with excellence is number one. We also worked on some lovely startups this past year and enjoy helping new businesses get out of the starting blocks, so we hope to help a few more. For me, personally, more than anything, I would just like to do great work that is inspiring with good messaging that helps our clients businesses grow in a sustainable manner. Wallis: Growing our portfolio of clients and ensuring we continue to produce quality work will allow us to continue to create positive messaging and impacting more consumers in ways that truly matter. Illovo Sugar South Africa's (Illovo SA) project to develop 3,000ha of small-scale grower cane land on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal has officially been approved by the South African National Treasury Jobs Fund. The initiative, in partnership with Traditional Councils, will increase Illovo SA's contribution to stimulating activities in deep rural areas, create sustainable employment for black growers and their families, and provide training opportunities for rural households. Fluglotse2000 via Wikimedia Commons - Sugar cane fields in KZN In recognition of the need to accelerate the development of black farmers, Illovo SA has further demonstrated its active support of the South African government's social and economic development agenda by: Promoting the productivity and sustainability of redistributed land as part of the land reform programme. To date, Illovos own land redistribution initiative has resulted in the sale of 28,086 hectares - comprising 55% of its own land portfolio - to black people and in the process, has facilitated the establishment of more than 50 black commercial farmers; Providing extensive support services to black land reform and small-scale growers, helping to improve the livelihoods of rural communities. In 2004, the company sold its Gledhow sugar milling and agricultural estates to a black empowerment company which today remains an active and viable contributor to the SA Sugar Industry. Socio-economic impact During the past financial year, and as evidenced in an independent socio-economic impact study of Illovo Sugar Africa across its operating footprint, Illovo SAs total economic impact on the local economy amounted to approximately R9.6bn, which includes R1.4bn resulting from the direct impacts of its business operations in KwaZulu-Natal. The balance comprises the multiplier effects of the business within its supply chain and the wider economy. Illovo SA is steadfast in its commitment to the success of the governments land reform programme and as a strategic partner to government, offers comprehensive technical and capacity-building support to black farmers on restituted land. At an industry level, our commitment has also been through contributions to, and participation in, the South African Sugar Associations land reform and farmer support programmes. A structural approach and strategic business model could see South Africa's honey industry turnover reach R20bn, according to experts. PollyDot via pixabay Rishad Ahmed, project funding expert and specialist from Incentives SA said the inclusion of various industry stakeholders in a combined effort could aid in the growth of the industry. The local honey industry currently sees an average annual turnover of R3.2bn, producing 2,000 tonnes per annum, according to the South African Biodiversity Institute. Ahmed, however, believes these numbers could drastically increase, given a proper business model and investments made. "Various stakeholders need to be involved to ensure projects such as this one take off. Projects need to be packaged and project managers need to engage with the stakeholders and those in the industry to join the dots in the honey productions industry," Ahmed told Fin24. However, Ahmed said there were numerous factors that needed to be considered and which affected the honey industry locally. Shortage of beekeepers Since 1980 there has been a massive decline in the number of South African beekeepers, according to SA Honeybee Foundation's Dominique Marchand. "South Africa has never had any formal training schools, unlike the majority of countries with a strong commercial farming output. Even Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia have them," Marchand said. "There has been a shortage of beekeepers, down from 25,000 in 1980 to less than 2,000 in 2017," Marchand told Fin24. Buy local Ahmed told Fin24 another issue plaguing the industry was that many retailers were not retailing honey from local suppliers. "Much of the honey we buy from local retailers is supplied by international companies. Local retailers need to partner with local bee farms to ensure aid in the growth of the honey production industry," he said. Exterminations Ahmed told Fin24 the local honey bee population was dwindling due to the extermination of the insects. "It is barbaric to kill species by terminating them. The more bee hives we keep, the more we can collect honey and be able to process honey and supply a larger amount," he said. Unifying sectors Key to the growth of the industry is to seek investment from government, the private sector and abroad, according to Ahmed. This week, the Norwegian-African Business Association (NABA), which seeks to promote business opportunities in Africa and serve as a bridge between Norwegian and African business communities, will host its annual conference. Ahmed will attend. "It is opportunities like these that South Africa, and projects like growing the bee population for a higher yield in the production of honey, can benefit from," Ahmed said. Source: Fin24 Read this report on News24Wire.com. Although state capture and the impact it is having on government has been front of mind for some time, the KPMG matter has recently turned the light on the need to fight corruption and maladministration in the private sector too. Webber Wentzel, together with their alliance partner Linklaters, recently hosted a seminar entitled Anti-corruption and Good Corporate Governance - Local and International Trends, Themes and Developments. The seminar urged corporate South Africa to take the lead in fighting corruption and maladministration. It explained the anti-corruption legal landscape and explored some of the hurdles around preventing corruption in South Africa today. Legal framework In terms of setting out the legal landscape, South Africa has many statutes aimed at rooting out corrupt activity. To cherry-pick a few: The Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act defines and criminalises corruption in very broad terms; the Auditing Act also deals with corruption, and requires auditing firms to report any suspected corruption to the regulator - even before notifying their clients; and the Companies Act and the Financial Intelligence Centre Act also have provisions dealing with corruption. Whistle-blowers are protected in South Africa through the Protected Disclosures Act which makes provision for employees to report any irregular and unlawful activities by colleagues and employers, and protects them from occupational detriment resulting from these disclosures. Despite having a fairly sophisticated legislative framework - corrupt activities still take place. The seminar unpacked some of the possible reasons for this. Poor ethics The first is that to some degree, there may be poor corporate ethical culture and governance. Compliance for some businesses is a tick box exercise and does not involve genuine moral commitment. Business leaders were urged to make real moves towards a strong culture of good corporate governance, from CEOs to ground-level staff. Giles White, Webber Wentzel Executive Consultant, urged the countrys top management to instill this culture into their organisations through example. It is possible to operate in difficult environments and operate to high standards, but you really do have to pay attention to the detail he said. Slogans are not enough; they need serious work that backs them up, and this starts with the tone of your leadership. Unlawful vs corrupt conduct Another challenge facing business when it comes to tackling corruption is an understanding of the impact of the law on certain conduct. Prelisha Singh, a Partner at Webber Wentzel, explained that there is a spectrum of conduct which should be scrutinised: on the one end there is maladministration and on the other there is corruption. In between there are unlawful arrangements. She noted that often what people consider corruption is actually an unlawful arrangement, and these are two very different legal animals. Unlawful conduct is not necessarily corrupt conduct. Adding to this, Webber Wentzel Partner, Kerry Williams, also explained that the discourse around corruption in South African often conflates unlawful conduct with corrupt conduct. Additionally because there are often values that underlie the assessment of what is unlawful - and different people may have different versions on these values - there are grey areas which may be legitimate to dispute. This creates a further level of complexity when distinguishing between unlawful conduct and corrupt conduct. In response to addressing some of this complexity, Priyesh Daya, Webber Wentzel partner, suggested that policy makers may need to start looking at simplifying certain laws and codes. He gave the example of the King Code on Good Corporate Governance which has been simplified by significantly reducing the number of principles from 75 to just under 20. A simpler legal structure, akin to the King Code, may be a way of ensuring better buy-in. Political unwillingness Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the lack of political will to address corruption was raised as a key concern. The point was made that South Africa appears to be failing when it comes to investigating, policing and prosecuting corruption. Corruption is a systemic issue, it doesnt materialise suddenly; it is a failure of political and corporate governance and a loss of faith in policing and prosecuting authorities said Kerry Williams. As systematic failures in governance increase and as the people of South Africa lose trust in the public sector's ability to prevent corruption - the private sector must step up. Failing to lead at a time like this will further erode the rule of law, decrease foreign direct investment and increased civil disorder. The private sector needs to rise to the challenge and become more active in the fight against corruption and maladministration. At the recent Southern African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association's (Savrala) annual industry Manufacturer of the Year (Moty) awards, Toyota was crowned the overall winner. Volkswagen came second, and Hyundai third. Savrala's car rental members manage over 70,000 vehicles and leasing members account for over 55,000 owned/funded and 245,000 managed vehicles per annum in South Africa. Despite Volkswagen claiming the Moty Car Rental title for the seventh consecutive year, just ahead of second-placed Toyota, a resurgent Toyota dominated the Leasing section, which helped it beat off its long-standing competitor. Savrala President, Winston Guriah commented that the Moty awards again recognise those manufacturers who continue to understand the evolving needs of both car rental and leasing fleet owners. In its 22nd year, Moty recognises those motor manufacturers who they feel have provided them with the best possible support and assistance during that period. These awards are based on the results of a continually revised and improved industry-specific survey incorporating 38 criteria reviewed twice annually among 24 of the largest rental and leasing companies in South Africa. Questionnaires are completed not by one individual in each company, but by a panel of individuals who depend on and deal directly with each manufacturer. This results in obtaining an accurate, objective, unbiased and company-wide perspective of the service levels experienced. The results from this competition enable each manufacturer to identify their strengths and work on areas of weakness as highlighted to them by their customers. Areas of evaluation scored by the rental members include: Communication: Covering the timeous and accurate information on new models, pricing and vehicle delivery, as well as regular manufacturer contact declined by 3%. Covering the timeous and accurate information on new models, pricing and vehicle delivery, as well as regular manufacturer contact declined by 3%. Support: Assessing the quality of operational support and ability to accommodate industry specific requirements as well as timeous delivery of vehicles improved by nearly 2%. Assessing the quality of operational support and ability to accommodate industry specific requirements as well as timeous delivery of vehicles improved by nearly 2%. Maintenance: Rating the technical training, contact with the technical representatives, response to technical issues and warranty claims, dealer support, parts availability and flexibility on Goodwill and Policies declined 1.7%. Rating the technical training, contact with the technical representatives, response to technical issues and warranty claims, dealer support, parts availability and flexibility on Goodwill and Policies declined 1.7%. Value: Covering the protection of residual value and pricing structures, under the current economic challenges improved slightly above last years results. Covering the protection of residual value and pricing structures, under the current economic challenges improved slightly above last years results. B-BBEE compliance: Continued to decline as the new B-BBEE Codes take effect. The overall rental industry score this year dropped 1.4% to 57 from last year. Areas of evaluation scored by the leasing members include: Communication/Marketing: Including regular visits, information on production issues, pre-launch and ongoing information. Including regular visits, information on production issues, pre-launch and ongoing information. Technical Support: Measuring the technical relationship as well as provision of technical information and parts availability. Measuring the technical relationship as well as provision of technical information and parts availability. Financial: Looking at fleet pricing structures and discounts and residual value. Looking at fleet pricing structures and discounts and residual value. Dealer Support: Including delivery issues and aftersales service. Including delivery issues and aftersales service. B-BBEE compliance . While the overall leasing score this year dropped significantly to 37.5 from 45.2 in 2014 and is well below the rental score, Guriah suggested that there is no doubt that the manufacturers will now place more focus on the leasing members to reduce the current gap between the two sections scores. Rental results for 2017 Winning for the seventh consecutive year, Volkswagen took the Car Rental Moty award. Toyota moved up from its third position last year into second this year, pushing Hyundai back from its second position last year into third this year. Volkswagen also receives the Value award, following its top score in this category on the Rental questionnaire. Renault receives the award for the Most Improved manufacturer on the Rental side as it managed to improve its Rental score the most since last year. Awarded to the automotive member who supplies lower and niche vehicle volumes to Savrala car rental members, the Tutuka award which means progress in Zulu, went to Nissan. Leasing results for 2017 By quite some margin, Toyota took the honours, followed by Hyundai in second position and Volkswagen taking third. Best Representative Awards for 2017 Best Rental Account Executive for the second-year running was Loshini Pillay from Volkswagen, with Robert Wright, also from Volkswagen, voted the best Rental Technical Representative for 2017. Best Leasing Account Executive was awarded to Faan Fourie from Toyota, while Ramatjitla Penyane, also from Toyota, was voted the best Technical Representative to the Leasing Industry. Air Mauritius has received its first Airbus A350 aircraft powered by the large aero-engine, the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB. Air Mauritius has six A350s on order, scheduled for delivery between now and 2023. Rolls-Royce will also be providing Air Mauritius with its TotalCare service support which will ensure reliable and economical operation. Speaking at the delivery celebration, Somas Appavou, chief executive of Air Mauritius said: We have to take advantage of new technologies to enhance our service standards, improve customer experience and optimise operations. The delivery of the first A350 is totally in line with this ambition and is the starting point of our fleet renewal programme. Air Mauritius is the second airline in Africa to receive the A350 after Ethiopian Airways. The delivery of the first A350 to Air Mauritius comes in the same week that Airbus and Rolls-Royce celebrated the successful first flight of the brand new A330-neo aircraft, which is exclusively powered by Rolls-Royce's Trent 7000 engines. SAN FRANCISCO, US: US ridesharing giant Lyft has received a $1bn investment led by the venture arm of Google parent Alphabet, to help ramp up its challenge to market leader Uber. Cathy Yeulet via 123RF Lyft said the new funding gives it a valuation of $11bn as it steps up competition against Uber, reeling from a series of missteps and scandals which have forced out its founder and chief executive. A Lyft blog post said the new funding round was led by CapitalG, formerly known as Google Capital, which invests in emerging tech firms. Lyft has been expanding in the US market as Uber's image has taken a hit in recent months. It has also been expanding its partnerships including with General Motors and the former Google Car unit now called Waymo. "2017 has been an important year for the Lyft community. Earlier this month, we completed our 500 millionth ride and our service is now available to 95% of the US population - up from 54% at the beginning of the year," the statement said. "While we've made progress towards our vision, we're most excited about what lies ahead. The fact remains that less than 0.5% of miles travelled in the US happen on rideshare networks. This creates a huge opportunity to best serve our cities' economic, environmental, and social futures." The new investment creates a potential conflict for Alphabet, which was one of the early investors in Uber. Uber, which has a valuation of nearly $70bn, is widely expected to seal a deal for a major investment from Japan's Softbank, which could allow some stakeholders to cash out. Uber board member Ariana Huffington said this week she expects a Softbank announcement soon. Source: AFP While our attentions have been focused on the ever-engrossing political manoeuvrings this past week, one important event might have escaped our attention: SA's greatest gold mining company has in effect left the country. You can tell it has left because AngloGold Ashanti spokesmen have told us the company is definitely not leaving the country. But the fact remains that the group has just one mine and a tailings operation left in SA. This follows the sale of the Moab Khotsong mine, the mothballed Great Noligwa mines and its uranium assets to Harmony Gold, and the sale of its Kopanang mine to China's Heaven-Sent SA Sunshine Investment company for a total of R4.2bn. The result is that AngloGold, which not so long ago was among the top five mining companies in the world, will drop about 500,000oz of annual production off its anticipated annual production of about 3.6-million ounces. The South African portion of that will drop from about 950,000oz to half that, although it is about to increase production at its remaining Mponeng mine. This is the company that pioneered much of SA's gold mining production, which at one point was about 60% of the global total. In the early 1970s SA produced 1,000 tonnes of gold a year, and the biggest slice of that was produced by AngloGold. SA now produces about 180 tonnes, the same as it produced in 1916, when the car was a new invention. It's hard to know what to feel about this or who to blame. A large slice of the problem is horribly simple: the ore bodies are spent. The other problem, if that's the right way to describe it, is that the gold industry is in a terrible state. The gold price has never been better in real dollar terms, but the price of mining has exploded, and nowhere more so than in SA. For old-school miners there are all kinds of ironies here. The market capitalisation of Randgold Resources, the company associated with deceased gangster Brett Kebble, is now more than double that of AngloGold. Randgold operates in theoretically much more politically unstable countries than AngloGold, such as Mali. Yet somehow its swashbuckling CEO, Mark Bristow, has managed to convince shareholders the risk involved is lower than that of AngloGold. What does that say about the mining environment? There is one other irony: after the South African sale (it still needs regulatory approval) AngloGold will be mining as much gold in Tanzania and Brazil as it mines in its home base. To get a feel for how bad SA's image and that of the mining environment, in particular, have become, consider that AngloGold produces about 60% as much gold as the world's biggest gold mining company, Newmont, but the company is worth onesixth the value of that US firm. SA's gold miners have long complained about the country's mining environment, with ample reason. Faced with such a calamitous decline, most governments would be falling over themselves to find the causes and fix them. Not in SA. Here, the industry and the government are fighting in court not over how to fix the industry but how to divide it up. Why is it so difficult to understand that dividing zero by five gives you the same result as dividing zero by 1,000 or 100,000? Black economic empowerment is important to politicians and to the country, but the brutal maths of it is that requiring miners to give away 30% of their equity means mines have to be 30% more profitable to get built. And in SA, gold mines, in particular, are not more profitable than the international competition; they are less profitable. The government believes it's being short-changed by the mining industry and is devoted to the notion that minerals are a national asset. Yet it should be blindingly obvious that minerals only become an asset if they can be profitably mined. I have this cynical impression that the mining companies have taken a leaf out of President Jacob Zuma's book. If it is possible for the president to keep delaying his prosecution by finding new reasons to go to court, why can't the mining industry do the same? In so doing, they can freeze the mining jurisdiction indefinitely, or at least until ore bodies are mined out. And that, by the way, is not terribly far into the future. AngloGold's last mine will need a huge capital investment in about five years. Everybody knows the gold is down there - AngloGold has about double the known gold resources of any of the largest five gold miners. The problem is that 70% of the cost of mining in SA is absorbed by electricity and labour. For gold miners, now digging up to 4km underground, the scope for manoeuvre is limited. Mining requires large pools of capital, cheap power and regulatory certainty. Every 20%-plus increase in the cost of power makes thousands of jobs redundant and the most immediate consequence can be seen in lower gold production. Once Johannesburg was eGoli, the city of gold. No more. Over the past eight years, the South African government has spent more than R130bn on public transport projects in the country's main cities. The projects included the refurbishment of rail services and the establishment of a new rapid rail and bus rapid transit (BRT) systems. KIM Ludbrook/EAP This is a lot of money by any standards. As a percentage of gross geographic product, South African cities devote about twice as much money to transport as other developing countries and as much as four times more than some regions of the world. The country should by now be celebrating the success of this investment. But sustaining the systems, especially the BRT systems, is proving to be difficult. Even high-ranking government officials have expressed doubts about the way things are going. The MEC for transport in Gauteng province, Ismail Vadi, recently asked whether government was getting value for money from the BRT systems. His concerns have been echoed by Joe Maswanganyi, the national minister of transport. Maswanganyi suggested that it was time to rethink and redesign the systems to stop draining money from the fiscus. The BRT has been called a mammoth flop and a white elephant in some media. Those are exaggerations. But there are serious problems with the BRT. Fixing them must focus on reducing costs and growing income. Running costs should automatically decline as the system matures. But to raise revenue levels, BRT must become better integrated with housing and other transport services so that more people use them and help pay for them. In particular, the BRT should work with minibus-taxis to help widen the net of BRT usage. The country needs better planning and funding to make this happen. Benefits and costs of BRT BRT systems represent a significant improvement compared to traditional metro transport systems. They use dedicated lanes and stations, modern buses, and smartcard payment systems to speed up public transport and give passengers a better quality service. This comes at a price. BRT ticket prices are typically higher than Metrorail but are set to be competitive with the minibus-taxi offering. South Africas BRT systems are currently transporting more than 120,000 passengers (one-way trips) every day. Surveys show that passengers generally prefer the comfort and speed of BRT to other modes like minibus-taxis. So, based on passenger numbers alone, BRT is not a failure. KIM Ludbrook/EAP But the BRT systems in the countrys main cities, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Tshwane, are performing worse financially than was expected. Between 2005 and 2016, a total of about R35.7bn was allocated for the planning, design, and construction of integrated public transport networks countrywide. Costs are pushed up by national governments commitment to bring minibus-taxi operators into the system in such a way that they are no worse off than before. This was partly driven by political pressure from taxi organisations, and partly to help bring an upgraded taxi industry into the formal transport network. Despite these extra costs, South Africas spending on BRT systems is, per kilometre of busway, on par with many systems in Latin America and Asia. This suggests that the country has not overspent on infrastructure. The problem is that fewer people than forecast are using the systems. Fare revenues are lower than expected. Take Rea Vaya, the BRT in the main economic hub of Johannesburg, as an example. Demand grew by about 6% a year on average in the five years to 2016. In 2016 Rea Vaya catered for about 50,000 passenger trips a day. This equates to about 1,100 daily boardings per kilometre of busway, but its far less than the average of 8,000 for comparable systems in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The productivity of each bus is low. Travel distances are long because of apartheid spatial planning and low densities. Seat turnover along the route is low and most passengers use the buses at peak times. The result is that Johannesburg and Cape Town have had to subsidise their BRT systems much more than planned. Subsidy expectations came from using some Latin American cities, which operate with zero subsidy, as a benchmark. Planners expected fare revenues to cover direct operating costs. For Rea Vaya, the direct cost recovery ratio is only about 30% and for Cape Towns MyCiTi just over 40%. Subsidies in itself are not the problem. Subsidies for public transport are widely accepted as a way of making cities work better and protecting the environment. The issue is that South Africas BRT subsidies are too high and havent produced the desired results. One senses from the ministers comments that governments appetite for subsidising what are seen as underperforming systems is waning. Unless the entire public transport system makes a better impact, the programme is likely to stall. What can be done Cities have relatively little room for growing revenues by raising fares. Recent research has shown that BRT demand in the Gauteng cities of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane is very sensitive to fares. Higher fares would also exclude the poorest passengers, which would not help to make the transport system more equitable. The solution is to improve passenger numbers by bringing BRT closer to where people live, work and play. South African cities have lower population densities than cities in Latin America. The demand for transport in South Africa is lower per square kilometre. One way to bring people and BRT closer together is to develop housing along transport routes. This is already happening to a limited extent in Johannesburgs Corridors of Freedom initiative. Mixed land use should also improve the productivity of buses and infrastructure. Precincts served by BRT should also be made easier for pedestrians to use and more attractive to investors. Bringing quality public transport within reach of more people requires more than just BRT. Recent studies show that existing and potential BRT users in Johannesburg value frequent, easily accessible transport and low fares more than short travel times. They want short walks to public transport. In other words, they want what minibus-taxis are already providing. Bringing upgraded minibus-taxis into the formal network could greatly expand the number of people benefiting from investment in public transport. South Africa should be putting more energy into integrating BRTs better with other public transport systems, including municipal buses, minibus-taxis and e-hail services like Uber. It should be working towards common cashless fare systems and easy transfers. Extending the special BRT corridors could follow at a slower pace. Lastly, cities will have to find ways to raise additional revenues for public transport. These might include charging for the use and parking of cars in congested areas, or partnering with property developers to help build transport interchanges as commercial ventures. Pulling this off will require a wider conversation around whether South Africa wants the benefits of better public transport, and how it will pay for that. The expansion and operation of bus rapid transit systems in South African municipalities cant continue as it is. Government may withdraw its financial support unless cities can do three things: reduce costs, increase revenues and make the system work for more people. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Agricultural investment company Afgri is re-entering the poultry business through its subsidiary Philafrica Foods in a 50-50 joint venture in northern Mozambique. The recently launched Philafrica has earmarked up to R1.5bn for investment in agriculture and food processing in several African countries over the next 18 to 24 months. Its joint venture partner in Mozambique, Novos Horizontes, is an integrated chicken producer focusing on smallholder production. The partnership was the first of many such investments, Philafrica CEO Roland Decorvet said on Tuesday. Afgri divested itself of its poultry interests in 2015 when it sold Afgri Poultry and Kinross Animal Feeds Mill to AfPo Consortium led by Matome Maponya Investments. At the time, Afgri said the sale would allow it to concentrate on its core grain businesses and orientate the company for growth. The domestic poultry sector has been hit by a combination of cheap EU imports and an outbreak of a highly pathogenic strain of avian flu, putting thousands of jobs at risk. The EU has denied accusations of dumping unwanted cuts of chicken in SA, while Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies has set up an interdepartmental task team to develop a rescue plan for the sector. The task team had not reported any findings a year after it was convened. Company sees immense potential in Mozambique Decorvet said it was "important to note" that the company was re-entering the market in Mozambique and not in SA. "The company sees immense potential to replace imported products with local production in Mozambique and has secured a strong operating partner there with decades of experience in the poultry value chain." About 60% to 70% of the poultry consumed in Mozambique is imported. The South African Poultry Association said in a report that the African market for poultry was expected to grow rapidly. "What's less certain is which countries will grow fastest and, more importantly, whether those countries will be able to develop and enforce trade policies that allow them to grow through their own production, rather than through imports from a range of potential countries," it said. The association's interim CEO, Charlotte Nkuna, declined to comment on Afgri's investment strategies. Andrew Cunningham, the executive chairman of Novos Horizontes, said the partnership would help his company unlock its potential in Mozambique, where it intended becoming the premier poultry producer. It also planned to expand into other value chains where smallholder production could benefit from industrial agro-processing. Decorvet said while there was a potential concern over further outbreaks of avian flu in Southern Africa, there had been no reported cases in Mozambique to date. Source: Business Day Major Win Naing said ten men and seven women were arrested in connection with 13 drug cases in Kya-in Seikkyi township alone between January and October this year, while 204,224 methamphetamine pills and 28.75 grams of crystal methamphetamine (also known as ice) have been seized, in addition to 70,590 baht, K396,900, one vehicle and three motorcycles. We have taken action on 13 drug cases. The arrests are made based on [public] reports, he said. There are some difficulties in travelling to areas controlled by [ethnic armed] organizations. Drug education talks have been given in schools and wards. There arent many young people who use drugs. We are always monitoring them together with the community elders, he added. Maj Win Naing emphasized that police forces would not arrest drug users who had registered with monitoring authorities to undergo rehabilitation at Insein hospital in Yangon. The authorities said they sent more than 10 local youth to a drug rehabilitation center, and lodged charges in 20 drugs cases that included suicide attempts, homicides, or violent assaults in the township last year. But residents of Kya-in Seikkyis Win Yaw ward were critical of the efforts of law enforcement and ethnic armed groups to tackle drug crime. Some families sell drugs due to lack of job opportunities. Some people may sniff horse drug [meth] when they are free because they feel unhappy with being unemployed, said Saw Naing Naing, a Win Yaw resident. The [situation regarding] drug use and sales is the same as always. It will only be eradicated when armed [organizations] cooperate [with law enforcement], since there is no rule of law here. No [anti-drug] campaign has been carried out for the youth, he added. At just 29 years old, Minzayar Oo is one of Myanmars leading photographers - part of a new generation of local freelance journalists documenting the political, social and economic transition of their country, reports the Rory Peck Trust on October 20. Minzayar Oo is unique among his peers for the dedication he has shown in telling Myanmars important and difficult stories, notably his long-term commitment to covering the plight of the Rohingya - a story now top of the international news agenda. Journalists Minzayar Oo and Htun Lat were arrested in September by the Bangladesh authorities in Coxs Bazar as they were reporting the flood of refugees from Rakhine State. They were allowed to return to Myanmar on October 17. According to the press release, Minzayar Oo has been visiting Myanmars refugee camps since 2012, winning the trust of the Rohingya and photographing them with an intimacy that nobody else has come close to rivaling. His Reunions and Ransoms story for Reuters, shot inside the internet huts in the Thae Chaung village refugee camp, shows Rohingya families connecting over Skype on dusty laptops, with relatives and loved ones who have left for Thailand and Malaysia. It also reveals their vulnerability at the hands of human traffickers who exploit their precarious situation as members of one of the largest group of stateless people in the world. His long-term documentary project, The Price of Jade, exposes, for the first time, the horrific social impact of Myanmars secretive, multi-billion dollar Jade industry in conflict-torn Kachin state and reveals the perilous lives of hundreds of thousands of young people who have migrated there to work as miners, hoping to find a shortcut to wealth. Minzayar Oo's first international breakthrough came in 2012 when his image of Aung San Suu Kyi appeared on the front page of the International Herald Tribune on the day after the country's historic by-elections that saw her elected to parliament. Its difficult for a local photographer to cover stories like these within Myanmar and bring them out to the wider world, said Sarah Ward Lilley, Chair of the Rory Peck Trust whose Trustees selected Minzayar Oo for the Prize. We wanted to recognise that achievement and to celebrate Minzayars talent. He is still only 29 and already he has produced such an impressive body of work. Minzayar Oos work has been published in TIME, The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker, National Geographic, GEO, 6MOIS, La Republica and many other publications and has been exhibited in Myanmar and around the world, including photography festivals Rencontres dArles and Angkor Photo Festival. Minzayar Oo is represented by Panos Pictures and is the first photographer to receive the Martin Adler Prize. PUNE (PTI): The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman S Christopher has said that necessary modifications have been made to the advanced version of the indigenous Arjun Mark II main battle tank (MBT) as recommended by Indian Army. The DRDO Chairman expressed confidence that the tank will be accepted by the Army. Indian Army had asked for 93 improvements to the tank which includes the capability of firing the anti-tank LAHAT missile, laser protection suite and improved armoured protection for the vehicle. "We have done the modifications... it will go through the trials and there is a possibility that Arjun MK II (battle tank) will be accepted by Army and two regiments have already agreed to induct the tanks," the DRDO Chairman said on Sunday while talking to reporters in Pune. Christopher was in the city to inaugurate POINTS 21 Batch of Post Induction Training School programme for newly inducted DRDO scientists at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune. As per DRDO, Arjun Mark II can fire missiles, has advanced explosive reactive armour panels, mine plough, automatic target tracking, advanced land navigation system, digital control harness and advanced commander panoramic sight among other features. Arjun will have a better gun barrel with an equivalent firing charge (strength of the barrel to sustain firing) of 500 rounds against the T 72's 250 rounds. The Chennai-based Combat Vehicle Research and Development Establishment has designed the Mark II version of MBT at its facility there. NEW DELHI (PTI): Top Navy commanders will hold extensive deliberations during a four-day conference from Tuesday on security challenges facing India on the sea front with a focus on China's rising naval prowess and the surge in its military presence in the Indian Ocean region. The bi-annual 'naval commanders' conference will also review the implementation of the Navy's ambitious modernisation plan, its combat readiness and a host of other operational and strategic issues. "The Navy's combat readiness would be reviewed with focus on operational effectiveness of combat platforms, logistics and development of shore support infrastructure for sustaining distant operations," Navy Spokesperson Capt. D K Sharma said. The conference will be addressed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and top defence ministry officials are expected to attend its various sessions. Chiefs of Indian Army and Indian Air Force are also likely to address the conference. Sources said China's increasing presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), its fresh military deployments in the geo-politically sensitive South China Sea and efforts to increase its overall naval dominance may figure during the deliberations. Sharma said a host of operational issues, including efforts to make the Navy self-reliant and modernise its warfare capability by means of unmanned systems will also be examined by the top commanders. "Aspects complementary to combat effectiveness, such as training, human resource management, fleet maintenance and pan-Navy measures for enhancing safety will be reviewed," said the Navy spokesperson. He said that there will be a discussion on issues relating to safety, including on the Navy's Safety Organisation and rescue support during submarine accidents in the IOR. The Comptroller and Auditor General in July, in a report, had said the Indian Navy's ships and submarines were involved in 38 accidents between 2007-08 and 2015-16, adversely affecting the operational preparedness of the force. The auditor had said the accidents were primarily attributable to fire, explosion and flooding, adding that the Navy had no institutionalised framework to deal with safety since its inception. Sharma said the commanders will also review the security of various naval establishments in the backdrop of terrorist threats and the prevailing security scenario. "The Commanders will also discuss plans for 'enhancing and sustaining the Navy's operational footprint in the IOR' in keeping with the Prime Minister's vision of 'Security and Growth for All in the Region' (SAGAR)," Sharma said in a statement. In this regard, initiatives to further maritime cooperation with other navies in the IOR as also the Indian Navy's ability to proactively respond to maritime security challenges, including natural calamities, in the region will be reviewed, he said. An interaction is also planned with Amitabh Kant, the CEO of Niti Aayog to provide the Commanders a perspective on broader national interests, said Sharma. WASHINGTON (PTI): The Trump Administration is "considering" India's request for armed drones for its air force, weeks after approving the sale of high-tech unarmed Guardian drones to India. "Yes, yes," a senior administration official told PTI when asked about India's pending request about the purchase of armed drones as part of its armed forces' modernisation drive. The armed drones, the Indian Air Force (IAF) believes, would help it strengthen its defence capabilities. Early this year, the IAF had requested the US Government for General Atomics Predator C Avenger aircraft. It is understood that IAF would need 80 to 100 units making it approximately a whopping US$ 8 billion deal. The Trump Administration's consideration in this regard comes months after a successful meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump at the White House on June 26, during which the US announced to sell 22 unarmed Guardian drones to India, which would add the Indian Navys surveillance capabilities in the strategic Indian Ocean region. "We are at ways to, in terms of Foreign military sales, but really also in defence cooperation broadly how to strengthen our relationship and cooperation," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official was responding to questions on defence relationship and India's quest for high-tech defence equipment and technologies from the US as part of its long overdue armed forces' modernisation drive running into several hundred billions of dollars over the next decade. Previous Obama Administration had designated India as major defence partner and the Trump Administration has accelerated the process of considering Indian requests. "The US Navy and the Indian Navy have been cooperating for many years on counter piracy efforts, on ensuring freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf," the official said. "I think that (defence) cooperation is only going to increase based on the need for it to increase and the kind of trust that we are building through personal relationships and through a fundamental understanding that our interests aligned so clearly," the official said. Last week, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had said that in keeping with India's status as a major defence partner and their mutual interest in expanding maritime cooperation, the Trump administration has offered a menu of defence options for India's consideration, including the Guardian UAV. "We value the role India can play in global security and stability and are prepared to ensure they have even greater capabilities," Tillerson had said ahead of his visit to India. He did not mention about armed drones. He, however, said "the proposals the US has put forward, including for Guardian UAVs, aircraft carrier technologies, the Future Vertical Lift program, and F-18 and F-16 fighter aircraft, are all potential game changers for our commercial and defence cooperation." A train manufacturing boss in the UK has been jailed for six years after using almost 700,000 (785,000) of company money to fund his lavish lifestyle of luxury holidays and expensive motorbikes. Andrew Saunders defrauded international aerospace and transport company Bombardier by moving the money to his wife's bank account out of a "sense of entitlement", Hove Crown Court heard on Monday. The 690,000 (774,000) he took between 2008 and 2013 paid for Harley-Davidsons and trips to the US among other treats. Saunders was a manager at the company's Brighton office, handling part of its contract for manufacturing and fitting out Southern Railway's trains at the time. The 52-year-old, of Wick, near Littlehampton, West Sussex, denied fraud but was found guilty at trial. Judge Paul Tain said Saunders carried out a "sophisticated" and "significant" fraud when he took his company "for a ride" by "manipulating shortcomings" in the computer system. He tried to "cover his tracks" before moving the money to family bank accounts, Judge Tain added. The court previously heard how Saunders would sign off fake purchase orders to decoy businesses which he pretended were providing services for Bombardier before sending the money to his wife's account. Sentencing Saunders, Judge Tain said: "This is a profoundly significant fraud involving deliberate, thought-through criminality. "There was no doubt you had a sense of entitlement. It was patently clear you lived a significant lifestyle well beyond your ordinary means. "(There is) no doubt (you were) living the high life than what would have been the case on your normal income. "The offence was over a sustained period of time and was sophisticated." Dressed in a grey suit and blue shirt, Saunders shook his head as Judge Tain told the court he "trashed" his wife and co-workers as he tried to plead his innocence. Judge Tain added: "Two things disquieted me the most - the way you trashed everybody, your wife and your co-workers, the company for which you worked in your efforts to persuade the jury that you were not guilty. It is particularly unpleasant to see people being trashed. "And the unbelievable fact that you pleaded not guilty. This case was so glaringly obvious that I find myself increasingly surprised that you have not pleaded guilty." Saunders will now be subjected to a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing in a bid to recover the funds. Co-defendant Roy George, 55, of Peacehaven, East Sussex, was handed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years after pleading guilty to converting criminal property between 2010 and 2013. He was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work - the maximum a court can impose. Office dogs, lunchtime yoga and free beers have become more common in the Irish workplace as bosses look to boost morale and compete for staff. New research from Jobs.ie shows that perks have risen by 135% in the past five years, with companies also providing free food, gym membership and laundry services. Britain's financial watchdog has fined Merrill Lynch International 34.5m for failing to report 68.5m exchange traded derivative transactions, in what the watchdog said was the first fine of its kind. The Financial Conduct Authority said the fine was related to unreported transactions that took place between February 12, 2014 and February 6, 2016 and was the first enforcement against a firm for this kind of activity under the European Markets Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR). The fine for Merrill Lynch International had been cut down by 30% after the firm agreed to settle during an early stage of the investigation. Without that discount, the firm would have faced a fine worth 49.3m, the FCA said. Mark Steward, the FCA's executive director of enforcement and market oversight said: "It is vital that reporting firms ensure their transaction reporting systems are tested as fit for purpose, adequately resourced and perform properly. "There needs to be a line in the sand. "We will continue to take appropriate action against any firm that fails to meet requirements." Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a statement that it had self-reported the issue to the UK watchdog, and assured that none of its clients have taken a financial hit. "We are wholly committed to complying with all applicable regulatory requirements. "When we discovered that certain trades had not been fully reported to a trade repository, as required following the introduction of EMIR, we immediately reported the matter to the FCA. "We have re-evaluated and improved our related processes and can confirm that no clients were financially impacted as a result." By Declan Brennan An alleged victim of a retired surgeon who denies groping teenage boys has said that he told himself for years that there was nothing improper about what the doctor allegedly did. The complainant told the trial of Michael Shine (85) - pictured below - that during an examination, the doctor massaged his private parts. Mr Shine of Wellington Road in Dublin 4, denies eight charges of indecently assaulting patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and at his private clinic, both in Drogheda, Co Louth, on dates between 1964 and 1991. On day five of the trial today, the sixth complainant testified that in 1975 he collapsed at school and was sent to his GP. His GP referred him to Mr Shine and during an examination Mr Shine diagnosed bi-lateral undescended testicles and a hernia on both sides. Mr Shine later operated on him and corrected the issues. The complainant said he later attended at Mr Shine's clinic for follow-up examinations. He was aged around 15 at the time. He said during these examinations, Mr Shine would occasionally have touched him intimately but in the context he didn't consider it unusual at the time and it didn't bother him. He said in hindsight he thought that perhaps he was testing my reaction. He told Cathleen Noctor BL, prosecuting, that there were two later incidents that he did consider a problem at the time. On the first occasion, he testified, the doctor asked him if he had a difficulty having an erection. The complainant said he considered this a legitimate question. He said Dr Shine then proceeded to massage him intimately and said to the patient not to worry. He said the massaging went on for a considerable length of time and he wanted it to stop. There was an element of wondering if it was legitimate or if it wasn't. The best I could do was disassociate myself from what was happening, to put my mind somewhere else, he said. He said on the next appointment with Dr Shine, the doctor again massaged him intimately. Under cross-examination, he denied that he was judging the events of the examination with hindsight. He said he had no doubt, at the time of the first occasion, that it was inappropriate. I don't believe his hand should have been (where it was). It was wrong, he said, adding that he had tried to convince himself for years that it was appropriate for the examination. Mr Shine is accused of committing the indecent assaults at the hospital on unknown dates between 1964 and 1965, 1970 and 1972, 1975 and 1976 and, finally, on a unknown date between 1988 and 1991. He is also accused of indecently assaulting a male on two occasions in a clinic in Drogheda on unknown dates in 1973 and 1974 and in 1975. The trial continues before Judge Cormac Quinn and a jury of four men and eight women and is expected to last two weeks. Update 6.13pm: The CEO of Permanent TSB today stated his desire to see people wrongly taken off tracker mortgages compensated by Christmas. Jeremy Masding was the final bank executive to meet with the Finance Minister today and said he would be issuing a full update in the coming days. Earlier, Central Bank Governor Phillip Lane said he thought the majority of those affected would see redress before the end of the year. When Mr Masding was asked if he could give any assurances that this will happen, he said: "I'd rather do that in a statement, if that's OK. "I'd rather get all the facts on the table... I can't comment around the operation plans of my competitors. "Certainly, the desire of Permanent TSB is to do that, yes." Update 4.43pm: The CEO of Permanent TSB has today apologised to those caught up in the tracker mortgage scandal. Jeremy Masding was speaking as he arrived for a meeting with the Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe this afternoon. Well I welcome the opportunity to discuss the issue with him, and to update him on how were dealing with it, he said. Ive apologised at every public forum since 2015, so my apology still stands. Update 3.11pm: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has warned banks that if the Government will take action if the banks fail to resolve the tracker mortgage scandal. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe is due to brief the Cabinet on the situation later this evening after he met with several bank executives earlier today. I think people have heard our language as a Government, they now want to see action, and what we want to see is action from the banks, and if we dont see action from the banks then therell be action from the Government, he said. I believe that the banks have it in their hands to actually resolve this in a matter of weeks or months if they want to do so, and I would hope that after their meetings with the Minister this week, theyll want to do so. Earlier today, CEO of Bank of Ireland CEO Francesca McDonagh insisted that the bank is taking the scandal very seriously. We listened very carefully to what the minister had to say, and his concerns, she said. And we are treated this matter very seriously and we will be making a statement in due course. Earlier: The Central Bank says its job is to ensure that all customers affected by the tracker mortgage scandal are compensated. Governor Philip Lane was speaking as he headed into the first meeting between the Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and the banks this morning. Senior management from KBC, Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB will be forced to outline what they are doing about the controversy. Philip Lane says 160m has already been paid out, covering only a fraction of those affected. He said: "We are not going to put any limit on the amounts paid out, it is up to the banks to make fair and generous offers to those affected so that the full scale of the harm is remedied. "So, I don't want to put an upper limit on the banks to be as generous as reasonable, given that the harm suffered by those affected in this case." A "trusted" IRA member who purchased in a "surreptitious manner" the car used in the murder in Northern Ireland of prison officer, David Black, has been jailed for five years. Mr Black, a 52-year-old father of two, was shot dead on November 1, 2012. He was driving to work at Maghaberry prison when the incident occurred. Vincent Banks (aged 49), of Smithfield Gate Apartments in Dublin 7, was convicted in July by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on December 18, 2012. At a previous trial, in 2014, he was cleared of withholding information related to the murder of Mr Black. The court heard that after the killing, the PSNI established a forensic link between the shooting and a Toyota Camry, which was found further along the motorway, burnt out in a ditch. Gardai learned that Banks had bought the car off a man in Tallaght. He had earlier bought a SIM card used solely to call the vendor of the car and later, when he signed the car's log-book, Banks used his left hand and signed the name Paul McCann, with an address on Rathgar Road in Dublin. Gardai spoke to the landlord of the premises. He said that no resident with the name Paul McCann lived there and showed them a letter addressed to the name. The letter contained the car registration certificate for the Camry. Banks' right thumb print was found on the document. The Camry had ended up in Carrigallen, a village in County Leitrim, near the border with Northern Ireland. In November Banks was seen driving a friend's car from Carrigallen to Dublin. Gardai searched the friend's house and Banks' apartment in Smithfield. In the friend's car Gardai found Banks' jacket and and an ordnance survey map with the page displaying County Leitrim torn out and Banks' fingerprints. In Banks' apartment Gardai found a copy of the Evening Herald open on a story about the murder of Mr Black. The court also heard belief evidence from Chief Superintendent Gerry Russell that Banks was a member of the IRA on the date in question Also part of the evidence were interviews conducted under Section 2 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1998. The section allows a court to draw inferences if an accused person fails or refuses to answer material questions related to suspected IRA membership. The defence had submitted that one of the reasons for Banks' acquittal on the earlier charge of withholding information was the absence of any evidence he knew the car was to be used in a murder. Sentencing Banks today, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, presiding at the three-judge court, said that the accused man was a "trusted member of an unlawful organization, in the position to seek out and obtain in a surreptitious manner the vehicle used in the murder of Mr Black". A mitigating factor was his lack of relevant previous convictions, the court heard. Banks was jailed for five years. The sentence was backdated to April 16, 2016. A doctor charged with the murder of her three-year-old son in Dublin was served with a book of evidence today and has been sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court. GP Maha Al-Adheem (aged 42) faced her sixth scheduled appearance at Dublin District Court having been remanded in custody on July 13 last. At her first hearing the court heard that her reply when charged was: Yes it was my knife, yes it was my hand, it was not me, it was the power. She was too sick to attend hearings on four later dates, but was brought to court today when she was served with a book of evidence by Det Sergeant Brendan OHalloran. Judge Michael Walsh told her that if she intended to use an alibi in her defence she must notify the prosecution within 14 days. The woman, who was accompanied to the proceedings by her solicitor, spoke once to confirm she understood, but otherwise did not address the court. Judge Walsh told her that she was being returned for trial at the present term of the Central Criminal Court. A date her for next hearing has not yet been allocated. She has not yet formally indicated how she will plead. She was too ill to attend hearings four, eight and 12 weeks ago and was also unable to be brought to court for her previous scheduled hearing on June 20 last. Det Sergeant Brendan OHalloran had then told the court, she is not going to be produced today she is sick, judge. The body of Omar Omran, who was stabbed to death, was found when gardai and an ambulance crew were called to his home at Riverside Apartments in Kimmage, at about seven oclock on July 10 last. Entry was forced and the infant child was found in his bedroom. Days later, the toddler was laid to rest he was brought to the Islamic section of Newcastle Cemetery, in Co Dublin, following prayers at Clonskeagh mosque. Following the discovery of her sons body, Ms Al-Adheem, a doctor from Iraq who had been living in Ireland since 2010, was detained at Crumlin Garda Station under Section Four of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. At her first hearing, Det Sergeant OHalloran had told Judge Walsh that Ms Al-Adheem was arrested at 12.30am on July 13 for the offence of murder contrary to common law. He had said she made no reply. Det Sgt OHalloran had said he cautioned her about 45 minutes later and charged her. He had told the court she was given a true copy of the charge and in reply to the charge she said: Yes it was my knife, yes it was my hand, it was not me, it was the power. She was sent forward for trial in custody. The district court cannot grant bail in a murder case; an application has to be made in the High Court. Update 3.11pm: A man has been arrested in a shopping centre after a near eight-hour hunt for a gunman. The suspect was detained after 2pm in Citywest in west Dublin after a black Mercedes was rammed by garda cars. The man was restrained by at least five gardai with about 10 patrol cars and armed response units on the scene following a series of incidents across Tallaght including a break-in at a home, an assault and car thefts. The arrest took place in front of dozens of stunned shoppers and retail workers, including a number of staff from Dunnes Stores. Gardai said a man in his 30s had been arrested at the scene. A teenage witness was in a car on the grounds of the shopping centre with his mother when the incident unfolded. "Me and mam had just driven out of the shops. She was just getting a few bits and bobs and we heard the helicopter and the sirens," he said. "I only live up the road and I said to my mam I'd just walk around to the house. She said 'no' but then she said: 'OK, but don't get too close'. The schoolboy, who was in the area for an appointment, said: "The main doors were across the road from me. "I could see someone sprinting out. I saw the fella sprinting out to the main doors. He dropped his jacket, a black jacket. "I saw the gardai running into the shops. And they just jumped on him, put him on the ground and then handcuffs." BREAKINGNEWS VIDEO..Armed Units race to Citywest Shopping Centre to apprehend armed man pic.twitter.com/tzx9K4GaRy Padraig O'Reilly Photographer (@padraig_reilly) October 23, 2017 The suspect had suffered a minor cut to his face. The operation across Tallaght was launched after a disturbance at a house at about 6.30am. Gardai at the scene this morning. It is understood the incident was domestic and a car was initially stolen from the property in the Brookview area. Four samurai swords were taken from a house in the area in a follow-up search by gardai. There were unconfirmed reports that the suspect had been carrying a gun in the shopping centre before being stopped by gardai. Update - 2.36pm: Gardai have arrested the armed man in CityWest. The man from Tallaght is suspected of two carjackings in Jobstown before stealing a third car after assaulting another man. He has been brought to Tallaght Garda Station for questioning and a firearm has been recovered. Update - 1.46pm: Armed response units are on patrol around local streets with other uniformed officers also on duty. A house in the Brookview area on the outskirts of Tallaght was among those searched by gardai. Armed officers were on duty on the street as gardai removed four samurai swords and other bags and belongings from the home. Update - 10.36am: Gardai investigating a series of incidents in Tallaght in Dublin this morning are asking for the public's help in finding a car being driven by an armed man. The car is a black Renault Kadjar with a registration number 162 D 8767. It is reported that the 37-year-old man argued with his partner at her home in Brookview Way at around 6.20am. After driving off in her car, he crashed it at Russell Square in Tallaght where he then hijacked another car and drove it to Whitestown Way before it was also crashed. The man is then thought to have walked to the Watergate estate where he broke into a house, struck a man with the butt of the of what appeared to be a machine gun, before stealing the black Renault Kadjar. The man was last spotted on the Ninth Lock Road in Clondalkin shortly after that. They have said that the driver of the car is believed to be armed and is described as a white man of a medium build and wearing grey shorts, a green and black Northface jacket and grey and navy runners. The public are asked not to approach the man, but should contact Gardai at Tallaght Garda Station on 01 666 6000 or the emergency numbers 999 or 112. An armed Garda patrol in Brookfield, in the Jobstown area of Dublin, where a manhunt has been launched. It is understood a domestic dispute broke out at a housing estate at around 5am. Two carjackings were then carried out in Jobstown and a car was also stolen in a third incident. Earlier: Gardai are hunting for an armed man after a series of incidents in Tallaght in Dublin this morning. #Breakingnews.All major #Garda armed units are presently in Tallaght looking for a man with machine gun involved in "incidents" earlier.. pic.twitter.com/xgwabfNGIO Padraig O'Reilly Photographer (@padraig_reilly) October 23, 2017 It is understood number of garda units are pursuing a man in the Jobstown area after a number of incidents there this morning. He is believed to be armed, and may have been involved in a number of other incidents. Suspected armed man on the loose in Tallaght this morning. Helicopters circling with armed Garda on the streets Eoghan Boyle (@Eoghanboyle0) October 23, 2017 It is believed it started with a domestic dispute which took place early this morning in Tallaght. It is understood a number of carjackings then took place in Jobstown and gardai are now looking for a man who they believe is armed with a gun. The situation is still unfolding. Officers are asking the public to contact either Tallaght Garda Station on 01 6666 000, the emergency number 999 or 112 if they have any information or see anything suspicious. The Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe will meet the executives of three banks across the course of today about the tracker mortgage scandal. Mr Donohoe will brief the Cabinet at a meeting this evening - the threat of extra taxes on the banks has already been made by the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar if redress and compensation is not satisfactory by Christmas. The European Commission president has denied leaking a disparaging account of a dinner to discuss Brexit with Theresa May. Jean-Claude Juncker insisted he was shocked to see reports in the German press claiming he had told colleagues the Prime Minister seemed "anxious" and had "begged for help". Dismissing the reports, the EU chief said Mrs May had been in good shape when they dined together in Brussels last Monday and she was not tired. Asked if he had told the German press what happened at the meeting, Mr Juncker told the BBC: "No, never. I am really surprised - if not shocked - about what has been written in the German press and, of course, repeated by the British press. "Nothing is true in all of this. I had an excellent working dinner with Theresa May. She was in good shape, she was not tired, she was fighting as is her duty, so everything for me was OK." Asked if that meant she had not pleaded with him, he replied: "No, that's not the style of British prime ministers." A report in German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) claimed Mrs May had seemed "tormented" as well as "despondent and discouraged" during the encounter with Mr Juncker. The UK PM's former chief of staff, Nick Timothy, claimed one of the Mr Juncker's senior aides, Martin Selmayr, was behind the leak. Earlier this year, Mr Selmayr was accused of leaking to FAZ details of a private dinner between Mrs May and Mr Juncker at 10 Downing Street, which the Commission president was said to have left "10 times more sceptical" than when he arrived. But Mr Selmayr denied the team were behind the latest leak and said Mr Juncker had never made the comments contained in the article. He claimed it was an attempt to "frame" the EU and undermine the talks. After the Brussels dinner, a joint statement was released agreeing to accelerate Brexit talks. And later in the week, at the European Council summit, EU leaders said they would begin scoping work on future trade talks while making clear to Mrs May that she must make more concessions on Britain's divorce payment for negotiations to progress. Speaking later at the Institute of Political Studies in Strasbourg, France, Mr Juncker again dismissed the reports, claiming "it's always like that" with the media. He said: "It was a good meeting. She was neither tired nor beaten. She did her thing, and I did mine too." "We didn't find an agreement because first you have to resolve the problem concerning British citizens in Europe and continental European citizens in Britain," he added. Ends British Prince Harry has thanked staff at Veterans UK for their "amazing work" as he marked the 25th anniversary of its helpline service. The 24-hour Blackpool-based helpline provides welfare support for ex-servicemen and women and their families in partnership with charities and support networks and receives hundreds of calls every day. The UK Ministry of Defence service also administers pension and compensation schemes for those injured or bereaved through service in the Armed Forces. Harry met members who have received help from Veterans UK, including widow Jemma Neilson, 29, of Preston, whose husband Darren, 31, was killed four months ago in a tank explosion during a training exercise at Castlemartin, west Wales. She explained how she had received assistance over her pension entitlement and access to the Armed Forces compensation scheme. Mrs Neilson and daughter Millie, eight, moved out of military accommodation following the loss of her husband, who had been her childhood sweetheart since the age of 14. They are living with her parents but with the continuing help of Veterans UK she hopes to buy her own home. She said: "The service has been absolutely invaluable. I don't know where I would be without it." Mrs Neilson said Harry was "so friendly" and had "instantly" put her at ease with his listening skills. Retired RAF squadron leader Stephen Flaherty, 66, who receives a war disablement pension, said the Prince was "a delight". He said: "He has a very detailed knowledge of an awful lot, without a shadow of a doubt. A very caring person." Mr Flaherty, from Lytham, stepped down from flying in 1986 because of medical issues and was eventually put in touch with Veterans UK. He said: "They tell you about allowances that I had never heard of. They are always there. "I am very privileged to be all to call on them." During a tour of the site in Norcross, Harry listened in to a call to helpline adviser Lyndsay Ethell, 32, as she dealt with a pensions query. Ms Ethell said: "It was a great honour meeting Prince Harry, a once in a lifetime opportunity that I feel extremely privileged to be part of. "The whole helpline deserve this recognition for all the hard work we do." Jon Parkin, head of Veterans UK, said: "I was delighted to welcome Prince Harry to Veterans UK. I am hugely inspired by his work with veterans, so I was very proud to be able to demonstrate the breadth of services we provide here." Children of Veterans UK staff later presented the Prince with a brass Passchendaele commemorative poppy made from shell fuses found on First World War battlefields. Harry then unveiled a plaque to mark 25 years of operation from the Norcross site and told onlookers: "Happy anniversary everyone. Thank you for all the amazing work that you have been doing and see you in another 25 years." The Prince later returned to the Lancashire village St Michael's on Wyre, which was devastated by flooding at the end of 2015 when 1,700 businesses and homes were damaged. He first visited the village in February last year and was officially reopening the village hall at a reception attended by those who played a crucial response to the flood. As part of a day of engagements in Lancashire, the Prince will also meet young people at Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston, where he will learn about the MyPlace project which aims to empower young people by encouraging them to take action in environmental activity. Harry will end the day by visiting the Sir Tom Finney Soccer Development Centre and the Lancashire Bombers Wheelchair Basketball Club at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) sports arena. A well-known journalist at Russia's leading news radio station has been stabbed in the throat by an attacker who burst into her studio - the latest in a string of assaults on journalists or opposition activists in Moscow. Tatyana Felgenhauer, the deputy editor-in-chief at the Ekho Moskvy station, was taken to hospital, but her life is not in danger. Editor-in-chief Alexei Venediktov said the man was detained and handed over to police. To get into the building, the man sprayed gas in the face of a security guard at the entrance on the ground floor then went up to the 14th floor, where the station's studios are located. "The man came here on purpose. He knew where he was going," Mr Venediktov told reporters. Ms Felgenhauer is best known for co-hosting a popular morning show. Ekho Moskvy is described as Russia's only independent news radio station. Its searing criticism has irked many in the Russian government and its hosts and journalists have previously reported death threats. Another popular Ekho Moskvy host, Yulia Latynina, fled Russia in September following a suspected arson attack on her car. The Investigative Committee, deals with high-profile crimes, said it is treating the attack as attempted murder. A spokesman for the Russian prosecutor general's office described the attack as "outrageous" and said prosecutors will investigate the case closely. The Tass news agency quoted Moscow police, however, as saying they suspect the man had a personal grudge against Ms Felgenhauer. State-owned Russian media have long targeted Ekho Moskvy for its critical reporting. The state television channel Rossiya 24 put out a report two weeks ago that described the station as an "arm of the US state department," saying it gets paid for "destabilising society" ahead of Russia's presidential election in March. Columnist Oleg Kashin, who survived in a brutal attack in 2010 which was never properly investigated, told the Dozhd television station that Ms Felgenhauer's "blood is on the hands of people from Rossiya 24, too". Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, said Russian authorities' failure to respond to the recurrent attacks and threats against independent journalists, activists and opposition leaders only makes further incidents more likely. AP Value declines have become more geographically broad-based over the three months to October Latest News Regional hotspots record sharp falls in value, new data shows Value declines have become more geographically broad-based over the three months to October How many Aussies don't regularly review finances? Money also a big source of stress, NAB survey reveals The size of interest only rate increases made by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia ( CBA ) was determined by actions taken by the competition, the banks chief executive officer has said.CEO Ian Narev detailed the reasoning behind CBAs rate hikes in front of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics in Canberra on Friday (20 October).The reason we made the pricing move was to ensure that we complied with our regulatory requirements and the quantum of the pricing move was made in response to having seen what our competitors had done in order to meet those requirements.He acknowledged that by moving margins that revenues would improve over the short term, however he denied that this was the motivation behind the changes.The statement that we made the change in order to meet our regulatory requirements is the correct statement. That was the motivation and absent that change in regulatory requirement the change in pricing would not have been made.The recent slowdown in interest only bank lending has shown that pulling the pricing lever was the correct action to take, he added.Narev also fielded a question from Kevin Hogan, Nationals MP and member of the committee, who claimed that brokers are incentivised to write larger loans for their customers by their remuneration structure.While Narev took the specific question relating to brokers on notice, he said that further discussions are needed as to how much customers should be allowed to borrow.Historically there has generally been a view that whatever the bank will lend to me, I should borrow. We lend responsibly for what people could service but ultimately the question of what level of debt somebody is comfortable with is very personal.CBA is looking into behavioural economics in conjunction with Harvard University in order to have richer discussions with people around the amount they borrow, he said. How you can help Give A Christmas to Lower Bucks families in need The teams investigation into stolen weapons leads to Sam and Callen attending a charity event as Mosleys personal security in this episode of NCIS: Los Angeles, and they learn that the robbery is covering up something bigger. Also in Plain Sight, Callen decides that since theyre now living at the beach, he and Sam should get crazy fun jet skis and ignores Sams dissent. But, hey, maybe if they do, Deeks can borrow one of them if he decides to head out to sea to get away from Mosley after he mistakenly takes her new Porsche out as his and Kensis replacement work vehicle while the Audis getting fixed. Fall 2017 Calendar: Premiere Dates for New and Returning TV Shows >>> In Hetty news, Eric tracks her boat to Hawaii but hasnt found any sign of her there. Callen suggests that maybe theres nothing to find and its just that they cant imagine quitting themselves. After all, look at Sam. He quit and hes back. How long will it take for them to find out what shes really doing? Hey, That Guy Looks Familiar! At the gate of LARH Round House Manufacturing, the security guard is suspicious when something seems off about a driver he knows, and hes right to be. A guy pops up in the passenger seat and shoots the two men. However, the guard manages to shoot him before dying. And the guys partner, Tony, leaves his body with the other two and drives off with stolen weapons. Eric tracks the truck to where Tony meets up with Byron Brown (from Kulinda). He resigned from the security company a week ago, and while Sam insists hes a good man, Callen argues that he could have jumped to the dark side and Sam barely knows the guy. He may be right, especially since they track down Byrons car and see him with Travis, a gun runner. They track Byron and Travis to a charity shooting event, hosted by Livingston-Bradford, a company known mostly for supplying weapons around the world and a little bit for philanthropy. Oh, and theyre also rumored to be supplying weapons to both sides of the Western Sahara conflict. Could Byron and Travis be meeting the buyers for the weapons there? Mosley secures an invite to the event and brings Sam and Callen as her security. Once there, they meet Charles and Sasha Livingston, along with William Bradford. Sasha informs them of an upcoming announcement theyre donating money to the victims of the Western Sahara conflict and something seems off enough about her that Im pretty sure shes involved in whatevers going on. Bradford also tells them that theyre transitioning the focus of their company to philanthropy instead of weapons. When Sam approaches Byron, Byron says all the right things, but it was like he was worried, Sam tells his partner. Somethings going on. The Verdict is In on This Guy and Its Huh Meanwhile, Kensi and Deeks track down Tony. He was just following Byrons instructions, he tells them, and was just supposed to drive. No one was supposed to get hurt. He dropped the weapons off at a warehouse, where hes supposed to meet the buyer. After they interrupt that meeting, they find nothing major on the buyers record. With all the weapons accounted for and no apparent connection to Byron or Travis, theyre missing something. Wheres the truck? Huh? Tony tries to buy himself time to come up with a lie, but Kensi and Deeks arent falling for it. Byron was dumping it, he tells them. Its a Round House truck, and that company just so happens to supply weapons to the event. Did Byron smuggle something into the event in the truck? Is someone at the event going to be the target of a kidnapping or assassination attempt? Since they know Byrons connected, Sam tracks him down, but Byron tells him he doesnt have a choice before getting away. Callen finds the truck, two men dead and three empty sniper cases. One of the men tries to sneak up on him, but Callen shoots him. They still have two shooters to worry about. But what did Byron mean when he said he doesnt have a choice? Someone has leverage, and that can only be one thing: his family. Kensi and Deeks go to his house and see that his family is indeed being held but only by one man, whom they take out easily. Byrons family is safe. Quiz: Which Special Agent TV Hunk Would You Date? >>> Its a Win for the Team Eric has been looking into Livingston-Bradford and finds proof that they were supplying guns to the conflict. However, the team realizes that Bradford doesnt know. Hes the one who wants to focus on philanthropy. If something happens to him, the Livingstons take control. And since theyre the ones who stand to lose money if they get out of the weapons business, it looks like they hired someone to take out their partner. Sam finds Byron with a sniper rifle, but once he shows him a photo of his family safe, Byron surrenders his weapon. Callen tackles Bradford before he can be killed; Sam and Byron take out the other sniper; and Harley, posing as a weapons instructor at the event, shoots a third man in the crowd as he tries to kill Bradford. It turns out that Sasha Livingston was behind it, upset at Bradford after she and her husband invested their lives in the company. Byron worked for her in Western Sahara, and now he realizes she had been too interested in details about his family. And this might be the most pleased that Mosley has been with the team after a case yet. After all, she tells Sam and Callen to go get a drink on her at an exclusive club to which she is a member. What did you think of this NCIS: Los Angeles case? Was the twist about Mosleys car too obvious? And are you ready for Hetty to come home already or at least for the team to find out what shes up to? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. NCIS: Los Angeles season 9 airs Sundays at 9/8c on CBS. Want more news? Like our Facebook page. (Image courtesy of CBS) In this episode of Outlander, titled A. Malcolm, Claire and Jamie get to know each other again, Jamies printing business is a front for his real occupation and Claire reunites with other faces from her past. On the morning of Claires reappearance, its business as usual for Jamie. Hes got a woman in his life who sends him off to work; he greets acquaintances in the street and arrives at his print shop. He discovers that two men, Hayes (Keith Fleming) and Lesley (James Allenby-Kirk), spent the night there. It seems Jamie is in the habit of printing politically subversive material, and Hayes and Lesley help him distribute it to the masses acts punishable by death. Jamie also employs a disgruntled young man named Geordie (Lorn Macdonald), who Jamie sends out on an errand. Did Outlander Wait Too Long to Reunite Jamie and Claire? >>> Keeping Up Appearances This is when Claire arrives, causing Jamie to faint from shock. So after six episodes, these two are finally back together. (Thanks, Starz, for making us wait a week between episodes!) Anyone expecting or hoping for Jamie to immediately ravage Claire will be disappointed. They do share a kiss, chaste by Outlander standards, and are interrupted by Geordie, who is scandalized by the sight of his boss making out with a strange woman in the middle of the day and quits on the spot. Its bad enough that he works for a papist but also an amoral one at that. This throws some metaphorical cold water on the two. Jamie asks about his child, and Claire has brought photographs of their daughter; she has to explain to Jamie that photos are like paintings. Jamie pulls out reading glasses, which are about the only indicator that hes aged at all in their 20 years apart. Hes not crazy about the name Brianna, but Claire reminds him of her promise to name their child after his father, Brian. The two reminisce briefly about Faith, who has obviously never been far from their thoughts. Jamie reveals to Claire that he has a son who nobody knows about, including his sister. He doesnt provide all the gory details surrounding Willies conception and birth, but Jamie does admit that Willie is a bastard, and Jamie is certain hell never see him again. Claire questions if Jamie was in love with Willies mother, and his reply is no. He also blames himself for her death. (If he hadnt had sex with her, she wouldnt have gotten pregnant and died in childbirth.) Its an even more bitter pill for him to swallow since he didnt have any real affection for Willies mother at all. Its really tragic that Jamie has fathered three children but has been unable to raise any of them. Jamie wants to know if Claire left Frank to return to him, and she tells him that Frank died several years ago. Jamies hope was that Frank would take her back and raise his child, and Claire assures him thats exactly what Frank did, even knowing everything that happened between her and Jamie. Its obvious that Jamie wants to know if Claire was in love with Frank, but all he asks is if she was happy. Claire doesnt divulge the deets of her dismal marriage, choosing to highlight the joys of raising Brianna instead. Jamie has to meet someone, so the two head off to a nearby tavern. On the way, Claire fills Jamie in on Prince Charles fate. After Culloden, he spent years in hiding, even disguising himself as a woman. He escaped to the Isle of Skye until his brother came to rescue him. Charles may still be alive, but hes not exactly living the dream. The two encounter Fergus (Cesar Dumboy), who is now a young man. She notices his artificial hand, and he recounts how he lost it fighting the Red Coats. Fergus questions where Claire has been, and she spins a tale about heading to America after Culloden, believing Jamie to be dead. She didnt want to return to Lallybroch, fearing shed bring harm being the wife of a traitor. Theres No Place Like Home Claire and Jamie make it to the tavern, where an associate of Jamies, Mr. Willoughby (Gary Young), has gotten himself into a predicament. The man is drunk and owes some money to a woman for licking her elbow, which proves you really cant get anything in this world for free. Jamie pays Willoughbys debt and introduces him to Claire. He leaves them to talk while he goes to attend to business. Jamie isnt just a printer; hes also a smuggler. He meets with Sir Percival Turner (Paul Brightwell), to whom Jamie gives a cut of his earnings most likely for the privilege of doing business. This arrangement appears to be heading south because Turner believes Jamie has expanded his territory, which requires a heavier tax. Jamie swears his operation remains local, but Turner isnt swayed. He expects a bigger payment in the future. Jamie takes Claire to a local brothel, and the woman from earlier in the day greets him warmly. Her name is Madame Jeanne (Cyrielle Debrail), and shes surprised to learn that Jamie is married. She doesnt exactly give Claire a warm welcome she claims its an insult to the prostitutes for Jamie to bring a woman of his own, let alone his wife but arranges for a room for the couple. Claire learns that Jamie lives in the brothel, and she wonders if its because hes such a good customer. Jamie assures Claire that its Madame Jeanne who is his customer. Jamie travels for work, and she keeps a room for him so he can have a bed and a hot meal at any hour. Its preferable to the cot at his shop. Jamie finally gets around to asking if Claire has come back to be his wife or just to bring him news of his daughter. Claire responds that she returned because she found out he was alive. Hes curious about how she tracked him down, and she gives him an abbreviated version of the search. His reluctance to completely accept Claires return leads her to believe that he might not want her after all. Claire knows he has a life and suspects he may have other ties. Jamie reassures Claire about how much hes burned for her, but he is a different man than the one she left. They know even less about each other now than when they first got married. He doesnt want her to go, but he must know if she wants him. Claire raises a similar concern. How does Jamie know shes not a horrible person? He agrees that she might be, but he doesnt care. Quiz: Which TV Scooby Gang Do You Belong To? >>> Like Riding a Bicycle They sit down to dinner, reminiscing about their life together and filling in the details of their lives apart. The lingering question is if they can be what they once were. One thing is certain: the attraction between them is as strong as ever. So now we get to the good stuff. The two begin to undress each other. Its quite a long build-up to the main event. Some fans may like the tension, but I think even David Lynch would think the pacing on this drags. Maybe Im too much about instant gratification as opposed to savoring the sweetness of anticipation. Claire and Jamie are both a bit self-conscious, but these two dont have anything possessing the typical middle-age mom and dad bods. (Claire actually looked older in earlier episodes; shes slowly regressed back to season 1 hotness.) I guess we have no choice when watching a show about time travel, but to believe that her boobs look fantastic and shes got no stretch marks or wrinkles anywhere on her body? And Jamies like the George Clooney of 18th century Scotland. Theres a few awkward moments as they try to regain their rhythm, but they get their groove back, and its as hot as we could have hoped it would be. And the only description for her face at the moment of completion is pure rapture. Sex, Booze and Sedition After briefly basking in the afterglow, Claire questions what it is Jamie really does for a living, commenting that working as a printer doesnt usually result in such an impressive physique. He confesses that hes a booze smuggler, and Madame Jeanne is a partner of sorts. Not only does she buy his goods, but she keeps the liquor in her cellar until he ships it off. He also admits that hes still a traitor, only instead of a sword he uses the printing press. Jamie has been arrested for sedition six times in the past two years and had his premises seized twice, though the court wasnt able to prove anything. If they ever do, hell likely be hanged. Theres more sex, and Claire notices the scar on Jamies leg that he got from Randalls sword in Culloden. She swears shell never leave him again. Jamie reassures Claire that she did the right thing; shes a good mother and because Brianna is alive and safe theyll live on forever. The following morning, the two ruminate about their strong physical connection, and Jamie admits that he never thought hed feel anything for a woman again but blind, brute need. Claire wonders what exactly Jamie does when the need arises, and he isnt eager to talk about it. (What is he hiding?) Claire decides that the only thing she really wants to know is if Jamie fell in love with anyone else after she left, and he makes it clear shes been the only one. Jamie leaves to attend to more business, and he reminds her that shes Mrs. Malcolm, not Fraser. A young man arrives looking for Jamie, and it turns out to be his nephew, Ian (John Bell). He doesnt remember her, and Claire reveals that shes his aunt. Ian is surprised that shes alive. Hes heard stories about her at Lallybroch. People say shes a white woman or even a fairy. She gives him the same story about going to the Colonies as she did to Fergus. Ian seems a bit perplexed to learn that Claire is back for good but welcomes her anyway. Claire makes her way downstairs. The other women assume shes a new arrival and figure shes had a rough first night. They offer some tips on hygiene and birth control over breakfast. Madame Jeanne interrupts and is not pleased to see Claire fraternizing with the help and sends her back to her room. Someone is already there. Claire discovers a man named Barton (Ian Conningham). She orders him to leave, but Barton mistakes her for a whore. He promises that once he finds what hes looking for, she can earn some coin. Claire clarifies that shes Jamies wife. Barton wants to know where Jamie keeps his ledgers, and if she doesnt know perhaps hell screw the information out of her. This nefarious would-be rapist must work for Turner or some other unsavory character to be named later. Barton grabs Claire, and well have to wait until the next episode to see how she escapes his evil clutches. Some women might have reconsidered returning to a time and place that was so rape-y but not our Claire. What else is Jamie hiding? Will Jamie tame his wild ways now that Claire has returned? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. Outlander season 3 airs Sundays at 8/7c on Starz. Want more news? Like BuddyTVs Facebook page. (Image courtesy of Starz) latest news October 31, 2022 Buddy TV In November, there are hundreds of new and returning TV showsit can be overwhelming to try and choose what to watch. That's why we've selected some of the best options... Rick and the communities have finally banded together and are ready for all-out war in The Walking Dead season 8 premiere, which is also the 100th episode. They have their first attack planned down to the second. So can they finally take Negan and the Saviors down? The Walking Dead Season 8 Preview: Rick Promises to Kill Negan Himself >>> Preparing for War The Walking Dead season 8 premiere, titled Mercy, begins with Rick and the others all preparing for war. Rick gives a very inspiring speech as he stands with King Ezekiel and Maggie. They found a bigger world and have come together for it. Its theirs by right and theyll do what it takes to get it. Only one person has to die, though, and Rick will kill him himself. Ezekiel adds that Ricks his brother and Maggies his sister. And Maggie adds that theyll live in uncertainty for a while, but the future and their world is theirs if they have faith in each other. The show then flashes back to the gangs preparations for the upcoming fight. Carol, Tara, Morgan and Daryl are all planning something. Plus, it looks like the gang has a new ally! Dwight and Daryl have been passing notes via bow and arrow, which is just fitting for them. The community members have also been busy taking out the Saviors at the lookout spots they found out about. Carl, meanwhile, goes to a gas station to get more gas when he hears a voice. He pulls his gun as the guy talks about how he was shot and needs help. He says its important to help travelers and to have mercy. The guy hasnt eaten in days. Carl finds the guy, who says he just wanted some food. It looks like Carl might help, but Rick shows up and shoots over the guys head to get him to leave. Rick tells Carl that the guy could have been a Savior spy, but Carls not buying it. They wont have enough hope if they act like this. Finally, Gabriel tells Rick that everythings ready. Rick is still in shock that one guy, Negan, started this. Gabriel tells Rick that he one guy became a leader and started the resistance. But Rick says its not about him, and Gabriel agrees because Rick made it that way. Rick says goodbye to Judith, Michonne and Carl and says, This is the end, as he heads out with a bunch of armored cars. Michonne, Carl and Rosita are pretty bummed to be left behind, but Michonne reminds Carl that he gets to be in charge of Alexandria. Rick attacks another lookout guy, but he doesnt die right away. While Rick rummages through his stuff, the guy says he saw Rick beg before. He swears Rick will beg again and that his boy will die. Rick sets a Walker loose, and the Walker kills him. Then Rick ushers the cars over. Finally, everyone from the different communities gathers. Maggie promises Rick that shell be a part of the beginning of the war before her pregnancy stops her. Ezekiel offers to let her stay in the Kingdom and use their doctor, but Jesus says theyll get theirs back. Rick tells Maggie that the Hilltops lucky to have her and hell be following her after all this. Then they go to give their speeches and get ready for war. The Ultimatum Tara, Carol, Morgan and Daryl have been waiting and timing something on a bridge. But whatever theyre waiting for doesnt happen. Finally, a herd of Walkers shows up. They were just a little late. They leave just before an explosion goes off. Thats when Dwight sends some Saviors out to check it out. Rick and the others, meanwhile, show up at the Sanctuary ready to fight, with Maggie leading the charge. They all shoot into the air to let Negan know theyre there. Negan, Simon, Dwight, Eugene and some others come out. And Negans not impressed. He says hes not going to just let his people walk out and die like Ricks about to. He asks what Rick wants, so Rick gives him an ultimatum. He says they all have a chance to survive if they surrender right now. Again, Negans not impressed. Rick doesnt have the numbers for this fight. The Hilltoppers Make a Choice Just then, Gregory comes out and announces that the Hilltop stands with Negan and the Saviors, and any member of the Hilltop that goes against them wont be welcome in the Colony, their families will be thrown out and they should go home now. Maggie tells the other Hilltoppers that theyll do what they need to do. Jesus sides with her. And nobody leaves. The Hilltop stands with Maggie, Jesus yells. Yas queen. Simon gets pissed and shoves Gregory down some stairs. Maggies really grown into a strong leader, and Im so excited to see what happens now that shes the official leader of the Hilltop. Quiz: Which Spooky TV Town Should You Trick-or-Treat in This Halloween? >>> All-Out War Tara and the others make it to another bridge near a booby trap they set up. A Walker almost sets it off, but luckily Morgan gets to it in time. Then the Saviors cars show up and set off the booby trap. Carol, Tara and Morgan all go their separate ways as the herd of Walkers approaches. Only Daryl stays behind. He drives his motorcycle and starts setting off explosions as the Walkers follow him. Rick, Negan and the others see Daryl and the others explosion, and Rick informs Negan that the explosion is the lieutenants hed sent out. He counts down from 10 for Negan to surrender, but he only gets to seven before he starts shooting. And its on. They shoot out all the windows in the Sanctuary. They even blow up an RV so they can get into the Sanctuary. Rick gets kind of lost in it, until Gabriel reminds him they have to go and this isnt about him. Rick takes a final moment to snap a picture of the destruction just as the Walkers that Daryl had led show up. The only problem? Gabriel has to try to save Gregory right when the herd of Walkers approaches. But Gregory steals Gabriels car and drives off, leaving Gabriel to die. While he waits, Carl goes back to that gas station and leaves some food and a note saying, Sorry. The guy watches from the bushes. Is he a friend, a Savior spy or someone else? And will we even see him again? Phase 2 After the fight, the others all meet up at their next locations and get ready for their next set of attacks. Ezekiel and his people meet up with Carol, and Daryl meets up with Rick to wait for Gabriel. Gabriel doesnt show, so they have to leave. Daryl asks if Rick is okay, but Rick says it isnt about him. Soon, Morgan and Tara start planning an attack on a Saviors outpost, Daryl and Rick attack another, and Carol, Ezekiel and their others attack another. But one of the Saviors sets off an explosion at the outpost that Carol and Ezekiel are attacking and a bunch of Walkers. What Will Happen to Gabriel? Gabriel, meanwhile, is still trapped and surrounded by Walkers at the Sanctuary. He manages to get inside a shed. But guess whos there? Its Negan, of course. I hope youve got your shitting pants on because you are about to shit your pants, Negan grins. Old Man Rick Fans have been speculating about old man Rick ever since they saw him in the trailer. And we finally see him in the Walking Dead season 8 premiere. Throughout the episode, Rick dreams about himself as an old man in a peaceful world with Michonne, Judith and Carl. Theyre all getting ready for a big festival, and theres a big owl outside, according to Judith. We also seem to see another version of Rick. Theres a very teary, distraught Rick standing by some stained glass throughout the premiere. At the end of the premiere, the emotional Rick whispers Mercy prevails over my wrath to himself. The guy at the gas station had said that quote. Its from the Quran, and the guy got nervous because he said something Islamic. In the end, Rick clears his head and goes to deliver the speech he gave at the beginning of the premiere. Well, the gang did pretty well during their first fight, and weve seen how both Rick and Maggie have grown as leaders, but the future is uncertain. What do you think will happen to Gabriel now that hes stuck with Negan? Are Carol and Ezekiel okay? Where will Gregory go now? And will Rick and the others win the war? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. The Walking Dead airs Sunday nights at 9/8c on AMC. Want more news? Like our Facebook page. (Image courtesy of AMC) Germs on smartphone? UB engineer receives grant for light-based disinfection innovation. The $75,000 award, from FuzeHub, is a partnership with WNY startups CleanSlate UV and Grantwood Technologies You dont see it, but there is bacteria all over your smartphone and tablet. Most of the time, it isnt a problem. But sometimes it is. And in certain environments, it can be a huge health problem. BUFFALO, N.Y. Mobile devices are not only smart, they're dirty often containing millions of invisible bacteria and microorganisms from our faces, ears, hands and elsewhere. In everyday environments this bacteria is usually innocuous. However, in sensitive environments such as hospitals and food processing facilities, spreading diseases such as the flu or norovirus via mobile devices can have serious health consequences. To prevent this from happening, University at Buffalo researcher Edward Furlani is working with two Western New York companies CleanSlate UV (Buffalo) and Grantwood Technologies (Rochester) to deliver faster, more effective and easier sanitization of mobile devices using ultraviolet light, which damages the DNA of microorganisms and renders them inactive. Furlani has received a $75,000 grant from FuzeHub, an Albany-based not-for-profit organization that assists small- to medium-sized manufacturing companies in New York by matching them with technical and business resources. You dont see it, but there is bacteria all over your smartphone and tablet. Most of the time, it isnt a problem. But sometimes it is. And in certain environments, it can be a huge health problem, said Furlani, PhD, professor in the departments of electrical engineering and biological and chemical engineering in UBs School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The printer-sized CleanSlate UV device opens up like a car hood. Users place their device inside it. It then closes and uses ultraviolent light to sanitize the device, killing superbugs like MRSA and C. Difficile. The entire process takes 30 seconds. The project leverages CleanSlate UVs disinfection technology, Grantwood Technologies optical design expertise and Furlani's expertise in photonics. The work is expected to generate 10 new advanced manufacturing jobs in Western New York. CleanSlate UV is part of the START-UP NY economic development program, and was among the group of prize-winning companies at the 2015 43North business plan competition. FuzeHub is a program of the Jeff Lawrence Manufacturing Innovation Fund. Lawrence, who passed away in 2015, was a top executive at the Center for Economic Growth, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center in the Albany region, and a champion for New York manufacturing and entrepreneurial communities. The Manufacturing Innovation Fund, consisting of $1 million annually for five years, supports a set of activities designed to spur technology development and commercialization across New York. FuzeHub is administering this fund as part of its role as the Empire State Development (ESD)-designated statewide MEP center. One of the goals of the fund, and the Manufacturing Innovation Grants, is to spur economic development in the manufacturing sector, and were seeing that even these small investments in manufacturing projects are allowing companies to add jobs, strengthen their teams and contribute to their growth, FuzeHub Executive Director Elena Garuc said. These projects are a great example of how New Yorks innovation assets are supporting industry and contributing to economic growth in New York. Top national psychiatric organizations recognize innovative statewide program for children developed by UB professor Amid shortage of child psychiatrists, Kaye developed a program that has now helped more than 7,000 New York state children and adolescents Many primary care providers tell us that mental health issues are their biggest and most common problem. BUFFALO, N.Y. A program directed by David L. Kaye, MD, professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, is receiving national recognition this month from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). With funding from the New York State Office of Mental Health as part of Project TEACH, Kaye developed the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for Primary Care (CAP PC) program in 2010 to address New York States critical shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists in a cost-effective way. CAP PC provides assistance to primary care providers for their pediatric patients with mild to moderate mental health problems. It has so far provided consultation support for more than 7,000 pediatric patients throughout New York state. Nearly 2,000 primary care providers have registered for the program, a number that continues to grow at an annual average of 15 percent. The most common problem Many primary care providers tell us that mental health issues are their biggest and most common problem, said Kaye. The whole goal of CAP PC is to try and help primary care providers develop competence and feel confident about assessing and managing their patients mild to moderate mental health issues. In recognition of the program, Kaye received the APAs Psychiatric Services Bronze Achievement Award on Oct. 19 at the APA Institute for Psychiatric Services annual meeting in New Orleans. The highly competitive annual award is given to recognize creative models of service delivery and innovative programs for people with mental illness or disabilities. Later this week, Kaye will receive AACAPs 2017 Norbert and Charlotte Rieger Service Program Award for Excellence at the 64th Annual Meeting on Oct. 25 in Washington, D.C., where he will present Improving Primary Care Access and Quality of Care for Children with Mental Health Needs: The CAP PC Experience. The AACAP award recognizes innovative programs that address prevention, diagnosis or treatment of mental illnesses in children and adolescents, and serve as model programs for the country. The award is shared among the awardee and his or her service program. It was established in 1996 and is supported by the Norbert and Charlotte Rieger Foundation. Statewide collaboration UB collaborates on CAP PC with four other university-based child psychiatry divisions: Columbia University Medical Center, Hofstra Northwell Health, University of Rochester and SUNY Upstate Medical University to provide real-time psychiatric phone consultations for primary care providers and assist with referral linkages. The program also emphasizes formal education for primary care providers and has been the largest provider of continuing medical education of any child psychiatric access program in the country. The CAP PC program represents a lifetime of working toward the integration of physical and mental health, which has been in my heart from the beginning of medical school, Kaye said. Currently vice chair for academic affairs in the Department of Psychiatry, Kaye established UBs residency training program in child/adolescent psychiatry and served as director of training from 1986-2014. A Distinguished Fellow of AACAP and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the APA, he is a past president of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training. Kaye sees patients through UBMD Psychiatry. His work has focused on psychiatric education and he is first author on a book for primary care physicians, Child and Adolescent Mental Health (Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins 2002). More information on CAP PC is available at http://www.cappcny.org/home/ Campus News UB to recognize faculty, staff excellence By JASON HOWALD Distinguished UB faculty and staff will take center stage Oct. 26 at the 14th annual Celebration of Faculty and Staff Excellence. This celebration, which will be held in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall, North Campus, recognizes the work and achievement of UB faculty and staff in research, teaching and service. A separate ceremony recognizing student achievement will be held in the spring. The ceremony for faculty and staff will begin 3:30 p.m. with a welcome from President Satish K. Tripathi and remarks by Charles F. Zukoski, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. The event also will feature a screening of an excerpt from Sing for Me, a film by Sama Waham, visiting assistant professor in the Department of Media Study, that earned the Best Film Award for Long Documentaries at the Alexandria International Film Festival. The focal point of the event will be the recognition of faculty and staff members who received distinguished honors and awards during 2017. Honorees include those who have been named SUNY Distinguished Professors, UB Distinguished Professors, UB Exceptional Scholars and UB Teaching Innovators, as well as recipients of the SUNY Chancellors Award for Excellence. Also being honored are the recipients of two UB mentoring rewards: the UB Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring Award and the UB President Emeritus and Mrs. Meyerson Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring. In addition, 17 faculty members will be honored for 50 years of service to the university. A reception will follow the ceremony in the Slee lobby. The honorees Seventeen faculty and staff members recently achieved the milestone of completing 50 years of service to UB. They are: Angela M. Brucklier , University Libraries. , University Libraries. Carl Dennis , professor emeritus and artist-in-residence, Department of English. , professor emeritus and artist-in-residence, Department of English. Jeremy D. Finn , SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair, Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. , SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair, Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. Thomas Flanagan , professor emeritus of microbiology and immunology. , professor emeritus of microbiology and immunology. Shigeji Fujita , professor emeritus of physics. , professor emeritus of physics. Chester A. Glomski , professor of pathology and anatomical sciences. , professor of pathology and anatomical sciences. Evelyn Hufford , circulation supervisor, University Libraries. , circulation supervisor, University Libraries. William R. Kinkel , professor emeritus of neurology. , professor emeritus of neurology. Stephen G. Margolis , professor emeritus of electrical engineering. , professor emeritus of electrical engineering. John Peradotto , SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus of Classics. , SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus of Classics. Gerald R. Rising , SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus of Learning and Instruction. , SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus of Learning and Instruction. Royal Roussel , professor emeritus of media study. , professor emeritus of media study. Bonita M. Ryan , Government Relations. , Government Relations. Robert J. Schuder , associate professor emeritus of anesthesiology. , associate professor emeritus of anesthesiology. Albert T. Steegmann, Jr. , professor emeritus of anthropology. , professor emeritus of anthropology. Kenton Stewart , professor emeritus of biological sciences. , professor emeritus of biological sciences. Max A. Wickert, associate professor emeritus of English. Joining the ranks of SUNY Distinguished Professor, the highest faculty rank in the SUNY system, are: Jonathan S. Dewald, SUNY Distinguished Professor of History. SUNY Distinguished Professor of History. Chunming Qiao, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. SUNY Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. John E. Tomaszewski, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences. The Office of the Provost created the rank of UB Distinguished Professor to honor full professors who have achieved national or international recognition as experts in their fields. This years recipients are Robert M. Straubinger, professor of pharmaceutical sciences, and Gil I. Wolfe, professor and chair, and Irvin and Rosemary Smith Chair, Department of Neurology. The Chancellors Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities recognizes outstanding academic and creative achievements across a broad spectrum of scholarly and artistic fields. This years recipients are: Michel Bruneau , professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering. , professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering. Anthony A. Campagnari , senior associate dean for research and graduate education, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and professor of microbiology and immunology. , senior associate dean for research and graduate education, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and professor of microbiology and immunology. Gregory A. Fabiano , professor of counseling, school and educational psychology. , professor of counseling, school and educational psychology. Donald Mager , professor of pharmaceutical sciences. , professor of pharmaceutical sciences. Jinhui Xu, professor of computer science and engineering. The Chancellors Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes professors who have demonstrated outstanding teaching ability through superb classroom performance. Recipients are Amy Graves Monroe, associate professor of romance languages and literatures, and William Prescott Jr., clinical associate professor and vice chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice. The Chancellors Award for Excellence in Faculty Service recognizes the consistently superior service contributions of teaching faculty sustained over a period of time. This years recipient is Albert H. Titus, professor and chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering. The Chancellors award for Excellence in Professional Service honors members of the professional staff for extraordinary performance both within and beyond the position. Recipients are: Gwen Appelbaum , assistant dean and director, Career Resource Center, School of Management. , assistant dean and director, Career Resource Center, School of Management. Laura J. Barnum, associate vice president, Resource Planning associate vice president, Resource Planning Oscar A. Budde, associate vice provost and director of UB immigration services. associate vice provost and director of UB immigration services. Katharine P. Darling, associate dean for academic services. UB Graduate School. associate dean for academic services. UB Graduate School. Christa M. Greenberg, coordinator of undergraduate studies and senior academic adviser for the undergraduate program, Department of Psychology. coordinator of undergraduate studies and senior academic adviser for the undergraduate program, Department of Psychology. Joseph J. Helfer, senior assistant to the chair, Department of Biological Sciences. senior assistant to the chair, Department of Biological Sciences. Andrew Koenig, assistant dean for projects and planning, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. assistant dean for projects and planning, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Jennifer Rosenberg, associate dean and director of admissions, enrollment planning and undergraduate advisement, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. associate dean and director of admissions, enrollment planning and undergraduate advisement, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. John S. Taylor, Sr., executive director of development for the Primary Care Research Institute, Department of Family Medicine. The Chancellors Award for Excellence in Classified Service honors employees in the classified services who have demonstrated exceptional achievement and superior performance of duties. Recipients are: Laura Palka , assistant to the chief of staff, Office of the President. , assistant to the chief of staff, Office of the President. Jodi Reiner, graduate secretary, Department of Linguistics. graduate secretary, Department of Linguistics. Cheryl Tubisz, secretary, Department of Organization and Human Resources. The UB President Emeritus and Mrs. Meyerson Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring, formerly known as the UB Faculty Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity, recognizes the outstanding faculty mentorship that currently exists at UB and seeks to encourage further faculty commitment to and participation in the undergraduate research and creative experience. Recipients are: Martha C. Bohm , assistant professor of architecture. , assistant professor of architecture. John L Crassidis , CUBRC Professor in Space Situational Awareness and director of the Center for Multisource Information Fusion, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. , CUBRC Professor in Space Situational Awareness and director of the Center for Multisource Information Fusion, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Walter N. Hakala, associate professor of English. The UB Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring Award recognizes exceptional excellence in faculty mentoring of graduate students at UB. The recipients are Venu Govindaraju, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and vice president for research and economic development, and Jennifer Read, professor of psychology. The Exceptional Scholar Award for Sustained Achievement honors outstanding professional achievement that has been focused on a particular body of work over a number of years. It recognizes an unprecedented accomplishment in a senior scholars career, distinguishing a body of work of enduring importance that has gone beyond the norm in a particular field of study. Recipients are: Sathy V. Balu-lyer , professor of pharmaceutical science. , professor of pharmaceutical science. Gino Biondini , professor and associate chair, Department of Mathematics. , professor and associate chair, Department of Mathematics. Jian Feng , professor of physiology and biophysics. , professor of physiology and biophysics. Kemper E. Lewis , professor and chair, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. , professor and chair, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Karin Michelson , professor of linguistics. , professor of linguistics. Blaine Pfeifer, professor of chemical, biological and biomedical engineering. The Exceptional Scholar Award for Young Investigators celebrates a recent superior award achievement of a scholar in his/her field of study. Such an achievement will have distinguished the recipient as an up-and-coming scholar, as well as earned the individual acclaim for his/her work, which could be a published work or other scholastic or artistic endeavor. Recipients are: Ashley Brooke Barr , assistant professor of sociology. , assistant professor of sociology. Walter N. Hakala , associate professor of English. , associate professor of English. Juliane Nguyen , assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences. , assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences. Lu Su , assistant professor of computer science and engineering. , assistant professor of computer science and engineering. Zhi Sun , assistant professor of electrical engineering. , assistant professor of electrical engineering. Chi Zhou, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering. The UB Teaching Innovation Award recognizes faculty members who have contributed significantly to engaging students with new methods and approaches to teaching that have enhanced student-learning outcomes. Recipients are: Campus News Center for 21st-Century Music to honor composer Bernard Rands Through a catalog of more than 100 published works and many recordings, Bernard Rands is established as a major figure in contemporary music. Photo: Ted Gordon UBNOW STAFF English composer Bernard Rands will visit UB later this month to receive a SUNY honorary degree and to attend a concert of contemporary works presented in his honor by the Slee Sinfonietta, UBs professional chamber orchestra in residence and the flagship ensemble of the Robert and Carol Morris Center for 21st Century Music. The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall. The Slee Sinfonietta will be conducted by Matthew Chamberlain, a composer and conductor who is pursuing his PhD in composition at UB under the director of David Felder, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Birge-Cary Chair in Music Composition and director of the Center for 21st-Century Music. Also performing will be UB faculty members Tiffany Du Mouchelle, soprano; Eric Huebner, piano; and Tom Kolor, percussion, as well as Christopher Guzman, piano; Steve Solook, percussion; and Adrian Sandi, clarinet. The program features Rands now again fragments from Sappho, and Folk Songs, as well as Berios Linea and Felders Coleccion Nocturna. Rands, who will receive a SUNY honorary doctorate in music at a separate luncheon during his visit to UB, has visited the university often as a faculty composer for the June in Buffalo festival of new music. The Walter Bigelow Rosen Professor of Music Emeritus at Harvard University, Rands is the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize (1984) and a Grammy Award (2000), and served as a composer-in-residence for the Philadelphia Orchestra for seven years under Riccardo Muti. He has been commissioned by such ensembles as the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Eastman Wind Ensemble and the Cleveland Orchestra. Tickets for the Slee Sinfonietta's concert are available through a variety of outlets at the following pricing structure: UB faculty, staff, alumni, seniors and non-UB students $10 plus $2 fee online at www.ticketfly.com $10 plus $4 fee by phone at 877-987-6487 (Ticketfly) $14 in person at the Center for the Arts (noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday) $17 in person at the door (one hour before concert time) General public $15 plus $2 fee online at www.ticketfly.com $15 plus $4 fee by phone at 877-987-6487 (Ticketfly) $19 in person at the Center for the Arts (noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday) $22 in person at the door (one hour before concert time) UB students are admitted free with ID. For a complete listing of all concerts being presented by the Department of Music, visit the departments website. Ocean City's Cris Pannullo could be back on 'Jeopardy!' this week Ocean City man Cris Pannullo has 11 consecutive wins. His reign was paused while 'Jeopardy!' switched to the annual Tournament of Champions In order to create space in the inland water transport (IWT) sector, Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), which recently went public, is planning to form a joint venture (JV) with Hooghly Dock and Port Engineers to take over the facilities in Salkia and Nazirgunge. The Department of Telecom (DoT) has cleared the merger of Sistema Shyam Teleservices with Reliance Communications, a deal that will reduce the number of mobile operators in the country to ten. "Reliance Communications Limited (RCOM) has received the Department of Telecommunication's (DoT) approval for the demerger of the wireless business of Sistema Shyam Teleservices Limited (SSTL) into RCom," the Anil-Ambani led telecom firm said in a statement. According to a source, the deal was cleared by the DoT on October 20. Under the deal, all wireless business assets of SSTL will come under RCom. However, brand MTS will continue to operate. SSTL will gets 10 per cent stake in RCom as per the terms of the deal. "With this, Rcom will acquire approximately 2 million customers and additional annual revenues of around Rs 700 crore. In addition, RCom will acquire 30 MHz of the most valuable and superior 800/850 MHz band spectrum, ideally suited for 4G LTE services, to complement its own unique nationwide footprint," the statement said. The nod brings some relief for the debt-ridden RCom after its merger deal with another telecom operator Aircel collapsed early this month. The merger of SSTL will also extend the validity of RCom's spectrum portfolio in the 800 and 850 MHz band in eight important circles -- Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Kolkata, UP-West and West Bengal -- by a period of 12 years from 2021 to 2033. RCom has assumed the liability to pay Rs 390 crore per annum for the next eight years to the DoT which is due for spectrum purchased by SSTL. The transactions related to the deal are expected to close by the first week of November 2017, RCom said. Shares of RCom closed at Rs 17.7 a unit, up by 7.6 per cent compared to the previous close on the BSE on Monday. Ahead of Infosys' second quarter earnings announcement, analysts expect the outcome of the board meeting to reflect on long term stability in the business along with short term confidence building measures like date for share buyback and employees' salary hike. A meeting of the board of directors of the company will be held at registered office on October 23 and October 24, 2017 to consider consolidated and standalone financial and recommend payment of interim dividend, Infosys said in a regulatory filing. "The financial would be finally approved by the board of directors on October 24, 2017," the filing said. This will be first financial result that Infosys is set to announce under second innings of co-founder Nandan Nilekani at the helm of company's affairs and after controversial exit of Vishal Sikka as its chief executive officer. "The Infosys Board has two key issues to manage currently one, ensuring stability by way of managing stakeholder sentiment and two, offering visibility by way of sharing concrete guidance," Greyhound Knowledge Group CEO and Chief Analyst Sanchit Vir Gogia told PTI. He further said while multiple short-term tactics like share buyback, employees salary hikes and active client conversations can be expected to ensure stability, it is the concrete guidance that needs most focus and work. Infosys has been in the headlines since the beginning of 2017 due to sharp differences between its founder N R Narayana Murthy and the company's board under R Seshasayee as Chairman and Sikka as CEO over governance issues. Murthy had also expressed concern over Rs 1,250 crore acquisition of Israel based IT firm Panaya based on anonymous letter, which alleged wrong doing in the deal. An audit done by international law firm Gibson Dunn and Control Risks found no evidence of wrong doing in the Panaya acquisition. Sikka resigned from the company on August 18 after series of allegations levelled by Murthy. Seshasayee and Infosys co-chairman Ravi Venkatesan resigned in the following week. Nilekani returned to the board of the company after a gap of about seven years as non-executive chairman on August 24. His appointment seems to have settled the dust of controversies around board, however, stakeholders are now looking for uptake of the company's business under Nilekani's regime. Infosys Chief Operation Officer UB Pravin Rao was given interim charge of managing director and CEO on August 24. The announcement of regular CEO is due from the company. "While visibility on the new CEO announcement is important, we at Greyhound believe Infosys board must also offer concrete guidance on the companys stand on some of the initiatives that were launched in Vishals term, steps being taken to ensure development of mid-management and reduce senior level exists and most importantly reforms that are either already being executed or planned to ensure zero governance issues in the future," Gogia said. Shareholder's advisory firm Stakeholders Empowerment Services (SES), which recently critically examined Murthy's stand, has suggested that allegations levelled by the Infosys founder on the basis of unknown whistleblower should be investigated, plug governance loopholes and make the report public. "SES is of the view that if the report is not made public in full, NRN (Murthy) will lose his credibility and prove that he was firing wrong shots ostensibly to hurt individuals he disliked and which undeniably caused irreparable damage to the baby he gave birth to," SES report had said. Besides answers to the controversies, the stakeholders will be looking at dates for the its Rs 13,000 crore share buyback plan. Infosys has fixed price of Rs 1,150 per share, about 24 per cent more than its stock closing pricing of Rs 927.1 a unit. As per an analyst of a banking investment firm, who did not wished to be named due to business reason, said that as per their research, investors will focus on changes in Infosys digital and growth strategy, demand environment across verticals it operates specially financial services and progress on automation and artificial intelligence which gathered pace under Sikka's regime. The firm expects Infosys to cut constant currency revenue growth guidance for current fiscal from 6.5-8.5 per cent to around 6-7 per cent. The company had posted 1.3 per cent increase in net profit to Rs 3,483 crore for the June quarter, helped by client wins in key markets, and raised its annual US dollar revenue outlook. Its revenue grew 1.7 per cent to Rs 17,078 crore in the first quarter of 2017-18 as against Rs 16,782 crore in the year-ago period. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) We wish India's telecom saga would be a Bollywood movie, with a happy ending. But what we have witnessed since the May of 1994, when India began slowly easing the state grip on telecoms to usher in everything from private players to mobile phones to the Internet, is a long-winding soap opera. In line with the spirit of the saas-bahu nation, we can announce that Reliance Jio is the much loved and hated new bahu (daughter-in-law) in this opera, impressing everyone and upsetting the older order. After slugging it out in metros and big cities, the fight for customers among operators has now shifted to rural and small towns as telecoms target to get a pie of the 500 million strong customer base, which currently uses feature phones but aspires to own a smartphone. Reliance Jio was the first one to tap the feature phone customer base with the launch of Rs 1,500 4G-enabled feature phone in July this year. The Mukesh Ambani-owned company, which had already rattled the incumbent operators with its free and cheap offerings, led to the shift towards this segment of customers as the market in metros and other big cities is almost saturated. The country's top operator Bharti Airtel has already announced a bundling partnership with local handset maker Karbonn, wherein the Sunil Bharti Mittal-led company is offering a smartphone for an "effective price" of Rs 1,399. The company has made it clear that going forward, many such partnerships will be forged as it looks to provide a smartphone at an affordable price to customers, who wish to upgrade but face financial constraints to do it. According to an official of Airtel, the company is targeting to convert customers, who currently use feature phones and aspire to own a smartphone. Other incumbent players including Vodafone and Idea Cellular too have confirmed to Business Standard that they are in talks with handset operators for partnerships. The companies though did not comment specifically as any deal is not finalised as yet. The analysts are of the view that the incumbents have to come out with partnerships with handset makers if they have to protect this customer base of 500 million users. Also, an industry executive says that most of the feature phone users are customers of the top three incumbents, mainly using 2G services. "The Rs 1,500 device announced by Reliance Jio could have been an attractive proposition for these users, so the incumbents are now coming out with plans, wherein the cost of the smartphone has been lowered for bundling," an industry veteran said on condition of anonymity. Although Airtel is not subsidising the device the cash back of Rs 1,500 makes it an attractive deal. "It could compete with JioPhone, at least within the high-end feature phone user segment," a Morgan Stanley report said. According to an earlier report by UBS, the Jio phone would support mass market adoption of 4G data. "We expect Jio to thus continue to gain market share from smaller operators as the sector consolidates," UBS said. A Deutsche Bank note said Airtel's bundle would aid in garnering a significantly higher share of the subscribers who are likely to switch over the next 12-18 months. Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. 26 years of website archives. After handling the procurement of products as diverse as LED bulbs, electric cars and smart meters, government-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has become the most visible face of energy efficiency programmes in India. In an interview with Jyoti Mukul and Shreya Jai, Managing Director Saurabh Kumar discusses how they used the same model for the procurement of bulbs and cars. Edited excerpts: Pakistan Rangers have violated the ceasefire 105 times along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir in the first nine months of the year, a senior BSF official said. "There have been 105 by Pakistan Rangers along the IB in Jammu frontier area in J&K in the past nine months period of this year", a senior BSF officer told PTI. A BSF jawan and a woman were killed and 19 others, including seven BSF men and 12 civilians, were injured in the shelling during the period, he said. Rangers hit over 30 to 40 hamlets close to nearly 200 km long IB, with mortar bombs and heavy weapons in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts and also targeted Arnia town in Jammu district heavily. Last month, they forced over 10,000 people residing along IB in Jammu sector to shun their homes by triggering fear psychosis. Last year, the by Pakistan stood at 204, the officer said. 11 people including 3 BSF men and 8 civilians were killed and 56 others including 14 BSF men and 44 civilians were injured in the firing, the BSF said. In 2015, there were 152 in which four BSf men were killed. There have been nearly 12,000 ceasefire violations by Pakistan since 2002, which have resulted in the killing of 313 people, including 144 security forces personnel. The highest number of such violations took place in 2002, when 8376 incidents were reported while 2045 incidents of ceasefire violations were reported in 2003. The ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) and IB in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003. For three years - 2004, 2005 and 2007 - there was not a single such violation on the border. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani is scheduled to visit India on Tuesday morning, while US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is also slated to land here on a three-day visit on Tuesday evening. The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Gujarat government to apprise it within four weeks whether any departmental action had been initiated or taken against the police officers whose conviction was upheld in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud also allowed the gangrape survivor to file a fresh appeal seeking enhancement of the compensation earlier granted to her in the gangrape case that had taken place during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The gangrape survivor has sought grant of adequate compensation and initiation of departmental action against the errant police officers. The Supreme Court, which sought a report from the Gujarat government within four weeks on the departmental action, asked the counsel for the rape survivor to file a separate appeal challenging a high court order on the issue of compensation. The Bombay High Court had on May 4 upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of 12 people in the gangrape case, while setting aside the acquittal of seven people including policemen and doctors. Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped in March, 2002, while she was pregnant, lost seven of her family members in the aftermath of the Godhra train burning incident. The bench had convicted seven persons, including five policemen and two doctors, for not performing their duties (sections 218) and tampering of evidence (section 201) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The convicted policemen and doctors are Narpat Singh, Idris Abdul Saiyed, Bikabhai Patel, Ramsingh Bhabhor, Sombhai Gori, Arun Kumar Prasad (doctor) and Sangeeta Kumar Prasad (doctor). A special court had on January 21, 2008, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment 11 men in the case. They later approached the Bombay High Court challenging their conviction and sought for the trial court's order to be quashed. The CBI had also filed an appeal in the high court seeking harsher punishment of death for three of the convicted on the grounds that they were the main perpetrators of the crime. According to the prosecution, on March 3, 2002, Bilkis Bano's family was attacked by a mob at Randhikpur village near Ahmedabad during the post-Godhra riots and seven members of her family were killed. Bilkis Bano, who was five-month pregnant at the time, was gangraped while six other members of her family managed to escape from the mob. The trial in the case began in Ahmedabad. However, after Bilkis Bano expressed apprehensions that witnesses could be harmed and CBI evidence tampered, the Supreme Court transferred the case to Mumbai in August 2004. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It seems the Bharatiya Janata Party ruled states are going all out to woo cattle rearers. The Haryana government perhaps has gone a few steps ahead and planned PG hostels for cows, buffaloes and other animals. TThe action in Indian-language news websites has been relentless. Earlier this month, the BBC launched news sites in Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati and Punjabi. Last month, The Wire, an English news website, started its Urdu edition. It came close on the heels of its Hindi version. In August, Google launched voice search in eight Indian languages, including Urdu, Malayalam and Tamil. It already has voice search in Hindi and English. Two years ago, we at Google realised that if we dont adopt Indian languages, we would be out of business, said Rahul Kapoor, head of strategic partnerships, Google India, at Digipub, a digital publishing event recently. A writ petition challenging a Rajasthan government ordinance to protect judges and bureaucrats from being investigated without its prior sanction as "arbitrary and mala fide" was filed in the Rajasthan High Court on Monday. Filed in the Jaipur Bench of the high court by activist Bhagwat Gour, the petition, according to Gour's counsel A K Jain, contends that the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, was "in contravention of fundamental rights as enshrined under Part-III of the Constitution of India". The Rajasthan government on Monday tabled a Bill in the Assembly to replace the ordinance promulgated on September 7. The ordinance seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on-duty action without its prior sanction. It also bars the media from reporting on such accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe is given by the government. According to the counsel, the ordinance amends the provisions of sections 156 and 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and inserts Section 228-B in the Indian Penal Code (IPC). While section 156 gives police officers the power to investigate a "cognisable case", Section 190 deals with cognisance of offences by magistrates. He claimed that by inserting CrPC sections 156(3) and 190(1), protection from investigation for on-duty action has been extended to each and every public servant defined under any law -- panches, sarpanches, members or office-bearers of a cooperative society, MPs, MLAs, members of cooperation, and employees of universities. He said that the ordinance was violative of Article 14 (equality before law), Article 19 (Freedom of Speech) and Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution. He said that Section 156(3) of the CrPC is an outlet provided to a victim when his request for investigating a cognisable offence has not been paid heed by the police. The magistrate orders an investigation under section 156 (3) of the CrPC. The counsel said that taking away the power of a magistrate under CrPC Section 156(3) was "violative of the basic structure of the Constitution". Under the amendment, no magistrate shall order enquiry or investigate a person who is and was a magistrate, judge or a public servant without the prior sanction of the authority. In the amendment to the IPC, Section 228-B has been inserted which prevents the disclosure of the identity of certain public servants, he said. A writ petition can be filed in the high court or the Supreme Court against violation of fundamental rights. Karnataka government has banned riding pillion on two-wheelers with engine capacity of less than 100 CC, giving effect to a 2015 court order. The transport department also banned registration of such vehicles. "Not only has the registration of such vehicles which have seats for pillion rider been banned, but also riding pillion ontwo-wheelers below 100 CC is prohibited," said a governmentorder issued by the transport department on October 13 last. The order was issued based on a Karnataka High Court order in a case relating to award of compensation to Hemanth, a minor riding pillion who was crippled for life following a road accident in Mysuru in March, 2009. Hemanth and Nithin, who was riding the two-wheeler without a licence, were both aged around 14 then. A recklessly driven car had crashed against their vehicle. While Nithin escaped with minor injuries, Hemanth wascrippled for life with serious head injuries. In its June 15, 2015 order on a petition related to compensation claim by parents of Hemanth, the court had taken note of violations of rules and issued a slew of directions to theeducation and transport departments and the policeto prevent minors from riding motor vehicles above50 CC. It had directed that to avoid repetition of similar situation, the transport department should not register vehicles below 100 CC with a pillion seat attached to it and not permitriding pillion on such vehicles (already registered). There should not be any seat for pillion riders in vehicles below 100 CC as mandated under Rule 143(3) of the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rules - 1989, the court had said. The Rs 10,000-crore initial public offering (IPO) of will hit the market next month, helping the government garner much-needed resources under its divestment plan. G Srinivasan, its chairman and managing director, tells Abhijit Lele about the state-run general insurance companys business strategy and steps to improve its financial profile. Edited excerpts: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor has said it is important for a country to maintain monetary and fiscal discipline if it is to attract investors from abroad. And, justified the central bank's stance on high provisioning toward stressed assets. Pratappura village (Bhilwara district), Rajasthan: In the early 1990s, at the end of a drought that stretched over three years, an 18-year-old Deva Singh took up work at a nearby sandstone mine. He was grateful for the Rs 15 a day it paid because there was no other work in his primarily agricultural village. Now 42, Singh has been diagnosed with silicosis, a disease caused by fine silica dust released from mineral mining operations, for which there is no cure. At the mine, Singh and fellow miners were given no protective gear. Within 10 years, his body had given up. My back would hurt, my ribs would ache, Singh told IndiaSpend. The disease claimed the life of one of Singhs brothers, and another brother has recently been diagnosed with the disease. Singh returned to his village 6-7 years ago, and now spends the day grazing the two goats his family own. The household runs on the Rs 200 a day his wife and daughter each earn as hired farm hands. There are more than 30 people from this village alone, and at least 1,000 across Bhilwara district, who have contracted silicosis from working in mines, and whose livelihoods and lives will never recover. Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI (M)) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday termed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government's move as the "biggest diabolical method of money laundering" and said it had converted all black money into white. Hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led central dispensation on the economy front, he said government's policies "have virtually ruined" the country's economy and said it did not know how to revive it and provide relief to people. In his address after the release of a Tamil translation of compilation of his speeches in Parliament, Yechury questioned BJP's stand of zero tolerance for corruption, accusing its leaders of being involved in many scams. He pointed out, among others, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah's son Jay Shah's company reportedly registered manifold revenue after the party came to power in 2014. "You have the BJP President's son involved in serious allegation that are not being investigated. You have the Sahara diaries, Panama papers, the Lalit Modi case, Vyapam case, Land scam case in Bihar," he said, adding there was no investigation into these. However, opposition leaders were being targeted for various corruption charges even "if there was a case or not," he said. "The worst corruption that has taken place in the country is . This has been the biggest diabolical method of money laundering that has been undertaken in independent India. Today all the money that was demonetised has come back " he said. The government, he said, had "no idea of what they are doing, but what they have done is converted all black money into white." "They have legalised all illicit money. They have neither been able to reduce terrorist attacks... in fact they have doubled," the former Rajya Sabha MP said. The economy has been ruined to "favour" certain corporate companies, Yechury alleged. To divert attention from such issues, "communal divide" was being created and "sadly Taj Mahal has become an issue now," he said in reference to the controversy surrounding the Mughal-era monument in Agra. He also referred to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath raising the issue of construction of Ram temple. Further, moral policing squads were telling youngsters "what to eat and whom to befriend," Yechury rued. A year before, driving through National Highway-24, one would see billboards of real estate companies in the National Capital Region (NCR) offering Italian marble, free club membership and car parking, modular kitchen, LCD television, air conditioners and even a new car to woo apartment buyers. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs plans to go after such entities by invoking provisions of Section 447 of the new Companies Act. Illustration: Ajay Mohanty Fresh off a decisive election victory, Japan's leader pledged on Monday to tackle what he called Japan's two national crises: the military threat from North Korea and an aging and shrinking population. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a news conference that he is committed to protect the Japanese people's prosperity and peace from any contingency. He also referred to the Japanese kidnapped years ago and believed still held by North Korea. "I will pursue decisive and strong diplomacy to tackle North Korea's missile, nuclear and abduction issues and put further pressure to get it to change its policy," he said. His ruling coalition returned to power in elections yesterday for Japan's more powerful lower house. Abe said the result showed "strong support" and thanked the people for backing stability and his government's policies. He promised a comprehensive package by the end of the year to deal with Japan's demographic challenges, including investments in education, productivity improvements and pension system reform. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The prospect of Catalonia seceding from Spain has never looked closer. Following a messy referendum vote on the matter (which the Spanish government refused to recognise but sent police in to prevent from taking place) and a series of protests, there seems to be a real possibility of a split taking place. But what might the economic consequences be? Islamic finance is enjoying a surge in popularity, with 14% annual growth in recent years. And the interest in sharia-compliant stocks and bonds is growing across the non-Muslim as well as Muslim world. Japan's Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera on Monday reportedly said that the threat from North Korea is both "unprecedented" and "imminent". The Defence Minister pressed for "different responses" as he spoke with South Korean Defence Minister Song Young-moo and Secretary of Defence James Mattis, according to a foreign news agency. Onodera, speaking during the discussions in the Philippines said, "The country has steadfastly improved its nuclear and missile capability," adding, "the threat posed by North Korea has grown to the unprecedented, critical and imminent level." Meanwhile, the CNN reports that more than a dozen African nations have done business with North Korea despite sanctions by the United Nations. The report mentioned that across Africa from Windhoek to Gaborone, from Luanda to Dakar, the governments have quietly been signing deals with the North Korean state for years. A monument named Heroes' Acre statue in Namibia was built by a North Korean firm Mansudae, a North Korean state-owned enterprise and a cash cow for the rogue regime. The coordinator of the U.N. Panel of Experts on North Korea, Hugh Griffiths, said, "This money is highly significant." "We are looking at at least 14 African (UN) member states where Mansudae alone was running quite large construction operations -- building everything from ammunition factories, to presidential palaces, to apartment blocks," he added. The U.N. has imposed strict economic sanctions against the country in retaliation for continuing its weapons development programme. North Korea in July conducted two intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests and said last month that it had successfully tested a miniaturised hydrogen bomb that could be placed on an ICBM. India is "deeply concerned" at the spate of violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State where normalcy will be restored only with the return of "displaced persons", External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said amidst the raging Rohingya refugee crisis. US Secretary of State took the Donald Trump administration's case for isolating and containing Iran in the Middle East and beyond to two Gulf Arab nations, pushing for Saudi Arabia and Iraq to unite to counter growing Iranian assertiveness. He also called for a quick resolution to the ongoing crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbours, which he said was unintentionally bolstering Iran. In Saudi Arabia and later Qatar, Tillerson denounced Iran's "malign behaviour" and urged nations of the region and elsewhere, notably Europe, to join the administration to halt any business they do with Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps. He also demanded that Iranian and Iran-backed Shiite militia in Iraq either return to their homes, integrate into the Iraqi army or leave the country. "Those fighters need to go home," Tillerson said. "Any foreign fighters need to go home." In Riyadh for the inaugural meeting of the Saudi Arabia- Iraq Coordination Council, a vehicle that US officials believe can wean Iraq from Iran, Tillerson told Saudi King Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that the nascent partnership between their countries held great promise for Iraq's reconstruction after devastating battles to wrest territory from the Islamic State group and its independence from foreign influence. "We believe this will in some ways counter some of the unproductive influences of Iran inside of Iraq," he said at a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir after the council meeting. Tillerson said countries outside of the region could also play a role, primarily by shunning the Revolutionary Guards, which play a major role in Iran's economy and were added to a U.S. terrorism blacklist earlier this month. Companies and countries that do business with the guards "really do so at great risk," he said. "We are hoping that European companies, countries and around the world will join the US as we put in place a sanctions structure to prohibit certain activities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that foment instability in the region and create destruction in the region," Tillerson said. At the council meeting, Tillerson praised the Saudi king and Abadi for the August reopening of a major border crossing and the resumption of direct flights between Riyadh and Baghdad last week. "Both represent the beginning of what we hope will be a series of even more tangible actions to improve relations and strengthen cooperation on a host of issues," he said. "Your growing relationship between the kingdom and Iraq is vital to bolstering our collective security and prosperity and we take great interest in it." His participation in the meeting comes as US officials step up encouragement of a new axis that unites Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a bulwark against Iran's growing influence from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. Amid the push for that alliance, the Iraqi government is struggling to rebuild recently liberated Islamic State strongholds and confronts a newly assertive Kurdish independence movement. In 1793, in his letter to Britains King George III, Chinas Qianlong emperor rejected all the British requests to improve the state of trade between England and China. After all, the Middle Kingdom possesses all things in prolific abundance there is no need to import the manufactures of outside barbarians. Half a century later, China was defeated by Britain in the Opium Wars, and started to rethink its place in the world. Ever since, Chinese elites have been searching for answers to the same question: how to make China great again? Sticking to its schedule, Reliance Capital is on track to list its asset management arm Asset Management (RNLAM). The issue, which would open on Wednesday and is the first one by an asset management company (AMC), has many positives such as a diversified asset base with strong investment track record. These attributes have helped RNLAM grow its business profitably. Equally important is its positioning as the number three player (11.4 per cent market share, according to ICRA) among AMCs, which is aided by an exhaustive distribution network. While these pluses augur well, the initial public offering (IPO) priced at 36x FY17 earnings on a pre-issue basis and 38x on a post-issue basis seem to leave little on the table for those interested in immediate listing gains. The offer may, hence, be best suited for long-only investors. Nonetheless, IPO valuations arent at a significant premium considering the recent transaction in which IIFL Asset Management bought 2.59 per cent stake in RNLAM for Rs 390 crore, which valued the AMC at Rs 15,000 crore. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has become the first Pakistani Prime Minister to fly a military helicopter as he took the Turkish T129 for a test flight on Sunday. Abbasi appreciated the Turkish helicopter as an "impressive and good machine" after taking the test-flight. "Our army is evaluating the helicopter, and we are negotiating the contract and terms," The Express Tribune quoted Abbasi as saying to a question about Pakistan's plan to purchase T-129 helicopters manufactured by the Turkish Aerospace Industries. He added that the Turkish defense production industry was one of the best in the . He also appreciated the Turkish aviation industry as well as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the achievements in defence production. Earlier, he inspected the helicopter and was briefed by Turkish aviation officials about the specifications and technical parameters of the combat chopper. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After the appointment of former IB Chief Dineshwar Sharma as the new interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir, Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah on Monday said the Centre should talk to Pakistan also as it is one of the parties of the state. "Kashmir issue is a political problem. It's not only about talking to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, but they have to talk to Pakistan also as it is one of the parties of the state," Abdullah told ANI. "I want to ask the Home Minister about what happened to the previous interlocutors. A huge report was produced which was collected by us. I have seen what happened to the previous report. How can I believe that this report will make a difference? Nothing has worked. The demonetisation move did not work. Whatever they say, nothing will change," he added. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti hailed the Centre's decision to start a 'sustained dialogue' with people of the state. Earlier in the day, the Centre announced plans to start a dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir and appointed former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma as its representative for talks with "all" stakeholders in the state. "The government has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir. Former IB director Dineshwar Sharma will be Government of India's representative. Rank of Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secretary," Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the media. He added that Sharma would initiate the dialogue with elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties, different organisations and public. Singh said that as the government's representative, Sharma would initiate the sustained interaction and dialogue to understand the legitimate aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A team of the GST Intelligence Agency on Monday conducted a raid at the Vishal Film Factory, a production house owned by the president of Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council, actor Vishal. The raid started after 2 p.m. at the premises of the Vadapalani office of the production house. As per reports, the raid by the GSTI is to find out if there was any evasion of the GST amount paid by the production house. On the request of GSTI, Vishal has provided all necessary documents. The GST Intelligence Agency is tasked with checking the evasion of Goods and Services Tax (GST). Vishal is the secretary of the Nadigar Sangam and the president of the Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council. The Vishal Film Factory, set up in 2013, has produced six films including Kathakali, Naan Sigappu Manithan and Aambala, all movies in which Vishal himself was the lead actor. Earlier, Vishal was in news for announcing a reward for tracking down the admins of Tamil Rockers - a website that uploads pirated copies of newly-released Tamil films. Recently, he also called out Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader H. Raja for saying that he watched parts of Vijay starrer Mersal, online. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's leading medical assistance company Credihealth on Monday announced its plans to invest Rs. 100 crore in the next three years to augment technology and infrastructure for expansion in new geographies pan India. Credihealth will make use of the funds to introduce new technology and start operations in new geographies especially tier III and IV cities to make sure patients in remote areas get access to quality healthcare facilities located just three to four hours away. "When we first started, acceptance was the biggest challenge we faced. Initially, most of the doctors were apprehensive about our product and for the first two years, we worked with our partnered hospitals on the proof of concept. Despite the scepticism, we worked persistently to realise our vision of delivering free and credible medical information to consumers in the country," said CEO and founder Credihealth, Ravi Virmani. "The fact that we have served more than six lakh customers in the past four years and expanded to 14 cities is a great validation of our product and practices," he added. Committed to changing the face of healthcare in India, Credihealth recently completed four successful years of building a robust healthcare ecosystem with credible and affordable solutions for all. It has also been enabling seamless access to the best healthcare experts in the country for all citizens. The company initially launched its operations in New Delhi, and later expanded to the National Capital Region and Mumbai. It is now operational in 14 cities across the country with a network comprising 630 hospitals and over 30,000 doctors. It assists patients throughout their medical journey, providing the best tech-enabled solutions, from searching for the right doctor to scheduling appointments, diagnostics, surgeries and post-op care, all for free. With the largest hospital network in India, the first-of-its-kind digital platform's ground-breaking system allows users to compare and select from a comprehensive database of hospitals, doctors, and treatments. The platform also has its own team of in-house doctors providing online consultation to users through both the web and mobile applications. Credihealth has also expanded into the medical tourism sector, providing complete assistance for medical treatment in India. Its team of medical experts supports international patients starting from airport pick-up till they are discharged from the hospital. Having made significant headway in its mission of making quality healthcare accessible and establishing India as a key destination for medical tourism, Credihealth has its eyes set on taking its services to more and more consumers at a pan-India level. With its unstinted efforts at revolutionizing the way healthcare is delivered, the company is poised to assist six million more people in the future. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hollywood director David Fincher, whose name has been linked with 'Star Wars' movies, has finally revealed that he would stay away from the epic sci-fi franchise as it come with a lot of pressure. While talking to a leading U.S. publication, the 55-year-old director shared that he spoke with Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy about the job at that time. He said, "I can't imagine the kind of intestinal fortitude one has to have following up the success of these last two. That's a whole other level. One is that you have to endure the withering abuse of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, and the other is you have to live up to a billion or a billion-five, and that becomes its own kind of pressure." The Oscar-nominated director, known for directing blockbusters like 'Se7en', 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo', 'The Social Network' and 'Gone Girl', was a favourite to helm 'The Force Awakens', which was ultimately helmed by JJ Abrams. Fincher stressed the amount of energy and devotion required of you after saying yes to that kind of assignment. "You'd have to really clear your head, I think. You'd have to really be sure this is what you wanted to do because either way it's two years of your life, 14 hours a day, seven days a week." 'Star Wars' has not been an easy project for many directors. Earlier this year, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were fired from the 'Han Solo' movie with Ron Howard stepping into at the last minute. Colin Treverrow, who was originally going to direct 'Episode IX', stepped down from the director's chair over creative differences with Lucasfilm, leaving JJ Abrams to take over. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Owing the credit to Diwali and Dhanteras, jewelry sales in Maharashtra witnessed a surge of 20 percent despite financial reforms such as demonetization and Goods and Services Tax (GST), in comparison to sales in 2016. "People are no more scraed to buy jewelry. We did a good on Dhanteras. It escalated by 20 percent this festive season, mainly because the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was removed," Kumar Jain from Gold Bullion Association told ANI. Adding to this Kumar said that the outlook for the upcoming wedding season looks great in terms of sales. "The upcoming wedding season which begins in November is also responsible for the surge in purchases during Diwali. There are more than 25,000 weddings this year" The market post-August 23, witnessed a downfall of 40 to 50 percent after the PMLA provisions for purchase of jewellery above Rs. 50,000 were made mandatory. However, the consumers required Permanent Account Number (PAN) card and Aadhar card for the purchase of gold and diamond items. Kumar, however, espouses that GST which led to a lump in other industries such as real-estate, and manufacturing, was beneficial for the jewelry industry. "GST was beneficial for the jewelry industry. The provisions also helped us," added Kumar. The government's announcements to relax norms under PMLA along with stable jewelry prices, greatly helped boost footfalls at jewelry shops during the festive season. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The first batch of the Afghan Air Force pilots completed their training in the United States for the newly-deployed modern UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, reported the Khaama Press. The newly-trained batch of four Afghan pilots are expected to start services with the Afghan Air Force in the near future, reported Khaama Press quoting officials as saying. The Afghan Embassy in Washington stated, "The Afghan pilots received their certificates during a ceremony organized in the United States last week." The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is the U.S. Army's primary medium lift utility transport and air assault aircraft. The Afghan Air Force welcomed the arrival of new U.S.-made military helicopters, that is, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the NATO forces earlier this month. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani while formally accepting the first batch of helicopters called it a "historic day". Afghanistan is expecting to receive around 159 Black Hawk helicopters in coming years in a bid to boost to radically transform the young Afghan air force. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday called the GST (Goods and Service Tax) "Gabbar Singh Tax", while he was addressing a rally at the 'Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan' here. Asking the Central Government to make reforms in the GST, Rahul Gandhi said, "The Congress wanted to implement the Goods and Service Tax. But the PM Modi-led government at the Centre has imposed the Gabbar Singh Tax." Rahul Gandhi then targetted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his claims of growing ties with China, while calling on the people to stop using China-made products. "From our press cameras to our cellphones, everything holds the tag 'Made in China'. Everytime you click your phone's button to take a selfie, a youth in China gets employment," he said. "Modiji communicates his 'Mann Ki Baat' to the nation, but today, I want to tell him the 'Mann Ki Baat' of the people of Gujarat," Rahul Gandhi said, taking a potshot at the prime minister's monthly radio address to the nation. Rahul further said, "Around 30 lakh youth are unemployed in our nation. 30,000 of them step out in hunt of a job each day. But the Modi government can only provide jobs to 450." Rahul also accused the BJP-led Gujarat Government of nurturing the industrialists and exploiting the farmers, citing "only the loans of rich people get waived here, not of the poor farmers." "Where is Nano?", Gandhi asked Modi adding, "You provided Rs. 33,000 crore to Tata. And you used farmers' lands, their electricity, their water. Where are the Nano cars built from that amount?" Taking a dig at the Gujarat Government over the recent allegations of offering money to a protest leader, Gandhi said, "Just like the British rulers, the Modi-government tried to subdue the voice of Gujarat, the state where legends like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel lived. However, now they are so scared, that they want to buy the voice of these people." Due to the ensuing assembly elections, Gujarat has been witnessing high voltage political activities these days. While the ruling BJP is leaving no stone unturned to retain power in Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi is heading his party's poll campaign in Gujarat, eyeing to dethrone the ruling BJP. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress Party on Monday said that the Election Commission (EC) has allowed its own credibility to be dented by not announcing the poll dates in Gujarat, while adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not a 'Shahenshah' (Emperor) and India was not his 'Sultanat' (Empire). "Does the Prime Minister have the authority legal or constitutional to prevent the announcement of the dates by the Election Commission for Gujarat elections? The credibility of ECI has been respected not only in this country but has inspired trust and confidence across the world. Today, the EC has allowed its own credibility to be dented by invoking the model code of conduct in the state of Gujarat. If opposition will not ask questions then who will ask when something going wrong in the country? The Prime Minister is not shahenshah (Emperor) and India is not his Sultanat (Empire)," Congress leader Anand Sharma told ANI. Meanwhile, another leader Tom Vadakkan also resonated similar viewpoints. "The Election Commission has said that the dates will be announced in some time but no dates are coming up. Naturally, the questions are being asked. Is the Prime Minister admitting that he is responsible for delay? If that is the case, then it is a serious matter. But our understanding on the issue is that the EC is not coming out with the dates primarily because a pressure from the current dispensation. We have not targeted the Prime Minister, we have just asked the question," he said. Yesterday, Prime Minister Modi had hit out at the Congress for questioning the delay in announcing the poll dates in Gujarat, saying the Opposition parties have no 'authority' to question the EC and its decisions. "The Opposition parties have no "authority" to question the EC over the election schedule. People are having issues on my visit to Vadodara. They cannot say anything to me, therefore, they putting pressure on the EC. But I want to make it clear that they do not have any right to point a finger at the Commission," he had said during his visit to Gujarat. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More and more Indians are travelling abroad, and are amongst the highest spenders on their international trips. Recent studies have shown that the number of Indian tourists travelling abroad is increasing by 25 percent on a year-on-year basis and that Indian globetrotters tend to spend an average of 12 to 15 days on their trips. This increase in volume has made international tourism from India a bullish industry. However, Indian travellers persist in ignoring a crucial aspect of foreign travel - buying foreign currency. World's first and largest marketplace for currency exchange and private remittances, BookMyForex.com, presents 7 hacks that one should adopt to ensure that they get the most value for their money while travelling abroad from India. 1. The best time to buy foreign currency is between 3-7 days before the travel 90 percent of travellers buy foreign exchange at the last minute, and that's when the urgency hurts the most. Buying foreign currency at this point often leaves one at the mercy of high rates and inconvenient processes. Experts suggest that one should buy foreign exchange between 3-7 days before the travel date as this gives one more time to find the best rate and services. Pro Tip: Most online marketplaces for retail foreign exchange give free home delivery. Ask for it. 2. Never buy from foreign exchange counters at airports Foreign exchange counters at airports are designed to exploit desperate travellers. These conveniently placed agencies at airports often charge an exorbitant premium of about 10 to 13 percent over prevalent exchange rates. This is a heavy cost to bear and will significantly reduce the amount of currency one has at their disposal during their trip. Pro Tip: Always check the market exchange rate from multiple sources, and never buy from the airport counters unless they match these rates. 3. Compare before you buy foreign exchange Foreign exchange rates are extremely dynamic and change every 3 seconds. However, many agencies do not keep up with these dynamic prices. Further, there are various additional charges that vary from place to place. Not comparing rates can make one get a bad deal for their currency, which reduces one's ability to spend and enjoy the trip. Pro Tip: Make sure that you search for the most current rate on search engines and ask for the exact rates that you see. 4. Check for RBI authorization from the vendor you buy currency from to avoid future troubles Not many people are aware of or care about whether or not they are purchasing their foreign exchange from a RBI authorized agent. Exchanging money at an unauthorized agent is an offence punishable by law, and this can lead to trouble even much after one has conducted the transaction. Many unauthorized agents are suspected to be involved in money-laundering operations, and being associated with them can get one dragged into serious legal issues. Pro Tip: Always ensure that the foreign exchange agent you get your forex from is authorized to do so by the RBI. 5. Traveler's checks are outdated. Start using the new, smarter way to carry currency Traveler's checks are now seen as an archaic and antiquated way to carry foreign currency and have largely been replaced by Forex cards. These cards have multiple benefits over traveler's checks. There is no 3 to 5 percent charge on encashment, which is a major problem with traveler's checks. When encashing a substantial amount, the 3 to 5 percent markup can add up to a lot of money. Using forex cards avoids this problem, and is a more secure and easier option. Pro Tip: Avail a spare Forex card along with the original one. Most agents do not charge extra money for the spare card. 6. Say goodbye to credit cards Credit cards might be useful for domestic use, but the reward points that one gets for using them internationally is not worth the exorbitant rates. Credit cards charge the banking exchange rate on each transaction at the time of the transaction, which means that the rates are never favourable for the consumer. Moreover, these cards usually tag on a usage fee for international usage, which can range from Rs. 150 to 350 per transaction. Depending upon how often one uses the credit card, this can add up to a substantial sum. It just stands to reason that the banks are looking to gain from the trade and thus the reward points that one gets from using the credit card internationally is nowhere close to matching the money one will end up wasting on credit cards. Pro Tip: Keep a credit card handy but only use it during emergencies. 7. Apply the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) for buying currency International travel is full of surprises, and it is very hard to accurately estimate how much foreign currency one will actually end up needing or using. Keeping an additional amount as backup often ends up being spent on shopping; and research has shown that travellers often take less than the required amount of cash and end up using their credit/debit card, incurring large transactional costs. The ideal solution is an 80-20 break-up, like the Pareto principle. 80 percent of one's money should be in a Forex Card and 20 percent of it should be in cash. If one places the backup funds in a Forex card, they might not indulge in unnecessary expenses, according to research. Pro Tip: Forex Cards come at a cheaper exchange rate than cash. Always inquire about the relative rates of cards and cash from vendors. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the appointment of former Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Dineshwar Sharma as the interlocutor of Jammu and Kashmir, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Monday teared into the Central Government and said he hoped that it has finally admitted that the 'muscular approach has failed in Jammu and Kashmir.' Chidambaram, during his tenure as the home minister from 2008 to 2012 in the UPA Government, had formed a three-member committee of interlocutors for a dialogue on Kashmir "With appointment of interlocutor, I hope government has finally admitted 'muscular approach' has failed in J&K," senior Congress leader tweeted. He further tweeted: "From 'No talks' to 'Talks with all stakeholders' is a major victory for those who had strongly argued for a political solution in J&K". Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Centre had decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir and added that former IB director Dineshwar Sharma would be the representative from the Government of India. "The government has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir. Former IB director Dineshwar Sharma will be Government of India's representative. Rank of Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secretary," the Home Minister said while addressing a press conference here. He added that Sharma would initiate the dialogue with the elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties, different organisations and public. The Home Minister said that as the government's representative, Sharma would initiate the sustained interaction and dialogue to understand legitimate aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday welcomed the appointment of former Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Dineshwar Sharma as interlocutor for the valley and added that the move was the necessity of the hour. "It is a good start and a necessity of the time. I welcome this step taken by the Centre. Sharma is a very good person and has a huge credibility. He has been involved in dialogues in the North East as well," Mehbooba said, while addressing a press conference here. She added that it was a good initiative and should be a success. "People are caught between so much violence these days and they want to come out of it. There are no conditions from both the sides, therefore, I hope the stakeholders from the state utilise this opportunity and contribute in the dialogue process," the Chief Minister asserted. Earlier in the day, the Centre announced plans to start a dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir and appointed former IB chief Dineshwar Sharma as its representative for talks with "all" stakeholders in the state. "The government has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir. Former IB director Dineshwar Sharma will be Government of India's representative. Rank of Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secretary," Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the media. He added that Sharma would initiate the dialogue with elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties, different organisations and public. Singh said that as the government's representative, Sharma would initiate the sustained interaction and dialogue to understand the legitimate aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jason Momoa, who will be next seen in the superhero ensemble 'Justice League', has revealed that his own solo flick will tell the complete origin story of 'Aquaman'. According to Contactmusic, the 38-year-old actor shared that fans would see a young Arthur Curry aka Aquaman in the James Wan directorial. While talking to a leading U.S. publication, Momoa noted, "It's the whole origin story, for sure. You'll see young Arthur and everything. It goes from before he was born... It's the whole mythology of it. It's unbelievable where we start in this movie, and where we end up. Right now, I'm [filming] all the end stuff and it's pretty insane. I hate comparing things, but when I watch 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade', you see all these amazing worlds and the places they go, and you watch 'Star Wars' and they do battles in space." The 'Game of Thrones' star also noted that the movie would explore the history, which exists under the sea. "There are so many cool worlds we're going to, and my character definitely goes on a big adventure and you travel the world with him," noted Momoa. 'Aquaman' will team up with The Flash (Ezra Miller), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) and Batman (Ben Affleck) for the first time in an attempt to take down Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons in Zack Snyder's 'Justice League,' which is slated to release on November 17. Helmed by James Wan, 'Aquaman' also stars Amber Heard and Patrick Wilson in pivotal roles. The flick is scheduled to release on December 21, 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Monday denied that deaths in Simdega and Dhanbad were due to starvation. This comes after an 11-year-old girl died in Simdega and a 45-year-old man died in Dhanbad. Various reports suggested that the two deaths were result of starvation. Talking to ANI, Das said that these deaths have saddened the government, but it is not true that they died due to starvation. "The investigation has revealed that the Simdega deceased's family had an Aadhar Card since 2013 and was taking ration till this February. The thing which was missed was that the ration card was deleted, because it was not linked with the Aadhar card. The incident happened due to the laziness of the officials, who have been suspended," Das said. He further claimed that the girl was suffering from Malaria which might have been the reason of her death. "It has also been learnt that the girl was suffering from Malaria. There are also other four children in that family. Now, the question is that if there was no food in the family, how did others survive?" the Chief Minister questioned. The girl died on September 28 after her mother was unable to feed her. The family was struck off from government welfare rolls for not linking their ration card with the Aadhar card. Raghubar Das added that the Dhanbad incident was also blown out of proportion. "The deceased's two sons used to jointly earn Rs. 7,000 - Rs. 8,000 a month. He had been sick for one month." The victim, identified as Baidnath Das, reportedly could not avail any of the government's schemes for the poor, and hence had no ration to fend his family, which allegedly resulted in his death on Saturday. A rickshaw puller by profession, Baidnath allegedly underwent a three-year struggle in obtaining a ration card. Fed up after not receiving a response, he applied online for the card. However, before he could complete all the formalities, he passed away, leaving the family behind in a poverty-stricken situation. However, an official press note from the district administration noted that the cause for death was not starvation, but a prolonged illness. The release also noted that the deceased's son and wife were both earning members of the family. The Jharkhand Chief Minister also lashed out at the Congress and other Opposition parties by saying that they were doing politics on the dead bodies of poor. "Years back, the Congress gave the slogan to remove poverty. Ask them that even after all this, who is responsible for all the poverty in India, because the Congress had been in rule for decades. The Congress is busy in family (Gandhi family) worship and the public is removing them from India. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing worship of India, and seeing all this, the Congress is baffled," Das said. He alleged that for last many decades, the Congress only eyed votes in the name of poor. "I urge the Congress and other parties to not do politics on the unfortunate Simdega and Dhanbad deaths," he said. He said that his government was using information and technology (IT) to bring transparency in providing the benefit of government schemes to the poor. "The whole India knows that Jharkhand was known for corruption and middlemen. Our effort is that every government scheme should reach up to the last person of the society. In order to end corruption and role of middlemen in government schemes, our government is using IT to link all subsidy-related schemes with the Aadhar card," Das said. He further claimed that with the help of the Aadhar linking, the government has managed to save Rs. 225 crore in public food distribution system. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday hailed the Centre's decision to start a 'sustained dialogue' with people of the state. Taking to Twitter she said, "Welcome the initiative of Union Government, appointing an interlocutor for leading a sustained dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir." She further said dialogue is the need of the hour and the only way to go forward. "This dialogue initiative is in line with P.M @narendramodi 's 15th August speech 'na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmir ki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se'," she said in another tweet. The Centre announced plans to start a dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir and appointed former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Dineshwar Sharma as its representative for talks with "all" stakeholders in the state. "The government has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir. Former IB director Dineshwar Sharma will be Government of India's representative. Rank of Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secretary," Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told media here. He added that Sharma will initiate the dialogue with elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties, different organisations and public. Singh said that as the government's representative, Sharma will initiate the sustained interaction and dialogue to understand the legitimate aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said that Prime Minister Modi is determined to bring back peace to the Valley. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Russian radio presenter on Monday was seriously injured, after an intruder forced his way into the office of Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy and stabbed her in the neck. 32-year-old Tatyana Felgengauer has been hospitalised and various reports about her condition are doing the rounds in the Russian media. According to TASS news agency, an unnamed hospital source said that the editor is in a grave condition. Alexei Venediktov, the editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy, wrote on his Telegram channel that Felgenhauer had been taken to the operating room. Meanwhile, Ekho Moskvy reported that the security apprehended the assailant and handed him over to the authorities. The investigators have opened a criminal case into charges of attempted murder, while police named "personal enmity" as the leading cause of the attack, reported local media. Ekho later named the alleged assailant as Boris Grits. In the online footage of his police interrogation, Grits introduced himself and and said, "I've only known the victim telepathically for five years." "I was motivated by the fact that she has been sexually harassing me for two months. Every night, using telepathic means of contact, she entered and sexually harassed me," he added in the interrogation, as quoted by local media. The attack follows reports on state-run television earlier this month that Ekho Moskvy conspired with U.S. state-funded media to shape a pro-Western narrative ahead of the 2018 presidential elections. Earlier this year, prominent Russian journalist and a regular contributor to Ekho Moskvy, Yulia Latynina fled Russia, following a series of attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on a six-day visit to in Washington D.C., paid a visit to Museum of American History. The Chief Minister took to Twitter and said: "In Museum of American History, got to know about the glorious history of America's freedom struggle." "America is made up of people from all corners of the globe. It is a matter of pride that people of Indian origin have received prominence here prominently," he wrote. He also met Indian Ambassador to Washington, Navtej Sarna. "It was a great pleasure meeting ambassador @NavtejSarna . I look forward to the evening at @IndianEmbassyUS," the CM posted on Twitter. Chouhan will be participating in multiple events during his stay in the US. On Monday, Chouhan will also be holding one-on-one meetings with Andy Whitman, VP Government Affairs, Varian Medical Systems; Selina Jackson, Kee President, Global Government Relations and Public Policy, Debbie Worm, Chief Legal Officer, Procter and Gamble and others. Chouhan will also participate in the launch event of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Forum, where he will address the gathering as a keynote speaker. Following this, he will be holding a meeting with Tulsi Gabbard, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) delegation led by chairman Nisha Biswal. Chouhan will also interact with senior business leaders of the country to seek investment for his state. He will also visit the Akshardham Temple in New Jersey and Incubation Center at Columbia University. He will be also hold a series of meetings with Amazon representatives during his visit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday sought the accountability court's confirmation to freeze Finance Minister Ishaq Dar's assets in the country and abroad. In reference to Supreme Court's July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case, the NAB had filed a reference in an accountability court. According to The Express Tribune, the court documents have revealed that the bureau had passed a "freezing order" regarding two-and-a-half dozen bank accounts and assets of Dar in Pakistan and abroad on October 18. Earlier today, Dar appeared before an accountability court in Islamabad. The NAB prosecution presented two new witnesses before the court in the seventh trial against the minister in a graft case in the Panama Papers scandal. The first witness - Abdul Rehman Gondal, the manager of a private bank's parliament branch - provided details of the account held by Dar. The second witness - Masood Ghani, the operations manager in a private bank - later gave his testimony regarding Dar's bank account, the Dawn reported. Dar's counsel Khawaja Haris cross-examined the witnesses and pointed out the differences between the bank documents presented in the court and the NAB. The court adjourned the hearing till October 30 and asked the second witness to appear with the original documents. The court had indicted Dar, along with Nawaz Sharif's family, last month for owning assets "beyond known sources of income". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Patidar leader Narendra Patel a close aide of Hardik Patel on Sunday alleged that he was offered a whooping amount of Rs 1 crore to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) amid inching state polls. In a midnight press conference, Narendra said that he had already received Rs. 10 lakh as token money. Showing the received amount to the press Narendra said, "Varun Patel took me to a meeting where it was discussed that I will be given Rs 1 crore. In the meeting, they told me to keep Rs. 10 lakh and the rest money will be given to me later." He further asserted that he is true 'Patidar' and no one can buy him," I am here for the society and want to do something good for the society. No one can buy me from such money. I am a Patidar. I came here for the welfare of Patidars not to do politics." Besides Varun Patel, Narendra also mentioned the name of prominent Gujarat BJP leader Jitubhai Vaghani. Narendra also alleged that Varun Patel arranged a meeting with Jeetu Vaghani in Gandhinagar where he was lured by the BJP to join their bandwagon. However, Varun Patel has rejected Narendra's allegations and questioned his intentions behind conducting a press conference after receiving Rs 10 lakh. Varun said," He should have conducted the press conference after taking Rs 1 crore rather than 10 lakh." Varun also took the occasion to slam Congress and said "Since the patidar community is once again supporting BJP, the Congress is agitated and playing games." Recently, Patidar leaders Reshma Patel and Varun Patel announced their decision of joining the BJP following their meeting with party Chief Amit Shah. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Achal Kumar Joti, India's Chief Election Commissioner, on Monday rejected the opposition's charge that the country's top election body is working under the pressure of the ruling Democratic Alliance (NDA). In an exclusive interview to ANI, Joti said the Election Commission does not meddle in the poll campaign, and asserted that no special preference is being given to any political party. "We have given equal opportunities to all political parties. We have not directed any party to hold or not to hold their rallies in the state. We are not meddling in their campaigns. Yesterday, the Prime Minister went to Gujarat. Today, Rahul Gandhi will go. We are not giving any special preference to any political party," said Joti. Asked as to why the commission is silent on Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing schemes during his rallies in poll-bound state, Joti said political parties make poll promises during the campaigns and Election Commission is not acting till the model code of conduct comes in place. "No I am not under any sort of pressure. The opposition can only question us if we stop them from campaigning. The opportunities are equal for all. All parties make poll promises, even the opposition parties are promising lot of things we are not stopping anybody" he said. Joti also said the Election Commission has commenced discussions with the Home Ministry with regard to security and administrative staff deployment for the polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. "We have started our dialogue with the Ministry of Home Affairs about deployment of Central police forces. We will be preparing a data base for the staff, as more that 2.5 lakh government employees will be required for election duties as the total number of polling stations is 50,128. Facilities like water, sanitation have to be arranged. The biggest task is to install VVPATs in all polling stations in addition to EVMs. Every voter will be able to see his or her votes. This is the first time that we will using such huge numbers of VVPATS," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, a close aide of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, appeared before an accountability court in Islamabad on Monday in connection with a corruption case filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The NAB prosecution presented two new witnesses before the court in the seventh trial against the minister in a graft case in the Panama Papers scandal. The first witness - Abdul Rehman Gondal, the manager of a private bank's parliament branch - provided details of the account held by Dar. The second witness - Masood Ghani, the operations manager in a private bank - later gave his testimony regarding Dar's bank account, the Dawn reported. Dar's counsel Khawaja Haris cross-examined the witnesses and pointed out the differences between the bank documents presented in the court and the NAB. The court adjourned the hearing till October 30 and asked the second witness to appear with the original documents. The court had indicted Dar, along with Nawaz Sharif's family, last month for owning assets "beyond known sources of income". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth for lifting his maiden Denmark Open Super Series Premier title, saying the victory had made every Indian proud. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi wrote, "Congratulations @srikidambi! Your remarkable victory at the #DenmarkSSP makes every Indian proud and happy." Yesterday, Srikanth had ended India's 37 year wait for a men's singles Denmark Open title by thrashing South Korea's Lee Hyun Il in straight games in the finals. Srikanth continued his rich vein of form as he clinched a comfortable 21-10, 21-5 win over Hyun Il in the summit showdown that lasted just 25 minutes. It is Srikanth's third Super Series title win of the year, after winning the Indonesia Open Super Series Premier and Australian Open Super Series earlier in the year. Now, he has overall five Super Series titles to his name, including the China Open 2014 and the India Open 2015. Prakash Padukone was the last Indian to win the Denmark Open in 1980. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind will visit Karnataka on October 24 and 25. This will be his first visit to the state after assuming office as the president. On October 24, the president will commence his engagements by paying tribute to the founder of Bengaluru, Kempe Gowda. Later in the day, he will visit the Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bengaluru laboratory and attend a round-table discussion with scientists. On October 25, the president will grace the 'Vajramahothsava' - Diamond Jubilee Celebrations on completion of 60 years of the Vidhana Soudha and address the members of both Houses of the Karnataka Legislature. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday declared Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi as a frustrated human being. He was replying to a question about Rahul Gandhi's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government's policies during his recent three-day tour of Gujarat. Pradhan said, "Rahul Gandhi has become frustrated. His family's three generations have ruled this nation for decades and we are in power for the last three years. If there are problems in this country, then who is responsible - who ruled for decades, or who are those in power for the last three years?" He further said the Congress is being envious of the development work that is being done by Prime Minister Modi in the country. "A lot of development has happened in Gujarat during the last 20 years and the Congress is jealous because of that development work. Congress didn't do anything and only befooled people. I can only say that may god give wisdom to envious people," Pradhan said. Addressing a rally at Devgadh Baria on October 11, Rahul launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Modi and the Vijay Rupani-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Gujarat. He claimed that 30 lakh youth were unemployed in Gujarat. "Education's goal is to provide employment. And the Gujarat government charges for education, but doesn't provide jobs," Gandhi said. Rahul also alleged that the waters of the River Narmada are being given to the country's top ten industrialists. "They (state government) snatched your land, didn't give you compensation, baton-charged you and gave your water to the industrialists. This is Gujarat model," Rahul asserted. He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying he didn't think of farmers and labourers when imposing demonetisation on November 8 last year. "Had he talked to farmers, labourers and small shopkeepers, then they would have told him that their most of the dealings happen in cash and not through cheque," Rahul said. The Congress leader also alleged that Prime Minister Modi helped 'real thieves' to convert their black money into white during demonetisation. The Gandhi scion continued his attack on Prime Minister Modi and alleged that the Centre implemented the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to "literally finish small traders." An indirect tax, the GST was introduced on July 1, which replaced multiple cascading taxes levied by the central and state governments. Gandhi wants to unseat the ruling BJP in Gujarat. The last Congress government in Gujarat was led by Chhabildas Mehta from February 17, 1994 to March 13, 1995. The 14th legislative assembly election in Gujarat is to be held by the end of 2017 as the term of 13th assembly ends on January 22, 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After receiving severe criticism from the Opposition, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Monday asked the state minsters to rethink over the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, according to a source. The source further said that Chief Minister Raje called a meeting at her residence, which was attended by Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria, Rajendra Rathore, BJP State President Ashok Parnami, Yunus Khan and Arun Chaturvedi. Notably, the Opposition disapproved the ordinance and dubbed it as an impetus to corrupt officials. Earlier in the day, leaders of Congress Party also staged a protest outside Rajasthan assembly against the same. The Rajasthan Government, in the current legislative session, passed an ordinance that protects both serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on-duty action without prior sanction. The ordinance also sought to bar the media from reporting on accusations against the judges and bureaucrats till the sanction to proceed with the probe is obtained. The ordinance is an amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A leading solar EPC company in India, Rays Power Infra, has announced its Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) for the development of 100 MW through solar power solutions in Tamil Nadu. The new infrastructure and sub-station connections built by the company will prevent grid outages. This project will provide power at an attractive rate of Rs. 3.47 per unit to TANGEDCO. This is part of the 15,000 MW, INR 11,369 crore inter-state power corridor promoted by the Government of India that is expected to be ready by May 2019. The set-up will ensure a robust renewable energy evacuation network and is expected to remove any potential problems in the power grid of the region. The project shall also be connected to a 400 kV substation to ensure that there are no grid outages. "Tamil Nadu is an increasingly important market, especially given the level of interest and support for renewable energy projects in the region. Signing this PPA is a watershed moment for us, as it will help us tap into the existing solar potential of the state, while making use of the best of our innovative technology and our skilled manpower," said Chief Executive Officer, Rays Power Infra, Ketan Mehta. On the completion of this project, Rays Power Infra will greatly increase its total portfolio of commissioned projects to over 500 MW in India, and will make substantial progress in meeting its target of generating 300 MW of power through its solar power projects in the next financial year. Rays Power Infra continues to use its extensive project experience and industry-leading technical expertise to provide innovative, eco-friendly, and cost-effective solar power technology driven solutions to its customers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday announced that the Samajwadi Party would fight on only five seats in the upcoming Gujarat polls and support the Congress on the rest. The Samajwadi Party and the Congress had joined hands in the last Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. "The Samajwadi Party will fight on five seats. We will support the Congress on the rest," Akhilesh said. Eyeing Patidar votes, the Congress is also trying to get support from their leaders to counter the BJP in Gujarat, where they had been in power since 1995. Meanwhile, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is on a visit to Gujarat's Ahmedabad today and is likely to meet Hardik Patel. On the other hand, BJP president Amit Shah is on a visit to Gujarat's capital, Gandhinagar, for a state board meeting of the party. The date of Gujarat polls has not been decided as yet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) on Monday said it was against the proposed merger of Shia and Sunni Waqf boards in Uttar Pradesh and would take up the matter with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. "The All India Shia Personal Law Board is against the merger of Shia and Sunni Wafq Board. We appeal to the Central Government to separate Shia Wafq Board all over the country on the basis of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. I will talk to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding this. If there is corruption then remove that instead of merging both boards. The board will oppose this," AISPLB spokesperson Maulana Yusuf Abbas told ANI. Yesterday, state minister for Waqf and Haj, Mohsin Raza said that the Uttar Pradesh Government was mooting merger of the two boards and was receiving suggestions of the public on the matter. The state minister also said that the government would send the suggestions for legal advice. Reportedly, Raza had earlier sent notices to both the waqf boards for suspension and had recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into alleged corruption in the boards. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who is currently on a visit to Bangladesh inaugurated a new chancery complex of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. She used the occasion to once again emphasize the deep bilateral ties between the two countries. Swaraj said, " Bangladesh comes first in India's Neighbour First policy." She said, "There exist a couple of issues which are yet unresolved between us (India-Afghanistan), but we assure that both are attempting to solve them with honesty." Swaraj also inaugurated 15 development projects in Bangladesh which are being funded by the Government of India. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan were also present on the occasion. Swaraj will wrap up her two-day Bangladesh visit today. Swaraj last visited the country in 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least four police personnel were killed after Taliban insurgents stormed a security check port in Afghanistan's central Ghazni province. The police, confirming the attack, said two other policemen were injured. "The Taliban also suffered casualties in the clash, but there is no exact information," the Tolo News quoted provincial police chief Mohammad Zaman as saying. He added that the insurgents retreated after the attack. Earlier this week, 41 Afghan soldiers were killed by the Taliban in two suicide car bombings at an army camp in Kandahar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday lauded India's "positive role in the process to achieve a peaceful and stable Afghanistan" and said that America's view of relationship with India was of strategic importance. "I think our view of the relationship with India is one that's of strategic importance not just for this specific region, but in the context of that speech it was about a free and open Indo-Pacific region stretching all the way to - from Japan to India. So it's a broader relationship," he said, referring to the speech he gave on India, wherein he had pulled up Pakistan and China. Tillerson gave this statement in Kabul, where he met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah and national security advisor Hanif Atmar today. He emphasised that India could be a very positive influence on creating the right future for Afghanistan. "We do, though, believe that India has a very important role that India can play in the process to achieve a peaceful, stable Afghanistan as well. They already are providing important economic activity - creating jobs - which is important for the future Afghanistan," he said. "And we think they - we want to encourage that as well," he added. Tillerson also slammed Pakistan, citing that there were a number of terror groups, which find safe havens in the country. Tillerson, who is scheduled to hold discussions with high-ranking officials in Pakistan on Tuesday, said that the United States has made specific requests to Islamabad to undermine the support received by the Taliban and other terrorist organisations in the country. As a part of his five-nation tour, Tillerson will arrive in New Delhi on October 24 for his two-day visit to India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday paid an unannounced visit to Baghdad, just hours after returning from a similar surprise visit to Afghanistan. According to reports, Tillerson met Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who accused the former of interfering in Iraqi affairs, and President Fouad Massoum. Prime Minister Abadi's accusition came after the U.S. Secretary of State on Sunday said, it was time for Iranian-backed militias to exit the war-torn nation of Iraq. A statement from the Iraqi Prime Minister's office, which however did not cite Abadi himself, read, "No party has the right to interfere in Iraqi matters." On a related note, the U.S. Secretary of State also held talks with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani where they discussed international efforts to fight against the ISIS terror group, besides the latest developments in the region, especially in Iraq, Syria and Palestine. According to reports, Tillerson reached Baghdad for talks with senior officials about Iran, the Kurdish independence movement, and rebuilding efforts after the defeat of the IS group in major Iraqi towns and cities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will arrive in New Delhi on Tuesday for his two-day visit to India. Tillerson is scheduled to hold a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the Hyderabad House here, on Wednesday morning. In the afternoon, he will address the media and later in the day, he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence. The U.S. Secretary of State's visit to India is a part of his five-nation tour that includes Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Switzerland alongside. Meanwhile on Monday, Tillerson visited Kabul and met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah and national security advisor Hanif Atmar, the Tolo News reports. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul said Ghani and Tillerson have reaffirmed the U.S.-Afghan commitment to achieve peace, stability and long-term prosperity in the country. Tillerson will hold discussions with high-ranking officials in Pakistan on Tuesday, from where he'll be coming to India. Earlier this week, the U.S. Secretary of State had pulled up Pakistan and China, in his first major policy speech on India. Speaking on "Defining Our Relationship with India for the Next Century" at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Tillerson said that in the last decade, counter-terrorism cooperation expanded significantly between India and the U.S. While Tillerson criticised Pakistan for not taking an action against the terrorist groups based in the country, he criticised China for violating the international law and norms in South China Sea. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Descendant of Tipu Sultan, Sahabzada Mansoor Ali Tipu, on Monday urged for a legal action against Union Minister of State for Skill Development Anant Kumar Hegde for his alleged "derogatory" comments against the 18th century Mysore ruler. "I will meet Home Minister of Karnataka Ramalinga Reddy regarding what Anant Kumar Hegde said. I will urge for a legal action against him for calling our forefather a 'mass rapist' and 'brutal killer'," Mansoor Ali Tipu told ANI. He added that as a Union Minister, Hegde should not have made such irresponsible comments against a ruler who is reverred as a hero in Karnataka. "I seek an unconditional apology and necessary action against Hegde for his comments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should sack him from the post of the Union Minister," Mansoor Ali Tipu asserted. Earlier on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, in a tweet, had conveyed to the Karnataka Government to not invite him to the "shameful" event of Tipu Sultan Jayanti on November 10. "I have conveyed to Karnataka government not to invite me to the shameful event of glorifying a person known as a brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist," Hegde tweeted. In 2016, Hegde had flayed the state government for celebrating Tipu Sultan Jayanti, claiming that the ruler was "against Kannada language and anti-Hindu". Subsequently, Hegde was arrested for threatening to disrupt celebrations in the Uttara Kannada district. The government's decision to celebrate the day on November 10 last year had been criticised by the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), who termed the act of the Congress as "minority appeasement". The Siddaramaiah-led Government is all set to celebrate the Tipu Sultan Jayanti despite widespread protests and violence that had marred celebrations in the last two years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States embassy in Jakarta on Monday apologised to the Indonesian Government after its military chief General Gatot Nurmantyo was denied entry into the country, despite having an invitation from U.S. General Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The apology came after Indonesia on Saturday demanded an explanation from the U.S. for not allowing its military chief to enter into their country. According to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia, Dunford had invited General Gatot Nurmantyo to Washington, D.C., to attend a conference on Monday and Tuesday on combating violent extremism. Nurmantyo and his wife were set to board an Emirates flight in Jakarta for Washington on Saturday evening, but shortly before the take-off, the delegation received a notice from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that they weren't permitted entry into the United States, the CNN reported. The U.S. Embassy said in a statement that it was in touch with the General's staff throughout the weekend, working to facilitate his travel. Joseph R. Donovan Jr., U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, has apologised to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi for any inconvenience to General Gatot. "We remain committed to our strategic partnership with Indonesia as a way to deliver security and prosperity to both our nations and peoples," said the U.S. Embassy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After the Uttar Pradesh government proposed the merger of the Shia and Sunni Waqf Boards, Shia cleric Maulana Yasub Abbas said such a step would not reduce corruption in the statutory bodies. "The government should take every possible step to end corruption but my personal experience says that corruption is not less in the states where Shia and Sunni Waqf Boards are united. It is because corruption depends on the people, not on the organisation. If the authorities controlling the board work with transparency and honesty, then you can evade corruption in any organisation," he said. "Therefore, I think, a better decision could have been taken, like the appointment of honest and capable people on the board to strengthen the organisation," he added. When asked about problems in uniting the two Waqf Boards, Abbas said, "Uttar Pradesh is a large state and it will be troublesome to rearrange the Waqf (donation) provided to the two boards in one place". "The government has several options available to end corruption, but it can impose the merger if it only wants to boast," he concluded. Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan also criticised the government proposal saying, " The BJP should apologise, because their government is not even aware that Parliament had passed the merger law long ago. I never imposed it in Uttar Pradesh and don't want the two boards to merge even today". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With effect from 23 October 2017 Bothra Metals & Alloys has appointed Priya Jain to act as a Company Secretary as well as Compliance officer of the Company (w.e.f. 23 October 2017) of the Company at their Board meeting held on October 23 October 2017. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Central Grounder Water Authority (CGWA) has sent Draft guidelines for issuance of NOC for ground water withdrawal and draft Public Notice to the Chief Secretaries of all the State and Administrators of Union Territories for their comments within 60 days. Due to the increasing number of litigations in the National Green Tribunal, various branches of Tribunal are directing CGWA to ensure that the ground water withdrawal in the country should be in accordance with law. These guidelines will ensure an uniform regulatory framework across the country so that the discriminatory practices in regulation are either mitigated or minimized. The major revisions in the guidelines are pan India coverage, decentralization of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) issuing authorities, based on the quantum of ground water extraction viz. revenue heads of the district, State Nodal Agency / State Ground Water Authority and CGWA, dispensing with the provisions relating to submission of artificial recharge proposals and construction of artificial recharge structures by project proponents, introduction of a water conservation fee in lieu of recharge mechanism; funds raised through the water conservation fee to be used by States for effective ground water management etc. The CGWA constituted by Government of India under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 has been regulating ground water development and management in the country. The authority has been granting NOC for withdrawal of ground water by industries/infrastructure/mining projects. The entire draft guidelines are available on the website of CGWB and in the NOCAP (www.cgwb.gov.in, www.cgwa-noc.gov.in) for the information of the public/stakeholders state governments. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HCL Infosystems rose 1.58% to Rs 48.25 at 9:35 IST on BSE after the company said it will raise Rs 499.09 crore from its existing shareholders by way of rights issue. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 154.54 points, or 0.48% to 32,544.50. On the BSE, 40,000 shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 6.20 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 48.45 and a low of Rs 47.85 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 64.85 on 25 January 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 39.20 on 21 November 2016. The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 19 October 2017, falling 7.95% compared with 0.03% decline in the Sensex. The scrip had also underperformed the market in past one quarter, falling 7.86% as against Sensex's 1.13% rise. The scrip had also underperformed the market in past one year, falling 14.41% as against Sensex's 15.14% rise. The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 44.60 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2. HCL Infosystems said that the total number of equity shares to be issued is 10.61 crore. The company said the rights issue will be offered at a price of Rs 47, including a premium of Rs 45. The record date for the purpose of determining the shareholders eligible to apply for the equity shares in the rights issue is 1 November 2017. It further said the board has decided that the rights entitlement ratio is fixed at a ratio of 10 rights equity share for every 21 equity share held by eligible shareholders of the company. The announcement was made on Friday, 20 October 2017. The Indian stock market was shut on Thursday, 19 October 2017, on account of Diwali Laxmi Pujan and again on Friday, 20 October 2017, on account of Diwali Balipratipada. On a consolidated basis, HCL Infosystems reported net loss of Rs 55.12 crore in Q1 June 2017, higher than net loss of Rs 35.70 crore in Q1 June 2016. Net sales fell 40.35% to Rs 684.23 crore in Q1 June 2017 over Q1 June 2016. HCL Infosystems is one of the India's premier IT services, solutions & distribution companies. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 1. Introduction 1.1 In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 18 read with Section 10(2) of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) being satisfied that it is necessary and expedient in the public interest to do so, hereby, issues these Directions. 1.2 Short title and commencement a. These Directions shall be called the Reserve Bank of India (Issuance and Operation of Prepaid Payment Instruments) Directions, 2017 (Master Direction). b. These Directions shall come into effect from October 11, 2017. c. Existing authorised Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) issuers shall ensure compliance with the revised requirements on or before December 31, 2017, except where timelines have been specified in this Direction. 1.3 Applicability: The provisions of the Master Direction shall apply to all PPI Issuers, System Providers and System Participants. 1.4 Purpose a. To provide a framework for authorisation, regulation and supervision of entities operating payment systems for issuance of PPIs in the country; b. To foster competition and encourage innovation in this segment in a prudent manner while taking into account safety and security of transactions as well as systems along with customer protection and convenience. c. To provide for harmonisation and interoperability of PPIs 1.5 For the purpose of these Directions, the term 'entities' refers to banks and non-bank entities who have approval / authorisation from the RBI to issue PPIs as well as those who are proposing to issue PPIs. 1.6 Banks and non-bank entities have been issuing PPIs in the country after obtaining necessary approval / authorisation from RBI under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (PSS Act). These entities have been operating within the framework of the initial guidelines on Issuance and Operation of PPIs issued in April 2009 and the subsequent Master Circulars issued on the subject, as amended from time to time. Taking into account the developments in the field and the progress made by PPI issuers, all existing guidelines issued on the subject till date have been reviewed and are contained in the Master Direction. 1.7 The Master Direction lays down the eligibility criteria and the conditions of operation for payment system operators involved in the issuance of semi-closed and open system PPIs in the country. All entities approved / authorised to operate payment systems involving the issuance of PPIs shall comply with these Directions. 1.8 No entity can set up and operate payment systems for issuance of PPIs without prior approval / authorisation of RBI. 2. Definitions For the purpose of this Master Direction, the following definitions shall be applicable: 2.1 Issuer: Entities operating the payment systems issuing PPIs to individuals / organisations. The money so collected is used by these entities to make payment to the merchants who are part of the acceptance arrangement and for facilitating funds transfer / remittance services. 2.2 Holder: Individuals / Organisations who obtain / purchase PPIs from the issuers and use the same for purchase of goods and services, including financial services, remittance facilities, etc. 2.3 Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs): PPIs are payment instruments that facilitate purchase of goods and services, including financial services, remittance facilities, etc., against the value stored on such instruments. PPIs that can be issued in the country are classified under three types viz. (i) Closed System PPIs, (ii) Semi-closed System PPIs, and (iii) Open System PPIs. 2.4 Closed System PPIs: These PPIs are issued by an entity for facilitating the purchase of goods and services from that entity only and do not permit cash withdrawal. As these instruments cannot be used for payments or settlement for third party services, the issuance and operation of such instruments is not classified as payment systems requiring approval / authorisation by the RBI. 2.5 Semi-closed System PPIs: These PPIs are used for purchase of goods and services, including financial services, remittance facilities, etc., at a group of clearly identified merchant locations / establishments which have a specific contract with the issuer (or contract through a payment aggregator / payment gateway) to accept the PPIs as payment instruments. These instruments do not permit cash withdrawal, irrespective of whether they are issued by banks or non-banks. 2.6 Open System PPIs: These PPIs are issued only by banks and are used at any merchant for purchase of goods and services, including financial services, remittance facilities, etc. Banks issuing such PPIs shall also facilitate cash withdrawal at ATMs / Point of Sale (PoS) / Business Correspondents (BCs). 2.7 Limits: All 'limits' in the value of instruments stated in the Master Direction, indicate the maximum value of such instruments, denominated in INR, that shall be issued to any holder, unless otherwise specified. 2.8 Merchants: These are establishments who have a specific contract to accept the PPIs issued by the PPI issuer (or contract through a payment aggregator / payment gateway) against the sale of goods and services, including financial services. 2.9 Net-worth: Net-worth will consist of 'paid up equity capital, preference shares which are compulsorily convertible into equity capital, free reserves, balance in share premium account and capital reserves representing surplus arising out of sale proceeds of assets but not reserves created by revaluation of assets' adjusted for 'accumulated loss balance, book value of intangible assets and deferred revenue expenditure, if any'. It shall be noted that while compulsorily convertible preference shares reckoned for computation of net-worth can be either non-cumulative or cumulative, these should be compulsorily convertible into equity shares and the shareholder agreements should specifically prohibit any withdrawal of this preference share capital at any time. 3. Eligibility to issue semi-closed and open system PPIs 3.1 Banks which comply with the eligibility criteria, including those stipulated by the respective regulatory department of RBI, shall be permitted to issue semi-closed and open system PPIs, after obtaining approval from RBI. 3.2 Non-bank entities which comply with the eligibility criteria, including those stipulated by the respective regulatory department of RBI, shall be permitted to issue only semi-closed system PPIs, after obtaining authorization from RBI. 4. Capital and other eligibility requirements 4.1 All entities (both banks and non-banks), regulated by any of the financial sector regulators and seeking approval / authorisation from the RBI under the PSS Act, shall apply to Department of Payment and Settlement Systems (DPSS), RBI, Central Office, Mumbai along with a 'No Objection Certificate' from their respective Regulator, within 45 days of obtaining such clearance. 4.2 Non-bank entities applying for authorisation shall be a company incorporated in India and registered under the Companies Act 1956 / Companies Act 2013. 4.3 Non-bank entities having Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) / Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) / Foreign Institutional Investment (FII) shall also meet the capital requirements as applicable under the extant Consolidated FDI policy guidelines of Government of India. 4.4 The Memorandum of Association (MOA) of the applicant non-bank entity shall cover the proposed activity of operating as a PPI issuer. 4.5 All non-bank entities seeking authorisation from RBI under the PSS Act shall have a minimum positive net-worth of Rs. 5 crore as per the latest audited balance sheet at the time of submitting the application. These entities shall submit a certificate in the enclosed format (Annex-2) from their Chartered Accountants (CA) to evidence compliance with the applicable net-worth requirement while submitting the application for authorisation. The application shall be processed by RBI based on this net-worth which shall be maintained at all times. Thereafter, by the end of the third financial year from the date of receiving final authorisation, the entity shall achieve a minimum positive net-worth of Rs. 15 crore which shall be maintained at all times. Illustratively, if an entity is issued final authorisation on March 1, 2018, then this entity shall achieve a minimum positive net-worth of Rs. 15 crore for the financial position as on March 31, 2020. Similarly, if an entity is issued final authorisation on May 1, 2018, then this entity shall achieve a minimum positive net-worth of Rs. 15 crore for the financial position as on March 31, 2021. Subsequently, the audited balance sheet and net-worth as on 31st March shall be submitted to RBI within six months of close of financial year, failing which the entity may not be permitted to carry out this business. 4.6 Newly incorporated non-bank entities which may not have an audited statement of financial accounts shall submit a certificate in the enclosed format (Annex-2) from their Chartered Accountants regarding the current net-worth along with provisional balance sheet. 4.7 All existing non-bank PPI issuers (at the time of issuance of this Master Direction) shall comply with the minimum positive net-worth requirement of Rs. 15 crore for the financial position as on March 31, 2020 (audited balance sheet). This shall be reported to RBI, along with CA certificate in the enclosed format (Annex-2) and audited Balance Sheet, by September 30, 2020 failing which the entity may not be permitted to carry out this business. Thereafter, the minimum positive net-worth of Rs. 15 crore shall be maintained at all times. Till such time, the existing PPI issuers shall continue to maintain the capital requirements applicable to them at the time of their authorisation. 4.8 All authorised non-bank entities shall submit a certificate in the enclosed format (Annex-2) from their Chartered Accountants to evidence compliance with the applicable net-worth requirement as per the audited balance sheet of the financial year within six months of completion of that financial year. 5. Authorisation Process 5.1 A non-bank entity desirous of setting up payment systems for issuance of PPIs shall apply for authorisation in Form A (available on RBI website) as prescribed under Regulation 3(2) of the Payment and Settlement Systems Regulations, 2008 along with the requisite application fees. 5.2 The applications shall be initially screened by RBI to ensure prima facie eligibility of the applicants. The directors of the applicant entity shall submit a declaration in the enclosed format (Annex-3). RBI shall also check 'fit and proper' status of the applicant and management by obtaining inputs from other regulators, government departments, etc., as deemed fit. Applications of those entities not meeting the eligibility criteria, or those which are incomplete / not in the prescribed form with all details, shall be returned without refund of the application fees. 5.3 In addition to the compliance with the applicable guidelines, RBI shall also apply checks, inter-alia, on certain essential aspects like customer service and efficiency, technical and other related requirements, safety and security aspects, etc. before granting in-principle approval to the applicants. 5.4 Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria and other conditions, the RBI shall issue an 'in-principle' approval, which shall be valid for a period of six months. The entity shall submit a satisfactory System Audit Report (SAR) to RBI within these six months, failing which the in-principle approval shall lapse automatically. SAR shall be accompanied by a certificate from the Chartered Accountant regarding compliance with the requirement of minimum positive net-worth of Rs. 5 crore. An entity can seek one-time extension for a maximum period of six months for submission of SAR by making a request in writing, to DPSS, Central Office, RBI, Mumbai, in advance with valid reasons. The RBI reserves the right to decline such a request for extension. 5.5 Subsequent to the issue of the in-principle approval, if any adverse features regarding the entity / promoters / group or business practices, etc., come to notice, the RBI may impose additional conditions and if warranted, the in-principle approval may be withdrawn. 5.6 Pursuant to receipt of satisfactory SAR and net-worth certificate, the RBI shall grant final Certificate of Authorisation. Entities granted final authorisation shall commence business within six months from the grant of Certificate of Authorisation failing which the authorisation shall lapse automatically. An entity can seek one-time extension for a maximum period of six months by making a request in writing, to DPSS, Central Office, RBI, Mumbai, in advance with valid reasons. The RBI reserves the right to decline such a request for extension. 5.7 The Certificate of Authorisation shall be valid for five years unless otherwise specified and shall be subject to review including cancellation of Certificate of Authorisation. 5.8 Entities seeking renewal of authorisation shall apply in writing to DPSS, RBI, Central Office, Mumbai at least three months before the expiry of validity of Certificate of Authorisation, failing which RBI reserves the right to decline the request for renewal. 5.9 Any proposed major change, such as changes in product features / process, structure or operation of the payment system, etc. shall be communicated with complete details, by way of a letter, addressed to the Chief General Manager, DPSS, RBI, Central Office, Mumbai. RBI shall endeavor to reply within 15 business days after receipt of above communication at DPSS, RBI, Central Office, Mumbai. 5.10 Any takeover or acquisition of control or change in management of a non-bank entity shall be communicated by way of a letter to the Chief General Manager, DPSS, RBI, Central Office, Mumbai within 15 days with complete details, including 'Declaration and Undertaking' (Annex-3) by each of the new directors, if any. RBI shall examine the 'fit and proper' status of the management and, if required, may place suitable restrictions on such changes. 6. Safeguards against Money Laundering (KYC / AML / CFT) Provisions 6.1 The Know Your Customer (KYC) / Anti-Money Laundering (AML) / Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT) guidelines issued by the Department of Banking Regulation (DBR), RBI, in their Master Direction - Know Your Customer (KYC) Directions updated from time to time, shall apply mutatis mutandis to all the entities issuing PPIs and their agents. 6.2 As PPI issuers are operating a Payment System, provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and Rules framed thereunder, as amended from time to time, are also applicable to all PPI issuers. All entities shall put in place necessary systems to ensure compliance with these guidelines. 6.3 PPI issuers shall maintain a log of all the transactions undertaken using the PPIs for at least ten years. This data shall be made available for scrutiny to RBI or any other agency / agencies as may be advised by RBI. The PPI issuers shall also file Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) to Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND). 7. Issuance, loading and reloading of PPIs 7.1 All entities approved / authorised to issue PPIs by RBI are permitted to issue reloadable or non-reloadable PPIs depending upon the permissible type / category of PPIs as laid down in paragraph 9 and 10 of these Directions. 7.2 PPI issuers shall have a clear laid down policy, duly approved by their Board, for issuance of various types / categories of PPIs and all activities related thereto. 7.3 PPI issuers shall ensure that the name of the company which has received approval / authorisation for issuance and operating of PPIs, is prominently displayed along with the PPI brand name in all instances. The authorised entities shall also regularly keep RBI informed regarding the brand names employed / to be employed for their products. 7.4 PPI issuers shall ensure that no interest is payable on PPI balances. 7.5 PPIs shall be permitted to be loaded / reloaded by cash, by debit to a bank account, by credit and debit cards, and other PPIs (as permitted from time to time). The electronic loading / reloading of PPIs shall be through above payment instruments issued only by regulated entities in India and shall be in INR only. 7.6 Cash loading to PPIs shall be limited to Rs.50,000/- per month subject to overall limit of the PPI. 7.7 The PPIs may be issued as cards, wallets, and any such form / instrument which can be used to access the PPI and to use the amount therein. PPIs in the form of paper vouchers shall no longer be issued from the date of this Master Direction except for Meal Paper Vouchers where separate timeline has been indicated. 7.8 Banks shall be permitted to issue and reload PPIs at their branches, ATMs and through their BCs appointed as per the guidelines issued by RBI in this regard. 7.9 Banks and non-banks shall be permitted to issue and reload such payment instruments through their authorised outlets or through their authorised / designated agents subject to following conditions:- a. There shall be a Board approved policy clearly laying down the framework for engaging agents for the purpose of issuance and reloading of PPIs. b. Issuers shall carry out proper due diligence of the persons appointed as authorised / designated agents for issue / reloading of permissible categories of PPIs. c. Issuers shall be responsible for all the PPIs issued by the authorised / designated agents. d. Issuers shall be responsible as the principal for all acts of omission or commission of their authorised / designated agents, including safety and security aspects. e. Issuers shall ensure preservation of records and confidentiality of customer information in their possession as well as in the possession of their authorised / designated agents. f. The PPI issuers shall regularly monitor the activities of their authorised / designated agents and also carry out a review of the performance of various agents engaged by them at least once in a year. g. Issuers and their authorised / designated agents shall ensure adherence to applicable laws of the land, including KYC / AML / CFT norms as indicated in paragraph 6. 7.10 PPI issuers shall ensure that there is no co-mingling of funds originating from any other activity that the Issuer may be undertaking such as BCs of bank/s, intermediary for payment aggregation, payment gateway facility, etc. 7.11 PPIs under co-branding arrangements: a. The co-branding arrangement shall be as per the Board approved policy of the PPI issuer. The policy shall specifically address issues pertaining to the various risks associated with such an arrangement including reputation risk and the PPI issuer shall put in place suitable risk mitigation measures. The policy shall also clearly lay down the roles, responsibilities and obligations of each co-branding partner. b. The co-branding partner shall be a company incorporated in India and registered under the Companies Act 1956 / Companies Act 2013. In case the co-branding partner is a bank, then the same shall be a bank licensed by RBI. c. PPI issuers shall carry out due diligence in respect of the co-branding partner to protect themselves against the reputation risk they are exposed to in such an arrangement. In case of proposed tie up with a financial entity, they may ensure that that entity has the approval of its regulator for entering into such arrangement. d. The instructions / guidelines on KYC / AML / CFT (as indicated in paragraph 6) shall be adhered to, in respect of all PPIs issued under the co-branding arrangement as well. e. The PPI issuer shall be liable for all acts of the co-branding partner. The Issuers shall also be responsible for all customer related aspects of the PPIs. f. PPI issuers shall be permitted to co-brand such instruments with the name / logo of the company for whose customers / beneficiaries such co-branded instruments are to be issued. g. The name of PPI issuer shall be prominently visible on the payment instrument. h. In case of non-bank PPI issuers, where co-branding arrangements take place between two non-bank PPI issuers, the agreement shall clearly indicate which partner shall be the PPI Issuer. i. All non-bank PPI issuers desirous of issuing such co-branded PPIs shall seek one time approval from DPSS, RBI, Central Office. Separate approval is not required for each co-branding arrangement. j. In case of co-branding arrangements between bank and non-bank entity, the bank shall be the PPI Issuer. The role of the non-bank entity shall be limited to marketing / distribution of the PPIs or providing access to the PPI holder to the services that are offered. k. In case of co-branding arrangement between two banks, then the PPI issuing bank shall ensure compliance to above instructions. l. Bank PPI issuers shall also adhere to the instructions contained in the circular DBOD. No. FSD. BC.67/24.01.019/2012-13 dated December 12, 2012, as amended from time to time. 7.12 All PPI issuers already having co-branding arrangements at the time of issuance of this Master Direction shall review their existing arrangements to meet the above requirements on or before December 31, 2017. The details of all the existing co-branding arrangements by all PPI issuers shall be reported to DPSS, RBI, Central Office, Mumbai within one month of release of this Master Direction in the format enclosed (Annex-4). Further, any new arrangement shall also be reported to RBI within seven days of finalisation of arrangement. 7.13 Prepaid meal instruments: Banks and non-bank entities issuing PPIs in the form of prepaid meal instruments, shall ensure that these are issued only as semi-closed PPIs, are in electronic form and reloadable. No cash withdrawal or funds transfer shall be permitted from such instruments. Such PPIs need not be issued as a separate category of PPI. No prepaid meal instruments in paper voucher form shall be issued after December 31, 2017. 7.14 There shall be no remittance without compliance to KYC requirements. PPI issuers, including their agents, shall not create new PPIs each time for facilitating cash-based remittances to other PPIs / bank accounts. PPIs created for previous remittance by the same person shall be used. 8. Cross-Border Transactions The use of INR denominated PPIs for cross border transactions shall not be permitted except as under: 8.1 PPIs for cross-border outward transactions a. KYC compliant reloadable semi-closed and open system PPIs issued by banks having AD-I licence shall be permitted to be used in cross-border outward transactions (only for permissible current account transactions under FEMA viz. purchase of goods and services), subject to adherence to extant norms governing such transactions. b. PPIs shall not be used for any cross-border outward fund transfer and/or for making remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. Prefunding of online merchant's account shall not be permitted using such Rupee denominated PPIs. c. Issuers shall enable the facility of cross-border outward transactions only on explicit request of the PPI holders and shall apply a per transaction limit not exceeding Rs.10,000/-, while per month limit shall not exceed Rs. 50,000/- for such cross-border transactions. d. In case this facility is made available by issuing the PPI in card form, then this PPI shall be EMV Chip and PIN compliant. e. Such PPIs need not be issued as a separate category of PPI. 8.2 PPIs for credit towards cross-border inward remittance a. Bank and non-bank PPI issuers, who have been appointed as the Indian agent of the authorised overseas principal, shall be permitted to issue PPIs to beneficiaries of inward remittance under the Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS) of the RBI. b. Authorised non-bank PPI issuers shall be permitted to issue such PPIs for a period of three years, from the date of this Master Direction, subject to review. c. The PPIs shall be KYC compliant, reloadable and issued only in electronic form, including cards. d. Such PPIs shall be issued in adherence to extant norms under the MTSS Guidelines issued by Foreign Exchange Department, RBI. e. Amounts only upto Rs.50,000/- from individual inward MTSS remittance shall be permitted to be loaded / reloaded in PPIs issued to beneficiaries. Amount in excess of Rs.50,000/- under MTSS shall be paid by credit to a bank account of the beneficiary. Full details of the transactions shall be maintained on record for scrutiny. f. The roles and responsibilities of the PPI issuers for the PPI related activities shall be distinct from the roles and responsibilities as Indian Agents under MTSS. g. Such PPIs need not be issued as a separate category of PPI. 8.3 Foreign Exchange PPIs: Entities authorized under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to issue foreign exchange denominated PPIs are outside the purview of this Master Direction. 9. Types of PPIs 9.1 Semi-closed PPIs by bank and non-bank PPI Issuers Semi-closed PPIs issued by banks and non-banks would have same features, unless otherwise specified. (i) PPIs upto Rs.10,000/- by accepting minimum details of the PPI holder a. Bank and non-bank Issuers shall be permitted to issue these PPIs after obtaining minimum details of the PPI holder. b. The minimum details shall include mobile number verified with One Time Pin (OTP) and self-declaration of name and unique identification number of any of the 'officially valid document' defined under Rule 2(d) of the PML Rules 2005, as amended from time to time. c. These PPIs shall be reloadable in nature and issued only in electronic form, including cards. d. The amount loaded in such PPIs during any month shall not exceed Rs.10,000/- and the total amount loaded during the financial year shall not exceed Rs.1,00,000/-. e. The amount outstanding at any point of time in such PPIs shall not exceed Rs.10,000/- f. The total amount debited from such PPIs during any given month shall not exceed Rs. 10,000/-. g. These PPIs shall be used only for purchase of goods and services. Funds transfer from such PPIs to bank accounts and also to PPIs of same / other issuers shall not be permitted. h. There is no separate limit on purchase of goods and services using PPIs and PPI issuer may decide limit for these purposes within the overall PPI limit. i. These PPIs shall be converted into KYC compliant semi-closed PPIs (as defined in paragraph 9.1(ii)) within a period of 12 months from the date of issue of PPI, failing which no further credit shall be allowed in such PPIs. However, the PPI holder shall be allowed to use the balance available in the PPI. j. PPI issuers shall ensure that this category of PPI is not issued to the same user in future using the same mobile number and same minimum details. k. PPI issuers shall give an option to close the PPI at any time and outstanding balance, at the time of closure, shall be transferred at the request of the holder to the 'own bank account of the PPI holder' (duly verified by the Issuer), after complying with KYC requirements of the PPI holder. PPI issuers shall also allow to transfer the funds 'back to source' (payment source from where the PPI was loaded) at the time of closure. l. The features of such PPIs shall be clearly communicated to the PPI holder by SMS / e-mail / post or by any other means at the time of issuance of the PPI / before the first loading of funds. (ii) PPIs upto Rs.1,00,000/- after completing KYC of the PPI holder a. Bank and non-bank Issuers shall be permitted to issue these PPIs after completing KYC of the PPI holder (as indicated in paragraph 6). b. These PPIs shall be reloadable in nature and issued only in electronic form, including cards. c. The amount outstanding shall not exceed Rs.1,00,000/- at any point of time. d. The funds can be transferred 'back to source' (payment source from where the PPI was loaded) or 'own bank account of the PPI holder' (duly verified by the Issuer). However, PPI issuers shall set the limits taking into account the risk profile of the PPI holders, other operational risks, etc. e. PPI issuers shall provide the facility of 'pre-registered beneficiaries' whereby the PPI holder can register the beneficiaries by providing their bank account details, details of PPIs issued by same issuer (or different issuers as and when permitted), etc. f. In case of such pre-registered beneficiaries, the funds transfer limit shall not exceed Rs.1,00,000/- per month per beneficiary. PPI issuers shall set the limits within this ceiling taking into account the risk profile of the PPI holders, other operational risks, etc. g. The funds transfer limits for all other cases shall be restricted to Rs.10,000/- per month. h. There is no separate limit on purchase of goods and services using PPIs and PPI issuer may decide limit for these purposes within the overall PPI limit. i. PPI issuers shall clearly indicate these limits to the PPI holders and also provide necessary options to PPI holders to set their own fund transfer limits. j. PPI issuers shall also give an option to close the PPI and transfer the balance as per the applicable limits of this type of PPI. For this purpose, the Issuers shall provide an option, including at the time of issuing the PPI, to the holder to provide details of pre-designated bank account or other PPIs of same issuer (or other issuers as and when permitted) to which the balance amount available in the PPI shall be transferred in the event of closure of PPI, expiry of validity period of such PPIs, etc. k. The features of such PPIs shall be clearly communicated to the PPI holder by SMS / e-mail / post or by any other means at the time of issuance of the PPI / before the first loading of funds. 9.2 Open system PPIs after completing KYC of the PPI holder a. Only banks shall be permitted to issue open system PPIs after completing KYC of the PPI holder (as indicated in paragraph 6). b. These PPIs shall be reloadable in nature and issued only in electronic form, including cards. c. The amount outstanding shall not exceed Rs.1,00,000/- at any point of time. d. The funds can be transferred 'back to source' (payment source from where the PPI was loaded) or 'own bank account of the PPI holder' (duly verified by the Issuer). However, PPI issuers shall set the limits taking into account the risk profile of the PPI holders, other operational risks, etc. e. PPI issuers shall provide the facility of 'pre-registered beneficiaries' whereby the PPI holder can register the beneficiaries by providing their bank account details, details of PPIs issued by same issuer (or different issuers as and when permitted), etc. f. In case of such pre-registered beneficiaries, the funds transfer limit shall not exceed Rs.1,00,000/- per month per beneficiary. PPI issuers shall set the limits within this ceiling taking into account the risk profile of the PPI holders, other operational risks, etc. g. The funds transfer limits for all other cases shall be restricted to Rs.10,000/- per month. h. Funds transfer from such PPIs shall also be permitted to other open system PPIs, debit cards and credit cards as per the limits given above. i. There is no separate limit on purchase of goods and services using PPIs and PPI issuer may decide limit for these purposes within the overall PPI limit. j. PPI issuers shall clearly indicate these limits to the PPI holders and also provide necessary options to PPI holders to set their own fund transfer limits. k. PPI issuers shall also give an option to close the PPI and transfer the balance as per the applicable limits of this type of PPI. For this purpose, the Issuers shall provide an option, including at the time of issuing the PPI, to the holder to provide details of pre-designated bank account or other PPIs of same issuer (or other issuers as and when permitted) to which the balance amount available in the PPI shall be transferred in the event of closure of PPI, expiry of validity period of such PPIs, etc. l. The features of such PPIs shall be clearly communicated to the PPI holder by SMS / e-mail / post or by any other means at the time of issuance of the PPI / before the first loading of funds. 10. Specific categories of PPIs From the date of issuance of this Master Direction, PPI issuers shall cease to issue PPIs of any other category as permitted earlier except the following two categories: 10.1 Gift instruments Banks and non-bank entities are permitted to issue prepaid gift instruments subject to the following conditions: a. Maximum value of each prepaid gift instrument shall not exceed Rs.10,000/-. b. These instruments shall not be reloadable. c. Cash-out or refund or funds transfer shall not be permitted for such instruments. d. KYC details of the purchasers of such instruments shall be maintained by the PPI Issuer. Separate KYC would not be required for customers who are issued such instruments against debit to their bank accounts in India. e. Entities shall adopt a risk based approach, duly approved by their Board, in deciding the number of such instruments which can be issued to a customer, transaction limits, etc. f. The gift instruments may be revalidated (including through issuance of new instrument) as per the Board approved policy of the issuer. g. The provisions of paragraph 13 on validity and redemption, as applicable, shall be adhered to. h. The features of such PPIs shall be clearly communicated to the PPI holder by SMS / e-mail / post or by any other means at the time of issuance of the PPI / before the first loading of funds. 10.2 PPIs for Mass Transit Systems (PPI-MTS) a. These semi-closed PPIs shall be issued by mass transit system operators after authorisation to issue and operate such PPIs under the PSS Act. b. The PPI-MTS shall necessarily contain the Automated Fare Collection application related to the transit service to qualify as PPI-MTS. c. Apart from the mass transit system, such PPI-MTS shall be used only at other merchants whose activities are allied / related to or are carried on within the premises of the transit system. d. The issuer may decide about the customer details, if any, required to be obtained for issuance of such PPIs. e. The PPI-MTS issued shall be reloadable in nature and the maximum value outstanding in PPI cannot exceed the limit of Rs. 3,000/- at any point of time. f. Cash-out or refund or funds transfer shall not be permitted from these PPIs. g. Other requirements such as escrow arrangement, customer grievance redressal mechanism, agent due diligence, reporting and MIS requirements, etc. applicable to issuance of PPIs (as indicated under various paragraphs of this Master Direction) shall also be applicable in respect of PPI-MTS. h. These PPIs may be revalidated (including through issuance of new instrument) as per the Board approved policy of the issuer. i. The provisions of paragraph 13 on validity and redemption, as applicable, shall be adhered to. j. The features of such PPIs shall be clearly communicated to the PPI holder by SMS / e-mail / post or by any other means at the time of issuance of the PPI / before the first loading of funds. 11. Conversion of existing PPIs issued by banks and non-banks a. PPI issuers shall give an option to all PPI holders to convert the existing semi-closed and open system PPIs issued to them (as per various types / categories permitted earlier) into any type of the PPIs as indicated in paragraph 9. After carrying out the applicable due diligence for that type of PPI, this conversion shall be completed on or before December 31, 2017 . For example, if any of the existing PPI is converted into KYC compliant semi-closed PPI, then the same has to be done only after doing the KYC of the PPI holder (as indicated in paragraph 6). b. Where PPI holders have not exercised the option as at (a) above, the PPIs issued to them shall mandatorily be converted into minimum detail PPIs as indicated in paragraph 9.1 (i) on January 01, 2018 with all the applicable features. c. No further credit / loading shall be allowed in such PPIs till all the minimum details (as indicated in paragraph 9.1 (i)) are obtained. However, the PPI holders shall be allowed to use the existing balance for purchase of goods and services. d. PPI issuers shall make their customers aware of these changes and shall also give all such existing PPI holders a one-time option to transfer the outstanding balance in the PPI to a bank account without any transaction limit. No charges shall be levied by the PPI issuers on the PPI holders for such funds transfer. This shall be completed on or before December 31, 2017. e. For existing minimum detail semi-closed PPIs, where the outstanding balance is more than Rs. 10,000/- further loading shall not be allowed till the balance is reduced to below Rs. 10,000/-, after which the limits as indicated in paragraph 9.1(i) shall be applicable. The funds transfer facility shall not be permitted from the date of issue of these Directions except for one-time option for outstanding balance as per the details at 11 (d). f. PPI issuers shall separately maintain the data relating to migration of existing PPIs for submission of the same to RBI, as and when required. 12. Deployment of Money Collected 12.1 To ensure timely settlement, the non-bank PPI issuer shall invest the money collected against issuance of PPIs only as provided herein. 12.2 For the schemes operated by banks, the outstanding balance shall be part of the 'net demand and time liabilities' for the purpose of maintenance of reserve requirements. This position will be computed on the basis of the balances appearing in the books of the bank as on the date of reporting. 12.3 Non-bank PPI issuers are required to maintain their outstanding balance in an escrow account with any scheduled commercial bank. For the purpose of maintenance of the Escrow account, payment systems operated by non-bank entities for issuance of PPIs shall be deemed to be 'designated payment systems' under Section 23A of the PSS Act, 2007 (as amended in 2015). Maintenance of escrow balance shall be subject to the following conditions:- (i) The escrow balance shall be maintained with only one scheduled commercial bank at any point of time. (ii) In case there is a need to shift the escrow account from one bank to another, the same shall be effected in a time-bound manner without unduly impacting the payment cycle to the merchants. The migration shall be completed in the minimum possible time and with the prior approval of RBI. (iii) The balance in the escrow account shall not, at the end of the day, be lower than the value of outstanding PPIs and payments due to merchants. While as far as possible PPI issuers shall ensure immediate credit of funds to escrow on issue, load / reload of PPIs to the PPI holders, under no circumstance such credit to escrow account shall be later than the close of business day (the day on which the PPI has been issued, loaded / reloaded). This shall be monitored by the non-bank PPI issuer on a daily basis and any shortfall shall be immediately reported to the respective Regional Office of DPSS, RBI. (iv) Only the following debits and credits shall be permitted in the escrow account: Credits a. Payments received towards issue, load / reload of PPIs, including at agent locations. b. Refunds received for failed / disputed / returned / cancelled transactions. c. Payments received from sponsor bank towards settlement obligations from participation in interoperable payment systems, as permitted by RBI from time to time. Debits d. Payments to various merchants / service providers towards reimbursement of claims received from them. e. Payment to sponsor bank for processing funds transfer instructions received from PPI holders as permitted by RBI from time to time. f. Payments made to sponsor bank towards settlement obligations from participation in interoperable payment systems, as permitted by RBI from time to time. g. Payment towards applicable Government taxes (received along with PPI sale / reload amount from the buyers). h. Refunds towards cancellation of transactions in a PPI in case of PPIs loaded / reloaded erroneously or through fraudulent means (on establishment of erroneous transfer / fraud). The funds shall be credited back to the same source from where these were received. These funds are not to be forfeited till the disposal of the case. i. Any other payment due to the PPI issuer in the normal course of operating the PPI business (for instance, service charges, forfeited amount, commissions, etc.). j. Any other debit as directed by the regulator / courts / law enforcement agencies. Note: (1) The payment towards service charges, commission and forfeited amount shall be at pre-determined rates / frequency. Such transfers shall only be effected to a designated bank account of the PPI issuer as indicated in the agreement with the bank where escrow account is maintained. (2) All these provisions shall be part of Service Level Agreement that will be signed between the PPI issuer and the bank maintaining escrow account. (v) The agreement between the issuer / operator and the bank maintaining escrow account shall include an exclusive clause enabling the bank to use the money in the escrow account only for making payment to the merchants / PPI holders. (vi) Settlement of funds with merchants shall not be co-mingled with other business, if any, handled by the PPI issuer. (vii) No interest shall be payable by the bank on such balances, except as indicated in paragraph 12.4 below. (viii) PPI issuers shall be required to submit the list of merchants acquired by them to the bank and update the same from time to time. The bank shall be required to ensure that payments are made only to eligible merchants / purposes. There shall be an exclusive clause in the agreement signed between the PPI issuer and bank maintaining escrow account towards usage of balance in escrow account only for the purposes mentioned above. (ix) With the growing acceptance of PPIs in e-commerce payments, including in digital market places, the payment mechanism is often facilitated using the services of payment aggregators / payment gateways. In such a scenario, the emerging practice observed is that the PPI Issuer has the necessary agreements with the digital market place and / or the payment aggregator / gateway rather than the individual merchants who are accepting the PPIs issued by the Issuer as a payment instrument. In view of the above, PPI issuers shall obtain an undertaking from the digital market place and / or payment aggregator / gateway that the payments made by the Issuers are used for onward payments to the respective merchants. Such undertaking shall be submitted by the Issuers to the bank maintaining the escrow account. (x) A certificate (format enclosed Annex-5) signed by the auditor(s), shall be submitted by the authorised entities to the respective Regional Office of DPSS, RBI on a quarterly basis certifying that the entity has been maintaining adequate balance in the escrow account to cover the outstanding value of PPIs issued and payments due to merchants. The certificate shall be submitted within a fortnight from the end of the quarter to which it pertains. The entities shall also submit an annual certificate (Annex-5), signed by the auditor(s), coinciding with the accounting year of the entity to RBI. (xi) Adequate records indicating the daily position of the value of instruments outstanding and payments due to merchants vis-vis balances maintained with the banks in the escrow accounts shall be made available for scrutiny to RBI or the bank where the account is maintained on demand. 12.4 As an exception to paragraph 12.3 (vii), the non-bank PPI issuer can enter into an agreement with the bank maintaining the escrow account, to transfer "core portion" of the amount, in the escrow account to a separate account on which interest is payable, subject to the following:- a) The bank shall satisfy itself that the amount deposited represents the "core portion" after due verification of necessary documents. b) The amount shall be linked to the escrow account, i.e. the amounts held in the interest bearing account shall be available to the bank, to meet payment requirements of the entity, in case of any shortfall in the escrow account. c) This facility is permissible to entities who have been in business for at least one year (26 fortnights) and whose accounts have been duly audited for the full accounting year. d) No loan is permissible against such deposits. Banks shall not issue any deposit receipts or mark any lien on the amount held in such form of deposits. e) Core portion as calculated below will remain linked to the escrow account. The escrow balance and core portion maintained shall be clearly disclosed in the auditors' certificates submitted to RBI on quarterly and annual basis. Note: For the purpose of these Directions, "Core Portion" shall be computed as under:- Step 1: Compute lowest daily outstanding balance (LB) on a fortnightly (FN) basis, for one year (26 fortnights) from the preceding month. Step 2: Calculate the average of the lowest fortnightly outstanding balances [(LB1 of FN1+ LB2 of FN2+ ........+ LB26 of FN26) divided by26]. Step 3: The average balance so computed represents the "Core Portion" eligible to earn interest. 13. Validity and Redemption 13.1 All PPIs issued in the country shall have a minimum validity period of one year from the date of last loading / reloading in the PPI. PPI issuers are free to issue PPIs with a longer validity. In case the PPI is issued in the form of card (with validity period mentioned on the card), then the customer shall have the option to seek replacement of the card. 13.2 PPI issuers shall caution the PPI holder at reasonable intervals, during the 45 days' period prior to expiry of the validity period of the PPI. The caution advice shall be sent by SMS / e-mail / post or by any other means in the language preferred by the holder indicated at the time of issuance of the PPI. 13.3 Non-bank PPI issuers cannot transfer the outstanding balance to their Profit & Loss account for at least three years from the expiry date of PPI. In case the PPI holder approaches the PPI issuer for refund of such amount, at any time after the expiry date of PPI, then the same shall be paid to the PPI holder in a bank account. 13.4 Banks issuing PPIs shall be guided by the instructions on Depositor Education and Awareness Fund issued by Department of Banking Regulation, RBI, vide, circular DBOD. No. DEAF Cell. BC.101/30.01.002/2013-14 dated March 21, 2014, as amended from time to time. 13.5 Issuers shall clearly indicate the expiry period of the PPI to the customer at the time of issuance of PPIs. Such information shall be clearly enunciated in the terms and conditions of sale of PPI. Where applicable, it shall also be clearly outlined on the website / mobile application of the issuer. 13.6 PPIs with no financial transaction for a consecutive period of one year shall be made inactive by the PPI issuers after sending a notice to the PPI holder/s. These can be reactivated only after validation and applicable due diligence. These PPIs shall be reported to RBI separately. 13.7 The holders of PPIs shall be permitted to redeem the outstanding balance in the PPI, if for any reason the scheme is being wound-up or is directed by RBI to be discontinued. 14. Transactions Limits 14.1 The holder is allowed to use the PPI for these purposes within the overall PPI limit applicable. PPI issuers shall decide to put in place such limits taking into account the risk perception of the holders as per their risk management policy. 14.2 All financial limits indicated against each type / category of the PPI shall be strictly adhered to. 14.3 Handling refunds: a) Refunds in case of failed / returned / rejected / cancelled transactions shall be applied to the respective PPI immediately, to the extent that payment was made initially by debit to the PPI, even if such application of funds results in exceeding the limits prescribed for that type / category of PPI. b) However, refunds in case of failed / returned / rejected / cancelled transactions using any other payment instrument shall not be credited to PPI. c) PPI issuers shall be required to maintain complete details of such returns / refunds, etc., and be in readiness to provide them as and when called for. d) Further, PPIs issuers shall also put in place necessary systems that enable them to monitor frequent instances of refunds taking in place in specific PPIs and be in a position to substantiate with proof for audit / scrutiny purposes. 14.4 In the case of open system PPIs, cash withdrawal at Point of Sale (POS) terminals shall be permitted upto a limit of Rs.2000/- per day in rural areas and Rs.1000/- per day in other areas, subject to the same conditions as applicable hitherto to debit cards (for cash withdrawal at POS). 15. Security, Fraud prevention and Risk Management Framework 15.1 A strong risk management system is necessary for the PPI issuers to meet the challenges of fraud and ensure customer protection. PPI issuers shall put in place adequate information and data security infrastructure and systems for prevention and detection of frauds. 15.2 All PPI issuers shall put in place Board approved Information Security policy for the safety and security of the payment systems operated by them, and implement security measures in accordance with this policy to mitigate identified risks. PPI issuers shall review the security measures (a) on on-going basis but at least once a year, (b) after any security incident or breach, and (c) before / after a major change to their infrastructure or procedures. 15.3 PPI issuers shall ensure that the following framework is put in place to address the safety and security concerns, and for risk mitigation and fraud prevention: a. In case of wallets, PPI issuers shall ensure that if same login is provided for the PPI and other services offered by the PPI Issuer, then the same shall be clearly informed to the customer by SMS or email or post or by any other means. The option to logout from the website / mobile account shall be provided prominently. b. Issuers shall put in place appropriate mechanisms to restrict multiple invalid attempts to login / access to the PPI, inactivity, timeout features, etc. c. Issuers shall introduce a system where every successive payment transactions in wallet is authenticated by explicit customer consent. d. Cards (physical or virtual) shall necessarily have Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) as required for debit cards, except in case of PPIs issued under PPI-MTS. e. Issuers shall provide customer induced options for fixing a cap on number of transactions and transaction value for different types of transactions / beneficiaries. Customers shall be allowed to change the caps, with additional authentication and validation. f. Issuers shall put in place a limit on the number of beneficiaries that may be added in a day per PPI. g. Issuers shall introduce a system of alert when a beneficiary is added. h. PPI issuers shall put in place suitable cooling period for funds transfer upon opening the PPI or loading / reloading of funds into the PPI or after adding a beneficiary so as to mitigate the fraudulent use of PPIs. i. Issuers shall put in place a mechanism to send alerts when transactions are done using the PPIs. In addition to the debit or credit amount intimation, the alert shall also indicate the balance available / remaining in the PPI after completion of the said transaction. j. Issuers shall put in place mechanism for velocity check on the number of transactions effected in a PPI per day / per beneficiary. k. Issuers shall also put in place suitable mechanism to prevent, detect and restrict occurrence of fraudulent transactions including loading / reloading funds into the PPI. l. Issuers shall put in place suitable internal and external escalation mechanisms in case of suspicious operations, besides alerting the customer in case of such transactions. 15.4 The requirements prescribed here are minimum and the entities may deploy additional checks and balances, as considered appropriate. 15.5 PPI issuers shall put in place centralised database / management information system (MIS) to prevent multiple purchase of PPIs at different locations, leading to circumvention of limits, if any, prescribed for their issuance. 15.6 Where direct interface is provided to their authorised / designated agents, PPI issuers shall ensure that the compliance to regulatory requirements is strictly adhered to by these systems also. 15.7 PPI issuers shall establish a mechanism for monitoring, handling and follow-up of cyber security incidents and cyber security breaches. The same shall be reported immediately to DPSS, RBI, Central Office, Mumbai. It shall also be reported to CERT-IN as per the details notified by CERT-IN. 16. Customer Protection and Grievance Redressal Framework 16.1 PPI issuers shall disclose all important terms and conditions in clear and simple language (preferably in English, Hindi and the local language) to the holders while issuing the instruments. These disclosures shall include: a. All charges and fees associated with the use of the instrument. b. The expiry period and the terms and conditions pertaining to expiration of the instrument. 16.2 PPI issuers shall put in place a formal, publicly disclosed customer grievance redressal framework, including designating a nodal officer to handle the customer complaints / grievances, the escalation matrix and turn-around-times for complaint resolution. The complaint facility, if made available on website / mobile, shall be clearly and easily accessible. The framework shall include, at the minimum, the following: a. PPI issuers shall disseminate the information of their customer protection and grievance redressal policy in simple language (preferably in English, Hindi and the local language). b. PPI issuers shall clearly indicate the customer care contact details, including details of nodal officials for grievance redressal (telephone numbers, email address, postal address, etc.) on website, mobile wallet apps, and cards. c. PPI agents shall display proper signage of the PPI Issuer and the customer care contact details as at (b) above. d. PPI issuers shall provide specific complaint numbers for the complaints lodged along with the facility to track the status of the complaint by the customer. e. PPI issuers shall initiate action to resolve any customer complaint / grievance expeditiously, preferably within 48 hours and resolve the same not later than 30 days from the date of receipt of such complaint / grievance. f. PPI Issuers shall display the detailed list of their authorized / designated agents (name, agent ID, address, contact details, etc.) on the website / mobile app. 16.3 PPI issuers shall create sufficient awareness and educate customers in the secure use of the PPIs, including the need for keeping passwords confidential, procedure to be followed in case of loss or theft of card or authentication data or if any fraud / abuse is detected, etc. 16.4 PPI issuers shall clearly outline the amount and process of determining customer liability in case of unauthorised / fraudulent transactions involving PPIs. Bank PPI issuers shall also be guided by the Department of Banking Regulation, RBI's circular DBR. No. Leg. BC.78/09.07.005/2017-18 dated July 6, 2017 on Customer Protection - Limiting Liability of Customers in Unauthorised Electronic Banking Transactions. 16.5 PPI issuers shall provide an option for the PPI holders to generate / receive account statements for at least past 6 months. The account statement shall, at the minimum, provide details such as date of transaction, debit / credit amount, net balance and description of transaction. Additionally, the PPI issuers shall provide transaction history for at least 10 transactions. 16.6 In case of PPIs issued by banks, customers shall have recourse to the Banking Ombudsman Scheme for grievance redressal. 16.7 Non-bank PPI issuers shall report regarding the receipt of complaints and action taken status thereon in the enclosed format (Annex-6) on a Quarterly basis by the 10th of the following month to the respective Regional Office of DPSS, RBI. Banks shall submit the same report to DPSS, Mumbai Regional Office, RBI. 16.8 PPI issuers shall ensure transparency in pricing and the charge structure as under: a. Ensure uniformity in charges at agent level. b. Disclosure of charges for various types of transactions on its website, mobile app, agent locations, etc. c. Specific agreements with agents prohibiting them from charging any fee to the customers directly for services rendered by them on behalf of the PPI issuers. d. Require each retail outlet / sub-agent to post a signage indicating their status as service providers for the PPI issuer and the fees for all services available at the outlet. e. The amount collected from the customer shall be acknowledged by issuing a receipt (printed or electronic) on behalf of the PPI issuer. 16.9 PPI issuers shall be responsible for addressing all customer service aspects related to all PPIs (including co-branded PPIs) issued by them as well as their agents. 16.10 PPI issuers shall also display Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on their website / mobile app related to the PPIs. 17. Information System Audit 17.1 Authorised non-bank entities shall submit the System Audit Report, including cyber security audit conducted by CERT-IN empaneled auditors, within two months of the close of their financial year to the respective Regional Office of DPSS, RBI. 17.2 Banks shall also be guided by the RBI circular DBS. CO/CSITE/BC.11/33.01.001/2015-16 on Cyber Security Framework in Banks dated June 02, 2016, which inter alia, covers requirements for mobile-based applications. 17.3 The scope of the Audit shall include the following: a. Security controls shall be tested both for effectiveness of control design (Test of Design - ToD) and control operating effectiveness (Test of Operating Effectiveness - ToE). b. Technology deployed so as to ensure that the authorised payment system is being operated in a safe, secure, sound and efficient manner. c. Evaluation of the hardware structure, operating systems and critical applications, security and controls in place, including access controls on key applications, disaster recovery plans, training of personnel managing systems and applications, documentation, etc. d. Evaluating adequacy of Information Security Governance and processes of those which support payment systems. e. Compliance as per security best practices, specifically the application security lifecycle and patch / vulnerability and change management aspects for the authorised system and adherence to the process flow approved by RBI. f. Comment on the deviations, if any, in the processes followed from the process flow submitted to RBI while seeking authorisation. 17.4 All PPI issuers shall, at the minimum, put in place following framework: a. Application Life Cycle Security: The source code audits shall be conducted by professionally competent personnel / service providers or have assurance from application providers / OEMs that the application is free from embedded malicious / fraudulent code. b. Security Operations Centre (SOC): Integration of system level (server), application level logs of mobile applications (PPIs) with SOC for centralised and co-ordinated monitoring and management of security related incidents. c. Anti-Phishing: PPI issuers shall subscribe to anti-phishing / anti-rouge app services from external service providers for identifying and taking down phishing websites / rouge applications in the wake of increase of rogue mobile apps / phishing attacks. d. Risk-based Transaction Monitoring: Risk-based transaction monitoring or surveillance process shall be implemented as part of fraud risk management system. e. Vendor Risk Management: (i) PPI issuer shall enter into an agreement with the service provider that amongst others provides for right of audit / inspection by the regulators of the country; (ii) RBI shall have access to all information resources (online / in person) that are consumed by PPI provider, to be made accessible to RBI officials when sought, though the infrastructure / enabling resources may not physically be located in the premises of PPI provider; (iii) PPI issuers shall adhere to the relevant legal and regulatory requirements relating to geographical location of infrastructure and movement of data out of borders; (iv) PPI issuer shall review the security processes and controls being followed by service providers regularly; (v) Service agreements of PPI issuers with provider shall include a security clause on disclosing the security breaches if any happening specific to issuer's ICT infrastructure or process including not limited to software, application and data as part of Security incident Management standards, etc. f. Disaster Recovery: PPI issuer shall consider having DR facility to achieve the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) / Recovery Point Objective (RPO) for the PPI system to recover rapidly from cyber-attacks / other incidents and safely resume critical operations aligned with RTO while ensuring security of processes and data is protected. 18. Interoperability The ability of customers to use a set of payment instruments seamlessly with other users within the segment are based on adoption of common standards by all providers of these services so as to make them inter-operable. Accordingly, it has been decided as under: a. Interoperability shall be enabled in phases for the PPIs. b. In the first phase, PPI Issuers (both bank and non-bank entities) shall make all KYC-compliant PPIs issued in the form of wallets interoperable amongst themselves through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) within 6 months from the date of issue of this Direction. c. In subsequent phases, interoperability shall be enabled between wallets and bank accounts through UPI. d. Similarly, interoperability for PPIs issued in the form of cards shall also be enabled in due course. However, banks may continue to issue PPIs in association with authorized card networks, as hitherto. e. PPI Issuers shall ensure adherence to the technical and operational requirements for such interoperability, including those relating to safety and security, risk mitigation, etc. f. The operational guidelines will be issued separately. 19. Reporting (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday condemned Canada's New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh's remarks on "self-determination" for Punjab and said the Canadian authorities should take serious note of such disruptive elements trying to spread discord in India. Amarinder Singh said that Jagmeet Singh "was obviously totally disconnected from the ground realities in India, where Sikhs hold a place of pride with their excellent achievements in every field". He accused Jagmeet Singh of trying to destabilise Punjab by creating strife with his "ill-conceived and confrontational remarks". Jagmeet Singh, in a statement, had said that he considers self-determination to be a "basic right" in places such as Punjab, Catalonia or Quebec. "This was clearly designed to spread trouble in Punjab. My government will not allow any such attempt to succeed at any cost," Amarinder Singh said in a statement here. "At a time when Punjab was working on a holistic development and revival agenda, Jagmeet was trying to whip up negative passions among the Sikh community. The newly-elected NDP (Nationalist Democratic Party) leader would not succeed in his nefarious designs as the people of Punjab wanted peace and stability," the Chief Minister declared. Expressing a sense of pride at the contribution of the Sikh community worldwide, Amarinder Singh said: "Sikhs were known for their extraordinary accomplishments and for bringing accolades not only to India but to whichever country they were settled in. A handful of destructive elements could not undermine the achievements of the Sikhs." He pointed out that radical outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which operates in the US and Canada, had failed to trigger unrest in Punjab through its recent "Khalistan 2020 Referendum",' which Jagmeet Singh had echoed with his statement on self-determination. The Chief Minister said that Jagmeet Singh's comments against Punjab amounted to "anti-India conspiracy" and hoped the Canadian government would take due cognizance of the same. He urged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure that his country's soil is not used for such treacherous assaults on India's integrity and security. --IANS js/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Workers at Australia's major airports will face additional screening measures as part of a security crackdown, authorities said on Monday. The tighter controls come after authorities foiled an alleged terror plot to bring down a plane leaving Sydney Airport in July, reports the BBC. Australian baggage handlers and airport staff working in restricted zones will now be subject to random tests for traces of explosives. Inspections will also be carried out on employees' belongings and vehicles. The changes follow concerns raised by union and intelligence experts about the screening of staff, many of whom are on casual contracts. "These measures strengthen existing controls to ensure airport workers are authorised, properly identified and appropriately trained before entering secure airside areas," the BBC quoted Transport Minister Darren Chester as saying. The government said about 140,000 workers had access to secure zones in airports. Senator Nick Xenophon said Australia should adopt even stricter measures, such as a US-style system of mandatory checks for all staff. "Our government's approach to random inspections is a joke." --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The British police on Sunday stormed a bowling alley at a leisure complex in Nuneaton and ended an armed hostage siege with no casualties being reported. Police said the incident is not terror-related, Xinhua reported. Local police officers said two hostages had been held in Bermuda Park in Warwickshire, but a gunman had been arrested. The suspect was treated at the scene and then taken to hospital, while two other men escaped uninjured, the medics said. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China has reversed an import ban on several types of soft and mould-ripened cheese, including Roquefort, Danish Blue, Gorgonzola and Stilton, the media reported on Monday. The authorities imposed the ban in September because the strains of bacteria used to make the cheeses were not approved in China, BBC reported. Quarantine officials lifted the ban over the weekend after a meeting with European Union officials. Imports of the temporarily-banned cheeses will resume immediately, according to the authorities. China's cheesemongers rejoiced at the news. "We are very happy about the decision. I think it's a way for China to show they're really open-minded to selling foreign products and especially cheese," said Vincent Marion, the co-founder of Shanghai-based Cheese Republic. The online delivery service specialises in artisan cheeses, and the ban affected more than half of the products the company sold. --IANS ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has taken over from the state police the probe into the killing of police Sub-Inspector Amitava Malik in Darjeeling, a CID official said on Monday. "The CID will now investigate Malik's murder. The case has been handed over to the CID on Monday," CID Deputy Inspector General Nishad Parvez told IANS. Malik was shot dead on October 13 during an alleged gunfight between security forces and Gorkha Janamukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung's followers in Darjeeling. Four other police personnel sustained injuries. Malik was part of a police team that raided a forested area close to Gurung's residence at Patlebas on October 13 in order to catch the GJM supremo who has been in hiding since a lookout notice was issued against him. Though police failed to catch Gurung, it allegedly seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including AK-47 assault rifle and gelatin sticks, from the camp. West Bengal Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha visited Darjeeling last week to take stock of the security situation and met the injured police personnel. --IANS mgr/ssp/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A committee set up by the Supreme Court to oversee the fencing work along the India-Bangladesh border and other issues would soon submit its report to the apex court about the intricacy of the border issues, an official said here on Monday. The three-member Supervisory Committee headed by retired IAS officer A.K. Mangotra visited the border areas of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Assam and is currently visiting Tripura. "The Supervisory Committee would soon submit its report to the Supreme Court about the progress of the works of border fencing and related problems," a senior official of Tripura's home department said. He said: "The committee members accompanied by senior BSF (Border Security Force) officials on Monday visited Tripura's bordering areas of Sabroom, Belonia (southern Tripura) and Sonamura (in western Tripura) and talked to the district administration and other officials about the fencing work and other issues." South Tripura District Magistrate and Collector C.K. Jamatia told IANS over phone from Belonia that they have informed the committee about the 1.73 km undemarcated border popularly known as "Muhurichar" along the bordering sub-divisional town of Belonia. As part of the implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement of 1974 and its 2011 Protocol, India gave away to Bangladesh 110 of the 111 enclaves and received 51 enclaves on July 31 midnight of 2015, but the talks over "Muhurichar" had remained inconclusive. BSF's Tripura frontier Inspector General S.R. Ojha, who accompanied the visiting committee members on Monday, said that of the 856-km India-Bangladesh border with Tripura, around 21 km remained unfenced for numerous reasons and work is on to fence it. The other members of the Supervisory Committee are former Director General of BSF D.K. Pathak and former professor of Gauhati University Abdul Mannan. The Supreme Court while hearing a matter relating to the fencing of the India-Bangladesh border on July 31 constituted the committee headed by former Home Secretary G.K. Pillai and directed the committee to submit its report in three months. Subsequently, Pillai was replaced by A.K. Mangotra. Five Indian states - West Bengal (2,216 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) share a 4,096-km border with Bangladesh. The mountainous terrain, dense forests and other hindrances make the unfenced borders porous and vulnerable, enabling illegal immigrants and intruders to cross over without any hurdle. --IANS sc/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The controversial Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) ordinance, which was tabled on Monday in the Rajasthan state assembly is nothing but a "gag order" and the "fascist experiment" will be replicated in the rest of the country, including Goa, soon, state Congress president Shantaram Naik has said. "The bill makes grounds for introducing fascism in the country. The first ground they are using to test this is in Rajasthan...I have got real apprehension, knowing the nature of the government, knowing the nature of the leadership in Goa, such a bill will be used in Goa too," Naik told a press conference in Panaji. The Vasundhara Raje government's ordinance amends the Criminal Code of Procedure, 1973, and also bars the media from naming the public servant till the state government allows the case to be investigated. The bill was introduced by Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria among uproarious scenes as the main opposition Congress walked out from the Assembly. Naik expressed fear that such a law could be imposed in Goa, also a BJP-ruled state like Rajasthan. "A Chief Minister who had the daring, nobody in the country had the daring, to cancel October 2, cancel Good Friday holiday. For them this is nothing. This is the true nature of BJP," Naik said, referring to a past decision of a Manohar Parrikar-led coalition government to cancel Good Friday and Gandhi Jayanti holidays for government servants in 2001. --IANS maya/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As an Indian American, I have had the privilege of living in the two largest democracies in the world. One of those, the United States of America, came into being in part because of the free press. The other, India, has the reputation of having the most vibrant and free press in the developing world. Since its establishment as a free nation, the free press in India has grown substantially and contributed significantly to the evolution of Indian democracy. Sadly, in recent times, the freedom of India's free press is seen to have been under threat. In September this year, well known journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh and television reporter Santanu Bhowmik were killed in separate incidents. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based NGO, over the past 25 years, there have been "41 instances" in which Indian journalists have been murdered "in direct reprisal for his or her work". Combine this violence upon journalists with a raid on the homes and offices of the founders of NDTV, India's oldest television news station, by the Central Bureau of Investigation in June this year for "an alleged loss" incurred by a private bank and there is some cause for concern regarding the freedom of the press in India. The New York Times highlighted this in an editorial on the raid that began, "Press freedom in India suffered a fresh blow on Monday..." Freedom House, an organisation that evaluates countries in terms of their freedom of the press, rated India's press status as only "partially free" in 2016 and gave it a score of 40, with 0 being the best and 100 being the worst. Consider some key developments: -- The killing of at least two journalists in connection with their work -- A Supreme Court ruling to retain criminal defamation, despite calls for decriminalisation -- Journalists in Chhattisgarh facing tremendous pressure with some relocating due to concerns for their safety -- Heavy-handed restrictions on the press in Jammu and Kashmir with newspapers being shut down and a clampdown on mobile internet services In sum, the news about the freedom of India's free press is not very good. Maybe that's not so bad one might think. Is freedom of the press such a big deal? Absolutely! In fact, it is almost impossible to overstate the importance of the free press to a vibrant and vital democracy. Let me elaborate on why the free press is so essential by using a quote from the Newseum, a wonderful museum in Washington, D.C. In the Newseum is the following etched statement: "The Free Press is a cornerstone of democracy. People have the need to know. Journalists have the right to tell. Finding the facts can be difficult. Reporting the story can be dangerous. Freedom includes the right to be outrageous. Responsibility includes the right to be fair. News is history in the making. Journalists provide the first draft of history. A Free Press, at its very best, reveals the truth." The Constitution of India makes no specific reference to freedom of the press. Article 19 of the Indian Constitution, on the other hand, guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression and since then there have been several Supreme Court judgements that have interpreted this article to also include freedom of the press. There is also an emerging consensus that over the past few years that freedom of the press has been hamstrung. This is neither consistent with the Constitution nor healthy for Indian democracy. The citizens of India gave the United States and the world a lesson in democracy by turning out in record numbers to vote in the last national elections of 2014. As we move towards 2019, it is time for the current administration in India to give another lesson in democracy by ensuring and guaranteeing the freedom of the free press as an exemplar to the rest of the world. India remains a vibrant democracy, in large part because of the resilience of its questioning press. The free press is critical to the future of India and its citizens. We should praise the free press, not bury it. There are others who want to do the opposite. Journalists should not stop asking the hard questions and writing the tough stories. They have the responsibility to seek and report the truth. We need journalists now more than ever. The overriding responsibility of the is to separate fact from fiction and to hold governments and leaders to the same standards. (Frank Islam is an entrepreneur, civic leader and thought leader based in the Washington, D.C., area. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted atffislam@verizon.net) --IANS frank/vm/tb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi government on Monday expressed its willingness to the Centre to bear the cost of aerial sprinkling of water in the national capital in order to help reduce air pollution. Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain wrote to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan and said the state government was "ready to bear the cost". Hussain urged Vardhan to ask the Civil Aviation Ministry to carry out the sprinkling through a helicopter or aircraft so as to help settle particulate matter suspended in the atmosphere. Pollution in the city has spiked after Diwali due to firecrackers and stubble burning in neighbouring states. --IANS nkh/tsb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Refuting media reports of sharing revenue with news publishers, Google has said there is no deal lined up with them and that its subscriptions project is in its early stages. "We have not reached any conclusion on the revenue side," Google spokeswoman Maggie Shiels was quoted as saying by CNET late on Sunday. "We haven't reached any conclusion [regarding] subscriptions and need to speak to publishers." The tech giant has called the report of sharing revenue with news publishers "totally wrong" and said it is yet to reach any conclusion on the revenue side. Earlier in the day, reports said that Google will give news publishers revenue-sharing deals similar to what it grants YouTube personalities and third-party ad hosts -- helping them connect with a subscriber base. "Google would likely take a cut of less than 30 per cent of subscription revenues," Richard Gingras, Head, Google News, was quoted as saying by Financial Times. The revenue-share agreements with the publishers could be similar to the company's AdSense business that allows the web publishers to place ads on their site. --IANS ksc/amit/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a sudden change of its tough stand, the Centre on Monday announced its decision to start a dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir and appointed former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Dineshwar Sharma as its representative for talks with "all" stakeholders in the troubled-state. "Carrying forward the conviction and consistency in its policy, we have decided that a sustained dialogue process should begin in Jammu and Kashmir," Home Minister Rajnath Singh told a hurriedly convened news conference here after having maintained for long that there could be no talks with the separatist Hurriyat. "As a representative of the government of India Sharma will initiate a sustained interaction and dialogue to understand legitimate aspirations of people in Jammu and Kashmir. He will meet elected representatives, political parties, different organisations and individuals he wants to. "The sustained dialogue and interaction with all sections of the society and to understand the legitimate aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly its youth. "Now what we will do for Jammu and Kashmir, will do with clean intention." Asked whether the interlocutor, who will have cabinet rank, would hold talks with Hurriyat leaders, Rajnath Singh appeared not to rule out such a possibility, saying Sharma had a mandate to hold a dialogue "with anyone he wants". The Centre had been maintaining a tough Kashmir policy and had ruled out talks with separatists in recent months. The Home Minister said after completing the exercise, Sharma, a 1979 batch IPS officer with intimate knowledge of the security situation and Kashmir affairs, will give a report to the Centre. Sharma was Director of IB from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016. Earlier, he was the Joint Director of the IB's Islamist Terrorism Desk from 2003 to 05. He headed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Jammu and Kashmir and was the director of the BSF Academy, and Additional Director and Special Director in the IB. Replying to questions, the minister said no time limit could be set whether it is three months or six months or more. "He can talk to any one he wants." He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had talked to all political parties as to what could be done to find a solution to Kashmir problems. "People told us that the dialogue process should be started. We are doing this," he said and recalled the Prime Minister's August 15 speech saying "neither by bullet, nor by abuses but by embracing the people we can solve the problems in Jammu and Kashmir". Asked about the status of the resignation reportedly given by Governor N.N. Vohra and whether it would be accepted in the new context, Rajnath Singh merely replied that the elected government is there and the Governor is there. --IANS rak-sar-vsc/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is partnering with its Australian counterparts to hunt for concealed mineral deposits to unlock the mineral potential in India. Characterising India's geological cover, investigating India's lithospheric architecture, resolving 4D geodynamic and metallogenic evolution and detecting and characterising the distal footprints of ore deposits are the main components of the initiative. "It's a three-year project. We are in the first year. They (Geoscience Australia) are ahead in this field. So we are utilising their expertise. This is our priority project," GSI Director General N. Kutumba Rao told the media here on Monday. Geoscience Australia is the national agency for geoscience research and geospatial information. As part of 'Project Uncover' (India), deep seismic reflection surveys (DSRS) would be carried out to interpret the lithospheric architecture of earth. The idea is to look for potential mineral deposits up to a depth of 1,000 metres or maximum till 2,000 metres. "Besides, they (Australian experts) would also see our existing data and interpret the data with their latest technology and software to help us locate the mineral deposits," Rao said. "They will be sharing the know-how with our officers on how to use the machinery concerned, how to obtain the data and how to process the data," he added. In addition to DSRS, experts will also tap into the domain of magnetotellurics - looking deep into the earth's crust to study its conductivity. The work involves the Churu-Bundelkhand transect in the north and across the Dharwad region in the south. --IANS team-mr (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has promised to sincerely remove "irritants" between Bangladesh and India. Sushma Swaraj said relations between the neighbours are now outstanding, and that both countries are working to resolve these irritants in the spirit of "friendly relations and with right intention", bdnews24 reported. She did not specify the nature of the issues, but the water sharing of common rivers, particularly the Teesta, has long been pending between the neighbours. "I can assure you we [both countries] will solve all irritants with sincerity [Imandari ke saath]," she said, speaking in Hindi at India's new chancery complex in Baridhara before leaving Dhaka. She said Bangladesh comes first among all of India's neighbours as part of the neighbourhood policy adopted by her government. She also referred to the peaceful resolution of the land boundary as well as maritime boundary issues. Sushma Swaraj came to Dhaka to attend the fourth joint commission meeting with her Bangladeshi counterpart A.H. Mahmood Ali. She inaugurated 15 India-funded development projects during her visit to Bangladesh. She also formally inaugurated the chancery complex. Foreign Minister Mahmood Ali, Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, Environment and Forests Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, Prime Minister's Political Affairs Adviser H.T. Imam, Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque and Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla were present on the occasion. Sushma left Dhaka around 1.30 p.m. and was seen off by Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque. The projects in Bangladesh are funded by India at a cost of Tk 71.64 crore, the Daily Star reported. According to bdnews24.com, the projects cover sectors such as education, healthcare, IT, water supply and social welfare. Eleven water treatment plants are being built in southern Bhandaria Upazila in Pirojpur that will provide desalinated potable drinking water to 150,000 citizens. Some 36 community clinics will also be built. Those projects also include reconstruction of the Ramna Kali Temple which was destroyed by the invading Pakistani forces in 1971. The project includes construction of the main temple, a five-storey guesthouse, a deep tube-well in the temple premises and the construction of the main entry gate of the temple. --IANS rn/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court here has discharged Islamic preacher Maulana Syed Anzar Shah, observing there was no evidence to show he delivered 'jihadi' speech or travelled abroad and was a member of Al Qaeda. There was no incriminating evidence against Shah except a disclosure statement that was not admissible on record and no recovery was effected from Shah on the basis of the said disclosure statement, the court said in its order on Monday. However, the court ordered framing of charges against Abdul Sami, Zafar Masood, Abdul Rehman and Mohammed Asif under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). There was prima facie sufficient evidence and incriminating material against them, the court said. Shah was facing charges under Sections 18 (conspiracy), 18B (punishment for recruiting any person or persons for terrorist act) and 20 (punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation) of UAPA. "It is seen that Syed Anzar Shah never travelled abroad and there is no evidence of any 'jihadi' speech delivered by him or any intercepted calls or any other electronic evidence to connect him with any terrorist activity," the court said in its detailed order delivered last week. The court said mere suspicion cannot form the basis for framing of charges against the accused. Shah's counsel M.S. Khan said his client was employed as a 'maulavi' at a Bengaluru mosque and did not have links with terrorist groups. The Delhi Police on June 10, 2016 filed the chargesheet against five accused, who it said were suspected Al Qaeda members. Police also charge-sheeted 12 other operatives who are on the run. Shah was arrested on January 6 last year from Bengaluru. --IANS akk/tsb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka's multi-crore fake stamp paper mastermind Abdul Karim Telgi is battling for life as his condition is critical due to multiple organ complications, said a senior doctor on late Monday night. "He (Telgi) is in the intensive care unit (ICU) on a ventilator. His condition is critical," said a night duty doctor at state-run Victoria Hospital here. Telgi, 56, is a convict in the Parapanna Agrahara Central Jail on the city's southern outskirts, serving a 30-year sentence since a decade in 2007, A diabetic with hypertension, jail authorities admitted Telgi to the hospital four days ago after he complained of uneasiness and difficulty in breathing. "On the doctors advise, Telgi's family members were called to the city from Khanapur in Belagavi district in the state's northwest region, They are at his bed side by turns in the ICU," said his lawyer Nanaiah. Telgi shot into notoriety after a state investigation team (SIT) trapped him by tapping his phones and busted his racket valued then in crores of rupees. After illegally printing the stamp papers, Telgi sold them to bulk purchasers, including banks, insurance firms, and stock brokerage firms. --IANS fb/sku/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday inaugurated the restored house of Sister Nivedita here to commemorate the Scots-Irish social worker's 150th birth anniversary. This comes ahead of Banerjee's London visit next month to unveil a Blue Plaque at Sister Nivedita's family home. The building at 16 A Bosepara Lane in Bagbazar was the site for her school for girls from middle class families. She opened it in November 1898 in the presence of Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. "I had requested Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to help in the renovation of this place. They took over this house, and after completing the renovation, handed it over to Sarada Math," Banerjee said. "A committee has been formed to commemorate Sister Nivedita's 150th birth anniversary." As part of the facelift, fresh beams were laid on the first floor roof and arches restored in the rooms of that floor among other measures. The dilapidated century-old two-storeyed building was acquired by the state government and subsequently handed over to the Sarada Math which proposes setting up a museum and archive to preserve Sister Nivedita's writings etc. The KMC has declared it a Grade I heritage building. It was in this very house that Sister Nivedita lived and nursed and took care of the patients during the plague in 1899. Sister Nivedita was born Margaret Elizabeth Noble on October 28, 1867 in Ireland. She was a social worker, author, teacher and a disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She met Swami Vivekananda in 1895 in London and travelled to Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1898. Swami Vivekananda gave her the name Nivedita (meaning 'Dedicated to God') when he initiated her into the vow of Brahmacharya on March 25, 1898. Banerjee will officiate as the chief guest at a programme in Sister Nivedita's family home in Wimbledon on November 12. The London blue plaques scheme run by English Heritage links the people of the past with the buildings of the present. Started in 1866, it is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world. --IANS sgh/ssp/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Meghalaya will start constructing an Assembly building to replace a 125-year-old Burmese teak building reduced to ashes 16 years ago, officials said on Monday. "We will start the project from next month once the Public Works Department opens the financial bid on October 25," Assembly Speaker Abu Taher Mondal said after chairing a meeting of a high-powered committee of the Meghalaya Assembly on Monday. From March 2001, Assembly sessions have been held in the state's Central Library Auditorium and later shifted to the Arts and Culture Auditorium within the premises of Brookside, the house where Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore began writing his "Shesher Kobita" in 1919. The high-powered committee of Meghalaya assembly, headed by Mondal, gave its seal of approval for opening of the financial bid on Wednesday. Three out of seven construction companies - Shapoorji Pallonji Co. & Ltd., Simplex Infrastructure Ltd and Shree Gautam Infrastructure Co Ltd - have been selected after technical evaluation He said the estimated cost of the project was Rs 141.14 crore However, the Speaker said the new building would not be a replica of the heritage Assembly building in Gothic style built by the British in pre-independent India. The Meghalaya government had proposed a new Assembly building at the New Shillong Township in Mawdiangdiang, 12 km from Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said the central government declined to allocate funds to the state. "The state government will earmark funds from its own resources for the building," he said. --IANS rrk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Myanmar is allegedly building around seven detention camps for the Rohingya refugees, who fled to Bangladesh and are expected to be repatriated following a verification process, the Human Rights Watch said on Monday. "The bigger concern at this point is the government's apparent plan to create up to as many as seven camps for returning Rohingya... We're concerned that these will become open air detention camps," Phil Robertson, the Asia deputy director of the non-profit told Efe news, adding that it was also unclear how the verification process would be conducted. "The Myanmar government has said very little about what evidence they will demand to prove the person was residing in Myanmar and has the right to go back - and this may be problematic because many Rohingya have lost all their documents when their houses were torched by the Burmese security forces." According to the UN, more than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August 25, when the Myanmar Army launched a military offensive in Rakhine state after a group of Rohingya rebels launched a series of attacks on multiple government posts. Robertson also warned that the camps might be used to limit the freedom of movement of the Rohingyas and restrict their access to basic necessities, including food, medical services and education. According to the Myanmar government, more than 400 people have died so far in the ongoing crisis. Myanmar and Bangladesh had signed an agreement for the return of the refugees in 1993 after a similar conflict had forced 250,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, but most of the displaced chose not to return. More than one million Rohingya, who have been facing growing persecution since the outbreak of sectarian violence in 2012 that killed at least 160 people and confined 120,000 to resettlement camps, lived in Rakhine before the current crisis erupted. Myanmar denies citizenship to Rohingyas although many of them claim to have lived in the country through generations. --IANS ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Sculpture Park at Madhavendra Palace in Nahargarh Fort is all set to turn into an art gallery where contemporary along with traditional sculptures will be installed both indoors and outdoors. The art exhibition, which will be launched on December 10, has been curated by Peter Nagy and will showcase artworks by 14 Indian artists like Huma Bhaba's 'God of Some Things' a bronze statue, Jitish Kallat's 'Annexation', 'Vertical Chronicle of a Turbulent Equilibrium', Bharti Kher's 'Impossible Triangle'. The other Indian artists whose collection will be highlighted are Subodh Gupta, Arman, Astha Butail, Vibha Galhotra, Reena Kallat, Bharti Kher, Mrinalini Mukherjee, Manish Nai, Gyan Panchal, Prashant Pandey, Thukral and Tagra, Ravinder Reddy, Asim Waqif, Benitha Perciyal and others. This exhibition also brings in works of six international artists like Evan Holloway whose work 'Untitled' will be put up along with the artworks of artists Arlene Shechet, James Brown, LN Tallur and others. This exhibition is also first of its kind where the Rajasthan government has collaborated with Saath Saath Arts to bring a contemporary edge to India's heritage properties, with a purpose of boosting national and international cultural tourism and visitors to the site. "I believe art in its many forms embraces and connects people from across continents and am therefore delighted that the Sculpture Park at the Nahargarh Fort will be the first permanent International Art Space in Rajasthan," Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said in a statement. "With this project, I am able to indulge my passion for art, architecture and decor into a marvellous synthesis of the past and the present. This exhibition is an attempt to bring a sense of life back to the palace. It is also wonderful to see that the government of Rajasthan extending their support for art," said Nagy. "Our initiative aims to promote India's growing interest in contemporary art and culture whilst also embracing its important heritage. The exhibition is a true amalgamation of the best of India's past and present," Aparajita Jain, Founder and Director, Saath Saath Arts mentioned. --IANS som/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A lawmaker of US state of New York on Monday announced the introduction of legislation that would provide models with protection against sexual and other forms of harassment in the industry. The bill, referred to as the "Models' Harassment Protection Act," follows months of research and coordination with the Model Alliance -- a research and policy organisation that advocates for labour rights for models and other workers in the fashion industry. In a press release issued by New York State (NYS) Assemblywoman Nily Rozic on her NYS Assembly website, she said, "No one should ever experience sexual harassment in or outside of the workplace." "If there is anything we are learning from over the past few weeks is that we have reached a turning point whether to accept sexual harassment as a norm, or end the cycle by enacting protections and providing a path of recourse," said Rozic. "Models lack basic rights and protections as workers, including protection against sexual harassment," Xinhua quoted Sara Ziff, a model and the founder and executive director of the Model Alliance, as saying. "For years, other models and I have spoken out about systemic sexual harassment and abuse on the job - and yet, powerful individuals have tried to silence us and tacitly given approval that this behaviour is okay," she said. "Sexual harassment is not okay and should not be tolerated by models, nor should it be tolerated by our industry," she added. Critical to the bill is establishing that the provisions apply to models regardless of their status as employees or independent contractors, the release said. The bill would address loopholes in current law by making it an unlawful discriminatory practice for a modelling entity, whether it be a management agency or company, to subject a model to harassment, regardless of their status as an independent contractor or employee. Harassment includes but is not limited to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and harassment based on age, race, national origin, colour, sexual orientation, sex and disability. --IANS sku/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Shurhozelie Liezietsu faction of the ruling Naga People's Front (NFP) courted arrest in front of the Civil Secretariat on Monday while staging a protest over the inaction of the Nagaland Assembly Speaker on several political issues. Former Chief Minister Liezietsu, who is also the NPF Supremo, led the agitation from the front seeking action on disqualification petitions filed against 36 NPF legislators who are loyalists of the incumbent Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang. He also demanded recognition of Kuzholuzo Nienu as the Leader of the NPF Legislature Party in the Assembly, and recognition of the Chief Whip of the NPF. The party youth wing had written to the district administration seeking permission to hold a peaceful dharna but the request was denied. This led to the Party President alongwith several party legislators and senior party functionaries daring the administration to arrest them for holding a peaceful and democratic agitation seeking early and timely resolution to what it considered as gross violations of the Constitution. Castigating the district administration for not granting permission for the peaceful dharna, Liezietsu said that the protest will be peaceful but said "if anyone provokes, then the party will also give a befitting reply". The NPF is facing a severe internal crisis, especially after Zeliang was sworn in as Chief Minister for a second time on July 19. Zeliang is supported by 36 NPF legislators, four Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators and seven independent members. The Liezietsu-headed NPF has expelled 20 of its legislators and suspended 10 others, who were involved in toppling his government and for violating the party's constitution. Zeliang was the first to be expelled from the NPF for six years after taking oath as Chief Minister. Zeliang had filed two petitions to Speaker Imtiwapang Aier seeking the disqualification of 10 rebel NPF legislators who owe allegiance to Liezietsu. --IANS rrk/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday appeared before an accountability court for the seventh time as his trial resumed in a case filed against him by the anti-graft National Accountability Bureau. The NAB prosecution has presented two new witnesses against the minister, Dawn news reported. Abdul Rehman Gondal, the branch manager of a private bank's parliament branch, provided details to the court of different bank accounts held by Dar in the country. Gondal, the first witness, was later cross-examined by Dar's counsel Khawaja Haris. Masood Ghani, the operations manager in a private bank, will give his testimony later in the day. The court on October 18 adjourned the hearing of the graft cases till October 23 after Dar's senior counsel left the country in a rush. In the preceding hearing of the case, Haris had cross-questioned Al-Baraka Islamic Bank's Assistant Vice President Tariq Javed - the prosecution's third witness, Dawn news reported. The court had indicted Dar last month in a NAB case pertaining to his owning assets beyond his known sources of income. On July 28, a five-member Supreme Court bench had ordered the NAB to file three cases against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and one against Dar, on petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's Imran Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami's Sirajul Haq and Awami Muslim League's Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. In its case against the Finance Minister, the NAB has alleged that "the accused has acquired assets and pecuniary interests/resources in his own name and/or in the name of his dependants of an approximate amount of 831 million Pakistan rupees ($7 million)". It was stated that the assets were "disproportionate to his known sources of income for which he could not reasonably account for". --IANS amit/ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Paris Jackson, model and daughter of late King of Pop Michael Jackson, flew to Puerto Rico to help distribute supplies to the families affected by a hurricane here. Paris joined American TV personality Bethenny Frankel, who has been assisting relief efforts since the island was destroyed by the natural disaster, reports aceshowbiz.com. Paris, wearing a black T-shirt, loose pants, a white and red cap, and comfortable sandals, was seen unloading the plane when they touched down in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. She also helped load the supplies into the truck before they were distributed to the hurricane victims. "I made friends today. feels good to be with beings of light on that mutual frequency. what incredible little bundles of joy," the model captioned an Instagram image that showed her reading a book to a child at a school here. Other celebrities making donations to Puerto Rico include Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston and Chelsea Handler. The three women donated $1 million each. Lopez also helped raise $35 million at a star-studded charity concert benefiting Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, actress Scarlett Johansson announced a reading of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" to raise more funds. The actress recruited her Marvel co-stars like Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo for the benefit event --IANS ks/rb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi arrived here on Monday to take part in a rally organised by young Gujarat OBC leader Alpesh Thakore, who is joining the party in his presence. Thakore had on Saturday night announced he was joining the Congress, hours after Congress leader Bharatsinh Solanki urged firebrand Patidar spearhead Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani to also join the party. Hardik Patel has clarified he was neither meeting Gandhi nor joining the Congress. He said: "I am committed to the cause of the Patidars and will aggressively work against the BJP, who have treated the Patidars as sheer vote bank for ages. "There is no need for me to join the Congress while the party has my moral support," Hardik Patel told IANS. Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani has maintained a similar stance while saying: "I am determined to defeat the BJP not only in Gujarat but also in the country in 2019." Congress General Secretary Ashok Gehlot said: "Thakore is joining the Congress. We appreciate Hardik Patel's decision not to meet us but it is significant that the party has his moral support. The bottomline is that all these three young leaders want to see the BJP out." --IANS desai/mr/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday mounted a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, terming the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as 'Gabbar Singh Tax' that has hit hard the country already nursing the wounds of demonetisation. "Ye jo inka GST hai, ye aam aadmi pe bojh hai... Ye GST nahi, ye hai," Gandhi asserted at a massive rally in Gujarat's capital Gandhinagar where OBC leader Alpesh Thakore joined the Congress. Gandhi, who arrived here in the morning to attend a rally by Thakore under the banner of OBC Ekta Manch, said Modi imposed demonetisation last year on a personal whim, pushing lakhs of people into distress. And if this was not enough, he introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in a tearing hurry. "The GST was brought by the Congress, but there was a ceiling of 18 per cent and did not have five slabs like the present. We requested the government to go slow, but they just would not listen," Gandhi said. He called the Modi government anti-poor and said it was working against the interests of the common people. "The entire Gujarat is today caught in restlessness. There is not a single section of the society here that is not agitating against the government over one issue or the other." Gandhi also asked Modi to break his silence on BJP President Amit Shah's son Jay, whose business fortunes allegedly sky-rocketed after the NDA came to power. "What happened on November 8? Modiji came on television and said I don't like Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. So I have decided to spike them from that midnight. And by doing that he attacked the whole country by one stroke. "For the first two or three days, he too did not understand what has happened. And in a concert in Mumbai, he announced 'I have done this'. "But after five-six days he realised he made a mistake. Then again he appeared on television and said if I don't end the menace of black money by December 30, then hang me." Gandhi asked farmers in the crowd if they buy seeds and fertilizers from their mobile phones and with cheques. The crowd replied with a booming 'No'. "He destroyed the entire economy. He did not stop there but went ahead with the GST. "GST was our thinking. We brought it, it was a thought of single tax of 18 per cent across the nation with fewer forms to be filled." He also took a dig at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for rejecting Congress recommendation of cutting tax slabs. "Now there is a GST with 28 per cent tax and three return forms. Now GST has become a Gabbar Singh Tax," he said, punning on the name of the famous Bollywood villain in "Sholay". Gandhi also attacked Modi's "Make In India" slogan, saying Chinese goods had swept India. "Should employment go to China or come to India? Most products you use have the label Made in China. Whether it is a shirt, cameras or anything else. When you click selfies or press a button for a picture, a Chinese youth gets employment. "In Gujarat alone there are 30 lakh unemployed youth. Every day 30,000 people across the country enter the job market. But only 450 people get jobs." Referring to the allegation by Patidar leader Narendra Patel that a bribe of Rs 1 crore was offered to him to join the BJP, Gandhi said that "priceless voices" of Gujarat can neither be stifled nor bought. "Even Hardik, Jignesh Mewani (Dalit leader), cannot remain silent. They too have a voice. And this is no ordinary voice. It cannot be suppressed or bought. "Whether they give Rs 1 crore, Rs 100 crore, Rs 1,000 crore or India's total budget or the wealth of the world, the voice of Gujarat cannot be bought or suppressed." Pakistan Rangers have violated the ceasefire 105 times this year along the 200-km international border in Jammu and Kashmir, the Border Security Force (BSF) said on Monday. A senior BSF officer told the media that a woman and a BSF trooper were killed and 19 others, including 12 civilians and seven BSF troopers, were injured in the ceasefire violations. Jammu and Kashmir has a 200-km international border which is guarded by the BSF on the Indian side and by the Rangers on the Pakistan side. The officer said over 10,000 border residents were forced to temporarily migrate from their homes after the Rangers targeted civilian facilities. "There have been nearly 12,000 ceasefire violations by Pakistan since 2002 which resulted in the killing of 313 people, including 144 security personnel. "The highest number of violations took place in 2002 when 8,376 incidents were reported while 2,045 incidents took place in 2003." India and Pakistan signed a ceasefire agreement on the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border in November 2003. The agreement brought a modicum of peace along the border and held well for nearly four years. --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the BJP trying to strengthen its base in Odisha ahead of the 2019 elections, senior BJD leader Damodar Rout on Monday said that the ruling party would be ready to tie up with the opposition Congress to keep the "communal forces" at bay. The Biju Janata Dal Vice President, however, maintained that the final decision would be taken by party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. "Congress is a secular party. We have an ideological difference with the saffron party. But no ideological difference with the Congress. It is only our political opponent. Time has come to unite all the non-BJP and anti-communal political outfits to come together," Rout said. "We will welcome if the Congress joins us. Our party is ready for alliance with Congress to keep communal party like BJP at bay. But, party president will take the final call," said the BJD leader. Rout also asked the Congress to submit a list of Assembly segments where they could confidently win the general polls in 2019. However, BJD Lok Sabha member Kalikesh Singh Deo said the ruling party can form the government on its own in 2019 without forging any alliance with other parties. "There is no need of alliance. The BJD can take on the BJP alone. We have maintained equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress. However, party president would take the final decision on forging alliance with any party," said Deo. On the other hand, the Congress reacted to the statement of Rout affirmatively. "This is the personal opinion of Rout. If the BJD proposes, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) will take the final call," said Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Prasad Harichandan. Senior Congress leader and leader of opposition Narasingh Mishra said the party high command will take the final decision on the matter. "I can't say on the development unless the statement comes from Naveen Patnaik. All secular parties should unite against the communal front. However, the final decision rests with the Congress high command," said Mishra. Meanwhile, Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the ruling BJD is now fearing the rising popularity of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state. He said the possible alliance of the BJD and the Congress would not affect the BJP in the days ahead. "Congress is a zero, BJD is also a zero, joining of two zeros will make only a zero," Javadekar said. "BJP will come to power with the blessings of people," he added. --IANS cd/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government's ostentatiously "important announcement" on Monday to appoint an interlocutor for initiating a dialogue with "all stakeholders" is a redux of previous similar attempts that have failed to solve the festering problem of Jammu and Kashmir. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, in a hurriedly called news conference, announced former chief of Intelligence Bureau and 1979 IPS officer Dineshwar Sharma as the government's representative to hold a "sustained dialogue" in Jammu and Kashmir. In the nearly three decades of armed insurgency and the relatively recent phenomenon of stone-pelting and street violence, the successive central governments have appointed several interlocutors -- some behind the doors while others were announced publicly. History is replete with examples that the idea is hardly a sure-fire solution. Similar attempts have either proven to be non-starters or reports by interlocutors of previous such measures have been gathering dust in the corridors of the North Block here. Though many political initiatives were also taken since the early 1990s, when militancy erupted in Kashmir, the problem has kept on getting worse since then. The first known attempt was when a group of former militant commanders -- Imran Rahi, Babar Badr and Bilal Lodhi -- started a dialogue with then Home Minister S.B. Chavan. But the process proved short-lived. It was in April 2001, that the then BJP government appointed Planning Commission Deputy Chairman K.C. Pant as its official envoy on Jammu and Kashmir, marking a new beginning in the central government's strategy to bring peace to the troubled-state. But the "Pant mission", as it was often referred to in the media, was a washout. He could meet only Shabir Shah -- a veteran separatist leader whose party was not a constituent of the Hurriyat Conference that had set a pre-condition that Pakistan needed to be involved in any talks over Kashmir. The mission was wound up in 2002 sans any success. Months later, a panel called "Kashmir Committee" was formed, with noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani -- known to be friendly with Hurriyat leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani -- as its head. The other known names in the panel included journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan, Supreme Court advocate Ashok Bhan, retired diplomat V.K. Grover, eminent lawyer Fali Nariman and then journalist M.J. Akbar, who is now Minister of State for External Affairs. The Jethmalani panel succeeded in talking to several separatist leaders, including Geelani. But nothing was achieved. A year later, the NDA government at the Centre appointed former Home Secretary N.N. Vohra, now the governor of the state, as an interlocutor. But like Sharma, Vohra had no clear mandate or a roadmap. Vohra still managed to rope in moderate Hurriyat leaders, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and took the initiative forward. The Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat faction entered into talks with the then Home Minister L.K. Advani. But the issue remained as it was and the stalemate continued. Behind the scenes, former RAW chief A.S. Dulat also tried his hand at starting the dialogue in Kashmir but was unsuccessful. The first major political initiative on Kashmir was taken by the Manmohan Singh government who held round table conferences in 2006, inviting all Kashmiri political parties. The Mirwaiz Hurriyat faction welcomed the move that was opposed by hardliner Geelani. The exercise, seen as an inward-looking process, without any move to talk to Pakistan, failed to rope in the separatists. The roundtables ended in the setting up of five working groups to deal with a host of problems in Kashmir, including matters relating to the state's special status within the Indian union. The working groups submitted their reports on extending confidence building measures for violence-affected victims, strengthening relations across the LoC in terms of more people-to-people contact, economic development, ensuring good governance and improving and strengthening centre-state ties. The group looking into the centre-state relations even discussed self-rule in terms of regional federalism and greater autonomy for the state. But the process too petered out. It was in 2010, after months of summer unrest in the Kashmir Valley that the then Home Minister P. Chidambaram appointed a three-member team of interlocutors -- Padgaonkar, Jamia Milia Islamia academic Radha Kumar and Information Commissioner M.M Ansari -- with an objective to "begin a process of sustained uninterrupted dialogue with all sections of people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially with youths and students and all shades of political opinion". The interlocutors after meeting some 700 delegations, including politicians, submitted their recommendations on a political roadmap for Jammu and Kashmir that would fill "the political aspirations of all the people of Jammu and Kashmir to a great extent, if not in full measure, without harming national interest". They had broadly recommended greater autonomy with a regional devolution of power in the state to meet the aspirations of Jammu and Ladakh region. The report was made public but nothing moved. Kashmir saw another unrest last year and this year too peace has been deceptive. (Sarwar Kashani can be contacted at sarwar.k@ians.in) --IANS sar/hs/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The DMK on Monday told the Election Commission to delete all bogus voters from the electoral rolls of R.K. Nagar Assembly constituency before holding by-polls there later this year. DMK MP and Organisation Secretary R.S. Bharathi met Rajesh Lakhoni, Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu, and submitted a petition to this effect. According to the petition, only after deletion of bogus voters, could the by-election for R.K. Nagar take place. The seat fell vacant after the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa last year. The DMK said the atmosphere in the constituency should also be conducive to holding of free and fair election. "Despite repeated requests being made by our party to delete the bogus votes, the Election Commission of India, has not done its duty so far, which has resulted in loss of confidence and neutrality in the Election Commission of India. We hope that such dereliction of duty would not occur hereafter," the petition notes. The DMK has requested the Election Commission for a special team to carry out deletion of double/multiple entries in the voters list. The party also wanted the Election Commission to link the Aadhaar Card with voters to ensure complete verification before the by-election. The poll was earlier scheduled to be held on April 12 this year, but was cancelled by the EC after allegations of voters being bribed. --IANS vj/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asking "why should we wear patriotism on our sleeves", the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to take a call on the playing of the national anthem in public places, including cinema halls. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said it might modify the wording of its November 2016 order on the issue so that cinema halls "may" -- instead of "shall" -- play the national anthem before the start of movies. The court said that while taking a fresh decision on the matter, the government will not be influenced by its 2016 order wherein playing of the national anthem in cinema halls was made mandatory. On November 30 last year, the Supreme Court ordered that the national anthem must be played in cinemas before a movie's start to instil a feeling of "constitutional patriotism" and a sense of "committed patriotism and nationalism". The court had made it mandatory for all those in the cinemas to stand up as a sign of respect when the anthem is played. Later, in December, the court modified its order to say that handicapped persons need not stand up. On Monday, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, said India was a diverse country and the national anthem needed to be played in cinema halls to bring in a feeling of uniformity. The bench responded: "Not singing the national anthem in movie halls is not a sign of being anti-national." The court's order on Monday came on a plea that sought the recall of its November 30 order. Asking why should the top court take the burden of passing an order extending the mandatory playing or singing of the national anthem in public places, the bench said the Flag Code was not exhaustive and the government could pass orders to regulate it. "People go to cinema halls for unadulterated entertainment. Why should we wear patriotism on our sleeves? These are all matters of entertainment. The Flag Code is not exhaustive. You can pass executive orders to regulate it. Why should the court take the burden of passing the order?" Justice Chandrachud observed and told Attorney General Venugopal that what the court was being asked to do could be done by the Centre. Justice Chandrachud said: "People wear shorts and go to cinema. Can you say this is disrespect to the national anthem? Where do we draw a line on moral policing? Why should you assume that everyone who doesn't stand up for the national anthem is not patriotic?" The strong observations came as Venugopal referred to religious, racial, regional and other forms of diversity in the country. He said it was necessary to have a unifying force that can be brought about by playing the national anthem. Senior counsel Chandra Uday Singh, appearing for a film society seeking recall of the November 30 order, asked then why not play the national anthem on railway platforms as well. --IANS pk/tsb/mr (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Monday said his party will stage protests against demonetisation across Bihar on November 8. "We will hold rallies in all 38 districts in Bihar," the former Bihar Chief Minister told the media here. "Last year on November 8, Prime Minister Narender Modi announced demonetisation that not only claimed the lives of over 100 people but also affected one and all. "The RJD will organise rallies across Bihar on the completion of one year of demonetisation and will ask the BJP to explain to the people its benefits." He said demonetisation had created joblessness, slowed down businesses, hit hard farmers and common people. "Demonetisation has harmed the country." --IANS ik/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Bangladesh delegation led by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan left for Myanmar on Monday to discuss the Rohingya crisis. The 12-member team left aboard a Bangladesh Biman flight around 12:45 p.m. on Monday, bdnews24 quoted the airport's Armed Police Battalion Inspector Iqbal Hossain as saying. Two Secretaries of the Home Ministry, the Inspector General of Police, the Coast Guard Director General and the Director General of the drug regulation agency besides other top ministry officials are accompanying Khan on this visit. The Home Minister had earlier said that he would be discussing the repatriation of Rohingyas during his visit. The Rohingya crisis has seen over half a million members of the minority cross the border into Bangladesh since the start of a military crackdown on August 25. Prior to the recent influx, another 400,000 Rohingyas had taken refuge in Bangladesh for the past few decades. The Home Minister will also sign two agreements on border security with Myanmar, said Home Ministry Public Relations Officer Sharif Mahmud Apu. --IANS amit/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The already heated up political atmosphere in Gujarat got curiouser on Monday evening amid rumours that Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi quietly met Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel, who has been maintaining that he would not join the opposition and his fight was against the ruling BJP. After local Gujarati TV channels splashed CCTV grabs of Patel entering a luxury hotel around 2 a.m. and leaving after Rahul Gandhi had checked in there, Hardik Patel admitted at a public meeting and then told reporters in the evening that he met AICC general secretary in-charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot, but stressed that he did not see Gandhi. "The Congress leaders had invited me to meet them but I was at a rally in Mahisagar district. I reached very late, may be 3 a.m., and met Ashok Gehlot. I presented the demands of the Patidars and the issues we are concerned about," Patel said. "It had got very late, so I put up at the hotel and left in the morning," the Patel leader said. He stressed, "It is absolutely wrong that I met Rahul Gandhi. I will meet when he comes next. And if I want to meet him, I don't have to do so secretly. I am not meeting a terrorist, or meeting Nawaz Sharif at midnight like Narendra Modi did." Earlier, at a public meeting in Mandal in North Gujarat, Patel said, "If BJP is a mahachor, the Congress is a chor. And if a chor's help is needed to trounce a mahachor, we will do that also." Meanwhile, Ashok Gehlot demanded to know through a tweet how could the police or the government ask for CCTV grabs of a hotel. "I met Hardik and Jignesh in Ummed Hotel. IB, Police are checking hotel rooms. What is happening in Gandhiji's Gujarat?" "I condemn all this surveillance being done on BJP's orders." "Are HardikPatel and Jignesh Mevani criminals or absconders? If that is so, BJP must clear its stand. When they met BJP leaders, then their offices were not checked. Why it is being done now?," he asked. "The rooms which have been booked in my name are being checked. We are openly saying, we have met them and will keep meeting them in future too," he said. Interestingly, the CCTV grabs were almost simultaneously telecast by all Gujarati TV channels, each one claiming it to be an exclusive. --IANS desai/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that Saudi Arabia is not ready to talk to Doha to end the months-long diplomatic crisis, local media reported on Monday. Tillerson made the remarks during his ongoing visit to Qatar, where he held a joint news conference with Qatar's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, Xinhua news agency reported. Qatar is committed to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) system, al Thani said, adding that the country is also willing to push for a dialogue in resolving the dispute. Tillerson's visit to Qatar followed a stop in Saudi Arabia, where he attempted to resolve the Gulf dispute. Commenting on his Saudi visit, Tillerson said Saudi Arabia is not ready to talk to Doha and his mediation bid received no positive response by Riyadh. "In my meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, I asked him to please engage in dialogue, but there is not a strong indication that parties are ready to talk yet," said Tillerson. The US official, who also met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, expressed concern about the effect of the crisis on the region's security and stability. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism and cozying up to Iran. Qatar categorically denied the allegations. Qatar is home to the largest US military base in the Middle East, where over 11,000 soldiers are stationed. --IANS him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday sought within four weeks the Gujarat government's response to the departmental action taken against police personnel convicted in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang-rape case and their subsequent reinstatement. Petitioner Bilkis Yakub Rasool alleged that policemen convicted by the Bombay High Court in her case, which was reported during the 2002 Gujarat riots, have been reinstated by the state government. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud also told the petitioner to move a separate plea for enhancement of compensation granted to her. Bano, then 19 years old and pregnant, was gang-raped in Randhikpur village near Dahod on March 3, 2002, after she and around a dozen family members were attacked by a mob. Only Bilkis Bano and relatives Saddam and Husain survived the savagery. Her mother, sister, minor daughter and other relatives were killed. --IANS pk/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and the Election Commission on a Congress petition to seek directions on the use of VVPATs and CCTVs in the coming Gujarat assembly elections. The petitioner sought a series of directions on Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) displays for 13 seconds instead of seven seconds, so that all voters get more time to confirm their votes have been correctly registered/recorded, and also on relay of closed-circuit television footage from a polling station to those stationed outside. The Congress also sought counting of votes through paper trail in case of objections on votes counted through electronic voting machines. Asking petitioner Prakash Joshi to serve the petition's copy on the Attorney General and the Election Commission's standing counsel, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud directed the next hearing on October 30. Kapil Sibal, appearing for petitioner Congress, earlier addressed the court on the issue and sought an early date for hearing on the ground that the Election Commission was poised to issue a notification for the Gujarat elections. Lawyer Aljo K. Joseph, who filed the petition on behalf of Joshi, said the petition has been filed by the Congress and that the petitioner is an All India Congress Committee Secretary. He said the Congress had represented to the Election Commission in September on the issues raised before the top court, but the party did not get a proper reply from the poll panel. The petitioner-party also sought directions that no criminal be released on parole during elections, and that officials with tainted reputation not be assigned election duties. Seeking display of CCTV footage outside polling stations, including display of number of voters who have exercised their franchise, so that no manipulation can be done inside polling booths, the Congress sought that the VVPAT prints should exist in record for a longer duration from the present three months. Besides, Sibal said, the party had prayed that in case of objections, random counting of votes to the extent of 10 per cent of the total votes cast at a polling booth should be taken up. --IANS pk/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korea is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a North Korean defector couple who might have returned to their country, a top Unification Ministry official said on Monday. It is not yet known if the couple, in their early 30s, returned to their country of their own will or if they were apprehended by North Korean authorities from border areas of China, the official told Efe news. "We know that the couple was in China in mid-October but we lost contact after that," he added. In a press conference on Monday, the ministry said that out of 31,093 North Koreans who have fled to South Korea so far, 26 have returned to their country. According to government and nonprofit reports, most North Korean defectors work in low-paid jobs and often face prejudice in South Korea, leading to psychological distress. In July, a well known female defector - a regular on South Korean TV panels - returned to North Korea and appeared in a propaganda video, criticising living conditions in Seoul, although owing to the opacity of the regime, it is impossible to determine if the interview was voluntary or forced by the government. --IANS ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday asked Jaypee Associates to share with IDBI Bank and others the details of a proposal the company has received for "hiving off" toll collection on the Yamuna Expressway. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud asked Jaypee Associates to share details on toll collection at its six-lane, 165-km Expressway with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) and the Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) after the court was told that the firm had received a proposal of Rs 2,500 crore from a party whose identity was not disclosed. Jaypee Associates sought the court's nod as the company has to raise Rs 2,000 crore, as directed by the apex court on September 11, and deposit the money with the court registry in pursuance of an ongoing insolvency proceedings against the company's sister concern Jaypee Infratech. The court also asked Jaypee Associates to tell IDBI Bank and the Insolvency Board as to how it plans to refund the money of its buyers and investors. The case is rooted in the plea of unsecured creditors, who are flat buyers, challenging an August 9 order of the Allahabad bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to appoint IRP on an IDBI plea for recovery of Rs 526 crore from the company. On September 11, the Supreme Court had restrained the Managing Director and all directors of both the companies from leaving the country. However, the court excluded the directors nominated by lender banks -- IDBI, ICICI and the State Bank of India -- from the orders that restrained their travel. The court had appointed senior counsel Shekhar Naphade and advocate Shubhangi Tuli to represent the home buyers at meetings of Committee of Creditors that would consider the plan for restructuring of Jaypee Infratech by the Interim Resolution Professional appointed by the NCLT. --IANS pk/tsb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The shipping industry has aggressively lobbied the UN to obstruct climate change action for shipping, ensuring it remains the only sector in the world not currently subject to any emission reduction measures, a new research by InfluenceMap said on Monday. The report, "Corporate capture of the UN International Maritime Organisation: How shipping lobbies to stay out of the Paris Agreement on climate", said despite being responsible for close to three per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the shipping sector remains outside the UN Paris Agreement on climate control. It has achieved this through corporate capture of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the UN body responsible for regulating global shipping, the report by the business lobbying watchdog said. The report's release coincides with a key IMO meeting on greenhouse gas emissions from ships beginning in London on Monday. A 2015 European Parliament report estimated that shipping could be responsible for 17 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 if left unregulated, potentially jeopardising global ambitions set out under the Paris Agreement. According to the 38-page report, the three main industry trade associations represented at the IMO are the International Chamber of Shipping, Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) and World Shipping Council. They have lobbied to delay greenhouse gas emissions reduction measures for shipping until 2023 and rejected any binding greenhouse gas emissions targets. They have also collectively opposed ambitious energy efficiency standards and appear unsupportive of a price on carbon, it said. The research found that at the most recent IMO environmental committee meeting 31 per cent of the nations were represented in part by direct business interests. The IMO appears the only UN agency to allow such extensive corporate representation in the policy making process. The shipping industry is highly fragmented with most shipping operators privately owned, with a particularly large concentration domiciled in Greece, it said. The individual companies are largely silent on climate risk and their positions on climate regulation. They prefer to allow their IMO-focused lobbying to be done by the powerful International Chamber of Shipping, BIMCO and World Shipping Council, all of whom oppose any binding greenhouse gas regulation in the sector. The report praised AP Moller-Maersk as one of the only shipping companies to have a transparent - and relatively ambitious - position on climate policy. Some Scandinavian ship owners associations also support stronger action. Climate advocates say the shipping industry is not up to speed with the 2015 Paris Agreement goal to hold global warming "well below 2 degrees Celsius". Christiana Figueres, former UN climate chief and founder of Mission 2020, said: "The Paris Agreement committed the world to ambitious action on climate change, yet the shipping industry is not up to speed." "It's time to raise the anchor and seize the opportunity between now and 2020 to align with other industries and chart the course to well below 2C pathway," Figueres said. --IANS vg/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Electric car maker Tesla has struck a deal with the Chinese government to establish a manufacturing facility in Shanghai, a media report said. The production options for manufacturers in China are limited by the government. One option is to set up a joint venture, sharing much of their technology and profits with a Chinese partner while other is to manufacture in a free-trade zone in China, protecting their secrets but forking over steep tariffs. The deal would allow the auto maker to build a wholly owned factory in the city's free-trade zone enabling Tesla to cut down production costs, but it would still likely incur China's 25 per cent import tariff, The Wall Street Journal reported. Being inside a free trade zone means that unless Tesla can negotiate a special exemption, the cars could still be subject to China's steep tariffs -- treated as though they were still being shipped from outside China even though they were being produced in the country, the New York Times said. According to Fortune, Tesla has been pursuing a Chinese factory for years and the Shanghai deal started to come into focus in June. Tesla has sold $1 billion worth of cars in China in 2016 and it had accepted a large investment from Tencent Holdings, a technology giant in China. LMC Automotive, a global consulting firm, estimates that 295,000 battery-electric cars will be sold this year in China, compared with 287,000 in the rest of the world combined. --IANS sku/ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made a brief, unannounced visit to Kabul on Monday, and reaffirmed the US' commitment to working with the Afghan government and partners in the region to achieve peace in Afghanistan and "deny safe havens to terrorists who threaten that goal". Tillerson's visit, ahead of his visit to Doha, Qatar, and Pakistan, was shrouded in secrecy and comes amid a spike in Taliban violence in the country, that has claimed around 200 lives in the past week. Tillerson, who was in Kabul for just over two hours, met President Ashraf Ghani, CEO Abdullah Abdullah and National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar. He then departed for Doha. According to a US Embassy statement, Secretary Tillerson and President Ghani met in Kabul and together reaffirmed the US-Afghan commitment to achieving peace, stability and long-term prosperity in Afghanistan. "The Secretary stated that the new US strategy for South Asia makes clear the United States' commitment to working with the government of Afghanistan and with partners across the region to achieve peace in Afghanistan and deny safe havens to terrorists who threaten that goal. President Ghani reiterated his support for the new US strategy and emphasized his government's commitment to reforms aimed at ensuring the safety, security and well-being of all Afghans." According to a government source, the discussions centered around counterterrorism, the new US strategy in Afghanistan, the peace process and bilateral relations, Tolo News reported. Tillerson's visit came as Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) announced that a key Haqqani member suspected of being behind a number of suicide attacks in parts of Afghanistan, especially Kabul city, has been arrested in Kabul. The suspect, named Mawlawi Bashir, is an important member of Haqqani and is believed to have ties with the Taliban, the NDS said. A source from the NDS said Bashir also had ties with Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, and is suspected of having been involved in a number of deadly attacks in the last 12 years in Afghanistan, Tolo News reported. According to the NDS, Bashir was also involved in getting suicide bombers into Kabul city. He is also believed to have been involved in explosions, bombings and kidnappings of Afghan businessmen and foreigners. Bashir reportedly had sanctuaries in Logar and Maidan Wardak. In related news, the CIA has decided to send in small, experienced teams to Afghanistan to hunt down Taliban commanders - a move that has been welcomed by the Afghan government. The Afghan Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday welcomed the move by the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to ramp up efforts to target Taliban leaders and commanders in Afghanistan, Tolo reported. The top US commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson has said based on the new US strategy for Afghanistan, not only will the pressure be increased on insurgents, but the countries that support them will also come under serious pressure. The CIA's move comes on the heels of a spate of deadly attacks around the country, especially in the cities, which have killed over 200 civilians and military personnel. Tillerson is on a five-nation tour and will hold discussions with high-ranking officials in Pakistan on Tuesday. From Pakistan, Tillerson goes to India. President Trump outlined a revamped strategy for Afghanistan in August, with measures including more troops, lifting restrictions on commanders in the field imposed by the Obama administration, and increasing pressure on Pakistan to stop providing a safe haven to militant groups along its border. --IANS rn/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will arrive here on Tuesday on a three-day maiden official visit to India, during which he will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. On Wednesday, he will hold a meeting with Sushma Swaraj before calling on Modi, according to the External Affairs Ministry. Tillerson is on a five-nation visit from October 20-27, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan and Switzerland, according to the US State Department. Ahead of his visit to New Delhi, Tillerson, in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, put both China and Pakistan on notice by saying that Beijing's provocative actions in the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific regions went against international norms and rules the US and India stood for. He categorically said that Washington expected Islamabad to take "decisive action" against terrorist groups operating within Pakistan's boundaries. --IANS ab/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump's possible trip to the Demilitarised Zone separating North Korea and South Korea during his upcoming Asia tour next month is "still being worked out," said a White House senior official on Monday. Trump is "most likely to visit" Camp Humphreys, a military base about 60 km south of Seoul, capital of South Korea, said the official on condition of anonymity. The time limit may not permit Trump to do both, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the official. Trump's travel to Asia is slated for November 3 to 14. It will be his first trip to the region since becoming President, during which he will attend a meeting of leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economies in Vietnam. He will also join gatherings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Philippines. --IANS him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump's possible trip to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea during his tour next month is "still being worked out," a White House senior official said on Monday. Trump is "most likely to visit" Camp Humphreys, a military base about 60 km south of Seoul, capital of South Korea, said the official on condition of anonymity, Xinhua news agency reported. The time limit may not permit Trump to do both, the official added. Trump's travel to Asia is slated for November 3 to 14. It will be his first trip to the region since becoming president, during which he will attend a meeting of leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies in Vietnam. He will also join gatherings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Philippines. --IANS sku/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Twenty major companies of the US will invest in different sectors in Uttar Pradesh, an official said on Monday. At a conclave held here, representatives of these top US companies were unanimous in their view that Uttar Pradesh was a growing and potential market, the official said. Boeing India representative Pratyush Kumar, a senior member of the US Embassy in India, Uttar Pradesh's Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh and Niti Ayog member V.K. Paul were present at the US-India Industry conclave. Paul told the businessmen about various policies and investor-friendly works initiated by the Narendra Modi government and added that the Prime Minister was working on making innovation a culture in the country. Currently, 600 US companies function from India and the country is taking giant leaps in energy, transport and infrastructure sectors and developing Smart Cities. Thanking the US delegation, Sidharth Nath Singh said in comparison to other states, Uttar Pradesh was lagging behind and rued how during previous governments while some investment came, things did not move forward. Promising a full working environment and security, the Minister said a conducive environment for investment and industry begins with good law and order. He added that in the first six months of the Bharatiya Janata Party regime in the state, a lot of work had been done with regard to maintaining law and order and containing crime. Sidharth Nath Singh also accused the previous governments of working for caste, communities and with a narrow vision while assuring the US businessmen of all possible cooperation and help in setting up base in the state. --IANS md/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UN and the African Union (AU) on Monday called on Kenyan leaders and their supporters to create the conditions for a peaceful presidential election. In a joint statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat urged Kenyan political leaders to maintain peace. Kenya will on Thursday vote in a re-run of August's Presidential election, reports Efe news. Both Guterres and Mahamat called on "all stakeholders to cooperate with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission as the constitutionally-mandated body to conduct the election". The two organisations offered to assist Kenya to ensure "a credible and transparent" electoral process. Guterres and Mahamat urged all citizens to refrain from any act of violence and called on Kenya's security services "to exercise restraint, use minimal force in performing their duties and respect the freedom and political liberties of all Kenyans". The Presidential election held on August 8 was annulled by the Supreme Court due to suspected irregularities in response to a complaint filed by the opposition. --IANS ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iran's Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that global oil markets have remained unfazed by the recent remarks of US President Donald Trump against Iran's international 2015 nuclear deal, internationally known as JCPOA, Press TV reported on Sunday. "The oil market did not hear Trump's remarks," Zanganeh said, adding that "If Trump's threats had been materialized, there should have been a rapid rise in prices of oil." However, "there have been no significant changes over the past week," he was quoted as saying. In the meantime, Iranian senior lawmaker Hossein Naqavi Hosseini said that Trump's anti-JCPOA stance, should have increased oil prices to as high as $65 per barrel. "However, Trump's remarks failed to produce any major impact." The JCPOA was reached between Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, Britain, China, France, Russia and the US, plus Germany, in July 2015. Under the deal, Iran agreed to halt its nuclear weapon programme in exchange for economic aid and lifting of international sanctions. However, on October 13, US President Donald Trump called for decertifying the agreement, alleging Iran had committed "multiple violations". --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it had withdrawn the appointment of Zimbabwean President as the goodwill ambassador for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa. WHO announced last Friday that it had bestowed the honour of goodwill ambassador on Mugabe in recognition of his government's efforts in fighting NCDs. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, however, said in a statement on Sunday that he had listened to those expressing concerns and heard the different issues they had raised. And after consultations with the Zimbabwean government, he said they concluded that the rescinding decision was in the best interest of the UN agency. Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean government said Mugabe had accepted the decision by WHO. Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi said the decision will not affect Mugabe, who will continue to work to raise awareness on NCDs. "We respect the WHO decision as much as we respect the initial decision to honor our president," Mzembi said. The minister added that the decision was a loss to WHO rather than an embarrassment to Mugabe. Mugabe and his wife remain under European Union and United States sanctions imposed in the early 2000s for political reasons, though several of Mugabe's allies in government and party have been removed from the EU sanctions lists. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Famke Janssen, who originally essayed the role of Jean Grey in most of the "X-Men" franchise films, blames Hollywood's sexism for her exit from the series. "I didn't give up, they gave up on me. There's a big difference," Janssen told usmagazine.com. She cited ageism and sexism as the reasons of her exit. "It was their (producers') decision, you know? It's like what happens in life. You get, well not to me thankfully. But people, just like men trade women in for a younger model version. It's like that," said Janssen. She was excited for Sophie Turner, who was cast as a young Jean Grey, Janssen wondered why the old Grey couldn't exist alongside the younger one just like they did with Margneto (Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender) and Professor X (Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy). "In the 'X-Men' series, they've been doing this for years. Although women, it's interesting because they're replaced, and the older versions - or more mature, whatever the politically correct version of that is - are never to be seen again. "Whereas, the men are allowed to be both ages. Sexism. "I think that I should be back along with my younger version and the way that we've seen it with Magneto and Professor X." Turner started joining the "X-Men" franchise in 2016 with "X-Men: Apocalypse". Her character is expected to have a bigger role and cross to dark side in the next installment "X-Men: Dark Phoenix". Actress Jennifer Lawrence is back as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, Alexandra Shipp as Storm, Kodi Smit-McPhee asANightcrawler, Evan Peters as Quicksilver, and Olivia Munn as Psylocke. Directed by Simon Kinberg, the film is set to release next month. --IANS ks/rb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 23-year-old youth was shot dead near his house here in the early hours of Monday, police said. The incident took place in Vijay Park area of Bhajanpura in east Delhi around 1 a.m., Deputy Commissioner of Police A.K. Singla told IANS. Singla said that the assailants fired around 15 bullets at Arif and fled. No arrest has been made so far. Around 12.30 a.m., Arif received a phone call and went out of the house while talking on the phone. Later his father heard gun shots and rushed out to see two people running away, Singla said. Arif's body was later found near the house and the family informed police. The body has been shifted to GTB Hospital for autopsy. --IANS nkh/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) I am a registered dealer of motor parts in the state of Bihar. A dealer from Kolkata had purchased motor parts and himself taken delivery of the goods from my shop. So, the place of delivery is Bihar, but in the invoice we had written the partys address in West Bengal. So, what should I charge IGST or CGST / SGST? Kindly mention the Sections. Your supply gets completed at the time of delivery to the recipient. There is no movement of goods at that stage. As per Section 10 (c) of the IGST Act, 2017, where the supply does not involve movement of goods, whether by the supplier or the recipient, the place of supply shall be the location of such goods at the time of the delivery to the recipient. As per Section 8 (1) of the same Act, subject to the provisions of section 10, supply of goods where the location of the supplier and the place of supply of goods are in the same State or same Union territory shall be treated as intra-State supply. Therefore, your place of supply is Bihar and as an intra-state supply it attracts CGST and SGST. To obviate confusion, you can mention the place of delivery as Bihar in the invoice. We are an education trust, claiming exemption under Section 12A of Income Tax Act, 1961. Our gross turnover of taxable and exempt services is more than Rs 20 lakh but less than Rs 1 crore. Can we avail of the composition scheme? As per Section 10 (2) of the CGST Act, 2017, composition scheme is not available for service providers, except for supply of food or any other article for human consumption or any drink (other than alcoholic liquor for human consumption). Can a registered person who has paid GST on reverse charge basis for services supplied by unregistered dealers take input tax credit of the same? Yes, if the service is used or intended to be used by the registered person in the course or furtherance of business and other conditions for taking input tax credit are satisfied. You had mentioned ( Chatroom, October 10, 2017) that countervailing duty leviable under Section 9 of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 is not exempted even when goods are imported under advance authorisation. If we pay that duty, can we claim drawback? Yes. But, that may not be necessary for imports made on or after 13, October 2017, because S. No. 2 of notification no. 69/2017-Cus of that date amends the basic notification 18/2015-Cus dated April 1, 2015, exempting the said countervailing duty on goods imported under advance authorisation. Can the notification 69/2017-Cus dated October 13, 2017 apply to advance authorisations or EPCG authorisations issued before that date? The notification applies to all imports made on or after October 13, 2017 under advance or EPCG authorisations, regardless of whether they are issued before or after that date. Business Standard invites readers queries related to excise, VAT and exim policy. You can write to us at smechat@bsmail.in Those who closely follow Japans politics frequently refer to the Abe conundrum. Jeff Kingston of Temple University in Tokyo explains it as Mr Abe winning one election after another despite being basically unpopular with voters. The stunning victory in Sundays election the Mr Abe-led Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its allies crossed the two-thirds majority mark in Parliament further reinforced this long-standing puzzle. In fact, a sustained dip in Mr Abes public approval ratings, which fell below 30 per cent, and a series of minor scandals and political embarrassments, had forced him to call for snap polls. Mr Abe was aware that the rest of the Opposition was coming together under the banner of a new political party, Kibou no To (the Party of Hope), led by the governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike. In the end, Mr Abes call for a snap poll just four weeks ago upstaged the Opposition, which had little time to get its act together. This confused the voters who chose to stay put with Mr Abe for the sake of stability. Is the cryptocurrency the biggest bubble in the world today, or a great investment bet on the cutting edge of new-age financial technology? My best guess is that in the long run, the technology will thrive, but that the price of will collapse. If you havent been following the story, its price is up 600 per cent over the past 12 months, and 1,600 per cent in the past 24 months. At over $4,200 (as of October 5), a single unit of the virtual currency is now worth more than three times an ounce of gold. Some bitcoin evangelists see it going far higher in the next few years. What happens from here will depend a lot on how governments react. Will they tolerate anonymous payment systems that facilitate tax evasion and crime? Will they create digital currencies of their own? Another key question is how successfully bitcoins numerous alt-coin competitors can penetrate the market. In principle, it is supremely easy to clone or improve on bitcoins technology. What is not so easy is to duplicate bitcoins established lead in credibility and the large ecosystem of applications that have built up around it. For now, the regulatory environment remains a free-for-all. Chinas government, concerned about the use of bitcoin in capital flight and tax evasion, has recently banned bitcoin exchanges. Japan, on the other hand, has enshrined bitcoin as legal tender, in an apparent bid to become the global centre of fintech. The United States is taking tentative steps to follow Japan in regulating fintech, though the endgame is far from clear. Importantly, bitcoin does not need to win every battle to justify a sky-high price. Japan, the worlds third largest economy, has an extraordinarily high currency-to-income ratio (roughly 20 per cent), so bitcoins success there is a major triumph. Illustration by Ajay Mohanty In Silicon Valley, drooling executives are both investing in bitcoin and pouring money into competitors. After bitcoin, the most important is ethereum. The sweeping, Amazon-like ambition of ethereum is to allow its users to employ the same general technology to negotiate and write smart contracts for just about anything. As of early October, ethereums market capitalisation stood at $28 billion, versus $72 billion for bitcoin. Ripple, a platform championed by the banking sector to slash transaction costs for interbank and overseas transfers, is a distant third at $9 billion. Behind the top three are dozens of fledgling competitors. Most experts agree that the ingenious technology behind virtual currencies may have broad applications for cyber security, which currently poses one of the biggest challenges to the stability of the global financial system. For many developers, the goal of achieving a cheaper, more secure payments mechanism has supplanted bitcoins ambition of replacing dollars. But it is folly to think that bitcoin will ever be allowed to supplant central-bank-issued money. It is one thing for governments to allow small anonymous transactions with virtual currencies; indeed, this would be desirable. But it is an entirely different matter for governments to allow large-scale anonymous payments, which would make it extremely difficult to collect taxes or counter criminal activity. Of course, as I note in my recent book on past, present, and future currencies, governments that issue large-denomination bills also risk aiding tax evasion and crime. But cash at least has bulk, unlike virtual currency. It will be interesting to see how the Japanese experiment evolves. The government has indicated that it will force bitcoin exchanges to be on the lookout for criminal activity and to collect information on deposit holders. Still, one can be sure that global tax evaders will seek ways to acquire bitcoin anonymously abroad and then launder their money through Japanese accounts. Carrying paper currency in and out of a country is a major cost for tax evaders and criminals; by embracing virtual currencies, Japan risks becoming a Switzerland-like tax haven with the bank secrecy laws baked into the technology. Were bitcoin stripped of its near-anonymity, it would be hard to justify its current price. Perhaps bitcoin speculators are betting that there will always be a consortium of rogue states allowing anonymous bitcoin usage, or even state actors such as North Korea that will exploit it. Would the price of bitcoin drop to zero if governments could perfectly observe transactions? Perhaps not. Even though bitcoin transactions require an exorbitant amount of electricity, with some improvements, bitcoin might still beat the 2 per cent fees the big banks charge on credit and debit cards. Finally, it is hard to see what would stop central banks from creating their own digital currencies and using regulation to tilt the playing field until they win. The long history of currency tells us that what the private sector innovates, the state eventually regulates and appropriates. I have no idea where bitcoins price will go over the next couple years, but there is no reason to expect virtual currency to avoid a similar fate. The writer, a former chief economist of the IMF, is professor of economics and Public Policy at Harvard University Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017 www.project-syndicate.org An unexpected turn of events since Sunday has added more colour to the political drama in poll-bound Gujarat. From newly inducted Patidar leaders Nikhil Savani and Narendra Patel quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to other backward classes (OBC) leader Alpesh Thakor joining the Congress, political equations in the state are changing fast as the Congress is looking to take the fight to the ruling party. After raising the pitch at Ayodhya with high octane religious and cultural programmes on the eve of Diwali last week, the government is now gearing up for global branding of the forthcoming 2019 Ardh Kumbh in Allahabad. Three Indians and a Pakistani were among six people arrested here for allegedly smuggling protected live animals to Nepal from Nigeria, a media report said today. The Central Investigation Bureau of the Nepal Police arrested three Indians -- Mohammad Usman, 34, Mohammad Faim, 35, and Mohammad Sherif Shahid, 35, the Himalayan Times reported. Two Nepalese -- Sanjeev Bhari, 40, of Kathmandu and Raj Kumar Tiwari, 42, of Bara -- and Jawaid Aslam Khan, 55, of Pakistan were also arrested, police officials said. Two chimpanzees, eight monkeys, seven golden pheasants, two ringneck pheasants, 38 pigeons and 65 parrots were seized from the accused after a raid at the house of Bhari in Kathmandu on October 18, said Superintendent of Polcie Jeevan Shrestha, the CIB spokesperson. The final destination of the apes is believed to be India, he said. "Preliminary investigation suggests the racketeers would smuggle apes to India from Nigeria by making Nepal their transit," Shrestha said. He said the apes were brought to Nepal from the African country by air, but officials at the Tribhuvan International Airport here failed to intercept the animal species. The accused have been handed over to the District Forest Office, Kathmandu, where legal action under National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act will be initiated, while the animals and birds rescued alive have been sent to the Central Zoo. Anyone involved in the trade of protected species may face a jail term of five to 15 years, and also be slapped with a fine of up to Rs 100,000, the report said. Indian national Usman is a repeat offender and was arrested with 109 tortoises and 162 birds of different species from Kathmandu in June last year, it said. Police had raided a house and recovered the reptiles and birds kept in boxes and cages. Officials said the tortoises, which weigh three to five kg each, and the birds, including several varieties of parrots, were smuggled into Nepal from India. It is believed the seized animals were to be illegally transported to China, where they would end up in restaurants or thriving markets in Vietnam selling animals and birds, according to the report. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thirty-six activists of the Raj Thackeray led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were today arrested by police for allegedly beating up and driving away hawkers from near the railway stations in Mumbai and Thane. Thirty MNS activists were arrested by Thane Police, while the remaining six were arrested by Mumbai Police. MNS had on October 5 given fifteen-days ultimatum to the railway administration and the police to clear the foot overbridges of illegal hawkers after the Elphinstone Road railway station stampede claimed 23 lives on September 29. The party had warned that if the authorities fail to evict hawkers it would take the responsibility upon itself to remove them from the foot overbridges. On Saturday, the Thane MNS unit had forcibly evicted the hawkers from Thane railway station. Today the police arrested MNS workers including its president Avinash Jadhav. Meanwhile, 12 MNS workers were arrested in Kalyan and 11 were held from Dombivili, Thane police PRO Sukhada Narkar said. In Mumbai, MNS workers today organised protests and attempted to drive out illegal hawkers outside the railway stations, police said. MNS activists in Mumbai Central area gathered outside the station and evicted illegal hawkers, police said. No formal complaint was lodged against MNS activists in this connection, an official from Nagpada Police Station said. In another incident in western suburbs MNS leader Akhil Chitre and five other party workers were arrested for forcefully trying to evict hawkers near Santa Cruz railway station, a senior police official said today. The MNS workers forcefully evicted number of hawkers near Santa Cruz station last night, he said. Following the the incident, the aggrieved hawkers approached Vakola police station and lodged a complaint against the MNS workers, the official said. Acting on the complaint, police detained Chitre and five others late last night and placed them under arrest today, the official said. They have been booked for rioting and were produced in the court, the official said, adding further investigation into the matter is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A car overturned after hitting a road divider in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district early today, killing five members of a family and injuring one girl, police said. The incident took place in Charbhuja police station area when the family was on its way to Vadodara from Jaipur in the car, they said. Amrit Lal Modi (69), Suman Modi (63), Alkesh (37), Teenal (33) and Dhanvi (25) died on the spot, the police said, adding a girl was also injured in the accident who has been admitted to a hospital in Rajsamand. Post mortem will be conducted after family members of the victims reach the hospital, they said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A magnanimous opponent is better than a selfish friend, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said, in an apparent dig at the Shiv Sena, as he extolled NCP chief Sharad Pawar for his contribution to the state despite being in the Opposition. "There are few leaders in Indian politics who go beyond the realm of politics and forge a friendship. Sharad Pawar is one of them. A dialogue is necessary between political parties. We may have political differences with him but if an issue concerns the welfare of the state, Pawar himself calls and suggests remedial measures," Fadnavis said. The Chief Minister was addressing an all party gathering in Amravati, while felicitating Pawar for his contribution to the Parliament for over five decades. "This is the magnanimity which is needed. It is much better to have a magnanimous friend than a selfish friend. Sharad Pawar is one such opponent," Fadnavis said, adding that his comments should not be misconstrued. The Chief Minister further said that a loan waiver is not the only solution to help farmers, but the decision of the BJP-led government to waive farm loans was necessary. "When the government decided to take this decision, we called up Sharad Pawar. He called us in Delhi to meet him. There (in Delhi), there were leaders from the BJP and the NCP. Some of the demands of NCP leaders were not acceptable to Pawar himself. Taking into consideration the state's welfare, Pawar guided us," Fadnavis said. The Chief Minister further said that being in the Opposition is in the DNA of BJP leaders and that they have now understood what it feels like to be in power. "Making unreal demands being in the Opposition only pleases people and does no other good. However, Sharad Pawar looks beyond politics and parties. Every state should have one such leader," Fadnavis said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has become the first Pakistani premier to fly a military chopper as he piloted a Turkish T-129 attack helicopter on a test flight. Abbasi, an aviation enthusiast, took the helicopter for a test flight yesterday, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. The Pakistani premier, 58, was in the Turkish capital Istanbul for the ninth summit of D-8 nations. The D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, also known as the Developing-8, is an eight-nation grouping of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey. On Pakistan's plan of purchasing Turkish T-129 attack helicopters, he said the Army is evaluating the helicopter and is negotiating the contract and terms. He termed the Turkish chopper as an "impressive and good machine". The prime minister also inspected the helicopter, and was briefed by Turkish aviation officials about the specifications and technical parameters of the combat chopper. Last month, Abbasi had participated in an exercise training mission aboard a Pakistan Air Force F-16 jet. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will hold detailed talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow on furthering the shared objective of promoting security and stability in Afghanistan, and efforts to combat the menace of terrorism. The external affairs ministry said today that the Afghan president would be here on a one-day working visit at the invitation of the prime minister. The invitation was extended by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval during his Kabul trip on October 16. During his visit, President Ghani will meet with his Indian counterpart and have delegation level talks with the prime minister, who will also host a lunch in his honour, an official statement said. "Both sides will have the opportunity to review the entire gamut of multifaceted bilateral strategic partnership, including the New Development Partnership; hold consultations and coordinate on furthering the shared objective of promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and efforts to combat the menace of terrorism," it said. They will also discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest. The visit will build upon the recent high level bilateral exchanges between the two countries, including the recent visit of Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and that of Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani to India for the meeting of the bilateral Strategic Partnership Council, which was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Swaraj will call on the visiting dignitary, who will also give a public address at Vivekanand International Foundation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The opposition AIADMK today demanded a CBI probe into the functioning of Puducherry government-owned PAPSCO (Civil Supplies Corporation) in the last five years. Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, who was keen on ensuring 'spotless administration' should intervene and order for a CBI enquiry into PAPSCO's (Puducherry Agro Products, Food and Civil Supplies Corporation) working, AIADMK legislature wing leader A Anbalagan told reporters here. "The corporation had suffered losses to the tune of Rs 32 crore due to various irregularities in liquor business by PAPSCO," he alleged and wanted the probe to focus on the issue specifically. Anbalagan said he had already submitted a detailed memorandum to the Lt Governor in this regard and added she must initiate steps to go into the working of the corporation through the CBI. He took a dig at Chief Minister V Narayanasamy for defending Tamil film actor Vijay in connection with the 'Mersal' controversy and said 'instead of concentrating on several issues affecting the public Narayanasamy was seeking publicity for himself by backing Vijay and his movie." Anbalagan also expressed concern over the fiscal situation in Puducherry and appealed to the Chief Minister to holda special meeting with legislators of all parties to evolve an action plan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Arvind Mills will invest Rs 400 crore in Jharkhand, providing employment to approximately 10,000 youths, especially women, a top company official said today. Arvind Mills promoter Kulin Lalbhai met Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today, a release said. The mill will become operational by November 30 this year, it said. Welcoming the mill to the state, Das said the government is looking forward to creating two lakh new jobs in the state. The required land for the mill is being provided, the release said. Kulin Lalbhai said that youths will be trained and given jobs by the largest fabric maker mill of the nation. He also appreciated the governments policy on textile and industry. The chief minister said that women need not go out of the state for work as they will be employed in textile industry after training in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress has demanded an apology and the immediate arrest of a BJP MP, who referred to the ideas of "Nehru-Gandhi" as 'garbage'. Two Congress activists received burn injuries today while trying to set on fire an effigy of Jorhat MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa at Moran in upper Assam's Dibrugarh district, police said. The MP has claimed that his comment at a rally in Sibsagar district on Saturday was "wrongly interpreted" and he was referring to the Gandhi family and not the Mahatma. He had reportedly said that the Congress had, over the years, instilled "the garbage of Nehru-Gandhi in the minds of people and there was no space for any other ideology." The comment triggered widespread criticism from the Congress. The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) filed an FIR against Tasa yesterday, alleging that he had made "derogatory comments" against Mahatma Gandhi and the three former prime ministers. The FIR was lodged at Bhangagarh police station by APCC general secretaries Imdad Hussain and Mukul Sarma who also demanded immediate arrest of the BJP MP. The protests continued today in Diburgarh. The injured youths were rushed to the Assam Medical College Hospital in Dibrugarh, where doctors said their condition was stable. APCC president and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora demanded that Tasa apologise for "insulting" Mahatama Gandhi. "His derogatory statement indicates his poor knowledge about the history of India's freedom struggle," said Bora. Leader of opposition in state legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, made a similar demand. Tasa, however, said he meant no disrespect to Mahatma Gandhi during his speech at the rally, also attended by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, "I cannot dream of making such a statement against the Father of the Nation. I had said a lot of garbage has been drilled in the names of Nehru and Gandhi and was referring to the Gandhi family and not the Mahatma," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Autonomy campaigners in two of Italy's northern regions have claimed victory in referenda hit by hacker attacks that delayed final results. Voters in the Veneto region that includes Venice and Lombardy, home to Milan, turned out at the high end of expectations to support the principle of more powers being devolved, officials said yesterday. Turnout was projected at between 57-61 per cent in Veneto, where support for autonomy is stronger, and at around 40 per cent in Lombardy. The presidents of both regions said a majority of voters had, as expected, overwhelmingly backed greater autonomy. Bangladesh today sent a high-level delegation to Myanmar for talks on the deepening Rohingya crisis as Dhaka sought to increase pressure on Naypyidaw to take back 600,000 members of the minority Muslim community who have fled Rakhine state to escape persecution. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan is leading the 12-member delegation comprising chiefs of paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), coastguard, police and several senior officials. Khan did not speak to the media before the departure but a home ministry spokesman told PTI that the delegation left for Myanmar this afternoon. The minister earlier had aid the "quick repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas is the main agenda" of the visit. More than 600,000 people from the Muslim minority group have fled violence in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state since August, according to UN estimates. Bangladesh accused Myanmar of spearheading a violent depopulation campaign to eliminate Rohingyas by branding them as so-called "Islamist terrorists". The visit was planned last month when Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi sent to Dhaka a senior representative for talks amid mounting global outrage and agreed in principle to take back the victims of forced exodus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Muslim activist accused of campaigning in refugee camps for the unconditional return of displaced Rohingya to Myanmar has been arrested in Bangladesh, police said. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August 25, when coordinated attacks by the Rohingya insurgency prompted a massive crackdown on the Muslim minority by the Myanmar military. Only accredited charities are allowed to operate in the sensitive border region and Bangladesh has heavily curtailed access to the vast camps. Mahbubul Alam Minar was detained more than a week ago but police only confirmed late Sunday he was being held on suspicion of erecting banners listing Rohingya demands in English and Bengali. An investigation has been opened into Minar, who has links to Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh, deputy police chief in the Cox's Bazar border district Afrozul Haq Tutul told AFP. Bangladesh authorities are wary of Islamist groups -- most notably the armed Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army fighting for the stateless minority -- gaining a foothold in the vast refugee camps. Police believe Minar acted alone in hanging the banners, which claim to represent the previously-unknown Committee on Rohingya Rights Establishment, and broadcasting his efforts on social media. The banners called for all displaced Rohingya to be granted safe passage back to Myanmar, compensation for their destroyed homes and return of seized land. They also demanded Myanmar's westernmost Rakhine State adopt the Rohingya name Arakan, and that Muslims there are granted full religious freedom, rights to education and a separate judiciary. Bangladesh wants the Rohingya repatriated and has offered to stage a joint military push with Myanmar against the militants active in the border regions. It has reinforced police checkpoints, deployed plain clothes officers and bolstered security in the camps to intercept any militants trying to mingle with civilians crossing the border. "There is no way they can enter here," Cox's Bazar police chief Iqbal Hossain told AFP. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cara Delevingne says acting has made her understand herself better. The 25-year-old star believes that her career as a model provided her with a way of avoiding her problems but acting helped her deal with them. "Modelling came at a time in my life where I wanted to please people. I was just doing things to run away from my own problems. I wasn't dealing with things that were going on emotionally. That's why I ended up being unhappy. "Being an actor helped me reflect on my own emotions, be able to express them more, be in the moment," Delevingne tells Australia's Stellar magazine. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will inaugurate a conclave being organised by the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat -- a Sangh affiliate -- to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th sikh guru. The event, to be held on October 25 at Talkatora Stadium here, will be attended by a few prominent Sikh religious leaders, the Sangat's chief, Gurcharan Singh Gill said today. "Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat will inaugurate the event, which is being organised to mark the 350 years of anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh," Gill told PTI. "The organisation has also invited Home Minister Rajnath Singh," Gill said. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last Sikh Guru was born on 22 December, 1666. In a separate statement, the RSS' Punjab chief, Brij Bhushan Singh Bedi, said the Sangh respects Sikh religion and the Sikhs have a separate identity. "But misconceptions are being spread about the RSS' stand in some quarters," he said, adding that the Sangh has always respected all the Sikh gurus and celebrated all the festivals related to the religion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A motorcycle-borne person was killed when a truck carrying oranges overturned on him near Patna Mor in Kaimur district this morning, a senior official said. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shiv Kumar Raut said the deceased has been identified as Umashankar Singh, who worked as a toll plaza guard on NH-2. The body was sent to Bhabhua Sadar Hospital for post-mortem, he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao today said that the central leadership of the party has focussed on southern states to improve its position during the next general elections. Addressing a media conference here today, he said the central leadership has prepared an action plan for party's growth in the southern states. Narasimha Rao said people of the southern states have imposed confidence in the BJP in view of the economic reforms and welfare measures launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The central leadership's idea is to gain more Lok Sabha seats in the next general elections from the southern states. "I hope BJP will win majority of the Lok Sabha seats from the southern states to improve the party's position during the next general elections in 2019," said the spokersperson. He said the party has considerable base in Telangana and has a tied up with Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh. Asked whether BJP have any tie up with the Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) in the next general elections, he said the central leadership will take a decision on it. He said BJP has improved its position in Kerala as the people are vexed with the LDF Government. He said because of the popularity gained by the BJP in Kerala, the LDF government is now resorting to attacks on RSS workers in the state. Narasimha Rao said the Congress government in Karnataka which was involved in corrupt practices will be rejected by the people of the state in the next elections. He said in Tamil Nadu there is a political vacuum and BJP can show its strength in the next general elections. City BJP president M Nagendra, state executive member P V Narayana Rao and others attended the meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal BJP staged a protest rally here today against the alleged "failure" of the state government to tackle the outbreak of dengue in the state and demanded immediate resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from the post of state health minister. Hundreds of BJP workers marched towards Swastha Bhawan, the headquarters of state health department in Salt Lake, and demanded Banerjee's resignation from the post of the state health minister. The police tried to stop the BJP workers near Karunamoyee area of Salt lake by putting up barricades on the road but failed. The BJP workers crossed the barricades and tried to enter the Swastha Bhawan with flags and posters but were dispersed by the forces, the police said. Few BJP activists were detained, the police added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Monday demanded that elections in Gujarat be immediately declared and the model code of conduct enforced, saying the Election Commission should not be a party to what it called the BJP's attempt to "run away" from the assembly polls. It alleged that the BJP was trying to delay Gujarat assembly polls for its last-minute efforts to woo the people of the state with sops announced by the prime minister. "Why is the Election Commission becoming an unnecessary party to the BJP's attempt to run away from the elections?...Why is the EC becoming a party to it? The Election Commission has the constitutional responsibility and mandate. "We demand that the Election Commission immediately declare elections in Gujarat, enforce the model code of conduct to stop all these allegations that sheer chicanery is taking place in Gujarat," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters. Countering criticism over the Congress' remarks against the constitutional body, senior Congress spokesperson P Chidambaram said if citizens do not question the EC, what should they do. "And what should citizens do, pray to the EC?" Chidambaram tweeted. "In Gujarat RS elections, Congress complained to EC before counting began. There was only one count, no recount. Ask EC (sic)," he said on the Gujarat Rajya Sabha poll. Tewari claimed the BJP is aware that it is difficult to repeat its government in Gujarat. He alleged that the ruling party is "desperate" and is making every effort including the use of muscle and money power and "street instrumentalities with prime minister virtually shifting the capital from Delhi to Gandhinagar, to somehow retain Gujarat". Asked about the clarifications given by the EC on charges against it, Tewari said "what they have articulated is not rocket science". "But the fundamental question is that why has the Election Commission digressed from the time honoured convention that elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat are held simultaneously. "Why have the election dates in Gujarat not been declared. Why has the model code not been enforced," he said. The Congress leader said given the developments that are taking place, it is clear that the BJP is on a "sticky wicket" and is "running away" from elections. "They are trying their best to delay the elections as much as possible so that the prime minister can dole out as many as dollops of sops as they can in that short time. "Why does the election commission become a party to that process. "We want to respectfully tell the Election Commission, please you have a constitutional mandate to fulfil, declare the elections immediately and enforce the model code of conduct in Gujarat ASAP," Tewari said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Calling on the youth of Jammu, Kashmir Valley and Ladakh to become part of a movement for change, Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) chief Poonam Mahajan said today that the three regions of the state should be made the country's "golden triangle". Referring to her visit to Srinagar yesterday, the BJP MP said there was a time when people were put behind bars to stop them from unfurling the national flag in the city's Lal Chowk. Today anyone can go there and unfurl the tricolor and it is an achievement of this government, the BJP youth wing president said. "There are three regions in Jammu and Kashmir and it is the responsibility of the youth workers of these regions to work together to make it a golden triangle," Mahajan said addressing a youth convention of the party here. She said India was passing through a golden era. "Unless the youth of Jammu, Kashmir valley and Ladakh become a part of the movement, the India will not move forward. The youth is our power," she said. Mahajan asked youth workers to work in different regions instead of concentrating only on their home regions. "The youth of Jammu need to take the responsibility of Kashmir unit and work there and the youth of Ladakh should come to Jammu. Similarly, the youth of Kashmir should go to Leh to make the three regions a golden triangle," she said. It will strengthen brotherhood, unity and communal harmony in the state and the stones in the hands of the youth will turn into flowers, she added. Referring to her maiden visit to Srinagar, the BJYM chief said she was feeling happy as the youth are getting connected in a very good manner and the BJP flag was fluttering there as a result of the efforts of its youth wing. "There was a time when we were stopped and put behind bars to stop us from unfurling the national flag in Srinagar's Lal Chowk. Today anyone can go there and unfurl the tricolour and it is the achievement of this government. It is a good change," she said referring to the BJP's 'Ekta Yatra' which was not allowed in the state in 2011. She said the youth do not want to follow "negative politics" and want to connect with the development of the country. "My Srinagar visit was beyond my expectations. Over 1,500 youth activists attended the convention which reflected the change. There were equal number of boys and girls and my meeting with various delegations including students continued throughout the day. There is a rapid and welcome change," she told reporters, terming her day-long stay as "not enough". Mahajan said there were youth who wanted to connect. "We paint everyone with same brush. There are youth who want to do good but there are some who are misled. But it is our duty to bring them back," she said. Mahajan said that she will take 10 youth who had done "wonderful work" in Srinagar to Mumbai and ensure they meet film personalities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Final arguments by the prosecution in a 1998 case of black buck poaching against actor Salman Khan and others were completed in a trial court today. The defence will now submit its final arguments from October 28. Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri began hearing the final arguments on September 13 in the case involving Salman Khan and co-accused Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam. The prosecution counsel, Bhawani Singh, who completed his arguments in 17 days, claimed their case was "was very strong" with "incriminating evidence against Khan and other actors". During the arguments, he cited the statements of the witnesses, the post mortem report and other evidence. "We have completed our arguments and now the defence will begin its arguments from the next hearing on October 28," he told reporters. Salman Khan was acquitted in two of the poaching cases by the high court and in a case under Arms Act by the lower court. The state government's appeals challenging his acquittal are pending in the Supreme Court and the sessions court respectively. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IT company Bodhtree consulting today said it expecting to garner around Rs 400 crore revenue and create jobs for up to 1,000 people in next five years. The company has also announced that it is planning to invest up to Rs 50 crore during the same period. "Bodhtree Consulting proposes to invest up to Rs 50 crore in the next five years and expected revenues would be at Rs 400 crore with a potential for up to 1,000 jobs," the company said in a statement released to announce its agreement with Andhra Pradesh government to set up facility in Fintech valley. The company said it has agreed to set up 200 people IT facility in Fintech Vallley located at Visakhapatnam. "We are delighted to set up our new IT centre in Andhra Pradesh. We are confident that we will expand our footprint in the state with this centre and will be able to cater to the needs of GST of the state and this centre will act as the central back-office for all GST business of Bodhtree," its consulting MD L N Rama Krishna said in the statement. Bodhtree will expand its other services like enterprise solutions, cloud computing and analytics services from this facility and also develop other software products and services coming for GST suvidha providers. Headquartered in California, Bodthtree consulting was founded in the year 1998 with offices across North America, Singapore and India. Shares of Bodhtree consulting today closed at Rs 78.55 a unit, up 5.15 per cent, on BSE. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fans of soft cheeses in China have reason to celebrate after the country reversed a ban on mould-ripened cheeses, allowing imports of Camembert, Brie and Roquefort, European Union officials said today. From early September, businesses in the country were forbidden from importing cheeses made with certain moulds and bacteria. The ban was lifted following meetings last week between European Commission representatives and Chinese quarantine and health officials, the EU's China delegation said in a statement. The National Health and Family Planning Commission issued a note to customs authorities clarifying that bacterial cultures used for the production of these cheeses were not harmful to consumers' health, thus allowing trade to resume, according to the delegation. The statement added that China's cheese quality standards are "outdated," and the delegation and French embassy will organise a seminar with Chinese experts to "(limit) the risk of such events re-occurring in the future". Axel Moreaux, manager at French restaurant Paradox in Beijing, celebrated the . "The ban was in place for a short time, so it hasn't affected our business. Now we can go ahead as normal," he told AFP. "It's a real relief," said Vincent Marion, co-founder of Cheese Republic, one of China's leading online cheesemongers. "It is now written in black and white that this category of cheese is legally importable. So it is very positive for the French and European dairy industry," Marion said. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China previously said efforts were underway to revise China's national food safety standards for cheese. It is unclear why the ban was put into place. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Calcutta High Court advocate was today arrested for allegedly assaulting a traffic policeman after his vehicle was stopped for jumping a signal at Tegharia in Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate limits. Advocate Avishek Dutta failed to produce documents of the vehicle, as well as his driving licence when the traffic policeman and two constables stopped his car at around noon today, a senior officer of the Commissionerate said. "Dutta misbehaved with them and started questioning the officer's authority. It was following by a heated argument between them when the advocate slapped the officer," he said. The traffic police officer then lodged a complaint with Baguihati Police Station, following which Dutta was arrested and booked under relevant sections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a fresh move for peace in Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre today announced a "sustained dialogue" process with all stakeholders in the Valley and appointed a former Intelligence Bureau director as its special representative. Dineshwar Sharma would hold talks with all sections of people and organisations, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said at a hurriedly called press conference here. The home minister made it clear that Sharma, who would hold the rank of a cabinet secretary, would have complete independence in deciding who to hold talks with. He was replying to a question on whether Sharma would hold discussions with the Hurriyat Conference. "The Centre has shown conviction and consistency on Kashmir issue and carrying forward this policy, we have decided to begin a sustained dialogue policy for Jammu and Kashmir. "And for this we have decided to appoint Dineshwar Sharma as special representative of the Government of India," Singh told reporters. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address, Singh said the government was sensitive to issues related to Jammu and Kashmir. The prime minister's Independence Day statement that problems in the state could be solved "neither by bullet, nor by abuses but by embracing the people" clearly underlined the governments policy and intentions, he said. Singh said the prime minister had held a series of meetings with political representatives on the Kashmir issue. "All of them were clear that the process of dialogue should begin in the Valley," he said. Asked about the failure of similar initiatives undertaken earlier, Singh said, "Please take it from me that whatever we do, we will do with saaf neeyat aur neeti (good intentions and clear policy)." In another supplementary question on previous reports of interlocutors gathering dust in the home ministry, he said, "You cannot pre-judge that this initiative will not be successful. Our announcement shows how serious we are about initiating dialogue." The home minister said the special representative would initiate sustained interactions and dialogue to understand the legitimate aspirations of people, especially the youth, and try to fulfil them, he said. Sharma, a 1979-batch (retired) officer of the Indian Police Service, served as director of the Intelligence Bureau from December 2014 to 2016. Asked whether a police officer was capable for holding talks on such a sensitive issue, Singh shot back, "What's wrong in that. He is an apolitical person having no political affiliation which is his greatest advantage. Besides he is well aware about the internal security situation of the country." Singh also made it clear that there was no time-frame set for him as the issue was sensitive. Sharma is the fourth interlocutor appointed by the Centre since 2002. The first one was former Union minister K C Pant, the second N N Vohra, the present governor of the state, and the last a three-member panel comprising former bureaucrat M M Ansari, academician Radha Kumar and late journalist Dileep Padgaonkar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre today appointed former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma as its special representative for a "sustained dialogue" with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir, in a fresh move aimed at bringing peace to the troubled state. Sharma, with the rank of Cabinet Secretary, will have complete independence in deciding who to hold talks with, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said while making the crucial announcement at a hurriedly-called press conference here. Singh stated this when asked whether Sharma would hold talks with the separatist Hurriyat Conference. Sharma, a 1979-batch IPS officer who served in the state in 1990s and retired last year, would initiate sustained interactions and dialogue to understand the legitimate aspirations of people, especially the youth, and try to fulfil them, Singh said. He will hold talks with all sections of people and organisations, the minister said and made it clear that there is no time-frame for him as the issue is sensitive. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the announcement while the Opposition parties like National Conference and Congress took a dig at the government, saying it had realised that "force" and "muscular" approach alone would not solve the problem. Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a series of meetings with political representatives on the Kashmir issue and "all of them were clear that the process of dialogue should begin in the Valley." The home minister referred to the prime minister's last Independence Day address in which he had said that problems of J&K cannot be solved by bullets or abuses but by embracing the people of the state. That statement clearly underlined the government's policy and intention, Singh said while adding that the government was sensitive to issues related to Jammu and Kashmir. "The Centre has shown conviction and consistency on Kashmir issue and carrying forward this policy, we have decided to begin a sustained dialogue policy for Jammu and Kashmir. "And for this, we have decided to appoint Dineshwar Sharma as special representative of the Government of India," he said. Sharma is the fourth interlocutor appointed by the Centre since 2002. The first one was former Union minister K C Pant, the second N N Vohra, the present governor of the state, and the last was a three-member panel comprising former bureaucrat M M Ansari, academician Radha Kumar and late journalist Dileep Padgaonkar. Asked about the failure of similar initiatives undertaken earlier, the home minister said, "Please take it from me that whatever we do, we will do with good intentions and clear policy." To another question regarding previous reports of interlocutors gathering dust in the home ministry, he said, "You cannot pre-judge that this initiative will not be successful. Our announcement shows how serious we are about initiating dialogue." Asked whether a police officer was capable for holding talks on such a sensitive issue, Singh shot back, "What's wrong in that? He is an apolitical person having no political affiliation, which is his greatest advantage. Besides, he is well aware about the internal security situation of the country." Mehbooba welcomed the announcement, saying dialogue is the need of the hour and the only way forward. "Welcome the initiative of Union Government, appointing an interlocutor for leading a sustained dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir (sic)," Mehbooba said in a tweet. "This dialogue initiative is in line with P.M @narendramodi's 15th August speech na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmir ki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se (sic)," she said in another tweet, referring to the prime minister's remarks in his Independence Day speech. National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said the "acceptance" of the political nature of the Kashmir issue was a "resounding defeat of those who could only see use of force" as a solution. "Centre announces an interlocutor to engage with stake holders in J&K. Will keep an open mind and wait to see results of the dialogue process," he tweeted. Referring to the home minister's statement that Sharma would try to understand the legitimate aspirations of the people of the state, Abdullah said, "The 'legitimate aspirations' of people of J&K is an interesting formulation. Who gets to decide what is legitimate?" He also sought to know the fate of the ongoing probe into terror-funding cases against some separatist leaders. He asked, "What does this mean for the NIA investigation in J&K? Will investigation be suspended to facilitate dialogue with detained Hurriyat leaders?" Responding to a tweet about the choice of a non-political representative, Omar said, "One can't get everything. So for now, we'll take what we can get. More important than the person is the mandate and absence of pre-conditions." Senior Congress leader and former Home Minister P Chidambaram said the movement from "No talks" to "Talks with all stakeholders" was a major victory for those who had argued for a political solution in Jammu and Kashmir. "With appointment of interlocutor, I hope government has finally admitted 'muscular approach' has failed in J&K," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Integrated frozen food company Chevon Agrotech today said it has received its latest round of funding from Singapore-based investment management firm, Greenfield Advisory. Chevon will allocate a portion of the acquired funds to expand its senior management team and develop new products, the company in a release issued here. "The funding received will help us capitalise on the vast global opportunity in the goat meat segment, and promote our products in India, as well as internationally, as a high-quality source of protein with minimal impact on the environment," Chevon Agrotech founder and CEO Rizwan Thakur said. The company, however, did not did not disclose the amount received. -------------------------------------- Cashe raises Rs 20 crore debt from IFMR Capital Cashe, a mobile app that provides personal loans to young salaried professionals, today said it has raised Rs 20 crore in debt from IFMR Capital. The money will be utilised for building the loan book and accelerate growth during the year, it said in a statement. Cashe offers loans from Rs 10,000 to Rs 2 lakh for a period of up to six months and has so far disbursed Rs 200 crore since its April 2016 inception, it said. --------------------------------------- TCB launches Official Destination Website The Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) today launched its new official destination website. The TCB has undertaken this major development and up-gradation of its official travel destination website during the past few months to improve information sharing among the stakeholders of the tourism industry, a release issued here said. The website is aimed to act as an information portal for the potential visitors to Bhutan. The TCB expects that this up-gradation will improve confidence of the stakeholders and visitors to visit Bhutan. -------------------------------- Wadhwa partners Azuro to help owners rent their properties Realty firm Wadhwa Group today said it has partnered with property management Azuro to solve the problem faced by home owners in renting out and managing apartments. Under the partnership, Azuro will provide end-to-end service right from looking for the right tenants, verification and documentation process and house maintenance. Wadhwa Group will offer the rental services of Azuro to its over 2000 customers across some of their delivered and ongoing key projects in the megapolis. ----------------------------- Thai Smile launches flight services to Mumbai from Bangkok South-east Asian carrier Thai Smile has launched its services to Mumbai from Bangkok with its maiden flight arriving at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) here today. The commencement of Thai Smile services to the city comes on the back of another Thailand carrier, Thai Lion, launching its operations from Bangkok's second airport Don Mueang to Mumbai late last month. Thai Smile will operate five flights per week on the Mumbai-Bangkok route, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) said in a statement. Passenger traffic at the Mumbai airport surged 8 per cent to 45.2 million passengers (including 12.4 million international ones) in the last fiscal. ------------------------------- Tata Value Homes launches '99 hours flash sale' Tata Value Home, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Tata Housing, today launched '99 hours flash sale' for its projects across the country. Through this offer, Tata Value Homes will enable customers to own their dream home with 99 per cent funding by select banks, the company said in a statement issued here. The scheme is applicable on the first 99 units across the projects and for a limited time frame of 99 hours starting from November 2 to 6. ------------------------ Capital Float launches proprietor loans Digital lending platform Capital Float today said it has launched proprietor loans to support micro-entrepreneurs in the country. The product targets small retailer segment like salons, medical stores, kirana, mobile phone retailers and small restaurants, who face challenges in obtaining loans for business expansion from traditional lenders, it said in a statement. It also aims to reduce documentation and the time taken to avail a loan in comparison to traditional banking services. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US today asked China to provide fair and reciprocal treatment to US firms and cease predatory trade and investment practices. The American message comes ahead of US President Donald Trump's maiden trip to China next month. It also comes less than a week after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused China on indulging in "predatory economics". A senior Trump administration official, during a briefing with White House reporters, said Trump during his meetings with top Chinese official will seek to secure China's commitments to exert more pressure on North Korea and to rebalance US-China economic relations. "The visit will send a clear message that for bilateral economic relations to be sustainable over the long term, China must provide fair and reciprocal treatment to US firms and cease predatory trade and investment practices," the senior administration official said. Trump is expected to arrive in China on a state visit on November 8. Responding to a question, the official said the US was encouraged by the steps that China has taken to date on addressing American concerns on North Korean issues. "But it's clear that all of us have to do quite a bit more in order to bring maximum pressure to bear on North Korea. We hope to begin a peaceful resolution of what is a very dangerous situation there," the official said. Along with North Korea, trade would be at the top of Trump's agenda with Chinese leadership. "I will say that the thing that is on the president's mind regarding the economic relationship with China is, first and foremost, the colossal deficit," the official said. "The focus of the visit will be on our economic relationship; it's going to be on North Korea. Trump will have the opportunity to hear firsthand from President Xi his priorities, coming out of the 19th Party Congress, which wraps up this week," the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal CID will probe into the killing of state police sub-inspector Amitava Malik in a firing allegedly by supporters of Bimal Gurung during a police raid at a forest near Darjeeling in search of the absconding GJM chief earlier this month. Malik was killed on October 13 at Tukvar forest and four other policemen were injured during the raid when the clash with Gurung's supporters had taken place. Days after it Darjeeling police had lodged a suo motu FIR against the GJM leader and others in connection with the killing. "We have taken up the case. We will start our investigations into the death of SI Amitava Malik," state CID ADGP Rajesh Kumar told PTI. Besides Gurung, 19 others named in the FIR were booked on charges including murder and arson, state police said. "Gurung and his associates have been booked for their alleged involvement in violence, arson and killing of an on duty sub-inspector," a senior police officer said. West Bengal Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha had visited Darjeeling after the incident to monitor the situation. Gurung has been in hiding since August after cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act were registered against him for his alleged involvement in several bomb blasts in Darjeeling and adjoining areas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) trends and data analytics will be used for the first time in monitoring security at the country's most vital assets such as airports and nuclear and aerospace installations. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the agency tasked to secure these important assets, has created a maiden 'media lab' and monitoring control room -- the Pattern Research For Institutional (PRISM) analytics -- at its base in Arakkonam near Chennai. A special team of CISF agents has been trained in the job of tracking social media trends, news, reports and indicators across various platforms, collate them and dish them out as vital pieces of "actionable intelligence" to its various airports and other vital units. Social media platforms like Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube and Flickr will be used by the paramilitary force to check any suspicious and sabotage-like activity against the assets it guards. The platform, developed by the IIT Delhi, is used by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Mumbai Police to keep a check on security issues. "We are doing this on an experimental basis. The PRISM control room is based in the southern part of the country as we have a sizeable number of units that have our armed security cover in that part. Based on the experiences, this smart centre will be further bolstered," CISF Director General (DG) O P Singh told PTI. He said that a special team of his men and women will keep a "track of social media trends" with the sole view of keeping their units such as airports, aerospace stations and nuclear bases safe. "This is completely in-house. We intend to link it to our WAR (web analytics and resolution) room that is already operational and based in Delhi," Singh said. Another senior CISF officer said, "The digital chatter in the world of social media is a great source for intelligence collection and timely action. Public sentiment towards the force, behavioural pattern and predictable actions can be a great help to take timely action and avoid any mishap." A red flag would be raised, he said, in case of any posts that indicate any threat towards the units covered by the CISF or any potential harm that a force personnel would inflict upon self or others. "The potential of this unique platform would be to avert even suicides in the force, to an extent as any sort of abnormal behaviour or posts would be an indicator for action to be taken. "This would be done through features like sentiment analysis in-built in the software itself," the official said. The 1.80 lakh personnel-strong CISF is tasked to secure 59 airports and other vital installations under the command of the Union home ministry. The Delhi administration and municipal corporations are working to spruce up ghats and clean areas around water bodies to ensure the four-day Chhath Puja that begins tomorrow, goes off smoothly. The city government today said the third day of the festival will be a holiday. Last year too, the city government had declared it a holiday on the occasion. The festival this year will be held from October 24 to 27. The devotees offer 'arghya' to the setting sun and the rising sun in succession on its last two days. Celebrated from the sixth day (hence called 'Chhath') after Diwali, Chhath Puja relives the age-old tradition of paying obeisance to the Sun God, and is observed mainly by the people from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh or Poorvanchalis. The national capital has a sizeable population of people hailing from the two states, who observe it here on the banks of the Yamuna or at ponds, lakes and canals, in their neighbourhood. Delhi Development Minister Gopal Rai today visited Shyam Ghat at Jagatpur in the Wazirabad area to take stock of the preparations. "He (Rai) directed the revenue department to ensure all basic amenities, including tent and medical facilities, lighting arrangements, CCTV, toilet and potable water, at the ghats for the convenience of the devotees," a government official said. The minister also directed the Irrigation and Flood Control Department to take all necessary measures to ensure safety of people. "This year Chhath Puja is being observed at 565 ghats while last year it was organised at 268 ghats. The government had earlier constructed 50 permanent (pucca) ghats for the celebrations," the official said. Neema Bhagat, the mayor of east Delhi, a hub of migrant Biharis, today inspected various ghats and took stock of the preparations in the area. Bhagat, accompanied by senior leaders of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) inspected ghats at Wazirabad, Geeta Ghat, Kishan Kunj, Sonia Vihar and Rajeev Camp. North Delhi Mayor Preety Agarwal also took stock of the preparations at various places in Rohini, Narela and Mukherjee Nagar zones. Preparations are underway in areas in south Delhi too. On the first day of the puja -- the ritual of 'Nahai- Khai' -- devotees prepare traditional food after bathing. The second day is 'Kharna', during which devotees observe a day- long fast which ends after the sunset. On the third day, the devotees stand in water and offer 'Arghya' to the setting sun. On the final day of the puja, they converge at the river bank before sunrise and offer 'Arghya' to the rising sun. Delhi has around 40 lakh people, hailing from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who have settled in the national capital. All political parties see them as a key electorate, and therefore seek to woo them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An 18-year-old student was today shot dead by two motorcycle-borne men at a village in Lalganj area here, police said. Hardev Yadav, a student of class 10, was shot dead when he was sitting outside a house in Pure Harikishanpur village, an official said. Yadav died on the spot. The body has been sent for post- mortem, the official said, adding a probe into the inicdent is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A class 9 student was allegedly raped by the son of a former village pradhan in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district, following which the accused was arrested, the police said today. The girl had gone to answer nature's call yesterday when the accused allegedly raped her in Rajapur village, around 40 km from Bulandshahr city, SP (City) Praveen Ranjan Singh said. Following a complaint by a kin of the girl, an FIR was lodged and the accused was arrested, the officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) George Clooney has hit out at director Woody Allen for his "witch hunt" remarks about disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, calling it a "stupid thing to say". The Oscar-winning director had voiced his concern about Hollywood slipping into a "witch-hunt" culture in the aftermath of Harvey Weinstein scandal where multiple women accused the producer of sexual misconduct. "The reality is it's not a witch hunt to these women who were trapped in a hotel room and told they were going to get a part and then suddenly here comes Harvey Weinstein in his birthday suit. That's an assault," said Clooney, without naming the filmmaker, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "It's not just Hollywood it's all of society and we're going to have to come to terms with it because we haven't yet," Clooney told reporters at the Los Angeles premiere of his latest directorial venture "Surburbicon". Clooney said it was "infuriating" for him to read stories about reporters who investigated the scandal but did not print them for years. "Why didn't you print that story? I would have liked to [have] seen it. And I would like to know who brought actresses up to Harvey Weinstein's room and then left. I'd like to know that," said Clooney. The actor-director hoped that the scandal acts as a "watershed moment" for society where women feel safe enough to talk about sexual harassment. "What we hope is this is a watershed moment for society where women feel safe enough to talk about this issue, feel believed and where men who are committing these crimes [and] violations don't feel safe and feel as if they do these things they're going to be outed, sued and may even get litigated and go to jail for it "If we can get to that point then we actually succeeded. This thing won't end up just being Harvey Weinstein jokes in three months," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cochin Shipyard (CSL) today said it has incorporated a JV -- Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited (HSSL) -- with Hooghly Dock & Port Engineering Ltd for upgradation and modernisation of shipbuilding infrastructure at two shipyard sites in Kolkata. Last month, CSL CMD Madhu S Nair has said that the company is in advanced stage of incorporating a joint venture company for taking over assets of the Hooghly dock in Kolkata. "A Joint Venture (JV) Company has been incorporated today in the name of Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited.... Cochin Shipyard Ltd and Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Limited will have 76 per cent and 24 per cent stake in the Company respectively," CSL said in a filing to the BSE. The government in March this year had approved formation of Joint Venture Company between Cochin Shipyard Ltd and Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Limited for upgradation and modernisation of shipbuilding infrastructure at the two shipyard sites of Salkia and Nazirgunge in Kolkata, it said. CSL has plans to build a Rs 100-crore facility on the Hooghly in Kolkata for construction of vessels for inland water transport. The state-owned firm saw its initial public offering (IPO) in August getting oversubscribed as many as 75 times. CSL is the only shipyard in India that can build up to 1,10,000 DWT (deadweight tonnes) with a track record of making tankers, bulk carriers, port crafts and passenger vessels, among others. Currently, it is into constructing platform supply vessels for exports and aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy. It is also the only shipyard in the country which can fix vessels of up to 1,25,000 DWT, besides being the only yard that can repair an air defence ship. India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, is in its final stage of construction at CSL. CSL, under the shipping ministry, was listed on the BSE and the NSE on August 11 this year. The PSU had clocked revenue of Rs 2,059 crore in 2016-17, with ship-building operations accounting for 74 per cent and repair the rest. Its profit after tax stood at Rs 312 crore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The first day of the Haryana Assembly session today witnessed noisy scenes as members of opposition Congress were evicted after they remained adamant on the demand for a debate on the shelving of the Dadupur- Nalvi canal scheme by the state government. After the reading out of obituary resolutions, Congress MLAs, including former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kiran Chowdhary and Randeep Singh Surjewala, sought a debate on the scrapping of the canal project, claiming that the decision would hit the farmers hard. Congress MLAs said they had brought an adjournment motion on the issue and demanded that a debate be held. However, when the Speaker Kanwar Pal did not relent, all the Congress members trooped to the Well of the House, pressing for a discussion on the "burning issue". The Speaker while trying to persuade the Congress MLAs to go back to their seats said that he had accepted the adjournment motion and it would be taken up tomorrow. The Congress members kept demanding an immediate discussion. The Speaker first 'named' all the Congress MLAs and then asked the watch and ward staff of the Assembly to evict them. The Congress MLAs, while being taken out of the House, raised slogans against the BJP led government in the state. Later, talking to reporters, senior Congress leader and MLA Kuldeep Sharma said that once an adjournment motion is accepted in the House, it cannot be postponed. "It should be taken up immediately. It seems the government was not ready for it, that is why it was postponed for tomorrow," claimed Sharma. Surjewala said the attitude of the BJP government in the state was "anti-peasant". "There is no provision in the law to return land acquired by the government for this project," Surjewala, who is also national media in-charge of the Indian National Congress, asserted. Opposition parties had strongly condemned the Manohar Lal Khattar government's decision to scrap the Dadupur Nalvi canal project last month, saying that it would adversely impact the farmers of northern Haryana. The Haryana cabinet on September 27 had decided to scrap the Dadupur Nalvi canal scheme after approving a proposal of Irrigation and Water Resources Department to denotify 1,019.2994 acres of land acquired for construction of Dadupur Nalvi Irrigation Scheme. The decision to scrap the project was taken after the government found that this scheme was not "feasible". Earlier, when the proceedings of the House began with the reading out of obituary references, CLP leader and former minister Kiran Choudhary demanded the names of those, who died during in the violence following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case on August 25, should be included in the obituary resolutions. A total of 41 persons had died in Panchkula and Sirsa during the incidents of violence and arson. To this, INLD leader and leader of opposition in the House, Abhay Chautala made a demand for inclusion of names of people who died during Jat stir in February last year. "The names of those who died during the Dera violence and the Jat violence have been included in the obituary references," said Speaker Kanwar Pal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today demanded a court-monitored probe and an FIR against the BJP in Gujarat following allegations by a Patidar leader that he was offered Rs 1 crore to join the party. Following the claim by Narendra Patel, North Gujarat convener of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said Gujarat was priceless and could never be bought. His party's leaders accused the BJP of insulting Gujaratis by trying to "buy" and break those raising their voice against its government. "The way BJP is allegedly bribing Patidar leaders in Gujarat is a black spot on democracy. These allegations are serious," said Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari. "The Congress demands that an FIR be filed against the Gujarat BJP on these allegations of bribery. We also demand an investigation by a sitting judge of the Gujarat High Court. There should be a court-monitored investigation, because if this is not done, the entire sanctity of Gujarat elections is under question," Tewari told reporters. Rahul Gandhi had said in a tweet earlier in the day, "Gujarat is priceless. It has never been been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought." Tewari targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and criticised his "Naa khaaunga, na khaane doonga" slogan. "These days he (Modi) is behaving more as the chief minister of Gujarat rather than the prime minister of India," he said Allegations of bribery by people affiliated with movements that the BJP was trying to break were being levelled in the public space and all you heard from prime minister and BJP president Amit Shah was "deafening silence", he said. "Why is the BJP so apprehensive? Why is the BJP trying to coerce, lure, allegedly bribe the leaders of this movement and trying to break it? Isnt this a clear sign of their frustration? Isnt this a clear manifestation of their demoralization?" Tewari asked. He said allegations of bribery were also levelled by Congress MLAs during the Rajya Sabha election earlier this year. "Congress MLAs were coerced, attempts to bribe them were made, every state instrumentality of the state government and the central government was abused and misused by the NDA-BJP government... The same story is now playing itself out again." Narendra Patel made his claim at a press conference yesterday, hours after he announced that he was joining the BJP in the presence of state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani. The BJP rubbished his charges and said it was a "drama" staged at the behest of the Congress. "All these allegations are false. It was a drama (enacted) by Narendra Patel at the behest of Congress," Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said. Congress communications incharge Randeep Surjewala said, "Shah ji, (you) wont be able to buy pride and trust of 6.5 crore Gujaratis. BJP has cheated development, Gujarat is seeking an answer." "6.5 crore-strong Gujaratis wont get deterred, oppresed by and wont bow down to bribery, false catchphrases. Truth will win, Gujarat will win," Surjewala said on Twitter. Tewari also accused the prime minister of "insulting" 6.5 crore Gujaratis yesterday when he indicated that there would no development in the state if a BJP government was not elected "Yesterday, the prime minister went to Gujarat and what he did, tantamounted to an insult to 6.5 crore Gujaratis. So, the prime minister says, if you do not elect me, which is, if you do not elect the BJP, I will shut off your money. I will turn-off the tap. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar today cited connectivity as the critical constraint for development of Arunachal Pradesh and urged the state to work on it with a proper vision and plan. Kumar, who is on a visit to the state, held a meeting with the Chief Minister, Council of Ministers and top state government officials headed by the Chief Secretary. Kumar is accompanied by Jitendra Kumar, Niti Aayog adviser for North East region, an official release said. "I believe robust connectivity will solve all issues of the state and therefore, the state government with all its machinery, has to singularly focus on this issue together with Niti Aayog for a road forward," Kumar said. He asked the state government to constitute a Task Force and evolve a white paper on how to go about dealing with this constraint in a time bound manner. You need to have a clear-cut vision document and a time bound action plan. We at Niti Aayog will bring all relevant ministries on the table and make a roadmap for Arunachal Pradesh in this direction. Everything will follow once the issue of connectivity is resolved, he said. Appreciating Chief Minister Pema Khandus proposal to host a regional conference of the Niti Aayog to be attended by all the North Eastern states, Kumar said it would be a perfect platform for the states to put their respective white papers on their needs, priorities and the action plans to achieve these. He advised that the white paper or action plan be based on the Prime Ministers New India Mission 2022 program. You can call it as New Arunachal Mission 2022 that will give a concrete road map and its implementation in a time bound manner. This will sync with the Prime Ministers vision for a new India by 2022 when development will take the shape of a mass movement and not remain confined to elites or governments, Kumar said. Earlier, Development and Finance Commissioner Ashish Kundra made a power-point presentation detailing the potentials and challenges before the state. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, Power Minister Tamiyo Taga, Education Minister Honchun Ngandam, Civil Supplies Minister Kamlung Mossang, Urban Development Minister Nabam Rebia, PHE&WS Minister Bamang Felix and Advisor to CM Tai Tagak, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi government wrote to the Centre today requesting it to sprinkle water from choppers or any other aircraft to settle dust, a major source of air pollution in the city. The city government said it was ready to bear the expenses that would entail any such exercise using its air ambience fund, a corpus created out of Rs 25 paisa cess on every litre of diesel sold in Delhi. However, Environment Minister Imran Hussain's letter to his Union government counterpart Harsh Vardhan on the issue had no information on how such a plan would be executed in a city as large as Delhi. The air ambience fund, created in 2008, reportedly had around Rs 240 crore till last year, of which about a fraction had been used in subsidising electric vehicles. Queries to multiple officials of the the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), which maintains the corpus, on the current size of the corpus went unanswered. "In view of the continuous poor quality air in Delhi, it is requested that your good office may kindly propose to the Ministry of Civil Aviation to carry out an exercise to sprinkle water aerially through helicopter/aircraft to settle particulate matter in Delhi," Hussain wrote. Last October, the AAP government had announced a plan to put in place three-tier air treatment system, including setting up of wind purification units, mist fountains and virtual chimneys at five major traffic intersections on a trial basis. Later, when pollution had reached alarming levels after Diwali, the government announced a plan to install outdoor air purifiers at five major traffic intersections -- Anand Vihar, ITO, Sarai Kalen Khan, Kashmere Gate and IIT (Delhi) or AIIMS. But these proposals have not seen much progress in terms of implementation. Anumita Roychowdhury, who spearheads the Centre for Science and Environment's (CSE) projects against air pollution, said a comprehensive plan to tackle the pollution crisis, which was submitted to the Supreme Court earlier this year, deals with the dust issue and spells out a raft of preventive measures. "I do not know how aerial sprinkling would be executed and what quantum of water we are talking about. But the comprehensive plan which talks about paving of roads and road shoulders, vacuum cleaning, localised sprinkling of recycled water, setting up of water fountains at major traffic intersections and maintaining pothole-free roads among other measures should be executed," she said. The SC-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority has tasked the authorities in Delhi-NCR with preparing a list of roads in a state of disrepair and contributing to dust pollution. EPCA chairman Bhure Lal said after the identification of the "high-impact" roads, including NH-24, urgent dust-control measures would be taken up as part of the larger action plan to contain pollution levels, which spiralled after Diwali, but has since come down significantly. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded an air quality of index (AQI) of 'very poor' with a score of 306 for the city today, as against yesterday's 319. Hussain held a review meeting with officials of the Environment Department and the DPCC, where he was informed that air quality this year was "relatively better than 2016". This trend can be attributed to improved wind conditions post Diwali, the government said in a statement. An IIT-Kanpur study on Delhi's air pollution, considered the most comprehensive report on the issue till date, had identified road dust as the biggest source of suspended particulate matter in the city. According to the report, road dust makes up over 50 per cent of the total PM10 particles and about 38 per cent of PM2.5 particles. PM2.5 and PM10 are the most dominant pollutants in Delhi's air. These ultra-fine particulates, which can measure up to 30 times tinier than the width of a human hair and reach the bloodstream of a person through the respiratory system, pose serious health risks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NCP chief Sharad Pawar today termed "unfortunate" the death of farmers in the state allegedly after inhaling pesticides and claimed that when he was the Union agriculture minister, harmful chemicals were not allowed to be used. He expressed concern over availability of uncertified pesticides in the market and said the "ministry concerned is fully responsible" for the deaths. Recently, 21 farmers from Yavatmal died allegedly after inhaling pesticides while spraying them in their cotton fields. Last week, seven farmers in Solapur district were hospitalised as they complained of uneasiness after coming in contact with chemicals used in vineyards. "It is a very unfortunate thing because there is a law regarding (use of) pesticides andthere is an independent institute for this. Besides, pesticides cannot be used without the consent of this institute," Pawar told reporters at Nagpur airport on his way to Amaravati district. Replying to a query about the spate of pesticide-related death of farmers, he said, "Such incidents did not happen till now. Uncertified pesticides are available in the market and the ministry concerned is 100 per cent responsible for this the deaths)," he said. "During my tenure as the agriculture minister (in the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre), such incidents never happened because we never allowed use of pesticides without clearance," Pawar said. On the issue of farm loan waiver in Maharashtra, the former chief minister raised questions about the way the scheme was being implemented. "In some places farmers who did not take loans have been handed over loan waiver certificates. This raises questions over its proper implementation. I am ready to give the government some time on this issue," he said. The Maharashtra government had last week released Rs 4,000 crore under the first phase of the over Rs 34,000 crore farm loan waiver scheme. The disbursal, in the first phase, would cover more than 8 lakh farmers. The NCP chief said the state government should seek the Centre's help and provide assistance to farmers who have suffered losses to their soyabean and cotton crops due to unseasonal rains. "The state should approach the central governmentin this regard and provide immediate assistance to the affected farmers. I will discuss this issue with the state government," Pawar said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scores of people protested outside the collectorate here today, demanding the arrest of those behind the murder of two schoolboy brothers earlier this month, police said. The protesters, including the family members of Umesh and Yogesh, also alleged the main accused -- Jitendra alias Juta -- was threatening the witnesses and the family members. They submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate, demanding arrest of the accused, who is absconding, and a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the victims' family. On October 9, Umesh and Yogesh, who were students of Class XI and X respectively, were murdered, allegedly by neighbourhood youths after a brawl ensued in Barola village of Sector-49, Noida. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oscar-nominated director James Toback has been accused of sexual harassment by 38 women, who have come on record to talk about their ordeal in a report. According to the Los Angeles Times, the 72-year-old director sexually harassed women he hired, women looking for work and women he just saw on the street. Many women claimed that the director approached them on the streets of New York City and promised stardom. During his meetings with women, Toback boasted of his sexual endeavours with the famous celebrities and would ask them "humiliating personal questions". He would then proceed to inappropriate sexual behaviour in front of them, the report said. None of the women, 38 in total who were interviewed by the LA Times, had approached the police. Toback, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1991 for Warren Beatty starrer "Bugsy", denied the accusations, saying he never met any of the women mentioned in the report. He said it was "biologically impossible" for him to engage in the behaviour described in the report, and claimed that he had diabetes and a heart condition that required medication. The allegations against Toback come weeks after the New York Times and The New Yorker expose of Harvey Weinstein. Many women, including celebrities such as Lupita Nyong'o, Lena Headey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and Cara Delevingne, have since come forward to accuse the Hollywood producer of sexually harassing them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Enforcement Directorate(ED) today filed a charge sheet against controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi in a city court in connection with a money laundering case. Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj issued production warrant against Qureshi, who is in judicial custody, for October 25. Qureshi was arrested on August 25 and sent to ED custody by the trial court the next day for thorough probe in the case against him and others. The probe agency had claimed that "the witnesses have confirmed in their statements that they have delivered crores of rupees for Qureshi and his associates through his employees and one of the witnesses has stated that nearly Rs 1.75 crore have been exported by the accused from him and his friend in lieu of the help provided to him in a CBI case." It had also alleged that Qureshi was involved in hawala transactions through Delhi hawala operators. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) EU antitrust regulators raided German car manufacturers today, days after a similar swoop on the offices of BMW, in a fresh blow to the country's beleaguered auto industry. "The inspections are related to Commission concerns that several German car manufacturers may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices," the commission, the bloc's executive arm, said in a statement. It did not say which car companies were targeted, which is customary in EU anti-trust proceedings. However, Volkswagen and Daimler both revealed separately they are under investigation. Volkswagen said it was also a target of "ongoing antitrust investigations by the EU commission" while Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler confirmed an inspection and said it had "filed a leniency application." The raids are linked to a report in Der Spiegel that Volkswagen, Daimler and fellow German carmakers Audi, Porsche and BMW secretly worked together from the 1990s on car development, construction and logistics -- including how to meet increasingly tough diesel emissions standards. Both buyers and suppliers of the auto giants suffered from the under-the-table deals, the magazine alleged. The allegations of antitrust violations are the latest cloud over Germany's auto industry. In 2015, Volkswagen was forced to admit it had installed software in millions of its diesel vehicles to cheat emissions tests, which has already cost it tens of billions of euros. In a separate cartel case, Daimler suffered a billion- euro fine from Brussels last summer for fixing truck prices with competitors. In this latest case, Wolfsburg-based VW and Daimler were among the first to hand over details of the alleged broader collusion between the five firms to competition authorities, reported Spiegel, saying it had seen a relevant VW document. BMW in July denied any collusion with industry rivals on emissions from its diesel engines, saying none of its models had been "manipulated" or violated industry regulations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) EU officials today denied a German newspaper report saying a "tortured" British Prime Minister Theresa May pleaded with EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker for help in stalled Brexit negotiations at a dinner in Brussels last week. German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) said that May "begged" Juncker for help in the negotiations, warning Europeans of the immense political risk she had taken domestically in backing away from a hard Brexit and asking for a two-year transition period. The article, which did not cite sources, said May appeared "tortured," "fearful" and "discouraged" at a dinner with Juncker just days ahead of an EU summit in which EU leaders handed May a small victory by agreeing to start preparations for the next stage of negotiations. The report which appeared on Sunday said Juncker later told colleagues that May appeared beaten down by party infighting and looked like she was not sleeping at night, with "dark circles" under her eyes. In a tweet, Juncker's cabinet chief Martin Selmayr, who also attended the dinner with May, staunchly denied the newspaper report. "I deny that 1/we leaked this; 2/Juncker ever said this; 3/we are punitive on Brexit," wrote Selmayr. "It's an attempt to frame EU side and to undermine." Selmayr's response came after May's former joint chief of staff Nick Timothy took to Twitter to accuse him of leaking the information, calling it a "reminder that some in Brussels want no deal or a punitive one". Selmayr, a former ECB official from Germany, is a powerful figure in Brussels, known as a skilled spin doctor and is often thought to be a source to FAZ, a conservative Frankfurt-based daily. It is the latest leak to highlight the fraught atmosphere surrounding the talks, whose slow progress has stoked fears Britain could leave the European Union in March 2019 without a deal in place, risking economic and legal chaos. Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas accused unnamed people of trying to "point at us to serve their own political agendas, their own political priorities or even to undermine our negotiatiing position". "President Juncker would never have used the words attributed to him and never would have said anything like this. We have never been punitive on Brexit, we have said many times at all levels we are working for a fair deal," Schinas said at a regular conference. A diplomatic row had erupted in May following a similar report in the daily that Juncker had left a dinner meeting with the British PM "10 times more sceptical" about the prospect of a Brexit deal and told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that May was in a "different galaxy". That report was widely attributed to Selmayr and came just weeks ahead of British elections that turned into an embarrassing debacle for May who lost her majority in the UK parliament. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A former information minister of Pakistan's Sindh province was arrested today in a multibillion-rupee corruption case from outside a court here after a high drama. Sharjeel Inam Memon, a close confidante of PPP Co- Chairperson Asif Ali Zadari, took refuge in a courtroom in the Sindh High Court after it rejected his bail plea earlier in the day in the Rs 5.76 billion graft case. Memon kept officials of the paramilitary Rangers and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on their toes for hours outside the court after his bail plea was rejected and the judges ordered his immediate arrest. Memon is accused of embezzling billions of rupees in issuing advertisements in the media to promote the provincial government awareness campaigns. Following the rejection of his bail plea, he was holed up for hours in a courtroom to avoid arrest as his team explored legal options. Memon reportedly decided to challenge the SHC order in the Supreme Court to evade arrest, but that did not happen. To avoid any untoward incident, a large number of law enforcement agencies personnel had beefed up the security around the court. When the judges called it a day, Memon had no option but to step out. As soon as he exited the building, surrounded in a tight cordon by his lawyers and supporters, he was nabbed by representatives of the accountability bureau and whisked away. Memon and the 12 others are allegedly involved in the corruption in the advertisements campaign of the provincial information department. The PPP leader, who returned to Pakistan from self- imposed exile in March this year, had obtained protective bail in April in connection with an inquiry initiated by the top graft buster. Memon had fled to Dubai in 2015 after NAB launched a crackdown against political leaders and bureaucrats involved in corruption in the region. The anti-graft watchdog later filed a case in the accountability court regarding corruption in the advertisements campaign of the provincial information department. The PPP leader is also facing a separate reference regarding illegal adjustment and consolidation of hundreds of acres of land in favour of a private housing project. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four lower-rung Naxal cadres were arrested in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Dantewada district, police said today. A joint team of CRPF's 195th battalion and the district police force arrested four Naxals near Badegudra village under the Kuakonda police station limits yesterday evening, Dantewada additional superintendent of police Gorakhnath Baghel said. The nabbed cadres were identified as Baman Mandavi (27), Sannu Kawasi (30), Joga Kartami (35) and Ayta Madvi (30), all active members of 'jan-militia' of Naxals, Baghel said. They were suspected to be involved in incidents of torching of vehicles engaged in bridge construction and transportation in the area, the officer said, adding that their interrogation was underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Restaurants could soon have food floating straight into your mouth, as scientists have developed a technique that can levitate small amounts of eatables using sound waves. Researchers from University of Sussex in the UK discovered how to tune high-frequency sound waves to make almost any foodstuff float - provided that it is no bigger than a pea. Acoustic levitation works by creating a powerful "standing wave" of sound. This can trap objects in a kind of cage of sound waves, leaving them apparently weightless, researchers said. The team showed that they can move food as well, transporting it above a conveyor belt like weightless sushi. This could lead to restaurants where people see the food passing in front of them and bite down when something they fancy comes into view. Researchers also showed that making food fly also makes it taste sweeter. "Sweet tastes feel more intense and bitter tastes people find quite pleasant," Chi Thanh Vi told 'The Times'. "You could even use it to give medicine to children. If you make it fun, if you make floating medicine, surely they would go and give it a try," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The country's national reinsurer, GIC Re, will be listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on October 25. GIC Re's IPO, which was open from October 11 to 13, was subscribed 1.37 times. The IPO received bids for 17,06,99,808 shares against the total issue size of 12,47,00,000 shares, data available with the NSE showed. is all set to emerge among the top 10 global reinsurers and figure among the 40 largest global corporates, both in terms of market capitalisation. From its current ranking of 12 largest global reinsurer, the company is set to grow to the 10th spot during the current fiscal, given its healthy growth rate, a market source said. At present, is also the 3rd largest reinsurer in Asia. It is also likely be the second largest Indian entity in the financial sector PSU listed space after SBI, the source added. Alongside SBI, is the country's leading MNC in financial sector with a global presence - it has branches in London, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and a subsidiary in South Africa. Analysts point out that diversification is the key in risk management and GIC Re writing business from most parts of the world already has good diversification. The insurance and reinsurance industry is the latest to join the palette of choice for equity investors in recent times. "An interesting thing about the industry is that in some ways, it does not follow the economic cycle experienced by all other industries," an analyst said. Its fortune is more dependent on the man-made and natural disasters witnessed in the country or region where they write business from, he said. Globally, this feature has attracted significant funds from hedge funds and pension funds into the industry. In the Indian context, GIC Re is the only reinsurer where investors can put their money in, he said. GIC Re, he said, with its reinsurance business from over 160 countries, offers an interesting investment choice. The Indian insurance market is entering a new phase after more than a decade-and-a-half of opening up of the sector which saw a spate of new private insurers setting up shop, many of them joint ventures with global insurers. As compared to insurance business, which tends to be concentrated in a country or region, reinsurance business, though similar, usually has a global character and is akin to wholesale insurance business. Providing insurance to insurers, reinsurers get involved with mega-risks and concentration of risks against natural and man-made calamities. This requires scale, strong balance sheet with good solvency ratio and diversification in the risk book. GIC Re has shown very impressive growth trajectory during the last few years. This can be expected to continue given that there is continued emphasis by the government on the increasing the land under crop insurance. With a country size that matches a continent and with over a dozen agro-climatic zones (as per National Agricultural Research Project), there is natural risk diversification in crop risk portfolio, analysts said. The government may hike the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat by Rs 100 to Rs 1,725 a quintal for this year, a government source said today. A decision in this regard is likely to be taken in the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) meeting scheduled for tomorrow. The MSP is the rate at which government buys the grain from farmers. At present, wheat MSP is Rs 1,625 per quintal. "The MSP of rabi crops including wheat for the 2018-19 marketing year is on the agenda of the CCEA meeting tomorrow. The proposal is to raise the support price for wheat by Rs 100 per quintal for 2018-19," the source said. Wheat is the main rabi crop, sowing of which will begin from this month. The crop will be marketed from next year April onwards. In the cabinet note, the agriculture ministry has proposed MSP of seven rabi crops -- wheat, barley, gram, masur, rapeseed/mustard and safflower -- based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) To upgrade infrastructure in the North-East, the government is planning to undertake highway projects worth about Rs 1.45 lakh crore in next two to three years, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said. The government has already taken up many road improvement projects under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for North-East for better connectivity in the region, besides setting up National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd to augment capacity of the agencies involved in development and maintenance of highways in the region. "The government is planning to invest about Rs 1.45 lakh crore in the North-East for development of National Highways," Road Transport, Highways, Shipping and Water Resources Minister Gadkari told PTI. Of the proposed Rs 1.45 lakh crore investment, the government plans to invest about Rs 48,000 crore in Assam, Rs 22,000 crore in Manipur and Rs 20,000 crore in Nagaland for building roads. Projects worth Rs 17,000 crore are planned in Sikkim, Rs 12,000 crore in Mizoram, Rs 10,000 crore in Arunachal Pradesh and Rs 8,000 crore each in Meghalaya and Tripura, he said. The government has earlier said that it is giving special attention to infrastructure development projects, such as road, rail, communication, and telecom network in the North- East. A total of 197 on-going road development projects are being implemented under various programmes/schemes of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the North Eastern States, it as said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government's rice procurement rose marginally to 69.89 lakh tonnes (LT) so far in the 2017- 18 marketing year that started this month, compared to 69.31 LT in the year-ago, a senior Food Ministry official said. Food Corporation of India (FCI), the nodal agency for procurement and distribution, had procured 381 LT in the 2016 -17 marketing season (October-September). For the current year, the government has fixed a higher rice procurement target at 375 LT on hopes of good production. "The arrival of paddy is picking up in mandis. Till last week, about 111 LT of paddy had arrived in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh," the official told PTI. FCI and state agencies, which normally buy in rice format, have procured 41.33 LT of the grain in Punjab and 28.56 LT in Haryana so far. The procurement in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand has just begun and will pick up pace in the coming days, the official said adding that a little over 22,000 tonnes have been procured from Uttar Pradesh so far. The procurement is being done at minimum support prices (MSP). For 2017-18, paddy MSP of 'common' grade variety has been fixed at Rs 1,550 per quintal, while that of 'A' grade variety at Rs 1,590 per quintal. Rice output is pegged at 94.48 million tonnes in the kharif 2017-18 season, slightly lower than 96.39 million tonnes in the year-ago, as per the Agriculture Ministry's first estimate. A small quantity of rice come from rabi season also, sowing of which will begin soon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Agri-research body ICAR is looking into the matter of sale of spurious cotton seeds and action will be taken based on its report, Agriculture Secretary Shobhana K Pattanayak said today. Expressing concern over sale of such seeds, he said the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been asked to prepare a report and study the extent of penetration of spurious cotton seeds in the market. "It is a matter of concern. We expect the ICAR to submit the report soon. After assessing the situation, the Government of India will take an appropriate action," Agriculture Secretary Shobhana K Pattanayak told PTI. The government is seized of the matter as there have been media reports on sale of fake cotton seeds from different parts of the country, he added. Sale of unapproved and fake cotton seeds has been reported from cotton growing states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Last week, the Maharashtra government special task force had urged the central government to institute a CBI probe into the matter. In June, Hyderabad police had arrested four persons for allegedly selling fake cotton seeds. The Punjab government had also asked its agriculture department officials to crackdown on spurious cotton seeds in order to protect farmers. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab are the major cotton growing states in India. Cotton production is estimated to be lower at 32.27 million bales of (170 kg each) in the 2017-18 crop year (July-June) due to lower yields, from 33.09 million bales last year, as per the government's first estimate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Directorate General of Goods and Service Tax Intelligence (DGGSTI) today denied reports in a section of the media that it raided the premises of top Tamil actor Vishal's film production company. It was referring to reports, including by some television channels, today that the officers of the Directorate had searched the premises of the company. "It is to clarify that the officers of DGGSTI have not conducted any such search operations and the which is being circulated is factually incorrect and false," Joint Director of DGGSTI P V K Rajasekhar said in a release here. Actor-producer Vishal has his own film production unit Vishal Film Factory. Vishal is the president of Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) and general secretary of the South Indian Artistes' Association. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a scathing attack on the BJP-led Union government over the GST, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today described it as the "Gabbar Singh Tax" and called for changes in the new tax regime to make it simple. Stating that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in its present form was not what the Congress party had conceived, Gandhi said the Narendra Modi dispensation went ahead with it despite his party warning the government about the adverse impact. The Congress leader attacked Prime Minister Modi over the sudden demonetisation of high-value currency in November last year, saying the decision ruined the country's economy. "Their GST is not GST. GST means Gabbar Singh Tax. This is causing a loss to the country. Small shopkeepers are finished. Lakhs of youths have been unemployed. But they are still not ready to listen," Gandhi said in his address at a rally of the Thakor community here. According to him, the Congress' GST was a simple tax regime with a cap not exceeding 18 per cent, but the BJP-led government did everything opposite to what the Congress had said. "We have told them, and continue to tell them, that this GST will have to be changed, to be made simple. This has to be done or the country will face a big loss. This is the truth of the country," he said. "GST is the idea of the Congress party. We first brought it. There was a thinking behind GST, that there should be one tax in the entire country. And that tax shall be in 18 per cent cap and least number of forms have to be filled. But Arun Jaitley ji and Modi ji said 'no, we will not listen to the Congress party'," he said. "'If (Congress) said it shall be simple, we shall not make it simple. If you said tax cap shall be 18 per cent, then it shall not be capped at 18 per cent. If you said there shall be one tax, then we will make it five'," he said, referring to the stand of the government. Gandhi said the Congress party had warned the government about the adverse impact of the GST in its present form, but the government decided to go against their suggestions. Against the Congress's suggestions conveyed to the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Modi through party leader P Chidambaram, the government went on to impose a "very different" GST, he said. He also said that his party had asked the government not to be in a haste in its implementation. "But the government refused to listen," he said. Gandhi also attacked Modi over demonetisation saying that it has acted as another "axe" that hit the country adversely. "Don't know what happened. On November 8, Modi ji says that 'these Rs 500, Rs 1,000 notes, I did not like it, so from 12 at night, I am going to scrap it'. He hit the axe, and for the first 2-3 days he could not understand what happened," he said adding that Modi realised his mistake 5-6 days later. "Narendra Modi ji ruined the economy of the entire country," Gandhi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress Vice-President on Monday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said thousands of youths in Gujarat, belonging to all castes, will not remain silent now and their voices cannot be "suppressed" or "purchased". He was addressing a rally which marked formal joining of OBC leader Alpesh Thakor in the Congress as part of its strategy of broadening its political and social base to take on the long-ruling BJP. Gandhi attacked Modi and the BJP while latching on to the bribery allegation made by Narendra Patel, an activist of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). Narendra Patel, within hours of joining the BJP, alleged last night at a press conference that he was offered Rs 1 crore by the BJP and was given a token amount of Rs 10 lakh, a charge rubbished by the saffron party. "This Gujarati voice is not an ordinary voice. This voice of Gujarat cannot be silenced or suppressed. You can offer any thing, (Rs) one crore, (Rs) 10 crore, (Rs) 50 crore, (Rs) 1000 crore, entire budget of India, entire money of the world, (but) this Gujarati voice cannot be purchased," Gandhi said. "In the past also, there were attempts to suppress this voice. British tried to suppress Gandhiji, first in South Africa, then in Gujarat and India. But the voice of Gujarat drove out that superpower from the country," he said. "Sardar Patelji, Gandhiji were from this land and they used to protect the voice of Gujarat," he said. "But today this (BJP) government wants to suppress Gujarat's voice. They are so scared that they want to buy the voice," Gandhi alleged, adding "Modiji, there is no price tag for this voice. Modiji you cannot purchase Gujarat's voice." During Gandhi's speech, Alpesh Thakor asked the crowd to be silent and listen to the Congress vice president's speech. At this, Gandhi said, "You want to make the crowd silent Alpeshji? But they cannot remain silent. Modiji has harassed them so much that they cannot remain silent." The rally was organised by Thakor and his supporters. "There are thousands of youths in Gujarat who cannot remain silent now. They belong to all castes. There are two more youths like you (Thakor) - they are Hardik (Patel) and Jignesh (Mevani, a Dalit leader). Both of them cannot remain silent," the Congress leader said. Modi, on a visit to Gujarat last week, mounted a stinging attack on the Congress and the Nehru Gandhi family, saying they disliked Gujarat and Gujaratis who were an "eyesore" for them. In his 30-minute speech, Gandhi said, "Every caste is agitating here, I am surprised that everybody is agitating here. They are tired of false promises of the BJP government." The Congress vice president also targeted Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on the issue of alleged business deals of the latter's son Jay Shah. Amit Shah and Jay have denied any wrongdoing. "Modiji gave long lectures in Gujarat (during his recent visits), but has not spoken a single line regarding the company of Jay Shah," Gandhi said. "Modiji Make in India has failed. Only one company has benefited from the Make in India programme. The company was worth of Rs 50,000 and not made any progress till 2014. But after 2014 it grew to Rs 80 crore," he said. "Modiji just speak one sentence about it. You had said that you will not indulge in corruption and would not allow others to do it, then what is this," Gandhi said. On last Saturday, Thakor had met Gandhi in New Delhi and later announced that he would soon join the Congress. The Congress has been wooing leaders of various communities like Hardik Patel, Mevani and Thakor. The party is inviting them to join hands with the aim of expanding its base by securing the support of Patels, OBCs and Dalits, and dent the BJP's poll prospects in its stronghold. The Congress has been out of power in Gujarat for the last 22 years. State-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) today strongly pitched for going ahead with the fifth-generation fighter jet project with Russia, though the Indian Air Force is understood to have reservations over it. HAL Chairman and Managing Director T Suvarna Raju said the multi-billion dollar co-development project with Russia will be an opportunity as no country has ever offered such critical technology to India. "We are still hopeful. It is an opportunity for the industry as well as for the country. This is an opportunity for us to go in for this kind of (high) technology which has not been offered to us by any other country (except Russia)," he said. According to official sources, the IAF is not very keen to pursue the project in view of the high cost. Asked about IAF's reservations about the project, Raju did not give a direct reply and insisted that it would help India's aerospace sector to a great extent. "The impact of the project will be very positive. FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft) is my dream, I am hopeful about it," Raju told reporters on the sidelines of an event. He said it will take three years for the first FGFA to fly from the day the government gives the go ahead to the project. A high-level committee set up by the government to examine various aspects of the project has recently submitted its report and the defence ministry is likely to take a call on it soon. In 2007, India and Russia had inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project. In December 2010, India had agreed to pay USD 295 million (Rs 1,897 crore) towards the preliminary design of the fighter, which is called in India as the 'Perspective Multi- role Fighter'. However, the negotiations faced various hurdles in the subsequent years. In February last year, India and Russia revived talks on the project after a clearance from the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. Raju also said that HAL was looking at utilising the Sukhoi manufacturing facility for carrying out maintenance of the fleet as well as there is no future order for the jet. On the Indo-Russian joint venture to produce 200 Kamov light weight multi-role military helicopters, he said things are moving fast and that a request for quotation (RFQ) is likely to be issued by the government soon. In October last year, India and Russia had finalised a broad agreement for a joint venture between HAL and two Russian defence majors. India is procuring Kamov choppers to replace its ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. Sixty Kamov-226T helicopters will be supplied to India in fly-away condition, while 140 will be manufactured in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu government to initiate criminal prosecution against the people responsible for a reported incident of manual scavenging here which came to light recently. Referring to a photograph on manual scavenging published in a newspaper, first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar ordered the government to ensure that such incidents do not recur. The chief justice censured her administrative staff for failing to bring to her notice a complaint based on the reported incident of manual scavenging. The directives were issued during the hearing of a PIL by an NGO seeking payment of interest in addition to mandatory compensation payable to beneficiaries under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. Earlier, petitioner A Narayanan, director of the NGO, submitted that though the court had directed the Centre on October 7, 2016 to file a report over the utilisation of Swachh Bharath funds for rehabilitating the families of deceased manual scavengers, it had not been filed yet. Narayanan also said the state government was refusing to pay interest on the compensation which were paid years after the death of such manual scavengers. However, the bench referred to a Supreme Court order from 2015 directing the payment of compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of deceased manual scavengers and wondered how it can order payment of interest from a date prior to the apex court order. Moreover, the Supreme Court order did not provide for payment of interest, the bench said. Directing the state government to file a status report, it adjourned the matter to November 3. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court has rejected a plea challenging the recent appointments of Delhi government's standing counsel and a panel of counsel for the court and the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The high court said it was not inclined to entertain the controversy whether the council of ministers of Delhi government were consulted at the time of appointments. "This court is also not inclined to entertain the controversy whether the Council of Ministers of the Government of NCT/the Department of Law have been consulted in this petition. "In the event the concerned department and/or Council of Ministers are aggrieved by on account of non-consultation with them, it would be open for them to agitate the said issue," Justice Vibhu Bakhru said and dismissed the petition. The court also said the matter relating to appointments as standing counsel and other counsel to represent Delhi government was strictly a matter of discretion of the state government and there was no vested right for any person to insist on such appointments. The petition, filed by advocate Snehashish Mukherjee, challenged the September 26 notifications by which the appointments of standing counsel for the Delhi Government and certain other departments was notified. Advocate Khagesh Jha, appearing for the petitioner, said the advertisement was given on September 14 and the last date of submission of applications was October 3. He argued that the notifications appointing the standing counsel and other panel counsel to represent Delhi government in the high court and the CAT were issued before the last date. He claimed that the notifications were illegal and the appointments notified were liable to be set aside, as these were irregular because the council of ministers were not consulted. The court, however, said that the advertisement issued on September 14 had invited applications for appointment to a panel of counsel and notwithstanding that the last date of submission of applications had not elapsed, the government cannot be interdicted from making any appointment at its discretion. "Admittedly, it is not necessary that advertisements be issued for such appointments," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Calcutta High Court judge Debasish Kar Gupta today expressed displeasure over a section of civic police volunteers allowing government cars to illegally ferry passengers and slack traffic management on an arterial road in the city. On his way to the high court, Justice Kar Gupta had witnessed civic police volunteers allowing government cars pick up passengers by blocking the busy AJC Bose Road flyover approach in Park Circus area. The judge's car was among the vehicles caught in the snarl owing to such activities. On reaching the court, he summoned state Advocate General Kishore Dutta and asked him how government cars were brazenly being allowed by civic police volunteers to illegally pick up passengers by blocking other vehicles. Justice Kar Gupta directed Dutta to ask the Kolkata Traffic Police authorities to take immediate corrective measures in the matter. The advocate general assured him that strict action would be taken against erring civic police volunteers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court today granted a conditional stay on a tehsildar's order restraining a pastor from conducting prayer meetings at his residential premises in Coimbatore district. Justice K Ravichandrabaabu granted the interim stay for four weeks on a petition by pastor Selvasingh Samuel on the condition that under the guise of conducting prayers the petitioner shall not cause any nuisance to the public by way of noise pollution. In his petition, Samuel of Sultanpet in Sulur Taluk sought to quash a September 28 notice issued by the tehsildar of Sandaipettai directing him to stop conducting prayer meetings without permission from the district administration. "The court is of the prima facie view that the petitioner is entitled for an interim relief of stay for a period of four weeks," the Judge said in his order. The petitioner submitted that he was a full-time pastor engaged in preaching the Gospel and praying for the sick since 2002. He had been conducting prayers at his residence itself. In 2006, he formed a trust and registered it in the name of "Zion Prayer Fellowship" with him and his wife as founding trustees. As more people started attending his prayer meetings, he started constructing a 1,914 square feet hall in residential premises after obtaining permission from Vaarapatti village panchayat in September last year. The hall, being built with voluntary contributions, was nearing completion when the tehsildar issued the notice, stating that prayer meetings were being conducted in the premises by the petitioner without prior permission from the district administration. The notice said he should conduct such meetings only after obtaining permission. When the matter came up for hearing, senior counsel P Wilson, who appeared for the pastor, cited a Madurai Bench of Madras High Court order issued in 2006 and argued that no permission was required to practice Christianity or to conduct prayers. He further contended that conducting prayers do not require any permission from any administration. Granting the interim stay, the judge issued notice to the district collector and other authorities under him and posted the petition for hearing after four weeks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As many as 275 candidates, including former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, today filed their nomination for the November 9 Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls. With this, the total number of nominations filed for the polls went up to 479. Today was the last day for filing nominations. In all, 119 candidates filed nomination for 15 seats in Kangra, 74 candidates for 10 seats in Mandi, 64 for eight seats in Shimla, 41 for five seats in Hamirpur, 28 for five seats in Chamba, 29 for five seats in Solan. Twenty seven candidates filed their nomination for five seats in Sirmaur, 47 for five seats in Una, 17 for four seats in Bilaspur, 23 for four seats in Kullu, five each for one seat in Lahaul and Spiti, and Kinnaur constituencies. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Deepak Rathore had filed his nomination from Theog seat, but the party later announced that veteran leader and Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes (89) would be the official candidate. She filed her nomination from Theog in Shimla district. Stokes had left the seat for Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, but he shifted to Arki and she was asked by the party high command to contest from Theog, HPCC president Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu said. Stokes has contested assembly polls ten times since 1974 and lost twice in 1977 and 1993. Dhumal filed his nomination from Sujanpur; Sukku entered the fray from Nadaun, while Vikramaditya Singh filed his papers from Shimla (Rural) constituency, vacated by his father Virbhadra Singh. Former minister Anil Sharma, son of former Union communication minister Sukh Ram who recently joined the BJP, also filed his nomination from Mandi (Sadar) and Deputy Speaker Jagat Singh Negi from Kinnaur. Over two dozen rebel leaders of the Congress and the BJP who were denied tickets also joined the fray as independents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) is all set to expand its scooter portfolio as it gears up to launch an all new automatic 'Grazia' in the country. The bookings for the scooter will open from October 25. "Starting October 25, customers can book Honda's latest advanced urban sensation at Rs 2,000 only across all Honda 2-Wheelers India dealerships," the two-wheeler major said in a statement. Developed on the concept of advanced urban scooter, Honda's Grazia is tailor-made for the young and confident, it added. The company, however, did not share details about engine, price or any other features of the new model. HMSI is the leading scooter manufacturer in the country. It currently sells 6 scooter models, including Activa range, which remains the leader in the segment. In its 16 years of Indian operations, Honda has sold over 2 crore scooter units in the country. "Grazia is set to create new excitement with its advanced technology, innovative industry first features and sharp design lines," HMSI said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haryana agriculture minister O P Dhankar today said the state government was aware of the crop residue burning issue and his department has submitted a Rs 1,601.57 crore plan to the Centre for procuring required machinery for the management of stubble. He was replying to a calling attention motion on the first day of the winter session of Haryana Assembly here. "The department has submitted a five-year plan of Rs 1,601.57 crore to the central government. The central government has released Rs 45 crore for providing straw management machines on subsidy to the farmers of the state for crop residue management in the year 2017-18," Dhankar said. The minister said in pursuance to an order of the NGT, the government had issued a notification dated September 16, 2003 prohibiting burning of left-over straw in the state. Coordinated efforts have been made by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Environment Department and New and Renewable Energy Department (HAREDA) to solve the problem face by farmers, Dhankar said. He said the department has identified 11 categories of straw management implements for which it has received 5,162 applications online. The minister said disbursal of subsidy to the farmers is under process and 944 straw management implements have already been distributed to them as on October 16. He said currently, the department possesses 65 zero-till seed-cum-fertiliser drill, 26 happy seeders and two straw balers which are being made available to the farmers on hire basis at nominal rates. Dhankar also informed the House that his department was also providing incentives under Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM) on demonstration at Rs 4,000 per hectare to farmers who have purchased the machinery on subsidy and want to run it for straw management demonstration purpose. A total of 18,000 hectares of land would be covered for demonstration of crop residue management, covering 15 major paddy growing districts for practical knowledge of the farmers regarding the use of straw management implements. Rs 7.2 crore would be spent for this, he said. The minister said to tackle the issue of straw burning and to promote paddy straw-based biomass power projects in the state, HAREDA has floated a Request for Proposal (RFP) for setting up such plants on pilot basis in Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Kaithal, Jind and Fatehabad districts. This would consume about 5.5 lakh tonnes of paddy straw as fuel. The capacity of paddy straw consumption is targeted to be increased by about 11 lakh ton in the second phase, Dhankar said. He said HAREDA is also in the process of formulating a Biomass Policy 2017 for the state with an objective to harness biomass-based power, biogas, bio-CNG, bio-manure and bio- fuels. District Magistrates have set up enforcement teams to check crop residue burning and recover penalty from farmers who resort to the act in violation of NGT orders in this regard, the minister said. Earlier, the Haryana Assembly paid tributes to prominent personalities who died between the period from the end of the previous session and the beginning of this session of the House. Members of the House also observed a two-minute silence to pay homage to the departed souls. They also paid tributes to those who lost their lives during the violence in Panchkula and Sirsa on August 25. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British banking major HSBC today said its head of strategy for the Asia-Pacific region, Jayant Rikhye, will be taking over as the India chief executive from the incumbent Stuart Milne. Milne served as the country head for five years, during which the bank took decisions like nearly halving its retail branch presence and also exited several businesses like private banking and retail broking, leading to some job losses. In 2016, India was the third biggest contributor to the group's profits. Rikhye joined the bank in 1989, in the India operations itself, and his last assignment also included being head of international for Asia-Pacific. "Jayant brings with him a vast experience of leading international banking operations in Asia. I am confident he will be able to take the banks India operations to the next level of development," said HSBC deputy chairman and chief executive Peter Wong in a statement. Rikhye will take over the new role on December 1. Milne is going on a sabbatical for three months and his new role will be announced later, the bank said. The bank said India has the second largest workforce for it globally. The country has also been supporting the groups "ten point strategic agenda" outlined in 2015, becoming one of the top contributors to group profits, it added. The bank said in India, it is focused on driving digital technology and the next phase of growth will come from greater digital synergy and cross-border activity. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, will host a symposium 'Mapping the Ahampuram' focusing on contemporary Tamil women writers and poets here on October 26. The symposium is an outcome of an exploratory project funded by IIT Madras, for which the Department of Humanities interviewed contemporary Tamil women writers, a release from the premier institute here said. The meet will have panel discussions that will revolve around relevant topics like 'What it means to be a woman writer today' and 'writing the body'. A translation workshop would also be held and would be conducted by Prof R Azhagarasan from the Department of English, University of Madras. The participants would be taught the "fine art of translation" and also have an opportunity to read their translations along with the other participants. V Padma (Mangai), renowned theatre activist and writer, will deliver the keynote address at the symposium. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The state unit of the BJP today urged the Congress government in the state to detect and deport foreigners who have illegally entered the state from neighbouring countries. In a press statement issued here, the BJP said the joint secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Dilip Kumar, had on August 8 instructed the state chief secretary to immediately deport the "undocumented" immigrants. The state government, however, failed to act on the instructions of the Centre, it said. The BJP also accused the ruling party of taking advantage of the illegal influx for strengthening its vote bank. The BJP would repatriate all illegal immigrants when it comes to power, the statement added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathy today said agricultural researchers should include traditional knowledge of farmers to maximise production. Tripathy, who came to preside over the 20th convocation of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya here as chancellor, also said discussions were underway on the situation of agriculture and allied fields, following a flood-like scenario in some parts of the state. State Agriculture Minister Ashis Banerjee, who was the special guest on the occasion, said there was accumulated rainwater water on agricultural fields, and once it dries, further assessment of the impact could be undertaken. "In the meanwhile, seeds have been given to farmers," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India is an attractive market for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) spot trade though its power generating sector will continue to rely significantly on coal, energy industry executives said here today. "The LNG market is getting shorter, more liquid and transparent that suits market like India as there are going to be more LNG available on the spot (trade), said Martin Houston, vice chairman of the Texas-based LNG company Tellurian Inc. "With the increasing number of terminals along the coasts and pipeline connection, I see great amount of LNG being sold to India (in the coming years), he told a press conference at the Singapore International Energy Week which opened today. But India will also have to maintain some long-term LNG supply contracts for stability, added Keisuke Sadamori, director at the Directorate of Energy Markets and Security in the International Energy Agency. He noted that India has joined Japan, South Korea and China in calls for global LNG suppliers to offer competitive prices. Houston noted that India is renegotiating long-term contract for lower LNG prices as price will remain a determinant in lowering energy cost in India. "There has been willing buyers and willing sellers and gas continued to be supplied to India despite the re- negotiation of termed contracts," he said. However, coal will continue to play a significant role in Indias power generating sector as the government continues with its efforts to reach out with electricity across the country, both executives and delegates at the conference pointed out. Emphasising on India's ongoing renewable energy programme, the executives saw the significance of coal as it would remain the cheapest fuel for generating electricity. India is going to be dependent on coal for a long-time, said clean energy consultant Ken Hickson, managing director of Singapore-based ABC Carbon. Though Indian renewable energy targets are applaudable, some 275 GW by 2027, according to National Electricity Plan 3, Hickson noted that the progress on some of the green projects have been slow. India has vast renewable energy resources, hydro-power, solar and wind being among the main sources, according to Hickson. He observed that Indian renewable business is one of the most attractive investment segments but the processes of getting on with project were still slower despite the improving ease of doing business in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India aims to create 100 million jobs through tourism and attract 40 million foreign tourists annually in the next five years, Union minister K J Alphons said today. The minister also said that at present, 14.4 million international tourists visit India annually, he said, adding the annual foreign exchange earning (through tourist spends) is about Rs 1.56 lakh crore. "We have set an aim of providing 100 million jobs through the tourism sector and (attracting) 40 million foreign tourists annually into India in the next five years. Today, we are providing about 43 million jobs," the Minister of State for Tourism said at a press conference. After meeting the CEOs of companies investing in the sector and deliberating upon how to maximise its potential, Alphons asserted he would "strongly recommend" to the finance ministry for a reduction in the GST rate for five-star hotel rooms attracting a tariff of Rs 7,500 and above. "They (industry) feel the taxes are too high. We would certainly bat for the industry and request the finance ministry to bring down the tax rates so that there will be much better acceptance," the minister said. Besides, Alphons said, the ministry was in advanced stages of a proposal to provide infrastructure status to the tourism industry for projects up to Rs 50 crore and will soon approach the union Cabinet for its approval on the same. "With the infrastructure status, possibly the lending rates would come down, states would be able to give land on much better terms to the hotel industry," Alphons pointed out. Elaborating upon the suggestions that emerged from the day-long deliberations, the minister said the tourism industry has sought a single-window clearance mechanism for approvals. "Even though things have been made much easier at the Centre by the Government of India, they (industry) feel that things are still complicated at the state level. You need about 70 permits for a hotel to be opened, this is outrageous. We need to bring down the number of permits which are required to operate a hotel down to the minimum," he said. Moreover, Alphons said, the tourism industry feels that it is extremely expensive to set up hotels in India because the land cost is extremely high. "We had proposals from the tourism industry which basically talked about providing land at concessional rate or lease so that one does not have to pay the complete amount upfront. We also agree in the ministry that the cost of land must come down dramatically otherwise they will not be able to set up hotels," said the minister. Observing that there is a shortage of two lakh rooms across the country in the Rs 2,000 (per day tariff hotels) and below segment, Alphons highlighted the need for massive investment by the sector. Besides, he said, the government and the industry will work together to ensure the availability of skilled professionals for the hospitality sector. "We have a fairly large number of hospitality institutes run by the ministry itself and we along with the private sector will work on a massive skill development programme," he said. The minister also conveyed the decision to set up four joint working groups to handle various issues. The working groups will comprise of representatives from the government, tourism industry, Invest India and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion. "They (working group) will meet very often and sort out issues, make recommendations to the ministry. We will follow up on these issues meticulously," Alphons said. He said the tourism sector sought establishment of a national tourism board for constant engagement between the tourism ministry and the industry and a regulatory framework for home stay, etc, adding that the ministry will certainly look into both suggestions. India currently attracts 1 per cent of global tourists and the government expects to double the numbers over the next five years, Tourism Secretary Rashmi Verma said. Besides, Verma said the ministry is looking at creating better facilities at the airport so that tourists coming to India get clearance faster and don't have to stand in queues. "We are also setting up facilitation centres at some of the key airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, etc to facilitate the people who are coming on e-visas," Verma said. She said the ministry was trying to completely change the mindset and ensure that the country's world heritage sites and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monuments have world-class infrastructure facilities. "We have launched a new scheme called Adopt a Heritage, in which we have offered select ASI monuments and the World Heritage sites for adoption by the industry or the public sector for setting up basic amenities like clean toilets, clean drinking water. "Seven sites have already been selected by the public sector and the private sector (for adoption). We are very hopeful that we will succeed in creating world-class facilities at our ASI monuments and world heritage sites in partnership with the private and public sector to provide a much better experience to tourists," Verma said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior BJP leader and MP Poonam Mahajan said India wanted good relations with its neighbours but could not remain patient in the face of continued provocation. The BYPJM president, who was addressing a youth convention here, said wars were thrust upon India but the country wanted peace with its neighbours. "They threw stones, bullets were fired for so many years. They are not ashamed of pushing the infiltrators or blaming us for terrorism in their country. We have peace, power, will and patience but you cannot question our patience," she said. "(Former prime minister A B) Vajpayee took the bus to Lahore (Pakistan), former Pakistan premier (Nawaz Sharif) was invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his oath taking ceremony," she said. Mahajan said the surgical strikes were a like a big punch in response to the "continuous interference" which left the country surprised and speechless. She said India wanted to seal its borders with Bangladesh despite it enjoying good relations with the country due to "continuous infiltration of people" who had reached Kashmir and even Mumbai. "Already India is a country with 130 crore people. How much more we will take," she said. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was following the doctrine of Vajpayee as nothing could match the policy of "Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat and jamhooriyat". She said the government was treating the Kashmir issue with utmost seriousness, unlike any other government in the past. She said their association with Jammu and Kashmir was unique and they always want to connect with the state by heart and added that now peace can be seen returning to the state. Hitting out at opposition parties, she said there were people who wanted to play politics over various issues to undermine the efforts of the government in the state. "Two families are doing politics to keep Kashmir at loggerheads with India to continue the exploitation of the people. They spent vacations in London and have bank accounts in foreign banks," she claimed in an apparent reference to the National Conference and the Congress. She said it took her 12 years to become the president of the youth wing of the BJP. "I'm not from the Congress and could not have risen with the support with my father or someone else," she claimed. Mahajan said the BJP was in power in the state due to the people of the Jammu region who always supported the party. Earlier, BJP general secretary (organisation) Ashok Kaul accused the Congress and the National Conference of launching a misinformation campaign against the party for electoral gains. "The parties are targeting the government for not announcing a public holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh and driving out Rohingiya Muslims settled in the state," he alleged. He said the people's support to the BJP had unnerved opposition parties and added that people were acknowledging that the state had seen a corruption-free government for the first time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The interlocutor for Naga peace talks, R N Ravi today lauded the Naga tribal grass-root organiations and civil societies for making it possible for the six Naga National Political Groups (NNGPs), who are now formally party to the peace process, to come together. "This is a historic development because howsoever comprehensive the Naga issue, we cannot leave anyone out of the peace process. We must strive to the best of the ability to make it happen," Ravi said. Ravi is here in Nagaland to hold peace talks with the working committee of six NNPGs, which is being held for the first time in the state. Besides the ongoing Naga political dialogue between the Govt of India and the NSCN-IM, the six NNPGs have also been invited to involve in the peace talks before a final settlement is achieved. Ravi said the Centre cannot be indifferent to the stake holders representing the Naga society at the grass root level and the active cooperation shown by them so far will surely reach an "honourable and acceptable solution in the near future". The interlocutor said Naga issue cannot be fragmented. "We cannot have too many agreements and solutions. There will be one peace process and one agreement that will be inclusive and comprehensive," he said and urged the NNGPs to continue to maintain unity and work to bring all groups under the peace process. "We must not waste time but be sincere and honest and sort out the differences," he added. Leaders of tribal organizations and civil societies have extended their support and cooperation and urged upon the Centre to expedite the peace process by bringing all Naga political groups on board to find an honourable solution to the long protracted Naga issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The opposition BJP today asked the TRS government in Telangana to clarify whether the textile park, proposed to be developed by it at Warangal, is part of the Centre's scheme for textile parks or not. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao laid the foundation stone for the textile park at Warangal yesterday. "Is the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park part of the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) or not? If yes, Centre would make 40 per cent investment. You would not say no to that," state BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao told reporters here. He also asked the state government to announce the timeline for execution, the project report and by when the estimated jobs would be realised. The state government yesterday said it has signed MoUs with 22 companies, which will invest Rs 3,900 crore in the textile park. The textile park would provide direct employment to 27,000 people and create about 50,000 indirect job opportunities, the state government had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said today that mortar and rocket fire from Syria that landed in Israel last week was ordered by arch-foe Hezbollah, without the involvement of the Syrian regime. Speaking to senior members of his Yisrael Beitenu party in parliament, Lieberman said the fire into the Israeli- occupied sector of the Golan Heights was "definitely" not random spillover from fighting in the Syrian civil war, as in several previous incidents. "This was deliberate fire by a local squad operated by Hezbollah," Lieberman's party spokesman quoted him as saying, without elaborating on his source for the information. Israel fought a devastating 2006 war with Hezbollah and has voiced concern the Lebanese Shiite militant group's involvement in Syria risks opening up a new front. Hezbollah is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al- Assad, but Lieberman said he was not implicated in incidents on Thursday and Saturday in which rockets and mortar shells hit open ground in the Israeli sector. Israel responded with tank fire against Syrian military positions, saying that it held "the Syrian regime accountable for any aggression from within its territory." The Syrian defence ministry said that rebels had deliberately fired the rounds into Israeli-held territory to provoke the response against its forces. Lieberman appeared to concur. "Hezbollah did it in isolation from the Assad regime," he said in Hebrew, putting the blame on its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. "It was a personal order from Nasrallah to keep it secret from Assad," he said, adding that nevertheless Israel saw the Syrian regime as responsible for attacks launched from Syrian soil. "Especially today when it controls 90 per cent of the territory," Lieberman said. He called on Damascus and on Russian forces deployed in Syria to restrain Hezbollah, which he said sought to "drag us into the Syrian swamp". "I hope that everyone is sufficiently responsible to prevent that," he added. Israel has sought to avoid becoming directly involved in the six-year civil war in Syria, though it acknowledges carrying out dozens of air strikes to stop what it calls advanced arms deliveries to Hezbollah. Israel seized 1,200 square kms of the Golan Heights from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it, a move never recognised by the international community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The clock has turned full circle for former IB chief Dineshwar Sharma, who was appointed the Centre's special representative in Kashmir today, 25 years after his first posting for the bureau in the Valley. It was May 1992. Militancy was at its peak and Sharma, then 36, arrived in Srinagar after completing a year of customary training at the Intelligence Bureau headquarters in New Delhi. The Kerala-cadre officer, who was posted as assistant director between 1992 to 1994, went on to head the IB from 2014 to 2016. Today, he was appointed special representative for the government's "sustained dialogue" process for peace in the Valley. "It's like homecoming for me. I am sure that I will be able to fulfil the expectations of the government and people of the country," Sharma told PTI. The 61-year-old -- at present the Centre's pointperson for dialogue with Assam-based militant groups -- said he feels honoured that he has been assigned such a challenging task. Kashmir has been a running thread through his career. After his return from the Valley in 1994, Sharma was again posted at the Kashmir desk in the national capital. "The times were tough and I hope that now we will together bring peace in the Valley," he said. Asked whether he would talk to separatist groups in the Valley, Sharma said, "The modalities are being worked out but I would like to talk to everyone who is interested in bringing permanent peace in the Valley." "Let me make it clear that peace is the priority and for that my doors will be open to everyone," he said. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech, Sharma said, "... We have to work towards the goal set by the prime minister and embrace Kashmiris and ensure that lasting peace is achieved." Sharma, who has also served in Uttar Pradesh and northeastern states besides holding sensitive posts at the IB headquarters here, called on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Sharma would hold talks with all sections of people and organisations, the minister had said at a hurriedly called press conference here earlier in the day. The home minister made it clear that Sharma, who would hold the rank of a cabinet secretary, would have complete independence in deciding who to hold talks with. "The Centre has shown conviction and consistency on Kashmir issue and carrying forward this policy, we have decided to begin a sustained dialogue policy for Jammu and Kashmir," the minister said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Japan's defence minister asserted today that North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities have grown to an "unprecedented, critical and imminent" level. The minister, Itsunori Odonera, said that this rising threat means his country, along with South Korea and the United States, have to collectively take what he called "different responses." His comments, made through an interpreter, came at the outset of a meeting in the Philippines with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and South Korea's defense minister, Song Young-moo. Onodera noted that North Korea has recently launched ballistic missiles that have overflown Japanese territory and said it cannot be ruled out that a recent underground nuclear test by North Korea was a hydrogen bomb. "The country has steadfastly improved it nuclear and missiles capability," said Onodera. He added: "The threat posed by North Korea has grown to the unprecedented, critical and imminent level." "Therefore, we have to take calibrated and different responses to meet that level of threat," he said, without elaborating on what "different" responses Japan favors. Mattis was somewhat more reserved in his remarks, although he did slam Pyongyang for defying UN Security Council resolutions against its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. But the US defence secretary did not mention any potential military action. Mattis instead emphasised a unified US-Japan-South Korea position in pressuring the North to give up its nuclear programme. "North Korea's provocations threaten regional and global security," he said. South Korea's defense minister, Song, said that North Korea's behavior is "becoming worse and worse." Earlier today, in brief remarks to reporters, Song was asked about the risk of war against North Korea. He said defense ministers bring a special perspective to the problem. "We understand the very weight of engaging in a war," he said through a translator. "As such, we will make all the efforts necessary to resolve the issue in as economic and diplomatic way as possible." He added that if the South were to be attacked, "we'll have to take firm actions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran actor Julie Walters said she wants to play a Bond villain and has even suggested it to producer Barbara Broccoli. The 67-year-old actor recently worked with Broccoli on "Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool," reported Femalefirst. "I told her I want to be the new Rosa Klebb (the villain in 'From Russia With Love'). They should have a baddie woman. I'd love that. What accent would I use? Depends on the baddie - depends on the baddie. Maybe she should be from North Korea. Anyhow, I haven't heard back," Walters said. The actor also revealed she was surprised by the that there would be a "Mamma Mia!" sequel. "When they told me about that, I thought: but surely they've used up all the bloody songs? But they'd done another and it's really good. I love singing. And we had such a laugh on the first one. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian cyber security firm Kaspersky today said it will open "transparency centres" in Asia, Europe and the US which will provide trusted partners access to reviews of company's software. This initiative is part of its Global Transparency Initiative scheme -- a move which comes following allegation of espionage by the US government. The company said it plans to establish the first of the three transparency centres in 2018 to "address any security issues together with customers, trusted partners and government stakeholders". "The centres will serve as a facility for trusted partners to access reviews on the company's code, software updates and threat detection rules, along with other activities. The transparency centres will open in Asia, Europe and the US by 2020," Kaspersky said in a statement. The US has asked federal agencies to stop using Kaspersky software on concerns of possible ties between the company's officials, the Kremlin and Russian intelligence services, which it said could potentially risk US national security. The move comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the US over allegations of Moscow interfering in last year's US presidential election. Kaspersky had denied the allegations. "Reduced cooperation among countries helps the bad guys in their operations, and public-private partnerships don't work like they should. The internet was created to unite people and share knowledge. We need to reestablish trust in relationshipsbetween companies, governments and citizens. That's why we're launching this Global Transparency Initiative," Kaspersky Lab, Chairman and CEO, Eugene Kaspersky said. He said cyber security has no borders but attempts to introduce national boundaries in cyberspace is counter- productive and must be stopped. The Russian cyber firm said that in addition to launching initial phase of its Global Transparency Initiative, Kaspersky Lab will engage with its stakeholders and the information security community to determine the next phase of the initiative in the second half of 2018 for generating higher transparency in business. Kaspersky said it will start an independent review of the company's source code, software updates and threat detection rules by first quarter of 2018. It will also commence an independent assessment of the company's secure development lifecycle processes, and its software and supply chain risk mitigation strategies will start by first quarter 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Anupam Kher and Shabana Azmi will share personal anecdotes and career highlights during an event atUniversity of New South Wales in Sydney. The December 3 event is a part of the 'In conversation Event' series launched by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television arts (AACTA). Azmi and Kher, whowere recently announced asgrand jurors for the inaugural AACTA Award for the Best Asian Film, will also attend the 7th AACTA Awards ceremony on December 7at The Star Event Centre. "It's a great thrill to be returning to Australia to hold my first Australian 'In Conversation' event as part of the Australian Academy's Screen Week Program," Kher said. "By sharing some of the experiences and insights I have had throughout my career, I hope to help inspire others and further engage Australian audiences with the Indian film industry. I am very happy they are recognising talentsfrom this side of the world," he added. Azmi said the event gave her a chance "to connect with my fans in Australia and to have the opportunity to share my thoughts, learnings and knowledge from my career in the Indian film industry." "We are delighted to welcome two of India's most acclaimed and admired actors, Shabana Azmi and Anupam Kher, to Sydney this December for AACTA's 'In Conversation Event Series', as well as the 7th AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel," said AFI - AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella. "The two intimate events will provide industry and film fans alike with rare behind the scenes insight into the careers and creative workings of these two icons of Indian film." Three Indian films "Dangal", "Kaasav: Turtle" and "Pink" have been nominated along with other Asian films from Korea, Japan, China and Philippines. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 23-year-old man, who is the kingpin of a 'thak-thak' gang, has been arrested within a hour of allegedly stealing a woman's purse after puncturing her car's tyres in south Delhi's Saket, the police said today. Such gangs first distract a car driver either by knocking hard on the car windows or by puncturing tyres or by minor accidents and then flee with valuables kept in the car. On October 21, the police were informed by the woman that her handbag containing Rs 55,000, her cell phone, her ID proofs and bank passbooks had been stolen from her car, they said. According to the police, when the woman was going towards Gurgaon, she noticed that her car had a punctured tyre and stopped the vehicle near Dhaula Peer on Mehrauli-Badarpur Road in Saket. The woman told the police that as soon as she stopped the car, two people riding a motorcycle stopped by. As one of them pretended to help her, the other person stole her handbag from the car and both of them fled on the motorbike, the police said. A message about the incident was sent across to all police pickets in Saket and in less than an hour of the incident being reported, two bike-borne men, carrying a woman's handbag, were spotted near NBCC Plaza, they said. One the two men, identified as Suraj, was nabbed following a chase, while the other managed to escape. The stolen handbag and a T-shaped iron piece was seized from him, the police said. During interrogation, Suraj confessed that he lead a 'thak-thak' gang. He disclosed that the co-accused's name is Ramesh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ishwar Singh said. Suraj revealed that he used the T-shaped iron piece to puncture the tyres of targeted vehicle at traffic red lights, the DCP said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The last painting created by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is expected to fetch 80,000 pounds in an auction in the UK. Churchill's final work titled, 'The Goldfish Pool At Chartwell' was painted shortly before his death in 1965. It depicts his "most special place in the world" - the goldfish pond at his Chartwell home in the UK. The painting was given to Sergeant Edmund Murray, who served Churchill as a bodyguard for the last 15 years of the former prime minister's life and helped the politician prepare his easel and brushes. "This was his last ever picture. But even more than that, it was the most special place in the world for Churchill, his home in Kent. It looks out on to the most incredible landscape," Frances Christie from Sotheby's auction house told 'The Telegraph'. "It was where he always longed to return to and was most relaxed," Christie said. Ill health forced Churchill to paint less in the years before his death in 1965 and the creation of this work was the last occasion Sergeant Murray set up his easel and brushes for him. The painting, which is expected to fetch up to 80,000 pounds, has been cherished ever since by the bodyguard's family, the auction house said. The auction will take place on November 21. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Auto major Mahindra & Mahindra today said it has invested Rs 16 crore to replace LED lights at 18 manufacturing sites in a tie-up with the state-run Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL). The two parties signed an agreement towards the project, that envisages saving 20 million units of electricity per annum. "This collaboration is EESL's first private sector engagement to promote energy efficient appliances in a working space and is aimed at encouraging private sector to adopt energy efficient appliances," a joint statement said. While the Mahindras will be investing Rs 16 crore for the project, EESL will render technical assistance, cost efficient procurement and project management services. "This partnership marks a very significant step towards promoting an energy efficient lifestyle among corporates and large facilities in India," EESL managing director Saurabh Kumar was quoted as saying in the statement. He said the company, a joint venture of state-run engaged in the energy space, seeks more such collaborations with the private sector to adopt energy efficient appliances that will help them in reducing operational costs. Stating that the Mahindras look at sustainability as a business strategy, its managing director Pawan Goenka said the company has also encouraged suppliers, dealer partners and employees to adopt energy efficient solutions and reduce carbon emission. Apart from these facilities, energy audits are being undertaken at six other manufacturing facilities to explore further energy saving opportunities like waste heat recovery, energy efficient motors and heating, ventilating and air- conditioning, the statement said. Last year, the company had made a commitment to double energy productivity by 2030 and also invest USD 10 per tonne of carbon emitted in technologies to reduce its carbon footprint. In June this year, Mahindra had tied up with EESL to make the homes of its employees energy efficient, the statement said, adding 20,000 staffers have signed up for it. Poetry buffs in Kerala now have an opportunity to know the literary skills of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the release of Malayalam translation of his selected poems. The Malayalam version of the poetry collection titled "Aankh aa dhanya chhe", penned originally by him in his mother tongue, Gujarati, was released here at a function today. The book, titled "Mizhiyithu Dhanyam", comprises a collection of 67 poems penned by Modi on a host of topics -- ranging from Vande Mataram and Kargil to voyage, butterfly, and memories. "Love my Gujarat; It is my soul," Modi writes as an introduction to the book. The Malayalam version, brought by noted academic V V Viswam, is based on its Hindi translation by Anjana Sandhir. Releasing the book, Union Minister Satyapal Singh said the country has got a prime minister "deeply rooted in the nation's religion and culture" through Narendra Modi. The minister of state for HRD also hailed Modi as "a man of dedication and commitment". "I am sure, the kind of prime minister the country has got in the history of 70 years...first time, the country has got a PM...a man of dedication and a man of commitment...a man deeply rooted in India's religion and culture," Singh said. The minister also released the Malayalam translation of 'Ramcharitmanasam' (Tulsidasa Ramayana) by academic C G Rajagopal during the function organised by the cultural and literary outfit Vallathol Sahitya Samithi. Hailing the book as a 'punya work' for the coming generations, Singh said the epic "Ramayana is an ocean of knowledge. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today inaugurated the restored house of Sister Nivedita, a disciple of Swami Vivekananada, in the city where she had stayed and carried out various social work, including setting up a girls' school. The century-old two-storeyed building at 16-A Bosepara Lane in Bagbazar area was in shambles when the state government acquired it and handed it to Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, a religious monastic order, for renovation. "It's our prime responsibility to protect buildings of such importance. Our government had acquired this heritage building where Sister Nivedita once stayed and handed it over to Ramakrishna Sarada Mission," Banerjee said inaugurating the building which was declared as a Grade-I heritage building by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. "Sister Nivedita's service to humanity and her mission for furtherance of education, social service and values continue to be our inspiration and guiding force. My deepest regards to Sister," she said. The Mission has proposed to set up a museum in the renovated building where many articles used by the Sister Nivedita will be exhibited. Born Margaret Elizabeth Noble born on October 28, 1867, at Dungannon in Ireland, she had had met Vivekananda in 1895 in London and travelled to Kolkata three years later and was intiated to the spiritual path by him that year. She was christened Sister Nivedita by Vivekananda and had opened a school for girls from middle-class families of Kolkata in November 1898 in the presence of Vivekananda and Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort of Ramakrishna. Vivekananda and his followers used to frequently visit the house which later became a centre of intellectual exercise. Noted personalities like national poet Rabindranath Tagore, scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose among others used to frequent Nivedita's house. She had also made active contribution in the field of Indian Nationalism. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man has been sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment for possessing 200 grams of heroin, with a Delhi court saying non-joining of independent witnesses was no ground to reject police's testimony. Special NDPS Judge Narinder Kumar handed down the jail term to the man, an Uttar Pradesh native, holding him guilty under the provision of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. "The evidenceofpoliceofficialscannotberejected perse merelybecauseindependentpublicwitnessesarenot associatedand itputsthecourtonguardtoscrutinize the statement of police officials with great care and caution," the judge said and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him. According to the prosecution, secret information was received by police officials that on April 12, 2016, the accused will be carrying 200 grams of heroin near the Kashmere Gate metro station. A raid was conducted and the accused was arrested. The accused, however, denied the allegations claiming he was falsely implicated by the police. He also denied being arrested on the date as claimed by the prosecution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A speeding truck killed a 35 -year-old man and injured his friend when they got out of their car to change a tyre on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway here, police said today. The incident took place last night near Jhatta Badauli when Vikram Singh, a resident of Etah, was on his way to meet his relative with his friend Munesh in Delhi in his car, an official said. After a tyre burst, the two stepped out of the vehicle to change it, when the truck hit them, he said. Singh died on the spot and Munesh was rushed to a hospital for treatment, he added. The police are searching for the absconding truck driver. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, paving the way for a visit next month by President Donald Trump, congratulated the Philippine army for its successes against militants in the southern city of Marawi. The US and the Philippines are decades-old treaty allies, but the relationship has been rocky in recent years. One point of contention under President Barack Obama was government- sanctioned killings as part of President Rodrigo Duterte's crackdown on drug suspects. President Donald Trump has praised Duterte's attacks on drug suspects. Mattis arrived early today at an airbase that once of the home of US air forces known as Clark field. He will be attending meetings with counterparts from 10 Southeast Asian nations. A key topic is expected to be North Korea and its accelerating drive to develop a full arsenal of nuclear weapons, including missiles capable of strike the United States. Mattis was scheduled later today to hold trilateral talks with his counterparts from South Korea and Japan as part of a Trump administration effort to present a united front on North Korea and to prepare for the possibility of conflict. In brief remarks to reporters flying with him from Washington, Mattis praised the Philippine military for its counterterrorism efforts in Marawi, which had been controlled by Islamic militants. "The Philippine military has sent a very necessary message to the terrorists," Mattis said. The Philippine military said yesterday that its troops were battling a final group of about 30 pro-Islamic State group militants as a nearly five-month siege neared its end in Marawai. A gradual withdrawal of forces was underway with the easing of the fighting, which has left at least 1,131 people dead, including 919 militants and 165 soldiers and policemen. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of Defence James Mattis said today that curbing military threats from North Korea would be high on the agenda on his Asian tour this week, ahead of a visit by President Donald Trump. Tension has been high on the divided peninsula for months with Pyongyang staging its sixth nuclear test and launching two ICBMs that apparently brought much of the US mainland into range, while Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-Un trade threats of war and personal insults. Mattis, on his way to the Philippines for security talks with Southeast Asian defence ministers, said he would discuss the "regional security crisis caused by reckless... North Korea" among other issues. At the forum, Mattis is also expected to hold three- way talks with his counterparts from South Korea and Japan -- key US allies in Asia -- before visiting Seoul for annual defence talks. "We will discuss... how we are going to maintain peace by keeping our militaries alert while our diplomats -- Japanese, South Korean and US -- work with all nations to denuclearise the Korean peninsula," Mattis told reporters on his aircraft. He stressed the international community's goal was to denuclearise the flashpoint region, adding: "There is only one country with nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula." Mattis' visit to Seoul comes ahead of Trump's first presidential trip to Asia next month, which also includes South Korea. All eyes will be on Trump's message to the isolated North. His recent remark that "only one thing will work" with North Korea fuelled concerns of a potential conflict. But even some Trump advisers say US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South Korean capital Seoul -- only around 50 kilometres from the heavily-fortified border and home to 10 million people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis will meet his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman in the Philippines this week at a conference of ASEAN defence ministers, the top Pentagon leader said today. The bilateral meeting between Mattis and Sitharaman would take place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defence Ministers' Meeting in the Philippines that begins today and ends on October 25. "I will have meetings while I'm in the Philippines at the ASEAN meeting with regional counterparts Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines of course, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia," Mattis told reporters travelling with him to Philippines. This would be the first meeting between the two leaders after Mattis' successful trip to India last month. Mattis said the ASEAN defence ministers' meeting will be an opportunity to recognise ASEAN for 50 years of promoting peace and stability in the region. "They have done a very good job of it. Nations coming of age, many years finding, finding, basically a foundation where they can discuss things," he said. ASEAN, he said, provides an forum, giving voice to those who want relations between states to be based on respect, not on predatory economics or on the size of militaries, in an apparent reference to China. "ASEAN nations have demonstrated that they can listen to one another, they identify opportunities to increase defence cooperation for their own security, and seek shared solutions to shared concerns," he said, adding that the US remains unambiguously committed to supporting ASEAN. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Monday adjourned the hearing of the contempt plea filed against fast food major McDonald's Corporation and its Indian arm by estranged Indian partner Vikram Bakshi. During the proceedings, counsel appearing for McDonald's informed that the Delhi High Court would on October 25 hear a petition in which it has challenged the show cause notice for contempt issued by the tribunal. Following this, an NCLT bench headed by Chairman Justice MM Kumar adjourned the matter to November 7 for the next hearing. MIPL, a subsidiary of McDonald's Corporation had filed a writ petition before the High Court questioning the validity of the contempt notice issued by the NCLT against it. On September 5, NCLT had issued a show-cause notice to fast food major McDonald's Corporation and McDonald's India Pvt Ltd (MIPL) over the contempt plea filed by Bakshi. He had alleged that by terminating it licence the US-based food giant has violated the NCLT order dated July 13 which reinstated him as the Managing Director of CPRL and also refrained McDonald's Corporation to interfere in the functioning of CPRL. Counsel for both sides submitted that they would try to complete their arguments before the high court on October 25. The tribunal also directed the parties to file their replies based on the outcome of the high court order. In August, the food chain had terminated the franchise licence of 169 outlets run by Bakshi in north and east India which led to a legal battle between the parties. While Bakshi challenged the termination terming it as illegal, McDonalds' alleged breach of contract terms and payment default by Bakshi. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : About 35 lakh children have been covered under the measles-rubella vaccination drive in Kerala as per state government figures. The drive, which began earlier this month, is for protecting children from the two major childhood diseases. State health services director Saritha R L said the health department has set a target to vaccinate 75 lakh children, belonging to the age group of nine months to 15 years under the initiative. "The core objective of the drive is to prevent both the diseases-measles and rubella-through the single vaccine. The campaign is immensely successful in Kerala," she said here. The first phase of the drive, held via government and private schools in the state, had achieved 46 per cent success, the official said in a statement. As many as 56 lakh children are targeted to be given the vaccine via schools, while the rest would be given through state-run hospitals, primary health centres and anganwadis. Besides schools and hospitals, various other agencies including Indian Medical Association, on were also cooperating with the drive. A high level meeting of health department officials also decided to carry out intensive campaign in those districts where the vaccination drive did not achieve expected results, the Health Director added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on his re-election and said he looked forward to further strengthening the relations between the two countries. Abe got a resounding victory in the snap polls held yesterday, with his LDF-led coalition winning two-thirds majority in the lower house of Parliament. "Heartiest greetings to my dear friend @AbeShinzo on his big election win. Look forward to further strengthen India- Japan relations with him," Modi tweeted. Modi and Abe share a great relationship and have met several times over the last three years. Abe was in India recently for the annual summit meeting with Modi. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Nepal government today accepted the resignation of Deep Kumar Upadhyay, the country's ambassador to India, who has quit to contest the upcoming parliamentary elections. Upadhyaya had tendered his resignation to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara on October 6. A cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today accepted the resignation of Upadhyay, leaving the envoy's post vacant. Upadhyay has filed his nomination for the upcoming parliamentary election from Kapilastu district in western Nepal as the ruling Nepali Congress candidate. Upadhayay was appointed during former prime minister Sushil Koirala-led government in April 2015. He was recalled by the subsequent government headed by the CPN-UML's K P Sharma Oli in May, 2016 on charge of working against the country's interest. He was reappointed last year by Prachanda's government. Upadhyaya had played a key role in reducing the tension between Nepal and India, when the Himalayan country had suffered blockade on its southern border following the promulgation of the new Constitution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The power ministry today said Ngangom Sarat Singh has been appointed as member of Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for Manipur and Mizoram. "Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh administered oath of office and secrecy to Ngangom Sarat Singh, here today, on his appointment as member of the JERC for Manipur and Mizoram," the ministry said in a statement. The JERC is a two-member Commission, each member representing the respective participating state. Ngangom Sarat Singh has been appointed as the member from the Manipur side for a period of five years, from the date of his taking charge of the post or till he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is the earliest. Ngangom Sarat Singh holds B.Sc degree in Electrical Engineering and has retired as Superintending Engineer (Electrical) in Electricity Department of Manipur, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four railway stations here, which have been generating waste in huge quantity, today faced the wrath of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which imposed major fines on them for not complying with the solid waste management rules. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar imposed penalty of Rs one lakh each on Anand Vihar railway station, Vivek Vihar railway station, Shahdara railway Station and Shakur Basti railway station for failure to properly manage waste and treat sewage. The green panel directed them to submit 25 per cent of the fine amount with the Central Pollution Control Board and rest with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee. Advocate Om Prakash, appearing for the railways, assured the bench that the transport behemoth would take all necessary steps to maintain hygiene and cleanliness at the stations. The NGT order came after it perused an interim report submitted by a committee set up by it recommending action against defaulting bodies for improper management and treatment of sewage and lack of mechanism to recycle waste. The tribunal had earlier constituted a committee to inspect major waste generators in the national capital including 5-star hotels, malls, hospitals, educational institutions with hostels and housing societies. Noting that the problem of waste generation was being faced by the entire country and urgent steps needed to be taken without "demur and default", the green panel had directed the Delhi government to provide a list of all such establishments to be inspected by the committee. It had noted that Delhi generated nearly 14,100 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste per day and said that the mass generators of waste could not be equated to a simple household generating trash. It had expressed concern that public authorities lacked infrastructure and appropriate technical capacity to handle such huge quantity of waste. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State-run Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) today said it has signed a 15-year agreement with Bangladesh Petroleum Corp (BPC) for export of diesel to the neighbouring nation, a company release said. "In a historic development, Numaligarh Refinery Ltd inked a 15-year long term sale and purchase agreement with BPC for export of gas oil (diesel) to Bangladesh," the company said in the statement. The agreement was signed between NRL Managing Director P Padmanabhan and BPC Chairman A H Rahmatul Muneem in presence of India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at Dhaka yesterday, it added. "Under the deal, BPC will initially take up to 0.25 million metric tonne per annum (MMTPA)) of gas oil from NRL for the first three years via the proposed 133-km Indo-Bangla Friendship Pipeline (IBFPL) with a capacity of 1 MMTPA," the company said. The export quantity will be increased gradually from 0.25 MMTPA to 0.40 MMTPA over a period of 15 years and will come into effect after the pipeline is built, it added. "The aforesaid deal with NRL is Bangladesh's first long-term agreement with any Indian oil company," the Assam-based petroleum firm said. Earlier, India and Bangladesh had entered into a new era of petroleum trade with a goodwill train, flagged off by the Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in March 2016, from NRL's Siliguri marketing terminal to the neighbouring country. In April 2017, another railway rake containing diesel from NRL's Siliguri marketing terminal to BPC's Parbitipur depot was flagged off by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina through remote device from New Delhi. A few more railway rakes have been dispatched from NRL to BPC during the intervening period. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Odisha government today gave its nod to Bijepur lift irrigation project and construction of sewerage system for Bhubaneswar. The cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the project is named after renowned poet Gangadhar Meher. "The lift irrigation project in Baragarh district will irrigate 32,000 hectares 19,000 at Bijepur, 8,000 at Sohela and 5,000 at Barpali. It will improve agricultural output in the area," Agriculture Minister Damodara Rout told reporters after the cabinet meeting. Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said the project will cost about Rs 1246 crore and will be completed by March nex year. Padhi said the water will be drawn from Hirakud dam through Baragarh main canal of abour 17.6 km into Barihapalli secondary storage structure. From secondary structure, water will be delivered to the command area through a mix of gravity and pressured under ground pipe system with outlets for every four hectare, he said. The cabinet also gave its approval to a sewerage project for Bhubaneswars sewerage district-II (mostly comprising Old Town areas), Padhi said. The Rs 173 crore project work has been awarded to a new company as the one to which it had been handed earlier had failed to execute it properly. Following it the project is likely to be completed in July 2020, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Paris Jackson recently took off to Puerto Rico to help the disaster-struck country. The 19-year-old actor went to the nation to contribute in the relief work in wake of Hurricane Maria that has affected innumerable families. Paris shared a picture on Instagram where she can be seen helping with one of the children at the rescue shelter with painting. She captioned the photograph as, "I made friends today. Feels good to be with beings of light on that mutual frequency. What incredible little bundles of joy." Besides Paris, many celebs such as Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Marc Anthony, Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Fallon, among others donated huge sums of money for the rehabilitation work in the region. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the Patna museum would be expanded in order to give the artefacts a better display. "Patna museum needs further expansion in order to showcase artefacts in a better way. We have discussed the issue and decided to construct structures from three different sides of the museum by maintaining its facade," Kumar told reporters here. Kumar, who visited various galleries of Patna museum for around 90 minutes, said the new structure will be able to house more artefacts and offer better display. During his past visits to the museum, the requirement for another museum was felt after which the state government constructed another museum of international standard, the CM said. Many of the artefacts have been shifted to the newly built Bihar musuem for exhibit, he said and added that most of the artefacts put up in Patna museum are not getting good display because of space crunch. Kumar had inaugurated the four galleries of Bihar museum on October 2, the museum of international standard, which has been built on Bailey road at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore. A few galleries of Bihar musuem were inauguarated by the CM just before the assembly elections in 2015. All the pre-1764 artefacts have been shifted to Bihar Museum from Patna museum whereas the post-1764 artefacts would be kept at Patna museum, official sources said. Of the total 51,000 artefacts and other items of histrocial and archaeological importance, 973 artefacts have been shifted to Bihar museum while 1,699 aretfacts are at display at Patna museum besides 48,000 artefacts kept in the store of Patna museum, sources said. Items such as manuscripts brought by Rahul Sankrityayan are at display while some of them are kept safely, Kumar said adding, exhibits will be displayed on a rotation basis. The CM also said the state government has talked to a university at Sarnath which would translate manuscripts in both Hindi and English so that people can know their significance. Kumar, who minutely observed various artefacts at different galleries of the museum, also enquired about the country's first President Dr Rajendra Prasad's coat. "There was a coat on display which Rajendra Babu used to put on. Where is that coat? I had seen the coat here when I visited the museum in 2009. I still remember the coat put up on display," Kumar asked the officials at the museum's Rajendra gallery. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Philippines Tourism Department today said it expects one lakh tourists from India by the end of the calendar year as against about 70,000 during last year. "We have been experiencing very good arrivals from India. We expect about 100,000 tourists this year. We hope that the growth in arrivals from India would be over 30 per cent. Last year, we had over 70,000 tourists from India to Philippines," Glen Agustin, chief tourism operations officer, Market Development Division of Department of Tourism, Philippines told PTI. Replying to a query, he said the growth is expected mainly on the basis of attractions, destinations and facilities that the country offers to visitors. He said the archipelago hopes to receive about seven million tourists globally this year. "We are going to receive about seven million tourists this year predominantly from our Asian neighbours. Also, we receive good number of visitors from the UK and the USA also. Last year, 5.5 million people visited Philippines," he said. When asked about the visa requirements for Indian citizens, he said prior visa is needed for Indians while people who hold valid visas of countries such as Australia, USA, Japan, any of Schengen countries and UK are allowed to obtain visa on arrival into Philippines. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today asked the Election Commission of India to respond to a plea seeking cancellation of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's membership of the state Legislative Council on the ground that he had allegedly concealed information about a pending criminal case against him. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked the ECI to file its reply in four weeks. The top court had earlier asked lawyer M L Sharma, who has filed the PIL in his personal capacity, to furnish a copy of his amended plea to the ECI. It had decided not to issue notice on it for now. The PIL has alleged that there was a criminal case against the JD(U) leader in which he was accused of killing a local Congress leader Sitaram Singh and injuring four others ahead of the Lok Sabha by-election from Bihar's Barh constituency in 1991. The petition has also sought a direction to the CBI to register an FIR against Kumar in the case. "Respondent number 2 (poll panel), despite knowing facts about his (Kumar's) criminal case, did not cancel his membership of the House and respondent (Kumar) still enjoys constitutional office till date," the plea said. The lawyer has sought cancellation of Kumar's membership as per the Election Commission's 2002 order, stating it was mandatory for candidates to disclose criminal cases against them in their affidavits annexed to the nomination papers. He claimed that the Bihar chief minister did not disclose the criminal case pending against him in affidavits since 2004, except in 2012. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An alleged criminal wanted in more than 13 cases across three states was gunned down in an encounter here, police said today. Furkan was killed near Boyvala village on the Meerut- Karnal Highway late last night, Senior Superintendent of Police Anant Dev told reporters, adding that he had a bounty of Rs 50,000 on his head. Sub-Inspector Adersh Tyagi and constable Narender sustained injuries in the encounter that also left two of Furkan's associates, Rahul and Nadeem, injured, the SSP said. Both of them were arrested. Furkan was wanted in more than 13 cases in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, SSP Dev said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Drivers of polluting vehicles in the UK will have to pay 10 pounds to drive in central London as part of a latest move to improve air quality in the British capital, authorities said on Monday. The European Union had in February asked the British government to combat in London, one of Europe's most polluted cities. London Mayor Sadiq Khan introduced the new levy, known as T-Charge or Toxic Charge, on drivers of older and more polluting vehicles entering the city centre from today. The 10 pounds (USD 13.18) vehicle pollution charge, which mainly applies to diesel and petrol vehicles registered before 2006, covers the same area as the existing congestion charge zone, bumping up the cost to 21.50 pounds (USD 28.33) for those affected. Opponents of the new levy, however, said that the scheme would "disproportionately penalise London's poorest drivers". The measure is the latest attempt by Khan to improve air quality in the capital and according to the mayor's office, it will affect 34,000 motorists a month. Speaking during a programme, Khan said: "We've got a crisis in London caused by the poor quality air. "Roughly speaking each year more than 9,000 Londoners die prematurely because of the poor quality air -- children in our city whose lungs are underdeveloped, with adults who suffer from conditions such as asthma, dementia and strokes directly caused by poor quality air." However, Simon Birkett, from the campaign group Clean Air London, does not believe the move goes far enough. "The Mayor has pledged in his manifesto to restore London's air quality to legal and safe limits and that means he has to do a whole lot more. "We want him to take steps which are bigger, stronger an smarter," Birkett said. Khan has described the introduction of the T-Charge as "part of a package of measures" being undertaken. -- PTI (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today dubbed the Goods and Services Tax as 'Gabbar Singh Tax', naming it after Bollywood's iconic villain as he fired a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the sweeping tax reform and demonetistion. As Gujarat headed for Assembly polls, Gandhi also said that the state is "priceless and can never be bought", a day after Patidar leader Narendra Patel claimed in Ahmedabad that he was offered Rs 1 crore to join the BJP, a charge rubbished by the saffron party. Gandhi brought up the issue of GST while highlighting the hardships it caused to people during a rally that marked the formal joining of OBC leader Alpesh Thakor into the Congress as part of the opposition party's strategy of broadening its political and social base to take on the BJP which has been in power in Gujarat for nearly two decades. "Their (Centre's) GST is not GST. GST means Gabbar Singh Tax. This is causing a loss to the country. Small shopkeepers are finished. Lakhs of youths have gone unemployed. But they are still not ready to listen," Gandhi told the rally of Thakor community in Gandhinagar. Late Amjad Khan portrayed the character of dacoit Gabbar Singh in the Bollywood blockbuster 'Sholay' and immortalised him as the scariest villain in the Indian cinema. Stating that the GST, in its present form, is not what the Congress had conceived, Gandhi said that although his party had warned the government about the adverse impact of the new tax regime (in the present form), the Modi government acted against its suggestions. Gandhi also asked the government to change the new tax system by making it simpler. Gandhi also mocked Modi over demonetisation announced by him on November 8 last year. "Don't know what happened, on November 8, Modiji says that this Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes, I do not like them, so from 12 at night, I am going to scrap it. Ha Ha Ha," he said. "He hit the axe, and for the first 2-3 days he could not understand what happened," he said, adding that "the prime minister only realised his mistake after 5-6 days". "Narendra Modi ji ruined the economy of the entire country," he alleged. Gandhi attacked Modi and the BJP while latching on to the bribery allegation made by Narendra Patel, an activist of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). Gandhi said thousands of youths in Gujarat, belonging to all castes, will not remain silent now and their voices cannot be "suppressed" or "purchased". Narendra Patel, within hours of joining the BJP, alleged last night at a press conference that he was offered Rs 1 crore by the BJP and was given a token amount of Rs 10 lakh. "This Gujarati voice is not an ordinary voice. This voice of Gujarat cannot be silenced or suppressed. You can offer any thing, (Rs) one crore, (Rs) 10 crore, (Rs) 50 crore, (Rs) 1000 crore, entire budget of India, entire money of the world, (but) this Gujarati voice cannot be purchased," Gandhi said. "In the past also, there were attempts to suppress this voice. British tried to suppress Gandhiji, first in South Africa, then in Gujarat and India. But the voice of Gujarat drove out that superpower from the country," he said. Earlier in the day, Gandhi tweeted to say that Gujarat is priceless and can never be bought. "Gujarat is priceless. It has never been been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought," Gandhi said on Twitter. The BJP has rubbished Narendra Patel's charges and said it was a "drama" staged at the behest of the Congress. "All these allegations are false. It was a drama (enacted) by Narendra Patel at the behest of Congress," Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Odisha Vigilance Department today conducted raids on properties of a divisional forest officer and found a little over Rs crore in his possession. Based on allegation of acquisition of assets disproportionate to known sources of income by Chittaranjan Mishra, DFO, City Forest Division, Bhubaneswar, the vigilance sleuths raided four places. The raids were conducted at Mishra's three-storied residential building at Radhakrushna Nagar, Old Town, Bhubaneswar, one-storey building at village Kanpur in Cuttack district, his father-in-law's house at Patapur in Puri district and his office room at City Forest Division, an official of the department said. During the search operation, movable and immovable assets worth Rs 1.1 crore were detected and investigation was in progress, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The railways will file a review petition against a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order imposing fines on the national transporter for not complying with solid waste management rules, an official said today. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar came down heavily on the railways and levied a penalty of Rs one lakh each on Anand Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Shahdara and Shakur Basti railway stations here for their failure to properly manage waste and treat sewage. "We will go for a review before the tribunal," an official of the railways told PTI. The NGT's order came after the green panel perused an interim report submitted by a committee it had set up to inspect major waste generators in the national capital including five-star hotels, malls, hospitals, educational institutions with hostels and housing societies. The committee in its report has recommended action against defaulting bodies. Sources in the railways said that it had already drawn up new contracts with specifications about proper waste management and that fresh contracts were being awarded. The sources said that station superintendents had issued show-cause notices to contractors for alleged violations and that it had been conveyed to the tribunal, which allowed the railways to recover penalty from the contractors concerned. The NGT had earlier raised concern over the fact that though Delhi generated nearly 14,100 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste per day, public authorities lacked infrastructure and appropriate technical capacity to handle such huge quantity of waste. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid an uproar from the opposition Congress, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria on Monday tabled in the Assembly a bill to replace its ordinance to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants from being investigated without its prior sanction. The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2017, seeks to replace the September 7 ordinance, which drew widespread criticism from various quarters. The opposition Congress strongly opposed the bill and staged a walkout. BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari, who had expressed opposition to the ordinance, walked out of the Assembly twice when he was not allowed by the Speaker to raise a point of order. The 9th session of the 14th Assembly began with greetings to President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on their elections to the respective posts. Soon after, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Ramesh Meena, raised an objection to the bill and an uproar followed. BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari requested Speaker Kailash Meghwal to allow him to raise a point or order but his plea was rejected. He then walked out of the House. The opposition Congress and People's Party (NPP) MLAs also staged a walkout in protest against the bill. Amid the uproar, Kataria introduced and tabled the bill in the House. The Rajasthan government had last month promulgated the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, that seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on- duty action, without its prior sanction. It also bars the media from reporting on such accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe is given by the government. After the bill was tabled, Independent MLA Manik Chand Surana through a point of order opposed it, saying there was no prior sanction of the President to the bill which was circulated among the members last night. He said that prior sanction of the President should be there to amend a central law. Surana said that the bill also had no object and reasons. He said it was a "kaala kanoon" (black law) and that the government was trying to impose an undeclared emergency through it. He said that the opposition would not allow a debate on the bill without the prior sanction of the President. Responding to Surana, the home minister said that the merits and demerits of the bill would be discussed during the debate and that the bill would become a law only after it was passed by the House. A few minuted after they had walked out, opposition members and BJP MLA Tiwari returned to the House. Tiwari again requested the Speaker to allow him to raise a point of order. He warned of a dharna in the Well of the House if he was not allowed by the Speaker to raise this point, but the Speaker ignored him following which he staged a second walkout. Tiwari said that he was walking out in protest against the behaviour of the Speaker. Three more bills were also tabled in the House before the session was adjourned for the day. The on Monday tabled a controversial Bill that seeks to protect public servants and judges from prosecution and bar the media from reporting on allegations against them without its prior sanction sparking a legal challenge and protests inside and outside the Assembly. The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2017 was introduced in the Assembly by Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria to replace an ordinance promulgated on September 7. As the move by the Vasundhara Raje government drew widespread criticism from various quarters, a rebel Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari opposed the Bill. This is a kala kanoon (black law) and I am against it, Tiwari told reporters. It is undemocratic and unconstitutional. But the Centre defended the Bill with Union Minister for Law and Justice PP Chaudhury saying it was a balanced measure keeping interests of everyone in mind. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad defended the Bill. He said the move seeks to stop motivated complaints and let honest officers work. What I have gathered is that the idea is that there should not be any motivated complaint. Officers were feeling harassed in discharging their duties, he told a press conference in New Delhi. He referred to a study offered by the states BJP government, which said over 73 per cent of such cases were false. Rajasthan Congress President Sachin Pilot and several party leaders were briefly detained by the police in Jaipur soon after they took out a march against the lergislative measure. They were later released. We will not let the government pass the Bill. We are strongly opposing it, Pilot said after being released. In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the BJP has 160 MLAs while the Congress has 24 members. The state government while defending the Bill said the measure was required to put an end to what it called an end to frivolous litigations against public servants. The only aim of the ordinance is that people do not misuse section 156(3) CrPC to tarnish the image of honest officers by levelling baseless allegations, according to Kataria. From 2013 to 2017, 73 per cent of the people who were probed under section 156(3) CrPC faced mental harassment although they were not guilty, he said. The Editors Guild of India urged the to withdraw the ordinance calling it harmful. The ordinance is a pernicious instrument to harass the media, the Guild said while reacting to the ordinance that also bars the media from naming the public servant till the government allows the case to be investigated. Activist Bhagwat Gour filed a petition in the Jaipur bench of the high court challenging the ordinance, calling it arbitrary and mala fide. America's relationship with India is of strategic importance which is not limited to South Asia, Secretary of State said on Monday. Tillerson, who paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan today, said the Trump administration was of the view that India can play a positive role in creating a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. "They already are providing important economic activity creating jobs which is important for the future Afghanistan. And we think they we want to encourage that as well. We think they can be a very positive influence on creating the right environment for the future in Afghanistan," he said. "I think, our view of the relationship with India is one that's of strategic importance not just for this specific region, but in the context of that speech it was about a free and open Indo-Pacific region stretching all the way from Japan to India," Tillerson told reporters at the Bagaram Air Force Base on his arrival for his maiden visit to South Asia. He was responding to a question on his major India policy speech last week in which he sought broader goals for India-US relationship. In addition to Afghanistan, Trump is scheduled to travel to Pakistan and India during his current trip to South Asia. He said during his visit to Pakistan he would discuss with the Pakistani officials the role of India in Afghanistan. "Thats certainly something well be talking about during the visit tomorrow," he said. Russia's technology transfers to India in the defence sector have been without any strings attached and there is scope for further deepening the military ties, Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force Air Marshal S B Deo today said. His comments come at a time when leading defence manufacturers from across the globe are eyeing India's growing market by offering technology transfer and joint ventures for developing fighter jets, submarines and other military platforms. "When it comes to technology transfer, Russia really offers everything they have from the heart without any strings attached," Deo said at an event to celebrate 70 years of diplomatic ties between India and Russia. In May, the government had unveiled the strategic partnership model under which select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities. Noting that there was scope for expansion of India's defence ties with Russia, Air Marshal Deo also said the relationship should be developed focusing more on commercial aspects. "The time has come for the relationship to be more on a commercial basis. It can be a win-win situation for both Russia and India," he said. The Indian Air Force will start the process soon to acquire a fleet of single engine fighter jets and Swedish defence giant Saab and US firm Lockheed Martin are seen as major competitors for the project. Russia is keen on offering its new fighter jet MiG-35 to India. At the event, the 50th AL31FP engine, manufactured from raw materials by Sukhoi engine division of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (Koraput) was handed over to the Indian Air Force as part of the celebration of the 70th year of India- Russia ties. "The AL31FP engine powers Su30 MKI jets and is manufactured from raw material stage at the HAL Koraput," said HAL Chairman and Managing Director T Suvarna Raju. Speaking at the event, Defence Production Secretary AK Gupta said Russian defence firms should come forward for entering into strategic partnerships with Indian companies for developing various defence platforms. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SaffronStays, which is mainly operational in locations around Mumbai, Pune, Goa, is looking to expand to most parts of the country. Currently, SaffronStays is operational around Mumbai, Pune, Goa and a few locations in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu and plans are afoot to rapidly expand to most parts of the country, the micro-hospitality company said in a release issued here. Currently, they have 28 homes and plan to onboard 40 exclusive homes (over 200 rooms) by the end of December, 2017. SaffronStays presently has properties in Bhugaon, Murud, Alibaug, Kihim, Dapoli, Mulshi, Matheran, Panchgani, Karjat, Khopoli, Gholvad, Kamshet, Lavasa, Panvel, Goa, Kodaikanal, Ooty Gwaldham and Jaipur. The goal is to have over 2,000 homes managed and branded by SaffronStays in the next 5-7 years, it said. Started in 2015, SaffronStays has clocked over a million USD in revenues and hosted over 6,000 families from Mumbai and Pune. "We wish to be the dominant managed vacation rentals company for the discerning Indian traveller. We aim to offer hand-crafted Indian hospitality and now that we have understood all the operational problems associated with the model and ways to overcome them, we think it is time to raise funds to scale up the business. "We are looking to raise 20 million USD, to fund these expansion plans," SaffronStays co-founder Devendra Parulekar said. He said, a large part of the funds raised will be invested in technology, expanding network of exclusive homes across the world and also establishing the brand. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today asked the Election Commission (EC) to examine a representation for bringing political parties under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act to make them accountable and to curb the use of black money in elections. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked the petitioner, Delhi BJP spokesperson and lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay, to first make the representation before the EC regarding the issue. The petitioner has sought direction to the Centre to take steps to deal with the menace of corruption and communalisation. "Declare the political parties, registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, a 'Public Authority' under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, to make them transparent and accountable to the people and curb use of black money in elections," it has said. The PIL has sought a direction to the EC to ensure compliance of the RTI Act and other laws related to political parties and deregister them if they fail to abide by them. "Direct the EC to ensure compliance of the Representation of the People Act, Right to Information Act, Income Tax Act and other election laws and rules so for as they relate to political parties and de-register them if they fail to comply with the election laws and rules," it has said. Highlighting the instances of corruption and indirect funding to political parties, the petition has said the central and state governments have allotted land/buildings and other accommodation in prime locations to the parties all over the country either free of cost or on concessional rates. "This amounts to indirect financing of the political parties. Doordarshan allots free airtime to political parties during the elections. This is another instance of indirect financing," it has alleged. The plea has also said that "a body or entity does not become a political party in the legal sense until the EC under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act registers it. Therefore, this registration lends it the colour of Public Authority. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The on Monday asked jailed Unitech Managing Director Sanjay Chandra to establish his bona fides by depositing at least Rs 1,000 crore out of a total of Rs 1,865 crore to refund homebuyers who do not want the possession of flats. A bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, was informed by the amicus curiae (courts friend) that 4,688 homebuyers of Unitech wanted their money back. According to the companys figure, the total refund amount came to Rs 1,865 crore. When senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Chandra, told the bench that the Unitech MD should be allowed to come out of jail to arrange money for refunding the investors and complete their housing projects, the court said he had to show his bona fides by depositing money for refund. Rs 130 crore you have deposited so far. Now at least Rs 1,000 crore should be deposited, the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said. For people who want refund of money, it is our duty to see that they get their money. For refund, you must show your bonafide. In our view, the canvass is very big. We can permit you (to come out of jail) and we can fix a time limit, the bench said. The apex court also questioned the real estate firm why they cannot auction their properties to refund money to the homebuyers and complete their housing projects. Why cannot you sell your properties and give the money back, the bench asked. Kumar told the court that if Chandra is allowed to come out of jail for atleast four weeks, he can manage funds for disbursment to homebuyers as well as give possession of flats to those investors who want their homes. We (Unitech) cannot last until I (Chandra) come out. You can put stringent conditions. We have deposited Rs 130 crore so far, he said, adding, unless I (Chandra) come out, it will not be possible. The Supreme Court on Monday said it "must be clarified" whether the multi-crore six-lane Yamuna Expressway, connecting Greater Noida with Agra in Uttar Pradesh, belonged to a Jaypee Group firm, which wanted to hive it off. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra posed the query to Jaypee Associates after the counsel appearing for IDBI Bank raised objection over the proposal to hive off the 165-kilometre long expressway by the applicant firm. The apex court was hearing a plea by Jaypee Associates seeking its permission to "hive off" the Yamuna expressway in order to generate money. The company has said it has an offer worth Rs 2,500 crore for hiving off the property. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Jaypee Associates, told the bench that the company has a proposal worth Rs 2,500 crore for the property. The counsel, appearing for the IDBI Bank, opposed Sibal's contention and claimed they cannot be permitted to hive-off the expressway as the property does not belong to the firm which has come before the court to seek its nod. "It must also be clarified whether the property belongs to you (Jaypee Associates)," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, asked Sibal. Sibal argued that the priority of the firm was the homebuyers who had booked flats in their housing projects and they wanted to help them. He said that Rs 2,500 crore would be used to complete the projects and hand over possession of flats to the buyers. Meanwhile, the IDBI Bank contended that the group was earlier directed by the court to deposit money by October 27. The bench, after hearing the brief submissions, asked Sibal to hand over copy of the proposal to Attorney General K K Venugopal and posted the matter for hearing on October 26. The apex court had on September 11 directed Jaypee Associates, the parent company of Jaypee Infratech, to take prior approval of the court if it wished to sell any asset or property to raise funds to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore to be deposited by it in the apex court registry by October 27 to pay off the troubled home buyers. Earlier, the Jaypee Group had told the apex court that the company needs to raise funds to deposit Rs 2,000 crore in the apex court registry for paying the troubled home buyers. The apex court had on September 11, while hearing a plea of home buyers of Jaypee's Wish Town project at Noida in Uttar Pradesh challenging the insolvency proceedings initiated against Jaypee Infratech, had restricted the directors of firm from leaving the country. It had revived insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech Ltd and given its management control to the Interim Resolution Professional (IRP), appointed by the National Company Law Tribunal, with immediate effect. The top court had also asked Jaypee Infratech to hand over records to the IRP for drafting a resolution plan, indicating protection of interests of over 32,000 hassled home buyers and creditors. The apex court while passing slew of directions had stayed any other proceedings instituted against the company for any purpose in any forum like the consumer commission, as IRP has been given control of the company's management. The court had then said it was not concerned about the interest of company but of the hassled home buyers, who mostly belong to the lower and middle-class strata. Flat buyers, under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code of 2016, do not fall in the category of secured creditors like banks and hence they can get back their money only if something is left after repaying the secured and operational creditors, one of the pleas filed by some home buyers said. Hundreds of home buyers have been left in the lurch after the National Company Law Tribunal, on August 10, admitted the IDBI Bank's plea to initiate insolvency proceedings against the debt-ridden realty company for defaulting on a Rs 526 crore loan, the plea said. At least seven people, including three women, were killed and as many injured today when the roof of two houses collapsed in northwest Pakistan's tribal region. The boundary wall of an upper house collapsed on two nearby small houses, killing seven people and injuring seven others in Khar, headquarter of Bajaur Agency. Local residents and and some rescue officials rushed to the site and retrieved bodies. The dead included three women and four men. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian-American parents of missing three-year-old adopted Indian girl Sherin Mathews today appeared before a court which set the custody hearing of their biological daughter for next month. The mysterious disappearance of Sherin from her home over two weeks ago led to the Child Protective Services (CPS) removing the four-year-old biological girl from the home of Wesley Mathews and Sini Mathews. They appeared before the court to get back their other child. Neither Sini nor Wesley had any comments regarding their daughter Sherin's disappearance at a court hearing in Dallas. Wesley was looking for a civil attorney after the couple learnt that their biological daughter will remain in foster care for another three weeks. Judge Cheryl Shannon has set a custody hearing for November 13. Wesley and Sini Mathews, who left the court separately, declined to speak with reporters. "Obviously he's mourning the death of his child," said Rafael De La Garza, the attorney representing Wesley in the criminal case. Sini has also hired a criminal law attorney, Kent Starr, though she doesn't face criminal allegations. Starr said today that Sini was "distraught" about Sherin and was cooperating with police to identify the body. When CPS removes a child from the custody of his or her parents, the agency prefers to leave the child with a family member. The agency indicated today that it is looking into conducting a home study in Fort Bend County, near Houston. Sini's attorney Starr said as Wesley's bond conditions prevent him from living with his wife, Sini wants their biological daughter back. Meanwhile sergeant Kevin Perlich said: "The indications are that it is most likely her (Sherin), however, we have not had positive ID. So until we have a positive identification, we are not going to say it is Sherin". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC) today said it has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, seeking action against BJP leader H Raja for reportedly watching Tamil film 'Mersal' online. Referring to Raja's remarks reported in a section of media in this regard, SIFCI President L Suresh said that the BJP National Secretary had "confessed" this in a section of the media. SIFCI is the apex body of studio owners, producers, distributors and exhibitors from all the southern states. Raja "confessed before a press reporter that he saw the aforesaid Tamil film on the internet, which is obviously a pirated version," Suresh said in a statement. The BJP leader was "liable to be prosecuted" for this under the Tamil Nadu Video Piracy Act, he said, adding SIFCI had already made a complaint to the grievances cell of the PMO. "We have also written an official letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, requesting them to take suitable action against Mr H Raja for seriously violating the Piracy Act," he said. The complaint against Raja "may be treated in a steadfast manner" by the PMO, he added. He wondered what would happen to the cinema industry if leaders watched pirated versions of films. On BJP's demand for deletion of mocking references to Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 'Mersal,' starring Vijay, he said as per "several" court decisions, once a movie had been certified by the Censor board, a producer need not make any changes thereafter "at the whims and fancies of any political party or community leaders." Raja had courted controversy yesterday when he reportedly said he had watched 'Mersal,' online, drawing rebuke from actor Vishal, who heads the Tamil Film Producers Council. Vishal, also general secretary of South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA), had demanded an apology from Raja. However, Raja had clarified that he had only watched clips of the movie on his mobile phone. Piracy is one of the major issues being faced by the multi-crore Tamil cinema industry, with films being uploaded on certain websites soon after their release. The availability of pirated CDs and DVDs of new films is also an issue. Actor Vijay's fans have been reportedly circulating the contentious scenes, allegedly mocking the central government's Goods and Services Tax (GST), through mobile phones. Diwali release "Mersal" has kicked up a row with the BJP taking exception to references on GST in the movie. BJP leaders, including Raja, a national secretary in the party,state president Tamilisai Soundarajan and Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan, have been demanding that the "incorrect" references be deleted from the big-budget flick. However, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, his senior colleague P Chidambaram, DMK working president M K Stalin, veteran star Kamal Haasan and a host of Tamil cinema industry representatives had supported the film crew on the issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chevon Agrotech, an integrated frozen food company, today said it has got funding from Singapore-based Greenfield Advisory to develop new products and expansion. Chevon Agrotech Pvt Ltd has received its latest round of funding from Greenfield Advisory with a significant million- dollar investment value, the company said, but did not disclose the amount it has raised. Chevon would part of the fund to expand its senior management team and develop new products. "With plans to enhance its reach to all major markets in India, the company will also utilise the funds to launch marketing campaigns, ramp up distribution and drive its international foray in the Middle East and South-East Asian markets," the statement said. Chevon Agrotech is a leader in the goat meat segment with solely-owned livestock farms & processing facilities in the country. The company has two main brands of goat meat products, namely Chevon and KUZO. Founded in 2011 by Rizwan Thakur, Chevon Agrotech offers a range of products in the goat meat segment. Its livestock farms is located in Solapur, Maharashtra. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Home MinisterRamalinga Reddy today denied reports of downsizing the SIT probing the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh and said "vested interests" were spreading "misinformation". "All the 121 members ... including whom we had deputed are part of the SIT that is probing the case... noteven one person has been moved out of it," he told PTI. Lankesh, known to be an anti-establishment voicewith strident anti-right wing views, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her home here on the night ofSeptember 5. The Karnataka government, which constituted the SIT headed by IGP (Intelligence) B K Singh, had also announced Rs 10 lakh reward for anyone giving clues about the perpetrators of the crime. The SIT team had on October 14 released the sketches of two suspects and video footage from CCTV cameras in connection with the case, as it sought public help to nab the culprits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A new Smart City challenge has been launched in India which encourages young entrepreneurs to identify local problems and develop innovative solutions which have a lasting social impact and are also successful businesses. Smart City 4.0, recently launched by the Innovation Acceleration Group at the University of California Berkeley, US, seeks to develop skills for industry, mentor innovators, accelerate technologies and create fundable startups that work towards developing smart cities in India. As a part of the ongoing initiative, India's Smart City Co-Innovation Lab will be established in Allahabad, a city that has been identified by the government under its 100 smart cities mission. "The challenge is that there is so much new technology coming that can have an impact," said Innovation Acceleration Group executive director Andre Marquis. But people often think of technology first and then try to look at how it will solve problems, he said. "At UC Berkeley we look at it differently - you have to get in touch with the customer. We teach people to get out of the building, understand the customer's problems and build a viable business model that could help solve those problems - and then go build it," Marquis told PTI. Launched in collaboration with the United States India Strategic Partnership Forum and 1M1B, a non-profit body, Smart City 4.0 aims at developing the skills of young innovators, startups and large corporations for solutions that make cities "smart, safe and sustainable". The lab will enable large, mid-sized companies and startups to work with citizens and create sustainable solutions together. The programme will invite young people between the ages of 18 and 29 to co-create smart city solutions after understanding issues that affect the people of a city. The areas of focus will be artificial intelligence, water, energy, transportation, waste management, healthcare, climate and smart agriculture. The programme will run on two tracks -- one for students and the other for startups. The top 20 ideas will enter the Smart City Co-Innovation Lab and will be mentored by industry experts. The final two teams in the students' category will present their innovations at the Global Social Venture Competition in Milan, Italy, in April 2018, and compete for the top prizes worth USD 80,000 (about Rs 52 lakh). The top five teams in the startup group will present their ideas to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in October 2018, and work with different government departments to implement their smart city solutions. "In a year, we are looking at about 15-20 startups to be produced from one lab," said Manav Subodh, director, International Development, Innovation Acceleration Group. The initiative is designed to create 'Make in India', with local solutions to local problems, and at a larger level, to develop skills among young innovators of India to gear up for the fourth industrial revolution, he said. The Allahabad Innovation Lab is scheduled to start on January 9, 2018. In the meantime, teams will be shortlisted for the challenge, the organisers said. UC Berkeley hopes to establish ten more labs across India and is looking for partners to take the model to cities such as Vizag, Bangalore and Pune. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The weekly Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service operated today despite tension along the Line of Control in the Uri sector of Jammu and following ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops over the past two days. The Karvan-e-Aman bus operated as per its weekly schedule -- it runs every Monday -- taking 42 passengers from Srinagar towards Muzaffarabad, officials said. They said the passengers included 29 Pakistan-occupied residents who are on their way home after spending time with their relatives on this side of the . More passengers will board the bus from Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre for onward journey, the officials said. The bus service operated despite Pakistani troops resorting to unprovoked firing targeting Indian Army posts and villages yesterday and the day before. A civilian porter was killed while two women were injured in Pakistani firing in the Uri sector on Saturday. The services gets suspended many a times if the situation becomes tense along the . It was apprehended it would be suspended after the series of ceasefire violations and deaths. The service was launched in April 2005 and it has helped thousands of families living on the two sides of the meet each other. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Around 300 workers of Salem Steel Plant were today arrested when they staged a demonstration protesting against the Centre over its reported decision to float global tender as part of its move for privatising the public sector unit. Police said the workers were arrested as they staged the demonstration in Salem, about 160 km from here, without permission. The workers threatened to intensify their agitation if the government went ahead with its 'decision'. According to trade union sources, the plant which had many ancillary units employed nearly 2,000 workers. AITUC sources claimed that as part of its privatisation plan, the Centre had decided to float a global tender. The workers urged the Tamil Nadu government to exert pressure on the Centre to withdraw its decision and also bring in a legislation opposing privatisation. In April this year, Chief Minister K Palanisamy had opposed the move to privatise the SSP, saying such a proposal would cause "considerable unrest" amongst the people, particularly amongst those whose lands were acquired. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he had said the plant had acquired a global reputation for its high quality steel and "is an iconic symbol" for Tamil Nadu. The Centre had in March last approved outright sale of state-owned SAIL's three special steel units, including Salem and Alloy Steel plants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Chandigarh court today rejected the bail plea of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas Barala, who had been booked on the charges of stalking and attempting to abduct a 29-year-old woman. The court of judicial magistrate first class (JMIC) Barjinder Pal Singh dismissed Vikas Barala's bail application. "The court rejected the bail plea of Vikas Barala," said defence counsel, Rabindra Pandit. Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar are lodged in the Burail jail in Chandigarh in connection with the case. Pandit said that only Vikas Barala's application was heard and his friend Kumar had not filed a bail plea before the court. On October 13, the court had framed charges against Vikas Barala, and Kumar, in connection with the over two-month old stalking case involving the daughter of a senior IAS officer. Vikas Barala and Kumar were charged with stalking a city-based disc jockey. The stalking incident had triggered widespread outrage and a spate of protests. The two men were arrested on the intervening night of August 4 and 5 following the woman's complaint but released on bail as they had been booked under bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Motor Vehicles Act. They were arrested again on August 9 after they joined the police investigation and were charged with attempted abduction under sections 365 and 511 of the IPC. Last month, the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Rajnish Kumar Sharma had dismissed the bail plea of Vikas Barala. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The controversy around the origin of Taj Mahal was created by the BJP to divert attention from key issues, including the alleged increase in the wealth of its chief Amit Shah's son, former JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar alleged here today. "The controversy over Taj Mahal was created by the BJP leadership to divert attention of the people from Shah's son Jay Shah's manifold increase in wealth," he told reporters here. A website had made claims about a sharp increase in the wealth of a company linked with Jay Shah. Jay Shah as well as the BJP have outrightly rubbished the allegations. On upcoming Gujarat polls, Kumar said the graph of BJP had dipped. The student leader, however, said that he would not join any party to campaign in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls. "I will join active politics in near future. But I am not the agent of any political party," he said. He stressed upon the need for a collective movement to bring change in the society. "Nothing can be done till we achieve equality for all. Politicians are using people for their benefits," he said. He claimed the situation in the country was such that when a media house or a journalist tries to raise the real issues they are intimidated with Rs 100 crore defamation cases. Those who dont get intimidated with cases, they are being killed, he alleged and referred the killing of Bangalore-based journalist Gauri Lankesh in this context. "When you cant express your views freely, it indicates that the very Constitution of India is in danger," he said. He raised questions about the Election Commission's decision regarding the scheduling of the Gujarat polls. He also criticised the Rajasthan government's "draconian law" which bars the media from publishing any particulars against public servant till the government approves their prosecution. This move of the Rajasthan government is aimed to protect the corrupt, he said. He said that those raising their voice against the wrong doings in the system or in the government were being branded as anti-nationals while those praising the government were declared nationalists. "There can not be two different standards. Healthy criticism has to be accepted in a positive way," he said. Talking about demonetisation and GST, Kumar said it was a known fact that big fish eat small fish. "With both the decisions the government has facilitated the big fish to eat the small fish," he said. The GST is deadly against the small businessman and causing much loss to them, he said. He said the government was dancing to the tunes of corporate houses while unemployment was a serious problem and corruption rampant. "Nothing much had happened in connection with the black money and only few industrialists are getting benefits in the present NDA regime," he said. On suicides by farmers, he said there was a need for economic and political empowerment of peasants. Justifying reservation, he said there is nothing unconstitutional about it. "In private sector there is no reservation and most of the people are working in this sector," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Telangana government today decided to provide financial assistance of up to Rs 2.5 lakh for the self-employment of youth from minority communities on a full subsidy basis without any bank linkage. The government also decided to "develop an exclusive industrial estate and IT corridor for Muslims", said a release issued by the office of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. "For the self-employment of the minority youth without having any link to the bank, cent per cent subsidy should be given to the units having worth about Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh and the district collectors should monitor this," it said. Rao, who held a meeting on welfare of minorities with ministers and officials, decided on "developing an exclusive industrial estate and IT corridor for Muslims", it said. He asked the officials to develop "Charminar and its surrounding areas like the Golden Temple in Amritsar," the release said. The 42-km stretch along the Musi river here should be developed like the Sabarmati riverfront in Gujarat, Rao said. "Make arrangements for plying metro and nano rail along the Musi river bank... Develop shopping complexes, parks as well as double bed room houses for the poor," he said. He told the officials to construct Hyderabad International Islamic Cultural Convention Centre on a 10-acre area at Kokapet here at par with international standards. "Action should be taken to ensure that minorities get 10 per cent quota in the double bed room" scheme of the state government, Rao said. It was also decided in the meeting to release Rs 40 crore from the Special Development Fund (SDF) (of the state government) to take up several emergency works under the Hyderabad parliamentary constituency, the release said. Deputy Chief Minister Md Mahmood Ali, several ministers, Hyderabad MP and MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and others attended the meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of his maiden visit to Pakistan, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson today indicated that he will firmly tell Islamabad to stop providing safe havens to terror groups on its soil to improve bilateral ties. Tillerson's crucial visit to Islamabad tomorrow, aimed at normalising bilateral ties, comes days after he made a major policy speech on America's growing strategic relations with India and US President Donald Trump's move to offer a bigger say for India in war-torn Afghanistan. Islamabad needed to "take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they are confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organisations that find safe haven inside" the country, Tillerson told reporters in Kabul where he paid a surprise visit. "We want to work closely (with) Pakistan to create a more stable and secure Pakistan as well," he said. On the eve of his maiden visit here, Pakistani media reported that policymakers have put together an agenda for talks with Tillerson. Tillerson is visiting Pakistan on invitation of Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. Earlier this month, Asif, who recently toured the US, said in a television interview that Pakistan has offered the United States a joint operation against terrorists on its soil. However, he later clarified that he never said Pakistan could allow foreign boots on ground. Pakistani officials have prioritised the issues to be taken up with Tillerson which include the recent strain in Pak-US ties; US President Trump's new Afghan strategy; Pakistan's role in the Afghan peace process; and Pakistan's reservations on India's future role in Afghanistan, The Express Tribune quoted sources as saying. The sources told the paper that Tillerson's visit is significant as it would clarify Trump's policy and set course for future Islamabad-Washington relations. Tillerson last week said that the US expects Pakistan to take "decisive action" against terrorists and such a move will improve Islamabad's international standing as well as stability in the region. "We expect Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorist groups based there that threaten its own people and the broader region," he said while speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a top US think-tank. "It is the obligation, not choice, of every civilised nation to combat the scourge of terrorism. The United States and India are leading that regional effort together," he said. By taking decisive actions against terrorists, Tillerson said, Pakistan furthers stability and peace for itself and its neighbours, and improves its own international standing. Trump administration officials are frustrated by what they see as Pakistan's unwillingness to act against terror groups like the Haqqani network, which reportedly has close ties with the Pakistani military and its intelligence agencies. Pakistan regularly denies that it hosts terror groups fighting the US and Afghan forces in Afghanistan. In August, President Trump had unveiled his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in which he had hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. Trump's criticism led to further strain in US-Pakistan relations with a peeved Islamabad saying the US president ignored its efforts in the war against terrorism. Pakistan also asked the US to postpone a planned trip by its special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Alice Wells to Islamabad. Foriegn Minister Asif also delayed a visit to Washington for which he was invited by Secretary of State Tillerson. But bilateral relations improved slightly after a meeting between Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Vice President Mike Pence on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The descendants of Tipu Sultan today slammed Union minister Anantkumar Hegde for his alleged "derogatory" remarks against the 18th century Mysore ruler and are considering legal action against him. Bakhtiar Ali, one of the sixth-generation descendants of Prince Mooniruddin, who was one of Tipu's sons, told PTI in Kolkata that the minister's comments were "baseless and shameful". "Such derogatory remarks are unacceptable. He is making such cheap comments for his own political gains. We are consulting lawyers and will seek legal action against him. We might file defamation suit against him," Bakhtiar Ali said. Asked whether they would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against Hedge, Ali said, "No, we have no such plans to write to the Prime Minister." The BJP minister, in a tweet on October 21, had conveyed to the Karnataka government not to invite him to the "shameful" event of Tipu Sultan Jayanti on November 10. In Bengaluru, Sahabzada MansoorAli Tipu, who presents himself as a 7th generation descendant of Tipu Sultan, said he would seek necessary action for Hegde's "uncalled for" comments. He said he would meet Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy tomorrow in this regard. "On behalf of the descendants of Tipu Sultan, I am lodging a complaint against Hegde for calling ourforefather a mass rapist and brutal killer," he told PTI. "Being a Union minister, he should not have made such irresponsible comments against a ruler who is revered as a hero in Karnataka. I seek an unconditional apology and necessary action against Hegde for his comments," said Mansoor Ali, a businessman. Alleging that Hegde's comments could stoke "communal sentiments", he demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi drop him from his council of ministers. "The tweets of Hegde are distasteful and hurt not only family sentiments, but also the sentiments of the country. Modi should sack him as Union minister," he said. In 2016, Hegde had flayed the state government for celebrating Tipu Jayanti despite opposition from some sections of the society living in coastal belts of Karnataka and Kodagu areas, claiming that the ruler was "against Kannada language and anti-Hindu". Subsequently, Hegde was arrested for threatening to disrupt celebrations in Uttara Kannada district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A descendant of Tipu Sultan today demanded an unconditional apology from Union minister Anantkumar Hegde for describing the 18th century Mysore ruler as a "mass rapist" and "brutal killer". Bengaluru-based businessman Sahabzada MansoorAli Tipu said he would meet Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy tomorrow and may also file a complaint with the police. "On behalf of the descendants of Tipu Sultan, I am lodging a complaint against Hegde for calling ourforefather a mass rapist and brutal killer," he told PTI here. Ali said he would seek necessary action for Hegde's "uncalled for" comments on Tipu, who fought against the British. "Being a Union minister, he should not have made such irresponsible comments against a ruler who is revered as a hero in Karnataka. I seek an unconditional apology and necessary action against Hegde for his comments," he said. Alleging that Hegde's comments could stoke "communal sentiments", he demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi drop him from his council of ministers. "The tweets of Hegde are distasteful and hurt not only family sentiments, but also the sentiments of the country. Modi should sack him as Union minister," he said. Ali, who said he was a 7th generation descendant of Tipu Sultan, added that he was in touch with others in the family, including Bakhtiar Ali in Kolkata, who is contemplating taking legal action against Hegde. Hegde had stirred a hornet's nest after he requested the Karnataka government not to includehis name in programme invitations for Tipu Jayanti celebrations. "(I have) conveyed (to) Karnataka government not to invite me to the shameful event of glorifying a person known as a brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist," Hegde said in a Tweet on October 20. The BJP leader had also written to the Chief Secretary and Uttara Kannada deputy commissioner, asking them to direct the state government not to include his name in the programme invitations to mark the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan. In 2016, Hegde had flayed the state government for celebrating Tipu Jayanti, claiming that the ruler was "against Kannada language and anti-Hindu". Subsequently, Hegde was arrested for threatening to disrupt celebrations in the Uttara Kannada district. The government's decision to celebrate the day on November 10 last year had been criticised by the BJP and RSS, who termed the act of the Congress as "minority appeasement". The Siddaramaiah-led government is all set to celebrate Tipu Jayanti despite widespread protests and violence that hadmarred celebrations in the last two years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A top official from the University of Tokyo has invited more students from Mathematician Anand Kumar's Super 30 to come to the varsity for higher studies. Two students of Super 30 are already pursuing higher education at the Japanese university. "Today, it is the research and innovation that is guiding the world. They make lives easier and make science relevant to modern times," Hiroshi Yoshino, head of India operation of University of Tokyo said, addressing students of Super 30. Yoshino said Super 30 is quite popular in Japan due to its pioneering work in the field of education, especially for the bright students from underprivileged sections of the society. In 2016, Super 30 had sent five secondary and higher secondary students from Bihar to Japan to get a feel of the research work undertaken there, and the way school education is run. The students had visited universities, technical institutions, schools and research labs. Super 30 provides free education and food to selected 30 students from backward sections to prepare them to have a crack at the IITs. Over 400 students of Super 30 have made it to different IITs so far since its establishment in 2002 here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AIADMK top leader K Palaniswami today told the Madras High Court that a plea by rival leader TTV Dhinakaran's loyalist P Vetrivel, seeking declaration of the general body meet held last month as "illegal", is liable to be dismissed. Submitting his counter affidavit on the appeal before the Division Bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher and Justice N Sathish Kumar, Palaniswami said Vetrivel's suit had become infructuous and it was bad in law. The appeal and suit were liable to be dismissed, he said. Ahead of the general body meet on September 12, Vetrivel, an MLA who was later disqualified, had filed a civil suit in the high court seeking a stay on the meet and a declaration that the notice calling the general body meet was illegal. Vetrivel, appellant and plaintiff in the suit, had also sought a permanent injunction restraining Chief Minister Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam from, in any manner, using the party name for convening a general body meeting. On September 11, the bench had upheld an order of a single judge dismissing Vetrivel's plea to stay the September 12 AIADMK general council and executive committee meeting convened by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam-led factions. The court had, however, said that any decision taken at the impugned general body meeting would be subject to the final outcome in the appeal and posted the matter today for hearing while directing all parties, including Palaniswami, to file their counter affidavits. It may be recalled that the meet had removed V K Sasikala, and her clan, including TTV Dhinakaran, from the party. Issues, including their removal, the party's 'two leaves' symbol which was frozen by the Election Commission, are pending adjudication before the poll body. In his counter, Palanisami submitted that Vetrivel was guilty of giving false statement on affidavit and therefore liable to be punished for perjury. "In fact, the suit has now become infructuous in as much as Vetrivel has filed an application to implead him as a party before the Election Commission." Having filed an impleading plea in the poll body, the plaintiff cannot agitate the same issue before the court as well, he contended, adding that the "appeal and the suit are liable to be dismissed on this very ground". He submitted that the appellant cannot raise objection in respect of proceedings before the Election Commission in the form of a suit. The meeting was attended by 1,828 General Council members out of total 2,128 members. The members unanimously passed several resolutions keeping in mind the future of the party, he said. Also, there was no order of the Election Commission restraining them from holding the meeting, he submitted. The plaintiff has not even averred as to which group of the AIADMK he belongs to and yet has sought to file the entire suit based on the orders of the Election Commission. Vetrivel has not disclosed as to how he would be affected by the meeting for which he received the notice and invitation. The bench directed all other parties in the suit, including senior leader in the Palaniswami camp, E Madhusudhanan, and Panneerselvam to file their counter affidavits within two weeks and posted the matter for further hearing to November 30. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Trident, world's largest terry towel manufacturer, is looking to garner Rs 1,000 crore in sales from the home textiles business in the domestic market by 2020 and double the segment's contribution by up to 20 per cent, a top company official has said. The Ludhiana-based company plans to add new products which include throws, rugs, pillows as it aims to be a complete home textile brand besides expanding the retail network here. "We want to become a Rs 1,000 crore domestic brand by 2020 by doubling every year," Trident CEO-India Marketing Rajneesh Bhatia told PTI. He further said the company wants to achieve these by adding new categories and enhancing brand presence. The company gets 70 per cent of its sales from the US market, 20 per cent from rest of the world and 10 per cent from the domestic market in the bed and bath linen segment. "Gradually as we will increase our market share in India the shift will then be 60-65 per cent from the US market, 20- 25 per cent from Europe and rest of the world and around 15-20 per cent from the domestic market in the next 2-3 years," he said. The company had forayed into the home textiles market along with its first towel manufacturing unit in 1998. In 2016, it had added bed linen to the portfolio. The Trident group had a consolidated income of Rs 4,847.27 crore in 2016-17. Trident has become the world's largest towel producer by doubling its towel manufacturing capacity in 2014-15 to 90,000 mtpa, which is 360 million pieces produced per annum, he added. According to Bhatia, the domestic home textiles market, which is estimated to be around Rs 25,000 crore, has huge potential as the organised segment has only 10 per cent of it. On Trident group's projection in the domestic market, Bhatia said: "Bed and Bath for was around Rs 125 crore in FY17, and we are expecting to double to Rs 250 crore this fiscal and Rs 500 crore next fiscal." It also plans to expand its retail footprint to 1,000 points of sales, which are in shop-in-a-shop format by next year from the present 400. Trident has manufacturing facilities at Barnala, Punjab and Budni, Madhya Pradesh and caters to a customer base of over 100 countries across the globe. On further investment in manufacturing, Bhatia said: "Currently towel is utilised at 61 per cent and Bed Linen at 55 per cent. At the optimal utilisation levels we can reach Rs 6,500 crore revenues at the current product mix." The company has invested about Rs 2,700 crore till 2015- 16 and has adding new capacity in yarn, bed and bath linen. Besides, home textiles, Trident group has interests in yarn, paper, energy and chemicals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Guardians of the Galaxy" helmer James Gunn has claimed that for 20 years he tried to warn people about James Toback, who has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women. "When I lived in New York, in the 'nineties, this dude was EVERYWHERE. I have personally met at least FIFTEEN WOMEN, probably more, who say that he's accosted them in NYC," wrote Gunn in a lengthy Facebook post, which he also shared on Twitter titled "Why I've despised James Toback for over 20 years". The director said that Toback would go to women and introduce himself. Then he would show them some article about himself or some other artifact to prove who he is, and would try "to get them to go somewhere else with him". "He has done this to three girls I've dated, two of my very best friends, and a family member... twice. This is in addition to many other women I've talked to at parties or dinners about their interactions with Toback," Gunn wrote. He said that he does not have any "firsthand information about any of this" but all the stories are "so eerily similar" that the "chances of them being untrue... well, it would just be impossible". "So I did what I could do in my impotent state for over twenty years now, I've been bringing up James Toback every chance I could in groups of people. I couldn't stop him, but I could warn people about him," he wrote. Gunn thought that Toback had disappeared into "obscurity and old age" but after reading about the report which detailed the accusations against Toback he "almost vomited". "I had hoped his exploits had become well known enough that producers wouldn't finance his films and actors wouldn't work with him," he said. "So I was happy today to wake up to this story in the LA Times. I told the women who would come forward I had their back. This is me doing my best to fulfill that promise," Gunn added. Toback, 72, has been accused of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct by 38 women in a Los Angeles Times report. The director has denied the accusations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump struggled to remember the name of the US soldier killed in an ambush in Niger when he called the man's widow for condolences, the woman told ABC today. "Yes, the president said that he knew what he signed up for but it hurts anyways and I was -- it made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it," Myeshia Johnson, the widow of the late Sergeant La David Johnson, said on the Good Morning America TV programme. Trump "couldn't remember my husband's name," she said. "The only way he remembered my husband's name because he told me he had my husband report in front of him and that's when he actually said La David." Trump responded quickly via Twitter. "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!" he said. The widow, who is pregnant with the couple's third child, said that she "heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband name and that hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risks his life for our country, why can't you remember his name?" That, she said, "made me upset and cry even more because my husband was an awesome soldier." Johnson was among four US soldiers killed in a jihadist ambush October 4 in Niger, where Islamic State fighters have established a presence. The Miami native's body was returned home on October 17. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump urged House Republicans to move swiftly on passing a budget bill during a conference call, clearing the way for what he described as historic tax cuts. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both joined the House GOP call yesterday in which Trump called on members to adopt the budget passed by the Senate this week, so that they can move on to passing his tax reform plan. Trump told the members they were on the verge of doing something historic, according to one Republican official, who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss publicly what was intended as a private update for members. Another GOP aide familiar with the conversation said that Trump told the members again and again that the party would have a steep price to pay in next year's midterm elections if they failed to pass his plan, which would slash the corporate tax rate to 20 percent and double the standard deduction used by most average Americans. The president also said multiple times that, beyond the looming elections, his plan was the right thing to do for country, the person said. The Senate last week passed a budget that includes rules that will allow Republicans to get tax legislation through the Senate without Democratic votes and without fear of a Democratic filibuster. The House had passed a different budget, but House Republicans signalled Friday they would simply accept the Senate plan to avoid any potential delay on the tax measure. Republicans are desperate to rack up a legislative win after a series of embarrassing failures that have come despite the fact that the party controls both chambers of Congress and the White House. At the top of the list: their stalled attempts to pass legislation repealing and replacing "Obamacare." If tax reform doesn't pass, many in the party fear an all-out revolt in 2018. On the call, House Speaker Paul Ryan told members he hoped to pass a revised Senate budget bill this week to increase the chances that tax reform can be enacted by the end of the year. The leaders emphasised the need for the House to pass the Senate budget to avoid negotiations between the two chambers that could slow the process, said two lawmakers on the call, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. They said the goal is for House passage of the budget this week, putting the House on track to approve a tax bill by Thanksgiving. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney, had told Fox earlier yesterday that the House was working "very quickly to accept the Senate amendments," and said the plan "may save as many as 10 or 12 legislative days, which is a big deal." Trump, who spent much of the weekend at his gold course in Virginia, will also work to rally support for the plan on the Hill Tuesday at a lunch with Senate Republicans. But as the focus turns to taxes, Congress continues to struggle with health care legislation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two autorickshaw drivers have been arrested for allegedly dropping a cockroach in the food served in the state government's flagship programme 'Indira Canteen', to seek 'publicity', police said today. Hemanth and Devaraj, along with two others went to have meals at Indira Canteen in Kamakshipalya on Friday and created a ruckus when they 'found' a cockroach in the meals, police said, adding, they threatened people serving food there besides urging people not to eat there. Police said the CCTV cameras installed inside the canteen purportedly showed Hemanth bringing the cockroach with him and putting it in the food. Devaraj reportedly knew this fact but yet he supported Hemanth's claim, according to police. City civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which is executing the programme in the city, handed over the video footage to police and lodged a complaint against Hemanth and his friends. "We have arrested Hemanth and Devaraj. They are autorickshaw drivers from Kamakshipalya. During interrogation they revealed that they did it to seek publicity," a police official said. He said they were not affiliated to any political party. The state government launched the Indira canteens on August 15 offering food at subsidised rates. Breakfast and meals are served at Rs five and Rs 10 respectively. Presently, the scheme is being implemented in Bengaluru municipal limits. Based on its success, Indira Canteens will be set up in 246 district and taluk headquarters from January 1. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two students of city-based NALSAR University of Law, were today apprehended by police on charge of possession of ganja. On suspicion, a police team nabbed Yuvaraj Ratan Mehra and Aravind Kumar both aged 20 and second year law students, near the main entrance gate of the university and seized 475 grams of ganja from their possession, Shamirpet Police Station Inspector D Bhaskar Reddy said. "During their questioning the duo told that they purchased ganja from Dhoolpet area here from an unidentified auto driver for their own consumption," the inspector said, adding, a case was registered and probe is on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A powerful typhoon left five dead, one missing and scores injured in Japan today, moving northward off the Pacific coast after millions struggled to the polls for a national election. Authorities advised thousands living in coastal areas or near rivers to evacuate to shelters before Typhoon Lan, described as "very large and very strong", hit Tokyo and surrounding regions early Monday morning. The typhoon had left the Japanese archipelago by about 9:00 am after making landfall in Shizuoka southwest of Tokyo six hours before, the weather agency said. The storm, which had already dumped torrential rain over much of the country during the weekend, packed gusts up to 162 kilometres per hour, the meteorological agency said. Train operators suspended some commuter trains in Tokyo suburbs early today and cancelled some "Shinkansen" bullet trains in northern Japan after a blackout left passengers stranded overnight in the country's central region. Nearly 300 flights scheduled for Monday have already been cancelled, public broadcaster NHK said, after strong winds forced 500 flights to be grounded Sunday. Some ferry services in western Japan were also cancelled as the weather agency warned of high waves, landslides and floods across the archipelago. The typhoon claimed its first victims Sunday as a male passer-by died when scaffolding collapsed on him at a construction site in Fukuoka in western Japan. Also in western Japan, a 70-year-old man was found dead in Yamaguchi after he dived into the sea to grab a rope from another vessel as he attempted to escape from his troubled boat, a coastguard told AFP. In Osaka prefecture, a man in his 80s died after being crushed under a blown-off shutter while a woman in her 60s was found dead in a submerged car, local officials said. A 29-year-old man was also found in a submerged car in the central prefecture of Mie. Separately, a 61-year-old man has been missing in eastern Japan's Ibaraki prefecture after he went fishing on Sunday. More than 130 people were injured across the nation, NHK said, while the central government has so far confirmed 97 injuries. Television footage showed rescuers tugging a rubber boat carrying an elderly woman in a residential area in Chiba southeast of Tokyo as a flooded river engulfed the area. Automaker Toyota said it would suspend operations at all domestic plants today. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An undertrial prisoner at Sorada sub-jail in Ganjam district died today at MKCG Medical College and Hospital here. The deceased was identified as Surya Gouda (37) of Buguda village under Sorada police station limit. He was arrested last Saturday in a murder case. He was admitted to the medical college with severe ailments on Sunday. However, he passed away during the treatment at the medical college, sources said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 22 people were killed in strikes by unidentified aircraft on a Syrian government-held neighbourhood of the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, a monitor said. A local official, and Syrian state television, accused the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group of carrying out the strikes, and gave a lower death toll of 14, with 30 injured yesterday. IS holds part of the city, but the deaths came in a neighbourhood under government control and appeared to be the possible result of a mistake, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The war monitor said the 22 civilians were killed in the Al-Qusur neighbourhood, in the west of the city, which is provincial capital of oil-rich Deir Ezzor province. A government source in the city, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, accused the US-led coalition of the strikes. "Fourteen civilians were killed and more than 30 others injured in air strikes by coalition planes on the Al-Qusor neighbourhood in Deir Ezzor city," the source said, adding that the toll could rise because a number of the injured were in serious condition. Syrian state television, citing its reporter, also accused the coalition of the strikes. There was no immediate response from the coalition to questions on the deaths, which were reported late last night. Syrian regime forces backed by ally Russia have seized most of Deir Ezzor city after breaking an IS siege of nearly three years on government-held districts in September. The regime offensive against IS, backed by Russian airpower, is being waged largely on the western side of the Euphrates river that cuts diagonally across Deir Ezzor province. A second, separate offensive against the jihadists is being fought on the eastern side by the Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by the US-led coalition against IS. A "deconfliction" mechanism is meant to keep the two campaigns separate. IS controls less than half of Deir Ezzor province, its last remaining stronghold in the country after the SDF ousted it from its bastion Raqa last week with US-led coalition support. More than 330,000 people have been killed in Syria since the war began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan today to discuss Washington's new strategy with President Ashraf Ghani. Tillerson reiterated the US commitment to working with the Kabul government and regional partners "to achieve peace in Afghanistan and deny safe havens to terrorists who threaten that goal", said a US embassy statement posted on Twitter. The meeting took place at Bagram Airfield, America's largest base in Afghanistan, as the resurgent Taliban step up attacks on Afghan police and troops in response to the US strategy announced in August. "Clearly we have to continue to fight against the Taliban, against others, in order for them to understand they will never win a military victory," Tillerson told reporters after the meeting that was also attended by Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. It was Tillerson's first trip to Afghanistan as secretary of state and comes several weeks after US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis also paid an unannounced visit. The closed-door talks covered Ghani's reform programme, his anti-corruption strategy and preparations for parliamentary elections due to take place next year. US President Donald Trump "has declared that we are here to stay until we can secure a process of reconciliation and peace", Tillerson said, adding: "It's not an unlimited commitment." Tillerson's unannounced visit follows one of the bloodiest weeks in Afghanistan in recent memory, with more than 200 people killed in multiple attacks on security installations and mosques across the country. A spokesman for the militants told AFP last week the attacks were "a clear message... the enemy who thought they had scared us with the new Trump strategy have now been given a lesson". The Taliban have been rampant since the withdrawal of NATO combat forces at the end of 2014. Trump has cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops in an open-ended commitment and there has been a surge in US airstrikes, but the insurgency has only intensified. Militants fired several rockets into Kabul on Monday morning but there were no casualties. During Mattis's visit last month Taliban militants fired multiple rockets towards the city's international airport in an attack that killed one person and wounded 11 others. Tillerson is due to fly to Pakistan on Tuesday where he will pressure Islamabad to take action on the support Taliban and other "terrorist organisations" receive in the country. Islamabad needed to "take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they are confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organisations that find safe haven inside" the country, he told reporters, according to a pool report. "We want to work closely (with) Pakistan to create a more stable and secure Pakistan as well," Tillerson said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan today to discuss Washington's new strategy with President Ashraf Ghani, the US embassy said. Tillerson reiterated the US commitment to working with the Kabul government and regional partners "to achieve peace in Afghanistan and deny safe havens to terrorists who threaten that goal", said a statement posted on Twitter. The meeting took place at Bagram Airfield north of Kabul, America's largest base in Afghanistan, as the resurgent Taliban step up attacks on Afghan troops and police in response to the US strategy announced in August. "Clearly we have to continue to fight against the Taliban, against others, in order for them to understand they will never win a military victory," Tillerson told reporters after the meeting that was also attended by Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. It was Tillerson's first trip to the country as Secretary of State, and came several weeks after US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis paid an unannounced visit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US wants Myanmar to set conditions for the return of Rohingya Muslims as it believes that this "humanitarian catastrophe" can be used by some as a way to foment hatred along religious lines and then violence, a senior Trump administration official has said. Nearly 600,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since late August to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State where the army has launched a crackdown against militants. Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country. "It is a very significant humanitarian and security concern. Because there are those who will use this humanitarian catastrophe as a way to foment hatred along religious lines and then violence," the senior administration official told PTI. "So, it's important for Myanmar to do more, to set conditions for the return of refugees," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. As such it is important for the international communities do everything they can to alleviate the tremendous humanitarian suffering and to ensure that basic services, including education for children are met. Meanwhile, the US government yesterday announced to have provided nearly USD 40 million in life-saving emergency assistance in direct response to the Rakhine State crisis since August 25. This brings the total US humanitarian assistance in 2017 to the displaced in Myanmar and the region to nearly USD 104 million, the State Department said. The US assistance goes to its international organisation partners on the ground, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The organisations helps in providing protection, emergency shelter, food and nutritional assistance, as well as health care and psychosocial support for the more than half a million displaced refugees in Myanmar, Bangladesh and the region. "We applaud Bangladesh's government generosity in responding to this severe humanitarian crisis and appreciate its continued efforts to ensure assistance reaches people in need," the department said. Welcoming Myanmar's commitment in bringing long-term peace and stability to Rakhine State by implementing the recommendations of the Kofi Annan-led Special Advisory Commission report, the department in a statement called for an immediate end of the violence in northern Rakhine State and for the Myanmar's government to allow refugees to return home voluntarily, safely and with dignity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) today sought to take action against BJP Tamil Nadu president Thamilisai Soundarajan for reportedly making derogatory remarks against the party president, Thol Thirumavalvan. Party workers led by Susi Kalairasan, submitted a memorandum to the City Police Commissioner A Amalraj and sought to take action against Tamilisai for her remarks while talking to reporters yesterday, over the issue of Mersal film controversy. Tamilisai has alleged that Thirumavalvan has the habit of usurping land, including his party headquarters, which is baseless, the workers said. They also warned of serious agitation if she failed to apologise and withdraw the remarks, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dalit outfit Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi today lauded the CPI(M) led LDF government's decision to appoint persons from the community as temple priests. Thol Thirumaavalavan, president of the Tamil Nadu based outfit, met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and conveyed the party's gratitude and appreciation on the decision to appoint Dalits as temple priests. He also submitted a letter to the Chief Minister, terming the decision as 'revolutionary.' "When the country is suffocating under religious intolerance, the bold step taken by the government instills hope and renews the faith in our Constitution', he said in the letter. The VCK leader also requested Vijayan to find an early solution to the Mullaperiyar dam issue. On October 9, Yedu Krishnan became the first Dalit priest in Kerala to assume duties at the sanctum sanctorum of the Manappuram Lord at Thiruvalla. This followed the Travancore Devaswom recruitment Board (TDB), the largest temple body in Kerala, recommending that the Board appoint 36 non-brahmins, including six Dalits, in temples under it. TDB manages at least 1,248 shrines including the famed Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jharkhand unit of BJP today said people have given mandate to the party for development in the state. "The people have understood that just like BJP created a separate Jharkhand with honesty, it will also fulfill the dreams of development," a party release said, quoting state unit president and MP Laxman Gilua. On the meeting of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress and other parties, Gilua said the people of the state have seen such meetings earlier. He said many political alliances have been stitched in the state in the past but ended in failures because they were created for "selfish reasons", and not in the interest of Jharkhand. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who was recently appointed as the new chairman of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), says he is ready to work with the students and hear them before taking any steps. Kher says though it is too early for him to list his "to do things", he hopes to inspire the students by sharing his experience as an actor. "I don't want to carry the burden of being Anupam Kher. I will ask the students and work with them and may be come up with something," Kher told PTI. "I think it's important to give them a vast knowledge of world cinema and inspire them. Sometimes you can inspire them by telling your own stories." The actor says his stories are not just about his triumphs but also about his defeats and failures. "I am the sum total of my successes and failures. All those years of my days spent on streets of Mumbai are also a part of my knowledge sharing with students." Kher is all set to visit Australia in December this year to attend an 'In conversation' event series and award night launched by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Kher says while Indian cinema and talent are being recognised globally, Indian audience is also becoming more knowledgable. "Because of satellite channels, multiplexes, Indian audience has become more educated and just won't accept anything that is shown to them. "So many actors, technicians and camera men are emerging and if you are hardworking and an optimist in today's time you will find work." Kher is currently working on his new book "Lessons Life Taught Me Unknowingly", to be released next April. He will next star in "Hotel Mumbai", an American Australian film directed by Anthony Maras. The movie is based on the 2009 documentary "Surviving Mumbai", about the Mumbai attacks in 2008 at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man was today arrested on the charge of attacking and injuring a 30-year-old married woman near a road side here, police said. The accused Ravi Kumar (30) who was fleeing from the spot after "attacking" the woman was immediately caught by locals and handed over to the police, they said. A friend of the woman, who was along with the victim during the incident told reporters that her friend had told her that she was being "tortured" by one Ravi in the name of love, though she had told him not to harass her as she was already married and not to ruin her marriage with his proposals. "Today again my friend told him about this even as Ravi repeatedly told my friend to come along with him and when she refused he immediately attacked her with a coconut knife resulting in injuries to her on her face and hands," the victim's friend said adding she was shifted to a hospital. A police official attached to S R Nagar Police Station said they have registered a case of attempt to murder and arrested Ravi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Xi Jinpings political ideology will soon be incorporated into the curriculum across China, a move analysts believe would solidify his image as a transformative leader and help in the rise of nationalism among the youth. Education Minister Chen Baosheng said the new ideology, unveiled at the start of the ruling Communist Party of China's national Congress would be incorporated into the curriculum across the country, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. "[The thought will] go into textbooks, into classes, and into the brains [of students]," Chen said on the sidelines of the Congress. "We will design specific teaching methods that combine texts ... of various grades and subjects," he said. The formal title of 64-year-old Xi's ideology will be revealed when the Congress amends the party's Constitution tomorrow. Communist Party delegates have backed calls for Xi's name to be added to the partys Constitution a move that would put him on a par with Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The once-in-a-five-year Congress, besides endorsing Xi's second five year term and approve his ideological thought will also select a new set of leaders to work with him and Premier Li Keqiang. The new seven member Standing Committee headed by Xi which rules the country would be announced on October 25. Chen said the ministry would start amending textbooks and start the training of teachers as part of the education sectors "historic task". The topic will become part of political ideology courses that all students in the education system are required to take. While first-graders learn to identify the national flag and doctoral candidates analyse communist theory, ninth- graders tackle the list of "guiding principles" from former Chinese leaders, including Mao, Deng, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao. Xi's ideology is likely to be taught at fifth or sixth grade, the Post reported. Cheng Chen, a US-based political scientist at the University at Albany, said teaching the new ideology in school would strengthen the image of both Xi and the party as champions of the Chinese nation. "It will solidify Xis image as a transformative leader in the history of the peoples republic who ushered in 'a new era'," she said. "It is [also] likely to contribute to a further rise of the already-growing nationalism among Chinese youth, who will now see China as finally arriving at the global centre-stage." The party has also strengthened its grip on academia since Xi came to power in 2012, warning against the spread of "Western ideas" in classroom and calling on universities to serve the party rule. In June, a number of prominent universities were publicly named and shamed by the party's discipline inspectors for their weak efforts on the ideological front. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The upcoming municipal polls in Uttar Pradesh will be a key test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as they would indicate whether the priest-turned- politician has been able to ensure that the BJP continues to maintain its popularity level. Earlier this year, riding on Hindutva wave the party had secured a three-fourths majority in the state assemble paving way for 45-year-old saffron-clad Adityanath to become the chief minister. The civic polls, to be held in November-December, is being seen as a major challenge for the Hindutva leader as the outcome would reveal the mood of the voters ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, political observers say. The notification for the local body polls is likely to be issued by the end of this month. "Voting for local bodies is based on local issues. In the civic polls people cast ballots. The masses will get a chance to register their disapproval of the anti-people BJP government," Samajwadi Party MLC Rajpal Kashyap said, adding the urban local polls would be the first direct elections with Adityanath at the helm. The BJP's victory in these polls would be seen as a stamp of approval for the Adityanath government. "The results will also present an opportunity to the party for course correction in their policies and governance," political observer and academic Manjula Upadhyay said. The urban polls were earlier scheduled for June-July, but were postponed as the electoral rolls and some other processes could not be completed within the stipulated time. The Aam Aadmi Party is gearing up to contest these polls. "We will contest from wherever we feel we have a strong organisational base," AAP leader Sanjay Singh said. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party had not contested the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and instead diverted all its resources to focus on Punjab. The SP and the Congress, which forged an alliance in run up to the 2017 UP state polls, have decided to contest these elections separately. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has said his party will have no alliance in the elections to urban local bodies and would contest them on its 'bicycle' symbol. SP spokesperson and MLC Sunil Singh Sajan said, "The pre-poll electoral tie-up was for 2017 Assembly elections. This does not mean that it will continue for the urban local bodies' elections or 2019 Lok Sabha polls." As for Congress, senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had recently said his party would go alone in the urban local polls. The Bahujan Samaj Party is also fighting the polls sans an alliance. In the event of a split in non-BJP votes, the saffron party will have an edge. Expecting that a split in opposition votes would help the BJP's prospects, its spokesperson Shalabh Mani Tripathi exuded confidence that the party would register an impressive win. "The BJP has started Vikas Parv, which will disseminate information pertaining to various developmental schemes and projects of the Centre in the last three-and-a-half years," he said. "It will also spread information about the developmental works undertaken and achieved in the six-months of the Adityanath government in the state," Tripathi said. The AAP has already released its first list of 19 candidates for the Lucknow Municipal Corporation election. According to a release issued by the party, Priyanka Maheshwari is its nominee for the post of Lucknow mayor. Although, the BJP has traditionally been strong in the urban constituencies, the acid test for Adityanath would be to match the performance exhibited during the Assembly elections. Around 30 million voters would be eligible to exercise their franchise in these polls to be held for over 650 posts, including 438 municipal boards, 202 town areas and 16 corporations, also comprising two newly constituted Ayodhya Nagar Nigam and Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam. In 2012, the BJP had swept these polls, winning 10 of the 12 mayoral posts. Lucknow mayor Dinesh Sharma is now a deputy chief minister of the state. In the coming months, the spotlight will also be on the Gorakhpur and the Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls with the recent Amethi visits of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and BJP chief Amit Shah and the SP national convention in Agra setting the stage for a high-octane contest. Though no date has been announced by the Election Commission, the two Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls in the near future as Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated them after becoming MLCs. "Undoubtedly, the BJP will not only emerge victorious in both the by-polls, it will also improve its victory margin," UP BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said. The Samajwadi Party has also claimed that it is ready to contest the bypolls. Akhilesh Yadav told the party's Agra convention earlier this month that the two key by-elections would give his party a chance to gauge which way the wind was blowing, months after it was routed in the Assembly polls. Akhilesh Yadav had said if results of the elections were in "our favour, it will give a message not only for the 2019 (Lok Sabha polls), but also for the 2022 (assembly polls)". There has been no word from the BSP yet on whether the party will throw its hat in the ring. Usually, the Mayawati-led party stays away from by-polls, but with the scenario different this time, nothing could be said right now, party insiders said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As Kobe Steel Ltd becomes increasingly embroiled in a data falsification scandal, concerns are growing about its outstanding liabilities despite the Japanese company's sizable cash reserves. Japan's third-biggest steelmaker, which posted losses in the last two years, admitted this month it falsified specifications on the strength and durability of aluminium, copper and steel products, along with materials for optical disks. The falsifications stretch back for more than 10 years, and the company last week said it had lost some customers to competitors because of the widespread data falsification. Kobe has nearly $3.3 billion cash in hand, investments in short-term securities and unused credit lines from banks, it said last week. That compares with outstanding debt of $7.01 billion as of end-March, as per its latest annual report. Investors and analysts said the company was unlikely to face a severe liquidity crunch in the coming months, but the spectre of a potentially bruising financial and legal fallout could weigh heavily on its balance sheet in the year ahead. "This will surely have a very big impact on Kobe's balance sheet going ahead, it's really difficult to quantify now," said a Tokyo-based portfolio manager at a mid-sized fund house that has investments in Kobe and some blue-chip Japanese . The portfolio manager did not want to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media on company specific issues. "The cash flow hasn't been very strong in the last two years. The liabilities as a result of this scandal could be quite big, and that will come on top of the existing debt," he said. "That's my worry." Kobe Steel's free cash flow has plummeted to 3.9 billion yen ($34.27 million) in the year ended March 2017 from a high of 132.2 billion yen in 2014, according to the annual report. The company is considering withdrawing its earnings forecast for this fiscal year as it struggles to quantify the impact of its data falsification scandal, Kyodo reported on Monday. [nT9N1M100T] In terms of its near-term repayment obligations, Kobe has bonds worth $178 million maturing on Oct 27, which, analysts say, will hardly be a challenge for the company given its current internal cash reserves. The bigger test for the company would, however, begins next year when a total debt of $1.1 billion, both in bank loans and bonds, comes up for repayment, according to the latest Thomson Reuters data. Underscoring investors concerns, the cost of insuring against default on Kobe Steel's five-year yen debt through credit default swaps (CDS) were last quoted at 261 basis points. That is down from last week's high of 368 basis points, but is still significantly higher than where it was trading, around 54 basis points, just before the company admitted data fabrication. The CDS curve has inverted which means investors anticipate a credit event in the near term hence it is more expensive to insure for the short term than the long term. Kobe's bond prices have tumbled, and some investors rushed to sell the 20-30 billion yen of the debt to the Bank of Japan last week when the central bank conducted a corporate bond-buying operation in the market, traders said. The BOJ declined to comment. A Kobe Steel spokesman in Tokyo said last week: "It's unclear how this crisis will affect our financial performance," and declined to comment on questions regarding the company's ability to repay its debts or on investor concerns. POTENTIAL LIABILITIES Although there is no indication of creditors piling pressure on Kobe any time soon, investor concerns have been stoked by potential liabilities arising from a widening probe into the scandal within Japan and outside. "People are quantifying the penalties at around $1 billion," said Rakesh Arora, managing director of Go-India Advisors in Mumbai and an expert on the metals sector. "Kobe will have to divest some parts of the business to pay that, but they are saying the quality (of the products) in terms of strength etc is not under question." The Kobe scandal has left clients scrambling to pin down the impact, from operators of Japan's iconic bullet trains to the world's biggest aircraft maker, Boeing Co , and global auto manufacturers. While the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking documents related to products Kobe has sold to U.S. firms, Europe's aviation watchdog has advised aircraft makers to stop using parts supplied by Kobe until their safety can be verified. [nL8N1MT1SJ] "We are worried about the U.S. Justice Department probe," said a source at one of the company's lenders last week. "The impact will be very big if the DOJ seeks a criminal case against Kobe and hits it with huge financial penalties." [nL4N1MV3TO] To add to Kobe's woes, the scandal comes at a time when its sales have been slowing and debt-to-equity ratio has been rising in the last couple of years, although the company earlier this year forecast an improvement in its financials. "We cannot deny uncertainty in the medium to long run," said Yoshinori Namioka, analyst at Japan Credit Rating Agency, adding the agency has placed its ratings on Kobe under "credit monitor with negative" direction. Some analysts are, however, betting on Kobe's ability to divest some assets that are not part of its core business to tide over potential capital crunch. On Friday, it held the first round of an auction to sell most of its property unit. "At the moment, we don't see any change in their relation(ship) with the banks ... in addition, they seem to consider selling their assets," Namioka said, adding refinancing its existing loans was also an option. ($1 = 112.7100 yen) (Reporting by Sumeet Chatterjee and Umesh Desai in Hong Kong and Sam Nussey in Tokyo; Additional reporting by Naoyuki Katayama in Tokyo and Maytaal Angel in London; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal told CNBC on Monday he was not considering merging AccorHotels and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, in which his Kingdom Holding Co. investment company owns stakes. "Four Seasons is a very unique product. Its PE ratio is in the 40s. If we link them (Four Seasons with Accor), the PE ratio could well go down to the 20s," he said. (Reporting by Katie Paul; editing by Jason Neely) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Florence Tan SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Solar power costs will fall by another 60 percent over the next decade giving an already booming market another boost, the head of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) said on Monday. Solar power is in the midst of boom because of sharp drops in costs and efficiency improvements, pushing global capacity from virtually zero at the start of the century to 300 gigawatt (GW) by the end of 2016, a figure expected to rise again by 2020. Irena expects 80 to 90 GW of new solar capacity, enough to power more than 8 billion LED light bulbs, to be added globally each year over the next 5 to 6 years, Adnan Amin, the director general of Irena told Reuters, exceeding a forecast of 73 GW from the International Energy Agency (IEA). "This could easily accelerate as costs decline in the future," said Amin. "China alone can do 50 GW a year." "In the next decade, the cost of (utility scale) solar could fall by 60 percent or more," he said in Singapore on Monday. That growth will mark China as the world's biggest and fastest growing solar market as Beijing relies on renewable power to cut air pollution from coal-fired power plants. While Amin said that India would also see sharp solar growth in coming years, he expected Southeast Asia to be more mixed. "There is a target of 23 percent (power generation) in ASEAN for renewables by 2025. We think it's ambitious but it's achievable," he said. The solar power share of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) 10 members is currently negligible. Amin said improvements in solar technology were especially expected from thin films, which can be applied on windows. While this is already possible, it remains prohibitively expensive. Irena also expects the cost of batteries, key to back up a technology that relies on daytime, to fall by 60 percent to 70 percent in the next decade. Despite its boom, Amin said potential U.S. trade barriers would only make solar energy more costly for the world's largest oil consumer. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce by early next year whether to take measures to limit imports after the U.S. International Trade Commission found in September that domestic panel makers had been harmed by cheap imports. "It's not always the best strategy to try to protect your industry and have high prices. Because in the long-term what you want to do is drive down the cost of energy," Amin said. (Reporting by Florence Tan; Editing by Henning Gloystein and Christian Schmollinger) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seeking to open new avenues for women officers in the force, the Indian Army is planning to deploy them as cyber warriors to deal with the threats in the domain. The proposal has been discussed by the army chief, Gen Bipin Rawat, with his senior commanders and would be implemented in the near future as the force wants to utilise the women officers "more advantageously". "The force has plans of utilising the women officers more effectively in new cadres such as cyber which is a fast emerging trade in the armed forces as they face major cyber security threat from both state and nonstate actors," army sources told MAILTODAY here. The women officers would also be included in the field of language training to the army personnel and architecture as permanent commission officers, they said. Cyber warfare is fast developing as one of most important fields of concern for the forces as their networks and computers are continuously under the threat from adversaries such as China and Pakistan. The three services are coming up with a cyber warfare agency under the integrated defence staff to tackle the attacks as well as to create an offensive capability to deal the issue. Recently, the Shekatkar Committee also recommended that officers of the army education corps could also be used as cyber warriors as the branch is getting disbanded. The sources said the intention of the army is to provide more opportunities in the women officers in the fields where they can contribute their best. Sources said the force also would also be favourably considering the grant of permanent commission to the women officers provided they meet the benchmark. The army has been granting permanent commission to women officers in limited number of branches such as legal and education but is yet to induct them in direct combat units such as infantry. On the language courses to be imparted by women officers, sources said a large number of troops and officers are getting trained in important international languages such as Mandarin and Arabic to deal with the emerging threats. Army is going to induct women as jawans also as it plans to hire 850 of them in the military police branch where they would help the troops to handle situations where women are involved like females pelting stones at forces carrying out operations. After having 850 of them initially, their numbers would be increased gradually in the lower ranks as females are till now limited only in officer cadre. The roles of military police include policing the cantonment and army establishments, prevent breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required. Very few countries including Germany, Australia, Canada, the US, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and Israel have allowed women in combat roles. The Indian Air Force has also inducted three women officers as fighter pilots and would be joining a MiG 21 squadron in near future. IT major Infosys will announce its second quarter earnings on Tuesday. This will be the first set of earnings after former CEO Vishal Sikka resigned and co-founder Nandan Nilekani returned as chairman of the company. Earlier, Infosys had given October 13, 2017 as the tentative date for announcing the financial results for the September quarter in its earnings release for the first quarter. But on September 5, the firm in a release to the BSE said it would announce quarter and half-year ended September 30, 2017 financial results on October 24. Analysts expect the firm to focus on long term stability in the business along with short term confidence building measures like date for share buyback and employees' salary hike during its Q2 earnings. "The Infosys Board has two key issues to manage currently-one, ensuring stability by way of managing stakeholder sentiment and two, offering visibility by way of sharing concrete guidance," Greyhound Knowledge Group CEO and Chief Analyst Sanchit Vir Gogia told PTI. While multiple short-term tactics like share buyback, employees salary hikes and active client conversations can be expected to ensure stability, it is the concrete guidance that needs most focus and work, Gogia added. "While visibility on the new CEO announcement is important, we at Greyhound believe Infosys board must also offer concrete guidance on the company's stand on some of the initiatives that were launched in Vishal's term, steps being taken to ensure development of mid-management and reduce senior level exists and most importantly reforms that are either already being executed or planned to ensure zero governance issues in the future," Gogia said. As per an analyst of a banking investment firm, who did not wished to be named due to business reason, told PTI that as per their research, investors will focus on changes in Infosys digital and growth strategy, demand environment across verticals it operates specially financial services and progress on automation and artificial intelligence which gathered pace under Sikka's regime. The firm expects Infosys to cut constant currency revenue growth guidance for current fiscal from 6.5-8.5 per cent to around 6-7 per cent. The company had posted 1.3 per cent increase in net profit to Rs 3,483 crore for the June quarter, helped by client wins in key markets, and raised its annual US dollar revenue outlook. Its revenue grew 1.7 per cent to Rs 17,078 crore in the first quarter of 2017-18 as against Rs 16,782 crore in the year-ago period. The US Treasury plans to closely monitor India's foreign exchange and macro-economic policies in view of a continuous accumulation of dollars by the country in the last one year to support the value of Indian rupee. According to the US Treasury's report titled Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States, over the first half of 2017, there has been a notable increase in the scale and persistence of India's net foreign exchange purchases which have risen to around $42 billion, equivalent to 1.8 per cent of GDP, in the four quarters ended June 2017. One of the three criterions the treasury has established for determining whether there is a need for enhanced analysis and vigilance of any country's foreign exchange policies is its net purchases of dollars touching two per cent of GDP in the trailing 12 months. The aim of the US Treasury behind this monitoring is that to ensure that the trading partners do not indulge in unfair currency practices. India is very close to meeting this criterion for the four quarters ending June 2017, with net purchases of foreign currency slightly below 2 percent of GDP. India has a significant bilateral goods trade surplus with the United States, totalling $23 billion over the four quarters through June 2017. Foreign exchange reserves grew steadily in Korea, India, and Taiwan,, and currently are at or near all-time highs for all three economies. For the rest of the world, foreign currency reserves declined by $410 billion between mid-2014 and mid-2017. This primarily reflected a fall in reserves among oil exporters, particularly those with less flexible exchange rate regimes. Shares of Indian Energy Exchange listed on a weak note on the bourses today. The stock fell 9 percent to Rs 1,500 against its issue price of Rs 1650 on the BSE and NSE. However, the stock staged some recovery later, trading just 0.65 per cent lower to its issue price. At 10:58 am, the stock was trading 9.13 percent higher compared with its open price of 1500 level. The IPO of the power trading exchange regulated by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission elicited good response from investors, with the issue getting oversubscribed 2.23 times on the last day of bidding on October 11. Through the IPO, also the first by a power exchange in the country, the company aims to raise up to Rs 1,001 crore. On the final day, the offer received total bids for 11,776,518 shares against 52,75,889 shares on offer, data available with the NSE till 1900 hours showed. The price band for the offer is Rs 1,645-1,650 per share. In a rare development, the company revised the quantum of share allocation to anchor investors on account of regulations related to Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs). The company's IPO committee of the Board of Directors in consultation with the book running lead managers to the offer has finalised revised allocation of 7,89,120 shares to anchor investors at a price of Rs 1,650 per share, the notice said. Earlier, the company had alloted 18,19,501 equity shares to anchor investors at the same price. Under regulations, FPIs are not permitted to invest in power exchanges through the primary market route. "Post receipt of bids from anchor investors in the IEX offer, certain custodians have communicated to the BRLMs (book running lead managers) that FPIs shall not be eligible to participate. "The company and the BRLMs discussed this development with the regulator in order to identify potential solutions. However, as this has arisen late in the day and during the offer period, an appropriate solution could not be implemented in the short time span available," IEX spokesperson said. Accordingly, the additional shares, which were earlier to be allotted to FPI anchor investors are available for allocation in the QIB (qualified institutional buyer) portion. "The company would like to reiterate that this development is arising out of regulatory concerns raised by the custodians rather than any pricing concern. The anchor book, which is available in the public domain, identifies the calibre of investors who were interested in participating in the offer and shows their confidence in the company," the spokesperson said. The company, along with the BRLMs, has decided to focus on domestic investors in order to avoid any changes to the offer timetable and achieve listing as anticipated, the spokesperson added. The IPO is of up to 60,65,009 shares (including anchor portion of 7,89,120 shares). Axis Capital, Kotak Mahindra Capital Company and IIFL Holdings are managing the company's public issue. CAMEROUN :: Anglophone crisis: The disturbing elimination of politics, the gradual putting in place of some provisions of the Constitution, laws and the rampant militarization of the public space :: CAMEROON After the tragic events on the 1st of October 2017 in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, which of course could have been avoided by the Government, the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defense (MINDEF) on Wednesday 11th October 2017 issued a communique announcing the holding of a meeting on October 12th 2017 at Buea, in the South-Western Region. The meeting grouped Military officers from the Ministry of Defense, Security Forces, and Governors of both the North-West and South-West Regions of Cameroon.. The purpose of this conclave was to evaluate "the functioning of the Defense forces on the ground and for them to be on alert and react where necessary, in the spirit of maintaining law and order" in these regions. In a context where, whatever security officials do, the regime's overzealous pundits will say, the country is essentially faced with a crisis arising from political demands of the population, this communique emanating not from the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization (MINATD) or even the Minister of Justice, but the Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) puzzles any attentive observer. Its suspicious if the Minister of Defense is concerned with "respect for the law and order" instead of administrative authorities and their support services, which are the institutions responsible for internal security in a country, all Republicans Democrats need to worry. At the end of the in-camera meeting between the Minister of Defense and the country's high-ranking military officials, including the heads of internal security (according to the state media report) it became apparent that Cameroon is faced with "Rebels and Terrorist movements". A message from the Second Joint Military Command (RMIA2), dated 12th October 2017, restricted to be circulated, curiously from a credible source, and widely spread on social media, talked of an imminent threat, of an attack on our country, in connection with the anglophone crisis, by former American Marines, in complicity with certain "high level personalities still on duty", with the aim of preventing the holding of the 2018 elections. These facts, considered together, are all the more worrying because they allow us to assess differently, the extreme militarization of the two English-speaking Regions, the disproportionate use of force and lethal weapons used on 1st October 2017 against unarmed civilian populations despite attempts by the Government to make people believe that the country is at war and that the army is faced with an enemy. As we have noted, the President of the Republic deserted the country after his inopportune appearance in the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York, whereas his country was in total crisis and uncertainty. His desertion is a disregard of the political problems and failure in the management of the crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Regions. He shall remain, however, constitutionally in office as long as the Supreme Court-Constitutional Council has not declared the vacancy of power. However, there is an abusive and rampant militarization of the Northwest and Southwest regions, with the curious involvement of the army in the political issues, not forgetting that fierce messages that put the army on alert, not against foreign enemies operating on the national territory but against Cameroonians. The Cameroon military cannot be in a state of war against its own unarmed population! Article 9 of our Constitution provides that: "1 - The President of the Republic may, if circumstances so require, declare by a decree a state of emergency conferring special powers on him under the conditions laid down by law. 2 - The President of the Republic may, in the event of a serious peril threatening the integrity of the territory, life, independence or the institutions of the Republic, declare by a decree a state of emergency and take any measures he deems necessary. He shall inform the nation thereof by message." These legal conditions have not been met in the context of the Anglophone crisis. Even if the country had been in a state of war, Article 34 of Presidential Decree No. 83/540 of 5 November 1983 on the organization of the Armed Forces and its Command, shall deal with duties of the Armed Force Chief of Staff (CEMA): which stipulates that in times of crisis, the Head of State can be appoint through a Presidential Decree, a General Chief of Staff of the Armed forces (CEMGA). In this case he "directly assists the President of the Republic in the exercise of his constitutional duties as Chief of the Armed Forces. The President may give him the command of military operations ". Then, in accordance with Article 8 (2.a) of Decree No. 2001/180 of 25 July 2001 on the reorganization of the territorial military command, "[i] t takes under his authority each in its specificity: the Gendarmerie forces; security Forces; fire fighters". Why does the Minister of Defense act as the General Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces? even though the country is not at war, to the point of bringing together central and territorial officers of the defense forces and the two governors of the North-West and South-West Regions of Cameroon, in order to evaluate "the functioning of the various ground operations, in order to maintain law and the 'order'? Did he do it out of ignorance of the Constitution and laws of the Republic? Why does he think that we cannot worry about such an approach that also openly violates the laws and gives the impression that the situation is being taken care of by the Defense forces? In any case, I call on the militants and sympathizers of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) and all democratic forces to remain extremely vigilant in this context where the Anglophone crisis has revealed no consideration for a political solution and where some groups may no longer be able to express certain inclinations. The National President Maurice KAMTO Yaounde, 22nd October 2017 | BY Ricki Green | In a new digital and online campaign targeting US travellers Qantas is encouraging more Americans to holiday in Australia by offering to pay for their passport. Qantas Not Your Typical Airline campaign has launched in the US and is timed to support the arrival of the airlines new 787 Dreamliner. The video and digital banner ads tap into the insight that only 40 per cent of Americans hold a valid passport and that Qantas is offering these travellers a US$135 discount, or the cost of a US passport, off their next ticket to Australia. Other components of the campaign showcase the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru as well as Australias unique hiking trails, outback water holes and native animals, explaining that Australia also offers not your typical vacation experience. Qantas chief customer officer Olivia Wirth said the airline is keen to encourage more Americans to apply for a passport and make Australia their next international holiday. Says Wirth: Australia is in the top five destinations Americans would consider traveling to in the next four years, yet more than half the population do not hold a valid passport. We want to make this process easier and offer our American customers US$135 off the price of their fare, essentially covering the cost of a new passport. As Australias national carrier we are proud and excited to share all that Australia has to offer and with this campaign we are keen to help boost tourism to our cities, towns and regional areas at the same time. More than eight million international visitors travelled to Australia in the year ending June 2017, injecting $40.6 billion into the Australian economy. Of these, 753,000 visitors were from the US spending a total of $3.7 billion during their stay, up seven per cent on the previous year. Just over a third of US travellers visit up to five regions when travelling to Australia, following food and wine trails, exploring coastal areas and spending time experiencing Australias native animals and wildlife. Qantas offers more non-stop flights per week between the US and Australia than any other airline with direct flights from Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Dallas/Fort Worth and Vancouver. It is the only carrier to operate the award-winning A380 between the US and Australia, and in December 2017, will add a new service from Los Angeles to Melbourne on the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Agency BWM Dentsu Sydney Chief Creative Officer Rob Belgiovane Executive Creative Director Asheen Naidu Senior Copywriter Oskar Westerdal Senior Art Director Rene Schultz Senior Strategic Planner Caitlin Schuch Client Service Director Brent Kerby Account Director Bonnie Ledsam Senior Account Manager Chris Murphy Agency Producer Emma Durlacher Production Company Infinity Squared Director Melvin J Montalban Executive Producer Cathy Rechichi Producer Caroline David Sound Post Production Rumble Studios Executive Producer Michael Gie | BY Ricki Green | Key Pharmaceuticals has selected The Core Agency to manage strategy and creative duties for its stable of brands including Blistex and Hamilton following a competitive creative pitch. The fast-growing Sydney independent will become the lead agency for all Key Pharmaceuticals brands across Australia and New Zealand. Key Pharmaceuticals is an Australian owned and operated company and one of the leaders in the field of Over the Counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals. Its portfolio of around 30 brands includes household names such as Odor-Eaters, earclear and OsteVit-D. It joins a growing list of clients at The Core Agency including QBE, Sydney Airport, Pet Circle, Cook Islands Tourism, RSVP and The Fred Hollows Foundation. Says Jane Callister, managing director at The Core Agency: Were delighted to bring our expertise in consumer marketing to Key Pharmaceuticals. This latest win is a significant one for the agency and we look forward to developing core ideas for their brands which can deliver results across multiple channels. The business has bold plans for their brands and we are excited to be working with the Key team. Says a spokesperson for Key Pharmaceuticals: We have many wonderful brands in our portfolio that are trusted by Australians to improve their health, wellbeing and vitality. We look forward to working with The Core Agency to connect with consumers to refresh and amplify the message for our key brands. | BY Ricki Green | True Local, the go-to online directory and review website for Australian businesses, has unveiled a new digital creative campaign via JOY, to support the launch of its Digital PowerPacks a suite of marketing products targeted at small and medium businesses (SMBs). Designed to equip business owners with digital know-how and the tools to promote themselves online, True Local Digital PowerPacks are packages that help SMBs build websites, develop digital advertising and create their own online store. The new campaign features a series of videos that position True Local as the enabler for small businesses, providing SMBs with cost-effective marketing solutions that help them to compete effectively in a crowded market. Launching with a fly on the wall doco-style video about the overall product suite, the content features Steve the Chippie, a tradie who becomes so confident in his ability to run social media, and design websites and online stores through True Locals Digital PowerPacks, that he diversifies his carpentry business to include digital marketing. The narrative sees Steve start offering expert consultancy to local hairdressers, beauty parlours, restaurants and other trades. Each video wraps with his clients seeing through him, realising True Local is the real source behind Steves online ability. Says Sarah Peacock, CMO, True Local: We know many local businesses want to start marketing their business online but dont know where to start. We created Digital PowerPacks to empower Australian small and medium businesses to be digitally confident. The new campaign shows just how simple they are to implement, with our support. The campaign, consisting of video content, display ads and case study testimonials, will roll out across True Locals digital and social channels from now through to December 2017. To use the Digital PowerPacks, no previous digital knowledge is required. Each product is designed to walk the user through the production of content step-by-step, focusing on the following areas: The Get On the Web PowerPack allows business owners to build a website they can continue to update as their business evolves; The Online Promoter PowerPack allows them to create cost-effective targeted and impactful advertising on major Australian websites and social platforms; The Virtual Assistant PowerPack allows them to manage their business online, including scheduling and managing customer bookings, invoicing and collecting payments, and organising employee tasks; The Sell Online PowerPack allows them to create an online store and establish a digital presence, which is important for SMBs as Amazon enters the Australian market. Says Peacock: The four unique packages give business owners the opportunity to level the playing field with their competitors and bigger companies, by assisting them in producing an effective and impactful online presence in a matter of minutes. Under the current bill, the government would allow the casino up to 200 pokie machines and 60 other fully-automated games, "authorisations" for which will need to be bought from the clubs that own most licences. Congratulations to Chris Emery of Reid who was first to correctly identify last week's photo as a scene at Gunning Showground, which Emery says is the venue every September of "the best family fireworks display in Australia". Emery beat a number of readers to the prize, including Ann Darbyshire and Nathan Holt, both of Gunning, the latter of whom was surprised to see the photo feature in this quiz. "I've often wondered what locations from Gunning could be used in your column, but never thought of a manure sign," exclaims Holt. "The growing rate of female imprisonment is particularly concerning for all states and territories, who have seen an 8 per cent increase nationally in the 12 months to June 2016." The agency finalised 1058 applications for new products in the September quarter, almost double the usual number in previous quarters, keeping its on-time approval rate for all products steady at 58 per cent. "We've experienced a particularly productive quarter and it's promising to see applications moving through assessment and products making their way to market," he said. Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Aside from unveiling multiple cars, including the new e-Evolution Concept in Tokyo, Mitsubishi will also present a new brand strategy and its future plans as it tries to reinvent itself under the umbrella of the Renault-Nissan alliance. The automakers next chapter will be focused on the brands inner essence, specifically its pedigree, its stance on technology and design, its approach to global business and its connection with customers, aka its drivers. Mitsubishi will hold an official press conference at the Tokyo Motor Show on October 25th, the same venue where they will introduce both the e-Evolution Concept as well as the high-tech EMIRAI 4. The e-Evolution is meant to preview a high-performance all-electric crossover, powered by three motors, with one positioned on the front axle and the other two at the rear. It also features electronically-controlled torque vectoring, which should benefit handling. Other impressive technologies include the concepts AI brain that can rear changes in road and traffic conditions while also interpreting the drivers intent. As for the EMIRAI 4, it represents a high-tech futuristic roadster, boasting driver assistance features and a heads-up display with augmented reality technology, among others. PHOTO GALLERY With the Porsche Design division, the German brand applies its aesthetic ethos to a wide variety of products. That includes a longstanding partnership with Chinese electronics manufacturer Huawei, for which it has designed the new Porsche Design Huawei Mate 10 smartphone. Clearly aimed at a higher segment of the mobile phone market, the PD Mate 10 looks as slick as they come and boasts some serious hardware to back up its cutting-edge design. For starters, it has an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chip that optimizes everything from energy consumption to photography. It also packs 6 gigs of RAM and 256 gigs of storage to store all your favorite tracks and apps and still leave plenty of space for photos and videos captured on the device. That part is handled by optics furnished by none other than Leica dual lenses with f/1.6 aperture, capturing 12 megapixels in color and 20 in black and white. Theres a fingerprint reader on the back, and a pre-installed translator that can interpret between more than 50 languages by text, voice, or image. Power comes from a 4000mAh battery that, with Huaweis proprietary SuperCharge technology, can charge up for the day in just 20 minutes. Its all controlled and displayed on a six-inch screen with an 18:9 aspect ratio, barely visible bezel, HDR10 technology and split-screen interface for running two apps side by size simultaneously. The curved glass also features a smudge-proof finish to keep it looking slick. Of course, being styled by Porsche Design, it also looks as slick as the hardware is impressive but none of that comes cheap. European pricing is pegged at 1,395 through Porsche Design and Huawei stores worldwide though not in the United States. Photo Gallery Tesla has reportedly reached an agreement with Shanghais government to build a manufacturing facility in the city. The Wall Street Journal broke the news, reporting that the automaker wont form a partnership with a local company to build vehicles in the country, meaning it wont be eligible to avoid Chinas 25 per cent import tax. Nevertheless, local production will help to slash costs of Tesla models sold throughout China. Neither Tesla or the Shanghai government have acknowledged the existence of such a deal but Elon Musk did reveal in June that the company was holding discussions with the government to secure local production. As it stands, China requires car companies to establish joint-venture partnerships with local carmakers to build vehicles in the nation. However, China is discussing dropping this requirement for electric-vehicle businesses wishing to operate in its free-trade zones. PHOTO GALLERY Volkswagen chief executive Matthias Muller has hit out at Tesla, asserting that the electric carmaker isnt a social responsible brand and burns through millions of dollars. Speaking during a recent panel discussion on the future of the automotive industry, Mullers emblazoned speech was prompted by a moderator. Translated from German to English, it went a little like this. Now I really need to say a few words about Tesla: With all respect, there are some world champions of big announcements in this worldI dont want to name names. There are companies that barely sell 80,000 cars a year. Then there are companies like Volkswagen that sell 11 million cars this year, and produce a profit of 13 or 14 billion euro. If I am correctly informed, Tesla each quarter destroys millions of dollars in the three digits, and it willy-nilly fires its workers. Social responsibility? Please. We should not get carried away and compare apples with oranges, Muller said. Mullers statements are, for the most part, based on fact. Teslas sales pale in comparison to VW and it is still yet to routinely return any profit. Additionally, the electric automaker recently fired hundreds of workers and has been sued on multiple occasions for racial and anti-LGBTIQ abuse. As Ars Technica points out, however, VW is far from an angel of the automotive world. In fact, it was behind one of the industrys largest ever coverups when it cheated diesel emissions testing around the world, leading to billions in fines and tens of millions of vehicles being recalled. VIDEO Do any of you recall when we were first introduced to debit cards? I don't know about you, but I was told that debit cards would speed up banking and eliminate the need for tellers, you could just go to a machine and get your money anytime, even on Sundays when banks were closed on holidays etc. Best of all, it was all free, no charges or fees. How did that work out? I don't know about you but I pay fees and charges now, funny how that happened! Now, electric cars have free to use charging stations, you also get government rebates of $5,000 or more to buy one. Do you really think charging will remain free? I mean just ask the people in Ontario if electricity is free, for that matter ask the elderly in Kelowna if electricity has gone up in price at all since they retired. Government will never allow it. They will however allow the Fukushima reactor to poison our oceans and eventually us, then who will drive the electric cars, or use debit cards. Took a trip to Washington state, down there organic foods are cheaper than non organic, I asked,"Why are they cheaper" the response was,"Not having to use fertilizers is cheaper for farmers, less costs lower price" Then why are Organic foods more expensive in Canada? Figure that one out. Dave Koebel Madison Erhardt A haunted house on Grenfell Road in Kelowna is back this year, and promises to be even scarier. The 945 Grenfelll Rd. display is bigger this year, after raising more than $400 in cash and collecting 400 pounds of food for the Kelowna Community Food Bank. Homeowner Paul Coxe says about 800 people visited the display in the span of just three days last year. "I can't give away all my secrets, but you aren't going to want to miss this. I have added a number of new elements, Coxe said. Coxe has invested in more Halloween items this year in hopes he will be able to raise more money and food for the food bank. Seven local companies have also supported the endeavour. Coxe also said that he has made sure it is a family friendly event. "For the younger kids that are a little hesitant they will be given a glow stick and a safety word to say if they have had enough." The haunted house will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 27 to 31, but will be closed on Oct. 30. For more information, visit its Facebook event page. Photo: Daryl Robertson UPDATED: 4:08 p.m. Highway 1 has reopened to traffic in both directions, after a collision closed the highway 60 km east of Revelstoke. Expect heavy delays due to congestion, according to DriveBC. The details of the crash are still unknown. ORIGINAL: 2:59 p.m. Highway 1 is closed in both directions about 60 km east of Revelstoke because of a collision, according to DriveBC. The accident occurred inside Glacier National Park. No details of the crash are known. No detour is available at this time. Photo: Jack VanDyk Photo shows 20th Street extension project. Click here to view gallery Photo: Jack VanDyk Photo: Jack VanDyk Photo: Jack VanDyk Photo: Jack VanDyk A Vernon resident is concerned by the new road now cutting through the wetland from Stickle Road to behind Rona. The 20th Street extension project is a major part of the Ministry of Transportation's efforts to stop crashes at the Stickle-Highway 97 intersection. It looks like we are getting a freeway instead of a proposed one-way street, said Jack VanDyk, who sent in recent photos of the roadwork. About one hundred metres of trees and shrubs have been cut down along the creek to angle the new road across the creek. Once this is all done, the remaining wetland will be meaningless. In July, a rally organized by SENS, the Sustainable Environmental Network Society, was held in a last-ditch attempt to save the BX Creek Trail at the north end of town. The road project was at one time opposed by the North Okanagan Naturalists Club but the group decided to work with the government to protect what would be left once the road had been built. VanDyk expressed his concern that even more green space could go. The developer, who is building the retirement centre, has applied for rezoning the area east of BX Creek behind Rona for another housing project. Alanna Kelly The one day Comic and Collectibles Expo in Kelowna saw upwards of 1,000 people through the doors on Sunday. People dashed in costume to Parkinson Recreation Centre ready for a full day of collectibles, pop culture excitement and comics. You get artists, vendors, special media guests all together, said organizer Mike Kay. The hall is packed right now full of people, at only $10 for admission we made it a price everyone could come and enjoy. Attendees included comic book writer Ed Brisson and The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, to mention a few. We have the Power Rangers in Space here, we brought them in from all over North America for their first ever Canadian convention, said Kay. Local artist Ashley Erickson said it is a great place to sell her work. There are a lot of like minded people interested in the same things, she said. Fifty vendors were on display selling artwork, different geek products and comic books. Organizers have already started planning how to make the event even bigger next year by adding another day. Kay said the event couldnt have been possible without the help from a dozen volunteers. Photo: Contributed Love it or hate it, email seems to be here to stay. How do you get your email? Last weeks column mentioned the coming demise of Outlook 2007. I asked readers last week how they get their email, and got some interesting responses. Heres what you had to say. Windows Live Mail was a frequent response. Windows Live Mail is no longer supported and is no longer available from Microsoft for download. If you have it and you like it, thats great. But eventually it will quit working and you wont be able to download a fresh copy. Most of you who told me you have Windows Live Mail added that you are also still using Windows 7 and that you dont like new things. A few of you are using Mozilla Thunderbird, which is what I use for my [email protected] email. Ive been using it for years and Im just used to it. Its customizable, so you can make it look a lot like good old Outlook Express or Windows Live Mail. It can be tricky to set up, but once you work through all that, Thunderbird is a straightforward email program. Youll find it here. Youre also using various versions of Outlook, including Outlook 2007. Many of you wrote that you use a web-based email service including Gmail, Outlook.com/Hotmail, Telus Webmail and Shaw Webmail. Webmail is slowly but surely gaining popularity at the expense of desktop email clients. Web-based email is accessible from any device in any location with a working internet connection. Desktop email clients that actually work If you require a desktop client, or if you are simply more comfortable with one, its nice to have one that works. Besides the ones mentioned already, there are a few standouts, both paid and free. Mailbird aims to be the program that includes email, social media, calendars, contacts, and just about everything but the kitchen sink. There are free and paid versions. Check out Mailbird here. eM Client is another popular email program which also includes calendars, tasks, and chat. You can use it to grab your ISP email (shaw.ca, telus.net, etc.) as well as Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, and if you use Exchange email, it will handle that, too. Take a look here. Again, there are free and paid versions. Just one more thing If you have Windows 10, there is a built-in email client called Mail. It lacks important features that power email users have, but if your needs are basic, this app may work for you. It will also collect your Outlook.com/Hotmail and Gmail if you like. If you use Gmail and miss having an email client, an alternative to the built-in Mail app in Windows 10 is Kiwi, which I wrote about here. Again, there is a free version and a paid version with more features and capabilities. Thank you to everyone who took the time to write. Im always interested in what people are doing with their email and if whatever youre doing works for you. Feel free to comment. Email me at [email protected]. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: saatchiart.com Even though we know better, we re-inforce and re-affirm what we dont want. The more we repeatedly think and act in a particular way, the more we become unconscious of how we behave. If were in a hurry, we hunch ourselves up, fold over our own heart, clench our teeth and the steering wheel while muttering we wont make it. And if our worst fears are realized, we take perverse delight in claiming we knew it would happen like this. Our thoughts are repetitive and negative; what ifs taken to absurd conclusions, thoughts that zero in on what we cant do, about lack, fear and resentment, habitual responses that happen if were unaware or unwilling to negate the negativity. Whenever were depressed, we project that feeling into the future, believing it will cloud our lives like the dismal February sky. We must enjoy the despair or we wouldnt choose it so often. Thoughts do leap, often unbidden, from the unconscious, but we have the power to choose another thought. Yet, when were as expansive as a sunny, July day when life is humming along like our favourite song, we fear it wont last, and cling to the pleasure like an over-protective mother with a wayward child. Both are destructive and push away what is held dear. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings; Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here, Max Ehrmann wrote in Desiderata. Indeed we do. We have our beliefs about why were here, some consider it a blessing, others a curse and some scamper between the two like a bipolar hamster. But we were invited here by the Universe and nothing was preordained. Life is not something that happens to us, we create it with our thoughts, with the way we think. If we persist in thinking negative, dark thoughts, life mirrors those thoughts. If we are adamant that good things only happen to other people, but never to us, guess what happens? And if the Universe should shower us with blessings, we soon fritter then away because we dont believe it will last and, consequently, they dont. We control the frequency of our energy through our thoughts, feelings and beliefs, it says on The Secret calendar. If we are predominantly positive and feeling good, we are attracting like positive energy in every area of our lives. If we are in fear, powerless ness, blame, or any negative emotion, we are attracting like negative energy into our lives. As every single thing is energy, positive energy draws positive people circumstances, and events into our lives. Negative energy attracts negative energy, which we will experience through negative people, circumstances, and events. Our refusal to dance with life, our desire to ignore its music, create tension, which we dont notice because it is so much a part of us. But it does make us anxious about life: about what we get, what we dont and whether well lose what we have. It shows up as a pain in the head, an ache in the stomach, or something much worse. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus put it this way: Therefore, I say to you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than food, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by anxious care can add one cubit to his stature? And why are ye anxious for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow? They toil not, neither do they spin? And yet I say to you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clotheth the grass of the field, which to-day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Until we shed light on the cause of our fear, anxiety, and anger, we deal only with the symptoms. We dont acknowledge the emotional stress, or if we do, blame someone or something for our perceived problems. We push it away, resist it, pretend were not feeling it. We get pulled into a whirlpool of dark thoughts like the event horizon of a dark hole; if were not careful, gravity will suck us in. If we are confused, its absurd to deal with the confusion; we have to decipher what is causing the confusion? said Jiddu Krishnamurti, one of the spiritual greats of the last century. A wise teacher does not tell us how to live, but asks the right questions so we can illuminate our own path. We are our own best teachers; we all have the answers to our questions. We can each be the high priest(ess) of our own truth, our own resolve, our own good intentions. And the more we look into ourselves, the luckier we become, understanding at last what the Roman philosopher Seneca meant when he said luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment, Eckhart Tolle, one of the spiritual greats of this century, writes in A New Earth: Awakening to Your Lifes Purpose. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: Contributed Two people have been injured by a bear that broke into a home in Mission, B.C. Murray Smith with the provincial Conservation Officer Service says a Mission resident heard a commotion in her backyard late Saturday night and went to check on her dogs. He says when she opened the back door, the woman was met by a black bear, which knocked her down, bit her in the back and scratched her. The woman's boyfriend came and scared the animal back outside, and the woman was taken to hospital where she was treated for superficial injuries. Smith says conservation officers later found the female bear and her two 34-kilogram cubs in a tree behind the home, and when an officer approached, the female bear attacked, biting the conservation officer on the leg. The officer was taken to hospital where she received stitches, and all three of the bears were destroyed. "The reason that decision was made was because all the residents in the neighbourhood said the bears had been in their yards multiple times in the last few days," Smith said. Neighbours reported seeing the bears eat from fruit trees in the area and get into garbage pails and the behaviour suggests the animals were "human habituated," he added. "Normally when a person opens their back door, the bear runs away," Smith said. "When a bear decides to challenge and come into a house, that means they've been around people quite a bit." Mid-October is a particularly difficult time of year for encounters between bears and humans, Smith said, because the animals are trying to fatten up before they go into hibernation. Photo: CTV UPDATE 10:30 a.m. A male has passed away following an early morning shooting in South Surrey. Surrey RCMP and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) remain on scene. The female victim is in serious condition at hospital. Investigators believe it does not appear to be a random act. The area surrounding the scene remains cordoned off. Anyone with information regarding this investigation can call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by email at [email protected] UPDATE 9:40 a.m. Homicide investigators arrived at the scene of the shooting after 8 a.m., suggesting one of the victims may have died. When arriving on scene, officers found two people suffering from gunshot wounds. The victims were located about a kilometre apart. One of the victims was a woman, who appeared to have been able to drive away from the location of the shooting onto Highway 99. The second victim, a male, was found in the area where the shooting was reported. No arrests have been made. Officers will be in the area for most of the morning, and roads may be closed as the area is investigated. with files from CTV Vancouver ORIGINAL 6:07 a.m. RCMP are investigating a double shooting in South Surrey. Just after 2 a.m. Monday, police responded to a report of shots fired on the 14300 block of Crescent Road. Officers found two victims suffering from gunshot wounds. RCMP are still on scene and are canvassing the neighbourhood, speaking with witnesses. Surrey RCMP advise there may be road closures in the area. Anyone with information is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.solvecrime.ca. Photo: Twitter The bodies of at least 67 Syrian civilians, many summarily killed by the Islamic State group, have been discovered in a central town in Syria retaken from IS by government troops over the weekend, the Syrian government and activists said Monday. A senior Syrian official described the attack as a "shocking massacre," saying the search and documentation of those killed in the town of Qaryatayn, in Homs province, is still under way. The news of the gruesome find began to emerge first late on Sunday. The number of bodies was likely to climb. Some were shot in the street as IS militants retreated from the town, gunned down because they were suspected of working with the governments, according to activists. At least 35 of the casualties were found shot and their bodies dumped in a shaft. The apparent revenge killings underscore the Islamic State group's ability to inflict heavy losses in Syria even while its militants are on the retreat in north and eastern Syria, days after having been defeated in Raqqa, the group's one-time "capital" of its self-proclaimed caliphate. They also raise the spectre of more revenge killings by the group while it fights to hang on to its last strongholds in Syria. An Associated Press video, filmed as Syrian government troops recaptured Qaryatayn, showed several bodies in the streets of the town. In the video, a town resident says IS "monsters" killed more than a 100 people, including soldiers and civilians. "These are people who don't know God, they don't know anything. They killed children and women with knives, they beat women, broke their arms," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity fearing for his own safety. Talal Barazi, the governor of Homs province, told The Associated Press on Monday that most of the bodies were of townspeople who were government employees or were affiliated with Syria's ruling Baath party. He said the killings went on for the three weeks that IS was in town and "terrorized" its residents, adding that at least 13 residents remain missing while six bodies have not been identified. Photo: KUTV Wind-driven wildfires in Utah forced evacuations and threatened structures on a big weekend for deer hunters in the fire zone. KUTV reports two separate wildfires of 600 acres each and two miles apart raged near Strawberry Reservoir about 80 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. By Sunday evening the winds died down, enabling fire crews to make progress fighting the flames. The U.S. Forest Service said one of the fires was the biggest threat in a popular hunting area. Hunting camps and camping trailers were being evacuated from the area. The TV station reported that officials believe both fires could be human caused but no official cause has been determined. It is not yet clear if the fires are related. Photo: Contributed Investigators in Florida have found the body of a missing 3-year-old boy in an underground water storage tank hours after the child disappeared from a family gathering. Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Scott Dingee said in a news conference that investigators believe the body found on Sunday evening is Amari Harley. An autopsy is scheduled Monday. Authorities say Harley was reported missing from a city park after his family had searched for him for an hour. The sheriff's office launched a wide search with more than 50 officers. Dingee says "all options are on the table" for the agency's investigation, and it has not been determined if Harley accidentally fell into the water tank. Dingee says there are covers for the tanks but was unsure if they were on properly. Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - In this Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, file photo, Myeshia Johnson kisses the casket of her husband, Sgt. La David Johnson during his burial service at Fred Hunter's Hollywood Memorial Gardens in Hollywood, Fla. Myeshia President Donald Trump is defending his call to a fallen soldier's widow, saying he was "respectful" and did not forget the slain soldier's name. The widow says Trump's tone in the phone call angered her and that the president "couldn't remember my husband's name." Monday's exchange was the latest in an ongoing dispute over how Trump responded to news that four service members were killed in the African nation of Niger. Trump addressed the call on Twitter Monday after Myeshia Johnson, La David Johnson's widow, appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America." It was Myeshia Johnson's first interview after a Democratic congresswoman accused Trump of being callous in the call by telling the widow that her husband "knew what he signed up for." Trump had accused Rep. Frederica Wilson of fabricating the statement. Trump in other tweets called her "wacky" and accused her of "SECRETLY" listening to the phone call. Johnson confirmed Wilson's account on Monday, saying the congresswoman was a longtime friend who was with the family in the car when Trump called and listened on speakerphone. She said she had asked for the call to be put on speakerphone so relatives with her could hear. "The president said that he knew what he signed up for but it hurts anyway," Johnson said. She added: "The only way he could remember my husband's name was he told me he had my husband's report in front of him and that's when he actually said La David." On Twitter, Trump said: "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!" The four U.S. soldiers were killed Oct. 4 in Niger when they were attacked by militants tied to the Islamic State. The political conflict has steadily escalated for a week, with Wilson attacking the administration and the president firing off insulting tweets. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly entered the fray Thursday. The retired Marine general asserted that the congresswoman had delivered a 2015 speech at an FBI field office dedication in which she "talked about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building," rather than keeping the focus on the fallen agents for which it was named. Video of the speech contradicted his recollection. Wilson on Sunday asked Kelly to apologize. Speaking on MSNBC's "AM Joy," she called Kelly a "puppet of the president" and accused him of character assassination Photo: The Canadian Press The station's editor-in-chief, Alexei Venediktov speaks to the Associated Press at the radio station's office in Moscow, Russia, A well-known journalist for Russia's top independent radio station was stabbed in the throat Monday by an unidentified attacker who burst into her studio the latest in a string of attacks on journalists and opposition activists in Moscow. The assailant broke into the Ekho Moskvy offices and stabbed deputy editor Tatyana Felgenhauer, editor-in-chief Alexei Venediktov said. She is best known for co-hosting a popular morning radio show. Felgenhauer, 32, underwent surgery at a hospital and was put in medically-induced coma as doctors determine the best course of treatment, he said. The attacker, after being apprehended, told investigators he had been in "telepathic contact with Felgenhauer" for five years. The station said the attack was clearly premeditated. To get into the building, the assailant sprayed gas in the face of a security guard at the entrance on the ground floor then went up to the 14th floor, where the station's studios are. "The man came here on purpose. He knew where he was going," Venediktov told reporters. Ekho Moskvy's programs have often been critical of the government, irking many in Russian political and business circles. Its hosts and journalists have previously reported death threats. Another popular Ekho Moskvy host, Yulia Latynina, fled Russia in September following a suspected arson attack on her car. The Investigative Committee, deals with high-profile crimes, said it is treating Monday's attack as an attempted murder. The spokesman for the Russian Prosecutor General's Office described the attack as "outrageous" and said its prosecutors will investigate the case closely. Moscow police said the attacker had a personal grudge against Felgenhauer. It released a brief video, in which the attacker told investigators that he had a "telepathic contact" with Felgenhauer since 2012 and claiming the journalist was "haunting" him. State-owned Russian media have long targeted Ekho Moskvy for its critical reporting. The state television channel Rossiya 24 put out a report two weeks ago that described the station as an "arm of the U.S. State Department," saying it gets paid for "destabilizing society" ahead of Russia's presidential election in March. Columnist Oleg Kashin, who survived in a brutal attack in 2010 that was never properly investigated, told the Dozhd television station that Felgenhauer's "blood is on the hands of people from Rossiya 24, too." Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, says the failure of Russian authorities to respond to the recurrent attacks and threats against independent journalists, activists and opposition leaders have made such attacks possible. UPDATE: 10:05 a.m. Investigators are on scene trying to determine what caused an early morning fire at a home in Kelowna. Firefighters responded to a call for the fire and a "woman shooting water onto the roof." The call came through at about 8:20 a.m. for 2591 Highway 97 North. "We determined the fire was at the rear of the structure, started in the wall at the base where the crawl space and outside wall meet," said Platoon Capt. John Kelly. Firefighters were able the extinguish the blaze by opening that wall and exposing the fire. One occupant was inside the home at the time of the fire. Kelly said they cause is "undetermined right now," and he "thought it would be electrical at first, but there was no electrical sources right there." UPDATE 9:25 a.m. Platoon Capt. John Kelly says the fire started in a wall of the home. Crews opened up the wall to get to the fire, which has been put out. The cause is under investigation. Fortis power crews are also currently on scene. ORIGINAL 9:10 a.m. Fire crews were called to a home at Mills Road and Highway 97 just before 8:30 a.m. A Castanet reporter at the scene says a safety officer is investigating the structure and firefighters are tending to the back of the property. The occupant of the home was reportedly not home at the time of the fire. The smell of smoke is prominent, but flames are not visible. RCMP are on scene. More to come... Photo: Nicholas Johansen RCMP conducting search UPDATE: 4 p.m. RCMP have not linked the search of a Salmon River Road to a public warning they issued on Oct. 13. At that time, police warned of a "possible risk to the general public and women sex workers" after they arrested a man in relation to an alleged incident on Aug. 28 involving threats made to a woman. Police say the "woman had attended a pre-arranged meeting" with the man in the area of Salmon River Road. "The meeting had been set up via an online website utilized by escorts and sex workers," police said. "The victim reported to police that upon arriving at the agreed upon location in her own vehicle, the male suspect produced a firearm and threatened her. The victim was able to flee the scene unharmed." Cpl. Dan Moskaluk says 36-year-old Curtis Sagmoen was charged Oct. 17 with disguising his face with intent to commit an offence, intentionally discharging a firearm while reckless, uttering threats, careless use or storage of a firearm, pointing a firearm, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and possession of a controlled substance. He remains in custody and is scheduled to return to court on Thursday. Moskaluk says information from the Salmon River Road property also led police to search roadsides, ditches and waterways about 15 kilometres north, near Highway 97B and Springbend Road. The RCMP will not say who owns the property on Salmon River Road where the human remains were found. Asked if the searches are related to the public warning, Moskaluk said he was not in a position to comment. Five women have gone missing in the same area of the North Okanagan in the past 20 months. Moskaluk said that as of Monday, police had not linked the search to any ongoing investigation. A number of families involved in missing-person cases have contacted police in recent days, he added. "We have reached out and communicated with a variety of families and provided as much information as possible that we can at this time with respect to their loved ones." The Canadian Press UPDATE 2:30 p.m. A police dog is searching near the side of the road, three kilometres north of the Salmon River Road farm where human remains were found. Four police vehicles are parked near the area and several yellow evidence markers sit in the grass where the dog has been searching. A yellow tarp covered a part of the side of the road earlier, but it is no longer there. Meanwhile at the farm in question, officers are taking measurements of the property. An excavator can be seen at the southeast corner of the property, where police appear to have cordoned off a section with black fencing. Yellow police tape surrounds the property. - with files from Nich Johansen ORIGINAL: 9:15 a.m. An intensive RCMP search of a rural Shuswap property entered its fifth day Monday. Last week, human remains were found in a pasture behind the main house at 2290 Salmon River Road, northeast of Falkland, and black fencing went up to protect the scene from gawkers. On Sunday, an RCMP helicopter was brought in to shoot aerial photos of the farmland. "We anticipate this search continuing for several days," said Cpl. Dan Moskaluk. RCMP have also been searching "open areas, roads and ditches" along Springbend Road in the Enderby area. Castanet reported last week that a second area was under scrutiny, with officers in gloves conducting a fingertip search. While it is related to the same investigation, Moskaluk stressed "efforts in that area were not related to a particular private property." Meanwhile, a man has been charged in connection with a separate Aug. 28 incident in the Salmon River Road area, where a prostitute was allegedly threatened with a gun before she escaped. Last year, three women went missing in the North Okanagan, and they've yet to be found. As well, a woman went missing in Malakwa in September. Photo: MGI A Kelowna woman is competing in Vietnam, representing Canada at the Miss Grand International pageant. Natalie Allin will spend three weeks in Vietnam, says her mother, Rena. Allin won the title of Miss British Columbia last spring and was a top six finalist in the Miss World Canada pageant in Toronto in July. She had returned to her usual routine, when she received a phone call in late September asking her to step in at the pageant as the current Miss Grand Canada could no longer go. With just eight days' notice, she was able to get a leave from her work, obtain the necessary Vietnam visa, pack up her dresses and fly out of Kelowna on Oct. 5. Eighty women from around the world are competing at the pageant. They have been swarmed at the airport, on the street, and have visited many of Vietnams tourist attractions, her mother says. "There is a huge social media following," said her mom. "Particularly for the favourite finalists from Asia and South America. Natalie was happy to see one of her photos receive 3,000 likes, and laughed when she noticed one of Miss Indonesias photos had 300,000 likes!" The pageant finals will be held on Wednesday. Photo: Google Street View The head of a company that runs a B.C. casino alleged to have taken in millions that could be proceeds of crime says procedures to ensure compliance with regulations are strictly followed. Rod N. Baker says the Great Canadian Gaming Corp. has a culture of integrity and transparency and is committed to preventing illegal activities at all of its locations, including the River Rock Casino in Richmond. Last month, the B.C. government announced an independent expert's review of the province's policies in the gambling industry after concerns about money laundering at River Rock. Attorney General David Eby says he launched the probe after reading a report about the casino accepting $13.5 million in $20 bills in July 2015 that police said could be proceeds of crime involving Asian VIP clients. Baker says Great Canadian initially detected suspicious activity at the casino in 2012 and that its ongoing monitoring and reporting to the B.C. Lottery Corp. was crucial to identifying the individuals allegedly involved. He says the company provides records about unusual and large cash transactions directly to the lottery corporation, which assesses whether the transactions raise enough concern for further investigation. Photo: Facebook British-Canadian professional wrestler Davey Boy Smith Jr. says he drew on his years of grappling and self-defence to help save the life of a woman dangling from a Calgary bridge. In a post on his Facebook page, Smith Jr. says he was driving just west of the city's downtown on Sunday when he saw a girl hanging off a bridge. He says he stopped and tried to talk to her, but she threatened to jump. Smith Jr., whose real name is Harry Smith, says he decided to take hold of her and pull her to safety. He says he used his experience as a wrestler to pull her up and hold her until police arrived. Smith Jr., son of "the British Bulldog" wrestler Davey Boy Smith, says he was glad he was there to save the woman's life. Photo: Kate Bouey Connie Allard and John Hardy describe their grief after the manslaughter of their son. A 30-year-old Vernon man with an extensive criminal record has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Jason Hardy in Polson Park on Aug. 26, 2015. With time already served, Tal Kalum La Riviere, 30, has just under two years left in jail. Both victim and perpetrator were lost in the world of drug addiction at the time of Hardy's death, said provincial court Judge Mayland McKimm. During the sentencing hearing Monday, court was told how the two men purchased drugs after taking funds from the victim's account and, along with two teenaged males, went to the skate park at Polson Park. There, a dispute erupted over who had Hardy's bank card. While Hardy is said to have been the first to lash out, trying to kick La Riviere, the other man then hit back with force with Hardy finally falling to the ground, according to Crown counsel William Hilderman. La Riviere and the two other unnamed males continued to kick Hardy while he was down, he said. There were probably ten to 12 blows to the head, ranging from moderate to severe, said Hilderman. He said Hardy also suffered a broken clavicle and road rash. Other health issues were likely "contributory factors" in his death, Hilderman added. La Riviere, who already had three assaults on his record, believed Hardy was alive when they left him lying on the ground but he admitted to legal causation, said defence lawyer Robert Claus. There was no intention to kill, Claus explained. Hardy's father, John, stood beside his wife, Connie Allard, who wept as she read out a victim impact statement describing the dead man as a kind and caring person with a soft spot for the underdog and who battled with drugs and alcohol after the death of his mother when he was 14. The way he died was so devastating to us, Allard said. La Riviere, who was originally charged with second degree murder, is also subject to a mandatory DNA order and a life-time firearms ban. Two other males were also originally charged with murder but the charges were stayed. Photo: The Canadian Press New tests have found a wide range of previously undiscovered contaminants in polar bears around Hudson Bay. The new study complicates our understanding of the complex cocktail of chemicals the bears are exposed to as they try to adapt to changing climate, said Environment Canada researcher Robert Letcher. "For many of these newer compounds, there isn't a lot of toxicological information," he said. Biologists have long known that polar bears as well as other arctic animals carry toxic chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants or POPs in their bodies. Those chemicals, which include substances such as PCBs, damage immune, digestive and reproductive systems. Many of those pollutants are restricted under the 2001 Stockholm Convention. New chemicals have been added since, including substances used for everything from flame retardants to pesticides. Those new chemicals were among a group of 295 POPs that Letcher and his colleagues tested for. They found a total of 210 of them "with some frequency" in fat and liver samples collected from 41 bears that had been harvested in 2013-14 from the western and southern shores of Hudson Bay. The fact they've been found in a top-of-the-food-web predator like polar bears suggest they're widespread in the environment, said Letcher. "If a compound can migrate its way through the food web, all the way up to the polar bear, it must be pretty extensive." The levels of contamination vary widely among the chemicals. Most are found in the range of parts per billion. Some, such as one chemical used as a water repellent for fabrics, are approaching parts per million. It's hard to know what their impacts are on the bears, said Letcher. Most of what we know about these chemicals come from lab tests. Some of the contaminants such as PCBs or DDT were covered under the original Stockholm Convention and have long been in decline. Levels of flame retardant chemicals, added to the Stockholm list in 2009, also seem to be dropping. Photo: The Canadian Press The former pacifist pumped a shotgun at the firing line. Lore McSpadden never touched a gun before the Trigger Warning Queer & Trans Gun Club started this past year. Now McSpadden is among the shooters routinely yelling, "Pull!" and blasting at clay pigeons angling over a mowed field near Rochester. Trigger Warning members are anxious about armed and organized extremists who seem increasingly emboldened. Their response has a touch of symmetry to it: They started a club to teach members how to take up arms. "It's a way to assert our strength," said Jake Allen, 27, who helped form the group. "Often, queer people are thought of as being weak, as being defenceless, and I think in many ways this pushes back against that. And I want white supremacists and neo-Nazis to know that queer people are taking steps necessary to protect themselves." Trigger Warning members meet once a month to shoot still targets and saucer-shaped pigeons. The 18 dues-paying members are all LGBTQ, many just learning about guns. "I identified as a pacifist really through most of my life," said McSpadden, 37, who has attended a self-defence seminar and now owns a 20-gauge shotgun. On a recent evening, their instructor showed novices how to pull a .22-calibre rifle snugly to their shoulders and how to aim slightly ahead of a moving target. Members cheered when shooters shattered a pigeon or hit a bull's-eye. The light mood belies the apprehension that led to group's creation this past winter amid a year marked by politically tinged violence ranging from scuffles at protests to a violent clash of white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia. Zora Gussow recalls a dismal time earlier this year when she began talking to Allen about taking on "the gaping hole in the knowledge of people on the left" about firearms. "I grew up afraid of guns," Gussow said. "The first time I was near a gun in a house, it was of one of my friend's, and I basically jumped back. And that feels dangerous to me in a society where there are so many guns." A dozen shooters in a field in upstate New York does not exactly represent a vanguard of a newly armed left. But the group is not alone. Allen said there is another Trigger Warning chapter in Atlanta and he has received inquiries from people in about 10 other cities. Membership in the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pink Pistols, an LGBTQ-oriented gun group with chapters nationwide, bumped up after the presidential election and then after a white supremacist killed a counter-protester in Charlottesville this summer. The National African-American Gun Association gained 500 new members within two days after Charlottesville. Association president Philip Smith said the group went from four chapters to 45 in the past year. The Liberal Gun Club, a national organization, has seen its paid membership roughly double since the election to about 5,500, said Lara Smith of the group's California chapter. Photo: The Canadian Press A Palestinian doctor says a rare pair of conjoined twins born in the Gaza Strip is in good health, but will need treatment abroad. Dr. Allam Abu Hamda, a neonatal specialist at Gaza's Shifa hospital, said Monday that the girls are in "stable" condition and doctors have begun feeding them. The sisters were born Saturday by cesarean section after a full-term pregnancy. Most cases die within 24 hours of birth, the doctor said. The girls are joined at the abdomen and pelvis but they have separate heads and lungs. Palestinian hospitals lack equipment and expertise to separate the twins. He says doctors are trying to arrange a transfer of the girls to advanced hospitals in the U.S. or Saudi Arabia to determine whether they can be separated. Photo: The Canadian Press French President Emmanuel Macron's dog Nemo interrupted a meeting his master was having with members of his government when he urinated against a fireplace in the Elysee Palace. French TV channel LCI on Sunday broadcast the incident, which was caught on film in a gilded and chandeliered room in the presidential palace. When Macron realized his black Labrador-Griffon cross had just relieved himself nearby, he told the ministers that the dog "was doing something quite exceptional." Asked by one if it happened often, Macron laughed and told him: "You have triggered completely unusual behaviour in my dog." Nemo was adopted in August by Macron and his wife, Brigitte, and named after Captain Nemo, the fictional hero of Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." Macron is a fan of the book. Nemo was adopted from an animal shelter and is believed to be about 1 to 2 years old. Photo: The Canadian Press A WorkSafeBC spokeswoman says it could take months to complete the investigation into an ammonia leak that killed three men last week at the ice arena in Fernie. Trish Knight Chernecki says WorkSafe is the lead investigation agency and has 10 people at the site, alongside investigators with the RCMP, Provincial Fire Service, Technical Safety BC and the Fernie Fire Department. She says one of WorkSafe's first priorities is to work with those agencies overseeing the safety plan and clean-up operation while the arena and community centre remain closed to the public. City officials say a hazardous materials firm has been hired to remove the brine, or salt-water solution, used in the ice-making process, which was contaminated during the emergency response. A community memorial is being planned for Wayne Hornquist, Lloyd Smith, and Jason Podloski. City staff were back at work Monday after municipal offices were closed Friday to remember the three men. The city's CEO, Norm McInnis, asked for the public's understanding over the coming days and weeks as there will be some interruptions in service. Additional spots appear on the neutron detector starting at a magnetic field strength of 23 Tesla that reveal the new magnetic order in the crystal. A specific uranium compound has puzzled researchers for thirty years. Although the crystal structure is simple, no one understands exactly what is happening once it is cooled below a certain temperature. Apparently, a hidden order emerges, whose nature is completely unknown.Now physicists have characterised this hidden order state more precisely and studied it on a microscopic scale. To accomplish this, they utilised the High-Field Magnet at the HZB that permits neutron experiments to be conducted under conditions of extremely high magnetic fields. Crystals comprising the elements uranium, ruthenium, rhodium, and silicon have a simple geometric structure and should no longer be hiding any secrets. However, that is not the case quite the contrary. At temperatures below 17.5 Kelvin, a new internal order emerges: Something in the material orders in some yet undisclosed way, releasing a certain amount of heat as a signature. Known is only that the order is not due to static magnetic moments. More than 1000 publications have already appeared on this topic without having lifted the veil. Perfect crystals at low temperatures However, conventional magnetic states can be induced in various ways such as doping, pressure or by large magnetic fields. This may help to shed more light on the hidden order itself. In order to study at least new magnetic states emerging from the hidden order, physicists from the HZB, from Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), the University of Amsterdam, and Leiden University, Netherlands, have investigated flawless crystals made of U(Ru 0 . 92 Rh 0 . 08 ) 2 Si 2 at cryotemperatures and extremely high magnetic fields using neutrons. New magnetic order above 21,6 Tesla The neutron scattering experiments conducted under extremely high magnetic fields have shown that at about 21.6 Tesla, there really is a new magnetic phase transition, explains first author Dr. Karel Prokes from the HZB. This means that a new magnetic order has become established in the crystal. This involves an uncompensated antiferromagnetic order in which the magnetic moments of the uranium atoms point alternatingly up-up-down in opposite directions. Within minutes, the editors replied: yes, it should be published When Prokes submitted the joint manuscript to the renowned journal Physical Review B, he received a positive reply within 19 minutes. The work was published as a Rapid Communication a new speed record that says something about the importance of this experiment for solid-state physics. The 78, a 62-acre plot of land south of the Loop and primed for redevelopment, is one option offered to Amazon by the city. It "represents one of the most ambitious and transformative development projects in Chicagos history," the city said, and is the site of a proposed tech incubator from the University of Illinois. (Related Midwest rendering) Chicago and Illinois will have plenty of competition in their efforts to land Amazon's planned second headquarters. According to Amazon, 238 cities and regions in 54 states, provinces, districts and territories in North America decided to throw their hats in the ring. Advertisement Proposals from cities hoping to be Amazon's second home were due Thursday. That's about six weeks after Amazon prompted cities large and small to begin plotting ways to woo the Seattle-based company and the $5 billion investment it said it plans to make in the headquarters project. In addition to the expected big-city candidates, Amazon's map of the proposals indicated storm-ravaged Puerto Rico wants to be a contender. Alaska showed up as well, and if successful and if the project delivers up to 50,000 jobs, as Amazon suggested the influx of employees would equal nearly 7 percent of the state's current population. Advertisement On Friday, Chicago and Illinois revealed 10 sites they are pitching Amazon, with eight in the city and two in the suburbs, but did not disclose any financial incentives included in the bid. Those sites are: Lincoln Yards, a development of up to 100 acres along the Chicago River near Lincoln Park and Bucktown. The Downtown Gateway District, including space in Willis Tower and redevelopment of the old main post office and Union Station. City Center Campus, a proposed redevelopment of the Loop's Thompson Center. The River District, a 37-acre development along the river and Halsted Street. The Burnham Lakefront, a Bronzeville development south of McCormick Place and west of Lake Michigan that includes the Michael Reese Hospital site. The 78, a development planned on 62 acres along the river between the South Loop and Chinatown. Advertisement Fulton Market district properties controlled by multiple owners, combined to form a campus. Illinois Medical District redevelopment. The 145-acre McDonald's campus in Oak Brook, which will become available when the company leaves for Fulton Market. The former Motorola Solutions campus in Schaumburg, which has more than 260 acres available for development. Amazon has said incentives will be a factor in its decision. New Jersey offered a $7 billion incentive package. Amazon will "review all the proposals in the following months," said Amazon spokesman Adam Sedo. Advertisement In the request for proposals, Amazon said it expected to announce its final site selection in 2018, but the company declined to comment further on plans to narrow the list of contenders. lzumbach@chicagotribune.com Twitter @laurenzumbach CHASING AMAZON [ Here are the 10 sites Chicago and Illinois sent to Amazon for HQ2 ] [ Chicago's Amazon HQ2 sites: Which ones are contenders? ] [ Reed: Bidding high is worth the risk to win Amazon's second headquarters ] An array of creative colorful Bucketfeet shoes are displayed Feb. 3, 2015, at the company's headquarters in Chicago. E-commerce retailer Threadless has acquired Bucketfeet and will produce its on-demand shoes. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Threadless, a Chicago-based online artist community and e-commerce website, has acquired shoe brand Bucketfeet and will begin producing on-demand footwear, officials announced Monday. Founded in 2000, Threadless is an online retailer that sells T-shirts and other merchandise showcasing artist-submitted designs. The designs that get the most votes from the 3.2 million Threadless community members are printed onto T-shirts, bags, wall art and more. Advertisement Chicago-based Bucketfeet also offers custom designs, but with a focus on footwear. The company sells sneakers printed with designs submitted by its own network of artists, and earlier this year began producing shoes on demand, waiting until customers place an order to manufacture the pair and deliver it to them directly within 10 days. Threadless will slowly integrate Bucketfeet into its website next year, according to Threadless co-founder and CEO Jake Nickell. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Advertisement "The thing that's been really exciting for us is how Bucketfeet has been able to switch all their production from taking huge quantities of inventory to a print-on-demand model," Nickell said, adding that his company will not make any notable changes to Bucketfeet until next year. "There are certain products that lend themselves to print-on-demand like keychains and mugs. We're really trying to break that paradigm," Nickell said. Printing on-demand allows a company to print more art and more products, he said. "The printing technology has gotten to this point where it's on par with screen printing in terms of quality and even price the price is still a little bit off but it's getting better," he said. Founded in 2011, Bucketfeet has a network of 40,000 artists in more than 120 countries who earn royalties for their unique designs. Bucketfeet will close its three bricks-and-mortar stores two in Chicago and one in Washington, D.C. as a result of the merger, according to Bucketfeet co-founder Raaja Nemani. "When we started the business, we got compared to Threadless quite a bit," Nemani said. "None of the other of artist-driven e-commerce players out there, including Threadless, had yet figured out footwear, so I think it's a perfect match." He said the Threadless platform gives Bucketfeet an opportunity to scale faster than before, both in the U.S. and globally. Threadless pays out about $1.5 million annually to artists who have submitted winning designs and launched Artist Shops, which allow users to create their own online stores. Advertisement The company recently partnered with Bucketfeet to offer a limited collection of footwear featuring Threadless designs and available exclusively on Bucketfeet's website. "People don't come to us for black shoes. They come to us for something unique," Nemani said. "Now we get to tap into the massive artist community and artist shops platform that (Threadless) has built," Nemani said. "I feel really lucky to partner with them and grow our baby even more." Aaron Firestein, chief artist and co-founder of Bucketfeet, said he met Nemani, a former investment banker, during a trip to Colombia in 2008. "I told him about this shoe customizing hobby that I had and he bought a pair of shoes from me," Firestein said. "When we started the business, we really wanted to keep the focus on the art that was being applied to the shoe and keep a pretty traditional silhouette that's more comfortable and high quality than the standard slip-on." Firestein said he will pursue his own art and advise the company from an "artist awareness standpoint" from his new home in Bogota, Colombia. Nemani said he also will take on an advisory role. "The artist world is so international these days and I think there is a really good opportunity no matter where you are in the world to get in front of the right people and introduce them to the brand," Firestein said. Advertisement nmoreno@chicagotribune.com Twitter @nereidamorenos RELATED STORIES [ Chicago footwear brand Bucketfeet trying on made-to-order shoes ] [ Threadless co-founder's new app aims to make restaurant owners' lives easier ] [ How Threadless turns T-shirts and technology into works of art ] Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, right, and his Paris counterpart Anne Hidalgo pose for photographs, after signing a partnership agreement regarding the Olympic Games at the Intercontinental hotel in Paris, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. They are among mayors in major global cities pledging to ban gasoline and diesel vehicles from "large parts" of their cities by 2030. (Thibault Camus / AP) Paris The mayors of London, Los Angeles, Paris and several other major world cities are pledging to ban gasoline and diesel vehicles from "large parts" of their cities by 2030. Some cities are moving even faster to reduce emissions, and the announcement Monday by leading metropolitan areas is a bid to encourage others to do the same. Advertisement Mayors meeting in Paris promised to "progressively abandon combustion engines" to make their cities cleaner and quieter, boost economic productivity and reduce pollution-related deaths. Monday's pledge was released by the mayors of London, Los Angeles, Paris, Mexico City, Seattle, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Vancouver, Milan, Quito, Cape Town and Auckland. Advertisement While U.S. President Donald Trump is pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, American and other politicians are moving to reduce emissions on a local level. DOHA, Qatar U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson took the Trump administration's case for isolating and containing Iran in the Middle East and beyond to two Gulf Arab nations on Sunday, pushing for Saudi Arabia and Iraq to unite to counter growing Iranian assertiveness. He also called for a quick resolution to the ongoing crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors, which he said was unintentionally bolstering Iran. In Saudi Arabia and later Qatar, Tillerson denounced Iran's "malign behavior" and urged nations of the region and elsewhere, notably Europe, to join the administration to halt any business they do with Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard. He also demanded that Iranian and Iran-backed Shiite militia in Iraq either return to their homes, integrate into the Iraqi army or leave the country. Advertisement "Those fighters need to go home," Tillerson said. "Any foreign fighters need to go home." In Riyadh for the inaugural meeting of the Saudi Arabia-Iraq Coordination Council a vehicle that U.S. officials believe can wean Iraq from Iran Tillerson told Saudi King Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that the nascent partnership between their countries held great promise for Iraq's reconstruction after devastating battles to wrest territory from the Islamic State group and its independence from foreign influence. Advertisement "We believe this will in some ways counter some of the unproductive influences of Iran inside of Iraq," he said at a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir after the council meeting. Tillerson said countries outside of the region could also play a role, primarily by shunning the Revollutionary Guard, which play a major role in Iran's economy and were added to a U.S. terrorism blacklist earlier this month. Companies and countries that do business with the guards "really do so at great risk," he said. "We are hoping that European companies, countries and others around the world will join the U.S. as we put in place a sanctions structure to prohibit certain activities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that foment instability in the region and create destruction in the region," Tillerson said. At the council meeting, Tillerson praised the Saudi king and Abadi for the August reopening of a major border crossing and the resumption of direct flights between Riyadh and Baghdad last week. "Both represent the beginning of what we hope will be a series of even more tangible actions to improve relations and strengthen cooperation on a host of issues," he said. "Your growing relationship between the kingdom and Iraq is vital to bolstering our collective security and prosperity and we take great interest in it." His participation in the meeting comes as U.S. officials step up encouragement of a new axis that unites Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a bulwark against Iran's growing influence from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. Amid the push for that alliance, the Iraqi government is struggling to rebuild recently liberated Islamic State strongholds and confronts a newly assertive Kurdish independence movement. History, religion and lots of politics stand in Tillerson's way, but both the Saudi king and the Iraqi prime minister appeared optimistic about the prospects. "We are facing in our region serious challenges in the form of extremism, terrorism as well as attempts to destabilize our countries," Salman said. "These attempts require our full attention. ... We reaffirm our support for the unity and stability of our brother country of Iraq." Advertisement Abadi expressed pleasure with "the thriving relations between our two brotherly countries." "We are open and we want to move away from the past," he said. "The region cannot tolerate any further divisions. Interference in the internal affairs of other state should stop." Shiite-majority Iraq and Sunni-led Saudi Arabia, estranged for decades after Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, have tried in recent years to bridge their differences. Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Baghdad in 2015 after a quarter century. The first visit by a Saudi foreign minister to Baghdad came in February this year, followed by the border crossing reopening in August and resumption of direct flights between the capitals suspended during the Gulf War. Over the weekend, the Saudi oil minister, Khalid al-Falih, made a high-profile appearance at Baghdad's International Fair, and held talks with his Iraqi counterpart, Jabar al-Luabi. Nevertheless, the relationship is plagued by suspicion. Iran's reported intervention in Iraq's semiautonomous northern Kurdish region, after last month's much criticized vote for independence in a referendum, has deepened the unease.;After his talks in Riyadh, Tillerson flew to the Qatari capital of Doha, a direct route that has been closed to commercial airlines since June when the now-five-month old crisis between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates erupted, ostensibly over terrorism financing. Qatar and Bahrain are home to major U.S. military bases in the Middle East, the al-Udeid Air Base near Doha and the headquarters of the U.S. 5th Fleet in Manama. Tillerson has attempted to facilitate a dialogue through talks with the feuding parties as well as supporting a Kuwaiti mediation effort but has thus far been unsuccessful. He renewed those calls but allowed that progress seemed unlikely. "We cannot force talks between parties who are not ready to talk," he said. Advertisement "The United States remains concerned that the dispute has had negative consequences economically and militarily; the U.S. has felt these effects as well," he said. "None of us can afford to let this dispute linger. We ask that everyone ease the rhetoric and deescalate the tensions." Tillerson noted that the only country benefiting from the crisis is Iran, which is now Qatar's lifeline as its neighbors have sealed their land, sea and air borders. He said Qatar's new reliance on Iranian airspace is "the most immediate and obvious gain that Iran has." "Anytime there is conflict and destabilization among countries that are typically allies, someone will always come in to exploit those differences," he added. Associated Press writer Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. He prowled the streets of Manhattan looking for attractive young women, usually in their early 20s, sometimes college students, on occasion a high schooler. He approached them in Central Park, standing in line at a bank or drug store or at a copy center while they worked on their resumes. His opening line had a few variations. One went: "My name's James Toback. I'm a movie director. Have you ever seen 'Black and White' or 'Two Girls and a Guy'?" Advertisement Probably not. So he'd start to drop names. He had an Oscar nomination for writing the Warren Beatty movie "Bugsy." He directed Robert Downey Jr., in three movies. The actor, Toback claimed, was a close friend; he had "invented him." If you didn't believe him, he would pull out a business card or an article that had been written about him to prove he had some juice in Hollywood. That he could make you a star. WATCH: The Times' Glenn Whipp explains how he broke the James Toback scandal story Advertisement But first, he'd need to get to know you. Intimately. Trust him, he'd say. It's all part of his process. Then, in a hotel room, a movie trailer, a public park, meetings framed as interviews or auditions quickly turned sexual, according to 38 women who, in separate interviews told the Los Angeles Times of similar encounters they had with Toback. I felt like a prostitute, an utter disappointment to myself, my parents, my friends. And I deserved not to tell anyone. Adrienne LaValley, actress During these meetings, many of the women said, Toback boasted of sexual conquests with the famous and then asked humiliating personal questions. How often do you masturbate? How much pubic hair do you have? He'd tell them, they said, that he couldn't properly function unless he "jerked off" several times a day. And then he'd dry-hump them or masturbate in front of them, ejaculating into his pants or onto their bodies and then walk away. Meeting over. The women's accounts portray James Toback as a man who, for decades, sexually harassed women he hired, women looking for work and women he just saw on the street. The vast majority of these women 31 of the 38 interviewed spoke on the record. The Times also interviewed people that the women informed of the incidents when they occurred. As is often the case, none of them contacted the police at the time. When contacted by The Times, Toback denied the allegations, saying that he had never met any of these women or, if he did, it "was for five minutes and have no recollection." He also repeatedly claimed that for the last 22 years, it had been "biologically impossible" for him to engage in the behavior described by the women in this story, saying he had diabetes and a heart condition that required medication. Toback declined to offer further details. The women interviewed during The Times' investigation offered accounts that differed from Toback's recollections. "The way he presented it, it was like, 'This is how things are done,'" actress Adrienne LaValley said of a 2008 hotel room encounter that ended with Toback trying to rub his crotch against her leg. When she recoiled, he stood up and ejaculated in his pants. "I felt like a prostitute, an utter disappointment to myself, my parents, my friends. And I deserved not to tell anyone." "In a weird sense, I thought, 'This is a test of whether I'm a real artist and serious about acting,'" remembered Starr Rinaldi, who was an aspiring actress when Toback approached her in Central Park about 15 years ago. "He always wanted me to read for him in a hotel or come back to his apartment, like, 'How serious are you about your craft?'" Advertisement He told me hed love nothing more than to masturbate while looking into my eyes. Louise Post, guitarist and vocalist for Veruca Salt "And the horrible thing is, whichever road you choose, whether you sleep with him or walk away, you're still broken," Rinaldi continued. "You have been violated." Like Harvey Weinstein, Toback, now 72, was a big, hulking man with a reputation, so much so that he titled his 1987 semi-autobiographical movie "The Pick-up Artist." He has been a writer/director since 1974; his most recent film, "The Private Life of a Modern Woman" starring Sienna Miller, premiered at this year's Venice Film Festival. Media profiles often referred to him as a womanizer. Lurking underneath were darker rumors of creepy behavior, reported in 1989 by Spy magazine and, more recently, by Gawker. According to the 38 women who spoke to The Times, the scope of Toback's behavior was far more serious. "He told me he'd love nothing more than to masturbate while looking into my eyes," said Louise Post, who met Toback in 1987 while attending Barnard College. Post, now a guitarist and vocalist for the indie rock band Veruca Salt, added: "Going to his apartment has been the source of shame for the past 30 years, that I allowed myself to be so gullible." In the wake of Oscar-winning producer Harvey Weinstein being fired after reports revealed decades of sexual misconduct, many women have been coming forward with tales of harassment, abuse and assault. On the Twitter hashtag campaign #MeToo, Toback has his own special universe. The Veruca Salt account tweeted on Monday: "Us too: by bosses, boyfriends, male babysitters, taxi drivers, strangers and movie director/pig #jamestoback #metoo." I have my own story about #jamestoback from when I was 18. It was vile & disgusting. He was around 50 at the time. That's why I believe her https://t.co/qurkJDVOzQ Kelley Raleigh (@kelleyraleigh) September 17, 2017 "It's a common thread among many women I know after someone mentions they were sexually abused by a creepy writer-director, the response is, 'Oh, no. You got Toback-ed,'" said Karen Sklaire, a New York drama teacher, actor and playwright who said a 1997 meeting with Toback in an office ended with him grinding against her leg. "The numbers are staggering." Advertisement Toback always kept his credentials handy when he introduced himself to women. He had amassed a solid body of work over four decades: His 1974 debut, "The Gambler" starring James Caan, the three movies with Downey Jr., a sympathetic documentary about boxer Mike Tyson and, of course, that Oscar-nominated screenplay for "Bugsy," the 1991 portrait of gangster Bugsy Siegel, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Beatty and Annette Bening. Toback's movies often examine extremes gambling, drinking, womanizing that he says overlap with his own demons. "The idea is not to have a separation between my life and my movies," Toback said in a 2002 Salon interview. His characters are often on edge Harvey Keitel's pianist in "Fingers," the teenagers infatuated with hip-hop culture in "Black and White." I was shocked and frozen and didnt know what to do. I thought if I resisted, it could get worse. He could overpower me. Terri Conn, actress As a writer/director, Toback liked to push the envelope sexually. The widely panned 2004 drama "When Will I Be Loved" opened with a five-minute shot of Neve Campbell masturbating with a shower nozzle. Off-screen he constantly brought up those provocative scenes, say the majority of the women interviewed by The Times, to see how far they were willing to go, both during the audition process and, should they be cast, in his movies. "The more time you spend with him, the weirder it gets until it's like just like one giant red flag," said Los Angeles radio reporter Anna Scott. Scott was an 18-year-old senior at Manhattan's Hunter College High School when Toback approached her at a deli across the street from her campus. He told her he was working on a movie called "Black and White," that it starred boxer Tyson and he was casting complete unknowns. He asked if Scott was interested in acting. She was about to attend USC to study screenwriting. She thought she had made a fortuitous connection. Advertisement Toback invited Scott to a taping of the "Charlie Rose" show, where he was part of a panel. After the taping, he told her, they could talk more about the movie. But as they walked the streets of Midtown, the conversation quickly veered into sexual territory, including queries about masturbation and pubic hair. "It was disgusting and embarrassing," Scott said. "I tried to extricate myself from it without causing a scene." Us too: by bosses, boyfriends, male babysitters, taxi drivers, strangers and movie director/pig #jamestoback #metoo Veruca Salt (@verucasalt) October 16, 2017 Instead, Toback steered her into a restaurant where, she said he told her, "You have to be ready to turn yourself completely over to me." Finally, she abruptly stood up and fled. In his trailer on the set of "Black and White," Toback knelt in front of actress Echo Danon and, she says, put his hands on her thighs, telling her, "If you look into my eyes and pinch my nipples, I'm going to come in my pants right now." She resisted. She felt helpless. Eventually he backed down. "Everyone wants to work, so they put up with it," Danon said. "That's why I put up with it. Because I was hoping to get another job." Toback approached Sari Kamin at a Kinko's in Manhattan's Upper West Side in 2003. He pulled out a DVD copy of "Two Girls and a Guy" and told her he'd like to cast her in his next movie. He said he felt an instant connection to her. Advertisement After several dinners over the course of a few months, Kamin says, Toback convinced her to accompany him to a hotel room, telling her that he needed to experience a "real connection" with her. Alarms went off, she says. She knew she wouldn't sleep with him, but she felt like if she could make it through the evening, maybe she'd finally land a part. Once in the suite, Kamin says, Toback asked her to take off her clothes. She protested. Toback berated her, saying that if she couldn't reveal herself to him in the hotel room, how would she be able to act in a provocative sex scene in front of a movie crew? She gave in, removed her clothes. After commenting on her body, he knelt down before her and began to vigorously rub his groin against her. "I felt really paralyzed," Kamin recalled. "And I asked him, 'Are you trying to get yourself off?' And he said, 'Absolutely.'" She jumped out of her chair, grabbed her clothes and ran. Not all of the incidents in the women's accounts occurred in private. Terri Conn was 23 and acting on the soap opera "As the World Turns" when, she says, Toback approached her on the street. She was intrigued by his credentials and dreamed of being in an edgy independent film. Toback asked her to meet him in Central Park to discuss his process. He took her to a somewhat secluded area there were people yards away and told her the best way to get to know someone is to see their soul. And the way you can see someone's soul is to look into their eyes when they're experiencing orgasm. And he knelt before her and began humping her leg, telling Conn to look into his eyes. "I was shocked and frozen and didn't know what to do," Conn said. "I thought if I resisted, it could get worse. He could overpower me." He quickly ejaculated into his khakis, got up and asked her to meet for dinner later to continue the process. Conn ignored his subsequent phone calls and never saw him again. Chantal Cousineau was 19 and living in Toronto when, she says, she was asked to meet Toback for an audition for "Harvard Man" in 2001. The encounter began in a hotel restaurant and ended in his hotel room, with Cousineau prepared to walk away after Toback kept talking about masturbation. When she reached the door, he told her, "Calm down, you've got the part," as though the whole thing had been a test. Advertisement Cousineau didn't believe him, but her modeling agent called shortly afterward to confirm the casting. During a rehearsal for a monologue in which her character a drug dealer looks directly into the camera, she heard Toback, 10 feet away, on the other side of a half wall where the set's portable monitors were located, grunting, his hands rubbing, loud and rapid, against his windbreaker pants as he masturbated. After issuing a pronounced grunt, she said, Toback told the crew to break for 15 minutes. When he returned to the set, Toback excused the camera man and sat two feet from Cousineau's face as she delivered her monologue, the first time she had ever been on film. "I felt so violated," she said. "And there was my abuser, inches away from me." Several of the women The Times interviewed quit acting after their encounters with Toback. Some returned to school. Some got married and buried their incident, never telling their husbands because of a sense of shame. Then the Weinstein scandal hit, and, for many, the news dredged up memories they had long repressed. "Today, I cried for the first time since then about it," Post said. "I was crying for the 20-year-old woman who lost something vital that day her innocence." But even as an ever-growing list of high-profile women recount their sexual abuse on social media and in first-person accounts, many women remain afraid. Several women said he told them intimidating stories, some of which verged on the ridiculous, like when he informed flight attendant Ashly McQueen in 1998 that he killed someone at the racetrack with a pencil. Advertisement This woman asked to remain anonymous; she still feared for her safety 23 years after Toback humped her leg in his office until he ejaculated in his pants. Others interviewed for this story requested anonymity as well, fearing retaliation. One woman recounted the time when she met Toback at his New York home and he wouldn't let her leave until she grabbed his nipples and looked into his eyes while he masturbated. Another well-known actress had a similar experience in 2000 at a Los Angeles hotel during what she thought was to be an audition. As with so many other women, Toback told her he felt a connection with her but that she needed to display the sexual confidence the role required. She needed to remove her clothes. "I am really uncomfortable," she replied."That's the whole point of this exercise," she says Toback told her. The young woman, then a rising Hollywood star, wondered why she was so uncomfortable, why she couldn't just be naked in front of someone. So she took off her sweater, but started to cry. She stumbled through the monologue Toback had given her, thinking, "God, I really am a bad actress. I can't concentrate. I'm just trying to get through this." Toback brought up all the famous people he had worked with, boasting about how he had made their careers and telling her he could do the same for her if she trusted him. She thought maybe he was right. But she still wanted to leave. She pulled on her sweater. He blocked the hotel room door. He told her he needed to ejaculate and she had to help him. "People who go against me I know people that hurt people," he warned her. Then he asked if she'd have sex with him. No. Would she jerk him off? No. She went for the door. He told her he couldn't let her go unless he had sexual release. All she needed to do was pinch his nipples and look into his eyes and he would press himself against her and come in his pants. She felt she had no choice. And while it was happening, she tried to look away, but he grabbed her head and made her stare into his eyes. Advertisement Her manager told her not long afterward that he wanted to see her again. Her reply: He's a vile person. And you shouldn't ever send another woman to him. Times staff writer Victoria Kim contributed to this report. See the most-read stories this hour glenn.whipp@latimes.com Twitter: @glennwhipp ALSO Advertisement How Harvey Weinstein used his fashion business as a pipeline to models Bill O'Reilly reportedly paid $32-million harassment settlement before signing new Fox News contract 'Stranger Things' star Finn Wolfhard leaves APA as his agent is fired amid claims of sexual assault and harassment 10 things you might find surprising about "The Walking Dead": 1. Raleigh Studios in Senoia, where most of "The Walking Dead" is filmed, is a 140-acre spread that is used exclusively by the show. Most of the different communities are all created and filmed on the property except for The Kingdom, which is filmed at the former Fort McPherson military base in Atlanta, where Tyler Perry has studio space. Another community The Oceanside spent some time filming on Tybee Island, on the coast of Georgia. 2. The fictional town of Alexandria, a gated community supposedly set outside of Washington, D.C., is a real neighborhood in Senoia. Just four families live there, while the rest of the homes are vacant and used as mini sets where some of the characters live. The real-life residents have signed non-disclosure agreements and have restrictions on when they can come and go and when they can have visitors so it's not disruptive to filming. 3. The actors who play zombies on the show use conditioner and KY Jelly to give their hair an unwashed, disheveled appearance. 4. The production meeting room is a small theater with a conference table at the front. The room's walls are lined with photos of each of the actors whose characters have died. "Our Grateful Dead" now occupies two walls. Whenever one of the characters dies, the actors whether they're in the scene or not make a point of watching it, paying tribute to yet another fallen comrade. 5. The Heaps a giant mountain of trash ruled over by Polly Macintosh's character Jadis took three weeks to create. None of the cars that are embedded into the mound are newer than 2010, the year the world "died." 6. The location where Gabriel's church stood is now an empty dirt and wooded lot and served as the same set where the final episode of Season 6 filmed Glenn and Abraham's demise. It is, says Executive Producer Tom Luse, considered "pretty much hallowed ground." 7. The show's props crew is creating a line of kid-friendly toys for a show noted for its violence and gruesomeness. 8. The actors often produce a version of some scenes in which they make liberal use of the F-word. The cleaned up version is aired on TV, while the other version is used for DVD versions that aren't as hamstrung by restrictions on foul language. 9. Actor Norman Reedus is so close with Greg Nicotero, a special effects master as well as the show's producer and sometime director, that they are able to finish each other's sentences. The two also send each other songs to explain the emotion they want to bring to a scene. Before Daryl and Beth, two characters, burned down an old shack, Reedus sent Nicotero "Very Nervous and Love" by J Mascis. Ahead of Daryl having to stab his brother Merle, who had turned into a zombie, Nicotero sent a Willie Nelson song. Nicotero and Reedus even opened a restaurant in Senoia together: Nic & Normans, with the logo including an artist's brush and an arrow. 10. Chandler Riggs, who plays Carl, the son of sheriff Rick Grimes, is an Atlanta native and has grown up on the set. He's now headed to college: the University of Georgia. RELATED STORIES: 'Walking Dead' boss says zombies will win the Rick-Negan war [ 'The Walking Dead,' 'Fear the Walking Dead' plan character crossover next year ] [ Let the bullets fly: 5 thoughts recapping 'The Walking Dead' Season 7 finale ] [ Creators of 'The Walking Dead' say AMC is ripping them off, lawsuit alleges ] 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) Some providers refuse to insert IUDs because of misconceptions about their safety and function, especially in women who have not had children. (iStock) When women don't want to conceive a child, many consider long-term birth control such as an intrauterine device (IUD), which can prevent pregnancy for up to 12 years, or a tubal ligation, a permanent procedure that blocks the fallopian tubes. But not every doctor is on board with those options. Why do some refuse to provide those methods of contraception? In some cases, the justification is medical: A current pregnancy, significant risks from the anesthesia needed for a tubal ligation, or a uterine abnormality that might make inserting an IUD dangerous. However, says Jen Gunter, a San Francisco area OB/GYN, "there are really very few medical reasons a woman can't have an IUD." Advertisement But some providers refuse to insert IUDs because of misconceptions about their safety and function, especially in women who have not had children. A 2012 survey of medical providers found that 30 percent mistakenly thought the devices are not safe for women without children. And many seem particularly reluctant to insert IUDs in adolescents. (Current practice guidelines say that adolescents and women who have not had children are candidates for IUD insertion.) Another survey conducted in 2014 found that among the 4 percent of providers who didn't perform any IUD insertions in the past year, almost a quarter were concerned that the IUDs are a method of abortion. (They aren't, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Although IUDs can prevent an egg from being fertilized, they cannot disrupt the implantation of a fertilized egg.) Compared with condom use, which fails 18 percent of the time, IUDs fail as little as 0.2 percent of the time. Contraceptive pills - the most popular form of birth control - involve putting hormones in your body; they fail about 9 percent of the time, in some cases because women don't take the pill when they are supposed to do so. Advertisement Doctors' hesitancy to provide IUDs stems, in part, from lingering memories of the Dalkon Shield, a device that was pulled from the market in 1984 after causing serious medical problems, including perforations and scarring infections, in some women. Today, though, IUDs are considered safe, and more women want them than ever. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IUD use increased fivefold between 2002 and 2013. And earlier this year, Planned Parenthood's president, Cecile Richards, told CNN that demand for IUDs increased substantially after last November's election. Nevertheless, Gunter says, she hears about providers refusing to implant IUDs "all the time." She encourages women to advocate for themselves if they meet resistance from their provider - or go to another provider who recognizes the devices' merits. Tubal ligations are trickier. Sterilization - usually by tubal ligation - is the second-most-popular form of contraception in the United States. However, some women who get their tubes tied regret their decision, especially those who have the procedure done at a young age. Concern about those regrets, enthusiasm about IUDs, and the general irreversibility of tubal ligation cause providers such as Gunter to challenge women who think they want the procedure. "It's all in how you discuss it with the patient," she says. "Sometimes surgeries require more thinking beforehand. But I would also expect that people would present this in a kind, non-patriarchal way." Since tubal ligation involves anesthesia and surgery, it carries a degree of risk. For some women, though, especially those who have had complications with IUDs, the risk is worth it. Ultimately, the decision to move ahead with sterilization, an IUD or another form of long-term contraception is a personal one, doctors said, and patients must find providers who can help them reach their goals. Beyond that Gunter has another suggestion: If you have a long-term male partner, ask him to get a vasectomy. Though far less reversible than an IUD, the procedure is cheaper than tubal ligation and simpler to perform." It's a minor outpatient surgical procedure that involves no [general] anesthetic," she says. And it has no side effects for a woman - aside from a serious conversation. Learn more: cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception. RELATED STORIES: Advertisement The IUD rush: Women seek out birth control that can outlast a presidency Warren Buffett's family secretly funded a birth control revolution Long-term birth control is the most reliable. So why do so few young women use it? All parenting styles old and new attempt to define the right balance of nurture and boundaries. ((Getty Images)) There is no shortage of parenting advice available. Just ask your mother-in-law or even your neighbor. But is there a right and wrong way to parent? And how best can we raise successful children? Family psychologists talk a lot about nurture and boundary or firmness and friendliness. Advertisement We call them different names but nurture includes love and support and responsiveness all those warm and positive parenting qualities that go into really loving your children, said Shelly Smith, a licensed marriage and family therapist at United Counseling and Wellness in Peoria, Ill. The boundaries are the rules, the guidelines we put into place. All parenting styles old and new attempt to define the right mix of these two aspects of parenting. The original parenting categories, as researched by psychologists, are: authoritarian, authoritative and permissive. Today, there are catchier names, such as helicopter and free-range parenting. But family counselor and author Alyson Schafer pointed out: What youll find is there are a lot less parenting styles than names to describe them. Advertisement The Tribune looked at a few modern parenting styles and how they compare. Attachment parenting Dr. William Sears introduced the term attachment parenting in 1993. The philosophy focuses on close contact between baby and caregiver through practices such as breastfeeding, co-sleeping and baby wearing. It also emphasizes positive discipline, meaning praising good behavior instead of punishing poor decisions. Those practicing attachment parenting seek to build a strong emotional bond between parent and child. What the experts say: Attachment parenting is one thats highly misunderstood and lands kids and parents in my office. Schafer said. Schafer warns against pampering your child, calling overindulgence a serious problem. To better understand the goals of attachment parenting, Attachment Parenting International outlines eight principles of parenting on its website at attachmentparenting.org. Some of the highlights are modeling good behavior for your child and practicing self-care. Helicopter parenting Researchers Foster Cline and Jim Fay coined helicopter parent in 1990. The phrase evokes a picture of a parent hovering over a child, closely monitoring his every action. But the philosophy also means parents take extra care to advocate for their children and help them to succeed even if they have to pave the path themselves. What the experts say: Helicopter parenting comes out of fear and wanting to protect our children, Smith said. If a parent is overly anxious, they may over-parent or overprotect their child and forget about balancing the childs needs for independence and facing challenges, she added. However, in a piece for Time magazine in defense of helicopter parenting, professor Elisabeth Stokes points out that failing to intervene and advocate for our children can lead to bullying, abuse and overexposure. Free-range parenting Advertisement Lenore Skenazys book Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts With Worry has influenced a movement in the past decade toward giving children greater independence and less parental oversight, when possible. Skenazy writes about empowering kids and warns against over-parenting. Some other aspects of free-range parenting include more free play and fewer scheduled activities. What the experts say: Free-range parenting can also be called anti-helicopter parenting, Schafer said. It started a whole lot of conversations about how old should my child be before they do X, Y and Z, she said. Its misunderstood when people ask, What would (Skenazy) do? without preparing your kids for something like riding the subway alone. It should also be noted that some states, including Illinois, have laws regarding a minimum age for leaving a child home alone. In Illinois, a parent who leaves a minor under age 14 unsupervised may be guilty of neglect. Tiger parenting The book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua sheds light on parenting practices popular in Asia, where intellectual and academic success is paramount. Tiger parents hold their children to high expectations and enforce strict rules at home. Chua maintains that parents should set the bar high for their children and says they will not only respond to the challenge but also thrive. Tiger parenting has also been called tough-love parenting. What the experts say: Tiger parenting is most akin to authoritarian parenting. If you rule that way, youre going to raise one of three types of kids: the pleaser, the sneak or the outward rebel, Schafer said. Studies have also shown higher rates of depression and suicide, as well as low self-esteem, among children with authoritarian parents. Smith adds: If there are any safety issues with a child or if the child has any symptoms of depression or high anxiety, try to get help right away. The earlier you intervene in those situations, the faster and easier it is to help your child. Emily Perschbacher is a freelancer. [ Soccer star turned soccer mom Abby Wambach: Here's what sports parents get wrong ] [ How to deal with a stranger who critiques your child in public ] [ Teaching your child how to deal with rejection ] Wire eyeglasses are shown at the High Museum of Art Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, in Atlanta. (John Bazemore / AP) A new exhibition opening in Atlanta encourages visitors to abandon their preconceived notions about Africa and explore the creative efforts of people using design to bring about change on the vast continent. "Making Africa: A Continent of Contemporary Design" opens Saturday at Atlanta's High Museum of Art. It defines design broadly and delves into the continent's diversity and vibrancy through more than 200 works by more than 120 artists from 22 countries. Advertisement Too often people associate Africa with problems like hunger or corruption, but the exhibition seeks to broaden the view by focusing on people who use design to provide solutions, High Museum curator of African art Carol Thompson said. "I want people to see Africa in a new way and appreciate the creativity of artists on the continent, past and present," she said, adding that "the exhibition doesn't deny that there are challenges on the continent but rather addresses those problems head on." Advertisement Immediately upon entering is a display of Kenyan artist Cyrus Kabiru's "C-Stunners," a collection of wearable eyeglass sculptures crafted from everyday objects wires, screws, shoe polish tins. The pieces are not corrective eyeglasses in the literal sense but are meant to help "correct" the perception of Africa, Thompson said. A collection of biting comic-style images mocks stereotypes and common perceptions. One by South African comic artist Anton Kannemeyer shows a white man in a Superman outfit, with "SR" emblazoned on his chest, handing a sack of money to a black African boy who's saying "Thanks, Super Rich Man!" One of the most captivating pieces in the exhibition is a collaborative project by South African artist Mikhael Subotzky and British artist Patrick Waterhouse. It captures Ponte City, a 54-story circular apartment building in Johannesburg, South Africa. A posh address when it was built in 1975, it has become rundown, though still inhabited, since the end of apartheid. The two artists photographed every television set, door and window view in the building between 2008 and 2010 and put the 600 photos together in three tall lightboxes in the same order as they were in the building. The result is a captivating glimpse into the tallest apartment building on the continent. A brightly colored sport coat by Ikire Jones by is shown at the High Museum of Art Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, in Atlanta. (John Bazemore / AP) A chair by Malian designer Cheick Diallo was made from metal wire used in the fishing industry with nylon thread wrapped around it. Colorful stools and tables were made mostly from recycled plastic by Bibi Seck, an artist who was born in Paris and grew up in Paris, London and Dakar, Senegal. A set of pocket handkerchiefs from fashion label Ikire Jones, recreates 18th century textiles and tapestries but inserts African people into them. An embroidered silk cape, paired with a boldly patterned silk shirt and trousers from London-based Nigerian designer Duro Olowu combines prints and colors in a way that is very characteristic of African fashion, Thompson said. Technology also fits into the exhibition's interpretation of "design." A brick-sized device, called BRCK, made by the Kenyan company Ushahidi, is a self-powered mobile Wi-Fi device that allows other devices to access the internet, which has been vital for change in Africa, allowing Africans to connect with each other and the rest of the world. There are also dozens of videos and digital displays, so many that they can't possibly all be viewed in a single visit. Advertisement The exhibition, which was organized by Vitra Design Museum in Germany and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain, runs through Jan. 7 at the High. It is also slated to be shown at the Albuquerque Museum in New Mexico, Feb. 3 through May 6, and at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas, Oct. 14, 2018, through Jan. 13, 2019. Chairs shown at the High Museum of Art Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, in Atlanta. (John Bazemore / AP) IF YOU GO MAKING AFRICA: A CONTINENT OF CONTEMPORARY DESIGN Oct. 14-Jan. 7 High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta 404-733-5000 Advertisement Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Fridays until 9 p.m.; Sundays, noon-5 p.m. Ages 6 and up: $14.50; children 5 and under, free. Police are investigating allegations that a Des Plaines man threatened to lynch U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson in a racist Facebook post. But Tom Keevers, 54, says an anonymous meme-maker put words in his mouth and that he and his family are now getting death threats. Advertisement Screen grabs of a post purportedly made on Keevers Facebook page went viral over the weekend after they were shared nearly 4,000 times on Twitter. The alleged post is the subject of a Des Plaines police investigation, Cmdr. Chris Mierzwa said. The alleged post, which appears to have been captured in an iPhone screen grab, targets Wilson, who has been involved in a high-profile fight with the White House since she gave a deeply unflattering account of a phone call President Donald Trump made to Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in an ambush in Niger. Advertisement It shows Keevers name, photo and location in Des Plaines, a photograph of Wilson and the words, Need ten good men to help carry out a lynching. Must have own horse and saddle. Rope will be provided. Another purported screen grab appears to show a post on Keevers page that states, This congresswomen (sic) is a disgusting pig. Someone should take their boot to her face. During a lengthy phone interview Monday, Keevers initially told Chicago Inc. that he had not threatened to lynch Wilson, but that he last week got into a fast and furious argument with strangers that got out of control on Facebook about Wilson, who he said was using the death of an American soldier for politics. Keevers said he deleted the thread because there was some disgusting language in it that he didnt like. Somebody he doesnt know who, he said later made a meme to dishonestly suggest he had called for Wilsons lynching as part of a thought-out attack, he said. He said the alleged lynching threat was not something that should be said but described it as a joke, as I read it. I dont have 10 horses either, he said. Dont people get in arguments on Facebook all the time? he added. Later, though, Keevers said he cannot remember whether he threatened to lynch Wilson and that it was possible someone had taken some of his words and made them into a meme. Keevers then returned to his more definitive statement. I did not use those words, he said. Advertisement He initially said several times that police had not contacted him about the post, but later, after being told by a reporter that Des Plaines police were investigating, he said a Des Plaines officer had called him simply to check on his welfare after he and his family received threats. There is no investigation, he insisted. Mierzwa declined to respond beyond his statement that the post is being investigated. By Monday, Keevers Facebook page was no longer open to public comments. Many posts insulting liberals and supporting Trump remained, however, as well as several posts about Johnson. One, a meme, read, I really dont mind being called a bigot, racist, close minded (sic), redneck, backwoods heard them all by now and use (sic) to it still better than being called a liberal. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Threatening a member of Congress is a federal crime that can carry a sentence of up to five years in prison. Asked about Keevers alleged post, the U.S. Capitol Police on Monday said it does not comment on open investigations. But Keevers told Inc. that Des Plaines police promised him there was nothing for me to worry about. People threaten Donald Trump all the time and nothing happens, he said. I dont think a lot about what I write on Facebook. Keevers appeared in the Tribune under happier circumstances in 2003, when the FBI honored him and two other civilians for their bravery in capturing a bank robbery suspect. Advertisement kjanssen@chicagotribune.com Twitter @kimjnews Patrons of a late-night restaurant in Greektown witnessed some of the first bursts of the weekend's violence as eight men and women punched each other, wrestled on the floor and threw chairs across the room. One person knocked to the ground began firing shots, wounding two people as well as striking himself in the leg early Saturday morning at the Taco Burrito King in the 800 block of West Jackson Boulevard, according to police. They were among 31 people shot in Chicago from Friday afternoon to Monday morning, police said. Two of the wounded died. More than 3,000 people have been shot in the city this year, down from the record violence of last year but up appreciably from other recent years, according to data kept by the Tribune. There have been at least 566 homicides this year, down from 617 this time last year. Among the weekend shootings: A 25-year-old man was fatally shot around 5:55 p.m. Saturday in the 7900 block of South Manistee Avenue in the South Chicago neighborhood. He was in front of a home when someone shot at him from the gangway, police said. On Sunday, a man was shot in the head and back in the 1000 block of North Lavergne Avenue in South Austin neighborhood on the West Side, police said. He died on the scene. The weekend's last shooting happened around 10 p.m. Sunday in the South Austin neighborhood during what police said was an attempted robbery. The 49-year-old man was shot in the hand and suffered a graze wound to the head, police said, when he told the shooter who announced a robbery that he had no money. Those shot over the weekend ranged in age from 18 to 55. Two women were shot and 29 men. Chicago police investigate a shooting in the 3000 block of East 80th Street in Chicago on Oct. 23, 2017. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Updated Oct. 27, 2017 10:15 a.m. One teen was killed and eight other people were wounded in separate shootings across Chicago between Monday and early Tuesday, according to police. Johnson Liggins, 17, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after he was shot in the head and chest, police said. Advertisement Liggins was shot about 2:35 p.m. Monday on the South Side as two people ran past him in the 3000 block of East 80th Street in the South Chicago neighborhood, according to police. The teen lived in the 7800 block of South Colfax Avenue, the medical examiner said. Advertisement Other shootings Around 1:45 a.m. Tuesday on the Southwest Side, a 27-year-old man was shot in the abdomen in the Marquette Park neighborhood. He was walking outside in the 2800 block of West 64th Street when someone approached on foot and fired shots, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition. in the Marquette Park neighborhood. He was walking outside in the 2800 block of West 64th Street when someone approached on foot and fired shots, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition. On the Far North Side, a 22-year-old man was sitting in a vehicle in the 1700 block of West Estes Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood around 8:15 p.m. Monday when an offender on foot shot him in the right forearm, shoulder and back, police said. The victim was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Oak Park in stable condition. On the West Side, an 18-year-old man was shot in the right thigh in the Lawndale neighborhood, police said. About 7:15 p.m. police were called to the 3800 block of West Roosevelt Road, police said. The man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. On the West Side, a 69-year-old man was shot in West Garfield Park about 7 p.m., officials said. The man, who was near North Pulaski Road and West Madison Street, a few blocks from Garfield Park, was struck in the left ankle, according to police. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, authorities said. Area North detectives were investigating, but no one was in custody, police said. Just after 3 p.m. on the West Side, two men were shot in the Lawndale neighborhood, police said. The shooting occurred in the 3600 block of West Douglas Boulevard when a white sedan drove by and a person inside fired shots at the two men on the sidewalk, according to police. The first man, 33, was shot multiple times across his body and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. The second man, 31, was shot in the left leg and taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition. On the Northwest Side, a 23-year-old man was shot in the left hand and transported himself to Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center in stable condition. Police said the incident occurred just after 2 p.m. near Cortland Street and California Avenue. Police later added the wound was possibly self-inflicted. On the West Side, a man was shot in Humboldt Park around 12:20 p.m., according to police. Officials were called to the 900 block of North Hamlin Avenue, where police found a 23-year-old man with gunshot wounds to the leg and arm. The man was standing outside when someone approached him on foot and fired shots. He was rushed to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, according to police. In a Southwest Side shooting, a man, 28, transported himself to Stroger Hospital in stable condition with a gunshot wound to the right thigh. He told police he was shot in the 6900 block of South California Avenue about 7:30 p.m. Friday. No one was in custody in any of the cases. Christian Origel, 22, is charged with one felony count of aggravated sexual assault in an attack on an 18-year-old woman at gunpoint. (Chicago Police Department) A 22-year-old Southeast Side man is accused of abducting and sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman at gunpoint, according to Chicago police. Christian Origel, of the 11200 block of South Green Bay Avenue in the East Side neighborhood, was charged Sunday with aggravated criminal sexual assault, according to police. Advertisement The woman was abducted Oct. 12 around 11:35 p.m. from the 10500 block of South Ewing Avenue in the East Side neighborhood, police said in a community alert released two days after the assault. Her captor then took her to another location, sexually assaulted her and then brought her back to 106th Street and South Ewing Avenue, police said. Advertisement Officers arrested Origel on Friday in the 6900 block of South Stony Island Avenue in the Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side, police said. Cellphone video provided to the Tribune, followed by Tribune-recorded video, shows a fight and the aftermath Oct. 21, 2017, at a Taco Burrito King restaurant in Greektown. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) (Armando L. Sanchez) It's no coincidence that two of the three men charged in connection with a shooting in Greektown this past weekend have been co-defendants in the past, court officials said Monday. Two of the men charged in connection with this weekend's melee were convicted of second-degree murder years ago, in connection with the 2008 slaying of a 17-year-old whose friends on Saturday clashed with the men previously convicted of killing him, prosecutors said. Advertisement Tariq Anderson, 26, of the 7300 block of Indiana Avenue in Park Manor, had a black eye and held his hands behind his back as Cook County Judge Stephanie Miller ordered him held without bail on two counts of aggravated battery. In addition, he faces a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Anderson was one of three men charged in the Greektown shooting that left four people injured. Advertisement One of the other people charged in the case, Deshawn Carter, also was Anderson's co-defendant in the 2008 beating death of Shawn Bowens, 17, a prosecutor said during Monday's central bond hearing in the Leighton Criminal Court Building. The third person charged in the Greektown shooting, Marc Raboteaux, was shot in the chest during the brawl. The nearly decade-old homicide of Bowens, who was beaten to death with sticks and pieces of concrete, could have played a role in Saturday's shooting, according to court proceedings. The people Carter and Anderson are accused of fighting with were friends with Bowens, prosecutors said. Saturday's fight started at 4:20 a.m. while Anderson and Carter were with other people inside the Taco Burrito King in the 800 block of West Jackson Boulevard on the Near West Side. A group of people who were friends with Bowens went into the restaurant, but they tried to leave after seeing Anderson and Carter. Prosecutors and Anderson's public defense attorney dispute the details of what happened next. The group was leaving the restaurant when Anderson grabbed one of the men and pulled him into the restaurant, prosecutors said. Carter then started to beat the man. Anderson's attorney told the judge that Anderson and his friends were the ones who tried to leave the restaurant, but they were kept inside by Bowens' friends. A brawl then ensued between the two groups. One person, who was with the man Carter was beating, came back and joined the fight. Raboteaux also joined in the fight, and he began hitting one of the men on the head, prosecutors said. Advertisement Raboteaux also was seen on video grabbing at his waistband during the chaos, and he was later seen outside the restaurant holding what appeared to detectives to be a gun, prosecutors said. Just before the shooting, a group of about eight men and women threw chairs, punched and slapped one another, and wrestled on the floor. A witness told the Tribune the shooter fired shots while on the ground. "We saw them fighting for a little bit, and then eventually they went crazy. All I heard was gunshots," said Kevin Gandhi, 22, who was at the restaurant. The fighting between the groups continued when Carter pulled out and dropped a gun as someone was holding him in a headlock, according to prosecutors. Anderson grabbed the gun and used it to beat someone on the head. Carter was then able to get control of the gun, prosecutors said, and used it to open fire, striking Raboteaux in the chest, according to officials. He also shot himself in the left leg, and a 26-year-old woman was shot in the foot, police said. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Responding officers took the gun from Carter's hand, according to prosecutors. A second loaded gun later was found in a car, but it was determined that Raboteaux had a valid Firearm Owners Identification card. Advertisement Raboteaux, of 7300 Block of South Rhodes Avenue in Park Manor was charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery, one in a public place and one with the unlawful use of a weapon on a person, according to prosecutors. Though he remained at Stroger Hospital, his case was called during bond court Monday. He has no past criminal history, prosecutors said in court. Miller issued an I-bond, or signature bond, meaning Raboteaux isn't required to post cash for release but will have to report to pretrial services. Carter, 26, of the 4800 block of South Drexel Boulevard in the Bronzeville, is scheduled to appear Tuesday in bond court. Anderson and Carter are on parole in the 2008 homicide, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. During Monday's hearing, Anderson's public defender said he had obtained a GED and was working as a driver. Two relatives in the gallery stood up when his case was called. Chicago Tribune's Elyssa Cherney contributed. A man was killed when another motorist rammed his pickup truck in the 5700 block of South Kedzie Avenue on Oct. 22, 2017. (Elyssa Cherney / Chicago Tribune) Authorities have identified the man who was killed when, police said, a driver intentionally rammed the pickup truck he was driving early Sunday. Eduardo A. Pena, 21, was identified as the fatality, the Cook County medical examiner's office said. Advertisement He died after the vehicle pushed his 1998 Ford Ranger truck more than two blocks, until it struck a tree, police said. Pena was pronounced dead at 4:44 a.m. after he was rushed to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. Pena's car came to a stop in the 5700 block of South Kedzie Avenue in the South Side's Gage Park neighborhood around 2:15 a.m. Pena lived just a little more than a mile away in the 5300 block of South Fairfield Avenue. Advertisement Chicago police are searching for the person who hit the truck in what they have characterized as a homicide investigation. Two men and a boy are in custody after crashing a stolen car and attempting to flee the scene in the South Shore neighborhood Sunday night, according to Chicago police. Police responded to a person-with-a-gun call in the 6700 block of South Chappel Avenue around 8:30 p.m., where they saw a man in an alley hop into a Lexus with three others inside. Advertisement The car then took off from police before crashing into another vehicle in the 6700 block of South Cornell Avenue, police said. Four men ran from the Lexus, but only three were detained and arrested, according to police. A single passenger from the other vehicle was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with unknown injuries. Advertisement No weapons were recovered from the scene, police said, but the Lexus had been reported stolen earlier in the day from the 6900 block of North Monon Avenue. The two adults arrested were identified by police as Alexander Payne, 25, and Devin Reed, 18. The third was a 16-year-old boy who was taken to Comer Children's Hospital with minor injuries, police said. All three were arrested around 8:42 p.m. in the 1600 block of East Marquette Road. Payne and the juvenile were charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass into a vehicle. Reed was charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle and felony criminal damage to property, in addition to traffic violations, police said. A 19-year-old was sentenced to decades behind bars after pleading guilty Monday to the August sexual assault and attempted murder of a teen girl who was 16 at the time, officials said. Stephon Harshaw, of Dixmoor, took a plea deal in which the state dropped half of the four felony charges originally levied against him in exchange for his guilty plea to the charges of aggravated criminal sexual assault and attempted murder of a girl he approached Aug. 26, 2014, said Tandra Simonton, a spokeswoman for the Cook County state's attorney's office. Advertisement Judge Kenneth Wadas on Monday sentenced Harshaw to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections system and he'll be required to serve at least 85 percent of that sentence, officials said. It wasn't immediately clear when he would be transferred from Cook County Jail to a prison, or in which prison he'll be serving his time, Simonton said. Advertisement Harshaw is accused of striking up a conversation with the teenage girl, whose cellphone was missing at the time. He offered to help her find it but instead lured her to the 100 block of East 117th Place, where he began assaulting her. The teen is accused of sexually assaulting the teenage girl and choking her, causing her to lose consciousness, Assistant State's Attorney Mary Hain said in 2014. Harshaw continued to assault her, and she regained consciousness when he began cutting her neck with a knife, Hain said. He stabbed her multiple times in the chest, and she screamed out in pain before losing consciousness again, Hain said. Later, a witness at a bus stop called police when he or she saw the girl walking down the street, covered in blood, Hain said in court. The teenager first was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and later to UIC Medical Center, where she was treated for the four stab wounds to the chest, one of which punctured her lung. She also suffered slash wounds across her neck from ear to ear, Hain said. Mayor Rahm Emanuel's 2018 budget calls for ramping up the number of parking tickets the city issues on weekends in a bid to bring in an additional $4 million. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to go after more cars parked illegally on weekends in busy areas of the city as part of his 2018 budget. Emanuel's financial team told aldermen Monday they would expand from the downtown area to other neighborhoods a program to pay parking enforcement workers overtime to work weekends, hoping to take in an extra $4 million. Advertisement That amount is a pittance in the context of the mayor's proposed $8.6 billion budget, but it's a move that could anger Chicago drivers already smarting from red light and speeding camera ticket programs. And it shows the lengths to which Emanuel will go to try to balance the city's books without resorting to more broad tax increases that are proving increasingly politically perilous. Advertisement City Comptroller Erin Keane said the city will look to bring in a firm to provide parking enforcement workers with up-to-date "data analytics" about areas where business owners and others are complaining about cars parking in metered spots without paying. And the city will buy the workers new mobile ticket equipment so they can issue the violations faster. The city stands to make about $2.6 million this year from parking tickets issued in and around downtown by city workers on weekends. In 2018, the new technology will allow the weekend overtime program to be expanded to whatever neighborhoods it makes sense to send them, Keane said. Her testimony came on the first day of two weeks of scheduled budget hearings, as Emanuel Budget Director Samantha Fields and Chief Financial Officer Carole Brown also talked up the mayor's efforts to improve the city's financial footing. They touched on many of Emanuel's bigger money-making initiatives, including an effort to save $94 million by borrowing money at lower rates. Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, gave voice to the recent grumblings of several aldermen when she called on the administration to consider lowering the proposed $1.10-per-month increase in 911 system taxes for every phone line in the city. Fields said the tax, which would go up to $5 a month if Emanuel's planned increase passes the full City Council, would apply to more than 1.5 million cellphones and around 734,000 landlines Since the money in part will go to pay for an upgrade to the city's 911 system to accept text messages and photos from smartphones, Dowell said the city should consider cutting the tax increase for landlines that don't have that kind of technology. Landlines are also more common in the homes of senior citizens, a constituency aldermen are eager to protect. And Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, said the city should look to make more money through better enforcement of parking rules and other violations rather than turning to the phone tax increase. During the first part of this year, the downtown 42nd Ward was leading the way in parking tickets issued overall. The 117,797 tickets handed out there through the end of June were 10.7 percent of the 1.1 million issued citywide, according to data aldermen received from the Emanuel administration Monday. The city this year was running slightly behind its 2016 pace for issuing parking tickets, according to the data. As is often the case during the annual budget process, aldermen honed in on some of the smaller proposals residents might notice. Advertisement Ald. Walter Burnett Jr., 27th, said the city should reconsider a proposal to raise amusement tax costs for concerts at big venues like the United Center in his ward. The mayor's plan would do away with the taxes on tickets to around 30 venues with capacities between 750 and 1,500 people. Burnett pointed out the United Center has invested heavily in the Near West Side neighborhood in recent years with projects like Blackhawks and Bulls training facilities. "They gave it to us and now we're hitting them up," Burnett said, noting also that the burgeoning bar scene around the stadium could suffer if bands decide instead to perform at suburban venues like the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. And Ald. Michael Zalewski, 23rd, applauded the administration for budgeting an extra $500,000 to buy garbage carts. Zalewski noted that since the city levied a $9.50-per-month trash collection fee on households starting in 2016, residents want replacement carts delivered immediately to swap out damaged or stolen ones. "You're taxing them. They just aren't as tolerant anymore" about delays, he said. Meanwhile, Brown reiterated that the city eventually will need to find more revenue to keep up with payments to public pension funds, despite a series of recent massive property tax increases Emanuel has pushed through the City Council. "The primary increases for police and fire have been covered through the property tax levy," she said. "The primary increases for municipal is the water and sewer tax the council passed last year. The primary revenue source for laborers, our smallest fund, is the corporate fund savings coming from moving the 911 surcharges and the 311 charges off of the corporate fund." "So if you recall, when this council passed the water and sewer tax last year, there were assumed increases in the tax from the first year, and that was to kind of correspond to increases in the ramp," in pension contributions, she added. "And we would anticipate that, if those were the revenue sources assigned on a going-forward basis after we got to actuarial funding, there would need to be increases in those revenues." Over three years starting in 2020, taxpayer contributions to the city's four worker pension funds are expected to grow by $864 million, according to the city's latest annual financial analysis. Advertisement jebyrne@chicagotribune.com Twitter @_johnbyrne Catalan separatists are mobilizing a human shield to block efforts by the Spanish authorities to take control of the breakaway region as both sides prepare to escalate the political conflict. Groups will concentrate their activists around the regional government's headquarters in Barcelona's Gothic quarter and the nearby parliament building, according to two people familiar with the plans, asking not to be identified by name. They expect Spanish police to use force to try to shut down the administration and will put their bodies on the line, said one person. "We are calling for a peaceful and democratic defense of the institutions," Lluis Corominas, the leader of the main separatist group in the Catalan Parliament, said at a press conference in Barcelona. Regional President Carles Puigdemont has called for similar action. It's a critical week of brinkmanship. The Catalan leadership was left to plot its next move following Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's declaration of unprecedented measures to reassert his authority. The rebels in Barcelona are running out of options while Madrid attempts to bring an end to the country's most dramatic political crisis for four decades. The showdown may come at the end of the week. Puigdemont, who accused Rajoy of a "coup d'etat," is set to be ousted by the Spanish government and his allies are signaling he could declare independence. The legislature in Barcelona, which is controlled by separatist parties, will convene on Thursday and Friday just as Rajoy is expected to win approval from the Senate for his crackdown. Puigdemont may travel to Madrid to address the Senate, a Catalan lawmaker said on Monday. Rajoy on Saturday shocked many observers with plans to clear out the entire separatist administration in Barcelona and take control of key institutions including public media and the regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra. Spain's chief prosecutor said that if Puigdemont declares independence he would face as much as 30 years in jail and signaled that he could be arrested immediately. The euro weakened as investors watched for the next big development. The common European currency slipped 0.4 percent to $1.1735. Spain's benchmark IBEX stock index was down 0.4 percent at 3 p.m. Madrid time. Spain is trying to snuff out an independence drive that's been gathering momentum since Rajoy took office in 2011. Puigdemont's challenge to Rajoy's authority culminated in a referendum on independence held Oct. 1 that the Spanish constitutional court had declared illegal and whose validity Rajoy fiercely contests. Puigdemont claims the vote gives him a mandate to declare a Catalan republic. The constitutional battle is wounding the economy, prompted companies to decamp from the region and is dividing the nation. With Spain's upper house set to give its seal of approval to his strategy by the end of this week, the focus is shifting to the mechanics of how Madrid can take charge of Catalonia's institutions in the face of secessionist resistance. "Catalan government officials and many within the Mossos and Catalan media are not just going to stand down without a fight," said Caroline Gray, a lecturer in politics and Spanish at Aston University in the U.K. who specializes in nationalist movements. "The big question for me, really, is how Madrid is actually going to implement its proposed actions in Catalonia." Rajoy is wielding the untested powers of Article 155 of Spain's 1978 Constitution to try to impose central government control on Catalonia. The aim ultimately is to trigger regional elections within six months. Spain will seek to apply the clause gradually, but will act against people with the administration who obstruct it, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria told Onda Cero radio on Monday. She said the Senate could still "adapt" its decision on allowing Rajoy to enforce Article 155 if Puigdemont denies he's declaring independence. The separatists have shown they can rally support. A crowd estimated by local police at around 450,000 joined him to protest in central Barcelona after Rajoy announced his plans. CUP, a pro-secessionist party, on Monday called for mass civil disobedience in Catalonia, Ara newspaper reported. Bloomberg's Charles Penty and Maria Tadeo contributed. Indonesian leaders are seeking answers after the country's military chief, Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, was denied entry into the United States over the weekend. Nurmantyo had been invited by Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the United States' highest-ranking military officer to attend a conference on countering violent extremism on Monday and Tuesday in Washington. Nurmantyo, his wife and four Indonesian officials were scheduled to leave Indonesia Saturday evening, local time. Before departure, however, their airline informed them that U.S. Customs would deny their entry, according to the Associated Press. In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta said U.S. Ambassador Joseph Donovan had apologized to Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi "for any inconvenience to General Gatot" and would accommodate Nurmantyo's travel. "The U.S. Embassy was, and remains, prepared to facilitate the General's travel to the United States," the U.S. embassy said. "We remain committed to our Strategic Partnership with Indonesia as a way to deliver security and prosperity to both our nations and peoples." The brief statement was at odds with efforts by Indonesian officials to demand an explanation for why Nurmantyo was denied entry to the United States. According to the Jakarta Post, Marsudi met with an official at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on Monday morning but was not given further details. "They said it was still Sunday night in Washington, but I told her the Indonesian government urgently needed to receive clarification," Marsudi said, according to the newspaper. Representatives at both the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and the Embassy of Indonesia in Washington were not available for comment Monday morning. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who is in the Philippines to meet with defense ministers in the region, also pulled aside Indonesian defense minister Ryamizard Ryacudu to apologize for the for the issue, a Pentagon spokesman told The Washington Post. Aaron Connelly, a research fellow with the Lowy Institute for International Policy, said the denial was probably just an administrative mistake, but also one that Nurmantyo could use politically, given his strained relationship with Indonesia's president and other top officials. "I think it's worth emphasizing, given Gatot's history, he's not the most credible witness, so his version of events may not be a full reading of what has happened," Connelly told The Post. "But it puts the president and the foreign minister and the chief security minister . . . on the spot to have to defend Gatot, because he has now aligned himself with the Indonesians' sense of national honor." The incident, he said, led Indonesia's major news websites and television broadcasts over the weekend. "It is something that people are playing close attention to," Connelly said. "It folds into a long narrative about the U.S. not respecting Indonesian military . . . and this ongoing political drama that involves Gatot's political ambitions." Indonesia was one of the 43 attending nations at last year's Chiefs of Defense Conference on Countering Violent Extremism. Dunford, who also hosted the 2016 conference, said then he hoped the conference discussions would allow them to "develop a network of cooperation" and better understand the nature of violent extremism. Dan Lamothe contributed to this report. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is urging North Korea to "change course" and engage in diplomacy to resolve the crisis over its nuclear ambitions. But he says U.S. President Donald Trump is right to keep the option of military action open. In a speech in London Monday, Johnson said the U.S. has rightly offered "sensible reassurances" to Pyongyang that it does not seek regime change or invasion. But he said Trump has an "absolute duty to prepare any action" to keep America and allies safe. Johnson says the Iranian nuclear deal is evidence diplomacy can work and that he is confident that deal will survive, despite Trump's opposition. Urging more work to curb nuclear proliferation, he says the alternative is "a nuclear version of the final scene of 'Reservoir Dogs.'" The Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program is aimed at cleaning voter records and preventing voter fraud. States voluntarily provide their voter lists and the program searches for duplicates. While a few states have quietly exited over data quality concerns, advocates in Democrat-leaning Illinois are taking it a step further with fresh claims about lax security, discrimination against minorities and questions about the role of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a contentious Republican who oversees the program and is vice chairman of President Donald Trump's election fraud commission. Groups including the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights oppose it and advocates packed a recent State Board of Elections meeting after sending letters demanding Illinois end its cooperation. Now, over two dozen state lawmakers also want Illinois to withdraw. Their push comes as Trump's commission is asking states for voter information while it investigates Trump's unsubstantiated claims that millions of people voted illegally in 2016. "Crosscheck is being used as a political tool to help Republicans win elections," said state Rep. Will Guzzardi, a Chicago Democrat. "This has gone much too far." Kobach, who declined an interview, has defended the database. He's championed tough voter identification laws that critics claim suppress minority voters and helped draft proposals in numerous states aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration. His views have been more heavily scrutinized since he was tapped for Trump's commission. Past studies have shown voter fraud is exceedingly rare. Although voting in multiple places is illegal, being registered to vote in more than one state isn't. And that can happen when people move from one jurisdiction to another. The origins of Crosscheck date to 2005, before Kobach was Kansas' chief election official. It started with Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska sharing information. Illinois joined in 2010. This year, 28 states participated. Four states have left Crosscheck: Florida, Washington, Oregon and Pennsylvania. The perks are clear: It's free and provides hard-to-compile information. But data experts are skeptical of Crosscheck, which handled more than 98 million voter records this year with roughly 3 million possible duplicates. A study this year by researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Yale universities noted a high error rate. In Illinois, advocates have claimed that minorities with common surnames are more likely to be flagged by the program. Crosscheck relies mostly on voters' names and birthdates. It's up to states to decide how to pursue possible matches. Illinois officials take years to verify whether someone should be removed from state voter rolls. But other states haven't been so cautious. For example, in 2014, officials in Idaho's Ada County admitted they wrongly purged more than 750 voters from the rolls based on Crosscheck matches. Kansas' director of elections Bryan Caskey said states are warned about the possibility for "false positives." "We're very open and clear about the search criteria and the limitations," he said. Illinois officials say flawed data is better than no data. Last year, Illinois, with roughly 8 million active voters on the rolls, received possible matches on over 500,000 records. Other concerns have been raised because passwords were sent via email. Kansas secretary of state officials say data wasn't at risk. Illinois election officials say those passwords are now obsolete. Voter advocates support another system Illinois also uses, the Electronic Registration Information Center, created in 2012 by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Data experts say it's more accurate because it uses partial Social Security numbers to help find matches. But that system costs money to join and fewer states are involved. "Are we better off losing all the data that we have that's not being misused here?" asked Illinois State Board of Elections' general counsel Ken Menzel. "A lot of the uproar that's come about is who is now overseeing the Kansas secretary of state's office." One group behind the Illinois push to exit Crosscheck is Indivisible Chicago, which formed to "resist" Trump's agenda, including the election commission's attempts to get data. "We can't have our voter registrations managed by someone who is that partisan," organizing member Jeff Radue said of Kobach. Kobach, who's been sued several times by the ACLU, persuaded the Kansas Legislature to designate him the only chief state elections officer with prosecutorial power on election fraud. Since 2015, he's prosecuted 10 cases of people voting in Kansas while voting in another state, with eight ending in convictions or guilty pleas. Speaking to a group of Republicans in the Kansas City area recently, Kobach mocked "the left" for downplaying election fraud despite "conviction after conviction." "People realize they're still registered in their old state, and some people get tempted, and they think they can get away with it and usually, they're right," said Kobach, who is running for governor. "That particular type of voter fraud is bipartisan." Associated Press writer John Hanna contributed from Topeka, Kansas. The Environmental Protection Agency has instructed two of its scientists and one contractor not to speak as planned at a scientific conference Monday in Providence, Rhode Island, sparking criticism from some academics and congressional Democrats. EPA officials confirmed Sunday that its researchers would not present at the State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed program but did not offer an explanation for the decision. Advertisement "EPA scientists are attending, they simply are not presenting, it is not an EPA conference," EPA spokesman John Konkus said in an email. The New York Times first reported the cancellations. Advertisement The conference marks the culmination of a three-year report on the status of Narragansett Bay, New England's largest estuary, and the challenges it faces. Climate change features as a significant factor in the 500-page report, which evaluates 24 aspects of the bay and its larger watershed. The organizers intend to present a 28-page summary report of their findings in a news conference Monday. "Narragansett Bay is one of Rhode Island's most important economic assets, and the EPA won't let its scientists talk with local leaders to plan for its future. Whatever you think about climate change, this kind of collaboration should be a no-brainer," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said in a statement. "Muzzling our leading scientists benefits no one." Whitehouse is scheduled to speak at the event. For roughly six years, the EPA has provided about $600,000 annually for each of more than two dozen national estuaries, including the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, the conference's host. The program's director, Tom Borden, said the head of the EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory Atlantic Ecology Division in Narragansett informed him Friday that the keynote speaker, division research ecologist Autumn Oczkowski, and another colleague in the lab, Rose Martin, would not be able to make presentations at the event. "I was not given a clear reason why," Borden said in an interview, adding that his team had worked closely with several of the agency's scientists on protecting and restoring the bay. "It's a terrific partnership to have EPA working with us." An EPA contractor who had contributed to two chapters of the report, Emily Shumchenia, also was told not to speak at the event. She and Martin were slated to take part in a panel titled "The Present and Future Biological Implications of Climate Change." Borden said the organizers invited Oczkowski and Martin because they were "independent scientists" who could offer valuable perspectives. At least one senior regional EPA official is expected to attend the conference along with the researchers. Advertisement The estuary report, which was subject to extensive peer review and public comment, charts how Narragansett Bay is becoming cleaner but also faces challenges such as nutrient runoff and climate change. The issue of the EPA's approach to climate-change science has become even more fraught since Donald Trump became president, as Administrator Scott Pruitt has questioned whether human activity ranks as a main driver of the warming the globe has experienced in recent decades. Political appointees have removed pages from the agency's website that address the issue and have canceled some grants supporting climate-change initiatives. Robinson Fulweiler, a Boston University ecosystems ecologist who has studied the effects of climate change on marine life, called the situation an "abuse of power" by the Trump administration. "The silencing of government scientists is a scary step toward silencing anyone who disagrees," she said in an email. "The choice by our government leaders to ignore the abundant and overwhelming data regarding climate change does not stop it from being true or prevent the negative consequences that are already occurring and those that are on the horizon." Robert K. Wilmouth, shown in 1975 when he was president of Crocker National Bank of San Francisco, was the president and CEO of the Chicago Board of Trade from 1977-1982. Wilmouth died Sept. 14, 2017. (Arthur Walker / Chicago Tribune) Robert K. Wilmouth spent 25 years at First National Bank of Chicago before becoming the Chicago Board of Trade's president and CEO and then the National Futures Association's founding president and CEO. Wilmouth was responsible for the planning and construction of the 60-story First National Plaza now known as Chase Tower in the Loop and also played a key role in setting up First Chicago's credit card operations and expanding its international branch network. Advertisement "He was a terrific leader and just a wonderful person," said former First Chicago Corp. Chairman A. Robert Abboud. "He was very important in the operations of the bank. I also used him internationally, and he performed well there, too." Wilmouth, 88, died of complications from lymphoma on Sept. 14 at the Solana Deer Park assisted living facility in Deer Park, said his daughter, Anne-Marie Kaiser. He had been a Barrington-area resident for almost 50 years, his daughter said. Advertisement Born in Worcester, Mass., Wilmouth graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester in 1949. He earned a master's degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1950. Right after graduating from Notre Dame, Wilmouth took a job working in the mailroom at the First National Bank of Chicago. After serving in the Air Force from 1951 until 1953, Wilmouth returned to the bank. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 86 Dick Orkin, an award-winning radio advertising creator for close to a half-century who was perhaps best known for his syndicated Chickenman spoof, which aired on Chicago stations, died on Dec. 24 in California. He was 84. Read more. (Handout) Wilmouth was responsible for the installation of the bank's computer complex and then oversaw the planning and construction of its new office tower, which was completed in 1969. He also helped launch the bank's credit card operation. In 1970, Wilmouth became general manager of First National's office in London. The following year, he was named to oversee operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and he then took over the bank's entire international banking department in 1973. In 1974, Wilmouth was named executive vice president and head of commercial banking. Wilmouth saw his path to the top of the bank blocked by a management realignment in 1973. Eager to become a bank president, Wilmouth got his chance in 1975, when he was named president of the Crocker National Bank in San Francisco. In late 1977, Wilmouth left Crocker to become the Board of Trade's president, despite lacking direct experience in commodities trading or administration. However, as a banker, he had a history of dealing with government regulations, and under his leadership of the futures exchange, he sought to expand into other futures contracts. Wilmouth also witnessed firsthand the fractiousness at the Board of Trade during his tenure, where the old-time grain traders, whose activity once was the exchange's mainstay, often found themselves at odds with a growing group of members interested only in new financial futures. He also led the exchange during the construction of a 23-story addition. Advertisement In 1982, Wilmouth left the Board of Trade to oversee the newly created National Futures Association, a self-regulatory body for the futures industry. CME Group Chairman Emeritus and financial futures pioneer Leo Melamed personally recommended Wilmouth for the job. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 100 Actress/singer Rose Marie is gleeful as director Carl Reiner, right, and Honorary Mayor of Hollywood Johnny Grant, present her with 2,184th star on the famed Hollywood Walk of Fame Oct. 3, 2001, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Marie died Dec. 28, 2017, at age 94. Read more. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press) "I could not have picked a better, more qualified administrator," Melamed said. "He started and built from scratch an organization that today is one of the biggest self-regulating organizations in the world. He was able to represent us in Congress whenever we needed it, and his reputation rose every time he went before Congress. There wasn't anybody in Congress who didn't speak well of Bob Wilmouth." Melamed called Wilmouth "good with words, and he understood what I was trying to do." Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > "I was trying to make the futures industry, which was really at the time still the Wild West, into a respectable industry with solid responsibilities in cleaning up violations and so forth, and I needed somebody who could understand the reason and rationale for building up this organization and someone who was willing to devote energies and talents to making it an outstanding regulatory arm," Melamed said. Wilmouth ran the National Futures Association for 20 years, stepping down in 2002 at age 73. However, he stayed on as a special policy adviser until 2008. Wilmouth served on the University of Notre Dame's board of trustees from 1975 until his death, and chaired its investment committee. After retiring, Wilmouth divided his time between Barrington Hills and a home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Advertisement Upon his death, the Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing established the Robert K. Wilmouth lecture series. Wilmouth's wife, Ellen, died in 2014. In addition to his daughter, he is survived by four sons, Robert, James, John and Thomas; and seven grandchildren. Services were held. Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter. Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Ricardo B. Brazziell / AP) What would you do if your brother was murdered, and your child had received death threats? How would you respond if you had been repeatedly raped, and your government did nothing to protect you? These are the situations our clients have faced. They have traveled hundreds of miles to the United States to save their families' lives. And they have done so legally, seeking asylum through our nation's immigration courts. Advertisement Last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called these families liars. He bemoaned the role of "dirty immigration lawyers" and described the U.S. asylum system as an "easy ticket" to entry. Nothing could be further from the truth. When these families arrive in the United States they are held in private prisons. Young children and their mothers live in cells with strangers. Fathers and children over 18 are detained on their own. Few receive adequate medical care, and any legal help they obtain is largely provided by overworked nonprofit agency staff. Advertisement Despite these conditions, the families persevere. Children celebrate their first birthdays and take their first steps in detention. Spouses write love letters from their respective cells. And for families who secure their release from detention after establishing a "credible fear" of return they want nothing more than to comply with our laws to avoid family separation once more. Sessions claimed the federal government found a credible fear in 88 percent of cases, and said that any system with such a high passage rate means the system is "inherently flawed." But this reasoning is false. Each year, more than 90 percent of medical students pass their board exams. They do not pass because they cheat, or because the exams are inherently flawed. They pass because they are self-selected, having excelled despite years of challenges and setbacks. The same is true of asylum seekers. Few would be willing to endure family separation and the incarceration of their child unless the stakes were life and death. Those who make it through the credible fear process are self-selected, with genuine fear of return. Unfortunately, a credible fear interview is just the first stage in seeking asylum. And the government does little to explain to asylum seekers what they must do next. Within one year of entering the country, asylum seekers must submit an asylum application in English. The application consists of a highly technical 12-page form plus complicated evidentiary and filing requirements. The average U.S. college graduate could not successfully fill out the form on their own. Sessions misconstrued asylum seekers' failure to submit timely applications as evidence of their fraudulent intentions. But our organizations have provided thousands of asylum seekers with instructions and resources to help them file applications on their own. And despite asylum seekers' best efforts, the federal government has regularly rejected their filings, citing even the smallest flaws. Advertisement Session also cited asylum seekers' failure to appear for court hearings as evidence of deceitful motives. But the government does little to inform families of their hearing dates, and thousands of families miss their hearings each year as a result. For over a year, our organizations have partnered on a project to file emergency motions for families who received a deportation order after missing their day in court. To date, we have filed emergency motions in 15 immigration courts and successfully reversed deportation orders in 100 percent of the 46 cases we have taken on. One thing is consistent in our work: In each of these cases, families desperately wanted to follow U.S. immigration laws and were terrified to learn that they had received deportation orders through no fault of their own. And once their cases were reopened, families were grateful for the opportunity to comply with court obligations. As for the "dirty immigration lawyers"? This may be the one point on which we agree with Sessions. Each year thousands of asylum seekers are defrauded by fake or substandard attorneys who prey on individuals unfamiliar with U.S. law. But rather than give clients an "easy ticket" to immigration status, these "notarios" or fraudsters charge clients thousands of dollars only to lose their cases. As part of our work, we have regularly identified these individuals, notifying immigration courts and state bar associations in the process. Asylum seekers have every incentive to comply with our laws. If they cannot win their asylum cases, they must live in the shadows, with no pathway to citizenship and little guarantee of avoiding deportation back to the danger they fled. They simply cannot navigate our dense, complex, and at times contradictory, immigration system on their own. Michelle Mendez is Training and Legal Support Senior Attorney and Defending Vulnerable Populations Project Manager of Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. Swapna Reddy is Director of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project at the Urban Justice Center, an Echoing Green Fellow and an Equal Justice Works Emerson Fellow. Former U.S. President George W. Bush speaks at a forum sponsored by the George W. Bush Institute in New York, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (Seth Wenig / AP) It matters quite a bit that former President George W. Bush is now among Republican pooh-bahs who are speaking out against Trumpism and its dangers to America. It's just plain startling. Advertisement This is a man whose presidency was itself quite controversial born of the electoral college, the same anti-democratic institution that gave us President Donald Trump; moored in anti-intellectualism, and tax-cut fanaticism and inattention to other important economic levers; and certainly accused of indulging the GOP's mainline tolerance of inequality. But even Bush must look around the GOP these days and wonder where everyone went. Advertisement His speech Thursday, about Trump and the wicked dangers that lie at the end of the path the new president is forging, probably catapults him so far out of the GOP core that he'd land in independent territory. And yet, he said nothing that wasn't itself Republican, or conservative, in nature. The genius of his words (did you ever think you'd hear someone saying that about G.W. Bush?) was its adherence to what used to be considered the heart of conservative principles. I still need to suspend disbelief to take any GOP-er seriously on most of the points Bush made, given the party's slow walk to the Trump extreme over time. There is an undeniable connection between some of what Bush did and said as president and the madness we're seeing now, especially in the politics of white resentment coalesced around economic frustration. But as Bush pointed out Thursday, Trump is an extrusion from anything the former president has known as Republicanism, or even Americanism. It's in the comparative analysis of the two men that a profound gulf has been exposed. And you don't have to have been a Bush supporter I definitely wasn't to appreciate the disturbing differences between Bush and Trump. Anyone who voted for Trump ought to pause and think hard about how far the Republican Party has strayed in just eight years, and why. Bush's principal take-down of Trump's GOP, and indeed, Trump's America, came in the form of economic and political criticism, but it dovetailed with the cultural dynamics that surround the economics, and the politics. Advertisement Bush talked a lot about how America's enthusiasm for free markets, free trade and democracy are not just about life for Americans. The conservative conceit has been, for nearly a century, that America's adherence to those principles was a real beacon for others around the globe, and that the promise of American exceptionalism we can debate some other time whether that truly exists, and in what form would deliver better lives for people who aren't Americans. "We know that the desire for freedom is not confined to, or owned by, any culture; it is the inborn hope of our humanity," Bush said. "We know that free governments are the only way to ensure that the strong are just and the weak are valued." Bush then described how the current waves of ethnonationalism and isolationism are profound internal threats and also challenges to that idea of American leadership.He pointed out that our security on the world stage is only enhanced through productive global engagement, and that like most traditional conservatives, he believes that engagement must presume that others are as deserving as Americans. Bush's toughest words came in response to the Trump administration's courting of white supremacist interests and the propagandizing of information. He slammed the "emboldening" of bigotry and decried it as "blasphemy against the American creed." He invoked Jefferson, Madison and Martin Luther King albeit in facile ways that belie those men's complications as progenitors of the current American ideals of freedom, constitutionalism and equality. I'm not much of an adherent to modern conservatism, so much of what Bush said falls far short of my own beliefs. Advertisement But the distance between him and Trump, as well as the former president's extraordinary decision to engage even in veiled harshly critical rhetoric about a successor, give Bush's speech power and urgency. They speak volumes about how much of an outlier Trump is not just from his own party but from the conservative ideals that so many say they hold dear. How on earth can the most-recently elected former Republican president think so little of the current one? It is yet another ignominious "first" for an administration that has not made itself into much more than a sad punchline over the past 10 months. Moreover, think of the cluster of voices to which Bush is adding his own. The lawmakers, the policy wonks, the pundits all manner of conservatives who are saying, "Wait a minute; something's badly off here." What the nation is still waiting for is the substantive policy pushback from current legislators. Advertisement Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee is making it clear through his words that he has seen enough of this administration to have serious doubts about its stability and, as a result, the nation's. Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska has said the same. Arizona's Sen. John McCain has been, perhaps, the most consistent Republican Trump critic from Capitol Hill. But just Friday, the U.S. Senate passed a budget that indulges the insanity of unpaid-for tax cuts. And many of the senators now speaking out about Trump have supported other obnoxious legislation, such as the irresponsible repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Where is the Senate on such issues as oversight of the State Department and other responsibilities that cross over with the executive branch? What America needs is for those speaking out against the Trump administration to act out on behalf of sanity, security and basic peace of mind. Bush's speech is an important marker for a former chief executive. We need those in power now to build on it. Advertisement Tribune Content Agency Stephen Henderson writes for the editorial page of the Detroit Free Press. The Senate Health Committee held a hearing Oct. 17 about why prescription drugs cost so much and what might be done to make them more affordable. According to the committee's website, the witnesses included a lobbyist for the pharmaceutical industry, a lobbyist for the pharmacy industry and a lobbyist for the pharmacy benefits-management industry. Might I make a small suggestion? The Republican chairman, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, and the ranking Democrat, Patty Murray of Washington, should begin their next hearing with a reading of the decision issued Oct. 16 by Federal Judge William Bryson in the matter of Allergan Inc. v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. et al. Rarely will you find so clear an explanation for why consumers can't get relief from spiraling drug prices. Advertisement Bryson is a veteran appeals court judge; since 1994, he has sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the panel that hears patent litigation appeals. From time to time, Bryson has been designated by Chief Justice John Roberts to hear patent cases at the district court level. That's how he wound up hearing the Allergan case. Or perhaps I should call it the Restasis case, since that is what the dispute is about. Restasis, Allergan's $1.5 billion dry-eye medication, made headlines last month when Allergan pulled a now-infamous patent ploy, transferring its patent rights to New York State's Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. The idea was that because the tribe had sovereign immunity, potential generic competitors trying to overturn the drug's patents at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board would be stymied. Advertisement All the tricks in the bag But this bit of tribal trickery was only the most recent effort by Allergan to keep generics off the market. The Restasis patent, granted in 1995, was set to expire in 2014. Under the 1984 law that established the generic drug industry, once the patent on a branded drug expires, generics are supposed to flood into the market and bring the price down by 90 percent or more. But for some time now, big pharmaceutical companies have found ways to extend their monopolies on branded drugs by preventing lower-priced generics from entering the market. The primary way they've done this is by abusing the patent system. In effect, that is what Bryson called Allergan out on. He issued two rulings. In the smaller one, he allowed the Saint Regis Mohawks to join Allergan as a co-plaintiff in the litigation while also making it plain that he found the ploy disgraceful. "What Allergan seeks," he wrote, "is the right to continue to enjoy the considerable benefits of the U.S. patent system without accepting the limits that Congress has placed on those benefits." The bigger ruling was his decision to invalidate the patents Allergan was using to fend off Teva, Mylan and other generic manufacturers the very patents that Allergan was trying to protect by shifting them to the tribe. In a short conclusion at the end of his highly technical, 135-page decision, Bryson outlined, in plain English, how Allergan tried to scam the patent system. "There is no doubt," he wrote, "that Allergan has invented a useful and successful pharmaceutical product." But, he added, the company had been "richly rewarded" for its development of the drug, with a patent that had given Allergan a monopoly on Restasis for two decades. The key patent was named Ding I after its inventor, Shulin Ding. Although Allergan filed a handful of what's called "continuation applications" over the years, in 2009 it conceded that it would probably lose additional efforts to extend the life of the Ding I patent. Its reasoning was that a follow-on patent would probably not be granted because the next refinement of the drug was too obvious to merit patent protection. But in 2013, with the expiration of Ding I imminent, Allergan "withdrew its concession of obviousness" and began a serious effort to obtain further patent protection. It applied for, and received, patents that would continue its monopoly until 2024. The judge then described some of the moves Allergan made to justify its add-on patents: for instance, it put forth "evidence" that "the Restasis formulation resulted in efficacy levels up to eight times as great as would be expected based on studies of the formulation" of the Ding I patent. In fact, this supposed evidence was bogus: "The actual clinical results," the judge wrote, "show no significant difference in efficacy." Advertisement Another move Allergan made was to use its new patents to preemptively sue the potential makers of generic versions. Bryson called these moves "blocking patents," which they certainly were. Because it wasn't part of the litigation, Bryson didn't mention another sleazy maneuver Allergan used to maintain its Restasis monopoly: It issued a series of "citizen's petitions" to the Food and Drug Administration. Citizen's petitions were created to give individuals and community organizations a voice at the federal regulatory agency. But pharmaceutical companies have essentially commandeered the practice, using citizen's petitions to delay approval of a generic drug. As of this summer, Allergan had submitted three such petitions related to Restasis. And then some And there's more: According to Shire PLC, Allergan has been cutting deals with insurance companies that effectively prevented Shire from selling a competitive product. (Shire recently sued Allergan.) Allergan, meanwhile, has sued the compounding company Imprimis, claiming that it is in violation of FDA regulations. Needless to say, Imprimis makes a dry-eye medication. And of course there was the effort to shift the Restasis patents to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. Restasis is Allergan's second-biggest moneymaker, after Botox. There appears to be very little it won't do to hold on to its monopoly. After Bryson's ruling, the company quickly came out with a statement saying that it "remains committed to vigorously defending the intellectual property of our products." But if Allergan were to truly abide by the spirit of the law, its hold on this particular bit of intellectual property should have expired three years ago. Yet it feels perfectly justified in asking nay demanding at least another seven years, until 2024. With billions of dollars at stake, it is probably too much to expect pharmaceutical companies to start abiding by the spirit of the law. So the only way to fix the problem is for congressional committees to radically reshape the law surrounding pharmaceutical patents. Advertisement Bloomberg Joe Nocera is a Bloomberg View columnist. In defending his boss, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly gratuitously attacked Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., derisively referred to her as being like an "empty barrel," misrepresented her conduct at a dedication of an FBI building and, even when film of the event showed his characterization to be utterly false, did not apologize. Kelly deemed it appropriate to restrict questions to reporters with a connection to a Gold Star family, as if one group of Americans (and their readers and viewers) is more worthy than another. However, when White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders warned reporters not to criticize Kelly (or his slander of Wilson), the administration took on the creepy aura of a military junta. Advertisement The Washington Post reported: "Instead of backing down, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders piled on Friday and said Kelly was justified in accusing the lawmaker of grandstanding, despite erring on the facts. 'As we say in the South: all hat, no cattle,' Sanders said of Wilson, an African-American who is known for wearing brightly colored cowboy hats. Advertisement "Sanders also attempted to shift the debate away from Kelly's inaccuracies to instead focus on his personal integrity. "'If you want to get into a debate with a four-star Marine general, I think that that's something highly inappropriate,' she said." No one in service of our country is beyond reproach or immune from criticism. Generals get criticized and every day must answer to politicians, who in turn are responsible to the public. (Trump, by the way, routinely demeaned generals whom he claimed had been "reduced to rubble" in the presidential campaign.) We don't believe in the divine right of kings or the infallibility of military or civilian leaders. And Kelly, now in a civilian role, certainly should not be permitted to deploy his military service record, no matter how admirable that may have been, to deflect criticism and shut up the press. Kelly and Trump seem to actually have a lot in common. They both display disdain for the press and contempt for critics. Kelly rails at treatment of ("sacred") women but enthusiastically serves a president who serially insults and abuses women. Rather than address criticism, Kelly and Trump both like to pull rank, treat critics as their lessers and react indignantly when anyone questions their motives. CNN's Jake Tapper had it exactly right in his appearance Friday afternoon. "When a reporter pointed out just minutes ago that Kelly had gotten his facts wrong about this speech, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said one of the most shocking things I've ever heard from that podium she suggested that journalists cannot question generals," he said. "That's not how we do it here in the United States." But then, Trump has made destruction of democratic values and institutions a feature of his presidency. The press puts out "fake" news. The special prosecutor is on a witch hunt. The courts have no power to second-guess the president on the travel ban. It's all part of Trump's imperiousness and determination to de-legitimize all independent sources of information and criticism. Kelly, rather than restrain these authoritarian impulses, fuels them. Conventional wisdom has been telling us that Kelly has created a more disciplined and effective White House. He's supposed to be taking his shifts for supervision of an erratic, irrational president. I don't see it. Since Kelly's arrival, Trump has ignited explosive cultural confrontations, failed again to repeal Obamacare and looked thoroughly hapless in his inability to articulate or stick to any position for more than an hour or so. Trump blusters and threatens North Korea; he alarms European allies by threatening to trash the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Trump under Kelly's "day care" still has not filled a slew of top-level posts. Trump is not becoming more competent, more focused, more civil or more respectful of others under Kelly's tutelage. In fact, he's getting worse on all four counts. Kelly's eagerness to defend the president's unconscionable behavior and Kelly's own lack of respect for civilian politicians simply feed Trump's demons. Advertisement Kelly should be replaced by someone who actually understands democratic governance and can deliver bad news and honest criticism to the president. Going forward, Congress needs to stomp out creeping military authoritarianism. Congress should start by barring generals from acting in civilian capacities in the White House. The Washington Post Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for The Washington Post, offering reported opinion from a conservative perspective. Twitter @JRubinBlogger What to read next: John Kelly's disgraceful and frightening failure to apologize Advertisement What makes Trump dismiss black pain? White rage. For years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been building a narrative of a Russia that was wronged and humiliated by the U.S. until it decided to push back. In his annual major foreign policy speech, to the Valdai International Discussion Club, this narrative took the form of a pitch for a new Russia-centered axis of power that will in large part define the geopolitical battles of Putin's remaining time in office. In the 1990s, the storyline goes, Russia opened itself up trustingly to the West, which immediately took advantage of it. As Putin put it this year, "The biggest mistake our country made was that we put too much trust in you; and your mistake was that you saw this trust as weakness and abused it." Advertisement The examples Putin usually gives are the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's expansion despite a promise that it would stay away from Russia's borders; the dismemberment of Yugoslavia and particularly the recognition of Kosovo's independence; and the invasion of Iraq and the Arab Spring. The revolutions in post-Soviet countries are given as examples of threatening Western "democracy export" to traditional Russian allies and clients. These themes were present in this year's speech as well, but Putin put more emphasis on a different grievance: Russia's treatment under the 1990s U.S.-Russian arms reduction programs. Under the program known as "Megatons to Megawatts," Russia converted 500 metric tons of weapons-grade uranium to fuel for nuclear power plants. Russia's biggest enrichment facility had a permanent U.S. observation post. "Permanent jobs were created directly at the workshops of this combine where the American specialists went to work every day. The rooms they were sitting in at these top-secret Russian facilities had American flags, as is always the case." Meanwhile, he told the audience, "the United States limited itself to much more modest reductions of its nuclear arsenal, and did so on a purely goodwill basis." Advertisement The Russian openness about its nuclear potential, according to Putin, led the West to push its luck further to Western support for separatism in the Russian Caucasus, the NATO action in Yugoslavia and the Iraq invasion. "This is easy to understand," Putin said. "Once the condition of the nuclear complex, the armed forces and the economy had been seen, international law appeared to be unnecessary." The story of how Russia got nothing but trouble in return for its unprecedented openness in the nuclear domain is spurious. The Megatons to Megawatts program opened the U.S. uranium market to Russia. Total revenue to Russia from the deal reached $17 billion, according to Tenex, the foreign trade arm of the state-owned Russian nuclear company, Rosatom. At a time when Russia was recovering from the late-Soviet economic bust, this was a major contribution to the country's economy. The last of the 500 tons of weapons-grade uranium was blended down in 2013, but Russia remains a major uranium exporter to the U.S. In 2015, the last year for which data are available from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, it supplied 12.9 percent of all the fuel purchased by the owners of civilian reactors in the U.S., providing some $267 million in revenue to Rosatom. Opening the Russian nuclear facilities to U.S. inspectors didn't make the nation's arsenal any less fearsome. Russia and the U.S. still have comparable nuclear inventories, and Russia has more nukes deployed than the U.S. The U.S. didn't move in Iraq and Yugoslavia because Russia had unilaterally degraded its capability; there was merely no reason for Russia to use nukes to protect Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic or Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Even today, Putin is not threatening nuclear retaliation for the U.S. support of Syrian President Bashar Assad's opponents in Syria. Putin, however, is hard to stop when spinning a story: He builds a construct and allows it to acquire a life of its own. In the Valdai speech, Putin's finishing touch was to claim the West benefited more than Russia from the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Communism, he said, "caused a major revaluation of development models, and gave rise to rivalry and competition, the benefits of which, I would say, were mostly reaped by the West. I am referring not only to the geopolitical victories following the Cold War. Many Western achievements of the 20th century were in answer to the challenge posed by the Soviet Union. I am talking about raising living standards, forming a strong middle class, reforming the labor market and the social sphere, promoting education, guaranteeing human rights, including the rights of minorities and women, overcoming racial segregation, which, as you may recall, was a shameful practice in many countries, including the United States, a few short decades ago." The final blow? When the communists' "largely utopian social model" collapsed, the West reaped all the fruit while Russia, which had sacrificed itself to make the world a better place, was forced to retreat. This is not some niggling accusation concerning a military operation or two or a nuclear inspection trip: Putin appears to be trying to send the West on an existential guilt trip and stoke Russian envy and a sense of victimhood. What's Putin's game here? He isn't seriously expecting a Western or U.S. apology for a century of success. Nor is he simply perfecting his narrative for the domestic audience. Russians already know Putin blames the West for Russia's problems. Further spinning the tale does not necessarily add much to Putin's electoral appeal, such as it is in a country where elections barely matter anymore. Putin, rather, is making his pitch for a broader, anti-Western coalition. He is talking to fellow leaders and elites in countries that are not solidly part of the Russian or Western orbits, like some Middle Eastern nations that feel burned by their brief experiment with opening up during the Arab Spring. He's telling them not to trust the U.S. unless they want to end up humiliated too. He's telling them that Russia is willing to treat them as equals, willing to intervene quickly if they face internal and external threats as it did for Assad in Syria. That's the meaning of this rather opaque pitch: Advertisement "Power is diffuse: Its elements are in the hands of states, corporations, public and religious associations and even individual citizens," Putin said. "Clearly, harnessing all these elements in a single, effective and manageable architecture is not an easy task. It will take hard, painstaking work to achieve this. And Russia, I will note, is willing to take part in it together with any partners who are interested." If Putin's offer of Russia as an alternative center of gravity sounds a bit implausible, it's worth remembering that, just three years ago, so did the largely successful Syria intervention, which has revived Russia's role as a go-to power in the Middle East. Talk of a pivotal Russian role in tilting last year's U.S. presidential election only makes Russia look more attractive as a nimble, tech-savvy alternative to the U.S. in the eyes of under-leveraged rulers who fear the U.S. might seek to undermine them. In March, Putin will get another six years to polish and perfect his pitch. Bloomberg Leonid Bershidsky is a Bloomberg View columnist. Your Oct. 22 editorial "Chicago, pining for the Obama years" gives a very straightforward list of all of President Barack Obama's achievements both domestic and foreign that President Donald Trump is trying to undo. In short, the current administration is rolling back the clock, and your editorial recounted in great detail how this president is the polar opposite of the last one. I thought that I was reading a great and accurate recent history lesson until you discussed how, in 2008, Republicans mourned the end of an era when their guy lost. You said, "That's how democracy goes." Yes, both parties usually mourn a loss when the other guy wins. But refusal to work across the aisle is only a very recent part of our political history. In the winter of 2008-09, Obama worked with President George W. Bush to secure a workable solution to the greatest economic recession since the Great Depression. They put the interests of the nation first in order to figure out a way out of a crisis that was bipartisan in its causation, and thus deserved to be bipartisan in its solution. Advertisement In 2006, Bush endorsed and pushed for a bipartisan immigration plan that U.S. Sens. Ted Kennedy and John McCain had worked both sides of the aisle to achieve. Throughout history, our foreign policy has been mostly bipartisan. The recent showing of Ken Burns' "The Vietnam War" proved that five presidents (from both parties) were responsible for getting us into that war and that President Richard Nixon's execution of the war was not that different than President Lyndon Johnson's. Only very recently has one party shirked its constitutional duty (and therefore its oath to the American people) by refusing a hearing to a candidate for the Supreme Court, which left the seat vacant for months, only because the other guys nominated him. Trump is not just trying to undo every decent idea that Obama and the Democrats have had. He is trying to undo all that was decent about America. Advertisement Jan Goldberg, Riverside The 5-year-old girl was found dead in the bathtub with shallow water framing her cherubic face and open eyes. The state Department of Children and Family Services had conducted two abuse investigations into Verna Tobicoe's Southeast Side home in the months before her death in May 2015. The agency also had hired a nonprofit group to make frequent visits and conduct safety checks on Verna and two siblings. Advertisement Even as Verna was hospitalized with a broken arm and her older brother repeatedly appeared at hospital emergency rooms or doctors' offices with suspicious lacerations and bruises, a caseworker for the nonprofit organization filed cheerful reports saying the kids were safe. And then 44-pound Verna became part of a growing pattern of similar fatalities: She was one of 15 Illinois children to die of abuse or neglect from 2012 through last year in homes receiving "intact family services" from organizations hired by DCFS, a Tribune investigation found. Advertisement There was only one such child death under the intact family services program during the previous five years from 2007 through 2011, according to DCFS records released to the Tribune under the Freedom of Information Act. The mission of intact family services, which roughly 2,700 children are receiving statewide, is to offer counseling, resources and oversight to keep families together, instead of putting children through another trauma by removing them from the home and placing them with strangers. The spike in deaths began in 2012 after DCFS completely privatized the program, putting the care of families in the hands of nonprofit groups but doing little to evaluate the quality of their work, give them guidance and resources, or hold them accountable when children were hurt or put at risk, the Tribune found. Verna Tobicoe was one of 15 Illinois children to die of abuse or neglect from 2012 through 2016 in homes receiving intact family services from organizations hired by DCFS, a Tribune investigation found. She is buried in Oakland Memory Lanes cemetery in Dolton. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune) The girlfriend of Verna's father is now awaiting trial on first-degree murder charges in the girl's death. Authorities found lacerations in Verna's liver and intestines as well as a skull fracture and bruises across her body from repeated blows. Lisamarie Villasana, 29, has pleaded not guilty and told police that Verna hit her head after slipping on spilled Gatorade. The agency was rattled by a similar death in April, when 17-month-old Semaj Crosby was found dead in her Joliet Township home after DCFS had conducted more than 10 abuse investigations into the family and used the intact family services program to send a caseworker for periodic visits. Illinois' new child welfare director, Beverly "B.J." Walker, said she was alarmed by the Tribune's finding on the surge of child fatalities in intact family services cases as well as by a sharply critical report from the DCFS Inspector General on Verna's death. Walker recently asked her staff to provide reports on the abuse or neglect of any child in the intact services program and said she was shocked to discover that at least 10 percent of children were reportedly mistreated while receiving those services. "That's very high. ... I can tell you this, it happens too much," Walker told the Tribune. The Inspector General's report, which has not been made public but was examined by the Tribune, determined that DCFS conducted cursory and ineffective investigations into a series of abuse allegations in the months before Verna's death. DCFS also inexplicably failed to evaluate whether the father's girlfriend, Villasana, needed therapy or assistance even though she was serving as the children's primary caretaker. And DCFS did not consider her as a possible perpetrator when children were hurt, although she often was the only adult in the home. Advertisement Kathy Grzelak, the new chief of Kaleidoscope 4 Kids, the group that served Verna's family, keeps a laminated prayer card from the girl's funeral pinned to her office bulletin board a reminder of her organization's painful failures. The wake was crowded with family, Grzelak recalled, and the girl in the tiny open casket was dressed in a glittering blue dress to resemble the fearless princess Elsa from her favorite movie, "Frozen." Grzelak said only faint traces of Verna's bruises could be seen through the mortician's makeup. Injury after injury The story of Verna's short life is told in confidential child welfare case files, the DCFS Inspector General's report, separate police and court records and interviews with several of her relatives. Following two separate investigations into squalor and neglect of her home one unfounded and the other confirmed Verna's parents split up, and DCFS placed the children with their father, Villasana and their new baby in 2014. In August of that year, DCFS referred the children to Kaleidoscope for intact family services. At the time, Verna was 4 years old, her brother was 6 and her sister was 9. The state agency directed Kaleidoscope to ensure the children got proper medical care; to help their father access Medicaid, food stamps and government cash assistance; to refer him to parenting classes and other programs, and also to help the children's biological mother even though she had only minimal contact with the children after they left her home. Kaleidoscope did a lot for the children. The caseworker brought them winter coats, provided a $70 gift card to buy treatments for their head lice, and tapped state funds for $1,350 when their father fell behind on his rent, records show. When Verna's older sister was not allowed to attend school because her immunizations were out of date, Kaleidoscope took her to the doctor. Advertisement The DCFS Inspector Generals report, which has not been made public but was examined by the Tribune, determined that DCFS conducted cursory and ineffective investigations into a series of abuse allegations in the months before Verna Tobicoe died. (Family photo) But one crucial omission threatened to doom the arrangement from the start: DCFS failed to include the father's girlfriend, Villasana, in its service plan. She was the children's primary caretaker while the father worked night shifts at a local pharmacy and some days on construction sites, according to the Inspector General's report and interviews with officials and relatives. But Villasana was never put on the Kaleidoscope caseworker's radar, according to those records and interviews. "My plan was not even constructed to serve her. There was no information leading up to Lisa being the caretaker," the former Kaleidoscope caseworker, Stephanie Lynell Ivey, told the Tribune in an interview. She subsequently left the agency and now works as a special education classroom assistant. Suspicious injuries to the children began almost immediately, records show. That August, Verna was taken to a hospital with a broken arm a "spiral fracture" that often indicates abuse by twisting. DCFS opened an abuse investigation after being notified by the hospital. But even though Villasana was the only caretaker in the home at the time, she was not investigated as a potential perpetrator. Instead, the DCFS investigation focused on the father. And because he was at work when Verna was injured, DCFS termed the abuse allegation "unfounded" and closed the case. State officials also did not tell Kaleidoscope about the hotline call regarding Verna's broken arm. Ivey did subsequently file a note saying Verna was wearing a cast, but she accepted Villasana's explanation that Verna had fallen. Ivey told the Tribune she was operating under the assumption that DCFS had evaluated the home where the children were placed and that it was safe. Advertisement Then, starting in October 2014, educators, relatives and medical professionals began notifying DCFS of a series of injuries to Verna's brother, along with their suspicions the children were being mistreated. Kindergarten teacher April Palacios called the DCFS hotline that month to report that Verna's brother "came to school today with bruising all over his arm that looked like a hand print," DCFS records show. She emailed photographs of the injuries to DCFS and also reported a separate laceration on the boy's face. Children and adults in the home gave sharply divergent accounts of how the boy was bruised, with some saying he fell while climbing a closet door frame like Spider-Man, and others that he tripped over his sister's princess slipper and hit a dresser drawer, according to DCFS and police records. Palacios felt her concerns were never taken seriously, she told the Tribune. "It was so unfair," she said. "This was preventable." Ivey, of Kaleidoscope, did take the boy to a doctor after Palacios reported the bruise on his arm and a cut on his face to DCFS, but the caseworker did not tell the doctor about Palacios' hotline call, and the doctor was unaware of any suspicions of abuse, records show. Over the next several weeks, the boy's father notified Ivey several times that the boy had new head gashes or bruises after slips and falls around the house. But her checkups typically came days later, after the injuries had faded. Advertisement As she wrote in one brief report: "Upon seeing the children there were no signs of abuse or neglect. All the children appeared to be happy and healthy." Ivey says today: "There was no sign of any physical abuse. I never observed it or witnessed it." DCFS did open an investigation, but it was cursory and again targeted the father and not the main caretaker, Villasana. The DCFS investigators interviewed all three siblings, their father and Villasana in less than an hour at the family home, one case note shows. In finding allegations of abuse against the father to be unfounded, the DCFS supervisor wrote: "Minor denied he was injured by his father. Father reported that he was at work at the time of the injury." Because DCFS and Kaleidoscope never recognized Villasana as the primary caregiver, they never learned that Villasana felt overwhelmed by her new child care responsibilities, according to subsequent DCFS reports and interviews with her relatives. Lisamarie Villasana, 29, girlfriend of Verna Tobicoes father, is awaiting trial on first-degree murder charges in the 5-year-olds death. Authorities found lacerations in Vernas liver and intestines, a skull fracture and multiple bruises from repeated blows. (Cook County Sheriff) Before Verna and her siblings arrived, Villasana had been caring only for her own newborn. Now she had three additional youngsters who were extraordinarily demanding. Two showed signs of learning and developmental disabilities, records shows, and all had been raised until then in a chaotic home with little adult supervision. Advertisement Just days before Verna's death, Villasana temporarily left the home because of the stress, according to a police report and relatives. She also had attempted suicide in recent months by taking pills and drinking bleach. "It was just too much for one person to take care of those four kids," said Villasana's stepfather, Juan Bautista. Checking a box DCFS officials completely privatized the intact program in 2012 amid a deep financial crisis as well as persistent government management problems families were getting services for three and four years without seeing any real improvement, for example. But as the state agency's role shifted from providing direct services to overseeing and managing nonprofit contractors, DCFS simply failed at its new task, agency director Walker told the Tribune. "When we did that privatization, we ... more or less just sent cases over and we didn't have any expectations or any good expectations about what (the nonprofits) were going to do," said Walker, who took the helm of DCFS in June as its 10th director or acting director since 2011. DCFS does send monitors to the nonprofits' offices four times a year but Grzelak, of Kaleidoscope, said they only look at paperwork to make sure files are complete and rarely try to gauge the quality or impact of the agency's work. Advertisement "We can check a box and say, 'We did our three home visits.' But what did we do in that visit? What did we accomplish?" Grzelak said. Kaleidoscope also never learns what the DCFS monitors find in those inspections, Grzelak said. "There is nothing in writing. There is no accountability. When are we going to get a more robust conversation about how we are doing?" she said. "There should be no secretiveness." Walker said she has begun reforming the program by hiring more child protective staff and increasing DCFS's oversight and supervision of the nonprofits. "We are laser-beam focused. We're following up to make sure that our actions are leading to improvements." She also said she is looking for additional financial resources for the intact services program. The rate paid to agencies such as Kaleidoscope has not increased for at least five years, according to providers. Last year, Gzelak said, Kaleidoscope had to supplement the $730,000 it received from DCFS with $98,000 from other sources to cover basic costs related to intact services. Caseworkers, meanwhile, are often poorly trained, underpaid and burdened with overwhelming caseloads. "We have young workers who are not adequately trained who are surviving and doing what is in front of them every day," Grzelak said. Advertisement The job can be "scary, heartbreaking and stressful," Ivey said. Assigned to assist both of Verna's biological parents, Ivey was carrying 17 other cases at the time, nearly double the average of 10 recommended in the DCFS contract, according to Grzelak and Ivey. The DCFS Inspector General determined that Ivey did not seem to understand the family or know how to counsel and assist them. Ivey disputed that. "My role was to stabilize the family and make sure they had their basic needs met, and that's what I did. Sometimes I would visit that home twice a week. I even gave them some of my own daughter's hand-me-downs," Ivey told the Tribune. "Intact is a short-term fix, and in that short time all you're praying for as a worker is that nobody dies while this baby is on your watch." DCFS generally expects the nonprofits to close intact services cases within six months, and the agency's contracts start to reduce payments at that point, even though Grzelak and other providers say families often still need help. In the sixth month of Verna's case, in January 2015, Kaleidoscope closed its file. "There are no concerns regarding the safety and well-being of the children," a Kaleidoscope supervisor wrote. Advertisement Four months later, Verna was found in the bathtub dead. Palacios, the teacher, said she was shattered by the news. "I started crying," Palacios recalled. "What I feared most could happen, happened. I was very angry at DCFS because they had an investigation going on. They had visited the family." DCFS had conducted two abuse investigations into Verna Tobicoes home on Chicagos Southeast Side in the months before she died in May 2015. The agency also had hired a nonprofit group to make frequent visits and conduct safety checks on Verna and two siblings. (Family photo) Only after Verna's death did DCFS investigators conduct forensic interviews with her siblings taking them outside the home to question them separately about mistreatment, instead of interviewing them for a few minutes at home with their parents nearby. In these sessions, the children readily described being whipped, kicked and abused by Villasana and other adults, records show. On the way to one interview, Verna's brother asked a DCFS investigator if Verna was ever coming back, according to confidential DCFS case notes. The investigator told the boy that Verna "is in his heart and all he had to do is think about her and close his eyes and he would see her." Verna's older brother and sister now live with a foster family out of state. Advertisement dyjackson@chicagotribune.com gmarx@chicagotribune.com Twitter @Poolcar4 Former North Auroran Ryan Stutzman captured what he described as a typical scene in St. Croix, where he now lives with his wife and two young sons, after Hurricane Maria destroyed much of the island more than a month ago. (Ryan Stutzman) For more than a month now, former North Auroran Ryan Stutzman has lived a simpler life. Simpler, as in having limited access to the basics most of us take for granted, such as electricity, running water and being able to access Google with the tip of your finger. Advertisement Stutzman, a 1993 graduate of West Aurora High School, works for a law firm in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, where he and his family moved in January. Just in time for hurricanes Irma, Jose and Maria to hit, the latter's outer wall packing unprecedented winds of 150 miles per hour that changed the landscape and the lives of the 50,000 residents. "There is a lot of poverty here" said 42-year-old Stutzman, "and people are still suffering," standing in long lines even more than a month later for food, bottled water or FEMA-supplied tarps. Many continue to be homeless, and even as classes are scheduled to resume next week, nine St. Croix schools are out of service, which means the children will need to be packed into the few still-functional buildings. Advertisement Residents, he added, have grown accustomed to curfews, armed guards at banks and grocery stores, long lines, spotty cell phone coverage and limited access to the outside world. Stutzman realizes he's better off than most on this largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The apartment he and wife Kirstin and their two young sons were to have moved into was flooded and lost its roof. So the family has been living with friends lucky enough to have a generator that is supplying power for parts of the day. It also allows them to pump water from the rain that collects in cisterns under the house that is used for drinking, bathing, cooking and flushing. Former North Auroran Ryan Stutzman, along with wife Kirstin and children, Bjorn, 6, and Hans, 3, visited his mother in Sugar Grove in July, a couple of months before hurricanes powered through St. Croix where they have lived since January. (Ryan Stutzman) Overall, he said, conditions are ever so gradually improving. His office is located in "the one block of downtown Christiansted that now has power, he told me, which means while he's at work he can finally access the internet and yes, he was able to check those Cubs scores. The curfew, which at one time had allowed residents access outside their homes for only a few hours, has now been reduced, making it possible for them to stand in those long lines for supplies without being in danger of arrest. Speaking of the law, the office where he works has certainly been impacted, as courts are only running skeletal crews, he noted, mostly for criminal cases and domestic disputes. Roads are now cleared, but barely, Stutzman said, with debris taking up all shoulder space and intruding into the already tight spaces that drivers must carefully navigate. And there's always the danger from those tangled balls of downed power lines, he added, because you don't know which ones could be hot. Power and telephone lines became tangled balls in St. Croix after Hurricane Maria hit the island in September. Former North Auroran Ryan Stutzman, who lives with his family on the Virgin Island, says the home he's currently staying at is lucky to have a generator. (Ryan Stutzman) Stutzman, who'd previously lived in St. Croix from 1998-2003 and met and married his Wisconsin-born wife there, has been through hurricanes before. But this one was "unprecedented." and while his family has certainly been upended, he insists its the sick and elderly who are suffering the most. While officials have indicated power would be restored by Christmas, most people, see that as overly ambitious and understand they are "in it for the long haul," he said. Advertisement "We have the basics. We have water and can run the generator for a few hours and have food," he added. "People are just happy they have their lives." And with that gratitude comes an appreciation for this simpler life. While some might think it incomprehensible to be denied access to the technology our lives revolve around, Stutzman describes this new normal as "actually really nice." "I look at it as human history being a long arc. It's not been that long since we have had all these things" he said. "Getting back to basics is probably a good dose of medicine." In a Facebook post, Stutzman wrote that there is much to learn in a life of curtailed freedoms and conveniences, and in picking up the pieces with friends and neighbors. It's that attitude which makes Kris Fox-Kellogg so proud of her son and his family. "I'm a bit ashamed to say I hoped they would come back to the states in light of the extreme challenges there," said the Sugar Grove woman, who canceled a trip to St. Croix in December because of the hurricane damage. "So many people asked if they would." Advertisement Fox-Kellogg will settle instead for the possibility of "Skyping again soon." "It's just hard," she added, "when you can't give and get real hugs." DCrosby@tribpub.com Sharing their musical talents to help those in need, members of the Stevenson High School jazz bands gathered at a Buffalo Grove restaurant to raise funds for victims of the recent hurricanes. Simone Ervin, 15, a sophomore at Stevenson, who plays the saxophone in one of the high school's jazz bands, said she came up with the idea of a holding a fundraiser Oct. 19 at the Culver's restaurant where she works after watching coverage of the hurricanes on TV. Advertisement "It seemed like some people haven't been as supportive of Puerto Rico as they were other states," said Ervin. "But the people in Puerto Rico are also Americans, and I felt like they should be treated just as fairly, and we should be rushing to their aid." After talking about the plan with her mother, Gwen Ervin, Simone sought approval for the fundraiser from Stevenson's Assistant Band Director Madeline Vogler, as well as the management at the Culver's all of whom thought it was a great idea. Advertisement But they left the planning of the fundraiser in Simone's hands. While Gwen Ervin said her daughter had helped out with a fundraiser last spring to raise money to pay the hospital bills for a friend and classmate who had leukemia, she noted how her and Simone's dad remained heavily involved in the planning of that event. "I told her, 'This time, you're on your own," Gwen Ervin recalled. "We passed the baton to her with this fundraiser, and she took it and rose to the occasion." On Oct. 19, Simone and her fellow jazz band members' hard work paid off. Dozens of customers dined at the restaurant in support of the hurricane fundraiser while a percentage of the sales were set to be donated to the American Red Cross. "It's good to get out into the community to play, knowing we're helping the hurricane relief effort," said Brett Schechter, 17, a senior trumpet player in Stevenson's jazz ensemble. The student musicians performed jazz tunes including the Count Basie classic, "Straight Ahead," and the Ella Fitzgerald favorite, "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," as well as Duke Ellington's "Such Sweet Thunder," and the Dizzy Gillespie standard, "On the Sunny Side of the Street." With Simone's manager at Culver's giving her the night off from work, the philanthropic teen also was able to enjoy dinner with her mom after the benefit performance. Advertisement "We're helping people who are less fortunate than us, and we had a pretty big turnout," Simone said. "I think with the jazz band playing here, it was a pretty big hit." kcullotta@tribpub.com Twitter @kcullotta A parade of flags event will be part of a New Horizon Temple event called All Nations Sunday. (New Horizon Temple) David Sagil, the pastor at New Horizon Temple in Elmwood Park, said he loves to celebrate different cultures and backgrounds. "Our church welcomes every culture, race and nation on the earth," he said. "We celebrate our diversity as we reach out in the community." Advertisement New Horizon Temple will be hosting All Nations Sunday. The event will include a meet-and-greet event, special service and an ethnic potluck. The event will take place Sunday. New Horizon is at 7810 W. Elmgrove Drive. The meet-and-greet event is set at 10:30 a.m., with the special service at 11 a.m. The ethnic potluck will be at 1 p.m. Advertisement Sagil said anyone from the community is welcome to participate or attend All Nations Sunday. "Our congregation consists of 40 different nationalities," he said. All Nations Sunday will include a pageantry and celebration of different flags. During the ethnic potluck, attendees are invited to bring a dish of their background, as well as ethnic garb, according to Sagil. "Last year, we had 73 nationalities represented," Sagil said. "We also had over 100 visitors." Sagil said that if community members are interested in coming to a service, All Nations Sunday should be one to attend since it's unique and fun. He also hopes to welcome some new people to their congregation, with "amazing food from across the world." He noted that he adds in aspects of his mother's background, which is Assyrian Jewish. Special events coordinator Laura Jean Spathies said last year she contributed by making Irish soda bread since she is Irish-American. She also wore Irish attire. "We had food from Pakistan, Peru, Trinidad and many more," she said. Advertisement She said that she really enjoyed a traditional Ukrainian cabbage roll, called Holubtsi. "All nations and nationalities can come to together in God's house in celebrating the love of Jesus," she said. "Everyone is coming to a place where they're comfortable and welcome." Sagil said anyone who would like to participate can email New Horizon Temple at nht_upc@sbcglobal.net or call 708-452-2255. Maryann Pisano is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. (From left) Firefighter David Reisinger, firefighter Vincent Zittnan, Fire Lt. Alfredo Rios, Fire Chief Larry La Riviere, firefighter Dan Tartaglia and Deputy Chief Sean Flynn are shown at the River Grove Village Board meeting Oct. 19. (Maryann Pisano / Pioneer Press ) River Grove Fire Lt. Alfredo Rios said he doesn't consider himself brave. When he has to face danger, he said he thinks of it as simply doing his job. Rios and River Grove Police Sgt. Colin Reid, along with the village's police and fire departments, received the President's Village Service Award on Oct. 19. Mayor David Guerin presented the award during a River Grove board meeting. Advertisement On Aug. 5, two people were reportedly in distress in the Des Plaines River, near the end of the River Grove Lions Club's Steak 'n' Lobster Fest. River Grove Deputy Fire Chief Sean Flynn said Reid and Rios, along with others with the police and fire departments, helped save them. "The police and firefighters showed up together, and Colin and Al jumped right in to see what was going on and how we were going to save them," Flynn said. Advertisement According to the report, a man was "found at the river bank hanging on a cement wall approximately 10 feet down" and a woman was "attempting to pull him up from the river's embankment." "We were able to bring them up to safety," Flynn said. Flynn added that "the water was high at that point, and the current was strong. It was a better outcome because [the police and fire] were there." Rios said he doesn't think saving the man and woman should be considered heroic. "Most of us have been around a while," he said. "We just think of it as doing our job." At the board meeting, the men received the honor, which is a new award that Guerin hopes to give those who go above and beyond in the community. Guerin said a lot of people do good things for the town but do not get recognized. "The police and fire risked their own lives to save others, and it's a great thing," Guerin said. "They did it without thinking." Rios said he has worked the same shift for 15 years, and he paid tribute to those who work with him on his shift. Advertisement "We started working for River Grove when we were 18 or 19," he said. "This is where we started, and this is our town." River Grove Fire Chief Larry LaRiviere said he's proud of their efforts and is glad that Guerin is recognizing them. "This award isn't just for first responders," LaRiviere said. "It's for anyone that shows service above and beyond their duties." Maryann Pisano is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. Authorities arrested a 19-year-old Waukegan man over the weekend in connection with aSaturday shooting death in unincorporated Grayslake, according to the Lake County sheriff's office. Jasperin F. Melendez of the 1100 block of West Grove Avenue in Waukegan was taken into custody Sunday night at a fast food drive-through in Milwaukee after sheriff's police and Lake County Major Crime Task Force investigators obtained an arrest warrant for first degree murder, sheriff's officials said in a statement. The statement added that the Milwaukee Police Department assisted in the capture. Advertisement Melendez was being held Monday in Milwaukee County Jail pending extradition on the $5 million warrant, police said. An autopsy on Monday determined the victim, Fabian J. Cortez-Milan, 30, of the 2000 block of Jethro Avenue in Zion, died from gunfire wounds, police said. His death was ruled a homicide. Advertisement Around 1:30 a.m. Saturday, sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the 33300 block of Lone Rock Road in unincorporated Grayslake for a report of shots fired, police said. Police found the Zion man wounded and in critical condition, police said, adding that he was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Information released Saturday by the sheriff's office stated that "preliminary information indicates this was not a random shooting." Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun. Stop crying 'wolf' Once upon a time, there was a shepherd boy who cried "wolf" to get attention. He cried it so often when there was no wolf that when there was a wolf, his cries were ignored. The same thing could be happening with cries of "racism." Those who cry "racism" are at risk of losing their audience, just as the shepherd boy lost his listeners. Advertisement Thanks for the heads-up Psssssst Donald. Couldn't get through on your White House phone. You can save the coal men, and get cars to get better gas mileage. Convert cars to coal burners and you can kill two birds with one stone. Remember, there is no global warming or climate change, so ignore that. We're going to Puerto Rico for vacation, too. Thanks for the heads-up on how great it is there. Stupid media. Advertisement Can you hear me now? I no longer use the speaker-phone function on my cell phone. Why? The callers voice is often distorted, garbled, not understandable and broken up when the phone moves from one tower to another. We do know from one video recording just what President Trump said to the loved ones of one of the four fallen soldiers, and it does not even come close to what one congresswomen says the president said. Glad you're here Welcome to the 291 people from 59 different countries who just became U.S. citizens at the beautiful Genesee Theatre in Waukegan. As Congressman Brad Schneider said in his keynote address to them, "Thank you for choosing us." Bad decision So federal judge Leinenweber does not allow the Justice Department to stop making Justice Assistance Grants to the lawless sanctuary cities because it will hurt their relationships with the immigrant community. What about the rest of us who are harmed when illegals who have committed crimes are released into the community without notifying ICE? Can't this judge see how many crimes have been committed by the practice of allowing these criminals to remain in the country? This is another cry for term limits on these federal judges. Wake up A $3 million marijuana bust that came from Mexico to Round Lake Park? We should keep our eyes closed and not have a border wall and continue our weak security? This is wrecking our country. Wake up America. Lets shut them down. Advertisement 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. Band musicians from Ridgewood High School and its feeder schools perform with with guest conductor Mark Corey from Addison Trail High School during Musicfest on Oct. 21. ( Eric P. Davis/Pioneer Press ) Ridgewood High School's annual Musicfest brought together students from the high school and local sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders on Saturday. Steve Klaus, Ridgewood's band director, said there were 206 participants, about half from the high school and half from Giles and Union Ridge schools. Advertisement "The best part about the performance, to me, is watching the reaction of the middle school students as they sit next to the high school students and play with them," Klaus said. "They get to know the older students a bit, see how they play and act, and get to enjoy the sound of the large band together. They seem to enjoy it very much." Klaus said the event shows how important the band members are to their schools and "how good they sound as a large massed band." He said the students rehearse together for three hours before the event, after practicing at their individual schools for about a month. Advertisement The performance featured a guest director Mark Corey, director of bands at Addison Trail High School. A Park Ridge police commander acquitted last year of aggravated battery charges against two teenagers is facing the potential loss of his job. Park Ridge Police Chief Frank Kaminski said he is seeking the firing of Police Cmdr. Jason Leavitt in connection with the case, in which Leavitt was accused of beating two 15-year-old boys during their arrests for allegedly breaking his car window with a sling shot 11 years ago. He was exonerated following a three-day bench trial in July 2016. Advertisement Kaminski's request to fire Leavitt, 46, was laid out in a formal complaint filed Monday with the city's board of fire and police commissioners, who have been asked to approve the officer's termination. When the board will meet to discuss the request has not yet been determined. Advertisement Leavitt, a 23-year veteran of the police department, was placed on paid administrative leave Monday morning, pending the decision of the fire and police board, Kaminski said. Contacted at his home, Leavitt declined to comment. According to Kaminski, the decision to seek Leavitt's firing came at the completion of a departmenmt investigation of the events surrounding the allegations made against the police commander. Conducted by an outside professional services firm, REM Management Services, the investigation determined that Leavitt had physical contact with both 15-year-old suspects during their apprehension on the morning of Oct. 28, 2006, but failed to include this information in his police report of the incident, Kaminski said. A use of force report was also not filed, the chief said. "The details of what happened at that time are clearly not documented anywhere," said Kaminski, who was hired as police chief nearly three years after the alleged 2006 incident. According to the complaint, Leavitt, during a formal interrogation conducted in February of this year, acknowledged that he pushed down the head of one of the teenagers while the boy was on the ground and being handcuffed by two other officers. Leavitt was off duty at the time, the original report had indicated. The complaint also alleges that Leavitt, also during his interrogation this year, admitted he grabbed the same boy after the teen "became belligerent" in the back seat of a squad car, and that he "dragged [the teenager] across the seat to move his foot to the interior of the squad and allow for the closing of the driver side rear door." A police officer who was at the scene testified in court that when he saw Leavitt leaning inside the back of the squad car, he was making a punching motion with his arm and the action lasted "approximately three seconds." Advertisement In court last year, the suspect, now an adult, testified that Leavitt punched him and choked him while he was seated in the squad car. He also testified that after he had been handcuffed and was face-down on the ground, he felt a blow to the back of his head. The suspect's friend testified last year that he was kicked in the back of the head and punched on the morning of Oct. 28, 2006, though he was unable to recall what his alleged assailant looked like and did not identify Leavitt as the perpetrator in his testimony. Kaminski's complaint to the board of fire and police commissioners says that Leavitt "stated that he had an awkward struggle" with the teenager "and that he may have thrown him to the ground." This, too, was not included in any reports filed with the department, Kaminski said. A former Park Ridge police officer who was on duty that morning testified in court last year that she pulled Leavitt off the teenage suspect when she saw him on top of the boy, who was on the ground in a driveway. Kaminski acknowledged that the department investigation was unable to conclude whether the beating accusations did occur exactly as the former teenagers testified in court. Advertisement "I can't say [if they were truthful]," Kaminski said. "I think that's one of the areas that's unclear." Neither of the individuals who alleged they were beaten in 2006 agreed to take part in the department's investigation, Kaminski said. Both teens had been taken into police custody on the morning of Oct. 28, 2006, after a window was shot out on Leavitt's personal vehicle while he was driving past Town of Maine Cemetery around 2 a.m. Leavitt was charged in 2010 with aggravated battery and official misconduct following a Cook County state's attorney's office investigation. He was placed on paid administrative leave, but returned to work in 2012 when Cook County Judge Thomas Ford dismissed the charges, saying the statute of limitations to file them had run out. The charges were reinstated in 2014, and Leavitt was removed from his street duties and given administrative work. He returned to his regular duties after Judge Ford, who presided over his criminal case, acquitted him. Stating that the investigation was a "confidential" one with the police department, investigator Daniel McDevitt of REM Management declined to answer questions about it. Kaminski said the department investigation took as long as it did in part due to a wait time for transcripts of the court case and FBI documents. Advertisement Thirteen individuals were interviewed as part of the investigation, including former police officers who had responded to the call on Oct. 28, 2006, Kaminski said. "This has been a difficult time for this department," he said. "We have gone through a lot with this whole incident. The one thing that has consistently been here since I've been here is this case . It just has worn on the department and even me personally. I hope we can get some closure on it and finally try to move this place forward for the future." jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com Twitter: @Jen_Tribune Racine Kovach describes the recycled rubber ground cover material that was utilized in the Tree House area of Hammonds Environmental Education Center. During the year, many schools and organizations take field trips to the Center, which also includes a live Trout Stream. ( Sue Ellen Ross/Post-Tribune ) Visitors to the recent, 14th annual Active Living Faire at Wolf Lake began with a tour of the unique Environmental Education Center on Calumet Avenue. "The carpeting your standing on is made entirely of recycled plastic," said Racine Kovach of the Lake County Solid Waste Management District as a tour group stood in the Education room. "And recycled wood was used for the walls, tables and chairs." Advertisement During the event, which was sponsored by the Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative (AWLI), the room was utilized for educational displays and presentations. "We conduct many field trips throughout the year for schools and various groups," she said, as the first visitors arrived. "We have quite a bit to see here." Advertisement The next stop was the largest room in the center of the building, which houses the tree house and a live trout stream. The ground material in the play area is made of recycled rubber, and visitors learned about fish life as they walked the bridge over the steam observing and feeding the hundreds of trout swimming below. A classroom-in-the making for students on field trip, and the Re-Uz Room rounded out the tour. Filled with thousands of items plastic, cardboard, old decorations, and other materials that are donated, the Re-Uz room is available for educators or individual groups working on projects. It also is open to the public one day a month. The Faire also offered visitors a fund-raising bike-a-thon and a hike along the Wolf Lake shore. The latter was facilitated by Professor Young Choi from Purdue University Northwest. "Things here have changed in a major way over the years," he said, as his group gathered on the walking trail. "Wolf Lake used to be a lagoon, coming from Lake Michigan." But the landscaped changed as Northwest Indiana developed, with railroads and businesses settling in the area at the turn of the century and the subsequent growth of Indianapolis Boulevard. At one time, the shoreline consisted of only natural plants, but invasive species started to take over. Advertisement That was addressed over the years, with major cleaning out some years back, Choi said. But some have come back, and it's a major cost to do it again, he added. Jo Troncozo of Chicago attends many of AWLI's events, and made a point to put the recent Faire on her calendar. The stroll along the shoreline was a highlight of her visit. "Many people aren't aware of the beauty out here," she said, as she spotted a blue heron through her binoculars. "It's wonderful to know what's in your own backyard." Jean Shelton of Lansing agreed, as she had her binoculars at the ready. "What a lovely way to start the day," she added. "It's great to enjoy nature." Advertisement For more information about the Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative (AWLI), call (219) 933-7149 or (312) 220-0120. Or visit online at www.wolflakeinitiative.org. Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. IU Northwest hosts pre-law panel discussion Indiana University Northwest's School of Public and Environmental Affairs invites the campus and community to a Pre-Law Panel Discussion at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Bruce W. Bergland Auditorium in the Savannah Center, 3400 Broadway, Gary. A panel of professionals will help attendees explore whether law school is the right path for them, discuss the pre-law program at IU Northwest and provide tips for admission. Assistant Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs Dan Tsataros will facilitate the discussion. More information is with Tsataros at 219-980-6695 or dtsataro@iun.edu. Advertisement The VIC to host Fourth Friday event The Valparaiso International Center (The VIC), an independent nonprofit organization serving Northwest Indiana, will host a free presentation about Mexico at 7 p.m. Friday at 309 East Lincolnway, Valparaiso. The event is part of The VIC's Fourth Friday series. Pancho and Carolyn Rodea will be the featured speakers for October. Both are Spanish teachers in the Valparaiso Public Schools as well as entertainers who have performed at numerous local venues and festivals. The presentation is open to the community and is free of charge. More information is at www.valpovic.org. Advertisement IU Northwest Fall Open House Indiana University Northwest will host its Fall Open House starting at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the Theater at the Arts and Sciences Building, 3400 Broadway, Gary. Prospective students and their families are invited to speak with faculty members and academic advisors, learn about campus groups and programs, tour the campus, and attend a financial aid presentation. This year, the IU Northwest Office of Admission is offering an opportunity to apply for 2018 admissions onsite for free. Registration is at 219-980-6991 or at https://www.iun.edu/admissions/open-house/. Special Needs Trusts Workshop at Opportunity Enterprises Opportunity Enterprises will present a free workshop on Special Needs Trusts from 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday at 2801 Evans Ave., Valparaiso. The session will serve as part of the organization's Disability Resource Series. Open to the public, the event is hosted by The Law Office of Connie L. Bauswell and Centier Bank, and will cover an array of questions regarding Special Needs Trusts and how they can benefit families of an individual with a disability. Attorney Connie Bauswell, CELA will be the speaker. RSVP to Amy Wulf at 219-464-9621, Ext. 333, or amy.wulf@oppent.org. Aylesworth to host town hall meetings State Rep. Mike Aylesworth (R-Hebron) will host four local town hall meetings to discuss the upcoming legislative session and listen to feedback from area residents. Public meetings will take place on the following: 5 p.m. Thursday at Cedar Lake Town Hall, 7408 Constitution Ave., Cedar Lake; 7 p.m. Thursday at Lowell Town Hall, 501 E. Main St., Lowell; 5 p.m. Monday at the Hebron Community Center, 611 N. Main St., Hebron; and 7 p.m. Monday at Kouts Town Hall, 210 S. Main St., Kouts. More information is with Aylesworth's office at 317-234-9447 or h11@iga.in.gov. Staff report Bethune Early Learning Center Principal Karon Ramsey drinks from a new water fountain that filters lead and other impurities. (Carole Carlson / Post-Tribune) State companies accused of fouling the environment are providing needed improvements in the Gary Community School Corp. as part of their penalties. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's regional office in Chicago is working with the district to target repairs and upgrades, officials reported at a recent Gary School Board meeting. Advertisement So far, nearly 3,000 overhead lighting fixtures have been replaced at Beveridge Elementary, the Bailly Preparatory Academy and the Bethune Early Childhood Development Center, officials said. Kendall Moore, an environmental scientist for the EPA, suspects the pre-1979 fixtures were contaminated with PCBs or polychlorinated biphenyls once widely used as a coolant in electrical devices. They were banned in 1979 when it was determined they were a cancer-causing carcinogen. Young children are considered higher risks if they're exposed to PCBs, Moore said. Advertisement Robert Peachey, an attorney with the EPA's Chicago office, said Heritage-Crystal Clean LLC, an Indianapolis-based environmental waste company, placed $400,000 in an escrow account used to replace the light fixtures. In 2013, Peachey said Heritage-Crystal Clean received water contaminated with PCBs from Delaware and combined it with its marketable product at an Indianapolis factory. He said the action violated federal law. Heritage-Crystal Clean paid a $100,000 fine and agreed to provide $400,000 to replace the light fixtures in the Gary schools. Heritage-Crystal Clean contracted with Huston Electric to retrofit the light ballasts with LED fixtures. Besides providing brighter lighting, it's estimated the energy efficient LED lights will reduce electric costs by 41 percent, Peachey said. In addition to the new light fixtures, new drinking fountains were installed at Bethune. They contain a filter designed to keep lead and other chemicals below regulated levels, Peachey said. Meanwhile, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the EPA negotiated a 2016 consent decree in which U.S. Steel agreed to pay a $2.2 million civil penalty and complete environmental projects at its plant, the city of the Gary and its schools as part of the settlement. Roger Malone, an engineering consultant for the school district, said officials met with the EPA and U.S. Steel and after a walk-through at the West Side Leadership Academy, they agreed on $500,000 worth of repairs to its leaky roof. Officials said the work should be completed by March. Advertisement School district attorney Tracey Coleman said the mitigation fines represent environmental justice for the community. She said the settlement came after school officials talked about the segregated history of the city and the economic decline related to U.S. Steel employment and new state tax policies. "We went from getting $66 million down to $14 million in taxes from U.S. Steel," Coleman said of a state law that allowed the steel giant to lower its tax assessment. "There are a lot of issues to address," she said. "There are opportunities instead of a corporation just paying a fine." Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Dennis Spagna sits on the porch of his Kouts home Friday while volunteers from Habitat for Humanity build a wheelchair ramp for his home. (Amy Lavalley / Post-Tribune) Dennis Spagna moved into his home on Railroad Street in Kouts a few weeks ago. At the time, his son built a temporary wheelchair ramp to the small front porch to accommodate Spagna's motorized wheelchair. Advertisement Spagna, who served in the Army in Korea in the mid-1960s, had his right leg amputated about a year and half ago after he developed blood clots. "It's the best thing that ever happened to me," he said. He's been healthier since his leg was removed, and added later, "Believe it or not, I'm 100 percent independent." Advertisement Still, the ramp his son built was meant to be temporary and he needed something permanent. A friend of his gave him a number for Jonah Besch, who's on the board for Habitat for Humanity of Porter County and used to work in construction. He found out Besch knew his son from his construction days. The new ramp, which Besch and four other volunteers started working on Friday, will be safer and sturdier than the one he has now, said Spagna, 72. "Not only that," he said, as Besch and the other volunteers worked on the ramp's frame, "that ramp when they make it, that'll be (for) my lifetime." Jonah Besch, a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, prepares to cut a board for a frame for a wheelchair ramp for the Kouts home of Dennis Spagna on Friday. (Amy Lavalley / Post-Tribune) While perhaps better known for building houses, Habitat also builds ramps. Volunteers constructed two ramps in 2015 and four ramps last year. "This is the sixth ramp project for the year and if the weather holds, we may get one or two more," said Besch, now a financial adviser with Thrivent Financial and project manager for the ramp at Spagna's house. Funding for the ramps this year came from a $12,500 grant from Thrivent and a $10,000 grant from the Porter County Community Foundation, Besch said, adding the foundation money can carry into next year if Habitat doesn't use all of it this year. "Without those grants, we're not able to do the work that we do," he said. "It really boils down to funding for us. There's a humungous need for these kinds of projects in Porter County." Habitat gets referrals for ramps from Porter County Aging and Community Services, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Northwest Indiana Veterans Action Council, Besch said, adding some people, like Spagna, contact the non-profit directly. Advertisement With more funding, Besch said, Habitat could help more people with ramps. He showed the plans for Spagna's new ramp, which will have railings and run 14 feet alongside his porch. Eileen Piehl, of Valparaiso, was one of the volunteers helping out. Patiently, she mastered a cordless drill fit with a Phillips screwdriver head so she could screw together a frame for the ramp. She admitted Friday was the first time she'd used a drill; she has one at home but was too intimidated to use it. Still, Piehl, a retired school psychologist and social worker, caught on to using the power tool. "Obviously, it's a useful project," said Piehl, who has volunteered for Habitat off and on since it started in Porter County. "As long as I have someone telling me what to do, I'm OK." Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Pueblo West's sales tax increasing after voters OK road improvements Pueblo West sales tax will be 5.9% next year after voters OK a 1% increase for road repairs, but it's still lower than Pueblo and Canon City. By Melissa Cyrill Last month, Hong Kongs Court of Appeal ruled in favor of granting a dependent spousal visa for a British woman who identifies as LGBT. The unanimous approval by the Court was welcomed by the international business and banking community in Hong Kong, and could open up the same-sex debate in the region and spur further policy reform. The ruling also has implications for multinational companies (MNCs) looking to relocate their overseas LGBT staff to Hong Kong. Case background The appellant in the case is a British lesbian expatriate, identified as QT, who entered into a civil partnership with SS in 2011 in England. Under English law, same-sex partners have the same legal rights as married spouses. Hong Kong law, on the other hand, does not recognize same-sex unions: marriage is defined strictly in heterosexual terms between a man and a woman. As such, the Immigration Department denied QT a dependent spousal visa when she wanted to join her partner, who had been offered a job in Hong Kong. QT first lost her case at the Court of First Instance, where she applied for judicial review, and subsequently, approached the higher Court of Appeal. The higher Court overturned the previous judgment, allowing QT to seek a dependency visa through her same-sex partner. It must be noted that the Immigration Department still has the authority to lodge a final appeal, and that QT has not yet reapplied for the visa. HR & Payroll Solutions from Dezan Shira & Associates Legal implications of the ruling The ruling by the Court of Appeal makes mention of the irrationality of the Immigration Departments decision and its indirect discrimination signaling a possible mood change in Hong Kongs judicial establishment. In his defense to the objections raised by the lower court, chief High Court judge Andrew Cheung Kui-nung observed that Hong Kongs continued ability to attract people with the right talent and skills is directly affected by its ability to allow their closest dependents to live with them. Cheung also wrote, Times have changed and an increasing number of people are no longer prepared to accept the status quo without critical thought. The Appeal judges collectively clarified that the dependent visa was no more than a privilege. According to them, the argument that granting dependent visas to gay couples who are already in legal partnerships in their country of origin will endanger the institution of marriage was not a feasible one. Further, couples who are in same-sex marriages or civil partnerships overseas would be able to produce the same proof of relationship, such as a certificate or license, as heterosexual couples. Entitlements of same-sex couples unchanged While the decision by the Court of Appeal is welcome, it does not change the current entitlements of same-sex couples in Hong Kong. For that to happen, major laws and national regulations will need to be legislated and/or amended. Towards this, the Equal Opportunities Commission has repeatedly asked the Hong Kong government to consider a comprehensive legal framework for the LGBT community, and introduce policy measures to recognize same-sex relationships and protect LGBT rights. However, regardless of the dissent at various levels of the judicial and administrative establishment the case has important implications for overseas firms. HR managers often face challenges in dealing with discrimination against their LGBT employees in the Chinese-ruled financial hub, which can be a barrier to attracting overseas talent. This is why prominent financial firms such as Goldman Sachs Services (Asia) and Morgan Stanley Asia offered their support to QT in court, though their offer was declined. RELATED: LGBTQ+ in the Chinese Workplace: Fostering an Inclusive Environment Window of opportunity for legal reforms in Hong Kong Worldwide, there is increasing support for LGBT rights, and 24 countries currently allow gays and lesbians to marry, including many major Western countries. More recently, same-sex marriage was legalized by popular vote in the Republic of Ireland in 2015; it is a major ongoing debate in Australia. However, in East and Southeast Asia, the legal environment remains largely conservative: same-sex relationships are illegal in Singapore and Japan, although Japanese authorities do provide designated activities visas to the dependents of foreign same-sex spouses. In May this year, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, after its constitutional court ruled that existing laws defining unions as between a man and a woman were invalid. If Hong Kong wants to continue to flourish as the worlds leading financial hub, it will need to institutionalize diversity, inclusion, and equality and that includes the legal recognition of homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual rights. The ruling by the Court of Appeal is an important juncture in the same-sex debate in Hong Kong it presents a critical opportunity to reconsider the citys old laws, remove the scope for all kinds of discrimination, and open up conversations on the social, religious, and legal thought on sexual rights. A progressive mandate will boost Hong Kongs credibility in the region, and will ensure that its labor market remains among the most competitive in the world. About Us China Briefing is published by Asia Briefing, a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. We produce material for foreign investors throughout Asia, including ASEAN, India, Indonesia, Russia, the Silk Road, and Vietnam. For editorial matters please contact us here, and for a complimentary subscription to our products, please click here. Dezan Shira & Associates is a full service practice in China, providing business intelligence, due diligence, legal, tax, IT, HR, payroll, and advisory services throughout the China and Asian region. For assistance with China business issues or investments into China, please contact us at china@dezshira.com or visit us at www.dezshira.com Dezan Shira & Associates Brochure Dezan Shira & Associates is a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm, providing legal, tax and operational advisory to international corporate investors. Operational throughout China, ASEAN and India, our mission is to guide foreign companies through Asias complex regulatory environment and assist them with all aspects of establishing, maintaining and growing their business operations in the region. This brochure provides an overview of the services and expertise Dezan Shira & Associates can provide. An Introduction to Doing Business in China 2017 This Dezan Shira & Associates 2017 China guide provides a comprehensive background and details of all aspects of setting up and operating an American business in China, including due diligence and compliance issues, IP protection, corporate establishment options, calculating tax liabilities, as well as discussing on-going operational issues such as managing bookkeeping, accounts, banking, HR, Payroll, annual license renewals, audit, FCPA compliance and consolidation with US standards and Head Office reporting. Internal Control in China In this issue of China Briefing magazine, we provide foreign investors with best practices for implementing internal controls in China. We explain what makes Chinas internal control environment distinct, and why China-based operations need to prioritize internal control. We then outline how to execute an internal control review to gauge organizational resiliency and identify gaps in control points, and introduce practical internal controls for day-to-day operations. Finally, we explore why ERP systems are becoming increasingly integral to companies internal control regimes. Dezan Shira & Associates Members of the China National Peking Opera Company stage a performance at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, Britain, Oct. 21, 2017, as a celebration for the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Britain diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level. (Xinhua/Han Yan) The China National Peking Opera Company (CNPOC) returns to Britain for the fourth time when it brings four performances to London's Sadler's Wells this weekend, with the debut of "A River All Red" on Saturday night attracting over 1,000 Chinese nationals and Londoners alike. This is the fourth time the CNPOC has brought productions to Britain, following its tours in 2005, 2015 and 2016. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the China-UK ambassadorial diplomatic relations. With the troupe's first three tours well received by British audience and critics, Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming called the troupe "a golden brand" for China and UK cultural exchange. The performance of "A River All Red" in London is a reproduction of the classic. The opera is a show presenting all four fundamental elements of this performing art -- singing, speaking, acting and fighting. The company has also made improvements on the original production by fine-tuning the tempo, adding more stage imagery effects with modern multimedia technology. British audience Dylan Dryden told Xinhua that the performance of Chinese opera is extraordinary. "It is very very good, very classic -- the costumes and the fashion expressions and the make up and the singing and story -- it's very good, I don't understand the mandarin but I read the story and it's very touching," he said. The opera's leading actor Yu Kuizhi said in an interview with Xinhua that after three times of touring in the UK, the passionate engagement of the audience and the wide attention of the mainstream media have shown the cultural literacy and appreciation of the British audience and their strong interests in Chinese traditional culture. As China's premier Peking Opera organization, the CNPOC comprises celebrated performers, playwrights, directors, composers and stage designers, and has accumulated some of the finest repertoire of productions ranging over the wide diversity of Peking Opera performance styles as well as innovative pioneering works. The renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), currently taking place between Mexico, Canada and the U.S., must strengthen trade and investment in the agricultural sector, said the Mexican government on Sunday. While NAFTA talks continue, Mexico is seeking to diversify its export markets and is expanding agricultural exports to China, Japan, South Korea and countries of the Arabian Peninsula, said Agriculture Minister Jose Calzada. "For the country, the principles come first and then, our interests. If we stay on this path, it will go well, as we are defending a fair deal for an agricultural sector that is worth over 95 billion U.S. dollars to Mexico," said the minister in a statement. According to Calzada, Mexico will show firmness, strong will and patience in the renegotiation, to obtain a position which will increase trade and investment in Mexican agriculture. Of the 95 billion U.S. dollars that agriculture is worth a year to Mexico, 30 billion come from exports and about 24 to 25 billion come from imports, he said. To improve this, one of the objectives of the Mexican government is to better programs and resources so small producers can access value and export chains. The fourth round of NAFTA talks ended in Washington on Tuesday with marked differences between Mexico and Canada on one side, and the U.S. on the other, including on dispute resolution and rules of origin. The fifth round will take place in Mexico City from Nov. 17-21, with more rounds now being added for the first quarter of 2018, beyond the seven originally planned for. Carmakers in China are scrambling for batteries as it is increasingly evident that electric cars are to continue their rise as the star of the future automotive industry. A driver charges the electric car at the Nanxun ancient town in Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Nov. 10, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] That development has led carmakers to take out their checkbooks and lay out hard cash to buy stakes in the car battery sector. Dongfeng Motor Corp has recently become a shareholder of CATL and is talking with another battery-maker, said Liu Weidong, the carmaker's deputy general manager. CATL, based in Fujian province, is one of the biggest battery makers in the world, but became widely known when it became a BMW supplier. "All carmakers are under great pressure in terms of new energy cars. We at Dongfeng are tech-oriented, and place great emphasis on core technologies and resources," Liu said. He added Dongfeng will also invest at least 10 billion yuan ($1.54 billion) by the end of the year in terms of batteries, electric motors and electric control systems. Dongfeng was not the first to join hands with battery-makers. Earlier this year, SAIC Motor, China's largest automaker, announced it was forging partnerships with CATL. Industry insiders and analysts said such moves were understandable, especially when China has demanded that every carmaker in the country produce a number of new energy cars, starting from 2019. "As the policy is promulgated, sales of electric cars will surge in the coming years and so will the demand for batteries," said Wang Chuanfu, chairman of BYD, China's biggest maker of new energy vehicles, in an interview with the National Business Daily. China has been the world's largest market for new energy vehicles since 2015 and is planning to put 5 million such cars on its roads by the end of 2020. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers estimates that sales this year could reach 700,000, 40 percent growth year-on-year. Wang said BYD is increasing its battery production to better prepare for the market. In terms of car batteries, BYD held 17 percent of the market in China, second only to CATL, which took a 25.8 percent market share in the first half of the year. As part of its plan to further improve its market position, BYD is now in the process of building a joint venture with Guoxuan High-tech Power Energy Co, a battery-maker in Anhui province. International carmakers are building their battery plants in China. BMW is soon to unveil a battery plant at a Chinese joint venture in Shenyang, Liaoning province. The plant is expected to produce 33,000 high-voltage battery packs a year for its localized new energy cars. Daimler AG has announced plans to produce batteries as part of its electric car program in China. Daimler and Chinese partner BAIC Motor will invest 655 million euros in the production of battery-powered electric cars, and this includes an investment of "three-digit million euros" for battery production by the joint venture. Some carmakers are going even further to secure supplies of resources such as lithium and cobalt for batteries. Late last month Great Wall Motor, China's biggest SUV-maker, said it will spend 146 million yuan on a 3.5 percent stake in Pilbara Minerals, which owns the Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project in Western Australia. In China, prices of such raw materials are rising rapidly because of the bright prospects for new energy cars. Of 159 lithium-related companies listed on the Chinese mainland, 133 saw their revenue grow in the first half of the year, according to the Securities Daily. With the those bright prospects comes fierce competition. "China now has some 200 battery-makers, but only 40 or 50 will survive three to five years later and the top five will hold at least 70 percent of the market", Fang Jianhua, former head of Guoxuan High-tech Power Energy told the Securities Daily. China is "committed", "ambitious" and "vital", according to Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Bill Gates speaks at Peking University in Beijing, on March 24, 2017. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn] The billionaire philanthropist was among leading business figures, academics and opinion leaders from around the world who were asked by China Daily to sum up China in just three words. Apart from the somewhat obvious "big", words which regularly came up from respondents were "innovative", "dynamic" and "transforming", reflecting some of the spirit of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era outlined in the general secretary's report to the 19th CPC National Congress. Gates said he wanted his selection of words to reflect the fact that China was now "very important to the future of the entire world". "Committed, because as much as any other country over the past few years, China has shown a commitment to health and development both at home and abroad. Ambitious, because of the targets it has set for itself, including wiping out extreme poverty by 2020. And vital, because we need an engaged and responsible China if we are to rid the world of what we call 'solvable human misery'," he responded. Gary Locke, the former US ambassador to China, said it was important to reflect that China was building a new modernity while also not forgetting the foundation of its ancient culture. "I would say 'modern', 'ancient' and 'energetic'. China is on the move," he responded. This combination of old and new was reflected in the choices of Marine Jibladze, the Georgian Sinologist and author. "It is both 'modern' and 'traditional' as well as 'safe'," she said. Leading China expert Kerry Brown, director of the Lau Institute at King's College London and author of the new book China's World about China's increasing global role, described China as "dynamic", "complex" and "aspirational". He said he wanted the words to reflect just how important China is to the rest of the world. "China has a new role. Domestic issues are global because of their size and scale," he replied. Scott Kennedy, deputy director of the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, was one of those who said it was difficult to avoid the word "big" when it came to China, although he also went for "competitive" and "offering variety", the last choice taking into account the diversity of the country. "China is big. It's not just big geographically and in terms of its number of people but also on its effect on the global economy, markets and security issues. Anything you study about China has to start with its size," he responded. David Lampton, former president of the National Committee on United States-China Relations and now a Sinologist at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, went for "leaders" as well as "complicated" and "expectations". "Leaders matter and I think with Xi we are seeing the rise of a leader in China who will make a big difference," he responded. Sir Gerry Grimstone, chairman of Standard Life, the UK insurance company, and former chairman of The-CityUK, a trade body for the UK's financial services sector, stressed "opportunity" as well as "exciting" and "powerful", because of the potential for UK-China business following Xi's state visit to the UK in October 2015. "The visit marked an improvement in the relations between the two countries and the beginning of a new 'golden era' of cooperation," he responded. Steve Mollenkopf, chief executive officer of Qualcomm, the US semiconductor and telecommunications giant, chose "green" alongside "innovative" and "collaborative". Environmental sustainability and the creation of a "Beautiful China" was one of the messages in Xi's report to the congress in the opening session. "The Chinese government has attached great importance to ecological protection. During my recent visits to China, I have been impressed by the considerable efforts toward improving the environment." Jeremy Hunter, chief executive of the Chinese branch of Henkel Corp, the German chemical and consumer goods company, had almost identical choices, varying only by noting "sustainable" rather than "green". "China has prioritized sustainable development as an important part of its national agenda and is making progress toward balancing economic development and sustainability." Xi made a brave defense of globalization in his speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January despite protectionist noises elsewhere in the world. So it is not surprising the word was chosen by a number of respondents. It was one of the selections of Curt Ferguson, president of the Chinese arm of Coca-Cola, which remains one of the world's most global companies. "China has become a champion of globalization. We are very fortunate to have had the opportunity to forge strong local partnerships to serve Chinese consumers and share our experience of managing a truly international business in more countries and regions than there are members of the United Nations." Part of China's commitment to globalization has been the Belt and Road Initiative, which Lord Sassoon, chairman of the China Britain Business Council, said has been "transforming" and "influencing." "It has China's biggest achievements of the past five years and it provides extensive opportunities for engagement," he replied. Angel Gurria, the former Mexican foreign affairs and finance minister and now secretary-general of the Paris-based OECD, emphasized "innovative" as well as "dynamic" and "flexible". "One of the most visible changes in China is the abundance of internet-based services, including mobile payments and shared economy services," he responded. "These innovations have changed Chinese people's lives, well ahead of many other more economically advanced countries." "Innovative" also featured in the choices of Alain Crozier, chief executive officer of Microsoft China, alongside "dynamic" and "transforming". "China has really turned the corner from being a manufacturer and consumer of technology products and services invented by others to one that is developing real breakthroughs and real value that is relevant to the rest of the world." Colin Mackerras, a Sinologist and emeritus professor at Griffith University in Australia, selected "prosperous", "confident" and "stronger", since all three, he says, are reflected in Xi's style of leadership. "He stands out among contemporary world leaders for his rationality and common sense. He is very impressive." The 2nd World Congress on Marxism is scheduled to be held in Peking University in Beijing next May, the organizer said Sunday. The congress, to be held from May 5 to May 6, is expected to attract more than 300 Marxism researchers to discuss Marxism in the 21st century and its developments in China. The congress coincides with the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx's birth and 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up, said Gu Hailiang, head of the academic board of the organizing committee. It will be a significant event for the world Marxism research and scientific socialism, Gu told a press conference. The conference, with the theme of "Marxism and the current world and China", will have 17 subforums covering topics like Chinese solution and modernization approach by the developing countries, said Sun Daiyao, vice president of the School of Marxism of Peking University. Gu said the congress will focus on Marxism research by the global academic circle and Marxism in current China. The congress will help to interpret to the world academic circle the "China road, China theory and China experience", Gu said. Speakers: Mr. Zhang Yijiong, executive vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, Mr. Ran Wanxiang, vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee Mr. Guo Yezhou, vice minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee. Chairperson: Guo Weimin, spokesperson for the 19th National Congress of the CPC and deputy director of the State Council Information Office Date: Oct. 21, 2017 Guo Weimin: Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. Welcome to the third press conference held at the Press Center of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Today, we invited Mr. Zhang Yijiong, the executive vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, Mr. Ran Wanxiang, also a vice minister of the department, and Mr. Guo Yezhou, the vice minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, to attend the press conference, and introduce the Party's united front work and external exchanges. Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Zhang Yijiong. Zhang Yijiong: The united front is a political alliance led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) with the aim of joining together various political parties, social classes, ethnic groups, organizations and personages from all walks of life. At the opening of the 19th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping, the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said that the united front is an important way to ensure the success of the Party's cause, and included developing the broadest possible patriotic united front into the basic policy that underpins our endeavors to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the CPC Central Committee has held a series of meetings on work related to the united front, ethnic groups, religions, Xinjiang, Tibet, and people belonging to new social groups. The CPC United Front Work Regulations (Trial), the first document of its kind, and a batch of other normative guidelines were enacted. Uninterrupted progress has been made in the development, innovation, consolidation and expansion of the united front, which has played an important role in the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. First, the strengths of the multi-party cooperation system have become increasingly prominent. The multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the CPC, a political party system with Chinese characteristics, is an important way for China to achieve socialist democracy. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party has exerted great efforts to ensure better regulation of consultation among political parties, encourage the participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs, and upgrade overall democratic oversight. In this way, the multi-party cooperation system has played an unparalleled role in extending political engagement, coordinating various interests, reaching a broad consensus and enhancing social harmony. General Secretary Xi chaired four or five party consultative conferences every year to hear the opinions of the primary leaders of non-CPC parties on major Party and state affairs. An "Express Train" system has been established in which the non-CPC parties are able to provide suggestions and constructive criticisms directly to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, thus ensuring Party and government decisions are made in a sound and democratic way. The central committees of eight other political parties provided democratic oversight of poverty eradication, which is an innovation in the supervision of major Party and state decisions. Members of eight other political parties, as well as personages with no party affiliations, have taken an active part in strengthening state power. Many non-CPC personages hold leading positions i n the people's congresses, government departments and judicial organs at all levels. The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), as an organization of the patriotic united front of the Chinese people, conducts regular political consultation, democratic oversight and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs, embodying the strengths and distinctive features of China's socialist democracy. Second, all social strata are fully invigorated. To adopt a holistic approach and promote all social strata to play their role and get along well is an important task for the united front work. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, our Party has united people from all walks of life on the basis of consolidating the alliance of workers and peasants, further cementing the class and mass foundation for the governance of the Party. We have unwaveringly encouraged, supported, and guided the development of the non-public sector of economy. We have provided support to leading figures in this sector to promote entrepreneurship, and to help them play an active part in the supply-side structural reform, the acceleration of economic transformation and upgrading, service to society and the people, and the endeavor to eradicate poverty. So, coincident with the development of their enterprises, they can give back to the country and society. We have also provided guidance and support to non-CPC intellectuals and Chinese students returning from overseas, allowing them to fully utilize their knowledge and skills in innovation and starting businesses. A batch of outstanding non-CPC intellectuals have made significant breakthroughs in science and technology, many of which reached a world-class level. We have adapted to changes of the social strata, and worked hard to expand the united front. So, non-CPC managerial and technical staff in private and foreign enterprises, employees of intermediary organizations and social organizations, freelancers and staff of new media are included in the united front, and rally closely around the Party and the government. Third, common development and prosperity achieved from the common endeavor of national unity. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party has adhered to the correct path of addressing ethnic issues according to China's special conditions. The system of regional ethnic autonomy has been upheld and further improved. Great efforts have been made to support the economic and social development of minority ethnic groups and areas inhabited by large ethnic minority populations. The cultivation of skilled individuals in minority ethnic groups has been enhanced. In areas with large ethnic minority populations, more efforts have been made to promote the development of the internal driving force for growth, accelerate poverty eradication, and provide people with equitable access to public services, thus bringing the benefits of reform and opening up to all. We have focused on creating a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, and heightened public awareness of ethnic unity and progress. Active efforts have been made to foster a social atmosphere, in which people of all ethnic groups can live, study, work and enjoy the benefits of development together. The exchanges, communication and integration among them have been further intensified. We have conformed to the principle of addressing ethnic affairs on a legal basis, faithfully implemented the CPC Central Committee's strategies on the governance of Tibet and Xinjiang, and improved the coordinated management of our work to serve the migrant ethnic population. We have relentlessly fought against secessionism, which safeguards the national unity, ethnic solidarity and social stability. Fourth, active guidance was provided to religions, so that they can adapt themselves to socialist society. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party's basic policy on religious work has been implemented. Following the general requirement of providing active guidance to religions, we have effectively enforced the policy on the freedom of religious belief, stuck to the principle that religions in China must be Chinese in orientation, used socialist core values to lead the development of religions, and effectively protected the legal rights of the religious community. We have focused on elevating the level of regulation of religious work. In accordance with the principles of "protecting the legal, curbing the illegal, curtailing the extreme, resisting the infiltration and combating crimes," we have enhanced the administration of religious affairs concerning national interests and public interests. In addition, we have intensified the crackdown on activities that use religion to endanger national security, propagate extremism, conduct terrorist activities, or sabotage ethnic unity. Thus, religious activities are ensured to be conducted under the Constitution and within the law, effectively promoting harmonious relations between religions. Fifth, united as one, all Chinese both at home and abroad are striving to realize the Chinese Dream . Compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao, as well as overseas Chinese nationals are all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation related by blood to their compatriots in the mainland. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the united front, aiming at realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, has achieved unity to the greatest extent, and drawn a wide range of overseas Chinese to promote the reform and development of the country and defend the country's core interests. Adhering to the policies of "one country, two systems," "the people of Hong Kong governing Hong Kong," "the people of Macao governing Macao," and a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong and Macao, we have provided support to the two regions for the development of the local economy, the improvement of people's livelihood, the promotion of democracy, and the fostering of social harmony. We have helped boost the exchange and cooperation between the mainland and the two regions in various fields. We have also guided people in the two regions to strengthen their sense of identity as citizens of China and as members of the Chinese nation. These efforts have greatly promoted the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao. We have unwaveringly upheld the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, resolutely opposing "Taiwan independence." We have actively promoted people-to-people exchange and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait, worked hard to win popular support, and effectively strengthened the bond and promoted the well-being of people across the Strait. We have committed to putting people first and serving overseas Chinese. Focus has been put on further winning the hearts of overseas Chinese, pooling their wisdom and strength, and safeguarding their interests. Thus, they are being guided to work together for the tasks of advancing modernization and realizing China's reunification, for the global endeavor of opposing "independence" and advancing reunification, for the inheritance and development of fine Chinese culture, and for the friendship of the Chinese people and people all over the world. All in all, we have further consolidated the ideological and political foundation for the united front to work together. All political parties, social classes, ethnic groups, organizations, personages from all walks of life have shown unprecedented pride and confidence in the nation's development, fully demonstrating confidence in the path, the theory, the system and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We firmly believe that, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the Chinese people will forge ahead on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. Thank you. Guo Weimin: Thank you, Mr. Zhang. I now give the floor to Mr. Guo Yezhou. Guo Yezhou: Good morning, everyone. I am pleased to meet you all. Just now, I heard a journalist from a TV station introducing the IDCPC to the audience, saying that "this is a department with which you may not be familiar." I'd like to thank the press center of the 19th CPC National Congress for this opportunity to introduce the CPC's foreign relations work. The IDCPC, a functional organ directly under the CPC Central Committee, is responsible for interactions and exchanges between the CPC and political parties and political organizations from other countries. In the past few days, we've been conscientiously studying, discussing and seeking to comprehend the report to the 19th CPC National Congress delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping on behalf of the 18th CPC Central Committee. In that report, he made a systematic review of the extraordinary undertakings and historic changes made by the Party in the past five years, as well as the country's overall diplomacy. General Secretary Xi Jinping described the Party's foreign relations work as "one of the important fronts of the Party and an important integral part of the country's overall diplomacy." This dual role seems to be a logical starting point for my introduction of the CPC's foreign relations work, which has made extraordinary strides and achieved historic shifts in the past five years. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and thanks to the full support and broad participation of the entire Party membership as well as the various localities and all the central Party and government departments, the IDCPC has pressed ahead with its work under the principle of "independence, complete equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs." It has constantly sought to deepen exchanges with political parties and political organizations from other countries. In the past five years, this can be summed up in the following five aspects. First, we have deepened inter-party exchanges and promoted communication and understanding of each other's central ideas. Political parties play an important role in the political life of most countries. Dialogues between political parties facilitate deeper consensus in terms of values and developmental orientation, and strengthen political power for developing international relations. This is quite true. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, our Party has been constantly deepening bilateral and multilateral exchanges with all walks of life in various countries as well as with fraternal political parties. During the process, the CPC has not only emphasized exchanges with political parties from other countries with similar ideas and concepts, but also those differing from us. To date, the CPC has maintained regular exchanges with over 400 political parties and organizations in more than 160 countries. A new omni-dimensional, wide-ranging and multi-channel framework for exchanges between political parties has now been established. One thing I want to emphasize is how General Secretary Xi Jinping and other leaders of the CPC Central Committee and the central government meet personally with the leaders of political parties from other countries and engage in exchanges and communication with them, which facilitates strategic mutual understanding and political guidance. Second, it is very important to tell stories well to win more understanding and support. The CPC forms the core of the leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. To understand China, one needs first to know the CPC. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the international community has been paying closer attention to China, the CPC, and General Secretary Xi Jinping's new thoughts on the governance of China. To respond to this closer attention from the international community, we have worked hard to tell stories of the CPC and interpret the major policies of the Party as well as General Secretary Xi Jinping's new thoughts on the governance of China. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have always hosted themed briefings and seminars, not only after the conclusion of the 18th CPC National Congress but also every plenary session, to provide a comprehensive introduction to foreign friends showing interest in these events. After the end of the 19th CPC National Congress, we will host a themed briefing in Beijing to which we will invite several experts, document drafters and heads of related departments of the CPC to discuss the overall guiding principles of the Congress. Moreover, we will also send delegations abroad to provide similar introductions. I can say that the footprints of CPC delegations now cover the five continents. Those events are designed mainly to introduce General Secretary Xi Jinping's new thoughts on the governance of China. The 19th CPC National Congress has introduced a new concept, that is, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We are actively introducing the Party's governance concept, sharing its governing experience, and deepening international understanding and support for these new explorations and new practices of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Third, our activities serve to promote the overall diplomacy and safeguard national interests. Safeguarding national interests is a vital part of all kinds of external interactions and exchanges. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out on many occasions that the biggest feature and the primary task of major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics is to uphold the CPC's centralized and unified leadership in foreign relations work, its ruling party status and the overall political security of the country. This is also the most important task for our external interactions. In the past five years, we have focused on the country's major diplomatic agenda to safeguard national sovereignty, security and overall development interests. From the Hangzhou G20 Summit to the Belt and Road Forum on International Cooperation, and to the recent BRICS Xiamen Summit, the Party's diplomatic work has been most active. Many international partners have offered strong support for the Party in those events, which has made us believe more than ever in the saying that one's "virtues will bring a wide circle of friends." Fourth, there is a strong emphasis on promoting people-to-people connectivity and consolidating the social foundation for international relations. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized many times: "Friendship, which derives from close contact between the people, holds the key to sound state-to-state relations." Keeping close contact with the public is a good tradition of the Party. Therefore, when engaging in communication with political parties from other countries, we not only need to interact and make friends with political figures and leaders of those parties, but also enhance public diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy. I will only offer one example: after the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward, the IDCPC has supported related think tanks to build an alliance for the initiative, which includes major national research institutions as well as 100 foreign organizations that cover mainstream think tanks in the Belt and Road countries. As the ruling party, the CPC also strongly supports domestic social organizations in their drive to go global and get involved in international events held by NGOs. We also support domestic social institutions and groups to cooperate with their counterparts in the Belt and Road countries, and thus promote people-to-people connectivity, deepen friendship and drive cooperation in the promotion of individual livelihood. Fifth, we desire to make friends worldwide and work together for peace and development. China's peace and development needs understanding and support from various circles. Similarly, the great cause of peace and development for the entire human race calls for wide participation and efforts. As a department responsible for external interactions, the IDCPC has long been dedicated to the mission of making friends worldwide and working together for peace and development. In our specific work, we not only make friends with the ruling, participating and even non-ruling political parties and political organizations in various countries, but also maintain exchanges with friends from various sectors of society including think tanks, media and civil society groups. If you keep up with the news, you will notice that there are political parties and political figures, including heads of state and heads of government, as well as some heads of organizations worldwide sending congratulatory messages every day to the CPC on holding the present congress since it opened. They have expressed good wishes for the CPC and also provided many good suggestions for international relations and inter-party communications in the future. We can say that the CPC has a wide circle of international friends that incorporates both ruling and non-ruling parties as well as State organizations and the civil society. During his report to the 19th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping said: "The Communist Party of China strives for both the wellbeing of the Chinese people and human progress. To make new and greater contributions for mankind is our Party's abiding mission." A party with such a lofty aim is bound to have more friends. Dear friends, General Secretary Xi Jinping said in his report that the CPC will strengthen exchanges and cooperation with political parties and organizations from other countries. The amendment to the Party Constitution also requires that we should develop relations with the communist parties as well as other political parties in various countries in accordance to the principle of "independence, complete equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs." As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a new era and embarks on a new journey, we will, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, study hard and implement the guiding principles of the 19th CPC National Congress, make more progress in our work for external interactions, and make new and bigger contributions to carrying out our great struggle, developing our great project, promoting our great cause and achieving our great dream. Thank You. Guo Weimin: Thank you. Let's move on to the Q&A session. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising your question. China National Radio: We noticed that currently the head positions of the united front work departments at various places are taken by the members of the local standing committees of the Party Committees of the same rank. And last year, the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee also set up two new bureaus. My question is: does this mean that the CPC has elevated the united front work to a more important position? Why does the CPC still attach such great importance to this work more than 60 years since it took power? Thanks. Zhang Yijiong: You raised a very good question. Indeed, General Secretary Xi Jinping has reiterated and emphasized the importance of the united front work since the 18th CPC National Congress and especially in his report at the opening session of the 19th CPC National Congress. We are now facing the task of realizing the "two centenary goals" and fulfilling the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, which are the common cause of the Chinese nation and people of all ethnic groups in China. Therefore, we need to unite the whole nation and strive to achieve this goal under the leadership of the CPC since it is not only our aspiration but also the aspiration of the whole nation. We need to unite Chinese people in all aspects and strive to achieve this goal together, which requires the united front to play its role. The theme of the united front is great solidarity and unity. We need to strive to achieve this goal by uniting the strength of the whole nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed in his report delivered at the opening session of the 19th CPC National Congress that the united front is an important way to ensure the success of the Party's cause and we must maintain our commitment to it over the long term. It is under the leadership of the CPC that the united front has fully played its role and we have achieved success in the cause of revolution, development and reform. The Chinese people have been standing up and achieving prosperity. In order to become stronger and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we have to let the united front play a bigger and more comprehensive role under the leadership of the CPC. Some of you may not be very familiar with the work of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee. Let me give you a brief introduction to it. The United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee is a functional department in charge of the united front work of the CPC Central Committee. Just as you noted in your question, the head positions of the united front work departments at various places are taken by the members of the local standing committees of the Party Committees of the same rank. This indicates the great importance attached to the united front work by the CPC Central Committee. It also allows the united front work to play a better role in coordination and organization. Thank you. Guangming Daily: China has been actively involved in international affairs. General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward a series of important expositions on the Party's external exchanges, reflecting important thoughts. How are these important thoughts and ideas put into practice in the Party's external exchanges? Thank you. Guo Yezhou: As I have just said in the introduction, General Secretary Xi Jinping has been attaching great importance to the Party's external exchanges, wherever he has worked be it in local government or central government as well as in the top posts of the Party and the country. He has guided and participated in the Party's external exchanges on numerous occasions. In this process, Xi has followed the trend of global development with a view of China's future and destiny and has made a series of requirements and important instructions on the Party's external exchanges, which are systematic and scientific. I can't enumerate them one by one for time's sake, but these requirements and instructions which offer a scientific answer to a series of important theoretical and practical questions including "what we should do," "how we should do," "on whom we should rely" and "for whom we should work " in the Party's external exchanges. They are Xi's important thoughts on the Party's external exchanges and an important part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. They are also the latest achievements of Marxism in China. They are powerful ideological tools, fundamental purposes and the guidelines for promoting the Party's external exchanges. In the past five years, it has been the key job of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee to study and carry out Xi Jinping's important thoughts. Specifically, it has always been our fundamental purpose to maintain the Party's governing position and national political security. We have always made plans and pushed forward the job of focusing on the dual role of the Party's external exchange as "one of the important fronts of the Party and an important integral part of the country's overall diplomatic work," just as I mentioned at the very beginning. We have actively created an integrated trinity of inter-party diplomacy, public diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy. We have strived to work hard on political party development, to improve investigation and research, to make friends and to establish a good image, which has been mentioned in the warm-up video played before the press briefing. During the past five years of practice, we were deeply aware that we should make efforts in the following five key points in doing the Party's external work and carrying out Xi Jinping's important thoughts on the Party's external exchanges. First, we must uphold the "Four Consciousnesses" (namely consciousness of maintaining political integrity, serving the overall interests, upholding the leadership core, and keeping in alignment with the CPC Central Committee) and follow the fundamental guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which is the fundamental guideline for us to follow in the Party's external exchanges. Second, we must maintain the Party's governing position and serve the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, which is the basic task of the Party's external exchanges in the new era. Third, we must learn to do ideological work in the international community and make exchanges to promote effective political guidance, which is the fundamental path for the Party's external exchanges in a new era. Fourth, we must persist in keeping up with the times and making innovations, which is the fundamental force driving the Party's external exchanges in a new era to better implement Xi's important thoughts. Fifth, we must follow people-oriented principles and make persistent efforts to this end, which is the fundamental guarantee for carrying out Xi's important thoughts and the Party's external exchanges. The report of the 19th CPC National Congress has raised clear demands for the Party's external exchanges, while the Party Constitution also carries explicit stipulations on that. Therefore, we will uphold the fundamental guide of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in the Party's external exchanges. We will strive to serve the overall interest of the country and make innovations to contribute to forging a community of a shared future for humans and pushing forward the Party's construction in a new era. Thank you. Bloomberg News: My question is for Mr. Guo Yezhou. Has China's relationship with North Korea deteriorated in the last year, specifically, has China's party-to-party relationship deteriorated? And when was the last time that Minister Song Tao had a high-level meeting with a North Korean counterpart? Thank you. Guo Yezhou: China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are neighbors, and the two countries maintain traditionally friendly and cooperative relations. Maintaining, developing and fortifying the friendly and cooperative China-DPRK relationship is not only in the best interests of both sides, but also bears great significance in regional peace and stability. You also noted in the question that the communication between the two ruling parties of China and the DPRK plays an important role in the development of bilateral relations. Our Party and the Workers' Party of Korea have a tradition of friendly exchange. As for when and at what level the two sides will carry out exchange between our respective personnel, it depends on the needs and convenience of both sides. That's my answer to the question. CRNTT: We know that ethnic affairs have always been both international and regional hotspot issues. Different ethnic policies have various influences in dealing with ethnic affairs. My question is, compared to other countries, how does China deal with ethnic affairs in terms of policies and systems? Zhang Yijiong: I would be delighted to answer your question. It is generally known that China is a united and multi-ethnic country created through the joint efforts of the peoples of all its 56 ethnic groups. Therefore, the CPC always attaches great importance to maintaining national stability and improving the livelihood of all ethnic groups. With different historic and cultural backgrounds, various multi-ethnic countries under different national conditions are all exploring their own way to handle ethnic affairs. The CPC has developed the right path for addressing ethnic issues in terms of China's distinctive features, which is common development and prosperity achieved through common endeavors against the background of national unity. In 1947, the government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was founded. This was the first time a system and supporting policies of ethnic regional autonomy were successfully exercised in Inner Mongolia. Now, we have five autonomous regions at provincial level - Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Tibet, Ningxia and Xinjiang. We also have some autonomous prefectures and autonomous counties. Zhang Yijiong: I would like to answer your question from several aspects: First, abiding by the principle of ethnic equality. The right of ethnic minorities to participate in the management of state and social affairs on an equal footing has to be guaranteed. Any discrimination against and oppression of an ethnic group are prohibited. I would like to give you an example. We make sure that minority groups have a proportionate number of representatives in legislative, administrative and political consultative organs at both central and local levels. Second, safeguarding the unity of ethnic groups. In addition to respecting and protecting the customs of ethnic minorities and their freedom of religious belief, we have carried out all kinds of educational programs to advocate ethnic unity throughout society. Because of differing historical, cultural and geographical backgrounds, all our 56 ethnic groups have achieved different levels of socio-economic development. Some ethnic minorities have their own special religious beliefs. The central government pays great attention to not only protecting and respecting the culture, history, words, language and traditions of different ethnic groups according to the law, but also requires all ethnic groups to respect, understand and learn from each other. Third, implementing the system of ethnic regional autonomy. Under the unified leadership of the central government, regional autonomy is exercised and organs of self-government are established for the exercise of the right of autonomy granted to areas where various ethnic minorities live in compact communities. Their political rights protected by law, various ethnic autonomous areas participate as equals in administering state affairs. For example, the head of any autonomous region has to be an elite citizen of the main ethnic group in the region. This applies in Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Tibet, Ningxia and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions, as well as autonomous prefectures and counties. Fourth, supporting the fast development of ethnic minorities and the specific ethnic-minority areas. The state has implemented the strategy of developing the western regions and the actions to enrich border areas and their residents, carrying out paired assistance programs for areas such as Tibet and Xinjiang. Since most of the ethnic minorities live in the northwestern and southwestern regions, for historical reasons, their socio-economic development, in terms of the economy, culture, education, transportation, medical and health care, has lagged behind major coastal and hinterland cities. Hence, since the founding of the People's Republic of China and especially since the reform and opening-up, the Party Central Committee and the State Council have provided powerful support. For example, in regard to infrastructure as well as improving education, health care, employment and housing, we have been providing extensive support and assistance. At the same time, apart from the help given by the central government, intensive paired assistance from other parts of the country has been provided to Tibet, Xinjiang and multi-ethnic Qinghai Province. All of these things show how the Party Central Committee encourages exchanges and interaction among different ethnic groups, helping them to remain closely united like the seeds of a pomegranate that stick together, with all ethnic groups working jointly for common prosperity and development. Zhang Yijiong: Fifth, protecting and carrying forward the culture of ethnic groups. We preserve and protect the intangible cultural heritage of the various ethnic minorities, supporting the development of their traditional medicine, for example. The system of ethnic regional autonomy we have implemented takes protection of traditional culture as one of its major tasks. You may all have enjoyed the cultural shows, exhibitions and costumes of ethnic minorities, and have even developed a taste for the special snacks of various ethnic groups available here in Beijing. All of these are the achievements we made through protecting ethnic culture. Besides, we should also explore and develop the cultural heritage of ethnic groups that are enriching the Chinese culture. We attach great importance to the culture and history of the ethnic minority groups which reflect the unity of a nation and the protection of the rights of ethnic minority groups. Our endeavor is welcomed and supported by over 100 million people of the various ethnic minorities. With the support of all ethnic groups, the Chinese people will strive for achieving the two centenary goals and realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. Thanks. Associated Press of Pakistan: Mr. Guo, we have taken note of the close exchanges between the CPC and parties in countries neighboring China. Can you shed some light on the role that these exchanges have played in promoting bilateral ties between China and its neighbors? Guo Yezhou: Your question is much appreciated. Pakistan is called "Batie" (iron friend) by many Chinese people. A Chinese colleague working in Pakistan for a long time told me that China-Pakistan friendship is higher than the mountains, deeper than the ocean, stronger than steel and sweeter than honey. I hope you can tell your people at home of our great desire to value and deepen China-Pakistan relations. As you indicated in your question, China has many neighbors. It shares a land border with 14 countries and faces some across the sea. As a Chinese saying goes, "With a border dispute unsolved, a country cannot enjoy peace." The CPC and the Chinese government have always paid close attention to aspects of neighborhood diplomacy. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, in particular, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed great value on this. The first work seminar on neighborhood diplomacy convened by the CPC long ago proposed the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and the policy of building friendship and partnerships with neighbors to intensify exchanges and promote practical cooperation on all fronts. Guided by the principles and the policy I mentioned just now, the CPC and parties in neighboring countries have expanded contacts in the past five years, which has played a positive role in promoting overall relations. For instance, General Secretary Xi Jinping met with Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and Bounnhang Vorachith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party on many separate occasions and they reached a consensus on inter-party relations and cooperation in a number of fields, promoting mutual understanding and growth of friendship among the peoples, charting the future course of bilateral ties. Moreover, the CPC holds periodic theoretical seminars with the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party; we have taken measures for cooperation on training their leaders together. Those arrangements have played an important role in building socialism in each country and expanding the governing capacity of the respective parties. Just as I mentioned in the previous question, we have maintained close communications and dialogue with the Workers' Party of Korea. For our neighbors to the north, we have also kept up a very close dialogue and cooperation with the major parties in Mongolia and Russia. The China-Russia ruling party dialogue mechanism, and the China-Russia political party forum, constitute a fine mechanism and platform for inter-party dialogue, and have contributed much to consolidating and coordinating the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership. We have also maintained exchanges with Japanese parties, which is seen as a major feature of Sino-Japanese relations. As the CPC has expanded its international influence, neighboring countries around the perimeter, such as those in northeast, southeast, south and central Asia, have attached more importance to exchanges and dialogues with it. Many of their leaders take the opportunity of visiting China to come to the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and see their old friends. With unremitting efforts, we have established multi-level, multi-sectoral and diversified cooperation with the major parties of neighboring countries, which is not only conductive to better bilateral relations, but also helpful to promote regional cooperation and appropriate solutions to longstanding issues. The CPC will follow the four principles of inter-party exchanges to proactively advance the relationship with parties of neighboring countries. General Secretary Xi Jinping reaffirmed in his report to the 19th CPC National Congress that we will follow the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and the policy of building friendship and partnership to strengthen relations, which is the guideline for our neighborhood diplomacy. What we want to achieve is that, through exchanges with parties of neighboring countries, we can have a friendlier neighborhood, build stronger political trust, cement closer economic ties, deepen cooperation on security, and further people-to-people exchanges, thus making contributions to the development of China and neighboring countries as well as regional peace and stability. Thank you for your question. AP: For Mr. Zhang, you noted in your report that a large part of your work involves mobilizing overseas Chinese to protect the core interests and to further the core interests of China. And I am sure you are aware that there have been numerous reports in the media and from government and academics, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, that say some of the actions of your organization constitute a degree of spying or manipulating the overseas Chinese communities and the media there in ways that could undermine the sovereignty and political systems of those countries. Just wonder how you respond to those accusations. Thank you. Zhang Yijiong: China has a large number of Chinese nationals living overseas due to historical reasons. Since China's reform and opening up, a new wave of citizens have settled and lived overseas. Historically, some Chinese traveled abroad and lived in different countries and regions around the world and became overseas Chinese without Chinese nationality. I noticed that you mentioned overseas Chinese in Australia and New Zealand. We have clear policies regarding overseas Chinese. We welcome the strengthening of communication with local citizens under the premise of respecting the laws, regulations, culture, history and customs of local countries. This is comparable to what we require for foreigners working and living in China, who should respect China's laws, regulations, history, culture and custom. We also warmly welcome overseas Chinese to come back and visit their own country or their motherland to know more about China and its development so that they can make contributions. We encourage overseas Chinese to conform to local laws and regulations and thus become welcome in their local communities. Thank you. Guo Weimin: Overseas Chinese have played a very important role in the exchanges and cooperation between China and the rest of the world. Moreover, their influence is increasing. Let's continue. CGTN: I would like to ask a question regarding the multi-party cooperation system. Most of the countries in the world have a multi-party system, while some socialist countries have a one-party system. China adopts a multi-party cooperation system, but some Western media outlets may not understand this very well. From the perspective of the united front, what is the key role of the multi-party cooperation system? What is the significance of the non-CPC parties? How will the CPC cooperate with them to enhance the system? Thank you. Zhang Yijiong: I will invite my colleague, Ran Wanxiang, vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, to handle this question. Ran Wanxiang: China's political system, especially the Party aspect, has been receiving increased attention from around the world. This is a CPC-led multi-party cooperation and political consultation system. The basic structure involves leadership of the CPC, and the participation of eight non-CPC parties, namely the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, China Democratic League, China National Democratic Construction Association, China Association for Promoting Democracy, Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party, China Zhi Gong Dang, Jiu San Society and the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League. The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is an important part of this CPC-led multi-party cooperation and consultation system, which minister Zhang Yijiong mentioned in his remarks when previously talking about the united front. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the cause of multi-party cooperation has made remarkable progress, and its advantages have been fully revealed. China's multi-party cooperation system is like a towering mountain that offers differing perspectives from different angles. If you observe the system from different aspects, you may find various characteristics and advantages. First, the multi-party cooperation system has a long history. This system was established and has been developed during the long-term practice of the Chinese revolution, construction and reform. It is a choice of history, and a choice made by the people. In the development process of the new democratic revolution, various non-CPC parties gradually endorsed and accepted the political principals the CPC espoused. In 1948, non-CPC parties and people without party affiliation responded to the "May Day slogans" issued by the CPC, which is a milestone marking their voluntarily choice to accept the leadership of the CPC. It opened a new chapter in the construction of China's political democracy and party system. Second, multi-party cooperation has a common political foundation. The CPC, with the spirit of striving for the well-being of the people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, constantly encourages and inspires other non-CPC parties to join in its efforts. They support wholeheartedly the leadership of the CPC, and they voluntarily follow its endeavors. They have taken socialism with Chinese characteristics as their own political guideline, and incorporated it into their party constitutions, forming a shared ideal and theoretical foundation for the multi-party cooperation system. Third, multi-party cooperation has a practical social foundation. The CPC is the vanguard both of the Chinese working class and of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. It represents the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority. Non-CPC party members, mainly higher and mid-level intellectuals, are part of the political alliance of socialist working people, builders of socialism and patriots who support socialism. Consequently, the multi-party cooperation system shows the diversity of China's political forces in representing various interest groups in China. Fourth, multi-party cooperation has a unique democratic form. Based on the principle of "long-term coexistence, mutual supervision, treating each other with sincerity and sharing each other through weal and woe," the CPC and the non-CPC parties follow the mode of "multi-party cooperation under the leadership of the CPC, with the CPC holding power and the other non-CPC parties participating fully in State affairs." This clearly demonstrates China's consultative democracy in which the people get to discuss their own affairs. It has ensured the non-CPC parties can participate in China's political life in an extensive, continuing and intensive manner. This is a unique feature and advantage of China's socialist democracy. After the opening of the 19th CPC National Congress, you may have noticed the non-CPC parties sent congratulatory messages. They all made it clear they firmly support the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and also expressed their commitment to the great cause of the socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era and to the realization of the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation under the leadership of the CPC. Thus, the multi-party cooperation system continues to gain momentum. Thank you. Japan's Kyodo News: My questions are for Mr. Guo. The year 2018 will see the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and the People's Republic of China. Is there any commemorative activity planned for the event between the political parties on both sides? Not long ago, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the summit meeting between China, Japan and South Korea was going to be held within the year, and he hoped to visit China next year, and that President Xi Jinping would visit Japan. Do you think such mutual exchanges can be achieved, and are there any specific arrangements for them? Thanks. Guo Yezhou: As I mentioned earlier in an introduction of the contacts between the Communist Party of China and political parties in neighboring countries, party-to-party exchanges between China and Japan are a major feature of China-Japan relations, and are also an important part of China-Japan relations. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries, and the year 2018 will see the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the People's Republic of China and Japan. Over the past 45 years, the relationship between the two countries has been tested and experienced twists and turns, but has still made considerable achievements on the whole, bringing great benefits to the two countries and the two peoples, and making positive contributions to the peace, stability and development of the region and the world as well. Presently, these bilateral ties face both new opportunities and some challenges. The two sides should seize the opportunities to resolve the challenges, and promote the development of bilateral ties towards stability and improvement. There is also an open platform for political dialogue between the Communist Party of China and the ruling party of Japan. In August this year, China and Japan held the sixth China-Japan ruling party talks in Japan, where the two sides had extensive contact and expressed a positive will to continue to improve bilateral relations. High-level visits between the two countries bear great significance for the development of bilateral ties, but we also know that such visits need support from the public opinion and understanding among the general public. We expect both sides to work together to provide better conditions and a better atmosphere for commemorating these two important events, namely the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries and the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the People's Republic of China and Japan, as well as for the development of bilateral relations. Economic Daily and China Economic Net (CE.cn) reporter: My question is, the non-public sector has undergone constant development since the reform and opening up, and the population working in this sector has also grown into a large community. However, there are still some constraints in regard to their further development, which has been likened to three mountains, or, three gates. I would like to ask what the further initiatives will be to promote the development of non-public ownership. Thank you. Ran Wanxiang: I'm going to answer this question. Just as we mentioned, the non-public economy has enjoyed fast development and has become an important force in China's national economy. The number of China's private enterprises has reached nearly 25 million. Their role and contribution can be summed up with five figures: "five, six, seven, eight, and nine." The number "five" refers to the fact that private enterprises contribute to more than 50 percent of the country's tax intake. The number "six" refers that private sector contributes over 60 percent of GDP growth, the fixed asset investment and foreign direct investment. The number "seven" refers to the proportion of high-tech enterprises which is well over 70 percent. The number "eight" refers to the urban employment rate which is well beyond 80 percent. The number "nine" refers to private enterprises' contribution to new employment which is 90 percent. The non-public economy is an important force of the socialist market economy, and those working in this sector are builders of the socialism with Chinese characteristics. They are both an important member of our united front and also an important object of our united front work. The theme of our united front work towards the non-public economy is to promote the healthy development of two aspects, namely, to promote the healthy development of the non-public economy and those working in this sector. Our united front work is mainly carried out around the two. Specifically, there are three main aspects: Ran Wanxiang: First, to get them organized with stronger guidance. Through all levels of federations of industry and commerce and various organizations like the chamber of commerce, we have bridged the Party and the government with those working in the non-public sector - thus strengthening ideological guidance and political leadership. Since 2013, the United Front Work Department of CPC Central Committee and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) carried out ideals and belief education with a focus on "observing the law, acting with integrity and holding a firm conviction." We also encouraged them to take party in poverty alleviation activities such as "the China Guangcai Program" and the "private enterprises helping poor villages program," through which their faith of socialism with Chinese characteristics and their trust of the Party and the government, their confidence in the outlook of their enterprises, and their integrity towards the society are all strengthened. Second, to collect and report problems. We must strengthen ties with those working in non-public economic sectors and smooth the communication and consultation channels. We must collect the problems, difficulties, views and suggestions, and the variety of demands met by the non-public economic sector during their development and report in time to the decision-making departments at all levels, in order to promote the formulation or improvement of relevant policies. Just now, you mentioned the so-called the "three mountains" and the "three gates." They refer to the problems encountered by private enterprises during the transformation and upgrading of China's economic structure. The United Front Work Department collected the problems in a timely manner and reported them to the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the relevant departments, who in turn introduced a series of laws and policies to tackle these problems in order to create a favorable environment for the development of the non-public economy. General Secretary Xi Jinping made an important remark at a panel discussion of political advisors from the China Democratic National Construction Association and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce during the fourth session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on March 4, 2016. His remark, further clarified the government's attitude towards the non-public economic sector, has greatly boosted the confidence of the development of private enterprises, and has injected a powerful driving force for their transformation and upgrading. Ran Wanxiang: Third, to mobilize private entrepreneurs and implement various supportive policies. We must arouse the initiative of private entrepreneurs, mobilize the enthusiasm of all sectors of society, and implement with real earnest various policies and regulations published by our Party and the government for the development of the non-public economy, so as to create a favorable environment for the development of non-public economy. The so-called problems of "three mountains" or "three gates" mostly occur in the policy implementation level. They belong to the "last mile" problem in the implementation of the policy. In order to solve these problems, we have in the past two years pushed governments of all levels to formulate a "close" and "clean" new government-business relationship. We put forward measures and suggestions on market access, private investment and some other aspects, all of which received a warm welcome from private enterprises. From 2013, commissioned by the State Council, the ACFIC has carried out seven times the third-party assessments on the implementation of related policies. These assessments are aimed at solving the problem of the failure in implementing policies commonly known as problems of the "three mountains" or "three gates," and assessing the progress of the implementation of the policies by local governments, which have forcefully promoted the implementation of the policies. Thank you. Phoenix Satellite TV: My first question is for Mr. Guo. It's known that the CPC has kept a good relationship with Myanmar's National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi, whose visits to China were quite successful. In her recent interview with Phoenix Satellite TV, she expressed her willingness to further promote such good bilateral ties. But the political situation in Myanmar is not stable, and the issue of the Rohingya in Rakhine State has attracted intense attention worldwide. Western countries and the U.N. condemned the Myanmar government for ethnic cleansing. In contrast, China has showed its support to the Myanmar government in stabilizing the state's situation. Why has China taken this stance? My second question is for Mr. Zhang. Despite China's strong opposition, some countries have been consistently inviting the Dalai Lama for a visit. We know that the Dalai Lama just concluded his European trip. I want to know if China will take tougher stance on this issue. And the foreign media have been focusing on the freedom of religious belief. In your briefing, you stressed that religions in China must be Chinese in orientation and China will further encourage religious believers to play a positive role. Can you explain more about this? Guo Yezhou: Thanks for your attention to the China-Myanmar relationship, especially the relations between the political parties of the two countries. China and Myanmar are friendly neighbors, enjoying a long and deep-rooted friendship. We hope, through various channels, including the exchanges between political parties, to make joint efforts with our Myanmar counterparts to give a strong boost to the China-Myanmar friendship and deepen exchange and cooperation in various fields. As we all know, Myanmar launched its political transformation in 2010. Since then, political parties have been playing more prominent roles in their political life. The CPC has established and developed friendly exchanges and cooperative ties with the major political parties in Myanmar. For example, we established friendly cooperative relations with the Union Solidarity and Development Party in 2010. In June 2015, Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy, paid a visit to China at the invitation of the CPC, ushering in a deeper communication between the two parties. As for the issue of Rakhine State, China condemned the violent attacks in Rakhine State and understands and supports the Myanmar government in their efforts to safeguard the peace and stability in that region. We sincerely hope that Myanmar, including the Rakhine State, will see sustained peace, stability and development. Zhang Yijiong: Let me answer your second question. The 14th Dalai Lama continues to go around the world and seek visits with foreign countries. What new measures will the Chinese government take? First, I want to make clear that the 14th Dalai Lama is not only a religious figure, but also a political one. The aim of the so-called "Tibetan government-in-exile" he organized in a foreign country in 1959 is, in essence, seeking "Tibetan independence" and splitting the motherland. As head of the group, the 14th Dalai Lama has never stopped his activities in this regard over the past decades. Therefore, the Chinese government certainly opposes the 14th Dalai Lama's visits to some foreign countries and his meetings with some political leaders of those countries. Here, I want you all to pay attention to two points. First, no country in the world recognizes the so-called "Tibetan government-in-exile." Although individual officials in some countries have received the Dalai Lama, their countries do not recognize the group. Second, there is no country in the world that will not protest about foreign governments receiving an individual who goes around the world with the intention of separating the home country. So, the Chinese government opposes governments and organizations in any country in the world receiving the Dalai Lama in any name. We consider such visits a severe insult to the feelings of the Chinese people and a deviation from their commitment to recognizing the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government representing the whole of China. So we hope governments around the world exercise caution in both words and deeds and give full consideration to their friendship with China and their respect for China's sovereignty. I'd like to add the fact that a decreasing number of countries received the Dalai Lama in their official capacity in recent years and the Dalai Lama could only manage to give lectures in universities or hold religious activities instead. All in all, we will continue to oppose the Dalai Lama's visits in any name. Zhang Yijiong: As for the issues that religions in China must be Chinese in orientation and that China will further encourage religious believers to play a positive role, let me start with Tibetan Buddhism. It was born in ancient China and has Chinese characteristics. It's true that it has been influenced by Buddhism in neighboring countries during its formation and evolution. But Tibetan Buddhism has developed its unique doctrines and rituals in response to local conditions. It is a fine example of religion adapting to Chinese conditions. There are five major religions in China and also some foreigners working, living and studying in China who believe in other legitimate religions. They are all protected by the Chinese government. Adapting religions to Chinese conditions is a responsibility that should be shared by the government, religious groups and professionals. All religions in the world have their own laws during the process of emergence and development. One of the laws is indisputably that for a religion to exist and develop, it must synergize with the concurrent social stage and trend of development in the country. Otherwise, the development of religions will be met with setbacks and even big obstacles. There are many such examples in religious histories. Therefore, we have actively guided Tibetan Buddhism to adapt itself to the Chinese conditions in Tibet, with the aim being for it to integrate excellent traditional Chinese culture in its development. The Tibetan culture is an important component of Chinese culture. The greatness and excellence of the Chinese nation is attributable to the abundant and profound cultures of all its ethnic groups. It's necessary for the sound development of Tibetan Buddhism to take in the fine culture of the Chinese nation and give interpretations suitable to the tide of the times. Thank you. Xinhua News Agency: My question is for Mr. Guo. Nowadays, Chinese society attaches much importance to the CPC, especially General Secretary Xi Jinping's thought on Party and national governance. How does the CPC handle exchanges with the political parties of other countries over its thoughts and practice in regard to governance? How should we tell Chinese stories concerning this aspect? Thanks. Guo Yezhou: Thank you for your question. As you just mentioned, the international community has increasingly focused on the CPC, especially General Secretary Xi Jinping's new ideas on national governance. Our publicity department introduced the distribution of the book "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" abroad, and I personally witnessed its distribution in South Asia, Eastern Europe and North Africa. It's obvious the international community has been paying increasing attention to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era from increasingly diversified angles. A growing number of political parties and government officials from other countries, think tanks and media organizations have realized that China has undergone historic changes in various fields over the past five years, and the key is the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core and the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. If you want to learn about China, you have to first learn about the CPC and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Your question involves two aspects: one is how to tell stories, and the other is how to share the experience of governing a country. Our Party officials at all levels attach much significance to telling stories of CPC work and national development while carrying out foreign relations work. General Secretary Xi Jinping has set a good example himself. While attending State events, meeting with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations, and delivering speeches at various international forums, he will always tell many vivid and moving stories. Leaders of some political parties from other countries once commented that General Secretary Xi Jinping's speeches have depth and demonstrate a great human touch. Here, I want to share several cases of how we tell stories as the Party's functional organ carrying out foreign relations work. We focus on Party officials at all levels familiar with the CPC's organizational structure. Starting from the basic level, we have invited delegations of political parties from other countries to undertake study tours of community-level Party organizations. We have encouraged the latter to tell stories so that our foreign friends can learn how CPC workers play a vanguard and exemplary role. We have also invited delegations of political parties from other countries to attend meetings of the Standing Committee of local CPC committees at county and municipal level. As you might know, meetings of the Standing Committee are the most important decision-making mechanism for any local Party Committee. We hope our foreign friends can learn how the local Party Committee implements the relevant decisions of the CPC Central Committee according to local conditions. Furthermore, we have invited leaders of political parties from other countries to visit our CPC provincial committees, and major officials of some CPC provincial committees to attend thematic briefings on "Stories of the CPC: Practice of the CPC Provincial Committees". This year, up to September, we held five such briefings on the themes of "Targeted Poverty Reduction," "Supply-Side Structural Reform," "The Party's Strict Self-Governance in All Respects," "Innovation-Driven Development" and "Green Development." These are all important components of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We have also invited political parties from other countries to visit Party departments, including the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Organization Department, International Department and the Party School of the CPC Central Committee. At the highest level, our Party and State leaders have directly held talks with leaders of political parties from other countries. This year, we are also holding a dialogue between the CPC and the world's other political parties. There are almost 300 delegations of political parties from foreign countries visiting China every year. Nearly every day, there are guests and friends worldwide coming to China to contact the CPC. Besides, our Party officials at all levels also head delegations to visit other countries. Such exchanges at various levels and arrangements in different forms aim to help these countries to better understand the CPC, China, and General Secretary Xi Jinping's practice of governing the country. Such activities are well received by our foreign friends. Many political parties from other countries indicate that, with the Party organizations at various levels open to them, they have understood what the CPC leaders mean by "exercising overall leadership and coordinating all efforts," and how the local committees of the CPC implement the decisions of the CPC Central Committee. They have learned about the advantages and characteristics of China's system of political parties, and believe the CPC is an open-minded and confident party able to advance with the times, work diligently for the people, and that always keeps the well-being of the world in mind. Here is another example. As a familiar slogan goes in China, our Party has been punishing both "tigers" and "flies" while exercising strict self-governance in all respects and combating corruption. During exchanges with political parties from other countries, we also told stories about our Party's practice of combating corruption and building clean government. They are always very interested and greatly enlightened; despite coming from various cultural backgrounds, some countries have proposed to "catch fish, big or small." In a word, our Party, from its core leadership to officials at various levels, always takes the initiative to tell stories about Party work. As one of the functional organs directly under the CPC Central Committee, we will consciously tell such stories in a better way and make them known to more people. We hope our journalists can also give more attention and support. Thanks. Guo Weimin: The morning's press briefing ends here. At 3 p.m. this afternoon, we will invite He Lifeng, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, and other relevant officials to meet journalists. Welcome back! Thank you. By Li Xiaohua, Guo Xiaohong, Wang Qian, Chen Xia, Guo Yiming, Duan Yaying, Li Jingrong, Cui Can, He Shan, Gong Yingchun, Li Huiru, Huang Shan, Wang Wei, Layne Flower, Christopher Georgiou, Geoffrey Murray Flash U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would allow the release of more than 3,000 previously classified files related to former President John F. Kennedy's assassination more than half a century ago. The U.S. National Archives has said that, pending presidential approval, it would make all the files available on its website in a single day by next Thursday. "Subject to the receipt of further information, I will be allowing, as President, the long blocked and classified JFK FILES to be opened," Trump tweeted Saturday morning. "The President believes that these documents should be made available in the interests of full transparency unless agencies provide a compelling and clear national security or law enforcement justification otherwise," the White House said in a statement issued later. Most of the files are believed to be from the 1960s and 1970s, stemming from the 1963 assassination and aftermath. But several dozens were generated by government agencies in the 1990s in apparent response to the conspiracy theories raised by the controversial Oliver Stone film "JFK." The U. S. Congress passed the Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act in 1992, requiring that the millions of pages, many of them contained in CIA and FBI documents, be published in 25 years. Over the years, the National Archives have released most of the documents, either in full or partially redacted. But one final batch remains, and only the U.S. president has the authority to extend the papers' secrecy past the deadline on Oct. 26, according to local media reports. Kennedy, the 35th U.S. President, was shot dead on Nov. 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas. Lee Harvey Oswald, who was accused of the shooting, was killed two days later by Jack Ruby. You are here: Home Flash U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday expressed hope for European firms to impose sanctions on Iran, Al Arabiya local news reported. He made the remarks in a press conference on the sideline of his visit to Saudi Arabia. He also called on Iranian army to withdraw from Iraq, welcoming the Saudi-Iraqi coordination council which would be formed soon, describing it as a way to move Iraq forward. "We are looking for a strong Iraq and this could be through good neighboring ties," he confirmed. The U.S. official also expressed his country's interest in protecting the Gulf unity. Meanwhile, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir highlighted that the two sides discussed the Iranian threats in the region and the Qatari crisis. He said that Saudi would negotiate with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt, who severed ties with Qatar in June for terrorism support allegations, over the next step about Qatar. Flash Workers at Australia's airports, including baggage handlers, aircraft engineers and caterers, will face tougher security screenings before commencing their work, in a crackdown the government said will better protect airports from 21st-century security threats. Detailing the new measures in a media release on Sunday, Australia's Minister for Transport Darren Chester said while airline passengers had been exposed to intense screening at airports for some time, workers had not, and protecting Australia's borders from terrorism and other serious crimes was the government's top priority. "Airport workers, together with their vehicles and belongings, will be randomly selected for explosive trace detection testing and other screening when entering or working in secure airside areas at major airports," Chester said of the new measures. "Other measures being introduced include stronger access controls and additional security awareness training for aviation workers. "These measures strengthen existing controls to ensure airport workers are authorized, properly identified and appropriately trained before entering secure airside areas. They may also be subject to security screening in the course of their duties." Chester said the drive concerning airport workplace security would be phased in "progressively" in order to ensure Australia's airports to not encounter delays or any other disruptions as a result of the heightened measures. "The measures will be progressively implemented and will provide flexibility for airports to ensure they continue to function efficiently and effectively," the minister said. "The Australian government continues to counter security threats and is committed to providing the Australian public with safe and secure air travel." In recent months, branch directors, account managers and 600 staff of China Minsheng Bank in Ningbo, a port city in Zhejiang province, have been stepping out of their offices and customer-facing counters to visit hundreds of enterprises. Their goal has been to conduct on-site evaluations and get first-hand understanding of clients' demands. "Only in this way can we understand how to develop customized services and products for real economy players," said Zhao Shuqing, one of the bank's executives who visited the enterprises. "Many companies in the city are involved in manufacturing and trade. Some need loans, some need supply chain financing services to increase turnover, and some smaller ones may not know what they need during their first days of operation. During our visits to clients, we get to understand their pain points," he said. This kind of outreach is just one of the several measures that banks in Ningbo take to deliver customized services to sectors that strengthen the real economy. For instance, Ningbo Xiangyu Drone Technology Co Ltd, a drone developer that serves segments like environment protection and educational services, received loans from Huaxia Bank by pledging not physical assets but intellectual property as collateral. Similarly, Zhuang Weili, founder of Weili Farm in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, a startup that sells local fruit through e-commerce platforms, received a loan of 80,000 yuan ($12,160) by pledging patents. The firm has patents in packaging technologies that help retain freshness of perishables and in fruit-sorting processes. "In the past, startups were less likely to get loans because banks would think they don't have enough collateral to pledge; but without credit, a small company could hardly grow. When banks reach out to us borrowers, and are willing to hear and understand us, it feels good. Best of all, their financing is prompt and helpful," said Zhuang. A note from the bank explains the purpose of developing a new credit model for startups. "The rationale behind enabling startups to have easier access to credit is to go back to the (banking) fundamentals and the actual purpose of financing industryto empower clients and to help them to realize bigger dreams. "It takes more time and efforts for due diligence and research to understand how these 'new technology companies' work. Ignoring their demands would be lazy and irresponsible." Supply chain financing services also help trading firms to increase turnover and better manage debit-credit operations. Wang Tao, a wine dealer in Guiyang, Guizhou province, used to worry about the risks in shipping products first and receiving payments some months later. "In our business, it's common that we receive payments months after shipment; sometimes it could be six months later. Without strong cash-flow management, you could face really tight liquidity," he said. Three banks visited him earlier this month to see how they could help his business. He chose the one that offered him not only supply chain financing solutions but trained him in how to use cash-flow management software. "I think banks are really thinking about how they could be helpful. Lending is important, but teaching clients how to manage money is also important. If we can't manage cash-flow well, we end up not being profitable, and banks might be exposed to risks of non-performing loans," he said. New wealth management products are also strengthening real economy players. According to the latest half-yearly report on China's wealth management products, compiled by the China Banking Wealth Management Registration System, about 21 trillion yuan, or 73 percent of all wealth management assets, were invested in real economy sectors through wealth management programs in the first half of 2017, up 6.5 percent year-on-year. Chinese banks are highlighting the importance of financial technologies, or fintech, for client acquisition, service improvement and risk management amid intensified competition between financial institutions and fintech firms. Financial services firm EY defines fintech firms as "organizations combining innovative business models and technology to enable, enhance and disrupt financial services". Fintech firms have seen a wide adoption of their services in China in different fields, including money transfer and payments, financial planning, and borrowing. Sixty-nine percent of digitally active consumers in the Chinese mainland use fintech services, according to online interviews conducted by EY this year on fintech adoption across 20 markets. The EY report said that "consumers are drawn to fintech services because propositions are simpler, more convenient, more transparent and more readily personalized. This has a ripple effect across the industry as consumers come to expect these characteristics in all financial products", regardless of whether such products are related to retail banking, wealth management or insurance. The booming fintech services have already enabled some Chinese internet-based companies to make considerable progress in the financial sector. Liu Jianjun, executive vice-president of China Merchants Bank Co Ltd, said, "I don't think traditional banks are completely lagging behind in terms of technology application, not to mention their huge advantage in owning a large amount of client transaction data. I believe commercial banks will find a path with bright prospects regarding financial technologies as long as they attach great importance to relevant investments." China Merchants Bank, a Shenzhen-headquartered commercial lender well-known for retail banking, has positioned itself as "a fintech bank". It will strive to develop fintech to give stronger support to consumer finance, Liu said. Merchants Union Consumer Finance Co Ltd, jointly founded by a wholly-owned subsidiary of CMB and State-owned telecom giant China Unicom, developed its business and risk control systems based on cloud computing and big data technologies. Apart from acquiring customers online, the company runs a digital business. Similarly, a growing number of Chinese banks are exploring fintech in terms of big data analytics, facial recognition and blockchain. Some of the technologies are already used to improve everyday banking services. Huaxia Bank Co Ltd, a Beijing-based commercial lender, has been promoting the use of third-party data in processing customers' applications for credit cards. It started to source information on even prospective clients' educational background from third-party credit agencies, to zero in on well-educated, returns-minded young people, thus increasing its credit approvals by more than 8 percent. Wang Hanming, chief information officer of Huaxia Bank, said, "We will take cloud computing, big data and artificial intelligence as punch points in our battle for digital transformation." At the same time, the bank is planning to build a research and development platform related to artificial intelligence. "Based on the platform, we will use both internal and external data of our bank to transform traditional niche marketing, risk management and personalized services," he said. Huaxia Bank has researched robo-advisors, which are digital platforms that provide automated, algorithm-driven financial planning services with little to no human supervision. Based on real-time data analytics and analysis of traders' mental characteristics, robo-advisors will choose the right time for the clients to make investments and improve returns. Wang said data collection and algorithm verification are still on, so the launch of robo-advisor products will be determined by market conditions. Central government officials take questions from reporters at a news conference about people's livelihoods on Sunday. They are, from left, Guo Weimin, vice-minister of the State Council Information Office; Yin Weimin, minister of human resources and social security; Chen Baosheng, minister of education; Huang Shuxian, minister of civil affairs; Wang Menghui, minister of housing and urban-rural development; and Li Bin, minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission. [Photo by Edmond Tang/China Daily] China will continue its policies to boost employment and make further efforts to coordinate pensions across provincial regions to help cover more people, a top human resources regulator said on Sunday. "We will continue the strategy to prioritize employment, especially to integrate with macroeconomic, industrial and financial policies, to create more jobs," Yin Weimin, minister of human resources and social security, said at a news conference hosted by the press center of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Professional training will be enhanced to help labor improve occupational skills and the ability to transfer to new posts, he said. Yin also said that in the next three years, more than 15 million jobs are demanded every year, as the number of college graduates starts to exceed 8 million next year. The government will also encourage business startups by promulgating favorable policies in loans, financing and the use of land, he said. "Meanwhile, we will provide high-quality services in employment, especially in internet-based services, to provide help to everyone who wants to find a job," he said. Recent years have seen a slowing in the growth of the Chinese economy, but the country has managed to keep creating new employment opportunities. More than 13 million new jobs were created every year in the past five years in urban areas. Yin said economic development helps create more jobs, which also benefit from administrative reforms to stimulate market vitality and social creativity. The central government has promoted business system reform to lower the threshold for startups and innovation, he said. According to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, about 16,000 enterprises are registered each day in the world's second-largest economy, enlarging employment. Journalists at the news conference also asked about retirees after hearing about the minister's blueprint to increase jobs for the younger generation. The country's pension insurance fund has an accumulated surplus of more than 4 trillion yuan ($605 billion), but differences among provincial regions make it necessary to coordinate programs, Yin said. Next year, the central government will fine-tune pensions among different regions as the first step to coordinate regional disparity, he said. Eight provinces have entrusted the National Council for Security Fund to invest 400 billion yuan from their pension funds, as approved by the State Council, to maintain and increase their value. More State-owned assets will be allocated to the social security fund to enlarge the scale of pensions, the minister added. Olivier Lorans, vice-president and general manager of Deckers Brands. [Photo provided to China Daily] Olivier Lorans leads footwear label UGG's efforts to bring affordable luxury to China's millennials For UGG, a youth-oriented footwear brand from California, the China market is the new holy grail. The parent company Deckers Brands is much enthused by the growth potential in China. So much so that no sooner had its China unit, which operates 150 outlets, opened its first-ever concept store on Sept 23 at a signature shopping center in Beijing than its vice-president and general manager, Olivier Lorans, announced: "We're planning to open 45 more concept stores in the future." That kind of ambitious strategy stems from "very fast" growth15 percent last yearin the country. "We expect (growth) to reach 17 percent this year, and hopefully 20 percent next year," said Lorans, a native of France. For Deckers, the United States remains its No 1 market though. The designer, marketer and distributor of UGG trendy footwear, apparel and accessories saw global sales fall by 4.8 percent to $1.45 billion last fiscal to March 31. China accounts for 10 percent of its global sales revenue. "I'm expecting it to increase to 25 percent (in the near future)," Lorans said. Deckers will chase sales growth through a plan to double the number of existing stores across tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 cities in three years. Besides boosting store count, UGG will adopt a plethora of strategies in China to woo its target consumer group. Lorans is leading the effort to reposition UGG as an affordable luxury brand in China. "We want to bring this authentic, high-quality feel to Chinese youth, and give them a premium cool brand." The planned concept stores will allow consumers to "feel" the brand and "experience" the Californian lifestyle. "I think the future of (brick-and-mortar) stores is all about consumer experience, because online shopping is so convenient and easy; so, stores need to change," said Lorans. To relate to young consumers, UGG has roped in youth icon Angelababy Yang, a Chinese celebrity model and an actress, as brand ambassador. Lorans calls her "our new face in China". The decision to associate with Yang came after UGG reaped success in South Korea through similar brand endorsements, said Lorans. "We want to make the (UGG) brand cool, and allow consumers to customize it. For example, the company will be inviting our consumers to design their own boots as young people want to express themselves. And then they can show it to their friends, to spread the news. The key is engagement," said Lorans. "With Angelababy's support, we'll connect with young consumers easily as she is popular in Asia. We'll make limited-edition footwear collections to engage with young consumers." Lorans admits UGG needs to energize its online strategy a bit in China. Although it has online presence via Tmall, JD, Yoho and its own website, Deckers is aware it needs to tell stories "to attract consumers and keep them excited about the brand", he said. "We are still working to tell our story online. I think our mission is to make consumers passionate about us and talk about us, to share UGG with their friends. This is the new way in terms of marketing strategy. "It's not traditional marketing anymore. We want consumers to take pleasure when shopping and be excited about our brand. We need to make consumers our brand ambassadors. We'll use engagement, limited-edition products and special-edition products to communicate with our consumers." Lorans worked and lived in Africa for 10 years before returning to France to pursue an MBA in international business with the European Superior Institute of Gestion. For more than 25 years, he worked with many multinational companies that own brands such as Mars, Adidas, New Balance and Puma. Prior to joining Deckers, Loran capitalized on his Europe experience to take on new challenges in Asia. For instance, as general manager of Puma in South Korea, he brought about a turnaround in the local business unit's fortunes using strategies like local sourcing, solutions development and celebrity partnerships. He isn't apologetic about his intention to use all that experience to crack the China market wide open for UGG. But he does apologize at the first opportunity for speaking English "with a French accent". A bottle of Chilean wine on exhibition in Beijing. Chile's largest wine group, Vina Concha y Toro, is seeking to expand its business in China. [Photo by Wu Changqing/For China Daily] South American wine group seeks to ride consumption upgrade and freer trade Vina Concha y Toro or CYT, the world's second-largest wine group and Chile's largest wine group, is seeking to expand business in China where consumption upgrade and opening-up of trade are presenting fresh growth opportunities. Collaboration with Chinese partners, developing products with China's local wine and liquor makers, and taking omni-channel distribution approach are the main measures the group has been taking in the China market, CYT's top executives said. Alfonso Larrain, chairman of CYT, said China is already Chilean wine groups' largest bottled wine export destination. Some 5 million cases of bottled Chilean wine are exported to China annually, of which 1 million cases, or 20 percent, are from CYT. "We are also increasing our output and hopefully will become the world's largest wine group," said Larrain. By the end of 2016, CYT's annual sales in Asia reached 3.4 million cases that generated a revenue of more than $80 million. About 30 percent of its products were sold in China. According to China Customs data, the country imported 253 million liters of bottled wine in the first half of this year, up almost 14 percent year-on-year. Chilean wines are among the fastest-growing imported wines, with double-digit annual growth in the past three years, according to China Customs data. In China, CYT collaborates with Yanghe Co Ltd, a traditional Chinese white liquor (baijiu) maker which has been tapping winemaking in recent years. CYT and Yanghe jointly launched eight products based on research of Chinese consumers' preferences. CYT also collaborates with imported wine arm of COFCO, China's largest food and beverage distributor. In China, COFCO's imported wine arm is the exclusive agent of Vina Maipo, one of CYT's brands. In Chile, CYT uses its vineyard resources to develop wine-tasting tours for Chinese tourists. The "on-site" experience, it believes, will help Chinese consumers to become knowledgeable about Chilean wines. Such tours started more than 15 years ago. Since then, some 20,000 Chinese consumers have visited CYT's vineyards. In China, CYT uses multiple channels to distribute wine, with a focus on premium and sub-premium segments. "Unlike the situation in other markets, such as the UK where 80 percent of wines are purchased in supermarkets, China's wine distribution is highly fragmented, with no channel significantly overwhelming another," said Rodrigo Jackson, managing director of CYT Central Asia. "Based on the characteristics of each wine product we have, we allocate the most suitable channel, be it online retailers, restaurants, dealers and supermarkets," said Jackson. CYT's products in China retail between 100 yuan ($15.11) and 500 yuan. The group said it will invest more in collaborating with local chefs and restaurants to develop food-wine pairing options, in a bid to encourage consumption of wine in day-to-day scenarios. As per wide-ranging Chinese cuisines such as the Sichuan style and the North China style, and given varying taste preferences of Chinese consumers, CYT would seek to develop wine-pairing options like recipes using Chilean wines as flavoring or marinating sources. Market insiders said Chinese wine consumption is getting increasingly diversified, and wines are consumed in more situations than before. "Wine groups around the world are allocating more resources to business development in the China market," said Dai Wenfeng, a Shanghai-based wine dealer. "This is a good trend for consumers as it would enable them to have more options and closer access to quality products," said Dai. Shares in Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co and China Mengniu Dairy Co have soared to all-time highs as the companies hunt aggressively to build up their milk supply chains through foreign acquisitions. With China's dairy demand forecast to grow 37 percent to $76 billion in five yearsovertaking the United States to become the world's biggest dairy marketthe bull run may have further to go. Mengniu's stock, traded in Hong Kong, was raised to a buy by Daiwa Capital Markets Securities analyst Anson Chan on Oct 16. It began this year at HK$15 and ended at HK$21.65 on Friday. Similarly, Yili shares began the year at 16.5 yuan in Shanghai and ended at 29.17 yuan on Friday. The two have a combined 44 percent of the dairy-products market in China, according to data from Euromonitor International. Shanghai-based Bright Food Group Co is a distant third with a 4.8 percent market share. Mengniu has spent about $2 billion on acquisitions at home since 2014, while Yili has concentrated on shifting its product mix into higher-margin segments and boosted its nationwide marketing. Now the focus is moving overseas: both have made bids for Australia's biggest dairy producer, Murray Goulburn Co-operative Co, in a deal that may value it at more than A $1 billion ($784 million) including debt. Yili and Mengniu are cash-richthey posted 23.5 billion yuan ($3.6 billion) in cash and equivalents combined at last year's endand hungry, thanks to their success in pushing gross profit margins past the 30 percent threshold. To Haitong International Securities analyst Nicolas Wang, this means they have gone from being the bedmates of agriculture companies and OEM manufacturers to becoming standalone brands chalking up margins nearer to that of household names Danone SA and Nestle SA. Yili's been trying to build up an upstream supply on foreign grass: in 2013, it took over Oceania Dairy in New Zealand, after the previous owners ran out of funds to build a dairy factory. Since then, it has invested $600 million into facilities that include an infant-formula canning line and a whole milk dryer. The Oceania plant is currently being supplied by 67 farmers. Murray Goulburn, the Australian cooperative that both Yili and Mengniu want, is supplied by 2,000 farmers. Acquiring such a large, stable milk source and dairy processing facility could catapult their products to the next level in the local consumer market. Song Liang, a leading dairy analyst in China, said the acquisition of Murray Goulburn would give either Yili or Mengniu an edge to secure their dominant positions in domestic market while facilitating their plans to expand overseas with a strong established international brand. "But both of them are not offering a price that is not worthy of the deal," said Song. Bloomberg and China Daily BEIJING The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has confiscated illegal earnings of and imposed huge fines on individuals involved in an insider trading case. Three people were named in a CSRC statement for taking advantage of knowledge of a series of acquisitions by Shenzhen-listed Hengkang Medical Group Co Ltd. Liu Yuejun, the actual controller of a hospital in Southwest China's Sichuan province, bought shares in Hengkang Medical via others' stock accounts before the hospital sold its treatment center to Hengkang Medical. He has to forfeit 34 million yuan (more than $5 million) and faces a fine of around 100 million yuan. Likewise, Wang Guoxiang and Xue Bingyuan, who profited from the insider information of Hengkang Medical's acquisitions, also face confiscation of their illegal gains and fines. In the first eight months, the CSRC has strengthened supervision partly by handing out more fines, nearly half of which were for insider trading. Those fines now total nearly 7 billion yuan, up 141 percent year-on-year. YANGON The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has been helping Myanmar in development of the country's banking and monetary services by nurturing skilled banking personnel, He Biqing, general manager of ICBC's Yangon branch, has said. Speaking here at the opening of the "Belt and Road, Golden Myanmar" Financial Services Summit, he said that being one of the world's largest banks, ICBC would like to assist Myanmar with its work skill and profession for the development of the country's banking and monetary sector as 80 percent of the bank staff are from Myanmar. The meeting took place at a time when Myanmar is experiencing an economic reform and ICBC would like to discuss and exchange the experiences with its Myanmar counterparts, he added. Noting that economic and trade undertakings between Myanmar and China have been continuously increasing, Myanmar Minister of Commerce Than Myint expressed recognition of China as Myanmar's largest foreign investor which has always supported the country's reform, inviting more investment from China for the development of its banking and monetary sector. Chinese Ambassador Hong Liang said there exists many economic opportunities with Myanmar, and he recalled State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in China in May, expressing the hope for further enhancement of "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship between the two countries. Real estate giant China Poly Group Corp just released a new membership program in Beijing for clients from different industries to share resources and profit, the company's top management said. Members can connect with each other through the address list. They can also attend academic forums and visit other companies to exchange ideas, said Wang Zhuxuan, leader of the project. The shared information serves the discovery of talent and the learning of successful business cases, he added. "We expect to bridge companies from different fields together to promote sharing and interaction among group members and add more value to their assets," he said. The past 20 years has been the golden era of real estate, concurrent with the development of history, according to a September quote from China Poly's official WeChat. Competition among property developers has turned from selling houses to management of business assets and maintenance of client relationships, it said. The Beijing branch of the group has built large-scale central business districts in four directions of the capital with a total area of 1.1 million square meters, whose sales value reached about 30 billion yuan ($4.5 billion), according to the company. The program aims to establish alliances among customers from industries, including finance, internet, media, advanced manufacturing and medical health, it said. The first batch of members included investment enterprise Source Code Capital, clinic operator Distinct Healthcare and Beijing-based Heaven-Sent Capital Management Group Co. URUMQI - Machines are replacing hundreds of thousands of migrant workers picking cotton in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the biggest cotton production base in the country. At this time of year Xinjiang's cotton growers would usually have started hiring workers to pick their cotton. However, 116,000 hectares of cotton fields in Shawan county have already been harvested by cotton-picking machines. "In the past, the cotton picking season lasted at least 45 days from October to November. But now, the machines can harvest a 15-hectare cotton field in one day," said Lin Hongru, head in Caohu village. A cotton-picking machine can do the work of 2,000 workers each day, he said. "The cotton picking season was the busiest time of the year. Cotton growers in my village hired migrant workers from Gansu, Sichuan and Henan provinces to help. People worked in the fields from dawn to dusk," said Lin. Now, roaring cotton picking machines move through in the fields, removing the cotton from the bolls and collecting it in a large container. Cotton picking season has become much easier for growers. Xinjiang produced 3.594 million tons of cotton in 2016, accounting for 67.3 percent of China's total, up from 62.5 percent in 2015, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Although there was a decrease in cotton growing area last year, cotton yield per hectare increased by 151.5 kilograms in 2016, thanks to the increase in machinery and irrigation. China accounts for about 30 percent of the world's cotton output, with only 15 percent of the world's cotton-growing land. In Shihezi County, cotton farmer Bao Yucheng said he used to pay 160,000 yuan ($24,000) to hire more than 20 cotton pickers to harvest his 13,333 hectares of fields. This year he paid 50,000-60,000 yuan to hire a cotton picking machine. Agricultural technicians took advantage of the harvesting season to demonstrate a new generation cotton-picking machine, which can pack the cotton into 2-ton bales while harvesting. Gao Yongjian, an agri-technician, told farmers that the machine is more efficient than the older models. He said large-scale farming is increasing in Xinjiang, as farmers became more interested in joining rural cooperatives to share machinery. UK cheese exporters have welcomed the decision by Chinese authorities to lift a ban on imports of soft cheeses, including British blue cheese stilton. China banned imports of brie, camembert, roquefort, goat cheese and blue cheese in July because mould and bacteria found in the cheeses had not been approved by officials. The ban was lifted on Friday following a series of meetings between European Union and Chinese officials, who were ultimately satisfied that the cheeses were not harmful to consumers. The EU Delegation to China said in a statement it will hold a seminar later this year between European and Chinese experts to "facilitate the updating of the relevant standards, thus limiting the risk of such events re-occurring in the future". Vincent Marion, co-founder of Shanghai-based importer Cheese Republic, had previously labeled the ban "catastrophic" in a WeChat post, and took to social media again on Friday to celebrate its reversal. "Soft cheeses and blue cheeses are officially welcome again in China!" Marion said. "Thanks to the Chinese authorities and especially to the China Inspection and Quarantine of Shanghai." Stephen Jones, director of UK cheese exporter Somerdale International, said he was "pleased to see the ban lifted". "Cheese is a fairly unknown product in China so they are wary of dairy cultures and if they are in any doubt about food safety they stop it rather than take a risk," Jones told China Daily. "It's a very difficult market but there is a growing demand for high quality cheeses." China imported more than $400 million of cheese last year, according to the Chinas customs authority. Cheese consumption in China has been increasing at around 20 percent annually over the last few years, according to market researcher Euromonitor. Walter Ruck, left, president of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Industry, shakes hands with Zhang Yongming, president of CCPIT Beijing, at a signing ceremony held in Beijing on Oct 23, 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] Austria's Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed a cooperation agreement with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Beijing sub-council in Beijing on Monday. The cooperation agreement, known as the Beijing Consensus, is formulated for members of the Belt and Road Alliance of Municipal Chambers of Commerce, a cooperation platform established by municipal chambers of commerce and organizations from countries involved in or interested in the Belt and Road Initiative. Walter Ruck, president of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said as the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative is bringing new vitality to the involved countries, the chamber wants to encourage its member enterprises to participate and seize business opportunities. He said the signing of the agreement is a big step for both China and Austria, narrowing the distance between the two markets. "Many Chinese companies, from big corporations such as the railcar manufacturer CRRC Corp to small restaurants, are operating businesses in Austria," Ruck said in an interview with chinadaily.com.cn. "Based on the agreement, we can help both Chinese and Austrian companies to open channels of communication and perfect the communication mechanism." He said the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is in talks with the chamber to set up a branch in Vienna. "Once the branch is established, it will bring opportunities for local companies to get financing," Ruck said. Zhang Yongming, president of CCPIT Beijing, said at the signing ceremony that "the Belt and Road Alliance of Municipal Chambers of Commerce is a platform that can promote mutual trust and cooperation among enterprises as well as a bond that can form a joint force of business services. "By establishing smooth information cooperation, the alliance enables enterprises to communicate and obtain accurate, authoritative information, which can make cooperation more convenient and effective." In addition, the alliance, marshalling the strengths and business advantages of different countries, regions and cities, can provide comprehensive services for cross-border operations and cooperation of enterprises, he said. A vehicle sits in an acoustics testing laboratory at BYD's headquarters in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The nation's leading maker of electric cars is to consider supplying its batteries to competitors. [Photo/Bloomberg] Manufacturers buying direct stakes in suppliers to new energy vehicles, engaging in joint projects Carmakers in China are scrambling for batteries as it is increasingly evident that electric cars are to continue their rise as the star of the future automotive industry. That development has led carmakers to take out their checkbooks and lay out hard cash to buy stakes in the car battery sector. Dongfeng Motor Corp has recently become a shareholder of CATL and is talking with another battery-maker, said Liu Weidong, the carmaker's deputy general manager. CATL, based in Fujian province, is one of the biggest battery makers in the world, but became widely known when it became a BMW supplier. "All carmakers are under great pressure in terms of new energy cars. We at Dongfeng are tech-oriented, and place great emphasis on core technologies and resources," Liu said. He added Dongfeng will also invest at least 10 billion yuan ($1.54 billion) by the end of the year in terms of batteries, electric motors and electric control systems. Dongfeng was not the first to join hands with battery-makers. Earlier this year, SAIC Motor, China's largest automaker, announced it was forging partnerships with CATL. Industry insiders and analysts said such moves were understandable, especially when China has demanded that every carmaker in the country produce a number of new energy cars, starting from 2019. "As the policy is promulgated, sales of electric cars will surge in the coming years and so will the demand for batteries," said Wang Chuanfu, chairman of BYD, China's biggest maker of new energy vehicles, in an interview with the National Business Daily. China has been the world's largest market for new energy vehicles since 2015 and is planning to put 5 million such cars on its roads by the end of 2020. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers estimates that sales this year could reach 700,000, 40 percent growth year-on-year. Wang said BYD is increasing its battery production to better prepare for the market. In terms of car batteries, BYD held 17 percent of the market in China, second only to CATL, which took a 25.8 percent market share in the first half of the year. As part of its plan to further improve its market position, BYD is now in the process of building a joint venture with Guoxuan High-tech Power Energy Co, a battery-maker in Anhui province. International carmakers are building their battery plants in China. BMW is soon to unveil a battery plant at a Chinese joint venture in Shenyang, Liaoning province. The plant is expected to produce 33,000 high-voltage battery packs a year for its localized new energy cars. Daimler AG has announced plans to produce batteries as part of its electric car program in China. Daimler and Chinese partner BAIC Motor will invest 655 million euros in the production of battery-powered electric cars, and this includes an investment of "three-digit million euros" for battery production by the joint venture. Some carmakers are going even further to secure supplies of resources such as lithium and cobalt for batteries. Late last month Great Wall Motor, China's biggest SUV-maker, said it will spend 146 million yuan on a 3.5 percent stake in Pilbara Minerals, which owns the Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project in Western Australia. In China, prices of such raw materials are rising rapidly because of the bright prospects for new energy cars. Of 159 lithium-related companies listed on the Chinese mainland, 133 saw their revenue grow in the first half of the year, according to the Securities Daily. With the those bright prospects comes fierce competition. "China now has some 200 battery-makers, but only 40 or 50 will survive three to five years later and the top five will hold at least 70 percent of the market", Fang Jianhua, former head of Guoxuan High-tech Power Energy told the Securities Daily. SAIC GM unveils its six-seat MPV GL6 last Monday in Wuhan, Hubei province. [Photo provided to China Daily] Carmakers are introducing more multi-purpose vehicles into the Chinese market in the hope of meeting customers' growing need for larger onboard space. Bao Ye, head of Buick sales and marketing department at SAIC GM, said 40 percent of Chinese grandparents take care of their grandchildren, but more often than not they will be absent from family trips because of limited seat space. "Our six-seat Buick GL6 is targeted at such families, enabling them to travel together," said Bao when the MPV was unveiled last week in Wuhan, Hubei province. "Our products have been designed to meet customers' actual needs since we shifted our focus to family cars three years ago." But, the GL6 comes at a time when MPVs are not very popular. After a surge in 2016, domestic MPV sales in January-August fell 17 percent year-on-year to 1.45 million, according to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. But analysts said the main reasons for the lackluster performance was the large number of SUVs on offer, and more importantly a lack of really competitive models available in the market. Examples they cited include the Buick GL8, with sales surging 88 percent in the first three quarters this year to 100,059, and the Maxus G10, with sales soaring 46 percent in the same period. Bao said 50 percent of GL8 ES customers buy the model for family use, so it is evident that there is demand in the segment. Compared to sedans and SUVs in particular, MPVs are lagging far behind in the number of product offerings and updates; if there was more choice, they would attract SUV customers, according to industry insiders. In addition to international carmakers, Chinese brands are preparing themselves for the potential of this segment. BYD launched its Song MPV earlier this year. Geely is set to unveil its MPV in late 2018, with the concept car attracting significant attention when shown at the Shanghai Auto Show in April. Nan Shengliang, a senior sales manager at Geely, said in an earlier interview that MPV sales will rise, as many young Chinese couples are having, or are likely to have, their second child and thus need better mobility options. The China Passenger Car Association expects MPV sales to reach 3.5 million by 2020 from 2.4 million in 2016. Holden cars sit in the yard of a Holden car dealership in Sydney, Australia. [Photo by Willian West/For China Daily] Analysts debate 'perfect storm' of driving factors The last mass-produced car designed and built in Australia rolled of General Motors Co's production line in the industrial city of Adelaide on Friday, as the nation reluctantly bid farewell to its auto manufacturing industry. GM Holden, an Australian subsidiary of the United States automotive giant, built its last car almost 70 years after it created Australia's first, the FX Holden, in 1948. Since then, an array of carmakers including Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Chrysler and Leyland have built and closed manufacturing plants in Australia. After the last gleaming red Holden VF Commodore, a six-cylinder rear-wheel drive sedan, left the plant in the Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth that had grown over decades to provide its workforce, 955 factory workers clocked of for the last time. "It's pretty tragic really that we've let go probably one of the best cars around the world," an auto painter who identified himself as Kane told reporters. The 36-year-old worked at Holden for 17 years and starts a new job with an air conditioner manufacturer on Monday. But he knows many other former Holden employees won't find jobs so quickly. Thousands of jobs in businesses that have supplied components and accessories to Australian auto manufacturers are also at risk. "It's not the easiest thing. Life will go on," Kane said. Dozens of Holden enthusiasts gathered outside the factory, bringing with them generations of Holdens dating back to favored FJ models that were built between 1953 and 1956. South Australia State Premier Jay Weatherill said car manufacturing was seminal to the state's industrial know-how. "It has provided the backbone for our manufacturing capability in this state," Weatherill told reporters. "It's given us ... the capacity to imagine ourselves as an advanced manufacturing state." Holden is an iconic Australian brand and has been a source of national pride for generations. The V8 Holden Commodore has sold in the United States since 2013 as the Chevrolet SS. The brand will survive, although Holdens will all now be imported from GM plants around the globe. Holden retains design and engineering teams, a global design studio, a local testing ground, 1,000 employees and a 200-strong national dealer network. The brand that became known as "Australia's own car" accounted for more than half of the new cars registered in Australia by 1958. The reasons behind the demise of Australian auto manufacturing are numerous. The first Holden cars were built in an era of high Australian tariffs and preferential trade with former colonial master Britain, which encouraged global carmakers to set up local factories to increase market share. Australian import tariffs have since tumbled through bilateral free trade deals with car-manufacturing countries like the United States, Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. The Holden workers' union blames a lack of government support through subsidies for GM's decision to end manufacturing. There had been debate about whether the 7 billion Australian dollars ($5.5 billion) that the government spent on the car industry in subsidies since 2001 was worth the jobs that it created. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the closure was due to a "perfect storm" of factors. The factors included the value of the Australian dollar, which due to a mining boom was for the first time stronger than the greenback in 2013 when the last three carmakers GM, Ford and Toyota announced that they would close. Other factors were high production costs, a small domestic market in an Australian population of 24 million, and the most competitive and fragmented auto market in the world, with more than 60 car brands on sale. "You can't get away from the emotional response to the closure," Turnbull told Melbourne Radio 3AW on Friday. The Associated Press SHANGHAI/GUANGZHOU SAIC-GM's fast development in recent years reflects, from one aspect, the open competition in China's auto market and efficient government management, said Julian Blissett, executive vice-president of SAIC-GM. SAIC General Motors Corporation, a joint venture founded in 1997 between China's SAIC and General Motors from the United States, mainly manufactures and sells Chevrolets, Buicks and Cadillacs on the Chinese mainland. During the past five years, the company has made great achievements in terms of its development speed and quality, Blissett told Xinhua when commenting on the report delivered by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). "Last month, we surpassed 15 million units in accumulated sales, rewriting the growth speed record among the auto enterprises in China," said Blissett. He said market guidance and regulation by Chinese government departments, their strong support for investment in advanced capacity, and effective interaction between companies and government departments, have together played a significant supporting role in the company's sales increase. From the report, Blissett saw that "China will substantially broaden market access and protect the lawful rights and interests of foreign investors. The investment environment keeps improving and we have full confidence in the following market exploration." China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), where SAIC-GM is located, was launched in 2013 to test new policies including negative list management for foreign investment, preferential trade and financial policies, and opening up of more industries to foreign investors. As of September, 49,000 new companies had been registered in the FTZ. Of these, about 8,940 foreign-funded enterprises had been launched, attracting investment worth more than $17 billion. China has ranked among the world's top three in terms of foreign investment utilization for five years and its engagement in global economic governance is deepening. In the first nine months of 2017, foreign investment utilization in China hit more than 618 billion yuan ($93 billion), up 1.6 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Commerce. More than 23,500 foreign-funded enterprises were established in the first nine months, 10.6 percent more than in the same period of 2016, the ministry said. Harley Seyedin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China, which represents more than 2,300 multinational companies doing business in China, said that he believes China will become more and more open. Xi's report draws "a very clear map and direction for foreign investors going forward" as China's economy has been transitioning from a phase of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development, said Seyedin. Between 1978 and 2013, the annual growth of the Chinese economy averaged close to 10 percent and between 2003 and 2007, more than 11.5 percent. GDP growth slowed to 7.3 percent in 2014, 6.9 percent in 2015 and 6.7 percent in 2016 as the world's second largest economy is striving to shift gears to slower speed but higher quality growth. In the past five years, the transition of China's growth pattern has created uncertainties in its investment market, which resulted in a slowdown of foreign investment inflow, said Seyedin. "But all of that uncertainty seems to be going away at this point and with the 19th CPC congress, we'll have a very clear map and direction for going forward." "At 6.9 percent growth, China produces more quality jobs than it did when it grew at 12 or 13 percent, especially in the manufacturing sector. So the growth transition is on its way and we certainly believe that the future is going to be bright," said Seyedin. According to figures released by Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce, in the past, nearly 70 percent of foreign investment flowed to China's manufacturing sector, while 30 percent went to the service industry. Now around 65 to 70 percent of China's foreign investment flows to the service industries especially to knowledge, technology and talent intensive areas, while the high-end manufacturing has attracted about 30 percent. But there are still some areas in the service sector not open to overseas investors, said Daniel Liao, China president of Singaporean company City Developments Limited. The company has invested about $1.7 billion in the real estate, environmental protection and new energy sectors in major Chinese cities in the past six years. The report said China will relax controls over market access in the service sector, which will attract more high-quality foreign investment to the sector and create more investment opportunities for foreign investors, according to Liao. A driver uses Tesla's charging station in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province. [Photo by Liu Qiang/For China Daily] US carmaker likely to make electric vehicles in city's free trade zone Tesla Inc confirmed on Monday that it is in talks with the Shanghai authorities for local production of electric vehicles. The US firm is exploring the possibility of establishing a manufacturing facility in Shanghai to better serve the Chinese market, said a representative at its China operations referring to a statement made by the company in June. "As we have said before, we expect to more clearly define our plans for production in China by the end of the year." The representative declined to comment on a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday that Tesla has already reached a deal with the Shanghai city government and would build a wholly-owned manufacturing facility in the city's free trade zone. If the plans are indeed true, it would allow Tesla to slash the production and shipping costs of its cars sold to China. But since the cars would be manufactured in the city's free trade zone, it would not get exemption from the import tax of 25 percent. At present, Tesla has just one manufacturing facility globallyin California, which has been facing several production bottlenecks. The company is also looking to better expand its presence in the Chinese market, home to about 1 million new energy cars by the end of 2016. On Monday the carmaker unveiled in Shanghai its largest charging station, which can accommodate 50 Tesla cars at the same time. So far Tesla has 700 charging posts in 170 Chinese cities. Last week Tesla announced that it has modified the charging hardware on Tesla vehicles built for the Chinese market so that they can make use of the public charging infrastructure in the country. If Tesla were to build a wholly-owned plant in China, it would be a major change in the country's industrial policies which only allow foreign firms to set up joint ventures with local partners, be it inside or outside the free trade zones. Last month the Ministry of Commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission had said that China would further open up the new energy vehicle sector. Yale Zhang, managing director of consulting firm Automotive Foresight, said Tesla's localization efforts, because of lower costs, will benefit its sales in China and the plant would also become a hub for other Asian markets. Tesla delivered 13,500 cars in the first nine months of 2017 in China, more than double from a year earlier, according to the China Passenger Car Association. Zhang said the move will also help boost China's new energy car sector as a whole. "For instance, Tesla is more likely to work with local suppliers instead of shipping parts from overseas," he said. John Zeng, managing director of LMC Automotive Shanghai, said Tesla will set a good example for China's new energy carmakers, most of whom are producing low-end cars. DUBAI Deyaar Development, one of the biggest property firms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said Sunday it has partnered with China's telecommunication giant Huawei to offer smart home solutions. The Dubai-based company said in a filing to the Dubai stock market that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Huawei to provide Deyaar clients with technology solutions, including smart home applications. The five-year partnership would enable Deyaar to provide advanced technology solutions for residents in its properties across Dubai. "Connected homes are no longer a futuristic concept; they are realistically achievable today," said Deyaar's CEO Saeed Al-Qatami. Colin Hu, managing director of Huawei Enterprise, UAE, hailed the partnership with Deyaar as "an excellent example" of the expansion of digital transformation in the region. Deyaar said that the partnership also eyes increased security solutions, including the application of Huawei's CCTV video cloud solution. Officers of the Heixiazi Island border police watch the opening ceremony of the 19th CPC National Congress on a cellphone during a patrol on Wednesday. [Photo by Li Junxiu/For China Daily] Officers who viewed CPC National Congress on cellphone were inspired In the early hours of Wednesday, the opening day of the ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, police officer Xu Xu and five colleagues on the Russian border in Heilongjiang province performed a flag-raising ceremony as the sun climbed over the Chinese mainland. Then, after patrolling in a motorboat along the Heilong River, which forms part of the dividing line, they watched a live broadcast of the congress on a cellphone. To get a good signal, they had to continually move their patrol boat up and down the river in a place where low temperatures are already below 0 C. "I was encouraged to hear the achievements mentioned by General Secretary Xi Jinping," said Xu, 36, an officer of the Heixiazi Island border police at the country's easternmost station. "I've been stationed on the border for 13 years, since my second year in the Army," Xu said. "I have seen the changes at different border stations in the past decade, and I'm honored to be a Chinese soldier. "When we heard Xi talk about staying committed" to a strong military and fully advancing the modernization of national defense, he and his colleagues were inspired, Xu said. "We believe we will get more support for our work in the future." He said border officers once had motorboats whose engines were started by pulling a rope by hand. They were difficult to use and often broke down. "Now, all the motorboats have electric engine starters, which is more convenient," Xu said. About 20 km away, another border team was steering its ship along the Wusuli River. The vessel, with a displacement of 150 metric tons, has been in use since 2015 to patrol the 130-km waterway. "Conditions have improved greatly," said Wang He, 45, a border soldier for 27 years. "Twelve border officers and soldiers live on the ship from April to November. We now have stable power and a heating supply on the ship, which we couldn't have imagined before." Fuyuan, about 40 km from Heixiazi Island, also has seen big changes. At the end of 2012, it was linked to China's passenger rail network. The new railway meant residents could reach Harbin, the provincial capital, in about 13 hours. In May 2014, the completion of Fuyuan Dongji Airport meant that the journey could be shortened to one hour and 20 minutes, with Beijing just a four-hour flight away. Bill Gates speaks at Peking University in Beijing, on March 24, 2017. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn] China is "committed", "ambitious" and "vital", according to Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The billionaire philanthropist was among leading business figures, academics and opinion leaders from around the world who were asked by China Daily to sum up China in just three words. Apart from the somewhat obvious "big", words which regularly came up from respondents were "innovative", "dynamic" and "transforming", reflecting some of the spirit of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era outlined in the general secretary's report to the 19th CPC National Congress. Gates said he wanted his selection of words to reflect the fact that China was now "very important to the future of the entire world". "Committed, because as much as any other country over the past few years, China has shown a commitment to health and development both at home and abroad. Ambitious, because of the targets it has set for itself, including wiping out extreme poverty by 2020. And vital, because we need an engaged and responsible China if we are to rid the world of what we call 'solvable human misery'," he responded. When Zhong Jing, 35, moved to Longhe nine years ago, there was no clinic and no road. Sick villagers had to get up at 5 am and walk more than four hours to see a doctor. That's the only way they could return while the sun was still up. Since she arrived, Zhong has been running the only clinic in the village, in Guizhou province's Qianxi'nan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture. She sees more than 100 patients on a busy day, some coming from neighboring communities. On those days, eating just one meal is commonplace. "Even though a road has been built now and transportation is more convenient, traveling outside the village for treatment has become the last choice, because residents now have doctors they know personally who will take care of them on their doorstep," said Zhong, a delegate to the ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Zhong formerly worked at a private hospital in Guiyang, the provincial capital. In 2006, she made her first visit to Longhe, more than 200 kilometers distant, because her husband worked for the local government. When she learned that many elderly Longhe villagers had arthritis or other age-related conditions, and that some women were infertile because of gynecological problems, leading to divorce, her heart was moved. In 2008, she resigned from the hospital in Guiyang and set up the small clinic in Longhe using 20,000 yuan ($3,000) of her own money - her entire savings at the time. To make medicines more affordable, she turned bulk medicines into pills. To encourage sick patients to get timely treatment, she pledged she would not charge them until after they had fully recovered. As her skills began to be recognized by the residents, increasing numbers of patients with arthritis, gynecological problems and skin diseases came for help. Residents would also ask her for advice when their livestock became ill. "I told myself I must learn, because they trust me," said Zhong. "For unfamiliar diseases, I would consult medical books in the evening. For diseases whose treatment I could not find in the book, I would ask for advice from doctors I know." Everything went well until three months later, when Zhong's husband was transferred to another post in Xingyi, the seat of the prefecture 80 kilometers away. Zhong wavered, but finally chose to stay. To make sure homebound and empty-nest elderly patients get timely treatment, Zhong began to make weekly house calls, providing checkups and advice. To reach some households, Zhong had to walk more than four hours on a bumpy, sometimes muddy mountain road. "No matter how bad the weather is, Zhong comes to visit us whenever we need treatment," said resident Li Guofang. "Zhong had been very kind to the villagers, elders and children alike. She had been so busy that sometimes she has had no time for meals," said Zhong Shiying, 66, who often wen to Zhong for arthritis treatments. Now Zhong has become more ambitious. She wants to motivate residents to supplement their incomes by planting traditional Chinese herbs. She offered to help sell them to drug companies. "The idea is not yet mature," she said. "I have to make sure it will benefit the people before I start." A long red carpet in a side corridor of the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing always arouses media attention during the annual parliamentary sessions in March. It's where high-level officials meet with reporters and answer questions. The carpet was nicknamed the "ministers' passage". But at the ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the leading characters are Party delegates, and so the corridor has been renamed the "delegates' passage". It is the first time the Party congress has included such an avenue to provide opportunities for reporters to interview delegates. As a journalist covering the congress, I was fortunate to have been able to ask a question in the corridor on Wednesday about China's latest developments in high-end computer servers. The interview was scheduled for one hour and set to begin at 7:30 am. At around 6 am a large number of journalists from home and abroad arrived at the hall. I was among them. The delegates who gave interviews on the red carpet came from different walks of life, including universities, technology companies, judicial authorities and military departments. About 2,280 delegates are attending the congress, representing more than 89 million Party members across the country. So far, about 40 delegates have been interviewed in the corridor, and more delegates are expected to appear and respond to journalists' questions on Tuesday, when the congress ends. Different from the ministers' passage, on which most questions related to government policy, journalists this time are asking more questions about Party building and the delegates' personal stories - including changes in their careers over the past five years. Most topics broached in the corridor were serious, but I was glad to see that some delegates, such as Lu Li-an, could respond in an easygoing way. When the Taiwan native, who teaches English literature at Fudan University in Shanghai, was questioned about how she views Taiwan after working on the Chinese mainland for 20 years, she not only spoke highly of the progress of the mainland's soft power but also showed deep love for her hometown by telling a personal story. "We love Taiwan and also love the motherland," she said in Mandarin before repeating it in the Minnan dialect used in Taiwan and Fujian province. The integrated development of the mainland and Taiwan is feasible, she added. Although the interviewees on the red carpet have changed, the purpose of the path remains the same: to make the Party and the government more transparent. Although change has come gradually, I can feel it, and I've benefited from it. While the children of Yege township are the first generation that could read, just a few years ago they couldn't after dark. That's because there was no electricity - hence, no light - in the seven tents that 78 of the primary school's 137 nomadic children called their "dorms" in Qumarleb county on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. That changed in 2011, with a project I led to install solar power. Later, the government, under the direction of the Communist Party of China, created new infrastructure, bringing a full power grid to isolated communities where elevations hover around 4,200 meters. I've witnessed the changes firsthand since founding the volunteer initiative in this remote swath of the plateau. Over the past half-decade, the government has delivered continuous electrical power to the township and county. That's 100 percent, 24/7. That seemed unthinkable when I first arrived. It has also built new dorms for students and teachers, a new canteen, classrooms, bathroom facilities, a clinic, an activity center, computer labs and much more. In addition, the government, led by the Party, has provided Qumarleb's nomads with modern homes near urbanized downtown areas. It has also paved roads to the county seat. Indeed, China has proved that connectivity reduces poverty. It has enhanced transportation infrastructure at a dizzying rate, with broad scope and reeling efficiency. The approach goes beyond infrastructure in places like Qumarleb, where illiteracy and language barriers have made it difficult for older generations to migrate, and natural conditions are severe and afford few resources. Geography and geology connive against livelihoods in this plateau settlement that sires little more than snow and grass. But the government has recently responded to the challenges with career training - part of Party General Secretary Xi Jinping's targeted poverty-alleviation strategy. Nomads can get free, certified, on-the-job instruction to become automobile mechanics, hairdressers or painters of traditional Tibetan thanka. Qumarleb is but one of many underdeveloped areas where such Party-led approaches are swiftly improving life through both "hardware" and "software". Over the past decade, I've regularly traveled to remote, underdeveloped communities throughout the country, journeying through nearly every province not only to cover poverty but also its solutions. China has many remedies. Experiments I've covered range from ethnic Mongolian nomads raising emu instead of sheep to prevent desertification and boost incomes, to harnessing solar power to alleviate the devastation of droughts in rural Zhangjiakou. These are authoritative testaments to the effectiveness of the Chinese model. Poverty alleviation, especially during the past half-decade, is a highlight of China's triumphs. The country has hoisted more than 700 million people out of extreme poverty over three decades. About 56 million have escaped poverty since 2013, including more than 12 million last year alone. Indeed, the nation is lifting people out of poverty faster than at any other time or place in history. Xi announced that the country will entirely eliminate extreme poverty by 2020, a decade before the United Nations' goal of eliminating "all forms" of poverty. The 19th CPC National Congress provides an opportunity to enhance the effort's global profile, restate the Party's dedication to the 2020 goals and gaze beyond in terms of tackling relative poverty. The Party is offering underdeveloped areas a brighter future. My realization in Qumarleb six years ago was that the light at the end of the dark tunnel of poverty may be children reading after sundown. The ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has been actively covered by foreign media outlets around the world. The reports speak highly of the CPC's leadership as well as China's socioeconomic development and global contributions. Following are summaries from some of the reports: German magazine International Politics and Society Germany and the European Union's politics must adapt to competition from other political systems and learn from the successes of the China model. Swiss daily newspaper the Neue Zuercher Zeitung Banking on its national strength and international influence, China should have taken a global leadership role by 2050. British daily newspaper The Guardian The ambition on display and the confidence of Xi were striking. (Referring to General Secretary Xi Jinping's opening address.) Iranian official Islamic Republic News Agency The further success in China's reform policies will encourage the world states to follow the steps of China. Cuban official newspaper Granma President Xi Jinping has great prestige, thanks to the success of the reforms he undertook with his colleagues over the last five years. Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta It is hard to imagine that China could have made such unprecedented achievements without the leadership of the CPC. With its rapid economic growth, China's experience could help developing countries prosper. Pakistan Observer Thanks to the five-year policy, China's economic and technological strength has increased significantly and a modern social governance system has arisen. Malaysia's Sin Chew Daily China has unveiled a blueprint to make it a great modern socialist country, and to fulfill the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. The goal will be realized through China's connection and interaction with the world. Xinhua Li Ganjie, minister of Environmental Protection, picks up questions during a press conference on pursuing green development and building a "Beautiful China" in Beijing, Oct 23, 2017. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/chinadaily.com.cn] China is researching making laws and regulations for environmental inspections led by the central government to be carried out on a systematic basis, Li Ganjie, minister of environmental protection, said on Monday. He made the remarks at a news conference on the sidelines of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. "We will sort out questions and accumulate experience based on previous inspections and further complete pertinent system initiatives to prepare for the next round of inspection," Li said. Random inspections in major areas and industries are expected to start at the end of 2017 or early 2018, he said. A national-level inspection mechanism has been established. The ministry is encouraging and guiding provincial level governments to set up inspection mechanisms accordingly. China has launched high-level environmental inspections by the central government since the end of 2015. By Sept 15, four-round inspections were completed, covering 31 provincial-level regions. A total of 135,000 reports were received during the inspections. In the end, 104,000 cases were handed to local governments and 102,000 have been solved, Li said. "About 80,000 cases involving waste, smoking, odor, noise, polluted enterprise and water pollution have been handled properly. Thus, the inspection move has been welcomed by ordinary people," he said. Delegates to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China said on Monday that fake emissions data must be prevented in pollution monitoring and the quality of data should be improved. Hu Guanjiu, a delegate and deputy director of the environmental monitoring center of Jiangsu province, picks up questions during a group interview at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, Oct 23, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] "A monitor must be responsible for the data he or she provides and be held accountable lifelong," Hu Guanjiu, a delegate and deputy director of the environmental monitoring center of Jiangsu province, said in a group interview. "Fake data is worse than no data as it relates to environmental policy making," she said, stressing that fake data must be wiped out and quality data is required. Hu urged environmental data monitors nationwide to improve their capability and technical skills, and suggested third-party monitoring institutes set standard monitoring methods as soon as possible and be less profit-driven. Gao Jianmin, another delegate and director of the Environmental Protection Department of North China's Hebei province, said the department has beefed up efforts against fake emissions data. Each county in the province now has two monitoring stations and all data is required to be true, accurate and complete, he said in the group interview. 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 Congratulatory messages from around globe laud progress at 19th National Congress of CPC Solutions and directions provided by the Communist Party of China's 19th National Congress will contribute enormously to global growth, governance and tackling joint challenges, according to influential political and opinion leaders from around the world. General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping delivered a keynote report to the congress on Wednesday, unveiling Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the basic policies in key sectors that will guide China's future development. In particular, Xi, during his nearly three-hour-and-a-half report, devoted a substantial part to the detailed development goals and blueprints of nine specific sectors including economy, social development, culture, diplomacy and Party governance. The report has sent strong signals of China's commitment to open economy, a better social security system, enhanced environmental protection and a community with a shared future for mankind. The congress, held at a time when the world faces growing uncertainties and destabilizing factors, is widely expected to bring positive energy to global peace and prosperity, analysts said. Hailing the congress as "a milestone event in the history of the CPC and China", Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that it will set guidelines for China's future road under the leadership of Xi. "A prosperous and stable China is beneficial to the region and the world at large," he said in a congratulatory message to the congress. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former French prime minister, said that the development strategy set by the congress not only concerns the Chinese people, but also will influence the whole world. Alvaro Elizalde Soto, president of the Socialist Party of Chile, and Francisco Melo Contreras, president of the Socialist Youth in Chile, said in their congratulatory message that the guidelines and policies made by the congress "will further promote China's development in the coming five years and contribute to world peace, stability and prosperity". Romulo Roux, general secretary of Panama's Democratic Change Party, said that the congress will "exert far-reaching influences on international politics, technological innovation and construction of a multipolar world". George A. Papandreou, former Greek prime minister, said the congress gives a strong message of unity, cohesion and determination to fight for peace, sustainable development and the creation of harmonious societies. Jon Taylor, a professor of Political Science at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, said that Chinese wisdom and experience can provide a path to resolving some of the world's urgent problems through pursuit of reform, promotion of win-win cooperation and support of open markets. Martin Jacques, a senior research fellow at Cambridge University's Department of Politics and International Studies, said that the congress is "the most important political gathering in the world this year" along with China's growing confidence on the global stage. Hao Ping, a delegate to the congress and Party secretary of Peking University, said as the report has embodied many key ideas, China will play a bigger role and contribute more of its wisdom and solutions to international organizations. anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn Providing legal aid to people dealing with disputes or lawsuits is not easy work, but Xu Hui has provided such help for almost 20 years. "What I want is to help people in poverty," said the director of a legal center under the justice bureau of Tongcheng county, Hubei province. As a delegate to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, she pays great attention to issues about how to improve the quality of legal aid and what other legal services can be provided to residents. She said providing high-quality legal aid is not a job just for the justice authorities. "Instead, it needs more efforts from all walks of life," she said. Xu suggested setting up a special system to evaluate whether the aid is qualified or effective. At the same time, she called on universities, research centers and social organizations to join the legal aid effort, establishing institutions to educate attorneys, ensuring the legal services they provide are more professional. "My father is a Party member. He always told me that the biggest value for a person was to try his or her best to help others and contribute to society," she said, adding that this means she never feels tired when taking part in mediation and solving people's disputes. "Justice should be upheld in front of everyone. Vulnerable or poor residents also have the right to legal aid," she said. Last year, more than 60 migrant workers in the county sought help from Xu after they failed to receive their salaries from employers. Thanks to legal aid, they eventually shared more than 1 million yuan ($151,000). "No matter how big a company is, the law will stand on the side of justice," she said. In the past three years, she has tackled more than 200 similar disputes and held free activities to promote legal knowledge among ordinary people more than 90 times. Thanks to her hard work, the county's residents prefer to come to her when they are involved in disputes, as she is never afraid of difficulties and always deals with their legal problems as if she were handling her own. Having worked in the legal sector for two decades, Xu said she is glad to witness the improvements in the rule of law in the country, especially people's increasing legal awareness. "More people apply for legal aid when they are in trouble, but efforts to protect poverty stricken litigants still need to be improved," she added. Improvements seen for veterans, law, environment, anti-graft efforts At least four new authorities will be created to improve the rule of law, environmental protection, services for veterans and supervision of officials, according to the milestone report delivered at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Wednesday. The report, which was delivered by General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping, said the new bodies would include a central leading group for advancing law-based governance, regulatory agencies to manage and monitor State-owned natural resources, an administration for veterans and supervisory commissions at the national, provincial, city and county levels to stop corruption. The central leading group for advancing law-based governance will exercise unified leadership in building the rule of law in China, including strengthening the execution of the Constitution, promoting constitutionality reviews and helping to improve legislation, according to the report. Lyu Yanbin, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Law, said establishing the group will enhance the execution of the country's laws and raise public awareness about the rule of law. The report said agencies to manage State-owned natural resources and ecosystems will be tasked with preserving such resources and restoring ecosystems. The agencies will also inspect polluting emissions and enforce environmental laws and regulations. Wang Yi, deputy dean of the Institutes of Science and Development of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the 21st Century Business Herald newspaper that under the current mechanisms, environmental governance is shared by multiple ministriesland, water, agriculture and forestry, for examplesometimes leading to overuse and poor protection of resources. He said he expects that the new mechanism will include registration of all natural resources, clarify the managing bodies and tighten enforcement. As for the new veterans administration, the report said it will protect the rights and interests of retirees and their families and serve to boost the spirit of members of the People's Liberation Army. Major General Li Guangquan, deputy commander of a group army of the PLA Ground Force and a delegate to the CPC National Congress, said creating a new administration is a necessary step to boost service members' morale. He said it will nurture the sense of belonging and honor among retirees and will strongly encourage those in active service to work harder. Xi conveyed a pledge to deepen anti-corruption efforts by founding supervisory commissions at all levels. These new organs are to be based on the CPC's internal disciplinary inspection commissions and will cover all publicly paid employees. Du Zhizhou, deputy director of the Center for Integrity Research and Education at Beihang University, told Legal Daily that the founding of supervisory commissions indicates the Party will not relax in the fight against corruption and other misconduct by public servants. He said previous trial runs of such commissions in Beijing, Shanxi and Zhejiang have been successful, showing that the mechanism's design is effective. Zheng Jinran contributed to this story. Government to grant more powers to pilot free trade zones to conduct reform Cranes load and unload containers at a busy port within the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone. [Photo/Xinhua] As one of the major aspects of further opening-up, the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone has attracted a large number of international industry leaders to set up operations there, providing substantial help to their development in the country. During the ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping reiterated the importance of free trade zones in a report delivered at the opening session. Xi said the government will grant more powers to pilot FTZs to conduct reform, and explore the opening of free trade ports. Meanwhile, the government will adopt policies to promote high-standard liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, significantly ease market access, further open the service sector, and protect the legitimate rights and interest of foreign investors. "All businesses registered in China will be treated equally," Xi said. As one of the first foreign banks to set up within the Shanghai FTZ, Citibank China has witnessed a number of pioneering and innovative policies in the financial sector over the past four years, according to Pei Yigen, country head of treasury and trade solutions for the bank. "These innovations have helped with further opening-up in the financial market of Shanghai, and even nationwide," he said. "We are delighted to see that a growing number of multinational companies have set up their Asian accounting and financial centers in Shanghai, and more specifically in the Shanghai FTZ." Last year, Citi China overtook all other domestic and foreign banks with operations in the Shanghai FTZ in terms of the settlement volume of cross-border capital pool business. It also took up 49 percent of the total market value of the cross-border centralized collection and payment business in the zone. "The establishment of the Shanghai FTZ has provided a new path for foreign banks in China," Pei said. "We are able to come up with more innovations in our businesses and products. "Over the past four years, we have helped many multinational companies to enhance the function of their regional headquarters by moving their regional and even global renminbi capital center to Shanghai. We would like to contribute more to the real economy with the platform provided by Shanghai FTZ." World-leading automation technology provider Festo, which is headquartered in Esslingen, Germany, has its Chinese operation located in the Shanghai FTZ. According to Thomas Pehrson, the company's general manager in China, the many reform policies in the zone, especially in the customs sector, have largely reduced its burden and enabled the company to deliver the products and services globally with lower cost. "Benefiting from reform and innovations in the Shanghai FTZ, Festo is planning for adjustment in our business in the Asia-Pacific region," he said. "Festo China's automation manufacturing plant located in the Shanghai FTZ will shift its focus from manufacturing to research and development, as well as delivery. "The existing production center and R&D center in China will be expanded into Festo's Asia-Pacific logistics center and customized production center," he added. Chongqing will accelerate its effort to become a global aviation hub that hosts 100 international airlines by 2020adding "wings" to the inland cityaccording to Wu Cunrong, the city's executive deputy mayor. Wu, who is also a delegate to the 19th National Congress of Communist Party China, said Chongqing aims to be a leading port, the high ground for the opening up of the country's inland region. Wu said the municipality will work for rapid, sustained and healthy development under the guidance of CPC Central Committee General Secretary Xi Jinping's "Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era", and fully translate into reality Xi's instructions given during a visit to the city last year. "Chongqing will establish a moderately well-off society and become an economic center in the Yangtze River's upper reaches, as well as a major modern manufacturing base," Wu said. To fulfill Xi's vision, Chongqing will gear up as an inland port and accelerate the formation of an opening-up system that coordinates with international rules and laws. It will also accelerate the development of its pilot free trade area, promote the China-Singapore Chongqing Connectivity Initiative and encourage institutional innovation in such areas as investment and trade facilitation and government services, Wu said. Also, Chongqing will explore the use of international railway supply chains and cross-border highways, and create a law-based, internationalized and enabling climate for investors. It will further boost the capacity and efficiency of the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe regular cargo rail and make it a signature route connecting Asia and Europe. Cargo will be increased in both directions, cargo sources will be optimized, values per container will rise and two to three train services will be offered daily, Wu said. Also, Chongqing will enhance the Chongqing-Guangxi-Singapore sea-to-rail route to offer western China a new southward access to the sea, he added. Chongqing will be a point that hosts a high-speed rail network connecting western China to key river deltas in the country and in Southeast Asia, according to Wu. In the waterways, Chongqing will further facilitate commodity trade between the Yangtze region and countries along routes of the Belt and Road Initiative, he said. The economy in Liaoning province is growing again this year after a crackdown on political corruptionincluding electoral briberywhich has improved the business climate, according to high-ranking officials. After a year of decline, the GDP of Liaoning grew by 3 percent from January to September, said Li Xi, Liaoning's Party secretary and a delegate to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, during a panel discussion on Thursday. Fiscal revenue increased by 8.3 percent in the period, he said. Last year, the province made headlines around the country as its economy declined by 2.6 percent year-on-year. It was also criticized for electoral fraud in connection with a leadership change in the Standing Committee of Liaoning Committee of the CPC in 2011 and the election of deputies to the National People's Congress in 2013. In September last year, the Standing Committee of the NPC nullified the elections of 45 NPC deputies from the province. In March, 41 of them received prison sentences for election fraud, embezzlement and bribery. Wang Min, the former Party secretary, was sentenced to life in prison in August for taking bribes and neglecting his duty. "Liaoning's economic downward pressure fundamentally stemmed from a damaged political ecosystem," Li said. "Now Party members are carrying out their responsibilities under stricter Party governance. Meanwhile, we have to create a better business environment. Local governments must improve their efficiency and serve enterprises. There have been positive results for the economy." Li said Wang abandoned the strict oversight requirements laid down by the CPC Central Committee, as Liaoning officials paid for promotions. The relationships between government officials and businesspeople were in disarray, and businesses could get projects approved only by bribing officials, he said. A crackdown by the Central Committed "saved the province", Li said. "The public and government officials learned lessons from it and the political ecosystem has been purified." Meanwhile, local governments have been improving the business environment in other ways. The province has established a management bureau to strengthen supervision in this field. Yi Lianhong, Party secretary of Shenyang, the provincial capital, said the city has chalked up 104,700 newly registered market entities since the beginning of the year, an increase of 54.9 percent over the same period last year. Chen Qiufa, Liaoning's governor, cited reforms that have stabilized the economy. Six sets of reforms have been made to diversify equities, strengthen supply-side structural reform and push forward the reform of State-owned enterprises, he said. Because of such steps, the province is on track to meet this year's growth target, Chen said. A worker makes a special type of stainless steel in a factory owned by Taiyuan Iron and Steel. [Photo/Xinhua] The profits of State-owned enterprises under the administration of the central government will generate new growth momentum for the real economy this year, especially in the fields of manufacturing, services and infrastructure development, senior officials said. Their comments came after the nation's SOEs reported combined record net profit of 1.11 trillion yuan ($167 billion) in the first three quarters of the year as a result of supply-side structural reforms, reduction of the asset-liability ratio and additional curbs on capital outflows. The figure represents year-on-year growth of 18.4 percent, and double-digit growth every month. Of the 98 central SOEs monitored, 56 saw profits grow by more than 10 percent, while 31 had profit growth of more than 20 percent. Shen Ying, chief accountant at the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the country's top regulator of SOEs, said central SOEs are fostering new growth engines by expanding their footprints in strategic new industries and high-tech sectors, such as the digital and green economies, artificial intelligence and new energy vehicles. So far this year, SOEs have invested 1.7 trillion yuan in research and development, accounting for 25 percent of the national total. The total revenues of central SOEs amounted to more than 19 trillion yuan in the first nine months of the year, a year-on-year rise of 15.4 percent. Shen said the government will support companies of all ownership types, along with foreign companies involved in joint ventures, when they participate in mixed-ownership reforms. Peng Huagang, deputy secretary-general of the commission, said a more efficient, flexible and market-oriented management mechanism has laid the groundwork for reforms of SOE ownership: "Mixed ownership reformdiversifying the shareholding structure of SOEswill continue to be deepened this year." The commission is now working on a third tranche of mixed-ownership reform pilot projects for SOEs. Peng said the scope of the third group will be expanded, with priority given to enterprises in provincial-level regions. So far, 19 central SOEs in two batchesincluding China Unicom and China Three Gorges Corphave undergone mixed-ownership reforms in the power generation, oil and gas, railway and telecommunications sectors. As part of the reform, employees of some SOEs are being offered shares as an incentive, a plan that is likely to be accelerated and expanded, the government said. According to SASAC, more than 90 percent of central SOE subsidiaries had been restructured by the end of last year, while more than 90 percent of enterprises were being supervised by provincial-level State asset regulators. "Even though reform of the corporate system has entered the final stage, the task is still a hard one and requires a great deal of hard work from both government and companies," said Sun Ziyu, vice-president of China Communications Construction Corp, one of the country's largest providers of infrastructure projects by market share. "As the reform deepens, optimizing asset structure is vital for our business to boost the competitive edge," he added. "Through alternative financing models, such as public-private partnerships, the company gained operational assets in the domestic market worth 250 billion yuan in sectors including ports, underwater tunnels and industrial parks in the first half of this year." Women take part in an embroidery class in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region's Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner to learn how to decorate clothes, slippers and pillowcases with traditional designs. [Photo provided to China Daily] Government-run embroidery classes are among the measures being used to raise living standards, as Cui Jia reports from Beijing with Yuan Hui in Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Mu Dan is proud that she can now produce all kinds of traditional Mongolian embroidery, much as her mother did. Even better, the 40-year-old farmer in Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, is excited that her newly developed skills can lift her family out of poverty. The banner, a county-level settlement, lies at the north of the grassland in Horqin, and 86 percent of its population hails from the Mongolian ethnic group. Horqin means "archer" in Mongolian. The area is affected by severe desertification and a fragile environment, which means that farmers such as Mu are constantly concerned that their land will be hit by natural disasters that could leave them destitute and starving. After years of problems, the banner was placed on a list of areas of the most poverty-stricken places in the country. However, as a result of initiatives promoted by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and president of China, the list won't exist after 2020 because all the residents who live below the current poverty line, including Mu, will be lifted out of poverty by then. "Ensuring that poor people and impoverished areas will enter the 'moderately prosperous' society along with the rest of the country is a solemn promise made by our Party," Xi said, when he delivered a report to the 19th CPC National Congress on Wednesday. He added that poverty alleviation measures should reach the people who truly need them and must deliver genuine outcomes. In June, at a conference to discuss poverty alleviation measures and solutions with top officials from impoverished areas, including Horqin, Xi said lifting people out of poverty is one of the tasks to which he has devoted the most attention. During the first five years of his term as president, Xi has visited the 14 poorest parts of the country, and more than 30 of his 50-plus investigative visits nationwide have been related to poverty relief. The task is a formidable one. Winning the battle in areas of extreme poverty will be difficult, but with enough determination and the right measures, China can secure that victory, he said. Mu, from the banner, explained how the local conditions have pushed her family into poverty. "In a good year, my husband and I can earn about 20,000 yuan a year by selling our crops. However, Inner Mongolia experienced a severe drought last year so we almost had no income," she said. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has attracted worldwide attention thanks to its openness, according to journalists and observers. "China's role in international affairs is becoming more important in all directions, especially in economic and political fields," said Andrey Kirillov, Beijing bureau chief of Russia's Tass news agency. "China is the second-biggest economy, and for this reason, the situation inside China influences the whole world." The congress is a "global event", and it has attracted plenty of attention from foreign journalists because of its content, the issues raised and the problems being solved, Kirillov said. All these issues are of great importance, including changes in China's economic approach, formation of a new economic development model, changes in society, poverty relief and political issues such as a new leadership, he said. "Journalists are also interested in China's foreign policy," he added. The Russian news agency published 15 to 20 reports and a major summary on the first day of the congress on Wednesday, according to Tass journalist Nikolay Selishchev. More than 3,000 journalists are in Beijing to cover the congress. Among them, 1,818 are from overseas, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, 6.7 percent more than at the 18th CPC National Congress. Foreign reporters come from 134 countries, 19.6 percent more than at the previous congress, according to the congressional press center. "Now China has a strong voice in foreign affairs, including politics and economics. This is connected with the policies the country takes. So it is interesting to know what decisions about foreign policy and approaches to the world's market development will be made at the congress", Kirillov said. The Chinese currency has joined the elite reserve currency basket of the International Monetary Fund, or the Special Drawing Rights basket. It is an important shift for the yuan to become a currency unit used not only in trade inside China, but also in international financial operations, he said. For all these reasons, according to Kirillov, decisions made at the congress will be very important not only for China but for the whole world. Ana Goguadze, a Georgian Sinologist and founder and president of Georgian-Chinese media platform Sinomedia, said that China has opened its door to the world and "showed its power and humanity" at the same time. "The world is curious right now. I think we all want to see how far China can go. Everyone agrees that the country with the great past is becoming stronger and stronger every year," said Goguadze. Yuksel Mansur Kilinc of Turkey's Yon Radyo 96.6 radio station said that the Communist Party's openness to foreign journalists is a display of confidence. Watanabe Yasuhito, of Japan's Kyodo News, agreed. "We usually hear the official words from officials of the Foreign Ministry, but here at the congress, we get to hear the voices of grassroots CPC members," Watanabe said. Zhang Xixian, professor with the Party School of the Central Committee of CPC, said that one of the reasons the congress has drawn so much global attention is that China's "comprehensive national strength" is rising. "China's contribution to world economic growth and its power in leading world development are on the rise, and the world is beginning to shift its focus to China," he said. "The advantages of the CPC political system are gradually showing, which brings attention to the Communist Party," he said. Zhang said that for almost 70 years, the CPC has helped developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Belt and Road Initiative have also attracted the attention of many countries. Abdulwaheed Odusile, president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, said China and Nigeria are increasingly close and China has helped a lot with construction work in Nigeria. That is partly the reason their journalists came to cover "such an important event", Odusile said. "The 19th CPC congress is one that is open and transparent to the entire world, and it accepts acclaim as well as criticism," Zhang said. "Such openness has a big impact on the world." Xinhua The purpose of joining the WorldSkills Competition is not to win medals but to help build a team of skilled workers for the country's development, said a senior human resources official. Tang Tao, vice-minister of human resources and social security, made the comment on Saturday during the welcoming ceremony in Beijing for the return of the Chinese delegation from the 44th WorldSkills Competition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, which ended on Thursday. China won 15 gold, seven silver and eight bronze medals during the event, the best performance by a Chinese delegation since the country joined WorldSkills in 2010. It's a historic breakthrough that shows the growing strength of the country and the improvement of skilled Chinese talent, Tang said at the ceremony. China earned gold medals for the first time at the 43rd WorldSkills Competition in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2015, taking home five gold, six silver and three bronze medals. However, he said a lot more work needs to be done as China carries out the Made in China 2025 strategy, which was launched in 2015 to upgrade the country's manufacturing, especially in areas such as intelligent manufacturing and robotics. "To carry out the strategy and speed up the country's development, young Chinese skilled workers need to shoulder an even greater mission and the country needs more high-quality skilled talent," he said. "With the 44th WorldSkills Competition as a new starting point, let's endeavor to make more contributions to the country's development and honor the country." Song Biao from Changzhou Technician College in Jiangsu province, who joined the industrial mechanic millwright competition, was awarded the Albert Vidal Award for the highest score in the WorldSkills Competition. "My parents and relatives repeated to me that you can have a promising future only if you make it into a university. After joining Changzhou Technician College, however, I found many of the senior students who graduated became accomplished with skills they learned there," the 19-year-old said. "I have learned that you can succeed if you can get brilliant skills," he said, adding that he will continue to improve his skills to contribute to the country's development. Around 1,300 competitors participated in more than 50 events this year. China sent the largest-ever delegation - 52 members - ranging in age from 18 to 21. It was the first time that China participated in 18 of the events. The WorldSkills Competition is held every two years and is the world's biggest vocational education and skills excellence event. China was also selected in Abu Dhabi on Oct 13 to host the WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai in 2021. Strains of Cordyceps militaris grow on a silkworm pupa. The fungus has been found to contain chemicals that carry anti-cancer benefits.[Photo provided to China Daily] Chinese scientists have found evidence that a fungus used in traditional Chinese medicine widely sought by the public for its healing powers, also carries anti-cancer benefits. The scientists found there was an interaction between two anti-cancer compounds in the fungus Cordyceps militaris. The first, cordycepin, was noted in Cordyceps militaris in 1950, but how it interacted remained unknown. The second, pentostatin, was first identified from a bacterium and was developed as a commercial drug to treat leukemia and other cancers in the 1990s. "For the first time, we decoded the biosynthesis mechanism of cordycepin in the fungus, and during the research we unexpectedly discovered pentostatin," said Wang Chengshu, head of the research team at the Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, a branch of the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "These two compounds coexist in fungal cells in the form of a protector and protege - that is to say, cordycepin is synthesized with the coupled production of pentostatin to protect the stability of the former," he said. Their research also showed that the fungus initiates a detoxification process when the cordycepin in the body reaches an excessively high level, which can be toxic. "It reminds us that excessive intake of the fungus may not be healthful," Wang said. A paper about the team's findings after nearly eight years of research was published on the website of the international journal Cell Chemical Biology on Thursday. Cordyceps militaris, bright orange-yellow mushrooms sold as a fresh supplement for soups and stews, is a much more affordable alternative to caterpillar fungus. "However, in the research, we've proved that neither of the compounds is produced in caterpillar fungus," Wang said. Cordyceps fungi are popular in China for their widely believed immunity-enhancing and energy-strengthening properties. Their uses in medical treatment date to the Compendium of Materia Medica, a book widely deemed the encyclopedia of traditional Chinese medicine written in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). "There have been long-running arguments as to whether such fungi are antibacterial or anti-cancer, and people use them based on experience in most cases. It's a major advance that our team scientifically proved that Cordyceps militaris really carries such properties," said Guo Jinhua, Party chief of the institute. Many foreign students in China were encouraged by the report General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered at the start of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. More than 300 students from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, watched the live broadcast of the opening at Guizhou Minzu University on Wednesday. They were especially pleased when Xi said that China "will not close its door to the world, and we will only become more open". Students from 18 countries dressed in their local garb were inspired when Xi stressed the importance of both "bringing in" and "going global", and called on the country "to pursue the Belt and Road Initiative as a priority". "Openness brings progress, while self-seclusion leaves one behind," Xi said in the report to the congress. Vietnamese student Nguyen Phucng Thao, who is studying radio and television editing, was inspired by Xi's report, which she said gives a wider range of opportunities for her future career as a bilingual journalist. "With the high-speed railway between China and Southeast Asian countries being constructed under the Belt and Road Initiative, it will be much more convenient to come and do reporting in China," she said. Karki Sajana, a business administration major who comes from Nepal and has studied at the university in Guizhou province for more than a year, said she has paid special attention to China's soaring development and advanced technologies in agriculture because her nation is a predominantly agricultural society. "When I return home I'd like to reach out more to farming technology to make contributions to Nepal's agricultural development. We have so much to learn from China," she said. Xia Jingang, dean of the university's international education college, said most of the students who watched Xi's live report come from ASEAN countries, which have a tight connection with China. "Watching the opening session enables them to have a deeper understanding of China and its attitude toward the world," Xia said. "We hope their participation in one of the most important meetings in China can help reinforce their cultural identity and sense of belonging in China." Xaychalern Kongken of Laos said he will return home to teach at a college after graduation. "I hope my students will see an energetic and friendly China through my experiences and will come to China to study," he said. Qinghai-Tibet Plateau one of 'the best' places to detect gravitational waves China is building a new facility to detect primordial gravitational wavestiny ripples in the fabric of space-time that were generated during the birth of the universe. The facility is located 5,250 meters above sea level in Ngari prefecture, in the western part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where the air is thin and dry-"an ideal place to detect possibly the weakest type of gravitational waves", said Zhang Xinmin, the project's lead scientist. Its first telescope is set to be completed by the end of 2019, and the facility will be operational in 2020, said Zhang, who is also a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of High Energy Physics. "It will be the world's highest observatory for primordial gravitational waves," he said, adding that there are only four ideal locations on Earth suitable to detect such waves. The other three are in Antarctica, Chile's Atacama Desert and Greenland. "The one we have is the best spot in the northern hemisphere," Zhang said. Apart from searching for the waves, scientists also plan to detect cosmic rays with high precision and build China's largest optical telescope, he said. Chinese universities and institutes, as well as research organizations from Japan and the United States, are interested in joining the projects in Ngari, said Xue Suijian, deputy director of the National Astronomical Observatories of China. "China should utilize the unique geographical advantage of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, also known as the 'Roof of the World', to advance science, along with Tibetans' social and economic development," Xue said. Primordial waves were generated immediately after the Big Bang about 13.8 billion years ago, hence they are called "the first cry of the universe", Zhang said. The waves are so ancient that only traces are left in the residual radiation from the universe's early moments. "Studying these waves can help prove many of our hypotheses and unravel the origin and evolution of the universe," he said. While these discoveries are exciting for scientists, applications using gravitational waves are still decades away. However, "detecting these waves requires extremely precise and advanced equipment, ranging from lasers to data analysis," he said. "These tools might be useful in our daily life in the future." Apart from the facility in Ngari, China also has two other science projects in the works dedicated to detecting gravitational waves: Project Taiji and Project TianQin, according to Xinhua News Agency. In Project Taiji, China plans to launch three satellites around 2030 to detect waves created by black holes. In Project TianQin, the country plans to spend 15 billion yuan ($2.26 billion) to build a gravitational wave detection network consisting of satellites and land observatories by 2035. Andris Nelsons will take the baton and lead the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra during its China tour.[Photo provided to China Daily] The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra embarks on a tour of China from Thursday, visiting Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai and two other cities. Andris Nelsons, who is the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, will conduct 10 concerts for the orchestra through Oct 30. According to Daniel Froschauer, the president of the orchestra and a violinist, the orchestra will perform two symphonies by Ludwig van BeethovenSymphony No 8 in F Major Op 93 and Symphony No 7 in A Major Op 92"whose music played a hugely important role in shaping the sound of the Vienna Philharmonic from the beginning". The orchestra will also play Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben Op 40 and Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, "two of the most important composers in our history". Veteran actress Hao Lei in the hit TV series Full House [Photo provided to China Daily] TV drama Full House, a series reflecting the transformation of local Beijing life between the 1960s and the 1990s, has recently topped the ratings in 52 Chinese cities, according to leading television and broadcasting tracker CSM Media Research. Directed by Liu Jiacheng, the 47-episode series has also been released online, and has so far been watched more than 120 million times on the popular video-streaming site iQiyi. Thanks to emotional performances by veteran artists like He Bing, Hao Lei and Li Guangfu, the TV series was awarded a rating of 8.9 out of 10 points by film and TV review platform Douban.com. Centering on a chef played by He, the story chronicles the life of several families, who live around the same courtyard. A girl presents her sand painting at the art festival in a primary school in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Oct 21, 2017. [Photo/IC] The first sand painting art festival was held at a primary school in Qingdao of Shandong province on Saturday, with more than 2,000 students and parents participating. The art festival, with the theme of "Making sand art enter campus", is a presentation of students' imagination and creativity. The activity is meant to make more children fall in love with sand art and learn the craft. [Photo provided to China Daily] Chinese xieyi (drawing the "spirit of the beings") art is the theme of an ongoing exhibition in Athens. The show, Chinese Xieyi, is being held at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in the Greek capital through Nov 14. It displays 58 paintings and sculptures from the collection of the National Art Museum of China. The collections show that two main approaches have been adopted by generations of Chinese artists xieyi style that marks the importance of lines or strokes on canvas and gongbi style that highlights a meticulous depiction of subjects. The spirit of xieyi is presented not only in classic Chinese art but also works of many contemporary artists whatever the medium. The exhibition is part of a continuous effort by the National Art Museum of China to promote Chinese cultural traditions abroad. In the past five years, it has exhibited at museums in Poland, France, Mexico and Singapore. [Photo provided to China Daily] The late literati Qian Juntao was hailed for his versatility. He achieved success in classic Chinese painting, calligraphy, poetry, music and book publishing. Two years before he died in 1998, Qian donated hundreds of his works, seals he carved and his own collection of Chinese paintings and artifacts to the city of Haining in East China's Zhejiang province. A museum named after him was built there based on his donations and was opened to the public immediately after his death. A selection of this personal collections are now on show at the Zhejiang Art Museum in nearby Hangzhou through Nov 5. It was an amazing feeling when one of my Chinese friends residing in Najing, the capital of Jiangsu province, invited me to visit her. It really thrilled my visceral feelings and I decided to make my journey to China. My friend has a plan upfront therefore we could not face any problem related to the places to visit and their respective routes. I have been reading some valuable articles about economic growth of China under the leadership of current Chinese government and it proved out to be true. The locations I visited during my trip are the following: Confucius Temple People enjoying their trip to Confucius Temple. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] This is one of the most attractive places in Nanjing with its special nocturnal views. Though this place remains crowded but the security is praiseworthy. The sanitation is of the highest standard and the tourists always make their ways to tribute the scholar Confucius and his great philosophies. Zhenzhuquan A lake view at zhenzhuquan.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] Many people are unaware of this stunning scenic area but I was lucky to have a visit to this naturally beautiful and embellished zhenzhuquan. It is on the other side of Yangtze River and must be visited along with your beloved ones. The government has been remarkable in securing its natural beauty and the eco-system. I would highly recommend my country mates to visit this place. Mei Hua Shan An attractive view of Mei Hua Shan. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] Its one of the famous mountains in Nanjing; others include Purple Mountain, Fang Shan Mountain, and a few more. Nanjing is green and surrounded by mountains with lakes and a lot of historical places. Its an amalgamation of all the elements of tourism and when I visited mei hua shan, I just cant resist the nature could be so beautiful. Different flowers welcomed me and the fragrance refreshed my mind and energized me. Lao Men Dong A beautiful shop of handicrafts at Lao Men Dong. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] This place is a few minutes away from Confucius Temple and is one of the great performances by the provincial government because it is an ancient architecture in contemporary era. If you want to be in the past by a feeling of using a time machine then visit this place at once and you will be flabbergasted by combination of ancient and modern eras. The tourist industry in China has been transformed into a lucrative venture during these five years of current Chinese Government. I would highly recommend a trip to both the foreigners and Chinese from other parts, to gain knowledge and could learn something valuable from the history. Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 19th CPC National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 18, 2017. [Photo by Xu Jingxing/chinadaily.com.cn] In his report at the opening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that China is now in a decisive period if it is to realize the building of a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way by 2020. He said that during this period the government should focus on key tasks, prevent and defuse major risks, and take targeted measures for poverty alleviation and advance pollution prevention and treatment. Calling the years a decisive period means China is yet to complete these major tasks. The government must follow a problem-oriented approach and carry out a targeted approach to prevent and defuse risks, eliminate residual poverty, and advance pollution prevention and treatment. These are the key challenges China faces in its efforts to build a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way. Preventing and defusing major risks serves as a solid foundation for it to build such a society, and as Xi warned in his report, failure to do so will confront the nation with a big security threat, and its efforts to build a well-off society may be interrupted. Eliminating poverty in the country is a key goal to ensure everyone can enjoy the fruits of development. Despite remarkable achievements scored in China's poverty relief work, Xi's promise that "no single person will be left behind in the building of a well-off society" still remains hard to fulfill, and there is not much time left. Like poverty eradication, pollution prevention and treatment is also important, given that it has a direct impact on people's sense of well-being, and that building an ecological civilization is a millennium-long plan for China's sustainable development. Only with a problem-oriented approach can China promote balanced, coordinated and sustainable development, so its building of a well-off society in an all-round way comes true. --BEIJINGNEWS Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 19th CPC National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 18, 2017. [Photo by Xu Jingxing/chinadaily.com.cn] THE COUNTRY will inspire and protect entrepreneurship, and encourage more people to start businesses, General Secretary Xi Jinping said in his report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Beijing News commented on Sunday: This was the first time the term "private enterprises" was mentioned in a Party Congress report signaling full recognition of the value of non-State enterprises. It is worth noting that non-State market players have been given more chances to compete on a level playing field in the past five years, thanks to the introduction of a negative list approach and the deepening reform of State-owned enterprises. And special guidelines have been enacted to safeguard entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs' property rights. But private companies are also facing challenges with the Chinese economy entering its new normal and private investment growing at a slower pace. So a future priority of the National Development and Reform Commission will be to encourage the development of the private sector by lowering the investment threshold for emerging industries, said Zhang Yong, vice-chairman of the NDRC, the country's top economic regulator, on Saturday. Institutional support and guidance like this should make young entrepreneurs more confident about their future. There are 25 million private enterprises registered in China, contributing more than 60 percent of the country's GDP growth, at least half of its revenue, 70 percent of technological innovations and 80 percent of new jobs, according to Ran Wanxiang, vice-president of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee. The imposing red and white chimneys of Kobe Steel Ltd plant dominate the harbor of Kakogawa, Hyogo, Japan. [Photo/Agencies] Two recent scandals have tarnished Japan's image of a manufacturer of quality products. On Thursday Nissan Motor Co said it is suspending domestic production of vehicles for the Japanese market for at least two weeks to address misconduct in its final inspection procedures that has led to a recall of 1.2 million of its vehicles. This was followed by a more catastrophic scandal: On Oct 8, Kobe Steel admitted it has systematically faked data about the strength and durability of some aluminum and copper for more than a decade, while its former employees said the data tampering dates back to the 1970s. The 112-year-old steel-maker's fraud has very serious consequences as its aluminum and copper products have been used by Japanese companies, and their overseas counterparts such as general Motors and Boeing, to make a wide range of products, from cars, bullet trains, planes and rockets to defense equipment. Kobe Steel says the aluminum and copper data was fabricated because of delivery deadlines. The US Justice Department has demanded Kobe Steel to submit its documents related to the fabrications. And the European Aviation Safety Agency has asked companies to suspend the use of Kobe Steel products if possible. Some analysts have ascribed the company's fraud to fierce competition from "newcomers" to the industry such as India and China. Japan slipped one spot to ninth on the list of 137 countries and regions in the Global Competitiveness Report 2017-18 issued by the World Economic Forum on Sept 26, while some other economies in the Asia-Pacific region, including China, moved up. The decline in Japan's competitiveness can be partly attributed to the massive government debt, lingering deflation and the inflexible labor market despite its comparatively high-quality infrastructure and education level of its workforce. The WEF report warned that advanced economies, including Japan, are showing signs of declining productivity, and stressed they need technological innovation. Many large Japanese companies have expanded into too many areas and carry an inflexible labor force. The New York Times reported that Japanese enterprises' overseas acquisitions have doubled in value over the past three years, as declining business prospects at home have forced the previously inward-looking companies to venture into foreign markets. Desperate to attract new consumers, Japanese companies spent more than $100 billion on foreign takeovers last year, according to Dealogic, which tracks deal data. Measured in yen, it was a record high. A string of corporate scandals in recent years have soiled the Made-in-Japan label, which for decades has been a byword for quality, and show how some Japanese companies compete with their rivals. In 2011, Japanese medical equipment-making company Olympus Corp concealed massive investment losses. In 2015, the laptop-to-nuclear conglomerate Toshiba Corp admitted it had been doctoring accounts for years. Last year, Mitsubishi Motor Corp said it has used non-compliant fuel economy testing methods for decades. And in June this year, 84-year-old auto-parts supplier Takata, whose faulty airbag inflators have caused at least 16 deaths and 180 injuries and triggered the recall of tens of millions of cars around the world, filed for bankruptcy. A deeply entrenched corporate culture has been blamed for these high-profile scandals. Major corporations recruit students straight from universities, more often than not offering employment for lifetime and high salaries. This employment system has resulted in unwavering company loyalty and employees' reluctance to report irregularities. Experts say the Japanese government's measures to reform corporate governance may be partly responsible for the exposure of the scandals. Japan adopted Corporate Governance Code in 2015, setting rules on disclosure, shareholders' rights and independent directors in an attempt to promote greater corporate discipline and cultivate a more shareholder-friendly environment for investors. The progress has been encouraging, as at least two independent directors occupy chairs on the boards of four out of five Japanese companies. But successive revelations of corporate malfeasance have belittled the Japanese government's efforts to improve corporate governance, which is seen as the key to unlock the country's productivity in the face of an aging population and shrinking workforce. The author is China Daily Tokyo bureau chief. caihong@chinadaily.com.cn A delivery guy transports goods for the upcoming "Double Eleven" online shopping festival in Wantou village, Boxing county, Binzhou city, East China's Shandong province, on November 9, 2016. "Double Eleven", dubbed as the Chinese version of "Black Friday", falls on November 11 each year and was originally initiated by Taobao in 2009. It's later joined by other e-commerce conglomerates such as JD.com and developed into China's biggest annual online shopping spree. Wantou village is one of China's top 100 Taobao villages. [Photo/VCG] I am a self-professed shopaholic and traveler. While working in Japan for many years, I crossed the Japan Sea to visit Chinas most popular tourist attractions, which included the Great Wall outside Beijing, the West Lake in Hangzhou, the Li River in Guangxi province and the Bund in Shanghai. These tours are what the Japanese describe as pack tours: whirlwind 3 or 4 day trips where you see the best of China including outlet shopping to boot. Unlike many tourists who hate to be taken on forced shopping sprees, I love them. Once in Shanghai, I spent so much time and money in a silk outlet shop that the tour bus left without me! I vowed someday to work in China so I could see and shop more. My chance came in late 2012. One of my friends had mistakenly sent me a job advertisement to work at a small university in Loudi City, central Hunan. I inquired and was almost instantly granted the job. Although my adventurous spirit wanted to see a part of China that perhaps no Australian had traversed before, I hesitated to accept. My fears were allayed when my future boss assured me there was a Walmart in the town where you could buy everything you could ever want! My mother and I jumped with glee: I could buy anything I needed at a fraction of the price Id pay in Australia. On my first visit to the rather grubby Walmart in my new town, I knew I had been seriously misled. It wasnt the shopping mecca Id been promised! Prices for clothes, stationary and home-wares were more expensive than what I would have paid in Japan or Australia. Selection was also lacking. How is it that China, the source of the worlds merchandise, had less on offer at a higher price? I was terribly disappointed! Shops around the university were worse: only basic everyday items for university students. After spending almost two years relying on trips back to Australia to get my most needed items and clothing in my size, a small miracle happened. A Russian teacher, by the name of Sergei, arrived at my university and moved into the apartment next door. Russians, like Europeans and Asians, have an eye for beauty and a bargain. Although he couldnt read Chinese, hed somehow made a search on Taobao, the biggest online shopping site in China, and asked his students to help buy things for him. I followed suit, and soon I was whiling away the hours searching for stuff online like any Chinese. My apartment started to fill up, yuan flowed out of my bank, but the years of deprivation were over! Dont think for one minute that I am blind to the foibles of Taobao. I have received the wrong item, size or color. I have also received copied goods, which is of no surprise as it is estimated that 40% of products on Taobao are fakes. On the other hand, Ive found some cheap, useful household goods and the clothes are better quality and dont fadeif I pay more than 200 yuan per item. Taobao or is exactly as its name implies, a search for treasure. Sometimes you find gemstones and at other times rocks. Still, it is preferable to brick and mortar shops in China these days, which mostly disappoint Chinese and foreign tourists alike with their lack of variety and higher prices. To get more for my yuan and to quell my shopping cravings, Ill stick with Taobao for the moment. Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 19th CPC National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 18, 2017. [Photo by Xu Jingxing/chinadaily.com.cn] In the report presented to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China by Xi Jinping on October 18, Xi has timely and appropriately emphasized on China's foreign policy to deepen relations with its neighboring countries. Xi has made it clear that China is committed to cooperate with neighbors on development. His renewed emphasis has added momentum to the policy and it is expected that in the next five years many of China's neighbors will be on the high-speed track of development. It was heartening to hear Xi say at the Great Hall of the People, where more than 3,000 journalists including 1,800-plus from abroad were present, that China will deepen relations with its neighbors in accordance with the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness and the policy of forging friendship and partnership with its neighbors. Moreover, Xi also sent a positive message to many least developed countries, including Nepal, by pledging to increase assistance to other developing countries. He further opened China's generous heart and readiness to share its development dividends with its neighbors and the least developed countries. This is something which should make all the least developed countries optimistic about their development aspirations as China, the second-largest economy in the world, pushes forward for globalization. Xi also made it clear that China would oppose acts wherein strong countries impose their will on weaker ones and interfere in internal affairs. No matter what stage of development it reaches, China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion, Xi said in the report. China is known worldwide for its peaceful rise and non-interference and Xi has rightly emphasized on it while its global influence has grown along with its economic power. China remains firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, he said. Such foreign policy along with the major country diplomacy is bound to make all the developing countries feel secured and the developed ones assured as China is set to enter global center stage within a few decades. In the past several years since Xi launched the Belt and Road Initiative to champion and cooperate in infrastructure development, connectivity, free trade, tourism, cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonds along the countries of the ancient Silk Road and maritime route, the Belt and Road Initiative has made many developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America hopeful of speedy development. It is evidenced by the fact that over 100 countries, regions and international organizations have signed agreement with China. And given this, the emphasis that China will actively promote international cooperation through Belt and Road Initiative has proved China's consistency in its global development and cooperation policy. Such a policy consistency is of far-reaching importance at this time when Chinese socialism has entered into a new era. With the rise in protectionism in some countries, Xi's stress on keeping China's doors open for trade and investment, multilateral trade agreements, free trade, making economic globalization more open, inclusive and balanced so that its benefits are shared by all has been able to rekindle hope in many developing nations. If launching of the Belt and Road Initiative, strong support for economic globalization and free trade, climate change mitigation measures and global peace have all made Xi win global prominence, his emphasis on the same, including deepening relations with neighbors, and the measures to implement them in practice will change the face of the world for the betterment of most developing countries. This will ultimately make China shine more brightly in the global stage. The author is sub-editor of The Rising Nepal. MA XUEJING/SHI YU/CHINA DAILY Joel Bellassen, French Sinologist and president of the Paris-based European Association for Chinese Teaching [Photo/China Daily] Sinologist believes the world can deal with modern issues by learning from traditional Chinese culture Joel Bellassen has been a keen observer of China and Chinese culture over the years. A Sinologist, he was the first inspector-general of Chinese language teaching at the French Ministry of Education. "My motive in learning Chinese was to discover a culture that was distant from its Western counterpart," he said, referring to the four decades he has spent studying Mandarin. Regarding the changes he has seen in China, particularly in the past five years, Bellassen, who first visited the country in 1973, said he had witnessed many positive things. "For example, China has paid a great deal of attention to environmental issues, like improving the air quality, in recent years." He added that many changes had also occurred in China in the academic field in the past five years. "China has made great efforts in the protection and revival of regional languages and dialects during this time," he said. "This shows a respect for traditions and diverse cultures. "Many forums and symposiums advocating cross-cultural dialogue have been organized by the government and academic institutions, which is crucial and encouraging." Bellassen predicted this revival of traditional culture and the enhancement of cross-border communication will continue to be a trend in China. As for other changes, he points to Chinese etiquette as an example. "When I talk about etiquette, I not only refer to traditional manners in interpersonal communication, but also rules on official occasions," he said. "For instance, we've seen the Chinese hold some key international meetings in the past few years in which there are mature formats (receiving guests). The West, however, now makes such occasions look casual." He said the modern world still needed rituals in international communication, and it is easy to find their roots in Chinese culture. Bellassen also has some unconventional explanations for common cultural phenomena, which the Chinese people often take for granted. As an example he cited China's public square dancing. "It actually reflects the Chinese people's tradition of regimen, which is good for a harmonious society and people's mental health, and should be learned by the rest of world." As someone familiar with ancient Chinese philosophy, he also advocates that the world should look for solutions for some modern issues in old Chinese wisdom. Bellassen is also the president of the Paris-based European Association for Chinese Teaching, which he founded in 2015. Looking to the future, Bellassen said as more people in Europe begin to learn Chinese, their understanding of Chinese society will increase. "Knowing Chinese is a trump card for job hunters from overseas because it is now an international language," he said. But economic growth is not the only impetus for the development of Chinese. "For instance, in France, many parents see learning Chinese as a way to develop the intelligence of their children." Bellassen also sees cultural similarities between France and China boosting the popularity of Chinese in his homeland. "Both China and France have always attached great importance to historical studies and literary pursuits, since ancient times," he said. "Learning Chinese is similar to studying philosophy, which involves metaphysical thinking and thus builds the foundation to understand other aspects of Chinese culture, like cuisine and poetry." The Liangjiang International Movie City in Chongqing, China's wartime capital during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), features replicas of old streets and historical buildings that bring visitors back to the 1930s. Many people rent costumes to dress up as residents or even movie stars of that time as they walk around the city. [Photo by Tan Yingzi/China Daily] Surrounded by two rivers, the mountain city of Chongqing attracts droves of tourists with its blend of 360-degree landscapes, spectacular night views and delicious spicy food. But just a one-hour drive from the city's downtown lies another side to Chongqing at Liangjiang International Movie City, which preserves its illustrious past as China's wartime capital during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). In 1937, the Kuomintang government led by Chiang Kai-shek established Chongqing as China's capital and the southwestern city began to play a critical role in the Asian theater of World War II. During that time, the inland city witnessed a sudden influx of government officials, bankers, businessmen, scholars, diplomats, writers and other social elites from the rest of China. The former Soviet Union was the first country that submitted a request to set up an embassy in the wartime capital. The Soviet move was followed by similar requests from more than 30 other countries, including the United States. The city soon became the new center for the country's politics and culture, and quickly developed into a dynamic metropolis. Opening last December, the movie city features a replica of six Chongqing main street blocks from the 1930s containing over 220 historical buildings, as well as riverside neighborhoods featuring wooden houses and docks from the era, and sections of the city's ancient walls. The shops, cafes and restaurants around the scenic area offer authentic food and drinks from the 1930s, while a range of cultural activities are offered to help evoke memories of the old days. A trip to the movie city is like traveling back in time. Mourners carry the coffin of police captain Ahmed Fayez, who was one of 16 officers killed in a gun battle on Friday in Giza province, during his funeral at Al-Hosary mosque, in Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday.Alaa Elkassas / Associated Press IS suspected after 16 personnel killed in 'carefully planned' attack The world has voiced strong support for the battle against terrorism after a shootout between Egyptian police and terrorists left 16 officers dead in the desert of Giza province. Fifteen terrorists were either killed or injured in the ambush on Friday, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said. Early reports estimated that more than 50 policemen were killed. No group has yet claimed responsibility but authorities said it bore all the hallmarks of Islamic State. The United Nations Security Council, in a press statement, condemned "in the strongest terms" the ambush and underlined the need to bring perpetrators of acts of terrorism to justice. The 15-nation council urged all states to cooperate actively with the Egyptian government. Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit also denounced the terrorist attack and expressed full support for Egypt in its battle against terrorism. The attack proved once again the significant danger posed by terrorism against Arab societies, the AL chief said. Jordan's Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani expressed Jordan's support for Egypt as well as its efforts in standing up against terrorism and preserving the country's security and stability, local media reported. Momani called for increased regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and radical ideologies, especially after the success in defeating Islamic State. Likewise, the Libyan eastern-based parliament stressed the importance of security coordination with Egypt to eliminate terrorist organizations, according to a statement. "The Libyan parliament and people confirm solidarity with Egypt in the fight against terrorism and extremism. Our war against terrorism is common. All dark schemes target the security of all of us," the statement said. In addition, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said "there is no difference between terrorism that inflicts Egypt and terrorism that inflicts other countries," according to a statement. Israel called for united forces with other countries "to defeat terrorism more quickly," it said. The United States condemned the attack in a statement issued by State Department, offering "profound condolences to the families of the deceased and the government and people of Egypt... at this difficult time." The firefight began when security forces acting on intelligence moved against a militants' hideout in the al-Wahat region of Giza, authorities said. Backed by armored personnel carriers and led by senior counterterrorism officers, the police contingent drew fire and rocket-propelled grenades, according to the officials. The officials said what happened next is not clear, but it was thought the force ran out of ammunition and the militants captured several policemen and later killed them. The officials said the ambush had been carefully planned by the militants. Xinhua - AP A letter written on April 13, 1912 and recovered from the body of Alexander Oskar Holverson, a Titanic victim, was due to be auctioned on Saturday, and is seen in this photograph received via Henry Aldridge & Son, in London, Britain on Oct 20, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] LONDON - A world record price of over 166,000 US dollars was paid at an auction in Britain Saturday for one of the last known letters to have been written on board the famous Titanic ocean liner. Oscar Holverson, a US businessman, who was a passenger on the Titanic, wrote it on April 13, 1912, just before the liner hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage to New York in the early hours of April 15. It is the only known letter, on headed Titanic notepaper, to have gone into the Atlantic Ocean when the ship went down, and survived. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge had given the letter a reserve price of between 80,000 dollars and 105,000 dollars, but an unnamed British collector took the bidding to its world record price. The price beat the 157,000 dollars paid in 2014 for a letter that had been written a few hours before the Titanic sank. Holverson, described as a successful businessman, had written the letter to his mother during the voyage. He had boarded the Titanic at Southampton with his wife Mary and they were making their way home to New York. Although his wife survived, Holverson perished in the disaster and his body was recovered later, with the water-stained letter inside a pocket book. It was eventually delivered to his mother. In the letter, Holverson had described the Titanic as like a palatial hotel, and also mentioned seeing fellow passenger John Jacob Astor who he described as one of the richest man in the world. Astor also died in the sinking. Aldridge, who runs a family auction business in Wiltshire, said content of the letter took to it to another level in Titanic memorabilia, because of its date, the fact it went into the Atlantic and the observations it contained. He said even if the letter was virtually blank, it would still rank as amongst the most desirable, such as the nature of the paper, its markings and history. Other Titanic items sold in Saturday's auction included a set of keys belonging to a steward in the First Class section, which fetched 100,215 dollars and two previously unpublished photos of the Titanic as it departed from Southampton, which were sold 31,650 dollars. RIYADH - United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to discuss the Gulf countries' rifts with Qatar, Al Arabiya local news reported. This is his second visit to the region in recent months as he seeks a breakthrough in a diplomatic crisis gripping the region. Saudi Arabia leads Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Egypt in the decision to sever ties with Qatar in mid of this year over allegations of the terrorism support by the later. Qatar has denied such accusations. The US official toured the region in July and failed to convince those countries to set for a talk to end their disputes. Besides Qatar, Tillerson is expected to review regional issues in Yemen and counterterrorism efforts, according to a statement by the US State Department. The US official will also attend the first meeting of Saudi-Iraqi coordination meeting in Riyadh, held as part of Saudi's approach to improve ties with the country to counter Iran power in Iraq. A poster of China National Peking Opera Company for its show at London's Sadler's Wells. [Photo/newschina.com.cn] LONDON - The China National Peking Opera Company (CNPOC) returns to Britain for the fourth time when it brings four performances to London's Sadler's Wells this weekend, with the debut of "A River All Red" on Saturday night attracting over 1,000 Chinese nationals and Londoners alike. This is the fourth time the CNPOC has brought productions to Britain, following its tours in 2005, 2015 and 2016. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the China-UK ambassadorial diplomatic relations. With the troupe's first three tours well received by British audience and critics, Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming called the troupe "a golden brand" for China and UK cultural exchange. The performance of "A River All Red" in London is a reproduction of the classic. The opera is a show presenting all four fundamental elements of this performing art -- singing, speaking, acting and fighting. The company has also made improvements on the original production by fine-tuning the tempo, adding more stage imagery effects with modern multimedia technology. British audience Dylan Dryden told Xinhua that the performance of Chinese opera is extraordinary. "It is very very good, very classic -- the costumes and the fashion expressions and the make up and the singing and story -- it's very good, I don't understand the mandarin but I read the story and it's very touching," he said. The opera's leading actor Yu Kuizhi said in an interview with Xinhua that after three times of touring in the UK, the passionate engagement of the audience and the wide attention of the mainstream media have shown the cultural literacy and appreciation of the British audience and their strong interests in Chinese traditional culture. As China's premier Peking Opera organization, the CNPOC comprises celebrated performers, playwrights, directors, composers and stage designers, and has accumulated some of the finest repertoire of productions ranging over the wide diversity of Peking Opera performance styles as well as innovative pioneering works. The United Kingdom's largest education-sector trade union is calling for British schools to be given more resources to support the teaching of Mandarin. The National Education Union made the call after the Department for Education reported modest results for its national Mandarin program. The progress report shows 382 students enrolled on the Mandarin Excellence Programme, which aims to have 5,000 British school children speaking Chinese by 2020. The figures suggest that, if student enrollment rates are not accelerated, the government will struggle to achieve its target set in September 2015 when the 10 million pound ($13.2 million) initiative was announced. Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the union, expressed concern about the number of Mandarin teachers and the range of resources. "It is no surprise that money has been wasted and outcomes are below what was expected," Bousted said. "The number of modern foreign language teachers is actually declining. The lack of resources in the teaching of Mandarin is reflected across not only modern foreign language teaching, but the entire education sector." She said the government needs to address the"teacher recruitment and retention crisis" if it wants more success. In its report, the government said a "majority" of the 382 Mandarin students at 14 schools had achieved marks of 80 percent or higher in tests of reading, writing, listening, and speaking Chinese. The UK School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said the program is necessary because Mandarin is an important language in a "globally competitive economy". "This will give them a significant advantage when competing in the global jobs market, and is particularly important as we prepare to leave the European Union," Gibb said. The program is supported by the British Council and the Confucius Institute at the Institute for Education within University College London. Mark Herbert, head of schools programs at the British Council, said: "Mandarin Chinese is one of the languages that matters most to the UK's prosperityand its importance is only likely to increase as the UK repositions itself on the world stage." Katharine Carruthers, director of the Confucius Institute at UCL, said the program aims to add more schools and a further 1,000 learners during the coming academic year. She said at least 100 new Chinese teachers will be qualified by the end of the program. Chinese tourists walk through Parliament Square in central London in August. [photo/Agencies] Many Chinese visitors to the United Kingdom are avoiding hotels and favoring serviced apartments, according to a trade body. The Association of Serviced Apartment Providers said Chinese visitors have increasingly sought out serviced apartments in the past 12 months, with some buildings reporting a 30 percent rise in the number of Chinese occupants. Joyce Cawthorpe, the association's marketing manager, said: "Several of our members have experienced a very significant increase in business from China last year, averaging out at 20 percent.Chinese guests are now the largest overseas market for luxury serviced apartments." Gavin MacLennan, general manager of Lateral City Apartments in Edinburgh, said nearly 25 percent of its guests are from China, compared to five percent in 2013 when the apartments were first available. "Serviced apartments are very well suited to the Chinese market," he said. "They provide room for more guests, allowing larger groups to travel together. More space also means more room to relax, which is a big draw for guests from China who tend to be on longer stays than those from the UK." Serviced apartments usually feature a well-equipped kitchen, so "longer-stay guests can cook for themselves a big plus for our Chinese guests looking for a home from home", MacLennan said. Zhou Lili from Hangzhou, in East China's Zhejiang province, elected to stay in a serviced apartment in London along with three friends during the recent Golden Week holiday. Zhou said they chose to rent an apartment because "it offers more space and privacy". "We have the choice to decide whether we want to eat out or cook our own meals," Zhou added. The most recent VisitBritain report shows overseas visits from China during the first six months of 2017 were up by 47 percent compared to last year to a record 115,000. Spending was also at record levels, at 231 million pounds ($305 million), which was up 54 percent on the first six months of 2016. That means each Chinese visitor spent more than 2,000 pounds on average. The UK currently has 21,262 serviced apartments. Some 15,000 more are set to be built by 2020. The sector is worth 864 million pounds, according to the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers. The organization revealed that serviced apartments in the UK averaged an 81 percent occupancy rate in 2016, outperforming hotel rooms, which had a rate of 77.2 percent. On their sons third day of high school, the parents of 17-year-old Sharoon Masih learned that he had been in a fight, had suffered a serious injury, and been taken to the hospital. They rushed to the hospital and there found him dead. The boys from his class who had brought him there told us that he died in the classroom, said his mother, Razia Bibi, a Christian woman in a predominantly Muslim country. Police said that on Aug. 27 another student at the school in Punjab, Pakistans most populous province kicked Sharoon in the stomach and that he died of internal injuries. The student charged in his death now awaits trial, but police are not calling the attack a hate crime. However, many Christian Pakistanis, who make up less than two percent of the countrys population, suspect the teenager was targeted because of his religion. Christians, they say, are often forced to occupy the lowest rungs of the social ladder, and are regularly discriminated against in education, employment and housing. Advocates for Christians in Pakistan note that another Christian boy was killed violently this year: On Oct. 9, police killed a 14-year-old Christian boy in an incident still under investigation. Pakistan is fourth on the list of 50 countries that the U.S.-based nonprofit Open Doors which advocates for persecuted Christians lists as the most difficult in which to be a Christian. Christians, while one of the largest religious minorities in Pakistan, are far from the only group to suffer for their beliefs. The Ahmadiyya, who consider themselves Muslim but are widely labeled heretics, are forbidden by law from calling themselves Muslims, and have long been persecuted. Sunni Muslim extremists in his mostly Sunni country have launched lethal attacks against the Shiite minority. Sharoons mother said the first day of school did not go smoothly for her son. He told her that other boys had teased him, warned him against drinking from a glass used by Muslim students, and called him choora, a Punjabi slur typically leveled at Christians. A teacher scolded him for not wearing the school uniform and made him stand outside of class. Sharoon skipped school the second day to use money he had earned over the summer to buy a uniform. He returned to school the third day, was attacked, and died. The Muslim student taken into police custody in the case said the violence was not motivated by religious differences. Sharoon, he told police, had angered him by breaking the screen on his mobile phone. But his family is sure Sharoon is dead because he is Christian. The word choora which Sharoons family said his schoolmates had used to taunt him connotes someone who has dark skin, comes from a low economic class and does dirty work for a living, such as cleaning bathrooms. Asif Aqeel, a Pakistani journalist and advocate for the rights of religious minorities, said discrimination against Christians is so blatant that some government advertisements for janitorial jobs state that only non-Muslims should apply. Aqeel said that a disproportionate number of Christians work as cleaners in government offices. Elaine Alam, secretary general at Formation Awareness and Community Empowerment, a group that works throughout Pakistan to bolster the rights of women, minorities and young people, said that, sadly, Pakistani Christians often expect to be called choora. The term choora has been accepted by the average Christian mindset. They have accepted it as a title, from which common Pakistanis will know them or call them, she said. But Jawaid Tahir Majeed, the equivalent of the police commissioner in the region in which the teenager died, said police have interviewed 34 other Christian boys from the school and none have complained of discrimination. Most of the time the religion of these boys was not discussed in school and they did not know who was Christian and who was Muslim, he said. Aqeel said it is possible there was no hate crime, but questions remain. Why did the boy beat Sharoon up so much? What flared the anger? he asked. Sharoons parents say they just want to know what happened to their oldest son and why no one saved him. Sharoon wanted to be a lawyer, said his paternal uncle, Liaquat Masih. We had already arranged for him to start as an apprentice at a lawyers office and study law after he completed high school, he said. He added that Sharoons father has stopped sending his six other children to school because he does not feel they will be safe. Courtesy: Religion News Service Photo: President Trumps hostile rhetoric against North Korea is being met by ominous threats against the United States from that countrys leader, Kim Jong Un, and his regime. That much is clear from reporting by Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times, who found Kims threats echoed by both military and Foreign Ministry officials. The tone of my own encounters with North Koreans was quite different when I visited there six years ago. I went with Dyon Chang, the founder-owner of the Forever 21 clothing chain and a South Korea-born American citizen. Chang had learned about floods and landslides that had devastated several villages in the northern part of North Korea. Crops had been destroyed and people were dying of hunger. Chang, a devout Christian, arranged to have tons of flour, corn and cooking oil shipped to those villages, with two stipulations. One was that each bag and container had to have a cross on it, with the words in Korean: Love your neighbor as yourself. Second, he had to visit the villages to be sure that the supplies were being distributed there. Thus, our trip. We were driven by a high-level government official for 10 hours north of Pyongyang. When we arrived at the villages, we were greeted by women and children, who sang words of welcome and gratitude. An encounter in one of those villages was particularly memorable. As we were getting ready to leave, a young mother carrying her child, a boy not yet a year old, came over to me and held out her child, clearly wanting me to take him in my arms. She had a pleading look on her face. She clearly wanted me to do something. Hugging the boy, I closed my eyes and prayed for him, asking God to keep him safe and healthy. When I opened my eyes I kissed the child on the forehead and handed him back. She smiled, with tears streaming down her cheeks. A second memorable encounter, also involving tears, occurred two days later, back in Pyongyang on a Sunday morning. Our government hosts took us to a worship service at a church built by Presbyterian missionaries early in the 20th century. We were told that it was one of the four legally permitted Christian worship services in the country. That it was not a one-time event staged for us was confirmed by German and Canadian diplomats who were present they told us they worshipped there each week. I was especially taken with the churchs choir, about 20 members who wore the kinds of robes that could be seen in many local Protestant congregations here in the U.S. They sang, in Korean, an evangelical favorite: What a Friend We Have in Jesus. As they were singing the verse, which describes how Jesus understands when we are weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care, I saw tears streaming down the cheeks of one of the choir members. The little boy whom I held in the village should be about six years old now. I still pray for him. And I pray also for the woman in the choir whose tears I saw. I despise Kim Jung Un, North Koreas leader. But I dont want us to declare war on his country. I offer up my prayers for peace regularly, but for me those prayers are associated with the tears on two faces. Courtesy: Religion News Service Photo courtesy: Wikipedia Publication date: October 23, 2017 I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up. When their concerns are heard and addressed, small congregations get healthier, and the entire church is stronger. The Church Is Stronger When Small Congregations Are Encouraged, Resourced And Engaged The body of Christ can't afford to alienate small churches any longer. Especially since we make up 90 percent of churches, where half of all Christians attend, worship and minister. Imagine any other group in which that large a segment of its population regularly felt marginalized, overlooked and patronized. There's no way that group, company or country could be healthy. But we do it in the church. Usually unintentionally, but we do it. Church Growth Includes Everyone For almost five decades now, the church growth movement has been the dominant voice in church leadership circles. And for good reason. As I wrote about in 5 Principles Small Churches Can Learn From Megachurches, they've brought a lot of great blessings to the church as a whole. But every good thing has unintended consequences. In the church growth movement, one of those consequences has been the lack of encouragement and resources for congregations that stay small, despite following all the church growth steps. If we want the body of Christ to remain strong, focused on mission and reaching our communities and world with the gospel of Jesus we can't overlook the smaller congregations any more. When small churches and their leaders feel valued and involved, they do better ministry. When small churches and their leaders feel valued and involved, they do better ministry. When their voices are included in church leadership conversations, the body of Christ is better informed. When their concerns are heard and addressed, small congregations get healthier, and the entire church is stronger, more united, and more fully engaged in the mission. Big And Small Churches Need Each Other If you are in a position of influence over the church in a region, denomination or through your books, blogs, podcasts and conferences, I have a request. Please listen to the voices of small congregations. Hear our challenges and frustrations. And pay attention to what we have to offer. Dont belittle us for not getting bigger. Equip us with the tools we need to be healthy, innovative and missional while were small. We need you. You need us. And a world without Jesus needs all of us united, engaged and on mission together. Copyright 2017 by the author or Christianity Today. Click here to read our guidelines concerning reprint permissions. This summer, on lawns all over my small hometown, a crop of signs appeared, bearing witness to what had happened in our area over the past year. Several teen suicides had rocked our quiet community in Oregons Willamette Valley, and people were understandably distraught. We asked the kinds of questions communities must confront when shocked and shaken by similar tragedies: Why? Why were teenagers taking their lives? Who was to blame for their despair? What could be done to stem the tide of loss? The white and black signs, no larger than those that flourish during election season, were one mothers answer to these questions. On a weekend morning, Amy Wolff posted 20 signs around town, each with a singular slogan: You Matter. Dont Give Up. Your Mistakes Do Not Define You. You Are Worthy of Love. In just a few weeks, Wolffs campaign spread to other communities in Oregon and neighboring states. Anecdotal evidence suggests young people, including students at Newbergs schools, have found hope in these messages; Wolff reports hearing from those who have been encouraged to persist in living despite their despair. Yet for our communityand for many others, where one self-inflicted death is one too manya small though significant positivity campaign cannot be the end of any effort to combat teen suicide. While affirming that You Matter is an important step in helping those struggling with mental illness diagnoses, communities need to take other significant actions to reach those who grapple moment by moment with despair and suicide ideation, particularly at such a young age. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of suicide for girls aged 1519 doubled between 2007 and 2015, and there was a smaller though significant uptick in suicide rates for boys. A Time article in late 2016 indicated that though there has been a substantial increase in teens who are depressed, the country has not seen corresponding growth in resources for mental health options. In a 2014 study, more than three million adolescents in the US had a major depressive episode in the past year, and yet most schools and most communities remain unprepared to address the challenges they are facing. Given these startling statistics, our countrys youth face a major mental health crisis: one that the church and its pro-life mission need to confront, urgently and compassionately. Now more than ever, Christians are recognizing the need to reach those with mental health diagnoses. Writers like Sarah Lund and Amy Simpson name the stigma that often accompanies mental illness and challenge readers to see mental illness for what it is: a health condition caused by physiological changes in the brain, and one that can inflict tremendous suffering, especially if left untreated. Yet, for many, the stigma of mental illness remains, and those in the church with diagnoses often suffer in silence. Having heard that the joy of the Lord is their strength or that they need only pray more to be healed or that happiness will accompany the faithful, many who suffer from mental illness keep their diagnoses a shameful secret. One silent sufferer was Madison Holleran, an Ivy League athlete who, months into her first year of college, took her life in 2014. Her story is told in Kate Fagans excellent new book, What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen. In What Made Maddy Run, Fagana writer for ESPNnarrates the last few months of Madison Hollerans life, using interviews with family and friends, alongside her texts, emails, and social media accounts, to piece together the potential forces that led Holleran to make her life-ending decision. Article continues below By all appearances, Hollerans was a picture-perfect life, and the 18-year-olds social media platforms presented an always-happy, always-positive identity. Even during her months long battle with a deepening mental illness, Holleran attempted to front a different persona, making her death all the more shocking to many who knew her well. While Fagan refrains from identifying any singular reason why Holleran took her own life, What Made Maddy Run suggests the stress of being a college athlete played a role. Hollerans experience as a Penn cross-country runner reflects the intense pressures put on young athletes. More significantly, a majority of those with mental illnesses experience the onset of their disorder in late adolescence or early adulthood; for many, the transition to college exacerbates symptoms while also isolating the sufferer, who is often away from the support of family and close friends. The connectivity provided by the internet does little to mitigate that isolation, and for Holleran, compelled to present the best possible images of her life at Penn, social media intensified her loneliness rather than alleviating it. Part of Fagans reporting included analyzing Hollerans texts and browsing history. While there was no indication that Fagan was bullied online, this is another parental fear that accompanies internet access and its relationship to suicide, probably for good reason. In a recent court case, Michelle Carter was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for convincing her boyfriend to take his life; the documentary Audrie and Daisy (streaming on Netflix), provides chilling evidence that online bullying can have devastating consequences, especially for teen girls who have been sexually assaulted. Unfortunately, a simple You Matter campaign probably would not have been enough to reach someone battling so intensely with a mental illness, as Holleran presumably was. Still, the ideology upon which the campaign was founded should be at the heart of the churchs engagement with young people who struggle with mental illness diagnoses: the idea that every single person matters, because every person is an image bearer of our Creator. Too often, though, our churches have provided mixed messages, at best. Some congregations convey that our mistakes really do define us and that those on our margins dont really matter enough for us to institute any real, long-lasting change to the way churches operate. The seemingly rigid legalism of some Christians conveys a sense that we need to be perfectalmost without sinto be part of a Christian community; its not surprising that a simple Google search of being perfect as a Christian yields over five million sources. Though we acknowledge our imperfection as followers of Jesus, we also hear that those with faith will not struggleor, assuredly, they will not mention their struggles in their churches. Reading What Made Maddy Run, I wondered how Hollerans life and Wolffs You Matter campaign might inspire churches to think differently about the young people in their communities who suffer from mental illnesses. What would it mean to let young people knowreally knowthat they matter? What would it mean to let them know their mistakes do not define them, and that they should persist in living, even when the challenges of mental illness diagnoses leave them reeling? One mythology about suicide is that the more it is discussed, the more likely young people are to consider self-harm. Research has shown that this is not the case, and that talking about suicidal ideation does not increase the risk of suicide. Churches need to be discussing suicide more openly with their young people, and those who have struggled with thoughts of self-harm (and believe me, such people exist in every congregation) are perfectly positioned to help drive these discussions. Article continues below In my home community, Nate McIntyre, an admissions counselor at George Fox University, has been speaking in middle- and high-school groups about his experiences with depression, anxiety, and thoughts about suicide. McIntyres talks have been one way to address teen suicide directly, allowing teens to see that real people have lived and survived (and even thrived) despite mental illness. Discussions that destigmatize suicide also require that we change the language we use to talk about suicide. We may be inclined to say that suicide is a selfish act or that young people gave up on life, but its important to reframe our language to acknowledge that most often, suicide emerges out of a persons illness and an attempt to end deep, persistent suffering. Knowing this, even saying that someone committed suicide is problematic, as the connotation is that suicide is a crime to be committed, rather than a tragic act of desperation. Naming the despair that can accompany mental illness can be difficult work, as can walking alongside those facing the challenges of parenting a teen with a mental illness. The human tendency toward avoiding discomfort sometimes means that those who are struggling face increased isolation when what they need most is connection to others. Being comfortable is the province of the privileged, though. Followers of Jesus are called to step toward, not away from, those who need support, love, and the acknowledgment that they exist and are worthy no matter the challenges they face. Finally, those who work with young people in churches need to make suicide prevention a priority through both discussions and forums but also by informing teens about the resources available to them within their home communities. This effort needs to be comprehensive and should not necessarily target only those we assume are depressed. What Made Maddy Run provides an important reminder that sometimes we cannot easily identify those who are struggling most, and equipping all teens to recognize the warning signs that might lead to suicide is crucial. When resources do not exist, it is imperative that churches themselves fill the gap, providing a safety net for people in their community who are struggling. And churches need to stay connected to the young adults in their congregations once they graduate high school and move on. As Fagan notes in What Made Maddy Run, this is a crucial time for young adults, and authentic connections to others, at home and elsewhere, are vital. My sons and I have talked about the teen deaths that occurred in our hometown, and they are beginning to understand the gravity of mental illness, as well as how to reach out to peers who are struggling. I am grateful for Wolffs You Matter campaign because it has generated awareness in my hometown, and I have more confidence that if my boys need help, they will find ample resources and a loving church community to support them. I am also grateful that other local churches are changing the conversation about suicide. Newbergs Red Hills Church has even made a central component of its mission statement that its okay to not be okay and is doing the intentional work needed to reach those who are suffering. When teens who feel despair are bombarded with a million images telling them that everyone else is okay, this is the kind of message they need to hear. Fagans What Made Maddy Run makes this point clear. And so, because Fagans book has also informed my understanding of mental illness, I plan to make What Made Maddy Run a regular part of the first-year seminar I teach each year. Just like other teens, I want students starting at George Fox to recognize that they matter. This is the message they need to hear, not once or twice, but over and over again. Melanie Springer Mock is a professor of English at George Fox University and the author or editor of five books, including Worthy: Finding Yourself in a World Expecting Someone Else (forthcoming from Herald Press, April 2018). Her essays and reviews have appeared in The Nation, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Adoptive Families, and Mennonite World Review, among others. She and her husband and sons live in Dundee, Oregon. [ This article is also available in Portugues and Indonesian. ] home World Sudanese authorities detain shipment of Arabic Bibles without explanation Port authorities in Sudan have detained a shipment of Arabic Bibles for two years without providing an explanation, according to a representative of a Bible society. The representative, who wished to remain anonymous, told Morning Star News that a shipment of Arabic Bibles that was headed for Sudan's capital of Khartoum has been detained by authorities in Port Sudan for more than two years. Due to the delay in the release of the shipment, the Bible Society in Sudan still does not have a single copy of an Arabic Bible available in Khartoum, the source said. Another container with Arabic Bibles was also withheld, but it was released shortly after appeals to port authorities. The source further noted that other shipments of Bibles have been detained at Port Sudan, on the Red Sea, over the past two years. Other international organizations that provide Bibles have also complained about the detainment of shipping containers full of Bibles. Most cases have been attributed to corruption, but some cases are believed to be attempts to keep the Judeo-Christian scripture out of the country. The representative of the Bible society pointed out that the detainment of Bibles in Sudan also took place before 2011, with one shipment held up for almost four years. Christian leaders have speculated that Sudan may be open to releasing the shipment after the U.S. government lifted the sanctions against the country on Oct. 12. Sanctions have been placed against Sudan since 1997 due to its terrorist ties and violations of human rights. According to the representative, a port official has recently indicated willingness to consider releasing the shipment. Following the secession of South Sudan in 2011, Sudanese authorities launched a crackdown on churches and Christian literature, on the pretext that most Christians have fled the country after the separation. In 2013, the Sudanese Minister of Guidance and Endowments announced that it will no longer grant new licenses for the construction of new church buildings, citing a decrease in the South Sudanese population. As many as 25 churches in Sudan have been designated for destruction earlier this year. On May 7, a church building, which began as a refugee camp for South Sudanese, was demolished in the Khartoum suburb of Soba al Aradi. On Aug. 2, a Baptist church in Omdurman was demolished by the authorities. The government has maintained that the churches were built on land that was intended for residential or other use, or were on government land, but church leaders have suggested that it was part of a wider crackdown on Christianity. Sudan has been designated by the U.S. State Department as a Country of Particular Concern since 1999, due to its treatment of Christians and other human rights violations. 5 minutes with A Roman marble portrait bust of the Empress Livia Antiquities specialist Alexandra Olsman admires a 1st-century likeness of one of the most controversial and intriguing characters in all of Roman history offered on 25 October at Christies in New York When I saw her, I stopped in my tracks, says Alexandra Olsman, Antiquities specialist at Christies in New York, of this portrait bust of the Roman Empress Livia (58 BC-29 AD). Its pretty much exactly what you want from a marble portrait head. While portrait heads of Livia exist, theyre rare. The Antiquities team took it in with the idea that it might be a representation of Livia. When Olsman was finally able to view it, the specialist recalls, there was something about it, especially the shape of the upper face, that made me think it could be Livia. But we needed to do more research. When it came to New York, thats when we really hit the books and found some compelling parallels between this portrait bust and depictions of the Empress from the time of her grandson, the Emperor Claudius. Livia was the first Empress of Rome, explains Olsman, but more than that, she was one of the most controversial and intriguing characters in all of Roman history. Her 51-year relationship with the future Emperor Augustus began with a tinge of scandal. Born Livia Drusilla in 58 BC, she met Augustus (then called Octavian) in 38 BC, while heavily pregnant with her second child by her first husband. Augustus divorced his then-wife Scribonia, marrying Livia one year later. Livia was by Augustuss side in 14 BC when he created the Principate generally regarded as the most significant political shift in Roman history and stayed with him until his death in 14 AD. Roman historians intimate that Livia had Augustuss heirs killed so that she could put her own son, Tiberius, on the throne Roman historians Tacitus and Cassius Dio wrote extensively about Livia, depicting her as scheming, ruthless and aggressive someone who would stop at nothing to consolidate her husbands power. They intimate that she poisoned Augustuss heirs, or had them killed, so that she could put her own son, Tiberius, on the throne, Olsman says. Whether or not its true, thats what happened. Augustus had at least three heirs who died under mysterious circumstances. Augustus adopted Tiberius in 4 AD, assuring Livias place in the dynastic succession: Caligula, Claudius and Nero were all her descendants. Livias various recorded personas ran the gamut from evil temptress to Olympian goddess, and representations of the Empress likewise shifted during and after her lifetime. Her official portrait in sculpture, developed in the 20s BC, denotes a slightly arched forehead, strong nose, small mouth and sturdy chin. Her hair is styled in a nodus a roll of hair over the forehead, with a coiled braid at the nape of her neck. The relative austerity of this likeness embodied the Augustan feminine virtues of modesty and chastity. Open a larger version of this image In this posthumous representation, Livias hair is a luscious, wavy mass that recalls the depiction of Olympian goddesses in the 5th century BC Changing the way we look at art Fernand Legers Contraste de formes (1913) Offered for the first time at auction, a groundbreaking painting of the early 20th century that marks a departure from the purely figurative and the advance towards abstract art Painted by Fernand Leger in 1913, Contraste de formes belongs to a series of paintings that changed for ever the way we look at art. Across the course of just a few months, in a sequence of some 14 canvases, Leger advanced beyond Cubism into a visual language that abandoned the representational concerns of his contemporaries, Picasso and Braque. Instead, his only subject was pure, abstract shapes and colours, hinged on a network of forceful lines. It's like a punch to the solar plexus, says Conor Jordan, Deputy Chairman, Impressionist and Modern Art at Christies in New York. The rhythm that bursts out of it is palpable and exciting to be in the presence of. To stand just inches away is a great thrill it gives you a sense of the beautiful rawness of the surface. The Contrastes de formes have long been considered cornerstones of important collections of modern art, and thus nearly all examples from the series are today housed in major institutions. This exquisite picture, offered in New York on 13 November, comes from the property of the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, and proceeds from its sale will go towards the foundations philanthropic mission. This is pure painting seen in its most exciting form, bursting with visual and intellectual ideas, adds Jordan. Contraste de formes, among the greatest Leger paintings still in private hands, has a startling intensity. The work of Leger during 1912-1914 is the story of the push towards pure or non-representational painting in France. The artist authored two lectures on his ideas, which were delivered at the Academie Marie Wassilieff, an art school in Paris. The first was given in May 1913 and the second in June 1914. Together they provide fascinating insights into the mind of a groundbreaking painter, struggling to give verbal expression to the visual problems that he faced in the studio. Leger felt that the accelerating pulse of modern living required a more radical approach in order to reflect its new sensations Leger wished to replace the illusory dynamism of Italian Futurism, with its use of modern, cosmopolitan subjects treated in motion, with a true pictorial dynamism. He also sought to move beyond the influence of Cezanne, whose work had made an overwhelming impression on him when he saw the masters memorial retrospective at the 1907 Salon dAutomne. Leger felt that the accelerating pulse of modern living required a more radical approach in order to reflect its new sensations. La femme en bleu, painted in mid-1912 and shown at the Salon dAutomne that year, was his answer to these issues. Leger took a stable subject as in a Cezanne portrait and invested it with extreme formal contrasts: flatly coloured planes opposing modelled tubular, conical and cylindrical forms. He was by now on the verge of pure painting only vestiges of the subject remained and in early 1913 he took the plunge with his Contrastes de formes, the series that occupied him for the remainder of the year and into 1914. Leger fabricated a tumbling surface in which shapes simultaneously appear to project out of the picture plane or recede into it, thereby suggesting volume. All the component lines, forms and colours are actively engaged as they play off each other to create a jolting, rhythmic composition. To obtain their maximum expressiveness lines, forms, and colours must be employed with the utmost logic Fernand Leger In his second Academie Wassilieff lecture prepared as he was bringing this series of paintings to a close Leger declared, Composition takes precedence over all else; to obtain their maximum expressiveness lines, forms, and colours must be employed with the utmost logic. It is the logical spirit that will achieve the greatest result. His technique is simple, without room for vacillation, and much of the force of these paintings is the result of its simplicity, writes Christopher Green, an authority on the artist. It leads invariably to the clear separation of line from colour patch so that, not only is the entire picture surface animated by the movement of volumes, but every surface contains its own arsenal of contrasts out of which it is built. Conor Jordan states that the Contraste de formes series show Leger synthesising a lot of influences, including Analytical Cubism and Italian Futurism, whose artists had exhibited just a year earlier in Paris. [Leger] went at these paintings as though he was a sculptor, says the specialist. Its an unlined canvas that also hasnt been varnished, so its physical condition is as close as is possible to the state it was when it left Legers easel A $5,000 reward has been posed to help police track down a a trio of robbers who carjacked a Houston father in July, striking him with a half dozen bullets that forced the amputation of both legs. Crime Stoppers of Houston has offered the reward in the case of Samuel Bonilla, 21, who spoke with reporters Monday afternoon about the July 21 armed robbery. "These people need to get off the streets immediately because they are a threat to our society," said Matthew Hernandez, an officer with the Houston Police Department, translating for Bonilla. Bonilla appeared in a wheelchair; both legs were amputated because of severe wounds sustained during the shooting. Bonilla, who has a two and a half-year-old son, said Monday through a translator he was grateful to be alive. But, he added, he could not hold his son the way he used to and was unable to return to his job in the restaurant industry. Bonilla was returning home from work at about 11:40 p.m. when he was attacked by a man who began shooting at him as he opened the door, according to a Crime Stoppers news release. It marked one of a handful of times in 10 years that Jeff Brieden, a senior HPD officer, has seen a robbery where the aggressor fired before even asking his victim to hand over his or her wallet and keys. "There's a sense of urgency when a case like this happens," said Brieden, referring to the need to apprehend the robbers. Bonilla was parking his car in the lot of his apartment complex, in the 10600 block of Sabo, when the shooter approached him. The man pointed a gun at him and fired, hitting Bonilla six times. Bonilla tried to escape, but collapsed from his injuries just a few feet from his car. Witnesses said two more men joined the shooter; at least one of the other two men also fired, according to the news release. The three of them took Bonilla's wallet, car keys and cell phone. They then got into Bonilla's dark gray 2018 Toyota Camry and left the complex. About five hours later, authorities found Bonilla's Camry at Margaret Jenkins Park, in the 3300 block of Airport, about 15 miles away from Bonilla's then-apartment. The car had been set on fire. By the time authorities made it to park, the car was completely incinerated. There was no evidence inside of the vehicle. The three suspects were still at large Monday. A sketch of the first shooter was released Monday. He is described as a 140-pound man between 5-foot 4-inches and 5-foot 5-inches in height. He appeared to be about 24 years old. He had dreadlocks. The second suspect is described as having a similar height to the first. He appeared to be about 15 years old. The third suspect was about 6-foot 1-inch tall. He weighed between 180 and 210 pounds and appeared to be 21 or 22 years old, according to the news release. Information can be reported to Crime Stoppers by phone at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or online at crime-stoppers.org. Four people who police believe may be teenagers were caught late Sunday in a possible string of T-Mobile store break-ins. Police headed just before midnight to a T-Mobile location in the 5300 block of Westheimer, near the Galleria, after reports that several people in a maroon car were breaking into the business, said Lt. Larry Crowson with the Houston Police Department. Dear Abby: I am a divorced and remarried man with two teenage daughters. My ex-wife has custody of my girls one state away. I see them as often as time and the courts allow - two months during the summer, a week during winter break, rotating Thanksgivings, etc. Both of my daughters are failing miserably in school, but I am most concerned about my younger daughter. She is 13 and is rebelling badly. I recently spoke with the principal at her school and was told she puts forth zero effort. She arrives at school unclean, and fellow students have complained about the way she smells. She blames her actions on my absence. This devastates me. I have always tried my best to make her understand that she was not any part of the reason her mother and I divorced. I try to call her often. My biggest problem is I'm not good at casual conversation and idle chitchat. Generally, when we talk, we end up sitting in silence until one of us says, "Well, I gotta go." My question is, how do I get better at talking to my baby girl so I can let her know how important she is to me? "Gotta Go" in Florida Dear Gotta Go: Living one state away, you can't force your child to shower and make sure she is clean and dressed in fresh clothes before she goes to school - but her mother can and should. Shame on her for allowing it because the girl will become a social pariah, if it hasn't happened already. If her poor grades and hygiene are caused by depression, she should be seeing a counselor. Those phone calls might become easier if you take a few minutes and make a list of topics you think she's interested in, as well as questions to draw her out, before picking up the phone. Ask her what she thinks about something or how she feels about things rather than yes or no questions. Tell her you are thinking about her and that you love her every time you call because that's really the most important message you are trying to convey, and the one she needs the most to hear. DearAbby.comDear AbbyP.O. Box 69440Los Angeles, CA 90069Andrews McMeel Syndication Over the last few weeks, I have had the opportunity to speak with numerous groups concerning public education and how it is impacted by the legislative process. The way by which we fund our public schools affect every person in one way or another. Be it by a child/grandchild who attends, someone who works for the district, those who pay property taxes, or even the indirect impact on every consumer in our state - we are all impacted. So then comes the question, where does the money come from? In addition to an estimated $30 billion in taxes paid annually by property owners across the state, over 37 percent of the 2018-2019 State Budget went to education. Our Texas Supreme Court determined Texas' funding of public education to be legal, though clearly state the methodology needs to be overhauled. I totally agree. Our state must step up to the plate and deal with this problem. To continue pushing more of the burden onto local property taxpayers is not acceptable. Each session, we have 140 days to deal with statewide issues and legislation. Property tax relief must always be a top priority. Taxpayers in HD 18, just like those throughout the state, are being pushed to the breaking point when it comes to taxation. We continually see an increase in our statement even though many districts have not raised the tax rate. This is a direct result of property valuation. As valuations rise, so goes the tax bill! We cannot reform our property tax system without first reforming how we fund education. As a preliminary step in dealing with the state's flawed system, I supported HB 21 which would have given taxpayers some much needed relief. The Senate rejected the Houses proposal of injecting $1.8 billion into public schools, instead reducing the amount by $1.5 billion. Significant changes to school finance during the 2019 legislative session will be a priority. Taxpayers expect and deserve nothing less. I welcome your thoughts on this issue as well as any others. By working together, we can bring about positive change. As always, if there is anything I can assist with or if you have questions concerning public education, you can reach me by email at district18.bailes@house.texas.gov or by calling 936-628-6687. THEFT Four rings were stolen from a resident's hand between the beginning of September and Oct. 6 at Friendship Haven, 1500 Sunset Drive, according to a family member's Oct. 10 report to police. FRAUD A Friendswood man reported the unauthorized use of his credit card information Oct. 10, police said. He discovered the fraud after receiving alerts about attempted transactions at an ATM and Treasures, both in Houston, according to the report. A Friendswood man told police Oct. 11 someone filed a FEMA claim using his identity and home address. The imposter reportedly was awarded $500 through a wire transfer and has since applied for an SBA loan using the Friendswood man's identity, police said. A Friendswood man found six unauthorized transactions on his debit card account Sept. 30, according to an Oct 12 police report. The transactions reportedly were made at an ATM on Westheimer in Houston. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF A rental car's window was broken while it was parked in front of a residence in the 200 block of West Willowick Avenue, according to an Oct. 14 police report. A vehicle's passenger-side back window was shattered sometime overnight in the 3900 block of Townes Forest Road, according to an Oct. 16 police report. The passenger door also was keyed, police said. NARCOTICS Police charged a Friendswood man, 36, and a Houston man, 28, with possession of a controlled substance after a traffic stop Oct. 11 in the 100 block of Echo Avenue. An officer reportedly found an open container of alcohol in the cup holder as well as a bag containing 40 doses of alprazolam during a vehicle search. Bond for each was set at $1,500. Police charged a homeless man, 40, with possession of a controlled substance after a welfare check Oct. 12 at Skyhawk Apartments, 17231 Blackhawk Blvd. Officers arrived to find the man sleeping on a bench and discovered he was wanted in Galveston County for assault. An officer conducting inventory at the jail reportedly found crystal methamphetamine, 12 fraudulent checks, several sheets of blank checks and USB drives in the man's possession. Bond was set at $20,000 for the drug charge, but the assault warrant had no bond, police said. A Friendswood woman, 45, was charged with possession of a controlled substance after she reportedly was loitering in a bank parking lot Oct. 13 in the 200 block of East Parkwood Avenue, police said. An officer found three small bags containing methamphetamine in the woman's purse, according to the report. Police charged a 19-year-old Friendswood man with possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop for a license plate violation Oct. 14 in the 4400 block of Friendswood Link Road. An officer reportedly found several marijuana cigarettes in the ashtray, next to the driver's seat and in the center console during a vehicle search. A Friendswood woman, 32, and a League City woman, 28, were charged with possession of a controlled substance after an officer noticed a vehicle driving without headlights on into oncoming traffic Oct. 16 in the 100 block of Winding Road, police said. The younger woman was taken into custody for driving with a suspended license. She reportedly had bags containing a mixture of cocaine and methamphetamine in her underclothes, police said, and her bond was set at $25,000. The passenger's bond was set at $100,00 after a search revealed a bag of methamphetamine residue in her backpack and another bag of methamphetamine in her underclothes, according to the report. DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED A Friendswood woman, 48, was charged with DWI after a reckless driver was reported Oct. 10 in the 2200 block of South Friendswood Drive, police said. An undercover officer confirmed the vehicle failed to maintain a single lane, hit a curb and nearly struck another motorist, according to the report. The woman failed a field sobriety test and was found to have a Galveston County probation violation warrant, police said. Bond was set at $3,500. Police charged a League City woman, 39, with DWI and possession of a controlled substance after she reportedly drove onto a curb Oct. 14 in the 300 block of Whispering Pines. She had a bottle of liquor in the backseat and failed a field sobriety test, according to the report. Bond was set at $2,500. A Houston man, 31, also was taken into custody for public intoxication. During a vehicle search, the officer reportedly found tramadol and a bottle of vodka. PUBLIC INTOXICATION Police charged an Alvin man, 26, with public intoxication after he reportedly hung his upper torso out of a moving vehicle while not wearing a seat belt Oct. 13 in the 300 block of North Friendswood Drive. The driver passed a field sobriety test and was told he could take his friend home, but the passenger refused and told officers to take him to jail, according to the police report. Police charged a Friendswood man, 30, with public intoxication after a witness reported a man asleep with his legs in the roadway Oct. 15 in the 3500 block of West Bay Area Boulevard. An officer found the man asleep in the median, police said. ASSAULT Police took a Friendswood woman, 26, into custody for assault, family violence after she reportedly grabbed and scratched her ex-boyfriend during an argument Oct. 11 in the 600 block of Castlelake. DISORDERLY CONDUCT Police arrested a 17-year-old League City man for failure to identify after he reportedly used profane language toward a clerk at the Friendswood Municipal Court. An officer approached him in the parking lot, and the man refused three requests to provide his identification. He was taken into custody, and the officer searched his person and found the identification. A Webster woman, 33, was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after a disturbance Oct. 13 at Taco Bell, 209 E. Parkwood Ave., police said. A witness reported a woman with rainbow hair running around the drive-thru, and police arrived to find the woman yelling at staff in the restaurant. She refused to give her name and would not show the officer her ID. She also resisted the officer's attempts to detain her, according to the report. Bond was set at $1,500. TRAFFIC Police charged an Alvin man, 59, with driving while license invalid and possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop for multiple license plates Oct. 10 in the 3100 block of Park Bend Drive. The man's driver's license was suspended and he had several outstanding Galveston County traffic warrants, police said. The officer reportedly found an open container of beer under the passenger seat, a small bag of marijuana in the console, marijuana in the glove box and a black bag containing syringes, a scale, a spoon and methamphetamine residue during a vehicle search. A Houston man, 26, was charged with driving while license invalid, possession of drug paraphernalia and no insurance after an officer observed him making a U-turn to park in front of a closed business Oct. 16 in the 5000 block of FM 2351, police said. A vehicle search reportedly yielded a bag of marijuana. OTHER INCIDENTS Police are investigating a case of illegal dumping Oct. 10 at Hometown Bank, 3211 FM 528. A foreman working at the bank reported the incident and provided police with the name and phone number of the suspect retrieved from invoices attached to some of the dumped boxes, police said. Attempts to contact the suspect were initially unsuccessful. When the victim contacted the suspect by text message, the suspect replied, "Catch me if you can," according to the report. An Alvin man, 45, with a warrant for retaliation turned himself in to League City police Oct. 15. He reportedly threatened physical harm to a witness cooperating in a criminal investigation in which he is a suspect, police said. The man posted a $20,000 bond and was released Oct. 16. Drug take-back day allows citizens to clear medicine cabinets Law enforcement representatives will accept unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications for off-site disposal at several locations during Bay Area Medication Take-Back Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 28. Drop-off sites include: Hope Lutheran Church, 1804 S. Friendswood Drive; Bay Area Annex, 16602 Diana Lane; Kemah Police Department, 1401 Texas 146; League City Police Department, 555 W. Walker St.; Taylor Lake Village City Hall, 500 Kirby Blvd.; and Webster Fire Station, 18300 State Hwy. 3. No sharps will be accepted. For information, call a participating police department or the Bay Area Alliance for Youth & Families, 281-284-0370. Information also is available at www.ccisd.net/alliance. Experts lead self-defense course Women can learn realistic self-defense tactics during a 15-hour course at Hope Lutheran Church of Friendswood, 1804 S. Friendswood Drive. The RAD Systems-or Rape Aggression Defense-program focuses on awareness, prevention and risk reduction and includes the basics of hands-on defense training. Course times are 6-9:30 p.m. Nov. 16 and Nov. 17; 4-8 p.m. Nov. 18; and 2-6 p.m. Nov. 19. Attendance each day is required. The class, $25, is open to women 12 and older. For details, contact officer Kevin Crouch, kcrouch@friendswood.com or 281-996-3316. Memorial City was awash in pink overnight Wednesday in honor of breast cancer survivors. The area in west Houston paid tribute to the survivors and those who are fighting the ravages of breast cancer. As the skies darkened, buildings utilized about 2.3 linear miles of LED lights to paint the area pink. Pink lights illuminated 23 buildings, bridges and garages as visitors inside went to "pedal for pink" with Cyclebar and Hotel ZaZa Memorial City at the Sip-N-Cycle event. The overnight display ended at dawn on Thursday, Oct. 19. Memorial City is a 265-acre mixed-used development located in west Houston. It is owned and managed by MetroNational. For more information, visit www.memorialcity.com. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Holocaust Museum Houston broke ground on a $33.8 million expansion on Wednesday, Oct. 18. The new Museum is 57,000 square feet with three floors, each floor with a specific new features. Construction is expected to begin next month with a possible completion in 2019. During the construction, the museum will move to a temporary location in the 9200 block of Kirby. The building will be named after Lester and Sue Smith, who donated $15 million to the museum. "It's important to him and all the Smith family to remain good stewards of the blessings God has given us," Sue said. Gary Markowitz, board chair, said that the museum is more than a building, that the people themselves are the museum. "Together we have the responsibility of serving as the custodians of survivor memory and culture," Markowitz said. He added, "The work we do bridges the gap between remembering the lives lost in the Holocaust and conveying the relevance and history of the Holocaust." Markowitz said the dramatic expansion of the museum will help introduce more exhibits including the ability to expand on their educational programs. "Our charge is to combat ignorance with education, and replace disbelief and denial with proof," Markowitz said. The first floor will contain: A permanent exhibit "Bearing Witness: A community Remembers", which will house and preserved The Danish Rescue Boat and The German World War II Railcar. The Rhona and Bruce Caress Anne Frank and Young Writers' Voice Gallery, which will feature the work of Anne Frank and other young diarists through an electronic diary. The Human Rights Gallery, which will provide a space for students to learn about human rights and genocide that occurred during the 20th and 21st centuries, the Changing Exhibits Gallery and the Central Gallery will also be on the first floor. The second floor will contain: The new Moral Choices Hall and Jerold B. Katz Foundation Butterfly Loft, this will feature three-story Butterfly Loft, which symbolize the 1.5 million children that died in the Holocaust. The Samuel Bak Gallery and Learning Center, a permanent gallery, will contain a collection of 129 of Bak's paintings that were donated to the museum by the artist, who is a renowned Holocaust survivor and painter. The Boniuk Center for the Future of Holocaust, Human Rights and Genocide Studies, which is set to have new and current educational programs in addition to a Warren Fellowship for Future Teachers, the Spector/Warren Fellowship, Max M Kaplan Summer Institute, All Behaviors Count, Engines of Change Student Ambassadors, Educator in Motion and Through Their Eyes. The Albert and Ethel Herzstein Auditorium, which will feature a professional performance-sized stage, a dressing room and has the potential to host films and musical performances onsite. The auditorium has 200 seats. The third floor will contain: The Boniuk library, which will provide over 10,000 volumes and a number of resources for research and education. Oral testimonies for research purposes will also be available for the public along with genealogical searches. A 32-person staff administration office will also be on the third floor. Ruth Steinfeld, a Holocaust Survivor, took to the podium for closing remarks the highlighted the importance of choosing love over hate. "I always felt like the Holocaust Museum was my second home, because there I could share, I could talk, I could be, with all the survivors who weren't able to be here," Steinfeld said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A man was killed late Wednesday after fleeing gunfire and ramming a car into a southwest Houston home. Police were first alerted to commotion in the normally quiet neighborhood about 11:15 p.m., when several residents called to report gunfire in the 8500 block of Reims, said Sgt. Thomas Simmons, with the Houston Police Department's homicide division. Police were then sent on a seemingly unrelated call to the 7400 block of Darnell, where they found a man dead inside of a truck, crashed into the the front of a house. Witnesses said they heard gunshots just before the crash, prompting investigators to link the two events. Bullet casings littered the scene of the shooting, two blocks away from the crash, Simmons said. Police believe the driver of the truck - who has not been identified - was at the scene of the shooting before hitting the house. The car came to a stop inside of the home's garage. Police were unsure early Thursday if the driver was killed from the crash or from gunshot wounds, Simmons said. The man had been shot once, according to an HPD news release. The residents of the house were asleep at home at the time of the crash. None of them were injured. The police lacked Wednesday morning a motive or a description of a suspected shooter. Anyone with information about the gunfire can contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Oct. 13 An officer observed a vehicle traveling northbound towing a trailer with another vehicle following it in the 6400 block of Rutgers. The officer followed the vehicles through the neighborhood and then observed both vehicles take off at a high rate of speed running stop signs. The officer lost sight of the vehicle again but was able to obtain necessary information. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the truck/trailer had just been stolen from the area and dumped in the 3300 block of Robinhood. The owner was located and the truck/trailer returned with nothing missing. At 2:00 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the Harris County jail for a West University warrant pickup. A subject had warrants with West University Police Department, where he was brought to the jail facility for the booking process. At 3:54 p.m., an Officer was dispatched to the 3700 block of Georgetown in regards to an accident, Failure to Stop and Give Information (F.S.G.I), which already occurred. Oct. 14 At 3:22 p.m., an Officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regards to an accident, Failure to Stop and Give Information (F.S.G.I), which already occurred. At about 6:30 PM, West University Place PD dispatchers received a 911 call in reference to a robbery in the 3000 block of Sunset. On arrival, officers learned that an unknown black male suspect exited a white Pontiac Grand Prix and grabbed the victim's purse that was around her shoulder. The suspect then ran back to the vehicle that was occupied by two additional suspects and fled the scene. The victim did sustain minor injuries. The West University Place Police Department is asking for assistance in locating or identifying the suspect(s) in this case. Anyone with any information may contact the West University Place Police Department at 713-668-0330 or e-mail us at crime@westutx.gov. YOU CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS. An Officer was dispatched to the 4000 block of Bellaire Blvd. in regard to a disturbance in progress. Upon further investigation a subject was taken into custody for Theft and Simple Assault. Oct. 15 An officer found a small amount of marijuana while conducting a facility check. Oct. 16 An Officer was dispatched to the 3700 block of Robinhood to speak with a resident in reference to a fraudulent claim that already occurred. Officers were dispatched to the 5800 block of Kirby in regards to a disturbance in progress. Upon further investigation it was discovered that both subjects, along with an uninvolved family member, had open warrants. During the investigation, it was also discovered that one of the subjects was in possession of marijuana. The subject qualified for the Harris County Misdemeanor Diversion Program in which he agreed to participate. All subjects were subsequently booked for their open warrants and transported to the West University Place Municipal Jail without incident. At 10:15 pm, Police Officers were dispatched to the 3900 block of Riley, in reference to a Robbery, which had already occurred. Oct. 17 An officer was dispatched to West U PD Lobby in regards to an Identity Theft. An officer observed a vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed in the 6500 block of Buffalo Speedway. The officer conducted a traffic stop and upon further investigation, it was discovered that the driver of the vehicle did not have a driver's license. The driver was arrested for No Operator's license and transported to the West University Place Jail Facility where she was booked and processed. An officer observed a vehicle travelling northbound in the 6000 block of Buffalo Speedway. The officer checked the vehicle's registration and it was found to be fictitious. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was arrested for fictitious registration. Oct. 18 At 11:16 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 3100 block of Plumb for an expired temporary tag. Upon further investigation, it was discovered the driver was operating the vehicle on a suspended license and had an outstanding warrant. Subsequently the driver was taken into custody. At 12:33 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regard to an Identity Theft that already occurred. At 2:53 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regards to a fraud that already occurred. At 3:10 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regards to a theft that already occurred. At 3:10 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regards to a fraud that already occurred. Oct. 19 At 12:09 pm, an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby to speak to a resident regarding a letter they received from FEMA about filing for benefits. At 12:57 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regard to a possible Identity Theft. At 1:33 PM, a West University Place Police Department officer in an unmarked car observed a vehicle stopped alongside a landscaping truck in the 5800 block of Westchester. The unmarked officer then observed the vehicle proceed to the stop sign where the backseat passenger exited and ran up to a yard. The vehicle then made a U-turn in the intersection and picked up the backseat passenger with unknown item(s) before speeding off. The unmarked officer obtained the vehicle description and license plate before losing sight of the vehicle. The vehicle and suspects were located and stopped moments later by another WUPD officer at Bissonnet and Weslayan. WUPD officers recovered the stolen property, apprehended and transported the suspects to the WUPD Jail. One of the Katy area's newest master-planned communities, Cane Island, played host to the Katy Area EDC General Assembly meeting on Oct. 17. Auggie Campbell, president/CEO of West Houston Association, shared information about the association's Hurricane Harvey Response Plan for mitigating flooding in the west Houston area which includes the Katy area. The plan, which was developed by the WHA Flood, Wetlands and Drainage Committee, focuses on several key areas including improving bayous, better conveyance of water and improving reservoirs and reservoir capacity. The plan also focuses on improving programs to buy out homes which have experienced repetitive flooding events. Notably, the plan calls for the construction of a third reservoir referred to as the Cypress Creek Reservoir which would be located north of Interstate 10 between Grand Parkway and U.S. 290 in the Cypress area. According to estimates presented, the total cost for the plan would be in the $30 billion range with a goal of deriving a large portion of the funding from congressional action and the federal government. Katy Area EDC serves on the WHA Flood, Wetlands and Drainage Committee and assisted with the planning process. Katy Area EDC recently passed a resolution endorsing the plan. "Improving flood control throughout the entire Houston region is paramount to the continued vitality of our economy," said Katy Area EDC President/CEO Lance LaCour. "We look forward to working with West Houston Association to advocate for flood mitigation and prevention projects." Visit katyedc.org for more information. Detectives with the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office are investigating a deadly home invasion after they said a River Plantation woman shot and killed her neighbor. Authorities said the dead woman, identified as 38-year-old Marci Green, attempted to break in to her neighbors home but was shot and killed by the homeowner after she warned Green to stay outside. According to Precinct 1 Justice of The Peace Wayne Mack, deputies were dispatched to the 600 block of North Carolina Park in the Conroe subdivision of River Plantation around 9:15 p.m. on Saturday night. As the call was dropping, it became a shots fired, Mack said. Once on scene, deputies learned the homeowner reported Green had tried to come into her front door and the homeowner retrieved her weapon. Green then went around the back of the home and attempted to get in a back door. Mack said Green was pronounced dead after being transported to the Conroe Regional Medical Center with a gunshot wound. She actually opened the screen door and started coming in the back door, Mack said. The homeowner advised her to not come in the house and feared for her life. The homeowner, Mack said, then fired one round hitting Green. A video of investigators at the scene posted on YouTube by Scott L Engle, shows EMT removing Greens body by stretcher from the home authorities said she attempted to burglarize. Several MSCO cars and ambulances lined the intersection of North Carolina Park and Braxton Bragg Lane as investigators canvassed the scene. Montgomery County Sheriffs Office Homicide and Violent Crimes Detective Sgt.Paul Hahs said in the video that Green was found on the ground with a single gunshot to the abdomen. She was transported by the Montgomery County Hospital District to the hospital where she was pronounced dead at about 10 p.m. Mack has ordered an autopsy. Precinct 2 Constable Gene Deforest, whose department has a contract for security patrol in the subdivision was first to arrive on scene, Mack said. Aside from being shaken up, upset and distraught, the homeowner was not injured in the shooting, said Montgomery County Sheriffs Lt. Scott Spencer. Investigators are examining the relationship between the neighbors and checking to see whether there had been any previous disturbances in the area, Spencer said. We will continue interviewing witnesses and wait on the autopsy, Spencer said. Once the investigation is completed, we will send it over to the District Attorneys office for them to proceed as they see fit. As of Sunday evening, no arrests had been made and no charges had been filed in the shooting. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Inadequate food and housing is an immediate threat to children in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, according to a group of Houston-area nonprofit leaders who are working together to ensure youngsters are the priority of recovery efforts. On Monday, leaders of the newly formed Hurricane Harvey Children's Recovery Collaborative announced strategies to protect the area's youngest residents following the late-August storm and over the coming years of community restoration efforts. FULL COVERAGE: Get the latest on Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of Children at Risk, said 117,000 children in Harris County and more than 2 million among the dozens of storm-impacted counties were "significantly impacted" by flooding. "A lot of vulnerable children are still in need of help," he said. Now Playing: The Austin shelter for Hurricane Harvey evacuees is closing. Video: Fox7 During a news conference in the lobby of the Houston Food Bank, Sanborn announced that the collaborative is focusing on food insecurity, housing challenges, child care issues and mental health among other issues. Jenifer Wagley, deputy director of Avenue CDC, called on FEMA to extend housing vouchers for displaced families until at least the end of the year. "There is no safety net for families. So, if the vouchers run out, there's nowhere for people to go," the housing nonprofit leader said. "Families should not have to go month-to-month and not know if they're going to get to stay in the hotel that they're in and not know where they're going." Brian Greene, President and CEO of the Houston Food Bank, said food insecurity is driven by choices between housing costs and nourishment. "The challenge that we as a community now face is that for tens of thousands of households, they now are going to have a longtime extra burden," he said. For many, that means paying a rent or mortgage and utilities on a flood-damaged home while pouring additional resources into temporary housing. "Historically, we know that the way that these households cut to meet expenses is on nutrition and quantity," Greene said. "That's the flexible expense that they have." The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent an additional 24 million pounds of disaster relief supplies to the food bank that is almost exhausted, Greene said, but another 25 million pounds of FEMA aid has been approved that will get the food bank through the next six months. Houston City Council District B member Jerry Davis said adverse childhood experiences can have long-term consequences far into adulthood. He advised city residents who need help to seek information about food, child care and other recovery resources at community centers. The collaborative, which include more than 60 organizations, continues to work on its plan. Sanborn noted that the immediate and future needs of children are "not going to be solved quickly." Those who need help or guidance should call 211. Avenue CDC is offering housing counseling and can be reached at 713-864-9099. Matt Johns from Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston added that the storm is an "invisible disaster" for undocumented children and families who do not qualify for much of the available government aid. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Two Houston ISD elementary students were injured Monday while walking to their southeast Houston campus. The students - who attend Lewis Elementary - were hit about 7:55 a.m. by a car near Broadway and Rockhill, said HISD spokeswoman Millie Quintanilla and Houston police spokeswoman Jodi Silva. The students' names and ages have not been released. They were described only as a boy and a girl. The students were taken to an area hospital. Their injuries were not life-threatening, Quintanilla said. Check back for updates on this developing story. Agape love is the type of love that is referred to mostly in the New Testament. The Greek word "agape" is the word Paul uses in the New Testament in Galatians 5:22 when he speaks about the fruits of the spirit, the love he is talking about is agape love. Agape love is the highest form of love and can be demonstrated in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Now say this scripture again, but this time, instead of "world" insert your own name. "For God so loved "Debra" that He gave His only begotten Son. Agape love is what God felt for mankind and this kind of love is what allowed Jesus to die on the cross for our very salvation. God's love for mankind drove him to action to act on our behalf with the ultimate sacrifice so we could be saved and have eternal life. According to Rick Renner, "agape love" is a love that loves so profoundly that it knows no limits or boundaries in how far, wide, or deep it will go to show this love to its recipient. If necessary, agape love will even sacrifice itself for the sake of that object or person it so deeply cherishes. In his book, Mr. Renner, goes on to say agape love is a love with no strings attached. It isn't looking for what it can get, but for what it can give. Its awe of the one who is loved is so deep that it is compelled to shower love upon that object or person regardless of the response. This is the profound love that God has for the human race. God simply loved mankind without any thought or expectation of receiving love in return. Agape love is the kind of love with no strings attached. This kind of divine love isn't looking for what it can get but what it can give. Our heavenly Father God so loved us to the point of self-sacrifice. This agape love drove Jesus to lay down His life for us. A Roma man who skipped bond on federal narcotics charges and remained a fugitive for 14 years pleaded guilty Monday to all charges in his original indictment, according to a news release from Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Romeo Eduardo Barrera, 42, admitted to U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute 1000 kilograms or more of marijuana. The judge set sentencing for Jan. 8, 2018. Defense attorney Phil Greene, who has been defending drug clients for decades, said Barrera is facing up to a $10 million fine and a minimum of 10 years in prison. Greene said he considers the penalty excessive given the decriminalization of the drug. "Marijuana is de facto legal in Houston as long as its two ounces or less," he said. His client admitted to having over 1,000 kilos, which Greene called "a drop in the bucket in terms of what Houston's demand for marijuana is." "That would supply 17,600 Houstonians with two ounces of marijuana and none of those people would be arrested," he said. "The marijuana wars are in their final stages of decay." Barrera had been freed on bond after a federal grand jury indicted him in September 2002 for his involvement in the drug trafficking operation. He became a fugitive from federal authorities when he failed to appear for a pretrial conference in February 2003. A warrant for his arrest was in place for the next 14 years. Then in May of this year, Barrera was involved in a car accident in Rio Grande Valley. Local police responding to the scene arrested him on the old 2003 warrant. According to federal investigators, Barrera was affiliated with a crew of Valley drug traffickers stationed at Houston-area Holiday Inn Express Hotel. Surveillance of the hotel showed Barrera arriving and leaving the premises with two others. Police tracked a vehicle he left in to a residence on Northfield street in Houston, where he and and seven other defendants in the alleged scheme were seen hauling out trashcans with large bales of marijuana and loading them onto a van parked in outside. Barrera was arrested after a subsequent chase with 386.6 grams of marijuana wrapped in clear cellophane. He also had on him a yellow sheet of paper with figures written on it. At the Northfield residence, police found 31 cellophane-wrapped bales of marijuana weighing about 1,644 pounds along with digital scales, wrapping materials, drug ledgers and three firearms. In the van, investigating officers also found and seized nearly 1,000 pounds of cellophane wrapped marijuana bales. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate By the time the runners clear out of downtown Houston Monday morning, they will already have carried their flag for more than 3,000 miles over the last six weeks. But it will take another three weeks and hundreds of miles more before runners reach the end of the relay, in Tampa, Fla. Every year, Team Red, White, and Blue's runners carry an American flag across the United States, during the organization's "Old Glory Relay," one of the non-profit's most visible efforts in its mission connecting veterans with each other and their communities after finishing military service. The relay began on Sept. 11, in Seattle. Over 62 days, runners, cyclists and walkers from more than 70 teams of veterans, active servicemembers, and civilians, carry the flag 4,600 miles across the nation until reaching Florida. "It just brings people together," said Donnie Starling, a Team RWB spokesman. "When I put a flag in your hand and say 'go run,' you're going to smile. You're going to enjoy it." Runners had arrived on the western outskirts of Houston by Friday, moved through the city over the weekend, and were set to push 55 miles east, to Devers, by the end of the day Monday. The route is several hundred miles longer than last year's, Starling said. Brandi Peasley, 45, had helped carry the flag with several friends Saturday, as the relay neared Houston. An Army Reservist for more than two decades, she now works in facilities management for a local oil and gas company. She got involved with Team RWB in 2011, she said. "I was just fascinated by opportunity to meet other veterans or people interested in what vets have done," she said. "It's a unique friendship ...You automatically have something in common, a common language" When she travels for work, she know she'll have friends to back her up. Though she's participated in other Team RWB events numerous times over the last few years, she'd never run in the coast-to-coast relay, she said. "It's about the team," she said. "This kind of relay just takes it to the next level." Philip Swift, 33, went on two tours to Iraq during his time in the Army reserves. When he first returned from his deployments, he found himself struggling to acclimate back to civilian life -- so much so that he went back to Iraq as a military contractor. "I was scared to be out in the world," he said, recalling a sapping depression. "It didn't feel normal." Years later, he now works in digital advertising for a local car dealer and has a wife and two-year-old daughter. The story of the flag's perseverance particularly resonates with him after watching Houston withstand the battering of Hurricane Harvey. The storm had flooded out his childhood home in northwest Houston, and he'd watched fellow veterans leap to action to try to help stricken communities, he said. "Here in Houston, we saw it. ... The flood came up, the water went away, the city of Houston was still here," he said. "Everybody got back up, cleaned off their boots, and went back to work." If you suspected that you and your neighbors are susceptible to more auto thefts because you live close to a park or event center, the Houston Police Department may have the crime statistics to back up your suspicions. HPD keeps track of which crimes are reported in Houston, posting them on the city's website. The data can serve as a good starting point for residents who are trying to get a sense of what the most reported crimes are in their neighborhoods. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Authorities are warning parents to watch out for candy and lollipops that are made with a compound found in marijuana that's currently legal in at least one state and will be legal in Texas starting next year. CBD Gummy candy and lollipops containing cannabidiol, or CBD, are legal for sale in North Carolina. Police are worried the CBD candies could be passed out to children during Halloween, reports news station WRAL. CBD IN TEXAS: Medical marijuana dispensaries to open in Texas by early 2018 According to the news station, North Carolina lawmakers legalized CBD three years ago, for the treatment of seizure disorders. Texas lawmakers have allowed medical marijuana facilities to create CBD products and could be open by early 2018. Authorities told WRAL that CBD can give you an euphoric feeling and isn't regulated by the U.S. Food and drug administration. CBD products are marked as "not a candy" and to "keep out of reach of children." The community does not want to have truck wrecks due to this. CBD is different than tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana responsible for causing a high. CBD has antipsychotic effects and "seems to prevent the breakdown of a chemical in the brain that affects pain, mood, and mental function," according to WebMd. WHAT TEXANS THINK: What the most recent polling shows about Texas' opinion on marijuana While CBD could be argued legal under the Texas Compassionate Act, one Texas law firm advises there could be a great risk to those who are caught with it. "While CBD may be argued to be legal and exempt from the definitions of marijuana and synthetic marijuana derivatives, risk still abounds. Law enforcement officers are not chemists, and many are unaware of the differences between THC and CBD," according to the Gilbert G. Garcia Law Firm. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON The Senate gave preliminary approval Monday to a $36.5 billion aid package for U.S. states and territories hit by a series of hurricanes and natural disasters, including Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico. The 79-16 procedural vote sets up almost certain final passage on Tuesday. The disaster relief vote comes more than a week after the House passed a similar measure, but still falls short of the money Gov. Greg Abbott and many Texas lawmakers sought for immediate recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey. President Donald Trump has assured state officials that another round of Texas-specific disaster relief is forthcoming in November, as lawmakers ready a budget resolution intended to pave the way for a major Republican tax cut bill. Responding to increasingly urgent calls for federal aid to recover from Harvey, which submerged much of Houston, Abbott and the Texas congressional delegation have pressed for $18.7 billion in recovery aid specifically for areas hit by the August hurricane. While Trump has yet to commit to a specific amount, Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican, has placed a hold on Trump nominee Russell Vought to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Cornyn's hold on Vought is one of two placed by senators trying to secure hurricane relief for their states. The other was placed last week by Florida U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, in an effort to secure money for his state's citrus industry, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Irma. Cornyn has come under attack from Vought supporters, an outspoken Christian conservative who has said Muslims have a "deficient theology" and "stand condemned" because they do not accept Jesus Christ as the son of God. Cornyn said he does not oppose Vought's nomination, but placed the hold as leverage on Trump Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to ensure "OMB will satisfy Texas's needs." Though Senate holds are fairly unusual especially from senators of the president's party the chamber's rules grant its members wide latitude in blocking presidential nominees, at least temporarily. As the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, Cornyn also has considerable influence over the floor schedule. The new disaster aid package was approved by the House earlier this month after Abbott accused the Texas delegation of getting "rolled" by not securing more money specifically for the victims of Harvey. Abbott and Texas lawmakers in Washington signed a letter earlier this month seeking $18.7 billion in funding specifically for relief and recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey. Cornyn has not said whether the administration has to meet that figure next month in order for him to release his hold on Vought. The package cleared Monday includes $18.7 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster relief fund including nearly $5 billion for a disaster relief loan account. Another $16 billion is for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and $576.5 million is to help with wildfire recovery efforts. The bill also provided $1.27 billion for disaster food assistance for Puerto Rico. Texas lawmakers said that although current aid package provides money for all the areas hit by natural disasters, including the California wildfires, at least $15 billion could be claimed by Texans, who were the first to be hit and file claims through FEMA and the flood insurance program. So far, the state has benefited mainly from a $15.25 billion emergency appropriation that Congress approved in September. Abbott and other Texas officials estimate that the overall price tag from Harvey will top $100 billion. Dissatisfaction with the latest congressional action is not confined to Texas, Florida or Puerto Rico, whose leaders have sparred with Trump over the island's slow recovery. Conservative Republicans in the House and Senate have railed against the $16 billion in the aid package that is earmarked for the flood insurance program, which is nearly $30 billion in debt. Conservative groups like Heritage Action have termed the spending as a "bailout" that subsidizes continued building in flood-prone areas. In the House, 69 Republicans voted against the aid package, including six from Texas. Among them was Jeb Hensarling, who has led efforts to overhaul the financially-crippled program. "At some point, God is telling you to move," Hensarling said in September. Meanwhile, Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz joined Cornyn Monday in urging Texans impacted by Harvey to register with FEMA in order to qualify for federal disaster assistance by the agency's new November 24 deadline, which has been extended 31 days from its earlier October 24 deadline. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) also announced Monday that it is extending its initial 90-day foreclosure moratorium for FHA-insured homeowners impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria for an additional 90 days due to the extensive damage and continuing needs in hard-hit areas. Under the expanded moratorium, FHA is instructing lenders and servicers to suspend all foreclosure actions against borrowers affected by Hurricane Harvey until the following next February 21. David Jaroszewski said he was "sickened" when he saw that a Houston Community College trustee pleaded guilty to accepting bribes connected to system contracts earlier this year. "This isn't right," the longtime community college instructor remembers thinking. He soon would put his name on the ballot to replace Chris Oliver, the District IX trustee who is awaiting sentencing. Jaroszewski, 64, is one of eight candidates running for three HCC trustee positions this fall. Candidates must convince voters they are best suited to help lead a system that has seen fluctuating enrollment, lawsuits originating from a board member and Oliver's bribery conviction in the last two years. Early voting for the Nov. 7 election begins Monday. More Information HCC trustee candidates District IV Name: Carolyn Evans-Shabazz Age: 64 Occupation: Retired educator and real estate broker Name: Manny Barrera Age: 68 Occupation: Retired teacher and city employee Name: Daniel Caldwell Age: 32 Occupation: Texas Southern University law student District V Name: Victoria Bryant Age: 42 Occupation: Pharmacist Name: Robert Glaser Age: 56 Occupation: Business owner District IX Name: Eugene "Gene" Pack Age: 65 Occupation: Retired auto broker Name: David Jaroszewski Age: 64 Occupation: Community college instructor Name: Pretta VanDible Stallworth Age: 59 Occupation: Business consultant See More Collapse "The public wants a community college that doesn't waste money. The public wants a community college that educates people. As a trustee, you look at these and (you) can't say it's not my problem. It is my problem," said Jaroszewski, a self-described conservative who teaches paralegal studies at Lee College in Baytown. Jaroszewski is running against Eugene "Gene" Pack, a retired auto broker, and Pretta VanDible Stallworth, a business consultant, for the District IX seat that covers southwest Houston. Oliver, who pleaded guilty to taking $12,000 in Visa gift cards and cash, promising to use his position to help a contractor secure new HCC work, is not running for re-election. His sentencing is in November. Stallworth, 59, did not respond to requests for comment. On his website, Pack, 65, has pledged to enhance financial aid policies to keep students enrolled after Hurricane Harvey if he is elected. He also proposed several accountability measures for the board, including shortening trustee term lengths to four years from six and pushing for ethics reform in board contracts and procurement. HCC administrators, not trustees, should handle procurement, he said in an interview, adding that the District IX seat has been "tainted" by Oliver. "I want to restore the integrity back to this seat," he said. Stallworth, a former HCC trustee from 1989 through 1993, was endorsed by the Harris County Young Democrats and the Houston GLBT Political Caucus PAC. She said in the League of Women Voters of Houston election guide that she would advocate for increased ethics training for board members. Administrators should review employer needs regularly to assess what HCC should teach, she said. Incumbents are trying to fend off challengers for the two other seats. District IV District IV incumbent Carolyn Evans-Shabazz is a retired educator and real estate broker who has served on the board since 2015. District IV includes the Texas Medical Center and snakes west to the Sam Houston Tollway to include Chinatown and Sharpstown. Evans-Shabazz, 64, faces Manny Barrera, a retired teacher and city employee who has been a perennial candidate in local elections, and Daniel "DC" Caldwell, a Texas Southern University law student recently entangled in a free-speech debate involving state Rep. Briscoe Cain, a Baytown-area Republican. She said she does not expect Oliver's guilty plea to hamper her campaign, citing her relationships within her district. "If the running back fumbles the ball, do you bench the whole team?" she wrote in an email. Still, she said she recognizes that board members need to rebuild trust. Trustee Dave Wilson earlier this month filed a lawsuit against Evans-Shabazz, a Democrat, accusing her of improperly voting remotely at a recent meeting. Board bylaws do not allow virtual votes. Evans-Shabazz said state law permits the remote vote and that her virtual presence was approved by board counsel, though she declined to cite the specific statute, citing the ongoing lawsuit. Each of the items she voted for were approved by more than a majority of members, so the measures would have passed even if she did not vote. "My presence (at board meetings) on behalf of my community is very important," she said. Barrera, 68, has run unsuccessfully for City Council, Houston ISD board of trustees and HCC's board. He said he wants to weed out dishonesty on the board. He bristles, for example, at the use of closed sessions in HCC board meetings. "They need a lot more transparency," he said. Both Barrera and Evans-Shabazz said HCC must beef up vocational training, particularly in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Both note that jobs in the hands-on trades can be lucrative and lead to long-term employment. Caldwell, 32, attended several community colleges before transferring to Texas A&M University. He calls himself a "volunteer" and said he wanted to ensure the District IV race was contested. "We should be given options," he said. Caldwell previously ran unsuccessfully for Austin Community College's board and Dallas City Council, and he pledged to vote against wasteful spending at HCC. Earlier this month, Caldwell invited Cain, a member of the Texas Freedom Caucus, to speak at Texas Southern University about this year's Texas legislative session. TSU President Austin Lane interrupted the event to call it off amid protests, saying it was not properly registered with the school's administration. Lane's decision drew ire from conservative groups and the law school's dean. "I would be naive if I didn't expect it to have some boost effect (on the race)," Caldwell said of the dispute. District V Robert Glaser, a 56-year-old business owner, has served on the board since 2013. He is facing a challenge from Victoria Bryant, a 42-year-old pharmacist, for the District V seat. District V includes Bellaire and parts of Rice Village and West University Place. Glaser was endorsed this week by Meyerland Democrats, who called Bryant a "tough GOP opponent," and Harris County Tejano Democrats, who also endorsed Evans-Shabazz and Stallworth. He did not respond to requests for comment, but said in the League of Women Voters guide that he would push for more streamlined degree and certificate programs to get students through efficiently. Bryant, a self-described conservative, said HCC's board scandals have taken away from teaching and workforce preparation. She said she would advocate to reduce trustees' term length and cut what she called superfluous spending among trustees and administrators. Transparency in finances and frugality will earn back public trust, she said in the League of Women Voters publication. "HCC is losing its competitiveness to the other colleges due to its poor reputation," she said. "I think people are just fed up. The opportunity is there. We need new leadership." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Houston's leading business organizations have endorsed all five city bond measures as voters begin heading to the polls. The Greater Houston Partnership, Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Houston Association of Realtors and Houston Apartment Association all announced their support for the $1.5 billion worth of city ballot items. Early voting for the Nov. 7 election starts Monday and runs through Nov 3. Click here for a map of early voting locations and hours. Houston voters are being asked to consider the following items, none of which will require a tax increase: Proposition A, the $1 billion pension bond item that will secure Mayor Sylvester Turner's landmark reforms the Legislature passed last spring. Proposition B: $159 million in public safety bonds to replenish the police and fire department vehicle fleets and renovate some fire and police stations. Proposition C: $104 million in park bonds to improve numerous parks and repair at least seven community centers or pavilions. Proposition D: $109 million in general government bonds to build or repair a dozen multi-service centers and repair four health clinics. Proposition E: $123 million in library bonds to repair or renovate 11 libraries. Our No. 1 priority in the 2017 state legislative session was to reform the citys public employee pension systems, said Bob Harvey, CEO of the GHP. Proposition A is a must-pass item as it authorizes the pension obligation bonds that are essential to the reform package. Propositions B-E simply enable the city to finance its long-term capital improvement plan and does so in a manner that fits within the financial capacity of the city to absorb the debt service on the bonds. Cindy Hamann, chair of the HAR board, When I hear that we can make all these improvements to our city with no new taxes, it sounds like a no-brainer to me." Laura Murillo, CEO of the Hispanic chamber, said approving the five items is critical to the city's "upward trajectory." Ensuring that our city is fiscally sound and meeting the needs of all its citizens is essential and these ballot propositions do just that," she said. HAA president Kyle Brown added, "The city has a number of critical maintenance issues to take care of to ensure that we remain a welcoming, modern city. The improvement bonds will help fund these necessary improvements. AUSTIN -- Legendary oil and energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens will host a fundraiser at his Panhandle ranch on Tuesday for President Donald Trump as the president ramps up his election push for the 2018 and 2020 elections. A group of about two dozen Republican donors including Dallas businessman Tommy Hicks Jr., son of billi0naire investor Tom Hicks, and and Roy Bailey, a businessman and longtime Republican donor are slated to attend the private session at Pickens' 68,000-acre Mesa Vista Ranch near Pampa. The president is scheduled to appear the following day at a Dallas fundraising event, said several people familiar with that event. Republican officials gave said they expect upwards of $4 million will be raised there. They said the Tuesday meeting is to discuss raising money for the America First Action super PAC. the primary Trump-backed political organization that is working to play a significant role in the midterm elections in 2018. Bailey and Tommy Hicks Jr. were key Texas players in fundraising for Trump's presidential campaign, as were others who are reportedly on the attendance list for the Pampa session, including real estate investor Jim Wilson, businessman Doug Deason, energy executive Harold Hamm, and investor Jim Lee. Donald Trump Jr., Trump's son, is slated to address the meeting, the first major organizational meeting for the super PAC, according to Politico.com, which first reported the Tuesday meeting. "The Trump-Pence administration is making bold progress and we expect America First to play a key role in helping accomplish the mission," Hicks said in a statement, according to Politico. So far this year, the super PAC and its allied nonprofit, America First Policies, have raised around $25 million, according to Politico. Even among U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rouke's biggest fans the question looms. How exactly can an underfunded Democrat from El Paso pull off what would be one of the colossal upsets in modern political history in defeating U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in the reddest of Red States? As much as O'Rourke's fans used a town hall meeting in Austin Sunday to pepper him with questions about his public policy stances, several kept asking how exactly O'Rourke thinks he can overcome a history in Texas in which a Democrat has not won statewide since the early 1990s. The questions come at a time when early polls show nearly two-thirds of voters still don't know who he is with the election now just over one year away. O'Rourke assured more than 350 people on the University of Texas campus in Austin that he knows the odds are steep, but is convinced he is doing things that Democrats before him have failed to do in statewide races. Specifically, the 45-year-old talked about the cities and towns he has been to over the last six months, places he said Democrats have for too long written off and not even tried to compete in. He talked about meeting with business leaders in Lubbock and Republican voters in LaGrange. He said in many of those places people are telling them they haven't seen a Democratic challenger for the Senate even try to get their vote. "What have we been doing for the last 40 years," O'Rourke said. O'Rourke told the audience that by showing up to unconventional locations for Democrats, he's connecting issues people are facing to Democratic values. He said on issues like health care, education and the environment, he's making valuable connections with people who historically would not have considered voting for a Democrat. "It may defy measurement in the polling and the pundits, but in being in communities throughout Texas it is very clear people across the state want something better," O'Rourke said in an interview after the town hall. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN Travis County prosecutors dropped all criminal corruption charges against state Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, Monday. In January, Dukes was charged with 13 felony counts of tampering with public records and two misdemeanor counts of abuse of official capacity after prosecutors alleged she collected pay from the state in 2013 and 2014 while the Legislature wasn't in session. Prosecutors believed the state's rules were clear: lawmakers could only get reimbursed for their travel if they conducted business in their Capitol office. But in recent months, prosecutors discovered the rules were not as clear cut. "After a thorough examination of the evidence available to us, we have determined that we cannot continue the lawsuit," Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore said in a statement. The two misdemeanor charges alleged Dukes had used a member of legislative staff to be a nanny for her daughter and to organize a festival. The state dropped those charges because Dukes agreed to pay the state restitution for that staff member's salary. Prosecutors had previously offered to drop the charges if she resigned from office, paid $3,500 in fines and agreed to a drug and alcohol assessment. She didn't respond to their offer. "Representative Dukes was innocent from day one," said Dane Ball, Dukes' lawyer in a written statement. "She could have resigned to avoid these charges, but had the courage to fight for the truth. The States dismissal says it allwe would have won all three trials. Were glad Representative Dukes can get back to serving her constituents without the distraction of these baseless charges." Jose "Chito" Vela, one of several challenging Dukes in her 2018 bid for re-election, said even though the criminal case is over, Dukes has not effectively represented her constituents. In April, the Texas Tribune reported Dukes had missed more than 100 record votes during the most recent legislative session, the most of the 150 members of the House. "We have been abandoned by Rep. Dukes, who did not show up to do the job she was elected to do," said Vela, reflecting a frequent line of criticism from the state representative's detractors. Alejandra Matos covers politics, education and immigration policy for the Houston Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and email tips to alejandra.matos@chron.com. 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. 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. Copiii cu nevoi speciale din Stefan Voda au conditii de reabilitare mai bune, datorita UE si Fundatiei Soros Moldova BATH, Ohio -- At the end of a gated private drive, past the charming bridge over Yellow Creek, there is a turreted home with a red slate roof that looks like a house you'd find in the countryside of France rather than suburban Akron. "Enjoy life year round on 19 acres of the most beautiful land in Summit County, listing agent Larry Triola with Howard Hanna says. "This is truly a spectacular one of a kind French Normandy inspired country house thas has been lovingly cared for and restored to its authentic grandeur." The home, built in 2000, has four bedrooms and seven bathrooms, including five full baths. The asking price is $2.4 million. The home's must-see features begin right beyond the front door where the turret entryway is dominated by a sweeping staircase. A few steps away, a Tudor-style great room boasts a wooded A-frame ceiling, grand fireplace and leaded glass windows. Those cathedral ceiling extend to the huge master suite and the indoor pool/spa. The custom kitchen is large, with hardwood floors, center island, granite countertops, high-end appliances and breakfast nook with bay window looking out into the wooded backyard. Other highlights include a stately library and wine cellar downstairs, a loft that can be used a rec room, and multiple stone patio and terraces. The home has an attached green house and four-car garage. There's also a detached carriage house currently being used as a garage. Address: 2944 Yellow Creek Road City: Bath Price: $2.4 million Year built: 2000 No. bedrooms: 4 No. bathrooms: 7 (5 full) Lot size: 19.5 acres School district: Revere Local Schools Real estate agent and contact info: Larry Triola, Howard Hanna p: (330) 836-9300 e: LarryTriola@howardhanna.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The independent company that manages competitive wholesale power markets in Ohio and 12 other states believes a federal proposal to subsidize the owners of old nuclear and coal plants is unworkable and would not even be legal. The U.S. Department of Energy proposal "is simply unworkable," said Andrew Ott, CEO of PJM Interconnection, in a press conference today. "We believe it is contrary to law." PJM intends to file formal comments later today with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding the proposal from the DOE. The DOE in September, following intense lobbying from the coal industry and from FirstEnergy and other traditional utilities, proposed that FERC require PJM and other grid managers to credit the owners of the big coal and nuclear plants for providing "resiliency" to the grid because they store fuel on-site and run 24 hours a day. They also generate power at higher prices than new gas turbine plants. In other words, the DOE wants PJM's fiercely competitive markets to accept higher priced power from old coal and nuclear plants at whatever it cost to generate -- plus a profit -- the way the old plants did business before de-regulation. The DOE reasoned that coal plants traditionally have a 45-to-60 day fuel supply on hand, while nuclear plants run continuously for 18-to-24 months before having to replace a third of their fuel rods, a process that takes 30 to 60 days. The plan would require coal plants to have a 90-day supply of fuel on-site. The proposal was aimed at helping the old plants compete with new ultra-efficient gas turbine power plants -- which are about twice as efficient -- but which rely on pipeline gas rather than fuel on site. The DOE reasoned that coal and nuclear power plants would be able to continue to function if storms or terrorists disabled the grid, or interfered with gas pipelines, and pointed to the problems grid operators faced during the Polar Vortex event in the winter of 2014. The sub-zero temperatures knocked out some gas plants because, it turned out, their owners had not signed "firm" contracts. The weather also shutdown coal plants because their stockpiles, stored outside, had frozen. FirstEnergy lost one of its Pennsylvania nuclear plants when the main transformer shorted out. Wind farms, on the other hand, appear to have functioned without a problem in the deep freeze. PJM's announcement that it will oppose a direct handout to old coal and nuclear because it would distort competitive markets came just three days after the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio announced it would argue against the proposal, primarily because it could raise customer electric rates. PUCO Chairman Asim Haque said the DOE had not done a cost analysis of the impact the plan would have on power prices before ordering the FERC to weave it into competitive market pricing. The PUCO was to file its formal arguments later today. Nobody knows how much such a radical change to competitive markets would add to customer bills, said Haque. Haque and Ott from PJM said they had been working on a cost analysis as well as other proposals to reflect the value of the old power plants to the grid. Ott told reporters, "We do believe there is a need for action and we will discuss [with FERC] PJM's proposal to strengthen energy price formation to ensure that our market properly compensates reliability resources." The formal comments of PJM and PUCO will reach the FERC on the heels of comments from the independent developers building gas turbine plants. The developers of 26 independently-owned gas turbine power plants in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania earlier warned that competitive electric markets would be destroyed by special pricing for old coal and nuclear plants. "We urge the Commission to maintain competitive electricity markets and reject the [U.S. Department of Energy's] recommendation to provide full rate recovery to specific legacy generation units," the group wrote in its comments. The gas developers argued that their projects, most of which are still being built, will account for $21 billion in new development and about 21,000 construction jobs. The gas turbines plants are about twice as efficient as nuclear and coal plants, burn cleanly, operate around the clock, and use fuel that has remained cheap. The Doodler has been credited with as many as 14 victims, although it's likelier he was "only" responsible for around five or six. It's possible the other murdered gay men were rolled into his case erroneously, or because, you know, more killers means more paperwork. The first killing was in 1974. By 1977, the police had gone "Ugh, fine," put together a composite sketch of the killer, and determined a suspect. They also had some witnesses, including someone who had been about to sleep with a man who matched the killer's description, only to "reconsider" when a knife fell out of his coat. We're not sure if the witness was creeped out, or if he decided the man was too much of a clumsy dork. San Francisco Police Department "Sorry, you're not 'still make out after a knife fell out of your coat' cute." Continue Reading Below Advertisement The police were "fairly certain" they had the right guy ... but he walked free because no witnesses were willing to publicly testify. None other than Harvey Milk explained why, telling the AP that the witnesses probably feared the unemployment / social ostracism combo that came with being outed. It didn't help that in the same years the killings occurred, some San Francisco Police Department officers liked to cruise around undercover, pick up gay men, and then arrest them, at one point beating a "suspect" so badly that he suffered brain damage. So yeah, not the most approachable people in the world. Continue Reading Below Advertisement Jack's father, Guy, isn't exactly on the same page. He's one of the few that stayed behind. And he did it largely to spite those damned scientists and government officials who rolled into town to talk down to him and his neighbors. "They thought they knew more than us, but they were wrong. How come the town hasn't collapsed like they said? It's not as bad as they said, and you see that now." Jack and Guy's disagreement is nothing new. Back when the evacuation efforts started, Centralia itself was bitterly divided over whether the fire was a threat or not. Becky remembers: "My parents stayed, because they didn't think they could afford to move. But then they got an offer for double the value of their home, and they took it. My neighbor ( who owned the cat), she stayed. She had seen the danger firsthand, and lost something she loved to it, but she wasn't budging. The last time I was there, she was shouting from her porch at some men in suits who obviously wanted her house." Continue Reading Below Advertisement In 2013, after a battle lasting over 20 years, the remaining ten residents were allowed to stay, but once they're gone, their homes go to the public domain. Guy sums it neatly: "It's my home. That's all there is to it." Becky thinks that for some of those last remaining residents, staying in Centralia may be less about spite and more about living in a place so dangerous it's effectively off the grid: "My old neighbor, until the day she died, would chase off journalists with a broom and hide sprinklers in her lawn to turn them on when people got near. I know before she died, she said she was 'in talks' to buy a cellphone jammer, which seems incredibly illegal, but this woman was also fine with threatening to spray bug spray at tourist's dogs." Courtot On The Record When it comes to the cloud, customers and partners are all-in when it comes to security. That's what Qualys CEO Philippe Courtot said in an interview with CRN around the company's Qualys Security Conference, held in Las Vegas last week. Courtot said that attitude is a vast departure from years past when the cloud was seen as insecure and was not widely embraced by enterprises. Today, Courtot said, customers are finally jumping on board and looking to embrace a new world of cloud-based security solutions to match their digital transformation goals. For partners, Courtot said, that means a new world of opportunity for those able to pivot their businesses and services to meet new security requirements. Take a look at why. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Costco Wholesale, known for its giant warehouses and jumbo-sized bulk goods, announced a major e-commerce expansion on Friday with a new two-day delivery service called CostcoGrocery and a bolstered partnership with same-day delivery service Instacart. But the announcement came with some fine print: Only non-perishables qualify for CostcoGrocery, and prices online are "generally 15 to 17 percent higher than walk-in price," according to the FAQ page. SFGATE visited the lone Costco in San Francisco, at 450 10th St., to compare in-store prices on a sampling of items with their costs on CostcoGrocery. Based on SFGATE's research, products that do not qualify for CostcoGrocery are priced similarly in-store and online. Of the 15 items we sampled, in-store items were 19.7 percent cheaper than the same items on CostcoGrocery. (That number is calculated using the items' full prices, excluding in-store-only discounts.) Now Playing: Select the best bottles for holiday entertaining with a few helpful tip. Video: Southern Living When making the decision to head to a crowded warehouse or shell out for delivery, there's some additional factors to consider. A $3 delivery fee will be tacked on to orders less than $75, and, just like at the warehouse, a Costco membership is required. For those who prioritize snacking in their shopping experience, you'll also have to say farewell to samples and that affordable food court. As a point of comparison, Instacart does not require a membership and most perishables including the famed rotisserie chickens are eligible for delivery. In San Francisco, Instacart delivers from Costco between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. every day, for orders over $35. A delivery fee, ranging from $5.99 to $11.99, is applied to orders depending on the cost of the order and the time of delivery. Bottom line: With only one Costco warehouse in San Francisco (and in our experience, it gets packed on weekends), delivery could be a good option for those seeking convenience at a cost. Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com. Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media This is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, and the Connecticut Department of Health is taking the opportunity to raise awareness about lead poisoning and its damaging health effects, particularly on children. This years NLPPW theme, Lead-Free Kids for a Healthy Future, highlights the importance of testing your child, developing an awareness of lead paint hazards in your home and learning how to prevent lead poisonings serious health effects, said Krista Veneziano, supervisor of the DPH Lead, Radon and Healthy Homes Program, in a news release. iStock/Thinkstock(HOBOKEN, N.J.) -- Some New Jersey trick-or-treaters can get cash for their candy this Halloween. "Candy Buy-Back" is the brainchild of Lucas Dental Associates in Hoboken, New Jersey, where kids can bring their bags of Halloween candy in exchange for $5 and, of course, a toothbrush. Dr. Robin Lucas got the idea about five years ago, as she was trying to promote dental hygiene around the sugar-filled holiday for her own children, she told ABC News. "Personally, I'm not a candy fan," Lucas said. "So when my kids go trick-or-treating, they come home and they have to dump it. It's like you want to do something with it." The cosmetic and restorative dentist couldn't put her idea into practice until two years ago when she expanded her practice to include pediatric dentistry. Initially, the "Candy Buy-Back" program was only for her patient pool, she said, noting that in previous years she has given out more than $500. Now, she's opening it up to her local community. Meliza Resto, who's worked at the practice for nine years, told ABC News it's one of her favorite times of year. Indeed, she dresses up to hand the kids goodie bags containing $5, a toothbrush and toothpaste. "They're all excited because they're going to get $5 and to them $5 is a lot of money," she added. "Who thought they were going to be happy about not eating candy!" In previous years, Resto said, they've been able to collect 10 boxes worth of candy. It is then donated to different branches of the military. Dr. Lucas said she hopes her program will encourage parents and kids to have conversations about sugar and their teeth. "Im hoping that parents and kids ... [discuss] that sugar is harmful if its not managed well," she added. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Steven Seagal has long been the subject of accusations from actresses upset by his behavior that he has denied. Now, DailyMailTV has acquired a shocking profanity-laced audio tape of the actor saying he thinks a female journalist 'belongs in a zoo' after going on a rant about her interview questions. Hear the tapes in this DailyMailTV exclusive. The widow of fallen Sgt. La David Johnson spoke out about her condolence call from President Trump and said he 'couldn't remember my husband's name' while appearing on ABC's Good Morning America. Soon after her comments, Trump hit back on Twitter saying he 'spoke his name without hesitation' during their phone call. DailyMail.com Editor-at-Large Piers Morgan dissects this war of words, and on a lighter note, says he now thinks all signs point to a royal engagement for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Presidential moment: Lady Gaga performed for five living presidents at the hurricane relief concert at Texas A&M University after donating $1 million to the cause. It's a penthouse in the sky. Contributor Ryan Serhant takes DailyMailTV on a breathtaking walk through a $30 million penthouse in downtown Manhattan. Tour one of the highest-level terraces in all of New York with sweeping river scenery. Even a walk-in closet has an incredible view. Surprising as it may seem, there is a widely practised treatment, available on the NHS in some parts of this country, which involves an action banned on the rugby field. Its called chiropractic, and last week the Mail reported on a casualty of its patented remedy for all manner of ailments: spinal manipulation. Dr Arleen Scholten a chiropractic doctor, that is had been arrested for manslaughter following the death of a healthy 80-year-old grandfather and former bank manager, John Lawler. He lost consciousness during chiropractic treatment and expired a day later as a result of what Leeds General Infirmary called traumatic spinal cord injury. Mr Lawler had, not for the first time, visited Scholtens firm, Chiropractic 1st accompanied by his wife of 55 years, Joan to get treatment for lower back ache. In fact, the Lawler family had not made a complaint following his sudden death: it was after being alerted by Leeds General Infirmary that the police arrested Scholten on suspicion of manslaughter. Many doctors regard the business of chiropractic as 'dangerous quackery', claims Dominic Lawson The doctors had perhaps understood better than Mr Lawlers grieving family just how direct can be the possible link between chiropractic and sudden paralysis from the shoulders down (which is how they found the dying man). Forceful twisting of the neck and rotation of the head is something that on the rugby field is viewed as so dangerous that any player responsible for such actions is given an immediate red card. But this, more or less, is what chiropractors do. It has been a frequent cause of strokes among patients who were perfectly healthy before submitting themselves to this not-so-tender embrace. In her book Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools Of Us All, Rose Shapiro describes how the mother of a 20-year-old victim of chiropractic, whose death was attributed to traumatic rupture of the left vertebral artery, had been told by the (real) doctor as her child was rushed through A&E: Never let those buggers touch you above the shoulders. Too late. I dont question the sincerity of many of the men and women responsible for chiropractic: those practitioners genuinely believe that they are offering a form of treatment that can alleviate symptoms in a way no other medicine could and that does not require the use of drugs which have their own side-effects. Chiropractors' twisting of the neck and rotation of the head has been linked to strokes among patients Indeed, NHS Choices, while pointing out that it isnt generally available on the NHS, describes chiropractic as generally very safe when performed correctly by a trained and registered chiropractor. And it reassures the public that while there is a risk of more serious problems, such as stroke, from spinal manipulation, the risk is extremely small. At least, I think that is meant to be reassuring. But its worth going back to the origins of it all, just to understand why many doctors regard the whole business as dangerous quackery. Chiropractic was founded in the late 19th century by an American called Daniel David Palmer. He claimed to have found the cause of all medical problems in an invented condition called subluxation, a supposed dislocation of the joints which no X-ray has ever detected. Palmer claimed to have received this insight from another world and that what he called Chiropractic must have a religious head, such as Christ, Mohammed . . . and others who have founded religions. I am the fountainhead. My fellow journalists of the time seem to have had his number. Palmers local newspaper in 1894 declared: A crank has a crazy notion that he can cure the sick and crippled by his magnetic hands. His victims are the weak-minded, ignorant and superstitious . . . he has certainly profited by the ignorance of his victims. That newspaper editorialist would have been astounded to learn that there are now around 20 colleges of chiropractic in the U.S. (and, indeed, a couple in the UK) offering accredited degrees. Actually, the most devastating account of this so-called profession comes from within it. A few years ago Preston Long, who performed more than 10,000 chiropractic care evaluations, published Chiropractic Abuse: An Insiders Lament. He wrote: The fact that patients swear by us does not mean that we are actually helping them. Many who believe they have been helped had conditions that would have resolved without treatment. Some have had treatment for dangers that did not exist, but were said by the chiropractor to be imminent. Many chiropractors actually take courses on how to trick patients to believe in them. Its a money thing. Or, as Preston Long puts it: Many chiropractors, particularly those who find subluxations in everyone, advise patients to come for months, years, and even for their lifetime. On her company website, Arleen Scholten declares: Chiropractic is a lifestyle for our family. Yes, all five of us are adjusted regularly. Our children were all adjusted the day they were born . . . and I continue to check their spines regularly. Princess Diana was a firm believer in 'alternative remedies', writes Dominic Lawson I find this talk of adjustment quite spooky, though it is stock chiropractic jargon. And as for doing it to her newborn infants, the mind boggles. But the General Chiropractic Council met on September 28 to discuss the arrest for manslaughter of Arleen Scholten and decided not to suspend her. She was allowed to continue to practise. I must confess to having once attended the clinic of a cranial osteopath a distantly related form of pseudo-scientific manipulation for all ailments. The patient was my then one-year-old daughter, Domenica, whose acid reflux seemed resistant to conventional treatment. Her godmother, who happened to be Diana, Princess of Wales, a firm believer in alternative remedies, insisted this form of skull manipulation might offer a cure and arranged for an appointment in her favourite cranial osteopaths Harley Street clinic. I shed tears as this man put on agonised expressions while massaging Domenicas tiny skull: they were tears of suppressed laughter, at the absurdity of his performance. But at least it was while expensive entirely harmless. Finally, a train announcement to treasure How right my colleague Craig Brown was, in last Tuesdays Mail, to let off steam about the increasingly irritating plethora of recorded announcements on trains. I especially sympathised with his dislike of the one calling on us to report anything that does not look right ending with the ghastly rubric See it, say it, sorted. Every time I hear it, its all I can do not to announce to my fellow passengers: Does anyone on this train know what that even means? But there is a more general problem with these constantly repeated recorded announcements. Far from attracting the careful attention of the listener, they become ignorable or meaningless exactly because of their tedious familiarity. It is analogous to the way in which we might pay attention to a car alarm that goes off for the first time, but when it happens repeatedly we treat it as an irritant, rather than wonder if someones car is at risk. So it was a refreshing change, on a recent journey on Southeastern rail down to our home in Sussex, to hear a little clearing of the throat and a live announcement from a real guard. And this is what he said: We regret to inform passengers that there are no working trains on this toilet. We apologise for any inconvenience. My wife and I looked at each other, before collapsing in giggles as, indeed did all the other passengers in the compartment. No recorded announcement could ever have given such pleasure. A former anorexia sufferer has slammed trolls who have accused her of 'faking' her eating disorder by Photoshopping old pictures she shared to show how she looked before her recovery. Chiara Schober, 20, from Liechtenstein, explained she is now 'completely recovered' and weighs more than double the amount she did when she was in the grips of her illness. Sharing a photo of her while battling anorexia and another picture of her after her recovery, she explained: 'Obviously, I look different now? How would you expect someone who's close to death look?' Chiara, who weighed under four stone at her lowest weight, said she was 'tired' of defending herself to people who claimed she was 'attention seeking'. Chiara Schober, 20, from Liechtenstein, (pictured left, while she was suffering from anorexia, and right, as she is today) has slammed trolls who claim she has 'faked' her eating disorder by photoshopping old pictures In the honest post, Chiara wrote: 'There are people who claim my transformation pics were photoshopped. 'Either b[ecause] they don't realise iphone 4 existed, either b[ecause] my jawline looks different or even my haircolour or b[ecause] I don't have stretchmarks, whatever. '[O]n the left you see a picture from when I was SIXTEEN, 1% bodyfat, weak body - right I am four years older, I weight more than DOUBLE the amount, I am completely recovered by now. 'Obviously, I look different now? How would you expect someone who's close to death look like?' Responding to the upsetting comments, she wrote: 'Obviously, I look different now? How would you expect someone who's close to death look like? She continued: 'My story is not fake and I'm tired of defending myself to those people. I already regret my past enough, I don't need people to say it was fake and I was only attention seeking.' Chiara, who now weighs 8st 5lbs, explained that she decided to share her story in order to 'help and motivate others', as well as to 'raise awareness' of the condition. She added: 'Anorexia is a severe and COMPLEX mental illness that destroys yourself, your body. 'It's real. It's terrible. No one will ever understand if they never experienced it themselves. Recovery is hard. Recovery takes time! Chiara, whose weighed under four stone while in the grips of her eating disorder, said she is 'tired' of people calling her attention seeking 'It took me 4 years, one of them in hospital, to gain back the weight and to recover mentally.' She finished the post by adding: 'Just stop saying it was fake. That's an insult for me, my family who suffered so much and my friends who couldn't do anything to help me. Anorexia exists.' Speaking to FEMAIL, Chiara admitted the comments from people suggesting that she'd faked her eating disorder had 'upset' her. 'I can't understand why some people just don't believe it's true, why some people just want to deny the reality: eating disorders exist,' she said. She said she is now 'completely recovered' and weighs more than double the amount she did when she was suffering from her eating disorder She added: 'Usually when I see someone has commented it was Photoshopped, I answer that comment and tell that person it is real and I suffered for 7 years.' Other social media users quickly offered their support, praising her for being an 'inspiration'. One wrote: 'You are so incredibly strong and amazing and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.' Another added: 'I'm so sorry that anyone would try to minimize your pain and journey by calling it 'fake'. We're all behind you 100%!' A terminally ill four-year-old girl who stole hearts across the nation when she walked down the aisle at her parents' hospital wedding is suddenly doing better than ever. Doctors said Paige Skarratts had just days to live when her parents decided to plan a wedding in just 24 hours so she could fulfill her dream of being their flower girl. But Paige has completely come back from the brink. The Brisbane girl is getting stronger every day, and bringing smiles back to her family after so many tears. Paige Skarratts, four, was given just days to live when she walked down the aisle at her parents' wedding. But now she's come back from the brink and doing better than ever Four-year-old Paige fulfilled her dream to be a flower girl at her parents' wedding after they rushed the ceremony when she was given just a week to live Doctors discovered that Paige had a brain tumour the size of a lemon just two months ago Paige was a happy and healthy four-year-old girl when she was suddenly struck by terrible headaches two months ago. 'She would scream in pain while she was playing,' her aunt Innez Stonnell told Daily Mail Australia. 'We now know that was from the tumour.' Paige's mother Tania Miller took her daughter to the emergency room, but doctors said it was simply a headache despite the fact that her face had started to drop. Just a few weeks later, Paige was struck by a terrible headache once again and this time her 'face dropped even more noticeably', Innez said. Her father Jacob Skarratts immediately took Paige back to the emergency room, where the pediatrician on call rushed them to a CT scan the next day. The scan showed that Paige had a tumour the size of a lemon and she was taken to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane for surgery. Paige's parents Tania Miller and Jacob Skarratts (pictured) were emotional as they wed in a beautiful hospital ceremony just a day after receiving the devastating news she had a week left But Paige has her family smiling again as her condition has stabilised. She has become so strong she was even able to undergo surgery Paige (pictured on her parents' wedding day) was put under last week so that doctors could install a shunt to relieve pressure on the brain that was caused by the excess fluid 'They were unable to remove the whole mass, and found out that she is terminal,' Innez said. When Paige didn't respond well to chemotherapy, doctors discovered that the tumour had grown back bigger and that she had fluid and blood in her brain. That's when they told Jacob and Tania their precious daughter only had a week, maybe two, left to live. But in the last week Paige has become so strong she was even able to undergo surgery. She was put under last week so that doctors could install a shunt to relieve pressure on the brain that was caused by the excess fluid. 'It's like Paige's little body is slowly waking up after having fluid and blood build up on the brain weeks ago, which resulted in doctors saying they expected her to pass,' Innez said. Tania was emotional as she got her hair and makeup done right next to her daughter's bed on her wedding day two weeks ago The loving mother had been the first to take Paige to the hospital when she first got an excruciating headache that left her in tears It was then doctors found the tumour. Just days later Paige was taken to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane for surgery 'We are one to two weeks past the time given, so we are really excited to see Paige improving every day!' With the help of her parents, Paige can now open her eyes and is back to giving her family plenty of smiles - a sign that her brain is still responding. And after weeks without movement, Paige is now starting to move her legs, arms, and neck again. Innez said the family is continuing to joke and play with Paige to keep the interaction constant, and so they can see her lovely smile as much as possible. It has been a beautiful turn of events for a family that thought one of the most important days of their life could also be Paige's last. After doctors revealed that Paige only had days to live, her parents Tania and Jacob knew they wanted to get married immediately so their daughter could be there. On the wedding day, a nurse dressed as superman wheeled Paige down the aisle so she could fulfill her flower girl duties Paige's father Jacob couldn't help but get emotional as he gazed at his eldest child The entire family broke down in tears after the ceremony as they surrounded Paige Innez immediately stepped in to help, planning the couple's big day in just 24 hours. She decided to focus on the main aspects of a wedding, asking the hospital for permission, finding a celebrant, and picking up a wedding dress for Tania. The entire wedding cost $1,000. It was a magical night that the entire family will never forget. Tania got her makeup and hair done right next to Paige's hospital bed and became emotional as she put on her daughter's special gold flower girl shoes. A nurse dressed up as Superman wheeled Paige down the aisle as she fulfilled her flower girl duties with two-year-old sister Imogen. Thirty family, friends, and nurses watched as Jacob and Tania each grabbed one of Paige's hands as they met at the altar in the courtyard of the hospital. With the help of her parents, Paige (pictured before her cancer diagnosis) can now open her eyes and is back to giving her families plenty of smiles - a sign that her brain is still responding And the parents couldn't help but break down in tears as they hugged Paige after saying 'I do'. Paige is still fighting, and the family have raised nearly $50,000 for her medical treatment on GoFundMe. Innez said even as Paige improves physically, it is not yet clear what further treatment - if any - can be pursued. 'Jacob and Tania are still figuring out which path to take,' she said. But as their daughter continues to battle cancer, Tania and Peter are holding on to the beautiful memory of Paige on their wedding day - one they will now have forever. 'It was the most special day,' Innez said. 'If you could bottle up the feeling of the atmosphere on the night, it would be priceless.' Australia's real-life 'Calendar Girls' are celebrating a decade of fundraising by stripping nude in the name of curing cancer. The eight ladies, known as The Pink Belles, have posed stark naked in a racy calendar shoot which will raise money for cancer research. Inspired by the 2003 Hollywood movie, the Sunshine Coast ladies decided to do something a little different this year to mark the 10th anniversary of their charity. Scroll down for video The eight ladies, known as The Pink Belles, have posed stark naked in a racy calendar shoot which will raise money for cancer research Inspired by the 2003 Hollywood movie, the Sunshine Coast ladies decided to do something a little different this year to mark the 10th anniversary of their charity Following in the footsteps of Australia's hottest firemen, the Pink Belles bared all in a fun and very intimate nude photo shoot . 'The firemen have theirs but they go to the gym; this is all natural,' Pink Belles member Corrina Vinke told Sunrise. 'So we thought... let's show the world what real women look like.' The Pink Belles have raised nearly $100,000 in the past 10 years - their initiative beginning as a small 'Girl's Night' in 2008 which raised $250 for their friend, Cynthia, who was diagnosed with cancer. Appearing on Sunrise completely nude, the eight women had only a big pink sign to cover their modesty. Following in the footsteps of Australia's hottest firemen, the Pink Belles bared all in a fun and very intimate nude photo shoot The Pink Belles have raised nearly $100,000 in the past 10 years - their initiative started to help their friend, Cynthia, who was diagnosed with cancer The women decided to give the firemen a run for their money with a similarly racy nude calendar (pictured) When asked what their husbands and families thought of their nude project, one woman admitted her sons were slightly 'embarrassed' by her pursuit. 'We've had a mixed situation with all the families, but my boys are a little bit embarrassed at times but I think they're all pretty proud,' Sandy O'Brien said. According to the women, one naked photo shoot was more than enough and they won't be doing a calendar for next year's fundraising event. The 2018 calendars are on sale now for $12 and can be purchased here. It is expected that a bride and groom have thought about any potential disasters that may happen on their wedding day, but no one could prepare for something like this. Wedding photographer David Stowe was capturing the beautiful bride and wedding party in Sydney when an angry brush turkey decided to start a fight with a Kookaburra in the middle of the shoot. 'It all happened right in front of us while I was positioning the bride and groom so everyone saw it,' the photographer said. Wedding photographer David Stowe was capturing the beautiful bride and wedding party in Sydney when a brush turkey turned up This angry brush turkey decided to start a fight with a Kookaburra in the middle of the shoot The sun was shining and the party looked magnificent except for the cheeky male brush turkey which had decided to crash the event. 'I was in the middle of photographing the bridal party when a dominant male brush turkey wandered past. 'A laughing Kookaburra swooped in aggressively landing right next to him. 'There was a fraction of a second of stand-off and then bam! The turkey struck out with its massive foot and totally smacked down the Kookaburra.' 'There was a fraction of a second of stand-off and then bam! The turkey struck out with its massive foot and totally smacked down the Kookaburra 'I was in the middle of photographing the bridal party at yesterdays wedding, when a dominant male brush turkey wandered past,' David explained Using his massive clawed foot the turkey attacked the Kookaburra in a melee of feathers, beaks and talons. As the shocked bridal party looked on, the turkey then turned tail and ran off leaving the dazed Kookaburra to fly off into a tree. 'You could tell it felt like a defensive aggressive movement. Straight afterwards the turkey flew off him and ran away,' David said. 'The battle only lasted a couple of seconds. The brush turkey certainly asserted his dominance however both flew off swiftly in different directions after the incident.' Using his massive clawed foot the turkey attacked the kookaburra in a melee of feathers, beaks and talons The turkey then turned tail and ran off leaving the dazed Kookaburra to fly off into a tree David, who is also a wildlife photographer, said that the fight was short, both birds left relatively unharmed and he was still able to capture the perfect day for the happy couple David, who is also a wildlife photographer, said that the fight was short, both birds left relatively unharmed and he was still able to capture the perfect day for the happy couple. 'The Kookaburras around here are pretty fearless and will swoop to take food out of your hand if youre having a picnic. 'The brush turkeys are also pretty fearless although a lot less aggressive in their desire for food. 'I have seen sulphur-crested cockatoos and brush turkeys in stand offs before, but never witnessed these two species interact like this.' 'The battle only lasted a couple of seconds. The brush turkey certainly asserted his dominance however both flew off swiftly in different directions after the incident' The wedding party couldn't help but watch on in amazement as they witnessed the rare moment in front of them. 'There was a silent shocked awe from everyone in the bridal party straight after the incident.' A Fraser Coast mother who lost almost half her body weight in 18 months credits the power of walking for her success. Jacinta Dickenson, 35, can't say exactly how much she weighed when she began her weight loss journey in December 2015. She didn't measure herself by scales, instead she went by dress sizes, at the time revealing she was close to a size 22. Speaking to FEMAIL, Ms Dickenson said when she began walking she wasn't really focused on losing weight as much as trying to find a way to process an accumulation of grief which started with after she lost her father in a plane crash in 2012. Jacinta Dickenson, 35,(pictured can't say exactly how much she weighed when she began her weight loss journey in December 2015 although she suspects it was around 130 kgs She explained two weeks after that tragedy her grandmother passed from dementia, and the following year her and her and her husband divorced, leaving her to raise her four children alone. In 2014, her mother was diagnosed with terminal metastatic bone cancer - with the burden of caring for her largely falling on her shoulders until she passed in 2016. 'Through it all it was obviously very, very hard and the grief had built up,' she said. 'But I had to release it so I just started walking as a way to get out and turn that energy into a positive. 'There was so much negativity going on in my life at that point.' While Ms Dickenson said at the time she suspects she was close to 130 kilograms, weight loss wasn't 'her motivation'. However, as she walked, she started seeing some encouraging changes. The mum-of-four (pictured centre with two of her children) before embarking on her journey 'I kept with it, and got a little bit more serious,' she said. 'I felt determined to go everyday just to release that grief energy.' While Ms Dickenson confessed her first walk was a stroll around the block that left her 'stuffed', over time she kept pushing until she got to an hour. This wasn't without difficultly though, including hurtful comments from young males driving by who would yell out horrible things to her like 'keep walking fatso', she said. Ms Dickenson (pictured centre) her first walk around the block left her 'stuffed' Although the remarks would often reduce her to tears, Ms Dickenson said she also found the resolve to turn this into a reason for continuing. 'In my head I was like "I'll show you, I will keep going".' Despite the many things, the mother-of-four said were working against her, she said she kept pushing and finding more reasons to commit to her new way of life. Prior to exercising, Ms Dickenson shared she'd been struggling with weight issues most of her adult life, which became more problematic after the birth of her children, because she believed she needed a lot more food to survive. Despite the many things, the mother-of-four said were working against her, she said she kept pushing and finding more reasons to commit to her new way of life 'I was eating a lot of biscuits, cheap snacks and frozen foods like pizza or nuggets anything convenient, and anything with sugar in it just to keep me going,' Ms Dickenson said. Over the course of becoming fitter, and starting to drop dress sizes, she found she started making healthier choices, without too much effort. 'I cut my meals right down to basically what a toddler would eat,' she said. 'Some days I would only have one meal because I just wasn't hungry. 'I slowly cut out sugar slowly because to go cold turkey was too harsh and I found this very easy. Ms Dickenson shared she'd been struggled with weight issues most of her adult life, which became more problematic after the birth of her children 'I started to make better food choices because I didn't have the sugar cravings, it kind of came naturally and my perception of food has completely changed.' 'I do pat myself on the back for doing all the hard work too because no one went walking for me.' Over the course of 18 months, through walking and an a switch to healthy eating Ms Dickenson dropped close to half her body weight (she suspects it's probably she now weighs around 70 kilograms) and said she now shops for size 10 clothing. She credits the 'simple doctor's equation, less in more out' as the reason for her success, but also acknowledges she put in the hard work. 'I do pat myself on the back for doing all the hard work too because no one went walking for me,' she said. Ms Dickenson is also an avid motorcyclist who regularly takes on the drag circuit. While losing weight has given her a new lease on life, she also attributes her healthier lifestyle for helping her become a better rider on the track. The active mum is also an avid motorcyclist who regularly takes on a the drag circuit 'I have noticed a change in my riding, and how I handle the motorbike. It makes a big difference, especially with my times,' she said. Today she blogs about her journey, and has shared her fitness routine consists of a daily 6.4 kilometre walk, one the now-active mum said she does irrespective of how she's feeling, but also because she believes she's setting a great example for her children aged eight to 15. Ms Dickenson (pictured centre) with her brothers Matt (pictured left) and Adam (pictured right) said she's determined to ensure the whole family stay the course She explained as a mother of a child who also struggles with obesity, Ms Dickenson said she's determined to ensure the whole family stays the course, no matter what. 'They've never seen me at this size,' she revealed tearfully. 'And I know that they would be very proud of me so it's quite an emotional thing. It's awesome as well. 'It's one of the best things that has ever happened. 'It's really weird how something so good can come out of such a dark place,' she concluded. Meghan Markle's half-sister has predicted she will marry Prince Harry and said the British people - and the world - will be surprised by how 'graceful and lovely' she is. Meghan Markle's half-sister Samantha Markle spoke on Good Morning Britain on Monday where she dismissed rumours of a rift as she discussed a potential royal wedding. Samantha Grant, 52, Markle's wheelchair-bound estranged half sister, admitted she hadn't spoken to Meghan for some years but denied a rift and claims she was writing a 'tell all' book. She also gushed about how 'lovely' her sister is, how much she'll bring to her role within the royal family and how she won't be offended if she doesn't score an invite to Meghan and Harry's wedding. Meghan Markle's half-sister Samantha Markle spoke on Good Morning Britain on Monday and gushed about how 'lovely' her sister is, how much she'll bring to her role within the royal family and how she won't be offended if she doesn't score a wedding invite Samantha Grant, 52, - Meghan Markle's half-sister - spoke on Good Morning Britain about Meghan and Harry's relationship, saying she doesn't know if she will score an invite to the wedding but that they'll make a great couple Wheelchair-bound mother-of-three Grant, who has MS, is penning a book and says it will address the fact the British monarchy could welcome its first mixed-race 'princess or duchess' if Harry and Meghan wed Samantha, Meghan's half-sister from her father's first marriage, spoke from Florida of reports that she had described Meghan as 'self-obsessed' and was planning to write a tell-all book 'The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister'. Speaking from Florida she said: 'Well, it is true that I'm writing a book and the title is accurate, what is not true [is] this unbelievable swell that's been created that it's some sort of slamming 'tell-all'. 'First of all it's only a tell-all in that I go through and recant some of the beautiful nuances of our lives, our family home. But more importantly it has to do with the inter-racial evolution of this country through the lens of my life and my family since the Civil Rights Act until present and how that intersects with this recent event with my sister, you know, my feelings about it, my family's feelings about it and how sad it was going through it all. But it's more of a beautiful, warm, witty story of our lives and my life.' Asked directly whether she thinks Meghan is 'self-obsessed', she insisted: 'Of course not, of course not. Instead, she described Meghan, widely tipped to marry Harry next year after she met the Queen last week, as 'lovely, animated, charming.' She added : 'In my view you are either sisters or not and she's my sister. She's absolutely lovely. She's strong, educated and graceful and she will be a compliment to her work. 'The British people and the world will be surprised by how graceful and lovely she is. 'She will bring so much to her role as part of the royal family. The world will be surprised.' Speaking from Florida she said: 'Well, it is true that I'm writing a book and the title is accurate' When asked if Meghan feels a sense of pressure at possibly becoming the first bi-racial princess or Duchess in royal history, Samantha said: 'She is confident, not only in herself as a woman, but in her relationship with Harry and love that they have so that should speak for - and carry - them and everything else. 'And that being said, it seems a non issue.' Despite having not spoken in nine years, Samantha said: 'In my heart and reality she is my sister and she is absolutely lovely so let me get rid of any misconception.' When asked if she thinks she'll score an invite to the couple's wedding - and whether she'd be hurt if she didn't - she said: 'I don't know if I would be hurt and out of love and respect I would go; of course I would go. 'We'll see if I get an invite.' Samantha Grant, Markle's wheelchair-bound estranged half sister, caused a storm in April when she first shared that she was writing the book - and how she sold the book to publishers has now been released. According to Pagesix.com, Grant, 52, will discuss 'bigoted underpinnings in my own family' alongside disbelief at 'my beautiful baby sister possibly becoming the first biracial princess or duchess in royal history.' The mother-of-three, who uses a wheelchair and has multiple sclerosis, has previously revealed that the last time she saw her half-sister - the siblings share the same father, Thomas Markle - was at her graduation in 2008. Markle's mother is Doria Radlan. 'Hurt': Samantha Grant, 52, has defended her decision to write a book about her life growing up with her younger half-sister Meghan Markle. The mother-of-three, who's in a wheelchair because of MS, told Australian radio hosts in April that she was surprised Meghan hadn't been in touch about her medical condition, considering her public charity work Close: Meghan has posted pictures of herself with her mother, yoga teacher Doria Radlan, seen here at Doria's graduation The previously unseen book pitch suggests Grant will lift the lid on overt racism in her own family - but adds that the birth of Meghan in 1981 made her 'forever color blind'. In the note to publishers, she writes: 'As a child while I defended [the idea] that there is no such thing as 'color,' only fear and hatred that people like my own grandmother were taught in the uneducated and insecurity-based pockets of America and the world.' Grant slammed her famous sibling for not contacting her after she was diagnosed with the serious illness. She said divorcee Markle, 36, who has been dating Prince Harry since last summer, hadn't been in touch for nine years despite knowing about Grant's MS diagnosis. She writes: 'When my bi-racial sister was born, I would be forever 'color blind'. 'If only I could predict the media frenzy and racial slurs that would occur as a direct result of my beautiful baby sister possibly becoming the first bi-racial princess or duchess in royal history. 'Little did I know that I would stand looking back over my shoulder at how far we've come in the world towards true multiracial and multicultural appreciation, contrasted with how far we have to go in our evolution towards Dr. Martin Luther King's Dream.' Grant, who hasn't spoken to her younger half-sibling for nine years, said Meghan will bring so much a role as part of the royal family. Markle, 36, has been dating Prince Harry since last year In April, she told the Australian radio hosts that she was particularly upset that Meghan hadn't acknowledged her medical condition despite being heavily involved with charities. Grant offered: 'It's not about the money, it's more about general consideration and support.' She added: 'Humanitarianism begins at home. That doesn't mean monetary, it means reaching out.' Continuing, she said: ' I am in a wheelchair and she did meet Harry at the Invictus Games. I felt like it was an opportunity to be a voice and bring a lot of awareness to it [disability]. ' I think she believed the tabloids that I was writing a 'tell-all' book. 'That's rubbish. It's a book about my bi-racial experiences and evolution. It has nothing to do with talking about Meghan. 'That's her personal business. I'm an older sister, not her gossipy little peer. And I would never judge her about those things, that would ruin her private life. Controversial mummy blogger Constance Hall is pregnant with her fifth child with fiance Denim Cooke. Perth-based Ms Hall shared the news with her 1.1 million Facebook followers on Monday evening alongside a picture of her husband-to-be. 'Guys...The commune is welcoming another baby,' the post began. Perth-based Ms Hall (pictured) shared the news with her 1.1 million Facebook followers on Monday evening alongside a picture of her husband-to-be The 34-year-old mentioned that they are yet to 'go to the doctor or anything' but she thinks she's about eight weeks along (with Denim Cooke) 'We have no idea how it slipped through. We tried everything, on and off bouts of the pill (until it flared my colitis too much), withdrawal, morning after pills.' 'We actually have no idea how this baby slipped through. But it did,' she wrote. The 34-year-old mentioned that they are yet to 'go to the doctor or anything' but she thinks she's about eight weeks along. 'We are not ready for this and I am petrified, babies terrify me,' the caption continued. 'But are we happy? Pigs in sh**. Well... I'm hormonal, I considered having an abortion this morning because Densy slept in. Just two weeks ago Ms Hall said she was asked by 'some Balinese men if she was pregnant' and she answered with a resounding 'no' - clearly unawares that she was almost six weeks along Social media commenters had mixed feelings about her pregnancy announcement, with some commenting on the blase nature of the post as disrespectful for women trying to fall 'However I love this mother f*****, with every inch of my bloated body, we are our kids biggest fans and we don't see the harm in putting a new little soul right in the middle of it all. 'Expect complaining... a lot of complaining. Baby number 7 is due sometime around June.' This baby will be Ms Hall's fifth child but Mr Cooke has two children from a previous marriage. Just two weeks ago Ms Hall said she was asked by 'some Balinese men if she was pregnant' and she answered with a resounding 'no' - clearly unawares that she was almost six weeks along. Social media commenters had mixed feelings about her pregnancy announcement, with some commenting on the blase nature of the post as disrespectful for women trying to fall. The 'Like a Queen' author was engaged to Mr Cooke (pictured) in June this year just a few months after separating from her husband Later that month, Ms Hall opened up about her love for Ireland - which she was visiting to promote her 'Like a Queen' book - and the man accompanying her on the trip, Mr Cooke 'I cant believe I used to idolise this woman! To use the sentence I considered to abort because her partner slept in. What the actual f***! There are women/couples who would do anything in this world to even get pregnant and stay pregnant and she has the nerve to write that,' one person wrote. 'Oh you go gal, what a mighty fine gathering of awesome peeps your family will be,' another said. The 'Like a Queen' author was engaged to Mr Cooke in June this year just a few months after separating from her husband. In a Facebook post in April, Ms Hall claimed her and her estranged husband Bill Mahon had 'made the decision to go our own ways.' In a Facebook post in April, Ms Hall claimed her and her estranged husband Bill Mahon (pictured) had 'made the decision to go our own ways' 'We stopped enjoying each other and the kids stopped seeing happiness in our love, only contempt,' she said at the time. Later that month, Ms Hall opened up about her love for Ireland - which she was visiting to promote her 'Like a Queen' book - and the man accompanying her on the trip, Mr Cooke. 'Falling in love with Ireland and each other,' she wrote on Facebook along with several heart emojis. Mr Cooke, a single father, first appeared in the blogger's life earlier this year after she penned about meeting him at a skate park. She spoke highly of her admiration for his parenting skills after listening to his inspiring story of how he was embarking on a trip around Australia with his two sons 'on a quest to skate every single skate park.' A transgender woman has revealed how she stored sperm while still living as a man - so she can father her own children in the future. Stunning Lea Membrey, 20, from Auckland, New Zealand, visited a sperm bank three times before she began taking female hormones two years ago - and says the fact that she may one day be able to have a biological child of her own 'incredible'. Aspiring communications student Lea began transitioning in July 2015 after feeling 'disconnected' from her male body while growing up as a boy. Scroll down for video Lea Membrey, 20, from Auckland in New Zealand, began transforming her body from male to female three years ago and has undergone 5,200 of surgery to create breasts and give her face a more feminine look The student, pictured before her transition, hopes to undergo full reassignment soon and has stored semen in a sperm bank in the hopes that one day she'll be able to biologically father a child Lea pictured as a boy growing up: the 20-year-old says she always felt disconnected from her body and didn't feel comfortable being labelled as gay during her teens by her peers Since making the decision to transition, Lea has spent tens of thousands of New Zealand dollars (more than 5,200) on her new female body including getting breast implants, lip fillers, botox injections and laser hair removal. Lea, who hopes to become a communications student, said: 'I definitely want to have kids within the next ten years and having a child that is biologically mine is so important to me. 'Although I don't want children anytime soon I do want them to be naturally mine. I think it is incredible to know I can still have a baby that is half my DNA. 'I had to bank the sperm before I started intensive hormone treatments because once you begin that your male organs eventually stop working altogether. 'Now, nearly two years after I started the hormones, my testosterone is undetectable - I'm at the same level as a biological woman.' Having surgery to have breasts felt completely natural, the aspiring communications student says Lea says she was finally inspired to transition by trans women she met at parties in her teens - she says she never believed it was possible for transgender women to look so 'gorgeous' Biology is important, says Lea, who hopes to one day father a baby who carries half of her DNA Lea does intend to have full gender reassignment surgery in future but said it was more important to her now to change her outside appearance, so society views her as female. Her next step is to 'soften' her face by having her jaw and brow bone surgically shaved. She said: 'Getting a boob job about a year ago was an absolutely amazing experience. 'It never felt weird at all. It was all so natural to me to wake up the next morning and have breasts. 'Being able to show them off and have some great cleavage gave me that boost of confidence I needed to keep going on this journey. Getting a boob job about a year ago was an absolutely amazing experience. It was all so natural to me to wake up the next morning and have breasts... Lea Membrey 'I love being able to look at myself in the mirror when I'm naked and not seeing a man's flat chest. It's very empowering to have this feminine thing on my body. 'I do see myself getting the full surgery but that's not a priority for me right now. 'What's most important for me is being able go outside today and wholeheartedly be seen as a female. 'I get a lot of people saying to me 'you shouldn't have got your boob job, you should have got the sex change surgery first' but I feel like my boob job has made people see me as a female. 'I'd rather go out of the house and look really natural and be happy knowing that I'm 100 per cent female.' Lea suffered bullying and abuse throughout her school years for being gay - a label she accepted but never truly embraced. But meeting 'gorgeous' transgender women altered her perceptions about transgender people and was the catalyst that propelled her to see a doctor to discuss hormone therapy. Lea says being a feminine guy it was easy to take on the label of being gay, but it wasn't until her late teens that she realised she was living in the wrong body No going back: Lea says: 'I am who I am supposed to be and I could never go back to being male' The 20-year-old said: 'I used to just say to people that I was gay because it was obvious that I was different to other boys at school. 'But I never thought I was gay because I used to really dislike men, which I think stemmed from the fact that I didn't want to be one. 'Although I don't want children anytime soon I do want them to be naturally mine. I think it is incredible to know I can still have a baby that is half my DNA... Lea Membrey 'Others saw me as being gay because I was a very feminine type of guy so it was just so easy to take on that label. 'At the time it was just a relief to put myself into some kind of box and be done with it. But I never really knew who I was and I didn't understand anything about being transgender until I left high school. 'At a party, I just couldn't believe it when one of these drop-dead gorgeous girls told me that she used to be male. 'That totally blew my mind and it was such a defining moment for me. 'I never thought a trans woman could look that good. I thought, 'oh my god. This is who I am meant to be. This is what I want'. Your life, your happiness: The 20-year-old has no plans to have children yet but hopes to in the next ten years Suffering: deciding to visit a medical professional and make steps towards transitioning was the hardest part, says Lea, but something she doesn't regret 'It certainly wasn't an instant decision. All these thoughts kept running through my mind like 'am I feminine enough?' or 'am I really transgender?'. 'The longer I waited the harder it would be because I would just look more and more masculine as time went on and the more difficult it would be to be able to look like a woman. 'It was now or never - so I just went for it and I haven't looked back.' Lea said she is now happier than ever after starting her transition more than two years ago and said she 'can't believe' she suffered for so long before she realised who she truly was. She said: 'My life is actually liveable now and I don't have to deny who I am anymore. 'I am who I am supposed to be and I could never go back to being male. 'You have to embrace your true self because at the end of the day, it's your life and your happiness.' The Queen is visiting HMS Sutherland to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the warship's commissioning. The monarch, 91, was greeted by Commander Andrew Canale as she arrived at West India Dock, in London, for a tour of the frigate today. Wrapping up against the chilly autumn weather, the Queen donned a vibrant turquoise coat and matching hat for the occasion. Decades of service: The Queen today visited HMS Sutherland at West India Dock, London, for a visit marking the 20th anniversary of the warship's commissioning Welcome aboard: The Queen donned a vibrant turquoise coat and matching hat for the visit Thanks: The royal spent time meeting service personnel and their families Defending Britain's waters: HMS Sutherland, pictured in a file image, is often used to escort Russian and Chinese warships which pass into UK territorial waters and through the Channel The monarch led a group of visitors up the gangway and on to the imposing warship, which is usually based in Devonport in Plymouth. Later the Queen will attend a reception for the ship's company, families, former commanding officers and affiliates. She will also attend a lunch in the hanger prepared by the Royal Navy chefs. There will also be a group photo, after which the Queen will be presented with a posy to mark the end of the east London visit. Royal welcome: The Queen was greeted as she stepped out of the car at HMS Sutherland Elegant: The Queen donned a beautiful turquoise coat which she accessorised with pearls Respect: The monarch, 91, was saluted as she arrived at the warship for the tour today Royal visit: The Queen prepares to board the frigate, which is usually ported in Plymouth Taking the lead: The Queen led a group of visitors up the gangway and onto the warship HMS Sutherland has spent much of the past 12 months as the Fleet Ready Escort and Towed Array Patrol Ship, a task that requires it to be at very high readiness for operational tasking around the UK. The ship recently completed a six-week operational work-up in preparation for deployment next year. Shortly afterwards it was tasked as the first Royal Navy escort for the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth on sailing from Rosyth for the first time. Engaged: The Queen looked interested as she learnt more about different roles on board Survivor of child sex abuse Karen Danczuk has voiced her support of actresses coming forward to report sexual harassment of the late Michael Winner. Three actresses including Debbie Arnold, Cindy Marshall-Day and one who will remain anonymous made the accusations against Winner, who died in 2013. The three women claimed that the film director demanded they expose their breasts to him during an audition. Scroll down for video Karen Danczuk appeared on Good Morning Britain on Monday to discuss the recent allegations against Michael Winner Karen's 'monster' older brother Michael Burke, 39, was jailed for 15 years in December 2016 for raping the former Labour councillor repeatedly between the age of nine and 11. The 'selfie queen' appeared on Monday's Good Morning Britain to discuss the allegations about Winner. Speaking to presenters Richard Madeley and Ranvir Singh Karen, 34, defended the women's decision to come forward about the crime after the director's death. Karen is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her brother Michael Burke who was jailed in December 2016 Joining Karen was former senior detective at the MET police Sue Hill who wants to encourage further victims to come forward She said: 'I understand many people would say why now? Why come out now? But they don't necessarily live the day to day effects of holding such a dark secret within here (taps head) and what that actually does to you. 'It allows these women closure it allows them to say "this happened to me" but I think the most important point is that its a warning sign that this kind of thing cannot go on.' Joining Karen on the show today is former senior detective at the MET police Sue Hill, who admitted that she was concerned about crimes of 'yesteryear'. Karen defended the actresses for coming forward with their allegations claiming that regardless of whether their alleged abuser is dead or not it gives them closure She said: 'It's very easy to make allegations and very difficult to prove and when you've got somebody whose not here to defend themselves then also we need to respect that as well' adding 'Very often we're trying to put today's standards on yesteryear.' She continued: 'When you've got historic allegations coming forward now my hope is the police don't put any investment in the resources into investigating something where there can't be an outcome because the person is dead.' Sue Hill was eager to encourage 'empowerment' among women and encourage those who have suffered against the hands of abuse to come forward. Accusations agains the late director Michael Winner have been made by three women who claimed that the film director demanded they expose their breasts to him during an audition Debbie Arnold, pictured in Coronation Street in 2012, has said film director Michael Winner demanded to see her naked breasts during an audition Cindy Marshall-Day, pictured in 2003 in Crossroads, claimed Winner had also demanded to see her naked breasts during an audition in 1985 She said: 'Stop making or young women victims empower them to stand up and don't wait 20 years to make that complaint.' To this Karen added that it was important to keep the discussion going to provide a warning to abusive men. She said: 'I think the more we speak about it and show this isn't acceptable and there will be a lot of men across England and even America, waking up very worried for these next few weeks because they know things from many years ago.' Allegations against Michael Winner emerged on Sunday after the women admitted they hadn't lodged a complaint with police at the time because they feared it would wreck their acting careers. They decided to speak out after dozens of actresses made allegations of sexual assault and rape against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. When asked about the allegations Winner's wife Geraldine, who married him two years before his death, said: 'I feel any story you print would be untrue. Therefore I have no further comment.' Mrs Winner was the biggest beneficiary of his legacy, receiving 20 million of his 45 million. She was left his Holland Park mansion which was sold to pop star Robbie Williams for 17.5 million, a second London home and 5 million cash. Viewers were left outraged last night after a British woman posing as a Muslim was subjected to vile abuse as she walked past her local pub. Katie Freeman was targeted by drinkers while disguised in a hijab as she took part in an explosive new documentary on Channel 4 called My Week as a Muslim. The 42-year-old was taunted in her hometown of Manchester by punters, including one who asked if she planned to 'blow them up', in the same week that a terror attack rocked the city. However Katie, a former 'ban the burka' campaigner, also came in for criticism for claiming early on in the programme that Muslims did not 'dress British'. As part of the documentary, Katie spent seven days living with with Saima Alvi, 49, and her family. New perspective: Katie, left, spent a week living as a Pakistani Muslim for the Channel 4 show 'Disgusting': Katie was subject to Islamaphobic abuse from punters when she walked past her local pub wearing a hijab as part of the Channel 4 documentary My Week as a Muslim, pictured Horrified: Dismayed viewers took to Twitter to express their horror at the vile taunts Katie said she felt 'sickened' by the taunts outside the pub and viewers agreed those responsible should be 'ashamed'. But others claimed it was Katie who should feel embarrassed, after she initially struggled to accept Saima's way of life. One scene saw Katie explain that she did not think her Manchester-born host 'dressed British', prompting viewers to brand her 'ignorant'. Just 10 minutes into the hour-long programme, one viewer posted: 'This woman is so awful I can barely watch it.' Cameras followed Katie as she grappled to integrate with the community - including during a stint as a chaperone on a 'date' between two young Muslims looking to marry. By the end of the documentary she had become friends with her Muslim hosts, and was left convinced that white and Muslim Brits need to put on a 'united front' in the face of adversity and terrorism. The positive outcome also prompted tweets from viewers who praised Channel 4 for creating an 'eye opening' show. Heckled: Katie said she was left 'sickened' by the abuse she received from pub regulars Bigots: Viewers were horrified by the abuse - but others said they were not surprised My Week as a Muslim saw Katie move in with Saima Alvi, 49, and her family to live life according to Islamic customs, and also experience some of the prejudices they face in a culture of Islamophobia. The filming schedule for the documentary overlapped with the Manchester terror attack. Saima helped her to dress in a hijab and modest clothing to look like a devout Muslim woman. The most shocking incident in the documentary saw Katie walk home past her local pub only for locals to begin shouting anti-Muslim abuse at her, asking if she was going to blow them up. 'Ignorant': Katie felt uncomfortable when Saima's family prayed, pictured, saying she associates 'Allahu Akbar' with suicide bombers Blasted: Katie was criticised by viewers over her lack of understanding of the Muslim faith An outraged Katie was left visibly shaken by the incident, saying: 'That's what they have to put up with all the time don't they? What harm am I doing walking down there? Absolutely no harm. 'And what did they [mean] about blowing things up and stuff like that? F***ing idiots. It just sickens me the stuff they've shouted to me but it's only a few days isn't it? I can take this [the hijab] off and go back to being Katie and they probably wouldn't even make a comment would they? 'For Saima if she came here and her family came here they'd have that abuse all the time wouldn't they? It would be relentless.' Welcomed: Katie, third from right, stayed with Saima Alvi, 49, third from left, for a week Alien experience: Katie said she felt like she was 'in another country' living with Saima Horrifying: Katie and Saima watched the news of the Manchester attack unfolding together At the beginning of the documentary Katie admitted her prejudices about Muslims, confessing that she had once left a shop because her daughter was left 'frightened' when a woman wearing a burka entered. She said at the start: 'Banning the headdresses and burkas, I think it would make a lot of people feel a lot happier, a lot safer. I wouldn't want to sit next to them because I'd automatically assume they're going to blow something up.' Katie took part in the experiment in a bid to learn how it feels to be a Muslim in modern Britain, in an age of terrorist attacks and rising instances of anti-Muslim hate crimes. Immersed: Katie, third from right, joined Saima and her friends for prayers at the local mosque Reality: Katie became concerned to learn that one woman in niqab feared going outside The programme previously drew criticism online after it emerged before it aired that Katie would be given a makeover to look Pakistani; a process that involved darkening her skin and wearing a false nose and teeth. Her changed appearance made life difficult for Katie, who began experiencing abuse while out and about, particularly in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on Manchester Arena, which killed 22 people. The documentary shows Katie and Saima watching the news about the attack unfold on TV together, as Katie found herself wanting to pull out of the experiment for her own safety for fear of being attacked. However it still took Katie a while to understand Muslim traditions. Newfound respect: By the end of the show Katie, right, and Saima had struck up a friendship Praise: The documentary was hailed as 'positive' and 'amazing' by some viewers She felt uncomfortable when Saima's family prayed, saying she associated 'Allahu Akbar' with suicide bombers. Katie visited a Muslim marriage bureau where young single Muslims will go to find a date. She was tasked with chaperoning a date between two young people and awkwardly sat and watched as they got to know each other. It was obvious that Katie didn't understand the custom, saying afterwards: 'What the hell was that all about? It doesn't feel natural like it's been put together. I just don't understand why they feel the need to do that. 'They're both young attractive people, what's wrong with the good old fashioned way? Meet somebody out, I like the look of you, can we have a chat, give us your number.' The documentary ended with Katie telling her mother about the experiment and revealed herself in her Muslim disguise. Her mother began crying and said she was 'frightened' of her own daughter, saying: 'I just don't like it Kate. I just look at you and, it's horrible, but i couldn't live in a family like that.' But Kate had begun to see Muslims in a different light, and said she feels both the White and Muslim communities need to unite. She said: 'You can't blame the whole of the Muslims for one person's mindless act of terror can you? Just because they choose to live their life differently to me doesn't mean they're any less welcome to be here. 'We have to be strong and put on a united front.' The husband of a woman who was tragically killed after she was mowed down by a car has turned her dream of designing a gym into a reality. Aaron McAllister and his interior designer wife Yasmin, 27, worked tirelessly for months to launch their own business in Brisbane. The young woman had drawn up the designs after the pair found the perfect space to open up their gym together in Kangaroo Point. But her life was cut short just weeks before their first wedding anniversary after she was struck by a car when she was walking to work in Camp Hill in June. Scroll down for video Aaron McAllister and his interior designer wife Yasmin, 27, worked tirelessly for months to build their own gym together - but in June, Ms McAllister was tragically killed in a car accident Making her vision come to life, Mr McAllister wanted to dedicate the gym to his late wife by featuring a large mural (pictured) of her on the wall, painted by artist Lee Harnden Fighting back tears, Mr McAllister told 7News: 'I kissed her four times before I left that morning... I left to work early.' And four months since his her tragic death, the distraught man said he managed to find the strength to 'keep going' after fulfilling her dream. Mr McAllister went on to honor her memory by opening FitazFK Gym after teaming up with his business partner Georgio Batsinilas. Making her vision come to life, Mr McAllister wanted to dedicate the gym to his late wife by featuring a large mural of her on the wall, painted by artist Lee Harnden. 'I definitely think we feel her spirit here,' he said. Mr McAllister said the unfinished gym helped him find strength to 'keep going' with the project The woman had drawn up the designs after the pair found the perfect space to open up their gym together in Kangaroo Point - and after her death, Mr McAllister added a new element Artist Lee Harnden painted a larger than life mural of Ms McAllister in a moving tribute Ms McAllister died in hospital after she suffered severe head trauma in a horrific car accident The opening of the gym comes just months after Ms McAllister died in hospital after she suffered severe head trauma in a horrific car accident. Mr McAllister paid tribute to his 'princess', saying 'thanks for blessing my life with a love that most people will never experience in their whole lifetime. 'I miss you so much and I know life is gonna be tough without you, but I promise you I will face it head on as that's what you would have wanted,' he wrote on Facebook. 'Nothing is the same for me anymore, I feel like one half of me is gone but somehow you continue to touch me with your spirit and give me direction and comfort. 'I can't be angry that you have been taken from me, I can only be grateful that I ever met you. I am thankful that I got to hold you, kiss you, love you and call you my wife.' On a chilly autumn day, there's nothing more comforting than slipping on a cashmere jumper. But, with price tags rising as high as 300, many of us see cashmere as an unaffordable indulgence. Instead, we opt for cheaper, lower-quality knits made from wool blends or artificial fibres which are easier on the bank balance, but fade and fall apart before winter is over. This year, however, cashmere cardigans, jumpers and polo-necks are popping up all over the High Street at astonishingly affordable prices. At Uniqlo, there are cashmere mix sweaters for just under 25, while H&M has a range of cashmere blend polo-neck jumpers in autumnal red and orange hues for less than 40. If you'd prefer 100 per cent cashmere, you can buy cardigans for just 50 at Tesco, while Marks & Spencer stocks pure cashmere ribbed jumpers in eight flattering shades for 75. So how come cashmere is suddenly so affordable? Can you really get a good-quality autumn knit for around 100? We unpick the secrets of High Street cashmere and put it to the test. WHERE IS IT FROM? One of the rarest natural fibres in the world, cashmere is not, in fact, wool or fur, but hair, which grows on the underbellies of goats. These goats are found in central Asia, where they graze an area twice the size of Europe, encompassing Inner and Outer Mongolia, China and Afghanistan. The word 'cashmere' comes from an old spelling of Kashmir, a state in northern India, where the animals originated. Indian emperors used hair shorn from the goats to make shawls for formal occasions. Cashmere came to Britain during the 18th century, when a Scottish textile manufacturer began importing it to sell to upper-class women. To buy or not to buy? Best and worst cashmere on the high street John Lewis extra fine cashmere cardigan, 99 100% cashmere Marielle Wyse, knitwear expert and founder of luxury cashmere brand Wyse London (wyselondon.co.uk) says: 'A thin, loosely-knit piece which simply won't wear well. 'The material is almost see-through and the saggy pockets look like they would catch on things and rip off. 'It's a nice colour, but there's lots of dye in there. The fit is a bit baggy, so it isn't the most flattering option.' 3/10 H&M cashmere-blend jumper, 39.99 5% cashmere, 95% wool Marielle says: 'I don't know why this has cashmere in the name the percentage of actual cashmere fibres is tiny, and it feels chunky and artificial. 'As long as you've felt this in the shop, you'll know it's not cashmere. If you bought it online, you'd be disappointed. 'Saying that, it's a nice shape the balloon sleeves are very on-trend.' 4/10 Pure Collection gassato cashmere sweater, 59.40 (was 99) 100% cashmere Marielle says: 'The fibres are knitted loosely, making a little cashmere go a long way. But it will tear easily. 'If you pull it apart it takes a long time to go back into shape. There's also lots of dye, so it isn't very soft. It is also likely to bobble and the fit is saggy.' 1/10 Asos cashmere turtle neck, 90 100% cashmere Marielle says: 'This is soft, but it won't wear well; it will start to lose its shape after two or three wears. 'It feels loosely knit and that neckline is hard to pull off it makes your neck look short and your boobs look big. 'One thing it has going for it is the colour. It has been dyed, but it's closer to the natural colour of cashmere so may pill less.' 3/10 Pure Collection ribbed-trim polo neck, 68 10% cashmere, 15% viscose, 75% wool Marielle says: 'For such a small percentage of cashmere, this isn't cheap. It's heavy, but don't let that fool you: it's bulky without being high quality. 5/10 Advertisement 'Having such fine hair helps the goats adapt to an extreme Mongolian climate,' explains Simon Cotton, a cashmere expert and CEO of Scottish knitwear company Johnstons of Elgin. 'In May and June, the goats start moulting, and this is when the soft, fleecy under-hair is revealed.' Farm workers use combs to sort coarse outer hair from the long downy hairs underneath. The highest-quality hairs are 3cm to 4cm long; cheaper cashmere is made from short hairs which are woven together end-to-end to give the illusion of length. WHY IS IT SO SOFT? Goat hair is much finer and more delicate than sheep's wool. Unlike wool and angora, which are straight, cashmere fibre is bumpy. These bumps help the fibres cling to one another, rather than sticking out and scratching your skin. Not only are they gentler, but they're better at trapping body heat: the best cashmere is eight times warmer than wool. Processes carried out during manufacturing also give cashmere its characteristic softness. Repeatedly washing the fabric in warm water keeps it smooth. The raw material is sent to factories (usually in China), where it's fed through a rolling blade which shaves off tangles. It then goes into a heated centrifuge, which spins the fibres at high temperature eight to 12 times to remove impurities. ... AND SO PRICEY? A cashmere goat herd holds one of his precious animals in Mongolia There are two reasons for the steep cost of cashmere. First is the scarcity of raw material: there are limited numbers of goats, so the amount of hair they provide is finite. Global production of cashmere is relatively low: 6,500 metric tons a year compared with two million metric tons of wool. The second reason is the cumbersome production process. Much of the shearing, sorting, cleaning and combing is done by hand, and cashmere is then categorised into grades according to its length and thickness. All this requires high staffing costs, and factory overheads. 'It's a really delicate fibre and it needs to be treated gently,' explains Simon Cotton. HOW COSTS ARE CUT Cheap garments are often associated with underpaid workers and badly treated animals but cut-price cashmere doesn't have to mean unhappy goats. The revolution started ten years ago, when global import regulations were relaxed and China started exporting huge volumes of cashmere to Europe. This, combined with sinking demand for luxury goods, made the market dip and prices fell. A change in the supply chain has also cut costs. Uniqlo says it has started sourcing fabric directly from farmers in China and Mongolia, cutting out middle men. Some low-cost cashmere may be made from 'guard hair', the slightly coarser hair shorn from goats' backs, bellies and beards. Although not the highest quality, it is still technically 'cashmere', but it may pull or bobble more. Finally, costs are kept down by knitting the garment loosely. Many products now are light, fine pullovers, which require less fabric. THE KNIT-KNACKS Once it's been cleaned and sorted in a factory, the cashmere is rolled into bales and shipped to Europe, where it is spun into a yarn. Cashmere, whose natural colour is white, beige or brown, is dyed at this stage of the process. The cashmere is sold to designers for around 200 per kilogram. Some low-end manufacturers use computerised knitting machines, capable of producing more than 10,000 stitches and patterns. High-quality brands do this part by hand, producing superior knits with a better fit. WHAT'S IN A NAME? Lots of High Street jumpers have 'cashmere' in the name but a closer look at the label reveals they may contain only 5 per cent cashmere, blended with 95 per cent wool or cotton. So how is it legal to call them 'cashmere'? According to industry rules, the terms '100%', 'pure' and 'all' can only be used if the garment is made exclusively from one fibre. To buy or not to buy? Best and worst cashmere on the high street Tesco Florence & Fred cashmere cardigan, 50 100% cashmere Marielle says: This feels like acrylic its thin, clearly cheap material. Theres nothing soft or indulgent about it. Its very tightly milled which means it wont bobble. But I reckon it would only last three or four wears. Theres none of that lovely weave you get with good-quality cashmere the texture is flat instead. 6/10 Uniqlo cashmere crew neck, 69.90 100% cashmere Marielle says: Its a rougher cashmere than some of the others, but its tightly knit so it will keep you warm and last. They may have washed or ironed the cashmere to make it so soft, but its not bad for a High Street option. It hugs the figure nicely and its not so dark as to make it coarse or heavy. 8/10 Gap cashmere crew sweater, 114.95 100% cashmere Marielle says: This is my favourite of the lot, so its no surprise to see the price tag. The pastel colour suggests the cashmere hasnt been aggressively dyed its a nice natural marl. Its got a lovely feel. The weave is tight and durable, but you can still see the fibres, which means its made of ultra-fine hairs delicately woven together. 9/10 Zara pure cashmere sweater, 119 100% cashmere Marielle says: This is quite expensive for the High Street, but theres a lot of cashmere in it so I can see why. Its very soft, a lovely style and well-made if a little baggy on. I would pick this one up in a shop, but I wouldnt expect it to last. The super-soft fabric will quickly become shapeless. 7/10 M&S pure cashmere ribbed round-neck jumper, 75 100% cashmere Marielle says: In terms of quality and texture, this is in between Gap and Tesco it feels reasonably soft and will wear well as its tightly knit. Its a good everyday jumper. But its a bit garish and plain, and youd expect a better fit around the waist and bust. 7/10 Advertisement If it's made from two or more different fibres, it must bear a label clearly stating the percentage composition of each one. There is nothing to stop retailers using the word 'cashmere' in the garment's name. LOOK OUT FOR . . . The best cashmere is made from long, pure fibres these won't pull or break as easily as shorter fibres. You can check this by feeling the weight of the jumper: cheaper ones weigh 100-200g, while a well-made garment may be as heavy as 300g. You can gauge its quality by stretching part of it and watching how quickly it reshapes: good quality fabrics take 1-2 seconds. Experts say blended materials aren't necessarily bad. Wool-cashmere is still reasonably warm and is hardier than pure cashmere. Silk-cashmere produces a strong, thin jumper with a subtle sheen, while cotton-cashmere has all the softness of the real thing. PLAIN IS BEST The most expensive cashmere jumpers tend to be neutral colours with limited patterns; this is because the delicate fibres can be damaged by excess workmanship. Lighter colours are slightly softer to the touch than darker hues, due to the dyeing process. If embellishment buttons, sequins, etc is added, this can pull the delicate fibres, weakening them. The best cashmere jumpers last at least ten years. But if you want to get the most out of your purchase, experts recommend going for a slightly looser fit. This will stop bobbling, which occurs when shorter cashmere fibres twist around themselves in areas where there is friction (under the arms or around the neckline, where it can rub against the skin). CAN YOU WASH IT? Unlike wool, cashmere improves the more it is washed the surface fibres become fluffy and insulate the fragile inner fibres, helping the garment hold its shape. It is, however, vulnerable to heat, which forces the ultra-fine hairs together and makes your jumper shrink. Knitwear experts say a change in size of 5 per cent over the years is to be expected. Cashmere should be hand-washed in cool water (around 30c), or on the gentlest setting of your washing machine, using delicate detergent or baby shampoo. Once washed, remove excess water by patting with a towel and lay flat to dry; hanging cashmere stretches the fibres out of shape. If you notice bobbling or pilling, use a cashmere comb (5 from Amazon or John Lewis) to remove bumps. Simon says you don't need to wash cashmere as often as a normal woolly once or twice a month should suffice. 'It's a natural fibre so it has inbuilt antimicrobial properties and should keep itself fresh and clean,' he explains. An Indian woman has died after being stung by a scorpion. The anonymous patient, 54, was attacked on her left hand by an Indian Red Scorpion shortly after she woke up, a case report reveals. The woman, from Warangal - 89 miles (144km) from Hyderabad, was rushed to her local hospital and given a range of drugs to combat the expected side effects. But eight hours later, the deadly venom triggered a life-threatening stroke - despite the best efforts of doctors treating her. Medics were able to keep her alive for a little while longer - and were forced to revive her soon after when her heart stopped pumping. But the woman died when the venom triggered a second cardiac arrest, despite the repeated attempts to keep her heart pumping. The anonymous patient, 54, was attacked on her left hand by an Indian Red Scorpion shortly after she woke up, a case report reveals Her death, revealed in BMJ Case Reports, has prompted the doctors to warn about the potential risk of stroke in patients stung by scorpions. Prompted a warning Writing in the prestigious journal, the team who treated her at Aditya Hospital said: 'Scorpion bite-induced ischaemic infarct is rare.' The dangerous scorpion, known scientifically as Hottentotta tamulus, was captured immediately after stinging the woman and was killed. It is considered to be one of the world's most lethal scorpions, and grows up to be 6cm long. Doctors said such stings kill up to 22 per cent of patients. INDIAN RED SCORPION: THE FACTS The Indian Red Scorpion, known by its scientific name as Hottentotta tamulus, is found throughout parts of India, Pakistan and Nepal. Literature says then range in size from 60 to 80mm, and they often come in dark orange or brighter red colours. Indian researchers warn these often stung ] Encounters with humans mainly occur during the night or early morning, when the scorpions accidentally crawl into beds or fall from ceiling Advertisement Three hours after she was admitted, the woman developed tachycardia (abnormally fast heartbeat) and low blood pressure (hypotension). What did tests show? An electrocardiogram showed raised levels of CK MB enzymes in her blood, often a sign that someone has had a heart attack. The doctors were able to control her symptoms, but they became concerned when her symptoms worsened eight hours later. The venom caused the right side of her body to become paralysed (hemiplegia) and she struggled to speak (aphasia) - two signs of a stroke. An MRI scan then showed the woman had suffered an ischaemic stroke - a clot that blocks the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain. Dosed up with aspirin Doctors dosed her up with aspirin, a known anticoagulant, to slash her risk of being struck down by another potentially deadly stroke. Within hours, the unidentified woman's blood pressure again dropped dangerously low her heartbeat abnormally high. She went into cardiac arrest, which kills nine in ten victims. Doctors were able to revive her, but she entered a coma. The scorpion's venom eventually killed her the next day, when her body fell victim to another cardiac arrest. The number of women left with misshapen and rock-hard breasts after implant operations has more than doubled in three years, figures reveal. Last year, there were 377 reports of capsular contracture in which the body formshardened scar tissue around the implant up from 148 in 2013. The complaints are logged by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency as 'adverse reactions'. Capsular contracture is a common complication in implant surgery, as the immune system can reject foreign materials in the body. Experts say it is a natural process and usually settles. However, in some cases the scar tissue can tighten around the implant so much that the implant can become misshapen or even be squeezed out of the body. Figures show a rise in capsular contracture a complication of breast implant surgery (stock photo) which BAAPS has linked to women keeping implants longer WHAT IS CAPSULAR CONTRACTURE? Capsular contracture, an unavoidable complication of breast implant surgery, affects most patients to some degree. If it occurs, it is likely further surgery will be needed. The body creates a capsule of fibrous scar issue about the breast implant as part of the healing process. This is a natural reaction that occurs when any foreign object is surgically implanted into the body. The scar tissue over time will begin to shrink at a rate and extent which varies from person to person. In some cases, the capsule can tighten and squeeze the implant, making the breast feel hard or even eject itself from the body. Advertisement Causes can include bacterial contamination, rupture of the breast-implant shell, and leakage of the silicone-gel filling. But the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons said the rise in the complication may be in part explained by an increase in women keeping implants in for longer. Breast implants typically last 10 years and surgery is needed to replace them. Caroline Payne, of BAAPS, told The Sun said: 'The figures are slightly skewed as more implants are staying in for longer before they are changed.' More than 7,000 women had implant surgery in the UK last year, according to BAAPS. When capsular contracture occurs, they are graded. Grades III and IV capsular contracture are considered severe, and may require reoperation or implant removal. Previous warning over cancer link The figures have been released after a recent warning that 'textured' implants designed to stay in place more firmly are linked to a rare, aggressive form of cancer that is hard to treat. The cancer is called breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), and a study from Penn State College of Medicine earlier this month found that cases of it are on the rise. They found that BIA-ALCL affects about one of every 30,000 women with breast implants and that almost all of these cases are associated with textured implants. Out of the 95 patients whose cases were reviewed, five died. Because the researchers did not find any cases of BIA-ALCL reported before textured implants were used, they think that a causal relationship between the two exists. But the report stressed more research needs to be done to confirm this. Government health officials have attacked superstar Calvin Harris after he controversially claimed the flu jab is a 'neurotoxin shot'. The Scottish DJ, who has 12.7 million followers on Twitter, became embroiled in a row on the social media site after telling them the vaccine contains mercury. His false allegations were dismissed by various experts, including Mail on Sunday's resident GP Dr Ellie Cannon, with whom he engaged in a war of words. The posts have since been deleted. Angry doctors were concerned that his claims may deter millions from getting the flu jab - leaving them vulnerable to the dreaded Aussie flu outbreak that is expected to blight the UK in the coming weeks. Now Richard Pebody, acting head of respiratory disease at Public Health England, has also addressed the truth behind 33-year-old Harris' incorrect claims. The Scottish superstar, who has 12.7 million followers on Twitter, became embroiled in a row on the social media site when he warned that flu jabs contain mercury Speaking about the false allegations made in the Twitter row earlier this month, Mr Pebody said: 'All ingredients in the flu vaccine are safe. 'The main ingredient of any vaccine is the disease-causing virus, bacteria or toxin. 'But a number of other components are needed to make the final vaccine as safe and effective as possible.' The blazing battle saw a handful of angry doctors confront Harris' 'conspiracy theory' at the beginning of this month. The multi-millionaire even claimed that 'several Government medical papers' backed him up - only to be shot down by Dr Cannon for his lack of knowledge. Defending the flu jab Dr Cannon defended the flu jab in a piece for The Mail on Sunday earlier this month when Katie Hopkins said she wouldn't let doctors give her son the vaccine. In the piece, she addressed her social media row with Harris and said his claims are a common misconception driven by a 'misunderstanding of science'. 'Some flu vaccines contain thimerosal preservative', she revealed. The non-toxic compound related to mercury passes harmlessly through the body. His false allegations were dismissed by various experts, including Mail on Sunday's resident GP Dr Ellie Cannon, with whom he engaged in the now-deleted battle Richard Pebody, acting head of respiratory disease at Public Health England, said: 'All ingredients in the flu vaccine are safe' Thimerosal, which is present in other vaccines to stop bacterial and fungal growth, isn't found in the flu jab, Mr Pebody said. The World Health Organization states there to be 'no evidence' to even suggest that the compound poses any kind of health risk. Dreaded Aussie flu Health officials are worried about this year's flu virus, after a particularly aggressive strain blighted the Southern Hemisphere, including Australia and New Zealand. It is expected the same H3N2 strain will also cause havoc in the UK, as the Northern Hemisphere's flu season tends to mirror that of its southerly counterparts. WHAT ELSE DID HARRIS CLAIM? Harris, famous for his hits Summer, Thinking About You and This Is What You Came For, also tried to diagnose Theresa May in the same Twitter spat. He suggested that she needed a 'liver cleanse' when the Prime Minister coughed at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. But when doctors stepped in to challenge Harris, he refused to accept their medical understanding - until he deleted the tweets hours later. Advertisement Concerns have been raised that it could even pose a similar threat to humanity as the Hong Kong flu in 1968, which killed one million people. The elderly with their compromised immune systems are particularly susceptible, and a spike in cases among young children has also been shown. Several experts have warned the jab, made by World Health Organization scientists, won't match the H3N2 strain because it has evolved. The vaccines are created in March, based on which flu strains are expected to be in circulation. They are then doled out in September. The Government urges those deemed at-risk to get their flu jab each winter as part of its immunisation programme which has been running for many years. Vaccine concerns But concerns have been raised that the strain is slowly developing immunity to the vaccine, which will be similar to the one given out in the UK. Flu viruses are constantly changing proteins on their surface to avoid detection by the body's immune system - making it more deadly. This transformation is called an 'antigenic shift' if it's large enough, and can lead to a pandemic. This was responsible for the swine flu outbreak in 2009. The Aussie flu is transforming quickly, but not fast enough for experts to describe it as a shift. However, it is slowly building up immunity. A little boy had his skull taken apart and pieced back together just like a jigsaw to stop it from crushing his brain. Leo Hutchinson, five, from Cardiff, was born with a rare condition, known as sagittal craniosynostosis, that caused his skull to fuse together and press on his vital organ, which can cause blindness or severe brain damage if untreated. The youngster was just seven months old when he endured his first nine-hour operation that involved taking out 'every bit of skull' and 'cutting it into pieces'. A second procedure required Leo be fit with Frankenstein-like bolts that his mother had to twist every day to relieve pressure on his head. Although Leo is recovering well, he has been left with a zig-zag scar across his scalp. Leo Hutchinson had his skull taken apart and pieced back to stop it from crushing his brain Leo was born with a rare condition that caused his skull to fuse together and press on his vital organ (pictured with his mother Georgia and stepfather Dominic) The youngster was just seven months old when he endured his first nine-hour operation WHAT IS SAGITTAL CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS? Sagittal craniosynostosis occurs when plates of the skull fuse earlier than they should. Its cause is unknown but may be genetic or due to the baby's position in the womb. Signs are an unusually-shaped skull, a strong forehead and prominent back of head. Complications include raised brain pressure, as well as delayed speech and language development. Treatment usually involves reshaping the skull within the first few months of life. Most sufferers go on to have normal lives. Source: Great Ormond Street Hospital Advertisement 'I look at him every day and I'm thankful he's here' Leo's mother Georgia said: 'I'm so proud of him. I look at him every day and I'm thankful he's here. 'Things could have gone a completely different way. I'm just pleased I kept on and on to my health professional that there was something wrong with him.' Twenty weeks into Georgia's pregnancy, doctors noticed Leo's head was larger than most babies in the womb. Yet, when he was born, a paediatrician checked him over and discharged him from hospital. Georgia later became concerned when Leo was failing to reach some of his key milestones, such as sitting up unaided. After much persistence from his mother, doctors finally diagnosed Leo with sagittal craniosynostosis and told her he required an operation. The nine-hour surgery took place when he was just seven months old and was conducted in Birmingham. A second procedure required Leo be fit with Frankenstein-like bolts that his mother twisted Leo (left) is recovering well but has been left with a zig-zag scar on his scalp (pictured with his brother Coby and sister Myah). Untreated he could have suffered blindness or brain damage Doctors noticed Leo's head was larger than most babies in the womb but were unconcerned His mother was aware Leo was not reaching his milestones (pictured with his grandfather Lee) 'They basically took every bit of his skull out' Georgia said: 'They basically took every bit of his skull out, cut it all up into pieces, put holes and slits in it and put it back together. 'They took his forehead out and flipped it upside down and put it back in. 'It was an awful thing for my first child to go through.' Although traumatic, without surgery doctors believe Leo would have gone blind or suffered severe brain damage. Two years after the first operation, scans revealed Leo was experiencing swelling of the optic nerve. He then had a second operation, which involved inserting screws into the side of his head that his mother had to twist every day. Georgia said: 'This time, instead of taking the skull out they inserted two sliders on each side of his skull. 'It was then my job to turn these sliders with a special key - once in the morning and once in the night - to relieve any press on his brain.' She did this for 28 days before the sliders were taken out. Both operations were successful and Leo is now making 'amazing progress'. Leo's family are fundraising for the hospital that treated him. Donate here. Millions of people who suffer from severe migraines could be helped with ketamine, a new study suggests. The horse tranquiliser, used illegally as a party drug, may be an effective treatment for those who fail to respond to other medications. Ketamine made the debilitating headaches less painful for nearly three quarters, the researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, found. It offers hope of an effective remedy, with many desperate sufferers using alternative treatments as a last resort for their pain, including acupuncture and lavender oil. The horse tranquiliser, used illegally as a party drug, may be an effective treatment for those who fail to respond to other medications Lead author Dr Eric Schwenk said: 'Ketamine may hold promise as a treatment for migraine headaches in patients who have failed other treatments. 'Our study focused only on short-term relief, but it is encouraging that this treatment might have the potential to help patients long term. 'Our work provides the basis for future, prospective studies that involve larger numbers of patients.' Migraine is the third most common disease in the world, according to estimates. It affects around 37 million in the US and six million in the UK. How was the study carried out? The study, presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY annual meeting in Boston, revolved around 61 male migraine sufferers. The patients, who were all in their 40s and had been admitted to hospital, suffered intractable migraines - which have beaten all other therapies. Researchers found their pain rating, recorded on a scale of zero to 10, had more than halved, in patients given ketamine during their hospital stay. KETAMINE: THE FACTS Ketamine works as as an anaesthetic as it puts the patient in a trance like state so they can't feel pain, while also acting as a sedative. It was discovered in 1962 and was used in casualty clearing stations in the Vietnam war as an anaesthetic. But its mind altering effects has made it a popular party drug and the hallucinatory experience is commonly known as being K-holed. It was not until the late 1980s and the arrival of rave culture that it really took off as a recreational drug. It has also been used as a date rape drug due to it being odourless and colourless. Ketamine is a Class B drug in the UK meaning it is illegal to take, give away or sell. Anyone caught with the drug faces up to five years behind bars. Advertisement They were treated with regular infusions of ketamine after being fitted up with a drip for either three or seven days. What did they find? When they were admitted, their migraine pain was 7.5 on average. This dropped to 3.4 by the time they were discharged. The average length of infusion was 5.1 days, with the fourth day recording the lowest pain ratings. Adverse effects, which included hallucinations and vivid dreams among some of the patients, were generally mild. Dr Schwenk said while his hospital uses ketamine to treat intractable migraines, it is not yet widely available. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital will be opening a new infusion centre this autumn that will treat more patients with headaches using ketamine. Migraines: The facts The World Health Organisation recognises migraine as one of the most disabling lifetime conditions, yet awareness and understanding is low. Some patients do not respond to regular painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen for the recurring attacks of throbbing or pulsing moderate to severe pain. During a migraine, people are often very sensitive to light, sound and may become nauseated or vomit. Attacks can last for more than a day. They are often preceded by visual disturbances such as flashing lights, shimmering lines and blind spots, caused by a wave of electrical activity in brain cells. Stress is strongly connected. Other possible causes are caffeine, dehydration, skipping meals or eating high sugary foods. A genetic link is also suspected. A desperately ill woman whose brain is dropping out of her skull fears she won't live to see Christmas this year if she doesn't raise enough money for life-saving surgery. Sarah Gearing, 40, from Rochford, Essex, suffers from Ehlers Danlos syndrome, which makes her body's connective tissues collapse and has left her in constant pain. She has a hind-brain herniation, which means that her brain has slipped 7mm out of place and is now preventing fluid from circulating between the brain and spine. Surgeons have warned only a complicated operation will save her, but it means she needs to raise 130,000 to undergo the 10-hour procedure in Barcelona. She has now issued an urgent crowd-funding appeal to help her achieve the six-figure sum, as without out it, she doesn't 'have long left'. Ms Gearing, who has been a full-time wheelchair user for 20 years, said: 'My surgeon told me that my condition is more critical than it has ever been, and that if I don't get the surgery I need by next month, I will die. Sarah Gearing, 40, from Rochford, Essex, suffers from Ehlers Danlos syndrome, which makes her body's connective tissues collapse 'This condition has affected every single aspect of my life, right now I wear a neck-brace all the time. 'When I was younger, my coordination was poor and I would bruise easily, since then things have only worsened. 'I had pursued a further education to become a counsellor but because of my health I couldn't continue it. 'Right now my brain is dropping out of my skull, crushing my brain-stem and spinal cord.' A handful of surgeons Ms Gearing has learned the only surgeons in the world able to perform this highly complex and dangerous operation are in Spain or the US. As a result of her condition, she also suffers from chronic pain, mental and physical levels of incapacity, and joints so loose that her ribs dislocate when she sneezes. The surgery she needs involves a total neck fusion and procedures to put her brain back where it belongs and permanently relieve the compression on her spinal cord. She has a hind-brain herniation, which means that her brain has slipped 7mm out of place and is now preventing fluid from circulating between the brain and spine Surgeons have warned only a complicated operation will save her, but it means she needs to raise 130,000 (pictured: what her neck will look like after surgery) It will involve surgeons cutting open the back of her skull and re-positioning the brain. It will be done in one sitting due to the strain placed on Ms Gearing's body. Thoughts on the surgery Ms Gearing said: 'I don't understand the technical aspects of it, but it's surgery that should be done over three sessions. My surgeon told me that my condition is more critical than it has ever been, and that if I don't get the surgery I need by next month, I will die Sarah Gearing, 40 'They're doing it all at once because the surgeon doesn't think that my system can cope with being put through three separate operations. 'My condition has drastically worsened over the last two years though - right now, I'm in bed almost all day everyday. 'Sometimes, my skull slips away from the top of my spine and my head literally falls out of its place.' She added: 'The surgery I need involves a total neck fusion and procedures to put my brain back where it belongs and permanently relieve the compression on my spinal cord. 'The neurosurgeon said to me if I don't have the surgery in November it's unlikely I'll make it to Christmas. 'He said that this is now a matter of urgency and that, top put it bluntly, without the surgery, I don't have long left. She has now issued an urgent crowd-funding appeal to help her achieve the six-figure sum, as without out it, she doesn't 'have long left' Ms Gearing, who has been a full-time wheelchair user for 20 years, said: 'My surgeon told me that my condition is more critical than it has ever been, and that if I don't get the surgery I need by next month, I will die' 'Spain and the US are the only countries in the world that offer this surgery to EDS patients.' Disorientating symptoms WHAT IS EHLERS -DANLOS SYNDROME? Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is the name for a group of rare inherited conditions that affect the connective tissue. Connective tissues provide support in skin, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, internal organs and bones. Different types of EDS are caused by faults in certain genes that make connective tissue weaker. Depending on the type of EDS, the faulty gene may have been inherited from one paren, or both. Sometimes the faulty gene isnt inherited, but occurs spontaneously. EDS can affect people in different ways. For some the condition is relatively mild, while for others their symptoms can be disabling. Some of the rare severe types can even be life-threatening. Source: NHS Direct Advertisement Some of the common EDS symptoms that she suffers are gastric and digestion problems, chronic dislocation of joints, and seizures that leave her disorientated. The money will go towards the surgery itself and the aftercare that she will need, while she recovers in a specially adapted apartment with round the clock carers. Ms Gearing, who was officially diagnosed with EDS six years ago, currently uses a catheter and lives with full time carer, Sue Geere, and care dog Otto. They help her with tasks like opening and closing doors, picking things up and alerting her to oncoming seizures. Prior to her diagnosis in 2011, doctors noted various different symptoms but never pinpointed that she had EDS. Ms Gearing said they only suggested it was EDS when her condition worsened a lot and they saw more well-known cases popping up in the media. Raising the funds Ms Gearing's local community and church groups have raised over 55,000 for her, and she remains positive, despite having less than a month to double funds so far. She said: 'I am overwhelmed by the support from everyone, and Rochford Council. 'I'm really positive about this because I think the trip to Spain two weeks ago was a sign that I'll be all right. 'There's just so many things I want to do, like supporting other EDS patients. I'm not finished will life just yet.' To help Ms Gearing, who has released a heartbreaking video, donate here. A photo of surgeons operating only by the lights of their cell phones in Puerto Rico has emerged on Twitter. Hospitals in the US territory are struggling to care for patients in the absence of electricity, one month after Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria. Former Puerto Rico governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla tweeted the photo, writing: This is what POUTS calls a 10! He tweeted the picture on the same day that the President gave his administrations response to the hurricane full marks during a meeting with current Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello at the White House. Former Puerto Rico governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla tweeted a photo of surgeons in Puerto Rico operating only by the lights of their cell phone flashlights on Thursday The state-of-the-art US naval hospital ship the USNS Comfort, meanwhile, is anchored of the shore of Puerto Rico. Many of its beds remain empty, even as hospitals struggle to handle their patients. Its unclear where exactly in Puerto Rico the picture was taken, or what kind of surgery was being performed. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 percent of the island is still without power. Several Twitter commenters questioned why more patients weren't aboard the USNS Comfort. Others applauded the surgeons for using techniques that compare to battlefield trauma surgeries. NBC reported that the power grid will have to be rebuilt from scratch and that parts Puerto Rico may be left without power through mid-December. In lieu of infrastructural power, many of Puerto Ricos hospitals have been running on generators, some of which have been provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). But fuel supplies are also being rationed there, leading to a 25 percent reduction in hospitals operational hours, the New York Times reported. The USNS Comfort arrived in Puerto Rico earlier this month. The hospital ship has 250 beds, but most of them reportedly remain empty as downed communications prevent patients from being transported to the ship Functioning without or with very limited power supplies, hospitals have been forced to resort to creative solutions like the photographed surgeons, using their cell phones to light surgeries. Power regularly cuts out until the generators can be refilled. Patients with diabetes who cannot get their labs and insulin have been left particularly vulnerable. Without consistent power supplies - or ways to even get to hospitals for treatment - many dialysis and cancer patients have been unable to get their regular treatments. Organizations and individuals like Pitbull have been raising money to send private planes to Puerto Rico to transport these patients to the US so that they will not have to forego their vital treatments. The longer the island goes without power, however, the more vulnerable people - especially children, the elderly, and those who are already sick - there will be to the insidious spread of infectious diseases. In an effort to relieve the strained hospitals, the USNS Comfort was dispatched to San Juan, Puerto Rico earlier this month. It is anchored off the shore, and fully equipped with scanners and facilities for surgery. CNN reported on October 17 that only about one third of the ships 250 beds were in use. FEMAs update, released that day says that 100 patients have been treated on the ship, and a that 14 combat support hospitals are now operational in Puerto Rico. But the report also said that of the 64 operational hospitals in Puerto Rico, 41 are on the power grid, which is apparently still unstable and three are on generators. It does not give the statuses of the remaining 20 hospitals, and says that three are not open. Along with the power grid, telecommunications remain down or intermittent in Puerto Rico. This may be why its taking as much as three days, according to reports, to get critically ill patients from hospitals to the USNS Comfort. A paralyzed six-year-old boy won $8.4 million from a hospital because the doctors failed to report possible abuse the first time he suffered injuries at the hands of his biological parents. Cree Miller, who is now wheelchair-bound and adopted, was taken to Sutter Amador Hospital in Jackson, California, when he was seven weeks old, with nurses notes saying he allegedly was dropped on his head. But hospital staff sent him home with his parents and did not report the possible abuse to Child Protective Services. He was then seen again at 10 weeks old after an injury to his spine which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Now, six years later, Cree and his adoptive mother Dawn Miller have won a multi-million-dollar judgement after suing the hospital on the grounds that reports of the first abuse could have protected him from the second injury that changed his life. Scroll down for video Cree Miller, six, was dropped on his head when he was seven weeks old. He went to the hospital but the trauma was not reported to Child Protective Services The second time he was injured resulted in paralysis from the waist down. He and his adoptive mother sued the hospital in Jackson, California, for not reporting the abuse How an infant being DROPPED on their head can impact their health Abusive head trauma (AHT) is an injury to a child's brain due to blunt force. This abuse can be in the form of shaking the infant or dropping them on his or her head. AHT is the leading form of abuse in infants and typically occurs in those aged one year or younger. Symptoms: AHT happens when enough force has been applied to the head to disrupt the brain cells. The mildest form will cause a concussion in the infant. Other symptoms include: Decrease in appetite Increase in sleep patterns Fever Seizure Irritability Nausea and Vomiting Change in breathing Disruption of eyesight Treatment: Treatment is necessary right after the injury occurs to prevent further damage in the brain. An electrolyte infusion into the veins is normally given after injury to help stabilize the infant's body. Other neuroprotective procedures and medication are used depending on the severity. If treatment is not administered to the child, the symptoms could increase and even cause death. Advertisement A jury came to the conclusion on October 18 that the medical team at Sutter Amador Hospital was negligent in failing to report the suspected abuse. Teachers, social workers, school administrators, medical professionals, firefighters and law enforcement officers are all required to report suspected abuse of a child under California's Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act. The family filed the lawsuit in March 2013 and went to trial more than four years later on September 5. It took three days of deliberating at the end of the trial, but the jury found the biological family members and hospital staff to be negligent. When Cree was taken to the hospital by his biological parents, Andrea Soldano and Anthony Santana, at seven weeks old, his injuries were not reported to Child Protective Services, the jury heard. Chris Keane, Cree's attorney in the lawsuit, told KCRA there were nurses notes that described injuries consistent with abuse. 'There were nursing notes that he had bruising on his face,' Keane said. 'There was a history of blood in his mouth, injury to his eye.' Abusive head trauma is the leading form of abuse in infants and occurs when blunt force happens to a child's head. Dropping a baby and shaken baby syndrome are two indicators that an infant has been abused by his or her parents or guardians. These guardians sometimes resort to this abuse because they are unable to make the infant stop crying. Cree went back to the emergency room at 10 weeks old because he was paralyzed from the waist down due to new spinal injuries. It is unclear how Cree obtained the spinal injuries, but they were allegedly caused by both his biological parents and his biological maternal grandparents, Greg and Elysee Palmer. Cree was then put into the foster care system after the new injuries were reported. He ended up with Dawn Miller who eventually adopted him as her own child. Cree is now wheelchair bound but is learning to gain more independence with his disability as he gets older. Leslie Meiring, Sutter Health spokesperson said to Daily Mail Online: 'We are very sorry for what Cree and the Miller family have experienced. 'This case offers us an opportunity for analysis and to learn as much as we can about how to improve. 'Our goal is to deliver the highest quality care and to treat all our patients with compassion and dignity.' The $8.4 million won in the suit is intended to cover Cree's pain during this process and to compensate for financial losses he will incur later in life due to his disability. Its often called the sunshine vitamin because unlike other nutrients, vitamin D is not provided by food but made when our skin is exposed to the sun. But, given the summer weve had added to the classic British weather we face year round of dull, more dull with hints of dull, Brits are dangerously deficient in this crucial vitamin. In fact, its estimated that a staggering one in five adults and one in six children do not have adequate levels of vitamin D. Not only have we got the British weather to deal with but were living an increasingly indoor life, says nutritionist Kim Pearson. Children no longer play outside like they used to, opting for iPads and games indoors and so many of us work inside all day, so were seeing a rising problem of vitamin D deficiency. Those at risk, she explains, include anyone with darker skin types, as the darker your skin, the harder you will find it to synthesise vitamin D. Many of these symptoms which confound doctors could be signs of vitamin D deficiency Others at risk include pregnant and breastfeeding women and those who cover their skin for religious purposes. I regularly test my clients vitamin D levels and of the last 20 clients that I have tested, six were deficient, six had suboptimal levels and just eight had optimal levels. 'Those with optimal levels were usually either supplementing, or spent a significant amount of time abroad in sunnier places. This is a serious public health issue as a lack of vitamin D long-term has been found to increase risk of cardiovascular diseases and even cancer. On a more everyday level, many of the symptoms that confound doctors could be signs of vitamin D deficiency. Here are the key signs: 1. You get frequent infections Vitamin D is vital to the health of the immune system. Without sufficient amounts, our immune cells are unable to react appropriately leaving us more susceptible to infection, says Pearson. Vitamin D is essential to the function of two essential parts of the immune system, adaptive and innate immunity. Adaptive immunity is that which remembers viruses you have had for example, chicken pox and ensures you dont get them again. Your innate immune system is present in places like inside your nose and is there to guard against everyday infections. Both are essential and both need adequate levels of vitamin D to function, says Pearson. If you feel like youre always catching any infection going and/or it takes you longer than most to shake it, get tested. Now, scientists are studying the role played by vitamin D deficiency in an increased risk of cancer, in particular colorectal, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers. 2. Youre depressed especially in winter Vitamin D is understood to play a key role in maintaining healthy levels of serotonin in the brain, says Pearson. These are neurotransmitters in the brain that are essential to mood and deficiencies have been associated with depression. In 2014, researched published in the journal Medical Hypotheses looked at 100 scientific papers on vitamin D and found a specific link between vitamin D deficiency and Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD which happens when people experience low mood during the winter months, thanks to a lack of light and sunshine. Vitamin D levels fluctuate in the body seasonally, in direct relation to seasonally available sunlight, said research Alan Stewart of the University of Georgia College of Education. For example, studies show there is a lag of about eight weeks between the peak in intensity of ultraviolet radiation and the onset of SAD, and this correlates with the time it takes for UV radiation to be processed by the body into vitamin D. 3. Youre literally ALWAYS tired Vitamin D is essential for converting food into energy, says Pearson. If youre always tired, a lack of this vitamin could mean youre not assimilating nutrients from your food and your bodys cellular ability to make energy from what you eat is compromised thanks to a lack of vitamin D. This vitamin she explains, is essential to the functioning and the efficiency of mitochondria (known as cell batteries) within the muscles. The good news is, this can be quickly remedied by supplementation. A double-blind placebo controlled randomized clinical trial published last year in the journal Medicine found that vitamin D supplementation significantly improved fatigue levels. 4. You have joint pains or weak bones Vitamin D is essential to help regulate calcium and phosphate levels in the body, giving it a key role in the functioning of joints, muscles and teeth and adequate levels help ward off osteomalacia (soft bones) and osteoporosis (loss of bone density) in later life. When youre running low on vitamin D, your bones can weaken increasing your risk of stress fractures, says Pearson. This is related to vitamin Ds essential role in regulating calcium uptake. People often think about calcium for bones, but theyre rarely aware that vitamin D is essential to calciums absorption. One study in 2014 predicted that adults with a vitamin D deficiency who are older than 50 are more likely to develop pain in their hip and knee joints and also noted that the pain is more likely to get worse if the deficiency isnt treated with supplementation. 5. Your muscles hurt Vitamin D supports muscle function because receptors for it are located all over the body, including in the muscles. Having lots of general muscle aches is often the first tell tale sign of a deficiency, says Pearson. Vitamin D enters muscle cells when it is metabolized, enhancing muscle contractions, which is vital for preventing falls and for building muscle strength and bones through exercise. In fact, researchers have found links between chronic pain that doesnt respond to treatment and vitamin D deficiency and supplementation has been shown to help. Are you getting enough? Having optimal vitamin D levels depends on your skins ability to produce enough when youre exposed to the sun. Those with darker skins naturally produce less vitamin D, as the melanin in their skin naturally provides more protection against UV rays. This means those with lighter skins must spend more time in the sun than those with lighter skins to get adequate amounts. Others at risk of deficiency include: Elderly people who are housebound and in care homes Office workers who spend most of their days inside People who cover up for religious purposes People who work night shifts and sleep during the day Anyone whose lifestyle prevents them from getting outside regularly One study showed that nurses who had worked night shifts for over 20 years had a higher incidence of wrist and hip fractures over an 8-year follow up period. The overwhelming evidence prompted the researchers to link the nurses lack of sun exposure and therefore vitamin D levels with a reduction in bone and muscle strength. How to get your vitamin D Most people can make enough vitamin D from being out in the sun daily for short periods of about 20 minutes at a time with their forearms, hands or lower legs uncovered and without sunscreen from late March or early April to the end of September, especially from 11am to 3pm, says Pearson. People with dark skin, such as those of African, African-Caribbean or south Asian origin, will need to spend longer in the sun to produce the same amount of vitamin D as someone with lighter skin. Some foods are rich in vitamin D though they wont provide anywhere near what you get from sunlight and these include fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna as well as egg yolks, cheese, liver and foods fortified with vitamin D such as some cereals, dairy products, soy milks and cereals. Getting tested Your GP can test your vitamin D levels. But if thats too much hassle, a simple at-home test can also do the trick. Reputable vitamin company BetterYou distributes a Vitamin D at home test kit on behalf of the NHS which can help you determine your vitamin D levels and provide advice on how best to optimise your levels, based on your results. They also offer a complimentary vitamin D daily oral spray product to everyone who uses the home test kit. Buy the BetterYou Vitamin D Testing Service 28 from the BetterYou website. What about supplements? BetterYou DLux3000 oral vitamin D spray (7.95 from Healthista Shop) is a high dose vitamin D supplement which is efficiently absorbed through the inner cheek and doesnt need food or water to take. A study published in The Nutritional Journal showed that vitamin absorption via an oral spray was 2.5 times more effective than vitamin capsules. Moreover, in 2012 researchers at Cardiff University, when testing BetterYous DLux vitamin D oral sprays, found that absorption within the inner cheek was far superior to the more traditional digestive route of tablets and capsules. This article was originally published by Healthista Botox may be an effective and safe treatment for migraine headaches in children and teens, a new study's findings suggest. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, found that Botox injections helped to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines in children over a five-year period in a small study. Botox was approved for the preventative treatment of migraines in adults in 2010, but there havent been studies to prove its safety and effectiveness in children, until now. This studys results have earned the scientists a grant for a broader study, which they hope will lead to FDA approval for using the treatment for children. Botox may provide much-needed relief for children and teens that suffer from chronic migraines, a new study's findings suggest Botox has long been on the market for clinical use for cosmetic procedures, but in recent years it has become increasingly popular for preventatively treating chronic migraines for those that experience 15 or more attacks each month. Botox is a form of a toxin that temporarily freezes the muscles. It helps to prevent migraines by blocking muscle spasms. It has proven an effective treatment in adults when other medications have failed to control their migraines. The study says that most adults report that their migraine headaches began when they were children or teens, so by the time they can get Botox treatment, theyve been suffering for many years. About 37 million Americans suffer from migraines, according to data from migraine.com. The average age people report having their first migraine is 20, meaning that millions of Americans start having migraines before they are 18. The study, presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists Anesthesiology 2017 annual meeting in Boston, reports that about 60 percent of visits to pediatric headache specialists are for migraines. Dr Shalini Shah, one of the studys co-authors told Daily Mail Online that treatment of childrens migraines mostly comes down to trial and error. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Botox first came onto the market about 25 years ago for use in cosmetic procedures. In 2010, the FDA approved the muscle-freezing drug for treating chronic migraine headaches in adults. Now, the first study of its kind suggests that Botox may be safe and effective for treating migraines in children and adolescents Doctors typically try doses of Tylenol or Advil. If those are not effective, then they may prescribe some forms of seizure medication, which Dr Shah says children dont tolerate well. She has been using Botox off-label to treat migraines in her pediatric patients for years. Most of the kids I get [as patients] are being home-schooled, she says. Their migraines are so debilitating, and, in many cases last multiple days, that they are not able to attend regular school and keep up with assignments. Whats worse, she says, is that other treatments - like Advil, Tylenol or seizure medications are sedatives that can make children drowsy and nauseous. The treatments for migraines themselves leave children half-asleep, and thats no way to really live, she says. Both migraines and their medications cause children to struggle in school. Her study of nine children and adolescents between ages eight and 17 found that, over the course of five years, Botox had no major side effects. The participants received treatments every 12 weeks, and saw significant decreases in the frequency and severity of their headaches. Initially, the children and teens reported their pain levels during migraines as being between four and eight, on average. After Botox injections, these levels fell to a rant of 1.75 to five. Originally, they had experienced migraines anywhere from eight to nearly 30 days of each month, but after Botox, the patients got between two and 10 monthly migraines. The only complaint the participating children had was of pain at the injection sites, which, she says is normal. To treat migraines, Botox is injected at several sites at the front, back and sides of the head and in the neck, in both adults and children. Dr Shah says that Botox has been used to treat many other forms of head pain in children, including headaches with other causes, like cancer. But the FDA hasnt approved its use for migraines simply because its never been systematically studied, she says. The primary risk with Botox is that the toxin could travel to other parts of the body. Even locally, if it traveled just slightly from the injection site, clinicians have to worry that it could paralyze muscles used in breathing or freeze the neck in an odd or uncomfortable position. So far, the study authors have not observed these or other longer-term effects after giving more than 1,000 injections, Dr Shah said. But she urges patients to be sure to find a physician with plenty of experience with Botox, as there is no way to absolutely prevent the chemical from travelling, but careful injection is the best way to reduce risk. She says that these results demonstrate promise to finally provide more than a trial and error approach to preventing and treating migraines in children and teens, but she says that the forthcoming, larger trial is needed to prove that Botox is safe and effective for a younger demographic. The next study will also be done out of her clinic in Irvine, California, but I want that person in Missouri or Kansas to know that there is hope for their child, she says. Hopefully, we are able to achieve and prove the use of Botox in kids with migraines and get FDA approval, and were hoping that its not too far away, Dr Shah says. People are at risk for developing severe problems with their pancreas after being misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a study claims. Type 3c diabetes occurs as a result of pancreatic inflammation, abnormal growth of tissue on the organ or surgically removing part or all of the tissue, which affects the body's ability to produce insulin. The study claims that people who previously had a pancreatic disease could've been misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which can cause the wrong treatment plan. Researchers said the National Health Service and health experts need to distinguish between the types of diabetes to avoid providing the wrong care to a patient. Scroll down for video People who with type 3c diabetes are often misdiagnosed, a study claims. Researchers medical records on people who had diabetes and the accuracy of the diagnosis. They found that 97.3 percent of people with pancreatic disease were misdiagnosed. Pictured is a public health worker in India testing the blood glucose levels of a patient Experts from the University of Surrey examined the patient medical records of more than two million Britons to assess the frequency of different types of diabetes and the accuracy of diagnosis. The study, published in the journals Diabetes Care, found that up to 97.3 percent of people who have previously experienced pancreatic disease are misdiagnosed, typically with Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn't produce enough insulin to function properly, or the body's cells don't react to insulin so the glucose stays in the blood instead of being used as fuel. This is often associated with obesity in people middle-aged or older. In contrast, type 3c diabetes happens following damage to the pancreas. It is also termed 'pancreatogenic diabetes'. Someone might have this if they are experiencing symptoms of cystic fibrosis, inflammation in the pancreas or pancreatic cancer. A wrong diagnosis can impact the treatment offered to patients. This builds on our previous work that suggests failure to flag the right diagnosis is associated with lower quality care Professor de Lusignan from the University of Surrey Type 3c diabetes requires insulin therapy more urgently than type 2 diabetes to defect the glucose deficiency in the blood. Senior author Professor Simon de Lusignan said: 'Greater awareness of Type 3c diabetes within the medical profession is required immediately to improve management of this disease, which now has a higher incidence than Type 1 diabetes in adults.' An estimated 422 million people around the world live with some form of diabetes, according to the World Health Organization. Researchers said they found that type 3c diabetes is becoming more common than type 1 in adults. In their sample, 205 more people were newly diagnosed with Type 3c diabetes than with Type 1. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that causes the body to attack healthy tissue in the pancreas responsible for creating insulin. The researchers said the National Health Service in England needs to better recognize the newer form of diabetes to help practitioners diagnose their patients. 'Diabetes and its complications place a tremendous burden on the NHS and it is important that patients are diagnosed quickly and correctly, helping them get the specific care they need,' Professor de Lusignan said. 'This builds on our previous work that suggests that failure to flag the right diagnosis is associated with lower quality care. Rubbing a gel into the nose may be a speedy way to boost mens libido and tackle impotence without causing their partners side-effects. Researchers in Brazil are testing whether the gel, which contains testosterone, can treat men with a hormone deficiency. The theory is that this hormone given via the nose will be active in less than an hour. Up to 12.8 per cent of middle-aged men in the UK and Europe have a testosterone deficiency, according to the European Association of Urology. Levels of the hormone fall steadily in men at a rate of less than 2 per cent a year from the age of 30 to 40. This doesnt tend to cause problems early on, but a testosterone deficiency that develops later in life (late-onset hypogonadism) can sometimes lead to issues such as low libido, impotence, mood swings and irritability, loss of muscle mass and reduced ability to exercise, insomnia, weak bones and man boobs (gynaecomastia). Rubbing a gel into the nose may be a speedy way to boost mens libido and tackle impotence without causing their partners side-effects A recent study by the University of Edinburgh even suggested that having low levels of testosterone is a risk factor for diabetes regardless of weight as it changes the action of genes linked to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels. Men with a testosterone deficiency, which can be diagnosed with a blood test, may be referred to an endocrinologist for testosterone replacement treatment. This comes in the form of tablets, skin patches and creams. However, while these can be effective, they have downsides. The new gel, called Nasotestt, is thought to be more convenient than current skin creams, which can transfer on to anything patients touch (including female partners, where it can lead to an increase in body hair and acne). It may work faster, too, due to the dense blood supply in the nasal cavity. Researchers say this means lower doses of testosterone can be given, avoiding the side-effects associated with the tablet form, such as mood changes, oily skin and prostate problems. Past research has shown delivery of testosterone via the nostrils can be effective and safe. A study at the University of Virginia, reported in the journal Andrology, revealed 90 per cent of patients treated with a gel had normal blood testosterone levels after daily use for varying lengths of time. The study also found that the mens impotence lessened, their mood improved and the proportion of body-fat tissue dropped over one to three months. In new research run by FBM Farma Industria Farmaceutica in Brazil, 228 men will be given the testosterone nasal gel or a placebo gel, or a testosterone cream or placebo cream to rub on their arms daily for two months. Patients using Nasotestt will pump one dose into each nostril three times a day and massage the nostril to spread it so it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Commenting on the study, Professor Raj Persad, a consultant urologist with Bristol Urology Associates, says: Nasal absorption works well, and is less likely to contaminate partners. Not only is it suitable for the ageing male with low levels of testosterone, but also for a large proportion of younger men who have had damage to the testes following cancer and chemotherapy. Meanwhile, shockwaves can effectively treat impotence, according to a report in the journal Urology. Scientists at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital reviewed data from trials involving 637 men treated with low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction, and found it significantly improved performance scores. Improvements lasted for at least three months. The technique involves a device that releases thousands of energy waves and is thought to help by increasing blood flow. Can saunas make you breath easy? Sweating it out in a sauna cuts the risk of pneumonia, suggests research reported in the European Journal of Epidemiology. In a 25-year study, Finnish researchers investigated the sauna habits of 1,935 men aged 42 to 61 and their admissions for respiratory complaints. Sweating it out in a sauna cuts the risk of pneumonia, suggests research reported in the European Journal of Epidemiology (stock image) The men who had regular sauna sessions two to three times a week were almost 30 per cent less likely to develop pneumonia, while going four times a week or more cut the risk by 41 per cent. Saunas also seemed to reduce the likelihood of other chest complaints, too, including asthma. It is thought the heat eases airway obstruction. However, people who have recently suffered heart attacks are advised to avoid saunas. Stem cell transplant may reverse anaemia Stem cell transplants have been used to treat anaemia caused by kidney disease. This can occur if patients dont produce enough of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO), which triggers red blood cell production, in the kidneys. Synthetic versions are costly and must be given by transfusion. But now, researchers at Kyoto University in Japan have used stem cells from human umbilical cord blood to make cells that produce the hormone. Four weeks after mice had the transplant, their EPO levels were 20 times higher than in untreated mice, according to research in journal Science Translational Medicine. Being empathetic is bad for your heart Being empathetic could be bad for your heart, suggests a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania. The researchers gave a group of more than 200 students the task of being helpers to people who had experienced a tragic event. Being empathetic could be bad for your heart, suggests a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania Some helpers were asked to imagine how they would feel in the same situation, others to imagine how the victim themselves felt. The volunteers blood pressure and heart rates were then checked: the former, more empathetic group experienced a physiological change as if they, too, were under threat. This response is linked with raised levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which in the long term can lead to inflammation and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Slow walker? It could be down to low vitamin D Having adequate levels of vitamin D means you can walk faster, according to new research. Scientists at the University of Angers, in France, analysed 265 studies examining walking speeds and vitamin D intake. Its thought that in addition to its known beneficial effects on bones, vitamin D which we get from sunlight may boost muscle strength (stock image) They found that there were clinically relevant differences in walking speed between people with low vitamin D levels and those with an adequate amount. Its thought that in addition to its known beneficial effects on bones, vitamin D which we get from sunlight may boost muscle strength, the researchers write in the journal Maturitas. This suggests the findings could be significant for older people. Weight-loss surgery may help prevent dementia, U.S. experts say. It increases levels of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. But Cleveland Clinic surgeons write in Medical Hypotheses that GLP-1 can also slow brain cell degeneration, and call for trials to investigate the link with dementia. How turmeric oil can help treat epilepsy seizures Oil made from turmeric the yellow spice used in curry is being prescribed as a daily treatment for epilepsy in a clinical trial at New York University School of Medicine. The 20 patients on the trial, which is due to begin this month, will keep diaries of their seizures over three months to see if the treatment reduces their frequency. This follows previous animal studies where the spice was shown to cut the number of seizures. Turmerics main constituent, curcumin, reduces inflammatory compounds called cytokines, which are thought to play a key role in epilepsy. Dont hate me, but Im a really good sleeper and usually get a solid eight hours. I rarely wake up in the night and I dont use an alarm clock to get me up. Trust me, I know how lucky I am. We are a sleep-deprived nation and our problems seem to be getting worse. In 2014, six in ten British adults reported getting fewer than seven hours sleep a night, a 50 per cent increase on the previous year, which is huge. A lack of sleep is linked to all sorts of problems from road accidents to mental health issues (and weve seen an explosion of those in recent years). It can also raise the risk of obesity (sleep deprivation saps your willpower and drives up hunger hormones), heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Scroll down for video 'We are a sleep-deprived nation and our problems seem to be getting worse' It doesnt have to be like this. In my work as a psychologist Ive sifted through decades of research into sleep and dreaming and come up with techniques to help people who struggle to get a good nights sleep. And even if you sleep pretty well, there are tricks to help you snooze even better. Nodding off too quickly is bad You might think falling asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow is a good thing, but its actually an indicator that youre not getting enough sleep. Ideally, it should take eight to 12 minutes from the moment you get into bed to drifting off. Five minutes or less is a warning that you need to go to bed earlier. If it takes you longer than 12 minutes, thats a sign of what we call sleep-onset problems. This is different from, say, lying awake because you have chronic back pain, which isnt a sleep problem per se. But if youre lying there staring at the ceiling unable to sleep, its probably because youre anxious. When youve got something running back and forth through your brain, it keeps you too alert to sleep. You need to do something to quiet the mind but trying to will yourself to sleep will only make matters worse. So . . . Cant sleep? Try to stay awake! Try applying a bit of reverse psychology and try to stay awake. Paradoxically, this seems to make you feel less anxious and help you sleep. In a useful study, researchers from the University of Glasgow asked volunteers to monitor their sleep for two weeks. One group was asked to try to stay awake for as long as possible, while the other didnt receive any special instructions. Those trying to stay awake felt less anxious at bedtime and fell asleep quicker. The problem with trying to relax in order to sleep is that youre constantly monitoring yourself to see if youre asleep yet, keeping your brain quite active. In trying to stay awake, youre not monitoring yourself in the same way. But its important you just lie in bed. You mustnt read or watch TV. Another option is an exercise such as the alphabet game (pick a theme, such as animals or countries, and try to name one beginning with each letter of the alphabet) or counting backwards from 100 in threes. This occupies the working space of the brain so you cant think worrying thoughts and the exercise itself is too dull to keep you awake for long. Dont be alarmed in the morning Once youre getting the right amount of sleep you shouldn't need an alarm clock Unless I have to get up especially early, say at 5 am, I dont use an alarm clock. Once youre getting the right amount of sleep and yes, Im afraid that means at least seven hours, ideally eight you shouldnt need one. Its fine to set an alarm as a back-up, but you should be waking up five to ten minutes before it goes off. If you need it to rouse you, thats a problem because the chances are youll be being woken up from the deepest part of sleep. As we snooze, our brain waves (essentially the electrical activity in our brain) change speed slowing down until we reach the deepest stages of sleep and then speeding up until we reach the lightest stage known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is when dreaming occurs. We do this several times a night in sleep cycles, each lasting about 90 minutes. You want to wake up at the end of a sleep cycle, while in REM sleep, because this lightest stage of sleep is closest to our natural waking state. If you wake up naturally without an alarm clock you will always wake up in this last, lightest stage. By comparison, deep sleep sometimes called slow-wave sleep is a very strange state of consciousness. Our brain waves slow right down, and if woken straight from this stage we feel groggy and ill-tempered. This is why alarm clocks are a bad idea they dont know if youre in deep sleep or not. To wake up at the end of a sleep cycle, decide when you want to wake up, then count backwards in 90-minute blocks to find the time you need to go to bed. Ideally, you want five or six sleep cycles, so if you want to wake up at 7.30 am, you need to be going to sleep at either 10.30 pm or midnight. This doesnt matter so much if youre sleeping for a full eight hours, as by the end of the night you will have spent more time in dream sleep anyway. But if youre getting up to go on holiday for instance, you may be better off getting four and half hours (three sleep cycles) than four or even five hours. Youll still be tired, as youve not slept for long enough, but youll feel a bit better when you wake up. What to do if you wake up at night Some people suffer from sleep maintenance insomnia, waking up during the night and struggling to get back to sleep. If youve woken up because you have remembered something you need to do the next day, make a note (keep a pad by your bed) and try to get back to sleep. You could also try one of the tricks I suggest for nodding off. If youre still awake after 20 minutes, most sleep scientists recommend getting out of bed: you need to associate your bed with sleep. Whatever you do, dont get up and watch TV and avoid bright lights and computer screens. Some people suffer from sleep maintenance insomnia, waking up during the night and struggling to get back to sleep Professor Jim Horne, recently retired head of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, recommends an activity you find relaxing which uses your hands as well as your head, such as a jigsaw or a colouring book. If you often wake up in the night, but dont have much trouble going back to sleep, its not necessarily bad. It may be were designed to break our night into two segments. Diaries and medical books from before the advent of electric light often mention first and second sleep. It seems it used to be commonplace for people to sleep for four hours, wake for an hour, then go back to bed for another four. Some research has even suggested this segmented sleep may be good for you as the break in between appears to coincide with the release of the hormone prolactin, which can generate a positive mood. The brain seems to go into a slightly different state afterwards too, making the second sleep especially refreshing. Grab forty winks during the day I nap almost every day usually at about 2 pm and for 20 minutes. Everyone should nap: were programmed to do it. We all have an internal clock that governs all sorts of processes, including when we feel tired. This is known as the circadian rhythm. From about 6 am, your bodys clock makes you feel steadily more alert until about 11 am at which point you slowly start to feel less awake again, hitting an all-time daytime low at around 3 pm. This dip in your circadian rhythm is the ideal time to nap and if you can, you should. Everyone should nap: were programmed to do it. We all have an internal clock that governs all sorts of processes, including when we feel tired However, if, like most people, you work in an office, console yourself with the fact that the slump will only last an hour or so before your energy levels start picking up again. So try to resist that extra cup of coffee or chocolate biscuit in the knowledge you wont feel tired all afternoon. Worried you wont wake up from a quick cat-nap? Take what sleep researchers call a coffee nap. Before settling down for a short nap (around 20 to 25 minutes) have a caffeinated drink. It takes about that long for the caffeine to work its magic, kicking in just as you plan to wake up. Solve problems while you snooze We all have dreams, though often we forget them. We tend to remember dreams only if were woken up out of them or theyre so bizarre they wake us up. Dreaming seems to act as your brains therapist, working through your worries. In a key study published in journal Psychosomatic Medicine, volunteers were shown an unpleasant film of a bloody autopsy before spending the night in a sleep laboratory. One group was woken up whenever they started to dream, while the other was woken up the same number of times, but when they werent dreaming. The following morning all were shown the film again the group whod been allowed to dream were significantly less stressed by the film the second time around, the theory being theyd dealt with any anxiety related to it in their dreams. Studies in which people are woken up after their dreams have also shown that dreams get more positive throughout the night, as your sleeping brain works through your problems. Keep cool to beat night terrors I first became interested in the science of sleep a few years ago when despite having been a good sleeper my entire life I started to share my bedroom with the devil. Shortly after falling asleep I would wake up in a cold sweat and see Satan standing in front of my wardrobe. After about a year of this, I happened to meet the highly regarded sleep expert, Dr Chris Idzikowski. I asked him whether I was having a recurring nightmare. Chris explained that I was having a night terror. True night terrors, as opposed to bad dreams, which we all have, are experienced by around 2 per cent of adults. Even though the person is still asleep, they may suddenly sit up, with their eyes wide open, scream or lash out. Night terrors tend to take place during the first few hours of the night, while we are in deep sleep. Scientists believe theyre a result of the brain struggling to move from deep sleep to wakefulness so you end up in a strange zombie-like state, neither completely awake nor asleep. Research suggests that fatigue, stress, heat and disturbances such as light and noise all make night terrors more likely. Simple things such as keeping the bedroom cool (ideally 18c) and dark, avoiding thick duvets and getting a bigger bed, so you arent disturbed by your partner, can help. After taking this advice on board, I never saw Satan again. The rate of diabetes cases has doubled in the last 29 years in the United States, according to new research. The disease is a chronic condition that impacts the body's ability to process sugar and can lead to heart problems and kidney damage. Researchers from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland analyzed data from National Health and Examination Survey since 1988 and found an increase from 5.5 to 10.8 percent of the population with the disease. Experts warn that while treatment has progressively gotten better, it is about getting certain populations, such as ethnic minorities and those who are obese, into the doctors' office so they can be diagnosed. Diabetes has doubled in the last 26 years, according to new research. Experts found that while diabetes has increased in the US, the amount of people who are misdiagnosed has decreased. They now want people to focus on getting certain populations into the doctors office to be diagnosed with the disease so they can get treatment (file photo) Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, studied the number of cases of diagnosed diabetes over the last 29 years. The study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, found that while the prevalence of diabetes increased, the amount of missed cases dropped significantly. Those who were misdiagnosed about not having diabetes when they did dropped from 16.3 percent to 10.9 percent. Researchers said this shows that while diabetes is more apparent in society today, so is the doctors ability to recognize the symptoms and offer treatment. Type 3c diabetes, the THIRD form of the chronic disease Researchers from the University of Surrey in England found that type 3c diabetes is commonly misdiagnosed as type 2. Type 3c diabetes occurs as a result of pancreatic inflammation, abnormal growth of tissue on the organ or surgically removing part or all of the tissue, which affects the body's ability to produce insulin. But researchers found that only three percent of cases in England were properly diagnosed with type 3c diabetes. They found that patients were commonly misdiagnosed with type 2, which is most often found in people who are overweight or obese. Type 2 diabetes happens when the body is no longer able to produce enough insulin. It also happens if the body doesn't recognize the glucose in the blood to convert into energy. Experts warn that misdiagnoses can lead to improper treatment for the pancreas. Advertisement Diabetes is a chronic condition that impacts the body's ability to process glucose in the blood and use it for energy. The disease is manageable when diagnosed because of the type of treatment options now available to people including an insulin pump, injections and medication. The researchers found that many cases that remained undiagnosed were of people who were overweight or obese. Also, undiagnosed cases were more common with ethnic minorities and with those who lacked health insurance. 'Understanding the proportion of diabetes cases that are actually undiagnosed, and who those patient groups are, is really critical to allocation of public health resources,' says Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, a professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Epidemiology and the study's lead author. 'Our results suggest that targeted screening in these populations and increasing health coverage could help make sure that persons who have diabetes receive a diagnosis and get the appropriate treatment that they need.' The American Diabetes Association requires for two blood sample tests to properly diagnosis someone with diabetes. It has been previously estimated that one quarter to one third of the US diabetes cases go undiagnosed, but researchers say this number might be higher than it should be. This is because the two screening tests work towards eliminating false positives and other errors. The said the key to eliminating misdiagnoses is to first get people into the doctors' office to get tested. 'If we're thinking about screening programs, these findings suggest that health care providers are doing a good job at diagnosing people when they're coming in contact with the health care system,' Selvin said. 'It's those people who are not coming in contact with the health care system that need to be a focus of our efforts to ensure cases of diabetes are not missed.' People who are 45 years or older are recommended to be tested for diabetes as well as people who are obese or show other risk factors. A former chief of domestic intelligence for India is set to lead talks aimed at easing tensions in Jammu and Kashmir. Dineshwar Sharma, former director of India's Intelligence Bureau, will hold talks with groups ranging from elected representatives to political parties and other organisations, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters on Monday. The announcement came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi moves to defuse tension that has simmered in the country's only Muslim-majority state since July last year. More than 90 civilians have died in protests sparked after security forces killed a militant last year in the state, ruled by Modi's Hindu nationalist party in a power-sharing arrangement with a regional party. 'As a representative of the government of India, Sharma will initiate a sustained interaction and dialogue to understand the legitimate aspirations of the people in Jammu and Kashmir,' Singh said. Modi's government, which has long advocated a tough stance toward a decades-long insurgency in the Himalayan region, has so far shunned talks with its main separatist alliance, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, in the wake of the protests. Indian policemen patrol Maisuma area during a curfew in Srinagar, October 17, 2017 Asked if Sharma would talk to the separatists, Singh said he would be free to 'talk to whoever he wants to'. In July, India's federal counter-terrorism agency arrested seven Hurriyat members on charges of receiving funds from Pakistan-based militant groups to wage attacks. The Hurriyat is an umbrella group of political and religious groups fighting for Kashmir's secession from India. The state's former chief minister, Omar Abdullah, welcomed the news as a victory over those advocating the use of force to tackle the insurgency, but warned the scope of the talks would be key to their success. 'One can't get everything so for now we'll take what we can get,' he said on social network Twitter. 'More important than the person is the mandate and absence of pre-conditions.' Since their independence from Britain in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought two of their three war over Kashmir, which each claims in full but rules only in part. India accuses Pakistan of training and arming militants in the portion it controls and sending them across to the Indian side, a claim its neighbour denies. Forces want a uniform, not an allowance By Ajit Dubey The armed forces have called for the government return to providing them with uniforms instead of paying a cash allowance for them to buy them. As per the Seventh Pay Commission, the government stopped providing uniforms to all ranks and troops. They are instead provided a fixed amount depending upon their rank. 'The troops have to maintain different kinds of uniforms. A naval sailor has to have eight types of dresses which are to be worn on different occasions. Such maintenance have become difficult,' sources in defence told Mail Today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrating the Diwali with the jawans of the Indian Army and BSF, in the Gurez Valley, near the Line of Control, in Jammu and Kashmir 'The forces are planning to make a representation to the ministry of Finance for restoring the older arrangement,' they said. As per the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, the government has merged all clothing and other uniform-related allowances in armed forces into one calling it the dress allowance. Earlier, the troops of different services were given separate allowances such as kit maintenance, shoe, robe, robe maintenance and washing. As per the recommendations, soldiers in the armed forces are to be paid Rs 10,000 for buying dresses while officers of the three services are to be paid Rs 20,000 annually. 'Buying a fire-resistant overalls for the troops is a costly affair as the special cloth itself costs around Rs 3,000,' the sources said. The various field formations of the armed forces have been sending feedbacks from the personnel; to service headquarters that are trying to manage the situation by using the existing inventory of different types of clothing material with them. As per the government order issued in this regard earlier this year, the Special Protection Guards were provided the highest dress allowance of Rs 27,800 followed by the nurses in government hospitals who would get Rs 1,800 per month to maintain their white attire. Defence forces' officers were to be paid Rs 20,000, which was also causing heartburns among some of them as they were kept below the nurses in terms of the amount paid. The nurses from the Military Nursing Service would get allowance of Rs 15,000 lower than their civilian counterparts. Officers of Delhi and Union Territory police services would also be given the same amount. Pope Francis on Monday mourned the plight of 200,000 Rohingya children rejected by neighbouring countries including India and stuck in refugee camps. His words came a month before he heads to Myanmar and Bangladesh, the countries at the heart of an intensifying humanitarian crisis. Despite the desperate need if the fleeing Rohingya refugees, the Indian government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court last month, saying the nearly 40,000 Rohingyas already in the country should be deported and others should not be allowed to enter as they are a security threat, easy prey for radicalisation and will eat into the resources meant for citizens. 'Two hundred thousand Rohingya children are in refugee camps': Pope Francis Rohingya Muslim children, who crossed over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, stretch out their arms out to collect chocolates and milk Earlier this month, Bangladesh stepped up security along its frontier with the state of West Bengal after claims Rohingya Muslim refugees are being steered into its territory by Indian border guards. 'Two hundred thousand Rohingya children (are) in refugee camps. They have barely enough to eat, though they have a right to food. (They are) Malnourished, without medicine,' he said. The pope will visit mainly-Buddhist Myanmar at the end of November before moving on to neighbouring Bangladesh, which has had to absorb more than half a million Rohingya refugees fleeing the violence across the border. Pope France met with Aung San Suu Kyi when the Myanmar leader visited the vatican in May 2017 He has previously expressed support for the persecuted Muslim minority in Myanmar, calling them 'brothers and sisters'. During his visit he will meet with Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace prize laureate who has sparked international dismay for her perceived lack of sympathy towards the Rohingya and unwillingness to condemn alleged atrocities by the army. There are currently no plans for the Argentine pontiff to stop in strife-torn northern Myanmar state of Rakhine or the refugee camps in Bangladesh. But he risks provoking a backlash in any case with his messages of support for the Rohingya. Inside Myanmar, anti-Rohingya hatred has festered for years. Many, including the army and government officials, refuse to use the term Rohingya and instead insist the group are illegal 'Bengali' immigrants. Seeking to open new avenues for women officers in the force, the Indian Army is planning to deploy them as cyber warriors to deal with online threats. The proposal has been discussed by the army chief, Gen Bipin Rawat, with his senior commanders and would be implemented in the near future as the force wants to utilise female officers 'more advantageously'. 'The force has plans of utilising the women officers more effectively in new cadres such as cyber which is a fast emerging trade in the armed forces, as they face a major cyber security threat from both state and non-state actors,' army sources told Mail Today. Women are set to be placed in cyber warrior roles in the near future, as the force also looks to female officers for support in language training, among other areas The women officers would also be included in the field of language training to the army personnel and architecture as permanent commission officers, they said. Cyber warfare is fast developing as one of most important fields of concern for the forces as their networks and computers are continuously under the threat from adversaries in countries such as China and Pakistan. The three services are coming up with a cyber warfare agency under the integrated defence staff to tackle the attacks as well as to create an offensive capability to deal the issue. Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat has discussed the proposal with senior officers Recently, the Shekatkar Committee also recommended that officers of the army education corps could also be used as cyber warriors as the branch is getting disbanded. The sources said the intention of the army is to provide more opportunities for the women officers in the fields where they can contribute their best. Sources said the force would also be favourably considering the grant of permanent commission to the women officers provided they meet the benchmark. The army has been granting permanent commission to women officers in a limited number of branches such as legal and education, but is yet to induct them in direct combat units such as infantry. Sources said a large number of troops and officers are being trained in important international languages such as Mandarin and Arabic to deal with emerging threats. The Army is also planning to induct 850 women as jawans in the military police branch where they would help the troops to handle situations where women are involved, like females pelting stones at forces carrying out operations. After having 850 of them initially, their numbers would be increased gradually in the lower ranks as females have until now been limited only in officer cadre. The roles of military police include policing the cantonment and army establishments, prevent breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required. Very few countries including Germany, Australia, Canada, the US, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and Israel have allowed women in combat roles. The Indian Air Force has also inducted three women officers as fighter pilots and would be joining a MiG 21 squadron in near future. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's speech on October 18 at a Washington DC-based think tank is important as it tells us how the US views India as a partner in the years ahead. It is not the first enunciation of the Trump administration's approach towards India. The joint statement issued on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US in June this year offered a fairly comprehensive view of bilateral relations as seen by both sides. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaving the White House It is the first time, however, that in this administration the State Department chief has pronounced at length on ties with India. If the State Department is seen in New Delhi as inclined negatively towards India traditionally, Tillerson's speech would come as a surprise. It outlines a vision of India-US ties in the decades ahead that is so positive that many in India would view it with scepticism, keeping in mind the difficulties of the past and the uncertainties of the future. Speech The thrust of the speech is on the partnership between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region to maintain peace and security there, with the China factor in view. So far the US has bottled up China in the western Pacific because of the strength of US naval presence in the region and its alliances there. China can loosen this grip by developing a powerful navy of its own and consequently acquire the capacity to independently protect its trade and energy flows through the Indian Ocean which are at present vulnerable to disruption in a conflict situation. The only country that has the potential to seriously disturb the existing maritime order in the Indo-Pacific is China, which announced in May 2015 its new maritime strategy that would see the PLA Navy developing a blue water navy capable of protecting the security of its sea lanes of communications and overseas interests. This means a stronger presence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean which, in turn, implies a successful challenge to US naval power in the western Pacific. In January 2015, Modi and Barack Obama had signed the US-India Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and India Ocean Regions. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's speech on October 18 at a Washington DC-based think tank is important as it tells us how the US views India as a partner In the joint statement issued on the occasion of Modi's June visit, this document was not referred to by name, though the shared interest of the two countries in ensuring freedom of navigation and overflights in the Indo-Pacific region and resolution of territorial and maritime disputes there in accordance with international law was mentioned. Beijing would have taken such a formulation in its stride, considering it standard and defensive in nature, unaccompanied as it has been by any push back. Tillerson's speech on October 18, however, constitutes a sharper warning to China about its conduct and US readiness to contain its maritime ambitions in partnership with others in the Indo-Pacific. His adverse comments on China in a speech focused on India is unusual and cannot but heighten China's concerns about deepening India-US strategic ties which it views as an American ploy to contain its rise. In Tillerson's view, China, unlike India, is undermining the international, rules-based order and sovereignty of neighbouring countries. He also cited China's provocative actions in the South China Sea, all of which he warned the US will resist. In language hitherto not used so openly by US leaders, Tillerson stated that in this period of uncertainty India needs a reliable partner on the world stage and that partner is the United States. Partnership The world and the Indo-Pacific in particular needs the United States and India to have a strong partnership, he affirmed. America's concerns about China's increasing challenge to US power in the Asia-Pacific region are obviously growing, though it is not yet clear how far Donald Trump is willing to go to counter Xi Jinping's declared ambition to take centre-stage in international affairs, an objective that requires that the US cede sufficient geo-strategic and geo-economic space to it. After Xi has ascended to power, it is clear that China is building itself not only as a counter to US global power but also as a competing model with 'values' that differ from those of the West. Timing Trump and Modi are confident of a long-lasting and positive relationship The timing of Tillerson's speech is significant. It has been made on the same day as the opening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, with Trump's slated visit to China in November this year too in mind. The Doklam episode, which saw China's efforts to bully India in unbridled language and India's determination to stand up to Beijing in a new show of confidence, could also have been a factor in the timing, besides adding pressure on China to cooperate more on the North Korean issue. True to American diplomatic style, Tillerson's speech contains much rhetoric. He believes that the US and India are increasingly global partners with growing strategic convergence, which is a profound transformation with far-reaching implications for the next 100 years. It is very difficult to accept such overblown assertions at face value or dismiss them as verbiage when our interest lies in improving and consolidating bilateral ties. Our challenge is to accept the US embrace but not be smothered by it and ensure that our other partners do not conclude that we have changed the orbit of our foreign policy. The writer is former foreign secretary Despite a stringent ban across the state, trading in beef appears to be easy for traders in Haryana's Mewat region. The state's cow protection laws are among the toughest in the country as the punishment for slaughter is 10-years in jail and a person could be imprisoned for five years for trading in beef and fined up to Rs 50,000 (582). Sources say on an average two FIRs are filed every week under the Haryana Gau Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act (HGSSA) at the Nuh police station alone. Samples of biryani collected and laboratory tests found beef in all of them But the station house officer (SHO) isn't hesitant to admit the rampant cow killing and easy availability of beef biryani in the district. 'We have registered 70 FIRs under HGSSA only in Nuh police station this year,' Vipin, the SHO, told Mail Today. 'Slaughtering of cows is taking place in almost every house and beef biryani is available in the market.' Sources say being the district headquarters, Nuh city and the adjoining Tawru witness fewer cases and FIRs pertaining to cow slaughter, while police stations in remote areas like Firozpur Jhirka, Punhana and Hodal record higher numbers. Vendor selling gajar halwa (carrot pudding) at a stall in Haryana Nuh district was created as Mewat by taking areas from Gurugram district and the Hathin Block of Faridabad district in 2005. However, it was renamed Mewat in 2016 as a cultural region spanning Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Mail Today visited Mewat and found more than a dozen food carts on either side of the historic Ghaseda village where vendors said they were selling biryani with cow meat. This reporter went undercover and asked Samshuddin, a vendor, to serve a plate of beef biryani. The hawker was initially hesitant and said the dish contained buffalo meat. But on being prodded a little, he claimed that the biryani available on every cart in the locality was of beef. Samshudin said it is a common practice in Ghaseda and all locals know about it. 'But we cannot disclose this to people of other districts as chances of a raid are always looming over us,' he said. A vendor works in a tea and snacks shop by the excise and taxation booth on the GT Road Highway in Shambhu, on the Haryana-Punjab border A typical market in Haryana (file pic) The slaughter of cows, revered by many Hindus, is banned in most parts of India. But right-wing leaders and cow vigilante groups have been increasingly asserting themselves since the BJP took power at the Centre in 2014 and won a series of state polls, including in Haryana. While the vendor displayed a fear of surprise police sweeps and sample collection, business is as usual in Mewat. The slaughter of cows, revered by many Hindus, is banned in most parts of India (pictured - a cow statue covered in colored powder during the Holi festival in the Banke Bihari temple) 'The current government in Haryana is not good for people like us as officials often take samples from our carts, followed by registering an FIR on us. 'They have done it in the past and so we always take precautions while selling biryani to outsiders,' Samshuddin said. The situation was similar at the main traffic intersection of Nuh on NH-248. Mail Today found two food carts on either side, adjacent to a police check post, with hawkers claiming they were selling beef biryani. Sacred cow and motorcycle at Agra, Uttar Pradesh Before admitting to this, one of the sellers, Shahrukh, asked the undercover reporter his religion. 'The consumers are mostly locals and they know the taste of biryani made from cow meat. If we would sell them the dish with buffalo meat or mutton, they would not buy it,' Shahrukh said. Beef biryani is in huge demand in Mewat and vendors like him easily earn Rs 3,000-3,500 (34) a day by selling at least two big tubs of it, he said. Another hawker, Salim, added beef is readily available here at Rs 200-225 per kilogram. According to sources, most cow slaughtering happens in houses owned by more affluent residents of the region. Killing of cows takes place in the Aravalli hills as it requires small rooms. Because of the huge demand, cow smugglers are very active in the area. They traffic cows from across states using various routes and do not shy away from even attacking the police and cow protectors. Bhani Ram Mangla, chairman of Haryana government's Gau Sewa Ayog, told Mail Today that his team collected samples of biryani from Mewat's Firozpur Jhirka area and a laboratory found beef in all of them. 'We also registered an FIR following this, but activists from the region also filed cases in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, arguing that beef is a traditional and religious food,' he said. 'This case put us on the back foot. But we are hopeful the matter would be cleared up by this year-end and following that, an intense drive will be launched against offenders.' AAP's entry into the poll fray in Gujarat has widened the chasm between them and Congress that has been suspicious of a 'pattern' in AAP's political battles. Even as highly placed sources told Mail Today that AAP has tried to make friendly overtures in the past few months in Gujarat, the Congress leadership failed to trust the party owing to past experience. With the announcement of the first list of 11 AAP candidates in Gujarat, Congress is yet again convinced of a 'design' by the party. Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken (right) has accused AAP leadership of helping BJP in electoral battles Of the 11 seats, nine have sitting BJP MLAs and the remaining two have Congress MLAs. 'Nobody in the AAP has approached me and I have not heard of any talks with them in Gujarat. The AAP instead has been working to help the BJP. That is how they have worked in every poll so far. 'They have strategically contested only in states with incumbent BJP governments, taking away the anti-incumbency votes that would have otherwise gone to Congress. 'It will not be accurate to say they are eating into our vote-share but into the votes that BJP would have lost due to anti-incumbency,' Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Maken told Mail Today. 'How is it that AAP did not contest in UP or Uttarakhand and not even in Haryana? These states are closer to Delhi, where they already have a government. 'Even now Himachal Pradesh is geographically closer to Delhi than Gujarat and they should have contested in that state too. 'But they chose to contest only in Gujarat and there too on all the 11 seats where they have announced their candidates, the BJP stands to benefit from it? How else can this be read?' Maken alleged. 'In Goa the difference in vote share between Congress and BJP was around 4 per cent and though AAP did not win any seat, it took away 6 per cent of the votes. 'They deliberately announced a Christian chief ministerial candidate knowing well that Christians in the state are traditionally Congress voters. It directly benefitted the BJP.' AAP spokespersons and leaders could not be reached for a comment. However cabinet minister and Gujarat state in-charge Gopal Rai had previously clarified during the announcement of the first list of candidates on Saturday that the party's main aim was to give a 'direct fight to the ruling party (BJP).' Kriti Kharbanda has spoken out about sexual harassment Budding Bollywood heroine Kriti Kharbanda does not shy away from talking about her experiences of sexual harassment. And she has said that exposing herself on screen or even doing a porn film would be her prerogative as an actor - but would not give anyone the right to judge her. Delhi girl Kriti is all set to straddle the current rage of small-town romcoms with her next release Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana opposite Rajkummar Rao, after making her Bollywood debut with the horror flick Raaz Reboot last year. The actor has recently shared her unpleasant sexual experiences on social media as part of the #MeToo campaign. The actor said: 'A lot of us do not want to recall (an experience of sexual harassment) because we cannot get over the trauma. It grows within us like cancer. But I am completely okay talking about it.' She recalled: 'It happened to me when I was in the eighth standard. I was walking to my tuition class when a man suddenly rode past on a bike and slapped me hard on the butt. I fell face down and ended up hurting my chin.' She went on: 'Somehow, I could not bring myself to tell the truth at home. I told mom that I had tripped. Another time, I fell asleep on a flight and the gentleman behind suddenly put his hand on my waist. I twisted it sharply.' Kriti felt sexual predators and trolls who engage in body-shaming were somewhat alike because they cannot handle the fact that the modern woman is emancipated enough to flaunt herself. The Delhi girl is all set to straddle the current rage of small-town romcoms with her next release Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana opposite Rajkummar Rao 'Trolls think we (women) will stop if they write what they wish. I am comfortable with my body. Showing cleavage or thighs or even doing a porn film is my choice. You are no one to tell me what to do. I don't pay attention to trolls,' she declared. Talking about the #MeToo campaign, the 28-year-old lauded the effort but noted that the campaign was not necessarily reaching out to every woman who needs support. 'A campaign like this needs to be discreet because many women are afraid to speak out. We need to reach out to such women at a personal level. There are women who cannot reveal their encounters on social media but may be going through such trauma regularly,' Kriti said. Kriti has been working in Telugu and Kannada films since 2009 and is single. 'I have been single for two years now and am loving it. I was in a relationship for eight years, though I lied to the media and pretended to be single. Unfortunately, it had to end. Then, there was a Mumbai boy I dated but he was too dominating about what I wore and did. The relationship lasted for a couple of months,' she said. In her upcoming movie with Rajkummar, we see her in the role of a middle-class girl and Rao as the boy-next-door. The two gradually fall for each other, but Kriti abandons him on the day of their wedding. Rajinikanth and Kamal bond over 'Mersal' Kollywood's biggest superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan have been pitted against each other ever since they both expressed an interest in joining politics. When Rajinikanth said at a recent event that stardom was not enough to be a successful politician, it was believed to be a jibe at his contemporary. Even though Kamal Haasan went on to respond that his friendship with Rajinikanth is beyond clarifications, reports of their rivalry refuse to die down. While Kamal Haasan (L) didnt want movie to be re-censored, Rajinikanth lauded makers for addressing important issues Amid these reports, Rajinikanth and Kamal have found common ground. The two actors are all praise for Vijay-starrer Mersal. A complaint was filed on Monday against Kollywood actor Vijay for showing temples Centre's schemes in bad light in Mersal - which has been in the news for its scenes which criticise GST, demonetisation and Digital India. BJP leaders have demanded deletion of these scenes from director Atlee's film. Kamal Haasan tweeted in support of the Vijay-starrer: 'Mersal was certified. Dont re-censor it. Counter criticism with logical response. Dont silence critics. India will shine when it speaks. (sic)' Rajinikanth, meanwhile, lauded the makers of Mersal for addressing an 'important topic' and also congratulated them. Meanwhile, Mersal has globally crossed the Rs 100-crore mark already. Esha greets her Lakshmi post Diwali Esha Deol and her husband Bharat Takhtani with their daughter Bollywood actress Esha Deol and her businessman hubby Bharat Takhtani have been blessed with a baby girl. Esha had delivered the child at Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital on October 20 but the family chose to make the news public only on Monday. Photographers gathered outside the hospital to for a glimpse of the newborn on Monday morning, as Esha along with Bharat and her in-laws left for home after being discharged. The couple revealed they have finalised a name for the baby but would make it known only at the naming ceremony, which is scheduled to happen soon. Esha, who is seventies' superstar Hema Malini's elder daughter, has featured in several 2000s multistarrer hits including Dhoom, Yuva, No Entry, and Dus. She married Takhtani in 2012 after a brief period of engagement. A statement issued by Hema Malini's official biographer Ram Kamal Mukherjee said: 'Hemaji was extremely delighted to welcome Goddess Laxmi immediately after Diwali.' She has reportedly put all professional commitments aside to be with daughter Esha for now. Esha has been busy with her role as a homemaker ever since she tied the knot with Takhtani. Her last Bollywood outing was the author-backed 2011 flop Tell Me O Kkhuda. The film was directed and produced by her mother Hema Malini while her dad Dharmendra did a cameo in it. Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram has come out all guns blazing against the ruling BJP at the Centre and states on a range of burning issues. They include starvation deaths in Jharkhand, censorship in Tamil movie Mersal over criticism of GST, spurt in following and retweets of Rahul Gandhi's twitter handle and delay in election commission's announcement of Gujarat poll dates. On starvation deaths in Jharkhand, Chidambaram said: 'There are enough food grains. Government stocks are more than adequate to address starvation and hunger. If people are dying for want of food, the blame has to be laid squarely on the government, in this case the state government. Former Union Minister of Finance and Congress Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram came out all guns blazing against the BJP this week 'Such deaths mean the National Food Security Act is not being implemented, the food and civil supplies department has been negligent and the district administration has been callous.' Terming censorship of a scene in Mersal where the protagonist was critical of GST as suppression of freedom of expression, he said, 'A movie is an expression of speech. It can criticise a government. No one has the right to demand that such dialogues be deleted.' When this reporter quizzed him on allegations by Union minister Smriti Irani that the spurt in following and retweets of Rahul Gandhi's twitter handle is due to bots, Chidambaram shot back: 'How many bots have been found and located? Why assume that if there is a retweet from a foreign country, it must be by a fake handle? He also hit out at censorship in Tamil movie Mersal over criticism of GST and a delay in Election Commission's announcement of Gujarat poll dates 'Even if we assume for the sake of argument that some retweets were fake, what about the thousands of retweets from persons admittedly living in India? What about the thousands of likes?' Terming the EC's decision to announce dates for Himachal Pradesh elections but 'withhold' them for Gujarat as 'partisan', the senior Congress leader said: 'If there were genuine reasons to defer the announcement in the case of Gujarat, then the announcement in the case of Himachal too should have been deferred, and both announced simultaneously, say, after a week. Doubts arise because the model code of conduct allows carrying on of flood relief work even after the announcement of elections and even after the code comes into effect.' History of US firm Abercrombie & Fitch Fashion chain Abercrombie & Fitch has undergone a branding overhaul as it seeks to attract customers who it previously shunned. Chief executive Fran Horowitz, who was appointed earlier this year following the departure of controversial boss Michael Jeffries, said the change was a chance to move off some of the misnomers of the brand. Jeffries, who stepped down after more than two decades at the helm of the sexy youth-focused firm, had once claimed that we hire good looking people in our stores... and we dont market to anyone other than that. But the company has been struggling to keep pace with the tastes of teen shoppers, posting five straight years of falling sales. The US firm is now moving away from its traditional All-American preppy look towards vintage-style clothing such as chunky knits and flannel shirts. Private hospital company Spire Healthcare could be sold to a South African rival. Spire Healthcare paid out 27m in compensations after Ian Paterson operated unnecessarily on patients Mediclinic, which already owns a 29.9 per cent stake in the British firm, is considering a deal to buy the rest of the company thought to be worth 1.3billion. Shares in Spire, which operates more than 50 hospitals and clinics, had tanked last month after it revealed that profits had slumped almost 75 per cent to 8.9 million in the first half of the year. The profit warning came after it was forced to pay out more than 27 million in compensation to patients subjected to unnecessary operations by disgraced surgeon Ian Paterson. The 59-year-old, who was jailed for 20 years in August, had treated victims at two Spire healthcare clinics in Birmingham and Solihull over 14 years. Speculation of a potential takeover helped boost Spires share price last week. Mediclinic, which is listed in Johannesburg and London, has a history of snapping up rival firms. It conducted a reverse takeover of Middle Eastern private healthcare specialist Al Noor Hospitals two years ago. HCA Healthcare, an American private hospital operator, is also believed to be eyeing Spires business. Spire Healthcare, one of Britain's biggest private hospital operators, has rejected a 1 billion takeover bid, claiming it 'undervalued' the group. The bid was made by South African Mediclinic, which already owns a 29.9% stake in Spire. Mediclinic offered a proposal to buy the rest of the company for 150p in cash and 0.232 new Mediclinic shares per Spire share. Spire Healthcare has rejected a 1 billion takeover bid from Mediclinic. The proposal valued each Spire share at 298.6p, representing a premium of about 14% on last Friday's closing price. Shares in Spire accordingly leapt 12% in morning trading to 292.57p. The group said: 'The board of Spire (excluding Danie Meintjes), in conjunction with its financial and legal advisers, reviewed the proposal and unanimously rejected it on the basis that it significantly undervalues Spire and its prospects.' 'Shareholders are strongly advised to take no action in relation to the proposal.' Mediclinic said it is now 'considering its position.' The company has until November 20 to announce a firm intention to make another offer or walk away. Mediclinic, a FTSE 100-listed private healthcare group bought its current stake in Spire Healthcare, for about 430 million from private equity firm Cinven 2015. The South African group has a history of snapping up rival firms. It conducted a reverse takeover of Middle Eastern private healthcare Ian Patterson: Operated on patients unecessarily causing the group to pay 27.6m in compensation. Spire has hit the headlines recently after one of its surgeons was found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent, and three further wounding charges. Ian Paterson exaggerated or invented cancer risks and claimed payments for more expensive procedures. The group was forced to shell out 27.6 million to help compensate victims earlier this year, which led to pre-tax profits for the six months to June 30 tumbling to 8.9 million from 35.7 million. Spire appointed Justin Ash as new chief executive in September after executive chairman Garry Watts relinquished control of the FTSE 250 firm in June due to ill health. Spire runs 39 hospitals across England, Wales and Scotland. Banks are braced for a surge in payment protection insurance mis-selling payouts after a new advert featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger triggered a flood of fresh claims. In August, a publicity blitz about the PPI scandal was launched by the Financial Conduct Authority watchdog ahead of a compensation deadline in two years time. One executive at a major bank told the Mail that claims have doubled since then likely leading to a jump in payouts when lenders reveal their results this week. The FCA's 42m advertising campaign has caused a surge in new PPI claims In the FCAs advert, the head of the Terminator star (pictured) appears on tank tracks angrily demanding that consumers make a decision on whether to make a PPI compensation claim. Since the launch of its campaign, which cost 42 million, the regulator set up a website that was visited by 12,500 people every day last month, while more than 9,400 people have also called an FCA helpline. Lloyds, Barclays and NatWest owner Royal Bank of Scotland all report their third-quarter results this week, and they are expected to show a major rise in PPI complaints. A senior figure at one of the big banks said they had seen numbers double, although around half of those complaining had not in fact been sold PPI. The scandal has already cost Britains banks 27.4 billion, paid in compensation to 12 million customers who were mis-sold PPI alongside loans, credit cards, store cards and mortgages. But a total of 64 million PPI policies were sold between the early 1990s and 2010, setting the scene for a fresh wave of claims to be made. Some analysts have warned that the bill could eventually balloon to as much as 100 billion. Many lenders were prepared for a rise in PPI complaints ahead of a cut-off in August 2019 and have already set aside extra cash to deal with it. It means that although payouts could dramatically increase, this will not necessarily hit profits. The scandal has triggered a feeding frenzy for claims management companies which represent victims in exchange for a cut of their compensation. Earlier this month, We Fight Any Claim, one of the companies involved, lost a judicial review against the 2019 deadline. The FCAs campaign was funded by 18 lenders, including the five big High Street banks. It cost 4.9 million to produce the ad, including former governor of California Schwarzeneggers pay, which is likely to have been a seven-figure sum. Some parents have cried racism after a middle school choir sang a folk song about picking cotton. The eighth-grade choir performed 'Cotton Needs Pickin' during their fall concert on Thursday at Springfield Middle School in Lucas County, Ohio, prompting at least one parent to storm out of the performance. Parent Nicole Maulsby, who is Cuban, posted a video of the performance on Facebook, later deleting it. She claimed that a song about workers picking cotton is a racist reference to black slaves toiling in the fields of the South. The eighth-grade choir at Springfield Middle School is seen performing 'Cotton Needs Pickin' at their fall concert on Thursday. The image is from a video that has since been deleted A black woman in the crowd mouthed 'Oh my god' to Maulsby during the song, and her husband Alonzo, who is black, stormed out of the auditorium, she told the Toledo Blade. The short song includes the lyrics: 'Cotton needs pickin' so bad, we're going to pick all over this field.' COTTON NEEDS PICKIN' LYRICS There are different versions of the folk song, but typical lyrics include: Oh, cotton needs pickin' so bad, Cotton needs pickin' so bad, Cotton needs pickin' so bad, We're going to pick all over this field. We planted this cotton in April, Under the light of the moon, We've had a hot, dry summer, That's why it opened so soon. Oh hurry up, hurry up, children, Look at the weather vane, The wet wind's blowing t'ward us, I think it's going to rain. Advertisement Springfield Schools Superintendent Matt Geha said the song came from a book of American folk music, adding that he hadn't received any calls on Friday but was aware of the complaints circulating on social media. Some tried to draw a connection between the song and a separate incident with students from another school in the district. At a Christian Young Life event off campus, which had a 'country' theme, students with the Christian youth group Young Life were reportedly seen posing with a Confederate flag. 'Come on Springfield. This is the song you sing just a week after the confederate flag issue?' radio host Charlie Mack wrote on Facebook, according to the Blade. However, the superintendent said that the song had been selected in August and had been part of rehearsals since then. 'I know that timing can sound bad, but it's a historical component for what the choir department had to use for their curriculum,' he said. Springfield Middle School has a student body that is 65 percent white and 18 percent black, according to state data. A police officer has been fatally shot while responding to a reported domestic disturbance. Officer Justin Leo, 31, was shot just after 10pm Saturday in Girard, Ohio as he and another officer stood in the doorway of the suspect's home. He was pronounced dead in a nearby hospital. The suspect, who hasn't been publicly named, was shot and killed by the second officer. A radio call requesting all available units to respond to an 'officer down' included an officer telling a dispatcher there was a man with 'several firearms' who had been 'drinking all day'. Scroll down for video Officer Justin Leo, 31, was shot just after 10pm Saturday in Girard, Ohio as he and another officer stood in the doorway of the suspect's home on a domestic disturbance call Leo grew up in the area that he served as a police officer and had five years on the force A neighbor said that he witnessed the horrific scene from his home. 'We just started looking through the window and we watched both officers approach the house, knock on the door and it looked like they engaged in conversation for a few minutes,' Arron Wayland told WYTV. 'It seemed like one shot from inside the house, then the second officer side-steps and shot three to four times.' Wayland said he had never met the suspect, but that he was shocked at the shooting in his normally quiet residential neighborhood. The weapon used in the shooting was a handgun, said Ohio Attorney General's Office spokeswoman Jill Del Greco, who provided few other details. Leo was a five-year veteran of the police force in Girard, a town of roughly 10,000 about 70 miles southeast of Cleveland. The shooting occurred on this block in the town of roughly 10,000 residents Girard had never before lost a police officer in the line of duty, said mayor James Melfi. 'It's personally the saddest day of my life,' Melfi told Fox8. 'I've known the officer since he was in the first grade.' Leo's parents were with him when he passed away in a Youngstown hospital, Melfi said. 'We woke up a different community,' said Melfi. 'We woke up shaken like we never shook before. I don't know how and when we get back but we have to do that in honor of Officer Leo.' The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting. A Louisiana celebrity restaurateur whose TV appearances include Iron Chef, Tonight With Seth Meyers and even NCIS, has been accused of performing a sex act on a 'barely conscious' employee and creating a 'bro culture' in his establishments. In a discrimination filing, John Besh, 49, is accused of performing the act during a work trip after he 'insisted [the woman] drink heavily' and she became 'easily overwhelmed' by him; he says they were in a consensual relationship. And 24 other women have complained about a male-dominated culture in which they were harassed, groped, humiliated and mocked in both another filing and interviews with NOLA.com. Celebrity chef John Besh (seen here in an episode of Tonight With Seth Meyers) has been accused impropriety by one woman and creating a toxic environment in his restaurants Besh owns or has a hand in more than 10 restaurants and bars in the New Orleans area, has made guest appearances on several shows, including the dramas NCIS: New Orleans and HBO's Treme. The accusation about Besh performing oral sex on the unnamed former employee came in her Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filing from December. Besh is alleged to have pressured a woman into a relationship, during which he performed oral sex on her while she was blackout drunk. Besh says their relationship was consensual and denies all abuse claims She alleges that she had a sexual relationship with him for months while working under him, and that he had 'continued to attempt to coerce (her) to submit to his sexual overtures.' In one instance, during a work trip to LA in the summer of 2015, she said, Besh 'insisted' that she down a great deal of alcohol before she retired to her hotel room. Besh then arrived at her door and 'immediately started to kiss and fondle' her, she alleged in the filing, in which Besh was repeatedly referred to as 'JBesh'. She 'was barely conscious, and easily overwhelmed by JBesh, who engaged in oral sex and fell asleep,' the woman, who is not being named, alleged. That incident, which occurred when she was 24, came around the beginning of what she described as a 'long-term unwelcome sexual relationship'. In a trip to New York in October 2015, the filing says, Besh pressured her into saying that she loved him, then insisted he stay at his hotel room. 'From that time until at least May 2016, JBesh continued to expect [the claimant] to stay in his hotel room and engage in a sexual relationship,' it said. In May, the suit claimed, she tried to 'disengage' from her sexual relationship with Besh, after which Besh 'asked [her] to help him find her "replacement."' Octavio Mantilla, co-owner of the Best Restaurant Group, then asked her to sign a non-disclosure agreement for a 'small sum of money', the filing said. When she tried to negotiate a larger amount, it alleged, he told her to get her lawyer to call his lawyer - and began to receive angry texts from a chef at the restaurant who accused her 'of being disloyal to JBesh.' Responding to the allegations, Besh characterized their relationship as a 'consensual' one that he had 'thoughtlessly' engaged in. Besh (seen with Michelle Obama at an event in 2015) is also accused of making inappropriate comments to other women. Some 25 women say he or employees at his restaurants behaved inappropriately in one form or another TV chef Anthony Bourdain printed part of a complaint filed against Besh's group, saying it was 'the beginning of the end of institutionalized Meathead Culture in the restaurant business' 'I also regret any harm this may have caused to my second family at the restaurant group, and sincerely apologize to anyone past and present who has worked for me who found my behavior as unacceptable as I do,' he said. 'I alone am entirely responsible for my moral failings. This is not the way the head of a company like ours should have acted, let alone a husband and father.' He also said his company, Besh Restaurant Group, has an 'unyielding commitment to treating everyone with respect and dignity, regardless of gender, race, age and sexual preference.' But complaints from several women say that Besh oversaw a 'bro culture' at his businesses - and some of them say that it may have been influenced by his own actions. He would say, "Hey, you want to see a picture of a baby's arm?" And he'd show you and it would be his penis... [he also asked for my breast milk] because he wanted to drink it An unnamed worker at one of Besh's restaurants, talking about how a male colleague - not Besh - treated her '[Besh and Mantilla] had hit on basically every woman in the office who was young and pretty,' said Lindsey Reynolds, who was the company's social media manager for six months. 'It was like Mad Men,' added, who made the second of two EEOC filings against Besh Restaurant Group (BRG), which is now 12 years old. She complained of 'vulgar and offensive comments, aggressive un-welcomed touching and sexual advances were condoned and sometimes even encouraged by managers and supervisors'. At one point, she said, Besh told her: '"Do you have any idea how pretty you are? I'm sure you get that all the time."' 'I mean, what am I supposed to say to that?' she asked. Reynolds said she was harassed 'virtually every day' and left without recourse because the company didn't 'have a decent HR person,' she claimed. When asked for a response, Mantilla suggested that his reputation was enough to dismiss the claims. 'I think people know me pretty well,' he said. He also said that he replied to her resignation letter, saying he was concerned about her complaints and asking for a meeting to discuss the details. Besh denied that claims that he had harassed women. Some women said that Besh fostered an environment in which men felt like they could harass them without fear of recrimination; his company has admitted its HR could have done more He also said that she hadn't complained about harassment until her resignation email, which read like a 'manifesto,' and questioned why - in the absence of HR people - she didn't speak to one of the female managers. 'These are talented women who wouldn't stand for that c**p,' he said of the women bosses. But in total 25 women - some named, some who chose anonymity - have claimed that working at Besh's restaurants was a deeply unpleasant experience. Another complainant was Madie Robison, who was hired out of college, aged 22, to be a graphic designer at the company. She said that there had been workdays scheduled at a senior employee's pool, which she felt compelled to attend. 'All pool days that I participated in involved drinking in our swimsuits and the male chefs/Octavio coming to visit us at the pool,' she said. The second time, she said, a chef began 'talking about getting some naked massage. That was when I was like, "Ew, this is a little weird."' Madie Robinson was hired when she was 22; she said scheduled pool sessions during workdays involved her sitting around in a swimsuit, drinking with other employees On another occasion, she said Mantilla had introduced her to a group of men in business suits while she was still in her swimsuit, telling them she was 'our design goddess'. And she says that Mantilla touched her 'excessively,' saying 'first it was your leg and then it was your lower back... In my mind, it always got a little worse.' Another colleague told the paper that she had seen Mantilla touching Robison, but that Robison had said she didn't complain because 'I don't want to embarrass him, he's my boss.' Mantilla said he didn't remember the 'goddess' comment, and that the pool sessions were 'constructive', although he only attended one and left as soon he was done there. He also said: '"I don't remember touching [Robison] at all, not on intention or anything.' Robison also said that she was the first person to hear of Besh sleeping with the allegedly drunk woman, saying the woman 'sounded scared' and couldn't remember how Besh got into her room. In pizza restaurant Domenica, a waitress who did not wish to be named said that in the two years she worked there she was sexually harassed by a male colleague. 'He would say, "Hey, you want to see a picture of a baby's arm?" And he'd show you and it would be his penis,' she said. She quit in 2015, just before her first child war born; she said the man had asked repeatedly for a sample of her breast milk 'because he wanted to drink it.' He'd always talk about anal sex with me or using toys on me or me being a 'backdoor beauty' Allison Consoli, waitress at Domenica, on the same unnamed male employee Another waitress there, Allison Consoli, said she tried to file complaints about the same member of staff four times. On a fifth occasion, she said, the management stood and watched him harass her to the point of tears. 'He'd always talk about anal sex with me or using toys on me or me being a "backdoor beauty," she said 'It was along those lines, but I don't remember exactly what he said. There were so many things, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what it was that time.' She said she was fired to an issue unrelated to the man. He was fired afterward. Chef Alon Shaya, who oversaw the restaurant, said he 'was being inappropriate to some of the female servers. I recall making the decision to fire him with that manager.' Shaya was also linked to alleged problems at the restaurant that bears his surname, which he opened in collaboration with Besh. Chef Alon Shaya, who co-ran three restaurants in Besh's group says he told Besh to get a HR system in place so complaints would be dealt with. Besh's associate says Shaya's just covering his back. Complaints have been leveled at Shaya's management too, but he denies them One line cook, who resigned from Shaya in January, said in her resignation letter: 'While working as a line cook at Shaya, I heard daily "jokes" about rape, including one joke about pedophilia. They 'would call grapeseed oil "rapeseed" and use that as an opportunity to joke about rape,' she said. 'They also would say in a weird accent, "She run, but I always catch her." A [male colleague] one time said a food item was "dryer than an eight-year-old."' They would call grapeseed oil 'rapeseed' and use that as an opportunity to joke about rape An unnamed female line cook on male colleagues' 'humor' at Shaya That cook didn't want to be named for fear of hurting future job prospects; one of her colleagues there, line cook Elizabeth Campbell, said she also heard such remarks. Mostly, she said, she ignored them as part of the environment, but after 13 months she was found crying at work, and fired. She claimed that as he terminated her contract, Shaya told her: 'It's really a shame, because you're talented, but you have to not cry at work. You really have to be stronger and don't let your environment get to you.' Campbell mused: 'It bothered me, because it was an environment that he created.' Shaya provided NOLA with documentation showing that disciplinary action had been taken against the man who showed photographs of his penis, and said he 'regretted' that she had still quit. 'I'm not trying to minimize anybody's complaints or concerns,' he added. He also said that 'we worked to help [Campbell] with her situation' but her crying was 'disrupting the customer experience in the restaurant.' Shaya, who was chef at Domenica, Pizza Domenica and Shaya, himself pointed fingers at Besh and Mantilla during NOLA's eight-month investigation. In an August meeting with a reporter for the site, he said that he had asked for a proper HR company to be set up on 'multiple' occasions since 2014, and that 'they said no'. He also said that the three restaurants he oversaw were mostly independently operated from Besh's group, and that inappropriate behavior was 'not tolerated, not one bit'. A male colleague one time said a foot item was 'dryer than an eight-year-old' The Shaya employee recounts another of her colleagues' 'jokes' Shaya was fired from all three in September; in October he told a reporter that he thought he was fired 'for talking ... and for standing up'. 'Alon never requested an HR Department, let alone on multiple occasions,' Raymond Landry, general counsel for Besh and BRG, said. Mantilla said that the reasons for his firing were complex, and added: 'I think [Shaya] saw this article was hurting him, and he wanted to distance himself.' Issues were reported at restaurants outside of Shaya's control. Meghan Wright was a server at Franco-German brasserie Luke; she said her 'banter' with two male co-workers spiraled into them 'grabbing' her. Besh runs a string of restaurants in the New Orleans area, and is a local celebrity. He denies all of the claims of harassment made against him She complained but it was shrugged off because management thought they were good at their jobs - and when they found out, their behavior got worse, she said. 'The guys were like, "We know what you said, you better watch your back,"' she said. 'It got to the point where my boyfriend had to drop me off and pick me up at work. Like literally drop me off and pick me up at the door.' Further complaints went nowhere and a request for a transfer to another restaurant was refused and she was told she would be placed on a schedule that kept her apart from them, she alleged. The rescheduling never happened, she added. In a statement from its general counsel, Landry said Besh Restaurant Group had only just learned that women at the company were concerned about a lack of a 'a clear mechanism' to voice concerns. 'I want to assure all of our employees that if even a single person feels this way, it is one person too many and that ends now,' he continued. The guys were like, 'We know what you said, you better watch your back.' It got to the point where my boyfriend had to drop me off and pick me up at work. Like literally drop me off and pick me up at the door Meghan Wright, a server at Luke, on threats she faced after she tried to report male employees groping her He said that the company had 'a complaint procedure in place that complies with all existing laws' but that they 'needed to do more' and that they had 'revamped our training, education and procedures accordingly.' Landry added that 'we believe going forward that everyone at our company will be fully aware of the clear procedures that are now in place to safeguard against anyone feeling that his or her concerns will not be heard and addressed free from retaliation.' Speaking to NOLA.com, Mantill and Besh said that they had struggled with these issues due to the company's quick growth, particularly since 2015. 'Prior to that, probably no one [at BRG] could make a move without me, without me knowing about it," Mantilla said. 'That has changed because we grew so quickly.' A BRG spokesman also stressed that around 60 of the company's 140 managers are women, and that 'In addition, 15 women hold senior executive positions as general managers, heads of departments, Chief Operations Officer, or owner/partner.' The body of a small child that police believe to be is Sherin Matthews, a three-year-old girl who went missing early on October 7, has been found The body of a small child was found not far from the home of a 3-year-old girl who has been missing since earlier this month, police in a Dallas, Texas suburb say. Richardson police say the child's body was discovered in a culvert less than one mile from their home as authorities using dogs searched for Sherin Mathews on Sunday morning, Dallas News reports. Her father, Wesley Mathews, has told authorities he ordered the child to stand next to a tree behind the fence at their home around 3am on October 7 as punishment for not drinking her milk and she went missing. Mathews told the responding officer 'he knew coyotes had been seen in the alley where he left his daughter'. When he returned to check on her 15 minutes later, he could not find her. The girl's father, Wesley, had sent her outside to stand next to a tree behind the fence at their home around 3am on October 7 as punishment for not drinking her milk. He returned 15 minutes later and did not find her. Police were not notified that she was missing for five hours Sherin has developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills, police previously said. The body found on Sunday morning has not been identified but police said they have no reason not to believe that it is Sherin Police had been searching for Sherin Mathews for two weeks. Dogs had been used in the search and police went door-to-door looking for any information on her whereabouts. The body was found near this grassy ditch A stretcher is moved from the location where the body was found He told police that he went to do laundry while waiting for dawn or for the girl to return of her own volition. The girl's mother, Sini, was reportedly asleep during this time. Sergeant Kevin Perlich told WFAA that police were not called to the scene where she was last seen until after five hours. Welsey Mathews is charged with child endangerment. Wesley and Sini Mathews adopted Sherin from an Indian orphanage, Dallas News reports. According to police, Sherin has developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills. Police say the body hasn't been positively identified but that they have no reason to believe it's a different child. No details have been released on how the child died. Dogs had been used in the search of the girl and police went door-to-door looking for any information on her whereabouts. They also confiscated two SUV's and a minivan for 'any potential evidence.' Senators Pauline Hanson and Sarah Hanson-Young have clashed in a fiery and personal disagreement over the state of Australia's rocketing welfare costs. The nation is currently paying as much as $300,000 per minute for welfare costs, with the bill rising to a total of $157 billion in payments per year, the Herald Sun reported. The One Nation leader says welfare cheating is becoming 'a way of life' for some families who are into their 'third and fourth generation' of living off government handouts. The Greens MP attacked Hanson's credibility on the issue, saying she isn't 'a friend of the battler' and instead hands out tax breaks to the rich and allows 'big multinational companies' into Australia. 'You are absolute rubbish, you talk absolute b****** all the time and I'm sick of hearing this,' Hanson replied. Senators Pauline Hanson and Sarah Hanson-Young have clashed in a fiery and personal disagreement over the state of Australia's rocketing welfare costs The nation is currently paying as much as $300,000 per minute for welfare costs, with the bill rising to a total of $157 billion in payments per year Australia's rising welfare costs now account for a third of the government's spending, with $430 million in payments being made every day. In 2016, the number of Australians claiming their pension declined from 69 per cent to 65.8 per cent. Hanson-Young attacked Hanson's credibility over sticking up for pensioners, saying she wants to 'cut the age pension and stick the boot into the disability pension.' 'I don't think you're the friend of anyone. You say one thing on the internet and another on television,' she said. Hanson rejected the sentiment, saying One Nation had been calling for a $150 per fortnight increase to the pension fund and accused the Greens of buying votes. Hanson-Young attacked Hanson's credibility over sticking up for pensioners, saying she wants to 'cut the age pension and stick the boot into the disability pension' Australia's rising welfare costs now account for a third of the government's spending, with $430 million in payments being made every day 'Pauline I know you voted for a lot of those tax cuts... you go out handing money to big multinational companies and the richest 20 per cent in the country,' she said of Hanson The South Australian MP said the biggest area of concern for Australia's $506 billion deficit is the tax-breaks handed out to big companies, many of which are foreign. 'Pauline I know you voted for a lot of those tax cuts... you go out handing money to big multinational companies and the richest 20 per cent in the country,' she said of Hanson. 'That's your record in parliament.' Hanson accused Hanson-Young of 'misleading the public' and says the tax-breaks have brought in more money to Australia. 'Because of those tax-breaks they've reigned in more than $4 billion in more taxes and created employment, so that's how little you know,' she said. The annual welfare bill of $157 is now taking up nearly 10 per cent of Australia's GDP, 8.6 per cent higher than a decade ago. Terrorism is the first thing on the minds of police officers 'in this day and age' He revealed that the first job of police response was to rule out a terrorist attack Almost a year after the Thunder River Rapids tragedy that claimed the lives of four people at Dreamworld, police have revealed that their first thought was that the deaths were caused by a terrorist attack. Detective Inspector Todd Reid told the Courier Mail on Monday that the first job of the police response was to rule out the possibility that the incident was terror-related. Officers had to explore the possibility of 'an actual attack, and then check on other sites that could also have been targets, before ruling out terrorism and confirming that the tragedy was an accident. Scroll down for video Detective Inspector Todd Reid was one of the first officers to attend the Dreamworld tragedy It is too soon to tell if legislation against 'industrial manslaughter' will be used in this case 'Dreamworld is an iconic site for a potential target (and) if you're not thinking about these sorts of issues in this day and age, you're not thinking widely enough,' Detective Inspector Reid explained. He added that terrorism was something that was immediately on the minds of the responding officers from the very beginning: 'In the world that we live in these days, are we dealing with a deliberate act?' Detective Inspector Reid also opened up about the horror of October 25, 2016, when he was called to Dreamworld during his 2pm shift with news of a ride accident. At first, he didn't assume the worse because there had been 'several ride malfunctions at the theme parks' in recent months, and he had no idea what he was about to witness. After hearing the news that there was at least one fatality, Detective Inspector Reid knew that the incident had quickly turned into something 'tragic', as investigators were sent to the scene and eventually concluded that the collision was an accident. A malfunction in the mechanism of the Thunder River Rapids led to the collision of two rafts 'As police officers, you might go to a multiple fatality traffic accident, or you go to a homicide, that's just what we do,' he said. But it was the location of the accident - a beloved family weekend location and tourist attraction - that 'changed everything'. He explained that the incident was all the more emotional for people, because lots of Queenslanders have an emotional and nostalgic connection to Dreamworld. 'It's not the sort of place that's supposed to happen at,' he said. 'You're supposed to be safe there and feel good and have a good time. You're not meant to die there.' But that's exactly what happened to Canberra woman Kate Goodchild, 32, her brother Luke Dorsett, 35, his partner Roozi Araghi, 38, and New Zealander Cindy Low, 42, after a malfunction in the Thunder River Rapids conveyer belt caused their raft to flip. From right: Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozbeh Araghi Two of those that died had been trapped beneath the raft, and two were trapped under water Police have recommended no charges should be laid over the horrific Dreamworld disaster that killed four people but the theme parks owners could still face prosecution. Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace confirmed to the ABC in September that there is a real 'possibility of pending legal action' as new legislation to make 'industrial manslaughter' an offence in Queensland was introduced in August. While the legislation is expected to pass, it is too soon to tell whether or not it will be used in the Dreamworld case. 'Under our proposed laws, the maximum penalty for industrial manslaughter will be 20 years imprisonment for an individual, with a maximum fine of $10 million for a corporate offender,' Minister Grace said in a statement to the Guardian. Minister Grace moved to make 'industrial manslaughter' an offence to avoid similar tragedies Police provided a report to the Queensland coroner which said no staff should be prosecuted for the tragedy, according to the Brisbane Times. A police spokesman said the coroner ultimately would decide if any charges were to be laid, while Ardent Leisure the owner of the park may still be prosecuted by Workplace Health and Safety Dreamworld has been beset with financial issues since the incident, including plummeting profits as fewer families visit the theme park. The idea of a fish leaping out of the water to catch a bird sounds like a fisherman's tale. But while it seems to defy the natural order, that extraordinary scene has been caught on camera for the first time. Crews filming the BBC's new natural history series Blue Planet II were told that giant trevally fish had been seen hunting seabirds off the coast of the Seychelles. What they found, and filmed, might prove to be the stand-out moment of the series, which begins next Sunday night. The dramatic hunting sequence will captivate viewers and is likely to draw comparisons to the award-winning snakes versus iguanas scene from Planet Earth II last year. Scroll down for video A trevally fish is pictured leaping out of the water to catch a bird off the coast of the Seychelles The monster tracked the flightpath of the tern before intercepting and eating it ... in one gulp. Series producer James Honeyborne said: 'It's one thing seeing a fish flying through the air, that's unexpected enough. 'But then seeing a fish flying through the air and catching a bird in its mouth, wow... yep a bird-eating fish. The fish launches out of the water with phenomenal speed and acceleration and catches this bird in mid-air. And we filmed it in ultra slow-motion.' Giant trevallies, which can hunt alone or as a school, prey on tens of thousands of terns that take off from shorelines in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The giant trevally (pictured) features in the new BBC natural history series Blue Planet II which hits our screens next weekend In Hawaii the fish was once considered a god and took the place of a human sacrifices. They can reach top speeds of 37mph and jump 6ft Ferocious and powerful, the creatures typically eat other fish but are known to take juvenile turtles and small dolphins. They are highly prized by game fishermen because they put up a strong fight and can break rods and snap strong fishing lines. The Blue Planet II film crew gambled on getting the footage because they did not have evidence to prove its bird-eating behaviour was anything more than a myth. Miles Barton, who directed the sequence, said: 'I was sceptical, to say the least. God of the sea The giant trevally can grow up to 5.5ft long and weigh more than 12st It kills its prey, which can include turtles and small dolphins, with a body slam It eats in a single bite to stop other fish stealing food In Hawaii the fish was once considered a god and took the place of a human sacrifices They can reach top speeds of 37mph and jump 6ft Advertisement But our researcher Sophie [Morgan] talked to these fishermen, and they convinced us, so we decided to do the shoot. 'You only do one or two of these types of risky shoots on a show. This was our biggest gamble. 'We arrived and got very excited because yes, there were splashes everywhere the fish were leaping out of the water and seemed to be grabbing birds. But it happened randomly and very fast so we didn't know how we were ever going to get a camera on the action.' It was only after a week of frustration that the crew finally captured the shots they wanted. 'We got it, they're amazing shots. The giant trevallies leap out of the water and they really do take the bird out of the sky. A genuine bird-eating fish,' he added. The whale calf poisoned by plastic in our oceans Blue Planet II will feature harrowing scenes of a baby whale poisoned by milk containing plastic pollution. The condition, called toxic shock, afflicted a short-finned pilot whale in the Atlantic off the coast of the Canary Islands, and illustrates the impact humans have on the oceans. The dead calf was carried by its apparently grieving mother for days and turned white. The giant trevally can grow up to 5.5ft long and weigh more than 12st. It kills its prey, which can include turtles and small dolphins, with a body slam The species eats in a single bite to stop other fish stealing food. In the new BBC programme one is captured snapping up a bird out of the sky Executive producer James Honeyborne said: 'We have a very sad moment where a whale has a newborn calf that has died and the scientists who were there believe that was because the mum's milk had become poisonous because of the pollution. 'We have to tell [these stories]. If that's what we are seeing and filming, we have got to show it.' Fatal toxic shock contamination has also been reported in 100 young dolphins by a marine biologist based in Florida. Live to 100? No reason why not, says Sir David At 91 Sir David Attenborough has a busier schedule than most people half his age. And the veteran broadcaster, who is currently working on four filming projects and publicising Blue Planet II, has revealed that he sees no reason why he cannot live to over 100. After a study showed the fastest-growing age group is the over-100s, he was asked whether he saw any reason why he couldn't join them. 'None, whatsoever,' he replied. He has always maintained that he will keep working until the BBC decides his time is up. The new series also features short-finned pilot wales (pictured) who are known to carry round their dead calves with them for days, possibly as a way of mourning their loss Asked what projects he is working on at the moment, he said: 'I have a film about ants behaving in a rather odd way and ichthyosaurs, which are extinct fossil sea dragons. 'I have a programme about eggs and how remarkable eggs are, and I have a story about a Victorian captive elephant. So those are occupying me at the moment.' Speaking earlier this year about why he has not retired, Sir David told the Radio Times: 'Who wouldn't be grateful for people coming up and saying, 'Would you like to go to Trinidad?' 'I say: 'Yes, what will it cost?' 'No, no,' they reply, 'we'll pay you!' Really? Lucky old me.' Amber Rudd is understood to believe the immigration regime is essential to ensure businesses have continuity and there are no labour shortages EU migrants would be able to come to Britain after Brexit as long as they have a job under Home Office plans. The new regime is being pushed by Home Secretary Amber Rudd, who wants to keep migration rules as simple as possible after the UK leaves the EU. It could result in European nationals facing removal if they cannot find work but her proposals would mean no overall cap on the numbers arriving. Miss Rudd wants to permit any EU national who can find a job the right to live and work in Britain. She also wants very tight restrictions on criminals from the continent entering the UK. The proposals which are still being drawn up are likely to be contained in an immigration white paper to be published within weeks. It will propose a series of options for managing Britain's immigration system after we leave the EU and free movement comes to an end. The final plans will not be activated until after a deal is agreed with the EU. Some Cabinet ministers argue that a less-strict immigration regime for EU nationals will mean Britain secures a better trade deal. Miss Rudd is understood to believe the regime is essential to ensure businesses have continuity and there are no labour shortages. But it could raise concerns about whether migrant numbers will fall sufficiently to hit the Government's target of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands. The measures would also disappoint campaigners who want to see sharp falls in the number of low-skilled EU migrants. And the idea is a far cry from Government immigration plans leaked earlier this year. Drawn up by civil servants, that blueprint suggested slashing the number of low-skilled workers. The paper also hinted at a 'direct numerical cap' on numbers in the long term, and limits on the amount of time workers could stay depending on their skill levels. It said British workers would be given preference and firms would have to pass a rigorous 'economic needs test' before recruiting low-skilled EU nationals. Miss Rudd believes any proposals involving work permits or visa numbers are too complex. The plans are yet to go before Cabinet or be approved by No 10. Ministers have already signalled that free movement will continue in all but name for around two years after we leave during a so-called 'transition' period (stock photo) The Home Secretary has asked the Migration Advisory Committee to examine the evidence for what Britain's 'social and economic needs' for migration are. Her proposals would allow EU nationals with jobs to be able to come freely, but put restrictions on unemployed migrants. The most recent figures show that 6.7 per cent of EU-born workers in the UK are unemployed. Ministers have already signalled that free movement will continue in all but name for around two years after we leave during a so-called 'transition' period. During that period EU migrants will have to register with the Home Office. Afterwards, EU nationals are likely to have a presumed right to enter the country unless they are convicted criminals for a period of months. That will allow free flows of tourists and business leaders on short-term trips. In theory, EU nationals wanting to work in the UK would not need to find a job beforehand, and could enter the country to look for work. They would only be forced to leave if they could not find work or subsequently lost their job. Net migration the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving is still running at more than twice the Government's target of the 'tens of thousands'. The latest figures, which were published in August, show that net migration was 246,000 in the year to June. Of that figure, EU migration made up approximately half, 127,000 a year down 51,000 in twelve months. Lord Green of Deddington, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, said: 'This report is hard to believe. The outcome of allowing into Britain any EU citizen who had a job would mean no control whatsoever over the numbers. 'It amounts to throwing in the towel on immigration control and giving carte blanche to employers to bring in any number of low-paid workers regardless of their impact on the lives of hard-working people. 'This is exactly what many millions voted against in the referendum. Only by extending the existing work permit system to the EU and confining it to highly skilled jobs can we get the numbers down, probably by 100,000 a year.' Not in le president's fireplace! French first dog disgraces himself France's 'first dog' disgraced himself during a government meeting by relieving himself next to an Elysee Palace fireplace in front of the president and three ministers. The embarrassing episode took place last week when Nemo, a two-year-old Labrador-Griffon cross, was let loose during a meeting. As President Emmanuel Macron discussed the affairs of state with his lieutenants, the sound of trickling 'pipi' could be heard. Brune Poirson, France's ecology minister, cut herself off in mid-sentence and turned round catch Nemo in the act. Mr Macron, an animal lover, laughed: 'You've triggered very unusual behaviour in my dog.' Liam Fox: Brussels wants to punish the UK for leaving Liam Fox argued that leaving without a deal would not be a 'nightmare scenario' and suggested that the EU was holding up talks as revenge Brussels wants to punish Britain for having the 'audacity' to vote for Brexit, Liam Fox said yesterday. The International Trade Secretary argued that leaving without a deal would not be a 'nightmare scenario' and suggested that the EU was holding up talks as revenge as he raised the prospect of walking away from the negotiations. Dr Fox stressed he would 'prefer to have a deal because it would give greater certainty', but he warned the EU that British ministers are not bluffing when they say the country is preparing for the possibility of a 'no deal' scenario. During an appearance on ITV's Peston on Sunday, Dr Fox said: 'I don't think they [the negotiations] are difficult in terms of the trade law ... The difficulty is the politics. 'In other words, how much does the European Commission ... want to punish Britain for having the audacity to use our legal rights to leave the European Union? 'I would hope that economic sense would dictate that we put the prosperity agenda of the whole of the European continent in a global context at the top of that agenda, not ever-closer union.' Advertisement Before marrying Hollywoods most eligible bachelor, Amal Clooney was already a respected international human rights lawyer with a string of high-profile clients including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. But when it comes to the tiressly ambitious Amal, is this just the tip of the iceberg? For I can reveal that leading British barrister Helena Kennedy QC, a founding member of Doughty Street Chambers where Amal works in London, is championing George Clooneys 39-year-old wife to be elevated to the House of Lords. Amal would be a great baroness, claims Kennedy, who after being made a Labour peer in 1997 is now titled Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws. Amal Clooney pictured on the red carpet with her film star husband George in September Shes an incredibly bright woman. The only justification for being appointed to the second chamber is if you can bring to it special expertise, and that can be of all different kinds. And Amal certainly has expertise. The fact that Amal gave birth to twins Alexander and Ella just four months ago is, Helena insists, only a temporary impediment. Just now, shes got two small babies, so shes too busy and has lots of cases. But in time, she would be great. Helena, 67, who lives in North London with her second husband, surgeon Iain Hutchison, is a prime example of how to juggle a demanding career with parenthood. I had my first [child] at 33, and then [another] at 36 and [another at] 39. I kind of always knew that I would just make it work, she adds, certain that Amal, who arrived in Britain aged two when her parents left Lebanon, will manage just as well. Shes a fantastic role model for women. Girls should aspire to her. Shes so intelligent. People go on about her bagging George Clooney, but you know what? George Clooney is the one who got lucky. A future ennoblement would no doubt be welcomed by Oscar-winner George, 56, who is reportedly planning to embark on a political career. Ronnie's rocking 'n' rolling again... Ronnie with his daughter Alice in Paris Ronnie Wood was ready to say goodbye to his family when he was diagnosed with lung cancer in May, before being given the all-clear by doctors. And yesterday the 70-year-old who became a father for the fifth time last year when his wife, Sally Humphreys, gave birth to twins Alice and Gracie was back to his old energetic self ahead of his Rolling Stones concert in Paris. Leaving his hotel in the French capital, Ronnie carried 17-month-old Alice, who was dressed in a striped top and pink trousers teamed with Pudsey Bear socks and personalised trainers. He and Sally, 40, who sported a stylish red dress while carrying Gracie, were joined by fellow Stone Keith Richards, 73, looking typically jubilant in green tinted shades and his trusty headband. There was a week when everything hung in the balance and it could have been curtains, Ronnie said of his cancer scare. He underwent surgery to remove a part of his lung, rather than having chemotherapy, because he didnt want to lose his hair. Now that is rock n roll. Keith Richards looked typically jubilant in green tinted shades and his trusty headband Billionaire tycoon Sir James Goldsmith ensured his affable sons, Tory MP Zac and financier Ben, enjoyed a privileged education by sending them to his alma mater, Eton. Now a parent himself, Ben, who inherited 300million when his father died 1997, reveals hes taking a less dictatorial approach with his 12-year-old son, Frank. I hope hes going to Eton, but I dont know. Hes certainly on the waiting list, but were looking at all options, Ben, 36, says. For me it was all planned out. I never minded. But, ultimately, I feel like its their choice. He adds that Franks mother his first wife Kate Rothschild who ran off with rapper Jay Electronica agrees. Sir Tim Rice's love shows she's a bubbly blonde Just two months after I disclosed that West End maestro Sir Tim Rices on-off lover Amanda Eliasch had become a countess not by marrying an earl but by shelling out 195 to Devon-based company Elite Titles she has now found a way to court yet more attention. The ebullient film-maker, 57, posted this racy picture on social media in which she luxuriates in a bubble bath in Soho House, Berlin. Divorced from Swedish tycoon Johan Eliasch in 2006, Amanda delighted her online followers, one of whom queried: Who took the photo? A member of Her Ladyships staff, I presume. Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy often cuts a fashionable dash on screen, but in real life he admits to a preference for old rags. For me, an item of clothing doesnt become yours until youve worn it for a number of years until youve imprinted yourself on it, says the 41-year-old. Ill wear the s*** out of a jacket, or a pair of boots or whatever. I love things that are naturally distressed. What's in the designer bag for Jade's birthday? A video has been shared online showing Jade Jagger in bed while being brought a bag Rock royalty Jade Jagger was once a pillar of Londons social scene, counting Kate Moss among her hard partying pals. But, on turning 46 at the weekend, she showed shes just as happy with low-key celebrations at home. A video has been shared online by her half-sister Georgia, 25, showing Jade in bed while being brought a bag from which her three-year-old son, Ray, leaps out giggling before giving mum a hug. Says Jade: I used to love going out, but when you become a mother your priorities change. I love spending time at home with my family. Three male Mennonites have been found shot to death in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua. The state prosecutors' office said Sunday the bodies were found in the cab of a pickup truck with New Mexico plates on the side of the road in an area known as Campo Menonita 35. The men had been shot multiple times. The bodies have not been identified, but the office said their appearance suggested they were Mennonites. Three bodies were found in the cab of a pickup truck on Sunday in northern Mexico. The unidentified men were dressed in Mennonite clothing The gray Ford F-150 with New Mexico plates was covered with mud and what appear to be bullet holes in the windshield. It had been reported stolen in New Mexico on October 4 The pickup was found in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, near a Mennonite community called Campo Menonita 35 Members of the community wear distinctive overalls and often differ in physical appearance from other farmers in the area. The citizenship status of the victims is not clear. The gray Ford F-150 was covered with mud and had what appeared to be bullet holes in the windshield. It was reported in New Mexico on October 4. There are approximately 100,000 Mennonites living in Mexico. They speak a combination of Spanish, English and German. The Mennonite communities of Canada began migrating to Mexico, in particular Chihuahua, in 1900 after being lured by grants from the Mexican government to increase agricultural production and greater leniency towards child labor. Many are dual citizens of Mexico and Canada. Mennonites rely mainly on agriculture, growing cotton and other crops that are exported to the U.S., Japan and China. Unlike some Mennonites in the U.S., the ones in Mexico are known to drive cars. The Mennonites of Canada began migrating to Mexico, in particular the northern state of Chihuahua, in 1900 after being lured by grants from the Mexican government to increase agricultural production. They are pictured above in an anniversary celebration in 2007 A Mexican Mennonite father and his son are pictured in the traditional overalls worn by the community. There are approximately 100,000 Mennonites living in Mexico. They speak a combination of Spanish, English and German Clashes between Mennonites and other farmers over water have been deadly in the past as the population grows and the government puts increasing regulations on water extraction. The Mennonite community has also been tied to drug cartels in several instances. Jacob Fehr, 38, was arrested in January 2011 after being caught smuggling more than 4lb of cocaine over the border. The married father-of-four testified that cartels threatened his family after he became involved with them when he moved from Mexico to Peace River in 2007. Fehr told authorities that he owed the cartel money. The number of rough sleepers in the capital has fallen for the first time in a decade, following a policy to deport homeless Romanians and Poles. But the scheme could be halted by a judicial review being brought against the Home Office in the High Court next month. According to figures compiled by the Mayor of London, the number of rough sleepers in the city increased year-on-year from 3,017 in 2007-08 to 8,108 in 2016-17. But between April and June this year, the number sleeping rough on at least one occasion dropped by 4 per cent. Homeless: Romanian rough sleepers in London set up camp near Marble Arch in the capital It follows moves to deport about 1,000 Romanians and Poles in the past year, with some 200 leaving voluntarily and the rest removed by immigration officers. In 2015, the Home Office ran a pilot scheme which removed 127 European rough sleepers in Westminster in two months. It was then extended nationally. The Home Office claims that rough sleepers who cannot support themselves when they come to Britain lose their rights as EU citizens to freedom of movement. But Paul Heron, of Lambeth Law Centre, which is bringing next months legal challenge, said the policy was wrong in principle. [I represent] a man from Bulgaria who came here two years ago, and even paid his TV licence, he told The Sunday Times. He lost his accommodation, was sleeping in a van for two weeks and was due to see a room the next day when he was hauled out by Home Office officials. Because of the detention he lost his warehouse job. According to a source with knowledge of Home Office enforcement, many central and eastern European rough sleepers reject the chance to rent property. The source pointed to one builder earning 1,000 a month chose to sleep rough to avoid paying 500 for accommodation and 200 for travel. From 2012, dozens of homeless people, mainly Romanians and Bulgarians, descended on the capitals Marble Arch. Figures show the number of UK-born rough sleepers is at a record high. In England, the total for one autumn night rose by 16 per cent to 4,134 from 2015 to 2016. A Home Office spokesman said: No one should come to the UK with the intention of sleeping rough and we will consider carefully the immigration status of those who are encountered doing so. A man allegedly inspired by ISIS has been arrested over a plot to blow up a busy Miami shopping center. Vicente Solano was taken into custody on Friday following an FBI counter-terrorism undercover operation, the Miami Herald reports. Solano had thought he was speaking to a radical when he told an FBI informant of his alleged plans to bomb the Dolphin Mall. It is not clear when he had planned to allegedly detonate the device. Vicente Solano was taken into custody on Friday following an FBI counter-terrorism undercover operation that found he had allegedly planned to bomb the Dolphin Mall in Miami Authorities said Solano had made pro-ISIS videos but there was no indication he had been directed to carry out the alleged attack by the terrorist group. Solano had acquired what he thought was a real bomb, which he allegedly planned to detonate at the shopping mall. But the undercover agents he had been speaking to had actually given him a fake device. Authorities said Solano was acting alone. Solano is due to face Miami federal court on Monday where authorities will file a criminal complaint and affidavit. Authorities have not spoken publicly about Solano's arrest but Sweetwater Police posted a photo on Instagram confirming that they worked with the FBI to protect the public He will be charged with attempting to detonate a weapon of mass destruction. Online records show Solano is being held at a Miami federal detention center. Authorities have not spoken publicly about Solano's arrest but Sweetwater Police posted a photo on Instagram confirming that they worked with the FBI to protect the public during Friday's arrest. The undercover operation of supplying a hoax device to would-be bombers is a strategy that has been applied in other recent investigations. The FBI arrested a 23-year-old in August for allegedly trying to detonate a bomb in Oklahoma City. Jerry Drake Varnell allegedly tried to trigger what he thought was an ammonium nitrate fertilizer bomb outside a bank. He had been given a fake bomb by an undercover FBI agent who was posing as someone who wanted to help him. A controversial 'No' campaign commercial that references sex and male and female reproductive organs has been banned from playing on Australian television until later at night. The free-to-air commercial funded by the Coalition for Marriage references quotes from Minus18, Australia's largest youth-led organisation for the rights of LGBTQ people. 'Penis-in-vagina sex is not the only sex, and certainly is not the ultimate sex,' the advertisement references the government-supported group. The latest polls show the 'Yes' vote has a strong majority of nearly 60 per cent of the vote with more than two-third of ballots being turned in. The free-to-air commercial funded by the Coalition for Marriage references quotes from Minus18, Australia's largest youth-led organisation for the rights of LGBTQ people The latest polls show the 'Yes' vote has a strong majority of nearly 60 per cent of the vote with more than two-third of ballots being turned in The commercial, which is set to air on Australian TV on Monday night, was given an MA rating due to its 'depictions of implied sexual activity and verbal sexual references' and as such cannot appear any earlier than 8.30pm. The 30-second ad beings showing footage of Roz Ward, the founder of Safe Schools, addressing a pro-same-sex marriage rally. 'It's a total contradiction to say; yeah we want safe schools coalition, but you can't get married to the person you love,' Ms Ward says. Victorian pastor Heidi McIvor, who has been featured in other Coalition for Marriage commercials, then speaks over the top of a Minus18 quote. 'None of the mothers I know are homophobic, and they don't want to see bullying, but this isn't that. It really feels like it's part of a bigger agenda,' she says. The advertisement claims allowing same-sex marriage will lead to bigger issues for Australian parents in raising their children and what they are exposed to as a part of the education system. The advertisement claims allowing same-sex marriage will lead to bigger issues for Australian parents in raising their children and what they are exposed to as a part of the education system 'None of the mothers I know are homophobic, and they don't want to see bullying, but this isn't that. It really feels like it's part of a bigger agenda,' Heidi McIvor says The Coalition for Marriage disagreed with the mature audience classification, arguing the Minus18 references were part of the government's curriculum made available to students The Coalition for Marriage disagreed with the mature audience classification, arguing the Minus18 references were part of the Victorian government's curriculum made available to students from Year Seven and above. 'It beyond belief that taxpayer-funded LGBTIQ sex and gender education materials openly made available to students of all ages are given an MA rating for television,' spokesman Lyle Shelton said. 'The issue of these materials, of parents' rights, and the direct relationship with changing the Marriage Act are there for all to see, and parents should beware.' Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Ms Ward for comment on the commercial. A writer who accused an Oxford professor of rape says she has become a victim of a public lynching campaign. Henda Ayari, 41, says she faces a David and Goliath battle after making allegations on Facebook against Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan. The academic, who advised the Government and has appeared on television as an expert commentator on Islam, has vehemently denied claims he attacked her in Paris five years ago. Tariq Ramadan vehemently denies attacking the author in Paris and is expected to file a defamation lawsuit He is today expected to file a defamation lawsuit in France against his accuser. French writer Miss Ayari revealed the alleged attack on social media amid an outpouring of women sharing their stories online following the Harvey Weinstein scandal. She made a formal complaint to prosecutors in Rouen, Normandy on Friday. Miss Ayari claimed she was raped by Mr Ramadan in a Paris hotel in 2012, but insists she was too scared to speak up until now. The divorced mother-of-three also accused the contemporary Islamic studies professor of threatening her children to stop her from going to the police. The divorced mother-of-three accused Ramadan of threatening her children to stop her from reporting the alleged attack to police Supporters yesterday started a fundraising campaign to help her legal fight, while critics branded her a liar. Her claim on Facebook mirrors the plot of ITV drama series Liar, in which a schoolteacher used social media to make a public rape accusation against a surgeon. Miss Ayari is a self-confessed former extremist who was so horrified by the Charlie Hebdo attacks in 2015 that she declared herself a liberal Muslim. She now champions Islamic womens rights in France. Miss Ayari said she had written a chapter about the alleged rape in her memoir, I Chose To Be Free, which was published last year. She wrote: When I resisted, when I told him to stop, he insulted and humiliated me. He slapped me and was outright violent. I saw someone who was no longer in control of himself. I was scared he would kill me. She said she had changed the perpetrators name to avoid legal problems, but she said she could no longer keep it a secret. Writing yesterday, Miss Ayari said she was now caught in a huge storm and had become victim of a real public lynching campaign. Writing on Facebook after a backlash against her claim, she said: I had to speak to be able to finally turn the page and to relieve my heart of this burden that I have been carrying within me for several years. I know that this is a battle of David and Goliath and a clay pot against an iron pot. I do not have the same capacities or financial means to pay for the best lawyers, unlike my opponent, who can allow himself to pay for a hotshot lawyer to defend himself but I already knew what awaited me and I must assume the consequences after all. The author says she faces a David and Goliath battle after she accused Oxford's Tariq Ramadan of rape She added: But I do not intend to give up and I will tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth to the justice system about what this man put me through several years ago because I trust the justice system. However a source close to Mr Ramadan, 55, reportedly said: Henda Ayari is a fierce ideological critic of Tariqs she has often expressed hatred towards him. He will certainly fight these very serious allegations and prove that they are without foundation. The Swiss national is the grandson of Hassan Al-Banna who founded the Islamic organisation the Muslim Brotherhood which the UK government has tried to ban. He was placed on the US no-fly list after the 9/11 attacks stopping him from taking up a teaching post in the country. The ban was lifted seven years ago. In a statement issued through his lawyer, Mr Ramadan said: Tariq Ramadan categorically rejects all these false allegations. A complaint for slander and defamation will be filed with the public prosecutor in Rouen on Monday. An Oxford University spokesman said: We are aware of the reports. We are taking them extremely seriously. We are not in a position to comment any further at this time. Hollywood movie mogul Weinstein this month faced accusations from scores of women leading to others across the world sharing their experiences of sexual harassment on social media. A group of Queensland Muslims has received terrorist-style threats after announcing plans to purchase a church hall. The local Islam supporters were looking to buy the building in Gympie, north of Brisbane, to use as a community centre for their religion. But they began to be harassed and targeted after a promotional flyer for an event to raise money for the sale mistakenly called it the 'Gympie Mosque Project'. A group of Queensland Muslims has received terrorist-style threats after announcing plans to purchase a church hall (pictured) The local Islam supporters were looking to buy the building in Gympie, north of Brisbane, to use as a community centre for their religion, but a promotional flyer mistakenly labelled it as a future mosque Accountant Shahid Khan said the group had been running the same centre for more than a decade in a property nearby the new building's Lady Mary Terrace location. 'We've been running a community centre in Ada Street, just around the corner, in rented premises for 13 years and no-one's had a problem,' he told the Gympie Times. 'I don't see how owning our own hall is going to change anything. The flyer was shared online and stated that the small Muslim community had a 'big hope' to find a place they could conduct Jumma prayers. Accountant Shahid Khan said the group had been running the same centre for more than a decade in a property nearby the new building's Lady Mary Terrace location (Pictured is the church hall's kitchen) The Gympie local said they did not have an imam and would not be holding five prayers a day, reaffirming it would not be a mosque The congregational worship is conducted on Fridays, with many of those in the 30 - 40 strong group attending said to be professional people, according to Mr Khan. The Gympie local said they did not have an imam and would not be holding five prayers a day, reaffirming it would not be a mosque. The building in question is believed to sit on approximately 1518sqm of land, and comprise of a 20m hall, large kitchen and toilets. As for the flyer, Mr Khan said it was simply a mistake that had not been clarified correctly. 'Hatred, that's just people. Some people are fighting against intolerance by some Muslims but are practising it themselves.' Highly controversial conservative activist and self-proclaimed 'champion of free speech' Milo Yiannopoulos married his boyfriend in Hawaii earlier this month. But the right-wing firebrand has urged Australians to vote 'No' to same-sex marriage ahead of his first tour of the country. 'My gut would be to vote against it,' the openly gay 33-year-old told Daily Mail Australia on Monday. 'I'm gay and a Catholic. The highest priority for me is making sure no church, no believer anywhere, is required to violate their religious conscience. Highly controversial conservative activist and self-proclaimed 'champion of free speech' Milo Yiannopoulos as urged Australians to vote 'No' to same-sex marriage The right-wing firebrand (pictured with his partner) married his boyfriend in Hawaii earlier this month 'I think those things can co-exist perfectly peacefully. I think the state probably should recognise a gay couple who want to commit to one another. 'But the paramount consideration is not those gay couples - it is religious freedoms.' He said governments aren't attempting to 'make gay people's live's better' by legalising same-sex unions. 'It's normally warfare via legislation designed to punish conservatives and people of faith,' he said. Yiannopoulos also revealed he held concerns that legalising same-sex marriage could have what he said was an unfavourable affect on 'gay culture'. 'My gut would be to vote against it,' the openly gay 33-year-old said of same-sex marriage From opposing gay rights, transgender issues and also the 'Black Lives Matter' movement, Yiannopolous' views are often divisive 'One of the few advantages of being gay was that you could tumble out of a nightclub at 1am on a Tuesday and no one could have a go at you for it. 'But if we're buying into these institutions like marriage, I worry that there will be a deadening effect on gay culture. 'So my instinct would be to vote against it and to look at some kind of proposed law that people could read and think about.' From opposing gay rights, his controversial comments on transgender issues and the 'Black Lives Matter' movement, Yiannopolous' views are often divisive. The so-called 'internet supervillain' shot fame after he was banned from Twitter when he was blamed for a campaign of abuse directed at Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones. He has likened feminism to cancer, Islam to AIDS and he was sacked as Tech Editor at Brietbart News after audio surfaced of him appearing to condone sexual relationships between teenage boys and older men. The so-called 'internet supervillain' has previously likened feminism to cancer and Islam to AIDS Yiannopoulos jetted out to Hawaii earlier this month to marry his long-term boyfriend, named only as John A petition demanding Minister for Immigration Peter Dutton deny Yiannopoulos a visa has attracted just over 1,000 as of Monday. A counter-petition, set up by political commentator Mark Latham, has been signed well over 11,000 times. Daily Mail Australia understands that his visa will not be cancelled and his tour will go ahead. 'Aren't they sweet? The best they could do was marshal 900 people to sign that petition,' Yiannopoulos said. 'There was about 10,000 who signed the counter-petition to let me in. 'I just find it sweet, adorable and charming when people get so upset about a gay man having the wrong opinions and telling the wrong jokes.' Yiannopoulos (pictured) was banned from Twitter when he was blamed for a campaign of abuse directed at Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones A petition demanding Minister for Immigration Peter Dutton deny Yiannopoulos a visa has attracted just over 1,000 as of Monday Yiannopolous bring his Troll Academy Tour to Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast from December 1. 'The response had been absolutely amazing. We've just announced a second show in Sydney - the first one sold out in a couple of weeks,' he said. 'And then my book comes out in Australia in November. So it's going to be a whole Christmas of Milo Down Under.' Yiannopolous will appear in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast from December 1 Yiannopoulos is escorted from Sproul Plaza at the Berkley campus in California after a speech last month Children as young as four are among 50 children a week being referred to gender reassignment doctors, it emerged last night. Two four-year-olds, four children aged five and 17 six-year-olds have been referred to the specialist Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in London. The number of children who visited the clinic in the last six months has risen by 24 per cent to 1,302, giving a weekly average of 50. If the pattern continues over the next six months, the clinic could be visited by at least 2,600 children in 2017/2018, according to figures obtained by the Mirror. Children as young as four have been referred to the specialist Gender Identity Development Service in London (stock photograph) The GIDS, hosted by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, was founded in 1989 and offers counselling to children as young as three. While just 97 sought specialist help from the clinic in 2009, 2,016 saw the specialists in 2016/17. The GIDS has clinics in Leeds and London, designed to help children who are unhappy with the bodies they were born in. The unit offers one-on-one appointments, group sessions and 'family days' to help decide if the children require treatment. When specialists in gender dysphoria meet the children referred, they can decide whether to prescribe under-11s powerful hormone blockers to halt the onset of puberty. Families usually have between three and six appointments with the doctor before an assessment is made. Experts claim the blockers are a safe way for children to explore whether they are transgender and would like to transition. If the child still wants to transition when they are older, they can then be prescribed oestrogen or testosterone to spark the physical change. But if they have decided they are not transgender, the children can stop taking the blockers to start puberty. Out of the youngsters who visit the GIDS, around 40 per cent are prescribed the hormone blockers. Gender expert Professor Miroslav Djordjevic criticised the figures, claiming it is 'impossible' to tell if a five-year-old is transgender. 'At the minute it's something like a fashion. We're seeing a lot of parents who come for help because they are not sure if their children are transgender or just being children,' he told the Mirror. 'To say a girl of five is transgender is impossible. But it is easier to ask than not do anything and children suffer.' Endocrinologist Professor Ashley Grossman told the paper the hormone blockers were important to make sure children are making the right decision. She said: 'These drugs just buy them another couple of years before they decide to do anything different.' One patient, Dexter Jones was three when told his mother Mienna he was a transgender boy. Since then the youngster, born Talia, was referred to the Tavistock and became one of its youngest patients. She told the Mail in September how she could not be sure if Dexter really was transgender. The GIDS, hosted by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust (pictured), was founded in 1989 'But, for me, it would be fundamentally wrong to force Dexter to live as Talia, because he was so unhappy,' she said. 'When I praised her for being a 'good girl', she'd protest: 'I'm not a girl, I'm a boy.' 'Of course, I'd heard of transgenderism on social media and television, but I'd never met a transgender child neither had Talia and it never crossed my mind.' Dexter attended his first appointment at the Tavistock in January and the family was given six NHS-funded counselling sessions at the specialist centre. Her admission came after Nigel Rowe, 44, and his wife Sally, 42, announced plans to sue their sons' Church of England school on the Isle of Wight for discriminating against their Christian beliefs by allowing boys to wear dresses. They had already removed his eight-year-old brother saying there is a 'political agenda driving the issue' in schools. Priory School in Lewes, East Sussex, banned girls from wearing skirts in order to accommodate the growing number of transgender pupils. The Good Schools Guide also announced it would examine the extent to which schools are 'transgender friendly' after claims some children are being bullied. At least 150 schools across the country have already adopted gender neutral uniform policies, but some are reluctant to accommodate youngsters. They are refusing to allow pupils to use the name they prefer, wear the uniform and use toilet facilities for the gender they identify with and effectively tackle bullying. The issue has been 'building up' over the last 18 months, with the guide's consultancy arm assisting families in finding new schools. RSPCA are begging anyone with information to come forward and make a report The cat was rushed to the hospital, but was irreparably injured and euthanised The pet was found by its owner after being left to die in a Clovelly front garden Cat, age three, was impaled with bamboo causing irreparable internal damage A pet cat was found with horrific injuries after being impaled with a 20cm bamboo stick and left to die in a front yard in Sydney's east in a disgusting animal cruelty attack. The RPSCA is urgently seeking the communitys help after discovering that the sickening injuries had been cruelly and purposely inflicted on three-year-old Pussy Baker. The fatally injured pet was found by his owner just after 8am on Thursday 19 October in the front yard of a property on Mason Place in Clovelly. In a sickening attack on an innocent pet, Pussy Baker was left to die in a Clovelly front garden The cat was rushed to Sydney University Teaching Hospital where he received pain treatment, and full diagnostics. Initial post mortem results indicated the stick was forcefully inserted into the cats rectum causing irreparable internal injuries. Options were discussed with Pussy Baker's owner, but in the end there was little choice but to allow the vet to humanely euthanise the animal. RSPCA NSW is pleading with any members of the public that may have information about this malicious attack to come forward and make a confidential report. People can call the animal cruelty hotline on 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 3589) or make a report online here. Penalties for aggravated animal cruelty can include two years imprisonment and a $22,000 fine. As Director of Wishgranting for the Make-A-Wish Foundation UK, Joanne Micklewright has helped children swim with dolphins, drive trains and even become ninja princesses for the day To ill children, she is a real-life fairy godmother. Joanne Micklewright leads a dedicated team making 2,000 wishes a year come true for youngsters fighting life-threatening illnesses. As Director of Wishgranting for the Make-A-Wish Foundation UK, she has helped children swim with dolphins, drive trains and even become ninja princesses for the day. But turning dreams into reality is far more complicated than waving a magic wand, with each dream usually taking months of work to arrange. It is also very expensive, costing between 3,000 and 4,000 per dream which is why she is so excited about the Mails Quids for Kids campaign, in which readers are encouraged to donate their old pound coins to the charity. She said: My job sounds the best job in the world and in many ways it is, but it has its moments of complete joy and complete despair. So much of it is about the details. We have to spend a lot of time researching the needs and requirements of each child. Some have complex needs and to fulfil a wish we have to organise oxygen, or a hospital bed, or special mattresses, hoists or equipment. Arranging something so complex with so much logistics to think about is often overwhelming for a family. We do all the donkey work as we dont want the family stressing about it. Its hard work but extremely rewarding. The Mail is asking readers to support the charitys work by donating old pound coins to make dreams come true for children this Christmas. Round pounds ceased to be legal tender last week and can be exchanged at banks and post offices. But as part of our Quids for Kids appeal, old coins can be taken to Nationwide Building Society branches until December 20, to be donated to Make-A-Wish UK. The foundation receives around 2,300 referrals for wishes a year, from doctors treating a child, the childs family and sometimes the child themselves. As part of our Quids for Kids appeal, old coins (pictured left) can be taken to Nationwide Building Society branches until December 20, to be donated to Make-A-Wish UK (stock photo) Joanne runs a team of 18 wish granters, each organising around 80 wishes at one time. In total, they have around 1,500 dreams in the pipeline. But with no government funding, they are entirely reliant on donations. We try to offset costs as much as possible but of course everything costs money. We couldnt do anything without donations. Money worries cause some of the lowest points in her job. We have to have some tough budget conversations and we cant grant all the wishes that we want because of financial constraints, she said. Joanne, who joined Make-A-Wish UK 15 years ago after a career break, said: I didnt want to return to the civil service or the corporate world. I wanted to do something that would make a difference. I really feel I am doing that, but only thanks to having such a hard-working team, our army of volunteers and peoples generosity in donating which enables us to deliver a childs one true wish. The Mails Quids for Kids campaign is really helping that, and making magical dreams come true for children who need them the most. The United States Air Force will put its ageing fleet of nuclear-capable B-52 bombers on 24-hour alert for the first time since the end of the Cold War, according to its chief of staff. Amid rising tensions with North Korea and a resurgent Putin-led Russia, General David Goldfein told Defense One that the strategic bomber force will be ready at a day's notice for the first time in 26 years. Adapting to the 'reality of the global situation', Goldfein's order would see B-52s readied at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and armed with nuclear weapons - something not seen since 1991. In response to the news, North Korea said President Trump was 'overheated with a war fever' and branded him a 'hooligan' and a 'lunatic'. The government-owned news agency KCNA lashed out in a furious tirade: 'Dignitaries of White House, and State and Defense Departments of the US are having a hard time cooling Trump overheated with a war fever, but only the south Korean puppet forces are fanning up the lunatic fingering a nuclear button. Scroll down for video B-52s were one arm of the nuclear deterrent force during the Cold War and were used in the carpet-bombings of North Vietnam. During the 1991 Gulf War, they dropped 40 per cent of the ordnance on Iraq. Pictured: The vintage bomber's specifications The move would see nuclear-armed B-52s (pictured) parked on concrete pads the end of an 11,000-foot runway at Barksdale Air Force in Louisiana, where pads have been dormant since 1991 In a few months the pads at Barksdale Air Force (pictured), which are dubbed the 'Christmas Tree' because of their angular markings,' will be piled high with weapons 'Lunatic Trump is running headlong into ruin, taking America with him, and the poor puppet forces are following him, at the peril of their lives. 'The darkness drooping low over America is sunset, not dawn, and no force can stop America from rushing headlong into downhill after over-living its era. 'No wonder, such hooligan as thoughtless Trump is going on the rampage after becoming owner of White House, rendering the world restless.' Barksdale - the home of the 2D Bomb Wing and Air Force Global Strike Command - is currently being refurbished in anticipation of the change in defense posture to allow the bombers to 'take off at a moment's notice'. This is the latest defensive move from the US military, matching the bellicose threats that President Trump has posted on Twitter, putting North Korea, Iran and other American enemies on notice he will use the might of the armed forces. This comes after Donald Trump met with top military chiefs on October 6, and made a comment about 'calm before the storm.' Speaking to Defense One, General Goldfein emphasized that orders haven't been given yet, but that they are preparing the bases in the event that it should happen. Kim Jong-Un's rhetoric has grown more confrontational by the day - following his first threat to wipe the United States off the earth in early April. So in addition to President Trump's rebuttals and Russia's increasingly confident armed forces, General Goldfein said it's best to be prepare 'This is yet one more step in ensuring that we're prepared,' General Goldfein explained. 'I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure we're prepared going forward.' Were things to escalate, the decision to fire would be made by General John Hyten, commander of Strategic Command, or General Lori Robinson, head of Northern Command. Readying the B-52s is just one of many decisions facing the Air Force as North Korea continues to advance its nuclear arsenal. Kim Jong-Un's rhetoric has grown more confrontational by the day - following his first threat to wipe the United States off the earth in early April. Meanwhile South Korea's foreign minister, Kang Kyung-wha, told Yonhap News Agency: 'It is true that North Korea is quickly approaching the completion of its nuclear armament.' Speaking to Defense One, General Goldfein emphasized that orders haven't been given yet, but that they are preparing the bases in the event that it should happen General Goldfein has asked his force to think of new ways that nuclear weapons can be used for either deterrence or combat, he told Defense One. Specifically, General Goldfein told airmen to think beyond Cold War uses for ICBMs, bombers and nuclear cruise missiles. 'The world is a dangerous place and we've got folks that are talking openly about use of nuclear weapons,' he explained. 'It's no longer a bipolar world where it's just us and the Soviet Union. We've got other players out there who have nuclear capability. It's never been more important to make sure that we get this mission right.' General Goldfein said that renovations are being made to Barksdale so that it could house multiple B-52s as well as the airmen to fly them. Pictured are two crew chiefs changing a tire on a B-52 Barksdale (pictured) is home to the 2d Bomb Wing and Air Force Global Strike Command, and oversees the service's nuclear forces. It is therefore the place where the Air Force is most focused on readying B-52s to return to alert posture General Goldfein said he's not sure if placing B52s on alert will help with deterrence, because it would depend on the players, their specific behaviors, and their understanding of the US's readiness status. At Barksdale several improvements have been made in preparation - including the renovation of a building near the alert pads where B-52 crews can sleep. The base is home to the 2d Bomb Wing and Air Force Global Strike Command, and oversees the service's nuclear forces. It is therefore the place where the Air Force is most focused on readying B-52s to return to alert posture. Two nuclear command planes - the E-4B Nightwatch and E-6B Mercury - will both occasionally visit the base. In the event of a nuclear war those planes would be the flying command posts of the defense secretary and STRATCOM commander (respectively), according to Defense One. It comes as Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he would talk with Asian allies about North Korea and the crisis caused by Pyongyang's 'reckless' provocations If a strike were to be ordered, launch codes would be transmitted to bombers from those planes. Multiple bases with nuclear bombers, including Barksdale, are preparing to build storage facilities for the new nuclear cruise missile under development. That missile is a proposed replacement for the 400-plus Minutemen III ICBM. 'Our job is options. We provide the best military advice and options for the commander in chief and the secretary of defense,' General Goldfein told Defense One. He said that should commanders need it, the base will be ready to defend the homeland. It comes as Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he would talk with Asian allies about North Korea and the crisis caused by Pyongyang's 'reckless' provocations, as he kicked off a week-long trip to the region on Monday to meet defense chiefs in the Philippines. Mattis' trip to Asia, which will also include stops in Thailand and South Korea, comes just weeks before President Trump's first visit to Asia. Trump, in a speech last month at the United Nations, threatened to destroy North Korea if necessary to defend the United States and its allies. Kim has blasted Trump as 'mentally deranged.' Mattis, who has emphasized diplomacy, was expected to meet both his Japanese and South Korean counterparts on Monday before meeting with all three of them together. He will attend a meeting from Monday to Wednesday of defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Philippines. He will go to Seoul later in the week for more defense talks. The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier arrives in the South Korean port city of Busan 'I will talk with my counterparts, discussing the regional security crisis caused by the reckless DPRK North Korea provocations but also discuss our respect for shared values like sovereignty of the states, their territorial integrity, freedom of navigation through historically international waters, and fair and reciprocal trade,' Mattis told reporters. A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea last week, seeking to promote freedom of navigation. The maneuver prompted anger in Beijing. Trump's trip next month will include a visit to China, which he has been pressuring to do more to rein in North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. China is North Korea's neighbor and biggest trading partner. On Thursday the USS Ronald Reagan, a 100,000-ton nuclear powered aircraft carrier, was patrolling in waters east of the Korean peninsula, in a show of sea and air power designed to warn off North Korea from any military action. The U.S. Navy's biggest warship in Asia, with a crew of 5,000 sailors, sailed around 100 miles launching almost 90 F-18 Super Hornet sorties from its deck, in sight of South Korean islands. Salim Mehajer has been pictured getting around on crutches - apparently in high spirits - following his recent car accident. But the controversial former deputy mayor could be in hot water if he fails to show up to court tomorrow. Mehajer recently missed a series of alleged criminal and civil hearings in Sydney after a crash with a stranger last Monday morning left him in hospital. An injured Salim Mehajer sought comfort from his family at the weekend as he recovered from Monday's car accident After the accident a week ago, Mehajer was carted from his luxury 4WD Mercedes AMG on the back of a stretcher and in a neck brace Twice last week, the 31-year-old then did not appear at hearings for allegations he robbed a taxi driver near Sydney's Star Casino. His lawyer produced a medical certificate excusing his absence and a spokesman for Mehajer later slammed claims the accident was staged as 'evil' and 'ludicrous'. A magistrate also issued a warning if he does not show at court this week for review of a lawsuit that was being brought against him and his company by Mr Jason Tran. Magistrate Joanne Keogh ruled if Mehajer does not appear his defence will be struck out and Mr Tran 'will be at liberty to apply for a default judgment'. A spokesman for Mr Mehajer said he would be present and to note 'we were successful on this matter'. The spokesman said a default judgment had been set aside and claimed the plaintiff had said 'they wished to discontinue the proceedings against us'. Mehajer's car is seen about 8.45am last Monday following the accident at Dehli Road, Lidcombe, in Sydney's west Emergency services were forced to cut Mehajer out of his car following the crash It's not clear what Mr Tran is suing Mr Mehajer and his company Sydney Project Group Pty Ltd for. The latest developments come after Mehajer failed to show at - and lost - a District Court dispute with the stonemason behind the marble spiral staircase at his Lidcombe mansion. He told his solicitor he was in 'in Canberra following the death of my grandmother' at the time of that court appearance. The judge ruled Mehajer would have had 'no doubt' of the hearing date and ruled for him to pay a bill of nearly $670,000 plus legal costs to the tradesman. Advertisement Eight prototypes of US President Donald Trump's US-Mexico border wall have been built near San Diego. Following up on President Donald Trump's campaign promise to build a wall along the entire 2,000-mile Mexican frontier, the Department of Homeland Security began building prototypes for the barrier along the border in San Diego and Imperial counties, as it announced in August. The prototypes form a tightly packed row of imposing concrete and metal panels, including one with sharp metal edges on top. Another has a surface resembling an expensive brick driveway. Companies had had until October 26 to finish the models. Crews installed a corrugated metal surface on the eighth model on a dirt lot just a few steps from homes in Tijuana, Mexico last week. The eight prototypes for Donald Trump's proposed wall along the US-Mexico border have been completed in a border area near San Diego. Pictured side-by-side are two of the prototypes There are six companies vying for the construction job; two companies have submit two prototypes. The companies are: Cadell Construction Company; W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company; Fisher Sand & Gravel Company; Texas Sterling Construction Company; KWR Construction Incorporated; and ELTA North America Inc The walls form a row and have been spaced 30 feet apart. They range in cost from $320,000 to $486,411 One stipulation is that the walls must be 'aesthetically pleasing' from the US side of the border The models, which cost the government up to $486,000 each, have been spaced 30 feet apart. Slopes, thickness and curves vary. One has two shades of blue with white trim. The others are gray, tan or brown - in sync with the desert. Bidding guidelines called for the prototypes to stand between 18 and 30 feet high and be able to withstand at least an hour of punishment from a sledgehammer, pickaxe, torch, chisel or battery-operated tools. Features also should prevent the use of climbing aids such as grappling hooks, and the segments must be 'aesthetically pleasing' when viewed from the U.S. side. The administration hasn't said how many winners it will pick or whether Trump will weigh in himself. There is a chance that none of the prototypes will be selected. Roy Villareal, acting chief patrol agent of the San Diego border sector, told reporters: 'It may not result in a singular winner. It may be a combination of designs being implemented.' The eight prototypes are pictured across the border from Tijuana, Mexico. There are currently 654 miles of single-layer fence on the 1,954-mile border, plus 51 miles of double- and triple-layer fence Four of the prototypes were made from concrete while four were made were made of material other than concrete The six companies had had until October 26 to complete the prototypes A woman is pictured walking in Tijuana while the prototypes loom in the distance People pass border wall prototypes as they stand near the border with Tijuana, Mexico, on October 19 There are currently 654 miles of single-layer fence on the 1,954-mile border, plus 51 miles of double- and triple-layer fence. Trump has asked Congress for $1.6bn to replace 14 miles of wall in San Diego and build 60 miles in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings. Democrats have balked at the request. Donald Trump's promise to 'build a wall' was one of the major tenets of his political campaign. He insists that Mexico will eventually pay for the wall The six companies vying for a chance to build the wall are: Cadell Construction Company based in Birmingham, Alabama; W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company in Philadelphia, Mississippi; Fisher Sand & Gravel Company in Tempe, Arizona; Texas Sterling Construction Company based in Houston, Texas; KWR Construction Incorporated based in Sierra Vista, Arizona; and ELTA North America Inc, the US outlet of an Israeli defense contractor. Cadell Construction Company and W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company have submit two prototypes. Contracts for the individual walls range from $320,000 to $486,411. Of the eight contracts doled out in the Customs and Border Patrol search they awarded four to be made of concrete and four to be made of material other than concrete. Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico has been a hard and fast campaign pledge. Building the eight prototypes has hit a milestone toward that pledge. Trump still maintains that Mexicans will pay for the wall eventually, but says American taxpayers will front the cost until they do. Milo Yiannopoulos entered a heated debate with radio journalist Neil Mitchell on Monday after the self-proclaimed 'free speech activist' labelled thousands of Syrian refugees accepted to Australia as 'rapists'. The 32-year-old former Breitbart journalist made the accusation while speaking with Mitchell on 3AW, but took back his comments when the radio host informed him most of the refugees are, in fact, Christians. Mr Yiannopoulos, who is infamous for criticising feminism, Islam and political correctness, was discussing his belief that 'Islam is incompatible with the western world' when Mitchell asked the British media personality what he thought of Australia accepting 12,000 Syrian refuges. Scroll down for audio Former Breitbart journalist Milo Yiannopoulos (pictured) entered a heated debate with 3AW radio host Neil Mitchell on Monday after labelling the thousands of Syrian refugees accepted to Australia as 'rapists.' The 32-year-old self-proclaimed 'free speech activist' made the accusation during an interview with Mr Mitchell (pictured), but took back his comments when the host informed him most of the refugees are, in fact, Christians 'Are you suggesting we should be concerned by that?' he queried. 'I'm suggesting you should send them back immediately because the only consequence of that is going to be a drain on public services and your daughters raped,' Mr Yiannopoulos responded. Mr Mitchell quickly retorted by asking Mr Yiannopoulos if it made a difference that most of the refugees selected are Christian. 'Well, of course that makes a difference,' Mr Yiannopoulos said before Mr Mitchell cut him off. 'Well you've just called the rapists - this is the problem, you've got half the fact - you've called them rapists and dole bludgers and now they're Christians so they're alright,' Mr Mitchell said. Mr Yiannopoulos (pictured), who plans to come on tour in Australia, made a name for himself by criticising feminism, Islam and political correctness The conversation, which had appeared to be a healthy debate, then took an awkward turn as Mr Yiannopoulos accused Mr Mitchell of asking him 'gotcha' questions in an attempt to make him look stupid. The pair continued to speak over each other and Mr Yiannopoulos offered to revise his answer now that he is 'in receipt of new information'. Mr Mitchell argued that his did not ask the 32-year-old a 'gotcha' question but after some uncomfortable back-and-forth comments the radio host ended the interview. The commentator is touring Australia in early December, despite a petition to have him banned from the country. The Department of Environment is currently investigating the dangerous stunt One man seemed to be climbing on top of the cage and shutting the others in Four men were seen swimming inside a baited crocodile trap in a river in Cairns This is the shocking moment four men were snapped swimming inside a crocodile trap, which are usually baited with partial pig carcasses to draw in the reptiles. Queensland authorities are investigating after photos emerged of the incident in a Cairns river, but are 'concerned' by the incident. The foolhardy swimmers were photographed entering a crocodile cage just off the shore, with one man even climbing on top of the mesh to shut the cage door. Four men were spotting swimming inside a river crocodile trap in Cairns on Monday morning One of the men seems to be shutting the door of the crocodile trap with three others inside In one of the photos, a man appears to be locking the other men inside the underwater trap. 'The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection condemns in the strongest possible terms the stupid and reckless interference with crocodile traps,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'These traps are specifically designed to attract crocodiles and they are deployed in places where a problem crocodile is known to be present. It is extremely dangerous to interfere with a crocodile trap, regardless of whether or not there is a crocodile within. 'It is not an exaggeration to say that interfering with crocodile traps can be potentially life-threatening for the person concerned. 'It also places the general public at risk if the trap is tampered with in such a way that it becomes inoperative, hampering the ability of the Department to deliver its important public safety role. 'It is also illegal. Anyone who deliberately interferes with the operation of a crocodile trap faces a fine of more than $15,000.' 'It should go without saying that if a crocodile trap is deployed it is because there is a crocodile in the vicinity so the best advice would be to leave the trap alone and exercise Crocwise behaviour.' The swimmers were photographed inside a crocodile trap baited to attract dangerous reptiles The Department of Environment has also warned of an increase in crocodiles and snakes due to recent rainfall and flooding. People are also warned that crocodiles move further upstream during very high tides and periods of flooding and may move into new areas. The Department of Environment recommends everyone in 'Croc Country' be extra vigilant and take responsibility for their own safety by reading the safety guidelines. The north-eastern party of Australia, particularly near the coast, is known as 'Croc Country' Baited traps were set along the creek as searchers hunted for the crocodile in muddy waters This incident comes less than a week after human remains were found inside a crocodile that is believed to have eaten an elderly grandmother. 'The crocodile, which is believed to be the one involved in the death of 79-year-old Anne Cameron, was examined by a specialist in Cairns [on Monday] with human remains being located inside, police officers said. Ms Cameron was last seen in Port Douglas near an OzCare Aged Care facility last week, and a report is being prepared for the coroner. OzCare Aged Care patient Anne Cameron was believed to have been eaten by a crocodile Her remains and walking stick were later found by police next to Craiglie Creek, connected to Mowbray River, less than two kilometres from the aged care facility. Baited traps were set along the creek to capture the crocodile, which searchers believed hid in the muddy waters near mangroves. Video footage showed the baited traps being set along the Mowbray River on Sunday. Crocodile traps are being installed in rivers throughout Queensland after Ms Cameron's death EHP has launched an investigation and anyone with information which may assist is urged to contact EHP on 1300 130 372. Advertisement Maria Crider was 11 weeks pregnant when she made the terrifying discovery that she had a lump on her left breast. Three weeks later, the 27-year-old from Florida was hit with the news she had been dreading. Crider, who was already a mother of two young boys, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Over the next few months, Crider fought a grueling battle to save her own life as well as that of her unborn baby. After undergoing a mastectomy of her left breast and enduring multiple rounds of chemotherapy right up until the end of her pregnancy, Crider and her husband Brandon welcomed a healthy baby boy back in April. Florida mother Maria Crider gave birth to her son Logan in April after finding out she had breast cancer just 11 weeks into her pregnancy. She underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy of her left breast while pregnant These touching photos taken by birthing photographer Bonnie Hussey captured the moment Crider gave birth to her son Logan via cesarean. Crider was able to watch the birth on a screen set up in front of her by the doctors. Several emotional photos captured Crider nursing Logan right after he was born and the large scar from her mastectomy is clearly visible. Crider had to undergo further chemotherapy treatment after the birth and is now having radiation. 'It's been an emotional rollercoaster,' she told HuffPost. 'I've been through a unilateral mastectomy, a planned cesarean, a salpingectomy, 16 chemotherapies, 25 out of 28 radiations. I still have ways to go before I can put this part of my life behind me. Crider was 11 weeks pregnant when she made the terrifying discovery that she had a lump on her left breast and three weeks later she was diagnosed with breast cancer These touching photos taken by birthing photographer Bonnie Hussey captured the moment Crider gave birth to her son Logan via cesarean Several emotional photos captured Crider nursing Logan right after he was born and the large scar from her mastectomy is clearly visible An emotional Crider was able to nurse her son Logan soon after he was born Logan was Maria's third son with her husband Brandon Maria had to undergo further chemotherapy treatment after Logan was born and has recently completed radiation Maria said she wanted to share the birth photos to give hope to other pregnant women battling breast cancer Crider said she still cries every time she looks at the photos of Logan's birth from April She said she wanted to share the photos to give hope to other pregnant women battling breast cancer. 'I hope it gives them the courage to talk to their doctors seek a course of action that's right for both mom and baby,' Crider said. 'I want it to give them reassurance that you can go through certain treatment while pregnant. Logan is proof and he's just one of hundreds of babies born after chemo.' Crider said she still cries every time she looks at the photos of Logan's birth. 'From the moment I met her, she has had this determination that she is going to beat this. It was truly an honor to be a part of her birthing day,' Hussey, the photographer, said. 'I can only hope she will be able to look back on her images and see how strong she truly is.' Doctors were unsure if Maria would be able breastfeed Logan with her remaining breast Maria said Logan was proof that women could undergo certain treatment while pregnant The mother said Logan was one of hundreds of babies born following chemotherapy treatment Hussey, the birthing photographer, said she knew from the moment she met Maria that she was determined to beat the cancer Maria had battle breast cancer since her diagnosis in October 2016 - just 11 weeks into her pregnancy with Logan A huge huntsman spider which appears to be carrying a sack of eggs has terrified an arachnophobic Melbourne householder after it crawled into his bathroom. Under the screen name EddieAteDynamite, the Mt Dandenong resident uploaded an image of the creepy critter to social sharing website Reddit on Monday. The picture, posted under the title 'huge huntsman in my bathroom', shows the massive spider, with a heavyset abdomen, sprawled on his bathroom wall. A huge huntsman (pictured) struck fear into an arachnophobic Melbourne householder In the following five hours the photo attracted 60 comments from people who were quick to point out that the spider's size and colour could mean it was a female was carrying babies. 'You're about to have A LOT more huntsmen by the looks of it. I'd move her,' one site user wrote. 'Damn that's one bulky huntsman. almost looks tarantula like,' another added, while one person got straight to the point citing: 'She's got an a** full of babies.' The user who posted the photo responded to a few comments that the picture had accumulated, including to one which asked for a closer photo. 'Like many people I have arachnophobia. If it was a snake I would have no problem getting a closer shot. That's as close as I was gonna get,' he replied. The spider appears to be female and Reddit users believed the spider might be carrying a sack full of eggs Commenters not only remarked at the size of the eight-legged beast but also the appearance of the man's bathroom. 'Don't worry, your shower decor will soon kill it with despair,' said one person. Another wrote: 'It's going to hang itself by its own web,' before being corrected that huntsman don't actually spin webs. In a previous post uploaded by the same person 12 days earlier, he said his property backs on to a national park so he gets a lot of wildlife. The man said he moved the wayward huntsman to an abandoned shed on his property, a 'fair hike' from his house, where he hopes she will stay. Adam Hoffman has been identified as one of the two missing fishermen whose bodies were recovered from the sunken trawler, Dianne, on Saturday. Queensland police confirmed the death of the 30-year-old on Monday with a statement from his heartbroken family, who paid tribute their 'kind, thoughtful and funny brother.' 'He was one in a million with a heart of gold. He will forever be our beautiful pirate who went out doing what he loved,' they said. The news comes as the sister of one of the other crewmen Adam Bidner, 33, issued a desperate plea on Facebook to find her brother and three other missing fishermen. Adam Hoffman (pictured) has been identified as one of the two missing fishermen whose bodies were recovered from the sunken trawler, Dianne, off the Queensland coast on Saturday The news comes as the sister of one of the other crewmen Adam Bidner (pictured), 33, issued a desperate plea on Facebook to find her brother and three other missing fishermen Mr Bidner's sister, Jodie, asked people to help find her brother, who she claims may have made it to shore after the trawler sank, in a post on Facebook on Sunday night (pictured) HOFFMAN FAMILY STATEMENT Our hearts are broken to lose our beloved Adam. He was one in a million with a heart of gold. He loved what he did and loved his crew. He will always be remembered for his love of the ocean and adventurous spirit. He will forever be our beautiful pirate who went out doing what he loved. For those who knew him he loved to laugh and was funny as hell. He had amazing energy, was fearless, courageous and was a genuine legend. To his family he was our cherished brother who was kind, thoughtful, loving and would always tell it like it is. I do what I want. He loved his family and friends. He leaves behind his beautiful 5-year-old daughter Evie who he loved more than anything in this world, his parents Ross and Suzanne along with his five sisters Melody, Heidi, Sally, Sarah and Alicia. The family have set up a gofundme page for his beautiful daughter Evie who has now lost her dad because of this tragic event. All money raised will be held in trust for Evie to be put towards her future. The family are forever grateful to all those involved in the search and rescue/recovery and ask for privacy during this hard time. Advertisement Mr Hoffman, Mr Bidner, Chris Sammut, 34, Eli Tonks, 39, Zach Feeney, 28, Ruben McDornan, 32, and 45-year-old skipper Ben Leahy were working on the trawler on October 16 when it capsized off the Queensland town of Seventeen Seventy, north of Brisbane. Mr McDornan is the only one of the crew members believed to have survived. Mr Bidner, Mr Sammut, Mr Tonks, Mr Feeney and Mr Leahy are presumed dead. Mr Hoffman's body and another unidentified body were retrieved on Saturday and the search resumed on Sunday. But, after locating and searching the ship's wreckage and surroundings, police divers found no sign of the four men by Sunday afternoon. Mr Hoffman's family described him as fearless, courageous and a 'genuine legend'. 'For those who knew him he loved to laugh and was funny as hell.' 'To his family he was our cherished brother who was kind, thoughtful, loving and would always tell it like it is,' they said. Mr Hoffman leaves behind his five-year-old daughter Evie, his parents and five sisters. Mr Hoffman, Zachary Feeney, 28, Eli Tonks, 39, Chris Sammut, 34, skipper Ben Leahy, 45, and Mr Bidner (pictured from left to right, top to bottom) are believed to have died in the fishing accident Mr McDornan (left) is the only one of the crew members believed to have survived. He was rescued by commercial fisherman Mal Priday and his wife Linda (pictured right together), who heard his desperate cries for help as he entered his eighth hour treading water in horrendous seas Mr McDornan, 32, was aboard cucumber trawler 'Dianne' (pictured) with the six other fishermen when it capsized off the Queensland town of Seventeen Seventy on Monday night Mr Hoffman's family described him as fearless, courageous and a 'genuine legend' Queensland Police divers resumed their search on Sunday for the four remaining fisherman The family said they had set up a gofundme page that would go into a trust for Evie. Mr Bidner's sister, Jodie, asked people to help find her brother, who she claims may have made it to shore after the trawler sank, in a post on Facebook on Sunday night. 'Desperate times call for desperate measures,' she began. 'We as a family are asking anyone in or near Agnes Waters or 1770 to PLEASE search your Local Beaches and Surrounding areas in the hope you/we locate our four Queensland men from the Trawler Diane.' 'Even if you're walking your dogs, go the extra 10 minutes further for them. Check inland slightly, let's leave no stone, cave, hole, area uncovered. If they are NOT in the water then there is still a possibility that they've made it to the shore.' 'Let's give them a fighting chance because time is of the essence. If they are still fighting to survive we owe it to them to fight with everything we've got to find them!' she said. Members of the local community have started a flower memorial for the men at 1770's Round Hill Headland, overlooking the water. Floral tributes are seen at the Seventeen Seventy Headland. The families of four fishermen presumed dead continue to wait for news about the fate of their loved ones Senator John McCain delivered a thinly veiled attack of President Trump's lack of military service on Sunday evening. McCain, who has been criticized about his war hero status by Trump, seemed to retaliate while speaking about the Vietnam War in an interview aired on C-Span Sunday night. The 81-year-old from Arizona spoke about how wealthy Americans were able to avoid being drafted into service during the battle - in which he spent five years as a prisoner of war - by having a doctor say they had a bone spur. If that sounds familiar to anyone, that's because it is the excuse that President Trump used in one of his five deferments during Vietnam. The other four were because he was still a college student. 'One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest-income level of America, and the highest-income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur,' McCain said in the interview. 'That is wrong. That is wrong. If we are going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve.' McCain, who has been criticized about his war hero status by Trump, seemed to retaliate while speaking about the Vietnam War in an interview aired on C-Span Sunday night The 81-year-old from Arizona spoke about how wealthy Americans were able to avoid being drafted into service during the battle - in which he spent five years as a prisoner of war - by having a doctor say they had a bone spur The excuse that McCain, pictured right in a 1967 photo, spoke about was the one that Trump, pictured in a high school photo in 1964, used in 1968 to avoid being drafted to serve in the Vietnam War This less-than-subtle criticism follows Trump's continuing controversy surrounding gold star families, and particularly how he allegedly told Sgt La David Johnson's widow that her husband 'knew what he signed up for,' when he went to Niger, where he was killed. McCain and Trump have feuded since the reality television host-turned-president used an event during his presidential campaign to claim that McCain wasn't a war hero because he was captured during the Vietnam War. Specifically, he said: 'I like people who weren't captured.' Trump would not apologize for the remark - and now that feud has transferred into the Trump administration, with McCain becoming one of the most fervent critics of the Republican party. McCain was one of few Republicans to vote against Trump's proposal to repeal and replace Obamacare, earning him harsh criticism from the President. McCain and Trump have feuded since the reality television host-turned-president used an event during his presidential campaign to claim that McCain wasn't a war hero because he was captured during the Vietnam War Trump refused to apologize for the comment, and since then has received very little praise from McCain despite belonging to the same party. McCain is pictured bottom right alongside his squadron in 1965 McCain was a prisoner of war for five years during the Vietnam War. His service and refusal to be returned home without his fellow soldiers In 2015 it was revealed that Trump - who actually graduated high school from the New York Military Academy - received medical deferment from the war in 1968 after showing up to a physical examination with bone spurs in his feet. In 2016, just before he was elected to office, Trump told the New York Times: 'I had a doctor that gave me a letter - a very strong letter on the heels.' He said his condition, bone spurs, was temporary and 'not a big problem, but it was a big enough problem.' Bone spurs are a calcium deposit that causes a bony protrusion on the underside of the heel bone. They are generally caused by a local inflammation and can inflame or injure nearby cartilage or tendons. And though McCain's comments might seem pointed - they come with plausible deniability - as a number of wealthy Americans used the same excuse to avoid being drafted. This would not be the first time that the Arizona Republican criticized Trump and made allusions to his 'half-baked spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems.' He was speaking specifically about Trump's strong support for the military and for the troops despite never serving, and for the President's criticism of athletes who kneel during the anthem. This would not be the first time that the Arizona Republican criticized Trump and made allusions to his 'half-baked spurious nationalism.' Trump is pictured on October 18 in a meeting with the Senate Finance Committee McCain was also one of many to criticize the way that Trump allegedly told the late Sgt La David Johnson's (pictured left) widow Myeshia (pictured right) that he 'knew what he signed up for,' during a phone call to the woman to express his condolences The claim he made that comment was backed up by Rep Frederica Wilson (pictured), who said she was listening into the interview when he said it McCain was also one of many to criticize the way that Trump allegedly told the late Sgt La David Johnson's widow that he 'knew what he signed up for,' during a phone call to the woman to express his condolences. The claim he made that comment was backed up by Rep Frederica Wilson, who said she was listening into the interview when he said it. Trump has now gone after the congresswoman with a vengeance - referring to her on Twitter as 'wacky,' in an effort to dismantle her credibility. McCain, who was recently diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor, said in the C-SPAN interview that a lot of the lessons learned in the Vietnam war can be applied today. Specifically he spoke to the need for the US to have a 'strategy and capability to win' before getting involved in a conflict. 'It really split our society in a way that we sometimes forget. Mass arrests, demonstrations, Chicago, that all of us can look back and see on C-SPAN,' McCain said. 'It was a tumultuous time and most of it was bred by the conflict.' Since being diagnosed with the brain tumor, which carries a five-year survival rate of 10 percent, McCain has held nothing back in speaking about or acting on his opposition to Trump or his policies. George W Bush shared a joke with Barack Obama while Bill Clinton was speaking at a hurricane fundraiser. The mischievous 43rd president smiled and appeared to whisper something to Obama behind Bill Clinton's back at the Saturday night fundraiser in College Station, Texas for areas ravaged by 2017's hurricanes. Obama gives a hearty open-mouthed grin, while Bush smirks at the One America Appeal Campaign for Hurricane Recovery. Clinton was saying at the time of the joke: 'But can be a new beginning if we just do what we oughta do and prove that the heart of America without regard to race or religion or political party is greater than our problems.' This is followed by much applause from the audience and the two jolly former presidents. George W Bush appeared to share a joke with Barack Obama behind Bill Clinton's back Clinton was speaking at a hurricane relief fundraiser in College Station, Texas attended by all five former living presidents Obama is pictured enjoying an open-mouthed laugh while Bush smirks One tweeter wrote: 'W cracking a joke to Obama while Clinton gives a speech is me in middle school.' Another said: 'They look like brothers cracking jokes in church while the priest is giving a sermon. My mom would have kicked my a**, and then prayed.' Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George HW and George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama gathered to raise money for the areas ravaged by the latest hurricanes at the fundraiser. The former Commanders-in-Chief heaped praise on each other despite their political differences and called for unity and bipartisanship in tackling the issues facing areas trying to recover in the southeastern US as well as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. However, one man was notably absent from the gathering - the sitting president Donald Trump. It is unclear whether Trump was invited to the event but he did not take to the stage and instead recorded a short video message that was shown earlier in the evening. In it Trump praised the work of his predecessors he called some of America's finest public servants. None of the other politicians addressed Trump in their speeches - and did not mention him altogether. Tweeters noticed the amusing exchange between George W Bush and Barack Obama It comes after George W Bush caused a stir with his comments targeting Trumpism. He was joined on stage with his father George H W, who at 93 appeared in a wheelchair at the event. Carter was the first to address the audience. He touted Americans' volunteerism while urging the public to donate to Habitat for Humanity, an organization that helps build homes for the poor. Clinton also addressed the crowd, praising his predecessor in the Oval Office, George HW Bush. The next to address the crowd was Obama, who received the loudest ovation from the audience. Obama said that the storms and the response brought out the best in America. Obama also praised George HW Bush, calling him 'an outstanding American, somebody who has always shown grace and character and courage and served America nobly throughout the years.' 'We are so proud to be here with him today,' Obama said. 'He sets an example for all of us, as does First Lady Barbara Bush.' The five living former presidents appeared together for the first time since 2013 on Saturday at a concert to raise money for victims of devastating hurricanes in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands George W. Bush (far left), Clinton, and Obama join the Texas A&M choir during the singing of the national anthem George HW Bush's wife Barbara (right) and George W Bush's (center) wife Laura Bush (left) were in the audience Bush's son, George W Bush, spoke briefly about his father, saying that the audience loves him. Those in attendance clapped in thunderous applause and gave the 41st president a standing ovation. Earlier on Saturday, Trump recorded a video greeting that avoids his past criticism of the former presidents and called them 'some of America's finest public servants.' On Thursday, George W Bush decried 'bullying and prejudice' while defending immigrants and trade in a New York speech that appeared to be a sweeping, thinly veiled critique of Trump. The last time the five were together was in 2013, when Obama was still in office, at the dedication of George W Bush's presidential library in Dallas. President Donald Trump recorded a message for the concert in which he praised his predecessors as 'some of America's finest public servants' Pop star Lady Gaga was the surprise guest at the event. 'Sometimes life gives us a million reasons to give up, but we stick around,' Gaga said before beginning her two-song set Lady Gaga even found time to pose with the five living presidents back stage Last month, Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton were all smiles as they attended the Presidents Cup in New Jersey. The trio posed for photos with players and wives on each team during the opening ceremony. Obama was sporting a pair of dark shades as he flashed his signature smile and shook hands with some of the players. Each former president also wore their Presidents Cup polos to the event. It was the first time three US presidents have attended the matches at the same time since this event began in 1994, named after the highest office in the land. Cassie Sainsbury arrived at her latest court hearing cutting a rather different figure, as she attempted to convince a Colombian court that she was the victim of an international drug-smuggling syndicate. Dressed in a salmon shirt, appearing noticeably thinner and wearing thick, black glasses, Sainsbury arrived in Bogota Special Circuit Court on Saturday for a hearing closed to the media. Her lawyer said prosecutors agree the man she claims to be behind the illegal operation, known as 'Angelo', does exist and is currently in Colombia, but proving his existence still stands between Sainsbury and freedom. 'The prosecutor is sure that this person is real, is a Colombian person and is in the country at this time,' Orlando Herran, Sainsbury's lawyer, told Seven News. Cassie Sainsbury arrived at her latest hearing cutting a more studious figure as she attempts to convince a court that she was the victim of an international drug-smuggling syndicate Sainsbury arrives at court in August in escorted by police in handcuffs wearing a jumper Dressed in a salmon shirt, appearing noticeably thinner and wearing thick glasses, Sainsbury arrived in Bogota Special Circuit Court on Saturday for a hearing closed to the media The 22-year-old has now spent more than six months behind bars at Bogota Women's Prison. The AFP reiterated it was liaising with Colombian authorities on the matter but wouldnt comment further on operational matters. Last week the Colombian judge presiding over Sainsbury's fate is believed to have accepted a plea deal of six years, but good behaviour and time served could see that sentence dramatically reduced. If the deal is realised, and Sainsbury is granted good behaviour, the 22-year-old could be released in 24 months. But if time served is considered that will reduce the sentence again by a further six months - giving the South Australian local her freedom by 2019. 'The prosecutor is sure that this person is real, is a Colombian person and is in the country at this time,' Orlando Herran, Sainsbury's lawyer, told Seven News The 22-year-old has now spent more than six months behind bars at Bogota Women's Prison Her family in Adelaide is thrilled by the news, with her sister Khala Sainsbury saying: 'It couldn't have gone any better. I believe she'll be okay, she's strong.' The judge hearing the case earlier granted a request from Mr Herran to close the hearing to all media. Resembling the first plea bargain - rejected after Sainsbury repeatedly changed her story - the six-year deal was presented on Friday in the Bogota Special Circuit Court. The sentencing hearing will take place on November 1, but a source within the court said the judge has given it his approval. The 22-year-old is accused of attempting to smuggle almost 6kg of cocaine into Australia and faces up to 30 years behind bars if found guilty of drug trafficking. A man accused of murdering a 'gender fluid' teenager in Burlington, Iowa, in March 2016 following a sexual encounter will go to trial on Tuesday. Jorge Sanders-Galvez, 23, is alleged to have invited Kedarie Johnson, 16, who identified as both a man and woman, home for a threesome with Sanders-Galvez's cousin, Jaron Purham, 25. But when the men found out that Johnson, who also went by the name Kandicee, was biologically male, they brutally murdered him in an alley, federal prosecutors say. Jorge Sanders-Galvez (pictured on Thursday) goes to trial on Tuesday for the murder of Burlington teen Kedarie Johnson, who was found shot to death in an alley in March 2016 Prosecutors say Johnson (left and right), who identified as both a man and a woman and also went by the name 'Kandicee', had engaged in sex with both Sanders-Galvez and his cousin Sanders-Galvez (left) and cousin Jaron Purham (right) allegedly became furious after finding out Johnson was biologically male. Purham is currently locked up in Missouri after allegedly driving into a cop car; police say a revolver found in his car was used to kill Johnson Johnson, described as a popular high-school student by locals, would alternate between masculine and feminine names, and did not subscribe to one gender. It's believed that Sanders-Galvez, an aspiring rapper who went by the name 'Lumni', spotted Johnson leaving a Hy-Vee supermarket and then began flirting with the teen Sanders-Galvez persuaded Johnson to get in his car, then brought Johnson to a home to have sex with him and his cousin, 25-year-old Jaron Purham, according to Christopher Perras, a federal prosecutor assigned to the crime by Jeff Sessions. But during the encounter Sanders-Galvez discovered that Johnson was 'biologically male' and became enraged, Perras wrote in a court document filed Wednesday. The cousins 'over the next hour suffocated Kedarie by stuffing a rag down his throat and wrapping a plastic bag around his head,' Perras alleged They then 'threw him in their car, drove to another part of town, dumped him in an alley and shot him several times until he bled to death,' he concluded. Johnson's body was discovered in the alley, the teen's head still wrapped in a plastic bag, after locals heard gunshots and called police. Johnson's mom, Katrina, is pictured. Sanders-Galvez says he never met Johnson, though detectives say they were Facebook friends. The incident occurred in Burlington, Iowa Investigators also said that before the slaying, Johnson had stopped at a female friend's home, expressing concerns about someone named 'Lumni' and being followed by a red car. Johnson asked to borrow several bras, which the teen put in a backpack before leaving alone and on foot, according to court documents. Investigators said Johnson is seen on surveillance video outside the Hy-Vee store wearing braids, pajama bottoms and a black jacket as a red Impala linked to Purham and Sanders-Galvez follows closely behind. According to investigators, they later found Johnson's backpack at a Burlington home in which Purham and Sanders-Galvez had been staying with Purham's pregnant girlfriend in the weeks before the killing. Both men fled to the St Louis area within 48 hours after Johnson's slaying, police said. Retired nurse Jenna Sansone, whose home backs onto the alley where Johnson was found, said she could smell the bleach that had been poured on the bullet-riddled body, an apparent attempt to destroy DNA evidence. Sanders-Galvez has pleaded not guilty and told investigators last year that he had never met Johnson. However, investigators say the pair were friends on Facebook - though it's not clear how long they had been connected, or whether they had met before. Because Iowa can't press hate crimes against LGBT people, a federal prosecutor has been sent in by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to press charges against Sanders-Galvez (seen Thursday) Purham, who is expected to stand trial later, is currently serving time in Missouri after he was convicted on charges related to his flight from officers tying to arrest him last year. Officers said they recovered a .357 revolver in his vehicle after he drove into a police car outside St Louis. Testing showed that it was the gun used to shoot Johnson, they said. Sanders-Galvez's trial is expected to last two weeks, and he faces life in prison if convicted. His attorney declined to comment. Sansone said that the trial could clear up 'a lot of questions about what happened and why it happened'; she plans to attend at the request of Johnson's mother. A federal grand jury has been convened to consider whether the men should face hate crime charges, but no decision has been announced. The horrific allegations highlight how Iowa law, unlike federal law, doesn't allow prosecutors to bring hate crime charges based on gender identity, said Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel, executive director of One Iowa, an LBGTQ advocacy group. 'These things are horrible and very unfortunate but they force us as community members to have these difficult conversations and hopefully we can work to prevent them from happening,' he said. The federal intervention, ordered by Jeff Sessions, has been welcomed by LGBTQ-rights advocates who have criticized the Attorney General and President Donald Trump for broadly eroding their legal protections. Romanian criminals are using a loophole to delay jail terms so they can get to Britain and then try to avoid extradition over the size of prison cells back home, it was revealed today. One of the eastern European country's most wanted men is now reportedly missing in the UK. Anastasescu George Alin was allowed to fly to Britain even though he has been prosecuted over the deaths of 64 people at his Bucharest nightclub. Anastasescu George Alin (pictured centre) was allowed to fly to Britain even though he has been prosecuted over the deaths of 64 people at his Bucharest nightclub A smuggler even had his jail term deferred to attend a pigeon fancier fair here. Cioanca Catalin was sentenced to 16 months in prison for a cigarette scam but a judge agreed to let him take his birds to Britain first and he hasn't returned. Members of organised crime syndicates, cash machine card cloners and other convicted criminals have done the same after telling the courts they had already booked to see family or go on holiday. Some then get legal aid and argue they cannot be extradited because jail cells in their homeland are too small. Anastasescu George Alin was allowed to fly to Britain even though he has been prosecuted over the deaths of 64 people at his Bucharest nightclub. The 2015 blaze at Club Colectiv in the Romanian capital was one of the worst in the country's history. Cosmin-Ionut Bagarea, pictured, is one of two Romanian criminals who cannot be extradited out of the UK because 'jail cells in his homeland are too small' Fireworks set off during a band's performance set alight the club's flammable ceiling. 64 of the 400 people inside died - 147 more were injured in the fire and stampede. The blaze even led to the resignation of the Prime Minister of Romania, Victor Ponta, amid claims of corruption with Alin and two other of the club's owners have been prosecuted. Yet Alin, who is accused of flouting fire safety rules, has been allowed to travel to Britain and is now missing, according to The Sun. A legal source told the newspaper: 'There are scores of criminals and suspects using the loophole. Courts in Romania allow it to happen. 'Once given permission to fly to the UK, they know their lawyers will stop them being sent back.' Other EU countries are also said to be suffering in the same way. In June the Mail revealed two Romanian fugitives cannot be extradited because jail cells in their homeland are too small. UK judges say the cramped conditions contravene rulings from the European Court of Human Rights. The court insists prisoners must ordinarily be allowed personal space of around three metres squared. The Romanians face spending all or most of their sentence housed in a space of two metres squared. Justices at the High Court in London want assurances that the men would have more space before they grant extradition requests. Justices at the High Court in London, pictured, want assurances that the men would have more space before they grant extradition requests The ruling this summer delayed the removal of the pair from Britain hitting taxpayers with court costs and legal aid bills. Lord Justice Irwin and Mr Justice Collins were told the Romanians Ionel-Remus Grecu and Cosmin-Ionut Bagarea would be sent to semi-open prisons. The jails have smoking zones, unlocked areas for walking, phones and up to ten hours visiting a month. INMATES CAN ROAM AROUND ALL DAY... Although many prisons in Romania have cramped cells, inmates still enjoy a range of benefits and privileges. Semi-open jails, where Grecu and Bagarea would serve most if not all of their prison terms, give inmates plenty of freedom. Details are spelt out in the High Court judgment on their appeal against extradition. Detainees can buy food every week in the prison shops and may be granted the right to spend all day outside their detention rooms. They have to return to their rooms only for meals and evening roll call. Despite this, 19 Romanian prisons were hit by protests against poor conditions and overcrowding last year. Advertisement Also on offer are educational and cultural facilities, social assistance and vocational training outside prison. Grecu, 42, had fled to Britain to dodge serving a prison sentence for membership of a violent burglary gang. Seven months after his arrest in February last year he lodged an appeal against an extradition order. Bagarea, 39, was given a suspended prison sentence in January 2012 for growing cannabis. He broke the terms of his sentence and fled to the UK where he was arrested last September. He is also appealing against extradition. Court papers show both men would be moved to cells of two metres squared in Romania. Lord Justice Irwin said lawyers for the two men argued the lack of personal space would breach Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. He said it would be highly undesirable if extradition to Romania stalls. But he said the process had be put on hold to give the Romanian authorities a chance to guarantee three metres squared for the men. He added: The guarantee would need to be in clear terms, and terms which cover the whole of the anticipated terms of detention. The Romanians were represented by a QC specialising in extradition law. Bagareas Hampshire-based half-brother said the fugitive had been granted legal aid to fight extradition. George Munteanu also said the philosophy graduate had landed a job pending deportation proceedings. Living in the UK has put him on the right path and changed his life, said Mr Munteanu, who came to Britain five years ago. He has a job at Southampton port handling peoples luggage. I think he has got legal aid. I dont have money to help him and it is quite expensive. He came to the UK about three years ago and he likes it here. He has made a fresh start. I am sure he wont want to go back to Romania. The Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, will travel to Italy. October 23, 2017, 11:16 Armenia FM to head to Italy STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 23, ARTSAKHPRESS: The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that in Palermo, Nalbandian will attend Tuesdays Ministerial Conference of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and devoted to refugees and migration flows. Colin Gillespie was found dead after falling off he drilling ship he was working on while it was docked in Gran Canaria A British man has died after falling off the drilling ship where he was working following a night out in Gran Canaria. The 53-year-old, named locally as Colin Gillespie, from Scotland, was spotted floating in the water near his vessel named Stena IceMAX in the early hours of yesterday morning. Colleagues pulled him out of the sea and made a desperate attempt to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene after police and paramedics were called. The tragedy happened at Luz Port, the large maritime port in the Gran Canaria capital Las Palmas. Local reports said an initial examination of his body showed the dead man had suffered a blow to the head. A source close to the investigation into his death, which is being coordinated by a local investigating magistrate, said: 'Police found no signs of violence on his body.' Another insider added: 'The dead man was on a day off and had just returned to the ship. The area where he went into the water was the gap between the ship and where it was anchored to the dockside.' It is not known at this stage where in Scotland Mr Gillespie was from. The results of the autopsy, due to be carried out at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Las Palmas on Sunday, have not been made public. The victim was seen passing a security post to board the ship around 11.50pm on Saturday. There was no official confirmation this morning but he is thought to have left the vessel to enjoy a night out. STENA Drilling Limited confirmed in a statement: 'Stena Drilling Limited confirms a tragic accident has occurred involving one of our crew members whilst returning from shore leave to the vessel Stena IceMAX in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain. 'The crane operator was returning to the ship on Saturday night (21.10.17 at 23:30hrs), when it appears that he fell from the quayside into the water. 'He was recovered from the water and emergency medical response procedures were initiated, but sadly he did not recover. 'Relevant Spanish authorities have been notified, with support services being co-ordinated through the shore based incident response team at Stena Drilling's head office. A British man has died after falling off the drilling ship he was working on while it was docked in Luz Port (pictured), Gran Canaria 'An investigation is underway into this tragic accident and our deepest sympathy goes to family members and next of kin.' Aberdeen-based Stena Drilling describes Stena IceMAX on its website as the world's 'first dynamically positioned, dual mast ice-class drillship.' It is capable of drilling in water depths of up to 10,000ft. It became operational in 2012 and can accommodate up to 180 people. It left for the Canary Islands after completing drilling for oil and gas exploration firm Providence Resources off the south-coast of Ireland at a cost of POUNDS 140,000 a day. Water was found at its Druid Drombeg well in what Providence CEO Tony O'Reilly described in August as a 'disappointing' result. Stena IceMAX is thought to have been at Luz Port for repairs and a general overhaul. It was given a full service at the port at the start of the year before departing for Ireland. Leaks are usually embarrassing for politicians. And this one was no different, with the French President left red faced on national TV. His dog Nemo was caught on camera relieving himself against a fireplace in the Elysee Palace as Emmanuel Macron spoke to junior ministers about inner-city investment on Sunday. Emmanuel Macron was holding a meeting about inner-city investment with three junior ministers at his official residence when he was interrupted by the president's dog peeing Luckily, Brune Poirson, 35, Benjamin Griveaux, 39, and Julien Denormandie, 37, the junior ministers for ecology, the economy and local government, see the funny side The politicians burst into laughter as the black Labrador-Griffon cross, who the Macrons adopted from an animal rescue centre in August, nonchalantly crashed their meeting. 'The dog is in the middle of doing something quite exceptional,' comments an amused Macron. Luckily, Brune Poirson, 35, Benjamin Griveaux, 39, and Julien Denormandie, 37, the junior ministers for ecology, the economy and local government, also see the funny side. 'I was wondering what that noise was,' comments a bemused Ms Poirson, as the meeting descends into laughter. Laughing, Macron jokes: 'You've made my dog behave in a very unusual manner' 'Does that happen often?' asks Mr Denormandie. Macron jokes: 'You've made my dog behave in a very unusual manner.' The president then resumes the meeting, which was broadcast by channel TF1, as if nothing had happened. It is not known if Macron himself cleaned up the mess. It's not the first time a dog has caused trouble at the palace. Nicholas Sarkozy's dogs reportedly caused thousands of euros of damage to the palace furniture. The Macrons adopted the black Labrador-Griffon cross from an animal rescue centre in August A matador narrowly avoided death after being gored through the neck during a bullfighting contest, but miraculously returned to the ring to kill the raging animal. Arturo Macias, 35, swerved death by centimetres after taking a horn just beneath his windpipe, during an event in aid of Mexico's earthquake appeal. The matador suffered the serious injuries during a festival, held in the Plaza de Toros Monumental de Aguascalientes in San Marco, Mexico, on Saturday. Scroll down for video A bullfighter narrowly avoided death after being gored through the neck during a contest, but miraculously continued on as the event in San Marco was in aid of Mexico's earthquake appeal. Pictures capture the moments before Aruto Macias, 35, was gored Horrifying footage captures Macias taunting the giant 1,200lbs bull with his cape with the animal charging around him. But after Macias misjudges the bull's movements, he is charged to the ground and gored three times - with one of the wounds just missing his windpipe. In the next scene he is held up by fellow matadors as he clutches his throat which has a visible puncture wound. The matador was seriously injured during the festival, held in the Plaza de Toros Monumental de Aguascalientes in San Marco, Mexico on Saturday. Macias misjudged the bull's movements, and was charged down and gored three times - with one stab just missing his windpipe The stricken matador was carried out of the ring into the infirmary where doctors told him he would be risking his life if he went back out to finish the fight. But ignoring their advice, he returned to the ring where he eventually killed the bull before being rushed to hospital for a life-saving operation. The bullfighter said he knew he was putting his life in his hands but had decided to continue with the tournament because he didn't want to let the victims of the earthquake down. Crumpling into a heap, the matador is pictured at the mercy of the powerful, 1,200lb bull. After being gored three times, one just beneath his windpipe, fellow matadors and onlookers rushed in to distract the beast from killing Macias The stricken matador was carried out of the ring into the infirmary where doctors told him he would be risking his life if he went back out to finish the fight Surgeons later found air had entered his chest and neck as a result of the gaping wound caused by the bull's horn. The bullfighter remains in hospital in intensive care following the emergency operation. Doctors have reserved his condition. Despite being considered part of traditional culture in some Spanish speaking countries, bullfighting remains a controversial pursuit in many of the nations. Considered a brutal blood sport in many quarters, the bulls are stabbed with a traditional sharp arrow like blade called a banderillas, eventually succumbing to blood loss and exhaustion. Animal rights campaigners PETA have had success with a number of campaigns persuading travel companies not to include bull events in their holiday packages. In June, a renowned bullfighter died after he tripped over his cape and was gored during a festival in France. Considered a brutal blood sport in many quarters, the bulls are stabbed with a traditional sharp arrow like blade called a banderillas, eventually succumbing to blood loss and exhaustion. However, the bouts can be just as brutal on the matadors who are often injured Macias was carried away but returned to finish off the bull. The matador said he did not want to let down the victims of an earthquake which the event was in aid of. In June, a renowned bullfighter died after he tripped over his cape and was gored during a festival in France Ivan Fandino, a 36-year-old from Spain, had fallen to the ground as he got his feet caught in the material. The married father-of-ones last words were said to have been, Hurry up, Im dying! after he was carried out of the arena by fellow matadors. While in 2016, Spanish matador, Victor Barrio, died in a fight in Spain. The festival this weekend was in aid of the victims of an earthquake that hit Mexico last month, which killed at least 370 people. The quake caused catastrophic damage in the Mexican states of Puebla, Morelos and in the Greater Mexico City area. Coincidentally, the quake happened on the 32 anniversary of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake that claimed the lives of 10,000. Britain's most wanted fraudster who seduced a woman for cash while masquerading as a MI6 agent is on the run with his wife and two young daughters, police revealed today. Mark Acklom, 44, allegedly posed as a spy and a Swiss banker in a bid to seduce a 55-year-old divorcee from Bath, Somerset, before fleecing her out of her 850,000 life savings. The career criminal disappeared when his victim went to police and was thought to have gone on the run in Spain but has also been seen in Geneva, Switzerland. Avon and Somerset Police believe he is with his wife, Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez, 47, and their two daughters, aged six and eight. Detectives have said the yoga teacher could be helping him live in plain sight - as an ordinary family man. Conman Mark Acklom is on the run with his wife, Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez, 47, and their two daughters, aged six and eight On-the-run British fraudster Mark Acklom (right) was pictured another fugitive Jose Estevez in September The force has released a photograph of Acklom's wife, who is also known to use aliases including Yolianda Ross, Maria Long and Mary Moss, and said she may be working as a yoga teacher or attending yoga classes. Both Acklom and his wife have previously set up property businesses and police believe their daughters may be attending a fee-paying school. Britain's most wanted conman: Mark Acklom Acklom has been on the Crimestoppers Most Wanted list for nearly a year, accused of fleecing a woman of her 850,000 life savings. He met Gloucestershire clothes shop boss Carolyn Woods, 57, in 2012 and over several years persuaded her to hand over her life savings The swindle was the culmination of a lifetime of fraud which began when he was just 16 and posed as a City stockbroker to secure a six-figure mortgage. Advertisement Detective Inspector Adam Bunting said: 'Mark Acklom is a convincing fraudster and we're working hard to locate him as soon as possible. 'We believe he'll be with his wife, Maria Rodriguez, and their two young daughters, who we know, up until last year's appeal, were enrolled in El Limonar International School in the Murcia area of Spain. 'In the days following the appeal he removed his children from the school and, together with his wife, he disappeared. 'We have significant concerns about the children's well-being given they were uprooted, with no notice, from their school, friends and family. It's highly likely Acklom will have placed his children in another fee-paying school.' Police are appealing to British expats with children in private international schools, who may have noticed the recent arrival of a family from Spain. In September it emerged Acklom has been seen in Switzerland with Jose Estevez, another fugitive who is wanted by Spanish authorities for defrauding government departments in Vigo, a city in the north-west of the country. According to Interpol, Estevez was behind the largest ever scam on the Galician treasury, after submitting 10million (11million euros) in false invoices. Conman Mark Acklom, 43, alias Marc Ros Rodriguez, who is on the run in Spain, pictured with his wife Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez, known as Yolanda Ros, in Ascot's Royal Enclosure Estevez (left) and Acklom (right) have both been on the run for more than a year Detectives have said Acklom's yoga teacher wife could be helping him live in plain sight - as an ordinary family man A photo of the wanted pair sipping coffee together in Geneva was obtained by Sky News , who have been told Europe's lack of internal borders have turned the continent into a 'huge playground' for criminals. Former Metropolitan Police border control officer Chris Hobbs told the channel: '[You've] got the whole of Europe in which to operate in, work in and hide in. And obviously you can't expect local police to know everybody who is wanted in Europe. Acklom is accused of promising to marry Carolyn Woods and tricked her into handing over the huge sum of money 'They will know the odds of them actually being detected anywhere in Europe are pretty remote.' Acklom, now 44, first tried his hand at fraud aged just 16. While studying in Eastbourne, he stole his father's gold Amex card, posed as a stockbroker and hired jets to fly his friends around Europe. He even convinced a building society to give him a mortgage of nearly 500,000 which he used to buy a small mansion in London. He was later jailed three times in Spain for a variety of fraud offences and used the name Marc Ros Rodriguez. He then returned to the UK and, over the course of a year-long relationship, reportedly promised to marry Carolyn Woods and tricked her into handing over the huge sum of money. Ms Woods said of their romance: 'He has a great presence and charisma, he exudes confidence and the air around him was electric. I was caught up in a whirlwind of excitement. 'One of the most extraordinary things he told me was that it was all a cover and he was an MI6 agent. It sounds very far-fetched, but he convinced me it was true.' She added: 'I had just sold my house and I offered him a loan of 26,000. In the end I lent him everything I had.' Carolyn Woods previously told how she was 'caught up in the excitement' of Acklom's claims But before they could walk down the aisle, he vanished with the cash - leaving Ms Woods emotionally and financially ruined and on the brink of suicide. The National Crime Agency's website states Acklom is 'wanted by Avon & Somerset Police on suspicion of fraud by false representation'. If you have any information about his whereabouts you can call Avon and Somerset Police or independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or their non-traceable anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org The family of skipper Ben Leahy, 45, has taken solace that he 'died doing what he loved' after he was identified as the second victim of a tragic capsizing accident. Queensland Police confirmed on Monday afternoon Mr Leahy, from Cairns, was one of the men located in the fishing vessel's wreckage by divers at the weekend. 'While his death is an immeasurable loss to us, we do feel so blessed to have had him in our lives,' a statement from his family read. Scroll down for video 'While his death is an immeasurable loss to us, we do feel so blessed to have had him in our lives,' a statement from Ben Leahy's (pictured) family said The family of skipper Ben Leahy, 45, (pictured) has taken solace that he 'died doing what he loved' after he was identified as the second victim of a tragic capsizing accident 'Our beloved Ben is gone from our lives but forever in our hearts.' The men's cucumber trawler was travelling north from Bundaberg, Queensland, when it capsized near Middle Island off the coast of 1770 on Monday night. Authorities also confirmed the death of 30-year-old Adam Hoffman on Monday and released a statement from his family, who said their hearts were broken. 'He was one in a million with a heart of gold,' they said. 'He will forever be our beautiful pirate who went out doing what he loved.' Mr Hoffman's family described him as fearless, courageous and a 'genuine legend'. 'To his family he was our cherished brother who was kind, thoughtful, loving and would always tell it like it is,' they said. Mr Hoffman leaves behind his five-year-old daughter Evie, his parents and five sisters. Authorities also confirmed the death of 30-year-old Adam Hoffman (pictured) on Monday and released a statement from his family, who said their hearts were broken Two bodies have been found in the sunken fishing trawler which capsized off the coast of Queensland (pictured) (Clockwise from top left): Adam Hoffman, 30, Zach Feeney, 28, Eli Tonks, 39, Adam Bidner, 33, skipper Ben Leahy, 45 and Chris Sammut, 34 No other bodies were found inside during another extensive search of the vessel on Sunday (Pictured is Eli Tonks) Eli Tonks is still missing after his commercial fishing boat overturned in Bustard Bay, near Middle Island in Queensland on Monday The family said they had set up a GoFundMe page that would go into a trust for Evie. Police and rescuers are continuing to scour the coastline near the central Queensland town of 1770, hoping to return the bodies of the four missing crew to their grieving families. Divers found the bodies of the two men in the capsized trawler's wreckage on Saturday. No other bodies were found inside during another extensive search of the vessel on Sunday. A recovery operation was launched Saturday morning, with water police remaining at the scene overnight (Pictured is Chris Sammut who is among the missing) The crew had been on a trip to collect sea cucumbers or 'slugs', with the weather preceding the incident believed to be 'terrible' (Pictured is missing man Adam Bidner) Crew members Eli Tonks, 39, Adam Bidner, 33, Chris Sammut, 34, and Zach Feeney, 28, (pictured) are also believed to have died in the incident Crew members Eli Tonks, 39, Adam Bidner, 33, Chris Sammut, 34, and Zach Feeney, 28, also died in the incident. Ruben McDornan was the only crew member to survive after the trawler capsized during treacherous conditions on the night of October 16. Members of the local community have started a flower memorial for the men at 1770's Round Hill Headland, overlooking the water. Jean-Claude Juncker today denied briefing against Theresa May after leaks suggested he branded her 'tormented' after a secretive Brussels dinner. The EU Commission President claimed to be 'surprised' at the leaks which emerged in the German papers yesterday. He told the BBC today the Prime Minister had been in 'good shape' at last Monday night's dinner, saying Mrs May was 'not tired' but instead 'fighting' for the British interest. Mr Juncker denied Mrs May had been pleading with him, insisting 'that's not the style of British prime ministers'. The leaks to a German paper claimed Mr Juncker found Mrs May to be 'despondent and discouraged' with 'deep rings' beneath her eyes. The extraordinary claims were condemned today by Nick Timothy, Mrs May's ex-chief of staff, who named Mr Juncker's top aide Martin Selmayr as the leaker. Mr Selmayr denied being to blame and insisted the account was untrue today as the explosive new diplomatic row unfolded. Downing Street refused to deny the reports, insisting it had no comment to make. Mrs May's spokesman instead highlighted Mr Selmayr's denial. Scroll down for video Theresa May was deep in conversation on the phone when she arrived at Downing Street today. She ids facing fresh Brexit turmoil after details of her dinner with Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels last week were leaked to the German press Incendiary new leaks from Brussels claim Theresa May (pictured yesterday in Maidenhead) was 'tormented' and 'begged for help' from Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured right in Spain on Friday) during a furious diplomatic push for a Brexit breakthrough Speaking to the BBC today, Mr Juncker said: 'I am really surprised - if not shocked - about what has been written in the German press. And of course repeated by the British press. 'Nothing is true in all of this. 'I had an excellent working dinner with Theresa May. She was in good shape, she was not tired, she was fighting as is her duty so everything for me was OK.' The leaks echo similar disclosures made to the German press after a dinner between Mrs May and Mr Juncker in Downing Street. On that occasion, a furious Prime Minster stormed out of No 10 to denounce the European Commission for interfering in her snap election campaign. After last week's dinner, a joint statement was released agreeing to accelerate Brexit talks. And later in the week, at the European Council summit, EU leaders said they would begin scoping work on future trade talks while making clear to Mrs May that she must make more concessions on Britain's divorce payment for negotiations to progress. FAZ reporter Thomas Gutschker reveals Mr Juncker found Mrs May 'anxious, despondent and discouraged' by the talks. Mr Juncker and Mrs May (pictured together at the EU summit on Friday) met for dinner last Monday night to try and break the Brexit deadlock. An account of the meeting has leaked The leaks claim Mr Juncker found Mrs May (pictured during her EU summit press conference on Friday) to be 'despondent and discouraged' with 'deep rings' beneath her eyes. His account - written from Mr Juncker's perspective - said: 'She looks like someone who does not sleep for nights on end. RASPUTIN OR DARTH VADER? MEET JUNCKER'S MONSTER MARTIN SELMAYR Jean-Claude Juncker's chief of staff Martin Selmayr has a fearsome reputation in Brussels Jean-Claude Juncker's chief of staff Martin Selmayr is known by many names in Brussels. A feared fixer at the European Commission, the German lawyer has been dubbed Rasputin, the Monster and even Darth Vader. As chief of staff to the European Commission President he is a key player negotiating the talks and was one of just four people at last week's dinner with Juncker and Theresa May. Selmayr was blamed for incendiary leaks in the spring that threatened to blow up the Brexit talks before they really began. He has denied involvement in today's leak. Advertisement 'She rarely laughs, though clearly, she has to for the photographers. But it looks forced. 'Previously, May could literally pour out laughter her whole body shaking. Now she has to use her utmost strength to avoid losing her composure.' The story says the dinner was planned at the 'last minute' by Mrs May - in defiance of No 10's earlier claims it had been scheduled for several weeks. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office was said to have told Mrs May 'dryly' that 'Brexit was not wanted and could not solve the problems of the British' for the Prime Minister. Mr Timothy, who worked for Mrs May at the time of the previous leak, today said the new disclosure showed there are figures in Brussels who want Britain to leave the EU with either no deal or on terms which would punish the country for Brexit. He tweeted: 'After constructive Council meeting, Selmayr does this. Reminder that some in Brussels want no deal or a punitive one.' But Mr Selmayr responded with his own tweet: 'This is false. I know it does't fit your cliche, @NickJTimothy. But @JunckerEU & I have no interest in weakening PM. 'But it seems some have interest in undermining constructive relations @JunckerEU & PM May. Who? is the real question.' He denied being behind the leak or that Mr Juncker ever made the comments about Mrs May's emotional sate. He also dismissed the suggestion the EU was being 'punitive' and claimed it was an attempt to frame the EU side of the negotiations and 'undermine talks'. The extraordinary claims were condemned today by Nick Timothy, Mrs May's ex-chief of staff, who named Mr Juncker's top aide Martin Selmayr as the leaker in a tweet (pictured) Mr Selmayr, chief of staff to Mr Juncker, denied being the leaker (pictured) and claimed Mr Timothy wanted to make the facts fit his 'cliche' Mr Selmayr insisted the account in German papers was untrue today as the explosive new diplomatic row unfolded Asked about the report today, Mrs May's official spokesman said: 'I have no comment on it whatsoever. 'One of the people who was present has denied this morning Jean-Claude Juncker ever said it.' Following the dinner, Mrs May and Mr Juncker issued a joint statement hailing 'constructive and friendly' talks. The European Commission spokesman said he would not enter into a 'game' with reporters when he was asked to make clear that Brussels did not believe the UK Government was attempting to undermine the EU negotiating position. The spokesman said: 'I will not say a word beyond what I said on the issues we discussed. If we have to say something we do, we don't need to be probed.' Mrs May was photographed after the dinner in Brussels (left) and Mr Juncker kissed her on the cheek following the meeting (right) Several thousand Maltese citizens rallied on Sunday to demand justice for an investigative journalist killed by a car bomb last Monday. The Prime Minister and opposition leader, who were chief targets of Daphne Caruana Galizia's reporting did not attend the rally in Malta's capital, Valleta. The demonstrations in Valletta were organised by the group Civil Society Network after the car bombing killed anti-corruption blogger Caruana Galizia, 53, in a murder that shocked the Mediterranean island. Caruana Galizia spent much of the last few years reporting on Maltese links to the Panama Papers leaks. Protestors calling for the resignation of Malta's police commissioner shout slogans during a demonstration over the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was murdered in a car bomb attack last Monday People hold posters with the last published words of assassinated investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was murdered in a car bomb attack last Monday, during a rally in Valletta, Malta, on Sunday Young children joined their parents at the rally in Valletta calling for justice over the death of Caruana Galazia Thousands gather during a national rally to demand justice for murdered Maltese journalist Caruana Galizia, 53 Caruana Galizia (left) was killed last Monday when a bomb destroyed her car as she was driving near her home in Mosta, a town outside Valletta, Maltais capital, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said. Right, a protester holds-up a sign as thousands gather for a national rally to demand justice for for the journalist Some of those present at the protest carried placards or wore T-shirts with the last words written by Caruana Galizia, minutes before she was killed: 'There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate.' 'You remember, we gathered, almost three years ago, in Paris, after the Charlie Hebdo killing,' Christophe Deloire, secretary-general of Reporters without Frontiers, told the crowd. 'We have gathered today in Valletta for Daphne and everybody can say "I am Daphne, je suis Daphne",' he added. Michael Briguglio, who heads the Civil Society Network, said the commissioner of police and the attorney general should be removed for not having acted following revelations in the so-called 'Panama Papers'. Police removed a banner describing Malta as a 'Mafia state'. Hundreds of participants held a sit-in outside police headquarters, demanding the resignation of Malta's police commissioner. Some hurled tomatoes, cakes and coins against an enlarged photograph of the commissioner spread out on the street. A protestor hurls food at a banner, showing Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar (not seen), during a protest over the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia A banner with the photo of the Malta police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar is on the floor outside the Malta Police Headquarters as people throws coins, tomatoes and cheesecakes are thrown at it and at the facade during the rally A banner with the photo of the Malta police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar is hung outside the Malta Police Headquarters after people threw coins, tomatoes and cheesecakes at it and at the facade during the rally The homicide of a journalist who devoted her career to exposing wrongdoing in Malta and raised her three sons there united many of the nation's oft-squabbling politicians, at least for a day. Caruana Galizia had repeatedly criticized police and judicial officials. Malta's two dominant political forces, the ruling Labor and opposition Nationalist parties, participated in the rally which was organized to press demands for justice in her slaying. But Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told his Labor party's radio station a few hours before the event's start time that he wouldn't attend because he knew the anti-corruption reporter's family didn't want him to be there. 'I know where I should be and where I should not be. I am not a hypocrite and I recognize the signs,' Muscat said, adding that he supported the rally's goals of call for justice and national unity. Nationalist leader Adrian Delia also skipped the rally, saying he didn't want to 'stir controversy'. Journalists without borders Christoph Deloire told a crowd at the rally that Caruana Galizia's killers can't 'silence her spirit' A lady holds up a banner with a quote from Caruana Galizia, reading: 'There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate' Thousands gathered in Malta's capital, Valletta, for a rally demanding for justice for Caruana Galizia on Sunday Malta's two dominant political forces, the ruling Labor and opposition Nationalist parties, participated in the rally which was organized to press demands for justice in her slaying. But Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told his Labor party's radio station a few hours before the event's start time that he wouldn't attend 'Today is not about me, but about the rule of law and democracy,' Delia told reporters. Muscat and Delia, while fierce political rivals, have another thing in common: Both brought libel lawsuits against Caruana Galizia. Delia withdrew his pending libel cases last week after her killing. Caruana Galizia's family has refused to endorse the government's offer of a 1million euro ($1.18million) reward and full protection to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of her killer or killers. Instead, the family, which includes a son who is an investigative journalist himself, has demanded that Muscat resign. In their quest for a serious and efficient investigation, Caruana Galizia's husband and children also want Malta's top police office and attorney general replaced. 'The killers decided to silence her, but they won't silence her spirit, they won't silence us,' Christophe Deloire, a French journalist from the journalism advocacy organization Reporters Without Borders, said. 'From us they will not have more than one minute of silence.' Daphne Caruana Galizia, a renowned blogger and fierce critic of the government, died on Monday in a blast that wrecked her car as she was leaving her house in Mosta Galizia, 53, ran a hugely popular blog in which she relentlessly highlighted cases of alleged corruption, often involving politicians from the Mediterranean island of Malta. Police said she was killed as she was driving near the village of Bidnija in northern Malta On Sunday morning, all seven national newspapers had their front pages black in Caruana Galizia's memory. Printed in bold letters against the black backgrounds were the words: 'The pen conquers fear.' Just before her death, Caruana Galizia had posted on her closely followed blog, Running Commentary, that there were 'crooks everywhere' in Malta. The island nation has a reputation as a tax haven in the European Union and has attracted companies and money from outside Europe. The journalist focused her reporting for years on investigating political corruption and scandals, and reported on Maltese mobsters and the island's drug trafficking. She also wrote about Maltese links to the so-called Panama Papers leaks about offshore financial havens. After the rally ended, several hundred participants walked to police headquarters, and sat in the street outside shouting 'Shame on you!' and 'Resign! Malta President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca received a delegation from the Civil Society Network, a non-partisan organization of university professors, businessmen, opinion writers and authors in Malta. In a news conference in Valletta, police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar denied British police would join Dutch forensic experts and a team from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in helping with the case European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans take part in a candlelight vigil in memory of Malta's journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday Matthew Caruana Galizia (centre) and Peter Caruana Galizia (second left), son and husband of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, walk past the wreckage of the car bomb The car bombing was 'an attack on all of us, every single one of us,' Coleiro Preca told them. 'We need to see how we are going to work together. We need to unite to have the reform that is needed.' Caruana Galizia, 53, ran a hugely popular blog in which she relentlessly highlighted cases of alleged corruption, often involving politicians from the Mediterranean island of Malta. Police said she was killed as she was driving near the village of Bidnija in northern Malta. Police believe the bomb was attached beneath Caruana Galizia's car and triggered remotely with a mobile phone. 'Emerging evidences make us think that the bomb was placed under the car and was set off with a remote trigger,' a government spokeswoman said on Thursday, adding that foreign experts would be called on to help identify the mobile phone which was used to detonate the bomb. The island has seen a number of small bomb attacks in recent years tied to gangland criminals, but the explosives used were relatively rudimentary and did not have the same power as the device that targeted Caruana Galizia. Boris Johnson today called on Brussels to 'get on with it' as business lobby groups demanded an urgent Brexit transition deal. The Foreign Secretary said last week's EU summit had been 'more positive' than he had expected after EU leaders agreed to draw up their own position on future trade. But Mr Johnson used a speech at Chatham House to pile pressure on Brussels to make rapid progress. Five major business lobby groups united today to warn Brexit Secretary David Davis that time is running out to set the rules for how trade will work from March 2019. Downing Street today declined to comment on the leak of a private letter but said Government policy was to agree an 'implementation period' as soon as possible. Ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage today warned Britain voted for Brexit and not a transition. Boris Johnson (pictured in London addressing Chatham House today) called on Brussels to 'get on with it' as business lobby groups demanded an urgent Brexit transition deal The Foreign Secretary (pictured during today's speech) said last week's EU summit had gone 'better' than he had expected after EU leaders agreed to draw up their own position on future trade Britain will leave the European Union on March 30, 2019, two years after the Article 50 letter to trigger Brexit was sent. Answering questions about Brexit after a foreign policy speech this morning, Mr Johnson refused to spell out any further offer Britain should be making. Talks in Brussels have stalled over how much the UK will pay in exit charges, the rights of EU citizens and resolving the Irish border. Mr Johnson said Mrs May had made a 'very good offer in her Florence speech'. And he warned: 'I suggest to our friends in Brussels: now is the time to get on with it.' At a conference organised by the Chatham House foreign affairs think-tank, Mr Johnson said: 'I'm glad that at the Council in Brussels they seemed more positive, frankly, than I thought they were going to be, to judge by some of the anticipatory drum roll of that council. 'They have given a fair wind to the idea of themselves now discussing the new trade deal or however they want to proceed. 'I suggest humbly to our friends and partners in Brussels: Now is the time to get on with it.' He added: 'They should grip it, get on with it and start thinking about the future. 'I'm sure that we can both think very creatively and very positively about how to come to arrangements that suit our constituents on both sides of the Channel and benefit businesses not just in this but in Paris and Frankfurt and across the whole of Europe.' The CBI, run by Director General Carolyn Fairburn (file image), is one of five major business lobby groups to call publicly for an urgent transition Brexit deal The British Chamber of Commerce (run by Adam Marshall, left) and the Institute of Directors (director general Stephen Martin, right) also joined the call on Brexit Ministers have backed a 'stand still' transition where all rules stay the same for at least two years after Brexit but nothing has been agreed or signed. There are fears major businesses will relocate their business to Europe to ensure they keep access to the single market and would not return if or when a new UK-EU trade deal is established. The private letter, which is believed not to have been sent yet, has been signed by the CBI, British Chambers of Commerce, manufacturing trade body EEF, the Institute of Directors and the Federation of Small Businesses. It said: 'Agreement (on a transition) is needed as soon as possible, as companies are preparing to make serious decisions at the start of 2018, which will have consequences for jobs and investment in the UK. 'And the details of any transitional arrangement matter: the economic relationship the UK and EU has during this time-limited period must match as close as possible the status quo.' The letter added: 'It is vital that companies only have to undertake one adjustment as a result of the UK's withdrawal, not two - and that businesses, the UK Government and authorities in the EU have enough time to make the changes needed to deliver Brexit successfully.' Commenting on behalf of the Open Britain campaign group for close ties with the EU, Labour MP Chuka Umunna said: 'Business groups are understandably alarmed by the Government's lack of progress in the talks. 'And the full-blown Cabinet disagreements over how a transition period would work make it even less likely that a deal will be reached. Ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage (pictured secon right on GMB today) warned Britain voted for Brexit and not a transition There are fears major businesses will relocate their business to Europe to ensure they keep access to the single market and would not return if or when a new UK-EU trade deal is established 'No deal would be devastating for business, for people's jobs and wages and for national security. The Prime Minister needs to face up to the reality of the situation, stop pandering to the ideological zealots driving the country towards a cliff-edge, and commit to staying in the Single Market and Customs Union.' A spokesperson for the Department for Exiting the European Union said: 'The prime minister proposed a strictly time-limited implementation period in her Florence speech and was clear in her article 50 letter that agreeing this principle early in the process would help minimise unnecessary disruption to businesses in both the UK and the EU. 'We are making real and tangible progress in a number of vital areas in negotiations. However, many of the issues that remain are linked to the discussions we need to have on our future relationship. 'That is why we are pleased that the EU has now agreed to start internal preparatory discussions on the framework for transitional arrangements as well as our future partnership.' Theresa May won no more than a commitment the EU will start drawing up its own position on future trade at a summit last week (pictured is the PM's press conference at the conclusion) Mr Farage today told Good Morning Britain a 50billion exit bill would be 'unacceptable' He said: 'We didn't vote for a transition deal, we voted to leave.' Downing Street said the details of the 'implementation period' would have to be discussed alongside the final trade deal. 'The implementation period is a bridge to where we are headed in terms of the future relationship with the EU,' the Prime Minister's official spokesman said. 'Of course you need to know what that future relationship looks like in terms of the implementation period.' Asked whether a decision could be made on that by the end of December, the spokesman said: 'I'm not going to get ahead of myself. We have made clear that we want to get this agreed as soon as possible.' Alan Turing's report card from when he attended Sherborne School in Dorset is to go on display at the Fitzwilliam Musuem in Cambridge He is the man credited by many as the person who helped shorten World War II by cracking Nazi war codes and saving millions of lives in the process, but his school report card tells a different story to genius we have all come to know. While Alan Turing, who brought Bayesian statistics and cryptographic genius to Bletchley Park during the war, showed 'distinct promise' in maths, his ideas in physics were deemed vague and messy by his teachers when a schoolboy. Turing's report card from Sherborne school in Dorset will be going on display tomorrow at the Fitzwilliam Musuem in Cambridge as part of an exhibition called Codebreakers and Groundbreakers. Despite his obvious intelligence, Turing's mathematics master Donald Eperson said his Higher Certificate papers showed talent but commented that 'he must realise that ability to put a neat and tidy solution on paper - intelligible and legible - is necessary for a first-rate mathematician'. His physics masters Henry Gervis added: 'He has done some good work but generally sets it down badly. He must remember that Cambridge will want sound knowledge rather than vague ideas.' Turing's chemistry, maths and physics teachers clearly recognised his ability even while criticising his poor presentation, while other teachers were less forgiving. Alan Turing's school report when he was 16-years-old goes on show between October 24 to February 4 This is the copy of the school prize which Turing chose in honour of his 'first love' Christopher Morcom A letter which Alan Turing sent to his mother will also be on show His French master said Turing's 'proses have been very weak. Most of the mistakes are elementary and the result of hasty work'. And his reading ability was considered 'weak' by his English teacher, and despite showing promise in his essays, they were deemed a bit too ambitious. The revealing report card from when Turing was 16 could help inspire others who struggl at school during their GCSE years, proving that all is not lost as the codebreaker went on gain a first class honours at King's College, Cambridge, where he became a fellow aged 22. Turing was the subject of the 2014 film 'The Imitation Game' starring Benedict Cumberbatch, which detailed his life from his time at school to his death in 1952 aged just 41. After he was convicted of gross indecency for engaging in homosexual acts, Turing accepted chemical castration and spiraled into depressions, where he committed suicide by cyanide poisoning. Despite his death being ruled suicide, Turing's mother said it was 'quite probably' his death from cyanide poisoning was a mistake Along with items from Turing's time at school, such as the prize he received in honour of Morcom (above), codebreaking machines will also be on display at the exhibition The exhibition will go on display along with a science book which Turing bought for himself as a prize in honour of his 'first love' Christopher Morcom, a fellow pupil at Sherborne school who died aged 18 from bovine tuberculosis. Two coding devices will also be on show including a rare 1944 U-Boat Enigma M4, made exclusively for the U-boat division of the Kriegsmarine and used by the Nazis to disseminate secret communications to and from their submarines in the Atlantic. The second is a Typex Mark 22, a device used by the British for exchanging secret messages. The exhibition runs from October 24 to February 4. Arthur Collins, 25, allegedly hurled the acid across the dancefloor after a fight broke out The former boyfriend of The Only Way Is Essex star Ferne McCann accused of carrying out an acid attack in nightclub punched a clubber in the face at another nightclub, a court heard today. Arthur Collins, 25, allegedly injured 16 people by hurling acid across the dancefloor at the Wringer and Mangle club in Hackney, East London. His friend Andre Phoenix, 21, is said to have helped him carry out the attack at the Love Juice event in the early hours of April 17, Easter Monday. Collins, of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, wearing a grey t-shirt with 'CANDY KILLER' emblazoned across it, hurled the acid across the dancefloor after a fight broke out with another group, it is said. A week before Collins, who is the father of Ms McCann's unborn child, had text his sister mentioning acid being in his car, jurors were told. Wood Green Crown Court heard Collins has a previous conviction for assault occasioning actual bodily harm from December 28, 2015. Luke Ponte, prosecuting, said: 'Mr Collins punched the victim in the face at a nightclub.' He initially gave a no comment interview, but after he was identified gave a prepared statement saying it was a pre-emptive strike, the court was told. Jurors also heard of an iMessage Collins sent to his sister, Chenade Rowe, on April 10 this year. The message read: 'Tell mum to mind that little hand wash in my car acid.' Mr Ponte told jurors: 'The Candy Killer t-shirt, as worn by Mr Collins, are available to be purchased on Amazon.' Collins allegedly injured 16 people by hurling acid across the dancefloor at the Wringer and Mangle club in Hackney, East London (pictured) Phoenix was arrested on April 21 near his home in Tottenham, and gave a no comment interview. Collins was arrested on April 23. Mr Ponte said: 'He was asked a series of questions, to which he answered no comment.' Descriptions of the injuries were read to the court as agreed facts. The court was told about the horrific injuries suffered by some of the clubbers. Two of the victims sustained serious injuries after the acid soaked into their clothes and into their skin. One woman required surgery when she developed an abscess as a result of a third degree burn becoming infected. Of the alleged GBH victims, Makai Brown suffered chemical burns to his face, neck and shoulder area, covering 1.5 per cent of his body, and later underwent a skin graft. Kwami Licorish suffered a 'severe widespread chemical burn' to his left eye, and wounds on his face, while Ruam Mota had wounds to his cheeks, chest, arm and hand. A week before the incident Collins (right), who is the father of the unborn child of Ferne McCann (left, together), had text his sister mentioning acid being in his car, jurors were told. Meanwhile, Sophie Hall suffered injuries to her face, chest, shoulders and arms. She had a scratch on her eye with chemical conjunctivitis, and was prescribed eye medications. Phoebe Georgiou suffered burns to her neck and chest, and had splash marks elsewhere. Other agreed facts included previous convictions for three alleged victims - Mr Brown, Mr Licorish and Mr Mota - who Collins and Phoenix are said to have got in a fight with. Mr Brown has a conviction from 2007 for possession of a lock knife, which he discarded under a car. Mr Licorish's record includes attempted robbery, robbery, and possession of a prohibited weapon - two cans of pepper spray - found at his home. And Mr Mota has a conviction for robbery and possessing a bladed article, after he was found with a 7-8inch lock knife during a stop and search. Collins and Phoenix, of Tottenham, North London, deny five counts of causing GBH with intent, and 11 counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The trial continues. The deadline is approaching for central New York students to apply for a congressional nomination to attend a U.S. service academy. Applications are due Friday, Nov. 3, according to U.S. Rep. John Katko's office. Students who will graduate from high school on or before July 1, 2018 are eligible to apply. To be considered for a nomination, students must complete an application, attach a photo, write a 500-word statement and submit two letters of recommendation. They must include their resume, academic transcripts and standardized test scores. The application form is available on Katko's congressional website at katko.house.gov/services/military-academy-nominations. For more information, contact Michael Fandrich in Katko's Syracuse office at (315) 423-5657 or michael.fandrich@mail.house.gov. Congressional nominations are required for students to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Naval Academy. A nomination from a congressional representative isn't required to attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Katko may nominate up to 10 students for vacant academy slots. Last year, he endorsed 11 central New York students to attend military service academies. Students who are admitted to a service academy must serve at least five years in the military after graduation. The 24th Congressional District covers the western portion of Oswego County all of Cayuga, Onondaga and Wayne counties. A furious diner compared a restaurant to Fawlty Towers after she was charged 2.50 for just seven chips. Leanne Williams slammed The Clock Face Pub and Restaurant in St Helens, Merseyside, for its meagre portion in a scathing review online. Ms Williams, who had visited for a meal with her family, was shocked when she received a reply from the restaurant's boss Jamie Fildes sarcastically thanking her for the'glowing review'. Mr Fildes then quipped: 'I count eight chips, I think someone's had a sneaky one too, that makes nine'. Leanne Williams was far from impressed with the meagre portion of chips served at The Clock Face Pub and Restaurant in St Helens, Merseyside He then dared to comment on how much Ms Williams had chosen to eat, by saying he was 'surprised she had room' for the chips after having steak and ale pie and roast potatoes - prompting the customer to brand him 'childish'. Ms Williams, from St Helens, said: 'It was like something out of Fawlty Towers, I couldn't believe it. 'We'd gone out for a nice family meal to celebrate my girlfriend's grandma's birthday. 'We pre-booked and my partner's aunt had ordered the burger and chips. 'The meal was served on a small side plate with seven or eight chips on it - it looked like a doll-sized portion of food. 'It was 5.50 for the burger and 2.50 for seven chips, I couldn't believe it. 'Her aunt had just had a stroke and is still struggling to speak. She didn't feel confident speaking about so I waited until we finished our meal to write the review. Ms Williams Facebook battle with restaurant boss Jamie Fildes, who quipped: 'I count eight chips, I think someone's had a sneaky one too, that makes nine' 'When I saw the reply I just thought ''what a cheek''. I was a bit shocked by it and I thought it was disgusting.' Ms Williams claimed the tirade upset her girlfriend's family who have regularly visited the restaurant for the past three years. She said: 'We were going to go there as a party of 12 for Christmas Day but I've said if they decide to go I won't. 'I'd rather sit at home and eat cheese on toast than go back there and give them my money. 'How do you expect to run a business with an attitude like that?' Mr Fildes said that when the party pre-ordered their food they had requested a kid's meal of burger and chips - which is why the portion was the size it was. Mr Fildes, director of The Clock Face Pub and Restuarant (pictured) claimed the Facebook comments were 'banter' and he expected them to be taken in the spirit they were made Mr Fildes also claimed the Facebook comments were 'banter' and he expected them to be taken in the spirit they were made. The restaurant boss, 31, said: 'It was a daft, flippant comment which was satirical and meant to be banter and wasn't meant to cause any offence. 'I hold my hands up, I should have been a bit more clued up, but I've learned a valuable lesson.' Mr Fildes said the size of the meal, and number of chips, was down to an alleged mix-up on the order form. 'On the pre-order it said it was a kid's meal. Ideally they should have said something along the lines of 'you have messed up here and given us a child's portion', and it could have been sorted straight away', he said. Ms Williams said she was 'disgusted' by Mr Fildes comments and vowed never to return to the pub again 'It's not a fair comment to make as our portions are big. 'If anything I'm over reasonable and will do anything to make anyone feel comfortable. 'Out of 265 meals served that day we didn't get one complaint. 'How can you come to a restaurant once a week for three years, leave a one-star review and then wait until she'd finished to put it all over social media? 'For a table to leave a 10 tip, this suggests to me that the food has been good. 'I never once said anything bad about them, I was trying to defend a review that was on my page, I was never nasty - I kept it professional.' Stephanie Roberts, 20, is accused of attacking her friend with a kitchen knife after taking a cocktail on anti-psychotic drugs and alcohol A 20-year-old woman attacked her student friend with a kitchen knife after taking a cocktail of booze and anti-anxiety drugs, a court heard. Stephanie Roberts slashed Ravi Benitez, 19, across the face when she came to visit him at university. A court heard Ms Roberts had taken anti-anxiety drug Xanax before going out drinking with Mr Benitez and his friends on November 24 last year. When they returned to Mr Benitez's flat at Warwick University which he shared with other students, Roberts attacked him with a 6 inch kitchen knife. Mr Benitez suffered slash wounds before a security guard managed to wrestle the blade out of Roberts' hands. Roberts, of South Kensington, London, admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm when she appeared at Warwick Crown Court on Friday. The court heard Mr Benitez and Roberts had known each-other for several years when she traveled from her home in London to visit him. When she was arrested she told police one of his friends had said she was 'crazy,' which had led to a confrontation between her and Mr Benitez. Mr Benitez then took Roberts to a bedroom in his flat where she was to spend the night, before going to his own room. Roberts was in 'a high emotional state,' and wanted to call her father, the court heard. But her phone was not working, so Mr Benitez gave her his phone. As she called her father, asking him to come and pick her up, she armed herself with a large red-handled kitchen knife and began to kick and slash at Mr Benitez's door. One of his flatmates called security, and when officers arrived they saw blood on the walls from a cut to Roberts' thumb, and broken glass on the floor. Prosecutor Cathlyn Orchard said: 'Plainly it was the case that he had nowhere to go, and when they came in he was backed up on his bed.' The court heard Roberts pointed the knife at Mr Benitez before telling him: 'I'd rather kill the person who's f****ed me up the most - you. Ms Roberts' attack on Mr Benitez was recorded on a bodycam worn by a Warwick University security guard who pleaded with the student to stop 'I'm not emotional. I'm letting things out. You tried to possess me.' She then called her father on the phone, and told him: 'If you knew what was happening to me, you would come and get me right now, as a father. 'You need to get me before I kill him, you need to get me right now. 'Do you understand me? You come and get me right now. Get me right now, and get me out of this situation right now.' The court heard a security guard was recorded on his bodycam pleading with Roberts to drop the knife. He told her: 'You'll make it a hell of a lot worse.' Continuing to speak to her father, Roberts told him: 'I'm not putting anything down until you come and get me. Come and get me right now. I will kill Ravi, OK?' She then lunged at Mr Benitez slashing his face and to his hand as he tried to protect himself, telling him: 'You liar, you liar. You lied to me, you liar.' Calling out to her father, she screamed: 'Get me now if you don't want your daughter to be in jail. Come here right now.' Deputy Judge Phillip Wassal remarked: 'Having seen that (bodycam footage), it emphasises the importance of us seeing it. Her reactions are so bizarre and so out of control.' He adjourned the case and bailed Roberts for a future date for a trial of issue. Theresa May faces a defeat over plans to give the government sweeping 'Henry VIII powers' in the Brexit Bill, a leading Tory backbencher last night warned. Jacob Rees-Mogg warned that Conservative rebels are probably plotting behind the scenes with Labour to add a string of amendments to the so-called Repeal Bill. He said there is 'probably a majority' for voting down plans to give ministers powers to change EU legislation when they put it into British law without parliamentary scrutiny. His stark warning comes after Labour vowed to work with rebels in a bid to make a slew of changes to the Bill in a bid to water down Brexit. The Government is facing a bitter battle to get to EU Withdrawal Bill through both Houses of Parliament. Tory MP and Brexiteer Jacob Rees Mogg, pictured at Tory Party conference earlier this month, said the government faces defeat over plans to give ministers sweeping powers dubbed 'Henry VIII powers' Ministers have twice delayed bringing the Bill to the Commons after a staggering 300 amendments were tabled to it in a bid to water down the legislation. Mr Rees-Mogg told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: 'I'm sure cross-party working is happening. WHAT ARE HENRY VIII POWERS? Henry VIII powers give ministers the ability to change bits of EU law as it is turned into British law. It is named after the famous English King after the Statute of Proclamations 1539 which gave King Henry the power to legislate by proclamation. The government insists the powers will be used sparingly and are needed to make small technical changes without bogging Parliament down. But critics say that by bypassing parliament ministers will be handed sweeping powers to make hasty, ill thought-out legislation. In total, the government estimates that 800 to 1,000 measures called statutory instruments will be required to make sure the bill functions properly. Advertisement 'The Labour party would be very foolish if they weren't talking to Tory MPs who have doubts.' He added: 'I think they would be likely to win on the Henry VIII powers. 'I think there's probably a majority against the government on that, and that's the biggest risk for the government.' Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer yesterday announced his strategy to try to make it harder for the PM to get the all-important Repeal Bill through the Commons. The Bill is crucial for formalising Brexit by putting into British law all the legislation which we have signed up to while members of the EU. Sir Keir said the Government fears it could face defeat on some 13 amendments - potentially throwing Mrs May's Brexit plans into disarray. Writing in the Sunday Times yesterday, Sir Keir said a 'completely different approach' is needed to the use of so-called Henry VIII powers. Sir Keir described the changes as 'silencing Parliament and handing sweeping powers' to ministers. He said it is 'clear' that ministers cannot proceed with the Bill as it stands and threatened to 'work with all sides' to get his changes made - unless ministers adopt them and end the 'paralysis'. Theresa May, pictures with Angeal Merkel and Emmanuel Macron at last week's EU Summit where EU leaders rebuffed her pleas to move on to Brexit trade talks The disastrous General Election means Mrs May relies on the ten DUP for her Commons majority. This means that if just a handful of Tory rebels switching sides she faces humiliating defeats. And Mrs May's Brexit plans have been hit by a string of problems since her June 8 humiliation. She travelled to Brussels last week to urge leaders of EU member states to move on to Brexit trade talks. But her pleas were rebuffed and the EU refused - although in a slight shift in position they said they would hold internal talks on preparing for trade talks - but made it clear the UK would not be invited to the table. She will update the House of Commons on the progress made in a statement this afternoon. A man has been filmed clinging to the top of his friend's car in an apparent car surfing incident. The anonymous male was lying flat against the vehicle which was spotted cruising down Noble Avenue in the western Sydney suburb of Greenacre on Monday afternoon, Nine News reports. He was wearing a white shirt and cargo shorts when the incident took place at around 5pm. Scroll down for video The anonymous male was lying flat against the vehicle which was spotted cruising down Noble Avenue in Greenacre on Monday afternoon (pictured) The green car only had one driver inside - no extra passengers. It also had a P-plate attached to the registration plate, confirmed a witness. Social media commenters were quick to condemn the dangerous behaviour. Social media commenters were quick to condemn the dangerous behaviour The police were called and are currently investigating the matter 'Pity the driver didn't slam his brakes on. Problem idiot solved,' one person wrote. 'What a shame he didnt fall off = idiot,' another added. The police were called and are currently investigating the matter. ISIS fanatics have executed at least 128 civilians in a Syrian town within a matter of days, it has emerged. Dozens of the victims were shot or knifed to death before being dumped in a pit in Qaryatayn, in Syria's central Homs province. The massacre happened over a period of just 20 days with the majority killed 48 hours before the terror group was forced out of the desert town by Syrian troops. ISIS fanatics have executed at least 128 civilians in a Syrian town in Homs province (file picture), it has emerged The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which monitors ISIS activity in the country, said prisoners had been accused of collaborating with the Syrian regime. The Observatory says most of the dead were killed during the militant group's three-week seizure of the town which started on October 1. Victims included two women and a doctor. 'After the regime retook it (on Saturday), the town's residents found the bodies on the streets. They had been shot dead or executed with knives,' said the SOHR's Abdel Rahman. ISIS has suffered major setbacks in recent months and was recently driven out of Raqqa (pictured), the capital of its self-proclaimed caliphate 'Most of the ISIS fighters who attacked the town a month ago were sleeper cells... They are from the town, know the town's residents and who is for or against the regime,' he said. The majority of those killed were executed in the last two days before ISIS lost the town again, he added. Syrian troops and allied fighters regained control of the town on Saturday. The activist-run Palmyra Coordination Committee has published the names of the killed. It says at least 35 of the victims were found shot and their bodies dumped in a shaft. ISIS has suffered major setbacks in recent months and was recently driven out of Raqqa, the capital of its self-proclaimed caliphate. A British expat living in Taiwan angered his wife when he made the drunken decision to tattoo the island's name on his forehead in huge Chinese characters. Paul, 32, is said to be an avid supporter of Taiwan's sovereignty movement, but he shocked his Taiwanese wife when he came home with the words 'Tai' and 'Wan' inked on his head and the country's independence flag tattooed on his chin. The Brit, who met his wife during a working-holiday trip in Australia in the mid-2000s, has been living in Taiwan for over a decade and now resides in the south-western city of Kaohsiung. Paul, 32, is said to be an avid supporter of Taiwan's sovereignty and independence movement, but he shocked his Taiwanese wife when he came home with the words 'tai wan' inked on his head and a Taiwan independence flag tattooed on his chin The British expat living in Taiwan angered his wife when he made the drunken decision to tattoo the island's name on his forehead in huge Chinese characters Paul is seen here being led away by police after he was booked for drink-driving. It is not clear when he was arrested, though the pictures show his tattooed face He even had the same green, alternative Taiwan independence flag - made by the World Taiwanese Congress - tattooed on his right arm a year ago. By Paul's own admission, the rash decision to ink the name of Taiwan on his forehead came during a night of heavy drinking and after a passionate discussion about Taiwan's independence. He is said to have picked out the nearest tattoo parlour and then demanded the words and green flag be inked on his face. Tattoo artist Wei Cheng, who has been accused of taking advantage of his drunk client, argues that he questioned Paul's decision numerous times before proceeding with the session. 'Are you sure you want to tattoo this on your face?' Wei said he asked Paul, who replied: 'I love Taiwan. Tattoo it on my face.' Wei said: 'I told him he could even be pulled over by the police, but he said he would change his passport photo.' Wei noted that his enthusiastic client even shaved his beard himself before the session and was 'very pleased' with the end result, uploading photos of his new tattoo online. The tattooed Brit was arrested for drink driving at some stage after getting the tattoos. By Paul's own admission, the rash decision to ink the name of Taiwan on his forehead came during a night of heavy drinking and after a passionate discussion about Taiwan's independence. Last year he got the independence flag tattooed on his arm Tattoo artist Wei Cheng (left), who has been accused of taking advantage of his drunk client, argues that he questioned Paul's (right) decision numerous times before proceeding with the session. 'Are you sure you want to tattoo this on your face?' Wei said he asked Paul, who replied: 'I love Taiwan. Tattoo it on my face.' The Brit's wife, however, was not pleased with the 'artwork'. 'My wife doesn't like it. She's very angry,' Paul told local media in fluent Mandarin. 'I'm stupid,' he added. 'I love Taiwan. That's why I did this,' Paul said, adding: 'But I wouldn't have done this had I not been drunk.' When asked what he plans to do about the tattoo, the Brit said: 'I don't know.' Doctors in Taiwan said it may take 10 painful sessions and 200,000 TWD (5,000 GBP) to have the tattoo lightened via laser treatment, and it will take much more than that to have it fully removed. This video shows how dangers lurk all around for baby elephants as a young calf panics when it gets stuck while playing in a mud bath - even nearly getting sat on by its mum. Corne van Tonder was enjoying a sunset cruise on the Chobe River in Botswana, Africa, this summer when he spotted 12 elephants cross to an island and begin rolling around in a mud bath. The 40-year-old was just over five metres away from the animals when he spotted a baby become stuck in the deep mud and quickly began filming. Corne van Tonder was enjoying a cruise on the Chobe River in Botswana, Africa, this summer when he spotted 12 elephants cross to an island and begin rolling around in a mud bath Footage shows the calf's oblivious mother almost squash her baby as she too struggles to get up the river bank, while the youngster squeals with frustration as it keeps sinking in the mud. Corne, from Brakpan, in South Africa, said: 'I love watching and photographing elephants. There is so much going on when there is a herd of elephants. As big as they are they are so gentle and caring with each other. 'They were taking turns rolling around in the mud pit. The mum and baby went in and the little one got stuck and started complaining and the mum almost sat on him. 'The baby elephant wasn't in any pain. He was just stuck in the mud and his mum wasn't great help at the time as she was struggling as well. Footage shows the calf's oblivious mother almost squash her baby as she too struggles to get up the river bank, while the youngster squeals with frustration as it keeps sinking in the mud Corne said: 'The baby elephant wasn't in any pain. He was just stuck in the mud and his mum wasn't great help at the time as she was struggling as well' 'The elephants swam through the Chobe River to get to the island. They cross the river on a daily basis to go grazing on the island. All the elephants left the mud pit at the same time. 'They have a very close knit family and the aunts, siblings and grandmother are always there for support. There are quite big crocodiles in the river and lying on the banks. 'I think the herd of elephants enjoy slipping and sliding in the mud because it helps them to cool down and get rid of parasites as the mud dries. The young ones enjoy playing in the mud and water. 'When I started traveling around Southern Africa I wanted to share my experiences with friends and family. When people see where I go and what I see it makes them want to travel and explore our neighbouring countries.' To safety: Corne said: 'I think the herd of elephants enjoy slipping and sliding in the mud because it helps them to cool down and get rid of parasites as the mud dries. The young ones enjoy playing in the mud and water' Corne said: 'You get to travel into the Chobe reserve and experience nature from the water and if you lucky you get to see herds of elephants swim across the river to the island' The electrical technician has been capturing wildlife photography and videos for five years and says that Botswana, in southern Africa, is his favourite spot for taking amazing footage. Corne said: 'The conservation areas are vast and having no fences lets the animals get close to you. You have nature unfold in front of you. You can quickly fill up a memory card at a waterhole. 'You get to travel into the Chobe reserve and experience nature from the water and if you lucky you get to see herds of elephants swim across the river to the island. 'My favourite place to photograph and film wildlife is in Southern Africa as we are spoiled for choice. Kruger National Park is good but Botswana is by far the best for me. 'The ultimate place for me to visit to photograph would be the Maasai Mara in Kenya and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. 'I would love to travel through Africa in my four-by-four. There is so much to take in and appreciate in Africa.' Electrical technician Corne Van Tonder (pictured) has been capturing wildlife photography and videos for five years and says that Botswana, in southern Africa, is his favourite spot for taking amazing footage A mother-of-two has appeared in court today charged with murdering her 18-month-old son who fell to his death from a sixth-floor flat. Gemma Procter, 23, cried loudly as she was brought up the steps into the court and was given tissues by the two female security officers who escorted her. As she was led away from court, a man in the gallery shouted 'love you babe' at the defendant, causing her to reply 'love you babe' back. Elliot Procter fell to his death from the sixth floor of the Newcastle House block of flats in Bradford on Saturday. Sajad Chaudhury told a district judge at Bradford Magistrates Court that Procter denies the charge of murdering her son. The 23-year-old charged on suspicion of murder has been named as Gemma Procter The defendant appeared in court wearing a grey sweatshirt and grey tracksuit bottoms and sporting long red hair. Procter was remanded in custody and will appear again before Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday. Mr Chaudhury told the court it was a 'tragic event'. He said: 'Clearly, it's a horrific and traumatic incident for all people involved and the defendant's family is in court supporting her. This is a defendant who denies the charge of murder.' The solicitor said: 'The incident happened around 5pm. It's very important for any witnesses to come forward who have any CCTV or any video footage on their phones or who have seen anything in terms of behaviour from anyone in the days leading up to the incident. 'That may relate to witnesses on the 6th floor and the floor below.' He said: 'There are certain things they could have seen. People may have thought them insignificant but, for us, they may be significant.' Officers were called to the Newcastle House flats in Bradford at about 5.10pm on Saturday afternoon following a report that a child had suffered life-threatening injuries Mr Chaudhury said: 'We are asking for any footage to be handed in to them (the police) and any witnesses to come forward to them.' He told the district judge: 'There were incidents in the days leading up to and on the day of the incident.' The solicitor explained how the flats were part of a large block and had a high turnover of residents. He said he wanted publicity so as many residents as possible would be aware. Mr Chaudhury asked for the reporting restriction to be lifted to allow him to make the appeal. A police officer on a balcony at Newcastle House in Bradford yesterday, where 18-month-old baby Elliot Procter died following a fall from a sixth-floor window The incident was reported to police at about 5.10pm on Saturday. Despite the efforts of people at the flats in the Barkerend area of the city, police said it was quickly apparent that he had died. Neighbours said Procter was living in the flat with boyfriend Luke Green, 21, the toddler and a baby daughter. Horrified residents spoke of the shocking moment they saw the baby fall to his death. Witness Danuta Tomaszewicz, 59, said the little boy was naked when her husband and a friend went to help. She had been on her phone, looking out of the window from the first floor flat that they are decorating when she suddenly noticed the child on the ground below. Mrs Tomaszewicz, who is Polish, at first thought it was a doll. Her niece Monika Tomaszewicz said: 'She realised it was a real baby when she saw he was trying to catch his breath and his belly was moving. The woman charged with the murder of a baby who fell from the sixth floor of a block of flats has been named as 23-year-old Gemma Procter An officer leaves Newcastle House, in Bradford, when a baby died following a fall 'She screamed for help and her husband and his friend ran downstairs. The friend took his shirt off because the baby was naked.' Another helper rang 999 and an ambulance arrived after around 20 minutes, the niece said. As they waited the men tried to comfort the boy, holding his head and talking to him. The witness wept as her niece said: 'She could not sleep at all last night. She doesn't know how she is going to live here as every time she looks out of the window she will see the baby. 'They tried their best for the baby.' Fourth floor resident Andrew Brook, 51, a part time cleaner and one of those who dialled 999, said: 'I looked out of the window and saw the toddler's body on the ground. 'I called for an ambulance. It was a shocking sight. When I looked up I could see the sixth floor window open. 'By the time I went down to help there was an East European couple there in some distress with the baby.' Gemma Procter has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of her baby Another resident said: 'I can't believe what has happened. 'I knew the family and they had two young children that I saw in prams a few times. 'I saw police escorting people from the building last night but I had no idea what had happened. 'I think the family who lived in the flat had been there for around a year. Newcastle House, which has shops on the ground floor and seven stories of flats above, stands above Bradford city centre 'They were in their early twenties and her boyfriend had been round to my flat a few times just asking for milk or usual things. 'I can't believe it.' Another resident added: 'I don't know them personally but there is a woman and her boyfriend who live at the flat with two young children. 'It is such a shock to hear about and I only heard it this morning...I can't believe it.' Newcastle House, which has shops on the ground floor and seven stories of flats above, stands above Bradford city centre. Entry to the building is controlled by intercom. Israeli police detained 15 suspected Jewish extremists following an undercover investigation into a group accused of tracking down and threatening Arab men dating Jewish women, authorities said Sunday. Among those arrested was Benzi Gopstein, a prominent leader of the Israeli extreme-right group Lehava. Arrests and searches for evidence were carried out simultaneously at addresses in Jerusalem, northern and southern Israel and in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, police said. Members of the Jewish extreme-right group Lehava, including its leader, Benzi Gopstein (pictured) were arrested on Sunday in Israel for threatening Arab men dating Jewish woman 'Fifteen suspects known to the police as active in the Lehava organisation were arrested or detained for questioning during the night as part of a police investigation on suspicion that they acted to locate and threaten (Arab) minority members with connections to Jewish young women or girls,' a police statement said. Five of the suspects were later taken for remand hearings, police said. Lehava opposes inter-marriage. In August 2014, its activists staged a rally where racist slogans, including 'Death to Arabs!', were shouted at the wedding near Tel Aviv of a Muslim man and Jewish woman. Arabs account for some 17.5 per cent of Israel's eight million population, and are descendants of Palestinians who remained on their land following the creation of Israel in 1948. Speaking to reporters at his hearing at Jerusalem magistrates' court, Gopstein said he was arrested for telling a Jewish woman that she should not date an Arab man, insisting he did no wrong. 'Lehava operates within the limits of law only,' he said. 'It's all nonsense.' The court put Gopstein under house arrest, while the remand of two others was extended by two days. The rest were allowed to return home, Haaretz newspaper said. The police statement said that the latest arrests were the result of an undercover investigation. 'It uncovered organised and pre-meditated activity believed to have been carried out by the suspects, known members of Lehava,' it said. In April, six Israelis, including two soldiers, were arrested for alleged racist attacks against Arabs with knives and other weapons and charged with 'terrorist' offences. Police said they were influenced by a Lehava video. Critics of Lehava argue that the group seeks to sow hatred between Jews and Arabs and are regularly fanning the flames of violence in the already troubled and bloodied region. Since its establishment, Lehava launched anti-Arab campaigns everywhere from shops and beaches to the synagogues and schools, bidding the public not only to report any Jewish-Arab romantic liaisons, but also not to rent Arabs apartments, and not employ them in workplaces. In 2011, the group even issued 'kashrut' certificates to praise businesses which illegally refrained from employing Arabs. Lehava opposes inter-marriage. In 2014, at the marriage party of Morel Malka (a Jewish woman who converted to Islam) and Mahmoud Mansour (a Muslim), Lehava organised loud protests outside the wedding venue. Pictured above, Malka at the wedding In 2014, the Times of Israel reported three Lehava members were arrested and sentenced to prison terms for setting fire to a bilingual Jewish-Arab school in Jerusalem and for spray painting racist incitement messages on the school walls echoing the views of Lehava - 'There is no coexistence with cancer'; 'Death to the Arabs'; and 'Kahane was right'. Also in 2014, at the marriage party of Morel Malka (a Jewish woman who converted to Islam) and Mahmoud Mansour (a Muslim), Lehava organised loud protests outside the wedding venue, where crowds of activists screamed 'Mohammed is dead,' and 'Death to Arabs.' In the weeks prior, Lehava published a copy of the wedding invitation on their Facebook page and invited activists to come to protest the union with 'banners and bullhorns,' while a court issued a restraining order against the group, bidding them to remain 200 metres away from the venue, The Times of Israel reported. A crowd of Israeli supporters also gathered opposite the Lehava protestors, holding a counter-demonstration as a show of support for the couple. Israel's president Reuven Rivlin himself congratulated the couple, whilst denouncing Lehava's incitement as akin to 'rodents gnawing under the shared democratic and Jewish foundation of Israel.' At the wedding of his own daughter in 2014, Mr Gopstein said were an Arab waiter to be found at the venue, the waiter 'would likely be looking for the closest hospital', according to the New York Times. Gopstein was also questioned by police in 2015 after he condoned torching churches in Israel, in accordance with a mediaeval Jewish commandment to destroy places of idol-worship. The Israeli government has also weighed banning Lehava. In January 2015, Israel's defence minister Moshe Yaalon said he is considering outlawing Lehava. 'I did this because we cannot as a country allow racist phenomena to endanger in a substantial way the fabric of life here. I did it because we must fight in every way attempts to discriminate among people because of their race, colour, sex or sexual preference,' Mr Yaalon said. But Mr Yaalon's words did not result in a ban and in August 2015, Israel's internal security agency, the Shin Bet, said it is lacking the conclusive evidence to outlaw the group. Boris Johnson said today warned the 'trembling human race' feared imminent nuclear war as he called on North Korea and Iran to back off weapons programmes. The Foreign Secretary used a major foreign policy speech to say the global community should not need a nuclear weapon to be used in anger before re-learning the lessons of World War Two. He hit out at the risks of a 'Reservoir Dogs' style stand off with nuclear armed powers facing off despite the mutually assured destruction of firing first. Addressing the Chatham House think tank, Mr Johnson said the nuclear non-proliferation treaty signed in the aftermath of the US bombing Japan had been an act of almost 'evolutionary' wisdom by governments around the world. Despite the dire warning of global catastrophe, Mr Johnson said US President Donald Trump was right to prepare for a nuclear stand off with North Korea. Boris Johnson (pictured today at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel) said today warned the 'trembling human race' feared imminent nuclear war In a speech to Chatham House (pictured), the Foreign Secretary used a major foreign policy speech to say the global community should not need a nuclear weapon to be used in anger before re-learning the lessons of World War Two. Mr Johnson hit out at the risks of a 'Reservoir Dogs' style stand off with nuclear armed powers facing off despite the mutually assured destruction of firing first at a major speech to the Chatham House London Conference at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel (pictured) Mr Johnson said no one wants a military response to the crisis and suggested that the Iran process represented the kind of 'diplomatic imagination' that could provide a solution. Comparing the situation to the Cold War, the Foreign Secretary said: 'The public can be forgiven for genuinely starting to wonder whether the nuclear sword of Damocles is once again held over the head of a trembling human race.' The Foreign Secretary praised US secretary of state Rex Tillerson for opening the door to dialogue with Kim Jong-un, even though Mr Trump has said negotiating is a 'waste of time'. His intervention comes amid concern at what has been seen as inflammatory rhetoric from Mr Trump and Kim, whom the president called 'Rocket Man' after a series of missile tests. Giving a speech at Chatham House in London, Mr Johnson called for 'toughness but engagement' with Pyongyang to de-escalate tensions. He said: 'It is right that Rex Tillerson has specifically opened the door to dialogue. He has tried to give some sensible reassurances to the regime, to enable them to take up this offer. 'This is the moment for North Korea's regime to change course. Boris Johnson today said that Donald Trump is right to prepare for war with North Korea 'And if they do the world can show it is once again capable of the diplomatic imagination that produced the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and that after 12 years of continuous effort produced the nuclear deal with Iran.' But he also stressed the need to keep military options on the table, saying: 'Kim and the world need to understand that when the president of the United States contemplates a regime led by a man who not only threatens to reduce New York to 'ashes', but who stands on the verge of acquiring the power to make good on his threat, I am afraid that the US president whoever he or she might be will have an absolute duty to prepare any option to keep safe not only the American people but all those who have sheltered under the American nuclear umbrella.' He also warned of the dire consequences of failing to reach a diplomatic solution to the nuclear threat. 'A new generation has grown up with no memory of the threat of a nuclear winter, and little education in the appalling logic of mutually assured destruction,' Mr Johnson said. Mr Johnson's intervention comes amid concern at what has been seen as inflammatory rhetoric from Mr Trump and Kim Jong Un (pictured) 'The memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is now literally fading from living memory. The NPT is one of the great diplomatic achievements of the last century. 'It has stood the test of time [and] shows an unexpected wisdom on the part of humanity, and almost evolutionary instinct for the survival of the species. It is the job of our generation to preserve that agreement, and British diplomacy will be at the forefront of the endeavour.' He urged Trump to show the 'far-sightedness' not to quit the Iran nuclear deal. Mr Trump decertified the 2015 pact with Iran, complaining his predecessor Barack Obama had been taken advantage of in negotiations, and last week repeated his threat to pull out of the landmark deal entirely. Mr Johnson will urge Mr Trump to invoke the spirit of the 1970 NPT, which avoided a 'Gadarene rush to destruction' by turning the world into a 'great arena of Mexican stand-offs'. He will point out the success of the NPT rests on US protection of other nations, which he described as one of the 'greatest contributions' from America to the 'unprecedented epoch of peace and prosperity that we have all been living through'. A congressional delegation led by U.S. Rep. John Katko visited Germany and Jordan last week to examine security at two international airports and tour a refugee camp. The five-member group most of whom are members of the House Homeland Security Committee toured the Frankfurt International Airport in Germany, which has the most direct flights to the U.S. of any international airport. Katko, R-Camillus, and his colleagues met with officials there to discuss aviation security and information sharing. While in Frankfurt, the delegation also visited the Lufthansa Aviation Center. Lufthansa is the largest airline in Europe and provides international flights to the U.S. and 80 other countries. At the airline's headquarters, Katko toured its crisis operations center and met with company officials to learn more about their security infrastructure. They also discussed current threats to international aviation. The Germany leg of the trip included a briefing on Germany's political situation and European security at the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt. The Jordan swing featured a tour of Queen Alia International Airport, the country's largest airport, to review aviation security procedures and employee screening. The members of Congress met with Prince Faisal bin Al-Hussein at Husseiniya Palace near Amman, the nation's capital. According to the House Homeland Security Committee, the conversation with Prince Faisal focused on the Israel-Palestinian conflict and regional cooperation. Other stops in Jordan included a tour of the Za'atri Refugee Camp, where the delegation met with United Nations agencies and nongovernmental organizations. The camp has 83,000 refugees who fled from Syria. During their time at the camp, Katko and others met with refugees and children. The meetings were described as an "emotional experience for all." Katko and his colleagues capped off their trip to Jordan with a roundtable discussion at the U.S. Embassy in Amman and a visit to the Joint Training Center in Zarqa. The center is a base used to train Border Guard Forces. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps trains units within the Jordanian military. Before traveling to Germany and Jordan, the Katko-led delegation traveled to Amsterdam to review transportation security at the Amsterdam airport and the Port of Rotterdam. "Terrorists remain intent on taking down aircraft," Katko said in a statement. "We must continue to stay ahead of the evolving and persistent threat to the global aviation sector starting with enhanced coordination and collaboration with foreign partners. "Our delegation saw firsthand the security measures in place in both Amman and Frankfurt, including the benefits of legislation I championed last year. After examining three critical last point of departure airports, I remain committed to ensuring the security of passengers and cargo on direct flights into the United States, and building on our shared partnerships." Katko has returned to the U.S. He was in Washington Monday to advocate for passage of a Cuban airport security measure. The House passed the bill by voice vote. This is the touching moment a ward of hospital staff formed a 'guard of honour' for a brave schoolgirl as she celebrated finishing her 18th - and final - round of chemo. Alice Rossington, 12, celebrated the start of her cancer remission by reading a poem and ringing a bell, surrounded by the hospital staff who supported her after she was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in October, last year. Alice, from Grantham, Lincolnshire, had part of her fibula bone removed due to the tumor and is now having to learn to walk again with the help of physio. Brave: Alice Rossington, 12, (pictured) celebrated the start of her cancer remission by reading a poem and ringing a bell, surrounded by the hospital staff who supported her after she was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in October, last year Alice (pictured ringing the bell) from Grantham, Lincolnshire, had part of her fibula bone removed due to the tumor and is now having to learn to walk again with the help of physio Dad, Nick Rossington, 52, said: 'She has always been a happy, healthy girl, who loved to dance, especially ballet. 'She started complaining of pain in her leg, which we thought were growing pains, so it was a huge shock when Alice was finally diagnosed with cancer. 'From the start, Alice took everything in her stride, she knew it was something she just had to get through. 'Her strength of character has been amazing and every single member of staff, from the nurses to the chefs, have been with us every step of the way. In the video, mum, Victoria, 50, (picture) says: 'Can I just say to every single one of you. Thank you so much for everything you have done from the bottom of our hearts' Alice's father Nick Rossington, 52, said: 'From the start, Alice took everything in her stride, she knew it was something she just had to get through' Alice underwent an operation to remove the tumour in July, which meant the bone was replaced with an aluminum prosthesis (pictured in an X-ray) In the video, mum, Victoria, 50, says: 'Can I just say to every single one of you. Thank you so much for everything you have done from the bottom of our hearts. 'Our family has been brought back together again because of what every single one of you has done.' The video has now been viewed over 47,000 times on the hospital's Facebook page with inspiring comments from members of the public. Alice was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare tumour on her fibular leg bone, last October, and was given a treatment plan of 18 rounds of chemotherapy, over 26 weeks, on ward C2 of the Addenbrooke hospital, in Cambridge. She also underwent an operation to remove the tumour, in July, which meant the bone was replaced with an aluminum prosthesis and that the schoolgirl would need physio to learn to walk again. Nick said: 'When we were first told about the diagnoses she was really concerned about losing her hair but she has coped amazingly well with everything that's been thrown at her. 'She really suffered from the excruciating pain her legs and vomiting when she started her chemotherapy. 'It was heartbreaking to see but she has shown real strength of character. 'She was in very capable hands and the staff were a brilliant team.' Now in remission, Alice will start secondary school in January and is hoping to start dancing again in the near future. She is now back at home with her older brother Charlie, 22, and sister Isabella, 14. Nick said: 'We are a very close-knit family and her brother and sister have been very supportive, regularly visiting her at the hospital. 'It's brilliant to have her back at home.' Senior staff nurse, Carol Chenery, said: 'The most inspirational part of the video is that Alice managed to walk from her bed to the bell. 'That is the first time she had managed to walk that distance after her surgery. 'The bell really helps give a focus for the children that have to go through these really difficult treatments.' A driver was slapped with a $149 fine after his booming rendition of a 1990s dance hit landed him in hot water with Montreal police. Taoufik Moalla had just dropped off his children and was heading to the store, while singing along to C+C Music Factory's 'Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)'. But instead of buying groceries, Moalla was pulled over by four police officers who took exception to his passionate singing. Driver Taoufik Moalla was slapped with a $149 fine after his booming rendition of a 1990s dance hit landed him in hot water with Montreal police 'I was thinking they wanted to pass, but they called on the speaker, "Please go to the right side,"' Moalla told CTV Montreal. 'I stopped and four police came, two on each side, and checked the inside of the car. Then they asked me if I screamed. I said, "No, I was just singing."' Moalla said police demanded his licence and registration before handing him the hefty fine for screaming in public. Moalla had just dropped off his children and was heading to the store, while singing along to C+C Music Factory's 'Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)'. But the thudding beat and Moalla's passionate vocals failed to please Montreal officers who pulled him over According to a Montreal bylaw: 'To cause disorder by screaming' can be punishable by a fine of $50 to $1,000 for a first offence, and $100 to $2,000 for further infractions. But Moalla contested his singing was overly loud, telling CTV Montreal that he was just 'happy' and enjoying the song. Adding: 'I understand if they are doing their job, they are allowed to check if everything's okay, if I kidnapped someone or if there's danger inside but I would never expect they would give me a ticket for that.' Despite taking the ticket in good grace, the driver plans on contesting the ticket in court. While he is still waiting on a court date, which could take a year, Moalla said he planned on recounting the tale of how he got the ticket once in front of a judge. 'Imagine if the Canadiens won a game,' he said. Moalla said police demanded his licence and registration before handing him the hefty fine for screaming in public. Despite taking the ticket in good grace, the driver plans on contesting the ticket in court 'All the fans are going to scream out of their cars. They're going to sing. Are you going to give them all tickets?' Moalla's wife, remains unconvinced however. According to him, she said that his singing deserved a $300 fine. C+C Music Factory's 'Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)' was released in 1990 and enjoyed widespread commercial success. The song held the top spot in the US for two weeks and peaked at #3 in the UK. A couple in the South of France has been referred to the public prosecutor after naming their son 'Jihad'. Authorities in the Toulouse suburb of Leguevin were immediately alerted after the child, who was born in August, was given the Arabic name. The name is likely to cause controversy in France, which has suffered from a series of Islamic terrorist attacks by jihadists in recent years. Authorities in the Toulouse suburb of Leguevin were immediately alerted after the child, who was born in August, was given the Arabic name. Pictured: A stock image of a mother and child French parents are free to name their children as they wish, so long as the child - or any third party - is not harmed by it. But judges in a family court may ultimately ban the parents from calling their child 'Jihad'. In the past, names such as 'Nutella', 'Fraise' and 'Mini-Cooper' have been rejected by judges, according to Actu.fr. The word 'jihad' translates as 'struggle' and has various meanings. It can mean struggling against oneself in an attempt at moral improvement, struggling peacefully to better one's society, or - most commonly - struggling in a military sense. Historically, it was understood as an armed struggle against non-Muslims, but more modern scholars have associated it with defensive warfare. The name is likely to cause controversy in France, which has suffered from a series of Islamic terrorist attacks by jihadists in recent years. Pictured: Then-president Nicolas Sarkozy standing in front of a coffin after seven people were murdered in Toulouse and Montauban by a jihadist in 2012 In 2013, French mother Bouchra Bagour sent her son - named Jihad - to school wearing a jumper featuring the words 'I am a bomb' ont he front. On the back were the words: 'Born on September 11'. She was given a suspended jail sentence. A far-left pro-independence party in Catalonia is calling for 'mass civil disobedience' following the Spanish government's unprecedented move to trigger a section of the constitution allowing the government to take direct rule of the region. In an announcement Monday, the CUP, a key ally in the regional parliament to the minority ruling separatist coalition, said the move will be met by civil disobedience as a form of non-violent resistance Catalonia said on Monday it was confident all officials including police would defy attempts by Madrid to enforce direct rule on the region, in an escalating dispute that has raised fears of unrest among Spain's European allies. The CUP described the move by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy as 'the greatest aggression against the civil, individual and collective rights of the Catalan people' since the dictatorship of Gen Francisco Franco, who died in 1975. Catalonia's leaders are holding crucial talks in Barcelona. President of the Catalan parliament Carme Forcadell (back, centre) attends a meeting with parliament representatives today President of the Catalan parliament, Carme Forcadell, arrives to meet parliament representatives in Barcelona this morning Catalonia said on Monday it was confident all officials including police would defy attempts by Madrid to enforce direct rule on the region, in an escalating dispute that has raised fears of unrest among Spain's European allies. Pictured above, Catalonia president Carles Puigdemont It said it would elaborate on what form of action this would take later in the week. 'An aggression which will be met with massive civil disobedience,' the CUP said in a statement. The Spanish government has invoked special constitutional powers to fire the regional government and force a new election to counter an independence drive that has rattled the economy. A vote in the Senate to implement direct rule is due on Friday. But the leaders of the secessionist campaign said a disputed referendum on October 1 gave them the mandate to claim independence from the rest of Spain. 'It's not that we will refuse (orders). It is not a personal decision. It is a seven million-person decision,' Catalonia's foreign affairs chief Raul Romeva told BBC radio. Romeva was asked whether he believed all institutions, including the police, would follow orders from Catalan institutions rather than from the Spanish government. 'And from that perspective, I have no doubt that all civil servants in Catalonia will keep following the instructions provided by the elected and legitimate institutions that we have right now in place (in Catalonia),' he said. The CUP described the move by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (pictured) as 'the greatest aggression against the civil, individual and collective rights of the Catalan people' since the dictatorship of Gen Francisco Franco, who died in 1975 Several hundred Catalan municipalities said they were against direct rule from Madrid and asked the Catalan parliament to vote on a motion rejecting it. Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has called the Catalan parliament to meet this week to agree on a response to Madrid, something many observers said could pave the way for a formal declaration of independence. The assembly will meet on Thursday to agree a response to direct rule. Puigdemont's most radical pro-independence partners, like the minority far-left CUP party, want him to use the session to declare Catalonia is going it alone immediately. Several influential Catalan newspapers called on Puidgemont on Sunday to resolve the crisis by calling a snap election before direct rule becomes effective. However, Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull said this was not an option. It is not clear whether a vote in the region would help resolve the crisis. Catalan leaders met on Monday morning to decide the date of their next Parliamentary plenary session, which is expected to take place on Friday. As the talks took place, the region's foreign affairs spokesman warned that the EU will lose credibility if it lets Madrid impose direct rule on Catalonia, and only the Catalan people have the right to change the regional institutions. Catalan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Institutional Relations and Transparency, Raul Romeva warned that the EU will lose credibility if it lets Madrid impose direct rule on the region Josep Lluis Trapero, head of the Mossos d'Esquadra regional police force who is facing a criminal probe for alleged sedition and has lost the support of Spain's national police forces, is expected to be removed 'How can the European Union live with that situation if it appears?' Raul Romeva told BBC radio, when asked how the Catalan regional government would prevent the Spanish government from re-imposing direct rule. 'How can they be credible if they allow this to happen? Because what I can tell you is that the people and the institutions in Catalonia would not let this ... happen.' Spain's bid to impose direct rule on Catalonia could draw Puigdemont into unilaterally declaring independence this week. Such a declaration could see the regional Mossos d'Esquadra police force pitted against the many national police officers already stationed in Catalonia. Most neutral observers are ruling out a unilateral declaration of independence following his fudge earlier this month when he appeared to declare independence and then suspend it for talks, partly because of the threat of arrest for subversion hanging over his head if he does announce Catalonia is going it alone immediately. Madrid is expected to take control of key areas including Catalonia's policing and finances under the Article 155 plans. Josep Lluis Trapero, head of the Mossos d'Esquadra regional police force who is facing a criminal probe for alleged sedition and has lost the support of Spain's national police forces, is expected to be removed. Over the weekend Spain's Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis inflamed tensions between Madrid and Catalonia by claiming some videos showing police violence during the October 1 Catalona referendum were 'fake news'. Over the weekend Spain's Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis inflamed tensions between Madrid and Catalonia by claiming some videos showing police violence during the October 1 Catalona referendum were 'fake news Catalonia is on tenterhooks today as its leaders prepare for crucial independence talks after accusing Madrid of a 'fully-fledged coup' Voter Marta Torrecillas complained police had broken all her fingers and sexually assaulted her 'while they laughed' at one polling station, although she later admitted she only had swelling in a finger or two. Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull branded the Spanish government's decision to impose direct control on the region as a 'fully-fledged coup against Catalan institutions.' Madrid politicians responded by saying Catalan leaders were the ones who had carried out the coup. Yesterday, Spain's foreign minister has further inflamed tensions in the Catalonia referendum row by saying some videos showing police violence against voters were 'fake news'. Alfonso Dastis, an independent politician and a legal adviser to the United Nations, told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One: 'There have been a lot of alternative facts and fake news here.' Dastis added that if Mr Puigdemont's government continued to try to rule they would be acting like 'rebels'. Human Rights Watch responded by saying detailed investigations had found national police had used 'excessive force', with 991 people treated by Catalonia's health department after violence broke out during the independence vote. But Dastis, said on Sunday that he hopes the people of Catalonia will disregard local leadership if the country suspends the region's autonomy and takes direct rule. 'All the government is trying to do, and reluctantly, is to reinstate the legal order, to restore the constitution but also the Catalan rules and proceed from there,' he told the BBC. Nearly half a million pro-Catalan independence protesters took to the streets of Barcelona on Saturday The Barcelona protest was called against the imprisonment of Catalan pro-independet leaders Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart in Barcelona 'We are going to establish the authorities who are going to rule the day-to-day affairs of Catalonia according to the Catalan laws and norms. 'I hope everyone will disregard whatever instructions they will be planning to give because they will not have the legal authority to do that.' Protesters took to the streets of Barcelona again on Saturday. Puigdemont has called Madrid's decision to impose direct rule as the worst attack since General Franco's dictatorship. He accused the Spanish government of 'slamming the door' on his appeals for talks to resolve the country's worst political crisis since its return to democracy 40 years ago. The President's spokesman Jordi Turull has said elections are not an option and will not be discussed at this week's meeting. Pro-independence partners, like the minority far-left CUP party, want Puigdemont him to use the session to declare Catalonia is going it alone immediately. Catalan separatists have vowed to surround parliament or any building which Puigdemont is in to create a human shield and prevent his arrest as tensions between Madrid and the region boil over. An opinion poll published by the El Periodico newspaper on Sunday showed a snap election would probably have results similar to the last ballot, in 2015, when a coalition of pro-independence parties formed a minority government. The survey found that pro-independence MPs would poll just 47.9 per cent in a new vote, but would maintain power by joining forces in a coalition. The GESOP poll, for respected Catalan daily El Periodico, was carried out before the Spanish government announced its intention to take back control of Catalonia and call elections in the next six months by invoking the Spanish constitution's controversial Article 155. But it was conducted after the leaders of two grassroots pro-independence movements were jailed by a Madrid-based court investigating them on suspicion of sedition and a controversial - and illegal - referendum on October 1 marred by police violence. People hold Catalan pro-independence Estelada flags and Basque Country flags during a demonstration in the northern Spain Basque village of Beasain on Sunday. The demonstration came as Catalan separatists vowed to surround parliament or any building which their leader Carles Puigdemont is in to create a human shield and prevent his arrest The protest action in Beasain was organized by 'Gure esku dago' (It's in our hands) association supporting the right for a referendum on self determination in Catalonia. The announcement from pro-independence separatists to protect Puigdemont raises the possibility of further clashes or violence between protesters and the Spanish government Waving Catalan flags and sign calling Europe, massive crowd rally to demand the release of imprisoned Catalan leaders Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart at a demonstration for Catalan independence on Saturday In the streets of Barcelona, banging pots and pans and honking cars greeted Rajoy's announcement. The tense relations between Barcelona and Madrid led one EU official to controversially claim that a 'civil war' was 'imaginable' The publication of the poll results also coincided with Puigdemont ally Jordi Turull's admission elections, which Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy wants the Catalan government to call instead of him, were not 'on the table' at the moment. Spain's Deputy Prime Minister said Puigdemont would be out of a job once direct rule was enforced and Madrid would install its own representative. The Spanish government has said it would call a regional election within six months. 'They are president of the regional government and senior figures in that government because of the constitution,' said Soraya Saenz de Santamaria during a radio interview. 'They are not entrusted with that role by any divine authority,' she also said. Catalan authorities said about 90 percent of those who took part in the referendum on October 1 voted for independence. But only 43 percent of the electorate and 1 in 3 Catalans participated, with most opponents of secession staying at home. The Catalan crisis has raised fears among European countries that it could spill over to the rest of the continent. From Scotland to Flanders and Lombardy, the 2007-09 financial crisis, unemployment and migration have allowed anti-EU and populist parties to feed off discontent with political elites and reopen regional divisions. Two wealthy regions of northern Italy voted overwhelmingly on Sunday for greater autonomy. At a European summit last week, leaders sought to minimise Spain's crisis with Catalonia and described the secession bid as a domestic issue. Jamie Harron, 27, from Stirling, was sentenced for public indecency in the Middle Eastern country yesterday A British man who was sentenced to three months' imprisonment in Dubai for touching another man's hip has today had the charges against him dropped. Jamie Harron, 27, from Stirling, was sentenced in his absence for public indecency in the Middle Eastern country yesterday. But he is now free to leave the country after having his passport returned - and said he is flying home tomorrow. In a statement released through campaign group Detained in Dubai, he said: 'No one should go through what I went through. 'Yesterday, I faced months in a Dubai prison cell. Today, I was phoned to say I could collect my passport. 'The past few months have been up and down and full of worry for everyone. I am arranging flights back home now and can't wait to see my family. 'It's going to take me a while to recover. It is hard for my friends to imagine what was going through my head when I was told I would be jailed for months. 'I am struggling to come to terms with being released but will be having dinner with my friends tonight before I leave for good.' He added that he is delighted to be coming home and wanted to thank Dubai's ruler. He also said his parents are 'ecstatic' that he is returning after his experience with the 'absolute shambles' of Dubai's justice system. His mother, Patricia, said she was 'absolutely delighted' at the news. Harron told her: 'Just stop crying mum, don't be upset anymore. Don't cry anymore.' He said he put his hand on businessman Emad Tabaza's hip to avoid spilling a drink in a crowded bar. His German accuser dropped the complaint, but local prosecutors decided to proceed with the case. Businessman Emad Tabaza (left) had left Briton Jamie Harron in jail (right) over claims of being indecently touched The electrician had been working in Afghanistan and was on a two-day stopover in the United Arab Emirates when he was arrested in July. The vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has exonerated Harron, according to the group Detained in Dubai. Radha Stirling, who works for Detained in Dubai, said: 'The cases against him have been dismissed, and the sentence imposed by the court yesterday has been nullified. 'We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Sheikh Mohammed for his personal intervention in this case, and for exonerating Jamie at long last. 'It has now been established that the allegations against Jamie were entirely unwarranted, defamatory, and meritless; to such an extent that the ruler of the country found it necessary to step in and correct the wrongful action of the public prosecutor and to quash the judgment of the court.' She added: 'This was a courageous and honourable decision on the part of Sheikh Mohammed. 'While it highlights the urgent need for judicial reform in the country, it is also a hopeful sign that the UAE's leadership possesses the will and vision to pursue such reforms in the future.' She said Harron is now considering a civil suit against the businessman and his staff who also accused him of drinking alcohol and making a rude gesture. When he was sentenced yesterday, he was given two weeks to appeal the decision. He was said to be 'angry, disappointed, and dreads what may happen next'. He was initially jailed for five days and then released on bail with his passport confiscated. The incident occurred at the raucous Rock Bottom bar, popular among Dubai's many wealthy and often tipsy foreign residents and tourists. Stirling said at the time: 'He has already suffered tremendously as a result of these allegations, and now faces the likelihood of incarceration. Harron (pictured left) is now free to leave the country after having his passport returned after an intervention by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum (pictured right) 'He feels betrayed and exploited by the system, which did not investigate the reports of key witnesses in his defence and led him to believe that the case would be dropped.' She added: 'His family was unable to visit him during this critical time because they faced a very real risk of imprisonment themselves under the UAE's cyber crime laws which forbid criticism of the government.' Harron had already been sentenced in absentia to 30 days in prison for failing to appear at a court hearing for making a rude gesture and drinking alcohol during the same July incident. Stirling said she believed a decree from Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, had resolved the case. In Dubai, as in the other seven sheikhdoms that make up the United Arab Emirates, absolute power rests with the hereditary ruler. 'It was just a public-relations nightmare for the country,' Stirling said. She said of Harron: 'He was understandably nervous; as similar calls from the police in other cases were merely tactics to lure individuals into police custody. Who is the ruler of Dubai? Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Prince Andrew, Duke of York, at Ladies Day at Ascot Racecourse in 2009 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates as well as the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai. The 68-year-old succeeded his brother as leader of the tiny Middle Eastern city in 2006 and has been credited with turning it into a global business and tourism destination. He oversaw the building of the Burj Al Arab hotel and the Palm Islands in Dubai alongside many other projects. As well as being a much-hailed leader, he is also a published poet and a keen equestrian. His family owns the world-famous Godolphin stable, of which he is the driving force. The enormously successful operation has won 4,000 races since it was created in 1992 and has been named British Champion Owner twelve times - in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. It has stables in Newmarket, Sydney and Melbourne and has its headquarters in Dubai. The sheikh has himself has also won victories on horseback, including a double in the Longines FEI World Endurance Championships at Euston Hall in Thetford five years ago. Advertisement 'But when Jamie arrived at the police station, his passport was returned, and he was told that he was free to go. 'The charges were dropped, the sentence annulled, and he faces no order for deportation. This came by direct order from Sheikh Mohammed.' Stirling said that ideally such intervention would not have been necessary, but was grateful that the Dubai Ruler took the initiative. She added: 'Of course, a fully functional legal system would not require outside intervention, and a case like Jamie's would never proceed in the first place. 'But we are enormously grateful to Sheikh Mohammed for stepping in and vindicating Jamie after months of hardship.' Harron was accused by another man of sexual assault for touching his buttocks during a dispute at the bar in July. One of Harron's friends, British national James Allen, 37, who lives in Dubai, told prosecutors that the Scotsman bumped into the accuser's arm accidentally, sparking the argument, according to court documents. He said Harron apologized to the accuser and 'placed his hand on the side of his buttocks as a way of apologizing,' according to court papers. Harron's accuser told authorities that the Scotsman had come from behind and hit him on the buttocks while drunk, according to court documents. Mr Harron with his parents Graham and Patricia, who were said to be distraught about their son's legal case The accuser said Harron 'laughed' when he asked why he did it and later gave him the finger before police arrived. Harron also faced charges of drinking alcohol without a permit and over allegedly giving the accuser the finger during the argument. He did not attend his court hearing. Mr Tabaza, the managing director of global technology firm Neuman & Esser, is said to have received death threats following the incident. A spokesman for Neuman & Esser confirmed Mr Tabaza dropped the complaint. In a statement issued on behalf of the businessman, he said: 'With a certain distance from the incident and the punishment to be expected for the suspect, our employee decided to withdraw the complaint despite the harassment having been confirmed by several witnesses. 'However, according to the typical laws for the country, this does not automatically result in the termination of the proceedings as, for example, very likely in England or Germany.' Accused Brit also had his bike taken Yesterday it was revealed that Harron had his garage broken into at his home in Scotland. Writing on Facebook, Jordan Harron said: 'So to add to Jamie's ordeal. His garage has now been broken into with a saw, things stolen one of which his good bike! Police been phoned but can everyone please share!! 'So to add to Jamie's ordeal. His garage has now been broken into with a saw, things stolen one of which his good bike! 'Police been phoned but can everyone please share!! Find out who this low life scum is !!' Advertisement Dubai, home of the long-haul airline Emirates, long has sought to make itself a tourism hub. It has the world's tallest building - the Burj Khalifa - as well as man-made islands, an indoor ski slope and miles of air-conditioned walkways in its high-end malls. It also will host the 2020 World Expo, a world's fair held every five years. Part of Dubai's year-round tourism draw is also its alcohol sales, as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran ban the purchase of liquor and beer. Even neighboring Sharjah, another of the UAE's sheikhdoms, bans it. However, alcohol possession for foreigners is technically illegal without a government-issued license obtainable only after gaining their employer's permission, though liquor and beer are widely available in bars. Foreigners also have faced charges in the past for having sex outside of marriage. Such laws are common in other Mideast nations, based in part on Islamic legal codes. Recent incidents involving British nationals apparently forced UK Ambassador to the UAE Philip Parham to write a letter warning citizens to exercise more caution and understand local laws in the sheikhdoms. Over 100,000 British citizens live in the UAE, while another 1.5 million visit each year, he said. 'Local laws and customs are very different to those in the UK and that there may be serious penalties for doing something which may not be illegal in the UK,' Parham warned. Sean Bigby, 35, from Hackney, touched a woman's bottom in the ladies' changing rooms. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault at the Old Bailey A gym fanatic who stripped naked and touched a woman's bottom in the female changing rooms has been spared jail. Sean Bigby, 35, claimed testosterone and protein shakes had left him with a 'fuzzy head' and feeling 'confused and disorientated'. The Old Bailey heard how he crept up behind a swimmer and brushed against her buttocks while she washed her hands in the women's changing room at Clissold Leisure Centre in Stoke Newington. The stunned victim saw Bigby wander into the room naked minutes earlier but thought he had made an embarrassing mistake. But after he touched her she told a lifeguard and Bigby was identified from CCTV footage. Bigby, from Hackney, later told police he had been 'confused and disorientated' after taking testosterone and downing protein supplements at the gym after his work out in November last year. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault at the Old Bailey. Prosecutor Michael Williams said the victim was wearing a swimming costume in the women's changing rooms when she saw Bigby come in 'completely naked'. He explained: 'At first she thought it was just an embarrassing accident, him being in the wrong changing room.' The women ignored Bigby and went to the toilet, but when she returned to wash her hands in a basin 'she felt a brushing on her bottom'. Mr Williams said: 'It shocked her, she jumped and said words to the effect of 'what the f**k?' The woman reported the incident to a lifeguard and Bigby was later identified from CCTV footage. Mr Williams said: 'In interview he accepted he had been present on the day in question, had been naked and asserted that he had taken two protein shakes which had caused him to become confused and disorientated.' Bigby told police he had been 'confused and disorientated' after taking testosterone and a protein shake after a workout Alexander Taylor-Camara, defending, said the assault was 'out of character' while Bigby was taking 'medication to support his gym activity'. He said: 'The mixture he was taking may have combined not to make his mental state the best. 'He told me he wasn't aware initially of the woman and having become aware of her he then brushed past her.' Prosecutors accepted they couldn't prove Bigby had touched the woman with his penis and he was sentenced on the basis he used another part of his body. Judge Karim Khalil, QC gave him an 11-month community order and told him to pay 1,200 prosecution costs and 750 compensation to the victim. The Old Bailey heard how he crept up behind a swimmer and brushed against her buttocks while she washed her hands in the women's changing room at Clissold Leisure Centre in Stoke Newington (pictured) The judge also imposed a restraining order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which bars Bigby from going to Clissold Leisure Centre or contacting the victim for five years. He said: 'You were there, it seems, to use the gym initially but as time passed you ended up in the ladies' locker room. 'She noticed that you were naked but ignored you and carried on as best she could, but in due course you walked past her and she felt you touching her from behind. 'She was plainly extremely disturbed by what was happening and told you in plain terms to f**k off.' The judge said Bigby 'described using protein shakes and possibly too much testosterone' before the sexual assault. '[You said] your head was fuzzy, you thought you were in the men's changing room and were confused for a while,' he added. Judge Khalil said the interviewing police officer had been 'unimpressed' by Bigby's story which he accepted sounded 'far fetched'. Austria's new leader has told the EU to 'take a back seat' and let countries manage their own affairs as he considers forming a coalition with a far-right party founded by former Nazis. Sebastian Kurz, who at 31 is set to become the youngest leader in the world, said he wants to make the European Union 'more subsidiary and more collaborative'. The young politician, who campaigned for this month's election with a hard line on immigration, said he wanted the bloc 'to take more of a backseat on issues where nation states can make better decisions.' Sebastian Kurz (pictured with girlfriend Susanne Thier), who at 31 is set to become the youngest leader in the world, said he wants to make the European Union Austria's president has given the green light to conservative leader Kurz, whose People's Party (OVP) secured 31.5 per cent of the vote in last week's parliamentary election, to form a government. He has already said that his party has common ground with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), which was set up by former Nazis 60 years ago. The party left the political fringes to establish itself as a mainstream party long ago, gaining around a quarter of votes in parliamentary elections on October 15, within a whisker of the Social Democrats. In an interview with Spiegel Online, Kurz was challenged to explain his stance on the EU, having claimed to be a staunch pro-European. He responded: 'I represent a mainstream party and the voters have given me a mandate as a pro-European agent of change. 'We would like to make the EU more subsidiary and more collaborative, and to take more of a backseat on issues where nation states can make better decisions.' Kurz (pictured with European Commission President Jean-Claude last week) has already said that his party has common ground with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), which was set up by former Nazis 60 years ago When asked to explain what he meant, Kurz told the website that there needed to be 'closer collaboration on foreign and defense policy' but that 'we don't need to have a social union'. Yesterday, Austria's likely next chancellor, revealed he wants talks over a new government to last no more than two months. 'The Austrians expect that there is quickly a strong and stable government which takes up work,' Kurz was quoted as saying by Austria's Kronen Zeitung. 'That means that negotiations should be concluded in less than 60 days.' KTo form his coalition, only two of Austria's parliamentary parties, the Social Democrats (SPO) and FPO, have enough seats to give Kurz a majority if they go into coalition with the OVP. Kurz is currently holding an initial round of discussions with the leaders of all parties in parliament, the last of which is his meeting with outgoing Chancellor Christian Kern, the head of the Social Democrats, later on Sunday. In a separate interview with tabloid Oesterreich, Kurz said his party has common ground with the FPO and that he had already held constructive talks with FPO leader Heinz-Christian Strache. 'In the conversation with Heinz-Christian Strache, I also had the impression that he has a strong willingness to effect change and creative drive,' Kurz was quoted as saying by OE24. 'But now I will conclude these talks on Sunday, and then take up coalition negotiations with a partner.' A former Cleveland police officer indicted for allegedly physically and sexually assaulting his girlfriend is being sought by US Marshals after breaking his GPS ankle monitor. Tommie Griffin III, 52, was arrested in January and charged with rape, felonious assault and kidnapping in connection with a domestic violence attack on his 42-year-old girlfriend at their Parma home. According to police, Griffin pistol-whipped his girlfriend, fired two shots next to her and sexually assaulted her during the attack. Scroll down for video Wanted: US Marshals are searching for ex-Cleveland police officer Tommie Griffin III, 52 (pictured in mugshots, left and right). He is wanted on charges of rape, assault and kidnapping Griffin was suspended without pay following his arrest and later quit the department. Authorities seized more than 60 guns from his home, including five assault rifles and an Israeli Uzi submachine gun. An escape warrant was issued Saturday and US Marshals are now actively looking for Griffin. On January 13, Griffin came over to his girlfriends house in Parma and found her in bed with another man, according to police reports cited by Cleveland.com. Griffin summoned police, and his romantic rival told responding officers that the woman had invited him to spend the weekend with her. The man then left voluntarily. Shortly after midnight the next day, Griffin allegedly attacked his girlfriend as she slept alone in her State Road home. The 22-year police department veteran, dressed in his uniform, allegedly pistol-whipped the woman, punched her in the face and fired two shots into the mattress, just inches away from the victim's head. Griffin then forced the woman to take a shower, dragged her down to the basement and had her perform a sex act on him at gunpoint, according to court filings. After Griffin took off from the scene of the crime, a relative of the victim's called police and she was hospitalized suffering from severe facial injuries. Parma police officers eventually tracked Griffin's phone and arrested him at gunpoint in a bar in North Royalton. He was charged with rape, felonious assault and kidnapping, which carry a combined sentence of 28 years in prison. Following his arrest, Griffin's girlfriend secured a temporary restraining order to protect herself and her 10-year-old daughter from the cop, reported the station Cleveland19. Griffin, pictured in court earlier this year, was arrested in January for allegedly pistol-whipping his girlfriend, firing two rounds next to her head and forcing her to perform a sex act at gunpoint Griffin posted bond and was placed under house arrest in March, around the same time he resigned from the Cleveland PD The 52-year-old suspect was hired by the Cleveland Police Department in 1994 and was awarded a distinguished service medal in 2009. The following year, he was arrested in Parma on an assault charge, but later pleaded guilty to a reduced count of criminal mischief. According to a police report, Griffin had gone through an acrimonious divorce some time ago. He resigned from the Cleveland Police Department in March 2017. Around the same time, Griffin posted bond and was placed under house arrest. His lawyer reportedly had his bond amount reduced from $250,000 to 10 per cent of $200,000 after convincing a judge that his client was not a flight risk. Griffin was scheduled to go to trial on October 30. The Marshals are asking anyone with information about Griffin's whereabouts to call the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED. Advertisement These fascinating colorized photos bring to life the men and woman who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. They show the conspirators handcuffed before their trial alongside what is thought to be the last photo of Lincoln before his death. Another colorized photo shows the moment four of the plotters were hanged in front of a crowd at Fort McNair. The 16th President of the United States was shot dead at the theater by well-known stage actor John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. These fascinating colorized photos bring to life the men involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Left: David Herold who led Booth's escape. Right: Lewis Powell who failed to kill Secretary of State William Seward From left to right: Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, George Atzerodt, David Herold being taken to the scaffold on July 7th 1865 David Herold, Lewis Powell, George Atzerodt and Mary Surratt were executed for their role in the assassination. Michael O'Laughlen, Samuel Arnold, Samuel Mudd and Edmund Spangler were imprisoned. Each conspirator was assigned a different role in the comprehensive assassination attempt of several high-profile government members. Edmund Spangler helped Booth escape but he was spared death because he didn't know about the assassination in advance. Booth was shot by Union forces after a dramatic 12-day manhunt led by David Herold. Powell had been responsible for the bungled assassination attempt of the Secretary of State, William Seward on the same night. Left: Long-time friend of Booth, Samuel Arnold, without handcuffs. Right: Edmund Spangler, who was accused of helping Booth flee the scene of the murder Atzerodt had been planning an attempt of the life of the Vice President, Andrew Johnson, but is said to have lost his nerve. The conspirators met in a Washington boarding house owned by Mary Surratt. Their trial ended on June 30 with Surratt, Powell, Herold, and Atzerodt all sentenced to death. They were given a military trial as opposed to a civilian one, though, with much controversy over the way in which it was handled. Left: A colorized image of what is thought to be the last photo of Lincoln before his death. Right: John Wilkes Booth 'The trial, under military jurisdiction, was controversial in that the defence for the accused was not given time to prepare, the accused were forbidden from testifying in their own defence, a lower level of proof was required to convict than in civilian courts, and only a majority verdict among jurors was required for the death sentence to be imposed,' says author Michael D. Carroll. 'The Southern states accused the North of imposing a military trial to avoid the opportunity for civilian jurors to show clemency towards the accused. The role of George Atzerodt (1835-1865) in the sordid affair was to assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson at the Kirkwood House, a hotel where Johnson was staying. But he did not even try to kill Johnson and ended up drinking and walking around the capital. He was executed along with Powell and Herold at age 30. Pictured: Atzerodt at 30 John Bingham, Judge Joseph Holt, and Brigadier General Henry Burnett, prosecutors for Lincoln assassination trial Left: Samuel Arnold pictured before his trial. Right: Conspirator Lewis Powell standing in overcoat and hat 'The prisoners stood for ten seconds before Roth clapped his hands and four soldiers below the scaffold knocked out the supports for the platform they were standing on. 'They dropped and Surratt's rope snapped cleanly, with no movement afterwards. 'Atzerodt heaved before falling still, but Herold and Powell, the chief conspirators, were strangled for five minutes. Powell stuggled wildly, pulling his legs up in towards his chest several times, before he was eventually still.' The striking images feature in a new book titled Retrographic: History in Living Colour by Michael Carroll. Cocker Spaniel puppy Rudi, aged 18 months, has been named Britain's cutest pub dog He's known as the 'welcome committee' at his local pub, because his tail never stops wagging and he gets along with everyone who comes in for a pint. Now, the much-loved 18-month-old Cocker Spaniel puppy named Rudi has been named Britain's cutest pub dog. He lives with owners Chris and Gillian French and their ten-year-old daughter Mia at The Mitre pub in Richmond-upon-Thames, South West London. The show-type Spaniel was handed the accolade in a new book called Great British Pub Dogs after being an 'instant hit' with locals in the gastropub. Mr French said: 'He's a great pub dog, he's got bags of personality and gets along with everyone from children who love playing with him to our regulars. 'His tail never stops wagging - he's the welcome committee. He's also really great with other dogs, which is good because a lot come into the pub.' Rudi lives with Chris French and his family in Richmond-upon-Thames, South West London The 18-month-old show-type Spaniel became an 'instant hit' with locals in the gastropub Rudi is said to get along with everyone who comes into the pub where he resides The pooch will be appearing on ITV News tonight, but Mr French said he is 'trying to keep him grounded so he doesn't become a total diva'. Rudi enjoys frolicking around the pub with best friend Owain, a four-year-old black Labrador. But Mr French, 40, has been forced to ban Rudi from nearby Richmond Park after he caused two deer stampedes. The couple bought the dog as a surprise for daughter Mia. Mr French added: 'We told Mia we were going to the supermarket and came back with a puppy. Rudi has been banned from nearby Richmond Park after he caused two deer stampedes The dog, who regularly cheers up his owner, resides at The Mitre in Richmond-upon-Thames Rudi is 'as much a part of the family and the pub as any human', according to his owner 'She couldn't believe it. It's been great for her. She's not afraid of other dogs anymore, she's very confident and goes straight up to them in the street. 'For me he's a companion. We started the pub two years ago and built it up from scratch. 'I spent a lot of time by myself for a long time before we hired anyone else, and during the times when you can get a bit down, you just look at his face and can't help but cheer up. 'Every time I look at him it melts my heart, and he is as much a part of the family and the pub as any human.' Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner will shift from city hall to the classroom beginning in 2018. Miner, a Democrat, confirmed Monday that she will teach a course at New York University in Manhattan after her mayoral term ends in January. The announcement was first reported by the New York Daily News. During the spring semester at NYU, Miner will be a visiting distinguished urbanist at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. In addition to teaching a course, she will meet with students and speak at events. "I look forward to taking the lessons from Syracuse and bringing them into the classroom, teaching the next generation of urban scholars, political scientists and government leaders who can build on the progress we have started," Miner said in a statement. "I am excited to enhance my relationships and learn more about the issues impacting people across New York state through the excellent scholarship of the Wagner School." Sherry Glied, dean and professor of public service at NYU Wagner, lauded Miner as a "highly skilled practitioner in policy innovation, management and implementation." "She has spent her career at the front lines of urban governance, deeply committed to public service and the public good," Glied said. "In her role as visiting distinguished urbanist, she will enrich the academic life at NYU Wagner." The teaching position is the second announcement Miner has made regarding her post-mayoral career. Last week, she revealed that she will not run for Congress in 2018. She considered challenging U.S. Rep. John Katko in the 24th Congressional District race. One race Miner hasn't ruled out is the 2018 gubernatorial campaign. She is exploring a run for governor a race that would pit her against Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination. Cuomo, who was first elected in 2011, will likely a seek a third term as governor. Miner acknowledges that she's considering a gubernatorial bid, but hasn't made a decision about whether she will launch a primary campaign. A former member of the Syracuse Common Council, Miner was elected mayor in 2009 and re-elected in 2013. Due to term limits, she is unable to seek another four years as mayor. "Serving as mayor of Syracuse has been the greatest privilege of my professional life and I am forever grateful to the people of this city for allowing me to hold office," she said. "For the last eight years, we have tackled some of the most serious issues of our time and, while there is more work to be done, I am extremely proud of our record of achievement." A knifeman burst into the offices of an anti-Kremlin Russian radio station and stabbed a female presenter in the neck. The attacker had blinded security guards with a potent spray to force his way into the building before targeting Tatiana Felgengauer. He was pictured face-down on a bloody floor in the Echo of Moscow station being arrested by police before telling police he attacked the journalist because he dreamt she tortured him sexually. The attacker had blinded security guards with a potent spray to force his way into the building before targeting Tatiana Felgengauer The knifeman is said to have given the presenter a huge before attacking her with a Chinese-made knife (pictured) Pictured with blood on his face and his arms tied behind his back, the attacker has been named as Boris Gertz. The knife he is said to have used can be seen in the background on the filing cabinet Police officers detain an unidentified man who reportedly stabbed journalist Tatyana Felgenhauer in the Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) radio station office in Moscow, Russia An unidentified man who reportedly stabbed journalist Tatyana Felgenhauer is seen detained The knifeman was pictured face-down on a bloody floor in the Echo of Moscow station being arrested by police An ambulance leaves the Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) radio station office in Moscow The journalist, pictured here during a broadcast, has been hospitalised but her life is not in danger The station's editor-in-chief Alexei Venediktov said: 'Some man burst into the building, blinded the building's security guard from a spray bottle, then came up to our floor. 'He broke in and stabbed our presenter Tatiana Felgengauer in the neck with a knife,' he said. 'My security guards overcame him, and we handed him over to the police.' The journalist has been hospitalised but her life is not in danger, he said. Russian media later said two assailants had entered the building, but only one managed to get to the radio station's office. One man is potentially on the loose, but the detained man identified as Boris Grits, a physicist and programmer who holds a doctorate from Jerusalem University, told police his victim came into his dreams and 'tortured him sexually'. He is reported to have told the authorities: 'I have never met her in reality but I have seen and felt her. 'She was very obtrusive, she was in my head.' He is said to have gone to hug Felgengauer before pulling the Chinese-made knife on her. Another station employee Vitaly Ruvinsky posted on Twitter a photo of the disheveled man dressed in a black jacket and trousers. Felgengauer is one of the station's deputy editors and a longtime presenter of a morning news programme. She is also actively involved in opposition rallies and has thousands of followers on her public Facebook page. Felgengauer (pictured) is one of the station's deputy editors and a longtime presenter of a morning news programme Police officers arrive at a building where the Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) radio station office is located in Moscow, Russia Police vehicles parked outside a building where the a female presenter was stabbed by an unknown attacker Echo of Moscow is a well-known station that regularly invites Russian political opposition figures and is known for its critical views of the government despite energy giant Gazprom being the majority shareholder The victim's father Pavel Felgenhauer (pictured) is a prominent military analyst in Russia, often critical of the authorities Echo of Moscow is a well-known station that regularly invites Russian political opposition figures and is known for its critical views of the government despite energy giant Gazprom being the majority shareholder. Russia has a disturbing record of attacks on journalists, with 58 killed since 1992, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Threats made against journalists often go unaddressed and attacks are not investigated. Another Echo of Moscow presenter Yulia Latynina this year left Russia after a series of attacks on her car and home. Today's attack bore similarities to the assault on a journalist in TV drama Sleeping, a patriotic series highlighting the work of the Russian secret services. In this, a female journalist is stabbed in her office. A Labour MP has resigned from his role on the women and equalities committee after asking Girls Aloud to have an orgy with him in online posts. Jared O'Mara said he was 'deeply ashamed' as he stood down in front of the Parliamentary Labour Party following comments he made between 2002 and 2004. He had invited the pop group to have sex with him in an online mock advice column post written at the height of their fame. Mr O'Mara also claimed Michelle McManus only won Pop Idol 'because she was fat' and said it would be funny if Jamie Cullum was 'sodomised with his own piano'. Labour MP Jared O'Mara posted a mock advice column online asking Girls Aloud to have an orgy with him (file pic) Mr O'Mara posted the comment as he took part in a mock 'advice column' discussion board online He later issued a statement apologising for the remarks which he said were offensive and unacceptable. His office said that he had also stood down from his position on the Women and Equalities Committee, informing MPs of his decision at the weekly meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party. 'He has decided to stand down. He has made that decision,' a spokesman for the MP said. Sheffield Hallam MP Mr O'Mara, who ousted former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg in the June election, said: 'I am deeply ashamed of the comments I made online, which have emerged today. 'I was wrong to make them, I understand why they are offensive and sincerely apologise for my use of such unacceptable language. 'I made the comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult time in my life, but that is no excuse. Misogyny is a deep problem in our society. 'Since making those comments 15 years ago, I have learned about inequalities of power and how violent language perpetuates them. 'I continue to strive to be a better man and work where I can to confront misogyny, which is why I'm so proud to sit on the Women and Equalities Select Committee. 'I will continue to engage with, and crucially learn from, feminist and other equalities groups so as an MP I can do whatever I can to tackle misogyny.' In a comment posted on the Drowned in Sound music website in 2004, Mr O'Mara said: 'Girls Aloud - I advise you to sack Sarah and the remaining four members (Nicola, Cheryl, Nadine and Kimberley) come have an orgy with me.' In March 2004 on the same forum, he suggested Pop Idol's 2003 victor McManus 'only won because she was fat'. Mr O'Mara, who has cerebral palsy, added: 'Being a disabled person, I would hate to win something because people thought I was 'brave' or felt sorry for me, rather than for my superior ability/talent.' In the same post, he said of Cullum: 'It would be no great loss to the music world if he was sodomised with his own piano and subsequently died of a sore arse. 'In fact, it would be quite funny.' Liberal Democrat peer and former leader of Sheffield Council Lord Scriven said: 'It seems like a nasty pattern of sexist language and misogyny is developing from the Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam.' Mr O'Mara's comments were made before he became an MP, but they are likely to spark anger among his fellow parliamentarians. And they come when sexual harassment have been thrust under the spotlight following the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Labour MP Clive Lewis apologised 'unreservedly' for telling an activist to 'get on your knees b****' at a Labour conference event The movie mogul has been accused of raping and sexually harassing dozens of women during years of predatory behaviour. And figures from other fields, including politics, have warned that lewd behaviour and abuse is rife across other industries. A Labour Party spokeswoman declined to comment on the latest revelations. Mr O'Mara was elected to Parliament in the June snap election, when he unexpectedly snatched the Sheffield Hallam seat from former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg. Mr O'Mara said: 'I am deeply ashamed of the comments I made online, which have emerged today. 'I was wrong to make them, I understand why they are offensive and sincerely apologise for my use of such unacceptable language. 'I made the comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult time in my life, but that is no excuse.' He added: 'I continue to strive to be a better man and work where I can to confront misogyny, which is why I'm so proud to sit on the Women and Equalities Select Committee. 'I will continue to engage with, and crucially learn from, feminist and other equalities groups so as an MP I can do whatever I can to tackle misogyny.' Labour sources said there are no plans to disciplinary action against Mr O'Mara. Donald Trump is disputing Gold Star widow Myeshia Johnson's account of a phone call they shared shortly after her husband' death in Niger. 'He couldn't remember my husband's name,' she said Monday on ABC's 'Good Morning America' program. 'The only way he remembered my husband's name was because he told me he had my husband's report in front of him, and that's when he actually said "La David".' 'I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name and that's what hurt me most,' she said. The president quickly pounced on Twitter. 'I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Army Specialist Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!' he tweeted after the interview ended Johnson was among the four soldiers killed in an ISIS ambush this month. Scroll down for video Myeshia Johnson (pictured), the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, said Monday on Good Morning America that President Donald Trump couldn't remember his late husband's name during a condolence call Challenge! Trump immediately disputed Mrs Johnson's recollection of events, insisting he was respectful and knew Sgt Johnson's name Trump tweeted that he had a 'very respectful conversation' and said Sgt. Johnson's name 'without hesitation!' The president has been in a war of words with Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson over the call, after Wilson said in an interview that Trump dismissively told Myeshia Johnson her husband 'knew what he signed up for.' Wilson is a family friend of the Johnsons, and was in a limousine with the Gold Star widow and her family on the way to the airport to pick up the soldier's body when Trump made the call. Johnson confirmed Wilson's version of events on Monday. Sgt. Johnson (pictured) was one of four soldiers killed in an ISIS ambush in Niger earlier this month 'Whatever Ms Wilson said was not fabricated. What she said was 100 per cent correct,' Johnson said. 'The phone was on speakerphone. Why would we fabricate something like that?' Johnson said her aunt, her uncle, a master sergeant and Wilson were with her in the car when Trump called the master sergeant . The call came as they pulled onto the tarmac at Dover Dover Air Force Base to pick up Sgt. Johnson's body, his widow said. Johnson said she asked the master sergeant to put the phone on speakerphone so that everyone in the car could hear Trump. 'The president said "He knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway",' Johnson recalled. 'It made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it. 'He couldn't remember my husband's name. The only way he remembered my husband's name was because he told me he had my husband's report in front of him, and that's when he actually said "La David." 'I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name and that's what hurt me most. Because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risks his life for our country, why can't you remember his name? And that's what made me upset and cry more,' she added. Johnson is pictured moments after her call with President Trump, when she greeted her husband's casket at Dover Air Force Base on October 17 Johnson kisses her husband's casket at his burial service on Saturday in Hollywood, Florida Johnson is seen above at her husband's burial service this weekend with their two-year-old son and six-year-old daughter Johnson was so stunned by the call, she claimed, that she didn't respond to the president. She says she left the call feeling even worse than before. Johnson said she was 'very, very upset' after the call and that it 'made me cry even worse.' In the interview, Johnson also demanded answers for what happened to her husband, and why she hasn't been allowed to look at his body yet. Johnson says the Army first told her that her husband went missing on October 4 after coming under a 'mass of gunfire'. They returned a few days later and said that he had been killed in action, but didn't go into further detail. 'I don't know how he got killed, where he got killed or anything. I don't know that part they never told me and that's what I've been trying to find out since day one,' she said. Johnson, left, was led into the burial service by a master sergeant. Her baby bump is full visible. She's expecting a baby girl in January Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (pictured October 18), who was in the car with Johnson when she received the call from Trump, was the first person to describe his statements, which many deemed insensitive She also says Army officials haven't allowed her to look at her husband's body. 'They tell me that he's in a severe wrap, that I won't be able to see him,' Johnson said. 'They won't show me a finger, a hand. I know my husband's body from head to toe and they won't let me see anything. I don't know what's in that box it could be empty for all I know,' she added. Johnson says she's going to 'keep pushing' for answers. Meanwhile, she says she's speaking out to let he world know 'how great a soldier' her husband was, as well as what a 'loving and caring father and husband he was to our family'. The couple met when they were just six years old, and have two children together - a two-year-old son and a six-year-old daughter. The couple's third child, a daughter, is due in January. When asked how she's going to teach her daughter about her father, Johnson said this: 'I'm gonna tell her how awesome her dad was and how great a father he was and how he died as a hero.' Police are hunting a vile neo-Nazi in Germany who spat on a Jewish Holocaust survivor at a memorial site and gave him the Nazi salute. Victim Rolf Issacsohn, 84, was being interviewed by a TV team for a documentary when the shaven headed man came into view. He was being filmed at the Leipzig Synagogue Memorial, which takes the form of 140 bronze seats at the site of the house of worship destroyed by the Nazis. The man appeared from nowhere with a comrade who made an obscene gesture simulating masturbation at Mr Issacsohn, who lost multiple family members in the Nazi extermination programme. Scroll down for video Victim Rolf Issacsohn, 84, was being interviewed by a TV team for a documentary when the shaven headed man came into view - and spat at him The man appeared from nowhere with a comrade who made an obscene gesture simulating masturbation at Mr Issacsohn, who lost multiple family members in the Nazi extermination programme As the camera team put down their equipment to protect Mr Issacsohn the Nazi thug raised his hand in the forbidden Hitler salute. Pictured: A representation of what the man is alleged to have done 'You old little p*****!' yelled the bald headed man, who then spat in his direction. As the camera team put down their equipment to protect Mr Issacsohn the Nazi thug raised his hand in the forbidden Hitler salute, footage shows. If police catch him that act alone could see him sent to jail for six months for a first offence. The camera team have given their material to police. Mr Issacsohn, chairman of the local Jewish community in Leipzig, said: 'I was shaking inside. To see a man give the Hitler salute in public and at such a place - this cannot he allowed.' Mr Issacsohn, chairman of the local Jewish community in Leipzig, said: 'I was shaking inside. To see a man give the Hitler salute in public and at such a place - this cannot he allowed' He was being filmed at the Leipzig Synagogue Memorial (pictured), which takes the form of 140 bronze seats at the site of the house of worship destroyed by the Nazis Zsollt Balla, the local Rabbi, said: 'There has been an escalation of this type of behaviour in recent months. It has become acceptable among some to attack Jews in this way.' Police have appealed for public help in catching the duo. The real life detective who inspired FBI agent Jack Crawford in the classic crime drama Silence of the Lambs, says he hates the Hollywood portrayal of cops. An FBI agent for 24 years, John E. Douglas' career was the basis for numerous silver screen characters, including in the Oscar-winning thriller starring Anthony Hopkins. But the former agent, who gives lectures at the FBI academy on psychopaths, hit out at the gun-wielding, criminal chasing stereotype that Hollywood pushes. The real life detective, John E. Douglas (pictured left), whose career inspired the creation of FBI agent Jack Crawford (right) in the classic crime drama Silence of the Lambs, says he hates the unrealistic Hollywood portrayal of cops 'They don't put across accurate portrayals, and [that] aggravates me,' he told The New York Post. 'I can't look at those movies. You see FBI agents pulling out guns and knocking down doors and taking over investigations,' he added, explaining that these events are unrealistic. 'If you're a cop and I work with you on a case, I help to develop a more proactive technique.' An FBI agent for 24 years, John E. Douglas' career was the basis for numerous silver screen characters, including in the Oscar winning thriller starring Anthony Hopkins, pictured in the Silence of the Lambs Douglas' work provided the inspiration for author Thomas Harris who wrote the novels The Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon. Harris even sat in Douglas' criminal psychology classes when researching the infamous character Hannibal Lecter, which won Anthony Hopkins an Oscar. During the detective's 24 year career in the FBI, Douglas interviewed hundreds of murderers, rapists and kidnappers - pioneering the technique of studying psychopaths imprisoned to help capture others. Now 72-year-old Douglas is promoting a new Netflix series Mindhunter, based on his 1995 joint memoir, which shows detectives using his playbook in order to catch criminals. 'They're going by the book and I am very pleased,' said Douglas. Watching the series 'is like reliving my life all over again,' he added. Describing his techniques when interviewing psychopaths who have committed heinous crimes, he said he used to slouch low in his chair, making them feel they had the upper hand. During the detective's 24 year career in the FBI, Douglas interviewed hundreds of murderers, rapists and kidnappers - pioneering the technique of studying psychopaths imprisoned to help capture others He always had their handcuffs removed, to seemingly readdress the balance of power and develop trust. The detective played the beta male when facing some of America's most notorious inmates including Charles Manson, nurse-killer Richard Speck and David 'Son of Sam' Berkowitz - who had between them murdered at least 21 people. He even locked minds with with Ed Kemper, a 6ft 9, 300lb serial killer who had an IQ of 140 and enjoyed killing hitchhikers around California, in the early Seventies. Douglas said after studying the various psychopaths that they are all linked by mother issues, explaining that he'd never met one not from a dysfunctional home. He added that bed-wetting, animal cruelty and fire-setting is the triangle that the killers seemed to always have in common. A childless woman stole an unborn baby from a young mother's womb after attacking her and cutting the child out of her belly, it was reported today. The 20-year-old woman, who was 37 weeks pregnant, was found dead with her stomach slashed open in an improvised C-section, according to reports. Joelma Silva, 22, and accomplice Alex Carvalho, 18, were later caught by police as they fled with the baby, who had a superficial cut on his head but was healthy. The duo admitted to luring the pregnant woman to a beauty spot near the town of Sao Sebastiao do Uatuma, in Brazil's state of Amazonas. Joelma Silva (left), 22, and accomplice Alex Carvalho (right), 18, were later caught by police as they fled with the baby, who had a superficial cut on his head but was healthy According to police, Ms Silva said that she was unable to get pregnant after losing her first baby and was desperate to provide a son for her husband. Paraded before Brazilian press yesterday she claimed she offered Carvalho around 1,000 to find a baby for her but said she didn't know the woman would die. The unnamed pregnant woman was a work colleague of Carvalho who he had invited to go for a motorbike drive in the remote jungle park, according to police. Silva said: 'So we went to Sao Sebastiao do Uatuma, but I didn't think it would be that way. I though it would be a kidnapping, snatch the baby and leave the mother alive. 'When we got there Alex rented a motorbike and took the girl on a drive. I stayed at my grandmother's house. At 11 o'clock at night, Alex came back to get me, and said the woman was there. 'When I got there, the woman had fallen on the ground, I heard her saying that her head was hurting, so Alex went and strangled her. 'I took the knife, but it wasn't me for opened her belly. I took the baby out from inside, took him in my arms and cut the umbical cord, wrapped him in a sheet and took him to my gran's house. In the morning we took the boat back home.' Police chief Claudenor Medeiros, from the town's police station, said they were called after locals found the woman's body in the Campo de Pelada Pimenta beauty spot. He said: 'We went to investigate and found that the victim had been pregnant. 'Then we received information that a woman had been seen carrying a newborn baby on a boat which was heading to Itapiranga. 'The suspects were arrested as they arrived in Itapiranga, where they live, a town on the banks of the Amazon River 140 miles east of Manaus, on Thursday (19) morning.' Carvalho said he regretted what he had done, adding: 'I've never done anything like this before, I have no criminal record. She was my colleague. I'm sorry.' The baby was taken to a local hospital, where he was breastfed by a local policewoman, before being left with an aunt of the victim. The two suspects have been charged with doubly-aggravated murder and remanded in custody. A childless woman stole an unborn baby from a young mother's womb after attacking her and cutting the child out of her belly, it was reported today Police chief Claudenor Medeiros today claimed it was Ms Silva who carried out the caesarean. He said: 'Joelma did the cutting because she had already seen the C-section of her own baby. 'She claimed that she wasn't able to get pregnant with her current husband and really wanted to give him a son of his own. 'She cut the woman with Alex's help to get what she wanted and offered him 4,000 reals (1000), which was never paid. According to the policeman, Silva had also lied to her husband telling him that she was pregnant, and even went to do a pre-natal class so he would believe her. The suspects were caught after passengers and crew on the boat they had taken became suspicious of the woman with a newborn baby in her arms who apparently didn't have any materials or equipment to care for him, and who let the baby cry constantly. He said: 'The crew noticed that she wasn't breastfeeding the child and got in touch with the police as soon as the boat arrived at its destination.' Daycare worker Jeanine Sammis, 36 (pictured), was arrested on Thursday after she was caught on camera slapping a one-year-old girl in the back of the head on multiple occasions A New York daycare worker was arrested on Thursday after she was accused of slapping a toddler multiple times. Jeanine Sammis, 36, was caught on camera slapping a one-year-old girl in the back of the head on multiple occasions in September at KinderCare daycare in Manhasset, Long Island, Nassau County police say. The child was not injured. Police said a worker at the day care recorded Sammis after witnessing the alleged abuse and then contacted authorities and Child Protective Services. KinderCare issued a statement to WPIX that read: 'We take all concerns about our teachers and staff seriously and follow a very specific protocol anytime a concern is raised.' Grace Pok's daughter attends KinderCare and told the news station that she found the allegations upsetting: 'I feel terrible for the baby's mom.' Sammis, who lives in Hewlitt, Long Island, has worked for the daycare since August 2015 but quit last week to take a job elsewhere. She has been charged with attempted assault second degree and endangering the welfare of a child. Sammis was released from jail but is expected back in court on Tuesday. The Nassau County District Attorney's office said she did not yet have a lawyer. Police said a worker at KinderCare in Long Island (pictured) recorded Sammis after witnessing the alleged abuse and then contacted authorities and Child Protective Services. Sammis has been charged with attempted assault second degree and endangering the welfare of a child This is not the first time KinderCare, which has facilities across the United States, has had workers accused of inappropriate behavior towards children. In July, 56-year-old Raul Tuban, who worked in the Gaithersburg, Maryland, location was accused of fondling a three-year-old girl while she slept at the center. He is currently facing charges of sex abuse of a minor and third degree sex offense. Texas police are trying to identify a child who washed up dead on a beach. The boy, thought to be aged between three and five years old, was found naked and already in a state of decay when he was discovered on Stewart Beach, Galveston around 5.30pm on Friday. A forensic sketch artist has since created an image of the boy that are police are hoping to use to track down his family. Scroll down for video A forensic sketch artist has since created an image of the boy that are police are hoping to use to track down his family (pictured) However, more than 48 hours since the boy's body was found, no one has come forward to claim him. Cops are still waiting on the results of the autopsy but say they are currently treating the boy's death as a homicide. There are no missing person reports across Texas or the US that match the description of the missing child. 'Somebody knows this kid. Whether it's a family member, a friend, day care provider, teacher, next door neighbor, guy at the grocery store that's seen this kid come in. Somebody somewhere here has seen this child,' GPD Captain Josh Schirard told ABC News. Police are appealing for anyone who recognizes the boy from the sketch to contact them (pictured are police at the scene where the body was found) The boy was found naked and already in a state of decay when he was discovered on Stewart Beach, (pictured) Galveston around 5.30pm on Friday. The boy is described as about 3 feet tall, slim and possibly Hispanic with black hair and brown eyes. Locals held a vigil for the unnamed victim on Saturday. 'It's just heartbreaking that this little boy doesn't have anybody to claim him,' Tina Bebout, who organized a vigil Saturday, told KHOU. 'I mean, this boy did not deserve this, and I couldn't sit at home and not do anything.' Anyone who recognizes the child is urged to call Galveston Police (409) 765-3776 or Crimestoppers at (409) 763-TIPS. The City of Sydney has promised free wedding venues for gay couples should the law change to allow same-sex marriage, but the motion has been rejected by Tony Abbott's sister. A motion was passed on Monday night to allow same-sex couples to hire out popular Sydney halls and parks for free for the first 100 days, should such unions be legalised. The City of Sydney extended the offer to same-sex couples only, which drew criticism from equality advocate Christine Forster. The City of Sydney extended the offer to same-sex couples only, which drew criticism from equality advocate Christine Forster (pictured) Former prime minister Tony Abbott's sister, and gay advocate, Christine Forster, opposed the motion on Monday arguing it was hypocritical. 'This has been a fight for equality before the law, and it's my belief that we can't ask for equality for ourselves and then deny it to others,' she said according to the Sydney Morning Herald. 'It's also been about making marriage inclusive, not exclusive, and this motion flies in the face of that.' Labour councillor Linda Scott, who moved the motion on Monday night, denied the waver discriminated against straight couples. '(The gay) community has suffered significant discrimination and many have felt hurt during the campaign. This is a practical way for the council to combat discrimination,' she said. Labour councillor Linda Scott (pictured left with Tanya Plibersek right), denied the waver discriminated against straight couples 'It's also been about making marriage inclusive, not exclusive, and this motion flies in the face of that,' Ms Forster said (pictured together with partner Virginia Edwards) Two young girls share a kiss during a speech at the YES March for Marriage Equality on October 21, 2017 in Sydney The offer would provide council facilities free of charge, including the lavish Sydney Town Hall and Paddington Town Hall, but would still require the couple to pay for everything else. The same-sex plebiscite is due to close on November 7, and a result is expected to be announced about a week later. If the voting public supported same-sex marriage, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the government would move to legislate before the end of the parliamentary year on December 7. Mr Turnbull said same-sex marriage could be legal before the end of the year. The offer would provide council facilities at no cost, including the lavish Sydney Town Hall (pictured) and Paddington Town Hall Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the government would move to legislate before the end of the parliamentary year on December 7 A grieving mother who found her baby boy crushed to death under a chest of drawers in 2015 is pushing for a change to rental laws. Skye Quartermaine found her 22-month-old son Reef Kite pinned underneath a wooden chest of drawers in their Perth home. The accident occurred after the young mother had asked her landlord if she could secure the furniture to the wall. Reef died from asphyxia caused by 'crush injuries' after the 1.25 metre wooden chest fell on him, 7 News reported the WA Coroner's Court heard on Monday. A 22-month-old boy, Reef Kite, died from asphyxia caused by 'crush injuries' after a 1.25 metre wooden chest fell on him in October 2015 The toddler's mother Skye Quartermaine (centre) is now advocating to change rental laws to allow tenants to secure furniture to the walls of rental properties The young mother and her family appeared in court to advocate for a change to rental laws, which would allow tenants to secure furniture to walls without asking permission. Ms Quartermaine says she was refused permission to bolt the chest of drawers to the wall, but holds no hard feelings towards her former landlord. 'I would fully advocate and work with anyone willing to help change the law to allow parents to bolt back furniture without any ramifications,' Ms Quartermaine said. Assisting counsel to the coroner, Sergeant Lyle Housiaux, told reporters the inquest hopes to raise awareness about the dangers of unstable furniture. The unstable and unsecure 1.25 metre wooden chest that fell and crushed 22-month-old Reef Kite to death 'One of the main purposes of the inquest is to raise public awareness about the dangers of unstable furniture which is not secured to a wall and is within the reach of children,' Sgt Housiaux said. Ms Quartermaine had put her son Reef to sleep in his bedroom on October 13, 2015. While she checked in the boy to find him sleeping soundly, a few hours later she found the toddler not breathing, having been pinned beneath the drawers. Reef was rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital by ambulance but could not be revived. The family have started a fundraising page with hopes to raise money for a memorial plaque for the 22-month-old. Is your family safe from lead poisoning? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over half a million children in the United States have elevated blood lead levels. Elevated blood lead levels are known to have negative impacts on health, leading to problems with hearing, speech, behavior and learning. The most common sources of lead poisoning are lead-contaminated dust and lead-based paint, and both are serious concerns for Cayuga County residents. Lead-based paints were banned in 1978, but prior to that they were commonly used in homes. Houses built before 1978 are likely to have some lead-based paint. Cayuga County has a high percentage of homes that were built before this time. In fact, the city of Auburn estimates that 95 percent of the houses in the city were built before the 1978 mandate. This means that almost every child in Cayuga County could be at risk for lead poisoning. Children can get lead poisoning from breathing or swallowing dust from old lead paint. This dust is created when lead paint is peeling, chipping or flaking off. Children are then able to breathe in and swallow the dust that gets on floors, windowsills, hands and toys. Children under 6 years old are at the most risk of lead poisoning. Young children spend a lot of time on the floor and tend to put their hands, toys and others things into their mouths. A child with lead poisoning will not usually look or feel sick, so testing is crucial. Lead poisoning is irreversible, and unhealthy exposure can affect a child for the rest of their life. Because childrens brains are still developing, they are more susceptible to lead poisoning than others. Lead exposure can damage the brain and nervous system. Elevated blood lead levels can also slow your childs growth and development, and lower their IQ. Other negative effects include hearing problems and anemia. According to research done by the National Center for Healthy Housing, there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Even at very low levels, lead has been shown to have negative impacts on intellect. While children have the highest risk of lead exposure, they are not the only ones who may be affected. Lead exposure can cause high blood pressure in women who are pregnant. It can also cause babies to be born too small and too early. Other adults exposed to lead can experience cardiovascular effects, increased blood pressure, decreased kidney function and reproductive problems. Now for the good news: Lead poisoning is 100-percent preventable. If you have concerns about your childs exposure to lead, speak with their doctor about a simple lead test. New York state Public Health Law and Regulations require health care providers to: Test all children at age 1 year and then again at 2 with a blood test. Assess all children ages 6 months to 6 years at every well child visit for risk of lead exposure (using specific risk assessment questions), and obtain a blood test if there is a positive response to any of the questions. Provide guidance to all parents of children less than 6 years old as part of routine care. If you are concerned about the paint in your home, the Cayuga County Healthy Neighborhoods Program can help. This program provides education and resources to homeowners, renters, and families who think their home might be a source of lead exposure. Once contacted, staff from this program will do an in-home assessment to identify potential home health hazards. If lead paint or other possible health hazards are found, the staff will provide consultation about which course of action to take, provide supplies to help deal with the home health hazards, and make referrals to partnering agencies. The Healthy Neighborhoods Program is free to people living in the city of Auburn, the town and village of Moravia, and the town of Locke. To learn more about the Healthy Neighborhoods Program, please call (315) 253-1560. Working together, we can make lead poisoning a thing of the past and help ensure healthy development for the children of Cayuga County. Advertisement St Andrews may be one of the UK's most esteemed universities, but its students are proving that it's not all dons and dissertations after taking to its grounds to partake in one of its oldest and messiest traditions: a foam party. Hundreds of first-year students have amassed in the seaside university's St Salvator's Quad to be welcomed by their older peers with lashings of shaving foam as part of a 600-year-old ritual. The annual foam fight, which takes place at the start of each academic year, stems from a tradition known as Raisin Monday. Students at St Andrew's University don fancy dress costumes and amass on St Salvator's Quad to pelt each other with foam as part of the centuries-old Raisin Monday ritual St Andrew's has a strong culture of mentorship, where older students, typically third-year and above, take younger students under their wing. Raisin Monday would traditionally see younger students, 'children', give their academic seniors, 'parents', a pound of raisins to thank them for welcoming them to the university. Raisin Monday refers to a 600-year-old tradition in which first-year students would gift their elders with a pound of raisins as a thank you for welcoming them to the university Over the years, however, the tradition has evolved to focus on a huge foam party in which students gather on a field to pelt each other with shaving foam In return they would be gifted with a finely written Latin script, or Raisin Receipt, to prove that they had paid their due. In English it would read roughly as follows: I, __(parent's name)__ a third year/fourth year/graduate fellow member of this celebrated university of St Andrews who with great natural ability and toil studies __(degree)__ gives this to you, __(child's name)__ my beloved bejant, of tired and invalided mind, from __(town)__ who studies __(degree)__ and as thanks for this will accept from you one pound of raisins. In recent decades the tradition of raisin giving has diminished and celebrations now centre on the mass fancy-dress foam fight. A student is pictured being given a hand with his cigarette as he is covered head to toe with shaving foam However, parents are still typically expected to provide their children with a Latin Raisin Receipt, as well as devising a fancy dress costume for their child. The University of St Andrew's is situated in the Scottish town of St Andrew's and was attended by Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, as well as former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond. The foam fight is a huge event in St Andrew's calendar and involves cooperation from the whole town as roads are closed and police watch over the proceedings A teenage girl broke down in a heartbreaking YouTube video as she revealed her struggle with bullies. Sacha Davies, 14, from Carmarthenshire, Wales, posted the emotional video to her channel on the platform where she spoke about the abuse she had suffered. The teary-eyed teen said she had been called 'fat' and told to kill herself, by cruel online trolls. Sacha Davies, from from Carmarthenshire, Wales, broke down as she revealed her struggle with bullying Sacha, 14, posts videos on her channel in a bid to follow her dream of performing on Britain's Got Talent. As she spoke about her tormentors, she said: 'I don't know why I am being bullied for this. I'm just trying to do something that I love to do and I'm getting judged for it. 'There was a boy in my year who made a video making fun of me. I got really upset because I thought he was my friend.' Sacha has amassed almost 10,000 subscribers in two years - but claimed teachers at her St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School in Llanelli, make fun of her channel and turn a blind eye to abuse. The school has asked her to remove the 10-minute video discussing her bullying ordeal, but her father Martin, 32, said she 'should be free to express herself'. Mr Davies, a carer for autistic people, is concerned with the harassment Sacha is receiving on social media. Sacha, who dreams of performing on Britain's Got Talent, said online trolls had called her 'fat' told her to 'kill herself' The teen also claimed that teachers at her school had ordered her to take the clips focusing on her bullying, down from YouTube He said videos of a woman masturbating were released purporting to be from Sacha's snapchat account by hackers. Mr Davies said: 'Someone hacked her snapchat and sent naked photos of a girl pleasuring herself. 'I know it wasn't Sacha because I was in her bedroom with her. 'I've since had a meeting with the school and they said they are unhappy with Sacha expressing herself publicly on Youtube.' Sacha said: 'I don't know why I am being bullied for this. I'm just trying to do something that I love to do and I'm getting judged for it' Sacha's father Martin (left, the pair during a family holiday to New York) has criticised his daughter's school for asking her to remove her video, and said she should be 'free to express herself' Sacha poses for a photo with her mother Lindsay during a family trip to the US Last month, Sacha uploaded a video of herself singing and revealed her intention to go on BGT. This is when the bullying became constant, with the school girl claiming her teachers joined in on the teasing. She said: 'Other pupils were laughing about it and saying I won't get far. I felt scared at school because every time i posted a video things got worse. 'I get messages every day being called 'fat' and saying ''Go kill yourself''. St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School did not wish to comment. A brazen group of inmates filmed a riot team raid on a cell with a smuggled mobile phone while laughing that guards 'won't say nothing' about their contraband. A dozen prisoners hurled obscenities and banged on the walls as they watched guards remove an inmate for damaging his room at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool on September 23. They cheered and shouted 'f****** nonce' at the man who was seen being led away from the cell and said: 'That's what you get for keeping us awake at night.' They were holding their illicit phone right up to the window of their packed cell and filmed for nearly two minutes without attracting the attention of the guards yards away. They even boasted that the officers could not stop them if they tried because 'there's too many of us' and another says: 'They won't say nothing anyway' and that the staff would get 'bent in' - jail slang for assault. This is the moment a brazen group of inmates filmed a riot team raid on a nearby cell on a mobile phone, which are banned in prisons The group of around a dozen men cheer and dance on camera as they laugh that guards wouldn't dare take it off them Former inmates mocked the footage online and dubbed the Category B jail 'Butlins with bars' and called time there 'easy jail' while another who enjoyed the Sky TV and two canteens there said: 'Take me back'. The video - uploaded to social media - shows three officers in full riot gear preparing to enter the cell, accompanied by a prison guard and a doctor The video - uploaded to social media - shows three officers in full riot gear preparing to enter the cell, accompanied by a prison guard and a doctor. An inmate holds the phone up to the window and says: 'There's the gangsters. There's the Power Rangers. There's the medic.' The cons shout 'Allahu Akbar' and roar with excitement as the armoured guards rush in. The prisoner hides the phone when another guard approaches the neighbouring cell and says: 'Yo, she's looking.' But he quickly resumes filming after another prisoner brags: 'They won't say nothing anyway.' The group seem totally unconcerned about a possible raid, saying: 'There's too many of us in this pad anyway. Imagine if they come in here now? They would get bent in. Ten-man deep. Yo, let's spin it round in a minute and get us.' Raucous cheers go up when the prisoner staggers out of his cell and they shout: 'F****** noncing fish head'. The filming con says: 'Yo, they've got him, look. They've got him good.' Officers appear to handcuff the man before carrying him away. The prisoner, who was half naked, was taken away by guards in riot gear on September 23 Under the post on social media one ex-prisoner wrote on social media: 'Altcourse is Butlins with bars. Finished off a sentence there a while back, cushty as f***' The cocky lag then turns the camera around and is seen jumping up and down with his cellmates, saying: 'This is Altcourse gang life.' The Merseyside prison is run by private security firm G4S and houses around 1,300 inmates. On its website, G4S says it tries to 'normalise' conditions for prisoners at HMP Altcourse to reflect life on the outside and help them reintegrate with society. But former inmates called it an 'easy jail' and said they longed to go back. Under the post on social media one ex-prisoner wrote on social media: 'Altcourse is Butlins with bars. Finished off a sentence there a while back, cushty as f***' Another said: 'Altcourse, brekkies and bingo on weekend, Sky telly, two canteens a week. Ffs send me back. Easy jail.' A third commented: 'The Power Rangers. Hahaha. I miss Altcourse.' A spokeswoman for G4S said an inmate was moved to a secure unit on suspicion of damaging his cell and disrupting the prison regime. She said the prisoners were locked in the cell to allow guards to safely remove the man, which is why it was crowded. No serious injuries were reported. Director of HMP Altcourse Steve Williams added: 'There is no place for mobile phones in prison. Today, prison officers will be searching the cell and if a mobile phone is found this will be passed as evidence to Merseyside Police. 'We will always work to seize prohibited items and those in possession of contraband could face additional time in prison.' A cash-strapped council has sold off bespoke vintage chairs made by a renowned British furniture designer for a fraction of their estimated worth at just 100 each. The retro leather and rosewood armchairs were made for councillors in Darlington, County Durham, by Peter Hoyte and embossed with the town's coat of arms. The designer was commissioned to make 60 of the chairs in 1969 one year before the town hall was opened by Princess Anne. The leather and rosewood armchairs were made for councillors in Darlington, County Durham They were removed about a year ago after the council sold most of them via eBay for 100 each, ploughing the 5,000 raised into the council chamber's refurbishment. Having been snapped up by savvy bargain hunters and dealers, the unusual chairs are now commanding a price tag of up to 695 each on vintage furniture websites. The chairs were also offered for sale to councillors, although it is understood just one local politician took home his or her seat of power. The decision to sell the chairs and replace them with a 'more multi-purpose type of chair' is linked to plans to close the town's library and move it to another building. The chairs were removed about a year ago after the council sold most of them for 100 each To allow for the changes - which are currently on hold awaiting the conclusion of legal action - Darlington's register office service had to move from the leisure centre to the town hall, with weddings now being held in the council chamber. Some of the chairs have been sold for up to 695 each, with one exported to Germany A council spokesman said: 'Although the chairs were an attractive feature, they were bespoke and not particularly suitable for use in wedding ceremonies. 'The money raised for the sale of the chairs - about 5,000 - was offset against the cost of the council chamber refurbishment, which was necessary because of the relocation of the register office service.' The council have since been accused of not doing enough to maximise profits by targeting the most suitable market for the chairs. But it said the furniture had been valued by an auctioneer and that potential storage costs had to be considered when deciding how and when to market the bulky items. Independent councillor Kevin Nicholson said the sale had been premature given the indefinite postponement of the library plans, after a legal challenge from campaigners hoping to save Crown Street Library. The council said the furniture had been valued by an auctioneer and that potential storage costs had to be considered when deciding how and when to market the bulky items He said: 'The council have a responsibility to make sure all public assets are disposed of in the most optimum way. It sounds like the chairs could have been sold for a lot more than they were and there was no rush at all to move them, it was premature. 'I understand difficult decisions have to be made, but these were sentimental items that have been at the town hall longer than most of the councillors. 'They should be regarded as part of the town's heritage and that heritage should be taken more seriously.' Councillor Heather Scott, leader of Darlington's Conservative group, said that 'hindsight is a wonderful thing', adding: 'Value changes with fashion but it seems unfortunate that the council has not gone further afield to try to sell the chairs. 'It is a lost opportunity to make money but it is extremely difficult to sell things sometimes. 'You will see something go for next to nothing at an auction that goes for a lot more to the right person and there is also the issue of storage space to consider.' Having been snapped up by savvy bargain hunters and dealers, the unusual chairs are now commanding a price tag of up to 695 each on vintage furniture websites She added: 'It was all done in good faith at the time and bringing the register office to the town hall has been a good thing for those getting married - it's a better place for weddings.' Cilla's Vintage, a business in Bath, bought six of the chairs from a third party and has sold four at 695 so far, with one of them being exported to Germany. A spokesman said: 'An item is only ever worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it but they are made to a very high quality. 'They're rosewood and leather and they are beautiful chairs - if someone wanted one enough, I think they would be willing to pay up to 1,000. I didn't pay 100 for them but I would have bought all 60 if I had seen them at that price.' Chloe Westley, campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'At a time when the council are making spending cuts in other areas, local taxpayers will be disappointed that they have failed to sell these items at their market rate. 'Every penny counts and in future the council should conduct its business more openly so that items can be sold at the highest possible price.' A mother accused of murdering her three-year-old daughter has been released by police after being detained in hospital when she had a 'medical episode'. Claire Colebourn was arrested on suspicion of murder after police raced to her home in Fordingbridge in Hampshire on Thursday night, following a report of a 'concern for welfare' for her daughter Bethan. The three-year-old was taken to Salisbury District Hospital, Wiltshire, where she was later pronounced dead. Hampshire police today revealed the investigation has been delayed due to the 'medical episode' Mrs Colebourn suffered, but have not revealed further details. Claire Colebourn was arrested on suspicion of murder after police raced to her home in Fordingbridge in Hampshire Three-year-old Bethan was taken to Salisbury District Hospital, Wiltshire, where she was later pronounced dead Former science teacher Mrs Coleburn, 35, who had offered private tutoring from her home, was also treated at the scene on Thursday night. A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said on Monday evening: 'The 35-year-old woman arrested after the death of a child in Fordingbridge has been released under investigation. Bethan's father, Michael Colebourn is said to be 'devastated' 'We were called to an address in Whitsbury Road shortly before 7pm on 19 October following a report of a concern for welfare. 'Officers attended along with colleagues from South Central Ambulance Service. 'A three-year girl was taken to Salisbury District Hospital and was pronounced dead later in the evening. 'The woman, who is from Fordingbridge, was arrested as part of our ongoing enquiries into the circumstances of the girl's death.' Police were called at around 7pm on Thursday evening with a report of a concern for welfare at the Colebourns' address. Officers rushed to the scene along with two paramedic crews and an air ambulance. Bethan's 37-year-old father, Michael Colebourn, a director at marine interior company Trimline, based in Southampton, was said to be 'devastated', according to his family. Hampshire police have revealed the investigation has been delayed due to the 'medical episode' Mrs Colebourn suffered A number of bouquets of flowers including red roses and pink and white lilies were placed outside the family home A number of bouquets of flowers including red roses and pink and white lilies were placed outside the property at the weekend. Bethan's aunt Lindsay Colebourn, 35, who lives in Gillingham, Dorset, said: 'It is obviously a devastating time for everyone. That's really all I can say. 'As her father, Michael is devastated and is on his way to the family home. It's such a tragic event.' It is not known whether Mr and Mrs Colebourn were still living together at the time of the incident. One neighbour said he had been to the Colebourn's at Christmas and described them as a lovely family. The man, who did not want to be named, said: 'I cannot believe what has happened. Claire and Michael were nice people, and they had a lovely little girl called Bethan. 'We went there at Christmas for a few drinks, because they know our neighbour - I think they both own horses.' A mother who went to the same baby group as Claire and Bethan said: 'I went to a baby group with Claire, she is a lovely woman. 'I started going just before her little girl left, so I didn't know her that well. 'But I ride my bike past their house a lot and if I ever see her she always says hello to me.' A Tory peer revealed an MP stroked her neck while she drove her car as she joined other politicians exposing sexual harassment in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Baroness Jenkin said 'men used to hit on you all the time' when she first joined Parliament as a secretary in the 1970s. While Labour MP Mary Creagh revealed she was sexually abused as a child in the playground and had her bottom pinched by a priest as a teenager. Labour MP Jess Phillips told how her old boss tried to assault her while Tory MP Theresa Villiers had to fend off groping hands at a Tory function in the 1990s. The four female politicians have joined the growing number of women speaking out about the abuse they have suffered as part of the 'me too' campaign. Maria Miller, chairwoman of the women and equalities select committee, told Mail Online she experienced more abuse as an MP than in her 20-year advertising career. She said: 'This is not a thing of the past.' Tory peer Baroness Jenkin (pictured left) and Labur MP Jess Phillips (pictured right) have both spoken out abut the sexual harassment and abuse the suffered Baroness Jenkin, 61, told the Evening Standard: 'I was with an MP once in a car and he was trying to stroke my neck. I was swerving all over the road.' She added: 'Men used to hit on you all the time. They would say, "I had a dream about you last night"... these things affect people differently. 'I haven't thought about it for 40 years. I'm not upset about it. I just hope it's not common today.' The Tory peer founded the Tory Women2Win campaign to boost the number of female MPs. Calls for new body to investigate sexual harassment claims Parliament Politicians have today called for a body to investigate claims of sexual harassment and abuse in Parliament. The call came after several MPs revealed the abuse they had endures inside and outside the House of Commons. Labour's shadow women and equalities secretary Dawn Butler said a new body to address complaints should be set up. and her call was echoed by Labour MP Mary Creagh, who revealed she was sexually touched while a school girl in the playground. Ms Creagh told Mail Online: 'Anyone who feels they are experiencing inappropriate behaviour needs to go to a place that is not the party whips office to report it. The authorities need to be able to build up a picture of what a person is accused of, so they can work out if a drunken lunge in a bar is one of 100 drunken lunges in a bar.' Advertisement Ms Creagh, the Labour MP for Wakefield, said she was attacked aged seven in her school playground. She told the newspaper: 'I had my underwear torn off during a game of kiss chase and was sexually assaulted by about 12 boys. They were older than me, about ten or 11 years old.' She only spoke about the incident for the first time around a week ago when she was speaking with friends about the Weinstein scandal. Ms Creagh said that when she was 16 her parish priest pinched her bottom - an incident she recalled years later when the priest ended up in jail for assaulting others. Ms Creagh also recalled a teacher who had given her a lift drove her to his house and turned off the lights before trying to kiss her. And she told Mail Online that she was also attacked when she was around 13 years-old and on an early morning paper round. She said: 'There were other incidents where I did tell my parents. When I w as doing a paper round early in the morning an older guy who I used to see every morning came up and tried to kiss me when I was about 13.' She added: 'This is an unspoken epidemic - that's why I wanted to speak out. 'I am very keen for women to share their experiences.' She said that female MPs used to face sexual harassment and humiliation in the Chamber, with male MPs making crude melon jokes about them. Ms Creagh said: 'There is no doubt that among some of my parliamentary colleagues social attitudes here even 20 years ago were neanderthal.' But she said hat comments and attitudes that 'once would have been passed off as locker room banter - to borrow a phrase - been 20 years ago are simply unthinkable today.' Ms Villiers, 49, told the newspaper: 'I recall one instance in the late Nineties when I was a candidate for the European elections and attended a Conservative function. 'As I was leaving at the end of the evening after having made my speech, I had to fend off some groping hands from one of the event organisers.' Mr Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, recalled her boss trying to assault her after a night out before she became an MP. Tory MP Theresa Villiers (pictured left) said she had to fend off groping hands at the end of a Conservative function in the late 1990s. While Tory MP Maria Miller (pictured right) said she has suffered far more harassment since she became a politician than during her 20 year carer in advertising and marketing She told the newspaper: 'I was working in a bar and I remember going to a party and we went back to someone's house and my boss was there. 'I had fallen asleep on the sofa and when I woke up he was undoing my belt and trying to get into my trousers. I was absolutely paralysed with fear. He was loads older than me maybe 25 years older. 'Someone else came in the room and dragged him off me. Then I went back to work the next day. 'It's hard to comprehend that these things are happening until after the event. The women spoke out after Tory MP Ms Miller told of the sexual harassment she has encountered. She told Mail Online: 'I've experience far more sexual harassment as a member of Parliament than I did in my entire 20 year career in advertising and marketing. 'It's not about the House of Commons, it's more general than that.' Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, pictured with fashion stylist Rachel Zoe in 2009 She added: 'This is not a thing of he past and we need to see it as a present day concern and it needs to be tackled in that way.' 'The event around Harvey Weinstein give us an opportunity to do more.' Ms Miller said the authorities may want to consider introducing new laws to make it mandatory for employers to report incidents of sexual harassment and abuse to police. She added: 'I think these things are happening in plain sight - sexual harassment is hidden in plain sight.' She said Britain remains 'in the foothills' when it comes to finding a way to tackle and root out such harassment. British troops will be ordered 'outside the wire' and sent off base in northern Iraq after the Defence Secretary told MPs today the war against ISIS was changing after the fall of Raqqa. Sir Michael Fallon said British troops would now carry out their training mission 'further forward' and undertake 'close protection' duties at the Al-Asad Airbase. The decision is thought likely to be the first time UK troops have been sent off base in Iraq since combat operations ended in the country in 2009. The current mission was extended this summer with the deployment of Royal Engineers to Al-Asad in August, bringing the total UK deployment in Iraq to 600. British forces have been deployed to train and support the Iraqi Army in the fight against ISIS since September 2014. They are not involved in front line war fighting. The new patrols do not involve sending British personnel to the front lines but will see UK troops protecting the sprawling airbase from mortar attacks. British routes will be sent 'outside the wire' on force protection patrols for a huge coalition base in northern Iraq, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon (pictured in the Commons today) told MPs today Sir Michael Fallon's announcement to MPs (pictured today) does not change the mission of soldiers deployed to train and support the Iraqi Army in the fight against ISIS Sir Michael told MPs: 'The campaign is now changing following the liberation of Raqqa and Mosul. 'British forces will be training further forward and providing appropriate force protection in and around coalition bases. 'I have today also authorised additional medical personnel to Al-Asad Airbase and extended the deployment of Royal Engineers there for a further six months.' Members of the Royal Engineers were sent to the Al Asad base in August as coalition efforts to dislodge ISIS from northern Iraq and Syria were stepped up. Defence sources told MailOnline the new patrols would see UK soldiers 'outside the wire' but would not place them on the front lines. The force protection work to be taken on by British personnel had previously been carried out by other allies including the United States. Coalition efforts are focused on breaking up ISIS troops after the terror group was finally dislodged from the Syrian city of Raqqa last week. Syrian Defence Forces entered Raqqa last week for the first time since 2013 following an a drawn out siege The Syrian city was subject to coalition bombardment while government troops tackled the terrorists on the ground Members of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) celebrated at a stadium that was the site of Islamic State fighters' last stand in the city of Raqqa (pictured) Around 120,000 members of the British armed forces and civilians served in Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003 but the UK's combat role ended in April 2009. During the operation 179 UK troops were killed. The sprawling Al Asad air base houses a coalition of Iraqi, US, Danish and British troops. The base, around 100 miles west of Baghdad, has been used by the British to train and mentor Iraqi forces taking on IS jihadis. Meanwhile, RAF aircraft based in Akrotiri, Cyprus, meanwhile have carried out around 1400 strikes against IS as part of the international effort to destroy the terror group. The Victorian Premier's wife was not breath tested after a crash which saw a teen cyclist hospitalised, despite police protocol requiring all drivers in a collision to undergo the test. Then opposition leader Daniel Andrews' wife Catherine was driving a taxpayer-funded car when she collided with the teen cyclist in Blairgowrie, on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria's south, in 2013. Now years after the crash, which sent the teen to hosptial with multiple injuries, journalists have been denied access to police documentation relating to the incident. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews' wife Catherine (pictured together) was driving a taxpayer-funded car when she collided with the teen cyclist in Blairgowrie, on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria's south, in 2013 Victoria Police's Freedom of Information office refused to send documents to journalists, telling Nine News the case was not in the public's interest. The 38-page document includes 10 pages of notes, three pages of photographs of Mrs Andrews' car, two page witness statements and two page statement from Mrs Andrews, Nine News reports. Mr Andrews, who was not in the vehicle at the time of the crash, was Victoria's Opposition Leader in 2013. The teenage boy's father said he was also denied access to information relating to the crash which hospitalised his son. The teen cyclist (pictured) was taken to hospital with multiple injuries following the collision with Mrs Andrews' car The teenage boy's father said he was also denied access to information relating to the crash which hospitalised his son (pictured) Days after the crash, Premier Andrews said he was confident his wife (pictured together) would have returned a zero alcohol reading if she was tested 'It does not surprise me that the (freedom of information request) has been rejected. Something is going on,' he said. Days after the crash, Premier Andrews said he was confident his wife would have returned a zero alcohol reading if she was tested. The Freedom of Information office also denied access to reports of police handling of the case, claiming it was also not in the public's interest. The office issued a statement which read: 'Disciplinary action taken in relation to members is a personal matter'. Two officers were reportedly investigated by the Professional Standards Command for failing to issue Mrs Andrews with a breath test after the 2013 crash. Premier Andrews (pictured) refused to comment this week, saying it was a police matter Victoria Police supported this. 'The two attending members failed to conduct a Preliminary Breath Test on the driver of the vehicle involved in the collision. Both members were administered Workplace Guidance and the matter has been finalised,' the police told Nine News. Premier Andrews refused to comment this week, saying it was a police matter. Just a few days after the crash, the Premier said the crash was serious and he was happy to extend his 'best wishes' to the victim. However five years later, the victim's father said he had not heard from the politician. An FBI informant-turned-serial killer has been arrested for allegedly ordering a hit from behind bars and attempting to escape jail. Scott 'Hannibal' Kimball, of Colorado, is facing one count of solicitation of first-degree murder and one count of attempted escape, according to an arrest warrant filed last week. The 51-year-old allegedly plotted the murder and his exit from Sterling Correctional Center between May 6 and September 22. Kimball is currently serving 70 years after pleading guilty to four murders while working as an FBI informant. Scott Kimball (pictured) is facing one count of solicitation of first-degree murder and one count of attempted escape according to an arrest warrant filed last week Hes also serving 48 years for fraud and 70 months for a federal gun charge, the Denver Post reports. Kimball, a conman with a long history of convictions, was released from jail in December 2002 to act as an FBI informant after he was able to convince federal agents his cellmate, Steve Ennis, had asked him to kill a witness in a drug case. But within a month of his release, LeAnn Emry, 24, vanished, and a month after that, so did Ennis girlfriend, Jennifer Marcum, 25. The 51-year-old is serving 70 years for four murders; including those of LeAnn Emry (left) and Jennifer Marcum (right) Kaysi McLeod, 19, (left) went missing in August 2003 and Kimball later led the cops to her body, as he did with the body of his uncle, Terry Kimball (right) Kimball's cellmate's girlfriend Jennifer Marcum, 25, went missing two months after Kimball got out of jail In June 2003, Kimball told FBI Agent Carle Schlaff that a drug dealer murdered Marcum after claiming a friend of his ex-cellmate had shown him a photo of the victim bound and gagged. Kaysi McLeod, 19, went missing in August 2003. Kimball later married McLeod's mother. The following year, Kimballs uncle, Terry Kimball, 60, vanished. Kimball claimed his uncle won a lottery, then went to Mexico with a woman. But by 2006, the FBI had begun to suspect Kimball who was the last to see any of his four victims alive. With evidence mounting, he eventually agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder in the four killings. Kimball, a conman with a long list of convictions, (pictured in two undated mugshots) was released from jail in December 2002 to act as an FBI informant after he was able to convince federal agents his cellmate, Steve Ennis, had asked him to kill a witness in a drug case McLeods remains were discovered by a hunter in a forest in Jackson County in north-central Colorado in 2007. Kimball later led authorities to Emrys body which had been dumped in a canyon in Utah and to his uncles remains in a forest near Vail Pass. However, he has refused to tell authorities where Marcum's remains were left. Kimball is not eligible for parole until 2054 under his current prison term. Its not yet clear when he is due in court on the new charges. The mother of two victims killed during last year's fatal Dreamworld ride accident has shared her heartbreak one year after losing her beloved children. Kim Dorsett's daughter Kate Goodchild and son Luke Dorsett, as well as his partner Roozi Araghi, where among the four killed on the Thunder River Rapids ride on October 25, 2016. The family had travelled from Canberra to the Gold Coast on a week-long vacation when tragedy struck, but Ms Dorsett told the Courier Mail her children would never want others to miss out on the theme park rides because of them. From right: Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozi Araghi She went on to say that Kate's youngest child would never know how much her mother loved her but they would remind her everyday. 'A mother should never see her children buried, no matter what the circumstance. I was so fortunate to have shared my life and love with them as long as I did.' The family also celebrated Christmas, birthdays and Mother's Day without their much-loved family members, which Ms Dorsett said 'filled their year with tears, laughter and disbelief.' 'Their deaths have certainly left a hole in hundreds of lives, but none so much as mine, Kates girls and her loving partner.' On Monday police revealed their first thought was that the deaths were caused by a terrorist attack. Detective Inspector Todd Reid told the Courier Mail the first job of the police response was to rule out the possibility the incident was terror-related. Officers had to explore the possibility of 'an actual attack, and then check on other sites that could also have been targets, before ruling out terrorism and confirming that the tragedy was an accident. Detective Inspector Todd Reid was one of the first officers to attend the Dreamworld tragedy It is too soon to tell if legislation against 'industrial manslaughter' will be used in this case 'Dreamworld is an iconic site for a potential target (and) if you're not thinking about these sorts of issues in this day and age, you're not thinking widely enough,' Detective Inspector Reid explained. He added that terrorism was something that was immediately on the minds of the responding officers from the very beginning: 'In the world that we live in these days, are we dealing with a deliberate act?' Detective Inspector Reid also opened up about that fateful day when he was called to Dreamworld during his 2pm shift with news of a ride accident. At first, he didn't assume the worse because there had been 'several ride malfunctions at the theme parks' in recent months, and he had no idea what he was about to witness. After hearing the news there was at least one fatality, Detective Inspector Reid knew the incident had quickly turned into something 'tragic', as investigators were sent to the scene and eventually concluded the collision was an accident. The iconic amusement park is suffering from a $62 million drop in profits and fewer visitors A malfunction in the mechanism of the Thunder River Rapids led to the collision of two rafts 'As police officers, you might go to a multiple fatality traffic accident, or you go to a homicide, that's just what we do,' he said. But it was the location of the accident - a beloved family weekend location and tourist attraction - that 'changed everything.' He explained that the incident was all the more emotional for people, because lots of Queenslanders have an emotional and nostalgic connection to Dreamworld. 'It's not the sort of place that's supposed to happen at,' he said. 'You're supposed to be safe there and feel good and have a good time. You're not meant to die there.' But that's exactly what happened to Canberra woman Kate Goodchild, 32, her brother Luke Dorsett, 35, his partner Roozi Araghi, 38, and New Zealander Cindy Low, 42, after a malfunction in the Thunder River Rapids conveyer belt caused their raft to flip. Two of those that died had been trapped beneath the raft, and two were trapped under water Police have recommended no charges should be laid over the horrific Dreamworld disaster that killed four people but the theme parks owners could still face prosecution. Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace confirmed to the ABC in September that there is a real 'possibility of pending legal action' as new legislation to make 'industrial manslaughter' an offence in Queensland was introduced in August. While the legislation is expected to pass, it is too soon to tell whether or not it will be used in the Dreamworld case. 'Under our proposed laws, the maximum penalty for industrial manslaughter will be 20 years imprisonment for an individual, with a maximum fine of $10 million for a corporate offender,' Minister Grace said in a statement to the Guardian. Minister Grace moved to make 'industrial manslaughter' an offence to avoid similar tragedies Police provided a report to the Queensland coroner which said no staff should be prosecuted for the tragedy, according to the Brisbane Times. A police spokesman said the coroner ultimately would decide if any charges were to be laid, while Ardent Leisure the owner of the park may still be prosecuted by Workplace Health and Safety Dreamworld has been beset with financial issues since the incident, including plummeting profits as fewer families visit the theme park. AUBURN Do you have a story about Harriet Tubman's life in Auburn? It just might end up in a new biography about Tubman and her time in the community where she spent over half her life. Ednita Wright, a professor at Onondaga Community College, is writing a book about Tubman's life in Auburn. While several books have been written about Tubman's life, Wright said, none of them go into great detail about the community where the former slave spent the last 50 years of her life after helping dozens escape slavery. "The book is about Auburn primarily," Wright said. "My main focus is to understand what were her relationships like here in Auburn. How did she live? Who did she speak to? All of those kinds of things." During a community forum Sunday afternoon at Auburn Public Theater, Wright shared some of her research about Tubman's life in Auburn and asked the community to come forward with any stories of their own. While no one in attendance had any particular stories to share, people did ask questions and offer ideas. Wright shared that she became interested in Tubman in 1992 while she was doing research for her doctorate dissertation at Syracuse University. Her dissertation was not on Tubman, though, so her research got pushed to the side. "I got fascinated with her because I felt her presence. I felt her around me as I was struggling to do my doctorate," Wright said, adding that she was one of only eight female black doctoral candidates at Syracuse at the time. More than 20 years later, Wright decided to pursue her research on Tubman. She said she Tubman's presence in the news the campaign to get her on the $20 bill and the work to turn her home into a national park sparked her interest again. "You notice how she comes back every few years?" Wright asked the audience. "She rises again in America. She's like 'Hello, I'm here.'" Wright said she hopes her book on Tubman's life in Auburn can shed light on some of the other roles Tubman played in the county's history. "Harriet Tubman is usually portrayed in the role of conductor of the Underground Railroad, which was a great thing but it wasn't the only thing she did," Wright said. "Harriet is a complex woman, just like we all are." Wright reminded the audience that Tubman was a suffragist, nurse, Civil War spy, feminist, naturalist and revolutionary. "This is where the jewels are, as far am I'm concerned," Wright said of Auburn. "In terms of what motivated her and made her feel good about herself. Made her feel good about what she was doing." Wright has been talking to people, researching and collecting stories for her book for about a year. She hopes to have it published by 2019. Judy Gloska came to the forum from Onondaga. She said she thinks what Wright is doing is a "worthy cause." "Harriet Tubman is a freedom fighter," Gloska said. "We can't sweep her under the rug, especially now. She needs to be uplifted, not only as a freedom fighter but as a woman of love." Wright will hold another community forum from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Auburn Public Theater. People can come listen to what others have to say or share any stories they have, either verbally or they may write them down on provided sheets of paper. Wright said anyone who cannot come to the event but has Tubman stories they would like to share can contact her by email, ednitawright7@gmail.com, or phone (315) 289-5580. Advertisement A group of 245 thrillseekers tied to ropes jumped off a 98-foot tall bridge hoping to establish a world record on Sunday. Photos of the death-defying event show 245 participants - each tied to a rope and wearing a helmet - as they take the plunge from the bridge in Hortolandia, about 68 miles northwest of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The jumpers fell almost simultaneously and swung back and forth until coming to standstill before with some descending to the water below and others climbing up to the bridge. Scroll down for video A group of 245 tied to ropes jumped off a 98-foot tall bridge in Hortolandia, about 68 miles northwest of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sunday The group of thrillseekers were trying to break a world record for robe jumping - which was previously set at 149 people doing it at once The jumpers fell almost simultaneously and swung back and forth until coming to standstill before with some descending to the water below and others climbing up to the bridge The practice, called rope jumping, consists of jumping from impressive heights while tied to a nylon rope. Unlike bungee jumping, the rope doesn't have any bounce The practice, called rope jumping, consists of jumping from impressive heights while tied to a nylon rope. It differs from bungee jumping because the rope doesn't have any bounce. Instead of bouncing back, rope jumping adepts slow down at the end of their fall and end up dangling at the end of the rope. One jump can require months of preparation due to the complicated system of pulleys and bolts involved. Stunt organizer, Alan Fereira, said a total of 400 people were involved in this years project. Fereira examined the ropes before the jump, as the feat required the assembly of complicated harnesses and bolts used for professional mountaineering. Instead of bouncing back, rope jumping adepts slow down at the end of their fall and end up dangling at the end of the rope People climb after jumping off a bridge, which has a height of 98 feet (30 meters), in Hortolandia, Brazil, on Sunday. One jump can require months of preparation due to the complicated system of pulleys and bolts involved Stunt organizer, Alan Fereira, said a total of 400 people were involved in this years project. Fereira examined the ropes before the jump, as the feat required the assembly of complicated harnesses and bolts used for professional mountaineering Bystanders watched the group of 245 thrillseekers as they leaped from the bridge and swung underneath in near-unison on Sunday Some of the participants climbed back up the ropes toward the bridge after the jump, while others fell into the water below According to organisers, a total of 12 miles (20 kilometres) of rope were used plus 1,000 harnesses. Guinness World Records have not yet issued an official statement confirming the Brazilian record attempt but it surpassed another Brazilian attempt with 149 participants in April, 2016. A previous unofficial record was set in Tver, Russia, in July 2012. Some credit American rock climber Dan Osman with pioneering rope jumping. Osman died in 1998 aged 35 after jumping from the Leaning Tower summit in Yosemite National Park. His rope failed him during the jump, leading to a crash that sounded 'like a tree had broken in half', his friend Miles Daisher told Outside. People practice before jump off a bridge on Sunday. According to organisers, a total of 12 miles (20 kilometres) of rope were used plus 1,000 harnesses Guinness World Records have not yet issued an official statement confirming the Brazilian record attempt but it surpassed another Brazilian attempt with 149 participants in April, 2016 This is the agonizing moment a woman slammed into the back of a parked car and flipped on to the ground while riding a motorbike for the first time. The video, filmed by a passerby in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, shows a woman sitting on a bike as a man in army uniform holds on to the back. The woman then hits the throttle and zooms off, forcing the man to let go. This is the agonizing moment a woman slammed into the back of a parked car and flipped on to the ground while riding a motorbike for the first time She screams as she races towards some parked cars and smashes into the back of one. The woman's shoe flies through the air as she flips off the bike and lands violently on the ground while the bike rolls on. The man in army uniform then rushes over to her to check she is OK and help her up. The filmer uploaded the video with the caption: 'I was walking out of my apartment and noticed a guy trying to teach a girl how to ride a motorcycle. 'I could tell that she had absolutely no experience on a motorcycle so I decided to video what was going on. 'She then took off and slammed into the back of a parked car.' The lawyers of an uber-rich oligarch, whose daughter killed five pedestrians while speeding, are working on a 1.1million compensation package which could see her avoid jail. Nouveau riche wild child Alyona Zaitseva, 20, caused a devastating pile-up after jumping a red light at more than 60mph. The Ukrainian energy company heiress ploughed her Lexus into another car at a crossing, causing the back-end to spin-out and hurtle into innocent bystanders. Scroll down for video The lawyers of an uber-rich oligarch, whose daughter killed five pedestrians while speeding, are working on a 1.1million compensation package, which could see her avoid jail. Alyona Zaitseva (pictured), 20, caused a deadly pile-up after jumping a red light at more than 60mph This came as relatives began funerals for the four women and one man who were killed in the crash (still of family members at one of the funerals) Horrific footage captured the moment the black car with the heiress at the wheel hit bystanders in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. She was ordered to be detained for two months amid fears she could flee abroad before a trial, which could see her jailed for ten years. Now her father Vasily Zaitsev, an energy tycoon, is reported by Vesti Ukraine TV to be 'negotiating' with state investigators and families of the victims over substantial payments in compensation. This came as relatives began funerals for the four women and one man who were killed in the crash. Now her father Vasily Zaitsev (left), an energy tycoon, is reported by Vesti Ukraine TV to be 'negotiating' with state investigators and families of the victims over substantial payments in compensation The Ukrainian energy company heiress ploughed her luxury Lexus into another car at a crossing, causing the back-end to spin-out and hurtle into innocent bystanders Citing law enforcement sources, Vesti Ukraine TV quoted a legal expert who suggested the aim of the father's campaign was to avoid a jail sentence for the sociology student. 'Unfortunately, money can shut many mouths here,' said lawyer Ivan Liberman. 'Both injured people and relatives of the deceased can go to a notary office and sign statements that they received compensation and don't have any claims against the driver.' The aim would be to persuade the judge both that there were 'mitigating circumstances' for her high speed driving, and that the family has acted to provide unprecedented financial compensation for the victims, said the expert. Citing law enforcement sources, Vesti Ukraine TV quoted a legal expert who suggested the aim of the father's campaign was to avoid a jail sentence for the sociology student The aim would be to persuade the judge both that there were 'mitigating circumstances' for her high speed driving, and that the family has acted to provide unprecedented financial compensation for the victims, said the expert 'Lawyers for this girl student are already 'working' with the victims,' reported Vesti. They forecast she would be given a suspended sentence, but that her parents would pay a large sum to secure her freedom. 'In other words, having killed five people, she will go to restaurants, travel abroad and live the same kind of life as she had before,' said the report. 'According to the in law enforcement, at the moment the Zaitseva parents are "negotiating" it with the investigation at various levels. In a tearful statement in the aftermath of the bloody tragedy, Ms Zaitseva, currently detained for two months pending a criminal investigation, had vowed help for her victims 'And due to the noise made by this story, it may cost them at least $1.5 million USD. [sic]' In a tearful statement in the aftermath of the bloody tragedy, Ms Zaitseva, currently detained for two months pending a criminal investigation, had vowed help for her victims. 'I am sorry that this situation happened and people suffered,' she said. 'It is only this that truly concerns me now. 'I am hoping that the families will allow my parents to help them.' In one funeral, grandmother Lyudmila Farbis buried her daughter Alla Sokol, 46, and granddaughter Anastasia Sokol, who would have turned 20 this week. In one funeral, grandmother Lyudmila Farbis buried her daughter Alla Sokol, 46, and granddaughter Anastasia Sokol, who would have turned 20 this week (still of a funeral from a victim today) 'They had just come there, they hadn't stopped,' she said. 'Right at that moment, they were there. 'If only they had two more second, they would have been alive.' Of Ms Zaitseva she said: 'I have no grudge against her. I am not thinking about her at all.' At another funeral, 27 year old IT specialist Alexander Evteev was buried. In one funeral, grandmother Lyudmila Farbis buried her daughter Alla Sokol, 46, and granddaughter Anastasia Sokol, who would have turned 20 this week (still of a funeral from a victim today) His wife Oksana, 27, and her sister Diana, 20, survived but they are in a grave condition in hospital. Oksana has emerged from a coma but has not been told that her husband is dead. His uncle Vladimir Timoshenko demanded the 'toughest penalty' for the driver who he claimed were part of a 'golden youth' who no-one curbs. 'Youngsters in expensive cars - no-one is controlling them,' he complained. In a court appearance she wore Ceinture Ankle Boots by luxury Spanish brand Balenciaga costing around 1055 a pair, some five times the average monthly salary in impoverished Ukraine. Colorado hikers saved a helpless dog who had been trapped in an old mining shaft for about 10 days. Preston Gladd was hiking near the Beaver Creek area of Fairplay earlier this month when he heard sounds coming from a cave, according to his girlfriend, Portia Scovern's Facebook post. 'He thought it was a wild animal so he did not investigate,' Scovern wrote in the caption of the rescue video. Preston Gladd, his girlfriend Portia Scovern, and their friend, Gannon (left) worked together to save an adorable pooch (right, at the bottom of the shaft) who had been trapped inside an old mining shaft for about 10 days in Colorado Preston Gladd (pictured inside the shaft, left) was hiking near the Beaver Creek area of Fairplay earlier this month when he heard sounds coming from a cave. This photo shows Gladd at the bottom of the mine shaft as he attempts to move a broken ladder Gladd hiked the same area again on October 18. That time he heard actual barking and called Scovern and their friend Gannon to help with the rescue. Once Cheynne was rescued, the trio gave her food and water (pictured) Gladd hiked the same area again on October 18. That time he heard actual barking and called Scovern and their friend Gannon to help with the rescue. Video of the dramatic rescue shows the malnourished dog, named Cheynne, wagging her tail as she hears the voices of her rescuers. 'Hi buddy! We're going to get you!' Scovern is heard saying in the video. The clip then cuts to Gladd at the bottom of the mine shaft as he attempts to move a broken ladder. Moments later, the video shows the dehydrated pooch drinking water and eating dog food that Scovern and her friend brought with them. 'I know you're so small. Aww you're so cute. You're so skinny,' Scovern is heard saying in the video as she dumps a bottle of water into a bowl. Preston Gladd (right) was able to rescue the pooch from the mine shaft with the help of his friend, Gannon (left), and his girlfriend 'I know you're so small. Aww you're so cute. You're so skinny,' Portia Scovern (pictured holding Cheynne) is heard saying in the video at one point The trio then drove home with Cheynne and gave her a much-needed bath Video of the cute pup shows her enjoying the bath as she sits at on the floor of the shower before being dried off and given a nice warm bed The trio then drove home with Cheynne and gave her a much-needed bath. Video of the cute pup shows her enjoying the bath as she sits at on the floor of the shower. According to Scovern, Cheynne didn't have any injuries despite the 20-foot fall. 'She is underweight and dehydrated, but we are shocked that she has no injuries after a 20ft fall,' Scovern wrote. Scovern said the dog had not been 'reported missing at any vet or police station and she is not microchipped'. Within 24 hours, after Scovern's Facebook post went viral, the owner of the dog was found. The owner has not been identified. A British actor-turned YPG fighter played an Ariana Grande song in Raqqa's main square as a tribute to the victims of the Manchester terror attack. Michael Enright, 53, played the pop star's hit Bang Bang from his mobile phone in Raqqa, the one-time 'capital' of ISIS's self-proclaimed caliphate. It comes just days after Raqqa was liberated from Islamic State militants following four months of fighting. British actor Michael Enright, 53, played Ariana Grande's hit song Bang Bang from his mobile phone in Raqqa, the one-time 'capital' of ISIS's self-proclaimed caliphate His playing of the song comes just days after Raqqa was liberated from Islamic State militants following four months of fighting Enright told Kurdish news outlet ANF English on Saturday that he played the song for Manchester. He said: 'Because I am from Manchester and they came to my city - they came to my city - and they tried to shut up Ariana Grande, that she would be the first one to sing. Michael Enright, 52, played Ariana Grande's hit Bang Bang from his mobile phone in Raqqa over the weekend 'They didn't shut her up and they didn't shut Manchester up. She's singing Bang Bang and you know what happened, we came and we did bang bang and you [ISIS] left, you ran away. 'And so light is coming back here now, freedom is coming back here now and singing is coming back here. And Ariana, it's your first concert here.' As he spoke to the media site, Enright had his cell phone in one hand and a rifle in the other. The song Enright played, Bang Bang, is a 2014 hit by Jessie J, which featured Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj. Enright, who appeared in Pirates Of The Caribbean alongside Johnny Depp, volunteered to fight alongside the Kurdish Protection Unit in Syria following the Manchester terror attack in May. Originally from Manchester, the terror attack that stands out in his mind most prominently is the suicide bombing which killed 22 Ariana Grande fans. The fact Salman Abedi targeted children as thousands piled out of the UK's biggest indoor concert venue made his blood boil and his emotions were heightened due to his ties to the city in the north west. While his reaction to the Manchester Arena attack was that of heartbreak, when Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba went on a rampage on London Bridge killing eight people in a van and knife attack, Enright's emotion turned to anger. As the former actor spoke to the media site, Enright had his cell phone in one hand and a rifle in the other Enright, who appeared in Pirates Of The Caribbean alongside Johnny Depp, volunteered to fight alongside the Kurdish Protection Unit in Syria following the Manchester terror attack in May For three years, Raqqa saw some of ISIS's worst abuses and grew into one of its main governance hubs, a centre for both its potent propaganda machine and its unprecedented experiment in jihadist statehood These two atrocities, along with the Westminster attack in which Khalid Masood killed five people in another van and knife attack in March, made the former actor volunteer for every operation that comes up to take on ISIS. Enright was in Raqqa days after it was liberated from the ISIS stronghold last week. For three years, Raqqa saw some of ISIS's worst abuses and grew into one of its main governance hubs, a centre for both its potent propaganda machine and its unprecedented experiment in jihadist statehood. On Friday Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) formally announced the city's liberation from Islamic State after four months of battles and said it would be part of a decentralized federal Syria. The fight against Islamic State has taken place amid a wider, multi-sided civil war between Assad's government, which is backed by Iran and Russia, and an array of rebel groups supported by other powers, including the United States. Experts believe the defeat of ISIS at Raqqa may only be the start of a wider struggle by the United States to contain any insurgency launched by the militant group and to stabilize the region, as Washington grapples with defining a comprehensive strategy in Syria. French President Emmanuel Macron said France's military would continue its fight against Islamic State in Syria, but that the fall of the militant group's bastion in Raqqa needed to lead to an inclusive political system to restore stability. An Ohio woman died on Sunday from a brain aneurysm, just a day after an ambulance failed to show up and take her to the hospital. The unidentified woman was found slumped behind the wheel inside her SUV on Route 11 North on Saturday, according to East Liverpool Officer Jacob Talbott. 'She had like a deer-in-the-headlights look,' Talbott told the WKBN. 'She was staring off and had very labored breathing.' The unidentified woman was found slumped behind the wheel inside her SUV on Route 11 (pictured) North on Saturday, according to East Liverpool Officer Jacob Talbott Talbott (pictured) said two ambulance services said they didn't have anyone available to transport the 62-year-old woman to the hospital. The officer and his partner waited several minutes for a third ambulance that said it was coming before driving her there himself Talbott said two ambulance services said they didn't have anyone available to transport the 62-year-old woman to the hospital. The officer and his partner waited several minutes for a third ambulance that said it was coming. '[Ambulance Service Incorporated] originally committed a crew and told our dispatcher they had a crew in route,' Talbott said. As time passed, Talbott called dispatch to check on the status of the EMS crew. He was told by dispatch that the crew that had originally committed was not coming and the other two local ambulance companies couldn't come either. Talbott and his partner then turned to desperate measures and drove the barely breathing woman to a hospital. His partner jumped in the backseat and started doing CPR on the woman. Not long after the woman arrived at the area hospital, she was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital, where she later died. Not long after the woman arrived at the area hospital (pictured), she was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital, where she later died When DailyMail.com called Ambulance Service Incorporated (pictured), we were told by the supervisor that the matter couldn't be discussed over the phone. The request for comment and protocols for ambulance response in East Liverpool has not been returned to DailyMail.com Talbott said he was holding out hope that the woman would survive and it was 'tough' to hear that she died. 'I'm not real happy that an ambulance service committed, and then five minutes later, they no longer have a crew available,' he told the station. 'And they didn't even notify us. The reason we found out is our dispatcher called to check the time.' It's not clear if the delay impacted the woman's chances of survival. When DailyMail.com called Ambulance Service Incorporated, we were told by the supervisor that the matter couldn't be discussed over the phone before being sent to a voicemail. The request for comment and protocols for ambulance response in East Liverpool has still not been returned to DailyMail.com. A California mother has been arrested for the murder of her own two-year-old son after she told police the boy had drowned at their home. First responders were called to the San Bernardino County home of Crystal Greene, 30, at 4:16pm on Friday after she called in the boy's supposed drowning. He was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors found that the boy had suffered from 'numerous injuries,' a police statement said. Crystal Greene, 30, was arrested at her home on the 10300 block of Wintergreen Road (pictured) in San Bernardino after doctors found injuries on her son, whom she said drowned It's currently unclear how Green's son had supposedly drowned in their home on the 10300 block of Wintergreen Road in Pinon Hills. But after failing to resuscitate the boy and declaring him dead, staff at Desert Valley Hospital noticed what they believed to be injuries sustained by the child. They then called in the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department's Homicide and Crimes Against Children Investigators, who interviewed Greene and arrested her. San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office said that the child had 'not drowned' but declined to release other details in the case. Greene remains in custody on no bail and will go to court on Tuesday for a video arraignment. Her three other children have been taken into the custody of Children and Family Services. The children were 'uncooperative' with officers at the scene, according to scanner traffic picked up by the Victor Valley Daily Press. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Kevin McCurdy at (909) 387-3589. Anonymous tips can be left on the We-tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463), or on the WeTip website. A Belgian sex education website featuring highly explicit drawings has come under fire after children as young as seven were recommended to view it. The bizarre website, called 'Alles over seks' ('Everything about sex'), was launched by Sensoa, an expert centre for sexual health in the Belgian region of Flanders. On the website, the organisation describes and illustrates explicit aspects of sex, ranging from birth control and STDs to various sexual positions and sex toys. Oral sex techniques such as the 'twist and shout' method, the 'V-finger technique' and the 'deep cave sex position' are demonstrated for Belgian youngsters. On the website, the organisation describes and illustrates explicit aspects of sex, ranging from birth control and STDs to various sexual positions and sex toys. Pictured: one of the illustrations The hummingbird technique is explained as: 'Make with your tongue rapid 'flappy' movements over the penis, just like the wings of a hummingbird. You can apply this technique everywhere, from the testicles to the tip of the penis.' The website was originally meant for 15-year-olds but was also recommended to children as young as seven in Belgian schools. According to Belgian media, the website was recommended in the 'Youth Guide', a children's advice guide supported by the Flemish government and distributed across primary schools in the region. Frederic Leire, father of two children aged seven and nine, said his youngsters got the guide at school. He said he was shocked when he saw how explicit the website is. Leire said: 'I would even call it perversity. 'It is great that such a website exists, but I don't think that children will ask questions like how many sex positions there are and if they need drugs for sexual pleasures.' The umbrella organisation of Catholic Education was also shocked about the website, which said the sex education website was too technically focused and did not detail the relational aspect. Spokeswoman Marijke van Bogaert said: 'It is up to the parents to talk about this with their children. 'We should give 11- and 12-year-olds information about sexuality which is tailor-made for their age group.' Sensoa spokesman Boris Cruyssaert (pictured) said that the website is first and foremost meant for 'youngsters older than 15' Flemish Minister for Culture and Youth Sven Gatz disagreed and said that those opposed show 'a new kind of prudishness'. Gatz said: 'I am a proponent to talk openly about sexuality, without taboos. 'And that is exactly what this website does with explicit drawings.' Sensoa spokesman Boris Cruyssaert said that the website is first and foremost meant for 'youngsters older than 15'. Cruyssaert said: 'But for youngsters aged ten or 11 there is not a single other website which so comprehensively gives answers. Then it is better that they go to allesoverseks.be.' Theresa May today hinted there will be no transition period to prevent a 'cliff-edge' Brexit unless a future trade deal is agreed. Critics warned the move means businesses will not be able to properly plan for the departure and could throw them into turmoil. While Jeremy Corbyn tried to pile further pressure on the PM by warning that her Brexit plans risk creating a nightmare for jobs and living standards. But Mrs May hit back insisting that she is confident that Britain will strike a good deal with the Brussels bloc. Addressing Parliament, the PM suggested the two-year transition phase she has promised businesses might not happen if a new post-Brexit trade deal is not reached. But she insisted the Government is in 'touching distance' of an agreement with the bloc on major issues such as EU citizens rights. Jeremy Corbyn accused Theresa May (pictured in the Commons today) of failing to make progress on securing a Brexit deal as he warned her 'avoiding Armageddon is setting the bar a bit low' Mrs May told the House: 'The point of the implementation period is to put in place the practical changes necessary to move to the future partnership. 'In order to have that you need to know what the future partnership is going to be.' Her comments were seized upon by Labour MPs who warned it would mean a 'cliff edge' Brexit. It comes after the CBI, Chambers of Commerce, Institute of Directors, EEF and Federation of Small Business united today to call for an urgent Brexit transition deal Labour MP Yvette Cooper said Britain could be forced to fall back on World Trade Organisation rules. While former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie said: 'It is the cliff edge that the business community want to know will not be there in 2019,' he said. He later tweeted that her refusal to offer the reassurance he was demanding would be a 'disaster' for business planning. The PM has repeatedly urged Brussels to move on to trade talks but her latest pleas at an EU summit last week were rebuffed. It means trade talks will not start until December at the earliest. Mr Corbyn today lashed Theresa May for failing to win a breakthrough on Brexit as he warned 'avoiding Armageddon is setting the bar a bit low'. The Labour leader accused the Prime Minister of presiding over a 'nightmare for people's jobs and living standards' and demanded she rule out a no deal Brexit. He said the Prime Minister's biggest fight was at home in the Cabinet and taunted her for being 'too weak' to do anything about it. Mr Corbyn accused the EU of briefing out 'astronomical and unacceptable' figures for the Brexit bill which is the main impasse in the talks. But he blamed the Prime Minister for the failure of Brexit talks to reach their second phase at last week's EU summit. On Friday, EU leaders agreed to start work on their own position for trade talks but stopped short of beginning formal negotiations on how the UK-EU relationship will work. The Labour leader (pictured in the Commons today) accused Mrs May of presiding over a 'nightmare for people's jobs and living standards' and demanded she rule out a no deal Brexit As she reported back to MPs on the summit, Mrs May hit back and said: 'We haven't reached a final agreement but it's going to happen.' Revealing she was citing Angela Merkel and Donald Tusk, the Premier added: 'I'd have a degree of confidence we are going to get to sufficient progress by December.' Mrs May told MPs she was within 'touching distance' of a deal on EU citizens and said applying for settled status would cost no more than a passport - about 72. Launching a fierce assault on the Prime Minister Mr Corbyn said the Brexit talks were 'stuck in an impasse' and questioned Mrs May over remarks from International Trade Secretary Liam Fox about how leaving without a deal 'would not be the Armageddon that people project'. 'SHE WAS FIGHTING FIT': JUNCKER DENIES LEAK AGAINST MAY Mr Juncker and Mrs May (pictured together at the EU summit on Friday) met for dinner last Monday night Jean-Claude Juncker today denied briefing against Theresa May after leaks suggested he branded her 'tormented' after a secretive Brussels dinner. The EU Commission President claimed to be 'surprised' at the leaks which emerged in the German papers yesterday. He told the BBC today the Prime Minister had been in 'good shape' at last Monday night's dinner, saying Mrs May was 'not tired' but instead 'fighting' for the British interest. The leaks to Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAZ) claimed Mr Juncker found Mrs May to be 'despondent and discouraged' with 'deep rings' beneath her eyes. The extraordinary claims were condemned today by Nick Timothy, Mrs May's ex-chief of staff, who named Mr Juncker's top aide Martin Selmayr as the leaker. Mr Selmayr denied being to blame and insisted the account was untrue today as the explosive new diplomatic row unfolded. Downing Street refused to deny the reports, insisting it had no comment to make. Mrs May's spokesman instead highlighted Mr Selmayr's denial. Advertisement The Labour leader asked: 'Does the Prime Minister believe an outcome that is not Armageddon might be setting the bar a bit too low?' Tory grandee Ken Clarke piled on the pressure by insisting: 'Isn't it clear that a damaging delay will be caused if we don't make progress soon. 'Other European leaders can see that a noisy minority of the Cabinet and of backbenchers of her own party have convinced themselves that no deal at all is desirable.' He urged the PM to appoint a 'sensible' minister to liaise with opposition MPs and get them to sign up to an agreed stance on the transition period 'so we have a consensus in Parliament in the national interest'. Former minister Anna Soubry demanded the PM rule out 'no deal' to help business plan. But Mrs May said: 'We have to be clear what we are working for is a good deal - but I am optimistic about that. A good deal is in the interests of both sides.' In her statement to MPs, Mrs May said: 'I am ambitious and positive about Britain's future and these negotiations. 'If we are going to take a step forward together it must be on the basis of joint effort and endeavour between the UK and the EU. 'But, I believe that by approaching these negotiations in a constructive way in a spirit of friendship and cooperation, we can and will deliver the best possible outcome that works for all our people. 'Of course, we are preparing for every eventuality to ensure we leave in a smooth and orderly way. 'But I am confident that we will be able to negotiate a new, deep and special partnership between a sovereign United Kingdom and our friends in the European Union. 'That is my mission. That is this Government's mission.' The Commons clash this afternoon came after five major business lobby groups united today to warn Brexit Secretary David Davis that time is running out to set the rules for how trade will work from March 2019. Boris Johnson today called on Brussels to 'get on with it' as business lobby groups demanded an urgent Brexit transition deal. Boris Johnson (pictured in London addressing Chatham House today) called on Brussels to 'get on with it' as business lobby groups demanded an urgent Brexit transition deal The Foreign Secretary (pictured during today's speech) said last week's EU summit had gone 'better' than he had expected after EU leaders agreed to draw up their own position on future trade The Foreign Secretary said last week's EU summit had been 'more positive' than he had expected after EU leaders agreed to draw up their own position on future trade. But Mr Johnson used a speech at Chatham House to pile pressure on Brussels to make rapid progress. Downing Street today declined to comment on the leak of a private letter but said Government policy was to agree an 'implementation period' as soon as possible. Ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage today warned Britain voted for Brexit and not a transition. Britain will leave the European Union on March 30, 2019, two years after the Article 50 letter to trigger Brexit was sent. Answering questions about Brexit after a foreign policy speech this morning, Mr Johnson refused to spell out any further offer Britain should be making. Talks in Brussels have stalled over how much the UK will pay in exit charges, the rights of EU citizens and resolving the Irish border. Mr Johnson said Mrs May had made a 'very good offer in her Florence speech'. And he warned: 'I suggest to our friends in Brussels: now is the time to get on with it.' At a conference organised by the Chatham House foreign affairs think-tank, Mr Johnson said: 'I'm glad that at the Council in Brussels they seemed more positive, frankly, than I thought they were going to be, to judge by some of the anticipatory drum roll of that council. 'They have given a fair wind to the idea of themselves now discussing the new trade deal or however they want to proceed. 'I suggest humbly to our friends and partners in Brussels: Now is the time to get on with it.' He added: 'They should grip it, get on with it and start thinking about the future. 'I'm sure that we can both think very creatively and very positively about how to come to arrangements that suit our constituents on both sides of the Channel and benefit businesses not just in this but in Paris and Frankfurt and across the whole of Europe.' The CBI, run by Director General Carolyn Fairburn (file image), is one of five major business lobby groups to call publicly for an urgent transition Brexit deal The British Chamber of Commerce (run by Adam Marshall, left) and the Institute of Directors (director general Stephen Martin, right) also joined the call on Brexit Ministers have backed a 'stand still' transition where all rules stay the same for at least two years after Brexit but nothing has been agreed or signed. There are fears major businesses will relocate their business to Europe to ensure they keep access to the single market and would not return if or when a new UK-EU trade deal is established. The private letter, which is believed not to have been sent yet, has been signed by the CBI, British Chambers of Commerce, manufacturing trade body EEF, the Institute of Directors and the Federation of Small Businesses. It said: 'Agreement (on a transition) is needed as soon as possible, as companies are preparing to make serious decisions at the start of 2018, which will have consequences for jobs and investment in the UK. 'And the details of any transitional arrangement matter: the economic relationship the UK and EU has during this time-limited period must match as close as possible the status quo.' The letter added: 'It is vital that companies only have to undertake one adjustment as a result of the UK's withdrawal, not two - and that businesses, the UK Government and authorities in the EU have enough time to make the changes needed to deliver Brexit successfully.' Commenting on behalf of the Open Britain campaign group for close ties with the EU, Labour MP Chuka Umunna said: 'Business groups are understandably alarmed by the Government's lack of progress in the talks. 'And the full-blown Cabinet disagreements over how a transition period would work make it even less likely that a deal will be reached. Ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage (pictured secon right on GMB today) warned Britain voted for Brexit and not a transition There are fears major businesses will relocate their business to Europe to ensure they keep access to the single market and would not return if or when a new UK-EU trade deal is established 'No deal would be devastating for business, for people's jobs and wages and for national security. The Prime Minister needs to face up to the reality of the situation, stop pandering to the ideological zealots driving the country towards a cliff-edge, and commit to staying in the Single Market and Customs Union.' A spokesperson for the Department for Exiting the European Union said: 'The prime minister proposed a strictly time-limited implementation period in her Florence speech and was clear in her article 50 letter that agreeing this principle early in the process would help minimise unnecessary disruption to businesses in both the UK and the EU. 'We are making real and tangible progress in a number of vital areas in negotiations. However, many of the issues that remain are linked to the discussions we need to have on our future relationship. 'That is why we are pleased that the EU has now agreed to start internal preparatory discussions on the framework for transitional arrangements as well as our future partnership.' Theresa May won no more than a commitment the EU will start drawing up its own position on future trade at a summit last week (pictured is the PM's press conference at the conclusion) Mr Farage today told Good Morning Britain a 50billion exit bill would be 'unacceptable' He said: 'We didn't vote for a transition deal, we voted to leave.' Downing Street said the details of the 'implementation period' would have to be discussed alongside the final trade deal. 'The implementation period is a bridge to where we are headed in terms of the future relationship with the EU,' the Prime Minister's official spokesman said. 'Of course you need to know what that future relationship looks like in terms of the implementation period.' Asked whether a decision could be made on that by the end of December, the spokesman said: 'I'm not going to get ahead of myself. We have made clear that we want to get this agreed as soon as possible.' Amazon has revealed it has received 238 proposals from cities and regions in the United States, Canada and Mexico hoping to be the home of the company's second headquarters. The online retailer kicked off its hunt for a second home base last month, promising to bring 50,000 new jobs and spend more than $5 billion on construction. Proposals were due last week, and Amazon made clear that tax breaks and grants would be a big deciding factor on where it chooses to land. Amazon said Monday that it received 238 proposals from cities and regions in the United States, Canada and Mexico The online retailer kicked off its hunt for a second home base in September (Pictured: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in July this year) Amazon.com Inc. did not list which cities or metro areas applied, but said the proposals came from 43 U.S. states, as well as Washington, D.C. and hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, three Mexican states and six Canadian provinces. In a tweet, the company said it was 'excited to review each of them.' Besides looking for financial incentives, Amazon had stipulated that it was seeking to be near a metropolitan area with more than a million people; be able to attract top technical talent; be within 45 minutes of an international airport; have direct access to mass transit; and be able to expand that headquarters to as much as 8 million square feet in the next decade. Generous tax breaks and other incentives can erode a city's tax base. For the winner, it could be worth it, since an Amazon headquarters could draw other tech businesses and their well-educated, highly paid employees. In New Jersey, Republican Gov. Chris Christie has endorsed Newark's bid, saying the state and the city are planning nearly $7 billion in tax breaks. In New Jersey, Republican Gov. Chris Christie has endorsed Newark's bid, saying the state and the city are planning nearly $7 billion in tax breaks The spires of the Empire State Building, center, and One World Trade Center, right, stand lit in orange to support a bid for Amazon.com Detroit bid organizers have said its proposal offers Amazon the unique chance to set up shop in both the U.S. and Canada. Missouri officials proposed an innovation corridor between Kansas City and St. Louis rather than a single location. The seven U.S. states that Amazon said did not apply were: Arkansas, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. Ahead of the deadline, some cities turned to stunts to try and stand out: Representatives from Tucson, Arizona, sent a 21-foot tall cactus to Amazon's Seattle headquarters; New York lit the Empire State Building orange to match Amazon's smile logo while Jason Lary, the mayor of Stonecrest, Georgia, proposed carving out land and naming it Amazon. The company plans to remain in its sprawling Seattle headquarters, and the second one will be 'a full equal' to it, founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said in September. Amazon has said that it will announce a decision sometime next year. AUBURN New York State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball believes local elected officials aren't the best people to be driving changes to Owasco Lake's watershed rules. Speaking with The Citizen Monday after an address to the New York State Grange annual session in Auburn, Ball talked about water quality in the Finger Lakes and Owasco Lake in particular. Considering Cayuga County's work to update the rules and regulations of the lake's watershed, Ball said he would support "clear thinking" and "measurable steps," but called on local officials to rely on their county soil and water conservation districts for such efforts. "I'd rather see the soil and water conservation people, who understand the issue fully, are trained and educated about the issue, rather than a nice group of people that just got elected, try to come up with criteria," Ball said. "(This) is why we have our soil and water conservation districts. They're a great resource. They do a great job for us. We need to empower them." Cayuga County has recently begun the process to update Owasco Lake's 1984 set of rules through two public meetings and more recently, meetings with various stakeholder groups including the agricultural community, lake shore owners and advocates, elected officials and the business and commercial contractors community. The steering committee guiding public outreach and gathering potential revisions to the document is made up of five elected officials including Cayuga County legislators Michael Didio and Aileen McNabb-Coleman, Scipio town board member Leslie Baxter, Owasco Town Supervisor Ed Wagner and Auburn City Councilor Debby McCormick. Also on the steering committee are Cayuga County Health Department Director Kathleen Cuddy, Owasco Watershed Lake Association member Ken Post, dairy farmer Greg Rejman and crop farmer Jim Sierzenga. The final draft of the rules and regulations will be reviewed by various state agencies, but the ultimate authority for their adoption lies with the state Department of Health's Division of Water Resources. Ball said local officials must acknowledge, too, that farms are not the only player in the watershed when it comes to runoff troubles. There are residential problems such as faulty and aging septic systems, he pointed out, that should be considered. "The issue isn't just farms," he said. "The issue is a lot of things, a lot of communities all around the watershed as well, so we need to take the 30,000-foot view of what's going on." The state, Ball added, has devoted a myriad of resources to helping farms though he said "it never seems to be enough." He specifically pointed to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's inclusion of $17 million in this year's Environmental Protection Fund devoted to the Nonpoint Source Program. He also referenced $50 million in the budget for manure storage for concentrated animal feeding operations. Often referred to as CAFOs, those farms are typically large dairy farms with 300 or more cows and are regulated by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Ball said he hopes the manure storage effort will eventually halt winter spreading of manure. For smaller farms, which are not regulated by the DEC, Ball urged them to get a nutrient management plan. "Regardless if you're a Christmas tree farm, a vegetable farm, or a dairy farm, you need to be mindful of the way you manage nutrients in the water," Ball said. "Get yourself a nutrient management plan." Again Ball pointed to how soil and water conservation districts can help with these through the Agricultural Environmental Management program. These are voluntary-based plans, but Ball said there is financial assistance available through the state's nonpoint fund. During Monday's meeting at the Auburn Holiday Inn the 145th yearly session of the New York State Grange members had a chance to ask the commissioner some questions. Some raised concerns over the rising cost of transporting milk, insurance coverage when the public makes farm visits, and the potential affects of the hemp industry in a state where marijuana growth is illegal. "We're looking at a broad variety of things," said New York State Grange President Stephen C. Coye. While the organization, which focuses on agricultural and rural communities, had yet to vote on specific issues as of Monday morning, Coye said he expected members to specifically discuss the farm bill, a federal law covering multiple agricultural issues, and milk pricing. Following the Auburn stop, Ball said he was headed to Morrisville for a farm bill listening session with DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. "A big part of our rural social fabric in this community is dairy farming," he said. "This is a group that thinks about issues a lot, and it's kind of precious to get them all in one place and renew the friendships, No. 1, and also to talk about the issues." While the state Grange celebrated its 145th session, the national organization celebrated its 150th. The session began on Friday and is expected to continue until about noon Tuesday. David Dixon, a season ticket holder, was told he would have to buy an extra ticket and pay a fine after catching the wrong train to his home in Barming, Kent A commuter is facing being taken to court or coughing up 1,000 after accidentally catching the wrong train, despite paying nearly 4,000-a-year for a season ticket. David Dixon, 34, was told he would have to buy an extra ticket and pay a fine after he mistakenly took a direct service to his home in Barming, Kent, rather than changing trains. Mr Dixon pays 3,700 for an annual season ticket but has to make one change because there are no direct trains at the times he travels. One evening last month he took a later service between Barming, Kent, and Elephant and Castle in south London, and accidentally took a direct route. David realised as the train pulled away he was on the wrong service and was stopped by a ticket inspector on the train who told him he needed to pay a fine. He was told that as the layout of Maistone East means passengers have to leave the station to get onto the platform, he would have to pay for an extra single ticket from Maidstone East and Barming. Despite his pleading with a ticket inspector, Mr Dixon was ordered to pay the cost of the journey back to Barming - 2.70 - which is his normal route home, and fined 20 when he got to Maidstone East. Mr Dixon, an analyst at NHS Protect, which detects fraud in the health service, is currently appealing the penalty for a second time, after his first attempt was rejected. However, the train company's rules state that anyone with outstanding fines could face prosecution or have to cough up 1,000. 'It feels like profiteering,' noted Mr Dixon. Mr Dixon, 34, is appealing the charges and faces court or a 1,000 fine. He says the rules are all the more unfair given the train company's 'appalling' service 'The inspector's reason for fining me was because I had to leave the station to get onto the other platform but there is no other way to change platforms at Maidstone East. 'I accept I could have got off at Barming, but simply missed my stop as I was following my usual commute and following the advice from National Rail.' Mr Dixon said his reluctance to pay the fine was enhanced by his frustrations with the company's service, which he described as 'appalling.' 'What's more annoying is the service is appalling - the prices go up all the time and the train routinely doesn't stop at Barming to make up time if the service is running late, adding delays to an already long commute.' A Southeastern spokesman said the company could not comment while an appeal process was underway. In July Southeastern overturned a penalty fare issued to commuter Neil Armstrong, who fell asleep and missed his stop at Barming. Scientists who dug up a body believed to be the remains of 18th century clan chief Lord Lovat have found evidence from one bone in good enough condition to provide DNA. Simon Fraser, the 11th Lord Lovat, was the last person that was beheaded on Tower Hill in London for supporting the Jacobite rebellion. He was also the real-life grandfather of the character Jamie Fraser in the Outlander TV and book series. Professor Dame Sue Black of Dundee University found a headless body at the Wardlaw Mausoleum in Kirkhill, near Inverness, earlier this month. The single bone could help crack the 270-mystery of whether the remains belong to Lord Lovat, nicknamed the Old Fox. The coffin of Lord Lovat in the Wardlaw Mausoleum in Kirkhill was opened yesterday by forensic anthropologist Professor Sue Black Professor Dame Sue Black (pictured), forensic anthropologist, is working to confirm the headless remains are in fact Lord Lovat The professor is pictured (right) with Dr Lucina Hackman of Dundee University (left) and TV presenter Dan Snow (centre) outside the mausoleum Lovat was killed in 1747 for supporting Prince Charles Edward Stuart's - also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie - claim to the throne, whose uprising culminated with the Battle of Culloden in 1746. His body was originally buried under the floor of a chapel at the tower but was later taken by supporters to the Highlands and laid to rest at the family's mausoleum in Kirkhill, Scotland. Legend says that a number of loyal supports of Lovat died watching his beheading as scaffolding they were standing on collapsed. The famous clan leader is alleged to have found the incident so funny that he was seen laughing before his death, lending to the name 'laughing your head off'. Who really was the Old Fox, 11th Lord Lovat? Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat was beheaded for treason on Tower Hill Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat was a Scottish Jacobite and chief of Clan Fraser of Lovat. Born in 1667, he was a supporter of the House of Hanover, but changed allegiances in 1715 to back the Stuart claim on the British crown. His support of Prince Charles Edward Stuart's, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, claim to the throne cost him his life. He was defeated by the King's men at the Battle of Culloden near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands in 1746. He was subsequently tried for treason at Westminster Hill, found guilty and condemned to death. Lord Lovat was the last person to be beheaded at Tower Hill in central London on April 9 1947. His dying words were: 'It is sweet and seemly to die for one's country', reinforcing the belief he died a Scottish patriot. Advertisement Lord Lovat is played by British actor Clive Russell (pictured) in Outlander His grandson Jamie Fraser is played by Sam Heughan (pictured) in the TV series Outlander Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat (pictured left) and his grandson Jamie Fraser (pictured right) as portrayed by actors in TV show Outlander Lovat was killed in 1747 for supporting Prince Charles Edward Stuart's - also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie - claim to the throne Erik Lundberg, of the Wardlaw Mausoleum Trust, said today: 'The best bone found, a sternum, gives us the best chance of getting a DNA sample. It is very exciting. 'This could help us to finally get a definitive answer.' Genetics experts in Cardiff have already concluded that the remains are that of an elderly man, which bodes well if the remains are to belong to the Old Fox. Professor Black and her team will unveil their findings during a meeting in Scotland next month. A date and venue for the event are yet to be confirmed. The Jacobite Rebellion The Jacobite rebellion of 1745 was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart, better known was Bonnie Prince Charlie, to regain the British throne for the exiled House of Stuart. While most of the British Army was fighting the War of the Austrian Succession in Europe, Bonnie Prince Charlie sailed to Scotland and gathered Highland clansmen as troops. In 1746 they marched towards Edinburgh and then over the English border to Carlisle. When they got as far as Derby some British troops were told to come back from Europe, causing the Jacobites to retreat north to Inverness. They were eventually defeated during The Battle of Culloden on April 16 1746 and Bonnie Prince Charlie fled with a price on his head. It was the last ever pitched battle - whereby both sides decided on a time and location - fought on British soil. Lord Lovat was caught and tried for treason, found guilty and beheaded at Tower Hill in London. Advertisement The results of the genetics test are due to be announced in the Highlands next month The DNA from a single bone could help unravel a 270 year old mystery President Donald Trump on Monday awarded the Medal of Honor on Monday to retired Army Captain Gary Michael 'Mike' Rose, who heroically provided urgent medical treatment to his comrades when their secret mission came under fire in 1970. 'To Mike and all of the service members who fought in the battle, you've earned the eternal gratitude of the entire American nation,' Trump told the Vietnam War veteran in an East Room ceremony. 'You faced down the evils of communism, you defended our flag, and you showed the world the unbreakable resolve of the American armed forces. In a somber ceremony that included some of Rose's comrades as well as past Medal of Honor Members and family members, the president recounted the heroic tale of how Rose saved lives even as he sustained serious injuries and cast aside threats to his own life. President Donald Trump presents the Medal of Honor to retired US Army Captain Mike Rose for actions during the Vietnam War during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House Before awarding the nation's highest military honor, Trump recounted the story of Rose's heroism. 'I will tell you the people who were with him could not believe what they were witnessing,' the president said. At one point, as he recounted the heroic struggle, the president made a light-hearted aside. 'Mike this is serious stuff. This is not a good four days!' Trump quipped. Rose told reporters at the White House he considered the award to be a 'collective medal.' 'This is our medal,' he said, referring to his fellow comrades. Rose was part of a small forces of Green Berets that were inserted inside Laos in a secret mission. 'To Mike and all of the service members who fought in the battle, you've earned the eternal gratitude of the entire American nation,' Trump told the Vietnam War veteran in an East Room ceremony this afternoon 'Their goal was to prevent the North Vietnamese from funneling weapons along the Ho Chi Minh Trail to use against our American troops. Helicopters dropped the unit into Laos. Before they even touched the ground, enemy fire struck three men,' Trump said. The small force of just 16 was accompanying a larger group of 'Montagnards,' indigenous highland minorities who fought alongside U.S. troops when they came under heavy enemy fire. A military aide holds up the nation's highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, before President Donald Trump bestows it to retired Army Capt. Gary M. Rose, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017 After coming under fire, Rose provided care to the wounded over a horrendous four-day stretch while he was himself wounded. 'I have to say, your will to endure, your love for your fellow soldier, your devotion for your country, inspires us all,' Trump said. 'Once they landed in the clearing, they rushed to the jungle for much needed cover. Soon, another man was shot outside their defensive perimeter. Mike immediately rushed to his injured comrade, firing at the enemy as he ran. In the middle of the clearing, under the machine gun fire, Mike treated the wounded soldier. He shielded the man with his own body and carried him back to safety,' Trump recounted. 'But this was just the beginning of Mikes harrowing four-day mission. Mike and his unit slashed through the dense jungle, dodged bullets, dodged explosives, dodged everything that you can dodge because they threw it all at him, and continuously returned fire as they moved deeper and deeper and deeper into enemy territory.' Rose, who enlisted in the US Army in 1967 and served as a Special Forces Medic, delivers remarks to the media from inside the Pentagon Briefing room on October 20, 2017, in Washington, DC At one point, 'He used a branch as a crutch and went on rescuing the wounded,' the president said. Rose kept aiding comrades as the troops fled deeper into the jungle, sustaining wounds to his back and foot. 'All night long Mike treated the wounded and dug trenches to protect them,' the president said. The team had been flown into Laos from Vietnam. 'We were carrying heavy loads of ammunition: extra machine gun, extra grenades -- God, everything else,' Rose said at a Pentagon briefing last week. 'So I knew something was up, 'I mean, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out.' When the team took fire over a period of days, Rose provided treatment with his dwindling supplies. 'When the helicopters arrived, Mike fought back the enemy as his fellow soldiers boarded the aircraft. He boarded the last chopper, limping up to the craft while still warding off the enemy forces that were fast approaching,' Trump said. U.S. Ary Sgt. Gary M. Rose is helped from a helicopter landing area after Operation Tailwind, 1970. Photo courtesy of Ted Wicorek.Capt. Gary M. Rose served as a Special Forces combat medic during the Vietnam War 'As Mike puts it, "If you dont believe in God, then you should have been with us that day. And I can tell you, itll make a believer out of you because we should not [ever] have survived." Mike, today, we have a room full of people and a nation who thank God that you lived,' the president said as the crowd gathered in the East wing applauded. Present were White House chief of staff John Kelly, Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Alabama Sen. Luther Strange, from Rose's home state. 'Mikes story doesnt end there. Soon after the helicopter lifted off the ground, the chopper was hit by enemy fire. Mike, this is serious stuff. (Laughter.) This was not a good four days. (Laughter.) Gary M. Rose promoted to the rank of Captain at Fort Sill, Okla., on Dec. 19, 1977. Photo courtesy of Gary M. Rose The bullets tragically struck a young Marine gunner in the throat. Again, Mike rushed to help. As he wrapped a cloth around the Marines neck, the engine of the helicopter failed, and the aircraft crashed less than a mile from where it had taken off. Mike was thrown off the aircraft before it hit the ground, but he raced back to the crash site and pulled one man after another out of the smoking and smoldering helicopter as it spewed jet fuel from its ruptured tanks,' the president recounted. 'Finally, another helicopter rescued them, and by the time they reached the base, Mike was covered in blood. He refused treatment until all of his men had been cared for first.' 'In every action during those four days, Mike valiantly fought for the life of his comrades, even if it meant the end of his own life, the president said. Capt. Eugene C. McCarley (center), commander of B-company, and other members of Sgt. Gary M. Rose's unit after Operation Tailwind, Sept. 14, 1970. Photo courtesy of Gary M. RoseCapt The president was briefly at a loss for words. 'Mike, you will -- I mean, I have to say, you really -- your will to endure, your love for your fellow soldier, your devotion to your country inspires us all. I have to tell you, that is something. Nations are formed out of the strength and patriotism that lives in the hearts of our heroes,' Trump said. When one of the wounded was trapped outside a defensive perimeter, Rose 'rendered expert medical treatment and stabilized the wounded Soldier, and carried the man through the heavy gunfire back to the company defensive area,' according to the Pentagon. When one of the Montagnards was wounded outside the company area, 'Rose ran, crawled, and maneuvered his way to this wounded man, shielding the Soldier with his own body, as he rendered lifesaving medical treatment.' U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Gary M. Rose, Field Artillery, Fort Sill, Okla., Feb. 10, 1975. Photo courtesy of Gary M. RoseCapt. Gary M. Rose served as a Special Forces combat medic during the Vietnam War U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class Gary M. Rose during U.S. Army Jump School at Fort Benning, Ga., September 1967. Photo courtesy of Gary M. RoseCapt. Gary M. Rose served as a Special Forces combat medic during the Vietnam War. Nearly 50 years later, Rose will be awarded the nation's highest honor for treating 16 of his fellow Soldiers during Operation Tailwind, a four day mission in the nearby country of Laos. Under his care, all returned alive He then dragged the wounded soldier with one hand while engaging the enemy with his weapon using his other hand. All told, Rose was able to provide medical care credited with saving the lives of 60. When his rescue helicopter was shot down and crash landed, Rose was thrown out on impact, but helped pull the injured out of the wreckage and provide more medical care. 'Mike, this was serious stuff. This was not a good four days,' Trump commented on Monday as he shared the soldier's story. Trump told the audience, which included Rose's grandchildren and those who fought with him, that the retired army captain is a 'patriot who never gives up, never gives in.' 'He's a loyal friend,' the president said, and a 'loyal service member.' The president told him, 'Mike, we honor you, we thank you, we salute you.' The ceremony comes just days before Trump's visit to Asia, with stops in Vietnam, a one-party Communist state since its reunification with the south in 1975. Trump will attend that APEC summit in Da Nang and meet with the country's president, Tran ai Quang, in Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi. Relations with Vietnam have steadily improved since the conclusion of the 20-year conflict, thanks in large part to Vietnam POW John McCain, who helped to reunite the countries in 1990s. He took an obvious shot at Trump in an interview about the war that was broadcast on Sunday on C-Span. 'One aspect of the (Vietnam) conflict by the way that I will never ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say that they had a bone spur. That is wrong. That is wrong. If we are going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve,' McCain said. Trump got medical deferments for bone spurs. The White House made preparations for the solemn ceremony even as the president got in a twitter war with Myeshia Johson, the widow of a fallen soldier who got killed in Action in Niger in Oct. 4. Myeshia Johnson (pictured), the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, said Monday on Good Morning America that President Donald Trump couldn't remember his late husband's name during a condolence call Trump tweeted that he had a 'very respectful conversation' and said Sgt. Johnson's name 'without hesitation!' Challenge! Trump immediately disputed Mrs Johnson's recollection of events, insisting he was respectful and knew Sgt Johnson's name Trump disputed Johnson's account of a phone call they shared shortly after her husband' death. 'He couldn't remember my husband's name,' she said Monday on ABC's 'Good Morning America' program. 'The only way he remembered my husband's name was because he told me he had my husband's report in front of him, and that's when he actually said "La David".' 'I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name and that's what hurt me most,' she said. The president quickly pounced on Twitter. 'I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Army Specialist Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!' he tweeted after the interview ended. Johnson was among the four soldiers killed in an ISIS ambush this month. Rose's service to the nation didn't end with Operation Tailwind. As the president told the East Wing audience, he volunteers with the the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus, at a local soup kitchen, and even fixes broken appliances for elderly and disabled. Two climbers have set a new speed record for ascending the Nose route of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, one of the world's most technical and dangerous verticals. Brad Gobright and climbing partner Jim Reynolds raced up the nearly 90-degree, 2,900-foot precipice in just two hours and 19 minutes on Saturday. The pair, from California, broke the previous record set in 2012 by four minutes. Brad Gobright (right) and climbing partner Jim Reynolds (left) have set a new speed record for ascending the Nose route of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, by climbing in just two hours and 19 minutes on Saturday To maximize their speed, the pair ditched camming devices meant to prevent falls and most of their weighty gear. They didn't pack food or water. About two hours in, Gobright (left) said he could feel the smoky air affecting his breathing (Reynolds, right) 'The big thing that Jim and I were worried about was that to some extent you have to kind of put safety behind you when you're trying to move that fast,' Gobright, 29, told the paper. 'It requires a lot of focus, much more than a regular climb. Speed climbing requires your full attention.' More than two dozen people have been killed on El Capitan since 1905. According to Ken Yager, the president and founder of the Yosemite Climbing Association, it typically takes three days to complete the ascent, which sits 7,569 feet above sea level. Conditions on Saturday were not ideal, with smoky air and the route crowded with climbers, according to Gobright. To maximize their speed, the pair ditched camming devices meant to prevent falls and whatever weighty gear they could live without. They didn't pack food or water. About two hours in, Gobright said he could feel the smoke affecting his breathing. His throat was scratchy and his mouth was dry. More than two dozen people have been killed on El Capitan (pictured) since 1905. According to Ken Yager, the president and founder of the Yosemite Climbing Association, it typically takes three days to complete the ascent, which sits 7,569 feet above sea level According to Yager, the pair's strategy for the climb's final stretch is how they broke the record: The duo climbed almost simultaneously, rather than the typical practice of having one climber ascend ahead of the other (Pictured, Reynolds, left, and Gobright) According to Yager, the pair's strategy for the climb's final stretch is how they broke the record: The duo climbed almost simultaneously, rather than the typical practice of having one climber ascend ahead of the other. 'If you've got two fast people and they can climb together, that's how you get the fastest time,' Yager said. 'With a standard ascent you'll have a lot more gear, and you'll use a lot more of that gear. [Gobright and Reynolds] had about one piece of gear between them and the ground.' Gobright, who has been climbing since he was seven years old, said he finally realized he could be a contender for the speed record when and Reynolds (pictured) climbed the nose a year and a half ago Gobright said that when he and his partner reached the top, their family and friends were cheering them from the ground below. Five minutes later he received a text message from the previous record holder, Hans Florine. He was sending his congratulations (Pictured, Reynolds) Gobright said that when he and his partner reached the top, their family and friends were cheering them from the ground below. Five minutes later he received a text message from the previous record holder, Hans Florine. He was sending his congratulations. Florine and Alex Honnold climbed the Nose route in two hours and 23 minutes in June 2012. Florine has set eight speed records for his climbs up the Nose since 1990. Gobright, who has been climbing since he was seven years old, said he finally realized he could be a contender for the speed record when and Reynolds climbed the nose a year and a half ago. 'Before Jim and I were trying to go for the record, we'd just do it fast so we'd have time to do more climbs before the sun went down,' he said. 'Thinking we could try for the record seemed crazy at first. It was this really big, big goal that seemed kind of out of reach. I think that's why we wanted to do it.' Theresa May and Shinzo Abe today agreed to maintain pressure on North Korea following the Japanese Prime Minister's re-election. Mrs May made a congratulatory call to Mr Abe after he secured an increased majority - something she failed to achieve in June. The two leaders vowed to continue working with the international community to tackle Kim Jong Un's 'destabilising activity'. Today's call came after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson used a major speech to warn off the rising danger of catastrophic nuclear war. Theresa May and Shinzo Abe (pictured together in Koyoto in August) today agreed to maintain pressure on North Korea following the Japanese Prime Minister's re-election A Downing Street spokesman said: 'This morning the Prime Minister called Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan to congratulate him on his success in the Japanese general election. 'The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Abe discussed North Korea and agreed to continue to work with the international community to maintain pressure on the regime to cease its destabilising activity. 'They noted the role the UK played in the EU agreeing tough sanctions on North Korea last week. 'The leaders reflected on the Prime Minister's successful visit to Japan in August and the positive impact it has had on UK-Japan relations. 'They looked forward to deepening ties between our two countries on trade, security and defence. 'The Prime Minister also offered Prime Minister Abe her condolences on the impact and loss of life caused by Typhoon Lan.' Boris Johnson (pictured today at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel) said today warned the 'trembling human race' feared imminent nuclear war Speaking at a Chatham House conference, Mr Johnson said the global community should not need a nuclear weapon to be used in anger before re-learning the lessons of World War Two. He hit out at the risks of a 'Reservoir Dogs' style stand off with nuclear armed powers facing off despite the mutually assured destruction of firing first. Addressing the Chatham House think tank, Mr Johnson said the nuclear non-proliferation treaty signed in the aftermath of the US bombing Japan had been an act of almost 'evolutionary' wisdom by governments around the world. Despite the dire warning of global catastrophe, Mr Johnson said US President Donald Trump was right to prepare for a nuclear stand off with North Korea. Stable owners in Denmark are so keen to give their dead horses to Copenhagen zoo for lion meat they have been left with a six-month long waiting list. Horse owners wanting their departed steeds to go to good use at the famous zoo, now have to wait up to half a year, such is the popularity of the disposal method. A waiting list for donating dead animals to the zoo is currently up to six months, reports broadcaster TV2. Copenhagen zoo is so inundated with offers of dead horses for their lions, there is now a six-month waiting list Horses are typically put down by their owners before being collected by the zoo, says the report. The method has become so popular, suggests the owner of one stables, because otherwise it costs at least 1,700 kroner per animal to dispose of. The Daka disposable company, which uses the dead animals to produce biodiesel according to the report. Karina Fisker, owner of the Vorning Hestepension stables, said that donating animals to the zoo can be both cheaper and more ethical. 'For me, it's 75 percent economics and 25 percent ethical. When horses are eaten by lions they become part of the food chain. 'When Daka collects a horse, it can take up to a week, and the horse can begin to decompose. That is disgusting,' said Fisker, who has used both Daka and the zoo to dispose of animals. While saying goodbye to horses can be difficult, Fisker said that she found comfort knowing they were in professional hards, reports the Local. Horse owners wanting their departed steeds to go to good use at the famous zoo, now have to wait up to half a year, such is the popularity of the disposal method. A waiting list for donating dead animals to the zoo is currently up to six months, reports broadcaster TV2 'Horses are our one and all. Like with many dog owner, the whole thing is very emotional,' she told TV2. A Copenhagen Zoo spokesperson, Jacob Munkholm Hoeck, said the zoo was very grateful for the considerable interest. Admitting that supply often outstrips demand, he also said the backlog depended on seasons too. 'Often, older horses have had their last summer on the grass, and when they have to go back into stables, owners consider whether the time has come for them to be put down. Then they call us.' The governments of Italy's richest regions have started to push for greater autonomy from Rome after achieving overwhelming support in yesterday's referendums. More than 95 per cent of voters in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto said they want 'particular conditions of autonomy'. The regional governments - based in Milan and Venice respectively - are not demanding independence but want to keep more of their citizens' tax money which they say is wasted by the central government. Northern League leader Matteo Salvini talks to reporters during a news conference at the party headquarters in Milan on Monday Veneto Governor Luca Zaia today announced plans to begin negotiations on clawing back powers from the central government in 23 policy areas. 'This is the big bang of institutional reforms,' he told a news conference. Regional representatives would be ready to start discussions with Rome in a week, he said. Unlike the Catalan referendum, which sparked a political crisis in Spain, the Italian votes were legal, but not binding on Rome. Foreign Affairs Minister Angelino Alfano said the government was ready to negotiate as long as the unity of the nation was not called into question. Italy's constitution does not allow regional fiscal autonomy, however, and Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina said that while Rome was open to talks it would not give up tax proceeds from the rich regions. In Veneto, 98 per cent of voters supported greater autonomy with a 57 per cent turnout. The yes vote received 96 per cent in Lombardy where turnout was only 38 per cent. The Northern League's Matteo Salvini said he was happy with the turnout of people voting 'for closer and more effective politics with less bureaucracy and waste.' Citizens in both Lombary and Veneto complain their taxes are wasted by the central government. They accuse Rome of delivering low-quality public services and diverting money to the poor south widely seen by northerners as corrupt. Lombardy, which includes financial hub Milan, generates 20 per cent of Italy's wealth. Veneto, which includes the tourist magnet Venice, accounts for 10 percent. Lombardy Governor Roberto Maroni said tax reform was very much on the table. 'We can now write a new page: the regions that ask for more power will get it,' he told journalists. Voters headed to the polls in two Italian regions controlled by Northern League presidents whose party backs greater autonomy from Rome 'I am talking for example about the power to discuss about tax proceeds that normally go to Rome ... this is the first step in a path towards big reforms.' Giovanni Orsina, history professor at Rome's Luiss University, said: 'The vote is a success for the Lega, Zaia and Maroni. 'It is an important victory but a dangerous one too,' He added: 'The referendums could deepen north-south divisions that pre-date the modern, unified Italian state and may also backfire on the League, a centre-right party that is trying to broaden its appeal beyond the north ahead of national elections next year.' Lombardy and Veneto are both held by the Northern League, whose representatives want changes on security issues and immigration that would require changes to the constitution. Lombardy Region President Roberto Maroni talks on a phone as he looks out of a window on Monday The Northern League's Matteo Salvini said he was happy with the turnout of people voting 'for closer and more effective politics with less bureaucracy and waste.' European Parliament president Antonio Tajani said votes in the regions are legitimate, distinguishing it from Catalonia's independence referendum, which Madrid condemned as illegal. He said Europe should 'fear' the spread of small nations. 'First of all these two referendums are legitimate, that was not the case in Catalonia,' he told Rome daily Il Messaggero. 'In Spain, it is not about autonomy, but a proclamation of independence in defiance of the rule of law and against the Spanish constitution. 'It is not by degrading nationhood that we reinforce Europe.' But economist Lorenzo Codogno said the votes could fundamentally change the Italian constitution. 'The issue is likely to spread, and eventually, it will require a generalised approach by the next government and a reform of the constitution,' he said. Lombardy sends 54 billion euros more in taxes to central government than it gets back in public spending and Veneto's net contribution is 15.5 billion. European Parliament president Antonio Tajani said the votes are legitimate, despite the threat of constitutional change Giuseppe Colonna, an 84-year-old Venetian, said Veneto's cash should stay in the northern region, which has lower unemployment and welfare costs than the Italian average. 'Our taxes should be spent here, not in Sicily,' he said. Similar votes are being discussed in the region of Liguria and the wealthy region of Emilia Romagna is already pushing for more powers. The campaign for greater autonomy is backed by most of the centre-right and sections of the centre-left. Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala, a member of the ruling Democratic Party, says greater self-rule 'is an idea shared by everyone, not one that belongs to the League'.Five of Italy's 20 regions have a special status which Lombardy and Vento are fighting for. They are Trentino-Alto Adige/Sudtirol, Aosta Valley and Veneto's neighbour Friuli-Venezia Giulia. A woman carries an independence Catalan flag during a demonstration march in Barcelona The votes were held as protesters took to the streets of Barcelona as in Catalonia to demonstrate against Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy's plans to impose direct rule on the autonomous region of Catalonia. He wants to remove its government and call an election within six months after the region voted overwhelmingly for independence on October 1. Catalan president Carles Puigdemont branded the plans the worst attack on Catalonia since fascist leader General Francisco Franco killed 3,500 people there and abolished the region's language in 1938. The wealthy region accounts for 19 per cent of Spain's GDP in a situation similar to that in Italy, where Veneto and Lombardy are large contributors to a central state seen as inefficient by critics. Spanish National Police were deployed to deal with demonstrators in Catalan after the region's vote for independence was not recognised A former West Ham United youth player who forged documents to make himself 20 years older to get cheap car insurance for his 30,000 Range Rover was today spared jail. Nathan Mabi-Mavila, 22, told insurers at RSA Group he was old enough to be his own father to get a cheaper premium for his luxury Range Rover Evoque. The talented young left-back and midfielder, who played for The Hammer's youth team from 2012-2014, also claimed he lived outside London in Kent in a bid to save 2,000. But Mavila was caught when he took his girlfriend for a spin and was asked to pull over and produce his documents at a police checkpoint in Grosvesnor Place, Belgravia, on August 7. Nathan Mabi-Mavila, 22, (pictured) forged documents so he could pay less for his car insurance He admitted one count of fraud by false representation and one count of using a motor vehicle without third party insurance at Westminster Magistrates' court today. Malachy Pakenham, prosecuting, said: 'Both these matters go back to the first week of August. 'The initial offence was discovered by police at a stop checkpoint in Grosvenor Place at 1.06pm. 'The vehicle the defendant was driving was a black Range Rover, he was waved into a check area. 'The vehicle contained the defendant and a front seat passenger, his girlfriend. 'He was asked to provide documents. All appeared to be in order except for the insurance which showed a date of birth different from the driving licence. 'In fact the insurance document would make him 20 years older than he was.' Mavila admitted lying about his date of birth and address after police contacted the Motor Insurance Bureau and RSA Group. The left back and midfielder (pictured in a West Ham training kit, left) admitted one count of fraud by false representation and one count of using a motor vehicle without third party insurance Mr Pakenham added: 'It won't be beyond the comprehension of this court that young people's premiums are substantially cheaper. 'This was proffered for the sole purpose of getting cheaper insurance.' Mavila signed for West Ham in 2012 but was released last year after struggling to establish himself with the Premier League outfit. The south Londoner said he will never forget taking a private jet to sit on the bench for the club's Europa League qualifier against Romanian side Astra in 2015. He currently earns 75 a game playing for Wingate and Finchley FC in the Isthmian League's Premier Division following brief spells at Wealdstone FC, Maidstone and Cambridge City. Mavila, of Brixton, south London, was given a community order and told to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work. Magistrates also ordered him to pay 170 in costs and charges. Special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian election interference has now led investigators to to turn their sights on D.C. lobbying powerhouse Tony Podesta for his firm's effort to burnish Ukraine's image through a PR campaign. Investigators have already focused on former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort. FBI agents searched his home in an early-morning raid this summer. Now, after probing his efforts on behalf of Ukraine and a Ukrainian political party, investigators have turned to the Podesta Group, a Democratic firm that joined in a PR effort overseen by Manafort to burnish the nation's image, NBC News reported. Manafort did work for a pro-Moscow Ukrainian political party and showed up in a ledger of off-the-books payments that drew scrutiny during the campaign. Special counsel Robert Mueller's staff is also investigating Washington lobbyist Tony Podesta and his firm in connection with work they did on behalf of a nonprofit connected to a Ukrainian political party He also oversaw the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine (ECMU), an effort to boos the country's image in the west through funding a nonprofit. According to NBC, sources said a fact-finding mission about Manafort and his role has led to a criminal inquiry into whether the Podesta Group violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The law requires proper disclosure when a firm does work on behalf of a foreign country. The report called it a criminal inquiry. Podesta is a top Democratic lobbyist whose brother John Podesta chaired Hillary Clinton's campaign. During that campaign, John Podesta's personal email account got hacked, leading to a slew of embarrassing disclosures. Clinton has cited Russia as a top reason she lost the election. FARA's requirements also encompass lobbing firms who do work on behalf of a political party, and require a disclosure form be filed with the Justice Department. THIS COULD GET UGLY: Podesta's firm was part of a PR effort overseen by former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort Podesta is a top Democratic lobbyist and brother of John Podesta, who helped run Hillary Clinton's campaign Both Manafort's firm and the Podesta Group only filed amended forms acknowledging the work after it got reported in the media. The firm filed paperwork in April where it acknowledged doing the work, having earlier relied on assurances from the nonprofit that it was not connected to a political party, Politico reported at the time. It made disclosures to Congress but not the Justice Department on that belief, the firm said. GOP nominee Donald Trump, flanked from left by campaign manager Paul Manafort, and daughter Ivanka Trump, checks the podium early Thursday afternoon in preparation for accepting the GOP nomination to be President at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on Thursday July 21, 2016 Manafort did millions of dollars worth of consulting work for the Party of Regions, a pro-Moscow Ukrainian political party. According to a spokesperson for the Podesta Group: The Podesta Group fully disclosed its representation of the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine (ECFMU), and complied with FARA by filing under the lobbying disclosure act over five years ago and within weeks of starting our work. Any insinuation to the contrary is false.' The spokesperson added: 'The Podesta Group has fully cooperated with the Special Counsels office and taken every possible step to provide documentation that confirms compliance with the law. Based on our due diligence and on the recommendation of definitive legal experts, the firm immediately filed the appropriate public disclosures of its representation of the ECFMU over five years ago, and in eight subsequent public filings.' The spokesperson continued: 'The Podesta Groups work for ECFMU, a non profit think tank, was in support of Ukraines admission to the EU, a position supported by foreign policy experts at the time. The ECFMU provided formal certification that it was neither funded by nor directed by a government or political party.' Several students in Maryland were injured Monday morning when their school bus flipped over on the highway. Howard County police said that Tyra India Wilcox, 50, lost control of the school bus on Route 29 in Ellicott City just before 7am. The incident left two 15-year-old girls, the bus driver, a school aide and another motorist injured. Several students in Maryland were injured Monday morning after their bus flipped over as it was traveling to school All five were taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries. Wilcox, who was driving to Mt. Hebron High School when the accident occurred, was issued a ticket for negligent driving. 'In this situation, investigators determined that driver was driving too fast, even regardless of road or weather conditions, so she's been charged with negligent driving,' Sherry Llewellyn, a Howard County police spokeswoman, told NBC News affiliate WBAL. The Howard County Public School System later released a statement, saying that Wilcox has been suspended pending an investigation into the incident. According to police, the bus flipped on its side when it was traveling westbound on Route 100 and exited onto Route 29 north. That's when another car, a 2005 Toyota Matrix, hit the bus. Authorities said the highway was closed for about two hours after the crash. 'We're grateful that no life-threatening injuries resulted from this accident,' the Howard County School System continued. 'We appreciate the tremendous efforts of first responders to ensure the safety and health of every person involved and providing the quick and safe transport for medical care,' they added. China's Air Force has recently released pictures of four J-20 stealth jets flying next to each other as Beijing flaunts its growing military power. Never before had so many J-20s - China's latest war plane - been seen together in the same picture. When the aircraft was shown to the public at an air show in China last November, there were claims to suggest that it had been built in part from plans of US war planes, particularly the F-22 Raptor, obtained by Chinese hackers jailed last year. China's Air Force has recently released rare pictures (above) of four J-20 stealth jets together Never before had pictures of so many J-20, China's latest stealth fighter, been published J-20 made its first public flight at the Zhuhai Airshow in China last November (pictured) There were claims to suggest that J-20 had been built in part from plans of US war planes, particularly the F-22 Raptor (pictured), obtained by Chinese hackers jailed last year Beijing has firmly denied the theory as it insists that J-20 had been developed and built solely with the Chinese technology. THE J-20 STEALTH FIGHTER China's new war plane made its first flyby in November 2016. The fighter jet is swift, stealthy, and armed with long-range missiles. Its design is similar to US fighter jets, stoking concerns that the Chinese military used 'stolen' plans obtained by hackers to develop the stealth plane and further drive its military ambitions. Experts have said that the plane represents a leap forward in China's ability to project power in Asia, and will compete with US military technology. China is set to overtake the US as the world's top aviation market in the next decade. Advertisement Military analysts previously said it was still too early to tell if the jet matches the capabilities of the US F-22 Raptor. China's latest J-20 stealth fighter jets were confirmed to have been commissioned into military service recently, reported state-run Xinhua News Agency. Wu Qian, a spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense said at a press conference on September 28 that flight tests were being conducted by the Chinese Air Force. On October 20, China's Air Force released on its social media account two pictures, which apparently show four J-20 stealth fighter jets flying next to each other. Although pictures of the medium and long-range fighter jets had been released in the past, never before had they shown so many J-20 at the same time. Along with the pictures, China's Air Force showcased its military might with its captions: 'China's Air Force is flying into a new chapter' and 'in the five years, a stronger and more prosperous army has created a new era'. As China's fourth-generation fighter jet, J-20 made its maiden flight in 2011. Last November, it made its first public flight at the Zhuhai Airshow in Guangdong Province. On July 31, the stealth jet attended its first military parade at northern China's Zhurihe to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). A video released by tv.81.cn, the TV channel of the PLA, captured the impressive fly-past. According to China Central Television Station (CCTV), J-20 is capable of carrying multiple types of air-to-air missiles. It's said to be powered by a made-in-China engine and possess similar combat capabilities to America's F-22 Raptor. CCTV also said when multiple J-20 are fighting as a fleet, one of them could use its radar to detect multiple targets before transferring the data in secret to other aircraft whose radars remain switched off - a strategy F-22 jets often use. It has been pointed out in the past that the controversial J-20 could be a copy of America's F-22 and was built using hacked US military blueprints. Last year, a Chinese national, 51-year-old Su Bin, was sent to prison for his part in stealing US military plans and sending documents to Beijing. The documents were reported to include plans for the F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, which would have enabled the Chinese military to rapidly catch up with US capabilities. China's newest warplane, the J-20 stealth fighter (pictured), has been put into military service Pictured above is America's F-22 which bears a similar design to the J-20. China is set to overtake the US as the world's top aviation market in the next decade China is set to overtake the US as the world's top aviation market in the next decade. Experts say China has been refining designs in hopes of narrowing a military gap with Washington. Cao Qingfeng, an aircraft engineer at the 2016 Zhuhai Airshow, said J-20's 'stunning' display was a show of China's strengthening aircraft industry and manufacturing - and Western officials agreed. 'This shows they now have confidence to put it out in public,' said a Western industry official who has monitored the biennial show from its inception 20 years ago. 'This is the airplane for China in the way that the J-31 is not; this is the one they develop for themselves,' he added. Despite the impressive show of aerial military might, some foreign observers have questioned its stealth capabilities. CHINA'S J-20 Top speed: 1,305 mph Range: 2,113 mi Length: 67 Wingspan: 42 0 Weight: 43,000 lbs Engine Type: Xian WS-15 turbofan engines Cost: $110m Manufacturer: Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group Advertisement Corrie McKeague went missing after a night out with friends in Suffolk where he was based The landfill search for a missing RAF gunner has resumed after the original five-month hunt for his body was called off. Corrie McKeague was last seen walking through Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk after a night out with friends. The search of a landfill site was called off in July with no evidence of his body found. Police have embarked on a search of landfill in Milton, Cambridgeshire, which is likely to take from four to six weeks. Mr McKeague, from Fife, Scotland, but based at RAF Honington in Suffolk, was last seen on CCTV at 3.25am on September 24 last year. CCTV footage shows a bin lorry near Brentgovel Street in Bury St Edmunds around the time the 23-year-old was last seen. It then took a route which appeared to coincide with the movements of his phone. The bin lorry was initially thought to have collected a 24lb (11kg) load, but police said it was later found to be more than 220lb (100kg). Police are searching through this landfill site in Milton, Cambridgeshire, after a bin lorry's movements appeared to match those of his phone Officers are scouring the landfill site searching for the body of RAF serviceman Corrie McKeague Officers are using a digger to move rubbish to find the 23-year-old at the landfill site, which is next to the site of the original search that began in February. After his disappearance Mr McKeague's girlfriend, April Oliver, announced the birth of the serviceman's daughter in June. Workers at the site have filled in a crater from the previous search with earth and are now preparing a new area to search Officers are raking through rubbish after the serviceman went missing on a night out with friends The search resumed after the five-month hunt for his body was called off without success The search for Corrie McKeague resumes at the landfill site in Cambridgeshire after the original five-month search was called off Officers are searching the site after the movements of the serviceman's mobile phone seemed to follow those of a bin lorry Detective Superintendent Katie Elliott said: 'Throughout this rigorous investigation we have remained committed to following all reasonable lines of inquiry in our endeavours to discover what has happened to Corrie. 'Confronted by the variances in the way waste can be deposited and through further investigation we cannot discount the possibility Corrie may be elsewhere in Cell 22. 'Therefore, we believe our decision to extend the search area is the correct one.' Boris Johnson appeared to be caught on camera briefly napping as Theresa May updated the House of Commons on Brexit negotiations. Cabinet ministers packed onto the frontbench to diligently listen to the Prime Minister as she faced MPs to be quizzed about the stalled negotiations. But Boris Johnson was spotted resting his eyes about an hour into Mrs May's statement while she talked about the future deal she hopes to strike with Brussels. And the Foreign Secretary was not the only Cabinet minister who appeared less than captivated by the session. A few moments later Chancellor Philip Hammond stood up and ducked out of the Chamber as the PM continued to be questioned by MPs on the talks. Scroll down for video Boris Johnson was caught on camera resting his eyes as he sat in the Commons Chamber today to listen to the PM address MPs on Brexit negotiations The scenes came as Mrs May faced the Opposition over the Government's failure to convince EU leaders to move on to Brexit trade talks. On Friday, EU leaders agreed to start work on their own position for trade talks but stopped short of beginning formal negotiations on how the UK-EU relationship will work. As she reported back to MPs on the summit, Mrs May aid: 'We haven't reached a final agreement but it's going to happen.' Revealing she was citing Angela Merkel and Donald Tusk, the Premier said: 'I'd have a degree of confidence we are going to get to sufficient progress by December.' Mrs May told MPs she was within 'touching distance' of a deal on EU citizens and said applying for settled status would cost no more than a passport - about 72. Launching a fierce assault on the Prime Minister, Jeremy Corbyn said the Brexit talks were 'stuck in an impasse'. Jeremy Corbyn accused Theresa May (pictured in the Commons today) of failing to make progress on securing a Brexit deal as he warned her 'avoiding Armageddon is setting the bar a bit low' The Labour leader (pictured in the Commons today) accused Mrs May of presiding over a 'nightmare for people's jobs and living standards' and demanded she rule out a no deal Brexit And he questioned Mrs May over remarks from International Trade Secretary Liam Fox about how leaving without a deal 'would not be the Armageddon that people project'. The Labour leader asked: 'Does the Prime Minister believe an outcome that is not Armageddon might be setting the bar a bit too low?' 'SHE WAS FIGHTING FIT': JUNCKER DENIES LEAK AGAINST MAY Mr Juncker and Mrs May (pictured together at the EU summit on Friday) met for dinner last Monday night Jean-Claude Juncker today denied briefing against Theresa May after leaks suggested he branded her 'tormented' after a secretive Brussels dinner. The EU Commission President claimed to be 'surprised' at the leaks which emerged in the German papers yesterday. He told the BBC today the Prime Minister had been in 'good shape' at last Monday night's dinner, saying Mrs May was 'not tired' but instead 'fighting' for the British interest. The leaks to Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAZ) claimed Mr Juncker found Mrs May to be 'despondent and discouraged' with 'deep rings' beneath her eyes. The extraordinary claims were condemned today by Nick Timothy, Mrs May's ex-chief of staff, who named Mr Juncker's top aide Martin Selmayr as the leaker. Mr Selmayr denied being to blame and insisted the account was untrue today as the explosive new diplomatic row unfolded. Downing Street refused to deny the reports, insisting it had no comment to make. Mrs May's spokesman instead highlighted Mr Selmayr's denial. Advertisement Tory grandee Ken Clarke piled on the pressure by insisting: 'Isn't it clear that a damaging delay will be caused if we don't make progress soon. 'Other European leaders can see that a noisy minority of the Cabinet and of backbenchers of her own party have convinced themselves that no deal at all is desirable.' He urged the PM to appoint a 'sensible' minister to liaise with opposition MPs and get them to sign up to an agreed stance on the transition period 'so we have a consensus in Parliament in the national interest'. Former minister Anna Soubry demanded the PM rule out 'no deal' to help business plan. But Mrs May said: 'We have to be clear what we are working for is a good deal - but I am optimistic about that. A good deal is in the interests of both sides.' In her statement to MPs, Mrs May said: 'I am ambitious and positive about Britain's future and these negotiations. 'If we are going to take a step forward together it must be on the basis of joint effort and endeavour between the UK and the EU. 'But, I believe that by approaching these negotiations in a constructive way in a spirit of friendship and cooperation, we can and will deliver the best possible outcome that works for all our people. 'Of course, we are preparing for every eventuality to ensure we leave in a smooth and orderly way. 'But I am confident that we will be able to negotiate a new, deep and special partnership between a sovereign United Kingdom and our friends in the European Union. 'That is my mission. That is this Government's mission.' The Commons clash this afternoon came after five major business lobby groups united today to warn Brexit Secretary David Davis that time is running out to set the rules for how trade will work from March 2019. Boris Johnson today called on Brussels to 'get on with it' as business lobby groups demanded an urgent Brexit transition deal. A 23-year-old Marine was stabbed to death in Hawaii 'while protecting a friend' after getting into a verbal altercation early Saturday morning. Sgt William Brown was stabbed after the altercation broke out at the corner of Kalakaua Ave and Royal Hawaiian Ave around 1am. The Tennessee native was rushed to hospital in critical condition. He died a short time later. Brown served as an 81 mm mortarman, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, based on Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe, according to a statement from the 3rd Marine Division. Marine Sgt. William Brown (pictured in December 2016 with then-President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during a visit to his base), 23, was stabbed to death 'while protecting a friend' on Saturday in Hawaii The Tennessee native was rushed to the hospital where he died a short time later Brown (left) served as an 81 mm mortarman, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, based on Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe, according to a statement from the 3rd Marine Division 'Sergeant Brown was a beloved member of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines who had been with the unit for five years. 'He had qualities we value in our Marine non-commissioned officers,' said Lt Col Steven Eastin, battalion commander, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines. 'His death is tragic and the battalion joins his family in grief. He will always be loved and remembered,' Eastin added. The Honolulu Police Department classified his death as a homicide and shortly after the incident, authorities arrested 21-year-old Brad Paul Aliksa, according to Hawaii News Now. Aliksa was taken into custody on suspicion of second-degree murder. The department said Aliksa was released on Monday pending the investigation. A 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl were also arrested, but it's unclear if they were released as well. Six other teens were also arrested for other offenses, but were eventually released. Police have not released details on the altercation as they continue their investigation. Brown's family posted a heartfelt tribute to their relative on Facebook. 'Known for his infectious laugh, beautiful smile, and memorable hugs, Mike was truly loved by so many,' the post read According to Brown's (right) family, he was promoted to sergeant on October 1. 'To celebrate Mike's life, the family asks that in lieu of flowers a Memorial contribution be made in his name to the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation ,' the Facebook post read Brown's family posted a heartfelt tribute to their relative on Facebook. 'Mike's life was tragically cut short while protecting a friend. Some say the good die young, we say Heaven couldn't wait. 'Known for his infectious laugh, beautiful smile, and memorable hugs, Mike was truly loved by so many,' the post read. According to Brown's family, he was promoted to sergeant on October 1. 'To celebrate Mike's life, the family asks that in lieu of flowers a Memorial contribution be made in his name to the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation,' the Facebook post read. His personal awards include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons. Anyone with any information is urged to call Honolulu Police or Honolulu CrimeStoppers at 808-955-8300. His personal awards include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons Doctors in Malawi have been beaten for carrying stethoscopes by vigilante mobs who believe they are vampires using the instruments to suck blood. Medics have also been robbed and had their vehicles smashed, while ambulances have been attacked as patients were taken to hospital, a doctors' association said. The Society of Medical Doctors in Malawi said a case of 'mass hysteria' sweeping the south of the country has led thousands of people to believe there are vampires in their midst. Nine people have been beaten to death after being accused of being a vampire, while 124 have been arrested for carrying out the attacks. Doctors in the southern Malawian city of Blantyre (pictured) have been attacked for carrying stethoscopes by mobs convinced they are vampires In a statement, society president Dr Amos Salimanda Nyaka said: 'We are disturbed by the reports of thuggery that has resulted into some health workers being attacked for carrying a stethoscope. 'Some have had unfortunate incidences of having their vehicles smashed, and in others having their possessions taken off them for being suspected of being blood suckers, and or in pursuit of the non-existent suckers. 'Some ambulances have also been attacked whilst being used to ferry patients to and or from hospital. 'This is despicable and we condemn all these and all similar acts of barbarism on innocent people unreservedly and in the strongest language possible. 'No health worker can suck blood with a stethoscope.' Dr Nyaka added that there is 'no evidence' the vampires are real, and instead blamed the situation on 'Shared Delusion Disorder'. He said: 'This is when a dominant individual who is deluded and can have those following him believe and internalize his delusions. Shared delusion is usually confined to a locality. 'In view of the magnitude of the problem in that it is affecting many districts and the readiness of many Malawians to internalize these beliefs this presentation would constitute that of Mass Hysteria. Nine people have been killed by vampire-hunting mobs in Malawi, which is one of the world's poorest nations where a belief in witchcraft is widespread 'It is the considered view of the Society that such blood suckers do not exist. This is purely Mass Hysteria.' The attacks started in mid-September but alarm has grown in recent weeks as they spread to Blantyre, the second-largest city in the country. Malawi is one of the world's poorest nations, and belief in witchcraft is widespread. Police arrested 124 people on Friday last week after two men were beaten to death in Blantyre, accused of trying to obtain human blood for voodoo rituals. 'One person was burned and another stoned to death by angry mobs in incidents on Thursday for being suspected to be blood suckers,' police spokesman Ramsy Mushani said. The latest killings took place outside Blantyre, the country's commercial capital, where angry mobs clashed with police and blocked main roads to protest against the alleged vampire threat. The country's police chief said the 124 arrests had been made in a 'coordinated operation'. As public anger has grown, the UN -- which is involved in food aid and agricultural programmes -- pulled its workers out some areas for safety reasons. In a report earlier this month, the UN said it had suspended all visits to the affected areas because the situation was 'unstable and volatile'. Rumours of vampires allegedly originated from Mozambique and spread across the border to the Malawian districts of Mulanje and Phalombe, according to the UN. President Peter Mutharika last week vowed to investigate the killings and the vampire rumours. Authorities in Oklahoma have arrested a 13-year-old boy accused of shooting to death a 10-year-old friend with a crossbow and injuring the victim's eight-year-old brother. Lincoln County Sheriff's deputies responded to South Pecan Meadows Drive on Saturday evening after receiving a call about an incident involving a crossbow. Responding officers found 10-year-old Austin Almanza dead at the scene. His younger brother, Ayden, was struck by the same broad-head arrow that killed his sibling, and the bolt was still protruding from his arm when deputies arrived. Tragic death: Austin Almanza, 10 (pictured left and right in his Halloween costume), was shot and killed with a crossbow that also injured his eight-year-old brother Austin, brother Ayden and their 13-year-old friend were playing in a vacant lot along South Pecan Meadows Drive in Lincoln County, Oklahoma (pictured) Saturday Sheriff's officials say the teen shot his younger friends with a crossbow (stock image) Investigators have determined that the crossbow-wielding shooter was a 13-year-old boy, who was not related to the victims. Sheriff Charles Dougherty said the older boy was a friend and playmate of the Almanza brothers, and all three would often spend time together in a tree house in a vacant lot along South Pecan Meadows Drive, reported the station KOCO. Sheriff Dougherty said during a press conference that the three boys were playing together at 6pm on Saturday, and that Ayden was standing behind Austin and to the right of him at the time of the shooting. The arrow pierced the left side of the 10-year's old body, traveled through his torso, exited his right side and lodged in his younger brother's left arm. Ayden Almanza was taken to a hospital for treatment, after which he was released home. A broad-head arrow pierced the left side of Austin's (pictured) body, exited the right and stuck Ayden in the arm The 10-year-old elementary school student (pictured with baby sister) was pronounced dead at the scene The suspect in Austin's killing was taken into custody and is being held at a juvenile detention center. The sheriff's office is investigating the incident as a homicide. Both Austin and Ayden Almanza were students at White Rock Elementary School in southwest Lincoln County. Their older friend attended a middle school in the county. A relative has described Austin in a Facebook tribute as beautiful, joyful and 'incredibly precious.' A YouCaring campaign has been launched to help raise money for Austin's funeral and to help with his brother's medical expenses. A 10-year-old whose parents died of cancer just weeks apart prayed they would be reunited in heaven as mourners wiped away their tears at her mother's funeral. Karen Stewart, 36, died after her third battle with cancer on Friday, having first been diagnosed when she was just 18. Her husband Ed passed away aged 42 in August - three months after he was given a terminal cancer diagnosis and not long after his wife's devastating news. At Mrs Stewart's funeral in Dublin today the couple's daughter Keeva, 10, prayed her mother and father could now enjoy 'eternal life' together. Mourners gather around the coffin of Karen Stewart who died on Friday after her third battle with cancer. Her daughter Keeva, 10, paid an emotional tribute to her at the Church of Our Lady Immaculate in Darndale Dublin today She, her eight-year-old brother Finn, and four-year-old sister Erin were left orphaned after their mother's death last week. Hundreds turned out to remember the popular mother-of-three at her funeral Mass at the Church of Our Lady Immaculate in Darndale in Dublin. Mrs Stewart's aunt Gina paid tribute to her niece who she said 'struggled with cancer since the age of 19' and was given her final prognosis in January. She said her niece had battled cancer with huge 'determination' and 'strength' and had done everything possible for her kids, who she loved dearly. Karen Stewart (pictured left) died on Friday after her terminal cancer diagnosis. Her husband Ed (pictured right) died in August after a similar battle with pancreatic cancer The couple (pictured) died within weeks of each other, leaving their three young children without their mother and father Keeva (pictured left) gave an emotional tribute to her parents at her mother's funeral today She added: 'The only comfort we can find at the moment is that she is now with Ed, her son Aron and her father James. 'Ed probably thought he was going to get a break up there but Karen probably has him running around right now.' She also expressed gratitude on behalf of Karen and the family to the local community. She said: 'The support has been overwhelming and Karen wants to express her gratitude to an amazing community for all the support given and all the fundraising efforts.' The three children will now move in with their father's brother Vincent and his wife Tanya, along with their three children. After the funeral Mass, Mrs remains were taken to Fingal Cemetery for burial. Mrs Stewart's friend Stacey Hogg set up a GoFundMe page to help the couple make memories with their family while they still could. The Stewart's (pictured) three children will now move in with their father's brother Vincent and his wife Tanya, along with their three children It raised 42,250 (37,557) before the couple both lost their fight with cancer. Updating the page after Mrs Stewart's death, Ms Hogg said: 'It is with great sadness that I update you to let you all know that Sadly Karen Nicholson Stewart Passed away peacefully at her Mum's home on Friday 20th October 2017 just before 6pm. 'Karen was surrounded by her children and her amazing family. Karen can finally rest in Peace and Join her wonderful Husband ED who passed away on the 4th August 2017. 'They were an amazing couple devoted to each other and their children. 'I made a promise to Karen in early September that I would keep this fund going for Her Children and that is what I intend to do until we reach the goal. 'These 3 little children have lost Both parents months apart something most of us are still struggling to get our heads around. 'Thank you most sincerely to everyone one who has supported the fund raising campaign.' A suspect with face tattoos who was wanted in a random machete attack on a dog has been apprehended after a month on the run. Thomas G. Vargus, 45, was arrested on Sunday in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, where he was in hiding with a former prison cellmate affiliated with the Pagan Outlaws biker gang, police said. He had been on the Massachusetts Most Wanted List after a shocking September 18 attack in Taunton. According to police, Vargus set upon a woman walking her dog with a machete, screaming: 'I'm going to kill this (expletive) dog.' Thomas G. Vargus, 45, was arrested on Sunday in Margus Hook, Pennsylvania, where he was in hiding with a former prison cellmate affiliated with the Pagan Outlaws biker gang, police said 'During the attack on the dog the owner was injured as well. The female victim sustained many wounds from the attack,' Taunton police said in a statement. The dog suffered cuts to its neck and back, but both the dog and the woman survived. Cops described the attack as 'random'. Vargus is seen in a 1997 mugshot on a narcotics arrest, before he got tattoos A manhunt for Vargus was aided by his distinctive tattoos, which cover much of his face and head. Investigators tracked clues that indicated Vargus had fled to Pennsylvania, where he was laying low with 70-year-old Glen J. Turner, his former cellmate in federal prison. Turner, a member of the Pagan Outlaws biker gang, served a 30-year stint for the 1982 shooting of a New Jersey State Trooper, whom he shot in the face and left partially blind. He made headlines again in 1984, when his fellow Pagans staged a minor prison riot after Turner was thrown in the hole for complaining about the lunch trays in the prison cafeteria. Vargus landed in federal prison on narcotics charges, where he apparently befriended Turner. On Sunday, a Marcus Hook police officer saw the two men walking into Sweeny's Pub On Sunday, a Marcus Hook police officer saw the two men walking into Sweeny's Pub, a local dive bar. The cop called for backup and officers were lying in wait when the two men walked out some time later. Vargus was arrested and charged as a fugitive from justice. Cops say he was growing his facial hair in an attempt to hide his tattoos. He faces extradition back to Bristol County, Massachusetts to face charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and animal cruelty from the September 18 attack. A domestic abuse suspect's smirking mugshot has sparked outrage after he was allowed to don a wig and glasses for a 'savage' jailbird picture. Brandon Trice Harmon, of Ringwood, Oklahoma, had a warrant for his arrest issued for domestic assault and battery in the presence of a minor last month. The 34-year-old said decided to turn himself in the following day, but not before he donned a blonde wig and over-sized glasses to create a grinning 'epic' mugshot. He insists he did not wear the ridiculous outfit 'to poke fun at anything'. Brandon Trice Harmon has caused outrage with this smirking mugshot which shows him wearing a wig and over-sized glasses But the photo, which was published in this month's issue of Jailbirds, which publishes mugshots, has sparked fury among the victim's family who said it was a 'slap in the face' They accused Major County cops of allowing Harmon to take the mugshot because he was a friend of Sheriff Steve Randolph. Both Randolph and Harmon are members of the volunteer Ringwood Fire Department. 'Nobody else gets that opportunity,' Kathy Lambert, the victim's mother, said. 'It's just a slap in the face to all the women who are abused daily. It's a sad crime that happens daily, it was just a disgrace. 'I feel Steve abused his power, and Brandon abused their friendship. It makes me ill.' The victim's family accused Major County cops of allowing Harmon to take the mugshot because he was a friend of Sheriff Steve Randolph (pictured) Randolph would not comment to local media about the photo. Harmon claims his friend was not involved with the mugshot but he had 'arrived at the facility in the wig and glasses not to poke fun at anything other than I'm going to have an epic and savage, according to social media, 'Jailbird' pic,' Harmon told the Edmonton Sun. 'The dispatcher working at the time had no clue who I was, she simply did her job, booked me and moved on with her day.' Meanwhile Major County officers have been called out for hypocrisy after they recently posed for a team photo in support of Domestic Abuse Awareness Month. 'It was like they made a mockery of the Domestic Abuse Awareness Month,' Lambert, told the Enid News & Eagle. Meanwhile Major County officers have been called out for hypocrisy after they recently posed for a team photo in support of Domestic Abuse Awareness Month 'They just took pictures of the deputies wearing 'We support domestic violence month' shirts, but yet they let this happen.' There is no set legislature for taking mugshots in Oklahoma and the process can vary between departments. But mugshots are supposed to be able to be shared with other police departments if someone is arrested elsewhere to enter them into the database. Harmon's wig and glasses all but obscured his face making the mugshot worthless. The supect is accused of grasping his spouse, forcing her down on a bed and holding her down in front of their child. He denies the domestic abuse charge which he claims stems from divorce. Harmon's warrant was issued September 6 and he was arraigned September 27. He is due back in court next month for a bond appearance. University of Colorado-Boulder student Megan Dierker has been identified by her family as the sole survivor of last week's double murder-suicide in Fort Collins that claimed the life of her best friend on her birthday. Dierker, 21, had traveled to Fort Collins on Wednesday to celebrate the 22nd birthday of Savannah McNealy, who was her childhood friend and former schoolmate. Police say on Thursday morning, McNealy's boyfriend, Air Force Staff Sgt Michael Zamora, 30, opened fired inside an apartment near the Colorado State University campus, killing the birthday girl and his friend Tristian Kemp, 26, injuring Dierker and ultimately turning the gun on himself. Survivor: Megan Dierker (left) has been identified by her family as the sole survivor of last week's double murder-suicide in Colorado that killed her friend Savannah McNealy (right) Michael Zamora, 30 (left), has been identified as the gunman who shot and killed his girlfriend - Colorado State University student Savannah McNealy, 22 (right) - and best friend Tristian Kemp, 26, before turning the gun on himself Dierker's father, Chris, released a video statement to CBS Denver on Sunday, saying his daughter has undergone three surgeries since the shooting and was expected to recover. He also expressed condolences to the families of those who died in the shooting, including Zamora, and thanked first responders for helping save his daughter. Megan is currently being treated at Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland. By early Monday morning, Dierker has apparently regained enough strength to go on social media and post a tribute to her slain friend Savannah McNealy: 'my beautiful, beautiful Sav. I will miss you more with every second that passes. rest in paradise, my love.' Chris Dierker (left) released a video statement on Sunday saying his daughter Megan (right) has so far undergone three surgeries Dierker is a senior at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she studies psychology and pre-health The message was accompanied by a selfie of the two friends. She then followed up with two more photos featuring the 22-year-old victim. Dierker is a senior at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she studies psychology and pre-health, according to a statement released by the university. 'Megan is in our thoughts in the aftermath of this terrible tragedy,' CU Chancellor Philip DiStefano said in the statement. 'We hope that she makes a full recovery and is able to rejoin us on the Boulder campus when she is ready.' Police in Fort Collins have not released a motive but called the deadly shooting an 'ambush' that was carried out at 2am Thursday as the three victims and the gunman were socializing before the killing. McNealy and Kemp, who was a veteran, were both shot multiple times while Zamora died from a single gunshot wound to the head. McNealy and Zamora (left and right) were in a relationship since at least May of this year. Zamora was a resident of Fort Collins, but was a staff sergeant based at FE Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming Fort Collins Police Chief Terry Jones said the three victims had been dropped off by a Lyft at the apartment complex before the shooting. Zamora was not with them Fort Collins Police Chief Terry Jones told The Denver Post that the three victims had been dropped off by a Lyft at the apartment complex at 720 City Park Avenue before the shooting. Zamora had been out with the victims but did not ride home with them. The shooting started just after they got home. McNealy - who had just turned 22 the night of the shooting - was wrapping up a night of birthday festivities. Police recovered two rifles and a handgun registered to Zamora at the scene. According to Tristian Kemp's uncle, Thomas Perez, the men had traveled to Colorado so that Zamora could visit his girlfriend (pictured together) Perez also said that Zamora served in the Air Force in Afghanistan with Kemp (pictured, with his mother). He added that the two also worked together at the same company in California Pictures from the crime scene show a shotgun on the ground outside the apartment where the shooting happened Bullets holes were also noted on this car in the apartment complex parking lot McNealy and Zamora had been in a relationship since at least May of this year. A love triangle between the two victims and Zamora has not been ruled out yet as a motive. Zamora was a resident of Fort Collins, but was a staff sergeant based at FE Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, reported ABC Denver. Tristian Kemp's uncle, Thomas Perez, told Fox Denver that Zamora served in the Air Force in Afghanistan with Kemp. He added that the two also worked together at the same company in California. According to Perez, Kemp was currently living in Hawaii but the men had traveled to Colorado so that Zamora could visit his girlfriend. 'I can say this much about my nephew, he was an American hero. He proudly served the United States and the people. When he got out of the Air Force, he continued to serve as a civilian,' he said. McNealy was studying liberal arts, art and art history and planned to graduate in December. She also was a designer for CSU Life, a monthly campus publication McNealy was studying liberal arts, art and art history. She also was a designer for CSU Life, a monthly campus publication. CSU, a public university with more than 33,000 students about 65 miles (105 kilometers) north of Denver. Yellow police tape cordoned off a parking area outside a drab gray apartment building in the City Park neighborhood, a residential area that abuts the university's 590-acre campus. Many students and faculty live in the neighborhood. Blood pools were seen on one sidewalk in the apartment complex. Investigators seemed to be focusing their efforts on the area of the blood pools and a vehicle in the parking lot. Darren Rutz, a former CSU student who lives near the scene, told The Rocky Mountain Collegian he was awakened by a woman's call for help, followed by gunfire. 'It seemed like quite a few gunshots to me,' Rutz said. Residents in the apartment complex say they were woken up by the sound of gunshots and then a woman screaming for help After the gunshots were heard, CSU officials sent out a text message to students, warning them to stay inside Grief counselors tended to students and others at an on-campus student center on Thursday Another resident, Matthew Litton, told the Reporter-Herald that he was lying in bed when he heard multiple gunshots. 'I could tell from the consistency of the firing that it wasn't fireworks, it was gunshots. I heard a girl yelling, 'Call 911!' After that, I heard one last bang, and then it was quiet,' he said. Litton said he also saw a photo taken by a friend, showing two bodies lying on the sidewalk with a pistol between them. Grief counselors tended to students and others at an on-campus student center. 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Celebrity chef John Besh, best known for his appearances on Top Chef among other series, has left the restaurant company he founded amid sexual harassment claims. Besh, 49, 'has decided to step down from all aspects of operations and to provide his full focus on this family,' according to a letter from Besh Restaurant Group (BRG) to its staff that was obtained by The Advocate. The move comes two days after an eight-month-long investigation by a Louisiana newspaper revealed claims of sexual harassment by Besh, and allegations that his restaurants did little to discourage male staff from harassing women. Scroll down for video John Besh (pictured here as a guest judge on Top Chef with Padma Lakshmi) has quit Besh Restaurant Group after claims that he performed oral sex on a drunk woman and presided over a toxic workplace The expose, released on Saturday by NOLA.com and the Times-Picayune, said some 25 women had made allegations against either Besh or the restaurants under his command. The most shocking claim came from a former employee of Besh's, who said he 'insisted [she] drink heavily' in 2015 then approached her in her hotel room, when she was 'easily overwhelmed', and performed oral sex on her. Besh, who is married, said that the pair were having a consensual - but regrettable - affair. He denies all claims of sexual harassment and allowing a toxic work environment. Others said that male staff of Besh Restaurant Group had committed a litany of offensive acts - including groping, threatening assault and asking to drink a pregnant woman's breast milk - with no, or insufficient, action being taken. The resignation letter obtained by the Advocate does not say what Besh will do with his ownership stake in BRG, or whether his name will remain in its title. However, it did announce that BRG would now be run by new CEO Shannon White, who said an outside expert has been hired to 'independently investigate whether any unreported claims exist.' Besh (seen here in an episode of Tonight With Seth Meyers) left on Monday, a letter to staff said. Complaints by 25 women about Besh or his company had emerged just two days earlier She said that 'ramped up' sexual harassment training was now in place, a complaint hotline and counselors were being brought in and the sexual harassment policy was being revised. White also announced the formation of an employee advisory committee that will 'reflect the full diversity of our team members.' 'Our goal is to earn your trust and for you to know that we take all concerns seriously,' she wrote. Besh is alleged to have pressured a woman into a relationship, during which he performed oral sex on her while she was blackout drunk. Besh says their relationship was consensual and denies all abuse claims Besh Restaurant Group owns more than 10 restaurants and bars in the New Orleans area, and he himself has made guest appearances on several shows, including Tonight With Seth Meyers and the dramas NCIS: New Orleans and Treme. The accusation about Besh performing oral sex on the unnamed former employee came in her Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filing from December. She alleges that she had a sexual relationship with him for months while working under him, and that he had 'continued to attempt to coerce (her) to submit to his sexual overtures.' In one instance, she said, during a work trip to LA in the summer of 2015 Besh 'insisted' that she down a great deal of alcohol before she retired to her hotel room. In the filing, in which the chef was repeatedly referred to as 'JBesh', she said he then turned up at her door and started to 'fondle' her. The woman, who is not being named, alleged that she 'was barely conscious, and easily overwhelmed by JBesh, who engaged in oral sex and fell asleep,' That incident, which occurred when she was 24, came around the beginning of what she described as a 'long-term unwelcome sexual relationship' that ended in May 2016. Besh (seen with Michelle Obama at an event in 2015) has been replaced by Shannon White, who says the group will now revamp its complaints procedure and harassment protocols Responding to the allegations on Sunday, Besh characterized their relationship as a 'consensual' one that he had 'thoughtlessly' engaged in. 'I also regret any harm this may have caused to my second family at the restaurant group, and sincerely apologize to anyone past and present who has worked for me who found my behavior as unacceptable as I do,' he said. 'I alone am entirely responsible for my moral failings. This is not the way the head of a company like ours should have acted, let alone a husband and father.' Lindsey Reynolds, who was the company's social media manager for six months, said Besh 'hit on basically every woman in the office who was young and pretty.' She made the second of two EEOC filings against the 12-year-old company. She complained of 'vulgar and offensive comments, aggressive un-welcomed touching and sexual advances were condoned and sometimes even encouraged by managers and supervisors'. She said she was harassed 'virtually every day' and left without recourse because the company didn't 'have a decent HR person'. Besh denied the claims. Some women said men at Besh's company groped, insulted and harassed them without fear of recrimination. BRG admitted on Saturday that its HR could have done more Another complainant was Madie Robison, who was hired out of college, aged 22, to be a graphic designer at the company. She said that scheduled work days at a senior employee's pool turned 'involved drinking in our swimsuits and the male chefs/Octavio coming to visit us at the pool.' Madie Robinson was hired when she was 22; she said scheduled pool sessions during workdays involved her sitting around in a swimsuit, drinking with other employee She also said Octavio Mantilla, co-owner of the Besh Restaurant Group, touched her 'excessively,' saying 'first it was your leg and then it was your lower back... In my mind, it always got a little worse.' Mantilla said the pool sessions were 'constructive', although he only attended one and left as soon he was done there, adding: 'I don't remember touching [Robison] at all, not on intention or anything. In pizza restaurant Domenica, a waitress who did not wish to be named said an unnamed male colleague had harassed her, including showing her photos of his penis, over two years. She quit in 2015, just before her first child was born; she said the man had asked repeatedly for a sample of her breast milk 'because he wanted to drink it.' Another waitress there, Allison Consoli, said the same member of staff would 'always talk about anal sex with me or using toys on me or me being a "backdoor beauty."' He'd always talk about anal sex with me or using toys on me or me being a 'backdoor beauty' Allison Consoli, waitress at Domenica, on the same unnamed male employee She said she tried, and failed, to report him four times, and on a fifth occasion, management watched as he reduced her to tears. Chef Alon Shaya, who oversaw the restaurant, said he 'was being inappropriate to some of the female servers. I recall making the decision to fire him with that manager.' Shaya was also linked to alleged problems at the restaurant that bears his surname, which he opened in collaboration with Besh. Chef Alon Shaya, who co-ran three restaurants in Besh's group says he told Besh to get a HR system in place so complaints would be dealt with. Besh's associate says Shaya's just covering his back. Complaints have been leveled at Shaya's management too, but he denies them One line cook, who resigned from Shaya in January, said in her resignation letter: 'While working as a line cook at Shaya, I heard daily "jokes" about rape, including one joke about pedophilia.' They 'would call grapeseed oil "rapeseed" and use that as an opportunity to joke about rape,' she said. They would call grapeseed oil 'rapeseed' and use that as an opportunity to joke about rape An unnamed female line cook on male colleagues' 'humor' at Shaya That cook didn't want to be named for fear of hurting future job prospects; one of her colleagues there, line cook Elizabeth Campbell, said she also heard such remarks. She also said she was fired for crying in the restuarant. Shaya provided NOLA with documentation showing that disciplinary action had been taken against the man who showed photographs of his penis, and said he 'regretted' that she had still quit. He also said that 'we worked to help [Campbell] with her situation' but her crying was 'disrupting the customer experience in the restaurant.' Shaya, who was chef at Domenica, Pizza Domenica and Shaya, said he had attempted to get a proper HR department set up, and that he was fired from BRG in October 'for talking ... and for standing up'. 'Alon never requested an HR Department, let alone on multiple occasions,' Raymond Landry, general counsel for Besh and BRG, said. Mantilla said that the reasons for his firing were complex, and added: 'I think [Shaya] saw this article was hurting him, and he wanted to distance himself.' Besh denies all claims of harassment made against him. It's not clear if his name will remain on the company or what he will do with his majority stake in it Issues were reported at restaurants outside of Shaya's control. Meghan Wright was a server at Franco-German brasserie Luke; she said her 'banter' with two male co-workers spiraled into them 'grabbing' her. When she complained thy told her she had better 'watch her back,' forcing her to have her boyfriend accompany her to and from work. Attempts to transfer out were refused, and promises to put her on a different shift to the men was unfulfilled, she said. In a statement, Landry said the company had done what was legally required, but would 'do more' to support staff. Landry added that 'we believe going forward that everyone at our company will be fully aware of the clear procedures that are now in place to safeguard against anyone feeling that his or her concerns will not be heard and addressed free from retaliation.' A BRG spokesman also stressed that around 60 of the company's 140 managers are women, and that 'In addition, 15 women hold senior executive positions as general managers, heads of departments, Chief Operations Officer, or owner/partner.' Ken White, a 32-year-old father-of-four, was killed after a six-pound rock thrown from an overpass smashed through his windshield and struck him on Interstate 75 in Michigan Five teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a Michigan father-of-four who was killed by a rock that smashed through the windshield of a vehicle. The teens are 15 to 17 years old and are being charged as adults, Genessee County Prosecutor David Leyton said. He announced the charges Monday, five days after Ken White, 32, was killed on Interstate 75. White was a passenger in the vehicle. The teenagers have been named as Kyle Anger, 17, and four 15-year-olds: Alexander Miller, Trevor Gray, Mikaydyn Payne and Mark Sekelsky, MLive has reported. All five teens could face life in prison for the second-degree murder charge. Each is also charged with conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and malicious destruction of property, WNEM reports. 'I don't think this was a deliberate attempt to take somebody's life. It was a willful and wanton act that resulted in somebody's death,' Leyton said regarding the charges. Five teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the case. Pictured is 17-year-old Kyle Anger. The rest of the teens are 15 years old Trevor Gray (left) and Mikadyn Payne (right) have also been charged in connection with the case. The five defendants could face life in prison if found guilty of the charge Alexander Miller (left) and Mark Sekelsky (right) have also been charged. In a statement about the charges, Genessee County Prosecutor David Leyton said: 'I don't think this was a deliberate attempt to take somebody's life. It was a willful and wanton act that resulted in somebody's death' White was tragically killed Wednesday night by a six-pound rock that smashed through his windshield after a group of teenagers threw it off an overpass on Interstate 75 in Michigan. The Genesee County Sheriff's Office said the large rock struck the father-of-four in the head when it came crashing through the windshield. White was immediately knocked unconscious. He was then rushed to the Hurley Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead. Officers said the incident happened just before 8.30pm near the Dodge Road overpass in Vienna Township, which is about 16 miles from Flint. Amy Cagle, White's fiancee, teared up while describing how she needed to tell her five-year-old son about his father's tragic death White had four children, and his youngest is five years old. A GoFundMe account was set up to help his family with burial costs Amy Cagle discussed the heartbreak of telling her five-year-old son what happened to his father Photos of the scene show a gaping hole in the windshield of a white van with a ladder fastened on top. Two large rocks were also found on the highway. According to MLive, there were four other vehicles that reported hitting other large rocks on the highway. White left behind a fiancee and four children. Speaking to WBTV, his fiancee Amy Cagle discussed the heartbreak of telling her five-year-old son what happened to his father. 'For some senseless act, for it to be just a rock, just to take him so soon,' she said. A GoFundMe account was set up for White's family to help with his burial. His youngest child is five years old. As of Monday evening, the page has raised about $41,500 of its $50,000 goal. A man is behind bars, waiting to face court over a litany of offences after he was pulled over in Newcastle with a body in his back seat. The body of a 52-year-old man was discovered in the silver Toyota Camry when the driver, Rodney Clarke, was stopped after 3am on Monday in the Newcastle suburb of Lambton, and reportedly told police he thought his mate was asleep. The dead man was known to police with detectives investigating whether he could have died of a drug overdose. The death is not being treated as suspicious. A man is behind bars, waiting to face court over a litany of offences after he was pulled over in Newcastle, north of Sydney, with a man's dead body in his back seat (pictured) The body of a 52-year-old man was discovered in the silver Toyota Camry (pictured) when the driver, Rodney Clarke, was stopped after 3am on Monday in the Newcastle suburb of Lambton Clarke (pictured) reportedly told police he thought his mate was asleep Clarke, also 52, had been wanted on outstanding - and unrelated - warrants and was taken into custody. He appeared in Newcastle Local Court on Monday on a raft of charges including having a knife in public, assaulting police, resisting an officer, driving without a licence and failing to appear in court. It's believed the car had been in the nearby suburb of Hamilton South before being pulled over in Lambton. Investigators are yet to determine where Clarke was headed. NSW Police wouldn't comment on media reports the man died of an overdose after taking heroin on Sunday afternoon. Clarke, also 52, had been wanted on outstanding - and unrelated - warrants and was taken into custody (pictured is the crime scene) NSW Police wouldn't comment on media reports the man died of an overdose after taking heroin on Sunday afternoon An autopsy will be performed on Tuesday, but initial reports claim there were not visible marks on the dead man. A crime scene was established surrounding the Toyota for several hours after the discovery on Monday morning. Photos show a blue police tent pitched next to the car on the main street, which appears to be lined with homes. Clarke didn't apply for bail and it was formally refused. He is scheduled to reappear at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday. One of the eight women known to have received a settlement from Harvey Weinstein broke her silence over the weekend in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, and is now speaking out again in the Financial Times. Zelda Perkins, 44, split a settlement worth 250,000 (approximately $300,000 at the time) with another women after the two signed a non-disclosure agreement in 1998 following their decision to report the movie mogul's behavior and hire a law firm. One of Weinstein's three assistants in his London office at the time, Perkins revealed that her boss appeared in her underwear and offered her a nude massage the first time the two were alone in a hotel room. He would also parade around naked and force her to sit beside the tub as he bathed according to Perkins. She split the settlement with an unnamed colleague who also claimed to have suffered at the hands of Weinstein. That woman, whose name she does not reveal, told Perkins at the 1998 Venice Film Festival that she had been raped by Weinstein. Vuctim: Zelda Perkins was just 24 when she and another employee of Miramax split a settlement of around $300,000 (Perkins above) Speaking out: She signed an NDA in October of 1998 after receiving the payout, but is now breaking that contract to detail her time with Weinstein (above with Juliette Binoche in 1998) 'He had a need to annihilate and humiliate men, but with women it was all about seduction and submission,' explained Perkins. 'Harvey made you feel in an honorary position of trust and influence which he then used as a tool to exert control.' That was on display the first time she ended up alone and away from home with her boos. 'He went out of the room and came back in his underwear. He asked me if I would give him a massage. Then he asked if he could massage me,' said Perkins. She then went on to speak about the fact that Weinstein was always naked and having to join him for his baths by sitting in the same room. 'But this was his behavior on every occasion I was alone with him,' explained Perkins. 'I often had to wake him up in the hotel in the mornings and he would try to pull me into bed.' She got the job when one of Weinstein's other assistants suddenly disappeared, and secured her spot when she told her boss off soon after starting in her new position. 'I remember taking a call in the room when another call came through on another phone. He swore at me to "pick up the f***ing phone,"' said Perkins. 'I said: "Im already on the f***ing phone!" It sealed my fate as someone who could stand up to him.' She then explained: 'It wasnt bravery, it was naivety.' The harassment was one thing, but after the rape allegation things shifted for her and she knew that it was time to take on the company. 'She was white as a sheet and shaking and in a very bad emotional state. She told me something terrible had happened. She was in shock and crying and finding it very hard to talk,' explained Perkins of her colleague. 'I was furious, deeply upset and very shocked. I said: "We need to go to the police," but she was too distressed. Neither of us knew what to do in a foreign environment.' Three's company: Perkins said Weinstein tried to give her a massage in his underwear (Weinstein, Paltrow and Clinton two months after the settlement) Weinstein denied the incident, but Perkins said she saw right through it all at the time. 'It was very clear looking at the state my colleague was in and then looking at Harvey that I believed her,' said Perkins. She arrived back in London early that September and immediately went to see a lawyer. Her hopes of notifying Disney or trying to publicize Weinstein's behavior was quickly shot down by lawyers however who said Weinstein would drag her name through the mud. Perkins decided if that would not work she would try for the next best thing. 'My driving motivation was to create safeguards to protect future employees,' explained Perkins. 'I gave [her law firm Simons Muirhead & Burton] a list of demands aimed at controlling his behavior, such as a commitment that he receive medical treatment and the creation of a proper human resources complaints procedure at Miramax so that people would be aware of their rights and could complain about harassment if they needed to.' This proved to be a difficult time for the young woman however as she faced off against her powerful opponent. 'At 24 years old in a room full of lawyers I felt unsupported by my legal team,' she said in hindsight. 'Looking back I understand they were following correct practice but at the time I felt totally isolated.' Boss man: Perkins said she initially wanted to tell Disney, the parent company of Miramax, about the incident (Weinstein and Michael Eisner in 2004) It was only one month after she approached lawyers that a settlement came her way, at which point she stepped away from the company. Nineteen years later - almost to the day - she finally got to share her story with The New York Times. It has left her still hurt, and after the lawsuit she felt 'broken' in the wake of what she was forced to endure. 'I want to call into question the legitimacy of agreements where the inequality of power is so stark and relies on money rather than morality,' said Perkins. 'I want other women who have been sidelined and who arent being allowed to own their own history or their trauma to be able to discuss what they have suffered. I want them to see that the sky wont fall in.' It is unclear meanwhile if her colleague is the unknown Weinstein employee who shared her story with The New Yorker but then asked to be kept anonymous for fear of legal repercussion or a new reported rape case, which would make her the seventh person to accuse Weinstein. The six known cases involve an unnamed Italian model who claims she was raped in 2013 by Weinstein, actresses Rose McGowan, Asia Argento and Lysette Anthony, then-college student Lucia Evans and the aforementioned unnamed woman. Westward bound: Weinstein fled NYC on October 6 (above) The 2013 rape is currently being investigated by police in Los Angeles it was revealed last week. Weinstein is also being investigated in the state of New York, where two criminal probes have been launched following allegations of sexual assault that date back over 10 years. A law enforcement source told DailyMail.com that one of these complaints was filed by Lucia Evans, who told The New Yorker that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2004 at his office. The identity of the other individual is not known at this time. There is no statute of limitations on rape, criminal sexual act or aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree in the state of New York. The state legislature signed a bill eliminating a statute of limitations for first-degree sexual offenses back in 2006, having previously had a five-year statute for all rape and sexual assault cases. Weinstein's legal problems are not just stateside either, with Scotland Yard currently investigating five allegations of sexual assault which have been made by three women across the Atlantic. The earliest of these alleged assaults dates back to the eighties. Perkins is hoping to make some legal waves of her own by speaking out. 'I want to publicly break my non-disclosure agreement,' she explained. 'Unless somebody does this there wont be a debate about how egregious these agreements are and the amount of duress that victims are put under.' She then added: 'My entire world fell in because I thought the law was there to protect those who abided by it. I discovered that it had nothing to do with right and wrong and everything to do with money and power.' Weinstein is said to be in rehab but there has still been nothing to prove this claim, and now over 60 women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment and assault. 'Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein. Mr. Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances,' said a spokesperson for Weinstein. 'Mr. Weinstein obviously cant speak to anonymous allegations, but with respect to any women who have made allegations on the record, Mr. Weinstein believes that all of these relationships were consensual. 'Mr. Weinstein has begun counseling, has listened to the community and is pursuing a better path. Mr. Weinstein is hoping that, if he makes enough progress, he will be given a second chance.' A disturbing pattern has emerged showing those charged with terror offences lived in close proximity to one another. The Australian Federal Police's joint counter-terrorism team has managed to prevent the efforts of numerous would-be terrorists planning to commit atrocities on Australian soil. But analysing the data from the AFP of the raids and arrests carried out over the past three years reveals a trend 'triangles of terror' in Sydney's suburbs, A Current Affair reports. In Sydney's southwest, half of the people charged with terror offences in the past three years live in suburbs within a 35km radius. Scroll down for video A disturbing pattern has emerged showing those charged with terror offences lived in close proximity to one another In a segment on Monday evening's program, the dots were connected to reveal a number of triangles across the map. Parramatta was identified as the home of Farhad Jabar, a 15-year-old boy who gunned down an NSW Police accountant outside NSW Police headquarters in 2015 before special constables shot him dead. There have been a number of terrorism cases in nearby Fairfield and Auburn, the other two points of this triangle. Enclosed within the triangle are Merrylands and Guildford, both suburbs where a number of raids and arrests have taken place. The Australian Federal Police's joint counter-terrorism team has managed to prevent the efforts of numerous would-be terrorists planning to commit atrocities on Australian soil. Above, AFP officers during a raid in Raby in December 2015 Guildford has seen six people charged with terrorism offences in the past three years one of the highest rates in the country, according to A Current Affair. Bankstown, Wiley Park and Lakemba have also seen the AFP number of homes. That triangle is complete with the addition of Campsie home to ISIS fanatic and the perpetrator of the 2014 Sydney siege Man Munis. Further south, a smaller triangle is formed between Denham Court, Wiley Park and Raby. Denham Court is where Mohamed Elomar's family home was before he became a posterboy for those fleeing to join ISIS before he was killed in Iraq. Bankstown, Wiley Park and Lakemba have also seen the AFP number of homes. Campsie home to ISIS fanatic and the perpetrator of the 2014 Sydney siege Man Munis Further south, a smaller triangle is formed between Denham Court, Wiley Park and Raby In Minto, Wayne Greenhalgh was stabbed by an alleged ISIS attacker while walking down the street in 2016 and 6km west, terror charges have been laid against a man living in Raby. Joseph Siracusa, who is professor of Security and Diplomacy at RMIT, told A Current Affair that the United States could have benefitted from similar data before 9/11. 'In 9/11, everybody saw in retrospect what was coming but nobody connected the dots - so we paid a very heavy price for it,' Professor Siracusa told the program. 'I think that's one of the lessons, learn how to connect the dots and knowing where these particular neighbourhoods are is a very good start.' The American people and the fallen soldiers' families deserve answers about a deadly ambush in the African nation of Niger, the top U.S. general said Monday, without being able to provide many himself. Three weeks after the attack by presumed ISIS forces, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, said the Pentagon doesn't know if the U.S. had adequate intelligence and equipment for its operation, whether there a planning failure, and why it took so long to recover one the bodies. What has been determined is that a group of 12 American forces accompanied 30 Nigerien forces to an area about 85 kilometers north of the capital Niamey on Oct. 3. When they sought the next day to return, they encountered about 50 enemy fighters traveling by vehicle, carrying small arms and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The team didn't request support until an hour after the battle began, Dunford said. By the time a remote plane first flew above, another hour had elapsed. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford took quetsions from reporters about the Niger operation during a briefing at the Pentagon on Monday, but had few answers From left, Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, Sgt. La David Johnson and Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright were killed in Niger when a joint patrol of American and Niger forces was ambushed by militants believed linked to ISIS Soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment carried the remains of Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright at Dover Air Force Base on Oct. 5 a day before Sgt. La David Johnson's body was located Later, French jets arrived and ferried wounded Americans to safety. The bodies of three American killed in the fighting were transported out of the battle scene, but a fourth Sgt. La David Johnson wasn't recovered until Oct. 6. Dunford also suggested Monday that Army special operators in the region hadn't taken too many risks leading up to the October 4 ambush. 'I don't have any indication right now to believe or to know that they did anything other than operate within the orders they were given,' he said during a news conference. Dunford also pledged that findings of a Pentagon investigation into the deaths of the four soldiers would be shared with their families first. He called the raid that killed four U.S. soldiers evolved from a 'complex situation' that led to a 'difficult firefight.' Dunford pledged that findings of a Pentagon investigation into the deaths of the four soldiers would be shared with their families first. Independent of the military's investigation, the La David Johnson ordeal has become a major political dispute in the United States after President Donald Trump credited himself with doing more to honor the dead and console families than any of his predecessors. Johnson's aunt then said Trump showed 'disrespect' to his family as he telephoned to extend condolences. In an extraordinary White House briefing, John Kelly, the former Marine general who is Trump's chief of staff, shot back at Trump's critics on Thursday, and the president continued the criticism over the weekend. Members of Congress are demanding answers almost three weeks after the ambush in a remote corner of Niger, where few Americans travel. Last week, Sen. John McCain, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, even threatened a subpoena to accelerate the flow of information from the administration. Dunford defended the broader American mission in Niger. He said U.S. forces have been in the country intermittently for more than two decades. Currently, some 800 U.S. service members are supporting a French-led mission to defeat the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Boko Haram in West Africa. Myeshia Johnson is pictured greeting her husband's casket at Dover Air Force Base on October 17 Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who was in the car with Johnson when she received a call from President Trump, has been attacking him for days, saying he was insensitive Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday the White House has not been forthcoming with details about the military's presence in Niger. Graham and Schumer said they had been unaware of the large U.S. presence in the country and said Congress needs more information on what could become a long and open-ended involvement. 'I didn't know there was 1,000 troops in Niger,' Graham said on NBC's Meet the Press. 'This is an endless war without boundaries and no limitation on time and geography,' he added. 'You've got to tell us more and he is right to say that.' In June Trump said in a letter to Congress that in Niger 'there are approximately 645 United States military personnel deployed' to support counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin Region. Their mission is to counter the advances of a slew of jihadist movements across the continent, including Al-Shabaab in Somalia, affiliates of the Islamic State group in the Sahel region and Boko Haram in Nigeria. Of the 8,000 special forces 'operators' deployed globally this year, more than 1,300 are in Africa, according to officials from the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in Tampa, Florida. Mrs. Johnson (pictured), the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, said Monday that Trump couldn't remember her late husband's name during the condolence call Trump tweeted minutes later that he had a 'very respectful conversation' and said Sgt. Johnson's name 'without hesitation!' directly contradicting the widow Another 5,000 or so are in the Middle East. In five years, the number of US commandos in Africa has tripled from only 450 in 2012. Typically, the highly trained and well-armed commandos are grouped in teams of about a dozen, who work for two or three months as instructors to classes of about 300 soldiers from an African nation. On any given day, the operators are deployed across about 20 nations, SOCOM said, though it did not provide a list of nations or the numbers of troops concerned. Officially, the United States only has one military base in Africa -- Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. But special forces outfits, including the Green Berets, the Navy SEALs and Marine and Air Force commandos, also use an air base at Moron in southern Spain for Africa operations. And the United States has 'persistent facilities' in host countries, according to an AFRICOM official. The couple said that they plan to get married next year after they graduate But they got a bit of a surprise when Fiona the hippo popped into the shot A curious hippo at the Cincinnati city zoo photobombed the moment a man proposed to his girlfriend A curious hippo at the Cincinnati city zoo photobombed the moment a man proposed to his girlfriend in an image that's already going viral across the Internet. Nick Kelble took his bride-to-be Hayley Roll to the zoo last month to visit their favorite attraction -Fiona the hippo- hoping to make a memory that would stay with the couple forever. Near the exhibit, where the two frequently came to visit the semi-aquatic mammal, Kelble got on one knee to pop the big question. A curious hippo at the Cincinnati city zoo photobombed the moment a man proposed to his girlfriend Nick Kelble popped the big question to his girlfriend Haley Roll and got a bit of a surprise when Fiona the hippo popped into the camera shot 'We went to the zoo for our one-year anniversary and Fiona was in the window,' Roll told The Daily Buzz online publication. The couple said that they plan to get married next year after they graduate 'Nick, my boyfriend and I were waiting in line to get our photo taken with Fiona and I gave my cell phone to someone to take the photo and when I turned back around, Nick was on one knee proposing.' As Kelble was laying his heart on the line, Fiona decided it would be the perfect moment to check out the action. 'We're so happy Fiona could be there on our special day here's to many more years of going to zoos with you,' Roll wrote on Instagram. Roll, a recent graduate at Bowling Green State University and radiology tech at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, said the couple will wait until next year to officially tie the knot. An 18-year-old college student, who had been missing for more than a month, was found dead on Monday not far from his campus. Police located the body of Nick Pratico around at 10am near the Mercer County Community College (MCCC) on Old Trenton Road in West Windsor, New Jersey. Pratico was reported missing on September 20 around 10pm by his family after he signed up for college classes. College freshman Nick Pratico (pictured), 18, who had been missing for more than a month, was found dead on Monday not far from the Mercer County Community College in New Jersey Police located Pratico's body around at 10am near the college in West Windsor, New Jersey. Pratico was reported missing on September 20 around 10pm by his family after he signed up for college classes He was last seen at 3pm on the college's campus (pictured) at freshman orientation. Days after his disappearance, his family launched a Facebook page and offered a reward to anyone who could help find him He was last seen at 3pm on the college's campus at freshman orientation. Days after his disappearance, his family launched a Facebook page and offered a reward to anyone who could help find him. A security camera recorded footage of him wearing a light blue shirt, black pants and brown slip on shoes. At the time, he was carrying a navy/royal blue backpack and had his cellphone, which remained offline since his disappearance, according to Help Find Nick. Family members and friends had searched around the Mercer County and Hamilton areas, as well as close to the MCCC campus three days after Pratico disappeared. Their extensive search continued for weeks with only one volunteer searcher finding Pratico's student ID card on campus near a lawn. Pratico had just graduated Notre Dame High School in Lawrence Township in June. A security camera recorded footage (pictured) of him wearing a light blue shirt, black pants and brown slip on shoes Family members and friends had searched around the Mercer County and Hamilton areas, as well as close to the MCCC campus three days after Pratico disappeared Their extensive search continued for weeks with only one volunteer searcher finding Pratico's student ID card on campus near a lawn Pratico had just graduated Notre Dame High School in Lawrence Township in June before he enrolled into MCCC His friends from high school posted a video filled with heartfelt messages of thoughts and prayers earlier this month. Local authorities also paid their respects to the family. 'The Hamilton Police Division extends its deepest condolences to the Pratico family and would like to thank all the contributing state, local, county agencies and civilian volunteers for their assistance in this tragic incident,' the police statement said. Officials told The Trentonian that they believe he died by suicide. A police source who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the newspaper that Pratico was found hanging in the park. But police have not released those details, and an autopsy will be performed by the Middlesex County Medical Examiners Office to determine the cause of death. Police are asking anyone with information regarding Praticos tragic death to contact Detective Len Gadsby of the Hamilton Police Division Criminal Investigations Section at 609-581-4032 or the Hamilton Police Crime Tip Hotline at 609-581-4008. An autopsy will be performed by the Middlesex County Medical Examiners Office to determine the cause of death A 'devastated' mother is demanding a DNA test to find out if her dead baby was ever in the coffin she buried after an exhumation revealed it was empty. Lydia Reid suspected the coffin in Saughton Cemetery, Edinburgh, was empty after Gary Paton died aged seven days old in 1975. After a forensic scientist exhumed it last month, she found no remains in the coffin, leading her to demand tests to finally determine if there are traces of him in the coffin. After fighting for the right to exhume her baby's coffin, Lydia Reid discovered to her devastation that it was empty The 69-year-old helped expose the practice of Scottish hospitals unlawfully retaining dead children's body parts for research and told the Daily Record she believes her son's organs were taken without permission. 'My son wasn't there - someone stole the body of my son,' she said. 'I had buried my empty coffin. 'I want them tested for DNA as I want to know if there is any part of my son there.' Police want to send samples to a company they regularly use for DNA testing. But Ms Reid fears the samples could be lost or damaged and would prefer the testing firm Cellmark to carry out the tests. 'I want them to go to Cellmark because afterwards, they give me the legal right to have them back. Police Scotland do not give me that right.' Lydia Reid believes her son's organs may have been harvested and helped expose the practice, which was widespread in Scottish hospitals After Gary died at Edinburgh's Hospital for Sick Children, Ms Reid asked to see her son's body. But she says she was shown a child that wasn't hers by Scotmid Co-operative Funeral staff, telling the BBC her concerns were dismissed. 'This baby was blonde and big, my baby was tiny and dark-haired. This was not my son,' she said. 'I objected but they said I was suffering from post-natal depression.' When she finally won her battle to exhume the coffin, she found a shawl, hat, cross, name tag and a nameplate with Gary's name spelled wrong. Ms Reid said there were no remains and no signs of decomposition. She had long suspected the coffin would be empty because of how light it was at the funeral, she says, but hoped she was wrong before the exhumation. 'I wanted to be wrong. I wanted to be called a stupid old woman but the minute (the forensic scientist) lifted the shawl out of the ground I knew there was nothing in it. Nothing,' she said. 'My heart hit my feet and I didn't know what to say.' The nameplate Ms Reid found with the coffin featured her son's name spelled incorrectly If DNA tests prove his body was never in the coffin, she wants answers. 'Even if he's been incinerated I want to know, she said. 'Even if he's lying in a jar in a hospital somewhere I want to know. 'If it's possible to get my son back, I want my son back. And if it's not, then at least tell me, and let me have peace.' About 6,000 organs and tissue samples were retained by Scottish hospitals from 1970 and 2000, with the NHS admitting many of those were from children. At 21, Marcus Buchanan drives a Mercedes, cruises around the Spanish coast, boasts a wardrobe bursting with new clothes and has his sights firmly set on the property ladder. Ashley Waugh, just a year older, cant afford holidays, petrol for her car or even a takeaway pizza and relies on her parents to pay her rent. So which of these ambitious youngsters, with very differing fortunes, has a degree? Were you to believe successive governments obsession with university attendance, you would assume the former. After all, the clearest path to success is higher education. Or so we and the legions of freshers who began courses last month have been led to believe. At 21, Marcus Buchanan (left) cruises around the Spanish coast, boasts a wardrobe bursting with new clothes. Ashley Waugh (right), a year older, cannot afford petrol for her car But its Ashley who is the graduate. And four months after completing her degree, she is crippled by the resulting 31,000 debt and earns 7.50 an hour as a barmaid. Marcus, meanwhile, shunned university to start an apprenticeship as an electrician and now earns 27,000 a year a sum not dissimilar to the debt Ashley and her peers will spend a lifetime paying off. The disparity between these two young people illustrates the new earnings divide between those leaving school for apprenticeships and their classmates who choose university. Such is the shortage of skilled workers these days that tradesmen and women can earn a fortune. Electricians, it was revealed last month, may take home as much as 156,000 annually the sort of income traditionally enjoyed by graduates. Bear in mind, too, that a junior doctor earns 23,000 a year, working night shifts and long hours, and Marcuss chosen career path seems even wiser. On top of that, one graduate in five ends up working in a low or medium-skilled job, while one in four, according to a recent survey, regrets going to university. Ashley Waugh admits wishing Id never gone and says her degree in performing arts, from Sunderland University, has led her no closer to her dream of starring in the West End. Ashley, who graduated with a performing arts degree from the University of Sunderland, is pictured on her graduation day with parents Sharon and Greg We were told a degree would leave us head and shoulders above everyone else in terms of getting a job, she says. But mine hasnt helped at all. At her sixth-form college, where she studied English, media and drama at A-level, it was taken for granted she would get a degree. We were told to pick a subject we were good at. I thought about going to drama school instead, but my teachers said that if I had a degree I would always find work. It was almost as if we were set up to fail. Marcus, who hopes to be earning 50,000 a year by his mid-20s, displays no such bitterness. He realised academia wasnt for him after sitting his GCSEs. It wasnt that I was incapable I was always driven, says Marcus, who still lives with his parents in Manchester and admits that his father, a floor fitter, had an influence. When I was a child we built things together and at college my favourite subject was business studies. I wanted to stick to my strengths. Nonetheless, his decision took courage when more than 90 per cent of pupils at his sixth-form college went to university. University was something everyone aimed towards but my parents were supportive, says Marcus, whose 24-year-old sister studied international business at Birmingham University. His four-year apprenticeship in electrical installation at Bury College entailed shadowing a qualified electrician four days a week and spending one day a week at college. The wages were meagre at first rising from 2.64 to 6.20 an hour and he admits he struggled. I was too tired to go out after work. I felt I was missing out, but I matured and adapted quickly. Marcus shunned university to start an apprenticeship as an electrician and now earns 27,000 a year a sum not dissimilar to the debt Ashley and her peers will spend a lifetime paying off After passing the exams he needed to qualify as an electrician two years ago, he set up his own company and business boomed so quickly that within six months he had hired an apprentice of his own. His hours are long he starts at 7am but the rewards are great. As well as the holidays and his Mercedes, he has taken his girlfriend on mini-breaks to Barcelona and Paris, enjoys Italian restaurant dinners and in the next couple of months is planning to get on the property ladder some ten years earlier than most of his student peers. He recently merged with a plumbing firm to launch a property maintenance company and launched a slick new lighting installation website osuralighting.com. My university friends say Im earning so much money, he says, adding with admirable humility: But its not that Im doing better than them Ive just been working longer. But that, perhaps, is part of the point. Apprentices are going to get on the housing ladder quicker, be able to take out a car loan and feel very quickly that theyre ahead of their friends, says careers expert Zena Everett, author of the careers manual Mind Flip. In an age when snowflake (hypersensitive) millennial students have acquired a reputation for being ill-equipped for the working world, it is easy to see how more pragmatic apprentices are gaining the upper hand. There is less prejudice against apprentices than there might be against the millennial generation of graduates, says Everett. People realise these are kids who are ambitious, with a great work ethic, who are serious about their careers. Ashley admits wishing Id never gone and says her degree in performing arts has led her no closer to her dream of starring in the West End Then there is the fact that so many young people about 50 per cent now enter higher education that degrees have effectively been devalued, especially those in Mickey Mouse subjects such as puppetry, which are unlikely to be taken seriously by many prospective employers. Of course, those unsuited to the specific demands of academia are less likely to get an impressive grade on graduation, further diminishing their prospects. Naturally, Ashley rails against any implication that graduates arent prepared for hard graft. This reputation annoys me, she says. Ive had part-time jobs since I was 15. Her father, an accountant, and mother, a teacher, contributed to her living costs, but Ashley, who spent her first year in halls of residence before renting a room in a student flat, still needed to take out loans to pay her 9,000-a-year tuition fees and 1,000-a-year maintenance costs. At college wed been told we wouldnt have to pay back our student debt until we were earning enough, and were made to believe the money we owed didnt matter. But by my second year I could barely afford to pay my rent, she says. Since she graduated with a 2:1 degree last July, the highlight of Ashleys career has been a summer stint playing a dancing gnome at a shopping centre in Newcastle. She has sent her CV to countless prospective employers with no response. As well as acting roles I applied for jobs in call centres and bars, but didnt even hear back, she says. Most of my university friends are working in bars and restaurants like me. Arts degrees arent valued. Mine was a waste of time. I would have been better off getting a drama diploma at college instead and saving myself the debt. Lizzie Roberts, 22, is another who eschewed higher education. She is in her final year of a toolmaking apprenticeship, and the only woman among 50 trainees on the floor of a car-manufacturing factory in Swansea. She is currently paid 16,000 a year, but will be earning 27,000 when she qualifies next year and aspires to manage an engineering company on an estimated starting salary of 60,000. My boss has a company Jaguar, she says. There are a lot of perks. She could be forgiven for feeling slightly smug when she compares herself with friends who all chose the university route, not least because her salary is paying for a new Audi and she is about to fly off to a five-star hotel in Turkey on holiday. An apprenticeship gives you freedom, says Lizzie, from Swansea, who still lives at home. My university friends cant afford to survive on their student loans. Nonetheless, she admits her parents were sceptical when she announced, halfway through studying for the English literature and religious studies AS-levels which they had persuaded her to take at college, that she wanted to become an apprentice. They were never academic my mother was a window-fitter and my father a machinery driver so they wanted their children to be, she says. They felt that if you werent academic, you wouldnt amount to anything. So too, it seems, did her sixth-form college. There was never any mention of apprenticeships there. My brother, who studied physics at university, laughed when I told him and my friends thought I was mad. They bought into the stereotype of graduates with good jobs. But Im quite bossy and said I was going to do it anyway. Inspired in part by her grandfather, who was a toolmaker, Lizzie signed up to the apprenticeship at Gower College, in Swansea, aged 19. Her four-year course entails one day of studying a week; the rest of her 39-hour week is spent shadowing four different types of toolmaker at the car factory where she makes parts and tools from scratch. She admits being the only woman on the factory floor was intimidating at first: The men were condescending and kept asking if I was sure I knew what I was doing. I had to work harder to prove myself. But with time my confidence grew. She is adamant she is not jealous of her university friends at all not least because of the debt they are now in: Owing that kind of money would have tipped me over the edge. Such is the surge of interest in apprenticeships, once an option largely for working-class children, that private schools are encouraging more of their pupils to learn a trade. Recent research revealed that the number of independent-school students taking vocational qualifications has doubled in the past four years. Julian Thomas, the headmaster of Berkshires prestigious 38,000-a-year boarding school Wellington College, said last month: It feels to me like the blue touchpaper is being lit on what could be a higher education revolution . . . the level of student debt is shocking. At the same time, I speak to a number of CEOs of big companies and they say graduates are not well prepared for work. Despite having A-levels in drama, psychology and photography, Lee Mayzes, 20, says: I never had any intention of going to university. A degree isnt as valuable now. I didnt want to spend lots of money and not get anything useful out of it. Instead, he did an IT apprenticeship sponsored by a creative industry two years ago, and is now an IT analyst on a salary of 27,000 a year. After researching careers online, Lee learned that lots of companies offered IT apprenticeships an option his mother, a secretary, and father, a print producer, supported. Neither of them had been to university, he says. They knew a degree would be expensive and thought it was a good idea if I worked instead. Marcus (who recently merged a plumbing firm to launch a property maitenance company) realised academia wasnt for him after sitting his GCSEs The teachers at his sixth-form college were less impressed. They said I should fill out my Ucas form even if I wasnt planning to go to university, he recalls. If I wasnt as independent-minded, I could easily have been pushed into it. After Lee, aged 18, completed what was intended to be a 12-month apprenticeship consisting of three modules in just six months, the creative agency that took him on doubled his salary to 18,000. After a year, a sister communications company employed him on a salary of 27,000. Lee whose job entails travelling to his companys offices around Europe, providing IT support knows he is earning the same amount in a year that his graduate friends may spend a lifetime paying off. They thought I was barmy for missing out on the university social life, but after their first year they started complaining about the workload, he says. My company pays for work nights out in members bars and swanky restaurants. This is more fun. I have to pinch myself sometimes. His graduate friends, meanwhile, are struggling to find work. One did a drama degree and is working in a fish market, he says. They all hate being in debt. Melanie Davison, 28, from Birmingham, is another graduate who bitterly regrets her degree. Seven years after leaving Liverpool John Moores University, where she studied geography, she is still 28,000 in debt and earning 400 a month working in a Tesco warehouse to make ends meet. All my friends went to university and it was a given that I would too, says Melanie, who got three C grades at A-level. Nobody spoke about the debt wed get into. After graduating in June 2010 with a 2:2 degree, she took a year-long government-funded diploma to become a teacher. I assumed Id easily get a teaching job after that, says Melanie. After all, the government was paying me to study. Yet after passing her diploma in June 2011, she was turned down for endless secondary school teaching jobs at interview, and after six months she broadened her search to include other graduate careers. I applied for jobs in my local council, but there seemed to be dozens of applicants for every place. It was demoralising. I realised my degree was a pointless waste of time, she says. Melanie, now a mother to Jake, two, with her partner Shane, an office manager, is not the only graduate in her social circle still scraping a living in a menial job. Most graduates I know dont have a degree-related job either, she says. They work in shops or drive trams and are in loads of debt for a qualification they dont need. Mark Johnson is facing up to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of nine counts of fraud A top banker at HSBC has been found guilty of rigging a 2.7billion currency deal to boost the lenders profits. Mark Johnson greeted the news he had managed to scam an oil firm, netting 5.5million, with the words ohhh f****** Christmas. Found guilty of fraud in New York last night, Johnson is the first financier to be tried in America for tampering with currency markets. The 51-year-old Briton, who faces up to 20 years in prison after being found guilty on nine counts, is also one of the most senior figures in banking to have been found guilty of fraud. He was head of HSBCs global foreign exchange cash trading desk a post he still held when arrested as he was about to board a flight to London at JFK airport in July last year. The US is seeking to extradite another British banker, Stuart Scott, in the case. Mr Johnson, a father of six from the New Forest in Hampshire, studied at Kings College London, later taking up a post at Deutsche Bank before being hired by HSBC in 2010. The court heard the bank was hired by Cairn Energy in 2011 to convert $3.5billion (2.7billion) into pounds as part of the sale of a subsidiary in India. Prosecutors said Johnson and fellow executive Mr Scott devised a scheme to drive up the price of pounds by executing a series of trades before carrying out the deal for Cairn. This profit-boosting practice is known as front running. Mark Johnson pictured with his attorney after the banker posted bail in New York following his arrest at JFK Johnson and Mr Scott, who is in Britain and fighting extradition to the US, told Cairn that a spike in the price of pounds had been caused by a Russian buyer, the court heard. Prosecutors said this was a lie. RBS failings whitewash Top bankers who oversaw a disastrous business turnaround unit at Royal Bank of Scotland have had their identities protected by the City watchdog. The global restructuring group (GRG) was intended to support failing firms in the financial crisis but a Financial Conduct Authority inquiry uncovered a litany of failings that hurt firms it was meant to help. The regulator is considering further action, possibly meaning fines against the bank or some of staff but despite listing problems in a summary report published yesterday, it has refused to identify those responsible. Campaigners say bankers involved in the GRG must be named, held accountable and subjected to scrutiny. RBS apologised for mistakes made but said the report cleared it of the most serious allegations. It would not say if any of those responsible still work at the bank. Advertisement Acting assistant attorney general Kenneth Blanco, of the US Justice Department, said: The defendant corruptly manipulated the foreign exchange market for the benefit of the bank and his bonus pool, to the detriment of the banks client. Johnsons lawyer John Wing told reporters after the case: Theyve convicted an innocent man. During the hearing at a Brooklyn federal courtroom, he told jurors that it was impossible to carry out a massive currency transaction such as the Cairn one without affecting price. Johnson was found not guilty of one offence. Mr Wing added that the banker, who left HSBC earlier this year, and his colleagues had sought to get a fair price for their client, even giving Cairn a rebate. Mr Scott left the bank in 2014. Prosecutors said Johnson tipped off colleagues about his scam through code phrases such as my watch is off. HSBC declined to comment. The bank has faced repeated fines for misbehaviour including a 1.2billion penalty in 2012 for money laundering on behalf of Mexican drug cartels. David Clarke, 53, (pictured) was being questioned by officers and has now been charged A biker gang member was last night charged with a string of offences after he allegedly held up a bowling alley packed with children armed with a sawn-off shotgun. David Clarke, 53, whose former partner Alison Neale worked at the centre, was being questioned by officers and was later charged on Monday night. It is thought Miss Neale was not on duty when a man walked into the MFA Bowl at Bermuda Park in Nuneaton in Warwickshire on Sunday, carrying a shotgun. Two staff members of staff, aged 24 and 17, were held hostage for more than four hours after the man shouted 'game over' and ordered customers outside. Police used flash bangs - which create a loud noise and bright light - to create a distraction and arrest the intruder. Clarke, of Nuneaton, is a father of three, a former bus driver and member of the Outlaw motorbike gang. It is understood he has been in a relationship with Miss Neale, 44, for seven years. He has now been charged with a number of offences including false imprisonment and possession of an imitation firearm in connection with incident, Warwickshire Police said. It comes after dashcam footage captured a man appearing to hold a sawn-off shotgun as he entered the busy bowling alley. The video was taken by David Fletcher, 41, who was arriving at the bowling alley with his son. The software engineer said: 'As I passed, I noticed people looking in the direction of the man in the video on their phone. 'I then parked up and got out the car with my son and spoke to people outside who said a man has walked in with a shotgun. Dashcam footage appeared to show a man walking into the bowling alley holding a long object in his left hand Video footage appears to show one of the staff members who was being held at gunpoint in Nuneaton 'There was panic around. People were saying the man had been shouting.' It comes after video footage appeared to show the man, who is white and in his 40s, revealing one of the hostages after he allegedly stormed the bowling alley. Around 30 armed police officers attended the scene and all of the roads around the popular leisure park were closed off. Police said the incident was 'unconnected to any terrorist activity' and they were heard using stun grenades to end the siege. A Warwickshire Police spokesman later confirmed they made an arrest on Sunday evening and the man was taken to hospital. Meanwhile, family members and colleagues have revealed that one of the people held hostage was 17-year-old Will Barlow, who was working at the time. Dominic Barlow, 29, said: 'My 17-year-old cousin Will was kept hostage by the gunman. 'I could hear everything going on outside of my house and I knew what was going on, but I had no idea that the hostage was a relative of mine. A car was removed from Bermuda Park in Nuneaton where a gunman was allegedly holding two bowling alley members of staff hostage Armed police rushed to the scene after receiving reports of a man with a sawn-off shotgun Around 30 armed police officers have been spotted at the scene at MFA Bowl at Bermuda Park in Nuneaton 'I got a phone call from Will's sister, Holly, telling me that Will had been kept hostage. I believe that her father found out beforehand. 'They live one mile the other side of the bowling alley and when they found out what happened Holly tried to call the bowling alley to make sure her brother was OK. 'When her calls didn't go through panic started to set in for her, so she called her father who had more information for her. 'As soon as I found out I stopped in my tracks, I felt sick to my stomach immediately. 'The last that I've heard is that he's very shook up and that he's been released and is with a paramedic now to have a general check-up. 'We have no idea why it has happened or who the gunman was. Will Lang, duty mechanic at the bowling alley, said: 'Will was in there at the time the gunman came it. It's horrible for this to happen to him. 'He's a lovely lad and he's only worked here a couple of months.' Police confirmed they are still dealing with the incident on Sunday and added it is not terror related Armed police (pictured) had the situation under control later on Sunday and stood down The two male hostages were 'uninjured' after being assessed, the West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed. The chief executive of MFA Bowl, Mehdi Amshar, said that two of his staff were being held hostage by a man armed with a gun. Mr Amshar told Sky News: 'We understand that there is a gunman in the place and he is holding two of our staff as hostage.' He added that he had been informed the pair were being held at gunpoint at the Nuneaton branch. Mr Amshar suggested the gunman might be the ex-boyfriend or former husband of one of the staff members but this has not been confirmed. He said: 'We believe from what my manageress tells me that he is an ex-husband or a boyfriend of a member of staff,' he told the broadcaster. 'That is what I know, I can't confirm that for definite. The area was closed off and people were eventually evacuated from the building in Nuneaton Police remain on the scene as a man armed with a shotgun continues to hold two staff members hostage Around 30 armed police officers have been spotted outside MFA Bowl at Bermuda Park in Nuneaton, Warwickshire Armed police (left) were seen arriving on the scene before entering the alley in Nuneaton (right) 'All our staff, the rest of our staff, are safe and they made sure that all the customers have left the premises so everybody is in safety, with the exception of the two people who are, we know that are missing and we assume that they are the two that are still inside the premises because the manageress has done the check but those two people are not accounted for.' Eyewitness Alex Moore-Holland said the gunman started shouting 'game over' while he was holding the sawn-off shotgun. He told Sky News: 'I turned around and there was a white guy, with a grey-ish beard and he had a gun above his head. 'He was shouting 'game over, game over' and people were screaming. I just ran and got out there.' A Warwickshire Police spokesman said: 'At 2.30pm this afternoon, Warwickshire Police received reports of a man with a firearm in Nuneaton. 'Specialist firearms officers and police negotiators, along with fire, ambulance and police air services, attended the location at the bowling alley in St David's Way, Bermuda Park. A man has been arrested and is in police custody. 'Members of public at the bowling alley and neighbouring properties were evacuated to safety and nobody was injured during the incident.' Adam Paul Davidson (pictured in a court sketch from his appearance on Monday) already had a lengthy criminal history when he pleaded guilty pouring boiling water on the killer of 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe The man responsible for pouring boiling water over the killer of Daniel Morcombe had been jailed for fraud and holding up a bottle shop with his finger. Adam Paul Davidson was a regular at the Toowoomba and Brisbane Magistrates Courts. In just three years, the 31-year-old was called up 20 times. Earlier, Davidson was convicted and jailed for racking up a $4000 motel bill over two months after being told he would need to wait three months for emergency public housing, The Chronicle reported in 2010. The then 23-year-old had only recently been released from prison, and used a Visa credit card to check in to seven different motels, each time checking out without paying. It wasn't until the end of November, when he was pulled over and arrested for driving while disqualified, that he was caught for his crime. At that point, it was his ninth driving offence in four years. Scroll down for video Brett Peter Cowan (pictured) was playing cards when Davidson poured a bucket of boiling water on him, hoping he would 'feel the pain like someone like Daniel Morcombe has felt' Both men had been sentenced to time behind bars at the Wolston Correctional Centre last year (pictured) Davidson was jailed for only seven months after pleading guilty to seven counts of fraud and one of disqualified driving, with Magistrate Kay Ryan choosing to suspend half of his sentence so he could be present at the birth of his child. The father of four made headlines again just two years later, when he was brought up on charges of continuing to check in and out of hotels without spending a cent. Davidson used a maxed out credit card number and late check-ins to avoid any pre-checks on his account - but The Courier Mail reported he booked the room under his own name. One month after staying at the Quality Hotel Platinum International Hotel and racking up a bill of more than $700, Davidson robbed a bottle shop, to pay back a debt he owed to the Bandidos motorcycle gang. The bikies had lent him money to start up a tattoo parlour, and his defence barrister told Brisbane Magistrate's court at the time he had been asked to commit 'a more serious offence' to repay the money. Instead, Davidson stuck his finger in his pocket, told the attendant he had a gun, and walked out with $600. Feeling bad, he called local police the next day, and said he would turn himself in. Davidson told the court he had been watching Brett Peter Cowan (pictured) for a month to find the best way to harm him Cowan is serving a life sentence for abducting and killing Daniel Morcombe (above) in 2003. He was permanently disfigured in the attack Then 26, the father-of-four missed the meeting because he chose to spend time with his children first, and was arrested three days later, The Chronicle reported. At this point, Davidson had quite a lengthy criminal history. The man was reported to have been convicted of 11 counts of disqualified driving, five counts of drink driving, and numerous offences relating to fraud and dishonesty. Davidson can now add a conviction of torture to his ever-growing list of convictions. On August 5, 2016, he chose to pour boiling water over the head of Brett Peter Cowan, who was serving a life sentence for murdering 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe on the Sunshine Coast in December 2003. Adam Paul Davidson, now 31, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane District Court on Monday to torturing the man at the Wolston Correctional Centre last year. The court heard Davidson, 31, plotted and watched Cowan's movements for a month to find the best way to harm him. Pictured: A jail cell at the high security corrections facility which homed both Brett Peter Cowan and Adam Paul Davidson Prosecutor Mark Whitbread said Davidson poured a bucket of boiling water over Cowan's head while the then 46-year-old was playing cards with other inmates at the Wolston Correctional Centre in Queensland. He then struck Cowan in the head with the bucket three to four times as the man screamed 'why why why'. Cowan received superficial burns to 15 per cent of his body, including on his head, chest and leg and was treated in hospital to prevent infection. The child-killer was left left permanently disfigured. The court heard Davidson got the idea to scald Cowan after he saw another prisoner bearing horrific scars and wearing a burn suit from a similar attack. 'He would love that scarring to be on Cowan,' Prosecutor Mark Whitbread said. Davidson told investigators he attacked Cowan 'for a little bit of retribution' and he wanted him 'to feel the pain like someone like Daniel Morcombe has felt'. 'I did it. Only me no one else was involved. He had it coming, he's a f***king grub,' Davidson said. In sentencing Davidson on Monday, Judge Ian Dearden said every person was entitled to be treated respectfully, no matter how appalling the crimes they had committed. Brett Cowan (pictured) was found guilty of murder, indecent treatment of a child and interfering with a corpse 'We are all precious human beings, it doesn't matter who we are,' Judge Dearden said. 'You have no entitlement to act as a vigilante.' Judge Dearden sentenced Davidson to three years' jail on Monday, but with time already served he will be released on parole in late November. Daniel Morcombe's remains were found in August 2011 after an elaborate police operation prompted Cowan to confess and lead undercover officers to where he dumped Daniel's body. Cowan was found guilty of murder, indecent treatment of a child and interfering with a corpse. The Morcombe family declined to be present for his sentencing, in which Supreme Court Judge Roslyn Atkinson spoke at length about Cowan's crimes. She described his crime as 'entirely abhorrent.' 'You didn't look like a monster, you didn't look like a paedophile, you looked like an ordinary person,' she said. 'You knew if he ran away, you'd be caught. So you killed him. You killed him because you didn't want to get caught. 'Everything you did to that boy is horrific and disgraceful. I've seen no evidence in the months you've been in this court that you ever felt any remorse for what you did. 'You have tragically and pointlessly snuffed out a young life.' Firefighters are battling a massive house fire in Brisbane. Five emergency crews are at the scene of the fire in the suburb of Greenslopes, a QFES spokesman told Daily Mail Australia. Emergency services responded to a call to a blaze at the single-story property at Old Cleveland Road and Lilly Street at 7.20am on Tuesday. Scroll down for video Five emergency crews are at the scene of the fire in the Brisbane suburb of Greenslopes The QFES spokesman said the fire was 'well-involved' when fire crews arrived and they are continuing to work to bring it under control. A primary search of the property found no-one was inside, she added. The blaze is causing traffic delays in the area after closures on a number of roads, including one lane of Old Cleveland Rd. Republican Sen. John McCain left no doubt Monday that he was thinking of President Donald Trump as he criticized the draft system during Vietnam for forcing low-income Americans to serve while the wealthy could avoid war with a doctor's note. McCain, a former Navy pilot and prisoner of war, stopped short of labeling Trump a 'draft dodger' for getting five draft deferments. But the senator's comments came with Trump already immersed in controversy over how he honors U.S. troop deaths, and underscored the remove between the billionaire president and the military system he now controls as commander in chief. McCain's criticism also continued a long-running clash between the two men on the eve of a visit by Trump to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to court Senate GOP votes for his tax plan, a meeting that could contain more than a few awkward moments. Sen. John McCain said on ABC's 'The View' he didn't consider President Trump a 'draft dodger,' after bringing up people who got out of Vietnam because of a 'bone spur' 'I don't consider him so much a draft dodger as I feel that the system was so wrong that certain Americans could evade their responsibilities to serve the country,' McCain said on ABC's 'The View.' He was being pressed about comments in a C-SPAN interview aired Sunday where he lamented that the military 'drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur.' One of Trump's deferments came as a result of a physician's letter stating he suffered from bone spurs in his feet. Trump's presidential campaign described the issue as a temporary problem. McCain, meanwhile, spent 5 years as a prisoner of war after his plane was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967. Yet during last year's presidential campaign Trump said McCain was not a war hero because 'I like people who weren't captured.' McCain got asked about his complaints about people who got out of Vietnam through medical deferrals in an appearance on 'The View' Senator John McCain'The View' TV show, New York The senator made clear during Monday's interview that he had been referring to Trump in making his C-SPAN comments. When one of the hosts remarked that people thought he was talking about Trump because the president had sought a medical deferment, McCain interjected, 'More than once, yes.' McCain was asked to describe his relationship with the president. 'Almost none' he simply said. The six-term Arizona lawmaker, battling brain cancer at age 81, made his appearance on 'The View' in honor of his daughter Meghan McCain's birthday. She recently joined the daytime talk show as one of its panel of co-hosts. The White House declined to comment on McCain's remarks. McCain, who has been criticized about his war hero status by Trump, seemed to retaliate while speaking about the Vietnam War in an interview aired on C-Span Sunday night The tacit criticism reflected the ongoing tension between Trump and McCain, which began during last year's campaign and has flared on and off. Trump responded furiously when McCain's 'no' vote sunk Senate efforts to repeal and replace 'Obamacare' earlier this year. And last week, in a speech in Philadelphia, McCain questioned 'half-baked, spurious nationalism' in America's foreign policy. Trump lashed out, insisting he would fight back and 'it won't be pretty.' That prompted McCain to retort: 'I have faced tougher adversaries.' The senator burst into sustained laughter on Monday when one of the hosts mentioned Trump's threats and asked McCain, 'Are you scared?' After he stopped laughing, McCain said, 'I mentioned that I had faced greater challenges.' 'Let's stop insulting each other. Let's start respecting each other,' McCain recommended. The 81-year-old from Arizona spoke about how wealthy Americans were able to avoid being drafted into service during the battle - in which he spent five years as a prisoner of war - by having a doctor say they had a bone spur The back-and-forth between the president and McCain stands as the latest skirmish between the two Republican Party heavyweights and another example of Trump tangling with GOP senators who could make or break his agenda in Congress. Trump in recent weeks has feuded with Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, although the president joined with the Kentucky senator at the White House last week to publicly declare they were on the same page. Both Corker and McCain could be critical to the success or failure of the president's push to overhaul the tax system. During Trump's presidency, McCain has questioned the president's immigration policies and warned him against cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The senator also criticized Trump in August for saying that both white nationalists and counter protesters were responsible for violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia. McCain insisted in a tweet at the time that 'there's no moral equivalency between racists & Americans standing up to defy hate and bigotry' and the president should say so. The senator underwent surgery in mid-July to remove a 2-inch (51-millimeter) blood clot in his brain after being diagnosed with an aggressive tumor called a glioblastoma. It's the same type of tumor that killed Sen. Edward M. Kennedy at age 77 in 2009 and Beau Biden, son of then-Vice President Joe Biden, at 46 in 2015. McCain delivered a thinly veiled attack ofPresident Trump's lack of military service on Sunday evening. McCain, who has been criticized about his war hero status by Trump, seemed to retaliate while speaking about the Vietnam War in an interview aired on C-Span Sunday night. The excuse that McCain, pictured right in a 1967 photo, spoke about was the one that Trump, pictured in a high school photo in 1964, used in 1968 to avoid being drafted to serve in the Vietnam War The 81-year-old from Arizona spoke about how wealthy Americans were able to avoid being drafted into service during the battle - in which he spent five years as a prisoner of war - by having a doctor say they had a bone spur. If that sounds familiar to anyone, that's because it is the excuse that President Trump used in one of his five deferments during Vietnam. The other four were because he was still a college student. 'One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest-income level of America, and the highest-income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur,' McCain said in the interview. 'That is wrong. That is wrong. If we are going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve.' This less-than-subtle criticism follows Trump's continuing controversy surrounding gold star families, and particularly how he allegedly told Sgt La David Johnson's widow that her husband 'knew what he signed up for,' when he went to Niger, where he was killed. McCain and Trump have feuded since the reality television host-turned-president used an event during his presidential campaign to claim that McCain wasn't a war hero because he was captured during the Vietnam War. Specifically, he said: 'I like people who weren't captured.' Trump would not apologize for the remark - and now that feud has transferred into the Trump administration, with McCain becoming one of the most fervent critics of the Republican party. McCain was one of few Republicans to vote against Trump's proposal to repeal and replace Obamacare, earning him harsh criticism from the President. McCain and Trump have feuded since the reality television host-turned-president used an event during his presidential campaign to claim that McCain wasn't a war hero because he was captured during the Vietnam War Trump refused to apologize for the comment, and since then has received very little praise from McCain despite belonging to the same party. McCain is pictured bottom right alongside his squadron in 1965 McCain was a prisoner of war for five years during the Vietnam War. His service and refusal to be returned home without his fellow soldiers In 2015 it was revealed that Trump - who actually graduated high school from the New York Military Academy - received medical deferment from the war in 1968 after showing up to a physical examination with bone spurs in his feet. In 2016, just before he was elected to office, Trump told the New York Times: 'I had a doctor that gave me a letter - a very strong letter on the heels.' He said his condition, bone spurs, was temporary and 'not a big problem, but it was a big enough problem.' Bone spurs are a calcium deposit that causes a bony protrusion on the underside of the heel bone. They are generally caused by a local inflammation and can inflame or injure nearby cartilage or tendons. And though McCain's comments might seem pointed - they come with plausible deniability - as a number of wealthy Americans used the same excuse to avoid being drafted. This would not be the first time that the Arizona Republican criticized Trump and made allusions to his 'half-baked spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems.' He was speaking specifically about Trump's strong support for the military and for the troops despite never serving, and for the President's criticism of athletes who kneel during the anthem. This would not be the first time that the Arizona Republican criticized Trump and made allusions to his 'half-baked spurious nationalism.' Trump is pictured on October 18 in a meeting with the Senate Finance Committee McCain was also one of many to criticize the way that Trump allegedly told the late Sgt La David Johnson's (pictured left) widow Myeshia (pictured right) that he 'knew what he signed up for,' during a phone call to the woman to express his condolences The claim he made that comment was backed up by Rep Frederica Wilson (pictured), who said she was listening into the interview when he said it McCain was also one of many to criticize the way that Trump allegedly told the late Sgt La David Johnson's widow that he 'knew what he signed up for,' during a phone call to the woman to express his condolences. The claim he made that comment was backed up by Rep Frederica Wilson, who said she was listening into the interview when he said it. Trump has now gone after the congresswoman with a vengeance - referring to her on Twitter as 'wacky,' in an effort to dismantle her credibility. McCain, who was recently diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor, said in the C-SPAN interview that a lot of the lessons learned in the Vietnam war can be applied today. Specifically he spoke to the need for the US to have a 'strategy and capability to win' before getting involved in a conflict. 'It really split our society in a way that we sometimes forget. Mass arrests, demonstrations, Chicago, that all of us can look back and see on C-SPAN,' McCain said. 'It was a tumultuous time and most of it was bred by the conflict.' Since being diagnosed with the brain tumor, which carries a five-year survival rate of 10 percent, McCain has held nothing back in speaking about or acting on his opposition to Trump or his policies. The UK Government is giving the shipwrecks from Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin's ill-fated expedition in search of the Northwest Passage to Canada. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said that handing over HMS Erebus and HMS Terror will 'recognise the historical significance of the Franklin expedition to the people of Canada, and will ensure that these wrecks and artefacts are conserved for future generations'. Although Canada will now own both ships, a small number of artefacts on board will remain UK property. HMS Terror and HMS Erebus wrecked in icy Canadian Arctic waters in 1845, killing explorer Sir John Franklin and all of his crew. Pictured is a bell belonging to one of the wreckages Sir Franklin led two British ships, HMS Terror and HMS Erebus, in search of the last section of the Northwest Passage in 1845 - the sea route from the Arctic to the Pacific Ocean through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. When both ships became stuck in ice near King William Island, he and all 128 of his crew members tragically died - but exactly how they met their end has long been a mystery. Canadian researchers in the 1980s said the remains of expedition members found on Beechey Island indicated they had died of cold, hunger and lead poisoning from canned food. The loss of the two vessels and their crew prompted one of the largest searches in history. The maritime disaster remained one of the greatest mysteries of the Victorian period, with the wreckages (pictured) only being discovered in 2014 and 2016 The wrecks were designated as a national historic site in 1992, despite the fact that neither shipwreck had been found at that time. The UK and Canadian governments signed an agreement in 1997 giving 'custody and control' of the wrecks and their contents to the Canada, while still remaining the property of the UK. The wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were finally found under relatively shallow Arctic Waters to the south of King William Island in 2014 and 2016 respectively. The momentous discovery was the result of traditional Inuit knowledge and state-of-the-art technology. Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin (pictured) led two British ships, HMS Terror and HMS Erebus, in search of the last section of the Northwest Passage in 1845 - the sea route from the Arctic to the Pacific Ocean through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago After they were finally discovered, the wreckages remained the property of the UK Government, but were in the 'custody and control of Canada', they are now being given as a gift, with Britain retaining a small number of artefacts on board To mark the event the UK government suggested an update of the 1997 agreement, transfering ownership of the wrecks to Parks Canada, while retaining a small sample of the artefacts on board. Future generations will be able to see items from the wreckages in both Canadian and UK museums. Mr Fallon said: 'During her recent visit to Canada, the Prime Minister emphasised the importance of recognising our shared past with Canada as we seek to reinvigorate our already strong bilateral relationship. 'This exceptional arrangement will recognise the historical significance of the Franklin expedition to the people of Canada, and will ensure that these wrecks and artefacts are conserved for future generations.' The ownership transfer is expected to take place over the coming weeks, the Ministry of Defence said. HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were sent out in the summer of 1845 to find the Northwest Passage but they took a crucial wrong turn and ended up stranded and surrounded by pack ice Theresa May sounded markedly more Eurosceptic and looked far happier than she has done in recent weeks as she spoke about Brexit in the Commons on Monday She sounded markedly more Eurosceptic than in recent weeks and looked happier. Perhaps the two are linked. Theresa May certainly did herself no harm in the Commons yesterday with a long, fault-free Statement on European matters. Tantrums came mainly from the Remoaners. What fine fettle she is in, said Rupa Huq, who is actually a Labour MP. Miss Huq (Ealing C) noted that a German media outlet (which may have been reporting scuttlebutt from Jean-Claude Junckers munchkins) had described Mrs May as looking pooped and desperate at the weekend. Perhaps something had been lost in translation, ventured Miss Huq. Mrs May has often looked much wearier than she did yesterday. She did plenty of smiling, coped competently with almost two hours of questioning, and repeatedly had her Brexiteer backbenchers nodding in agreement. Strikingly, she did not um and er as often as she normally does. Some of the Remain lot are losing their composure. Tom Brake, a sub-standard Lib Demmer from Carshalton, started shrieking that the main critics of the EU were multi-millionaires who lived in stately homes and chateaux. When, demanded this Brake, would Mrs May stand up for those who voted Remain? Mrs May delivered a long, fault-free Statement on European matters - coping competently with two hours of questioning, and had her Brexiteer backbenchers nodding in agreement Mrs May shook her head to indicate that she thought Mr Brake was off the pace. She said she was standing up for the British people who voted Leave, unlike his party who think they got it wrong. Anti-Brexit Mike Gapes (Lab, Ilford S), who is generally regarded with uninterested benevolence around the House, railed against Mrs May in person. He called her an empty-vessel, caretaker prime minister and he looked tremendously pleased with himself when he sat down after saying so. To hear such abuse from a soft under-achiever such as Gapes was like hearing a wet vicar spit out a very naughty word. Mrs May could have called the Ilford colossus all sorts of names back but settled instead for an amused air. This won her more friends than a sharp put-down might have done. It also suggested that she is less brittle than the Europeans would have us think. Some of the Conservatives are slowly realising that Labours readiness to accept any deal with Brussels opens up useful ground for them. Any deal basically means we will pay billions of pounds more to you Eurocrats. How well is that going to play with voters? Philip Davies (Con, Shipley) hoped we would pay not a penny more to Brussels than was our legal duty. If the Government has got spare billions in its coffers which I am not sure it has that money should go to pay for social care and pay-rises for public sector workers, not into the bottomless pit of the EU and into Jean-Claude Junckers wine cellar, which Im sure is rapidly diminishing as we speak, said Mr Davies. Philip Davies urged Mrs May not to pay 'a penny more' than we must to 'the bottomless pit of the EU and into Jean-Claude Junckers wine cellar' His reference to the Juncker thirst won a laugh. We cant look public-sector workers in the eye if we give tens of billions of pounds to the EU that we dont have to give them legally. It is hard to think of a constituency where that argument would not win agreement. Where should British tax money be spent: on British citizens or on premier cru claret for tipsy Jean-Claude? Every time Labour complains about public-sector pay, the Tories could say well why are you Labour people so keen to give away our billions? Nigel Evans (Con, Ribble Valley) imagined the opposite of an Oliver Twist scenario where refusenik MPs were so desperate to give Brussels our money, they were saying please, sir, can we give you more? It was a slight to the British taxpayer, argued Mr Evans. And yet gloomy Jonathan Edwards (Plaid Cymru, Carmarthen E & Dinefwr) wanted us to make a tactical retreat in the Brexit negotiations. And Kenneth Clarke (Not Really Con, Rushcliffe) did his normal sneering at Eurosceptics and urged Mrs May to cosy up to Labour. Why that old man doesnt cross the floor, I do not understand. Controversial far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos has been banned from appearing at government owned venues in Western Australia. Ahead of Yiannopoulos's Australian tour, WA premier Mark McGowan said he was not welcome in the state. 'I don't think he's welcome in WA so we will make sure that all government venues are not available to him,' Mr McGowan told 9 News on Monday. Scroll down for video Far-right US commentator Milo Yiannopoulos has been banned from appearing at government owned venues in Western Australia Ahead of Yiannopoulos's Australian tour, WA premier Mark McGowan said he was not welcome in the state The 'anti-feminist' and 'outrage troll' will begin his Australian tour in November. The so-called 'internet supervillain' shot to fame after he was banned from Twitter when he was blamed for a campaign of abuse directed at Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones. He has likened feminism to cancer, Islam to AIDS and he was sacked as Tech Editor at Breitbart News after audio surfaced of him appearing to condone sexual relationships between teenage boys and older men. 'Anyone who defends pedophiles and associates with Nazis, I don't think is a rational person, we shouldn't have them delivering lectures and performances to West Australians,' Mr McGowan said. A petition demanding Minister for Immigration Peter Dutton deny Yiannopoulos a visa has attracted just over 1,000 signatures as of Monday. A counter-petition, set up by political commentator Mark Latham, has been signed well over 11,000 times. The 'anti-feminist' and 'outrage troll' will begin his Australian tour in November The right-wing firebrand (pictured with his partner) married his boyfriend in Hawaii earlier this month Daily Mail Australia understands that his visa will not be cancelled and his tour will go ahead. 'Aren't they sweet? The best they could do was marshal 900 people to sign that petition,' Yiannopoulos said. 'There was about 10,000 who signed the counter-petition to let me in. 'I just find it sweet, adorable and charming when people get so upset about a gay man having the wrong opinions and telling the wrong jokes.' Yiannopolous will bring his Troll Academy Tour to Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast from December 1. 'The response had been absolutely amazing. We've just announced a second show in Sydney - the first one sold out in a couple of weeks,' he said. 'And then my book comes out in Australia in November. So it's going to be a whole Christmas of Milo Down Under.' Yiannopolous bring his Troll Academy Tour to Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast from December 1 The son of wrestling legend The British Bulldog has revealed how he used his grappling skills to pull a 'crying girl' away from the edge of a bridge. Harry Smith - son of WWE stalwart Davey Boy Smith - stopped his car and helped save the woman by dragging her back over a safety barrier. Smith, 32, pinned the girl to the floor after she claimed to have a gun, telling her: 'I'm an expert grappler and [you're] not going to shoot me. I'm here to help you.' Writing about the incident on Facebook, Smith revealed that the incident occurred on a bridge in Calgary, Canada. Harry Smith - son of WWE stalwart Davey Boy Smith - stopped his car and helped save the woman by dragging her back over a safety barrier and pinning her to the floor He wrote: 'I saved a life today and I am grateful I was able to do so. 'When driving up 16th Avenue past Bowness Road in Calgary I saw a girl crying and hanging off the bridge with someone trying to talk to her. 'I stopped and jumped the barricade and tried talking to the girl. And she was crying and an emotional mess and threatening to jump if I got closer. 'With people on the round waving her not to jump I decided to grab a hold of her and not take any chances. She started to slide and want to go more as I grabbed a hold [of] her. 'Luckily [from] my years of grappling and self defence I knew to grab her HARD and how to pull her up from hanging off and jumping ... I knew not to grab her clothing because she would have ripped through it. 'When I yanked her off the bridge finally, I established the mount position as you do in grappling and did not let her budge.' Writing about the incident on Facebook (left), Smith revealed that the incident occurred on a bridge in Calgary, Canada. Pictured right is Davey Boy Smith Smith followed in the footsteps of his father by performing for WWE (shown in 2006), before eventually moving on to New Japan Pro-Wrestling He added: 'Life is a precious thing folks, never take it for granted. I'm glad I was at service to help somebody today and my years of grappling came into play.' Calgary police confirmed that the woman was later escorted to hospital on a mental health warrant. Smith followed in the footsteps of his father by performing for WWE, before eventually moving on to New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Davey Boy Smith, originally from Golborne in Lancashire, died in 2002 at the age of 39 after a career stretching over three decades. He suffered a heart attack while on holiday in British Columbia; an autopsy revealed that a history of steroid abuse may have played a part in his early death. To contact the Samaritans, call 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org Prisoners are being handed laptops so they can order treats from their cells, it was revealed yesterday. Criminals also use the taxpayer-funded devices to select meals and sign up for educational courses as part of rehabilitation. Prisoners have been given in-cell telephones as well to stay in touch with friends and family. The scheme emerged in a report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons into HMP Wayland near Thetford, Norfolk, which holds some of Britains most dangerous offenders. Prisoners at HMP Wayland in Norfolk are being given in-cell phones to keep in touch with their friends and family while serving their sentences Inspectors found illicit alcohol, drugs and scores of mobile phones that had been smuggled in. Critics will seize on the findings as fresh evidence that jails are too cushy. Inmates use the laptops, called net books, to buy food including chocolate bars, tinned fruit, tea bags and coffee, toiletries, stamps and batteries from the prison shop system. Although they do not have internet access, they can choose items from a list approved by the Ministry of Justice if there is enough money in their prison account, which holds cash earned in jail or sent in by family. Meanwhile the report said 500 litres of illicitly-brewed alcohol, enough to stock a pub, was found in cells at the Category C jail, which has 951 inmates including more than 100 serving life sentences. A kilo of drugs worth tens of thousands of pounds and 177 illegally smuggled mobile phones were also found. The watchdog detailed how the jail had taken part in a digitalisation project. Its report said: These small laptop computers enabled prisoners to take responsibility for day-to-day tasks such as submitting applications, selecting meal choices and ordering from the prison shop, without having access to the internet. Prisoners whose net book was removed for poor behaviour or who chose not to have one could access the same services using kiosks in communal wing areas. Inmates use the laptops, called net books, to buy food including chocolate bars, tinned fruit, tea bags and coffee, toiletries, stamps and batteries from the prison shop system A list of available products, approved every three months by the National Offender Management Service, has up to 1,000 items on it. Each prison can whittle this down to 375 products at any one time and inmates fill in forms to purchase the goods, which are ordered by the authorities. Since the previous inspection of HMP Wayland in 2013, telephones had been installed in all cells. Prisoners were positive about the move but restrictions had been placed on their use during the day because inmates were making calls rather than attending workshops. Inspectors said: Access to in-cell telephones and secure laptops that eased access to administrative systems was, in our view, the way forward and an example of good practice. There have been calls for greater use of technology behind bars to boost prison education programmes and the ability of inmates to stay in touch with their families. But last week it emerged convicts were being paid for cold-calling from some jails, and were trusted to harvest sensitive information. They are picking up 3.40 a day to call potential customers for insurance policies. They also carry out marketing surveys. One of the cold-callers was conman Antoni Muldoon, 71, who was jailed for seven years for fraud for running a 5.7million telemarketing scam with thousands of victims. In his report on HMP Wayland, Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke said: The prison was very well led, while plans for improvement were active and substantive, taking the prison forward in a positive direction. Michael Spurr, of HM Prison and Probation Service, said: The Chief Inspector has commended the positive work being done at Wayland to tackle violence and drug use and to support effective rehabilitation. There are strict controls to ensure inmates are unable to abuse the technology, with in-cell phones limited to pre-approved numbers with robust restrictions, says the MoJ. A Prison Service spokesman said telephones in cells reduce violence and lower self-harm. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Haval, the main sales driver for Great Wall Motors, equipped many models with automatic transmissions supplied by Korean Hyundai Powertech and German Getrag. But a local media got information from the Chinese automaker that as its own 7-speed dual-clutch transmission has been fitted into WEY VV7 and will be used in all models covering Haval H2 and H7, it will stop the cooperation with Hyundai Powertech. In the older days, Chinese auto brands were unable to mass produce automatic transmissions and had to turn to foreign suppliers. Haval H6 was once equipped with 6AT from Hyundai Powertech and the current H6 and H6 Coupe are with 7DCT from Getrag. With the technology advancement, GWM can mass produce its own 7DCT now, which has been fitted in WEY VV7. Zheng Lihua, the associate dean of GWMs Transmission Research Institute and project director, said that its 7DCT450 boasts an optimal product quality and is suitable for all vehicle platforms design. The automaker has outstanding supplier systems in auto parts, software and calibration as well as production equipment. At present, the annual output of 7DCT450 is 500,000 units, which cannot meet the needs of the automakers 1 million sales target. As a result, some models will continue to use transmissions supplied by Getrag. As long as the second phase of the transmission factory starts production, the output will be doubled. Haval H2S, H6, H7 and WEY models will be equipped with this 7-speed dual-clutch transmission in the future. The House of Lords expenses scandal deepened on Monday night as it emerged sixteen peers claimed tens of thousands of pounds each despite doing little work. The members claimed a total of 424,637 in 2016 despite failing to speak, sit on a single committee or submit a written question. Labour peer Lord Kirkhill was the worst offender, pocketing 43,896, followed by Scottish Labour member Baroness Adams on 41,287. Seventeen members of the House of Lords managed to earn more than 10,000 each last year despite failing to speak, table a written question, or sit on a committee (file image) The shocking figures were uncovered by the Daily Mirror, days after the paper also revealed 115 Lords claimed 1.5million last year despite failing to speak. On that occasion a spokesman defended the Lords, saying they could contribute to the House in other ways, including by tabling a question or sitting on a committee. Lords a-leeching Lord Kirkhill, 43,896 Baroness Adams, 41,287 Lord Haworth, 36,150 Lord Crathorne, 36,145 Viscount Thurso, 32,235 Lord Howie, 29,100 Lord Evans, 27,000 Lord Hameed, 23,400 Lord Glentoran, 19,719 Lord Whitby, 19,394 Lord Davidson, 18,518 Lord Gold, 17,700 Lord Denham, 16,500 Lord Jones, 14,128 Lord Sanderson, 12,279 Lord Plumb, 11,686 Advertisement But it now transpires that 73 of those 115 also failed to do either of those things, including the group of 16 who earned more than 10,000 while doing so. Alexandra Runswick, director of campaign group Unlock Democracy, said: 'We need fundamental reform so the second chamber is accountable to the people. Peers are entitled to claim a tax-free 300 daily allowance just for turning up to the chamber and are not obliged to speak in debates, attend committees or ask written questions. Those who live outside London are also entitled to claim travel expenses for journeys to Westminster. An earlier report found that more than 4million was claimed by the 277 peers 36 per cent who spoke five times or fewer in the past year. Some 7.3million was claimed by 394 peers who spoke ten times or fewer, while 131 spoke and voted ten times or fewer but claimed 658,314. Earlier this year it emerged that a Lords probe into peers who claim thousands but do not do any work was dropped amid fears of a public backlash. Baroness DSouza spent months investigating peers who claim the daily allowance without making any contribution in the Upper House, but scrapped the research to avoid naming and shaming offenders. A committee looking at cutting the size of the upper chamber is expected to recommend compulsory retirement for older members next month. A plane departing from Boston had to make an emergency landing on Monday evening. JetBlue Flight 877 was on its way to Las Vegas when the plane struck birds in the air just moments after taking off from Logan Airport. Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration told WCVB that the crew declared an emergency and were initially planning to return to Logan airport. But after sending word the flight was diverted to John F Kennedy Airport in New York, where it landed safely. JetBlue Flight 877 was on its way to Las Vegas when the plane struck birds in the air just moments after taking off from Logan Airport JetBlue officials have said that a small flock of birds struck the left engine, and because of adverse weather in Boston they could not make a safe landing there, according to ABC 7. There were 144 passengers on board the plane, which is an Airbus 320. The plane flew most of the distance to New York at a low altitude of roughly 3,700 feet and at 200mph. The flight landed safely in New York at around 7.35pm and were met with emergency responders at the airport. Flight data shows that it took off around 4.15pm from Boston. Advertisement A scenic spot in China has unveiled a new glass-bottomed bridge over a notoriously fast-flowing river. Tourists have apparently struggled to cross the 328-metre-long (1,076 feet) structure as they saw the Yellow River gushing right under their feet. Part of the terrifying walkway has 3D art on the floor, including that of a huge waterfall, as the management hopes to provide daredevil visitors with the ultimate adrenaline rush. Don't look down! A woman appeared to be too scared to cross the newly unveiled glass-bottomed bridge in north-west China Standing over a waterfall: Part of the bridge is covered by 3D art as the management hopes to bring tourists more excitement A frightening experience: A tourist posed for photos on the 3D glass-bottom bridge across the Yellow River in Zhongwei city Located in north-west China's Zhongwei City in Ningxia Province, the new Shapotou Suspension Bridge was opened to the public on July 31. It's said to be the first glass-bottomed bridge over the Yellow River, the second longest river in China after the Yangtze River. The original bridge was built in 2014 and was covered with wooden planks, reported People's Daily Online. A video clip on the China Global Television Network shows a woman seemed to be so petrified she had to crawl on the glass floor. The glass-bottomed walkway has been converted from a wooden bridge built 33 feet over the Yellow River in 2004 The management decided to add glass panels after realising transparent footpaths had got popular around the country Three 3D paintings have been put over the floor, covering some of the bridge. A third of the bridge still has wooden planks The management of the scenic spot said they started re-paving the bridge with glass panels last year after realising transparent footpaths had got extremely popular around the country. After the renovation, around two-thirds of the bridge has glass flooring while the rest is still wooden. Three 3D paintings have been put over the floor, covering some of the glass bridge. And with the help of the dramatic art, tourists could have pictures taken of them from certain angles, which apparently show them standing over a huge waterfall. The bridge is 2.6 metres (8.5 feet) wide and is suspended 10 metres (33 feet) over the Yellow River. According to a spokesperson, 300 people are allowed to stand on the bridge at any one time. Each glass panel is said to be capable of supporting a maximum weight of three tonnes. The management of the scenic spot said they started re-paving the bridge with glass panels last year to boost tourism The bridge is 328 metres (1,076 feet)long and 2.6 metres (8.5 feet) wide, and is suspended 10 metres (33 feet) over the water Tourists walked and took pictures on the 3D glass-bottomed bridge which opened on July 31 after being renovated Glass-bottomed bridges and footpaths have popped up in different parts of China in the past two years or so, generating great interest among tourists. Recently, one scenic spot in northern China has deliberately made the see-through panels on its glass-bottomed bridge crack. Located at over 3,800 feet high on the East Taihang Mountain, the glass bridge would appear to shatter as the tourists walk on them - thanks to sensors and special effects. Not every one knew it was a trick though. Footage emerged earlier this month showed one terrified tour guide wobbling and crawling on the walkway as soon as he sees cracks on the floor. A Silicon Valley titan who wants to establish a church that worships AI could be about to found a 'quintessential American religion', an expert has claimed. Anthony Levandowski, who filed for 'Way of the Future' in 2015, helped create Google Street View and engineered Waymo and Uber's self-driving cars. An expert in religious studies now claims this strange idea resembles Hinduism and could bring out the best in humans. Scroll down for video A Silicon Valley titan who wants to establish a church that worships AI could be about to found a 'quintessential American religion', an expert has claimed (stock image) WAY OF THE FUTURE Anthony Levandowski, who filed for 'Way of the Future' in 2015, helped create Google Street View and engineered Waymo and Uber's self-driving cars. The original filings say the religion's purpose is to 'develop and promote the realisation of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence'. They say it aims to 'through understanding and worship of the Godhead, contribute to the betterment of society'. Levandowski's allegiance to singularity - the belief that artificial intelligence will one day grow to such efficiency that it surpasses and overpowers humans - comes as no surprise. He has been at the forefront of some of Silicon Valley's most forward-thinking ventures since graduating from college and has built a reputation as a pioneer in the industry. Advertisement The original filings say the religion's purpose is to 'develop and promote the realisation of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence'. The religion aims to do this 'through understanding and worship of the Godhead, contribute to the betterment of society'. Levandowski's allegiance to singularity - the belief that artificial intelligence will one day grow to such efficiency that it surpasses and overpowers humans - comes as no surprise. He has been at the forefront of some of Silicon Valley's most forward-thinking ventures since graduating from college and has built a reputation as a pioneer in the industry. Author and religious studies scholar Dr Candi Cann from Baylor University said this spiritual initiative is not that dissimilar to other religions people currently worship. She suggests AI is a new paradigm out of which new religious practices could emerge. 'It strikes me that Levandowski's idea reads like a quintessential American religion,' Dr Cann told Seeker. 'LDS [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] and Scientology are both distinctly American traditions that focus on very forward thinking religious viewpoints', she said. Anthony Levandowski (right) wants to establish a religion that worships a 'godhead based on artificial intelligence'. He is pictured here with ex-CEO of Uber, Travis Kalanick 'LDS discusses other planets and extra-terrestrial life. Scientology has an emphasis on therapy and a psychological worldview, which is quite modern and forward thinking.' Dr Cann said this religion would probably most resemble Hinduism as they both involve having forms of deities on Earth. 'In this way, I think AI can reflect the best of humans back to us, which are, in turn, worshipped', she said. It was launched to much fanfare earlier this month, but the Google Pixel 2 XL is facing complaints just weeks after it was released for testing. Screen burn-in issues have been reported by some of the first people to get their hands on the XL model, primarily tech reviewers. While screen burn is a problem with most types of display, for it to occur in such a short space of time is almost unheard of. Google says it is 'actively investigating' reports of the problem. Scroll down for video It was launched to much fanfare, but the Google Pixel 2 is facing complaints just weeks after the it began arriving with consumers. Screen burn-in issues have been reported by some of the first people to get their hands on the XL model, primarily tech reviewers SCREEN BURN-IN Screen burn-in, also known as ghost images, or a permanent discoloration of a screen. When a static image is displayed for a prolonged period, a shadow or ghost of that image may appear on the device's display. The problem was particular widepsread in the early days of computer monitors, which would be left on for long periods displaying a desktop or open applications. This led to the invention of screen savers that, as the name suggests, protect images from screen burn-in by displaying a moving series of images, patterns or colours. Advertisement The issue was first reported by Android Central editor Alex Dobie, who took to Twitter to share an image of his test handset's screen showing signs of ghost images. The Pixel 2 XL runs Google's customised version of the Android operating system. This incorporates software navigation buttons that stay in place when users move from screen to screen. This mean they are only removed when full screen content, like games, apps and videos, are viewed. Mr Dobie noted that if a light coloured image was displayed on the POLED screen, faint traces of the navigation buttons could be seen. In a statement issued to the media, a Google spokesman said: 'The Pixel 2 XL screen has been designed with an advanced POLED technology, including QHD+ resolution, wide colour gamut, and high contrast ratio for natural and beautiful colours and renderings. 'We put all of our products through extensive quality testing before launch and in the manufacturing of every unit. 'We are actively investigating this report.' Screen burn-in, also known as ghost images, or a permanent discoloration of a screen. The issue was first reported by Android Central editor Alex Dobie, who took to Twitter to share an image of his test handset's screen showing signs of ghost images POLED DISPLAY The Pixel 2 XL uses a POLED screen, a special type of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. An OLED screen uses light-emitting diodes in which the component that gives off light as electricity is passed through it is an organic compound between two layers of material, with a base layer of glass. In Google's POLED display, the 'P' refers to the layers of plastic which are used as a base in the place of glass. POLED is made by LG, the company which manufactures the Pixel 2 XL for Google. Advertisement When a static image is displayed for a prolonged period, a shadow or ghost of that image may appear on the device's display. The problem was particularly widespread in the early days of computer monitors, which would be left on for long periods displaying a desktop or open applications. This led to the invention of screen savers that, as the name suggests, protect images from screen burn-in by displaying a moving series of images, patterns or colours. The Pixel 2 XL uses a POLED screen, a special type of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. An OLED screen uses light-emitting diodes in which the component that gives off light as electricity is passed through it is an organic compound between two layers of material, with a base layer of glass. In Google's POLED display, the 'P' refers to the layers of plastic which are used as a base in the place of glass. POLED is made by LG, the company which manufactures the Pixel 2 XL for Google. Google unveiled the second generation of its Pixel smartphones, promising all-day battery life, a more responsive assistant, and the best camera yet, on October 4. The devices were revealed at simultaneous presentations across the globe, including the main event in San Francisco. Google unveiled the second generation of its Pixel smartphones, promising all-day battery life, a more responsive assistant, and the best camera yet, on October 4. It come in two versions: the 5-inch $649 (629) Pixel 2 (left) and the 6-inch $849 (799) Pixel 2 XL (right) It come in two versions: the 5-inch $649 (629) Pixel 2 and the 6-inch $849 (799) Pixel 2 XL. In a move mirroring Apples recent designs, the new phones do not have a headphone jack Googles latest Pixel handsets are also equipped with always-on display, so you can check your notifications without tapping the power button to wake the screen, and a new 'squeezable' feature to activate Google's AI assistant. Both the Pixel XL and the 5-inch Pixel will have built-in stereo speakers, and lack the headphone jack. In lieu of traditional headphones, the firm has introduced new wireless Pixel Buds, which come with a short cord so you can drape them around your neck. Google also souped up the already highly rated camera on the Pixel, boasting that it will take even better photos than the iPhone. The camera will allow for better-quality portrait shots, according to Google, and the new motion photos will be able to capture a few second of video, much like Apples Live photos. It uses computational photography and machine learning to optimise photos, along with optical and electronic video stabilisation for smoother videos. Tesla has reached a deal with the Shanghai government to build a factory in the city's free trade zone, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The electric car maker reaffirmed on Sunday it is talking with the Shanghai municipal government to set up a plant in the region, and expects to agree on a plan by the end of the year. But, the firm declined to comment on the report that a deal has been reached. China levies a 25 percent duty on sales of imported vehicles and has not allowed foreign automakers to establish wholly owned factories in the country, the world's largest auto market. Scroll down for video Electric car maker Tesla Inc reaffirmed on Sunday it is talking with the Shanghai municipal government to set up a factory in the region. A Tesla Model 3 is pictured CONSUMER REPORT'S MOST RELIABLE CARS For the fifth straight year,Toyota is at the top of Consumer Reports' reliability rankings, a reward for its conservative approach to new technology. The Toyota brand came in first in this year's rankings, followed by the company's luxury Lexus brand. It's the fifth year in a row that a Toyota brand has topped the survey. Kia, Audi and BMW rounded out the top five. Cadillac, GMC, Ram, Dodge and Volvo got the poorest reliability scores, dinged by buyers' problems with their infotainment systems and transmissions. Advertisement Those are problems for Tesla, which wants to expand its presence in China's growing electric vehicle market without compromising its independence or intellectual property. China's government has considered allowing foreign automakers to set up wholly owned factories in free trade zones in part to encourage more production of electric and hybrid vehicles - which the government calls 'new energy vehicles' - to meet ambitious sales quotas. Tesla would still have to pay a 25 percent duty on cars built in a free trade zone, but it could lower its production costs. Tesla on Sunday pointed to a statement it made in June that the company 'is working with the Shanghai Municipal Government to explore the possibility of establishing a manufacturing facility in the region to serve the Chinese market. As weve said before, we expect to more clearly define our plans for production in China by the end of the year.' A Tesla spokesperson in the United States declined to comment further beyond referring to the June statement. The Wall Street Journal reported that Tesla and the Shanghai government have reached a deal in that city's free trade zone. Shanghai is China's de facto automotive capital and a significant market for luxury vehicles of all kinds. Chinese internet company Tencent Holdings Ltd has a five percent stake in Tesla and is seen as a potential ally for Tesla's efforts to enter the Chinese market. It was unclear if the Chinese government will conclude a deal with Tesla to coincide with U.S. President Donald Trump's visit next month. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has said the company eventually will need vehicle and battery manufacturing centers in Europe and Asia. Tesla is wrestling with production problems at its sole factory, in Fremont, California. It is trying to accelerate output of its new Model 3 sedan, but conceded earlier this month that production bottlenecks had held third-quarter production to just 260 vehicles, well short of the 1,500 previously planned 'Time and time again, our own data shows that Consumer Reports' automotive reporting is consistently inaccurate and misleading to consumers' Tesla said in a statement The new report comes after Consumer Reports said Tesla Inc's new Model 3 sedan is likely to have 'average' reliability despite production snags because it uses older technology rather than newer innovations that are causing problems for automakers. The magazine said its survey of 640,000 vehicles showed that all-new vehicles or models with newly updated technology are more likely than older models to have a wonky engine, a jerky transmission, or high-tech features that fail outright. However, Tesla hit back at the magazine, claiming 'It's important to note that Consumer Reports has not yet driven a Model 3, let alone do they know anything substantial about how the Model 3 was designed and engineered.' 'Time and time again, our own data shows that Consumer Reports' automotive reporting is consistently inaccurate and misleading to consumers.' The magazine's annual survey of new vehicle reliability predicts which cars will give owners fewer or more problems than their competitors, based on data collected. Its scorecard is influential among consumers and industry executives. For the fifth straight year, Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp placed first in the magazine's ranking with the most reliable vehicles on average. General Motors Co's Cadillac brand was last among 27 brands ranked. Tesla ranked 21st on the list. The magazine's prediction that the Tesla Model 3, which has faced production bottlenecks, will have average reliability illustrates the challenges automakers face. The Model 3 is the luxury electric vehicle maker's newest car, and Consumer Reports said it had no data on the vehicle. Bany updated the braking system. Its one of the most requested items in the Cambridge Universitys Apollo repository and, just hours after becoming freely available to the public, demand for Stephen Hawkings 1966 doctoral thesis has already proven too much for the website. The esteemed theoretical physicists PhD thesis was released in the Open Access archive today, allowing anyone to download it and read it in full. The move triggered such interest, however, that is has crashed the universitys website, making it intermittently inaccessible throughout the day. Just hours after becoming freely available to the public, demand for Stephen Hawkings 1966 doctoral thesis has crashed the University of Cambridge's website. Stephen Hawking is pictured with Isaac Newton's annotated copy of Principia Mathematica Hawkings PhD thesis, Properties of Expanding Universes, explores ideas about the origins of the universe that have resonated through the scientist's career. The now-famous scientist completed it in 1966, when he was just 24 years old. Cambridge University Librarys Office of Scholarly Communication announced the papers availability today to mark open Access Week. As its often difficult to obtain permission for historic theses, the university is hoping Hawkings participation will inspire other academics to follow suit. By making my PhD thesis Open Access, I hope to inspire people around the world to look up at the stars and not down at their feet; to wonder about our place in the universe and to try and make sense of the cosmos, Professor Hawking said. Anyone, anywhere in the world should have free, unhindered access to not just my research, but to the research of every great and enquiring mind across the spectrum of human understanding. Each generation stands on the shoulders of those who have gone before them, just as I did as a young PhD student in Cambridge, inspired by the work of Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell and Albert Einstein. The esteemed theoretical physicists PhD thesis was released in the Open Access archive today, allowing anyone to download it and read it in full. Hawkings PhD thesis, Properties of Expanding Universes, explores ideas about the origins of the universe SHOULD WE BE WARY OF ALIENS? If there are any intelligent alien life forms out there, Stephen Hawking thinks we're playing a dangerous game by trying to contact them. The physicist believes if aliens discovered Earth, they are likely to want to conquer and colonise our planet. 'If aliens visit us, the outcome could be much like when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans,' he said in an interview. But co-founder and former director of the Seti Institute, Jill Tarter, doesn't think this will be the case. She argues any aliens who have managed to travel across the universe will be sophisticated enough to be friendly and peaceful. 'The idea of a civilisation which has managed to survive far longer than we have...and the fact that that technology remains an aggressive one, to me, doesn't make sense,' she said. Advertisement Its wonderful to hear how many people have already shown an interest in downloading my thesis hopefully they wont be disappointed now that they finally have access to it! The University of Cambridge counts 98 Nobel Affiliates among its alumni. With Hawkings thesis now available for free in the massive database, the university says others may feel encouraged to make their research Open Access, too. According to Cambridge, the thesis was already the most-requested item in its online repository. It was free to download Monday to mark Open Access Week. NASAs sun-monitoring spacecraft has captured the remarkable moment the moon carried out a lunar transit, effectively photobombing the sun. The moon blocked out more than a quarter of the sun at the height of its 45-minute journey on October 19, according to NASA. With no atmosphere to distort the view, the moon appears a crisp shadow over the face of the sun, before it disappears back out of sight. Scroll down for video NASAs sun-monitoring spacecraft has captured the remarkable moment the moon carried out a lunar transit, effectively photobombing the sun THE SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a Nasa mission that has been observing the sun since it launched on February 11, 2010. The goal of the SDO is to understand the influence of the sun on the Earth and near-Earth space. It does this by studying the solar atmosphere on small scales of space and time and in many wavelengths at the same time. Advertisement The lunar transit spotted by the Solar Dynamics Observatory occurred between 3:41 and 4:25 p.m. EDT according to NASA. It can be seen appearing from the top left side of the image, crossing diagonally in front of the sun. At its peak, the moon covered roughly 26 percent of the sun. The Moons shadow obstructs SDOs otherwise constant view of the Sun, and the shadows edge is sharp and distinct, since the Moon has no atmosphere which would distort sunlight, NASA explains. SDO captured these images in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light that shows solar material heated to more than 10 million degrees Fahrenheit. As this kind of light is invisible to human eyes, it has been colorized in green for the photo, the space agency notes. The Solar Dynamics Observatory keeps a constant eye on the sun, studying its atmosphere and effects on the near-Earth environment. In September, it spotted the biggest solar flare seen for 12 years. Two high-intensity solar flares were emitted, the second of which was the most intense recorded since 2005, the Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) said. The flares knocked out radio communications for one hour on the Earth's side facing the sun, as well as low-frequency communications used in navigation. The lunar transit occurred between 3:41 and 4:25 p.m. EDT according to NASA. At its peak, the moon covered roughly 26 percent of the sun At the time, experts predicted a coronal mass ejection (CME) triggered by the flares would arrive in the days to follow. During the powerful eruptions in September, three X-category flares took place over the course of 48 hours, with each reaching energies comparable to one billion hydrogen bombs. Scientists spotted one of these flares using the Swedish Solar Telescope in La Palma. Capturing unheard of views of the event. Its very unusual to observe the opening minutes of a flares life, said Dr Chris Nelson from the Solar Physics and Space Plasma Research Centre. We can only observe about 1/250th of the solar surface at any one time using the Swedish Solar Telescope, so to be in the right place at the right time requires a lot of luck. To observe the rise phases of three X-classes over two days is just unheard of. Facebook is testing out a new feature that might make it harder for people to see posts from publisher's they follow on Facebook - unless the publishers pay up. In some countries, Facebook is testing the new model which takes business and publisher content out of a user's regular News Feed and places it into the new Explore Feed. The Explore Feed helps users discover content from pages they don't follow, showing posts Facebook thinks users might like based on their previous 'likes' and what's trending. In some countries, Facebook is testing the new model which takes business and publisher content out of a user's regular News Feed and placing it into the new Explore Feed EXPLORE FEED The new Facebook feed, known as Explore, offers content from pages that its users have not liked or followed - meaning it looks less familiar than the main feed. But some countries, Facebook is testing the new model which takes business and publisher content out of a user's regular News Feed and places it into the new Explore Feed The new tab is now available to users on mobile and desktop devices. On desktop the 'Explore feed' is on the left-hand sidebar under the 'See more' section. On the Android app it can be found via the 'More' menu. The option 'Explore feed' then appears in a list. iOS users can access the feed by tapping the hamburger button, which is listed under the 'Explore' menu. Advertisement The move could generate more revenue for Facebook - in Slovakia, where tests are taking place, organic reach for 60 of Slovakia's biggest media publishers fell by two-thirds after Facebook tested the new model. Filip Struharik, editor and social media manager at Dennik N, wrote a Medium blog post about the effects of Facebook's new model tests. A Facebook spokesperson told Struharik that regional rests are currently taking place, but he did not specify when they will end. The tests, currently underway in Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Bolivia, Guatemala and Cambodia, saw all posts by Facebook Pages moved from the main News feed to the Explore Feed. This means users in those countries only see posts from their friends and family in their News Feed. This is leading to drops in organic reach for publisher's and businesses. In response to the reports, Facebook spokesperson told Mashable: 'With all of the possible stories in each person's feed, we always work to connect people with the posts they find most meaningful. 'People have told us they want an easier way to see posts from friends and family, so we are testing two separate feeds, one as a dedicated space with posts from friends and family and another as a dedicated space for posts from Pages. UPDATE #ExploreFeed test may take months. It shouldn't be global, said Adam @mosseri, Head of News Feed at Facebook https://t.co/KhAtCR0yvu Filip Struharik (@filip_struharik) October 23, 2017 'To understand if people like these two different spaces, we will test a few things, such as how people engage with videos and other types of posts. 'These tests will start in Sri Lanka, Bolivia, Slovakia, Serbia, Guatemala, and Cambodia. 'We have no current plans to roll this out globally.' While the Explore Feed is still a new feature, over time users might become more inclined to navigate between the two separate feeds. If the model being tested is rolled out globally, Facebook could increase its revenue by creating more spaces to sell ads. Birds will sometimes care for the offspring of other birds of their own species - if they anticipate future benefits. A researcher has found that being tolerated in another bird's territory and the chance to inherit that territory later are considered rewards for which some birds are willing to postpone their own chance of reproduction. In almost 10 per cent of bird species around the world, certain individuals postpone their own chance of reproduction to help birds of the same species care for their offspring - a behavior which is also seen in certain mammals, fish and insects. Although some birds who don't have their own young only help family members rear their offspring, a new study shows that a lot of birds are more eager to help non-family members - if they have a chance to inherit their territory. Pictured is a Lesser Whitethroat feeding its young WHY BIRDS HELP OTHERS RAISE THEIR YOUNG In almost 10 per cent of bird species around the world, certain individuals postpone their own chance of reproduction to help birds of the same species care for their offspring - a behavior which is also seen in certain mammals, fish and insects. Researchers have questioned what they gain by not producing their own brood and wasting energy to help others. One idea is that these birds only help relatives, for example younger brothers and sisters with whom they share genes. This strategy is thought to be a way for helpers to pass on their genes without reproducing themselves. However, a new study by a researcher at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands refutes this widely accepted idea. In his study, Kingma compared 44 species of birds, some of which help other birds while denying themselves their own offspring. Although some birds only help family members, his research showed that a lot of birds are more eager to help non-family members - if they have a chance to inherit their territory. Advertisement Since the days of Charles Darwin, biologists have assumed that all life is selfish and does everything it can to maximize its chances of passing its genes to its offspring. However, this idea goes against observations that some birds sacrifice their energies for others. Researchers have questioned what they gain by not producing their own brood and wasting energy to help others. One idea is that these birds only help relatives, for example younger brothers and sisters with whom they share genes. This strategy is thought to be a way for helpers to pass on their genes without reproducing themselves. However, a new study by a researcher at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands refutes this widely accepted idea. Sjouke Kingma, the author of the research, showed that some birds also try to improve their own future prospects. In his study, Kingma compared 44 species of birds, some of which help other birds while denying themselves their own offspring. Although some birds only help family members, his research showed that a lot of birds are more eager to help non-family members - if they have a chance to inherit their territory. 'Birds see their territory in the same way as we see our house,' says Kingma. 'Some species of "home-owners" allow other birds to live in their territory and help them to care for their offspring. 'This may seem logical if the birds living in the same territory and helping each other are related. 'But this isn't always the case. 'My research reveals that the home-owners get much more help if the helpers stand to inherit their territory in the future. A bird showing that it's prepared to help increases the chance that the nesting pair will tolerate it in their territory, which may ensure that the bird inherits the territory later on. And, if a bird helps with a current territory owners' kids, that bird will create its own future little helpers 'After all, you'd be much more inclined to help someone maintain their home if you thought you'd inherit it one day. 'This is precisely what a lot of birds do: they help the current owner so that the territory will be worth more when they inherit it.' Kingma sees two benefits to this principle - firstly, a bird showing that it's prepared to help increases the chance that the nesting pair will tolerate it in their territory, which may ensure that the bird inherits the territory later on. Secondly, if a bird helps with a current territory owners' kids, that bird will create its own future little helpers. According to Kingma, by the time the territory is passed over, the helpful bird will have its own group of little helpers willing to assist. While the concept of helping others isn't necessarily strange to humans, biologists have been trying to understand why wild animals do this, but this research shows that animals are capable of planning and modifying their behavior to achieve future goals. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Currently, BAIC Motor released an announcement in HKEX that the board decided to submit resolution on initial public offering and listing of A-shares to interim general shareholders meeting and seek for approval. The latest news show that it is BAIC Motor as a whole, rather than BJEV alone, that plans to be listed in A-share market. One senior analyst in auto industry told reporters that although the growth this year is lagging behind with the data of last year,the whole industry has potential developments in the future. The semi-annual report data shows that BAIC Motors revenue reaches RMB 66.74b in the reporting period with a year-on-year growth of 36.09%. Net profit attributable to shareholders reaches RMB 986m with a year-on-year decline of 59.12%. Currently, BAIC Motor contains four business departments including the self-owned Beijing brand, Beijing Benz, Beijing Hyundai and Fujian Benz. The main reasons for the large profit decline of BAIC Motor involve a year-on-year sales decline of Beijing brand and the small sales volume of Beijing Hyundai. Its analyzed that although the sales pressure for Beijing brand and Beijing Hyundai may be eased in the coming busy season, but it may not last long since Beijing brand lacks competitive power among all self-independent brands. Under the current market environment, good self-independent brands will become better and bad brand will go worse. Little time is left for the underachievers to come up. It seems that BAIC Motor is ambitious in producing intelligent vehicles. It released announcement on October 16th that it would re-sign a strategic cooperation agreement with Baidu to conduct cooperation in several areas including self-driving, information products, cloud services and Baidu security AI. The two sides will cooperate on the basis of Baidu Apollo plan and BAIC vehicle platforms to achieve the mass-production of L3-featured and L4- featured models before 2021 with artificial intelligence as the key technology. But professionals are pessimistic on the above cooperation. It is analyzed that other domestic auto companies are also cooperating with Internet companies or strengthening their R&D abilities. But intelligent vehicles are still lagging behind consumers expectation. Besides, many uncertain factors exist in the process. Dublin is so full of craic addicts that I found myself getting irritable. I enjoy lively conversation, but sometimes the drollery gets to you. Especially in the morning. In any case, the word craic is faux-Gaelic, a bogus neologism stolen from the English word 'crack' then borrowed back by the Brits. Irresistible charm: Dublin beguiles visitors with Guinness, conversation and lots of folk music I was on a barstool in Toners pub while my amiable guide Damon was on Baggot Street having a smoke. Another brace of pints arrived. 'Our Guinness,' he said proudly, as he swept back, wreathed in Golden Virginia, 'has a uniquely quaffable flavour thanks to the Liffey water.' He had been talking 20 to the dozen since we set out, and showed no sign of abating, but the fag breaks gave me time to ponder his words of wisdom. The poet W.B. Yeats, he said, went only once to a pub during his whole life. And that was to Toners, for a glass of sherry he failed to finish. Perhaps he did not like the craic. Irish icon: For between the pit stops, there are pretty walks such as the Trinity College grounds The tone of the day had been set shortly after breakfast, before the taverns had opened their welcoming doors to a fresh harvest of punters. We were heading for The Little Museum to see the latest exhibition, a celebration of Dublin pub culture, would you believe. In pride of place was a magnificent photograph of that shipwreck of a playwright, Brendan Behan, the so-called 'drinker with a writing problem', who was holed below the Plimsoll line before lunch most days. And, of course, James Joyce featured large. This was the man who wrote the script for Dublin in his great novel Ulysses, from the safety of Switzerland. I found Ulysses unreadable until I heard some of it read aloud, when the jokes started leaping off the page. A symphony of human nonsense, as alive today as it was a century ago. Only now it is an industry. We were in the grid of Georgian streets between Trinity College and St Stephen's Green, erstwhile stomping ground of Joyce and his gallimaufry of characters. Davy Byrnes was a bar the great man drank in, as did Leopold Bloom, from the pages of the novel. Chalked above the bar was a plug for 'Bloomsday G&T'. Yours for 13.50 (12.50). The place was expensively tacky. 'I think we'll trot along to Doheny & Nesbitt, you'll really like that,' said Damon. 'It's where journalists and politicians mingle in cavernous rooms of lacquered antiquity. It really is the finest jewel in Dublin's giant crown.' And how right he was. All was perfect, even the folk music, which I normally abhor. Carved timber, ornate papier-mache ceiling, everything burnished as if for parade. The walls exuded more history than drunken blarney. The singing guitarist was at the bar and we were soon talking like old friends him, me and my new best friend, Damon. There followed a conversational rolling maul with a crowd of drinkers from Cavann, more pints, a slight timewarp, a Lebanese meal and then the Trinity City hotel bar where a small cluster from the university music department sat in front of 10 empty bottles of wine, before ordering another two. A conversation about the liturgical merits of Irish composer Charles Villiers Stanford was fiercely underway before one of them fell off his pouffe. Toast to the coast: After his weekend in Dublin, Mark went on to explore the Atlantic coast I decided enough was enough, pledged my lifelong friendship with Damon and hit the sack. In the morning, my French girlfriend, Ana, wafted in from Nice and we were about to explore Ireland's Atlantic coast. She is a teetotaller and takes no nonsense, so I was on parade sharpish, eating fruit with muesli and zeal. But I just wish she had come to Dublin earlier. It's a fine and inspiring place for a weekend even for someone who only drinks sparkling water. Advertisement They say you've got to speculate to accumulate - but sometimes, not by much, as a new competition proves. It's offering entrants the chance to win a stunning, once-in-a-lifetime prize of epic proportions - in exchange for a mere $2 (1.50) entry fee. The eye-popping draw, by jewellery retailer V Diamonds, will see the lucky winner receive an 18-course dinner by Michelin-starred Singapore restaurant Jaan, served on board a $30million (22million) private jet as it flies above Asia. Scroll down for video Utter luxury: Inside the private Bombardier CL605 aircraft, which will host the 18-course feast above Singapore Exclusive: The plane will soar in the sky for four hours, to ensure the dining experience is both private and exhilarating The experience actually begins with a first-class flight to Singapore, the departure point for the private plane. Packed with vintage wines and two pairs of diamond chopsticks worth $34,000 (25,000), which are then gifted to the two VIP guests, the Bombardier CL605 aircraft will take off from Changi Airport and circle the country for an exclusive four-hour flight. This will allow guests to luxuriate over their food, which will be prepared by Jaan's culinary chief, British chef Kirk Westaway. Back on the ground, the passengers will then enjoy a Rolls-Royce journey to a local marina, where they'll be guided onto a luxury yacht for their own bespoke boating experience. Adding further indulgence, they'll be moored before their own personal fireworks display. Then, upping the ante even further, they'll be whisked away to the presidential suite of a five-star hotel, either The Fairmont or Swissotel The Stamford, whichever the winner prefers. And, throughout the magical experience, they will also be progressively presented with 10,000 roses for maximum romance. Expensive taste: The winner will dine with chopsticks (left) worth $34,000 (25,000), while fragments of the Jane Seymour ring (right) form the entry tickets Delicious: The stunning meal will be prepared by Jaan's culinary chief, British-born chef Kirk Westaway, pictured Classic car: Back on the ground, the passengers will enjoy a Rolls-Royce journey to a local marina Making a splash: At the marina, the guests will be guided onto a luxury yacht for their own bespoke boating experience As if that wasn't enough, the draw's entry 'ticket' is almost as impressive as the prize itself. Those entering the competition are asked to pay between $2-3 for a fragment of a 2.08 carat fancy vivid blue diamond called the Jane Seymour, which is inspired and endorsed by the Bond actress. Each fragment gives every entrant one chance of winning the prize. In July 2016 it formed part of a marriage proposal package by diamond mining company World of Diamonds Group, based in Russia, as previously reported by MailOnline. It was purchased by V Diamonds founder Ville Oehman for $2million (1.5million) in October 2017. Unique: Those entering the competition will pay between $2-3 for a fragment of a 2.08 carat fancy vivid blue diamond called the Jane Seymour, which is inspired and endorsed by the Bond actress Exceptional adventure: The winners will also be progressively presented with 10,000 roses for maximum romance Generous: V Diamonds founder Ville Oehman But Mr Oehman decided to offer the gift to those less fortunate - and use it as the basis for his own, upgraded competition. The 41-year-old entrepreneur, who is originally from Finland but now lives in Singapore, said: 'Blue diamonds are all about luxury and as we will be offering anyone access to this luxury asset class, the ultimate dinner should reflect this and remain available for anyone.' A two-minute trailer for the competition has raised eyebrows with its nod to opulence. It opens with a close-up shot of the aforementioned ring, before cutting to the sight of a private yacht. Instructing people to 'imagine winning the ultimate dining experience with your loved one', it then moves to an iconic Rolls-Royce pulling up with a chauffeur, before the camera pans sideways into the kitchen of Jaan. Suddenly, a freshly polished private jet appears in a hangar. The viewer is invited on board, where rose petals are strewn throughout the cabin and a table-for-two is romantically decorated for dinner. It is, of course, one of life's greatest pleasures. So it's perhaps not surprising that zookeepers at Berlin's main animal park are hoping that sex will cure a pubescent female panda's angst. According to reports, the four-year-old animal, called Meng Meng, is deliberately walking backwards to display her physical frustrations. Frustrated: Meng Meng, a female Chinese panda bear, is seen at Berlin's zoo To counter this, officials plan to introduce the Chinese-born creature to Jiao Qing, a male panda three years her senior. Experts hope the romance will neutralise any frustrations associated with life in captivity, which they assume are the root cause. 'Meng Meng is in puberty,' Berlin Zoo director Andreas Knieriem told the Berliner Zeitung newspaper on Sunday. 'The reverse walk is a protest against things she dislikes, be it the food or the carers.' China lent Meng Meng and Jiao Qing to Germany earlier this year. High-profile: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, pictured with Meng Meng, officially opened the zoo's Chinese compound in July Remedy: Male panda Jiao Qing, who is seven years old, is expected to mate with Meng Meng The two bears are a major attraction at the zoo's $10million (7.5million) Chinese compound, which was inaugurated by Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Xi Jinping in July. Giant pandas in captivity are kept apart except for in the mating season, which occurs between February and May. 'By then, Meng Meng will have reached sexual maturity and could focus all her energy on seducing her partner,' Knieriem said. He recently underwent a 6,500 nose job to 'even out' his features. And James Argent took to Instagram to express his excitement as he met his new 'look-a-like' Kem Cetinay at the BBC 1 Radio Teen Awards on Sunday. Fans have likened the 29-year-old to the Love Island winner, 21, following James' nose procedure. Scroll down for video Twins: James Argent, 29, took to Instagram to express his excitement as he met his new 'look-a-like' Kem Cetinay, 21, at the BBC 1 Radio Teen Awards on Sunday The fellow reality TV personalities both opted for casual attire; Kem paired a leather biker jacket with black skinny jeans and a light beige tee, while James coupled a grey striped bomber with plain black top and bottoms. This was the stars' first encounter with each other, as fans swarmed Twitter with comments on their physical similarity. Fans twitted: 'Is it just me or do arg from towie n kem from love island look REALLY alike'. 'This Kem and Arg similarity is blowing my freakin mind. Can't actually deal. #TOWIE #Twinning #Doppelganger'. Another commented: 'Arg is just a btec kem'. Similar: The pair appear to have similar facial features following James' nose procedure, which narrowed his nostrils James showcased his new nose in early October, which intended to match his dramatic weight loss. In his Instagram post, he wrote in the caption: 'Ive recently had rhinoplasty with the incredible @drfrati to reduce the size of my nose & nostrils. 'The swellings going down & I couldnt be happier with the results.' He continued: 'This is something that Ive considered for a long time, especially after losing a lot of weight where my features stood out more. 'It's subtle, hasn't changed my face & very natural (sic). It's definitely another step in improving my overall confidence, self-esteem & I couldnt be happier! X' He nose it looks good! James Argent proudly showed off the results of his 6,500 nose job in a proud before and after Instagram snap on Friday Pleased: He said of the nose job: 'It's subtle, hasn't changed my face & very natural (sic). It's definitely another step in improving my overall confidence, self-esteem & I couldnt be happier!' Pictured last year before the operation He dropped the pounds following his second spell in rehab, where he spent 10 weeks at The Cabin in Chiang Mai, Thailand in February. Speaking to Sun Online, he admitted slimming down during a physically gruelling stay in South East Asia left him feeling self-conscious about his nose, which he felt looked too big as a consequence of his remarkable weight loss. He said: Ive always known Ive had a big nose, but where Ive been so up and down with my weight for so many years, my nose didnt stand out as much, but now Ive lost four stone my features show a lot more and Ive got this large bump and nostrils that are even more prominent.' I think if I have the bump removed and the nostrils made smaller it will make me feel a lot more confident and be another step into helping me better myself since leaving rehab and Im not gonna lie, better looking and more attractive.' Glamorous WAG and mother-of-four Rebecca Judd may be replacing old timer Shelley Craft on The Block. Reports have surfaced Rebecca is a top candidate for the role, after appearing on the show as a judge, earlier this year. Shelley, 41, has appeared on The Block since 2011, but is said to be wanting more time with her children. Scroll down for video Will Scott Cam have a new sidekick? Rebecca Judd is tipped to replace Shelley Craft (seen) as co-host on The Block 'It breaks her heart,' a source told New Idea about Shelley. 'She loves her job more than anything, but so much time away takes its toll.' The publication reports that Shelley travels to Melbourne from Brisbane, to film the show. New gig? New Idea is reporting the glamorous WAG and mother-of-four Rebecca (pictured) is a top candidate for the role Juggling it all: Shelley, 41, has appeared on The Block since 2011, but is said to be wanting more time with her children Rebecca meanwhile, is based in Melbourne. 'Bec has a huge fan base and is already a big power player in the world of interior design,' the source added. Rebecca appeared on the show in August, leaving the contestants starstruck. Former NRL star Clint Amos revealed on the show that he had a crush on Rebecca, making his wife Hannah a little annoyed. She's had a taste of The Block: Rebecca appeared on the show in August, leaving the contestants starstruck Advantage? Rebecca's appearance on The Block made headlines, as she knows Elyse off camera 'She's just gorgeous, she's just so,' Clint said to camera about Rebecca, trailing off. Hannah eventually told him: 'You and your Rebecca Judd infatuation. It's not healthy!' Rebecca appeared on the show and judged the team's Ronald McDonald House challenge. Her appearance made headlines at the time, as Rebecca and contestant and model Elyse Knowles knew each other off camera, meaning Josh and Elyse could of have had an advantage. Josh and Elyse won the Ronald McDonald House challenge, with Rebecca loving that they used cushions from her Adairs range. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Nine for comment in relation to this story. They were once Australia's most loved breakfast show co-hosts, known for their electric on-screen chemistry and apparent camaraderie. But New Idea reports that Lisa Wilkinson's relationship with her former Today show stablemate Karl Stefanovic had become increasingly tense towards the end of her tenure on the program. 'People see them as one and the same and assume they are best pals. They are no such thing,' a Nine Network source told the publication. 'Lisa had grown tired of Karl's behaviour in recent months': On Monday, New Idea published a report quoting a Nine Network source saying that Lisa Wilkinson and Karl Stefanovic were not friends off-camera The publication reports that 'Lisa had grown tired of Karl's behaviour in recent months and that relations between them has become increasingly strained'. It's alleged by the publication that Lisa 'has told friends she feels 'betrayed' by Karl's lack of support during her battle to gain equal pay'. Last Monday, the 57-year-old quit Today after Channel Nine were unable to match her salary to that of Karl's. The network offered Lisa a $1.8 million package - $200,000 less than that of her male co-star. 'Betrayed': Karl and Lisa appeared on Today together for a decade, but the magazine reports that Lisa 'has told friends she feels 'betrayed' by Karl's lack of support during her battle to gain equal pay' (pictured together in 2010) Indeed, the the two former colleagues have been noticeably absent from each other's social gatherings in the past months, with Lisa not in attendance at Karl's 43rd birthday bash in August. While a slew of high profile media personalities including Today's Sylvia Jeffreys were spotted at the event, Lisa spent her evening at the cinema with her daughter Billi and Billi's boyfriend Ollie. Billi took to Instagram that night with a picture of the trio enjoying their outing, alongside the caption: 'Best Saturday night's are at the movies.' Channel Nine have since confirmed that Lisa did not attend Karl's birthday. Where was Lisa? The long-term pals have been noticeably absent from each other's social gatherings this year, with Lisa not in attendance at Karl's 43rd birthday bash in August (Pictured: Sylvia Jeffreys, Karl Stefanovic and Peter Stefanovic during the party) Other plans? While a slew of high profile media personalities including Today's Sylvia Jeffreys were spotted at the event, Lisa spent her evening at the cinema with her daughter Billi and Billi's boyfriend Ollie In October it was Karl's turn to be mysteriously absent from a major milestone in the life of his co-star. While Lisa renewed her vows to husband Pete FitzSimons in front of a cheering crowd, Karl was noticeably missing from the action. In attendance were Today stars and Channel Nine personalities including Karl's brother and sister-in-law, Peter Stefanovic and Sylvia Jeffreys, as well as Richard Wilkins. Returning the favour? In October it was Karl's turn to be mysteriously absent from a major milestone in the life of his co-star No-show: While Lisa renewed her vows to husband Pete FitzSimons in front of a cheering crowd, Karl was noticeably missing from the action A representative has since confirmed: 'Karl didn't attend Lisa's vow renewals as he is on annual leave overseas.' On Tuesday, Karl addressed his former co-host's sudden departure with a rather odd tribute, crediting the veteran journalist with her ability to perform housework before coming to work. However, despite the speculation, Lisa has managed to somewhat dampen rumours of a rift- taking to Instagram on Sunday night to share a snap of her and Karl together. Tribute: On Sunday, Lisa posted this photo of her and Karl, gushing over the Today show's viewers However, she chose not to pay tribute to her male co-star, instead choosing to gush over Today's viewers. 'It's been a helluva week. I'm only sorry that I never got the chance to say goodbye to you all...the incredibly supportive, engaged, opinionated, clever and wonderfully diverse audience of Today,' she wrote. 'Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the fun years we shared, and for welcoming me into your homes each morning. It has been an absolute privilege.' Of Karl, she wrote: 'PS. This pic is from Karl's and my very first publicity shoot way back in May 2007. Look at us, we were babies!!' Gunpowder featured the most violent and visceral scenes of execution ever screened on primetime television. This star- studded BBC1 drama about the November 5 plot was not so much brutal as psychotic in its quest for historical accuracy. Sian Webber, best known as Phil Mitchell's lawyer in EastEnders, was stripped naked and crushed to death under iron weights on a public scaffold a 17th century punishment known as 'pressing'. Her only crime was her religion, Catholicism. Then a young priest was hanged, drawn and quartered: We saw him strung up and cut down, copiously disembowelled and butchered with an axe, before his head was dipped in tar and displayed on a spike. The camera never flinched, though plenty of viewers must have done. New BBC One drama Gunpowder features the most violent and visceral scenes of execution ever screened on primetime television, writes Christopher Stevens The dramatisation of the story of Guy Fawkes features Sian Webber (pictured), best known as Phil Mitchell's lawyer in EastEnders, as her character is stripped naked and crushed to death under iron weights on a public scaffold a 17th century punishment known as 'pressing It might seem hard to understand the need for this exceptionally graphic, nine-minute sequence... until you realise that the writer, Northern Irish novelist Ronan Bennett, is a Left-winger from a Catholic family, once wrongly jailed for the murder of a policeman during an IRA bank robbery. (You might not be completely amazed, by the way, to learn that Bennett is a dedicated disciple of Jeremy Corbyn and worked for him as a researcher in the Eighties.) Describing Bennett's politics, respected US radio giant NPR says that in his work: 'Ireland's centuries of struggle against British rule are always there as a subtext.' Now the ultra-violent executions take on their real context. The king's Protestant thugs are the oppressive English state, while the Gunpowder plotters led by arch-Catholic Robert Catesby (Kit Harington from Game Of Thrones) are the Republican freedom fighters. IRA parallels aside, the drama does boast quite a cast. Mark Gatiss, chewing his vowels like an evil Winston Churchill, is the spymaster Robert Cecil. History records that Cecil was hunchbacked and almost a dwarf: Gatiss conveys that by hooking his head at an impossible angle, as if his neck were broken. It gave me a crick just to look at him. Peter Mullan, playing against type (he's usually a gangster), is a saintly priest, while Derek Riddell is the camp King James I, simpering at his favourites and waddling like a flat-footed duck more attention to historical detail. In Gunpowder, the king's Protestant thugs are the oppressive English state, while the Gunpowder plotters led by arch-Catholic Robert Catesby (Kit Harington from Game Of Thrones pictured) are the Republican freedom fighters Other heavyweight names include Liv Tyler, Daniel West, Shaun Dooley, Kevin Eldon and Robert Emms. You could assemble a Royal Shakespeare Company out of that lot and hear no complaints. In the final seconds, a plug-ugly ruffian stepped from the shadows and introduced himself as Guy Fawkes (Tom Cullen). With this three-part serial due to reach its climax on the eve of November 5, we'll be seeing more of him. His first act was to plunge a knife between a spy's ribs. Violence is a necessary part of any costume drama set in Tudor or Stuart times and has been since Shakespeare's day, with blood-drenched tragedies such as Hamlet and Titus Andronicus. BBC executives criticised for showing the Gunpowder executions might pretend their drama is in this gory tradition. But on TV, violence has to leave something to the imagination otherwise, it descends to the level of porn. Sian Webber's character is tortured to death in front of crowds, likely leaving viewers hiding behind their sofa cushions Wolf Hall, the BBC's highly acclaimed 2015 adaptation of the Booker-winning novels set in Henry VIII's court, climaxed with a moment of real horror, the beheading of Anne Boleyn. We heard the blade fall: We did not need to see the blood. Gunpowder's extreme violence was all the more incongruous because it came after a scene of chilling and controlled tension. The king's troops burst into a country house where Mass was being celebrated, and searched the rooms until they discovered a priest hiding in a chest. Two more priests trembled silently behind a secret wall panel. It was good enough to have viewers holding their breath. How stupid to follow it with a scene grim enough to make them cover their eyes. He's become a household name thanks to his role as host of Channel Nine's wildly popular reality franchise, The Block. But Scott Cam has revealed that filming the program takes a toll on his health and well-being. With The Block filmed in Melbourne, Sydney-based Scott told TV Week he must spend months at a time away from his beloved wife, Ann, and their family. 'I get looked after by my wife': Scott Cam has revealed to New Idea that filming The Block in Melbourne takes a toll on his health, as his Sydney-based wife is not nearby to take care of him 'It's three months of pretty nasty stuff,' the 54-year-old told the publication of his time filming each season of the show. 'It's been a bit of a disaster. I live by myself in Melbourne. I've been married for 25 years and I get looked after by my wife Ann- then I'm there [in Melbourne filming] for three months.' The star told the magazine that he'll often skip meals and eat on the run when he's on location with The Block, a far cry from the delicious meals he gets cooked up at home by his wife. 'Ann looks after me': Scott has been married to Ann for 25 years and the couple share three children 'When I get back to Sydney, I get back into regular fitness and some healthy food', he stated, before adding: 'Ann looks after me'. Scott has been hosting The Block for 11 seasons, and will once again take the helm of the program in 2018, when it returns to screens for another installment. Meanwhile, rumours are swirling that the TV tradie may have a new co-star next year, with New Idea reporting Rebecca Judd may replace Shelly Craft. Iconic role: Scott has been hosting The Block for 11 seasons, and will return for another installment in 2018 According to the magazine, glamorous Bec is a top candidate for the role, after appearing on the show as a judge earlier this year. Unlike Scott, the WAG and mother-of-four is already based in Melbourne. 'Bec has a huge fan base and is already a big power player in the world of interior design,' a source told the magazine. A change in 2018? New Idea reports Shelly Craft may be leaving The Block, leaving Scott with a new co-host Guns make people safe - and the more guns you have, then the safer life is. It's an article of faith in the United States, where the right of every family to hoard enough firepower to fight a war is enshrined in the Constitution. You'd have a better chance of convincing the average American to accept communism and compulsory sex changes than of persuading him to lay down his guns. Louis Theroux took the brilliant decision not to question this, in the horrific final episode of his Dark States series, Murder In Milwaukee (BBC2). The final episode of Louis Theroux's (pictured) Dark States series is Murder in Milwaukee as he looks at U.S. gun law and the implications for families there Never once did he suggest that 'the right of the people to keep and bear arms' laid down in the Second Amendment was an open invitation to slaughter. He simply pointed his cameras at the carnage on the streets of an American city and let us draw our own conclusions. At some point in this programme, every sane viewer will have decided that U.S. gun laws as they stand are licensed madness. It might have been in the opening scenes, when a harassed mum explained how she settled a local dispute over a child's tricycle: she took a shotgun and blasted holes in her neighbour's car. Or it might have been the pious 16-year-old who declared that he did not possess a gun, because that would be illegal: he wouldn't be old enough for another two years. In the opening scenes a mother (pictured) explained how she settled a local dispute over a child's tricycle - she took a shotgun and blasted holes in her neighbour's car Anyhow, he didn't need his own gun he'd been proficient with his mother's arsenal of rifles and pump-action shotguns since he was seven. Maybe some viewers baulked at the posse of musicians mourning their dead friend, a rapper called Blizz. He was shot in the head outside their studio. If only he'd been armed, he could have scared off his assailant, they said. Louis asked what the boys liked to carry. They produced a high-velocity rifle with a sniper sight. It was the size of a bazooka, and completely legal in Milwaukee. For me, the real terror of the programme lay in the background noise the constant sound of sirens, punctuated by explosions like firecrackers. Ordinary people in their front yards barely flinched at the sound of gunfire. A group of musicians are pictured mourning their dead friend - a rapper called Blizz who was shot dead in his studio in Milwaukee When a couple of rounds were loosed off from a passing car, at a family having a barbecue, one woman just shrugged and muttered: 'So disrespectful.' Most of Louis's interviewees were black and few of them trusted him enough to say very much. This was probably because Louis had a police escort at all times, and was wearing a police-issue bulletproof vest. You wouldn't want to walk around Milwaukee without one. Violence of a less sickening sort was unleashed as Robot Wars (BBC2) returned, for more radio-controlled battles between mechanised monsters. Unless you're a 13-year-old boy torn between the twin thrills of construction and destruction, it's hard to feel much enthusiasm for this show. Most of Louis's interviewees were black and few of them trusted him enough to say very much, writes Christopher Stevens Louis asked what weapons a group of boys liked to carry. They produced a high-velocity rifle with a sniper sight. It was the size of a bazooka, and completely legal in Milwaukee The bouts of metal-mangling are expertly filmed, but when a team of tubby engineers emerges amid dry ice, all scowls and attitude, and the voice of doom announces, 'From Hemel Hempstead, Behemoth!' . . . well, it's faintly pathetic. A junior doctor called James from Hereford did bring a splash of satire to the programme with his flimsy contraption called Donald Thump. The Donald was a weird orange, with a wig of ragged straw that James removed before battle, in case it fouled the wheels. Despite waving its weapon around quite indiscriminately, Donald Thump proved to be erratic, ineffectual and prone to self-combusting. Eventually its front fell off and all the inner workings were exposed. Satire indeed. Ewan McGregor's estranged wife Eve Mavrakis made a low key appearance in Santa Monica on Sunday, where she was seen without a wedding ring on. Eve's outing comes at the same time it was reported the Star Wars actor has been 'living apart from wife of 22-years' with whom he shares four children. McGregor, 46, separated from French production designer Eve, 51, in May, months before pictures of the actor 'kissing' Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead in a London restaurant emerged, People reported on Sunday. Scroll down for video Stepping out: Ewan McGregor's estranged wife Eve Mavrakis made a low key appearance in Santa Monica on Sunday, where she seen without a wedding ring on That same day, Eve kept under the radar in a bucket hat and dark sunglasses as she ventured out for a hike in the Santa Monica Mountains. The mom of four donned a white shirt and grey shorts for the hot Southern California day. She carried a green water bottle and smart phone in her left hand, which was noticeably ringless. The production designer did glitz up her look with a hearty watch while counting her steps with a fitness tracker on the other wrist. After her hike, the French born designer took a call, then headed off. Eve and Ewan were married for 22 years before news of their separation emerged Sunday. The couple met on the set of court drama Kavanagh QC in 1995, shortly before the Scottish star's portrayal of heroin addict Mark Renton in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting won him international acclaim. No bling: The 51-year-old production designer was noticeably not wearing a wedding ring Solo outing: The production designer's outing comes at the same time it's reported the Star Wars actor has been 'living apart from wife of 22-year's' with whom he shares four children In hand: She carried a green water bottle and smart phone in her left hand, which was noticeably ringless Keeping cool: The mother of four donned a white shirt and grey shorts for the hot Southern California day Important call: After her hike, the French born designer took a call, then headed off Calling it quits: Eve and Ewan were married for 22 years before news of their separation emerged Sunday Speaking to the Graham Norton show in 2012, McGregor admitted he had slept with 'many, many women' prior to meeting his wife. He explained: I knew right then that I really wanted to be with her and I knew I wanted to be with her in a different way to all the other many, many, many women I had been with up until that point. And I wasnt wrong. I made the right choice. The couple married in 1995 before relocating to Los Angeles, where they raised four daughters, including a child adopted from Mongolia. Separated: The 46-year-old actor reportedly separated from French production designer Eve in May, months before pictures of the actor kissing Fargo co-star Elisabeth Winstead in a London restaurant emerged (the couple are pictured in April) McGregor has always denied rumours of romantic attachments outside marriage. In 2001, he dismissed talk of an affair with Nicole Kidman, his co-star on Moulin Rouge! And in 2010, there were more unkind rumours of a relationship with French actress Melanie Laurent, his co-star on the film Beginners. MailOnline has contacted a representative for further comment. Old times: The couple met on the set of court drama Kavanagh QC in 1995, shortly before the Scottish star's portrayal of hopeless junkie Mark Renton in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting won him international acclaim (pictured in 1998) McGregor appears to be seen kissing his Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth in images obtained by The Sun. The pair, who filmed a racy nude love scene in a bath for their on-screen romance in the most recent series of the show, were reportedly seen getting close during a meeting at The Good Life Eatery in London's St. John's Wood. The father-of-four closed his eyes as he leaned in to share the intimate moment with Mary, 32, as sources told the publication they were 'relaxed in each other's company'. Ewan smiled as Mary, who plays his sexy love interest Nikki Swango in the FX Network crime drama, took his face in both of her hands before going in for a kiss, in The Sun's images. Hitting the red carpet: McGregor and Winstead, who filmed a racy nude love scene in a bath for their on-screen romance in the most recent series of the show, were reportedly seen at The Good Life Eatery in London's St. John's Wood Co-stars: Married Ewan McGregor was said to be spotted kissing his Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead (pictured while filming Fargo in Canada), in images obtained by The Sun Sources revealed the father of four daughters didn't seem too worried about privacy as they dined together on the busy high street. Onlookers told The Sun: 'Ewan and Mary Elizabeth were there together and seemed relaxed in each other's company. The cafe was really busy with people coming in and out the whole time... 'They were deep in conversation and were there together for more than an hour. As they left he got on to the back of Ewan's motorbike and they sped off together'. Married: Ewan wed Eve 22 years ago (pictured at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2003) Ewan and Mary's sighting comes four months after Mary split from her husband of seven years, Riley Stearns. Sharing a photo of her kissing her Texan film director ex on the cheek on Instagram in May, the actress wrote in the caption: 'We've decided to move on from our marriage, but we will stay best friends and collaborators for all our days.' 'We are still ride or die, just in a different way now. I love you always, Riley.' 'Sitting here with my best friend who I love with all my heart. We have spent our lives together and it has been full of joy and warmth every day.' Meanwhile, Riley, who Mary met aged 18 on an ocean cruise, shared the same photo on his Instagram with an equally touching tribute which said: 'I'll always love you, Mary.' Ewan and Mary's smooch comes four months after Mary, 32, split from her husband of seven years, Riley Stearns (both pictured) Trainspotting star Ewan plays two brothers, Emmit and Ray Stussey in the latest series of Fargo. The latter falls in love with Nikki before they plot to take revenge on his wealthy businessman brother. The first episode of the third series, which aired in April, sees the loved-up duo Nikki and Ray kissing and cuddling while naked in a bath together. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Its learned that Shenlong Auto adjusts its annual sales volume from 700,000 units set at the beginning of year to 402,000 units during the strategic seminar. The seminar, taking three days time with the theme of returning to race, forms the middle-term business development plan for Shenlong in the year 2017 to 2023. Participants involve all senior managers, persons in charge for all areas, and all research group members, as well as a working team involving 70 members sent by Dongfeng and PSA shareholders. An Tiecheng, chairman of Shenglong, Vice General Manager and party standing committee member of Dongfeng Auto, reiterated three unchanged strategies for Shenlong Auto during the seminar, involving the unchanged strategic position in both shareholders business layout, unchanged confidence in returning to race and unchanged target in exceeding 1m units for annual sales. An pointed out that, three important indicators for returning to race are market share reaching 3%, operating profit ratio exceeding 5% and product quality ranking top 3 brands. In fact, many auto brands including Korean brands and French brands have met sales obstacles in the year 2017. Shenlong Auto also makes great adjustments in company structure and personnel arrangements. Its revealed that the company has great resolution in deepening reforms. With the launching of 5008, New C5 and C5 Aircross in the latter half of year, Shenlong meets growing sales volume in September with monthly sales volume returning to 40,000 units. Shenlong announced to cooperate with Alibaba on October 13th, marching its first step in the hot Internet vehicle area. Its learned that its first model equipped with Zebra 2.0 system will be officially launched in the next year. They play adversaries Daryl and Negan on The Walking Dead. But actors Norman Reedus and Jeffrey Dean Morgan looked close-as-can-be Sunday in LA where they celebrated the show's 100th episode with fans at the Greek Theater. At the event, salt and pepper hunk Jeffrey wrapped his arms around a sunglasses-clad Norman who couldn't help but smile at his pal's overenthusiastic embrace. Scroll down for video Lots of love: Actors Norman Reedus and Jeffrey Dean Morgan looked close-as-can-be Sunday while attending The Walking Dead's 100th episode celebration at LA's Greek Theater The partner of Diane Kruger returned the affection, hugging the husband of Hilarie Burton around the shoulders while flashing a thumbs up. Jeffrey, 51, looked laid back in a brown suede jacket, black tee and dark pants at the event while Norman, 48, went with his usual uniform of 24/7 sunglasses and head-to-toe black. The Seattle born actor, who joined The Walking Dead as Negan in season six, also teamed up with castmates Josh McDermitt, Steven Ogg, and Austin Amelio for a photo. All good: The partner of Diane Kruger returned the affection, hugging the husband of Hilarie Burton around the shoulders while flashing a thumbs up He likes you! At the event, salt and pepper hunk Jeffrey wrapped his arms around a sunglasses-clad Norman who couldn't help but smile at his pal's overenthusiastic embrace Complimentary: Jeffrey, 51, looked laid back in a brown suede jacket, black tee and dark pants while Norman, 48, went with his usual uniform of head-to-toe black Gang's all here! The Seattle-born actor teamed up with his castmates Josh McDermitt, Steven Ogg, and Austin Amelio (left to right) at the event Going in for the kiss: It was a genuine lovefest, as Josh McDermitt tried to plant a smooch on Reedus's cheek while he stuck his tongue out in jest It was a genuine lovefest, as Josh McDermitt tried to plant a smooch on Reedus's cheek while he stuck his tongue out in jest. McDermitt, who plays Dr. Eugene Porter, looked sharp in a grey suit and his ever-present mullet. Steven Ogg (Negan's righthand man Simon on the show) combed his hair black while sporting an ebony suit and matching shirt without a tie. Fan favorites: Many of the show's favorite figures from throughout its 100 episode run appeared Grey days: Khary Payton and Johs McDermitt looked sharp in a grey suits Tickled pink! Emily Kinney came back from the dead to attend the fan-filled celebration, where she donned a hot pink bustier and matching slacks with royal blue embroidered and buttons Host with the most! Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick was dapper in a slim suit and merlot tie with ample scruff while joined by wife Lydia Hearst at the event Austin, who plays a member of the Saviors names Dwight, stood out in a navy suit embroidered with abstract leaves which he paired with a matching shirt and dark slacks. Khary Patton joined the group for another photo, looking handsome in a plaid suit with polka dot tie and burgundy pocket square. Pollyanna McIntosh turned heads in a formfitting silk number which plunged to reveal hearty hunks of cleavage. Photo op! The couple, who married in 2016, got a little silly as they posed in front a poster of Rick and Negan captioned 'All out war' Eat my dust! The stunning heiress sported a leather bustier with chic houndstooth duster I sea you! The actress looked long and lean in a short embellished number in an aqua hue The Scottish beauty paired the sexy silver dress with a crisp ombre bob and yellow wristlet. Emily Kinney, who played the softspoken Beth from seasons two through five, came back from the dead to appear at the fan-filled celebration. The 32-year-old actress showed off her thin middle and unique style in a hot pink bustier and matching slacks with royal blue embroidered and buttons. Bombs away! Chris couldn't help but photobomb the lovely Lauren Cohen on the red carpet Well suited! Andrew Lincoln and Ross Marquand looked sharp in their own takes on formal Lacey lady: Lisa Edelstein embraced Victorian vibes in a black lace number with puff-sleeves and a high-neckline Ruffling feathers! Danai Gurira wowed in a sleeveless Mary Katrantzou dress with featured an explosion of jewel tones adorned with pink and blue ostrich feathers Leave it be! Austin Amelio stood out in a navy suit embroidered with abstract leaves which he paired with a matching shirt and dark slacks In the nude! Christian Serratos dazzled in a nude frock which showcased her full chest while cascading down with silvery tiers of ruffles Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick was dapper in a slim suit and merlot tie with ample scruff. The former @Midnight laughmaker's heiress wife Lydia Hearst absolutely stunned in a leather bustier worn with chic houndstooth duster, both from Balmain. The couple, who married in 2016, got a little silly as they posed in front a poster of Rick and Negan captioned 'All out war.' Show off: Alanna Masterson, who is the sister of that 70s Show's Danny, offered an eyeful of her full chest in a sheer striped top and tight ruffled skirt Guy style: Chandler Riggs (who plays Carl) looked all grown up in classic black tie attire while Tom Payne (Jesus) donned a graphic shirt and dark suit Orange crush! The actor brought along girlfriend of three years Jennifer Akerman, who caught eyes in an orange silk and lace gown And Chris couldn't help but photobomb the lovely Lauren Cohen, who strutted her stuff in a short embellished number by Altuzarra. Star Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick, donned a navy suit while keeping his hair long and white whiskers upon his face. Ross Marquand was dressed in a light grey suit with blue shirt, plaid tie and pastel pink pocket square. To the max! Melissa McBride was elegant in an off-the-shoulder top paired with black maxi skirt and golden choker Flower power: Newcomer Katelyn Nacon (Enid) looked romantic in a floor-length floral and shiny gold heels Casual cute: Talking Dead favorite Yvette Nicole Brown dressed down in ripped denim, a lacey white top and cool southwestern clutch Simple: Lennie James was both dressed down and dapper in a striped jacket pared with blue jeans and dark leather shoes Lisa Edelstein embraced Victorian vibes in a black lace number with puff-sleeves and a high-neckline. Danai Gurira wowed in a sleeveless Mary Katrantzou dress with featured an explosion of jewel tones adorned with pink and blue ostrich feathers. Alanna Masterson, who is the sister of that 70s Show's Danny, offered an eyeful of her full chest in a sheer striped top and tight ruffled skirt. Brighton Sharbino wowed in sherbet colored chiffon adorned with a silver halter and empire-waist trim He's got the blues! Seth Gilliam donned blue glasses along with a handsome navy suit Hot metal! Pollyanna McIntosh turned heads in a formfitting silk number which plunged to reveal hearty hunks of cleavage Chandler Riggs (who plays Carl) looked all grown up in classic black tie attire. Tom Payne (Jesus) donned a graphic shirt and dark suit while pulling his long locks back into a bun. He brought along girlfriend of three years Jennifer Akerman, who caught eyes in an orange silk and lace gown. Kissing up to the bosses! Norman Reedus took a moment with the behind the scenes bosses, posing with the show's Executive Producer Dave Alpert, AMC bigwigs Ed Carroll, Charlie Collier, and Josh Sapan and fellow Executive Producer Robert Kirkman (left to right) Friends for life: After 100 episodes and eight seasons, the cast of The Walking Dead have created an unrivaled bond Seventh heaven! The AMC show premiered almost seven years ago Christian Serratos dazzled in a nude frock which showcased her full chest while cascading down with silvery tiers of ruffles. She added a retro finger wave for maximum glamour. Melissa McBride was elegant in an off-the-shoulder top paired with black maxi skirt and golden choker. They've got a connection: Jeffrey and Norman appeared thick as thieves at the event Gather round! Fans filled the open air amphtheater for the star-studded screening of episode 100 Time to talk: The Walking Dead stars crowded the stage for a chat moderated by professional fan Chris Hardwick Eight is great! Tonight's 100th celebration also marks the premiere of season eight Newcomer Katelyn Nacon (Enid) looked romantic in a floor-length floral and shiny gold heels. Talking Dead favorite Yvette Nicole Brown dressed down in ripped denim, a lacey white top and cool southwestern clutch. Brighton Sharbino (Lizzie) wowed in sherbet colored chiffon adorned with a silver halter and empire-waist trim. Talking: Christian Serratos, Seth Gilliam, and Pollyanna McIntosh were happy to chat about the hit Behind the scenes guys: Executive producers Scott M. Gimple (left) and Robert Kirkman (right) also offered their two-cents Back in action! The show is back from its summer hiatus after season seven's April finale Opinionated! Everyone had an opinion during the screening slash Q&A Seth Gilliam donned blue glasses along with a handsome navy suit. Lennie James was both dressed down and dapper in a striped jacket pared with blue jeans and dark leather shoes Fans filled the amphitheater as The Walking Dead stars crowded the stage for a chat moderated by professional fan Chris Hardwick. Tonight's 100th celebration also marks the premiere of season 8, airing on AMC Sunday at 9pm. It takes a village! It takes teams of actors, creatives and artisans to create the beloved post-apocalyptic show He is one of Australia's biggest stars. But Russell Crowe was looking far from the action man his fans know and love as he waddled around the set of his latest film Boy Erased in Georgia on Sunday. The famously bad-tempered actor has bulked up for his turn as a preacher who partakes in a gay conversion program in the forthcoming film, which also stars Nicole Kidman and Joel Edgerton. Scroll down for video Big star: Russell Crowe showed off his curvy figure on the set of Boy Erased in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday Roly-poly Russell, 53, was pushing his ill-fitting mismatched suit to the limit as he plodded around in between takes. The New Zealand-born hunk, who has spent most of his life in Australia, looked to be revelling in some downtime between takes as he sipped on an iced coffee. It is unlikely father-of-two, who has mocked method acting in the past, has been voraciously consuming biblical texts in preparation for his turn as a baptist preacher. His new look comes after the refreshingly honest star confessed he no longer has the body to pull off action man roles any more. The Russell Crowe method: He has piled on the pounds for his turn as a preacher who partakes in a gay conversion program in the forthcoming film A fashion blunder of biblical proportions: His baptist preacher character has a taste for mismatched suits Maximus oversized: Russell has confessed he could not pull off his Gladiator role any more He previously said: 'The point is, you do have to be prepared to accept that there are stages in life. So I cant be the Gladiator forever.' However he also drew fire after hitting out at older actresses as well, saying: 'To be honest, I think you'll find that the woman who is saying that (the roles have dried up) is the woman who at 40, 45, 48, still wants to play the ingenue, and cant understand why she's not being cast as the 21 year old.' The veteran actor has been carrying on regardless after coming under fire after former New York Times reporter Sharon Waxman accused Russell and Matt Damon of burying a story involving Harvey Weinstein. Sharon claimed in The Wrap that Russell and Matt both called her in 2004 to vouch for Fabrizio Lombardo, the one-time head of Miramaxs Italy branch, who supposedly 'had no film experience and his real job was to take care of Weinsteins women needs.' Hope its not a belly flop: Russell has been working hard to prepare for his heavyweight role Trend-setter: Russell has never been afraid to experiment with his looks such as when he grew a bushy beard in 2012 Under fire: Russell Crowe was accussed by former New York Times reporter Sharon Waxman accused of helping bury a story involving Harvey Weinstein in 2004 Matt has spoken out to say he had no idea about the sex scandal story she had been investigating, and had merely been supporting Lombardo's professional conduct to the best of his knowledge at the time. But as more and more reports emerge of Harvey's alleged sexual harassment and rape of women in Hollywood, Russell has stayed silent despite a deluge of stars rushing to condemn the movie executive's bad behaviour. Just over a week ago Russell was spotted for the first time since the accusations. He was filming scenes for Boy Erased alongside Australian actress Nicole Kidman who looked considerably different in a blonde wig and leopard print top. The movie, which is based on a book by Garrard Conley and directed by Joel Edgerton, follows the son of a baptist preacher who is pushed to take part in gay conversion therapy. He recently revealed he lost seven kilos in one month thanks to former Bachelor and fitness professional Sam Wood. And on Monday, Dave Hughes, 46, spoke about how he managed to achieve his beach body, after struggling with his weight over the past 40 years. 'Over about 40 years I've wanted to get my beach body and I've missed out on it,' the radio host told Today Extra hosts David Campbell and Sonia Kruger. 'They say you are what you eat, and I was a fat chip': Dave Hughes, 46, reveals how he lost seven kilos in just one month after struggling to get his beach body over the past 40 years 'And one thing I never realised is not to eat cakes. They pretend to be your friend but they're not,' said Dave. 'They say you are what you eat, and I was a fat chip. 'Now I'm a lean piece of carrot,' he added. Thanks to Sam! He recently revealed he lost seven kilos in one month thanks to former Bachelor and fitness professional Sam Wood Dave also said that training with Sam was like getting married to him. 'I wanted to look really sexy for Sam,' Dave joked adding that he achieved his new form with resistance and cardio training. Sexy: 'I wanted to look really sexy for Sam,' Dave joked adding that he achieved his new form with resistance and cardio training Confession: 'They say you are what you eat, and I was a fat chip', confessed Dave Last week his trainer and founder of 28 by Sam Wood took to Instagram to congratulate the comedian on joining his fitness program. A before and after shot of Dave, marking his nearly seven kilogram weight loss in just 33 days, was captioned: 'Keep up the great work mate.' Lean and mean! 'Now I'm a lean piece of carrot,' he added Sam's Instagram post saw a before and after shot of Dave, that drew attention to his significant weight loss. The muscular star captioned the shot: 'Before and After from my good mate @dhughesy. 'Down 6.7kg in 33 days on @28bysamwood and going strong. Keep up the great work mate,' Sam continued. Transformation: A before and after shot of Dave, that drew attention to his significant weight loss was captioned: 'Down 6.7kg in 33 days on @28bysamwood and going strong. Keep up the great work mate' Dave, a regular fixture on Channel Ten's The Project, joined the 28 by Sam Wood fitness challenge in a bid to shed the kilos. The program sees everyday people factor in a 28 minute workout each day, complemented by a weekly eating plan, meditation as well as online support. She broke her silence about her nasty split with ex-husband Karl Stefanovic on Monday, telling Woman's Day magazine that she 'fell in a heap' when the Today show host left the marital home. And Cassandra Thorburn looked please to have everything off her chest as she emerged from her home in Sydney on Monday. Cassandra appeared carefree and relaxed, sporting a sleeveless white silk top and cropped skinny-leg jeans. Happy to get it all off your chest? Cassandra Thorburn smiled as she emerged on Monday, after breaking her silence on her divorce from Karl Stefanovic, and treated herself to a gourmet delivery Smiling as she chatted on the telephone, she appeared to be holding some children's artwork. The former journalist accessorised with tan strappy flats, delicate silver jewellery and a black leather shoulder bag. Cassandra's short brunette locks were styled into a sleek fashion, and she appeared to sport a minimal makeup palette. Meanwhile, the mother-of-three looked as though she was treating herself after such a tough year when she received a delivery of gourmet meals to her home on Monday. Cassandra, who said that during the 'dark months' following her split gifts of food from friends lifted her spirits, was seen greeting a delivery man at the door of her $8 million mansion in Sydney's lower north shore. Casually chic: Cassandra sported a silk blouse, skinny-leg jeans and tan strappy flats Breaking her silence about her split with Karl in an interview with Woman's Day on Monday, Cassandra revealed that she could not have done without the support of her friends. 'During those dark months, imagine opening the front door and an esky of home-cooked food was there, even down to school lunches for the kids. 'I was so grateful for these small acts of kindness. My friends really helped me come through the other side.' The 46-year-old also said that following her split from Karl, she was in shock and would fall into a 'heap' when the couple's children, Jackson, 18, Ava, 12, and River, 10, would go to school. Treat yo'self! Cassandra looked as though she was being good to herself after such a tough year when she received a delivery of gourmet meals to her home New start: Cassandra broke her silence about her nasty split with Karl on Monday, telling Woman's Day magazine that the Today show host is now 'dead to her' Food fit for a queen! Cassandra later covered her petite upper frame with a navy cardigan when she accepted her food delivery Cassandra, looking well and happy, was with her teenage son when she accepted her food delivery. After accepting the box of meals from company The Dinner Ladies, she then dashed out of the house and into her car with son Jackson. According to its website, the food company specialises in supplying delicious dinner to time-poor people. After Karl left in September last year, Cassandra said it was thinking of her kids' well being that pushed her to move forward with her life. Busy lady! After accepting the box of meals from company The Dinner Ladies, Cassandra then dashed out of the house and into her car with her oldest son Jackson Delicious delivery: Cassandra was seen greeting a delivery man at the door of her $8 million mansion in Sydney's lower north shore She recalled that Jackson took the marriage breakdown particularly hard, refusing to leave their former Lindfield family home for their new Cremorne mansion. Instead, he slept on the floor of his former bedroom while his mother and siblings set up in the new home, despite all the furniture having been removed from the family's former abode. Despite the turmoil of the relationship breakdown, Cass admitted she was now feeling stronger than ever and was prioritising the happiness of her children above all but was open to meet someone new if the opportunity arose. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Cassandra for further comment. Auction day is fast approaching on The Block. And on Monday's show, judges Shaynna Blaze, Neale Whitaker and Darren Palmer revealed who they think will win the competition. The trio all told host Scott Cam that they think Josh, 24, and Elyse, 28, - the youngest contestants on the show - will win. Scroll down for video Projected winners: The Block judges Shaynna Blaze, Neale Whitaker and Darren Palmer revealed they believe Josh and Elyse (pictured) will win the show 'The couple who I think have created the ultimate dream home that is just right for now, that would be Josh and Elyse,' Neale said. He added: 'It's a beautiful home.' Darren said the pair have stiff competition, and that Jason and Sarah's home is beautiful. Can they do it? Pictured are Ronnie and Georgia Talking it over: The judges (from L to R) - Neale Whitaker, Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer, - spoke to Scott Cam (R) on the show 'I think walking into Jason and Sarah's house, halfway through the competition when the entrance was revealed and that beautiful void showed how amazing that house had become,' he said. 'I think if we're talking about a horse race, Jason and Sarah came from behind. But unfortunately I think they're going to be pipped from the post by Josh and Elyse.' During Monday's show, a special episode of The Block was filmed. The judges discussed their favourite spaces and teams throughout the entire series. At one point, Neale chose Josh and Elyse's plush master bedroom as his favourite bedroom in the history of the show. Luxe: At one point, Neale chose Josh and Elyse's plush master bedroom (pictured) as his favourite bedroom in the history of the show Darren chose their living and dining room as his favourite, while Darren said he chose their backyard as his chosen outdoor area. However, Darren chose Ronnie and Georgia's bedroom as his pick for best bedroom he's ever seen on the show. According to Woman's Day this week, there will plenty of bombshells during the auctions this weekend. The publication reports longtime rivals Josh and Ronnie come close to a 'punch-up' while the other contestants will 'lose it' if 'lazy' Jason and Sarah win the show. He's one of Hollywood's leading actors. And Matt Damon dressed to impress on Sunday night's red carpet of the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film Suburbicon. The 47-year-old actor smiled as he stood next to his gorgeous wife of nearly 12 years, Luciana Barroso. Scroll down for video Power couple: Matt Damon dressed to impress on Sunday night's red carpet of the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film Suburbicon Sporting a classic three-piece black suit, the Interstellar star stood closely by his wife's side as they walked in front of a black picket fence. Damon dressed up in a crisp white buttoned-down shirt and a shiny black tie with his all-black ensemble. While he left a bit of stubble on his face, his short brown hair had hints of salt and pepper strands. Matching! The 47-year-old actor smiled as he stood next to his gorgeous wife of nearly 12 years, Luciana Barroso Luciana looked absolutely stunning in a black and white gown which sweeped the floor. The unique woven fabric of the halter neckline stretched all the way down to her toes and wrapped around her slender waistline. Her gorgeous monochrome dress featured a bright panel of lacy white fabric across her chest. Lovely in lace! Luciana looked absolutely stunning in a black and white gown which sweeped the floor Meanwhile, the veteran actor has been carrying on regardless after coming under fire after former New York Times reporter Sharon Waxman accused him and Russell Crowe of burying a story involving Harvey Weinstein. Sharon claimed in The Wrap that Russell and Matt both called her in 2004 to vouch for Fabrizio Lombardo, the one-time head of Miramaxs Italy branch, who supposedly 'had no film experience and his real job was to take care of Weinsteins women needs.' Matt has spoken out to say he had no idea about the sex scandal story she had been investigating, and had merely been supporting Lombardo's professional conduct to the best of his knowledge at the time. Suburbicon: Co-star Julianne Moore and director George Clooney also sported black-and-white ensembles as the cast smiled for photographs Waxman later tweeted confirming Damon's side of the story, admitting he had no idea the story involved Weinstein. Co-star Julianne Moore and director George Clooney also sported black-and-white ensembles as the cast smiled for photographs. Julianne praised Damon during a recent interview with The Daily Telegraph, saying, 'He's not only the nicest guy in the world, but one of our best actors.' She also gushed about working with Clooney as a director. 'I was very impressed with what George did,' Moore said. 'He lulls you in, he starts this movie in a sense of relaxation, that this is gonna be about nostalgia, the perfect world and these lovely families. 'Then right away you're thrust into not only a historical moment that has unfortunately been repeated in the United States, where we're confronted with our own basest behaviors.' Suburbicon is set to arrive in theaters on October 27. She's the stunning shoe designer who recently relocated from Los Angeles to Sydney. And it seems Karl Stefanovic's girlfriend Jasmine Yarbrough has already established herself as an integral member of the city's well-heeled social set. On Monday, the 33-year-old took to Instagram to share a photo from an exclusive birthday bash held over the weekend in the upmarket suburb of Mosman. Scroll down for video Sydney's elite! On Monday, Jasime Yarbrough took to Instagram to share a snap of herself partying at an exclusive birthday bash- the same day Cassandra Thorburn spoke out about Karl Stefanovic 'A touch of Oriental' Jasmine captioned her snap, which saw her posing in an Asian-themed outfit alongside fashion blogger Nadia Fairfax. The swanky party was held to celebrate the 30th birthday of Jasmine's pal Rob Oatley. Rob is a descendant of the late Bob Oatley - a notable businessman, winemaker, yachtsman and philanthropist who passed away last year. A family affair! Also in attendance was Jasmine's sister Jade (left) who also shared a snap to Instagram Also in attendance was Jasmine's sister Jade, who took to Instagram to post her own picture with a pal at the event. It appears the blonde's boyfriend Karl Stefanovic wasn't in attendance, after enduring a week from hell following the shock resignation of his Today show co-host, Lisa Wilkinson. And Jasmine's Instagram upload comes on the same day that Karl's ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn gave her first interview since their nasty split last year. Loved up: Jasmine has recently relocated to Sydney and went public with her relationship with Karl earlier in the year In an interview with Woman's Day magazine that she 'was in a very dark place' when their relationship fell apart. Likening the breakup to experiencing the death of a family member, she admitted she will never have an amicable friendship with her ex. 'The children still have a father but I don't have a husband. He really is dead to me and no, we won't ever be friends again,' she said. The couple were married for 21 years and share three children- Jackson, 18, Ava, 12, and River, 10. 'Dead to me': Karl's ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn has broken her silence on her bitter split from Karl (pictured during happier times in 2012) They infamously launched an 'f-bomb' tirade at judge Shaynna Blaze on The Block: Fans v Faves, in 2014. But it seems things are well and truly forgiven, with twins Alisa and Lysandra singing Shaynna's praises when they appeared on The Block, on Monday. It came after Shaynna chose their living and dining room as her favourite living and dining room space in the history of the show. Scroll down for video Water under the bridge: It seems things are well and truly forgiven, with twins Alisa and Lysandra (pictured) singing Shaynna's praises when they appeared on The Block, on Monday The girls were surprised, and shared their shock when speaking to camera. 'Oh wow, amazing,' they said. 'Wow, okay! Just saying I'm surprised.' Awkward! They infamously launched an 'f-bomb' tirade at judge Shaynna Blaze (seen) on The Block: Fans v Faves, in 2014 Shaynna explained her reasoning. 'They changed the orientation of where their kitchen should be and they ended up with this incredible dining space,' Shaynna said on Monday. 'The great thing about this lounge room is the height of the ceiling, and those curtains, the drama of those sheers are absolutely beautiful, and this gorgeous fireplace that is just off set, and it added this extra elegance to the room,' she added. Chosen space: Pictured is the girls' kitchen, living and dining area The girls said that the show 'changed their life,' as they left their jobs with the police force to launch their own design studio. They appeared on two series of The Block. 'There is not a day that doesn't go by where I don't thank all the judges, and specially Shaynna when she said the "girls need to change their careers"...because that kind of backing just gives you that fire and confidence to give it a go,' they said on Monday's Block. In 2014, on the show, they unleashed on Shaynna, after they got the lowest score they had ever received, and she scored them a five for a space. Storming off, the pair called her judging, 'bulls**t.' 'It's so f***ing obvious what's happening and it's not fair. She's got it in for us. We should never have come on this show. 'I'm f***ing sick of it,' they said, before threatening to quit. She's burst on to the smash hit series in February playing Jardis, the leader of the Scavengers who have created a camp in a rubbish dump. Despite her character's less than glamorous appearance on the show, Pollyanna McIntosh, 38, looked worlds away as she dazzled on the red carpet celebrating the The Walking Dead's 100th episode with fans at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. The Scotswoman - who's character is part of a bizarre group of plague survivors - stunned in her full-length silk gown which highlighted her statuesque physique to perfection on Sunday night. Scroll down for video What a difference! Pollyanna McIntosh, 38, looked worlds away as she dazzled on the red carpet celebrating the The Walking Dead's 100th episode with fans at the Greek Theatre on Sunday Her mauve-hued slinky gown teased at her cleavage with its plunging neckline and sheer mesh panel slashed to her navel. The spaghetti strapped look showcased her decolletage and toned arms as she tackled the red carpet in style. Continuing her glamorous display, Pollyanna's floor-length attire featured a thigh-high front slit which exhibited her lean legs while the slinky silhouette hugged her pert posterior. She continued her demure appearance with a vibrant yellow wrist bag while as she neatly blow dried her crop into a sleek style. Worlds away: She's burst on to the smash hit series in February playing Jardis, the leader of the Scavengers who have created a camp in a rubbish dump Sizzling: Her mauve-hued slinky gown teased at her cleavage with its plunging neckline and sheer mesh panel slashed to her navel Glam gal: The spaghetti strapped look showcased her decolletage and toned arms as she tackled the red carpet in style The brunette beauty was a fan favourite instantly and became a series regular within months alongside Andrew Lincoln and Lennie James. As the drama returns to screens for the eighth season on BT in the UK, Pollyanna told the Daily Record that she was terrified of her day on set but she's loved every minute of being apart of the hit series. She said: 'Its more of a privilege than a pressure. You always have the first-day jitters walking on to such an amazing set like the heaps where Jadis lives. That was just immense. Hot metal! Pollyanna McIntosh turned heads in a formfitting silk number which plunged to reveal hearty hunks of cleavage Fan favourite: The brunette beauty was a fan favourite instantly and became a series regular within months alongside Andrew Lincoln and Lennie James Making a splash: As the drama returns to screens for the eighth season on BT in the UK, Pollyanna told the Daily Record that she was terrified of her day on set but she's loved every minute of being apart of the hit series 'But at the same time, when you see a structure like that, and a group of people like that, you know that every single member of the cast and the crew are important and youre just one small part of making it happen. Adding: 'You can let yourself get stressed by the pressure but it is so much more fun just to enjoy it. If Id come in and people had been cold, it might have been different. But it was really lovely and so warm.' Also making an attending the event was actors Norman Reedus and Jeffrey Dean Morgan - who play adversaries Daryl and Negan - looked close-as-can-be at the exclusive event. Picture perfect: Pollyanna (L) posed with co-star Alanna Masterson Camera ready: (Pictured L-R) Pollyanna got a photo alongside Khary Payton, Alanna Masterson and Greg Nicotero At the event, salt and pepper hunk Jeffrey wrapped his arms around a sunglasses-clad Norman who couldn't help but smile at his pal's overenthusiastic embrace. The partner of Diane Kruger returned the affection, hugging the husband of Hilarie Burton around the shoulders while flashing a thumbs up. Jeffrey, 51, looked laid back in a brown suede jacket, black tee and dark pants at the event while Norman, 48, went with his usual uniform of 24/7 sunglasses and head-to-toe black. The Seattle born actor, who joined The Walking Dead as Negan in season six, also teamed up with castmates Josh McDermitt, Steven Ogg, and Austin Amelio for a photo. Lots of love: Actors Norman Reedus and Jeffrey Dean Morgan looked close-as-can-be Sunday while attending The Walking Dead's 100th episode celebration at LA's Greek Theater All good: The partner of Diane Kruger returned the affection, hugging the husband of Hilarie Burton around the shoulders while flashing a thumbs up He likes you! At the event, salt and pepper hunk Jeffrey wrapped his arms around a sunglasses-clad Norman who couldn't help but smile at his pal's overenthusiastic embrace Complimentary: Jeffrey, 51, looked laid back in a brown suede jacket, black tee and dark pants while Norman, 48, went with his usual uniform of head-to-toe black Gang's all here! The Seattle-born actor teamed up with his castmates Josh McDermitt, Steven Ogg, and Austin Amelio (left to right) at the event Going in for the kiss: It was a genuine lovefest, as Josh McDermitt tried to plant a smooch on Reedus's cheek while he stuck his tongue out in jest It was a genuine lovefest, as Josh McDermitt tried to plant a smooch on Reedus's cheek while he stuck his tongue out in jest. McDermitt, who plays Dr. Eugene Porter, looked sharp in a grey suit and his ever-present mullet. Steven Ogg (Negan's righthand man Simon on the show) combed his hair black while sporting an ebony suit and matching shirt without a tie. Fan favorites: Many of the show's favorite figures from throughout its 100 episode run appeared Grey days: Khary Payton and Johs McDermitt looked sharp in a grey suits Tickled pink! Emily Kinney came back from the dead to attend the fan-filled celebration, where she donned a hot pink bustier and matching slacks with royal blue embroidered and buttons Host with the most! Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick was dapper in a slim suit and merlot tie with ample scruff while joined by wife Lydia Hearst at the event Check her out: Lydia flashed her midriff in a leather bralet and houndstooth duster jacket Austin, who plays a member of the Saviors names Dwight, stood out in a navy suit embroidered with abstract leaves which he paired with a matching shirt and dark slacks. Khary Patton joined the group for another photo, looking handsome in a plaid suit with polka dot tie and burgundy pocket square. Pollyanna McIntosh turned heads in a formfitting silk number which plunged to reveal hearty hunks of cleavage. Photo op! The couple, who married in 2016, got a little silly as they posed in front a poster of Rick and Negan captioned 'All out war' Eat my dust! The stunning heiress sported a leather bustier with chic houndstooth duster I sea you! The actress looked long and lean in a short embellished number in an aqua hue The Scottish beauty paired the sexy silver dress with a crisp ombre bob and yellow wristlet. Emily Kinney, who played the softspoken Beth from seasons two through five, came back from the dead to appear at the fan-filled celebration. The 32-year-old actress showed off her thin middle and unique style in a hot pink bustier and matching slacks with royal blue embroidered and buttons. Bombs away! Chris couldn't help but photobomb the lovely Lauren Cohen on the red carpet Well suited! Andrew Lincoln and Ross Marquand looked sharp in their own takes on formal The star! Actor Andrew and Kyla Kenedy walked the red carpet Catching up: The pair stopped for photos before making their way inside Happy: Andrew caught up with co-star Seth Gilliam and Yvette Nicole Brown (R) Suit you! Andrew looked dapper in his two-piece suit Ruffling feathers! Danai Gurira wowed in a sleeveless dress, which featured an explosion of jewel tones adorned with pink and blue ostrich feathers, and strappy Sophia Webster heels Lacey lady: Lisa Edelstein embraced Victorian vibes in a black lace number with puff-sleeves and a high-neckline In the nude! Christian Serratos dazzled in a nude frock which showcased her full chest while cascading down with silvery tiers of ruffles Leave it be! Austin Amelio stood out in a navy suit embroidered with abstract leaves which he paired with a matching shirt and dark slacks Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick was dapper in a slim suit and merlot tie with ample scruff. The former @Midnight laughmaker's heiress wife Lydia Hearst absolutely stunned in a leather bustier worn with chic houndstooth duster. The couple, who married in 2016, got a little silly as they posed in front a poster of Rick and Negan captioned 'All out war.' Show off: Alanna Masterson, who is the sister of that 70s Show's Danny, offered an eyeful of her full chest in a sheer striped top and tight ruffled skirt Orange crush! The actor brought along girlfriend of three years Jennifer Akerman, who caught eyes in an orange silk and lace gown Darling: The couple dazzled in their complementing ensembles Guy style: Chandler Riggs (who plays Carl) looked all grown up in classic black tie attire while Tom Payne (Jesus) donned a graphic shirt and dark suit And Chris couldn't help but photobomb the lovely Lauren Cohen, who strutted her stuff in a short embellished number in an aqua hue. Star Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick, donned a navy suit while keeping his hair long and white whiskers upon his face. Ross Marquand was dressed in a light grey suit with blue shirt, plaid tie and pastel pink pocket square. To the max! Melissa McBride was elegant in an off-the-shoulder top paired with black maxi skirt and golden choker alongside newcomer Katelyn Nacon (right) Simple: Lennie James was both dressed down and dapper in a striped jacket pared with blue jeans and dark leather shoes Casual cute: Talking Dead favorite Yvette Nicole Brown dressed down in ripped denim, a lacey white top and cool southwestern clutch Lisa Edelstein embraced Victorian vibes in a black lace number with puff-sleeves and a high-neckline. Danai Gurira wowed in a sleeveless dress with featured an explosion of jewel tones adorned with pink and blue ostrich feathers. Alanna Masterson, who is the sister of that 70s Show's Danny, offered an eyeful of her full chest in a sheer striped top and tight ruffled skirt. Stunning: Brighton Sharbino wowed in sherbet colored chiffon adorned with a silver halter and empire-waist trim He's got the blues! Seth Gilliam donned blue glasses along with a handsome navy suit Hell for leather: Ashley Tisdale channelled her inner rock chick in a cropped leather jacket What a pair: She attended the event with her love Christopher French Chandler Riggs (who plays Carl) looked all grown up in classic black tie attire. Tom Payne (Jesus) donned a graphic shirt and dark suit while pulling his long locks back into a bun. He brought along girlfriend of three years Jennifer Akerman, who caught eyes in an orange silk and lace gown. Kissing up to the bosses! Norman Reedus took a moment with the behind the scenes bosses, posing with the show's Executive Producer Dave Alpert, AMC bigwigs Ed Carroll, Charlie Collier, and Josh Sapan and fellow Executive Producer Robert Kirkman (left to right) Friends for life: After 100 episodes and eight seasons, the cast of The Walking Dead have created an unrivaled bond Seventh heaven! The AMC show premiered almost seven years ago Christian Serratos dazzled in a nude frock which showcased her full chest while cascading down with silvery tiers of ruffles. She added a retro finger wave for maximum glamour. Melissa McBride was elegant in an off-the-shoulder top paired with black maxi skirt and golden choker. They've got a connection: Jeffrey and Norman appeared thick as thieves at the event Friends: Tom was pictured with Michael Rooker (L) and Ross Marquand (R) Behind it all: (L-R) President & General Manager, AMC, SundanceTV & AMC Studios Charlie Collier, Josh McDermitt, Steven Ogg, Seth Gilliam and Austin Amelio at the exclusive event Strike a pose: Norman posed with co-stars Scott Wilson and Melissa McBride (R) Having fun: (L-R) Josh McDermitt, Seth Gilliam and Austin Amelio stopped for a photo Gather round! Fans filled the open air amphtheater for the star-studded screening of episode 100 Time to talk: The Walking Dead stars crowded the stage for a chat moderated by professional fan Chris Hardwick Eight is great! Tonight's 100th celebration also marks the premiere of season eight Newcomer Katelyn Nacon (Enid) looked romantic in a floor-length floral and shiny gold heels. Talking Dead favorite Yvette Nicole Brown dressed down in ripped denim, a lacey white top and cool southwestern clutch. Brighton Sharbino (Lizzie) wowed in sherbet colored chiffon adorned with a silver halter and empire-waist trim. Talking: Christian Serratos, Seth Gilliam, and Pollyanna McIntosh were happy to chat about the hit Behind the scenes guys: Executive producers Scott M. Gimple (left) and Robert Kirkman (right) also offered their two-cents On screen chats: (L-R) Katelyn Nacon, Tom Payne and Josh McDermitt speak onstage Insight: (L-R) Christian Serratos, Alanna Masterson and Ross Marquand discussed the upcoming series at the event Back in action! The show is back from its summer hiatus after season seven's April finale What a view: Fans took to their feet as the cast emerged onstage Opinionated! Everyone had an opinion during the screening slash Q&A Beaming: Sonequa Martin pictured on stage in jovial spirits Celebration: Michael Rooker walked onstage and gestures to the audience Discussions: (L-R) Lauren Cohan, Scott Wilson and Emily Kinney opened up about the upcoming series Seth Gilliam donned blue glasses along with a handsome navy suit. Lennie James was both dressed down and dapper in a striped jacket pared with blue jeans and dark leather shoes Fans filled the amphitheater as The Walking Dead stars crowded the stage for a chat moderated by professional fan Chris Hardwick. Tonight's 100th celebration also marks the premiere of season 8, airing on AMC Sunday at 9pm. Appplause: (L-R) Chandler Riggs, Tom Payne, Danai Gurira, Josh McDermitt and Andrew Lincoln clapped during the chat Lively: (L-R) Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride appeared in jovial spirits on the stage Watching on: The cast mates where joined by ale Anne Hurd on stage Attention grabbing: The cast were totally engaged in the chat It takes a village! It takes teams of actors, creatives and artisans to create the beloved post-apocalyptic show She's become somewhat of a fitness fanatic since bidding her days as a TOWIE star goodbye. So it's no surprise Lucy Mecklenburgh opted to flaunt the fruits of her labour as she modelled a stunning lace bralet by Lipsy on Instagram on Monday. No doubt kicking off her followers' week with a smile, the 26-year-old showcased her incredibly toned physique in some elaborate underwear. Scroll down for video Undie-lievable! Toned Lucy Mecklenburgh showcased her incredible figure in a lace bralet from Lipsy's new range on Instagram on Monday The sexy design - which is from Lipsy's A/W '17 collection - comprised of an ornate lace fabric, which ran across her abs, as well as around her slender waist. Strap detailing across the cups also accentuated the beauty's ample chest. Giving her scanty style a demure finish, she paired the piece with high-waisted velvet trousers and wore her trademark brunette tresses in an elegant up-do. 'Lace & velvet obsessed with this Bralet @lipsylondon #mylipsylook #bralets #lingerie #lace #velvet,' she captioned the sizzling snap. Formula Stun! Lucy recently wowed in an all-in-one motor racing suit in a sizzling shoot for Ellesse The steamy photo comes just days after Lucy put on yet another titillating display while posing for an Ellesse campaign. In the newly-released snaps, the Essex native stuns as she poses in a deep blue one-piece, the front tantalizingly unbuttoned almost to the waist, teasing her chest and her abs beneath. With a light dusting of make-up, the former TOWIE star wears her chocolate locks flicked playfully as she shoots a sultry glare down the lens. The design resembles a retro style that was originally seen in the 70s with the iconic blue of the Beechdean Aston Martin Racing as the palette of the design. Racy: In the newly-released snaps, the 26-year-old stuns as she poses in a deep blue one-piece, the front tantalizingly unbuttoned almost to the waist, teasing her chest and her abs beneath Reigning European Le Mans Series champions Beechdean Aston Martin Racing team has teamed up with the sportswear brand to form a unique and limited edition pit lane and race uniform exclusively for their race team. Her string of sultry snaps come as the beauty continues to find herself the subject of an are they/aren't they romance with actor Ryan Thomas. Despite the rumour mill claiming the pair - who met while starring on Bear Gryll's Celebrity Island - had called time on their romance, Ryan took to Instagram to share a series of posts in a nod to Lucy, which she later reciprocated - illustrating no ill feelings between the loved-up duo. Va va va voom: With a light dusting of make-up, the former TOWIE star wears her chocolate locks flicked playfully as she shoots a sultry glare down the lens Lucy had just launched 'With Self Love', a programme to help tackle anxiety, and in support of the stunner, Down Under-dwelling Ryan shared the slogan for the campaign while gushing about his pride. Last week, Lucy seemingly hinted at trouble in paradise with her boyfriend Ryan after he confirmed that he is going to be making a move to Australia, after landing a job on the soap Neighbours. Appearing to take a swipe at him after the news broke, Lucy shared a photograph of a toad on Instagram with the caption: 'I seem to attract frogs', while Ryan appeared to be teasing a reunion as he penned: 'I'll give you one more chance.' Lucy launched the new campaign in conjunction with her Results With Lucy fitness empire and while she has been storming the campaign trail, a number of stars have thrown their support behind her - most notably Ryan. Feeling tyred? The design resembles a retro style that was originally seen in the 70s with the iconic blue of the Beechdean Aston Martin Racing as the palette of the design All good! Lucy Mecklenburgh and Ryan Thomas' romance has been riddled with rumours of strife since he relocated to Australia for a role on hit soap Neighbours Sharing an image of the campaign slogan, he penned: 'This is a confidence course I truly believe in and something I feel I had to share. Well done @lucymeck1 @resultswithcecilia very proud of what you guys are trying to achieve.' Clearly pleased with his support, the stunning star re-posted his message with a note of gratitude, while he also posted an image of a delicious looking meal on which he tagged her Instagram handle. MailOnline has previously approached Lucy Mecklenburgh and Ryan Thomas' representatives for comment. Supportive: Yet all appeared to be well in the Thomas-Mecklenburgh camp on Wednesday as Ryan took to Instagram to share a series of posts in a nod to Lucy, which she later reciprocated - illustrating no ill feelings between the loved-up duo Grateful: Clearly pleased with his support, the stunning star re-posted his message with a note of gratitude Fans were left crushed when Matty 'J' Johnson sent her home on The Bachelor. But they may now have a reason to rejoice after Tara Pavlovic hinted she would consider becoming the next Bachelorette. Weeks after rejecting the idea, the 27-year-old appeared to have changed her mind on All Star Family Feud on Monday night. Scroll down for videos 'Maybe I'll get some tips off these guys': Tara Pavlovic now says she WOULD consider doing The Bachelorette and is open to getting advice from Sophie Monk and Matty J 'There's a little bit of buzz around the nation that you might be tipped to be the next Bachelorette, Tara,' host Grant Denyer said. 'Um, yeah, who knows? I don't know. It's pretty hard. I don't know if I could do it, but, hmm...' Tara replied. She continued to say she isn't sure if she would be able to break people's hearts on the program. 'If they were k**bs, I'd be like, "See you, mate. You do not get a rose." But if they're nice and they're standing there waiting to get picked ... I'd just cry. I'd be like "Osher! Osher!",' she said. The blonde beauty added: 'Maybe I'll get some tips off [Matty J and Sophie Monk] and see how hard it really is, maybe.' The next Bachelorette? The 27-year-old suggested she would be open to taking on the role when asked on All Star Family Feud on Monday night 'There's a little bit of buzz': host Grant Denyer asked Tara if she would be prepared to return for the role Noncommittal: Tara said isn't sure if she would be able to break people's hearts on the program, but refused to shut the door on the possibility 'Maybe I'll get some tips off [Matty J and Sophie Monk]': Tara said the show's most recent two stars could teach her how to 'break hearts' It comes after the Gold Coast nanny initially dismissed the rumours that she would become the next Bachelorette. Despite calls for her to follow in Georgia Love's footsteps, Tara recently told OK! Magazine: 'I'd prefer someone that isn't in the limelight. I find it all a bit fake.' She continued: 'I'm pretty down to earth and real, and I'd rather find someone who isn't with me for their personal gain'. Unsure: It comes after the Gold Coast nanny initially dismissed the rumours that she would become the next Bachelorette No thanks! The nanny initially told OK! Magazine: 'I'd prefer someone that isn't in the limelight. I find it all a bit fake' As soon as she was eliminated, fans were already campaigning on social media for the bubbly nanny to become the Bachelorette in 2018. Clearly angered and emotionally affected by Matty J's rejection, Twitter users took the side of Tara: 'Tara deserves way better than Matty, let her be a Bachelorette!' 'MATTY IS WRONG, TARA IS PERFECT! She has to be the next Bachelorette after Sophie Monk for sure,' one user wrote. She continued: 'I'm pretty down to earth and real, and I'd rather find someone who isn't with me for their personal gain' She was stunned when photos of her husband kissing Topshop heiress Chloe Green, 26, on a yacht in Turkey surfaced online this summer. And 'Hot Felon' Jeremy Meeks' estranged wife Melissa, 38, has now spoken about the devastating incident for the first time since the 33-year-old former jailbird turned model struck up a relationship with British billionaire Sir Philip Green's daughter. Mother-of-three Melissa broke down in tears during an emotional chat with This Morning hosts Ben Shepherd and Amanda Holden on Monday, confessing that she still misses her husband of eight years despite his infidelity. Scroll down for video Emotional: 'Hot Felon' Jeremy Meeks' estranged wife Melissa has spoken about the model leaving her for Topshop heiress Chloe Green on Monday's installment of This Morning Shock: Melissa said she had 'no indication' her husband of eight years would stray with shoe designer Chloe She said: 'He was an amazing husband, honestly, when I think about it I still get emotional. It's still very raw. We had a really good life together.' Melissa, who described the affair as 'heartbreaking', confessed that his modelling career drove a wedge between them because he was often overseas travelling. But while they might have hit a rocky patch in their marriage, she had 'no indication' Jeremy - with whom she shares her youngest child - would stray. She recalled: 'I had no indication he was looking for another relationship. 'People who are married, you go through your ups and downs, I thought it was a new chapter in our lives, we'd have to get over the hump and it would be fine.' Moving on: Meeks filed for divorce shortly afterwards and has been putting on a very public display of affection with new girlfriend Chloe ever since, canoodling on a string of exotic holidays Heartbroken: Melissa's voice broke as she recalled Jeremy confessing his infidelity to her in the aftermath of the shocking pictures of Chloe draped all over him Tough: Melissa broke down in tears during an emotional chat with This Morning hosts Ben Shepherd and Amanda Holden Melissa's voice broke as she recalled Jeremy confessing his infidelity to her this June, in the aftermath of the pictures of Chloe draped all over him during a yacht photoshoot. The nurse said: 'He was just apologetic for how things came out and how hurt I was by it. 'I don't really think there's any denying it based on the photos that were out there...' Meeks filed for divorce shortly afterwards and has been putting on a very public display of affection with new girlfriend Chloe ever since, canoodling on a string of exotic holidays. The brunette said: 'He was just apologetic for how things came out and how hurt I was by it' 'There's no hope': Heartbroken Melissa admitted that she felt resigned to the split and didn't try and fight for her husband because she knew his heart belonged to someone else Heartbroken Melissa admitted that she felt resigned to the split and didn't try and fight for her husband because she knew his heart belonged to someone else. 'I really wasn't too sure where I wanted to go in the relationship', she sighed. 'That's my husband of 8/9 years, I love him deeply, I still do. It's very hard when I think about what happened. 'I wish I still had my husband to go home to... but I don't believe there is any hope.' PDA-heavy: In August, Jeremy publicly paraded his romance with heiress Chloe as they enjoyed carnival during a sunny Barbados holiday Viral: The California native shot to fame in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot on their website, following his arrest for gang activity and a misdemeanour charge of resisting/obstructing justice Although Melissa and Jeremy split on bad terms, the pair are doing their best to be civil for the sake of their children. She declared: 'He still sees the kids. They're still very involved with each other. That's still positive for the children.' During the moving interview, Melissa also recalled how Meeks' meteoric rise to fame affected their marriage. Meeks shot to fame in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot on their website, following his arrest for gang activity and a misdemeanour charge of resisting/obstructing justice. The photo promptly went viral, with internet users dubbing him 'the hottest convict ever'. He served prison time for for grand theft and gun possession. Staying mum: Melissa has stayed quiet on her heartbreak until now, concentrating on raising her three children (pictured with Bobby and Jeremy junior this month) Upon his release in March 2016, however, he became a hot property with offers of modeling work. He is currently signed to White Cross Management, has walked in the Philipp Plein show and starred in the new eye-wear campaign for Carolina Lemke with Israeli model Bar Refaeli. Explaining how their family dynamic changed when he was locked up, Melissa - who stood by him throughout his jail sentence - said: 'We were leaving day to day lives without him 'We would go to visit him a lot, it was good for the kids that they werent completely pulled apart from him. Life of luxury: Meeks sent tongues wagging after pictures emerged of him kissing Chloe on a yacht in Turkey in June 'It was the plan - to be a family together. But then his mugshot went viral.' 'All the exposure that he got, this new career path he was on, he started doing a lot of travelling. 'I wasn't able to go with him, that probably put some distance between us.' Melissa's interview went down well with viewers at home, who branded her a 'lovely and forgiving lady'. One viewer shared: 'Shocking. The #HotFelon is a jerk. Running off with a better offer from his wife of 8 years once he got famous.' Another posted: '#hotfelon. What a lovely and forgiving lady, honest with her feelings whilst hurting badly. Hope she gets support.' Show of support: While some viewers were cynical, most were backing Melissa as she attempts to move on from her husband Positive vibes: Viewers at home branded her a 'lovely and forgiving lady' New look: Melissa has undergone an extensive makeover, from new blonde locks to an extremely intimate procedure, in a bid to move on from her broken marriage Others were more cynical, with one person sharing, ' I get that Melissa Meeks wants to make money from all this shit but she needs some self respect & move on like a grownup #ThisMorning'. Jeremy and Chloe reportedly met during the Cannes Film Festival in May, where Jeremy was modelling for Phillip Plein. And in July Jeremy filed for legal separation from mother-of-three Melissa, who he shares her youngest son with. He was married to the nurse, who stayed with him throughout his stint in prison, for eight years. Jeremy and Chloe took their controversial romance a step further last month, when he met her mum aboard a luxury yacht in Monaco. Bouncing back: Melissa took to Instagram to show off her sizzling physique in September as she appeared to be beginning a post break-up body make over last month At the beginning of the month they were forced to deny engagement rumours, after she flashed a huge rock on her wedding finger in a series of confusing snapchats. but made sure she kept her ring finger hidden. The duo have since been spotted on a series of sun-soaked holidays together, even appearing together at various public events, cementing their relationship status. In August, Jeremy publicly paraded his romance with heiress Chloe as they enjoyed carnival during a sunny Barbados holiday. Meanwhile, Melissa has undergone an extensive makeover, from new blonde locks to an extremely intimate procedure, in a bid to move on from her broken marriage. Calm and composed: Melissa's interview went down well with viewers at home At the beginning of October Melissa, a natural brunette, stepped out with newly blonde locks in Los Angeles at the end of an extensive makeover, which included eyebrow and eyelash treatments, a cryotherapy session, and even a 'vaginal tightening' performed by a plastic surgeon. She also had her eyebrows microbladed during a treatment favored by stars such as Madonna and Bella Thorne, which makes the brows look neater and fuller. The brave nurse also appeared to be beginning a post break-up body make-over, posing in her underwear as she showed off her already enviable figure. She revealed she 'stands by' the brave women speaking out in the midst of the Harvey Weinstein scandal after the disgraced film mogul was accused of rape and sexual harassment. And Emma Watson was seen for the first time since breaking her silence on the news that has rocked Hollywood, enjoying a night out at London's Children Firehouse on Saturday. The 27-year-old Beauty And The Beast actress wrapped up warm for the occasion, covering up in a dark coat. Scroll down for video Stepping out: Emma Watson was seen for the first time since breaking her silence on the news that has rocked Hollywood, enjoying a night out at London's Children Firehouse on Saturday Emma wore her brunette locks in a chic updo and set off her evening wear with a slick of red lipstick. The star kept a low profile as she arrived at the celebrity hotspot for a night out with a friend. The Miramax co-founder was sacked from his position earlier this month after numerous women - including actresses Ashley Judd and Ambra Battilana - went public about his alleged behaviour. Chic: Emma wore her brunette locks in a chic updo and set off her eveningwear look with a slick of red lipstick The producer who has ties to almost every big name in Hollywood worked with Emma in 2011 when she starred in his film My Week With Marilyn. The actress and campaigner for equal rights tweeted at the time in support of the women who had come forward. Posting to Twitter, she wrote: 'I stand with all the women who have been sexually harassed, and am awestruck by their bravery. This mistreatment of women has to stop. ' 'It has got to stop': Emma condemned sexual violence against women as more allegations about Harvey Weinstein come forward. Pictured above, the movie mogul grabbing the then-nineteen-year-old actress as they left Mahiki nightclub in 2011 Watson worked with Weinstein when she was 19 on a film his company was producing. They were pictured together shortly after partying in Central London after a night at the BAFTAs. In images taken at the time, a young Watson can be seen leaving Mahiki nighclub in London as the then 58-year-old producer grabbed her from behind. In recent years Watson has become a leading figure in the fight for gender equality after taking up her position as Women Goodwill Ambassador for the UN in 2014. Former friends: Emma, pictured above with Weinstein at a pre-BAFTA dinner in 2011 Speaking out: The 27-year-old Goodwill Ambassador for the UN said she was awestruck by the bravery of sexual harassment victims More than 40 women have now accused the 65-year-old Weinstein of harassment or abuse. Actresses including Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and Lupita Nyong'o have accused Weinstein of harassment, while actresses Asia Argento and Rose McGowan said he raped them. The Television Academy, which bestows Emmy awards, said a disciplinary hearing set for November could lead to termination of his membership. He has already been expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Producers Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Weinstein now faces criminal inquiries in three cities after an Italian actress told Los Angeles detectives that Weinstein raped her in a hotel room in 2013. The film boss has previously denied 'any claims of non-consensual sex'. Accusations: More than 40 women have now accused the 65-year-old Weinstein of harassment or abuse She's a gay icon with an army of dedicated fans in the LGBT community. So it was no surprise to see Dannii Minogue sandwiched between two drag queens in Melbourne last week. The 45-year-old was at the launch party for comedian Joel Creasey's new book, Thirsty. Scroll down for video Right at home! It was no surprise to see Dannii Minogue sandwiched between two drag queens at Joel Creasey's book launch in Melbourne last week The Neon Nights hitmaker cut a cool and edgy figure in a star-printed blazer, sparkly black top and matching tulle train. She matched the looked with a pair of light washed ripped jeans and pointy heels. The brunette beauty styled her luscious locks in waves, while her makeup was bold and exciting with a red lip, strong brows, flushed cheeks, kohl rimmed eyes and lashings of mascara. Stylish: The Neon Nights hitmaker cut a cool and edgy figure in a star-printed blazer, sparkly black top and matching tulle train Her jacket had the word 'love' sewn into the breast with a rainbow flag, indicating Dannii's support for same-sex marriage in Australia. The pop diva posed with Joel Creasey, and then held his book up to the cameras to give the tome a good plug. Dannii recently received praise for her parenting from her ex-partner Kris Smith, who is the father of her seven-year-old son, Ethan. Two peas in a pod! The pop diva posed with comedian and good friend Joel Creasey On The Morning Show, the male model commended his ex, describing her as an 'incredible mother' to Ethan. Speaking of his relationship with the songstress, the 39-year-old said on-air: 'She has been brilliant and accommodating to me.' Kris told co-hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies, that they opted to keep son Ethan out of the spotlight. 'We agreed from day one that we (would) keep him out of the media as much as we can and give him a normal life.' Marilyn Manson's former bandmate Scott Putesky has died at the age of 49. The musician - who helped form the rocker's band The Spooky Kids - had been battling stage 4 colon cancer. Scott - more famously known as Daisy Berkowitz - bravely went public with his condition in September 2013. Scroll down for video Heartbreak: Scott Putesky [L] - who helped formed Marilyn Manson's The Spooky Kids - has died at the age of 49 following a battle with stage 4 colon cancer Lamenting Scott's death on social media, Marilyn shared a snap of the pair in their youth. He wrote alongside the image: 'Scott Putesky and I made great music together. We had our differences over the years, but I will always remember the good times more. 'Everyone should listen to "Man That You Fear" in his honor. That was our favorite.' Scott and Marilyn - real name Brian Warner - founded Marilyn Manson after meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1989. The beginning: Scott [second from right] and Marilyn - real name Brian Warner - founded Marilyn Manson after meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1989 The group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids, before they chose to drop the latter. Scott's Daisy Berkowitz stage name was a controversial blend of Dukes of Hazard character Daisy Dukes and notorious serial killer Dave Berkowitz. Marilyn adopted the same approach when founding his moniker, combining Hollywood's Marilyn Monroe with cult leader and killer Charles Manson. The duo enjoyed success with their 1994 debut, Portrait of an American Family, and 1995's Smells Like Children - which featured their career-defining cover of the Eurythmic's Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Scott's Daisy Berkowitz stage name was a controversial blend of Dukes of Hazard character Daisy Dukes and notorious serial killer Dave Berkowitz Moving on: Scott (back right) departed the band in 1996, citing creative differences, and went on to form a solo career However, in 1996 Scott departed the band, citing creative differences, and went on to form a solo career. He released two albums and appeared on Jack Off Jill's Covetous Creature EP in 1998. Also paying their respects, the American riot band wrote on Monday: 'Saying good bye to Scott, friend, band mate, artist , hero.. RIP Scott - "always touched by your presence dear." Daisy Berkowitz.' He has been standing in for regular host Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain for just over a week. And Richard Madeley shocked co-hosts Ranvir Singh and Charlotte Hawkins with a comment about John Leslie on Monday's episode of the show. The former This Morning presenter, 61, was recalling his wife Judy Finnigan's epic wardrobe malfunction at the National Television Awards in 2001, which was likened to Gemma Collins' tumble into a pit at Sunday's Radio 1 Teen Awards. Scroll down for video Shock: Richard Madeley shocked his Good Morning Britain co-hosts Ranvir Singh and Charlotte Hawkins with a comment about John Leslie on Monday's episode of the show Comment: John, 52, is known for his work presenting Blue Peter, This Morning and Wheel of Fortune The breakfast television couple were left mortified after Judy's glamorous gown fell down live on-stage, revealing her white lacy bra to everyone. But the host stunned when he made the comment about former TV presenter John, who had rushed on-stage to shield Judy and pull her gown back up. Richard said: 'We didn't know what happened. 'We were looking at the audience and it was only when John Leslie came up and put everything back in place. Wow: The former This Morning presenter, 61, was recalling his wife Judy Finnigan's epic wardrobe malfunction at the National Television Awards in 2001, which was likened to Gemma Collins' tumble into a pit at Sunday's Radio 1 Teen Awards Eye-popping: The couple were unaware of the mammoth wardrobe malfunction which had taken place On-stage: The breakfast television couple were left mortified after Judy's glamorous gown fell down live on-stage, revealing her white lacy bra to everyone with John rushing on-stage to protect her modesty Wow: Richard stunned co-hosts Ranvir and Charlotte when talking about John rushing on-stage, saying 'It was the first time he helped a lady into a dress!' Oh dear: Charlotte pulled a shocked face as Richard said 'That was an old joke' He then said: 'It was the first time he helped a lady into a dress!' As Ranvir and fellow co-host Charlotte Hawkins looked on in shock, he hurriedly said 'That was an old joke.' Ranvir responded 'Well that will make the headlines in the morning!'. John, 52, is known for his work presenting Blue Peter, This Morning and Wheel of Fortune. He previously dated glamour model turned actress Abigail Titmuss, 41. She found out on Saturday's episode of The X Factor that she'd made it into the final 12. And Tracey Leanne Jefford has explained that she wants to use her time on the ITV singing show to give the travelling community that she comes from a better reputation. 'I want to show the public that there are good people in the travelling community,' she told MailOnline. 'There are good and bad people in every community but you can't tar everyone with the same brush.' Scroll down for video 'You can't tar us all with the same brush!' Tracy Leanne Jefford reveals she wants to change what the public think of the travelling community She explained that her fellow travelers have been incredibly supportive of her, and she has the backing of the whole community. 'They are all backing me,' she said. 'I have always mixed out of the community though, I am friends with everybody, I actually have more non-gypsy friends.' On getting through to the live shows, Tracey Leanne, 35, said: 'Ive never been more ecstatic - apart from when I gave birth to my kids. It feels surreal, I really have to pinch myself.' Tracey was married as a teenager, as is the fashion within the travelling world. Doing it for the community: Tracey Leanne explained that she wants to use her time on the ITV singing show to give the travelling community that she comes from a better rap The Overs: 'I want to show the public that there are good people in the travelling community,' she told MailOnline. 'There are good and bad people in every community but you can't tar everyone with the same brush' New chapter: 'I have had my ups and downs, and I was at home bringing my children up, so I couldnt follow my dreams,' the mum-of-three admitted 'I have had my ups and downs, and I was at home bringing my children up, so I couldnt follow my dreams,' the mum-of-three admitted. She auditioned for The X Factor a decade ago in 2006 and made it through to Boot Camp, but no further. 'Since then I have lost five and a half stone in weight and I feel like such a different person - I used to walk around with my head down,' Tracey Leanne - who has now split from her husband - admitted. She has oft been compared to Amy Winehouse through the audition process, with her style of voice and her look. Back again: She auditioned for The X Factor a decade ago in 2006 and made it through to Boot Camp, but no further Tracey or Amy? She has oft been compared to Amy Winehouse through the audition process, with her style of voice and her look Of working with Nicole Scherzinger, who is the mentor for the Overs category this year, Tracey Leanne said: 'She is a friend as well as our mentor - she is such a wonderful person' 'I've worked hard as an artist and its lovely to be compared to her,' she said. 'Amy Winehouse was a beautiful person, but there will only ever be one Amy.' Of working with Nicole Scherzinger, who is the mentor for the Overs category this year, Tracey Leanne said: 'She is a friend as well as our mentor - she is such a wonderful person.' She also mentioned Stormzy, who joined them as a guest judge in South Africa, saying: 'Stormzy is such a down to earth guy, we clicked right away. But then again, I talk to anyone and get on with them. I would sit and talk to a tramp!' Away from home: She moved into the X Factor mansion over the weekend, ahead of the live shows, leaving her 14, 13, and seven-year-old children with her mother for the time being New pad: The hopeful singers moved into a luxury multi-million pound mansion in North London at the weekend Fuming: Grace Davies looked far from impressed to be getting to work The new house features a swimming pool, grand piano, games room and a large garden [pictured Rai-Elle Williams] Stepping out: Spencer Sutherland and Holly Tandy are representing the Boys and Girls categories respectively Off to rehearsals? Matt Linnen carried a bright backpack as he got into a waiting Mercedes She moved into the X Factor mansion over the weekend, ahead of the live shows, leaving her 14, 13, and seven-year-old children with her mother for the time being. 'I am going to miss them, but I am doing this for their future,' she said. Of the other contestants in the competition, she added: 'I adore them all; yes, I am in a competition against them but I just want to wish good luck to everyone. Potential pop stars: Kevin Davy White is in the Overs group, while Grace Davies represents the Girls Black's back: Sam Black was brought back onto the show after being previously axed at Boot Camp Getting to work: Matt found out at the weekend he was through to the live shows Matt on Matt: Matt worries that Nicole winning The X Factor last year with Matt Terry as her contestant is in fact a bad omen Roommates: Spencer and Sam will bunk together in the X Factor mansion Off to work: Holly Tandy was seen leaving the house 'May the best person win - but I feel like Ive already won.' The 12 final acts were spotted at their new pad on Monday, as they began making initial preparations for their first live episode, which will take place on Saturday. The X Factor live shows kick off on Saturday night on ITV. Early start: The girls were up with the lark to get to work Star quality: Tracey Leanne looked every inch the glam pop star She is known for her gorgeous curves as well as her time on The Only Way Is Essex. And Frankie Essex looked sensational as she hit the beach in sunsoaked Cyprus on Sunday. The former reality star, 30, showcased her hourglass curves in a extremely plunging green cross-strap swimsuit, which revealed her gravity-defying cleavage in all its glory. Scroll down for video Sizzling: Frankie Essex looked sensational as she hit the beach in sunsoaked Cyprus on Sunday The skintight swimsuit also hugged her slender waist and emphasised her toned and shapely legs as she emerged from the crystalline waters. Frankie also showed off her pert derriere thanks to the swimwear's high cut bottom. Bringing a touch of Essex glamour to the beach, the star opted for smoky eye make-up and false lashes, paired with a candied pink lipstick. Adding a pop of colour she accessorised with colourful pom-pom earrings. Peachy: The former reality star, 30, showcased her hourglass curves in a extremely plunging green cross-strap swimsuit, which revealed her peachy posterior Her blonde locks were swept away from her face into an elegant half updo. Despite her stunning swimsuit-clad display, Frankie was branded fat by vile trolls when she was holidaying in Spain in September, leading her to vow never to wear a bikini again. After the abuse, she said: 'I don't even want to wear a bikini now feel so uncomfortable.' In August, the Essex born beauty confessed she felt under-the-weather because she had put on a stone. Of her weight, she told The Sun: 'I've put on a stone. Not being able to go gym - you eat and it makes me a bit depressed. Cruel: Despite her stunning swimsuit-clad display, Frankie was abused by vile trolls when she was holidaying in Spain in September, leading her to vow never to wear a bikini again Glamorous: Frankie has been candid about her weight loss journey, shedding over two stone in 2016 'It's horrible and it's a bit depressing. I'm swollen. My whole body is swollen.' She has been forced to defend herself on social media after she has reportedly been trolled for the change in her appearance. On Twitter, she wrote: 'So bored of people trolling me about my weight! Yes I have put a bit on but there are reasons behind it!' The Only Way Is Essex star received support from her loyal fans who flooded the post with adoring compliments. Reality darling: Frankie was supported by her loyal fans who called her 'amazing and gorgeous' One wrote: 'Frankie dont listen to the trolls you are amazing and gorgeous keep your head held up xxxx' (sic). 'Rule 1-never justify yourself to keyboard warriors & definitely not about your weight. You are beautiful inside&,out- unlike those trolls!! 'You look amazing!' a fan added. 'They are only jealous because they aren't achieving what you have done.' Another commented: 'Who should care. As long as you are healthy and happy who should care.' She has become one of the world's leading supermodels, boasting the honour of being a staple on some of the world's most prestigious runways. So, with her modelling credentials, it's no surprise Gigi Hadid has chosen to act as the face of her new beauty collaboration with cosmetics line Maybelline. The 22-year-old looks simply stunning as she models a range of looks in new campaign shots from her collection, one of which sees the beauty perfect a classic red lip and smokey eye. Scroll down for video Maybe she's born with it! Gigi Hadid looks simply stunning as she models a range of looks in new campaign shots from her Maybelline collection, one of which sees the beauty perfect a classic red lip and smokey eye Showing off her modelling prowess, Gigi - whose signature blonde tresses are styled into a glamorous bouffant hairstyle - gazes seductively at the lens as she samples the make-up look. Another shot depicts the fashionista model the same red lipstick, though her hair is slicked back from her face, ensuring her pristine make-up is the focal. The sultry image also sees Gigi rock a double denim ensemble, with the beauty teasing her decolletage by letting her jacket hang from her shoulder. Confidential: The stunning images come as Gigi revealed she had to keep details of her make-up a range a secret from her family Showing off the line's versatility, the model also samples a tougher look comprised of a deep brown lipstick and bold winged eyeliner. The stunning images come as Gigi revealed she had to keep details of her make-up a range a secret from her family. The runway staple admitted nobody knew about the project - not even her sister Bella, with whom she is incredibly close. Red hot: Showing off her modelling prowess, Gigi - whose signature blonde tresses are styled into a glamorous bouffant hairstyle - gazes seductively at the lens as she samples one make-up look Speaking about her collection to PEOPLE magazine, she explained: 'When I landed in London on the tour for my Tommy Hilfiger line [in September], we had to go straight to a radio show. 'We had to pretty much do hair and make-up for the show in the tiniest bathroom youve ever seen. Erin did my make-up with the Jetsetter palette but she couldnt say it because it wasnt announced yet. We were talking about it after how she wished she could tell people what we used.' The catwalk icon has revealed she had "the most fun" making the line because she knew exactly what products she wanted to include in the collection, which is split into two categories East Coast Glam inspired by New York City, and West Coast Glow that is influenced by the California beach vibe. She dished: 'I travel [so much] for work and I never want to pack and unpack my make-up bag all the time. I look up to girls who can wake up in the morning and do a full face of make-up and look amazing. But I just cant put on all that make-up and make it look good.' But buyers will notice that product names are not only inspired by Gigi's favourite American locations, but also by her friends. Name-dropper: Buyers will notice that product names are not only inspired by Gigi's favourite American locations, but also by her friends Countless celebrities have been speaking out in support of the women going public with their stories of sexual harassment and abuse in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein assault allegations. And the latest star to step forward is Hollywood filmmaker Kenneth Branagh, who has heaped praise on the 'gutsy' women who have been brave enough to go public with their stories. 'Everybody has to keep listening to what is going on,' he told the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday. 'Everybody has to keep listening to what is going on': Kenneth Branagh has spoken out in support of the women going public in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal 'A lot of gutsy people have been speaking up about something that is difficult... I have unreserved admiration for the people who have had the guts to come up with stuff that has to be spoken about.' Numerous female actresses in Hollywood have spoken out, accusing producer and studio executive Weinstein of unwanted advances. And in The Daily Telegraph's Confidential on Friday, Jessica Gomes shared her thoughts on the brave women taking a stand against sexual harassment. 'We've been given a platform to have a voice': Jessica Gomes, 33, praised Hollywood actresses for taking a stand against sexual harrassment, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, in Friday's The Daily Telegraph 'We've been given a platform to have a voice,' the 33-year-old told the publication. During an appearance at the launch of JET swimwear's new collection, Jessica said: 'I think we're being really empowered and taking a stand for certain things, and I think it's really amazing. 'I think it's a really great time to be in Hollywood for women because we've been given a platform to have a voice,' the budding actress continued. Numerous celebrities including Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Judi Dench and Kate Winslet have slammed film producer and studio executive Harvey Weinstein. The budding actress continued: 'I think it's a really great time to be in Hollywood for women because we've been given a platform to have a voice' Headlines: Film producer and studio executive Harvey Weinstein, 65, was fired earlier this month from his own film studio, three days after a bombshell New York Times report alleged that he had preyed on young women hoping to break into the film industry Harvey, 65, was fired earlier this month from his own film studio, three days after a bombshell New York Times report alleged that he had preyed on young women hoping to break into the film industry. Weinstein's accusers - who include celebrities such as Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd - say the tycoon had promised to help advance their careers in exchange for sexual favours. Italian star Asia Argento also accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting her in 1997 at a party hosted by Miramax at the Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc in an article published by the New Yorker. Claims: Weinstein's accusers - who include celebrities such as Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd - say the tycoon had promised to help advance their careers in exchange for sexual favours She claims the mogul led her to an empty room and asked her to give him a massage. She reluctantly agreed, and halfway through he began to perform oral sex on her after forcibly lifting up her skirt despite her repeated requests for him to stop. More actresses have come out with their stories of sexual harassment at Weinstein's hands, including Hollywood icons Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow. She's never been one to shy away from showcasing her incredible physique. And Elizabeth Hurley, 52, was back to her old figure-flaunting tricks as she highlighted her enviable frame in a daring bikini in a short Instagram video on Monday. The actress sizzled in the red two-piece which appeared to be the latest addition to her swimwear brand Elizabeth Hurley Beach during her latest idyllic break to one of the luxurious One&Only Resorts. Scroll down for video Bikini babe: Elizabeth Hurley, 52, was back to her old figure-flaunting tricks as she highlighted her enviable frame in a daring bikini in a short Instagram video on Monday The Bedazzled star highlighted her ample cleavage in the halterneck bikini top as she slowly walked out of the crystal clear water with confidence. She continued to display her taut stomach and narrow waist as she slipped on a pair of skimpy swimwear bottoms which hugged her slender hips. The age-defying Hollywood star worked her wet locks off her face while she shielded her eyes from the envy-inducing rays in her trendy aviator shades. Red hot: The actress sizzled in the red two-piece which appeared to be the latest addition to her swimwear brand Elizabeth Hurley Beach during her latest idyllic break to one of the luxurious One&Only Resorts Walk this way: She continued to display her taut stomach and narrow waist as she slipped on a pair of skimpy swimwear bottoms which hugged her slender hips Chest a glimpse: The Bedazzled star highlighted her ample cleavage in the halterneck bikini top as she slowly walked out of the crystal clear water with confidence After successfully walking up the stairs seductively, she finished off the skin-flashing clip by blowing a kiss towards the camera. Elsewhere, she really insisted she has no desire for Damian, 15 who she shares with ex Steve Bing, to become a celebrity due to feeling 'trapped by fame'. The Austin Powers star told The Daily Telegraph that she would not want Damian to garner the attention attached to being a star, despite his role as Prince Hansel von Liechtenstein in her E! series The Royals. Sealed with a kiss: After successfully walking up the stairs seductively, she finished off the skin-flashing clip by blowing a kiss towards the camera Nope: She really insisted she has no desire for Damian, 15 who she shares with ex Steve Bing, to become a celebrity due to feeling 'trapped by fame' Elizabeth, who soared to fame in the Nineties while dating Hugh Grant, has a famously close bond with her son, making her concerns understandable although his exposure to the limelight so far could make her quest a mean feat. She told the publication of the downsides of fame, while highlighting the attention attracted by being instantly recognisable: 'I certainly don't want a child of mine to be famous. It's the worst thing to be trapped in your house and not be able to leave.' Atop her concerns, Elizabeth is adamant Damian doesn't get embarrassed by his mother even when she sings or dances around him, yet reveals the only time he is left red-faced by his parent is when his teachers want to bond with the fashion icon. She went on: 'On the whole Damian's not embarrassed. Most people are embarrassed when their parents sing, or dance, or wear dresses. He loves all that, but he doesn't like me being too jokey with his teachers. Out of the spotlight: The 52-year-old Bedazzled star told The Daily Telegraph that she would not want Damian to garner the attention attached to being a star, despite his role as Prince Hansel von Liechtenstein in her E! series The Royals Dad: Damian's father is Elizabeth's brief flame Steve Bing (pictured in 2006) 'Maybe it's because we're talking to teachers but it always makes me laugh because there's so little one can do as a controlling parent wanting to help your children. You can't make them sit and learn their biology drawings.' Elizabeth is best known for her modelling contract with Estee Lauder, her relationship with Hugh and her starring role in Austin Powers. She has had her fair share of high-profile relationships, spending over a decade on the arm of Hugh. Hitting the red carpet: 'Maybe it's because we're talking to teachers but it always makes me laugh because there's so little one can do as a controlling parent wanting to help your children. You can't make them sit and learn their biology drawings' Happy days: Elizabeth is best known for her modelling contract with Estee Lauder, her relationship with Hugh Grant and her starring role in Austin Powers (pictured in May 2015) It was her appearance alongside the British thespian at the 1994 premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral that shot her to fame thanks to her her barely- there safety pinned Versace dress, which earned her millions of admirers and an Estee Lauder contract. The two split in 2000 however but remain friends, and over the next three years Hurley was rumored to be with a number of men, most notably with Stephen Bing. In 2002, Hurley gave birth to a son Damian with the billionaire businessman. Her first and only marriage was in 2007 to Indian businessman Arun Nayar, with the two divorcing four years later. His stunning wedding to Sadie Stuart was televised on their own reality show on Sunday night. But it was Elliott Wright's pal James 'Arg' Argent that caught viewers' attention, after it was revealed he almost ruined the pair's nuptials. Speaking on Elliot Wright: The Wedding, the groom himself admitted his pal Arg, 29, had been a 'nightmare' Master of Ceremonies, as he had missed both his suit fitting and the big dress rehearsal. Scroll down for video 'He's a nightmare!': Elliott Wright revealed on his reality show that James 'Arg' Argent caused chaos ahead of his nuptials to Sadie Stuart The happy couple: However, despite Arg failing to attend his suit fitting and the dress rehearsal, the stunning wedding went off without a hitch (above) The TOWIE star was supposed to be the Master of Ceremonies on their special day - a figure that keeps the day running smoothly, announcing the likes of dinner, the speeches and the first dance. However Arg appeared to wreak havoc on his pal's big day, as he failed to make the dress rehearsal, turned up late to the ceremony and tried on his suit for the very first time outside the church. Elliott's sister Leah was seen fuming on the show, which aired on ITVBe on Sunday: 'Arg at the moment is just a nightmare!' Trouble maker: Arg appeared to wreak havoc on his pal's big day, as he failed to make the dress rehearsal, arrived late to the ceremony and tried on his suit for the first time at the church Panic stations: Although the TV star thought the blue suit (above) 'fit like glove', Elliott wasn't convinced - sending him into a panic just twenty four hours before his big day Although the TV star, who recently lost four stone after spending two months at a rehabilitation centre in Thailand, thought the blue suit 'fit like glove', Elliott wasn't convinced - sending him into a panic just twenty four hours before his big day. The 36-year-old hunk admitted to his family with concern: 'Look at Arg's suit - the suit don't even fit him.' However, after realising his mistakes, Arg appeared more determined to make amends with Elliott and Sadie, and ensure their day was the best it could possibly be. I Do: However, after realising his mistakes, Arg appeared more determined to make amends with Elliott and Sadie (centre), and ensure their day was the best it could be Main man: He gushed of his pal (above): 'I may have been slightly late and didn't make the suit fitting, but if I get the Master of Ceremonies right Elliott is going to be absolutely chuffed' He gushed of his best pal: 'I may have been slightly late and didn't make the suit fitting, but if I get the Master of Ceremonies right Elliott is going to be absolutely chuffed.' Pulling his aim out of the bag, Elliott and Sadie's wedding went off without a hitch - and truly stunned viewers. The wedding took place at St. George Bickley Church in Bromley and the reception was held at Addington Palace. Breathtaking: Pulling his aim out of the bag, Elliott and Sadie's wedding went off without a hitch - and truly stunned viewers Lavish: The wedding took place at St. George Bickley Church in Bromley and the reception was held at Addington Palace Here comes the bride: Sadie dazzled in a traditional strapless gown with long train as she walked down the aisle The new couple! The wedding venue also featured the pair's married names, written in bright lights against the wall Sadie, 25, arrived in a classic car, open top, with her father, and horse and carriages transported her bridesmaids, while the boys all arrived in their slick navy suits. After walking down the aisle, with Sadie dazzling in a traditional strapless gown with long train, the pair then headed outside where they were greeted with confetti - with huge beaming smiles on their faces. Despite Arg's success on the day however, Elliott did reveal that his pal was still banned from appearing in any wedding photographs. He explained: 'I banned him from being in the official pictures because he p***ed me off before the wedding. He didn't bother to go to his suit fittings, on the day, it didn't fit him properly. Busting a move: The pair were also seen rehearsing their first dance at London's Pineapple Dance Studios during the one-off episode Then and now: Two years ago Elliott opened up a glamorous eatery Olivia's La Cala in Costa Del Sol, where they set initially their sights on each other 'We had a bit of an argument over it because to me it's an honour to be asked to be a groomsman and I was annoyed that he didn't take it seriously.' The pair were also seen rehearsing their first dance at London's Pineapple Dance Studios during the one-off episode. Two years ago Elliott opened up a glamorous eatery Olivia's La Cala in Costa Del Sol, where they set initially their sights on each other. Elliott, who is Mark Wright's cousin, popped the question on his reality show Playa In Marbella after ten months of dating. Heather Graham made the brave move earlier this month of relaying her Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment story. And on Monday the 47-year-old dropped by the Today show in New York City to discuss the fallout of bringing down a predator as she promoted her new NBC miniseries Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. 'It's finally exploding!' said the actress, who looked much younger than her years in a pretty turquoise blue romper with gold heels for the early morning appearance. Scroll down for video A case of the blues: Heather Graham was seen heading to the Today show on Monday Still incredible: The 47-year-old star wore a blue romper and gold heels for her appearance 'I think, hopefully for women everywhere, we feel braver to come forward with our stories and we feel we can stand up for ourselves,' the blonde beauty said on Today. 'We see a predator is getting some kind of justice.' She added: 'It's something that women have been dealing with for a long time. I guess now it's finally exploding.' Her side: 'I think, hopefully for women everywhere, we feel braver to come forward with our stories and we feel we can stand up for ourselves,' the blonde beauty said on Today Big news: She added: 'It's something that women have been dealing with for a long time. I guess now it's finally exploding' Weinstein was brought down by two back-to-back articles. In the first one by The New York Times Ashley Judd told a story about how Harvey came on to her in a hotel room where she thought they were having a business meeting. It was also claimed that Rose McGowan had been raped by the film producer. Asia Argento also claimed she had been raped by the man who made the films Emma, Pulp Fiction and The English Patient. More to love: Graham was also seen stopping by Sirius radio on Monday Cute look: The former teen star had on the same outfit as before Soon after The New Yorker shared stories by Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow about how they were harassed. Weinstein has said that his intersactions were never without consent. 'I think seeing [Judd] doing it was inspiring (and) other women in that article and I just thought if we don't speak out, we enable this man to keep doing this for decades,' she said. 'And he shouldn't be doing it.' "I'm sure it's in every business that women have to deal with this,' said the Boogie Nights actress. Talking about their Harvey Weinstein encounters: The New Yorker shared stories by Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow about how they were harassed 'I think in the past, we felt we couldn't speak out, we were afraid of losing our jobs. But I think now we're saying that we deserve to be treated better and the workplace should be a safe place for us to be.' The Killing Me Softly actress added: 'Ironically, I did a movie about sexism in Hollywood and sexual harassment is one of the themes of it. 'It's these three women and it's empowering, and it's a sex comedy but one of the backdrops is being a woman in Hollywood and dealing with sexism. So it's timely, I guess.' Months before the reveal: Weinstein and wife Georgina Chapman of Marchesa, who has since left the mogul, at the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills in February She has written and directed the film Half Magic. The synopsis is: 'Explores themes of female empowerment through sex, work, and friendship. 'These women are able to come together through their frustration over male dominance and in fact use their newly formed sisterhood to lean on each other and understand that they must first learn to love themselves before doing anything else.' Molly Shannon and Angela Kinsey star. Graham can currently be seen on the small screen in the miniseries Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. She's travelled to the Balearic Islands to film her new upcoming comedy; a remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. And Anne Hathaway looked the image of European summer chic as she got to work on the set of Nasty Women alongside co-star Rebel Wilson in Mallorca on Monday. In character as a con artist, the Oscar-winning actress, 34, sported a pristine white pantsuit and a wide-brimmed cream-colored hat with a black ribbon. Hard at work: Anne Hathaway (left) looked the image of European summer chic as she got to work on the set of Nasty Women alongside co-star Rebel Wilson (right) in Mallorca on Monday She pulled on a fashionable blouse that featured black buttons and pink splotches. The Les Miserables star rounded off the look with yellow-rimmed black sunglasses, plus a pair of pink shoes with white platforms. Evidently attempting to go under the radar in the fictional restaurant, Anne was seen sipping on a teacup, with a book laid out at her side. Australian actress Rebel was also seen out in Mallorca that day in a red and white striped T-shirt. Suits you! In character as a con artist, the Oscar-winning actress, 34, sported a pristine white pantsuit and a wide-brimmed cream-colored hat with a black ribbon Latest role: The star has travelled to the Balearic Islands to film her new upcoming comedy; a remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels The comedic star, 37, wore the top over a pair of high-waisted jeans that featured a white column of triangles running up the outer side of each leg. Rebel was first seen filming Nasty Women last week when she slipped into a bright pink, yellow and black wetsuit as she prepared to go fly-boarding. Loved by stars such as Justin Bieber and Kendall Jenner, the sport of fly-boarding features sees users hover above the water on a board, using water jet pressure. Rebel shared a picture of herself elevated above the water, in the midst of the sport, on her Twitter page. So stylish: She pulled on a fashionable blouse that featured black buttons and pink splotches Lunch date: Evidently attempting to go under the radar in the fictional restaurant, Anne was seen sipping on a teacup, with a book laid out at her side Pictured back on land, Rebel's blonde tresses were already wet and falling down in sea salt waves at her shoulders. She walked in flip flops and her bikini was visible beneath her contoured suit, with a zip down her middle threatening to expose it beneath. It looked like an intense afternoon, which saw her hitting the water with a GoPro camera attached to a protective helmet. Similarly putting safety first, she was also dressed in a matching life jacket and seen getting guidance from an instructor on the set. Off we go: Rebel, 37, was seen diving into her latest film role for the first time last week, as she kitted herself out in a bright wetsuit for Nasty Women She posted an Instagram photo on Friday of herself Fly-boarding. The Pitch Perfect actress' character name has not yet been revealed even though filming has commenced. But she is to star alongside Anne and Alex Sharp, in the remake of 1988's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The original film features Steve Martin as Freddy Benson and Michael Caine who plays Lawrence Jamieson and they try and settle their rivalry by betting on who can swindle a young American heiress out of $50,000 first. Hovering! Rebel was taking part in the sport of Fly-boarding on the Mediterranean as part of her work on the film British-born director Chris Addison, however, is adding a gender twist to the plot in his version - with the two actresses being the scam artists instead. Sharp will play the role of a tech billionaire called Thomas, who becomes the subject of the two women who try to swindle him out of his fortune. The two women will be polar opposites in the film one being high class, and the other less so. Chris, who is also a stand-up comedian and actor, is known for appearing on such TV series as The Thick Of It and Mock The Week. Ready to dive in: The actress seems ready to splash in some water Nasty Women is the first feature film he has helmed, but he does have television directing credits, including on an episode of The Thick Of It. He has also directed 13 episodes of the hit HBO sitcom Veep - which like The Thick Of It was created by Armando Iannucci. The film will be launched in 2018, as of yet there hasn't been a specific date disclosed. Rebel has just finished filming for Pitch Perfect 3, which is soon to hit the big screen on December 22, 2017. They welcomed their son Gunner Stone to the world just three weeks ago on October 1. And Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt took the tiny tot to visit his very first pumpkin patch near their home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades on Sunday. The loved-up couple kissed and cuddled as they held little Gunner, who was appropriately dressed for the fall season in a Halloween-themed outfit. Festive fun: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt took newborn baby Gunner to his first pumpkin patch near their home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades on Sunday Sporting a shock of blond hair like his dad, the newborn looked adorable in an orange onesie with a smiling pumpkin on the front, matching knitted bootees and hat plus white sweat pants. Heidi, 31, went for a red and blue flannel plaid blouse and skinny jeans that she tucked into grey ankle boots. The former The Hills star left her long blonde hair to cascade over her shoulders, while opting for minimal make-up. Spencer, 34, was decked out in a black T-shirt, black jeans and grey and black sneakers as he took his turn cradling his little boy while Heidi chose two smallish pumpkins. Their little pumpkin: The loved-up couple kissed and cuddled as they held little Gunner, who was appropriately dressed for the fall season in a Halloween-themed outfit Happy family: Sporting a shock of blond hair like his dad, the newborn looked adorable in an orange onesie with a smiling pumpkin on the front and matching knitted bootees Scarecrows on patrol: New mom Heidi was dressed for the fall in a red and blue flannel plaid blouse and skinny jeans that she tucked into grey ankle boots. Gunner seemed fascinated by the brightly colored veggies, looking at a small one that Heidi held up for him to see. Spencer later picked out a much bigger one as he handed over Gunner to Heidi, before stopping for a snap in front of a giant pumpkin hoarding. Meanwhile, the proud mom first showed off her post-baby body in a series of Snapchat videos showing the family's lazy Saturday. Heidi looked comfortable in a turquoise T-shirt and grey sweatpants as she made coffee in the kitchen while Spencer cuddled their newborn. What a beautiful pair: The former The Hills star clutched two pumpkins while Spencer entertained Gunner Going up a size: The star's pumpkins weren't big enough so Spencer chose a larger one Kodak moment: The new family also posed for a snap in front of a giant pumpkin hoarding He was totally relaxed in a matching turquoise vest as he lounged in a black leather chair with his son fast asleep on his chest, wrapped in a grey blanket. 'My favorite thing to do is just have little homie lie on my chest,' Spencer said. 'The little moments are the most precious.' The new parents also danced and sang along to Heidi's pal Taylor Swifts Look What You Made Me Do in one of the clips They earlier explained why they chosen Gunner's unusual name, saying he will probably be a pitcher or a skier so the name 'applies to a lot of sports.' Selfie fun: The proud father was dressed in black from head to toe as he snapped selfies with his wife and newborn baby son Longtime loves: Heidi and Spencer, who have been married for nine years, famously met on iconic reality show The Hills, which ran from 2006 until 2010. Heidi and Spencer, who have been married for nine years, famously met on iconic reality show The Hills that ran from 2006 until 2010. They eloped to Mexico in November 2008, before hosting a wedding ceremony in Pasadena, California, in April 2009. Kisses from daddy: The proud papa cuddled up to his newborn Nap time: The adorable youngster looks to be getting plenty of rest Adorable: The little boy also got a bath that day and dried off in a snuggly towel Heidi admitted she was 'overwhelmed with joy' at being a mother in an interview with US Weekly magazine earlier this month. She said: 'I'm feeling great. I'm so overwhelmed with joy. I find myself crying just looking at him. 'It was probably the best possible labor. I wanted to do it naturally so I didn't get an epidural.' First look: Heidi showed off her post-baby body for the first time in a series of Snapchat videos showing her making coffee on the family's lazy Saturday Enjoying a cuppa: Spencer shared an image of his beautiful wife in a turquoise T-shirt and grey sweat pants He's the father of her three children. And while Jennifer Garner may no longer be married to Ben Affleck, it's clear the actress feels an obligation to support her troubled ex. Showing her loyalty, the actress stood side by side with her former husband as they put on a united front for a meeting at their children's school. Standing by him: Jennifer Garner continues to support ex Ben Affleck as pair unite for parenting duties before he heads to daily rehab session The former couple split in 2015 after almost 10 years together, amid reports of Ben's infidelity. However it's clear that whatever she may think privately, Jennifer is determined to support her former partner publicly. The two attended Monday's morning chinwig in Los Angeles side by side, with Jennifer smiling as she talked cordially to Batman actor Ben. After seeing Jennifer, Oscar winner Ben then headed off to his daily rehab session. Ben has been focusing on his sobriety after a full-time rehab stint in February, which came before he went public with his alcohol addiction in March. Keeping it cordial: The two attended the morning chinwig in Los Angeles together, with Jennifer smiling as she talked to Batman actor Ben His meet up with Jennifer came the same morning that Ben's close friend and collaborator Matt Damon revealed the pair both knew for years that Harvey Weinstein had sexually harassed Gwyneth Paltrow. Harvey helped propel Matt and Ben to fame by producing their movie Good Will Hunting through his former company Miramax. Matt told Good Morning America on Monday: 'I knew the story about Gwyneth [Paltrow] [being sexually harassed by him] from Ben, because he was with her after Brad [Pitt]. 'I never talked to Gwyneth about it. Ben told me.' Gwyneth, 45, recently came forward to reveal the disgraced producer had made unwanted advances towards her when she was 22 and filming Emma. Off to rehab: Ben has been focusing on his sobriety after a full-time rehab stint in February Public scandal: His meet up with Jennifer came the same morning that Ben's close friend and collaborator Matt Damon revealed the pair both knew for years that Harvey Weinstein had sexually harassed Gwyneth Paltrow Former Weinstein protegee Ben had said he was 'saddened and angry' over the 'sickening' claims from 30plus women of sexual harassment and event rape. But Rose McGowan was unimpressed, insisting he knew all about it at the time. The 44-year-old actress was blocked from Twitter after she publicly used the platform to tell him to 'f*** off.' Oscar winner: But Ben has been dragged into the scandal surrounding his former mentor Harvey Weinstein One Tree Hill star and MTV correspondent Hilarie Burton, then claimed the actor groped her during a TRL appearance in 2003. Ben was quick to reply, tweeting: 'I acted inappropriately toward Ms. Burton and I sincerely apologize.' Ben is currently dating Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus, 37, who is in New York working on the long-running series. DJ Alex Zane has been unveiled as the host of this years Halloween Night Fever Quiz night, which aims to raise money for the Medicinema Charity. The 38-year-old will host the spooktacular night on Tuesday, with hopes to raise 60,000 for the London-based charity. The event, which will take place in London's Cafe De Paris, will include Halloween fancy dress, a three course meal, auction and a live band. Scroll down for video Good cause: DJ Alex Zane will host the upcoming Halloween Night Fever Quiz night on Tuesday, in a bid to raise money for the MediCinema charity Film buffs will also see their knowledge put to the test with a challenging quiz on all things cinema, from Chaplin to Clooney, and Star Wars to Scream. Alex said that he loved to support the charity, which helps to bring the experience of the cinema to hospital patients. He said: 'Having heard first hand accounts from patients of the difference Medicinema has made to their time in hospital - bringing the wonderful experience of watching films on the big screen right to them - I'm proud to continue supporting their brilliant work.' Screen man: Alex has hosted a variety of TV series, and has a Friday evening show on NME radio Alex has presented a variety of series, including Celebrity Scissorhands, Rude Tube and 8 out of 10 Cats. He has also been a radio regular, hosting a Friday evening show on NME radio since 2010. The charity will be striving to aim 60,000 at the event to raise money to run a new Medicinema centre for a year, to add to the seven new centres that are already being run. Current centres include St Thomas Hospital in London, Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. Medicinema has been supported by many celebrity patrons, including Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Dame Helen Mirren and the late John Hurt. Another supporter is Luke Skywalker himself Mark Hamill, who attended a special screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Guy's Hospital last year. The event in honour of Force for Change, allowed children to see the sci-fi action flick on May 4th, otherwise known as Star Wars Day. They met up during Florence Alexandra Sophia's holiday to Brisbane last weekend. And despite appearing to hit it off, it appears things may be too close for comfort for The Bachelor contestant and former Bachelorette star Rhys Chilton. Melbourne-based Florence took to Instagram on Monday to label Rhys 'obsessed' after he shared several Instagram posts about her. Too close for comfort? The Bachelor's Florence Alexandra Sophia labels Rhys Chilton 'obsessed' after the former Bachelorette star shared multiple Instagram posts about her Florence and Rhys had met up during the Dutch beauty's trip to Brisbane over the weekend alongside former Bachelor contestant Cobie Frost. On Monday night, Rhys shared multiple posts to Instagram about Florence's appearance on Family Feud. The photos saw the former topless entertainer praise Florence, referring to her as 'babe' and appeared to hint he had romantic feelings for the beauty. Spent time together: Florence and Rhys had met up during the Dutch beauty's trip to Brisbane over the weekend alongside former Bachelor contestant Cobie Frost Following her appearance: On Monday night, Rhys shared multiple posts to Instagram about Florence's stint on Family Feud Has Rhys got a crush? The photos saw the former topless entertainer praise Florence, referring to her as 'babe' and appeared to hint that he had romantic feelings for the beauty 'Don't worry @florencealexandras .. you're not last pick in my eyes,' he captioned one photo. He wrote in another post: 'Come on babe ... You can do it!' The Brisbane-based former Bachelorette contestant also suggestively captioned one photo: 'A gentleman lets his woman come first.' Praising his new friend: He wrote in another post: 'Come on babe ... You can do it!' That's cheeky! The Brisbane-based former Bachelorette contestant also suggestively captioned one photo: 'A gentleman lets his woman come first' But Florence appeared not to be impressed with the online attention, taking to her own Instagram story with a poll. 'Why on eather is @rhyschilton so obsessed with me?' She wrote, with the poll answers either 'he is delusional' and 'or delusional'. Florence told Daily Mail Australia Rhys had been joking around and she wanted to set the record straight in case others assumed they were dating. 'Rhys is just taking the p**s like he always does and I uploaded that to clarify that nothing is going on before people start thinking that there is,' she said. Former reality TV star: Rhys was sent home from the 2016 season of The Bachelorette by Georgia Love 'Why on eather is @rhyschilton so obsessed with me?' But Florence appeared not to enjoy the online attention, taking to her own Instagram story with a poll Florence made it to the top five of The Bachelor, admitting afterwards she felt relieved not to get a rose from Matty Johnson. 'Its one of those things, Im glad the decision was made for me, and I didnt have to make that decision,' she told the Herald Sun. Meanwhile Rhys was sent home from the 2016 season of The Bachelorette by Georgia Love. Fans were left crushed after she was dumped by Matty 'J' Johnson. And Bachelor star Tara Pavlovic took a subtle jab at the hunk during an appearance on Monday night's episode of All Star Family Feud. When questioned by host Grant Denyer as to whether she would sign on to become the next Bachelorette, the 27-year-old pretended to cry and said: 'I don't know if I can break other people's hearts.' Scroll down for video 'I can't break other people's hearts': Bachelor reject Tara Pavlovic, 27, fake cried and took a jab at Matty Johnson on Monday's All Star Family Feud, as she responded to rumours on becoming the next Bachelorette The starlet, who has become a regular on Sydney's social scene, responded candidly: 'I can put my hand up to get my heart broken (but) I don't know if I can break other people's hearts. 'I think I'd feel really bad and cry the whole time. No, no offence,' she quipped, while looking in the direction of Matty J. Rumour mill: Host Grant Denyer quizzed Tara as to whether she would be willing to put her heart on the line again, and follow Sophie Monk's route of becoming The Bachelorette Subtle jab: The starlet, who has become a regular on Sydney's social scene, responded candidly: 'I can put my hand up to get my heart broken (but) I don't know if I can break other people's hearts' The marketing executive looked rather awkward, and offered: 'It's not for the faint-hearted. It's very difficult.' Tara went on to explain that if the suitors weren't worthy of her affections she would have no problem in sending them home. 'If they were knobs I'd be like, see you mate. You do not get a rose,' she said. Awkward: The marketing executive looked rather awkward, and offered: 'It's not for the faint-hearted. It's very difficult' However if they were gentleman, Tara said she would 'just cry and be like, Osher! Osher!' while asking for help from host Gunsberg. The reality star faked her best crying face, as fellow reality star and contestant Laura Byrne laughed along. Tara, who works as a nanny on the Gold Coast, initially dismissed rumours that she would become the next Bachelorette in an interview with OK! magazine. She said: 'I'd prefer someone that isn't in the limelight. I find it all a bit fake. Rejected: As soon as Tara was eliminated, fans were already campaigning on social media for her to become the next Bachelorette. Clearly angered and emotionally affected by Matty J's rejection, Twitter users vented: 'Tara deserves way better than Matty, let her be a Bachelorette!' 'I'm pretty down to earth and real, and I'd rather find someone who isn't with me for their personal gain.' As soon as she was eliminated, fans were already campaigning on social media for Tara to become The Bachelorette in 2018. Clearly angered and emotionally affected by Matty J's rejection, Twitter users vented: 'Tara deserves way better than Matty, let her be a Bachelorette!' 'MATTY IS WRONG, TARA IS PERFECT! She has to be the next Bachelorette after Sophie Monk for sure,' one user wrote. She recently returned home to Los Angeles after a busy month strutting her stuff in Fashion Week shows in New York, London, Paris and Milan. And Kaia Gerber was hard at work again as she splashed around in the Pacific Ocean while on a shoot for Marc Jacobs' new Daisy perfume in Malibu, California, on Monday. The in-demand model, 16 - who is the daughter of original 'super' Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber - wore cream lace shorts as she got to work on her latest project. Fresh as a Daisy! Kaia Gerber was hard at work again as she splashed around in the Pacific Ocean while on a shoot for Marc Jacobs' new Daisy perfume in Malibu, California, on Monday The teen and another model were seen holding giant plastic flowers in the air as they skipped through the waves. Despite the extreme heat, with temperatures at a toasty 84F, Kaia was dressed in a white roll neck sweater along with her shorts. The catwalk queen wore a daisy chain around her neck and her brunette locks were loosely-tousled in wet-looking waves. She was joined in the ocean by two other young models, one in white shorts and a vest, the other in a white bikini and blouse. Monday fun-day! The in-demand model, 16 - who is the daughter of original 'super' Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber - wore cream lace shorts as she got to work Flower power: The teen and another model were seen holding giant plastic flowers in the air as they skipped through the waves Kaia became the face of Marc Jacobs' Beauty in September 2016. In addition to her work with the high-profile brand, she's also leading Hudson Jeans' fall 2017 campaign. The youngster stepped out for the denim company's spring/summer 2018 preview event in New York City on Friday. Rocking cropped leather skinny jeans and a patterned sequin top, Kaia added a black jacket with slit sleeves. Kaia is following in her former super-model mother's footsteps along with her brother Presley, 18. Feeling the heat? Despite the extreme heat, with temperatures at a toasty 84F, Kaia was dressed in a white roll neck sweater along with her shorts Cindy, 51, has been married to former model and entrepreneur Rande Gerber for 19 years and they have definitely passed on their beauty genes to both their teens. The runway queen recently responded to criticism that a responsible mother with experience of the fashion industry would not allow her daughter to follow her footsteps at such a young age. She hit back: 'My daughter just got her drivers license. Im a lot more concerned about her driving by herself than her entering the world of modelling. The great thing for my kids is that I know a lot about that world. I feel like: Who better to help guide them than me? Working it: Kaia is also the face of Hudson Jeans; the youngster rocked black leather cropped pants for the brand's spring/summer 2018 preview event in New York on Friday Ewan McGregor's wife of 22 years Eve Mavrakis opted out of wearing her wedding ring again on Monday as news of their reported separation continues to shock the Star Wars actor's fans. The French beauty, 51, kept things low-key as she stepped out near the Los Angeles home she shared with Ewan, 46, before photos emerged of him 'kissing' his Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead in a London restaurant on Sunday. Ewan, who shares for children with his wife, reportedly separated from the French production designer in May - while Mary announced her split from her husband Riley Stearns in the same month. Scroll down for video No show: Ewan McGregor's wife of 22 years Eve Mavrakis (pictured) opted out of wearing her wedding ring again on Monday as news of their reported separation continues to shock the Star Wars actor's fans During her outing, which comes as it was reported the couple have been living apart for some time, Eve wore a large grey sweater with red and white patterns on the sleeves. She kept things casual with a pair of jeans and a simple black shoulder bag as she was spotted deep in conversation on the phone. On Sunday, Eve kept under the radar in a bucket hat and dark sunglasses as she ventured out for a hike in the Santa Monica Mountains. The mother-of-four donned a white shirt and grey shorts for the hot Southern Californian day. Low-key: During her outing, which comes as it was reported the couple have been living apart for some time, Eve wore a large grey sweater with red and white patterns on the sleeves Ewan and Eve met on the set of court drama Kavanagh QC in 1995, shortly before the Scottish star's portrayal of heroin addict Mark Renton in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting won him international acclaim. Speaking to the Graham Norton show in 2012, McGregor admitted he had slept with 'many, many women' prior to meeting his wife. He explained: 'I knew right then that I really wanted to be with her and I knew I wanted to be with her in a different way to all the other many, many, many women I had been with up until that point. And I wasnt wrong. I made the right choice.' The couple married in 1995 before relocating to Los Angeles, where they raised four daughters, including a child adopted from Mongolia. The couple (pictured here in October last year) married in 1995 before relocating to Los Angeles, where they raised four daughters, including a child adopted from Mongolia Separated: The 46-year-old actor reportedly separated from French production designer Eve in May, months before pictures of the actor kissing Fargo co-star Elisabeth Winstead in a London restaurant emerged (the couple are pictured in April) McGregor has always denied rumours of romantic attachments outside marriage. In 2001, he dismissed talk of an affair with Nicole Kidman, his co-star on Moulin Rouge! And in 2010, there were more unkind rumours of a relationship with French actress Melanie Laurent, his co-star on the film Beginners. MailOnline has contacted a representative for further comment. Old times: The couple met on the set of court drama Kavanagh QC in 1995, shortly before the Scottish star's portrayal of hopeless junkie Mark Renton in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting won him international acclaim (pictured in 1998) McGregor appears to be seen kissing his Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth in images obtained by The Sun. The pair, who filmed a racy nude love scene in a bath for their on-screen romance in the most recent series of the show, were reportedly seen getting close during a meeting at The Good Life Eatery in London's St. John's Wood. The father-of-four closed his eyes as he leaned in to share the intimate moment with Mary, 32, as sources told the publication they were 'relaxed in each other's company'. Ewan smiled as Mary, who plays his sexy love interest Nikki Swango in the FX Network crime drama, took his face in both of her hands before going in for a kiss, in The Sun's images. Hitting the red carpet: McGregor and Winstead, who filmed a racy nude love scene in a bath for their on-screen romance in the most recent series of the show, were reportedly seen at The Good Life Eatery in London's St. John's Wood Co-stars: Married Ewan McGregor was said to be spotted kissing his Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead (pictured while filming Fargo in Canada), in images obtained by The Sun Sources revealed the father of four daughters didn't seem too worried about privacy as they dined together on the busy high street. Onlookers told The Sun: 'Ewan and Mary Elizabeth were there together and seemed relaxed in each other's company. The cafe was really busy with people coming in and out the whole time... 'They were deep in conversation and were there together for more than an hour. As they left he got on to the back of Ewan's motorbike and they sped off together'. Married: Ewan wed Eve 22 years ago (pictured at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2003) Ewan and Mary's sighting comes four months after Mary split from her husband of seven years, Riley Stearns. Sharing a photo of her kissing her Texan film director ex on the cheek on Instagram in May, the actress wrote in the caption: 'We've decided to move on from our marriage, but we will stay best friends and collaborators for all our days.' 'We are still ride or die, just in a different way now. I love you always, Riley.' 'Sitting here with my best friend who I love with all my heart. We have spent our lives together and it has been full of joy and warmth every day.' Meanwhile, Riley, who Mary met aged 18 on an ocean cruise, shared the same photo on his Instagram with an equally touching tribute which said: 'I'll always love you, Mary.' Ewan and Mary's smooch comes four months after Mary, 32, split from her husband of seven years, Riley Stearns (both pictured) Trainspotting star Ewan plays two brothers, Emmit and Ray Stussey in the latest series of Fargo. The latter falls in love with Nikki before they plot to take revenge on his wealthy businessman brother. The first episode of the third series, which aired in April, sees the loved-up duo Nikki and Ray kissing and cuddling while naked in a bath together. Shinzo Abe pointed to the threat from North Korea as a top policy priority Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged Monday to work with the US, China and Russia to contain North Korea's nuclear threat with "strong, resolute diplomacy", as he "humbly" accepted his landslide victory in a snap election. Fresh from clinching a two-thirds "super-majority" that enables the nationalist premier to realise his dream of revising Japan's pacifist constitution, Abe vowed to forge a "national consensus" on the divisive issue. Addressing reporters on his election win, Abe said he would "confirm close co-operation" on North Korea with Donald Trump when the US president visits Japan next month and then discuss the issue with the Chinese and Russian leaders. "I have renewed my determination to secure people's lives and peaceful living, no matter what," said the 63-year-old. North Korea, which has threatened to "sink" Japan and fired two missiles over its northern islands, dominated the 12-day election campaign that Abe eventually won comfortably. "We will solve North Korea's missile, nuclear and abduction issues with strong, resolute diplomacy," he said in reference to the abduction of Japanese by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s. Abe is on track to become Japan's longest serving prime minister Abe's conservative coalition was on track to win at least 313 seats with only a handful left to call, according to public broadcaster NHK, giving him the coveted two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament. He is now on course to become Japan's longest-serving premier, winning a fresh term at the helm of the world's third-biggest economy and key US regional ally. North Korean belligerence helped the ruling coalition because "people are scared" and voted for Abe's hardline stance, said Gerald Curtis, professor of political science at Columbia University. "I focused on the national defence issue, because I am concerned about North Korea. So I chose the party that will work firmly on this issue," one voter, 66-year-old pensioner Tsuyoshi Ushijima, told AFP. - 'Some concerns' about Abe - However, while local media acknowledged what was described as a landslide victory, many attributed Abe's win to a weak and ineffective opposition and urged caution. "The voters didn't think the opposition parties were capable of running a government... they chose Prime Minister Abe, who is at least better, even if they had some concerns about the ruling coalition," said the Nikkei daily. Counting was delayed in some parts of Japan after a powerful typhoon smashed into the country on election day The Asahi newspaper said: "The Abe brand is not as strong as it was before. There are some signs that voters are seeking a change in the situation whereby Abe is the only decent option." According to an exit poll by Kyodo News on Sunday, 51 percent of voters said they do not trust Abe with 44 percent saying they did. Turnout was expected to be only a fraction higher than the all-time low in the 2014 election. It was boosted largely by people voting early to avoid a typhoon, which smashed into Japan on election day. The opposition Party of Hope, formed only weeks before the election by the popular Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, suffered a drubbing. It won just 49 seats according to the NHK projections. Koike promised much and delivered little with her Party of Hope A chastened Koike, speaking thousands of kilometres away in Paris where she was attending an event in her capacity as leader of the world's biggest city, said it was a "very severe result" for which she took full responsibility. The new centre-left Constitutional Democratic Party out-performed Koike's new group but still trailed far behind Abe with 55 seats. "People are reluctant about Prime Minister Abe, but then who would you turn to? There is no one," said Naoto Nonaka, professor at Gakushuin University in Tokyo. - 'Deepen constitution debate' - Abe, who has in the past been criticised for arrogance towards voters, vowed to face the challenge posed by the victory "humbly." He struck a cautious note on possible revisions to the US-imposed constitution, saying he would "deepen" debate in parliament on the divisive issue but not seek to ram anything through. Abe vowed to accept the vote result with 'humility' Any changes to the document must be ratified by both chambers of parliament and then in a referendum, with surveys showing voters are split on the topic. "Abe would want to see a constitutional revision but we know he is ideologically on the right and he's very pragmatic at the same time. And I think that pragmatism will force him to back off from pushing that issue too hard," said Curtis. Many voters stressed that the economy is their biggest concern. The prime minister's trademark "Abenomics" strategy of ultra-loose monetary policy and huge government spending has failed to rekindle the former Asian powerhouse. But investors cheered the victory, with the benchmark Tokyo index up 1.11 percent, extending a winning run that has seen 15 straight consecutive gains for the first time in its near 70-year history. A Turkish Airlines plane that crash landed at Kathmandu airport two years ago is preparing to once again welcome ticket holders on board -- not for a flight but for a visit to the Nepali capital's first aviation museum A Turkish Airlines plane that crash landed at Kathmandu airport two years ago will be welcoming ticket holders on board again -- not for a flight but as the Nepali capital's first aviation museum. The Airbus A330 was carrying 224 passengers when it skidded off the runway at Kathmandu's airport in March 2015, coming to a stop with its nose buried in the grassy verge on the edge of the tarmac. No one was hurt, but the crash shut Nepal's only international airport for four days as technicians struggled to move the plane. Himalayan Nepal is heavily reliant on a network of domestic air routes to compensate for its limited road network, though the country's airlines have a poor safety record It was eventually dragged to a disused corner of the airport where it sat rusting for two years -- until pilot Bed Upreti had an idea. "It is unfortunate that the aircraft (had) an accident and was grounded, but I saw a perfect opportunity," Upreti told AFP. He bought the metal carcass and has invested $600,000 to turn it into an aviation museum. Upreti's first task was moving the 63-metre plane across the road from the airport to the museum's lot -- which proved harder than expected. "It will give a chance to some Nepalis who might never fly to step into a plane," said engineering student Shyam Rauniyar about plans to use a crashed plane as an aviation museum He previously brought an abandoned Fokker 100 -- which is about half the size of an Airbus A330 -- and transported it 500 kilometres to Dhangadi in Nepal's far west where he also set up a museum, though on a smaller scale that this one. "Transporting that plane across districts was much easier than relocating the Airbus metres away from the airport," Upreti said. Working only at night when the airport was closed, it took a team of engineers from Turkey six weeks to dismantle the plane into 10 pieces, before loading them onto trucks for the 500 metre journey across the road. Working only at night when the airport was closed, it took a team of engineers from Turkey six weeks to dismantle the plane into 10 pieces. It took another two months to put all the pieces back together It took another two months to put all the pieces back together. With all the seat stripped out of the belly of the plane, the new museum feels surprisingly spacious. The business class section of the plane will feature a model of the Wright Brothers' first aircraft -- the first machine to successfully take to the sky -- and in the tail there will be a cafe. More than 150 miniature display planes will chart the history of aviation as well as the story of Nepal's flying industry. Himalayan Nepal is heavily reliant on a network of domestic air routes to compensate for its limited road network, though the country's airlines have a poor safety record. For many in the impoverished country, the airfares are also beyond their means. Himalayan Nepal is heavily reliant on a network of domestic air routes to compensate for its limited road network, though the country's airlines have a poor safety record "It (the museum) will give a chance to some Nepalis who might never fly to step into a plane," said engineering student Shyam Rauniyar, 22, who was part of the team that put together the replica of the Wright Brother's plane. Upreti hopes that the museum will inspire young minds to become pilots and engineers, and is confident that it will be a hit with visitors. "Passers by are already peeking to get a glimpse," he said. -- This story accompanies a photo essay by Prakash Mathema -- Abe wants to change the constitution to specifically mention the country's military Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's long-held dream to change the pacifist constitution got a big boost this weekend as his conservative coalition won a crucial two-thirds majority in a snap election. Nationalists like Abe dismiss the constitution as a humiliating relic imposed by US occupiers after Japan's defeat in World War II, while North Korea's recent firing of two missiles over the country in less than a month has focused minds on security. But many Japanese feel a strong attachment to the constitution's peaceful ideals and changing it sits close to the bottom of their to-do list. Any tentative move towards re-militarisation would trigger alarm bells in China and the Koreas given Japan's history of military aggression in the region. Here are some facts about the document and the tough job Abe will have in trying to change it: Q: What's so unique about the Japanese constitution? A: It was drafted by Americans when they occupied Japan after 1945 with an eye to quashing Tokyo's ability to engage in another conflict. Its most unique feature is Article 9, which says that Japan renounces war and use of force as means of settling international disputes, and bars it from maintaining a military force. Despite this, Japan actually has one of the world's best-equipped militaries, called the Self Defense Forces (SDF), to defend the nation in case of attack. SDF troops also serve critical functions in search-and-rescue operations after natural disasters that regularly hit the earthquake-prone country. Q: How and why does Abe want to change the constitution? A: Abe wants to change the wording of the constitution so it would affirm Japan's right to have a military -- some scholars say the SDF should technically not exist, although it has for decades. The premier said he would keep the clause that prevents Japan from waging an offensive war. While his proposed changes may seem minor, enshrining the status quo is a small victory toward Abe's eventual goal of turning the SDF into a regular standing army. Abe previously brought in controversial legislation that allows the SDF to fight alongside allies in certain circumstances. Critics say the constitutional changes are not needed since the Self Defence Forces have long been accepted by the public. Q: What are the steps to changing the constitution? A: The current rules impose high hurdles on amending the constitution, so Abe will have his work cut out. A draft amendment can be tabled only with the support of either 100 members of the lower house of parliament or 50 upper house lawmakers. That draft needs to win two-thirds of the vote in each of the two chambers before being put to a national referendum. It only becomes official if a simple majority votes in favour. Q: Do Japanese people want to change the constitution? A: Public opinion is split on the issue, but few see it as a priority. Survey after survey has shown that the majority of voters still want to keep the pacifist ideals outlined in Article 9 as they are, despite Pyongyang's provocations and an increasingly assertive China. A poll by the top-selling Yomiuri newspaper this month showed 35 percent of respondents agreed with the prime minister's bid to officially recognise Japan's military in the constitution, while 42 percent opposed the idea. Social security and the economy top voters' priority concerns. Q: Can Abe succeed? A: His party and like-minded conservatives won enough lower house seats to start the process of drafting a new constitution or making changes to the existing one. But even pro-change lawmakers are divided on the specifics, which could hold up movement on the issue. Conservatives are also cautious to make sure that their first attempt at changing the constitution will end in success. Abe himself struck a cautious tone in the afterglow of his landslide victory, pledging that he would not use his two-thirds majority to ram constitutional changes through parliament. Some Philippine soldiers who recently batted IS-allied militants in MArawi were greeted by relatives on their return on Friday US Defence Secretary James Mattis on Monday praised the Philippines for its successes in battling Islamic State supporters, as he began an Asian trip aimed at reaffirming American support for regional allies. Mattis echoed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's statement last week that Filipino forces had "liberated" the southern city of Marawi, after five months of bitter urban fighting that had claimed more than 1,000 lives, even though battles have continued. "One of the first things I'm going to do when I get there is commend the Philippine military for liberating Marawi from the terrorists," Mattis told reporters on the flight to the Philippines, according to an official transcript. "It was a very tough fight as you know in southern Mindanao (the local region). And I think the Philippine military sends a very strong message to the terrorists." Gunmen who had pledged allegiance to IS occupied parts of Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23 in what Duterte said was a bid to establish a Southeast Asian caliphate there. Hundreds of insurgents withstood a US-backed military campaign, including near daily air strikes and artillery fire, that displaced more than 400,000 people and left large parts of Marawi in ruins. Duterte last week travelled to Marawi to declare it had been "liberated", a day after the Southeast Asian leader for IS, Isnilon Hapilon, was shot dead there. However deadly fighting has continued, with the military reporting dozens of militants are still resisting in a small pocket of the city. Mattis flew to the Philippines to attend a meeting hosted by Southeast Asian defence ministers at the former American military base of Clark, two hours' drive north of Manila. The Philippines is a former American colony and the two nations are bound by a mutual defence treaty. But relations have soured under Duterte as he has sought to build closer ties with China and Russia. Defence ministers from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Russia are also scheduled to attend the two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) event. Mattis' Asia trip, which will also take him to Thailand and South Korea, comes ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to Asia next month. Some American allies in the region have become wary of Trump's interest in Asia. Mattis sought to reassure allies. "The US remains unambiguously committed to supporting ASEAN," Mattis said. China's electric-vehicle market is already the world's largest and is expected to continue growing fast Tesla has reached an agreement with Shanghai authorities that would make it the first foreign automaker to build its own plant in China, putting it in the driver's seat in the world's biggest electric-vehicle market, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Silicon Valley electric carmaker's wholly-owned manufacturing facility would be built in Shanghai's free-trade zone, the Wall Street Journal said, quoting unnamed sources with knowledge of the deal, and could allow Tesla to dramatically lower the cost of its cars in China. China usually requires foreign automakers to set up joint ventures with local Chinese partners, which involves splitting profits and giving away some technology, though they also avoid import tariffs. AFP was not immediately able to obtain comment from Tesla or the Shanghai government. China's electric-vehicle market is already the world's largest and is expected to continue growing fast, especially since the government plans to require that all automakers' sales include a certain percentage of electric vehicles from 2019. Beijing is also mulling plans to ban fossil-fuel burning cars by an unspecified date, following decisions by France and Britain to outlaw the sale of such vehicles from 2040 to limit emissions. No timeframe for the launch of the Tesla plant was given. Tesla had said in June that it was in talks with the Shanghai government and that it would detail its China manufacturing plans by the end of the year. More than half a million "new-energy" cars were sold in China last year, and the government is targetting sales in the millions in coming years. The Wall Street Journal said any cars built by Tesla in the free-trade zone would still incur a 25 percent import tariff. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends a press a day after his landslide election victory Shinzo Abe may have seized a "super-majority" in Japan's parliament but he has failed to win the hearts and minds of voters suspicious of his nationalist instincts and who do not share his fixation on changing the country's pacifist constitution. Having trounced a disorganised opposition to secure two-thirds of seats, Abe has the parliamentary numbers to start a process that would bolster the role of the military -- an ambition he has long cherished. But the victory was far from a ringing endorsement of the 63-year-old veteran, more a win by default. The election confirmed Abe's "difficult relations with the Japanese people," said Tobias Harris, Japanese politics expert at the Washington-based Teneo Intelligence consultancy. "There is a certain amount of appreciation for certain aspects of what he has done." But, said Harris: "He is not loved." An exit poll conducted by Kyodo News showed more than half of voters (51 percent) do not trust their prime minister, while a survey by the liberal Asahi Shimbun found 47 percent of those questioned would like to see someone else in charge of Japan. - Party of (no) Hope - Only a few months ago, that was starting to look like a possibility. Abe was fighting for his own political survival, embroiled in scandal and smarting from an embarrassing defeat in Tokyo municipal elections. When he suddenly announced snap polls last month, critics saw it as an opportunistic manoeuvre to take advantage of a weak opposition and divert attention from his own woes, including allegations of favouritism to a friend in a business deal -- which the premier strongly denies. For a short moment, it looked as if Abe's gambit could backfire spectacularly. The media-savvy and charismatic Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, unveiled a new party in a blaze of publicity and dominated TV broadcasts and the front pages for days. The creation of her Party of Hope sparked an unprecedented transformation in the lethargic world of Japanese politics. The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) effectively disbanded as scores of lawmakers jumped aboard Koike's bandwagon, which, while ideologically similar to Abe's, at least had the whiff of a fresh coat of paint. Meanwhile, left-leaning DP members banded together to form a new progressive party, the Constitutional Democrats. In the event, neither party was able to organise a nationwide campaign in the short time available, and both fizzled. "As it turned out, the Party of Hope is hopeless," said Michael Cucek from Temple University. It could be ten years before there is an effective opposition capable of forming a government, said Teneo's Harris. - Constitutional battle - Having seen off all-comers and secured a two-thirds majority in the lower house, Abe now has effective control of the executive and the legislature. He will likely use the victory to start the lengthy process of amending the constitution, a personal passion for Abe and a select band of fellow right-wingers, but largely an anathema for most Japanese. The hawkish premier wants to change the US-imposed document, seen by conservatives as an outdated legacy of wartime defeat, so Japan can formally transform its well-equipped and well-trained "Self Defense Force" into a full-fledged army. The trouble for the PM is that many Japanese feel deep affection for, and pride in, the constitution's peace provisions, which they believe have served them well over the last seven decades. China and the two Koreas -- both victims of Japan's 20th century adventurism -- are also deeply hostile to anything that could be seen as re-militarisation. Despite his personal ambitions, Abe is sensitive to public antipathy on the issue. He knows he cannot railroad the constitutional change, said Naoto Nonaka of Gakushuin University. Immediately after his victory, he pledged to "deepen" parliamentary debate, and vowed not to use his super-majority to ram changes through. In any case, there are brakes on his ambitions -- any changes need to be put to a referendum. Polls continually show that voters are far more concerned about Japan's flaccid economy than about Abe's pet projects. The prime minister would be unwise to take his thumping electoral win for endorsement of his nationalist views, said Mikitaka Masuyama, professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. He won Sunday's election because the opposition "could not put up a united front" against him. "But this doesn't mean that the Japanese voters are leaning towards conservative causes," he said. A handout image from Yemen's Ministry of Defence shows Yemeni troops taking part in a military operation against suspected Al-Qaeda militants near the village of Maajala in the southern province of Abyan on May 1, 2014 Four Yemeni soldiers and five assailants were killed in an Al-Qaeda attack on a military base in the southern province of Abyan on Monday, a security source said. A car rigged with explosives carrying five Al-Qaeda militants pulled up to a military base in the district of Mudiya in Abyan, the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Four men wearing explosive belts ran out of the car towards the base, but were all shot dead before they could blow themselves up, the source said. The vehicle then exploded outside the base, killing the driver and four soldiers from a UAE-backed contingent in the Yemeni army. Nine soldiers were also wounded. Al-Qaeda's Yemeni branch claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement published online, it said its fighters had detonated a car bomb in front of the base then stormed inside. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has been the target of a long-running US drone war in Yemen's southern provinces, including Abyan. AQAP has flourished in the chaos of Yemen's civil war pitting the Saudi-backed government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi against Shiite Huthi rebels. The United States, the only government to operate drones over the impoverished country, considers AQAP the radical group's most dangerous branch and backs the UAE-trained contingent in southern Yemen. The United Arab Emirates is a key component of a Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in the war to support Hadi's government in 2015. More than 8,600 people have since been killed in Yemen, according to the World Health Organization. Women represent only a quarter of the 2,300 delegates attending the week-long congress held just twice a decade, highlighting China's yawning gender gap When Xi Jinping warned against "pleasure seeking" in a stern message to the Communist Party congress last week, the audience included few women and some notable absentees -- officials ousted by graft scandals involving illicit affairs. The scene was a reminder that China's leadership remains a man's world, where women have been excluded from the highest echelons of power and men have abused their positions in sex-for-favours scandals. Women represent only a quarter of the 2,300 delegates attending the week-long congress held just twice a decade, highlighting the yawning gender gap in the world's most populous nation. Since the Communists took power in 1949, under Mao Zedong who famously declared that "women hold up half the sky", no woman has ever risen to the top ruling council. Delegates at the congress will choose members of the party's Central Committee, where women account for just 4.9 percent of the 205-strong membership -- down from 6.4 percent in 2012. Since the Communists took power in 1949, no woman has ever been appointed to its Politburo Standing Committee, the nation's top decision-making body, seen here in 2012 The committee then has the task of selecting the 25-person executive Politburo, which currently has only two women, and its elite standing committee -- which boasts seven ageing men. When the new Politburo Standing Committee lineup is unveiled on Tuesday or Wednesday, no woman is expected to break the glass ceiling and join them. Guo Jianmei, a leading lawyer and women's rights advocate, had prepared a letter to the party congress criticising China's lack of attention to women's participation in politics. "The letter describes this situation but there is no way to submit it, because no party representative is willing to help us," Guo told AFP. "China has generally not given any thought on how to promote women's leadership status." - 'Power-for-sex' - Gender equality is enshrined in the constitution but analysts say traditional social structures have kept women from gaining more space in politics, pressuring them to prioritise family roles over their careers. Xi's anti-corruption drive has revealed a large number of cases involving men committing adultery, which is against party rules The official All China Women's Federation coined the derogatory term "leftover women" in 2007 to describe unmarried professionals after the government announced a campaign to improve population "quality" by encouraging educated women to have babies. A party congress delegate from Shanghai said she did not see a problem. "China has already achieved equality between the sexes. The government supports women's aspirations," she told AFP, declining to give her name. While women have been left out of top jobs, Xi's anti-corruption drive has revealed a large number of cases involving men committing adultery, which is against party rules. "All thinking and behaviour in the vein of pleasure seeking, inaction and sloth, and problem avoidance are unacceptable," he intoned last week, reminding party members to lead by example. The most prominent figure netted so far in the graft campaign is 74-year-old former security tsar Zhou Yongkang, who was accused of committing adultery with a number of women "in power-for-sex and money-for-sex trades". And last month rising political star Sun Zhengcai from the Chongqing megalopolis was expelled for "serious violations of party discipline" including allegations that he took bribes and "exchanged money for sex", state media said. - Activists jailed, silenced - The litany of alleged crimes in corruption cases can sometimes be cover for factional score-settling. But official data shows that men in power hand ample ammunition to their critics. A 2013 study from Renmin University in Beijing found that 95 percent of corrupt officials had extramarital affairs, and at least 60 percent had kept a mistress, which typically involves providing an apartment and an allowance. "It's definitely still prevalent," said Beijing-based writer Zhang Lijia, who conducted research on China's sex industry for her novel, "Lotus". "The traditional practice of men showing their social standing with numerous concubines has returned in the form of mistress culture." In recent years, authorities have jailed and intimidated outspoken critics on women's issues. Ye Haiyan, one of China's most prominent feminist activists, gained fame for her brazen protests against a string of child sexual abuse cases. But she said she does not dare to even write blog posts about women's rights issues now. "They get deleted right away, and authorities have pressured multiple landlords to evict me," she said. "The harassment only stopped after I moved in with my husband." US Secretary of Defense James Mattis and his Asian counterparts vowed to step up diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang while enhancing military cooperation North Korea's weapons programmes pose "an unprecedented and grave threat" to the United States, South Korea and Japan, defence ministers from the three countries warned Tuesday. US Secretary of Defense James Mattis and his Asian counterparts vowed to step up diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang while enhancing military cooperation as they held security talks in the Philippines. Tension has been high on the divided Korean peninsula for months with Pyongyang staging its sixth nuclear test and launching two ICBMs that apparently brought much of the US mainland into range. "The three ministers condemned, in the strongest terms, North Korea's continued provocative actions," read a joint statement from Mattis, Japanese defence minister Itsunori Onodera and South Korean defence minister Song Young-Moo. "The ministers called on North Korea to abandon its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner." The allies also pledged to enforce United Nations sanctions against the North, and expand information sharing. Mattis is on an Asian tour which will see him visiting Seoul for annual defence talks -- ahead of a visit to South Korea by Donald Trump. All eyes will be on Trump's message to Pyongyang after the US president and the North's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults. Trump's recent remark that "only one thing will work" with North Korea fuelled concerns of a potential conflict. But even some White House advisers say US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South Korean capital Seoul -- only around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the heavily fortified border and home to 10 million people. Mattis also met counterparts from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations who are gathering for talks in the northern Philippine city of Clark. The Pentagon said the US defence chief and ASEAN ministers discussed North Korea as well as the "the need to increase cooperation on countering violent extremism to stem the threat posed from groups" such as the Islamic State and "the threat posed by returning foreign fighters". A five-month battle against Islamic State supporters in the southern Philippines that claimed more than 1,100 lives ended following a final battle inside a mosque, Manila said on Monday. The conclusion of the conflict ended immediate fears that IS would establish a Southeast Asian base in the southern city of Marawi. However, concerns remain about its longer-term intentions and capabilities in the region. Apparel producers were ordered to suspend work for the month out of fire safety concerns, but in Dahongmen, one of Beijing's last clothing manufacturing hubs, some factory owners simply took their work underground As China's Communist Party congress got under way, nervous garment factory owners were on high alert, running lookouts to evade inspectors as they continued to produce coats, jackets and button-down shirts in defiance of official orders to close. Chinese authorities have taken extraordinary measures to prevent any disturbance -- including pollution -- from marring the week-long, twice-a-decade meeting as businesses ranging from bars to factories were shut down. Apparel producers were ordered to suspend work for the month out of fire safety concerns, but in Dahongmen, one of Beijing's last clothing manufacturing hubs, some factory owners simply took their work underground. "I can't possibly stop for a month, so I can only choose to secretly keep on working," factory owner Yue Fang told AFP as half a dozen tailors churned out cotton-padded coats. A few other garment makers were also still operating on the sly Yue is one of some 200 small factory owners based in Dahongmen, some 25 kilometres (16 miles) from the Great Hall of the People, where the party's top leaders are meeting to hand general secretary Xi Jinping a second term when the congress ends Tuesday. Each factory had staff keeping an eye out for inspectors weeks before the meeting kicked off, Yue recalled. "I didn't even dare set foot in my factory -- I just stood watch in the wind and rain" for plainclothes officials and police, she said, attaching tags to a mountain of fur-trimmed corduroy jackets in her workshop. "It's been like World War II or something here," she said. "As soon as the 'devils' enter the village, you quickly pull down the shutters and put out the lights. The whole town goes black and you won't find a soul on the streets," she said, using a wartime slur for Japanese invaders to refer to Communist Party inspectors. But her business was raided a few days ago when she dropped her guard. "They gave no explanations -- just swept through like bandits and took any clothes they saw," she said. - 'It's pretty terrifying' - In Dahongmen's muddy, unpaved streets, garment industry workers lounged on damp sofas next to laundry hanging out to dry in the smoggy air, killing time Zhang Jie, a 26-year-old factory owner from Hubei province, decided to give his five employees time off rather than risk reprisals. "As long as they don't like the look of you, they'll find some infraction. It's pretty terrifying," he said. In Dahongmen's muddy, unpaved streets, garment industry workers lounged on damp sofas next to laundry hanging out to dry in the smoggy air, killing time. "We play cards, or talk about who made more money," said a 16-year-old button-hole maker surnamed Chen. Elsewhere, a few other garment makers were also still operating on the sly. In the nearby Daxing district, Yu Lizhan said over the sound of shears searing through silk that her company continued to cut clothes but had ceased manufacturing operations, creating a backlog. "There's nothing we can do. If they've made a decision at the top, you can only follow along down below," Yu said as a handful of workers sliced reams of fabric. - No packages to Tibet - Some factory owners decided to give employees time off rather than risk reprisals Liu Zhixin, security guard at a Daxing clothing warehouse compound, said the inspections were not purely gratuitous, given the frequency of factory fires in the country. "They're after these smaller companies that are messier, more chaotic, and may not have the proper licensing," he said. At a neighbouring warehouse, a logistics manager surnamed Chen said packages could only be sent during certain hours each day due to heightened security, slowing business. It was also impossible during the congress to send any package to Tibet or Xinjiang -- both primarily ethnic minority regions in the far west where Chinese authorities fear threats to their rule. Stacking unshipped packages higher and higher, Chen said: "What does the party congress even have to do with me?" Syrian soldiers and pro-regime militiamen gather in the desert town of Al-Qaryatain on October 22, 2017, a day after retaking it from the Islamic State group The Islamic State group killed 116 people it suspected of collaborating with the Syrian regime in Al-Qaryatain this month before losing the desert down to government forces, a monitor said Monday. "IS has over a period of 20 days executed at least 116 civilians in reprisal killings, accusing them of collaboration with regime forces," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. Regime forces retook Al-Qaryatain, which lies in the central Homs province, on Saturday, three weeks after the jihadists seized control of it. IS had first occupied the town in 2015 and lost it to a Russian-backed Syria forces last year. "After the regime retook it (on Saturday), the town's residents found the bodies on the streets. They had been shot dead or executed with knives," Abdel Rahman said. "Most of the IS fighters who attacked the town a month ago were sleeper cells... They are from the town, know the town's residents and who is for or against the regime," he said. The majority of those killed were executed in the last two days before IS lost the town again, he added. Ebtisam al-Saegh was detained after retweeting a series of posts on July 3 critical of Bahrain's king and the National Security Agency's treatment of women Bahrain has temporarily freed a female activist who has accused her government of torture in detention, rights groups said Monday. Ebtisam al-Saegh was released late Sunday pending her trial on "terrorism" charges, Amnesty International and the Bahrain Institute for Human Rights (BIRD) said. Two other activists, Radhi al-Qatari and Mohammed al-Shakhoori, were also released until their trials on similar charges, BIRD said. London-based Amnesty International confirmed the charges against Saegh had not been dropped. Bahrain's justice ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Saegh was detained in July after retweeting a series of posts critical of Bahrain's king and its security agency and charged later the same month with "terrorism". Her detention prompted warnings from rights groups she was at risk of torture, after Saegh accused Bahraini security services of torture and sexual assault during a previous arrest in May. In April, Bahrain's parliament approved military courts trying civilians charged with "terrorism", a vaguely defined legal term in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. Authorities have cracked down on political dissent since a wave of protests erupted in 2011 demanding an elected government in the Shiite-majority country. A key US ally located between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Bahrain is home to the US Fifth Fleet and a British military base that is still under construction. The government accuses Iran of state-sponsored "terrorism" and of training Bahrainis to overthrow their monarchy, but Tehran denies any involvement. Al-Tayar editor Osman Mirgani, pictured here on February 25, 2017, says he is waiting to see if he will be jailed A Sudanese court on Monday sentenced a prominent newspaper editor to six months in jail for publishing an article accusing President Omar al-Bashir's family of corruption, the journalist told AFP. The court also gave a three-year suspended jail term to the writer of the piece which was published in 2012. "The court has ordered me to pay 10,000 Sudanese pounds ($1,428) or go to jail for six months," Osman Mirgani, editor-in-chief of the independent daily Al-Tayar, said. "I have decided not to pay the money, and am waiting for the authorities to take me to jail." Mirgani said that in the article, writer "Mohamed Zine El Abidine accused Bashir's family of being corrupt". After it was published, Sudan's powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) filed cases against both Mirgani and El Abidine. After the court pronounced its sentence on Monday, the government denied it had intervened in the judicial proceedings. "This was a case in the court and we never interfere in court cases," Information Minister Ahmed Bilal told reporters after Mirgani was sentenced. "However, journalists have no immunity when they are convicted of insulting someone." Mirgani, a US-educated engineer turned journalist, has been regularly targeted for his aggressive style of speaking out against the authorities and over corruption scandals his paper has exposed. NISS agents often confiscate the entire print runs of editions of Al-Tayar over articles that they deem inappropriate. Mirgani was once beaten up by armed men who stormed his office in central Khartoum in July 2014. In its 2016 report, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Sudan near the bottom of a world press freedom index, saying that the NISS "hounds journalists and censors the print media". Jho Low pictured in 2014 at a New York social event: Interpol has been asked to trace him Malaysia has asked Interpol to help track down a financier at the centre of a massive financial scandal that has embroiled the country's leader, it was announced Monday. Low Taek Jho, a jet-setting businessman also known as "Jho Low", was allegedly a key figure in the scandal surrounding 1MDB, a state investment fund founded and overseen by Prime Minister Najib Razak. The US Justice Department alleges in civil lawsuits that $4.5 billion was looted from 1MDB in an audacious campaign of fraud and money-laundering, and is seeking to seize $1.7 billion in assets allegedly bought with stolen money. Low, a family friend of Najib, allegedly helped establish 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and took key decisions. US justice officials accuse him of using looted money to purchase items including artwork, a hotel and a luxury yacht. Low, whose whereabouts are unknown, has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime. Responding to a question in parliament about Low, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said: "We have made a request to Interpol to find the person." He added police had not yet received any information about his whereabouts. Interpol, which helps with the exchange of information between police forces from over 190 countries, did not respond to a request for comment. Celebrities have been sucked into the scandal, with the Justice Department alleging stolen 1MDB money was used to buy jewelry worth millions of dollars for Miranda Kerr as well as gifts for Leonardo DiCaprio. They have both handed the items to US authorities. US authorities say a figure it calls "Malaysian Official 1" knowingly received huge sums of 1MDB money, and a Malaysian cabinet minister has since confirmed that official was Najib. The scandal has rocked the administration of Najib, who must call elections by mid-2018. He has responded by purging critics from his government and curbing domestic investigations. Both Najib and the fund deny wrongdoing. Iraqi Kurds protest in their regional capital Arbil on October 21, 2017, as tensions soar with Baghdad Iraqi Kurdish authorities said Monday they had issued arrest warrants for 11 Iraqis including leaders in a powerful paramilitary group, in an apparent tit-for-tat move after Baghdad took similar measures. The moves come amid brewing tensions between Baghdad and the Kurds, who last month held an independence vote in defiance of the federal government. The prosecution in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan said in a statement it had issued the warrants for 11 people and asked a court in regional capital Arbil to take legal steps to pursue the matter. Among those targeted is Qais al-Khazali, founder and leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, an Iran-backed Shiite militia that is one of the main components of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary group. The powerful Hashed, also called Popular Mobilisation Forces, has been a key player in the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq alongside federal forces. Last week, they also took part in an operation by government forces that retook Kurdish-held areas outside the autonomous region in northern Iraq. Also facing an arrest warrant issued by the Kurds are Rayan al-Kaldani, the head of a Christian militia that fights in the ranks of the Hashed, and Shiite lawmaker Hanan al-Fatlawi. It was not immediately clear why they were wanted. Tensions have been high between Arbil and Baghdad since the Kurds organised an independence vote on September 25, which Iraq's supreme court deemed unconstitutional. Since then, Baghdad courts have issued several arrest warrants for Kurdish leaders on several charges. On Sunday, an Iraqi anti-corruption task force said it had issued a warrant for the arrest of Babaker Zebari, a Kurd and former Iraqi army chief of staff, over misappropriation of public funds. A statement from the anti-corruption body said Zebari is accused of having gifted "civilians seven vehicles that belonged to the defence ministry". On Thursday, a warrant was issued for the vice president of Iraqi Kurdistan, Kosrat Rasul, on charges of "provocation" against Iraq's armed forces. Earlier this month, another court ordered the arrest of the three senior Kurdish officials responsible for organising the independence referendum. The FPB militia group whose leaders were reported arrested oppose Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza Senior leaders of the Popular Forces of Burundi (FPB) rebel group were arrested in eastern Tanzania on Saturday and extradited to Burundi the following day, the FPB said Monday. "Four FPB leaders, including the number 1 and 2, Jeremie Ntiranyibagira and Edouard Nshimirimana, were arrested in Ngara on October 21 by security forces from Tanzania and Burundi," it said in a statement. "On October 22, they underwent an irregular extradition to Burundi, where their lives are in danger," it said, giving no further details. The statement was authenticated as genuine by several senior figures in the FPB, the name given to the Republican Forces of Burundi -- a rebel militia active in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that opposes Burundi's president, Pierre Nkurunziza. The claim made in the communique could not, however, be immediately confirmed by Tanzanian or Burundian official sources. But Ikiriho, a news site close to Burundi's government, denied on Twitter that any extradition had taken place. The Republican Forces of Burundi mainly comprises soldiers and police who fled following a failed coup. In August this year, the group said it was renaming itself the Popular Forces of Burundi -- FPB, under its French acronym -- under the leadership of General Jeremie Ntiranyibagira, with Colonel Nshimirimana as his deputy. A senior source in the PFB, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the two "went on a mission to Tanzania and fell into a trap." Their arrest was "a terrible blow," the source added. "We think that the Burundian authorities are hiding for the time being that they were sent immediately to Burundi, in order to be able to torture them and gain information on our movement," the source said. Burundi is a poor, small central African nation marked by a troubled ethnic history and a deadly civil war. Its most recent crisis began in April 2015, when Nkurunziza, in office since 2005, said he planned to run for a third term. The plan was dubbed anti-constitutional by civil society, the opposition, the Catholic church and even some of his own supporters. Protests gathered steam, which were then banned by the authorities and were followed by a bloody crackdown. In May 2015, the authorities foiled a military coup but some of the putschists got away. Between 500 and 2,000 people died in the crisis, according to varying tolls from the UN and NGOs, while hundreds of people have disappeared or been tortured and more than 400,000 people have fled their homes. According to a report by UN experts on DR Congo, the FPB is the biggest Burundian rebel group, in numerical terms. It is estimated to have between 300 and 500 fighters, based in South Kivu, eastern DR Congo. Syrian soldiers and pro-regime fighters gather in Al-Qaryatain on October 22, 2017, a day after retaking the desert town from the Islamic State group The Islamic State group executed dozens of civilians this month in the Syrian desert, a monitor said Monday, in a gruesome massacre as the jihadists see their "caliphate" collapse. The extremist group last week lost its key Syrian stronghold of Raqa, the latest in a string of setbacks for the jihadists who are facing multiple offensives in both Syria and neighbouring Iraq. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said IS fighters massacred more than 100 people in the desert town of Al-Qaryatain this month before they lost it to regime forces. "IS has over a period of 20 days executed at least 116 civilians in reprisal killings, accusing them of collaboration with regime forces," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. Regime forces retook Al-Qaryatain, which lies in the central Homs province, on Saturday, three weeks after the jihadists had seized control of it. State news agency SANA published Monday footage from inside the town, showing a ransacked and partially burnt hospital, and roads with rubble strewn across them. Homs governor Talal Barazai greeted residents, thanking them for their "steadfastness", and pledging to stand by them, as dozens of people queued to receive aid being distributed by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. IS first occupied the town in 2015 and lost it to Russian-backed Syrian forces last year. "After the regime retook it (on Saturday), the town's residents found the bodies on the streets. They had been shot dead or executed with knives," Abdel Rahman said. "Most of the IS fighters who attacked the town a month ago were sleeper cells... They are from the town, know the town's residents and who is for or against the regime," he said. The majority of those killed were executed in the last two days before IS lost the town again, he added. The regime seized back Al-Qaryatain on Saturday after more than 200 jihadists withdrew overnight, pulling back into the vast desert region that stretches all the way to the Iraqi border. Al-Qaryatain was a symbol of religious coexistence before Syria's civil war broke out in 2011, with some 900 Christians among its population of 30,000. But it was ravaged by IS during the group's eight-month-long occupation of the town in 2015-16, with its Christian sites including a fifth-century church reduced to rubble. - IS decline - A fighter of the Syrian Democratic Forces stands guard on a rooftop in Raqa on October 20, 2017, after the Arab-Kurdish alliance retook the city from the Islamic State group At the peak of its power in 2014, IS's self-styled "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq was approximately the size of Britain. But it has suffered a string of major setbacks in recent months, including the loss in July of its most important Iraqi stronghold, the city of Mosul. Last week, it also lost its foremost Syrian bastion, the city of Raqa, after a campaign of more than four months led by the Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed militia. The jihadist group is now mostly confined to the oil-rich province of Deir Ezzor in the country's east, along the border with Iraq. IS holds around 40 percent of the province, which was once almost completely in its hands, and faces two separate offensives, including by the SDF. The US-backed militia is fighting the group mostly on the eastern side of the Euphrates River that slices diagonally across the province. On Sunday, SDF fighters seized one of the country's largest oilfields from the group. Syria's regime is conducting a separate, Russian-backed offensive in the province, largely on the western bank of the river. In September, the offensive ended an IS siege of nearly three years on government-held parts of the provincial capital Deir Ezzor city. The group now holds just eight percent of the city, according to the Observatory. Elsewhere in Syria, IS holds just a few pockets of territory, including a handful of recently recaptured villages in central Hama province, and parts of the Palestinian camp of Yarmuk in southern Damascus. An allied group, Jaish Khaled Bin Walid, is also present in parts of southern Syria. A flame from a Saudi Aramco oil installion is seen in the desert near the oil-rich area of Khouris, 160 kilometres east of the Saudi capital Riyadh As questions swirl around the viability of Saudi Aramco's initial public offering, the oil giant's CEO has stepped in to confirm the IPO is on track for the second half of 2018. The plan to float five percent of state-owned Aramco -- expected to be the world's largest stock sale -- forms the cornerstone of a reform programme envisaged by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to wean the economy off its reliance on oil. It could generate much-needed revenue after the country lost hundreds of billions of dollars since crude prices slumped in mid-2014, leading to huge budget deficits and withdrawals from strategic reserves. Analysts, however, have voiced misgivings following recent media reports that the flotation could be shelved amid concerns over its feasibility in favour of a private stake sale. Aramco's chief executive Amin Nasser on Monday shot down the reports and laid out a specific timeframe for the IPO. "We have always said that we will be listing in 2018, and to be more specific, in the second half of 2018," Nasser said in an interview to CNBC television. "The listing venue will be discussed and shared in due course," Nasser told the channel in Riyadh. - Private stake sale? - The IPO was announced with much fanfare last year when Prince Mohammed laid out his sweeping Vision 2030 plan to modernise the Saudi economy. Investors salivated at the prospects of a share sale expected to generate $100 billion based on a $2 trillion valuation of the company. The Aramco chief on Monday rejected reports that Saudi authorities were in talks with Chinese or other investors to sell a minority stake in the firm. But analysts point out the practicality of a private placement of Aramco shares, which they say could give Saudi Arabia an immediate cash injection and more flexibility to consider various listing options. "A private placement of a small stake in Aramco would solve a lot of headaches with the current efforts to list the company in global platforms," said Karen Young, a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. "The price can be more directly negotiated, and help its original motivation to relieve some fiscal pressure in the short term. A direct placement can also be closed quickly," Young told AFP. Aramco, which controls Saudi Arabia's massive energy assets, plans to list nearly five percent of its shares in the stock market Saudi Arabia had laid out plans for a dual listing on the Saudi stock market and an international exchange for 2018, with markets in New York and London vying for the offering. But the company has struggled to select an international venue for its listing. "A private placement... could increase the likelihood of a delay in the IPO beyond 2018," said analysis firm Eurasia Group. It added, however, that the move would offer Saudi Arabia the flexibility to list on an international exchange when oil prices perk up. - Scrutiny of investors - Unlike the IPO, a private sale would also spare the kingdom's leadership from the eagle-eyed scrutiny of global investors. Investors have long debated whether Aramco could really be valued close to $2 trillion, as the Saudi leadership claims. "Domestic politics in Saudi Arabia right now do not need a scandal" surrounding Aramco's finances, said Young. For the IPO to succeed, Aramco's oil reserves would have to be independently verified and its internal finances reliably audited -- a kind of transparency that the company is unaccustomed to. "Saudi Arabia will have to disclose a great deal of facts and figures that it has traditionally viewed as state secrets," said Hossein Askari, a professor of business and international studies at George Washington University. While options exist for Aramco, the kingdom's crown jewel, it would be difficult to abandon the international IPO, which would be seen as a major setback for Prince Mohammed's reform plan. "Aramco has many options, including a full international IPO, a smaller IPO on Tadawul (the domestic exchange) with possible later international IPOs, and the possibility of private sales mixed with one of the other options," said Ellen Wald, a fellow at the Washington-based Arabia Foundation and author of the book "Saudi Inc". "Politically, it may be difficult to forego an IPO entirely at this point," Wald told AFP. Palestinians pictured on March 1, 2016 at the entrance of a tunnel used to smuggle supplies between Egypt and the Gaza Strip Three Palestinians who went missing from a tunnel between Egypt and the Gaza Strip in mysterious circumstances on Monday have been located, authorities in the Islamist Hamas-run territory said, after indications they had been kidnapped. "The three Palestinian workers who disappeared this morning on the Palestinian-Egyptian border have been found and returned safely," Hamas interior ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bozom said in a statement, providing no further details. A security source told AFP "the three were kidnapped by mistake by gunmen probably belonging to an extremist Salafist group but were returned because they were not the target." The three men are currently under investigation at the interior ministry in Gaza, the source said. One witness told AFP earlier that a group of masked gunmen snatched the three and took them across the border into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. The account of the witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was not confirmed by authorities. Egyptian security forces have been fighting a branch of the Islamic State group in the Sinai, and the extremists have recently stepped up their attacks. In August, a suicide bomber killed a Hamas guard along Gaza's border with Egypt in what was described as a rare Islamist attack against the Palestinian group. In 2015, gunmen seized four Hamas members from a bus bound for Cairo from the Gaza Strip in the Sinai near the border. Egypt has cracked down on tunnels crossing from Gaza into the Sinai, and Hamas has agreed to improve security along the border. Tunnels between Gaza and Egypt are typically used for smuggling. The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli blockade for more than a decade, while Egypt has also kept its border with the Palestinian enclave largely closed in recent years. Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008. Sen. John McCain called for unity Monday over the death of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed along with three other soldiers in a deadly ambush in Niger earlier this month. "We should not be fighting about a brave American who lost his life serving his country," the Arizona Republican said on "The View." "That should not be the topic of discussion in America today." But McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also said he is not getting enough information about the October 4 incident. Johnson was killed by enemy fire in the ambush, the Pentagon said. His body was recovered by US personnel in a remote area of the northwestern African country by Nigerien troops nearly 48 hours after he was discovered missing in the wake of the attack, US officials told CNN. McCain told reporters last week that he might seek a subpoena for information before the Department of Defense is finished conducting its initial review of the incident. Senators on the armed services committee are expected to receive a briefing from Pentagon officials Thursday on the Niger incident, two Senate sources told CNN Monday. President Donald Trump's response to the attack has drawn some criticism, particularly his public feud with a Democratic congresswoman over a condolence call he made to Johnson's widow. McCain also was asked about comments he made that were aired in a C-SPAN interview Thursday about those who served -- and didn't serve -- in the Vietnam War. He said low-income Americans were drafted and "the highest income level found a doctor that would say they have a bone spur." McCain never mentioned Trump by name in the interview, but the President's deferment because of a bone spur is widely known and the President's family was well off at the time. He clarified his comments on "The View," saying he does not think of Trump as a "draft dodger." "I don't consider him so much as a draft dodger as I feel the system was so wrong that certain Americans could evade their responsibilities to serve the country," he said. McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain, joined the ABC show as a co-host in early October. CNN's Oliver Darcy contributed to this report. Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, one of four US soldiers killed in Niger, says US President Donald Trump struggled to remember her slain husband's name during a condolence call The pregnant widow of an American soldier killed in an ambush in Niger said Monday that Donald Trump had struggled to remember his name during a condolence call, in an account the president immediately disputed. Trump's call to Myeshia Johnson, whose husband Sergeant La David Johnson was one of four US soldiers killed in the October 4 jihadist attack, has generated a storm of controversy that is now heading into its second week. "Yes, the president said that he knew what he signed up for but it hurts anyways," Johnson said on ABC's Good Morning America TV program, in her first public comments on the death of her 25-year-old husband. "And I was -- it made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it." Myeshia Johnson, who is carrying the couple's third child, said she "heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name and that hurt me the most." "The only way he remembered my husband's name because he told me he had my husband's report in front of him and that's when he actually said La David." The US president fired right back on Twitter, insisting: "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!" Details of Trump's call were made public last week by a Democratic congresswoman who claimed the president had offended Johnson's widow, drawing accusations from the White House of politicizing the issue. The escalating row prompted Trump's chief of staff John Kelly, a former general whose son died in Afghanistan, to deliver an emotive defense of the president -- while lashing out at the Florida congresswoman, Frederica Wilson. Myeshia Johnson told ABC Wilson's account of the call was "100 percent correct," saying she was a lifelong family friend and had listened in over a speakerphone. "Whatever Miss Wilson said was not fabricated," Johnson said. "Why would we fabricate something like that?" Asked if she had any words for the president, she replied: "No. I don't have nothing to say to him." Trump himself kicked off the furor early last week by falsely claiming that Barack Obama and other former US leaders did not call the families of fallen soldiers. As the controversy escalated, the president went on to claim that he had called "virtually" all fallen servicemembers' families since taking office. That has reportedly left his administration scrambling, with four families of servicemembers receiving rush-delivered letters from the White House in recent days, according to the Atlantic. Fighters from Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary coalition ride on an infantry-fighting vehicle during an advance against the Islamic State group on October 6, 2017 Iraq on Monday rebuffed a US demand that Iranian militias leave the country, insisting that the paramilitary forces which helped it defeat the Islamic State group consist solely of Iraqi nationals. "Nobody has the right to interfere in Iraqi affairs," the Iraqi cabinet said in a statement, quoting a source close to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. "The fighters of the Hashed (al-Shaabi paramilitary units) are Iraqis who are concerned for their country and have sacrificed for its defence and for its people," it said. On Sunday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson demanded that Iranian militias leave Iraq. "Certainly Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fighting against (IS) is coming to a close, those militias need to go home," Tillerson said. "All foreign fighters need to go home," he said at a press conference in Riyadh. The 60,000-strong Hashed was formed in 2014 after IS seized swathes of northern Iraq, routing government forces. A coalition mostly made up of Iranian-backed militias, it has played a key role in Iraq's successful fightback against the jihadists over the past three years. It answers to Iraq's prime minister as commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces, into which it has been integrated by a parliamentary vote. Tillerson's remarks were also aimed at Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards and their foreign operations wing, the Quds Force, according to a senior US official accompanying him. "The position of the Iraqi government and the position of our government is that there should be a single Iraqi security force answerable to the Iraqi state," the official said on condition of anonymity. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has also hit back at Tillerson's remarks, saying Iran played a crucial role in the fight against IS both in Iraq and Syria. "If it wasn't for the sacrifices of the Islamic Republic of Iran... Daesh (IS) would have installed its government in Damascus, Baghdad and (the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital) Arbil by now," he said. UN Special Rapporteur Pablo de Greiff urges Colombo to take action on war crimes A United Nations expert warned Monday that Sri Lanka must speed up its own long-stalled investigation into war crimes by troops or risk action by the international community. Pablo de Greiff, the UN special rapporteur on the promotion of justice and reparation, said Sri Lanka had been slow to deliver on its promise of justice for atrocities during the island's bloody 37-year civil war. He said allegations of war crimes levelled last month against Sri Lanka's then-ambassador to Brazil, who was a general during the war era, underscored the risks faced by senior military officers past and present. "As the recent case presented in Brazil against a former member of the armed forces demonstrates, accountability will be sought either here or abroad," de Greiff said in Colombo on Monday. The case in Brazil against retired general Jagath Jayasuriya was just the "tip of the iceberg", de Greiff said. He said Sri Lanka could expect similar efforts by foreign jurisdictions until it had taken steps to ensure a credible investigation of its own. Jayasuriya left Brazil two days after the International Truth and Justice Project, a South Africa-based rights group, filed a case against the former general. De Greiff criticised a public assurance given by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to troops that he would not allow "war heroes" to be prosecuted for alleged atrocities. Sri Lankan forces defeated Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009 after a brutal guerrilla war which claimed the lives of at least 100,000 people. The military was accused of massacring up to 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians in their no-holds-barred offensive. Sri Lanka's former regime refused to acknowledge the civilian toll of its wartime campaign, drawing censure from the international community. Sirisena's government came to power in January 2015 promising justice for war victims, but his administration has been accused of dithering ever since. Sirisena, unlike his predecessor Mahinda Rajapakse, agreed to investigate war crimes but has yet to take the necessary steps to do so. De Greiff said the government's pledge to pay reparations and prevent future atrocities was no substitute for accountability for past injustices. He urged it to adopt a timeline for achieving this and encouraged closer interaction with the UN human rights chief's office. Palestinian company Wataniya Mobile announces it is launching operations in the Gaza Strip Palestinian company Wataniya Mobile said it will launch telecommunications services in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip on Tuesday, offering customers a choice of providers. Wataniya, which operates in the West Bank and whose largest shareholder is Qatar's Ooredoo telecoms with 48.45 percent, becomes only the second mobile provider to serve Hamas-run Gaza. The companys chief executive in the Palestinian territories, Dergham Mari, said it would launch in the Gaza Strip early Tuesday "after the company completed the building of its latest communications network". Wataniya said it had been trying to enter the Gaza market for several years, calling the launch a "real success for the Palestinian economy and the Gaza economy in particular". "A number of obstacles have prevented the work of Wataniya in Gaza ... including Israel not allowing Palestinian equipment in, as well as Palestinian licenses," a company employee said on condition of anonymity. "All these obstacles have now been lifted," said the employee, who added the company had around 150 staff in Gaza. A company official told AFP that a reconciliation deal signed earlier this month between rival Palestinian movements Hamas and Fatah had encouraged Wataniya to launch services in Gaza. Under the deal, the Palestinian Authority, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is to retake control of the Gaza Strip from the Islamist movement Hamas by December 1. For the past 20 years, Jawwal has been the only telecommunications company working in the strip, which is home to two million people. 3G services are still unavailable in Gaza and the West Bank, where the mobile company Jawwal also operates and some users subscribe with Israeli firms. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during Diwali celebrations with military personnel stationed near the Line of Control in the Gurez Valley near the Pakistan border on October 19 India appointed Monday a special government representative to pursue talks in Kashmir aimed at easing a decades-long conflict that has claimed thousands of lives. It is the first such initiative taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an ardent nationalist, to address tensions in the restive territory since his right-wing party took power in 2014. Dineshwar Sharma, a former intelligence chief with experience of insurgencies in India's northeast, has been named special envoy to open talks with Kashmir's various factions. "As a representative of government of India, ...Sharma will initiate a sustained interaction and dialogue to understand legitimate aspirations of the people of Kashmir," Home Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters in New Delhi. Similar efforts in the past to resolve the intractable conflict have failed. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947, but both claim the territory in full. For decades rebel groups have fought soldiers deployed in India's only Muslim-majority state in a bloody insurgency, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan. There is no suggestion Pakistan will be involved in this latest effort at peace in Kashmir. Critics have accused India -- which maintains a standing force of half a million soldiers in Kashmir -- of extending an olive branch while refusing to loosen its grip on the Himalayan territory. The army this year launched "Operation All-out" to hunt insurgents fighting against Indian rule in the restive state. At least 166 militants and 59 security personnel have died so far this year. Modi -- whose government has not engaged with separatists since 2014 -- struck a conciliatory note in August, saying the restive state needed a healing touch "not bullets and abuses". Omar Abdullah, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and an outspoken government critic, welcomed the initiative but reserved judgement until talks had begun. "One can't get everything, so for now we'll take what we can get," he posted on his Twitter account. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is greeted by General John Nicholson (R) upon arriving at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on October 23, 2017 US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Monday to discuss Washington's new strategy with President Ashraf Ghani. Tillerson reiterated the US commitment to working with the Kabul government and regional partners "to achieve peace in Afghanistan and deny safe havens to terrorists who threaten that goal", said a US embassy statement posted on Twitter. The meeting took place at Bagram Airfield, America's largest base in Afghanistan, as the resurgent Taliban step up attacks on Afghan police and troops in response to the US strategy announced in August. "Clearly we have to continue to fight against the Taliban, against others, in order for them to understand they will never win a military victory," Tillerson told reporters after the meeting that was also attended by Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. It was Tillerson's first trip to Afghanistan as secretary of state and comes several weeks after US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis also paid an unannounced visit. The closed-door talks covered Ghani's reform programme, his anti-corruption strategy and preparations for parliamentary elections due to take place next year. US President Donald Trump "has declared that we are here to stay until we can secure a process of reconciliation and peace", Tillerson said, adding: "It's not an unlimited commitment." Tillerson's unannounced visit follows one of the bloodiest weeks in Afghanistan in recent memory, with more than 200 people killed in multiple attacks on security installations and mosques across the country. A spokesman for the militants told AFP last week the attacks were "a clear message... the enemy who thought they had scared us with the new Trump strategy have now been given a lesson". The Taliban have been rampant since the withdrawal of NATO combat forces at the end of 2014. Trump has cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops in an open-ended commitment and there has been a surge in US airstrikes, but the insurgency has only intensified. Militants fired several rockets into Kabul on Monday morning but there were no casualties. During Mattis's visit last month Taliban militants fired multiple rockets towards the city's international airport in an attack that killed one person and wounded 11 others. Tillerson is due to fly to Pakistan on Tuesday where he will pressure Islamabad to take action on the support Taliban and other "terrorist organisations" receive in the country. Islamabad needed to "take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they are confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organisations that find safe haven inside" the country, he told reporters, according to a pool report. "We want to work closely (with) Pakistan to create a more stable and secure Pakistan as well," Tillerson said. Three bombers, all of them women, detonated their explosives near the sprawling Muna Garage camp on the outskirts of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, in Nigeria, killing 14 Fourteen people have died in the latest suicide bomb attack in northeast Nigeria, an official said Monday in an updated toll, calling for greater protection for those made homeless by Boko Haram. Three bombers, all of them women, detonated their explosives near the sprawling Muna Garage camp on the outskirts of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, on Sunday evening. The blasts came after warnings of a build-up of jihadist fighters outside the strategic city, the epicentre in the eight years of Islamist violence. Ahmed Satomi, from the Borno state emergency management agency, told AFP the death toll had risen since Sunday evening. "So far, we have 14 people killed and 18 injured in the triple suicide bombings last night," he said. He said the Muna Garage site, which in the last 18 months has developed from an informal settlement into a vast camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), was "vulnerable". "So far this year we have recorded 13 suicide attacks in the area, including that of yesterday. I think we need to revise the security situation in the area," he added. "We need to employ modern surveillance strategies which will enable us to identify potential attackers before they strike". The Boko Haram conflict, which began in 2009, has so far killed at least 20,000 people and displaced more than 2.6 million. There are currently about 1.7 million IDPs in Borno and the neighbouring states of Adamawa and Yobe staying in camps or with distant relatives or friends, according to UN figures. - 'Major concern' - Unlike most of the formal IDP camps, Muna Garage is not enclosed within walls, with access strictly controlled by civilian militia forces or soldiers. Instead, it lies on either side of the main road to Ngala, on the border with Cameroon, and near a bus station that attracts large crowds. Access is possible from the road or the fields beyond the city limits. Boko Haram, which has lost control of towns and villages that it occupied in 2014 and 2015, has increasingly used suicide bombers, particularly against civilian "soft" targets. The last attack in and around Muna Garage was on September 8, when two women blew themselves up at a checkpoint. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs last Friday said such attacks against IDPs in camps "continue to be a major concern". On September 20, nine IDPs from the Rann camp, in northern Borno near the shores of Lake Chad, were killed as they tended their fields. On September 8, at least seven people were killed when Boko Haram fighters fired a rocket-propelled grenade into the IDP camp in Ngala, which houses some 80,000 people. A week earlier, 11 people had died when militants stormed a camp in Banki, on the border with Cameroon, to steal food. Conditions in the camps, which have been hit by a cholera outbreak, led to a protest in Maiduguri last month that saw 10 arrested on breach of the peace and rioting charges. The 10 defendants were released on bail when they appeared in court on Monday. The case was adjourned until November 24. Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani, seated next to a Kurdish flag, looks on during a press conference in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, on September 22, 2017 Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani, the driving force behind last month's independence vote, finds himself isolated at home and abroad weeks after he scored a major victory with a resounding "yes" at the polls. He organised the September 25 referendum in the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq with much fanfare, despite domestic and international objections. But analysts say he miscalculated. Weeks after the vote, central government forces launched a sweeping operation, reclaiming territory and oil fields in and around the disputed province of Kirkuk from Kurdish peshmerga forces. The loss of the oil fields, which provided income that would have been critical to an independent Kurdish state, sparked recriminations among Kurds. Iraqi President Fuad Masum, a Kurdish member of a party long at odds with Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) who supported a UN-backed push for dialogue, said the independence referendum triggered the assault on Kirkuk. Iraqi Kurdistan's main opposition party, Goran, has called for talks with Baghdad and demanded that Barzani and his deputy Kosrat Rasul resign, saying they "no longer have any legitimacy". Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani (L) and Iraqi President Fuad Masum attend a funeral ceremony in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah for ex-president Jalal Talabani on October 6, 2017 who died in Germany "The KDP is isolated within Kurdistan itself, in Iraq, regionally and increasingly internationally," said Kirk Sowell, analyst and publisher of Inside Iraqi Politics. Sowell said that faced with staunch opposition both from Goran and from longtime rival the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the KDP's "only hope is that Baghdad overreaches and loses international support". But he warned that the KDP "doesn't have much leverage left" in negotiations. The United States, a key ally of both Baghdad and Kurdish forces in the battle against the Islamic State group, opposed the non-binding referendum, as did several nations including Iraq's neighbours Iran and Turkey. Iraq's supreme court ruled that the vote was unconstitutional. - 'Reopen channels of negotiations' - Barzani, who saw a "yes" vote as a step closer towards the cherished dream of Kurdish statehood, campaigned relentlessly prior to the referendum but has since slipped out of view. On September 26, a day after the vote, he urged Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to begin talks on the issues dividing them, but the two sides remain wide apart. Abadi has vowed to keep Iraqi unity intact and world powers appear to support his view. This file photo taken on April 06, 2015 shows Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (R) being welcomed by Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq "Barzani will now have to reconsider his maximalist attitude and reopen channels of negotiation," Karim Bitar of the Paris-based Institute of International and Strategic Affairs told AFP. "The United States and the entire international community, with the notable exception of Israel, remains committed and attached to Iraq's unity and territorial integrity," he said. The son of iconic Kurdish nationalist leader Mulla Mustafa Barzani and head of the KDP since 1979, Barzani has long been the face of demands for Kurdish self-determination. Born on August 16, 1946 in Mahabad, capital of a Kurdish republic declared by his father amid unrest in Iran following World War II, Barzani joined the fight for an independent Kurdistan as a teenager. To this day he wears the garb of a peshmerga fighter: baggy khaki pants and shirt, a traditional sash and a chequered white-and-red scarf rolled around his head as a turban. "Barzani has made strategic decisions for years based on a narrow circle of advisors, not through a democratic process," Sowell said. "It appears... that Barzani is surrounded by people who just tell him what he wants to hear." Many Kurds believe that two men -- former Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari and Kirkuk governor Najm Eddine Karim -- were behind Barzani's decision to hold the referendum. - 'Misinterpreted the messages' - Kurdish affairs analyst Mutlu Civiroglu said the independence vote backfired and isolated Barzani because the Kurdish leader "misinterpreted" messages from Washington and Ankara. Barzani believed both allies would support his march towards independence and failed to read between the lines, Civiroglu said. The United States was "very clear in supporting a united Iraq in which Kurds play a balancing role," he said. Turkey, home to a large Kurdish minority, saw the vote as a threat to its own unity, he added. "Barzani could not read the position of the US in regards to Iraq and misinterpreted the messages" as support for his move towards independence, he said. "He heavily relied on good relations with Turkey." Bitar said a "false vision of Iraq as a mere mosaic of ethnic and sectarian identities" had been reinforced since the US invasion of 2003. "There has been a common and unfortunate tendency among many analysts and policy makers to underestimate the strength of Iraqi nationalism," he said. "To paraphrase Mark Twain, we could say that events of the past few days indicate that reports of Iraq's death may have been greatly exaggerated." An ultra-Orthodox Jewish demonstrator points in the face of an Israeli policeman during a protest against army conscription outside Israel's parliament in Jerusalem on October 23, 2017 Several thousand ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked the main entrance to Jerusalem on Monday and protested in other areas as part of a series of demonstrations against serving in the Israeli military. The protesters occupied an area around Jerusalem's main bus station that serves as the city's primary exit and entrance point, police and an AFP journalist said. At one point, police used a foul-smelling spray known as "skunk" to disperse them. There were reports of roads being blocked in other areas as well. Police said at least 10 people had been arrested. A series of such protests in recent weeks has been spurred by occasional arrests of ultra-Orthodox young men accused of dodging military service. On Thursday, police arrested 120 demonstrators after a major intersection was blocked as part of a string of protests throughout the day. Police said protestors in the ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighbourhood had blocked streets and set fire to garbage bins, using them as flaming barricades. Israeli law requires men to serve two years and eight months in the military on reaching the age of 18, while women must serve for two. Ultra-Orthodox men are exempt from military service if they are engaged in religious study, but must still report to the army to receive their exemption. Those who are not exempt must enlist with the military and can be arrested if they refuse. In September, a decision by Israel's supreme court struck down the law exempting them. However, the court suspended its ruling for one year to allow for preparations for a new arrangement, also giving the government time to pass a new law. The ruling raises the possibility that the ultra-Orthodox could be forced into service, a highly contentious proposition with political implications. Ultra-Orthodox parties are a key part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition and have often acted as kingmakers in Israeli politics. The ultra-Orthodox are against serving for a variety of reasons. Some do not recognise Israel, believing a Jewish state is not allowed before the coming of the Messiah. Others argue that seminary study is just as important to Israel as military service, or that ultra-Orthodox soldiers would be confronted with salty language and other irreligious behaviour. Sahar Dofdaa, pictured here on Saturday, was just 34 days old when she died on Sunday in Eastern Ghouta outside the Syrian capital. UNICEF says more than 1,100 children are suffering from acute malnutrition in the besieged enclave More than 1,100 children are suffering from acute malnutrition in the besieged rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area outside the Syrian capital, the UN's children's fund UNICEF told AFP on Monday. Based on surveys done in recent months, the body said 1,114 children were suffering from various forms of malnutrition, including the most dangerous form, known as "severe acute malnutrition". Spokeswoman Monica Awad said assessments in the past three months found 232 children suffering severe acute malnutrition, a level of undernourishment that requires urgent treatment if the child is to survive. Another 882 were suffering moderate acute malnutrition, with more than 1,500 other children at risk, Awad said. "During the past month, there has been two reported deaths among infants, one girl aged 34 days and a boy aged 45 days, due to insufficient breastfeeding," Awad said. "Mothers also don't have access to quality food, making them frail and unable to breastfeed their children." Sahar Dofdaa, just 34 days old, died on Sunday at a hospital in the Eastern Ghouta town of Hamouria. Images filmed by a reporter working with AFP showed a wide-eyed girl with listless eyes and little but skin on her bones. She tried to cry but lacked the strength to make much of a noise. Her young mother sobbed nearby. Her skeletal thighs poked out of a nappy way over her size. Placed on the scales, she weighed less than two kilograms (just over four pounds). Her mother was too undernourished to breastfeed her and her father, earning a pittance at a butcher's shop, was unable to afford milk and supplements. She died at the hospital on Sunday morning and her parents took her -- their only child -- to their nearby town of Kafr Batna to bury her. "The humanitarian needs are great," Awad said. "They need quality food, medicine and therapeutic nutrition supplies." Up to 400,000 people are believed to live across Eastern Ghouta, one of the last remaining opposition strongholds in Syria. The area has been under siege by President Bashar al-Assad's force since 2013, causing food and medical shortages and skyrocketing prices for what is produced locally or smuggled in. Aid convoys have rarely been able to access the region, which was once known as a prime agricultural area. On September 23, a convoy carrying food and medical aid for some 25,000 people entered three besieged areas of Eastern Ghouta, according to the UN. But Awad said "it was not sufficient to meet the needs of all children." US President Donald Trump will be in South Korea in early November as part of a five-nation Asia visit set to be dominated by concerns about North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs Donald Trump may not visit the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, breaking with what has become a rite of passage for US presidents seeking to demonstrate America's resolve to face down Pyongyang. Most previous US presidents have visited the eerie sliver of land that separates US and South Korean troops from their North Korean adversaries. "There are certain elements of the schedule that are still being worked out," said a senior administration official. Trump has instead been invited by the government in Seoul to visit Camp Humphreys, south of the South Korean capital and away from the DMZ. "Security is not a concern. The president is most likely going to be visiting Camp Humphreys, it's going to be very difficult for him to have time to visit both," the official said. All recent presidents, except one-term commander-in-chief George H.W. Bush, have visited the DMZ. But it would not be unheard of for the mercurial Trump to change plans at the last moment. The frontier, which is 2.5 miles (four kilometers) wide, spreads from sea to sea and is just a short distance from Seoul. For the most part, it is a chilling mix of near-empty farmland, forest, wire fencing, watchtowers and turrets, all set against a soundtrack of propaganda blasted from both sides. - North Korea nuclear concerns - US President Barack Obama (L) looking through binoculars towards North Korea from Observation Post Ouellette during a visit to the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone on March 24, 2012 The area has been guarded by both North Korea and the US-led United Nations Command since the Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953. Despite its name, the DMZ separating the two Koreas is one of the world's most heavily-militarized frontiers, bristling with watchtowers and landmines. In April, Vice President Mike Pence visited, declaring that standing with US forces in Korea, along with "courageous soldiers from the Republic of Korea is a message of resolve." Trump will be in South Korea in early November as part of a five-nation Asia visit that is set to be dominated by concerns about North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Since coming to office, Trump has ratcheted up pressure on North Korea, insisting it must get rid of nuclear weapons. That is unlikely to happen, resulting in a dangerous standoff. A bellicose Trump used his maiden address to the UN General Assembly in September to warn "Rocket Man" Kim Jong-Un that he will "totally destroy" North Korea if it threatens the United States or its allies. Trump will arrive in Japan on November 5, heading on to South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. His visit also comes as leaders in Japan and China consolidate their power. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this week won a huge electoral victory that would allow him to change Japan's pacifist constitution -- a move that could change the balance of power in the region. And Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared a "new era" in for his country, as he secured another term in power and enshrined his thinking in Communist Party doctrine. Rohingya Muslim refugees line up for relief aid at the Nayapara refugee camp in Teknaf, Bangladesh Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed a special envoy to Myanmar on Monday tasked with pressing its leadership to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis. Trudeau also announced in a statement that Canada would be doubling its contribution this year of humanitarian aid for the refugees to Can$25 million (US$20 million). Former senior MP Bob Rae will "reinforce the urgent need to resolve the humanitarian and security crisis in Myanmar and to address the situation affecting vulnerable populations, including the Rohingya Muslim community," read the statement, released as an international donor conference opened in Geneva. Rae, who preceded Trudeau as leader of Canada's Liberal Party, will also advise him on how best to support "those affected and displaced by the recent violence." Trudeau said he is "deeply concerned about the urgent humanitarian and security crisis in Myanmar's Rakhine State, particularly the brutal persecution of the Rohingya Muslim people." At a press conference, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland called for the immediate end to "widespread attacks against the Rohingya." "These are crimes against humanity and the responsibility for ending the ethnic cleansing falls squarely on Myanmar's military leadership and its civilian government," she said. Canada, she added, is looking at possibly resettling some of the refugees. More than 900,000 people from the Muslim minority group have fled violence in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state since August. Rohingyas have been systematically deprived of basic rights over decades in majority Buddhist Myanmar. In the latest crackdown, Myanmar's security forces have fired indiscriminately on unarmed civilians, including children, and committed widespread sexual violence, according to UN investigators. Trudeau called Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi last month to urge her to end the violence. Suu Kyi, an honorary citizen of Canada and Nobel laureate, has been criticized for her ambiguous position on the Rohingya crisis. Rae will travel to the region next week and make his findings public at the end of January. Tanya Williams (R) consoles her neighbour Dawn Lockhart (L) as they view their burned homes in the Coffey Park area of Santa Rosa, California About 5,000 firefighters were still battling 10 wildfires in California on Monday and the authorities said they hope to have many of them fully contained in the next few days. The death toll remained at 42, meanwhile, from the deadliest blazes in the history of the sprawling western US state. The wildfires ignited on October 8 and as many as 11,000 firefighters -- some from as far away as Australia -- were involved at one point in battling move than two dozen large blazes. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (Cal Fire) said Monday that only 10 active fires remained, "many of which are projected to be fully contained within the next few days." Cal Fire warned, however, that there was "potential high fire activity" in southern California due to gusty winds and low humidity. Cal Fire said the wildfires had burned more than 245,000 acres (99,150 hectares), forced the evacuation of 100,000 people and destroyed an estimated 8,400 homes and businesses. The highest death toll was in wine-producing Sonoma County, where 22 people lost their lives. Entire neighborhoods of Santa Rosa, population 175,000, the county seat of Sonoma, were razed to the ground. Forest fires are common in the western United States during the summer, but this year's blazes in California are the deadliest series of fires to hit the state. The Griffith Park fire in Los Angeles County in 1933 killed at least 29 people, and 25 people died in the 1991 Oakland Hills fire. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson embraces Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi prior to a meeting between Saudi and Iraqi officials in Riyadh on October 22, 2017 US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday flew in to Baghdad on a surprise visit for talks with Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and President Fuad Massum. The visit, during which Tillerson and Abadi will hold their second meeting in as many days, comes after America's US top diplomat called on Iranian militias to leave Iraq, prompting a sharp response from the Iraqi cabinet. "Certainly Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fighting against (the Islamic State group) is coming to a close, those militias need to go home," Tillerson said Sunday at a press conference in Riyadh. But Iraq's cabinet on Monday insisted that the paramilitary forces that helped it to defeat IS were fully Iraqi. "The fighters of the Hashed (al-Shaabi paramilitary units) are Iraqis who are concerned for their country and have sacrificed for its defence and for its people," it said in a statement, quoting a source close to Abadi. The cabinet added that "nobody has the right to interfere in Iraqi affairs". Abadi and Tillerson both attended a landmark meeting between Saudi and Iraqi leaders in Riyadh on Sunday aimed at upgrading strategic ties between the two countries and countering Iran's regional influence. On the crisis between Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan, the US State Department on Friday called for Iraqi federal forces to limit their "movements" in areas disputed by the two sides to avoid more violence. Iraqi forces clashed with Kurdish units in the northern province of Kirkuk last week, in an operation that saw them retake swathes of disputed territory from the Kurds. Both federal and Kurdish forces have been key US allies in the war against IS. "In order to avoid any misunderstandings or further clashes, we urge the central government to calm the situation by limiting federal force movements in disputed areas," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. On Sunday, as calm returned to the areas in northern Iraq, federal and paramilitary forces said they lost five men in the clashes, adding to 26 deaths reported on the Kurdish side. The Iraqi operation to retake disputed territories came three weeks after a Kurdish independence referendum condemned as illegal by Baghdad and criticised by Washington. Before flying to Baghdad, Tillerson earlier on Monday also made a previously unannounced trip to Afghanistan, following visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was given a five seconds penalty after a thrilling late passing move on Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari saw him drive briefly off the track at the final corner Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has launched an impassioned plea for consistent decision-making and a more careful choice of stewards after Max Verstappen's controversial demotion to fourth at Sunday's United States Grand Prix. Horner avoided revealing names, but pointedly made it clear that one of the stewards involved in the widely-criticised decision taken at the Circuit of the Americas was involved in a similar episode at last year's Mexican Grand Prix, which also involved Verstappen. The young Dutchman, 20, who on Friday confirmed he had agreed a contract to stay at Red Bull until 2020, was given a five seconds penalty after a thrilling late passing move on Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari, saw him drive briefly off the track at the final corner of the last lap. Horner said the penalty was "unbelievably harsh" and recalled that he had been told last year in Mexico that drivers would be given a right of reply in future if there was another similar incident. He said that they were not allowed this in Austin and had no right of appeal. "They said that they'd listen, look at all the facts, listen to the drivers and then make a decision. What's happened? They've made an instant decision and I think it's a shocking decision," he said. "They didn't even listen to Max's argument. In other instances, they would have had the drivers in and listened to both sides. "Maybe they would have come to the same conclusion, but at least give them the right of reply." Horner also defended Verstappen for his post-race rant about the stewards in which he blamed one "idiot steward" and claimed such mistakes would kill the sport. "He has the right to express himself and in any sport emotions run high - that's what sport is about," said Horner. "If he'd said he was happy with that decision I'd be amazed." Horner added: "Consistency of stewarding depends on the stewards you get on the day.... F1 is still immature in this country. It's a big race and with the lack of consistency in the decisions I should think all the viewers and the fans watching didn't understand. "Even Kimi Raikkonen didn't understand why he was on the podium and not Max. "Where do you gain an advantage and not gain an advantage? The race director was quite clear he had no issues with track limits." The stewards at Austin were Radovan Novak of the Czech Republic, Finn Mika Salo and Australian Garry Connelly, who was involved also when Verstappen was demoted from third to fourth in Mexico last year. - Flaws - Verstappen did not mention names when he said: "It's a shame we miss out on the podium, as they take it away again, but It's just one idiot steward who always makes the decisions up there against me. "I get a five-second penalty and a penalty point - but for what? At the end of the day, everybody is running wide. "The crowd is loving it and then you do something like that on world TV. The way they did it is unbelievable. The sport makes no sense. They kill the race like that." Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes blamed the design of modern circuits for the problems and the row. "He's off-track," said Hamilton. "This is the problem with today's circuits. I don't know who made the decision, but there's all these run-off areas... "Why is that not grass? If it was grass he wouldn't have gone there. "I just don't know why there's these flaws on these circuits. The new generation of driver comes in and is very happy to exploit these things. "Clearly, he's way off the line. You can't go there. It is very difficult and when we're in drivers' briefings, we're always discussing it..." Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman (L), pictured on October 18, 2017, said Hezbollah fired on Israel without Bashar al-Assad's knowledge but called on Damascus to restrain Hezbollah from operating on Syrian soil Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that mortar and rocket fire from Syria that landed in Israel last week was ordered by arch-foe Hezbollah, without the involvement of the Syrian regime. Speaking to senior members of his Yisrael Beitenu party in parliament, Lieberman said the fire into the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights was "definitely" not random spillover from fighting in the Syrian civil war, as in several previous incidents. "This was deliberate fire by a local squad operated by Hezbollah," Lieberman's party spokesman quoted him as saying, without elaborating on his source for the information. Israel fought a devastating 2006 war with Hezbollah and has voiced concern the Lebanese Shiite militant group's involvement in Syria risks opening up a new front. Israel also says that Hezbollah ally Iran is using the Shiite group to help expand its own presence in Syria, which borders Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday used a speech in Israel's parliament to praise US President Donald Trump's refusal to certify the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal and to send a warning to Tehran. "Every enemy who threatens us with destruction must know that he places himself in danger of a fatal blow," he said. Hezbollah is also a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but Lieberman said Damascus was not implicated in incidents on Thursday and Saturday in which rockets and mortar shells hit open ground in the Israeli sector. Israel responded with tank fire against Syrian military positions, saying that it held "the Syrian regime accountable for any aggression from within its territory." "Hezbollah did it in isolation from the Assad regime," Lieberman said in Hebrew, putting the blame on its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. "It was a personal order from Nasrallah to keep it secret from Assad," he said, adding that nevertheless Israel saw the Syrian regime as responsible for attacks launched from Syrian soil. "Especially today when it controls 90 percent of the territory," Lieberman said. He called on Damascus and on Russian forces deployed in Syria to restrain Hezbollah, which he said sought to "drag us into the Syrian swamp". "I hope that everyone is sufficiently responsible to prevent that," he added. Israel has sought to avoid becoming directly involved in the six-year civil war in Syria, though it acknowledges carrying out dozens of air strikes to stop what it calls advanced arms deliveries to Hezbollah. Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan Heights from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it, a move never recognised by the international community. Former Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan has previously indicated he was prepared to be questioned but declined to comment further, citing concerns about prejudicing ongoing trials Nigeria's former president Goodluck Jonathan has been asked to testify at the corruption trial of his party's former spokesman, a court was told on Monday. Olisa Metuh is being tried on charges of having fraudulently received some 400 million naira ($1.1 million, 945,000 euros) from the then-national security advisor Sambo Dasuki. The money was allegedly used to fund Jonathan's failed re-election campaign for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, which he lost to Muhammadu Buhari. Metuh's lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu, has already successfully applied for Dasuki to appear as a defence witness and said he would do the same for Jonathan. "The other witness we want to subpoena is Goodluck Jonathan, former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," he told the Federal High Court in Abuja. "We wrote him a letter but he did not respond and our plan will be to apply for subpoena after the first application (which compels Dasuki to appear as a witness)." Dasuki is on trial in a separate case, accused of illegally diverting some $2 billion in defence funds meant to equip Nigeria's military against Boko Haram jihadists. The money is alleged to have been sent to prominent PDP figures. Dasuki has said Jonathan was aware of the alleged "arms scam". Metuh's lawyer said his client, too, was only acting on Jonathan's orders. Ikpeazu has called the former president "an indispensable witness" and said Metuh should be acquitted if he is not called to the stand. "We are saying the failure to investigate what really amounts to an alibi is fatal to (the prosecution) case," Ikpeazu told AFP early last year. Dasuki's lawyer, Ahmed Raji, said in January 2016: "You cannot talk about this matter without talking about President Jonathan." Jonathan was lauded for conceding the 2015 election and as Buhari embarked on his promised anti-corruption campaign, the new president vowed not to settle any political scores. But the PDP has accused Buhari of conducting a witchhunt as most of those implicated in anti-corruption cases are senior PDP figures from the previous administration. They include Jonathan's wife Patience, and cousin Robert Azibaola. His former oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, is currently on bail in London as part of an international corruption enquiry. Jonathan has previously indicated he was prepared to be questioned but declined to comment further, citing concerns about prejudicing ongoing trials. Police officers patrol the Thalys railway platform in 2015 at the Gare Du Nord train station in Paris France has issued an arrest warrant for a Moroccan man being held in Germany who is suspected of helping plan a 2015 attack on a Paris-bound train, a judicial source said Monday. Redouane Sebbar, 25, is suspected of having a hand in the August 2015 attack by fellow Moroccan Ayoub El Khazzani on a high-speed Thalys train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris. Khazzani, a member of the Islamic State group returning from Syria, shot and seriously injured a passenger just after the train had entered France. He was overpowered by three Americans holidaying in Europe, two of them servicemen in civilian clothing. Khazzani told investigators he was acting on the orders of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, one of the organisers of the November 2015 Paris attacks, whom he met in Syria. Abaaoud was killed in a shootout with police days after the Paris massacre. German investigators believe Sebbar was also a member of Abaaoud's inner circle. The international warrant for Sebbar's arrest issued on July 13 this year says he is wanted on suspicion of "being part of a terrorist conspiracy" and "complicit in attempted terrorist murders". French investigators became interested in Sebbar after noticing that he had made a return Thalys trip from Brussels to Paris a few days before Khazzani opened fire on passengers with a Kalashnikov rifle. Another suspected accomplice of Khazzani's, who was arrested in Germany and handed over to France in April, has already been charged over the Thalys attack. Algerian national Bilal Chatra, 21, is also accused of playing the role of scout for Abaaoud and Khazzani along the Balkans migrant route into Europe in 2015. He is being held in a French prison. Israel and Germany are moving forward with a deal for the sale to Israel of three submarines like the German-made Israeli Navy vessel INS Rahav, pictured in 2016 Germany on Monday signed a deal to sell three submarines to the Israeli navy in an agreement of "strategic importance" to the Jewish state, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Netanyahu "welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Germany and the state of Israel to acquire the submarines," his office said in a Hebrew-language statement. "This memorandum of understanding has strategic importance for Israel's security and its signing reflects the commitment of Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel to Israel's security and the deep cooperation between the countries." Negotiations on the sale had been frozen for three months due to concern in Berlin over a related corruption investigation in Israel. In July, Germany put off the planned signing following the arrest of several Israelis on suspicion of offences including bribery and money laundering around the deal to buy the Dolphin submarines from German industrial giant ThyssenKrupp. The investigation, which is still ongoing, involves officials from the Israeli security establishment, as well as people working locally for ThyssenKrupp. An Israeli official said on Friday that Germany had conditioned the go-ahead on there being no corruption found on the part of the Israeli decision-makers and senior officials involved. Housing Minister Yoav Gallant, who was a senior officer in the Israeli navy, wrote in a tweet on Friday that the three new warships would replace three old vessels, keeping its Dolphin fleet at six. The submarines ordered by Israel are likely to be fitted with nuclear missiles but are primarily intended for spy missions off Iran or to attack that country in case of nuclear war, according to foreign military experts. Amnesty International says Algeria is illegally arresting and deporting Sub-Saharan Africans of whom 100,000 live in Algeria, many in precarious circumstances, such as the undocumented migrants in this camp near Algiers Algerian authorities have arrested and deported more than 2,000 sub-Saharan Africans to Niger and Mali in the past month, Amnesty International said Monday. In what the rights group described as "arbitrary arrests" and "illegal" mass expulsions, the migrants were detained in the Algiers area and Blida, 50 kilometres (30 miles) to the southwest. They were then placed on buses and taken 2,000 kilometres south to Tamanrasset, it said. They were then "abandoned" on the Nigerien side of the border between the two countries. At least 100 others, dropped on the Algerian side of the frontier, had to walk for six hours in the desert, it said. It said migrants of several nationalities were also deported via the Malian border. Amnesty accused Algeria of "ethnically profiling" migrants and failing to check if they had official permission to stay in the country. It said some of those deported since September 22 had valid visas, and that the deportations "did not respect the guarantees of due process". Heba Morayef, Amnesty's North Africa research director, said Algeria "must urgently put an end to these illegal arrests and expulsions". The group said those deported, from various sub-Saharan African countries, included 300 minors -- some of them unaccompanied. NGOs say about 100,000 Sub-Saharan Africans live in Algeria, many in precarious circumstances. In September, Algeria repatriated 1,000 undocumented Nigeriens. In June, social media users sparked controversy with a hashtag calling for "no Africans in Algeria". Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia later accused "illegal aliens" of bringing "crime, drugs and other plagues" to the country. The Art Institute of Chicago lists the Renoir painting "Two Sisters (On the Terrace)" as having been donated in 1933 by a local art collector An American museum is casting doubt on President Donald Trump's reported claim to possess an original Renoir -- revealing to have owned the Impressionist painting in question for the past 84 years. According to a former Trump biographer, the US leader claims to own the original "Two Sisters (On the Terrace)," an oil-on-canvas painted by the French master Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1881. But the Art Institute of Chicago begs to differ. "I'm happy to confirm that it's in our collection," museum spokeswoman Amanda Hicks told AFP by email Monday. "We're proud and grateful to be able to share this exceptional painting with our 1.5 million visitors each year." An identical work, which Trump asserted to be the original, was displayed in his private jet and seen as recently as last year inside his New York home, according to biographer Tim O'Brien. O'Brien told Vanity Fair magazine earlier this month that he saw the painting while conducting interviews for his 2005 book "TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald." The biographer, who Trump unsuccessfully sued for asserting that his net worth was as low as $150 million, corrected the self-proclaimed billionaire. "It clearly was a knock-off," O'Brien told the magazine's Hive podcast, adding that he told Trump: "I grew up in Chicago... That's not an original." Trump continued to insist that his painting was authentic, O'Brien said. The White House did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment. The Chicago museum lists the Renoir as having been donated in 1933 by a local art collector, who bought it from a Paris art dealer, who in turn had purchased it from the artist himself in 1881 for 1,500 francs. This is not the first authenticity controversy to dog the real estate mogul turned president. In June, Time magazine reportedly asked the Trump Organization to remove from display a fake magazine cover featuring Trump's face adorned with flattering headlines. Xi Jinping's blueprint suggests the Communist Party will continue to increase its control of the country, with no suggestion that crackdowns on human rights activists would wane. Xi Jinping was elevated to the pantheon of China's most powerful leaders Tuesday as his name was enshrined in the Communist Party constitution alongside Chairman Mao. The inclusion of Xi's eponymous guiding philosophy for the nation at the end of a week-long congress could lay the foundation for him to remain China's paramount leader far beyond his upcoming second five-year term. Communist China's founder Mao Zedong, and the architect of its market reforms, Deng Xiaoping, are the only other Chinese leaders to have their names in the document -- and only Mao was alive when his was included. Xi, 64, presided over the congress's closing session where some 2,300 delegates approved the constitutional amendment to include "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era". No caption The concept places a heavy emphasis on the party's role in governing every aspect of the country from the economy to what people are writing on social media. "We must work tirelessly and forge ahead on the journey of realising the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," Xi, who is due to be reappointed as party chief on Wednesday, told the congress in concluding remarks. With his name in the constitution, Xi will have the last word on all political matters. He could stay on as the nation's top leader even if he gives up the title of party general secretary when his second term ends in 2022, analysts said. Xi's predecessors Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao had their concepts included in the constitution, but without their names and only when they retired after two terms. "China has a tradition of combining emperor and teacher, which means that the emperor is also the thought leader. Xi achieved it at the end of his first term. That's rare in our history," Chinese political scholar Hu Xingdou told AFP. Xi also managed to get at least two of his cherished programmes written into the constitution: an anti-corruption campaign that has brought down 1.5 million crooked officials since 2012 and the Belt and Road initiative, the massive global trade infrastructure project intended to increase China's influence abroad. The congress declared the Communist Party China's "absolute leader", a clear sign that it intends to further tighten its grip on the country. "Those who approve, raise your hands," Xi said during the vote as a flurry of arms shot up in unison. When he asked if anyone was not in favour, shouts of "None!" echoed in the imposing Great Hall of the People. "Now our country is unified, cohesive, and moving up in the world," northeast Jilin province delegate Li Hualiang told AFP. - 'New era' - The congress also elected a new 204-member Central Committee, which included just 10 women. It will elect the party's new ruling council, the Politburo Standing Committee, on Wednesday. Xi is expected to secure a second five-year term as general secretary of the party and could also consolidate his power by filling the standing committee with allies, possibly without even presenting an obvious heir apparent. A vast security apparatus was thrown around the congress, with businesses ranging from nightclubs to gyms closing to avoid any incidents and factories shuttered in what turned out to be a failed attempt to clear the city's notorious smog. Delegates arrive outside the Great Hall of the People for the closing session of the party congress When he opened the gathering last week, Xi declared that China had entered a "new era" with the ambitious goal of becoming a "global leader" by mid-century. Xi has sought to portray himself as a responsible global leader while US President Donald Trump trumpets a nationalist "America First" policy and the European Union grapples with Britain's exit. His blueprint foresees no change in the single-party political system, and gives no sign that crackdowns on human rights activists will ease. Some of his goals, such as building a modern military by 2035, go beyond the end of his second term, a hint that he foresees himself staying at the centre of China's political life for years to come. At the closing session, Xi said the congress established "the goal of securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and then embarking on a journey to fully build a modern socialist China". - 'Full control' - Despite Xi's rising power, the composition of the Politburo Standing Committee, the body that controls power, will still be crucial to his efforts, said Willy Lam, politics professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Portraits of Xi Jinping (left) and late communist leader Mao Zedong at a market in Beijing Xi and Premier Li Keqiang are expected to remain on the committee while the five other current members are supposed to step down under an informal retirement age set at 68. There is no agreement among China-watchers about who will end up on the committee, or if anybody will emerge as a potential successor. If the right allies are named, Lam said, it would show that "he has full control over the Politburo Standing Committee". US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (2nd L) meets with Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Baghdad on October 23, 2017 Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi met top US diplomat Rex Tillerson in Baghdad on Monday, challenging the secretary of state over his comments on Iranian militias in Iraq. Tillerson, in Riyadh on Sunday, had called on Iranian militias in Iraq to "go home" as the fight against the Islamic State group was ending. His comments prompted a sharp response from Baghdad. "The fighters of the Hashed al-Shaabi are Iraqis who have fought terrorism, defended their country and made sacrifices to defeat (IS)," Abadi said, according to a statement from his office. The 60,000-strong Hashed was formed in 2014 after IS seized swathes of northern Iraq, routing government forces. A coalition mostly made up of Iranian-backed militias, it has played a key role in Iraq's successful fight against the jihadists in the past three years. The group answers to the prime minister's office and parliament has voted to integrate it into state forces. "The Hashed is an institution that depends on the Iraqi state and the constitution does not allow the presence of armed groups outside the law," Abadi said. But experts say regular visits to Iraq by Iran's Major General Qassem Soleimani, commander of its Revolutionary Guards' foreign arm, the Quds Force, reflect Tehran's influence in the country. Iraq's cabinet on Monday insisted the paramilitary forces that helped it to defeat IS were fully Iraqi. - No 'right to interfere' - The cabinet added that "nobody has the right to interfere in Iraqi affairs." Abadi and Tillerson both attended a landmark meeting between Saudi and Iraqi leaders in Riyadh on Sunday aimed at upgrading strategic ties between the two countries and countering Iran's regional influence. Tillerson and Abadi, in Baghdad, discussed "government measures taken to restore the authority of the federal government in Kirkuk," Abadi's spokesman Haydar Hamada said. Last week, central government forces wrested back control of the disputed oil-rich province from Kurdish forces in a sweeping operation after a controversial Kurdish independence vote. "We are concerned and a bit saddened by the recent differences that have emerged between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Iraqi central government," Tillerson said. "We are -- we have friends both in Baghdad, and we have friends in Arbil, and we encourage both parties to enter into discussion and dialogue." The US State Department had on Friday called for Iraqi federal forces to limit their "movements" in areas disputed by the two sides to avoid more violence. Both federal and Kurdish forces have been key US allies in the war against IS. On Sunday, as calm returned to the areas in northern Iraq, federal and paramilitary forces said they lost five men in the clashes, adding to 26 deaths reported on the Kurdish side. The Iraqi operation to retake disputed territories came three weeks after a Kurdish independence referendum condemned as illegal by Baghdad and criticised by Washington. Before flying to Baghdad, Tillerson earlier on Monday also made a previously unannounced trip to Afghanistan, following the visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Melania Trump pledged during the 2016 campaign to make the fight against bullying a priority as first lady Donald Trump's detractors may label him one of the world's most powerful bullies, but that did not discourage America's first lady from championing the fight against bullying at a Detroit area school on Monday. Melania Trump has publicly embraced the anti-bullying cause at the risk of drawing unfavorable parallels with a president who routinely resorts to brutal personal attacks and name-calling both on and off social media. "I think it's important that we choose kindness and compassion," she told students at Orchard Lake Middle School, in a Detroit suburb, during a visit made as part of National Bullying Prevention Month. "I encourage you to find a new friend," the first lady told the children. "Ask them what they like, what their hobbies are, so nobody becomes sad or stressed and everybody feels included." Melania Trump, the mother of the president's youngest child, 11-year-old Barron, pledged during the 2016 campaign to make the fight against bullying a priority as first lady, and addressed the issue during a speech at the United Nations in September. But her choice of a cause to champion has consistently raised eyebrows. On the campaign trail, Trump displayed a propensity to attack personal traits of his opponents -- be it their stature, ethnic origin or even in one notorious case the physical disability of a reporter -- and since taking office has been regularly accused of using the presidency as a bully pulpit. To hammer the point home, the Washington Post ran an annotated version of Melania Trump's statement on Monday's visit -- linking to more than a dozen tweets in which Trump variously labelled his opponents with the terms "loser, "idiot," "dummy," "failed," "moron," "dope." Continent-wide, Botswana has the most number of elephants, while populations in Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda are holding steady or climbing Elephant poaching in Africa declined for a fifth straight year in 2016 but seizures of illegal ivory hit records highs, the CITES monitor said Tuesday, calling it a "conflicting phenomena". In its latest report, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species also noted that despite the overall fall in poaching, Africa's elephant population has continued to drop "due to continued illegal killing, land transformation and rapid human expansion." Global illegal ivory trade has remained relatively stable for six years, CITES reported. But 2016 saw a full 40 tonnes of illegal ivory seized, the most since 1989, as well as the hightest-ever number of "large-scale ivory seizures", the group said. "The overall weight of seized ivory in illegal trade is now nearly three times greater than what was observed in 2007", CITES added in a statement. That could be a result of increasing vigilance among border guards and "scaled up enforcement", said CITES secretary general John Scanlon. But Scanlon also speculated that the prospect of tougher enforcement along with the widening trend of countries moving to ban ivory may have had a ripple effect across the black market. The global ivory network "International syndicates behind this poaching and smuggling may be involved in a panic sell-off as they realise that speculating on extinction was a bad bet, with the an ever-increasing risk of getting caught," Scanlon was quoted as saying. Multiple studies from civil society groups have reported a 50 percent drop in ivory prices in recent years, according to CITES. The outlook for elephant populations across Africa is mixed, according to the report. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has previously found that Africa's elephant numbers fell by 111,000 between 2006 and 2015. But according to CITES, the population in southern Africa and much of East Africa is now either stable or increasing. Continent-wide, Botswana has the most number of elephants, while populations in Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda are holding steady or climbing. Illegal elephant killings however remain high in Central Africa, home to chronically restive countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic, where weak conservation efforts have failed to stem poaching. CITES monitors the international anti-trafficking agreement among countries that came into force in 1975 and has now been joined by 183 state parties. The US, Britain, France, Russia and China all have veto power in the 15-member UN Security Council The United Nations Security Council will vote Tuesday on whether to extend an international investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria -- a measure that could be vetoed by Russia. The United States requested a vote on a draft resolution it presented last week that would allow the joint UN-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) panel to continue for another year its work of identifying who is behind toxic gas attacks in Syria's six-year war. The measure is facing a possible veto from Russia, Syria's ally, which wants to first see a report due on Thursday on a sarin gas attack in Khan Sheikhun before deciding on the fate of the inquiry. US Ambassador Nikki Haley has urged the council to "act now" to support the continued work of the panel, known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM). Its mandate ends on November 18. The United States accuses Russia of linking the JIM's survival to its findings on the April 4 Khan Sheikhun attack. Britain, France and the United States have accused President Bashar al-Assad's forces of using sarin on the opposition-held village, killing at least 87 people, including more than 30 children. Last month, UN war crimes investigators said they had evidence that the Syrian air force was behind the Khan Sheikhun attack, despite repeated denials from Damascus. "This is not about politics or the contents of the next report, but about ensuring accountability for those who are using these terrible weapons, whether they are UN member states or non-state actors," Haley wrote in a letter to fellow ambassadors last week. - Will Russia veto? - Russia could decide to use its veto power at the council to block the draft resolution and effectively shut down the investigation of deadly gas attacks in Syria. The head of Russia's non-proliferation department, Mikhail Ulyanov, told UN diplomats earlier this month that Russia wants to study the report on Khan Sheikhun by the JIM to "judge if it deserves the extension." Ulyanov said the sarin attack was most likely caused by a bomb set off directly on the ground and not by a Syrian air strike. Haley argued that the OPCW was reviewing more than 60 cases of alleged chemical weapons use in Syria, including a recently-uncovered sarin attack on an opposition-held village on March 30. The OPCW does not have a mandate to assign blame for the attacks, leaving that determination to the JIM. The JIM has already concluded that Syrian government forces were responsible for chlorine attacks on three villages in 2014 and 2015, and that Islamic State jihadist group used mustard gas in 2015. In February, a resolution put forward by the United States, Britain and France to impose sanctions on Syrian officials who were allegedly involved in those chlorine attacks was vetoed by Russia and China. All five countries have veto power in the 15-member Security Council. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on David Letterman receiving the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (all times local): 9:05 p.m. Fellow comedian Jimmy Kimmel is honoring David Letterman by recalling the monologue he gave after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. FILE - In this Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, file photo, David Letterman speaks during the unveiling of a Peyton Manning statue outside of Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis. Letterman is being honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He'll receive the lifetime achievement award Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017, at Washington's Kennedy Center. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File) Speaking at a ceremony at Washington's Kennedy Center, Kimmel says Letterman "let us know it was OK to move on and OK to laugh again." But, jokingly, he blamed the election of President Donald Trump on Letterman's retirement in 2015. Kimmel said: "It's like you went out for cigarettes one day and left us in the hands of our abusive, orange stepfather." The 70-year-old Letterman is being honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor after 33 years on late-night TV, hosting long-running shows on NBC and then on CBS. ___ 8:30 p.m. Comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short are roasting David Letterman before he receives a prestigious award for his comedy career at Washington's Kennedy Center. Their tribute to Letterman started with Steve Martin playing a grand piano while Short sat on top. The two took gleeful shots at Letterman's bushy white retirement beard. Martin said: "Dave has always had excellent instincts. What better time that now to choose to look like a Confederate war general." The 70-year-old Letterman is being honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor after 33 years on late-night TV, hosting long-running shows on NBC and then on CBS. ___ 8 p.m. David Letterman is recalling his favorite dumb moment from his late night show before receiving the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Speaking on the red carpet at Washington's Kennedy Center, Letterman recalled the "monkey cam" in which he would attach a camera to a monkey's head and let it run wild. He remembered the monkey biting comedian Sandra Bernhard and quipped: "Actually looking back, maybe it wasn't that much fun." Of President Donald Trump, Letterman adds: "It's hard for me to recognize him as the president because I remember him as just Don." Letterman says Trump would come on the show and he would make fun of his hair. The 70-year-old Letterman is being honored after 33 years on late-night TV, hosting long-running shows on NBC and then on CBS. ___ 7:15 p.m. Celebrities have begun arriving on the red carpet at Washington's Kennedy Center ahead of a ceremony awarding David Letterman the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Early arrivals include comedian John Mulaney, late night host Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmie Walker of the 1970s television series "Good Times." Walker gave Letterman one of his first jobs as a joke writer in Hollywood. Kimmel says nothing compares to the honor of being asked to speak on Letterman's behalf at the ceremony. He recalled his favorite moments watching Letterman as a child. The 70-year-old Letterman spent 33 years on late-night TV, hosting long-running shows on NBC and then on CBS. His final broadcast on May 20, 2015, was episode No. 6028 that Letterman hosted. His long run shattered the record of his mentor, Johnny Carson. ___ 9 a.m. No joke: David Letterman yukked it up on late-night TV longer than anyone else. Now his career of comedy has earned him a prestigious award and a celebrity roasting. Letterman was to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor during a star-studded celebration Sunday night at Washington's Kennedy Center. Expected to attend are previous recipients Steve Martin and Bill Murray, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, musician Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Al Franken, the comedian-turned-senator. The 70-year-old Letterman spent 33 years on late-night TV, hosting long-running shows on NBC and then on CBS. His final broadcast on May 20, 2015, was episode No. 6028 hosted by Letterman. His long run shattered the record of his mentor, Johnny Carson. CLARK, Philippines (AP) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, paving the way for a visit next month by President Donald Trump, congratulated the Philippine army for its successes against militants in the southern city of Marawi. The U.S. and the Philippines are decades-old treaty allies, but the relationship has been rocky in recent years. One point of contention under President Barack Obama was government-sanctioned killings as part of President Rodrigo Duterte's crackdown on drug suspects. President Donald Trump has praised Duterte's attacks on drug suspects. Mattis arrived early Monday at an airbase that once of the home of U.S. air forces known as Clark field. He will be attending meetings with counterparts from 10 Southeast Asian nations. A key topic is expected to be North Korea and its accelerating drive to develop a full arsenal of nuclear weapons, including missiles capable of strike the United States. Defense Secretary James Mattis arrives at the office of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Mattis was scheduled later Monday to hold trilateral talks with his counterparts from South Korea and Japan as part of a Trump administration effort to present a united front on North Korea and to prepare for the possibility of conflict. In brief remarks to reporters flying with him from Washington, Mattis praised the Philippine military for its counterterrorism efforts in Marawi, which had been controlled by Islamic militants. "The Philippine military has sent a very necessary message to the terrorists," Mattis said. The Philippine military said on Sunday that its troops were battling a final group of about 30 pro-Islamic State group militants as a nearly five-month siege neared its end in Marawai. A gradual withdrawal of forces was underway with the easing of the fighting, which has left at least 1,131 people dead, including 919 militants and 165 soldiers and policemen. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The Environmental Protection Agency has kept three scientists from appearing at an event in Rhode Island about a report that deals in part with climate change. The New York Times reports EPA spokesman John Konkus confirmed on Sunday that agency scientists would not be speaking at the event Monday in Providence. Konkus did not provide an explanation. The event is designed to draw attention to the health of Narragansett Bay, New England's largest estuary. A spokesman for Democratic U.S. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island says the event will go on as planned and the report will be released. The report finds that climate change is affecting air and water temperatures, precipitation, sea level and fish. Reed told The Associated Press in a statement Sunday night that "muzzling EPA scientists won't do anything to address climate change." CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australian officials say more than 600 asylum seekers are refusing to leave an immigration camp on Papua New Guinea that Australia wants to close next week. Australia pays Papua New Guinea, its nearest neighbor, and the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru to house asylum seekers who attempt to reach the Australian coast by boat. The United States has resettled 54 of them in recent weeks. Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection deputy secretary Mandy Newton told a Senate committee on Monday that 606 men refused to leave the Manus camp and move to accommodation in the township of Lorengau, about half an hour's drive. Department secretary Mike Pezzullo rejected a suggestion that the men were too scared to leave Manus because refugees were assaulted in Lorengau by locals. CLARK, Philippines (AP) - The Latest on the Philippine fight to end the militant siege of Marawi (all times local): 1:30 p.m. The Philippines defense secretary says the defeat of pro-Islamic State group militants in Marawi helps prevent the spread of extremism in Asia. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, left, together with Armed Forces Chief Gen. Eduardo Ano, right, reads a statement announcing the Philippine troops have captured a building where pro-Islamic State group militants made their final stand in southern Marawi city and found bodies of suspected gunmen inside Monday, Oct. 23, 2017 at the ongoing ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting in Clark, Pampanga province north of Manila, Philippines. The seizure of the building and the defeat of the militants would allowed the military to declare on Monday the end of the Marawi siege, which hundreds of black flag-waving gunmen launched exactly five months ago. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana declared the last militants who had laid siege to the southern city "finished" on Monday after the last group of gunmen were found dead. He spoke at a meeting of Southeast Asian defense ministers in Clark, Philippines. "In crushing thus far the most serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and the region, we have contributed to preventing its spread in Asia." He said the achievement shows how regional cooperation can advance against the spread of terrorism. 12:45 p.m. Malaysia's defense minister says the siege of a Philippine city by pro-Islamic State group militants is a wakeup call for the region. The last militants in southern Marawi city were declared "finished" on Monday, ending a five-month siege that raised worry of the group gaining a foothold in Southeast Asia. Some of the militants were from other countries, including Malaysia. Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein spoke while attending a Southeast Asian defense ministers' meeting in Clark, Philippines. He said, "We have to be very careful. What happened in Marawi can happen anywhere. It's a wake-up call for all of us." ___ 12:30 p.m. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana declared the last of the pro-Islamic State group militants in southern Marawi city were "finished." He told reporters Monday in Clark that troops recovered 42 bodies of the last group of militant stragglers. He said, "Those are the last group of stragglers of Mautes and they were caught in one building so there was a firefight, so they were finished." Two security officials had told The Associated Press earlier Monday that troops had found the bodies after capturing the building where the militants made their final stand. Lorenzana said hostages the militants had held were recovered a few days earlier. He said, "There are no more militants inside Marawi City." The Marawi siege involving hundreds of black flag-waving gunmen was launched exactly five months ago. TOKYO (AP) - Fresh off a decisive election victory, Japan's leader pledged Monday to tackle what he called Japan's two national crises: the military threat from North Korea and an aging and shrinking population. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a news conference that he is committed to protect the Japanese people's prosperity and peace from any contingency. He also referred to Japanese people who were abducted years ago and are believed to still be held by North Korea. "I will pursue decisive and strong diplomacy to tackle North Korea's missile, nuclear and abduction issues and put further pressure to get it to change its policy," he said. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a press conference at his Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. Abe pledged to tackle what he called Japan's two national crises, the military threat from North Korea and an aging and shrinking population, after his ruling coalition was returned to power in Sunday's elections. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) His ruling coalition got voters' endorsement to stay in power in elections for Japan's more powerful lower house Sunday. Abe said Japan's decreasing population and aging is "the biggest challenge" for his Abenomics policy aimed at Japan's economic recovery from deflation. "The problem is progressing by the minute, and we cannot afford waiting around." He promised a comprehensive package by the end of the year to deal with Japan's demographic challenges, including investments in education, productivity improvements and pension system reform. Abe's ultra-conservative Liberal Democratic Party and a small coalition partner together secured 313 seats in the 465-member lower house, passing the 310-barrier for a two-thirds majority. Abe said the result showed "strong support" from the people and thanked them for backing stability and his government's policies. The victory boosts Abe's chances of winning another three-year term next September as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. That could extend his premiership to 2021, giving him more time to try to win a reluctant public over to his longtime goal of revising Japan's pacifist constitution. In the immediate term, the win likely means a continuation of the policies Abe has pursued since he took office in December 2012 - a hard line on North Korea, close ties with Washington, including more purchase of American missile interceptors, as well as a super-loose monetary policy and push for nuclear energy. Stocks rose in Tokyo on Monday morning. Abe said he will have "deep discussion" on North Korean policies with President Donald Trump during his planned Nov. 5-7 visit in Japan. Abe's ruling coalition already has a two-thirds majority in the less powerful upper house. Having a so-called supermajority in both houses gives them virtually a free hand to push even divisive policies and legislation. That would also increase Abe's chances for achieving a constitutional revision, a goal his party and its nationalist supporters have advocated for years. They view the 1947 constitution as the legacy of Japan's defeat in World War II and an imposition of the victor's world order and values. The charter renounces the use of force in international conflicts and limits Japan's troops to self-defense, although Japan has a well-equipped modern military that works closely with the U.S. Any change to Japan's constitution, which has never been amended, requires approval first by two-thirds of parliament, and then in a public referendum. Polls indicate that the Japanese public remains opposed to amendment. The win indicates Abe has bounced back from the summer, when support ratings for his Cabinet plunged to 30 percent after accusations of government favoritism to people connected to him. For the first time since he took office nearly five years ago, he appeared vulnerable as both party leader and prime minister. The ruling coalition's victory reflects as much the lack of viable alternatives as support for Abe. Turnout was just 54 percent, as typhoon rains lashed much of the country. Abe dissolved the lower house less than a month ago, forcing the snap election. Analysts saw it as an attempt to solidify his political standing at a time when the opposition was in disarray and his support ratings had improved somewhat. His plan was briefly upstaged by the launch of a new conservative opposition party by populist Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike. But initial excitement faded, and the Party of Hope took only 49 seats. Another new party, the liberal-leaning Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, won 55 seats and looks to be the biggest opposition grouping. Koike said Monday that she faced during an "iron ceiling" during the election campaign, one tougher than the "glass ceiling" she broke when she became Tokyo's first female governor and lead her regional party to win big in the city assembly election. ___ Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu contributed to this report. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a press conference at his Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. Abe pledged to tackle what he called Japan's two national crises, the military threat from North Korea and an aging and shrinking population. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe points to a reporter during a press conference at his Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. Abe pledged to tackle what he called Japan's two national crises, the military threat from North Korea and an aging and shrinking population. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe poses for photographers before the start of a press conference at his Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. Abe pledged to tackle what he called Japan's two national crises, the military threat from North Korea and an aging and shrinking population, after his ruling coalition was returned to power in Sunday's elections. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) Shocking new details have emerged of an ISIS massacre in a Syrian town where 128 were slaughtered and dumped in the streets in a matter of days. Terrified residents say children were butchered with knives and women were burned or had their arms broken by extremists after they raided the war torn Qaryatayn community. Bodies of many of the victims were deliberately left out in the open, piled up in ditches or abandoned on farmland by bloodthirsty fanatics who then fled after being driven out by Syrian forces after a three-week occupation. Families were barred from burying their loved ones. Many were beheaded or shot while the militants, who had arrived with a hit list, forced people to look at bodies to strike fear into the town. Shocking new details have emerged of an ISIS massacre in a Syrian town where 128 were slaughtered and dumped in the streets in a matter of days. Pictures show some of the victims covered in blankets Terrified residents say children were butchered with knives and women were burned or had their arms broken by extremists after they raided the war torn Qaryatayn community ISIS scrawled slogans on walls and shop shutters in the town during their three-week occcupation. Many victims were beheaded or shot while townsfolk were marched off and forced to look at mass graves created by militants who had come to the town with a hit list ISIS had stormed the town early in October. By the time they left the town three weeks later, scores of civilians had been executed, apparently in revenge for being linked to the Syrian regime. Many of the slayings are understood to have taken place in the last 48 hours before they fled. The killings underscore the ability of the group to inflict heavy losses even when in retreat - and portend more violence as they fight to hang on to their last strongholds in Syria. News of the massacre began to emerge late on Sunday, after the ISIS death squad had been driven out by advancing government troops. Terrified residents said they watched the slaughter from their windows or in the streets. One former resident said his surviving family members walked for miles to find cell phone coverage so they could tell him of the deaths of his uncle, two cousins and a fourth relative. Another uncle remains missing. The massacre happened over a three-week period in the town of Qaryatayn, north of Damascus About 200 militants evacuated the town, before government forces (pictured) marched in to retake the town 'They came into town with a hit list,' said Abdullah AbdulKarim, adding that 35 of the 50 militants who overran the town late last month were originally from Qaryatayn. He said the militants accused many of their victims of collaborating with the government but many others were also caught in the revenge killing. 'Our curse is from within us,' he said, speaking to The Associated Press from northern Syria, where he fled years ago. Once a predominantly Christian town known for its ancient monastery, Qaryatayn has changed hands between ISIS and the Syrian government several times during Syria's civil war. Parts of the 1,500-year-old St. Elian monastery were demolished the first time ISIS took over the town in 2015 and thousands of its Christian residents fled, fearing the extremist group's brutality. Video captured as Syrian government troops recaptured Qaryatayn on Saturday, showed several bodies lying in the streets. In the video, a town resident said ISIS 'monsters' killed more than 100 people, including soldiers and civilians. 'These are people who don't know God, they don't know anything. They killed children and women with knives, they beat women, broke their arms,' he said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for his own safety. News of the massacre began to emerge late on Sunday, after the ISIS death squad had been driven out by advancing government troops The killings underscore the ability of the group to inflict heavy losses even when in retreat - and portend more violence as they fight to hang on to their last strongholds in Syria Terrified residents said they watched the slaughter from their windows or in the streets One reside said: 'They attacked us like animals, they came to kill us. 'They broke the arms of the women, they burned them, they killed various women. 'They killed more than a hundred innocent people from the families of both civilians and militants.' The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented the killings of at least 128 people in Qaryatayn, including at least 12 killed by government forces on suspicion of aiding the ISIS militants. AbdulKarim and Mohamed Hassan, an activist who runs the Palmyra Network News, put the death toll at 75 civilians, saying many more remain unaccounted for. 'It seems it was mostly revenge,' Hassan said. Another activist network, the Palmyra Coordination Committee, released the names of 67 civilians who were confirmed killed and said the number was likely to rise. It said at least 35 of the dead were found dumped inside a ditch. Talal Barazi, the governor of Homs province, said ISIS 'terrorised' residents for three weeks, adding that most of the dead were townspeople who were government employees or were affiliated with Syria's ruling Baath party. He said at least 13 residents remained missing and six bodies had not been identified. ISIS militants relied on Qaryatayn's strategic location to defend another of their bastions, the historic city of Palmyra. Government troops are pictured after recapturing the town Two Syrian soldiers walk the street of Qaryatayn, a town in central Syria which was recaptured from ISIS militants on Saturday ISIS militants relied on Qaryatayn's strategic location to defend another of their bastions, the historic city of Palmyra. With Russian backing, Syrian government troops regained control of Qaryatayn in April 2016. But ISIS, facing major setbacks in Syria and Iraq, launched a new offensive on the town in late September and recaptured it. AbdulKarim said during the three weeks that ISIS controlled the town, the militants went door to door looking for people they accused of collaborating with the Syrian government. He said his uncle, who was a local mayor, and two cousins were shot after they were taken to an undisclosed location. 'They took people to show them bodies dumped in an open area to let them know they were killed, but also to terrorise the public,' AbdulKarim said. He said the extremists barred residents from burying their dead. He said the advancing government troops also killed civilians, but residents were too afraid to report the government killings. AbdulKarim and the Observatory said the militants took Qaryatayn's police chief, his wife and other security personnel as hostages to negotiate their exit after government troops encircled the town. About 200 militants evacuated the town, before government forces marched in, they said. BERLIN (AP) - Eight people were hurt, at least one of them seriously, during an ax attack in a small Swiss town that ended with the suspect's arrest, police said Monday. Officials said concerns about the suspected assailant, a 17-year-old Latvian boy who was arrested about an hour after the attack started on Sunday evening in the northeastern town of Flums, had previously been reported to authorities. They had concluded that he didn't pose a serious risk. The assailant first attacked a couple in a central square in Flums Sunday evening, Sigi Rueegg, the deputy police chief of St. Gallen canton (state) police told reporters. This photo shows a town square in Flums, Switzerland, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017, after several were injured in an ax attack. Police believe the suspect attacked several people in the town square, then fled with a stolen car, which later was involved in an accident. The suspect continued on foot before attacking more people at a gas station shop, where he was arrested, police said. (Eddy Risch/Keystone via AP) Their eight-month-old baby fell out of a pram but wasn't attacked. Passers-by tried to intervene and were themselves hurt. The attacker stole a car, which he crashed, then continued on foot. He attacked two people in their cars outside a gas station before police shot at, Tasered and arrested the suspect. The 17-year-old arrived in Switzerland in mid-2013, prosecutor Stephan Ramseyer said. He was in an apprenticeship and was legally resident in Switzerland. Earlier this year, local authorities were twice tipped off to "conspicuous behavior" by the youth, Ramseyer said. His vocational school reported that he had allegedly talked about violence. Local officials assessed the boy and determined that he had made "no substantive threats" and didn't pose "any acute danger," he added. The violent fantasies "could be connected with this act, which could point to a personality disorder," Ramseyer said. He added, however, that officials haven't yet questioned the suspect. Authorities plan to seek his detention on suspicion of attempted homicide. Police said shortly after the attack that there was no indication of any terrorist motive. This photo shows a town square in Flums, Switzerland, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017, after several were injured in an ax attack. Police believe the suspect attacked several people in the town square, then fled with a stolen car, which later was involved in an accident. The suspect continued on foot before attacking more people at a gas station shop, where he was arrested, police said. (Eddy Risch/Keystone via AP) BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Authorities say two people needed hospital treatment after they were attacked in central Romania by a brown bear foraging for food. Ciprian Sfreja, a spokesman for Emergency Situations in the area, told The Associated Press a 39-year-old man was scratched all over his body and a 14-year-old girl was bitten and scratched during the attack early Monday in the mountainous city of Fagaras. They were treated at the municipal hospital. Sfreja said the bear had left the forest and had come to the city in search of food. The animal ran off, frightened by the screams. He said there were occasional attacks on humans in the Brasov area, home to many of Romania's bears. Romania has between 5,000 and 6,000 wild bears. LONDON (AP) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Monday that nobody wants armed conflict over North Korea's nuclear ambitions, but that U.S. President Donald Trump is right to keep the option of military action open. In a speech on global security in London, Johnson urged the government of Kim Jong Un to "change course" and engage in diplomacy to resolve the crisis. "By continuing to develop nuclear capabilities, Kim risks provoking a reaction in the region that is at once defensive and competitive, that reduces not increases his security and therefore reduces not increases the survival chances of the regime," Johnson said. Britain's Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, speaking at the Chatham House London Conference at an hotel in London, Monday Oct. 23, 2017. Johnson is urging North Korea to "change course" and engage in diplomacy to resolve the crisis over its nuclear ambitions. But he says U.S. President Donald Trump is right to keep the option of military action open. (Yui Mok/PA via AP) North Korea has dramatically ramped up its nuclear weapons program, launching intercontinental ballistic missiles that can potentially strike the U.S. mainland and a conducting its largest-ever underground nuclear explosion. Johnson called for North Korea's neighbor China to lead efforts to pile economic pressure on Pyongyang, but also said U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had rightly offered North Korea "sensible reassurances" that it does not seek regime change or invasion. But he said Trump has an "absolute duty to prepare any action" to keep America and its allies safe. "I don't think anybody can conceivably want a military solution to this problem," Johnson said. "And yet clearly it must remain on the table." Johnson told a conference organized by the Chatham House international affairs think tank that diplomacy had succeeded in limiting the spread of atomic weapons beyond a handful of countries. He said that if North Korea changed tack, "the world can show that it is once again capable of the diplomatic imagination that produced the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty" and the Iran nuclear deal. In an implicit rebuke to Trump, he said the 2015 accord curbing Iran's nuclear program had avoided the "nightmare" of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Trump has been fiercely critical of the deal and earlier this month refused to re-certify it under U.S. law, directing Congress to make it more stringent. The other parties to the accord - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the European Union - have all urged Trump's administration to stay in the deal. Johnson said it was crucial the Iran deal survived. He said that "having spoken to some of the most influential figures on Capitol Hill - none of them fans of the Iranian regime - I have absolutely no doubt that with determination and courage the (deal) can be preserved." Urging more work to curb nuclear proliferation, he said the alternative was a world of high-stakes standoffs and brinksmanship, what he called "a nuclear version of the final scene of 'Reservoir Dogs.'" Britain's Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, speaking at the Chatham House London Conference at an hotel in London, Monday Oct. 23, 2017. Johnson is urging North Korea to "change course" and engage in diplomacy to resolve the crisis over its nuclear ambitions. But he says U.S. President Donald Trump is right to keep the option of military action open. (Yui Mok/PA via AP) Britain's Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, arrives to speak at the Chatham House London Conference at an hotel in London, Monday Oct. 23, 2017. Johnson is urging North Korea to "change course" and engage in diplomacy to resolve the crisis over its nuclear ambitions. But he says U.S. President Donald Trump is right to keep the option of military action open. (Yui Mok/PA via AP) Japan's defense minister asserted today that North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities have grown to an 'unprecedented, critical and imminent' level, requiring 'different responses' to the threat. The minister, Itsunori Odonera, said that this rising threat compels his country to endorse the U.S. view that 'all options' must be considered, which President Donald Trump says includes possible military action. Japan was alarmed by North Korea twice launching missiles over Japanese territory, in August and in September. Odonera's comments, made through an interpreter, came at the outset of a so-called trilateral meeting in the Philippines with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and South Korea's defense minister, Song Young-moo. Each made statements about North Korea before a group of reporters and news cameras, but none took questions. Scroll down for video Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said he endorses the US view that 'all options are on the table' when it comes to taking action against North Korea Mattis was in the Philippines to attend portions of a two-day meeting of defense ministers from the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He used the occasion to hold a three-way meeting with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea. He is scheduled later in the week to travel to Seoul to attend annual consultative talks with the South Korean government, which is expected to focus mostly on North Korea. In remarks that were notably explicit about the North Korean threat, Odonera said North Korea's most recent underground nuclear test could have been a hydrogen bomb, which is vastly more powerful than an atomic bomb. 'The country has steadfastly improved it nuclear and missiles capability,' said Onodera. He added: 'The threat posed by North Korea has grown to the unprecedented, critical and imminent level.' 'Therefore, we have to take calibrated and different responses to meet that level of threat,' he said, without elaborating on what 'different' responses Japan favors. Trump has said he will resolve the North Korea problem alone if necessary, to prevent the North from gaining the capability to attack the United States with a nuclear-armed missile. His remarks came shortly after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to work with the US, China and Russia to contain North Korea's nuclear threat with 'strong, resolute diplomacy', as he 'humbly' accepted his landslide victory in a snap election. Fresh from clinching a two-thirds 'super-majority' that enables the nationalist premier to realize his dream of revising Japan's pacifist constitution, Abe vowed to forge a 'national consensus' on the divisive issue. Addressing reporters on his election win, Abe said he would 'confirm close co-operation' on North Korea with Donald Trump when the US president visits Japan next month and then discuss the issue with the Chinese and Russian leaders. 'I have renewed my determination to secure people's lives and peaceful living, no matter what,' said the 63-year-old leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Abe and Trump spoke on by phone after the Japaneses premier's win on Sunday and agreed to work together to raise pressure on North Korea. The two leaders will play golf together on November 5, when Trump makes his first visit to Japan as president, Yasutoshi Nishimura, a deputy chief cabinet secretary, told reporters. During their 30-minute phone call, Abe told Trump that he had urged necessity of 'placing as much pressure as possible on North Korea so it will change its policies under the unshakable Japan-US alliance', a government official told Japan Today. The leaders agreed to further discuss their approach to North Korea at their meeting next month. North Korea, which has threatened to 'sink' Japan and fired two missiles over its northern islands, dominated the 12-day election campaign that Abe eventually won comfortably. 'We will solve North Korea's missile, nuclear and abduction issues with strong, resolute diplomacy,' he said in reference to the abduction of Japanese by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s. In the immediate term, the win likely means a continuation of the policies Abe has pursued since he took office in December 2012 - a hard line on North Korea, close ties with Washington, including more purchase of American missile interceptors, as well as a super-loose monetary policy and push for nuclear energy. Stocks rose in Tokyo on Monday morning. Abe said he will have 'deep discussion' on North Korean policies with President Donald Trump during his planned Nov. 5-7 visit in Japan. It comes after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a snap election and raised the prospect of amending Japan's constitution to allow the country to attack others Abe's ruling coalition already has a two-thirds majority in the less powerful upper house. Having a so-called supermajority in both houses gives them virtually a free hand to push even divisive policies and legislation. That would also increase Abe's chances for achieving a constitutional revision, a goal his party and its nationalist supporters have advocated for years. They view the 1947 constitution as the legacy of Japan's defeat in World War II and an imposition of the victor's world order and values. The charter renounces the use of force in international conflicts and limits Japan's troops to self-defense, although Japan has a well-equipped modern military that works closely with the U.S. Any change to Japan's constitution, which has never been amended, requires approval first by two-thirds of parliament, and then in a public referendum. Polls indicate that the Japanese public remains opposed to amendment. The win indicates Abe has bounced back from the summer, when support ratings for his Cabinet plunged to 30 percent after accusations of government favoritism to people connected to him. For the first time since he took office nearly five years ago, he appeared vulnerable as both party leader and prime minister. Mattis was somewhat more reserved in his remarks than Onodera, although he did slam Pyongyang for defying U.N. Security Council resolutions against its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. But the U.S. defense secretary did not mention any potential military action. Mattis instead emphasized a unified U.S.-Japan-South Korea position in pressuring the North to give up its nuclear program. 'North Korea's provocations threaten regional and global security,' he said. South Korea's defense minister, Song, said that North Korea's behavior is 'becoming worse and worse.' Earlier Monday, in brief remarks to reporters, Song was asked about the risk of war against North Korea. He said defense ministers bring a special perspective that cautions against an early use of force. 'I want to emphasize that war is not as easy as the journalists make it sound in the press and the media,' he said. 'As defense ministers who are in charge of national defense and other high tech weapons such as ballistic missiles, we understand the very weight of engaging in a war and as such we will make all the efforts necessary to resolve the issue in a diplomatic and economic way as possible.' He added: 'However, if we are attacked then we will have to take firm actions.' MOSCOW (AP) - The Russian track and field federation says it could be reinstated soon after nearly two years of international suspension. The federation was banned from all international competition in November 2015 amid investigations into widespread doping, though some Russians have since been allowed to compete as neutral athletes. Ahead of a meeting next week with the IAAF's taskforce monitoring Russian reforms, federation president Dmitry Shlyakhtin says in a statement that he and his staff "understand each step's significance, we're working, doing everything possible. And when the collective works at maximum effort, I am sure that victory is not far off." The World Anti-Doping Agency is expected to discuss reinstating Russia's drug-testing agency next month, potentially fulfilling a key condition of the track federation's rehabilitation. PARIS (AP) - Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is starting a three-day visit to France, where human rights are expected to be discussed along with economic and military cooperation. El-Sissi meets Monday with French Defense Minister Florence Parly and on Tuesday will meet French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee palace. The French presidency said in a statement that France is "particularly vigilant" about human rights issues. French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a media conference at the conclusion of an EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. European Union leaders gathered Friday to weigh progress in negotiations on Britain's departure from their club as they look for new ways to speed up the painfully slow moving process. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) El-Sissi has presided over a widescale crackdown on dissent and Egyptian authorities have jailed several human rights activists and banned others from travel due to allegations of harming national security. The heads of state will also discuss Syria and Iraq. France's main human rights groups called on Macron not to tolerate Egyptian's authorities' "repression" of the country's civil society. Michel Tubiana, the honorary president of the French Human Rights League, said at a news conference ahead of el-Sissi's arrival that "people that we met (in Egypt), all kinds of people, live in fear." Hussein Baoumi, Amnesty International's campaigner on Egypt, said "activists, journalists are regularly jailed and are subjected to unfair trials. Protests are met with brute force and sometimes with French weapons, the internet is undergoing surveillance and censorship." "All of this is happening in the name of counterterrorism," he added. European countries support Egyptian authorities in the fight against terrorism. Since 2015, Egypt has concluded several arms deals with France, notably purchasing two French-made, Mistral-class helicopter carriers, 24 French Rafale warplanes and missiles. Benedicte Jeannerod, director of Human Rights Watch France, said the fight against terrorism "is tarnished by huge abuses and is a pretext to stifle all kind of pacific protest, and we fear that this creates an atmosphere that is conducive to radicalization." _________________ Chris Den Hond in Paris contributed to the story. Eds: Major scheduled events for the week of October 22-28. Note that many events are subject to change at the last minute. The following economic reports will be issued in Washington (all times EDT), unless otherwise noted: SUNDAY: No events of note. MONDAY: No events of note. TUESDAY: Caterpillar Inc. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. General Motors Co. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. McDonald's Corp. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. reports quarterly financial results after the market close. WEDNESDAY: Commerce Department releases durable goods for September, 8:30 a.m.; Commerce Department releases new home sales for September, 10 a.m. Boeing Co. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. Coca-Cola Co. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. Visa Inc. reports quarterly financial results after the market close. THURSDAY: Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims, 8:30 a.m.; Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, releases weekly mortgage rates, 10 a.m.; National Association of Realtors releases pending home sales index for September, 10 a.m. Pharmaceutical giant GSK announces third quarter financial results. American Airlines Group Inc. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. Comcast Corp. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. Ford Motor Co. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. Southwest Airlines Co. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. Union Pacific Corp. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. United Parcel Service Inc. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. Alphabet Inc. reports quarterly financial results after the market close. Amazon.com Inc. reports quarterly financial results after the market close. Microsoft Corp. reports quarterly financial results after the market close. Twitter Inc. reports quarterly financial results after the market close. FRIDAY: Commerce Department releases third-quarter gross domestic product, 8:30 a.m. Exxon Mobil Corp. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. Merck & Co. reports quarterly financial results before the market open. SATURDAY: No events of note. ___ SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22 No events of note. ___ MONDAY, OCTOBER 23 Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visits Qatar, Pakistan, India and Switzerland, through Oct. 27. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump bestows the Medal of Honor retired Army Capt. Gary Rose of Alabama, a medic who risked his life to care for his comrades during the Vietnam War. WASHINGTON - Supreme Court on break until Oct. 30. ___ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24 WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump speaks to Republican senators at their weekly policy lunch. WASHINGTON - House Natural Resources Committee hearing on Puerto Rico. ___ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25 DALLAS - President Donald Trump attends a fundraiser in Dallas for his re-election campaign and for the Republican National Committee. WASHINGTON - Joint Economic Committee hearing on the economy, with Kevin Hassett, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. WASHINGTON - Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on the commercial satellite industry. WASHINGTON - House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on Iran. WASHINGTON - House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on opioids. BERLIN - Germany's Ifo institute releases its monthly business confidence index, a key indicator for Europe's biggest economy. ___ THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26 DENVER - Vice President Mike Pence is in Denver for a Republican Party political event. WASHINGTON - Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on protecting electric grids and energy infrastructure from cyberattacks. WASHINGTON - House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on the refugee admissions program. ___ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27 No events of note. ___ SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 No events of note. DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) - Jordan's queen said Monday that the international community must respond effectively to end the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh to escape persecution by Myanmar authorities. Queen Rania, who visited a refugee camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district on Monday, spoke of the "shocking escalation of violence" against Rohingya and urged the international community to step in. Since Aug. 25, more than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh amid a global outcry for an end to the violence. The United Nations has termed Myanmar's actions a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. Queen Rania of Jordan shakes hand with a Rohingya Muslim man, who crossed over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, inside a school compound used as temporary shelter for refugees during her visit to Kutupalong refugee camp, Bangladesh, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. More than 580,000 refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since Aug. 25, when Myanmar security forces began a scorched-earth campaign against Rohingya villages. Myanmar's government has said it was responding to attacks by Muslim insurgents, but the United Nations and others have said the response was disproportionate. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Bangladesh has been hosting hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who have fled Myanmar dating back to 1978. The U.N. said some 800,000 Rohingya Muslims are now living in temporary settlements there, about 58 percent of them children up to 17 years old. The U.N. says it needs more assistance to handle the crisis. "One has to ask, why is the plight of this Muslim minority group being ignored?" Rania said in a statement Monday. "Why has this systematic persecution been allowed to play out for so long?" The queen said she was shocked by the limitations of basic services to health care and other lifesaving support. "It is unforgivable that this crisis is unfolding, largely ignored by the international community," she said. "The world response has been muted. I urge the U.N. and the international community to do more to ensure we can bring peace to this conflict." A Bangladeshi police man stands guard as Rohingya Muslims, who crossed over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, wait for the arrival of Queen Rania of Jordan, at Kutupalong refugee camp, Bangladesh, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. More than 580,000 refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since Aug. 25, when Myanmar security forces began a scorched-earth campaign against Rohingya villages. Myanmar's government has said it was responding to attacks by Muslim insurgents, but the United Nations and others have said the response was disproportionate. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Rohingya Muslims, who crossed over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, rest inside a school compound at Kutupalong refugee camp, Bangladesh, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. Nearly 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state and arrived in Bangladesh since Aug. 25 to avoid persecution that the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Sen. John McCain left no doubt Monday that he was thinking of President Donald Trump as he criticized the draft system during Vietnam for forcing low-income Americans to serve while the wealthy could avoid war with a doctor's note. McCain, a former Navy pilot and prisoner of war, stopped short of labeling Trump a "draft dodger" for getting five draft deferments. But the senator's comments came with Trump already immersed in controversy over how he honors U.S. troop deaths, and underscored the remove between the billionaire president and the military system he now controls as commander in chief. McCain's criticism also continued a long-running clash between the two men on the eve of a visit by Trump to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to court Senate GOP votes for his tax plan, a meeting that could contain more than a few awkward moments. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and Defense Secretary James Mattis, speak to members of the media after their meeting Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) "I don't consider him so much a draft dodger as I feel that the system was so wrong that certain Americans could evade their responsibilities to serve the country," McCain said on ABC's "The View." He was being pressed about comments in a C-SPAN interview aired Sunday where he lamented that the military "drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur." One of Trump's deferments came as a result of a physician's letter stating he suffered from bone spurs in his feet. Trump's presidential campaign described the issue as a temporary problem. McCain, meanwhile, spent 5 years as a prisoner of war after his plane was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967. Yet during last year's presidential campaign Trump said McCain was not a war hero because "I like people who weren't captured." The senator made clear during Monday's interview that he had been referring to Trump in making his C-SPAN comments. When one of the hosts remarked that people thought he was talking about Trump because the president had sought a medical deferment, McCain interjected, "More than once, yes." McCain was asked to describe his relationship with the president. "Almost none" he simply said. The six-term Arizona lawmaker, battling brain cancer at age 81, made his appearance on "The View" in honor of his daughter Meghan McCain's birthday. She recently joined the daytime talk show as one of its panel of co-hosts. The White House declined to comment on McCain's remarks. The tacit criticism reflected the ongoing tension between Trump and McCain, which began during last year's campaign and has flared on and off. Trump responded furiously when McCain's "no" vote sunk Senate efforts to repeal and replace "Obamacare" earlier this year. And last week, in a speech in Philadelphia, McCain questioned "half-baked, spurious nationalism" in America's foreign policy. Trump lashed out, insisting he would fight back and "it won't be pretty." That prompted McCain to retort: "I have faced tougher adversaries." The senator burst into sustained laughter on Monday when one of the hosts mentioned Trump's threats and asked McCain, "Are you scared?" After he stopped laughing, McCain said, "I mentioned that I had faced greater challenges." "Let's stop insulting each other. Let's start respecting each other," McCain recommended. The back-and-forth between the president and McCain stands as the latest skirmish between the two Republican Party heavyweights and another example of Trump tangling with GOP senators who could make or break his agenda in Congress. Trump in recent weeks has feuded with Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, although the president joined with the Kentucky senator at the White House last week to publicly declare they were on the same page. Both Corker and McCain could be critical to the success or failure of the president's push to overhaul the tax system. During Trump's presidency, McCain has questioned the president's immigration policies and warned him against cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The senator also criticized Trump in August for saying that both white nationalists and counter protesters were responsible for violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia. McCain insisted in a tweet at the time that "there's no moral equivalency between racists & Americans standing up to defy hate and bigotry" and the president should say so. The senator underwent surgery in mid-July to remove a 2-inch (51-millimeter) blood clot in his brain after being diagnosed with an aggressive tumor called a glioblastoma. It's the same type of tumor that killed Sen. Edward M. Kennedy at age 77 in 2009 and Beau Biden, son of then-Vice President Joe Biden, at 46 in 2015. MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) - A suicide bomber killed 13 people in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri, said authorities. A man strapped with explosives attacked Sunday evening, police spokesman Victor Isuku told The Associated Press Monday. In a second simultaneous attack, two female suicide bombers died and more than a dozen others were wounded, he said. People gather at the site of a suicide attack in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. Authorities in northeast Nigeria say more than a dozen people have been killed after a suicide bombing in Maiduguri. Police spokesman Victor Isuku told The Associated Press Monday that a man strapped with explosives attacked Sunday evening. (AP Photo/Jossy Ola) While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, suspicion fell on the extremist group Boko Haram. Militants from the group have long carried out suicide bombings not only in northeastern Nigeria, and also in neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon. People gather at the site of a suicide attack in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. Authorities in northeast Nigeria say more than a dozen people have been killed after a suicide bombing in Maiduguri. Police spokesman Victor Isuku told The Associated Press Monday that a man strapped with explosives attacked Sunday evening. (AP Photo/Jossy Ola) WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local): 6:20 p.m. President Donald Trump has shot down a possible approach for raising revenue to finance tax cuts in politically must-do legislation for the Republicans, promising the popular 401(k) retirement program will be untouched. President Donald Trump, left, and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien, right depart together following a joint statement in the Rose Garden at the White House, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017 in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Still, the head of the House's tax-writing committee indicates that changes to the 401(k) structure may still be on the table. Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep. Kevin Brady says: "That will all be part of the tax reform bill." Republicans are scrambling to find new revenue sources to pay for anticipated tax cuts exceeding $1 trillion. A proposal to eliminate the widely-used federal deduction for state and local taxes has run into heavy opposition from GOP House members from high-tax states. __ 8:15 a.m. President Donald Trump says there will be "NO change" to tax incentives for 401(k) contributions. Trump says on Twitter Monday: "There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays!" The president appeared to be responding to a recent report in The New York Times that Republican lawmakers were considering limiting the amount workers could save in 401(k) retirement accounts. Those savings are not taxed until retirement. About 55 million U.S. workers hold some $5 trillion in their 401(k) accounts. ___ 3:45 a.m. House Republicans leaders are hoping to pass a budget bill this week so they can turn their attention to tax reform. In a conference call, President Donald Trump personally urged House GOP members to pass the tax package or face political failure in 2018. He said it is crucial for Congress to pass what he described as historic tax cuts. The Senate last week passed a budget that includes rules that will allow Republicans to get tax legislation through the Senate without Democratic votes. House Republican leaders are emphasizing the need for the House to pass the Senate budget to avoid negotiations between the two chambers that could slow the process Republicans are anxious to rack up a legislative win after a series of embarrassing failures. FLINT, Mich. (AP) - A judge apparently is letting a Monday deadline slip after the City Council in Flint, Michigan, asked for more time to choose a long-term source of drinking water. The council asked federal Judge David Lawson to reconsider his decision. In response, the judge told the state of Michigan to file a reply by Tuesday. Gov. Rick Snyder's administration is suing Flint to force it to approve a 30-year deal with the Great Lakes Water Authority, which has been serving the city since a lead disaster was declared in fall 2015. Lawson had set a Monday deadline for a decision on a long-term water source. Managers appointed by Snyder provided Flint with water from the Flint River in 2014. The corrosive water wasn't properly treated, and lead leached from old plumbing. BRUSSELS (AP) - The Belgian government says that it wants to finally conclude an investigation into the "Mad Killers" gang which killed 28 people during the 1980s. The announcement followed a breakthrough into the possible identity of one gang member. Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon told the VRT network on Monday that "we have to take a decision that this investigation can finally be brought to a close." Not a single person has been convicted in the killings and the lack of success in the investigation has raised all kinds of conspiracy theories. The case came to life over the past week with a family report of a deathbed confession of one possible gang member who came to be known as "the giant" and was often seen as the gang attacked supermarkets. CAIRO (AP) - Egypt's military targeted an arms convoy crossing the border from Libya, destroying vehicles loaded with weapons and explosives, and killing militants, a military spokesman said Monday. The airstrikes come a few days after authorities officially announced that at least 16 policemen were killed in a brazen ambush by militants, about 135 kilometers (84 miles) southwest of Cairo. Military spokesman Col. Tamer el-Rifai said in a statement that airstrikes destroyed eight vehicles and killed suspected militants, without elaborating. He posted photos on his official Facebook page that showed charred vehicles and weapons allegedly belonging to the suspected militants. Friday's attack took place near Egypt's vast western desert, where a previous series of attacks were blamed on Islamic militants pouring in from chaotic Libya. Egypt has long contended that weapons smuggled across the porous desert border with Libya have reached militants operating on its soil. Also on Monday, el-Rifai said that the military killed six suspected militants in a raid in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula. The military seized weapons and ammunition, he said. Egypt has been struggling to contain an insurgency by Islamic militants led by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group mostly in the northern region of the Sinai Peninsula, but attacks on the mainland have also recently increased. MIAMI (AP) - A Florida man who described himself as a sympathizer of the Islamic State extremist group faces terrorism-related charges stemming from a purported plot to bomb a Miami-area shopping mall, according to court documents filed Monday. Vicente Adolfo Solano, 53, appeared at a brief hearing Monday afternoon on a charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction at the Dolphin Mall west of Miami. Solano was arrested Friday after accepting a fake bomb provided by the FBI outside the mall, according to an FBI affidavit. U.S. Magistrate Judge Chris McAliley said she will appoint a public defender to represent Solano, who is being held without bail. A bond hearing is set Thursday and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Gilbert said the government wants him kept behind bars until trial as a risk of flight and danger to the community. In this Dec. 23, 2013, photo made available by the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department, Vicente Solano is shown. Solano, who described himself as a sympathizer of the Islamic State extremist group, faces terrorism-related charges stemming from a purported plot to bomb a Miami-area shopping mall, according to court documents filed Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, in Miami. (Miami-Adde Corrections and Rehabilitation Department via AP) Solano told the judge he works as a painter earning $13 an hour. No relatives appeared at the hearing. Court records show Solano has had only minor brushes with the law, most recently in 2014 and 2015 for driving with a suspended license. That document noted he had no prior felony record. The FBI began investigating Solano in late September after a confidential informant tipped agents off about his plans, the affidavit said. Most of the subsequent conversations were recorded. Investigators also found three pro-Islamic State videos that Solano allegedly sent to the confidential informant. "I am here because I like the way (Islamic State) confronts the United States and the countries of the coalition," Solano allegedly said in one video, wearing a black mask and shirt and standing in front of black flag. "The United States is the most terrorist country of all. I am going to plant a bomb ... that's how it's going to be done." In a second video, Solano said he is a "sympathizer of the Islamic group, ISIS" using another acronym for the Islamic State. It's not clear from the affidavit whether Solano had any links to any foreign terrorist groups. At one point, he told the confidential informant he had not discussed his plot with anyone else. His plans started to come together in October when the confidential informant introduced Solano to an undercover FBI employee who could supposedly help build a bomb. Solano provided a sketch of the food court at the mall, which he thought would be most crowded, according to the FBI. "It's easy because look ... I go in, I sit down, I leave it and goodbye. I leave it. I won't have a problem with that," Solano said in one conversation recorded by the FBI. After buying screws and other materials to build the bomb, Solano met with the two undercover FBI men at a hotel to put it together. Then the three of them drove over to the mall, where "Solano took steps that he believed would arm the device and the timer to count down" on the fake bomb, the affidavit said. ____ Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Like many Somalis displaced by decades of civil war, Mohamoud Elmi felt he had a duty to use what he learned in America to help rebuild his homeland. After getting a business administration degree in Ohio, he fulfilled that calling and returned to Somalia in 2008 to work in government. Elmi, a dual Somali-U.S. citizen, was among at least 358 people killed in the Oct. 14 truck bombing in Mogadishu. He was one of countless members of the Somali diaspora who have returned to the Horn of Africa country in recent years to work as contractors, entrepreneurs, humanitarian workers, government leaders and more, despite the threat of violence. Many say they won't be deterred by the recent bombing, which was the deadliest attack in Somalia's history and one of the world's worst attacks in years. Some say the bombing, which also left 228 people injured and dozens missing, will actually energize rebuilding efforts. FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2017, file photo, Somalis remove the body of a man killed in a huge explosion blast in the capital Mogadishu, Somalia. Countless members of Somalia's vast diaspora have returned to Somalia in recent years to help rebuild their homeland after decades of civil war. Some who spoke to The Associated Press say they won't be deterred by the Oct. 14 bombing that killed more than 300. Instead, they say the attack marks a turning point, and is a call for all Somalis to work toward peace. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh, File) "We don't want this country to go down the tubes," said Jibril Afyare, a Minnesota software engineer who is visiting Mogadishu. He went on to add: "I'm an American citizen, but this is my homeland and I won't let my fellow Somali citizens suffer like this." Afyare was among a group of diaspora members invited to Somalia by the government to assist in the country's progress. He was on his way to meet three relatives when he heard the blast from a couple of blocks away. His relatives died, as did friend and fellow Minnesota resident Ahmed Eyow, who had arrived in Mogadishu just hours earlier. Afyare stayed in Somalia to help the hurt and needy. He spoke to The Associated Press last week by phone while volunteering at a hospital where many of the injured were being treated. "Somali-Americans, or Somalis everywhere, should ... contribute their skill sets to help this country come out of the ashes," Afyare said. Somalia began to fall apart in 1991, with warlords ousting dictator Siad Barre before turning on each other. Years of conflict and attacks by the extremist group al-Shabab, along with famine, shattered the country of some 12 million people. Somalia now has its first fully functioning government in 26 years, including a new generation of leaders who hail from the diaspora of about 2 million people. Among those who have returned to their country to help is President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, a dual Somali-U.S. citizen from New York. Roughly one-third of Somalia's Parliament - 105 of 329 members - are dual citizens from the diaspora, said Sadik Warfa, who is a Somali-American from Minnesota and was elected to Parliament last year. Twenty-nine are from the United Kingdom, and 22 are from the United States. Countless others have returned to Somalia to work in the private sector or advise the new government. "This country must rise up as a whole nation," said Warfa, who is now in Somalia. "And who can do better at that than its own people. People need to wake up and realize it's now or never." Warfa said for too long Somalia has been known for terrorism, piracy, tribal clashes and lawlessness. He believes the Oct. 14 attack was a turning point and will reaffirm the commitment to create a better country. "Somalia has been sliding a long time, and I think we realized this is the generation that can turn the page and start a new page for Somalia," he said. Some Somali-Americans in Minnesota have assisted in other ways, by helping out businesses, putting their efforts toward more humanitarian causes or working as consultants. Saciido Shaie, a community advocate in Minnesota, traveled to Somalia last spring to document the horrors of a drought that's displaced hundreds of thousands of people. After her trip, she collaborated with groups to get food and medical supplies to those in need. Hashi Shafi, also in Minnesota, is working on an ongoing effort to connect Somali-American investors to businesses in Somalia. "We want to make sure we are part of the solution, we are not part of the problem," Shafi said. Mohamud Sheikh Farah, also a dual Somali-U.S. citizen from Minnesota and a member of Parliament, said it's important that educated people who fled during the civil war return to help. "It's not easy. But we are going in the right direction," he said by phone from Mogadishu. "We have the confidence that if we work hard and ... try to bring all our best people on board, we can bring a lot of great change." Elmi was serving as director general of Somalia's Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management when he was killed in the attack. His brother, Sade Elmi, said Mohamoud had just left the office and was in traffic when the explosion happened. "He always believed that you get educated here, you have to go back and help," Sade Elmi said of his brother. "He was a humanitarian guy and he really loved what he was doing." ___ Andrew Welsh-Huggins contributed to this report from Columbus, Ohio. ___ Follow Amy Forliti on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amyforliti . More of her work at: https://apnews.com/search/amy%20forliti ___ Sign up for the AP's weekly newsletter showcasing our best reporting from the Midwest and Texas: http://apne.ws/2u1RMfv FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2017, file photo, Somalis gather and search for survivors by destroyed buildings at the scene of a huge explosion in the capital Mogadishu, Somalia. Countless members of Somalia's vast diaspora have returned to Somalia in recent years to help rebuild their homeland after decades of civil war. Some who spoke to The Associated Press say they won't be deterred by the Oct. 14 bombing that killed more than 300. Instead, they say the attack marks a turning point, and is a call for all Somalis to work toward peace. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh, File) This October 2017 photo provided by Jibril Afyare shows Afyare helping to unload supplies after the Oct. 14, 2017, explosion that killed over 350 people in Mogadishu, Somalia. Afyare is a Somali-American software engineer who lives in Minnesota. He was among diaspora members invited by the Somalia government to assist in rebuilding his homeland, and stayed in Mogadishu to help after the explosion. (Jibril Afyare via AP) This October 2017 photo provided by Jibril Afyare shows Afyare helping to unload supplies after the Oct. 14, 2017, explosion that killed over 350 people in Mogadishu, Somalia. Afyare, a Somali-American software engineer who lives in Minnesota and was among diaspora members invited by the Somalia government to assist in rebuilding his homeland, stayed in Mogadishu to help after the explosion. (Jibril Afyare via AP) JERUSALEM (AP) - In an unusually blunt address to parliament, Israel's president accused the government Monday of delegitimizing vital democratic institutions as part of a campaign of stifling opposition. President Reuven Rivlin opened the winter session of parliament with a scathing critique of his former political home - the Likud Party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. To them, he said, "everything is political." Israel's president fills a mostly ceremonial role and rarely delves into partisan bickering. But Rivlin chose to focus on the growing divisions in Israeli society, pinning much of the blame on the country's leaders - and its embattled prime minister. FILE - In this Oct. 26, 2015 file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Israel's President Reuven Rivlin attend the official memorial ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the assassination of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at the Mt. Herzl Cemetery in Jerusalem. In an unusually blunt address to parliament, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, Rivlin accused the government of delegitimizing state institutions as part of a campaign of stifling opposition. Rivlin made a scathing critique of his former political home -- the Likud Party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AP Photo/Debbie Hill, Pool, File) "In this climate of de-legitimization, the atmosphere of 'everything is political' trickles down to the public, who receive the message that there is no more statesmanship, that there is only ruling and democracy. And in this climate, democracy means that the strong decides," he said, seated at the dais opposite Netanyahu. "Leadership in a democratic country is the art of creating agreements, not vanquishing opponents. A democratic society is based on building processes, not revolutions," Rivlin added. In recent months, Netanyahu has responded to various corruption investigations by attacking Israel's media, law-enforcement, judiciary and other so-called "elites" he believes are bent on his removal. He began his address to parliament by listing his accomplishments, before once again ripping into critics, whom he called "sourpusses." "This is the golden age of Israel. Israel is in the midst of an unprecedented diplomatic and economic momentum," he said. "The industry of despondency is still here and has respectable representatives in this house and in the media." Netanyahu has repeatedly dismissed the suspicions against him as "background noise," but they have piled up at a dizzying pace. The first investigation reportedly concerns allegations he improperly accepted lavish gifts from wealthy supporters, including Australian billionaire James Packer and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, which included copious amounts of champagne and cigars. A second investigation reportedly concerns Netanyahu's alleged attempts to strike a deal with publisher Arnon Mozes of the Yediot Ahronot newspaper group to promote legislation to weaken its main competitor in exchange for more favorable coverage. Netanyahu has been questioned in these cases, and police say they suspect him of being involved in bribery, fraud and breach of trust. One of his closest former aides has become a state's witness against him. Another investigation has engulfed his close associates and dominated news in Israel. The probe relates to a possible conflict of interest involving a $2 billion purchase of German submarines. Netanyahu's personal attorney, who is also his cousin, represented the German firm involved and is suspected of trading his influence over the prime minister in return for a hefty cut of the deal. A former Cabinet minister and top former navy and security officials have been questioned by police. Netanyahu pointed to the German government's announcement Monday that it was ready to sign an agreement on three new submarines for Israel as evidence that there was nothing to the allegations against him. "You pin your hopes on recycling the submarine story. But you know too that this story is now also sinking into the abyss," he said. "So what's left? Cigars." ____ Follow Heller at www.twitter.com/aronhellerap FILE - In this July 10, 2017 file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, stands with Israel's President Reuven Rivlin, at the President's residence in Jerusalem. In an unusually blunt address to parliament, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, Rivlin accused the government of delegitimizing state institutions as part of a campaign of stifling opposition. Rivlin made a scathing critique of his former political home -- the Likud Party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File) MILAN (AP) - Leonardo Bonucci's elbow to the head of a defender has resulted in a two-match ban and will prevent him from facing his former squad Juventus on Saturday. The Italian league announced the decision on Monday, a day after Bonucci was sent off in the first half of AC Milan's 0-0 draw at home with Genoa on Sunday. Bonucci's blow to Aleandro Rosi's head as the pair jostled for position on a free kick left the Genoa player on the ground for several minutes before the blood was cleaned up and he continued playing. AC Milan's Leonardo Bonucci removes the captain's armband after receiving a red card from the referee during a Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Genoa, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) The referee did not initially show Bonucci a red card. The decision came with the help of the video assistant referee (VAR) - marking the first time a red card was handed out by the VAR in Italy. Bonucci will also miss a game against Chievo Verona on Wednesday. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's planned visit to Asia in November (all times local): 2:11 p.m. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (lee haz-ee-en lahng) is urging dialogue between the United States and North Korea to resolve the growing nuclear crisis in Asia. President Donald Trump and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong look on as Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong, left, and Kevin McAllister, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, sign a contract in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) The prime minister visited the White House Monday and delivered a statement alongside President Donald Trump in the Rose Garden. Lee said "we strongly oppose" the nuclearization of the Korean peninsula since it adversely affects the safety and security of the region. He added that "there is no quick and easy solution" but stressed that "pressure is necessary but so is dialogue." Trump may hear similar sentiments throughout his upcoming trip to Asia, where most leaders are urging a peaceful solution to the threat posed by North Korea. Trump has downplayed the usefulness of diplomacy and has instead focused on American military power. ___ 1:55 p.m. President Donald Trump is praising the U.S. relationship with Singapore and calling Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore a "wonderful and loyal partner." Trump and Lee are addressing reporters in the Rose Garden. The president is noting U.S. economic ties to Singapore and says the two leaders observed the signing of a contract between Singapore Airlines and Boeing worth more than $13.8 billion. The U.S. president says the two countries are committed to countering the threat from North Korea. And Trump is thanking Singapore for being the first Asian nation to join a coalition of countries fighting the Islamic State group. ___ 1:10 p.m. President Donald Trump says Singapore's purchase of nearly $14 billion worth of Boeing aircraft will create 70,000 jobs in the U.S. Boeing's chief executive officer and the CEO of Singapore Airlines signed paperwork at the White House on Monday as the country's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, and Trump looked on. Lee is at the White House for talks with Trump. Trump says the relationship between the U.S. and Singapore is at its "highest point and it will continue." But he joked that Singapore's purchase of nearly 40 airplanes had better create jobs in the United States, "otherwise we'll cancel the order." Trump and Lee both referred to Boeing as an "airline." Boeing makes commercial jetliners. ___ 12:35 p.m. President Donald Trump is welcoming the leader of Singapore to the White House. Trump greeted Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Monday morning. The two leaders met in the Oval Office before a private working luncheon. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump called the prime minister a "highly respected" man who had done a "fantastic" job. He also said that Singapore would be signing a "large contract" to buy airplanes from Boeing. Trump is taking a 12-day trip to Asia in early November. He says it will be a "busy" time. __ 12:10 p.m. President Donald Trump is congratulating Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his election win. The White House said Trump called Abe Sunday to salute his victory. Abe had called a snap election and his ruling coalition won a clear majority with more than two-thirds of the Japanese parliament's 465 seats. The two men also highlighted their shared commitment to a strong relationship between Japan and the United States and to free trade in the region. Trump also told Abe that he is looking forward to visiting Japan early next month. Japan will be the first stop on the president's five-nation, 12-day Asia trip. ___ 10:26 a.m. President Donald Trump is not planning to visit the border between North and South Korea known as the Demilitarized Zone when he visits Asia next month. The White House says Trump instead plans to visit Camp Humphreys, a military base about 40 miles south of Seoul. The White House says time constraints would likely not permit Trump to do both, although plans could still change. Most U.S. presidents have visited the border as a signal to South Korea and other allies that the U.S. will not stand for any aggression from the rogue North Korean regime. Vice President Mike Pence visited the DMZ earlier this year. South Korea is one of five nations Trump will visit during 12-day Asia trip in early November. President Donald Trump smiles as he speaks to Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Mike Pence on Monday honored the memory of 241 U.S. service members killed in the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, calling the three-decade-old attack the "opening salvo" in the war against terrorism. Pence and White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster paid tribute to the service members, including 220 Marines, on the anniversary of the deadly truck bombing during President Ronald Reagan's first term. The vice president pointed to President Donald Trump's recent decision to decertify the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, which was tied to the bombing, and placed the 1983 attack as the first battle in the nation's ongoing war against terrorism. He also recalled the 58 French paratroopers who died when a second attacker struck their installation in Beirut. Vice President Mike Pence salutes during a ceremony honoring 241 U.S. Service members killed 34 years ago in the 1983 bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017 at the Marine Barracks in Washington. (AP Photo/Ken Thomas) "The Beirut barracks bombing was the opening salvo in a war that we have waged ever since - the global war on terror. It's a conflict that has taken American troops across the wider world - from Lebanon to Libya, from Nigeria to Afghanistan, from Somalia to Iraq, and many other battlefields in between," he said. Pence said under Trump's leadership, "we will drive the cancer of terrorism from the face of the earth." The Beirut bombing was the deadliest attack against U.S. Marines since the battle over Iwo Jima in February 1945. The ceremony and parade at the Marine Barracks in Washington was attended by retired Lt. Col. Larry Gerlach, the commander of the battalion landing team who survived the bombing, and families of service members who were killed. Pence told the audience of his personal connection to the incident: His brother, Greg Pence, served in the Marines and was stationed at the Beirut barracks around the time of the attack. The vice president said he and his parents and other family members worried about his brother's safety when they heard about the bombing. Days later, Greg Pence, who is now running for Congress in Indiana, called home to tell his family that his battalion had shipped out shortly before the bombing. "I promise all of you, just like my brother, we'll never forget. We'll never forget the 241 who never had that chance," Pence said. __ On Twitter, follow Ken Thomas at @KThomasDC. BAGHDAD (AP) - Far from the Washington murmurs about his future, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson traveled to two of America's enduring war zones Monday, prodding leaders in Afghanistan and Iraq to reach out to longtime rivals. Tillerson flew on a C-17 military transport plane from Qatar into Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base, where he met President Ashraf Ghani and other Afghan leaders. After returning to Qatar, he departed for Baghdad for talks with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi for the second time in as many days. They discussed healing a Kurdish fight with the central government, accelerating post-Islamic State reconstruction projects for Iraq's liberated towns and cities, and more. For Tillerson, the journey to a pair of the world's most dangerous countries represented an escape from a bruising few weeks of political scrutiny at home. The former Exxon Mobil CEO has been on the defensive ever since reports claimed he called his boss, President Donald Trump, a "moron" after a contentious national security meeting this summer, fueling speculation that he might be the next top Trump aide to leave an administration beset by high-profile departures. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson steps off the plane as he arrives, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, at Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Tillerson is returning from a trip to Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) Tillerson slipped out of Doha before dawn. Few outside his inner circle were aware of the plans. Only a few journalists were allowed to accompany him and they were prevented from sharing any information until Tillerson was about to depart. He spent about 2 hours in Afghanistan. His primary message: support for a declaration that some Taliban leaders could join Afghanistan's government if they renounce violence and terrorism and commit to stability. He also bluntly warned neighboring Pakistan to step up action against militant groups that find haven within its borders. "Clearly, we have to continue to fight against the Taliban, against others, in order for them to understand they will never win a military victory," Tillerson said at Bagram, where he met Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and other senior Afghan officials. "And there are, we believe, moderate voices among the Taliban, voices that do not want to continue to fight forever. They don't want their children to fight forever. So we are looking to engage with those voices." "There's a place for them in the government if they are ready to come, renouncing terrorism, renouncing violence and being committed to a stable prosperous Afghanistan," Tillerson said. Tillerson outlined the Trump administration's new policy for Afghanistan and its region, which centers on defeating extremist organizations that might threaten the United States. The new strategy incorporates goals for Pakistan and India, too, both of which he'll visit this week. Tillerson said the objective is to deny haven to terrorists anywhere in South Asia. The biggest challenge is Pakistan, a country the United States has devoted years and billions of dollars toward helping defeat the Taliban, al-Qaida and now even Islamic State fighters and affiliated groups. Tillerson will visit Islamabad on Tuesday and tell Pakistani leaders that driving extremists from their hideouts on their territory is imperative to a good relationship with Washington. "Pakistan needs to, I think, take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they are confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organizations that find safe haven inside of Pakistan," he said. "So we want to work closely with Pakistan to create a more stable and secure Pakistan as well." Hours later, Tillerson dealt with different security problems in Iraq. The Arab country has scored major, U.S.-backed military successes against IS in recent months, but is reeling from its own persistent ethnic and religious divisions. The most recent: a resurgent Kurdish independence movement in northern Iraq, where a widely criticized independence referendum last month has sparked tensions within the country and with neighbors. Meeting al-Abadi, Tillerson described himself as "saddened" by the strains between the governments of Iraq and its largely autonomous Kurdistan region. Calling both U.S. friends, he encouraged both "to enter into discussion and dialogue. I think if both parties commit themselves to a unified Iraq, to the Iraqi constitution, I think all differences can be addressed and the rights of all can be respected." In Doha, Qatar, on Sunday, Tillerson outlined why the U.S. didn't support the Kurdish referendum. He said, "We did not believe it was time given that the battle to defeat ISIS is still under way." Tillerson said the Kurds have legitimate grievances, but those don't necessitate Iraq's breakup. Calling for restraint on all sides, he said al-Abadi was committed to resolving Kurdish complaints. "The Kurdish people have a number of unfulfilled expectations, rights that were promised them under the constitution that were never delivered upon, and so there are a number of actions that need to be taken," he said. The war against IS isn't over, he noted, "and that remains the greatest threat to Iraq." ___ Lee reported from Doha, Qatar. The Tigris River is seen during a helicopter lift for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to attend a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, in Baghdad, Iraq. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks during a media availability, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is greeted as he steps off the plane on his arrival to Baghdad International Airport, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, in Baghdad, Iraq. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson talks with the pilots as he sits in the cockpit of a C-17 aircraft while in flight, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, on the way to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson walks to board a C-17 aircraft, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, at Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar, en route to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks during a media availability, with Gen. John Nicholson, left, commander of Resolute Support, and Special Charge d'Affaires Amb. Hugo Llorens, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, left, listens as Iraqi President Fuad Masum speaks during their meeting, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, in Baghdad, Iraq. Tillerson made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Monday just hours after returning from a similar surprise visit to Afghanistan, meeting the top political leaders in each of the embattled countries. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) - A Rwandan court has denied bail to a critic of President Paul Kagame. A court in the capital Kigali ruled Monday that Diane Rwigara should not be freed during her trial, saying the charges of forgery and inciting insurrection are serious. Rwigara, who has been in detention since September, insists she has been targeted after criticizing Rwanda's long-time leader. Rwigara faces up to 15 years in jail if she is convicted of the more serious offense of inciting insurrection. She was disqualified from running in the Aug. 4 presidential election over allegations she forged some of the signatures on her nomination papers. She denies that charge. President Paul Kagame is respected for establishing stability in Rwanda following the 1994 genocide, but he is criticized for being intolerant to dissent. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A jury must decide whether the shooting death of a handcuffed man in the rear of a patrol car was a suicide, accident or "at the hand of a sheriff's deputy," a federal judge said in a ruling filed Monday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna refused to throw out a lawsuit against Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal and a deputy over the March 2014 death of 22-year-old Victor White III. The Justice Department and state prosecutors ruled out criminal charges in White's death, but the judge said the manner of White's death hasn't been "conclusively established." This undated photo provided by Victor White Sr. shows his son, Victor White III, who died in the back of a patrol car in Iberia Parish, La., in March 2014. A federal judge ruled on Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, that a jury must decide whether the shooting death of the 22-year-old man, who was handcuffed at the time, was a suicide, accident or "at the hand of a sheriff's deputy." (Victor White Sr. via AP) "Whether White died deliberately by his own hand, accidentally, or at the hand of a sheriff's deputy is an ultimate question to be decided by the jury, and the jury's function in that regard should not be usurped," Hanna wrote in a 54-page ruling. The judge said there are "factual discrepancies" that raise questions about the "trustworthiness" of the Louisiana State Police's investigation of White's death. A parish coroner ruled in 2014 that the New Iberia man shot himself in the chest following his drug-related arrest. An autopsy showed a bullet entered the right side of White's chest, exited his left armpit and lodged in his left bicep. A forensic pathologist concluded it was possible for the gunshot to be self-inflicted even though White's hands were handcuffed behind his back, according to the local district attorney's office. Hanna said it's unclear how White sustained facial injuries visible in autopsy photographs. "There are multiple conflicting accounts as to whether he had the wounds on his face before or after the fatal shot was fired," the judge wrote. The Justice Department announced in 2015 that no federal charges would be filed in White's death. Federal authorities reviewed material from the State Police investigation and consulted independent medical experts before deciding there was insufficient evidence to prove that any officer fired a weapon at White, according to a Dec. 8, 2015, statement by the Justice Department. A February 2016 statement from the 16th Judicial District Attorney's Office said there was "insufficient credible evidence" to conclude that White did not shoot himself. The district attorney's office said video footage shows White reaching around to his front pants pocket after a deputy handcuffed him behind his back and placed him in a patrol car. White broke down in tears and refused to exit the cruiser when the deputy drove him to a sheriff's office facility, the statement said, adding that he also remarked that he "could not go back to jail" and asked the deputy to tell his relatives that he loved them. A lieutenant said White shouted, "I'm gone!" before the gunshot. Deputies said they found him slumped forward with a .25-caliber handgun on the seat near him. The district attorney's statement said tests showed gunshot residue on White's hands. A trooper's report on White's shooting said a crime scene investigator, Stacie Smith, went to the scene of the shooting, "bagged" White's hands and took photographs, then went to a hospital to test White's hands for gunshot residue. Smith, however, testified at a deposition that she went straight to the hospital after getting a call about the shooting, didn't bag White's hands and didn't take any crime scene photos at the scene. "She also testified she performed two (gunshot residue) tests and the result of the second is not apparent in the record," the judge wrote. The judge also noted that no gunshot residue tests were performed on officers at the shooting scene. "Given the factual discrepancies in the method and number of tests, there is at least some question as to the trustworthiness of the investigation reported by (the trooper)," the judge wrote. Shandell Marie Bradley, the mother of White's daughter, sued the sheriff and Deputy Justin Ortis in 2015. Ortis had patted down White and found marijuana in a pants pocket but didn't confiscate a gun before he handcuffed him. "They killed Victor White," said plaintiffs' attorney Carol Powell-Lexing. "There's never been any doubt in my mind." An attorney for Ackal and Ortis didn't immediately respond to a call and email seeking comment. Ackal was acquitted last November of federal civil rights charges accusing him of ordering the beatings of prisoners and orchestrating a brazen cover-up. Ten deputies pleaded guilty in the case. MEXICO CITY (AP) - The Associated Press has named Scott Smith, a cross-format journalist from California, as its new correspondent in Caracas, Venezuela. The appointment was announced Monday by Paul Haven, the AP's news director for Latin America and the Caribbean. Smith joins a staff in Venezuela of award-winning journalists covering one of the world's most complex stories at a time of fast-moving change following an unprecedented economic downfall, months of deadly street protests and heightened international pressure against President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government. In this Oct. 20, 2017 photo, Scott Smith poses for a portrait in the office of the Associated Press in Caracas, Venezuela. The AP has named Smith as its new correspondent in Caracas. The cross-format journalist from California joins a staff of award-winning journalists covering one of the world's most complex stories. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) The Society of Professional Journalists, Gerald Loeb Awards and Overseas Press Club have all recognized the AP's 2016 "Venezuela Undone" series, tracking the human fallout from the country's economic crisis. And this week Caracas staffers will be awarded in New York the 2017 Oliver S. Gramling award, the AP's highest internal honor, for their professionalism and bravery chronicling months of deadly, anti-government unrest earlier this year. "The political and social upheaval in Venezuela is one of the most consequential stories in Latin America, and the world," said Haven. "Adding a seasoned correspondent such as Scott to our already remarkable team in Caracas will allow AP to cover the story with the depth and nuance it deserves." Smith, 46, has reported for the AP since 2014 from Fresno, California, his native state. Based in the nation's leading farming region, he documented California's historic five-year drought and its impacts on farmers and poor communities that struggled as hundreds of domestic wells ran dry. A cross-format journalist, Smith has filed text stories, photos and video reports on breaking crimes, Sierra Nevada forest fires and news from Yosemite National Park, a destination for tourists from around the world. Prior to the AP, Smith spent more than a decade at The Record newspaper in Stockton, California, reporting on the city's bankruptcy as well as crime, courts and prisons. In 2012, Smith's reporting on the so-called "Speed Freak" serial killings led authorities to unearth five victims, including the remains of three women found in an abandoned well. The search came after Smith began corresponding with one of the convicted killers, who provided information on where to look. Smith has been an adjunct instructor in journalism at San Joaquin Delta College and was a Peace Corps volunteer in Uzbekistan, where he also ran a nonprofit that trained Uzbek journalists. Smith has bachelor's and master's degrees from California State University, Chico. A man charged with punching his pregnant fiancee in the abdomen must stay away from her for now but can be present when she delivers their child, an Arkansas judge has said. According to The Baxter Bulletin, Circuit Judge Gordon Webb kept in place a no-contact order but said 20-year-old Ryan Anderson can be present for the baby's birth. The woman had asked Webb to lift the protection order, but prosecutors who filed a second-degree battery charge objected, saying the crime was particularly violent. 'Some couples say, "Hey, we want to get back together," and there are times when a judge says that's going to happen,' Prosecuting Attorney David Etheredge told The Associated Press on Monday. 'I probably err on the side of being cautious. Here he's physically attacking her.' Ryan Anderson, of Arkansas, will allowed to attend the delivery of his pregnant fiancee's baby. A judge issued a no-contact order against him after he allegedly punched his three-months-pregnant fiancee in the abdomen back in June Police arrested Anderson June 29. If he is found guilty of the second-degree battery charge, he could be jailed for up to 20 years. The woman told an investigator that Anderson began yelling at her when she arrived home from work. She told police that he punched her in the face and told the hospital to which she was later taken that he had punched her in the stomach, authorities say. Anderson told police the woman had yelled at him for not having a job and threw food at him. He also said that she scratched his eye and his neck. The scratches were noted by a police officer at the scene. Anderson's lawyer did not reply to a phone message left Monday. Court records show the woman would now be just over seven months pregnant. When asking for a protection order the day after Anderson's arrest, the woman wrote: 'He got into a physical disagreement with me (not the first time)... While I continually screamed for him to get away, he told me I should have died.' She went back to court less than a week later and asked that the protection order be dropped. Webb said the no-contact order remained necessary. 'The court will allow the defendant to be present for the birth of his child at the hospital only,' the judge noted in the court file after a hearing last Thursday. ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) - About 20 Orthodox believers in Russia have sung prayers to protest the release of a movie about the last Russian czar's affair with a ballerina. They gathered outside the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, where "Matilda" was shown Monday to a selected audience ahead of its release this week. The film loosely tells the story of Nicholas II's infatuation with ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya. Orthodox protesters hold portraits and icons of of Russia's last czar, Nicholas II, as they protest the release of the movie "Matilda," outside the Mariinsky Theatre in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. About 20 Orthodox believers have sung prayers to protest the release of a movie about the last Russian czar's affair with a ballerina. They gathered outside the Mariinsky Theater where "Matilda" was shown Monday to a selected audience ahead of its release this week. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) It has angered hard-line nationalists, and some Orthodox believers see it as blasphemous. The czar is glorified as a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church. Nicholas and his family were executed by Bolsheviks in 1918. Police last month detained several activists accused of setting cars on fire outside the office of the attorney for the film's director. Someone also tried to set fire to the director's studio. Orthodox protesters pray as they protest the release of the movie "Matilda," outside the Mariinsky Theatre in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. About 20 Orthodox believers have sung prayers to protest the release of a movie about the last Russian czar's affair with a ballerina. They gathered outside the Mariinsky Theater where "Matilda" was shown Monday to a selected audience ahead of its release this week. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Alexei Uchitel, Russian film director of "Matilda," a movie about the last Russian czar's affair with a ballerina smileas as he speak to the media at the Mariinsky Theatre in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. "Matilda" loosely tells the story of Nicholas II's infatuation with prima ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya angered hard-line nationalists and some Orthodox believers in Russia, who see it as blasphemy against the emperor, glorified as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) A man holds a poster reads "film Matilda is anti-Russian provocation!" protesting the release of "Matilda," a movie about the last Russian czar's affair with a ballerina, as a police officer walks next to him outside the Mariinsky Theatre in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico's National Human Rights Commission says authorities should declare a gender violence alert for the central state of Puebla. The governmental commission said Monday that 83 women were killed between January and September in Puebla, where women report above-average rates of domestic violence. A national agency formed in 2007 can declare violence alerts and follow up with education, prosecution and prevention programs. The state government has called for tougher standards for ride-hailing apps after two women were killed in incidents involving such apps in a month. A female university student was robbed and shot to death Sept. 30 by men riding in an Uber-registered vehicle with its driver. Earlier in September, a driver for the Spain-based app Cabify allegedly killed a young female passenger. MONTREAL (AP) - A Canadian man's decision to belt out a 1990s dance hit while inside his car has landed him a $149 ticket for being too loud in public. But Taoufik Moalla said Monday he'll fight the ticket and denies his singing was as deafening as authorities claim. Moalla says he was happily singing along with the windows mostly rolled up to C+C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)," which neared the top of the Billboard chart in 1991, when he was stopped. He says he initially thought Montreal police wanted him to move out of their way. He says was asked if he was yelling and he said no. One of the officers walked away and returned with the fine for screaming in a public place. ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Gov. Larry Hogan is sending 100 soldiers from the Maryland National Guard to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Hogan said Monday they will help with ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricane Irma at the request of Gov. Kenneth Mapp, who is governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Members of the 200th Military Police Company from Catonsville will be deployed for up to 30 days to help with local law enforcement and to guard infrastructure. Hogan also has authorized members of the 729th Quartermaster Composite Supply Company to help water purification efforts in Puerto Rico. Two systems being used by the company can purify 1,200 gallons of water an hour. KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - A court-appointed official looking into the taping of attorney-client meetings at a federal detention center in Kansas says the state's U.S. attorney's office is no longer cooperating with his investigation. Special Master David R. Cohen said in a report obtained by KCUR Radio that he received a 24-page letter last month from the U.S. attorney's office stating that it will no longer provide him with information and documents as part of his investigation of claims involving the Leavenworth Detention Center. The decision may heighten suspicions that the U.S. attorney's office is concealing information about the tapings from criminal defense lawyers, many of whom have filed motions to dismiss cases on the grounds that the Sixth Amendment rights of clients were violated. At least two class-action lawsuits have been filed by attorneys on behalf of former detainees, both seeking at least $5 million in damages from the operator of the prison, CoreCivic Inc., and the company that provides the prison with phone services, Securus Technologies. Both companies have denied wrongdoing. Cohen, in his report, commended both for their cooperation. But the report also cites the 24-page letter from Steven D. Clymer, a federal prosecutor in New York appointed to act as the contact with Cohen after the U.S. attorney's office in Kansas concluded it might have a conflict. The letter cites several reasons for declining Cohen's requests for information, asserting that there is no evidence suggesting there were any constitutional violations or that recording "was conducted at the direction of the OUSA (U.S. Attorney's Office)." Jim Cross, spokesman for U.S. Attorney Tom Beall, declined to comment, saying the office doesn't publicly discuss pending litigation. The prison recordings probe grew from an earlier criminal investigation into contraband at the detention center. Many of the people held at the facility are defendants awaiting trial who have not been convicted. The court-appointed special master has reported that law enforcement obtained 188 recordings of attorney-client phone calls from the facility, including 54 marked "private" that should not have been available. Cohen, in his report to U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson, said the decision not to produce responsive information "is a drawing of shades against sunlight," and may be against the U.S. attorney's office's own interests. Cohen said that so far, his investigation found just one instance where the U.S. attorney requested video recordings of meetings between inmates and their attorneys "and the OUSA did not actually view any such meeting." INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Three Indiana pharmacists have been reprimanded by state regulators for trying to access Prince's medical records within days of the music superstar's death last year. The Indiana Board of Pharmacy issued letters of reprimand in the last three months and imposed penalties on the three after investigators with the state attorney general's office found they had tried separately to access Prince's medical records in April 2016 through a state database. Prince died April 21, 2016, of an accidental overdose of the painkiller fentanyl. FILE - In this May 19, 2013, file photo, Prince performs at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Three Indiana pharmacists have been reprimanded for trying to access Prince's medical records within days of the superstar's death last year. Prince died April 21, 2016, of an accidental overdose of the painkiller fentanyl. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File) All three pharmacists were found to have misused Indiana's online INSPECT database that pharmacists and physicians use to check controlled-substance prescription histories of patients. Officials found that the pharmacists entered Prince's legal name and date of birth into the database within nine days of his death to try to access his confidential records, even though they had not previously treated the musician who was from Minneapolis and lived in a suburb of that city. The board issued a final order on Oct. 12 for Indianapolis pharmacist Katrina A. Kalb for attempting to access Prince's medical records one day after his death. The panel did not fine her, but ordered her to complete 12 hours each of ethics education and community service. On Sept. 15, the board fined Selma, Indiana, pharmacist Kimberly M. Henson $1,000 and ordered her to complete 12 hours of ethics education. The board found that Henson had tried twice to access the musician's medical records. The board gave Crown Point pharmacist Michael Eltzroth the same punishment and fine as Henson on Aug. 8 for a single attempt to access Prince's records. Attorneys for Kalb and Henson did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment Monday. A recording at a phone number listed for Eltzroth said the mailbox was not in service. The attorney general's office filed administrative complaints against the three in June and July, and the pharmacy board held its hearings after that. Attorney general's office spokesman Bill McCleery said complaints against medical professionals typically take the office between six and 12 months to investigate. RICHBORO, Pa. (AP) - President Donald Trump's eldest daughter on Monday channeled her roles as a working mother, entrepreneur and senior adviser to the president to help sell the administration's tax plan, which she said is overdue to address the needs of the modern American family in an increasingly competitive global market. Ivanka Trump joined U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza and former U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth of New York for an hour-long, town hall-style meeting at a senior center outside Philadelphia. She called tax reform "critical" legislation and touted proposed changes to the tax code as changes that will help everyday Americans. "There are many elements of this tax plan that I think are squarely targeted at creating jobs and growth in this country and offering relief to our middle-income families," she told the audience. "This is about the recognition that, as a country, we have to have policies that mirror our values. We have to encourage the next generation to be competitive and compassionate. For me, I think this couples together our core values as a country." White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump talks during a town hall meeting on Tax Reform at the Northampton Township Senior Center in Richboro, Pa., Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) The president has prioritized tax reform as his top agenda item and is urging Congress to pass legislation. He and other Republican leaders have crafted a proposal calling for steep tax cuts for corporations and potentially individuals, a doubling of the standard deduction used by most Americans, a reduction in the number of tax brackets from seven to three or four and a repeal of the inheritance tax on multimillion-dollar estates. The tax system would be simplified, and most Americans would be able to file their income taxes on a postcard, according to the plan. Ivanka Trump, as part of the tax reform package, has been focused on expanding the child tax credit. She drew on her life experience to connect with the audience as a mom who has an understanding of the challenges parents face with the rising cost of child care. "Every parent has to manage the competing demands of raising a family and their passions," she told the crowd. "I, too, had to manage that, but I am far more fortunate than most. I had help, and I recognized that I wouldn't be able to do even a small fraction of what I was able to do professionally or as a parent ... if I didn't have access to the means to be able to put my children in a secure and safe and protected and nurturing environment." Increasing the child tax credit, she said, could mean the difference between sending a child to an after-school program or paying for quality day care - and could even aid some young couples wrestling with whether they can afford to start a family. Details on how much the $1,000 child tax credit should increase have not been settled, and Ivanka Trump has not publicly offered a number. In an interview later Monday with Sean Hannity of Fox News Channel, the president's daughter said her father's tax plan aims to lower corporate taxes to help the U.S. compete against other countries. She said the U.S. has the highest corporate taxes of any country in the developed world. "And that is something that very much gets factored into our pricing, very much gets factored into wages," she said. "That's why they've stagnated over the past several decades, and we've just now are starting to see them rise." ___ Errin Haines Whack covers urban affairs for The Associated Press. Follow her work on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/emarvelous . White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump, right, talks as U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza listens during a town hall meeting on Tax Reform at the Northampton Township Senior Center in Richboro, Pa., Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump enters the room for a town hall meeting on Tax Reform at the Northampton Township Senior Center in Richboro, Pa., Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump talks during a town hall meeting on Tax Reform at the Northampton Township Senior Center in Richboro, Pa., Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump talks during a town hall meeting on Tax Reform at the Northampton Township Senior Center in Richboro, Pa., Monday Oct. 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - A federal judge in central Illinois is standing by one of his findings in the theft-of-government-funds case against former Rep. Aaron Schock. Judge Colin Bruce posted a brief order Monday rejecting the request by prosecutors that he reconsider his finding that they made false or misleading statements to the court. Bruce ruled in early October that prosecutors had, as the defense alleged, told grand juries Schock and his lawyer were asked to testify but hadn't shown up. Suspects aren't required to testify and defense attorneys said such statements to the grand jurors created bias against the Peoria Republican, who has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors conceded their filings on the matter have been confusing but denied misleading Bruce. Bruce's order says there's no reason to debate "semantics" with prosecutors. The New York City area could experience severe flooding every five years within the next three decades. A new study released just days before the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Sandy says floods that used to strike the New York City area only once every 500 years could soon occur every five years. The study, performed by researchers at several universities, was published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It primarily blames the predicted change on sea-level rise caused by global warming. 'This is kind of a warning,' said Andra Garner, a Rutgers University scientist and study co-author. 'How are we going to protect our coastal infrastructure?' A study published Monday says the New York City area could experience flooding every five years within the next three decades. It was released just six days before the anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, whose damage is shown above The study blames the predicted change on rising sea levels caused by global warming. The photo above shows how high the water was after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 in Manhattan One author of the study said: 'This is kind of a warning.' A Brooklyn gas station is shown submerged in Sandy's floodwaters on October 29, 2012 The researchers based their analysis on multiple models that factored in predictions for sea level rise and possible changes in the path of future hurricanes. Many of the models had a dose of good news for the nation's largest city: Climate changes may mean that storms are more violent, but are also likely to swing further off-shore, meaning storm surge heights aren't likely to increase substantially through 2300. However, rising sea levels could mean that floods of 7.4 feet or more could strike once every five years between 2030 and 2045. That level of flooding struck the New York city area roughly once every 500 years before 1800, and currently occurs roughly every 25 years now. Researchers made no recommendations on what public officials or others should do to prepare. 'The idea is this kind of study we hope will provide information that people making those kinds of decisions can use,' Garner said. 'We know that when Sandy hit in 2012, of course, subways, tunnels flooded, power was knocked out, parts of the city were just really devastated so studies like this provide some warning,' she said. An illustration shows designs for flood mitigation in Long Island that were drawn up this month. The study's researchers made no recommendations on what public officials or others should do to prepare for the predicted flooding Another illustration released this month shows flood mitigation plans for the Manhattan borough of New York City Flood water can be seen as it is pumped out of a building in the Financial District of Manhattan following Superstorm Sandy. For this study the researchers based their analysis on multiple models that factored in predictions for sea level rise and possible changes in hurricane paths Other researchers included scientists from Penn State University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The researchers said there is scientific consensus that global sea level will rise in the coming centuries, although it is not certain how high. They cautioned that sea-level rise at New York City could exceed eight feet by the end of the century if, in a high-emissions future, the West Antarctic ice sheet rapidly melts. The study expects about five inches to 11 inches of sea-level rise likely in New York City between 2000 and 2030. The study examined sea level rise through the year 2300. 'I think the study is valid, but year 2300 is a long way off,' said Billy Sweet, an oceanographer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who was not involved in it. 'What is more certain is the amount of sea level rise likely to occur in the next 50 to 100 years or so and that storm surges from nor'easters and hurricanes will continue to pose a risk for New York City,' he said. Hurricane Sandy merged with two other weather systems into an unusual storm that devastated the oceanfront coastline and caused catastrophic flooding in New York and cities in New Jersey on October 29, 2012. It was blamed for at least 182 deaths and $65billion in damage in the U.S. State and city officials in New York say they are planning numerous projects to guard against future flooding, including fortifying utilities and transit facilities, and note other projects are still in the design stage. The superstorm in 2012 occurred when Hurricane Sandy merged with two other weather systems into an unusual storm that devastated the oceanfront coastline DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Scorned by President Donald Trump, former FBI director James Comey turned up in, of all places, Iowa this past weekend. Cue the speculation. One of Trump's best-known adversaries was seen dining at 801 Chophouse in Des Moines, the must-stop steakhouse for the political elite eyeing the state's quadrennial presidential caucuses. A thick layer of fog rolls over the Mississippi River toward Dubuque, Iowa, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (Dave Kettering/Telegraph Herald via AP) Comey, who was fired by the president in May, also posed for a photo along a rural, farm road with a neatly groomed field and shining stainless steel grain bins as his backdrop, as countless White House aspirants have done before him. However, Comey was not, it appears, taking the fledgling steps of those who would seek the office Trump now holds. He was visiting his in-laws. Damon Murphy, general manager of 801 Chophouse, said Comey was visiting with his wife Patrice, an Iowa native, whose father was celebrating his 90th birthday. Murphy said Comey and party "quietly enjoyed their meal." Twitter had fun as Comey used the pseudonym handle Reinhold Niebuhr, the name of the late American theologian and political critic, to post photos. One showed him gazing across a rural landscape under a cloud-swept autumn sky. The pseudonym was confirmed as Comey by Brookings Institution legal analyst Benjamin Wittes. The tweets also included shots of a silhouetted Comey in a cornfield facing an orange sunset and a flock of white birds identified as "migrating white pelicans in Iowa." "Goodbye Iowa. On the road home," said the caption of one picture of Comey actually standing on a road. In introducing the Twitter account, he added, "Gotta get back to writing. Will try to tweet in useful ways," a comment sure to be interpreted as a jab at his prolifically tweeting former boss. LEWISTON, Maine (AP) - A Maine woman is turning 103 and she got to celebrate with her family - all six generations of it. Irene Chouinard (SCHWINN'-ard), of Lewiston, turned 103 on Monday. She has six children, 25 grandchildren, 49 great-grandchildren, 38 great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-great-grandson. The Sun Journal reports that nearly 100 of them gathered Sunday in her honor. Tina Longchamps said if there's one thing to know about her grandmother it's that she loves her family. For her part, Chouinard told the gathering: "If this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up." HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) - Superstorm Sandy and a series of lesser coastal storms since that 2012 disaster compelled some coastal communities to defend themselves by elevating homes and critical infrastructure, building sand dunes, widening beaches and erecting or raising sea walls. But as sea levels continue to rise around the world, that's not an option in large cities, where skyscrapers can't be elevated and subway and train tunnels act as turbocharged flumes when millions of gallons of stormwater rush through them. The answer, some cities have decided, is a mixture of hard and soft barriers; green infrastructure to capture rain and absorb storm water; temporary storage space for runoff; and drastically increased pumping measures. Here's a look at some steps being taken by cities around the world to address the issue: ___ LOS ANGELES In addition to physical barriers and widened beaches, Los Angeles is planting trees and paving some roads with cooler surface material so that less heat is reflected. They and other cities have also baked sustainability and resiliency concerns into municipal polices on development. "It's a challenge and an opportunity at the same time," said Matt Petersen, who served as the city's chief sustainability officer until earlier this year. "Infrastructure and buildings are vulnerable to sea level rise. We can't solely build our way out this this, but we can take steps to mitigate it long term. There are 150 million Americans that are vulnerable to sea level rise, and cities need to address that." The Port of Los Angeles recently added 6 inches (152mm) to the height of its proposed Wilmington Waterfront Promenade to compensate for anticipated sea level rise. ___ BALTIMORE Baltimore requires new construction to have an additional two feet of elevation, and some existing buildings have been raised. The city uses bulkheads, and is integrating parks into green space flood-absorption areas. It is considering protective walls for certain vulnerable parts of the city. ___ LONDON London is protected in part by a flood gate on the Thames River that can block exceptionally high tides or storm surges from the North Sea. Storm defenses were elevated for 11 miles (17.7 km) of the riverfront. ___ SHANGHAI and WUHAN Flood gates and levees help protect the Chinese city of Shanghai. Elsewhere in China, the city of Wuhan is undergoing a test project to make it a "sponge city" capable of absorbing rain through a variety of green methods, including capturing stormwater and using it for its own water needs. ___ Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC Speculation over Chancellor Philip Hammonds Autumn Budget, Brexit and gender identity issues provide fodder for Mondays papers. Comments from a Government minister on the fate of Britons who have joined Islamic State have also caught the attention of several editors. Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Rory Stewart warned that the only way to deal with foreign fighters is to kill them in almost every case. What the papers say - October 23 Alongside the Tory MPs stark words, The Times leads with a report that Mr Hammond has been warned by fellow Cabinet members that he faces an ambush from his own backbenchers over the rumoured contents Novembers financial statement. Tomorrow's front page: Hammond faces Tory rebellion over budget #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/SqcYeBueLh The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) October 22, 2017 The i also carries Budget speculation on its front page, but focuses on possible new measures by the Government to build new homes by relaxing its austerity-led policies. follows up a leaked draft of a letter from UK business leaders to Brexit Secretary David Davis urging him to organise a transition deal or risk losing British jobs and investment. Guardian front page, Monday 23 October 2017: Business chiefs demand urgent transition deal pic.twitter.com/fgxXVSHuaK The Guardian (@guardian) October 22, 2017 Meanwhile the Financial Times says it has heard from a series of high-profile business leaders who sharply criticise the state of capitalism. Just published: front page of the Financial Times UK edition Monday October 23 https://t.co/PdE7fOVPny pic.twitter.com/OkQDCtiU9A Financial Times (@FT) October 22, 2017 The Daily Telegraph says an investigation by the paper has found the number of patients leaving Britain to undergo medical treatment overseas has trebled. The Daily Mirror reports on record figures that show 50 children a week, some as young as four, are being referred to doctors at a gender identity clinic. Tomorrow's front page: 50 kids a week sent to sex change clinics #tomorrowspaperstoday https://t.co/8Sxn2FpseZ pic.twitter.com/KK3f2IHIji The Mirror (@DailyMirror) October 22, 2017 Meanwhile The Sunsays the Government has been criticised for trying to ban the term pregnant women in case it offends transgender parents. Tomorrow's front page: Don't call mums women pic.twitter.com/IJB8nqF7bg The Sun (@TheSun) October 22, 2017 The Daily Express says the UK will be hit by 11 more storms before the end of Winter. Hundreds of refugees and migrants are believed to be in Calais and the surrounding area, a year after the Jungle camp was razed. It is thought between 700 and 800 are gathered in Frances northern port town, which continues to act as a magnet to those hoping to start a new life in the UK. The number could be as high as 2,000 for northern France, Annie Gavrilescu, who works for charity Help Refugees, said. She also said the charity was not allowed to give migrants any tents, for fears they would set up a new camp. Footage from what used to be the old Jungle shows it now as barren land, and those desperately seeking shelter are forced to take cover in the thicket. Migrants from Ethiopia on the streets of Calais Ms Gavrilescu said: While the French authorities are trying to prevent a camp, all we want to do is provide people with some form of shelter and protection. Unfortunately last winter, a few people in Greece and Serbia have died just of the cold and it is a distinct possibility that it could happen in northern France as well. Speaking in Calais, Fawad from Afghanistan said: We sleep in jungles and there is a lot of problem from police. They take our everything, tents, sleeping bags, clothes. Volunteers sort donations at a warehouse in Calais He added that the migrants were always on the run from police, fearing being beaten if caught. Fawad, who only gave his first name, said: We are afraid for winter. We will see what will happen because we dont have place to sleep and something to wear. And every day there is rain, it makes a lot of problem for us. That is why we are afraid from winter. Hamad, who is also from Afghanistan, said that the blankets they have offer little protection from the rain, and the freezing nights. On October 24 last year thousands of camp dwellers packed their bags on the first day of the Jungle exodus. A migrant from Ethiopia uses a donated blanket to keep warm on the streets of Calais ( Joe Giddens/PA) Calais has lived with migrants in its midst for years but the Jungle on the citys edge sprang up around a day centre opened in April 2015 by the state. The population of migrants and refugees who fled war, poverty and persecution rapidly grew into the thousands. Repeated bids to cross the Channel to Britain have been made by migrants, prompting an Anglo-French operation to bolster security around the ports, including the erection of razor-topped fences. Last year French authorities cleared the camp in a bid to relocate people or send them to centres around the country where they could apply for asylum. A minister who said the only way of dealing with British Islamic State (IS) fighters in Syria was to kill most of them has defended the comments. Rory Stewart said converts to the terror group believed in an extremely hateful doctrine and fighters can expect to be killed given the threat they pose to British security. But the International Development minister later insisted he believed combatants should be dealt with in accordance with the law and would face the British legal system if they returned to the UK. Clearly combatants shd be treated in accordance with law. My point was simply that ISIS is a death-cult which usually fights to the death. Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) October 23, 2017 He said he made the comments about most being wiped out because an Isis recruit usually fights to the death. Clearly combatants should be treated in accordance with law, he said. My point was simply that Isis is a death-cult which usually fights to the death. Downing Street backed the minister, insisting his comments were consistent with the Governments determination to fight and defeat Daesh terrorists regardless of their nationality. (PA Graphics) Hundreds of British citizens are known to have travelled to Syria to fight with Islamist groups during the course of the six-year conflict. Brett McGurk, a top US envoy for the coalition fighting IS, has said his mission is to ensure every foreign IS fighter in Syria dies in Syria. Mr Stewart was asked about the comments on BBC Radio 5 Lives Pienaars Politics and described them as very difficult moral issues, adding: These are people who have essentially moved away from any kind of allegiance towards the British Government. They are absolutely dedicated, as members of the Islamic State, towards the creation of a caliphate, they believe in an extremely hateful doctrine which involves killing themselves, killing others and trying to use violence and brutality to create an eighth century, or seventh century, state. So Im afraid we have to be serious about the fact these people are a serious danger to us, and unfortunately the only way of dealing with them will be, in almost every case, to kill them. International development minister Rory Stewart Mr Stewart, a former diplomat, went on to say: These are people who are executing people in the back of their heads, who have held women and children hostage, who are torturing and murdering, trying by violence to impose their will. Our response has to be, when somebody does that, Im afraid, to deal with that. Downing Street said Mr Stewarts comments were consistent with the Governments determination to fight and defeat Daesh terrorists regardless of their nationality. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: In relation to people who have taken the decision to go and fight for Daesh in Syria or Iraq, as the Defence Secretary said, you have made yourself a legitimate target. For Britons who return to the UK from the war zone everybody can expect to be investigated and where there is evidence to prosecute that prosecution, while a decision for the CPS, should take place. The Philippines government has declared the end of a militant siege in a southern city that has lasted five months, left more than 1,100 people dead and sparked fears of the Islamic State group gaining a foothold in Southeast Asia. Speaking at an annual meeting of the regions defence ministers, Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters that combat operations in Marawi were ending after troops recovered 42 bodies of the last group of militants. Those are the last group of stragglers of Mautes and they were caught in one building so there was a firefight, so they were finished, he said. There are no more militants inside Marawi City. Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana addresses the media (Bullit Marquez/AP) The siege had sparked fears that IS would influence, fund and strengthen local militancies as it was losing ground in Syria and Iraq. The defeat of the IS-linked uprising and the deaths of its leaders have been a relief to the region. The Philippine security forces, aided by its government and the massive support of the Filipino people, have nipped the budding infrastructure and defeated terrorism in the Philippines, Mr Lorenzana said. He said the achievement shows how regional co-operation can contain the spread of terrorism. In crushing thus far the most serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and the region, we have contributed to preventing its spread in Asia. Families welcome home armed forces at Villamor Air Base, south-east of Manila Fighting terrorism is high on the agenda of the Southeast Asian defence ministers meeting at the Clark freeport north of Manila. As the talks opened, the head of the Brunei delegation expressed condolences for the loss of lives in Marawi but congratulated the Philippines for being able to liberate the city. Malaysias minister said the siege was a wake-up call for the region. We have to be very careful. What happened in Marawi can happen anywhere, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said. Hundreds of militants, many waving IS-style black flags, launched the siege on May 23 in Marawi, a bastion of Islamic faith in the south of the largely Roman Catholic Philippines, by seizing the lakeside citys central business district and outlying communities. They ransacked banks and shops, including gun stores, looted houses and smashed statues in a Roman Catholic cathedral, according to the military. The fighting has left at least 1,131 people dead, including 919 militants and 165 soldiers and police. At least 1,780 of the hostages seized by the militants, including a Roman Catholic priest, were rescued. The uprising has displaced hundreds of thousands of Marawi residents (Bullit Marquez/AP) The final group of 20 captives were freed overnight, Army Colonel Romeo Brawner said at a news conference on Sunday. That left the gunmen with none of the hostages they had used as human shields to slow the military advance for months. The disastrous uprising erupted as the Philippines was hosting annual summit meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year, along with the 10-nation blocs Asian and Western counterparts, including the United States and Australia. Nearly 200 sick, seriously ill and disadvantaged children from across the UK have left their families behind and conquered their fears on a once-in-a-lifetime charity-funded sunshine holiday in America. The group spent 10 days in Florida on the annual Dreamflight trip, having been nominated by doctors, nurses and care workers around the country. The 192 youngsters some of whom require round-the-clock attention visited the likes of SeaWorld, Universal Studios and Disney World during an all-adventure tour of the Sunshine State. The @Dreamflight party! Taking children with a serious illness/disability without their parents on the holiday of a lifetime to Orlando! pic.twitter.com/QxvlisLNV0 Dick and Dom (@dickndom) October 15, 2017 For many, the trip represented the first time away from home, with volunteer healthcare professionals acting as chaperones. As a final treat, children were given the opportunity to swim with dolphins at Discovery Cove in Orlando. Jaz Ellis, 8, From Poole, Dorset (Steve Parsons/PA) Several of the children were carefully lifted from their wheelchairs to get into the water, where instructors and carers helped them get up close with the mammals, while others overcame acute phobias to take part. The experience was particularly profound for Libbie Smith, from Sheffield, who was offered a last-minute space on Dreamflight after another child pulled out. Libbie Smith was born with holes in her heart (Steve Parsons/PA) The 12-year-old, who was born with holes in her heart, said: My grandad asked me in September what I wanted to do in the future and I just said: Go to Florida to swim with dolphins. He sadly passed away on October 1, and on October 9 I found out I was going on Dreamflight. Libbie Smith He used to love dolphins and I feel as though hes watching over me when I was swimming with them today. Hed probably be saying: Thats my little darling. Im going to show everybody all the pictures when I get home. I think my mum is going to start crying when I tell her but will tell me its a story to remember, and I will remember this forever. Adam Proctor, 13, from Garvagh in Londonderry said: Dreamflight was fantastic the holiday of a lifetime. Adam Proctor, 13 , from Derry (Steve Parsons/PA) Ive made new friends and done really cool things. I was always feeling excited about coming, and I have learnt that its OK to be different because everybody out here is different. Police hunting one of Britains most wanted fugitives have released details of his wife and two daughters in the hope they could provide the key to his capture. Mark Acklom, 44, who is alleged to have fleeced a divorcee out of 850,000 in life savings in a romance scam, was last spotted in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 10. Avon and Somerset Police believe he is with his wife, Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez, 47, and their two daughters, aged six and eight. Mark Acklom and his wife Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez PLEASE RT: Were issuing Europe-wide appeal to locate Mark Acklom wanted for 850k romance fraud in Bath #FindAcklom https://t.co/cbTAtPYHFr pic.twitter.com/3EZl33hNWy Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) October 23, 2017 The force has released a photograph of Ackloms wife, who is also known to use aliases including Yolianda Ross, Maria Long and Mary Moss, and said she may be working as a yoga teacher or attending yoga classes. Both Acklom and his wife have previously set up property businesses and police believe their daughters may be attending a fee-paying school. Detective Inspector Adam Bunting said: Mark Acklom is a convincing fraudster and were working hard to locate him as soon as possible. We believe hell be with his wife, Maria Rodriguez, and their two young daughters, who we know, up until last years appeal, were enrolled in El Limonar International School in the Murcia area of Spain. We believe his wife Maria Rodriguez is assisting him & is likely to be with him. Have you seen them? They may be using aliases#FindAcklom pic.twitter.com/woIdyYRPtq Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) October 23, 2017 In the days following the appeal he removed his children from the school and, together with his wife, he disappeared. We have significant concerns about the childrens well-being given they were uprooted, with no notice, from their school, friends and family. Its highly likely Acklom will have placed his children in another fee-paying school. Are you an ex-pat living in Europe? Do your children go to an international school? Have you noticed the arrival of a new family recently? Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) October 23, 2017 Police are appealing to British expats with children in private international schools, who may have noticed the recent arrival of a family from Spain. Last year a European Arrest Warrant was issued for Acklom and he was believed to be at large in Spain, having been released from a Spanish prison over a 200,000 property fraud. He is said to have left Carolyn Woods financially and emotionally devastated after promising to marry her. She alleged that he posed as an MI6 agent and conned her into lending him her savings during a year-long romance in Bath, Somerset. They met when the former public schoolboy walked into her boutique in Gloucestershire to buy a jacket and began chatting her up. If you see Mark Acklom please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or use their non-traceable anonymous online form via https://t.co/eEVvvqeyP1 Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) October 23, 2017 Mr Bunting said: Mark Acklom has links through property to Spain and theres been a positive sighting in Switzerland. We also have information linking him to Dublin and Italy, but he could be anywhere in Europe. Its possible he may have travelled outside the EU. Hes described as 5ft 10in, of medium build, with dark brown hair and green eyes. Were grateful for the ongoing support of the National Crime Agency and our law enforcement colleagues in Europe but we need the help of the media and the public in the UK and Europe to track him down. PLEASE SHARE: Were issuing a Europe-wide appeal to find 44-yr-old Mark Acklom who is wanted under a European Arrest... Posted by Avon and Somerset Police on Sunday, October 22, 2017 In 1991, Acklom, then aged 16, received a four-year custodial sentence for a 466,000 mortgage fraud after he posed as a City stockbroker. He also spent 11,000 after stealing his fathers credit card, swindled a former teacher out of 13,000 and ran up a 34,000 bill with a private charter jet company. Acklom convinced Leeds Permanent Building Society at the age of 16 that he was a 25-year-old stockbroker on 214,000 a year. They gave him a 466,000 mortgage for a 516,000 executive home in Dulwich, south London. The ruling Catalan separatist coalition has said the regional parliament will hold a meeting on Thursday which many fear will become a cover for a vote on declaring independence from Spain. Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has asked the parliament to convene a debate and vote on how to respond to the central Spanish governments plan to take direct control of the north-eastern region. Mr Puigdemonts speech on Saturday was seen as a veiled threat of formalising an ambiguous declaration of independence earlier this month that he declared suspended in order to earn time for negotiations. The Spanish government said that no dialogue is possible with independence on the table and is manoeuvring to sack all the Catalan top officials and call a snap regional election in the next six months. Carles Puigdemont Spains political parties have designated 27 senators to study how the government might intervene in the running of Catalonia and halt the regions bid to declare independence. The commission formed on Monday comprises 15 members of Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoys ruling Popular Party, six from the leading opposition Socialist party, and smaller parties sharing the rest. The Article 155 measures it will study include dismissing the Catalan pro-independence regional government, including Mr Puigdemont and his ministers. The commission is expected to notify Mr Puigdemont of its plans and invite him to defend his case, most likely by Thursday, prior to a Senate vote on Friday to activate the measures. Mr Rajoys party has an absolute majority in the chamber, thus guaranteeing approval. Pro-independence students are calling for a strike in Catalan universities on Thursday to urge authorities to push ahead with a declaration of independence. The Universities for the Republic group has staged several protests over the past month as the crisis escalated. The group said Thursdays strike is intended to urge Catalan authorities to proclaim the Catalan Republic and defend the territorys institutions. A Scot who was sentenced to three months in a Dubai jail for touching a mans hip has been freed, according to his representatives. Ruler of the emirate Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum made a special order for cases against Jamie Harron to be dismissed. The 27-year-old from Stirling was arrested in July over the incident in which he said he put his hand on a mans hip to avoid spilling a drink in a crowded bar. Campaign group Detained in Dubai (DiD) said he was sentenced to three months imprisonment at court on Sunday, but has now had his passport returned. By special order of the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Jamie Harron has been freed. The cases... Posted by Detained in Dubai on Monday, October 23, 2017 Radha Stirling, CEO of DiD, said: We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Sheikh Mohammed for his personal intervention in this case, and for exonerating Jamie at long last. This was a courageous and honourable decision on the part of Sheikh Mohammed, and while it highlights the urgent need for judicial reform in the country, it is also a hopeful sign that the United Arab Emirates leadership possesses the will and vision to pursue such reforms in the future. The electrician had been working in Afghanistan and was on a two-day stopover in the United Arab Emirates at the time of the incident. A public indecency charge was made after Mr Harron is said to have been holding a drink moving through a crowded bar and held a hand in front of him to avoid spilling it on himself or others. He then touched a man on his hip to avoid impact. Jamie Harron, 27, of Stirling He was initially jailed for five days and then released on bail with his passport confiscated. After his arrest, he lost his job and was told he could have faced up to three years in jail. Before his hearing on Sunday, he had already been sentenced in absentia to 30 days in prison for failing to appear in court for making a rude gesture and drinking alcohol during the same July incident. DiD had said both decisions would be appealed against, but Mr Harron was then called by police in Dubai on Monday morning telling him the cases against him had been dismissed and he could collect his passport. A manhunt has been launched after a gunman forced his way into a house, attacked a man inside and stole a car. Gardai issued a public appeal and alert for the suspect after the break-in and a number of other incidents in the Tallaght area of Dublin. The gunman is understood to have been carrying a machine gun when he stole a black Renault Kadjar SUV with the registration 162-D-8767. KLO Tallaght incident: Black Renault Kadjar 162-D-8767.White man, 30s, med build, grey shorts, green/black jacket & runners.Don't approach An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) October 23, 2017 He took the car after using the weapon to smash his way through the front door of a house in the Watergate area. Inside, he beat a man around the head with the butt of the gun before making off. The injured man was at the property several hours later as repair work took place on the front door. It is understood the incident began before dawn in the Brookfield area of Tallaght, where the suspected gunman was involved in a row at a house. Workers repair a door in the Waterways area of Tallaght Two other vehicles were also reportedly hijacked on roads in the Tallaght area. Gardai appealed for the publics help but urged anyone not to approach the man, but report sightings. The suspected gunman is described as white and of average build. He was wearing grey shorts, a green and black Northface jacket and grey and navy runners at the time. Gardai said they were investigating a series of incidents in Tallaght and were carrying out a number of searches in the area. Armed response units were on patrol around local streets with other uniformed officers also on duty. A house in the Brookview area on the outskirts of Tallaght was among those searched by gardai. Armed officers were on duty on the street as gardai removed four samurai swords and other bags and belongings from the home. Theresa May and Shinzo Abe have agreed to maintain pressure on North Korea following the Japanese Prime Ministers re-election. The two leaders vowed to continue working with the international community to tackle Kim Jong Uns destabilising activity. Mr Abe secured a decisive victory in a snap election unlike Mrs May, who lost her Commons majority when a similar electoral gamble backfired in June. Prime Minister Theresa May and her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe Congratulations to @AbeShinzo on his election success. A close friend and strong partner to the UK. pic.twitter.com/9EhQ8lLAaE Theresa May (@theresa_may) October 22, 2017 A Downing Street spokesman said: This morning the Prime Minister called Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan to congratulate him on his success in the Japanese general election. The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Abe discussed North Korea and agreed to continue to work with the international community to maintain pressure on the regime to cease its destabilising activity. They noted the role the UK played in the EU agreeing tough sanctions on North Korea last week. The leaders reflected on the Prime Ministers successful visit to Japan in August and the positive impact it has had on UK-Japan relations. They looked forward to deepening ties between our two countries on trade, security and defence. The Prime Minister also offered Prime Minister Abe her condolences on the impact and loss of life caused by Typhoon Lan. US secretary of state Rex Tillerson has made a secret trip to Afghanistan to outline the Trump administrations new south Asia policy. Mr Tillerson visited Bagram air base on Monday for talks with Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, chief executive Abdullah Abdullah and other senior officials. He also underscored the continuing US commitment to stabilising the war-torn country but stressed it was conditions based, meaning that the Afghan government must meet certain benchmarks. Cloaked in secrecy and under heavy security, Mr Tillerson slipped out of the Qatari capital Doha in the pre-dawn hours and flew into Afghanistan in a military plane on the third leg of a trip that started in Saudi Arabia. He will visit Pakistan on Tuesday and India on Wednesday. The US has made it clear in terms of our support for Afghanistan, support a sovereign unified Afghanistan, a democratic Afghanistan, of charting a path to peace, prosperity and self-reliance, Mr Tillerson told the small group of reporters allowed to accompany him to Kabul. It is imperative in the end that we are denying safe haven to any terrorist organisations or any extremists to any part of this world. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson talks with the pilots as he sits in the cockpit of a C-17 aircraft while in flight We also want to work with regional partners to ensure that there are no threats in the region. This is very much a regional effort as you saw. It was rolled out in the strategy itself, demanding that others deny safe haven to terrorists anywhere in the region. We are working closely with Pakistan as well. He praised Mr Ghani for his reform efforts, notably to curb corruption, and to prepare for parliamentary elections next year. Donald Trump rolled out his south Asia strategy last month and made clear that his approach to the region would be inclusive of its three main nations, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan, and defeating the Taliban and other extremist groups. Rex Tillerson speaks during a media availability, with Gen. John Nicholson Mr Tillerson has said several times that peace in Afghanistan will come only when the Taliban realises that it cannot win militarily and sit down for negotiations with the government in the framework of the countrys constitution. Clearly we have to continue to fight against the Taliban, against others, in order for them to understand they will never win a military victory, he said. And there are, we believe, moderate voices among the Taliban, voices that do not want to continue to fight forever. They dont want their children to fight forever. So we are looking to engage with those voices and have them engage in a reconciliation process leading to a peace process and their full involvement and participation in the government. Theres a place for them in the government if they are ready to come, renouncing terrorism, renouncing violence and being committed to a stable prosperous Afghanistan. US president Donald Trump has defended his call to the widow of an American soldier killed in Niger, saying he was respectful and that he did not forget the soldiers name. Mr Trump addressed the call on Twitter after Myeshia Johnson, Sgt La David Johnsons widow, appeared on ABCs Good Morning America. She said that in the presidents call to her last week, he couldnt remember my husbands name. Donald Trump defends call to widow of soldier killed in Niger Mrs Johnson added: The only way he could remember my husbands name was he told me he had my husbands report in front of him, and thats when he actually said La David. On Twitter, Mr Trump responded: I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Sgt Johnson and three comrades died in October 4 following an attack in the west African nation. Mondays exchange was the latest spat in an ongoing dispute over how Mr Trump responded to news that four US service members were killed in Niger. Myeshia Johnsons TV appearance marked her first interview after a Democratic congresswoman accused Mr Trump of being callous in the call by telling the widow that her husband knew what he signed up for. Mr Trump had accused Frederica Wilson of fabricating the statement. In other tweets, the president called the congresswoman wacky and accused her of SECRETLY listening to the phone call. Mrs Johnson confirmed Ms Wilsons account on Monday, saying the congresswoman was a long-time friend who was with the family in the car when Mr Trump called and listened on speakerphone. She said she had asked for the call to be put on speakerphone so relatives with her could hear. The president said that he knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway, Mrs Johnson said. The only way he could remember my husbands name was, he told me he had my husbands report in front of him, and thats when he actually said La David. General Kelly owes the nation an apology because when he lied about me, he lied to the American public. Rep. Frederica Wilson (@RepWilson) October 22, 2017 The four US soldiers were killed when they were attacked by militants with links to Islamic State. The political conflict has steadily escalated for a week, with Ms Wilson attacking the administration and the president firing off insulting tweets. White House chief of staff John Kelly entered the fray on Thursday. The retired Marine general asserted that the congresswoman had delivered a 2015 speech at an FBI field office dedication in which she talked about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building, rather than keeping the focus on the agents who died, which the office was dedicated to. Video of the speech contradicted his recollection. Ms Wilson has asked Mr Kelly to apologise. Speaking on MSNBCs AM Joy, she called him a puppet of the president and accused him of character assassination. The UK and Irish governments are set to present Northern Irelands parties with their version of a proposed deal to break the powersharing impasse at Stormont, Sinn Fein has predicted. Party negotiator Conor Murphy warned that any paper tabled by London and Dublin was likely to fall short of what was required to facilitate the return of a devolved government in Belfast. He also accused both governments of trying to shape the media agenda on the talks process by briefing and spinning falsehoods. Sinn Fein suspects any UK-Irish powersharing deal will 'fall short' With a week to go before the latest deadline in the powersharing crisis, Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionists remain at loggerheads over key issues, such as proposed laws to protect Irish language speakers. The clock is ticking toward October 30, when the UK Government effectively needs to decide whether it has to take a major step toward the re-imposition of direct rule and intervene to set a budget for the regions rudderless public services. With no sign of a breakthrough imminent, Mr Murphy said he believed the two governments might try to present a framework agreement and urge the Stormont parties to sign up. We strongly suspect that the two governments are shaping up to produce a paper for these talks which would fall short of what is required to have sustainable institutions returned, we have told them that privately, he said. He said if Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire did step in to set a budget that would be a clear sign the negotiations to restore powersharing have failed and run their course. .@columeastwood tells DUP & SF to publish details of talks progress. Time to compromise or explain what Plan B is. https://t.co/Var39d2HGJ pic.twitter.com/vZoxxoT1uA The SDLP (@SDLPlive) October 23, 2017 Asked if passing a budget would mean a return to direct rule, Mr Murphy insisted direct UK rule was not currently an option under legislation and the UK and Irish Government should instead work on the basis of co-stewardship of the region going forward. But he said Sinn Fein was still working to avert any of that. We are not about a failure, we are here this week to try to secure an agreement, said the Newry and Armagh Assembly member. The current phase of negotiations have essentially been conducted between the DUP and Sinn Fein, with the smaller Stormont parties not involved. The leader of the SDLP has called on the two larger parties to publish what progress has been made. Colum Eastwood said the parties should come clean with the public on the negotiations or else offer a plan B. The DUP and Sinn Fein need to come clean on talks progress or set out Plan B https://t.co/hp1znOdFOV Colum Eastwood (@columeastwood) October 23, 2017 Week after week, we have heard that they have made progress but with no detail and no substance. They need to put their cards on the table, the SDLP leader said. The time for negotiating behind the scenes is over. The public deserve to know why they are paying the price for political failure. Powersharing imploded in January when the late Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned amid a row over the DUPs handling of a botched renewable heat energy scheme. The falling out subsequently exposed deeper rifts in powersharing. Four UK Government deadlines have been and gone in the last 10 months. Mr Eastwood added: After 10 months with no government, it appears that the only thing set to be delivered by the DUP and Sinn Fein is British direct rule. A prospect that should make all of us very worried and very angry. The SDLP said the two parties must have the courage to compromise or offer their alternatives to London running all of Northern Irelands affairs. The SDLP is clear, British direct rule must not and cannot be the Plan B, Mr Eastwood said. Jeremy Corbyn claimed it was Groundhog Day over Brexit before warning Theresa May her biggest battle is with the warring Tory factions rather than the EU. The Labour leader said the Prime Minister is too weak to do anything about it, adding this increases the prospect of crashing out with no deal. Mr Corbyns criticism came as Mrs May updated the Commons about the latest EU Council. The Labour leader said it feels likes Groundhog Day when hearing Brexit updates from the Prime Minister (PA Wire) Mr Corbyn told MPs: Im beginning to feel a very worrying sense of Groundhog Day here every time she gives us an update on the progress of negotiations. Only two weeks ago she told this House that her speech in Florence had put momentum into the Article 50 negotiations, and that an agreement on phrase one of these talks was within touching distance. Well, here we are again after another round of talks and were still no clearer as to when negotiations on Britains future with our largest trading partner will actually begin, and still no clearer as to what exactly she has agreed to in phase one of these talks. Mr Corbyn said the Brexit talks were stuck in an impasse and questioned Mrs May over remarks from International Trade Secretary Liam Fox about how leaving without a deal would not be the Armageddon that people project. The Labour leader asked: Does the Prime Minister believe an outcome that is not Armageddon might be setting the bar a bit too low? Jeremy Corbyn said the Prime Minister is "too weak" to bring together the warring factions of her own Cabinet and party (PA Wire) He also pressed the PM to resolve the future of EU citizens living in the UK, and those Britons living in the EU member states, before asking about reports that she is willing to pay a higher amount as part of what has been referred to as the divorce bill. Mr Corbyn added: The Prime Minister hails the progress she has made so far in these negotiations. The biggest battle the Prime Minister faces isnt so much with the 27 European states the Chancellor so deftly described as the enemy, its her battle to bring together the warring factions of her own Cabinet and party. And the Prime Minister is too weak to do anything about it. The outcome of crashing out with no deal to become a deregulated tax haven, the dream of a powerful faction of her backbenches and her frontbenches, would be a nightmare for peoples jobs and living standards. Owner-breeder Anthony Oppenheimer is already looking forward to seeing his star colt Cracksman lock horns with stable companion Enable next season following his stunning display at Ascot on Saturday. Following placed efforts in the Derby at Epsom and the Irish equivalent at the Curragh, Cracksman was seriously impressive when winning the Great Voltigeur at York and the Prix Niel at Chantilly. Connections sidestepped a clash with Enable in the Prix de lArc de Triomphe, which looked a wise call after the brilliant filly produced an imperious display, and the decision was further vindicated when Cracksman dominated his rivals in the Qipco Champion Stakes. Cracksman winning the Champion Stakes at Ascot "I've not got words to describe it, brilliant" Cracksman dazzles with perfect seven on #ChampionsDay. https://t.co/K2hT7cer6e pic.twitter.com/x4pQhN0Sge Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 21, 2017 Oppenheimer said: I think we were all a little bit stunned by his performance on Saturday, to be honest. To see him win by the distance he did was a surprise. Its hugely exciting. We know he stays a mile and a half well and coming back to the mile and a quarter was a little bit of a worry, although Robert Havlin had said he felt he was getting quicker. I think hell just wind down gently now and well look forward to next year. Retweeted At The Races (@AtTheRaces): Enable wins the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe! pic.twitter.com/7l5M2ir2S0 https://t.co/8nqkutW54X Darby Racing (@Darby_Racing) October 1, 2017 Oppenheimer is eager to tackle on stablemate Enable next year, with Ascot and Longchamp two possible venues for a head-to-head. He added: We knew Enable had worked seriously well before the Arc and we felt missing the race this year was the right decision for our horse. Lets hope both horses stay safe and sound and they can maybe meet in the King George or the Arc next year on genuine good ground. That would be something to look forward to. Housing developers could be required to install electric vehicle charging points on all roads of a new project. Transport minister John Hayes said he is willing to hold talks with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) about a suggestion to change the planning rules. Labour MP Helen Goodman floated the idea alongside calls to require charging points to be installed at railway stations and publicly-owned car parks. Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill will mean more electric car chargepoints & enable insurance for driverless cars https://t.co/SJMxtzapWt https://t.co/wmjLdyfZ1M Heywood Foundation (@HeywoodFndation) October 23, 2017 Mr Hayes replied: I think thats a very good point. Ill happily have discussions with my colleagues in DCLG. There are issues about the inconsistent provision of on-street charging. That is partly due to planning and partly due to the fact that some local authorities are more willing to install charging points than others thats a discretionary matter for planners at the moment. It does seem to me to be entirely appropriate to consider some of the things you have suggested so Im more than happy to have those discussions. Former minister Ms Goodman, speaking in the Commons during the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill second reading debate, had said: I bought a Nissan Leaf last month and I was very struck by the fact that to have your own charging point, you need off-street parking. Thats not possible for anyone that lives in a flat or a terraced house. So will ministers please consider in all new housing developments changing the planning rules to require charging points to be put into new roads, as well as at railway stations and in all publicly-owned car parks, as in France? Mr Hayes also said: From next summer when we begin the refurbishment of the underground carpark at the House of Commons we will put in place 80 new electric charge points. Geraint Davies suggested putting charging points at shopping centres Shadow transport minister Karl Turner said he was sure the House would be very pleased to hear the minister say that. Mr Hayes later said he would consider any further ideas for locations of charging points, after Labours Geraint Davies (Swansea West) said they could also be used in shopping centres and other places where longer term parking is more common. There is a risk that charging infrastructure becomes focused on major routes and in urban and suburban areas, and that the smaller roads and the rural parts of our kingdom might be under provided, Mr Hayes said. Now thats not acceptable and we will look at ways of addressing that. The Bill is born of a determination to increase the number of charging points, it does as he suggests at the moment talk of major retailers, but I am prepared to look at other ideas to how we can see more charging points more widely. Veterans could have their driving licences or GP records marked to show they served in the armed forces, a defence minister has said. Tobias Ellwood said the options were under consideration as part of Government plans to improve the information it keeps about ex-military personnel. His comments at Defence questions in the Commons came in response to Labours Chris Elmore, who asked what ministers thought about plans to ask people if they had served in the military as part of the next census. Tobias Ellwood would like to see driving licences marked to show military service Mr Ellwood said: Id be delighted to say that Im very much supportive of this. The more information that we have and understanding who our veterans are, and whether it be through a veterans ID card, or whether it be through, as were looking at now with the Secretary of State, on changing the driving licence so that there is a symbol on there to show that youre a veteran, or indeed on GP records as well. This is all supportive of the veterans and thats the direction of travel that we should go. Really pleased the Minister was supportive of this. #CountThemIn so important to help ensure veterans receive support long after service Chris Elmore MP (@CPJElmore) October 23, 2017 Ogmore MP Mr Elmore had asked the minister: One of the ways in which the minister can ensure better information is stored is in terms of the national census. The ONS (Office for National Statistics) said last week that veterans, former armed forces personnel, should be included as a new question on the census. So could he comment on what his response would be to the ONS decision? Earlier Mr Ellwood had called for an end to myths that veterans were more susceptible to things like mental health problems. Re-iterated case made by @PoppyLegion #CountThemIn campaign in #DefenceQuestions to include veterans question on the national census census pic.twitter.com/wVumz3mMYh Chris Elmore MP (@CPJElmore) October 23, 2017 All of this House I think respects and reveres our armed forces, he said. But we need to bury these myths that somehow if you join the armed forces youll be more likely to have mental health problems, more likely to have PTSD and more likely to commit suicide than the general population. This is not the case, absolutely not the case. The minister said there were 2.5 million veterans in the UK, and that of the 15,000 who now leave the forces every year 90% get into jobs or education within six months. By Benet Koleka TIRANA, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Albanian prosecutors asked parliament on Thursday to remove the immunity of former interior minister Saimir Tahiri to allow them to investigate him on corruption and drug trafficking charges, the prosecution said. The measure is a blow to the Socialist government of Prime Minister Edi Rama since Tahiri, interior minister for four years until March this year, led a drive to reform the police force and was initially successful in ending cannabis production in the south in 2014. Prosecutors say they want to investigate him following the arrest in Italy this week of an Albanian, Moisi Habilaj, on drug charges. Habilaj, in phone conversations tapped by Italian police and released to Italian and Albanian media, said that Tahiri regularly made large sums of money from drug payments. In an emotional defence made on Wednesday to parliament, Tahiri said he had made the mistake of selling his car to Habilaj, a distant relative, but otherwise denied any links with him. He said he was the victim of disinformation spread by criminals. Prosecutors from the serious crimes division asked parliament to strip Tahiri of his immunity, which he still holds as a member of parliament, so they can prosecute him for drug trafficking and corruption based on a joint investigation with Italian authorities. Parliament could make a decision in the next 24 hours. Prime Minister Rama, in his second month of a second four-year term, said he hoped Tahiri would prove he had no links to the traffickers and that justice would shed light on the matter. Though Tahiri was credited with energetic anti-drugs action in 2014, he is widely seen as having failed in 2015 and 2016 to stop Albania from becoming one of the biggest open air cultivators of cannabis in Europe. Rama did not pick Tahiri, one of his closest associates, for a ministerial role in his second term. The affair has handed ammunition to the opposition Democratic Party which sees itself as vindicated in its persistent denunciation of the cannabis trade and the links of drug traffickers with the police and is now pressing Rama to resign. Early on Thursday, reacting to the arrests in Italy, police in the southern region of Vlore seized almost four tonnes of cannabis in the house of an associate of the Habilaj group. Italian police had been monitoring the Habilaj clan for four years when they arrested Moisi Habilaj this week. (Reporting by Benet Koleka; Editing by Richard Balmforth) Hunters took to the field in southwest Montana in great numbers over the opening weekend of the general season for deer and elk. Check stations from around the region had hunters reporting muddy and tough conditions in some places due to rain, and high winds throughout most of the weekend. A total of 3556 hunters were checked by staff and volunteers in Region 3. The busiest check station was the Cameron station in the Madison valley. There, staff and volunteers met with 691 hunters, the highest number of hunters on recent record. Hunter success was below the recent average for elk in the Madison. However, at the Gallatin check station, 16 elk were checked which is above the recent average. Large numbers of hunters were also seen at the Alder, Divide and Silver City near Helena area check stations. Success varied, but overall harvest was promising across the region, with deer and elk success rates ranging from 5.2 percent at Silver City to 19.4 percent at Livingston. Check stations also saw other species like bighorn sheep, antelope, moose, and one wolf. The two check stations at Livingston and Gardiner were run this year primarily to gather samples for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). They also gathered hunter and harvest data. In fact, this is the first time the Gardiner check station has been open during the general rifle season. It used to only operate during the Gardiner late hunt which ended after the 2009 season. Samples were taken from the five mule deer checked in Gardiner as well as the four mule deer that came through the Livingston station to test for CWD. The only documented cases of CWD in Montana were in captive elk at a game farm in Philipsburg in 1999; however, CWD has been detected in free-ranging populations in 21 other states and two Canadian provinces the closes case being just seven miles from the southcentral Montana border in Wyoming. That is why Fish, Wildlife and Parks is ramping up surveillance and prioritizing south-central Montana for sampling. SOFIA, Oct 23 (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. -- Hundreds of Bulgarian children were baptized in a massive Orthodox Christian ceremony held in nine cities as part of a campaign to encourage births in the Balkan country. (Trud, 24 Chasa, Standart, Monitor, Sega) -- Police officers demonstrated in Sofia demanding a 15 percent increase of their salaries and threatened to continue with protests next year when Bulgaria takes over the EU presidency. The government has pledged to increase their pay as of next year, but police officers say the funds will not be enough for all to get pay raise. (Trud, Sega, Duma, 24 Chasa) -- Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said she expects Bulgaria to join next year the EU passport-free Schengen zone when travels by sea and air are involved. (Trusd, 24 Chasa, Standart) By Justin George Varghese Oct 23 (Reuters) - Britain's Spire Healthcare has rejected a full takeover offer from South African private hospitals operator Mediclinic International, which already owns nearly 30 percent of its stock, sending its shares up 12 percent. Spire said Mediclinic had made a preliminary and conditional proposal that consisted of 150 pence in cash and 0.232 new Mediclinic shares per Spire share, valuing the target at 298.6 pence per share or around 1.2 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) in total. Spire shares were up 13.1 percent at 295.6 pence by 0807 GMT, on track for their biggest-ever daily gain and only a slight discount to the value of Mediclinic's terms. Spire, whose statement on Monday confirmed what a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday, said it had reviewed the proposal and decided that it significantly undervalued the company and its prospects. It strongly advised shareholders to take no action in relation to the proposal. Mediclinic said it was considering its position and made no further comment on its likely response to Shire's rejection. It has until 5 p.m. on Nov. 20 to either make a firm offer for Spire, whose 39 private hospitals make it Britain's second-largest healthcare company, or walk away for the time being. South African private healthcare providers, which also include Life Healthcare and Netcare, have been in a race to expand by making acquisitions in more developed markets as an anti-trust inquiry has constrained growth at home. Mediclinic bought its Spire stake for about 430 million pounds ($567 million) from private equity firm Cinven in 2015. Some analysts were cautious about how well placed it was to pursue the Spire deal, especially given its acquisition last year of United Arab Emirates-based Al Noor. "MDC is still turning around the Al Noor asset it acquired in the UAE, and we are unsure of MDCs shareholders appetite for another large transaction so soon," said James Vane-Tempest, an analyst at Jefferies. Spire, formed from the sale of Bupa Hospitals to Cinven in 2007, made its stock market debut in 2014. Monday's rise carried the shares to their highest since before Sept. 14, when a 75 percent slump in first-half profit and lower than anticipated revenues in July and August sent the stock down as much as 25 percent. ($1 = 0.7569 pounds) (Reporting by Justin George Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Jason Neely and David Holmes) By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Bangladesh called on Myanmar on Monday to allow nearly 1 million Rohingya Muslim refugees to return home under safe conditions, saying that the burden had become "untenable" on its territory. About 600,000 people have crossed the border since Aug. 25 when Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts were met by a counter-offensive by the Myanmar army in Rakhine state which the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing. "This is an untenable situation," Shameem Ahsan, Bangladesh's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told a U.N. pledging conference. "Despite claims to the contrary, violence in Rakhine state has not stopped. Thousands still enter on a daily basis." Vital humanitarian aid must continue, Ahsan said, adding: "It is of paramount importance that Myanmar delivers on its recent promises and works towards safe, dignified, voluntary return of its nationals back to their homes in Myanmar." Bangladesh's interior minister was in Yangon on Monday for talks to find a "durable solution", he said. But Myanmar continued to issue "propaganda projecting Rohingyas as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh", Ahsan said, adding: "This blatant denial of the ethnic identity of Rohingyas remains a stumbling block." Myanmar considers the Rohingya to be stateless, although they trace their presence in the country back generations. Filippo Grandi, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, later told journalists that the two countries had begun talks on "repatriation". Conducive conditions have to be "recreated" in Rakhine, he said. "This must include a solution to the question of citizenship, or rather lack thereof for the Rohingya community," Grandi said. Khaled al-Jarallah, deputy foreign minister of Kuwait, called on Myanmar authorities to "cease the practice of stripping the Rohingya minority of their right of citizenship, which as a result deprives them of the right to property and employment". "THE WALKING DEAD" Jordan's Queen Rania visited Rohingya refugee camps on Monday and called for a stronger response from the international community to the plight of the Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh to escape "systematic persecution" in Myanmar. "One has to ask, why is the plight of this Muslim minority group being ignored? Why has the systematic prosecution been allowed to play out for so long?" she asked after touring the camps. The United Nations has appealed for $434 million to provide life-saving aid to 1.2 million people for six months. A total of $344 million has been raised so far, a final U.N. statement said. "We need more money to keep pace with intensifying needs. This is not an isolated crisis, it is the latest round in a decades-long cycle of persecution, violence and displacement," U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told the talks. An estimated 1,000-3,000 Rohingya still enter Bangladesh daily, William Lacy Swing, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. He called them: "these most rejected and vulnerable people in the world." Joanne Liu, president of the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders, described them as "the walking dead". There are only 210 hospital beds for 1 million refugees, malnutrition is on the rise and latrines are lacking to prevent contamination, she said. "The camp is a time-bomb, ticking towards a full-blown health crisis." (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Rafiqur Rahman in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg) Oct 23 (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 ** India's competition regulator agreed to the merger of Potash Corp of Saskatchewan Inc and Agrium Inc , provided Potash sells its stakes in Arab Potash Co Plc , Israel Chemicals Ltd and Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA within 18 months. The companies can close their deal before divesting the assets, which are estimated to be worth more than $5 billion. https://tgam.ca/2iu7Pkz ** British Columbia's NDP government is facing controversy over liquefied natural gas as environmental groups warn that a project led by Royal Dutch Shell Plc will derail the province's efforts to transition to a low-carbon economy. https://tgam.ca/2iujgZi ** As Ottawa overhauls its cultural policies, Canadian record labels are pleading for the federal government to revise copyright laws in favour of artists, hoping to offset internet-driven losses to both musicians and the businesses that support them. https://tgam.ca/2iumpZ6 NATIONAL POST ** Canada is selling its last inshore coastal surveyor ship, the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Matthew, in an auction that closes on Friday with a minimum bid of C$1 million ($791,891). http://bit.ly/2iqTXHz ($1 = C$1.26) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom) By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The 28 European Union states failed to agree in a first round of talks on Monday on a reform of the bloc's labour rules that poorer countries say are essential to uphold fair competition. The case pits wealthier countries against poorer peers keen to preserve current rules that allow their citizens to work elsewhere in the bloc for salaries higher than they would get at home but still lower than the local labour force. Some critics see the rules as a form of "social dumping". French President Emmanuel Macron has put reforming the so-called posting of workers directive high on the EU's agenda and is backed by Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, among others. "It's about fairness on the labour market," the EU's top jobs official, Marianne Thyssen, said on arriving for talks with 28 labour ministers in Luxembourg. "I am all in favour of freedom of movement but it must be organised in a fair way.... The internal market is based on rules, it's not a jungle." But, after the first session where nearly all EU states spoke on the matter, there was no agreement. One key point of contention covers international road transport and cabotage under any new posting-of-workers rules, as sought by Berlin and Paris among others. But Spain, Ireland and several formerly communist countries on the EU's eastern flank want that exempted. Differences must yet be bridged on the length of the transition time between agreement on reform and its taking effect. Options on the table range from two to five years. Another nut the ministers will try to crack during a further debate in the afternoon covers the maximum period for sending workers abroad under posting rules before they fall subject to the host country's labour laws. The EU's current chair Estonia proposed setting it at 20 months in an effort to find a compromise between those countries seeking at least 24 months and Berlin and Paris opting for a 12-month cap. The ministers gathered around the table were unable to agree on that and other themes that still remain open including exact remuneration rules for posted workers. While they only make up a tiny fraction of the bloc's workforce, the issue has become politically sensitive, driving a wedge between the richer and the poorer members of the bloc. For Macron, the reform is seen as crucial to convince his voters of a need for difficult economic reforms at home by showing he stands up for their interests in the EU. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; editing by Ralph Boulton) By Estelle Shirbon LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Britain's democracy is one of the most secure in the world and will remain so, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday in response to a question about a suggestion that there may have been foreign interference in the Brexit vote. Opposition lawmaker Ben Bradshaw last week urged the government to look into reports by advocacy group Open Democracy suggesting that the origin of some Brexit campaign funds was unclear. Bradshaw said in parliament the issue should be investigated "given the widespread concern over foreign and particularly Russian interference in Western democracies". At a briefing with reporters, May's spokesman was asked if the prime minister was concerned about the reports. "I am not aware of those concerns," he said. "More broadly, as we've always said, the UK democratic system is amongst one of the most secure in the world and will continue to be so." Open Democracy, which describes itself as an independent media platform aiming to challenge power and encourage debate, had raised questions about the finances of businessman Arron Banks, one of the main financial backers of the Brexit cause. "The only people concerned are those that still can't come to terms with the fact that they lost the referendum so will come up with more and more ludicrous excuses," Banks said in a statement texted to Reuters by a spokesman. Banks dismissed Open Democracy's report without addressing it in detail and accused Bradshaw of peddling a "tedious myth" about Russian meddling in the Brexit debate. The Electoral Commission, which regulates political finance in Britain, said in April it was investigating campaign spending by Leave.EU, one of the pro-Brexit organisations funded by Banks. It gave no details of what its probe was about. "I'm not remotely worried. We did nothing wrong," Banks said in the text. A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission said the investigation was still going on and it would not provide any further information until it was complete. Open Democracy had also raised concerns about a large donation to Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which is now propping up May's minority Conservative government. Open Democracy said the origin of the money, which was spent on campaigning for Brexit, was unclear. The DUP, which was earlier reported to have said the funds came from "an organisation in England that wants to see the union (between the UK's constituent parts) kept", did not respond to repeated requests for comment. During a debate in parliament later on Monday, May was asked whether EU leaders had discussed the issue of Russian interference at a summit last week. She said it had not come up. (Additional reporting by William James and Kate Holton in London, Amanda Ferguson in Belfast; Editing by Richard Balmforth) By Gilbert Reilhac and Gabriela Baczynska LUXEMBOURG/BRUSSELS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Most European Union states agreed on Monday on reforming the bloc's labour rules that poorer countries value for giving them a competitive edge but French President Emmanuel Macron criticises for undercutting his workers. The issue of the so-called posted workers pits wealthier countries against poorer peers keen to preserve current rules that allow their citizens to work elsewhere in the bloc for salaries higher than they would get at home but still lower than the local labour force. Macron has put reforming the so-called posting of workers directive high on the EU's agenda and is backed by Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, among others. After some 12 hours of negotiations among labour ministers in Luxembourg, most of the EU's 28 members backed a compromise that would cap posting workers abroad at 18 months and introduce a four-year transition between reaching a final agreement on the reform and its taking effect. Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland said they could not back the proposal, while Ireland, Britain and Croatia abstained over concerns that the new rules would hurt their transport industries. "Europe is moving forward, I salute the ambitious agreement on posted workers: more protection, less fraud," Macron said in a post on Twitter late on Monday. The Dutch minister praised the deal, saying all workers deserved protection from unfair competition. His Hungarian colleague said the final text was vague and left too much scope for interpretation. Most EU countries were taking the floor on the matter throughout the day of negotiations on the politically sensitive reform, with one key point of contention being whether to keep international road transport covered by any new posting rules, as sought by Berlin and Paris among others. Spain, Ireland, Portugal and several states on the EU's eastern flank wanted that exempted and subject to a separate law. In the latter group, Poland is the biggest exporter of cheap labour force in the EU. The bloc's executive Commission in the end declared that part of the transport sector, namely transit, would not be regulated by the posting rules. "The transport sector is a special case because of the industry's mobile nature, (and) there are several texts on the sector being discussed which will detail exactly how it will be applied," an official at the French president's office said. While one camp says cheap workers' easy access to their countries is weighing on salaries and undermining the labour market, the other says tightening rules amounts to protectionism and weakens competition. "It's about fairness on the labour market," said the EU's top jobs official, Marianne Thyssen. "I am all in favour of freedom of movement but it must be organised in a fair way ... The internal market is based on rules, it's not a jungle." Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and other easterners say they should be allowed to compete with lower wages to catch up with the wealthier west after decades of communist malaise. Macron embarked on a tour of eastern Europe over the summer as he tries to get countries on board, and some such as Bulgaria and Slovakia backed the agreement. EU DIVIDED The 18-month agreement -- written down as a 12-month cap with a possible 6-month extension -- bridged most differences over the maximum period allowed for sending workers abroad under posting rules before they fall under the host country's labour laws. The ministers gave a green light to opening negotiations on the reform with the European Parliament, which will likely bring more changes to any final agreement. Apart from the future of transport, other themes still open include exact remuneration rules for the posting of workers, which is profitable for companies because of the wage gap in the EU. While the estimated 2 million posted workers only make up a tiny fraction of the bloc's workforce, the issue has driven a wedge between the richer states at the centre and their poorer peers on the peripheries. For Macron, the reform is seen as crucial to convince his voters of a need for difficult economic reforms at home by showing he stands up for their interests in the EU. European lawmakers last week agreed their own stance on the matter, including by proposing a 24-month limit on working abroad under posting rules, and ensuring that such mobile workers are entitled to the same bonuses as the locals. (Writing by Gabriela Baczynska, Additional reporting by Sarah White and Marine Pennetier in Paris, Editing by Alison Williams and Sandra Maler) By Scott Malone BOSTON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu on Monday publicly called on U.S. President Donald Trump, a fellow Republican, to halt an effort to deport 69 Indonesian Christians who fled violence in that country two decades ago and are living illegally in the state. The group had been living near the state's coast under the terms of a 2010 deal worked out with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that allowed them to remain so long as they handed in their passports and turned up for regular check-ins with immigration officials. That changed starting in August when members of the group who arrived for scheduled meetings with ICE officials at the agency's Manchester, New Hampshire, office were told to buy one-way plane tickets back to Indonesia, which they fled after 1998 riots that left about 1,000 people dead. "I am respectfully requesting that your administration reconsider its decision to deport these individuals, and I urge a resolution that will allow them to remain in the United States," Sununu said in a letter to Trump dated Friday, which his office made public on Monday. Several members of the group, who are all ethnic Chinese, told Reuters they fear that they would face discrimination or violence if they returned to the world's largest majority-Muslim country. "While I firmly believe that we must take steps to curb illegal immigration, it is also imperative that we make the process for legal immigration more streamlined and practical," Sununu wrote. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Immigration advocates have filed lawsuits in Boston on behalf of 47 members of the group asking a federal court judge to intervene. Chief U.S. District Judge Patti Saris has ordered a stay to the deportations, but has indicated that she has little jurisdiction over immigration, which is handled by the Executive Office for Immigration review. She is currently weighing whether she can order a longer delay to give the affected people, many of whom have U.S.-born children, time to renew their efforts to gain legal status. Most of the group entered the United States legally on tourist visas following the riots, which erupted at the start of the Asian financial crisis. They overstayed their visas and failed to apply for asylum on time, but have been allowed to live openly under the accord with ICE, negotiated with the help of U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat. (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Susan Thomas) LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Egyptian authorities have accused Reuters and the BBC of "inaccurate coverage" of clashes in the western desert between security forces and armed militants in which police officers and conscripts were killed on Friday. In a statement, Egypt's State Information Service (SIS) said Reuters had made "grave professional mistakes" by relying on unidentified security sources and not "resorting to official security authorities to get correct information". The Ministry of Interior in an initial statement on Friday did not give any casualty figure for Friday's clashes. On Saturday, a ministry statement said 16 police and conscripts were killed and another 13 wounded in a remote western desert area after they came under heavy fire from the armed group. However, three security sources told Reuters as many as 52 police had been killed in gun battles, which security sources said involved militants firing rockets at a police convoy. "We take seriously our obligation to report the news fairly and accurately, and were careful here to report both the Interior Ministry's account of the situation as well as information we received independently from other sources," a Reuters spokesperson said. The SIS also criticised the use of the word militant in the English version of the story that Reuters published. "Reuters 'English' exchanged the term 'terrorists', which is only accurate and realistic description of those elements, with the term 'militants', a matter that may give a positive connotation to the reader," the statement said. The BBC issued its own report on the Egyptian statement. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-41720305 (Editing by Alison Williams) Major challenges faced by the world today are the rise of global warming and climate changes which have a drastic impact on the activities of the people. As it has been estimated that the world population would increase by another 2 billion by the year 2050, it has become absolutely essential to control a further rise of world warming due to activities of this increased population. At the same time, climate changes are long-term changes in the earths climate, especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature. Thus, it is incumbent on the present generation to employ appropriate measures to utilize limited natural resources of the world for a sustainable production process and consumption of future generations. A Senior Technical Advisor of the Ministry of Environment, Prof. W.L. Sumathipala said that the main reason for the rise of global warming is greenhouse effect which warms the Earths surface. When the Suns energy reaches the Earths atmosphere, some of them reflect back to space and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases include water vapour, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane, Nitrous Oxide, Ozone and some artificial chemicals such as Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The human activities, like burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), agriculture and land clearing are increasing the concentrations of greenhouse gases. This is the enhanced greenhouse effect, which is contributing to warming of the Earth, Prof. Sumathipala said. Thus, it is mostly applicable and opportune to adopt a blue-green development strategy for the sustainable development of Sri Lanka in order to provide a more fruitful, happy and healthy livelihood for the public. Sri Lanka is facing an abnormal situation due to climate changes. Director of Climate Change in the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, Sunimal Jayathunga said that the United Nations Conference on Climate Changes, (21 Session of Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - COP 21) was held in Paris from November 30 to December 11, 2015. As Sri Lanka is a signatory to these resolutions, we have to adopt all appropriate measures to curb the rise of global warming. Sri Lanka is a developing Island Nation which is highly vulnerable to adverse effect of climate change that affect all social, economical and development activities. It is noteworthy that productive steps needed to be taken in order to control climate changes, he said. Mr. Jayathunga said that an event called SRI LANKA NEXT - A Blue Green Era Conference and Exhibition would be held from October 16 to October 17 at BMICH under the aegis of the president Maithripala Sirisena and organized by Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment in line with the worlds interest on controlling climate changes . The event also aims at gathering updated knowledge on local, regional and global efforts to address the issues on climate change and disseminate such knowledge to support the development agenda of Sri Lanka. This blue-green development strategy could lead us in the following directions. Blue Development Geographically, Sri Lanka is positioned at a vantage point consisting marine resources in an extent of 532,619 sq km which is proposed to be extended up to 1,714, 687 sq.km, and an attractive and resourceful sea coast of 1 600 km. It is necessary to identify the sustainable development strategies to manage these marine resources without causing environmental pollution. Some development opportunities could be listed as follows: Possibilities should be explored to research medicinal value of oceanic resources and developed to produce medicines for humans utilizing oceanic resources. 1 Oceanic Fish Resources: Efforts should be made to utilize these resources employing sustainable strategies. 2 Other Marine Biological Resources: Sri Lankas marine region consists of valuable resources including corals and other marine life arid priority should be given to maximize the use of these resources. 3 Oceanic Mineral Resources: Sri Lankas coast line, the ocean floor contains valuable mineral resources which can be converted to value added products for commercial purposes. Possibilities in this respect need to be explored. 4 Oceanic Navigation and Port Facilities: Economic prosperity could be achieved by developing oceanic navigation sea voyages and natural and modern sea ports in an Eco-friendly manner. 5Development of Tourism Industry Utilizing Coastal and Oceanic Resources: Encouragement of the development of tourism industry using sustainable and eco-friendly means should be considered in promoting Sri Lankan beaches rich in attractions and good climatic conditions and the oceanic floor with valuable resources. Green Development: Additional Executive of Environment Planning and Economics, Anuruddha Tennakoon said that the forests cover at present in Sri Lanka is 29.7% which had affected the rise of global warming in Sri Lanka. One of the key grounds for the global warming is insufficient forest cover in a particular region. As Sri Lanka is embroiled with climate changes and global warming, we have to address this issue quite positively in giving priority to regain the lost forest coverage. Therefore, we have planned to distribute 200,000 plants in this month of planting under the theme Vana Ropa, Mr. Tennakoon said. He said that the plants especially indigenous plants are available in the Department of Forest Conservation until the end of the month of October and added if anybody wished to join us are mostly welcome. It should be the fervent hope of all of us as Sri Lankans to concentrate on all aforementioned areas and effectively utilize all available strategies of Blue-Green Development social and economic development for future of Sri Lanka. In doing so, attempts should be made to reduce emission of Green House Gases (GHG), polluted water as well as other pollutants that pollutes the environment. These will afford us sustainable development which in turn will make a happy and prosperous future generation, for which the world will respect Sri Lanka; the beautiful paradise. 1 Green Industrial Production: All Industrial productions should be made according to Eco-friendly standards for sustainability which in turn will provide economic benefits while protecting the environment. 2 Green Agriculture: Sustainability should be ensured by utilizing Eco-friendly means for the development of agriculture. 3 Green Energy: Utilization of environment friendly tools has to be encouraged for the production of green energy for the social and economic development of Sri Lanka. 4 Green Cities/Villages: Developers should be encouraged to utilize environment friendly standards for the construction of green cities and villages. 1.0 150,000 GCE A/L STUDENTS ELIGIBLE TO ENTER UNIVERSITIES : Today there is a lot of frustration among the youth due to many students passing the GCE A/L exams and eligible to enter universities being unable to gain admission to universities due to limited number of places in universities. Out of the approximate 150,000 eligible A/L students only 25,000 will enter Universities. There will be another 125,000 left behind. This would mean that out of those passing, only 17% enter Universities, while 83% are left behind. We need to maximize the opportunities for higher education in Sri Lanka which should be the prime objective of any government. There is also an absolute necessity to provide degree programmes which are in demand, creating new skills and additional numbers required for the IT, Engineering, Science & Technology, Business, Management and Services sector for the development of the economy. Today India is a destination for world outsourcing industry earning valuable foreign exchange for the country and providing employment and good salaries to its graduates due mainly to the availability of the IT and Engineering Graduates in large numbers with the ability to converse fluently in the English language. This is due to their ability to produce graduates with the required skills, qualifications and numbers. We are at a very important stage of our history and the people need solutions to this pressing problem which is sending thousands of our youth overseas using valuable foreign exchange seeking to obtain a degree which they are deprived of in their own motherland. It should be a priority of the government to find a solution with the assistance of University Academia, Professionals and the Business Community in this country and provide a university education to the youth. They are the future of our country and will be able to contribute to the economic growth of Sri Lanka. 2.0 WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE : If we are to make Sri Lanka a knowledge Hub then we need to look at alternatives methods to provide higher education to a larger number especially the qualified youth and increase the percentage of University going students to over 50% from the current 16% to 20%. We need to develop the skills, the knowledge, and language fluency and of course English, research capability and the opportunities for the youth to be trained in disciplines which will provide a future to them in their motherland rather than look for opportunities overseas. At present many Foreign Universities conduct degrees programmes through private institutes without any control from any governmental educational authority. These degree programmes are also offered at a very high cost and not regulated locally. Also many students go overseas pledging their parents house and property to obtain a bank loan and enter foreign universities. It has been noticed that many of them after qualifying do not return to Sri Lanka. Therefore we need to provide a solution to conduct a quality university education at an affordable cost to the many that are deprived of a University education in their motherland and to consider solutions provided by other countries. 3.0 ALTERNATE MODEL FOR SRI LANKA: One of the best opportunities available for Sri Lanka is to consider the Indian Model of having Affiliated Colleges to Universities which has been very successful and has produced a large number of university graduates in India in different fields of specialization. This system would immediately increase the intake to university degree courses via the College system with the entry regulated by the University Grants Commission and all syllabi provided by the universities and exams also conducted by the Universities while the education will be provided by the Colleges at an affordable cost to all students. For students in need of funding, scholarships can be provided by the state or the Mahapola Trust Fund or loan facilities from banks as done in the last budget. The Affiliated College System is a well tried and tested system of our closest neighbour India and has benefited the large number of students seeking entry to obtain higher education and has contributed immensely to the development of the national economy. 3.1 THE INDIAN SYSTEM OF AFFILIATED COLLEGES: India has universities established under the University Grants Commission Act, which have territorial jurisdiction over a particular area. According to the latest data from the University Grants Commission the first five universities with the largest number of colleges are as follows. 1. Hyderabad Osmania University with 901 affiliated colleges. 2. Pune University with 735 affiliated colleges. 3. Nagpur University with 800 colleges 4. Rajasthan University with 735 colleges. 5. Mumbai University with 711 colleges. For example, in Pune, they have University of Pune which has jurisdiction over three districts, Pune, Ahmednagar and Nasik. Similarly there is University of Mumbai, having Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Amravati, Nanded and Solapur districts in the State of Maharashtra. These are all State Universities which are established by the State Government but recognized all over India and the world. All these Universities have affiliated Colleges in their jurisdiction. Pune University five years ago had 474 affiliated colleges with a total student population of 550,000 and Mumbai University 531 affiliated colleges with 650,000 students. The syllabus and the examination are decided by the University and the examinations are also conducted by the University. The final degree is awarded by the University. Affiliated colleges are the mainstay in the countrys Higher Education System and they enroll 89.3% of the undergraduate students and about 72.2% of Post Graduate Students. Delhi University has grown into one of the largest universities in India. At present, there are 16 faculties, 86 academic departments, 77 colleges and 5 other recognised institutes spread all over the city, with 132,435 regular students who include 114,494 undergraduates & 17,941 postgraduates. There are also 261,169 students in non-formal education programme, of which UG students make up 258,831 where as PG students are 2,338 in number. There are three types of colleges under Delhi University. Some are fully funded by the Government. Our youth had lost the opportunity to proceed to higher education due to the closed National Higher Education system, which needs a radical change, if the country is to face the new challenges in a globalized economy. There are also the private colleges. Depending on the funding and management they are classified as follows. University maintained colleges Trust colleges Delhi Government colleges The University of Madras has 115 Affiliated Colleges. They also conduct Evening Classes also to cater to the demands of the working adults. About 150,000 students are on roll in Affiliated Colleges. The responsibility of conducting classes regularly is on the colleges. The college conducts graduation and post graduation classes and has teaching and other staff as per the norms of the UGC. Universities are responsible for the administrative and academic responsibilities. For getting an affiliation to a college, there are norms prescribed by the University and after fulfilling them, the affiliation is granted. There are two types of colleges, Grantable and Non Grantable. Grantable means they are given grants by the Government and hence the fees for these colleges are quite low. There is also a fee committee established by the Government to regulate the fees for these colleges. Examinations are conducted by the University and as colleges are affiliated to the University, students in the colleges appear for these examinations. Affiliation norms are there for university colleges about the land, building, teaching and non teaching staff, library, and laboratory and so on. It has also been noted that many of the Colleges and Private Universities in India have been set up under Trusts Ordinance and are Not for Profit Organisations and self funding. This would be a very good concept to be used in Sri Lanka for the educational sector similar to Public Universities under UGC and Professional Bodies set up by Acts of Parliament such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka which are self funding and set up under the Ministry of Trade and Commerce in early years and now under Industry and Commerce. Many of the Colleges and Private Universities in India have been set up under Trusts Ordinance and are Not for Profit Organisations and self funding. This would be a very good concept to be used in Sri Lanka. 4.0 WAY FORWARD FOR SRI LANKA: 4.1 The Universities Act should be changed to provide for University Colleges to be set up and the relevant regulations made. 4.2 All Universities be given authority to approve University Colleges with the older and reputed universities playing a major role in making this scheme a success. 4.3 (a) Private educational institutes currently in operation encouraged to set up affiliated colleges and banks should treat these as priority projects for purpose of funding. Government could link the loan scheme provided for students who are eligible but unable to enter universities as currently done for certain private universities and those with foreign affiliations. (a) All Affiliated Colleges should be Not for Profit Organisations and preferably be set up under Trusts Ordinance or as Companies Limited by Guarantee. These organizations will also be self funding and use any surpluses for the development of the institution. 4.5 Government buildings and school premises be made available in the afternoon session for the university colleges where required in the initial stages in the rural and other districts. 4.6 A scholarship fund to be set up by the Government to fund needy students. 4.7 The intake to the colleges to be done by the University Grants Commission based on A/L results similar to the selection to other universities. 4.8 The Degree Certificate will be issued by the Universities with the name of the affiliated college. The syllabus will be provided by the universities and exams also conducted by the Universities. 5.0 BENEFITS TO THE COUNTRY AND ECONOMY : 5.1 Make Sri Lanka a Knowledge Hub by increasing the number going into higher education and providing opportunities for qualifying students at A/L to pursue their higher studies. 5.2 More students would be able to obtain a degree qualification and the number of educated youth and more skilled persons will be produced in the country. Increase the percentage of students going into higher education immediately to 50% and thereafter to be increased annually. 5.3 The courses will be provided at an affordable cost to local students and Valuable foreign exchange going out of the country will be saved. 5.4 Local Professors, Lecturers in the universities who undertake lectures will be amply rewarded for their hard work and this will result in stopping the brain drain which is a serious problem in the country. 5.5 Those that are in overseas universities will be encouraged to come back to Sri Lanka and start their own Colleges and this will attract overseas Sri Lankans back to their home country. 5.7 Will attract more foreign direct investment to Sri Lanka to start knowledge based projects for the export market due to availability of skilled youth in sufficient numbers which is currently in short supply. 5.8 Government could be a facilitator and control the quality and fees of these colleges through the Universities and the UGC. 5.9 More colleges could be set up for skills and technology that are in demand and will advance economic development and the development of industry, Commerce and the services sectors, plantation and agriculture. 5.10 The youth of this country will see a future in their mother country to earn a degree and this will also ease the problems of parents who have to mortgage whatever assets they have to send their children overseas for higher education. 5.11 Employers will be happy that they will be in a position to find sufficient skilled persons for employment in their businesses. 5.12 The money invested in Primary and Secondary Education will be amply rewarded by enabling students to go for higher education and to University affiliated colleges and increasing the percentage of students entering Universities. 5.13 A close link will be established with the private and public sectors to conduct courses in demand with Science and Technology taking a prominent place in addition to the others. 5.14 Also to consider setting up of Sri Lankan Institutes of Technology and Institutes of Management similar to Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) which should be pursued vigorously as these institutes have a direct bearing on the development of the knowledge economy. The balance students are deprived of an opportunity to pursue their higher education and students and parents are frustrated .Those who have the money go overseas using our valuable foreign exchange and many do not return to Sri Lanka after qualifying which is another big loss to the country CONCLUSION : Although we are celebrating 40 years of open economy, the National Higher Education system has not been opened to meet the needs of our youth. During the last 40 years our youth had lost the opportunity to proceed to higher education due to the closed National Higher Education system, which needs a radical change, if the country is to face the new challenges in a globalised economy and advance to a knowledge economy. We are unfortunately falling behind many of the other countries that are progressing at a very rapid level especially in Science and Technology and skill development where we do not have sufficient numbers. At a time when Level students who qualify to enter university is about 150,000 only about 25,000 gain admission. The balance students are deprived of an opportunity to pursue their higher education and students and parents are frustrated that despite them qualifying, their future is going to be bleak for no fault of theirs. Those who have the money go overseas using our valuable foreign exchange and many do not return to Sri Lanka after qualifying which is another big loss to the country as well as to the parents. It would be possible to overcome this barrier by implementing the University Affiliated College System which will provide additional places for those who otherwise are shut out of local Universities. By implementing these new proposals tried and tested in neighbouring India and other countries will benefit the large number of educated and qualified youth after A/L to see a future in Sri Lanka through higher education. We should also keep in mind that cost is also an important element and only local degrees and professional qualifications can provide an answer to this question. Let us also save our valuable foreign exchange that is going out of this country and build a knowledge economy for the prosperity of the Nation. Prof. Lakshman R. Watawala (FCA, FCMA. FCMA(UK), CGMA, FCPM) is the President Institute of Certified Management Accountants (CMA) Sri Lanka Past President Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), Organization of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka (OPA). Founder President AAT Sri Lanka Immediate Past President Association of Management Development Institutions in South Asia (AMDISA) Former Chairman and Director General GCEC & BOI, Chairman Peoples Bank, Peoples Merchant Bank, National Insurance Trust Fund, State Mining and Mineral Development Corporation, Ceylon Leather Products Corporation. Former Council Member University of Kelaniya, Open University of Sri Lanka, Institute of Computer Technology University of Colombo For the second consecutive year, Amana Bank has come forward to sponsor the Islamic Finance Forum of South Asia (IFFSA) as its Lead Banking Partner. The 2nd edition of this regional conference is scheduled to take place on 24 October at Ramada, Colombo and will discuss the opportunities and challenges on how the non-interest based banking industry can expand its footprint across the South Asian region, which has a large demand for Islamic banking and finance. Commenting on this partnership, the banks Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Azmeer said, As the pioneers of Islamic banking in Sri Lanka, we are honoured to once again partner with IFFSA as this would be an ideal platform to engage in learning knowledge and expertise to drive the industry forward. This forum would also give the opportunity for Sri Lanka to showcase its potential as a hub for Islamic banking and finance for the entire region. Other than the representation from the Sri Lankan Islamic banking and finance industry, the forum would also witness representatives from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Maldives. The forum will address key topics such as leveraging the potential that a US$ 500 million market offers, fin-tech and its impact on the IBF industry, rediscovering the essence of Islamic banking, the role of non-banking finance institutions in complementing mainstream banks andfunding infrastructure and SMEs via IBF instruments. President Xi Jinping opening the 19th Communist Party Congress and imminent to be re-elected as President of China and the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, stood in front of nearly 2300 party delegates and delivered a speech that spanned 3 hours 25 minutes in which he outlined his achievements of the last 5 years. He went on to provide a template of the future vision of China as a great power. Xi Jinpings leadership is branded as the coming of the Third revolution, after Maos Cultural Revolution and Deng Xiaopings market reforms. The benchmark for comparison for many contemporary Chinese leaders was Deng Xiaoping who played a revolutionary role in transforming the Chinese communist party and directing the party to embrace market reforms, the so-called socialism with Chinese characteristics which created the economic boom that China is enjoying currently. Scholars and analysts within and out of China have provided various interpretations about Xis intentions. He is seen as a President who has global ambitions, promotes innovation and leads the most ambitious military modernization programme in the history of Modern China. Analysts are convinced that Xi Jinping will use the 19th Congress to consolidate power, strengthen central committee representation of his cohort of supporters and lead ground breaking reforms within the Chinese Communist Party. His anti-corruption drive may have earned him some powerful enemies but statistics show that 440 Chinese officials were investigated for corruption. This moral high ground has won President Xi an unwavering public support, hence aiding to consolidate his political power. Party discipline and conformity has been given priority. The Chinese Communist Party has undertaken a campaign among its 87 million members, to focus on studying; accepting and implementing the party code of conduct and take seriously remarks made by President Xi if they aspire to be qualified party members. President Xi is identified as the Chinese leader who will place China firmly on the global stage and lead it to be the most powerful nation on earth. Such expectations are fuelling a deeper interest in the study of the Cult of Xi. Prof. Xue Li, the Director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS) emphasized that President Xi Jinping is the most influential and revolutionary President of the country surpassing the role played by Deng Xiaoping. This argument was further strengthened by Prof. Zhang Qingmin, Chair of the Department of Diplomacy, Peking University, who claimed that in a recent interaction with the Author, President Xi led the building of artificial islands especially such as Sansha City providing China with a Great Wall on the sea. Such bold decisions elevated Chinas capabilities to establish a strong and reliable strategic posture. Chinese scholars feel that President Xis handling of the Diaoyu Island issue had weakened Japanese control of Diayou. In his speech to the delegates, Xi Jinping reiterated his interest in positioning China as a great power, Chinese leaders in the past have been very careful about disclosing Chinas global ambition. Deng Xiaopings mantra which in Chinese goes as taoguangyanghui meaning, hide our strength and bide our time, inspired Chinese leaders to develop the nation but limit global engagement. Xi Jinping is taking China out of that mentality. Thus President Xi has hit the reboot button in Chinas foreign policy. The concept China dream was a key driver of Xis first term as president, the key component of the China dream was to create an advanced military and a technologically leading nation. In his speech last week, Xi stressed that he will lead the modernization of the Chinese military which he expects to be fully modernized by 2035. Xi emphasized that he is leading the military to be combat ready and strategically advanced to win. His strategic calculus is that such robustness in military capabilities will help China to reach the centre stage of global affairs. President Xi is positioning himself as the most responsible global leader given the current times and the ardent defender of economic openness, thus reiterating his keynote address that he delivered earlier this year,inaugurating the world economic forum in Davos. It seems a direct critique of the Trump administrations current foreign policy and especially the protectionism that is seeping into American global economic engagement. The ongoing battle between Airline Industrys behemoths Boeing and Airbus is a harbinger of trade wars to come with the new American approach to global trade. On the same day that President Xi Jinping made his remarks to the CPC delegates, American Secretary of State Rex Tillerson chose to address a gathering at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington DC, the most influential security think tank in the United States. The theme of the talk was on strengthening India US relations marking the seventy years anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The importance of this landmark speech was that it was the most articulate and far reaching policy outline of the Trump administrations engagement with India and its position on the Indian and Pacific Oceans as a strategic region. Xi stressed that he will lead the modernization of the Chinese military which he expects to be fully modernized by 2035. Xi emphasized that he is leading the military to be combat ready and strategically advanced to win Whilst President Xi emphasized the importance of Chinese military transforming into the best in the world, Secretary Tillerson pointed out that the America and Indian strategic interests for the next 100 years will increase into a total convergence. He explicitly acknowledged in his speech that China will be a common adversary to both countries. His passionate call for the consolidation of the relations of the two countries demonstrates a fear that the democratic world view they represent may succumb to an ideology that is totally antithetical to the value system of India and the United States. He stressed that, Indians and Americans dont just share an affinity for democracy. We share a vision of the future. Tillersons speech touched upon the common concerns of India and the United States, especially that of consequences of Chinas rise and how China according to the Americans undermined the international rules -based system, especially in the case of the South China Sea. Tillerson claimed that the United States will not be deterred by such acts and is ready to respond if necessary and they will strengthen the position of India to keep China in check. Such language clearly outlines the political tensions that the Trump administration harbours with China. The secretary of State stressed that they will deepen and widen the military and development partnerships with India. He quoted Defence Secretary Mattis, where the United States firmly believes in India reaching military superiority and technological advancement as a shared strategic interest. It seems to be an evolving counter-narrative to the pitch Xi Jinping is making about technological superiority of the Chinese military. Americans seem to be helping India to realize their Look East Policy which at some point will collide with Chinas neighbourhood policies as well as its ambitious One-Belt-One-Road initiative (OBOR), which essentially is Chinas look West policy. President Xi Jingpings speech got most of the media attention last week and will build up to the events that will unfold during the Chinese communist partys 19th congress. Rex Tillersons speech did not attract much global attention but it was a defining moment as it finally gave foreign affairs enthusiasts a view of the Trump administrations policy towards the Indo-Pacific region and its future relations with India. Sri Lankas strategic thinkers and planners may need to take both these developments seriously and not neglect either of these observations as mere rhetoric. The strategic convergence Tillerson emphasizes will have serious consequences on Sri Lanka; the country would face significant pressures from a combined and an aggressive Indo-American foreign policy. Secondly, with China displaying a global and regional assertiveness about its position and its global and neighbourhood relations, Sri Lanka will always remain a pivot state for Chinas foreign policy ambitions. Thus planning, preparing and sharpening diplomatic moves will help the country to avoid being the new crush state in the increasingly contentious Indo-Pacific. The writer is the Director, Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS) Bahrain has temporarily freed a female activist who has accused her government of torture in detention, rights groups said Monday. Ebtisam al-Saegh was released late Sunday as she awaits her trial on terrorism charges, the Bahrain Institute for Human Rights said. Two other activists, Radhi al-Qatari and Mohammed al-Shakhoori, were also released pending their trials on similar charges, it said. London-based rights group Amnesty International re-tweeted a post announcing Saeghs release. Bahrains justice ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Saegh was detained in July after re-tweeting a series of posts critical of Bahrains king and its security agency and charged later the same month with terrorism. Her detention prompted warnings from rights groups she was at risk of torture. Saegh accused Bahraini security services of torture and sexual assault during a previous arrest in May. The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has enabled point-of-sale (POS) usage for UnionPay cards, making it possible for cardholders of the world`s largest card base in circulation to pay for purchases at local retailers with these cards. This will benefitvisiting leisure and business travellers from Chinain particular by offering them the convenience of cashless payments in Sri Lanka. UnionPay cards have been accepted by Commercial Banks ATMs since 2012. Commercial Bank was the first SriLankan bank to link its ATMS with UnionPay. The bank said EMV-enabled UnionPay cards also enjoy additional security following the upgrade of allCommercial Bank ATMsto offer significantly higher protection against counterfeit fraud. Commercial Bank is constantly exploring ways to create convenience for everyone that uses our products and services. Enhancing the versatility of UnionPay cards in Sri Lanka is one example of this,Commercial Banks Chief Operating Officer S. Renganathan said. To-date, UnionPay International has extended its card acceptance to 162 countries and regions with 42 countries and regions issuing UnionPay cards. We strive to provide our card users with high quality, efficient and secure payment services. There is significant increase in the number of Chinese tourists eager to travel to Sri Lanka. With UnionPay cards as their key method for payment overseas, we are confident that the collaboration between UnionPay International and Commercial Bank will lead to a win-win situation, said Shuan Ghaidan, Product Director of UnionPay International. Commercial Bank is the only Sri Lankan bank to be ranked among the Top 1000 banks of the world for seven years consecutively, andoperates a network of 256 branches and 697 ATMs in Sri Lanka. Buddhist clergy in a street protest Recently Buddhist High Priests have been showing a rather unholy penchant to torment the government, perhaps making use of the opportunity that no one is now calling from the Presidents House to threaten with Sanga Bedaya (division among Sanga) unless Maha Nayakas toe the line. However, it is still a lopsided approach on the part of monks who have resolutely kept mum when they ought to have spoken up in the past. Any self-respecting religious leader should have condemned the attack on Rohingya refugees in Mount Lavinia by a mob led by monks. Most Buddhist leaders did not exhibit that minimum level of human compassion, nor did they care to speak out against a series of past attacks on Muslims. Similarly, when ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa rolled back basic fundamental freedom of people, and introduced the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, with no public consultation at all, only a few monks, with known credentials of social activism spoke out. Maha Nayakas did not. In the not-so-distant past, white vans roamed freely and the inmates of the Welikada prison were summarily executed. Media institutions were attacked; journalists were killed in broad day light. Self-professed love of Maha Nayakas did not make a ripple of practical expression. Therefore, this sudden upsurge of interest suggests something else: There seems to be a grand puppet show with maestro puppeteer Mahinda Rajapaksa pulling strings from behind. The recent uproar in high temples ought to be viewed and treated as such. Last week, the Karaka Maha Sangha Sabha of the Malwatu & Asgiriya Chapters announced their opposition to the new Constitution or any amendments to the present Constitution and urged the government to stop the Constitution drafting process. Then during the weekend, monks in Kalyani Karaka Sabha of the Kotte, Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha demanded the temporary withdrawal of the proposed new constitution. Democracies are not run by clerics and we are not living in a theocracy. Where clerics rule the roost, they have effectively recreated a medieval hellhole in the 21st century. Look no further than Iran and Saudi Arabia. And modernizing clerics have grasped the vast changes in their modern societies and made amends with it. For instance, a couple of years ago, ex-Arch Bishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams said Britain is now a post-Christian society. Interestingly, he was rebuffing the then Prime Minister David Cameron who wanted Britain to be more confident about our status as a Christian country and more evangelical about faith. Condemned the attack on Rohingya refugees in Mount Lavinia by a mob led by monks. Most Buddhist leaders did not exhibit that minimum level of human compassion, nor did they care to speak out against a series of past attacks on Muslims The political strategy of using religion as a tool of regime legitimization is not new, and often it has led nations along a less democratic and religiously and ethnically exclusivist path. In a dispassionate note, for the most part of the independence in Sri Lanka, the Buddhist high priests have played an obstructionist role in the countrys nation building exercise. Their pernicious influence, made worse by spineless political leaders (S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was aptly called Sevala Banda,) led neither to peace nor prosperity. From 1956 onwards, Buddhist Right had obstructed every conceivable effort to address minority interests, which partly due to repeated snubs by the Sinhala elites, later took a violent turn, culminating in a three decade long terrorist war. To believe that the continued indifference to the same grievances would not repeat the history, would be naive. It would take time, but, when the Tamils forget the prohibitive cost they incurred thanks to Prabakarans misadventure, another megalomaniac would try that again. Sri Lanka as a country, and all its communities, suffered as a result of history obstructionism by the monks. We paid both from lives and our unfulfilled dreams of prosperity. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka does not have a leader with a backbone to tell this self -evident truth, and also to define the role of monks in the affairs of the government. All religions are invasive in their own right, and penetrate societies with a sizable portion of pre-modern populace. That is exactly why Communists shut the churches and temples; more discerning secularists like Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, strictly disassociated the State from the religion. Neither President Maithripala Sirisena nor Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe seems to have political courage to challenge the obstructionism of the Maha Nayakas. Instead, Mr. Wickremesinghe blames the media for misreporting: He alleged that the media had mislead the public and Malwatta Mahanayaka was not even in the country. He was soon clarified by another head priest who claimed the announcement by the Maha Sangha has been issued with the endorsement by the Maha Nayakas. Mr. Wickremesinghe has to speak on behalf of the government and not for the Malwatta Maha Nayaka. But that political courage is missing. What Sri Lanka needs is political unambiguity of the caliber of Sir John Kotalawala, who never hesitated to call a spade a spade, or Ranjan Wijeratne, who had to throw away all political niceties to save the country from tyranny, when security imperatives warranted to do so. Last week, the Karaka Maha Sangha Sabha of the Malwatu & Asgiriya Chapters announced their opposition to the new Constitution or any amendments to the present Constitution and urged the government to stop the Constitution drafting process Why this government is vacillating in each of its policy decisions is mainly due to the absence of political will. A governments primary task is to govern, and to that end use all available legal, administrative and coercive powers at its disposal. Sri Lanka cannot act like a fully- fledged democracy before it becomes one. Doing that would let determined peripheral forces to undermine the state. Even democracies have their limits of political nicety, as Spanish experience in Catalonia reveals. Ignoring these interest groups or blaming media for reporting about them would be of little help. The government ought to say it loud and clear that the new Constitution is an affair of the state, and its people, and not something that is exclusive to Maha Sanga. A few visits to high temples and gifts of few elephants could also buy temporary silence. However, if there is a calibrated attempt to undermine the government, some individuals may need to be interviewed by intelligence agencies. To that end, the government needs to bring all its agencies of coercive power under a personality with popular legitimacy and calculated ruthlessness. All I can think about is Sarath Fonseka. A Police constable and a naval personnel attached to the President's Security Division (PSD) were remanded till November 6, by Colombo Chief Magistrate Lal Bandara for allegedly assaulting the OIC of the PSD during a function held at the President's house. The constable and the naval personal were arrested after they allegedly assaulted Chief Inspector Gallage Samantha Jayasundara with a chair during a party at the Presidents house at Malalasekara Mawatha on October 7. The incident had allegedly occurred when the OIC had ordered a group under the influence of alcohol at the function to stop singing. (Nimanthi Ranasinghe) 23rd Death Anniversary (Rupang jirathi machchaanang - Nama gothanang na jirathi) The life of all beings ends with death. But certain people are remembered by people for the good fortune of the country. Dr. Gamini C. Wijesekera was a such noble person. Gamini Wijesekera was not only a Doctor by Profession, but also a specialist in child health. He showed loving kindness to all the people and as a result he was immortal in the minds of the general public. Gamini Wijesekera had the good fortune of being the eldest sibling of late Prof. O.H.de A. Wijesekera, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo and a scholar in Sanskrit and Oriental languages and Mabel Wijesekera. He was very popular amongst the people, intellectuals and politicians. He had his school education at Trinity College, Kandy and Ananda College, Colombo and later entered the Medical College at Peradeniya University. While being an undergraduate, he joined the Samajawadee Students Movement in 1963 and worked hard for the betterment of it. He started his medical practice in Government Service after passing out from University of Peradeniya . While in Service he held the post of Secretary of the Government Medical Officers Association. In 1975, he left Government Service and started his own private practice. In 1977, he entered active politics through the Executive Committee of the United National Party to serve the country. He was a member of the Western Provincial Council and represented Parliament as a member for a short period. Dr. Wijesekera served as Chairman of the Ceylon Transport Board for a period of time and subsequently was appointed as Secretary to the Ministry of Transport in 1980. He had also served as Vice Chairman of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation. He had also served several government institutions as a Director of University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau, Employees Trust Fund Board, Lanka Milk Foods Ltd etc. He died in a terrorist attack in 1994. Dr. Wijesekera was survived by his ever loving wife Daisy, daughter Bavani Charithya and son Dumesh. Linton Liyanage 4PL provider and supply chain integrator Eagle Logistics celebrated its 12th business anniversary last week with all religious activities at their corporate office in R.A. De Mel Mawatha Colombo 03. Eagle Logistics started Business 2005 with three staff members and today the company has grown to a staff strength of over 100 with five offices in Sri Lanka and two offices in Maldives and India. The company started business as a traditional air freight export forwarder and today company is one of the innovative supply chain logistics provider to the import industry in Sri Lanka. The company considered supply chain management is important as a logistics provider since logistics is being part of same. Managing Director Asanga Weerackody said that dealing with customers cargo booking coupled with origin and destination services is considered as traditional freight forwarding since global business practices changed, and supply chain managements became gaining ground. With this change we realised the potential of being part of supply chain management and understand the whole process is important. So we started to offer multiple services other than the co-products. Further, Weerackody said that 4PL is one of the areas the company is looking at now as it is a need to the industry. Most of the global FMCG companies here in Sri Lanka are looking at outsourcing their regular routine activities and there is no forwarder to take this burden from logistics industry in Sri Lanka as they only geared to service the export trade. Eagle Logistics Colombo is the only forwarder in Sri Lanka who organise awareness public programmes with various import regulators such as NMRA, customs, import control and also supply chain management. Think Different is the company theme and it is been practiced all the time during these 12 years; starting from recruitment where the company never recruited employees from any competitor and all the employees started their freight forwarding carrier at Eagle Logistics. HR Head Christine Jennifer stated that grooming new comers is interesting as they are fresh and they come from different backgrounds. The first few months we understand their weakness and strength and then we match that with the position and its always successful. DGM Ashan Fernando who is taking care of the whole operation said that he started his carrier at Eagle Logistics as a junior executive 10 years ago and the company HR policy help young inexperience people to join the logistics industry which is always looking for staff with experience. Eagle Logistics expanded its wings to India by opening up their first office in Chennai on January 2018. The company has already set up the structure and business will commence with international freight and 4PL. After the discovery that New Democratic Fronts Chairman Shalila Munasingne was a foreign national, the Elections Commission said it had decided to call for details regarding the citizenship status of office bearers of all other political parties in the country. The Commission met on October 19 to discuss the matter. Mr. Munsinghe is now in remand prison after being accused of money laundering he had allegedly committed as the Chairman of Litro Gas Company. Later, it was found that he was a foreign national though held the Chairmanship of a political party that even fielded President Maithripala Sirisena as the Presidential Candidate at the 2015 Election under its Swan symbol. The Elections Commission discussed this issue at length last Thursday. Afterwards, it decided to seek the details related to the citizenship status of office bearers of all the registered political parties of Sri Lanka. A source close to the Commission said the present law governing the registration of political parties did not contain any provision that could bar a foreign national from becoming the office bearer of any political party. Yet, the source said there were moral issues in recognising such a person as an office bearer. There are 70 registered political parties in Sri Lanka currently. (Kelum Bandara) A 35-year-old man was hospitalized with gunshot wounds to his torso following a shooting on the 900 block of North 19th Street early Monday, according to the Billings Police Department. The shooter remains at large and his or her identity is still unknown, according to BPD Sgt. Pat Curry. Officers were dispatched to the scene at 1:55 a.m. "We had an officer nearby who could hear what he thought were four or five rounds that were fired," Curry said. The victim was conscious and breathing when officers arrived, he added, and appeared to have two gunshot wounds. Two witnesses at the scene gave conflicting accounts of what happened, Curry added, and no clear description of the suspect was available. The shooting took place near the driveway of a home on the street, but none of those involved appeared to be residents, Curry said. Officers recovered a handgun at the scene, he added. The victim was transported to St. Vincent Healthcare, according to a press release from the police department. Officials of the EDB met the representative of Aeon Topvalu Co. Ltd. retail giant of Japan at the EDB recently. Aeon Topvalu Co. Ltd. (Aeon) is a multi-format retailer store based in Japan. Topvalu is an Aeons private brand which is developed reflecting the customers varies carrying over 6000 items of food, clothing and housing necessities. The company operates supermarkets, general merchandise stores, discount stores, home centers, supercenters, department stores, convenience stores and specialty stores and it is a well-established enterprise in the Asian region. Sri Lanka mission in Japan requested the EDB to co-ordinate the visit by arranging B2B meetings with Sri Lankan exporters. Yuka Yamazaki, one of the merchandisers of Aeon visited Sri Lanka with pre-identified potential grocery items such as pre-mix tea, fruit drinks, kitul products, spices, cereals, milk powder, condensed milk etc. to be sourced from Sri Lanka to sell in their super market stores. Accordingly, the EDB arranged B2B meetings with Milco (Pvt.) Ltd, Jagota Agro Products, Lanka Canneries (Pvt.) Ltd, Mas Tropical Food Processing (Pvt) Ltd, Ausee Oats Milling (Pvt.) Ltd., Mabroc Teas (Pvt.) Ltd, Expo Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, Ni Cey International (Pvt.) Ltd, etc. After discussions she agreed to visit their processing plants during her next visit to Sri Lanka and she has shown an interest to purchase a few grocery items from Sri Lanka. The EDB and Sri Lanka Embassy in Japan are following up to promote businesses with Aeon. The latest issue of our sister paper Sunday Times carried a news item which quoted the Auditor Generals Department as saying that the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) was still holding on to a balance of more than Rs.3.2 billion from money remitted by the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) to pay Sri Lankans who were employed in Kuwait during that countrys invasion by Iraq in 1990. The story further says, the amount in US dollars at the prevailing exchange rate is more than US$20 mn. The payments are yet to be made because the bureau had not implemented a formal methodology to pay compensation to the relevant workers, says the 2015 Auditor Generals Report on the SLBFE. As a result, a balance of Rs.3,213,918,952 remains. Additionally, this has falsely been shown in accounts as a capital reserve when it should be termed a long-term liability. What a crime! The SLBFE is the State agency that has been assigned to look after the interests of the Sri Lankan migrant workers in other countries. If this is the way it safeguards the interests of those earning foreign exchange for the country, what is the purpose of further running such an institution? There are two aspects being elucidated by this issue. One is the despicable lethargy prevailing in State institutions, especially when it comes to the problems of the ordinary people. Secondly, this is nothing other than callousness on the part of the public sector officials. The more than 100,000 Sri Lankans who had worked in Kuwait during the invasion of that country by Iraq had to undergo a hellish situation with some of them being killed, while some others being injured and almost everybody losing their earning and valuables worth hundreds of thousands of rupees. It had been revealed that eight Sri Lankans were killed and 32 injured due to the war from August 2, 1990 to March 2, 1991. The trauma they, especially the women and girls had undergone in a foreign country, sometimes without knowing the language of that country properly and without anybody to tell their harrowing tales, could not be imagined by others. Finally, Saddam Husseins government in Iraq was forced to compensate Kuwait and the UNCC was created in 1991 under a UN Security Council resolution to process claims and pay compensation for losses and damages suffered as a direct result of the invasion. The UNCC says it has concluded processing claims in 2005 and the total compensation awarded was US$ 52.4 billion to about 1.5 million successful claimants. Alas, this is 2017, twelve years have passed since, but the Sri Lankan bureaucracy has failed to make up its mind to pay the compensation to those who fell victims to a sudden cruel armed invasion while earning foreign exchange for the country. The most cruel part of this saga is that the authorities seem to have changed their mind later not to pay the compensation to the victims, as a balance of Rs 3.2 billion of the compensation fund that is with the SLBFE has falsely been shown in accounts as a capital reserve, whereas it should be termed a long-term liability, according to the Auditor generals report quoted by the Sunday Times. Bureaucratic red tape and lethargy in State institutions has always been an obstacle in relief measures to the victims of disasters, apart from development activities. Seventeen months after the 2016 floods in the lower Kelani Valley areas, it was only on last Sunday that compensation for a fraction of victims for their material losses were paid at a function held at the Temple Trees. Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said at this gathering, that it was after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes intervention that the payment of compensation was possible. Besides, newspapers revealed recently that victims of landslides that occurred in 2016 were still languishing in tents. This is something more than lethargy. It should be termed as heartlessness of the bureaucracy. A provincial politico elevated to the purohita status recently is said to be using his influence to shield a fair and lovely one who had defrauded Rs.1.8 million while serving in a co-operative establishment. The fair one had misappropriated the money which she was expected to deposit in the bank account operated by the establishment. When a question was raised about this fraud in the provincial body, the purohita had replied that action was being taken to hold an inquiry into the fraud after interdicting the errant party. However, though about two months have passed since the commission of the offence, no action has been taken to institute an inquiry. The high-ups of the establishment too have failed to pursue the case, they say. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa invited me to join hands with him or to give up politics and join his business but I refused, Primary Industries Minister Daya Gamage said. Addressing a group of fresh water prawn farmers in Chilaw, the Minister said the former president offered him a Cabinet post but he refused as he had no intention to rob public money. I had no intention to rob money belonging to the country, or the public by joining hands with the Rajapaksa regime. Therefore I choose a different path, he said. He said President Maithripala Sirisena had given the leadership to save the country from the present predicament, therefore everybody should work together to save the country. (Thilanka Kanakarathna) A one-stop-shop for hospitality consulting in Sri Lanka and the Maldives was launched recently by Palladium Holdings, a locally owned outfit. Were a one-stop shop for hospitality. Whether theyre hotels, boutique hotels, mixed development projects or restaurants. We provide consultancy for architecture, construction, interior design, operation supplies and equipment, and food, Palladium Holdings Founder and Managing Director Shamrin Mohamed said. He added that company also sources supplies and equipment from over 150 global partners and plans to use Sri Lanka has a hub for its supply operations in the region. Mohamed, with 15 years of experience in the construction and hospitality sectors, said that the recent expansion in the Sri Lankan hospitality industry requires consultancy services which could cater to the needs of the largest brands, down to the first-time hotel owners. He said that Palladium has already provided services for the Anantara and Movenpick global brands which recently entered Sri Lanka, as well as for local brands such as Waters Edge. We have already signed several letters of intent to provide consultancy services for global brands, Mohamed added. He noted that big brands such as Jumeirah and Hard Rock are inquiring about owning or managing properties in Sri Lanka. Palladium Holdings Head of Sales and Legal Officer Abida Tariq said that the company is also a matchmaker for high net worth individuals looking to invest in projects, hospitality brands, and landowners in Sri Lanka. She said that Palladium maintains a land bank. The hallmark event of the Sri Lanka Economic Association (SLEA), the SLEA Annual Sessions 2017, will focus on policies required to modernize the countrys agriculture and industry sectors. Over the past few years we deliberated on macroeconomic issues like debt and fiscal policy, so we thought we should this year focus on the real sector of the economy, on agriculture and industry, SLEA President Dr. Upananda Vidanapathirana said during a media briefing. With agriculture taking up around 65 percent of total cultivable land, and 30 percent of the labour pool, but contributing around 7-8 percent to the countrys economy, SLEA Vice President Chandrasena Maliyadde said that past agriculture policies need to be revisited. We need to see whether the past policies were conducive for fully utilizing the resources and potential in agriculture, he said. A host of academics and private sector experts will speak at SLEA on how to modernize the agriculture and industry sectors to compete in the global markets. The 31st edition of the SLEA Annual Sessions will take place at the Central Banks Centre for Banking Studies in Rajagiriya. The inauguration will take place this Friday, and the technical sessions will follow on Saturday. The Asian Development Banks latest publication on Sri Lanka, The Sri Lankan Economy: Charting a New Course will also be launched at the SLEA Annual Sessions. UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Pablo de Greiff, who was in Sri Lanka on a 14-day visit, said today his report would include a series of specific recommendations concerning the judiciary and the Attorney Generals office, both of which are crucial for the success of transitional justice. I take it as a positive sign that there is awareness of the impact that the enormous backlog has on both victims and the accused, and acknowledge the efforts planned to increase the numbers of courts and judges, he said. Mr. Greiff said the Constitutional reform project was correctly undertaken in part as a non-recurrence initiative. It has tremendous preventive and reconciliatory potential. The articulation of a bill of rights for all Sri Lankans is of utmost importance. There are many other issues that are relevant from a transitional justice perspective that could have been a part of the constitutional reform project. They include strengthening provisions on the independence of the judiciary, the powers of the office of the Attorney General, the delimitation of functions of the different parts of the security system and the establishment of multi-layered oversight systems, to mention only a few. As the constitutional reform process moves forward, consideration could be given to some of these issues, he said. Mr. Greiff recommended the domestication of international human rights standards and after the ratification of the International Convention on Enforced Disappeared, to enact legislation and incorporate it in the domestic legal system. He expressed concern about the use of rhetoric such as, war heroes will never be brought to trial. Mr. Greiff said this seemed to misrepresent the target of transitional justice accountability measures by suggesting that it is a generally anti-security agenda and also by forgetting that no one who has committed violations of human rights law or of the laws of war deserves to be called a hero. He said one of the points of transitional justice accountability was shifting precisely between the legitimate and lawful use of force and the contrary, under conditions in which all relevant due process guarantees are meticulously adhered to, and in which not only the rights of victims but also the rights of suspects and the accused are protected. I will add that the promise mentioned regarding war heroes was a legally unenforceable political statement and therefore cannot offer any real security. In order to make it effective it would ultimately require a violation of the principle of the separation of powers, the independence of the judiciary amongst others. Moreover it offers absolutely no warranty internationally. As the recent case presented in Brazil against a former member of the Armed Forces demonstrates, accountability will be sought either here or abroad. In my opinion, this is an additional reason for the country, with the full support of the Armed Forces, who stand a lot to gain from this process, to establish a robust and credible comprehensive transitional justice policy, Mr. Greiff said. He said the absence of a comprehensive plan also means that transitional justice, already being present in public debates, generates apprehensions. Some of those fears are the result of the political manipulation of the topic. Others stem from a lack of concrete answers that may assuage those apprehensions. And finally, the politicization of the topic in this context has also meant that it has been increasingly ethnicized. As a result, transitional justice is represented as if it were essentially a threat to the majority community, of interest to one of the minorities only and all others left at the margins, Mr. Greiff said. He said a comprehensive Transitional Justice Strategy should be adopted and that it should include a clear calendar for the implementation of the different transitional justice mechanisms, including truth, justice, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence. Mr. Greiff made a number of recommendations in the scopes of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of non-recurrence and called for the adoption of legislation promptly to establish a Truth Commission, to strengthen witness and victim protection scheme, repealing of the PTA and also to upgrade facilities at the IDP camps. He said increasing capacities on investigations, forensics and prosecutorial strategies can only help current and future justice initiatives and the debate about the nationality of judges has led to politicization of the transitional justice discussions. The focus of the discussions about accountability should be on the means and preconditions for the establishment of credible procedures that guarantee the rights of victims and of the accused, Mr. Greiff said. As an expert who visited Sri Lanka in March 2015, he said he didnt expect Sri Lanka to show a slow progress after two years. Slow progress on pre-conditions for transitional justice erodes trust in the Governments capacity to move forward with the reforms, he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla) Pix by Pradeep Pathirana US Secretary of State Rex Tillersons speech in Washington on Wednesday (18) where he named China as the cause for the USs intensified interest in the Indian Ocean, and as the reason for its deepening defence ties with India, has brought the big-power contestation in the region to a new level. While analysts have long referred to the USs rebalance (or pivot) to Asia as being motivated by its need to counter the economic and military rise of China, US officials have not been quite so blunt about it in their utterances so far. China was an underlying, hidden factor in these discussions. But now the gloves are off, it appears. Speaking at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Tillerson said: China, while rising alongside India, has done so less responsibly, at times undermining the international, rules-based order even as countries like India operate within a framework that protects other nations sovereignty. Chinas provocative actions in the South China Sea directly challenge the international law and norms that the United States and India both stand for. The United States seeks constructive relations with China, but we will not shrink from Chinas challenges to the rules-based order and where China subverts the sovereignty of neighbouring countries and disadvantages the U.S. and our friends. In August India and the US signed a Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) which is one of the four foundational agreements that the US enters into with its defence partners. The US is also set to supply India with 22 Sea Guardian drones plus other military hardware and technology, according to reports. The US would like India to jointly take responsibility to patrol the Asia-Pacific region according to some analysts. Together with Japan and East Asian nations, Washington would want India to throw its weight behind patrolling the Pacific Ocean where the Chinese navy is becoming more and more aggressive in staking its claims says Seema Guha, writing in India Legal. Sri Lankas officialdom has not displayed a response one would expect from a neutral player and a supposedly Non-Aligned nation Tillersons explanation of stronger US military collaboration with India was made in terms of a need to ensure that the Indo-Pacific is increasingly a place of peace, stability, and growing prosperity so that it does not become a region of disorder, conflict, and predatory economics. But whether peace, stability and prosperity etc will be advanced by the Us against Them attitude adopted by the US, ganging up with India to counter the other rising Asian giant , remains a question. The challenges to international law that Tillerson mentions would refer to Chinas actions in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, where China is building military facilities on some uninhabited islands to which its claims are contested by neighbouring states (Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei etc). Commander of the US Pacific Fleet Admiral Scott Swift made reference to this issue, though obliquely, at the Galle Dialogue 2017 recently hosted by Sri Lanka. The international laws and norms invoked by the US in support of a rules based maritime order would refer to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which the US is itself not a signatory although it constantly calls upon others to comply. Adm. Swift in his presentation made indirect references to the Law of the Sea Tribunals determination in favour of the Philippines in its dispute with China in the South China Sea, which China chose to ignore. He also implicitly compared Chinas behaviour with that of India which, in its dispute with Bangladesh, accepted the tribunals decision. The US Secretary of States remarks at CSIS show that the US has chosen to disregard these signs that an evolving China is ready to make certain changes. The US has preferred to take the adversarial route Just as nations and their maritime forces have the ability to build trust, their actions, like applying national laws in international space, erodes any trust that can be gained by multi-lateral cooperation he said, in an obvious reference to these developments. Again the question arises as to whether the USs confrontational policy of carrying out what it calls Freedom of Navigation Assertions- by sailing its warships into the disputed areas of the South China Sea for example will serve the interests of peace and stability it ostensibly seeks to promote. The US adopts this approach in spite of China having demonstrated that it is becoming more open and ready to engage with the global community. Notable in this regard are its contributions to disaster relief (the 2011 earthquake in Japan for example, during which political tensions were buried in an overwhelmingly sympathetic response) and humanitarian relief operations (e.g. evacuating foreign nationals, including Sri Lankans, along with its own citizens from war-torn Yemen in 2015). China also played a significant role in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. At the Galle Dialogue 2017 too, China signalled that its outlook was changing. The Chinese PLA navy will positively implement a new model of maritime security concept and carry out exchanges with other navies in a more open and more responsible attitude to unswervingly safeguard maritime security and enhance marine prosperity said Deputy Commander of the East Sea Fleet Rear Admiral Cui Yuzhong. The US Secretary of States remarks at CSIS show that the US has chosen to disregard these signs that an evolving China is ready to make certain changes. The US has preferred to take the adversarial route. In this entire equation, it would appear that Sri Lanka is strategically situated, both literally and figuratively speaking. But Sri Lankas officialdom has not displayed a response one would expect from a neutral player and a supposedly Non- Aligned nation. Instead of adopting a carefully calibrated approach which could have been formulated with the help of independent think tanks, its politicians unthinkingly use US-inspired rhetoric, including terms such as Indo-Asia-Pacific, freedom of navigation, rules- based order etc. If Sri Lanka expects to maintain good relations with all three - the US, China and India - taking such a partisan route is unlikely to help Though it is acknowledged that the Indian Ocean is a relatively peaceful area (compared to oceans to its East and West) they speak of anticipated threats that need to be met with enhanced military capabilities. This is all straight out of the US play-book. If Sri Lanka expects to maintain good relations, as it must, with all three - the US, China and India - taking such a partisan route is unlikely to help. Its an innocuous demand There is no consensus on proposed electoral system Cautiously optimistic about Constitution making process Demands separate administrative district for Tamil speaking people in the Ampara district There are many a slip between the cup and the lip The procedure, adopted in enacting this legislation, is total travesty Yet, there must be a separate proviso to ensure that other religions will not be discriminated upon Concurrent List should be abolished to clear ambiguity on powers vested with the centre and the periphery Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem in an interview with the spoke about the current political situation in the country and added that he was cautiously optimistic about the status of the constitution making process. Following are excerpts of the interview done with Hakeem, who is also the Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage. Q Actually, the Government is facing serious allegations over the Central Bank bond scam. How do you analyze the current political situation in that context? Our Government is committed to transparency. We are prepared to face critiques of the Government and correct ourselves if any wrongdoing is highlighted. Basically, the Presidential Commission has undertaken to conduct a fact finding inquiry. There is no possibility of finding anybody guilty as such. After the report is submitted, the Government will have to examine the needs for any correctional measure. Depending on their recommendations, the Government should consider what steps need to be taken. That is to impose any punitive punishment if anyone is found guilty after a proper trial before a court of law. We have to ensure that institutional arrangements are better supervised. Q The Government, at the beginning, promised a lot including the introduction of a new Constitution and establishing good governance. As the SLMC Leader, how do you view the progress in terms of deliverance on these promises? From a reforms perspective, there have been discussions at the Steering Committee of Parliament as a precursor to a Constitutional Assembly. We have finalized draft proposals. The draft proposals contain alternative positions taken regarding various contentious issues. The opposition is making allegations that we are going to drastically alter the structure of the state and to lower the status given to Buddhism in the Constitution. They are creating a phobia of future disintegration of the country. This is history repeating itself. Whenever reforms are to be introduced, these forces try to interpret the proposals in a way to create negative public opinion. Its up to the parties bent on reforms to educate the public and actively campaign for total overhaul of the Constitution. The opposition is making allegations that we are going to drastically alter the structure of the state and to lower the status given to Buddhism in the Constitution. They are creating a phobia of future disintegration of the country. This is history repeating itself Q As the SLMC Leader, what is your stand on the unitary structure of the Constitution and the foremost status accorded to Buddhism? None of us wants the primary status given to Buddhism diluted. While the primacy of Buddhism is preserved, we wish that the specific proviso be added to say that other religions wont be discriminated against. Its a very innocuous clause. Q In the current Constitution, there are safeguards for other religions. You want something extra in this regard? The Fundamental Rights Chapter has a general provision. When you add a proviso to the very same Article which gives one religion the status of supremacy, others feel that they will not suffer. They will feel that they have some accommodation. Certain xenophobic forces have been attacking mosques and other places of religious worship. They are showing a lot of intolerance. The state must be able to provide basic protection against such elements. I dont see why such a hue and cry is made. We havent even used the word that this must be a secular state. In India, Hinduism has the pride of place, but the Constitution itself says it is a secular state. There is a feeling of insecurity in the people belonging to other faiths here because of what was happening. That has to be kept in mind. Q As for the structure of the Constitution, what is your opinion on the move to abolish the Concurrent List which outlines the subjects jointly held by the centre and the provincial councils under the present Constitution? The abolition of the concurrent list is, at least, to make it clear the powers vested with the centre and the periphery. It becomes much more unambiguous otherwise. In many Federal countries, the concurrent list is preserved. Q The perception is that the subjects outlined in this list will be vested solely with the periphery when abolishing it. What is your argument? Its to clear ambiguity. With more than 150 years of centralized rule, bureaucrats are also not willing to part with power. Provincial Governors have been used as a tool to stifle the provincial councils from exercising the devolved powers. Once you clearly define it this way, the room for such manipulations will be reduced. Certain xenophobic forces have been attacking mosques and other places of religious worship. They are showing a lot of intolerance Q What is your view on the postponement of the elections to three Provincial Councils? We arent for the postponement of any election. We want the elections to be conducted on time. We have even protested against the procedure in which the Provincial Councils Elections (Amendment) Act was brought into being. The procedure, adopted, has created the feeling that it was brought for the collateral purpose of postponing elections. There is a duty on the part of the Government to ensure that there is no inordinate delay in the conducting of elections. I have fought in Parliament, the Parliamentary Business Committee as well in the debate against the Bill itself. The procedure, adopted to introduce amendments to the Provincial Council Elections Act, is totally unacceptable. Its a violation of the right of citizens to petition the Supreme Court. Substantive changes were introduced to the original draft in the guise of amendments at the committee stage. Its a violation of the parliamentary procedure. Its tantamount to the violation of the Constitution. I have taken serious exceptions to the manner in which this Bill was brought to Parliament. What we voted in the Second Reading was totally different to what was in the Third Reading. This is total travesty. I am fully in agreement with those who challenged this from the outside. They are very correct in raising this objection. Q But, you voted for it along with others in the Government and some in the opposition. Why is it? I supported the Bill after the introduction of amendments. The fact is that the procedure is wrong. I stand by that. Q Earlier you asked for a separate administrative district for Muslims in the East. In the evolution of the new Constitution, how are you going to meet the demands of Muslims? In creating a new administrative district, we have proposed to consider the needs of Tamil speaking people. Tamil speaking people in the Amapara District have to go to the Ampara town to transact business. That is done in the Sinhala language at the Ampara District Secretariat. In the coastal belt of the district, the majority speaksTamil. Yet, you continue to have businesses transacted using the Sinhala language. Those matters have to be taken into consideration. Any centre of administration will have to be accessible within a reasonable time frame. All those things will have to be taken into account. We have proposed a separate administrative district. QWhat is your stand on the merger of the North and the East? We have said that the number of provinces has to remain as it is. The country will consist of nine provinces. The Tamil speaking members want the merger as an option. That remains an option. We must be able to accommodate the aspirations of different people. This is only a draft proposal. It included different options. When there is no consensus on a particular issue, we decided to add different options. It doesnt mean the Government has agreed with the merger. There are three different options given. It is up to the Constitutional Assembly to debate on these matters, revise the draft and finally arrive at a consensus. Even regarding the Executive Presidency, there seems to be differences. The position of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) seems to retain it in a modified form. When we started, it was not so. The original proposal to amend the Executive Presidency has suffered some setbacks. One of the main parties, that wanted the abolition, is having second thoughts about it. The Tamil speaking members want the merger as an option. That remains an option. We must be able to accommodate the aspirations of different people Q What is your partys stand? We can live with the retention of the Executive Presidency. Yet, if there is overall consensus, we wont oppose it either. The main issue here is a fair election system. Whatever proposal made so far regarding electoral reforms havent generated sufficient consensus among the political parties. The minor parties have always been at loggerheads regarding the new system introduced. We want those things addressed. The parliamentary election system cant be unilaterally changed. We have presented a separate set of proposals. It has been proposed to create 140 electorates. Its a question how to accommodate members. We fear the Muslim representation will be reduced by 50 percent or more. Its totally unacceptable. We have submitted separate alternate proposals. Q How serious are you about the current constitution making process? This is my 24th year in Parliament. I have served three Select Committees of Parliament. I have attended three All Party Conferences starting from the time of then President the late R. Premadasa. There has been many a slip between the cup and the lip. We are cautiously optimistic of something happening. We wont be able to achieve much unless the UNP- SLFP Government devises a collective strategy to educate the public. Before that, we must reach consensus on critical reform areas. There is still so much of divergence in the critical areas of reform. This has to be addressed. There is going to be a parliamentary debate on the matter for three days. Lets see how things unfold! The sound of working Bulgarians was barely audible from outside the new SteepWorld climbing and fitness center. The workers traveled to Montana with sections of climbing walls that will fill up the 42-feet-tall building, which is set to open to the public next month. The walls were designed over the last year and built by Walltopia, a Bulgarian company. The pieces arrived in shipping containers last week. "They are the absolute best wall builders in the world," said Scott Lillie, a partner in the SteepWorld venture. "We looked at some domestic companies but selected them because of their quality." The new SteepWorld location at South 31st Street West will take the place of the current north Billings location. The partners' scope for the business outgrew the old building. The operating partners in the business are Heath Lillie, Scott Lillie's son, and Jim Rott. The idea for the new location was to build a more complete fitness facility, mingling larger climbing walls with more traditional exercise equipment, as well as yoga classes, Lillie said. We built it exactly with the interface where fitness and all of the people doing traditional fitness stuff are right in the middle of the space for climbing, Lillie said. There will be a smaller climbing wall on a second level in one corner of the building. That will also house the more traditional exercise equipment, which would be at eye level with climbers making their way up the main wall. The Walltopia wall will be the main piece, filling the taller open space from the ground up. Lillie said there will be varying routes for different skill levels with opportunities for everyone to get up high. On one of the walls, we've got big jug holes at the top, so somebody who's maybe not an astute climber could get to this and scale this wall, he said. Lillie declined to name a price for the Walltopia wall but said the entire project has been "upwards of $2 million." Lillie said they plan to open to its paying membership customers on Nov. 8. The opening date for the general public is Nov. 11. Learn More Argen Tina decides if he delivers all the power to MACRI "I don't know if Macri came to stay, but poverty does" Argentina goes to the polls. In these mid-term elections they renew seats in the Argentine Parliament and redefine the political map in the face of the presidential elections of 2019. In the Senate, where 24 of the 72 seats are put in play, Peronism today has a majority with 50 legislators, although divided into three different blocks. In deputies, where there are also Peronist majority, are renewed 127 of the 257 seats. If the results of the August primaries are repeated tonight, the block may lose its own quorum. Of the result will depend on where the Argentines give or no more power to President Mauricio MACRI. The polls feed the official Optisimos. The great battle is in the province of Buenos Aires, the largest constituency in the country, with more than 11 million voters, where Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is a candidate for senator. A triumph of the expresident will place her as leader of the opposition. Other large districts, such as Cordoba and Ciudad de Buenos Aires, bastions of officialism, will also influence the final result. All the candidates decided to finish their campaigns ahead of time, after the discovery of the body of the artisan Santiago Maldonado, disappeared last August 1 after an operative of the Gendarmerie against a protest of Mapuches in Chubut, in Patagonia. The misgiving case marked the agenda of these elections. So we tell you in the country: United States secretary of state Rex Tillersons recent speech on India at the CSIS, Washington DC, does not say anything new or original on Indo-US relationship. Which is all for the good, for the positive remarks made by President Donald Trump in August 22 and Tillersons speech indicate that India, unlike other friends and allies, will not see much turbulence in its ties with the worlds greatest power. Rhetoric apart, Tillersons remarks are part of a continuity of Indo-US ties, going back to the 1990s when the US initiated its military-to-military relationship with India, pivoted upon the US Pacific Command. From there, despite, the Indian nuclear tests, there was a short hop to the point in March 2005; where three senior US officials speaking on background said that the US had taken the decision to help India to become a major world power in the twenty-first century. Nuclear deal This was followed in July 2005 by the framework Indo-US nuclear deal which cleared the Indo-US table of a great deal of clutter arising out American embargoes on India on account of its nuclear weapons programme. And yet another step would bring us to the January 2015 US-India Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region signed in New Delhi on the occasion of President Obamas visit. Rex Tillerson. [Photo: Reuters] It was this administrations secretary for defense Ashton Carter who put his personal stamp in pushing Indo-US defence cooperation to a higher level. Much of what Tillerson had to say is along policy guidelines set by the administrations that preceded Trump. And the sum total does not as yet amount to much, the rhetoric vastly exceeds the reality, so do our differing interests in countries like China, Pakistan and Iran. India has not yet got any cutting-edge military technologies; the nuclear deal has not borne the fruits that it promised. True, US shale oil has begun to flow into India, a symbolic act whose value is in giving us some leverage in terms of price negotiations with the big Gulf sellers. Pakistan factor As for ties with Pakistan, the US continues to view it as an important element in the fight against Taliban. Tillersons somewhat effusive remarks could well have been aimed at softening Islamabad prior to his visit there. The essence of US South Asia policy articulated by President Trump in his speech of August 22 was the need to win in Afghanistan by leaning on Pakistan. This has played well in India which does have a supporting role in the process. Tillerson, and earlier Trumps friendly remarks on India, are certainly to be welcomed with a wariness that would accompany any dealing with the erratic Trump administration. It is the US itself which has weakened the architecture of its Asia-Pacific policy by pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Further, in undermining the Iran nuclear deal, the US could be putting India in a spot vis-a-vis the important Chah Bahar project. Indeed, the one ongoing weakness of the Indo-US engagement remains that it is limited to the eastern region. There is virtually no conversation, and no reference in the Tillerson speech to the shared interests, or otherwise, in the Persian Gulf, which is by far the most important external region for India, for reasons that dont need to be repeated here. Tillerson has made some important and positive suggestions such as the need to develop an alternate framework to Chinas One Belt One Road in the form of creating alternate financing mechanisms. Given his reference to the low volume of intra-South Asian trade, America could, perhaps, take the initiative to persuade Pakistan to open its transport networks and markets to South Asian trade. Cautious approach All said, however, the United States simply lacks the money, especially in the scale of predatory China to provide muscle to any scheme. So, India needs to be cautious, but not to the point of doing nothing. Instead, it should develop a strategy of identifying and pursuing specific goals with the US and creating opportunities to exploit the generally positive American attitude towards India. There is, though, need to guard against the hubris of trying to use the US to score points with Pakistan or China. The evolving balance of power in the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region cannot but be affected by the continuing rise of China, where its economic expansion is now being followed by its military. Given our problems with China the border and Pakistan it is important for us to work with coalitions which will check Chinese power. The US is an important here, but so is Japan and some countries of the ASEAN. Its in our interest to use these relationships to protect and further our national interests; equally, we should ensure we do not end up furthering someone elses interests. Strong winds on Sunday fanned the flames of a wildfire 8 miles southeast of Roundup, destroying at least one home and prompting evacuations of about 20 residents in the Johnny's Coal Road area, according to Musselshell County officials. The Lazy R fire was reported Sunday night and had consumed about 600 acres with zero containment Monday afternoon, said Floyd Fisher, deputy coordinator for Musselshell County disaster and emergency services. The previous estimate of the fire's size was revised after GPS mapping by one of the Department of Natural Resources helicopters working on the blaze. One house and a hunting cabin were lost in the blaze, Fisher said, but the homeowner was able to escape without injury. "He was there when his home caught on fire, and he was outside and unfortunately had to watch it," Fisher said. About 20 residents were allowed to return to their homes Monday evening after evacuation orders for several roads in the area were lifted. Pre-evacuation warnings remained in effect for West Parrot Creek and East Parrot Creek roads. A Red Cross shelter has been set up for displaced residents at the Roundup Community Center. Burning in grass and timber, the fire grew quickly as wind gusts in excess of 50 miles per hour were recorded at Bull Mountain Sunday evening. Despite breezy conditions Monday, Fisher said it grew little during the day. "The winds kind of lowered their speeds enough to where, with the two helicopters in there, they were able to kind of slow that thing down," he said, adding that bulldozers had established a line around the entire fire perimeter. State and federal Bureau of Land Management firefighters on Monday joined local fire departments from Shepherd, Worden, Roundup, Bull Mountain, Dean Creek and Hawk Creek. About 75 people were involved in firefighting operations on Monday, Fisher said. Wind speeds were expected to die down headed into Monday evening, and remain relatively calm Tuesday. By Tuesday night, however, a cold front is forecast to again bring stronger winds into the area. "There's still a lot of concern there due to the wind, so that's going to be a big item," Fisher said. "If we get a good 30-, 40-mile-an-hour gust, that could take this thing off and running again." The cause of the fire is still under investigation. In 2013, Billings Public Schools had a crisis to solve. Its K-8 schools were 800 students over capacity. With more than 90 classes exceeding state class size standards, the state threatened School District 2's accreditation. The solution involved the construction of two new middle schools and extensive elementary renovations with the help of a $122 million bond. That plan was framed out in a facilities master plan, which district officials are now revising with an eye toward a high school bond. High schools are in line to deal with the brunt of enrollment increases from K-8 districts that funnel into Billings, plus large middle-grade classes that helped drive the elementary crisis. But there's not a 2013-style crisis to pitch, at least not yet. And even growth plans during that time generated critics. Then-trustee Kathy Aragon expressed repeated concerns that the district would struggle with the ability to pay for day-to-day operating costs of new schools, with the possibility of enrollment declines resulting in the closure of schools. Her frustration peaked in 2014 with her resignation from the school board. Renovations have created space for about 12,200 students in grades K-8. SD2's official fall count registered 11,296 students about 92 percent capacity, a slight decrease from last year. It's nearly exactly at the 92.5 percent utilization recommended by Cropper GIS, the company that redrew attendance boundaries. But it's below projections that anticipated major enrollment growth. School capacity fluctuates across the nation. The most recent data from the National Digest of Education Statistics, dating to 2005, shows that 38 percent of schools were under-enrolled by 6 to 25 percent of their capacity, and 21 percent of schools were even less full. About 22 percent of schools were near capacity, and 18 percent were significantly crowded. Billings' early elementary classes haven't boomed, but they haven't busted either. Other districts have seen what happens when enrollment collapses. Casper Enrollment has become a paramount issue in Casper, Wyoming, a four-hour car ride south of Billings. There, school district officials are weighing the potential closure of four schools after precipitous drops in elementary enrollment. For years before Wyomings resource-based economy tanked in 2015, the Casper area had been consistently growing. State officials told the district to expect more than 7,200 elementary students in 2017, and to build new elementary schools to accommodate them. The district began work on a new elementary school and a pair of additions. With those completed, and an enrollment of about 6,100 K-8 students this year, the district has about 86 percent of its elementary seats filled. As the Casper Star-Tribune reported in September, the district finds itself well prepared for a future that never came to pass. SD2 Superintendent Terry Bouck has cited a decline in the price of oil, and the subsequent dampening of the Bakken boom, as a potential reason Billings hasnt hit its explosive enrollment projections. But while Caspers schools leaked students, Billings' have continued to hit steady numbers. They simply havent continued a boom. There are other signs that Billings isn't in the same boat as Casper. The Wyoming town lost nearly 1,000 people between 2016 and 2017, while Billings' population ticked up. But child population in Billings tends to move in waves that don't necessarily correspond with overall population. Billings had a baby boom in much of the 1970s and 80s, with growth for children up to 5 years old outpacing overall population growth. But a long decline occurred between 1985 and 1997, with the county's young child population declining by about 2,000 kids. Then a rebound occurred, with the county making up almost the whole population decline by 2009. Since then, the county's young child population has been relatively flat. Other age brackets haven't exactly followed the trend set by the youngest children, but fluctuations still emerge. High-school aged children started a population decline in 1976, then rebounded in the 1990s at least in part as children from the tail end of the 70s and 80s baby boom grew up. The most recent boom in young children is still moving through schools, but with the young child population flat for several years, it's unclear what will happen next. Trustees won't wait for a break one way or the other. Meetings have already started for revisions to the facilities master plan. Students are already in the pipeline. And to adapt, planners are looking west. MINOT, N.D. When Caleb's Clubhouse executive director Shannon Schmidt's oldest son, Caleb, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of 2 1/2, she and her husband wanted to do their very best for him. The couple took Caleb to medical professionals in the Twin Cities for treatment of different issues and Schmidt toured inclusion programs there, programs that provided effective educational programming for kids with autism and other special needs alongside their typically developing peers. Autism spectrum disorders affect many children and early intervention is important for helping them to develop to their full potential. While the area has educational programs for kids with autism, there were no preschool programs exactly like the ones she saw in Minnesota that grouped kids with different disabilities alongside their typically developing peers. At first, Schmidt said she was ready to pack up the family and move to the Twin Cities so Caleb could go to one of those facilities. That wasn't a realistic option, since her husband has his business in the Minot community and their support system was here. So Schmidt decided to bring the programming she wanted for her son to Minot. She told the Minot Daily News that it took lots of research, grant writing and planning before Caleb's Clubhouse named for her son was ready to launch this fall. The program seems to have paid off in a big way. There are six different preschool classes for children ages 3-5 and an afterschool program for kids in grades K-12. There is also a Mommy and Me class for caregivers and their young children and classes for siblings of children with special needs which lets kids talk about their positive and negative experiences with their siblings. Schmidt said the programming is for kids of all ability levels, those with disabilities and those without. It focuses on individualized learning according to each child's strengths. One day in October, the preschool and after school program was filled with the shrieks and squeals of delighted children. Two children twirled on a swing suspended from the ceiling. "Spider Man, Spider Man, Spider Man!" chanted a little boy, pretending to be the wall-climbing super hero. Schmidt said earlier that kids seem to be more motivated to learn if their teachers tie a new skill into one of their passions, such as the Spider Man or the Transformers movies. Another boy prepared to go down a bumpy slide. The sensory gymnasium is loads of fun for high energy preschoolers, but Schmidt said it also helps kids who might have sensory processing disorders to learn to manage different physical sensations like swinging, spinning and climbing. Other stations in the school are dedicated to other typical preschool activities, like reading readiness and art. There is also a dark, enclosed, quiet area where kids who have been overstimulated can go to decompress, sitting with a staff member in a soothing space. The teachers at the center have a wealth of experience in early childhood and special education. Director Kelsey Kittelson and Schmidt said children are also learning how to recognize their own need for a break from stimulation. As older children and adults, they will be better able to advocate themselves and more independent. She said her daughter, who is a typically developing child, also enjoys attending preschool there. Kids without disabilities learn alongside kids with special needs and learn that everyone is special and everyone is a little bit different in their own way, said Schmidt and Kittelson. Schmidt said she thinks the kids are more compassionate and are more accepting of those differences. Children in the preschool programs also practice typical preschool skills such as learning how to stand in line, practicing taking turns and getting along with their playmates. They address learning using a multisensory approach. To learn the letters of the alphabet, the preschoolers practice "Zoophonics," first saying the letter out loud, then doing the sound that it makes and then making a motion with their hands. About half the children attending Caleb's Clubhouse are from low income families. Some have been referred by doctors and therapists; other parents sought out the preschool because they wanted their children to attend an inclusive program. Schmidt said Caleb, 6, loves participating in the programming at the center, as do the other kids. Some would like to stay there and even sleep there if they could. "They have a lot of fun and they have a hard time leaving," said Schmidt. Sen. John Barrasso followed in the footsteps of a host of politicians Wednesday by declaring the political war on energy development over, a reference to the Trump Administrations actions to roll back Obama-era environmental policies and regulations. The comments, praising President Donald Trump and criticizing the Environmental Protection Agency, precede the Senates discussion of federal funding for the EPA. The U.S. House agreed on a bill in September that would cut the agencys budget to mid-'70s levels, a more modest approach than the presidents proposed 30 percent reduction earlier this year. Environmental groups are watching closely to see the Senates approach. In a speech on the Senate floor, Barrasso focused on the presidents recent steps to undo the Clean Power Plan, a contentious EPA rule that would have put caps on carbon dioxide emissions in the electricity sector and hit coal-fired power and coal production particularly hard. Barrasso described the CPP as a liberal effort to destroy the reliable forms of energy that the American public continues to use today. With this move, the agency is saying that Washington will no longer trample on the law, the senator said. It tells the rest of Washington that there are limits. Barrasso was one of a handful of conservative politicians targeted nationally in recent weeks, with two political outsiders considering running for his seat. Trump called Barrasso on Wednesday as a show of support, according to the Associated Press. Barrassos praise for reigning in the Environmental Protection Agency is in line with many Wyomingites' take on federal rules. From the Clean Power Plan to a moratorium on coal leases, federal enforcement that would harm the linchpins of Wyomings economy has been met with resistance and litigation from the Cowboy State. Barrasso applauded Wyomings approach to environmental safeguards, saying the state had achieved a balance between interests. My home state of Wyoming is one of the most pristine places in the world and it is one of the most energy-rich places in the world, he said. Unlike Wyoming, the Environmental Protection Agency has failed to balance regulations and development, he said. The agency was created because America needed to do a better job of making sure that we had clean air, clean land and clean water, Barrasso said. For a long time the agency did its job well. Then it got political, he said. The agencys funding matters in Wyoming, which depends on federal dollars, including yearly grants from the EPA to run a number of its environmental programs. Federal funds account for about 30 percent of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Qualitys budget. Many federal regulations can be met by establishing state programs that enforce federal law. It has long been Wyomings attitude that state run management is superior to the feds. But the state doesnt bear the cost alone. Following the presidents proposed cuts earlier this year, Todd Parfitt, director of the Wyoming DEQ said the state would likely have trouble running some of its programs if the EPA faced significant cuts. A number of groups have spoken out against reducing the agencys funding, including the Wyoming chapter of the Sierra Club and the Environmental Defense Fund. More than 100 scientists and health professionals sent a public letter to the Senate on Thursday asking for the EPAs budget to be increased, or at the least, kept at current levels in the interest of public health. Barrassos take on the EPA was not as a funding arm for states like Wyoming but as an engorged and punitive agency. The regulatory rollbacks are changing that, he said Wednesday. They declared war on coal and a war on American energy, he said. Under the Trump administration, that war is over and America is back on the right track. Many times when we talk about Montana to people who arent Montanans, our eyes get dreamy and we talk of the quality of life we enjoy here. We live in Montana because we appreciate the healthy lifestyle, quality education, caring communities, and beautiful views. All of the many qualities that we enjoy and appreciate are ours in part because of the services provided by state employees. Our wildlife and state lands are managed by state employees. Our folks with disabilities have programs to help them live with dignity that are administered by Department of Public Health and Human Services employees. Our revenue is collected by state employees at the Department of Revenue, who work to ensure that you do not pay more than your fair share of taxes. Our clean air and water, workers compensation, unemployment insurance, law enforcement, care for the elderly, infant health, mental health, prison security, transportation safety, roads, bridges, and waterways are watched over, cared for, and administered by state employees. The services provided by state employees are essential to the lifestyle and health we enjoy and expect as a community and a state. Programs and services cost money. They must be financed carefully through the prudent use of taxes and fees, but they must be financed. Its time for the Legislature to raise revenue to avoid cutting state services. Valerie Clague Helena RICHMOND Virginia's top public schools administrator is retiring at the start of 2018, the state education department announced Monday. Steven Staples, the state's superintendent of public instruction, has been in the role since March 2014 and was appointed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe. His retirement is effective Jan. 1. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this capacity, and I will be forever grateful to so many for their advice, encouragement and support during my time in this post, Staples said Thursday in a message to Virginia Department of Education staff. Staples previously served as the executive director of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents and as superintendent of York County Public Schools. In 1997 he was named Virginia Superintendent of the Year. Steves expertise and experience as an educator and administrator were invaluable as the Board of Education charted this new path forward for Virginias public schools, Board of Education President Dan Gecker said in a press release. He helped the board understand how policy impacts practice and the importance of listening to all stakeholders. During his tenure as head of the states public schools, the four-year graduation rate grew to above 90 percent. Staples said in the press release that he believes the state has corrected an overemphasis on standardized testing while maintaining accountability for effective instruction and achievement. And we are creating room for the innovation, deeper learning and the 21st-century skills demanded by parents, higher education and employers, he said. A new superintendent of public instruction will be appointed by the next governor. Charlottesville attorney and social activist Jeff Fogel was acquitted Monday of an assault charge stemming from a June 1 altercation on the Downtown Mall. General District Court Judge Robert H. Downer ruled that there was reasonable doubt that Fogel meant to intimidate Caleb Norris, an associate of Aug. 12 Unite the Right rally organizer Jason Kessler, when he pushed him during a verbal scrum between right- and left-wing activists outside of Millers Downtown. Fogel, 72, was charged with simple assault, a misdemeanor, after Norris filed charges alleging that the attorney pushed him with an open hand. Fogels defense attorney, Steven Rosenfield, said Fogel was merely holding Norris back as Fogel and Norris leaned toward each other during the fracas. According to testimony, the incident began when Norris attended a dinner at the restaurant organized by Kessler. The June dinner with fellow right-wing activists was met by local members of the Showing Up for Racial Justice, or SURJ, who began shouting Nazis go home. Fogel said he was at the restaurant to eat and was not there to challenge Kessler. He got involved, though, when Kessler began shouting at the protesters. In a video played for Downer, Fogel and Kessler have a profanity-laced exchange while a crowd chants in the background. Kessler insults Fogel, and Fogel calls Kessler a crybaby who likes to push people, telling him that he was violating a fighting words doctrine and that Kessler doesnt know [expletive] about the First Amendment. Kessler calls Fogel a communist piece of [expletive] in the video, and Norris joins in to echo Kesslers insults. Thats what I said, Norris confirmed in his testimony to Downer, and then he shoved me, hand to chest. In the video, Kessler immediately began chanting that Fogel assaulted Norris. Norris said he consulted with others at the restaurant before going to the Charlottesville Police Department to file a warrant for Fogels arrest. Fogel, as well as some SURJ protesters, followed Kessler and Norris to the police department. Fogel was not immediately charged but later arrested at his home and taken to a magistrates office to respond to the charges. In most cases, a misdemeanor assault arrest results in a summons that requires the accused to show up for a court date. Under questioning by Rosenfield, Norris, who is much larger than Fogel, said he never felt endangered, was not affected emotionally or mentally by the encounter and did not have his feelings hurt. Downer said that the evidence presented did not show that Fogel intended to push Norris, which is known as battery in legal parlance. He said he believed that Fogel touched Norris, but only to keep him at a safe distance. [Mr. Fogel] leaned in to hear what [Norris] said, and when he did, [Norris] moved forward, Downer said. Downer also said that he disapproved of the behavior of those who were at the scene that night. It doesnt matter how angry the language is, it doesnt justify violence, he said. The behavior of everyone was reprehensible and immature. I dont condone anyones behavior on either end of this and I feel sorry for the other people who were just trying to have a dinner and enjoy a night on the mall. After Downers decision, Fogel and Kessler verbally sparred outside of the courtroom as Fogel, surrounded by supporters, prepared to talk to news reporters. Kessler called the hearing a kangaroo court and accused Fogel of perjury during the trial. Fogel called Kessler a crybaby who complains about everybody. Kessler then left the area while being mocked by Fogel supporters. I feel satisfied that I was acquitted, Fogel said. This story has been updated to clarify the family connections of members of the panel. Gayle Jessup White's family always said they were connected to Thomas Jefferson. It wasn't until recently that she confirmed via DNA testing that Jefferson was her five-times great-grandfather, and that she was also related to Peter Hemings, one of the hundreds of people enslaved by the third president. She also found cousins she'd never met, such as Andrew Mitchell Davenport, through DNA matching. Davenport is also descended from Peter Hemings, the brother of Sally Hemings. It took a long time for me to be recognized and for my family to be recognized, said White, who is Monticellos community engagement officer. But we always knew Monticello was a black place. And what that means is that its our history, and African-American history is Americas history. White, Davenport and several other descendants of slaves, frequently calling each other cousins, led a panel Friday about the search for black family history at Monticello, James Madisons Montpelier and Highland, historic home of James Monroe. Universities and new efforts to gather and archive information play a key role in connecting families to the stories of their ancestors, they said at the panel discussion, which was part of last weeks Presidents Commission on Slavery and the Universitys symposium at the University of Virginia. Much of black history during and after slavery, panel members said, is oral Whites family always said that they were descendants of Jefferson. She enjoyed visiting Monticello, but each time she went, her mention of her familys lore would be brushed off. Finally, a docent connected her with a local historian. When Leontyne Clay Peck began researching her familys past, she discovered that she was descended from a slave in Madison County, and had connections to Montpelier, Monticello and the first settlers of Jamestown. Documentary evidence before the 1870 Census is hard to find, and the world of enslaved people was not limited to the boundaries of plantations, as family members often lived on neighboring estates or in other towns. Peck said she assumed the history of the black side of her family would be lost to time, but once she started digging, she said, she realized she could begin linking family members to some of the Souths most famous homes. I am always encouraging individuals to look into the mirror and ask their reflection, Who am I? Peck said. What is my history? What is my story? Monticellos long-standing project Getting Word aims to preserve the histories of African-American families at Jeffersons estate. Much of the project is based on interviews and collected narratives, and the projects website has gathered stories from nearly 180 people to attempt to trace and link family narratives of the Hemingses, Fossetts and Scotts. Montpeliers African American Descendants Project also tries to identify and connect living descendants of slaves at the presidential home and elsewhere in Orange County. Researchers at Montpelier have identified nearly 300 people enslaved by four generations of Madisons, including 13 with surnames, according to Montpeliers website. Universities have grappled with the task of compiling research on African-Americans before the 1870 Census. Georgetowns Memory Project, based on identifying the 272 slaves sold by Jesuits to a plantation in Louisiana in 1838, has so far identified 5,228 descendants. The project estimates that there are between 12,000 to 15,000 living descendants of the slaves at that plantation in total. UVa only owned one slave, but many professors, hotel workers and students kept slaves on or near Grounds. Kirt von Daacke, co-chairman of the commission, has been trying to identify the names of those slaves. The Jeffersons University-Early Life Project, which uses primary records to recreate the life and times of the beginning of UVa, includes a list of known African-Americans, enslaved and free, who worked at the university, though not all of those are identified by name. Many slaves stayed in the area after manumission, von Daacke believes, raising the possibility that they may have been catalogued by the African American Genealogy Group in the Free Black Registers. The symposium was the second such conference since the Presidents Commission on Slavery and the University was founded by UVa President Teresa A. Sullivan in 2013. The event explored topics such as slavery at Northern universities, student responses to history and preserving slave sites. The symposium concluded Saturday with tours of the areas three presidential estates. FRANKFORT, Ky. A Republican lawmaker in Kentucky has filed legislation that would shield drivers from criminal and civil penalties if they unintentionally run over protesters who are blocking the street without a permit. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports state Rep. Wesley Morgan filed the bill on Friday. The bill would make it punishable by up to a year in jail to block traffic on a public road during a protest without a permit. Drivers who unintentionally hit protesters would be immune from criminal or civil penalties. The bill comes after a counter-protester at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville was killed earlier this year when a man drove a car through the crowd. Republican lawmakers in six other states have filed similar bills, arguing they want to protect drivers from costly lawsuits they say are caused by illegal street protests. But most proposals have failed to pass. "Everything that happened in Charlottesville is what I'm trying to prevent," Morgan told The Associated Press in an interview. "Some idiot drives a car intentionally and kills a protester, ... this bill would do nothing whatsoever about that. I'm 100 percent [in agreement] that person needs to be prosecuted." Morgan said he filed the bill because his constituents were afraid the nearby city of Lexington would attract protests like those in Charlottesville because of the city's efforts to remove two statutes depicting Confederate generals. "It's moving the burden of proof from the driver of the car to the protester," Morgan said. "The protester has to prove that they got targeted." Some of Kentucky's Democratic lawmakers were swift to condemn the bill. "This is an absolutely immoral bill, and we all know it," state Rep. Kelly Flood told the newspaper. "We owe it to our constituents to act like statesmen. What we are really saying with bills like this is that it's OK for us to be at war with one another, to use violence against each other." The bill would make it illegal for protesters to wear masks and make it a crime for local elected officials to order police officers not to "exercise official duties during a public protest." The Kentucky legislature is scheduled to convene on Jan. 2. RICHMOND GOP gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie has avoided primary opponent Corey Stewart, who once slammed him daily until Gillespie edged Stewart in June. But Jill Holtzman Vogel, the GOP's nominee for lieutenant governor, isn't shy about reaching out to Stewart's supporters. Stewart introduced Vogel on Sunday at a megachurch in western Prince William County and she will be the special guest at the Corey Stewart Fall Festival on Saturday. "I have gone everywhere, and I mean everywhere," Vogel, a state senator from Fauquier County, said Monday when asked about her alliance with Stewart, whose base is considered more conservative and rambunctious than establishment Republicans. "I'm trying to build as big and inclusive and cast as broad a net as possible." Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, is an announced Republican candidate for the 2018 nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. His annual fall festival is a fundraiser in Prince William and this year includes music, barbecue and a moon bounce for kids. Gillespie, who appears to be in a close race with Democrat Ralph Northam, should seek out or embrace Stewart, who insulted Gillespie during the primary by calling him a "cuckservative," an insult used by right-wingers for conservatives they believe have sold out. Stewart centered his campaign around protecting Confederate monuments and appeared at an event in Charlottesville with Jason Kessler, the man who coordinated the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville in August that turned deadly. "Jill asked and I absolutely am delighted to have her there," Stewart said of his upcoming fundraiser. "If Ed wanted to come or [GOP candidate for attorney general John] Adams for that matter they could come and they could speak and we'd roll out the red carpet for that too." While Gillespie hasn't asked Stewart for an official endorsement, too much has been made of their relationship, Stewart said. "Ed Gillespie, he'll make a great governor," Stewart said. "I don't want Northam in there and I'm encouraging everybody to vote for Ed." The campaign of Vogel's Democratic opponent, Justin Fairfax, issued a statement from spokeswoman Lauren Zehyoue: "Jill Vogel wants to pretend shes a moderate but shes too extreme for Virginia. Corey Stewart ran one of the most divisive campaigns in recent memory and was fired for being too extreme even for Donald Trump. Vogel is a career politician standing against policies most Virginians support such as expanding Medicaid." Dear Annie: Your help is needed to resolve a family problem. One of my granddaughters, "Mackenzie," called to say she is getting married in a few weeks. This will be a small wedding, as she and her fiance do not have a lot of money. Only 45 guests are invited. Now the problem: Mackenzie is not inviting my son and daughter-in-law, as they do not have a close relationship and she has not seen them in two years. I was upset with the news; he is her uncle. She also said that she will not be notifying him to tell him he is not invited and that if I want, I can call him to inform him. I understand this is her wedding, but this exclusion is really upsetting me. Now the question to you, Annie: What does one do in this situation? -- Angry in Connecticut Dear Angry: As you said, this is your granddaughter's wedding, so she can invite whomever she'd like. But she's also in charge of informing family members that they're not invited. Don't let that fall to you. That said, if the issue is truly just the expense and you have the means financially to help, you could offer that option to your granddaughter. She might really appreciate the help, and your son and his wife would no doubt appreciate being included in their niece's special day. Invest in self-enrichment Dear Annie: I'm 64, so in six more years, I'll be in my 70s (if all goes well). Writing from that perspective, I disagree with your advice. Telling people our age to "lose (themselves) in helping others" is a way of suggesting that our own interests don't have value or validity. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with volunteering; people of any age are free to do so. But the belief, often stated, that old people should putter around doing volunteer work and focus solely on helping others is selling us short. It's like telling someone who's dissatisfied with being a housewife and raising kids who are almost grown that she just needs to have more kids or adopt foster kids or something along those lines. A sense of purpose can also come from doing creative work. We could paint, draw or sculpt; write stories, novels, screenplays or memoirs; spend time with friends and family; hike and build our health; travel and explore this wonderful world; or join groups that are working to "heal the world." None of these activities is focused on giving up on our own interests. Call me selfish if you will, but I'd like to go on living my own life for as long as I'm around. The notion that we need to lose ourselves in helping others suggests our lives aren't fun anymore or aren't worth living. A strange attitude, in my estimation. -- Sarah M. Dear Sarah M.: I'm printing your letter because you make a great point. There are plenty more ways for retirees to spend their time than just volunteering, and self-enrichment isn't selfish in the least. Thanks for writing. A Bismarck documentary filmmaker is undertaking a new project that explores the lives of farm animals and the similarities between them and pets. Sam Sprynczynatyk, known locally for his documentary about Albert Landsberger, a 90-year-old man who spent his life living in his house in the CHI St. Alexius Health parking lot, is in the process of shooting his first feature-length film called "Kindred Creatures," which dives into the world of animal agriculture and people who run farm sanctuaries. Living in an agriculture-dependent state, and as a vegan and animal-lover, Sprynczynatyk said he hopes to to bring a new perspective on human-animal interactions. "This is my way of giving animals a voice," he said. Sprynczynatyk's documentary includes the story of Wally, a "250-pound puppy," who narrowly escaped two incidents that could have resulted in his death. Wally is actually a pig. But according to his caretaker, Kara Breci, founder of Soulspace Farm Sanctuary in Wisconsin, who is interviewed by Sprynczynatyk, Wally is just like a giant dog who loves water and rolling around in the mud. In late March, Wally was on a truck going 70 mph on Interstate 90, heading to a slaughterhouse and packing plant in Sioux Falls. Breci said a woman driving behind the truck told her she saw Wally attempt to unhook a latch on the back of the truck several times before he finally jumped out. Sioux Falls Area Humane Society, South Dakota Highway Patrol, the South Dakota Department of Transportation, Minnehaha County Emergency Management and South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, corralled the pig, who managed to escape with only mild road rash. Pig rescued and is now with SF humane society. With help from @SDHighwayPatrol @SouthDakotaDOT @SDGameFishParks pic.twitter.com/1KpCzzqJ8H Minnehaha County EM (@MinnehahaEM) March 20, 2017 The Humane Society took care of Wally until Breci drove to Sioux Falls and brought Wally to her animal sanctuary, where he's become best friends with a mini-donkey. "Wallys very pleased with himself," Breci says in the documentary. "Wally knows that he did good." Sprynczynatyk's documentary includes the perspectives of those who also rescue sheep, goats, chickens and roosters. He's been shooting the project this month and has already made several stops at sanctuaries across the Midwest. Since starting the project, Sprynczynatyk said he's learned a lot about how the personalities of these animals intersect with cats, dogs and other pets. "All these things I didn't even know," he said. "It was eye-opening for me." Sprynczynatyk said he hopes to complete "Kindred Creatures," within a 10-month time frame or by the end of the year. He's currently fundraising for travel and equipment expenses so he can expand the project across the country. For more information on "Kindred Creatures" and to donate, visit www.kindredcreaturesfilm.com. Ruth Meiers Hospitality House will close its mens emergency shelter at noon Oct. 27, interim executive director Steve Neu said Friday. No plans have been identified yet to house the homeless this winter, but Bismarck nonprofit and community groups continue to work toward a solution. Heartview Foundation purchased the building at 305 N. 23rd St. and is willing to postpone renovation plans to allow the facility to be used for a homeless shelter this winter. But that wont be an option unless a community organization steps up to provide staffing and funding is secured. Officials with Heartview, which provides chemical dependency treatment, have said operating an emergency shelter is not part of their mission. We will not be running it, Doug Herzog, technology and program development director for Heartview, said during a meeting of nonprofit groups on Friday. In addition, Heartview doesnt expect to close on the building until at least mid-November, leaving uncertainty about what options there are as early as next weekend. Thursday will be the last night men can stay at the shelter and the facility will close at noon Oct. 27, Neu said. The mens shelter housed about 30 men each night this past summer and most recently has housed about 20, Neu said. The facility, the only one of its kind for single men in Bismarck-Mandan, can hold as many as 70. The Ruth Meiers transitional living program at 1100 E. Boulevard Ave. is not closing. When possible, residents are being transferred to that facility, Neu said, but not all qualify. Its possible Ruth Meiers officials would allow the building on 23rd Street to be used as an emergency shelter before Heartview takes possession of it, but that would depend on another entity providing staffing and funding, Neu said. We would entertain that conversation, but Ruth Meiers would not operate it, Neu said. Community groups who have been discussing the emergency shelter crisis estimate it would cost about $112,000 to operate a shelter from November through March. During a meeting Friday, Kate Brovold, founder of Austins Mission, a planned shelter for homeless individuals with behavioral health issues and substance use disorders, said her organization could work on providing staffing and raising funds. Brovold planned to work with Jeannie Messall, director for the Missouri Valley Coalition for Homeless People, and Bismarck City Commissioner Nancy Guy to move the plan forward. Messall said she expects she would be able to find trained employees to staff the facility, but the challenge would be finding funding. Participants in the meeting discussed possible funding sources, including requesting dollars from cities and Burleigh and Morton counties. Brovold said shes optimistic that there will be a seamless transition after Ruth Meiers closes the shelter. But a lot of pieces have to fall in place in a short timeframe. Its definitely a community effort, Brovold said. For this to be successful, everyone needs to come together and work together. Financial difficulties led Ruth Meiers Hospitality House to put the emergency shelter up for sale, Neu has said. The Ruth Meiers board accepted a bid from Heartview on the property last week. Skip to main navigation Fire Towers Portions of this page may require JavaScript to be enabled for your browser. Fire tower cabin access varies site to site. For information on a specific tower managed by DEC, contact the local DEC office. History of Fire Towers in New York State For nearly a century, observers watched the forests of New York State from more than 100 fire towers perched atop the highest peaks, searching for the dangerous, telltale signs of forest fires. There were 19 fire towers in the Catskill region and 52 in the Adirondacks. Beginning in the 1980s, the State of New York began to phase out the use of fire towers for spotting forest fires, and in 1990, the last 5 towers still in operation were closed. Over time, the towers and their associated observers' cabins began to deteriorate, and those that were not dismantled were closed to the public for safety reasons. Across the state grassroots, volunteer-based initiatives were formed to try to save the towers. These initiatives recognized that the towers not only represent a piece of the history and heritage of New York State forest protection, but are an untapped resource with tremendous tourism potential. Through the dedication of countless volunteers, as well as assistance and support from DEC staff, local government and the State Police Aviation Unit, many fire towers across the state have been restored. Visiting New York's Fire Towers Fire tower hikes offer what some refer to as "cheap views" - outstanding vistas with less hiking effort than required to hike to the summit of the highest peaks. Pack a lunch, drink and proper equipment and hike to a fire tower. Plan to spend lots of time on the summit taking in the views. Many fire tower cabins are only open during a limited time or when a steward is present. For information on a specific tower managed by DEC, contact the local DEC office. Many fire towers are used to support radio equipment for DEC Forest Rangers and Environmental Conservation Police communications. Solar panels, wiring, antennas, and other equipment is found on and in some fire towers. This equipment is critical to DEC public safety and resource protection missions. Do not touch or damage the equipment and please report any apparent vandalism to the nearest DEC office. Many fire towers have stewards working on them during summer weekends. Stewards provide information on the history and important function of fire towers. They also can point out and name the mountains, lakes and communities seen from the fire tower. Stewards are typically volunteers or interns hired by the fire tower's "Friends". These groups form to restore, maintain and staff fire towers. Take the Catskills Fire Tower Five Challenge! The Catskills Fire Tower Challenge encourages experienced hikers to visit the region's remaining five historic fire towers, as well as a new sixth fire tower that was opened at the Catskills Visitor Center in the fall of 2019. Lower Hudson Valley (Region 3) Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower is located in Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest, Ulster County. The restored fire tower offers views of the Pepacton Reservoir. is located in Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest, Ulster County. The restored fire tower offers views of the Pepacton Reservoir. Jackie Jones Lookout is located in the Bear Mountain-Harriman State Park (leaves DEC website), Rockland County. On a clear day, the tower offers a view of Manhattan in the distance. is located in the Bear Mountain-Harriman State Park (leaves DEC website), Rockland County. On a clear day, the tower offers a view of Manhattan in the distance. Mt. Beacon Fire Tower is located on Hudson Highlands State Park (leaves DEC website), Dutchess County. The property is owned and managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. On a clear day, the tower offers views of both Manhattan and Albany in the distance. is located on Hudson Highlands State Park (leaves DEC website), Dutchess County. The property is owned and managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. On a clear day, the tower offers views of both Manhattan and Albany in the distance. Mount Tremper Fire Tower is located in Phoenicia Wild Forest, Ulster County. The tower offers views of the surrounding mountains. is located in Phoenicia Wild Forest, Ulster County. The tower offers views of the surrounding mountains. Nimham Mountain Fire Tower is located in Nimham Mountain State Forest, Putnam County. The restored tower offers 360-degree panorama views of the Manhattan skyline, Catskills, and Mount Beacon. is located in Nimham Mountain State Forest, Putnam County. The restored tower offers 360-degree panorama views of the Manhattan skyline, Catskills, and Mount Beacon. Overlook Mountain Fire Tower is located in Overlook Mountain Wild Forest. The 60-foot tower offers views of the Hudson River Valley, Ashokan Reservoir, and Devil's Path. is located in Overlook Mountain Wild Forest. The 60-foot tower offers views of the Hudson River Valley, Ashokan Reservoir, and Devil's Path. Red Hill Fire Tower is located in Sundown Wild Forest, Ulster County. The view from the tower is of the Catskill High Peaks to the north, and Rondout Reservoir to the south. is located in Sundown Wild Forest, Ulster County. The view from the tower is of the Catskill High Peaks to the north, and Rondout Reservoir to the south. Sterling Mountain Fire Tower is located in Sterling Forest State Park (leaves DEC website), Orange County. The tower is owned and managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. is located in Sterling Forest State Park (leaves DEC website), Orange County. The tower is owned and managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Stissing Mountain Fire Tower is located in Pine Plains, Dutchess County. The tower is owned and managed by Friends of Stissing Landmarks. Hikers are welcome to access the Tower at their own risk and at no cost. is located in Pine Plains, Dutchess County. The tower is owned and managed by Friends of Stissing Landmarks. Hikers are welcome to access the Tower at their own risk and at no cost. Upper Esopus Fire Tower is located at the Catskill Visitor Center (leaves DEC website) in Mount Tremper, Ulster County. From the 80' tall tower, visitors can view the Esopus Valley, Mount Tremper, Ashokan High Point, and the Phoenicia East Branch Trail. Capital Region/ Northern Catskills (Region 4) Beebe Hill Fire Tower is located in Beebe Hill State Forest, Columbia County. is located in Beebe Hill State Forest, Columbia County. Dickinson Hill Fire Tower is located in Grafton Lakes State Park (leaves DEC website), Rensselaer County. The tower is owned and managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. is located in Grafton Lakes State Park (leaves DEC website), Rensselaer County. The tower is owned and managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Hunter Mountain Fire Tower is located in Rusk Mountain Wild Forest, Greene County. The tower has the unique distinction of being located at the highest elevation of any fire tower in the state. is located in Rusk Mountain Wild Forest, Greene County. The tower has the unique distinction of being located at the highest elevation of any fire tower in the state. Mount Utsayantha Fire Tower is located in Mt. Utsayantha Mountaintop Park, Delaware County. The tower is owned and managed by the town of Stamford. The tower offers great views of the surrounding mountains, hills, and valleys. Eastern Adirondacks/ Lake Champlain (Region 5) Western Adirondacks/ Upper Mohawk Valley/ Eastern Lake Ontario (Region 6) Number Four Fire Tower is now located at the DEC Lowville Demonstration Area. This tower was built in the early 1930's and was originally located on Gomer Hill. is now located at the DEC Lowville Demonstration Area. This tower was built in the early 1930's and was originally located on Gomer Hill. New Boston Fire Tower is now located at the Thompson Park Zoo (leaves DEC website) of Watertown, Jefferson County. The tower now on display at the zoo, once stood in the Hamlet of New Boston, Lewis County. is now located at the Thompson Park Zoo (leaves DEC website) of Watertown, Jefferson County. The tower now on display at the zoo, once stood in the Hamlet of New Boston, Lewis County. Cathedral Rock Fire Tower is located on the ESF Wanakena Ranger School Campus (leaves DEC website). It was moved there in 1970, from its original location on Tooley Pond Mountain. is located on the ESF Wanakena Ranger School Campus (leaves DEC website). It was moved there in 1970, from its original location on Tooley Pond Mountain. Rondaxe (AKA Bald) Fire Tower is located on Fulton Chain Wild Forest. The restored fire tower offers visitors a view of the Fulton Chain of Lakes in Old Forge. is located on Fulton Chain Wild Forest. The restored fire tower offers visitors a view of the Fulton Chain of Lakes in Old Forge. Mt. Arab Fire Tower is located on the Horseshoe Lake Wild Forest, St. Lawrence County. The tower offers incredible views of the surrounding areas including Tupper Lake and Mount Morris, the High Peaks, the Raquette River valley, Mt Arab Lake and Eagle Crag Lake. is located on the Horseshoe Lake Wild Forest, St. Lawrence County. The tower offers incredible views of the surrounding areas including Tupper Lake and Mount Morris, the High Peaks, the Raquette River valley, Mt Arab Lake and Eagle Crag Lake. Stillwater Fire Tower is located in the Independence River Wild Forest on top of Stillwater Mountain (2,264 feet), Herkimer County. The summit provides views of Stillwater Reservoir and the surrounding area, including views of the High Peaks and the Tug. Lowville DEC has had a partnership with the Friends of Stillwater Fire Tower since 2009. Central NY (Region 7) Berry Hill Fire Tower is located near McDonough State Forest, Chenango County. Now open for recreation! Following the recent rehabilitation of Berry Hill fire tower, which included upgrades to enhance safety and accessibility, the tower is now open to the public year-round from sunrise to sunset. At an elevation of 1,960 feet, the fire tower is one of the highest points in Chenango County and the viewshed stretches into the counties of Broome, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Otsego, and Tioga. is located near McDonough State Forest, Chenango County. Following the recent rehabilitation of Berry Hill fire tower, which included upgrades to enhance safety and accessibility, the tower is now open to the public year-round from sunrise to sunset. At an elevation of 1,960 feet, the fire tower is one of the highest points in Chenango County and the viewshed stretches into the counties of Broome, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Otsego, and Tioga. Padlock Fire Tower is now a part of the permanent DEC exhibit at the New York State Fairgrounds. Previously, the tower stood on Blackman Hill in Potato Hill State Forest 12 miles southeast of Ithaca. Rochester/ Western Finger Lakes (Region 8) Sugar Hill Fire Tower is located on Sugar Hill State Forest, in the Sugar Hill Rec Area. The Observation Cabin will be open Monday-Saturday during normal work hours from 3rd Monday in May to 3rd Monday in October. Otherwise, stairs to the top landing are open for climbing at your own risk. It is currently one of the last fire towers in New York State readily accessible to the public and affords a 15-mile view from the top of the stairs. [NOTICE: The Sugar Hill Fire Tower is currently closed to the public. View the Sugar Hill State Forest webpage for more information.] Western NY (Region 9) Summit Fire Tower is located on Allegany State Park (leaves DEC website), Cattaraugus County. The top observation platform is closed-off to visitors, however you can still climb the stairs to the top. Unfortunately, the surrounding trees in the area have grown in and there are currently no views from the top anymore. The tower is owned and managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Additional Information Once services commence, the ferry is expected to do four round trips every day. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Essar Projects, the EPC arm of Ruias-led Essar Group, on Sunday said it has constructed and designed the 'roll-on-roll-off' (ro-ro) terminals at both Dahej and Ghogha ports, as part of its Rs 225 crore contract from the Gujarat government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the first phase of the Rs 615 crore 'roll-on-roll-off' (ro-ro) ferry service between Ghogha in Saurashtra and Dahej in south Gujarat. The project was awarded by Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) which has executed the ro-ro project, for constructing the ro-ro terminals and supporting onshore infrastructure at Dahej and Ghogha. Congratulating the GMB on reaching the milestone, Essar Projects said: "A GMB project of national significance, the ro-ro ferry will bring down the travel time between Gujarat's Ghogha and Dahej ports from 7 hours to just 2.5 hours". The ro-ro ferry service will be able to carry about 500 passengers and 100-150 vehicles on each trip across the Gulf of Khambhat (also called Gulf of Cambay) over a 30 km (17 nautical miles) navigational channel created on the sea. Once services commence, the ferry is expected to do four round trips every day. "A special thanks to my team for successfully executing a project that will stand up to extreme tidal variations and inhospitable weather conditions, as also enable South Asia's first truly world-class Ro-Ro ferry service," EPC Constructions India CEO Shailesh Sawa said. EPC Constructions India is a subsidiary of Essar Projects Ltd, said. Healthcare practice-centric companies received USD 731 million in 78 deals, accounting for 49 per cent of the funding in July-September 2017. (Representational Image) New Delhi: Global healthare IT/digital health companies have raised USD 5.5 billion in VC funding in January-September this year, more than in all of 2016, says a report. According to Mercom Capital Group, healthcare IT/digital health companies raised USD 5.5 billion in 586 deals from global VCs in the January-September period of 2017 against USD 4.2 billion from 463 deals in the same period of last year. In the July-September quarter however, VC funding worth USD 1.5 billion was reported globally in 227 deals, a 38 per cent decrease compared to the record USD 2.4 billion raised in 194 deals in April-June 2017. There were 16 Indian healthcare IT companies that received VC funding in the July-September quarter. The notable Indian transactions include CureFit - a healthcare and fitness app maker - raising USD 25 million from Accel Partners, Kalaari Capital, IDG Ventures, and the UC-RNT Fund. The company also secured around USD 341,531 in funding from Trifecta Capital and Pratithi Investment Trust. Some of the other Indian transactions include 1mg (previously HealthKartPlus) raising USD 15 million from HBM Healthcare Investments, Maverick Capital Ventures, Sequoia India, Omidyar Network and Kae Capital and online doctor consultation platform Mfine raising USD 1.5 million from Stellaris Venture Partners and healthcare entrepreneurs Mayur Abhaya and Rohit M A. "The record breaking funding year continues for digital health companies. The 227 funding deals in July-September globally was the most ever for a single quarter," Mercom Capital Group CEO and Co-Founder Raj Prabhu said. Prabhu further added that the third quarter was all about data analytics with companies garnering almost a third of the funding in July-September and artificial intelligence companies receiving more than USD 200 million. Healthcare practice-centric companies received USD 731 million in 78 deals, accounting for 49 per cent of the funding in July-September 2017. Consumer-centric companies accounted for 51 per cent of the funding in the third quarter of this year, raising USD 751 million in 149 deals, the report said. The top funded categories in the July-September quarter were: Data Analytics companies with USD 554 million, Telemedicine companies with USD 232 million, mHealth Apps companies with USD 150 million, and Mobile Wireless companies with USD 132 million, it added. During the April-September period this fiscal, HMSI sold a total of 10,48,143 motorcycles in the domestic market registering a growth of 19.8 per cent. New Delhi: Honda Motorcycle and Scooter has raced past Bajaj Auto to become the second biggest bike seller in India during the first half of the current fiscal. During the April-September period this fiscal, HMSI sold a total of 10,48,143 motorcycles in the domestic market registering a growth of 19.8 per cent. On the other hand, Bajaj Auto sold 10,10,559 units witnessing a decline of 10.45 per cent, according to the data from Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). In the comparable period last fiscal, HMSI sold 8,74,852 units as against Bajaj Autos 11,28,425 units. Market leader Hero MotoCorp continued its hold on the segment selling 33,44,292 units in the first half of the fiscal as against 30,34,504 units in the year-ago period, a growth of 10.2 per cent. However, in the scooters segment the company has lost its second spot to Chennai-based rival TVS Motor. Hero MotoCorps scooter sales in the April-September period this fiscal stood at 4,43,321 units as against 4,48,321 units in the same period last fiscal, down 1.12 per cent. TVS Motor on the other hand sold 5,66,362 units as compared to 4,00,804 units in the corresponding period last year, a jump of 41.3 per cent. The company also gained in the motorcycles segment clocking 4,84,370 units during the period under review, up 4.32 per cent from 4,64,318 units in April-September period last fiscal. The other major gainer in the motorcycle segment was Royal Enfield, which sold a total of 3,78,304 units in the first half of FY18 as against 3,07,150 units in year-ago period, up 23.17 per cent. In the scooters segment, Suzuki Motorcycle India was a major gainer, selling 2,02,771 units as against 1,25,318 units in the corresponding period last fiscal, up 61.8 per cent, as per SIAM data. REGENT Each time Aaron Krauter and his wife, Cindy, return to work on the Krauter family farm near Regent, they have been met by a historic drought. The first time came in 1987 after Krauter spent years away at college working as a music teacher, and then embarking on a business career in Virginia. Krauter and his wife got through the first few difficult years on the farm due to a belief during his childhood that he was always meant to be a farmer. You can take the boy out of the country, but you cant take the country out of the boy, Krauter said while offering a tour of his farm. After serving eight years as the state director for North Dakotas Farm Service Agency, Krauter is once again back at home working on his family farm weathering yet another drought. It has now been about nine months since Krauter held one of the most powerful agricultural positions in the state. His attention has turned from implementing agricultural policies on behalf of all North Dakota farmers to worrying about his own crop yields, drainage techniques and agricultural equipment. Cindy Krauter said that though they are way out of practice as farmers, they have been able to manage the farm pretty well, even through the difficult summer drought. As his newly grown out beard indicates, Krauter feels relaxed, comfortable and at home on the farm, but he looks back fondly on the work he accomplished as North Dakotas FSA director. I've always been a farmer at heart, but then to step to that level of administering public policy was huge, Krauter said. I got to get out and see all of North Dakota and talk to farmers and ranchers. There's nothing more heartwarming than to sit with a young couple who are beginning farmers and ranchers. The bank said they were too risky (for loans), so they'd come to us and two years later they'd come back paying those loans beaming from ear to ear. It wasnt just the individual encounters he found so rewarding. He also felt a genuine excitement in working out the details of public agricultural policy. The 2008 farm bill was vetoed by the Bush administration, but when I got to USDA we got to implement it, Krauter said. Every day I got to physically see the fingerprints of Earl (Pomeroy) with crop insurance, or Byron (Dorgan) with the durum growers in the bill. Hes talking about former U.S. Rep. Pomeroy and former U.S. Sen. Dorgan. Krauter said he was especially pleased to help carry out the 2014 farm bill, which he called probably the best farm bill ever written. It was no longer just a handout. If prices are below a point, there's a payment. If it's above, no payment, and that's the way it should be, he said. To be at that level of management where I got to implement that, make some decisions and get that safety net going, it was fun. A lot of fun. Krauter is also proud that he brought the FSA into the 21st century by eliminating needless paperwork and allowing farmers to access FSA services online. Mostly, though, he is happy that he helped make FSA a better place to work for its employees. USDA employee morale was not good when I got there, but every year employee evaluation surveys went up and up. It got to the point where we had no turnover anymore. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., is a longtime friend of Krauters and Krauter even ran as Heitkamps running mate in her 2000 bid for for governor. Aaron Krauter is one of the smartest people Ive ever known Heitkamp saidsaid. If I called him and said, Aaron, what do you think of this issue and he explained something to me, I never felt like I needed to go back and double-check. He had a wonderful head of the Farm Service Agency. Before serving as FSA director, Krauter spent 20 years as a Democrat in the state Legislature, which included stints as the leader of his party and a position on the powerful Appropriations Committee. When the Legislature wasnt in session, he and his wife worked on his farm near Regent, raising three children. My attitude was, If I can't farm it myself with my family, then why am I doing this? he said. Not only do you raise a crop, you raise a family. For Krauter, public service was baked into his blood. His father, Adam Krauter, also served in the Legislature. Krauter is quick to point out that he devoted much of his work in the Legislature to carrying projects his father helped to start, such as the Enchanted Highway and the Southwest Water Authority. My Catholic faith tells me you gotta give, you gotta serve, you gotta do these things, Krauter said. My mom and dad instilled it in us. In a state that has turned increasingly Republican in the last few years, Krauter remains deeply committed to his Democratic ideals. He said while working with farmers, he noticed a tendency to dislike the government, an impulse that he understands yet feels is out of line with the type of Democratic policies, such as crop insurance, that many farmers depend on. Cindy Krauter has worked with and accompanied Krauter throughout his years in business, government and farming. This whole marriage has been quite a journey, she said, Its such a blessing, all these areas weve had to grow in and learn. Now we are back here (at the farm) and just happy. Though Aaron Krauter and has returned to working on his farm, dont expect him to only be focused on his own crops. Im going to be involved in public policy in some way, shape or form, he said. Theres a 12-month period where I cant do work that directly impacts the USDA and that comes up in January. Theres some things in the future that Im thinking about. Former Air India chairman and current Railway Board chairman had proposed that those with unconfirmed AC I and AC II tickets on Rajdhani Express could fly with Air India by paying the difference in ticket prices. (File Photo) Mumbai: Chances are, that the next time your AC-I or AC-II tickets are unconfirmed on Rajdhani Express, you will be able to fly to your destination via Air India, paying just the difference in the prices of the train and flight tickets. This proposal was offered by former Air India chairman and current Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani last year, reported the Times of India. He now said that he will clear the proposal now if Air India approaches the Railways again. If AI approaches us with this proposal, we will accept it," he said. This proposal was initially developed in the wake of the immense demand-supply crunch with regard to AC I and AC II tickets on the Rajdhani Express. The Railways launched the dynamic pricing model which made air tickets and train tickets nearly equal. Displeased with the dynamic pricing model, Lohani proposed the above idea to boost Air Indias occupancy. Contacts of people whose tickets were unconfirmed, could be shared with the carrier, which could then offer them flight tickets for the same destination at competitive rates. Around the same time, AI also decided to level Rajdhani AC-II fares with its flight fares on important routes like Delhi to Mumbai, reported TOI. However, the national carrier which is saddled by a debt of Rs 52,000 crore, in June this year, received an in-principle approval for disinvestment. In this regard, it is uncertain if the airline will adopt such a proposal. Moreover, after Lohanis shift to the Railway Board, Rajiv Bansal took over the public carrier. Bansal told TOI that this was the first time he was hearing that flight and train ticket prices are the same. Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia on Sunday said some rejig is required in the GST rate structure to help small and medium sized businesses. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Some rejig in GST rate structure is required to reduce the burden on small and medium businesses, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia has said. The Goods and Services Tax (GST), which amalgamates more than a dozen central and state levies like excise duty, service tax and VAT, will take about a year to stabilise, he told PTI. "There is need for some rejig in rates... it is possible that some items in the same chapter are divided. There is a need for harmonisation of items chapter wise and wherever we find there is a big burden on small and medium businesses and on common man, if we bring them down, there will be a better compliance," Adhia said. Nearly four months since its introduction, the new indirect tax threw up teething troubles and compliance issues, which the GST Council -- the highest decision-making body of the new regime -- has addressed through several rounds of changes. To ease hassles facing medium and small businesses in paying taxes and filing GST returns, it has tweaked various aspects of the new indirect tax regime to make it industry friendly. Also, the GST Council has rationalised rates on over 100 commodities and made refund process easier for exporters. Adhia, however, said the rejig would require some calculations by the fitment committee, which will decide which items need a rationalisation of rate under the GST regime which kicked in from July 1. The GST Council has already cleared an approach paper for items to be considered for rationalisation but it is not binding and the council can always make deviations from the approach paper. "We are very keen to do it as early as possible, it depends on how much time the fitment committee takes to work on it. They need data, calculate revenue loss. They need various comparisons. But harmonisation has to be done," he said. The 23rd meeting of the GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising representatives of all states, will be held in Guwahati on November 10. The GST Council has reworked various provisions of the new indirect tax regime which was introduced from July 1 so as to make it more industry friendly. The turnover threshold for composition scheme, under which businesses can pay taxes at a nominal rate, has been hiked to Rs 1 crore from Rs 75 lakh earlier. Also, small businesses with up to Rs 1.50 crore turnover have been allowed to file returns and pay taxes quarterly, as against monthly earlier. When asked how much time will it take to stabilise the GST system, Adhia said: "It will take one year. Because it is a new system for everybody... There has been a complete overhauling of tax system in GST, so one year is needed." "If you see the experience of VAT, there was opposition for one year. People were on streets because nobody knew what VAT is, the last fellow was only paying sales tax. It was more opposition that time than this," he said. Introduced in 2005, VAT replaced the earlier sales tax systems. VAT was a tax on sale or purchase of goods within a state and was levied by state governments. The GST has subsumed over a dozen taxes and transformed India into a single market for seamless movement of goods and services. EPFO had started investing in Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) in August 2015, putting 5 per cent of its investible deposits in stock linked products. New Delhi: Retirement fund body EPFO is likely to consider next month a proposal to credit subscribers share of its ETF investments to their provident fund accounts which can be redeemed at the time of withdrawal. Employees Provident Fund Organisations (EPFO) apex decision making body the Central Board of Trustee (CBT) headed by labour minister Santosh Gangwar will meet in November. They are likely to consider the proposal to credit ETF investments to members' accounts, a labour ministry official told PTI. The official said that the issue was listed on the agenda of the CBT meeting held earlier this year and was referred to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The official said that the CAG had agreed to the proposal in principal but sought few clarifications. As per estimates, EPFOs investment in ETFs is expected to touch Rs 45,000 crore by the end of the current fiscal. EPFO had started investing in Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) in August 2015, putting 5 per cent of its investible deposits in stock linked products. It was raised to 15 per cent for the current fiscal. Once approved, the share of subscribers in the form of ETF units will be credited to their accounts. An ETF is a security that tracks an index, a commodity or a basket of assets like an index fund, but trades like a stock on an exchange. Hyderabad: In todays time, people quite frequently change jobs or even kick-start their own startup in hopes of making an impact in the world. Be it startups or well-renowned decade-old firms, attrition has become a challenge for all. To counter that challenge, the HR departments, around the world, have adopted multiple ways to make their staff feel valued. One of such ways is to leverage the companys brand to help their staff get products at a discounted rate. For that, the company, despite their budgets, has to negotiate with multiple vendors making this a difficult road to go down. Vendors, on the other hand, saw approaching the companies as an expensive affair and were happy to delegate the task to a third party Sensing a business opportunity, back in 2011, Partha Neog (42) founded Vantage Circle which started as a shopping discount platform to allow corporates to focus on their core business while outsourcing their employee engagement to a third party. Employees are crucial to any firm. These days both companies and brands are spending a huge amount of money to keep their staff happy but there was no logic behind their spending. Vantage Circle steps in here to allow companies to concentrate on their specialisation and rationalise their spending by playing the role of a mediator with the company and the brands Mr Neog, an ISB Hyderabad alumnus, was no different. Before starting his own business, he was the product head of 99acres.com and his experience there helped him understand the internet usage patterns of users. He said, My previous experience at other jobs helped me narrow down the scope of my business. I discovered that while there were multiple rewards programmes for consumers, there was no dedicated platform that helped businesses meet brands and vice versa. Vantage Circle has now tied up with more than 1,300 brands. However, like every other startup, it did face challenge during its initial days. Smaller companies that were appro-ached by us initially rejected us outright, Mr Neog said. The breakthrough came during one such interaction when we were directed to an Infosys official who was looking to upgrade from their traditional methods. From then on, we found it quite easy as inbound directions quickly flooded us, he said. The company has partnerships with most of the top IT firms now. Going forward, Mr Neog said his company would try to focus on getting mid-scale firms sign up for its services. Esha Deol and Bharat Takhtani were recently seen together at the launch of Hema Malini's biography. Mumbai: Hema Malini and Dharmendras daughter Esha has become a mother to a baby girl with husband Bharat Takhtani. The actress delivered a baby girl through normal delivery at a hospital in Khar, Mumbai on 20 October, with the mother and the child doing fine, according to a report in Mumbai Mirror. Its hard to express how happy I feel today! I think the baby looks like me and when she smiles, the world smiles at you. Esha and her bonding is divine, Bharat confirmed the news to the tabloid. Esha will be discharged from the hospital on Monday. Esha and Bharat had got married in 2012. Following news of Eshas pregnancy, the couple had made news for a babymoon photoshoot that they held abroad. A grand lavender-themed baby shower organised by Esha's sister Ahana and their 'second marriage' as part of Sindhi customs had also made headlines. Few days ago, Esha's close friend Soha Ali Khan had also welcomed a baby girl with husband Kunal Kemmu. Mumbai: Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover who tied a knot in April last year met on the sets of Alone, their first film together. The duo is quite popular amongst fans for their mushy posts on social media. Earlier they had shot a commercial for a mattress brand and now they have teamed up again to set a bar higher this time. The glamorous couple recently shot a steamy commercial for the condom brand. With this ad, the couple aims to create awareness on the need for safe sex. "The idea is to create awareness on the subject; it's the need of the hour. I am doing no wrong by endorsing condoms," Bipasha said. When asked if there were any apprehensions in shooting an ad, Bipasha revealed, "It was going to be shot by one of the most trusted photographers and ad-filmmaker in the business, Prasad Naik. So, I knew it would be aesthetically shot. Also, the thought behind the campaign 'give her more' = appealed to us. While the first commercial is already on air, another one will be shot later this month. "I've provided inputs in the styling of the next ad. We will keep it playful and focus on the love between a couple in the next ad too," the actress added. Bipashas husband Karan Singh Grover shared the ad on Instagram and wrote under it, "In a country that has the second largest population in the world.. we still have taboos on just the words sex and condoms but not the actual act. Lets talk more read more and learn more about all the things that can be avoided just by the use of a simple precaution. With condoms you can have planned pregnancies and protected sex which can curb the growth HIV and STD cases. As a couple we believe in this thats why we have thoughtfully endorsed it." Chennai: South star Prabhas has given a special treat to his fans on his birthday as the 'Baahubali' actor unveiled the first look poster of his much-awaited film 'Saaho' on Monday. Prabhas turned 38 on Monday. The actor thanked his admirers for their wishes and took to his official Facebook page to release the poster. "A big thanks for all the wishes and love. Here is a glimpse of 'Saaho' especially for you guys," Prabhas captioned the photo. The actor teased his look, dressed in all-black and half-masked walking on a hazy city road with one hand in his pocket. Interestingly, the makers of 'Baahubali: The Conclusion' also revealed the first poster of the film on Prabhas' birthday last year. Directed by Sujeeth Reddy, 'Saaho' also features Shraddha Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Chunky Pandey and Mandira Bedi. Akshay will be making his debut down south with this film. He plays the villian. Mumbai: The shooting of next years highly anticipated 2.0, starring two superstars Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar in the lead roles, came to an end with the completion of the remaining song that was shot recently on a grand set in Chennai. The filmmakers are said to have made most expensive set, which was designed by art director Muthuraj for the song. Dubai's Burj Park is a 11,300 square meter lawn located at the base of Burj Khalifa Tower and a budget of Rs 12 crore has been reportedly allotted for the launch event alone. The lead star cast and crew will now be heading to Dubai, where the audio release function has been planned. 2.0 music album will be released on October 27 at a grand event at Dubais Burj Park. Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman has scored the tunes for the Rajinikanth-starrer. Akshay who will be seen as the main villain is making his debut down south with this film. Along with Rajinikanth and Akshay, the film also stars Amy Jackson. This is Amys second movie with director Shankar, she previously worked in Vikram starrer romantic thriller I (2015). Amy Jackson on Sunday announced on Twitter that the shoot for 2.0 has been wrapped up. She wrote, Aaaand thats a wrap for 2.0. The past 2 and a half years have been an absolute rollercoaster but the outcome will knock ya socks offf! Aaaand that's a wrap for 2.0. The past 2 and a half years have been an absolute rollercoaster... but the outcome will knock ya socks offf! Amy Jackson (@iamAmyJackson) October 22, 2017 Amy shared that they have been shooting for the film for the past two and a half years. The film has been made on a huge scale that is quite bigger than the first one too. S. Shankar is known for making larger-than-life films and 2.0 will be another feather in his hat. Amys look for the film was released earlier this month. With a black and silver outfit, it looks like Amy Jackson will play a futuristic robot in the film. I've been dying to share this with you from the moment we started shooting! My look in @shankarshanmugh #2point0 pic.twitter.com/3BmeIlxViD Amy Jackson (@iamAmyJackson) October 11, 2017 The mega-budget project is the sequel to the super hit 2010 film, Enthiran and it is slated to release during the Republic Day weekend next year. It will be released in special 3D format. Mersal is the latest Indian Tamil-language film directed by Atlee and stars actor Vijay. Mumbai: Tamil superstar Rajinikanth todaylauded the crew of actor Vijay's starrer 'Mersal', saying the film has addressed an important issue. However in a terse Twitter message, he did not explicitly refer to any specific issue, although the film has courted controversy over Goods and Services Tax, with BJP claiming that there have been incorrect references to the central taxation. "Important topic addressed..... well done!!! congratulations team #mersal" Rajinikanth said in a brief tweet. Important topic addressed... Well done !!! Congratulations team #Mersal Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) October 22, 2017 Diwali release 'Mersal' has kicked up a row with the BJP taking exception to references on GST in the movie. BJP leaders, including Raja, a national secretary in the party, state president Tamilisai Soundarajan and Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan, have been demanding that the incorrect references be deleted from the big-budget flick. However, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, his senior colleague P Chidambaram, DMK working president M K Stalin, veteran star Kamal Haasan and a host of Tamil cinema industry representatives had supported the film crew on the issue. The BJP had on October 20 objected to what it termed as 'untruths' regarding the GST in just-released 'Mersal', and wanted dialogues on the central taxation to be deleted. Actor Vishal had earlier accused Raja of advocating piracy by watching the movie online, a charge rejected by latter. Baahubali actor took to his Facebook page to release the poster on the special occasion of his 38th birthday. Mumbai: Baahubali fame megastar Prabhas has given a surprise gift to his fans by unveiling the first look of his highly anticipated tri-lingual action thriller Saaho on his 38th birthday. The exciting poster that features only Prabhas in the stylish avatar is already doing rounds on the Internet. However as fabulous as Prabhas is looking in the first look poster, we cant help but point out at the uncanny resemblance of the look with Ryan Goslings from his recent release Blade Runner 2049. The pictures show that Prabhas Saaho look may be copied or heavily inspired by Hollywood star Ryan Goslings look in Denis Villeneuve dirtected futuristic thriller Blade Runner 2049. Ryan Gosling in recently released movie Blade Runner 2049. While many fans online are already criticizing this blatant plagiarism, we only hope Prabhas wont disappoint his fans after the mega success of Baahubali part 1 and 2. The filming of Saaho has already begun and is being shot in three languages - Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. An extensive set has been constructed in Hyderabads Ramoji Film City. Certain scenes in Saaho will reportedly be shot in Romania and Abu Dhabi. The film also stars Shraddha Kapoor as a leading lady, Arun Vijay, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Jackie Shroff, Chunky Pandey, Tinnu Anand, Mahesh Manjrekar and Mandira Bedi in pivotal roles. Saaho is set to hit the screens next year. Man identified in Walhalla crash WALHALLA -- Authorities have identified the Walhalla man killed in a one-vehicle crash in northern North Dakota Friday night. Matthew Webster was pronounced dead at scene in eastern Cavalier County after being ejected from a pickup that failed to negotiate a right-hand curve at about 11:45 p.m. Friday, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol. He was 33. The driver, Heinrich Penner Fehr, 31, was transported by ambulance to Pembina County Memorial Hospital. Troopers say Fehr will be charged with driving under the influence. The wreck occurred about five miles west of Walhalla, when Fehr rolled his 2002 Chevrolet K-1500 while traveling east on 105th Street Northeast at a curve in the road near the intersection with 121st Avenue Northeast. Neither man was wearing a seatbelt, according to the Highway Patrol. The crash remains under investigation. Fargo man injured in car-combine crash ENDERLIN -- A Fargo man was seriously injured after crashing his SUV into a combine in southeast North Dakota Saturday night. The North Dakota Highway Patrol reports 27-year-old Matthew Johnson was eastbound on Highway 46, about four miles west of Enderlin, when he approached a John Deere 8820 Combine from the rear. The combine, driven by a 15-year-old from Milnor, slowed and moved right to allow Johnsons Land Rover to pass, but the front right of the Land Rover struck the left rear of the combine, according to the Highway Patrol. The combine entered the south ditch. The SUV entered north ditched and rolled. The crash occurred at about 7:26 p.m. Saturday. The teenage male driving the combine was not injured, troopers said. Johnson was transported to a Fargo hospital by ambulance with serious injuries. The crash remains under investigation. -- Compiled from wire services Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan says his fame and stardom will be of no use if he finds himself getting affected by the success of his contemporaries. The 51-year-old actor shrugs when asked how difficult it is to remain unfazed by others' work after being in the industry for over 25 years. "What is the point of having become such a huge star, if you are still going to follow someone else? Or be bothered by someone else, or think about someone else or compare yourself to someone else," he asks. Shah Rukh says "not out of pompousness or ego" that he has everything going for him, which is why he does not feel the need to look further than his mirror. "I am sure, I am being presumptuous, but there are a lot of people out there who say 'wish we become Shah Rukh Khan'. I am Shah Rukh Khan, so why should I want to be someone else?" SRK stressed in an interview with PTI that when he joined the industry, he was a "nobody". "With no money, no house, no future, parents dead, I did what I felt like doing. I had nothing to lose. Now I have everything. One way to look at it is, 'Oh I have so much to lose," he says. But, the actor adds, there is another way of looking at all that he has achieved. "The other way is, 'I've gained so much, even if I try to lose it, it won't go away.' If we were so brave when we had nothing, why should we not be equally brave in our beliefs and thoughts in what we want to do, when we have everything going for us," he asks. The superstar believes it is "silly" not to do what one wants, especially for someone like him who has achieved a certain status. "I am not saying 'I am a path-breaking guy and I will make people follow me, make them see me as an example.' No, I do what I feel like doing. I made the most expensive film in the country ever, knowing fully it won't recover the money. But I had to do it," he says. In the last two years, Shah Rukh has made some unconventional choices - from featuring in a double role in the psychological thriller 'Fan' to doing an extended cameo in 'Dear Zindagi', a film that predominantly belonged to Alia Bhatt. The actor says he is excited by the work of his contemporaries, but eventually finds solace in what he wants to do. "My belief is, if someone else has already done it, why do you want to do it? Go for something else... So many people know me, have me on their minds, they have some good and bad things to say. "I can't assimilate all and live my life. As an artiste, actor, father, star, it has to be what I feel like in the morning." Shah Rukh also says he does not watch as many movies as a person from a film industry is often bound to. "I don't watch films, my family has now put a condition if I want to continue as an actor, I have to watch two Hindi films in a month. They are like 'but how can you not watch films? You act, make films, run a company, how can you not?'" The family, he adds, has made a list of films that he needs to watch. He will be next seen as a vertically-challenged man in filmmaker Aanand L Rai's untitled film, also featuring Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. Farhan Akhtar has always been known to voice his opinion on different issues. Recently, the actor decided to hit back at BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao over his remarks that most Indian film stars have very low IQ and very low general knowledge. The actor took to the social media platform to express his anger. He wrote, How dare you, sir? tagging the BJP leader. And to all film people in his ranks... Heres what he thinks of you. Shame sir (sic), the actor wrote. Farhans comment was in reaction to an interview the politician gave to news channel over the ongoing controversy on Tamil film Mersal that has scenes critical of the GST and the Digital India initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rao, criticising the movie and its makers in the TV interview, said: In any case, most of our film stars have very low IQ, very low general knowledge. Ketamine may hold promise as a treatment for migraine headaches in patients who have failed other treatments. (Photo: Pixabay) Washington: Ketamine - a medication commonly used for pain relief and depression - may help alleviate migraine pain in patients who have not been helped by other treatments, a study has found. The study of 61 patients found that almost 75 per cent experienced an improvement in their migraine intensity after a three- to seven-day course of inpatient treatment with ketamine. The drug is used to induce general anaesthesia but also provides powerful pain control for patients with many painful conditions in lower doses than its anaesthetic use. "Ketamine may hold promise as a treatment for migraine headaches in patients who have failed other treatments," said Eric Schwenk, director of orthopaedic anaesthesia at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in the US. "Our study focused only on short-term relief, but it is encouraging that this treatment might have the potential to help patients long-term. Our work provides the basis for future, prospective studies that involve larger numbers of patients," said Schwenk. An estimated 12 per cent of the US population suffers from migraines - recurring attacks of throbbing or pulsing moderate to severe pain. A subset of these patients, along with those who suffer from other types of headaches, do not respond to treatment. During a migraine, people are often very sensitive to light, sound and may become nauseated or vomit. Migraines are three times more common in women than in men. The researchers reviewed data for patients who received ketamine infusions for intractable migraine headaches - migraines that have failed all other therapies. On a scale of 0-10, the average migraine headache pain rating at admission was 7.5, compared with 3.4 on discharge. The average length of infusion was 5.1 days, and the day of lowest pain ratings was day 4. Adverse effects were generally mild, researchers said. "Due to the retrospective nature of the study, we cannot definitively say that ketamine is entirely responsible for the pain relief, but we have provided a basis for additional larger studies to be undertaken," Schwenk said. JERUSALEM: A note that Albert Einstein gave to a courier in Tokyo, briefly describing his theory on happy living, has surfaced after 95 years and is up for auction in Jerusalem. The year was 1922, and the German-born physicist, most famous for his theory of relativity, was on a lecture tour in Japan. He had recently been informed that he was to receive the Nobel Prize for physics, and his fame outside of scientific circles was growing. A Japanese courier arrived at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo to deliver Einstein a message. The courier either refused to accept a tip, in line with local practice, or Einstein had no small change available. Either way, Einstein didn't want the messenger to leave empty-handed, so he wrote him two notes by hand in German, according to the seller, a relative of the messenger. "Maybe if you're lucky those notes will become much more valuable than just a regular tip," Einstein told the messenger, according to the seller, a resident of the German city of Hamburg who wished to remain anonymous. One note, on the stationary of the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, says that "a quiet and modest life brings more joy than a pursuit of success bound with constant unrest." The other, on a blank piece of paper, simply reads: "where there's a will, there's a way." It is impossible to determine if the notes were a reflection of Einstein's own musings on his growing fame, said Roni Grosz, the archivist in charge of the world's largest Einstein collection, at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. While the notes, previously unknown to researchers, hold no scientific value, they may shed light on the private thoughts of the great physicist whose name has become synonymous with genius, according to Grosz. "What we're doing here is painting the portrait of Einstein -- the man, the scientist, his effect on the world -- through his writings," said Grosz. "This is a stone in the mosaic. The two notes will go on sale on Tuesday at the Winner's auction house in Jerusalem, alongside other items including two letters Einstein wrote in later years. The man decided to seek medical attention only when the pain in his penis became unbearable. (Photo: Pixabay) An unnamed Taiwanese, 52 was forced to have half his penis amputated after enduring a week-long erection. He admitted to doctors that his erection began randomly and not due to any sexual stimulation. The man decided to seek medical attention only when the pain in his penis became unbearable and it felt like it was about to explode. Doctors, said that the erection was triggered by bladder cancer, after th eamn ignored warnings three years previously. According to experts any erection that lasts for more than four hours is deemed to be a medical emergency. The condition is called priapism. Surgeons at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, in south-western Taiwan, found the cancer had spread too far and decided to amputate part of it. The man is now recovering from the agonising operation, and will begin courses of chemotherapy as soon as he is deemed fit enough. Dr Wang Hung-jen, head of the hospital's urology department, said the cancer had obstructed the blood vessels in the man's penis. He led the operation on the unnamed man and cut into both his penis and bladder to try and relieve some of the pain. On whether his patient was likely ever to have sex again, Dr Wang said: "He isn't married and didn't request an evaluation of potential sexual function. London: The last painting created by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is expected to fetch 80,000 pounds in an auction in the UK. Churchill's final work titled, 'The Goldfish Pool At Chartwell' was painted shortly before his death in 1965. It depicts his "most special place in the world" - the goldfish pond at his Chartwell home in the UK. The painting was given to Sergeant Edmund Murray, who served Churchill as a bodyguard for the last 15 years of the former prime minister's life and helped the politician prepare his easel and brushes. "This was his last ever picture. But even more than that, it was the most special place in the world for Churchill, his home in Kent. It looks out on to the most incredible landscape," Frances Christie from Sotheby's auction house told The Telegraph. "It was where he always longed to return to and was most relaxed," Christie said. Ill health forced Churchill to paint less in the years before his death in 1965 and the creation of this work was the last occasion Sergeant Murray set up his easel and brushes for him. The painting, which is expected to fetch up to 80,000 pounds, has been cherished ever since by the bodyguard's family, the auction house said. The auction will take place on November 21. The rape of the 28-year-old woman by an allegedly drunken man, on the footpath of Vishakhapatnam has left everyone shocked. What is even more shocking is that the incident happened in broad daylight and video footage shows passers-by who did nothing to come to the aid of the woman. Instead, an autorickshaw driver recorded the crime on his mobile phone, which helped authorities nab the rapist. According to The Indian Express, the accused was identified as 23-year-old Ganji Siva, a truck driver. While, the heinous act in itself is disconcerting, what is perhaps, even more shocking, and sad is the lack of outcry while the crime was being perpetrated. Social media, however, has condemned the act of brutality with many sharing the hashtag #wakeupindia, to put forward their shock and disbelief. One Tehseen Poonawalla questions our very humanity, What sort of people are we .. if a woman is raped on the footpath and bystanders do Nothing! In broad daylight !! We should be ashamed ! Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) October 23, 2017 While, another woman used the hastag #horrible, to highlight the magnanimity of the crime. Mentally challenged, homeless Woman raped by drunk man in broad daylight near busy Vizag road. People walked past,but didn't help.#Horrible Jagrati Shukla (@JagratiShukla29) October 23, 2017 Pooja M Tiwari questions the direction humanity is taking, Where are we heading as a country? A woman is raped in broad daylight, ppl record it and news channels broadcast it? Is this digital India? Pooja M.Tiwari (@PMTiwariPhD) October 23, 2017 While Bhaskara Rama Murti says what everyone is thinking. Woman raped in Vizag on foot path in broad daylight. It seems that humanity is dead totally. Bhaskara Rama Murti (@BhaskaraMurti) October 23, 2017 Another user Apoorva M says she is furious that such an incident can take place. Furious. We are a society of spectators. A woman got raped in broad daylight in Vizag and no one stopped. Auto rickshaw driver recorded the video to submit to the police but didn't beat the fuck out of the rapist. Apoorva M. (@apoorva_m1) October 23, 2017 Elizabeth Soby too showed her shocked disbelief in a tweet. Well done #Vizag. Well done. Not your mother,sister,wife or daughter is enough reason.Heights of moral Apathy.https://t.co/xWsDK80dt0 Elizabeth Soby (@elizabeth_soby) October 23, 2017 Even Sir Ravindra Jadeja was not behind in condemning the incident. 20-yr-old Drunk Man Raped A Woman In Broad Daylight, On Footpath. No Passerby Helped; Auto Driver Filmed The Video. #RIP Humanity #Vizag pic.twitter.com/dULGbbjYBd Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) October 23, 2017 And Shamina Shafiq asks the very question that is in everyone's mind. Shockingly, onlookers decided to take video of the incident, instead of helping the victim. #shame #getwellsoonindia https://t.co/2P4TnsUSfN shamina shafiq (@shaminaaaa) October 23, 2017 By the time the police had arrived, Siva had already left, but based on the information received, the police traced Siva and took him into custody. They sent the woman to King George Hospital for medical examination. Police started investigations after the woman's parents complained that she was missing since October 16. (Representational image) Coimbatore: A 26-year-old software engineer was on Monday taken into custody for allegedly killing a woman, who was reported missing a week ago from her house in the city, police said. Police said the man, a resident of Saravanampatti in the city, was taken into custody after tracing the 21-year-old woman's last call on her mobile. Police started investigations after the woman's parents complained that she was missing since October 16. During interrogation, the man confessed to killing and burying the body of the woman, with whom he was in love, police said. Quoting the man, police said the techie and the victim had gone on a trip to Kallar on the border of Coimbatore and Nilgiris districts. As the woman started quarrelling with him, the man slapped her and she swooned and fell on a rock, resulting in her death on the spot, police said. Fearing arrest if he left the body, he allegedly crushed her face by throwing a boulder and buried it there. A special police team took the man to the place of occurrence this noon and exhumed the body, which was brought to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for post-mortem. Further investigations are on. Manju befriended Nirmala at the maternity hospital and insisted that she would take the child at the time of discharge. Hyderabad: A two-day-old male baby of a daily wage worker who was brought to Niloufer Hospital for treatment was kidnapped by an unidentified woman at 10.40 am. The baby was brought to Niloufer from Petlaburj Maternity Hospital because it was in poor health. A woman who called herself Manju accompanied N. Nirmala from the maternity hospital to the childrens hospital. Nirmala had delivered a baby boy on October 20 at the maternity hospital, but the child was unwell and was referred to Niloufer for further treatment. Manju befriended Nirmala at the maternity hospital and insisted that she would take the child at the time of discharge. The administration at Petlaburj refused to hand over the baby to Manju stating that only the biological mother can take the child. Both women then hired an autorickshaw and went to Niloufer with the medical recommendation from Petlaburj Hospital. According to the guidelines, a health worker must accompany the mother and newborn from one section of the hospital to another. But due to the distance and non-availability of staff this was not done. At Niloufer, doctors examined the child in the out-patients department and returned it to the mother. Once they were outside, Manju asked Nirmala for some water and took the child while Nirmala went to fetch the water from inside the hospital. When she returned, Manju and the baby had vanished. A complaint was lodged at Charminar police station by Nirmalas mother under Section 363 of the Indian Penal Code. CCTV cameras have captured footage of the woman and the police are working on leads. People waiting in a queue for food at the Indira Canteen in Jayanagar in Bengaluru (Photo: File/DC) Bengaluru: The cockroach in the Indira Canteen upma, a video of which went viral on social media websites since Saturday morning, is the handiwork of two autorickshaw drivers, who have been arrested. They confessed to the police that they did it for publicity. The drivers, Hemanth and Devaraju, both residents of Kamakshipalya, recorded the video at the Kottigepalya Indira Canteen and put it up on social networking sites. They asked viewers not to eat at these unhygienic canteens, run by the state government. At the canteen, they created a nuisance and hurled abuse at the canteen staff, and BBMP officials had filed a complaint against them at the Kamakshipalya police station, the police said. On October 20, Hemanth and Devaraju along with their two other friends went to the Indira Canteen. While eating, Hemanth allegedly dropped the cockroach, which he had brought with him, into the food. He recorded the video and uploaded it in social media websites, which went viral on social media platforms and anti-government pages shared it widely. The police said that the accused confessed to putting the cockroach in the food for publicity, but ruled out association with any political party. ENGLEVALE -- As soybeans and corn have increased as crops of choice for North Dakota farmers, Craig Jarolimek said driving through the state feels a little bit like driving through Iowa. If you didnt know where you were, youd think you were in Iowa, Jarolimek told a crowd at a tour at the new Ransom Multiplier gilt production facility near Englevale on Thursday. All were missing is the livestock. Jarolimek is the chair of the newly-formed North Dakota Livestock Alliance, a group that hopes to propel the development of more livestock production in the state. The group began as a concept about 18 months ago, he explained. The alliance consists of the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council, North Dakota Soybean Council, North Dakota Pork Council, North Dakota Farmers Union, Midwest Dairy Association and North Dakota Ethanol Council, as well as advisors from North Dakota State University and the North Dakota Department of Agriculture. North Dakota lags the surrounding states in many classes of livestock, including pork and dairy. Minnesota, for instance, is the seventh-largest milk producer in the U.S. and South Dakota is No. 20, compared to North Dakotas 35th place ranking, according to the Midwest Dairy Association. North Dakota has only 90 licensed dairies, compared to 3,470 in Minnesota and 255 in South Dakota. Pork production in the state has a similar story. Minnesota has the third-highest dollars of production in the pork industry, with more than $2.1 billion in production, according to the Pork Checkoff. South Dakota ranks 11th, with more than $413 million, and Montana is at 23rd with more than $59 million in production. North Dakota, meanwhile, is at 26th, with more than $48 million in production. The Livestock Alliance has no representation from the beef cattle industry, though Jarolimek hopes that may change. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, North Dakota is 10th in the nation in beef cattle sales with $900 million, compared to South Dakota at third with $2.2 billion in sales and Montana at sixth with $1.5 billion. North Dakota farmers, Jarolimek explained to the crowd at the hog barn, are at a disadvantage to farmers in states with more developed animal agriculture. In those states, corn, soybean meal and dried distillers grains have ready markets in the livestock barns right down the road. North Dakota farmers, in contrast, pay more in basis to get their crops to market and have fewer markets to explore, he said. Theyre capturing the value of that commodity that is being raised on the fields around us and keeping that value at home rather than sending it on the rail down to someone else to capture that value, he said. More animal agriculture is needed to add value to crop production here, he said. But there are other things livestock agriculture brings to communities. Existing livestock producers could see more support in the way of veterinary care and feed processing if their numbers were to grow. And communities could see more people moving in, helping churches and schools and other community institutions grow and thrive, Jarolimek speculated. How the North Dakota Livestock Alliance will help grow the industry remains to be seen. Were still in the development stage, he said. The alliance recently hired Amber Boeshans to serve as executive director. Boeshans previously worked as a livestock development specialist with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and has experience as a herd manager and dairy insurance specialist. Boeshans said the position is an absolute dream and couldnt have been more perfect. The response to the new group has been overwhelmingly positive, and shes excited to get to work. Her position, the only staff position the group has budgeted for, is housed by the Midwest Dairy Association, and she is contracted to work as the Livestock Alliance executive director. The first steps for Boeshans are basic ones: setting up a website, establishing a logo and starting some dialogue with other agriculture groups, communities and landowners about the value of animal agriculture to the state of North Dakota. What the alliance will not be is another agriculture group lobbying for law changes. Jarolimek said members believe the existing framework in state law for permitting livestock operations works well, and they want to spur growth within that framework. You will not see us in Bismarck, he said. However, the group might be spotted in communities across the state, working to spread science and knowledge about agriculture in order to manage fear and emotion, Jarolimek explained. The alliance plans to work with communities to see whether livestock projects will be good fits. The group also wants to be involved in consumer outreach, explaining more about where the meat on their plate originates. It comes from farms such as this, he said, motioning to the under-construction hog barn. Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Dineshwar Sharma will initiate the sustained dialogue to understand legitimate aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that the Centre has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir and added that former Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Dineshwar Sharma will be the representative from the Government of India. "The government has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir. Former IB director Dineshwar Sharma will be Government of India's representative. Rank of Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secretary," the Home Minister said while addressing a press conference here. He added that Sharma will initiate the dialogue with the elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties, different organisations and public. "From the ramparts of Red Fort Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said, 'Neither by bullet, nor by abuses but by embracing the people we can solve the problems in Jammu and Kashmir'," Singh added. The Home Minister said that as the government's representative, Sharma will initiate the sustained interaction and dialogue to understand legitimate aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said that Prime Minister Modi is determined to bring back peace to the Valley. Vijayawada: The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, was keen to leverage UAEs expertise, speaking about the strategic location of AP in India with the Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, the UAE minister of economy, on Sunday, for his Dubai tour. According to a press release from the governments communication advisors office, they discussed the growing road network and waterways, that will complement the thousand kilometer coastline. Mr Naidu said that the people of AP are strong in the IT field and are enterprising, with human resources, one of the biggest strengths of the state. The two ministers agreed to work in the areas of IT, Block Chain and Fintech. A joint working group will be elected, and APEDB will be the point of contact. Navdeep Suri, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, who will coordinate the way forward, was also present at the meeting. The minister said that they were very impressed with the progress of Andhra Pradesh, and the states initiatives in the domain of logistics. Mr Naidu said that the state wants to further their relationship and make AP an integrated logistics hub for the Emirates. Vizag, Amaravati and Tirupati will soon be connected to Dubai, and he proposed the setting up of MRO facilities in AP. He assured that the state government will coordinate and extend the facilities fully. Another task force will be created, with representatives of airlines, airports and ports, for follow up logistics related projects, suggested Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of FlyDubai. The team from Emirates showed interest in four proposals: The development of an airport; the connection to three cities; making AP a hub for Emirates and the establishment of an aviation academy in AP. Police claimed to have arrested a 35-year-old auto-lifter, who had undergone plastic surgery to his face to dodge police, and his two accomplices in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji. (Photo: Twitter | @DCPSEastDelhi) New Delhi: Police claimed to have arrested a 35-year-old auto-lifter, who had undergone plastic surgery to his face to dodge police, and his two accomplices in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji. Police got a tip-off that Kunal alias Tanuj would visit Kalkaji on October 13, the police said, adding that a trap was laid near Nehru Place Metro Station and he was arrested. Subsequently, police arrested his aides Irshad Ali and Mohd. Shadab. Kunal had undergone plastic surgery to his face in 2012-13 to evade arrest, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Romil Baaniya said, adding that earlier his name was registered as Tanuj in police records. He was involved in more than 62 cases of auto-lifting in different areas in Delhi and neighbouring states, the police said. Explaining the modus operandi of the gang, the police said the gang members would locate vehicles that were declared as "total loss vehicles" by insurance companies and buy these, along with their registration documents, through scrap dealers. While the "total loss vehicles" are disposed of as scrap, the documents are retained. The gang members would then target vehicles of the same make and colour and steal them. They alter the original engine numbers and chassis numbers of the stolen vehicles and sold them along with the registration documents of "total loss vehicles", the police said. It is not clear when Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the comments, however, Bangladeshi media reports claimed he said this in September when he met Suu Kyi during his first bilateral visit to Myanmar. (Photo: PTI | File) New Delhi/Dhaka: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advised Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi not to "destroy" her image over her stance on the Rohingya issue as Myanmar's military actions in Rakhine state sparked a global outrage. Swaraj referred to Modi's advice as she called on Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after joining the 4th Bangladesh-India Joint Consultative Commission meeting with her counterpart AH Mahmood Ali. "He (Modi) told her (Suu Kyi) 'you have a very good international image, don't destroy it'," the Bangladesh premier's press secretary Ihsanul Karim told PTI, quoting Swaraj as saying during her meeting with Hasina at her residence. It is not clear when Modi made the comments, however, Bangladeshi media reports claimed he said this in September when he met Suu Kyi during his first bilateral visit to Myanmar. Karim said Swaraj extended her full support to Bangladesh's stance that Myanmar must take back its nationals and must not punish innocent people while fighting terrorism. "Myanmar may punish the terrorists, not innocent people," he quoted Swaraj as saying. Swaraj appreciated Bangladesh's stand on the Rohingya issue but described the exodus of forcibly displaced people as a "big burden for Bangladesh". "It's a big burden for Bangladesh, and how long will Bangladesh bear this?" she said referring to the exodus of the forcibly displaced people who fled the violence in their homeland and took shelter in neighbouring Bangladesh. Swaraj added there should be a permanent solution of the Rohingya issues and international community should contribute to social and economic development of Rakhine state. Karim said she praised Premier Hasina for extending all humanitarian support to the displaced people. He said Hasina narrated the situation after the beginning of the Rohingya exodus since August 25 and her government's initiatives for their shelter. "We have given them shelter upon the confidence that we would be able to feed the distressed Rohingyas on humanitarian ground," she told Swaraj. Hasina said Bangladesh had already established an engagement with Myanmar and the Bangladeshi home minister was set to visit the neighbouring county over the crisis. Nearly 600,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since late August to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state where the Myanmarese army has launched a crackdown against militants. Myanmar doesn't recognise the Rohingyas as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country. Bangladesh has sought India's "sustained pressures" on Myanmar for resolution of the crisis. Hasina recalled India's contribution during Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War as well as support to her and her sister Sheikh Rehana after the 1975 assassination of their father - the nation's founder 'Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - along with most of their family. Swaraj informed the Prime Minister about her official talks with her Bangladeshi counterpart saying the entire gamut of bilateral relations came up in their discussion and she was very satisfied at the state of bilateral relations. She said she had a very fruitful discussion with Bangladeshi officials on the projects under India's Line of Credit (LOC) whose implementation has been delayed. Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali, Premier's Advisor on International Affairs Gowher Rizvi, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Moazzem Ali, Bangladeshi Principal Secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, and Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque were present along with India's Foreign Secretary Joy Shankar and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsha Vardhan Shingla. Swaraj also handed over some memorabilia of the 1971 Liberation War to Hasina as a gift to the Bangladesh National Museum. The memorabilia includes an Mi-4 helicopter, a PT76 tank, 106 mm recoilless anti-tank gun and some of the military equipment used by the joint forces during the war and a number of artifacts and documents like historical photographs, archival audio and video clippings, maps, battle records, newspaper clippings and documentaries. Chennai/THANJAVUR: The Election Commission will resume the hearing on the Two Leaves case on Monday with both sides EPS-OPS and TTV Dhinakaran exuding confidence that the symbol will be allotted to their camp. Senior ministers D. Jayakumar, C. Ve. Shanmugam and K.P. Munusamy, V. Maitreyan and other leaders of the EPS-OPS faction left for New Delhi on Sunday evening to assist their lawyers in presenting their case before the EC. From TTVs side, MLAs Senthil Balaji, Palaniappan and Rathina Sabhapathy also left for New Delhi on Sunday evening. The EC had last week adjourned the hearing for October 23 even as the October 31 deadline set by the Madras High Court to dispose of the case stares at it. O. Panneerselvam and E. Madhusudhanan filed the original case after they rebelled against the then interim general secretary V.K. Sasikala staking a claim for the Two Leaves symbol. As the EPS and OPS factions merged, Dhinakaran knocked at the doors of the Election Commission asking it not to pass any orders without hearing their side. Both the factions have staked claim to the Two Leaves symbol, which holds sway over people from different generations since it is associated with the charisma of late M.G. Ramachandran. On the eve of the hearing, Jayakumar exuded confidence that they will get the Two Leaves symbol as more than 110 MLAs and over 35 MPs support their faction. We are hopeful we will get the symbol because we are the real AIADMK, he told reporters. However, Sabhapathy said they would win the case since several affidavits filed by Panneerselvam camp have been proved to be fake. This is the second time in 29 years that rival claims over the Two Leaves symbol have reached the EC. In the aftermath of MGRs death in 1987, the AIADMK split into two factions J. Jayalalithaa and V.N. Janaki and since both the groups staked claims over the symbol, the Election Commission kept it frozen and allotted new symbol for both factions. Later, the symbol was released after the party was united. TTV group hopeful of acquiring symbol The AIADMK (Amma) faction (T.T.V.Dhinakaran group) will present its argument for retaining the Two Leaves symbol before Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday said Nanjil Sampath, propaganda secretary of the Amma faction here on Sunday. He told presspersons that ECI could not take decisions in a partisan manner. We hope that the commission will take a correct decision after hearing our considered arguments, besides those of others. If it takes a decision in a partisan manner, then we will go to the court and get the Two Leaves symbol, Sampath said. Bengaluru: It is more than 45 days after noted journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh was assassinated near her residence in Bengaluru, but the Special Investigation Team (SIT) continues to be desperately looking for a breakthrough. After its release of the sketches of probable assassins drew a blank, the SIT now hopes that questioning gun suppliers in the grey market, especially in the Karnataka-Maharashtra border, could provide them a crucial lead. With the gun culture mushrooming in the Vijayapura, Bidar, Belagavi and Kalaburagi districts and last weeks recovery of 20 country-made pistols with 49 rounds from 12 people in Vijayapura district alone, the SIT has shifted its focus to these areas. They feel keeping tabs on gun suppliers, agents and clients of bordering districts could provide vital clues. After the illegal gun racket came to light, the SIT officials had gone to Vijayapura and brought two of those involved in the grey market gun trade to Bengaluru for questioning. The SIT is also making an attempt to reach the main gun suppliers from Madhya Pradesh. There is a suspicion that the pistol used to kill Ms Lankesh was brought from Vijayapura. The district is known as a hub of gun market and as it is easily accessible from Maharashtra. The SIT is questioning gun suppliers, agents and buyers there, a SIT source said. He also added that the main Madhya Pradesh based supplier, identified as Bachan Singh Sardar by the Vijayapura district police, could cough up information about his clients, which may include the killers of Lankesh. But, he is yet to be arrested. Vijayapura Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Kumar R. Jain told Deccan Chronicle, We have got adequate information about Sardar from his clients and agents and he will soon be nabbed. During the investigation it was revealed that the country-made pistols were brought to Vijayapura from Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh via Maharashtra, he added. The gun culture in the Vijayapura district is booming considering the increase in demand and easy availability of these weapons at cheap rates. Every other person wants to have a pistol, which can be bought starting from Rs 10,000, to intimidate people, a police source said. Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar hit back at BJP spokesperson over his comments that actors have 'very low IQ'. (Photo: File) Mumbai: Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar lashed out at BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao over his remarks that most Indian film stars have "very low IQ and very low general knowledge". "How dare you, sir?" Akhtar tweeted and tagged the BJP leader. How dare you, sir?? @GVLNRAO And to all film people in his ranks.. heres what he thinks of you. #shame https://t.co/6C8v6hZa23 Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) October 22, 2017 "And to all film people in his ranks... Here's what he thinks of you. Shame sir," the actor wrote. Akhtar's comment was in reaction to an interview GVL Narasimha Rao gave to news channel Times Now over the ongoing controversy on Tamil film "Mersal" that has scenes critical of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Digital India' initiatives. Since the day of its release, "Mersal", is in the news after the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP demanded removal of specific dialogues, which take a dig at GST and Digital India. Hitting out at the references, state BJP state unit president Tamilisai Sounderrajan had told reporters in Chennai on Thursday that "Incorrect references have been made in 'Mersal' about GST ... celebrities should desist from registering wrong information among people." Also Read : BJP condemns 'misconceptions' about GST, note ban in movie Mersal The producers of "Mersal", which was released on Diwali, on Saturday said that they have decided to remove the scenes which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed to be showcasing "anti-Modi hatred". Also Read: Bowing to political pressure, 'Mersal' makers decide to cut scenes on GST Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also joined the growing list of supporters for the beleaguered Vijay-starrer "Mersal" and in his tweet asked Modi not to 'demon-etise' Tamil pride by interfering in the movie. Also Read : Don't 'demon-etise' Tamil pride by interfering in 'Mersal': Rahul attacks Modi Veteran actor Kamal Haasan also threw his weight behind the makers of the movie, asking those opposing the just-released Tamil movie (Mersal) over references to the GST to "counter criticism with logical response". Also Read: Mersal gets Kamal Haasan's support in row over GST The movie directed by Atlee was released on October 18, coinciding with Diwali festival. Rahul Gandhi has lashed out at the Center, asking the Prime Minister not to demonetise Tamil pride with their interference. Raju Jamad's motorcycle reportedly collided with a jeep coming from the opposite direction at a turn. (Representational Image) New Delhi/Kathmandu: A 26-year-old Indian man was killed in a road accident in Nepal's Tanahun district, around 220 km west off Kathmandu, a media report said on Sunday. Raju Jamad, a resident of Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, was on his way to Pokhara from Damauli on a motorcycle on Saturday night when the incident took place, the Himalayan Times reported. His motorcycle reportedly collided with a jeep coming from the opposite direction at a turn, according to Tanahun District Police Office. Jamad was rushed to a nearby hospital where he later died, the police said. The body has been kept at the hospital for autopsy and the accused jeep driver has been arrested, the report stated. Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday hailed the Centre's decision to start a 'sustained dialogue' with people of the state. Taking to Twitter she said, "Welcome the initiative of Union Government, appointing an interlocutor for leading a sustained dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir." She further said dialogue is the need of the hour and the only way to go forward. "This dialogue initiative is in line with PM @narendramodi 's 15th August speech 'na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmir ki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se'," she said in another tweet. The Centre announced plans to start a dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir and appointed former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Dineshwar Sharma as its representative for talks with "all" stakeholders in the state. "The government has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir. Former IB director Dineshwar Sharma will be Government of India's representative. Rank of Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secretary," Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told media here. He added that Sharma will initiate the dialogue with elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties, different organisations and public. Singh said that as the government's representative, Sharma will initiate the sustained interaction and dialogue to understand the legitimate aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said that Prime Minister Modi is determined to bring back peace to the Valley. Former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma said he would go to Kashmir in eight-to-ten days. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: Former Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Dineshwar Sharma, who the Centre appointed as its representative for a "sustained dialogue" in Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday said his priority would be to restore peace in the state and find a permanent solution to the problem. "It's a big responsibility. I hope I live up to the expectations," Dineshwar Sharma told ANI. "The priority is to restore peace in Jammu and Kashmir and find a permanent solution. The rank does not matter as the Government of India has given me a very big responsibility. Nothing can be better than the improvement of situation in the state," Sharma told ANI. He added that he would go to Kashmir in eight-to-ten days. "Firstly, I would assess here, how things can be taken forward. I hope I will be able live up to the trust the Indian Government has showed and will be able to fulfill expectations of the public," Sharma said. Earlier Monday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Centre has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir and added that Sharma would be the representative from the Government of India. "The government has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir. Former IB director Dineshwar Sharma will be Government of India's representative. Rank of Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secretary," the Home Minister said while addressing a press conference here. He added that Sharma would initiate the dialogue with the elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties, different organisations and public, as the interlocutor. The Home Minister said that as the government's representative, Sharma would initiate the sustained interaction and dialogue to understand legitimate aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The North Dakota Supreme Court will hear an appeal today from a family who believes the landlord of the Grand Forks home where their son consumed the drugs that led to his death should be held accountable. Debra and Keith Bjerk filed suit against Kenton G. Anderson in 2015 alleging his liability in the death of their son, Christian Bjerk, who died of a synthetic drug overdose in June 2012 at age 18. The lawsuit argued Anderson knew the house where Christian Bjerk took the drugs, 497 N. 51st St., was a frequent site for drug consumption and could have reasonably foreseen a death could have occurred there. They contended Anderson was liable for the death under the doctrine of negligent entrustment. Anderson moved for a summary judgement in 2016, and after allowing the Bjerks to file supplemental depositions and fillings, Judge Donald Hager issued a summary judgement and dismissed the suit. The Bjerk family was also ordered to pay Anderson $2,270 in legal fees and damages. At Mondays appeal hearing before the supreme court, the Bjerks will argue the district court should not have granted a summary judgement and discredited genuine issues of material fact when weighing if Anderson had control over the house where their son consumed the drugs that killed him and could have foreseen the death. They believe Judge Hager did not apply applicable state law relating to premises liability in the suit. Christian Bjerk was found dead on a Grand Forks sidewalk on June 11, 2012. He died from an overdose of the synthetic psychedelic drug 2C-I-NBOMe. The same substance was found in a 17-year-old Park Rapids, Minnesota, man, Elijah Stai, who died days after Bjerk in East Grand Forks. A federal investigation into the deaths ended with 15 people behind bars and shut down a nationwide synthetic drug trafficking operation. File picture of the rescue operations in Bengaluru during the rains Shashidhar B. Bengaluru: Nine days after Ningamma was washed away along with her daughter Pushpa, her body was found in a drainage next to a Rajakaluve near Jnanabharathi on Sunday afternoon. Police said that the 57-year-old womans body was found by a passerby, who went to throw something into the drain. He alerted the Jnanabharathi police that a womans body was found in the drain. The police rushed to the spot and retrieved the highly decomposed body and sent it for post-mortem to the Victoria Hospital. Based on the suspicion that it could be Ningammas body, her daughter Shobha was asked to identify it. She identified that the body was her mothers, the police said. Ningamma and her daughter Pushpa, 22, were washed away after they fell into a storm water drain, while coming out of their house in Kurubarahalli near Mahalakshmi Layout, after it was flooded due to heavy rain. Ningammas body was found in the drain that is about seven kilometers away from her house. Pushpas body was found in a drain near Kumbalgodu three days after the incident. The woman was sitting under a tree when Siva sexually assaulted her. She has been admitted to King George Hospital, police said. (Representational image) Visakhapatnam: A 28-year-old woman was raped by a man, who was allegedly drunk, on the footpath of Vishakhapatnam in broad daylight on Sunday. The passers-by did not come to the aide of the woman, instead an autorickshaw driver recorded the crime on his mobile phone. The accused was identified as 23-year-old Ganji Siva, a truck driver, according to The Indian Express. Police arrested him on Sunday night after the autorickshaw driver gave them the video of the incident. The incident took place between Railway New Colony and Railway Station at 2 pm. The woman was sitting under a tree when Siva sexually assaulted her. She has been admitted to King George Hospital, police said. Siva made threatening gestures at passers-by, which discouraged them from helping the woman, police said. The woman had left her home in Vepagunta near Pendurthi on the outskirts of Vizag after a tiff with her husband and had arrived in Vizag on a bus early Sunday. She took shelter under a tree on the pavement when Siva assaulted her. He is an alcoholic and drug addict, Inspector Ramana told the IE. "The video shows several people passing by but no one stopped to help the woman. Her husband is a labourer and they fought Sunday morning after which she left home and took shelter on the pavement. She has been admitted to KGH," he added. Chennai/ Madurai: The Tamil film Mersal continues to be in the spotlight beyond the theatres in which it is running since its Deepavali release. On an eventful Monday, rumours were afoot that actor Vishal was raided by GST intelligence officials, which was later denied. It later turned out that officials from the Income-Tax (TSD) wing did call on the actors movie office. Vishal, who is also secretary of the Nadigar Sangam, addressed the media to say that what was happening was not significant and that he was capable of facing any probes. A lawyer from Madurai in his complaint claimed that the dialogues Vijay speaks in the movie were against Indian sovereignty because it affects the religious sentiments of Hindus. A dialogue which states more hospitals need to constructed instead of temple was nothing but targeting a particular religion, he said. A petition was filed in Madras high court for a direction to revoke the censor certificate of the film. The petitioner, advocate A. Ashvathaman, alleged thatthe film was full of wrong propaganda about India and fake dialogues and scenes which obviously leads to misconception about the new taxation system of India and the Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 to the viewers. The BJP leader H. Raja, under fire over his remarks on the films GST and Digital India monologues, was given police protection. That did not stop him from stoking further controversy by saying Mersal film hero Vijay is a Christian and hence the reason for the criticism of GST in his film. Posting a photo of actor Vijays voters ID and official letterhead, on his Twitter account, Mr. Raja indicated that the popular star is a Christian and his full name is C. Vijay Joseph. This, the BJP senior asserted, is the reason for dialogues critical of GST, introduced by the BJP government at the Centre in July this year. Truth is bitter, Mr. Raja had also tweeted while posting the couple of photos on Vijay. Vijay (in the film) says that we should build hospitals instead of temples. Will he say the same about churches, too? Why are only temples being referred to? Its like provoking Hindus, he said, refusing to take into account that Vijays character in the film is a Hindu and thats why his director-scriptwriter might have mentioned temples and not churches. The BJP leader even saw a Kollywood conspiracy against Hindus. This is just silly, said director-producer S. A. Chandrasekar, reacting to the attack on his son Vijay having a Christian name. Even as the issue boiled over, BJPs TN President was involved in a fracas with VCK chief Thirumavalavan , leading to police protection being strengthened for her too. Chennai: The simmering unrest among fishermen groups in Kasimedu spilled over to the streets on Monday with several hundred of them staging a sudden road roko on Surya Narayana road in Kasimedu. Police had to resort to lathicharge as some of the protestors indulged in stone pelting, damaging more than five MTC buses. More than 10 persons suffered injuries in the melee. The issue pertains to the usage of banned Chinese engines in fishing boats by a group of fishermen, who protesters claim to be relatives of fisheries minister, D Jayakumar. After various rounds of talks failed, fisherfolk descended onto the streets on Monday creating a tense situation in the area. Police personnel, headed by Joint Commissioner R. Sudhakar, rushed to the scene and made futile attempts at pacifying the protestors. For a week, talks between fishermen associations and the fisheries department yielded no result. On Saturday night, Thyagu, a leader of the fiber boat association, was detained by Kasimedu police after which the groups protested outside the fisheries department office and the protests continued on Monday morning. Police personnel pacified the agitators and coordinated with the fisheries department to ensure removal of engines from the boats after which the protestors dispersed. According to South India Fishermens Association head K. Bharathi, only engines with 160-horse power are permitted to be used in boats for fishing while a few related to the minister have imported engines upto 480 horse power. Such engines are harmful to the environment and also have an undue advantage over other fishermen. What normal boats catch in three months, these boats haul in a month affecting livelihood of other fishermen, he said. According to a senior police officer, engines from five boats were removed. New Delhi: In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modis August 15 address in which he said the Kashmir problem cant be solved either through goli ya gaali (bullets or abuses) but only by embracing all Kashmiris, the Centre has now decided on a sustained dialogue with all stakeholders to help resolve the vexed issue. On Monday, the Centre named Dineshwar Sharma, a former Intelligence Bureau chief, as its special representative to initiate the talks. Announcing this, home minister Rajnath Singh said the representative will decide on whom to have a dialogue with, including separatists and Hurriyat hardliners. The home minister also clarified that Mr Sharma, who would hold the rank of cabinet secretary, would have complete independence in deciding who to hold talks with. Mr Singh claimed that the Centre has shown complete conviction and consistency in handling the Kashmir issue and the appointment of an interlocutor was part of taking forward the same policy. Mr Singh also referred to the PMs Independence Day speech, where Mr Modi had said the government was sensitive to issues related to Jammu and Kashmir. The PM, the home minister added, had held a number of meetings with political representatives on the Kashmir issue and they all wanted the dialogue process to restart. Hyderabad: In a major setback to YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the special CBI court here refused to grant him exemption from appearance in the pending illegal assets cases against him to allow him to go on his scheduled padayatra from November 2. He has to appear in court on Fridays. Special court judge M. Venkat Ramana said that in view of the dismissal of the plea of the petitioner by the High Court earlier, the trial court cannot entertain the application. In September, a single judge of the Hyderabad High Court had dismissed Mr Jagan Mohan Reddys plea by observing that the petitioner had suddenly invented the cause of padayatra. The judge said that the Supreme Court had made an observation that the petitioner was facing charges of serious economic offences. The CBI while opposing the YSRC chiefs petition argued that he cannot seek exemption citing political grounds. In view of the refusal of the petition by the High Court, the trial court cannot grant the exemption, it said. While considering the CBI contentions, the judge dismissed the Mr Jagans application. Hyderabad: The TS government has released Rs 41.71 crore under the Special Development Fund for improvement of water supply and sewerage lines in eight Assembly constituencies of Hyderabad district. In the orders issued by Special Chief Secretary, planning, B.P. Acharya, the government said Hyde-rabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi had requested the funds which had been sanctioned after careful examination. Mr Owaisi had met Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao earlier in the day. Chief Minister K.T. Rama Rao along with his daughter and Nizamabad MP K. Kavitha thanks supporters at the Pragathi Bhavan on Friday after the TRS-affiliated TBGKS posted big win in the Singareni union elections. (Photo: File/DC) Hyderabad: The Cabinet which met at Pragathi Bhavan for over seven hours on Monday approved eight Bills to be introduced in the Legislature Winter Session to replace ordinances issued earlier. The legislations include the Panchayat Raj Bill to strengthen villages, Revenue Records of Right Amendment Bill to empower farmer coordination councils to maintain land records along with revenue department and the Stamps and Registrations Amendment Bill to issue new pattadar passbooks to all landowners. The government will also introduce the Farmers Coordination Councils Bill to organise farmers from the village to the state level, and amendment Bills for the PD Act, Gaming Act VAT Act, Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, Excise Act and a Bill to set up the Road Development Corporation. The Cabinet approved the Bill to make Telugu compulsory up to Class 12 besides setting up private universities. Sources said the issue of TS TD working president A. Revanth Reddy figured prominently. The Cabinet discussed the impact of Mr Revanth Reddy joining the Congress. Chief Minis-ter Chandrasekhar Rao, who chaired the meeting, asked ministers to counter the allegations made by Mr Revanth Reddy over TRS government helping AP ministers get contracts in Telangana state. The Cabinet decided to pass resolutions in the Legislature again on pending issues to build pressure on Centre. These include bifurcation of High Court, women reservations in Legislature, increase in reservations for Muslims/ STs, I-T waiver for Singareni staff. The Cabinet also finalised the agenda for the Legislature session and political strategy to counter the Opposition criticism. The amendment to Land Record Rights Bill will provide special financial assistance to farmers every year via bank accounts. Amendment to Singareni Act to facilitate compassionate appointments in lieu of dependent jobs will also be passed. Hyderabad: Scams and discrepancies in the activities of the Telangana State Wakf Board continue to emerge with Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali ordering an inquiry into the irregularities reported at three dargahs in the state. Mr Syed Omer Jaleel, special secretary of the minorities Welfare Department, will conduct the probe and submit a report to the government. The inquiry has been ordered following reports that the TS Wakf Board has flouted rules while handing over the hundi collections of the Jahangeer Peeran dargah of Kothur, the Dargah Hazrath Janpahad Shaheed, and the Dargah Arvapally of Suryapet. According to sources, the Jahangir Peeran dargah earned `1.62 crore in hundi collections and other sources last year, while the Dargah Hazrath Janpahad Shaheed earned Rs 82 lakh. This year, the board nominated some persons to make the hundi collections, and asked them to pay Rs 96 lakh and Rs 20 lakh respectively. Discrepancies have been noted in the manner in which contracts were given out. Officials gave the contracts on the basis of nominations, instead of through a tender process. An inquiry will reveal if there were irregularities, and the culprits will be nailed, said the Deputy Chief Minister. Mr M.A. Mannan Farooqui, chief executive officer of the Wakf Board, said the contracts for the two dargahs did not include the hundi collections. Mr Mohd Saleem, chairman of the TS Wakf Board, said, There are court orders against auctioning of the hundi, so we did not include them in the contracts. There are no discrepancies. Mr Mahmood Ali said contracts would be cancelled if discrepancies were found. Seniority holds up probe for 4 years The inquiry ordered by the TS Wakf Board into the irregularities repor-ted in past four years has not yet begun. The Board had unanimously passed a motion ordering the inquiry into activities from the time of the Boards dissolution four years ago until the election of a new Board eight months ago. In the absence of an elected board, its functioning was managed by a special officer. This post was held by Mr Syed Omer Jaleel, special secretary, minorities welfare department, Mr Mohammed Asadullah, a senior official of the revenue department, and Mr M.J. Akbar, of the Indian Forest Service. The inquiry was ordered over a month ago following complaints regarding irregularities committed in the absence of an elected board. It was to have been conducted by Mr M.A. Mannan Farooqui, chief executive officer the TS Wakf Board. It has not yet begun because all the three officers are senior to Mr Farooqui. It is learnt that he plans to ask the board to assign the task to some other official. Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali had said recently that the senior officers would not be probed. Social activist Ather Moin demanded that all officials should be probed. If they are clean, let them face an inquiry, he said. New Delhi: In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modis August 15 address in which he said the Kashmir problem cant be solved either through goli ya gaali (bullets or abuses) but only by embracing all Kashmiris, the Centre has now decided on a sustained dialogue with all stakeholders to help resolve the vexed issue. Asked why such initiatives had failed earlier, Mr Rajnath Singh said: Please take it from me that whatever we do, we will do with saaf neeyat aur neeti (good intentions and clear policy). On the question of the reports of earlier interlocutors gathering dust in the home ministry, Mr Singh said: You cannot pre-judge that this initiative will not be successful. Our announcement shows how serious we are about initiating a dialogue. The special representative, Mr Singh said, would hold detailed talks to identify the legitimate aspirations of people, particularly the youth, and try to address them even though no timeframe has been fixed. He also clarified that there was nothing wrong in a former police officer holding talks since he was an apolitical person having no political affiliation ... which is his greatest advantage. Besides, he is well aware about the internal security situation of the country. Mr Sharma is, incidentally, the fourth interlocutor named by the Centre since 2002. The first was former Union minister K.C. Pant, while the second was N.N. Vohra. Salem: In a startling development, the Salem municipal corporation officials slapped a hefty fine amount of Rs 24.25 lakh on Sunday on various private institutions for serious public health violations following day-long inspection of dengue-control measures in the steel town. The penalty targets included a hospital that turned a blind eye to snakes in its potable water tank and two private spinning mills for not keeping their premises clean and tidy. The officials team led by commissioner R. Satheesh conducted surprise inspections at Shanmuga Hospital in Asthampatty and were shocked to find snakes creeping inside a water tank, which is used for supplying drinking water for patients. Officials also found that the hospital administration had dumped bio-medical waste in its premises without following guidelines to dispose them safely and a nearby sewer had not been constructed with adequate safety measures to drain out waste water. Larvae of aedes mosquitoes, which cause dengue, were also found in the water stagnating in the dumped goods and water containers in the premises, sources told DC. After taking note of all the irregularities and lack of mosquitoes control measures, the Salem corporation commissioner slapped a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Shanmugha hospital administration. A similar inspection at Saraswathi Hospital in Asthampatty revealed even worse unhygienic surroundings. Speaking about the anti-dengue drive, corporation commissioner R Satheesh said, plastic buckets, water tanks, coconut shells and dumped tyres were found with larvae of dengue-causing mosquitoes. The (Saraswathi) hospital has been imposed a fine amount of ` four lakh for not maintaining cleanliness and for making its premises a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The corporation officials, who inspected various places here, also slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on a tea shop at Ramakrishna Nagar and Rs five lakh each on two private spinning mills at Kamarajar Colony and Thathampatt respectively. The total fine charged today on erring establishments came to Rs 24.25 lakh at the end of a day-long inspection as part of the dengue prevention measures in Salem. Officials also warned of severe action against several others for not implementing mosquito control measures in the premises of houses and commercial establishments. Finance minister Dr. T.M. Thomas Isaac exchanging pleasantries with a girl, member of the percussion team during the reception accorded to him. The minister was in Kochi to inaugurate the zonal meeting of Kerala State Financial Enterprises officials at Ernakulam Town Hall on Monday. (Photo: DC) THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government is exploring the possibility of a package deal with top non-resident Keralite businessmen to enlist maximum subscriptions for the ambitious Pravasi Chitty that will be rolled out by Kerala State Financial Enterprises in January 2018. M.A. Yusuffali of Lulu Group and Ravi Pillai, who owns the RP Group of Companies, are reportedly favourable to the proposal that their entire Malayali workforce can be enrolled. Both Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and finance minister Dr T. M. Thomas Isaac will travel to the United Arab Emirates next month to hold talks with select non-resident businesspeople with a large workforce, including Mr Ali and Mr Pillai. If the Malayali employees in the firms of Yusuf Ali and Ravi Pillai alone agree to be part of the Pravasi Chitty, it would mean at least 20,000 subscriptions, a top finance department official said. Kerala State Financial Enterprises (KSFE) plans to enrol 10 lakh subscribers in the Pravasi Chitty in the next three years. The NRK chitty, though it functions just like a normal chitty, has extra benefits. There will be an insurance cover for non-resident subscribers. If a chitty holder dies, the remaining payment will be made by the insurer. And when the chitty matures, the prize money will be routed to the account of the closest kin. An agreement has already been entered into with LIC. The premium will also be paid by KSFE from its profits. There will be insurance cover when a chitty holder suffers permanent disability, too. There are more add-on benefits. If the chitty holder dies, the person will be flown to his hometown at the states expense. The flight cost of the person accompanying the body will also be met by the state. Perhaps, more importantly, there will be a pension scheme. If the prize money is deposited in a pension fund, the subscriber will get a regular monthly pension once they reach 60 years. The Pravasi Chitty is essentially a fund mobilisation mechanism for Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board. The KSFE expects a total turnover of Rs 24,000 crore from the operation of the NRK chitties. The money the non-resident subscriber transfers to the KSFE will be automatically converted as KIIFB bonds through a bond convertor software. KIIFB will use the money to fund various development projects. As for the KSFE, they can redeem the bonds whenever they require the money, like when the time comes to pay the prize money. It is redeemable on a daily basis, a KIIFB official said. KIIFB will also offer an interest stipulated by SEBI for its bonds. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi with OBC leader Alpesh Thakor who joined the party, during a public meeting in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on Monday. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Both the Congress and BJP escalated their high-pitched battle for Gujarat on Monday with Rahul Gandhi taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by describing his Good and Simple Tax (GST) as the Gabbar Singh tax. While OBC leader Alpesh Thakor shared the dais with Mr Gandhi in Gandhinagar, in Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced that his party would contest five of the 182 Gujarat Assembly seats and support the Congress in the remaining seats. The Congress also took on the BJP over the delay in announcing the Gujarat poll dates and demanded that the Election Commission immediately announce polls in the state, and put the model code of conduct into effect. It said the poll body should not be a party to the BJPs attempts to run away from the Assembly polls. A controversy broke out when an activist of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) claimed that the BJP had offered him Rs 1 crore to switch loyalties. The Congress vice-chief was quick to jump into the fray, saying: Gujarat is priceless and cannot be bought. Mr Gandhi tweeted, Gujarat is priceless and cannot be bought. This Gujarati voice is not an ordinary voice. This voice of Gujarat cannot be silenced or suppressed. You can offer anything, Rs 1 crore, Rs 10 crore, Rs 50 crore, Rs 1,000 crore, the entire Budget of India, the entire money of the world, (but) this Gujarati voice cannot be purchased. The BJP was quick to hit back, calling the Congress leader Dramabaaz No. 1, and advising Mr Gandhi not to reduce himself to a gimmick with such desperate tactics. Union minister and top BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said OBC leader Alpesh Thakores move to join the Congress was a drama, and claimed Mr Thakore was an NSUI member and had unsuccessfully contested a panchayat election on the Congress ticket earlier. A big claim is being made that a major leader has joined the party (Congress). I have often accused Rahul Gandhi of not doing his homework, but it seems even his scriptwriter is not doing his homework, Mr Prasad said. He said Mr Thakores father was also a district president of the Congress in Gujarat. Earlier, at a rally in Gandhinagar, Mr Gandhi showcased the alliance the Congress was cobbling up in Gujarat, where Mr Thakor shared dais with him and officially joined the Congress. Indicating Patidar leader Hardik Patel and dalit leader Jignesh Mevani were also part of the alliance, Mr Gandhi said: There are thousands of youths in Gujarat who cannot remain silent now. They belong to all castes. There are two more youths like you (Thakor) they are Hardik (Patel) and Jignesh (Mevani, a dalit leader). Both of them cannot remain silent. He again questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modis silence over the phenomenal rise of the company of BJP president Amit Shahs son Jay Shah. Hyderabad: TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had betrayed students and jobless youth who had sacrificed their lives and careers for the sake of statehood. Addressing the Dhoom Dham of the unemployed youth at Tagore Auditorium, Osmania University, on Monday, Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana state had become a reality solely due to the sacrifices made by the students and youth. Mr Rao had left the students and youth where they were before the state was created. He was distributing benefits among betrayers of Telangana and Andhra contractors, he said. Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy said as against the promise of providing a job for every household, the TRS government had failed to provide a job even for a village. He said the KCR government had failed to fill the vacancies in various departments which existed in undivided AP. He said there was no dearth of funds for the TRS government to pay to Andhra contractors, but it was claiming that it did not have the money to reimburse fees and pay scholarships for students. He said Mr Rao had deliberately starved universities and other institutions of the required funds. He mentioned how the government's negligence had led to the closure of professional colleges. My wife (N. Padma-vathi) and I are MLAs. We dont have any children. We have dedicated our lives for the service of the people. You are like our children and we cannot see you suffer. The KCR government has ruined the education sector. We will do everything possible to ensure that students get their due share. US secretary of state Rex Tillerson arrives in India later this week, just after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Last month, India had hosted US defence secretary James Mattis. Although US President Donald Trump will bypass India on his five-nation Asian jamboree, from November 3 to 14, the visits of two major US Cabinet secretaries underlines Washing-tons continued interest in US-India relations. The presence of the Afghan President remi-nds us that when Pres-ident Trump announced his new Afghan policy on August 21, he, after detailed analysis, emphasised the larger South Asian context and the need for a regional solution while, of course, applying military pressure on the Taliban and their cohorts. The United States realises that Afghanistan simply cant be stabilised unless the regional powers are on board. On October 16, the US convened the Quadrilateral Coordination Group, that comprises Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US, in Muscat to kickstart the reconciliation process in Afghanistan. The US proposes to widen the discussion with the involvement of other regional powers. The inhibiting factor is the deterioration of Iran-US relations, which will inevitably impinge on an Iranian role, considering its open channels to the Taliban. Mr Tillerson provided the curtainraiser when he spoke on October 18, at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. He saw India as a partner for far-reaching implications for the next 100 years. He called the US and India the bookends of stability, with the potential to be increasingly global partners with strategic convergence. The intent became apparent when he compared the rise of India as a peaceful, democratic power abiding by the existing rules-based system to the rise of China, trying to rewrite parts of the same system in keeping with Chinese interests and historical predilections. China, seen as a challenge, has evolved much since the presidency of George W. Bush when it was an unstated factor behind a nuclear deal with India. This reverses the US policy on China crafted by President Richard Nixon after his 1972 China visit, arguing that China, with access to Western capital and technology, would inevitably become a more open and productive member of the international system. Mr Tillerson is now declaring that China needs to be contained the way the erstwhile USSR was during the Cold War, the difference being that there cannot be unbridled opposition as Sino-US relations rest on tremendous linkages of trade and investment. For instance, while President Trump will engage President Xi, he has, meanwhile, ordered Robert Lighthizer, the US trade representative, to investigate, under Section 301 of the 1974 US Trade Act, Chinas unfair trade practices. Mike Pompeo, director of the CIA, provided the counterpoint with his remark that China has shown real progress in the DPR Korea (North Korea) issue, and as Chinese President Xi Jinping consolidates more power he also gains the capacity to do more good. Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his address to the 19th Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, restated Chinese prescriptions for an Asian security order. He said it must be all-inclusive, based on regional integration and development and not on absolute security for any single country. The target was clearly the US as it is the current offshore guarantor of Asian security. China, on the other hand, wishes to construct, using the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a Sino-centric order. Mr Tillerson used his CSIS address to debunk BRI by arguing, as India has in the past, that the region really needs alternative financing measures for infrastructure development. BRI, unlike project financing by the World Bank, he reasoned, overlooked poor governance, environmental and humanitarian questions arising in the nations and regions it traversed. In joint statements with India in the past, the US had flagged the breach of sovereignty of some nations. But the question remains about the source of alternative funding. Mr Trumps America First slogan implies rhetorical support combined with exhortations to regional powers to fund their own defence or development.India, reared on nonalignment, has to make policy choices in how and to what extent to rely on the Trump-tweaked US doctrines. It is true that the convergence of interests between India and Australia, Japan and the US is for India as a potential tool to shape its Asian environment. Mr Tillerson correctly emphasised the importance of bilateral India-US relations as evidenced by two-way trade touching $115 billion last year, the US having over 600 companies in India and hosting 166,000 students in the United States. The path has been also cleared for the transfer of cutting-edge technology in the field of defence, among other areas. Cooperation in counter-terrorism has expanded exponentially since I dealt with it as coordinator for counterterrorism in 2005-07. But President Trumps visa policy is a new hurdle stymieing the free flow of human resources and has hurt the export of Indian software and services. From this complex scenario, India has to devise a policy to play the new balancing game between the powers of the Indo-Pacific, consisting of China and Russia on one side and India, Japan and the US on the other. India is, as was a rising Germany in the 19th century, a swing power that can work with the other four. Mr Trumps Asian sojourn shows his immediate priority is to defang North Korea and rebalance relations with China. The moral for the Narendra Modi government is that it must regain the trust of the Opposition and rebuild a national consensus. A united India abiding by its liberal values as enshrined in the Constitution is the counterweight to an assertive China. Swing powers need soft, hard and smart power to win allies and thwart foes. Germany did that under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Under lesser men who followed, Europe slipped towards the world wars. South Asia and beyond countenance the same dilemma. The Rajasthan governments Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill to shield judges and public servants from corruption probes is the most devious legislation since the days of Emergency. Such protection from action in a law (replacing an ordinance thats in force) to stall probes to establish the truth of media and whistleblower allegations is a dire threat to freedom of the press and peoples rights. The controversial Bill, tabled in the state Assembly on Monday, doesnt simply seek to preclude the unmasking of corrupt judges and officials but tries to reverse the democratic process of people seeking a probe by arming the government with powers to arrest and jail them for two years if they defy the law and name those suspected of making money at the cost of the state. This ill-advised law reportedly has the Centres blessings as evident in a junior minister saying it was perfect and balanced. The gag on the media is a clear violation of the freedom of democracys fourth pillar and whose mission is to expose the shenanigans of corrupt officials and whose nexus with politicians is the single biggest factor behind the loot of national resources. Public servants against whom corruption charges are raised will be immune from being named publicly for six months or until the state gives sanction for a probe. And since babus and netas run the government, the implications of such powers to inhibit investigation as well as harass accusers are clear as daylight. If the Rajasthan government defies the right to insist on basic tenets of honesty in public life, its an invitation to anarchy. This is clearly unacceptable in a democratic country. The Centres decision to rejig the anomalies in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure is most welcome. GST was launched in a hurry on July 1, by finance minister Arun Jaitley, ignoring the wiser counsel of many, such as West Bengals finance minister Amit Mitra, who had suggested caution. Mr Mitra proved to be both prescient and prophetic. He had lobbied for GSTs deferral by around two months, saying that the worlds largest fiscal reform shouldnt be implemented with jugaad. He and many other state finance ministers, who supported him, wanted GST structured in a way that it would benefit both citizens and small traders. Its a no-brainer that GST, in its present form, wont achieve this. As GST subsumed around a dozen existing taxes like excise duty, VAT and services tax, it should have simplified the burdensome tax system in line with the one tax, one nation principle, bringing transparency and eliminating tax evasion. The way it was conceived was too complex for entities like small traders to fathom, with its multiple categories and sub-categories. The government has tweaked GST several times since July 1, but the basic flaws havent been resolved. Its complex structure saw tax collections in September at nearly four million assessees, far below the 6.8 million returns the finance minister expected to be filed in August. One can only hope that the next meeting of the GST Council will address many of the issues that have been thrown up in the past two months. It is also a matter of great concern that an already declining economy plummeted to the level of 5.7 per cent growth in the last quarter, the lowest in three years. The pace of the fall was hastened by the implementation of GST. Earlier, the demonetisation of high-value currency notes had disastrous consequences on the economy, particularly in rural India which is a society that largely transacts in cash. The common man and particularly the medium, small and micro industries were put through great hardship. It was the blow to this section that brought the growth rate down. The SMEs are the backbone of the Indian economy, and account for nearly 80 million jobs, not to mention a significant chunk of exports. The only ones who benefitted by the hasty introduction were the lawyers, Mr Jaitleys brothers-in-arms, and chartered accountants. Besides, with the all-important Gujarat elections expected to take place in December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi couldnt afford to have an angry electorate in his home state. This inept fiddling with the economy was further proved with the poor demand during the festive Diwali season. Now traders are looking forward to the wedding season and hoping to make up their losses. West Asia is at another crossroads as it approaches the 100-th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration supporting the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people. The anniversary is particularly significant as the recent peace agreement between two Palestinian factions Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Mahmoud Abbas Fatah, which is the main constituent of the Palestine Liberation Organisation makes the possibility of a shared homeland seem slightly less remote. Possession, not dispossession, lay at the heart of the declaration on November 9, 1917 by Arthur Balfour, then British foreign secretary. That alone can right a grave injustice and spare the world further bloodshed if it saves Palestinian youths from the clutches of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) and other terrorist outfits. Todays Israelis are loath to acknowledge any debt to the Balfour Declaration. They are right to the extent that Londons announcement alone would not have created Israel if militant Zionist organisations backed by the fortune of international Jewry had not acquired Palestinian properties, run illegal Jewish immigrants, and smuggled weapons for Jewish terrorist outfits like Hagannah, the Stern Gang and Irgun that contemptuously disregarded the Balfour Declarations pious commitment that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities (meaning indigenous Arabs). Palestine was cleansed of Palestinians before the phrase ethnic cleansing was coined. Even some Jewish rabbis were horrified at atrocities like armed Zionists storming Deir Yassin village of 600 Arab men, women and children one night. The co-existence that Balfour proposed represented the essence of the two-state solution that the Oslo process recommended, and which is today the only answer to the Palestine stalemate. Sadly, the British government itself set the precedent of betrayal by promising everything to everyone who could help Britain. The Sheriff of Mecca was promised all the Arab lands that the Ottoman sultans had ruled since 1517, with each of his sons king of a different brand new country, if they attacked Turkish installations. The secret Sykes-Picot pact carved out those same territories between Britain and France. Russia was promised Istanbul and chunks of todays Turkey. I am a Zionist, Balfour had declared to curry favour with the billionaire Cousinhood (related Jewish financiers like Rothschild, Montefiore, Sassoon and Samuel), whose money sustained the war effort. Winston Churchill sought the advice of Chaim Weizmann, the Zionist chief, on manufacturing explosives. Britain believed the Bolshevik leaders were all Jews. Nevertheless, there was temporising. Jews were offered homelands in Cyprus, Egypt and Uganda instead. Determination, strategic sense, money and Britains passive support (like looking away as men and weapons were smuggled into Palestine) helped Jews. There were other factors too. Kaiser William was anxious to get rid of German Jews. Moscow hoped for a socialist satellite. Above all, the Arabs were thoroughly disunited. Absentee landowners happily sold their estates to Zionist tycoons. When the Arabs did decide to fight, they squabbled over who was to be commander-in-chief, the honour going to Egypts corrupt and debauched King Farouk. Each Arab army was more anxious to seize territory for itself than to enable the Palestinians to stay where they were. In recent years, the bitter enmity among the three main groups Fatah, Hamas and Hezbollah, which is active in Lebanon has played into Israeli hands. When Hamas and Fatah ended their deadly rivalry in 2014 and formed a united government, Israels Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, denounced it as a vote for terror. The kidnapping and murder of three Jewish youths in the Israeli-occupied West Bank some weeks later provoked fierce Israeli reprisals and a war that killed over 1,500 beleaguered civilians in Gaza. It was the end of the unity government. Israel cannot have been displeased when Hamas expelled Fatah from Gaza in a bloody 2007 coup. Now the world is applauding another peace agreement between the two groups. Under this, Hamas will give up its exclusive control of Gaza and join a unity government based in the West Bank along with Fatah. Egypt, to which the Gaza Strip belonged before Israel seized it, was responsible for brokering the agreement. The security forces under Mr Abbas will now oversee the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which is expected to encourage Cairo to end its closure and allow goods and people to pass through and alleviate the humanitarian crisis of the enclaves 1.8 million people, who are entirely at Israels mercy. Gazas police force will be reorganised to include 3,000 Palestine Authority officers. At the same time, Hamas officials in Gaza are to be integrated into PA ministries. The sanctions imposed by Mr Abbas since the spring to tightly limit the entry of fuel, cutting Gazas electricity supplies to a few hours a day, will end. Its only a partial agreement, addressing civil and administrative matters. Contentious issues such as national elections, reform of the PLO, Hamass arsenal of weapons and the status of its armed wing are to be considered in late November. Thats when problems are expected to crop up. There are also fears that Mr Netanyahu might try to engineer another confrontation to sabotage the agreement. His strategy has always been to ensure that the West Bank and Gaza remain divided so that there is no pressure on him to negotiate. The Balfour Declaration coincided with Vladimir Lenins coup in Moscow in November 1917. France and the United States endorsed the document. Russia, France and Britain have somewhat lost their international consequence, but the US still matters to Israel. It can compel Mr Netanyahu to respect and work for a sovereign Palestine, which alone can save dispossessed Palestinians who have nothing left to lose from falling prey to terrorist organisations like Islamic State. Dark Overlord is a group of hackers who already tried and were successful in hacking Netflixs production studio servers a while ago. (Representative Image) In the latest incident involving the matter of cybersecurity, CNN Tech has reported that hackers are now trying to use personal details of students and teachers, and using them to gain ransom. The incident has taken place in Montana school district along with several other areas in the United States. Superintendent Steve Bradshaw reported the matter to the police after he received threatening text messages on his cell phone. "The messages weren't pleasant messages," Bradshaw said. "They were 'splatter kids' blood in the hallways,' and things like that." The issue seems to be a serious one as the US Department of Education has issued a warning to parents, teachers and students about a severe cyber threat looming over the schools of the country. Hackers have started targeting schools in a bid to ask for a ransom and are resorting to all sorts of ways to get their demands met. They are stealing student and staff records from the computer database and then using it to send threatening messages to people. When receiving any sort of request, they are sending out demands for ransom in exchange of the stolen data. In a ransom note sent to a number of Columbia Falls school district members, the hacking group called the Dark Overlord demanded up to $150,000 in bitcoin to destroy the stolen private data. The ransom note also contained several violent phrases to threaten the people; some parts of it mentioning threats of bullying, shaming or even violence. Dark Overlord is a group of hackers who already tried and were successful in hacking Netflixs production studio servers a while ago. Theres no mention as to why the group has suddenly taken to hacking school databases and threatening students as well as staff. It could be that they take the school crowd to be easily exploitable instead of financial institutions. While the US authorities are on the issue and will protect the concerned schools from the attack, it also gives us an example to protect school databases in our country. Data security in most Indian schools and colleges are taken lightly, with no major security firewall built in. If theres anything Indian authorities have learnt from the WannaCry attack earlier this year, then its about time to implement them for a secure computing environment. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. I dont know whats going to happen with that deal, Mr Trump said of the landmark 2015 accord.(Photo: AFP) US President Donald Trump said in an interview that he does not object to France and Germany continuing trade with Iran, despite his refusal to certify the Iran nuclear deal. I told them just keep making money, the real estate mogul-turned-president told the Fox News programme Morning Futures. Dont worry. We dont need you on this one. They are friends of mine. They really are. I get along with all of them. Whether its Emmanuel or Angela, Mr Trump said, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. I dont know whats going to happen with that deal, Mr Trump said of the landmark 2015 accord, which on October 13 he refused to certify, leaving the pacts fate to US Congress. When they buy those things, it is a little harder, Mr Trump said of French and German commercial dealings with Iran. But speaking to journalists on a diplomatic visit to Riyadh, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said, Those who conduct business with Iranian Revolutionary Guards, any of their entities European companies or companies around the globe do so at great risk. Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe swept to a resounding victory in a snap election on Sunday and immediately vowed to deal firmly with threats from North Korea that dominated the campaign. Mr Abes conservative coalition was on track to win 311 seats in the 465-seat parliament, according to a projection from private broadcaster TBS, putting the nationalist premier on course to become Japans longest-serving leader. The resounding election win is likely to stiffen Mr Abes resolve to tackle North Koreas nuclear threat, as the key US regional ally seeks to exert maximum pressure on Pyongyang after it fired two missiles over Japan in the space of a month. As I promised in the election, my imminent task is to firmly deal with North Korea, Mr Abe, 63, said. For that, strong diplomacy is required, he stressed. Mr Abe was heading for a landslide win, the top-selling Yomiuri daily said on its website, as the Premiers gamble to hold a snap election appeared to be paying off. But it was unclear in the immediate aftermath of the vote whether his coalition would retain its two-thirds supermajority, requiring 310 seats, as some media had it falling just short. A supermajority would allow Mr Abe to propose changes to pacifist Japans US-imposed constitution that forces it to renounce war and effectively limits its military to a self-defence role. Mr Abe said he would deepen debate on the divisive issue in parliament but stressed: I dont plan to propose (changes) via the ruling bloc alone. Well make efforts to gain support from as many people as possible. Mr Abe said the results indicate that voters support his policies and want to see his political leadership continue. I think the results reflected the voters preference for a solid political foundation and their expectations for us to push polices forward and achieve results, he said. Rain, wind on poll day Millions of Japanese braved torrential rain and driving winds to vote as a typhoon bears down on the country, with many heeding warnings to cast their ballots early. I support Mr Abes stance not to give in to North Koreas pressure, said Yoshihisa Iemori as he cast his ballot in a rainswept Tokyo. Two people died and more than 10 were injured as millions struggled to the polls for the national election. Authorities advised thousands living in coastal areas or near rivers to evacuate to shelters as typhoon Lan, which had maximum sustained winds of 160 km per hour, described as very large and very strong, dumped torrential rain over much of the country. A severely-malnourished Syrian baby on the brink of death has become a stark reminder of the horrors of the Syrian way that has been going on for over six years. Sahar Dofdaa was 34-days-old when her parents took her to a clinic in Hamouria in rebel-held East Ghouta. She died the next day, according to the Independent. Photos and video provided by the hospital and shared by activists show the baby, her translucent skin stretched taut over her bones and breathing with difficulty. She is in great distress but is too weak to make a noise when she cries. Sahar weighed only 1.9 kg when she was admitted. Her malnourished mother was unable to produce milk to feed her baby, a nurse said. Sadly, this is not a rare case in the war-torn Syria. There are several stories of starving children in East Ghouta, which has been under siege by government forces since 2013. Suicide blasts and drone strikes make headlines everywhere while these stories never see the light of day. Eastern Ghouta is one of four de-escalation zones set up in May under a deal between backers of rival sides in Syrias devastating six-year war. But food supplies still rarely enter the region, where medical officials say hundreds of children are suffering acute malnutrition. Residents suffer from severe food shortages, and when goods are available in the markets, it's at a crazy price, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Medics at hospitals and health clinics in Eastern Ghouta say they examine dozens of malnourished children a day and the number is on the rise. According to the Geneva Convention deliberate starvation of citizens is a war crime but the Syrian regime has effectively utilised it to spark tensions between different rebel groups and turn civilians lacking food and medicine against opposition fighters, Independent wrote. Last year, it was reports that the starving citizens of the Syrian city of Madaya had been reduced to living off salt and water to survive. The European Parliament has been exposed as an absolute hotbed of harassment as over a dozen female aides have accused several Member of the European Parliament (MEP) of groping and stalking, media reports said on Sunday. Several victims spoke to The Sunday Times in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. One female employee alleged that a 60-year-old prominent MEP touched her inappropriately. He was stroking my hair, then my neck, going down my back I just froze, I was petrified, she told the paper. I told my colleague, who said I should report him, but in the end I didnt I was afraid of losing my job, of facing the embarrassment and ruining my career, she said. Another woman claimed that a senior MEP masturbated in front her while another aide said a middle-aged politician her. One 24-year-old assistant claimed a German MEP stalked her in meetings and eventually made unpleasant advances. Former French environment minister Yves Cochet, 71, sent a 25-year-old female assistant a text chiding her for rejecting a dinner invitation. I know its a cliche, an old man asking out a pretty young woman. But are you afraid of what people will say do you maybe tremble with a delicious yet disconcerting expectation? the text, which The Times claims to have seen, read. An MEP from Germany allegedly touched a 22-year-old assistant of a colleague indecently during a work lunch. The victim claimed the EU parliament is an absolute hotbed of harassment because MEPs deliberately hire young female aides and feel they are not accountable to anyone. The head of the World Health Organisation on Sunday reversed his decision to name Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe as a goodwill ambassador, following widespread uproar. Over the last few days, I have reflected on my appointment of H.E. President Robert Mugabe as WHO goodwill ambassador for (non-communicable diseases) in Africa ... I have decided to rescind the appointment the head of the UN agency, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in a statement. Mr Tedros, who took charge of WHO in July, said he had listened carefully to those who condemned the decision and spoken to the Harare government. Mr Tedros had praised Zimbabwe as a country that places universal health coverage and health promotion at the centre of its policies. But activists and key WHO donors like the UK and the US denounced the move saying Zimbabwes healthcare has collapsed under Mr Mugabes 37 years of authoritarian rule. 'ISIS has over a period of 20 days executed at least 116 civilians in reprisal killings, accusing them of collaboration with regime forces,' said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. (Photo: File | AP) Beirut: The ISIS group killed 116 people it suspected of collaborating with the Syrian regime in Al-Qaryatayn in October before losing the desert town to government forces, a monitor said Monday. "ISIS has over a period of 20 days executed at least 116 civilians in reprisal killings, accusing them of collaboration with regime forces," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. Regime forces retook Al-Qaryatayn, which lies in the central Homs province, on Saturday, three weeks after the jihadists seized control of it. ISIS had first occupied the town in 2015 and lost it to a Russian-backed Syria forces in 2016. "After the regime retook it (on Saturday), the town's residents found the bodies on the streets. They had been shot dead or executed with knives," Abdel Rahman said. "Most of the ISIS fighters who attacked the town a month ago were sleeper cells. They are from the town, know the town's residents and who is for or against the regime," he said. The majority of those killed were executed in the last two days before ISIS lost the town again, he added. China has asked Pakistan to step up security of its newly-appointed ambassador in Islamabad in the wake of threats to his life from a terrorist organisation, according to media reports. Yao Jing, replaced Sun Weidong, who served as China's Ambassador to Pakistan for three years and recently returned to his country. In the letter, circulated in the local media, the focal person for CPEC Ping Ying Fi shared details of the terrorists passport and demanded his immediate arrest and handover to the Chinese embassy. It identified the terrorist as Abdul Wali. The interior ministry and the Chinese embassy have declined to comment on the letter. The ETIM largely operates from Chinas restive Muslim- majority Xinjiang region, bordering Pakistan. The security of Chinese officials in Pakistan is a major issue and the Army has been tasked to provide security to the Chinese working on various projects, including the CPEC. The CPEC, which traverse through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, will connect Xinjiang with Pakistans seaport Gwadar through a network of rail, road and pipeline. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second visit to the Kedarnath shrine in the Himalayas in less than six months is not just about adding the Hindutva flavour to the current election season. Rather, it is linked to a plan that could see the prime minister begin the 2019 Parliamentary poll campaign from there once the restoration work of the shrine is completed, BJP leaders said. A day after Deepavali, Modi went to Kedarnath to launch several reconstruction projects before it closes for the harsh winter. He laid the foundation stone for a new Kedarpuri, which was destroyed by flash floods in June 2013, in which 5,000 people lost their lives. Kedarnath is located about 11,000 feet above sea level in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It is billed as one of the "char dhams" (four holy places), others being Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The state's BJP government has been given an October 2018 deadline to reconstruct facilities around the shrine. A few days ago, BJP national president Amit Shah had called a meeting of senior leaders, including Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, and asked them to speed up matters in this regard, party insiders said. Several private companies have also pitched in with funds and resources. The Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Group announced on Friday that it has entered into a pact with the Uttarakhand government for the reconstruction and restoration of some sites. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday accused the BJP leaders of politicising Tipu Jayanti. Speaking after inaugurating various development works worth Rs 252 crore at Bantwal, he said that when BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa was in the KJP, he had worn an attire similar to that of Tipu and also had held a sword in his hand to pose for a photograph. BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje, who has now asked the state government not to print her name in the invitations for Tipu Jayanti celebration, was with Yeddyurappa at that time, he claimed. When former vice chancellor Sheikh Ali wrote a book on Tipu Sultan, BJP leader Jagadish Shettar, who was then the chief minister, had written a foreword to the book praising the valour of Tipu. Shettar had called Tipu a patriot. Now, he is changing his tune. By politicising Tipu Jayanti, the true face of BJP leaders has come to the fore, Siddaramaiah said. Those who do not have knowledge of history can not create history. Tipu had fought against the British and was a true patriot. Hence, the state government is observing Tipu Jayanti, he justified. The police in the US on Sunday discovered the body of a child, which they say is "most likely" of a three-year-old Indian girl who went missing two weeks ago. Sherin Mathews, who has developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills, was last seen outside her family's backyard in Richardson city in Texas on October 7 after her foster father reportedly upbraided her and sent her alone outside late at night as punishment for not finishing her milk. The Richardson Police announced that they discovered the remains of a child in a tunnel beneath a road, expressing apprehension that it was "most likely" of Sherin. They, however, did not confirm the identity. Sherin's body was found about half a mile from the house of her adoptive parents, Wesley and Sini Mathews. As part of their search operation, officers blocked off an area near Spring Valley and Bowser roads, east of Central Expressway. The body was found in a culvert beneath a road around 11 am (local time) with the help of search dogs. Police have not released any details about how the child died. They, however, indicated they had no reason to believe that the body of a different child had been found. The identification process was underway. The medical examiner was working to determine the cause of death. The child's foster father, Wesley Mathews, 37, was arrested on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child. A day later, he was released from custody after posting $ 250,000 bond. As per an arrest-warrant affidavit, Mathews, said to be from Kerala, told police that he sent Sherin outside and told her to stand next to a large tree at around 3 am on October 7. Mathews admitted that he knew coyotes or wild dogs had been seen in the alley, the affidavit said. Some 15 minutes later, Mathews allegedly went to check on Sherin but did not find her. After looking around for her, he said he then went inside to do laundry and decided to wait until morning to continue searching or for her to return on her own, police sergeant Kevin Perlich said. The Police were not alerted until about five hours later. Mathews reportedly adopted the girl two years ago from an Indian orphanage. Sherin's case also caught the attention of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. "We are deeply concerned about the missing child. Indian Embassy in the US is actively involved and they keep me informed," Sushma tweeted on October 19. "We are closely monitoring the Sherin Mathews case. We have established contact with the community and authorities," India's Consul General in Houston, Anupam Ray, had tweeted. The Editors Guild of India has asked the Rajasthan government to "withdraw the harmful ordinance" that bars the media from reporting on accusations against public servants, judges and magistrates without its sanction. The ordinance is a "pernicious instrument" to harass the media, the Guild said in a statement last night. "The ordinance promulgated by the state government last month was ostensibly done to protect the judiciary and the bureaucracy against false FIRs. "But in reality it is a pernicious instrument to harass the media, hide wrongful acts by government servants and drastically curb the freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution of India," it said. The Rajasthan government had last month promulgated The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, that seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on-duty action, without its prior sanction. It bars the media from reporting on such accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe is given by the government. Rather than taking stern measures to prevent and punish those who indulge in frivolous or false litigations, the Rajasthan government has passed an ordinance that is bent on "bludgeoning the messenger", the Guild said. While the Guild has always stood for fair, balanced and responsible reporting of FIRs filed in courts of law, it believes that the remedy being employed by the government is "draconian" and gives it "untrammelled power" to even imprison journalists for reporting matters of public interest. "The Guild requests the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to withdraw the harmful ordinance and prevent any Act from being passed that would endanger the freedom of the press," it said. The Shiv Sena today lashed out at the BJP without naming it, claiming that "one party" possessed "unlimited money" and had come to power in Goa and Manipur despite being "rejected by the people". It also claimed money was being used to "try and uproot" the Sena. "Even if people face recession after demonetisation, one party is on an upturn and came to power in Goa and Manipur despite being rejected by the people," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said. The BJP formed a government in Goa and Manipur in March this year. The editorial said people were watching which party "indulges in horse-trading backed by the power of money". "The same money was used to try and uproot the Shiv Sena as well," it said. Referring to the senior ally, again without naming it, the editorial said the party kept "boasting" that the government in Maharashtra would be stable even if the Sena withdrew its support to it. "This boasting is being done on the back of unlimited money only. It is surprising that nobody approaches the Enforcement Directorate to seek a probe against them," the Sena said. It then went on to allege that attempts were also being made to seize power in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, riding high on the money of traders. The Opposition Congress and NCP were not as disturbed as "the party with unlimited money" by the increased strength of the Shiv Sena after six corporators from the MNS joined it, the editorial said. Intermittent exchange of fire between Indian army personnel and Pakistani troops continued for a third day today in the Uri sector along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, forcing the authorities to shut down schools in the affected areas. An army official said there were no fresh casualties on the Indian side in the exchange of fire. "Intermittent exchange of firing took place between our soldiers and Pakistani troops along the LoC in the Uri sector (in the Kamalkote area) till 6.00 am today," the official said. Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing on Indian posts and villages near the LoC in the Kamalkote area on Saturday, resulting in death of an army porter and injuries to two women. They again violated the ceasefire in the same sector yesterday, which was retaliated by the Indian army. Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, the authorities have closed at least six schools close to the Line of Control, officials said. They said the schools which have been closed for the time being are in Dolanja, Madya, Jabla, Kaman and Saki localities. While the Congress strongly opposed and staged a walkout, senior BJP leader and four-time MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari also opposed the ordinance and walked out of the Assembly twice. Tiwari requested to raise a Point Of Order, which was turned down by the Speaker. Later the Congress staged a protest outside the Assembly. Leaders who were opposing the ordinance wore a black band on their forearm. "We wanted to go for a protest walk until the Raj Bhavan. But the police detained us midway. However, we reached the governor's residence and handed over a memorandum which demands the withdrawal of the ordinance," Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot told DH. The Rajasthan Bar Association has decided to observe a "Black Day" on October 24 against tabling of the Bill. The People's Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL), an NGO, is also filing a petition on Tuesday. Kavita Shrivastava, PUCL general secretary, told DH, "We are in the process of filing a PIL." The ordinance also bars the media from reporting on the allegations without prior sanction. The ordinance amends the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and also seeks to curb publishing and printing or publicising, in any case, the name, address, photograph and personal details of the public servants. Those violating the clause are liable to two years' imprisonment. The ordinance provides 180-days immunity to the officers, and the request for sanction will be automatically granted if no decision is taken within the stipulated period. The Rajasthan government's ordinance which bars investigations against serving and former judges, magistrates, and public servants without prior sanction has been challenged in the high court.Speaking to the media outside the Rajasthan High Court, senior advocate A K Jain confirmed that he has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017.The PIL wants the ordinance to be declared unconstitutional. The petition will be heard on October 27. The Assembly session, which kicked off on Monday, was adjourned amid an uproar by the Opposition Congress when Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria tabled the bill to replace the ordinance. The state BJP on Monday released the logo and route map of the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivarthan Yatra. The yatra will traverse 7,500 km, covering all 224 assembly constituencies and conclude on January 28 in Bengaluru. BJP national president Amit Shah will launch the yatra in Bengaluru on November 2. Three public meetings are to be held every day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the concluding event. Speaking on the occasion, BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa accused Siddaramaiah of heading a commission government. He charged Siddaramaiah with seeking 20% to 25% commission for sanctioning projects. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda on Monday advised the government to focus on providing succour to farmers in distress instead of wasting time by raking up a controversy over celebrating Tipu Jayanti. He was speaking to reporters after visiting agriculture fields affected by pests at Bharamasagara in the taluk. Gowda said he would take up the issue of farmers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The central and state governments should stop blaming each other unnecessarily, the JD(S) supremo said. Gowda also took a dig at the BJP, which has organised a Parivarthan rally across the state. The government on Monday announced a sustained dialogue to bring peace in Kashmir and appointed former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma as its interlocutor. Sharma will have the freedom to talk to anyone, including separatists, the Centre said. The announcement by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh came months after the Centre and the BJP indicated that it was willing to hold a dialogue with every stakeholder, in a subtle change from its earlier position of not engaging with separatists. The outreach, through the appointment of a mediator, also comes as violence and terrorist activities continue in the Valley following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in an encounter last year. The Opposition latched on to the government announcement, saying it is an admission of its failure in Kashmir. Former home minister P Chidambaram said from no talks to talks with all stakeholders is a major victory for those who had strongly argued for a political solution in Kashmir. With the appointment of an interlocutor, I hope the government has finally admitted that its muscular approach has failed in Kashmir, he said. CPI national secretary D Raja said the government had ignored the Opposition parties, which had been demanding such an initiative for long. Singh said the move is a continuation of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Independence Day speech when he said neither by bullet nor by abuses, but by embracing we can solve the problem of Kashmir. The government has shown conviction and consistency on Kashmir. Dineshwar Sharma will initiate a sustained interaction and dialogue to understand the legitimate aspirations of the wide cross sections of society, particularly the youth in Jammu and Kashmir, and communicate them to the state government and the Centre, Singh said. When disasters strike as they have repeatedly across the transatlantic sphere this season government exercises its most essential function: saving lives. Do these heroic actions validate the ongoing intervention of the federal government into local affairs? This hurricane season has given federal officers too many opportunities to provide this service. Hurricanes Harvey, Irene, and Maria tore across the countryside in violent succession. Most recently, Hurricane Ophelias 100 mph winds killed three people in the Republic of Ireland and inflicted an estimated 1 billion of damage. Thousands are still without power, and a handful lack water. The federal government has an important role in disaster relief. This role does not violate the principle of subsidiarity, writes Steve Stapleton in a new essay for Religion & Liberty Transatlantic, titled, Hurricanes, heroism, and ripples in a pond. Following a disaster, you dont need local input to know that search-and-rescue is critical and that the area needs safe drinking water, ready-to-eat meals, clothing, blankets, baby diapers, etc., he explains. But beyond relief, the principle of subsidiarity can provide a framework to limit the role of the government. He contrasts the U.S. Coast Guards immediate, lifesaving actions in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina with the federal governments ongoing management of the disaster. The Coast Guard rescued more people in a matter of days than it did in a typical year. Then the federal government began resettling displaced residents: The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit report estimated that improper and fraudulent payments following Katrina were between $600 million to $1.6 billion. The New York Times reported on June 27, 2006, that Katrina produced one of the most extraordinary displays of scams, schemes, and stupefying bureaucratic bungles in modern history, costing taxpayers up to $2 billion. State and national governments, which are best equipped to deal with overwhelming emergencies, excel at providing immediate assistance to those in need. Requiring every local government to procure and deploy enough emergency resources for a catastrophic disaster helicopters, teams of rescue boats, etc. would be inefficient to the point of ludicrous. But expecting leaders at state or national levels of authority to adequately manage the diverse, kaleidoscopic problems of every county, city, and village square is no less unrealistic. Subsidiarity which Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos defined as a kind of ecclesiastical federalism in her keynote speech at the Acton Institutes annual dinner last week holds that problems should be solved by the lowest possible level of authority. Stapleton writes: Seeking solutions to our social and political challenges should radiate outward from the family, to the extended family, to the community (including the church community), to the city or county, to the state, and lastly to the federal level. This progression is analogous to the ripples in a pond, starting with the smallest unit of society, the family, at the center. Subsidiarity works, because each ripple is connected to the next. The closer the local connection, the more likely the agent will be to show ownership and that accountability will be sustained. Subsidiarity works, because freedom is maximized when authority is exercised via soft power within the culture. When people look to the government to solve problems as a first resort, behavior is enforced via the fist of the state, and citizens good habits of moral decision making are lost. Read his full essay here. (Photo credit: U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott D. Rady rescues a pregnant woman during Hurricane Katrina. Public domain.) The Opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu on Monday urged the Election Commission not to conduct by-polls to the high-profile R K Nagar Assembly seat until the names of fake voters were removed from the list. DMK's Rajya Sabha member R S Bharathi submitted a detailed petition to Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni. "After the perusal of the voter's list and field verification in RK Nagar Assembly constituency, we found various discrepancies such as double entries, multiple entries, non-deletion of shifted voters (who are not residing in the constituency) and non-deletion of deceased voters...," the plea stated. A new education policy to "correct" the education system, which follows a "colonial" mindset, will be brought out in December, said Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Satya Pal Singh, on Monday. He said threadbare discussions were held on the new policy, which is in its final stages. After Independence, most academicians, unfortunately, followed the footsteps of the British and western scholars and "deliberately" denigrated Indian culture, he said. The minister said the biggest challenge facing the education system and government was how to "decolonise" the Indian mind, and added that the nation has to keep pace with the world in this field. Some issues to be addressed include improving the quality of education at the primary level, making higher education affordable and ensuring more people have access to education, the minister said after inaugurating the National Academic meet here. Skill development is a major area on which the government has given thrust. But more has to be done on this, Singh said. To prevent students from going abroad for education, the minister said higher education institutions matching the standards of centres of international excellence should be developed. The minister said accessibility to higher education in India was only 25.6% while it was 86% in the US, 80% in Germany and 60% in China. "The aim is to improve the higher education system in the country to make it available to more," he said. Singh said the challenge before the government was to remove social and regional disparities in students having access to higher education and to make it affordable to all. "In some places, access to higher education is as low as 9% but in others, it is 60% ...higher education is very expensive and has to be made more affordable to all sections of the society," he said. Singh also pointed out that 50% of the teacher posts were lying vacant in universities. "In Delhi University, there are 4,000 vacancies," Singh said though India produces 30,000 to 40,000 PhDs every year, the nation's contribution to the world economy was only 0.2% and added that a lot of improvement has to be brought about in research and development. He said changes are necessary for the Right to Education Act as the law "lacked teeth". "The Act provides the right to compulsory primary education. But what is the remedy if parents do not send their children to school? So many things have to be done to improve primary education in the country," Singh said. 'Paika rebellion to be first War of Independence' The 'Paika Bidroha' (Paika rebellion) of 1817 will find a place in the history books as "the First War of Independence" from the next academic session, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Monday, reports PTI from Bhubaneswar. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had, in a letter to the Centre, urged that it should recognise 'Paika Bidroha' as the First War of Independence against the British rule as it took place four decades before the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. A woman teacher killed a class IV student with the help of her lover, the school bus driver, in Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad district for revealing details about her affair. A source said that the child, also the teacher's distant relative, had told her parents about their affair. Police said the child went missing on October 22. She had gone to school as usual but did not return. Her decomposed body was recovered from a forested area in Kumarganj on Saturday. The victim's family suspected the hands of the teacher and her lover, Anees, behind the sudden disappearance of the child. The investigation pointed the needle of suspicion towards the teacher, who was absconding. The teacher and Anees were apprehended from Faizabad railway station on Sunday when they alighted a train. They had fled to Gurugram, the police said. During the interrogation, the teacher confessed that she was angry with the child and killed her with Anees's help. They lured the child to a secluded place after school and strangled her to death. They then buried the body in a forested area. Anees said he did not want to kill the child but the teacher insisted. Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy today denied reports of downsizing the SIT probing the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh and said "vested interests" were spreading "misinformation". "All the 121 members ... including whom we had deputed are part of the SIT that is probing the case... not even one person has been moved out of it," he told PTI. Lankesh, known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her home here on the night of September 5. The Karnataka government, which constituted the SIT headed by IGP (Intelligence) B K Singh, had also announced Rs 10 lakh reward for anyone giving clues about the perpetrators of the crime. The SIT team had on October 14 released the sketches of two suspects and video footage from CCTV cameras in connection with the case, as it sought public help to nab the culprits. Two Congress activists received burn injuries today while trying to set on fire an effigy of Jorhat MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa at Moran in upper Assam's Dibrugarh district, police said. The MP has claimed that his comment at a rally in Sibsagar district on Saturday was "wrongly interpreted" and he was referring to the Gandhi family and not the Mahatma. He had reportedly said that the Congress had, over the years, instilled "the garbage of Nehru-Gandhi in the minds of people and there was no space for any other ideology." The comment triggered widespread criticism from the Congress. The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) filed an FIR against Tasa yesterday, alleging that he had made "derogatory comments" against Mahatma Gandhi and the three former prime ministers. The FIR was lodged at Bhangagarh police station by APCC general secretaries Imdad Hussain and Mukul Sarma who also demanded immediate arrest of the BJP MP. The protests continued today in Diburgarh. The injured youths were rushed to the Assam Medical College Hospital in Dibrugarh, where doctors said their condition was stable. APCC president and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora demanded that Tasa apologise for "insulting" Mahatama Gandhi. "His derogatory statement indicates his poor knowledge about the history of India's freedom struggle," said Bora. Leader of opposition in state legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, made a similar demand. Tasa, however, said he meant no disrespect to Mahatma Gandhi during his speech at the rally, also attended by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal,"I cannot dream of making such a statement against the Father of the Nation. I had said a lot of garbage has been drilled in the names of Nehru and Gandhi and was referring to the Gandhi family and not the Mahatma," he added. The Congress has demanded an apology and the immediate arrest of a BJP MP, who referred to the ideas of "Nehru-Gandhi" as 'garbage'. The CBI Special Court here on Monday struck down a petition moved by YSR Congress president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. Jagan had sought exemption from appearing before the court as he wanted to participate in a 'padayatra' from November 2. Jagans counsel pleaded that his client should be exempted from personal appearance in court every Friday for over six months for the proposed 3,000 km padayatra in Andhra Pradesh. However, the counsels appearing for the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate opposed the petition saying that the absence of the main accused for six months could seriously hamper legal proceedings. The court agreed with the investigation agencies and opined that any accused can seek absence on unavoidable occasions but cannot allow anyone from attending the court for six months. This is not the first time that the court has refused to allow Jagan to abstain from attending court. In August, the high court had struck down his petition seeking exemption from appearing before the court. Jagan, son of late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, is the Leader of the Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and is facing 11 charge sheets in relation with ill-gotten wealth during the term of his reign. Following the court order, the YSRC Legislative Party meeting scheduled for Monday was cancelled. The party seniors are now redrawing the padayatra map with provisions for their leader to return to Hyderabad every Friday and then continue the Padayatra. A source in the party said that they will contest the CBI courts decision in the high court. The appointment of Dineshwar Sharma, a former Intelligence Bureau director, as an interlocutor to initiate a sustained dialogue to find a solution to Kashmir issue on Monday evoked mixed response among mainstreams while separatists declined to comment. While welcoming the initiative, J&K Chief Minster Mehbooba Mufti said the dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward. This dialogue initiative is in line with P.M @narendramodis 15th August speech na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmir ki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se (sic), she tweeted. National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah termed the offer as the acceptance of the political nature of the Kashmir issue which he said is a resounding defeat of those who could only see the use of force as a solution. However, while referring to Rajanths statement that Sharma would try to understand the legitimate aspirations of the people, Omar sought to know who would define which of the demands are genuine. The legitimate aspirations of people of J&K is an interesting formulation. Who gets to decide what is legitimate? he tweeted. Omar also sought to know the fate of the probe into terror funding cases. Welcome move The Congress on Monday said it welcomed the appointment of an interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir saying it was a clear admission by the Modi government that its muscular policy has failed in the troubled state. From no-talks to talks with all stakeholders is a major victory for those who had strongly argued for a political solution in Jammu and Kashmir, former home minister P Chidambaram said.With the appointment of an interlocutor, I hope the government has finally admitted muscular approach has failed, he tweeted. For centuries, skin colour has held powerful social meaning a defining characteristic of race, and a starting point for racism. If you ask somebody on the street, What are the main differences between races? theyre going to say skin colour, said Sarah A Tishkoff, a geneticist at the University of Pennsylvania. Recently, Sarah and her colleagues showed this to be a profound error. In the journal Science, the researchers published the first large-scale study of the genetics of skin colour in Africans. The researchers pinpointed eight genetic variants in four narrow regions of the human genome that strongly influence pigmentation some making skin darker, and others making it lighter. These genes are shared across the globe, it turns out; one of them, for example, lightens skin in both Europeans and hunter-gatherers in Botswana. The gene variants were present in humanitys distant ancestors, even before our species evolved in Africa 3,00,000 years ago. The widespread distribution of these genes and their persistence over millenniums show that the old colour lines are essentially meaningless, the scientists said. The research dispels a biological concept of race, Sarah said. Humans develop colour much as other mammals do. Special cells in the skin contain pouches, called melanosomes, packed with pigment molecules. The more pigment, the darker the skin. Skin colour also varies with the kind of pigments: melanosomes may contain mixtures of a brown-black called eumelanin and a yellow-red called pheomelanin. Pigment-producing genes To find the genes that help produce pigments, scientists began by studying people of European ancestry and found that mutations in a gene called SLC24A5 caused cells to make less pigment, leading to paler skin. Unsurprisingly, almost all Europeans have this variant. We knew quite a lot about why people have pale skin if they had European ancestry, said Nicholas G Crawford, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, USA and a co-author of the new study. But there was very little known about why people have dark skin. Since the early 2000s, Sarah has studied genes in Africa, discovering variants important to everything from resistance to malaria to height. African populations vary tremendously in skin colour, and Sarah reasoned that powerful genetic variants must be responsible. Studying 1,570 people in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Botswana, she and her colleagues discovered a set of genetic variants that account for 29% of the variation in skin colour. One variant, MFSD12, was particularly mysterious: no one knew what it did anywhere in the body. To investigate its function, the researchers altered the gene in reddish lab mice. Giving them the variant found in darker-skinned Africans turned the mice grey. As it turned out, MFSD12 can affect the production of brown-black eumelanin, producing a darker skin colour. The eight gene variants Sarah and her colleagues discovered in Africans turned out to be present in many populations outside the continent. By comparing the DNA of these people, the researchers were able to estimate how long ago the genes appeared. They turned out to be immensely old. A variant for light skin found in both Europeans and the San hunter-gatherers of Botswana arose about 9,00,000 years ago, for example. Even before there were Homo sapiens, then, our distant forebears had a mix of genes for light and dark skin. Some populations may have been dark-skinned and others light-skinned; or maybe they were all the same colour, produced by a blend of variants. Neanderthals split off from our own ancestors an estimated 6,00,000 years ago, spreading across Europe and eastern Asia. While they became extinct about 40,000 years ago, some of their DNA has survived. These hominins inherited the same combination of variants determining skin colour, Sarah and her colleagues also discovered. Its possible that some populations of Neanderthals, too, were light-skinned, and others dark-skinned. Unexpected complexity Living humans come packaged in a wide range of hues from pale and freckly in Ireland to dark brown in southern India, Australia and New Guinea. Researchers have argued that these varying colours evolved partly in response to sunlight. The idea is that people who live with intense ultraviolet light benefited from dark colour, pigments that shielded important molecules in their skin. In places with less sunlight, people needed lighter skin, because they were able to absorb more sunlight to make vitamin D. The new genetic evidence supports this explanation but adds unexpected complexity. The dark-skinned people of southern India, Australia and New Guinea, for example, did not independently evolve their colour simply because evolution favoured it. They inherited the ancestral dark variants Sarahs team found in Africans. They had to be introduced from an African population, Sarah said. Yet, the same is true for some of the genes that produce light skin in Asia and Europe. They also originated in Africa and were carried from the continent with early migrants. As Africans moved into Europe and Asia, they interbred with Neanderthals on several occasions. Michael Dannemann and Janet Kelso of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany reported recently that people in Britain still carry a number of Neanderthal variants that colour skin. Some of the newly discovered genes appeared relatively recently in our evolution. The pale-skin variant of SLC24A5 thats overwhelmingly common in Europe, for example, is a recent addition to the genome, arising just 29,000 years ago, according to the new study. It became widespread only in the past few thousand years. Sarah and her colleagues found it frequently not just in Europe, but in some populations of lighter-skinned Africans in East Africa and Tanzania. Studies of ancient DNA recently discovered in Africa point to an explanation. Several thousand years ago, it seems, a migration of early Near Eastern farmers swept into East Africa. Over many generations of interbreeding, the pale variant of SLC24A5 became common in some African populations. In all, the new study provides a deeper appreciation of the genetic palette that has been mixed and matched through evolution, said Nina Jablonski, an expert on skin colour at Pennsylvania State University, USA. Wheres the Coverage? Egyptian Army Destroys Sinai Homes | Main | Hamas Celebrates Qatars New UN Gig, Media MIA October 23, 2017 The Journalists Bin Laden Could Count On Osama bin Laden knew which journalists to feed information to when the terror chieftain wanted information disseminated in a manner useful to his aims. The al-Qaeda founder, like his terrorist counterparts in Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), used the media to his advantage, a new book highlights. In their 2017 book The Exile: The Stunning Inside Story of Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda in Flight, British journalists Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy interviewed top counterterrorism officials from a variety of governments, as well as Bin Laden associates and members of the terror group. Among other things, Scott-Clark and Levy note that, from his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Bin Laden plotted in October 2010 on how best to highlight the upcoming anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks perpetrated by al-Qaeda. The authors state: The tenth anniversary of 9/11 was coming and attention should be paid to start preparing for [it] now, Osama railed. Al Qaeda needed to benefit from this event and present our cause to the world, especially to the European people. Atiyah [abd al-Rahman, a top AQ operative] should reach out to the right people. He [Bin Laden] suggested Ahmad Zaidan at Al Jazeera, Robert Fisk of the Independent, and the prominent Arab newspaper editor Abdel Bari Atwan, based in London [emphasis added].? Bin Laden clarified that jihadi media? is a main piece of the war? and it shouldnt be abandoned.? The journalists named by Bin Laden as preferable disseminators of his propaganda have another thing in common: They all target Israel. As UK Media Watch, a CAMERA affiliate, has detailed, Fisks work evidences a history of offering anti-Israel broadsides and distortions. Among other things, he has said that Hamas is more moral than Israel and conspiratorially accused the Jewish state of dragging the West into [the] Syrian war.? In one June 22, 2014 report, Fisk worried about the terror threat to the U.K. from Israeli soldiers. Similarly, Al-Jazeera, the de-facto state news outlet for Qatar, a chief financier of Hamas and other terror groups, also has a history of making anti-Israel, and frequently antisemitic, broadcasts. And, as Levy and Scott-Clark note, one of Al-Qaedas earliest media chiefs was Abu Walid al-Masria former Al-Jazeera journalist. Al-Masri even served as Al-Jazeeras Afghanistan bureau chief from 1998-2001after he had trained in the same jihadist camps in the 1980s as future Al-Qaeda fighters. Al-Masris son-in-law, Saif al-Adel, served as Al-Qaedas military chief for a number of years, according to Levy and Scott-Clark. Posted by SD at October 23, 2017 09:48 AM 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 The clock has turned full circle for former IB chief Dineshwar Sharma, who was appointed the Centre's special representative in Kashmir today, 25 years after his first posting for the bureau in the Valley. It was May 1992. Militancy was at its peak and Sharma, then 36, arrived in Srinagar after completing a year of customary training at the Intelligence Bureau headquarters in New Delhi. The Kerala-cadre officer, who was posted as assistant director between 1992 to 1994, went on to head the IB from 2014 to 2016. Today, he was appointed special representative for the government's "sustained dialogue" process for peace in the Valley. "It's like homecoming for me. I am sure that I will be able to fulfil the expectations of the government and people of the country," Sharma told PTI. The 61-year-old -- at present the Centre's pointperson for dialogue with Assam-based militant groups -- said he feels honoured that he has been assigned such a challenging task. Kashmir has been a running thread through his career. After his return from the Valley in 1994, Sharma was again posted at the Kashmir desk in the national capital. "The times were tough and I hope that now we will together bring peace in the Valley," he said. Asked whether he would talk to separatist groups in the Valley, Sharma said, "The modalities are being worked out but I would like to talk to everyone who is interested in bringing permanent peace in the Valley." "Let me make it clear that peace is the priority and for that my doors will be open to everyone," he said. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech, Sharma said, "... We have to work towards the goal set by the prime minister and embrace Kashmiris and ensure that lasting peace is achieved." Sharma, who has also served in Uttar Pradesh and northeastern states besides holding sensitive posts at the IB headquarters here, called on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Sharma would hold talks with all sections of people and organisations, the minister had said at a hurriedly called press conference here earlier in the day. The home minister made it clear that Sharma, who would hold the rank of a cabinet secretary, would have complete independence in deciding who to hold talks with. "The Centre has shown conviction and consistency on Kashmir issue and carrying forward this policy, we have decided to begin a sustained dialogue policy for Jammu and Kashmir," the minister said. Conveyed #KarnatakaGovt NOT to invite me to shameful event of glorifying a person known as brutal killer, wretched fanatic & mass rapist. pic.twitter.com/CEGjegponl Anantkumar Hegde (@AnantkumarH) October 20, 2017 A tweet by Union Minister of State for Skill Development Anantkumar Hegde has irked the descendants of Tipu Sultan here so much that they are mulling legal action against the minister for his comments.The descendants said on Monday they are not only deeply pained by the ministers tweet, but are also feeling humiliated.We will convene a meeting of all our family members and then take a collective decision on how to act against such unfounded comments against Tipu Sultan by an Union Minister. Hedges derogatory remarks are simply unacceptable. We will take legal action against him. He has not only defamed the Tiger of Mysore and a national hero, he has leveled baseless allegations and tarnished the image of Tipu Sultan, said Bakhtiar Ali, a lawyer and one of the sixth generation descendants of Prince Mooniruddin, who was one of Tipu Sultans sons.Prince Mooniruddin and Prince Golam Muhammed were two of Tipus sons who were deported to Kolkata by the British.Hedge, in a tweet on October 21, had allegedly called Tipu Sultan a mass rapist, wretched fanatic and a brutal killer. In a letter to the Karnataka government, the Union Minister had informed not to include his name on the list of invitees for the programmes scheduled on November 10 to mark Tipu Sultan Jayanti. Read more: Will disclose history of Tipu if my name is printed on invitation: Ananth Kumar Another descendant of Tipu Sultan, Shahid Alam, said Hedge should tender an unconditional apology for his derogatory remarks against the 18th century ruler of Mysore. We are extremely shocked and hurt by his comments, This is really unfortunate. He should take a look at the writings of historians who have analysed Tipu Sultan threadbare and have concluded what a noble king he was, Alam, a co-trustee of the Wakf estate of Prince Golam Mohammed, said. Read also: Don't include me in Tipu Jayanthi invite: minister The Supreme Court today asked the Tamil Nadu government to spell out in detail the steps taken by it for the welfare of farmers on issues including fixing of minimum support price (MSP) of notified crops like paddy and millets. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra directed the K Palaniswami government to peruse the suggestions of the amicus curiae in the matter and file a comprehensive affidavit in four weeks. "Additional Solicitor General P S Narsimha (appearing for the state) shall peruse the suggestions given by the amicus and file a comprehensive affidavit regarding what steps have been taken by the state," the bench also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said. The apex court was hearing a plea by farmers, through Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation, demanding a drought relief package of Rs 40,000 crore, farm loan waiver and setting up of Cauvery Management Board by the Centre. During the hearing, advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in the matter, submitted a six-page note enumerating the observations made by him on the state government's affidavit regarding the farmers. He also told the bench that he needed more information from the state government to know the ground reality about the farmers' situation in the state. In his note, the amicus curiae has asked whether MSP has been fixed for all the notified crops by the Centre and whether the state government was implementing it. The document also deals with several aspects like regulation of markets for farmers and whether there was any mechanism to disseminate information with regard to price change of crops. The matter has been listed for hearing on November 27. The apex court had earlier asked the state to devise a mechanism where farmers can go to the government seeking help if financial institutions take coercive action against them for loan default due to crop failure. It had said the government should take the administrative action to get rid of the middlemen, who purchase produce from farmers at throwaway prices, and buy their crops at the MSP. It had on May 3 said there should be "affirmative action" of the Tamil Nadu government to provide relief to the families of those farmers who have committed suicide. The court made it clear that it was not treating the plea seeking relief for farmers in the state as adversarial but participatory and would not go into the figures of farmers who have committed suicide. The apex court had asked the state government to specify the steps taken to create awareness on MSP on 26 crops so that farmers do not rely on middlemen who come to their doorsteps to buy their produce. The state government had said that steps were being taken to set up awareness camps and measures have also been taken to have mandis which are easily accessible. The Tamil Nadu government had earlier told the court that a total of 30 farmers have committed suicide across the state in 2016-17 and it was taking appropriate measures to deal with the situation. The state had said that the kin of 82 farmers, including the 30 farmers who have committed suicide, have been give Rs 3 lakh each as ex-gratia from Chief Minister's Relief Fund. It had said as per the reports compiled from information given by district collectors, 52 of the listed 82 farmers had died of various other reasons, but not committed suicide. The state, in its affidavit, had said it faced the most severe drought in over 100 years and was adopting a proactive approach towards farmers it extended crop loans to the tune of over Rs 4,000 crore to over seven lakh farmers in 2016-17. Three Indians and a Pakistani were among six people arrested here for allegedly smuggling protected live animals to Nepal from Nigeria, a media report said today. The Central Investigation Bureau of the Nepal Police arrested three Indians -- Mohammad Usman, 34, Mohammad Faim, 35, and Mohammad Sherif Shahid, 35, the Himalayan Times reported. Two Nepalese -- Sanjeev Bhari, 40, of Kathmandu and Raj Kumar Tiwari, 42, of Bara -- and Jawaid Aslam Khan, 55, of Pakistan were also arrested, police officials said. Two chimpanzees, eight monkeys, seven golden pheasants, two ringneck pheasants, 38 pigeons and 65 parrots were seized from the accused after a raid at the house of Bhari in Kathmandu on October 18, said Superintendent of Polcie Jeevan Shrestha, the CIB spokesperson. The final destination of the apes is believed to be India, he said. "Preliminary investigation suggests the racketeers would smuggle apes to India from Nigeria by making Nepal their transit," Shrestha said. He said the apes were brought to Nepal from the African country by air, but officials at the Tribhuvan International Airport here failed to intercept the animal species. The accused have been handed over to the District Forest Office, Kathmandu, where legal action under National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act will be initiated, while the animals and birds rescued alive have been sent to the Central Zoo. Anyone involved in the trade of protected species may face a jail term of five to 15 years, and also be slapped with a fine of up to Rs 100,000, the report said. Indian national Usman is a repeat offender and was arrested with 109 tortoises and 162 birds of different species from Kathmandu in June last year, it said. Police had raided a house and recovered the reptiles and birds kept in boxes and cages. Officials said the tortoises, which weigh three to five kg each, and the birds, including several varieties of parrots, were smuggled into Nepal from India. It is believed the seized animals were to be illegally transported to China, where they would end up in restaurants or thriving markets in Vietnam selling animals and birds, according to the report. The Centre's move to initiate a dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir by appointing an official interlocuter follows a detailed assessment that it is the right time for such an exercise. The Opposition is, however, seeing the appointment of former Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Dineshwar Sharma as interlocuter an "admission of failure" of the government's strong-arm policy towards separatists pursued so far. But officials who were involved the decision-making process, insist that a political outreach was due to follow the sustained military and police operations. New Delhi ordered a massive crackdown by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) on foreign funding for separatists even as the army and police eliminated local commanders of Pakistani-inspired terrorist groups. The NIA sweep led to unprecedented raids across the valley since June. It saw the arrest of seven prominent people, including Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Geelani's son-in-law, Altaf Shah, for reportedly funding terror activities. New Delhi's decision for a security clean-up first, before a dialogue, was taken when the Valley saw massive street protests and spike in militant violence. This was after the July 2016 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. New Delhi took Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti into confidence on its political plan more than six months ago, officials said. This was after she had conveyed to Modi, in her own words, that "all that is required now is to hold their (people of Kashmir) fingers with dignity intact." Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned in his Independence Day address that, "Neither by bullet, nor by abuses, but by embracing we can solve the problem of Kashmir." Rajnath Singh visited the state from September 9-12 to signal that the Centre was ready to hold talks with an "open mind". On September 21, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said the Centre was ready for a dialogue with separatists without any pre-conditions. Opposition parties are planning to hold a joint protest on the first anniversary of demonetisation on November 8. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Trinamool Congress leader Derek Obrien, JD(U) rebel Sharad Yadav, CPI leader D Raja, DMK leader Kanimozhi and BSP leader S C Mishra met here on Monday to discuss the nature of the protest. Opposition sources said the meeting discussed holding joint protests as well as separate protests in every state opposing the Modi governments economic policies, including demonetisation, GST and lack of jobs. The 18 Opposition parties had come together for the Presidential and vice presidential elections and had decided to coordinate with each other to take on the government on various issues. However, at the August 11 meeting chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury had made it clear that it would pursue its own programmes to corner the Modi government. All 18 parties are together in opposing the government, Azad told reporters here brushing aside suggestions of differences. On Yechurys absence from the meeting, Azad said the CPM leader was busy with his partys programmes. Ahead of Afghan President M Ashraf Ghanis visit to New Delhi, Kabul barred Pakistani trucks from entering Afghanistan, retaliating against Islamabads policy of blocking the war-ravaged countrys trade with India. Ghani, who will visit New Delhi on Tuesday, has issued a decree banning Pakistani trucks from entering Afghanistan. Pakistani trucks will now have to offload the cargo at the border checkpoints, without entering Afghanistan. Only Afghan trucks will be allowed to carry the cargo from the border points into Afghanistan, diplomatic sources in New Delhi told the DH. New Delhi and Kabul have since long been criticising Pakistan for not allowing its territory to be used for transit of goods between Afghanistan and India. This prevented Afghanistan from emerging as a major hub for trade links between South Asia and Central Asia. Kabuls move to bar Parkistani trucks comes amid strained relations between the two nations.Kabul held Islamabad responsible for the recent spurt in terror attacks on Afghanistan, while New Delhi insisted that reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan will not succeed as long as Taliban and other terror groups find Pakistan a safe haven. Ghani will meet President Ram Nath Kovind soon after his arrival. He will later meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Hyderabad House here. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party called OBC youth leader Alpesh Thakore joining the Congress as a sad day for the party that was over 100-year-old. It seems that the Central leadership has no faith in the organisational strength or trust in its state leadership. A national-level vice president of Congress and soon to be president had to fly down from Delhi to welcome a small-time leader from one community and one particular area into the party fold, Nitin Patel, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister told media persons. BJP was reacting to Thakore formally joining the Congress after a massive show of strength in Gandhinagar at Navsarjan Gujarat Janaadesh Maharally on Monday. All the talk at the function was akin to KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi & Muslim) theory of the pastInstead of unifying all the communities in the state, the Congress is trying to separate people by pushing forth a few communities. They have put a question mark on peace and prosperity of the state, Nitin Patel said. The KHAM theory was attributed to senior Congress leader Madhavsinh Solanki, who as a chief minister cobbled up an alliance of these four dominant communities to help the Congress win a record 149 or 182 seats in the state Assembly in the 1980s. The BJP, which perhaps fears of the repeat and the dent in its target of winning over 150 seats this time, said the Congress was again trying to segregate people on the basis of communities just to garner votes. None of the speakers at the function spoke a word about either Patels or upper castes and their welfare. The only talk was about SC/ST, OBCs and Muslims, he said. BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Monday charged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with heading a commission government and demanding 20% to 25 % cuts for sanctioning and clearing infrastructure projects. Speaking after releasing the logo and the route map of BJPs Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivarthan Yatra in Bengaluru, Yeddyurappa charged that no project is cleared by the government in the state unless the investors agree to pay a substantial amount of commission. He said there is a deal in every project and claimed that the BJPs recent expose of Siddaramaiah and Energy Minister D K Shivakumars involvement in causing a loss of Rs 447 crore to the state exchequer to favour a Kolkata-based coal mining company is a case in point. Every since we exposed the scam, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have been telling lies to escape. We stick to our stand that the Supreme Court levied a penalty of Rs 417 crore on the private company. But the duo went out of their way and made the government pay the fine and interest on it, Yeddyurappa charged. The BJP leader said the party will expose the misdeeds of the government during the 75-day yatra, which will criss-cross all the 224 Assembly constituencies in the state commencing from November 2. He said it will be one of the biggest yatras in the history of the country and conclude on January 28 in Bengaluru with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a mammoth convention. Party central leaders and chief ministers of BJP ruled states will address public conventions at district headquarters, he said. Providing details of the yatra, BJP state general secretary Shobha Karandlaje said that as many as three lakh workers including one lakh, who will arrive on bikes, will participate at the launch of the yatra at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC). Party national president Amit Shah will launch the yatra. There will be three public meetings each day in different Assembly segments - one each at 11 am, 3 pm and 6 pm. A specially-designed ratha will be the lead vehicle of the yatra. Yeddyurappa will address from the ratha at multiple locations along the yatra route. The yatra will take a break after every three days. Union Planning and Programme Implementation Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said the party will reveal its plans and programmes for the people, if voted to power, during the yatra. DH News Service Hamas Celebrates Qatars New UN Gig, Media MIA | Main | Wheres the Coverage? Hamas Visits Iran October 23, 2017 Another Chapter in Yusef Dahers One-Man Propaganda War The confined spaces of the Old City of Jerusalem present real problems for Israeli officials during celebrations of the Easter Triduum. In particular, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and its narrow courtyard present a nightmare for officials responsible for crowd control in the Old City. Sadly, Yusef Daher, executive secretary of the Jerusalem Inter-Church Center, currently located at the Monastery of St. Anne in the Old City, uses Israel's response to these difficulties as a pretext to accuse Israeli officials of oppressing the Christian community in Jerusalem. (Photos: Dexter Van Zile) Yusef Daher really ought to be ashamed of himself. For at least a decade, he has used his status as executive secretary of the Jerusalem Interchurch Center currently located in St. Annes Monastery near the Lions Gate of the Old City to de-legitimize the Jewish state. Its bad enough that Daher, a Christian, has posted images on social media that valorize Palestinian violence against Israeli civilians, but to make matters worse, he has used his status as a Christian peacemaker? to portray legitimate Israeli security measures as a violation of religious freedom in Jerusalem. The problem is that if Israeli officials did not impose some sort of crowd control on Christian celebrations in Jerusalem, people might get killed in stampedes. It's happened in the past. Here are the details. Daher periodically condemns Israeli security officials for keeping a tight rein on the crowds of Christians that gather to participate in Good Friday and Easter services in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem. Sadly enough, irresponsible Christian leaders in Jerusalem have cooperated with Dahers efforts to demonize Israel. In an article published by the Catholic News Service in April 2014, Daher complained that pilgrims intent on watching Good Friday and Easter services at the Sepulcher are kept away from the Church and are forced to watch the events on a large TV screen near Jaffa Gate. Pilgrims, Daher said, are kept behind iron barricades as if they are in prison.? The same article quotes church leaders in Jerusalem as they accuse Israel of tampering with the traditional celebrations and local heritage.? Daher said that Israel disrupts pilgrims on Good Friday service and that this often disturbs people who are in prayer and creates tension.? He also declared that Israeli police have acted violently against worshippers and that there have been arrests. The article also states that Daher noted that pilgrims are prevented from standing in the churchs courtyard even though a three-meter-wide corridor would be enough for people to pass through in an emergency.? Interestingly enough, the same article quotes Father Juan Maria Solane from the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center that police needed to restrict the number of people entering the church to avoid a repeat of stampedes in the 18th century that cost people their lives. I have seen many accidents at the Holy Sepulcher,? Solana told CNS. The Holy Sepulcher is overcrowded at these ceremonies and there can be accidents which nobody wants to see. Elementary prudence counsels us not to allow so many people in the Holy Sites.? Daher engaged in a similar gambit in 2010, when Palestinians complained that Israel started imposing excessive security measures during Holy Week in 2005. The CNS article includes the following passage: It was simply too much,? Yusef Daher, executive secretary of the Jerusalem Inter-Church Center, said of the security measures. There was a new kind of iron barricade and there were too many police. They were rude, pushing priests and old people. They dont understand the feelings of the people (who) are going to pray.? The same article provides some context, declaring that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher has only one exit and that police say they must limit the number of people who enter the church in order to prevent a fire hazard during the Holy Fire ceremony.? To get a sense of whats at stake (and of the unreasonableness of Dahers criticism) its necessary to take a look at the courtyard in question. The above photo, taken on Saturday, October 14, 2017, shows just how confined things are in the courtyard (or parvis) of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. There are 200 or so people in the courtyard outside the church and its pretty full. On the celebrations of Good Friday and Easter, the same space would be filled with thousands of people. In the event of a disturbance, many people could die in a vain attempt to flee the parvis, which has only two exits, which are pictured below. This photo shows the entrance and exit point that feeds out toward another landmark in the Old City, The Church of the Redeemer. As you can see, it's a pretty narrow exit. This photo shows the entrance and exit point that leads in the direction of the Mosque of Omar which is just to the south of the church. Again, it's a pretty narrow exit. Large numbers of people would have a difficult, if not impossible, time exiting in a hurry through this narrow passage way. It presents real challenges to crowd control when large numbers of people are present. As one can see from the photos, these entrances are not sufficient to allow for the quick an easy passage of people seeking immediate escape. Its easy to understand why stampedes took place in the 1800s. Even under normal conditions, crowds get bogged down moving in and out of courtyard. If, God forbid, there were a panic of any type, people would get killed and predictably enough, Israelis would be blamed for not doing more to provide order in the city. Given his tendency to attack Israel, Daher would probably be one of the loudest critics of the Jewish State should a catastrophe take at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. One can only hope that Israel continues to do its job and protect pilgrims from stampedes at the Holy Sepulcher. And maybe, just maybe, Daher can abandon his vitriolic attacks on Israel and thank Israeli officials for their efforts to keep Christians safe. Posted by dvz at October 23, 2017 03:31 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 Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G Parameshwara on Monday admitted that some leaders from the Congress may join the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections next year. But it wont be a big number, Parameshwara told reporters here. At least seven legislators from the JD(S) are ready to join the Congress. Some BJP MLAs, too, are in touch with us, he added. The party is considering fielding leaders coming from other parties in those constituencies where winnability of the Congress candidates is low, he said. In the coming days, we will discuss welcoming others to the party after assessing ground realities, the Congress leader said. Parameshwara held a meeting with party leaders from Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Shivamogga, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga and Kodagu districts ahead of AICC vice president Rahul Gandhis visit next month. Some have urged that Rahul should visit religious mutts in the region. This will be conveyed to him, he said. The Supreme Court on Monday sought to know from the Gujarat government if any departmental action was initiated against the police officers convicted in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud also allowed the gangrape survivor to file a fresh appeal seeking enhancement of the compensation earlier granted to her in the gangrape case that had taken place during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The gangrape survivor has sought grant of adequate compensation and initiation of departmental action against the errant police officers. The court sought a report from the Gujarat government within four weeks on the departmental action against the guilty police officers. It also asked the counsel for the rape survivor to file a separate appeal challenging a high court order on the issue of compensation. The Bombay High Court had on May 4 upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of 12 people in the gangrape case, while setting aside the acquittal of seven people including policemen and doctors. Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped in March, 2002, while she was pregnant, lost seven of her family members in the aftermath of the Godhra train burning incident. Five policemen and two doctors, among others, were convicted for not performing their duties (sections 218) and tampering of evidence (section 201) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The convicted policemen and doctors are Narpat Singh, Idris Abdul Saiyed, Bikabhai Patel, Ramsingh Bhabhor, Sombhai Gori, Arun Kumar Prasad (doctor) and Sangeeta Kumar Prasad (doctor). DH News Service Dismissing the Opposition Congress criticism, the Election Commission on Monday said multiple factors prompted it to decide against holding Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat simultaneously. It said it would hold elections in Gujarat prior to making public the results of the polls in Himachal Pradesh. The EC said it would do so to make sure that the poll outcome of the northern state does not influence the voting pattern in the western state. Himachal Pradesh will go to polls on November 9, while the results will be known only on December 18. Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti said the EC is not acting under pressure of the government. The poll panel has been giving equal opportunities to all parties in Gujarat, he added. He also noted that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi have been travelling to Gujarat and addressing the public, but the EC had not interfered in anyones election campaign. We are not under any kind of pressure. The Opposition can only question us (the EC) if they are stopped from campaigning. They are also getting equal opportunities , Joti told journalists in New Delhi. The prime minister went to Gujarat yesterday (Sunday). Rahul Gandhi will go today (Monday). We are not giving any special preference to anyone, he emphasised. He also noted that the EC had not issued directions to any party with regard to holding rallies in the state. On October 13, the EC had announced the poll schedule for Himachal Pradesh, but refrained from giving out dates for Gujarat, although the terms of the legislative Assemblies in both the states will expire around the same time. This prompted the Opposition Congress to criticise the ECs decision and insinuated that the poll panel had buckled under pressure from the ruling BJP. Joti, however, said that when EC officials visited Himachal Pradesh, the state poll panel as well as political parties and the state administration had requested it to hold the Assembly elections in early November as three districts Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti and Chamba might experience snowfall once winter sets in. He also said that the poll panel would require the services of a large number of state government employees to conduct elections in Gujarat. So, had the EC held elections in Gujarat along with Himachal Pradesh, government employees, who are presently involved in relief and rehabilitation work in the flood-affected areas of the western state, would have had to abandon their work and focus on poll-related activities, he said. Twenty percent of the parking space on 85 roads in the city could be reserved for women. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has already announced the scheme for Church Street. Mayor R Sampath Raj said the proposal to bring more under roads under the scheme was aimed at ensuring the safety of women. A BBMP council meeting in 2013 had decided to monetise the parking system. But the civic body to failed to attract bidders in 2014-2015. It invited tenders a third time recently. Central Parking Services, a Bengaluru-headquartered parking management firm, has won the contract. The firm is already managing the parking in Pune and Indore, a senior official in the BBMP said. The company will pay Rs 31.5 crore to the BBMP. Around 85 roads have been identified for the smart parking facility. They have been divided into A (premium), B (commercial) and C (general) categories. There 14 roads in A, 25 in B and 46 roads in C categories. In all, 3,600 cars and 10,000 two-wheelers can be parked on 85 roads. MG Road, Brigade Road, Raja Rammohun Roy Road, Vittal Mallya Road and Kasturba Road are some of the roads under the A category. Nrupathunga Road, Dhanvantari Road, Kalidasa Road, Ali Asker Road and St Johns Road come under B category while Ibrahim Sahib Street, Wood Street, Castle Road, Brunton Road and Shivaji Road are among C category roads. Sampath Raj said an app was also in the works. Vehicle users can download the app to find parking space. There will be 10 minutes for parking in a particular spot through the app. Sensors installed at each place will record as to how long a vehicle has been parked. The project will be approved at the next council meeting, the mayor added. DH News Service The Kodigehalli police arrested eight persons who damaged vehicle windshields near Byatarayanapura on Sunday night. The police said the suspects, who were drunk, had damaged windshields of a Tempo Traveller and two cars. They threatened passersby who questioned them and fled after more people gathered. Based on CCTV footage, all eight were arrested. DH News Service The National Green Tribunal on Monday expressed concern over the poor drainage system in Bengaluru, that got exposed during the recent rain as about 16 lives were lost within a fortnight. The bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar said that there could not be a bigger tragedy than this since as many as 16 people were killed due to flood and waterlogging in the city. The panel was hearing a plea by Rajya Sabha member D Kupendra Reddy, who contended that due to the failure of the civic authorities, lakes of Bellandur, Varthur and Agara were contaminated. Reddys counsel P Rama Prasad brought to the notice of the panel the issue of recent deaths following rain. He submitted that the canals for the smooth flow of rainwater have already been encroached upon leading to waterlogging. The three lakes which used to store and absorb the rainwater were filled with garbage, affecting the normal intake of rainwater, he said. The panel said the present situation could have been avoided had the authorities paid due attention to the sewage and drainage system in the city. The tribunal put the matter for further consideration on October 30. As part of the Logi Connect project, exporters from Coimbatore could now get their consignments transported via road to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here through a dedicated bonded trucking service. Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has announced the expansion of this service in collaboration with its cargo partners, Menzies Aviation Bobba Bangalore Pvt Ltd (MABB) and Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd (AISATS). The first shipment from the city through KIA was to Quebec, Canada on October 5. Exporters can be assured that their air freight will reach its ultimate destination quickly, efficiently and in a cost-effective manner. All cargo will move via MABB and AISATS in Bengaluru, while Container Corporation of India will be the terminal operator in Coimbatore, a BIAL release said. The service is part of the Logi Connect project. BIAL has proposed to initiate more routes to neighbouring cities in the near future. A petition has been initiated on a website, urging the Governor of Karnataka to remove Health Minister K R Ramesh Kumar. The petition on change.org started three days ago and has garnered more than 4,500 signatures. It states that the minister is incompetent, highly corrupt and abuses health professionals. It reads: He, being our representative (government servant), is a disgrace to the government and has brought disrespect to the position he holds and is trying to cover up his corrupt practices and incompetence by abusing the very medical profession that he needs to lead, guide and promote. Dr Ravindra R, the secretary of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), who started the petition, told DH: The minister has compared doctors to prostitutes, barbers and pickpockets more than once. This was reported by the media several times. According to Ravindra, doctors approached Kumar many times, requesting him not to use such a language. He added that doctors from various private institutions associations would soon approach Governor, Vajubhai Vala and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the matter. The minister did not respond to calls from DH. President Ram Nath Kovind will arrive in Bengaluru on a two-day visit on Tuesday. It is his first visit to Karnataka after assuming office at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Soon after his arrival in Bengaluru by a special flight, Kovind will pay floral tributes to the founder of Bengaluru Kempegowda at N R Square (in front of BBMP main office) at 4.15 pm. In the evening, he is scheduled to visit the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and also participate in a roundtable with scientists of the institute. On Wednesday, the President will address the joint session of the state legislature to mark the diamond jubilee celebrations of Vidhana Soudha. He will fly back to New Delhi the same afternoon. DH News Service The Journalists Bin Laden Could Count On | Main | Another Chapter in Yusef Dahers One-Man Propaganda War October 23, 2017 Hamas Celebrates Qatars New UN Gig, Media MIA On Oct. 17, 2017, it was announced that Qatar would be appointed to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). In a largely underreported move, Hamas, the U.S.-designated terrorist group that rules the Gaza Strip, seemed pleased with the announcement. Hamass official Twitter account said that Qatar is a member in U.N. Human Rights Council after getting 155 votes.? It might seem odd that a terror group would take the time to celebrate a countrys appointment to a UN body ostensibly concerned with human rights. But Qatar champions Hamas, whose charter calls for the destruction of Israel, the genocide of Jews, and which hides behind human shields while launching missiles at the Jewish state. Jonathan Schanzer, a former terror analyst for the U.S. Treasury Department, highlighted Hamass celebratory tweet. Schanzer, who is now the Vice President at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, has noted Qatars support for terrorism before. In an April 20, 2017 New York Post Op-Ed ("Time for the U.S. to stop Qatar's support for terror"), Schanzer detailed how Hamas enjoys safe haven in Qatar and also raises plenty of cash.? Noting that top Hamas official Khaled Meshal has long operated out of Doha,? the former Treasury official also pointed out that: Hamas military official Saleh Arouri suspected of masterminding the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens, sparking the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel is now reportedly in Qatar after being booted from Turkey.? Qatars support for terrorism has extended to hosting members of the Taliban and a seeming unwillingness to go after terror financiers. In 2016, the U.S. Treasury Departments top terrorism-finance, Adam Szubin, said that Doha had demonstrated a lack of political willto effectively enforce their combating terrorist financing laws.? Qatars support for Iranwhich the U.S. State Department has listed as the top state sponsor of terrorismhas caused a publicized fissure with its fellow Gulf Arab countries who view the Islamic Republic as exporting instability (see, for example "As Persian Gulf Crisis Persists, Alarm in Washington Deepens," Sept. 17, 2017, The Washington Post). Despite this aspect, many major U.S. news outlets failed to detail Hamass open celebration of Qatars U.N. appointment. A Lexis-Nexis search of USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, and others, showed no mention of the tweet despite Qatar, the U.N., and Hamas being frequently covered topics. Posted by SD at October 23, 2017 10:57 AM Does this mean they are going to take another run at passing a "Resolution" that makes criticism of Islam a crime? They already have Germany sharia submissive and censoring free speech and the exchange of divergent ideas and beliefs, maybe they think they should try again. Posted by: jeb at October 26, 2017 09:09 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 Madiwal Rajayogindra Swamiji of Rajaguru Samsthana Kalmath, who graced the inaugural programme of Kittur Utsav, urged the State government to establish a chair in the name of Rani Channamma. The seer called for concrete measures to sensitise for posterity the exploits of Amtur Balappa, Sangolli Rayanna and the worrier queen besides taking their heroics to the world. The seer took objection against clubbing Vijayotsava and Jayanti celebrations. Kittur Utsav was being celebrated to remember the victorious rebellion of Rani Channamma against the British who ignited the freedom struggle. The government should organise jayanti celebration on different date without altering Vijayotsava celebration. MLA D B Inamdar, presiding over the programme said Kittur had got its due and had been given taluk status, funds had been released for the construction of the mini vidhan should while the foundation stone for the construction of the soudha will be laid in a month. Inamdar also said measures had been taken for overall development of Kittur, as many as 64 water bodies in Kittur and Bailhongal will be filled with water for which Rs 248 crore had been sanctioned. To ensure permanent drinking water facility a project to draw water from Malaprabha was under pipeline he informed. The inaugural function was followed by a series of cultural program. Vocalist Ajjayya Ujjinkop, renowned vocalist Padmashri Venkatesh Kumar, enthralled the audience with their classical renditions. DH News Service By Lisa Friedman 22 October 2017 WASHINGTON (The New York Times) The Environmental Protection Agency has canceled the speaking appearance of three agency scientists who were scheduled to discuss climate change at a conference on Monday in Rhode Island, according to the agency and several people involved. John Konkus, an E.P.A. spokesman and a former Trump campaign operative in Florida, confirmed that agency scientists would not speak at the State of the Narragansett Bay and Watershed program in Providence. He provided no further explanation. Scientists involved in the program said that much of the discussion at the event centers on climate change. Many said they were surprised by the E.P.A.s last-minute cancellation, particularly since the agency helps to fund the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, which is hosting the conference. The scientists who have been barred from speaking contributed substantial material to a 400-page report to be issued on Monday. The move highlights widespread concern that the E.P.A. will silence government scientists from speaking publicly or conducting work on climate change. Scott Pruitt, the agency administrator, has said that he does not believe human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are primarily responsible for the warming of the planet.Its definitely a blatant example of the scientific censorship we all suspected was going to start being enforced at E.P.A., said John King, a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who chairs the science advisory committee of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. They dont believe in climate change, so I think what theyre trying to do is stifle discussions of the impacts of climate change.Mondays conference is designed to draw attention to the health of Narragansett Bay, the largest estuary in New England and a key to the regions tourism and fishing industries. Rhode Islands entire congressional delegation, all Democrats, will attend a morning news conference. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, an outspoken critic of Mr. Pruitt, will be among the speakers. Scientists there will unveil the report on the state of the bay, which E.P.A. scientists helped research and write. Among the findings will be that climate change is affecting air and water temperatures, precipitation, sea level and fish in and around the estuary. [more] By Sam Lemonick 17 October 2017 (Forbes) A years-long study of Minnesota farm fields has found that emissions of nitrous oxidea more dangerous greenhouse gas than carbon dioxidewill likely increase as our planet gets warmer. And our climate models arent ready.Like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide (yes, the same stuff as laughing gas) traps heat in Earths atmosphere. Although its thought to account for only about 6% of the greenhouse effect today, it is about 300 times worse for the climate than CO2.One major source is runoff from farms and fields. Bacteria breaking down nitrogen compounds from manure and synthetic fertilizers generate nitrous oxide as a waste product.Climate scientists and policy makers have tried to include nitrous oxide in their models of climate change. But until now we havent had a good idea about whether nitrous oxide emissions will get worse or better as global temperatures increase.Theres a lot of uncertainty about how nitrous oxide is going to respond to changing temperature and moisture levels, says David Kanter, a professor of environmental studies at New York University who has studied nitrogen pollution. He was not involved in the new research.The answer appears to be worse. Tim Griffis, a biometeorologist at the University of Minnesota, led a team that recorded nitrous oxide levels every hour for six years from a tower 200 feet above a local farm field. They found that nitrous oxide emissions were highest during the warming yearsa worrying sign of things to come. Their research appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.The research team monitored the air at the site from 2010 to 2016, tracking air parcels as they rose from the fields and drainage ditches. In 2012, the warmest year of their study (about 2.5 above normal), nitrous oxide emissions were 50% higher than expected. [ more ] Global Warming Could Make This Lurking Climate Threat Even Worse ABSTRACT: Nitrous oxide (N2O) has a global warming potential that is 300 times that of carbon dioxide on a 100-y timescale, and is of major importance for stratospheric ozone depletion. The climate sensitivity of N2O emissions is poorly known, which makes it difficult to project how changing fertilizer use and climate will impact radiative forcing and the ozone layer. Analysis of 6 y of hourly N2O mixing ratios from a very tall tower within the US Corn Beltone of the most intensive agricultural regions of the worldcombined with inverse modeling, shows large interannual variability in N2O emissions (316 Gg N2O-Ny1 to 585 Gg N2O-Ny1). This implies that the regional emission factor is highly sensitive to climate. In the warmest year and spring (2012) of the observational period, the emission factor was 7.5%, nearly double that of previous reports. Indirect emissions associated with runoff and leaching dominated the interannual variability of total emissions. Under current trends in climate and anthropogenic N use, we project a strong positive feedback to warmer and wetter conditions and unabated growth of regional N2O emissions that will exceed 600 Gg N2O-Ny1, on average, by 2050. This increasing emission trend in the US Corn Belt may represent a harbinger of intensifying N2O emissions from other agricultural regions. Such feedbacks will pose a major challenge to the Paris Agreement, which requires large N2O emission mitigation efforts to achieve its goals. SIGNIFICANCE: N2O has 300 times the global warming potential of CO2 on a 100-y timescale, and is of major importance for stratospheric ozone depletion. The climate sensitivity of N2O emissions is poorly known, which makes it difficult to project how changing fertilizer use and climate will impact radiative forcing and the ozone layer. Here, atmospheric inverse analyses reveal that direct and indirect N2O emissions from the US Corn Belt are highly sensitive to perturbations in temperature and precipitation. We combine top-down constraints on these emissions with a land surface model to evaluate the climate feedback on N2O emissions. Our results show that, as the world becomes warmer and wetter, such feedbacks will pose a major challenge to N2O mitigation efforts. By Claire Galofaro 16 October 2017 PORT ARTHUR, Texas (Associated Press) The church was empty, except for the piano too heavy for one man to move. It had been 21 days since the greatest storm Wayne Christopher had ever seen dumped a years worth of rain on his town, drowning this church where he was baptized, met his high school sweetheart and later married her. He had piled the ruined pews out on the curb, next to water-logged hymnals and molding Sunday school lesson plans and chunks of drywall that used to be a mural of Noahs Ark. Now he tilted his head up to take in the mountain of rubble, and Christopher, an evangelical Christian and a conservative Republican, considered what caused this destruction: that the violent act of nature had been made worse by acts of man. I think the Lord put us over the care of his creation, and when we pollute like we do, destroy the land, theres consequences to that, he said. It might not catch up with us just right now, but its gonna catch up. Like a wound that needs to be healed.Jefferson County, Texas, is among the low-lying coastal areas of America that could lose the most as the ice caps melt and the seas warm and rise. At the same time, it is more economically dependent on the petroleum industry and its emissions-spewing refineries than any other place in the U.S. Residents seemed to choose between the two last November, abandoning a four-decade-old pattern of voting Democratic in presidential elections to support Donald Trump.Then came Hurricane Harvey. Now some conservatives here are newly confronting some of the most polarizing questions in American political discourse: What role do humans play in global warming and the worsening of storms like Harvey? And what should they expect their leaders including the climate-skeptic president they helped elect to do about the problem now? []Christopher, like most people in Jefferson County, believed that global warming was real before the storm hit. Post-Harvey, surrounded by debris stretching for block after block, he thinks the presidents outright rejection of the scientific consensus is no longer good enough. []As a private citizen and candidate, Trump often referred to climate change as a hoax, and since taking office he and his administration have worked aggressively to undo policies designed to mitigate the damage. He announced his intention to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, a global accord of 195 nations to reduce carbon emissions, and his administration has dismantled environmental regulations and erased climate change data from government websites. This month, his Environmental Protection Agency administrator promised to kill an effort to limit carbon emissions from coal-fired plants. []When Wayne Christopher was a boy in Jefferson County, it got so hot he remembers frying eggs on the sidewalk. It has always been hot here, and there have always been hurricanes.But it seems to him that something is different now. There is a palpable intensity in the air, in the haze that hangs over the interstate. The region has warmed about two degrees in his lifetime, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and annual rainfall has increased by about 7 inches on average. Christopher counts the number of times a beach road hes driven on all his life has had to be rebuilt because the ocean overtook it.The sea keeps moving in water rising, land disappearing or eroding or whatever you want to call it its happening, said Christopher, who is 66 now and retired after toiling more than 40 years for the railroad. I think Mother Nature can come back, but theres a point to where, if we just keep on and keep on, I dont know if she can come back.He thinks the president he helped put in office should do something: take the threat seriously, research before he talks or tweets, not dismiss established science as a hoax because acknowledging its real would mean acknowledging that something must be done.But like many others here, Christopher is not pushing to stick with the Paris climate agreement or other global coalitions because hes not sure its fair that the United States should invest in clean energy when other countries that pollute might not. He worries that could cause more job losses to overseas factories, put a squeeze on the middle class and forfeit a slice of American sovereignty.His wife, who also supported Trump, cocked her head as she thought about that sentiment.I can see the pros, I can see the cons, Polly Christopher said. But if you were to simplify it to your children, and they say, Well, everybody else is doing it, if I do it what difference is it going to make? you would just get on them and say, Youve got to do the right thing. Right is right, and wrongs wrong. [more] GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Residents along the Mississippi coast will likely see an increase in military activity this week as the Mississippi Air National Guard hosts Southern Strike 2018 at both the Gulfport Combat Readiness Center-Battlefield Airmen Center, and the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center near Hattiesburg. Southern Strike began Monday morning and involves some 1,800 active duty and reserve members of each branch of the U.S. military. Exercises will run through Nov. 3. Training will take place all across the Mississippi coast, with more than a dozen Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine planes and helicopters participating. The public should expect increased operations at both the Gulfport base and Camp Shelby throughout the week. Southern Strike is a training exercise involving combat search and rescue, personnel recovery, maritime operations and air support, precision engagement, close air support, direction action, aero medical evacuation and combat medical support. 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. Subscriber content preview WASHINGTON (AP) Contrary to widespread perceptions, the IRS still appears to be enforcing the unpopular Obama-era requirement that most people carry health insurance or risk a fine. The agency says on its website that it will automatically reject electronic returns for tax year 2017 that don't specify if the taxpayer had health insurance. That insurance requirement, known as the individual mandate, is the top target of so-far fruitless efforts by Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act. . . . PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- A viral video showing a tornado touching down at the Pascagoula Chevron plant has left one with a minor injury, according to Community Affairs Representative, Amy Brandenstein. Chevron released the following statement to the Mississippi Press: "Just after 1 p.m. today, the Chevron Pascagoula Refinery experienced heavy rain and wind. All outside work was stopped and workers were notified to seek shelter during the inclement weather. All employees and contractors have been accounted for. One injury was reported requiring first aid measures only. The weather caused some minor damage to non-process buildings. Safety remains our top priority and we continue to supply products to our customers." The National Weather Service did confirm Sunday's weather as an EF-1 tornado that struck the Pascagoula plant. NWS also said the tornado began as a waterspout that moved onshore with maximum winds estimated at 100 mph. The 100-yard wide twister tore along the ground for one mile. The tornado struck non-process buildings, removing only a metal roof covering. Operations at the facility are ongoing and were not affected by the tornado, according to Brandenstein. Jackson County Emergency Services Director Earl Etheridge said he had no knowledge of the water spout because Chevron did not notify him. "Instead of notifying officials inside of Chevron, employees recorded the tornado instead," Etheridge said. Because he found out about it through Facebook, Etheridge said that he and representatives of Chevron changed their notification plan and when threats of severe weather are made known, Chevron will now contact Jackson County Emergency Management Services first. A Machaire Rabhartaigh fishing boat has caught a rare species of crab off the coast of Tory Island. The crab which is commonly known as the 'Toothed Rock Crab' has only been caught three times before in Irish waters. Handa Isle, which operates from Magheroarty pier, caught the crab, which is a relation of the common brown crab, in 50 fathoms of water recently. A relative of the more familiar brown crab, the toothed rock crab has rarely been recorded in Irish waters. John O'Brien said that the crab "was very different" from any crab they caught before. The fisherman spends two days at sea fishing crab and his boat keeps the crabs fresh until they are brought to shore. Up to nine tonnes of crab are then brought to Burtonport where they are exported to China. "We lift 1,200 pots daily and from that we will pick the best crab. We let the other three or four crabs go so that they can become stronger. The toothed rock crab was smaller than the average crab. We let it go at Magheroarty pier so we don't know where it went from there," he said. The well known fisherman said that he and the crew have enjoyed two good seasons of crab fishing. Mr. O'Brien who was born on Inishbofin Island has been fishing since he was a child. "I never saw a crab like that before," he said. The Donegal Democrat has been informed of the following deaths: - Gracie Gallagher, Magheraclogher, Bunbeg - Mary McGlinchey (nee McConnell), Ballybun, Castlefin - Gracie Mc Garvey, Keeldrum, Gortahork - Pat Shovelin, Donnyloop, Castlefin / Portnoo - Patrick White, Ballyshannon - Sean Anthony Sieyes, Doochary - Maggie Doherty, Trentagh - Paul Clinton, London and Fanad Gracie Gallagher, Magheraclogher, Bunbeg The death has taken place of Gracie Gallagher, Magheraclogher, Bunbeg. Removal from her residence at 10.30am today, Monday, for 11am Requiem Mass at St. Marys Chapel, Derrybeg, followed by burial in Magheragallon Cemetery. Family time please from 11pm Sunday night. Donations in lieu of flowers, if desired, to the dialysis unit, Letterkenny University Hospital. Mary McGlinchey (nee McConnell), Ballybun, Castlefin The death has taken place peacefully, at Letterkenny University Hospital after a short illness, of Mary McGlinchey (nee McConnell), Ballybun, Castlefin. Remains reposing at her home from 11am today, Monday, October 23rd, until Rosary at 10pm, and from 11am to 10pm on Tuesday, October 24th. Funeral leaving her home at 10.15am on Wednesday, October 25th, for Requiem Mass in St. Patricks Church, Crossroads, Killygordon, with interment afterwards in the adjoining churchyard. Gracie McGarvey, Keeldrum, Gortahork The death has taken place in Letterkenny University Hospital of Gracie McGarvey, Keeldrum, Gortahork. Deeply regretted by her loving husband, Barney, and son Gerard, along with a wide circle of family and friends. Removal from the Chapel of Rest, Letterkenny on Monday at 3pm going to her late residence. Rosary on Monday night at 10pm. Family time after the Rosary until 10am Tuesday morning. Removal from her home on Tuesday evening to Christ the King Church, Gortahork for 7pm Mass. Requiem Mass on Wednesday 25th October at 11am with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. Family flowers only, donations in lieu if desired to Falcarragh Community Hospital c/o any family member or Mc Clafferty Funeral Directors Gortahork. Pat Shovelin, Donnyloop, Castlefin/Portnoo The death has occurred of Pat Shovelin, Kelly's Meadow, Donnyloop, Castlefin and late of Ballykilduff, Portnoo. Peacefully at his home in the loving care of his family. Sadly missed by his devoted wife, Chrissie, and wee boys Ethan and Tom. Deeply regretted by his mother Margaret, sister Susie, brothers Michael and Gavin, parents-in-law Martin and Margaret Sproule, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, colleagues at Letterkenny University Hospital, the GAA Community in Donegal and his wide circle of friends. His remains will repose at his home in Donnyloop from 11am to 9pm on Sunday and Monday, 22nd and 23rd October. Funeral from there on Tuesday for 11am Mass at St Columba's Church, Donnyloop with burial afterwards in St Conal's graveyard, Kilclooney, Portnoo. Family flowers only please. Donations in lieu, if desired, to Oncology Services, Letterkenny University Hospital or the Irish Cancer Society c/o James McGuinness & Sons, Funeral Director, Glenties. Family time please from 9pm to 11am and on the morning of the funeral. Patrick White, Ballyshannon The death has occurred peacefully, at Sligo University Hospital, of Patrick White, Dunmuckrim, Ballyshannon. Further funeral arrangements to be announced later. All enquiries can be made to Patrick McKenna Funeral Directors, Ballyshannon, on 087 2485819. Sean Anthony Sieyes, Doochary The death has taken place of Sean Anthony Sieyes, Doochary, at the Donegal Hospice. His remains will repose at McGlynn's Funeral Home from 7pm this evening, Saturday, with Rosary at 9pm. Removal tomorrow evening, Sunday, October 22nd, at 6.30pm to St Conal's Church, Doochary for 7pm. Funeral Mass on Monday, October 23rd at 11 am, followed by burial in the New Cemetery, Lettermacaward. Maggie Doherty, Trentagh The death has taken place of Maggie Doherty (nee Duggan), Trentagh. Remains reposing at her late residence from 5pm today, Saturday. Funeral Mass on Monday, Monday 23rd October, in St Colmcille's Church, Glendowan, at 11am, followed by burial in Gartan Cemetery. Family time from 11pm until 10am. House private on Monday morning. Paul Clinton, London and Fanad The death has occurred of Paul Clinton, Winchmore Hill, London and late of Kinnalough, Fanad. His remains will repose at Harrison Funeral Home, 736 Green Lanes, Winchmore Hill, London, N21 3RE on Wednesday 1st November from 3pm to 8pm . Funeral Mass will take place at 11am on Thursday November 2nd at Christ the King Church (Vita et Pax), Bramley Road, London, N14 4HE with burial afterwards at Southgate Cemetery, Waterfall Road, Southgate, N14 7JZ. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to North London Hospice, 47 Woodside Avenue, Finchley, London, N12 8TT, or c/o Harrison Funeral Home. If you wish to have a death notice included here, email us at editorial@donegaldemocrat.com. Please include a telephone number for verification. 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 Donegal Democrat has been informed of the following deaths: - Nora Gallagher, Magheraclogher, Bunbeg - Mary McGlinchey (nee McConnell), Ballybun, Castlefin - Gracie Mc Garvey, Keeldrum, Gortahork - Pat Shovelin, Donnyloop, Castlefin / Portnoo - Patrick White, Ballyshannon - Paul Clinton, London and Fanad Nora Gallagher, Magheraclogher, Bunbeg The death has taken place of Nora Gallagher, Magheraclogher, Bunbeg. Her remains are reposing at her late residence. Rosary tonight at 9pm. Funeral arrangements to be confirmed later. Mary McGlinchey (nee McConnell), Ballybun, Castlefin The death has taken place peacefully, at Letterkenny University Hospital after a short illness, of Mary McGlinchey (nee McConnell), Ballybun, Castlefin. Remains reposing at her home from 11am today, Monday, October 23rd, until Rosary at 10pm, and from 11am to 10pm on Tuesday, October 24th. Funeral leaving her home at 10.15am on Wednesday, October 25th, for Requiem Mass in St. Patricks Church, Crossroads, Killygordon, with interment afterwards in the adjoining churchyard. Gracie McGarvey, Keeldrum, Gortahork The death has taken place in Letterkenny University Hospital of Gracie McGarvey, Keeldrum, Gortahork. Deeply regretted by her loving husband, Barney, and son Gerard, along with a wide circle of family and friends. Removal from the Chapel of Rest, Letterkenny on Monday at 3pm going to her late residence. Rosary on Monday night at 10pm. Family time after the Rosary until 10am Tuesday morning. Removal from her home on Tuesday evening to Christ the King Church, Gortahork for 7pm Mass. Requiem Mass on Wednesday 25th October at 11am with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. Family flowers only, donations in lieu if desired to Falcarragh Community Hospital c/o any family member or Mc Clafferty Funeral Directors Gortahork. Pat Shovelin, Donnyloop, Castlefin/Portnoo The death has occurred of Pat Shovelin, Kelly's Meadow, Donnyloop, Castlefin and late of Ballykilduff, Portnoo. Peacefully at his home in the loving care of his family. Sadly missed by his devoted wife, Chrissie, and wee boys Ethan and Tom. Deeply regretted by his mother Margaret, sister Susie, brothers Michael and Gavin, parents-in-law Martin and Margaret Sproule, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, colleagues at Letterkenny University Hospital, the GAA Community in Donegal and his wide circle of friends. His remains will repose at his home in Donnyloop from 11am to 9pm on Sunday and Monday, 22nd and 23rd October. Funeral from there on Tuesday for 11am Mass at St Columba's Church, Donnyloop with burial afterwards in St Conal's graveyard, Kilclooney, Portnoo. Family flowers only please. Donations in lieu, if desired, to Oncology Services, Letterkenny University Hospital or the Irish Cancer Society c/o James McGuinness & Sons, Funeral Director, Glenties. Family time please from 9pm to 11am and on the morning of the funeral. Patrick White, Ballyshannon The death has occurred peacefully, at Sligo University Hospital, of Patrick White, Dunmuckrim, Ballyshannon. Reposing at the family home on Tuesday from 12 noon to 8pm and on Wednesday from 12 noon to 8pm. Mass of the Resurrection on Thursday at 11am in St. Joseph's Church, The Rock, Ballyshannon, with interment in the adjoining cemetery. House private to family on the morning of the funeral please. Paul Clinton, London and Fanad The death has occurred of Paul Clinton, Winchmore Hill, London and late of Kinnalough, Fanad. His remains will repose at Harrison Funeral Home, 736 Green Lanes, Winchmore Hill, London, N21 3RE on Wednesday 1st November from 3pm to 8pm. Funeral Mass will take place at 11am on Thursday November 2nd at Christ the King Church (Vita et Pax), Bramley Road, London, N14 4HE with burial afterwards at Southgate Cemetery, Waterfall Road, Southgate, N14 7JZ. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to North London Hospice, 47 Woodside Avenue, Finchley, London, N12 8TT, or c/o Harrison Funeral Home. If you wish to have a death notice included here, email us at editorial@donegaldemocrat.com. Please include a telephone number for verification. Twelve startups have been selected to participate in Horizons, a regional travel accelerator program being run by Slingshot in partnership with travel tech company Amadeus, Brisbane Airport corporation and Queensland Tourism Industry Council. According to Slingshot CEO, Karen Lawson, the Horizons cohort boasts some of the most experienced travel entrepreneurs in the industry, including Paul Lupson (Co-founder, InnovaReviews and former director at Expedia and StartMate alumni RoomRanger) and will address key pain points for travellers and travel operators. The ways in which cutting edge technology can be applied to product and services in the tourism industry is infinite and the Horizons cohort is testament to the type of innovation we can expect to see in this space, she said. Tourism continues to make a huge economic impact across Queensland, contributing $25 billion to the state and employing 225,000 people last financial year[1]. By supporting the next generation of disruptive businesses we can supercharge the industry to drive commercial outcomes across the state. Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Business Development at Amadeus Asia Pacific, Simon Akeroyd, said it was exciting to see a number of businesses addressing the need for greater personalisation in the travel industry. Theres no one size fits all approach for travel services and were thrilled to be a part of a program that celebrates the need for tailored travel experiences. With more than 60 partners and 30 Startups on board Amadeus Next, were always looking to support the next generation of disruptive business and grow our Startup community. Julieanne Alroe, CEO and Managing Brisbane Airport Corporation, said with the rapid expansion of Brisbane Airport, harnessing new and innovative technologies is a key focus for the business. The mindset of a start-up business knows no limits and were excited to be a part of this partnership, supporting enthusiast and creative thinking that could one day make a significant and positive change to the travel and tourism industry. The 12-week program will be led by startup specialist, advisor, entrepreneur and Queensland local, Colin Kinner, who spoke to Dynamic Business, last week, about spending more than twenty years to shaping the nations startup ecosystem. Horizons participants will show the culmination of their work by pitching to stakeholders and investors at Demo Day on the 8th of February. The twelve businesses participating in the program, which are split between Brisbane and Cairns, are: Brisbane Cohort Rewildin : Airbnb for private camping, glamping, ecolodges and nature workshops. : Airbnb for private camping, glamping, ecolodges and nature workshops. Tripshare : A collaborative holiday planner allowing friends and family to plan their holidays together. : A collaborative holiday planner allowing friends and family to plan their holidays together. JESI : Journey management software creating a safer connected world for travelers. : Journey management software creating a safer connected world for travelers. RoomRanger : A complete hotel management platform that enables independent and boutique hotels to boost revenue by delivering personalised guest experiences. A complete hotel management platform that enables independent and boutique hotels to boost revenue by delivering personalised guest experiences. InnovaReviews : Booking system that harnesses the power of guest reviews. : Booking system that harnesses the power of guest reviews. EventDuck : Uber for Travel agents increasing the efficiency and convenience of booking. : Uber for Travel agents increasing the efficiency and convenience of booking. Transfer Buddy : An app to assist travellers transition through airports. : An app to assist travellers transition through airports. Wifi Palm: A Pocket wi-fi rental service that provides customers with internet connectivity when travelling overseas. Cairns Cohort: Pelagic Dive Travel : The com for scuba diving. : The com for scuba diving. Reef Restoration Foundation : Accelerating the recovery of damaged tourism reefs using offshore coral nurseries. : Accelerating the recovery of damaged tourism reefs using offshore coral nurseries. Indigenous Tour Agency : Australias leading online seller of traditional Indigenous tours and activities. : Australias leading online seller of traditional Indigenous tours and activities. Local Tourism Network: Complete online marketing solution for tourism businesses driving direct customers. [1] https://teq.queensland.com/news-and-media/latest-news/new-data-reveals-value-of-tourism-to-the-queensland-economy Dr. Michael Riordan s On Board Discussion With Each New Gilead Employee 1. Mission. Gileads central mission is to develop treatments for severe diseases through scientific innovation. Each Gilead person should be proud of their efforts toward this worthy objective. 2. Teamwork. Teamwork is essential, given the complexity of therapeutic development. We are a team, and individuals are evaluated in large part by their contributions to teamwork. 3. Fairness. At Gilead, people are evaluated based purely upon merit and performance. We will not tolerate prejudice, discrimination or inappropriate behavior with regard to race, religion,ethnicity or gender. 4. Individual responsibility. Each Gilead person must take responsibility for their professional progress and be accountable for their actions. Each one of us can make a difference for Gileads future. 5. Information. We are in the information business, and thus place a premium on communication, acquiring new information from outside, generating new information internally,and using information effectively. 6. Intellectual Property. We must innovate in order to solve major problems in human disease.Our innovations must be captured in commercial value; this means strong patents and procedures for public disclosures. 7. Confidentiality. Confidentiality is essential for four main reasons: to maintain competitive advantage, to optimize patent strategies, to abide by SEC regulations, and to moderate patient expectations. 8. Standards. We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of scientific rigor and product quality. 9. Working smart. We are in a race that requires rigor. We must work hard, fast, smart. 10. Thrift. We must be a frugal and lean company in order to survive and succeed in the long term. Even when we achieve profitability, this leanness must be preserved in order to weather the inevitable business hardships. 11. Safety. Safety in the workplace is a critical part of each persons job. It requires vigilance and training. 12. Change. Change is essential to the success of any organization in the long run. Gilead will change and adapt as it grows. Expect change, because it is necessary for us to flourish. 13. Data, Innovation, Teamwork, Agility, Perseverance, Integrity. 14. Fun. Life is short. Lets have fun in our work. 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Thats why civil rights advocates are worried about the way Arizonas plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act handles transient students. The states plan has already gotten approved by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos . It attaches different weights to students test scores, depending on how long a student has been at a particular school. For instance, at a middle school, an eighth grader who has been enrolled for three years would count more towards the schools overall grade than a sixth grader, who had just gotten there. And an eighth grader whose been at the school for all three years of their middle school career would factor more heavily into the schools rating than a classmate who spent sixth and seventh grade someplace else. That means the performance of low-income and minority students may matter less, said Callie Kozlak, the field campaign manager for the Education Policy at UNIDOS US, a Latino advocacy organization. It is concerning that there is a weight based on time in school and that students could potentially count less if they are enrolled in school for a shorter time, Kozlak said. This could potentially have a disparate impact on disadvantaged students who move during the school year due to extenuating circumstances. But Stefan Swiat, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Education, said the system is intended to ensure that schools get the most creditor blamefor the work theyve done with students theyve been educating for years, as opposed to the kids who just walked in the door. The rationale for using this approach is that schools are held accountable to the students who have been with them the longest, and therefore, should be performing better since theyve been in a stable school, he said in an email. The field is very excited about this way of calculating proficiency, since they believe it truly holds them accountable. The field recognizes its not a perfect system, but they appreciate the models intent. Mixed Feelings So are school superintendents in Arizona excited about the change? Not really, according to their association president. There have been mixed feelings on that, said Mark Joraanstad, the executive director of the Arizona School Administrators Association. He said the Grand Canyon State has a wide array of schools. Some are kindergarten through third grade, others are traditional elementary schools. A middle school may serve grades six through eight or just seventh and eighth grade. Some school leaders were initially worried about the change because of those variations, he said. The state produced some numbers showing the number of grades in a school didnt make a substantial difference in its overall score. Still, he wouldnt mind if the state decided to back off that strategy whenever it revises its ESSA plan. Our organization would support changing it, he said. Joraanstads not sure the technique makes a big difference but, he said, on the face of it, it seems to single out a mobile group [not] to be counted as fully and we have a lot of mobile students. And Kozlak noted that the peer reviewers who examined Arizonas plan for the U.S. Department noticed the potential problem, too . The department even cited it in their official feedback letter to the state, asking how the state planned to make sure all students were included in the accountability system. In response, Arizona provided some more information, but didnt appear to make substantial changes, Kozlak said. The plan was approved anyway. That makes her wonder how much the departments feedback on plans even matters in the approval process. (We wrote about that broader issue in ESSA plans here .) One related issue: Kozlak is also concerned about a related part of the plan, which allows schools to exclude the test scores of kids who enrolled a few months into the year from their overall academic rating. This seems like a potential way to exclude students from being counted and this is a concern for civil rights groups, Kozlak she said. Joraanstad said thats been a part of the states accountability system for yearsit isnt new to ESSA. And hes all for it. He said its unfair to ask schools to be held accountable for a student theyve had in the school for two months just because those two months take place right before testing time. Thats partly because some of the states courses, such as math, build throughout the year. A teacher shouldnt have to catch up a student who is brand new to her class in just a few weeks before testing time starts, he said. Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . Latest News Over 740 Eklavya Model Residential Schools to be set up for 3.5 lakh tribal students, says government Centre of Excellence (CoE) for sports will also be established IGNOU admission 2022 July session registration ends today, find details here Candidates who register for the first time need to create an account and then go ahead with the registration Delhi University to release NCWEB 2022 Special cut-off today Selected candidates need to apply for admission against the DU NCWEB special cut-off from November 16-17 A new study has found that converting educational environments from single-sex to co-ed leads to falling academic results for both boys and girls.The study, led by Christian Dustmann, Professor of Economics at University College London, follows separate research released earlier this month warning that single-sex schools could disappear by 2035 However, Loren Bridge executive officer of the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia said the latest study proves without doubt that girls and boys do better in single-sex environments.Other studies have shown that students in single-sex schools outperform their co-ed counterparts, including the recent analysis of Australias NAPLAN results by ACER, Bridge said.This study goes further and shows that students academic performance actually falls when they move from a single-sex environment to co-ed environment, and continues to decline the longer they stay in a co-ed environment.Bridge said the study found that girls are more disadvantaged in co-ed classes because of factors such as boys disruptive behaviour or a teachers attention being diverted to boys.However, she added that boys are also disadvantaged, contrary to commonly held belief that boys do better in co-ed environment, boys academic performance also suffers in a co-ed environment.A comprehensive new study released earlier this month that found single-sex schools may be headed for extinction, claiming there are no tangible benefits to separating students according to gender.The Australian Council for Educational Research found that students in co-ed schools learn at the same speed or even faster than their segregated counterparts.In terms of the compounding influence of being in a single-sex school over time, there appears to be no value add in numeracy achievement and even a decline in reading achievement over time in single-sex schools compared to co-educational schools, wrote research fellow Katherine Dix.Dix also noted that single-sex schools are in fast decline in 2015, just 12 per cent of students attending independent schools were in a single-sex establishment. The paltry figure has fallen from 24 per cent in 1995 and 31 per cent in 1985.If this trend continues, there will be no single-sex independent schools in Australia by the year 2035, wrote Adelaide-based Dix. ANT invests in new feed mill in Cambodia's special economic zone A new feed mill will be built in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with a $7.5 million investment made by Asia Nutrition Technologies (ANT), The Phnom Penh Post reported. The new plant, which is to be established in the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the city's largest industrial park, is expected to produce 144,000 tonnes of feed per annum and employ 150 workers. ANT, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based feed producer Great Wall Enterprise, also signed a long-term lease agreement to operate a factory on 2.8 hectares of land, according to the senior manager of Phnom Penh SEZ, Michelle Zao. The factory will start operations in the first quarter of 2019 following 14 months of construction. ANT is looking to expand its presence in Cambodia's rapidly developing market through local feed production. Said Zhao: "Cambodia's domestic market is growing fast as purchasing power increases. Thus, (there are) more and more domestic-oriented manufacturers looking at Cambodian operations now, especially in the Phnom Penh area." She added that the company had, in the past, delivered feed products to the country from a Vietnamese factory site. ANT will source feed materials from within Cambodia and outside the country, to produce its three signature brands, namely, Red Star, DaChan and Dr Nupak, Zhao said. The company is one of the five organisations to sign lease agreements with Phnom Penh SEZ since the beginning of 2017, and joins China's New Hope and Thailand's Betagro in the industrial park. - The Phnom Penh Post The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced plans to spend $1.7 billion on K-12 education over the next five years . So what does that mean for charter schools? As my colleague Francisco Vara-Orta reports, 15 percent of that is slated for supporting charter schools and efforts within the sector to improve education for students with special needsin particular, those with mild to moderate learning and behavioral disabilities. This investment is particularly relevant because the charter school sector has long struggled with serving students with special needs. Charters overall educate a smaller proportion of students with special needs than traditional district schoolsa fact that is often raised by charter critics. A 2015 analysis of federal data by the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools found that 12.6 percent of traditional public school students receive special education, compared to 10.4 percent in charter schools. However, that gap had shrunk since the 2008-09 school year, when a U.S. Government Accountability Office report found that students with disabilities made up only 7.7 percent of charter school enrollment nationally, versus 11.3 percent in district schools. Although its unclear at this point exactly how much of that 15 percent of $1.7 billion will go toward special education in charter schools, Gates announcement is important for a couple of different reasons, said Lauren Morando Rhim, the executive director and co-founder of the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools. On a very tangible level, it can foster the development in exemplary and innovative programs, and there is a lot of room for improvement in special ed., she said. Secondly, Gates is not just a deep-pocketed funder, its an influential one that other philanthropists and foundations look to when choosing what to invest in, Rhim said. The hope is that it will have a domino effect, she said. Why Do Charter Schools Serve Fewer Special Education Students? There are several potential reasons for that persistent gap between district schools and charter schools, according to Rhim. Among them: Authorizers, the groups with the power under state law to award charters and oversee them once they are open, may not prioritize special education and hold their schools accountable for serving students with special needs. Some charter schoolsespecially stand-alone campuses that are not part of a larger network or a traditional school districtoften lack the scale and infrastructure to serve students with disabilities. And finally, some charter schools may illegally turn away students with disabilities because they are expensive to educate or will bring down the schools overall test scores. There are also some bad actors in the charter sector, and I think its important to acknowledge that, Rhim said. I think they get an inordinate amount of attention, I think its much more complex than that, but I do think its important to acknowledge. Related stories: Photo: Bill Gates addresses the CGCS Fall Conference in Cleveland on Oct. 19. Clarence Tabb Jr./CGCS 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. Smart city finance is based on an integrated smart city plan, in which a range of technological innovations are used to create a better city to live in. At least, thats what smart city finance should be about. Sometimes cities think theyre smart, because theyre using lots of technology. But they arent truly smart until they create an overall vision for the smart city. Smart cities go beyond the wired city or intelligent city by including a comprehensive plan, says the European Investment Banks urban division head Gerry Muscat, explaining this buzzword of urban planning to the listeners of A Dictionary of Finance. The guests on this weeks podcast also helped us to understand some terms that come up when talking about smart cities. Emily Smith, financial instruments advisor at the Bank, says that: sustainable development is economic development that doesnt deplete natural resources is economic development that doesnt deplete natural resources a brownfield site is land that has already been used and is now perhaps a polluted former industrial plot is land that has already been used and is now perhaps a polluted former industrial plot a greenfield site is land that currently hasnt been built upon, such as agricultural land. Manuel Duenas, head of public sector lending for the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia at the EIB, notes that financing tools for smart cities arent necessarily so different from the instruments used for other loans. The investment must simply be thought through and use all available technology to integrate it into a framework thats good for all the citizens, Manuel says. We hear about smart city finance for the Polish city of Krakow and a financial instrument that allowed a series of investments in Manchester to make EU and national grant money go much further. Theres also good news for small towns: you dont have to be big to be smart. Find out why when Gerry talks about the EIBs partnership with Belfius Bank of Belgium. Subscribe to A Dictionary of Finance in the iTunes podcast app or on other podcast platforms like Stitcher. Allar and Matt would love to hear from you with suggestions for future podcast topics. Tweet them at @EIBMatt and @AllarTankler. Thousands of people who couldnt graduate from high school because they failed an exit exam are now in line to receive diplomas anyway. Nevada is the latest state to hand out high school diplomas retroactively, to adults who couldnt graduate because they failed the required high school exam. To qualify for the diploma, students must have completed all other requirements, such as the required number of credits. As we reported last year, several other states began offering retroactive diplomas when they eliminated their exit exams, reasoning that students shouldnt be punished for not performing well on a test later deemed unnecessary or poorly designed. In a memo earlier this month, Nevada schools Superintendent Steve Canavero told district superintendents about the initiative to grant diplomas to students who left high school as long ago as the 1980s, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal . Former students can submit written requests for their diplomas to their school districts, the Gazette-Journal said. Beginning in 1979, Nevada required students to pass one or more exams in order to graduate from high school. By the time the requirement was eliminated, last year, students had to pass tests in four areas: writing, reading, math and science. Nevada and some of its school districts recently reported big jumps in the high school graduation rate, and some officials said that the absence of an exit exam requirement could have been one factor that fueled those gains, the Gazette-Journal reported. Nevadas high school graduation requirements are in transition . The class of 2016 was the last that was required to pass the exit exam, known as the HSPE. The classes of 2017 and 2018 must take four new end-of-course tests, but theyre not required to pass them to graduate. Those end-of-course exams will be a graduation requirement for the class of 2019, however. 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teacher evaluations. The group, co-founded by billionaire entrepreneur Bill Gates , has been undeniably influential in shifting how states and districts have approached teacher quality over the last decade. Between about 2008 and 2013, the group spent $700 million in grantmaking toward its teacher agenda . (Its total education grantmaking budget was about $2 billion.) That included about $45 million for its Measures of Effective Teaching study , which looked at different ways of gauging teacher effectiveness, including by using student test scores. (Education Week receives financial support from the Gates Foundation for coverage of continuous improvement strategies in education. Education Week retains sole editorial control of its content.) Early results from the teacher evaluation research showed that a mixture of classroom observations, student input, and measures of student growth could provide an accurate picture of teacher performance. So if Gates has been so influential here, what does it mean that the foundation is pulling out of this teacher evaluation work? Well, in the immediate sense, probably not too much. The majority of states currently have laws on the books requiring the sorts of teacher evaluation reforms that Gates was championing. But other factorsmainly, the new federal education lawmay soon cause real changes in this space. Federal Incentives Push State Change Heres a bit of back story: While Gates MET research fueled interest in using student test scores as part of a teachers evaluation, states were already headed in that direction for several other reasons. Back in 2009, TNTP (formerly called the New Teacher Project) published The Widget Effect "a seminal report finding that 99 percent of teachers were being rated as satisfactory. Many began to question the validity of these evaluation systems. At the end of that year, the federal Race to the Top program began offering states incentives to rework their evaluation systems, including by incorporating student test data. (The multiyear MET study got going at right about the same time.) A couple years later, the federal government strengthened its push for including student achievement measures in teacher evaluations through its waiver system . In order to get relief from some of the mandates in No Child Left Behind, which was then the main federal education law, states had to commit to linking student outcomes to their teacher evaluation systems. Most states got those waivers. As of right now, 39 states are using objective student measures (including test scores) in their teacher evaluation systems. Thats up from 15 states in 2009, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality. Many teachers and their unions have been sharply critical of using student achievement measures to rate teachers, claiming doing so is an inexact science and causes too much emphasis on testing. The latest federal education law, the Every Student Succeds Act, passed in December 2015, allows states to back off on using student growth measures to gauge teacher effectiveness. Over the last two years, six statesAlaska, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Oklahomahave moved away from including student growth measures, according to NCTQ. (And a couple of other states have strengthened their commitment to it.) Whether more states will back off remains to be seen. But if they do, its probably a consequence of the federal education lawand not so much a result of the end of the Gates funding stream. Sorry, Mike, its not. We dont get to excellence if Ts dont get fair, accurate feedback & leaders dont get accurate data on their talent. Dan Weisberg (@DanWeisbergTNTP) October 19, 2017 And an important side note in any conversation about teacher evaluation: Research shows that even in states that have significantly overhauled their evaluation systems, nearly all teachers continue to be rated as effective . Image: Bill Gates, during an interview last May in Omaha, Neb. Nati Harnik/AP-File See also: For more news and information on the teaching profession: And sign up here to get alerts in your email inbox when stories are published on Teacher Beat. This week we are hearing from the Research Alliance for New York City Schools (@RANYCS ). This post was authored by Sarah Klevan, Dr. Adriana Villavicencio (@AdrianaRuth ), and Kayla Stewart of the Research Alliance for New York City Schools. The Research Alliance previously blogged about inequities in college access and success . Todays post is written from the researcher perspective. Stay tuned: Thursday we will share the practitioners perspective. Researchers and practitioners increasingly recognize that a positive school culture not only enhances students day-to-day experiences, but also plays a role in raising student achievement. A safe, supportive school environment has been linked to better attendance, academic achievement, and teacher retention.[1] Yet evidence suggests that Black and Latino young men often face cultural barriers at school. They frequently have a different cultural background than their teachers, often dont see themselves reflected in curricula, and are more likely to face low academic expectations . Black and Latino male students are highly overrepresented among students who have been suspended or expelled. They tend to have weaker relationships with their teachers and less academically oriented relationships with peers, compared to their White and Asian counterparts.[2] Barriers such as these have contributed to many Black and Latino young men experiencing a school culture that does not support their success. An initiative launched in New York City in 2011 has attempted to address some of these issues. The Expanded Success Initiative (ESI) was designed to improve college and career readiness for the Citys Black and Latino male students by providing financial resources and professional development to 40 NYC high schools to help them create or expand supports for young men of color. Many of the schools implemented strategies that were either implicitly or explicitly aimed at improving school culture. The Research Alliance for New York City Schools is undertaking a mixed-methods longitudinal evaluation of the initiative to understand whether and how it benefits students. Over the past four years, we have conducted hundreds of interviews and focus groups with ESI teachers and administrators, as well as a handful of in-depth case studies in ESI schools. Again and again, we heard from stakeholders about changes that had taken place in the overarching culture of participating schools. Our findings pointed to a number of specific approaches, which we documented in our 2016 report Strategies for Improving School Culture: Educator Reflections on Transforming the High School Experience for Black and Latino Young Men . School culture has been defined as the underground stream of norms, values, beliefs, traditions, and rituals that has built up over time as people work together, solve problems, and confront challenges. Here are four key strategies ESI schools used to improve school culture for male students of color: 1. Developing Culturally Relevant Education (CRE) by: Affirming students cultural identities; and Making classrooms relevant to students lives. Research suggests that students of color often experience a disconnect between their cultural backgrounds and their experiences in schools.[3] CRE attempts to engage and empower students by incorporating their racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds in classrooms. For example, ESI educators reported selecting texts written by or featuring people of color, communicating positive messages about students cultural backgrounds, and discussing issues that are relevant to the students lives. 2. Adopting Restorative Approaches to Discipline by: Developing peer mediation and conflict resolution programs; and Adopting a new mindset about student discipline. Disciplinary approaches that involve removing students from classrooms, such as suspensions, are correlated with a multitude of negative outcomes, including poor academic achievement, being held back a grade, dropping out of high school, and becoming involved in juvenile and criminal justice systems.[4] Many ESI educators saw alternative approaches to disciplinewhich reduce the need for student removalsas a key strategy for improving educational outcomes for Black and Latino young males. They emphasized the importance of shifting to a mindset focused on preventing unnecessary suspensions and creating opportunities for students to repair harm to their community. 3. Promoting Strong Relationships in Schools by: Developing mentoring programs; and Offering advisories. A growing body of evidence suggests that positive relationships in schoolincluding student-teacher relationships and relationships between peerscontribute to students success.[5] Teachers and students in ESI schools felt that relationships in their building had improved, in part as a result of mentoring programs and student advisories, which allowed students to talk openly about personal issues. 4. Providing Early Support for Students Postsecondary Goals by: Communicating college expectations; Focusing on the concrete steps involved in preparing and applying for college; and Providing academic supports to keep students on track for college. ESI schools worked to provide early exposure toand stoke interest incollege, often beginning in 9th grade. Schools reported taking students on college trips, helping them set college-related goals, and providing support to help them achieve those goals. Our interview findings suggest that these four broad strategies often added up to positive changes in school culture and meaningful, overarching shifts in how educators thought about their students and about their own ability to reach and support them. Whether these changes led to other positive outcomes for ESI students is still an open question. Our forthcoming report will highlight key findings about ESIs implementation over four years and examine the initiatives impact on students experiences, attitudes and academic achievement, including high school graduation and college readiness rates. Please visit our website for additional information about the Research Alliance evaluation, previous reports on the initiative, and practice guides describing ESI strategies in more depth. [1] Kraft, Marinell, & Yee, 2016; Fergus, Noguera, & Martin, 2014; Bryk, et al., 2010; Thapa et al. 2013. [2] Rudd, 2014; DiPrete & Buchmann, 2013; McKown & Weinstein, 2002; Gershenson, Holt, & Papegeorge, 2015. [3] Gay, 2000; Howard, 2006; Ladson-Billings, 1994. [4] Arcia, 2006; Eitle & Eitle, 2004; Fabelo et al., 2011; Gregory et al., 2010; American Psychological Association, 2008; Gregory & Weinstein, 2008. [5] Wells et al., 2011; Riegle-Crumb, 2010; Haynie & Osgood, 2005. Photo courtesy of NYU Steinhardt Will questioning climate change become illegal in Canada? By Tom Harris "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU." This slogan appeared on posters of the Party leader in the dystopian society of George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. It was a constant reminder of omnipresent government surveillance for thoughtcrime independent thinking. In Orwells book, Ministry of Truth history re-writer Winston Smith quietly rebelled against this oppression, starting a diary expressing forbidden thoughts. But government telescreens were everywhere. Watched constantly, Smiths every move was monitored. In Nineteen Eighty-Four, the consequences of being caught were dire; the stress on individuals enormous. As head of the International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC), I have been feeling a bit like Smith these days. Thats because ICSC has been under investigation by Canada's Competition Bureau, an independent law enforcement agency that has a legislated mandate to ensure Canadian consumers and businesses prosper in a competitive and innovative marketplace. Heres what happened. In December 2015, while in Paris attending counter conferences to the United Nations climate meetings, I learned that the environmental organization Ecojustice had registered a complaint with the Competition Bureau on behalf of six prominent Canadians against the ICSC, Friends of Science, and the Heartland Institute. Ecojustice claimed we presented climate science misrepresentations which promote the denier groups own business interests, and promote the business interests of deep-pocketed individuals and corporations that appear to fund the denier groups. Our own core principles which summarize our position on climate science and which we provide on our website were actually presented as evidence against us. Two of our allies assembled a 37-page response to the attack in which they presented peer-reviewed research in support of our positions. They suggested I counterattack with this impressive rebuttal. Others cautioned me to keep my powder dry since the complaint made no sense. We were simply exercising our rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to express our opinions. That is what science is all about opinions of experts based on their interpretations of observations. And, especially in climate science, different experts have different opinions. Further, the complainants had no idea who helps the ICSC financially. With the exception of the late Dr. Gerry G. Hatch, an Order of Canada recipient who openly supported us, the identities of our donors have been confidential since 2008. Some of our scientists have been harassed and even had death threats for contesting climate alarmism. We do not want to risk exposing our donors to such abuse. So I did nothing, hoping the Competition Bureau would dismiss the complaint as unfounded. Yet, five months later, it did launch an investigation, referencing a complaint that we make representations to the public in promotion of a business interest that are false or misleading in a material respect regarding climate change. The Bureau warned us, If the results of an investigation disclose evidence that, in the opinion of the Commissioner, provides the basis for a criminal prosecution, the matter may be referred to the Attorney General of Canada, who determines whether a prosecution should be undertaken. Although I asked the Bureau where they suspected the ICSC may have made false or misleading statements, it refused to say, citing Competition Act Subsection 10(3), which requires that inquiries be conducted privately. Aside from a letter in November 2016 informing me that the investigation was ongoing, I heard essentially nothing until the beginning of July 2017 when I received a letter from the Bureau informing me: While the Commissioner has discontinued the inquiry, and no further steps are contemplated at this time, be advised that no binding determination has been made respecting the conduct of International Climate Science Coalition. The Commissioner continues to have discretion to investigate and take enforcement action in respect of matters previously inquired into, including where additional information is discovered following the discontinuance of an inquiry. The National Observer reported that they received an e-mail from a bureau spokesperson concerning this investigation, stating, We invite Canadians who believe they may have additional information to contact the Competition Bureau. So, after nearly 14 months, the investigation is discontinued but revivable at the discretion of the Commissioner. Ecojustice criticized the Bureau for walking away without finishing the job, and asserted: Now is the time we need our cops on the climate beat to be stepping up. In their September 19th press release concerning the affair, Friends of Science stated, democracy is at stake as there are ever increasing calls to jail those who hold dissenting views on climate science. Is this the Canada my father and grandfathers defended against tyranny? Tom Harris is executive director of the Ottawa-based International Climate Science Coalition. Home Canadian speculative fiction By Mark Wegierski The term speculative fiction is said to be a Canadian invention. Speculative fiction is a term that is said to cover science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Science fiction is said to be a genre of the mind; fantasy, of the heart; and horror, of the body. Apart from Margaret Atwood, who tends to eschew the term science fiction in regard to her works such as The Handmaids Tale, Oryx and Crake, and (most recently) The Year of the Flood, the most prominent Canadian science fiction writer is probably Robert J. Sawyer. His novels are usually based on some interesting premise from more cutting edge scientific speculation, although they are also heavily layered with various types of political correctness. The scientific ideas are fascinating but the incidental societal background may be annoying to some. Rob Sawyer has had an enormous influence on building up the presence of Canadian science fiction on the world-scene, especially in regard to his role (along with prominent horror writer Edo van Belkom) in having a Canadian region of SFWA (Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) (the acronym is usually pronounced seff-wah) established. Prominent science fiction author Karl Schroeder has established an association strictly for Canadian writers of science fiction and fantasy SF Canada. Canadian science fiction fandom has been especially prominent, for example, in instituting the Aurora Awards (and more recently, the Sunburst Awards) as well as in running a comparatively high number of World Science Fiction Conventions, most recently in Toronto (2003), and Montreal (2009). The seminal anthology of Canadian science fiction and fantasy is John Robert Colombos Other Canadas (1979). Very prominently noted in it is Judith Merril (herself a well-known author), who helped establish one of the largest public collections of science fiction and fantasy in the world, now held in the Toronto Public Library system (and called for a long time The Spaced Out Library SOL). The prominence of the reference in Colombos book suggests that the building up of various distinctive, specifically Canadian infrastructures of science fiction and fantasy, has been critical in establishing the notion of a specifically Canadian science fiction and fantasy. One of the best known writers of Canadian SF is Phyllis Gotlieb. A younger prominent writer is Cory Doctorow. The most prominent Canadian fantasy writer is probably Guy Gavriel Kay. Some other Canadian fantasy writers include Steven Erickson, Anthony Swithin, Michelle Sagara, Caitlin Sweet, and Tanya Huff. Ed Greenwood is known as the creative originator of Forgotten Realms (one of the leading Dungeons & Dragons role-playing settings). The most prominent magazine of Canadian speculative fiction is On Spec. Another magazine of some prominence was Parsec. A magazine which has more recently arisen is Neo-opsis. The most prominent Canadian speculative fiction anthology is Tesseracts. There have been a number of other anthologies published, some arising out of writing contests. Nevertheless, there has been a longstanding debate whether there are, in fact, any truly distinctive features to Canadian speculative fiction. Though one can define Canadian speculative fiction as that written by Canadians one could ask if there are any specific differences in the content of the writing from that found in America? One obvious difference is the presence of Quebecois and French-language writing in Canadian SF, although this also raises the question of distinctiveness between SF in English-speaking Canada and Quebec, and between those two solitudes and America. To what extent do Quebecois writers indeed follow similar content, except that it is written in French? Quebec has been a society that went from ultra-traditionalism to ultra-progressivism within a very short period of time, which would suggest that writing of the type which explores intersections of traditionalism and modern or futuristic technology would be comparatively rare in Quebec. It is widely perceived today (based for example on the recent curriculum innovations in Quebec removing any attempt to give serious instruction in religion) that many people in Quebec (especially in its elites) want to get away as far as possible from Quebecs Roman Catholic tradition and past history which earlier generations had seen as virtually definitional of French Quebec identity. Some have suggested that Canadian science fiction is more sociologically oriented than American SF, this being related to the more problematic nature of Canadian identity, especially in terms of the waves of multiculturalism that are sweeping over Canadas large cities such as Toronto. So Canadian SF may be described somewhat vaguely as more open to difference. Others have suggested that Canadian speculative fiction tends towards such subgenres as magical realism especially as seen in On Specs de-emphasis of strictly science-fictional writing. It may perhaps be suggested that Canadian science fiction could in general be seen as more politically left-wing than American science fiction, insofar as a political message may be discerned in fictional writing. One of the most prominent and highly radical science fiction writers in Canada is Nalo Hopkinson. The most prominent, strictly Canadian publisher of science fiction and fantasy is probably Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, some of whose output has been considerably radical. Doubtless, this fits very well into a Canadian society where most provinces except Alberta have been seen as the equivalents of the most deeply Blue (Democratic) states in the U.S. The corollary of this is that any traditionalist themes in Canadian science fiction and fantasy are rather thin on the ground. Nevertheless, it may be possible that out of the varied, mostly urban-based ethnic subcultures of Canada, or perhaps out of the residues of some once-robust regional cultures, or even from some Aboriginal communities, there may arise fragments or shards of distinctly more traditionalist visions, as part of the over-all societys value pluralism. Whether such fragments may ever be instantiated in the writing of credible fiction that will see professional publication as opposed to SF criticism or journalistic endeavors or just fan fiction alone, centered mostly on the Web remains to be seen. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home DC swamp denizens strike back By Paul Driessen Despite what I thought were persuasive articles over the years (here, here and here, for example), corn ethanol and other biofuel mandates remain embedded in US law. As we have learned, once a government program is created, it becomes virtually impossible to eliminate, revise or even trim fat from it. This year, it looked like this rule of perpetuity might finally change. The Trump-Pruitt Environmental Protection Agency proposed to use its waiver authority to reduce its 2018 biodiesel requirement by 15% (315 million gallons) and (possibly) lower the 2019 total down to the 1-billion-gallon minimum mandated by Congress. The proposed action would not affect corn or other ethanol production and blending requirements, despite growing problems with incorporating more ethanol into gasoline. The biodiesel proposal reflects hard realities. Biodiesel costs over $1.30 more than regular diesel made from petroleum. Despite this far higher cost, it gets fewer miles per gallon than conventional diesel. Domestic US producers are unable to make enough biodiesel. In fact their output is at least 250 million gallons below the mandated amount; the rest is imported, keeping America reliant on foreign suppliers. Some analyses conclude that domestic biodiesel output is actually one billion gallons below what the mandate explicitly and in reality requires. So the USA is truly reliant on imports to meet the quota. Since biodiesel is made from soybean, palm, canola, flax, sunflower and other plant oils, those crops must be grown on millions of acres of land, using enormous amounts of water, fertilizer, pesticides and energy. (Biodiesel can also be made from waste vegetable oil and animal fat, but those are in minuscule supply.) The demand for biodiesel is down. Volkswagens fraudulent emissions tampering reduced demand for diesel-powered cars, and more people are driving electric and hybrid vehicles. Fraud is also rampant over Renewable Identification Numbers that must be issued for every gallon of biodiesel produced and sold. Moreover, the primary justifications for biodiesel (and all biofuels) are missing in action. Fracking and other technologies have ended worries about imminent depletion of petroleum supplies, and a growing body of evidence shows that climate chaos due to human emissions of (plant-fertilizing) carbon dioxide exists almost entirely in computer models and data manipulation not in planetary reality. Finally, foreign production often generates more social and environmental problems than biodiesel. Oil palm development in Indonesia, for example, causes deforestation, soil erosion, water and air pollution, habitat and wildlife losses, and social unrest. Plantation owners, investors and employees do well; some become very wealthy. Others, especially traditional landowners, suffer from reduced incomes and land use rights, takings of cropland they relied on for survival, rising land prices and other conflicts. In addition, like any carbon-based fuel, biodiesel emits carbon dioxide when it is burned. In fact, over the entire life cycle of growing and harvesting crops, turning them into fuel, transporting and using them in vehicles, ethanol and biodiesel emit as much CO2 as petroleum and require infinitely more acreage. However, anyone who thinks reality, logic and common sense do or should play an essential role in public policy decisions has an abysmal understanding of how the Washington, DC Swamp operates. Programs, mandates and subsidies beget vocal beneficiaries, industries, lobbyists, and crony corporatist arrangements between them and elected representatives who receive dinners, trips and campaign contributions in exchange for votes that perpetuate programs, mandates, subsidies and electoral success. No sooner had EPA announced its intended biodiesel reductions, than the Swamp Denizens rose up in righteous wrath and united indignity. Several US Senators threatened to block confirmation of President Trumps EPA nominees, unless the agency abandons its plans. Confronted with this reality, EPA caved. The biodiesel quotas remain, and will increase even further. The DC Swamp won this round. Its pretty easy to understand why Illinois Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth would battle EPA over biodiesel. Hers is a farm state, with a lot of Big Biofuel farmers and distillers, and her party has become solidly anti-hydrocarbon and anti-Trump. These days, Democrats line up largely in lockstep in opposition to domestic drilling, pipelines and refineries though hardly on any personal actions to reduce fossil fuel use in their homes, offices, vehicles or especially air travel. However, biofuel advocacy and confirmation blocking has become bipartisan. Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) is leading the charge. The powerful Republican chairs the Judiciary Committee and serves on the Agriculture, Budget, Finance and Tax Committees. He was once a self-proclaimed pig farmer, but these days he and his family are mostly involved in growing corn for ethanol and soybeans for biodiesel. Indeed, the Grassley family together collected $1.4 million in farm subsidies between 1995 and 2014. Even Senator Joni Ernst (also R-Iowa) is on the nominee blockade bandwagon. She may have been raised on a pig farm and learned how to drain swamps, kill pork and make special interests squeal. (Recall the famous campaign ad.) But she is also on the Ag Committee, and Iowa is the corn state. Indeed, corn grown on acreage equivalent to her entire state (36 million acres) is converted to ethanol every year. These senators (and many House and Senate colleagues) are determined that ethanol, biodiesel and other biofuel mandates and targets will always and only go in one direction: upward. They are all convinced that any change, no matter how small or how focused on foreign imports of biodiesel, is a potential threat to the entire biofuel program, including their beloved corn ethanol program. (Even worse, the EPA proposal could threaten their future campaign coffers and reelection prospects.) Theyve promised to oppose any effort to reduce blending levels for ethanol in gasoline or undermine the integrity of biofuel programs. They threatened to vote down the Presidents EPA nominees, unless the agency totally scrubbed its plan to reduce biodiesel mandates and imports. They claim these actions are necessary to protect energy innovation, fuel diversity and jobs. Some still talk about biofuel preventing petroleum depletion and dangerous manmade climate change. Perhaps they are all smoking that special tobacco product they sell in Boulder, Colorado. But they have powerful positions and powerful friends, and they mean business. So the EPA and White House capitulated. The Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS) legislation began as an environmental program. But it has become a major farm subsidy program and a vital campaign contributions program. It distorts markets by creating cash flows that people depend on for their livelihoods, lifestyles and lobbying fees. In the case of ethanol, it involves growing corn that requires millions of acres of land, billions of gallons of water, and vast quantities of pesticides, fertilizers, tractor fuel and natural gas to produce energy that drives up food prices, damages small engines, and gets one-third fewer miles per gallon than gasoline. With biodiesel, we have congressionally mandated production levels that are unnecessary and unrealistic. They are far above what farmers have shown they can grow and produce here in the USA. The mandates are also well above the amounts of biodiesel we need. And yet the laws require that production from biodiesel, corn ethanol and advanced biofuels (from switchgrass, et cetera) climbs steadily year after year. For once we have some people at EPA who might and should look into all of this, and implement practical, defensible reductions in these domestic and foreign biofuel levels. We should not saddle them with more politically driven mandates that hurt the environment and American consumers. But we did. The Washington Swamp won. Thats how it operates. However, the battle is not over. It has merely been joined. Next time around, there may not be critical nominees to hold hostage. Paul Driessen is senior policy analyst for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (www.CFACT.org), and author of Eco-Imperialism: Green power - Black death and other books on public policy. Home Italys Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni is seeking help from the European Union to stem the flow of migrants. He also used the occasion of last weeks EU summit to call for an EU mission to Niger to help patrol the countrys border with Libya and to start redistribution of asylum seekers across the EU. He said he was touched, satisfied and proud that Italy became a country that gave an exemplary response to human trafficking, that obtained important results and that must be sustained politically and financially. Previously, Italy had been the main target of criticism due to its treatment of refugees but the improvement came thanks to the deal with Tripoli in which Brussels offered the country 200 million to better police its borders, something that was first laughable that it was in fact possible when it was first proposed but Italy showed by its actions it was possible, Mr. Gentiloni said. As a result of the deal, the migratory flows to Italy through the central Mediterranean route Agadez-Sicily fell by 38% in one year. The recorded arrivals on the countrys shores had been going up dramatically until July 2017, when they suddenly dropped. The EUs deal with Libya raised concerns as to whether the North African country would be able to deal with a growing flow of asylum seekers and migrants at its shores. Since then, the bloc has been discussing the need to finance the African trust fund to help the affected countries to address the root causes of migration by boosting growth and employment in these countries. According to Rome though, the EUs offer has been limited and needs to be strengthened to become truly effective. $72M Verdict Against Johnson and Johnson Overturned on Appeal While jury after jury has been awarding plaintiffs hundreds of millions of dollars in lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson for the cancer-causing risks in their talc and baby powder products, the company's attorneys have consistently defended "the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder" and asserted they believe the verdicts will be overturned on appeal. This week, J&J got one of those verdicts reversed, but not on the basis of the safety of its products. The Missouri Court of Appeals for the Eastern District overturned a $72 million verdict in favor of the family of an Alabama woman who died from ovarian cancer, saying the case should never have been tried in St. Louis. St. Louis and the Supreme Court Jacqueline Fox's family was awarded $72 million in February 2016, after her death from ovarian cancer was linked to use of the company's talc-based products. Fox did not reside in Missouri, but hers was one of dozens that were joined with in-state residents to expedite litigation, although cases resulting in a verdict have all been tried individually. Over a year later, in June 2017, the Supreme Court frowned on such out-of-state plaintiffs, ruling that courts may only exercise jurisdiction over a claim if there is an "affiliation between the forum and the underlying controversy, principally, [an] activity or an occurrence that takes place in the forum State." This means that state courts may only hear claims by non-residents if they were injured in that particular state or the defendant company is based in that state. Retroactive Ruling Johnson & Johnson relied on that ruling to appeal Fox's verdict, a three-judge Missouri appellate panel agreed. While not addressing the underlying merits of the Fox family's claims, Judge Lisa Van Amburg applied the Supreme Court's determination: "The fact that resident plaintiffs sustained similar injuries does not support specific jurisdiction as to non-resident claims." Because Fox should've never been in court in St. Louis in the first place, trial court's judgment was reversed and vacated. Ted Meadows, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, released a statement saying the ruling "represents a denial of justice for the Fox family," adding the family was considering an appeal. Related Resources: Respected WestCoastCanadianGirl/Moderator I am from Bangladesh and want to apply for Canada PNP/PR. I am a service holder in a semi government organization and like to apply in PNP. My organization is extremely conservative about applying for immigration by its employee. However, my previous supervisors of different departments with whom I worked in my organization have given me some reference letters describing my jobs. I have a number of evidences (including multiple office orders for overseas official visits, Govt order from foreign ministry to attend overseas training and meetings, associated foreign invitations identifying me with my passport number and visas, appointment letters, job confirmation letters, promotion orders for different tiers, pay fixation letters, letter of increments, bank statement linked to salary, certificates of overseas and local trainings participated in official capacity). If IRCC makes my office visit or talk to my supervisors they can be sure of my employment. But if they contact my HR department they may create serious problem for me. Can I request IRCC in my PR/PNP application to verify my job in other ways than contacting my HR. Sincerely Wasi1972 Rackspace Hosting co-founder Graham Weston, who stepped down as chairman after the company sold for $4.3 billion last year, has turned his attention to something no less ambitious: rehabilitating downtown San Antonio. And thats no small task. His real estate development firm Weston Urban is working with Frost Bank to build their new headquarters smack in the middle of downtown a gleaming $142 million, 23-story glass office tower that promises to change the citys skyline. An email years ago from a Rackspace employee galvanized him to focus on reviving the citys urban core right around the time former Mayor Julian Castro asked Weston to serve as one of the chairs for SA2020, a community-wide initiative to create a vision for the citys future, Weston previously said. The employee complained that San Antonio didnt have a strong startup scene, a tech community or vibrant atmosphere for young people. I think theres been so much progress in the last couple of years; today we have literally hundreds and hundreds of people who have joined the startup community, Weston said in an interview. Thats supported by lawyers, and photographers, and videographers and all the professionals that support them. Weston founded the philanthropic fund the 80/20 Foundation and co-founded Geekdom, a co-working office space for startup companies downtown. He sat down with the Express-News on Sept. 27 before the city opted out of bidding on Amazons $5 billion headquarters to discuss his plans for San Antonio. More Information Quick facts on Graham Weston What's your typical morning routine: I tend to like to have meetings for breakfast. I have business meetings for breakfast almost every day. I love to sleep late. Let me say, I don't get up any earlier than I absolutely have to. That's what I should say, right? I don't get to sleep late, but I get up as late as I can, and then I tend to generally have an early morning breakfast meeting. What book are you reading right now: Bruce Springsteen's autobiography, "Born to Run" and "The Rise and Fall of American Growth" by Robert J. Gordon. What is your favorite restaurant: La Gloria. What is your passion or hobby outside of work: Water skiing with my kids. If you had to pick an entirely different career and an entirely different industry and there were no limitations as to what you could do, what would it be: I'd be a ventriloquist. See More Collapse He also discussed the past and future of Rackspace, the company that made him a billionaire on paper in 2012, before Rackspaces stock began to slide. His stock was worth $606 million when the company sold to private equity firm Apollo Global Management. The managed cloud services provider did $2 billion in annual revenue in fiscal year 2015, its last fiscal year before the sale closed in November, taking the company private. Heres an edited transcript of the interview. Q : Whats on the horizon for you when it comes to the future of downtown? What other things need to be done at this point? A: Well, a lot. We have more than twenty acres in downtown now that we purchased. We are building an office building for Frost Bank. And thats probably the highest profile project ... definitely is. I think that is really such an important milestone for downtown and its such a vote of confidence from Frost, who could have built in any city, anywhere. And then what I think we really need is housing. We need thousands of people living downtown or alternatives for people to be living downtown. Especially affordable options, right? We need to have housing options that are affordable. We also (need to) have more cool stuff to do. This is one of the great shortcomings of San Antonio is we have all of our cool stuff spread throughout the city. Its so spread out that we need more cool things to do in the urban core. I think suburban cities serve people with kids very well because it gives you a great, affordable house. Great backyard, great kitchen. As a city we serve people with kids we serve them well. I think the people without kids, whether they are single or married, I think we have a long way to catch up to serve the population that is single or married but without children. We need more things to do. We need great parks. We need great restaurants. We need great bars. We need just more things to do. Q : What do you think of the progress thats been made so far kind of facilitating, in particular, the tech district downtown? I mean, I know that Scaleworks has moved into Savoy. But what else? A: Also Scaleworks is a really big deal. Thats I think going to be one of the biggest employers in town in a few years. Theyre buying software and tech companies and moving them here. Lew Moorman is the leader of it is a personal friend of mine, and I am a huge fan of what hes doing. I think that is going to be one of the things that brings critical mass to downtown and also we have WP Engine, which is an Austin company that has a large population here. We have a company called Liquid Web which is here which opened an office. Theyre based in Lansing, Michigan. And then you have Code Up which is like a software school ... a bootcamp school. This is really important for a new way to get training in a real skill. Youd have to get out of school and a lot of employers arent ready to hire someone who has never actually had a job in doing software before. This is actually gives you a real world training to give you immediate qualification for a software job. And then you have CaptureRx which has just moved into the San Antonio Light building. Q : What do you think of where Rackspace is right now and where its trying to go? Its just acquired two companies. I mean they are making some serious moves. A: Overall I am very impressed with the owners, Apollo. Apollo bought them about a year ago and I think theyve done a lot of very good moves. Invariably, there have been individuals who have been impacted and I know have been there are people, individuals that have been impacted and Im very sad to see anyone, my friends who are hurt by this transition. But I think its what I think that all current and former rackers care about it is a stronger Rackspace a decade from now. I think that they are really excited that they are being so aggressive in their growth plans. Q : And you talked a little about people being impacted by ... you know individually impacted by the move of Rackspace. Obviously theyve done some restructuring and people are moved around. Do you think that the tech economy and industry here is ready to support those people? A: I think nearly everyone has found another role. Most of them had stayed in San Antonio. So I think that in a funny way ... I mean Rackspace is now having an indirect influence on companies here in town. There are so many of those people who have gone to H-E-B, to USAA, to companies large and small. And Im proud of the culture and impact and learnings that they will take with them. Q : Is there ever a decision you made that you think was the wrong call? Like a big decision that you look back on and youre like, Man, I wish I had done something else with that. A: We were a leader in the cloud, but I think we were skeptical that it would be as mainstream as it has become.... Amazon was already running all their systems on their own cloud. Even though Amazon has had a lot of problems with their cloud, we did, too. They just had more confidence. They stuck it out. They knew that over time that it would become more and more reliable. Q : Did Amazon have a head start on you guys? Do you think that if you had stuck with that cloud strategy, wouldnt it have been a losing strategy anyway, since Amazon outpaced everybody? A: You know, its a good question. What happened was, they doubled-down on just the cloud, and we continued to spread our bets. They believed that the cloud would become the primary way that computing, the primary evolution direction, the primary direction for computing. I think we just had doubts that the cloud would become an enterprise class tool. I think that that just resulted in us under-investing, or not taking it as seriously as we might have. I just think that when technologies are evolving quickly, the person who believes in it first has a real advantage. The company that goes all in on a new winning technology has an almost insurmountable advantage. This may be a better answer, which is that we competed with Amazon for too long. We waited too long to partner with Amazon. And I think that because we were competing with Amazon, we waited too long before we partnered with them. Q : So there were kind of two pivotal points there. Theres the point where you didnt fully invest in the cloud, but then tried to compete with Amazon for too long. A: Thats right. Thats right, and then we didnt partner with them. Its just very hard to partner with your competitor. Its hard to partner with your competitor. We are fast friends now, that is, we are very, very close partners. Rackspace and Amazon are very close partners now. That will be a billion dollar business in a few years. Thats, I think, a better answer, which is, it is hard to partner with your competitor. My regret is we should have partnered with Amazon earlier. The services that Rackspace is famous for are very applicable and very useful on top of Amazons cloud. I think that we were reluctant to partner with our competitor. Its as simple as that. Its just very hard. Partnering with them actually plays to our strength, completely to our strength, and itll be a billion dollar business in no time. I think anytime theres a billion dollar business out there, we want to find it sooner rather than later. Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot. The thing is, Rackspace is a $2 billion company. Its not a little tiny thing. It is hard to depart from your success, and basically say the competition has a good approach, too. Maybe we can work with them, rather than against them. Thats the answer. That is my regret. We should have partnered with Amazon sooner. Q : Rackspace has gone private again. I know that youve said you dont think that thats going to be a forever strategy. Do you think, still, that theyre going to end up going public again at some point? I know youre not on the inside anymore. A: Im not on the inside anymore, but I think that its been a very successful acquisition for them. I think that youre going to see with the recent acquisitions and their ambitions, I think its pretty likely that theyll go public again someday. Q : The Amazon headquarters, thats going to be somewhere, and do you think San Antonio should bid on that and is San Antonio the kind of place where that could happen? A: I think we should bid on it, but I think, mainly, we should learn from it. Amazon gave us the key to the test that told us exactly what they wanted. I think theres a lot we can learn from it. Lets make sure that whether we win or lose, lets make sure that we learn from it. Lets immerse ourselves in those questions. Q : One of the things that was on the list, that Amazon list, was transportation and transportation options that make sense. Its a complaint I often hear in the tech community. Im wondering, what are your thoughts on that and have you talked to local leaders about that at all? It seems like thats something that you would probably be on trying to help change. A: I think that part of having an urban, a more strong urban core is being able to go around without a car. Whether its a bike, whether its walking or whether its Uber. In the great urban cities of the world, they have public transportation. They have buses, they have a subway. They have a street car. I think that invariably, the public transportation is the glue that holds the city together. We just dont have that. Now, we have an excellent highway system and we all have cars. So, weve been able to get along without it. The suburbs have been the major source of power for our city for the last 50 years. I think the next 50 years are all about density and collaboration and public transportation is a key component to it. Also, for a lot of people, density is a bad word. But density is, when we go to a restaurant, and we feel the energy, thats because of all the other people there. When we go into, go to a concert, and its empty, its no energy. It is the full concert thats a great concert, right? Likewise, a downtown that is full of people on the streets brings a sense of energy and collaboration and optimism for the future. Q : I was wondering, is there anything on there that stuck out to you as San Antonio having a good chance and is there anything on there that stuck out to you as San Antonio maybe needing some work? A: There are so many great cities. I think that San Antonio could be a great, would be a great host for Amazon, but I think that what every company is looking for is a pipeline of talented people to fill their, fulfill their ambitions for growth. Its hard to put another company with 50,000 people into this market. So, I think the only way to fit them into this market is by having it here as a region. To be part of the region, the San Antonio, Austin region. Austin, San Antonio region, I should say. I think that as a region, we have a better shot than as a city. I think thats a real-world example of that. The trouble is, as a region, we have no transportation whatsoever. Q : So, at the end of the day, you think that maybe an Austin, San Antonio combo could be a possibility, like, something in Austin, or something maybe in the middle of the two? Is that unrealistic, or is that crazy? A: We already have awesome companies like USAA, and H-E-B and Whataburger and Valero. These companies are already very large and do very well here, but I think the I just think that were just not ready for it. Were not ready for it. sehlinger@express-news.net | Twitter: @samehlinger The son of an electrician, Rob Bryson was not a wealthy kid or the best student at the small schools he went to in West Texas. Now 41, Bryson has a doctorate in biological sciences and has helped discover 13 new species of snakes, lizards and scorpions. Two scorpion species are named after him and one is named after his daughter. Bryson has published more than 50 peer-reviewed research articles and worked with scientists all over in the world. And hes in his second year teaching at Matthey Middle School in the Southside Independent School District, where he uses his experiences to connect with students and shake up science lessons. It doesnt matter where you are, because I did all these things and look at my background, Bryson tells his seventh- and eighth-graders. Successes can start here. Bryson grew up in Alpine, Presidio and Ozona and earned his bachelors degree in wildlife management from Sul Ross State University. He had collected amphibians and reptiles as pets and decided to study them on a more academic level. As a teaching assistant while pursuing his doctorate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he noticed the freshmen in the introductory lab courses seemed less interested in science every year. So after Bryson earned his Ph.D in 2011, he thought about how to captivate students while theyre learning the building blocks of science: in middle school. He and his wife wanted to come back to Texas, where theyd met in the early 2000s when they worked at the San Antonio Zoo. He interviewed at Matthey and said he was drawn to the school because of its high at-risk population, its rural nature and its largely Hispanic students who might be inspired by his research in Mexico. In class on Friday, Bryson promised to bring his seventh-graders an albino king snake when they talk about genetics. Tyler Heckman, 12, said hes always wanted to work outside with animals the way Bryson does. Its my favorite class, Tyler said. Hes always willing to do an experiment. Tyler told his deskmate Faith Fisher, 13, that a king snake eats other snakes. Thats not OK, Faith said. It eats your bad snakes, Tyler reassured her. All snakes are bad, she said, baiting Bryson into a discussion on the support snakes provide to the ecosystem by eating mice that carry diseases. Faith later said Brysons lessons on human anatomy are preparing her for a chosen career as a medic in the U.S. Air Force. Bryson said he likes seeing his middle-schoolers grow and change rapidly in one or two years, adding, Im hoping a lot of them will go on to do big things and accomplish big things in their lives. He said he discovered his first new species by chance about 15 years ago, while studying rattlesnakes in a pine-oak forest high in the mountains of Durango near its border with another Mexican state, Sinaloa. His friends truck had broken down, so they were returning from a trip to the beach a day late when they saw a small king snake in the road that had just been hit by a car, Bryson said. They picked it up and worked with Jim Dixon, a well-known herpetologist at Texas A&M University, to describe it in a scientific journal. At UNLV, Bryson met another graduate student, Matt Graham, who had just discovered two new species of scorpion. Fascinated and betting there were more new species in the Durango forest, Bryson and Graham got permits from the Mexican government to collect scorpions. They have since collaborated to describe four new species, including Vaejovis sierrae, named after Brysons daughter Sierra, now 8 years old. Although Bryson was a self-described snake guy and Graham was a scorpion guy, they also teamed up to study a unique-looking lizard preserved at the University of Nuevo Leon in Mexico, and discovered that it was a new species. Bryson helped discover a new scorpion from Arizona next, followed by a new lizard and two new species of rattlesnake in Mexico. He then added a few more new scorpion species to his list. One of the most recent happened in northern California, where Bryson and a collaborator named a new scorpion species Pseudouroctonus maidu after the indigenous Maidu people in the region. One new scorpion, discovered about eight years ago in Tuscon, Arizona, is named Vaejovis brysoni. Another, Pseudouroctonus brysoni, was named for Bryson after he took the initial step toward discovering it by sequencing genetic material to determine that one wide-ranging species actually contained at least three different groups. To be honest with you, scorpions still give me the heebie-jeebies, said Bryson, who has been stung twice in his life. He is still a research affiliate with Occidental College and the University of Washington and is working on manuscripts to describe another new rattlesnake, two new lizards and three new scorpions. To give his students his full attention during the school year, Bryson said, he does most of his research during summer breaks. Many educators say social and disciplinary issues make middle-school grades the hardest to teach, but far from bombing his first year, Bryson helped a group of eighth-graders devise an experiment that was one of 21 launched in August to the International Space Station. I thought he was doing a lot of innovative things with our students, Principal Miguel Martell said. Its a huge asset. amalik@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Beneath a stone-columned gazebo on the North Side, a group of adults gathered Saturday morning to honor a man they called the angel in their lives. They were orphans, homeless and abandoned, suffering from neglect, abuse and trauma when they arrived at the Baptist Childrens Home, where Leland Hacker was the executive director. But with his guidance, they became accountants, teachers, military members and fundraisers. So many of you came from unimaginable circumstances, Hacker told the several dozen who showed up for a reunion held Saturday at the Churchill Estates rec center. And now, look at you. We made it through and thats what counts; my heart just fills with this. Saturday was the first time in more than 20 years that former foster children, house parents and staff members from the group home had held a formal reunion. Now called Baptist Child and Family Services, the nonprofit home served 120 children, from 2 to 18 years old, at any one time. Former resident Michael Gibson, who organized the reunion, said Hackers guidance helped him overcome his anger when he first came to the home in 1987. At the time, he was an immigrant from Vietnam named Thuy Huynh. He didnt get along with his father and ended up at the home. While talking to the group, Hacker recalled being present when Gibson took the oath to become a U.S. citizen. Im very proud of who we are and what we stood for, said Gibson, now 47. What they did for us as kids shouldnt go unnoticed. I never lost a child, Hacker, 87, said of his 30-year career. It wasnt perfect, but we tried to give them a sense of home. Gibson hopes the group will use the reunion as a launchpad to help children in need. Hackers daughter, Robin Hacker Trevino, worked as a house parent and caseworker while his late wife, Jerri, worked in the public relations office at the home. This is a really big day for my dad, said Trevino, 52. He influenced so many kids, theyre like a family to him. In addition to getting together for a reunion, they also were there to celebrate Hackers birthday. Hes turning 88 next week. Hacker said he taught the children the value of a honest days work by having them rise early in the morning to tend to farm animals on the property. Some of them liked the work enough that they ended up joining 4-H clubs. Gibson ended up raising a champion Simmental steer. Stacey Willingham, 41, arrived at the group home at the age of 4 and stayed until she was a high school freshman. She said she often wonders what her life would be like without Hacker and the home. You had stability, Willingham said as she thumbed through a photo album and found a faded picture of her first date. Melody Mayhugh, a former house parent, learned about the event from one of the several boys who lived in the cottage she managed. Mayhugh, 66, said she worked at the campus because she had grown up in a childrens home and knew the care they needed. LLyas Salahud-din, 37, recalled his arrival at the home when he was 7. A woman came up to him and said, Young man, youre going to be OK; youre in a safe home. Schlahud-din said Hacker hired case workers, mentors and tutors who helped them reached their potential. It was a safe space, he said, and an opportunity for us to learn and grow as kids. He did it with a loving heart. vtdavis@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl enters a courtroom at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, early Monday to begin a sentencing hearing for deserting his combat outpost, what he tells the judge and whether he risks saying it under oath could decide if he walks out a free man or goes to prison, experts say. Its a difficult legal landscape for Bergdahl, 31, who pleaded guilty last Monday to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy for leaving his dusty base in Afghanistan in 2009 in the dead of night, hoping, he said later, to call attention to problems with his unit. He faces up to life in prison. A punitive discharge would keep him from receiving government care for injuries he suffered while a Taliban prisoner for nearly five years. Convicted defendants routinely give unsworn statements to military courts considering punishment. If Bergdahl does so under oath, hed be in the cross hairs of prosecutors asking questions he wont be able to duck. But maybe hed walk if it convinces the judge, Col. Jeffrey Nance, of his remorse, several veteran military lawyers suggested. If Bergdahl tries to justify his actions or the comments he made in an interview with a British filmmaker that aired on a podcast and a TV network, things could get ugly, they said. What happens on Monday to a large extent rests on his shoulders, said David A. Schlueter, Hardy Professor of Law at St. Marys University. I think he can have an impact on what happens based on his strategy of how he presents himself, the position that he takes, his demeanor. And a good defense counsel will walk him through that and give him the choices. It will be Bergdahls decision as to whether he expresses remorse and pleads for mercy or takes a combative attitude. And if anyone is up for a high-wire act, said South Texas College of Law Professor Geoffrey Corn, it might be Robert B. Bergdahl. Risk taker Before entering the Army, Bergdahl flew to Paris in an aborted attempt to join the French Foreign Legion. On that night in Afghanistan in 2009, he left his squad automatic weapon behind when he left Combat Outpost Mest, carrying only a knife and native garb, trying to trek 19 miles to Forward Operating Base Sharana. It was an idea that perhaps only the home-schooled Bergdahl, who lived off the grid near Hailey, Idaho, and struggled to find a place in the world, could have cooked up, a test of him against the elements or one reason the Armys chief investigator considered him delusional at the time. In the filmmakers interview, aired in the podcast Serial, Bergdahl said he knew hed be jailed until commanders came around to his way of thinking. I was fully confident that when somebody actually took a look at the situation and when people started investigating the situation, that people would understand that I was right, you know, what was going on was a danger to lives of the men in that company, he said. Corn is guessing thats the Bergdahl who will show up in court Monday. Hes been a bit of a wild card, right? He seems to have no hesitation to talk about what he did, Corn said. Its very, very uncommon for a defendant, after being convicted, whether pleading guilty or not guilty, to testify under oath in a sentencing hearing because by doing it they subject themselves to cross-examination. But I think consistent with what weve seen so far, thats probably going to happen. We already know what hes going to say he never intended anybody to get hurt, Corn continued. He felt he was motivated by a good motive, but he realized he made a stupid and foolish decision. But he didnt stop being a soldier. I think thats going to be his narrative, and if he does it under oath, its going to carry a lot more weight with Judge Nance. Bergdahls decision to plead guilty signals contrition and the potential for rehabilitation in military courts, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rachel Vanlandingham noted. She doubts that it much matters how he testifies, saying the weight Nance gives to his years in captivity, the torture he endured, mental illness issues and his motive for the misconduct will matter more. So will the harm his actions did to fellow soldiers and to their mission, Vanlandingham added. She agrees with other observers who predict that the prosecution, which didnt cut a plea bargain, will come out with guns blazing. Punishment evidence In the military justice system, the prosecution leads off the punishment phase. It could present evidence from Bergdahls service record, how his disappearance affected fellow soldiers, and possibly testimony from two GIs who were wounded in a firefight while searching for Bergdahl about 10 days after he disappeared. One, a sergeant first class, suffered a life-altering head injury. Nance initially denied prosecutors attempt to present the soldiers testimony in pretrial fact-finding, saying it likely would inflame jurors. But in June, he ruled that the two could testify in the punishment phase if Bergdahl was convicted of misbehavior before the enemy. Im assuming theyll take the stand and testify how they got wounded and whether theyre suffering from the effects of those wounds, St. Marys Schlueter said, adding that it would be relevant information in terms of how Bergdahls actions impacted the unit and that commanders also likely would talk about the impact this sort of offense has on military discipline. The governments message, most experts agree, will be that Nance has to give him prison time and a punitive discharge. The court will give both sides wide latitude to make their cases. The rules of evidence are generally relaxed at sentencing, Schlueter said. One obvious argument for the defense, legal experts say, will be that five years of brutal Taliban captivity were enough. Bergdahl will need medical care the rest of his life, and testimony by defense experts could amplify that point. The defense also might call the three-star Army general who investigated his case, Kenneth Dahl, who heads the Installation Management Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. Held for 1,797 days, Bergdahl tried to escape multiple times and endured cycles of brutality and illness that made his experience among the worst for a U.S. prisoner of war since Vietnam, expert Terrence Dean Russell testified in a pretrial hearing at Fort Sam in 2015. Both Russell and Dahl argued against prison time for Bergdahl, who has had a desk job at U.S. Army North since arriving at Fort Sam in mid-June 2014. The Taliban kept Bergdahl in a 7-foot-square cage for close to three years, often blindfolded. He was beaten and poorly fed and once was so thirsty that he drank his own urine. He now suffers from neuropathy in his lower legs, degenerative back damage, a loss of range of motion in his left shoulder and post-traumatic stress disorder. The defense also is expected to review military records that include the Coast Guards decision to kick Bergdahl out of boot camp only weeks into training. The Army, which had to have known about his discharge, nonetheless enlisted him. Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles Dunlap Jr., a Duke University law professor, said the defense strategy has long focused on sparing Bergdahl from prison. Dunlap doesnt know the judge and declined to speculate on how he might assess the evidence. But he pointed to the case of Vietnam-era POW Robert Garwood, dishonorably discharged but not imprisoned after being convicted of communicating with the enemy and assaulting a fellow prisoner. Bergdahls circumstances are different in key respects, but the fact is that it does appear he suffered in Taliban hands, even though that captivity was of his own making, Dunlap said. Taking the stand Bergdahl opted to have Nance decide the sentence. The defense, headed by Yale Law School lecturer Eugene Fidell, will have to advise Bergdahl on whether he should testify under oath. Giving an unsworn statement would be the safe play. The independent-minded Bergdahl might disregard his legal teams advice. He has a history of making grand gestures, attorneys following the case say. Its not clear, for example, if he alone decided to be interviewed by the filmmaker or received permission from Fidell, who has refused to discuss the matter. If he takes the witness stand under oath, prosecutors will go after him about what duty, honor and being a soldier means, Corn said. The risks also include questions about Bergdahls public comments, one recently aired by ABC, where he said of his case, We may as well go back to kangaroo courts and lynch mobs that got what they wanted. Joseph Jordan, a veteran military lawyer with offices at Fort Hood and Fort Sill, Oklahoma, said Bergdahl will have to walk a number of minefields if he testifies under oath. The accuseds direct (testimony) will have to be very effective and anticipate all of the potential cross-examination questions that could come out from the government counsel, he said. Bergdahl has to be believable and reasonable. Vanlandingham, a professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, said the defense could call a psychiatrist to testify about Bergdahls mental health at the time of his offenses and now. A military doctor determined that at the time of his disappearance Bergdahl exhibited symptoms of a mental condition known as schizotypal personality disorder. Prosecutors will be able to counter defense testimony before final arguments. Nance will then deliberate. Whatever else, observers think that prosecutors will try to show that Bergdahl dealt a blow to an Army at war. I expect both sides to pull out all the stops. I dont think either side is going to leave anything on the table, Schlueter said. Theres just so much at stake. sigc@express-news.net WASHINGTON - In its investigation into Russias meddling in American elections last year, the House Intelligence Committee intends to interview Brad Parscale on Tuesday about the Trump presidential campaigns San Antonio-based digital operations, according to reports. Parscale, Trumps digital director, has said that the Trump campaign had no connection with the Russian operatives who deployed Facebook and Twitter in an extensive social media operation during the 2016 election campaign. Appearing on CBS 60 Minutes on Oct. 8, Parscale called Facebook the 500-pound gorilla that helped Trump win the White House. But he referred to allegations of collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign as a joke. He added, I know my own activities, and I know the activities of this campaign. I was there. It's just a farce. Parscale tweeted in July that he had accepted an invitation from the House Intelligence Committee. The Wall Street Journal reported that Parscale confirmed he would testify Tuesday. Parscale did not respond to messages about his testimony. The House and Senate Intelligence committees, in addition to special counsel Robert Mueller, have been looking at the possibility of Trump campaign involvement in the Russian-orchestrated ads. A key question for investigators: How did an operation in St. Petersburg, Russia employing dozens of online experts know where to focus ads in the United States to achieve the most impact during an election campaign? Facebook gave the committees more than 3,000 ads discovered to have been purchased by the troll farm, which has ties to Russian intelligence services. Committee members who have viewed the Kremlin-orchestrated ads said they were designed to stoke divisions around matters including race, immigration and Americans views about Muslims. The House Intelligence Committee has said many of the ads will be made public after an open hearing early next month in which representatives of Facebook and other tech leaders are expected to testify on Capitol Hill. Facebook, facing growing scrutiny in Congress, has vowed to tighten restrictions on the content of ads on its platform and to strengthen efforts to prevent deception. Senate legislation introduced last week would require digital platforms with at least 50 million monthly viewers to maintain a public file on electioneering ads that would include detailed information on the purchasers, along with copies of the ads. The legislation took on a bipartisan flavor when Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., agreed to become a co-sponsor along with Sen. Mark Warner, of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. But bipartisanship on Capitol Hill has showed signs of fraying amid reports of clashes over how long the investigations should proceed. The Senate Intelligence Committee, unlike the House panel, said it will not make the Facebook ads public. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a senior member of the intelligence panel, implied earlier this month that politics on Capitol Hill are making it likely that the answers to questions about any Trump campaign coordination with Russian operatives may have to come from Muellers investigation. Everything has to be negotiated with the party in power, and it's very difficult to do an investigation under those circumstances, she said, speaking on CBS Face the Nation. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, who heads a House Oversight subcommittee on information technology, planned a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday to examine issues related to the Russians use of social media last year and the growing demand for legislation. Hurd, R-San Antonio, has invited experts on advertising and campaign finance to testify about laws governing campaign advertising along with implications of attempting to regulate political speech. blambrecht@express-news.net AUSTIN - The George W. Bush who took aim at bigotry, fear-mongering and xenophobia was a familiar incarnation of the man who was a respected, bipartisan, even beloved (at least in some circles) Texas governor before his controversial years in the White House. His speech was a welcome reappearance of the leader who sold himself as a compassionate conservative when he first ran for president, drawing on his experience as governor of our border state. Bush spoke in 2000 with kindness and understanding about undocumented immigrants, saying they are doing what wed all do if we found ourselves living next door to a country that promised a better way of life for those we love. Family values do not stop at the Rio Grande River. If you're a mother or dad, and you're worried about feeding your children, and you can't find work close to home, and you hear of opportunities somewhere else, and you're worth your salt, you're coming, Bush said at a Los Angeles stop during that race for president. It was one of a number of venues where he made the point that year, even while affirming his commitment to enforcing national borders. While he was unable to win approval of an immigration-law overhaul as president a time that was overtaken by the terror of 9/11, by war, by the mishandled response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster Bush then, and in the years since, spoke of his hope for the United States to be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time. The California speech in 2000 was seen as important since it came a few years after then-Gov. Pete Wilson drove the campaign for his states anti-immigrant Proposition 187, which among other things sought to deny public schooling to undocumented immigrant children. Thursdays speech also was seen as important, as a rebuke of President Donald Trumps least temperate policies and rhetoric at a time when many are filled with concern about the direction of our country. It packed a bigger punch since it came the same day as former President Barack Obama offered a similar message. It was an even more dramatic effort than Obamas despite the Democrats beautiful oratory. Bush, in his more workmanlike way, was issuing a warning about a fellow Republican who, according to a Texas Tribune/University of Texas poll, is in high standing with Texas GOP stalwarts. The poll said 79 percent of Republicans in Texas approve of the job done by Trump. Aiming at Trump without mentioning him by name, Bush expressed concern over discourse degraded by casual cruelty. He urged an appreciation for the dynamism that immigration has always brought to America. He decried bullying and bigotry. He spoke of the importance of free trade, the need for the United States to be a shining hope and the impossibility of wishing away globalization. He warned against nationalism being turned into nativism. Our identity as a nation - unlike many other nations - is not determined by geography or ethnicity, by soil or blood. Being an American involves the embrace of high ideals and civic responsibility, Bush said. This means that people of every race, religion, ethnicity can be fully and equally American. It means that bigotry or white supremacy in any form is blasphemy against the American creed. It was the speech of a national leader, and at least one Texas leader appreciated it - House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio. Straus has called for civility in public life while being battered by further-right Republicans enraged that among other things he stood against a bill to restrict transgender peoples use of public restrooms. President Bush delivered a powerful, needed message about how we treat each other and how we interact with the rest of the world. He was spot-on in his defense of democracy, free trade, inclusion and civility. I hope we all will remember what he had to say, and how he said it, for a long time, Straus said. Several leaders who unlike Straus are elected statewide declined to weigh in on Bushs moment. Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Trump supporters, didnt respond when their offices were asked if they had a comment. The former presidents nephew, Land Commissioner George P. Bush, also didnt comment. George P. Bush ended up backing Trump last year despite his attacks on the land commissioners father, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, during the presidential race. pfikac@express-news.net | Twitter: @pfikac One bloke said he thought it was a scam, a few of the smaller operators who are non-breeders of sheep think they might get out of sheep, Ive had another comment that one man put it in the bin, so we need to clear it up and get rid of the uncertainty of it all. Not only have I noticed that some students dont think they have what it takes but many dont know what opportunities there are from them in this great sector of ours, he said. Infertility problems with early clovers pushed many of them, including grandfather Ed Welke, to become traders rather than breeders of Merino wethers mainly for the live export market, and they were quick to adapt to breeding their own sheep specifically for their environment as the options improved. The future of Fauquier Times now depends on community support. Your donation will help us continue to improve our journalism through in-depth local news coverage and expanded reader engagement. Support Gerard Butler is ready to start a family. Gerard Butler While the 47-year-old actor says he has no time for a personal life right now, he intends to become a father within the next five years, explaining that it is "about time". He told PEOPLE: "I have no personal life. In five years I want to be in a relationship. I'd love to have one or two kids -- it's about time. "I want to be more run by my personal life than my career." Although Gerard currently lives in Malibu, California, he would love to move to North Carolina and spend more time exploring nature. He said: "My stomach aches when I think about nature and adventure. I have a place out in Malibu right now but [in five years], I want to have a place in North Carolina or somewhere that I spend more time in nature." Meanwhile, Gerard and his on/off girlfriend Morgan Brown split in August after a "make or break" holiday to Mexico, and some of the actor's pals believe he just "couldn't commit" to a relationship with the brunette beauty. A friend said: "Gerry just isn't ready to settle down. He thought Morgan might have been the right person at the right time but it wasn't to be. "He's told his friends he just couldn't commit. Gerry loves Morgan but it wasn't working. "He has been away filming and he thought it would be better if they went their separate ways. They went away to Mexico to see if it would work out but they both saw it would be best they moved on." While the pair have called time on their romance, some friends of the '300' star - who has previously been romantically linked to the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Biel - aren't sure he will ever settle down. The pal added: "Some of Gerry's friends have given up on thinking he would ever settle down. He is having too much fun." Gerard and Morgan are thought to have separated last November and she was then spotted having a stroll with Liev Schreiber, following his split from Naomi Watts after 11 years. Priscilla Presley has not quit the Church of Scientology. Priscilla Presley Despite reports over the weekend that the 72-year-old star had defected from the controversial religion, representatives for Priscilla have told PEOPLE that she is still a member. Priscilla is believed to have been a member of the church since the death of her ex-husband Elvis Presley in 1977 and she raised their daughter Lisa-Marie in it. However, there have been unconfirmed reports in recent years that Lisa-Marie has quit, although she has never commented publicly on it. Priscilla has been a vocal advocate of the church and according to the website What Is Scientology, which is operated by Church of Scientology International, Priscilla previously said: "L Ron Hubbard researched man and has carefully and precisely mapped a route out of the madness, misery and unwanted conditions one can encounter in life. When applied exactly, the technology produces incredible results. Those results are very definite and eternal. "Were it not for Scientology, I would either be completely insane or dead by now. I am forever grateful for the technology of Scientology and to Mr. Hubbard who dedicated his life to helping man and this planet, as well as to the people who have dedicated their lives to helping others through Scientology." High profile church members include Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley, while Leah Remini has been an outspoken critic of the religion since defecting three years ago. by Charlotte Hough for www.femalefirst.co.uk Gigi Hadid had to keep the details of her Maybelline make-up range a secret from her family. Gigi Hadid The 22-year-old model recently launched her beauty line with the cosmetics giant, and the star has revealed no one knew about the project, not even her sister Bella Hadid, 21, only Maybelline New York's Global Make-up Artist Erin Parsons, although she "wished" she could have announced the news sooner. Speaking about the top-secret venture to PEOPLE, the blonde beauty said: "When I landed in London on the tour for my Tommy Hilfiger line [in September], we had to go straight to a radio show. We had to pretty much do hair and makeup for the show in the tiniest bathroom you've ever seen. Erin did my make-up with the Jetsetter palette but she couldn't say it because it wasn't announced yet. We were talking about it after - how she wished she could tell people what we used." But the catwalk icon has revealed she had "the most fun" making the line because she knew exactly what products she wanted to include in the collection, which is split into two categories East Coast Glam inspired by New York City, and West Coast Glow that is influenced by the California beach vibe. She continued: "What was the most fun was that I knew what I wanted to do from the get-go and Maybelline was so supportive of me making products I couldn't always find shopping for myself. "I wanted to make a collection [with products] that are easy to use, easy to put on and [can create] looks that work from day to night just by adding a lip or liner at the end of the day. "I travel [so much] for work and I never want to pack and unpack my makeup bag all the time. I look up to girls who can wake up in the morning and do a full face of makeup and look amazing. But I just can't put on all that makeup and make it look good." And Gigi has revealed not only are her collections inspired by various hotspots in America, but also by her friends. She added: "There are lipstick colours that are inspired by my friends and named after them." BekaertDeslee, one of the largest manufacturer of mattress textiles and cover solutions, has announced a major expansion of its North American manufacturing facility in North Carolina. BekaertDeslee will be investing more than $4 million to add more than 80,000 square feet to its already existing 270,000 square feet manufacturing footprint.Further investments are also being made in new state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and full time employees to support BekaertDeslees continuing growth. BekaertDeslee, one of the largest manufacturer of mattress textiles and cover solutions, has announced a major expansion of its North American manufacturing facility in North Carolina. BekaertDeslee will be investing more than $4 million to add more than 80,000 square feet to its already existing 270,000 square feet manufacturing footprint.# Brandon Wells, general manager of BekaertDeslee North America said, We are making this major investment to allow us to better service our growing customer base and the ongoing demand in this key North American market. We will be adding new knitting machinery and updated equipment to support our weaving operations along with another finishing frame and laminating machine.We are very excited about these new additions to our North American business unit and looking forward to continuing our growth and expansion. Due to our ongoing success, we are in the process of expanding our workforce which will see 50 new employees added this year and bring our full time employee base to over 300. Our commitment to this market is deeply rooted in our long-term global strategy and presence, he added.BekaertDeslees global technical team has worked for over 12 months to develop the new manufacturing plan. (GK) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India The Munich Apparel Source tradefair will be held from September 3 to 5, 2019 as an integrated event of Munich Fabric Start and directly connected to the MOC. Munich Apparel Source connects around 200 international European brands and retailers with selected and reliable apparel manufacturing partners that follow a high-quality standard policy.The strategic and future-oriented new concept of dovetailing the two trade events in terms of both location and content is the result of an intense survey of the current market requirements as well as exhibitor and visitor expectations. The Munich Apparel Source tradefair will be held from September 3 to 5, 2019 as an integrated event of Munich Fabric Start and directly connected to the MOC. Munich Apparel Source connects around 200 international European brands and retailers with selected and reliable apparel manufacturing partners that follow a high-quality standard policy.# The tradefair location of Munich, Germany offers optimum prerequisites for giving visitors comprehensive insight into the entire textile production chain and therefore also real synergy effects. Munich Fabric Start is also continuing the strategy of extending its portfolio to include the next stage in the value added chain thereby offering a comprehensive service and product range for the fashion industry at one location.Measures promoting a sharper profile include the testing and presence of relevant supply countries and their companies in terms of compliance with European product standards. Beyond this the analysis of production processes and solutions in line with the latest market requirements. Just like earlier this year specialist lectures will present the performance of specific countries and regions in detail. This includes production capacities, production focuses, delivery times, conditions, and cost structures as well as import and export conditions that can play a decisive role for global fashion players.The aim here with Munich Apparel Source is to offer a reliable international network platform and comprehensive and practical know-how on all key sourcing markets. For this reason, comprehensive profiles of the exhibiting firms will provide information on their range of products and services as well as the available certifications.Global sourcing markets are still displaying great dynamism and movement with rapid shifts. These go hand in hand with promising opportunities. At Munich Fabric Start with integrated Munich Apparel Source, visitors can gather information on all the latest developments and trends in order to gear the development and manufacture of their products up to the future. (GK) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Turkmenistan, the ninth largest cotton producer in the world, will host the seventh International Trade Fair of Cotton Products and International Conference Cotton products of Turkmenistan and World Market next month. More than one million tons of cotton is grown in Turkmenistan, mainly in the four inner-most regions of Mary, Lebap, Akhal, and Dashoguz. Turkmen ministry of agriculture and water resources, state commodity and raw materials exchange and the chamber of commerce and industry will participate in the two-day event beginning November 25 in the capital city of Ashgabat, Turkmen media reports said. This year, cotton was sown in nearly 50 per cent of all irrigated fields in the Central Asian country. Turkmenistan exports cotton to several countries, including China, South Korea, Iran, Russia, Indonesia, Ukraine, Turkey, Singapore, the UK and Baltic countries. A portion of cotton is also consumed by about 20 domestic textile firms that operate predominantly with Turkish partners. (RKS) Turkmenistan, the ninth largest cotton producer in the world, will host the seventh International Trade Fair of Cotton Products and International Conference 'Cotton products of Turkmenistan and World Market' next month. More than one million tons of cotton is grown in Turkmenistan, mainly in the four inner-most regions of Mary, Lebap, Akhal, and Dashoguz.# Fibre2Fashion News Desk India ST. PAUL, Minn., 2017-10-23 02:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Boosting H.B. Fuller's (NYSE:FUL) problem-solving potential, the company today announces it has finalized its acquisition of Royal Adhesives & Sealants for $1.575 billion. Few people realize the impact of adhesives. They are everywhere, making virtually any durable or consumer product better. Adhesives have the potential to make the world a better place, and H.B. Fuller is tapping adhesives in unique ways to improve a range of global issues. H.B. Fuller, combined with Royal, deepens its expertise in specialty and high-value applications used in a range of sectors, including electronics, hygiene, medical, transportation, clean energy, construction, and more. Together, the companies will enable an interconnected world, support better use of the world's finite resources, improve food security and access to clean drinking water, and address the challenges of a globally disperse and aging population. "This is an exciting step for Royal and our network of brands," said Royal Adhesives & Sealants CEO, Ted Clark. "Combining these two businesses creates a more capable and dynamic company for our customers and employees. We complement each other, selling in adjacent markets with very little customer overlap, and that presents an interesting number of growth opportunities. We offer different technologies, expertise and capabilities. Yet, we share the same passion for solving product development challenges by discovering and applying innovations in adhesive technology." The acquisition expands H.B. Fuller's product offering in engineering, durable assembly and construction adhesives and makes H.B. Fuller the world's largest supplier of adhesives for insulating glass and commercial roofing applications. Of the top adhesives manufacturers, H.B. Fuller is the only one singularly focused on adhesive and sealant technologies. "We are passionate about being the best adhesives provider in the world, and we've been investing significantly over the last decade to make it a reality," said H.B. Fuller CEO Jim Owens. "With complementary adhesives expertise from Royal, we're able to make an even bigger impact on improving people's lives. Our customers will benefit from a broader portfolio and expanded development and production capabilities. We'll be a more capable and dynamic company with additional opportunities for the thousands of dedicated H.B. Fuller and Royal employees around the world. And, the acquisition accelerates our business strategy and positions us to exceed our 2020 targets." H.B. Fuller also expects the combined businesses to deliver very strong cash flow to pay down debt at an accelerated pace. Owens adds, "With this acquisition, we have created immediate value for shareholders based on Royal's solid organic growth track record, high EBITDA margin and strong rate of cash flow conversion. Looking ahead, we will now begin our planned three-year integration, including leveraging the $15 million in growth synergies and $35 million in cost synergies we identified prior to closing this transaction." A broader range of highly specified adhesives technologies With the addition of Royal, H.B. Fuller will be able to add more value to its customers in key markets that require highly specified adhesive technology. The combined companies' comprehensive suite of products support innovative product design with the potential to touch everything from our clothes, homes and workspaces to how we communicate and travel. For example, the electronification of cars has revolutionized vehicles from mechanical machines to electronic devices, and it is changing how vehicles are manufactured and serviced. Together, H.B. Fuller and Royal now bring the whole package to OEMs - from electronics applications, interior trim, and interior and exterior lighting to powertrain under the hood and exterior structural bonding. Royal also brings rubber-to-metal bonding adhesives, a highly difficult application in the automotive industry. From engineered wood applications and panel lamination to advancements in insulating glass, H.B. Fuller now has one of the world's most complete lines of durable assembly adhesive offerings. The acquisition of Royal's KOMMERLING business-a well-established and respected provider of insulating glass and other high-value adhesive and sealant applications for manufacturers of durable goods-will enable us to leverage its well-established sales channels to deliver this technology to a broader range of customers in North America and to accelerate the introduction of insulating glass sealant innovations in China and the Asia Pacific region. The acquisition also nearly doubles the size of H.B. Fuller's construction adhesives portfolio. Adding to H.B. Fuller's expertise in tile setting and flooring installation, Royal is the market leader in the commercial low-slope roofing category. They also add capabilities in insulation attachment and waterproof bonding. Collectively, H.B. Fuller now advances quality building construction from the floor to the roof. H.B. Fuller has acquired Royal from affiliates of American Securities LLC, based in New York with an office in Shanghai. To learn more about the transaction, visit www.hbfuller.com/royal. About H.B. Fuller Company: Since 1887, H.B. Fuller has been a leading global adhesives provider focusing on perfecting adhesives, sealants and other specialty chemical products to improve products and lives. With fiscal 2017 pro forma net revenue of over $2.8 billion, H.B. Fuller's commitment to innovation brings together people, products and processes that answer and solve some of the world's biggest challenges. Our reliable, responsive service creates lasting, rewarding connections with customers in electronics, disposable hygiene, medical, transportation, aerospace, clean energy, packaging, construction, woodworking, general industries and other consumer businesses. And, our promise to our people connects them with opportunities to innovate and thrive. For more information, visit us at www.hbfuller.com. Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements in this document may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the following: the Royal transaction may involve unexpected costs or liabilities; our business or stock price may suffer as a result of uncertainty surrounding the transaction; the substantial amount of debt we have incurred to finance our acquisition of Royal, our ability to repay or refinance it or incur additional debt in the future, our need for a significant amount of cash to service and repay the debt and to pay dividends on our common stock, and the effect of restrictions contained in our debt agreements that limit the discretion of management in operating the business or ability to pay dividends; various risks to stockholders of not receiving dividends and risks to our ability to pursue growth opportunities if we continue to pay dividends according to the current dividend policy; we may be unable to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies from the transaction within the expected time frames or at all; we may be unable to successfully integrate Royal's operations into our own, or such integration may be more difficult, time consuming or costly than expected; following the transaction, revenues may be lower than expected, and operating costs, customer loss and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers, clients or suppliers) may be greater than expected; risks that the transaction disrupts current plans and operations and the potential difficulties in employee retention as a result of the transaction; the ability to effectively implement Project ONE; political and economic conditions; product demand; competitive products and pricing; costs of and savings from restructuring initiatives; geographic and product mix; availability and price of raw materials; the Company's relationships with its major customers and suppliers; changes in tax laws and tariffs; devaluations and other foreign exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of litigation and environmental matters; the effect of new accounting pronouncements and accounting charges and credits; and similar matters. Further information about the various risks and uncertainties can be found in the Company's SEC 10-K filing for the fiscal year ended December 3, 2016, and its SEC 10-Q filing for the quarter ended September 2, 2017. All forward-looking information represents management's best judgment as of this date based on information currently available that in the future may prove to have been inaccurate. Additionally, the variety of products sold by the Company and the regions where the Company does business make it difficult to determine with certainty the increases or decreases in net revenue resulting from changes in the volume of products sold, currency impact, changes in product mix, and selling prices. However, management's best estimates of these changes as well as changes in other factors have been included. Editor note: Please visit the online newsroom for additional supporting content including quotes, video and photography. Meagan Barnard Inprela Communications +1 612 677 2036 meagan@inprela.com Max Marcy H.B. Fuller Investor Relations +1 651 236 5062 max.marcy@hbfuller.com Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de MaxLinear, Inc. (NYSE:MXL), a leading provider of radio frequency (RF), analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for the connected home, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multimarket applications and Corinex, a unique supplier of broadband solutions (BPL) for smart metering and smart grid infrastructure improving grid operational efficiency, security and integration of renewable energy and EV's today announced that they will cooperate to create a broadband utility infrastructure solution based on standard ITU-T G.hn technology to enable smart metering and other smart grid applications. The G.hn solution will address the growing interest of electricity utilities in leveraging broadband powerline networks for Smart Grid applications, while ensuring multi-vendor interoperability, openness and easy integration into a wide range of Smart Meters and Smart Grid infrastructure equipment. The solution developed by MaxLinear and Corinex will make use of existing G.hn chips, reducing time to market and leveraging existing investments in G.hn technology currently used in the broadband carrier, consumer and Industrial segments. During the initial phase in Q1 2018, Corinex, with assistance from MaxLinear will prepare a software application layer supporting the existing family of MaxLinear BPL chips (DSS95xx family) combining both companies' development. The application layer will include support for IPv6, SNMPv3, SSH, FTPS, COSEM Security Suite 0 and TACACS+ protocols, providing the most robust set of cybersecurity features in the Smart Meter industry. The solution will combine communication and smart metering functionalities and will be available from Corinex to OEMs to create their own low-voltage metering or medium-voltage backhaul solutions to facilitate a competitive and interoperable environment. G.hn is an international standard for broadband communications over any wired media with rapidly growing adoption across multiple markets (telecommunication service providers, cable companies, consumer home networking and industrial networking). By leveraging existing MaxLinear G.hn chips with Corinex's Smart-Grid optimized software solution, OEMs can enjoy the benefits of a mature silicon platform that is already shipping millions of chips yearly, with the cybersecurity features required by the Smart Grid industry. "The combined G.hn solution will provide OEM's with reference design of the industry validated interoperable meter ready for mass manufacturing including advanced utility features, communication with programmable frequency use, state of the art LDPC forward error correction, self-organizing-network mesh capabilities, support for low-voltage and medium-voltage topologies, AES-128 wire-speed encryption, secure firmware upgrade, and broadband data rates to enable real-time meter control and reading in low-voltage cells with up to a thousand of smart meters," said Peter Sobotka, CEO of Corinex. "The broadband capabilities provided by G.hn will help utilities to ensure their networks are ready for the business and regulatory challenges expected by 2020 and beyond, while enabling a wide range of services such as real-time power usage information to consumers, load management, distributed energy generation/storage, electric vehicle charging and other IoT applications," said Chano Gomez, MaxLinear Senior Director of Marketing, G.hn. "We look forward to working with Corinex to leverage their extensive experience helping utilities build next-generation Smart Grids". About Corinex: Corinex Communications Corp. develops, manufactures and implements complex solutions for smart metering and smart grid infrastructure projects, with a focus on broadband over powerline communications. Corinex solutions are improving grid operational efficiency, security and integrate renewable energy and EV's on the low voltage part of the grid. Learn more at www.corinex.com. About MaxLinear, Inc. MaxLinear, Inc. (NYSE:MXL), a leading provider of radio frequency (RF), analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for the connected home, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multimarket applications. MaxLinear is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. For more information, please visit www.maxlinear.com. MxL and the MaxLinear logo are trademarks of MaxLinear, Inc. Other trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171022005045/en/ Contacts: Corinex Marco Fernandez-Concha info@corinex.com or MaxLinear Chano Gomez sales@maxlinear.com The Diverse Income Trust plc (the "Company") (LEI: 2138005QFXYHJM551U45) Publication of Circular and Notice of General Meeting On 10 October 2017, the Company announced that at the AGM held on that day over 60% of the votes were in favour of Resolution 14 but as a special resolution it required a 75% vote in favour and therefore was not carried. Accordingly, the Company has today posted to shareholders a circular and notice of general meeting proposing a special resolution for the disapplication of pre-emption rights in respect of 10% of the Company's issued share capital.In accordance with the Company's existing practice, any new shares issued pursuant to this authority will only be issued at a price at or above the prevailing NAV per share. The General Meeting is to be held at 11.30am on 15 November 2017 at the offices ofStephenson Harwood LLP, 1 Finsbury Circus, London EC2M 7SH. A copy of the circular and notice of general meeting will be submitted shortly to the National Storage Mechanism ("NSM") and will be available for inspection at the NSM, which is situated at:www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/nsm. Enquiries: Capita Sinclair Henderson Limited Company Secretary Tel: 01392 477500 News / International by ZimVigil The little-known Presidential Travel Committee (PTC) includes some of the most creative minds in Zanu PF. Apart from top presidential aides, its members include senior officials from the Reserve Bank and the Finance, Health, Foreign and Psychomotor ministries, as well, of course, as the Central IntelligenceOrganisation.The committee is in almost permanent session, alert to be convened at a moment's notice when plans have to be changed suddenly. Then it's a matter of brainstorming all night. One source told the Vigil: 'Sometimes we don't know from minute to minute where we are going or how we are to get there. But thankfully money is no problem.'Such a moment occurred last week when Mugabe decided against going to the Russian city of Sochi for a youth meeting at which he was to be honoured for 'fighting imperialism'. It was not because he is 93 years old that dissuaded him from going to the youth festival. It was because he discovered no one else would be there except kids. Grace could go instead.It just shows how slickly the PTC operates that it was immediately able to discoverfrom the UN website that an equally obscure meeting was being held at the same time - this one in South America, where there was every likelihood of some grownups being present.The PTC certainly struck gold - even if only briefly. The occasion was a World Health Organisation conference in Montevideo, capital of Uruguay (population 3.5 million) called to discuss non-communicable diseases. Official Uruguayan sources said 22 health ministers were to be there, along with officials from other countries.It was enough for Mugabe to fly there with 80 or so flunkies in Air Zimbabwe's remaining Boeing 767.Overawed to have an actual president at the meeting to shake hands with host president Tabare Vazquez, the new WHO boss, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was apparently installed to reform the organisation, had the inspired idea of making Mugabe an honorary regional health ambassador.Corks popped among the PTC members, conveniently all there on the trip. The honorary post is a non-event but the dopey WHO boss. who seems to be unaware of what is going on in Zimbabwe, unfortunately made laudatory comments on health provision in Zimbabwe currently reliant on donor-funding. The remarks were immediately derided by people around the world who knew that Zimbabwe's hospitals are broke and lack medicines.With one of the three Air Zimbabwe Boeings out of commission the two Boeings needed to take the delegations to Russia and Uruguay seem to have meant that a third aircraft had to be chartered to take Grace Mugabe to China where, for unknown reasons, she wanted to stop over on her way to Sochi.Poor bankrupt Air Zimbabwe. and poor bankrupt Zimbabwe, where Mugabe's air travel expenses far exceed all expenditure on health care, And poor WHO, which immediately faced threats from irate members to withhold their contributions.The only bright spot for the WHO is that Grace didn't go with her husband to Uruguay. Otherwise she might have been made honorary WHO ambassador for young female victims of violence by extension cords LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Today's Daily Dose brings you news about promising results from Albireo's phase II study of A4250 in children with cholestatic liver disease; Complete Response Letter for Antares' Xyosted, designed for treating hypogonadism in adult men; disappointing results from DBV Technologies' phase III trial of Viaskin Peanut and FDA approval of GlaxoSmithKline's Shingrix for the prevention of shingles. Read on... Shares of Aimmune Therapeutics Inc. (AIMT) were up 45% in after-hours on Friday as the Company gets ready to discuss global screening data from its phase III PALISADE trial on October 27, 2017. The PALISADE trial is designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of AR101 in peanut-allergic children, adolescents, and adults. The top line data from this trial are expected to be available in the first quarter of 2018. On October 16, 2017, Aimmune entered into a clinical collaboration with Regeneron (REGN) and its strategic alliance collaborator Sanofi (SNY) to study AR101 treatment with adjunctive *dupilumab in peanut-allergic patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial. Regeneron's Dupilumab, approved on March 28, 2017, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with inadequately controlled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. It is sold under the brand name Dupixent. AIMT closed Friday's trading at $25.66, down 0.23%. In after-hours, the stock was up 45.36% to $37.30. Albireo Pharma Inc.'s (ALBO) final results from its Phase 2 study of lead product candidate A4250 in children with cholestatic liver disease have been found to be promising. In the study, A4250 reduced serum bile acids (sBA) and improved pruritus in most patients, particularly patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC). A4250 exhibited a favorable overall tolerability profile in the study, with all patients completing the four-week treatment period and no reports of diarrhea associated with multiple dose therapy, noted the Company. Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis is a devastating rare liver disease for which there is currently no approved drug treatment. Based on the promising results, the Company looks forward to advancing its planned Phase 3 clinical trial of A4250 in patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis. ALBO closed Friday's trading at $28.14, up 2.36%. The FDA has declined to approve Antares Pharma Inc.'s (ATRS) Xyosted, a drug-device combination product, for the treatment of adult men with low testosterone associated with a diagnosed condition known as hypogonadism. In its Complete Response Letter, the FDA has raised two concerns regarding XYOSTED - a clinically meaningful increase in blood pressure and the occurrence of depression and suicidality. Robert F. Apple, President and CEO of Antares said, 'We are disappointed with the outcome of the review and are assessing the content of the Complete Response Letter, including the information that may be needed to resolve the deficiencies. The Company remains committed to bringing XYOSTED to market and will work closely with the FDA to determine the appropriate responses to the deficiencies noted in the letter.' ATRS closed Friday's trading at $2.18, up 2.83%. DBV Technologies SA (DBVT) slumped nearly 53% in after-hours on Friday as its phase III trial of Viaskin Peanut in children four to 11 years of age failed to meet its primary endpoint. In the trial, dubbed PEPITES, Viaskin Peanut 250 g after 12 months of treatment did not reach the 15% lower bound confidence interval (CI) in the difference in response rates between the active and placebo arms. However, there was a statistically significant response with a favorable tolerability profile, with 35.3% of patients responding to Viaskin Peanut 250 g after 12 months of treatment as compared to 13.6% of patients in the placebo arm. Another phase III trial of Viaskin Peanut, dubbed REALISE, is underway. Results from this trial are expected in November 2017. DBVT closed Friday's trading at $48.07, up 1.95%. In after-hours, the stock was down 52.6% to $22.75. The FDA has approved GlaxoSmithKline plc's (GSK) Shingrix for the prevention of shingles (herpes zoster) in adults aged 50 years and older. In clinical studies, the vaccine has shown over 90% efficacy across all age groups in the prevention of shingles, a painful and potentially serious disease that affects 1 in 3 people in the United States. Shingrix contains Agenus Inc.'s (AGEN) proprietary immune adjuvant, QS-21 Stimulon. Merck & Co. Inc.'s (MRK) Zostavax is the other shingles vaccine available for use in the United States. The effectiveness of Zostavax at preventing shingles is 70% in adults aged 50-59 years and just around 18% in adults aged 80 years or older. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is expected to vote on a recommendation for the use of Shingrix at its meeting on 25 October 2017. Shingrix is expected to be available in the U.S. shortly. It was approved in Canada on October 13, 2017. Regulatory filings in the European Union, Australia and Japan are underway. GSK closed Friday's trading at $40.84, down 0.61%. Organovo Holdings Inc. (ONVO) on Friday presented new preclinical data showing extended survival and sustained functionality of its 3D bioprinted human liver tissue when implanted into diseased animal models. The pathologic evaluation of diseased animals receiving implanted bioprinted liver tissues suggests an approximately 75 percent reduction in the pathologic hallmarks of the disease in treated animals versus non-treated control animals in the region of implant, according to the Company. Organovo intends to submit an Investigational New Drug application to the FDA for its therapeutic liver tissue in calendar-year 2020. ONVO closed Friday's trading at $1.61, up 15%. Xencor Inc. (XNCR) will be presenting final results from its open-label, Phase 2 study of XmAb5871 in patients with IgG4-Related Disease in a late-breaking, oral presentation on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2017 Annual Meeting. In June of this year, the Company reported encouraging data from an ongoing, open-label, pilot phase II study of XmAb5871 in patients with active IgG4-Related Disease. According to the trial results, 93% of patients achieved a response to therapy, 12 of them within two weeks of their first dose. XNCR closed Friday's trading at $21.29, down 2.34%. Zosano Pharma Corp. (ZSAN) has entered into a common stock purchase agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC for up to $35 million. As part of the agreement, Zosano will have the right and the sole discretion to sell to LPC up to $35.0 million worth of shares over a 30-month period subject to certain limitations. Proceeds from the purchase agreement will be used to fund the long term safety study for the Company's lead product candidate, M207, and for general corporate purposes. M207 is under a pivotal Phase 2/3 study, dubbed ZOTRIP, for the treatment of migraine. ZSAN closed Friday's trading at $0.84, up 0.50%. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de AUSTIN, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 10/23/17 --UnitySC today announced at the International Wafer Level Packaging Conference (IWLPC) in San Jose, Calif., the opening of Unity Semiconductor Inc., the company's new global software development center and North America customer demonstration lab located in Austin, Texas. The new facility serves as the company's main center for software development, and will house the full line of UnitySC metrology and inspection tools. This equipment will provide a demo lab that supports UnitySC's North America customer base, augmenting the primary demo lab at the company's global headquarters, located in Grenoble, France. "Opening our U.S. office a little more than one year after launching the company demonstrates the rapid industry traction we've gained with our unique process control technologies for heterogeneous integration applications," said Gilles Fresquet, CEO, UnitySC. "Locating this facility in Austin allows us to tap into the strong software design skill set for which the region is known, and enables us to further differentiate ourselves by augmenting our leading-edge software capabilities -- a key piece of modern advanced process control solutions." The new facility will serve as the global base for UnitySC's software development team, working in conjunction with the R&D software staff located at the company's headquarters in France. The new location will also strengthen the company's North America customer support capabilities. UnitySC is exhibiting at IWLPC in San Jose, October 24-26, 2017. To learn more about the company and its latest advances in metrology and inspection, please visit Booth #10. ABOUT UNITYSC UnitySC is recognized worldwide as a key player in inspection and metrology, combining advanced technologies in automated optical inspection and 3D imaging with microscopy, temporal-mode interferometry and spectrometry, which enables customers to achieve higher yields and faster time to market. Customers include the largest foundries, integrated device manufacturers, outsourced semiconductor assembly and test service providers, and R&D centers. We provide standard and customized solutions adapted to specific industrial needs and constraints, enabling a new era in process control. Headquartered in Grenoble, France, the company maintains facilities in Taiwan and the U.S., and is supported by a network of representatives and distributors. Learn more at unity-sc.com. Corporate Contact Yann Guillou UnitySC Tel: +33 456 526 800 Email Contact Press Contact Eric Lawson Kiterocket Tel: +1 480-276-9572 Email Contact SEATTLE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/23/17 -- CFN Media Group ("CannabisFN"), the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis, announces publication of an article discussing the rapidly growing hemp industry and Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s (OTCQB: PVOTF) plans to capitalize on the market with its recent acquisition of ACI Foods, which holds a hemp cultivation and processing license under Health Canada's Industrial Hemp Regulations. Hemp Industry Could Reach $1.8 Billion Many investors are focused on the marijuana industry following adult-use legalization in Canada and California, but the marijuana plant's non-psychoactive cousin offers investors another great way to profit within the cannabis industry. Hemp sales reached $688 million last year, according to the Hemp Business Journal, growing at a 22% compound annual growth rate over the past five years. While personal care products hold the greatest share of the market, hemp-based cannabidiol (CBD) represents the fastest growing subset of the industry with a 53% compound annual growth rate. The analyst projects that U.S. hemp-based CBD product sales will exceed $80 million by 2020. "Hemp Business Journal estimates the total retail value of all hemp products sold in the U.S. to be at least $688 million for 2016. We estimate the hemp industry will grow to $1.8 billion in sales by 2020, led by hemp food, body care, and CBD-based products. The data demonstrates the hemp industry is growing quickly at 22% five-year CAGR and being led by food and body care products, with Hemp CBD products showing a 53% AGR," said Sean Murphy, the Founder and Publisher of Hemp Business Journal. At the same time, there's a growing body of research highlighting the potential benefits of CBD in treating a wide array of medical conditions. Google Scholar includes more than 2,000 research papers submitted this year alone containing the word "cannabidiol," which range from well-known conditions like Dravet syndrome to potential benefits in treating neuropsychiatric and drug-use disorders along with pain and nerve pain. Pivot Pharma Acquires ACI Foods Pivot Pharmaceuticals recently signed a binding letter of intent to acquire Absorbent Concepts Inc., or ACI Foods. With revenue that grew 300% to C$2 million over the past year, the company has become a leading producer of hemp-based food products in Canada's burgeoning cannabis industry. The company holds both hemp cultivation and processing licenses under Health Canada's Industrial Hemp Regulations. In the near-term, the company plans to submit an application to Health Canada for an Authorized Dealer's License that would enable it to produce and supply CBD oil, as well as conduct cannabinoid research and development. These activities could enable it to provide extract products and edibles and enter the medical side of the cannabinoid business with research and development activities. "We are excited to welcome ACI Foods to the Pivot family and together look forward to becoming a dominant force in the global hemp industry," says Pivot CEO Patrick Frankham. "With impressive revenue and rapid growth in only three years of existence, we see an opportunity to help expand ACI Foods to significantly increase product offerings and sales. We consider this acquisition to be a strategic initiative to enable market share dominance in the hemp segment of the cannabis industry. The timing of this acquisition is in anticipation of the forthcoming legislative changes in Canada regarding the legal status of cannabidiol ("CBD"). Accordingly, the recent announcement by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that CBD will be removed from its list of banned substances effective January 1, 2018, further solidifies Pivot's strategy of developing fast-to-market cannabinoid based products." Pivot Pharma's historical focus has been on the development of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals using its proprietary drug delivery technologies. In particular, the BiPhasix Transdermal Drug Delivery platform (dermal) and the Solmic Solubilisation technology (oral) provide unique ways to deliver cannabinoids like CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Its initial pipeline includes women's sexual dysfunction, psoriasis, and cancer supportive care products. Looking Ahead Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCQB: PVOTF) represents a compelling opportunity in the global cannabis industry. In addition to a growing pipeline of therapeutic candidates, the company's acquisition of ACI Foods provides valuable inroads into the hemp-based CBD market with immediate revenue generated by the processing, packaging and distribution of gluten-free, organic hemp-based products. Upon receipt of the Health Canada Dealer's License, the company projects that revenues from the sale of CBD oils and extracts will be significant. Please follow the link to read the full article: http://www.cannabisfn.com/pivot-pharma-enters-hemp-cbd-industry-acquisition/ About CFN Media CFN Media (CannabisFN) is the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis. We help marijuana businesses attract investors, customers (B2B, B2C), capital, and media visibility. Private and public marijuana companies and brands in the US and Canada rely on CFN Media to grow and succeed. Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/featuredcompany Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from the palm of your hand: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8 Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com Disclaimer: Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CFN Media and CannabisFN.com, is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority, and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. Emerging Growth LLC may from time to time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and may increase or decrease such positions without notice. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Emerging Growth LLC may be compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation or equity securities in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure please visit: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/ CFN Media Frank Lane 206-369-7050 flane@cannabisfn.com AVACEN 100 is the only non-invasive medical device with proven systemic efficacy and safety currently available in the OTC market to warm the body from the inside out. SANTA CLARA, California, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Based on its recent analysis of the OTC fibromyalgia pain management devices industry, Frost & Sullivan recognizes AVACEN Medical with the 2017 European New Product Innovation Award for its AVACEN 100. It is a Class II medical device that utilizes the AVACEN Treatment Method, a drug-free alternative form of non-invasive, augmentative dry heat device-based therapy that aims to provide effective treatment for the widespread pain associated with fibromyalgia. "The treatment of fibromyalgia remains challenging, and the underlying pathology is poorly understood. There is a need for alternative non-invasive treatments or adjunct therapy that can help alleviate pain in fibromyalgia patients. Device-based therapies are important since a placebo-controlled study showed that fibromyalgia patients reported modest improvements in pain, tender points, fatigue, and sleep after electro-stimulation," said Brahadeesh Chandrasekaran. The AVACEN 100 is FDA-cleared for marketing in the United States for the temporary relief of joint pain associated with arthritis; and muscular relaxation. In 2017 the AVACEN 100 received the CE Mark and Health Canada approval adding widespread fibromyalgia pain management for the EU and Canada. A recent peer-reviewed clinical efficacy study published in 2017 reported that out of 22 patients evaluated, those who received the AVACEN 100 device treatment for 15 minutes twice a day demonstrated an overall reduction of more than 40% in their widespread pain index scores after 28 days. Out of these subjects, 93% reported a reduction of 29.4% or more in widespread pain index scores. Also, 62% reported a lower tender point count of two or more points while 57% reported a reduction of 20% or more in overall symptom severity score rating. With more than 2 million uses there has been no report of an adverse effect, which shows that the device is extremely safe and reliable. The key benefits of AVACEN 100 for patients are: Cost-effectiveness: The product is drug-free, which significantly reduces the economic burden on the patient. Ease of use: The AVACEN 100 device contains two components, a vacuum chamber and a heat-transfer element. The digital panel on the device provides instructions for use in English, French, and Spanish, and the simple one-touch button makes it easy to operate by anyone, especially seniors. Systemic treatment: The device treats the whole body from the inside out. Other existing non-invasive pain treatment devices, such as pulsed electromagnetic fields, do not have the capacity to penetrate deeply enough throughout the human body. AVACEN 100 is the only approved OTC medical device that non-invasively increases microcirculation systemically by marginally heating the blood temperature without adverse effects. Improved microcirculation solves a myriad of problems, especially for people over 40 years old because over 80% of this population has a deficient or compromised microcirculatory system that leads to various pain-related complications. "The AVACEN 100 is unique in that it is the only non-invasive OTC medical device available to alleviate the widespread pain in fibromyalgia patients on the market. As a result, of its ability to increase microcirculation it has gathered significant interest from not only pain management professionals but also other clinical specialists, such as those working in orthopedic, diabetes, and wound healing specialties," said Brahadeesh Chandrasekaran. AVACEN Medical, through its first-to-market OTC and drug-free pain relief product, aligns itself with the changing industry dynamics and offers a safe and effective solution with a unique approach to helping fibromyalgia sufferers. It not only aims to treat the widespread pain associated with fibromyalgia, but also to aid in wound healing, migraine pain control, stress management, muscle relaxation, and physical rehabilitation. For these reasons, AVACEN Medical has earned Frost & Sullivan's 2017 European New Product Innovation Award. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed an innovative element in a product by leveraging leading-edge technologies. The award recognizes the value-added features/benefits of the product and the increased ROI it gives customers, which in turn raises customer acquisition and overall market penetration potential. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. About AVACEN Medical AVACEN Medical is dedicated to the innovation and design of safe, easy to use, noninvasive drug-free alternatives for the management of pain associated with numerous chronic and acute conditions including the temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain and stiffness associated with arthritis and potentially other conditions that can cause joint pain, such as CRPS, Reynaud's, and Lyme Disease. Founded in 2009, AVACEN Medical is headquartered in San Diego. Contact: Ryan Jeffcoat at (888) 428-2236 x 711 or info@AVACEN.com. About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion. Contact: Ana Ariaga P: 210.247.3823 F: 210.348.1003 E: Ana.Ariaga@frost.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/588031/AVACEN_Medical_Award.jpg SANTA MONICA, California, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --In an unprecedented event, the world's #1 salon nail brand, OPI set a Guinness World Record for The World's Longest Manicure Bar on October 21, 2017. The event was held in Santa Monica from 9am - 5pm, where all were invited to attend and receive a free OPI GelColor manicure to help OPI make history. To achieve the goal, OPI created a 155ft long manicure bar sprawled out along Santa Monica's famous 3rd Street Promenade shopping area, just steps from the beach. More than 50 nail technicians were seated along the bar giving event attendees GelColor manicures with OPI's newly launched innovation, ProHealth Top and Base Coat. The exclusive ProHealth Base and Top Coat technology provides healthier looking nails during wear and even after removal. When combined with iconic OPI GelColor, attendees received a flawless GelColor manicure that can be removed scrape-free in as little as 7 minutes without the worry of damaging nails. Celebrities and influencers were in attendance showcasing ProHealth GelColor manicures, including actress Peyton List, a longtime OPI fan, and Tom Bachik celebrity manicurist and OPI's newest global nail ambassador. Peyton was available for meet and greets alongside Tom. The event featured music, a step and repeat, a selfie-station, a plush lounge, and OPI treats, amongst other activations. OPI Co-Founder and Brand Ambassador, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, was also in attendance. "It was a very exciting moment for OPI to achieve a Guinness World Record for Longest Manicure Bar! To see so many nail technicians and so many OPI fans come together to do something as grand and fun as setting a world record was a real treat!" says Weiss-Fischmann. The record was officially set and declared at 5pm on Saturday, October 21, 2017 with more than 500 manicures completed. For more information, please visit OPI.com. Follow OPI on Twitter and Instagram @OPI_PRODUCTS and go to OPI Products on Facebook to become a fan! ABOUT OPI As the number one salon brand worldwide, OPI is committed to providing high-quality products and services to both salons and their customers, along with a focus on industry safety and innovation. With exceptional formulas, fashionable colors, and iconic names, OPI's heavily pigmented lacquers are super-rich, long lasting and chip-resistant - offering an affordable luxury to consumers. OPI nail lacquer is available in more than 200 shades. OPI Infinite Shine is a no light three-step long wear lacquer system offering long wear, brilliant shine and ease of application and removal with up to 11 days of wear. There are now more than 150 shades in the Infinite Shine collection. Each lacquer features OPI's exclusive ProWide' Brush for the ultimate application. Currently, OPI is available in over 100 countries and retails a full line of professional items including OPI GelColor (available in more than 140 shades that match their iconic OPI lacquer counterparts), nail treatments, finishing products, lotions, manicure/pedicure products, files, tools, gels and acrylics. OPI is guaranteed only when purchased through authorized professional beauty outlets and prestige stores, not from a drugstore, supermarket, mass outlet, or other unauthorized sources. For more information, please visit OPI.com. Follow OPI on Twitter and Instagram @OPI_PRODUCTS and go to OPI Products on Facebook to become a fan! ABOUT COTY INC. Coty is one of the world's largest beauty companies with approximately $9 billion in pro forma revenue, with a purpose to celebrate and liberate the diversity of consumers' beauty. Its strong entrepreneurial heritage has created an iconic portfolio of leading beauty brands. Coty is the global leader in fragrance, a strong number two in professional salon hair color & styling, and number three in color cosmetics. Coty operates three divisions - Consumer Beauty, which is focused on mass color cosmetics, mass retail hair coloring and styling products, body care and mass fragrances with brands such as COVERGIRL, Max Factor and Rimmel; Luxury, which is focused on prestige fragrances and skincare with brands such as Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Hugo Boss, Gucci and philosophy; and Professional Beauty, which is focused on servicing salon owners and professionals in both hair and nail, with brands such as Wella Professionals, Sebastian Professional, OPI and ghd. Coty has over 20,000 colleagues globally and its products are sold in over 150 countries. Coty and its brands are committed to a range of social causes as well as seeking to minimize its impact on the environment. For additional information about Coty Inc., please visit www.coty.com. Contact: OPI@alisonbrodpr.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/588171/9E3A0860.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/588172/FINAL_2_copy.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/588174/OPI_WithTagline_Logo_Logo.jpg AXIS Capital Holdings Limited ("AXIS Capital") (NYSE:AXS) announced today that Steve Arora has been named Chief Executive Officer of AXIS Re. Mr. Arora joins the Company from Swiss Re where he spent 18 years in a variety of senior positions, most recently as Head of Casualty Reinsurance and as a member of the Reinsurance Executive Committee. He has extensive international experience and leadership capabilities and has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023005710/en/ New AXIS Re CEO Steve Arora (Photo: Business Wire) Mr. Arora, who will lead AXIS Capital's $2.2 billion USD reinsurance business, will become a member of the Company's Executive Committee where he will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Albert Benchimol. "Steve is a remarkable talent and an accomplished and widely respected executive who stands at the forefront of an emerging generation of senior leaders in our profession," said Mr. Benchimol. "He is perfectly suited to be CEO of AXIS Re, bringing breadth and depth of experience on a global scale and a client-centric mentality that matches our culture." In addition, the Company announced that AXIS Re Interim CEO Jan Ekberg will resume his previous role as President and Chief Underwriting Officer of AXIS Re Europe upon Arora's formal appointment in January, 2018. Mr. Benchimol added, "On behalf of AXIS, I must express my deep appreciation to Jan for his strong and steady oversight of our reinsurance business during the interim period. Jan's leadership has and will continue to be integral as we further establish a strong foundation for growth in our key sectors." "I am very excited to join AXIS. I am impressed with the strong team and company culture, and the value proposition which combines the agility of a mid-sized company with the sophistication of a global player," said Mr. Arora. "This combination leads to a unique competitive advantage, which I am confident will translate to increased relevance and long-term profitable growth." Throughout his career, Mr. Arora has held positions in New York, Munich, London, Tokyo and Zurich. He has spent time in a variety of functional roles including Finance, Risk Management, Underwriting, Sales, and General Management. In addition to his role as Head of Casualty Reinsurance, he served as President of Swiss Re Japan, Managing Director to some of its largest Global Clients, and Head of the Engineering Construction business across the Americas region. He is a graduate of the GE Capital Financial Management Program, Swiss Re Management Development Program, and STARS Symposium for Leaders of the Next Generation. Mr. Arora graduated from Muhlenberg College with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics. He and his family will be based in Zurich, Switzerland. About AXIS Capital AXIS Capital is a Bermuda-based global provider of specialty lines insurance and treaty reinsurance with shareholders' equity at June 30, 2017 of $5.9 billion and locations in Bermuda, the United States, Europe, Singapore, Middle East, Canada and Latin America. Its operating subsidiaries have been assigned a rating of "A+" ("Strong") by Standard & Poor's and "A+" ("Superior") by A.M. Best. For more information about AXIS Capital, visit our website at www.axiscapital.com. Please be sure to follow AXIS Capital on LinkedIn and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023005710/en/ Contacts: Investors AXIS Capital Holdings Limited Linda Ventresca, +1-441-405-2727 info@axiscapital.com or Media AXIS Capital Holdings Limited Joe Cohen, +1-212-715-3524 joseph.cohen@axiscapital.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 6, 2017) - Midnight Sun Mining Corp. (TSXV: MMA) (the "Company" or "Midnight Sun") is pleased to announce it has received official documentation from the Zambian Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development confirming the renewal of Exploration Licence 12124-HQ-LEL ("12124") has been granted. 12124 is valid through December 23, 2018 with an available renewal for a further three years. This renewal extends 12124 for one year longer than originally anticipated by Midnight Sun (see news release dated October 23, 2017). Private Placement The Company announces a non-brokered private placement of up to 7,000,000 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.30 per Unit for gross proceeds of $2,100,000 (the "Offering"). Each Unit will consist of one (1) common share ("Common Share") in the capital of the Company and one (1) Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share of the Company for a period of twelve months from the closing of the Offering at an exercise price of $0.45. The net proceeds from the Offering will be used by the Company to fund exploration on the Solwezi Group of Licenses as well as general working capital. The Company intends to close the Offering as soon as practicable. Brett Richards, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, has committed to participate in the private placement as the lead order, personally subscribing for $250,000 worth of units. The Offering, including the future issuance of the Common Shares and Warrants, is subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day pursuant to applicable securities laws. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF MINIGHT SUN MINING Brett A. Richards - President & Chief Executive Officer For Further Information Contact: Al Fabbro Lead Director Tel: +1 604-351-8850 Brett A. Richards Chief Executive Officer Tel: +1 905-449-1500 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. These securities being offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities in the United States. This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, the expected completion of the Offering, and the expected use of proceeds are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, changes in market conditions, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in the price of gold, unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic conditions. Mining exploration and development is an inherently risky business. Accordingly the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. You can view previous News Releases on the website: www.midnightsunmining.com NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES DUBLIN, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market by Type (Imagery Analytics, Video Analytics), Collection Medium (GIS, Satellites, UAVs), Vertical (Defense & Security, Insurance, Agriculture, Healthcare & Life Sciences), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering. The geospatial imagery analytics market is estimated to be USD 3.41 Billion in 2017 and is projected to reach USD 13.21 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 31.1% Significant advancements in the field of geospatial imagery analytics with the introduction of artificial intelligence and Big Data, and the need for enterprises to ensure market competitiveness are key factors anticipated to drive the growth of the market. The geospatial imagery analytics market has been segmented on the basis of type, collection medium, vertical, and region. Based on type, the market has been classified into imagery analytics and video analytics. The video analytics segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on collection medium, the market has been segmented into Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellites, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and others (helicopters, aircraft, helikites, kites, balloons, and airships). The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the market in 2017. Based on vertical, the market has been categorized into defense & security; government; environmental monitoring; energy, utility, and natural resources; engineering & construction; mining & manufacturing; insurance; agriculture; healthcare & life sciences; and others (education, forensics, and space exploration & oceanographic exploration). A few restraining factors that affect the growth of the geospatial imagery analytics market include the stringent implementation of various government regulations, such as legal issues pertaining to restrictions imposed on data collection processes, location privacy, intellectual property rights, use of geospatial information, and storage of geospatial data. These restrictions limit the scope of the market, which ultimately hinders its growth. Key players operating in this market include Hexagon AB (Sweden), Harris Corporation (US), DigitalGlobe (US), Esri (US), Trimble (US), and Google (US). Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 1.1 Objectives of the Study 1.2 Market Definition 1.3 Market Scope 1.3.1 Years Considered for the Study 1.4 Currency 1.5 Stakeholders 2 Research Methodology 2.1 Research Data 2.1.1 Secondary Data 2.1.2 Primary Data 2.1.2.1 Breakdown of Primaries 2.1.2.2 Key Industry Insights 2.2 Market Size Estimation 2.3 Research Assumptions & Limitations 2.3.1 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market: Assumptions 2.3.2 Limitations 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Growth Trend of the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market Between 2017 And 2022 4.2 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, Largest Market Share By Vertical And Region 4.3 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, Highest Growing Vertical in Asia Pacific 5 Market Overview And Industry Trends 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Significant Advancements in Geospatial Imagery Analytics With the Introduction of Artificial Intelligence And Big Data 5.2.1.2 Critical Need of Enterprises to Ensure Their Market Competitiveness 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 Stringent Implementation of Various Government Regulations 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Increased Use of Location-Based Services 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Integration of Geospatial Imagery Analytics Data With Enterprise Solutions 5.3 Industry Trends 5.4 Geospatial Imagery Analytics: Use Cases 5.4.1 Use Case 1: Monitoring Forest Cover Changes in Madhya Pradesh, India Using Geospatial Imagery Analytics 5.4.2 Use Case 2: Monitoring Oil Sands Mines of Alberta 5.5 Regulatory Implications 5.5.1 Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 6 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Imagery Analytics 6.3 Video Analytics 7 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Geographic Information Systems (Gis) 7.3 Satellites 7.4 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs) 7.5 Others 8 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Defense & Security 8.3 Government 8.4 Environmental Monitoring 8.5 Energy, Utility, And Natural Resources 8.6 Engineering & Construction 8.7 Mining & Manufacturing 8.8 Insurance 8.9 Agriculture 8.10 Healthcare & Life Sciences 8.11 Others 9 Regional Analysis 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Europe 9.3 North America 9.4 Asia Pacific 9.5 Middle East & Africa 9.6 Latin America 10 Company Profiles (Business Overview, Strength of Product Portfolio, Business Strategy Excellence, Recent Developments)* 10.1 Hexagon Ab 10.2 Harris Corporation 10.3 Digitalglobe 10.4 Environmental Systems Research Institute 10.5 Google 10.6 Trimble 10.7 Rmsi 10.8 Planet Labs 10.9 Urthecast Corporation 10.10 Fugro N.V. 10.11 Keyw Corporation 10.12 Satellite Imaging Corporation *Details On Business Overview, Strength of Product Portfolio, Business Strategy Excellence, Recent Developments Might Not Be Captured in Case of Unlisted Companies. 11 Appendix 11.1 Industry Excerpts 11.2 Discussion Guide 11.3 Knowledge Store: Subscription Portal 11.4 Introducing Rt: Real-Time Market Intelligence 11.5 Available Customizations 11.6 Related Reports 11.7 Author Details List of Tables: Table 1 United States Dollar Exchange Rate, 2014-2016 Table 2 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 3 Imagery Analytics: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 4 Video Analytics: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 5 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 6 Geographic Information Systems (Gis): Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 7 Satellites: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 8 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs): Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 9 Others: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 10 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 11 Defense & Security: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 12 Defense & Security: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 13 Government: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 14 Government: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 15 Environmental Monitoring: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 16 Environmental Monitoring: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 17 Energy, Utility, And Natural Resources: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 18 Energy, Utility, And Natural Resources: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 19 Engineering & Construction: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 20 Engineering & Construction: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 21 Mining & Manufacturing: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 22 Mining & Manufacturing: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 23 Insurance: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 24 Insurance: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 25 Agriculture: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 26 Agriculture: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 27 Healthcare & Life Sciences: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 28 Healthcare & Life Sciences: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 29 Others: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 30 Others: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 31 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Region, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 32 Europe: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 33 Europe: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 34 Europe: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 35 Europe: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Insurance, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 36 Europe: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Agriculture, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 37 Europe: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Healthcare & Life Sciences, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 38 North America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 39 North America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 40 North America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 41 North America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Insurance, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 42 North America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Agriculture, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 43 North America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Healthcare & Life Sciences, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 44 Asia Pacific: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 45 Asia Pacific: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 46 Asia Pacific: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 47 Asia Pacific: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Insurance, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 48 Asia Pacific: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Engineering & Construction, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 49 Asia Pacific: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Healthcare & Life Sciences, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 50 Middle East & Africa: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 51 Middle East & Africa: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 52 Middle East & Africa: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 53 Middle East & Africa: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Insurance, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 54 Middle East & Africa: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Agriculture, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 55 Middle East & Africa: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Healthcare & Life Sciences, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 56 Latin America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Type, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 57 Latin America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Vertical, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 58 Latin America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 59 Latin America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Mining & Manufacturing, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 60 Latin America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Insurance, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) Table 61 Latin America: Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market for Agriculture, By Collection Medium, 2015-2022 (USD Million) List of Figures: Figure 1 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market Segmentation Figure 2 Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market: Research Design Figure 3 Data Triangulation Figure 4 Market Size Estimation Methodology: Bottom-Up Approach Figure 5 Market Size Estimation Methodology: Top-Down Approach Figure 6 the Imagery Analytics Type Segment is Expected to Lead the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market in 2017 Figure 7 the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs) Segment of the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market is Projected to Grow at the Highest CAGR from 2017 to 2022 Figure 8 the Defense & Security Vertical Segment is Estimated to Lead the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market from 2017 to 2022 Figure 9 the European Region is Expected to Account for the Largest Share in Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market in 2017 Figure 10 Attractive Market Opportunities in the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market in Forecast Period Figure 11 the Defense & Security Vertical Segment And European Region Are Expected to Account for the Largest Market Shares of the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market in 2017 Figure 12 Agriculture Vertical is Estimated to Grow at the Highest Rate During the Forecast Period Figure 13 Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, And Challenges for the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market Figure 14 the Imagery Analytics Segment is Anticipated to Lead the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market in 2017 Figure 15 the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs) Segment is Projected to Grow at the Highest CAGR During the Forecast Period Figure 16 the Defense & Security Segment is Anticipated to Lead the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market During the Forecast Period Figure 17 Europe is Estimated to Be the Largest Market for Geospatial Imagery Analytics in 2017 Figure 18 the Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market in Asia Pacific is Projected to Grow at the Highest CAGR During the Forecast Period Figure 19 Europe Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market Snapshot Figure 20 Asia Pacific Geospatial Imagery Analytics Market Snapshot Figure 21 Hexagon Ab: Company Snapshot Figure 22 Harris Corporation: Company Snapshot Figure 23 Digitalglobe: Company Snapshot Figure 24 Google: Company Snapshot Figure 25 Trimble: Company Snapshot Figure 26 Urthecast Corporation: Company Snapshot Figure 27 Fugro: Company Snapshot Figure 28 Keyw Corporation: Company Snapshot Companies Mentioned Digitalglobe Environmental Systems Research Institute Fugro N.V. Google Harris Corporation Hexagon Ab Keyw Corporation Planet Labs RMSI Satellite Imaging Corporation Trimble Urthecast Corporation For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/3lrpw3/geospatial About Research and Markets Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - World's largest oil company Saudi Aramco's initial public offering is on track and the listing will be in the second half of 2018, CEO Amin Nasser said in an exclusive interview with CNBC. There have been reports that the much awaited IPO might be delayed by one year. Nasser said the listing venue will be discussed and shared in due course. The company with a projected valuation of $2 trillion is expected to offer around 5 percent of the shares. According to Nasser, the IPO would help grow private business share of the economy, create more small and medium sized businesses and to boost industrialization and employment. This change will promote women to join workforce. The IPO is expected to create world's biggest sovereign wealth fund and thus to reduce Saudi's reliance on hydrocarbon wealth. The oil giant might reveal more details of the IPO at the Future Investment initiative to be held on October 24 to 26 at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center and The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh. Saudi's crown prince Mohammad bin Salman will open the investment conference. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Germany's Fraunhofer ISE CalLab has confirmed that China's Longi Green Energy Technology has achieved a record 22.71% conversion efficiency with its monocrystalline passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) solar cells.Group unit Longi Solar hailed the new record as its "most important technology R&D achievement" yet. The Chinese company said that it expects to surpass a conversion efficiency of 23.0% at some point in the "near future," without elaborating. "This greatly enhances the entire industry's confidence in P-type monocrystalline cells," claimed Dr. Li Hua, vice president of cell R&D at Longi Solar. The company will start producing its 22.0% PERC cells by the end of this year. It expects its module power rating to hit 340 W to 345 W for a 60-cell panel format by some point next year, above the ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. News / National by Staff reporter AFTER four years of trying, South Africa-based bodybuilder Ndumiso Dlodlo finally landed the Mr Zimbabwe title on Saturday night at 7 Arts Theatre in Harare.The 32-year-old Dlodlo, who lives in Johannesburg but grew up in Bulawayo's Emakhandeni suburb, has certainly been a top contender over the years and it all came together for him on Saturday. Dlodlo made it to the final round of Mr Zimbabwe after coming tops in the middleweight division.He walked away with $1 000 for winning the overall title and $200 for being middleweight champion.Being based in South Africa where he works as a gym personal trainer, has not stopped Dlodlo from coming home to contest local competitions.He is the reigning Mr Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, a competition he has won for two years in a row, and was second runner up in the Mr Ironman Zimbabwe in June.Dlodlo, who entered under Body Works Gym in Bulawayo, saw off the challenges of three-time Mr Zimbabwe Champion Chienderamwano (heavyweight), Lovemore Munyamana (lightweight) and Nigel Maphosa (light heavyweight) for the top prize.In 2013, Dlodlo won the middleweight division, took second place in the light heavyweight the following year, was the top bodybuilder in the same weight division in 2015 and finished second to Maphosa.Paul Goredema, winner of Mr Zimbabwe in 2016, fell by the wayside when he lost the heavyweight division to Chienderamwano.Dlodlo became the first bodybuilder with Bulawayo roots to win Mr Zimbabwe since 1993 when Grant Henderson took the national title to the City of Kings.Shantel Greenland took top honours in the women's bikini, Mozombamzi Phiri won the junior up to and including 23 years, Chamunorwa Marange was the best in men's fitness, Blessing Timburwa won the children's fitness boys.Bulawayo took first and second prizes in the men's wheelchair, with Marko Mwale seeing off the challenge of Mugoni Chikove. Sally Lapage won the women's bikini fitness masters while the women's body fitness went to Michelle Fortman. Edvaldo de Mateus reigned supreme in the men's physique where he saw off the challenge of the Bulawayo duo of Pardon Dube and Marvelous Ganda.Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Makhosini Hlongwane was the guest of honour and presented Dlodlo with his prize. DORAL, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 10/23/17 -- Santo Mining Corp. (the "Company"), (OTC PINK: SANP) is pleased to announce it has initiated its first orders of crypto currency mining systems. The company has ordered 100 model Antminer S9 crypto currency mining systems made by Bitmain Technology Co., Ltd.; delivery of the fist batch order will be in 30-45 days. The company estimates that due to high global demand of the Antminer S9 model, total delivery of 100 Antminer S9 models will be completed by mid first quarter of 2018. Independently as the company receives its orders, the machines will be configured and initiated to start mining. The company is currently also in communications with Shenzhen Halley Cloud Technology Co., Ltd., developers of the Panda B3 Plus and the Panda B5 Plus crypto currency mining systems and Innosilicon Technology Co., Ltd., developers of the A5 Dashminer. Rolf Bansbach, CTO of Santo Mining, stated, "Diversification of mining platforms are essential for the crypto currency mining strategy of the company; each system is unique in what crypto currency coin base systems it mines and there are many crypto currencies like Ether, Dogecoin and Lite Coin just to name a few, that offer us the same or more returns for working and solving transactions." Matthew Arnett, CMO of Santo Mining, stated, "We have gone though many changes in the last 30 months; these changes have been always focusing on bringing shareholder value and building a company for all stakeholders. We are extremely happy to say Santo Mining as a brand is here to stay; during the weeks to come we will be focusing on brand identity and market awareness, to resolve this identity crisis." Franjose Yglesias, CEO of Santo Mining, stated, "We are still currently in negotiations with Canoe Pool; the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held this month in conjunction with many new regulations and uncertainties of crypto currencies in China has created opportunities of study for the group to strategically see how we will develop our cooperation and how this cooperation will look down the road." About Bitmain Technology Co., Ltd. Founded in 2013, Bitmain Technologies, now among the world's most recognizable Bitcoin companies, was established to develop and sell the world's leading bitcoin miners using Bitmain's ASIC chip technology. Starting with the Antminer S1, our task continuously became more difficult as bitcoin's "difficulty level" kept rising. We followed Moore's Law in this emerging field of ASIC chip design and pioneered it, time and again. In May of 2016 we released the Antminer S9, the world's first consumer-grade bitcoin miner based on a 16nm process ASIC chip. This is also the world's most power-efficient bitcoin miner, taking that title away from its predecessor, the Antminer S7. Bitmain is now among the most recognizable companies in the cryptocurrency space and the proud parent of several brands, among them Antminer, Antpool, and Hashnest, all of which are ranked number one in their respective fields. Our machines and customers are present in multiple locations in almost every country of the world. Headquartered in Beijing, with offices in Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, Qingdao, Chengdu, Shanghai and Shenzhen. About Shenzhen Halley Cloud Technology Co., Ltd. Panda is China's national treasure and that's why we name our brand after it. We want to devote ourselves to providing the best mining devices to you so that you will treasure us like we treasure pandas in China. PandaMiner's team includes veterans and professionals in microchip design, graphic card, internet commerce and capital management fields. They are most capable of utilizing global talent and resources. Founded in 2016, PandaMiner is head-quartered in Shenzhen. Based on geographic advantages, we've gathered top level professionals and production resources that support our core competence. We are aiming to make our company excel in the cryptocurrencies mining industry. About Innosilicon Technology Co., Ltd. Innosilicon is a world class, innovative, fabless IP/IC design company focusing on high performance PHYs and mixed signal IP. With multi-national world class design teams in China and North America, Innosilicon IP has helped many Tier-one companies to achieve rapid SoC success (over 30 million chips in annual production) through our highly advanced products and services. Innosilicon's main advantages are in providing: low cost, high-performance, cross-foundry, fully customizable solutions combined with our award winning customer design support. Our IP can be found in millions of Mobile, multimedia and Consumer electronic devices such as: tablets, cell phones, HD set-top boxes, TV, Camera, networking, computing ICs that have achieved leading market shares. Presently we support SMIC, TSMC and GF processes from 180nm to 14nm. About Santo Mining Corp. Santo Mining Corp, a publicly traded company in the Over-the-Counter (OTC) market. It currently trades under the ticker symbol SANP. From 2012 to 2015 SANP was an analog mining company in Latin America focusing on gold mining. In April of 2015 it merged with Cathay Cigars of Asia an online bespoke cigar company focusing in the China cigar market, in February of 2017 the company started developing grow pod using remanufacture shipping containers. The company presently is focusing exclusively in Digital mining of crypto currencies. Forward Looking Statements and Disclaimer Statements made in this press release that express the Company or management's intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations or predictions of future events, are forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "will" and similar expressions are intended to further identify such forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Those statements are based on many assumptions and are subject to many known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's actual activities, results or performance to differ materially from those anticipated or projected in such forward-looking statements. The Company cannot guarantee future financial results; levels of activity, performance or achievements and investors should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. No information contained in this press release should be construed as any indication whatsoever of the Company's future financial performance, future revenues or its future stock price. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgment of the Company as of the date of this press release, and the Company expressly disclaims any intent, obligation or undertaking to update or revise such forward-looking statements to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. No information in this press release should be construed as any indication whatsoever of the Company's future revenues or results of operations. Media contact: Mr. Matthew Arnett 844.420.4203 info@santomining.io BARDONIA, NY--(Marketwired - October 23, 2017) - Greater Hudson Bank, ("the Bank") (OTCQX: GHDS) is pleased to announce the promotion of Damiane Doyle to Senior Vice President. Ms. Doyle has over 20 years of banking industry experience and has been with the Bank since 2013 serving as a Commercial Loan Officer. "Over the past four years, Damiane, through her hard work and commitment, has built an impressive commercial loan portfolio," said Lynne Allan, Chief Operating Officer at Greater Hudson Bank. "In addition, she has been instrumental in the training and development of portfolio managers and a valuable resource for all employees throughout the Bank." This summer, Damiane assumed the role of Senior Managing Director for the Orange County team. While overseeing and supporting her staff, she continued to assist and work with employees throughout the Bank in various training and project endeavors. "I am incredibly humbled and proud to accept this promotion to Senior Vice President," said Damiane. "I look forward to continuing to deliver unparalleled service to our clients in my new role at Greater Hudson Bank." Ms. Doyle graduated from Mount Saint Mary College with a bachelor's degree in business administration and attended America's Community Banker's National School of Banking from 2006-2008. She also earned a certification from New York State Banker's Commercial Lending School. Greater Hudson Bank, founded in 2002, is a premier NY community bank which specializes in providing customized banking services, SBA loans, commercial mortgages, and business lines of credit to Hudson Valley-based businesses, non-profits, and municipal agencies. The Bank is chartered by the New York State Department of Financial Services and its deposits are insured by the FDIC. As evidence of the Bank's financial strength, Greater Hudson Bank has been recognized with a superior rating by the country's leading independent bank rating and research firm, BauerFinancial, Inc. Further information can be found on the Bank's website at GreaterHudsonBank.com or by calling 844-GREAT-11. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/10/19/11G146735/Images/Damaine_Doyle-Headshot-eb1f63bb2c83806984e61fd01f7c72d0.jpg Contact: Joe Koza Marketing Coordinator (914) 610-3317 Technavio's latest market research report on the global pork meat marketprovides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2017-2021. Technaviodefines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023006265/en/ Technavio has published a new report on the global pork meat market from 2017-2021.(Graphic: Business Wire) The global pork meat market is expected to grow during the forecast period mainly due to the increased demand for protein-rich food items, increasing import and export of pork meat, and the growing meat production. The middle-class population is growing worldwide, and their purchasing power is increasing due to the turnaround of the economy. "One of the growth drivers for this market is the increasing number of new product launches of pork meat by many major players. This is being done to cater to the rising demand for pork meat from consumers. Successful product launches of new products will help players increase their revenue share and consolidate their position in the market. Such launches also give a platform for players to differentiate themselves from their market adversaries," says Manjunath Reddy, a lead analyst at Technavio for food research. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free The top three emerging market trends driving the global pork meat market according to Technavio research analysts are: New pork processing technology Increasing demand for grass-fed and organic pork Increasing mergers and acquisitions Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report 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. New pork processing technology One of the trends that can positively influence the growth of global pork meat market is the increasing adoption of new technologies for the processing of pork meat. This is being done to develop better quality meat products. In February 2017, Memphis Meats, a food startup that aims to develop edible meat in labs developed a new technology to generate muscle from a newly established pig stem-cell line, rather than taking primary cells directly from a pig. This cutting-edge technology is expected to decrease the number of animals killed for meat during the forecast period. In 2015, Danish Meat Research Institute, a wing of the Danish Technological Institute, developed a new robot that can produce more precise and uniform pork loin cuts, resulting in top-quality products. Increasing demand for grass-fed and organic pork Another trend affecting the growth of the global pork meat market during the forecast period is the increasing demand for grass-fed and organic pork among consumers. The value-added benefits of grass-fed pork, such as better taste and high nutritional value, are the reasons supporting its demand. "The growing awareness about the health benefits of organic foods is increasing the demand for organic pork. Players in the market are coming up with new, certified varieties of organic pork to target consumers. For instance, in March 2017, True Story Foods introduced its products consisting of various deli meats and organic raw pork at Heinen's stores in the US states of Ohio and Illinois," says Manjunath. Increasing mergers and acquisitions Another trend that is set to influence the market growth during the forecast period is the increasing M&A in the market. Major players in the market are acquiring smaller players to gain access to new markets. This move will also give them a key to new products and technologies used by the small vendors. Successful M&A will help the players to strengthen their market position and overcome the competition in the market. As the pork meat market grows, the number of M&A in the market is also expected to increase during the forecast period. For instance, in July 2017, Marel agreed to acquire Sulmaq, a company that provides primary processing solutions to pork and beef industries in Central and South America. The acquisition is being made to strengthen the position of Marel in the Central and South American market. Browse Related Reports: Global Premium Bottled Water Market 2017-2021 Global Saffron Market 2017-2021 Global Food Emulsifiers Market 2017-2021 About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. 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/20171023006265/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 www.technavio.com Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 23, 2017) - C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. (TSXV: CMI), a leading global provider of mobile auto-deploying satellite antenna systems, announced today that it has issued options to purchase up to 550,000 common shares of C-COM to officers and directors of the company, all pursuant to the terms of C-COM's stock option plan. The stock options form part of the annual remuneration for such officers and directors and are exercisable at a price of $1.06 per share. This grant of stock options is subject to necessary regulatory approvals. About C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. is a world leader and pioneer in the development, manufacture and design of commercial grade, mobile satellite-based technology for the delivery of Broadband Internet to any location via Satellite. C-COM has developed proprietary, one-button, auto-acquisition controller technology that allows the user to find satellite with just the press of a button and deliver and receive Broadband Internet where terrestrial infrastructure is lacking, or simply don't exist. The company has sold almost 8,000 systems into over 100 countries around the world in vertical markets such as Oil & Gas Exploration, Military Communications, Disaster Management, SNG, Emergency Communications, Cellular Backhaul, Telemedicine, Mobile Banking, and others. The Company's iNetVu brand is synonymous with high quality, reliability and cost-effectiveness. C-COM is also involved in the design and development of a new generation of Ka-band (communications on the move) antennas, which will deliver satellite broadband solutions into vehicles while in motion. More information is available at: www.c-comsat.com iNetVu is a registered trademark of C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. ### 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. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. A number of factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from the events, performance and results discussed in the forward-looking statements. New orders anticipated by C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. may not be received and current orders may be cancelled. New products and services released may not gain market acceptance. Any of those events could have an effect on future performance and C-COM Satellite Systems Inc.'s ability to achieve the results mentioned above. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Contact: Investor Relations C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. Tel: (613) 745-4110 ext. 4950 Fax: (613) 745-7144 lklein@c-comsat.com BAAR, Switzerland, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Weatherford International plc (NYSE: WFT) (the "Company" or "Weatherford") announced today that Weatherford International Ltd. ("Weatherford Bermuda"), a Bermuda exempted company and indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, has completed its offer to exchange up to $790 million aggregate principal amount of its 9.875% Senior Notes due 2024, which were issued in private placements on November 18, 2016 and June 29, 2017 (the "Private Notes"), for up to $790 million aggregate principal amount of 9.875% Senior Notes due 2024 that have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Exchange Notes"). The exchange offer, which expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 20, 2017, fulfilled the Company's obligations with respect to the registration of the Private Notes. Pursuant to registration rights agreements entered into by Weatherford Bermuda in connection with the sale of the Private Notes, Weatherford Bermuda agreed to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a registration statement relating to the exchange offer pursuant to which the Exchange Notes, containing substantially identical terms to the Private Notes, would be offered in exchange for Private Notes that are tendered by the holders of those notes. The registration statement has been declared effective by the SEC. The Company exchanged $789,702,000 of the Private Notes that were outstanding for Exchange Notes. The Private Notes not tendered for exchange in the exchange offer remain outstanding and continue to accrue interest, but no longer have any rights under the registration rights agreements, except in limited circumstances. About Weatherford International plc Weatherford is one of the largest multinational oilfield service companies providing innovative solutions, technology and services to the oil and gas industry. The Company operates in over 90 countries and has a network of approximately 860 locations, including manufacturing, service, research and development, and training facilities and employs approximately 29,500 people. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "may," "should," "could," "will," "would," and "will be," and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such statements are subject to significant risks, assumptions and uncertainties. Known material factors that could affect such forward-looking statements are described in the Company's filings with the SEC, including its Registration Statement on Form S-4, Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the subsequent quarterly periods and those risk factors set forth from time-to-time in other filings with the SEC. Weatherford undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required under federal securities laws. Weatherford Contacts: Christoph Bausch Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer +1.713.836.4615 Karen David-Green Vice President - Investor Relations, Marketing and Communications +1.713.836.7430 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/588336/WEATHERFORD_INTERNATIONAL_LOGO.jpg The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Kosmos/Trident joint venture acquires portfolio offshore Equatorial Guinea with new exploration acreage and oil production Kosmos Energy (NYSE: KOS) (LSE: KOS) announced today that in partnership with Trident Energy (Trident), it has agreed to acquire an interest in three exploration licenses, as well as Hess Corporation's interest in the adjacent Ceiba Field and Okume Complex assets offshore Equatorial Guinea on a 50-50 basis. Under the terms of the agreements, Kosmos will be primarily responsible for exploration and subsurface evaluation while Trident, a newly formed international oil and gas company supported by Warburg Pincus, will be primarily responsible for production operations and optimization. The transactions capture a material position in proven but under-explored oil basin originally discovered and operated by members of the Kosmos management team. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023006403/en/ Kosmos Energy Expands Strategic Position in Gulf of Guinea (Photo: Business Wire) Highlights of the Transactions: Increases Kosmos' total gross acreage in the Gulf of Guinea by approximately 6,000 square kilometers, adding to its existing 25,000 square kilometer position offshore Sao Tome in the same petroleum system Provides exploration opportunities for large frontier prospects, as well as near-field, short-cycle tie-backs through existing infrastructure with good fiscal terms Adds approximately 13,500 barrels of oil per day (bopd) of net 1 production (gross: ~45,000 bopd), with identified opportunities for resource and value upside production (gross: ~45,000 bopd), with identified opportunities for resource and value upside Includes approximately 45 million barrels (mmbbl) of net 1 identified 2P/2C remaining recoverable resource (gross: ~155 million barrels) based on Kosmos/Trident company estimates identified 2P/2C remaining recoverable resource (gross: ~155 million barrels) based on Kosmos/Trident company estimates Expected to generate approximately $120 million of operating cash flow per year at $50 Brent over the next several years, net to Kosmos "This transaction expands our significant position in a proven, but under-explored oil basin," said Andrew G. Inglis, chairman and chief executive officer. "The Ceiba and Okume fields, which our team originally discovered and managed, provide low-cost, high-margin production with several identified opportunities for resource and value upside. These discoveries de-risked the key play elements in the basin, but limited exploration in subsequent years means we have the chance to fully unlock the exploration potential of the Rio Muni basin. Our differential knowledge of the basin and access to under-utilized infrastructure, creates a unique opportunity for the company. Furthermore, our partnership allows us to add value through our core expertise while leveraging the proven management team at Trident to deliver the upside from the Ceiba and Okume fields. In addition, the attractive purchase price means the acquisition is immediately accretive from both a value and leverage perspective, and enhances our already strong financial position." Financial Terms The gross acquisition price of $650 million is effective as of January 1, 2017. Kosmos is expected to pay net cash consideration of approximately $240 million at close, subject to post-closing adjustments. The company plans to fund the acquisition using cash on hand and availability from its reserves based lending (RBL) facility. As a result of the transaction, Kosmos expects the RBL to increase, resulting in Kosmos maintaining its current liquidity of approximately $1.2 billion. The transaction is expected to close by year end, subject to customary closing conditions. Effective Participating Interests 2 Ceiba Field and Okume Complex Blocks EG-21, W, S Kosmos Energy 40.375 40.0% Trident Energy 40.375 40.0% Tullow Oil 14.25% NA GE Petrol 3 5.0 20.0% 1. Based on Kosmos net entitlement at $50 per barrel. Net of royalty 2. Net effective participating interests upon transaction closing 3. GE Petrol manages the interest in the Ceiba and Okume fields on behalf of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea Conference Call Webcast Information Kosmos will host a conference call and webcast to discuss its entry into Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. CDT. Dial-in telephone numbers: U.S. / Canada: +1.877.407.3982 International: +1.201.493.6780 Webcast: investors.kosmosenergy.com A slide presentation will be made available on the Investors page of Kosmos' website at www.kosmosenergy.com prior to the call. A replay of the webcast will be available on the website for approximately 90 days following the event. About Kosmos Energy Kosmos is a leading independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on frontier and emerging areas along the Atlantic Margin. Our assets include existing production and development projects offshore Ghana, large discoveries offshore Mauritania and Senegal, as well as exploration licenses with significant hydrocarbon potential offshore Suriname, Sao Tome and Principe, Morocco and Western Sahara. As an ethical and transparent company, Kosmos is committed to doing things the right way. The Company's Business Principles articulate our commitment to transparency, ethics, human rights, safety and the environment. Read more about this commitment in the Kosmos 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report. Kosmos is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KOS. For additional information, visit www.kosmosenergy.com. About Trident Energy Trident Energy is a newly formed independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on the acquisition, operational improvement and optimization of international mid-life assets. The company is currently building a diversified portfolio of onshore and offshore producing operated assets through acquisitions. Trident Energy has a global mandate, with a primary focus on Africa and South America. The company is led by an experienced management team with over 100 years of international oil and gas operating experience. Trident Energy is supported by an equity commitment of up to US$ 600 million led by Warburg Pincus, a leading private equity firm focused on growth investing with significant energy experience. For further information, visit www.trident-energy.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that Kosmos expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Kosmos' estimates and forward-looking statements are mainly based on its current expectations and estimates of future events and trends, which affect or may affect its businesses and operations. Although Kosmos believes that these estimates and forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, they are subject to several risks and uncertainties and are made in light of information currently available to Kosmos. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "expect," "plan," "will" or other similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Kosmos, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied or expressed by the forward-looking statements. Further information on such assumptions, risks and uncertainties is available in Kosmos' Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings. Kosmos undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update or correct these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release, except as required by applicable law. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023006403/en/ Contacts: Kosmos Energy Investor Relations Neal Shah, +1-214-445-9628 nshah@kosmosenergy.com or Rhys Williams, +1-214-445-9693 rwilliams@kosmosenergy.com or Media Relations Thomas Golembeski, +1-214-445-9674 tgolembeski@kosmosenergy.com Divestment Part of Strategy to Focus Portfolio on Higher Return Assets Hess Corporation (NYSE:HES) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to sell its interests in offshore Equatorial Guinea to Kosmos Energy (NYSE/LSE: KOS) and Trident Energy for a total consideration of $650 million, effective January 1, 2017. "This sale is a further step in our strategy to focus our portfolio by investing in higher return assets and divesting more mature, higher cost assets," CEO John Hess said. "Proceeds from asset sales, along with cash on our balance sheet, are expected to fund the development of our truly world class investment opportunity offshore Guyana. Our investment in Guyana will position our company to deliver a decade plus of returns-driven growth and increasing cash generation to our shareholders." During the first half of 2017, net production from the company's assets in Equatorial Guinea averaged 28,000 barrels of oil per day. Hess holds an 85 percent paying interest and is operator. Tullow Oil holds a 15 percent paying interest and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea holds a 5 percent carried interest. The sale is expected to close before year end 2017. Hess Corporation is a leading global independent energy company engaged in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas. More information on Hess Corporation is available at http://www.hess.com. Cautionary Statements This news release contains projections and other forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These projections and statements reflect the company's current views with respect to future events and financial performance. No assurances can be given, however, that these events will occur or that these projections will be achieved, and actual results could differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risk factors. A discussion of these risk factors is included in the company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023006461/en/ Contacts: Hess Corporation Investor: Jay Wilson, (212) 536-8940 jrwilson@hess.com or Media: Lorrie Hecker, (212) 536-8250 lhecker@hess.com Designation is Intended to Expedite Development of MorphoSys' Most Advanced Blood Cancer Drug Candidate MOR208 in Combination with Cancer Drug Lenalidomide PLANEGG, MUNICH, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / October 23, 2017 / MorphoSys AG (FRA: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX; OTC PINK: MPSYY) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to MOR208, in combination with lenalidomide, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are not eligible for high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem-cell transplantation. MOR208 is an investigational Fc-engineered monoclonal antibody directed against CD19 which is currently in clinical development in blood cancer indications. FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation is intended to expedite development and review of drug candidates, alone or in combination with other drugs. It is granted if preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug candidate may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies in the treatment of a serious or life-threatening disease. DLBCL is the most frequent type of malignant lymphoma worldwide and accounts for approximately 30% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Between 30% and 40% of all patients with DLBCL either fail to respond to or show a relapse to initial therapy. "DLBCL is a very aggressive lymphoma. In particular, those patients who fail standard treatments are in need of more therapeutic options. We look forward to working closely with the FDA and to develop MOR208 as a potential new treatment option for these patients as quickly as possible," said Dr. Malte Peters, Chief Development Officer of MorphoSys AG. FDA's Breakthrough Therapy designation is based on preliminary data from the ongoing phase 2 L-MIND study (NCT02399085), which is evaluating the safety and efficacy of MOR208 in combination with lenalidomide in patients with R/R DLBCL who are ineligible for high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. Preliminary data based on 34 eligible patients, presented at ASCO 2017, showed an objective response rate (ORR) of 56% and a complete response rate of 32%. "For MorphoSys, relapsed/refractory DLBCL is a key development focus. We expect to report further data from our ongoing phase 2 L-MIND trial with MOR208 plus lenalidomide at this year's American Society of Hematology conference in December. In addition, we are currently evaluating MOR208 in combination with bendamustine in our phase 3 B-MIND trial. MorphoSys intends to speed up and potentially broaden the development of MOR208 in other indications of unmet need," Dr. Peters continued. About CD19 and MOR208 CD19 is broadly and homogeneously expressed across different B cell malignancies, including DLBCL and CLL. CD19 has been reported to enhance B cell receptor (BCR) signaling, which is assumed important for B cell survival, making CD19 a potential target in B cell malignancies. MOR208 (previously Xmab5574) is an investigational Fc-enhanced monoclonal antibody directed against CD19. Fc-modification of MOR208 is intended to lead to a significant potentiation of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), thus aiming to improve a key mechanism of tumor cell killing. Furthermore, MOR208 has been observed in preclinical models to induce direct apoptosis by binding to CD19, which is assumed to be a crucial component for B cell receptor (BCR) signaling. MorphoSys AG is clinically investigating MOR208 as a therapeutic option in B cell malignancies in a number of ongoing combination trials. An open-label phase 2 combination trial (L-MIND study) was started in March 2016 and is designed to investigate the safety and efficacy of MOR208 in combination with lenalidomide in patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL. The phase 2/3 B-MIND study was started in August 2016 and transitioned into its phase 3 pivotal part in June 2017 following a recommendation of the IDMC based on the available data from the phase 2 initial safety evaluation. The B-MIND study is designed to investigate MOR208 in combination with the chemotherapeutic agent bendamustine in patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL who are not eligible for high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in comparison to the combination of the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab plus bendamustine. Furthermore, MOR208 is currently being clinically investigated in patients with relapsed/refractory CLL after discontinuation of a prior Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor therapy (e.g. ibrutinib) in combination with idelalisib or venetoclax. About MorphoSys MorphoSys's mission is to make exceptional, innovative biopharmaceuticals to improve the lives of patients suffering from serious diseases. Innovative technologies and smart development strategies are central to our approach. Success is created by our people, who focus on excellence in all they do, collaborate closely across disciplines and are driven by a desire to make the medicines of tomorrow a reality. Success benefits all of our stakeholders. Based on its proprietary technology platforms, particularly in the field of fully human therapeutic antibodies, MorphoSys, together with its partners, has built a therapeutic pipeline of more than 110 programs in R&D, around a quarter of which is currently in clinical development. In its proprietary development segment, MorphoSys, alone or with partners, is developing new therapeutic candidates, mainly focusing on cancer and inflammation. In its partnered discovery segment, MorphoSys uses its technologies to discover new drug candidates for pharmaceutical partners and participates from the programs' further development success, through success-based payments and royalties. MorphoSys is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol MOR. For regular updates about MorphoSys, visit http://www.morphosys.com. HuCAL, HuCAL GOLD, HuCAL PLATINUM, CysDisplay, RapMAT, arYla, Ylanthia, 100 billion high potentials, Slonomics, Lanthio Pharma, and LanthioPep are registered trademarks of the MorphoSys Group. This communication contains certain forward-looking statements concerning the MorphoSys group of companies. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgment of MorphoSys as of the date of this release and involve risks and uncertainties. Should actual conditions differ from the Company's assumptions, actual results and actions may differ from those anticipated, MorphoSys does not intend to update any of these forward-looking statements as far as the wording of the relevant press release is concerned. For more information, please contact: MorphoSys AG Anke Linnartz Head of Corporate Communications & IR Jochen Orlowski Associate Director Corporate Communications & IR Alexandra Goller Senior Manager Corporate Communications & IR Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-404 investors@morphosys.com SOURCE: MorphoSys AG NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 23, 2017 / Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, reminds investors in Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. ('Vitamin Shoppe' or the 'Company') (NYSE: VSI) of the October 27, 2017 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company. If you invested in Vitamin Shoppe stock or options between March 1, 2017 and August 8, 2017 and would like to discuss your legal rights, click here : www.faruqilaw.com/VSI. There is no cost or obligation to you. You can also contact us by calling Richard Gonnello toll free at 877-247-4292 or at 212-983-9330 or by sending an e-mail torgonnello@faruqilaw.com. The lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on behalf of all those who purchased Vitamin Shoppe common stock between March 1, 2017 and August 8, 2017 (the 'Class Period'). The case, Aguilar v. Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. et al, No. 2:17-cv-06454 was filed on August 28, 2017. The lawsuit focuses on whether the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) Vitamin Shoppe's retail segment was continuing to significantly decline, as its ongoing 'reinvention plan' was not meeting with success; (2) ongoing changes to Vitamin Shoppe's operating plan brought about through the 'reinvention plan' had already rendered the more than $168 million in goodwill being carried on Vitamin Shoppe's books for the retail segment impaired and Vitamin Shoppe was improperly delaying recognizing that impairment charge; (3) and as a result, Vitamin Shoppe lacked a reasonable basis for their positive statements about its financial prospects. Specifically, on May 10, 2017, Vitamin Shoppe released its first quarter 2017 financial results and slashed its fiscal 2017 guidance by 45%, yet claimed the 'reinvention plan' was still succeeding. On this news, Vitamin Shoppe's share price fell from $19.00 per share on May 9, 2017 to a closing price of $12.70 on May 10, 2017 - a $6.30 or a 33.16% drop. Then, on August 9, 2017, Vitamin Shoppe announced that it was taking a $168.1 million impairment charge on the goodwill being carried on its books associated with its retail segment. As a result, the Company would report a 'GAAP loss per share of $6.73' in its second quarter 2017. On this news, Vitamin Shoppe's share price fell from $9.60 per share on August 8, 2017 to a closing price of $6.10 on August 9, 2017 - a $3.50 or a 36.46% drop. The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not. Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Vitamin Shoppe's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others. Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner. CONTACT: FARUQI & FARUQI, LLP 685 Third Avenue, 26th Floor New York, NY 10017 Attn: Richard Gonnello, Esq. rgonnello@faruqilaw.com Telephone: (877) 247-4292 or (212) 983-9330 SOURCE: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP News / National by Staff reporter The Roman Catholic Church has been thrown into mourning following the death of one of its most revered clerics, Bishop Xavier Munyongani who was buried at Driefontein Mission on Friday.Munyongani, who was ordained in September 2013 was arguably the church's greatest moralist, who criticised fellow clerics and government alike for corruption and immoral behaviour.He was also one of the most compelling preachers in the church with the latitude to spice his sermons with songs from other churches like Anglican and the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe.Munyongani, who was fondly referred to as bishop of the people, had, as a new diocese head, revived hopes of a Catholic Church that would stand up to government in defence of the rights of the weak and poor as he used every sermon to attack greed, corruption and even President Robert Mugabe for brutality and the way he has brought Zimbabwe down to its knees.In one of his sermons and in apparent reference to Mugabe, Munyongani said it was unusual for people to get more ruthless as they get old. He said instead, they become more like children who are filled with love.Last year, he made a scathing attack on fellow bishops whom he accused of bringing down the church in Zimbabwe. He said greedy black bishops have destroyed mission schools that were once rich with cattle, good hospitals and schools because of their plunder of wealth."These mission schools, hospitals and churches were doing very well under white bishops. The problem came when we appointed these bishops of our black skin. They have plundered everything and left the church on its knees and limping)," Munyongani said when he opened a Catholic couples' conference held in Masvingo last year.He also castigated tribalism and said his mission in the Midlands Diocese was to ensure that there was genuine love and unity between the country's main tribes, the Shona and the Ndebele people.The social media was this week abuzz with condolence messages from across the churches, expressing great shock and deep grief.To demonstrate what Christians should go through in defence of their belief, Munyongani always preached about a member of the Guild of Anna when she faced death at the hands of her persecutors during the liberation struggle asked that she be allowed to put on her church uniform first before she was thrown into a fire.Apparently the woman was killed in Chirumhanzu.Munyongani was born in Gutu at Mutero Mission in 1950. HONG KONG, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Premia Partners, the Hong Kong based investment firm that focuses on ETFs and smart beta solutions, announces the launch of two smart beta China equity ETFs designed to provide investors with diversified exposure to the China A-shares markets. The ETFs track the CSI smart beta indices which employ methodology provided by Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta ("Caixin Rayliant") led by Dr. Jason Hsu, Chairman and CIO of Rayliant Global Investors, and Co-founder and Vice Chairman of Research Affiliates. The two HKEX listed ETFs utilize a fundamental, multi-factor approach, and each consists of approximately 300 Shanghai and Shenzhen listed stocks. Both ETFs are physical A-shares ETFs utilizing Stock Connect and have a total expense ratio of 0.50% compared to the 1% average fee typically observed in the industry. The Premia CSI Caixin China Bedrock Economy ETF ("China BEI ETF") (Ticker: 2803 HK) tracks the CSI Caixin Bedrock Economy Index , which aims to capture leading companies that drive the mainstream economy of China , based on economic size, financial health and low risk characteristics, ("China BEI ETF") (Ticker: 2803 HK) tracks the , which aims to capture leading companies that drive the mainstream economy of , based on economic size, financial health and low risk characteristics, the Premia CSI Caixin China New Economy ETF ("China NEI ETF") (Ticker: 3173 HK) tracks the CSI Caixin New Economic Engine Index , which aims to capture leaders from new economy industries, selected based on non-fixed asset size, financial health and growth characteristics. With the inclusion of China A shares in the MSCI Emerging Market index, investors are increasingly looking for strategies that provide efficient access to the Mainlandmarkets, while seeking to generate above-market returns relative to simply buying the largest companies by market capitalization or taking concentrated bet in the SOE or financial sectors. The Premia ETFs leverage on Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta's academic research, which identifies several equity factors-- including value, quality, low volatility, size-- as having the potential to outperform the broader A-shares equity market over the long term.The fundamental beta approach also introduces a buy-low, sell-high discipline into factor investing, as opposed to traditional market capitalization approaches that exhibit tendency to buy-high and sell-low. "We are very excited to partner with CSI, Madam Hu Shuli and Dr. Jason Hsu and their team at Caixin Rayliant in offering these two ETFs," said Rebecca Chua, Managing Partner of Premia Partners. "Dr. Hsu has long been the leading voice in the smart beta and factor investing world, with his work at Research Affiliates widely recognized and adopted by investors globally. We are honoured to be able to leverage on him and the Caixin Rayliant team's insights and expertise in bringing to market the world's first fundamental multi-factor China A-shares ETFs. These strategies are based on robust academic research into China factor performance and are the first to capture the nuances of mainstream and new economy Mainland markets instead of following a narrow market capitalization approach." Hu Shuli, editor-in-chief of Caixin Media and founder of Caixin Insight Group said: "As the Chinese economy continues to expand, its financial markets become increasingly relevant for global investors. We are committed to provide the best financial content through our international platform, Caixin Global, and Caixin Rayliant which empowers investors with world class smart beta capabilities to participate in China's growth." Dr. Jason Hsu. Chairman and CIO of Rayliant Global Advisors and Vice Chairman of Research Affiliates: "We are so pleased to be working with Premia Partners on the NEI and BEI ETFs. Premia shares our passion for bringing to market state of the art investment strategies at low cost that generate long term value for investors. Particularly in Asia, where there is a culture of high fees and short-term performance selling, such strategies are in great need and Premia is taking a lead to fill the gap. These two ETFs offer the opportunity of excess return through low cost exposure to systematic sources of returns." Media Enquiry Premia Partners Company Limited +852-2950-5777 enquiries@premia-partners.com About Premia Partners Premia Partners is an investment firm founded in Hong Kong in 2016, by a group of enthusiasts who believe in enabling investors with efficient investment tools and see enormous scope for innovation in the Asian ETF industry. The team came from various incumbent global and regional industry leaders and shares one common goal-- to reshape the ETF landscape in Asia by applying our collective knowledge and execution experience as well as by collaborating with the best-in-class global experts to curate ETF and smart beta solutions for investors. In Asia, and for Asia-- because this is our home. For more information, please visit www.premia-partners.com. About Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta is the joint venture formed in 2017, between Caixin Insight of Caixin Media Group and Rayliant Global Advisors. This partnership brings together the vast data, research, and publishing capabilities across the Caixin family of companies, and the smart beta, factor investing and index-construction expertise of Rayliant Global Advisors ("RGA"). The joint venture is led by Dr. Jason Hsu as the Chief Index Architect and Dr. Jason Tuan as the CEO. Dr. Jason Hsu is the Founder and Chairman of RGA and co-founder and Vice-Chairman of Research Affiliates. Dr. Jason Tuan is a Managing Director at RGA. For more information, please visit www.caixinrayliant.com. About Caixin Insight Group Caixin Insight Group is founded by Caixin Media Group's Editor-in-Chief and the internationally acclaimed journalist Madam HU Shuli. It is a sister company of Caixin Media (www.caixin.com), the leading financial and business news provider. The company focuses on providing best in class Chinese business and financial database, macroeconomic research, big-data analytics, smart beta index and strategy consulting services, with the goal of helping Chinese and global institutions better navigate through the structural economic development, internationalization, capital markets development and other important strategic agenda on China. About Rayliant Global Advisors Rayliant Global Advisors (RGA) is a Hong Kong-based investment management group founded in 2012. RGA specializes in Greater China equity strategies. Its unique quantamental approach of incorporating fundamental insights into a quantitative based portfolio construction process seeks to overcome challenges inherent in either fundamental-only or quantitative-only investment strategies. RGA is led by Dr. Jason Hsu, a well-established leader in factor investing and co-founder of Research Affiliates. Jason has published over 40 journal articles and has won numerous awards for his work. He is Adjunct Professor of Finance at the University of California, Los Angeles, and visiting professor at National Chengchi University in Taiwan and Kyoto University. For more information, please visit www.rayliant.com. BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Venezuela and China strengthened their strategic alliance in energy, primarily aiming at increasing crude oil output in their joint ventures, investments, financing and trade. The compromise was agreed at a meeting between Venezuelan officials and a delegation from China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). 'Energy cooperation has been a fundamental basis for strengthening political, social, cultural and economic ties. We better know our friends at difficult times, and CNPC will continue to be a partner of Venezuela,' CNPC Vice-President Wang Dongjin told Venezuela's Oil Minister, Eulogio Del Pino, and state-owned PDVSA chairman, Nelson Martinez. Both companies set up six joint crude oil production companies operating in the Orinoco Oil Belt and advanced in energy trading through the Chinese currency, the yuan. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. AACHEN, Germany and HAAR, Germany and LONDON, October 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vodafone ranks second, Three comes in third and O2 ranks last. P3, the international consulting, engineering and testing services company, has named EE as the leading mobile provider following tests measuring the quality of network performance in the UK. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/588568/P3_connect_Mobile_Benchmark_Infographic.jpg ) The P3 connect Mobile Benchmark UK 2017 report surveyed four networks - Vodafone, EE, Three and O2 - using a highly sophisticated range of benchmarks in 20 UK cities, a range of smaller towns and along 2,000 miles of major roads. In 2017, the measurement of "operational excellence", an additional crowdsourced assessment of service availability, has been included for the first time. The tests, which have been conducted by P3 since 2014, are now the most trusted benchmark among UK operators. Report:http://www.p3-group.com/en/P3-connect-Mobile-Benchmark-UK-2017-report With the grade "very good" and a score of 871, EE did best overall with a lead in voice and data. Vodafone ranks second with an overall score of 818 and grade of "good". Three comes in third with an overall score of 754 and the grade "good". O2 ranks last with an overall score of 667 and the grade "satisfactory". Hakan Ekmen, Managing Director P3 communications, explains: "High-quality connectivity is essential to the UK's future quality of life and competitiveness, so it is encouraging that three of the four main operators have been ranked as 'good' or 'very good'. In 2018, over-the-top content services, technologies like carrier aggregation and voice over LTE as well as crowd-sourcing based measurements, will become more important. This will make next year's results even more exciting." In large cities Vodafone's performance is almost on par with EE. In some categories such as voice tests conducted in the larger cities, O2 still manages to perform ahead of the overall third-ranking competitor Three. In the recently introduced crowd-sourcing based sub-category "operational excellence" Vodafone and O2had the highest score. The overall winner in London is EE, with Vodafone taking a lead in the voice discipline. In London, O2 is somewhat ahead of Three due to stronger voice results. However, when taking the data category into consideration, Three's score remains ahead of 02. In the cities of Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester, the overall picture is not much different to the nationwide results. In Belfast, EE leads over Vodafone, while O2 scores higher than Three thanks to strong voice results. In Sheffield, Three overtakes Vodafone. In Glasgow and Liverpool, Vodafone manages to take the lead over EE due to strong data results. Three performed strongly in the voice tests conducted in smaller towns and on connecting roads as well as in the data category in towns. Tests of network availability were positive. Between July to September 2017, there was only a one-hour period of downtime on the EE network and one five-hour period on the Three network. For Vodafone and O2, no relevant incidents were observed. The comprehensive test measured the voice and data performance on the four UK operators' mobile networks covering about 4,750 miles, driving through 20 of the largest cities in the UK, smaller towns as well as connecting roads. The areas tested account for more than 17 million people, or about 27 per cent of the UK population. Besides the UK benchmark, P3 connect Mobile Benchmarks will be published in Australia, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands within the coming months. About the P3 connect Mobile Benchmark http://www.p3-networkanalytics.com/ About P3 https://www.p3-group.com/ About connect https://www.connect-testlab.com/ Press contact Press Office P3 CREAM COMMUNICATION Bettina Leutner T +49-40-40-113-10-10 p3@cream-communication.com connectWEKA MEDIA PUBLISHING GmbH Bernd Theiss T +49-89-25556-1205 btheiss@connect.de Owl Ventures, a San Francisco, CA-based education technology venture capital firm, closed its second fund, at $185M. Limited Partners include investors across the U.S., Asia, Europe, Middle East and South America consisting of endowments, foundations, family offices, strategic education partners and a sovereign wealth fund. The capital will be used to lead investments in education technology startups that are harnessing the new wave of entrepreneurship and innovation across the education spectrum including early childhood, K-12, higher education and career mobility/professional learning. Led by Jed Smith, Managing Director, Tory Patterson, Managing Director, Amit Patel, Partner, and Tom Costin, Partner, Owl Ventures is venture capital firm that invests in leading education technology companies. The team has deep domain expertise that allows the firm to cultivate a focused network of entrepreneurs, investors and strategic partners that aim to improve education tools, technology, outcomes and share best practices and learnings across the portfolio, which includes Accelerate Learning, DreamBox Learning, Newsela, RaiseMe, Quizlet, Lingo Live, Piper and Tinkergarten. The firm has $285 million assets under management across two funds. FinSMEs 23/10/2017 Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the Indian arm of Japanese major Toyota Motor Corp, has halted the production of hybrid version of its Camry model as sales declined a steep 73 percent after tax incidence on the cars hit 43 percent under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. According to a report in the Economic Times, the production of the Camry was halted in the dedicated Bengaluru assembly line at the end of the September quarter. The ex-showroom price of the model in Delhi, a key market for hybrid cars after Arvind Kejriwal's decision to cut VAT, had risen to Rs 38 lakh from Rs 32 lakh under the GST regime. As per the GST Council 's decision, the hybrid models fall under 28 percent tax slab and another 15 percent is also applicable. However, it has been exempt from the 5 percent additional cess imposed on luxury cars. Terming the 43 percent tax on hybrid cars "punitive", Shekar Viswanathan, vice chairman at Toyota Kirloskar Motor, has told the newspaper that there is no business case for hybrid cars in India post-GST. The company has made a total investment of nearly Rs 40 crore in the Bengaluru facility. According to a study by the company cited by the ET report, after the steep tax and cess, it will take 17 years for a buyer to recoup the premium paid for hybrid cars. This would take just 18 months under VAT. As of now, there are no chances that the GST Council will take a lenient stand on the tax issue. In June, finance minister Arun Jaitley had hinted that the tax rate on hybrid cars will not be reviewed, saying the industry demands were not in sync with a study conducted by tax officers. We have done a detailed study on auto industry demand and a paper has been made which will be circulated among members. And, if necessary, it would come up for discussion. The fact that is being presented (by the industry), according to the paper, is not correct, Jaitley had said. New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki India has become the largest passenger cars exporter from India in the first half of the ongoing fiscal, dethroning Hyundai Motor India Ltd which has now been pushed to the fourth spot behind Volkswagen and General Motors. In the April-September period this fiscal, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) exported 57,300 units of passenger cars as against 54,008 units in the year-ago period, up 6 percent, according to the latest data by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). The long-running number one exporter, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) on the other hand shipped 44,585 units as against 63,014 units in the year-ago period, a decline of 29.25 per cent. The company is now behind Volkswagen and General Motors India in terms of export of passenger cars from India. During the first half of the fiscal, Volkswagen India exported 50,410 units at a growth of 16.92 percent. It is now the second biggest exporter of passenger cars from India behind MSI. Last year, it had exported 43,114 units during the same period. Interestingly, General Motors (GM) which had on 18 May this year decided to stop selling its vehicles in India after struggling for over two decades to make a mark, is now the third biggest exporter of passenger cars from the country. In the first half of the fiscal, GM exported 45,222 units as against 30,613 units in the year-ago period, a growth of 47.72 percent. The company exports vehicles from its manufacturing plant at Talegaon in Maharashtra. It has sold its first plant at Halol in Gujarat to MG Motor India, an arm of China's SAIC. Another US auto major, Ford also posted impressive growth in exports of passenger cars from India during the period. The company's overseas shipments stood at 42,412 units as against 31,467 units in the same period last fiscal, up 34.78 percent making it the fifth biggest exporter from India. Nissan Motor India, which was the third biggest exporter last year saw its overseas shipments during the first half of the fiscal decline by 37.11 percent to 30,872 units from 49,091 units in the same period last fiscal. It now occupies the sixth spot. New Delhi: If the ambitious scheme of allowing wait-listed passengers on Rajdhani trains to fly Air India at an incremental fee were to actually work out, it would perhaps be good for the Railways as well as the ailing national airline. Not to mention a world of good it would do to harassed passengers. Peak season travel could perhaps become less of a harassment for rail passengers - the railways has to routinely deny seats to wait-listed passengers while airlines like Air India fly mostly with about one in four seats empty. So additional passengers who are willing to pay a bit extra to reach their destination by air would only be good news for Air India. But as things stand, this scheme is literally up in the air. Now that Air India is on the path for disinvestment, such a scheme is hardly expected to be put in place with any urgency. Besides, it is not a new thought actually. It has been buried in stuffy files at the Airlines House, which houses the offices of Air India in New Delhi, for years. The scheme was first proposed by ex-Railway officials who had been deputed to work with the airline three-four years back. Since then, it has been gathering dust due to official apathy, with both the Railways and Air India blaming each other and none taking the initiative forward. In fact, as is the usual practice, two private airlines actually took a leaf out of Air Indias books and implemented the same scheme in June 2015. At that time, IRCTC had confirmed to Firstpost that the scheme was implemented in association with SpiceJet and GoAir and the two airlines were offering seats to such passengers by charging applicable difference in fares. But let us get back to the Air India bit. This report in The Times of India says train passengers with unconfirmed AC-I or AC-II tickets for Rajdhanis may soon be able to fly to their destination by paying the difference in the price of train and air tickets. It says present Railway Board chief and ex-Air India CMD, Ashwani Lohani, had planned the move last summer but the railways had not reacted to it positively then. Now, Lohani has said he will clear the plan if AI comes up with it again. A large number of people end up with unconfirmed AC-II Rajdhani tickets almost every day due to a severe demand-supply crunch in the railways. AC-II Rajdhani fares are more or less similar to air fares, Lohani has added. Two years back, SpiceJet had been the first airline to take off with this ambitious scheme. At that time, an IRCTC official had explained that through such a tie-up, all tickets passed on by SpiceJet and GoAir were sold to wait-listed train passengers. There were some riders, of course. This scheme only applied to tickets booked at least three days prior to the date of the journey, these train tickets could only be cancelled on a specific website and flight tickets were available only for the day of the train journey or a day prior to it. There were no fixed sectors to which the scheme applied, no fixed number of tickets either airline must make available to IRCTC and no fixed rates. The incremental payment for a flight (over and above the train fare) depended on the sector and prevailing prices. So sometimes, it transpired that the flight ticket was actually cheaper than the train fare while other times, the passenger had to shell out more. The fare difference, of course, depended on the sector, whether it was busy season for the airline industry etc. But an IRCTC source said the scheme never really worked. First, the only airline which offered any inventory (meaning seats) under the scheme was Jet Airways. The source denied there was any such tie-up with either SpiceJet or GoAir. So obviously, the scheme fizzled out. Second, this person said Jet offered barely one or two seats under this scheme and that too at its original fares for that particular sector. This meant the scheme was not attractive enough for train passengers since many times the fare difference was significant. Third, these tickets were only made available to the Railways in lean air travel season when demand was anyway less. It is obvious from this sequence of events that though airlines and the railways have tried the scheme and failed to make it work, there has not been any effort to finetune this scheme. With Lohani claiming he was open to working with Air India on this, perhaps some babus need to first chart out basics like the markup an airline can charge on a ticket, which sectors will this scheme apply to and how much closer to the flight timing can fares be made available. Besides, with Air India now enthusiastically participating in the regional connectivity scheme UDAN where the hinterland is also slowly coming on to the aviation map, a tie-up with the railways makes more sense now than ever before. By the way, train passengers already have this scheme called Vikalp under which they can book seats in the same class on other trains, if they are wait-listed in their initial booking. All they now need is the same option, with sensible fares, across airlines. News / National by Staff reporter \Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi has said the United Nations (UN) system needs urgent reform, starting with its agencies following a decision by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to rescind its appointment last week of President Mugabe as goodwill ambassador in the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa.WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus rescinded his decision yesterday, bowing to sustained pressure from Western countries, the main funders of the UN agencies.Mzembi lost in his bid to be UNWTO secretary general in controversial circumstances earlier this year when he was still Minister for Tourism.This was despite his sterling performance in helping Zimbabwe co-host the UNWTO general assembly in 2013. The sequel to the hugely successful The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo has reportedly found another cast member, with the breakout star of Blade Runner 2049, Sylvia Hoeks, joining Sonys latest franchise revamp, The Girl in the Spiders Web as reported by Variety. According to the report, Sylvia is in talks to play the evil twin of the main character Lisbeth Salander being played by Claire Foy. Although there has been no comment from Sony Pictures on the reported casting of Sylvia Hoeks so far, it has been confirmed that Fede Alvarez, of the 2016 horror hit Don't Breathe fame, is directing the sequel. The film is an adaptation of the 2015 book The Girl in the Spiders Web, written by David Lagercrantz. This is the fourth installment of the Millennium Series, and the first not being authored by the original creator Steig Larsson, who died in 2004. This is also the first time that a book of the series is being adapted directly into an English language film as the previous books were first adapted into three Swedish language films. While the English language version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo starred Roony Mara in the lead role, the sequel will have an entirely new cast. As the Dutch actor Sylvia Hoeks joins Claire Foy in the highly anticipated new star cast, she is definitely reaping the rewards of her acclaimed performance as Luv, the villainous character of Blade Runner 2049. Hoeks is also lined up to play Leigh in All the Devil's Men alongside William Fichtner, a film about a bounty hunter forced to travel to London on a manhunt for a CIA operative. The Girl in the Spider Web is set to start filming in January 2018 and due for release in October 2018. Actress Esha Deol and her husband Bharat Takhtani welcomed their first child, a baby girl, on Friday afternoon in a Khar medical facility. Mumbai Mirror reports that the birth took place under the medical supervision of the family gynecologist Dr Kiran Coelho. Bharat, his family and Esha's parents veteran actors Hema Malini and Dharmendra were present at the medical center when the Esha gave birth to the baby girl. The same report quotes Bharat as saying, "It's hard to express how happy I feel today! I think the baby looks like me and when she smiles, the world smiles at you. Esha wants some 'me time' with our baby. Their bonding is divine!" The same report states that while the couple has already finalised the name of their daughter, they will reveal it only during the naming ceremony of the child. This is Hema's second grandchild as her other daughter, Ahana Deol, gave birth to a baby boy named Darien, two years ago. Five years after Esha tied the knot with Bharat in 2012, Hema broke the news on Twitter in April earlier this year that Esha is pregnant with her first child. The baby girl's birth comes days after Malini's 69th birthday, and the launch of her biography Beyond The Dream Girl, on 16 October. It's homecoming for Chris Hemsworth and the zest in his body language is a giveaway. The Australia born actor is in Sydney to attend the premier of his upcoming big ticket film Thor Ragnarok, a major portion of which was shot near Gold Coast, Queensland. When you meet the man, two things are certain to intimidate you: his towering persona and his stardom (reflected in his entourage). The 34 year-old, 6ft 3in star, however, carries none of it and has an unassuming appearance. His fifth outing as the Asgardian prince Thor in Thor Ragnarok also happens to be Hemworths most unusual portrayal of the superhero. When Firstpost caught up him at the Park Hyatt, Sydney, he seemed devoid of the usual star trappings, and though he is 34, adolescent behavior is still to leave him. So, does the feeling of being Thor poke him when he is not shooting? No. I mean this Thor is much meaner and there is a lot of uncertainty and nervous energy that surrounds him. He is sort of on the back foot and has to figure things out from a chaotic situation. That part is closer to me than the strong, confident and stolid version in other films. Hemsworth further adds that he was surprised with his appearance in the film, as the special effects have made him look cool. Hemsworthy plays the lead in Thor: Ragnarok, but one look at the supporting cast of the film and it could seem daunting for the actor. The supporting actors in question happen to be Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jeff Goldblum and Mark Ruffalo. So was the presence of stalwarts on the sets intimidating? Yes, always. Obviously they are iconic, famous and successful actors. The feeling also comes in when you work with young kids and then you say, 'he is amazing'. It also makes you think, 'Oh my God! He is way better than me'. A little bit of fear is good as it keeps you motivated and pushes you to work harder," he informs. There is also one actress for whom Hemsworth reserves a special praise: Cate Blanchett, whose role of Thors sister Hela also marks her entry in the Marvel universe. The siblings will be seen fighting each other to gain over the supremacy of Asgard. I met her and she is the most warm, open, ego-less and wonderful person. She has won enough accolades to be very confident in what she can do. She does not mind asking how to do something if she does not know," he reveals. Thor Ragnarok is also touted to be the funniest film to come out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The credit for the fun elements goes to the chemistry between Chris and Mark Ruffalo, whose bonhomie and friendly banter was much talked about during the press interaction of Avengers 2. Its also said that almost 80 per cent of the scenes of the film was improvised while shooting. How true is it? Just about every single scene in the movie, we have played with in some way or the other. It's not as if the whole scene was improvised but we were always adding in something or the other. Thor Ragnarok will also witness the superhero without his famous mane for the first time. He mentions that the feeling of appearing in cropped hair on the screen was great but is quick to narrate the back-story too. After the first two films, I was sort of bored of myself. We could be doing so much with Thor, as we havent capitalised on the content thats available in the comic strip. I suggested a different direction and that included cutting the hair, losing the hammer, changing the costume and then hiring Taika to helm the project. It all brings a unique vision to the film," he adds. Its also surprising to know that when Hemsworth met Taika, the director of Thor Ragnarok for the first time, he complimented him on his previous film but the same was not reciprocated by the director. Taika informed him that he had not seen any of the previous Thor films. Ouch. After this debut awkward meeting and a mega schedule of three and half months later, the two are now thick as thieves. Hemsworth says, Very early on we wanted to have a wild road trip sort of quality to the movie between Thor and Bruce Banner in this crazy planet of Sakaar. He [Mark Ruffalo] is so much fun and it was great improvising the scenes with him. He has a charm-like innocence and uncertainty that he has put in the character, which I think was refreshing. Malayalam actor Dileep has been served a notice by the police to submit details about a private security firm he had hired recently, as reported by Deccan Chronicle. The actor, who is out on bail since early October, in the case of abduction and assault of a Malyalam actress, is charged of hatching the conspiracy against the actresses and is facing stringent legal sentence under Section 120B & 367. "The notice was served directing the actor to submit the details of the security staff. He is also asked to submit whether there are any weapons being used by the security team and their license details if any," said a senior police officer. While the Goa based private security agency Thunder Force has been providing the actor round the clock cover by atleast three personal security guards, it is unclear whether they are carrying arms. The agencys website claims it has the requisite licenses for its personnel to carry personal side arms and other weapons, according to Manorama Online. The Kottarakkara police had also taken two vehicles of his security team into custody for inspection and were later released. The police actions, along with the notice are being seen as efforts to ensure the actor out on bail does not misuse his position and influence or coerce witnesses. The Special Investigation Team, investigating the high profile case, is set to submit their additional charge sheet in a weeks time. The embattled actor is rumoured to be made the first accused in the pending charge sheet. Currently, he is the eleventh accused including the main accused Pulsar Suni, and others like Martin, Vigeesh who were also arrested following the incident. What's more fun than passing off stalking celebrities on social media as work? Very little, right? And so, we scanned the Instagram and Twitter accounts of celebs from India and abroad, to bring to you weekly updates from the interwebz. Who tweeted to whom? Who re-posted last night's party pics? Who went on a rant about what? Whatever it is, don't worry, we've got you covered. We stalk, you read. Deal? Sridevi and Boney Kapoor are still smitten A post shared by Sridevi Kapoor (@sridevi.kapoor) on Oct 22, 2017 at 12:01am PDT Sridevi took to Instagram to share a picture of herself all loved up as her husband Boney Kapoor gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek and showered the actor wit affection. The two are seen donning traditional attire following Diwali season, and we can't help but 'awww' over the mushiness of it all. New poster of Kapil Sharma's Firangi A new poster of Kapil Sharma's much awaited movie Firangi was shared by the comedian on his social media profile. The poster sees Sharma with a comical expression on his face as he sits in the backseat of a vintage vehicle. The new poster also announces that Firangi's trailer will be out tomorrow. First picture of Esha Deol with her new-born daughter Esha Deol was snapped heading back to her house with her new bundle of joy in her hand, alongside husband Bharat Takhtani outside Mumbai's Hinduja hospital. The two look elated and the new mother seems to be glowing as the proud parents smiled away at the shutterbugs. Madhur Bhandarkar meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi It's always a great pleasure to meet Hon. PM @narendramodi ji. Had a very pleasant interaction with him. pic.twitter.com/moY3RTUg5Z Madhur Bhandarkar (@imbhandarkar) October 23, 2017 Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar recently met the prime minister of India Narendra Modi, and took to his Twitter profile to share images of the visit. Bhandarkar called it a 'very pleasant interaction' and went on it say that it is 'always a pleasure to meet the Hon PM'. The controversy between Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Mersal is hitting new lows every day. In the midst of this, actor-director Farhan Akhtar lashed out at a BJP Spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao after the latter passed a remark saying, "Indian actors have a very low IQ very low general knowledge." The Lucknow Central actor angrily tweeted, "How dare you, Sir? And to all film people in his ranks.. heres what he thinks of you. #shame," (sic) How dare you, sir?? @GVLNRAO And to all film people in his ranks.. heres what he thinks of you. #shame https://t.co/6C8v6hZa23 Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) October 22, 2017 Taking a dig at the Mersal makers, Rao said in a TV interview, "In any case, most of our film stars have very low IQ, very low general knowledge." The Twitter fight errupted after his latest interview to a news channel was tweeted with a video footage from that interview, quoting his comment. Most of our film stars have very low general knowledge: @GVLNRAO, BJP #StopMersalPolitics pic.twitter.com/L1QWmOWGA4 TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 21, 2017 However, in a reply to Farhan's tweet, Rao was found pacifying the situation as he wrote, "Farhan ji, Expressing an opinion is not a dare. Respect stars4work. Pl do take criticism in stride. No intolerance please!!" (sic) Farhan ji, Expressing an opinion is not a dare. Respect stars4work. Pl do take criticism in stride. No intolerance please!!@FarOutAkhtar https://t.co/Fn1igWvKHi GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) October 22, 2017 Twitter went abuzz with mixed reactions. GVL says that all actors have low IQ....Nagma asks him what about Smriti Irani. LOL, ROFL Self goal at it's best. Suraj Colombo (@raj_colombo) October 21, 2017 GVL Narsimharao of BJP says actors have low IQ. Then i guess they should sack Smriti Irani & Hema Malini. #StopMersalPolitics Vinayak Viswanathan (@VVinayak91) October 21, 2017 Last week, the BJP took objection to 'incorrect references' on the Goods and Services Act (GST) in Atlee's latest directorial venture, Vijay Starrerr Mersal and asked the filmmaker to remove that particular part from the movie. The producers of Mersal reportedly said that they will be removing the scenes which the BJP claimed to be showcasing anti- Narendra Modi hatred and spreading misinformation. Los Angeles: The November issue of Playboy magazine, the first to be published since the death of founder Hugh Hefner, features a transgender model as its Playmate of the Month. It's happening for the first time in the magazine's 64-year history. French fashion model Ines Rau features in the magazine's November centerfold and appears completely naked apart from a pair of red velvet heels, reports The Sun. Ines has appeared in Playboy before, but now she has become the first official transgender playmate. The 26-year-old also has an eight-page spread in the publication and in one shot, she has posed wearing a pair of iconic bunny ears. Having worked with Balmain, featured on the pages of Vogue Italia and walked in fashion shows around the world, Ines said she hopes that her appearance in Playboy will encourage other transgender women that they can do anything. (Also read - Hugh Hefner passes away: Here's a look at some of the best writing found in, and about, Playboy) Mumbai, Oct 22 (IANS) Actress-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt will co-author a book about her battle with alcohol. It will come out early next year. "I would like to emphasise that it is not an autobiography. At 45, I am too young to write my memoirs. As they say in filmi terms, 'Picture abhi baaki hai, dost (the movie is not over yet)'. But I can help others like me deal with their problem by talking about my journey," Bhatt said in a statement. It has been 10 months since she has left liquor. "It hasn't been easy but it hasn't been too difficult either. A series of chapters in a book called life. It wasn't planned, but we have announced the book on Bhai Dooj, when traditionally Indians have just ushered in a new year. As the Diwali lights continue to sparkle around us, please support me on this journey the way you always have through all my films," added the daughter of veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. Pooja found fame with roles in Daddy, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, Sadak and Zakhm. As a director, she has helmed Paap, Kajraare and Jism 2 among others. It was in March this year that Pooja spoke to journalist Roshmila Bhattacharya on her battle with the bottle saying, "If I didn't quit now, I'd have drank myself to the grave." Her book will be co-authored with Bhattacharya, and will be published by Penguin India. On Twitter, Pooja expressed excitement about setting off an "arduous yet life affirming journey into my own heart". A day after Tamil actor Vishal accused BJP leader H Raja of advocating piracy and watching the Vijay-starrer Mersal online, the Goods and Service Tax (GST) intelligence wing raided the office of the actor's film production company Vishal Film Factory in Chennai. The raid reportedly led by four senior officials from the GST intelligence wing was conducted following information that Vishal had allegedly evaded service tax worth several lakhs. "The raid started after 2 pm on the premises of the Vadapalani office of the production house. We are yet to know the extent of service tax evasion by the company. We have just started the searches after information collected for nearly one year," said a senior GST intelligence official, according to a Times of India report. Vishal Film Factory was set up in 2013, and has till date produced six movie including Kathakali, Naan Sigappu Manithan and Aambala, all of which saw Vishal in the lead role. The actor is also the president of the Tamil Film Producers' Council and the General Secretary of the South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA) After Vishal accused Raja of watching Mersal online, the latter responded back saying he didn't have the time. "I don't have the patience to watch a two-and-a-half hour movie. This entire episode shows that whoever opposes the BJP are supporting Vijay, and this is expected. I had not watched the movie. I only watched the clips received on my phone," said Raja, according to a PTI report. (With inputs from PTI) Dharapani: Khumkala Banjade, the widow of Hemraj the domestic help who was killed in the Aarushi Talwar murder has no doubt that the Talwars would be acquitted in the case. She says she is not surprised but rather saddened that the court let the Talwars walk free and cancelled their life sentence for lack of material evidence. The Allahabad High Court on 12 October overturned the verdict of the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court that convicted the Talwars in 2013 , acquitted Dr Rajesh and Dr Nupur Talwar in the murder of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj. Khumkala says that she heard about the 12 October verdict from her neighbours. "They are rich and powerful," she says, stating that no one paid attention to the death of her husband, except for a couple of journalists who reached out every now and then after the May 2008 incident that tore her life apart. "The focus has always been the death of Aarushi," she adds. "Who cares about the death of an innocent man?" asks Khumkala, breaking down during the course of her conversation with Firstpost. Her family has also filed a case against the Talwars in a Ghaziabad court with the help of a lawyer (Naresh Yadav) in India. In November 2013, the couple was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment following which the Talwars had challenged the decision in the Allahabad High Court. Khumkala lives with her 19-year-old son Prajwal and Hemrajs 80-year-old mother. She also has a 29-year-old daughter who is married and lives with her in-laws. Even today, Khumkala refuses to believe Hemraj was killed because he was found in a compromising situation with Aarushi. "Hemraj's name has been taken in vain. We are praying for a miracle because we have no options left to get justice for my late husband," says Khumkala. "Hemraj used to complain that Rajesh was a short-tempered man," recalls Khumkala, pointing out how she had talked her husband into ignoring it and focussing on work, "Little did I know that I would lose my husband in the process." According to her, Hemraj used to send home Rs 3,000 every month from his salary of Rs 5,000 and was the sole bread earner of the family. She notes that in the six months prior to his death, he had not sent home any money. The family was left in a shambles after his death and is still reliant on relatives and friends. The Talwars, she says, offered no concern or support and added, "No one really talks about giving justice to my dead husband, there is indeed no value for a poor man or his family." While Khumkala believes Rajesh is guilty of the double murder, she claims to be unsure of whether or not Nupur was also responsible. "Hemraj knew his dirty secrets and it is likely the daughter knew about it too and that is the reason both of them got killed," alleges Hemraj's widow, "Both of them knew something he did not want others to know." "My husband became a casualty of Indian upper class vices," she says, pointing out how life has changed for her and her son after his death. Their son Prajwal has been depressed since his father's death and has been unable to continue with education, given the prolonged treatment he has been undergoing. This required him to be taken to Varanasi on six occasions. Now, Prajwal, who was 10 years old when his father died, is undergoing treatment for chronic pneumonia. "We are struggling to continue with his treatment and thus far, it's only been possible with help of relatives and neighbours," says Khumkala, "My son's health is deteriorating and he could not even continue education after Class 12 given our financial crisis." Prajwal did not wish to speak about his father. Hemraj's village still mourning his death Hemraj would have been home for Diwali if he was alive, says his family and even after nine long years, his friends in Dharapani remember his humble and caring nature. Hemraj was known as being smart, popular and the go-to person in the village. He left the village and came to India when he was 18 to make a living given the difficult life in the villages. He would often visit friends during festivals and actively engage in celebrations and made selroti (a local delicacy) for friends and family. However, with his death, his family and friends have resorted to quiet Diwali celebrations. His family now lives in Bhumikasthan Nagarpalika in Aghakhachi district that has a population of over 12,000 people, of whom 30 percent travel to India or different parts of Nepal for work. News / National by APO GENEVA, Switzerland Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations (UN). - The non-governmental human rights group UN Watch welcomed the WHO's cancellation of its "absurd, immoral and insulting" appointment of Robert Mugabe as goodwill ambassador but called for a full, independent and international inquiry into any possible deals made between the WHO chief - Ethiopia's former foreign minister - and Zimbabwe's ruler."There must be more to the story. How could Dr. Tedros, a sophisticated political figure, have chosen to honor a man who has brutalized human rights activists, crushed democracy dissidents, and turned the breadbasket of Africa and its health system into a basket-case?" asked UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer."We regret that Dr. Tedros' statement shows no remorse, nor any mention of Mugabe's gross human rights abuses. On the contrary, he seems to double down and justify his decision by speaking of the need to 'include everyone', presumably tyrants as well.""We ask Dr. Tedros to agree to a meeting in Geneva of victims of Mugabe, which we will gladly organize, giving the WHO chief a chance to compensate for the damage he has done to the cause of human rights in Zimbabwe. He should now honor the victims, instead of the perpetrator.""The tyrant of Zimbabwe is the last person who should have been legitimised by a U.N. position of any kind," said Neuer. "Something is very ill at the U.N.'s world health agency." Pro-tip: If you want to make a room full of strangers uncomfortable, tell them you're a journalist. If you want to make them even more nervous and shifty, tell them you're a feminist. Last week, when the news of the sheer number of accusations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein emerged, Slate put out a tweet saying, "It's been a rough week for men." I remember laughing when I read it and thinking, "It's been a rough millennium for women." Evidence for this came in the form of the spread of the #MeToo campaign on social media. Unless you live under a rock or your timeline is devoid of women, it is likely that you have come across multiple stories of women who have written about being harassed, molested, eve-teased and raped. The hashtag caught on like wildfire; overnight, it seemed as though thousands of women had opened up about these negative experiences, and some men had too. But as is true of any social media campaign or debate involving gender, some people ridiculed and criticised the #Metoo campaign as well as feminism and people who fight for women's rights some of them were men, some were women. Men are important stakeholders in preventing abuse against women, but oftentimes, they do not participate in conversations about it. I invited men to engage with me and tell me why they thought feminism was flawed or wrong. "Why are feminists so angry?" While some of the #MeToo posts were confessionary and saddening in nature, many were filled with anger. Some used the campaign to vent out how they have been ill-treated all through life, and many of them responded to sexist comments with even more anger. More than one person talked to me about how these messages, written in uppercase, wishing death upon the whole male gender and constant lashing out wasn't helping the movement. They felt that these women would be more effective if they were objective, if they engaged with these sexist people using logic and if they tried understanding "the other perspective". It was as though these people couldn't grasp the sheer magnitude of the problem or understand why women, who suffer the effects of misogyny and rape culture each day, would be angry. Privilege and prejudice Soon after #MeToo began trending, meme pages were filled with posts created about how the campaign was being used by women to grab attention and how women were using it only because it was "cool" to do so. One man tweeted saying that he found it "funny how some of the ugliest women are claiming to have been daily eve teased and molested". He further went on to say that his wife had never been harassed or molested. I shared this tweet on my own timeline and called it an example of male privilege at its finest. Not only is his wife privileged enough to have never been in a situation where she was harassed, but so is he, because he clearly thinks that harassment is not a widespread problem that affects all women, irrespective of how they look. His male privilege has sheltered him from experiencing and knowing this. "Feminists just want to see the world burn" Soon after I wrote this, one man shared my post and said that my understanding of privilege was flawed. "As an example of privilege, when a woman is found guilty in court, lawyers often ask the judge to award the sentence taking into fact that the accused is a woman so as to get a reduced sentence. That's privilege," he wrote. He said that this man was "just another a**hole on the Internet, and that gender has nothing to do with it. He added I shouldn't have made an assumption about all men based on what one man had said. He said that he had been called ugly by one woman, but that he had not blamed the whole female gender for it. He accused me of starting a "gender war". The wars we fight As a college student, I remember reading about the different Waves of feminism to understand its progress as a movement. The objectives changed from the First Wave to the Second, and with the passing of decades, the scope of the movement and the people represented by it (starting with only white women, and then including women of colour and the LGBTQI community) only increased. I remember thinking that what makes this movement so important is that it gives so many people the space to express themselves and be protected. One man opined that women are losing the plot, that they are no longer fighting for the "things that matter". He said that he respected the feminists of the First Wave and Second, but that he didn't think "today's feminists" were doing anything relevant. He also criticised western feminists for not fighting for the causes of women in the Middle East. For this man, slut shaming, unrealistic standards of beauty thrust upon women, mansplaining and other problems which may be considered "urbane" are not problematic at all. The "real issues" are more "serious" in nature, such as child marriage, dowry and the denial of educational opportunities. "But what about men?" A strange consequence of discussions about sexual abuse against someone is that oftentimes people respond with the question "But what about men who are raped or abused?" as though the two were somehow related. There seems to be a belief that a discussion about abuse perpetrated against women is somehow a negation of the abuse that men suffer. People think that abuse against men is not only under-reported and less talked about, but also categorically ignored by people who are advocates of women empowerment. But this strain of thought isn't limited to the assumption that feminism isn't inclusive of men's issues; it also focuses on how women are the cause of men's problems, such as fake rape cases. Oftentimes, these people say that women are wrong for painting men in a poor light, because even women perpetrate crimes against men. "Women are Nazis, feminism is cancer" One man pointed out that men don't have a bone to pick with all feminists, just the ones who are "radical" or "fake". He said that the issue is with women who want to create a society where women are dominant, and women who hate on and crucify all men because of the actions of some. #NotAllMen, such critics say, highlighting that the faults of some men should not make women say, "Men are trash". Feminism is also looked at as alienating by many women who feel that it is creating a rift between the two genders. One woman felt that feminism was making both genders compete against each other and that soon, the focus on women would lead to a world where men are impoverished. "They [men] can't whine about it the way feminists do, because well, they're expected to 'man up'," she wrote. She asked women to look at "the bigger picture" and work towards building a gender-equal world rather than "pulling the other gender down". She advocated the need to become "equalists" rather than feminists, a view held by many people who feel that feminism does not fight for men. "Feminism has overstayed it's welcome and it needs to leave," she wrote. A sustained dialogue will be initiated by the government to find a solution to the Kashmir issue, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday. Government has decided to start a sustained dialogue in J&K. Former IB Director Dineshwar Sharma will be Govt of India's representative: HM pic.twitter.com/kQE5Ek5ioP ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 Addressing a hurriedly-convened press conference, Singh said former director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Dineshwar Sharma will be the government's representative to initiate dialogue with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir. Sharma, a 1979-batch (retired) officer of the Indian Police Service, served as the IB director between December 2014 and 2016. As per an ANI tweet, Singh said, "Rank of former IB director Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet secretary." The Centre's representative will engage with all walks of life in Jammu and Kashmir and understand their legitimate aspirations, Rajnath added. "Dineshwar Sharma will initiate dialogue with elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties, different organisations and people," Singh said as per another ANI tweet. Rajnath added that Sharma will be free to decide whom he wishes to hold talks with, according to a report in India Today. Sharma took charge as the mediator for peace talks with insurgent groups in Assam, including the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). After a long spell of violence, following the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, Rajnath Singh led an all-party delegation to Kashmir, according to the India Today report. The initiative has been taken as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address, Singh said. With inputs from PTI The Editors Guild of India on Sunday expressed concerns over Rajasthan government's decision to bring a law protecting, both serving and former judges, magistrates and bureaucrats in Rajasthan from being investigated for on-duty action without its prior sanction. Calling it a pernicious instrument to harass the media, the guild said that the law is an attempt by the Vasundhara Raje government to whitewash the corrupt practices of government servants and drastically curb the freedom of the press." The ordinance, The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, seeks to bar the media from reporting on accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe is obtained. The guild, which is headed by veteran journalist Raj Chengappa, urged the Rajasthan government withdraw the ordinance, promulgated on 7 September, and to not turn it into a law. "Rather than taking stern measures to prevent and punish those who indulge in frivolous or false litigation, the Rajasthan government has passed an ordinance that is bent on bludgeoning the messenger," the press release said. Stating that it has always stood for fair and responsible journalism, the organisation added that the law that the state government proposes to bring is 'draconian" and can potentially also imprison journalists for reporting on matters of public interest. "The Guild requests the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to withdraw the harmful ordinance and prevent any Act from being passed that would endanger the freedom of the press," the press release concluded. "No magistrate shall order an investigation nor will any investigation be conducted against a person, who is or was a judge or a magistrate or a public servant," reads the ordinance which provides 180 days immunity to the officers. If there is no decision on the sanction request post the stipulated time period, it will automatically mean that sanction has been granted. The ordinance amends the Criminal Code of Procedure, 1973 and also seeks curb on publishing and printing or publicising in any case the name, address, photograph, family details of the public servants. Violating the clause would call for two years imprisonment. The law has already come under Congress' fire. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje over a controversial ordinance, pointing out that the year was "2017, not 1817". Rebel BJP leader in the state, Ghanshyam Tiwari also opposed the ordinance, saying it was "aimed to strangulate democracy" in the state. "The bill that you will introduce in the assembly in next few days will pave the way to form a law, which will shield the open loot of the chief minister, ministers and public servants," Tiwari wrote in the letter. However, the Raje government on Sunday defended its decision, claiming that it has zero tolerance policy towards corruption. Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria told a press conference there was no provision in the ordinance which will weaken action against corrupt officers. Kataria said Rajasthan is not the only state to amend CrPC sections 156(3) and 190(1).The sections empower a magistrate to take cognizance of an offence and order an investigation. Kataria said the only one aim of the ordinance is that people do not "misuse" section 156(3) to tarnish the image of honest officers by levelling baseless allegations. With inputs from PTI On Monday, Home minister Rajnath Singh said former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Dineshwar Sharma will be appointed as India's representative to hold a 'sustained dialogue' with Kashmir. Singh said that Sharma's position would be equivalent to that of a Cabinet secretary. Rank of former IB Director Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secy: HM Rajnath Singh pic.twitter.com/9QKsoQSPBo ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 On the issue of holding dialogue with the Hurriyat, CNN-News 18 quoted Singh as: "He (Sharma) will have full rights to decide his course of action and talk to whoever he wants to. Asked whether he would talk to separatist groups in the Valley, Sharma said, "The modalities are being worked out but I would like to talk to everyone who is interested in bringing permanent peace in the Valley." "Let me make it clear that peace is the priority and for that my doors will be open to everyone," he added. For a substantive dialogue, I will need to talk to everybody, Sharma told Hindustan Times minutes after the announcement was made public. The report says that Sharma was known to have "had a meeting with national security advisor Ajit Doval and the Home minister a few hours before the formal announcement." Peace must be restored in Kashmir and for that I will talk to all people in an effort to bring about a solution, he added, as quoted by Hindustan Times. The article further stated that the newly-appointed representative might visit Kashmir within a week. Multiple government sources have confirmed that significant work has already been done. "It's like homecoming for me. I am sure that I will be able to fulfil the expectations of the government and people of the country," Sharma told PTI. Kashmir has been a running thread through his career. After his return from the Valley in 1994, Sharma was again posted at the Kashmir desk in the national capital. "The times were tough and I hope that now we will together bring peace in the Valley," he said. CNN-News 18 further mentions that Sharma was made the interlocutor for peace talks with insurgent groups in Assam in June 2017. According to PTI, Sharma held peace negotiations with pro-talks factions of the ULFA, National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and a few other small groups based in Assam. Financial Express reported that the Bihar-born officer has "served at a wide variety of command & staff positions in various police, paramilitary and intelligence agencies." A Kerala batch IPS officer, Sharma took over from Syed Ibrahim as the IB chief on 31 December, 2014. Sharma was posted as assistant director between 1992 to 1994. Sharma then served as the chief of IB till December 2016. He reportedly refused an extension offer at the end of the fixed two-year tenure, as reported by CNN-News 18. The news channel further stated that Sharma is known to keep a very low profile. Further, he is known for his policy of reforming potential Islamic State recruits, instead of arresting them. Sharma has attended training sessions on intelligence work and policing methods in Germany, Poland, Israel and South Korea. Apart from this, he has worked with National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval during his tenure as IB chief, according to Financial Express. Among his colleagues, Sharma is known to be quiet, bright and savvy. He is well-versed in issues related to terrorism and the entire spectrum of security matters, an IB official was quoted by The Hindu. With inputs from PTI A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Gujarat, fresh sparks flew in the poll-bound state as Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday targetted the BJP-led Centre and state governments and went after Modi. He was addressing a rally which marked OBC leader Alpesh Thakore formally joining the Congress as part of its strategy of broadening its political and social base to take on the long-ruling BJP. On allegations of BJP 'bribing' Patidar and OBC leaders Amid a rousing welcome and massive crowd, Rahul attacked Modi and the BJP while latching on to the bribery allegations made by Narendra Patel, an activist of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). Narendra, within hours of joining the BJP, alleged Sunday night at a press conference that he was offered Rs 1 crore by the BJP and was given a token amount of Rs 10 lakh, a charge rubbished by the saffron party. "This Gujarati voice is not an ordinary voice. This voice of Gujarat cannot be silenced or suppressed. You can offer anything, (Rs) one crore, (Rs) 10 crore, (Rs) 50 crore, (Rs) 1,000 crore, entire budget of India, entire money of the world, (but) this Gujarati voice cannot be purchased," Rahul said. "Even Hardik, Jignesh Mewani (Dalit leader), cannot remain silent. They too have a voice. And this is no ordinary voice. It cannot be suppressed or bought. "In the past also, there were attempts to suppress this voice. British tried to suppress Gandhiji, first in South Africa, then in Gujarat and India. But the voice of Gujarat drove out that superpower from the country," he said. "Sardar Patelji, Rahul were from this land and they used to protect the voice of Gujarat," he said. "But today this (BJP) government wants to suppress Gujarat's voice. They are so scared that they want to buy the voice," Rahul alleged, adding "Modiji, there is no price tag for this voice. Modiji you cannot purchase Gujarat's voice." In his 30-minute speech, Rahul said, "Every caste is agitating here, I am surprised that everybody is agitating here. They are tired of false promises of the BJP government." On Modi's economic policies Rahul also mounted a scathing attack on the Modi government's economic policies. He criticised the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as 'Gabbar Singh Tax' that he said has hit hard the country already nursing the wounds of demonetisation. "Ye jo inka GST hai, ye aam aadmi pe bojh hai... Ye GST nahi, ye Gabbar Singh Tax hai," Rahul asserted. Rahul said that Modi imposed demonetisation last year on a personal whim, pushing lakhs of people into distress. And if this was not enough, he introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in a tearing hurry, the Congress vice-president added. "The GST was brought by the Congress, but there was a ceiling of 18 percent and did not have five slabs like the present. We requested the government to go slow, but they just would not listen," Rahul said. He called the Modi government anti-poor and said it was working against the interests of the common people. "The entire Gujarat is today caught in restlessness. There is not a single section of the society here that is not agitating against the government over one issue or the other." "What happened on 8 November? Modiji came on television and said I don't like Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. So I have decided to spike them from that midnight. Hahaha," Rahul said, mocking the prime minister. "And by doing that he attacked the whole country by one stroke," he added. "For the first two or three days days he too did not understand what has happened. And in a concert in Mumbai he announced 'I have done this'. "But after five-six days he realised he made a mistake. Then again he appeared on television and said if I don't end the menace of black money by 30 December, then hang me." Rahul asked farmers in the crowd if they buy seeds and fertilisers from their mobile phones and with cheques. The crowd replied with a booming 'No'. "He destroyed the entire economy. He did not stop there but went ahead with the GST. "GST was our thinking. We brought it, it was a thought of single tax of 18 percent across the nation with less forms to be filled." Rahul also attacked Modi's "Make In India" slogan, saying Chinese goods had swept India. "Should employment go to China or come to India? Most products you use have the label Made in China. Whether it is a shirt, cameras or anything else. When you click selfies or press a button for a picture, a Chinese youth gets employment. "In Gujarat alone there are 30 lakh unemployed youth. Every day 30,000 people across the country enter the job market. But only 450 people get jobs." During Rahul's speech, Thakore asked the crowd to be silent and listen to the Congress vice-president's speech. At this, Rahul said, "You want to make the crowd silent Alpeshji? But they cannot remain silent. Modiji has harassed them so much that they cannot remain silent." The rally was organised by Thakore and his supporters. "There are thousands of youths in Gujarat who cannot remain silent now. They belong to all castes. There are two more youths like you (Thakore) - they are Hardik (Patel) and Jignesh (Mevani, a Dalit leader). Both of them cannot remain silent," the Congress leader said. Modi, on a visit to Gujarat last week, mounted a stinging attack on the Congress and the Nehru Gandhi family, saying they disliked Gujarat and Gujaratis who were an "eyesore" for them. On Jay Shah's business dealings Rahul also did not leave an opportunity slam BJP president Amit Shah on the issue of alleged business deals of the his son Jay Shah. Amit and Jay have denied any wrongdoing. "Modiji gave long lectures in Gujarat (during his recent visits), but has not spoken a single line regarding the company of Jay Shah," Rahul said. "Modiji Make in India has failed. Only one company has benefited from the Make in India programme. The company was worth of Rs 50,000 and not made any progress till 2014. But after 2014 it grew to Rs 80 crore," he said. "Modiji just speak one sentence about it. You had said that you will not indulge in corruption and would not allow others to do it, then what is this?" Rahul asked. Last Saturday, Thakore met Rahul in New Delhi and later announced that he would soon join the Congress. The Congress has been wooing leaders of various communities like Hardik Patel, Mevani and Thakore. The party is inviting them to join hands with the aim of expanding its base by securing the support of Patels, OBCs and Dalits, and dent the BJP's poll prospects in its stronghold. Congress is 'Drameybaz party No 1' The saffron party, meanwhile, mocked the Congress and termed Thakore joining the Congress and bribe allegation against it "a mere drama". Calling the Congress a "Drameybaz Party No 1" for presenting Thakore's entry as "an achievement", Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the OBC leader had earlier fought panchayat elections on the party's ticket. He also said the Rs 1 crore bribe allegation against the BJP by Patidar leader Narendra Patel, an aide of Hardik Patel, to join the party was also "a part of the drama". "There have been many films in the past with title 'No 1' such as 'Jodi No 1', 'Dost No 1', 'Aunty No 1'. Today, I am giving Congress party a new name, 'Drameybaz Party No 1'," Prasad said during a press conference in Delhi. "And why should not I be calling this? Because the drama Congress is holding over joining of the big leader who was a NSUI member once? He also fought Mehsana panchayat election on Congress' ticket and lost. Even, his father was a district head of Congress. So when was he (Thakore) out of the Congress?" He took a dig at Rahul for not doing his homework. "Earlier, I would say Rahul did not do homework. But now I will say even your script writers do not do it. Had it been done today, you could have saved yourself from the drama of the achievement (Thakore's entry)," he said. Prasad said Congress was frustrated due to being out of the power in the state, which led the party to reduce itself to "such gimmicks" to remain relevant. The minister also said the Congress had "stooped to a low level" of politics due to desperation to win the Gujarat elections. Prasad said the Gandhi scion has not learnt lessons from his past experiences. The Congress has been out of power in Gujarat for the past 22 years. Dhaka: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advised Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi not to "destroy" her image over her stance on the Rohingya issue after Myanmar's military actions in Rakhine state sparked a global outrage. Swaraj referred to Modi's advice as she called on Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina after joining the 4th Bangladesh-India Joint Consultative Commission meeting with her counterpart AH Mahmood Ali. "He (Modi) told her (Suu Kyi), 'you have a very good international image, don't destroy it'," the Bangladesh premier's press secretary Ihsanul Karim told PTI, quoting Swaraj as saying during her meeting with Hasina at her residence. It is not clear when Modi made the comments, however, Bangladeshi media reports claimed he said this in September when he met Suu Kyi during his first bilateral visit to Myanmar. Karim said Swaraj extended her full support to Bangladesh's stance that Myanmar must take back its nationals and must not punish innocent people while fighting terrorism. "Myanmar may punish the terrorists, not innocent people," he quoted Swaraj as saying. Swaraj appreciated Bangladesh's stand on the Rohingya issue but described the exodus of forcibly displaced people as a "big burden for Bangladesh". "It's a big burden for Bangladesh, and how long will Bangladesh bear this?" she said, referring to the exodus of the forcibly displaced people who fled the violence in their homeland and took shelter in neighbouring Bangladesh. Swaraj added there should be a permanent solution of the Rohingya issues and international community should contribute to social and economic development of Rakhine state. Karim said she praised Hasina for extending all humanitarian support to the displaced people. He said Hasina narrated the situation after the beginning of the Rohingya exodus since 25 August and her government's initiatives for their shelter. "We have given them shelter upon the confidence that we would be able to feed the distressed Rohingyas on humanitarian ground," she told Swaraj. Hasina said Bangladesh had already established an engagement with Myanmar and the Bangladeshi home minister was set to visit the neighbouring county over the crisis. Nearly 6,00,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since late August to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state where the Myanmarese army has launched a crackdown against militants. Myanmar doesn't recognise the Rohingyas as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country. Bangladesh has sought India's "sustained pressures" on Myanmar for resolution of the crisis. Hasina recalled India's contribution during Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War as well as support to her and her sister Sheikh Rehana after the 1975 assassination of their father -the nation's founder 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of their family. Swaraj informed the prime minister about her official talks with her Bangladeshi counterpart saying the entire gamut of bilateral relations came up in their discussion and she was very satisfied at the state of bilateral relations. She said she had a very fruitful discussion with Bangladeshi officials on the projects under India's Line of Credit (LOC) whose implementation has been delayed. Bangladeshi foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali, the prime minister's advisor on international affairs Gowher Rizvi, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Moazzem Ali, Bangladeshi principal secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, and Bangladeshi foreign secretary Shahidul Haque were present along with India's Foreign Secretary Joy Shankar and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsha Vardhan Shingla. Swaraj also handed over some memorabilia of the 1971 Liberation War to Hasina as a gift to the Bangladesh National Museum. The memorabilia includes an Mi-4 helicopter, a PT76 tank, 106 mm recoilless anti-tank gun and some of the military equipment used by the joint forces during the war and a number of artifacts and documents like historical photographs, archival audio and video clippings, maps, battle records, newspaper clippings and documentaries. Gurdaspur: Thirty-year-old survivor Harjit Masih, who managed to return from Iraq, again repeated his claims that all his fellow Indians were killed by the Islamic State militants. "Why the government is not accepting the reality and giving proper information about the 39 Indians to their kins? If the government says all Indians are safe, why has it not produced any of them in all these three years! Moreover, what will I get by not telling truth," Masih said talking to reporters in Gurdaspur, Punjab. He maintained that the 39 abducted Indians had been killed by the Islamic State. "I still pray to God that my claim proves wrong," he further said. Masih, who was abducted along with 39 other Indians in Iraq in 2014, had claimed that they were shot by militants few days after they were abducted. However, Masih resident of Kala Afghana village in Gurdaspur, managed to return to India after giving a slip to his abductors in 2014 after being shot in his feet. A total of 39 Indians had been missing in Iraq since 2014. Among them, 22 were from Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Jalandhar in Punjab. The samples of DNAs of the families of missing Indians were being collected by the district authorities in Punjab. Health authorities in Gurdaspur have collected DNA samples from the family members of three of the 39 Indians missing in Iraq to ascertain their identities. The Jharkhand government has been dismissive of the accusation that the 11-year-old girl Santoshi Kumari died after her family was denied ration provisions as their ration card was not linked to Aadhaar. She died of Malaria, not starvation, it has maintained. The facts available, however, run contrary to the claim. The ration card of the deceased's family living in Karimati in Simdega district in Jharkhand was cancelled in the month of April which appeared to be the reason being non-linkage with Aadhaar. The cancellation was done in spite of Supreme Court's directive against such action. Activists have said that the Jharkhand government's move amounts to not only contempt of court but also to murder through deliberate negligence. The local activists in Simdega district in Jharkhand have alleged that the girl died on 28 September after her family was denied ration because their card was not linked to Aadhaar, and not due to any disease. In a controversial move, Jharkhand's chief secretary (CS) Rajbala Verma had ordered that ration cards not linked to Aadhaar would be ineligible from 5 April. "I'm not going into the debate whether the poor girl died of hunger or due to malaria as the district administration officials told me. The fact is, it's a tragic incident and the family of the deceased didn't receive any food grains in lieu of their ration card since April. The family's ration card was scrapped following an order issued by the chief secretary of Jharkhand on 27 March. First, the CS issued the order through a video-conferencing with the administration of all the districts, which was followed by a written order and a press release," Jharkhand's minister of parliamentary affairs and minister of food and supply department, Saryu Roy told Firstpost. Roy was one of the key whistle-blowers in the Rs 900 crore fodder scam in Bihar during former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's regime. He also exposed the corruption of over Rs 8,000 crore in the Iron Ore Mines allotment scam under the then Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and in January this year, he raised strong objections to the renewal of mining rights to companies investigated for wrong-doing. According to the minister, 11.30 lakh ration cards have been deleted, out of which nearly 3 lakh cards were scrapped for not being linked with Aadhaar. "The question is not about Aadhaar per se, but it's about making it mandatory to link ration card with Aadhaar, which is against the Supreme Court's ruling, which says that no one should be denied of ration (food grains) on the pretext of Aadhaar. The chief secretary's order grossly violated the apex court's directive," the minister alleged. Minister issues fresh counterorder Meanwhile, Roy has issued a fresh order on 21 October to immediately terminate the previous order issued by the chief secretary. "I had raised this issue in the Cabinet meeting and also questioned the CS why she issued such an order, which was against SC's directive. I've also issued an explanation order to CS," he said. What official documents say? "Amongst a series of official documents accessed by Firstpost, a letter issued by the CS (dated 27 March) to the Secretary, Department of Food and Civil Supplies tells that "from the month of April distribution of ration should be made mandatory on the basis of cards linked to Aadhaar... From 5 April, all those ration cards not linked to Aadhaar should compulsorily be scrapped." "It was also instructed that wide scale publicity should be undertaken to disseminate this information. "On 21 October, Roy issued a fresh order to terminate chief secretary's order, stating that the earlier order was contrary and in violation to the directives of the Centre and the SC (Page 2 of Minister's order). "I've issued an order on 21 October to terminate the previous order issued by the CS and instructed my department officials and district administrations that the message should be communicated to each and every ration card holder," Roy said. What activists say? Speaking with Firstpost, experts and activists working on governance and Aadhaar related issues have termed the Jharkhand government's decision to not distribute food grains to ration card holders without Aadhaar linkage who are mostly below poverty line as contempt of Supreme Court and gross violation of basic human rights. Dr Anupam Saraph, noted international expert on governance of complex systems said, "Linking of ration card with Aadhaar is voluntary, not mandatory. Supreme Court in October 2015 said that no person should suffer due to government's making Aadhaar linkage mandatory. Jharkhand chief secretary's order is not only ridiculous but dehumanising the government and is contempt of the Supreme Court directive. The government has to provide basic benefits and using the pretext of linking of ration card with Aadhaar for the deliverance of such benefits is bad governance." "Moreover, Aadhaar card is issued either on the basis of ration card, driving license or PAN, and in large number of cases ration cards have been found to be fake ones. Even on the floor of the Parliament, Union Minister Ravishankar Prasad had pointed out the malpractice in Aadhaar enrolment. So, what's the logic of linking ration cards with Aadhaar numbers?" he questioned. Social activist Gopalkrishna added, "It's an arbitrary order and amounts to denial of basic human right, that is food. It's contrary to rule of law, Aadhaar act and contempt of SC. The death of the girl constitutes to crime and the CS should be booked on charges of murder using government machinery." Why such order was issued? According to Roy, many departments go overboard by violating norms and fudging records to win awards from the Centre. "Many departments like in this particular case, falsely project their achievement of 100% Aadhaar linkage by manipulating records and adopting illegal ways to win awards from the Centre. They try to give a false impression that they have been following Prime Minister's directions, which is wrong. It's not only in this state but elsewhere as well," he remarked. What next? Roy added, "From 2 October, I have started an initiative under which every week I spent one full day in a village and interact with villagers to know there problems and grievances in public distribution system. We've also set up a call centre, with a toll-free number where anybody can complain. The aim is to provide ration to every household." Guwahati: The outrage over the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bangalore had not yet abated when a young reporter in Tripura, Shantanu Bhowmick, covering a clash between two tribal rights groups was kidnapped and beaten to death by some protesters. Two journalists were murdered within 15 days for doing their job. While Lankeshs killing triggered protests, rallies and panel discussions across the country, Bhowmicks death held the national news section captive only for a few days. For the states in the North East, the murder brought back the memories of the journalists who have been kidnapped, tortured and killed over the years. Data available from various sources like media reports and journalist associations in North East show at least 31 journalists have been murdered in the North East 24 in Assam, six in Manipur and one in Tripura in the past 30 years. "When the report of any journalist dying pours in, the first thought is that he/she was murdered. It's a scary thought and may be impractical too... but the murder of media personnel is so common that we immediately believe that they were killed," said Prakash Mahanta, a senior journalist and secretary of Journalist Action Committee, Guwahati. He knows the case details of Assam's murdered journalists like the back of his hand. All 24 of them, when they were killed, where they worked, and even investigation status. "Some were my colleagues, some I was inspired by, some acquaintances but most importantly they were fellow journalists. How can I even forget their names!" Mahanta said over the phone. According to him, the targeting of journalists in the North East began in 1987 when a correspondent with The Assam Tribune, Punarmal Agarwalla, was killed by suspected United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) members. Those who were arrested following an investigation by the Crime Investigation Department, Assam, were acquitted on grounds of a weak chargesheet. This was followed by the 1991 murder of Kamala Saikia, a correspondent with Ajir Asom, also by suspected ULFA members but with no one has been convicted till date. The state was shaken once again in 1996 when Parag Kumar Das, the executive editor of Assamese daily Asomiya Pratidin was shot dead while returning home by surrendered members of ULFA. Information available with Mahanta shows that between 1995 and 2010, at least one journalist has been murdered in Assam every year. According to the records, 1999 witnessed three killings: One was shot dead and two were killed in a grenade blast. Alfarid Shazad, a photojournalist, and Jiten Sutiya, a reporter, were killed when suspected militants threw a grenade inside the then superintendent of police Sivasagar's office. The same year, senior reporter Ratneshwar Sarnia Shastri was gunned down by suspected ULFA members outside his house. Speaking to Firspost, Pallab Das, brother of slain journalist Parag Kumar Das, said justice for the murder has been hard to come by. "After my brother's assassination, an FIR was lodged in a nearby police station. As it was a very sensitive case, we appealed to the government for a CBI probe. In fact, we even approached the then chief minister Tarun Gogoi and also Union ministers, but nothing came out of it," he said. He added that eventually the evidence was termed invalid by the court due to legal technicalities, and the accused was acquitted. Assam isn't alone While Assam has had the most journalists killed, Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh also dont fare well. While Tripura has witnessed one murder, Manipur has had six killings and some kidnappings of journalists, while Arunachal Pradesh has witnessed one attempt to murder. Some of these include the killing of T Brajamani Singh, editor of Manipur News, an English daily. He was shot dead in 2000 by unidentified gunmen. Then there's the case of Konsam Rishikanta Singh, a reporter with the Imphal Free Press who was shot dead in 2008; the murder of Yembem Megha, a correspondent with North East Vision; Khupkholiyan Jimte, editor of Lentai magazine; and RK Sanatomba, editor of Kangla Lan Pung. "Since 1982, six journalists in Manipur have been tortured and killed. But the police has failed to arrest any of the perpetrators. Though the press is referred to as the fourth pillar of the democracy, there is no protection offered to them. A total of 36 journalists from the state have faced harassment from security personnel and locals while performing their duties," said W Samjai, president of All Manipur Working Journalist Union. In Arunachal Pradesh, where freedom of the press is routinely threatened, Tongam Rina, associate editor of The Arunachal Times, was shot at in 2012 as she was entering her office. While she survived the attempt on her life, the police failed to arrest the mastermind and only got hold of him after he surrendered voluntarily a year later. This despite the fact that Tongam was allegedly threatened continuously for her articles, which unearthed alleged corruption in super-hydro dams project in the state. In addition to finding their work hindered and lives threatened, senior reporters said the lack of convictions in all the past cases is worrisome. "Nine journalists' associations are demanding a CBI probe in Bhowmicks case. This is because we have less hope from Tripura police as they have previously failed in the investigation of the murders of not just journalists but also several ministers and bureaucrats. We want this investigation to be impartially conducted," says Pinaki Das, a senior TV journalist from Tripura. A scared community Naba Thakuriya, senior journalist and secretary of Guwahati Press Club, said Bhowmick's killing has scared the media fraternity across the North East. "We were happy that for the past three years there was no journalist's killing but the Tripura incident has once again brought to light the perils journalists face here." Assam Director General of Police Mukesh Sahay said, "Those who are committed towards their work, especially that which has a serious risk, have to face situations like these." He said that in Assam, most journalists were killed during the insurgency and this period also saw security forces being targeted. He rejected claims that the investigating agencies have failed to solve cases. He said a bulk of the previous cases like these were solved by the police itself. Nobody looking out for us Most senior journalists in the northeastern states feel overlooked by the media fraternity in the rest of the country. "We work in a conflict zone. When any journalist in any other part of the country is killed or even an office is raided, there is a huge hue and cry. But for many years now, journalists in the North East have been dying while on the job and nobody even cares to talk about it, let alone raise their voice," said Mahanta. He said that while various journalists' associations have been protesting against killings of journalists in the rest of the country, such as the murder of Lankesh, the same sentiment is not reflected by media houses in other parts of the country for killings in northeastern regions. "National media has never bothered about journalists being killed here. More than 40 were killed across the seven states, but nobody bothers about this forgotten corner of the country," Mahanta said. The author is a Guwahati-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters. Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said his government was working towards resolving the water scarcity in the state's Bundelkhand region. He was in Hamirpur for a programme where he dedicated a number of schemes to the public and laid foundation stones for many projects. "Bundelkhand and its people will not be allowed to remain thirsty. Solution to this problem will be drawn through Ken-Betwa river linking, 'Khet, Talab Yojana' and renovation of old ponds and wells," Adityanath said. He also distributed certificates to beneficiaries of different schemes at the event. "Bundelkhand is a land of bravehearts. This is the land of Pandit Parmanand, Vir Aalha-Udal, Rani Lakshmibai, Jhalkaribai and Durgabai among others." "The Centre and state governments are committed to ensuring holistic development of Bundelkhand which is discussed the most due to its water shortage and 'Anna Pratha'. The state government is committed to alleviate all the problems," Adityanath said. To resolve Anna Pratha the tradition of abandoning cattle by farmers in Bundelkhand from the onset of summer till the next crop sowing season the chief minister said, "Gau Abhayaranyas (cow sanctuaries) will be set up and programmes to improve breeds of cows and cattle will be undertaken." "Improving the breed will result in higher milk yield, and people will not let their cows roam on the streets. Work has started establishing seven cow sanctuaries, which will ensure 'gau rakshan' (cow protection) and 'gau samvardhan' (cow enrichment)," he said. Adityanath also said that laxity in implementation of central and state government schemes will not be tolerated. "A system is being developed under which a ration card-holder may get his or her share of ration from any fair price shop. At any cost, pilferage of food grains meant for the poor people will not be allowed. No poor will be deprived of electricity connection," the chief minister said. He said the Bundelkhand region will be connected to Agra, Jhansi, Chitrakoot and other places through an expressway. "By setting up industrial corridors in the vicinity of the expressway, provisions of providing employment to Bundelkhand residents will be made in their areas itself," the chief minister said. News / National by Staff reporter OPPOSITION Zapu President Dumiso Dabengwa plans to confront President Robert Mugabe over compensation for families of the 20,000 civilians killed during the 1980s Gukurahundi "madness" NewZimbabwe.co reported."One of the failures of the last 30 years which we shall tackle is putting closure to the tragic history surrounding Gukurahundi," said Dabengwa, a former home affairs minister in Mugabe's government.The Zapu leader made the remarks in a speech he was supposed to deliver to families of Gukurahundi victims commemorations in Kezi Saturday which were however aborted."For a start, there has been no official apology for the unwarranted destruction of life and property of over 20 000 unarmed civilians by the security apparatus of the state," reads the speech."The unrepentant perpetrators of this crime against humanity have lost many opportunities to own up and to begin a healing process that starts with a sincere apology to families of victims, a program for redress including negotiated compensation even so late in the day."Dabengwa said they would use the opposition forum to demand that Mugabe takes full responsibility for the Gukurahundi massacres. A 15-year-old student, who jumped from the building of her school on Friday, succumbed to her injuries on Monday at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, as per media reports. Kerala student jumps from school building allegedly after scolding by teachers, dieshttps://t.co/MF0vb9lMS4 The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) October 23, 2017 Senior inspector Nizamuddin of the Kollam West police station told The Indian Express, "She died at 2:15 am on Monday. The post-mortem of her body is complete. We are awaiting the report. An investigation is on." The student had jumped from the primary block of the school building during her lunch break on Friday after she was allegedly reprimanded by her teachers, as per The Indian Express. Deccan Chronicle reported that "the girl had objected to her younger sibling, studying in the same school, being punished by teachers for talking in the class." The report further stated that the deceased questioned the punishment when her sister was reportedly made to sit with boys. She got into an argument with the teachers. When the girl's parents met the school authorities, they threatened to file a complaint against the teachers. But the teachers assured the parents that this would not happen again, as reported by the Deccan Chronicle. Thereafter, the deceased visited her sister in class daily. The police, however, say that there are two versions of the incident. The first being, as per CNN-News 18, "the deceased had slapped another eighth standard student and was scolded by a teacher in the staff room." The other version was that some eighth standard students began making fun of the deceased's sister over being visited by her elder sister. The class 8 students then took the matter up with their teachers, who in turn reprimanded the deceased, according to CNN-News 18. The report then went on to state that the Kollam Police are probing the incident, and that two teachers are absconding. Mumbai: The loan waiver amounts will be deposited in farmers' bank accounts from Tuesday, Maharashtra cooperation minister Subhash Deshmukh said on Monday. "The Diwali holidays delayed transfer of the amount into farmers' bank accounts. From Monday farmers will see the money deposited in their accounts," Deshmukh said. The government has asked the banks to settle farmers' loan dues from the deposited amounts and initiate the procedure to issue them loan-clear certificates, a senior official of the cooperation department said. Farmers can then avail of fresh loans for the next crop, the official said. The BJP-led Maharashtra government had said while announcing the farm loan waiver scheme in June that of the 89 lakh farmers whom it will benefit, some 44 lakh owe less than Rs 1.50 lakh each to the banks. The ceiling for loan waiver has been raised from the initial Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.50 lakh. "It is a Rs 34,000-crore loan waiver package and we are trying to ensures that it reaches as many beneficiaries as possible," Deshmukh said. Online registration and verification for loan waiver has filtered out many non-eligible cases, he said. Mumbai: The Maharashtra government, which is implementing an ambitious Rs 34,000 crore farm loan waiver scheme, has asked the banks to use their own funds to settle farmers' loans, and promised them a reimbursement later. As it has not specified a timeline for reimbursement, the state cooperation department has received queries from banks, seeking clarity on the issue, a senior government official said on Monday. The cooperation department, in a letter on 13 October, asked the banks to use their own capital for settling the loans of eligible farmers and close their loan accounts. Banks should then submit a consolidated report to the government and the government will reimburse them as soon as possible, said the letter. The government will provide the banks a list of loan accounts of farmers who have been found eligible for a waiver. A senior official of the cooperation department confirmed to PTI that he has received several calls from bankers, seeking clarification about the letter. "As long as the government doesn't reimburse the banks, a huge amount of funds will be stuck and the banks are not going to earn any interest over delayed payment by the government...banks are highly suspicious about this mode of implementation," said the government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "We cannot use our entire capital for the implementation of loan waiver scheme which is being executed in phases. Once we get reimbursed for the first phase, we will go for the next one," said a senior official from the banking sector. On 18 October, the BJP-led Maharashtra government announced that Rs 4,000 crore would be deposited in farmers' accounts in the first phase of the loan waiver scheme. The same procedure had been adopted by the government when a nationwide farm loan waiver was announced during the UPA regime in 2008. The Union government had then taken three years to complete reimbursement to banks, said a senior official of a public sector bank. The cooperation department is also facing the task of scrutinising the list of farmers who have registered for loan waiver. While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that around 89 lakh farmers would benefit from the scheme, the actual number of registered farmers on the government portal 'Aapale Sarkar' has touched one crore. Which indicates that in some cases, more than one member of a farmer family has applied for loan waiver. The scheme is limited to only one member per household. "This scrutiny is going to take some time, hence the government decided to go for a phase-wise implementation of the scheme," said an official. Days after a controversy broke out over references to GST in the Tamil film 'Mersal', a GST intelligence team raided the house of movie star Vishal, according to several media reports. A three-member team began the raid at Vishal's house at 2 pm on Monday, Times Now reported. The raids were conducted to check his past excise records since he is a film producer and distributor, Outlook quoted GST officials as saying. The raids come a day after the actor lashed out at BJP leader H Raja, accusing him of advocating piracy. Raja told a Tamil private television channel that he watched online a few scenes of the movie which people said, had content which had hurt their sentiments, according to a report in The Hindu. On Sunday, Vishal hit out at Raja and was quoted in The Hindu as saying, "A national leader of a national party has just confessed to watching a newly released film not in the theatre, but illegally. Being a leader who is known by the public, how can you support piracy without any shame?" However, Raja later claimed that he only watched a few clips of the film on his phone and did not have the patience to sit through the whole film, as reported by News18. Chennai: Directorate General of Goods and Service Tax Intelligence (DGGSTI) on Monday denied reports in a section of the media that it raided the premises of top Tamil actor Vishal's film production company. It was referring to reports, including by some television channels, on Monday that the officers of the Directorate had searched the premises of the company. "It is to clarify that the officers of DGGSTI have not conducted any such search operations and the news which is being circulated is factually incorrect and false," Joint Director of DGGSTI PVK Rajasekhar said in a release. Actor-producer Vishal has his own film production unit Vishal Film Factory. Vishal is the president of Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) and general secretary of the South Indian Artistes' Association. Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Commission for Women on Monday sought a probe report from the city police commissioner over an incident where a girl was thrashed by a man when she asked him and his friends not to make noise. #BREAKING - A minor girl was sexually assaulted in Mumbai's Nehru Nagar. Onlookers watched in silence. pic.twitter.com/3Du35wgLBV News18 (@CNNnews18) October 21, 2017 The incident, which took place in suburban Kurla last week, was captured by CCTV cameras and the video went viral. Vijaya Rahatkar, chairperson of the commission, on Monday sent a letter to police commissioner Dattatrey Padsalgikar, expressing anguish over the fact that the accused got bail immediately after his arrest. "Through various media reports the commission has come to know that a minor girl was thrashed repeatedly by a Nehru Nagar resident Imran Shaikh....But, most unfortunately, when girl's relatives filed complaint against the accused, prima-facie it seems that suitable action was not taken and the accused got bail and even the statement of the victim was not recorded," the letter said. "Considering the gravity of the incident, you are directed to send a report to the commission immediately," Rahatkar said in the letter. On 17 October, a 16-year-old girl was left with a fractured nose after a man hit her repeatedly for asking him and his friends not to argue loudly among themselves. Imran Shaikh, the accused, was arrested on the day of the incident, but was later granted bail by a local court. The incident took place near SRA Building in Shramjeevi Nagar around 7 pm when the girl was going to a tuition with a friend. After a video of the incident went viral, police pressed additional charge of molestation against Shaikh and arrested him again on Saturday. He is in police custody. Thane/Mumbai: Thirty-six activists of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were on Monday arrested by police for allegedly beating up and driving away hawkers from near the railway stations in Mumbai and Thane. Thirty MNS activists were arrested by Thane Police, while the remaining six were arrested by Mumbai Police. MNS had on 5 October given fifteen days ultimatum to the railway administration and the police to clear the foot overbridges of illegal hawkers after the Elphinstone Road railway station stampede claimed 23 lives on 29 September. The party had warned that if the authorities fail to evict hawkers it would take the responsibility upon itself to remove them from the foot overbridges. On Saturday, the Thane MNS unit had forcibly evicted the hawkers from Thane railway station. On Monday the police arrested MNS workers including its president Avinash Jadhav. Meanwhile, 12 MNS workers were arrested in Kalyan and 11 were held from Dombivili, Thane police PRO Sukhada Narkar said. In Mumbai, MNS workers on Monday organised protests and attempted to drive out illegal hawkers outside the railway stations, police said. MNS activists in Mumbai Central area gathered outside the station and evicted illegal hawkers, police said. No formal complaint was lodged against MNS activists in this connection, an official from Nagpada Police Station said. In another incident in western suburbs MNS leader Akhil Chitre and five other party workers were arrested for forcefully trying to evict hawkers near Santa Cruz railway station, a senior police official said on Monday. The MNS workers forcefully evicted a number of hawkers near Santa Cruz station on Sunday night, the police official said. Following the incident, the aggrieved hawkers approached Vakola police station and lodged a complaint against the MNS workers, the official said. Acting on the complaint, police detained Chitre and five others late last night and placed them under arrest today, the official said. They have been booked for rioting and were produced in the court, the official said, adding further investigation into the matter is underway. Islamabad: Ousted Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif will return to the country to face an anti-graft court after spending two days in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, according to media reports. Sharif, 67, has been indicted in three corruption cases against him and his family in the Panama Papers case. He missed three hearings of Supreme Court-directed corruption cases against him in an accountability court. Sharif, who left for London earlier this month to see his ailing wife, was scheduled to arrive in Lahore on Tuesday. After a change in plans for the second time, Sharif reached Jeddah from London on Monday, Geo TV reported. He will now return to Pakistan after a two-day stay in the kingdom, the Pakistani channel quoted sources as saying. The change in plans came on Sunday when the former premier's visa arrived for his travel to Jeddah. Sharif's mother is staying in Jeddah and sources said that he would take his mother along for performing Umrah with him. Sharif will then leave for Islamabad, the sources were quoted as saying. His visit to Saudi Arabia is said to be a completely private visit, during which no other meetings are on the agenda, the report said. On his arrival in Jeddah, Sharif was received by Saudi officials and members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz at the airport. He then proceeded to his younger son Hussain's residence from where he will go to Mecca to perform Umrah with his mother. Earlier reports said that Sharif had booked an air ticket for a return flight to Pakistan on 21 October from London. However it later emerged that he would arrive in Pakistan from London on 24 October. But that plan too has been altered. Sharif had reached London on 4 October to spend time with his wife Kulsoom who is undergoing treatment for cancer. That was his second visit to London after his wife was diagnosed with lymphoma by British doctors on 22 August. Ludhiana: Punjab director general of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora has said the national investigation agency (NIA) will start its probe into the killing of RSS leader Ravinder Gosain from next week. The DGP was in Ludhiana to meet family members of the leader, who was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants in Kailash Nagar on 17 October. The incident took place when Gosain was returning home after attending a morning drill (RSS shakha). Later, the Punjab government decided to hand over the case to the NIA, the orders for which were issued by the Punjab chief minister on the request of a RSS delegation. The DGP said that the state police sought assistance from central agencies such as the NIA so that they could work in coordination and explore all possible means to crack such cases. The killing of the RSS leader was the latest in a series of murderous attacks on right-wing and religious leaders in Punjab. This was the eighth such incident in the state since 2016. The DGP was non-committal on the role of 'Pro Khalistani' elements in the killings of RSS leaders Jagdish Gagneja and 60-year-old Gosain, and the other religious leaders. Last year, on 6 August, Gagneja was shot in Jalandhar. He later died at the DMC hospital in Ludhiana. Arora assured Gosain's family that the police would leave no stone unturned to arrest the culprits at the earliest. However, he did not share details of the police's probe, saying that it would not be in the interest of the case. His meeting with the family lasted about 20 minutes. DGP (Intelligence) Dinkar Gupta, Ludhiana Police commissioner RN Dhoke and BJP Ludhiana president Ravinder Arora were accompanying the Punjab police chief. The Rajasthan government has defended its controversial ordinance that seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on-duty action without its prior sanction. In a detailed statement put out on its official website, the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Rajasthan government said that the ordinance will help honest public servants discharge their duties without harassment, but will not protect corrupt ones. "There is no provision in the Penal Code (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, promulgated by the state government, which has weakened the will power of zero tolerance against corruption. Continuing on its policy of zero tolerance, the government has not spoken anywhere in this ordinance to provide protection to corrupt public servants," reads the notification. The 'Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017', promulgated on 7 September, amends the Criminal Code of Procedure, 1973, and seeks to bar the media from reporting on accusations against judges, magistrates and public servants till sanction to proceed with the probe is obtained. To justify the ordinance, the state government in its notification said that the amendment has been done to curb false cases, so that honest and distinguished public servants can discharge their duties without any mental harassment. The government said that the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly had passed a similar amendment in December 2015. "Due to inferiority and personal animosity, lawsuits are filed against reputed and big public figures, and the news spreads against them in the media. With this, the image of the public servant becomes tarnished, and he has to face mental anguish and false slander. Later, most of these cases are found to be fake," said the government. The government claimed that it was found that incidents for which the complaint was filed "did not occur" in nearly 73 percent police cases filed under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The government said that the Supreme Court had also made a strong comment regarding misuse of Section 156 (3). "Supreme Court had also commented on 17 November, 2015, in a decision in the Civil Write Petition No. 933 case that the system can be improved only when an honest officer or the public servant is protected and the corrupt should be made aware that he is not above the law," the government said. Expressing its commitment against corruption, the government said that in Rajasthan in the last three-and-a-half years, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered 1,158 cases. It said that even senior IAS officers (two existing and one retired) were jailed for corruption charges. The government added that it has not made any amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a swipe at Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje over the controversial ordinance, pointing out that the year was "2017, not 1817". The Editors Guild of India on Sunday expressed concerns over the ordinance, calling it a "pernicious instrument" to harass the media. The guild said that the law is an attempt by the Vasundhara Raje government to whitewash the corrupt practices of government servants and drastically curb the freedom of the press". With inputs from agencies News / National by Staff Reporter Chitungwiza ZANUPF thugs!!!! Tajamuka/Sesjikile campaign is warning anyone in Chitungwiza Unit N who risks themselves by housing rougue ZANUPF thugs who are on a terror rampage towards opposition supporters at the current voter registration exercise For the last few days Chitungwiza's Unit N has recorded the highest number of violence from these misguided elements from ZANUPF and yestaday Sunday over 10 opposition activists were hospitalized after being attacked by these thugs. Tajamuka/Sesjikile Campaign will stop this barbaric behaviour. The Campaign will not distinguish thugs from those who keep them at their houses. We appeal to members of the community to continue providing details of where these thugs are housed, names of their children if any, schools attended by their kids and any detail which will help the Campaign. The details should include pictures and send to social media platforms: The top 5 of Hunted Thugs Are: 1. Alious Sasco 2. Timmie Chitembwe 3. Peter Anusa 4. Leonard Mweneya (House number 13389 Unit N Chitungwiza) 5. Chamunorwa Ruzvidzo We know you and are coming for you. We are here to set as an example to other people who believe in violence as a way to lure votes. The Campaign crack team is already in Chitungwiza hunting these thugs. We will strike a balance between the force of diplomacy and diplomacy of force to ensure peace prevails amongst citizens of Zimbabwe.This time muchaenda kundogara STATE HOUSE or kuenda kundogara kumabharaki /Sesjikile Campaign #Tajamuka RED Warning Alert*Chitungwiza ZANUPF thugs!!!!Tajamuka/Sesjikile campaign is warning anyone in Chitungwiza Unit N who risks themselves by housing rougue ZANUPF thugs who are on a terror rampage towards opposition supporters at the current voter registration exerciseFor the last few days Chitungwiza's Unit N has recorded the highest number of violence from these misguided elements from ZANUPF and yestaday Sunday over 10 opposition activists were hospitalized after being attacked by these thugs.Tajamuka/Sesjikile Campaign will stop this barbaric behaviour.The Campaign will not distinguish thugs from those who keep them at their houses.We appeal to members of the community to continue providing details of where these thugs are housed, names of their children if any, schools attended by their kids and any detail which will help the Campaign. The details should include pictures and send to social media platforms:The top 5 of Hunted Thugs Are:1. Alious Sasco2. Timmie Chitembwe3. Peter Anusa4. Leonard Mweneya (House number 13389 Unit N Chitungwiza)5. Chamunorwa RuzvidzoWe know you and are coming for you.We are here to set as an example to other people who believe in violence as a way to lure votes. The Campaign crack team is already in Chitungwiza hunting these thugs.We will strike a balance between the force of diplomacy and diplomacy of force to ensure peace prevails amongst citizens of Zimbabwe.This time muchaenda kundogara STATE HOUSE or kuenda kundogara kumabharaki #Tajamuka /Sesjikile Campaign The Tajamuka on Monday issued a RED Warning Alert to Chitungwiza Unit N residents who "housing some Zanu-PF thugs" who have been on a terror rampage towards opposition supporters at the current voter registration exercise.The warning was posted on Facebook with the images above.Read full Facebook post: Islamabad: Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's embattled Finance Minister and ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif's close aide, indicted in a graft case in the Panama Papers scandal, today appeared before an anti-corruption court in Islamabad for the seventh time. The National Accountability Court had indicted Dar last month in the case pertaining to his owning assets "beyond his known sources of income". At Monday's hearing, the anti-corruption watchdog National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecution presented two new witnesses against the 67-year-old minister, the Dawn reported. The NAB on 8 September filed the case against Dar following the 28 July verdict of the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case that indicted Sharif and his family. The apex court had also disqualified Sharif and ordered corruption cases against him, his children Maryam, Husain and Hasan and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar. The first witness, Abdul Rehman Gondal, branch manager of a private bank's parliament branch, has completed his statement and is being cross-examined by Dar's counsel Khawaja Haris, the report said. Gondal provided details of the account held by Dar in the bank. He informed the court that the NAB had summoned him along with relevant documents on 16 August and he submitted the requisite record concerning Dar to the investigating officer. Gondal said he had provided bank statements of Dar from 25 March, 2005 to 16 August, 2017 to the NAB. The bank transaction details provided by the witness were made part of case record by the court, the report said. The court directed to him appear in the next hearing with additional record. The second witness, Masood Ghani, the operations manager in a private bank, gave his testimony regarding Dar's bank record. His cross-examination could not be completed today and the court ordered him to appear in the next hearing with the record sought by the defence counsel. The hearing was subsequently adjourned till 30 October, the report said. The court had on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of the graft cases till 23 October after the minister's senior counsel left the country in a rush. In the preceding hearing of the case, Haris had cross-questioned Al-Baraka Islamic Bank's assistant vice-president Tariq Javed the prosecution's third witness. On 19 October, the anti-graft court had indicted Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law in a corruption case related to the Avenfield properties in London. The case was one of the three cases registered by the NAB on 8 September against 67-year-old Sharif, his children and son-in-law in the Accountability Court in Islamabad. The decision of the Vasundhara Raje government to promulgate the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 in the Rajasthan Assembly, which amends Section 156 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) among other provisions, has landed it in controversy. The said provision of the CrPC has consistently been used in situations where the police refuse to entertain a complaint and don't register an FIR (First Information Report). The Supreme Court had recently held that the police is obligated to register an FIR even when the Magistrate has explicitly not ordered it to do so and has only ordered an investigation. The law has been settled that there is no meaning of an investigation without an FIR. Law and Order is a state subject under the scheme of distribution of powers under the Indian Constitution, between the Union and the state governments. Therefore, the states can change the criminal laws as per their own requirements. The Bill seeks to curtail the power of the Magistrate under Section 156 (3), in cases where the investigation relates to serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants. In such cases, a sanction from the government will now be required, as per the bill, before such investigations are ordered. The Bill also amends Section 190 of CrPC, which deals with Cognizance by Courts. Here also, the power is curtailed and no cognizance of an offence can now be taken in cases which involve serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants. It is important to bring to light provisions contained under Section 197 of CrPC in this regard. This provision also makes an exception for the above-mentioned officials. But this provision, importantly, deals with prosecution of the offences and not the investigation. The difference being, prosecution under Section 197 has been held to mean as not including investigation and filing of an FIR. Therefore, this means that investigation and filing of an FIR can happen even if there is no sanction to prosecute under Section 197. This is changed by the new Rajasthan Bill which by its operation will also put a bar on the investigation, in addition to placing a bar on the prosecution. Moreover, the most controversial provisions of this Bill relate to restrictions on the media. The bill provides that there can't be disclosure of the identity of the persons against whom the sanction is pending under the provision. The disclosure provision is wide enough to prevent any kind of reporting by the media relating to the accusation. This is something which is dangerous and absolutely untenable under the law and the scheme of liberty as enshrined in our Constitution. With respect to the curtailment of freedom of speech of media by the establishment, we have to place this measure of the Rajasthan government in a series of enactments by various successive governments. This dangerous trend was started by the Jawaharlal Nehru government. In a famous case, Romesh Thapar versus the Union of India, the Supreme Court had upheld the right of an individual to criticise the Nehruvian government of that time. In order to neutralise the effect of this, Article 19(2) was amended in the Constitution with a retrospective effect. This added the words 'reasonable restrictions' for the first time and to this date have been used by successive governments to gag the media in one form or the other, or to restrict individual liberty. This amendment also extended to the government the power to make future laws which violate the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression in the name of reasonable restrictions. The original Constitution, without the first amendment, did not protect any future laws, which can be framed in violation of Article 19(1)(a), it excluded only the existing laws. The Rajiv Gandhi government too once tried to curb the freedom of the press by introducing the infamous Defamation Bill in 1988. Thankfully the Supreme Court held that the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression under Article 19(1) contains right to press too, even though the Constitution expressly doesn't include it in the letter. The Rajasthan government's Bill, in its current form, is sure to fail the test of constitutionality both under Article 14 and under Article 19. Article 14 prohibits any arbitrary action by the government. There can't be a more arbitrary legislative action as has been contemplated by the Rajasthan government. Article 19 guarantees freedom of press, as held by the Supreme Court. This is directly violated by the enactment. As is common knowledge, no government can frame a law in contravention to the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Constitution, therefore, the enactment in all probability will fail the test of constitutionality. Due to the aforementioned reasons, it can be hoped that the state government of Rajasthan either completely drops the idea of enacting such a law or sufficiently alters its provisions to make it constitutionally viable. The author is research fellow with the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Bombay. He can be reached at raghav10089@gmail.com On 7 September, 2017, the Rajasthan governmentacting through the governor promulgated The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017. The ordinancewhich is a temporary law put in place by the governor while the legislature is not in sessionamended two sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC), namely Sections 156 and 190. In essence, it mandates that if an investigation is to be carried out against "a judge or a magistrate or a public servant" (hereinafter "officials") for anything done by them as part of their official work, then a sanction from the government is required. This in itself is not especially path-breaking. As Justice (retd.) AP Shah, who currently serves as the Chairman of Law Commission told The Indian Express, 'a complaint against a Supreme Court/high court judge cannot be made without the permission of the respective chief justice. Further even to proceed against a magistrate, the investigating agency must take permission from the chief justice of the respective high court.' Further under Section 197 of the CrPC, the sanction of the government was anyway required for the court to take cognisance of such cases against "a judge or a magistrate or a public servant". However, where Section 197 applies only to those officials whose removal requires the government's sanction, the ordinance extends the protection of a government sanction to many officials who are not covered by Section 197. There was thus adequate protection afforded to these authorities to protect them from prosecution even before the Rajasthan government's ordinance. The ordinance however, took it a step further as it now prohibits even an investigation against the officials without sanction. The gag provision Till here, the ordinance was not a earth-shattering departure from the status quo. However, now comes the kicker. The ordinance also stops anyone from reporting in any manner the name, address, photograph, family details, or any particulars which may lead to the disclosure of the accused's identity. It further mandates a two-year jail term for those who report such facts. While some would say that reporting is still allowed, a report which follows the ordinance will look something like this: A person (can't reveal identity) did something (can't reveal details which may lead to identification), somewhere (ditto as above and also can't reveal address). It is this aspect of the ordinance which caused the present furore in the case. The Editors Guild of India said that "rather than taking stern measures to prevent and punish those who indulge in frivolous or false litigation, the Rajasthan government has passed an ordinance that is bent on bludgeoning the messenger." Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje over the ordinance, pointing out that the year was "2017, not 1817". Rebel BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari also opposed the ordinance, saying it was "aimed to strangulate democracy" in the state. Frivolous cases versus right of the public to know While it can be debated just how much protection public authorities need from being investigated, it is undeniable that the public has a right to know what these officials are doing. The workings of the courts and bureaucracy are complex and it is up to the media to ensure they discharge their functions properly. The general defence given for such protections is that otherwise false cases will be filed and honest officials will be harassed. Even if we accept this defence, it still doesn't make sense to gag the media. If the media reports with due care and it specifies that just allegations have been made and nothing has been proven, then that should be that. If it makes mistakes or paints someone as guilty without a trial then the law of defamation is available to get adequate damages. While this course of action might not seem ideal to some, it is the price we pay for a functioning democracy where the media must have the freedom to write. Prior censorship might be convenient in some cases but is extremely detrimental in the long run. It is also against the law of the land. In January, the Supreme Court noted that it will not regulate media content, and the role of a court or a statutory authority will come in only after a complaint is levelled against a telecast or publication. The bench led by then-Chief Justice of India JS Khehar made it clear that pre-broadcast or pre-publication censorship is not the business of the court. Further, trial by media is certainly a problem in India and we saw the ill-effects of it in the recent Aarushi-Hemraj murder case. The answer to this is not to simply gag the media but to go after those sections of the media which engage in it. Also if the problems of false cases are so large and systemic in nature then shouldn't all investigations (against any person) require the prior sanction of an appropriate authority? The government's defence The Rajasthan government has been curiously shy in defending the ordinance as noted by DNA which said that there was 'no counter attack, no retaliation strategy or even propagation of the clarifications that were issued on Saturday by the government.' Only Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria has addressed the ordinance, saying it was brought to check false cases. A more detailed defence of the ordinance can be found in the form of a press release given out by the government. Starting on the defensive, it states that the ordinance does not weaken the zero tolerance stance of the government against corruption. It also states that nowhere in the ordinance does the government speak of saving corrupt officials. It then points to Maharashtra which also has a similar law. The main defence it puts up is that the ordinance will "curb false cases so that honest and distinguished public servants can discharge their duties without any mental harassment." The government then also said that regardless of the merits of the case, the lawsuit becomes news for the media and the official faces social humiliation. However, that is true for a lot of cases. By following the Rajasthan government's logic, all media coverage of all cases should be banned because it could lead to "social humiliation". It then also says that the ordinance does not prevent legal action against officials. If sanction is given then the case can proceed. Now, most of the public servants covered under this ordinance work for the Rajasthan government. No prizes for guessing where the sanction for investigation comes from. It is of course, the Rajasthan government. The Supreme Court has in multiple cases reiterated that justice should not only be done but also be seen to be done. When the Rajasthan government takes over the power to stop investigations into possible corruption cases against its own officials, it degrades the confidence of the people in the authorities and goes against the Supreme Court mandate. Finally in a bizarre piece of argument, the government admits that in the last three-and-a-half years, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered 1,158 cases against Rajasthan officials. That works out to a little under a case a day. It also says that Rajasthan is one of the select states where senior IAS officers (two existing and one retired) have also been jailed for corruption charges. While it is ostensibly meant to show that corruption is being addressed in the state, it ends up underscoring the fact that corruption is a big problem in Rajasthan. It requires stricter provisions against officials and not more avenues for them to protect themselves. The Rajasthan government is looking to replace the ordinance with an Act The ordinance received little media attention at the time it was promulgated. However, over the last few days it has dropped the Rajasthan government in the eye of a storm. Despite the opposition however, the government on Monday tabled the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill in the Rajasthan Assembly. With the BJP in an overwhelming majority, the Bill has a good chance of getting passed. If it does so, it will be strong statement against free speech and will impede investigations in cases against the officials it protects. It will also lay down a blueprint for other states to follow should they choose to protect their officials. At a time when the government must work to gain the trust of the public, the Vasundhara Raje government seems to have done the opposite. And in doing so, it has prioritised public servants over the public. Once upon a time, Raje was Rajasthan's most popular leader. She was considered progressive, dynamic and blessed with a vision very few regional leaders have. In 2013, when elections for the Rajasthan Assembly were held, people were literally sick of the conservative, tired and vision-less government of Congress leader Ashok Gehlot. They saw in Raje the mascot who would rid them of Gehlot's regressive politics of message where image is more important than performance based on the principle of the state being the benevolent mai-baap that keeps citizens alive with doles and expects votes in return. Sick of the Congress inertia, vote-bank politics and an effete chief minister, the people of Rajasthan gave a humungous mandate to Raje, giving it almost a four-fifth majority in the Assembly. That Raje the one considered dynamic and visionary disappeared soon after the blockbuster win. Within a few months, she acquired the persona of a diffident, inaccessible and tired leader whose only aim appeared to maintain a low-profile, remain in power and do absolutely nothing. There could be many reasons for this unfortunate metamorphosis. One, the tense equation with the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo, which always kept the sword of uncertainty hanging over her head. Two, her predilection for believing everything that her cabal tells her about others, thus, creating an environment of mistrust and a culture of back-stabbing. With elections just 14 months away, Raje's chances don't seem too bright. She has failed to live up to expectations, belied hope, shattered the faith people placed in her leadership. That brings us to the current drama in Rajasthan around a proposed law that shields "public servants" from probe without the government's approval. The government on Monday tabled a bill in the Assembly that prohibits filing of corruption cases against officers and politicians unless the government gives its go-ahead. The proposed draconian law also has provisions for strict punishment for anybody who names the accused in media, or complains about them on any social platform. Even courts are not allowed to direct the cops to book the corrupt unless the government gives its approval. This is a blatant attempt to deprive citizens and other democratic institutions their rights to take their grievances to police and courts, gag the media against speaking up against the corrupt, and, more importantly, put a tight leash around 'public servants' by arrogating to themselves the right to pick and choose who could be prosecuted and who could be not. So, officers and politicians will get a free hand, the judiciary's powers would be curtailed and the media would be gagged and jailed. Bereft of its rhetoric, the proposed law is in essence an obnoxious attempt to turn democracy into a monarchy. (Fitting perhaps for a state whose chief minister is reverentially (and pejoratively) called a Maharani.) Why is Raje bringing in a law that throttles every democratic institution and gives a carte blanche to officials and politicians? One theory is that it is an attempt to guarantee impunity abahaydaan as monarchs would call it to public servants in the election year, protect them from the inquisitive gaze of the media and the judiciary. Yet another theory propounded by a lawyer claims many high-profile bureaucrats are under the radar of the Rajasthan high court for illegally gobbling up priceless land. Raje's government is known as a government of the bureaucrats, for the bureaucrats, so this might be an attempt by the corrupt babus to pre-empt a probe, a major scandal that may be difficult to suppress without this draconian law. One of the first things Raje did on returning to power was to raise the boundary walls of her 8, Civil Lines, residence in Jaipur, turning it into a sort of Alcatraz. It is apparent that she is now in a place from where she can see nothing, hear nothing, except the voices of her self-serving coterie. While she sits in her bunker, tries to fortify it further with a dastardly law, winds of change rage outside. As part of a bureaucratic reshuffle, the Union Cabinet on Sunday cleared the appointment of senior IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as CBI special director. The 1984-batch Gujarat cadre officer has been serving as additional director in the premier investigation agency since 2016. Meanwhile, Gurbachan Singh and Arvind Kumar have been named special directors in the Intelligence Bureau, PTI reported. Asthana's elevation now makes him the CBI's second in command, just behind director Alok Verma, media outlets reported. He had also served as the organisation's interim chief for a month, before Verma took over as CBI director in January 2017. However, his appointment as interim chief came was challenged after a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court. The plea, filed by the Common Cause NGO, alleged that the Centre took a series of steps in a "completely mala fide, arbitrary and illegal manner" to ensure that Asthana was given the charge of CBI director. It claimed that the government did not convene a meeting of the selection committee comprising the prime minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India, even though it was fully aware that Anil Sinha was going to demit office of CBI director on 2 December. Probed Godhra train buring case Asthana is best known for the two major cases he investigated: The 2002 Sabarmati Express train burning in Godhra, and the fodder scam in Bihar. Asthana headed the Special Investigation Team that looked into the former, and was reportedly the first to declare that the incident was a "carefully planned" and "meticulously executed" criminal conspiracy, The Times of India reported. Arrested Lalu in fodder scam Asthana had already worked with the premier investigating agency between 1992 and 2002, before beginning his current stint in April 2016. During his first stint, he was responsible for overseeing the investigation into the fodder scam, which allegedly involved then Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. In 1997, as superintendent of police in the CBI, Asthana arrested Lalu. Two decades later, the Gujarat-cadre officer is investigating irregularities in a hotel deal struck by Lalu during his tenure as the railway minister, News18 reported. With inputs from agencies New Delhi: Russia's technology transfers to India in the defence sector have been without any strings attached and there is scope for further deepening the military ties, vice chief of the Indian Air Force Air Marshal SB Deo said on Monday. His comments come at a time when leading defence manufacturers from across the globe are eyeing India's growing market by offering technology transfer and joint ventures for developing fighter jets, submarines and other military platforms. "When it comes to technology transfer, Russia really offers everything they have from the heart without any strings attached," Deo said at an event to celebrate 70 years of diplomatic ties between India and Russia. In May, the government had unveiled the strategic partnership model under which select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities. Noting that there was scope for expansion of India's defence ties with Russia, Air Marshal Deo also said the relationship should be developed focusing more on commercial aspects. "The time has come for the relationship to be more on a commercial basis. It can be a win-win situation for both Russia and India," he said. The Indian Air Force will start the process soon to acquire a fleet of single engine fighter jets and Swedish defence giant Saab and US firm Lockheed Martin are seen as major competitors for the project. Russia is keen on offering its new fighter jet MiG-35 to India. At the event, the 50th AL31FP engine, manufactured from raw materials by Sukhoi engine division of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (Koraput) was handed over to the Indian Air Force as part of the celebration of the 70th year of India- Russia ties. "The AL31FP engine powers Su30 MKI jets and is manufactured from raw material stage at the HAL Koraput," said HAL Chairman and Managing Director T Suvarna Raju." Speaking at the event, Defence production secretary AK Gupta said Russian defence firms should come forward for entering into strategic partnerships with Indian companies for developing various defence platforms. Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Sunday alleged that the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh had deteriorated. "All claims of crime control by the BJP government have fallen flat. Not a single day passes off without incidents of murder, loot, rape and other crimes being reported from different districts of the state," the party's national secretary Rajendra Chaudhary said in a statement. The SP leader said that the "criminals who are already lodged in different jails of the state are virtually freely operating from there". "The criminals have not left the state. On the contrary, criminal elements from other states are coming here and committing crimes," he said while criticising the Yogi Adityanath government. Chaudhary said that people were tired of experiencing the difference between the words and actions of the BJP, and were waiting for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to give a befitting reply." New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Election Commission of India to respond to a plea seeking cancellation of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's membership of the state Legislative Council on the ground that he had allegedly concealed information about a pending criminal case against him. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud asked the ECI to file its reply in four weeks. The top court had earlier asked lawyer ML Sharma, who has filed the PIL in his personal capacity, to furnish a copy of his amended plea to the ECI. It had decided not to issue notice on it for now. The PIL has alleged that there was a criminal case against the JD(U) leader in which he was accused of killing a local Congress leader Sitaram Singh and injuring four others ahead of the Lok Sabha by-election from Bihar's Barh constituency in 1991. The petition has also sought a direction to the CBI to register an FIR against Kumar in the case. "Respondent number 2 (poll panel), despite knowing facts about his (Kumar's) criminal case, did not cancel his membership of the House and respondent (Kumar) still enjoys constitutional office till date," the plea said. The lawyer has sought cancellation of Kumar's membership as per the Election Commission's 2002 order, stating it was mandatory for candidates to disclose criminal cases against them in their affidavits annexed to the nomination papers. He claimed that the Bihar chief minister did not disclose the criminal case pending against him in affidavits since 2004, except in 2012. The Supreme Court on Monday said Bilkis Bano, survivor of gangrape and 2002 Gujarat riots, can seek higher compensation from the government. The apex court said the petitioner must file a special leave petition (SLP) if they want an increase in compensation. Bilkis Bano gangrape case: SC asks the petitioner to file a special leave petition (SLP) if they want compensation to be hiked ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 The Supreme Court also asked the Gujarat government to apprise it within four weeks whether any departmental action had been initiated or taken against the police officers whose conviction was upheld in the case. The gangrape survivor had sought grant of adequate compensation and initiation of departmental action against the errant police officers. Bilkis Yakoob Rasool, who was gangraped in March, 2002, while she was pregnant, had lost seven of her family members in the aftermath of the Godhra train burning incident. The Bombay High Court had on 4 May upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of 12 people in the gangrape case, while setting aside the acquittal of seven people including policemen and doctors. The bench had convicted seven persons, including five policemen and two doctors, for not performing their duties (sections 218) and tampering of evidence (section 201) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The convicted policemen and doctors are Narpat Singh, Idris Abdul Saiyed, Bikabhai Patel, Ramsingh Bhabhor, Sombhai Gori, Arun Kumar Prasad (doctor) and Sangeeta Kumar Prasad (doctor). A special court had on 21 January, 2008, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment 11 men in the case. They later approached the Bombay High Court challenging their conviction and sought for the trial court's order to be quashed. The CBI had also filed an appeal in the high court seeking harsher punishment of death for three of the convicted on the grounds that they were the main perpetrators of the crime. According to the prosecution, on 3 March, 2002, Bilkis Bano's family was attacked by a mob at Randhikpur village near Ahmedabad during the post-Godhra riots and seven members of her family were killed. Bilkis Bano, who was five-month pregnant at the time, was gangraped while six other members of her family managed to escape from the mob. The trial in the case began in Ahmedabad. However, after Bilkis Bano expressed apprehensions that witnesses could be harmed and CBI evidence tampered, the Supreme Court transferred the case to Mumbai in August 2004. With inputs from PTI Dhaka: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj opened the new chancery complex of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Monday on the last day of her Bangladesh visit. Swaraj lit a candle to mark the opening of the huge complex at Dhaka's Baridhara diplomatic enclave while the high commission was previously operating from a house in Gulshan area of the city. During the ceremony, she also inaugurated 15 development projects of Bangladesh being funded by India. Bangladesh foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali, Health Minister Mohamad Nasim, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's political affairs adviser HT Imam among others joined the ceremony. Swaraj will return to New Delhi later in Monday wrapping up her Dhaka visit, the second since assuming office in 2014. News / National by Stephen Jakes The People Democratic Party in South Africa has welcome the formation of the Rainbow Coalition Party in which their party is a member.The coalition last week endorsed Joice Mujuru as its presidential candidate for 2018.PDP SA Acting Secretary Butholezwe Nyathi said as the People's Democratic Party (PDP), they welcome and endorse the formation of the People's Rainbow Coalition (PRC) as a viable vehicle for taking State Power from the corrupt and counter progressive regime of Zanu-PF."Going forward, we will be setting out mobilisation and working structures this side of border with our coalition partners. There is a lot of work to be done and we know that power will not be given on a silver platter," he said."In the meantime, we encourage everyone based in South Africa to tell their relatives based in Zimbabwe to REGISTER TO VOTE." Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will be visiting poll-bound Gujarat on Monday to attend the Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan rally. All eyes are trained on the Congress vice-president a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the UPA government of an 'anti-Gujarat, anti-development attitude' in his address at a public meeting in Bhavnagar after inaugurating a slew of projects. Rahul is expected to meet OBC leader Alpesh Thakor who announced he was joining the Congress on Saturday. Thakor had announced his move in New Delhi after an evening meeting with Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul. Thakor and his supporters are expected to formally join the party at the rally in Gandhinagar. Congress had also extended an invitation to the Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel and dalit leader Jignesh Mewani to join the party. It has invited the two leaders to meet Gandhi on Monday in Ahmedabad. The party is trying to woo leaders such as Patel, Mevani and Thakor who have significant support base in their respective communities. "Rahul Gandhi will be coming to Ahmedabad on Monday. We have invited Hardik Patel and other leaders of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti. They had given a memorandum to us and we are positive about their demands," said Bharat Singh Solanki, president, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, on Sunday. Rahul is also likely to meet Chotu Vasava, the leader of Janata Dal (U) in Gujarat, during his one-day visit. In what could be a boost for Congress, one of Hardik Patel's aides, Nikhil Sawani quit the BJP on Monday because "they (BJP) are just offering lollipop, fulfilling nothing". He also added he would seek an appointment with Rahul and put forward his viewpoint, reported ANI. Wasn't offered money to join BJP. Now I resigned because they are just offering lollipop, fulfilling nothing: Nikhil Sawani, Patidar leader pic.twitter.com/0BM1x9nSeC ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 As per other reports on Monday, Narendra Patel, a Patidar leader from north Gujarat alleged the BJP tried to bribe him with Rs one crore. Patel, incidentally, had 'joined' the BJP just a couple of hours earlier before he made the allegations, and was welcomed with a saffron scarf in front of media cameras. According to India Today, Congress is keen to play the "youth card" in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. Solanki said, "Fresh young candidates will be given more preference during ticket distribution by the party." In this case, Rahul's agenda would be to talk about providing employment for the youth, female education, free speech, demonetisation, GST, topics which he has discussed in his earlier visits as well. The Congress scion had struck a chord with the youth at a question-answer session in Vadodara city during one of his visits, where he was asked everything from what would the Congress party do for the youth, free speech, attack on BHU girl students and privatisation of education. Rahul's visit to Gujarat assumes high importance in the light of the Election Commission announcing the poll dates any time soon. Once the EC does so, the model code of conduct will be enforced immediately. Congress has not been in power in the state for the last 22 years. Rahul's image transformation in terms of his marked attacks at the BJP and Centre and, his increased involvement on social media seem to be efforts to project him as a serious leader, who is not just the "butt of public ridicule". In what is being seen as an aggressive fight between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, reflective of what could happen in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul and company seem to be pulling out all stops to end BJP's rule in the state. Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) will contest five of the 182 assembly seats in Gujarat and support the Congress in the rest, SP president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said. He said the party did not want a split in the anti-BJP votes and hence would contest only the seats where it has got strong organisational base. "In Gujarat, we will be contesting five seats where our organisation is strong. We are not going to weaken the fight there (against the BJP). In the rest of the seats, the party will support Congress," he told reporters. The Congress and the Samajwadi Party had struck an alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the assembly elections earlier this year. The Congress had contested 105 of the 403 seats while the SP battled it out in 298 seats. Asked if he would campaign in Gujarat, the SP chief said, "I will campaign where our candidates are in the fray. If any other party approaches me, I can campaign for it." Asked about the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to religious places, Yadav downplayed it, saying, "I have also visited all religious places during my school tours. During Diwali, I also prayed with my family." When asked about the allegations of Narendra Patel, an activist of Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, that he was offered Rs 1 crore for joining the BJP, Yadav took a swipe at the saffron party, saying it was the "most honest" party. "How can it do so?" He also "advised" the media-persons not to run the story, "otherwise your channel will be closed". On the raging Taj Mahal controversy, he said it was the identity of the country and the "Prime Minister had himself said in his speech that there was a need to attract tourism in the country". "Had our government got NGT (National Green Tribunal) permission, we would have done more beautification work around the Taj," said Yadav, who was the chief minister of the state between 2012 and 2017. On the proposed air show on the Agra Expressway, he said, "We have got the expressway constructed so that in case of any emergency, planes can land on it. I want to ask the BJP, what is their definition of 'rashtrawad' (Nationalism). They say we are not 'rashtrawadis' (Nationalists). I want the pictures of the air show to be publicised so that our workers can tell who constructed this (expressway)." The Election Commission has said that Gujarat will go to polls before 18 December. Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday took a dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi over the rise in the number of people retweeting his messages and sought to link this with twitter accounts in Russia, Indonesia and Kazakhstan. However, Congress rejected the allegation as "factually wrong". Irani attached with her tweet a news report, "Bots behind rise in Rahul Gandhi's twitter popularity?", which said that a glance at the twitter handles retweeting Gandhi's tweets does throw up some questions. An Internet bot is a software application that runs automated tasks (scripts) over the Internet. Irani also retweeted the reactions of other netizens, including Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar who tweeted: Desperate times call for desperate measures ? https://t.co/MkPa2glDmi Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@rajeev_mp) October 21, 2017 Her junior in the ministry, Rajyavardhan Rathore, compared the act to doping in sports. In sports, this would come under Doping.... hey wait!does dope remind you of someone https://t.co/xulfk1ENtI Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) October 21, 2017 Questioning whether automated bots were mass retweeting Gandhi's tweets, the report said that on 15 October, 'OfficeofRG' retweeted US President Donald Trump's tweet praising American-Pakistani relations with a caption 'Modi ji quick, looks like President Trump needs another hug'. The tweet quickly reached 20,000 retweets and currently has touched 30,000, the report claimed, adding a close analysis of this tweet showed that these alleged 'bots' with a Russian, Kazakh or Indonesian characteristic were routinely retweeting the Congress vice-president's tweets. Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP's IT cell, asked a TV news channel why the Congress has to "buy" support for Rahul Gandhi. However, the veracity of report could not be independently ascertained. Divya Spandana, who heads the social media and digital communications wing of the Congress, hit back at Irani and termed the news story as "factually wrong". "Why do we need them when we have you?" she said in response to Irani's tweet. Rajeev Shukla, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and Gandhi family loyalist, jumped to the party vice president's defence, saying social media connects the whole world and retweets originating from Russia, Kazakhstan and Indonesia should not be considered out of place. "They (the BJP) are afraid of Rahul Gandhi and his popularity," Shukla told TV channels. Another Congress leader and former Union minister RPN Singh said it is unimportant how many times a tweet has been retweeted. He said what is important is the issues Rahul Gandhi has been highlighting through his tweets. "BJP is not answering. Where is the chowkidar? Why is he not speaking about how the turnover of a company owned by Shahzada's son rose 16,000 times in a year. Why are they not answering...Why are they not answering questions raised by him (Gandhi) about farmers? Why?" Singh said. Singh was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on a web portal's report that the turnover of a company owned by Jay Shah, BJP chief Amit Shah's son rose exponentially after the party came to power at the Centre in 2014. Jay Shah has filed a criminal defamation case against the portal The Wire. Singh rejected the news agency's claims that 'bots' were behind the perceived rise in Gandhi's popularity on Twitter. "There is nothing like that," he said. With inputs from agencies New Delhi: The Congress on Monday demanded that elections in Gujarat be immediately declared and the model code of conduct enforced, saying the Election Commission should not be a party to what it called the BJP's attempt to "run away" from the Assembly polls. It alleged that the BJP was trying to delay Gujarat Assembly polls for its last-minute efforts to woo the people of the state with sops announced by the prime minister. "Why is the election commission becoming an unnecessary party to the BJP's attempt to run away from the elections?...Why is the EC becoming a party to it. The election commission has the constitutional responsibility and mandate. "We demand that the election commission immediately declare elections in Gujarat, enforce the model code of conduct to stop all these allegations that sheer chicanery is taking place in Gujarat," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters. Countering criticism over the Congress' remarks against the constitutional body, senior Congress spokesperson P Chidambaram said if citizens do not question the EC, what should they do. If citizens cannot question the EC, please tell us who can? And what should citizens do, pray to the EC? P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) October 23, 2017 In Gujarat RS elections, Congress complained to EC before counting began. There was only one count, no recount. Ask EC. P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) October 23, 2017 Tewari claimed the BJP is aware that it is difficult to repeat its government in Gujarat. He alleged that the ruling party is "desperate" and is making every effort including use of muscle and money power and "street instrumentalities with prime minister virtually shifting the capital from Delhi to Gandhinagar, to somehow retain Gujarat". Asked about the clarifications given by the EC on charges against it, Tewari said "what they have articulated is not rocket science". "But the fundamental question is that why has the election commission digressed from the time honoured convention that elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat are held simultaneously. "Why have the election dates in Gujarat not been declared. Why has the model code not been enforced," he said. The Congress leader said given the developments that are taking place, it is clear that the BJP is on a "sticky wicket" and is "running away" from elections. "They are trying their best to delay the elections as much as possible so that the prime minister can dole out as many as dollops of sops as they can in that short time. "Why does the election commission become a party to that process. "We want to respectfully tell the election commission, please you have a constitutional mandate to fulfil, declare the elections immediately and enforce the model code of conduct in Gujarat ASAP," Tewari said. Political tempers are rising in Gujarat in the run-up to the state Assembly polls slated for December this year. One one hand, the ruling BJP, which is facing anti-incumbency, finds itself on the backfoot. On the other hand, the opposition Congress finds itself oscillating between enthusiasm and euphoria.While the first motivates one to perform better, the other leads to a false sense of complacency. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has visited Gujarat four times in recent times, and is in Gandhinagar on Monday. In the context of the situation mentioned above, he could do with a closer look at the cause and effect factors that are making this contest a slugfest. The Congress had long been in the dumps after Chief Minister Narendra Modi pushed it into virtual obsolescence through the three Vidhan Sabha elections during his tenure. However, the Congress mood is now on the upswing after the last Rajya Sabha election in the state. The contest saw old warhorse Shankersinh Vaghela rebel against the party, and Ahmed Patel, political advisor to Congress president Sonia Gandhi scrape through to the House of Elders by the skin of his teeth. Both developments took place in close succession. Both reshaped politics in Gujarat. BJP president Amit Shah had hoped that the election would mark his triumphal call to arms, and that the saffron party would effect Patel's stunning ouster. However, it turned out to be a testosterone dose for the opposition. Ditto the departure of Vaghela. Good riddance for the Congress,is how they put it now. Rahuls visits to Gujarat have been receiving an enthusiastic public response. It was noticeable in the informal Sabarmati riverfront chat in Ahmedabad, the Saurashtra visit beginning from Dwarka via the pilgrim town of Chotila, and the third one in central Gujarat. The visits were flavoured by a good mix of political herbs, and garnished with a dash of religious spices to get the right anti-Modi taste. Rahul seems to have matured as a politician. He has been stirring the right chordspaying obeisance at Dwarka and Chotila, dwelling on unemployment amongst the youth, the rising suicides amongst farmers, the issue of Shahs son which shot into headlines and the like. The Congress is further bolstered by the lukewarm response to BJPs poll forays in the public domain.The Narmada yatra, which criss-crossed the state, did not receive the expected welcome, nor did the Gujarat Gaurav yatra. The latter was expected to revive memories of Chief Minister Modis statewide tour after the 2002 Godhra train carnage, which bore excellent electoral results. However, there is a need to examine the finer print. Is the prevalent popular mood a vote of confidence in the Congress, or is it caused by rising anger against the ruling BJP in the state? People in India grudgingly admire strong political leaders, even those who become a law unto themselves.Take the case of Indira Gandhi and now Narendra Modi. The present prime minister may heap criticism on the late prime minister of the country, but there is more than striking similarity on many counts between the two leaders and their style of governance. Modis consistent return to power in Gujarat proves that he had the pulse of the people. He was the party and he was the government in Gujarat. Like the pied piper, he may have kept people in thrall, but the disillusionment has been rapid in the period thereafter. Modis successor Anandiben was seen as stubborn, but her successor Vijay Rupania good personis seen as Amit Shahs man.Both pale into insignificance when compared to Modi and such comparisons leave a strong imprint on Gujarati psyche. Thus, all the problems that have followed Modis departure to Delhiwhether the Patidar agitation,the OBC strife or the Dalit agitation are seen to be rooted in the post- Modi leadership. There is not an iota of doubt that the mishandling and the internal bickering of the Gujarat BJP leaders has seen the rise of the youth triumvirate of Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakore and Jignesh Mevani. But although the Congress may be happy with its campaign, the fact is that no one knows the problems the ruling party is facing in Gujarat better than Prime Minister Modi. Alighting from the stage after a public meeting in Vadodara on Sunday, he pointed out to a local BJP leader that there were more outsiders than locals. The implication was obvious. It is no wonder that he has chosen to project himself, seeking to send out a message to the electorate to vote keeping him in mind.This is exactly what he meant when he said during his public address on Sunday that having governments from the same party at the Centre and in the state can do wonders for Gujarat. This will be his last emotional tug at the Gujarati conscience. The Congress considers the 2015 local self-government elections held in the backdrop of the Patidar stir, as the turning point. But the fact remains that though the Congress swept the countryside,the urban support base, though marginally eroded,remained largely intact. The BJP won the municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Varodara, Rajkot, Surat, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar. At this juncture, there are reasons to believe that though rural and even semi-urban areas are against the BJP, the urbanites though unhappy have not keeled over. A 9 percent vote difference (47.9 percent to the BJP and 38.9 percent to the Congress) separated the two opponents in 2012. While the BJP is expected to dominate the urban seats, a swing towards the Congress in the rural areas can bring the current opposition at par, or even give it a marginal edge. But in the final reckoning, 40 or 45 seats that can swing either way will hold the key to who rules in Gandhinagar. For Modi, the stakes are extremely high, and he will throw everything at his command to win Gujarat at any cost. A loss in Gujarat will make his journey to winning the 2019 general elections difficult. The Congress may move court against the Election Commission (EC) over delays in announcement of Gujarat Assembly Election dates, media reports have said. Party members said they have approached the EC and are awaiting its response within 15 days. #BREAKING | Congress may approach court against EC over concerns on free and fair polls: Sources | @_pallavighosh with more details pic.twitter.com/lCMXKctY8z News18 (@CNNnews18) October 23, 2017 The Congress had urged the EC to immediately announce the Gujarat poll dates, especially after it did so for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections. On 20 October, Congress leader P Chidambaram criticised the Election Commission, saying that by not announcing the Gujarat poll schedule, it has "authorised" Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare dates at his last rally, after all "freebies" for the state were doled out. Chidambaram had also claimed the Election Commission will be "recalled" from its "extended holiday" after the Gujarat government announced all "concessions and freebies". Reacting to these comments, Modi said Congress has no moral right to question the constitutional body. "Some of them (Opposition) are worried why Modi is coming to Gujarat after Diwali. They can't say anything to me, so they are targeting the Election Commission," the prime minister said, and asked the gathering, "You tell me, should I not come to Vadodara?" Meanwhile, all eyes are trained on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, a day after Modi attacked the UPA government of an "anti-Gujarat, anti-development attitude" during an address at a public meeting in Bhavnagar after inaugurating a slew of projects. Gandhi will be visiting poll-bound Gujarat on Monday to attend the Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan rally. Congress has not been in power in the state since 22 years. In what is being seen as an aggressive fight between the BJP and Congress, reflective of what could happen in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul and company seem to be pulling out all stops to end BJP's rule in the state. With Assembly elections in Gujarat due later this year, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition Congress are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that they emerge victorious. This will be the first time elections are being held in Gujarat without Narendra Modi guiding the BJP ship, and a defeat for the saffron party will add credence to the theories doing the rounds that the state unit of the party is a sinking ship without the prime minister at the helm of affairs. Meanwhile, the Congress, which has suffered a series of electoral setbacks in recent months, is targetting Gujarat as the state which will revive its fortunes. While Modi has visited his home state on three separate occasions this last month, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has also been touring the state extensively, holding rallies and meeting potential allies. On Monday, Rahul Gandhi is expected to begin a three-day visit to Gujarat, during which he is likely to meet OBC leader Alpesh Thakor. Congress had also extended an invitation to Patidar leader Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani to join the party. It has invited the two leaders to meet Gandhi on Monday in Ahmedabad. The party is trying to woo leaders such as Patel, Mevani and Thakor who have significant support base in their respective communities. The Vaghela factor By doing so, the Congress is trying to offset the damage caused by the defection of senior leader Shankersingh Vaghela, who quit the party in August. Vaghela, a former chief minister of Gujarat, resigned from the Congress party, which he had joined two decades ago after resigning from the BJP. Vaghela, who was once seen as a possible chief ministerial candidate for the Congress, threw his weight behind a new front. His revolt triggered a political storm in poll-bound Gujarat, including the resignation of six of his supporters as members of the state Assembly. He later said the new front will not be a political party but an "alternative force" to garner public anger against the ruling BJP and the ineffective Congress. But while he has decided to align with neither of the two major power centres in Gujarat, his defection will be more keenly felt by the Congress, which would have depended largely on Vaghela and his support as it tries to make an electoral comeback in the western state. Congress seeks new allies But while Vaghela resigned, Vasava joined. Chhotubhai Vasava, appointed state party chief by the JD(U) faction of Sharad Yadav, threw his weight behind Congress' Ahmed Patel in August's Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat, and the party is expected to be part of a grand alliance being worked out by the Congress. The six-time Gujarat MLA, who enjoys influence among tribals in parts of Gujarat, attacked the BJP, saying demonetisation and the GST have "destroyed" the economy. "We will ally with the Congress and also other parties like the Left. We will also try to have a tie-up with Hardik Patel," he had said last month. Apart from the JD(U), the party is also targeting Patidar leader Hardik Patel and Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani. And it can be reasonably confident of attracting OBC activist Alpesh Thakor, who has already announced his decision of joining the party. Thakor, the convenor of the Gujarat OBC Ekta Manch and leader of the local Thakor Sena, has considerable influence among the backward classes. The party is also seeking the support of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders from Gujarat. Congress' Gujarat chief Bharatsinh Solanki said senior AAP leader Kanubhai Kalsariya met Rahul Gandhi during the latter's visit to the state early in October. "Just like Kalsariya, many other AAP leaders are in touch with us. They may join the Congress soon," Solanki had claimed. But while Thakor has readily joined the Congress, Hardik Patel has been more apprehensive about doing so. "I have said earlier too, that my fight is not for or against any political party, but against the system, against those who want to crush my democratic right to speak up for my rights," he had said earlier. "If the BJP agrees to give what we are demanding, I will wrap up the agitation but not otherwise," he said, adding that their agitation will continue even if the Congress comes to power. However, with Rahul Gandhi set for a three-day tour of the state, and the party aggressively courting Patel's support, it expects him to soften his stand. Gujarat cash-gate On Sunday, Hardik Patel's former aide Narendra Patel came up with a sensational revelation, saying the BJP was offering him Rs 1 crore to join the party. At a press conference in Ahmedabad, Patel displayed wads of notes said the party gave him Rs 10 lakh, and said another Rs 90 lakh would be given later. He also alleged that the deal was brokered by Varun Patel, a former leader of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). "He (Varun Patel) told me that I will get Rs 1 crore. After meeting (state BJP chief Jitu) Vaghani at his house, I was taken to the state BJP headquarters on Sunday night where I was given Rs 10 lakh as advance by Varun. I was told that I will get the remaining Rs 90 lakh on Monday during a BJP function," Patel alleged. He said he followed Varun's instruction and joined the BJP just to "expose" the party. "I can never betray my community. The BJP can't buy me and my loyalty for the Patidar community," he said. Reacting to allegations, the BJP claimed it was a "drama" staged at the behest of the Congress. "All these allegations are false. It was a drama (enacted) by Narendra Patel at the behest of Congress. He voluntarily came to us to join the BJP and then took a U-turn within hours. It proves that everything was pre-planned," Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said. However, while the BJP claimed it wasn't true, another rebel leader Nikhil Savani also quit the party on Monday morning, saying he was "dismayed" by the party using money to buy Opposition leaders. "I joined BJP because the government had done good things in the past. But the party is now offering money to people to join them. I am upset by these revelations," Savani said on Monday. Given the spate of resignations, defections and allegations, Rahul Gandhi's visit to Gujarat acquires new significance. Who the Congress vice-president meets with and how things develop will probably determine which way the election swings. With inputs from agencies Follow our Gujarat liveblog here Sometimes, a series of events points to a major upheaval. This is exactly what is happening in Gujarat politics, leaving the ruling BJP bewildered and speechless. Less than 48 hours after the BJP celebrated two of Hardik Patel's key aides joining the fold, a number of young Patidar leaders have snapped ties with the BJP amid allegations of bribery. Then, OBC leader Alpesh Thakore joined Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in a massive show of strength on Monday afternoon. On Saturday evening, BJP leaders were smiling from ear to ear as they were joined by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders Varun Patel and Reshma Patelbelieved to be close to Patelbefore the media. However, Alpesh Thakore, the convenor of OBC Ekta Manch and president of Thakore Sena, announced he was joining the Congress after a meeting with party bigwigs Ahmed Patel and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. On Sunday evening, the BJP was in for a rude shock. Narendra Patel, PAAS convenor from north Gujarat, dropped a bombshell just hours after he joined the BJP: Alleging that the ruling party attempted to bribe him. Patel displayed wads of notes which were allegedly offered to him by BJP. To see something like this in Narendra Modis Gujarat, and that too against the BJP, was stunning. Narendra alleged that Patidar leader Varun Patel, who joined the BJP on Saturday evening, took him to meet Gujarat BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani and other leaders on Sunday. He claims they gave him Rs 10 lakh as part of Rs 1 crore deal and said that Rs 90 lakh would be given to him on Monday. Last month, Narendra lodged a police complaint against Hardik and three supporters in Patan in north Gujarat, but withdrew it later. On Monday, another young Patel face quit the BJP. Nikhil Sawani joined the BJP a fortnight ago after the BJP gave some assurances to the PAAS on reservations for the Patel community. Sawani said he realised that the BJP was taking the community for a ride and could not stay with the party. "I watched this from close quarters. The BJP is treating Patidars as a vote bank and what they had promised was a mere lollipop," he said. On Monday, Patidar leader Atul Patel alleged that the BJP had offered him a bribe and claimed that he had this on tape. Thakore, son of Congress veteran Khodaji Thakore of north Gujarat, controlled the crowd as if it was a classroom, silencing them and getting them to cheer wildly on cue. Amid conflicting media reports, confusion prevailed over whether or not Hardik met Rahul. However, Hardik, speaking to Firstpost, clarified that he didn't meet Rahul because he was tied up with his rallies and added that he was sure he would meet Rahul when he visited next time. Hardik also mocked allegations that he was a Congress agent. My fight is for the cause of the Patidars not for political ambitions, I am not joining the Congress party. My fight is against the BJP. I will work for the defeat of the ruling party which has only humiliated and insulted the Patidars. Our youngsters were killed and the police was unleashed on us. I can never support such a party. Those who were sold out and breached the trust of the community to join the BJP for personal ambitions and huge money are calling me a Congress agent? I dont give a damn, I dont bother who calls me what. I am what I am. I dont need their certificate. My movement, my fight will continue as long as I have the backing of my people, Hardik added. Hardik's rallies across Gujarat are drawing large crowds, even as angry Patidars are burning the effigies of Varun and Reshma to protest them joining the BJP. Hardik knows well that it is his independence from the Congress that gives him a strong political and moral credence to his movement among Patidars, which has been a loyal BJP vote bank for decades. Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, speaking to Firstpost, said: I am not joining the Congress party. However, I am determined to defeat the BJP, not only in Gujarat in December 2017 but also in the 2019 general election. Dalits can never forget the atrocities and the insults meted out by the BJP." Follow our Gujarat liveblog here Nikhil Savani, a Patidar leader and former aide of Hardik Patel, has quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in poll-bound Gujarat saying he was "dismayed" by news of the saffron party offering money to Opposition leaders. Savani, along with two other Patidar leaders, had joined BJP just two days ago. He said that he is likely to return to Hardik Patel's side after quitting the party. His comments came just hours after another Patidar leader Narendra Patel had held a press conference, where he displayed wads of notes which were allegedly offered to him by BJP. Savani said he was "pained and upset" by these claims. "I joined BJP because the government had done good things in the past. But the party is now offering money to people to join them. I am upset by these revelations," Savani said on Monday. Heard about Rs 1 crore offer by BJP to Narendra Patel, I'm upset. Leaving BJP today: Nikhil Sawani, Patidar leader who had joined BJP pic.twitter.com/7vzrUwIMoc ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 Wasn't offered money to join BJP. Now I resigned because they are just offering lollipop, fulfilling nothing: Nikhil Sawani, Patidar leader pic.twitter.com/0BM1x9nSeC ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 When quizzed about his future plans, Savani said he would return to Hardik Patel's side. "What Hardik is doing is correct. I also congratulate Narendra for not being swayed by the money on offer. He comes from a poor family, but he didn't choose Rs 1 crore," Savani said. He has also requested a meeting with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, he said. "I will join whichever party does things for the people, be it Congress or BJP. I haven't met Rahul Gandhi yet. But if he can make time for me, I will meet him," he said. Hardik had stopped short of formally declaring his support for Congress, but said he will work on "eliminating BJP" in Gujarat. "I am not working for the victory of Congress, but am committed to the legitimate rights of my community," Patel had said earlier this month. "If Congress wins, it will be a vote against dictatorship." In a late night press conference on Sunday, Narendra said Patidar leader Varun Patel, who joined the BJP on Saturday evening, took him to meet Gujarat BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani and other leaders on Sunday. "Varun took me around in Gandhinagar and then took me to Shree Kamalam office of the BJP and introduced me to Jitubhai Vaghani and some ministers. He then took me to a room and handed over a bag of Rs 10 lakh cash as token and promised to pay me Rs 90 lakh tomorrow after a party function which I was required to attend," Patel said. With inputs from agencies Hours after joining the BJP, Narendra Patel, an activist of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) claimed on Sunday that he was offered Rs one crore as bribe for switching loyalties. His dramatic press conference in Ahmedabad was the latest in Patidar leaders switching sides ahead of the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections. Soon after Patel levelled his allegations, where he displayed wads of notes which were allegedly offered to him by BJP, another Patidar leader quit the ruling party days after joining it. So, who is Narendra Patel? Patel is a close aide of Hardik and the North Gujarat PAAS convener. He had joined the BJP in the presence of state party chief Jitu Vaghani on Sunday and within hours called a press conference to allege that he was offered Rs one crore to go to the ruling party. At the press conference, Narendra showed Rs 10 lakh cash to media persons, claiming it was given to him as "advance" by former PAAS leader Varun Patel, who had joined the BJP on Saturday. He alleged that the "entire deal was brokered by Varun". "He told me that I will get Rs one crore. After meeting Vaghani at his house, I was taken to the state BJP headquarters on Sunday night where I was given Rs 10 lakh as advance by Varun. I was told that I will get the remaining Rs 90 lakh on Monday during a BJP function," Patel alleged. He said he followed Varun's instruction and joined the BJP just to "expose" the party. "I can never betray my community. The BJP can't buy me and my loyalty for the Patidar community," he said. Narendra-Hardik ties According to The Indian Express, it is hard to say if Narendra is still a key aide of Hardik as just two months ago, he had alleged that he was assaulted by Hardik and his aides at a hotel in Patan. Narendra had alleged that the quota stir spearhead and others roughed him up at Navjivan Hotel in Patan when he had gone to meet them. Hardik had held a public meeting in Patan on that day and as per Narendra's complaint, he had gone to meet the PAAS leader before the rally. Narendra, however, later withdrew the complaint after a month. BJP dismisses allegations Reacting to allegations, the BJP claimed it was a "drama" staged at the behest of the Congress. "All these allegations are false. It was a drama (enacted) by Narendra Patel at the behest of Congress. He voluntarily came to us to join the BJP and then took a u-turn within hours. It proves that everything was pre-planned," Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said on Monday. "It is all fabricated drama. He came with Varun Patel to join BJP and did a U-turn in 2-3 hours," he added. Nikhil Savani - the man of the hour? Hours after Narendra's allegations, Savani, a Patidar leader and former aide of Hardik, quit the BJP saying he was "dismayed" by news of the saffron party offering money to Opposition leaders. Savani, along with two other Patidar leaders, had joined BJP just two days ago. He said that he is likely to return to Hardik's side after quitting the party. Savani is believed to be close to Hardik and is the Surat convenor of PAAS. He was being touted as BJP's new Patel leader Savani said he was "pained and upset" by these claims. "I joined BJP because the government had done good things in the past. But the party is now offering money to people to join them. I am upset by these revelations," Savani said on Monday. When quizzed about his future plans, Savani said he would return to Hardik's side. "What Hardik is doing is correct. I also congratulate Narendra for not being swayed by the money on offer. He comes from a poor family, but he didn't choose Rs one crore," Savani added. He has also requested a meeting with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, he said. Patel's accusations came a day after two of Hardik's key aides Varun Patel and Reshma Patel joined the BJP, alleging that the quota agitation spearhead had become a "Congress agent" and was trying to use the agitation to overthrow the present state government. Last week, state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki had invited Hardik to join the party. Solanki even promised to give an additional 20 percent reservation to economically backward sections in the state if the Congress came to power after the upcoming assembly polls. Varun and Reshma were among the prominent faces of the Hardik-led PAAS and were critical of the ruling BJP during the agitation. They joined the BJP on Saturday after a meeting with Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy chief minister Nitin Patel and state party chief Jitu Vaghani during its parliamentary board meeting, which was also attended by BJP president Amit Shah. The Election Commission has said the state will go to polls before 18 December. The BJP and Congress are pitted against each other for the important election. With inputs from PTI And me, ever changing timeEverything is going so much fasterIt seems like I'mWatching my life, and everything I doWonder if the dreams that I believed inStill come trueMDC must self-introspect well ahead of time before the 2018 harmonised elections. His followers must not be blinded by loyalty to the point of jeopardising the future of the party.MDC-T co-Vice President Thokozani Khupe was in the papers recently for having buried the hatchet following a nasty falling out over the MDC Alliance pact between the two long standing party heavy-weights.Let's make no mistake about it Khupe has seen what we are all seeing, but a taboo to discuss in our culture.Khupe's decision to make amends with her estranged boss has nothing to do with the party, but a premeditated move to position herself in the wake of any eventuality.Khupe is considered a force to reckon with in the opposition owing to the massive support she wields in Matabeleland.In the same matrix is the youthful lawyer Nelson Chamisa, touted by many to be Tsvangirai's favoured successor.Lurking in the sinister shadows of the MDC-T succession matrix is Elias Mudzuri. Mudzuri with his strong links to the Americans, the party would need him to sustain its budget.Chamisa's bid to succeed Tsvangirai hangs in the balance as he is believed to have ZANU PF links. Age would be another hindering factor for the youthful and overly ambitious politician. This leaves Khupe and Mudzuri in the running.However, without Chamisa the party would also lose its youthful support base, but his overzealous youthful followers must admit that Chamisa lacks political maturity and acumen that can only come through experience.Under Tsvangirai's tutelage, the party has been hounded by serious splits and we have not yet seen the end nor the worst of these splits.All these splits have left a bewildered and desperate support base.Tsvangirai over the years strikes me as a man who squandered his political opportunities, yet resolute he needs another shot to redeem his career. The Americas must have been right when they coined the popular adage; insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results.The sun has set on Tsvangirai's political will of fortune and his loyalists must accept that heart-rending reality and find a better understanding. 15:53 (ist) 'Made in China is the truth of India': Rahul Gandhi's 'Make in China' jibe at Modi Taking a jibe at Narendra Modi's pet project, Make in India, Rahul Gandhi said that only BJP needs a reality check to find out that 'Made in China' is the reality. He said that the rest of the nation already knows that any claim stating otherwise are completely hollow, adding that 30 lakh youths were unemployed in Gujarat alone. Temperatures in election-bound Gujarat is soaring. A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the offensive against the Opposition parties, especially Congress, and alleged that they were 'anti-development', Patidar leader Hardik Patel and his aides alleged corruption against the state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In a tweet, Patel said that he is not the one asking questions from the BJP government in Gujarat, "BJP ke saamne main nahi, Gujarat ki 6 crore janata lad rahi hai. Vyapaari, kisaan, sabhi samuday, labourers BJP ki tanashahi se pareshaan hain (Not me, but the public of Gujarat will be fighting against BJP. Traders, farmers, all communities and labourers are tired of BJP's dictatorial attitude.)" The Patidar leader on Monday tweeted: ????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ?? 6 ????? ???? ??? ??? ????????????,?????,??? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ???????? ?? ?????? ???? Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) October 23, 2017 ????? ?? ????? ??? ??? ?????????? ?? ????? ?? ??? BJP ?? 500????? ?? ??? ????? ???????? ??? ???? ? ??? ?? ????? ???? ?? ?? ????????? ????? ! Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) October 23, 2017 Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has set out for a three-day visit to Gujarat and he is expected to meet Hardik, however, there was no official confirmation on the same. Rahul is also expected to meet OBC leader Alpesh Thakor who announced he was joining the Congress on Saturday. Thakor had announced his move in New Delhi after an evening meeting with Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul. Thakor and his supporters are expected to formally join the party at the rally in Gandhinagar. The party is trying to woo leaders such as Patel, Mevani and Thakor who have significant support base in their respective communities. "Rahul Gandhi will be coming to Ahmedabad on Monday. We have invited Hardik Patel and other leaders of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti. They had given a memorandum to us and we are positive about their demands," said Bharat Singh Solanki, president, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, on Sunday. On Monday, another controversy hit the Gujarat BJP - an activist of the Hardik-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) has claimed the BJP offered him Rs 1 crore to switch loyalties, a charge rubbished by Gujarat's ruling party. North Gujarat PAAS convener Narendra Patel announced in the presence of state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani last evening that he was joining the party. At about 10.30 pm, a couple of hours later, he called a press conference to allege that he was offered Rs 1 crore to go to the ruling party but would never betray his community. Reacting to the allegations, the BJP claimed it was a "drama" staged at the behest of the Congress. "All these allegations are false. It was a drama (enacted) by Narendra Patel at the behest of Congress. He voluntarily came to us to join the BJP and then took a u-turn within hours. It proves that everything was pre-planned," Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said today. At the press conference, Narendra Patel showed Rs 10 lakh cash to mediapersons, claiming it was given to him as "advance" by former PAAS leader Varun Patel, who had joined the BJP on Saturday. He alleged that the "entire deal was brokered by Varun". "He told me that I will get Rs 1 crore. After meeting Vaghani at his house, I was taken to the state BJP headquarters on Sunday night where I was given Rs 10 lakh as advance by Varun. I was told that I will get the remaining Rs 90 lakh on Monday during a BJP function," Patel alleged. He said he followed Varun's instruction and joined the BJP just to "expose" the party. "I can never betray my community. The BJP can't buy me and my loyalty for the Patidar community," he said. Narendra Patel's accusations came a day after two of Hardik Patel's key aides - Varun Patel and Reshma Patel -joined the BJP, alleging that the quota agitation spearhead had become a "Congress agent" and was trying to use it to overthrow the present state government. With inputs from PTI Patna: RJD will hold rallies across Bihar on 8 November, the day when demonitisation was announced a year ago, to highlight the alleged failures of the step taken by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav said on Monday. A few days ago Prasad had declared his intent to hold a grand rally against the NDA governments at the Centre and in Bihar, where his former ally Nitish Kumar is now heading a government in alliance with the BJP. "At our 8 November rallies we will ask the BJP what the common people gained by the arbitrary step of invalidating Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes", he told reporters. "The note ban wreaked havoc on small traders. Millions of people were forced to stand for hours in queues outside banks to get their old notes exchanged. The country's economy is in tatters as a result of this decision," he added. Prasad and his family members are facing probes and frequent interrogations by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate in connection with corruption charges. The Grand Alliance, comprising RJD, Kumar's JD(U) and the Congress, which had swept the 2015 Assembly polls, collapsed in July this year following differences between the Bihar chief minister and Prasad's party over the course of action to be adopted following the name of the then deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav cropping up in hotels for land scam. Incidentally, much before he quit the alliance, Kumar had come out in support of demonetisation and had urged the Modi government to tighten the noose further on benami transactions to curb the flow of black money. Home Minister Rajnath Singhs announcement that former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma will be the representative for a sustained dialogue to find a solution to the Kashmir issue has garnered support from various ministers. Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday welcomed the Centre's announcement and said that was the only way forward. She added that the move was in line with Narendra Modi's speech on Independence Day, where he mentioned that Kashmir needed hugs, not bullets or abuses. This dialogue initiative is in line with P.M @narendramodi s 15th August speech na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmir ki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se. Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 23, 2017 Former finance minister P Chidambaram said that the move showed that the government's 'muscular approach' had failed in Jammu and Kashmir. With appointment of interlocutor, I hope government has finally admitted 'muscular approach' has failed in J&K. P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) October 23, 2017 He further added that the announcement signalled a victory for those who had been rooting for a political solution in the state. From "No talks" to "Talks with all stakeholders" is a major victory for those who had strongly argued for a political solution in J&K. P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) October 23, 2017 News 18 reported that former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah termed the government's move a "good one" but blamed the Centre for taking a "U-turn" on its stance. He further added that the government seemed to realise that "it was a political problem". Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah too supported the move and said that he would wait for the results with "an open mind." At the same, he wondered if the NIA investigation against Hurriyat leaders in the state would be suspended to facilitate talks. The acceptance of the political nature of the #Kashmir issue is a resounding defeat of those who could only see use of force as a solution. Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 23, 2017 Responding to a tweet about the choice of a non-political representative as the interlocutor, Omar said the mandate was more important than the candidate. "One can't get everything. So, for now, we'll take what we can get. More important than the person is the mandate and absence of pre-conditions," he said. Unfazed by the Opposition's attack over demonetisation and GST, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday vowed to continue the process of taking "important decisions" regarding reforms, as he as he launched several infrastructure projects in poll-bound Gujarat. Modi reached out to traders, assuring them that their past records will not be checked by the Income Tax department if they join the formal economy by getting themselves registered under the new tax regime. "After all reforms and hard decisions, the economy of the country is on track and is going in the right direction," Modi, said on the day-long visit to Gujarat. Apparently answering critics in the Opposition and Yashwant Sinha of the BJP, he said, "Many economists have agreed unanimously that the fundamentals of the economy are strong." "If we have a look at the figures which have come recently, the production of coal, electricity, natural gas and other items has increased tremendously. Foreign investors are making record investments in the country. The foreign exchange reserves of the country have reached 40,000 crore dollars from 30,000 crore dollars," Modi said. Modi also inaugurated a Rs 650 crore roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) ferry service on Sunday that reduces travel time by six hours between Saurashtra and South Gujarat. He said the ferry in the Gulf of Khambhat of the Arabian Sea would reduce the travel time between Bhavnagar district in western Gujarat's Saurashtra and Dahej in Bharuch district in south Gujarat from seven hours to just one hour, cutting the distance between two places to 31 km from 360 km. "It is a landmark project not only for India but also for the entire South-East Asia. It is a dream come true for the people of Gujarat." The dream of 6.5 crore Gujaratis has come true as the ferry service would lead to social and economic development in the region and bring thousands of new job opportunities, he said. "Imagine how much time and petrol this ferry service will save," he said, adding the facility would not be restricted to just one route. "We are planning to link other places," he said, noting that plans were afoot to expand the service to Hazira and the union territory Daman and Diu at a later stage and various places in Saurashtra. The prime minister added that the Ro-Ro ferry was like "amrit" the drink of immortality bestowed upon to the people Gujarat as a blessing from Hindu god of oceans Varuna. Addressing a gathering in Bhavnagar after the inauguration, Modi blasted the Congress saying the previous Congress-led government in the Centre had stalled all development projects in Gujarat by creating procedural hurdles in the name of the environment. "When I was chief minster, I faced hostility from the then central Government. People at the Center were like that. From Vapi to Mandvi in Kutch, they (the UPA government) had banned development in the entire coastal area of Gujarat. They had threatened to lock all our industries in the name of environment." Modi said this situation changed since he took power in Delhi and gave importance to the state's development. "It seems implementation of all good works are my luck. Changes don't come from cliched attitude but by new thinking. We changed the way of thinking." The Opposition has also been attacking the government specifically over demonetisation and GST, which was rolled out on 1 July. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had attacked Modi during his recent campaign tour in Gujarat, after the growth rate slipped to 5.7 percent in the first quarter of 2017-18. Talking about GST, Modi said the number of traders joining the new indirect tax regime is increasing day by day. "In the last few months, 27 lakh additional people have registered themselves for this indirect tax. No businessman wants to indulge in tax evasion. But tax rules, system, tax officials and even politicians are forcing them to do it," Modi said. He also said that the GST has stopped corruption at check posts on borders of each states. "The GST has eliminated check posts on borders. Trucks do not have to wait for days and corruption at check posts has stopped. Now, those who used to take contracts for ensuring passage of your trucks through the check posts are naturally very angry with me," he said. Modi also slammed Congress' attack on the Election Commission for delaying the announcement of election dates in the state. "The Congress has no moral right to question the Constitutional body," Modi said addressing a gathering in Vadodara. "Some of them (Opposition) are worried why Modi is coming to Gujarat after Diwali. They can't say anything to me, so they are targeting the Election Commission," the prime minister said and asked the gathering, "You tell me, should I not come to Vadodara?" Election to pick a new 182-member Gujarat assembly is due before January 22, 2018 when its term ends. The Election Commission has not announced the poll dates as of now even citing it would bring in the imposition of the model code of conduct that would disrupt relief operation for flood-hit victims. The opposition parties have alleged that the poll panel has given time to the ruling BJP to announce sops for the people of Gujarat. With inputs from agencies New Delhi: Leaders of various Opposition parties will meet on Monday to discuss their future strategy against the National Democratic Alliance government and also to put up a united front ahead of Parliament's coming Winter Session. Rebel Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav will likely attend the meeting at Parliament House complex at 3 pm, where leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, DMK and the Left will be present. Opposition leaders will likely discuss a number of issues and chalk out a strategy to counter the central government during the session, apart from the impact of the 8 November demonetisation on the common people after almost a year of its implementation and how they are going to take up the issue. The issue of the impact of the Goods and Services Tax, enforced with effect from 1 July, on traders may also come up during discussions, apart from allegations against Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah's son Jay Shah. In the last Opposition parties' meeting in New Delhi in August, it was decided to constitute a small coordination committee to discuss their future strategy against the government. Jaipur: Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot and several party leaders were detained by the police on Monday soon after they took out a march against the state governments criminal laws amendment bill. Jaipur: Congress leaders hold protest outside state assembly against Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance. pic.twitter.com/R6kdX82Bon ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 After the Rajasthan Assembly session was adjourned for the day, Congress MLAs and leaders assembled at Jyoti Nagar T-point in the city, from where Pilot was to lead a march to the Raj Bhawan to hand over a representation against the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2017. Soon after the march began, the police detained Pilot and other Congress leaders and took them to the Bajaj Nagar police station. The Congress has opposed the bill, tabled in the Assembly on Monday, which seeks to replace the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, promulgated on 7 September. The ordinance seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on-duty action, without its prior sanction. Pilot said that the party will continue to oppose the Ordinance in state assembly as well outside. Cong will vehemently oppose this bill both in the state assembly&outside.will take out a march against it tom@11am petitioning the president https://t.co/tBei0yysZq Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) October 22, 2017 Senior BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari also walked out in protest of the bill. The Congress legislators raised slogans against the government and the bill in the state Assembly. "We will oppose the bill," said Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Rameshwar Dudi. "This will protect corrupt officials," he added. Kataria said the government has introduced the bill as it wants the Opposition to discuss it in the Assembly. It may be mentioned here that the Rajasthan government through an ordinance, namely Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, made amendments to the Criminal Procedure code, 1973, and Indian Penal Code, 1980, in September this year. The bill has certain prohibitory provisions to restrain the courts to order an investigation against a person, who is or was a judge or magistrate or a public servant, in respect of the act done by them during the discharge of their official duties. Besides, no investigation will be conducted by any investigating agency against the persons specified without there being any prosecution sanction. The sanctioning authority will have to take its decision within 180 days from the date of the receipt of proposal. The ordinance also provides that in absence of a decision within the stipulated time period, the sanction will be deemed to have been granted. It is also noted in the ordinance that no one shall print or publish or publicise in any manner the name, address, photographs, family details or any other particulars which may lead to disclosure of identity of a judge or magistrate or a public servant against whom proceedings under this section is pending until the sanction has been deemed to have been issued. Whoever contravenes the provisions shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to two years and shall also be liable to fine. With inputs from agencies The war over the Rajasthan government ordinance to protect bureaucrats and judges from being scrutinised for any on-duty action has heated up on Twitter, so much so that it is one of the top trends on the micro-blogging site. It all began with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who tweeted reminding Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje that it is 2017 and not 1817. Madam Chief Minister, with all humility we are in the 21'st century. It's 2017, not 1817. https://t.co/ezPfca2NPS Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 22, 2017 However, the Congress vice-president's tweet inadvertently affected his own Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia. In 1817, Gwalior's Scindia dynasty rulers signed a treaty with the British, through which they became a subsidiary state. Raje is Scindia's aunt and both belong to the Gwalior royal family. Scindia, in fact, is the scion of the family. Other political parties did not spare the Raje government. AAP's in-charge in Rajasthan Kumar Vishwas, an active Twitter user, called Raje a female Kim Jong-un. AAP upporters then flooded Twitter with the hastag #TughlaqiMaharani, which soon became a top trend, the report added. However, the report noted that despite Raje having an active presence on Twitter, there was no clarification or counter-attack by her social media team. The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 amends the Criminal Code of Procedure, 1973 and bars the media from naming the public servant till the Rajasthan government allows the case to be investigated. Ahead of Monday session of the Rajasthan Assembly, when it is expected that the ordinance will take shape of an Act, Gulab Chand Kataria defended the government over the decision. Kataria told a press conference there was no provision in the ordinance which will weaken action against corrupt officers. Kataria said the only one aim of the ordinance is that people do not "misuse" section 156(3) to tarnish the image of honest officers by levelling baseless allegations. Kataria said that media trial affects the morale of public servants, and added,"From 2013 to 2017, 73 percent people who were probed under section 156 (3) faced mental harassment although they were not guilty." While defending the law, Kataria remarked that he too had faced media trail after his name cropped up during the investigation into the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. What happened with me in Sohrabuddin case; I was named in the case and all of countrys media surrounded me, as if I had killed Sohrabuddin. But what eventually came out was that there was no evidence (against me). But the kind of media trial I faced, and I faced the courts too," The Indian Express quoted Kataria as saying. Meanwhile, the Editors Guild of India on Sunday expressed concern over the bill, claiming that the law will be a pernicious instrument to harass the media. The organisation also added that the law will be 'draconian" and potentially also imprison journalists for reporting on matters of public interest. The main Opposition Congress decided to protest against the Raje government by wearing black bands inside the Assembly when the bill is expected to be tabled. Outside the Vidhan Sabha, the party held a protest led by Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot, TV reports said. Jaipur: Congress leaders hold protest outside state assembly against Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance. pic.twitter.com/R6kdX82Bon ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 Senior advocate AK Jain filed a petition in the Rajasthan High Court, questioning the legality of the ordinance promulgated by the state government. NDTV quoted him as saying that the bill will be a license for criminals. With inputs from PTI New Delhi: Two Union ministers defended a controversial Rajasthan government bill which seeks to protect judges and public servants from being investigated without its prior sanction, saying the move was aimed at insulating honest officers and prevent policy paralysis. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the bill was aimed at preventing motivated complaints. His junior minister PP Chaudhary said the idea was not to defend the corrupt or wrong-doers, but to ensure that honest judges, magistrates and public servants were not harassed. "What I have gathered is that the idea is that there should not be any motivated complaint. Officers were feeling harassed in discharging their duties," Prasad told reporters at a press conference at the BJP headquarters. He said he returned from an overseas trip last night and could not study the legislation in detail, but added that the state government has cited reasons for introducing the bill. He referred to a study by Rajasthan's BJP government, which has said that over 73 percent of such cases were false. In an interview to PTI, Chaudhary said the amendments in the code of criminal procedure and the code of civil procedure seek to "insulate" public servants from day-to-day allegations driven by "vested interests which create a fear psychosis in their minds and ultimately lead to indecision and policy paralysis." He said the Maharashtra Assembly cleared a similar legislation in 2015. He said the proposed bill will check media trial. "What if the official is later found to be innocent...there will be a media trial and he will spend years in jail," he said. The minister of state explained that the state government can grant a sanction for investigation within six months. "There is no provision to extend the six-month period." Responding to a question, he said the bill can "withstand judicial scrutiny". Amid an uproar from the Opposition Congress party, Rajasthan home minister Gulabchand Kataria tabled the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2017, in the Assembly to replace an ordinance it promulgated last month. The ordinance seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on-duty action, without its prior sanction. It also bars the media from reporting on such accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe is given by the government. Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh is committed to promoting religious tourism in the state, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday after undertaking a five-kilometre-long 'parikrama' of the Kamadgiri temple at Chitrakoot. On the second day of his visit to Chitrakoot, Adityanath took many by surprise when he decided to walk the entire five-kilometre stretch around the temple called 'Panchkosi Parikrama'. Later, amending his scheduled programme, he went to meet holy men from the Nirmohi Akhada on the banks of Mandakini. Refusing to take a seat specially kept for him, Adityanath sat on the floor, like other holy men, and said that his being a saintly person did not require VIP treatment. The holy men handed over a memorandum to the chief minister, who said all their demands would be accepted by the government. He said Mandakini was a holy river and efforts would be made to ensure it was kept pollution free. He said the area would be a 'no power cut zone' and would get 24x7 electric supply. The chief minister declared that the Madhya Pradesh-Uttar Pradesh border would be declared a free zone to make it easy for people to visit Chitrakoot. In his fifth visit to Gujarat since September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reassured the country over the economy and added that all the economic indicators show that India is moving in the right direction. "Many economists agree that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. After all hardcore reforms, the economy is on track and moving in the right direction," Modi said addressing a gathering in Dahej in Hindi. Modi was speaking after travelling on the inaugural ferry from Ghogha in Bhavnagar district to reach Dahej, which is situated in Bharuch district. The prime minister also added that his government has taken tough decisions for the economy and will continue to do so while maintaining financial stability. Praising demonetisation and the new GST tax regime, Modi said that they helped fight rampant corruption in the system. "After demonetisation, black money is now safe in the banks while GST has changed business culture. Cost of goods are now down, while corruption is coming down," Modi said. Modi also promised that those who were evading paying taxes to the government will not be harrassed after they joining the mainstream economy. Earlier in the day, the prime minister inaugurated first phase of Rs 615 crore 'RO-RO' ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej. Calling it his dream project, Modi told the gathering at the inauguration ceremony, "This is the first of its kind project not only in India but also in Southeast Asia." Modi called it a unique project as the state government used the latest technology to make this ferry service possible. "The dream of 6.5 crore Gujaratis had come true as the ferry service would lead to social and economic development in the region and bring thousands of new job opportunities," the prime minister said. In the second phase, which will be ready in two months, cars can also be carried between the two towns. The service reduces the distance between the two towns from 310 kilometres by road to just 30 kilometres, which can be covered in one hour. Modi had laid the foundation stone for the project in January 2012, when he was Gujarat chief minister. Modi also blasted the Congress saying the previous Congress-led government at the Centre had stalled all development projects in Gujarat by creating procedural hurdles in the name of the environment. "When I was the chief minster, I faced hostility from the then central government. People at the Center were like that. From Vapi to Mandvi in Kutch, they (the UPA government) had banned development in the entire coastal area of Gujarat. They had threatened to lock all our industries in the name of the environment," Modi said. The prime minister said that the earlier central governments wanted the Ro-Ro service provider to build terminals. "Tell me, do aircraft operators build airports or bus operators build roads? It is the government's job. So, we took up the job," he said, adding that over the last three years the central government changed its attitude towards Gujarat. Upon reaching Dahej, Modi addressed the gathering by the newly inaugurated ferry. Modi stressed on the need to diversify India's transport infrastructure. Lamenting that waterways have not been utilised properly in India, Modi said that while waterways is a major transport source in other countries, accounting for at least 30 percent, it is negligible in our country. Slamming the previous governments at the state and the Centre, Modi said that it is a matter of surprise that the first port policy was made in 1995. "Our port policy was made in 1995. The policy was made 48 years after independence. This showed that there was no vision for development. So, we suffered huge losses," Modi said. Pushing for more coal transport through waterways, Modi counted the benefits of such a move. "If we transport coal through the sea route, it is just 20 paise. But if we do so through railways it is 1.25 rupees. So, why should not we transport coal in a cheaper manner," he said. Stating that his government is committed to taking several initiatives for the transport sector, Modi said, "Our mantra is P for ports (and) for prosperity.We plan to invest Rs 8 lakh crore in the ambitious Sagarmala project. The prime minister highlighted the importance of ports in the 21st Century by linking it to the "blue economy" initiative. "We talk of blue economy, which is a mix of ecology, ecosystem along with economic development. I feel the 21st Century industrial revolution will happen because of blue revolution," Modi said. Praising the NDA government, Modi claimed that nowadays the pace of infrastructure development has doubled, adding that he had taken lessons from Gujarat to fasten the pace of lagging projects. Modi's frequent visits to Gujarat have been linked to the upcoming Assembly election in the state. The prime minister had earlier visited Gujarat on Monday when he addressed BJP workers at a rally in Gandhinagar. Prior to that, on 8 October, Modi visited his hometown Vadnagar. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various projects in Rajkot, Vadnagar, Gandhinagar and Bharuch. The election for the 182-members Gujarat Assembly is due before 22 January 2018 when its term ends. The Election Commission has not announced the poll dates as of now even citing it would bring in the imposition of the model code of conduct that would disrupt relief operation for flood-hit victims. With inputs from agencies tech2 News Staff A new discovery by NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission spacecraft (MAVEN) has revealed the remnants of the Red Planet's magnetic field. While the field is invisible to the naked eye, it is said to have taken the form of a rotating tail one that had been formed over time because of the solar winds that have been stripping the planet of its atmosphere, allowing gases to escape into space. Launched in 2013, MAVEN has been on a mission to trace the climate history of Mars and to figure out whether the planet may have sustained life in the past. According to the new research, the 'magnetotail' has been caused by the twisted interaction with solar wind. Ones that have been whipping the planet off its atmosphere over time, resulting in a thin atmosphere, which allows most of its gases to escape. Mars' magnetotail was formed when "magnetic fields carried by solar wind join with the magnetic fields embedded in the Martian surface, in a process that has been called 'magnetic reconnection'." The research was presented by on 19 October during the 49th annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences in Provo, Utah. It was presented by Gina DiBraccio, project scientist of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. We found that Mars magnetic tail, or magnetotail, is unique in the solar system, said DiBraccio. Its not like the magnetotail found at Venus, a planet with no magnetic field of its own, nor is it like Earths, which is surrounded by its own internally generated magnetic field. Instead, it is a hybrid between the two. she added. Mars had lost its global magnetic field billions of years ago. What remains today is a "fossil" of the magnetic fields in certain regions of the Red Planet. IANS NASA's slow progress in improving its IT governance over the past four years could put the agency at risk of experiencing security breaches, warns an audit report. Information Technology (IT) plays an integral role in every facet of NASA's space, science and aeronautics operations. The agency spends approximately $1.4 billion annually on a portfolio of IT assets it uses to control spacecraft, collect and process scientific data, secure its IT infrastructure and enable the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) personnel to collaborate with colleagues around the world. In its 2013 report, the Office of Inspector General (IG) found that the decentralised nature of agency operations and longstanding culture of autonomy hindered NASA's ability to implement effective IT governance. "We made eight recommendations and NASA agreed to take action to address our concerns," the IG report said. In this latest audit, the Office of Inspector General evaluated NASA's progress in implementing changes to its IT governance structure. But in the four years since issuance of the IT governance report, the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) has made insufficient progress to improve NASA's IT governance, casting doubts on the office's ability to effectively oversee the agency's IT assets, according to the report issued this week. "Specifically, the NASA Chief Information Officer (CIO) continues to have limited visibility into IT investments across the agency," the report said. Ineffective IT governance can result in security breaches, increased costs, missed deadlines, and provision of low quality IT products and services, the report pointed out. Reuters Billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who owns investment firm Kingdom Holding, expressed skepticism about cryptocurrencies in an interview with CNBC on 23 October, warning that bitcoin was like Enron in the making. Prince Alwaleed, whose company invests in major U.S. companies such as Citigroup and Twitter, said a lack of regulation made such cryptocurrencies risky. I just dont believe in this bitcoin thing. I think its going to implode one day. Its Enron in the making, he said, referring to the U.S. energy company that filed for bankruptcy in 2001 after revelations of a widespread accounting fraud. This thing does not make sense. Its unregulated. Its not under the control of the U.S. Federal Reserve or any other central bank, he added. Bitcoin is a virtual currency that has gained more than 500 percent this year, more than any other tradable asset class. Prince Alwaleed also said the valuation of electric car maker Tesla Inc was too exuberant for him to invest. I would rather not comment on that because maybe some people think the valuation is right, but its not for me to enter [at] that price obviously. Its too exuberant for me right now. He added that U.S. ride services company Lyft had been better priced than rival Uber when his investment firm bought into it. He said he was very happy with his investment in Citigroup and saw potential for the share price to rise above $100. It has been trading at around $73. Safety Value Prince Alwaleed also said he was not considering merging AccorHotels and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, in which Kingdom Holding owns stakes. On the initial public offering of Saudi Aramco, which its CEO reiterated would take place next year, Prince Alwaleed said the transaction would act as a safety valve for Saudi Arabia. If you go 5 percent, theres nothing that prohibits you from going another 5 percent next year, and 5 percent the third year and fourth year, and so forth, depending on the situation. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said last year the country was considering listing about 5 percent of Aramco in a deal that could raise $100 billion, if the company is valued at about $2 trillion as hoped. CEO Nasser on Monday brushed off reports about China emerging as a frontrunner in a possible plan to delay the IPO and sell shares to sovereign funds. Im not a member of the government but I read these reports, and I will not be surprised if China will be looking at this opportunity, Prince Alwaleed said. China depends on oil and will depend on oil for a long time to come. And Saudi Arabia is an anchor exporter of oil to China. Reuters Electric car maker Tesla Inc reaffirmed on 22 October it is talking with the Shanghai municipal government to set up a factory in the region and expects to agree on a plan by the end of the year, but declined to comment on a report that a deal has been reached. China levies a 25 percent duty on sales of imported vehicles and has not allowed foreign automakers to establish wholly owned factories in the country, the worlds largest auto market. Those are problems for Tesla, which wants to expand its presence in Chinas growing electric vehicle market without compromising its independence or intellectual property. Chinas government has considered allowing foreign automakers to set up wholly owned factories in free trade zones in part to encourage more production of electric and hybrid vehicles - which the government calls new energy vehicles - to meet ambitious sales quotas. Tesla would still have to pay a 25 percent duty on cars built in a free trade zone, but it could lower its production costs. Tesla on Sunday pointed to a statement it made in June that the company is working with the Shanghai Municipal Government to explore the possibility of establishing a manufacturing facility in the region to serve the Chinese market. As weve said before, we expect to more clearly define our plans for production in China by the end of the year. A Tesla spokesperson in the United States declined to comment further beyond referring to the June statement. The Wall Street Journal reported that Tesla and the Shanghai government have reached a deal in that citys free trade zone. Shanghai is Chinas de facto automotive capital and a significant market for luxury vehicles of all kinds. Chinese internet company Tencent Holdings Ltd has a five percent stake in Tesla and is seen as a potential ally for Teslas efforts to enter the Chinese market. It was unclear if the Chinese government will conclude a deal with Tesla to coincide with US President Donald Trumps visit next month. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has said the company eventually will need vehicle and battery manufacturing centers in Europe and Asia. Tesla is wrestling with production problems at its sole factory, in Fremont, California. It is trying to accelerate output of its new Model 3 sedan, but conceded earlier this month that production bottlenecks had held third-quarter production to just 260 vehicles, well short of the 1,500 previously planned. Clark: Secretary of Defence James Mattis said that curbing military threats from North Korea would be high on the agenda on his Asian tour this week, ahead of a visit by President Donald Trump. Tension has been high on the divided peninsula for months with Pyongyang staging its sixth nuclear test and launching two ICBMs that apparently brought much of the US mainland into range, while Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-un trade threats of war and personal insults. Mattis, on his way to the Philippines for security talks with Southeast Asian defence ministers, said he would discuss the "regional security crisis caused by reckless... North Korea" among other issues. At the forum, Mattis is also expected to hold three-way talks with his counterparts from South Korea and Japankey US allies in Asiabefore visiting Seoul for annual defence talks. "We will discuss... how we are going to maintain peace by keeping our militaries alert while our diplomatsJapanese, South Korean and USwork with all nations to denuclearise the Korean peninsula," Mattis told reporters on his aircraft. He stressed the international community's goal was to denuclearise the flashpoint region, adding: "There is only one country with nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula." Mattis' visit to Seoul comes ahead of Trump's first presidential trip to Asia next month, which also includes South Korea. All eyes will be on Trump's message to the isolated North. His recent remark that "only one thing will work" with North Korea fuelled concerns of a potential conflict. But even some Trump advisers say US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South Korean capital Seoul: Only around 50 kilometres from the heavily-fortified border and home to 10 million people. Moscow: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny walked free on Sunday after a 20-day jail term for organising protests against President Vladimir Putin. Navalny, who has declared his intention to stand for president in 2018, was released in a secret location in Moscow early Sunday to evade media attention. "Hi. I'm out," Navalny wrote on Instagram, posting a picture of himself on a street. A photographer working for his team later posted photographs of him meeting colleagues at the office of his anti-corruption foundation. During Navalny's time behind bars, the Kremlin race he hopes to contest has heated up with television star Ksenia Sobchak throwing in her hat. Navalny posted he was "ready to work" and later met supporters at a rally in the southern city of Astrakhan around 1,300 kilometres southeast of Moscow which was allowed to go ahead by the authorities. He told the 300 who gathered in the rain: "Do we need this kind of power that makes fun of us? No, and that's why I'm a candidate, the right candidate for Astrakhan." Navalny wrote jokingly that while in jail he had read 20 books, learnt a few words of the Kyrgyz language and drunk 80 litres (20 gallons) of tea. Earlier Sunday, supporters of Navalny hung a banner from a bridge close to the Kremlin reading: "It's time to get rid of Putin and time to elect Navalny." The charismatic 41-year-old lawyer informally launched a presidential bid in December last year and has since opened campaign offices and held rallies countrywide to consolidate supporters. Earlier this year he served sentences of 15 days and 25 days for organising unauthorised anti-Putin protests. During his latest jail term, his supporters held rallies on Putin's birthday on 7 October, with more than 270 detained nationwide. He has faced a constant stream of official bans on public meetings, as well violent attacks on him and his supporters and vandalism of his offices. During Navalny's latest period in isolation in a Moscow detention centre, another high-profile figure has joined the presidential race. Sobchak, a socialite and television star and the daughter of President Vladimir Putin's late mentor, launched her bid to stand on Wednesday. The presidential race has yet to officially begin and Putin has not yet declared his participation in the March 2018 election. However he is widely expected to seek and win a six-year term that would extend his rule till 2024. Sobchak has vowed to back Navalny's bid to be included in the race as electoral authorities say his suspended sentence for fraud makes him ineligible to stand until 2028. However, many liberals see her as a Kremlin-backed spoiler candidate brought in to give the race a veneer of opposition. Putin worked closely with her late father Anatoly Sobchak when he was a liberal St Petersburg mayor, and has acknowledged his importance as a mentor. Navalny has yet to comment on Sobchak's bid, but earlier condemned rumours of her possible candidacy, saying this was a "rather disgusting Kremlin game" and calling her a "liberal laughing stock." Sobchak, 35, calls herself "the candidate against all". Russian media focused on her past as host of a reality show called Dom-2, or House-2, where contestants have to form couples, as well as of modelling show Russia's Next Top Model. "She's going to work according to her profession at the elections: in order to turn non-contested presidential pseudo-polls into the biggest show of 2018," wrote Vedomosti business daily in a Friday editorial. Navalny sometimes shared a podium with Sobchak at mass rallies against Putin in 2011 and 2012. While he wowed crowds with punchy oratory, Sobchak faced a hostile audience who doubted her sudden backing of opposition causes. She paid a price for her opposition campaigning, however, losing lucrative television work, and now hosts a show on independent TV Dozhd, or Rain. Forbes' Russian edition estimates her net worth at $2.1 million. Sobchak is set to present her campaign to journalists in Moscow on Tuesday. Latest reports and analyses of Islamic State territory show liberation forces closing in on the militant caliphate, and it is believed that it's only a matter of days when the militant caliphate will be pushed out, at least out of Syria. On Sunday, within five days after the fall of Raqqa, the capital of Islamic State militant government, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces claimed to have captured the al-Omar oil field from Islamic State fighters on the eastern bank of Euphrates river, dealing a major blow to the militant caliphate which is already facing a constant decline in territory and income. Our forces managed to liberate the fields without notable damages, Lilwa al-Abdallah, spokeswoman for the offensive in Deir al-Zor province, was quoted as saying by Reuters. A statement by the SDF spokesperson on its website stated that some militants "have taken refuge in a neighborhood" adjacent to the oil field and that efforts are on to eliminate them. An unverified report claimed that the US coalition forces had to enter further into Islamic State territory, cross the Khabur River and liberate villages along the river before taking control of the oil field. If these reports are true, Islamic State seems more or less done in Syria and the remaining challenge for the liberation forces would be taking control of Islamic State territories along the Iraq-Syria border. Notably, if the advances are true, and there are several reports pointing at that, the conflict against Islamic state is likely to be concentrated in three major areas: Key battleground: Euphrates Valley and the desert in Deir al-Zor With the fall of Raqqa and now US-led forces taking control of Al-Omar oil field, the campaign against Islamic State in Syria is now concentrated in its last footholds a strip of the Euphrates valley and the desert in Deir al-Zor (also Deir ez-Zor), Reuters said. Animated GIF: maps of Raqqa campaign progress. City declared clear of ISIS on 17 October 2017 https://t.co/Dvs8hcEDlf pic.twitter.com/yPOafcCPFH Liveuamap MiddleEast (@lummideast) October 17, 2017 The fight in the oil-rich Deir-al-Zor province, however, is going to be crucial not just for Islamic State but also for both US- and Russia-supported forces competing to control as much of the province as possible. The Syrian army, with Russian air power and Iran-backed militias, has been waging its own offensive against Islamic State, mostly to the west of the river. According to latest reports, it is currently fighting the last few Islamic State militants in Deir al-Zor city. Once they are eliminated, the Islamic State territories in desert in Deir al-Zor and the Western and South banks of Euphrates river are likely to emerge as the main battleground. The US-supported alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias (which also includes SDF) is in a race against Russian-backed Syrian government troops to seize as much of the Deir al-Zor province bordering Iraq as possible. Al-Omar is located on the east bank of the Euphrates River in eastern Deir al-Zor bordering Iraq, and control over the oil field will play a strategic role in post-Islamic State negotiations. The SDF and allies are therefore likely to focus on territory east of the river, which bisects the oil-rich province of Deir al-Zor. They may push further east and focus on areas east of the Euphrates Valley (which are not under the Syrian Army's control) to maintain a strategic advantage. At present, the SDF is busy fighting jihadists holed up in buildings in a nearby district following the takeover of al-Omar oil field. Where does Islamic State stand now The self-styled "caliphate" declared on 29 June, 2014 across swathes of Iraq and Syria, controlled around 90,800 square kilometres in January 2015, but by June 2017, that number dropped to 36,200. Whereas, its average monthly revenue plummeted by 80 percent, from $81 million in the second quarter of 2015 to just $16 million in the second quarter of 2017, analysis firm IHS Markit, had said in June. In the first six months of 2017, Islamic State lost around 24,000 square kilometers of territory. At present, the jihadist outfit is boxed in with Kurdish forces closing in from North-West, Syrian Army from South-West and Iraqi govt forces from the East. But all forces battling Islamic State will have to remain vigilant even after they recapture the last militant-held territory. In some ways, they now face an even more daunting challenge. According to AP, Hisham Al Hashem, an Iraqi writer and analyst, estimates there remain 8,000 militants in Iraqs Anbar who will melt away like salt in water to wait for the right moment to launch their next insurgency or suicide attack. Islamic State affiliates continue to carry out swift attacks in Egypt and Libya, where the group gained a foothold and which could be its preferred theaters of retaliations. Before it broke away from Al-Qaeda and rebranded itself as the Islamic State Al-Qaeda in Iraq waged a years-long insurgency following the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, pushing the country to the brink of civil war. But most importantly, no one seems to be aware of the exact whereabouts of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, who according to an audio recording, urged his followers to burn their enemies everywhere and target media centres of the infidels. Russian officials said in June there was a high probability that Baghdadi had died in a Russian air strike on the outskirts of the Syrian city of Raqqa, the groups de facto capital. However, US officials later said they believed he was still alive. Baghdadis whereabouts is unknown but he is believed to be in Islamic States dwindling territory in eastern Syria. Uncertain future Even as the end of the Islamic State caliphate draws near, critics can't shed the fears of a repeat of the situation that actually led to its rise Iraq and Syria. According to an article in Washington Examiner, Iraq and Syria are faced with two main challenges, for which they must prepare: First, as the Islamic State grows weaker, it presents more opportunities for Iran to exert increasing pressure on Iraq prime minister Haider al-Abadi in order to ensure Sunni and Kurdish political blocs become second-tier players in Iraq's political future. "If Iran gets its way, it will plant the seed of a terrorist successor to the Islamic State," warns the report. Second, if the post-Islamic State Syria regime (which is supported by Iran) expands its assault on Syria's people, as well as half-dozen other sectarian fights, it could bring the nation back into a cycle of violence, causing further destruction to the region, which may eventually spread to the neighbouring countries as well. And to counter another Islamic State like situation, efforts to "counter Iranian malevolence in Baghdad must be given economic, military, and intelligence priority," advises the report. The fears of the author have merits. The rise of Islamic State and subsequent wars and alliances to bring about its defeat has given unprecedented clout to Kurdish populations in both countries, unsettling their central governments, as well as Iran and Turkey, both battling Kurdish separatists within their own borders. Under cover of the fight against Islamic State, Iraqs Kurds seized the oil-rich city of Kirkuk in 2014 a move Baghdad has now reversed, moving into the city, seizing oil fields and other infrastructure in an attempt to curb Kurdish aspirations for independence. The shifting and chaotic battlefields in Syrias civil war, tensions between Kurds and ethnic Arabs, the presence of Shiite militias and government troops in predominantly Sunni towns and cities vacated by Islamic State may lead to more violence. In many ways, the fight over Islamic State spoils and territories is only just beginning. While the liberation of Raqqa, the capital of Islamic State, is being seen as a jubilant moment in the fight to end the reign of the militant caliphate, at least in Syria, the remains of the war-torn Raqqa feel otherwise. With inputs from agencies Clark: The ASEAN defence ministers began their high-level security dialogue on Monday to discuss security issues, including counter-terrorism, drug trafficking and maritime conflicts, facing the region. They held a breakfast meeting before the formal opening of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) to specifically discuss the threat of violent extremism in the region, Xinhua quoted Arsenio Andolong, chief of the Department of the Philippine National Defence' Public Affairs Service, as saying. He said Malaysia initiated the breakfast meeting before the ADMM officially opened. The Philippines, chair of the ASEAN this year, is hosting the 11th ADMM and 4th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) that include eight of ASEAN's dialogue partners namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US. Philippine defence secretary Delfin Lorenzana said his nation will push several initiatives, including "a three-year work programme that will focus on streamlining, synergizing and rationalizing ADMM efforts", during the two-day meeting. The meeting hopes to come up "with frameworks for maritime interaction, education and training exchanges, aircraft encounters among others", he added. The ADMM, which is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in the ASEAN, aims to promote mutual trust and confidence through greater understanding of defence and security challenges as well as enhancement of transparency and openness among the 10 ASEAN member states - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The ADMM-Plus is a platform for the ASEAN Defence Ministers to engage their dialogue partners from Asia and the Pacific. Washington: President Donald Trump struggled to remember the name of the US soldier killed in an ambush in Niger when he called the man's widow for condolences, the woman told ABC on Monday. "Yes, the president said that he knew what he signed up for but it hurts anyways and I was it made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it," Myeshia Johnson, the widow of the late Sergeant La David Johnson, said on the Good Morning America TV programme. Trump "couldn't remember my husband's name," she said. "The only way he remembered my husband's name because he told me he had my husband report in front of him and that's when he actually said La David." Trump responded quickly via Twitter. "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!" he said. I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2017 The widow, who is pregnant with the couple's third child, said that she "heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband name and that hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risks his life for our country, why can't you remember his name?" That, she said, "made me upset and cry even more because my husband was an awesome soldier." Johnson was among four US soldiers killed in a jihadist ambush on 4 October in Niger, where Islamic State fighters have established a presence. The Miami native's body was returned home on 17 October. Buenos Aires: President Mauricio Macri's governing coalition won strong support in early results from congressional elections and appeared headed to its first legislative majority since he took office in 2015. Macri's Left-leaning predecessor in the presidency, Cristina Fernandez, won a Senate seat for her return to politics. Early returns pointed to victories for the governing centre-right coalition in most of Argentina's provinces, including Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Sante Fe and Mendoza, the four provinces with the biggest populations. Twenty-four of 72 Senate seats were at stake as were 127 seats in the 257-member lower Chamber of Deputies. With an eye towards a possible run in the 2019 presidential contest, Fernandez was assured election to the Senate even though her party came in second behind Macri's coalition. Two of the three Senate seats elected in the Buenos Aires region went to party with the most votes, while the third was reserved for the second-place party. Fernandez is fighting corruption allegations stemming from her eight-year term as president and a Senate seat would grant her immunity from prosecution. United Nations (United States): Myanmar's government has failed to meet its international obligations and protect Rohingya Muslims from the atrocities taking place in Rakhine state, two UN special advisers said Wednesday. The statement from the UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng, and the special adviser on the responsibility to protect, Ivan Simonovic, added the international response to the crisis was a failure. "Despite warnings issued by us and by many other officials, the government of Myanmar has failed to meet its obligations under international law and primary responsibility to protect the Rohingya population from atrocity crimes," said a joint statement. "The international community has equally failed its responsibilities in this regard," they added. Since late August more than 500,000 Rohingya have fled an army campaign in Myanmar's Rakhine state that the United Nations has denounced as ethnic cleansing. The UN Security Council has called on Myanmar to end military operations in Rakhine, grant access to aid workers and allow the safe return of the Rohingya refugees. The council however has not followed up its appeal with action such as imposing sanctions, a move diplomats said is opposed by China, a supporter of the Myanmar's former junta, and Russia. "Once again, our failure to stop atrocity crimes makes us complicit. When will we live up to our countless promises of never again?" the advisers asked. Myanmar authorities argue the military operations in Rakhine are to root out militants following attacks on police posts in late August. A recent report by the UN human rights office accused Myanmar of seeking to permanently expel the Rohingya, by planting land mines at the border with Bangladesh where the refugees are sheltering. UN rights officials spoke to refugees who gave accounts of soldiers surrounding homes and firing indiscriminately as residents ran for their lives, and of uniformed men gang-raping women and girls, some as young as five. "In some cases, before and during the attacks, megaphones were used to announce: 'You do not belong here -- go to Bangladesh. If you do not leave, we will torch your houses and kill you'," the report said. The UN's top political affairs official, Jeffrey Feltman, returned on Tuesday from five days of talks in Myanmar that failed to yield a breakthrough. Feltman is expected to report to the Security Council on his talks. London: The students at the prestigious Oxford University college where Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi studied have voted to remove her name from the title of their Junior Common Room for her inability to condemn severe human rights abuses against Rohingyas in Myanmar. Students of St Hugh's College on Thursday voted to remove the Nobel Peace Prize laureate's name from the junior common room with immediate effect. "Suu Kyi's inability to condemn the mass murder, gang rape and severe human rights abuses in Rakhine is inexcusable and unacceptable. She has gone against the very principles and ideals she had once righteously promoted," the college resolution read. "We must condemn Aung San Suu Kyi's silence and complicity on this issue and her condonation of the human rights offences is her own land," it notes. Suu Kyi had graduated from St. Hugh's in 1967 and was granted an honorary doctorate from the university in 2012. The JCR resolution by undergraduates at her former alma mater becomes the latest move against the de-facto leader of Myanmar by UK institutions to revoke honours bestowed upon her in the wake of the Rohingya crisis, which has displaced tens of thousands from their homes as they flee to safety across the border to Bangladesh. Last month, a portrait of the leader hanging prominently at the entrance of St Hugh's College was moved into storage. While the move was not overtly linked to the Rohingya crisis, it is widely believed that the allegations of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar were behind the decision to remove the portrait. At the beginning of this month, Oxford City Council voted unanimously in favour of revoking the Freedom of Oxford granted to Suu Kyi in 1997 for her "long struggle for democracy". A cross-party motion was unanimously passed by the council, which said it was "no longer appropriate" for her to hold the honour. The city council will hold a special meeting to confirm the honour is removed on 27 November. The City of London Corporation has also been debating revoking Suu Kyi's Honorary Freedom, bestowed upon her earlier this year. A Bangladeshi-origin corporation member, Munsur Ali, recently instructed the committee in charge of overseeing applications for honours to examine whether the honour could be removed. Kabul: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Monday to discuss Washington's new strategy with President Ashraf Ghani. Tillerson reiterated the US commitment to working with the Kabul government and regional partners "to achieve peace in Afghanistan and deny safe havens to terrorists who threaten that goal", said a US embassy statement posted on Twitter. The meeting took place at Bagram Airfield, America's largest base in Afghanistan, as the resurgent Taliban step up attacks on Afghan police and troops in response to the US strategy announced in August. "Clearly we have to continue to fight against the Taliban, against others, in order for them to understand they will never win a military victory," Tillerson told reporters after the meeting that was also attended by Afghan chief executive Abdullah Abdullah. It was Tillerson's first trip to Afghanistan as secretary of state and comes several weeks after US defence secretary Jim Mattis also paid an unannounced visit. The closed-door talks covered Ghani's reform programme, his anti-corruption strategy and preparations for parliamentary elections due to take place next year. US President Donald Trump "has declared that we are here to stay until we can secure a process of reconciliation and peace", Tillerson said, adding: "It's not an unlimited commitment." Tillerson's unannounced visit follows one of the bloodiest weeks in Afghanistan in recent memory, with more than 200 people killed in multiple attacks on security installations and mosques across the country. A spokesman for the militants told AFP last week the attacks were "a clear message... the enemy who thought they had scared us with the new Trump strategy have now been given a lesson". The Taliban have been rampant since the withdrawal of NATO combat forces at the end of 2014. Trump has cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops in an open-ended commitment and there has been a surge in US airstrikes, but the insurgency has only intensified. Militants fired several rockets into Kabul on Monday morning but there were no casualties. During Mattis's visit last month Taliban militants fired multiple rockets towards the city's international airport in an attack that killed one person and wounded 11 others. Tillerson is due to fly to Pakistan on Tuesday where he will pressure Islamabad to take action on the support Taliban and other "terrorist organisations" receive in the country. Islamabad needed to "take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they are confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organisations that find safe haven inside" the country, he told reporters, according to a pool report. "We want to work closely (with) Pakistan to create a more stable and secure Pakistan as well," Tillerson said. Washington: America's relationship with India is of strategic importance which is not limited to South Asia, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. Tillerson, who paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan, said the Trump administration was of the view that India can play a positive role in creating a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. "They already are providing important economic activitycreating jobswhich is important for the future Afghanistan. And we think they we want to encourage that as well. We think they can be a very positive influence on creating the right environment for the future in Afghanistan," he said. "I think, our view of the relationship with India is one that's of strategic importance not just for this specific region, but in the context of that speech it was about a free and open Indo-Pacific region stretching all the way from Japan to India," Tillerson told reporters at the Bagaram Air Force Base on his arrival for his maiden visit to South Asia. He was responding to a question on his major India policy speech last week in which he sought broader goals for India-US relationship. In addition to Afghanistan, Trump is scheduled to travel to Pakistan and India during his current trip to South Asia. He said during his visit to Pakistan he would discuss with the Pakistani officials the role of India in Afghanistan. "Thats certainly something well be talking about during the visit tomorrow," he said. Doha: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson took the Trump administration's case for isolating and containing Iran in the Middle East and beyond to two Gulf Arab nations, pushing for Saudi Arabia and Iraq to unite to counter growing Iranian assertiveness. He also called for a quick resolution to the ongoing crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbours, which he said was unintentionally bolstering Iran. In Saudi Arabia and later Qatar, Tillerson denounced Iran's "malign behaviour" and urged nations of the region and elsewhere, notably Europe, to join the administration to halt any business they do with Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps. He also demanded that Iranian and Iran-backed Shiite militia in Iraq either return to their homes, integrate into the Iraqi army or leave the country. "Those fighters need to go home," Tillerson said. "Any foreign fighters need to go home." In Riyadh for the inaugural meeting of the Saudi Arabia-Iraq Coordination Council, a vehicle that US officials believe can wean Iraq from Iran, Tillerson told Saudi King Salman and Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi that the nascent partnership between their countries held great promise for Iraq's reconstruction after devastating battles to wrest territory from the Islamic State group and its independence from foreign influence. "We believe this will in some ways counter some of the unproductive influences of Iran inside of Iraq," he said at a news conference with Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir after the council meeting. Tillerson said countries outside of the region could also play a role, primarily by shunning the Revolutionary Guards, which play a major role in Iran's economy and were added to a US terrorism blacklist earlier this month. Companies and countries that do business with the guards "really do so at great risk," he said. "We are hoping that European companies, countries and others around the world will join the US as we put in place a sanctions structure to prohibit certain activities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that foment instability in the region and create destruction in the region," Tillerson said. At the council meeting, Tillerson praised the Saudi king and Abadi for the August reopening of a major border crossing and the resumption of direct flights between Riyadh and Baghdad last week. "Both represent the beginning of what we hope will be a series of even more tangible actions to improve relations and strengthen cooperation on a host of issues," he said. "Your growing relationship between the kingdom and Iraq is vital to bolstering our collective security and prosperity and we take great interest in it." His participation in the meeting comes as US officials step up encouragement of a new axis that unites Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a bulwark against Iran's growing influence from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. Amid the push for that alliance, the Iraqi government is struggling to rebuild recently liberated Islamic State strongholds and confronts a newly assertive Kurdish independence movement. Bangladesh has been struggling with a humanitarian crisis ever since Rohingya Muslims started fleeing the crackdown by the Myanmar army on 25 August. According to The Independent, Bangladesh at present holds at least 6,00,000 Rohingya refugees in several camps across the Chittagong division. Children face the brunt Living in dire conditions, at least 3,40,000 Rohingya children, who constitute around 58 percent of the total refugee population, are living without proper access to food, water and healthcare, a UNICEF report noted. "In its full dimension, this is a humanitarian crisis. For each child, it is a catastrophe," the UNCEF report said. The report added that at least one in five Rohingya children is malnourished and requires medical attention, says the UN body. The UNICEF report also said that these children were highly exposed to infectious diseases, IANS quoted a Efe news report. In a sense its no surprise that they must truly see this place as a hell on earth, said Simon Ingram, UNICEF official and author of the report, titled 'Outcast and Desperate: Rohingya refugee children face a perilous future.' Humanitarian crisis in camps Bangladesh, already one of the most densely populated countries in the world, now holds the largest number of Rohingya Muslims outside the country. In 2012 too, Rohingya Muslims fled persecution and as many as 2,00,000 of them entered Bangladesh. According to Ingram, the situation at the Cox's Bazaar refugee camp, one of the largest in Bangladesh, is fraught with despair, misery and indescribable suffering. While Ingram explained that the main danger of infectious diseases has been mitigated with the vaccination campaign against cholera, measles and polio, he adds that much remains to be done to tackle these risks. He added that the situation worsened with the lack of Clean drinking water as these children consume only contaminated water, which is another main source of infection. UNICEF needs additional funding During a meeting in Geneva, the UNICEF asked for a sum of $434 million for a massive emergency aid to Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh, Time reported. According to the UN, the refugee crisis is complex, adding that its food programme needs at least $77 million to help these refugees. Time reported that the UN World Food Programme requires an additional $54 million to maintain its food supplies till February next year. In its bid to garner funds for emergency services, the UNICEF launched $76.1 million appeal, which covers the immediate needs of newly arrived Rohingya children, as well as those who arrived before the recent influx, and children from vulnerable host communities: 720,000 children in all. However, till date, the appeal is only seven percent funded, the report said. In a step which may ease the refugee burden on Bangladesh, Turkey on Monday said that it would take care of at least 2,00,000 Rohingya refugees. The announcement came in the backdrop of Turkey's pledge to build 24,000 shelters for 1,00,000 refugees, BDNews24 reported. In the past, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have also said that they would help Rohingya Muslims either in terms of aid or giving them refuge. However, the number of refugees in these countries is negligible when compared to Bangladesh. Bangladesh asks for India's help Bangladesh's latest humanitarian crisis is significant as it is not a signatory to the 1951 UN convention on refugees. While on one hand Bangladesh has repeatedly urged Myanmar to take back the refugees, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 7 October said her government would continue to support nearly 1 million Rohingya Muslims who have fled neighbouring Myanmar to escape violence. Hasina said the government was pursuing a plan to build temporary shelters for the Rohingya on an island with the help of international aid agencies whom she praised for their support. Bangladesh has turned towards India to help ease the refugee burden. While India has been asking Myanmar to take back the refugees in Bangladesh, the Modi government has refrained from speaking open on the ongoing violence in the Rakhine state. This is unlike Bangladesh, which has criticised Myanmar government for tensions at the border. Hasina asked the countrys security forces to deal with the crisis very carefully. They pretended they wanted a war, she said while referring to the Myanmar army. Bangladesh has asked India to pitch for a greater Indian role in containing the influx of Rohingya Muslims escaping violence in Myanmar, saying the issue may not be directly affecting India now, but it may have an impact in future. Bangladesh's High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali said the "fire in the neighbourhood" has the potential to engulf the entire region and it would be prudent for India to act in "mutual interest". "It is a fire in our neighbourhood and before it engulfs in the entire region it needs to be put out. They (the refugees) are vulnerable to all sorts of radicalisation and it is in our mutual advantage to work together," Ali told reporters at the Foreign Correspondents' Club on last Tuesday. Bangladesh's statement had come just days before Sushma Swaraj's two-day visit to the country on Sunday. With inputs from agencies Shinzo Abe's landslide electoral win comes at an important time in Asian geopolitics and is likely to mark an inflection point in Japan's bilateral relationship with India. No Japanese premier has invested so much in institutionalising the ties, and no Indian prime minister before Narendra Modi has reciprocated with so much gusto. The reasons behind firming up of the ties just became stronger. No sooner did Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its allies win 'super majority' (two-third) in the lower house of Japan's Parliament that Modi congratulated his counterpart in both English and Japanese. The formalities carried an unmistakable note of warmth. Heartiest greetings to my dear friend @AbeShinzo on his big election win. Look forward to further strengthen India-Japan relations with him. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 23, 2017 Abe may become Japan's longest-serving premier if he runs and wins a third term to lead his party in next year's polls. Modi will be fervently hoping that Abe does so, because it would clearly be beneficial for India. The leaders enjoy good personal chemistry, have a similar style of leadership, broad ideological convergence and have been wise enough to focus on the geopolitical, economic and strategic dovetailing of interests to take the relationship forward. In doing so, both leaders were staying true to the moorings of these two ancient civilizations. A strong note of civilisational and cultural connect permeates the relationship. From the Indian monk, Bodhisena, who performed the consecration of Budhha's statue in Todaji Temple in 752 AD to Rabindranath Tagore, JRD Tata or Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's connection with Japan, as an Ministry of External Affairs document says, "throughout the various phases of history since civilizational contacts between India and Japan began some 1400 years ago, the two countries have never been adversaries. Bilateral ties have been singularly free of any kind of dispute ideological, cultural or territorial." Abe has added a personal connect to this civilisational framework. He has promised to remain a "friend of India forever", just as his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, the then prime minister of Japan, pledged eternal friendship with India six decades ago before Jawaharlal Nehru. It's unclear whether Modi will acknowledge Nehru's contribution in firming up the ties but as a prime minister distinctly aware of the importance of the bilateral relationship, Modi has moved fast to institutionalise it. The Malabar exercisewhich serves as a fulcrum of India's maritime engagement with the US and Japan and is crucial for maintaining a rules-based order in the Indian Ocean and the broader Asia-Pacific Regionfell prey to Chinese bullying tactics when India decided to restrict it as a bilateral affair with the US for seven years since 2008 due to Beijing's "annoyance". In showing huge amount of unreciprocated respect towards Chinese sensitivities, India undermined Japan and poured cold water over the concept of maritime quadrilateral (the quad, also involving Australia)a loose strategic deterrence to check China's aggressive revanchism over South China Sea. One of Modi's first jobs since becoming prime minister was to invite Japan in the joint naval exercise. As Professor Harsh V Pant notes in The Diplomat, "The level of strategic convergence between Delhi and Tokyo can be gauged from the fact in 2014, India invited the Japanese Navy to participate in the annual Malabar exercises with the US Navy in the Pacific waters, reviving an earlier practice of joint India-US-Japan trilateral exercises... After China made its displeasure clear, India refused to be a part of these exercises from 2008. With the coming of Modi government, Japans participation in Malabar has been institutionalised." Japan's participation in 2015 naval drills involving India and the US drew an expectedly sharp response from China. Global Times, China's Communist Party mouthpiece, in a 2015 editorial accused India of inviting "unnecessary speculation" that "Washington and New Delhi are considering turning Japan into a permanent partner" and "the trilateral drill is targeted at China." Strategic compulsions was the chief reason behind Modi's move to include Japan in the trilateral naval drill. But it wasn't the only reason. Diversifying partners in the Indo-Pacific to hedge against Chinese dominance, at the risk of drawing China's ire, lies at the core of Modi's nationalist politics and it is here that both leaders have a huge convergence of ideas. Abe's resounding win has been variously interpreted as an opportunistic result for an unpopular leader who profited from Opposition's missteps but such an analysis, while not totally inaccurate, undermines the primary reason behind his victory. In North Korea's threats of nuclear warfare against US allies, Abe tapped into the insecurity of voters and placed himself as the man best placed to safeguard Japanese citizens. Abe also exploited the confusion created by Donald Trump whose transactional brand of politics raises questions about US fidelity towards its allies and keeps them on edge. For instance, voters such as 38-year-old Natsuyo Kobayashi in Tokyo told The New York Times, The L.D.P. (Abe's party) has been serving such a long time and knows what to do And I think Japan should become a country that can protect itself with amending the constitution. Missiles have been flying over, but I dont think the US will actually come to protect us." The debate about amending the constitution and formalising the role of Japanese Armya huge issue in pacifist Japanstems from that insecurity. Abe wasted no time in sending across his message after sealing victory. In a news conference on Monday, he vowed to "dramatically show counter-measures against the North Korea threat" and along with US and other world powers, would exert "stronger pressure" on North Korea to ensure that "Japanese public is safe, and safeguard our nation." As these "strong leaders" emerge in different parts of the world, this is where Abe and Modi connect the most. Both have carefully created an image of "protector" and "keeper"all macho male signifiersand naturally enjoy huge interpersonal dynamics bypassing and/or cutting through institutional impediments. Modi and Trump do so by bringing their physicality into the equation (a bear hug or a white-knuckle handshake). The Modi-Abe hugs, for instance, became a huge talking point and generated a spate of discussions. As long as their association and mutual admiration brings the countries closer and tightens the strategic embrace, India would want to see Abe continue as Japanese prime minister for another term. Dhaka: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday met former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia and said India wants to see the upcoming election in Bangladesh to be "participatory and credible", the main opposition party BNP said on Sunday. Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which had boycotted the 2014 general election, currently holds no representation in the Bangladesh Parliament. The party has been demanding fresh elections under a non-party caretaker government. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League had swept the 2014 election and rejected BNP's demand for fresh elections. "She (Swaraj) said India expects that the polls will be fair... with participation of all parties," BNP's secretary general Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said after Zia's meeting with Swaraj at Hotel Sonargaon where she is staying during her two-day visit. The talks lasted for 45 minutes during which Swaraj said that being the next-door neighbour, India wanted to see a continued democratic process in Bangladesh. "On behalf of the BNP, several issues related to our politics and elections scheduled for next year were highlighted during the meeting," Alamgir said. A BNP delegation led by Zia met Swaraj after her courtesy call on Prime Minister Hasina. Zia, who was accompanied by several party leaders, did not have any one-to-one talks with Swaraj. It is said that the BNP is known for its anti-India stance in the country and has been trying to brand the ruling Awami League as a "pro-India" party in a bid to take mileage in domestic politics. When we hear about integrity especially the lack of it what comes to mind? Many of us would think first of politicians. On both sides of the aisle. Neither side has cornered the market on this dismal deficiency. We also hear of scandals in the business world, so wed have to add top executives to the list. Sadly, some members of the law enforcement profession get failing grades when it comes to integrity. This list could go on, but clearly, integrity should appear prominently on the endangered species list.The question is, what is integrity? Consulting the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, I found several definitions: 1) Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values. 2) An unimpaired condition. 3) The quality or state of being complete or undivided.I have no quarrel with any of those definitions, and have also appreciated this very practical perspective on integrity: Who you are and what you do when no one is looking. Recently, however, I heard a definition that hits home when we consider the depths to which everyday integrity has fallen.As speaker and writer Dr. David Jeremiah defines it, Integrity is keeping a commitment after the circumstances in which the commitment was made have changed.Getting back to politicians, it seems we see this in action every day. They make bold campaign promises, yet once in office renege on their commitments. Either they never intended to keep those promises, or circumstances have changed so they feel free to disavow or compromise on their commitments.In the work world, we see this as well: Commitments are made to secure a sale or win a contract, or assurances for professional advancement are given, yet later those commitments are forgotten after circumstances have changed.But integrity isnt a matter that applies only to people responsible for major decisions. Our own integrity hangs in the balance every day.A simple example is what happens on the wedding day. A man and woman vow their love and eternal devotion to each other before God, attendees at the wedding, and everyone who views their beautiful video capturing the special moment. And yet, statistically half of all marriages end in divorce, even among professed followers of Christ. Why? One big reason is simply that circumstances have changed. Yes, we said, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, richer or poorer, but we didnt know it would get this worse!A parent promises to take Johnny or Joanie on a much-anticipated outing, but when the day finally arrives, they cancel because a pressing matter has come up. Then they further damage their integrity in the childs mind by making another commitment they probably wont keep.Someone asks us for help over the weekend and we promise to do so. Or someone asks us to meet them for lunch and we agree, setting the time and place. When asked, we had nothing conflicting. Then a better, more appealing opportunity comes about and we beg off the commitment with an excuse were not feeling well, we forgot we had made a prior commitment, or some other rationalization.Were approached to give financial support, perhaps to a missionary or an important church project, and make a promise to give. Later, however, circumstances change so we either cancel the commitment or drastically reduce it.We see a powerful example of the latter in the book of Acts, when a couple named Ananias and Sapphira committed to sell property they had and give all the proceeds to support followers of Christ in their city. With his wifes full knowledge, [Ananias] kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles feet (Acts 5:1-2).The passage doesnt explain why they did that. Maybe the property sold for more than they anticipated. Ananias and Sapphira reasoned they would still give what they had promised and keep the surplus for themselves. No one would be the wiser, right? The problem was, God knew. His response was drastic and dramatic. He took their lives, not because they hadnt given the propertys full value, but because they had lied about giving the full amount.Even in the early days of the Church, the Lord was underscoring the high importance of integrity. As Proverbs 11:3 declares, The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.God demands that we be truthful and wholehearted in our commitments. Jesus said, as one translation expressed Matthew 5:37, But let your word 'yes be 'yes,' and your 'no be 'no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one. In other words, Hes saying, If youre not willing to keep a commitment, dont make it in the first place. But if you make a vow or a promise, I expect you to fulfill it even if the conditions in which you made it have changed.As were tempted to condemn politicians, business leaders, entertainers and others for their lack of integrity, maybe we need to take an honest look in the mirror. We cant control the integrity of their actions, but we are responsible for our own.----Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor and magazine editor. Bob has written hundreds of magazine articles, and authored, co-authored and edited more than 15 books. These include the newly re-published, Business At Its Best, Tufting Legacies, The Heart of Mentoring, and Pursuing Life With a Shepherds Heart. He edits a weekly business meditation, Monday Manna, which is translated into more than 20 languages and distributed via email around the world by CBMC International. To read more of Bob Tamasys writings, you can visit his blog, www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com, or his website (now being completed), www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com. He can be emailed at btamasy@comcast.net. The Taliban and their sponsors seem to be making a statement written in letters of blood. The violence during last week has been horrific even by Afghan standards, where suicide bombings and Afghans killing Afghans have ceased being news. However, not only the Taliban but the rather amorphous Islamic State of Khorasan which is the Afghan chapter of the Islamic state have outdone themselves in showcasing the ease with which they can commit havoc across the country. Over the last seven days, there have been seven severe attacks in six different parts of Afghanistan, causing casualties in triple digits. All of the attacks were against the security forces, with the most serious against the police. The most recent killed 15 cadets from the United States-funded Marshal Fahim Military School located on the outskirts of Kabul city. While one source reported a Taliban claim of the attack, this has yet to be uploaded on the Taliban website, even though it did claim another attack in Shindand on the same day. Clearly, careful thought is being given to what is claimed in the group's name and what is not as part of a carefully thought out military strategy, that is being implemented days before the visit of US defence secretary Rex Tillerson to Pakistan. There is little doubt that there is a clear and expert military hand on the tiller of Afghan strategy. Firstly, their attacks methods have improved vastly, accounting for a 35 percent spike in casualties of security forces according to United States sources. The first use of stolen American Humvees was seen in early 2016, when they tried ineffectually to enter a police camp in Helmand. Later, Taliban tactics changed to one that sought to deliberately capture enemy equipment during raids. By the end of the year, broad estimates of the number of Humvees and Ranger pick up trucks that had vanished into Taliban hands had reached nearly a hundred. It did not take long for their attacks to weave in the Humvees to the greatest effect. On 19 October, Taliban forces stormed an army unit in Maiwand, and virtually destroyed the camp, killing almost the entire unit of 60. Available reporting indicates that an explosive loaded Humvee was used to enter the camp, and probably one more car bomb. The tactic was a repeat of an attack on Paktia two day earlier against a police camp, which killed 41 policemen and the Provincial police chief. The Humvee has since become a favourite vehicle. Not only does it make an excellent cover for Taliban dressed in Afghan army uniforms, it creates a rain of shrapnel following a blast. The fact that an American vehicle is used to wreak havoc is a good addition to flaunt to the media. A second instance therefore of a fine military hand at work is in terms of Taliban media management. Unlike the Islamic State, the Taliban once used to destroy cell phone towers, and claimed their attacks through spokespersons, sometimes through a telephone, or through the radio. But that's all in the past. Their website is slick, as are the videos of their prowess, often refuting Afghan government claims to a ludicrous degree. Cell phone towers are no longer targeted, but used skillfully, with cadres uploading their own videos during an attack while directing towers in the vicinity to stop their signals. This means that the only information to come out of the area is from Taliban sources. Another instance was during the Maiwand attack, when a drone was used to film the whole episode, to showcase Taliban military prowess. The thumbing of the nose to the United States was also consistent. An earlier video showed a Taliban fighter driving around in a Humvee, and obviously having a great time. There is still, however, a 'split personality' quality about Taliban propaganda and media strategy. At one level, their claims continue to be couched in ornate language, reminiscent of period Soviet handouts. On the other is the directed use of cell phone videos and drone footage to send a message. The latter comes out from studios in Pakistan, and the directing hand is therefore clear. The third instance of direction as part of a strategy is the announcement of the holding of a meeting Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) shortly after the visit of Pakistan army chief Qamar Bajwa to Kabul. The QCG, which is made up of the United States, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, held its first meeting in January 2016 with the avowed intent of ensuring an "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" peace process. Shorn of the diplomatese, the objective was to get Pakistan to deliver the Taliban for negotiations. A revival of this forum just after the announcement of the new United States' Afghan strategy is hardly a matter of chance. The group met in Oman, where it decided to pursue a strategy of "communication, ceasefire and peace talks". It would also form committees for these purposes, and also to work to bring in the Taliban into talks at 'neutral locations'. Yet another meeting is scheduled to discuss Taliban pre-conditions, which include recognition of its office in Doha. In South Asian parlance, the forming of committees is usually a bureaucratic ruse to delay and fuddle the actual issue to the advantage of the particular bureaucracy involved. In this case, of course, it is Pakistan's military and foreign policy bureaucracy which has to deliver. So, the QCG essentially buys time for the Pakistan military to work itself as usual into a US strategy, and then turn it to advantage for itself, while the foreign office uses its not so inconsiderable expertise to convince foreign interlocutors. While Trump has been at the receiving end of media gibes, the fact remains that the US government as a whole has now considerable experience of Afghanistan and the Pakistani tactics involved. The problem, however, is that while Pakistani intentions remain unchanged, and indeed have been consistent for more than thirty years, the US strategy has shifted even in the time of a single administration from persuasion, bribery and the threats. The trick is to stay the course, and keep the pressure up, an issue that is likely to be difficult at a time of a somewhat mercurial president. The Pakistanis may be right on their evaluation of the United States and its leadership. However, the Trump Presidency has also shown a willingness to use force. The last one in Afghanistan now known as the "Mother of all Bombs" was only a few miles away from Pakistani land. That's a message that Pakistan could understand, even if they refuse to recognise it just yet. Berlin: Thousands of demonstrators marched Sunday in Berlin, in protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany's debut in parliament next week. Bearing posters with slogans like "Stop AfD", "My voice against incitement" or "My heart beats for diversity", the demonstrators rallied two days before AfD lawmakers will join other MPs at the first sitting of Germany's newly-elected parliament. The Islamophobic and anti-migrant AfD garnered 12.6 percent of the vote in the watershed general election in September and became the country's third biggest party. Its arrival in the Bundestag is a political earthquake for post-war Germany, as the AfD's top figures have repeatedly smashed taboos with their claims on German identity or by challenging Germany's culture of atonement over World War II. But the party proved appealing to voters angry with Chancellor Angela Merkel's border policy, which allowed more than one million asylum seekers into the country since 2015. Calling on people to join the protest on Sunday, the popular movement Campact urged Germans to "steal the show from the AfD". "When the AfD sits in the Bundestag for the first time on 24 October, it needs to know that our parliament is not a stage for racism, discrimination and falsifying history!" said Campact. Teacher Annette Saidler acknowledged at the protest that "it's now too late" to stop the AfD from entering parliament. "We can't do anything other than demonstrate, to say that there are still many people who did not vote for the AfD." Another protester, 25-year-old university student Bastian Schmidt said he was at the demonstration to "call on parliamentary parties to protest in parliament against the AfD". "But above all, the people who are here, wherever they are in their daily lives - in schools, universities or companies - must fight against racism," said Schmidt, who turned up with a group of like-minded schoolmates. Washington: The Donald Trump administration wants India to help strengthen Afghanistan's capacities and institutions so that the war-torn country can take on a resurgent Afghan Taliban based in neighbouring Pakistan, a senior US official has said. "Where the help is needed by India primarily is in areas of ensuring that Afghanistan can be strengthened as a state, that the state can be hardened and strengthened against any regenerative capacity of the Taliban which lies mainly across the border in Pakistan," said the official. The official was responding to a question on India's contribution in bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the new Afghan and South Asia policy announced by Trump in August. India's focus of assistance has mainly been on the developmental side, which the United States wants to continue and accelerate further. "India is helping Afghanistan by helping the Afghan people. India has done a great deal of work to help Afghanistan in the area of water management for example," They've also helped foster some important industries that will lead to economic growth and employment in particular. The construction sector is another area where it does help tremendously," the official said. And as such, any help India can do here in those areas of economic development would be of great help, he said. Ideas and help in connection with working on solving the problem of the narcotics trade would be particularly helpful as well, he added. The United States, he said, is doing a lot. "But as the president has said that he hopes others will share responsibilities and help share burdens to get Afghanistan on the path to enduring security, stability, economic growth, and reduction of dependence on international assistance. And that help can be in the areas of institutional reform for example as well," the official said. All these are aligned with Afghan president Ashraf Ghani's initiatives. "I'm confident that he would welcome any assistance that India could give and in those areas," the official said. Responding to a question on India-United States counter-terrorism cooperation in Afghanistan, the official said, "our work in the defence sector in Afghanistan is really not the priority". The United States wants to ensure that Afghanistan gains the security gains even as the US and the coalition have the lead in assisting Afghanistan's security sector and enabling the fight against the Taliban and the Haqqani network and other terrorist organisations on Afghan territory, he said. Washington: The US wants Myanmar to set conditions for the return of Rohingya Muslims as it believes that this "humanitarian catastrophe" can be used by some as a way to foment hatred along religious lines and then violence, a senior Trump administration official has said. Nearly 6,00,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since late August to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State where the army has launched a crackdown against militants. Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country. "It is a very significant humanitarian and security concern. Because there are those who will use this humanitarian catastrophe as a way to foment hatred along religious lines and then violence," the senior administration official told PTI. "So, it's important for Myanmar to do more, to set conditions for the return of refugees," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. As such it is important for the international communities do everything they can to alleviate the tremendous humanitarian suffering and to ensure that basic services, including education for children are met. Meanwhile, the US government on Sunday announced to have provided nearly $40 million in life-saving emergency assistance in direct response to the Rakhine State crisis since 25 August. This brings the total US humanitarian assistance in 2017 to the displaced in Myanmar and the region to nearly $104 million, the State Department said. The US assistance goes to its international organisation partners on the ground, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The organisations helps in providing protection, emergency shelter, food and nutritional assistance, as well as health care and psychosocial support for the more than half a million displaced refugees in Myanmar, Bangladesh and the region. "We applaud Bangladesh's government generosity in responding to this severe humanitarian crisis and appreciate its continued efforts to ensure assistance reaches people in need," the department said. Welcoming Myanmar's commitment in bringing long-term peace and stability to Rakhine State by implementing the recommendations of the Kofi Annan-led Special Advisory Commission report, the department in a statement called for an immediate end of the violence in northern Rakhine State and for the Myanmar's government to allow refugees to return home voluntarily, safely and with dignity. Tripoli (Lebanon): From the street below it's easy to miss the workers daubing rooftops as part of an ambitious art project in two battle-scarred neighbourhoods of Lebanon's Tripoli. But the Ashekman street art duo behind the project say that once they're done, the pistachio-green rooftops they are painting will spell out the word "salam" -- Arabic for "peace" -- on a scale visible from space. The project, three years in the making, is the brainchild of 34-year-old twins Mohamed and Omar Kabbani. They researched and rejected multiple locations in their native Lebanon before settling on Tripoli. They chose a site spanning the Bab al-Tebbaneh and Jabal Mohsen neighbourhoods, which have fought successive rounds of armed clashes in recent years. "We jumped from one location to another and finally we decided to do it here in Tripoli, specifically in Bab al-Tebbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, an area that has been in conflict," said Omar Kabbani. "We're painting the word 'salam' across 85 building rooftops over 1.3 kilometres... to convey that people here are peaceful," he said. "And Lebanon in general, we want peace." From bullets to brushes Peace has been elusive in Sunni-majority Bab al-Tebbaneh and the adjacent Alawite-majority Jabal Mohsen. Fighters from the two areas have battled each other periodically for decades, and the war in neighbouring Syria, pitting a Sunni-dominated uprising against Alawite President Bashar al-Assad, has further stirred existing enmities. The clashes have gouged hundreds of bullet holes into building facades, while mortar fire has blasted through walls, rendering some homes uninhabitable. Fighting between the neighbourhoods has eased in the last two years, but photos of those killed in the most recent violence remain plastered across both areas. Ashekman's project runs on either side of the infamous Syria Street separating the two neighbourhoods. The duo hired workers from across the divide to help them complete the project. "All of the workers live here in the neighbourhood, they lived the conflict, some of them got shot," Omar Kabbani said. "Two years ago they were hiding from bullets... now they're painting their rooftops proudly." The brothers are sensitive to the observation that their project does little to address the most obvious scars of fighting or the area's desperate poverty, often identified as a catalyst of the violence. They say they chose paint that will seal rooftops against rain and reflect ultra-violet rays, cooling the homes below. And in order to paint the rooftops, they had to negotiate with residents and often had to clear large amounts of trash and debris. "It took us around 10 days just to remove all the garbage on the rooftops," said Kabbani. "With the garbage came a couple of rats, and we fought with some rats. It wasn't an easy task," he said, laughing. 'Peace, a great word' Walid Abu Heit, 29, joined the project as a painter after hearing about it from March, a Lebanese NGO that has worked on reconciliation and rehabilitation in the rival neighbourhoods. He was born in Bab al-Tebbaneh and worked at a dairy, but lost his job after violence erupted. "It was very difficult when fighting broke out," he said. "Darkness engulfed the neighbourhood. People stopped coming here." He and other workers lugged heavy tubs of paint up seven floors and began plastering a roof with the fluorescent green, which flecked his hands and boots. "It's an amazing project," he said, smiling and shading his eyes from the blazing sun. "The word peace, it's a great word... we haven't seen it for a long time, now we're seeing it again." This performance was part of the the 2014 New Year's Gala - also known as the Spring Festival Gala. 'Tianzu' literally means 'Heavenly Foot' in Chinese. Flixxy editors search the internet daily, to find the very best videos for you: SELECTION: From over 300,000 videos uploaded to YouTube daily, we select only a few videos to be added to the site daily. PG RATING: Flixxy videos and comments are all PG rated. They are "Safe For All Ages" and "Safe For Work". Our content is uplifting. SELECTED START AND END POINTS: Many of Flixxys videos start late or end early. We skip lengthy introductions and get to the point. CONCISE CAPTION AND DESCRIPTION: We don't use "click-bait." Your time is valuable, so we distill the information down to what you want to know. The Cleveland Cowboy Church will host two live music events this weekend. The Cowboy Gospel Jubilee welcomes back HeartStrings to the CG Jubilee stage on Friday. Christian country recording artist and songwriter Wade Hammond will perform during the 11 a.m. worship hour on Sunday. HeartStrings has headlined the show on several occasions since the CG Jubilee opened its doors in the fall of 2010. They play a mix of Southern Gospel music with strong harmony accompanied by a band of string musicians. Review for Wade Hammond: Winner of the 2015 Inspirational Country Music Male Vocalist of the Year and nominated 2016 ICM Entertainer of the Year and Music Evangelist of the Year with 11 other national nominations, Wade Hammond is an award-winning Christian Nashville recording artist/songwriter. He has earned three No. 1 hits on the Official Inspirational Country Music Charts Nashville Bitter Harvest (Jul 2012) Ill Stand Up For The Cross (Mar 2013) Dont Forget to Pray (Sept 2015). During 2014 Wade was in the Mainstream Country Charts at No. 12 with She Loves Me Lord. His music can be heard on Pandora, Amazon Alexa, Christian, Country, Sirus/XM, Jango, Radio Airplay, iHeartRadio and many other internet radio stations. Wade has been in full time ministry for 22 years, traveling the U.S. to follow his passion for reaching people for Jesus Christ with music and speaking. Wade will be fresh off an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville, as one of the artist celebrating the career of the legendary Ralph Stanley in The Dr. Ralph Stanley Forever Tribute. The Cleveland Cowboy Church is in the Dockery Heights community at 3040 Blythe Road, off Dockery Lane, between Blue Springs and Blackburn Roads. Admission is free and a love offering is taken for the headliners. For directions or more information about the Cowboy Gospel Jubilee visit ClevelandCowboyChurch.com. Lees Department of Language and Literature recently local middle and high school students for a viewing and discussion of the film The Book Thief. Directed by Dr. Donna Summerlin, professor of English at Lee, the event welcomed a number of middle and high school students, local educators, parents, and Lee student volunteers. Im very grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with area teachers and schools in providing this event for students, said Dr. Summerlin. It is gratifying indeed to see younger students who engage with the film and participate enthusiastically in the discussion groups. Participants gathered from Bradley Central High School, Cleveland High School, East Hamilton High School, Girls Preparatory School of Chattanooga, Silverdale Baptist, Tennessee Christian Preparatory School, and Walker Valley High School. Dr. Summerlins Young Adult Literature students assisted in coordinating the evenings activities. They prepared questions and discussion prompts relating to the book and film version of The Book Thief, ranging from general reader response to text-to-film changes. The film night was impactful not only to the local students who attended, but to me as a future educator, said Kaylin Gaylord, junior English education major. It gave me a creative space to share my passion for literature and film with young students, who in turn, hopefully will look at film adaptations of books in a new way. Being able to spend face-to-face time with students is always special to me. The Book Thief tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old German girl who is given up by her mother to live with foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the small town of Molching in 1939, shortly before World War II. During her time there, she secretly learns to read, and in recognizing the power of writing and sharing the written word, Liesel begins to steal books the Nazi party is looking to destroy. The Lee University Leonard Center and Communication Arts Department helped to sponsor the event. For more information about Lees Department of Language and Literature and other events, call 614-8210. Roha Italy S.p.A. bakery mixes and other bakery products; colors - minerals, metals and other; colors - natural; colors - synthetic and azo-dyes; confectionery - chocolate; confectionery - for bakery industry; dairy products - natural and imitation; edible oils, fats and fatty acids; flavors and aromas; fruit products - dry; herbs, spices and seasonings; meat and meat products; vegetable products - dry Roha is a leading name in the food ingredient industry. Roha has built a portfolio to meet the growing market needs with range of synthetic & natural colors, dehydrated ingredients, flavoring extracts. 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Read More This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. Singapore Airlines agreed to buy $13.8 billion worth of Boeing jets, inking the deal at the White House on Monday. The airline will purchase 20 Boeing 777-9 aircraft and 19 of the Chicago-based plane makers 787-10 Dreamliner jetsall long-haul aircraft. The airline already has an order placed for 30 of the Dreamliners, and will serve as the launch customer of the airplane. Earlier this month, Boeing rolled out the first of the airlines 787-10s at its Final Assembly facility in South Carolina. President Donald Trump, who joined Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong and Kevin McCalister, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said the new deal would employ 70,000 jobs. Last week while hosting Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at the White House, Trump said the European country was looking at buying additional planes from Boeing, and that the U.S. would help with the process. The deal with Singapore comes at a time when Boeing is in the midst of a trade dispute with Canadian plane maker Bombardier, with the U.S. aerospace manufacturer accusing its rival of selling its new C Series single-aisle jets at significantly lower prices in the U.S. market. As a result, the U.S. Commerce Department sided with Boeing and placed a 300% tariff on Bombardier, which will make its jets at its facility in Alabama. Airbus, Boeings largest competitor in the industry, announced last Tuesday it would take a majority stake in the C Series program. Federal and state officials have launched the first national crackdown on companies that they say gouge student loan borrowers, accusing them of taking more than $95 million in illegal fees in recent years and falsely promising debt relief. The Federal Trade Commission, 11 states and the District of Columbia announced Friday they had filed 36 suits and other legal actions against companies accused of scamming student loan holders. More actions are coming, authorities say. Prosecutors are targeting a growing number of companies that prey on desperate debtors among the 42 million Americans whove borrowed a total of more than $1.4 trillion. Officials in Illinois alone said they are investigating more than 50 companies suspected of operating student loan debt relief scams. Winter is coming for debt relief scams that prey on hardworking Americans struggling to pay back their student loans, FTC Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen said in a news release Friday. Officials call the crackdown Operation Game of Loans, a play on HBOs hit show Game of Thrones, which made the phrase winter is coming famous. Victimizing borrowers The sweep comes four months after NerdWallet reported that federal regulators were doing little to combat the growing wave of so-called debt relief companies preying on student loan borrowers. The companies exploit borrowers by charging steep and often illegal upfront fees and recurring monthly amounts. Some of the scammers persuade borrowers to provide access to their loan accounts, then change their passwords and fail to keep payments current. As a result, borrowers wages are garnished, tax refunds seized or Social Security benefits cut. NerdWallet reported that aside from enforcement actions by a handful of state attorneys general, little was being done. Individual states often played Whac-A-Mole, as companies shuttered in one state continued operating in the other 49. Before the federal-state crackdown, national authorities the FTC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had closed just seven student debt relief companies, although more than 100 have operated in recent years. NerdWallets reporting in June included a Student Loan Watch List of more than 130 companies that borrowers should avoid. The list included companies with low Better Business Bureau ratings and those that faced state enforcement actions, giving a borrower in, say, Georgia, a way to see if the state of Washington had acted against a company. Several states join fight Of the 36 enforcement actions in the crackdown, seven are by the FTC and 13 are by the attorney generals office in Washington, the state most aggressively pursuing fraudulent student loan companies. The crackdown includes five new FTC cases, a new judgment in the agencys favor and a preliminary injunction in a case filed earlier this year. The operation includes law enforcement actions by states that have been aggressive in the past, such as Illinois, Washington, Florida and Oregon. Others taking part in the sweep are Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas and the District of Columbia. The FTC has filed five new cases against 30 defendants. For example, the agency charged that Los Angeles-based A1 DocPrep Inc. took at least $6 million from consumers through student loan and mortgage relief schemes. The agency charged that another Los Angeles-based group of companies bilked at least $7.3 million from struggling student loan holders. Student Debt Doctor, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and its owner collected at least $7 million from consumers, charging illegal upfront fees of $750 or more, the FTC alleged. Federal courts have backed the FTC in some cases. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida froze assets of Strategic Student Solutions, a company accused of taking more than $11 million from consumers by falsely promising to reduce student loan debt and to repair customers credit. The FTC uses a range of sources to find targets, including consumer complaints, suspicious advertisements, emails that consumers submit and referrals from the Better Business Bureau and attorneys general, says Michelle Grajales, an FTC staff attorney working on the A1 DocPrep case. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, whose agency is also suing student loan servicer Navient, says scams thrive because servicing companies fail to help borrowers. Student loan debt relief scams are successful because borrowers are not receiving the information they need to repay their loans, Madigan said in a news release. Student loan debt relief scams rob borrowers of the money they could be using to pay down their student loan debt. NerdWallet reporters Alex Richards and Brad Wolverton contributed to this story. The article Feds, 11 States Crack Down on Student Loan Scams originally appeared on NerdWallet. Schools are increasingly becoming a target for cyberattacks with hackers aiming to compromise data at more than 30 schools so far across the country. These hackers are not just getting their hands on students names, addresses, Social Security numbers but also students grades, their disciplinary records, even their medical records, the FOX Business Networks Hillary Vaughn explained. The hackers are even diverting money intended for school employees paychecks, telling FBNs Ashley Webster on Varney & Co. that some schools, Had their direct deposit paychecks intercepted and then rerouted to unauthorized accounts, leading the schools to make up the difference for their employees. Vaughn says the cyber threat is costing schools tens of thousands of dollars. This is money spent to either pay off the hackers, or fighting back against the attacks. Valley College here in Los Angeles paid a $28,000 ransom to hackers in January. According to Vaughn, in one Iowa school district hackers even sent threatening texts to parents, some of the texts threatening to kill their children. Lee Universitys Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Andy Harnsberger, will perform with guest artist Dr. Eric Hollenbeck in concert on Monday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the Conn Center. The concert will feature two pieces composed by Dr. Harnsberger, as well as music by Michael Burritt, Phil Richardson, David Skidmore, and Blake Tyson. In addition, Dr. Hollenbeck will perform a solo piece by Matthew Harris, as well as perform with the graduate ensemble. Dr. Harnsberger, associate professor of percussion, is active throughout the year as a freelance percussionist and recitalist. He is a performing artist and clinician for Malletech mallets and musical instruments, Remo Drum Heads, Sabian Cymbals, Ltd., and Grover Pro Percussion. Dr. Harnsberger earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts in performance and literature at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he also received the prestigious Performers Certificate. Dr. Hollenbeck, an associate professor of percussion at Colorado State University, has performed with the Alabama Symphony, the Colorado Symphony, and the Chicago Civic Symphony. He has performed as a recitalist in England, Mexico, and Ecuador. Dr. Hollenbeck earned his DMA at Northwestern University. Lees Percussion Ensemble performs challenging percussion literature, involving a wide variety of percussion instruments. The group has rapidly developed a reputation for musical excellence and expertise. The concert is free, non-ticketed, and open to the public. For more information, contact the Lee University School of Music at 614-8240 or at music@leeuniversity.edu. Oil prices were little changed on Monday as supply disruptions in Iraq dented exports by OPEC's second-largest producer and U.S. drilling rates showed a slowdown. Oil exports from southern Iraq have fallen by 110,000 barrels per day this month, according to shipping data and an industry source, adding to the drop in flows caused by a shortfall from the northern Kirkuk fields. Brent crude settled at $57.37 a barrel, down 38 cents. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude ended the session up 6 cents at $51.90 a barrel. "It seems like there's an awful lot of competing drivers ... and crude seems confused," said Stewart Glickman, head of energy research at CFRA Research in New York. "Volatility has actually been tame, and there's no sustained trend lately that can break us out of this $45-$55 a barrel range." The number of U.S. rigs drilling for new oil fell by seven to 736 in the week to Oct. 20, the lowest level since June, energy services firm Baker Hughes said on Friday. But analysts said the reduction in drilling rigs in the United States could prove temporary as activity had been restrained by hurricane threats. "We think the fall in shale oil activity is an indication of rising costs, higher break-evens outside of geological sweet-spots, falling initial well productivity and cash-flow constraints at unsustainably low prices," Standard Chartered said in a note. "However, the turn down in drilling has yet to temper the optimism of most forecasts of U.S. output growth in 2018." Market participants also await data from industry group American Petroleum Institute (API) and the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA) later in the week for clues on the pace of rebalancing. U.S crude inventories likely fell for the fifth straight week, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday. Prices have been supported over the past few sessions by supply disruptions in northern Iraq, where tensions have been high since the Kurdistan region's vote in favour of independence last month. Crude oil exports through the Iraqi Kurdistan controlled-pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan rose to 288,000 bpd on Monday afternoon, from 255,000 bpd earlier in the day, a shipping source told Reuters. Typically, the pipeline transports about 600,000 bpd. Security sources told Reuters Iraqi forces were deploying tanks and artillery near a Kurdish-held area of northern Iraq where a section of the Kurdish oil export pipeline is located. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan region on Monday to resolve their conflict over Kurdish self-determination and disputed territories through dialogue. Potential further steps by OPEC, rising global oil demand and the reduction in U.S. drilling and its crude oil stocks are some of the factors that could raise oilprices in the short term, said Frank Schallenberger, head of commodity research at Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg. "I wouldn't be surprised to see WTI going up to $55 a barrel and Brent to $60 a barrel before the beginning of November," he said. (Additional reporting by Karolin Schaps in Amsterdam and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Edmund Blair and Cynthia Osterman) After spending years retreating and retrenching in the wake of the financial crisis, it seems clear that Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) is changing gears. On the bank's latest earnings call, Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan rattled off a list of things the bank is doing to go on offense. In the first case, it's investing heavily in technology, a reflection of the ongoing digitization of banking. Through the first nine months of 2017, Bank of America has spent $2.25 billion in technology-related investments. "Look no further than the branch in your pocket for evidence of that," said Moynihan. What he's referring to is the growth in Bank of America's mobile banking capabilities. At the end of the third quarter, the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank had 34.5 million digital banking users, with 23.6 million of those being active users of its mobile banking app. Bank of America's customers logged in to its app 1.2 billion times in the three months ended Sept. 30, equating to a 19% increase over the year-ago period. All told, more than one in every five deposits made at the bank was on its mobile app. Bank of America isn't anywhere close to being done with its digital transformation. Another area it's expanding involves digital payments, with its latest offering, Zelle, accounting for $4 billion worth of money transfers in the third quarter. It's delving into artificial intelligence as well. It's slated to roll out its retail-based AI service named Erica through the next couple of quarters. It is also using AI to "efficiently prospect business clients and offer client receivables management alternatives to our clients," said Moynihan. Beyond technology, Bank of America is investing in its branch network. This may catch some investors by surprise, given that the bank has spent the past decade culling branches, which have declined from more than 6,100 in 2009 to about 4,500 today. But Bank of America's is nevertheless keeping branches and is updating the ones that will stick around. "We continue also to invest in our physical network by refurbishing nearly all our existing financial centers, which is well under way and we will complete over the next couple of years," said Moynihan. "We have been and we will continue to open centers and markets where you have a strong commercial banking wealth management client base that lack financial centers due to historical issues." Finally, while Bank of America has similarly focused on reducing its headcount, dropping it from about 290,000 employees in 2011 down to 210,000 today, the bank is now on the hunt for employees who generate revenue. To that end, it has added 2,000 primary sales professionals over the past 12 months, split between relationship bankers, financial advisors, and commercial and business bankers. In short, while Bank of America has had a long row to hoe over the past decade, its latest shift toward strategies that will drive revenue suggests that the nation's second biggest bank by assets has once again gone on offense. 10 stocks we like better than Bank of AmericaWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Bank of America wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of October 9, 2017 John Maxfield owns shares of Bank of America. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Eight former federal energy regulators including five former commission chairs oppose a Trump administration plan to bolster nuclear and coal-fired power plants, arguing it would raise prices and disrupt electricity markets. The former officials, who served under presidents from both parties, call the plan "a significant step backward." The plan by Energy Secretary Rick Perry would reward nuclear and coal-fired power plants for adding reliability to the nation's power grid. Perry says the plan is needed to help prevent widespread outages such as those caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. The plan aims to reverse a steady tide of retirements of coal and nuclear plants, which have lost market share as natural gas and renewable energy flourish. President Donald Trump has vowed to revive the struggling coal industry and expressed strong support for nuclear power, while casting a skeptical eye toward renewable energy such as wind and solar power. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is considering the plan and could decide by mid-December. A letter signed by eight former energy commission members said "subsidizing resources" such as coal and nuclear plants "so they do not retire would fundamentally distort markets ... and inevitably raise prices to customers." The plan could backfire as investors lose confidence in energy markets, the former officials said. "This loss of faith in markets would thereby undermine reliability," they wrote. The letter was signed by officials who served under every president since Ronald Reagan, including former FERC chairs Elizabeth Moler, James Hoecker, Pat Wood III, Joseph Kelliher and Jon Wellinghoff. Moler, Hoecker and Wellinghoff are Democrats, while Wood and Kelliher are Republicans. The American Public Power Association also urged FERC to reject the plan, saying in a statement Monday it would "impose significant costs on customers without any justification." Energy markets "need significant reform, but the DOE proposal would take us in the wrong direction," said Sue Kelly, president and CEO of the power group, which represents community-owned utilities. The Utility Workers Union of America, meanwhile, supported the plan, noting that nearly 8,000 jobs have been lost in electric power generation by traditional fossil fuels since 2011, with another 6,500 nuclear jobs lost during that same period. "If baseload coal and nuclear generation are not properly valued for their services, thousands more workers are at risk of losing their jobs," the union wrote. Perry's plan would compensate power plant owners that maintain a 90-day fuel supply protected against the elements. The exact cost is unknown, but critics say it could result in subsidies worth billions of dollars. The proposal has drawn opposition from an unusual coalition of business and environmental groups that frequently disagree with one another. Environmental groups say the plan would boost dirty and dangerous fuels, while the energy industry warns about interference in the free market and manufacturers that use huge amounts of electricity complain about higher energy prices that could be passed on to consumers. Opponents say there is no evidence of a threat to the grid's day-to-day reliability that would justify the emergency action Perry is seeking. An Energy Department report in August called reliability "adequate," citing significant additions to the grid from natural gas, wind, and solar. Democrats in Congress have denounced the plan, while Republicans have generally taken a wait-and-see approach. ___ Follow Matthew Daly: http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC President Donald Trump's eldest daughter on Monday channeled her roles as a working mother, entrepreneur and senior adviser to the president to help sell the administration's tax plan, which she said is overdue to address the needs of the modern American family in an increasingly competitive global market. Ivanka Trump joined U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza and former U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth of New York for an hour-long, town hall-style meeting at a senior center outside Philadelphia. She called tax reform "critical" legislation and touted proposed changes to the tax code as changes that will help everyday Americans. "There are many elements of this tax plan that I think are squarely targeted at creating jobs and growth in this country and offering relief to our middle-income families," she told the audience. "This is about the recognition that, as a country, we have to have policies that mirror our values. We have to encourage the next generation to be competitive and compassionate. For me, I think this couples together our core values as a country." The president has prioritized tax reform as his top agenda item and is urging Congress to pass legislation. He and other Republican leaders have crafted a proposal calling for steep tax cuts for corporations and potentially individuals, a doubling of the standard deduction used by most Americans, a reduction in the number of tax brackets from seven to three or four and a repeal of the inheritance tax on multimillion-dollar estates. The tax system would be simplified, and most Americans would be able to file their income taxes on a postcard, according to the plan. Ivanka Trump, as part of the tax reform package, has been focused on expanding the child tax credit. She drew on her life experience to connect with the audience as a mom who has an understanding of the challenges parents face with the rising cost of child care. "Every parent has to manage the competing demands of raising a family and their passions," she told the crowd. "I, too, had to manage that, but I am far more fortunate than most. I had help, and I recognized that I wouldn't be able to do even a small fraction of what I was able to do professionally or as a parent ... if I didn't have access to the means to be able to put my children in a secure and safe and protected and nurturing environment." Increasing the child tax credit, she said, could mean the difference between sending a child to an after-school program or paying for quality day care and could even aid some young couples wrestling with whether they can afford to start a family. Details on how much the $1,000 child tax credit should increase have not been settled, and Ivanka Trump has not publicly offered a number. In an interview later Monday with Sean Hannity of Fox News Channel, the president's daughter said her father's tax plan aims to lower corporate taxes to help the U.S. compete against other countries. She said the U.S. has the highest corporate taxes of any country in the developed world. "And that is something that very much gets factored into our pricing, very much gets factored into wages," she said. "That's why they've stagnated over the past several decades, and we've just now are starting to see them rise." ___ Errin Haines Whack covers urban affairs for The Associated Press. Follow her work on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/emarvelous . When Leticia Miranda had a job selling newspapers on the streets, she earned about $160 a month, just enough to pay for a tiny apartment she shared with her 8-year-old son in a poor neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. When she lost her job about six months ago amid Brazil's worst economic crisis in decades, Miranda had no choice but to move to an abandoned building where several hundred people were already living. All of her possessions a bed, a fridge, a stove and some clothes have been jammed into a small room that like all the others in the building has windows with no glass. Residents bathe in large garbage cans filled with water and do their best to live with the stench of mountains of trash and rummaging pigs in the center of the building. "I want to leave here, but there is nowhere to go," said Miranda, 28, dressed in a bikini top, shorts and sandals to deal with the heat. "I'm applying for jobs and did two interviews. So far, nothing." Between 2004 and 2014, tens of millions of Brazilians emerged from poverty and the country was often cited as an example for the world. High prices for the country's raw materials and newly developed oil resources helped finance social welfare programs that put money into the pockets of the poorest. But that trend has been reversed over the last two years due to the deepest recession in Brazil's history and cuts to the subsidy programs, raising the specter that this continent-sized nation has lost its way in addressing wide inequalities that go back to colonial times. "Many people who had risen out of poverty, and even those who had risen into the middle class, have fallen back," said Monica de Bolle, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics. The World Bank estimates about 28.6 million Brazilians moved out of poverty between 2004 and 2014. But the bank estimates that from the start of 2016 to the end of this year, 2.5 million to 3.6 million will have fallen back below the poverty line of 140 Brazilian reais per month, about $44 at current exchange rates. Those figures are likely underestimates, de Bolle said, and they don't capture the fact that many lower-middle class Brazilians who gained ground during the boom years have since slid back closer to poverty. Economists say high unemployment and cuts to key social welfare programs could exacerbate the problems. In July, the last month for which data is available, unemployment was close to 13 percent, a huge increase from 4 percent at the end of 2004. Lines of job-seekers stretching several blocks have become commonplace whenever any business announces openings. When a university in Rio this month offered low-skilled jobs paying $400 a month, thousands showed up, including many who stood outside in the rain a day before the process began. Meanwhile, budgetary pressures and the conservative policies of President Michel Temer are translating into cuts in social services. Among those hit is the Bolsa Familia Family Allowance program that gives small subsidies each month to qualifying low-income people. It's credited with much of the poverty reduction during Brazil's boom decade. Non-labor income, including social programs like Bolsa Familia, accounted for nearly 60 percent of the reduction in the number of people living in extreme poverty during the boom decade, said Emmanuel Skoufias, a World Bank economist and one of the authors of the report on Brazil's "new poor." Now, even as job losses have been pushing more people toward the program, fewer are being covered. "Every day is a struggle to survive," 40-year-old Simone Batista said, tears streaming down her face as she recounted being cut from Bolsa Familia after her now 1-year-old was born. She wants to appeal, but doesn't have enough money to take buses to the administrative office downtown. Batista lives in Jardim Gramacho, a slum in northern Rio where she and hundreds of other destitute residents find food by rummaging through garbage illegally dumped in the area. An Associated Press review of Bolsa Familia data found coverage declined 4 percentage points between May 2016, when Temer became acting president, and May of this year. Part of that may be due to a crackdown on alleged fraud that started late last year. Temer's administration announced it had found "irregularities" in the records of 1.1 million recipients about 8 percent of the 14 million people who receive the benefit. The infractions ranged from fraud to families that were earning above $150 a month, the cutoff to receive the benefit. "The government shouldn't lose focus on the priority" of keeping people out of poverty, said Skoufias, adding that Bolsa Familia represented only about 0.5 percent of Brazil's gross domestic product and the government should be looking to allocate more, not fewer, resources to it. Still, any discussion of increased spending is likely doomed in Congress, where a spending cap was passed earlier this year and Temer is pushing to make large cuts to the pension system. The fiscal situation is even worse for many states, including Rio. A year after hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio is so broke that thousands of public workers are not being paid, or are being paid late in installments. Many budget items, from garbage collection to a community policing program, have been sharply reduced. For many who live in Rio's hundreds of favelas, or slums, an already hardscrabble existence feels increasingly precarious. Maria de Pena Souza, 59, lives with her 24-year-old son in a small house with a zinc roof in the Lins favela in western Rio. They want to move because the home sits on a steep hill that is prone to deadly mudslides. But her son hasn't been able to find work since finishing his military service a few years ago. "I would leave if there was a way, but there isn't," said de Pena Souza, who added: "When it rains, I can't sleep." The economic doldrums are clearly fueling the political comeback of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who from 2003 to 2010 presided over much of the boom. After leaving office with approval ratings over 80 percent, da Silva's popularity plunged as he and his party were ensnared in corruption investigations. Da Silva is appealing a conviction and nearly 10-year sentence for corruption. But he still consistently leads preference polls for next year's presidential election. On the campaign trail, da Silva promises both a return to better economic times and refocusing on the poor. "Lula is not just Lula," da Silva said at a recent rally in Rio, using the name most Brazilians call him. "It's an idea represented by millions of men and women. Prepare yourselves because the working class will return to govern this country." ___ Associated Press writer Peter Prengaman reported this story in Rio de Janeiro, AP writer Sarah DiLorenzo reported from Sao Paulo and AP writer Daniel Trielli reported from Washington. AP video journalist Diarlei Rodrigues in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. FAQ - New Privacy Policy What happened Shares of Eldorado Gold (NYSE: EGO), a junior gold miner with precious metal assets in Turkey and Greece, plunged as much as 27% during Monday's trading session after the company provided an update on its Kisladag mine, an open-pit gold mine in Turkey. As you can probably surmise by the substantive move lower, production is not expected to meet expectations. So what Four months ago, Eldorado Gold announced that while the placement of estimated recoverable gold on the leach pad in its open-pit mine proceeded as planned, the gold solution grade was well below what internal calculations had suggested. At the time, the company wound up lowering its full-year output from the mine to a range of 180,000 ounces of gold to 210,000 ounces of gold, from a previous forecast of 230,000 ounces of gold to 245,000 ounces of gold. Admittedly, though, at the time management didn't have all the answers, and it was expecting a full quarter of production (namely, the third quarter) to yield more results on gold solution grade. Before the opening bell on Monday, Oct. 23, Eldorado Gold announced that after copious amounts of laboratory work, it now expects even lower gold recoveries from Kisladag than what it projected in June. Final recoveries in the low 40% range are to be expected, which will result in a reduction in the recoverable leach pad inventory by roughly 40,000 ounces of gold. That's more than $50 million based on the current spot price of gold. Management has lowered the 2017 output at Kisladag to a new range of 170,000 ounces of gold to 180,000 ounces of gold. The company also boosted the cash-cost-per-ounce range to between $500 and $550, from its late June forecast of $450 to $500. Additionally, the company's 2018 forecast is under review, which is probably a fancy way of suggesting a production cut could be forthcoming. Now what Today's news might as well be referred to as the Kisladag-ger in the backs of Eldorado Gold shareholders, because this is far from the only issue this junior miner is dealing with at the moment. For those who may not recall, Eldorado and the Greek government have been butting heads for years over the development of the Olympias and Skouries mines. Skouries is of particular interest to Eldorado Gold and its investors, as it's expected to have about a 24-year mine life, and contain some 3.1 million ounces of gold and 1.47 billion pounds of copper. However, the Greek government remains concerned about the environmental impact of Eldorado's mining activity, which has halted permitting and development of these mines. Eldorado has gone so far as to threaten an investment halt in its Greek mines while arbitration is ongoing. Between its troubles in Greece and now lower recoveries at Kisladag, the shimmers of hope are quickly dimming for Eldorado Gold. This is a company that could seriously struggle to generate positive cash flow without those Greek properties coming online anytime soon, and with Kisladag's production expected to be about 25% lower than initially forecast earlier this year. For the time being, investors would probably be wise sticking to the sidelines and waiting to see if this ship can right itself. 10 stocks we like better than Eldorado GoldWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Eldorado Gold wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of October 9, 2017 Sean Williams has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Embattled Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corp said on Monday it now expects to slide to a net loss of nearly $1 billion this business year after calculating taxes related to the sale of its prized chip unit. Toshiba, which separated out the unit in April as a prelude to a sale, said it was being taxed on the basis of assets and liabilities of the transferred business at the time of the split. The latest forecasts, however, do not reflect expected gains from the 2 trillion yen ($17.6 billion) sale as the deal has yet to receive regulatory approval. Toshiba said that due to the tax impact, it expects a loss of 110 billion yen ($970 million) in the year to March, instead of its previously forecast profit of 230 billion yen. It kept its annual revenue and other profit forecasts unchanged. Toshiba, desperate for funds to cover liabilities arising from it U.S. nuclear unit Westinghouse, agreed last month to sell the unit - the world's second biggest producer of NAND flash memory chips - to a group led by Bain Capital. A highly contentious auction meant that a decision on the buyer took much longer than expected, and Toshiba has run the risk of not getting anti-trust clearance before the end of the financial year in March as regulatory reviews usually take at least six months. If it doesn't get the deal done in time, it could end the year in negative net worth for a second year in a row, putting pressure on the Tokyo Stock Exchange to delist it. (Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Edwina Gibbs) The retirement industry was spooked last week following a rumor that Republican lawmakers were considering a significant cut to the amount of money Americans could contribute to their 401(k) pre-tax, in order to increase revenue while supporting the proposed individual tax rate reduction in their tax reform plan. U.S. President Donald Trump squashed the odds of such a rule passing, however, tweeting on Monday: There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays! There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2017 Lawmakers reportedly wanted to cap pre-tax 401(k) contributions at $2,400 per year. Currently, the amount of money that Americans can contribute, tax free, to their 401(k) is $18,000 per year for employees under 50, and $24,000 for employees over 50. President Donald Trump shot down a possible approach for raising revenue to finance tax cuts in politically must-do legislation for the Republicans, promising Monday the popular 401(k) retirement savings program will be untouched. Still, the head of the House's tax-writing committee indicated that changes to the 401(k) structure may still be on the table as Republicans push an ambitious timetable to get tax legislation written. Asked about the issue, Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep. Kevin Brady said: "I don't want to get ahead of the committee. That will all be part of the tax reform bill." And in response to whether Trump's tweet changes in any way what the panel was planning to do, Brady replied only, "no." Republicans are scrambling to find new revenue sources to pay for anticipated tax cuts exceeding $1 trillion. A proposal to eliminate the widely-used federal deduction for state and local taxes has run into heavy opposition from GOP House members from high-tax states, threatening the enactment of tax legislation that Republicans deem essential to retaining their majority in next year's elections. Trump pledged in a tweet there will be "no change" to tax incentives for the 401(k) retirement programs. The No. 2 Republican in the Senate, Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, said he's "sympathetic" to Trump's opposition to curbing 401(k)s because "we don't want to discourage people from saving." But he cautioned against ruling out ideas at this stage of the legislative process. "I do think we need to be careful because there are going to be a lot of different trial balloons, and what counts is how you put all this together," Cornyn said. The plan crafted by Trump and Republican leaders calls for steep tax cuts for corporations and potentially individuals, a doubling of the standard deduction used by most Americans, shrinking the number of tax brackets from seven to three or four, and the repeal of inheritance taxes on multimillion-dollar estates. The child tax credit would be increased and the tax system would be simplified; most Americans would be able to file their income taxes on a postcard, according to the plan. Crucial details of the plan have yet to be worked out, notably what income levels would fit with each tax bracket. With the possibility of the state and local deduction being at least partly preserved, some Republican lawmakers were considering limiting the amount workers could save in 401(k) retirement accounts. "It was a trial balloon and it crashed," said Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute. "They're struggling to find legitimate offsets" for tax cuts. "Everyone has been promised they are going to be better off with tax reform and that's really hard to do in a fiscally responsible way," Riedl said. Employees' earnings from defined-contribution retirement plans such as 401(k)s aren't taxed until retirement; pay-ins by both employers and employees also receive tax-preferred status. That cost the government $82.7 billion in lost revenue in the recent budget year ending Sept. 30, 2016 a potentially juicy target for Republican tax-cutters. With 55 million U.S. workers holding some $5 trillion in their 401(k) accounts, the plans have become a touchstone of retirement security for the middle class. "This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays!" Trump tweeted. "There will be NO change to your 401(k)." Appearing with Ivanka Trump in Pennsylvania, U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza echoed the president, telling the audience the retirement plans "will not be touched." Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., the chairman of the House Budget Committee, said of the Trump-rejected proposal on retirement plans: "There are still some dials that do have to be turned. This is a major effort and when you dial one thing you have to look at another." House Republicans will be working to pass a budget this week so they can turn their attention to the tax overhaul. Trump warned Sunday that action on tax reform is crucial to avoiding political failure in 2018. He'll work to rally support for the plan at the Capitol Tuesday at a lunch with Senate Republicans. Trump personally implored House GOP members on a conference call to swiftly adopt the budget that was passed last week by the Senate, with the hope of clearing the way for what he described as historic tax cuts. Trump told the lawmakers they were on the verge of doing something historic, according to one Republican official, who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss publicly what was intended as a private update for members. Another GOP aide familiar with the conversation said Trump told the members again and again that the party would pay a steep price in next year's midterm elections if it failed to pass his plan. The Senate last week passed a budget plan that includes rules that will allow Republicans to get tax legislation through the Senate without Democratic votes or fear of a Democratic filibuster. House Republicans signaled Friday they would simply accept the Senate plan to avoid any potential delay on the tax measure. Republicans are desperate to rack up a legislative win after a series of embarrassing failures despite the party controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House. Topping the list: their stalled attempts to pass legislation repealing and replacing "Obamacare." If tax overhaul legislation doesn't pass, many in the party fear a complete rout in 2018. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Erica Werner and AP writers Jill Colvin, Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report. A meeting focusing on Organizing Public Safety will be Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. at the East Chattanooga Youth and Family Development Center. City Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod said, " Every block is an important part of the fabric of our city- the people, the parks, the housing, the schools and the businesses. "What happens on a block affects the quality of life of the neighborhood, which in turn affects the city as a whole. "You are invited to attend." Stuart Varney joined FOX Business Network (FBN) in 2007 and is the host of Varney & Co. (weekdays 9 AM-12 PM/ET), the highest rated market program on television. He is also the host of My Take with Stuart Varney on FOX Nation, where he offers his perspective on leading economic issues facing the country. In addition, he serves as the host of FBN Prime's American Built, an hourlong series that showcases individuals that work to keep our infrastructure in working order. Throughout his tenure with the network, Varney has interviewed leading titans of business, politics, sports and entertainment, including former New England Patriots all-star turned entrepreneur Rob Gronkowski, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Ajit Pai, United States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, among others. Additionally, Varney serves as business contributor across FOX News Channel (FNC) programs. Since joining FNCs business team in 2004, Varney has appeared as a guest on the network's weekday and weekend business programming including FOX & Friends and Your World with Neil Cavuto. Prior to joining FNC, Varney served as the host of CNBC's Wall Street Journal Editorial Board with Stuart Varney. Before that, he was a co-anchor of CNN's Moneyline News Hour. Varney helped launch CNN's business news team in 1980 and hosted many of their financial programs including, Your Money, Business Day and Business Asia. His reporting and analysis of the stock market crash of 1987 helped earn CNN a Peabody Award for excellence in journalism. A graduate of the London School of Economics, Varney began his broadcast journalism career as a business anchor for KEMO-TV in San Francisco. While Connecticut, one of the nations wealthiest states, is running on four months without an operating budget, the states capital is in severe fiscal distress. Hartford will likely default on its debt as early as November, a newly-released report from Moodys Investors Services projects. With operating deficits at about 11% of revenues, Moodys estimates that deficits over the next two decades will run about $60 to $80 million per year, due to to the cost of pensions, insurance, benefits and debt service. On Sept. 26, Moodys downgraded the citys bond rating further into junk territory, stating that after a likely default, bondholders may only recover from 65% to 80% of their money. The city has more than $500 million in outstanding debt. Labor unions are one of the biggest drains on the citys finances, Moodys said. High labor costs result from decades of contractual salary increases and employee benefits, which will continue to be factors in the long-term structural imbalance, the report said. Over each of the last 10 years, benefits and insurance costs have increased 6.1% on average, more than any other line item The cost is also the city's largest expenditure and is budgeted to increase 28% in 2018, an increase of $21 million, due to rising pension and health insurance costs. In addition to bondholders and labor unions, Moodys listed the state as the third stakeholder that will need to compromise with the city in order to achieve financial sustainability. Moodys said additional funding from the state would help alleviate Hartfords problem, however, the state government is currently locked in a budget battle that is partially focused on additional aid for the city. Connecticut, which boasts a $3.5 billion deficit, has been operating without a state budget since July 1. After the state legislature was unable to reconcile partisan differences in order to pass a spending package before the onset of the new fiscal year in July, Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, assumed control over the states finances through an emergency executive order to continue appropriations until lawmakers agree on legislation. Meanwhile, the state is battling a milieu of other fiscal challenges beyond the budget. Despite having a per capita personal income that is more than 143% of the national averageaccording to Moodys Investors Service the states economy continues to lag behind others. Revenue shortfalls in the state register around $450 million for the current fiscal year alone, while estimated deficit totals are projected to clock in near $5 billion for the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years combined, according to The Connecticut Business & Industry Association. Debt outstanding levels and unfunded pension liabilities relative to revenues are among the highest of any state in the country, Moodys said in May. Hartfords mayor Luke Bronin told bondholders last month that the city had no room to tax its way out of the fiscal crisis, according to Reuters. While President Donald Trump and the Republican Party aim to produce a tax plan that favors the middle class, some have concerns the rich will benefit more from the proposed legislation. New Jersey millionaire and private investor Eric Schoenbergpart of a nonpartisan group called Patriotic Millionaires, a group which, among other objectives, favor said tax reform, particularly one that would not benefit the rich. The rich should not be paying one penny lesswe need that revenue, he told FOX Business Stuart Varney on Varney & Co. And the wealthy already pay much less in taxes. Schoenberg, who said he has an income of over $1 million a year, explained that he pays fewer taxes than much of the middle class because of certain benefits. He added that the government needs look into the way capital and investment income are taxed. That is the primary benefit that goes to the wealthy in this country. That is the reason why people like Warren Buffett pay less in taxes than working-class people, Schoenberg said. The private investor said while the Republicans has been in control of the tax reform agenda, they have not talked about controlling spending and that all theyre talking about is cutting taxes, primarily on the wealthy. Schoenberg said the discussions about what leads to economic growth are complicated, but doesnt believe there is clear evidence in favor of any of them. The one thing we have very clear evidence about is the consequence over the last 30 years, every time Congress has gone to mess with the tax system, I have come out ahead, he said. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived on Monday in Iraq, hours after the government rebuked him for calling on it to send home Iranian-backed paramilitary units that helped defeat Islamic State and capture the Kurdish-held city of Kirkuk. Iraq is one of the few countries allied closely to both the United States and Iran, and Tillerson's effort to drive a wedge between Baghdad and Tehran appeared to have backfired, drawing a sharp statement from Prime Minister Haidar Abadi's office. Tillerson visited Iraq a day after a rare joint meeting with Abadi and Saudi Arabia's king Salman in the kingdom's capital Riyadh. After that meeting he called on Iraq to halt the work of the Tehran-backed paramilitary units, which have operated alongside government troops in battles against Islamic State and, since last week, in a lightning advance that seized the oil city of Kirkuk from Kurdish security forces. Iraqi forces are deploying tanks and artillery just south of a Kurdish-operated oil pipeline that crosses into Turkey, a Kurdish security official said, the latest in a series of Iranian-backed operations against the Kurds. Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against Daesh and ISIS is coming to a close, those militias need to go home," Tillerson said on Sunday in Saudi Arabia. Abadi's office responded sharply. "No party has the right to interfere in Iraqi matters," a statement from his office read. It did not cite the prime minister himself but a "source" close to him. It referred to the mainly Shi'ite paramilitaries, known as "Popular Mobilisation", as "patriots". SAME SIDE The international battle against Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq since 2014 saw the United States and Iran effectively fighting on the same side, with both supporting the Iraqi government against the militants. Washington has 5,000 troops in Iraq, and provided air support, training and weapons to Iraqi government forces, even as Iran armed, trained and advised Shi'ite paramilitaries which often fought alongside the army. The latest twist in the Iraq conflict, pitting the central government against the Kurds, is trickier for U.S. policymakers. Washington still supports the central government but has also been allied to the Kurds for decades. Iran is the pre-eminent Shi'ite power in the Middle East. Shi'ites, including Abadi, are the majority in Iraq which also has large Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities. Iran exhibited its sway over Baghdad's policies during tensions over a referendum last month in which the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region voted to secede from Iraq against Baghdad's wishes, Kurdish officials say. Baghdad responded to the vote by seizing the oil city of Kirkuk, which the Kurds see as the heart of any future homeland. Major-General Qassem Soleimani, commander of foreign operations for Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, repeatedly warned Kurdish leaders to withdraw from Kirkuk or face an onslaught by Iraqi forces and allied Iranian-backed fighters, Kurdish officials briefed on the meetings said. Iraq's Sunni neighbours, including Saudi Arabia, share Washington's concerns over Iran's influence in Iraq. IRAN DISMISSES TILLERSON REMARKS Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed Tillerson's remarks. The paramilitaries could not go home because "they are at home" already, he was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA. Abadi has asserted his authority with the defeat of Islamic State in Mosul and the Iraqi army's sweep through Kirkuk and other areas which were held by the Kurds. The buildup at the Kurdish oil export pipeline is taking place northwest of Mosul, an official from the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) security council said. The loss of Kirkuk dealt a major blow to the Kurds, who had been steadily building an autonomous region in northern Iraq since a U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein, who oppressed them for decades. "We are concerned about continued military build-up of Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces towards the Kurdistan Region," said the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) in a statement. Elections for Iraq's Kurdistan region's presidency and parliament set for Nov. 1 will be delayed because political parties failed to present candidates, the head of the electoral commission Hendrean Mohammed told Reuters. Parties have been unable to focus on the elections because of turmoil that followed the referendum, a Kurdish lawmaker said on condition of anonymity. (By Maher Chmaytelli; additional reporting by Jon Landay; writing by Michael Georgy; editing by Peter Graff) Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is coming out hard against director James Toback amid reports that he sexualy harassed a slew of women throughout his career. Gunn drafted a lengthy post to Facebook in which he explained that many people close to him, including ex girlfriends, close friends and a family member, have told him eerily similar stories about Toback and his harassment propositions. One unnamed person even told Gunn that shed been harassed by Toback twice after he allegedly forgot his first attempt. Unfortunately, Gunn says it wasnt his place to tell these womens stories if they werent ready or willing to come out against Toback on their own. So I did what I could do in my impotent state - for over twenty years now, Ive been bringing up James Toback every chance I could in groups of people. I couldnt stop him, but I could warn people about him. Gunn claims that, in addition to speaking out against Toback at every private opportunity, he made public Facebook, blog and Myspace posts about the subject throughout the years. However, he still found that Tobacks reputation wasnt taking a hit. He specifically named an 1989 article from Spy Magazine as well as a 2017 article from The Huffington Post that were favorable toward the Private Life of a Modern Woman director that he says almost made him vomit. Did the person who wrote the article even do a basic Google search of Toback? he wrote. I had hoped his exploits had become well known enough that producers wouldnt finance his films and actors wouldnt work with him. It wasnt until a recent L.A. Times expose, similar to the ones from The New York Times and The New Yorker that took down Harvey Weinstein, in which Tobeck is accused of using his clout as a director to harass 38 women. As previously reported, Toback would reportedly tout his success in Hollywood and lure women into a meeting, interview or audition for a role. The encounters would then become sexual with the director attempting physical contact or masturbaing in front of them. Since posting the note, the director has been personally responding to many who have commented on it, often with strong language. At long last, the war between Rick and Negan on The Walking Dead finally kicked off with the premiere of Season 8, episode one, titled Mercy. As always with this series, the stakes have never been higher. Before the action could kick off full-tilt, a little bit of establishment needed to happen. The episode opens with a rousing speech from Rick, along with King Ezekiel and Maggie, the respective leaders of The Kingdom and The Hilltop. With their combined forces behind Alexandria, war was declared on Negan and his Savior in the last season. Now, its time for the good guys to take the fight to the enemy. When I first met him, Jesus said my world was going to get a whole lot bigger, Rick says. Well, we found that world. We found each other. That bigger world is ours by right, Rick declares in an effort to fire up his troops. As he talks, the audience is treated to a few jumps through time, including an old-man Rick with a cane, and a version of Rick from what looks like the not-too-distant future thats standing over two graves. He explains that the new rule of law, as these three civilizations see it, is that those who want to control the world for their own benefit must go. With that, the battles lines were drawn, and the wheels got in motion for an offensive. Morgan, Carol, Carl and Tara all work together to fortify cars and stealthily take out guards stationed at strategic outposts for the Saviors. Daryl, meanwhile, is communicating with Dwight through notes wrapped around arrows. It seems the two archers are leaning into their gimmick. Rick says goodbye to Michonne, who is still injured from the last encounter, and Carl before setting off to dispatch a guard himself and link up with the two other factions. Their numbers and fortifications seem good, but its all going a little too according to plan. Ricks promise that this all ends today was more than enough to set the average viewer on edge. After all, its only the premiere episode. The plan takes a while to get into full swing, but eventually Ricks plot comes into focus. Carol and the gang set off a bomb to draw the Saviors' big guns away to investigate. Later, the search party is taken out thanks to a well-placed trap. Meanwhile, Rick and the army pull up right in front of Negans front door and fire 5 times into the air to get the big man himself outside. When he comes, hes too confident about their ability to whether whatever storm Rick has planned. Rick offers The Saviors generals one chance - surrender now and survive. Negan, however, makes a pretty interesting counter-offer. He reveals that Gregory, former leader of The Hilltop, which makes up one third of Ricks army, has turned to the Saviors. He lets it be known that anyone from the colony who continues to resist the Saviors will be banished. Additionally, their families will be kicked out and forced to fend for themselves. Its a tense moment behind Ricks line, but the members of the Hilltop stay strong. Eventually, Jesus declares his and the rest of the Hilltops loyalty to their new leader, Maggie. With that, Rick returns to his original ultimatum. He starts counting backwards from 10 until he reaches 7. After that, an impatient Rick opens fire and the battle is on. They trade bullets with the Saviors, but it becomes clear that a firefight is not whats going to win the day, nor is that the extent of Rick's plan. Daryl begins leading a walker herd right into the Saviors gates, while Father Gabriel sets an explosive-filled RV on a collision course with the fortified front. Apparently, the plan is to make the Saviors homeless. However, Rick is brought to a decision point when he notices that he has Negan pinned down and injured. Sadly, hes not able to get a shot and has to settle for leaving him to the walkers. Thanks to Father Gabriel's wise words, Rick remembers that this isn't all about his vengeance. Following his lead, the army makes a tactical retreat. Just when it looked like things were going off without a hitch, Father Gabriel spots Gregory. Being of no use to the Saviors or the Hilltop, hes been left to fend for himself in the battle. Unfortunately, the former priest isnt able to let die another man he has a chance of saving. He exits his armored car and runs over to Gregory. In his worst act of cowardice yet, the former leader panics and runs to the car, leaving Gabriel behind. He makes his way into a trailer, the only safe haven, as the Saviors compound gets overrun. Hes not inside for more than a second before the low, scary voice of Negan greets him. It's hard to think of anyone worse to be trapped in a small space with. Meanwhile, Carol and Ezekiel are leading some members of The Kingdom against an outpost when a Savior lets loose a lucky grenade. With Father Gabriel, members of The Kingdom and several Saviors lives all in question, the episode ends with the finale of Ricks speech from the beginning, unifying everyone in their hope for a better tomorrow. The only question now is, will hope be enough to give the good guys a victory in this all-out war? Hedy Lamarr was a reigning Hollywood star during the 30s and 40s who later seduced audiences as Delilah in the 1950 biblical film Samson and Delilah, but the most beautiful woman in the world was also a pioneer in wireless communication. The Vienna-born actress teamed up with composer George Antheil in 1940 to develop a secret communications system they hoped would defeat the Nazis. CELEB PHOTOGRAPHER SPILLS OLD HOLLYWOOD SECRETS Smithsonian Magazine reported that while the patent they received for their invention would ultimately collect dust in the U.S. Patent Office, their idea was later put to use by the U.S. military during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Their work on frequency hopping would later be recognized as a precursor to the spread-spectrum wireless communications that is being used in todays cell phones, GPS and Wi-Fi technology. Lamarr, who died in 2000 at age 86, is the subject of a new documentary, Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story." Its director, Emmy Award-winning Alexandra Dean, was fascinated by Lamarrs passion for invention, especially during World War II. It was a secure radio signal that would allow Allied warships to control their torpedoes, Dean told SmithsonianMag.com Monday. The radio signal going from the ship to the torpedo would change frequencies according to a complicated code so the Germans couldnt jam the signal. It inspired a secure digital communication system we use today. Lamarr, an Austrian Jew, was particularly worried about her family, who were left behind in Vienna during World War II. She wanted to bring her mother safely to the U.S., but Nazi submarines had blown up refugees who attempted an Atlantic crossing, said Dean. As it happened, Hedy had been married to a weapons manufacturer who worked with the Nazis before she escaped Austria, so she knew the kind of torpedoes the Nazis had and wanted to design one that would give the Allies the upper hand. The Navy ultimately turned down frequency hopping technology. Despite Lamarrs fame and beauty, it was the role of inventor she wanted to be recognized for the most. Hedys fascination with invention was very inborn; it was a natural love, a passion, and it was fostered by her father, who was a banker, but actually loved invention himself, said Dean. He would point out to her how things worked, the trolley going by, where the electricity came from, and loved her tinkering, so she would do things to impress him. She would take apart a music box and put it back together again, and she just always had that kind of a mind. Dean added, She was far more proud of her invention than her film career. She didnt think her films amounted to much. Lamarr was recognized for her work before her death. Smithsonian previously reported that back in 1998, the Electronic Frontier Foundation named her and Antheil the winners of that years Pioneer Award, celebrating their significant and influential contributions to the development of computer-based communications. In response, Lamarr reportedly said, Its about time. Actor Ewan McGregor and his Fargo co-star, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, brought their on-screen romance to real life this weekend, when they were spotted getting hot and heavy at a fashionable London restaurant, a report said Sunday. The 46-year-old dad of four and the 32-year-old Winstead who plays McGregors lover on the FX series shared a passionate kiss at the Good Life Eatery in the posh St. Johns Wood district of northwest London, according to pictured published by The Sun. They were deep in conversation and were there together for more than an hour, a customer told the newspaper. As they left, she got on to the back of Ewans motorbike, and they sped off together. If McGregor and Winstead were trying to be discreet, then they picked the wrong place. Theres always lots of celebrities around in that area, the customer said. The cafe was really busy with people including delivery drivers coming in and out the whole time. A McGregor family source later told People magazine on Sunday that the actor and his production-designer wife of 22 years, Eve Mavrakis, called it quits in May but kept their split private. In recent months McGregor and Mavrakis have posted pictures of themselves without their wedding rings on social media, The Sun reported. Winstead married director Riley Stearns in 2010. They announced their separation in May. McGregor, 46, and Winstead, 32, play lovers Ray Stussy and Nikki Swango on the edgy FX series. Mavrakis, 51, and McGregor also well known for roles in Trainspotting and three Star Wars movies have four daughters together, Clara, 21, Jamyan, 16, Esther, 15 and Anouk, 6. McGregor plays Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels. Back in February, Winstead shared an Instagram photo of herself and McGregor. Pretty lovely Canadian Sunday. Good night! she wrote. In Fargo, Winstead plays a recently released prisoner and McGregor a probation officer. This is a very interesting person with a complicated moral compass, Winstead told the Los Angeles Times back in May. She told Time magazine, also in May, that her on-screen relationship with McGregor is lasting one. Once I knew that their love was real, then I was able to really move forward with this sort of sweet, bubbly, optimistic version of a femme fatale, she said This article originally appeared in the New York Post's Page Six. Kim Cattrall found fame as sex-crazed Samantha Jones on the hit HBO series Sex and the City, but the actress has revealed the hit shows grueling filming schedule prevented her from having a family. The 61-year-old appeared on Piers Morgans Life Stories Monday where the star revealed she considered in vitro fertilization (IVF) with third husband Mark Levinson in 1998, the same year Sex and the City premiered on television. That was my early 40s and I had just started filming Sex and the City, the chances of getting pregnant with these procedures was, everyone was talking about it, she explained, as reported by the UKs Daily Mail. But I thought to myself, Wow, I have 19-hour days on this series, added Cattrall. "I have weekends where I finish at Saturday morning. My Monday morning would start at 4:45 a.m. and go to one or two in the morning. How could I possibly continue to do that, especially in my early 40s? "And then I realized what a commitment it was just to do the procedures. I thought, I dont think this is going to happen. It was the first moment, it was extraordinary, in my life where I thought maybe Im just not going to do this. Cattralls marriage to Levinson ended after six years and she never had children. Cattrall told the host befriending younger actresses in Hollywood helped her cope with those yearnings of wanting to become a parent. Thats when I started mentoring young actresses, in particular, thats where I thought I have a place to be a mom here, not a biological mom, but a mom and an auntie and a friend, she said. And that has really given me so much, as much as I give I get twofold back. Despite Cattralls newfound calling, she never developed a close relationship with her co-stars. Weve never been friends, explained Cattrall. Weve been colleagues and in some ways its a very health place to be because then you have a clear line between your professional life and relationship and your persona. "They all have children and I am ten years older and since specifically the series ended I have been spending most of my time outside of New York so I dont see them. The common ground that we had was the series and the series is over. Cattrall also claimed she couldnt recall the last time she spoke with any of her former co-stars. And thats another thing thats really disappointing is that nobody ever picks up the phone and tries to contact you and say, How you doing? she said. As for dreams of Sex and the City 3 for the film franchise? Cattrall has zero regrets turning it down, despite the outpouring of fans pleading for Samantha to make a final appearance on the big screen. Not for me, said Cattrall. That was part of turning 60 I feel that the show is the best when it was the series and the bonus was the two movies. I havent killed Samantha. I have released Samantha. Woody Allens upcoming movie contains some awkward scenes involving an older man having sex with young starlets, considering the current firestorm about sexual misconduct sparked by the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Were told that a plotline in the untitled Allen flick, which is currently filming in New York, centers around a middle-aged man who is sleeping with a much younger woman, among other actresses, and, according to the script, makes a fool of himself over every ambitious starlet and model. In scenes just filmed, a character played by Rebecca Hall accuses 44-year-old actor Jude Laws character of having sex with a 15-year-old concubine. In the scene, the so-called concubine played by Elle Fanning (19 in real life) acknowledges her relationship with Laws much-older character, but then protests that she is 21 years old. After a discussion about his infidelity, Fannings character then asks Law, Were all these women for pleasure, or were you researching a project? The film also stars Selena Gomez, Liev Schreiber, Suki Waterhouse and Kelly Rohrbach. The plot seems perversely timed, given the mounting allegations of sexual harassment and rape against Weinstein. In a further poignant play since Allen has faced his own allegations of sexual misconduct (which he has strenuously denied) the director himself recently became entangled in the Weinstein scandal. Last week, he drew criticism when he said that it was tragic for the poor women that were involved and sad for Harvey that his life is so messed up, but warned against starting a witch-hunt atmosphere in Hollywood, where every guy in an office who winks at a woman is suddenly having to call a lawyer to defend himself. This is all very close to home for Allen. His son Ronan Farrow was the journalist behind the New Yorkers explosive Weinstein expose. Allen later released a statement saying of his strange comment, When I said I felt sad for Harvey Weinstein, I thought it was clear the meaning was because he is a sad, sick man. Allen reps didnt respond. This article originally appeared on Page Six. There will be an English Country Dance for all at the Heritage House mansion in East Brainerd on Tuesday, Nov. 28 from 7-9 p.m. "English Country Dance is a beautiful, historical social dance that was popular from around 1650 through the early 1800s. Movies based on Jane Austen novels such as Pride & Prejudice or Emma feature scenes with English country dancing at balls and parties. This class will be an introduction to English Country Dance designed for new dancers of all ages. Experienced dancers are welcome, as well. "We'll learn the basic moves -- the set and turn single, two hand turn, star right and left, back to back, and changes of rights and lefts. And then we'll learn various dances from the historical repertoire of English country dances -- Childgrove, The Duke of Kent's Waltz, Heartsease, Indian Queen, Sellenger's Round and more," officials said. No partner or previous experience is necessary. Dances will be taught and walked through with attention to learning the steps and style points. The music is pre-recorded. "Nearly everyone is a beginner so no one will feel out of place," officials said. Dancers are asked to bring a separate pair of soft-soled shoes for dancing (sneakers or flats). The citys newly named correction commissioner is following in the footsteps of her disgraced predecessor treating Rikers Island inmates to pizza parties in a bid to reduce violence one slice a time. A photo snapped last week and provided to The Post shows more than two dozen pizzas being wheeled into the Otis Bantum Correctional Center, which houses the citys 400 worst prisoners in its Central Punitive Segregation Unit. The pizza came from a nearby Dominos in Queens, and taxpayers regularly cover the cost of serving pizza to prisoners in other facilities at the violence-plagued jail complex as well, sources said. A Rikers union leader blasted the move, saying, Im not a fan of rewarding inmates when they dont beat the crap out of one another. Patrick Ferraiuolo, president of the Correction Captains Association, also said the door-to-door delivery violated the rules at the infamous lock-up. Since when is bringing food in from the outside not considered contraband? Ferraiuolo fumed. Its not jail food thats part of the everyday menu. Retired city correction officer and union delegate David Fitzgerald said Rikers jailbirds should have to wait until theyre sprung to enjoy pizza, which a 2016 Harris poll rated Americas ultimate comfort food. Its deplorable and disgusting because you have officers that arent even afforded a meal leave, and youre rewarding these inmates with pizza and sodas for good behavior, Fitzgerald said. The purchase from the Dominos chain also ran counter to comments made last week by Mayor de Blasio, who urged New Yorkers to patronize your local neighborhood stores. Ex-Commissioner Joseph Ponte began treating jailbirds to slices in 2014 in a counseling program that guards dubbed Hug-a-Thug. In 2015, he also began rewarding teenage inmates with pizza and $25 a week in exchange for not fighting and following orders. Ponte, appointed by de Blasio, quit in May amid outrage over his use of a city-owned SUV and gas card to travel to Maine. He was replaced this month by Cynthia Brann, a deputy who was also caught misusing her official vehicle and repaid the city for nearly 20 shopping trips to places including the Woodbury Commons Outlets and Roosevelt Field Mall. The Correction Department said the pizzas cost about $400 and provided two slices each to 75 inmates who reached a key milestone in a work skills program. It also said the unspecified program provider would be asked to work out a deal with a local pizzeria. This was not pizza-gate, spokesman Peter Thorne said. We gave a couple of slices each to inmates participating in a program that helps reduce violence. And wed do it again, because these programs are working. Official figures show serious attacks on Rikers correction officers are down 65 percent from 92 to 32 annually since fiscal 2014. This article originally appeared on the New York Post. Two Ohio police officers attempted to save a woman who was found unresponsive in her car on Saturday morning, but claim that their efforts failed when an ambulance crew who responded to their call never showed. She had like a deer-in-the-headlights look, East Liverpool Patrolmann Jacob Talbott told WKBN, of the 62-year-old unidentified woman. She was staring off and had very labored breathing. Talbott said he called dispatch to check on the status of the EMS crew that had responded to the call, but was shocked to hear that they were no longer coming. Two other services had said they didnt have a crew available. Talbott and another officer then loaded the woman into their patrol car and started CPR. FORMERLY CONJOINED TWINS THRIVING AFTER SEPARATION SURGERY We didnt have time to wait for an ambulance company out of Hancock County in West Virginia, he told WKBN. The woman was then flown to a hospital in Pittsburgh, where she died of a brain aneurysm on Sunday. Talbott told the news outlet that he was holding out hope for the woman and praying for a miracle. Finding out that she didnt make it, its rather tough, he told WKBN. Im not real happy that an ambulance service committed, and then five minutes later, they no longer have a crew available, and they didnt even notify us. The region of the world U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is traveling to this week isnt in the headlines very often, but it has been one of the most dangerous neighborhoods globally for decades. Ambassador Haley will visit South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, part of the deadliest region in the world since the Second World War. The number of deaths resulting from violent conflict during the past three decades alone in South Sudan and Congo approaches eight million. Both are semi-authoritarian states, marked by well-developed kleptocracies in which the ruling cliques have hijacked their governing institutions and repurposed them for private financial gain. While billions of humanitarian and peacekeeping aid dollars flow in every year, billions have flown out into the hidden accounts of the countries leaders and their commercial collaborators, both domestic and international. These are not poor countries. They have immense natural resource wealth in the form of gold, oil, diamonds, cobalt, copper, tin, other important minerals, and ivory from elephants. These extraordinary national assets are lining the pockets of the countries leaders rather than spearheading economic development and prosperity. In both countries, wars have raged in large part because their rulers allow no peaceful way to share wealth and power. Absent democratic processes or basic freedoms, some marginalized populations rise in armed revolt. In some countries in Africa and around the world, wars have produced effective peace processes, which when handled competently have led to peacefully settled disputes and properly functioning and accountable governing institutions. Until the model of peacemaking is fixed and until the regions leaders begin to pay a price for their financial and human rights crimes, the status quo will enjoy a further lease on life. In East and Central Africa, however, peace efforts have consistently failed due to a common but fatal flaw. The regional heads of state who lead these processes attempt to prop up their autocratic fellow heads of state in war-torn countries in an attempt to resist African-wide demands for democratization. The leaders of most of the countries sponsoring the peace talks are themselves strongmen who rule over semi-authoritarian or authoritarian states, and thus have an interest in engendering or replicating similar governing systems in their neighbors. This cannot work, however, in South Sudan and Congo, nor in Sudan, Burundi, Central African Republic, or other conflict-ridden states in the region where current leaders cannot enforce stability through violence alone. South Sudans and Congos kleptocratic ruling parties concentrate all power and wealth, leaving large swathes of the population completely marginalized and highly motivated to violently contest the status quo. Because this rot at the core has never been addressed through peace efforts, endless conflict results. Peace efforts led by regional leaders have done little to promote inclusive processes and transitions, and they often manipulate peace efforts to achieve their own political and economic interests. Their mediation model receives little or no challenge from external states supporting the efforts, such as the United States, China, and key European governments, as well as United Nations peacekeeping missions in Congo and South Sudan. Ambassador Haley has a two-fold opportunity to help alter the negative trajectory of peace efforts in South Sudan and Congo. First, she should confront this failed conflict resolution model that aims to reinforce semi-authoritarian kleptocrats in an effort to create stability. The U.S. should be pressing for inclusive peace agreements with real power and wealth sharing tied to democratic transitions in both Congo and South Sudan. U.S. advocacy for basic freedoms should be prioritized, because repression will only beget more violence and extremism, as demonstrated in neighboring Sudan, where the regime continues to provide support to radicalized groups that recruit for ISIS and al-Qaeda. Second, for the U.S. to have a role in reforming these efforts for peace and human rights, new leverage must be built. To create that leverage, Ambassador Haley should work with allies to impose biting consequences on the leaders of governments or rebel groups and their networks of collaborators who undermine peace, orchestrate war crimes, repress fundamental rights, and steal the natural resource wealth of their countries. Utilizing the tools of financial pressure particularly targeted sanctions on networks of leaders and their commercial partners combined with the aggressive use of anti-money laundering measures can help shift the calculations of the regions war-mongers over time from war to peace and from mass corruption to good governance. There has to be a price for intransigence, and the U.S. has the underutilized policy tools to begin to exact that price. Until the model of peacemaking is fixed and until the regions leaders begin to pay a price for their financial and human rights crimes, the status quo will enjoy a further lease on life, leaving a mounting toll of death and destruction. Remember Ukraine? It has been over three years since Russia illegally annexed Crimea. Yet the international community has barely lifted a finger to restore Ukraines sovereignty over Russian-occupied territory in Crimea and the Donbas. Instead, we have seen half-hearted gestures and tough talk with very little to back it up. While America has imposed strong sanctions on Russia, our European allies have failed to match our resolve. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has kept thousands of his troops in eastern Ukraine, sustaining a deadly war of attrition that has hobbled Ukraines government, economy and society. We can and must do more. Currently, Putin is advocating for a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Donbas, the area of eastern Ukraine occupied by Russian troops and Kremlin-backed separatist forces. Putin says the mission will protect European monitors sent to observe the conflict, but the truth is more sinister. Ukrainians now look to the United States as their only hope for a successful future of peace and prosperity. Putin is trying to use the creation of the peacekeeping mission to force de facto recognition of the separatist quasi-states in eastern Ukraine. To set up the peacekeeping mission, Putin wants the Ukrainian government and U.N. forces to engage directly with separatist leaders, even though Moscow calls the shots. Its a transparent attempt to secure increased diplomatic recognition for Russian-armed, Kremlin-controlled militias. Ukraine has rejected the idea out of hand. America must speak up louder in opposition to Putins twisted attempt to use U.N. peacekeepers to achieve his own strategic interests. Weve heard from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about how critical it is that we give our full support to Ukraine. I worked with Hillary Clinton and her team when she came to Yalta to attend Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist Victor Pinchuks European Strategy Conference in 2013 to deliver this exact message just a few months before Putin illegally annexed Crimea. Ukrainians now look to the United States as their only hope for a successful future of peace and prosperity. In working for Pinchuk, I gained a first-hand understanding of how important America is to Ukrainians when it comes to beating back Russia, promoting democracy and advancing Western values. Ukrainians have earned our support. They show their thankfulness for ongoing American efforts in surprising ways. For example, Victor Pinchuks son, Roma along with Ukrainian executives Fadi Hraibi and Daniel Valk have come to Americas aid in areas of Houston hit hard by Hurricane Harvey. The three Ukranians are heading the Interpipe Harvey Cleanup mission in conjunction with the relief organization Samaritans Purse. Theyre working in low-income areas of Houston devastated by Harvey to clear trees from homes and yards, put tarps on roofs and remove mud from homes. Their focus is helping Houstonians who dont have natural disaster insurance and the elderly. We are lucky to have allies and friends like this. Roma Pinchuks work in Houston is an example of Ukraine making the effort to secure a true partnership with America an effort Ukrainians have been making for decades. Their work sends a loud message that Ukrainians are committed to our success and are partners in a relationship that must be reciprocal. America faces a world where fewer and fewer countries share our values and where democracy is under attack all over the globe. Ukraine is a rare bright spot. Government leaders, businesspeople, activists and voters all enthusiastically support integrating their country and society with the West, right in Putin's back yard. America ought to reciprocate the good will of the Ukrainian people and the generosity of individuals like Pinchuk by strongly supporting Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Putin's neo-Soviet imperialism, as well as assisting its transition to democratic governance and a free economy. When it comes to standing up to Putin at the U.N. it costs America nothing to deploy our veto power on behalf of Ukraine. But to Ukrainians, it means everything. After 30 years in the Army, including multiple tours of duty from Bosnia to Iraq, just three years ago I stared down my most intimidating mission to date: transitioning from the military to the private sector. Across the country, millions of veteran servicemembers face the same challenge every day. Along with that challenge comes a tremendous opportunityboth for the men and women who honorably served and for the grateful nation that welcomes them home. As the manager of military relations for Koch Industriesone of the largest manufacturers in the United StatesI know firsthand how important veterans skills and experience are for both my employer and for the long-term prosperity of our country and its manufacturing industry. We especially need these skills and experiences today. Our countryand our worldis undergoing a rapid transformation in technology unparalleled in modern times, one in which innovation is automating repetitive or dangerous tasks while creating massive opportunities for skilled workers in all industries. At the same time, a whole generation of workers is retiring, and companies and entire industries are losing embedded institutional knowledge. As a result, new workers may lack the skills necessary to perform these roles effectively, and the gradual decline of technical education in public high schools is not helping. Over the next decade, nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will need to be filled, but the vast skills gap means that roughly two million of these positions will remain open, according to a study from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute. Not only do these vacant roles mean decreased productivity, lower earnings and a reduced GDP, they also mean less innovation and flourishing in society. The same study finds that 84 percent of executives agree that there is a talent shortage in the U.S. manufacturing sector, and that shortage is likely to grow as the workforce ages. One study from CareerBuilder estimates an average loss of $14,000 per unfilled position. Employers of military veterans have found that the traits which define the men and women who served our nationcharacter, dedication, perseverance and couragematch those of our most successful employees. The Department of Defense believes that more than one million veterans will transition to civilian life over the next five years. As I learned firsthand, the transition can be difficulthalf of veterans will leave their first civilian job within a year, and three-quarters depart within the first 18 months, according to a Syracuse University study. The reasons for individuals decisions are innumerable, but with approximately 93 percent of the U.S. population never having served a day in the military, there are communication and cultural differences between veterans and non-veterans that we must account for, solve and translate into successes for our employees, our companies, and ultimately, our country. There remains ample reason for optimism. Employers of military veterans, including Koch, have found that the traits which define the men and women who served our nationcharacter, dedication, perseverance and couragematch those of our most successful employees. That is no coincidence. In recruiting these military veterans, an employer must be willing to go beyond the resume and look at how each potential employees values and talents align with its overall mission. From possessing the practical skills necessary for machining, maintenance, welding and logistics to the personal qualities of leadership, problem-solving, loyalty and persistence, veterans military training and experience match closely with many roles available for them in manufacturing. Veterans are adaptable, with a strong work ethic and the proven ability to learn new skills and techniques. Theyre accountable, with the organizational knowledge that it takes to steer projects and products in the right direction. Theyre focused on compliance, with years of health and safety protocols under their belt, making the transition to the detail-oriented world of manufacturing a more natural fit. Most importantly, veterans are focused on making their teamand their countryeven better than it is today. They will be satisfied with nothing less, and neither should we. Theres been a lot of talk recently about the 2018 U.S. Senate midterms and Americans who prefer conservative Washington outsiders as candidates have much to be happy about. Since the American people elected the ultimate political outsider Donald Trump as president of the United States in 2016, establishment Republicans in Washington have done little to convince these voters that they got the message. The status quo in Washington is still failing, the presidents agenda is stalled, and that is emboldening anti-establishment conservatives to run for the U.S. Senate. Its a simple equation. If Congress passed some of the big ticket items that they promised, there would be less oxygen for challengers. That being said, principled Washington outsiders are lining up to either take out liberal Democrats up for re-election in states that Donald Trump carried, primary RINO Republican Senators like Jeff Flake, or run for open seats. My organization Citizens United Political Victory Fund has been involved in midterm elections such as these for a long time. We take them seriously. Weve had some great success stories, and weve learned from our mistakes in the races weve lost. We analyze each race on the merits, state by state, candidate by candidate. In West Virginia, conservative all-star and twice elected state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is the change agent and outsider in the race. Weve supported Morrisey in the past and his record as AG indicates hell come to Washington to fight for the reforms that Republicans have been promising for a long time. Hes running against establishment darling Congressman Evan Jenkins in the Republican primary who was a Democrat just a few years ago. Morrisey can draw the contrast necessary to defeat incumbent Democrat Joe Manchin in the general election next November. Whats more important is a candidates mindset. Are they satisfied with Washingtons record? Are they determined to fight for and not just talk about conservative reform? Are they willing to speak truth to power in the intimidating marbled halls of Congress? In Arizona, Congressman Paul Gosar would be a dynamite conservative reformer to retire the anti-Trump, pro-amnesty, pro-Washington candidate Senator Jeff Flake. If you want to listen to the conscience of a true conservative, talk to Paul Gosar. In Ohio, my longtime friend and conservative ally Josh Mandel is well-positioned to defeat status quo supporting career politician Sherrod Brown in this high stakes rematch. Mandel is an unabashed supporter of President Trump and will fight for the critical economic reforms that carried the president to victory in Ohio in 2016. In Missouri, I was proud to be an early supporter of Josh Hawley for Attorney General and will support him again in his race for the Senate against liberal incumbent Claire McCaskill. When I was talking up AG Hawley around the country earlier this year, establishment types were very cool to him and were talking up their own preferred choice at the time. We were drawn to Hawley very early because of his fine work fighting for religious liberty in the Hobby Lobby case at the U.S. Supreme Court. In Tennessee, we worked hard behind the scenes to rally behind Marsha Blackburn, a longtime friend of the conservative movement. This was critical in order to keep the anti-Trump establishment candidate Governor Bill Haslam out of the race that will fill retiring Senator Bob Corkers seat. In Montana, Commissioner Matt Rosendale is a highly electable principled conservative who has won statewide in Montana recently and can turn out a dedicated conservative primary vote as well. When he ran for Congress in 2014, the establishment supported another candidate in the primary. Im glad theyve come to see the light this year. Out of touch liberals in Washington got into Democrat Jon Testers head years ago and Matt Rosendale is the candidate who will defeat him in 2018. These candidates will help bring change to Washington and continue the trend of principled conservatives joining the Senate Republican conference. Its not enough to throw out meaningless statistics that say someone votes with President Trump 90 percent of the time, because the other 10 percent are the truly tough votes in which career politicians make a living out of heading for the hills time after time after time. Whats more important is a candidates mindset. Are they satisfied with Washingtons record? Are they determined to fight for and not just talk about conservative reform? Are they willing to speak truth to power in the intimidating marbled halls of Congress? Do they have the courage to take on the entrenched status quo? Those are the questions that matter. The candidates I mentioned above all share this mindset and are dead serious about coming to Washington to change it. Its amazing how desperate the Washington establishment now looks trying to claim some of these conservative candidates as their own. Of all the tall tales told about taxes, the tallest is that the rich dont pay their fair share. The Internal Revenue Service this month released its latest numbers and they show that not only do the rich, along with the middle-class, pay the most in income taxes, but their burden has been going up, not down. Our tax system is unfair, at least if you measure fairness by the fact that a very small number of taxpayers carry almost all the income tax burden. The top ten percent of earners, those making more than $138,000 in 2015, made 47 percent of the nations income, but they paid 71 percent of the nations income tax. The top 1 percent, the people former President Obama decried the most, made 21 percent of the nations income in 2015, but they paid 39 percent of the nations income tax. Not only are these people paying their fair share, theyre picking up other peoples shares as well. Roughly half the taxpayers in the U.S. pay no income taxes. As a practical matter, most taxpayers need to make around $39,000 before theyre hit by the income tax. All taxpayers pay the payroll tax, but according to a recent study by the Urban Institute, when workers retire, Social Security and Medicare give taxpayers their money back. The less money you make, the more likely you are to get all your payroll taxes back, and then some. When critics of tax reform claim its a tax cut for the rich, thats of course because its only middle-income and upper-income people who pay income taxes. And its been that way for a long time. Income taxes are different. You dont get them back. They pay for the military, nuclear weapons upkeep, environmental protection, food stamps, housing assistance, welfare, Medicaid and a myriad of other services and transfer payments. There are 140,000 million taxpayers in the United States. Half of them make less than $39,275, the cutoff point that divides the top 50 percent from the lower 50 percent. Because taxes are so high on upper income Americans, that means that 70 million Americans 50 percent of the country pay 97 percent of the income tax. The other half pay less than 3 percent. When critics of tax reform claim its a tax cut for the rich, thats of course because its only middle-income and upper-income people who pay income taxes. And its been that way for a long time. In 2001, the top 10 percent made 43 percent of the money and they paid 64 percent of the income tax. The top 1 percent made 17 percent of the money and paid 33 percent of the income tax. The proposed tax reform pending in the Congress will likely continue this trend because the doubling of the standard deduction and the increase in the child credit mean more people will pay no taxes, shifting the burden even more to the few people who do. As for upper income people, so long as their share of the tax cut is in proportion to their share of the taxes they pay, its hard to argue that the tax cut is unfair. But what about Warren Buffets secretary? Remember her? We were told she pays a higher tax rate than her boss. Perhaps Mr. Buffet reduced his tax rate thanks to an abundance of charitable giving combined with other reasons, but examples like this, according to the IRS, are exceptions to the rule. Its bad policy to legislate by rare anecdote, especially when the facts run contrary to the anecdote. The system is incredibly progressive. According to the IRS, in 2015, the top 1 percent paid an average tax rate of 27.1 percent, the top 10 percent paid an average rate of 21.4 percent, the top 30 percent paid an average rate of 17.4 percent and the top 50 percent paid an average rate of 15.7 percent. The bottom 50 percent paid an average rate of 3.6 percent. Average Tax Rate: Top 1% 27.1% Top 10% 21.4% Top 30% 17.4% Top 50% 15.7% Bottom 50% 3.6% Not only do middle-income and upper-income Americans pay the most, they make it possible for their fellow Americans to receive quite a bit of government largesse. According to a study from the American Enterprise Institute, 60 percent of U.S. households, those making less than about $51,000, receive more in transfer payments than they pay in federal taxes. The bottom 20 percent of earners, according to AEI, received $9600 in government transfer payments in 2013 and paid only $800 in federal taxes. They got back twelve times what they paid in. The United States is a generous nation. A small group of people pay an awful lot of money which gets redistributed to their fellow citizens. As Congress considers tax reform, the best policy would be a new tax code with lower rates that stimulates the economy to create more jobs and lift wages. When the economy booms again, fewer workers will need government payments and instead, they can join the ranks of taxpayers who earn enough to see the merits and fairness of income tax rate cuts. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Sunday hell run as an independent for reelection next year, as he made his second visit in less than two months to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state of neighboring New Hampshire leaving his 2020 plans anybodys guess. The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate discussed his Senate reelection in an interview following an appearance in this small town along the Maine border. Sanders trip to the critical primary state stirred more speculation that he just might run again for the White House in 2020, especially as he rallies the left wing of the party around a controversial Medicare-for-all bill on Capitol Hill. But first things first. The former Burlington mayor turned congressman turned senator is up for reelection next year for a third term in the Senate. Minutes after energizing Democratic activists packed into an American Legion hall, Sanders dismissed any suggestion hed run for his own seat as a Democrat next year. I am an independent and I have always run in Vermont as an independent, while I caucus with the Democrats in the United States Senate. Thats what Ive been doing for a long time and thats what Ill continue to do, Sanders said in the interview. Some political strategists say if Sanders were to run for reelection as a Democrat, it would have been a clear tip to his 2020 intentions. However, running once again as an independent doesnt preclude Sanders from making another bid for the Democratic presidential nomination either. In his 45-minute speech on Sunday, Sanders received numerous standing ovations as he headlined a Strafford County Democratic Committee fundraising dinner and played the hits from last years campaign: demanding tuition-free college, a $15-an-hour minimum wage, the creation of decent paying union jobs, and the overturning of Citizens United. I love what Bernie says. I love the fact that he gets people energized. I love the fact that he gets people out to vote. If no other candidate can do that, then yes Id like to see Bernie run again, but Id like to see him with a very young vice president. Strafford County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Ellen Phillips Sanders argued these are not radical ideas. The senator highlighted his single-payer health care plan, a long-shunned proposal that in the current climate has become a vehicle for Democratic colleagues especially those eyeing a 2020 bid to prove their liberal credentials. It seems clear to me that we have one system that works well, and thats called Medicare. Now is the time to expand Medicare for all and create a single-payer health care system, Sanders said. He said that last time he introduced the legislation, I had one co-sponsor. Me. This time, he crowed, we have 16 co-sponsors. While Republicans blast his health care bill as a colossal budget-buster, Sanders on Sunday took rhetorical shots at the other side of the aisle. The ranking member on the Budget Committee described the Senate GOP budget that narrowly passed last week as ugly and railed against Republican tax proposals as a moral obscenity. Asked later about his game plan to bring down the GOP tax plan, Sanders explained, I think we go to the American people. He voiced confidence it will be defeated just as we were able to defeat their efforts to destroy the Affordable Care Act. Sanders crushed eventual Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in New Hampshires February 2016 Democratic presidential primary, launching him toward a long and bitter battle with Clinton for the nomination. The Democratic divide exposed by that race remains to this day. Sundays quick trip back to the Granite State was his second in two months. He headlined a major union breakfast in Manchester and a progressive rally in Concord on Labor Day. Strafford County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Ellen Phillips said this was the first time a non-Democrat in this case, an independent who caucuses with Democrats headlined one of their fundraising dinners. She said, Its been an issue for me, but added that hes going to make a lot of money for our candidates and thats a good thing. Phillips said she voted for Sanders in last years presidential primary, but cautioned that Sanders age hes 76 may be an issue next time around, adding that if she had her choice, shed like a younger progressive as the Democratic Partys nominee. I love what Bernie says. I love the fact that he gets people energized. I love the fact that he gets people out to vote. If no other candidate can do that, then yes, Id like to see Bernie run again, but Id like to see him with a very young vice president, she added. President Donald Trump told House Republicans on Sunday that if they stand in the way of his push for broad tax reform, it could come back to hurt them in the 2018 midterm elections. In a conference call Sunday, which also included Vice President Mike Pence, Trump told the House GOP to approve the Senates version of the budget framework, which was passed Thursday night, to pave the route for tax reform. Sources familiar with the phone call told Fox News that Trump warned of big trouble for House Republicans in the approaching midterms if they fail to advance tax reform. It was unclear if he got into any more detail. SENATE PASSES BUDGET FRAMEWORK FOR TAX REFORM House Speaker Paul Ryan on the call told Republicans he hopes to pass a revised version of the Senate bill this week to increase the chances that tax reform can be enacted by the end of this year. The budget passed by the Senate includes rules that would allow Republicans to get tax legislation through the Senate without Democratic votes and without fear of a Democratic filibuster. Trump is expected to have lunch with Senate Republicans on the Hill Tuesday to rally support for the plan. Republicans are desperate to rack up a legislative win after a series of failures -- including harsh disagreements over repealing and replacing ObamaCare -- despite the fact that the party controls both chambers of Congress and the White House. Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report. The White House on Sunday slammed what it called outrageous and slanderous comments from Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who had proclaimed earlier in the day that White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller seems to be a white supremacist. Brown, D-Ohio, was asked in a CNN interview if he agreed with Rep. Frederica Wilsons recent claim that the White House is full of white supremacists. I agree that [former White House chief strategist] Steve Bannon is a white supremacist and Stephen Miller seems to be, and I know that studies have shown that they have their allies sprinkled around the White House, Brown claimed. Senator Browns comments are outrageous and slanderous, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders responded. The nonstop name calling from the left continues to show an inability to build consensus and fix the problems ailing hardworking Americans. Senator Brown needs to understand that when he calls out public servants who are part of the Trump Administration, he is indicting the voters in Ohio themselves who overwhelmingly voted for the Presidents agenda, she continued. Instead of performing theatre for the extreme left fringe, his time would be better spent fighting for everyday people by supporting the Trump Agenda of pro-worker trade and immigration policies that will raise wages and living standards for all Americans. The controversy emerged after Wilson, D-Fla., last week said that President Donald Trump made an insensitive remark during a phone call to Myeshia Johnson, the widow of a U.S. service member killed in an Oct. 4 ambush in Niger. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT FREDERICA WILSON Trump, Wilson claimed, told Myeshia Johnson that her husband, Army Sgt. La David Johnson, knew what he signed up for. The president denied the claim, tweeting that Wilson totally fabricated what I said. During a Thursday press briefing, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly criticized Wilsons involvement in the personal call Trump made to Johnson's family. Kelly said he was broken-hearted by Wilsons involvement in the call. He also criticized Wilson by recalling her comments during the 2015 dedication of a FBI field office in Miramar, Florida. He said Wilson talked about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building, and how she took care of her constituents because she got the money, and she just called up President Obama, and on that phone call, he gave the money, the $20 million, to build the building, and she sat down. And we were stunned, stunned that she'd done it. Even for someone that is that empty a barrel, we were stunned. REP. FREDERICA WILSON: WHITE HOUSE 'IS FULL OF WHITE SUPREMACISTS' However, video of that event, released on Friday, showed that Wilson did not actually talk about the buildings funding, but instead spoke of her own efforts getting legislation passed that named the building after the fallen agents for whom it was dedicated. I feel very sorry for him because he feels such a need to lie on me and Im not even his enemy, Wilson said of Kelly in a Friday interview with The New York Times. I just cant even imagine why he would fabricate something like that. That is absolutely insane. Im just flabbergasted because its very easy to trace. Wilson didnt specifically label Kelly a racist in the piece but did claim that others in the White House are. Fox News' Alex Pappas and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Architecture, engineering and surveying firm Allen & Hoshall Monday announced the hiring of Mark Stockman, AIA as an architect in its Chattanooga office. In his role at Allen & Hoshall, Mr. Stockman will be responsible for overseeing architectural services and business development in East Tennessee. With more than 30 years of experience, Mr. Stockman has managed the planning and design of various facilities across the Southeast including in the health care, commercial and government client markets. He has led all phases of project management from preliminary services, such as developing proposals and establishing budgets, to design coordination and construction oversight. Prior to joining Allen & Hoshall, Mr. Stockman most recently served as a project manager at Mason & Hanger Architects & Engineers in Richmond, Va. and as the senior project architect and project executive at Cogdell Spencer Erdman in Johns Creek, Ga Marks extensive experience and diverse design portfolio will undoubtedly bring great value to our architecture team, said Harry Pratt, president of Allen & Hoshall. With his skill set and expertise, I am confident Mark will be a valuable asset to our clients and the Allen & Hoshall team. Mr. Stockman obtained his Bachelor of Science, a Master of Architecture and a Master of Management from Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds a professional certificate from the National Council of Architectural Registration Board, and is a registered architect in Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Sen. John McCain appeared to take a swipe at President Trump in an interview that aired Sunday when he called out the highest income Americans at the time who found a doctor to say they had a bone spur so they could avoid the Vietnam draft. McCain was interviewed on C-CPAN3, American TV and talked about the war. The interview was wide ranging, but he mentioned the draft. We drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say that they had a bone spur, McCain said That is wrong. That is wrong. If we are going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve. The New York Times reported last year that Trump received a total of five military deferments during the war. Four were for education and onein 1968was the bone spurs in his heels. During that time, the U.S. inducted about 300,000 men into the military. I had a doctor that gave me a letter, a very strong letter on the heels, Trump told the paper. Trump and McCain have maintained a tense relationship since Trump appeared on the political scene. Trump was widely criticized for his comment in June 2015 when he said McCain was not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured, Trump said during the campaign. I like people who werent captured. McCain, 81, languished for more than five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam after his plane was shot down in 1967 during combat. McCain was released in March of 1973. McCain revealed in a 60 Minutes interview a few weeks ago that Trump never apologized to him for the comment. Democratic candidate Phil Murphy was elected governor of New Jersey on Tuesday, replacing Republican Gov. Chris Christie after eight years. Christie is the only governor to serve two full terms since Tom Kean in the 1980s. Murphy led his Republican opponent, Kim Guadagno, by about 13 percentage points -- or 55.4 percent to 42.5 percent. Guadagno faced an uphill battle partly because of her ties to Christie-- leading political experts to predict Murphys win long before New Jerseyans headed to the polls on Tuesday. Heres what you need to know about Murphy and Guadagno. Phil Murphy, Democrat Phil Murphy, 60, is a former Goldman Sachs executive and U.S. ambassador to Germany. Prior to serving as ambassador, he was the Democratic National Committees finance chair. Murphy was born to a family in Boston who lived paycheck to paycheck, according to Murphys campaign website. He graduated from Harvard in 1979 with a degree in economics and later received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Murphy, who is married with four children, has never held elected office. However, the Democrat was the unexpected front-runner in the race partly because of Christies approval rating, which hit 15 percent in June -- the lowest of any governor in the states history. Christies ratings have dropped due to the Bridgegate scandal and his time spent out of state to prepare for the 2016 presidential election, Ross Baker, a professor of American politics at Rutgers University, told Fox News. As a result, political experts favored Murphy to win the election. Where we stand now, hes the presumptive favorite. The public is looking for someone different, Benjamin Dworkin, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, said. According to a Fox News poll from Oct. 17, Murphy led his Republican opponent 47 to 33 percent. Additionally, a recent Suffolk University and USA Today poll found that Murphy had a 16-point lead on his opponent prior to the election. What's more, the states changing demographics also increased Murphy's chances of winning, Dworkin said. To give that some context: In 2007, there were 200,000 more registered Democrats in New Jersey than Republicans. By 2017, there were 800,000 more, according to Dworkin. The state has become much more democratic since Christie was first elected, he said. OBAMA RETURNS TO CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN NEW JERSEY, VIRGINIA The results of the 2016 presidential election also helped Murphy succeed. Some voters who dont agree with the current administration want to go out there and send a message to Washington -- and this is how theyre going to do it, Dworkin said. The Democratic front-runner has been gobbling up endorsements from elected officials, faith leaders and various organizations. An extensive list of Murphys endorsements can be found here. But some of the most notable include: Former Vice Presidents Joe Biden and Al Gore, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. Additionally, former President Bill Clinton campaigned for Murphy at a labor union in Paramus. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton showed her support for Murphy at a closed-door fundraiser in Harrison. And former President Barack Obama, who named Murphy to his ambassador position, began campaigning for Murphy on Oct. 19. During the Paramus event, Bill Clinton said Guadagno is trying to scare the living daylights out of people to get her base to show up at the polls on Nov. 7., Politico reported. His comment alluded to an immigration ad that Guadagno recently released that said Murphy would have the backs of deranged murderers. Murphy ran on a promise to better New Jersey infrastructure, make housing in the state more affordable, tackle the opioid epidemic, crack down on gun violence and open a state-run bank that would be owned by New Jersey taxpayers, among other proposals. NEW JERSEY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE FRUIT, VEGGIES, TAXES The bank -- which would be the second of its kind in the U.S. -- would give some state tax money to community banks. The community banks would then give loans to small business owners, infrastructure projects in the state and student loans. The profits would be returned to the people of New Jersey as non-tax revenue. Jump starting the economy-- thats his play, Dworkin said. Its an intriguing idea- but thats it. Its not something thats galvanized voters. Kim Guadagno, Republican The Republican candidate congratulated her Democratic opponent on Tuesday, calling her supporters to do the same as she conceded. Never forget what we were fighting for, she said. We will continue that fight for lower taxes and a safer New Jersey. We may have lost battle but we will win war. Kim Guadagno, 58, served as Christies lieutenant governor during both terms. Prior to that, she worked as an assistant United States attorney for the District of New Jersey in Newark before accepting the role of assistant attorney general for the State of New Jersey. Guadagno was born in Waterloo, Iowa, and is the middle of five children. She obtained a political science degree from Ursinus College before graduating in 1983 from the American University College of Law. She is married with three children, according to her campaign website. Guadagno repeatedly tried to distance herself from Christie, attempting to run as her own person, Dworkin said. But her ties to Christie hurt her. Indeed, a Quinnipiac University poll found that 54 percent of New Jersey voters had a negative opinion of her because she served as Christies lieutenant governor. "Shes a talented and qualified candidate, but this race is a tremendously uphill battle for her." DEMS' EFFORTS TO TIE GOP CANDIDATE TO CHRISTIE COULD BACKFIRE Shes a talented and qualified candidate, but this race is a tremendously uphill battle for her, Dworkin said. Unlike Ed Gillespie, the Republican candidate in Virginia's gubernatorial race this year, Guadagno was never endorsed by President Trump -- which possibly hurt her chances of getting ahead. "Trump wants to stay away from the Republican Party in New Jersey right now, which is dragged down by the Christie brand name, and the administration thinks it has a better chance to swing things in Virginia," Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public policy at Princeton University, told NJ.com. In a recent interview with Fox News, Guadagno acknowledged the low poll numbers. But she did note that her campaign is starting to gain traction. "We've cut his lead in more than half, my internal polls show that we are literally at his heels and I think you're beginning to feel this momentum in New Jersey," she said. Guadagno ran on the promise to end the opioid epidemic, fix New Jersey transportation, grow jobs in the state, fix pension and health benefits, make the state more military and veteran-friendly, and cut property taxes by as much as $3,000. New Jersey's property taxes are the highest in the nation. If elected, Guadagno said she wouldnt run for re-election if she cant lower property taxes in her first term. But only 23 percent of voters believed her promise, according to the Quinnipiac poll. Tony Podesta, a powerful Democratic lobbyist and the brother of Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, reportedly has entered Robert Mueller's investigative crosshairs as the special counsel's office probes whether his firm violated federal law. NBC News first reported that Podesta and his Democratic lobbying firm are now subjects in the special counsels Russia investigation, after inquiries regarding former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manaforts finances. The Podesta Group was co-founded by Tony and his brother John Podesta, who is a longtime Clinton aide and served as chairman of her 2016 presidential campaign. CLINTON CAMPAIGN GLOSSING OVER ITS OWN RUSSIA CONNECTIONS According to Mondays NBC News report, Manafort organized a PR campaign for a pro-Ukraine nonprofit called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine (ECMU), which reportedly was backed by a pro-Russia party. The Podesta Group reportedly was one of many firms that worked on the campaign. According to NBC News, Mueller's team began looking at Podesta and his company and is now pursuing a criminal inquiry into whether the company violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Under FARA, people in the United States who lobby on behalf of foreign entities must register through the Justice Department as a foreign agent and disclose their work. Podesta's firm eventually filed a registration for the ECMU work, after the media reported on the business and Congress started asking questions. But in a statement on Monday, a spokesperson for The Podesta Group claimed the company was in compliance -- citing a series of filings dating back years -- and is fully cooperating with the special counsels office. The Podesta Group fully disclosed its representation of the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine (ECFMU), and complied with FARA by filing under the lobbying disclosure act over five years ago and within weeks of starting our work, the spokesperson said. Any insinuation to the contrary is false. The Podesta Group has fully cooperated with the Special Counsels office and taken every possible step to provide documentation that confirms compliance with the law. Based on our due diligence and on the recommendation of definitive legal experts, the firm immediately filed the appropriate public disclosures of its representation of the ECFMU over five years ago, and in eight subsequent public filings. The spokesperson said the work for ECMU was in support of Ukraines admission to the EU, a position supported by foreign policy experts at the time. The ECFMU provided formal certification that it was neither funded by nor directed by a government or political party. The special counsels office declined to comment on whether Muellers team is investigating Tony Podesta and his firm. John Podesta left the company years ago. The development, though, would speak to how the Mueller probe may be expanding well beyond the original focus on Russian meddling in the 2016 election and potential collusion with Trump associates -- ensnaring Democratic figures in the process. Its a cliche, but a good cliche prosecutors go where the evidence leads them, former high-ranking DOJ official James Trusty, now with Ifrah Law LLC, told Fox News on Monday. When you define the mission broadly, there is a lot of room for [an independent prosecutors] exploration. Trusty said Muellers investigation was broad, leaving a lot of room to legitimately poke around and find information, on one party or another. If you define it very narrowly, it is much easier to say the special counsel is a rogue elephant, but if you define the mission broadly, it is all fair game to look into any violation of federal law and relationships with Russia, Trusty told Fox News. Youll find there are prosecutions no one would have anticipated at the start, or corruption from a different party than were initially looked at. Trusty added: All of this is fair game if the independent prosecutor is doing his job the right way. This wasn't the first problematic case for the company involving FARA. In November, the Podesta Group told the Justice Department that it failed to file legally required disclosures of White House advocacy on behalf of a foreign government -- in this case India, according to federal filings. The Washington Free Beacon first reported that the Podesta Group was in violation of FARA. Sheriff's deputies in Portland, Ore., were investigated by their own department for cooperating with officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement -- a response critics called over-the-top and possibly unlawful. The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office announced Friday it has cleared its deputies of violating internal policies by tipping off federal immigration officials, concluding an internal probe launched early this year. But the investigation marked the latest flare-up in tensions between 'sanctuary' jurisdictions and the federal government which have only intensified under the Trump administration. Ira Mehlman, media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said Monday that the deputies in question were the ones "following the law." "Under federal law, these officers have every right to cooperate with federal enforcement officers," said Mehlman, whose group advocates for lower immigration levels and tougher enforcement. "It is the Multnomah County Sheriffs department that is out of compliance. Federal law takes precedence over any local sanctuary policies that may be in place in Multnomah County or Portland. Thus, any disciplinary taken against these deputies would violate federal law and the rights of the officers in question." Sheriff Mike Reese -- whose county covers Portland, a sanctuary city -- has issued specific protocols for immigration enforcement. Among them is a directive not to release any more information than is given to the general public or offer special assistance to immigration authorities if contacted by ICE, according to internal documents obtained by the Oregonian. The department months ago began reviewing whether the deputies had violated internal policies, which include a ban on helping ICE remove individuals who have not been convicted of a crime. According to the Oregonian, one case involved 21-year-old Julio Montejo-Mex, who was arrested by ICE officers in December when he arrived for an appointment with a deputy for a required weekly meeting. The suspect, however, had been charged with several domestic violence crimes, including assault, strangulation and kidnapping, according to the newspaper, which cited court records. In another case that was investigated, Deputy Keith Fisher sent the address and conditions of release for defendant Ventura Machiccotoc to an ICE agent in an email, according to the Portland Tribune. "He reports to us in person on Mondays. He said he would be here at 8 a.m.," Fisher wrote to a deportation officer in July 2016, according to the paper, which obtained copies of the emails. "Very cool. I'll give you a call on Monday when I get to your building," the officer reportedly responded. Fisher noted that if the defendant didn't show, he wore a sheriff's GPS tracking device, "so I can always look him up if need be." In a statement released Friday, the sheriff's department said the deputies did not run afoul of local policy intentionally: "After a thorough investigation into the actions of Close Street Deputies who shared information with ICE agents late last year, it has been determined that were no intentional violations of policy. "The investigation revealed areas where policy direction was not clear, and members were conducting business within the parameters provided by a previous administration. The case files have been closed with a finding of Not Sustained," the statement said. Fox News' Cristina Corbin contributed to this report. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday told Iranian-backed militias in Iraq to go home during a joint meeting with leaders from Saudi Arabia and Iraq, Reuters reported. Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against Daesh and ISIS is coming to a close, those militias need to go home. The foreign fighters in Iraq need to go home and allow the Iraqi people to regain control, Tillerson said at a joint news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir in Doha. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, reportedly criticized Tillersons remarks as influenced by Irans oil-rich regional rival Saudi Arabia. Exactly what country is it that Iraqis who rose up to defend their homes against ISIS return to?, Zarif said in a tweet. Shameful US FP (foreign policy), dictated by petrodollars. Meanwhile, Syria's largest oil field was seized from the Islamic State terror group on Sunday by the U.S.-led coalition, dealing another blow to the extremist group after the loss of its de-facto capital last week. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forced, with air support from the U.S.-led coalition, said it captured the Al-Omar field in a "swift and wide military operation," adding that some militants have taken cover in oil company houses nearby, where clashes are underway. The U.S.-led coalition confirmed the SDF had retaken the oil field, and that Syrian government troops were two files away from the fields, located in the oil-rich Deir el-Zour province along the border with Iraq. Syrian troops, backed by Russian warplanes and Iranian-sponsored militias, have retaken nearly all of the provincial capital of Deir el-Zour, as well as the town of Mayadeen, which is across the Euphrates River from the Al-Omar field. The Associated Press contributed to this report President Trump on Monday denied an Army widows claim that he struggled to remember Sgt. La David Johnsons name when he offered his condolences last week, during a phone call that has since become the focal point of a political controversy. Johnson and three other Americans were killed Oct. 4 in an attack in Niger. The presidents seemingly private condolence call to widow Myeshia Johnson went public last week when a Democratic congresswoman claimed Trump was disrespectful. The White House has since defended the presidents tone while blasting Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson for talking to the press about such a sacred moment. But speaking Monday with ABCs Good Morning America, Myeshia Johnson said Trump also couldnt remember my husbands name. She suggested the president only recalled the name when he looked at the report in front of him. "I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name, and thats what hurt me the most, she said. Because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risked his life for our country, why cant you remember his name?" Trump responded on Twitter: I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Despite efforts by some officials to ease political tensions over the condolence call what typically is a private and personal moment the feud has only continued to build. TRUMP SLAMS 'WACKY' REP. WILSON Last week, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, himself a retired general and Gold Star father, publicly rebuked Wilson for listening to the call and talking about it. Trump on Saturday called Wilson Wacky. For her part, Wilson has stood by her account and accused Kelly of lying about her. On Monday, Myeshia Johnson backed up part of Wilsons account, saying Trump told her he knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway. It made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice, she said. Last week, Kelly sought to put the remarks in context, suggesting Trumps message was similar to what Gen. Joseph Dunford, now chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told him when his son was killed in Afghanistan in 2010. President Trump on Tuesday is expected to announce a tighter cap on the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. and call for tougher vetting rules, as his administrations refugee ban expires, Fox News has learned. The administrations 120-day suspension of admissions for most refugees lapses on Tuesday. Coinciding with the deadline, Trump is expected to sign a document starting the process of allowing refugees back into the U.S. under new guidelines. Under the new rules, the U.S. would cap refugee admissions at 45,000. Thats down from 110,000 under the last year of the Obama administration. The administration also will seek to enhance procedures for refugee entries by raising standards for vetting. The federal government would apply those standards across the board under current policy, men are vetted more stringently than women and children. The refugee ban is tied to the so-called travel ban, which has gone through several revisions and been challenged in court every step of the way. The administrations third version of its controversial visa-entry restrictions for travelers from targeted countries was immediately challenged in court. Any new refugee restrictions are likely to face a similar fight. But while the courts have delivered a series of setbacks to the administrations efforts to block travelers from certain most of them Muslim-majority countries, the Supreme Court gave the administration a temporary victory on the refugee policy last month, allowing the ban to stay in place until the October expiration. The Supreme Court has not given any final ruling on the legality of the visa-entry or refugee restrictions, after having canceled oral arguments on the travel ban when the third version was announced. Fox News John Roberts and Bill Mears contributed to this report. An influential newspaper in Utah on Sunday called on former presidential candidate Mitt Romneys to run for Senate to replace Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and be a "savior for Republicans exhausted by President Trump." Mitt Romney should run for Senate, read The Salt Lake Tribune's editorial, claiming the former candidate has a real shot to win, should he run. His notoriety as a well-mannered foe would help him work across the aisle in the contentious Senate. And his reputation for statesmanship would launch him into leadership roles most freshmen congressmen only dream of, it added. The Tribune editorial mentioned his well-known animosity toward the president. In 2016, Romney launched an open attack on then-candidate Trump, saying he is a phony and a fraud who played Americans for suckers. I understand the anger Americans feel today, Romney said during a speech at the University of Utah last year in March. Here's what I know. Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He's playing ... the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat. Romney also criticized Trump in August over his response to the violence in Charlottesville. In a Facebook post, he said the presidents comments caused racists to rejoice, minorities to weep, and the vast heart of America to mourn." The editorial cites a poll showing 75 percent of voters in Utah oppose another Senate run by Hatch in 2018, who was elected 41 years ago and promised during the last campaign that this term will be his last one. Polls also show that Romney would beat all opposition including Hatch if he chooses to run. Hatch, meanwhile, would struggle to win the state, with surveys showing Democrat Jenny Wilson winning against him if the elections were held today in what is one of the most conservative states in the country. Romney reportedly explored his options to run for Senate in 2018, according to the Atlantic back in April, but he insisted that he will run only if the current senator retires as promised. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly urged Romney to run if Hatch steps down. Hatch told the National Journal in March that although he has not made that final determination whether he will run again, he said he would consider retiring from politics if Romney be his replacement. Dramatic testimonies are expected Monday at a court in Fort Bragg before Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl learns his punishment for endangering his fellow soldiers by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009. Bergdahl, 31, faces a life sentence after admitting guilt last week to desertion and misbehavior. The judge, Army. Col. Jeffery R. Nance, will take into consideration Bergdahls admission of guilt, five years of captivity under the Taliban and its allies and the serious injuries caused to several service members who went looking for him. One of those injured included an Army National Guard sergeant who was shot in the head during a search mission that resulted in a traumatic brain injury that put him in a wheelchair with no ability to speak. Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban back in 2009 after he walked off his post in Afghanistan. He claimed to have been put in a steel cage, beaten and kept in darkness by the insurgents. He said he walked off the post to inform other commanders about the problems with his unit, although he told the judge the action was inexcusable as he pleaded guilty last week. In a recent interview with the Sunday Times, Bergdahl said the U.S treated him worse than the Taliban. At least the Taliban were honest enough to say, Im the guy whos gonna cut your throat, he told the paper. Here, it could be the guy I pass in the corridor whos going to sign the paper that sends me away for life, he added. We may as well go back to kangaroo courts and lynch mobs. His release was arranged by the President Obama in 2014 in exchange for five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. The decision has been criticized by the Republicans, while President Donald Trump, when he was still a candidate, said he was a "dirty, rotten traitor" deserved to be executed. Nance ruled back in February that Trumps remarks do not constitute unlawful command influence as he made the remarks on the campaign trail. The defense argued last week that although the comments are old, Trump still harbors the same view. The White House said Friday that any military justice case must be resolved on its own facts." Prosecutors used the statement to oppose the defense arguments. The judge will have to make a make a decision Monday whether the defense argument that Trump tainted the case has merit. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A teenage girl in Australia experienced a scene out of Steven Spielberg's Jaws when a shark threw her off her kayak and came back around to hunt her down, reports said on Sunday. Sarah Williams was paddling off the coast of Normanville when a 15-feet great white shark slammed into her kayak, Australias Channel 9 reported. Williams was fishing for squid while her brother and father, were in a motorized boat watching her from a short distance away. When I was in the airit flew me into the air it felt like I was watching a typical Jaws movie, Williams told Channel 9. Her father, Chris Williams, recalled hearing an awful sound when the shark hit the kayak and saw his daughter get launched out and into the water as it circled around for its prey. This screamyou cant describe what this scream was like, the father said while holding back tears. The shark had rolled[I could see] the dark side and the white belly, huge fins, white water everywhere. AUSTRALIAN WOMAN WRANGLES SHARK WITH BARE HANDS OUT OF POOL, VIDEO SHOWS The father and brother powered up the motor boat and sped to rescue Sarah Williams. They spotted the shark circling back and still having a go at her. Luckily, they got to Williams just in time to pull her to safety. Sarah Williams said the moment went by like a blur because of the adrenaline pumping through her body. She added, It was crazy, not knowing that I actually had survived such a traumatic experience. Teeth marks were found on the kayak. Williams was hospitalized for minor cuts and bruises. SHARK FEASTS ON SEAL IN VIDEO, CAUSES PANIC ON CAPE COD BEACH Chris Williams told The Advertiser he wants the shark killed before it attacks another person. He said he still doesnt know how they were able to get his daughter out alive within seconds before the shark took her. If a dog attacks you we put the dog down. Why do we accept a rogue shark? Im not saying go out and kill 20 sharks. (But) if a shark has been involved in an incident it should be destroyed, Williams said. This shark will kill someone unless we do something about it. Good morning. Youre under arrest. That pretty much tells the story of a Palestinian construction worker in Israel who was taken into custody for posting a picture of himself on Facebook last week. The photo showed the man leaning against a bulldozer, smiling, with a cigarette and a cup of coffee in one hand. Along with the picture, he wrote the words Good morning in Arabic. And score another win for Murphys Law thats where everything went wrong. FAKE NEWS ADS ARE REPORTEDLY POPPING UP ON FACT-CHECKING WEBSITES As reported in Haaretz, there is just a one-letter difference in the Arabic language between a colloquial phrase for Good morning and another for Attack them and Facebooks automatic translation algorithms picked the wrong one when they converted the words into Hebrew. When Israeli police were alerted to a picture of a man standing next to a bulldozer along with the words Attack them in Hebrew, they became understandably alarmed, because bulldozers have been used as weapons in hit-and-run terrorist attacks. And rather than consult with an Arabic-speaking officer who could have immediately identified that the man had written Good morning, the police instead went directly to the construction site outside Jerusalem and arrested the culprit on suspicion of incitement, a spokeswoman told The Times of Israel. FACEBOOK'S 'LIKE' BUTTON CREATOR HAS SECOND THOUGHTS, CALLS IT A TIME WASTER It took a few hours for the police to acknowledge their mistake, and the man was released. He deleted his post without saying Good night. The widow of fallen Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson says a purported Facebook post that circulated with her name slamming a Democratic congresswoman is fake, according to a news report. The post reportedly has been shared as a screenshot on Twitter. Johnsons pregnant widow, Myeshia Johnson, told ABC News that she did not write the post blasting Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., and defending President Trump. Wilson and Trump have been locked in a war of words about a phone call the president made to Myeshia Johnson. The fake post says: I want to set the record straight! Im getting sick and tired of this so-called politician using my husband as a political platform. Even buy [sic] her own words she did not hear all of the conversation; she only heard part of it. Johnson, 25, was one of four U.S. Special Forces or Green Berets killed in Niger when they were attacked Oct. 4 by militants tied to the Islamic State. The row between Wilson and Trump began Oct. 17 when the Miami-area Democrat said Trump told Myeshia Johnson in a phone call that her husband "knew what he signed up for" and didn't appear to know his name, a version later backed up by Johnson's aunt. Wilson was riding with Johnson's family to meet the body and heard the call on speakerphone. She was principal of a school Johnson's father attended. SGT. LA DAVID T. JOHNSON, US SOLDIER SUBJECT OF POLITICAL FRACAS, LAID TO REST Trump tweeted Wilson "fabricated" his statement and the fight escalated through the week. Trump in other tweets called her "wacky" and accused her of "SECRETLY" listening to the phone call. ABC News reported Sunday that Myeshia Johnson did not write the post, which resembled a post from a Facebook timeline. Fact-checking website Snopes also noted that the post is dated Oct. 17 at 3:27 p.m., about an hour before the reported time of Trumps call to Johnson. Additionally, the profile picture accompanying the post is square. The social media site implemented an update in August 2017 that changed the shape of users profile pictures in the Facebook newsfeed from square to round, Snopes explained. In an interview with "Good Morning America" Monday, Myeshia Johnson said that Wilsons version of the phone call was 100 percent correct. Johnson was laid to rest in Florida Saturday. Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 35, of Puyallup, Washington; Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39, of Springboro, Ohio; and Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 29, of Lyons, Georgia, were killed along with Johnson in Niger. Twitter declined to comment on this story when contacted by Fox News. The Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers This is a rush transcript from "Special Report with Bret Baier," October 20, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. BRET BAIER, ANCHOR: Calls for more information on the Niger ambush as you take a look at a map there. We are getting more and more details about what happened in that ambush. And U.S. special forces, U.S. troops involved, four Americans died two weeks ago now. And AFRICOM that runs that part of the world for the put out a statement today why the U.S. military is there, provides training, security assistance to Nigerian armed forces, including support for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to facilitate their efforts to target extremist organizations in the region. Violent extremist groups based in northern Mali and across the Sahel exploits porous borders, have reliable access to weapons and enjoy relative freedom of movement that enables their attacks. These terrorists pose a threat to the citizens of Niger and other African nations, and also to U.S. personnel and U.S. interest in Africa. One lawmaker says it's only going to be more expensive there. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C.: The next 9/11 may come from Niger. The war is headed to Africa. It's beginning to morph. As we suppress the enemy in the Mideast, they are going to move. They are not going to quit. (END VIDEO CLIP) BAIER: So let's start there, busy week on this topic. Let's bring in our panel: Byron York, chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner; Erin McPike, White House correspondent for the Independent Journal Review, and David Catanese, senior politics writer for U.S. News and World Report. Byron, the calls continue obviously from Capitol Hill, and there are multiple investigations ongoing. BYRON YORK, WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Exactly. There is a couple of big issues here. One is what happened on October 4th. We are finding a little more but we really don't know very much, and I think the military doesn't know exactly what happened, and it's going to take some time to reconstruct that. So we do have to wait a little bit for that. The other thing, though, is what is our mission in Niger? Why did we send 150 American troops over there in 2013, President Obama did? Why has that grown to nearly 800? What are we doing? And I think that's something the government could be explaining right now. And I think they should definitely do that until they find out specifically what happened. BAIER: I mean, there has been some explanation along the way about what we're were doing there. It's important to point out that we have 180,000 U.S. military personnel in 140 different countries. Here is President Trump on terrorism in Africa September 20th. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: In the Central African Republic, the Congo, Libya, Mali, Somalia, and South Sudan, among others, they are going through some very, very tough and very dangerous times. Terrorist groups such as ISIS, al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, and Al Qaeda also threaten African peace. The U.S. is proud to work with you to eradicate terrorist safe havens. (END VIDEO CLIP) BAIER: So basically we are trying to prevent terrorists from getting a foothold. ERIN MCPIKE, INDEPENDENT JOURNAL REVIEW: That's right. But the thing I think we need to point out is that there are ISIS training camps scattered throughout northern Africa. And Lindsey Graham said today that this is spreading into Africa -- it's already there. And that's why you see these U.S. forces have to spread throughout the continent to help local forces. In that statement that you read from, that is a two page long statement explaining why it is that U.S. forces are there. And they make clear and say at the end that they are there to assist local sources, advise them, and train them. BAIER: David? DAVID CATANESE, U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT: We don't have all the facts yet, but the reporting is moving faster than the facts. And there is some disturbing reporting out here tonight. The "Los Angeles Times" is out there saying that the military requested extra, you know, more backup surveillance drones to help protect these guys when they are moving in, and that it was rejected locally. There is also some reporting tonight that the rescue mission was not conducted by military but by private contractors. Again, this hasn't been confirmed, but this is starting to leak out in different news organizations. One other news organization tonight is quoting a senior Congressional staffer, calling it a massive intelligence failure, and they are comparing it to the crisis in Benghazi. So I think there is going to be a lot of legwork done about this in the coming days. BAIER: Sure. Special Forces do a lot of stuff in the world. They are in dangerous positions, and this is a wide-open area that is a vast swath of territory. And obviously there are a lot of extenuating circumstances to Benghazi that dealt with how the government dealt with things along the way. This also comes among the controversy about this condolence call and it's another day of this coverage. Take a listen to the White House today. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS) SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: As General Kelly pointed out, if you are able to make a sacred act like honoring American people all about yourself, you are an empty barrel. If you don't understand that reference, I will put it a little more simply. As we say in the south, "all hat, no cattle." REP. FREDERICA WILSON, D-FLA.: I do not appreciate somebody lying on me. If you lie on me, I'm going to answer, because I'm not going to let you get away with it. That's not the way I teach my boys, and that's the way I live my life. Don't lie on me. (END VIDEO CLIPS) BAIER: Byron? YORK: I think today's issue is a lot small than yesterday when General Kelly delivered this really very, very impressive performance, educating a lot of the country about military values. Now there seems to be a fight about Kelly's credibility. I'm going to steal something from Mollie Hemingway who said, no, Representative Wilson did not brag in an unseemly fashion about funding the building. She bragged in an unseemly fashion about naming the building. I don't think this was a huge mistake on Kelly's part, and in no way overshadows the message and the power of his message yesterday. BAIER: Erin? MCPIKE: One other thing I would want to add here is that I've had a number of Congressmen say this week we are not talking about how ISIS is on the run because of the liberation of Raqqa. But I think this entire story shows they might be on the run, but they are running to other areas, and so all of these missions are really important. And they continue to be. BAIER: Last word? CATANESE: I think Kelly's credibly take a credibility hit today. I watched the nine minute video. The congresswoman never states anything about funding in the nine minute video that he referred to specifically yesterday. BAIER: Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she talked -- CATANESE: That's a change of the story. BAIER: Understood. But maybe it's -- as far as Kelly's credibility on the issue talking -- you are saying that the charge -- CATANESE: There isn't evidence of what he's accusing her of. I watched the nine minute video today. She's talking about how everybody came together to move this FBI facility forward. She credits Republicans for it. So I don't know where he got that from. I think he misremembered it, and I think the White House should have owned up to that. His performance yesterday was admirable. But I think it muddied the waters making that specific accusation against this congresswoman which really is an unnecessary fight for them to have. BAIER: Last word? YORK: It is an unnecessary fight. And the problem is, it is up to the media also to make decisions here. I heard one report today show said that the developments of Niger were overshadowed by this controversy, over Kelly's remarks. Why were they? That's an editorial judgment. I personally think the issues in Niger are really important. To elaborate on what you said, we are definitely heading for congressional hearings about something like this, and that is a bigger story. CATANESE: I agree. Content and Programming Copyright 2017 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2017 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. The U.S. Air Force is shooting down reports it has been preparing to place its fleet of nuclear-armed B-52 bombers on 24-hour alert for the first time since 1991 amid escalating tensions with North Korea. Defense officials denied to Fox News that bombers were ordered to go on round-the-clock alert, first reported by Defense One. REPORT: TRUMP SET TO SEND B-52 NUCLEAR BOMBERS TO SOUTH KOREA, U.S. WARNS NORTH OF 'OVERWHELMING' RESPONSE Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, home of the 2d Bomb Wing and Air Force Global Strike Command, which manages the services nuclear services, is being renovated, Defense One reported, so that B-52s would be ready to take off at a moments notice. But an official told Fox News they are merely renovating the kitchen and sleeping quarters at the facility, not prepping for 24-hour alert status. The B-52, which can fly up to about 50,000 feet and at subsonic speeds, has the ability to release a variety of weapons, including cluster bombs, gravity bombs and precision guided missiles. The long-range bomber can also unleash both nuclear and precision-guided conventional ordnance. The 24-hour alert status for B-52s ended in 1991, in the waning days of the Cold War. Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. A man who crashed his rental truck near New York's Times Square on Sunday attacked a firefighter and tried unsuccessfully to steal his fire truck, according to reports. Video taken Sunday evening showed the unidentified man wearing a green shirt in the drivers side of a Fire Department of New York (FDNY) fire truck. In the crowded street, firefighters surrounded the vehicle and seemingly tried to force the man -- who was fighting back -- away from the fire truck. The man allegedly crashed his large rental truck early Sunday afternoon into seven vehicles on 10th Avenue a couple blocks from Times Square, the New York Post reported. An FDNY spokesperson confirmed the skirmish to WPIX, adding that either the truck driver or someone else involved became furious and tried to steal the fire truck. The driver was in a manic state, he jumped out of the truck screaming, Help me, help me hes chasing me, a witness told the Post. Nine people, including the driver and a firefighter, were rushed to a hospital. Police said the incident is not being investigated as terrorism, and they believe the unknown driver was high on drugs. A fallen soldier's angry widow joined the stormy dispute with President Donald Trump on Monday over his response to her husband's death, declaring that his failure to remember the soldier's name in last week's condolence call "made me cry." He retorted that the call was "very respectful" and her accusation about her husband's name simply wasn't true. Though Trump refused to let the new round of complaints go unanswered, he steered clear of the insults he exchanged last week with a congresswoman who had overhead the sympathy call. The president spoke in public at two events during the day including his awarding of the military Medal of Honor to a Vietnam-era Army medic and made no mention of the case of Sgt. La David Johnson, one of four soldiers killed Oct. 4 in a firefight with militants tied to the Islamic State group in Niger. In addition to criticizing Trump, Myeshia Johnson, the sergeant's widow, also complained bitterly that she had not been able to see her husband's body. "I need to see him so I will know that that is my husband," she said. "I don't know nothing, they won't show me a finger, a hand." A Pentagon spokeswoman said the military often may make a recommendation on viewing but that soldiers' bodies are prepared and turned over to the family and its funeral director. The final decision on viewing is up to them, said spokeswoman Laura Ochoa. Myeshia Johnson spoke for the first time in the dispute on ABC's "Good Morning America." In the interview, she supported critical statements last week by Rep. Frederica Wilson, who had been in the car with the widow and other relatives when Trump phoned. "Yes, the president said that 'he knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway.' And it made me cry 'cause I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said he couldn't remember my husband's name," Johnson said. The president answered on Twitter soon after the interview aired, saying: "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!" At the Pentagon, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said an investigation has still to resolve questions about the Oct. 4 firefight. They include whether the U.S. had adequate intelligence and equipment for its operation, whether there was a planning failure and why it took two days to recover Johnson's body. Besides Johnson's family, members of Congress are demanding answers. Last week, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., threatened a subpoena to accelerate the flow of information. The row over Trump's call began last week when Wilson, a Florida Democrat, accused Trump of being callous in the conversation and Trump responded that Wilson's account was fabricated. But Johnson backed Wilson's account, saying that the congresswoman was a longtime friend and listened on a speakerphone in the car with family members. Said Johnson on Monday: "I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name, and that's what hurt me the most, because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risked his life for our country why can't you remember his name." The continuing dispute drew criticism from McCain, who spent more than five years in a Vietnamese prison. He said on "The View" Monday: "We should not be fighting about a brave American who lost his life." Confusion over what happened in Niger has dogged Trump, who was silent about the deaths for more than a week. Asked last Monday about that silence, Trump credited himself with doing more to honor the military dead and console their families than any of his predecessors. His subsequent boast that he reaches out personally to all families of the fallen was contradicted by interviews with family members, some of whom had not heard from him. Questions about Trump's responses continued Monday. The family of Capt. Ben Cross of Bethel, Maine, who was one of three Marines killed in an MV-22 Osprey crash in August off the coast of Australia, received a letter from Trump on Friday, a day after his brother called out Trump. The timing of the letter indicated "it was obviously done in an attempt to repair the political damage," said Ryan Cross. "We think he was going through the motions." The administration has said protocol requires that the Pentagon and White House Military Office prepare and confirm an information packet before the president contacts grieving family members, a process that can take weeks. A White House official said Monday that the controversy did force a look at the overall outreach efforts and prompted letters that in some cases had been held up for bureaucratic reasons. Rep. Wilson criticized the condolence call beginning last Tuesday. She continued to assail Trump, and he fired off insulting tweets, calling her "wacky" and accusing her of secretly listening. Johnson declined to directly address Trump on Monday. Asked if she had a message for the president, she replied: "No. I don't have nothing to say to him." ___ Associated Press writer David Sharp contributed from Portland, Maine. Officially retired, Army Capt. Gary Mike Rose was never in Laos at the height of the Vietnam War. Rose, now 69, served as a medic in the Military Assistance Command Studies and Observations Group, an elite division of the Special Forces. It was so secret that, for more than four decades, he never spoke about it to anyone not even the people he served with. Those that served with him, however, never forgot the bravery he showed during a four-day mission, called Operation Tailwind, in the landlocked country in September 1970. Rose, then a sergeant, ran through a hail of gunfire to treat more than 50 soldiers who were fighting the North Vietnamese Army using one hand to hoist wounded men onto his back while he fired on the enemy with his other hand. In spite of his own injuries, he didnt sleep for days to make sure all 16 American soldiers deployed with him made it home. They did. Forty-seven years later, Rose was commemorated for his "extraordinary selfless service" on Monday when he received the Medal of Honor during a ceremony with President Trump at the White House. "For many years the story of Mike's heroism has gone untold. But today we gather to tell the world of his valor and proudly present him with out nation's highest military honor," Trump said. The president recounted the details of Rose's time in battle before awarding him the medal, recognizing "the true American hero that he is." Following the ceremony, Rose told reporters that he considered the award to be "a collective medal" for all of the servicemen who fought in the battle and was "convinced that they have been recognized for the great service that did to this country." "This is our medal, it's not mine. We all earned it," Rose said. Rose enlisted in April 1967 at the urging of his father to avoid getting drafted by the Navy or the Marine Corps. In 1968, he graduated as a Special Forces medic and was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group before being reassigned to the 46th Special Forces Company headquartered in Thailand a year later. It was there, in April 1970, that Rose was assigned to the Military Assistance Command Studies and Observations Group. The units real purpose was to join forces with local fighters to attack North Vietnamese forces in Laos officially off limits for combat, USA Today reported. On Sept. 11, 1970, the unit comprised of Americans, Vietnamese and indigenous paramilitary Montagnard personnel were sent deep into enemy territory. As soon as they made contact, two Americans and two Montagnards were wounded, and Rose jumped into action. The Army said the gunfire got so intense Rose had to crawl from position to position to treat the wounded. The actions that Mike performed during that operation, you cant imagine it, you cant put it into words, said retired Lt. Col. Eugene McCarley, who was in charge of the unit, on Friday. We were going into an area that U.S. forces had not been in.Had we not come out the day we were extracted, we probably would not have left. During the extraction of the troops, one of the helicopters crashed to the ground, injuring many on board and killing one. Ignoring his own injuries sustained earlier in the mission Rose re-entered the destroyed helicopter to pull a solider to safety. McCarley said the soldier shouldnt have survived, but did, thanks to Rose. I had the opportunity to meet with him [years later]it had not affected him in any way, he added. Mike did a miraculous job. Despite the many who were wounded, only three men died during the four days of almost constant gunfire deep in enemy territory. I cant think of an individual who deserves this more. Im proud of him, [and] because of my association with him, I feel like I am a better man. Retired Lt. Col. Eugene McCarley My job was to focus on the individuals that were hurt, he said on Friday. When you focus, you dont concern yourself on getting hurt or killed. You just have to do your job and keep going down the road. For his bravery, Rose earned the Distinguished Service Cross, the nations second-highest award for valor. But what happened during those four days in Laos were never mentioned. When we left MAG SOC, the unit did not exist. If anyone asked me, I was going to be a mail clerk during the Vietnam War, Rose said. That is until 1998, when a report by CNN and Time magazine revealed Rose and the soldiers in Operation Tailwind were sent to Laos to capture American defectors and had used deadly Sarin nerve gas during the attack. A Pentagon investigation dismissed the report, saying the mission focused on collecting intelligence on the logistics of the North Vietnamese army and destroying their supplies. While the story of Roses valor has now led to a Medal of Honor, however, the covert operations by the U.S. in Laos are still obscured as somewhere deep in enemy-controlled territory. McCarley said he was disappointed Rose had previously only received the Distinguished Service Cross, saying he deserved the top honor. For more than 40 years, McCarley and others in the military and government fought to get the award upgraded. Last year, Congress passed legislation authorizing the Medal of Honor for Rose, waiving the five-year time limit for the events that happened 47 years ago. I cant think of an individual who deserves this more, McCarley said. Im proud of him [and] because of my association with him, I feel like I am a better man. Rose, who was joined by his wife, Margaret Rose, and their children and grandchildren -- as well as 10 of the men who served with him in Laos -- said he considers it a privilege to be part of the small group of service members who have received the Medal of Honor. We cannot forget these men and women who served this country valiantly, he said. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive in Afghanistan for several years after leaving his station, was dishonorably discharged Friday. Bergdahl had pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. A judge spared him jail time and dishonorably discharged him. He faced up to life in prison for his charges; prosecutors wanted a 14-year punishment. He will also have to pay a $1,000 fine every month for 10 months. Bergdahl was shaking and appeared emotional as the verdict was read. Hes certainly glad this is over, Bergdahls attorney, Eugene Fidell, told reporters after the sentencing. Fidell also said he will appeal the decision. Beacuse of President Trump's comments about the case, Fidell said he still believes the case should be dismissed. Bergdahls story left the nation debating for years about whether he is a hero or traitor, as well as the importance of the long-held American commitment not to leave troops behind. Former President Barack Obama defended swapping prisoners at Guantanamo Bay for Bergdahls release in 2014 while Trump said Bergdahl should face the death penalty. Why was Bergdahl on trial? Then 23, Bergdahl went missing from his remote infantry station near the Pakistan border in June 2009. His disappearance launched a massive search operation. Bergdahl was quickly captured by the Taliban after leaving his post. The U.S. tracked him for several years before successfully negotiating his release in 2014. The U.S. does not "leave our men or women in uniform behind," Obama said, regardless of how Bergdahl came to be captured. Bergdahl has said that he left his post and intended to alert people about problems he perceived within his unit. Investigators said Bergdahl suffered from schizotypal personality disorder when he left his station. The Army charged him with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy in 2015. What could have happened? Bergdahl faced up to five years in prison on the desertion charge. But he could also have been sentenced to life in prison for the misbehavior charge. Bergdahl elected to be tried by a judge, not a panel of military officers, in August. What has Trump said? Trump has been a vocal critic of Bergdahl and the Obama administrations decision to exchange five prisoners in Guantanamo Bay for his release in May 2014. BERGDAHL HAD PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER WHEN HE LEFT POST, DOCUMENTS SAY "We're tired of Sgt. Bergdahl, who's a traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed," Trump said at a Las Vegas rally in 2015. On Twitter, Trump has also said Bergdahl should face the death penalty and repeatedly referred to him as a traitor. Trumps past comments almost derailed the case against Bergdahl as a judge had to decide if they would prevent him from having a fair trial. Ultimately, Army Col. Jeffery Nance ruled that he would only consider Trumps comments as a mitigating factor in Bergdahls sentencing not an aggravating factor. What happened during the trial? Bergdahl unexpectedly testified during his sentencing hearing and emotionally apologized to his fellow service members who had been injured as they attempted to rescue him. "I would like everyone who searched for me to know it was never my intention for anyone to be hurt, and I never expected that to happen," he said. "My words alone can't take away their pain." The wife of National Guard Master Sgt. Mark Allen who is confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak after being shot in the head while searching for Bergdahl also gave an emotional testimony. Shannon Allen said her husband is unable to play with their children and cant even hold hands anymore. Hes not able to reach out for her or talk to her, Shannon Allen said of her daughter, who was just an infant when her husband was injured. Hes never had the chance to really play with her or help coach her sports or ask about her day. Fox News' Terace Garnier and The Associated Press contributed to this report. As the fate of Bowe Bergdahl rests in the hands of a judge this week, a military court is expected to hear dramatic testimony later this week from the soldiers and a Navy SEAL who were badly hurt in the search for the Army sergeant after he deserted his post. The judge, Army Col. Jeffery R. Nance, will hear at a sentencing hearing at Fort Bragg from one soldier involved in the search for Bergdahl who must now use a wheelchair, unable to speak because of a head wound. Another is still unable to use his right hand. A third searcher sustained a leg wound from enemy fire that ended his career as a Navy SEAL. At the hearing Monday, Bergdahl's defense showed a video from President Trump's comments from the Rose Garden on Oct. 16 and the campaign trail in Dec. 2015, questioning whether the judge could do his job in an unbiased manner. Federal prosecutors, however, said Trump was only answering questions asked by reporters. Judge Nance said Trump saying but in his statement to reporters negated his previous statement where he said he wouldnt comment on the case. Nance added that no one has ask him to recuse himself from the case, as Bergdahl's defense lawyer said they want to review the motion to dismiss the case. Nance then ordered the court into recess, adding that the hearing will continue Wednesday at 10 a.m. and may go into Monday of next week. Bergdahl, who was held for five years by Taliban allies, could face life in prison on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy after he pleaded guilty to the charges last week. Here are the stories of the wounded searchers who are part of the case against Bergdahl. 'ALL OF THE SUFFERING' Retired Senior Chief Petty Officer James Hatch is expected to testify about a leg wound he sustained on a search mission that ended his career as a Navy SEAL. "Senior Chief Hatch has always said he wants him to have a fair trial and a fair sentence, with the understanding of all the suffering that he caused by trying to support his own agenda," Buddy Rake, Hatch's lawyer, told the Associated Press. Hatch has said his team had 90 minutes to plan a separate search mission under poor conditions, but felt the mission was crucial. "I did not want Sgt. Bergdahl's mother to see her son executed on YouTube," Hatch said in a statement. The team's helicopters came under fire as they were landing to search near the Pakistan border. Hatch testified his leg was hit by AK-47 fire, and a military dog that helped locate enemy fighters was killed. Hatch now runs a nonprofit providing care and support for military and law enforcement dogs. He credits survival to team members who quickly applied a tourniquet. "They saved me from bleeding to death," said Hatch, who entered the pretrial hearing limping. Rake, himself a Navy veteran, declined to say what level of punishment Hatch thinks is appropriate, but said he believes Bergdahl should, at a minimum, be deprived of an honorable discharge. "As you go through life you get all sorts of trophies and awards, but the most important that I've ever received is the one that says 'honorable discharge,'" he said. 'THE BEST AMERICA HAS TO OFFER' Army National Guard Master Sgt. Mark Allen had already served in Iraq and could have begged off another deployment, a family friend told the AP. "He told me that he was coming back to a frontline unit because they were going to be deployed and he didn't want his guys to go alone," Robert Stokely said. Allen was shot in the head in July 2009 while searching for Bergdahl in Afghanistan. The traumatic brain injury dramatically changed life for Allen, his wife and two children. Once an avid outdoorsman, Allen now depends on a wheelchair and can't speak. Allen's wife, Shannon, declined to be interviewed, but the toll was evident as she sat crying in the courtroom the day Bergdahl pleaded guilty. Before being wounded, Allen gave words of support to Stokely after his son National Guard Sgt. Michael Stokely died in Iraq in 2005. "If you want to look at the best America has to offer, look at the Allen family," Robert Stokely said. 'I MANNED THOSE MISSIONS' When he was recalled to be deployed in Afghanistan, Jonathan Morita, of California, who served as an Army corporal, was a reservist and Iraq veteran taking college classes. "Every time I hit my finger on something, there's only one image that pops in my head -- and it's him." Jonathan Morita "I was at home enjoying life as a civilian going to school, working at a job," he told the AP in a phone interview earlier this year. During the search mission for Bergdahl that left Allen wounded, a rocket-propelled grenade shattered Morita's hand. While, the projectile didn't explode, he needed multiple surgeries that left him unable to bend the thumb or index finger on his right hand. "Imagine doing things with your three fingers," Morita said. "I can't even change the oil on my car." As he's trying to learn again how to brush his teeth and write, Morita still feels anger towards Bergdahl. "Every time I hit my finger on something, there's only one image that pops in my head, and it's him," he said. In a second interview with the AP, Morita said he was struck by Bergdahl's comment in court that he didn't think such a large search would be mounted for him. "I manned those missions," he said. "I mean anybody who's ever watched 'Black Hawk Down' would know that we do that." Fox News' Terace Garnier andThe Associated Press contributed to this report. The City Council in Berkeley, Calif., passed legislation that prohibits bthe use of goldfish or betta fish as carnival prizes. The bill was proposed by high school student Simone Stevens, The Daily Californian reported. The bill specifically targets carnivals and fairs where winning fish as a prize is a common practice. California state law already bans vendors from giving out rabbits and birds as prizes. City Councilmember Kriss Worthington sponsored the bill and said if other city governments adopted similar language, the issue could be elevated to the state level, The Daily Californian reported. Four states have laws against the sale of fish at carnivals. Stevens, who interned for Worthington, said untrained vendors keep these fish in extremely unhealthy conditions which contribute to the high mortality rates. The body of a 3-year-old Florida boy who vanished Sunday was found in an underground water storage tank, police said. The boy, Amari Edward Harley, was reported missing after being last spotted at a family gathering at Bruce Park in Jacksonville. The sheriff's office launched a wide search with more than 50 officers Sunday. Investigators eventually found his body in an underground water-holding tank inside the park. The tank was large enough for a small child to fall in, according to FOX30 Jacksonville Action News. Authorities found the boy's body after draining the tank, the news station said. An autopsy was set to be performed Monday. Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Scott Dingee said during a press conference "all options are on the table" for the agency's investigation, and it has not been determined if Harley accidentally fell into the water tank. Dingee says there are covers for the tanks but was unsure if they were on properly. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A painting by famed 18th century Mexican artist Miguel Cabrera long believed lost to history - may have been hanging in obscurity on the wall of a Los Angeles home for the last 60 years. The artwork, nicknamed Espanola, is the only missing piece from the 16 Cabrera did in a series of casta, or caste, paintings. The painting's location remained a mystery for decades, until two years ago, when Ilona Katzew, the curator of Latin American art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, received a cryptic letter written in the voice of the little girl featured in the artwork. You should know that I am well and living less than two (2) miles from LACMA, Espanola wrote in the letter to Katzew, the Los Angeles Times reported. I have been in the same family for I believe 60 years, although I do not know how I was acquired. Since opening the letter, Katzew has puzzled over where in that two mile radius Espanola is hiding, but clues to the paintings whereabouts are few and far between. The three-paragraph letter gave no more indication of the paintings location or means of contacting the owner. The mailing label was trimmed down to remove any information about its origin. The postage was a pair of 37-cent stamps retired a decade before the letter was sent and a commemorative stamp honoring writer Jack London that was issued in 1988. Five photos of the painting the only ones known to exist of the work - were also included with the letter, but the only information that Katzew was able to glean from them was that the artwork was in a modern frame and that it was apparently hanging high on a wall. In the letter, however, Espanola hints that she would be willing go on display for a limited period of time if the conditions were right. If you ever gather a reunion of all my siblings, I would welcome the opportunity to be on display for a limited period of time, the letter noted. I am not lost, I just do not wish to be found. The 16 paintings in Cabreras casta series an art style that explored interracial marriages and children in the Spains New World colonies were purportedly sent to Spain from Mexico shortly after the artists death and displayed in the home of the Viceroy of New Spain, Joaquin de Montserrat. In 2015, 14 of the painting were housed in museums across the U.S., Spain and Mexico. The most recently discovered one a painting of a Spanish father, his half-Spanish, half-African wife, and their albino baby was found under a couch in a northern California home and quickly obtained by LACMA. My owner has enjoyed seeing #6, Espanolas letter said in reference to the most recently acquired painting, and I am pleased that we are all now accounted for despite the diaspora. But its been two years since the most recent Cabrera was acquired and since Espanolas letter and Katzew hasnt had any other contact with the paintings owner. But shes hoping that with LACMA opening a show on 18th-century artwork next month, Espanolas owner might reach out again. Texas is seeing a decrease in the number of wrongfully convicted people receiving compensation. Mike Ware, the executive director of the Innocence Project of Texas, told The Dallas Morning News that it's becoming more difficult and time-consuming to identify, investigate and successfully litigate cases involving a wrongful conviction. Only one person was added to the compensation list in 2016, down from 15 in 2009, according to official records. A large amount of exonerations and payouts were initially expected after lawmakers expanded DNA access in 2001, said Shannon Edmonds, staff attorney and head of governmental relations for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association. The pace of exonerations has slowed after most of the available DNA from decades-old cases has been processed, he said. Texas adopted a payment plan for the wrongfully convicted in 2009. It awards them up to $80,000 per year of incarceration in a lump payment when they're released and continues to pay them the same amount in annuity for the rest of their lives. Texas has given more than $100 million to more than 100 people who were wrongly convicted of a crime. "The cost is an investment the state needed to make in these people who have been wrongfully convicted," said Texas Tech University Chancellor Robert Duncan, a former senator who sponsored the law. "The price tag on it, I don't think anybody really knew what it would be over the long period of time." The wrongfully convicted can also get other benefits such as state health insurance and tuition reimbursement. "The whole goal of the law was to try to get people back on their feet," said Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, who authored the 2009 compensation law. Christopher Scott, 47, spent 12 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. He was exonerated by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals exonerated in 2010 and received more than $1 million. "That compensation probably made me the person I am today," Scott said. "That money helps you rebuild and restore your life, and it makes it where you can enjoy your life." Scott used some of the money to start the House of Renewed Hope, which works to investigate the innocence claims of people in prison. ___ Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com TOP OF THE MORNING Welcome to Fox News First. Not signed up yet? Click here. Developing now, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017: Obama-era Russia uranium deal investigation widens Trump warns House Republicans of midterm trouble if they don't pass tax reform Bernie Sanders seeking Senate reelection as independent, feeding 2020 buzz North Korea tension: Air Force reportedly preparing to put B-52 bombers on alert Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to be sentenced after pleading guilty to desertion THE LEAD STORY: The House Oversight committee has started investigating an Obama-era deal in which a Russian-backed company bought a uranium firm with mines in the U.S. ... The uranium agreement was reached while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state. Some investors in the Russian-backed company, Uranium One, had relationships with former President Bill Clinton and donated to the Clinton Foundation. When asked on "Fox News Sunday" if a criminal investigation would be coming, Rep. Ron DeSantis, a member of the House Oversight Committee, responded: "It could be criminal." He cited statutes of limitations that may limit prosecutions of any crimes that may arise from the 2010 deal. TRUMP TO HOUSE GOP - PASS TAX REFORM OR PAY THE PRICE: President Trump has warned House Republicans that voters will not be kind to them if they stand in the way of his push for broad tax reform ... In a conference call Sunday that included Vice President Pence, Trump told the House GOP to approve the Senate's version of the budget framework, which was narrowly passed Thursday night, to pave the route for tax reform. Sources familiar with the phone call told Fox News that Trump warned of big trouble for House Republicans in the approaching midterms if they fail to advance tax reform. House Speaker Paul Ryan on the call told Republicans he hopes to pass a revised version of the Senate bill this week. PREPARED FOR NORTH KOREA: The U.S. Air Force is preparing to place its fleet of nuclear-armed B-52 bombers on 24-hour alert for the first time since 1991 amid escalating tensions with North Korea, the military branch's chief of staff said in a report ... Defense officials denied to Fox News that bombers were ordered to go on 24-hour alert, but Gen. David Goldfein told Defense One it could happen. "This is yet one more step in ensuring that were prepared, Goldfein said. I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure were prepared going forward. Jimmy Carter willing to go to North Korea on diplomatic mission FEELING THE BERN ONCE AGAIN? Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said Sunday he'll seek reelection as an independent next year. But his second visit in less than two months to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state of neighboring New Hampshire is fueling 2020 buzz ... The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate discussed his Senate reelection in an interview following an appearance in Rollinsford, N.H., small town along the Maine border. Sanders' trip to the critical primary state stirred more speculation that he just might run again for the White House in 2020, especially as he rallies the left wing of the party around a controversial 'Medicare-for-all' bill on Capitol Hill. ARMY DESERTER TO FACE HIS PUNISHMENT: The fate of Bowe Bergdahl rests in a judge's hands now that the Army sergeant has pleaded guilty to endangering his comrades by leaving his post in Afghanistan in 2009 ... Bergdahl faces up to life in prison on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy after pleading guilty to the charges last week. His sentencing starts today at Fort Bragg and is expected to feature dramatic testimony about soldiers and a Navy SEAL badly hurt while they searched for him. Bergdahl was held captive for five years by Taliban allies after leaving his post. THE WEEKEND THAT WAS THE SOCIAL MEDIA PRESIDENT: "I doubt I'd be here if it weren't for social media. There is a fake media out there. I get treated very unfairly by the media ... I have friends that say oh, don't use social media. When I put it out, you put it immediately on your show. The other day I put something out. Two seconds later I'm watching your show, it's up." President Trump, on "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo," discussing his frequent use of Twitter. WATCH 'SEINFELD' DOESN'T STAND THE TEST OF TIME: "I'm the first one to say that 'Seinfeld' can't work today because the cell phone would have killed it. It was about people engaging and thoughtfully engaging in minutia ... There were no cell phones in 'Seinfeld.'" John O'Hurley, best known for playing wacky fashion designer J. Peterman on "Seinfeld," on "Watters' World," talking about why "Seinfeld" would not have worked in today's times. WATCH MINDING YOUR BUSINESS Target gears up for holidays with free shipping and gifts under $15. J.P. Morgan reaches beyond its branches with new mobile account app. 7 changes to Social Security in 2018 NEW IN FOX NEWS OPINION David Bossie: Conservative Senate candidates ready to take on the establishment in 2018 Does General Kelly feud mean it's time for national service or a draft? The charitable health care racket -- Trump should slap new regulations. HOLLYWOOD SQUARED Justin Timberlake to headline Super Bowl Halftime Show more than a decade after Janet Jackson 'wardrobe malfunction.' Harvey Weinstein leaves rehab after one week. Kathy Griffin has ugly break with her lawyer over beheaded Trump pic. DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS? Fossilized teeth dating back 9.7 million years could 'rewrite' human history. PHOTO: 'Shrek' gets a police ticket. The fascinating sex life of Jonathan, the 186-year-old giant tortoise. STAY TUNED On Fox News: Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Counselor to President Trump Kellyanne Conway talks about his push for tax reform and the war of words with Rep. Frederica Wilson. Hannity, 9 p.m. ET: Ivanka Trump sits down with Sean for a wide-ranging interview, from tax reform, coverage by an anti-Trump mainstream media and more! On Fox Business: Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: From tax reform to health to North Korea, more of Maria's exclusive interview with President Trump. Varney & Company, 9 a.m. ET: Former Reagan economic adviser Art Laffer on the chances of tax reform by the end of the year. Plus, Walking Dead Executive Producer David Alpert dishes on the new season. On Fox News Radio: The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET to Noon ET: New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin takes on critics of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. Howard Kittell, CEO of Andrew Jackson's Hermitage and historian Doug Wead draw parallels between Jackson and Trump. Jason Hall talks about his directorial debut in the new film, Thank You for Your Service. #OnThisDay 2001: The nation's anthrax scare hits the White House with the discovery of a small concentration of spores at an offsite mail processing center. 1973: President Richard Nixon agrees to turn over White House tape recordings subpoenaed by the Watergate special prosecutor to Judge John J. Sirica. 1963: The Neil Simon comedy Barefoot in the Park, starring Elizabeth Ashley and Robert Redford, opens on Broadway. Thank you for joining us on Fox News First! Enjoy your day and we'll see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday morning. Kate Steinles murder fueled national outrage and became a flashpoint in the divisive debate over the twin issues of illegal immigration and U.S. sanctuary cities, and now her accused killer is getting his day in court. A homeless illegal immigrant from Mexico is charged with the slaying which became a signature issue for Donald Trump as he was running for president. Trump invoked the murder in calling for the construction of a wall on the Mexican border and stepping up deportations and cracking down on illegal immigration. The 32-year-old woman and her father James Steinle were strolling on San Francisco's Embarcadero on July 1, 2015 when she was shot. Her father testified Monday that before she died, she said to him: Help me, dad. The prosecution said those were her last words. Two days after Steinle was shot, Trump released a tough statement on the killing. "This senseless and totally preventable act of violence committed by an illegal immigrant is yet another example of why we must secure our border immediately," he said. "This is an absolutely disgraceful situation, and I am the only one that can fix it. Nobody else has the guts to even talk about it. That won't happen if I become president." Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, 54, admits shooting Steinle but says it was an accident. A jury of six men and six women began hearing arguments Monday in the courtroom of Judge Samuel Feng. This is the gun fired at a young woman named Kathryn Steinle on pier 14, prosecutor Diana Garcia told the jury in her opening statement. She pointed to Zarate, and said, Shes dead because this man pointed a gun in her direction and pulled the trigger. Garcia said the prosecutions evidence includes surveillance video from a fire station that shows Steinle falling to the ground and a splash from when Zarate threw the gun in the water. She concluded by telling the jury when they see the video, hear the defendants words, hear from witnesses and hear more about the gun, they will conclude that Zarate knew what he was doing and that he meant to shoot people on pier 14 and ended up killing Kate Steinle. Defense attorney Matt Gonzalez said during his opening statement that his client hadn't stolen the gun, but rather found it on the pier, and it went off as he unwrapped the T-shirt. He showed the jury surveillance video, attempting to prove that someone else could have left the gun where Zarate was sitting and argued that Zarate threw the gun in the water to make it stop firing. Gonzalez portrayed Zarate as a homeless man who didn't speak English well and didn't really understand what was going on. The attorney showed video from Zarate's initial police interview in which he repeatedly said he didn't know why he shot Steinle and why he was aiming in that area. But the prosecution said when Zarate was interviewed by detectives he first said the gun went off when he stepped on it, and then said it was wrapped up in a bag and that it somehow went off. Garcia said that eventually he admitted to deliberately firing the gun, but without explaining why, except at some point to say he was aiming at a seal. The defense attorney told the jury that there has "never been a ricochet charge as a murder in San Francisco" and that an expert "couldn't make this shot if he tried." Gonzalez concluded by saying, "If this had happened to a college kid or a Swedish tourist - if they had accidentally fired a gun - would they be charged with murder?" The jury also heard from Jim Steinle, who was with his daughter on the pier when she was shot. In a brief but emotional testimony, Jim described his close relationship with his daughter and their love of taking selfies together, one of which was taken moments before the shooting. He cried on the stand as he recounted the details of his daughter's death. Jim said after she was shot and fell to the ground, "she looked at me with her arms out and said, 'help me dad' ...and I grabbed her and held her." Zarate had a criminal record and had been deported several times at the time of the shooting. Just before the shooting, he had been transferred to the San Francisco County Jail after serving a prison sentence for illegal reentry. He was being held on a 20-year-old marijuana charge that prosecutors dismissed. The San Francisco sheriff then released Zarate from jail despite a federal immigration request to detain him for at least two more days for deportation. The sheriff's department said it was following the city's sanctuary policy of limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities. San Francisco, as a sanctuary city, honors immigration holds only if the person has a violent record or if a judge vetted the hold or approved a warrant. At the time of the Steinle shooting, Trump was trailing most of the field running for the GOP presidential nomination. Two weeks later after issuing his statement he was in first place. As president, Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding to so-called sanctuary cities such as San Francisco. The threat has been met with lawsuits to stop the president from moving forward. The gun Zarate fired had been stolen from the car of a Bureau of Land Management ranger several days before the shooting. The trial is expected to last four to six weeks. Fox News' Jennifer Girdon in San Francisco and The Associated Press contributed to this report. The mother of a teenage boy, whose remains were found in a wooded area on Long Island last week, said she believes her sons death was gang-related. Nassau police identified the remains on Sunday as Angel Soler, 16, who was last seen on July 21 leaving his home. The teenagers body was discovered in a wooded area on the Roosevelt-Baldwin border. His mother, Suyapa Soler, told Newsday she believed her son was killed by a gang, but did not go into further detail due to a police request. The grieving mother also said she brought her son to the U.S. four years ago to escape gang violence in Honduras. She arrived in the states for the first time 11 years ago. COPS USING SNEAKERS TO SPOT MS-13 MEMBERS, GANG LEADER SAYS Investigators received a tip from the federal department of Homeland Security last week about the remains in Roosevelt. Acting Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told Newsday investigators could not definitively say if the death was linked to the MS-13 gang, a group that has killed at least 22 people on Long Island in a year and terrorized residents. Ryder said in another statement that detectives are looking into all avenues of the cause of death. The 16-year-old boy was also good friends with Kerin Pineda and Josue David Amaya, two Freeport High School students who disappeared in May and September 2016. MS-13 INITIATION KILLINGS: LURED TO A PARK BY GIRLS AND HACKED TO DEATH WITH MACHETES Police did not confirm Pineda and Amaya were missing, but Claudia Erazo, Amayas sister, told Newsday she fears all three friends died from gang violence. She said her brother told her he was being threatened at school, but he never specified anything related to gangs. Police in New York City said late Monday that two children who'd claimed a man was stalking them and delivered a creepy note to their family eventually admitted that they made it all up. Police had tweeted out images of a man they said was connected to the case, as they urged anyone with information to step forward. A person of interest turned himself in, but police told Fox 5 he had no connection to the case. The two children, an 8-year-old girl and her 12-year-old brother, had claimed a man was following them at their Brooklyn home and as they headed to and from school, snapping photos while trying to hide out of sight, according to police. Later that day, the childrens parents supposedly found a note in their mailbox that read, Watch out. I am watching you!! Your daughter is cute. By Monday night, police told the news station the kids recanted their stories. Vice President Mike Pence on Monday honored the memory of 241 U.S. service members killed in the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, calling the three-decade-old attack the "opening salvo" in the war against terrorism. Pence and White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster paid tribute to the service members, including 220 Marines, on the anniversary of the deadly truck bombing during President Ronald Reagan's first term. The vice president pointed to President Donald Trump's recent decision to decertify the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, which was tied to the bombing, and placed the 1983 attack as the first battle in the nation's ongoing war against terrorism. He also recalled the 58 French paratroopers who died when a second attacker struck their installation in Beirut. "The Beirut barracks bombing was the opening salvo in a war that we have waged ever since the global war on terror. It's a conflict that has taken American troops across the wider world from Lebanon to Libya, from Nigeria to Afghanistan, from Somalia to Iraq, and many other battlefields in between," he said. Pence said under Trump's leadership, "we will drive the cancer of terrorism from the face of the earth." The Beirut bombing was the deadliest attack against U.S. Marines since the battle over Iwo Jima in February 1945. The ceremony and parade at the Marine Barracks in Washington was attended by retired Lt. Col. Larry Gerlach, the commander of the battalion landing team who survived the bombing, and families of service members who were killed. Pence told the audience of his personal connection to the incident: His brother, Greg Pence, served in the Marines and was stationed at the Beirut barracks around the time of the attack. The vice president said he and his parents and other family members worried about his brother's safety when they heard about the bombing. Days later, Greg Pence, who is now running for Congress in Indiana, called home to tell his family that his battalion had shipped out shortly before the bombing. "I promise all of you, just like my brother, we'll never forget. We'll never forget the 241 who never had that chance," Pence said. __ On Twitter, follow Ken Thomas at @KThomasDC. After three years and 1,700 miles, a Texas dog is finally back home after she was stolen from a homeless woman. Ladybird, a Staffordshire Terrier, was originally trained to be a service animal for a woman who had narcolepsy and seizures. When the woman ended up homeless, Ladybird stayed by her side on the streets of Austin. "This dog eventually took care of her, was her only family and pulled her wheelchair," Sharon Henderson told FOX7 Austin. The canine's owner made a plea to Henderson and another woman, known as "Miss Jane," to take care of Ladybird before the woman died -- but another man took off with the pooch before they could get to her. The neighbor in the living facility called this other homeless guy and he came and took ladybird in the middle of the night knowing that her wishes were that he not have her, Henderson said. Ladybird had a chip in her neck, which Henderson and the other woman tracked all the way to Portland, Ore. They believe the man hitchhiked the entire way there with the dog. DOGS REALLY DO PUT ON 'PUPPY EYES' TO GET WHAT THEY WANT A month ago, Henderson and "Miss Jane" got a call Ladybird was found wandering the streets of Portland, weighing 30 pounds and going deaf. The man who originally took her had died, leaving her to fend for herself. "She hadn't eaten in so long, so had no jaw muscles. Her head muscles had atrophied and she couldn't even chew. Her ribs were sticking out and she couldnt even go up two stairs without falling backwards," Henderson said. After arranging for the dog to go into foster care, Ladybird started bouncing back and was finally able to make the trip back home to the Lone Star state. I want her to enjoy the rest of her life in the lap of luxury she's never known and have a family," Henderson said. An Ohio college student has pleaded guilty to stabbing his roommate to death after they argued over fast food. University of Akron student Kendal Scheid pleaded guilty Monday to involuntary manslaughter in the death of 23-year-old Duncan Unternaher. Police say the friends were drunk and got into an argument about fast food they were eating at their apartment last December. Scheid's attorney called it an "unfortunate accident." The attorney says Scheid and Unternaher had been roommates for two years. The 23-year-old from Norwalk could get up to 11 years in prison when he is sentenced in December. The man accused of fatally shooting a woman and wounding six other people at a Tennessee church last month told police he heard voices and had visions, including an image of that particular church, a detective testified in court Monday. Nashville Police Detective Steve Jolley said 25-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samson wouldn't say much else about his vision of Burnette Chapel Church of Christ, when pressed by police during an interview. "He was just very vague and he didn't really elaborate on anything," Jolley said at a hearing in Davidson County General Sessions Court. A judge sent Samson's case to a grand jury Monday. Samson didn't appear for the hearing. Jolley also acknowledged that a note found in Samson's car made reference to a white supremacist's 2015 massacre at a South Carolina black church, a detail that The Associated Press first reported. The note found on the dashboard read something like, "Dylann Roof was less than nothing," Jolley said. "It was really kind of just vague," Jolley said. All of the victims in Nashville were white, but it's still not clear whether Samson, who is black, specifically targeted them based on their race. Jolley said Samson downplayed the role of race to detectives. "I asked him specifically and he said that he didn't give much thought to race," Jolley said. "I think he also said the same thing about religion. So he didn't indicate to me any particular thing for motivation." Samson said nothing in the interview about the fact that he had attended the church previously, only commenting that he might have delivered pizzas there, Jolley said. Samson also told Jolley he was just tired of driving on the day of the shooting, the detective added. Though he was otherwise mostly stoic, Samson broke down in tears at one point when another detective asked him about hurt and pain, according to the detective. Samson said he remembered shooting outside the church, but didn't recall shooting inside and wasn't shooting at anyone in particular, Jolley said. Samson is charged with murder in the Sept. 24 attack at the Nashville church. The Sunday shooting rampage killed 38-year-old Melanie L. Crow of Smyrna, Tennessee. The FBI and U.S. attorney's office in Nashville quickly opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting. The judge also heard testimony from Robert Caleb Engle, the 22-year-old church member hailed as a hero in the attack. During the shooting, Engle said he twice confronted the gunman, who was wearing a tactical vest and a motorcycle-style mask with a clown smile on it. Engle said he grabbed the shooter's arm, at which point he pistol whipped the churchgoer three times in the head. Later, Engle said he stood up in front of the shooter, whose gun then turned to target him. Engle said he pushed the gun back onto the shooter and a shot fired, striking the gunman and sending him to the ground. Engle said his father kicked the gun away, stood on the shooter's hand and told Engle to go get his gun out of his truck. Engle came back with his weapon, put his foot on the shooter's back and stood guard until first responders arrived. According to police records, Samson struggled to hold a job and had a volatile relationship with a woman that twice involved police this year, and also had expressed suicidal thoughts in June. Authorities have said Samson came to the United States from Sudan as a child in 1996 and is a U.S. citizen. Additional charges are expected. Samson is being held without bond. A Nigerian man who tried to blow up a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day eight years ago by carrying a bomb in his underwear has filed a lawsuit alleging his constitutional rights are being violated. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab alleges in a lawsuit filed in Colorado that he's been forced to eat foods forbidden by his religion, endured harassment yelled by white supremacist inmates saying things offensive to Muslims and has been prohibited from communicating with relatives, including nieces and nephew, according to the Detroit Free Press. The lawsuit names U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and Joe Does 1 through 20. According to the lawsuit obtained by the newspaper, the U.S. government prohibits him from communicating with more than 7.5 billion people, the vast majority of people on the planet. Prison walls do not form a barrier separating prison inmates from the protections of the United States Constitution, the lawsuit said. Abdulmutallab is serving four life prison terms in Florence, Colo., after pleading guilty to eight counts in 2011, including conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism. The bomb plot failed due to Abdulmutallab wearing the explosive undergarments for more than two weeks ahead of the attempted attack, former Transportation Security Administration chief John Pistole told Fox News Chief Intelligence Correspondent Catherine Herridge at the 2014 Aspen Security Forum. "Let's say it was degraded," Pistole said at the time. In 2009, months before the attack, he traveled to Yemen in a desperate bid to see Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born cleric and one of the best-known Al Qaeda figures, according to the government. He told investigators that the suicide mission was approved by Al Qaeda after a three-day visit with his mentor. Al-Awlaki and the bomb maker were killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen just days before Abdulmutallab's trial. At the time, then-President Barack Obama publicly blamed al-Awlaki for the terrorism plot. The case had lasting implications for security screenings at American airports. Abdulmutallab's ability to defeat security in Amsterdam contributed to the deployment of full-body scanners at U.S. airports. The Transportation Security Administration was using the scanners in some American cities at the time, but the attack accelerated their placement. There are now hundreds of the devices nationwide. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Is your daughters Halloween costume "appropriate"? Unless youre Polynesian, dressing up your child as Disneys Moana is racist, according to an activist parenting blogger. Little girls dressing up as Elsa from Frozen should just let it go because her character promotes white beauty, Sachi Feris writes in her blog, Raising Race Conscious Children, in a post that went viral and was picked up by Cosmopolitan. But that's all child's play compared to the continued policing of costumes on college campuses. The mere possibility of someone dressing up in what could be viewed as an "offensive" costume is causing several colleges to proactively warn students using guides, checklists, workshops, threats of probes and investigations. Even offering 24/7 counseling. Recently, schools cracked down on non-politically correct outfits, from creepy clowns to Caitlyn Jenner, and just about everything in between. The scariest thing about your costume isnt what you think, according to a Halloween and Cultural Appropriation Tabling event at Goucher College in Maryland. The University of St. Thomas in Minnesota put up Costume or Culture Appropriation fliers listing unacceptable costumes and clothing as including Native American headdresses, a Mexican sombrero, a geisha outfit or any form of blackface. Cultural appropriation is defined as the act of taking intellectual and cultural expressions from a culture that is not your own, without showing that you understand or respect the culture, the flier read. Offensive costumes incorporate a long history of prejudice, hate, discrimination, colonialism and slavery as well as turning an important and/or sacred element into fashion. And just in case you don't get easily offended by costumes, several universities are ready to help. The University of California, Santa Barbara recently held a Social Justice Workshop to teach students how to spot Halloween costume abuse and appropriation. Similarly, Washington State Universitys Social Justice Peer Educators Group held an event entitled Were a Culture, Not a Costume to teach people about harmful Halloween costumes, according to Acculturated. The University of Massachusetts, Amherst put up Simple Costume Racism Evaluation and Assessment Meter (SCREAM) posters around campus, assigning threat levels based on how much a costume differs from the students own race. Ohio State Universitys student magazine had a similar flow chart this year that supports costumes that make fun of Donald Trump, but warns white students not to dress as Prince or wear traditional head wear from other cultures. A Notre Dame Residence hall rector sent out a memo to her students before a Disney-themed dance not to dress up as Moana, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Mulan or The Princess and the Frog. At the University of Utah, a newsletter put out by the Student Affairs Diversity Council, tells students to avoid Halloween costumes if it is labeled tribal or traditional, or if it includes dreads, locs, afros, cornrows or a headdress. Northern Arizona Universitys Housing and Residence Life warned against African-inspired costumes, Pocahontas, Asian rice hats and more, according to The College Fix. At Princeton University, the Center for Equality held a dialogue about the impact of cultural appropriation, Halloween, and why culture is not a costume. To ensure students don't make the wrong choice, The University of Southern Indiana hosted a workshop for students to make their own culturally appropriate costumes, as reported by The College Fix. Meanwhile, Minnesota State University Moorhead is set to have a panel discussion called Not Your Festival Wear: Fashion and Cultural Appropriation that asks how appropriation is fueled by womens fashions and white feminism." Vanderbilt University Residential Education, in collaboration with Vanderbilt Feminists, is hosting a chat on cultural appropriation just in time for Halloween. Texas A&M University held a cultural appropriation diversity workshop earlier this month, and the University of New Hampshire took it a step further, hosting an entire cultural appropriation teach in not only aimed at Halloween, but also Cinco de Mayo and Dia de los Muertos. At Tufts University, students were warned they could be subject to probes from campus police for costumes that make students feel threatened or unsafe. Administration officials encouraged students to report anyone wearing an inappropriate and offensive costume, according to the College Fix. Examples include geishas, Native Americans, Confederate soldiers or anything involving wearing blackface and/or a sombrero. The University of Texas issued a 29-point checklist on offensive Halloween costumes that said even seemingly harmless themes can be carried out incorrectly, and the bias response team asked students to report any party with a racist theme. A Greek official at Pennsylvanias Gettysburg College went so far as to warn fellow Greeks their chapters could be shut down if they wear the wrong costumes. The University of Florida offered 24/7 counseling last year around Halloween. Some Halloween costumes reinforce stereotypes of particular races, genders, cultures, or religions, the administration wrote. Regardless of intent, these costumes can perpetuate negative stereotypes, causing harm and offense to groups of people. A U.S. diplomat apologized Sunday after a top Indonesian general was barred from boarding a flight to the United States. Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo and his wife had planned to leave Indonesia on Saturday evening but were told by the airline shortly before departure that U.S. Customs would deny their entry, according to a military spokesman. The general was invited by Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, to attend a conference in Washington. Erin McKee, the deputy U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, did not explain why Nurmantyo was prevented from boarding, but said the matter had been resolved. "We deeply regret the inconvenience that this incident caused and we apologize," McKee told reporters. McKee met with Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Monday morning and said she apologized. U.S. Ambassador Joseph Donovan also offered an apology, according to a statement Sunday from the embassy. Relations between the U.S and Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, are generally friendly. Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said on Sunday that the Indonesian Embassy in Washington had sent a diplomatic note to the State Department. A couple from Utah has been arrested and charged with murder and child abuse following the death of the womans 13-day-old baby. Maria Elena Sullivan, the infants 26-year-old mother, was arrested on Sunday following accusations that her boyfriend, Dylan James Kitzmiller, 21, was abusing the baby and she did nothing to stop it, Fox 13 reported. Sullivan, who was reportedly on the run and had a warrant out for her arrest, was caught while getting medical care at a hospital in Georgia. Sullivan and Kitzmiller, who was arrested on Friday, were charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of child abuse as second-degree felonies in connection to the babys death. "Both of them were charged because the girlfriend indicated that there was a level of abuse that was going on, she was aware of this abuse, and she took no steps to stop this or to take the child to safety," the district attorney said. THREE DEATHS IN TAMPA NEIGHBORHOOD LIKELY LINKED, COPS SAY The baby was born on Sept. 4 in good health and was confirmed dead on Sept. 17, Fox 13 reported. On the day of the infants death, Sullivan had reportedly told a friend on the phone that she needed to get away from Kitzmillers abuse. During the phone call, the baby was alone with the boyfriend. When Sullivan returned, the baby was only wearing a diaper and Kitzmiller was moving his legs in a rough weird bicycle thing, the report said. Later that night, Sullivan told police she heard the baby making noises and gasping for air. When she tried to get him to respond, he reportedly gasped a few more times before he stopped breathing entirely. The couple called 911 but responders were unable to save the baby, Fox 13 reported. INFANT FOUND COVERED IN WHITE POWDER DIES IN LOS ANGELES Sullivan reportedly told police that Kitzmiller was verbally abusive toward her and physically abusive towards the baby. She said he had thrown the baby around, slapped him in the face, bit his hands, swaddled him face down and once covered the babys mouth with his hand as he cried. He also allegedly used heroin while he was with the infant. Sullivan also said that despite knowing of Kitzmillers rough behavior, she continued to leave her baby with him and didnt seek medical care, Fox 13 reported. The baby reportedly had massive brain swelling, a broken rib and fractured spine. The baby also lost 14 percent of his body weight, according to a doctor who examined him. A K-9 officer in Utah who was shot on the job in August received a Purple Heart during the weekend, the Spectrum reports. Tess, a Belgian Malinois with the Washington County Sheriffs Office, was wounded this summer when she went after a carjacking suspect, according to KUTV. Deputy Mike Graf is the dogs handler. He was reportedly presented with Tesss Purple Heart by a local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter on Saturday. Its a great award for her, Graf told the Spectrum. But it warms my heart to know that the community out there just loves the work that we do and loves the dogs enough to reach out to say thank you. "Although Tess is still undergoing treatment and evaluation, she has been cleared to return to work in a light duty capacity," the sheriff's office said in a Sept. 26 Facebook post. "For now, she will be helping clear the drugs from our community." ARMY CAPT. GARY ROSE TO GET MEDAL OF HONOR Graf told the newspaper that Tess continues to progress in her recovery. Its a never-ending process getting her back into work, working through the struggles that shes had. Weve worked back through some gunfire situations, weve worked on getting back on some biting, Graf said. Shes progressing very well, so its very impressive how strong of a dog she really is. It just goes to her true character and her drive. Alvie Jared Grover, 55, allegedly shot the K-9 officer. He's been charged with eight charges, including one count of injuring or interfering with a police service animal, the sheriff's office said in a Sept. 1 Facebook post. Former Saudi Chief of Intelligence and Ambassador to the U.S. and U.K. Prince Turki al-Faisal is cautioning the Trump team to clarify its stance on defeating the biggest terrorist in Syria the countrys president, Bashar al-Assad while at the same time praising the clear, ironfisted strategy of the U.S. toward Iran. Bashar al-Assad is the biggest terrorist. He has killed more people than Hamas, ISIS or al-Nusra, Faisal said Sunday at the Middle East Policy Forum in New York, coordinated by the Israel Policy Forum, a think tank aimed at supporting and mobilizing the American Jewish community. Therefore, the effort needs to be to convince Russia not to necessarily abandon, but to keep an arms distance from Mr. Assad. If that happens, we can get things happening in Syria. Russia, a prominent opponent of regime change globally, long has supported the Syrian president and is largely credited for turning around the countrys bloody civil war after it joined the bombing campaign to support pro-Assad forces in September 2015. For his part, Assad consistently has acknowledged the brutal toll of the more than six-year war, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, yet has insisted that their fight has not been against an opposition, but against terrorists littered across the country. The cure to the global terrorism problem, Faisal stated, is to fix the capitals in countries across the Middle East and North Africa. If you look across from Iraq to Syria to Lebanon to Yemen to across the sea to Libya, you see terrorist groups are thriving in these countries, he said. The best way to cure this is through viable and workable governments who can deal with these challenges. You have to fix the capitals. He stressed that terrorist groups are merely symptoms and political tools for failing governments. Faisal also pointed out that while the American policy in Syria and toward Assad remains murky, he praised President Donald Trumps clear and harsh stance toward Iran and recent refusal to certify their compliance to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran nuclear deal. DEFEATING ISIS ISNT ENOUGH: TRUMP URGENTLY NEEDS A NEW SYRIA POLICY If you want to put pressure on Iran, you have to do whatever it means to do that and decertification is one way of putting in that pressure to make them live up not just to the letter of the deal, but the spirit, he said. The signers of the deal when they signed it portrayed the holy picture that it was going to turn into a very friendly and open and hospitable place to do business with, but that hasnt happened. Rather, Faisal observed, the deal has emboldened Iran to cement its footprint further in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and the region at-large. The basic failure of the deal was to deal with (these) Iranian extraterritorial ambitions, he said. RUSSIAS LAVROV WARNS ONE-SIDED CHANGES COULD SINK IRAN DEAL Faisal was joined by Efraim Halevy, former director of Israels Mossad Security Agency, who instead reiterated the importance of ensuring the deal remains in place and countered that from an Israel point of view, they at least have time now 10 to 13 years to deal with issues that were not included, such as terrorism and missile capabilities. Israel is indestructible. We are able to, if necessary, protect ourselves and emerge intact. I have huge faith in our military establishment, our defense establishment, and our intelligence establishment. We are less indestructible than we ever were, he said. Having said that, the Iran deal was not an ideal deal. But this was because Israel did not wish the negotiations to include all the items on the agenda. Rather, Halevy advocated that they wanted the United States to focus on the nuclear issue and nothing else. We didnt want to delay the deal, we wanted it to come as quickly as possible and be as effective as possible, he added. Things are happening in Iran today, changes are happening in Iran today. The forum marked the first time Faisal had visited a synagogue in America, and he emphasized he hoped it would not be the last. An Afghan official says a Taliban attack has killed four policemen in southern Ghazni province. In Kabul, two rockets fired from the east of the Afghan capital hit inside the city but caused no casualties. In Ghazni, police chief Mohammad Zaman says the insurgents targeted a security post in the district of Waghaz early on Monday. He says along with the four killed, two policemen were wounded in the attack. Zaman says the attack set off a heavy gunbattle that lasted hours. He says the Taliban were "defeated with heavy causalities." Najib Danish, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, says the target of the Kabul attack, also on Monday morning, was not immediately clear. The Islamic State militants came into the Syrian town with a hit list. By the time they left three weeks later, more than 70 civilians had been killed -- shot or beheaded, their bodies dumped in farms and ditches. The apparent revenge killings in the town of Qaryatayn underscore the ability of the extremists to inflict heavy losses even when they're in retreat -- and portend more violence as they fight to hang on to their last strongholds in Syria. News of the gruesome slayings began to emerge late Sunday, after ISIS militants were driven out by advancing government troops. Terrified residents said they watched the slaughter from their windows or in the streets. One former resident said his surviving family members walked for miles to find cell phone coverage so they could tell him of the deaths of his uncle, two cousins and a fourth relative. Another uncle remains missing. "They came into town with a hit list," said Abdullah AbdulKarim, adding that 35 of the 50 militants who overran the town late last month were originally from Qaryatayn. He said the militants accused many of their victims of collaborating with the government but many others were also caught in the revenge killing. "Our curse is from within us," he said, speaking to The Associated Press from northern Syria, where he fled years ago. Once a predominantly Christian town known for its ancient monastery, Qaryatayn has changed hands between ISIS and the Syrian government several times during Syria's civil war. Parts of the 1,500-year-old St. Elian monastery were demolished the first time ISIS took over the town in 2015 and thousands of its Christian residents fled, fearing the extremist group's brutality. An AP video, filmed as Syrian government troops recaptured Qaryatayn on Saturday, showed several bodies lying in the streets. In the video, a town resident said ISIS "monsters" killed more than 100 people, including soldiers and civilians. "These are people who don't know God, they don't know anything. They killed children and women with knives, they beat women, broke their arms," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for his own safety. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented the killings of at least 128 people in Qaryatayn, including at least 12 killed by government forces on suspicion of aiding the ISIS militants. AbdulKarim and Mohamed Hassan, an activist who runs the Palmyra Network News, put the death toll at 75 civilians, saying many more remain unaccounted for. They said the dead included some who were shot by government forces. But Hassan said most of the slayings were by Islamic State militants. "It seems it was mostly revenge," he said. Another activist network, the Palmyra Coordination Committee, released the names of 67 civilians who were confirmed killed and said the number was likely to rise. It said at least 35 of the dead were found dumped inside a ditch. Talal Barazi, the governor of Homs province, said ISIS "terrorized" residents for three weeks, adding that most of the dead were townspeople who were government employees or were affiliated with Syria's ruling Baath party. He said at least 13 residents remained missing and six bodies had not been identified. ISIS militants first seized Qaryatayn in August 2015, and relied on its strategic location to defend another of their bastions, the historic city of Palmyra. With Russian backing, Syrian government troops regained control of Qaryatayn in April 2016. But ISIS, facing major setbacks in Syria and Iraq, launched a new offensive on the town in late September and recaptured it. AbdulKarim said during the three weeks that ISIS controlled the town, the militants went door to door looking for people they accused of collaborating with the Syrian government. He said his uncle, who was a local mayor, and two cousins were shot after they were taken to an undisclosed location. Another uncle remains missing. "They took people to show them bodies dumped in an open area to let them know they were killed, but also to terrorize the public," AbdulKarim said. He said the extremists barred residents from burying their dead. He said the advancing government troops also killed civilians, but residents were too afraid to report the government killings. AbdulKarim and the Observatory said the militants took Qaryatayn's police chief, his wife and other security personnel as hostages to negotiate their exit after government troops encircled the town. About 200 militants evacuated the town, before government forces marched in, they said. Watch A Motorcycle-Riding Gov. Rauner Formally Announce His Reelection Bid By aaroncynic in News on Oct 23, 2017 7:06PM Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner in his campaign announcement video titled "I Choose to Fight." "They said it couldn't be done," Rauner narrates as the video opens to gloomy stock footage of abandoned buildings, boarded up houses, Chicago traffic, the Capitol Building, and a sad looking child on a swing at a playground. That it was crazy to think this place could be saved. That we should give up, give in, resign our hopes and dreams to a corrupt culture of permanent political failure. The Madigan machine is just too strong, they say." After railing a little more about the Madigan machine and accepting corruption and stagnation, the mood shifts to a more upbeat tone, with Rauner saying we can't and we won't. This is Illinois. This is home. The camera then cuts to footage of the governor on his motorcycle in his biker outfit, a vest glittering with pins and patchesincluding one that reads Governor on the chestover a hooded sweatshirt that reads Governor on the sleeve, apparently to really drive the point home that Bruce Rauner is in fact, governor. Rauner goes on to talk about how he crisscrossed our state with the promise to fight business as usual, listing off some of his toughest fights like property taxes, term limits, and the state budget. Now, we have a choice, he says nearing the end of the video. We can throw in the towel, walk away and leave our future to the same corrupt career politicians, or we can fight. Rauner then rolls his motorcycle up to a crowd of people standing with their arms crossed, dramatically pulls off his sunglasses and says I choose to fight. The ad is a departure from his earlier work this year (which were totally not actual campaign ads, but rather campaign-style ads) that featured him in a pristine tool shed playing with duct tape, a callback to his quirkier ads at the beginning of his run in 2014. Rauner, whos been embattled with legislators for his entire term because they simply wont make enough cuts to social services, is showing us that when a billionaire hedge fund manager swaps out his suit and tie or fresh Carhartt for a biker vesthes serious about fightin for reform. Rauners critics took the ad as an opportunity to point to just how much of a fight the governor could be up against in the coming year. Billionaire JB Pritzkers campaign, who leads the pack among Rauners challengers in a new poll published by Capitol Fax, called him a motorcycle riding failed governor in a statement. Bruce Rauners motorcycle must have taken a wrong turn if took him three years to choose to fight for this state, campaign manager Anne Caprara said in a statement emailed to Chicagoist. Lets be clear: Rauner promised to shake up Springfield and after just one term, our state is truly shaken. Rauner forced Illinois into a record-long budget crisis, racked up a record-amount of bills, and is now at a record-low approval rating. I guess when he notes that they said it couldnt be done what he really means is the damage is already done. It's time for Rauner to go, and at least we know he already has his transportation. The Democratic Governors Association meanwhile, said that Rauners beginning his campaign as the most vulnerable incumbent in the nation, pointing to a July poll from the group that put his disapproval rating at 63 percent. With nearly two-thirds of Illinoisans agreeing that he is bad at his job, Bruce Rauner seems to be the only person who believes he deserves reelection, said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro in a press release. No matter how many millions he spends, Rauner cannot escape the fact that Illinois is clearly worse off than it was before three years of his failed leadership. Catalonian separatists won a razor-thin majority on Thursday, with the three separatist parties winning a total of 70 seats in the 135-seat regional parliament. But the snap regional election failed to clarify the way forward, as parties seeking Catalonia's independence will be a majority in the new parliament but a pro-union party got the most votes. Still, ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont celebrated the results from Belgium on Thursday -- the same country he sought refuge in after Spain issued European arrest warrants for him and other separatists in November. Puigdemont also said that he's ready to meet with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in any location but Spain, because that's where he's facing arrest. In addition, Puigdemont also said he wants guarantees to return to Catalonia and be reinstated as the region's leader. In response, Rajoy said he expects a "new era based on dialogue" will begin in Catalonia following the snap election, adding that he will talk with the region's new leaders as long as they don't violate Spain's Constitution. The election comes after the Spanish government took control of Catalonia when separatist lawmakers, led by Puigdemont, declared independence in October. Spain invoked its never-before used constitutional amendment to take control of the region, giving it the ability to sack Puigdemont and his cabinet as well as authorize the government to curtail the regions parliamentary powers. Spain's Constitutional Court officially annulled the Catalan parliaments independence vote in November. European neighbors including Italy, France and Germany have condemned the independence declaration and rallied behind Spain. In light of the election, here's what you need to know. What is Catalonia? Located in the northeast region of Spain, Catalonia is largely independent with its own culture and language. Its one of the richest and most industrialized areas of the country with a heavy emphasis on manufacturing, according to the BBC. The region, which includes Barcelona, is home to about 7.5 million people. Valuing its autonomy, Catalonia has its own parliament and executive, called Generalitat in its language. Why do they want independence? Because of its own cultural identity, those in favor of Catalan independence have pushed for the region to become separate from Spain. Supporters also believe that they have given more to the Spanish government than they have gotten back. The push for independence raises questions of the future of democracy and democratic rule, Pamela Radcliff, a University of California, San Diego professor and modern Spain historian, told Fox News. Whats being contested between Spain and Catalonia, one of the things is different visions of what defending democracy looks like. SOME SEPARATIST-MINDED CATALANS URGE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE Radcliff said that its very possible that neither side has much incentive to compromise. The region held a referendum on Oct. 1. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the streets of Barcelona around the Catalan regional government palace to celebrate the independence vote. They chanted for the Spanish flag to be removed as live music played. The regions parliament voted to establish an independent Catalonia with 70 votes in favor of independence, 10 votes against and two blank ballots. Opposition leaders had left the chambers in protest before the vote. How did the Oct. 1 vote go? Catalonias parliament voted for independence after an Oct. 1 referendum with about 90 percent of the 2.3 million people who voted choosing independence, according to Catalan officials. However, fewer than half of the eligible voters participated in the highly contested referendum. About 900 people were treated for injuries after voting turned violent when Catalan civilians and Spanish police clashed. Andrew Dowling, an expert in Catalan history at Cardiff University in Wales, said that an independence declaration by the Catalan parliament is symbolic without border and institutional control and no international support. PRO-INDEPENDENCE CATALANS: 'I'VE NEVER FELT SPANISH' The declaration "will see the fracture between hardliners and the pragmatic people in Catalonia who are already seeing an economic fallout," Dowling told The Associated Press. But Spains Constitutional Court officially annulled the Catalan independence vote on Nov. 8. What has been Spains response? Spain's top court declared the Oct. 1 independence referendum illegal, and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had warned that the governments first move will be to remove Puigdemont from power when the Senate granted him the special powers under Article 155. Rajoy said what is happening in Catalonia is a clear violation of the laws, of democracy, of the rights of all, and that has consequences. Hundreds of thousands of anti-independence protesters demonstrated in the streets of Barcelona and called for the Catalonia region to remain a part of Spain. Rajoy reportedly refused help from outside civil-society groups and lawyers to mediate negotiations between the two factions. He has also declined to engage in talks with Catalan leaders. There is no possible mediation between democratic law and disobedience and unlawfulness, Rajoy said. What is Article 155? Spain invoked a clause of its constitution after Catalonia forged ahead with its plans to secede from the country that would take away the regions autonomy. Catalonia's refusal to backtrack from its independence threats triggered Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, the government said, which allows central authorities to take over control of any of the countrys 17 regions. Its a provision that hasnt been used in the four decades since democracy was restored in the European nation. OUSTED CATALAN LEADER SAYS HE IS NOT SEEKING POLITICAL ASYLUM, SUPPORTS SNAP ELECTION An English translation of the constitution states that if an autonomous community breaks the law or disregards the constitution, the Spanish government can after following certain procedures take the measures necessary in order to compel the [community] forcibly to meet said obligations, or in order to protect [Spains] general interests. Rajoy's cabinet met in a special meeting to approve measures to take direct control of the Catalan region under Article 155. The Senate gave him the power to do so. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Gaza's Hamas-run Interior Ministry says three smugglers working along the Egyptian border have "disappeared into a tunnel" in an apparent kidnapping. Palestinian tunnel owners, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said masked militants captured the three men as they were working in one of the area's few remaining smuggling tunnels. The militants are believed to be members of the Islamic State group's local affiliate, which has been battling the Egyptian army in the Sinai peninsula. Gaza's Hamas rulers have built a buffer zone along the border as part of efforts to improve relations with Egypt. The Islamic militant group ruling Gaza has tried to crack down on more extreme militants, including IS supporters. It wasn't just the dark-suited delegates in Beijing who were listening intently last week as Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined his grand ambitions to launch a twice-a-decade Communist Party congress. On China's peripheries there was apprehension and optimism as Xi, China's strongest leader in decades, reasserted his authority over semiautonomous Hong Kong and self-governing Taiwan. Xi declared that Hong Kong, where residents are increasingly divided over Beijing's rule of the former British colony, and Taiwan, where voters elected an independence-leaning president last year amid rising alienation from the mainland, are part of a "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" led by the Communist Party. Here's a look at what people on the two islands told The Associated Press about the party congress: ___ THE ANXIOUS BUSINESSMAN Businessman Ringo Lee believes President Xi Jinping must talk with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wen to encourage better ties across the Taiwan Strait. Companies like his travel agency depend on it. The company brings mainland Chinese tourists to Taiwan and also sends Taiwanese tourists to the mainland. Travel and tourism-related companies need good "cross-strait" relations, Lee said. But because of strained ties in recent years, "the number of Chinese tourists coming to Taiwan has dropped," said Lee, 45. "Xi Jinping's task in his second term is to make Taiwanese people feel that China is a friendly nation," Lee said. ___ THE ACTIVIST Christophe Chan feels Xi has done little over the past five years to improve relations with Taiwan, a democracy that Beijing views as a renegade province. Like many younger residents, he believes Beijing should give up on its claim that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory. "Taiwan and China are two different countries. This is a political fact that must not be neglected," said Chan, a supporter of 2014's student-led Sunflower Movement protests that opposed a trade agreement with Beijing and closer ties with the mainland. Only when China has "faced the truth about Taiwan, and recognizes it as a democratic and sovereign entity," can "both countries engage in friendly dialogue and exchange," said Chan, 38. Chan disapproves of the Communist Party's hard-line governance under Xi. "We are used to calling China a superpower, or even a great country," but the party's policies in recent years suggest otherwise, he said. "China is cracking down on human rights," Chan said. ___ THE PRO-BEIJING RETIREE For retiree Fan Li, the most important thing is whether China's leaders can improve the livelihoods of people in Hong Kong. "In the last 10 years, China's leaders Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin and Xi Jinping have all introduced different policies to support the development of Hong Kong," said Li, 70. Li believes China's leaders will successfully steer the city's future economic development as they have done for the mainland. He cited Beijing's big projects like the "One Belt, One Road" infrastructure project, which aims to better connect China, Europe and Africa, and another aimed at helping Hong Kong's integration with the wealthy, industrialized neighboring mainland province of Guangdong. He believes that Hong Kong's pro-democracy lawmakers hindered the city's economic development. "When some people constantly oppose policies for the sake of opposition, they delay progress," he said. "Take Shenzhen," Li said, referring the mainland boomtown next door to Hong Kong. "In the last 20 to 30 years, it has grown rapidly from a small village to the large, vibrant city that it is today." Hong Kong's development has stalled in comparison, he believes, because of "internal problems." ___ THE DISILLUSIONED STUDENT College student Lee Chan, 21, believes the party's policies have done little to address problems faced by Hong Kong's young. Disillusioned about their chances of social mobility and struggling to find affordable housing, many have given up on their dreams, he said. But an even greater worry is the Communist Party's increasing encroachment on political liberties like freedom of speech. "Many people will complain about economic problems such as high property prices, or the rising cost of chicken and vegetables," he said, "but are unaware that our political freedoms are gradually eroding." Hong Kong's prosperity as an international finance hub is underpinned by these freedoms, which are now being compromised, he said. "Booksellers have been detained and sent back to the mainland via illegal means," he said. "Hong Kong people face greater threats, in particular when it comes to their political rights." His outlook is bleak. "Maybe one day, we will not be able to organize on the streets, express our viewpoints, publish books, criticize the government, or express what we believe to be right and just," said Lee. "The values that define Hong Kong will no longer exist." ___ THE OPTIMISTIC STUDENT Jackel Wan, 19, is optimistic about relations between Hong Kong and the mainland and thinks the good atmosphere will continue under Xi's leadership. Beijing's policies haven't significantly touched Kui's personal life and he believes the freedoms he enjoys remain intact. "I can still study freely. I still have freedom of speech. Hong Kong is still under the framework of 'One Country, Two Systems,' and still under the Basic Law," he said, referring to a special formula and mini-constitution Beijing promised after the 1997 handover from Britain. They guarantee the city's wide autonomy and civil liberties unseen on the mainland. Kui believes Beijing's tough line on rising dissent in the city is appropriate, a stance at odds with many other young people, including those who helped spearhead huge 2014 pro-democracy protests. He said calls for Hong Kong independence by a small but vocal minority on college campuses and elsewhere are unrealistic. "They are doing the right thing to keep the situation under control," Kui said of China. ___ Taijing Wu reported from Taipei, Taiwan. A knife-wielding man burst into a Moscow radio station studio Monday and stabbed a female journalist in the neck, the station said. Tatyana Felgenhauer was stabbed at the Ekcho Moskvy station. Alexei Venediktov, the station's editor-in-chief, wrote on Twitter that Felgenhauer was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. The attacker was detained. Felgenhauer, 32, is the deputy editor-in-chief known for co-hosting a popular morning show. She has been working with the station since 2005. Ekcho Moskvy is Russias leading and only independent news radio station. Several of its hosts and journalists have received death threats after its criticism of the Russian government irked officials. The Associated Press contributed to this report. North Korea chastised lunatic President Trump on Sunday for taking the United States and its poor puppet forces straight into ruin, the latest verbal tirade coming as a new report warns Kim Jong Uns biological weapons program could kill tens of thousands of people and create panic and paralyze societies. Lunatic Trump is running headlong into ruin, taking America with him, and the poor puppet forces are following him, at the peril of their lives, the regimes state-run Korean Central News Agency said in an editorial. It would be needless to regret when they are about to fall off a cliff of era, together with their master. The Hermit Kingdom ridiculed countries backing the U.S. as puppet forces that were being treated as a street girl. What is ridiculous is the puppet forces' poor plight of being treated as a street girl even though they play the coquette with the U.S. and serve it with devotion," the statement read, adding that countries, including South Korea, have been brainwashed and are unable to think independently without the U.S. help. Over the weekend, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also received an unprecedented letter from North Korea, issuing a blistering warning to countries following the U.S. mission to end the regimes nuclear program. If Trump thinks he would bring the DPRK, a nuclear power, to its knees through nuclear war threat, it will be a big miscalculation" as "the DPRK has emerged as a fully-fledged nuclear power, the letter, published by The Sydney Morning Herald, stated. North Korea also said if Trump thought it could bring Kim Jong Uns regime to its knees through nuclear war threat, it will be a big miscalculation and an expression of ignorance. Turnbull told Melbourne Radio 3AW on Friday the letter was sent to a lot of countries and dismissed it as a rant against Trump. The KCNA editorial and Australia letter come as a new report released by Harvard Kennedy Schools Belfar Center for Science and International Affairs detailed North Koreas other, non-nuclear weapons, that could cause widespread devastation. The report, North Koreas Biological Weapons Program: The Known and Unknown, stated the dictatorship may have anthrax and smallpox pathogens that could be turned into weapons. North Korea is believed to have started its chemical and biological weapons program in the early 1960s and began possibly weaponizing biological agents in the 1980s, according to the report. However, its unclear if Kim and his scientists have already weaponized biological agents that could be loaded onto missiles. The ROK Defense White Paper often refers to anthrax and smallpox, leading officials to believe they are more likely to turn to those agents first. The report also stated concerns that a Pyongyang Bio-technical Institute is being used to produce military-sized batches of biological weapons. Photos released by North Korean state media in 2015 showed modern equipment that could convert the facility, said to be producing organic fertilizers, into one producing anthrax for weapons. North Koreas National Defense Commission issued a statement strongly refuting the claim that the Biotechnology Institute is an anthrax production facility, according to the study. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The threat of nuclear war posed by North Korea has grown to an unprecedented level amid escalating tensions with the rogue regime and now requires the U.S., Japan and South Korea to demonstrate different responses to the threat, a Japanese official said Monday. Speaking with the U.S. and South Korean counterparts at a meeting of Asian defense chiefs in the Philippines, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said (The) threat posed by North Korea has grown to the unprecedented, critical and imminent level, according to a Reuters report. Therefore, we have to take calibrated and different responses to meet with that level of threat. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had similar remarks, noting that North Koreas ongoing intimidations threaten regional and global security. North Koreas provocative behavior is becoming worse and worse, South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-Moo added. NORTH KOREA, STOCKPILING WEAPONS, MOCKS 'LUNATIC' TRUMP WHO HAS 'WAR FEVER' The comments among defense chiefs follows a report that North Koreas biological weapons program could kill tens of thousands of people and create panic and paralyze societies. According to Reuters, the defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), highlighted the need to maintain peace and stability in the region and called for the exercise of self-restraint and the resumption of dialogue to de-escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called President Donald Trump a lunatic on Sunday for taking the U.S. and its poor puppet forces straight into ruin. The president last week said he would certainly take a look at visiting the DMZ, or demilitarized zone, after he was invited to tour U.S. Army installation Camp Humphreys, located south of Seoul, the South Korean capital. U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein recently said the military branch was preparing to place its fleet of nuclear-armed B-52 bombers on 24-hour alert status, noting that in a world where weve got folks that are talking openly about use of nuclear weapons, its important to remain alert and remain prepared. Amid immense speculation surrounding the ambush in Niger earlier this month that left four U.S. troops dead, a top U.S. general addressed the ambushs timeline and provided new details on the attack. Gen. Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged Monday at the Pentagon that details on the attack have not been forthcoming, and said the four servicemen who died on Oct. 4 passed during a complex situation and a difficult firefight. On Oct. 3, a 12-member American team accompanied 30 Nigerien forces reportedly in unarmored trucks to an area approximately 52 miles north of the capital, Niamey. Upon their return on Oct. 4, the team was reportedly ambushed by about 50 ISIS-affiliated militants traveling by vehicle, carrying small arms and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. NIGER ATTACK LEAVES 4 US SOLDIERS DEAD: WHAT TO KNOW The attack left four U.S. servicemen and approximately 10 Nigerien troops dead. They did not expect resistance on this patrol when they first planned it, Dunford said. He also pushed back on reports that the Special Operations team was lured into the ambush, which he said lasted several hours. It wasnt until one hour into the ambush that the team called for air support. It took two French Mirage fighter jets 30 minutes to respond to the request, and the jets werent overhead until two hours after the battle began. The bodies of three Americans who were killed were transported from the battle scene, but Sgt. La David Johnsons body wasnt recovered until Oct. 6 a full two days later by Nigerien forces, who transferred Johnsons body to the U.S. military. The Pentagon requested national assets from the U.S. government once we found out Sgt. Johnson was missing, Dunford said. No drones were overhead when the servicemen were attacked, but Dunford said a drone was sent overhead within minutes. The general added that U.S. troops only accompany local forces when contact with the enemy is unlikely. NIGER AMBUSH DETAILS SCARCE AS MCCAIN SUGGESTS NEED FOR SUBPOENA Dunford, when asked if the U.S. would respond to those responsible for the ambush, said the U.S. would enable local partners to go after them. Three weeks after the attack, Dunford said the military still needs to investigate several matters, including: whether the U.S. had adequate intelligence and equipment for its operation, whether there was a planning failure and why it took so long to recover Sgt. Johnson's body. U.S. forces have been in Niger for more than 20 years and a joint special operations task force was created by the U.S. in 2008. In 2011, U.S. and French forces set up a counterterrorism force in the country, led by the French, with 4,000 troops and 35,000 Nigerien troops. There are now 800 U.S. troops in Niger and 6,000 U.S. troops within 53 countries in Africa, Dunford said. Fox News' Nicole Darrah, Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Several countries have issued warnings recently to their citizens about traveling to the United States. Countries such as Canada, New Zealand and Germany have warned would-be U.S. tourists about safety, for reasons ranging from mass shootings to hurricanes and wildfires. Ed Daly, editor-in-chief of the travel intelligence firm, iJET's Global Intelligence Division, told Fox News that while other countries have issued travel warnings about visiting the United States in the past, theres a new dimension to concern about violence. Each time theres a high-profile event that gets lots of coverage overseas, theres an advisory, said Daly, referring to the Las Vegas shooter who killed more than 50 people and injured hundreds who were attending a country music festival several weeks ago. If you look back in recent years, even a decade, the difference is theyre larger, the number of victims appears to be getting larger, Daly said. The frequency and scale to which they happen cause concerns. Canada has warned its citizens about the possession of firearms and the frequency of violent crime, noting that they are generally more prevalent in the U.S. than in Canada. Within large metropolitan areas, violent crime more commonly occurs in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, particularly from dusk to dawn, and often involves alcohol and/or drug consumption, the government website said. Incidents of violent crime are mainly perpetrated by gangs or members of organized crime groups. Incidents of mass shooting receive a lot of media attention, yet account for a very small percentage of all homicide deaths in the country. New Zealand said on its site that: Active shooter incidents occur from time to time in the United States. And it described violence and gun ownership as being more common in the United States than within its borders. Increasingly tense and violent political rallies and marches also have prompted warnings. Some, such as the German governments notice to its citizens, noted that political protests are commonplace and often see violence. It advises people visiting the United States to stay clear of political demonstrations. Canada also urges: Avoid all demonstrations, monitor local media and follow the advice of the local authorities. Then there are advisories about regions ravaged by natural disasters. People considering a vacation at the beach or wine country might feel like theres no safe haven, said Daly, referring to the hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, and the wildfires out West. In a September article on U.S. tourism, which experienced a decline the first months of this year when compared to the same period in 2016, the New York Times quoted some as saying shootings and political tensions gave them pause about traveling here. The U.S. Department of Commerce reported that the U.S. had received about 700,000 fewer visitors than it did at the beginning of 2016. Marika Treichel, a Denmark resident, was quoted as telling the Times: I have always dreamed of visiting the U.S.. But the rise of gun violence and political chaos has made me want to cancel all future travels to the U.S. until I can feel safe as a tourist. The Times also cited the strength of the U.S. dollar and that it may translate into a more expensive vacation for many travelers, but it dismissed that as a likely significant factor in the tourism decline. All told, however, Daly said U.S. tourism generally should remain solid, barring any major incidents. Man Charged In Greektown Shooting That Injured 3 By Emma G. Gallegos in News on Oct 23, 2017 3:42PM Taco Burrito King Greektown, via Google. A man has been charged in a Greektown shooting that injured a man, woman and himself early Saturday morning. Deshaun Carter, 26, of Bronzeville is facing charges after a fight broke out in a Taco Burrito King restaurant around 4:20 a.m. Saturday. The Chicago Tribune says police were called to the scene when a brawl broke out on the Near West Side. "We saw them fighting for a little bit, and then eventually they went crazy. All I heard was gunshots," witness Kevin Gandhi, 22, told the Tribune. Police say that a 31-year-old man was critically injured with a gunshot wound to the chest, and he was listed in serious condition at Stroger Hospital. A 26-year-old woman was grazed in the right foot, but refused treatment at the scene. Carter was shot in the left leg and also transported to Stroger. Witnesses identified Carter as the man who fired shots, and he was found with a handgun at the scene, police told the Tribune. He's charged with aggravated battery, discharge of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon. Carter is due in bond court Monday, the Sun-Times reports. New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone. Jonathan Wilken saw the Internet as the future when he took his Stafford County business online a decade ago. Olde Towne Window Works' website would pop up on the first or second page when customers used Google to search for a manufacturer of draperies, window treatments, bedding, and table and bath accessories. "We never tried to develop local business," Wilken said. But, like an increasing number of Internet-based companies, he realized that he needed a bricks-and-mortar location as well. Not only are retail sales slowingCountry Curtains, one of his major customers, just announced that it is foldingbut it's getting harder to compete online. Wilken recently opened a showroom next to his operation just off White Oak Road at 204 Thompson Ave. It gives customers a chance to see and touch the company's extensive line of fabrics and trims, work with a designer and place orders. They can have things tailor made or make selections from a line of semi-custom products. "Our business started as custom. Designers would bring us their fabrics," Wilken said. "Now they can get semi-custom, which is a little more value priced. It's not true custom, but it's not out-of-the-box readymade." The new showroom has rows of nearly 400 fabric samples that will change seasonally, and there's a variety of valance, cornice and drapery styles on display. Most customers are looking for sleek, clean lines, although some are still seeking traditional curtains with interlining and fringe. "Everything is made here," Wilken said on a tour of the facility. "It's fairly unique." Just down the hall, 15 fabric cutters and seamstresses were hard at work on a recent afternoon. Some were using plexiglass or paper patterns to cut out drapes from fabric spread over long tables. Others were sewing curtains or making cornices and valances. Off to the side, shelves held completed work ready to be picked up. "UPS ships 20 to 30 packages for us per day," Wilken said. Olde Towne Window Works has been in business for 20 years. It grew rapidly the first five or six years after it went online, then Google changed its search algorithms. Wilkens' business no longer appeared as prominently in search results. "Internet businesses live and die by Google," he said. "It was squeezing out the smaller guy. If you type in key words, it's companies like Amazon and Bed, Bath & Beyond that are at the top." Wilkens hired a company to retool Olde Towne Window Works' website, oldetownewindowworks.com, then had it redesigned to accommodate tablets and smartphones. "Internet business is just as difficult as any other business," he said. "You have to keep updating, keep it fresh." Kelly Stitt, who manages the website, spends most of her time handling orders, but she also fields calls from online customers. Most want to make sure that they're measuring their windows correctly. "We can walk them through it so they get the proper size," she said. Wilkens said that adding the showroom should help boost business. "People are moving in and out of the area all the time," he said, "so there's a lot of business we can get." Sometimes, you look back at history and wonder how in the world certain events occurred. Luck was often involved. Take Columbus discovery of the New World, for example. Oh, yes, I know history revisionists today are whining about the fact that the Vikings were here first and maybe they were. But they didnt stay and they didnt spread the word and for all intents and purposes, they flushed the knowledge they gained down the toilet. Columbus didnt. He sent word back to Europe and set the wheels of colonization in motion. The Vikings, if they were here, came and went and did not pass the word along that new lands had been discovered. Today there are those who would tear down the statues of Columbus and destroy his name and legacy. But when you come right down to it, Columbus was a brave man and his maiden voyage was a pretty remarkable trip that not only took perseverance but also involved a lot of luck. The Italian explorer left Spain on Aug. 3, 1492. That time of year might not have much significance to many people, but weather experts know that this is the beginning of the Cape Verde hurricane season. During August and early September, low pressure systems exit the coast of Africa and make their way westward through the Atlantic Ocean, often turning into tropical storms and powerful hurricanes. Setting sail in three tiny ships through uncharted waters at the height of hurricane season was akin to walking leisurely through a shooting gallery. Of course, Columbus had no way of knowing about hurricane season or the possible dangers that might lurk ahead. Yes, he knew of ocean storms but had no knowledge of the fact that this was a terrible time of year to sail westward in the Atlantic. In fact, the crews major concern was falling off the edge of the world. It is impossible to calculate the chances of success for that voyage, but they had to be pretty low. Yet Columbus made it. Had he not, it may have been another century or later before someone had the courage to try again. Luck was on the explorers side. Then there was Charles Lindberghs trans-Atlantic flight in 1927. How many people today would even consider attempting to fly across the Atlantic in a plane the size of the Spirit of St. Louis? That trip took daring and careful preparation, but it also took luck. Suppose Lindbergh had gone to sleep and crashed? At one point, he got off course and had to get his bearings through dead reckoning. Suppose the ceiling was too high for him to see the stars. He likely would have flown until he ran out of fuel and then crashed. They didnt call him Lucky Lindy for nothing. Fast forward to 1969 and the first moon landing. Todays cellphones are likely more powerful than the computers used to guide three American astronauts into lunar orbit back then. In fact, slide rules were used to provide some of the calculations (Anyone under 40 even know what a slide rule is?). Still, NASA got our men to the moon and back with few problems. Again, intense preparations were aided by a lot of luck. The following year, there was the near tragedy with Apollo 13s planned trip to the moon. Again, it took a great deal of luck to prevent that spacecraft from being destroyed either in the initial explosion or during their re-entry into the Earths atmosphere with what could have been a damaged heat shield. There is an old saying that it is better to be lucky than good. Even if you are good and you are prepared, it still doesnt hurt to have luck on your side. Luck! If Columbus had not been lucky, who knows when America might have been discovered by Europeans? Had his ships been destroyed by an Atlantic hurricane, word likely would have spread that he had dropped off the face of the Earth or been devoured by a sea monster. We can all look back in our lives and find a moment when luck prevailed and prevented tragedy. Sometimes only 10 seconds in travel time saves us from a fatal car wreck or missing a plane that crashes. From historical events to our daily lives, luck often plays a major role. GLOUCESTER Village Drive off Hoefork Lane is a quiet, close-knit community. Its the type of neighborhood where everyone knows each other and residents host Christmas parties . Its a place where people settle down for a nice, calm life. Ive seen kids come and go, and then grandkids come, said Tim Gray, who has lived on Village Drive for 23 years. That was disrupted Thursday and Friday when many came home to a block full of unmarked cars and law enforcement vehicles. One neighbor even reported having a K-9 unit on his lawn when he got home. It stemmed from the detonation of an improvised explosive device Thursday night in Williamsburg in a parking lot near the corner of South Boundary and Francis streets. Officers arrested Stephen James Powers, 30, at his home on Village Drive on Friday. Powers was charged with possessing and using an explosive device and committing an act of terrorism, according to Williamsburg police. Law enforcement vehicles and then a van many thought was a bomb squad truck were outside of Powers home for about 12 hours, neighbors said. Blaine Coblentz, a contractor working on a home, said he originally thought there was some type of funeral when he arrived on Village Drive at 11 a.m. Friday. About two hours later, I saw guys in ATF shirts and I knew something was going on, he said. Gray came home around noon to the hectic scene. He was afraid of walking his dog because of rumors that there were explosive materials in Powers home. It makes you feel very uncomfortable that that could be happening two doors down from you, he said. It makes you stop and think. Neighbors all described Powers as very quiet. They said a woman and baby also lived in the home. The residents of the home did not respond to interview requests Sunday. He was pretty quiet, never had a problem out of him until Friday, Gray said. We left him alone, he left us alone, said Joshua Nichols, who has lived in the neighborhood for four years. Everyone, from neighbors to business owners at the Gloucester Point Shopping Center, also said it was unlikely Powers originally was from Gloucester because they said its not in the character of the community. Neighbors did not know how long he had lived in the neighborhood or where he came from. Many also debated what he did for a living. We all feel safe now that hes gone, Gray said. Law enforcement officials said in a news release Saturday they believe the explosion Thursday was an isolated incident that is under investigation. Anyone with information on Powers or his activities should call Crime Stoppers at 1-888- LOCK-U- UP or the Williamsburg Police Department at 757-220- 2331. 2017 The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.) Visit The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.) at pilotonline.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A man who lost his law-enforcement career and picked up a felony conviction for granting an inmate's request for sexual contact received a suspended sentence Monday in Stafford County Circuit Court. Jason Anthony Miller, 25, of Bristow, was convicted of carnal knowledge of an inmate. He was sentenced by Judge Michael Levy to three years in prison, but the entire sentence was suspended. Miller was a correctional officer at the Rappahannock Regional Jail when the allegations came to light. According to the evidence, he had sexual contact with a female inmate three times between Aug. 23 and Sept. 1 of last year. Prosecutor Amy Casey said the inmate confirmed that she requested and consented to the contact . But state law makes it a crime for a correctional officer to have sexual relations with an inmate whether it is consensual or not. An investigation began after another inmate found out about the incidents and reported it to a jail official. Casey did not oppose the suspended sentence, saying the felony conviction and the loss of Miller's career was adequate punishment. Virginias Democratic candidate for governor, Ralph S. Northam, made Fredericksburg a whistle-stop on a spin through the state Sunday afternoon, urging campaign workers to push hard through Election Day. The pediatric neurologist, currently Virginias lieutenant governor, gave a brief stump speech at the local Democratic campaign office, where he said campaigning has made it clear to what voters in the commonwealth want from elected officials. They want jobs to support themselves and their families, for their children to have access to world-class education and affordable and quality health care, he said, as well as an environment where the air and water are clean and communities where there arent guns on every corner. The candidate argued that hes trying to run a campaign based on the Virginia way, talking about things like jobs, education, health care and the environment. By contrast, he said his Republican opponent for governor, political consultant and GOP strategist Ed Gillespie, is instead running a campaign based on divisiveness and fear-mongering, making people scared while using hatred and bigotry. In response to a question, Northam said a Gillespie ad that calls him weak on the street gang MS-13 is inaccurate and despicable, and that hes always supported tougher penalties for gang members. He closed by saying that Gillespies ads finally found their mark when President Trump tweeted that I fight in support of gangs. Really? We see what Mr. Gillespie is trying to do. Hes a Washington lobbyist and now hes Donald Trumps chief lobbyist. Northam closed by thanking the volunteers for their effort and telling them that the only poll that matters at this time of year is the one taken at the ballot boxes on Nov. 7. One Of The Best Rock Albums You've Probably Never Heard Just Turned 20 Years Old By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 23, 2017 7:14PM A Triple Fast Action promotional shot, circa 1995. Triple Fast Action are one of those Chicago bands I am truly sad that no one will ever see play again, and few seem to remember them even though the band's influence is more far-reaching than many even know. Formed in 1993, Triple Fast Action brought together Wes Kidd, Brian St. Clair, Kevin Tihista, and Ronnie Schneider; and the quartet specialized in crafting amazing rock songs with hard edges and a power pop core. After the band dissolved in 1998, Kidd would go on to the management side of the music world, St. Clair moved to the drum stool behind Local H's albums from 1999-2013 before moving on to work with Liz Phair and Cheap Trick, and Tihista mounted a critically lauded solo career. But it was the magic these men worked together that helped create some of the best hard hitting melodic rock Chicago produced in the '90s. The group ran in the same circles as Veruca Salt, Fig Dish, Menthol, and that whole slew of Chicago groups that spent many a late night drinking and partying together as the great wave of Major label talent scouts blew into town looking for the next big thing in "alternative" rock. Triple Fast Action was swept up in that wave, resulting in their 1996 debut on Capitol Records, https://www.gandprecords.com/store/p18/Triplefastaction_-_Broadcaster_CD.html . By all accounts the album had a troubled birth, and the band never really seemed happy to be on the label. The album's creation may have caused the band grief, but to outside ears it still stands up as an excellent collection of songs, and a manifesto of sorts for the band. It took the group's sometimes unpredictable live shows and focused the songs into something more timeless. Broadcaster's only real downside is that it sounded like a band in the studio, and it didn't completely capture just what it was that made Triple Fast Action such a compelling band. It did however spawn this amazing slice of music, "Revved Up," complete with uncredited backing vocals from Veruca Salt's Louise Post and Nina Gordon. Broadcaster's follow up, Cattlemen Don't, was released on Oct. 21, 1997, and it channeled all of Triple fast Action's greatness into a single, solid, classic collection of songs that sounds just as fresh today as they did upon their unveiling to the world 20 years ago. The band had moved to Deep Elm records, a label primarily known for championing the emo movement through the late '90s and run by one of the more transparently stand-up label owners in the entire industry, John Szuch. Triple Fast Action had found a perfect homealas, their life there would be short-lived because unbeknown to most, the group was about to implode. Before we get to that implosion, here's a blast from my own pastmy review of Cattlemen Don't from my college newspaper in 1997: Bored of Rock and Roll? Feeling let down with the absence of music that makes your ass shake without employing sequencers or samplers? Pining away for the days when rock was a blood, sweat and tears twenty-four hour a day job for a band? Triplefastaction have your remedy with their second full-length release titled, "Cattlemen Don't." After leaving Capitol records ... Deep Elm picked the boys up, allowing them to release what just might've been the best rock album to come out of Chicago (or anywhere else) in the last year. Buzzing Cheap Trick hooks and singing that veers from Wes Kidd's sweet tenor to his anguished yelps buttered on top of slabs of rock solid songwriting would put Triplefastaction [sic] at the top of the heap in a more perfect world. Unfortunately all they have to depend on is the hope that some people still care about the music. Anthemic without resorting to clichA, powerful without going cock-rock and sensitive without being trite, this is the album that restores faith in the inventiveness and still flowing lifeblood of an old-fashioned guitar band. Excellent. Despite having just released their sophomore album, the pressures of touring and trying to remain an independent act in a corporate rock world had taken its toll on Triple Fast Action, causing guitarist Ronnie Schneider to leave the group. For live shows he was replaced by a rotating cast of guest guitarists, including Local H's Scott Lucas, Made To Fade's Sean Rice, Muchacha's Alex Acevedo, and Blake Smith of Fig Dish and Caviar. But it was never quite the same. Less than a year after Cattlemen Don't came out, the band played their farewell show at the Metro May 24, 1998. The amazing album they had just released never really got its due or a proper promotional push, and since then it has largely gone unheralded when it deserves to be heard by so many people. Triple Fast Action has never reunited, and though a few of the members joined Local H to play a few classics in 2013, it doesn't look like the whole band will ever get back together, though they have remained friends over the years. For me the biggest loss was that while Kidd went on to the business side of the music industry, he never returned to creating music, leaving us without one of the more talented songwriting voices Chicago has produced. Listen to Cattlemen Don't below, and discover a lost classic. You can pick up the album, paying whatever you want, through Deep Elm. And once you've fallen under the music's thrall, and probably gone back to check out Broadcaster as well, prepare to have your mind fully blown when you discover they have a whole collection of unreleased tracks and b-sides that are just as good as many other bands' strongest album tracks. 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. At least 8 percent of nominees for candidates for members and alternate members of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and candidates for members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) have been voted off in preliminary elections in the past days. The draft name lists of candidates for members and alternate members of the new CPC Central Committee and candidates for members of the new CCDI were approved at the third and fourth meetings of the presidium of the 19th CPC National Congress on Sunday evening and Monday morning. At the presidium meetings presided over by Xi Jinping, a decision was made to submit the draft name lists to the delegations to the Party congress for consideration. Members and alternate members of the new CPC Central Committee and members of the new CCDI will be elected at the closing meeting of the Party congress Tuesday morning. The city of Philomath and a local high-tech company have reached an agreement to allow a robot to be tested on local travel corridors. The city council approved a memorandum of understanding at its Oct. 9 meeting following a request by Nova Dynamics' Joseph Sullivan to allow real-world testing of an autonomous robot designed to deliver packages in an urban environment. "I can tell you, we have a pretty comprehensive testing plan, which allows us to slowly expand our radius of operations and try greater challenges and things like that," Sullivan told councilors. "If I had to guess, to be frank with you, the kinds of things we're doing in robotics haven't really been done before. We're looking at proving ideas that really haven't been tried as far as human interaction." The agreement, approved with a unanimous council vote, allows the robot, which Nova Dynamics named "Dax," to operate on highways, shoulders, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, bicycle paths, roadways, narrow residential roadways and throughways within the city. Nova Dynamics will alert local law enforcement on any testing plans that would be done, a procedure that could change and be revised at some point in the future. The agreement also points out that the city assumes no liability for any harm as a result of Dax's operations. Nova Dynamics has been working on Dax since 2015, Sullivan told the council in August, working with the Oregon State University Advantage Accelerator network. In general terms, Sullivan foresees Dax making deliveries of just about anything, including groceries. It's a service he believes could be especially attractive to the elderly and others who have mobility issues, as well as local businesses. The Philomath Police Committee discussed the Nova Dynamics project at its Sept. 12 meeting. The discussion, with Sullivan in attendance to answer questions, focused primarily on safety and the committee ended up advising that an agreement be written so the testing could occur without changing municipal code. It will likely be a while before the public notices Dax headed down a local sidewalk. "I would say somewhere in the six- to 12-month range," Sullivan said in response to a question about a timeline. "We have a lot of things that we're working on right now having to do specifically with human interaction and communications. "So, there is definitely a kind of a slow start that picks up pace as we're able to prove certain theories and ideas that we have," he added. China has around ten marine research vessels under design or construction by the end of August 2017, according to the Oceanic Scientific Research Vessel Technology Summit 2017 held in Shanghai on Friday. It is learned at the summit that the country's first domestically built polar research vessel and icebreaker is expected to be put into use in 2019. The vessel will be able to break polar ice with both its bow and stern. China has 50 marine research vessels at present, which fall into series including Dongfanghong, Xiangyanghong, Yuanwang, Haiyang, Kexue and Shiyan, said Xing Wenhua, president of Shanghai Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers. Qu Tanzhou, head of science and technology department under the State Oceanic Administration, said the number and performance of these research vessels are far from adequate in terms of global marine research and international cooperation. TODAY Lunch and Learn, 1 p.m., Lebanon Senior Center, 80 Tangent St. As the haunting season of Halloween approaches, participants will see a video series of some of Oregons historic haunted communities. The story of Bay Ocean is considered the saddest ghost story in Oregon. Scottsburg, Chitwood Bridge and Idiotville will also be featured. WEDNESDAY Spooky Species Camp, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Boy Scout Lodge, 1986 SW Allen St., Corvallis. Corvallis schools will be closed Oct. 25, so have your child age 5 to 10 spend the day at Avery House Nature Centers camp and learn about bats, owls, spiders and mushrooms. Before-care is available at 8 a.m. and after-care is available till 5 p.m. Cost: $40 for the full day; additional care $6 per hour. Information: 541-758-6198 or connie@corvallisenvironmentalcenter.org. The Shining, 7 p.m., Whiteside Theatre, 361 SW Madison Ave., Corvallis. The classic horror film by Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson, will be shown. Tickets: $5-$7. Advance tickets: https://theshiningatwhiteside.brownpapertickets.com. THURSDAY Spooky Species Camp, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Boy Scout Lodge, 1986 SW Allen St., Corvallis. See Wednesday for details. FRIDAY Spooky Species Camp, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Boy Scout Lodge, 1986 SW Allen St., Corvallis. See Wednesday for details. Spooktacular Halloween Social, 12:30 p.m., Albany Senior Center, 489 NE Water Ave. Enjoy autumn cuisine, games and a masquerade mask-making craft. Annual Childrens Community Halloween Party, 2 to 4 p.m., Corvallis Elks Lodge, 1400 NW Ninth St. Activities will include apple bobbing, a costume contest, refreshments, music and more. Information: 541-740-3517. Candlelit Tour of Monteith House Museum and Ride on the Trolley of Terror, 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., Albany. The Monteith Society will host this experience of purportedly true ghost stories, some decidedly weird. The trolley, draped in black funeral buntings, will tour the haunted homes and businesses in Albanys historic districts. Cost: $10 per adult, $5 per child. Reservations: Albany Visitors Association, 110 SE Third Ave., 541-928-0911. Teen Lock-In, 6:30 to 10 p.m., Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 NW Monroe Ave. Activities will include watching scary movies, playing video and party games, costume makeup practice, slime-making, virtual reality games and making yarn balloon lanterns. Teens are invited to wear costumes, but no masks or real or fake weapons. Teens must turn in a release form to participate. Haunted Barn, 7 to 10 p.m., 31000 Landlab Road, Lebanon. Proceeds support Future Farmers of America. Cost: $5 per person. Haunted House, 7 to 11 p.m., Morningstar Grange, 38794 Morningstar Road NE, Albany. Proceeds benefit the Jefferson Fire Department Christmas Food Basket Program, the Albany Gleaners and the grange. Admission: $5 or five cans of food. Tickets are available for pre-purchase. Summit's Spooktacular Funk Halloween Dance, 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., Summit Grange Hall, 19854 Summit Highway. Summit's Halloween "BOOgie" Costume Dance gets funky with Despite the Whiteness, a 10-piece horn and percussion band playing sweet groove music. Costume parade and treats. All ages, alcohol-free. Proceeds benefit the grange hall. Admission: $7. VIP Ghost Hunt Experience, 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., Monteith House Museum, 518 SW Second Ave., Albany. Limited to 10 people. VIPs will be joined by experienced paranormal investigators and learn how to use ghost-hunting equipment. VIPs will then get to help conduct a paranormal investigation of Monteith House. Cost: $50 per person. Reservations: Albany Visitors Association, 110 SE Third Ave., 541-928-0911. SATURDAY Candlelit Tour of Monteith House Museum and Ride on the Trolley of Terror, 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., Albany. See Friday for details. Haunted Barn, 7 to 10 p.m., 31000 Landlab Road, Lebanon. See Friday for details. Haunted House, 7 to 11 p.m., Morningstar Grange, 38794 Morningstar Road NE, Albany. See Friday for details. OCT. 30 Quick Class: Smoothie Bowls, 6 to 6:30 p.m., Natural Grocers, 1235 NW 10th St., Corvallis. Mary Van Steenbergen will teach about smoothie bowls, and participants will make their own Halloween-themed smoothie bowls. Information: 541-758-0200. Haunted House, 7 to 10 p.m., Morningstar Grange, 38794 Morningstar Road NE, Albany. Proceeds benefit the Jefferson Fire Department Christmas Food Basket Program, the Albany Gleaners and the grange. Admission: $5 or five cans of food. Tickets are available for pre-purchase. OCT. 31 Downtown Trick or Treat, 1 to 5 p.m., Corvallis. Haunted House, 7 to 10 p.m., Morningstar Grange, 38794 Morningstar Road NE, Albany. See Oct. 30 for details. ABCNews.com(MIAMI) -- A Miami-area man has been arrested for allegedly plotting to plant a bomb at a Miami shopping mall, two people familiar with the matter told ABC News on Sunday. The man, Vicente Solano, was allegedly inspired by ISIS, as first reported by the Miami Herald. Solano was caught up in an FBI sting operation, where he allegedly thought he was engaging with a like-minded radical but was actually in touch with someone working for the FBI, the sources said. He never had access to any real, operative explosives because the device he was allegedly planning to use was inert, they said. He will be charged with an offense related to use of a weapon of mass destruction, one of the sources told ABC News. The Dolphin Mall was his alleged target, the Herald reported, adding that he was scheduled to have his first appearance in Miami federal court Monday to face a criminal complaint and affidavit. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. Kontrollen in Bonn und der Region : Hier wird vom 14. bis 20. November geblitzt Arrest in Bonn : Shots fired from wedding procession - out of joy Bonn A wedding partys appearance in Bonn on Sunday lunchtime led to the police being called out. Police made an unexpected arrest during checks. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken A festively dressed wedding party of Turkish origin caused a commotion at the Bonn roundabout on Sunday lunchtime and led to a major police operation when they drove in a procession of 15 cars by a petrol station there at around 1pm. Several volleys of shots, apparently fired from blank guns by the good-humoured occupants during the journey through Bonns city centre, attracted particular attention. Shocked witnesses then called the police, who approached in several patrol cars. Officers did not find a weapon, but did find a 23-year-old member of the wedding party against whom an arrest warrant had been issued for disturbing the peace. The man was arrested and taken to prison, where he must remain for six months. The other members of the party did not get off scot-free. The police have started investigations against unknown persons for breaches of weapons laws. One witness took video footage, which is currently being evaluated by detectives. Officers later let the convoy drive on. Its destination was Cologne. Bonn police informed their colleagues in the cathedral city about the incident in good time. Flash The World Health Organization (WHO) said it had withdrawn the appointment of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as the goodwill ambassador for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa. WHO announced last Friday that it had bestowed the honor of goodwill ambassador on Mugabe in recognition of his government's efforts in fighting NCDs. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, however, said in a statement Sunday that he had listened to those expressing concerns and heard the different issues they had raised. And after consultations with the Zimbabwean government, he said they concluded that the rescinding decision was in the best interest of the UN agency. Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean government said Mugabe had accepted the decision by WHO. Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi said the decision will not affect Mugabe, who will continue to work to raise awareness on NCDs. "We respect the WHO decision as much as we respect the initial decision to honor our president," Mzembi said. The minister added that the decision was a loss to WHO rather than an embarrassment to Mugabe. Mugabe and his wife remain under European Union and United States sanctions imposed in the early 2000s for political reasons, though several of Mugabe's allies in government and party have been removed from the EU sanctions lists. OTTAWA, Oct. 23, 2017 /CNW/ - Dear Board of Directors, I first of all would like to applaud how the Board and Management has navigated Altai Resources Inc. "Altai" (TSXV: ATI) through the difficult period of the past six years since the Quebec government imposed their moratorium on oil and gas exploration in 2011. In essence, from that period Altai was essentially placed into a dormant stage with the sole intent of conserving liquidity and working capital. In addition, I do applaud that the CEO has not taken a salary during this period and there have not been any dilutive shares issued during this period. In light of the above, over the past three years as a long-term shareholder of Altai, I have openly attempted to engage Management on numerous occasions with the sole intent of surfacing and creating additional shareholder value for all shareholders. For the record, I have been a shareholder in Altai for over 3 years, and currently own 5.0% of the public common share float. Unfortunately, my efforts have come to no avail. At the current time, with the recent developments of Quebec's Bill 106 passing and preliminary new regulations on exploration forthcoming the Quebec government's intent to begin some form of oil and gas production has changed the landscape in Quebec for the positive. In light of this, there isn't any better time than now for Altai to awaken to the current realities and act in manner that clearly reflects the best interests of all shareholders. I am disclosing that I have gathered the support from a Group of additional 25 independent shareholders both from North America and Europe who collectively own 4.4 million common shares as well. In summary, together we currently control 15.2% of the public common share float. I, Jonathan Mastromattei, would like to be given the opportunity to be nominated for a board seat in the upcoming 2018 Annual General Meeting. In addition, I have highlighted a list of well-intentioned proposals that I feel will be in the best interests of all shareholders, management and company insiders. I, along with the Group "We", believe that these proposals will allow the company to trade at comparable multiples to its peers in the Quebec oil and gas exploration and production space. Altai needs to update their website and make ever effort to post a new corporate presentation. Since the Bill 106 release, multiple Quebec based oil and gas companies have stated their future plans for 2018. We would like Altai as well to communicate with shareholders on what their plan is with the company's Quebec natural gas property. We would like the company to provide further detail on its' conventional gas acreage versus its' non-conventional acreage. In past years, Altai has spent over 25 million dollars on its Sorel Trois-Rivieres natural gas property and since the moratorium these properties have been written down to one dollar. Every year since the write down, Management has indicated in their Management Discussion and Analysis report filings that the Sorel Trois-Rivieres properties are still a promising project for the future. Furthermore, that the value of the impaired assets will be re-evaluated when applicable regulations and various details of Bill 106 are known in the future. We believe now is exactly the appropriate time for Management to engage with an independent petroleum consultant and evaluator of all of their properties to assess their current true value and potential for the future development. We believe taking these actions now may result in a material and significant mark up of understated assets on Altai's balance sheet. We request Altai common shares become a dual-listed security on the OSLO Axess junior exchange. We are aware that the TSX Venture Exchange has a Memorandum of Understanding agreement with the Oslo Axess. In this agreement, there is it relatively easy process to become dual-listed and also in a cost-effective manner. In fact, several TSX Venture companies have been successfully dual-listed in Canada and in Norway. The Oslo Axess would facilitate entry into a much larger, separate and additionally liquid pool of potential investors and capital markets access. A listing on the Oslo Axess would without question provide a wider shareholder base for Altai. Further to note, both the TXS Venture and OSLO Axess exchanges are recognized for their strong representation in the resource sectors of the economy. In Norway, similar to Canada, there is significant demand and interest in the development of the energy sector. Lastly, based on my institutional data I have estimated that approximately 30% of the Altai public common share float is now owned by investors in the Scandinavian region. A dual-listing will clearly provide Scandinavian investors further liquidity and also easier access for current and potential investors to continue to invest in Altai's future. In summary, Altai insiders and management own approximately 21% of the total common shares outstanding. And I want to equivocally state that at the current time this is a friendly open letter to once again engage in discussions with the Board and Management in an attempt to surface and create additional shareholder value for all shareholders. I, Jonathan Mastromattei, and the Group are looking out for the best interests of all shareholders in Altai Resources Inc. We strongly ask the Board to take these proposals into consideration and We look forward to working with the company in the future. SOURCE Jonathan Mastromattei VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - October 23, 2017) - ATAC Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: ATC) is pleased to announce the results of 12 diamond drill holes from the Tiger Gold Deposit and Tiger East Anomaly, within ATAC's 100% owned Rau Project at the Rackla Gold Property, Yukon. The Rau Project is located at the west end of the Rackla Gold Property and is wholly outside of the area currently under option to Barrick Gold Corp.. The 2017 drilling program at the Tiger Gold Deposit focused on testing for additional high-grade gold mineralization in order to expand known sulphide and oxide resources within and adjacent to the proposed open pit as defined in the 2016 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). Highlights High-grade oxide mineralization at the Tiger Gold Deposit was extended to the east with 51.82 m of 5.66 g/t gold intersected in hole RAU-17-159; Hole RAU-17-156 intersected 56.77 m of 4.08 g/t gold and confirms sulphide grade and continuity; Hole RAU-17-154 extends sulphide mineralization to the west with an intersection of 64.01 m of 2.46 g/t gold; and, Discovery of new oxide gold mineralization from the Tiger East Anomaly where hole RAU-17-160 intersected 21.34 m of 2.59 g/t gold. "These high-grade results confirm both the continuity of gold mineralization and the potential to increase the value at the Tiger Gold Deposit. These results reinforce ATAC's commitment to advance Tiger through feasibility and permitting," states ATAC's President and CEO, Graham Downs. "The 2017 drilling was designed to build upon positive results from the Company's updated 2016 PEA which demonstrated that sulphide gold mineralization, previously classified as waste in the 2014 PEA, could be processed to increase the deposit's recoverable ounces of gold." Tiger Gold Deposit Diamond Drill Results Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Interval* (m) Au (g/t) Gold** (g x m) Type RAU-17-151 4.57 65.76 61.19 1.32 81 Sulphide incl. 4.57 9.54 4.97 5.01 25 Oxide RAU-17-152 13.72 50.29 36.57 2.02 74 Sulphide RAU-17-153 1.79 41.15 39.36 2.41 95 Sulphide incl. 24.38 38.10 13.72 4.46 61 RAU-17-154 42.67 106.68 64.01 2.46 158 Sulphide incl. 94.49 103.63 9.14 5.29 48 RAU-17-155 6.10 53.64 47.54 1.73 82 Sulphide RAU-17-156 49.63 106.40 56.77 4.08 232 Sulphide incl. 49.63 67.06 17.43 6.06 106 and incl. 94.49 103.63 9.14 8.07 74 RAU-17-157 42.13 79.25 37.12 5.23 194 Sulphide incl. 50.29 59.97 9.68 11.35 110 and 94.49 127.59 33.10 2.80 93 Sulphide RAU-17-158 46.32 61.57 15.25 4.61 70 Sulphide and 76.81 121.01 44.20 1.03 45 Sulphide RAU-17-159 30.48 82.30 51.82 5.66 293 Oxide incl. 70.10 82.30 12.20 13.54 165 * The reported intersections are drilled thicknesses and are believed to represent approximately 80 to 100% true widths. ** Gram metres are calculated by multiplying the gold grade (g/t) by the interval (m) and rounding to the nearest integer. Please see ATAC's website www.atacresources.com for cross-sections and an updated Tiger Deposit plan map. TIGER GOLD DEPOSIT GEOLOGY AND MINERALIZATION The Tiger Deposit is an intrusion-related carbonate replacement style gold deposit. The mineralization is hosted within a moderately northeast dipping carbonate horizon located within a folded series of stacked limestone and volcaniclastic horizons. Gold mineralization occurs within both oxide and sulphide facies. Tiger Sulphide Mineralization Tiger sulphide mineralization is developed within ferruginous dolomite and iron carbonate minerals replacing the host limestone horizon. The sulphide zone exhibits at least three stages of mineralization consisting of disseminated to banded pyrite and arsenopyrite with subordinate pyrrhotite, bismuthinite, sphalerite and scheelite. Drilling of the sulphide portion of the Tiger Deposit in 2017 was designed to confirm grade and continuity of the sulphide resources and expand the areas of known sulphide mineralization. Eight drill holes targeted sulphide gold mineralization and all returned significant mineralized intercepts. Drill holes RAU-17-151 through 156 targeted mineralization along the western edge of the existing sulphide resource, while holes 157 and 158 were drilled to add confidence to sulphide grade. RAU-17-156 returned 56.77 m of 4.08 g/t gold including 9.14 m of 8.07 g/t gold with the three phases of sulphide mineral development present in the hole. This hole demonstrates the continuous, high-grade potential of the sulphide mineralization where previous drilling was widely spaced. Tiger Oxide Mineralization Oxide mineralization at the Tiger Deposit is completely devoid of sulphide minerals and ranges from very competent, weakly porous limonitic mud to rubbly porous limonitic grit. Complete oxidation extends from surface down to depths exceeding 250 m where cross faulting has facilitated the circulation of groundwater at depth. Hole RAU-17-159 targeted near-surface oxide mineralization on the eastern side of the Tiger Deposit and returned a high-grade intersection of 51.82 m of 5.66 g/t gold. Tiger East Anomaly Prospecting in 2016 of an underexplored gold-in-soil geochemical anomaly returned numerous samples with significant gold-in-rock values. Ten out of 21 oxide float composite grab samples collected over a 150 m long area at the Tiger East Anomaly returned values greater than 1 g/t gold with the most notable sample returning 18.30 g/t gold. Tiger East Anomaly Diamond Drill Results Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Interval* (m) Au (g/t) Gold** (g x m) Type RAU-17-160 9.14 30.48 21.34 2.59 55 Oxide incl. 27.43 30.48 3.05 9.97 30 RAU-17-161 No significant intersections * Based on the character of the mineralization and the limited drilling, it is not possible to determine the true width of the intersections at this time. ** Gram metres are calculated by multiplying the gold grade (g/t) by the interval (m) and rounding to the nearest integer. Three drill holes targeted the Tiger East Anomaly in 2017. RAU-17-160 returned 21.34 m of 2.59 g/t gold including 3.05 m of 9.97 g/t gold within a strongly oxidized interval of dolomitized limestone. Hole RAU-17-161 was drilled outside the apparent alteration and mineralized zone while RAU-17-162 was terminated short of its target due to mechanical issues with the drill. Future drilling is warranted at Tiger East. Additional prospecting and mapping was conducted in 2017 near the Tiger Deposit and throughout the Rau Project. Results from this program are pending. TIGER DEPOSIT RESOURCES AND ECONOMICS ATAC has explored the Tiger Deposit since 2008, and has defined a combined oxide and sulphide resource comprising measured and indicated resources of 485,700 oz gold (5,680,000 tonnes grading 2.66 g/t gold) and inferred resources of 188,500 oz gold (3,230,000 tonnes grading 1.81 g/t gold). Mineral resources are reported at a 0.5 g/t cut-off in oxides and 1.0 g/t cut-off in sulphides. An updated PEA was completed on the Tiger Deposit in 2016, with a pre-tax NPV (5%) of $105.5M, an IRR of 34.8%, and a payback period of less than 2 years, with a total production of 302,000 ounces of gold (see ATAC news release dated May 31, 2016). ATAC is currently in the process of permitting a private 65 km all-season tote road from the existing Yukon highway network near Keno City to the Tiger Deposit. Tiger Deposit Combined Oxide and Sulphide Resources Type Classification Au Cut-off (g/t) Tonnes > Cut-off Grade > Cut-off Contained Metal Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Au (oz) Ag (oz) Oxides Measured 0.5 2,600,000 3.1 4.77 259,100 398,700 Indicated 0.5 1,720,000 2.47 4.1 136,300 226,700 Sulphides Indicated 1 1,360,000 2.07 0.56 90,300 24,500 Total M+I 5,680,000 2.66 3.56 485,700 649,900 Oxides Inferred 0.5 280,000 1.52 5.67 13,700 51,000 Sulphides Inferred 1 2,950,000 1.84 0.47 174,800 44,600 Total Inferred 3,230,000 1.81 0.92 188,500 95,600 QA/QC Diamond drill samples were forwarded to ALS Minerals in Whitehorse, Y.T. or North Vancouver, B.C. where they were fine crushed before a 250 gram split was pulverized to better than 85% passing 75 microns. The pulverizing circuit was cleaned with quartz sand twice between samples. Pulps were then analyzed at ALS Minerals in North Vancouver, B.C. where gold determinations were carried out. Splits of the pulverized fraction were dissolved using a multi acid digestion and analyzed for 49 elements using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) together with mass spectrometry (MS) and atomic emission spectroscopy (AES). Gold analyses were by the Au-AA26 procedure that involves fire assay preparation using a 50 gram charge with an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish. Mercury analyses were digested with aqua regia and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Rigorous procedures are in place regarding sample collection, chain of custody and data entry. Certified assay standards, duplicate samples and blanks are routinely inserted into the sample stream of diamond drill samples to ensure integrity of the assay process. All diamond drill samples included in this news release have passed the QA/QC procedures as described above. PEA Disclosure It should be noted that the Tiger Deposit PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that the PEA forecast will be realized or that any of the resources will ever be upgraded to reserves. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Additional information about the Tiger Deposit PEA is summarized in ATAC's May 31, 2016 technical report titled "Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Tiger Deposit, Rackla Gold Project, Yukon, Canada" which can be viewed at www.sedar.com under the ATAC profile or on the ATAC website at www.atacresources.com. The 2017 program was managed by Archer, Cathro & Associates (1981) Limited (Archer Cathro). Technical information in this news release has been approved by Matthew R. Dumala, P. Eng., a geological engineer with Archer Cathro and qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101. About ATAC ATAC is a Yukon-based exploration company focused on developing Canada's only Carlin-type gold district at the Rackla Gold Property. Recent work on the ~1,700 km2 property has resulted in a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Tiger Gold Deposit, drilling of multiple high-grade Carlin-type gold zones and the identification of numerous early-stage gold exploration targets. ATAC and Barrick recently partnered to explore the Rackla Gold Property's Orion Project, with Barrick having the option to earn up to 70% of Orion by spending $55 million in exploration. ATAC is well-financed with approximately $14 million in its treasury and has recently completed a budgeted $10 million exploration program at the Osiris and Rau Projects (which are not subject to Barrick's earn-in right), while concurrently working with Barrick to advance the Orion Project. On behalf of the Board of Directors of ATAC Resources Ltd. Graham Downs, President and CEO 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. Flash Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday urged security bodies to exert utmost efforts to hunt for the perpetrators of the Friday terrorist attack that left 16 policemen dead in the desert of Giza province. Sisi's remarks came during a meeting with Defense Minister Sedqi Sobhi, Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar, and head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service Khaled Fawzi, Presidential Spokesman Alaa Youssef said in a statement. Sisi called for intensifying security and military efforts to prevent any infiltration attempts by terrorists via the country's borders. President Sisi asserted that Egypt will effectively and decisively continue to fight terrorism and combat those who fund terrorists, the statement added. The Egyptian president also affirmed that the sacrifices of those policemen, who were killed in the attack, will not go in vain. On Saturday, Egyptian Interior Ministry announced that 16 policemen were killed and another was missing in the Friday shootout with terrorists in Wahat area in the desert of Giza province near the capital Cairo. The ministry said in a statement that 15 terrorists were either killed or injured in the armed clash, adding that 13 policemen and officers were also injured. Egypt has been fighting against a wave of terror activities that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the military toppled former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule and his currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group. Terror attacks in Egypt used to be centered in North Sinai before spreading nationwide and killing hundreds of policemen and soldiers over the past few years. Meanwhile, security raids killed hundreds of militants and arrested a similar number of suspects as part of the country's anti-terror war. Alex Roth has gotten into the habit of pulling out his cell phone and showing skeptical friends a screen shot of the classes he'll have to take to get his bachelor of science degree from Northern Michigan University."When they hear what my major is, there are a lot of people who say, 'Wow, cool dude. You're going to get a degree growing marijuana,'" said the 19-year-old sophomore at Northern Michigan in Marquette. "But it's not an easy degree at all."His four-year medicinal plant chemistry degree -- geared toward the burgeoning marijuana business that is about to explode in Michigan next year -- includes classes such as organic chemistry, biochemistry, soils, biology, gas and liquid chromatography, biostatistics, genetics, accounting, financial management and perspectives on society.Other colleges and universities -- such as Harvard, University of Denver, Vanderbilt University and Ohio State University -- that offer a variety of classes on marijuana policy and law.And there are programs that offer marijuana certificates in a variety of disciplines at places such as Oaksterdam University, Cannabis College, and Humboldt Cannabis College, all in California; and THC University, the Grow School and Clover Leaf University in Denver.But the NMU program is unique, mixing chemistry, biology, botany, horticulture, marketing and finance in a four-year program that began this semester. The first class has a dozen students, but Dr. Mark Paulsen, director of the university's chemistry department, expects that number to grow quickly."We're gaining students every week," he said. "With a full 12 months of recruitment, we expect that to grow."The idea for the program came last year when associate chemistry professor Brandon Canfield attended an American Chemical Society annual meeting in San Diego."It was my off day and I saw there was a cannabis chemistry group that was putting on a whole series of talks," he said. "I heard all about the need for analytical chemists and all sorts of interesting talks. That was the initial spark."Eighteen months later, the program is off and running with the blessing of the NMU Board of Trustees."Many of the states are legalizing different substances and they're really looking for quality people to do the chemistry and the science," said NMU trustee James Haveman. "And it's the university's responsibility to produce those kinds of students for those kinds of jobs."Another board member, Steve Mitchell of West Bloomfield, said there wasn't any hesitancy from the board in approving the degree program, especially after they found out that the students won't actually be growing marijuana plants."No one is growing marijuana. No one is violating and state or federal laws," he said. "But there are a lot of plants that can be studied."Canfield said there are plenty of ways to transfer the knowledge from growing other medicinal plants to marijuana."I work with plants right now that could be considered medicinal plants," he said, citing things such as St. John's Wort, ginseng root and mint. "We look to other plants that have been traditionally recognized with medicinal value, but are not illegal to grow."The students will learn how to measure and extract the compounds in the plants that can be used for medicinal purposes and then be able to transfer that knowledge to marijuana, which has been used to treat a variety of illnesses including chronic pain, nausea, seizures and glaucoma.Roth started at NMU in 2016 with an eye toward an environmental science degree, but decided that the current political environment might not produce the type of job he wanted. When his mother, a nurse, sent him an article on NMU's new medicinal plant program, he decided to switch his major and choose the entrepreneurial path for his degree, with the hope of breaking into the multi-million-dollar business when he graduates in 2020. His interest was ignited by two moments in his life.A close friend has a 2-year-old daughter who was born with a rare gene mutation, which left her visually impaired, gripped by seizures and unable to walk. The family started using the non-intoxicating cannabinoid oils to treat the seizures and the child is now sleeping better, has fewer seizures and has begun strengthening her legs in a bouncing chair."It is a legitimate medicine and it's helping people," Roth said. "And that makes it more real for me."He also wants to help remove the stigma that is associated with marijuana use. He's smoked marijuana recreationally and compares the "Reefer Madness" culture to how the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s evolved into today's reality."Alcohol is such a big part of our culture now and I want to be a part of the change to normalize marijuana," he said. "And I look at how much the industry is going to be worth and I think this is one of the smartest decisions I could make for my future."While medical marijuana revenues in Michigan are estimated at more than $700 million, if full legalization of marijuana happens, as it has in eight other states, the revenues could be enormous. Arcview Market Research, a California-based company that tracks the marijuana industry, reported $6.8 billion nationally in legal marijuana sales -- both recreational and medicinal -- in 2016, and projects the market to grow to $21.6 billion by 2021.So there is certainly going to be a need for chemists, agriculture experts and entrepreneurs to populate the business in Michigan and across the nation where 29 states have legalized medical marijuana, including eight states with full legalization of marijuana for recreational use. A petition drive is under way to gather the necessary 252,523 signatures to get full legalization of marijuana on Michigan's ballot in November 2018.Before that happens, though, Michigan will roll out regulations on the growing, testing, transportation and sale of medical marijuana in the state with applications for licenses available on Dec. 15. The state Medical Marijuana Licensing Board is expected to begin awarding licenses in five different categories -- for growing, processing, testing, transporting and retail sales -- in the first quarter of next year.Just last week, the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs announced that it will require two levels of testing of medical marijuana and marijuana-infused products: after harvesting the plants and after the marijuana has been processed into smokable or non-smokable products. Dispensaries will only be able to sell products to registered medical marijuana card holders after it's been tested and labeled by the state."Testing is going to be mandatory in all regulated cannabis markets, so that's a segment of the industry that needs to grow," said Barton Morris, a Royal Oak attorney and member of a state work group that is looking at testing for medical marijuana. "A fear I have with the rollout of the regulated market is that there isn't going to be enough labs. And think about the potential of recreational adult use of marijuana. If that happens and it passes, Michigan is going to be the second-largest market for marijuana behind California."NMU is leaving nothing to chance. Faculty members have attended several marijuana-related conferences across the country this year looking to recruit students for their program as well as line up businesses that will want to hire Northern students as both interns and full-time employees after graduation."We've had an overwhelming response from growing operations, dispensaries and other businesses who want to take on our students as interns," said Canfield, adding that a stereotypical stoner need not apply."Obviously, the program is new and different and it might speak to a certain crowd," he said. "But for a student to succeed, they're going to have to be very dedicated and motivated. This is not an easy program. It's a really intense, biology chemistry program." A divided federal appeals court delayed final resolution of the case of a 17-year-old pregnant migrant in federal detention who is seeking an abortion, giving the Trump administration until the end of this month to find a private sponsor who can house her and will allow her to obtain the procedure.The 2-1 ruling, written by Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, a conservative appointed by President George W. Bush, said that if the government failed to find a sponsor by Oct. 31, the young woman can return to a district court that earlier this week ordered the government to allow her to get an abortion by this weekend.During oral argument of the case Friday, judges on the panel made clear that they hoped to avoid making a decision that could have significant ramifications on abortion law.Kavanaugh repeatedly pressed lawyers on whether the conflict could be solved by moving the young woman from the shelter where she is currently detained to the custody of a family member or other sponsor."We're being pushed in the span of 24 hours to make a sweeping constitutional ruling," he said. The third judge on the panel, Karen Henderson, also a Republican appointee, joined Kavanaugh's decision but indicated she did not fully agree with his reasons.The young woman, called Jane Doe to protect her identity, has been detained in a shelter in Texas since she crossed the border illegally in September. She is now 15 weeks' pregnant and wants to get an abortion, but the Office of Refugee Resettlement, now headed by a lifelong anti-abortion activist, is blocking her from getting one.In a class-action lawsuit that could become a significant test of abortion rights, the ACLU says that the office's policy is an unconstitutional infringement of the young woman's rights.The administration has argued that it has no obligation to help her get an abortion while she is in detention, saying she could get out of the facility if she were willing to leave the country. Lawyers conceded, however, that Doe's home country, which has not been identified, does not allow abortions.Brigitte Amiri, a senior staff attorney for the ACLU, said before the court's ruling that the young woman should not be forced to give up her rights to an immigration hearing in order to obtain an abortion."What they are actually doing is supplanting J.D.'s decision that an abortion is in her best interest," she said. "We're talking about whether the government can veto the decision."The case has become a flashpoint in the wars over abortion. On Friday morning, activists with Planned Parenthood demonstrated outside the Health and Human Services Department building, waving signs saying, "I am Jane Doe" and "Justicia por Jane Doe."The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops issued a statement supporting the administration's position: "No one _ the government, private individuals or organizations _ should be forced to be complicit in abortion," the statement says.The resettlement office takes custody of undocumented minors who cross the border illegally and places them with a network of shelters run by churches and social organizations. The Catholic Church is the biggest provider in the network. The 17-year-old, however, is not in a church-affiliated shelter.The new director of the refugee office, Republican lawyer E. Scott Lloyd, has spent most of his professional career advocating for restrictions on abortion and contraception. In March, the office instructed shelters that women were not permitted to get abortions without the director's written permission. Since then, he has personally tried to persuade teenagers in the shelters to not get abortions, court papers show.During oral arguments Friday, under questioning by both a Republican and Democrat on the three-judge panel, a Justice Department lawyer acknowledged inconsistencies in U.S. policy, which allows access to abortions for adult women in both federal prison and immigration detention.Kavanaugh pointed out that if Doe had crossed the border and been jailed for a crime, she'd be permitted to get an abortion.The lawyer, Catherine Dorsey, tried to avoid taking a position on whether undocumented immigrants are covered by the Constitution's guarantee of a woman's right to abortion, eventually surrendering the point."Is there any way it's not relevant?" asked Judge Patricia Millett, an appointee of President Barack Obama.Even if Doe has those rights, "she can file a request for voluntary departure at any time," Dorsey said. Flash Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced on Monday the "termination of all combat operations" in the southern city of Marawi, saying the city has been cleared of the last terrorist. Lorenzana said government forces have cleared the last building occupied by militants and its vicinity. Forty-two bodies have also been recovered in the last ground assault to completely retake the city from the IS-linked militants. "The Philippine security forces, aided by the government and the massive support of the Filipino people, have nipped the budding infrastructure and defeated terrorism in the Philippines," Lorenzana told reporters. "In crushing thus far the most serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and in the region, we have contributed to preventing its spread in Asia and give our share to maintaining global peace, stability, and security," he added. "While we submit that these tactical and strategic gains will not annihilate the ideology completely, we declare that this achievement is clear manifestation of how our regional cooperation can lead to a decisive advance against the proliferation of terrorism in this part of the world," he said. Lorenzana shared the news during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) that kicked off on Monday in Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga province north of Manila. Terrorism and violent extremism top the agenda of the ADMM dialogue. Lorenzana's statement came five months after the Maute Group and Abu Sayyaf militants with the help of IS fighters from Malaysia and Indonesia raided the city on May 23, prompting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in the entire Mindanao region. Lorenzana said the martial law will remain for the moment while the military is assessing the situation in the region. The military said the conflict has so far killed 961 extremists and 165 soldiers and policemen. The war has also claimed the lives of nearly 100 civilians and displaced thousands. Medicaid money can now be used in New Hampshire to pay for sex change surgery deemed medically necessary, after a legislative committee voted 6-4 on Tuesday to approve new rules for the health care program that serves low-income households.The vote came after more than two hours of sometimes emotional testimony over the issue of gender reassignment, and whether it is ever truly medically necessary.Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeffrey Meyers presented the rules change to the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (JLCAR), saying the specific exclusion of "gender reassignment surgery" from Medicaid coverage is discriminatory and in violation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)."The department is undertaking this effort so that gender reassignment surgery would be a covered benefit and the entire continuum of care for the treatment of gender dysphoria would be available for those who are Medicaid beneficiaries," he said.Supporters and opponents of the rule change turned out for the vote, with many speakers urging the committee to reject the change.Several pointed out that a federal judge in Texas has already imposed an injunction on federal enforcement of the transgender health mandate in the ACA, and that the Trump administration is likely to take action against the mandate as well.Other opponents, some of them Medicaid beneficiaries, said the program could not afford the additional cost.Meyers pointed out that while the injunction prohibits the U.S. Department of Justice from enforcing rules promulgated by the Obama Administration, it does not constrain states from adopting rules at their discretion."We take the position that the ACA prohibits discrimination, so we believe we are acting in response to a law adopted by Congress," he said.JLCAR Chairman John Reagan said the committee is only empowered to vote on the legality of the rule, and not the policy issues it raises."We are not here to debate the detriment or efficacy of gender reassignment," he said. Nonetheless, Reagan allowed almost two hours of testimony, much of it hostile to the rule change."No matter what these so-called experts try to tell you, we were not designed to accommodate this transgendered business," said John Jeskevicius of Weare. "If you want to become a transgendered person, that's your business. When it becomes me paying for it, then it becomes my business."Many opponents took issue with the fact that letters were sent to Medicaid recipients, some of them children, advising them of the new benefit before it was even approved by the committee.The costs of the traditional Medicaid program, serving more than 130,000 New Hampshire residents, are split 50-50 by the state and federal government. Meyers said the cost of the new benefit to the program would be around $286,000 a year, based on actuarial estimates.Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union, Freedom New Hampshire, and GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) spoke in support of the change, arguing that five separate federal court decisions have established that "gender identity" is covered under anti-discrimination statutes.Sen. Kevin Avard, R-Nashua, objected to the rule change on the grounds that information on the cost to the state for the new benefit is inadequate. That failed in a 5-5 vote, after which Sen. Dan Feltes, D-Concord, moved to accept the rule change, which was approved 6-4.Rep. Carol McGuire, R-Epsom, vice chair, voted for Avard's objection, but then also voted in favor of the motion made by Feltes. "Once we lost the vote on the expense, we could go on with 5-5 votes all day," she said afterwards. "I think that's absurd."McGuire predicted that the full Legislature would take up the question when it reconvenes."It's obviously a divisive issue, and independent of whether you think it's a good thing or not, I don't like the idea that we're spending money on it when we have trouble getting money for other priorities in the Medicaid program," she said. "The senators are still in their filing period, so they are likely to bring a bill forward." The Maine member of President Trump's voter fraud commission has written a pointed letter to its executive director, demanding he be given documents and kept informed about the group's activities and charging that there is "a vacuum of information."Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, one of four Democrats on the 12-person commission, sent the letter Tuesday after learning from a reporter that a commission staffer had been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography.Dunlap said he had not only not known ahead of time about the arrest last week of researcher Ronald Williams II but he was not even aware he had been hired -- or that the commission had any staff members apart from its executive director, Andrew Kossack. Williams, whose employment has been terminated, faces 11 counts of possession and distribution of child pornography, officials told The Washington Post."It is rather frustrating to me as a Commissioner that intelligence of this development was presented to me in the form of a text message from a journalist," Dunlap wrote.Dunlap charged that he and other commissioners are being kept in the dark about ongoing policy development and actions, said he has "received utterly no information or updates" of any kind since the commission's last meeting Sept. 12 and does not know whether another meeting was planned."It has been made manifestly clear that there is information about this commission being created and shared among a number of parties though apparently not universally," he wrote.Dunlap demanded that he be given copies of all correspondence and documents circulated among commission members, staff and other government officials since the creation of the commission May 11. He cited the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and a separate federal circuit court ruling in making his request.Neither Dunlap nor Kossack immediately responded to request for comment.Dunlap -- who has been criticized by fellow Democrats for participating in the voter fraud commission -- has emerged as one of the panel's most vocal critics since the Sept. 12 meeting at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. At that meeting, he said Commission Vice Chairman Kris Kobach's suggestion that thousands of people had acted illegally when they registered to vote in New Hampshire using out-of-state licenses was a "reckless statement to make" and factually untrue. Under New Hampshire law, one can register to vote at their place of domicile -- a college dormitory for instance -- without obtaining a state driver's license.Dunlap has also expressed exasperation with recent revelations that two Republican members of the commission -- voter fraud activists Hans von Spakovsky and J. Christian Adams -- were closely involved in drafting a controversial request for detailed voter information sent to all 50 states, even though they were at the time not yet members of the commission. By contrast, Dunlap was unaware of the letter's content prior to it being sent, an action taken without deliberation or approval by the commissioners, who appear to have no actual powers.The involvement of von Spakovsky and Adams -- first reported by ProPublica -- was revealed in emails the commission was forced to release on a judge's order in connection with a suit by a public interest nonprofit, the Campaign Legal Center.Williams, the staffer arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, previously worked as an intern for Adams in President George W. Bush's Justice Department, where he helped Adams use the 1965 Voting Rights Act to protect white voters for the first time, ProPublica reported.Before joining the commission, von Spakovsky also advised cabinet officials not to appoint any Democrats or moderate Republicans to the commission, saying they would obstruct its investigations."Von Spakovsky has a profound influence on this commission," Dunlap told ProPublica Tuesday. "I never expected to be at the head of the table, but I'm not even sure I'm sitting at the table."The commission -- set up by Trump to probe his evidence-free claims that millions of illegal voters had cost him the popular vote in 2016 -- is chaired by Vice President Mike Pence. At the group's two meetings to date, Pence and Kobach have made it clear that the body will focus almost entirely on voter fraud, a problem numerous studies and probes by administrations of both parties have shown is extremely rare, and will not address the systematic intrusion of state election infrastructure by Russia, a problem Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent, has been especially vocal about.A 2011 voter fraud probe in Maine by Republican Secretary of State Charlie Summers found just one instance of fraud. Nationally, numerous voter fraud investigations have concluded the problem is vanishingly small, with one study by Loyola Law School, Los Angeles professor Justin Levitt finding just 31 credible allegations of identity fraud in all primary, general, special and municipal elections between 2000 and 2014, despite over a billion votes being cast.Dunlap has said he has joined the commission with an open mind and will act as a whistleblower if it engages in partisan shenanigans, but has become much more critical of the body's approach over the past month, saying many of his colleagues appear to define "voter fraud" to include legitimate voting by people they don't want to see vote, like college students.The commission also is accused of using private email accounts to conduct official business, a possible violation of federal public records laws. Returning to the campaign trail nine months after he left the presidency, Barack Obama laced into Donald Trump's presidency as dismantling the gains of his two terms in office and taking America backward.Obama did not utter Trump's name during his speech at a rally in Newark for Phil Murphy, the Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey. But his target was clear.Obama suggested the New Jersey governor's race in November would serve as a correction from last year's Republican presidential victory."What we can't have is the same old politics of division that we have seen so many times before, that dates back centuries," he said. "Some of the politics we see now we thought we'd put that to bed. That's folks looking 50 years back. This is the 21st century, not the 19th century. Come on."Democratic victories in governor's races next month will send an international message to allies unnerved by the Trump presidency, he suggested."Not only will you move New Jersey forward, but you can send a message to the country and send a message to the world that we are rejecting the politics of division, we are rejecting the politics of fear, and we are embracing a politics that says everybody counts, a politics that says everybody deserves a chance," he said.After his speech on behalf of Murphy, who served as Obama's first ambassador to Germany, Obama planned to appear at a rally in Richmond, Va., for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ralph Northam. Murphy has held a wide lead in polling leading up to the Nov. 7 election, but Northam has led only narrowly.The dual speeches were part of a rollout that Democrats hope will encourage turnout by the younger and minority voters who flocked to Obama but traditionally have spurned off-year elections. Hours before the president arrived in Richmond, hundreds of supporters lined up for blocks around the convention center where he was to speak.Obama has remained largely silent since he left the White House, even as Trump has sought to erase many of his signature policies. Obama defended his tenure by noting that he took office in the heart of a major recession and helped bring the country back, the unemployment rate cut almost in half."The good news is times aren't as hard for everybody as they were" when he came into office, Obama said. "We created millions of jobs, and we got wages and incomes growing again."And," he added pointedly, "by the way, we covered a whole bunch of folks with insurance, too."That was only the first reference to Obamacare, the health care program that Trump has sought to repeal and undercut. Murphy, he said later, would help make sure health care was "protected from political gamesmanship."Obama said he understood that many in America were still struggling: "We've still got work to do. We know we've got more work to do to create a stronger, fair economy for every family."With an eye to young voters in the crowd, Obama implored them to show up in November with an arch reference to the 2016 election."You can't take this election, or any election, for granted. I don't know if you all noticed that," he said dryly.As Obama entered the rally in Newark, the crowd opened with a chant: "Four more years! Four more years!"He replied with a laugh."I will refer you both to the Constitution as well as to Michelle Obama to explain why that will not happen," he said. Description GIS - 23 October, 2017: Air Mauritius marked a new era in the future of air connectivity with the acquisition of the brand new aircraft A350-900 Le Morne Brabant. The new aircraft landed at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport at Plaisance on 20 October 2017. The Prime Minister , Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, and other eminent personalities were present at the airport on this occasion. Air Mauritius new asset fits in the vision of the Government to modernise the existing airbus fleet and transform Mauritius into a regional aviation hub. It has been delivered in the context of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of Air Mauritius and as well as the 50 years of independence of the Republic of Mauritius. The new A350-900 is one among eight aircrafts that have been purchased from Airbus with the delivery of two brand new A350s this year, two A330neo in 2018, two A350 in 2019 and two more in 2023. In his address Prime Minister Jugnauth, commended Air Mauritius for this laudable initiative and expressed confidence that the national airline will take up the challenges that lie ahead and contribute in the endeavour to move Mauritius to the next level of economic growth and position itself as a bridge between the country and the world. He stressed on the importance of connectivity which he underlined is an essential engine of economic growth for island states like ours and for countries which, like us, are far away from their main markets. He further announced the transformation of Air Mauritius medium and long haul fleet by 2019 which will make the national airline more competitive as the A350-900 and the A330neo are both equipped with the latest best-in-class cabin amenities. The Prime Minister also appealed to the national airline to focus on building its short haul fleet as regional connectivity is crucial to the countrys economic plans and underpinned the significance of travel and trade industry as an important pillar of the countrys economy. According to him, a robust national airline is therefore of fundamental importance for Mauritius as aviation supports tourism, a sector which in turn generates around 70 000 direct, indirect and induced jobs, and accounts for an estimated 17.9% of GDP. Mr Jugnauth dwelt on the acquisition of the new Airbus fleet which, he said, will become an engine of rapid growth with non-stop operations being the leitmotiv of Air Mauritiuss, and the source of its competitive advantage as the Air Mauritius network evolves across 36 destinations. Moreover, he called on the national airline to be ready to embrace modernisation and to always strive to remain competitive as our cultural and economic ties with Africa and Asia coupled with our geographical position between the two continents, place Mauritius as an ideal position to be a conduit for travel and trade. For his part, the Chairman of Air Mauritius, Mr Arjoon Suddhoo, highlighted that the acquisition of the new airbus testifies the growth and modernisation of the national airline which marks a new chapter in air connectivity. He further underscored that as a national carrier, Air Mauritius will always thrive for excellence in service delivery with the synergy of all its stakeholders. Description GIS - 23 October, 2017: Serving the community and fostering an integrated society is the core mission of Government. Coupled with Governments own initiatives, the continued efforts of Non-Governmental Organisations and Credit Unions are contributing to help the vulnerable of the society. Serving the community and fostering an integrated society is the core mission of Government. Coupled with Governments own initiatives, the continued efforts of Non-Governmental Organisations and Credit Unions are contributing to help the vulnerable of the society. The Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives, Mr Soomilduth Bholah, made this statement during a donation ceremony held in the context of the World Post Day and the International Credit Union day on 21 October 2017 at the Joomadar Centre for Hearing Impaired in Beau-Bassin. He donated educational materials to students of the Centre. Minister Bholah highlighted that it is an opportune time to reflect upon the contributions of Credit Unions in the society and how they serve as catalysts of development. The different approach, philosophy and values of Credit Unions enable them to provide financial support to financially struggling persons and in particular those who are not eligible to loans from other financial institutions. Indeed, added the Minister, the 175 Credit Unions of the country have empowered vulnerable people by providing access to loans and other benefits that have positively impacted on their life choices. He pointed out that this has enabled them to undertake major professional, personal and educational projects that have improved the quality of their life. On that score, Mr Bholah emphasised that Government recognises the valuable contribution of Credit Unions in widening the financial scope of members of the community and hence encourages the setting up of these institutions. He also lauded the initiative of the Postal Employees CCU Ltd and the Mauritius Post Headquarters Staff who remitted cheques to the Mauritius Society for the Welfare of the Deaf to sponsor the educational expenses of the Joomadar Centre for Hearing Impaired. Moreover, while reflecting on the benevolent undertaking of the Postal Employees CCU Ltd in helping to enhance the life of the impaired children of the centre, Minister Bholah stressed that the Credit Union has showcased its commitment towards the community. The International Credit Union Day 2017 The International Credit Union Day, observed on 03 October each year, celebrates the spirit of the global Credit Union movement. The objective is to reflect on the Credit Union movement's history, promote its achievements, recognise the hard work and share member experiences. The theme for this year, "Dreams Thrive Here", illustrates how Credit Unions and other financial cooperatives serve as catalysts to make different professions, personal choices and career paths real. Description GIS 23 October, 2017: Issues of common interest between Mauritius and Seychelles are being discussed at the 12th session of the Joint Commission meeting on bilateral cooperation at Senior Officials level which opened today in Port Louis . The meeting is being held in the context of the forthcoming State Visit of the President of the Seychelles, Mr Danny Antoine Rollen Faure, to Mauritius later this week. The Joint Commission meeting is co-chaired by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mrs Usha Dwarka Canabady, for the Mauritian side, and the Principal Secretary for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mrs Michelle Murray, for the Republic of Seychelles. In her statement, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs said that Seychelles and Mauritius ties go back a very long way and both share the same views as regards the development of the region. The Joint Commission meeting will bring concrete results with the signature of five Memorandum of Understandings (education, health, prisons, twinning agreement, and investment) at the end of deliberations, she pointed out. According to Ambassador Dwarka Canabady, Mauritius and Seychelles are two major countries in the Indian Ocean region sharing substantial maritime territory adding that the progress achieved on the extended continental shelf is in itself an example at the level of the United Nations for countries having overlapping territories. Even more important than that, she said, is the fact that we have to work together to see how to safeguard security and exploit the potential of our maritime territory , and in parallel, see how to protect the environment and ensure that development remains sustainable. Seychelles has put in a lot of efforts to ensure its sustainable development by protecting its biodiversity and this inspires Mauritius, said Mrs Dwarka Canabady. For her part, the Principal Secretary for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mrs Michelle Murray, recalled that there exists a political commitment between both countries to establish an ambitious working relationship and pursue cooperation exchanges given that Mauritius and Seychelles are two very determined Island States investing massively in human development. Our discussions, she pointed out, will focus on the development of a working partnership for our common potential. This is due to the fact that we really have the capacity as two Island States in the Indian Ocean to ensure the advancement of the region as a zone of stability with prosperity and economic development that benefits all our people, she added. The Joint Commission started in 1991 and meets every two years. Topics on the agenda of this 12th session include: a review of the status of the outcome of the 11th session of the Joint Commission between both countries; as well as bilateral issues spanning the sectors of the ocean economy, fisheries, agriculture, education, regional investment fund, extended continental shelf, and twinning agreements. Regional related issues are also being discussed, namely: Indian Ocean Commission, Cooperation at the level of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite FTA, Accelerated Programme for Economic Integration, Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations and Small Island Developing States. Description GIS - 23 October, 2017: Government has given approval to the introduction of the National Employment Bill into the National Assembly. The object of the Bill is to repeal the Employment and Training Act and enact a more appropriate and modern legislative framework in order to address the needs of the labour market, including skills mismatch, underemployment, unemployment, future employment prospects and to anticipate future needs and expectations of individuals and employers. The Bill provides for a National Employment Department, which will take over the functions and powers of the Employment Service of the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training. It will facilitate the employment of job seekers and ensure that job seekers are able to find employment that meet their aspirations. It will also provide labour market information on demand and supply of skills to local employers, job seekers and training institutions; promote placement and training of job seekers, including young persons and persons with disabilities, through approved programmes as well as promote labour migration and encourage and promote home-based work. When an email arrives in your inbox, how do you really know the sender? When information is accessed across the Internet, are you sure that the data has not been seen by others who were not authorized? How can we minimize spam, better protect users and ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the Web data we send and receive?Bottom line, what practical steps can help ensure the trustworthy processes involved with the delivery of emails and Web-delivered data?These questions have been around for decades, but new, mandated actions are now being taken to strengthen the security surrounding two of the original, and most prevalent, activities online namely sending and receiving email and surfing the Web.In the past week, Elaine C. Duke, the acting secretary over the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), released Binding Operational Directive (BOD-18-01) , to improve operational security for federal agencies.The directive requires agencies to take immediate action and submit their plan to implement Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) for better email authentication. The goal is to drastically reduce email spoofing . According to the directive, Setting a DMARC policy of reject provides the strongest protection against spoofed email, ensuring that unauthenticated messages are rejected at the mail server, even before delivery. Additionally, reports provide a mechanism for an agency to be made aware of the source an apparent forgery, information that they would not normally receive otherwise.The directive also requires agencies to submit their plans to implement better Web security by using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) and HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS). The directive explains these mandates by stating that these actions remove weak cryptologic protocols and ciphers. In addition, seven of the ten most common vulnerabilities seen across federal agency networks ... would be addressed through complying with these required actions.- Federal agencies are vulnerable to phishing and email fraud, with over 82 percent of their domains lacking DMARC entirely.- 9.3% of Federal domain have a none (Monitor) policy. This policy monitors for authentication abuse, but does not prevent it. When combined with the number of domains without any DMARC policy, Agari can conclude that over 90 percent of federal agency domains are vulnerable to digital deception.- NIST recommends using DMARC authentication tools to provide protection against phishing (SP 800-177, Trustworthy Email, Section 4.6).You can learn all about the background of DMARC at: https://dmarc.org/ including the history and resources available Last year, the United Kingdom (U.K.) took very similar steps regarding the use of DMARC and HTTPS . Heres an excerpt from that announcement:Side note: This is another reason for us to monitor global cyberdevelopments, especially in the areas of what foreign governments are doing with cybersecurity.According to The Hill.com back in July , several congressional leaders urged action by DHS.Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) made the request in a letter to a top official at the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), the DHS office in charge of securing cyber and physical infrastructure.Earlier this past week, Infosecurity magazine reported on the benefits of DMARC: CNN reported that the U.S. government is making federal communications more secure through this DHS move:So with the federal government now making the move to enforce these DMARC and HTTPS, should state and local governments do the same?Many private-sector technology providers as well as Fortune 500 companies already use these technologies, such as Google, which is putting all of its top-level domains (TLDs) on their forced HTTPS list As part of its push for wider adoption of HTTPS, Google has now starting to enable HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) for a "large number" of its TLDs.The HSTS policy ensures that web browsers only use an HTTPS encrypted connection to sites that support HTTPS. All major browsers switch to, for example, https://gmail.com even if the user types in the http address. HSTS aims to prevent downgrade attacks, such as POODLE , which weaken or strip out encryption. Some state governments are already adopting DMARC for the same reasons that the federal government is making this move. SC Magazine reported this week that New York is adopting DMARC.New York State CISO Deborah Snyder said the state is adopting DMARC as well, making it a policy at the state level. Employing the protocol can make it easier for New York to get understanding of where threats are coming from.I think this is the right move by New York, and I urge other states (and local governments and private-sector companies) to follow this DHS example and take the same steps that DHS is mandating for federal agencies.No, adding DMARC will not solve all phishing problems, but it will certainly improve your situation. And yes, you still need good cyber training and other protections to stop online scams.Let me be clear: This is NOT currently a mandate for state and local governments at this time, but it will eventually become the defacto-standard to do business with the federal government soon. I expect that most governments will move in this direction within the next few years. However, planning for this implementation should begin immediately.My main advice for state and local government IT leaders is this: Why not implement DMARC and HTTPS now just as the federal government is mandating? The security benefits are immense, and these steps will likely become marks of legal due diligence in the near future.For non-technical leaders reading this article, I have a few recommendations. First, make sure that implementations of these security features are mandatory and apply across all of your email systems and domains. Second, it takes time to plan and implement the plan that DHS has mandated, so allow your team enough time to get these technologies in place just as the feds are doing.Finally, take policy action now with a timeline. This is a great move by DHS. This is also a (fairly rare) moment when practical steps are being taken by DHS in a federal governmentwide manner to improve cybersecurity. Dont miss this opportunity to do the same within your enterprise.Bottom line: My advice is to get DMARC and HTTPS-only website access (with HSTS), as described in the DHS memo, implemented within your state or local government or private sector company and soon.Youll be glad you did. Tennessee experience (TNS) -- (This is the second in a multi-part series about broadband internet service in rural areas.)Across rural areas in the Southeast, rural electric cooperatives are taking the initiative to provide internet service for their customers.The French Broad Electric Membership Corporation, which serves the North Carolina counties of Buncombe, Cocke, Madison, Mitchell and Yancey, as well as Unicoi, Tennessee, is on its second go-around after an initial attempt to provide broadband service to customers didnt work out so well.Kelby Cody, the cooperatives IT administrator, said customers in Marshall and Mars Hill have a choice of internet providers, but anyone else is left out in the cold.We tried to partner with them, but they never responded, he said of the internet providers in the region, so we decided to try it ourselves.French Broad originally attempted to deliver internet through the same line as electricity, but the company providing the equipment necessary equipment went out of business. Undaunted, the cooperative regrouped and a new effort to serve customers is under way.Were just getting started, and it is a slow process, Cody said. We surveyed our customers and are installing fiber to the home to two areas. It will be a slow process because it is so expensive.The cost is between $15,000 and $20,000 a mile, Cody said, and unless about 40 percent of the customers along the line agree to sign up, installing a fiber optic cable to homes wont be cost effective.French Broad is starting with communities closest to the office in Marshall and is going out about 10 miles or so with a line that should deliver service to about 180 customers by the end of the year, Cody said.Once the line is near a home, installing the underground section and hooking up the service can be done in a day. There will be two levels of service $49.95 a month for basic service and $74.95 for 100-megawatt service.Were hitting the dense areas first and will move out from there, Cody said.The cooperative has been unsuccessful in getting grants and so has the county, Cody said.Providing internet service isnt the same as when the rural electric cooperatives were set up decades ago when households were almost guaranteed to sign up for service and where a 20- to 40-year payback could be counted on. With internet service, Cody said the goal is to pay off the costs within four to five years.A lot of people called wanting internet service, so were responding to our customers, he said.Just across the border in Erwin, Tennessee, the town has taken an even bolder step by providing internet service to its entire 9,000-customer base.John Williams, the fiber optic engineer for Erwin Utilities, has been a water and electric utility since 1945 when it was purchased from Tennessee Valley Authority.Unlike North Carolina, Tennessee allows cooperatives and municipalities to offer broadband service as long the service is offered to current customers.Were a small community, and since 2008, theres basically been no growth in our customer base, Williams said. In the past, how we grew and generated revenue was through growth.Because people are using less energy with the emergency of energy-saving appliances and more widespread use of fluorescent light bulbs, revenue for Erwin Utilities was actually declining.We wanted to come up with a way to generate growth, Williams said, but part of the purpose was to serve our community. Twenty-five percent of our footprint doesnt have access to broadband or cable.The utility company did their research and concluded that cable television would soon be replaced by customers who preferred to get their television over the internet. That propelled the decision to aggressively install internet.We looked at is as another utility something everyone will need, Williams said of broadband. So thats what we decided to do.The build-out was divided into six phases, and so far three of the phases has been completed. That meant there was no huge investment all at once, and revenue generated during the earlier installations can defray the cost of later phases.Williams designed the system and contractors were hired to hang the fiber at first, but now the utilitys line crew is doing the work to cut costs.The system was designed to pay for itself with a 24-percent take rate, or the percentage of customers who would potentially sign up for service.The cost per mile ranges from $20,000 for areas closer to the town to $35,000 for those farther away.The company charges $50 a month for those who only need 25-megabits of service, and $70 a month for 100 megabits. Once the utility is able to offer a service levels at gigabit speed, the upper cost is not expected to change, Williams said.The following case study was included in state broadband plan titled "Connecting North Carolina" regarding the aftermath of providing gigabit service in Yancey County."Yancey County, located in northeastern NC, has a population of almost 18,000 residents, hosts three large industrial manufacturers, and supports tourism around Mount Mitchell. However, most tourists and residents could not consistently access broadband in the county due to poor availability."The county found that 64 percent of people surveyed were unable to receive service and only 10.5 percent were able to stream videos. The county formed a public-private partnership with Country Cablevision, a local provider, applied for, and secured a federal grant from USDAs Rural Utilities Service."The grant funded a $25.3 million fiber-to-the home broadband project in Yancey and neighboring Mitchell County. Now completed, the network can deliver service at speeds from 25 mbps to 1 gigabit upload and download to every household in the county."The economic and social benefits the county is now experiencing is staggering. As a result of deployment, the county is attracting telecommuters and 'lifestyle entrepreneurs' who relocate to the area because they prefer to live in the natural beauty of the western NC mountains."In addition, the countys three large industrial manufacturers have improved productivity, efficiency and, increased employment. Finally, the local community college, Mayland Community College, opened the Anspach Advanced Manufacturing School which utilizes the new connectivity to operate an advanced prototype operation, in addition to teaching advanced mechatronics and robotics techniques."Coming next: Haywood Electric Membership Corporation discusses challenges in providing service. Volunteer firefighters and there are 96,000 of them in New York will now get health-care benefits for certain types of cancer with legislation signed Sunday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.Previously, volunteer firefighters had to pony up their own insurance for cancer, except for lung cancer. New York state law covers 23 types of cancer for professional firefighters but only covers lung cancer for volunteers. That ends Jan. 1, 2019, when the new law goes into effect.Volunteer firefighters and their families have faced costly obstacles when fighting cancer that their professional brethren dont face, such as, a loss of income from having to take leaves of absence, the cost of getting care in a cancer center in a city like New York, plus travel time, food and co-pays from the doctor visits.The bill provides that volunteers who get certain types of cancers lung, prostate, breast, lymphatic, hematological, digestive, urinary, neurological, reproductive system or melanoma will receive tax-free disability and death benefits.Volunteer firefighters are covered as long as they had no evidence of cancer during their initial physical when volunteering or they have five years of service as interior-building firefighters. (TNS) -- Drones could be routinely dropping packages out of the air as early as this December, just in time for the busy holiday season, if one company that demonstrated its technology recently in Las Vegas has its way.Rather than taking off from a distribution center, the drone, dubbed HorseFly, would be docked on a truck and used to deliver packages along the trucks route. Workhorse, an Ohio-based company, created the drone and an electric delivery truck that UPS uses.The drone would take off, drop the package at its designated location and fly back to the truck continuing its route. The technological advance saves the driver time and fuel.Every mile saved counts.If drivers cut out one mile of driving a day that would add up to $54 million in fuel savings for the year, said Mike Dektas, Workhorse spokesman. Obviously for rural deliveries, it could be more than a mile.Software on the truck evaluates each package and designs the most efficient way to reach every destination on the route whether its drone-delivered or driver-delivered, said Elliot Bokeno, a Workhorse engineer, after a drone demo at Pack Expo in Las Vegas last month.It divides those packages between packages that the drone can do and packages the drone cant do because theyre too big, too heavy or too awkward, he said.The service would be best used in rural areas that have more distances between package drops-off, Bokeno said.The one the drone is doing means you dont have to drive that extra mile to deliver that single package, he said. Its whats the least amount of miles a driver can do per day, given the packages that we have.Workhorse and UPS carried out a residential package delivery by an autonomous drone earlier this year. UPS also uses WorkHorses battery-electric delivery trucks in various areas, which led to the two companies linking up for the drone project.The FAAs Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations, or Part 107, states that a drone operator must keep their drone within sight, which is a roadblock for this operation as it stands.With the goal of implementing this technology by year's end, Workhorse has to first get approval by the FAA to allow their aircraft to fly farther than the eye can see.We have a petitioned the FAA, saying let us do more beyond line-of-sight or virtual line-of-site, as we have video coming from the drone delivery in rural Ohio and collect all that data. (We would) then bring it back to (the FAA) as a demonstration of what drone delivery is going to look like if these rules are relaxed, Bokeno said. Reconnaissance and mapping Building structural integrity assessment Temporary infrastructure and supply delivery Detecting and extinguishing wildfires High-rise building fire response Dealing with biological, radiological or explosion events Search and rescue operations Insurance claims response and risk assessment Logistics support ANDERSON When a Summitville teenager ran away from home recently, Madison County Emergency Management Agency officials brought in their latest tool to assist in the search.Within minutes of arriving on the scene, the department's new unmanned aerial vehicle was in the air speeding across the countryside in search of the youth. Todd Harmeson, deputy director of EMA, was at the controls.More commonly known as drones to the general public, experts say the new airborne technology is changing how emergency managers assess and respond to disasters, whether natural or man made.Portable and affordable (Harmeson said Madison County's unit cost about $4,000), the aircraft can be launched quickly into dangerous situations or inaccessible locations and begin sending images back to responders on the ground immediately.Although a ground search team found the Summitville teen in Delaware County before the drone, Harmeson is certain the unmanned aircraft will be a huge aid to Madison County's response to emergencies."We're one of the first local EMAs in the state to have this technology," he said.Harmeson added that the DJI Inspire 1 is the same aerial vehicle operated by the Carmel Fire Department and Wayne Township Fire Department in Indianapolis."I'm proud here in Madison County we're flying that same equipment for the benefit of our public," he said.Officials bought the device in early spring and spent several months learning to fly it and establish flight rules and checklists for pilots. And they've been making the rounds of weekend community festivals to show off their new aerial partner.The Federal Aviation Administration sets the rules for flying drones for recreational, business and emergency response.The goal is to make sure drones don't interfere with airspace around airports and sensitive government installations or with the flight operations of commercial, civilian and military aircraft.Unmanned aerial vehicles, for example, can't fly higher than 400 feet, and pilots must have the device in sight at all times, Harmeson said.In addition, the agency must keep detailed logs of every flight, including information about photographs that are taken.So far, three pilots with the agency, including Harmeson, are licensed to fly.In the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Maria, as well as the wildfires in northern California, drones have been deployed to assess damage and search for victims.They have many advantages over helicopters, proponents say.They can fly lower and are quieter, and their prop wash is less disruptive. In addition, drones can be equipped with sensitive listening devices and infrared sensitive cameras that detect the heat signatures of people and animals.And there is cost. Helicopters cost about $2,500 an hour to fly, while drones cost a fraction of that amount.Harmeson foresees using the emergency management's drone mostly for search and rescue and damage assessment from floods, winter storms and tornadoes.But Madison County Sheriff Scott Mellinger said the device has value for law enforcement agencies as well.In crash reconstruction, for example, "being able to visually see a scene along with measurements is invaluable," he said. From the air, everything from skid marks to a vehicle's path can be clearly seen.Drones can also be useful in cases in which SWAT teams are deployed to determine all exits, entrances to a building, for example, or the movement and reactions of suspects who may not be visible from the ground.In cases of missing persons or fleeing suspects, drones fitted with "heat sensors allow visuals even if a person is prone, give first responders the best information regarding how to best approach the person being sought," Mellinger said.The Indiana Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that, "Generally, drones are able to deploy quicker and are less expensive options to get aerial views of an incident or situation. They can also be used in conditions that are not optimal or safe for aircraft with a pilot on board."From an emergency management standpoint, drones could be used for many different situations, such as a search for a missing person, to survey damage and to monitor developing conditions, such as rising flood waters," according to the statement. "Drones provide a good complement to many types of operations."Uses of drones in emergency responseSource: Propertycasualty360.com (TNS) -- John Swanson was among Victoria residents equipped with emergency supplies who decided to brave Hurricane Harvey from home.Swanson was as ready as he could be. He planned to use an emergency radio to stay informed as the eye of the hurricane inched closer to Victoria County, he told the City Council at a meeting in September.But there was a problem.Officials were predominantly using social media to communicate, and the National Weather Service's radio transmitter in Corpus Christi was damaged by the Category 4 storm. That meant Swanson - and other people who weren't planning to rely on cell phones - had limited access to emergency communications during the storm."I was on emergency radio - had the batteries and everything for it - and the radio didn't (work)," Swanson told city officials.Hurricane Harvey rapidly intensified just days before slamming the Texas Gulf Coast, leaving government officials and communication providers little time to prepare. Fortunately, cell service didn't go down, allowing for authorities to use social media sites to publish the majority of updates - about 215 posts total during the storm and its aftermath, according to city data.Officials also ran a 24-hour emergency hotline to answer residents' questions. But it was activated the day before the storm with a number that hadn't been used as a city hotline before, according to city officials.The storm came at a time when communications practices are teetering between analog and digital technologies, forcing officials to use multiple platforms to reach residents of all demographics. As the dust settles and officials chip away at recovery, they're beginning to discuss how to improve communications during the next disaster.So far, one idea tossed around is for the city to operate an AM radio feed. Others want to explore text message updates."The thing with mobile is it's kind of throwing a kink in emergency communications," said O.C. Garza, a city spokesman who worked around the clock during the storm.As Hurricane Harvey tossed trees into utility lines, residents were forced to rely on cellphones when homes lost electricity to power televisions and internet-based landlines. Some residents had to scramble to charge cellphones in their cars, while others planned to use radios.Swanson was one of the residents who planned to get updates from hand-crank or battery-powered radios. He doesn't use Facebook and ended up using his phone to call his daughter, he said.She told him the news over the phone while Hurricane Harvey struck, she said."Fortunately, I've got a daughter who's pretty smart on this communication, Facebook wizardry," Swanson told the City Council. "And she could relay information to me."Cara Cuite, a psychologist who studies emergency communications at Rutgers University, said Swanson was lucky to get help from his daughter. Radio is often viewed as the go-to form of communication when electricity and communication lines go down, she said."Seniors are not best reached through social media, and that hand-cranked radio is recommended for people to have in the case of emergencies," Cuite said. "That is viewed often as the best tool to use in emergencies."Cuite, who focused her studies on Hurricane Sandy, said government officials should use as many platforms as possible to reach residents of all demographics.To be as effective as possible, authorities must do a lot of work before the storm, which could include testing call notification systems or talking directly with vulnerable residents who might need help evacuating, she said."(It's) this whole idea of building trust and getting to know your community in advance so you're able to reach them," Cuite said.For example, cities or counties could advertise phone numbers for hotlines or tell residents how to get information well before a disaster strikes.But that proved difficult during Harvey, which rapidly intensified before slamming Victoria County. Residents, including some government officials, had trouble finding out what was happening."A lot of citizens were calling," Councilman Jeff Bauknight said. "And I had no idea - I absolutely had no idea of what to tell them."The morning after Harvey struck, electricity and the internet crashed, leaving residents to rely largely on cellphones. Residents started calling Bauknight, but he too didn't have answers to their questions about water service and debris pickup."Communication coming out to citizens was lacking," he said during a City Council meeting.In Victoria, the city started running a 24-hour hotline just a day before Harvey made landfall. The hotline, which had a telephone number that hadn't been used as a city hotline before, received about 8,000 calls over a week and a half, according to city data.During that time, at least one Spanish speaker manned each shift, the city's spokesman said."People were calling throughout the whole time," Garza said.But Councilwoman Josephine Soliz said during the council meeting that the hotline didn't work well for some residents who were desperately seeking information after the hurricane."There was a lot of people who were frustrated with that because they wouldn't get answers," Soliz said. "They wouldn't pick up the phone."Emergency officials also used an emergency notification system - commonly known as reverse 911 - to warn residents of the oncoming storm. Calls went out four times - once Aug. 24, twice on the 25th and again on the 27th, according to county data. Harvey made landfall the night of Aug. 25.The system sent anywhere from 31,000 to 35,000 calls each time it was used. The day before Harvey hit, more than 10,000 people answered these emergency calls, but that number dropped to less than 5,000 Aug. 27.There were reports, however, that some people didn't get the notifications."It's probably not perfect," Garza said. "There could be some technical problems."Garza and other emergency officials are in the process of figuring out ways to improve emergency communications. Figuring out how to get an AM radio feed, which could be heard from weather radios, is one idea. Another option is to post more updates to the city's website for people who don't use Facebook.There are also things residents can do to better prepare themselves for emergencies, Garza said. Purchasing a rotary or landline phone that doesn't run an internet service can give residents a critical communication line if cellphone service goes down, he said.Residents with cellphones also should be sure to sign up for Victoria's emergency notifications, he said."If you're going to stay ... how are you going to find out what's going on?" Garza said. "When a hurricane is bearing down on you, you ought to have some idea of how you're going to get information." WannaCry Petya/NotPetya Dallas Emergency Sirens Hack Russia and the 2016 Presidential Election Local Hacktivism When Stanton Gatewood, Georgias chief information security officer (CISO), started out in cybersecurity more than 30 years ago, co-workers thought of him and his peers as the paranoid ones, constantly warning about the risks of cyberattacks and system breaches.This perception has changed a great deal. Cybersecurity events are ubiquitous in todays news, and breaches are wide-ranging, affecting customer data at Target, the municipal website in Flint, Mich., and the servers of the Democratic National Committee during the presidential election. Cyberdefenders like Gatewood have gone from the paranoid ones to vital lines of defense, heavily relied on by private companies, nonprofit groups and, increasingly, governments.You cant open the paper, you cant go online, you cant watch TV without hearing that some sort of cyberevent has taken place, Gatewood said.Georgia is currently investing heavily in defense, building a cyber and innovation training center aimed at enhancing its workforce, bolstering training and bringing representatives from all levels of government to practice on a cyber-range, where they can test defense skills and abilities.And Georgia is not alone. Technologists in jurisdictions across the country say recent global cyberattacks are catalysts for policymakers and other officials to devote funds and resources to defense.I hate to gain on the pain of my peers, said Mike Dent, CISO of Fairfax County, Va., in the Washington, D.C., metro area, but the more people understand the threat, the more leadership will invest in it.Dent, whose jurisdiction has been lauded for cybersecurity work, emphasizes this is a complex and evolving battle, one requiring institutional awareness, vast collaboration, funding and changes in the way technology is manufactured.So far, most state and local governments have avoided being victimized by large-scale hacks, but most face ransomware and phishing attempts on a near-daily basis. This is unlikely to stop, with experts saying instead that they expect threats to increase.Anytime you have a lot of data at rest, even if that datas not immediately valuable at its face, that data is at risk, said Timothy Blute, program director with the Homeland Security and Public Safety Division of the National Governors Association. If youve got a lot of data, youve got a target on your back.Heres a look at some of the biggest cyberevents of the past couple years, and their impacts on state and local government:*WannaCry is the most infamous example of a worldwide ransomware attack. By targeting systems that ran Microsoft Windows, WannaCry encrypted data and demanded bitcoin cryptocurrency for its release. Launched on May 12, 2017, it infected more than 300,000 computers in roughly 150 countries but was quickly stemmed by a cybersecurity professional in England who found a kill switch. Another factor was that Microsoft had discovered the vulnerability months earlier, subsequently releasing patches. Users who had installed updates were not at risk.Any within Microsoft Windows.Ransomware.Many officials say WannaCry served as an excellent catalyst for working to guard against future large-scale ransomware events. Notable international victims included the United Kingdoms National Health Service, as well as other health-care providers.In an organization that may not have backups pre-ransomware, once something like this happens, they always seem to find the money in the budget afterward to go that route. Brian Calkin, Vice President of Operations, The Center for Internet SecurityPetya exploits similar vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows as WannaCry, also demanding a ransom in bitcoins. Petya, however, has greater longevity. After officials thought theyd patched it, a variation dubbed NotPetya began posing a threat. Another difference is intent. WannaCry aspired to sheer financial gain, restoring encrypted data if demands were met. Petya seeks money while also sowing disruption through wide-scale system wipes, regardless of whether demands are met.Any within Microsoft Windows.Wiper disguised as ransomware.Although no major breaches have been reported domestically, Petya/NotPetya is ongoing. Widely believed to have originated in Ukraine through an update to an accounting program used by that countrys government, it has affected many systems there, most notably radiation monitoring at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.I know state agencies are watching ransomware events because these techniques have a tendency to come back to life. We saw that with NotPetya. Timothy Blute, Program Director, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices Homeland Security & Public Safety Division.One Saturday in April, all 156 emergency sirens throughout Dallas sounded more than a dozen times. Officials first attributed the incident to malfunction, later saying it resulted from a hack, albeit a unique one without computers. Unknown culprits likely activated the sirens by replicating a tonal code with a radio. Rocky Vaz, Dallas director for emergency management, said catching the culprits was nigh-impossible, while Mayor Mike Rawlings vowed to find and prosecute those responsible. No arrests have been made, and the city is working to safeguard the system from another hack.None.Replicating a tonal code with a radio.Officials in jurisdictions across the country say they paid attention to this incident. Dallas, for its part, is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on an evolved alert system to send messages to cellphones.The U.S. intelligence community has concluded with confidence that Russian agents hacked the Democratic National Committees servers during the 2016 Presidential Election, also breaching Clinton campaign chairman John Podestas email account. Russian officials have denied involvement, and President Donald Trump has oscillated between downplaying the significance of the hack and blaming it on his predecessor, President Barack Obama. In the eyes of many, questions remain.Democratic National Committee servers and Clinton campaign chairman John Podestas email account.Private email and server hacks.Politics aside, local officials who administer elections are faced with questions about the integrity of U.S. election systems.The past few years have seen a new trend in cyberattacks: news breaks a water crisis, the passage of a bathroom bill related to transgender people, a police shooting a government website is hacked and an activist group takes credit. Known as hacktivism, government technologists say it has become their greatest exterior cybersecurity concern, as well it should be. To date, hacktivists have frozen government services, defaced websites and released sensitive data online.Varied, including emails between officials, website content and citizen data.Various, including email phishing, denial-of-service and doxing, or compiling and posting personal information about government officials online. NATOs long-standing tactical advantage on the battlefield could be at risk as cyber adversaries probe for weak points in the U.S.-led security pacts networks, a top alliance official said.This very advantage now has the potential, if we are not careful, to make us vulnerable to attack, NATO Deputy Secretary-General Rose Gottemoeller said at the end of a cyber conference in Mons, Belgium, on Thursday.NATOs three-day cyber symposium, which drew together national leaders, experts and industry specialists, comes at a time when Russia is being widely blamed for targeting Western troops and institutions with a more aggressive cyber-battlefield strategy.U.S. soldiers deployed to Poland have had their smartphones hacked while operating near Russias bordering enclave of Kaliningrad, according to Army leaders.Russia is also using social media networks to target U.S. military personnel in misinformation campaigns that flood troops with a range of propaganda and conspiracy theories, according to an Oxford University study released earlier this month.The threats to NATO today range from tweets to tanks, but when it comes to cyber, we are still learning, Gottemoeller said. We must be fast learners.A prime target has been rank-and-file forces along NATOs eastern flank, where U.S. and other allied troops are deployed on a mission to deter Russian aggression.Yes, these are attempts to collect intelligence, intimidate NATO allies and rattle foreign troops, said Jorge Benitez, an expert on European security with the Washington-based Atlantic Council. The Russians are pushing the envelope through this cyber- and hybrid-warfare campaign to see how much they obtain from it, not just in terms of information and military friction, but most of all increasing political divisions and vulnerabilities for the West.Better coordination on cyber and hybrid attacks could be accomplished by building upon NATOs Multinational Corps Northeast Headquarters in Szczecin, Poland, Benitez said. The corps is made up of four multinational battalions, deployed in Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.NATO says it is paying a lot of attention to this, but most of it is deferred to the national level, said Benitez, adding that lack of cohesion can result in uneven defenses among allies.NATO has adopted a stronger cyberspace posture. It has added the cyber realm as a formal operational domain, akin to missions by land, sea and air. The alliance has also worked to improve information sharing, helping to counter malware attacks and other threats.In 2016, NATO agreed that cyberattacks might be sufficient to trigger the alliances collective defense Article 5 provision, which deems that an attack on one member requires a collective response from all.It remains a matter of debate inside NATO about what kind of assault would be large and severe enough for all 29 member states to agree to respond.As of now, there is no sign NATO is interested in taking the offensive.With all this talk of cyberattacks, it is important to underline the fundamentally defensive nature of the NATO alliance, Gottemoeller said. From 12:05 to 12:50 p.m. Friday at 525 West Ottawa Street, Lansing, in the G. Mennen Williams Auditorium. From 12:05 to 12:50 p.m. Wednesday at 3068 West Grand Blvd., Detroit, in Room L150. Use strong passwords for financial accounts. Often your email becomes the username. An easy-to-figure-out password makes you vulnerable to hacking. Keep your information up to date. Seek credit monitoring to stay up to date on your credit report. Don't open emails you don't recognize. Doing so might allow hackers to install software on your computer or mobile device that allows them to collect personal information. Be careful who you give information to: Hackers use schemes, such as pretending to be your bank or credit card company, to get your account numbers and passwords. (TNS) Michigan ranks among the worst states for identity theft and fraud, a new analysis by a personal finance website shows.The report by WalletHub put Michigan at No. 6 , behind California, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C., Florida and Georgia, and just ahead of Nevada, Texas, New York and Connecticut.The Michigan Attorney General's Office, which is charged with protecting consumers, suggested that identity theft and fraud is likely not as bad in the state as the report suggests."It could be underreported in other states," Andrea Bitely, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office, said, challenging the report's results. "The more people in a state, the more likely you are to be up at the top.""But," she added, "the attorney general is not taking this lightly."October has been designated National Cyber Security Awareness Month by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.WalletHub, which is based in Washington, D.C., compared all 50 states and the nation's capital this week using a data that looked at identity theft, fraud and public policy aimed at keeping personal information out of the hands of thieves.While Michigan ranked No. 6 overall, it was No. 8 specifically for identity theft, No. 12 for fraud, and No. 10 for public policy.Michigan was No. 2 for the most identity theft complaints per capita, behind Washington, D.C., and ahead of Florida, and No. 4 for the most fraud complaints per capita, behind, Washington, D.C., Florida, and Georgia and ahead of Texas."Equifax has proven that absolutely no one is immune to cybercrime," the report said. "In September 2017, the credit bureau announced that it had fallen victim to one of the biggest data breaches in recent history."Moreover, the WalletHub report said: "Even credit bureaus, government agencies, and financial institutions the organizations consumers trust and expect to treat their confidential information with utmost care and security cannot take enough precautions to prevent such attacks."Earlier this month, Equifax announced that 2.5 million more consumers were impacted by the breach than originally thought, bringing the total number of Michiganders with potentially compromised information to 4.6 million.Read more:To raise awareness of identity theft, the state attorney general's office is holding two free seminars:Still, the WalletHub report warned:"While the federal government and various businesses in recent years have taken more aggressive measures to build up our defenses, criminal strategies continue to evolve and grow in sophistication, keeping consumers vulnerable to identity theft and fraud."Identity theft tipsTo avoid identity theft and fraud: Daniil Kvyat says he still has not sat down to discuss his future in F1 with Dr Helmut Marko. Earlier, amid great uncertainty about what comes next for the embattled Russian, Kvyat said he has been promised a meeting with Red Bull kingpin Marko. Then on Sunday, Kvyat said he was delighted with his performance in Austin as he returned to the Toro Rosso cockpit in Gasly's absence. "It was my best race this year," he said. "I came here with a new approach to use all the knowledge that I have. I feel I have become stronger psychologically, with a new motivation. "With a few weeks rest I was able to disconnect and can again feel great potential and used it. I hope I still have the chance to take further advantage of what I have learned," Kvyat, 23, added. "Every day I have been asked if I think this weekend is the most important in my career, and if it was, I think I could not have done anything better." But Marko, the Red Bull driver manager, says he will decide between Kvyat, Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley for the remaining three races of 2017 and then for next year. Marko seemed happy with Hartley's debut in the US. "In the long runs he is already very good," said the Austrian. "This is impressive. And his technical statements to the engineers are outstanding." When asked if he has now had his much-feted meeting with Marko, Kvyat answered: "No, I have not. "But I do not want to answer questions about this. When I meet, you will know everything," Kvyat added. (GMM) The automotive industry is experiencing an unprecedented transformation, Major Mega trends like automated driving, electrification and connectivity are shaping the future of mobility; with the development of intelligent connected vehicles, the requirements on data and software services are increasing. The establishment of UCIT is an important milestone for the development of our ITS business in China, and the new company will provide tailor made connected vehicle products and services to satisfy the increasing market demands in China. And we are convinced that the establishment of the new company will accelerate the development of connected vehicles and contribute the future mobility start earlier with us. Enno Tang, President and CEO of Continental China Hydro-Quebec and the US Department of Energys Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have agreed to explore collaborations toward the research and development of manufacturing and scale-up technology to advance transportation electrification and energy storage. The two institutions have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to assess the feasibility of creating a Quebec Berkeley (QUBE) joint research center based in the San Francisco Bay Area that will speed up development of next-generation battery materials, processes, and methodologies and conduct manufacturing from pilot scale to pre-production levels. The technologies developed will be transferred to battery manufacturers, leading to job creation in Quebec and California. IVECO has secured the largest deal for Stralis NP vehicles to-date, with 500 new trucks set to enter operation with the pan-European transport and logistics specialist, Jost Group. Designed to be the most sustainable long-distance heavy truck ever manufactured, the new deliveries will run on LNGwidely regarded as the only currently available mass market alternative to diesel. The 500 Stralis NP trucks powered by LNG will offer an excellent power-to-weight ratio, power density and quietness of operation. The first 150 vehicles will enter operation during 2018, with the full fleet to be in service by 2020. They will replace 4- to 5-year-old diesel-powered vehicles in the Belgian firms fleet of 1,400 trucks and 3,000 trailers, which has grown steadily following a series of acquisitions. The company already operates 132 Stralis vehicles, including two running on compressed natural gas (CNG). Demand for LNG is growing rapidly across Europe, with the German Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) having identified LNG as the best solution for long-distance road transport in the short term and for the next 10 to 15 years. When running on fossil derived natural gas, the Stralis NPs CO 2 emissions are up to 10% lower than its diesel equivalent, depending on mission and gas compositionrising to up to 95% lower with the use of biomethane. With IVECOs natural gas technology, the level of particulates are negligible and the NO x 50% lower compared to diesel over long haul missions. It is also much quieter, reducing engine noise levels by around 50%aiding deliveries in urban areas. IVECO was the first commercial transport manufacturer to recognize, back in in 1991, the potential of natural gasforesight that saw the company develop a full range of natural gas-powered trucks, vans and buses. Today, more than 22,000 IVECO gas-powered vehicles have been sold. One senior official from the Communist Party of China said on Saturday that the country is still in contact with North Korea and stressed that their contact is crucial for regional stability. According to Guo Yezhou, one of the deputy heads of the Chinese Communist Party's international department, China is still conducting regular exchanges, communication and dialogue with North Korea's Workers' Party of Korea. "China and North Korea are neighbors and the two have a traditional friendly cooperative relationship." He adds that maintaining and developing these sides is not just for their respective countries' interests, but it also has a very important meaning for regional peace and stability. Exchanges are also important to sustain the growing Chinese-North Korean relations. Guo also said, "Our party and the Workers' Party of Korea have traditionally friendly exchanges. When and at what level these exchanges happen depend on both sides need and both sides' convenience." On Wednesday, the Workers' Party of Korea congratulated China for its current Party Congress despite the fact China has announced its support the UN Security Council sanctions after North Korea's continuous nuclear and missile tests. However, China had stressed that the United States and South Korea also played a role in increasing the tensions in the Peninsula. From the time Cone Mills Denim White Oak Mill opened, a member of my family worked there. From the least job with meager wages to my father, Dude Pickard, Master Dyer of the Worlds Finest Denim Plant. Dad worked for 40-plus years, and I worked for Cone 47-plus years, and we were all proud to call Cone Mills our place of employment. Yes, the work was hard, but the Cone family provided a life for their employees, some of whom could not read or write, through some of the most brilliant men and women to work in textiles. If you worked for Cone Mills Corp., you were a part of one big family that looked after each other, and by the rewards of the Cone family, we were a dedicated group that gave back 110 percent in respect for the goodness of the Cones. The Cone family provided not only employment, they provided churches, housing, stores, doctors, nurses, food, and the list goes on and on. Many thanks and my gratitude to the Cone family for my familys heritage along with thousands of others. You will be missed, White Oak. Ada Nelson Greensboro HARTFORD Yet another leadership meeting followed by closed-door caucuses in the Senate on Monday were more evidence that the so-called tentative state budget was still under negotiation. As lobbyists waited in the Capitol corridors, leaders conferred with nonpartisan staff in the second-floor offices of Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz until about 1 p.m., then Senate leaders went upstairs to face the budget music in private Democratic and Republican caucus rooms that flank the Senate chamber. Three hours later, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said they expect to vote on a final package this week to end the nations longest budget impasse. Members seemed very pleased of the fact of a pending bipartisan agreement, Looney told reporters. There are, of course, additional details to follow. We did tell them that we had a few remaining issues to resolve. One of the those issues is a proposed elimination of local car and truck taxes in the second year of the biennium, a loss of $800 million statewide that would have to be compensated through other taxes, possible higher real estate rates in cities and towns. Looney said that under the current plan, car taxes, even in highly taxed cities like Bridgeport, Waterbury and Hartford, would be capped at 39 mills in the first year. But Looney indicated that the outright elimination of the tax in the second year might not be certain. I still remain very much in favor of repealing the car tax and its something that I think is a nuisance tax that working families across the state would like to see go away, Duff said. But again were dealing with negotiations with three other caucuses and we have to work on an agreement that will bring votes and balance. We talked about the issues, Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano told reporters after emerging from his caucus at about 6:20. Fasano said he did not take a head count of support for the incomplete deal. That is a complicated scenario, Fasano said of the car tax. But there are many solutions to it and youve got to think it through. I do think that there are a number of areas that we still have to work on, Duff said. But a lot of the major issues are almost wrapped up at this point, and we went over a number of those things with members of our caucus. The leaders met again in the early evening and wanted to finish a deal to present to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who has been skeptical over the lack of a written document. Were still looking forward to a vote later this week, Looney said. One of the key areas of discussion will be ways to bring the second year budget, which begins on July 1, 2018, into balance. We do want to finalize it tonight, Looney said. Its hard to announce anything until you have everything, Duff said. I think you want to make sure that you dont put yourself ahead of where the final product is because there are a number of things that are in play. The state finances have been run by Malloys executive order since the start of the current fiscal year on July 1. As further details of the possible compromise continued to emerge, businesses and green-energy advocates on Monday rallied against a proposed shift of ratepayers funds from the states Green Bank and energy efficiency funds to help balance the budget. Looney said that plans continue to take about $27.5 million from the Green Bank and $65 million from the efficiency fund remain under discussion. But Fasano said his caucus is comfortable with the fund transfer. Meanwhile, State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier warned that while there seems to be progress toward a compromise budget, she complained, as Gov. Dannel P. Malloy did last week, we have yet to see the specifics of what that budget will include. Nappier warned that as lawmakers craft a final document for a possible vote before the end of the month, they should consider the need for financial flexibility. She said that if lawmakers are determined to create an annual cap of $2 billion on the issuance of bonds for capital projects, they may need more cash, which could require more borrowing. The scene of the caffeinated crime. Photo: Google Maps A Starbucks location in Chelsea has experienced a streak of robberies, DNAinfo reports, conducted by a Jesse James of java who has stolen coffee beans while employees served customers. The latest incident occurred on Sunday, when the man walked into the store at 1:06 p.m. and nabbed eight bags of coffee worth a total of $111.60. This was, however, not a one-off heist. In fact, a shift supervisor tells DNAinfo that this Butch Cassidy of beans, described as roughly 40, often returns to the scene of his crimes, coming in every few weeks. Its not clear if the bandit is driven by the special thrill of stealing energy beans, has a lucrative black-market deal, or just enjoys sticking it to a chain that has driven many neighborhood coffee shops out of business. Either way, that same shift supervisor says the thief has stolen hundreds of dollars of goods from the store, and is pretty notorious. As for how, exactly, this Pretty Boy of Pour-Over continues to get away it, the unidentified man isnt the only shoplifter to target this particular Starbucks. The supervisor says its just hard to keep your eye on everything when youre already dealing with hoards of customers. Will the Al Capone of Arabica every get caught? Or will he pull off a series of Italian-roast robberies around the country? As of now, it seems hes still at large, so baristas all over the city might want to keep their eyes peeled. Red Cross vehicles are parked in a neat row in front of a humble Eau Claire office. The chapters emergency response vehicle ERV, chapter executive director Kyle Kriegl laughingly calls it is absent from the lineup, deployed in Florida to distribute food to hurricane victims. The Red Cross Northwestern Wisconsin chapter, which covers 17 counties and is headquartered in this office, coordinates roughly 330 volunteers. That number has spiked drastically, Kyle Kriegl says, in the wake of recent national tragedies: Hurricane Harveys devastating blow to Houston in late August, Hurricane Irmas collision with Puerto Rico days later, an October mass shooting in Las Vegas and rampant California wildfires. Weve seen a tremendous amount of outpouring, folks who want to volunteer, especially in light of these hurricanes, Kriegl says. (Nationally) we see about 12,000 volunteer applications a month. The week after Labor Day, we had over 35,000 applications. The next challenge for this Red Cross chapter is accepting, training and deploying those volunteers a process which, for many repeat volunteers, results in months spent in disaster areas working 12-hour shifts to help any way they can. When disaster strikes The chapters board chairman, Dave Nelson, is one such volunteer. He is signing thank-you cards for other volunteers in the office on a Friday, recently back from a deployment to Texas to organize shelter efforts for Hurricane Harvey victims. Ready for another deployment, he was assigned to travel to Puerto Ricos capital city of San Juan, where Hurricane Irma tore a line through villages and harbors weeks before. Today, Nelsons course has abruptly changed: hell be shipping out to California the next day instead. Wildfires lit Californias wine country ablaze in October, and evacuees numbered in the thousands. On this assignment, Nelson will be a government liaison meeting with the community to ensure Red Cross volunteers are helping in the right ways. The U.S. has been completely devastated. Weve had three major hurricanes come through here now. Now we have the wildfires going on, Nelson says. The hurricane season isnt over yet either. Just weeks ago, Nelson was in Dallas, coordinating evacuations to two different shelters: Its a huge undertaking. I dont know what were going to find in California. Nelson is retired, a former chief financial officer for HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Josephs hospitals. Hes one of many volunteers that Kriegl says return over and over, deployment after deployment. A lot of (volunteers) came out when Chetek hit then Texas was their first big national operation. A lot of them came back and said, I have to get back, do my laundry, catch up with things, then go back. And a lot of them re-upped. Theyve gone back down, Kriegl says. Local disaster sends ripples through community When Kriegl refers to Chetek, the word is weighted with unhappy memories. A small city in Barron County just 40 miles north of Eau Claire, Chetek has a population just over 2,000. A tornado ripped through a mobile home park there in May 2017, where one man died and 25 people were injured. That can happen at any time, any location, Kriegl said. A lot of times, people think (national disasters), those are the big things. Like the hurricanes right now. But you have to remember the disasters in our area. The Red Cross local chapter was on the ground after the tornado hit, setting up a shelter in nearby Cameron and distributing food, clothing and cleanup kits, according to Kriegl. The Chetek tornado, for our area, was probably one of our biggest local operations. I was on the ground, helping with those relief efforts there, and I saw the devastation from that, Kriegl said. The natural disasters didnt end with Chetek. Two months later in July, severe flooding hit Arcadia and surrounding areas, an eerie deja vu for Wisconsinites who saw flooding in Winona and northern Wisconsin a year earlier. But both Kriegl and Nelson drive one point home: need doesnt disappear when the media and public move on to the next big story. Thats where the Red Cross local chapter comes in. The Northwestern Wisconsin chapter is a part of recovery groups in places like Chetek, Kriegl says. The next hurricane comes, now were into the wildfires the people in Texas, Florida and the islands are going to have a lot of trouble (recovering), and theyre going to need help continuously, Nelson says. Volunteer outpouring Because of the sharp increase of volunteers after the recent natural disasters the Red Cross has also sent mental health professionals to Las Vegas to help the city cope with trauma surrounding Octobers deadly mass shooting the application and training process has slowed down somewhat, but Kriegl says the chapter is learning from each setback. Katrina was very challenging operation, he remembers. Having been with the Red Cross for over 20 years, hes seen several national disasters, but none quite on the scale of the 2005 storm. The thing about Katrina was for the first days of that, people were getting on planes and FEMA was flying them to different parts of the country. When they came to your state, how were you going to get them plugged in? That required another level of work that we hadnt done before. Certainly challenging but very rewarding. The chapter has learned lessons from its reaction to Katrina, he said, and its responses to the 2017 hurricanes have become much more efficient faster deployment, better organization, better-heeded evacuation warnings and stronger shelter staffing. The volunteer process begins with an online application, a background check, interview and paperwork. After several classes some of which are online, some taken in-person the volunteer chooses a path theyre interested in, from sheltering to feeding to first aid. Though a majority of their volunteers are retirees who have the time for two-week national deployments, Kriegl says, younger or working volunteers can work with local disaster relief: floods, tornadoes, fires. Single-family home fires are a big offender. A Red Cross disaster map marks the location of each home fire in Wisconsin. Green Bay and Milwaukee are hotspots, with dozens of others dotting the state. Blood to give Of course, Kriegl mentions, donating blood also supports faraway victims. Many people dont think of a hurricane or flood when they think of a need for blood, but Nelson said that response is vital. What people forget is the health care needs of these people (affected by hurricanes) many are on dialysis, are very sick any blood transfusion is so critical to helping all of those people. Anything people can do, Nelson said. Many local hospitals and clinics depend on the Red Cross for blood, Kriegl says, and for this chapter, that need is headquartered at its blood donation center on East Hamilton Avenue in Eau Claire. Nelson calls it a very active chapter. It coordinates events with the Wisconsin Veterans Home in Chippewa Falls, connects local families to their loved ones serving in the military, deploys local volunteers around the world year-round. Above all, he says, volunteers are the lifeblood of the operation, and without them, the Red Cross couldnt connect with communities the way they do now. This has been an extraordinary year for us, Kriegl says. They learn a lot. Volunteers say, when you go, you have to be flexible. Its disaster. Its chaos. People are trying to get some sense of normalcy back, and youre there to help them do that. Haiti - Canada : The Minister Fleurant wishes a reinforcement of the cooperation Aviol Fleurant, the Minister of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE) received the visit of the new accredited Ambassador of Canada to Haiti, Andre Frenette. The two men exchanged on the bilateral relations of the two countries. In his preliminary remarks, Minister Fleurant hailed Canada's support as a privileged partner of Haiti "The bilateral cooperation between Haiti and Canada has borne fruit, the country wishes a deepening in these relations, especially in the field of development." He drew the attention of Ambassador Frenette to President Jovenel Moise's determination to fight corruption in all its forms and lift the country out of poverty. In addition, he undertook to transmit to the Ambassador the document of the priority projects of the Haitian Government, in order to be able to align Canada's Country Program, around these projects while taking into account the priorities of Canada... The Ambassador of Canada confirmed to the Minister that Haiti is a priority for his country and assured that Canada will continue to accompany Haiti in its development process. He took the opportunity to express to Minister Fleurant the concerns of Canada on the issue of health in Haiti and to reiterate his support for this area of cooperation. He also confirmed to Minister Fleurant the extension of the Canadian Support Program to the National Police of Haiti (PNH) for a period of 18 months. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - DR : New military reinforcement on the Dominican border As we observe a sharp rise in violence and killings in Haiti, especially in the metropolitan area since the departure of the military MINUSTAH, the Dominican Ministry of Defense has decided to increase once again the security along the border with Haiti. Lieutenant-General Ruben Dario Paulino Sem, Minister of Defense, confirmed that due to the departure of Minustah, especially the withdrawal of 400 UN soldiers assigned to border surveillance in Haiti and of information obtained on the prevailing insecurity situation in the neighboring country, 800 additional soldiers were deployed in support to protect the border area from any risk of Haitian overflowing... Recall that since last July the National Police of Haiti (PNH) and that of the Dominican Republic (PND) has set up liaison officers in both countries to facilitate the exchange of information to help fight against criminality. The decision to strengthen border security was made following information obtained from United Nations Police Chief Unpol de la Minustah in Haiti, just before the withdrawal of the UN Mission. On the security of the border area, Ruben Dario Paulino Sem recalled that security had already begun to be strengthened well before the departure of the Minustah https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20738-haiti-dr-dominicans-militarily-strengthen-their-border.html See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21618-haiti-flash-dominican-army-sends-900-more-troops-to-reinforce-border.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21521-haiti-flash-military-reinforcement-at-the-dominican-border.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20834-haiti-security-towards-a-massive-military-strengthening-of-the-dominican-border.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20738-haiti-dr-dominicans-militarily-strengthen-their-border.html HL/ HaitiLibre Major English wine producers back WSTA's call for a freeze on wine duty By Lisa Riley Major English and Welsh wine producers have joined forces with the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) to lobby the Chancellor for a cut to wine duty in the November Budget. In a letter, signed by 11 of the WSTA English wine members including Bolney and Rathfinny wine estates, Chancellor Philip Hammond has been urged to scrap planned tax rises and support the home grown English and Welsh wine industry. The frustrated wine producers said the letter, forwarded to both the Chancellor and to Environment Secretary Michael Gove, had been compiled to highlight the industrys concerns over the Governments "lack of support", with the alliance saying the significant tax burden was restricting growth and was damaging to rural communities. The industry wanted to understand why the Chancellor insisted on continuing to tax so heavily this great British product, said Sam Linter, managing director & head winemaker at Bolney Wine Estate. Our wines are competing with some of the best all over the world, and it is disappointing that we are being taxed so heavily at home - we are fully behind the WSTAs call for the Chancellor to freeze wine duty and help the English wine industry continue to grow, he said With two thirds of wine produced in England sparkling, it seemed illogical that the duty on home grown bubbles was 28% higher than still wine, with sparkling the most harshly treated of all alcohol categories," added Mark Driver, founder of Rathfinny Wine Estate We would like to see the government support our growing domestic sparkling wine industry by harmonising the rate of duty between still and sparkling wine, he said. In March the Chancellor increased wine duty by 3.9%, which added 8p to a bottle of still wine and 10p to sparkling. In the forthcoming Budget (22 November), the Chancellor plans to increase wine duty again, just 8 months after the last one, by 3.4% adding another 7p to still and 9p on sparkling. Urging the chancellor to support the industry and freeze duty, Miles Beale, WStA chief executive, said: The UK has the potential to follow in the footsteps of New Zealands trail blazing wine success story, yet the industry is being held back by the staggering amount of duty it has to pay - by adding to its already high tax bill this year, the Chancellor will hurt the industry's ability to grow, invest export and create jobs. English sparkling wine has been gaining international recognition over the past few years, leading to a trophy cabinet bursting with awards and attracting Champagne houses, such as Taittinger and Pommery, to invest in English vineyards. There are over 500 Vineyards in England and Wales and around 150 wineries producing 5 million bottles of wine a year. An English wine producer selling 250,000 Bottles of sparkling wine in the UK this year will face a duty bill of close to 692,500 (WStA), with the rise in March having added 26,000 to this bill and the Governments planned rise set to add a further 24,000. ProWein revelas new elements for 2018 By Michelle Perrett ProWein 2018 has revealed a line of newcomers set to join the European event from across the globe. New exhibitors to the premium wine and spirits show include a joint stand from the Japanese government themed around sake, as well as a large stand featuring various Palinka fruit brandies from Hungary. The organic wine area in Hall 13 will be bigger this year and boast a range of associations from Germany, Italy and France as well as numerous individual exhibitors from around the world. This year, exhibitors from Greece will be rehoused alongside Austria and the ProWein Tasting Area by Mundus Vini in Hall 17. Hall 9 will boast an extended line-up with all overseas exhibitors housed there. These will include countries such as Australia, Argentina, Chile, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA. The event is also turning the spotlight on craft for 2018 with the special show called same but different, with 50 exhibitors showcasing their craft product, including spirits, beers and cider. In excess of 500 events will be taking place during ProWein 2018, including tastings at the ProWein Forum in Halls 10 and 13 and the Tasting Zone organised by the international wine award Mundus Vini. Themed highlights also include the Champagne Lounge boasting 40 Champagne cellars. There is also the special Packaging & Design show focusing on the current trends and developments in packaging. The international spirits range at ProWein, which will be held in Dusseldorf from 18 to 20 March next year, will remain in Hall 12. More than 6,600 exhibitors are expected to attend ProWein 2018. French and Aussie wineries join forces By Lisa Riley Two boutique wineries from France and Australia have joined forces to distribute their wines internationally. Barossa winery Woods Crampton and Abbotts & Delaunay from the Languedoc said they had partnered after realizing that distributing each others wines around the globe was the way forward in the post Brexit market place. The partnership had been born out of sharing the same philosophy - wanting to do things differently from other producers and create exceptional wines destined to be their regions future, said Laurent Delaunay, owner of Abbotts & Delaunay and Woods Crampton owner, Nicholas Crampton, who met in Burgundy in 2009. On 21 November the pair will be in London to host an invitation-only trade and press event to explain how the partnership would "shape the future of premium wine in both their regions, said the duo. This is the first time weve shown our wines in the UK and were looking forward to getting some feedback from the top wine critics and buyers in the industry, said Crampton. Delaunay said: Today the range continues to grow to include organic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir made in our own hilly vineyards near Limoux, that can, according to Fabrice Sommier, head sommelier at the 3 Michelin starred Georges Blanc restaurant in Vonnas, Burgundy and former winner of Best Sommelier of France, rival the very best of the Cote de Nuits." In the mid- to late-1990s, a number of dairy farmers converged on the Wisconsin State Capitol to protest what they considered to be unfair milk prices set because of influential cheese companies. In 1997, eight dairy farm family members chained themselves together outside the Wisconsin Assembly to protest the refusal of Republican leaders to regulate the National Cheese Exchange in Green Bay, according to Wisconsin State Journal archives. Prices on the exchange, a small cash market that companies use to buy and sell cheese surpluses, had become a major factor in milk prices. Some farmers argued the prices were unfair because a few large cheese companies could influence cheese prices on the small exchange. "It's an unregulated market. It needs some sort of oversight and regulation,'' Bob Breneman, who milked 100 cows with his wife, Karen, near Rio, told a Wisconsin State Journal reporter. The group accused three Republican leaders, including Gov. Tommy Thompson, of "selling out" Wisconsin's dairy farmers for $100,000 in contributions from large cheese companies. The National Cheese Exchange eventually held its final trading session that year and closed. Its been more than two weeks since the open secret about Harvey Weinstein landed in The New York Times and then the New Yorker and then just about every media outlet in the country. Two exhausting weeks for women. Weve been publicly sharing our experiences of harassment or assault some of us for the first time using the #MeToo hashtag. Privately, weve been communicating with other women in our industries, comparing names of men to watch out for. Weve been having nightmares, wincing as we open Twitter, crying on each others shoulders. Weve been texting our friends who are assault survivors to make sure theyre OK, especially those we know who couldnt bring themselves to use the hashtag. And men? We see their public reactions. Theyre liking those #MeToo posts. Some are posting about what a creep Weinstein is or sharing essays by women who are calling out bad behavior in other industries. A few have even begun using the hashtag #IHave or #ItWasMe to take responsibility for harassing or assaulting someone. Used to be, when I got drunk, Id get HANDSY, an actor in Los Angeles posted, along with an apology. An architect in St. Louis wrote, I have come on to them aggressively, I have pressed when I should have accepted, I have been part of the problem. Some men are among the survivors. Actor Terry Crews shared a story on Twitter about the time he was groped at a Hollywood event. But mostly, its women speaking up about their demeaning, infuriating and painful experiences at the hands of men whose reputations have yet to suffer. And, mostly, the perpetrators names have remained private. After the flood of #MeToo posts, critics charged that the hashtag continues to put the onus on victims to speak up while letting men off the hook. In response, some shared lists of tips on how men can stop this behavior from flourishing. The lists have a similar theme: Its what you do when women arent around that really counts. How you speak about women matters, especially when youre around other men. Talk less and listen more. But Id start with something even simpler. For things to change, men have to want to know the truth. Not just about strangers, but about their friends. Not just about men whose careers are waning, but about those at the top of their industries. Its possible to be in close proximity to harassment or abuse without knowing about it, even in open-secret cases. The burden is on men to build trust with the women in their lives. They have to want to know about womens experiences with harassment and abuse, and they have to believe what those women tell them. For every woman posting a #MeToo experience, there is a man reading it who has not offered her his direct support and solidarity. And once theyre no longer willfully blind to the specifics of whats happening to the women in their lives, men have to act. This can mean cutting an offending man off from professional opportunities. It can mean privately warning other men and women about his behavior. It might mean ending a friendship with him. The men who perpetrate these crimes dont exist in a vacuum. They are a part of our communities. A woman can see exactly how many mutual acquaintances she has with a man who has assaulted her, just by looking at his Facebook page. Shes very aware of who feels comfortable continuing to associate with him. It haunts me to think that I have given social approval to serial harassers or worse because of what I didnt know. Men should feel the same way. These crimes shouldnt stay private. Perpetrators should have their careers hurt and their reputations damaged. But first and foremost, survivors should be supported by everyone in their community. For men, that means doing what women have been doing privately for a long time: reaching out, offering support and taking womens words to heart. CNNs Zakaria calls for Jones Act repeal as part of Puerto Rico aid package by Michael Hansen, Hawaii Shippers Council, October 23, 2017 CNN published on October 22, 2017, the op-ed video, Zakaria proposes grand bargain on Puerto Ricos debt. Zakarias grand bargain would involve the federal government restructuring the Territorys $90 billion of outstanding debt and substantially changing the federal regulatory structure for the Commonwealth in exchange for local economic reform and government restructuring. Zakaria stated the federal regulatory changes and local reforms he referenced were proposed by economist Anne Krueger. That is a reference to a June 2015 study, Puerto Rico A Way Forward, also known as the The Krueger Report, after the lead author, Anne Osborn Krueger. At the time, Krueger was and is currently, Senior Research Professor of International Economics, School for Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. Previously, Kruger was First Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, 2001-2006, World Bank Chief Economist, 1982 1986. The former Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla commissioned the Krueger Report to study the Commonwealths dire financial situation and make recommendations. The results of the report were incorporated into Gov Garcia Padillas Puerto Rico Fiscal and Economic Growth Plan issued on September 5, 2015. Gov Garcia Padilla served a single four year term choosing not to run for reelection in 2016 largely due to his inability to rectify the Commonwealths financial situation. Among the key reforms recommended in The Krueger Report was to fully exempt the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from federal maritime cabotage popularly known as the Jones Act and formally in American jurisprudence as the coastwise laws of the United States. This undoubtedly what Zakaria meant by his statement, repealing the Jones Act, which has made shipping goods to the island more expensive. This is exactly what U.S. Senator John S. McCain III (R-AZ) proposed with introduction on September 28, 2017, a bill, To exempt Puerto Rico from the coastwise laws of the United States (commonly known as the Jones Act). Puerto Rico needs a broad program of federal and territorial reforms as described by Krueger including a full Jones Act exemption, and as Zakaria mentioned a federal restructuring of the Commonwealths debt. Key excerpts: can qualified engineers and scientists return to an industry they left because it was impossible to balance work and primary care responsibilities?AECOM is working with online jobs and careers site, FlexCareers, to launch school term-only contracts across a number of roles in Australia & New Zealand.The global infrastructure firm introduced this initiative to allow parents or grandparents, to spend all 12 weeks of the school holidays caring for their children while receiving a monthly pro-rata salary.AECOM chief executive for Australia & NZ Todd Battley said there is a significant pool of talent who have stepped away from the industry because they were unable to nurture their families and their careers at the same time.However, that no longer has to be the case.By working with FlexCareers, on what we believe to be an industry first, we will be able target an extensive network of parents and guardians who are seeking flexibility to manage childcare responsibilities, he said.Roles will be advertised through the FlexCareers job board and our team will ensure the support is available to help parents transition back to the workplace.AECOMs ANZ HR director Helen Fraser is leading the initiative and she regularly speaks with women who express the challenges they face during school holidaysThere is no doubt that many women stop working because it is just too hard to manage the 12 weeks of school holidays per year, she said.This arrangement will take that worry away for people. Piloting the term-time contracts with up to 20 roles across Australia and New Zealand initially gives AECOM 12 months to test and refine it with our clients, our people and professional women who have not been actively looking for work in the infrastructure sector.We are confident that it will appeal to both men and women with caring responsibilities.The first 17 roles to be advertised externally will cover a broad spectrum of technical areas, including mechanical and electrical engineering, acoustics, environmental planning, civil engineering, geotechnical and chemical engineering.Existing employees will also be able to express their interest in changing their contracts to be part of the term time trial.In 2016, AECOM was recognised by Engineers Australia as a leader on gender diversity and pay equality in a sector that has typically underperformed in this regard.The new term-time contracts will commence at the beginning of the 2018 school year and are in addition to AECOMs existing commitments to flexible work practices.Natalie Goldman, CEO of FlexCareers added that they are delighted to partner with AECOM on this innovative program.FlexCareers has more than 70,000 talented women in our network, many of whom have previously been unable to secure roles commensurate with their skills and experience, due to a lack of workplace flexibility, she said.FlexCareers provides job seekers with transparency and the certainty that employers truly champion flexible working. We will be working closely with AECOM to ensure that all applicants for this program are fully supported throughout the recruitment and return to work process. A husband-and-wife team operating a hair products retailing business in Melbourne were penalised by the Federal Circuit Court after it was found they had exploited vulnerable overseas workers by underpaying them by $34,915. Haim Tomer Diamond and Rina Diamond were fined $30,600 and $40,000, respectively for their clearly deliberate failure to pay their workers, mostly young overseas workers on student or working holiday visas. The court decision was the result of investigation and legal action by the Fair Work Ombudsman. Mrs. Diamond, specifically, was singled out by Judge Norah Hartnett for her lack of genuine contrition. She went as far as threatening one of the workers that she would notify the Department of Immigration and Border Protection that she had been working more than the 20 hours per week allowed by her visa unless the worker withdrew her complaint before the Fair Work Ombudsman. Your limit of 20 hours work as a student was not kept as it should. I have to forward this information to the immigration unless the complaint will be cancelled by you, Mrs. Diamond send in her email. This, the judge said, statement exhibits a concerning awareness of the employees vulnerability and a willingness to exploit such vulnerability to the Respondents benefit. Prior to the court case, the couple were placed on notice of their obligations to pay minimum rates of pay to employees. The Fair Work Ombudsman issued them a Letter of Caution after earlier investigations. Between July 2014 and January 2015, the couple paid 10 of 11 employees rates deemed grossly less than the lawful rates of between $7.86 and $14.90 per hour, leading to significant underpayments of their minimum hourly rates, weekend and public holiday penalty rates, casual loadings and minimum engagement pay. The largest individual underpayment was $4434. Fair Works inspectors then received allegations and investigated. Mrs. Diamond further contravened workplace laws by knowingly providing inspectors with false and misleading records. Mr and Mrs Diamonds company, Corioliss Pty Ltd, was placed into external administration late last year and was not pursued in Court. According to Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James, the judgment serves as yet another warning that deliberately exploiting vulnerable workers is extremely serious conduct that will not be tolerated. We are deeply concerned by any allegation that someone would seek to prey upon the vulnerabilities of any member of the workforce for their own personal gain, Ms James said. The Fair Work Ombudsman recently published an open letter to international students, encouraging them to seek help if they experience any issues while working in Australia. Employers should be aware that the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Act 2017 has now come into effect, increasing the maximum penalties for conduct including deliberate exploitation of workers and false records. (HedgeCo.Net) The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged two lawyers it alleges helped facilitate a microcap fraud scheme involving undisclosed blank check companies secretly bound for reverse mergers. In complaints filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the SEC alleges that James M. Schneider of Hillsboro Beach, Florida, and Andrew H. Wilson of Nevada City, California, contributed to a fraud involving at least 22 undisclosed blank check companies. Such companies have no operations, making them attractive targets for those seeking reverse mergers for use in pump-and-dump schemes. Despite claims of legitimate business plans, separate management, and independent shareholders, the 22 companies and their securities were secretly controlled by Steven Sanders, along with Daniel P. McKelvey or Alvin S. Mirman, and sold in reverse mergers. The SEC previously filed an enforcement action against Sanders, McKelvey, and Mirman, who were separately convicted of related criminal charges and sentenced to prison. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Florida today filed related criminal charges against Schneider. Lawyers are critical gatekeepers when it comes to protecting the integrity of our capital markets, said Eric I. Bustillo, Director of the SECs Miami Regional Office. Schneider and Wilson failed as gatekeepers and as our complaints allege, played a crucial role in facilitating a wide-ranging microcap fraud. According to the SECs complaints, the scheme required the blank check companies to have shares available for sale in the open market. Schneider and Wilson allegedly provided legal opinion letters falsely stating that the companies shares were validly issued or free to be resold publicly. The SEC alleges that Schneider knowingly prepared at least 40 false opinion letters and referred numerous buyers to the shell companies secret owners. The SEC alleges that Wilson provided at least five opinion letters that unlawfully allowed restricted securities of at least three issuers to be sold to the public. The SEC alleges that Wilson opined that the shares were unrestricted when he knew or should have known that Sanders and McKelvey secretly controlled them. The SEC alleges that Schneider violated the registration and antifraud provisions of federal securities laws and related SEC rules, and that he aided and abetted the antifraud violations by Sanders, McKelvey, and Mirman. The SEC charged Wilson with registration violations. It is seeking to have the defendants return their allegedly ill-gotten gains, pay civil penalties, be barred from the penny-stock business, and other relief. Two of the protesters in custody are suspected of criminal offences one of assault and the other of imperilment while the remaining two were taken into custody as a precautionary measure on grounds of the police act. Four people were taken into custody as ultra-nationalist protesters and anti-fascist counter-protesters faced off in Tampere on Saturday, according to the Central Finland Police Department. The nationalist protest was organised at Laukontori Square by the Nordic Resistance Movement, while the counter-protesters convened at Keskustori Square. The two groups of protesters eventually clashed at several locations in downtown Tampere. The Central Finland Police Department reveals in a press release that the counter-protesters sought to attack those taking part in the ultra-nationalist protest at, for example, the Hameensilta Bridge and Satakunnansilta Bridge, and threw sound bombs at both the right-wing protesters and police officers. No one is believed to have been injured by the sound bombs. Police officers had to consequently step in between the protesters, according to Harri Nojonen, a superintendent at the Central Finland Police Department. The protests also forced police officers to cut off traffic at several points in the city and caused temporary disruptions to rail services bound for Pori and Seinajoki. The police do not tolerate rioting. The events up until now will be investigated as a violent riot, a spokesperson for the police department announced on Twitter on Saturday. Roughly 2300 people took part in the ultra-nationalist protest and 3400 people in the counter-protest, a police spokesperson estimated according to Helsingin Sanomat. Most participants in both of the protests had vacated the downtown area by 4pm on Saturday. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Emmi Korhonen Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi Helsingin Sanomat published the results of its latest opinion poll on Saturday, reporting that the party would receive more than a fifth (21.9%) of the ballot if the parliamentary elections were held today. The National Coalition has continued to solidify its status as the most supporter political party in Finland. The Centre Party, on the other hand, has seen its support slump to 15.4 per cent 5.5 percentage points below its vote share in the parliamentary elections held in 2015. Jouni Ovaska, the party secretary of the Centre Party, shifts the blame for the prolonged slump to the National Coalition. The Centres rural values, he gauged, have been overshadowed by the economic rhetoric of the National Coalition and the criticism levelled at the regional government reform by Jan Vapaavuori (NCP), the Mayor of Helsinki. There are forced that are trying to pit cities and rural areas [] against each other, he stated in an interview with Lannen Media on Saturday. Weve been alarmed by the comments of Jan Vapaavuori. Hopefully, well be able to show and explain him how the establishment of counties would reduce administration considerably in comparison to the current situation. The Green League has similarly seen its support ebb away over the past few months. Helsingin Sanomat measured voter support for the second largest opposition party at 16.1 per cent, signalling a drop of 1.4 percentage points from mid-August. Touko Aalto, the chairperson of the Green League, reminded that in spite of the recent drop, support for the party remains at a historically high level. He also commented on the poll results by estimating that policy makers have been too inclined to shift responsibility for difficult decisions to others and by calling for a more level-headed public debate in Finland. Its crucial to examine the society as a whole and keep the longer term in mind. If your strategy is only to attack others rather than to construct your own, sustainable long-term solutions, the public debate will become a restless theatre play. It gnaws away at the ability of decision makers to make and implement decisions, he wrote on Facebook. The Green Leagues decline has coincided with the resurgence of the Social Democratic Party, which recorded a slight up-tick in support to 18.1 per cent to consolidate its status as the largest opposition party. Both the Finns Party and Left Alliance saw their popularity increase slightly: the former is projected to win 9.3 per cent and the latter 8.2 per cent ballot. No notable changes were recorded in voter support for the Swedish Peoples Party (3.3%) and Christian Democratic Party (4.4%). The Blue Reform, in turn, would only receive 1.3 per cent of the vote if the elections were held today, reports Helsingin Sanomat. A total of 2,416 people were interviewed for the poll between 18 September and 14 October, 2017. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Mikko Stig Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi HENLEY is littered with advertising signs, according to a former Mayor. Pam Phillips, of St Marks Road, said there were signs attached to railings at Red Lion Lawn advertising events happening up to 40 miles away. She raised the issue at a meeting of the town council, saying: We dont want our town to be littered with signs. Mayor Kellie Hinton said the railings were the responsibility of Hobbs of Henley and she had spoken to Suzy Hobbs, the companys business development manager. The issue has also been raised by Philip Booth, a Henley estate agent, on Facebook, where he posted a picture of the railings with the message: Does anybody else think these banners opposite the Red Lion look awful? Mrs Hobbs replied: Hobbs have always supported local events by allowing a couple of banners to go up there on a short-term basis but this has led to a proliferation of banners going up without permission. We noticed this the other day and agree that the amount of banners looks unsightly. We are currently reviewing this policy to reduce the amount of banners at any one time. A colleague who teaches at the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University and has spent many years working for the Republican Party, recently directed my attention to what she called the most offensive post ever. I thought Nancy Bocskor was exaggerating until she referred me to an online piece titled Why I Am Not Raising My Daughters to be Feminists, which, even at first glance, makes it sound like raising girls is like raising veal. The anti-feminist writer announces, I will not teach my (three pre-teen daughters) that they need to demand equal rights, because in America, they already have them. He goes on to declare that he will not teach them that abortion is about my body, my choice, because it is not. The piece was written by Mark Tapson who says the thought of his little girls seeing themselves as part of a victim class struggling to overcome imaginary oppression is just terrible. He will teach them to find validation as productive members of society so that they dont have to seek it marching with a juvenile, vulgar mob. Tapson sneers that women face only imaginary oppression yet simultaneously wants his daughters to defend themselves with words, martial arts, and yes, with guns too so that bad men will think twice about, or deeply regret, messing with them. Apart from what my friend Sarah Appleton calls life-long Daddy issues, the father of these girls isnt offering his daughters much. While there might be more offensive posts out there, this one is chilling. He is not offering his daughters a workable perspective on womens lives. Sure, youre a woman who wants to own a gun, you can own a gun, but you dont have to; you want to bear and raise children, you can, but you dont have to. I put Tapsons ideas to my friends on Facebook who took him up on several points. Amy Hartl Sherman asks, If its all imaginary why does he have to teach them to fight? Michelle King echoes Amys point, Are they treated equally or do they need to be taught to defend themselves because, in reality, they are not equal? Anti-discrimination laws, argues King, dont create equality. Laws do nothing to ensure equality but state that you cannot discriminate against women in hiring practices, housing, credit, etc. Laws simply provide legal recourse if you are discriminated against if you can prove it. Remember why women marched in cities across America? Because our president was taped saying that randomly grabbing women between the legs was fine because when youre a star, they let you do it. Lets say it wasnt the protesters who were vulgar, just as the women who are describing what they allegedly endured with Harvey Weinstein arent being vulgar. Teaching someone to defend themselves is fine, agrees George Sebastian-Coleman, But when your goal is not prevention but only that their attacker will ... deeply regret, messing with them you are not seeking to protect your daughters, but putting a price on their being hurt. Im sure his assaulted, beaten, 75-cents-on-the-dollar daughters will deeply appreciate that the men of the world thought twice and deeply regret their condition. Few of us started out as feminists. Playwright Patricia Wynn Brown said that while her father taught her to fight, injustice in life taught her that Change requires words, demonstrations, legislation ... and helping women like his daughters find solidarity with women like me. Theres no feminist orthodoxy except making sure that girls and women are guaranteed rights over our own bodies and the right to make our decisions. If you want to be an astronaut, a librarian, a mechanical engineer, a corrections officer, a chef, a senator, a dog-walker, an artist, a stay-at-home-parent, a bus-driver, a dress-designer, an architect, a teacher, a coder, a nurse, a pilot, a doctor, a real estate agent, an attorney, a therapist, a butcher or the president, you can but you dont have to because nobody has the right to force you into any of these roles against your will. Nobody. Not your daddy or mommy or religious leader or teacher or partner or boss or anybody. You get to choose for yourself. As my friend Lisa Adams puts it, there is hope. Tapsons daughters, she said, Wont find feminism. It will find them. A security worker for an international humanitarian organisation was arrested when he swore at gardai. Vincent Barry (33) became abusive and refused to give his details to officers after a street disturbance. A court heard he was due to travel on missions to Afghanistan and India. Judge Bernadette Owens dismissed public order charges under the Probation of Offenders Act, leaving him without a criminal record, after he made a 200 charity donation. Father-of-two Barry, of Cashel Road, Crumlin, pleaded guilty to threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour and failing to give gardai his name and address. Dublin District Court heard the incident happened at 3.45am on Drimnagh Road last April 9 when gardai attended an altercation in which Barry was not involved. Regretted When asked for his name and address, he refused to tell them and shouted abuse at them. The accused was trying to get someone else home at the time and regretted coming to the attention of the gardai, said Anne Fitzgibbon, defending. Barry had worked all his life and had been assistant manager at a supermarket. He was working on a voluntary basis for an international organisation and was due to go on missions to India and Afghanistan, said Ms Fitzgibbon. Barry only got paid his expenses for that work but hoped to get a full-time job with the organisation. A conviction would mean an end to that career. Ms Fitzgibbon asked Judge Owens to strike the charges out after he paid 200 to charity. The judge applied the Probation of Offenders Act and set recognisances in the event of an appeal. Wicklow teenagers Conor and Sean Price are one step closer to their X Factor dream after making it through to the live finals. The busking brothers are over the moon after seeing off thousands of other hopefuls to make it down to the last 12, going through to the final stage of the cut-throat competition. Viewers last night saw Conor (15) and Sean (18) joining five other groups at Simon Cowell's villa in the south of France as he put them through their paces. He was joined by former X Factor judge Cheryl, in one of her first TV appearances since having baby Bear with One Direction's Liam Payne six months ago. The new mum looked stunning as she arrived at Chateau Cowell by helicopter and met with the six final groups, who were battling it out for a place in the live finals. Speaking beforehand during the tense episode, the two Irish lads described it as a "make or break moment" for them. "We're really looking forward to our performance for Simon and the celebrity judge," said Conor. "It's going to be one of our biggest performances yet. You've gotta leave everything out there, so we're ready for that." The pair performed Pink's monster hit What About Us? to a clearly impressed Simon and Cheryl. Natural "That was the best I think you've sang," Simon told them. "You looked happy and relaxed. That was great, guys, well done." Cheryl told the brothers: "You're so natural and confident." Conor and Sean said afterwards that it felt "brilliant" and they had no regrets about their performance. "Honestly, I think we're more comfortable with this intimacy," said Sean. As the judges deliberated over whether to pick them, Cheryl clearly favoured them going through. "They're likeable, they're really fun and they're different. They're great, great value," she said. As the brothers stood in front of Simon awaiting his final decision, he told them they had a "really charming naivety" to them. "You don't know how good you are. You've made it through," he told the overjoyed teens. The Iraqi Kurds dreams of independence, endorsed by a Kurdish referendum last month, have come to a crushing halt. The hostile Baghdad government has clawed back the key oil-town of Kirkuk from Kurdish forces, along with other territory both sides claim. The Kurds, close American allies, feel that Washington betrayed them by effectively taking the side of Baghdad. There is some truth to the claim but the Kurds were also betrayed from within. More important is how Washington deals with the Kurdish issue in the future in both Iraq and Syria, Kurdish fighters have been crucial U.S. allies against the Islamic State. That battle is almost ended, now that the last Islamic State stronghold the Syrian city of Raqqa is falling. Yet signals from Washington indicate small interest in the Kurds fate once their fighters are no longer needed. How the United States treats its Kurdish friends now will signal whether the Trump team has a long-term strategy to help keep the region stable post-Islamic State. If it doesnt, the biggest victor will be Iran. To understand why, you need some background. No Mideast group deserves self-determination more than the Kurds. An ancient non-Arab group, they were promised independence by the great powers after the breakup of the Ottoman empire. Instead, the World War I allies divided their mountainous lands among Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. The United States bears much responsibility for the Iraqi Kurds recent gallop toward independence. After the 1991 Gulf War, Washington established a no-fly zone over Iraqi Kurdistan that enabled them to establish an autonomous zone. After Saddam Husseins ouster in 2003, the 6 million Kurds set up their own Kurdish regional government, or KRG. When Islamic State troops pushed into Iraq in 2014 as Iraqi forces fled, the Kurds defended their region. They later rolled the Islamic State back from huge swaths of land with support from U.S. airpower. As for Kirkuk, this multi-ethnic city, surrounded by rich oil fields, is dear to the Kurdish psyche and wallet. But, as I witnessed firsthand in 1991, Saddam drove thousands of Kurds out of the city, dynamited their homes and resettled their districts with Iraqi Arabs. The Kurds took back Kirkuk during the fight against the Islamic State. Kirkuks fate was supposed to be decided by a referendum no later than 2007. But the Baghdad government never scheduled the vote, nor did it ever conduct serious negotiations with Kurdish leaders on Kirkuk or other contentious issues. The KRGs frustration helped drive the decision to hold the referendum. The Baghdad government, along with neighboring Turkey and Iran, all opposed the referendum. So did Washington. But the Kurds argued that it would finally give them leverage in bargaining with Baghdad. However, the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said it would only talk if Iraqi Kurdish President Masoud Barzani rescinded the referendum. That he would not do. In recent days, Iraqi security forces, including Iranian-backed Shiite militias, massed outside Kirkuk. Iraqi media reports say a senior general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps told Kurdish commanders in the city to surrender or be crushed. Iran is trying to dominate post-Islamic State Iraq, and the famous IRGC Quds force chief, Gen. Qasem Soleimani, travels there often. But here comes the internal Kurdish betrayal. Leaders of one political faction in Kurdistan made a side deal with Baghdad and told their forces to pull back from Kirkuk without informing Barzani. So Kirkuk essentially fell because of Kurdish disunion, followed by a negotiated Kurdish troop pullback from other areas. The referendum is over and belongs in the past, crowed Abadi. But will the Iraqi government seek to further humiliate the Kurds, or will the Iraqi leader finally negotiate with the KRG over territory and oil? The answer to that question revolves heavily around what the United States does now. In years past, U.S. diplomats proved crucial in mediating disputes between Iraqi Kurds and Baghdad. Only the United States is in position to do that again. Yet President Donald Trump has shown little interest in post-Islamic State diplomacy, and an understaffed State Department is in poor position to handle negotiations. Disinterest in Washington is the first step to betrayal of our Kurdish allies. (Washington also seems ready to abandon our Syrian Kurdish allies once the Raqqa battle is complete). However, if the Baghdad-Erbil dispute comes to a boil, Iran will be inserting itself in the middle. Tehran is eager to end the U.S. presence in Iraq and to dominate Baghdad. It behooves the United States to push Abadi to sit down and negotiate, says Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the KRG representative in Washington. We know the United States wants to teach the Kurds a lesson but how far does the U.S. want Baghdad to go? Now is the time to get everyone around the table, Abdul Rahman adds. Lets get to talking. Too bad Washington didnt get that dialogue going sooner, but later is better than never. Betrayal may be easier, but a record of abandoning ones allies can come to haunt the betrayer. So the time for Washington to act on the Kurdish question is now. Judicial Watch: FBI Recovered 72,000 Pages of Clinton Records State Department Tells Court It Processed only 32,000--And Has Yet to Review 40,000 Clinton Records Courts Orders Explanation on Processing Contact: Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch , 202-646-5172 WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- Judicial Watch announced that the State Department revealed in a federal court hearing that it has yet to process 40,000 of 72,000 pages of Hillary Clinton records that the FBI recovered last year. The revelation came during a federal court hearing in Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails that were sent or received during her tenure from February 2009 to January 31, 2013 ( Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00687)). The case is before Judge James E. Boasberg. The hearing focused on the State Department's progress on processing the tens of thousands of emails Clinton failed to disclose when she served as Secretary of State, some of which were emails sent by Clinton aide Huma Abedin that were found on the laptop of her estranged husband Anthony Weiner . The State Department has processed 32,000 pages of emails so far, a small number of which have been released, but 40,000 pages remain to be processed. Judicial Watch asked the court to require the State Department to identify any records from the seven FBI discs that it intends to withhold, and why, in a timely manner. The State Department disclosed to the Court that it was adding extra resources to its FOIA operation but would not commit to a faster production of the Clinton emails. On October 19, Judge Boasberg ordered the State Department to "explain how its anticipated increase in resources will affect processing of records in this case and when the processing of each disk is likely to be completed." Surprisingly, the Tillerson State Department and Sessions Justice Department previously argued to the court that there was diminished public interest in the Clinton emails. In November 2016, the State Department was ordered to produce no less than 500 pages of records a month to Judicial Watch, emails of which the FBI found in its investigation into Clinton's non-government email system. The State Department has produced 23 batches of documents so far. At the current pace, the Clinton emails and other records won't be fully available for possible release until at least 2020. Clinton attempted to delete 33,000 emails from her non-government server. The FBI investigation recovered or found a number of these missing emails, many of which were government documents. The lawsuit was originally filed in May 2015. "Secretary Tillerson should be asked why his State Department is still sitting on a motherlode of Clinton emails," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "It is disheartening that an administration elected to 'drain the swamp' is stalling the release of documents to protect Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration." MORE Share Tweet Want to know more? Call 423-943-4142 or 423-979-2581. Email alexis@arcd.org Visit www.arcd.org/field-school JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. Want to turn your field of dreams into reality? Well, thats where the Field School could make a fit. This East Tennessee program seeks 35 students for its upcoming academic year. Its for folks who have kind of a farm dream and are just trying to see if its the right career for them, said Alexis Close, the program coordinator. Now in its third year, the Field School plants seeds of knowledge and confidence in folks who want to farm, said Close, who promised the school also teaches a strong business plan for getting started. As the Field School program coordinator, based in Johnson City, Close works with the Appalachian Resource Conservation and Development Council (ARC&D). Presently, the ARC&D is interested in recruiting veterans and anyone historically underserved by government programs who now qualify for special grants and cost-share incentives, Close said. The Field Schools nine-month program begins Nov. 9. Monthly classes are tailored to provide farmers with up-to-date information about the latest innovations and aspects of the regional environment, Close said. More than 20 mentor farmers and business experts are slated to be involved in the educational series, Close said. Topics include business planning, finances, marketing, crop planning, wholesale and retail sales, value-added products, agritourism, soil, introductions to poultry, small ruminants and bees. Students can also pick one of two production tracks: produce or small livestock. To date, as many as 60 students have graduated the program including the owner of Small Batch Farm in Gray, Tennessee, Susan McKinney, who said she was so inspired by the school that she planted a half-acre of vegetables for sale at her local farmers market. Another student, Jay Heselschwerdt, the owner of Sweet Life Farm in Tazewell, Tennessee, took classes at the Field School after farming for 20 years. Heselschwerdt has since elected to shift gears on his farm to go the agritourism route to educate people about honey bees and sell real local honey, he said. The Field School workshops run monthly from November to July. In August, students will work one-on-one finalizing an integrative whole farm financial, production and a marketing plan in time for graduation on Aug. 9, Close said. The Field School has taken in Virginia students in the past, Close said. We host the workshops from Mountain City down to Greeneville, so its just a matter of folks being interested in driving. We also have a couple of Virginia farmers who present at the workshops. That includes Tamara McNaughton of TNT Farm N Greenhouse in Meadowview; and John Woodworth of Ziegenwald Dairy in Gate City. Part of the funding for the program for the next three years comes from a USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program grant through a partnership with Appalachian Sustainable Development of Abingdon, Virginia, said Close, who added, We will be working together on ways to expand programming in Virginia. Lead organizations of the Field School include the Jonesborough Locally Grown and Green Earth Connection. Tuition is $75 for students taking a single track of nine workshops. For $100, students can take both tracks for a total of 13 workshops. A limited number of scholarships are available for veterans. Editor's Note This is the second in a series of stories about public salaries. This story reflects the salaries the Bristol Herald Courier obtained on Aug. 8, 2017. It does not reflect any retirements or terminations before or after that date. ABINGDON, Va. The collective salaries of Abingdons male employees total approximately $1.8 million more than female employees but the gap has nothing to do with gender, according to Town Manager Greg Kelly. There are 62 more male than female town employees. However, more women hold leadership roles than men. We strive for diversity, not only in sex but also in race, and I pride myself on this, Kelly said. Ive probably put more females in department head positions than virtually any other local government around. Abingdons population is approximately 8,200 people, according to Kelly. The town has 275 employees, 170 men and 105 women. The total of all male employees salaries amounts to approximately $3.5 million, while the total of all female employees is around $1.7 million. The Bristol Herald Courier obtained the 2017-18 salaries of town employees through the Freedom of Information Act. While six women and five men hold director positions within the town government excluding public safety three men make more than the highest paid female director. This breakdown only considers employees with director in their job title. The highest paid male director Floyd Bailey, director of IT makes $82,241 per year, whereas the highest paid female director Stacey Reichler, director of human resources makes $70,000. In addition to Reichler, the female directors are Sarita Moore, director of wastewater operations, Jayne Duehring, director of tourism, Melisha Wynee and Jennifer Johnson, co-directors of indoor recreation, and Tonya Triplett, director of economic development. Top 10 Highest-Paid Male Employees: 1. $140,590: Town Manager Greg Kelly; 2. $91,406: Police Chief Tony Sullivan; 3. $82,241: Director of IT Floyd Bailey Jr.; 4. $80,000: Director of Finance Chuck Banner; 5. $78,750: Director of Public Services/Construction Matthew Bolick; 6. $74,000: Fire Chief John McCormick; 7. $72,000: Engineer/Interim CoDirector of Planning John Vencill; 8. $71,749: Operation Manager Waste Jerry Callahan; 9. $69,335: Police Lt. Billy Snodgrass; 10. $68,459: Sewer Maintenance Superintendent Glen Foster Sr. In addition to Bailey, the men who hold directory positions are Chuck Banner, director of finance, Matthew Bolick, director of public services, Kevin Worley, director of outdoor recreation and Marion Watts, director of building inspections. So there are quite a few people who are in high-up positions with the town that are in the minority status of being female, but we dont look a that [during the hiring process], we look at who the most qualified individual is when they come through, Kelly said. We try to get the best person to come in here and fit what we need and what we think the public will accept in terms of delivering the best service for them. The town tries to be diverse while hiring, but Kelly said that Abingdon does not have a very diverse population outside of male and female. The salary scale Kelly said that an employees salary is based upon qualifications, including education, experience and certifications. The town uses scales to determine an employees salary. The scales feature a minimum entry level, a middle salary and then an upper salary, so where they [the applicants] fit into that is based upon experience and education and certifications and things like that, Kelly said. The highest paid male employee is Kelly, who makes $140,590 per year. Deborah Icenhour, the town attorney, is the highest paid female employee, making $100,394 per year. Top 10 Highest-Paid Female Employees: 1. $100,394: Town Attorney Deb Icenhour; 2. $80,000: Assistant Town Manager/Town Clerk Cecile Rosenbaum; 3. $70,000: Director of Human Resources Stacey Reichler; 4. $67,459: Director of Wastewater Operations Sarita Moore; 5. $62,500: Director of Tourism Jayne Duehring; 6. $55,000: CoDirector of Indoor Recreation Melisha Wynee; 7. $55,000: CoDirector of Indoor Recreation Jennifer Johnson; 8. $52,250: Laboratory Supervisor Wolf Creek Reclamation Facility Connie Duncan; 9. $49,246: Tax Clerk Tammy Baldwin; 10. $47,476: Paralegal Kimberly Kingsley. Town Council sets the salaries for the town manager, town attorney, assistant town manager, director of finance, fire chief and assistant fire chief, according to Kelly. All appointees salaries are normally fixed by the governing body and then the management fixes all the other subordinate salaries, he said. I have nothing to do with setting my salary, Ms. Icenhours, Ms. Rosenbaums or Mr. Banners salary, those are all things that get negotiated between us and the council. All the rest of them come across my desk for my signature. COLAs vs. merit-based raises Town Council also handles raises. In years past, council made cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs, across the board. Since Ive been here, those [COLAs] have ranged from anywhere of 1 percent per year to 5 percent per year or nothing and this particular year there was no COLAs adjustments given, Kelly said. Town employees can also receive merit raises, which are recommended by the department head. The way that merit increases work is if an employee has done something extraordinary in carrying out their job, more so than he or she was required to, or theyve gone on and gained a certification that allows them to do another component of their job that requires a little expertise, Kelly said. Each year, the town manager receives a discretionary amount of money that can be used for pay increases, other than COLAs, he said. The current council-approved amount is $75,000. An example is if an employee in the towns maintenance department earns an electrical license that could warrant a raise because, thats big to us because it saves a bunch of money on having to higher out an electrician, Kelly said. Every town department has salary caps. If someone is hired in at the upper scale of the three-tiered system, there is the possibility of getting capped until Town Council reviews the pay scales and decides whether to adjust them, Kelly said. Its not uncommon for pay scales to get adjusted periodically, Kelly said. The last time weve done it might have been two or three years ago and we might come in and say the Town Council ups those by 3 percent so it gives a little bit more of an opportunity for somebody who is at that upper cap to make a little bit more money. When a town employee retires, the Virginia Retirement System plan is based upon their last three years salary, according to Kelly. Town of Wytheville, Virginia Just less than an hours drive from Abingdon is the town of Wytheville, which has a population of 8, 211 people, which is just 11 more than in Abingdon. Wytheville has 165 full-time employees and 250 part-time employees. Abingdon has 130 full-time employees and 125 part-time. Wythevilles Town Council also set the salaries of town manager, town attorney, assistant town attorney, treasurer and town clerk. The highest paid employee for both towns is the town manager. Wytheville Town Manager C. Wayne Sutherland Jr.s annual salary is $122,707, which is around $20,000 less than Kelly. The highest paid female employee in Wytheville is Town Clerk Sharon Corvin, who earns $67,277, a significant difference from Abingdons highest female employee, who makes approximately $100,000. The total salary for all town employees in Wytheville was approximately $7 million in 2016. The payroll is not broken down by male and female employees. The Abingdon Police Department One town job whose salary is set at entry level is police officer. When someone with no experience is hired, they receive the entry-level salary of $29,741, according to Abingdon Police Chief Tony Sullivan. If someone is already certified in Virginia, I can boost that up [their starting salary] to like 5 percent of the set pay, Sullivan said. However, I rarely hire certified people. The Police Departments raises are up to Town Council, Sullivan said. The longer a person is with the Police Department, the more opportunities there are for raises over time. But, at the end of the day, everyone walks in the door making the same amount, Sullivan said. In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome! This domain was recently registered at Namecheap.com. Please check back later! HICKORY After 10 years as assistant city manager, Andrea Surratt is leaving the City of Hickory to take on a new adventure as the city manager of Bozeman, Mont. The move is the latest adventure in what Surratt described at her last city council meeting as her calling to service in local government. Surratt said she has long had an interest in political science, and her first experience came when she was working in the city hall of her hometown of Wingate one summer while she was in college. During that time, Surratt said she met an employee of the metropolitan planning organization who was administering a Community Development Block Grant. The man would take Surratt on tours of the houses being rehabilitated. Surratt said she liked the way the work involved improving the community, and it prompted her to look more into the work city governments accomplish. Surratt, who graduated from Guilford College with a bachelors degree in political science and Clemson University with a Master of City and Regional Planning, took her first position in local government as a planner in Nixa, Mo. Before coming to Hickory, Surratt spent time working in the governments of Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach and Moore County. Surratt said part of the reason she decided to come to Hickory was her desire to return to city government working at Moore County. Another draw was the community itself. And I was looking for a community with a lot to offer the arts, good schools, safe place to live, nice community to raise a family, Surratt said. At that time, Surratts daughter Claire was 11 and her son Allen was 8. Mitzi Gellman, the executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley and a member of the committee that interviewed candidates for the open city manager position, said in a phone interview Surratt stood out from the other candidates. I mean of the candidates who we interviewed, she had ideas that were beyond anyone else that presented to us with how to make a community better, Gellman. You could tell that it was a passion for her, not just a career, not just a job. City Manager Warren Wood, who served on the interview committee, said in a phone interview that Surratts analytical skills and her ability to collaborate with people and organizations have been among her greatest strengths in the role. At the time she started, there had been a burst of economic success in the mid-2000s before the recession took a toll on the area, Surratt said. It was a number of years of just wondering, how are we going to keep the basic functions in operation, and not being able to be very creative, but there were still some interesting projects, Surratt said. Not long after Surratt started, the city began to embark in a more creative direction with initiatives like wayfinding and the Inspiring Spaces Committee, which would eventually lead to the projects approved in the 2014 bond referendum. Meg Jenkins Locke, who was on the Inspiring Spaces Committee, said in a phone interview she will remember Surratt for her clear-sighted vision, her ability to lead us through a process in a systematic way that I believe led to a guideline or a guidebook for Boost Hickory, for the city council members and for the mayor to follow. Surratt was able to effectively advise the committee by bringing in her planning background, Locke said. Though Surratt is leaving, her spirit will be here and her footprint will be here for generations to come because of her role in those projects, Locke said. In particular, Surratt is proud of the role she had a hand in guiding the design of projects like the city walk and riverwalk in a way that would make them destinations that could result in economic development. Over the last year, Surratt took on a great deal of additional responsibility when City Manager Mick Berry left to become Catawba County manager in 2016. In addition to ensuring that every-day functions of the city were taken care of, Surratt and the city staff also were working to make progress on the bond projects. Im not sure, other than just my passion for Hickory, what carried me through, Surratt. You know, when youre faced with challenges, you dig deep and do it, and I was happy I could serve. Surratt said she had not been looking for another job when she became aware of the opening in Bozeman. The opportunity came across my desk and I just had a sense about it, Surratt said. After it was announced at a Hickory City Council meeting she would be leaving, Surratt said one of the things that appealed to her about the Bozeman job is they were looking for a manager who is a planner. I was never satisfied to do the planning and then stop there, Surratt said. I needed to, I wanted to see some things through in my jobs in the past, and so being in the managers office allows me to have a greater influence over what gets built and how and that was important to me. Though she said she was a candidate for the open city manager position, Surratt said she understands why Warren Wood was chosen and believes he is the right person for the job. But I feel like that this particular job and that particular location of Montana, was something that I was just was ready for and not willing to pass up, Surratt said. It just might not ever come around again, and Ive got some years left to work, and I wanted to do something new and different, and thats what happened. Still, Surratt said Hickory will always remain a special place for her, and that she plans to visit to see the progress on the bond projects. I love this organization, Surratt said. Its been my favorite community to work in. City council and the elected officials have been outstanding and itll be very difficult to leave, but I feel like its where Im supposed to go. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi visited Gujarat on Monday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the election-bound state and inaugurated a slew of development projects. (Power-packed Gujarat politics) . Gujarat is priceless. It has never been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought, Gandhi posted on Twitter. The Congress leader was apparently referring to the allegations of a leader of the influential Patidar community who claimed the ruling BJP offered him Rs 1 crore to join the party. Nikhil Sawani, a Patidar leader who had recently joined the BJP, quit the saffron party over the allegations. Meanwhile, the Congress asked the Election Commission to announce the Gujarat election dates. Here are the highlights of Rahul Gandhis visit: 4:09pm: This GST has hurt businessmen. It has to be simplified, says Rahul Gandhi. 4:06pm: Rahul Gandhi criticises the central government, says it didnt listen to the Congress. This GST is not GST, the Congress leader says, this is Gabbar Singh tax. .4:01pm: Rahul Gandhi mocks PM Modi, criticises him for the demonetisation exercise. Even PM Modi didnt understand for the first 2-3 days what happened, says Gandhi. 4:00pm: If the Congress comes to power in Gujarat, it will form a government for everyone, says Rahul Gandhi. 3:57pm: Why doesnt PM Modi speak on the issue (Jay Shah controversy)? Rahul Gandhi asks. 3:55pm: Make in India and Start-up India have failed, Rahul Gandhi says, as he attacks the BJP government over a controversy involving the company of Jay Shah, the son of BJP chief Amit Shah. 3:51pm: I want to tell Modiji Gujarats Mann Ki Baat...Gujarats youth want education. In 22 years, you have put every college and university in the hands of 5-10 industrialists, says Rahul Gandhi. 3:47pm: Hardik (Patel), Jignesh (Mevani) have a voice in their hearts...and that voice is inside all Gujaratis, says Rahul Gandhi. This voice cant be subdued or bought, the Congress leader adds. Pure desh ka budget laga do, puri duniya ka paisa laga do Gujarat ki awaaz ko dabaya nahi jaa sakta: Rahul Gandhi in Gandhinagar pic.twitter.com/PzYm9KnzVY ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 3:47pm: Every section of Gujarats society is part of a movement because in the last 22 years, the government has not been of people but of 5-10 industrialists, ANI quotes Rahul Gandhi as saying. 3:44pm: Rahul Gandhi speaks at Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan in Gandhinagar. 3:15pm: Alpesh Thakor, other OBC leaders join Congress: TV reports 3:10pm: Nikhil Sawani, who resigned from BJP after the bribery allegations surfaced, says he met Rahul Gandhi. I put forward my viewpoints with regard to the aandolan and justice to Patidars. #WATCH: Rahul Gandhi & Patidar leader Nikhil Sawani leave hotel in Ahmedabad, Sawani says "spoke to him on justice to Patidars & agitation". pic.twitter.com/SPZifjxcEF ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 2:50pm: Confusion prevails over Hardik Patels meeting with Rahul Gandhi. Sources in the Patidar leaders camp deny any such development. 2:35pm: Contrary to earlier reports, Patidar leader Hardik Patel met Rahul Gandhi at a hotel in Ahmedabad: TV 2:34pm: CEC AK Joti says the poll panel will plan the election schedule in Gujarat in such a way that the process in the western state gets over before results are announced for Himachal Pradesh. The idea is that the outcome in Himachal Pradesh doesnt affect voting in Gujarat. 1:12pm: BJP president Amit Shah arrives for BJP state board meeting in Gandhinagar, reports news agency ANI. 1:00pm: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi arrives in Ahmedabad, to take part in Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan. 12:35pm: The Samajwadi Party will fight five seats in Gujarat, says Akhilesh Yadav, adding his party will support the Congress on the rest. 12:30pm: Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki says meeting between Rahul Gandhi, Patidar leader Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani has been postponed. The meeting might happen when Gandhi visits Gujarat again (November 1-3). 12:27pm: #Gujarat: Visuals of preparation from Ahmedabad where Congress VP Rahul Gandhi will take part in OBC 'Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan' today pic.twitter.com/LnWlmld0eL ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 12:24pm: Congresss Manish Tewari says the election commission should soon announce election dates for Gujarat and impose the model code of conduct. 9:30am: Nikhil Sawani, a Patidar leader who had joined BJP, said he will quit the party after the bribery scandal. He says he will seek Rahul Gandhis appointment to put forward his viewpoint. Patidar leader Narendra Patel spoke to the press within hours of joining the BJP on Sunday and said he will not be bought over in the face of BJPs Rs 1-crore deal. The Patidar community, once a staunch supporter, is at war with the BJP over its demand for reservation in education and government jobs. Congress game plan The Congress had invited Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani to meet Gandhi during his visit to Ahmedabad on Monday. But Patel leader said he will not be able to meet Gandhi due to a busy schedule. Gandhi will take part in Navsarjan Gujarat Janadesh rally organised by his party in Gandhinagar, where OBC leader Alpesh Thakor will join the Congress. Congresss invite to Hardik Patel and Mevani came against the backdrop of its state unit president Bharatsinh Solanki extended open invitation to Patel, Mevani and Thakor to join the party to ensure the ruling BJPs defeat. The BJP is not only facing angry Patidars but also anti-incumbency. The Dalits and Muslims, too, are upset over violence by cow vigilantes and upper castes. Thakor, the leader of OBC Ekta Manch, will join the Congress with his associates at the rally, Solanki said. Thakor had met Gandhi in Delhi recently and later announced that he would soon join the party. Gandhi is also likely to meet Chotu Vasava, the leader of Janata Dal (U) in Gujarat, during his one-day visit. The election is a matter of prestige for the BJP, ruling the state for almost 22 successive years, as both PM Modi and party chief Amit Shah come from the western state. A man from Indore in Madhya Pradesh allegedly murdered his wife in front of their 10-year old son when she refused to give him Rs 300 to buy liquor, police said. The accused man, Shekhar, who was drunk, allegedly banged his wife Anitas head repeatedly on the floor when she refused to give him the money, which resulted in her death, said investigating officer SKS Parihar of Kanadia police station. Their son Amit tried to save his mother, but Shekhar beat him up too. Shekhar is now absconding, police said. Police officer Parihar said neighbours and Amit told them that Shekhar and Anita, who lived in Indore Development Authority (IDA) flats in Bhuri Tekri, often fought, mainly over money for liquor. They fought on Sunday night and again started fighting around 4am on Monday, they said. After committing the crime, Shekhar fled with his two other sons Lucky (5) and Rahul (6). Their eldest son, Sumit, was with his grandmother at the time of the incident. After his father fled the spot, Amit rushed to his uncle Prakash Meena, who lives in the same building and infomed him about the incident. By the time Prakash came, Anita was dead. Both Shekhar and Anita were daily-wage earners. Shekhar used to work in construction sites while Anita worked at the loha mandi. They used to live in a nearby slum but were given the flat by the IDA for vacating the slum nearly a year back. Former Bollywood actor Esha Deol and husband Bharat Takhtani have been blessed with their first child and are now proud parents of a baby girl. Their bundle of joy was born late Sunday at Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai. Eshas mom, actor and politician Hema Malini became grandmother for the second time -- her younger daughter Ahaana welcomed her son, Darien, two years ago. Esha has been sharing gorgeous pictures throughout of her journey of pregnancy on Instagram. From a scenic holiday in Greece to two elaborate baby showers, Esha has shared her celebrations with fans throughout her pregnancy. Posting pictures from her babymoon in Greece, Esha wrote: Maternity shoot with my hubby @bharattakhtani3 at Santorini Greece. Making lovely memories together. Esha and Bharat can be seen indulging in a maternity photoshoot and spending time with friends. Two photographs are heart-meltingly beautiful -- one of them has Esha and Bharat posing against a blue door framed by whitewashed walls. In another, the duo pose against white buildings in Santorini, Greece. Getting creative with my buddy and interior designer @nooreinjumani @designvillestudio for the nursery. Planning a vintage white look with lace and creating some sheer magic. #BharatFurnishings #NooreinJumani #DesignVilleStudio A post shared by Esha Deol (@imeshadeol) on Jul 11, 2017 at 10:41pm PDT She also shared pictures from Diwali celebrations. Diwali nights with loved ones @ektaravikapoor with my Jaya aunty, Ahaana & @bharattakhtani3 A post shared by Esha Deol (@imeshadeol) on Oct 17, 2017 at 8:19pm PDT A post shared by Esha Deol (@imeshadeol) on Oct 18, 2017 at 9:06pm PDT Esha and Bharat tied the knot in 2012. The news of Eshas pregnancy was confirmed by Ramkamal Mukherjee who was then writing the biography of Hema Malini. Ya, actually I am writing a book so I visit their house often, and all I can say is Hemaji and the whole family is thrilled with Eshas pregnancy, she is expecting the baby anytime in October, and she is at Hemajis house and Hemaji and Dharamji are obviously very happy! Bharat is also very excited and is taking most of the days off from work to spend time with Esha, he had said then. Hema Malini had then tweeted to confirm the news. The memoirs was launched earlier in October where the entire family was present along with Deepika Padukone who launched the book. Esha has earlier worked in films such as Dhoom and Yuva. She has been missing from the big screen for a while now. Follow @htshowbiz for more Bollywood actor Esha Deol and husband Bharat Takhtani welcomed their baby girl on Sunday and the cute little bundle of joy has already made her first public appearance. The newborn baby was snapped with her parents outside the Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai where she was born. She happily snuggled in the arms of her daddy Bharat who posed with Esha for the shutterbugs. Earlier, Bharat had told Times of India that he believes their daughter resembles him. I cant even express how happy I am today. I think the baby looks like me, when she smiles it seems the world smiles at you. This is a different feeling, which cannot be expressed in words, Bharat said in the report. While Esha and Bharat have decided on a name for the baby, they will reveal it only on the day of naming ceremony. This is Esha and Bharats first child. The duo tied the knot in 2012. Eshas mom, actor and politician Hema Malini became grandmother for the second time -- her younger daughter Ahaana welcomed her son, Darien, two years ago. Speaking to media earlier this month, Hema had said that she wished that Esha and Bharat became parents to a daughter. My elder daughter Esha is expecting her first child this month. Do I want a grandson or a granddaughter? Dono chalega. But since I already have a grandson (younger daughter Ahanas child) a granddaughter would be nice. Would I want her to be an actress like me? She can be anything she wants as long as she is happy in life, she had said while answering questions from media. Hema and Dharamendra were present at the hospital at the time of birth. Reports said that the grandparents are overjoyed that they were blessed with Goddess Laxmi so soon after Diwali. Esha has earlier worked in films such as Dhoom and Yuva. She has been missing from the big screen for a while now. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Hema Malini is one excited grandmom. Her daughter, Esha Deol, gave birth to a baby girl on October 20 at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai. In an exclusive chat with us, Hema says, Its such a beautiful feeling to become a grandmom again! I am very excited right now. Even Dharmendra ji is very happy. Esha is doing well, and the newborn baby girl, whom Esha and her husband Bharat Takhtani have decided to name Radhya, is so sweet and lovely-looking, like a little doll! The name Radhya comes from Radha, which has got people in Mathura, Hemas constituency as an MP, excited. My Mathura people are very happy. Krishna ki nagri hai, toh Radha Rani is important there. While Hema and Dharmendra were conspicuous by their absence in the photos which emerged online after Esha and Bharat stepped out of the hospital with Radhya, Hema says too much was made of nothing We didnt go to the hospital because Bharats family went and brought her home. We were at home, making the preparations to welcome the baby. The first thing we did was aarti according to the Hindu tradition. Outside, my staff was celebrating with phuljhadis. But we didnt burst more crackers, as we did not want to disturb the child with the noise and also because it would have led to so much pollution, says Hema. I was equally excited when Darien (son of Ahana Deol, Hemas younger daughter) was born. But he has grown up so fast, and now goes to playschool. But I am scared to hold these babies, though I did it in my time. In the next few years, even Radhya will grow up and start going to school... how time flies! But I am happy seeing the way Esha and Bharat are handling things. They are so excited, almost as if they have a little new toy to play with! laughs Hema, adding Ahana is helping Esha, since shes more experienced. Nowadays, there are so many things to help both the parents and the child, which we didnt have in our times. Follow @htshowbiz for more The budding star of Secret Superstar, Zaira Wasim who turned 17 on Monday, says she does not have a dream to achieve. Instead, she believes that destiny will guide her way. Zaira, who hails from Kashmir, caught the attention of Bollywood buffs first with Dangal. With Secret Superstar, she has upped the ante with her performance as a teenage girl Insiya, who chases her dream of becoming a singing superstar under the confinement of anonymity. During her birthday celebrations at her co-star Aamir Khans residence here, Zaira was asked about the dream she wants to achieve. She said, I do not have dreams. I will go with the flow and I believe in destiny. I know if things are meant to happen, they will happen. Your destiny will take you where you belong. In the movie, directed by first-timer Advait Chandan, Zairas character goes through a lot of struggle to fulfil her dream. Has she ever fought with her parents to achieve anything of her desire in real life? No, the last time I fought with my parents that I remember was for adopting a cat. Actually, I have two, and I adopted a golden brown kitten without taking their permission. I just took the kitten home So, my mom was like, How many more cats are you bringing home? But thats it. I have no goal or something, she said in an innocent tone. What is her secret talent that the world does not know about? I can bore you with my super boring PJs (poor jokes), she quipped. Adding to that, Chandan said, Yes, I tolerated that for 55 days during our shooting. I mean I am good at PJs, but she is brilliant at it... She can compete with me. The success of Dangal and Secret Superstar -- both of which have starred Aamir -- has failed to change anything about Zaira. How does she stay grounded? She promptly said, I lay down on the ground, sit down on the groundYou see, thats the best way to stay grounded. After a bout of laughter, Zaira added, Honestly, I have no answer to that. Maybe its because I am not taking the pressure of my success. I am happy that people love the film. It is our film, we all put our effort to make it the best film. So, it is not just mine, we all worked hard. I mean we all are happy, that it was a Diwali release and people have had a good time with our film. Seconding her thoughts, Chandan added, I think she is quite untouched by the glory of her success and the skill that she has as an actor. Therefore, you, as an audience get to see the genuine expressions. For her special day, Zaira was sent a special wish by Aamir. He tweeted, Happy Birthday Zaira! Wish you happiness always! May you always shine as the superstar that you are! God bless. Love. a. The actor, along with Chandan and Aamir, also plans to visit various theatres to enjoy the audience reactions while watching the film with them later in the day. Secret Superstar has minted Rs 31.31 crore in four days since its release on October 19. DEHRADUN: Women and child development minister Rekha Arya was caught off-guard regarding the police rescue of six women from Nepal who were allegedly being trafficked to the Gulf countries. On Saturday, the police arrested three people, including a woman, from a bus terminus in Udham Singh Nagar and rescued the six women. The women had come from Tanakpur city in Champawat district bordering Nepal and were being taken to Delhi by the alleged traffickers, according to Udham Singh Nagar SSP Sadanad Date. At the BJP headquarters during Janata Darshan event on Monday, Arya was caught unaware when Hindustan Times questioned about the incident and how Terai and border areas were emerging as a hub for human trafficking. I dont know about the incident, she said. The minister added that she would be seeking updates from the police about the case. Later, Arya asserted she would order a probe after holding discussion with chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. In her defence, a BJP worker told HT that Rawat was ready to order a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe but not before discussing the matter with Arya. The WCD minister was clueless when this reporter informed her how border areas of Uttarakhand serve as a gateway for trafficking women and children to metro cities such as Delhi and Mumbai. I dont have knowledge of the subject. But, let me convene a meeting to understand whats happening and we can do to check this trade, she said. Regarding exploitation of child labourers, she said the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) was taking due cognizance in these matters and, in consultation with the Commission, she would constitute teams to carry out surprise raids, if needed. To a separate query regarding her husband Girdhari Lal Sahu, Arya it was a conspiracy to defame her. Its a conspiracy to defame me and my family, she said, adding that her husband had already rebutted the allegations. Sahus domestic help Naresh Gangwar has alleged that the ministers husband lured him to donate his kidney in exchange of money and a house. At a press conference, Sahu accepted his first wife underwent a kidney transplant for which he had taken affidavit from the donor. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding this week with the Delhi airport operator to manage some regional flights from Hindon air force station in Ghaziabad by December on a temporary basis. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) had accepted governments request to allow regional flights to operate from the Hindon air force station as Delhi airport is already congested and is being expanded. Under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), government will announce new routes and those bidding for routes have been told that flights from Delhi will operate from Hindon. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will develop the passenger facilities once the MoU is signed . We are finalizing a MoU between DIAL, MOCA and AAI. The development will be done from the fund of AAI. By November 5, routes will be announced and since small aircrafts will operate under the new Udan scheme (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik), Hindon has been finalized as a backup for Delhi, said a ministry official who did not wish to be named. Aviation secretary RN Chaubey had said in August that the aviation ministry had asked DIAL to allow Hindon to host part two of regional flights. According to the agreement between the Union Govt and private concessionaire when Delhi airport was privatised, commercial flights are not allowed to operate from any airport within a 150-km radius of the Delhi airport without the permission of DIAL. This is a temporary arrangement and since DIAL knows that it cannot handle extra flights at Delhi airport before expansion, it has agreed to the use of Hindon. Though once the expansion is complete, these flights will shift back to Delhi airport, the official added. Read more: Delhi airport operator gives nod to flights from Hindon air base in winter The Hindon airport is a single-runway base and home to Boeing C-17 Globemaster aircraft that form the backbone of the heavy airlift division of the Indian Air Force. A brand new terminal, new runway, elevated taxiway and internal rail system is part of Delhi airports expansion plan. Since T1 is operating beyond its capacity, the expansion will begin from there and cover the airside, terminal building and city side. The master plan will be implemented in three modular phases- phase 3A (2018-21), 3 B (2021-25) and Phase 4 (2026 onwards). The departure Terminal, T1D and arriving Terminal, T1 C will be merged into one and expanded to accommodate 40 million passengers per annum. The modified T1 will also have aerobridge operations with 22 aerobridges. As per the Master Plan, capacity of T 1 will be increased from 20 million passengers to 40 million passengers and the capacity of T3 will be increased from 34 million to 45 million passengers. From a capacity of handling 73 aircraft per hour and 70 million passengers per annum, it will be increased to 96 aircraft per hour and 80 million passengers per annum between 2018 and 2021. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court on Monday ordered its registry to disburse the principal amount of 26 home buyers who had booked flats in a Supertech project at Noida in Uttar Pradesh whose demolition was ordered by the Allahabad High Court. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra considered the report of advocate Gaurav Agarawal, who is assisting it as an amicus curiae, which said that out of several home buyers of Supertechs twin Emerald Towers, 26 have not received any refund. The bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said that Rs 20 crore has been deposited with the apex court registry by the prominent real estate firm and the money would be used in paying back the principal amount to the home buyers who have received nothing in refund. It also asked Amicus Curiae Agarawal to assist in disbursal. The court said the issue of interest and the deduction of return on investment (RoI) from the principal, payable to home buyers, would be dealt with at later stage. Advocates Akhilesh Kumar Pandey and Shoeb Alam, appearing for some home buyers, said the interest of the hassled home buyers needed to be protected. The bench, which had asked the amicus curiae to set up a web portal to deal with grievances of home buyers on September 22, said that Rs two lakh be paid to him towards expenses incurred in setting up of the portal. It posted for December 4 the final disposal of appeals of Supertech filed against the Allahabad High Courts April 11, 2014 verdict ordering demolition of the twin towers--Apex and Ceyane-- and directing the realty major to refund money to home buyers with 14 per cent interest in three months. Earlier, the top court had asked the home buyers to register and lodge their grievances on the web portal set up by the amicus curiae. It had asked the amicus curiae to include in the web portal the entire details of home buyers of these twin towers and the money paid by them and refunds made by the firm. The real estate firm had said it had deposited Rs 20 crore with the apex court registry for refunding money to the home buyers who did not want flats. The apex court, on August 14, had asked Supertech to deposit Rs 10 crore for refunding money to the investors who wanted to opt out of its Emerald Towers project, which comprises two 40-storey residential buildings in Noida. Prior to this, it had said that if the two residential buildings in Noida were constructed without proper sanction, these would be demolished. The High Courts verdict had come on the plea of some residents of other buildings who had alleged that the twin towers were constructed on a green area. The towers have 857 apartments, of which about 600 flats have already been sold. The counsel for Noida authority had earlier told the bench that the sanctioned plan for the building was in accordance with the guidelines and it was aggrieved by the high courts finding in this regard. Over the past five years, Xi Jinping has spoken of a Chinese dream, moved to legitimise it through a philosophy of Xi Jinping Thought and, now, at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China bundled it altogether into a promised new era for his country. This seems only reasonable given the power that Xi has accumulated in his first term and the even greater authority he is expected to gain after the Congress is over. Nearly 70% of the partys central committee will be replaced by Xi. He has already carried out the most wide-sweeping purges of the Chinese military and diluted the considerable policy space once enjoyed by the provincial and municipal party units. China is today the second largest economy in the world and easily the worlds number two power. Another several years of sustained economic growth will elevate it to superpower status. If Xi is able to firmly set his country on this track during a second five year term, elevating himself to the same rank as Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping may not be too much of a stretch. However, this may not be as pre-determined as Beijing claims. Chinas successful investment-based, export driven economic model has been running out of steam the past several years. Growth is being sustained by huge debt infusions that cannot be kept up forever. At the Congress and over the past five years, Xi has argued this has to change. But remarkably little has been accomplished in terms of structural reforms so far. One reason the Chinese leader has centralised authority back into the hands of Beijing was because Xi had to overcome powerful interests who opposed reforming the economy. He has also mobilised support by pushing a nationalist agenda which has included an aggressive foreign policy, especially when it comes to Chinas territorial squabbles with Japan, Southeast Asia and, to an extent, India. Xi has signalled that his second term will be more of the same, but with less words and more deeds. In that real economic reforms would produce a more prosperous and more stable China and thus presumably a Middle Kingdom more at ease with the world -- this would be welcome. However, if Xi continues to believe an assertive, unilateralist foreign policy must remain inherent to a new China, then countries like India will have no choice but to keep a wary eye that the Chinese dream does not mean sleepless nights for the rest of the world. Security forces can encounter militants, not engage with people and adversaries the way politicians do. In that sense, the Centres decisions to appoint an interlocutor, albeit not a politician, for dialogue with all stakeholders in Kashmir is a positive step. Votaries of dialogue had for long sought a blend of a military and political approach to the Kashmir imbroglio. The move half meets the call but is well-timed. Kashmir hasnt returned to normalcy. Its experiencing nevertheless a relative calm that can be strengthened by reaching out to alienated groups and formations. Its not clear whether the Hurriyat will be a port of call for former IB chief Dineshwar Sharma, the interlocutor. The possibility isnt ruled out, what with Home Minister Rajnath Singh leaving the decision to him. In fact, J&K police chief Shesh Paul Vaid had the other day made out a case for a political initiative to build on the security forces success in taking out 160 militants this year. A repeat of a Burhan Wani kind of trigger, he had feared, could negate the gains of the past months. Among those eliminated were Abu Dujana and Bashir Lashkari of the LeT. People turned out for their funerals, but there was no outrage of the kind that followed Wanis death. The dip in stone-pelting is attributed to the NIA probe against the Hurriyat operatives accused of funding mobs. In reality thats just one factor in the counter-militancy story in which the police has been a key protagonist. But from where should the peace overture start and how? As Mr Vaid suggested, the Opposition should refrain from eulogising stone-pelters as freedom fighters. His allusion was to Farooq Abdullahs response to the prime minister exhorting the Kashmiri youth to choose between terrorism and tourism. At the same time, the Centre and the PDP-BJP regime in J&K would be well advised to vigorously implement pro-people elements in their common agenda of governance. That will build the ambience for talks by strengthening a peace thats still tenuous. Besides, the Centre, through its points-person, should attempt at an understanding with pro-India parties like the National Conference and the Congress to not be expedient on issues requiring political consensus. Much of that will also depend on the Centres own sincerity on having all stakeholders on board. For their part, the Opposition too should, in the interest of Kashmir and the country, lead from the front rather than being led by popular sentiments. Only a united polity can repair the political and emotional chasm in Kashmir. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all central universities to recover non-productivity linked bonus for the past two financial years if paid to employees. It has also asked them to make any bonus-related payment, if not already paid, as the central government is yet to take a call on it. The commission has sent a letter to the registrar of all central universities. If the university has already paid the bonus to their employees for the year 2015-16 and 2016-17, it may make the recoveries from the concerned employees, reads the letter issued by the UGC. The letter further asks universities not to make the payment of bonus to employees of your university till it is extended by the government of India for the autonomous bodies. The letter said that the government has not extended the non-productivity linked bonus (ad hoc bonus) to employees of autonomous bodies. The letter was sent to all central universities on October 18. A member of the DU Academic Council said, These bonuses are especially beneficial for the non-teaching staff, whose basic pay may not be that high to begin with. These bonuses come as a boon for them during the festive season. Many of them use it to buy winter clothes for their kids and other basic needs. The member also said that the university would not be able to defy a direct order from the government. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The image of a black rhino pumped with bullets, his horn hacked off, his body slumped on bloodied mud shows the brutality of illegal poaching. It won Brent Stirton, 48, the 2017 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award by the Natural History Museum of London last week. Stirton -- a senior Getty Images photographer who has also worked for National Geographic magazine -- took the image during an undercover investigation in August 2016 about illegal trade in rhino horns at South Africas Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park The poachers entered the reserve illegally, ambushed the endangered rhino at a waterhole, shot him dead with a silencer and dehorned him before fleeing. They are believed to be from the local community, the Museums description of the award-winning image Memorial to a Species reads. The South African photographer has witnessed more such scenes of environmental crimes and says he the his experiences horrifying. Were losing a majority of animals on this planet incredibly fast. If more people are aware and if people stop considering animal products as a part of their lifestyles, this doesnt have to happen, Stirton told HT. The stark simplicity forces us to witness the brutal, tragic, stupid waste of a poachers work, says Lewis Blackwell, Chair of the Museums jury, describing Stirtons poignant image. If we feel disgust, it is at our own species while we pity the black bull rhino for its ghastly death... There is a horrible intimacy to the photograph: it draws us in and invites us to explore our response and responsibility. Stirton says his images arent meant to shock his audience, but agrees that these are shocking situations and he wants people to wake up to the problem. A photograph by Stirton shows the carcass of a captive lion killed by professional hunters in South Africa while another features a headless elephant poached by rebels for its ivory tusk in Democratic Republic of Congo. A rhino-poaching crisis is unfolding in South Africa, home to most of the worlds population of the bulky pachyderms. Rhino poaching rates in South Africa had surged from 83 in 2008 to a record 1,215 in 2014 to meet red-hot demand in Asian countries such as Vietnam, where the horn is prized as a key ingredient in traditional medicines. Although the number of rhinos poached for their horns in South Africa fell 10% in 2016 to 1,054, the second straight year of decline according to government data, conservationists say the levels remain alarming. South Africa has more than 80% of the worlds rhino population with about 18,000 white rhinos and close to 2,000 black rhinos, which is why it has been at the frontline of the poaching crisis. Africa has two rhino species of which the white rhino is the larger and more numerous of the two. The endangered black rhino is famed for its ornery disposition and is far more apt to charge at any perceived threat. (With agency inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Students of Dev Samaj Vidya Niketan High School, on Monday, protested against a strike by teachers who have shunned classes since October 16 over non-payment of their salary. The issues was resolved after the sub-divisional magistrates intervention. The students resorted to staging a sit-in and shouting slogans outside the school gate after teachers did not take classes on Monday when Diwali holidays ended. The teachers have not received any remuneration for the past two months and had stopped taking classes on October 16 as a pressure tactic. The school management had assured them that their dues would be cleared before Diwali. On Monday, students, many of whom are preparing for their board examinations, also called their parents who met SDM (north) Bharat Bhushan Gogia with the aggrieved teachers. The parents requested the SDM to look into the matter as it was hampering childrens studies. The issue (of non-payment of salaries) is a management problem; why should it affect the students? Such issues are not only distracting the students, but also affecting their studies. Our children are suffering as exams are approaching. How can teachers not take classes, a students parent said requesting anonymity. The SDM reached the school and discussed the problems affecting all stakeholders. Gogia instructed the management to ensure such delays in releasing salary do not take place in future. School manager Sangeeta Sharma confirmed that they have signed cheques on Monday and handed them to teachers. The salary will be released within two working days, she said. Read I Gurgaon: Engineering student jumps to death from 11th floor of Uniworld City building He also directed the teachers to not discuss official issues with students or involve them in schools internal politics. He also told the students to concentrate on their studies and to maintain discipline. I visited the school on Monday morning and have asked the teachers to resume taking classes. I have also asked the students to maintain discipline, Gogia said. Talking to Hindustan Times, schools principal Sharda Sharma said, It was sad that teachers had to go on strike due to mismanagement. The SDM has demanded documents (from the school) to ensure the authorized person takes responsibility of the schools functioning and such incidents are not repeated in future. Additionally, the SDM has directed the school management to address all queries by parents within three working days. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two decades after they began, Naga peace talks were held in Nagaland for the first time on Monday between the Centre and six rebel outfits in a bid to find a final solution to the six-decade old issue. Chief interlocutor and Prime Minister Narendra Modis envoy, R N Ravi led the team from the Centre. The six outfits, who come under the umbrella of Naga National Political Groups (NNPG) are GPRN/NSCN (Kitovi Zhimomi), Naga Nationalist Council (NNC), Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN), NSCN (Reformation), National Peoples Government of Nagaland (Non-Accord) and NNC/GDRN/NA (Government Democratic Republic of Nagaland-Non Accord). This is the first time talks are being held with outfits other than the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) (NSCN-IM), with whom the Centre signed a framework agreement in 2015. Among other things, Naga outfits, who were earlier seeking a sovereign state, have now been demanding greater autonomy for the Naga people and integration of Naga-inhabited areas in the region under Greater Nagalim. The talks were held behind closed doors in Chumukedima after a public reception was accorded to Ravi on his arrival in Dimapur around noon. People in Nagaland are happy that the peace talks are being taken to another level and discussions are being held in our soil. Inclusion of six new groups in the process is a positive development, Theja Therieh of Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) told HT. Since this is the first time the talks are being held with the six groups, Mondays discussions focused mainly on the principal issues without delving much into the specifics. In the framework agreement (details of which are yet to be made public), the Centre had accepted uniqueness of Naga history and culture and the NSCN(IM) had agreed on primacy of the Indian constitution. There is still uncertainty on the issue of Greater Nagalim. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram states which have Naga-inhabited areas have opposed giving away their territory for the Naga cause. Peace talks with NSCN(IM) started in 1997, with the first rounds being held outside the country, in places like Thailand and Netherlands. The outfits leaders, late Isak Chisi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah started deliberations in India in 2002. Over the years, there have been close to 80 rounds of talks leading to signing of the framework agreement in 2015. The final accord on Naga issue will be signed on the basis of the agreement. While there are speculations in Nagaland that the final solution could happen within this year, there is no certainty of that. The issue has continued for so many decades and it wont be possible to put a time limit on the final solution. All Nagas hope that the solution is acceptable and honourable, said Therieh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A physically challenged man was beaten to death for allegedly stealing a cauliflower from an agricultural field in Sitamarhi district of north Bihar. Police said some people accused Dular Rai, 55, of stealing the cauliflower and badly thrashed him at Mahuawa Motnajay village in Bathnaha police station area, 25 km east of Sitamarhi town and 143 km north of Patna, on Sunday morning. Bathnaha police station SHO Prabhat Ranjan Saxena said Rai succumbed to his injuries at Sitamarhi sadar (government) hospital in the evening. Rais son Samindra Kumar, however, denied the allegation against his father. My father had gone to ease himself on the land that belongs to our family, when some villagers from Mahuawa Motnajay village thrashed him. The land is on the border of the two villages, Kumar said. The Bathnaha station house officer (SHO) said the police had registered an FIR on the basis of Kumars statement. In his complaint, Kumar has wondered how a physically challenged man can steal anything. Kumar has said his father could have been killed due to enmity between the two villages over some trivial issues, the SHO said, adding that raids were on to nab the culprits. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will hold detailed talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday on furthering the shared objective of promoting security and stability in Afghanistan, and efforts to combat the menace of terrorism. The external affairs ministry said today that the Afghan president would be here on a one-day working visit at the invitation of the prime minister. The invitation was extended by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval during his Kabul trip on October 16. During his visit, President Ghani will meet with his Indian counterpart and have delegation level talks with the prime minister, who will also host a lunch in his honour, an official statement said. Both sides will have the opportunity to review the entire gamut of multifaceted bilateral strategic partnership, including the New Development Partnership; hold consultations and coordinate on furthering the shared objective of promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and efforts to combat the menace of terrorism, it said. They will also discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest. The visit will build upon the recent high level bilateral exchanges between the two countries, including the recent visit of Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and that of Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani to India for the meeting of the bilateral Strategic Partnership Council, which was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Swaraj will call on the visiting dignitary, who will also give a public address at Vivekanand International Foundation. It was a drizzling June morning, when Amit Shah arrived at the Dalit-dominated locality of Chengalchoola in Keralas capital Thiruvananthapuram. The Lefts domination of the locality was evident from the flags, posters and graffiti on walls. But Shah was unfazed in his speech: Communists are wiped out from the world and the Congress from Delhi. We are here to stay. True to his words, Shah has stayed focused on the Left bastion. He visited Kerala twice this month. People ask me what more the BJP wants. We are not just election winning machine. We are working towards making this country a jagat guru (world leader), Shah said at one of his June meetings. The BJPs Kerala push encapsulates its efforts to expand. Numbers tell the story. The BJP and its allies rule 18 of 29 states, covering 68% (or 2.2 million square km) of the countrys geographical area and 67% (810 million) of her populationthat is more than double the US population. It has 1,410 out of 4,120 MLAs in the country. It boasts of 110 million members, almost as much as Japans population. It formed government in nine out of 13 states that voted after 2014 Lok Sabha polls. As it is, everything seems to be working for the party, especially the undiminished popularity of PM Narendra Modi, a continuing downslide of the Opposition and the BJPs new social engineering formula centred around numerically superior but non-dominant OBCs. A nationwide tour At the national executive meeting of the BJP in Bhubaneswar last April, Shah announced a 95-day countrywide tour. It started from Jammu on April 29. A separate 15-day programmeDeendayal Upadhyay Vistarak Yojana focused on booth level meetings in West Bengal, Lakshadweep, Telangana, Odisha and Gujarat. Put together, the 110-day tour travelling about one lakh km by road, rail and air covers almost every state and Union Territory. Shah has covered 16 states so far. We are aiming for geographical expanse of the BJP and a greater acceptability of partys ideology, Shah said. But there is a method to the madness. In every meeting, he asks party leaders to strengthen the booth level structure, says BJPs information technology cell head Amit Malaviya. A booth comprises 700-1,000 voters and booth committee members are instrumental to disseminate partys messages, opinions and political propaganda at the grassroots level. In Uttar Pradesh, BJP formed committees in 1.28 lakh of the 1.47 lakh polling booths. It BJP won a landslide in the bellwether state. The BJP by numbers The BJP and its allies rule 18 of 29 states, covering 68% of Indias area and 67% of her population. As many as 1,410 of the 4,120 MLAs in the country belong to the BJP. The party has 110 million members. The party formed government in nine out of 13 states that voted after 2014 Lok Sabha polls. BJP president Amit Shah Put is on a 110-day tour of the country. Travelling by road, rail and air, he has covered 16 states so far When he is in Delhi, Shahs focus is on synchronising the work of the party and the government. For instance, the governments recent decision on sub-categorisation of OBCs could boost the partys outreach towards to the socially weaker sections. When the PM recently revamped his team, it was left to Shah and general secretary Ram Lal to deal with non-performers. Shah has replicated a highly successful Gujarat model in Delhithat is, a complete synergy among the organisation, the government and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the partys ideological mentor. Mission 350 The BJPs as-yet undeclared mission for the 2019 general elections is winning 350 seats on its own, more than its 2014 figure. But much of its successor failure depends on three factors. First, the Modi wave should sustain till 2019. BJP is confident of it, especially in the absence of a challenger. Second, its social engineering should click. Starting with Modis projection as son of a backward, in 2014, the BJPs influence has grown among the OBCs. To try and create a coalition of non-dominant castes, the BJP appointed a non-Jat as Haryana chief minister, a non-Maratha as Maharashtra CM and a non-tribal as Jharkhand CM. There is a an image makeover attemptfrom a Brahmin-Baniya party to an all-inclusive one. Third, party leaders hope the BJPs forays into hitherto uncharted territories in the south and north-east of the country should produce results. The main reason for the continued dominance of the BJP in national politics is the absence of a viable alternative. There is hardly any leader who is in a position to match the credibility of Narendra Modi, says Sanjay Kumar, director of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, a Delhi-based think tank. Modi is a very big asset for the BJP at this moment, his image of a no-nonsense politician who cares for the national interest has hogged the mind of Indian voters, he adds. Uncharted territories The partys goal for 2019 rests on the belief that it will retain most of the 282 Lok Sabha seats and gain more. For instance, the BJP and its allies won only 10 of 25 LS seats in NE states in 2014. BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance has been floated, bringing eight political outfits under one umbrella. We are working towards a Congress-mukt northeast, says Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also the NEDA chairman. In 2014, the BJP drew a blank in Kerala (out of 20), won one each in Odisha (21) and Tamil Nadu (39) and two in West Bengal (42). Except Tamil Nadu, where it might have to ride piggyback on the AIADMK or one of its factions, the BJP is making its presence felt in all other states. In a meeting with senior leaders last month, Shah gave each of them the charge of five Lok Sabha seatstotaling 120 seats that the BJP has never won. Not that we are not looking at 2019 or 2024 but our idea is to stay in power perpetually and not just for one or two terms, a BJP functionary told HT. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi: The Supreme Court said on Monday the policemen and doctors found guilty of tampering with evidence in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang rape should not be in service and gave the Gujarat government four weeks to clarify if disciplinary action was taken against them or not. Apprise this court on whether disciplinary action has been instituted against the officers or not, a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked Gujarat government counsel Hemantika Wahi. The court was hearing a 2003 petition filed by Bilkis Bano on the basis of which SC had ordered a CBI probe in the case. She had then approached the top court after the local police closed the case, citing the accused were untraceable. The instructions were issued after Banos lawyer, Shobha, told the court that the policemen who botched up the probe were back on duty even as she asked for a higher compensation. How is it possible? How can they work if they have been convicted, wondered Justice Misra, surprised to know the men were back to work. Wahi said she was unaware and sought time to seek instructions from the government. She submitted the convicted had already served their sentence. The bench permitted Bano to file a fresh case for higher compensation. It advised her to appeal against the Bombay High Court order that directed the convicts, 12 in all, to pay Rs 55,000 to her as compensation. Shobha submitted the amount was meagre and Bano was entitled to more. Bano and 16 members of her family were attacked by a mob on March 3, 2002 at Randhikpur village in Gujarats Dahod district as communal violence swept the state. Seven members were killed and 19-year-old Bano, who was five months pregnant, was gang-raped. Six other members managed to escape the mob. The Bombay high court had on May 4, 2017 upheld life sentences to 11 men for raping Bano and convicted seven people for tampering evidence. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court on Monday said the policemen and doctors found guilty of tampering with evidence in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang rape should not be in service and gave the Gujarat government four weeks to clarify its stand. The instructions were issued after Banos lawyer told the court that the policemen who botched up the probe were back on duty even as she asked for a higher compensation. The court asked the Gujarat government if a disciplinary inquiry had been initiated against the seven persons -- five policemen and two doctors found guilty of failing to performing their duty and tampering with evidence by the Bombay high court. The government said the men had served their sentence but the court questioned its move to reinstate the police officers. The court also asked Bano to file a separate plea for higher compensation in a lower court. The Bombay high court had fined each of the convicts Rs 55,000 and directed that the money be paid to Bano by way of compensation. Bano and 16 members of her family were attacked by a mob on March 3, 2002 at Randhikpur village in Gujarats Dahod district as communal violence swept the state. Seven members were killed and 19-year-old Bano, who was five months pregnant, was gang-raped. Six other members managed to escape the mob. The high court had on May 4, 2017 upheld life sentences to 11 men for raping Bano and convicted seven people for tampering evidence. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Rajasthan government tabled in the assembly on Monday a controversial bill that shielded public servants and politicians from prosecution without prior approval amid protests over the piece of legislation that has already been legally challenged. A lawyer filed a public interest litigation in the Rajasthan high court on Monday morning against the bill, which bars courts from taking up private complaints against public servants, such as serving and former judges, lawmakers, ministers and officials, without the governments sanction. The media is also barred from publishing any details identifying an accused till the government gives its nod for investigation. The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, was promulgated on September 7. In the assembly, Congress leaders protested against the bill and staged a walkout. Leader of opposition Rameshwar Dudi led a protest march as proceedings got underway and said the Congress opposed this black law and would force the government to take back the ordinance. State Congress president Sachin Pilot, who was detained along with several other party leaders, alleged that the BJP government was trying to institutionalise corruption by way of the order. This draconian ordinance is a huge setback to public scrutiny. We will oppose it inside and outside the assembly, he said. The government wants to cover up their own corruption. Well submit a memorandum to the President, added Pilot. Madam Chief Minister, with all humility we are in the 21'st century. It's 2017, not 1817. https://t.co/ezPfca2NPS Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 22, 2017 But the Centre defended the controversial ordinance, saying it was perfect and balanced. Individual rights and media have been both taken care of. This law is very much needed in these times, junior law minister PP Chaudhury told news agency ANI. Activists have also opposed the bill that seeks to protect both serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in Rajasthan from being investigated for on-duty action without its prior sanction, saying it muzzles free speech. What is the government trying to hide from the public? The PUCL demands that the Government repeal this ordinance. The PUCL will challenge this ordinance in the Rajasthan High Court, said Kavita Srivastava, general secretary of civil rights group Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). The ordinance, which provides 180 days immunity to the officers, reads, No magistrate shall order an investigation nor will any investigation be conducted against a person, who is or was a judge or a magistrate or a public servant. If there is no decision on the sanction request post the stipulated time period, it will automatically mean that sanction has been granted. The ordinance amends the Criminal Code of Procedure, 1973 and also seeks curb on publishing and printing or publicising in any case the name, address, photograph, family details of the public servants. Violating the clause would call for two years imprisonment. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Police in Agra went into a tizzy on Monday evening after an unidentified caller said there was a bomb at the Taj Mahal. Police and security agencies searched for the bomb but it turned out to be a hoax. Raja Singh, the in-charge of Tajganj police station, said the phone call was received at the emergency number 100 at Lucknow around 9.40pm. A search operation was launched and the carried and a Bomb Disposal Squad was called in. The lights around Taj Mahal were put on and sniffer dogs were also brought in. Security personnel during their search operation near the Taj Mahal on Monday. (HT photo) All possible locations in and around the Taj Mahal were checked but nothing was found and the search operation ended at about 11pm, said Raja Singh. The phone number from which the hoax call was made was later found switched off. The phone call came on a day when a dozen youths belonging to Hindu outfits were caught reciting Shiva Chalisa (hymn) on the premises of the Taj Mahal, causing tension at the iconic monument, which, they claimed, was originally a Shiv temple. The youths, belonging to Rashtra Swabhimaan Dal and Hindu Yuva Vahini, were taken away by CISF personnel and released after they submitted a written apology. Security personnel during their search operation near the Taj Mahal on Monday. (HT photo) The incident comes a week after controversial BJP MLA Sangeet Som questioned the Taj Mahals place in history, saying that the iconic monument was built by traitors who targeted Hindus. His comments caused a political stir across the country following which the BJP governments in UP and the Centre distanced themselves from the MLAs comments. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is slated to visit the Taj Mahal on October 26 to review various schemes related to tourism in Agra. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has drafted revised guidelines to regulate the use of groundwater. Once approved, the rules will prohibit granting of no-objection certificate (NOC) for extracting groundwater for construction activities if the project is located in areas where water level is critical or overexploited. The guidelines will affect Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Puducherry, which fall in overexploited areas where groundwater consumption is over 100%. Use of fresh groundwater for swimming pools and other water-based recreation has also been prohibited in critical and overexploited areas. Besides, the quantum of groundwater for purposes other than drinking /domestic use such as horticulture, fire fighting arrangements, cleaning etc shall not exceed 25% of the total groundwater abstraction. The CGWA, which regulates the use of groundwater across India, has sought comments from states and Union Territories on the draft guidelines. It has set a 60-day timeline for states to respond after which the guidelines will be finalised and notified. States can modify the instructions but not dilute it. Read more: Centre proposes nixing recharge requirement for industries extracting groundwater All users drawing or proposing to draw groundwater through non-energised means and pump of up to two horsepower from a single tubewell in their premises will be exempted from seeking NOC. The CGWA has also introduced a water conservation fee for anybody extracting groundwater. The fee will vary based on the quantum of water that is extracted and will be paid to state governments who can use it for water conservation measures. For instance, those extracting groundwater for industries such as packaged drinking water/soft drinks/breweries/distilleries in a critical area will be charged Rs 1.10 per cubic metre if extraction is less than 500 cubic metre per day. The draft guidelines also empower district magistrates and deputy commissioners in states to issue NOC if the quantum of groundwater being extracted is up to 50 cubic metre per day in safe and semi-critical assessment units, except those proposing to tap saline aquifers. The three-day Haryana assembly session that begins in Chandigarh on Monday is set to be a stormy affair with opposition INLD and Congress geared up to take on the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government on a range of issues. Here are five that are likely to dominate proceedings. 1) Law and order after Dera violence: This is the first session since August 25 when Dera Sacha Sauda followers ran riot in Panchkula and Sirsa districts after the conviction of their chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for raping two sadhvis (woman followers). Forty-two sect followers lost their lives in the clash with security personnel as they attacked public and private property in a crisis that was allowed to build up in the run-up to the conviction. 2) Scrapping Dadupur-Nalvi project: The Congress is pulling out all stops to oppose the state cabinets recent decision to shelve the canal project over land compensation after Rs 300 crore has already been spent on it. The INLD has also submitted a memorandum to the governor, demanding a reversal of the decision that will hit farmers of northern Haryanas Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra and Ambala districts. 3) Panchkula hydel row: The controversy over the selection of project developers for eight mini hydel plants in Panchkula has generated a controversy. The opposition Congress and INLD plan to rake up this issue during the session. 4) Procurement pangs: Farmers in the state have complained of problems in the procurement of bajra. Farmers growing the PR variety of paddy are also finding it difficult to sell the produce. Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda says the Congress will move an adjournment motion in the House on the plight of farmers. 5) Murthal taking a toll: With the coming up of the new toll plaza at Murthal, the ride between Chandigarh and Delhi by car has gone up by Rs 65. Earlier commuters travelling by car between the two capital cities had to pay at three toll plazas Rs 30 for using the elevated highway in Panipat, Rs 115 in Bastada (Gharaunda) in Karnal district, and Rs 35 at Dappar after entering Punjab. The total used to Rs 180 but now it costs Rs 245 one way. The Congress plans a calling attention motion on this issue. Chief election commissioner AK Joti on Monday said he paid rent for the bungalow he retained in Ahmedabad after joining the poll panel in Delhi and didnt take favours from the Gujarat government. Denying impropriety in occupying a government accommodation while holding a constitutional position, Joti said he kept the house in Ahmedabad as he was not allotted a family accommodation in the Capital on joining the poll panel in May 2015. I was staying in a room in Gujarat Bhavan in Delhi, but was paying the rent for the house that my wife continued to occupy in Ahmedabad, the countrys top poll officer told Hindustan Times. The Gujarat government was paid rent for the May 2015 and October 2016 period, he said. A news portal recently reported that Joti, a 1975-batch Gujarat cadre IAS officer, didnt vacate the bungalow he was given as the Gujarat state vigilance commission member. Joti was appointed to the anti-corruption watchdog after retiring from the government. The report coincided with the election commission calling Himachal polls but leaving out Gujarat announcement, with the Congress and the other parties accusing the poll panel of withholding dates to benefit the ruling BJP. The decision, said Joti, was taken to allow the state administration to complete the flood-relief work. His house issue cropped up after an IPS officer challenged the state governments decision asking him to vacate his premises immediately upon his transfer from Gujarat to Assam. The official, Satish Verma who was part of the special investigation team that probed the controversial Ishrat Jahan encounter, accused the government of targeting him. Joti, however, denied seeking favours and said he had to wait for a year before he was allocated accommodation in Delhi. The Ahmedabad house was returned to the government in October 2016. A former secretary of industries, revenue and water supply in Gujarat, Joti was appointed the countrys top election officer in July. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A former head of the countrys domestic spy agency will lead talks to end the nearly three-decade-long, bloody insurgency in Kashmir, the government announced on Monday. Home minister Rajnath Singh said Dineshwar Sharma, 63, who retired as the Intelligence Bureau director in December, will speak to all stakeholders, as well as decide on whether to talk to the hardline separatist group, the Hurriyat Conference. For a substantive dialogue, I will need to talk to everybody, Sharma told Hindustan Times. Peace must be restored in Kashmir and for that I will talk to all people in an effort to bring about a solution. The talks offer stems from Prime Minister Narendra Modis last Independence Day outreach to troubled Kashmir. Modi had said the regions problems could be solved by embracing its people rather than resorting to abuse or bullets. Modis comments were seen as a possible shift in his policy towards Kashmir, where the government has been pursuing a tough line against a surge in violence that has killed about 100 people over the past year. Sharma said he will visit Kashmir in about a week. A 1979 batch IPS officer, Sharma will submit a report to the government but no deadline was given. Multiple government sources said Mondays announcement was preceded by a lot of homework, including informal talks with separatists. The sources told Hindustan Times that Sharma was called in for a meeting attended by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Singh on Monday. Mondays announcement is the latest in a series of efforts to end an insurgency that has killed more than 40,000 people since violence broke out against Indian rule in the region in 1989. Past efforts at peace have yielded precious little. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees government was the first to hold talks with Kashmiri separatists in 2004 but the effort fizzled out after his government was voted out of power. In 2010, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh renewed those efforts, setting set up a panel of interlocutors to speak to various stakeholders, including the Hurriyat leaders. The panel, however, did not meet the separatist leader and its report was never made public. The Hurriyat is an umbrella group of political and religious groups fighting mostly for Kashmirs independence from India. None of its leaders had yet reacted to the move. Kashmir has remained largely paralysed since July last year when government forces shot dead a young militant leader, Burhan Wani, touching off months of deadly street protests. Most political parties cautiously welcomed the move. Dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeted. Her rival and opposition National Conference leader, Omar Abdullah, tweeted: ...Will keep an open mind & wait to see results of the dialogue process. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the move indicates that realists in government have prevailed over hawks. Hard power is not an end but means towards an end, he added. Former home minister P Chidambaram tweeted, With appointment of interlocutor, I hope government has finally admitted muscular approach has failed in J&K. (Story updated on October 24, 2017 to remove the error that Dineshwar Sharma was CRPF inspector general in Kashmir) The Centre said on Monday it had picked former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma to initiate dialogue with representatives of Jammu and Kashmir on its behalf. Home minister Rajnath Singh said the Centre has decided to start a sustained dialogue in the state. Sharma, a 1979-batch Kerala cadre IPS officer, was appointed as the IB director by the Narendra Modi-led government in 2014. Sharma has vast experienced serving in the IB for more than two decades, earning a reputation as an analyst. He had volunteered to serve in Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s and later headed the joint task force on intelligence constituted after the 1999 Kargil incursion. Known for keeping a low profile, Sharma headed the counter-surveillance of the IB before becoming its chief for two years beginning January 1, 2014. He served at various desks in the IB since he was posted in the organisation in 1991, including Kashmir and the Northeast besides stints in Lucknow. Sharma is an expert on issues related to terrorism and internal security. The former IB head had in June taken charge as the interlocutor for peace talks with Assams insurgent groups, including the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). He was appointed for a tenure of one year to hold peace negotiations with pro-talks factions of the ULFA, National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and a few other small groups based in Assam. With inputs from agencies Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday over the state of the economy and political bribery allegations as he tried to reach out to opposition leaders in poll-bound Gujarat. At a rally in Gandhinagar, Gandhi repeatedly commended Patel quota protest leader Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani, two prominent anti-BJP figures whose support is crucial for the Congress to snatch power in the prime ministers home state. There was also heightened speculation about whether Gandhi will meet Patel, whose community can influence the results in at least 60 out of the states 182 seats, but Hardiks aides denied any meeting on Monday amid confusion. The 47-year-old Gandhi, whose campaign received a boost with Other Backward Classes (OBC) leader Alpesh Thakor formally joining the Congress on Monday, also touched upon allegations levelled by a Patel leader that the BJP offered him Rs 1 crore to join the party. Hardik, Jignesh and Alpesh will not sit quiet now because their inner voice is not allowing them to do so. No Gujarati can sit quietly now. And Modiji, you cannot buy this voiceeven by the money of the whole world, Gandhi said. His comments came a day after Narendra Patel, a Patel leader from north Gujarat and Hardiks former aide, quit the BJP and alleged he was offered Rs 1 crore. In a dramatic press conference, he waved around wads of notes that he claimed the BJP had given him a charge denied by the party. Gandhi also criticised the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and called the shock recall of high-value currency notes last November a personal whim of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Goods and Services Tax (GST) has destroyed small shop owners and businessmenit is a Gabbar Singh Tax, he said. What happened on November 8? Modiji came on television and said I dont like Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. So I have decided to spike them and by doing that he attacked the whole country by one stroke. But the BJP was not impressed, calling the Congress Dramebaaz Party Number 1. Thakor contested panchayat election from Mehsana on a Congress ticket. His father is district president of the Congress. And, you have Rahul Gandhi creating a drama as if some big leader has joined the Congress, Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Has your party become so desperate after repeated defeats that you are reducing yourself to gimmicks to make yourself relevant, Prasad asked. Gujarat, which is expected to go the polls in December, has become a prestige fight for the BJP, which has ruled the state for two decades but is facing its toughest battle in years. The party is battling anti-incumbency and possible desertion by the Patel community, which is angry over not being given quotas in jobs and education. Additionally, a string of alleged atrocities have alienated the Dalit population. Todays rally is a morale boost for Rahul Gandhi and the Congress. For the first time in three decades, the Congress is calling the shots and the BJP is reacting. But it remains to be seen if the support gets translated into votes, said veteran journalist Hari Desai. The Patel community is led by 24-year-old Hardik Patel, himself too young to contest polls. Hardik is said to be in talks with the Congress but has refrained from a public declaration of support. Even on Monday, confusion reigned over a possible meeting between Hardik and Gandhi with the Patel leaders aides denying any interaction between the two leaders. A meeting between Gandhi and Mewani, the leader of the states Dalits that make up 7% of the population, was also cancelled. But the Congress campaign has been buoyed by Thakor, who rose to prominence as an alcohol abolitionist and claims clout in 40-odd constituencies, most of them along the coast and north Gujarat. The Samajwadi Party also extended its support to the Congress and said it would contest just five seats. This time around, Patel vote is likely to split. Youth may not vote for the BJP but elders may still stick to the party, said writer and analyst Achyut Yagnik. Gandhi began his speech with chant of Jai Mataji, Jai Bhim and Jai Sardar to appeal Thakors, Dalits and Patidars, respectively. On the stage, he also accepted a bite of rotla(Gujarati bread) with chilly and onion, which is staple for Thakors. For the first time, the whole of Gujarat is out on the streets, he said. Earlier in the day, Narendra Patel and Nikhil Sawani both Patel protest leaders quit the BJP within hours of joining. Narendra Patel claimed he was given Rs 10 lakh as advance money for joining the BJP. This is nobodys money. I will give this to the kin of Patidar youths killed in police firing while protesting during agitation in 2015. The movements two other conveners, Varun Patel and Reshma Patel, joined the BJP on Saturday. Hours later, Nikhil Sawani told the press he was leaving the BJP, upset over the Rs 1 crore offered to Narendra Patel. The BJP rubbished the charges and blamed the Congress. Narendra Patel first approached the BJP to join the party. Within hours he changed his stand. This shows how credible he is. The entire drama was staged managed on behalf of the Congress, said BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya. (With agency inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday announced that former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma will hold talks with all stakeholders in Kashmir. Kashmir saw a fresh wave of violence since July last year after government forces shot dead militant leader Burhan Wani. On Independence Day this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Kashmirs problems could only be solved by embracing its people, not through abuse or bullets. In a series of tweets, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, whose Peoples Democratic Party is an alliance with the BJP, welcomed the announcement. Dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward, Mufti tweeted. Welcome the initiative of Union Government, appointing an interlocutor for leading a sustained dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir. Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 23, 2017 Dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward. Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 23, 2017 This dialogue initiative is in line with P.M @narendramodi s 15th August speech na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmir ki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se. Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 23, 2017 National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said the governments decision recognises the political nature of the Kashmir issue. The acceptance of the political nature of the #Kashmir issue is a resounding defeat of those who could only see use of force as a solution. Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 23, 2017 Heres how others reacted: Aptt of interlocutor in J&K is indicative that realists in Govt have prevailed over Hawks.Hard Power is not an end but means towards an end Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) October 23, 2017 With appointment of interlocutor, I hope government has finally admitted 'muscular approach' has failed in J&K. P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) October 23, 2017 Men of establishment are responsible for #Kashmir mess and handing over job of talking to stake holders is no way political requirement. Shujaat Bukhari (@bukharishujaat) October 23, 2017 A dozen youths belonging to Hindu outfits were caught reciting Shiva Chalisa (hymn) on the premises of the Taj Mahal, causing tension at the iconic monument, which, they claimed, was originally a Shiv temple. The youths, belonging to Rashtra Swabhimaan Dal (RSD) and Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV), were taken away by CISF personnel and released after they submitted a written apology. The incident comes a week after controversial BJP MLA Sangeet Som questioned the Taj Mahals place in history, saying that the iconic monument was built by traitors who targeted Hindus. His comments caused a political stir across the country following which the BJP governments in UP and the Centre distanced themselves from the MLAs comments. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath is slated to visit Taj on October 26 to review various schemes related to tourism in Agra. Deepak Sharma (30) of RSD, who led the group of youths on Monday, justified the act, saying it was natural to recite Shiv Chalisa on Monday, it being day of Lord Shiva and that Taj Mahal originally was a Shiva temple. It was basically Tejomalaya, a Shiva temple, which was demolished by Mughal rulers to make the Taj Mahal, he said. I was accompanied by some other RSD activists and those from Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV), including the Aligarh unit president of HYV, Bharat Goswami, he said. Sharma is from Hathras near Agra but has been active in Delhi after completing his post-graduation. He is not new to controversies and claimed that he had blackened the face of noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan after he advocated a referendum in Jammu and Kashmir. We did nothing wrong but apologised in writing because we were told by CISF officials that recital of Shiva Chalisa was in violation of the Supreme Court orders. We respect the Supreme Court and had no intention to hurt religious feeling of any sect, Sharma said. We plan to file a PIL in the apex court to find an answer as to why Hindus are not allowed to recite Shiv Chalisa at the Taj, the building of which is owned by central government, when Muslims can offer namaz there, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON For a substantive dialogue, I will need to talk to everybody, former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma told Hindustan Times, minutes after home minister Rajnath Singh announced his name as the governments representative to lead a sustained dialogue process for Jammu and Kashmir. The state has been on the boil since the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in an encounter in July last year. Sharma, who headed the Intelligence Bureau last year when violent protests followed the killing of Wani, was called in for a meeting with national security advisor Ajit Doval and the home minister a few hours before the formal announcement, top sources revealed. Sharma did not want to answer questions on whether he would engage with separatists belonging to the Hurriyat Conference but emphasised that he would speak to all stakeholders. Peace must be restored in Kashmir and for that I will talk to all people in an effort to bring about a solution, he said. The newly-appointed interlocutor said he will make his first visit to the strife-torn Valley within eight-10 days but multiple government sources confirmed that a lot of homework has already been done. An intelligence officer, who did not want to be named, as he is not authorised to speak to the media, said, We have been holding informal parleys with the separatists and have urged them to be part of the dialogue process. It is not clear whether the separatists would be a part of the just announced dialogue process. The parleys with various stakeholders including former militants who gave up the gun and those who returned from camps in Pakistan where they had trained were in progress when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his independence day speech, said: Na goli seh, na gali seh, baat banegi gale lag ke. Modi, had, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, indicated that the way forward lay in a dialogue and not through violence. Several governments in the past have tried to find a solution through negotiations. The Atal Behari Vajpayee government held talks with the separatists and current chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has for long been asking Modi to do a Vajpayee. Muftis PDP and the BJP are coalition partners in Jammu and Kashmir. The UPA government too had appointed interlocutors after the unrest in the Valley in 2010 but the report, submitted to then home minister P Chidambaram was never acted upon. I hope I will be able live up to the trust the government of India has showed and will be able to fulfill the expectations of the people, Sharma told ANI. Sharma, who will soon visit the Valley, has a tough task ahead as he starts the search for peace. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Blood samples of family members of nine of the 39 the Indians missing in Iraq could not be collected even on Monday because the designated health centre in Amritsar does not have DNA test kits. Uncertainty still prevails over the collection as the kits would be available after three or four days, sources said. The Government Medical College which has been assigned the task by the Punjab government has sent an employee to Hyderabad to bring the kits which are not available in market, sources said. There are different cards in the kit to preserve the blood samples. During the test, these samples are used to match tissues of different body parts of two persons. These samples have been requested by the external affairs ministry on an urgent basis to restart efforts to trace the missing people. Nine families from Amritsar district who visited the forensic department of Government Medical College, Amritsar, on Sunday were unable to give their blood samples as the college did not have proper equipment. The college collects DNA samples for nine districts of Majha and Doaba region. The samples are sent to Hyderabad for tests. Earlier on Sunday, the medical college principal Dr Tejbir Singh said they were trying their best to arrange the kits. We have approached kit manufacturers in Mohali and Hyderabad and they will be available in a day or two. Once we receive them, we will call the families with the help of respective sub-divisional magistrates, he had told HT. Read more: Families of 39 Indians kidnapped in Mosul told to take DNA tests On an average, we collect seven DNA samples every month and kits for the same are usually available. However, to collect samples of the kin of missing Indians, we need these kits in bulk, Dr Kuldeep, assistant professor in forensic department of the college said. He added, As per government directions, we are supposed to collect samples of three members of each family. We have to collect two samples of each person. One sample will be preserved in the lab and the other will be sent to Iraq. Collecting the samples for preserving them in the lab is easy, but we need proper kits to send them to Iraq. Meanwhile, deputy commissioner of Amritsar, Kamaldeep Singh Sangha, assured that the administration will provide the kits to the health officials on Monday. While in Amritsar the kin of nine of the missing Indians were left high and dry, health authorities in Gurdaspur on Saturday collected DNA samples of family members of three of missing 39. When asked how doctors in Gurdaspur district are able to collect these samples, Dr Kuldeep said they have collected only one sample from each person which will be preserved at the local lab. They too will require proper kit for samples to be sent to Iraq, he said. Meanwhile, sources said the external affairs ministry had sent the letter asking for the samples long back but the local authorities were informed about it only on Friday. Collection of samples in such short notice is difficult, said a medical college official. The Centre, in collaboration with authorities in Iraq, has started a fresh search to trace the 39 Indians who were kidnapped by the Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq, three years back. At the suggestion of some parliamentarians and Iraqi officials, the Centre is collecting DNA samples of the kin of the 39 missing Indians to determine their identity. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India will host Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday, the same day US secretary of state Rex Tillerson arrives in New Delhi for talks on a range of regional issues. The visits come after the US announced a new policy for Afghanistan in August, envisaging a greater role for India and blaming Pakistan for providing sanctuaries for terrorist outfits destabilising the region. Though the Trump administration warmed up to Islamabad after their security forces rescued an American-Canadian couple acting on US intelligence this month, the ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to be fragile. National security adviser Ajit Doval had extended on October 16 Prime Minister Narendra Modis invite to Ghani to visit Delhi as part of a series of efforts India is undertaking to ensure the peace process in Afghanistan remains an internal matter of that country. During his visit, President Ghani will hold discussions with Modi, who will also host a lunch in his honour, the external affairs ministry said in a statement. Both sides will have the opportunity to review the entire gamut of multifaceted bilateral strategic partnership, including the New Development Partnership; hold consultations and coordinate on furthering the shared objective of promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and efforts to combat the menace of terrorism, the statement said. India refused to send troops to Afghanistan but at various multilateral forums as well as their bilateral meetings, it repeated the commitment for training Afghan security personnel and helping in reconstruction of Afghanistan. New Delhi also wants countries to address what it thinks is the primary source of instability in Afghanistan the safe havens for terrorists in Pakistan. An official said terrorism was the biggest scourge for regional peace and ways to address this would be a common theme in the visits. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bihar government ordered an investigation on Monday into the adoption of three-year-old Sherin Mathews from an orphanage in the state, after she disappeared from her foster parents Texas home and her body was reportedly found. Wesley and Sini Mathews of Richardson city adopted Sherin in June 2016 from Mother Teresa Anath Sewa Ashram, an orphanage and adoption centre run by a non-government organisation in Bihars Nalanda. The centre has been in trouble since September 7 when the social welfare department ordered its closure for several shortcomings. But the order doesnt mention the nature of deficiencies. Sherins reported death prompted Nalanda district magistrate Thiyagarajan SM to set up a three-member team to ascertain if all norms of adoption were followed in this case. He warned of legal action against the NGO if any irregularity is found. The centre asserted it had followed stipulated norms. The last inspection was done at our centre in 2016. No team visited us thereafter and we did not get any show-cause notice either We will challenge the order in court, said Babita Kumari, secretary of the orphanage. The girl was seven months old when a childrens welfare organisation in Gaya gave her to the orphanage in February 2015 after she was rescued in the Buddhist pilgrimage town, according to Amit Kumar Paswan, chairman of the NGO. The American couple adopted her in the presence of the superintendent of police, he said. Sherins 37-year-old foster father sent her to stand next to a tree behind the fence at their home around 3am as punishment for not drinking her milk on October 7, according to the arrest affidavit. She disappeared from there and US police said a childs body found in a drain about half a mile from the house on Sunday fits the description. Kumari regretted giving Sherin, named Saraswati prior to her adoption, to the American couple. Her father should not have behaved in the manner he did, especially when he has a biological daughter. Our government should press for action against him, Kumari said. According to her, Sherin liked milk and was quite a sport too. It would have been better if she had stayed with us The child was crying inconsolably when the couple came to take her. We thought it was natural as she was suffering pangs of separation, Kumari said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Rajasthan government on Monday tabled in the assembly a controversial ordinance that shields public servants and politicians from investigation without the governments sanction. A lawyer has challenged in the Rajasthan high court the ordinance that also bars courts from taking up complaints against public servants, such as serving and former judges, lawmakers, ministers and officials. The criminal laws (Rajasthan amendment) ordinance, 2017, which was promulgated on September 7, also bars the media from naming an accused till the government gives its nod for investigation. Violators face up to two years in jail. The ordinance, which makes changes to the criminal procedure code (CrPC), has caused a huge uproar and the public interest litigation describes the ordinance as unconstitutional. Heres what the petition that challenges the ordinance says: 1. The criminal laws (Rajasthan amendment) ordinance, 2017, expands immunity against investigation and prosecution without the sanction of the government to panch, sarpanch, an MP, MLA, a cooperative society member, a university employees and others. 2. The arbitrary protection against investigation violates Articles 14 (right to equality) and 21 (right to life) of the Constitution, says the PIL. 3. The bill subverts independent investigation of erring bureaucrats and strikes at the core of rule of law and the principles of independent, unhampered, unbiased and efficient investigation. 4. It also takes away a citizens fundamental right for a fair investigation, which is a part of the right to life. 5. There is no reason to bring in the changes as public servants are already protected from vexatious litigation under Section 197 of the CrPC. 6. The bill usurps judiciarys powers. It takes away the power of a magistrate to direct police to register an FIR and probe a complaint, violating the basic structure of the Constitution. 7. It also goes against a five-judge constitution bench order. In Lalita Kumari vs State of UP case, the Supreme Court had ruled that an investigation in a cognisable offence couldnt be withheld and registering an FIR was mandatory. 8. The court also said sanction was only required for prosecution and not for opening an investigation. 9. The mandatory approval from the government will forewarn erring bureaucrats before an investigation can even begin. 10. It is not clear what the ordinance aims to achieve. The editors guild of India has dubbed the Rajasthan Governments decision to make the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 into an Act as an attempt to bludgeoning the messenger and curbing press freedom. The BJP-ruled state has announced that it will bring in the Code of Criminal Procedure (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill in the Rajasthan Assembly session that starts on Monday. The ordinance bars courts from taking up private complaints against public servants, such as serving and former judges, lawmakers, ministers and officials, without the governments sanction. It also bars the media from naming an accused until the government gives its nod for investigation. Critical of the ordinance promulgated by the Vasundhara Raje government last month, the editors body said though it was ostensibly done to protect the judiciary and the bureaucracy against false FIRs, in reality it is a pernicious instrument to harass the media, hide wrongful acts by government servants and drastically curb the freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution of India. It has urged the Rajasthan government to immediately withdraw the ordinance and desist from making it into law. Rather than taking stern measures to prevent and punish those who indulge in frivolous or false litigation, the Rajasthan government has passed an ordinance that is bent on bludgeoning the messenger. While the Guild has always stood for fair, balanced and responsible reporting of FIRs filed in courts of law, it believes that the remedy being employed by the Rajasthan government is draconian and gives it untrammelled power to even imprison journalists for reporting matters of public interest, it said in a statement. Legal experts have also criticised the move, questioning the restrictions the ordinance puts on freedom of the press. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Samajwadi Party will contest five of the 182 assembly seats in Gujarat and support the Congress in the rest, party president Akhilesh Yadav said on Monday. He said the party did not want a split in the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) votes and hence would contest only the seats where it has got strong organisational base. In Gujarat, we will be contesting five seats where our organisation is strong. We are not going to weaken the fight there (against the BJP). In the rest of the seats, the party will support Congress, he told reporters in Lucknow. The Congress and the Samajwadi Party had struck an alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the assembly elections earlier this year. The Congress had contested 105 of the 403 seats while the SP battled it out in 298 seats. Asked if he would campaign in Gujarat, the SP chief said, I will campaign where our candidates are in the fray. If any other party approaches me, I can campaign for it. Asked about the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to religious places, Yadav downplayed it, saying, I have also visited all religious places during my school tours. During Diwali, I also prayed with my family. When asked about the allegations of Narendra Patel, an activist of Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, that he was offered Rs 1 crore for joining the BJP, Yadav took a swipe at the saffron party, saying it was the most honest party. How can it do so? He also advised the mediapersons not to run the story, otherwise your channel will be closed. On the raging Taj Mahal controversy, he said it was the identity of the country and the Prime Minister had himself said in his speech that there was a need to attract tourism in the country. Had our government got NGT (National Green Tribunal) permission, we would have done more beautification work around the Taj, said Yadav, who was the chief minister of the state between 2012 and 2017. On the proposed air show on the Agra Expressway tomorrow, he said, We have got the expressway constructed so that in case of any emergency, planes can land on it. I want to ask the BJP, what is their definition of rashtrawad (Nationalism). They say we are not rashtrawadis (Nationalists). I want the pictures of the air show to be publicised so that our workers can tell who constructed this (expressway). The Election Commission has said that Gujarat will go to polls before December 18. The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the bail plea of Unitechs Sanjay Chandra and asked the real estate major to deposit Rs 1,000 crore to prove its bonafides. Refusing the bail plea, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud suggested that the partially complete flats of the real estate major spread over its 64 projects across the country be auctioned. The suggestion came after senior counsel Ranjit Kumar told the court the company could sell the flats in the 64 projects to raise money to refund the flat buyers. At the outset of the hearing, the amicus curiae Pawanshri Agrawal told the court that Rs 1,865 crore was needed to pay the flat buyers who want refunds. Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Unitech, urged that Chandra be granted bail for four to five weeks, adding he would during this period submit plans for raising the money for refunding the flat buyers. He argued that Chandra cannot raise the money required both for refunds and completing the ongoing projects without coming out. A woman was raped by a drunk man in full public view in broad daylight on a busy street in Visakhapatnam, police said on Monday, but dozens of passers-by filmed the crime instead of coming to her help. The incident took place in New Railway Colony between Tadichetlapalem and the railway station at around 2.30pm on Sunday. The accused, Ganji Siva, a 23-year-old truck cleaner, was arrested in the evening and was produced before the court on Monday. He was sent to two weeks of judicial remand. Visakhapatnam IV town police sub-inspector K Suresh told HT that the woman (43) had left her house two days ago after a family dispute. Apparently, she was very weak as she had not eaten for several hours and was sleeping on the footpath under the shadow of a tree, when Siva, in an inebriated condition assaulted her sexually, Suresh said. Passers-by did not bother to stop him even as the woman was too weak to even scream. Instead, some of them were more interested in capturing the incident on their mobile phones. After some time, an auto driver, RG Srinu, shot a short video of it and brought it to our notice, the policeman said. The video clip shows people walking past, while the man was sexually assaulting the woman. Even the auto driver did not stop the rape. It clearly shows how the people have become insensitive to attacks on women, Suresh said. By the time the police rushed to the spot, Siva had already left on his bike. Based on the information given by Srinu and other locals, the police traced Siva and took him into custody. They sent the woman to King George Hospital for medical examination. We have booked a case under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code, the police officer said, adding that the details of the woman were yet to be gathered. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON At a time when the state is still grappling with the Srijan scam, which which government funds worth hundreds of crores of rupees was fraudulently transferred to private accounts of an NGO, the government is faced with another scam of major proportions. The detection of illegal transfer of Rs 60-lakh of education department money into the account of a private travel agency at Darbhanga in north Bihar, has come as a shocker for the Bihar government. The development caused education minister Krishna Nandan Prasad Verma to order, on Monday, an inquiry into utilization of funds of the education department across the state. The irregularity came to light when Rs 60-lakh belonging to the education department was found illegally transferred to the account of a Narayan Tour and Travels, at the Gudri Bazaar branch of PNB at the north Bihar divisional headquarters town of Darbhanga. Darbhanga district education officer (DEO) Sudhir Kumar Jha, who held the charge of district programme officer (DPO), said that he had signed a cheque of IDBI Bank on March 16, 2016 for an amount of just 60,000. How it became Rs 60-lakh and got transferred to an account with the Donar branch of the Punjab and Sindh Bank, a few weeks later and from there reached the PNB account of Narayana Tour & Travels through national electronic funds transfer (NEFT) the same day, is a mystery, he said. However, Jhas plea could not convince the education department authorities, as he happens to be signing authority. He was put under suspension on Monday and a departmental inquiry has been ordered. He has been asked to report to headquarters during the suspension period. Special secretary, department of education, Vinod Kumar Singh, said a three-member committee comprising finance experts would investigate the matter. It is a serious matter. Following direction from the minister, we will now order special audit of the education department funds meant for scholarships, dress and bicycles, he added. Singh admitted that the modus operandi used for the fund defalcation was such that had stumped the department. The suspended DEO, on the other hand, said that he had been cheated by a clerk Dilip Pathak in connivance with some unscrupulous elements. Interestingly, both the clerk and the DEO have lodged FIRs against each other with the Laheriasarai police station. Asked if the DEO office had any link with the tour and travel agency in the past, the DEO feigned ignorance. There is no official account of the department in the Punjab and Sindh Bank. I am not even aware who opened the account and when. Besides, I had signed a cheque of Rs 60,000 (Rupees Sixty thousand), but a letter of the word hazaar (thousand) in Hindi was overwritten. So, the clerk got it signed from me and later wrote lakh in place of hazaar. Two zeros were also added to the numerical value, which can be detected, he added. Though the account of the DEO had around Rs 2-crore in it, only Rs 60-lakh was transferred. Now, the education department is wondering whether such practice was on for long and if this was happening at places other than Darbhanga also. Dilnawaz Ahmad, holding the charge of Darbhanga SSP, said that the irregularity had been proved and an investigation was on to fix accountability. Besides the two officials, some bank officials may also come under scanner, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Police arrested three men in Mumbais Versova early on Saturday after they allegedly stalked two women, passed lewd comments, molested them and threatened the driver of the auto-rickshaw they were seated in. Police said the accused also assaulted the brother of one of the women when he tried to defend them. They also assaulted an onlooker who had intervened. The accused, Rahul Revale, 25; Adil Khan, 21; and Yogesh Shevale, 24, all live in a slum pocket in Andheri (West) on the Juhu-Versova Link Road, said police. One of the women, who is 19 years old, had gone to a hotel in Juhu for dinner with her 21-year-old brother. They met the second woman and the three decided to return home together. Around 2.10am, their rickshaw reached Geeta Nagar on the Juhu-Versova Link Road. The three men began chasing them on a motorbike. According to the complaint filed with the police, all three men were drunk. One of them passed lewd remarks repeatedly and asked the driver to halt the rickshaw. When the driver ignored, the accused overtook the vehicle, blocking its path, forcing the driver to apply the brakes. The accused then tried to pull down one of the women. The brother got out and began hitting the men, who were unfazed and continued targeting the women. When a passerby tried to intervene, the men assaulted him. The police control room was alerted and officers reached the spot and took the men into custody. A case was filed under section 354 (sexual harassment), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (act done by several persons with common intention) of the IPC. A magistrate court remanded the men in police custody for a day. We have subjected them to medical test. We are also trying to ascertain if they have a past criminal record, said a Versova police officer. Firebrand Patidar leader Hardik Patel has rejected reports that he met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi at an Ahmedabad hotel on Monday. Local television channels ran CCTV footage that showed Patel entering the hotels premises late on Sunday night, and emerging around 4 pm the next day. Gandhi arrived at the same establishment around 1 pm on Monday. However, there was no visual evidence of the two meeting up, and HT was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the CCTV footage. The Congress had invited three young community representatives OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani and Patel for talks with Gandhi. While Thakor officially joined the Congress at a rally held in Gandhinagar, Mewani gave the event a miss. Patel refused to comment on speculations about his meeting with the Congress vice-president. I am busy right now. I will talk to you later, he told HT. Dinesh Bambania, a close aide, later said the two did not meet. Congress state president Bharatsinh Solanki earlier told mediapersons that Gandhis meeting with Patel had been postponed, and the two would interact during his next visit through November 1, 2 and 3. The 24-year-old Patidar leader, in turn, said interacting with Gandhi this time would be difficult because he was busy with rallies in north Gujarat. The grand old party offered tickets to all the three youth leaders, but Patel said he has no intention of contesting the polls. Sources say he is wary of siding with the Congress because it would provide the BJP with an opportunity to counter his influence on the politically significant community. Though Patidars are traditional supporters of the BJP, Patels rallies against the Gujarat government have so far received a good response from community members. Four members of a family, including two children, attempted self-immolation in front of the district collectors office in Tirunelveli, 600 km south of Chennai, on Monday morning after being allegedly harassed by a moneylender. The four were rushed to a government hospital, where three of them the mother and two children died. Hospital sources in Tirunelveli confirmed the deaths. The husband, Icchhati Muthu, is still battling for life at the government hospital. The four Muthu, Subbulakshi and their two children, five-year-old Madisaranya and one-and-a-half-year-old Akshya Bharani had suffered over 70% burns. Muthu, a labourer, according to a media report, and his family allegedly took the drastic action because he was being harassed and threatened by a local money lender over the repayment of a loan he had taken at a very huge interest. His brother told reporters that the money lenders men were threatening Muthu and he along with his family members had come to the collectors office to submit a memorandum. The brother who tried to put out the flames was also injured and was taken to hospital. District collector Sandeep Nanduri told reporters that a proper and thorough investigation will be done. He has already passed on the details of the case to the police superintendent who has formed a team to investigate the matter. Icchhati Muthu had taken a loan of Rs 1.40 lakh and has already repaid an amount of Rs 2 lakh, but even after this the money lender was harassing him for more money as compound interest for the loan. Collector Nanduri said that the problem of money lenders, prevalent in the district, will be thoroughly investigated. We will form special cell and a team exclusively to deal with the issue. We will form a helpline with the assistance of the revenue department, Nanduri said but added the issue has to be studied in depth and investigated before making any comment. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The run-up to the Gujarat election is heating up, with political leaders trading barbs ahead of elections in Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state. While the Opposition has attacked the ruling BJP over the Election Commissions decision to not announce Gujarat poll dates with those for Himachal Pradesh, a Patidar leader has accused the party of offering a bribe. Here are big developments related to the upcoming Gujarat elections from the past week: MONDAY Patidar leader alleges BJP offered him Rs 1-crore bribe A leader of the influential Patidar community in Gujarat carried wads of currency notes to a press conference, saying the ruling BJP offered him Rs 1 crore to join the party. Narendra Patel spoke to the press within hours of joining the BJP, which denied the allegations. Despite the statement, another Patidar leader, Nikhil Sawani, on Monday morning said he was leaving the BJP, upset over the Rs 1 crore offered to Patel. I am submitting my resignation on account of the unfulfilled promises that were made by the BJP for the betterment of the Patidar community, he said. The Patidar community, once a staunch supporter, is at war with the BJP over its demand for reservation in education and government jobs. The Patels account for 12-13% of the states population and can influence the outcome in around 50 of the states 182 seats. EC denting its own credibility, says Congress The Congress said on Monday that the Election Commission (EC) has allowed its own credibility to be dented by not announcing the poll dates in Gujarat, while adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not a shahenshah (emperor) and India was not his sultanat (empire). Does the Prime Minister have the authority legal or constitutional to prevent the announcement of the dates by the Election Commission for Gujarat elections? The credibility of ECI has been respected not only in this country but has inspired trust and confidence across the world. Today, the EC has allowed its own credibility to be dented by invoking the model code of conduct in the state of Gujarat, Congress leader Anand Sharma said. SUNDAY PM Modi hits out at Congress for questioning EC Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress on Sunday for questioning the Election Commission for not announcing the poll schedule for Gujarat along with Himachal Pradesh. The Congress has no moral right to question the constitutional body, Modi said. The Congress has alleged that the Modi-led government had pressured the EC to delay the announcement of Gujarat election schedule, so that the prime minister could offer sops to his home state before the model code of conduct came into force. Modi said he laid foundation stones or inaugurated development works of Rs 3,600 crore whereas the budget of Gujarat government a few years ago was Rs 10,000 crore. Modi inaugurated a Rs 650-crore roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) ferry service that reduces travel time by six hours between Saurashtra and South Gujarat in the election-bound state. Modi govt is a government of excuses: Congress The Congress on Sunday dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) dispensation as a government of excuses. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: Its (Modi government) a government of excuses, by excuses, for excuses, and for excuses. Every time something is not done, they say we were obstructed. He was reacting to PM Modis statement that he had to face the hostility of the Centre when he was the Gujarat CM in 2012. The Congress was then heading the UPA government at Centre. SATURDAY OBC leader Alpesh to join Congress, two Hardik aides embrace BJP Aggressive young Gujarat OBC leader Alpesh Thakore on Saturday announced he was joining the Congress, as state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki urged firebrand Patidar spearhead Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani to also join the party. The ruling BJP got a boost as two leaders from Patels Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) shook hands with the party. Thakore, who has emerged as a strong OBC leader along with Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mewani during the last two years, announced his move in New Delhi after a meeting with Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi. Soon after, Varun Patel and Reshma Patel, Patidar leaders closely associated with the PAAS movement, joined the BJP, praising the ruling party. Gujarat election is not a BJP-Cong fight: Hardik Patel Gujarats Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Saturday turned down the Congress invitation to fight the Gujarat assembly election jointly, saying the polls were not a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Congress fight. Patel was responding to Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki invitation to him and other caste-based leaders to join in the fight against the BJP in the Gujarat Assembly polls. FRIDAY Chidambaram says EC on extended holiday Congress leader P Chidambaram took a swipe at the Election Commission for not announcing the schedule for the upcoming polls in Gujarat yet, saying wryly it has authorised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the dates at his last rally in the state. In a series of tweets, the former finance and home minister said the Election Commission will be recalled from its extended holiday after the Gujarat government has announced all concessions and freebies. The remarks came before Modis visit to Gujarat on Sunday. Chidambarams criticism of EC part of save Rahul campaign The BJP said on Friday that Congress leader P Chidambarams criticism of the Election Commission for not announcing Gujarat poll dates was part of the partys save Rahul campaign as it fears that a defeat in the election will stall his elevation to the post of party chief. BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao defended the Election Commissions decision of not announcing the Gujarat poll dates with that of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election, saying the model code of conduct is expected to be in force for not more than 45 days and the election in the western state was expected in December. WEDNESDAY Gujarat government doles out sops Ahead of assembly polls in Gujarat, the state government has announced a slew of sops for teachers, employees of municipalities and others. The polls are due later this year. The government said fixed-pay teachers of government- aided secondary and higher secondary schools across the state would get a significant hike in their salaries. Employees of 105 municipalities would now get salaries according to the provisions of the 7th Pay Commission. The Gujarat government also raised the annual income cap from Rs 1.50 lakh to Rs 2.50 lakh for the Ma-Vatsalya scheme for free medical treatment of up to Rs 2 lakh for serious ailments. TUESDAY HC refuses to take up PIL against EC not giving poll dates The Gujarat High Court refused to take up a PIL challenging the decision of the Election Commission to not announce the dates of assembly elections for the state along with that of Himachal Pradesh. MONDAY There will be rain of jumlas now, Rahul mocks Modis Gujarat visit As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in poll-bound Gujarat on Monday, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday mockingly said that it would see a rain of jumlas. Mausam ka haal: Chunao se pehle Gujarat mai aaj hogi jumlo ki barish (Before the polls in Gujarat, there will be a rain of jumlas), said Gandhi on Twitter, attaching a Hindustan Times report. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Achal Kumar Joti on Monday said multiple factors, including the weather, had come into play when deciding why to hold elections in Himachal Pradesh earlier than Gujarat. In an exclusive interview to ANI, Joti said political parties and the state administration in Himachal Pradesh had requested the election commission to organise the polls before mid-November as there was probability of snowfall in three districts of the hill state. When we went to Himachal Pradesh, the state election commission there, political parties and the state administration had said three districts - Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti and Chamba - are likely to experience snowfall. Therefore, a request made to conduct the elections in early November so that voters do not get affected and can cast their votes, said Joti. The CEC further said the election commission will plan the poll schedule in Gujarat in such a way the outcome of the (Himachal Pradesh) result should not affect the voting in Gujarat. Another main reason is that Himachal and Gujarat are not adjoining states. If multiple states go for polls, they are adjoining states. The EC has always made sure that the voting pattern of one state does not affect the voting pattern of another state, and that is why the counting period in Himachal Pradesh has been kept for December 18, Joti told ANI. The CEC, citing an office memorandum issued by the ministry of law and justice in 2001 and approved by the Supreme Court, said, The commission will announce the date of any election which will be a date ordinarily not more than three weeks prior to the date on which the notification is likely to be issued in wake of elections. The day we make the announcement, the model code of conduct is applied from that day till the poll is over. So, if the states share the border, it should have been an issue, but with Gujarat, the situation is very different. Referring to the Gujarat floods, which claimed hundreds of lives and caused huge damage to infrastructure, the CEC said the state had to undergo restoration before elections could be organised. Joti also underlined the fact that the government staff which would carry out the restoration work is the same lot which would carry out services during the elections. In July, parts of Gujarat were ravaged by incessant rains and floods that claimed more than 200 lives. And at a time when restoration work is done, it involves a lot of government force. A total of 26,443 employees of the state government will be given election duties. So the staff, which manages the restoration work, will only be assigned election duties as we dont supply staff, he said. So, once the moral code of conduct is implemented, these government employees will have to leave all the revamping and start performing their duties in connection with elections, he added. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanaths push to promote Hindu pilgrimage sites in recent months has sparked a political controversy with experts saying the move indicated that Hindutva will remain a key poll plank for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of crucial elections. The opposition has protested the state governments decisions to allocate funds for holy Hindu sites and leave out others in the temple town of Ayodhya alone, projects worth Rs 483 crore have been unveiled in six months while the Taj Mahal has received a fraction of the funds and called it selective development. But political analysts say the push is part of a careful BJP strategy to retain the Hindu vote ahead of rural body elections scheduled later this year the first big electoral test for Adityanath who swept to power in March and Lok Sabha polls in 2019. Having successfully made inroads into the OBC vote bank of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Dalit base of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the 2017 UP election, the BJP is eager to ensure that Hindus continue to vote for it, something the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had been working on for quite some time, said Athar Siddiqui from the Centre for Objective Research and Development. The BJP won a two-thirds majority in the assembly elections on a development plank with the prime minister promising to make UP one of Indias poorest states into a manufacturing and jobs hub. Similar promises were made when the BJP swept the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. But analysts now feel that that the saffron party wants to keep alive Hindutva issues that propelled it to national importance in the 90s, on the back of a movement around the building of a Ram Temple. The Ram Temple issue, along with plans to rebuild temples ignored by previous regimes, have made a return to the state governments agenda. Adityanath has also made special budgetary provisions to develop the temple towns of Mathura, Varanasi and Ayodhya. Adityanaths religious trail could well be an attempt to keep the Hindu voters engaged. Who knows closer to 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which some feel could be advanced, the BJP might have a surprise or two in store on the Ayodhya temple issue too, added Siddiqui. The government is looking to develop other Hindu religious sites such as Chitrakoot where Hindu god Ram is believed to have spent a majority of his 14-year exile and hold the Ardh Kumbh in Allahabad in 2019 on a grand scale. The Opposition is up in arms with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accusing the BJP of playing an emotional, religious card. This government is merely trying to divert public opinion by playing up such issues, Yadav said in Meerut on Sunday. Yogis religious pilgrimage trail Three visits to Ayodhya, sanctioning 483 crore for development work in the town from where the temple issue powered the BJPs rise in the 90s. Special budgetary provisions for development of Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi in the UP governments first budget Lifting of ban on music for kanwariyas (Shiva pilgrims) in February and ordering hte pruning of fig trees considered inauspicious by the kanwariyas. Grand Janmashtami celebrations in UP in August. The government accused previous administrations of banning similarevents, including those that took place at police stations to mark the supposed birth of Hindu god Krishna. In his first foreign visit as chief minister, Yogi described Myanmar as Brahmdesh and marketed the Buddha, Ramayana and Krishna circuits his government was developing in UP. He also used the occasion to extend an invite to the people in Myanmar to visit the Ardh-Kumbh in Allahabad in 2019. A special meeting of the Adityanath cabinet in Allahabad to formalise decisions, especially on the Ardh Kumbh. Grand Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya, and an even grander Dev Dipawali celebrations in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the home of the famous Jyotirling Kashi Vishwanath temple. BSP president Mayawati, who has already announced plans to hold a rally every month in UP and to contest the Novembers civic polls on her party symbol, is expected to raise the issue during her public meeting from Azamgarh the parliamentary constituency of Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday. But the BJP is unfazed and on Monday, began screening candidates for the rural body polls. For 15 years, you saw how a particular community was suppressed in the name of appeasement. Now, as we work on restoring the balance after having declared plans to work on sabka saath, sabka vikas our political rivals are seeing politics in it, said state BJP leader Manish Shukla. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot and several party leaders were briefly detained by the police Monday soon after they formed a human chain outside the Assembly and took out a march against the state government tabling bill that protects judges, magistrates and public servants from being investigated without its prior sanction. After the Assembly was adjourned for the day, Congress MLAs and workers assembled at Jyoti Nagar T-point, from where Pilot was to lead a march to the Raj Bhawan to hand over a representation against the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2017. Soon after the march began, the police detained Pilot and others and took them to the Bajaj Nagar police station. They were later released. With this bill, the BJP government wants to institutionalize corruption. We will not let the government pass the bill. If the government passes the bill using its majority in the House, the Congress will repeal it when the party comes in power, Pilot said. He said the bill violates the fundamental right of freedom of expression. The BJP government is playing with public sentiments by bringing such bills, he said. Pilot said the ordinance was promulgated as Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje feared that she might be in trouble due to corruption. A party delegation later submitted a memorandum at Governor House in the name of President of India, urging to direct BJP government to stop the non-statutory action to safeguard constitutional and fundamental rights. The 200-member Rajasthan Assembly has 160 BJP MLAs. The Congress has 24 members, National Peoples Party (NPP) 4, Independents 7, BSP 2 and the National Unionist Zamindara Party 2. One seat is vacant. Dairy industry will be developed in Rajasthan to increase the income of milk producers and cattle raisers, chief minister Vasundhara Raje said on Monday said. Dairy industry will reach new heights, Raje said in Ajmer. The government will release Rs 100 crore to strengthen milk unions, which will ensure competitive price to producers and availability of quality milk at a reasonable cost, she said. The fund will directly benefit nine lakh milk producers in the state. Raje was addressing a public meeting after announcing development works of Rs 356 crore for Ajmer district. She laid the foundation stone of a milk pasteurisation and powder plant at Ajmer Dairy. She also inaugurated a project for road widening and construction of a divider at Rs 7.62 crore from Ashok Udhyan to SDS Crossroad. Raje inaugurated Abhay Command Control Centre built at Rs 40 crore, which will help police in surveillance, vehicle tracking and mob control. She also opened the Ajmer Development Authoritys Rs 57-crore scheme Vijayaraje Scindia Nagar. The four-laned national highway from Kishangarh to Gujarat border will be expanded to six lanes with Rs 4000 crore. The BJP government has approved Rs 6330 crore for Ajmer district in last three and a half years, she said. With the governments efforts, Rajasthan has become a leading state in milk production and today Saras has become a brand of purity and quality, Raje said. Soon production of chocolate will start in Bhilwara, cheese in Bikaner and cattle feed in Pali. The new plant at Ajmer Dairy will facilitate collection of 10 lakh litres milk per day, production of 30 metric tonnes milk powder and packaging of 4 lakh litres. According to the demand of the market, mozzarella cheese, paneer, flavoured milk, butter with new flavour and other new products will be made, she said. Cooperative minister Ajay Singh Kilak, minister of state for education Vasudev Devnani, and minister of state for woman and child development Anita Bhadel were present on the occasion. Major announcements by CM * New government colleges will be opened in Masuda assembly constituency, Arai, Dudu and Bijolia * Sanskrit School at Sawar will be upgraded to a college * Gundolav lake in Kishangarh and Kanak Sagar lake in Kekri will be developed on the lines of Annasagar lake in Ajmer * New sub-divisional offices of AVVNL at Peesangan, Arai and Bhinai * Two new branches of Central Cooperative Bank will be opened at Sawar and Roopangarh The ancestral house of Rabindranath Tagore at Jorasanko in north Kolkata that was once the crucible of creativity in literature and music, fine arts and drama, will finally have its own light and sound show that will highlight the role of the family members in Indian history. Several members of the Tagore family were gifted with exceptional qualities and were engaged in creative pursuits in different fields. Apart from Tagore, who was the first Asian to win a Nobel prize, Abanindranath Tagore (1861-1941) and Gaganendranath Tagore (1867-1938) were masters of the Bengal school of art. Satyendranath Tagore (1842-1923) was the first Indian to join ICS. Jyotirindranath Tagore (1849-1925) was an artist, music composer and theatre personality. The poets grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore (1794-1846) was one of the earliest entrepreneurs of the country, who ventured in different sectors such as banking, ship building and salt making. Read: No plans to remove Tagore from school books: Javadekar The project is a brain child of Rabindra Bharati University that is located in the same campus. The tourism department is providing the funds and technical support. Tagores ancestral house is a major tourist attraction and the show will add to the appeal, tourism minister Gautam Deb told HT. The shows will start this winter. They would be held round the year except during the monsoons. The show will comprise 3D life-like images composed of light and laser beams. Tagores own voice will be used in the narration that will be done by actor Soumitra Chatterjee and elocutionist Bratati Bandyopadhyay. Each show will be able to accommodate about 100 viewers. There will be two shows, the first one being at 7 pm. The project will be launched with Bengali shows. Hindi and English versions will be added subsequently. The facade of the house will be used as the screen to project the images. After prayers at the Chantelle Abbey in Allier, central France, a marketing meeting between the abbeys nuns and their employees discusses the latest orders for its on-site soap and cosmetics products, the delivery destination: Germany. The community of Benedictine sisters has been manufacturing cosmetics since 1954, after two sisters, a chemist and a mathematician, began the practice. Body lotions, shower gels and moisturisers are among the products made in the abbeys own laboratory, where the nuns acknowledge they must now make time for prayer and business. A company, must develop or it dies, said Mother Pascale, dressed in a veil and scapular while supervising production. We have needed to develop, to make more turnover and to modernise our clientele, she added, sounding more business executive than spiritual leader. For the Benedictines, manual labour is imperative to respect the rule of Saint Benedict, which dates back to the sixth century. As long as it is not during the hours of prayer, the sisters can work on the products, from conception to packaging. The Saint-Vincent abbey in Chantelle. Sisters at the Saint-Vincent abbey in Chantelle, who employ some ten non-religious people, have been manufacturing beauty products since 1954 thanks to two of them, one a chemist and the other a mathematician. (AFP) Even Sister Marie-Suzanne, at the age of 97, and dean of the abbey, is involved in the work. But in order to meet the demand, the abbey has hired some 10 non-religious employees to help with the production. The purpose is not to look for money to grow rich. We are not planning to do a stock listing! But to make a living with a reasonable margin, said Mother Pascale. Sold in monasteries, boutique shops and on the internet the abbey even has a Facebook page the cosmetics are mainly created from natural products and generated one million euros ($1.2 million) in sales last year. Much of the money is used to renovate and repair the 7th century abbeys many beautiful, yet old, ramparts and monastic buildings. We live in beauty but the renovations are expensive. We have redone the roof, and the rooms we live in... but it never ends, sighed the abbess. An employee manufacturing cosmetics products uses a labelling machine as he packages products at the Saint-Vincent abbey in Chantelle. (AFP) Expanding businesses The market for abbey-made products is far from unique to France, and is at least as developed in Germany and to a lesser extent in Britain. Across France, some 250 to 300 communities dedicated to prayer sell products or services. From biscuits to jam and honey, to gluten-free products and organic vegetables, men and women of the cloth have expanded into a variety of businesses. The Abbey of St Wandrille, founded in 649, restarted the production of monastic beer last year with great success. The community has sold more than 100,000 bottles in less than a year, more than half on site. Sister Elie Marie (L) and a non-religious employee package soap at the Saint-Vincent abbey in Chantelle. (AFP) The Grande Chartreuse monastery, in Isere, has experienced even greater success marketing its alcohol. It distills a liqueur, created from a mix of 130 plants, that has a natural green colour -- the exact recipe only known by two of the abbeys monks. The business now employs 58 people in its factory in Voiron and had some 17 million euros in sales in 2015. Citeaux Abbey, in Burgundy, known for its washed rind cheese made from cows milk, posted 1.2 million euros in sales last year. Much of the cheese is sold on-site but also in places as far away as Dubai, Montreal and Tokyo. Fifteen days ago, I received a call from a company that helps businesses in difficulty, explained Father Jean-Claude. I told him: Yes, I have a problem. We produce 120,000 cheeses a year, but we have demand for more than 160,000! Packages of Eau de Cologne perfume are pictured at the Saint-Vincent abbey. (AFP) Look for the Lord To protect the image of their products and avoid unfair competition, more than 200 communities have formed an association and created the Monastic mark to certify the authenticity of products from monasteries. But despite the growth of some of their businesses, some analysts argue that many monasteries lack opportunities to expand. The vast majority of communities have modest productions because the place of the work remains very limited, said Marie-Catherine Paquier, author of a thesis on the purchase of monastic products. Packages of shower gels are pictured at the Saint-Vincent abbey. (AFP) The total market for Made in Abbeys products is estimated to be 75 million euros a year, she said. If the market expands, business-minded nuns and monks may increasingly have to reconcile spirituality with potential profitability. Mother Pascale at Chantelle recognises it could pose a problem, but insists: The priority, is to look for the Lord. A technical snag on an Air India (AI) flight left Mumbai-bound passengers stranded at Singapore for almost a day. The flight, AI 343, was to take off at 7.15pm as per Singapore local time (more than two hours ahead of IST) on Sunday, but was rescheduled to 10.45pm, and finally took off around 5.45pm on Monday. An AI spokesman said technical issues were responsible for the delay. The aircraft was to fly from Chennai to Singapore. It was being repaired after some engineering issues were detected. It however had to be grounded at the last minute, owing to which the aircraft did not reach Singapore and the flight was cancelled. Passengers were provided hotel accommodation. Apart from a few passengers who chose to fly on Sunday, all others were accommodated on the same flight on Monday, said the spokesman. Passengers alleged the airline didnt tell them that the flight was cancelled till almost four hours after the scheduled departure time. Pranali Sahasrabudhe, an architect from Mumbai, who was on her first solo trip to Singapore, said, We were first told our flight was delayed for three hours and would depart around 10.45pm. It was then extended to 11.45pm, after which they gave us food. It was only after dinner that we got to know that the flight was cancelled. Passengers were put up in a hotel at night. The situation would have been handled better, if the officials had kept us in the loop. Puzzled, some families then flew by a private airline, said another passenger. Of the 200 passengers, 20 took another flight at night. The airline staff couldnt confirm if the flight would take off even on Monday. When I asked an official, he said there were no flights till 4.30pm and the only direct flight was already full, said Sahasrabudhe. By the end of this month, the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government will have completed three years in power. The governments anniversary comes at a time when it is trying to start disbursing farm loan waivers worth Rs34,000 crore. In all probability, the loan waiver will be projected as a major achievement of the government when it goes to the polls in 2019. Little wonder, then, that chief minister Fadnavis is pulling out all the stops to make it a success. The past three years have been a mixed bag for the government, though it did not have much trouble politically. It functioned well even as the BJP did not have a complete majority and had to rely on the support of troublesome ally Shiv Sena. A lot of credit goes to Fadnavis, who displayed his political management skills. He did not let the Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party corner his government over any issues. At the same time, he ensured that skirmishes with the Sena did not affect his government. It is now a well-known fact that the Sena makes noise against the BJP outside the government, but doesnt create any problems for Fadnavis inside. The two major agitations first by the politically strong Maratha community for reservation in government jobs and education and second by the farmers outfits seeking a loan waiver seem to have fizzled out. The BJP has achieved success in the elections to municipal and district bodies that were held earlier this year. The biggest difference between the previous government and the current one is that Fadnavis is seen taking action. The perception of policy paralysis is gone. A number of infrastructure projects have been put on track. Efforts are being made to project Maharashtra as an investor-friendly state. Its not as though the government did not face any problems this year and everything in the state was hunky-dory. Allegations that housing minister Prakash Mehta helped builders rocked the assembly. Social justice minister Rajkumar Badole was accused of vested interests when his daughters name appeared in the list of socially backward class students getting government aid to study abroad. Fadnavis chose to defend his ministers, refusing to take action against them. His task was made easier by the Opposition that failed to corner him over the issue. Still, he has certain problems at hand, which are not as easy as tackling the Opposition. The agrarian crisis is far from over. Farmers continue to commit suicide even as the government has announced loan waivers, underlining just how serious the problem is. A number of farmers along the proposed Mumbai-Nagpur expressway are still opposing the acquisition of their fertile land for the project. Post demonetisation, there has been a slowdown in certain sectors. The GST is likely to impact the states revenue in the short run. Fadnavis has less than two years in hand 18 months if the state assembly elections are held along with the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. With the government more than Rs4 lakh crore in debt and not much increase in revenue, Fadnavis and his finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar will have to do a lot of tightrope walking. They will need funds to take up new projects or new populist schemes in the run-up to the elections. How Fadnavis manages this remains to be seen. Significantly, the vibes in the BJP camp are that Fadnavis is unlikely to get much support from within the government. For the past three years, he has been running the government tightly. Some of his ministers complain that they do not get enough freedom to run their departments the way they want to. Naturally, the onus of how his government performs will be entirely on him. The BJP will contest the next election under his leadership. It also means Fadnavis will have to deliver on his promises in the coming days. His slog overs have begun and he will have to hit every ball that comes his way. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Organs from a 22-year-old, who was declared brain-dead after a road accident in Mira Road on October 21, recently gave a new lease of life to four patients. Pratik Uchil, who worked with travel firm in Malad, met with an accident on October 20, when was riding his motorbike. He was taken to Orbit Hospital, from where he was referred to Wockhardt Hospital in Mira Road. Uchil was declared brain-dead the next morning. Rupa, Uchils mother who works with Wockhardt Hospital, convinced her family members to donate the organs, said doctors. Uchil was brought to the hospital within two hours of the accident. He was kept on ventilator support. His condition didnt improve through the night, said Ravi Hirwani, head of the Mira Road hospital. Uchils father was not in the country, but his family spoke to him over the phone for consent. The hospital retrieved two kidneys, liver and corneas, of which one kidney and liver was donated to in-house patients. The other kidney was sent to PD Hinduja Hospital, Mahim. The corneas were retrieved by Rotary Club, Borivli. This year, organ donations from 49 brain-dead patients have helped 143 patients on waiting list. Mumbai witnessed 35 heart, one lung, 66 kidney and 42 liver lung transplants this year. Will the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) be able to recreate the energy it had in 2008, which led to its electoral success a year later? In 2008, the MNS ran a campaign against north Indians living in the state, attacking migrant hawkers, taxi drivers and workers. At the time, the action seemed to have resonated with young Maharashtrian voters who felt that they were losing out on opportunities because of north Indian migrants. Since the past two days, the MNS has been targeting hawkers in the vicinity of railway stations, and it plans to continue this agitation, in the hope of using peoples anger and frustration with the Railways, following the stampede on the Elphinstone Road station foot-over bridge on September 29 that killed 23 commuters, to gain popularity. A lot of criticism has been directed against the railway administration for not preventing hawkers from blocking the limited space on foot-over bridges as well as at the entry/exit points at stations, and the MNS is hoping to use this to revive itself. On Saturday morning, MNS workers were seen ransacking stalls, throwing away wares and assaulting hawkers at various railway stations such as Thane, Kalyan, Vasai, Nalasopara and Wadala. This comes after Raj Thackerays protest march following the stampede on October 5, when he warned the railway administration that his workers would evict hawkers MNS-style if they did not clear access to railway stations in 15 days. Though the police have started arresting party workers in connection with these attacks, party sources said they will continue the violent agitation, but neither MNS workers nor political analysts have any conviction that this campaign will actually improve the partys fortunes. Political commentator Surendra Jondhale said people are no longer enthused by the MNS vandalism. It was a different era altogether in 2008. Now, people no longer take Raj Thackeray seriously. He is seen more as a nuisance than a serious politician, Jondhale said. In private, MNS workers admit that the ground reality has changed in the past few years, and that 2008s enthusiasm is missing. There is confusion among workers owing to lack of direction from the top leadership. In addition, the party has not stood by its workers who are facing several legal cases; we have been left to fend for ourselves, said a MNS functionary, who refused to come on record. There is widespread feeling among MNS workers that Rajsaheb is surrounded by a coterie that has no mass base and that he is cut off from ground reality. The defection of six Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) corporators to its arch-rival Shiv Sena has further dented the MNS image. The partys been on the back foot since its defeat in the 2014 Assembly polls, and this years loss in the BMC elections worsened the situation. Over the last few months, Thackeray has been doing everything to reinvent his party, including appointing youngsters in key posts, consistently attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and trying to tap the anger against the ruling party, and leading a morcha against the railway administration. In its early days, it had seen huge success, bagging 13 Assembly seats and 28 seats in the BMC. However, in 2014, it faced a humiliating defeat with its Assembly tally dipping to just one legislator; in the 2017 civic polls, its tally slipped to seven corporators. After the 2014 elections, the MNS saw defections by many top leaders such as like Pravin Darekar and Vasant Gite, who joined the BJP. And now, six of Thackerays seven BMC corporators have defected to the Shiv Sena. MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande denied that the party workers are demoralised. The workers are geared up for any agitation, and we have received a lot of public support for our railway agitation. We dont plan agitations keeping in mind political gains, we do it for the welfare of the people, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday blamed the Union agriculture ministry for its casual approach towards the sale of lethal pesticides in the market that led to deaths of at least 50 farmers in Vidarbha region. We have stringent laws to prevent harmful pesticides being supplied to the farmers. In Delhi, an independent agency certifies pesticides. Even if harmful pesticides are supplied to the farmers then the Union agriculture ministry is certainly responsible for that, Pawar tweeted on Monday. Pawar said in 10 years of his stint as Union agriculture minister, no one was allowed to use harmful pesticides and strictest action was taken against those found guilty. Pawar was at an all-party felicitation programme at Amravati to mark his 76th birthday and his contribution as a Parliamentarian for 50 years. At least 50 farmers died of suspected pesticide poisoning in Vidarbha since August this year and most deaths were reported from Yavatmal, a major cotton-growing district that has often been in the news for farmer suicides. According to Pawar, it was a very unfortunate thing because there is a law on the use of pesticides and an independent institute to oversee it. Besides, pesticides cannot be used without the consent of this institute, he said. The Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) that comes under the Union agriculture ministry certifies all the pesticides in the country. Speaking on the occasion, Pawar said farmers should not oppose the Nagpur-Mumbai Express Highway. Instead of opposing it, they should try to get more compensation from the government. Residents of Gautam Budh Nagar can now approach the DM War Room to complain if any of the electricity transformers are found to be not working. The district administration is reaching out to people to make them aware of the state order which makes it compulsory for the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited to repair faulty transformers within three days of the complaint received. We want to reach out to the public to confirm if the electricity department is doing their job properly or not. According to the state policy, if any transformer stops working, it should be repaired within three days, said BN Singh, district magistrate. DMs War Room is a control room set up by the district magistrate to attend to various issues faced by the citizens for redressal. Power consumers can lodge their complaints on 9871428532. The umbrella organisation of various residents welfare associations in Noida has also welcomed the move hoping that it will bring transparency to the system. It is a good move by the administration to sort out the issues of residents. People should also be able to inform the sub divisional magistrate in the event of any problem. Officers who do not act on time will be pulled up by the higher authorities, said AN Dhawan, secretary general, Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Associations. Few weeks ago, hundreds of residents of Arihant Arden group housing society in Sector 1 of Greater Noida were forced to do without electricity after the transformer got damaged. Residents had to pay 19 per unit for power supplied to them thought a genset. Residents started posting messages on Twitter after getting in touch with the builder and officials of the Noida Power Corporation Limited (NPCL), but nothing was done for four days. NPCL supplies power to Greater Noida. Read I Noida to get 50 transformers for improved power supply People can inform us about any non-functional transformer if it has not been attended to on time by the electricity department concerned. Action will be taken against the ones found lax while performing their duties. We want the feedback of the people on whether the state policies have been implemented properly or not, Singh said. UPPCL, in its report, has claimed that all the transformers are in good condition and the administration wants to verify its claim from the consumers. Identity of the complainant will be kept confidential, the district magistrate said. A gang of thieves late Sunday night targeted scores of cars parked outside houses in residential locality of Govindpuram in Ghaziabad. According to the police, the gang targeted their cars and escaped with batteries after which 17 residents came forward and filed a police complaint. The incident took place at G block in Govindpuram residential locality as a gang of three men came in a car and targeted the parked vehicles of residents. According to different estimates by residents, the gang targeted 30-50 cars at night. In our lane, the gang targeted 18 cars. The same incident took place in other lanes of G block. According to an estimate, the gang targeted nearly 50 cars and were looking to take out batteries. According to CCTV footage, they remained in our area from midnight to 3am. They also escaped with the battery of my Wagon-R car, said Amit Kumar Pal, one of the residents. The men had come in a silver coloured car and their movements were captured by a CCTV camera installed outside one of the houses. They also tried to pull out the battery from my Ritz, but they did not succeed. The inside portion of my car was damaged in a couple of places due to forced movement of screw drivers, said Avdhesh Kumar, one of the residents. The G block has several lanes of houses and the gang roamed around in their car and tried to open many cars belonging to residents. There is hardly any movement of police PCR vans in internal lanes. The vans generally move on outer lanes and the main roads. Taking advantage, the gang performed the act very easily. This is the first time that such an incident has taken place here, said Manish Tyagi, another resident. On the other hand, the police said that they have received complaints from 17 residents of the locality so far. Our regular police post in charge was is down with dengue for last three days and another officer was posted in his place. However, the incident still happened and we have filed an FIR. We have also stepped up PCR movements and have also procured the CCTV footage of the incident. However, the men or their cars registration number cannot be seen clearly in the footage, said Atish Kumar Singh, circle officer (city II). The incidents of battery thefts are not new in Ghaziabad. In December last year, a gang escaped with batteries in a similar manner from Brij Vihar locality. In July, a similar incident took place and the gang escaped with batteries from 21 different Maruti models from Vaishali locality. We suspect that it could be the handiwork of the same gang or perhaps, some new gang has arrived from outside the district, Singh added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prior to his first official visit to India which begins today, US Secretary of State Tillerson chose to make a major policy speech on October 18 at the prestigious Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, entitled defining our relationship with India for the next century. There was much in his comments marking continuity and consolidation from steps taken by previous US administrations, since President Clintons ice breaking visit to India in 2000. However, there were significant new elements and formulations which will test the willingness and capabilities of both the countries. President Clintons visit had followed US re-evaluation after initially orchestrating condemnation and sanctions against India in the wake of our nuclear tests in May 1998. President Bush cut the Gordian knot with the civil nuclear cooperation agreement, which also enabled cooperation in higher levels of technology in other areas, including defence. President Obama became the first US President to visit India twice in his tenure, the first to visit as chief guest on our Republic Day, to articulate support for Indias permanent membership in UN Security Council, and to declare India a Major Defence Partner. Hillary Clinton, as secretary of state, had delivered remarks on India and the United States: A vision for the 21st century in Chennai on July 20, 2011 touching on themes similar to Tillerson, including the potential for collaboration in the Asia- Pacific region, and had often used the phrase Indo- Pacific as a deliberate geopolitical signal welcoming Indias growing role in this wider region. Secretary Tillerson this time added that security issues that concern India are concerns of the United States. Short of a formal alliance commitment, this is a significant commitment to Indias sovereignty and security. If the US works to operationalise this commitment on a sustained basis, to enhance Indias security capacity, higher level technology releases, creating space for Indias economic rise, fully embracing its role as a leading player in the international security arena, clearly new vistas will open for the bilateral relationship. Tillerson also said that India and United States should be in the business of equipping other countries to defend their sovereignty. It could be legitimately asked if he is signalling a US willingness to contribute to Make in India in defence, and potential export of defence related equipment from India. Many analysts have argued that President Bushs strategic opening to India was guided by the need to shape the environment around the rise of China. The Obama administration, while also recognising this compulsion, often gave varying signals. In its early phase in 2009- 2010, it often spoke of strategic reassurance to China, of accommodating its rise and a peaceful integration into the international mainstream. However, faced with Chinas challenge to international norms, it also spoke of a pivot or rebalance in Asia, but was unable to take any meaningful steps because of new challenges and commitments in West Asia and Europe. President Trumps comments on China have also swayed between calls for action against to cooperation with. He will be visiting China on November 8, and what he will say there remains to be seen. Tillersons comments on China, however, were among the strongest from any senior US leader. He spoke of Chinas rise being less responsible (compared to India), undermining the international, rules- based order Chinas provocative actions in the South China Seapredatory economics etc. Given the challenges in our own relationship with China, a realistic US assessment of the consequences of Chinas rise, and willingness to strengthen India will naturally be welcomed here. China would also approach its issues with India differently if it sees international support rallying behind India. However, the US relationship with China will be a complex dance. There are strong trade, investment and financial interlinkages for the US to consider a Soviet Union like containment approach. The likely scenario will be of cooperation and push back, and seeking partnerships to shape the environment in the Asia Pacific to condition Chinese actions and responses. In responding to the US overture, therefore, India will need to be nimble in its responses, not expect too much, but also seize the opportunities. While reassuring in this speech on China, Tillerson was perhaps less so on Pakistan. He spoke of Pakistan being an important US partner in South Asia, and that US relationships in the region stand on their own merits. While India would also welcome such de-hyphenation, more would have been expected than merely expect(ing) Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorist groups based within their own borders. He obviously did not want to queer the pitch before his own visit there on the way to India, or the present short term US strategy to give Pakistan some time to respond to the demands from the new administration. It can also be expected that after giving some reassurances on China, Tillerson may seek to persuade Indian leaders to kick start some process with Pakistan. Tillersons visit is important. President Trump has signalled positively on India, including during the PMs visit in June. Defence secretary Mattis has committed to advancing cooperation. It is helpful to get a buy in for the relationship also from Tillerson, despite the criticism and uncertainties he faces in the US about the effectiveness of his role so far, and the volatility of his relationship with Trump. Arun K Singh is a former Indian Ambassador to the United States The views expressed are personal The Imarat Shariah, a socio-religious organisation of Muslims with jurisdiction over Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha, plans to open three schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) from the coming session to provide quality education to suit modern employment needs of Muslim students. This is the first ever time that the organisation is taking such a step. Maulana Anisur Rahman Qasmi, secretary, Imarat Shariah, Phulwarisharif, Patna, told HT that the three CBSE schools would be opened in Ranchi, Giridih and Purnia in the first phase and these would start functioning from the next session. We intend to open more CBSE schools. After the first phase, we will open 8-10 more, depending on land availability in the next couple of years. The Imarat board cleared the proposal nearly a year ago and we are working in that direction with the help of public donation, he said. The modern CBSE schools will be in addition to the madarsas being run by the organisation, Rahman said. The need for CBSE schools was felt, as the government schools were not able to live up to expectations. Initially, the schools will be for day scholars, but gradually we will develop residential facilities too. Qasmi said earlier the focus of the Imarat Shariah was on education in madarsas only, but it is the demand of time to think beyond. We ran three middle schools earlier also, but now we plan to prepare students as per the CBSE syllabus. The Imarat Shariah is also running polytechnics, paramedical institutes and computer institutes, but getting the basics right is important, he added. Bihar has 205 sanctioned madarsas, while there are 1118 aided ones. Besides, there are around 2000 unaided madarsas. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Tariq Anwar said it was a welcome initiative of the Imarat Shariah. Education is the most important thing today. If religious and modern education blend, it will help students immensely. In fact, we also call for modernising the syllabi of madarsas so that it could help students in career advancement, he added. In Bihar, which has a sizeable minority population, the literacy rate of Muslims is still way below the state average, while in terms of enrolment in higher and technical education it drops further despite significant improvement in the last decade. Bihars minority welfare minister Feroz Ahmad, too, welcomed the Imarat Shariah initiative. Anything done for improvement of education, especially when it comes to minorities, is a welcome step, as there is still a big gap. Education is a way of real empowerment, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The court of judicial magistrate first class (JMIC) Barjinder Pal Singh denied bail for the third time to Vikas Barala, 23, son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, the main accused in the stalking case of disc jockey Varnika Kundu, the daughter of IAS officer VS Kundu. The detailed copy of Mondays order is awaited, but the bail was denied on the grounds are that the mere filing of the challan and framing of charges was not enough to grant relief to the accused. Barala had also been denied bail on September 13, when the court order had referred to him as a Roadside Romeo. The first time he was denied bail was on August 29. The defence counsel Rabinder Pandit had argued the chargesheet has been filed in the matter and the investigation was also completed so the custody of Vikas Barala is not required and hence his client should be granted bail. The defence also argued that the case had a manipulated first-information report (FIR) and that the statements given by Varnika Kundu and her father, VS Kundu, had contradictions. Elaborating, the defence counsel said that in her statement before the magistrate, Varnika had not mentioned that there was an attempt to kidnap her. Her father later stated that Varnika was in a state of shock at the time. Pandit went on to question that if it is mentioned in the complaint and the FIR that there was an attempt to kidnap her, then why did Varnika not state this in front of the magistrate. In his arguments, the counsel for the prosecution, Manu Kakkar, said that the mere filing of the chargesheet against the accused was no ground to grant bail and it did not change the circumstances. He also cited a number of Supreme Court judgments to support his line of argument. The grant of bail to the accused could lead to witnesses being influenced and affect the trial, it was also argued. In poll-bound HP, Nadda is a busy man The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is going all-out to return to power in Himachal Pradesh. But Union minister and general secretary in-charge Jagat Parkash Nadda has a tough job in hand. He is flying from one constituency to other to try and placate the sulking leaders who have been threatening to hit the partys poll prospects after their ticket claims got overlooked. At the same time, Nadda is also accompanying leaders close to him when they go to file their nomination papers. The other day, he specially travelled to Jhanjiali to be present when four-time legislator Jai Ram Thakur filed his papers. Thakur is seen as Naddas choice for the top post. Matas darshan for Sidhu on bday Known for his meditation and chanting, Punjab local government minister Navjot Sidhu celebrated his 54th birthday on October 20 by going to Vaishno Devi and staying quiet for two days. His wife, Navjot Kaur, however, decided to chill out at Maldives. Before taking off, the minister held back-to-back press conferences for two days to announce release of grants for local bodies. His department is the new cash cow and the minister is hoping to mop up funds from ads, internet towers, one time settlement schemes and sale of residential and commercial plots lying with improvement trusts and spend them on sprucing up cities and towns before municipal polls in December. Too less time? He will make up with words. Sham Chaurasi MLAs high notes impress Manpreet Sham Chaurasi MLA Pawan Adia got praise from finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal last week. Ehe taan kanna dey kirrey kadd dinde ney (He removes insects from ears), said Manpreet on Adias typical oratorical skills. The minister had heard his speeches during the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll. The five feet tall MLA has a shrill voice and likes to deliver high-pitched speeches. In his assembly constituency, they even talk about his resemblance to Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami. Chandumajra finds a consolation in Salarias defeat It was a humiliating defeat for the SAD-BJP combine in Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll and no one expected any alliance leader to defend the poor showing. But Akali MP Prem Singh Chandumajra seems satisfied with the vote share of alliance candidate Swaran Salaria. The SAD leader, who was in Badal village on Saturday to attend the partys core committee meeting, told reporters that the bypoll verdict showed that only the Akali Dal can be the opposition party, as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has failed. What a consolation! The BJP combine had lost the seat to Congress by 1.93 lakh votes. One wonders what other leaders of the two parties who have been blaming each other for the debacle have to say on the statement. Winds of change in Haryana Cong! There seemed an air of bonhomie in the Haryana Congress otherwise a divided house between two camps headed by state chief Ashok Tanwar and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Tanwar was in the party office in Chandigarh the other day and called a leader who is a confidante of Kaithal MLA and AICC in-charge of communication Randeep Surjewala. Tanwar warmly greeted him happy birthday and offered him sweets. He then told others who were present to also offer him sweets. The gesture touched many hearts. Hooda camp wants to go Capt way Haryana Congress leader and ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda had refused to campaign for Capt Amarinder during Punjab elections because he did not promise SYL water for Haryana. The war of words had intensified after Amarinder responded by saying that he did not even want Hooda to campaign for him. Soon after Amarinder formed the government in Punjab, Hooda supporters changed tack. They started comparing Hooda with Amarinder. With Haryana Congress set for revamp, his loyalists have asked the party high command to go Punjab-way by giving free-hand to Hooda in Haryana for success. Hooda, who never publicly admits to internal bickering in the party, lets his loyalists do the work for him. HP netas turn teary-eyed Politics often makes for dramatic events, providing electors a chance to entertain themselves amid hullabaloo. As the state got into poll mode, photographs of BJP leaders crying in public set the political circles abuzz. First, it was former minister Kishan Kapoor who cried like a baby when the party initially denied him a ticket. His tears paid off as the party picked him as its nominee from Dharamshala. Another aspirant Ranvir Nikka, who was eyeing Nurpur, tried to emulate Kapoor, but his tears did not work. Then, some pictures showing veteran BJP leader and former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal wiping his tears went viral on social media. Dhumal was upset over being fielded from Sujanpur assembly constituency instead of Hamirpur. Virbhadras arch-rival comes out of hibernation BJP in-charge of election campaign Khushi Ram Balnatah, who unsuccessfully contested against chief minister Virbhadra Singh four times, has ended his self-imposed exile. He had won from Rohru in the byelection in 2009 when the seat fell vacant following Virbhadras election to the Lok Sabha from Mandi. He was lying low since, but the leader who is credited with making inroads to Virbhadras stronghold is back in action. Balnatah has been able to get the party ticket for his loyalist, Shashi Bala who has made the Congress jittery. Kajal takes a dig at BJP Pawan Kajal, sitting Independent MLA from Kangra, was a BJP man until the 2012 election. He had successfully contested the election after being denied ticket by the party and has switched over to the Congress this time. At a public meeting the other day, Kajal vent his spleen. You know I was in the BJP. I used to attend a lot of their camps and workshops. What the BJP teaches there is how to fool people, he said, leaving the crowd in splits. (Contributed by Sukhdeep Kaur, Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Sarbmeet Singh, Rajesh Moudgil, Hardik Anand, Gaurav Bisht and Naresh K Thakur) Makers of Saaho unveiled the first look poster of the film on Prabhas birthday on Monday. Cashing in on the actors pan India appeal, the makers have launched the first poster from the film as a treat to Prabhas fans across the country. Earlier, makers of Baahubali too had presented the first look poster of Baahubali: The Conclusion on the occasion of Prabhas birthday and the makers of Saaho have followed the tradition. And while everyone is going gaga over the first look of Saaho, Prabhas favourite director SS Rajamouli had a special observation to make. He tweeted: Beautiful usage of colours and textures.. Super Stylish Saaho.. #SaahoFirstLook. Beautiful usage of colours and textures.. Super Stylish Saaho.. #SaahoFirstLook pic.twitter.com/z5IK672wZB rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) October 23, 2017 Saahos first look poster showcases a mysterious Prabhas donning a mask covering his face that serves as a perfect tease to the masses. Against the backdrop of skyscrapers and a crime scene like set up, Prabhas is seen leading a poised walk. The mystique poster further raises anticipation levels by keeping the viewer guessing about Prabhas character and the genre of the film. Six months after delivering Indias biggest blockbuster Baahubali, Prabhas is back with his upcoming trilingual Saaho. The makers had made a sensational announcement of Saaho in late April this year by treating the audience with a phenomenal teaser of the film. Over the months, the project is being largely kept under wraps with little information out in public domain. From prolonged speculation around the female lead of the film that was later announced to be played by Bollywood actress Shraddha Kapoor, to the genre of the film, the team has kept the audiences guessing. Touted as an ultramodern action flick, Saaho promises to present Prabhas in a never seen before action packed avatar. The makers of the film have kept Prabhas look and character under wraps, further building tremendous curiosity. Written and directed by Sujeeth, Saaho will hit the screens next year. The film is being shot simultaneously in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil. Saaho is expected to deliver a triumph of scale, size, and spectacle. A UV Creations production Saaho, produced by Vamsi and Pramod and directed by Sujeeth - is being filmed at striking locations in, around and outside the country. Music by the awesome trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and lyrics by the very talented Amitabh Bhattacharya, are sure to jazz up our playlists. One can expect the director of photography Madhie and production designer Sabu Cyril to do a spectacular job with the film. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on Sunday congratulated the makers of Mersal which is in the BJPs line of fire for references to the Goods and Services Tax, saying the film has addressed an important issue. Important topic addressed..... well done!!! congratulations team#mersal Rajinikanth said in a brief tweet without referring explicitly to any specific issue after another heavyweight actor Kamal Hassan had tweeted in favour of the film last week. Important topic addressed... Well done !!! Congratulations team #Mersal Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) October 22, 2017 Actor Vijays Diwali release Mersal has kicked up a row with the BJP taking exception to references to GST in the movie, labeling them as untruths and demanding that dialogues on the central taxation be deleted. However, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, his senior colleague P Chidambaram, DMK working president MK Stalin and a host of Tamil cinema industry representatives had supported the film crew on the issue. Kamal Haasan watched the film along with Vijay, director Atlee and the producers of Mersal at his residence in Chennai on Saunday. While its yet unknown what he said exactly after watching the film, the superstar had earlier backed the film on Twitter. Atlee described Kamal Haasan watching his film as one of the best moments of his life. Haasan also posed for pictures with the Mersal team with a banner of his film Apoorva Sagodharargal in the backdrop. Mersal has been panned by a section of the critics for being heavily inspired by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao-directed Apoorva Sagodharargal. Mersal was certified. Dont re-censor it . Counter criticism with logical response. Dont silence critics. India will shine when it speaks. Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) October 20, 2017 Mersal is cashing in on the controversies and is making a killing at the box-office. Having successfully and comfortably grossed over Rs 100 crore worldwide in just three days, the film is looking to storm into Rs 200 crore club this week. The film features Vijay in triple role. He plays father and two sons while SJ Suryah plays the antagonist. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop A Briton accused of touching another man at a bar in the United Arab Emirates was sentenced to three months in jail by a Dubai court on Sunday, local newspapers reported. State-linked daily The National said 27-year-old Jamie Harron from Scotland was arrested for allegedly touching the behind of a German expatriate, who reported him to police. Media reports say the alleged sexual assault, which Harron has strongly denied, happened at the rowdy Rock Bottom bar - a popular haunt for the many well-heeled foreigners in Dubai. Dubai, a tourism and trade hub in the Gulf, allows drinking in hotels and bars as it seeks to encourage foreigners to visit but has strict laws against homosexuality and public indecency. Detained in Dubai, an advocacy group, said on its official Facebook page that Harron would appeal the verdict but that he had lost his job because of the case and was struggling to afford his legal expenses. He is angry, disappointed, and dreads what may happen next. He feels betrayed and exploited by the system, said the groups head, Radha Stirling, who has been in contact with Harrons family. A Bangladeshi court on Monday issued an arrest warrant against Opposition leader Khaleda Zias London-based son in a sedition case for delivering a provocative speech. The Dhaka court issued arrest warrants to Tarique Rahman, the senior vice-chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and two former journalists of private TV channel Ekushey Television (ETV), The Daily Star reported. On January 8 last year, a sedition case was filed with the Tejgaon Police Station over the live telecast of a provocative speech by Rahman at a programme in London on January 5. Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah of the Sessions Judges Court accepted the chargesheet in the sedition case today. The court also told police to submit a report on the execution of the arrest warrants by November 20. The other two accused Mahathir Farooki Khan and Kanak Sarwar went into hiding after securing bail. Ekushey TVs former chairman Abdus Salam, also an accused in the case, is now on bail. According to the case, Rahman instigated his partymen by delivering provocative speech against law enforcers which led the country to anarchy at that time. Rahman, who lives in London, is the eldest son of Zia, two-times former prime minister. As US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson heads to Pakistan on Tuesday to pressure Islamabad to act over militants targeting Afghanistan from its soil, anxious Pakistanis may be equally interested in dissuading Washingtons deepening ties with India. Nuclear-armed Pakistan, a staunch US Cold War ally and key player in the US-backed invasion of Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, has watched warily as Washington has in recent years pivoted towards its arch-foe. Islamabad views its much-bigger neighbour as an existential threat and the two nations have fought three wars since their violent separation at the end of colonial rule in 1947. Tillerson, due to meet Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Pakistans powerful military chiefs in a one-day visit, is expected to urge Pakistan to do more to root out Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network militants operating on its soil. But he is also expected to hear Pakistani officials warn him that drawing nuclear-armed India deeper into Afghanistan would destabilise the region and do little to end the 16-year war that is now Americas longest military conflict. Bringing India into the mix is like adding kerosene to fire, said Miftah Ismail, a state minister and close ally of Prime Minister Abbasi. Its a complete red line. India has no political role to play in Afghanistan as far as we are concerned. Many Pakistanis feel betrayed that its traditional ally is now cosying up to India over Afghanistan. But the anger runs both ways. The United States accuses Pakistan of playing a double game since 2001, offering public backing to Washington while turning a blind eye, or even at times assisting, the Afghan Taliban and other militants who carry out deadly attacks against U.S. forces and their allies in Afghanistan. Last chance Pakistan supported the Afghan Taliban in the 1990s as a hedge to Indian influence in Afghanistan, and analysts say its military and security services maintained ties long after the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001. Pakistan denies providing a safe haven for Afghan Taliban and other militant fighters. Tillerson, during a visit to Afghanistan on Monday, said Washington has made some very specific requests of Pakistan in order for them to take action to undermine the support the Taliban receives and other terrorist organizations receive. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis earlier this month said the United States would try one more time to work with Pakistan in Afghanistan, before opting for more punitive measures. President Donald Trump has vowed to be tougher on Pakistan than his predecessors. The United States has threatened further military aid cuts and U.S. officials have mooted targeted sanctions against Pakistani military figures, but in the past two weeks there have been hints of a slight thawing in ties. US Vice President Mike Pence and Tillerson last week called Abbasi to thank Pakistan after its army rescued a US-Canadian couple who were held hostage by the Taliban-allied Haqqani network for nearly five years, along with their three children born in captivity. Relations were further boosted when Omar Khalid Khorasani, leader of the lethal Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) group who Islamabad had been trying to catch for years, was killed by a U.S. drone strike last week. Hostile neighbours India has increased aid to Afghanistan in recent years and last year promised to ship more arms. Such moves have aggravating fears in Pakistan that it will find itself wedged between two hostile neighbours. Islamabad bristles at the idea that India holds the key to ending the Afghanistan conflict, and fears U.S. meddling could unsettle a delicate balance of power in South Asia. Promoting a higher involvement of India in Afghanistan will only worsen the historic strategic rivalries playing out in the region, said Sherry Rehman, Pakistans former ambassador to United States and a senior member of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party. Pakistan points to the 3.5 million Afghan refugees it hosts as proof that it has more than anyone else to lose from chaos in Afghanistan, and has emphasised the need for greater cooperation and intelligence sharing with United States and Afghanistan. But while Pakistan may not like it, India looks set to continue playing a role in Afghanistan, according to Sushant Sareen, a foreign policy analyst at the Vivekananda International Foundation, a think-tank with ties to the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The message is very clear that India is an important player when it comes to coordinating policies between Afghanistan and Washington, said Sareen. Authorities in Texas have found a body which officials say is most likely of a three-year-old Indian girl who went missing after she was left outside her home by her foster father at 3 am as punishment for not drinking milk. Sherin Mathews of Richardson in the US state of Texas was reported missing on October 7. The girl, who has developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills, was last seen in the backyard of her home early the same by her adoptive father, Wesley Mathews, 37. The body was found at 11 am on Sunday local time in a culvert beneath a road, Richardson police department spokesman Kevin Perlich told reporters. A medical examiner had not made a positive identification but it is most likely the body of Sherin and her parents had been notified, Perlich said. The cause of death is yet to be determined and an arrest has not been made in connection with the discovery of the body, he added. Wesley and Sini Mathews reportedly adopted the girl from an Indian orphanage two years ago. Sherins father, who is believed to be from Kerala, had told police he left his daughter outside the home at around 3 am on October 7 as punishment because she wouldnt drink her milk, according to a probable cause document obtained by CNN. He told her to stand by a tree about 100 feet from the home. Mathews later told police he knew coyotes had been seen in the alley where he told Sherin to stay, the affidavit said. When Mathews went to retrieve the girl at 3.15 am, she was gone, the document added. Police have said Mathews didnt contact them for five hours after he realised the girl was missing. Mathews was arrested and charged with abandoning or endangering a child as a result of his decision to place her outside a place of safety, the Richardson police department said. Mathews was free on bail after posting a bond of $250,000, police said. He said he had looked for Sherin but then he went inside the home to do laundry and decided to wait until morning to continue searching or for her to return on her own. The police department has also said that one of the Mathews familys vehicles had left the home the morning Sherin went missing, between 4 am and 5 am. Sherins case caught the attention of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who tweeted: We are deeply concerned about the missing child. Indian Embassy in US is actively involved and they keep me informed. Indias consul general in Houston, Anupam Ray, said the case was being closely monitored and officials were in contact with the community and authorities. The 1965 doctoral thesis of Stephen Hawking has been made freely available online by the University of Cambridge, providing a glimpse into the mind of the iconic scientist when he was a 24-year-old student at the varsity. Titled Properties of Expanding Universes, the thesis has been made accessible via Cambridges open access repository Apollo, a statement from the university on Monday said. By making my PhD thesis open access, I hope to inspire people around the world to look up at the stars and not down at their feet, to wonder about our place in the universe and to try and make sense of the cosmos, Hawking said in a statement released by the university. Each generation stands on the shoulders of those who have gone before them, just as I did as a young PhD student in Cambridge, inspired by the work of Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell and Albert Einstein. Its wonderful to hear how many people have already shown an interest in downloading my thesis hopefully they wont be disappointed now that they finally have access to it! The university said it hopes to encourage former academics, including 98 Nobel affiliates, to make their work freely available to all. Jessica Gardner, director of the universitys library services, said: The Cambridge University library is home to the physical papers of such greats as Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. Their research data was on paper and we have preserved that with great care and share it openly on line through our digital library. The university said Apollo is home to over 200,000 digital objects, including 15,000 research articles, 10,000 images, 2,400 theses and 1,000 datasets. The items made available in Apollo have been accessed from nearly every country and in 2017 have collectively received over one million downloads. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed a special envoy to Myanmar on Monday tasked with pressing its leadership to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis. Trudeau also announced in a statement that Canada would be doubling its contribution this year for humanitarian aid for the refugees to Can$12 million (US$9.5 million). Former senior MP Bob Rae will reinforce the urgent need to resolve the humanitarian and security crisis in Myanmar and to address the situation affecting vulnerable populations, including the Rohingya Muslim community, read the statement, released as an international donor conference opened in Geneva. Rae will also advise Trudeau on how best to support those affected and displaced by the recent violence. Trudeau said he is deeply concerned about the urgent humanitarian and security crisis in Myanmars Rakhine State, particularly the brutal persecution of the Rohingya Muslim people. More than 600,000 people from the Muslim minority group have fled violence in Myanmars northern Rakhine state since August. Rohingyas have been systematically deprived of basic rights over decades in majority Buddhist Myanmar. In the latest crackdown, Myanmars security forces have fired indiscriminately on unarmed civilians, including children, and committed widespread sexual violence, according to UN investigators. Trudeau called Myanmars leader Aung San Suu Kyi last month to urge her to end the violence. Suu Kyi, an honorary citizen of Canada and Nobel laureate, has been criticized for her ambiguous position on the Rohingya crisis. A far-left Catalan party on Monday threatened massive civil disobedience if Spain dismisses the regions government to stave off its threat to declare independence. The Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) party denounced Madrids plans as the biggest aggression against the Catalan people since the Franco dictatorship. This aggression will receive a response in the form of massive civil disobedience, said the party, a key regional power broker, in a statement. The CUPs threat upped the stakes in the standoff over Catalan independence, which has raised fears of unrest in Spains deepest political crisis in decades. Half a million angry separatists took to the streets of Barcelona on Saturday after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced he would remove Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and his executive. Rajoy said Madrid would take control of ministries under unprecedented measures to stop the region breaking away. The CUP is a key ally of the ruling separatist coalition in the regional parliament. It said the details of the protest actions it is planning would be unveiled later this week. - Catalan parliament to gather - Catalan parties were scheduled to meet on Monday to set a date and agenda for a gathering of the regional parliament to debate their next steps. Such a session could give the ruling separatists another opportunity to declare unilateral independence. They have been threatening to do so since holding a banned referendum on the issue on October 1. What happens now, with everyone in agreement and unity, is that we will announce what we will do and how, Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull said. He denounced what he called a fully-fledged coup against Catalan institutions. Though polls indicate Catalans are divided on whether to break away from Spain, autonomy remains a sensitive issue in the northeastern region of 7.5 million people. Catalonia fiercely defends its language and culture and has previously enjoyed control over its policing, education and healthcare. Francisco Franco -- who ruled from 1939 until 1975 -- took Catalonias political powers away and banned official use of the Catalan language. - Madrids next moves - In the fallout from the referendum, Spains government says it had no choice but to use previously untested constitutional powers to seize control of the region in order to preserve the unity of the country. Madrid could take control of the Catalan police force and replace its public media chiefs. Under the constitutional measures, new elections for the regional parliament must be called within six months. The Senate is set to approve the measures by the end of the week. Rajoys conservative Popular Party holds a majority in the Senate, where his approach to Catalonia enjoys support from other major parties. Deputy Prime Minsiter Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said Catalan Puigdemont would lose all his powers once the measures were approved. He could not sign laws, he could not adopt valid decisions, he could not exercise his duties, she said during an interview with radio Onda Cero on Monday. - Struggle ahead - But political analysts warn that Madrid faces a serious struggle in practical terms to impose control over the region. Potential scenarios include Catalan police and civil servants refusing to obey orders from central authorities. What is going to happen if they dont abide by it? said Xavier Arbos Marin, a constitutional law professor at the University of Barcelona. He raised the prospect of the government trying to take them out by force. There is debate among experts over whether the governments actions are even legal, he added. Independence supporters may also seek to scupper Madrids plans through acts of civil disobedience such as surrounding regional ministries. If police try to enter one of the Catalan institutions, there will be peaceful resistance, said Ruben Wagensberg, spokesman for new activist group En Pie de Paz. Antonio Crespo, a 65-year-old retiree who joined a protest in the Spanish capital on Sunday night against Madrids takeover, described Rajoys decision as disastrous. Its a huge retreat of freedoms and rights, he told AFP. - Region divided - Puigdemont says 90 percent backed a split from Spain in the referendum, but turnout was given as 43 percent as many anti-independence Catalans stayed away from a vote that was declared illegal by the courts. Separatists say Catalonia pays too much into national coffers but their opponents arguing it is stronger as part of Spain. The crisis has rattled a European Union that is already grappling with Brexit. Against the backdrop of Catalonias push for independence, two of Italys wealthiest northern regions Sunday voted overwhelmingly in favour of greater autonomy. The referendums in Veneto and Lombardy are not binding and the organisers stressed they were seeking greater autonomy and to reduce their regions tax contributions to Rome rather than looking to secede. China on Monday said the safety of the diplomatic personnel and missions is an obligation of the sovereign countries but declined to comment on its reported complaint to Pakistan that its ambassador to Islamabad faced threats from a Xinjiang-based terror group. China reportedly asked Pakistan to step up the security of its newly-appointed ambassador in Islamabad in the wake of threats to his life from the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), according to reports. The Chinese embassy made the request in a letter written to Pakistans interior ministry on October 19, saying a member of the ETIM has sneaked into Pakistan to assassinate its ambassador Yao Jing. The letter, circulated in the local media in Pakistan, was written by the focal person for the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Ping Ying Fi who asked the interior ministry to enhance the security of the ambassador and other Chinese working in the country. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang when asked about the report said, I am not aware of the information mentioned by you. The ETIM is a UN Security Council listed terrorist organisation. Combating ETIM is an important part of the international counter terrorism efforts, Geng said. China alleges that the ETIM, an Al-Qaeda linked group fighting for the separation of Uygur Muslim majority Xinjiang province, was responsible for a host of terrorist attacks in the province and the country. Xinjiang borders Pakistan- occupied Kashmir. Asked whether the Chinese government expressed concern to Pakistan about the safety of the diplomatic personnel, Geng said the safety of the diplomatic personnel and missions is an obligation of the sovereign countries according to the Vienna Convention. China has appointed Yao, who has served as Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan, as its new envoy to Pakistan. Yao replaced Sun Weidong, who served as Chinas Ambassador to Pakistan for three years and recently returned to his country. US President Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Sunday that he does not object to France and Germany continuing trade with Iran, despite his refusal to certify the Iran nuclear deal. I told them just keep making money, the real estate mogul-turned-president told the Fox News programme Sunday Morning Futures. Dont worry. You just keep making money. They are friends of mine. They really are. I get along with all of them. Whether its Emmanuel or Angela, Trump said, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. I dont know whats going to happen with that deal, Trump said of the landmark 2015 accord, which on October 13 he refused to certify, leaving the pacts fate to US Congress. When they buy those things, it is a little harder, Trump said of French and German commercial dealings with Iran. I told them just keep making money. Dont worry. We dont need you on this one. But speaking to journalists on a diplomatic visit to Riyadh, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said the US is hoping European companies and countries will join the US as we put in place a sanction structure. Those who conduct business with Iranian Revolutionary Guards, any of their entities -- European companies or other companies around the globe -- really do so at great risk. Tillerson had told the Wall Street Journal on Friday the Trump administration does not intend to disrupt European commerce with Iran. The European Union has meanwhile expressed determination to preserve the Iran deal, with several leaders considering it essential to convincing North Korea to come to the negotiating table over its own nuclear programme. Israeli police mistakenly arrested a Palestinian man after they thought he had published a Facebook post saying hurt them when he originally wrote Good morning, a media report said. According to a spokeswoman for the Israel Polices West Bank district, the police arrested the man relying on the automatic translation feature on Facebook that completely changed the meaning of what he had posted on the social media platform, The Times of Israel reported on Sunday. The man, a construction worker, was arrested on suspicion of incitement and released shortly after the assumption turned out to be false. In the post on October 15, the man was seen smiling and holding a cup of coffee and a cigarette while standing alongside a bulldozer at a construction site in the Beitar Illit settlement. No Arabic-speaking officer read the post prior to the arrest, which was carried out by officers who relied solely on Facebooks automatic translation, Haaretz newspaper was cited as saying. The report in Times of Israel said that there is only a single letters difference between the colloquial Arabic phrase for good morning to you all and hurt them. Police combined the false translation with the image of the bulldozer -- a vehicle that has been prominently used in terror attacks in the past -- and assumed the man has the intentions to do the same. The police came to know the reality after they interrogated him and released him after realising their mistake. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday that Islamic State killed at least 128 people in a Syrian town in central Homs over a three-week period before the Syrian army recaptured it on Saturday. There was no immediate comment from Syrian government officials or state media on the report by the Observatory, a Britain-based war monitor. Syrian troops and allied forces regained control of al-Qaryatayn town after eliminating terrorist Daesh (Islamic State) groups that had infiltrated it, state media said on Saturday. Earlier this month, the Observatory said IS fighters had seized the town from government forces, part of a counter-attack by the jihadists who have come under intense pressure in eastern Syria. At least 83 people were killed in the 48 hours before the Syrian army retook the town, the war monitor said, adding that IS had accused the civilians of being agents of the regime. The town lies nearly 300 km (190 miles) from Deir al-Zor city in the east, the current focus of the government offensive, with Russian jets and Iran-backed militias, against Islamic State. Israeli police raided a Palestinian neighbourhood in annexed east Jerusalem overnight and arrested 51 people accused of violent protests against security forces, authorities said Monday. The 51 Palestinian suspects from Issawiya were arrested for participating in recent riots and terror-related incidents, including throwing stones and firebombs at security forces, a police statement said. They were expected to appear in court later in the day. Palestinian youths in parts of east Jerusalem regularly clash with Israeli security forces during protests against Israels occupation. Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in the 1967 Six-Day War. It later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community. Israel sees all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital, while the Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Police had raided Issawiya along with a number of other Palestinian neighbourhoods in east Jerusalem three months ago, when tensions rose and clashes erupted after Israel placed metal detectors at the entrance to a Jerusalem holy site. The metal detectors were put in place after a deadly shooting in which Arab Israeli gunmen emerged from the holy site and killed two police officers. Since then, the situation in Issawiya and other Palestinian areas has largely been calm. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stormed to a landslide super-majority in snap Japanese elections, near complete projections showed Monday, with the hardline nationalist immediately pledging to deal firmly with North Korea. Abes conservative coalition is on track to win at least 312 seats with only a handful left to call, according to public broadcaster NHK, giving him a coveted two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament. That will allow him to pursue his cherished goal of proposing changes to the countrys pacifist constitution to beef up the status of the military, which is effectively restricted to self-defence. Abe, 63, is now on course to become Japans longest-serving premier, winning a fresh term at the helm of the worlds third-biggest economy and key US regional ally. The hawkish prime minister said the crushing election victory had hardened his resolve to deal with the crisis in North Korea, which has threatened to sink Japan into the sea and fired two missiles over its northern islands. As I promised in the election, my imminent task is to firmly deal with North Korea. For that, strong diplomacy is required, stressed Abe, who has courted both US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some concerns about Abe However, while local media acknowledged what was described as a landslide victory, many chalked up Abes win to a weak and ineffective opposition and urged caution. The voters did not think the opposition parties were capable of running a government... they chose Prime Minister Abe, who is at least better, even if they had some concerns about the ruling coalition, said the Nikkei daily. The Asahi newspaper said: The Abe brand is not as strong as it was before. There are some signs that voters are seeking a change in the situation whereby Abe is the only decent option. Winning an election in a democracy doesnt give the winner carte-blanche and he would be overconfident if he thought people were satisfied with the past five years of government management, said the paper. Supporters of the Liberal Democratic Party wait for the arrival of Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, leader of the party, at an election campaign rally in Tokyo. (Reuters) According to an exit poll by Kyodo News on Sunday, 51% of voters said they do not trust Abe with 44% saying they did. Turnout was expected to be only a fraction higher than all-time low set in the 2014 election and was boosted largely by people voting early to avoid a typhoon, which smashed into Japan on election day. The opposition Party of Hope, formed only weeks before the election by the popular Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, suffered a drubbing. It won just 49 seats according to the NHK projections. A chastened Koike, speaking thousands of kilometres away in Paris where she was attending an event in her capacity as leader of the worlds biggest city, said it was a very severe result for which she took full responsibility. The new centre-left Constitutional Democratic Party out-performed Koikes new group but still trailed far behind Abe with 54 seats. People are reluctant about Prime Minister Abe, but then who would you turn to? There is no one, said Naoto Nonaka, professor at Gakushuin University in Tokyo. Deepen constitution debate Abe, who has in the past been criticised for an arrogant attitude towards voters, vowed to face the challenge posed by the victory humbly. He struck a cautious note on possible revisions to the US-imposed constitution, saying that he would deepen debate in parliament on the divisive issue but not seek to ram anything through. I dont plan to propose (changes) via the ruling bloc alone. Well make efforts to gain support from as many people as possible. Any changes to the document must be ratified by both chambers of parliament and then in a referendum, with surveys showing voters are split on the topic. Many voters stressed that the economy is their biggest concern, as the prime ministers trademark Abenomics strategy of ultra-loose monetary policy and huge government spending has failed to rekindle the former Asian powerhouse. Abe has vowed to use the proceeds from a planned sales tax hike to fund free childcare in a bid to get more women into the workforce. Neither pensions nor wages are getting better... I dont feel the economy is recovering at all, said 67-year-old pensioner Hideki Kawasaki as he cast his vote in a rain-swept Tokyo. But investors cheered the victory, with the benchmark Tokyo index up 1.15 percent, extending a winning run that has seen 14 straight consecutive gains -- the first since 1961. Police in Richardson, Texas have found a body they suspect could be that of Sherin Mathews, the three-year-old adoptive daughter of an Indian-American family who went missing from outside her house on October 7. Authorities are waiting for the medical examiner to identify the body and ascertain the cause of death on Monday, an official told Hindustan Times on phone. The indications are that it is most likely her, however, we have not had positive ID. So until we have a positive identification we are not going to say it is Sherin, Sgt Kevin Perlich told Dallas News, a local publication. As the investigation continued to unfold, more and more stuff came to (the) surface and we followed up on that," Perlich said. It led to the search of that area with canines, and that's how we came across the body. The body was found in a culvert with the help of search dogs. Police have said the girl was sent out of the house at 3 am by her father, Wesley Mathews, as punishment for not finishing her milk. She was made to stand in an alley where coyotes (wolf-like wild dogs native to North America) had been seen before, Dallas New reported. When Mathews went back for her 15 minutes later, she was not there. He then went back inside and did the laundry and waited for the childs return, he told police. The mother, Sini Mathews, was asleep at the time. Police were finally called at 8 am, and Mathews was arrested later that day and charged with endangering the life of a child. He has been out of bail after he posted a bond of $250,000, with an electronic monitor strapped to his ankle. The couple from Kerala had adopted Sherin from an orphanage in Nalanda, Bihar, in 2016. Police have said the girl, who was physically underdeveloped at the time, did not have the language skills of a three-year-old. Child Protective Services has taken custody of the couples elder child, who is four. The girls heartrending case received widespread attention in the US and India. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has been monitoring the incident. We are deeply concerned about the missing child. Indian Embassy in US is actively involved and they keep me informed, she tweeted last week. Investigators used drones and dogs for the search, took more than 50 items from the home of the family, and sought to track the GPS of the family car, which was reportedly driven out between 4 am and 5 am on October 7, shortly after she went missing. Richardson police chief Jimmy Spivey tweeted on Sunday, Worst news finding child's body. If it's #SherinMathews happy recovered so properly laid to rest. He added, Will bring person(s) responsible to justice. A Russian soldier shot four colleagues dead Monday at their base in Chechnya, before being gunned down, the National Guard they were members of said in a statement. The soldier, a lieutenant, opened fire at around 4:00pm (1300 GMT) in a barracks near the village of Shelkovskaya in the mainly-Muslim Chechnya region in southern Russia, the Interfax news agency cited the National Guard as saying. A group of officers have since been rushed to the area to investigate. President Vladimir Putin created the National Guard security force last year, a move analysts said could be aimed at warding off unrest over the countrys economic crisis. The National Guard answers directly to Putin and is tasked with tackling terrorism and organised crime as well as maintaining order. But armed attacks on authorities and forces are frequent in the Russian Caucasus. The leader of Russias Islamist rebels, Doku Umarov, has been seeking to impose an Islamist state throughout Russias mainly Muslim Northern Caucasus region and has for years been waging a deadly insurgency against Russian security forces there. In early October, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an attack that left two policemen dead in Dagestan, the volatile region neighbouring Chechnya. Russia has also received numerous threats of reprisals from Islamic State and Al-Qaeda since its military intervention in Syria in 2015. Opinion is divided among Chinese academics and experts on who will be the new members of the Communist Partys highest decision-making body and whether its strength will be reduced from the current seven to five. The names of the new members are a closely guarded secret and will be known only when President Xi Jinping leads them out to a stage at the Great Hall of the People on October 25, a day after the national congress of the Communist Party officially concludes. In 2012, when Xi took over as general secretary of the party, the number of members of the standing committee of the politburo was reduced from nine to seven. A security guard is seen during a news conference at the National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing on October 23, 2017. (Reuters) With four of the current members expected to retire, and uncertainty looming over whether member and anti-graft czar Wang Qishan will get a new post, there has been widespread speculation about the new members. Hu Chunhua, the 54-year-old party secretary of Guangdong, one of Chinas richest provinces, and Chen Miner, 57, the party secretary of Chongqing, one of the four directly administered municipalities, are seen as top contenders for the committee. The other names being circulated are Wang Yang, 62, one of the four vice-premiers and a respected economist, and Li Zhanshu, 67, director of the partys national security commission and considered close to Xi. Wang Huning, 62, an influential thinker since the 1990s who has advised presidents Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and Xi, is another possible candidate for the standing committee. Han Zheng, 63, another experienced politician who was the party chief in Shanghai, is also said to be in the reckoning. The name of Zhao Leji, 60, head of the organisation department of the partys Central Committee, is also making the rounds. Real power in China lies with the standing committee, currently headed by Xi in his capacity as general secretary of the Communist Party. Other members hold posts such as premier, chairman of the National Peoples Congress (the parliament), head of the Central Discipline Inspection Commission (the top anti-graft body) and the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (the top advisory body.) Meetings of the committee are never made public and kept a closely guarded secret. Differences between leaders too are never allowed to come out in the open. How the committee works is shrouded in mystery too but decisions are widely believed to be taken after intense negotiations. Hu Chunhua and Chen Miner are the frontrunners to become standing committee members, said Li Cheng, director of the John L Thornton China Centre at the Washington-based Brookings Institution and an expert on elite Chinese politics. Most people think Li Zhanshu, Han Zheng, Hu Chunhua, Wang Yang, Chen Miner are highly possible, Zhang Lifan, Beijing-based historian and political commentator, told Hindustan Times. A Chinese man waves in front of a picture showing President Xi Jinping with children on display at an exhibition highlighting China's achievements under five years of his leadership at the Beijing Exhibition Hall in the capital city, where the Communist Party congress on October 23, 2017. (AP) They are all pragmatics and all cautious. They have lot of administrative experience. But they are also less international in their outlook. They are all nationalists, said Kerry Brown, director of the Lau China Institute, King's College, London. One of the main questions being debated is the future of Wang Qishan, a member of the current standing committee who carried out Xis anti-corruption campaign. This is especially because Wangs name came up in accusations of corruption levelled by Guo Wengui, a billionaire property tycoon, who fled abroad earlier this year. What will happen to Wang Qishan (the head of the partys Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, who has been instrumental in carrying out Xis anti-corruption campaign against high-level officials but who is confronted with corruption allegations stemming from Guo Wenguis expose), asked Gao Wenqian, senior policy advisor at New York-based Human Rights in China and the author of the official biographies of Mao Zedong and former premier Zhou Enlai. According to Hu Xingdou, a Beijing-based economist and political commentator, the number of members in the standing committee will be cut. The committee number will be brought down to five. Cutting to five will be helpful for more centralised power which will be better for decision-making. China has always been known for its high efficiency in decision-making. No matter who is picked, he must follow Xis leadership, facilitate Xis plans and make it easier to form an efficient committee, Hu said. A Chinese man stands watch before a Communist flag on display at an exhibition highlighting China's achievements under five years of the leadership of President Xi Jinping at the Beijing Exhibition Hall in the capital city where the Communist Party congress is being held on October 23, 2017. (AP) The standing committees size will matter, according to Li Cheng, but the number and composition is a matter of speculation till it is announced. The size of the standing committee matters. We dont know whether the number will be five, seven or nine. Each has its incentive, purpose and objective. But its speculation, said Li. Political commentator Zhang agreed. According to the history of the Chinese Communist Party, the possibility of a last moment change cannot be ruled out, Zhang said. Possible standing committee members: President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang likely to continue. Political leaders under consideration: Li Zhanshu, Han Zheng, Zhao Leji, Hu Chunhua, Wang Yang, Chen Miner and Wang Huning. Manisha Bhasin, senior executive chef at ITC Maurya in New Delhi, who has won several accolades and cooked for heads of state, was presented the International Honour Award on Sunday by a key stakeholder in Britains 9-billion Indian food industry. Bhasin, whose Delhi-based restaurants Bukhara, Dum Pukht and West View are considered at the forefront of Indian cuisine, was presented the award by shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer and Karan Bilimoria, member of the House of Lords. Instituted by Curry Life, a leading industry publication, the awards recognise prominent chefs and managers of Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants across Britain. Several MPs and leading dignitaries joined the celebration of Indian cuisine in British life. Serious concern was expressed on the occasion at problems facing the industry, particularly difficulties in recruiting chefs from the Indian subcontinent, rising business rates and uncertainty caused by Britain leaving the European Union. Bilimoria, founder of a popular beer brand and a leading figure in the industry, said: We are fighting with our hands tied behind our back. The pound has fallen since the wretched Brexit vote, which has made prices of ingredients costlier. Starmer, who leads the opposition Labour Partys position on Brexit, regretted promises made by pro-Brexit leaders to ease visa rules for chefs and said: The promises are not going to come true. The consequences of Brexit are profound. Syed Belal Ahmed, editor of Curry Life, said: This is our cry for help. We thought Brexit will bring positive change, but are yet to see any benefit. The curry industry is not engaged by the Theresa May government in Brexit talks. We want clear direction on Brexit. Funds were raised at the event to help Rohingya refugees on behalf of the Disaster Emergency Committee, which brings together UK-based charity organisations. According to Labour MP Rushanara Ali, Myanmar authorities had forced a false exodus on the Rohingyas. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON US President Donald Trump called Japans victorious Prime Minister Shinzo Abe late Sunday, congratulating him on a thumping electoral win, the White House said. The president had a great phone call last night with Prime Minister Abe to congratulate him on his partys big win in the elections yesterday, a senior US official said Monday. Trump, according to the official -- who asked not to be named -- told Abe that he had received a strong mandate from the Japanese people. President Donald Trump is not planning to visit the border between North and South Korea known as the Demilitarized Zone when he visits Asia next month. The White House says Trump instead plans to visit Camp Humphreys, a military base about 40 miles south of Seoul. The White House says time constraints would likely not permit Trump to do both, although plans could still change. Most US presidents have visited the border as a signal to South Korea and other allies that the US will not stand for any aggression from the rogue North Korean regime. Vice President Mike Pence visited the DMZ earlier this year. South Korea is one of five nations Trump will visit during 12-day Asia trip in early November. President Donald Trump will tell China to cease predatory trade practices, such as denying US firms free access to its domestic market and stealing intellectual property rights, during his visit to Beijing as part of his five-nation trip to Asia, his first since taking office. Trump will underscore his commitment to long-standing US alliances and partnerships and reaffirm leadership on promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific, a senior White House official said on Monday, previewing the visit to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines starting on November 5. The use of the word predatory for China was interesting, coming just days after secretary of state Rex Tillerson used it, also for China, in a policy speech on India ahead of his visit to South Asia. He used it to describe Beijings aggression in the Indo-Pacific and its regional connectivity projects. We need to collaborate with India to ensure that the Indo-Pacific is increasingly a place of peace, stability and growing prosperity so that it does not become a region of disorder, conflict, and predatory economics, Tillerson had said, in a speech marked by rare blunt-speak on China. In China, Trump will ask Beijing to do more on North Korea, the official said, and send a clear message that for bilateral economic relations to be sustainable over the long term, China must provide fair and reciprocal treatment to US firms and cease predatory trade and investment practices. Asked to define predatory, the official joked it would take him half an hour to go through the list which, he indicated, was long. He named a few items to make his point, such as forced technology transfer, IPR theft and market access not a single American web company has succeeded in China. Trump has spoken of other problems with China. The colossal deficit the US has in bilateral trade is one of them and will figure in his interactions with President Xi Jinping, whom he had hosted for their first meeting at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, in April. New Delhi will follow Trumps Asia visit closely, especially the China leg, for these and other issues, including regional connectivity and Beijings aggressive Belt and Road Initiative. There is also a possibility of a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Manila. Trumps remarks and discussions on free and open Indo-Pacific, which was stressed as a key area of the trip by the official, will be tracked closely in India, which has the same concerns as the US and littoral states about the disputed South China Sea which Beijing claims. Trump will leave Washington on November 3, but travel to Hawaii first. He starts the Asia visit on November 5 in Japan, where he will pitch for a free and open Indo-Pacific. He will then go to South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. A United Nations expert warned Monday that Sri Lanka must speed up its own long-stalled investigation into war crimes by troops or risk action by the international community. Pablo de Greiff, the UN special rapporteur on the promotion of justice and reparation, said Sri Lanka had been slow to deliver on its promise of justice for atrocities during the islands bloody 37-year civil war. He said allegations of war crimes levelled last month against Sri Lankas then-ambassador to Brazil, who was a general during the war era, underscored the risks faced by senior military officers past and present. As the recent case presented in Brazil against a former member of the armed forces demonstrates, accountability will be sought either here or abroad, de Greiff said in Colombo on Monday. The case in Brazil against retired general Jagath Jayasuriya was just the tip of the iceberg, de Greiff said. He said Sri Lanka could expect similar efforts by foreign jurisdictions until it had taken steps to ensure a credible investigation of its own. Jayasuriya left Brazil two days after the International Truth and Justice Project, a South Africa-based rights group, filed a case against the former general. De Greiff criticised a public assurance given by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to troops that he would not allow war heroes to be prosecuted for alleged atrocities. Sri Lankan forces defeated Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009 after a brutal guerrilla war which claimed the lives of at least 100,000 people. The military was accused of massacring up to 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians in their no-holds-barred offensive. Sri Lankas former regime refused to acknowledge the civilian toll of its wartime campaign, drawing censure from the international community. Sirisenas government came to power in January 2015 promising justice for war victims, but his administration has been accused of dithering ever since. Sirisena, unlike his predecessor Mahinda Rajapakse, agreed to investigate war crimes but has yet to take the necessary steps to do so. De Greiff said the governments pledge to pay reparations and prevent future atrocities was no substitute for accountability for past injustices. He urged it to adopt a timeline for achieving this and encouraged closer interaction with the UN human rights chiefs office. The US has given Pakistan a list of very specific requests for action against the Taliban and other terror groups it allegedly shelters, adding that relations with Islamabad will now be conditions-based. We have made some very specific requests of Pakistan in order for them to take action to undermine the support that the Taliban receives and the other terrorist organisations receive in Pakistan, secretary of state Rex Tillerson told reporters, after arriving unannounced in Afghanistan. And weve said in this whole strategy this is a conditions-based approach, and so our relationship with Pakistan will also be conditions-based, he said. Tillerson named the Taliban, but not its affiliate Haqqani Network, which carries out attacks in Afghanistan from safe havens in Pakistan. He also did not mention groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) that target India. It could not be immediately ascertained if the US list included specific requests about the LeT and JeM. The top US diplomat, who will be in Islamabad on Tuesday before travelling to India, did not say if these requests were in the nature of conditions that Pakistan must meet or fulfil and if they came with the threat of punitive action, such as aid cuts or revoking its status as a major non-Nato ally. Asked for details about these requests, a state department spokesperson said: We do not comment on the details of our private diplomatic conversations. Defence secretary James Mattis had told lawmakers earlier this month that the US was willing to work with Pakistan one more time to persuade it to sever ties with terrorists and deny them safe haven, and that a list of actionable things-to-do will be presented to the Islamabad in this regard. Tillerson told reporters the Trump administration would work with Pakistan based upon whether they take action that we feel is necessary to move the process forward of both creating the opportunity for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan, but also ensuring a stable future Pakistan. In our conversations with Pakistani leadership, were as concerned about the future stability of Pakistan as we are in many respects here in Afghanistan, he added. President Donald Trump had earlier urged India to play a larger role in Afghanistan as part of his South Asia strategy something Pakistan has raised concerns about. When Tillerson was asked if he would reassure Islamabad, he said: Thats certainly something well be talking about during the visit. But I think our view of the relationship with India is one of strategic importance not just for this specific region, but in the context of that speech it was about a free and open Indo-Pacific region stretching all the way from Japan to India. US secretary of state Rex Tillerson paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Monday to discuss Washingtons new strategy with President Ashraf Ghani, the US embassy said. Tillerson reiterated the US commitment to working with the Kabul government and regional partners to achieve peace in Afghanistan and deny safe havens to terrorists who threaten that goal, said a statement posted on Twitter. The meeting took place at Bagram Airfield north of Kabul, Americas largest base in Afghanistan, as the resurgent Taliban step up attacks on Afghan troops and police in response to the US strategy announced in August. Clearly we have to continue to fight against the Taliban, against others, in order for them to understand they will never win a military victory, Tillerson told reporters after the meeting that was also attended by Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. It was Tillersons first trip to the country as secretary of state, and came several weeks after US defence secretary Jim Mattis paid an unannounced visit. WHO announced last Friday that it had bestowed the honour of goodwill ambassador on Mugabe in recognition of his governments efforts in fighting NCDs. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, however, said in a statement on Sunday that he had listened to those expressing concerns and heard the different issues they had raised. And after consultations with the Zimbabwean government, he said they concluded that the rescinding decision was in the best interest of the UN agency. Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean government said Mugabe had accepted the decision by WHO. Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi said the decision will not affect Mugabe, who will continue to work to raise awareness on NCDs. We respect the WHO decision as much as we respect the initial decision to honor our president, Mzembi said. The minister added that the decision was a loss to WHO rather than an embarrassment to Mugabe. Mugabe and his wife remain under European Union and United States sanctions imposed in the early 2000s for political reasons, though several of Mugabes allies in government and party have been removed from the EU sanctions lists. The sour public opinion about the war led to a distaste for returning veterans Excerpted from Enduring Vietnam: An American Generation and Its War, by James Wright, published by Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martins Press. Copyright 2017 Enduring Vietnam looks at the generation that grew up in postWorld War II America and their war. During the 1960s, and likely even more so as the years have passed, many veterans would reject the ownership implicit in calling the American War in Vietnam their war. But it was that generations war. As youngsters, most joined older generations in supporting it at the outset and many served in it. If not always eagerly or even willingly, they served. They may legitimately deny responsibility for starting the wartheir parents and grandparents generations did that for thembut they cannot deny that this war marked them profoundly. And they marked the war. More than 10 million baby boomers served in the armed forces in the 1960s and early 1970s. Nearly 10 percent of the men in that generation went to Vietnam. As the war dragged on in the 1960s, the proportion of draftees in the military increased. But the majority of those who served enlisted, willingly as volunteers or less willingly in response to or in anticipation of a draft call. Certainly all Americans knew about the war in Vietnam at the time, but only a small percentage truly knew it. Politically, culturally, morally, the war and its images overwhelmed the period. People based their views on their assessment of the wisdomand for some, their judgments about the moralityof this major war. Those opinions seldom were informed by the experience of the generation that was engaging in this war. The diplomatic and the political developments, the broader global context and the public perceptions of the war are critical elements in understanding it. They all revolved around the question that politicians and their constituents increasingly asked after 1965: Why are we in Vietnam? While there had been opposition to the war from the outset, within a few years the war became increasingly a focus of public concern and public dissent. There was growing cynicism about its purported purpose and skepticism about the official narrative of its rationale, its conduct and its costs. Ongoing debates about the Vietnam experience pretty consistently describe it as a mistakea mistake in commitment or a mistake in execution. Or both. In the late 1960s, the growing dissent against the American War in Vietnam focused on costs and consequences. Critics increasingly pressed the case for recognizing moral costs and moral consequences. As the scale of U.S. involvement grew and the nature of the fighting intensified, so did the volume of reports and accounts from Vietnam. These led to increasingly negative public attitudes toward the war and, for some, perceptions of the men fighting it. By late 1969, especially following the public disclosures of the My Lai massacre of several hundred Vietnamese civilians in March 1968, some accounts depicted the Americans no longer as victims but as eager perpetrators of the war, perpetrators often high on drugs. Although neither innocent victim nor cruel participant was a majority public view, those perspectives nonetheless often were dominating ones. Each was a condescending and grossly distorted generalization. For the troops who served there, Vietnam was a pretty basic world in which they focused on survival as a daily goal. Participants in all wars do that, of course, but in Vietnam it became harder to project this personal goal, to imagine the daily experience, within a broader and grander set of military objectives serving critical national needs. In the summer of 1969, a veteran reporter covered a group of 8,000 men of the 9th Marine Regiment as they prepared to join the first troops in the drawdown of forces. While they waited at Vandegrift Combat Base in northern South Vietnam for flights to Okinawa, Japan, there was little gaiety. In one tent, James Sterba found the men listening to a tape recorder playing Country Joe and the Fish singing their iconic I Feel Like Im Fixin to Die Rag. In another tent, men looked at the now-famous June 27 issue of Life magazine with photos of Americans who died in Vietnam during one weeks combat; they found familiar faces. A young Marine said, The people just dont understand what these guys have been through. He predicted, No one anywhere from now on will be able to tell them anything about fear and bravery and all that other stuff. There is an intellectual and even a moral tension in trying to summarize the lives of the Vietnam generation in the decades following the war. One might generalize that despite the searing experience many had in Vietnam and despite the indifferent receptions some encountered when they came home, this generation, by almost every measurement, adapted well. But the tension in this assessment is the danger of a Pollyannaish view that ignores the pain that many feltand many continue to feel. They accomplished their successes with little understanding and few helping hands from their contemporaries. Coming home was not a trivial process, and some experienced problems that were more than transitional. And for too many these problems would turn out to be their companions for a lifetime. Chronic difficulties included physical disabilities, untreated medical conditions, notably those caused by Americas own Agent Orange, the nightmares and personal demons of what came to be called post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and drug abuse, interpersonal tensions, unfulfilled dreams. One Marine, speaking about the 567 Marines and corpsmen of the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, killed in action, said: To this day, it is difficult to fully comprehend and reckon with the tragedy of these losses. For every death there were at least four times, or five times or maybe six times that many of us wounded. There is no way to know exactly how many. And these wounds included horrible losses of limbs and bodily functionsnot the kind you see in the old time Western movies. These were wounds that forever changed your life, and inflicted long-term suffering and misery. Far too many Vietnam veterans carried uncomplainingly the hurt of engaging a country that waited too long to say Thank you for your serviceand then seemed to think the phrase was a magnanimous gesture that provided an adequate gratuity, a sufficient acknowledgment and apology from which all should then move on. One still-angry veteran said, Theyre just trying to make themselves feel better for the way they shit on us 45 years ago. They say it automatically, much the same as people say Bless you when some sneeze. He added, If those other people had to spend just one night inside my nightmares, they would fall to the floor with tears in their eyes. Another said: People may be more accepting these days, but they still do not want to hear our stories. More recently I am hearing Thank you for your service. Mostly from store clerks who seem to say it as part of their training, or from the children and grandchildren of those who scorned us when we came home. When I hear those words, they really seem hollow. I wish they would just not say anything. The pain endures. There is a risk of generalizing these lingering hurts into the stereotype of a pathetic, haunted, angry generation. The contrary risk is to ignore the personal agonies of too many. Or perhaps cruelest of all is to dismiss these as personal shortcomings or individual maladies, character flaws that separate the condition from the experience from which it stemmed. For those who came home in the first years of the war, from 1965 to 1968 or 1969, their encounters and transitions were sometimes strained, generally uncomfortable and often disappointing. But they were rarely hostile. This began to change by 1969, as the image of the men fighting the war was filtered through the more negative view of the war itself. The most common manifestations of this were embarrassing encounters in which the war that had no name was not mentioned. But these sometimes flared into difficult confrontations. From 1969 into the early 1970s, the rapid drawdown of troops from Vietnam increased the number returning at a time when the domestic economy was in a downturn and the stereotype of the Vietnam veteran was the most negative. Veterans who have felt disappointed or frustrated or angry about their reception are not unusual in American history. But the mutual discomfort and even the abrasions of their homecoming had no precedent, and these were compounded because veterans encountered an American public that too often was disappointed or angry or frustrated about the war itself its inception, its operations, their perception of its conduct and its conclusion. In retrospect, it is striking that there was not even any pretense of a welcome home except from families and some neighborhoods or communities. These veterans were a symbol of something their fellow citizens and even their family and friends were trying to forget. The distinguished American historian Frank Freidel wrote in 1980 that unlike troops who served in previous American wars, few of those returning from Vietnam were ever viewed as heroes: What has distinguished Vietnam veterans from most of their predecessors is . . . that a considerable part of the articulate abhorrence of the war seemed to spill onto them. They returned not as heroes, but as men suspected of complicity in atrocities or feared to be drug addicts. Not only the underprivileged but even the most prestigious were under a cloud. By April 1975, those who had served in Vietnam watched on television the last scramble to evacuate Saigon. They were seldom surprised at this outcome, but some nonetheless had an emotional reaction to it. A Marine said simply that he was glad it was over, and another said, in frustration, It stinks. One soldier who had risked his life once to save his M16 rifle now watched all of that equipment abandoned. He felt guilty about leaving behind all those we were trying to help. A veteran watching it on TV with his parents exclaimed: You got to be kidding me! What a waste. A Hamburger Hill veteran said the fall of Saigon just cemented the attitude that the whole thing was a terrible loss of life for no purpose. A soldier who had seen a lot of death said: I was appalled and felt tremendously betrayed. That war cost me two years of my young, married life . . . probably 50 years counting the aftermath. However, for over 58,000 of our KIAs, it is a permanent disgrace. Someone else observed: I followed the war after we left and wasnt surprised by the fall and pretty disgusted about the whole thing. Lost a lot of friends there. One veteran would continue to insist, We didnt lose. He emphasized his point: We. Didnt. Lose. Instead, We were withdrawn. Another described this as coming to terms with the conclusion that it was like everything we did was for nothing. The year I spent putting my ass on the line over there? It was like it didnt matter. William Ortiz, a Vietnam veteran and vice president of the National Congress of Puerto Rican Veterans, admitted that the war messes me up. He often believed that the United States should step back in and do something, but then I think we shouldnt because so many lives would be lost. Beallsville, Ohio, a blue-collar mining and manufacturing community of 450, lost seven young men in Vietnam. In April 1975, it was struggling more with jobs and its economy than with the impending fall of Saigon. One father, looking at a high school graduation photo of his son who had died there, teared up as he said, This little boy lost his life for nothing. His wife added, He was our only child. By a significant margin, most Americans thought we should stay out of Vietnam. In the spring of 1975, only 12 percent thought the United States should send military aid to Vietnam; 78 percent opposed. The veterans of the war did not disagree. They lost again, though, because Americans, in their haste to forget the war, also forget those who had served there. Washington Post columnist Mary McGrory had long criticized the war, but she believed the country had an obligation to those who had fought. She caustically asked the nation at the end of 1975: You remember the Vietnam veteran? There is no particular reason why you should. Hardly anybody does. He had the poor taste to fight in an unpopular war, which made little sense while it was going on and none at all when it was lost. The prisoners of war received parades and gifts. The grunt just came home. McGrory observed that defeat has vindicated them and deepened his sense of being had. And, finally, he could not escape the stereotype: When he sees a Vietnam veteran on a television drama, its likely to be a drug-crazed time bomb or a cleancut baby killer, and that doesnt add to his self-esteem. She concluded that on top of all of this, the veteran confronted unemployment double the rate of nonveterans of his age, and the GI Bill was inadequate to meet his needs. That assessment was a pretty comprehensive summary of the world of many Vietnam veterans in the early 1970s. Most Americans did ignore themmany disliked them for what they represented, and some feared them for the dark anger they believed the veterans harbored. One reporter wrote of the returning veteran, Silently he is slipping thru the back door of the nation which sent him to war. There were no parades, no frenzied homecoming celebrations. Instead, the veteran has been vilified, condemned, ostracized. He has been branded a murderer, a junkie, an undisciplined disgrace. Perhaps most cutting, for the first time in American military history, he has been labeled a loser. The stories of heroism and dedication had been lost under a sea of public disgust. Following the Paris peace accords, the POWs returned home in the early spring of 1973. It was a powerfully emotional moment. One reporter sat in a San Diego bar with a group of veterans, including a Marine missing his legs who sat in a wheelchair. They joined an elated nation watching the return being celebrated on television. They saw the emaciated POWs coming down the ramp from an airplane, with military and civilian officials waiting to welcome them and their emotional families watching for them, with military bands playing in the background. One of the men in the bar wept. This scene contrasted so sharply with his own homecoming: Instead of saying, welcome home they gave me the finger. One veteran in Chicago spoke of the return home from Vietnam: When youre over there, its supposed to mean something to come homebut it dont mean nothing. You feel excluded. Another, who had left a factory job in Yonkers, New York, returned to find his job had been eliminated. People dont want to be reminded of you. They dont want to know youve been in Nam. Certainly most veterans received a warm welcome from family and neighborsbut even those who cared deeply for them frequently responded with a cold silence or at least an absence of curiosity about their war experiences. One came home just before Thanksgiving, and at a large family celebration he expected to be bombarded by questions and stuff, but no one mentioned Vietnam. So he never talked about itfor the next 40 years. One soldier returned home right before Easter in 1970, and his parents had a big family gathering for him. It didnt dawn on me till a couple of days later, but not one person said one word to me about anything. They would have asked somebody that went to Florida more questions about their tan . . . And thats how it continued. Nobodywhen I think back on itnobody said a word to me about anything. But another recalled, First thing Mom asked was to show her my wounds. One soldier said that his dad, who had served with the Marines on Iwo Jima in World War II, never once asked his son about Vietnam. Another said his parents never understood or wanted to know about his experiences or asked him why he was having flashbacks. He admitted that he was pissed that too many people could care less about Vietnam. An injured Marine never talked to nonveterans. He knew that they wouldnt understand and didnt care anyway. Another veteran found that there were two kinds of peoplethose who were deadset against the war and all of us who were there, and those who were not the least bit interested in my problems. He admitted that he was troubled by those who had successfully dodged the draft, how they did it, and what they had accomplished in the last two years. When Karl Marlantes returned, he was surprised that there were not more people waiting at the airport to welcome him home. To me, and to my parents, Id been gone an eternity; to everyone else a flash. James Wright is president emeritus and the Eleazar Wheelock professor of history emeritus at Dartmouth College. He is the author or editor of six books. Published in the December 2017 issue of Vietnam magazine Australian psych-rock mouthful, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, are set to return to Dublin this February. The show comes as part of a whistlestop tour of the UK & Ireland, with the band also playing dates in Manchester, London and Glasgow. King Gizzard will perform at the Olympia Theatre on February 23. Tickets on sale this Friday, October 28, at 10am. Jewellery designer Melissa Curry was born in Sligo, but it was her passion for travel and adventure that inspired her eye-catching pieces. Her love of traditional Irish symbolism blended with her appreciation of the designs and patterns she saw in other countries, making for a distinctive mix of influences. "I travelled all over the world in my youth," says Curry. "I developed a fondness for tribal and ethnic accessories", which are a way of life, as are accessories in our own Celtic heritage. So that's really where it all started. Moving to Paris highlighted this and made my dream more real." When Curry set up her Parisian jewellery brand, her unique designs became sought after, and were soon stocked in boutiques in New York, Japan, Paris and London. Her regenerative vision and powerful design brought collaborations with leading brand names such as Absolut, Swarvoski, Toni & Guy and Phillipe Stark @ Bon. Taking place between Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October in Dublin's RDS, the festival will also be staging a series of special after parties throughout the city centre on both nights. The After Parties will be held in 13 different venues over two nights, with tickets exclusively available to people going to Metropolis Festival. Those who wish to attend are advised to present their ticket or wristband at the door to gain entry. Here is a breakdown of the different After Party events: Saturday 28th October Laurent Garniere + eve, Button Factory Mix & Fairbanks + Orange Tree Edits + Long Island Sound, Hangar Krystal Klear (all night long), Tengu ELLLLL + Tommy Holohan + Jake Nolan, Wigwam Richard Fearless (Death In Vegas), Wah Wah Club Special Guests, Chelsea Drug Store Sunday 29th October Advertisement Special Guests, Button Factory Adam Beyer + Jack Dunne, Hangar Peggy Gou + DJ Deece, Wigwam Jeremy Underground & Hubie Davison, The Grand Social Or:la + Jack Thompson, Wah Wah Club Tara Williams, Chelsea Drug Store Bingo Loco, Xico Tickets for after parties are only available at the festival exclusively for those attending the Metropolis Festival 2017. Ticket prices for Sunday will remain at 69.50 and will not increase to the final tier of 79.50, as in previous years. Tickets are currently on sale via Ticketmaster.ie and usual outlets. Opening Concert - Saturday Tier 1 - 49.75 Bank Holiday - Sunday Tier 1 - 69.75 - ticket prices will remain at Tier 1 pricing. Tier 2 - 79.50 WEEKEND TICKETS TIER 1 (Sat/Sun) - 99.50 - SOLD OUT TIER 2 (Sat/Sun) - 109.50 - SOLD OUT TIER 3 (Sat/Sun) - 119.50 The trailer for Paul Thomas Andersons latest film Phantom Thread was released today, featuring Daniel Day Lewis in his final acting role. Anderson and Lewis worked together before on There Will be Blood (2007) and their latest project is expected to emulate their formers Academy Award successes. Phantom Thread is set in 1950s London and tells the story of a renowned dressmaker named Reynolds Woodcock (Day Lewis) whose business is at the centre of the thriving British fashion industry. However his life and work become disrupted when he meets his latest muse and lover Alma (Vicky Krieps). The trailer promises a beautifully shot and emotionally charged piece, with a soundtrack by Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood adding to the intensity. It will surely see the enigmatic Lewis go out on a high, before enjoying retirement in his home in Annamoe, County Wicklow. Exxon Mobil has purchased an oil terminal in the Delaware Basin, the latest move in the oil major's push into one of the world's most prodcutive oil fields. Exxon Mobil Corp., whose headquarters is in Irving, bought the terminal, its first in the region, from Houston midstream firm Genesis Energy for an undisclosed amount, it said this past week. The terminal in Wink, about 75 miles west of Midland, can handle 100,000 barrels a day and crude through pipelines to Gulf Coast refineries and export terminals, and it was designed to expand its capacity as the region's oil production increases. "The terminal provides crude producers with a full range of logistical options including truck, rail and inbound and outbound pipeline access, not only for Exxon Mobil's production, but for all Permian Basin producers," Gerald Frey, president of the company's pipeline unit, said in a statement. The purchase comes on the heels of Exxon Mobil's acquisition of 22,000 acres in the Permian Basin, where the company has dispatched 19 drilling rigs across 250,000 acres in the Delaware Basin and 130,000 acres in the nearby Midland Basin in West Texas. In January, the company doubled its Permian holdings with a $5.6 billion purchase of 275,000 acres from BOPCO and other companies owned by the Bass family of Fort Worth. The Permian is attractive to big oil companies because it is far cheaper to develop than deep-water fields at a time when oil prices remain low, with little prospect of them climbing sharply over the next year or so. Exxon Mobil and Chevron, which have long focused investments offshore, have poured billions into the Permian. In a decade, both companies project that U.S. shale oil production will make up a quarter of their global output. Fidelity Investments, one of the world's largest investment firms, has pushed out two high-level executives over the past few weeks amid sexual harassment complaints, according to two people familiar with the allegations. Former portfolio manager C. Robert Chow resigned earlier this month and Gavin Baker, a prominent tech fund manager, was fired by the company in September, according to the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly about the cases. Chow and Baker could not be immediately reached for comment. Their dismissals was first reported by the The Wall Street Journal. Fidelity declined to comment on specific employees, but said in a statement that its policies "prohibit harassment in any form. When allegations of these sorts are brought to our attention, we investigate them immediately and take prompt and appropriate action. We simply will not, and do not, tolerate this type of behavior," Fidelity spokesman Vincent Loporchio said in a statement. Fidelity has also hired an outside consultant to review employee behavior in its stock-picking unit, according to one of the people familiar with the allegations. Chow was accused of making inappropriate sexual comments to colleagues and Baker allegedly harassed a 26-year-old employee. Both worked in the company's powerful stock-picking division. An unnamed spokesman for Baker told The Wall Street Journal that he "strenuously" denies the allegations. The allegations comes amid heightened sensitivity to sexual harassment complaints in corporate America. Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was recently fired as the head of his company after reports emerged that he had harassed dozens of women over decades. And on Friday, The New York Times reported that Former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly secretly settled a sexual harassment allegation with a network contributor for $32 million. Wall Street, meanwhile, has long fought its reputation as a place where women and minorities struggle to succeed. None of the country's leading publicly-traded banks - JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup or Bank of America - have ever been led by a woman. Last year, Bank of America was accused of running a "bros club" that underpaid female executives. Women account for just 2 percent of financial industry chief executives, according to research by Catalyst, a nonprofit group. They hold about 29 percent of executive or senior-level positions in the industry. Fidelity operates in the asset management world where such concerns have also lingered. Women and minorities are locked out of some of sector's most lucrative positions, managing just 1.1 percent of the $71.4 trillion of the industry's assets, according to a study commissioned by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Bella Research Group earlier this year. Fidelity is somewhat unusual in the financial world. It is led by a woman, Abigail P. Johnson, who has been chairman and chief executive officer since 2014. Johnson's grandfather started the firm, and she owns a significant share of the privately-held company, according to Forbes, which estimates her net worth at more than $17 billion. Johnson is considered one of the most powerful women in finance from her perch at Fidelity, which has more than $6 trillion in assets, including the retirement accounts of millions of Americans. It also has several women in senior leadership positions, including Kathleen Murphy, the president of personal investing, which controls more than $2 trillion in customer assets. The company held an emergency meeting last week in the wake of dismissals of the two executives, according to a personal familiar with the allegations. Brian Hogan, president of Fidelity's stock-picking division, stressed the company's intolerance of inappropriate workplace conduct during that meeting, the person said. "Fidelity remains committed to providing all associates with an outstanding work environment and we will always work hard to ensure that we take swift and appropriate action when an individual violates our policies, and more importantly, our values," the company's statement said. Megyn Kelly waded back into territory she vowed to leave behind on Monday, saying on her new NBC morning program that she complained about Bill O'Reilly while she was an anchor at Fox News but was ignored. In an extraordinary monologue, Kelly went after O'Reilly, her former bosses and colleagues, accusing the network of fostering a toxic culture for its female employees. "O'Reilly's suggestion that no one ever complained about his behavior is false," Kelly said during "Megyn Kelly Today." "I know because I complained." Kelly has vowed to keep her program light and sunny, but the revelation on Saturday that O'Reilly paid $32 million to a Fox contributor, Lis Wiehl, to settle harassment allegations in January drew her back into a topic she might have wanted to avoid. In November, two months before she left Fox for NBC, she emailed Fox's co-presidents, Bill Shine and Jack Abernethy, to object to O'Reilly's comments during a CBS News interview, she said. O'Reilly said at the time that he wasn't "interested" in discussing a topic - sexual harassment - that "makes my network look bad." In response, Kelly said, she wrote to her bosses: "Perhaps he didn't realize the kind of message his criticism sends to young women across the country about how men continue to view the issues of speaking out about sexual harassment. "Perhaps he didn't realize his exact attitude of shaming women into shutting the hell up about harassment on grounds that it will disgrace the company is in part how Fox News got into the decade-long [Roger] Ailes mess to begin with. Perhaps it's his own history of harassment of women which has, as you both know, resulted in payouts to more than one woman, including recently, that blinded him to the folly of saying anything other than, 'I am just so sorry for the women of this company, who never should have had to go through that.'" She said the response was that O'Reilly was "permitted with management's advance notice and blessing" to appear on his program that night "to attack the company's harassment victims yet again." Kelly also took a shot at Fox News' chief media relations officer, Irena Briganti, saying she had abetted Fox's attack on those who had complained about harassment. Briganti "is known for her vindictiveness," Kelly said. "To this day, she pushes negative articles on certain Ailes accusers like the one you're looking at right now," meaning Kelly herself. "This must stop," she said. "The abuse of women, the shaming of them, the threatening, the retaliation, the silencing of them after the fact, it has to stop." Briganti had no comment Monday. Fox's parent company, 21st Century Fox, released a statement saying: "21st Century Fox has taken concerted action to transform Fox News, including installing new leaders, overhauling management and on-air talent, expanding training, and increasing the channels through which employees can report harassment or discrimination. These changes come from the top, with Lachlan and James Murdoch personally leading the effort to promote civility and respect on the job, while maintaining the Company's long-held commitment to a diverse, inclusive and creative workplace." In response to Kelly, O'Reilly's spokesman, Mark Fabiani, released two handwritten notes from Kelly to O'Reilly. The first is a thank-you note from her for his presence at her baby shower. "What a class act you are," she wrote, adding, "You've become a dear friend and I am grateful to have you in my life." The second is a note thanking O'Reilly for mentioning the latest book by her husband, Doug Brunt, on his program. She wrote, "I appreciate how supportive you have been of me here [at Fox]. You are a true friend and mentor." Kelly's comments were her first about Fox since she began her NBC program, which has struggled in the ratings. They were largely out of character for the upbeat tone she said she wanted to set. Her statement preceded an interview with former Fox News anchor Juliet Huddy, who claimed that she had been harassed by O'Reilly and Abernethy while working at the network. Huddy quietly settled her claims against the network in September of last year, reportedly for a sum in the high six figures. Kelly was also speaking out following the report by the New York Times that O'Reilly had paid Wiehl $32 million to settle harassment allegations spanning 18 years. The harassment scandal at Fox exploded in July 2015 after former anchor Gretchen Carlson accused network co-founder and chairman Roger Ailes of harassing her. Her lawsuit, which Fox settled for $20 million, led to the ouster of Ailes. Subsequent revelations took down O'Reilly, Shine and general counsel Dianne Brandi and led to millions of dollars in settlements with women who made claims. Abernethy and Briganti remain at Fox. Kelly - who privately lodged a harassment complaint about Ailes while at Fox - has gone public about harassment at Fox before, most notably in her book, "Settle for More," published in November. During her interview with Huddy and her attorney Douglas Wigdor, Kelly opined that O'Reilly's settlement with Wiehl was "so shocking . . . because it was made after Ailes was gone and after [Fox was] trying to improve the culture and they knew he had settled five other cases." Following her interview with Huddy, Kelly went back to the lighter fare that has been the hallmark of her show since its debut. She conducted an interview with former talk show host Phil Donahue and then did a segment with the author of a book about crockpot cooking. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Trenton Doyle Hancock never got to wear costumes on Oct. 31 as a kid growing up in East Texas. His parents thought Halloween was "Satan's holiday." But the prolific and super-successful artist, who has lived in Houston during most of his 20-year career, is making up for that lost bit of childhood with one of his current projects: He's designing a series of Halloween masks. The costumes are the next iteration in a near-biblical body of work - drawings, paintings, murals, sculptures, installation, a ballet and film - built from Hancock's epic, invented mythology. Mixing autobiography and fiction, this phantasmagorical world full of subplots and symbols is informed by Hancock's lifelong love of comics and superheroes, plus horror flicks, pulp fiction, pop culture and art history. Featuring a complex universe of characters in plots that explore good and evil, light and dark, it stars opposing forces he calls Mounds and Vegans. In Houston, parts of the story play out in public murals that can be found everywhere from the University of Houston-Downtown's visitor center to Texas Children's Hospital to the kiddie-train tunnel at Hermann Park. Hancock also has a major show up this month at Rice Gallery, organized by Art League Houston, which designated him its 2017 Texas Artist of the Year. More Information 'Texas: 1997-2017' Trenton Doyle Hancock When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays, through Nov. 17 Where: Rice Gallery, Sewall Hall, 6100 Main Info: Free; 713-523-9530, artleaguehouston.org See More Collapse Several mask props from a 2014 film project appear in that show as sculptures, on pedestals and under protective plexiglass, borrowed from private collectors Peter and Linda Zweig. The black-and-white-striped "Bringback" figure mask is formed of contrasting fluffy and flat textiles, with bulging pink eyes. The "Tiled Skin" face mask is constructed of silicone rubber and acrylic paint. Hancock seems to master every material he tackles. So translating his Bringback, Torpedo Boy and Painter characters into actual Halloween costumes isn't much of a stretch. He's been working on them two years, collaborating on prototypes with the 3-D print shop at Virginia Commonwealth University's Fanoon: Center for Printmedia Research in Qatar. (Yes, that Qatar, in the Middle East.) Hancock has amassed a huge collection of toys during his career, a hobby that has long fueled his work. Now, various grants and awards are enabling him to design a number of his own, playful products with retail potential. He's producing action figures with a studio in Canada, flooring textiles with Odabashian Rugs in Miami, and he's also excited about a major doll project with his alma mater, Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. Collaborating with Tim Rusterholz, a recent graduate and fabrication expert who now works as a sculpture technician at the school, Hancock is creating four dolls based on his characters, plus a 7-foot "goddess." He's also collaborating with the National Black Doll Museum of History & Culture in Massachusetts to mount an exhibition that explores contrasts between dolls that represent blacks and whites. "I have a huge collection of white dolls scavenged from thrift shops," Hancock said. "A lot of them are missing parts and weathered. They'll show comparisons between representation and value that are placed on human bodies but play out through dolls." He loves masks for the same reasons, for the things they reveal (or hide) about identity behind a "veil of gaze." Masks are not just about Halloween in his mind. They're a key element of human experience. "Fashion is a mask. So is how an artist shows himself through his work - or not," he said. "One thing can mask the other. I'm always thinking of layers, and who gets access to see behind them." John Besh, the New Orleans chef whose dining portfolio included some of that city's most important and popular restaurants, has left the company that bears his name following allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment. Besh, who was slated to be among the celebrity chefs participating in Sunday's Southern Smoke 2017 barbecue festival in Houston, is the co-owner of Besh Restaurant Group, which was the subject of an eight-month investigation by Nola.com/The Times-Picayune published over the weekend that revealed claims by 25 current and former female employees of Besh Group claiming sexual harassment while working for the company or at some of its restaurants. The story described a culture of sexual harassment at the Besh Group, whose restaurants include New Orleans' well known August, Borgne, Domenica, Luke, Johnny Sanchez, Shaya and Willa Jean. In one of two separate complaints to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a former employee claims that Besh "continued to attempt to coerce (her) to submit to his sexual overtures" during a months-long sexual relationship when she worked for him. Now Playing: Amid Sexual Harassment claims. Video: Fortune Things moved quickly after Saturday's lengthy story went live. Later that day Besh released a statement saying he was responsible for his "moral failings": "Two years ago, I deeply hurt those I love by thoughtlessly engaging in a consensual relationship with one member of my team. Since then I have been seeking to rebuild my marriage and come to terms with my reckless actions given the profound love I have for my wife, my boys and my Catholic faith. I also regret any harm this may have caused to my second family at the restaurant group, and sincerely apologize to anyone past and present who has worked for me who found my behavior as unacceptable as I do." On Sunday New Orleans was still digesting the news of one of their favorite sons, a James Beard Award-winning chef who helped pull the city together following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina; a man whose name was synonymous with Crescent City fine dining, hospitality, and for keeping a culinary spotlight on the city via TV cooking shows, cookbooks, and expanding a beloved city brand. By Monday Besh was out of his job, stepping down from the company he created. In a letter to employees, Shannon White, a Besh Restaurant Group executive, announced that Besh parted ways with the business to focus on his family. White, the company's new CEO, announced an outside review to independently investigate the claims, too. The letter also announced the formation of a permanent advisory committee, sexual harassment training, and an updated sexual harassment policy and code of conduct. "It is unacceptable if even one of you feels you cannot voice a concern about inappropriate workplace conduct," White wrote. "Let's collectively ensure that we have a zero-tolerance policy toward harassment of any kind. Our goal is to earn your trust and for you to know that we take all concerns seriously." Besh's ouster answers the question of why he was not present at Sunday's Southern Smoke in Houston, a high-profile culinary fundraiser organized by chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly. Besh had long been advertised as one of the headliners of the barbecue and wood-fire-cooking event attended by Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue in Austin, David Chang of the Momofuku restaurant group, whole hog pitmaster Rodney Scott and other James Beard Award-winning chefs. When Nola.com's story broke Saturday Lindsey Brown, the public relations representative for Southern Smoke, sent the Besh Group this email: "If John needs to stay in New Orleans, we completely understand. We will have media at the eventboth local and nationaland I would hate for today's news to overshadow the good that Chris and his team are doing for Houston." Neither Besh nor any representatives from his team were at Southern Smoke. So what's the fate of Eunice, the upcoming Houston restaurant from the Besh Group, without Besh at the helm? According to a source close to Besh, the project originally slated for a fall opening at 3737 Buffalo Speedway, remains on track, although its opening date is unclear. Eunice has been described as a Cajun/Creole brasserie under the direction of former Luke chef Drake Leonards. Even before the story about sexual misconduct allegations hit, the Besh Group was in the news for an unfortunate dispute with one of its celebrity chefs, Alon Shaya. The James Beard Award-winning Shaya, who rose to prominence within Besh's Domenica, was at the helm at Shaya, named best new restaurant in America by James Beard in 2016, when he was fired in September. At the time he was let go, Shaya was in the process of leaving the Besh Group with plans to purchase Shaya. He also applied for a federal trademark on the term "Shaya" and "Alon Shaya," according to Nola.com. On Oct. 20 the Besh Group took Shaya to court in a trademark dispute. A Houston ISD sophomore was wounded Sunday during a drive-by shooting in the Third Ward, just blocks from the University of Houston. Police headed to the intersection of Anita and Scott about 11:55 a.m. and found the 17-year-old boy with multiple gunshot wounds, according to a news release from the Houston Police Department. Last March, the Rice Design Alliance hosted its annual architecture tour. The focus was "H20uston: Living in Floodplains," and the tour opened six structures to the public four houses, one townhouse, one historic commercial building that all negotiate how to inhabit flood-prone grounds. Five months later, Harvey struck. Now the city is faced with the consequences and will be addressing them for a long time. I was asked to look at how the architecture featured on the "H20uston" tour fared during Harvey. Most buildings were in areas that did flood, but they, along with their occupants, emerged intact. Unfortunately, the house in Meyerland, a 1965 Brooks and Brooks design, sustained damage. In the past, the terrazzo floors handled a small amount of floodwaters, showing that material choice can improve resilience. What about the other buildings on the tour? I spoke with three occupants who generously shared their stories. As Danny Samuels suggested previously, and as this article will reveal, newer houses constructed to current building codes handled floodwaters much better than the original housing stock. As suggestions cohere into long-term plans, it is clear that stricter controls on new construction, amidst other more transformative programs, should be implemented. "Building, hereabouts, has traditionally been a form of stealing," mused Larry McMurtry in the late 1960s, perhaps critiquing the housing developments that, half a century later, pose the greatest flood risks. Surely a house can be many things, but for thousands of Houstonians during Harvey, a few feet of elevation was the difference between having to evacuate yourself and welcoming neighbors who escaped into your house. Linkwood Jenna and Chad Arnold have lived on Linkwood, two blocks south of Brays Bayou just inside Loop 610, for nearly a decade. A few years ago, facing a long list of structural repairs to their 1951 ranch house, they decided to demolish and build new. OffCite The materials of the existing house were donated to Habitat for Humanity , and the couple requested that every tree on the property be kept. Their architect, Brett Zamore, designed a 3,500-square-foot house faced in dark brick and light stucco that supports open interiors and a large exterior deck. Prized objects were given careful consideration; for example, a piano from Jenna's grandmother proudly sits in the open stairwell of the home. The floor structure of the residence, which was completed about a year ago, sits roughly four feet above ground level, or grade. Regulations for new construction stipulate that the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member must be 18 inches above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). The Arnolds' home was built an additional six inches higher. During Harvey, this height made all the difference. Early Sunday morning, the Arnolds awoke to a call from a neighbor who was experiencing flooding in her home. Jenna watched her husband step off the porch and sink waist-deep in water. Chad helped a number of neighbors escape, and soon people that they recognized but don't know well were swimming over to their house. Later on Sunday, the Arnolds had 19 people gathered in their house. Two big dogs made their home on the upstairs porch and a cat was stationed in every bathroom. Soon, neighbors wrapped in towels looked out at the flooded neighborhood. Boat owners navigated the shoulder-high waters in their vessels and plucked the remaining families from roofs and attics. At night, most guests slept upstairs, as Jenna was concerned with the waters rising into the house. Chad slept downstairs with his hand on the floor to ensure he would wake up if water entered the house. After midnight, he was awoken by a man outside in an air boat with a thick Louisiana accent; he was a member of the Cajun Navy, patrolling Linkwood to see if remaining residents needed any help. On Monday morning, the waters had receded and residents returned to check on their houses. For the next week, Jenna and others helped direct clean-up crews to houses in need. Of the 140 houses in the Linkwood neighborhood, 120 were flooded. Thankfully, residents were safe. "There's a newer house pretty much on every street and every new house was taking in people from the ranch houses," she said. Here, the archipelago of new construction provided safe havens during the flood and served as a base for coordinating clean-up in its aftermath. Paul Hester It is unclear how Harvey will transform the social fabric of Linkwood. Jenna said some neighbors already have "For Sale" signs up, but others plan to build new, and still others await pay-outs that will enable them to renovate. Reflecting on the design of this house, Zamore stressed that it is important to keep the foundation skirting as open as possible. Instead of vents in a more typical closed wall that could retain moisture under the house, he used mesh on three sides of the foundation that allow water to pass through, ensuring the crawlspace will air out quickly. The Arnolds' house remained dry, though water flowed under the house and nearly reached the bottom of the floor structure. The garage is at grade; inside it is faced with cement board, not drywall, with smart vents installed in the walls, a material choice that makes clean-up easier. Unfortunately, the garage still filled with two feet of water, and Jenna lost her car. All in all, the Arnolds emerged as helpful survivors and are grateful to Zamore's expertise in designing for a flood-prone lot. "We've been so pleased about some of the decisions that were made about our house," Jenna said. Their house shows "there's a way you can build that will survive this crazy bayou area." Shirkmere Jacki and Andrew Schaefer moved into their new house the week before the tour. Jacki is a Rice Architecture alum and teaches a Building Information Management (BIM) course at the school in the spring. She completed some initial sketches for the house before working with architect and Rice Architecture professor Nonya Grenader to design the house. OffCite Jacki and Andrew's two-story, L-shaped residence sits at the end of Shirkmere in a residential pocket inside the Loop and west of White Oak Bayou. Its primary strips of windows open north toward the neighborhood. Southern openings are minimized both for thermal reasons and to turn away from the adjacent railway and industrial lot, as townhouses are planned for the site but haven't been built (though the plots are visible on Google maps). The house is bigger than the previous one on the lot, but because so much paving was removed, the impervious coverage actually decreased. The design takes the typical but important flooding precautions. It is raised to the minimum required height and smart vents are used to ventilate the crawlspace. Throughout, architectural split-face concrete masonry units (CMU) are used as a foundation skirt, including in the garage and in the demising wall between the garage and the elevated house. There is no drywall in the garage, which again makes clean-up easier. The couple has two small children and, worrying about an extended power outage, they evacuated to Dallas on the Thursday before Harvey's arrival. Jacki kept in touch with her tight-knit group of neighborhood friends via their Slack channel. Andrew, who works in optimization in the oil and gas industry, had installed cameras at the house, so the family watched Harvey batter their piece of Houston until their house lost internet access. As with the house in Linkwood, newer houses served as places of refuge until neighbors could be evacuated to higher ground. One neighbor, wading across the street, snapped a picture, included below, and sent it to Jacki. They also own the house next door, a ranch on a slab; Jacki thought for sure it was gone. They waited without an update until Tuesday, when a neighbor was able to check on their house and the one next door. Miraculously, both were dry. The family, still in Dallas, immediately began raising money online from friends and, a few days later, drove a U-haul truck full of supplies back to Houston. Arriving back at their house, they immediately began assisting neighbors in clearing out the muck. Many residents are now faced with the decision of whether and how to rebuild. It can be stressful, as families just want to get back into their houses. But, for most, FEMA or insurance payouts are a big chance to do some house improvement. "You don't get that opportunity, with these funds and the demolition work already done," Jacki said. She has given some advice, mostly to be thoughtful in analyzing their family's flow and usage of space. Instead of building bigger, build smarter and with more flexibility, she says. At night, the neighborhood is dark, with few lights on and not a lot of AC units running. Already there are vacant lots "FEMA lots," in the neighborhood's parlance from Hurricane Allison that serve as gathering places for the community. There could be more in the coming years as homeowners decide to relocate. In rebuilding, Jacki hopes people think about the "large-scale implications" of their individual actions and to not add more impervious coverage to the city. It is "hard to get people to care about the public good," she notes, but it becomes very real when it happens to you: "I hope people get smart." Sunset Coffee Building Next to Allen's Landing, the Sunset Coffee Building was both the only commercial and oldest structure featured on the tour. OffCite It has been significantly renovated by Lake|Flato and BNIM and now serves as the home for the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. The design of the renovated structure allows its first level to flood: There are durable finishes and mesh security gates allow water to move through the space. Located at the confluence of the Buffalo and White Oak Bayous, the area was inundated with high, fast, and debris-laden waters, as the images show. All sources indicate that the design performed as anticipated. "We knew it was coming," Anne Olson told me, of Harvey. The staff moved exhibit materials to the second floor and secured the elevator on an upper floor. But there are always issues. The grease trap filled with water, thermostats need to be replaced and the elevator shaft had five feet of standing water at the bottom, causing electrical issues. Security cameras mounted on the building filled with water and malfunctioned. The fire alarm went off for four days, making the area sound like a war zone, even catching the attention of a CNN reporter. Still, water didn't crest into the offices on the second floor. (It was almost this high during Allison.) Shortly after the waters receded, the building was habitable again. Soon, the Partnership's staff and volunteers were hard at work cleaning silt and debris out of their parks, including deep deposits in the Houston Police Officer's Memorial. Trails downstream largely weren't affected, though serious erosion took place, to the extent that the BBP is considering increasing the depth of the land the Partnership purchases for easements, Olson said. The BBP lost a dock and boat, but the pair was found in the Ship Channel by the Coast Guard, still roped together. Olson said the intensity of this flood will have an impact on the master planning effort underway for the eastern portion of Buffalo Bayou. She remembered that Allison hit in 2001 during the master planning stages for the first section of improvements, and after that the "whole hydrology and flooding aspect took on this greater role in the plan." Other proposals that were shelved due to cost might be reviewed; one example is a diversionary canal from White Oak to lower Buffalo that was studied in 2002 but never funded. Buffalo Bayou Partnership Olson said one flood model predicted that the improvement would reduce flood waters by 5.5 feet in this stretch of downtown. During my visit in late September, the waters still ran high and fast. On the narrow docks, a pair of workers hosed silt back into the bayou. Behind the building, a Bobcat scraped silt from the rear courtyard. Above my head debris remained woven into the chain-link fence enclosure of the fire stair. Having a cafe tenant with seating throughout the courtyard and a kayak rental vendor would complicate flood preparation matters in the future, but the building and the BBP will be ready. As with the residential projects seen on the tour, the Sunset Coffee building is a testament that good design is not mere surface aesthetics: It is a deeper structural concern that can wind up saving your life. (Or, at least, the memory-laden objects you collect and hold dear.) The BBP's Rebecca Leija and Anne Olson told me their insurance adjuster said the Sunset Building, built in 1910, was well-suited to handle floods due to its height and angle relative to the bayou. Sure enough, in plan the building is set at an angle to the bayou's flow, presenting a corner to floodwaters rather than a flat face. And its east facade breaks slightly, perhaps to further reduce the surface area "seen" by floodwaters and therefore reduce their force on the walls and foundation. Good design works, and then it keeps working. This is an important message to carry with us as post-Harvey rebuilding efforts move forward. Jack Murphy is a designer and writer in Houston. He writes regularly about architecture for Texas Architect, The Architect's Newspaper and other publications. This is an edited version of an article that appeared originally on OffCite, a publication of the Rice Design Alliance, a community engagement program of the Rice School of Architecture. Bookmark Gray Matters. It hopes people get smart. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Some residents who live outside Pearland and like it that way are fighting a city proposal to annex 2,500 acres including an airport. The plan is being considered before a new state law goes into effect Dec. 1 that would require that annexation be contingent on a referendum in which most voters living in targeted areas agree to the deal. "I believe this is nothing but a land grab," said Michele Falzon, who owns property in two of the five targeted parcels in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction. City Councilman Keith Ordeneaux said that the state law, Senate Bill 6, was a factor in the move to annex the parcels, which are scattered to the south and west of the city. He stressed that the expansion would eventually add property tax revenue. That revenue boost would total around $1.2 million per year, according to Joel Handy, a management assistant with the city's management office. "I'll be honest," Ordeneaux said. "That is the reason I want to see this happen because the state has forced our hand." But opinions on the council are mixed on the issue, which has resulted in raucous meetings that filled a meeting room in the city's Public Safety Building with some of the 500 residents of the parcels, which are labeled as A, C, L, P and I. Readings for the proposed ordinances authorizing the annexations are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 13 and Nov. 27 at the city's temporary council chambers at 2555 Cullen Parkway on the second floor of the Pearland Public Safety Building. City Councilman Woody Owens said he's concerned with the increased debt the city would absorb through expanding its services to the parcels and expressed an overall negative view of the plan to annex. "Any time is a good time to stop a bad decision," Owens said at an Oct. 16 hearing on the proposal. Falzon told the council that an Aug. 29 letter sent to residents notifying them of the annexation plan was badly timed since mail service was disrupted for more than a week after Hurricane Harvey flooding. Most homeowners in the area were not in their homes or focused on more pressing needs at the time, she said. "We are being forced," Falzon said. She owns commercial property in the largest parcel eyed for annexation - 1,002 acres northeast of Texas 35 between Dixie Farm Road and County Road 29 that encompasses privately owned Pearland Regional Airport and includes approximately 80 homes. The airport has tenants and businesses including several flights schools, airplane and helicopter maintenance shops and 20 full-time residents who live in homes or condos. "Pearland's 2017 budget does nothing to provision services for areas I and L, does it?" she said. Nathan McDaniel, spokesman for the author of Senate Bill 6, state Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) was concerned that an annexation effort was being pushed just after the hurricane. "Something is a little fishy with this Hurricane Harvey thing," he said. "We passed this bill for a reason so these types of things wouldn't be common without collaboration or vote." The parcels mainly consist of properties on larger lots where residents can raise animals, make campfires and be free of homeowners associations and their rules. The residents say they have no need for city services such as police and fire protection and water and sewer lines that council members promise would be available if the land is in the city. Many residents said they already have water wells, didn't trust the city to maintain roads and are satisfied with response from the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office to law enforcement needs. According to the city, annexation could mean the owners of properties within the parcels would pay an average of $1,000 annually in city property taxes before homestead exemptions. Hayley Beeson, who lives in Area L on a horse sanctuary, told the council that a 2015 city document contradicts the reason for annexation now. Beeson said that the city's strategic plan indicates that adding more homes would not be profitable to the city. "It doesn't look good and it's not good for the city." she said of the annexation proposal. If the annexation plan doesn't succeed, Ordeneaux told residents at the Oct. 16 meeting, "I will, for the residents of the city, be making a motion to stop all services into the extraterritorial jurisdictions. That will mean a lot of negative things." Councilman Trent Perez said at that hearing he understands that residents will not like the plan but added that they could see property values rise in 15 to 20 years after all city services are connected. The statement resulted in laughter across the room, to which Perez responded, "I understand that's laughable. When you're able to sell your property for more, it's not going to be so laughable." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As Houston ISD faces a possible state takeover, a $106 million budget shortfall and millions of dollars in needed repairs from Hurricane Harvey, six of its board's nine seats are up for election on Nov. 7. Fifteen candidates are vying for school board seats in regular elections, and four are competing in a special election for the District III seat held for 14 years by Trustee Manuel Rodriguez, who died in July. The election comes at a turbulent time for Texas' largest school district, which educates about 212,000 students. If 10 of the district's longest-struggling schools don't show academic improvement through student test scores this spring, the Texas Education Agency could either take over the district or close those campuses. The district wrote a $77.5 million check to the state earlier this year to pay its recapture fee, which the TEA uses to buoy school districts with lower property values. Those recapture payments are forecast to increase to about $200 million by next year, even as the district struggles to provide extra services, such as counseling to students in high-poverty schools. It's also Superintendent Richard Carranza's second year at the helm, and although he has not yet made any seismic changes, he has signaled his administration will look into altering magnet programs and funding, overhauling the budget, centralizing some school operations and providing more equitable resources to historically underserved schools and communities. District I Monica Flores Richart, 43, has served as a volunteer and activist with groups such as the Houston Heights Association's education committee and the Houston ISD Hispanic Advisory Committee. She worked as a civil litigator from 2000 to 2006 before joining then-U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson's staff for one year in 2007. Her main priorities include analyzing the district's finances to find efficiencies and better balance the budget, supporting struggling schools that must improve this year to avoid state intervention and ensuring equitable access to programs and resources. "I am the only candidate that has worked in front of the school board for four years, advocating for positive policy changes and getting positive policy changes to come about," Richart said. "I'm an attorney who has experience with contracts and employment issues, as well, and I think that's a unique experience I bring." Gretchen Himsl, 46, is a policy analyst for Children at Risk, an education and child-welfare advocacy nonprofit, where she has worked since October 2016. She previously served as a staff member for the Texas House Appropriations Committee. Her primary issues include improving education outcomes for children through higher graduation and reading comprehension rates, setting a sustainable budget that puts more money in classrooms faster and rebuilding after Hurricane Harvey in a more equitable manner. "I have policy experience going back quite a ways," Himsl said. "I've been trained to look at systemic programs through the lens of equity and sustainable government." Elizabeth Santos, 35, has taught English literature in Houston ISD since 2008, spending seven years at Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center before moving to Northside High School in 2015. Santos' areas of focus include strengthening ethics rules on the board, hiring and retaining high-quality teachers by reallocating funding to the classroom and reducing the culture of emphasis on high-stakes standardized testing. "I've been a student, a volunteer and a teacher all in District I schools," Santos said. "People can relate to me because I'm from the community. I'm a teacher. This is not a political stepping stone for me. Education has been my passion and the love of my life for as long as I can remember." District V Sean Cheben, 32, a chemical engineer by training, has worked at Chevron since 2007. His current role is in process engineering and project management. He has volunteered as a fifth-grade math tutor at Poe Elementary and served in several roles with the Harris County Republican Party. He wants to better focus spending on learning, to prepare students for careers that will be in demand in the future and to create a culture that encourages community volunteerism. "I think I bring a unique perspective, which is a data-driven, analytical, long-term, strategic approach," Cheben said. "I do this every day at work as a project leader. I understand and know how to hold people accountable for doing things." Sue Deigaard, 48, has served in recent years as a representative on the Houston ISD District Advisory Committee, a member of the Houston Center for Literacy's board and a communications committee chairwoman for the Arts Access Initiative. She favors balancing the district's budget and finding financial solutions with help from a third-party group, recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers through increased salaries and an improved culture of respect and prioritizing engagement with the community and families. "I'd say my leadership experience is by far the thing that sets me apart from my opponents," Deigaard said. "I'm the only person who has been actively involved in the policy and funding space in HISD before I was running for office." Kara DeRocha, 41, is an environmental consultant who has worked as a contractor focused on regulatory compliance. She has founded and served on several community groups at Lovett and Herod elementary schools. According to her website, DeRocha's priorities include reducing the emphasis on high-stakes standardized testing, ensuring tax dollars are spent efficiently and providing additional resources to support children receiving special education services. DeRocha did not return messages seeking comment for this article. Susan Shafer, 56, retired from Houston ISD in 2015 after 27 years with the district. She taught elementary school for five years, then served as a librarian. Her final 20 years were spent at Parker Elementary School. Shafer's primary focus would be on improving low-performing schools that have chronically struggled, adequately funding and supporting special education and ensuring magnet programs are maintained and replicated across the district. "I'm the only candidate that comes to this with the perspective of having been in HISD for 27 years," Shafer said. "I know the impact that the policies of the board can have in the classroom with the teachers. It's time to have a career educator working on this board." District VI Trustee Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca, 36, was appointed in January following the resignation of Greg Meyers. She is chief relationship officer for thinkLaw, a national organization that works with educators to teach critical thinking through legal cases. She taught pre-kindergarten and kindergarten for six years in Houston ISD, Bryan ISD and KIPP Houston. Flynn Vilaseca said she would continue to focus on improving the district's financial standing and keeping dollars as close to kids as possible, on supporting low-performing schools in historically under-served communities and on creating strong options for parents in both community schools and magnet programs. "I've built relationships with some of the other board members and have led a lot of work around the Lone Star Governance framework, making sure we're focusing our time and effort on the right things," Flynn Vilaseca said. "I'm a social-organizational psychologist, so I have experience looking at things from a macro level and understanding group dynamics." Daniel Albert, 39, is a lawyer specializing in tax and business law and has served as chief of staff for Houston City Councilman Steve Le since January 2016. He has practiced law for more than a decade and clerked for a judge at the U.S. Tax Court. According to his website, Albert's primary issue is addressing Houston ISD's financial situation, including the amount of "recapture" funds owed to the state and the budget shortfall forecasted for 2018-19. Albert did not return multiple messages seeking comment. Robert Lundin, 39, taught for Houston ISD and YES Prep Public Schools from 2000 to 2006 before moving to the United Kingdom to establish an education nonprofit. He returned to teach at the University of St. Thomas and served as school support officer in the Houston ISD administration from 2013 to 2017. He is now a faculty member at Rice University. Lundin's priorities include creating programs to support low-performing schools, getting the district's finances in order while prioritizing money for the classroom and establishing a culture of good governance that emphasizes oversight and strategy roles. "I know how to be a tenacious advocate who gets results for the students and community he serves," Lundin said. "I bring an understanding of the way HISD can be navigated effectively but also what great innovation looks like in places outside of HISD." District VII Trustee Anne Sung, 38, who was elected in a special election against John Luman in December 2016, is a Houston ISD graduate and taught with Teach for America both in Houston ISD and in the Rio Grande Valley. She works as chief strategy officer for Project GRAD and previously worked as policy director at the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Since joining the school board, Sung has joined the special education, policy and budget committees. Sung said she's been able to guide the board in crafting a new governance framework, to build support for a common set of visions and beliefs and to help the district start tackling issues related to sub-par special education. She said her problem-solving approach will help move the district forward. "I understand the full diversity of Houston's schools because I grew up and worked across this district," Sung said. "And professionally, I bring experience in strategic planning, public policy analysis, math and education, all of which I'm bringing to bear in this work." John Luman, 52, who has worked in Houston for more than 20 years as an attorney, has a master's degree in engineering from the University of Texas and a law degree from Syracuse University. He ran unsuccessfully against Sung in a special election in December 2016 and said his top priority is improving the academic performance of 10 schools that could be closed by the state due to poor academic performance or could trigger a state takeover of the entire district. Luman said he supports merit-based pay for teachers, a Legislative Budget Board review of Houston ISD and charter schools - stances that contrast with his opponent's. He also groused over the district's budget. "I wouldn't have voted for a budget that's $107 million in the hole," Luman said. "I think it's time for a change. There are six seats up for election, and I think the TEA is watching. We all need to get along well in the sandbox, and that hasn't been happening." District IX Trustee Wanda Adams, 50, who now serves as board president, has represented District IX for the past four years. She served three two-year terms on the Houston City Council representing District D from 2007 to 2013 before she reached the term limit. Adams said she was on the fence about seeking reelection due to what she called "grandstanding" and some board members who "care more for politics than kids." She said she decided to run again after community members encouraged her. "I have not brought any negativity into the board room and have kept my character intact," Adams said. "I've made some tough decisions to be able to move this board forward. I love what I do, which is public service and serving my community, and I want to continue to serve them and make the community proud. We've already made improvements, like a higher literacy rate and new literacy programs." Karla Brown, 45, has worked in education for 20 years, in Houston ISD and two mid-sized California school districts. She also started The Providence on Southmore, Inc., non-profit to help students transition to post-secondary education and guide them to graduation within five years. She said she was inspired to run after seeing how poorly some district and local administrators treat local teachers and how poorly some District IX schools are performing. Of the district's 31 schools, 14 are labeled as "improvement-required" by the Texas Education Agency. Gerry Monroe, 49, a community advocate and executive director of the United Urban Alumni Association, comes to almost every Houston ISD Board of Education and local school meeting, often criticizing the board and Adams specifically. Monroe said at a debate Tuesday that the district still needs to fix its special education practices, academically challenge students in District IX and serve children with passion. "It's too much politics in the board room right now. Thirty years ago, you could have gotten away with it, but not this year," Monroe said. "This cohesive team needs to take ownership of all these children. If the TEA comes and says they will take over the school district, that doesn't mean they'll just take over District IX - they'll take over the whole district, and we have 14 failing schools just in District IX." The mayor of Conroe denounced "forced annexation" during a recent City Council debate over plans to add homes and businesses to the city. Some residents on the outskirts of Pearland made the same point in resisting an annexation proposal. The talking points in the two fast-growing suburbs are similar, but the discussion in Pearland is more urgent due to an accident of geography. Because Pearland lies partly in Harris and Fort Bend Counties, which each had more than 500,000 residents based on the 2010 census, the city must comply with a new state law requiring municipalities to get voter approval before annexing populated areas. Conroe lies wholly in Montgomery County -- the 2010 population was 456,000 -- so it gets a pass until the 2020 census. The sponsors of the new law, known as Senate Bill 6, argued that it's wrong to drag people across municipal boundary lines against their will. But why is this injustice worthy of the state's attention in Pearland, population 120,000, and not in Conroe, which has 82,000 residents? Any population threshold for a legal requirement is arbitrary, of course, and the 500,000 level was the product of negotiation. But more is at stake here than the potentially irrational outcomes of legislative sausage-making. For decades, Texas cities have expanded by gradually absorbing areas within a designated zone surrounding them known as extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ. As the population in these outlying areas increases, city officials make plans to build roads, fire stations and libraries -- balancing, among other factors, the potential for increased tax revenue against the burden of taking on the debt incurred by the special districts that serve unincorporated areas. "Texas cities have been the engines for extraordinary growth, and a big piece of that has been the ability to have these ETJs and the ability to plan out the systems of city life and have annexation as an option," said Pearland City Manager Clay Pearson. "That's all been turned upside down" by SB6. The system certainly hasn't worked perfectly, and organized resistance to annexation dates back at least to Houston's struggle with Clear Lake City in the 1970s. Growth can be a messy business. As I've discussed in previous columns, Houston threw a kink into the works when it reversed a longstanding policy and essentially stopped annexing populated areas, partly in response to opposition to its acquisition of Kingwood in the 1990s. Now an estimated 1.9 million people live in unincorporated areas in Harris County alone -- unable to incorporate without Houston's permission, which the city is reluctant to give. Conroe No. 1 But smaller, fast-growing cities such as Pearland, Conroe and Sugar Land have continued to acquire areas on their periphery. Suburbs of Houston, Dallas and Austin consistently land spots among the nation's top 10 fastest-growing cities; Conroe, in fact, enjoyed a burst of attention when it grabbed the No. 1 ranking this year. Pearland's annexation of five parcels south and west of the city, including the Pearland Regional Airport, would be completed before the new law takes effect Dec. 1 if the council approves. That's probably a good thing from the city's perspective: Comments by residents at a recent council meeting, as reported by the Chronicle's Jaimy Jones, indicate annexation would be a tough sell in a referendum. "I believe this is nothing but a land grab," said Michele Falzon, who owns property in two of the five targeted parcels. Not a simple issue Independent-minded Texans might well be sympathetic to the idea that cities shouldn't annex residents against their will, but the issue isn't that simple. Texas cities don't have walls around them; people just outside of a municipal boundary take advantage of a city's services and amenities every day without paying city taxes. In addition, counties struggle to provide services to growing numbers of residents who don't live in a city. Municipal utility districts and their various special-district cousins fill the gap to some extent, but vital functions like law enforcement fall to county governments designed to serve rural areas. Some of the Pearland-area residents resisting annexation get their water from wells and make campfires and raise animals on their property. It's disingenuous, at best, for leaders of a state that worships growth to promise residents of major metropolitan areas that they can maintain their cherished rural lifestyles. At least four people were killed and another 10 wounded in a string of weekend gun violence starting late Saturday. Officials said there's no initial indication the seven shootings were related and no cause to panic. "It appears to be an anomaly," said Houston police spokesman Kese Smith. "It's very tragic for those involved, but not indicative of the overall crime rate." As of Friday morning, the city of Houston had seen 202 homicides in 2017, compared to 255 by the same time last year and 228 by this time the year before. Particularly violent nights are "not unknown," but "not a usual occurrence," Smith said. The weekend shootings span across the city, from a homeless encampment to an apartment parking lot to a Westwood street. There were no immediate reports of arrests in any of the slayings, and police did not release information about possible motives in most of the cases. "We've got homicide investigators working the cases and they're going to run down every lead that they come across," Smith said. A mid-afternoon shooting by two men on bikes in southwest Houston left three people in the hospital. But the nighttime string of crime began around 9 p.m. in northeast part of the city when three men were shot in a drive-by. The men were returning to a home near Haywood and Peachtree following a dispute, when a gunman in a raised blue Chevy Silverado pulled up and opened fire with a rifle, according to Houston police. Three men were wounded in the gunfire, and a fourth was unharmed. The victims - two 17-year-olds and a 48-year-old - were rushed to Ben Taub Hospital where they are in stable condition, police said. Just after 9 p.m., a shooter fired off dozens of rounds on a Westwood street, killing one man and wounding another. It's not clear what led to the shooting, but neighbors told police the constant fire near Sugar Branch and Forum Park sounded like a machine gun. Just after midnight, a man in his 50s was found face-down, shot to death at a Midtown homeless encampment under U.S. 59. "He appears to be shot and killed here," Houston police Sgt. Michael Casso said at the scene. Even though there were others at the encampment near Caroline and Barbee, no one admitted to seeing anything amiss. "A lot of homeless people here, but not a lot of witnesses," Casso said. "It's sketchy information right now." Nobody heard any screaming or arguing, and no one said they spotted a shooter. "They just report anywhere from one to three shots," Casso said. Around 2:30 a.m., three women were shot sitting in a car in Sunnyside, authorities said. By the time police arrived at Newberry and Rock Rose, one woman was dead. The other two were rushed to the hospital. Police did not immediately release any information about a shooter or motive. At about the same time, officers swarmed the Summercrest Apartments after an unknown suspect opened fire in the parking lot of the complex at Hollister and Pitner. The shooter hit one man multiple times, but the victim was rushed to the hospital and is expected to survive. About an hour later and just over 6 miles away, officers driving along the 4500 block of Yale spotted an idling Chevy with the door hanging open, parked outside a beauty salon. When they pulled in to investigate, police found a man in his late 30s slumped over the wheel with a gunshot wound to the head. "We believe it was a robbery but we don't know if they took anything or not," Christopher Elder, a Houston police investigator, told reporters. A witness reported hearing a gunshot sometime after 2 a.m., followed by the sound of a car speeding away. Anyone with information in any of the cases can call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Nestled in southern Brazoria County, Alvin boasts a quaint historic depot, 12 grassy city parks and a red-brick community college along its neat gridwork of tree-lined streets. The city of 26,000 also has six reconnaissance robots, a mine-resistant vehicle, six mine-detecting sets and three $14,000 army combatives kits - all military hand-me-downs acquired since 2014. "You know, it never hurts to be prepared," Alvin police Chief Robert Lee said last summer. "Back when the last hurricane hit, there was a lot of this stuff we could have used." Before the wrath of Hurricane Harvey, that may have seemed like a stretch. But when the storm dumped more than 50 inches of water over Southeast Texas, law enforcement agencies like Alvin came to the rescue with their ambush-protected vehicles, Humvees and five-ton trucks all obtained through a controversial Department of Defense excess property giveaway program. Dubbed "1033" after the section of law that created it, the program has come under criticism for bulking up law enforcement with resources designed for war. But local police agencies say the equipment - credited with helping save more than 10,000 people in Harris County during Harvey - took them to areas they couldn't have reached without it. "They tend to think that we're militarizing ourselves. No, we're not," said Sgt. Jimmie Cook, who helps oversee the Harris County Sheriff's Office 1033 program. "We're not looking for M16s. It's useful gear that helps supplement our budget and it doesn't cost the county anything except for the tank of gas to go pick it up." Since the 1990s, the 1033 program, run by DOD Defense Logistics Agency's Law Enforcement Support Office, has provided free military surplus equipment to agencies that might not otherwise be able to afford it. Those federal giveaways can include everything from air conditioners, like the 19 Houston police received in January, to the 90 rifles nabbed by 90 League City in 2014 and the 22 binoculars collected by Alvin police last year. "They helped us save lives," Houston police Chief Art Acevedo said. "It's a reminder that the equipment we get from the military isn't about the equipment; it's about its use." 'Be prepared' The program first came under widespread scrutiny in 2014, when police in Ferguson, Mo., showed up in armored vehicles in response to peaceful protests over the shooting of Michael Brown. Images of the protests sparked nationwide criticism over the military hand-me-downs, even though the Ferguson vehicles apparently didn't come from the 1033 program. Yet the outcry did nothing to dampen police interest in the program, which has since doled out more than $13 million of equipment just to departments in the greater Houston area, according to federal data. "Basically, the government is saying, 'Here, if you have a use for this, you can have it,'" Lee said. "And why not be prepared?" That preparation helped Houston police rescue some 3,500 flooded-out locals, including elderly and disabled residents, some of whom were stuck in water up to their necks. Smaller departments like Alvin and Freeport saved a couple of hundred each using gear such as military trucks and mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles known as MRAPs. The Harris County Sheriff's Office used 1033 equipment to rescue more than 9,000 adults, along with hundreds of children and pets, Cook said. Early in the flooding, the sergeant got a call for a high-profile rescue: Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. The dispatch center downtown was taking on water, and Cook - riding in a five-ton truck acquired through the 1033 program - was summoned to evacuate the sheriff. Or so he thought. When Cook pulled up in the open-bed truck, the sheriff hopped in and demanded to go on some rescues. "He didn't want to quit," Cook said. "At one point I had to tell him it's too dark outside, and he said, 'See you tomorrow.'" Though military equipment isn't necessarily made for flood rescue, clearly some of it works. The open-bed, five-ton trucks can go in water 8 to 9 feet deep, Cook said. The deuce-and-a-halfs do the same thing but offer a little less pulling power. The light-medium tactical vehicles - $108,000 military trucks known as LMTVs - aren't quite as good in high water given the large number of electronic components inside. Humvees work well in floods, but they don't hold a lot of people. Meanwhile, the MRAPs - the most controversial of the bunch given their roughly $700,000 value and explosive-proof armor - are reliable in at least 3 to 4 feet of water, but they're a little harder to load with people. "It came in very handy for us," said Freeport police Capt. Raymond Garivey, whose department used its mine-resistant vehicle for the first time in the post-Harvey floods. "We probably helped rescue maybe around 200 people over a five-day period." Finding other uses Whatever success they've had, the intended law enforcement use of heavy military equipment is a bit of a mixed bag. While Cook said the "main importance" in getting Humvees and five-ton trucks in the first place was for high-water rescue, the MRAP went to the department's SWAT team. HPD also reserved its MRAPs for SWAT use but sent out the SWAT team for rescues anyway in the hurricane's aftermath. Alvin police got theirs with hurricanes in mind, though it's also used for a regional SWAT team, according to Lee. Unfortunately, the city's mine-resistant vehicle was sidelined with a brake problem during Harvey, and the department relied instead on its deuce-and-a-half and five-ton trucks for roughly 226 rescues, according to Capt. Todd Arendell. Richmond didn't bring out its mine-protected machinery in Harvey at all, instead opting to keep the pricey 15-ton piece of equipment away from washed-out roads. But the equipment did come into use during last year's Memorial Day floods, according to Lt. Jesse Martin, who oversees the Fort Bend County city's 1033 acquisitions. "We evacuated 72 people," he said. "And two cats, one cockatoo and I can't remember how many dogs." Despite the high-dollar value of some of the equipment, demilitarized vehicles cost local departments nothing except the tank of diesel to drive home. The program doesn't pay for any transit, so for smaller items, departments can either pay for shipping or go pick the items up in person. Often that means a trip to San Antonio, Fort Worth or Fort Polk, La. Then, officers "civilianize" the gear, painting over the camo and adding the department name. Sometimes they add other 1033 items such as spotlights, ladders, backboards. Occasionally, they look to eBay for more easily found items such as new seats. The program is also a big source of more mundane items, including everything from lamps to sofas to treadmills. Departments in the Houston area have snagged more than $1 million of those and other small items just since 2014, according to a data analysis by University of Idaho assistant professor Steven Radil. And while some of the smaller goods are useful for department lobbies and gyms, some are also key for handling natural disasters. "I just got four tourniquets," Martin, the Richmond police lieutenant, said after the storm. "Normally a new tourniquet costs $28. And it cost me 76 bucks to get 40 of them shipped from Colorado by UPS." Alvin police found sleeping bags, cots, bedding and backpacks - all of which came into use when dozens of city employees and officers needed to sleep at work for days during the storm. Looking ahead Although a wide range of the available equipment can be useful in natural disasters, the program prioritizes agencies that plan to use their goods for drug interdiction and anti-terrorism efforts. It's tactical uses like those that have long been the most controversial. But hurricanes "are the best-case scenario of when these types of resources and programs are perfectly appropriate," said Diane Goldstein, a retired Redondo Beach Police Department lieutenant commander now active with the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, a nonprofit coalition of cops backing criminal justice reform. "But that (use) is the exception, not the rule," she added. "For years they've always asked, 'What are you going to be using this equipment for?' And anyone who said this equipment was going to be used to fight the drug war would be first in line." A Defense Logistics Agency spokeswoman confirmed that drug interdiction uses take priority, if there's not enough equipment to meet all requests. Critics still question the size of the federal influence the program represents. "This is an enormous subsidy program under the name of drug interdiction and counter-terrorism," Radil said. "It's a partial federalization of local law enforcement." After Harvey, however, a number of local departments are talking about how to increase their 1033 stock. The sheriff's office wants better lighting for night-time rescues, Alvin wants equipment to hoist medically frail evacuees into their MRAP, and Richmond wants a back-up generator. But the biggest demand is more vehicles. "We need more trucks, and more training," said Lt. Frank Fernandez, who oversees HPD's 1033 acquisitions. Houston police had seven operational five-tons when the storm struck, so the department resorted to using some 20 to 30 dump trucks to supplement their rescue operations. "We want to get away from dump trucks because dump trucks are not made for hauling people - they're made for hauling rocks," Sgt. Mark Bailey said. That means they'll need more five-tons, though it's not clear how many it will be practical to store and maintain. "If we have the end of the world like with Harvey, we could use a hundred trucks," Bailey said. But some departments say Harvey hasn't changed much about what equipment they'll look for in the future. "The flood has interrupted it, but the business of life continues," Arendell said. "And our need to respond didn't change." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN - John Goodenough doesn't carry a cellphone - he doesn't like interruptions at dinner - but his life's work keeps them running. The acclaimed Texas scientist's research decades ago set the groundwork for the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power smartphones, cameras and tablets. Late in his career, the 95-year-old Goodenough hasn't stopped trying to drive battery science forward. He and colleague Maria Helena Braga have developed a solid glass electrolyte, creating a new kind of battery cell that could transform electric cars and lower the world's dependence on fossil fuels. His accolades keep coming. He's received several awards recognizing his life's achievements, including the Draper Prize from the National Academy of Engineering and the National Medal of Science. Alphabet Inc. executive chairman Eric Schmidt cheered the latest development as "promising." And this week, Houston's Welch Foundation will recognize the University of Texas at Austin engineering professor with the $500,000 Robert A. Welch Award in chemistry. His most recent innovation comes at a crucial time. Scientists must solve the "global problem" of finding new energy sources for our world's future survival, he said. "We have to find a way to wean the dependence of modern society from the energy stored in our fossil fuels," he said. "Period. Simple." 'Wireless revolution' Feeling behind in school wasn't new for Goodenough when he started his physics Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. As a child, his dyslexia went undiagnosed. But it still stung when, after serving in World War II, an administrator told him he wouldn't make it as a physicist because he had started too late. He was in his 20s. From UChicago, he worked in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory, and he was considering a move to Iran to work in energy when Oxford University asked him to lead its inorganic chemistry lab. There, he tasked students with working through problems in battery development that challenged researchers across the globe. In a battery, electrons move from the anode, a negative pole of the battery, to the positively charged cathode through a circuit, powering a device. An electrolyte between these poles forces electrons into the circuit. The chemical reaction has to be reversible to create a rechargeable battery. Goodenough's team at Oxford made a lithium cobalt oxide cathode that would create a high density of stored energy - a major development. It was stable, too. Battery companies in England and America scoffed, Goodenough recalled. But Japan's companies took note. That cathode helped form the lithium-ion battery, which Sony soon would use to create mobile phones and camcorders. "The wireless revolution took off," he said. Soon, the rechargeable batteries were everywhere. "Give the electrical engineers some credit for the fact that you have tablets and this, that and the other," he said. "It's extraordinary how much information is in there. I'm delighted it's improving the communications between the people of the world." Limitations, however, remained. Batteries have finite numbers of cycles before they must be replaced. Elon Musk's Tesla cars are "beautiful," Goodenough said, but they're expensive, in part because their batteries fade. Buzz about batteries Facing a meager retirement in England, Goodenough jumped to UT-Austin in 1986 when the university extended an offer. He stayed curious about batteries and would later become aware of Braga's work at the University of Porto in Portugal. Braga, also a physicist, knew Goodenough's work well, though they are separated in age by decades. Years before they met, she cited a chapter he wrote in a presentation. "I didn't know him, of course," she recalled. "I never thought I would." In Portugal, Braga saw through her own research that a solid electrolyte - rather than the liquid electrolyte used in the lithium-ion batteries - conducted ions well if the atoms were not locked into specific positions. A special glass made that possible. The implications were soon clear: The glass was a strong ionic material that allowed for a long life cycle in some battery cells. "This cell is likely different from what you see in the market," Braga said. A venture capitalist in technology reached out to Braga after her first paper on the subject was published. He asked what team she'd like to join so that another university could confirm her results. "Well, Professor Goodenough's, of course," Braga responded, thinking it was unlikely. Goodenough, meanwhile, had been considering the possibilities with solid electrolytes, and when the two met on UT-Austin's campus, he was intrigued. Braga eventually took a leave of absence from the University of Porto to move to Texas, where they started working with lithium metal to make coin cells. The team has already started filing patents, and Goodenough said it may soon announce a new breakthrough, though he won't reveal the details. Braga says the two aren't that different, though they are nearly 50 years apart in age. Braga, as a woman in science, feels she needs to work harder for opportunities and recognition. Goodenough, with his dyslexia, felt the same as a young scientist. Despite the initial buzz over their batteries, some critics have questioned their results. In one essay, Princeton University engineering professor Daniel Steingart called the premise of the reaction "impossible." He wondered if energy was truly being released by the battery and said the idea seemed to "violate key concepts in thermodynamics, namely the conservation of energy." Goodenough said his team has written a rebuttal that has yet to be published. Braga countered with a derivation of the first law of thermodynamics as it relates to their work. The batteries work, Braga says, and that speaks for itself. They light LEDs - one light in her home office in Portugal has not gone out in two years, she said - and keep watches ticking. "When you have something that's completely revolutionary, a completely new concept - they don't know what to do with it," Goodenough said. "I believe that we're going to be able to get you a battery that can power an electric car, that's safe, low cost and with the energy density you need to be able to get a decent drive. "It only takes one step at a time. One step at a time." 'For good and for evil' Goodenough's office - steps away from the batteries lab in Austin - is packed with gifts from researchers around the globe. There's a still-corked bottle of champagne. A box of green tea. An accumulation from a lifetime of work. To his left hangs a whiteboard scratched hundreds of times over with equations and scribbles once worth remembering. A red, white and black print of Jesus and his disciples hangs behind his desk, and on a nearby shelf, he's placed photos of art depicting God creating Adam from the Chartres Cathedral in France. Goodenough struggled with faith as a child, but his religious identity formed over time. He believes science is not in conflict with two lessons from the Christian faith. First: Love thy neighbor as thyself. Second: Love the lord thy God with all your mind and strength. "Technology is morally neutral - you can use it for good and for evil," he said. "You can use it to explode bombs under somebody's vehicle. You can use it to steal a bank account. As scientists, we do the best we can to provide something for society. But if society cannot make the moral decisions that are necessary, they only use it to destroy themselves." He pauses. "The chainsaw was a very good idea, but they cut down all the forests in the world." And again, this time with a sharp cackle. "Because people want to make money. Money's not what it's all about. Survival should be what it's all about. We should show respect for the planet earth." Worldwide recognition The Welch Foundation award is the latest for Goodenough, who has earned accolades including the National Medal of Science. It's a notable recognition of his work. The award can go to any scientist worldwide. Welch Foundation Board of Directors chair Charles Tate said Goodenough's advancements over his lifetime significantly moved the global body of knowledge forward. "His discoveries entail a body of knowledge far beyond basic chemistry," he said. Goodenough says he plans to give the prize money to UT-Austin to invest in equipment and fund research positions. He hopes to celebrate his 100th birthday at the state's public flagship. "I would like to continue working as long as I can," he said. "It's not for me to decide when I'm going to be taken." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LOS ANGELES - Writer and director James Toback, who received an Oscar nomination for writing "Bugsy," has been accused of sexual harassment by 38 women in a report published Sunday in the Los Angeles Times. In the report, many of the women allege that Toback approached them on the streets of New York City and promised stardom. His meetings would often end with sexual questions and Toback masturbating in front of them or dry-humping them, according to the accounts. The 72-year-old denied the allegations to the Los Angeles Times, saying he never met any of the women, or if he had, it "was for five minutes and (I) have no recollection." Thirty-one of the women spoke on the record, including Louise Post, who is a guitarist and vocalist for the band Veruca Salt, and "As the World Turns" actress Terri Conn. Actress Echo Danon recalled an incident on the set of his film "Black and White" where Toback put his hands on her and said that he would ejaculate if she looked at his eyes and pinched his nipples. "Everyone wants to work, so they put up with it," Danon told the Times. "That's why I put up with it. Because I was hoping to get another job." On Sunday afternoon, Times reporter Glenn Whipp said the number of accusers had doubled since the story had published. The report comes amid the ongoing downfall of producer Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by over three dozen women. He was fired from the company he co-founded and widely denounced by his Hollywood peers. "James Toback damn you for stealing, damn you for traumatizing," tweeted Weinstein accuser Rose McGowan on Sunday. Though less widely known than Weinstein, Toback has had a successful career in Hollywood and has a devoted following who have praised him for his originality and outsized, deeply flawed characters. A New York native, Harvard graduate, creative writing professor and compulsive gambler, Toback used his own life as inspiration for his first produced screenplay, "The Gambler," which came out in 1974 and starred James Caan. He also wrote and directed the Harvey Keitel film "Fingers," the loosely autobiographical "The Pick-up Artist," which starred Robert Downey Jr. and Molly Ringwald, "Two Girls and a Guy," also with Downey Jr. and Heather Graham, and the Mike Tyson documentary "Tyson." His only Oscar nomination is for writing the Warren Beatty-starring "Bugsy." Toback's upcoming film, "The Private Life of a Modern Woman," stars Sienna Miller and Alec Baldwin. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BOGOTA, Colombia - Not so long ago, Cesar Parra's world changed with a cup of coffee - a freshly brewed, richly aromatic ambrosia served at one of this nation's fast-multiplying quality cafes. "It came as a shock, having a good cup," said Parra, 47, a late-to-the-game coffee lover who spoke on the sidelines of a master class for baristas. "I was born and raised in Colombia. And all my life I'd been drinking bad coffee." For decades, this South American nation harbored a dirty little secret. In the land of Juan Valdez and his mule, Conchita - the fictional characters who have hooked the world on rich mugs of Colombian coffee since the 1950s - it was nearly impossible to get a good cup of Joe. The reasons are well established. The finest arabica beans from Colombia's emerald hills were mostly exported, leaving domestic coffee lovers to drink the proverbial dregs. Some of the coffee consumed locally actually came from cheap imports from Vietnam. Then there's the way filtered coffee is prepared here. The most popular style is tinto - a weak and watery concoction with a shelf life rivaling Spam. "Even at five-star hotels in Bogota, you'd have a hard time," said Roberto Velez, chief executive of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation. "We grew the best. But Colombians just weren't used to drinking quality coffee." Now globalization is changing that - specifically a wave of well-traveled Colombian entrepreneurs who, along with a number of foreign investors, are upping the quality of domestic coffee roasting and brewing. Together, they are fomenting a revolution in Colombia's coffee-drinking culture. In Latin America, the better-coffee trend is percolating well beyond Colombia's borders. Supermarkets in Brazil were long known for peddling a few cheap and lower quality brands. But as consumers there clamor for a better brews, grocery stores are stocking locally produced gourmet beans. Panama, meanwhile, is world famous for cultivating Geisha - a prized coffee variety known for its subtle, almost tea-like favor. Yet for years, it was as infamous as Colombia for serving up bad brews at home. That has changed, however, with a new crop of "third wave" coffee houses - reflecting a movement to produce and serve artisanal coffee. Hundreds of new cafes In Colombia, domestic consumption of coffee - which lagged global trends for years - is skyrocketing, with experts citing the wider availability of better-quality coffee as a major factor. Hundreds of new cafes have opened in recent years, with much of that growth coming from just one chain, Tostao. Since opening in December 2015, the company has democratized good coffee, offering prices so low that even maids and construction workers can afford a quality cup. Yet the most elaborate new brew houses are elevating coffee to an art form, replicating the almost laboratory-like cafes pioneered by hardcore java hipsters in places like New York, Berlin, Seattle and Tokyo. The good coffee has excited the senses of Colombians like Parra, who feel as if they are discovering their nation's most famous (legal) export for the first time. An aspiring cafe owner, Parra said he became inspired after sampling the brews at one of the capital's new high-style cafes. His obsession drove him one recent afternoon to downtown Bogota, where he joined 14 students for classes at Varietale. One of the capital's hippest coffee shops, it serves, among other things, blends produced via vacuum and heat in glass siphons. For the attendees - from simple aficionados to baristas - the classes offer the kind of minutiae about coffee qualities typically reserved for agribusiness schools. In one exercise, students placed 12 grams of grounds from different batches into cups before dousing them with hot water. They smelled the bouquet, then slurped and spit, as in wine tastings. "As drinkers, I think Colombians only now are really understanding what good coffee tastes like," Parra said. Colombians began to get a taste of premium coffee at least as far back as the early 2000s, when Juan Valdez - the now-global chain established by the national coffee federation - began opening cafes. The quality of Colombian coffee beans was already on the rise. In the early 1990s, when coffee commodity prices collapsed, Colombia responded by encouraging its farmers to better compete globally by producing finer varieties of beans. The government has additionally deployed experts to help teach farmers to better judge well-balanced taste and acidity levels. Working-class drinkers But experts say the spurt in quality coffee shops began more recently. The idea came in large part from Colombian entrepreneurs who had traveled to Europe and the United States and experienced coffee-drinking epiphanies. Abel Calderon, co-owner of Varietale, for instance, opened his first branch in 2015 after sampling what Colombian coffee could taste like in Seattle. Pedro Gasca, a former executive with the Colombian airline Avianca, co-founded Tostao after visiting global chains like Pret a Manger. The concept was tweaked for Colombia. Realizing that the majority of the high-end coffee shops here were priced out of reach for most Colombians, Tostao instead went for volume - selling coffee that has earned approving nods from specialists for as cheap as 40 cents a cup. Coffee drinking per capita in Colombia still lags places like the United States, France and Brazil. But between 2009 and 2014, the most recent data available, coffee consumption soared 33 percent in Colombia, compared with 15 percent globally. That rush to java is evident in Tostao's rapid growth. In just 20 months, it has leapt to 200 locations - becoming as ubiquitous in Bogota as Starbucks is in the United States. "We discovered that Colombians - I mean all Colombians, including the working class - really wanted a good cup of coffee," Gasca said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate sAUSTIN - Almost two months after Hurricane Harvey blasted the Texas coast and dumped epic rainfall on Houston, Port Arthur and Beaumont, Gov. Greg Abbott has weathered several storms of his own in Washington, the city that he and the powers that be in Austin have pilloried for years. The latest was a rebuff of his request for $18.7 billion in funds earmarked specifically for rebuilding Texas. Abbott wants those funds on top of the $15.25 billion that Congress approved in September as a down payment to start the recovery process, which included $7.4 billion for a community development block grant through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. President Donald Trump has agreed in principle that Texas will get a greater share of federal disaster assistance funds than other states. On Tuesday, the Senate cleared the latest installment of disaster relief legislation and sent it to Trump for his approval - a new $36.5 billion aid package for U.S. states and territories hit by a series of hurricanes and natural disasters, including Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and California. With Texas damages expected to eventually top $150 billion, Abbott has made it clear he intends to press Washington as hard as he can to pay for as much as the feds can, as quickly as possible. "The quicker you can get federal money, the quicker you can get things rebuilt - that's the general rule," said Dale Craymer, president of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association that monitors state spending patterns. "And if you can get the federal government to pay for something they otherwise wouldn't, then all the better. Because that's money that state and local government's don't have to come up with." So far, the Texas recovery appears to be on par with other states after similar hurricane disasters. State officials, though, would like to see the money flowing more quickly. But in the end, officials contend, Texas stands to collect a record level of federal assistance for its recovery from Harvey - perhaps up to 90 percent of the total recovery costs - meaning that the state may not have to tap into its savings account, the so-called Rainy Day Fund, as much as some lawmakers initially predicted. 'We're all in' In Texas, the play for federal funds began in late August as Harvey roared toward the Gulf Coast. Abbott and top aides and state emergency officials huddled in a windowless conference room deep inside in the state's emergency-operations bunker in north Austin to devise a recovery plan that would get Texas back on its feet quickly. The goal was to avoid the lingering bureaucratic missteps that followed Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This pitch quickly emerged: Texas effectively got hit by three storms, not just one. Harvey had come ashore twice, and also created a separate flood event that had inundated much of Houston and East Texas under floodwaters worthy of Noah's Ark. More Information ite:chr See More Collapse Do you want to do the Texas recovery on the cheap? Or do you want to get the nation's second-largest state economy back online much faster to keep it from becoming a drag on the U.S. economy? According to a top Abbott aide, the answer from White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, just as Harvey made landfall, was clear and concise: We're all in. What do you need? Within days, after a series of phone calls between Abbott and his top aides and their counterparts in the White House, Trump approved an aid package that would reimburse Texas for 100 percent of its immediate emergency disaster measures for the first 30 days after Harvey hit, including overtime for first responders. Washington also would provide 90 percent funding for other federally assisted recovery efforts after that, with the state paying just 10 percent, under that agreement. The usual split was 75-25. A spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington said the special split for Texas was "due to the severity and magnitude of the damage resulting from Hurricane Harvey" in the state. A 90-10 split was last authorized in Louisiana flooding in 2016, the official said. Trump approved a similar split for Florida for debris removal, for just 30 days, after Hurricane Maria hit. Along the 350-mile swath of the Texas coast devastated by Harvey's winds and the subsequent flooding, disaster relief quickly turned to recovery efforts. Working with Texas' congressional delegation and White House officials in Washington, an initial appropriation for emergency aid of $15.25 billion was approved by the U.S. Senate on Sept. 7, including $7.4 billion for disaster relief through FEMA, the $7.4 billion for the block grant through HUD and $450 million for small business loans. It was just a down payment. "The funding already appropriated is a small fraction of the federal resources needed to help rebuild Texas and reinvigorate the American economy," Abbott and Texas' congressional delegation said in a letter a month later seeking an additional $18.7 billion for longer-term recovery funding through U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That funding would go toward community development block grants, to repair schools and transportation infrastructure and for Small Business Administration disaster loans, among other initiatives. 'Stiff spine' Earlier this month, just a day before the U.S. House was to approve what Abbott thought would be Texas' second disaster-recovery appropriation, House leaders expanded it to include funding for Puerto Rico and Florida, both hard hit by Hurricane Maria, plus victims of Hurricanes Irma and Nate and wildfires in California. Though the total funding package grew to $36.5 billion, none of the money was specifically earmarked for the Harvey victims in Texas. Uncharacteristically, Abbott went off in public, demanding that Texas' congressional delegation should get a "stiff spine" and vote against the bill. He suggested Texas' 36-member delegation was getting "rolled" on their funding request for Texas. After the House approved the revised measure 353-69, Abbott issued a statement saying he had been assured by House leaders "that as soon as November, Texas will get the disaster assistance funding we're requesting for Army Corps of Engineers projects, Community Development Block Grants, and funding for dredging Texas ports, expanding bayous and critical flood mitigation projects, among other priorities." "The governor will hold House leadership to that promise on behalf of Texans whose lives were devastated by Hurricane Harvey," he said at the time. In recent days, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the second-ranking senator, has said work is underway for another allocation specifically to Texas, though no amount of date has been revealed. The full court press from Texas was evident in published reports Friday that Cornyn was holding up the confirmation of a controversial White House budget official, Russell Vought, until more disaster aid is approved for Texas. While Cornyn's office would not comment, the senator tweeted earlier in the day about the need for the federal Office of Management and Budget to "satisfy Texas's needs IDed by @GovAbbott @tedcruz & ME ..." Also on Friday, Cornyn and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz announced that HUD officials have authorized an initial $57.8 million in disaster recovery grants to help Texas rebuild from Harvey, while the state waits for HUD to divide the $7.4 billion Congress appropriated last month among areas affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Abbott, who has remained mum on the Washington funding push since the public blowup, applauded Friday's announcement of the HUD funding and suggested through a spokesman that the push for more money continues. "Governor Abbott has and will continue to work with the Texas' delegation in Washington to get the necessary aid to Texans who lost everything," said Ciara Matthews, Abbott's deputy communications director. For comparison, after Hurricane Katrina blasted New Orleans in late August 2005, more than $62 billion in aid was approved within a few weeks. By December, tens of billions more were approved for recovery and rebuilding in Louisiana and four other affected states, including Texas. What developers want Amy Liu, a Brookings Institution expert on rebuilding devastated cities after catastrophic storms, said the key to a fast recovery is federal recovery funds, not just initial emergency assistance from FEMA. "My experience is that the markets hold back until the federal funding comes," she said by phone from her Washington office, echoing the sentiments of other experts. "The apartment developers, the homeowners, the banks investing in projects, they need to know that their investments will be protected. They want to see a commitment that the community is coming back." As for Texas after Harvey, she said Abbott's approval of the 90-10 split on disaster and recovery funding is a win for state taxpayers. And the push for fast approval of federal recovery funds is a normal part of the process. "That's because the actual rebuilding process comes from future supplementals (appropriations from Congress)," not the initial disaster funding, she said. "The real rebuilding of neighborhoods comes from the Army Corps of Engineers and (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) and other agencies, not FEMA." Kevin Diaz contributed to this report from Washington. Hurricane Harvey made landfall and devastated Houston and other areas in Texas and Louisiana almost two months ago. The 60 inches of rain that caused massive flooding and damage is gone, and the nation's attention has moved on to other issues and new problems. But as the interest in the story wanes, legal needs for the people affected by these storms are just beginning to surface. Disaster survivors' legal problems can be lengthy and complicated. That is where lawyers can help. Landlord/tenant issues often crop up after a big storm. For example, do tenants of a damaged or unlivable home still have a legal obligation to pay rent? And what legal rights do tenants living in intact homes have if their landlord tries to evict them to re-rent their undamaged apartments at a higher price when livable rental properties are scarce? Legal problems can extend into the workplace: People can lose jobs because they cannot get to work when their cars have been washed away or because their workplace closed due to storm damage. Important legal documents, such as wills and property titles, can get destroyed in a hurricane, and lawyers can assist residents in replacing them. Lawyers provide legal counseling when lenders attempt to foreclose on properties owned by storm survivors who fall behind on payments. And they represent homeowners dealing with crooked home repair contractors. They also can help people who need assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or making life, medical and property insurance claims. The American Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division has responded to disasters since the 1970s. Since contracting with FEMA in 2007, the ABA's Young Lawyers Division has helped in more than 160 declared disasters in 43 states and two U.S. territories. In Texas, the ABA Disaster Legal Services hotline is handling hundreds of calls per week. Lawyers are volunteering to assist with the ABA's efforts or to work alongside the lawyers who provide legal aid to low-income individuals and families in Texas on a full-time basis. The State Bar of Texas, Lone Star Legal Aid, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Legal Aid of North West Texas and Houston Volunteer Lawyers are assisting people on the phone and through informational town hall meetings, as well as going directly to shelters and tent cities to help. These lawyers are already assisting in hundreds of cases as well as dispensing valuable information to people to help them through their difficulties. They stand ready to help more people as other issues arise. People need to know that there is legal help available if they feel cheated or lost. Disaster survivors should not be victimized twice. These needs and problems do not go away when the media attention dies down. They remain for months and even years. In Texas, free legal assistance is available to storm survivors through the disaster relief hotline in English, Spanish and Vietnamese at 800-504-7030. This assistance is available to through a partnership among the State Bar of Texas and their Young Lawyers Section, the ABA Young Lawyers Division and FEMA. Information to assist disaster survivors with general legal issues can also be found by contacting Lone Star Legal Aid (www.lonestarlegal.org), Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid (www.trla.org) or Legal Aid of North West Texas (internet.lanwt.org/en-us). The Texas Legal Services Center's intake application is available at http://www.tlsc.org/assets/tlscvolunteerapplication.pdf or by calling 800-622-2520. The assistance that lawyers and legal aid offer after a natural disaster is just one of the compelling reasons why Congress needs to fully fund the Legal Services Corporation. LSC helps fund the local organizations that are assisting low-income individuals and families with the many legal issues that arise in the wake of a disaster. People with low incomes and few assets are at the greatest risk of losing everything. No hurricane survivor should be forced to confront injustice on their own. The ABA and lawyers in Texas, Louisiana and across the country are pitching in to provide justice. These people deserve it in their time of need-however long it lasts. Bass is president of the American Bar Association. Like most in the United States, I watched with a heavy heart as images of devastated communities in Texas filled our TV screens after Hurricane Harvey. I was also inspired by the widespread efforts of people coming together to first rescue those in danger and then begin the long process of picking up the pieces. But last week I was shocked to see political views about the Middle East were interjected into the relief and recovery process. The city of Dickinson was requiring contractors applying for relief funds to verify that they are not boycotting Israel. Standing out in the multi-page document replete with the sort of legalese you would expect in contractual agreements was item No. 11 which required the applicant for relief funds to verify they "(1) do not boycott Israel; and (2) will not boycott Israel during the term of this Agreement." You might ask yourself how on earth Middle East politics made their way into a contract for disaster relief in Dickinson, Texas, a town ravaged by the flooding. Let me explain. Palestine (not the city in Texas but the actual land in the Middle East that city is named for) is where I am from. It is about 7,000 miles from Dickinson. Palestinians there endure systematic discrimination and abuse as a result of Israeli policies. Millions of Palestinians have no right to vote for the Israeli military regime that rules them and to keep this Palestinian population subjugated, the Israeli state routinely wields violent repression, arresting, injuring and killing Palestinians, seizing and destroying their land, all in contravention to international humanitarian law. Since the international community, led by the United States and the United Nations, has failed to hold Israel accountable for denying Palestinian rights, Palestinian civil society called for solidarity from global partners through the non-violent tactics of boycott, divestment and sanctions. Such tactics have been used throughout history, from the Montgomery bus boycott to anti-Apartheid divestment, to advance much needed social change. At first, the Israeli state laughed off grass-roots organizing aimed at holding it accountable but as these efforts grew and victories began to pile up, Israel sought to export the heavy hand of repression to other parts of the world to quash dissent. Part of this repressive effort has been advancing legislation nationwide aimed at chilling the movement for Palestinian rights by criminalizing boycott or otherwise discriminating against people engaged in it. This is nothing less than an attack on our constitutionally protected rights. To avoid accountability for denying the rights of Palestinians, Israel would rather see the rights of Americans curtailed, and it has sadly found many American partners willing to help it. Last week the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit over a law in Kansas that would deny pay to a math teacher because she chose not to invest in the abuse of Palestinians and boycott Israel. Over 20 states have enacted such laws while many more are considering them. One law proposed at the federal level would attach criminal penalties of up to 20 years in prison for advancing efforts to hold Israel accountable. Earlier this year, Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation barring state agencies from contracting with entities engaged in a boycott of Israel. While doing so he proclaimed "Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies." But do Texans really support military raids ripping children from their beds at 3 a.m.? The theft of land and water from farmers? The bombardment of residential neighborhoods longing for disaster relief themselves? The denial of equal treatment to people of another religion? Because those of us calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions are calling for an end to these abuses through nonviolent means. Deep in the heart of the Middle East, Palestinians facing Israeli oppression are merely asking that we stop investing in and profiting from their abuse. Now Americans too, even in Dickinson, will be discriminated against for their political views. No one should be denied rights for a political viewpoint, but the fact that supporting Palestinian rights disqualifies applicants from aid is not just Orwellian but suggests a deep animus toward the very humanity of Palestinians. To think that a person who wants to help residents suffering from flooding would be denied a contract just because they also want to help Palestinians suffering from Israeli oppression is not just unbecoming of Texas. It is unconstitutional and un-American. Munayyer is executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. The Houston Chronicle editorial board has met with many candidates seeking to serve the public in elected positions, and the board has made the following endorsements in contested races on the Nov. 7 ballot. Early voting runs from Monday, Oct. 23 through Friday, Nov. 3. Election Day is Nov. 7. Harris County residents can find information about voting locations at HarrisVotes.com. Other voting information is available at www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/ t the helm of each state department is a director. The director is appointed by the governor and then the appointment is confirmed by the Missouri Senate. Since he was elected in November, the governor has been hand-picking professionals from across the country to help reform, strengthen and restructure state government. He did not use political favors. Our governor should be applauded for picking quality professionals, with years of experience, to lead these departments. Carol S. Comer was named the director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in January. The Missouri Senate confirmed her nomination on Feb. 9, 2017. She previously served as commissioner of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management under former governor and current Vice-President Mike Pence. Comer began her career in private practice with nearly a decade of experience representing companies on environmental and utility matters. Anne Precythe was named the director of the Department of Corrections in December 2016. The Missouri Senate confirmed her nomination on Feb. 9, 2017, when she became the seventh director and only the second woman to lead the department. She has been a corrections professional for nearly 30 years. She previously served as the director of community corrections in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Chris Chinn, a fifth generation Missouri farmer from Clarence, was named director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture in January. The Missouri Senate confirmed her nomination on Feb. 9, 2017. Mrs. Chinn has held leadership positions in agriculture at the local, state and national levels for more than a decade. She is a member of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), which represents the departments of agriculture in all 50 states. She is a member of the Missouri State Fair Commission, Missouri Wine & Grape Board, Missouri Development Finance Board and Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority Board of Directors. On April 1, Joel Walters was appointed as the director of the Missouri Department of Revenue. Prior to his appointment, he worked as a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. During his time there, he led the companys practice of assisting foreign business looking to invest in U.S. companies. He spent 16 years in private practice as well as 20 years in senior corporate finance positions at major companies, helping them understand complicated tax structures and grow their businesses while still creating jobs. Next week, I will introduce you to the newly appointed director of Health and Senior Services, Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration and the director of the Department of Public Safety. Mike Cunningham is a Republican member of the Missouri State Senate, representing District 33. Contact him at 573-751-1882 or www.senate.mo.gov/cunningham ts always great to be back home and spend time with folks in our area. This week, Ive had the opportunity to travel to more than half of the counties in Missouris 8th Congressional District, and have met with everyone from parents, teachers and students, to doctors, farmers, local small business owners and community leaders. During my travels this week, the folks I visited with consistently told me they were frustrated with Washington. Why is Congress failing to act on President Trumps agenda? The truth is, I join you in your frustration. As a matter of fact, since January, the House of Representatives has passed 362 bills which is almost 100 more than the average under the last four Presidential Administrations. We have passed legislation that will reduce regulations, bring back healthcare choice and competition, cut spending, increase local control and ensure Americas energy-independence. Plus, lets not forget that the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Obamacare repeal and replace legislation President Trump asked for and sent it to the Senate months ago. We are delivering for our President and the American people. But the Senate has yet to do the same. Obstructionists in the Senate need to realize that our President isnt going to put up with business as usual in Washington he expects results. Sadly, Senate Obstructionists arent just left-wing liberals. They are Republicans who have never supported our President and find it more politically beneficial to obstruct than to deliver results for the American people. Because of the Senate slow-down, President Trump has only had the chance to sign 64 bills into law. He is ready to take action on much, much more. Of the 362 bills we have passed, 286 are now stuck in the Senate. President Trump is also struggling with a Senate slow-down on confirming people who have been nominated to serve in his Administration. At the same time during Obamas first year in office, the Senate had confirmed 359 of his nominees. Unfortunately for President Trump, the Senate has only acted to confirm 172 of his nominees. I agree with President Trump the Senate should change the rules and allow a simple majority to get things done. In fact, just last week, President Trump got tired of waiting on the Senate and took action to advance healthcare policies Ive pushed for and passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. His Presidential actions are creating more choices and more competition ending unconstitutional bailouts for insurance companies, allowing folks to buy insurance across state lines and band together with other hardworking Missourians to bring down the cost of care for their families. This week, President Trump met with several Senators and urged them to come together for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fix the U.S. Tax Code and give Americans a long overdue pay raise saying, Were going to restore Americas competitive edge, rebuild Americas middle class, and renew the promise of the American Dream. Its time for the Senate to do their job. We have got to get legislation moving again in Washington and deliver real results for folks back home. Sleeping on the floor of my office in D.C. can get old, but Im ready to get back and keep fighting for the people in southeast and south central Missouri as Congress works to deliver on President Trumps legislative agenda. Jason Smith represents Missouris 8th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. Contact him at 573-335-0101 or visit https://jasonsmith.house.gov The following are excerpts from reports generated by the Texas County Sheriffs Department: A deputy was dispatched at about 6:10 p.m. Oct. 8 regarding a report of drugs found at a Burton Branch Road property at Success. A man who lives there told the officer someone had trespassed and was fishing in a pond on the property. The officer and man went to the pond and found a tackle box with a bag of pills in it. The pills were determined to be of the over-the-counter variety and not controlled drugs. They were disposed of. An officer responded just after midnight Oct. 14 to a report of a barking dog at a Northview Lane trailer park at Houston. The officer made constant with a woman there who said a dog was locked inside a trailer and she didnt think it was being cared for. The officer was unable to get anyone to answer the door of the trailer in question, but the dog came to a window with no curtain and appeared to be healthy and in good shape. A deputy was dispatched at about 4:10 a.m. Oct. 4 regarding a call to assist an ambulance crew at a Hidden Valley Road residence at Mountain Grove. The response occurred after a woman called 911 to report that her 59-year-old husband was complaining that a live snake had entered his body through his urethra and was trying to crawl out his throat. The officer determined the man suffers from several mental disorders. The man reportedly cooperated with the ambulance crew and was taken away for treatment and observation. A deputy was dispatched to a Tiffany Drive residence at Houston on Oct. 15 for an agency assist call from a Howell County Sheriffs Department officer. The Texas County officer was advised that a hit-and-run accident had occurred at a corn maze on Highway AM in Howell County and a suspect lived at Tiffany Drive and owned a Ford SUV. The deputy made contact with the woman who owned the vehicle, and she showed the officer damage on it. She also stated her daughter had been driving. Information and photos were forwarded to Howell County authorities. A deputy investigated a reported burglary Oct. 10 at a Grassy Road residence at Summersville. A 61-year-old woman who lives there told the officer a collectors coin valued at $135 and a weed eater valued at $250 had been swiped. Entry to the home was reportedly made through an externally-mounted exhaust fan. There are no suspects. A deputy responded at about 4:10 a.m. Oct. 11 to a report of a prowler at a residence in a Northview Lane trailer park at Houston. A 33-year-old man who lives there told the officer multiple men wearing camouflage had been trying to steal the transmission out of his truck. The officer asked the man if the suspects had flashlights or tools and he said, no. The officer was unable to locate the suspects. Texas County Jail admissions Oct. 16 Jordan Light parole warrant Oct. 17 Jackie L. Firestine contempt of court Donald Pearson Jr. possession of controlled substance Albert C. Croff 30-day shock Anthony P. Dickman writ Lyndall C. Shive writ Micah L. Mathis possession Oct. 18 Sara Otto driving without a license Donna M. Hunter failure to appear Oct. 19 Desiree Clark failure to appear Tanya Harris 24-hour shock Michael J. Smart Wright County hold Robin D. Labbee MDOC hold Oct. 20 Amy L. Mulready 48-hour shock Raymond A. Leone St. Louis County PD hold Patrick Kutscher possession of controlled substance Oliver L. Woolsey possession of controlled substance Ernest M. Lense manufacture controlled substance Marc M. Daniels Wright County hold Oct. 21 Thomas J. Craig 2-week commitment Isom C. Roberts Douglas County, Kan., hold Ronald K. Atkisson Platte County hold Ivan P. Barton Jr. assault Oct. 22 Amy L. Mulready Wright County hold 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. Provide and retain a copy of an individual employment agreement for two employees, Keep wage and time records for two employees; Pay one employee for holiday pay owing to her at the end of her employment; Obtain the appropriate written consent before making a deduction from one employees wages; Pay one employee minimum wage for every hour she worked; Keep holiday and leave records for eight employees; and Pay eight employees for public holidays that they did not work on, which were otherwise working days for them. hristchurch-based dumpling supplier has been ordered by the Employment Relations Authority to pay $15,000 for various employment breaches ranging from sloppy record keeping to unlawful deductions from employees pay.Dumplings from Dais Food Limited are supplied to restaurants and supermarkets in Christchurch. The company is founder and supplier of Aunty Dais Dumplings chain.The Labour Inspectorate, which conducted an investigation between March and November 2016, found that the company failed to:The probe was done through site visits, documents reviews, interviews with employees and meetings with a director, Zhao Qilong.Every employer must meet their obligations under New Zealand employment law, there are no excuses, says Labour Inspectorate regional manager Loua Ward.Ward said there were many resources to help employers comply with their obligations; they only need to look online at employment.govt.nz, or business.govt.nzs Employment Agreement Builder, or to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employments call centre.We want to be able to leave businesses to do their business, rather than bringing them through the ERA because of record keeping failures.Failure to meet obligations can mean penalties, restricted access to migrant labour, and damage to the reputation of your business. By the time that Hurricane Irma crashed through the Caribbean, flattening entire towns, flooding others and leaving tens of thousands of people struggling to meet basic needs, it was the first category five hurricane to hit the Caribbean for nearly 100 years, and the strongest seen in the Atlantic since Wilma in 2005. The devastation the storm caused cannot be overstated. And among the worst affected of all the islands of the Caribbean was Anguilla: a tiny, picturesque island with turquoise-blue seas and white, sandy beaches. Anguilla was a remote and impoverished speck of land in the Caribbean at the time that colonial rule came to an end. Not knowing exactly what to do with it, the British Government of the time decided to make it a part of Saint Kitts and Nevis, which were hundreds of miles away. It was a clumsy, ill-conceived decision - akin to making an island like Malta part of the UK because of a vague similarity in language and heritage - and two Anguillian Revolutions headed by Atlin Harrigan and Ronald Webster first restored independence from Saint Kits and Nevis and then restored British authority. I was one of the very first people to visit Anguilla following the rebellion and the return of British rule. At the time, a small unit of the Metropolitan Police had been sent out to 'govern' the island. Those in Anguilla are fiercely proud of being British. And as with the Falklands and the other British Overseas Territories, we have a responsibility to provide protection and maintenance. Those who live on these islands are British, like me and perhaps you. And yet when Irma hit Anguilla in the first half of September, we were nowhere to be seen. Advertisement My son, Tim, and his mother, Chelle, were on the island. I watched as our government paid lip service to our collective responsibility. Our response to the crisis was slow. Long after King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and the French President, Emmanuel Macron, had flown to the Dutch-French island of St Martin, Boris Johnson, bowing to political pressure, landed on Anguilla and spent half an hour there before taking off again. There were no messages of condolence from the Royal Family for the people of Anguilla. The entire infrastructure of Anguilla has been destroyed. The tourism industry on which it depends has been reduced to nothing. And yet Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands - 'too wealthy' to receive something from the British 13 billion aid budget - have been offered paltry sums, like giving someone a plaster for a broken back. The ordeal isn't over. For those on Anguilla, there will be no homes, no power and no schools for months to come. Around 28 million of the 32 million we pledged in aid has already been used up, and the remaining money could not rebuild even a single school. The foreign secretary has pledged to match taxpayers' donations to the Red Cross. As Rupert Jones, the former attorney general for Anguilla, put it so succinctly, 'I hope that we have not arrived at government by crowd-funding.' Those in that same government pushing for a hard Brexit might also want to think about the impact it will have on Britons overseas. Anguilla is entirely dependent on St Martin for just about everything, and when we leave the European Union, the hard border that is discussed so often in the context of continental Europe will also apply to overseas territories. Without a customs union between Anguilla and St Martin, we're likely to face the same problem that Northern Ireland the Republic of Ireland could face post-Brexit. The difference is that Anguilla will struggle far more than both. Advertisement For a while it seemed that Harvey Weinstein might have found a way out. He had checked in to rehab, resigned from the company he co-founded, and in a somewhat unusual turn of events, been dismissed from the Academy. He seemed to have poured a lot of time and energy in to spinning a (sycophantic) redemption narrative. He asked for forgiveness. He blamed his age. He underlined his desire to seek help. He even brought his Mum into proceedings. He may have been granted the possibility to fade in to the shadows of obscurity (after all, what's one more abusive, predatory misogynist in Hollywood?) had it not been for the work of one of his most vocal critics, Alyssa Milano. Last Monday night she launched the hashtag #MeToo, encouraging all women who had ever been sexually harassed or assaulted to reply to her tweet. Advertisement Hash tag activism like Milano's has been widely discussed, and not always favourably. Everyone can share a status, or click re-tweet, but what impact does this really have outside the confines of the virtual world? As Ceila Buckman rightly points out, a hashtag can too often be used to fill a "good person" quote, that prevents us from finding out what the next steps could be outside of the social media bubble. The primary criticism of hashtag activism lies in its inherently fad-like nature, which can result in a failure to incite long-term engagement. Although viral campaigns are undoubtedly characterised by their short-term duration, it is certainly unwise to dismiss their ability to incite long-term change. Last year, at FCome we saw the incredible results of our #ascuoladiconsenso and #educationcanednabuse campaign, which was picked up by mainstream media in both Italy and the UK. I integrate hashtags into my own social media strategy for the think-tank consultancy GenPol on a weekly basis. As advocates and researchers of gender equality we have a professional interest in staying closely attuned to the ripples of movement across social media platforms. They are part of what Rebecca Solnit describes as the ability "to see that everything changes and the most dramatic changes are often the most unforeseen." Something about #MeToo tapped into Solnit's vision of the unforeseen. It was ubiquitous. It was universal. To paraphrase a friend "it's literally just all of us": Former school mates, university colleagues, teachers, family members, acquaintances from parties, even my ultimate girl crush Blake Lively. As #MeToo continues to saturate screens from seemingly every walk of life, it is also a poignant reminder of everything that still remains unsaid, or invisible. For every woman, man, or non-man who shared a #MeToo story there were many who could not. Gut instincts and personal circumstances are complicated and contradictory. They do not always slot neatly into social media trends. Advertisement #MeToo inspires the sort of conflicting emotions that linger long after the click of a mouse. It stirs up memories. The first time you took a crowded bus by yourself to sixth form aged 16, and felt someone press themselves into your back. That feeling of disgust, like a visceral churning wave in the pit of your stomach, as your eyes met those of a man who could have been your grandfather. The men whose eyes have followed you over the years; down streets, across dance floors, along beaches. The hands which have slipped around your waist, without your consent. Then there are the experiences whose palpable traces defy containment in language. Darkness and fear. They are sensations that cannot be explained. Only felt. Me too, me too. It is for these reasons, and more, that this hashtag can go beyond a slacktivist fad. It is more than just a shared status: not so much a ripple of change but a seismic shift. There is a crack in the fault line. The #MeToo will continue to pour like rain on to charred ground that has been left untended, but has not lost its life-giving potential. #MeToo is a crucial reminder that multiple conversations need to be had. A hashtag cannot replace the difficult discussions that must take place in homes, schools and communities. It should not seek to diminish the very real problems facing men, or the trans and non-binary people who have been too easily excluded from this debate. It can, and must, encourage further discussion (particularly about existing mental health provisions for men, the need for better support for male domestic violence survivors, and healthy alternatives to ease the unbearable, untenable weight of toxic masculinity). But #MeToo is also an active challenge for all of us (but particularly men) to listen, and to change. As #MeToo has started to be offset with #HowIwillchange, it is becoming clear that this can be so much more than a hashtag fad if we want it to. We can take steps. We can be allies. We can make space for queer women, trans women/non-men, disabled women and women of colour. We can challenge insidiously sexist, transphobic, homophobic or biphobic remarks when we hear them. We can pay women for their work (see Sophie Mayer's excellent manifesto for further tips). We can resolve to believe survivors unquestioningly, unequivocally. Always. The seismic shift of the #MeToo campaign is one from which we all stand to benefit. If history has been on the side of the Harvey Weinsteins of the world then the future is in the hands of those he thought he could consign to silence. The silence has started to lift. The shame is melting like snow on rapidly thawing ground. Advertisement #MeToo is painful, yes, but it is so much more. It is a reminder that tides are shifting, that activism in the virtual world is demanding a move beyond an easy click or a simple re-tweet. It is a call to action, both online and off. It is our turn to hope, and to act. There were the older boys who took me and my friend Becky aside into the library at school, and talked to us about our body parts. They showed theirs. Age 9. There was the neighbour we all instinctively knew not to go near at community barbeques. And we knew not to leave anyone behind. Age 11. There were the guys in Spain on Spanish exchange who would drive past repeatedly and shout at me out the window about my chest and blonde hair. I was 14. Advertisement There was the bloke on the bus to that club, who squeezed us into a seat, refused to move at our stop, and helped himself to a good handful of what was under our skirts as we climbed past. We were 16. There was the driving instructor, who took me for walks, put his head on my shoulder to 'see the speed dial', and took me home to meet his guinea pigs. I thought I could handle him. I was 17. There was the friend who comforted me when I was upset and made a grab for my tits when he got the chance. 18. There was the scary Big Issue guy, who approached me alone, and then followed me yelling about my privilege, when I wouldn't stop to talk in a dark corner. 21. Advertisement There was the friend's boyfriend who got drunk and told me how much he liked me, and wanted to check if my breasts were real. I couldn't prove it unless he felt. 22. There was the bloke on the busy train who sat next to me, and kept 'accidentally' brushing my breast with his arm, and pressing his leg against mine. It wasn't that busy. 24. There was all the blokes at the parties and clubs who came up behind me to rub themselves against me, or cop a feel. Who worked in teams to separate the target girl for their mate. 15-25. There was the guy at work who just got a bit too friendly at the Christmas do, with hands where they shouldn't be. I laughed it off. 26. There was the airport security guy in Egypt who pulled me out of line and complimented my partner on my boobs and hair. Holding an AK47. Fun times. 27. Advertisement There are all the builders who have ever told me to smile, and all the blokes in cars who have beeped when I've been jogging, alone, at twilight. Ongoing. And I still smile back, even though I still don't want to. The Harvey Weinstein scandal has inspired a #MeToo revolution. I wasn't going to write #MeToo, because I have never actually been assaulted. I am not a survivor. And I thought this was about them. But then my nearly 6 year old came home from school to tell me this week that the Year 2 boys are trying to smack her bum. And I was taken straight back to the empty school library with my friend Becky. Part of me wanted to dismiss it - to tell her they're just playing. To ignore them. But then like the rest of my generation and the generation before, I realised I have been taught to minimise the ongoing, everyday sexism and breaches of personal space and consent that just happen to you if you just so happen to be female. I have been taught that you suck it up, get on with it, keep your head down, deflect, don't cause trouble, do what you have to do to stay safe. Advertisement Smile. And that is not what I want my daughters to have to learn. #MeToo isn't just about assault. It's about every woman's everyday experience. And the really terrifying thing is that every woman I know has a list just like mine. Every. Single. One. That's not okay. And we really need to start talking to our girls and our boys about it if we're going to stop it in its tracks. We need to talk about consent, and respect, and bodies, and relationships, and feelings. And as my own #MeToo list - and my own daughter - prove, we need to start talking a lot earlier than we think we do. Harvey Weinstein might be a disgusting predator, but he's also a great place for us to start. Mario Tama via Getty Images Slavery is an issue which is frequently misunderstood. The word conjures up images of a bleak and shameful period; a distant relic of a bygone era. Most would think it had been banished to the history books many decades ago. This week Anti-Slavery Day was marked here and across the world. The uncomfortable truth is that slavery is more current than we would care to imagine. Although concealed in the shadows, its poisonous grip still has a hold on our country. This callous practice can be found in the most improbable of places. It could be happening on your doorstep - in your community, at a local business or on your street. Advertisement To some, the glittering lights of our glorious capital might seem an unlikely home for modern slavery. Yet London's victims, often hidden from sight, are thought to be in the thousands. Men, women and children made to work for hours on end and kept captive against their will in unimaginably cruel conditions. Modern slavery can be found across a variety of sectors. In manufacturing, food processing, agriculture and the beauty industry. Some victims are forced into the sex trade or to serve wealthy households in London's most affluent postcodes. I recently met with a group of women who had been enslaved as domestic workers. During their horrific ordeal, their passports were taken away, they had to endure working exceptionally long hours, for which they weren't paid, and sometimes they were even deprived of food. Whilst people are trafficked into the UK from hundreds of countries and every continent, British nationals are also affected. Statistics collected by the National Referral Mechanism - a system used to identify victims of human trafficking or modern slavery - showed that last year the UK featured as the third most prevalent country of origin. Yesterday, Kevin Hyland OBE, Britain's independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, published his annual report. He found that victims are being failed, with only one per cent having the chance to see their exploiter brought to justice. Modern slavery devastates the lives of those who suffer it - we have to do better than that. Advertisement Last week, during his monthly question session, I asked the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, what measures the Metropolitan Police are taking to end modern slavery. In his answer, the Mayor revealed that a Modern Slavery Ambassador will be appointed in every London borough. I welcome this bold move and I hope it will help to stamp out the practice in our city. I have tabled a motion calling on the Mayor to make tackling modern slavery a priority for the work he does with London's business community. Modern slavery should be everyone's business. Companies need to take responsibility for their supply chains and ensure that each worker involved is being treated in an ethical way. We can all play a part - if you are worried about someone's welfare, or suspect they might be a victim, you should inform the police as a matter of urgency. Greater awareness will be an important tool and it is up to all of us to spread the word about this shocking reality. Every perpetrator needs to know that there is nowhere they can hide. Every victim needs to be assured that there is support available. I commend the London Evening Standard's powerful campaign which is pushing modern slavery up the agenda. Yet, as modern slavery grows in the public's consciousness, reporting will undoubtedly increase. I am concerned that our overstretched police service will not have the capacity to pursue so many new leads. Police officer numbers have fallen to their lowest level in 30 years. It is vital that the government adequately funds our ailing police to guarantee they have the resources to combat modern slavery. The scale of the challenge it presents cannot be underestimated. It will not go away overnight but we must be hopeful that one day it will only live on in memory. Only strict adherence to the rule of law can guarantee a lasting peace. Yemen is on its knees. As the world's "forgotten war" rages into its third year, there are no signs of a clear breakthrough for either side. Already ravaged by water scarcity, famine and cholera, the impoverished nation teeters on the brink of collapse. On the ground, atrocities are committed by all sides, whilst few meaningful steps are being taken to hold anyone accountable for the crimes against the people of Yemen. The complexity of the heavily politicised conflict, involving multiple foreign actors and interests, means that an end to the suffering seems distant. In a recent address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, ousted Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi told the world that a military solution seems more likely than a political one. Whatever the final means, the Yemeni civil war will have to come to an end eventually. Western governments are broadly supportive of Hadi's claim, while similar allegiances exist between the opposing Houthis and the Iranian Government. Regional and international interests have led to a status quo where thousands die each year directly from the conflict, and a worsening humanitarian crisis that is simply not being addressed. Advertisement Then, the daunting task of rebuilding the country begins, with the aim to cement a lasting peace. This period will be decisive for the future of the nation, and crucial questions must be asked. How can we break the cycle of violence? How can we ensure that future generations of Yemenis are not subject to the scourge of war? How can things simply go back to the way they were? Many modern wars in the Middle East can be characterised by widespread violations of international law by all parties, and the conflict in Yemen is no different. Attacks against civilians, the recruitment of child soldiers, and arbitrary detention are just a few of the various violations taking place on daily basis throughout the country. Even more worrying is the prevalent impunity for those committing these crimes. Yemenis are left with no real security and are subject to the whim of whoever happens to seize power, as harsh means are regularly used to punish journalists and activists who speak out against abuses, with international law rarely being upheld. Lessons can and must be learned from another country thrown into turmoil after the Arab Spring: Libya. After the revolutionary forces overthrew Colonel Gaddafi, they failed to reign in the authoritative militia and hold people accountable for crimes committed throughout the revolution. Emboldened by their impunity, the armed militia failed to disperse, operating above the law. Whilst the international community lost interest, armed actors disrupted the fledgling democratic process, and the country lapsed into a second civil war. So how can Yemen avoid the pitfalls of the Libya post-conflict process? A large part of the answer lies in the rule of law. The idea that no man or women is above the law must permeate throughout Yemeni society, providing justice for all citizens. War criminals cannot be allowed to walk free and continue to undermine Yemeni society; they must face justice before the courts in Yemen or abroad. The international independent investigation established by the UN Human Rights Council is a first step to this process, but it remains to be seen how effective this mechanism will be in practice and the extent to which this investigation will be supported by the important Gulf nations. The Gulf nations arguably hold the future of Yemen in their hands, they are ones that will decide when and how this conflict ends. Nonetheless, concrete decisions need to be taken to ensure this justice irrespective of their participation. Although, the inclusion of the Gulf nations is likely to be paramount in practice to the success of this process. Advertisement Secondly, the post-conflict government itself should prioritise the creation of a functioning system of governance which aligns itself with human rights law. Fairness breeds trust in formal institutions, which is lacking in Yemen. Whichever party 'wins' the war will hope to unify the Yemeni people, and governance in accordance with international law can help bring the people together after years of violence. If nefarious armed actors are held accountable, any government in post-conflict Yemen will have a greater chance of ruling effectively and fairly. Moreover, Yemen's post-conflict government will have its own self-serving interests in ensuring compliance with international legal standards if not for the purposes of promoting foreign investment and aid to the country. Lessons should be learned from Libya, which rushed into a transitional process without correctly establishing a reliable foundation for the country to rebuild on. A peaceful and prosperous society must be rooted in fairness. Justice cannot exist while staring down the barrel of a gun. Yemen under the leadership of Hadi has already shown a willingness to incorporate the rule of law in its previous effort at a transitional process prior the outbreak of the conflict. The much hailed National Dialogue Conference sought to incorporate Yemen's complex political, tribal and religious actors within the drafting of the new constitution as a means of reconciling the country's intractable dividing lines. Here in Scotland, the Labour party is at long last reversing what felt like perpetual free-fall. It is climbing out of the doldrums, leaving the Tories for dust in the polls, and at last giving Nicola Sturgeon cause for concern. The party, which to many had fallen off the electoral perch in 2015, is now seven Scottish MPs stronger at Westminster. By all accounts there could well have been even more on the Labour benches had the election run for just one more week. Indeed, our country's hopes of returning a Labour government rest on Scottish voters continuing to rekindle their longstanding faith on our party. Advertisement As the ballot for the leadership of the Scottish Labour party opens, why are there some in our ranks who see these developments as a cause for regret not rejoice? Instead of engaging in the policy offers from the two candidates - Richard Leonard and Anas Sawar - the slurs that swill around between some in the party and their friends in the media focus on the electoral process itself. Remember, it was Ed Milliband who changed that process, establishing a one person, one vote system and the ability for members of affiliated unions to vote alongside party members. It was a process that attracted support right across the party, including that of the right wing among whose ranks Ian Murray can be counted. Advertisement I well recall the special conference as a day when the party spoke as one that the affiliated sign ups would give party engagement the kick-start it needed. Ian Murray as a Labour front-bencher at the time would have had a platform then to critique the process should he have held the concerns he now purports to possess. I can see no evidence that he ever did so. I mention the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South because he appears to be have found an added day job to companion his constituency duties, firing off letters to the Scottish Labour General Secretary alleging this or that misdemeanour, insinuating that union members, chiefly Unite members, are in some way dodgy by seeking to use their legitimate trade union affiliation status to have a say in this election. Such slurs should not get a moment's hearing - Brian Roy has consistently and clearly told Mr Murray that his complaints are baseless. I have called upon Ian Murray to retract his accusations, a call I repeat today because there is a not a shred of truth in what he alleges. Unite has not broken a single rule. Our job was the check that those members who sought an affiliate vote were members of our union, and to then pass to the party for approval. It is the party, not Unite nor any other union, who decides who will get a vote, which is how it should be. Everything we have done has been by the book, as Brian Roy himself confirms, and we are proud to have as a result stimulated the participation of thousands of Unite members in this election. Advertisement When ballot papers drop on doormats later this week, Labour voters will see that there is a clear choice before them. On the one hand there is Anas Sarwar, a politician who no doubt has his strengths but among them is not the strong defence of working people. Anas should not have to wait to be asked to recognise unions at the family firm. His Labour values should have made him understand that this is a given. Contrast this with Richard Leonard, who last week launched his workers' manifesto with clear pledges to take on poverty pay in Scotland and to build strong unions to deliver this and the fairness still missing in modern day Scotland. For a party which was on its knees in Scotland 18 months ago, the energy and enthusiasm that trade union members are showing in this election is nothing short of remarkable. Those on the right of our party should not now seek to use Scotland as the last redoubt for their brand of (decayed) Labour, retreating over Hadrian's Wall to plot and scheme against Jeremy Corbyn. Advertisement On whose behalf do they think they act? Certainly not the voters who are crying out for an end to Conservative misery and at long last have a hope of achieving this. It is thanks to Jeremy and the manifesto that Labour in Scotland is getting a hearing again. Voters, long since fed up with innocuous messages wrapped around unpalatable policies, warm to a leader who is clearly on their side and a policy platform to prove so. Unite's view, shared by friends and comrades across the union movement, is that the best hope of Scottish Labour sustaining its revival is to stick with what is working. Let voters look at Scottish Labour and see a party and a leader that they can back, who has stood up for and worked on behalf working people all his life, Richard Leonard. To those who are yet to grasp this, Unite says this. Respect our party's democracy, respect our party's members and supporters - and respect our leader. Advertisement When the leader is announced then we must all unite to support him because we have a duty to get Labour elected. There is one party in this country which is destroying itself through squabbling - the Tory party. Let's keep it that way. shapecharge via Getty Images Jeremy Hunt's actions today are more callous than ever. Today, new regulations come into force in the NHS. Anybody accessing an NHS service outside of hospital will be required to prove their eligibility for free care. This includes mental health and antenatal care. Foreign visitors who are deemed ineligible will be required to pay up-front, before accessing the care. Since there is no easy way to check eligibility for care without racially profiling patients, pilot programs have asked all patients to bring proof of identity and address. The argument for it is purely financial. The Department of Health says these new regulations are necessary to deter freeloading 'healthcare tourists' and to recoup costs from those availing of NHS care. It claims that up to 500m can be recovered annually. Advertisement The argument against - part one The new regulations will not save the NHS money. I repeat, MONEY WILL NOT BE SAVED. The DoH declined to publish its full costings, so it is unclear how they arrived at the 500m figure quoted. The training of the staff required to implement these regulations, as well as their salaries and overheads, would amount to a substantial figure that appears not to have been taken into account. Not to mention the compensation that may have to be paid to those mistakenly denied care. GPs and hospitals already erroneously decline care to people, often the most vulnerable in society, such as the homeless and those seeking asylum. Pilots of the new regulations have continued to make such mistakes, e.g. by denying HIV care, which is supposed to be exempt from charges. As well, we know from the experience of Grenfell that putting up any kind of identity check or barrier to accessing care deters not just undocumented migrants, but also documented migrants who actually are eligible for free care. NHS doctors already see this happening regularly. Vulnerable people who do not know their rights may not present at all, but more often, they present later, when their condition has advanced further. By then, it is likely that it will cost more to care for them. Of course, apart from the financial cost, there is a human cost to denying people care that they need, which brings us to part two. Advertisement The argument against - part two The primary duty of healthcare professionals is to provide care for those who present themselves to us. We do not want to be proxy border guards. More to the point, patients do not want their health services to be reporting on them to the UK Border Agency. Patients want to know that confidential information entrusted to a medical professional will not be shared and used against them. This is one of the cornerstones of the doctor-patient relationship. We are trained to provide care, not to check passports. In a survey that we have conducted in Manchester only 21% of healthcare professionals felt confident even defining words like refugee and asylum seeker. Only 26% correctly identified eligibility criteria for primary care, and a worrying 32% failed to correctly identify eligibility criteria for emergency care. In summary, it goes against our ethical principles to decline care to those who need it. And we are not trained to determine eligibility for care. Why is Jeremy Hunt doing this? We have established that the regulations being brought in today are: Inadequately costed Inadequately evidence-based Counter-intuitive Cruel They will not save money. They will disproportionately affect the health of the most vulnerable in society. Advertisement The only explanation for these illogical, unethical measures is that Hunt is blaming and scapegoating 'healthcare tourists' to distract attention from the largest ever sustained reduction in overall NHS funding as a share of GDP, over which he has presided. What you can do: Educate yourself. Follow the links in the text to assess the evidence and come to your own conclusions. Jessica Hill/AP Britain is a country of remarkable tolerance but those who are eroding this fundamental value must be held to account. Earlier this week -the national hate crime awareness week- the Home Office has released new data showing that hate crime has increased by 29% in the past year. Police forces across England and Wales recorded almost 80,400 hate crimes in 2016-2017. These figures are deeply troubling as an independent member of the government's anti-Muslim hatred working group. Advertisement The findings suggest that the unprecedented surge has occurred due to the Brexit vote and an increase in terrorist attacks in the UK. However, some claim that these figures are part of an "overblown propaganda" or that "the hate crime epidemic is a self-sustaining myth". Whatever may be the factors behind the recent surge in hate crimes, it is hard to dispute that hate crime is neither a meaningless nor an imaginary myth rather a reality for many Muslims. The staggering statistics are not simply numbers - these hate crimes have, in the past, snatched away someone's father or grandfather on his way back from the mosque or resulted in a pregnant woman losing her baby in a violent attack while shopping in the supermarket. There have been many incidents of women's headscarves being snatched in streets, and being asked to leave Britain. All of these are enough to make anyone feel scared and vulnerable in their own home, let alone on the street. Earlier in the month, figures revealed that police forces had recorded 110 hate crimes directed at Muslim places of worship between March and July this year, up from 47 over the same six month period in 2016. This trend of attacking Muslims and their institutions is worldwide. In the US, the figures showed that between January to July 2017, every month nine mosques were targets of threats, vandalism or arson. Anti Muslim prejudice is often perpetuated by fear and a sense that Muslims are taking over our jobs, our homes and our country, thus leading to a polarizing society. This fear is compounded by wrongly dovetailing terrorism to Islam. Advertisement This week the UK Office for National Statistics in its quarterly update reported a 13% increase in all police-recorded offences across England and Wales. Trump erroneously links this rise to the "spread of radical Islamic terror". Trump's hate-filled tweet was immediately used by the far-right groups to stir up hatred towards Muslims. The newspaper columnist Katie Hopkins quoted Trump's tweet with a reference to "child rape squads", which was in turn retweeted by Paul Watson, the alt-right conspiracy theorist. The anxiety and suspicion towards Muslims is prompted by not only the far right movement and populist leaders but also some mainstream journalists. Many studies have already shown that mainstream media reporting about Muslim communities is contributing to an atmosphere of rising hostility towards British Muslims. The inflammatory headlines such as 'Christian child forced into Muslim foster care' or articles talking about sex grooming as a 'Muslim problem' either conflate an isolated incident with the religion of the perpetrator or offer a skewed portrayal of Muslims. The far-right groups seize on such stories as a vindication for Islamophobia. Islamophobia is so ripe that Islamophobic hate crimes against non-Muslims are also happening, according to a recent study, because the victims are perceived to be Muslims. Britain is not a rancid, rage-fuelled place but the soaring hate crimes and in particular anti-Muslim hatred, must be tackled, through legislation, the criminal justice system, objective media reporting and education. The government must continue to monitor the rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes as a key priority and challenge those who stir up hatred; the effective implementation of the hate crime action plan will be a milestone in tackling hate crimes. Education is critical in preserving our values of tolerance and embracing others. No one is born hating others- if hating others can be taught, so can loving others! The regular smears about Islam or Muslims by those in high offices and the sections of the mainstream media and the conflation of Islam with criminality must stop. There is a real danger that such prejudice will further stoke up anti-Muslim hatred and provide fuel for an already growing number of acts of violence against the Muslim community across the UK. Advertisement Acknowledging that hate crimes are a reality for many in Britain is the first step to tackling hatred. Today marks the year anniversary of my first election as the Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen. During the year, one of the most pressing and continuous issues has been confusion and mistakes around the benefits system. With the Universal Credit rollout now started, things will only get worse. 500,000 new claims are being added every month and in Batley and Spen 900 people are expected to be moved over to Universal Credit on November 1st. Advertisement With Citizens Advice Bureaus and Job Centres closing, my constituents are coming to my surgery for help in ever greater numbers. I have personally made more referrals for working families to our local food banks in the last few month than ever before. Our poor, both in work and not, are getting poorer and in increasingly difficult situations. Using Peter to pay Paul families are ending up in serious difficulties and deeper in debt. Numbers attending the homeless drop in centre in Batley has doubled and local food-banks are bracing themselves for an onslaught of misery before Christmas. My constituents are being treated as guinea pigs in the system roll out. For most of my working life before entering parliament, I was self-employed, either in acting or writing. And I feel for them now as freelancers and self-employed are being targeted by Universal Credit. Advertisement I'm well aware of the vagaries of the freelance life. One month you're paid, three months you struggle by on nothing. At a time when the UK creative industries is worth four times more to the British economy than the automotive industry, it's galling to know that the average income for a writer is 10,000 a year and not much more for actors. This means, inevitably, a large majority of creatives and plenty of others will need to use the benefit system to get them through the difficult, lean times. Now, most entertainers are self-employed. It's been established in case law and accepted by HMRC that entertainers should usually be classed as self-employed for tax purposes as the manner in which the work is characteristically freelance. For example, work is short term, offered at short notice, entertainers have to do unpaid preparatory work, they're sole traders and responsible for their own expenses. Moving from traditional benefits on to Universal Credit means those 'gainfully self-employed' now will have their average earnings as a baseline, the 'Minimum Income Floor'. This is set at 35x the National Minimum Wage per week. On average that means HMRC will assume you earn over the year 1,047.50 a month regardless if you earn it or not. Advertisement Looking at the figures this means someone who's self-employed and on Universal Credit will be far worse off than if they were on legacy benefits and even more impoverished than if they were a regular unemployed Universal Credit claimant. As Universal Credit payments include housing costs, the self-employed and freelancers will be increasingly unable to pay rent, risking homelessness. Unlike many other UC claimants, entertainers don't have a choice as to whether they pursue self-employment. They must be registered as self-employed in order to work professionally. If an entertainer claiming UC is deemed gainfully self-employed then they're penalised by the Minimum Income Floor yet if they're not deemed to be self-employed they are mandated to be looking for work in a PAYE job. This is a terrible Catch 22 position to be in and gives the entertainer no choice but to leave the career they trained for. Advertisement If you're self-employed or low paid, you'll receive less benefit and there was nothing in the original policy intent that said self-employment should be penalised. The minimum income floor is the equivalent of a 35-hour working week on the minimum wage, we know not everybody can get that kind of level of employment from self-employment in today's world of insecure work. I'd be surprised if legal minds weren't looking at the impact of Universal Credit on the self-employed. In April 2017 the Work and Pensions Committee called for the solving of problems in the practical operation of UC to become an 'urgent priority'. The Government later released the 'Self Employment and The Gig Economy' research document which included a recommendation that the Minimum Income Floor assumption is suspended while an independent review is carried out on UC and self-employment in order to 'improve its sensitivities to realities of self-employment. Until this is complete, the Minimum Income Floor should not apply to self-employed UC claimants'. Advertisement Sadly there seems to be no indication from DWP that they've listened to these recommendations or that they are investigating the unfair impact the roll out of UC on the self-employed will have. Earlier this year I, along with Gloria De Piero MP, chaired an enquiry into the class ceiling in the cultural industries. The subsequent report - Acting Up - showed unequivocally that carving out a proper career in the arts is becoming increasingly difficult for working class creatives. With Universal Credit unfairly discriminating against creatives, it is inevitable there will be a diminishing of the diversity in the industry and it will only be those with private means or wealthy parents who can aspire to a career as a creative freelancer. Twenty years ago, a computer defeated the world's leading chess player; Steve Jobs re-joined Apple and countries agreed to merge two specialised bodies to form the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Back then, despite the steady march of progress, the Internet was just starting to impact homes and offices. Crime was mostly low tech. There was no global agreement on heinous crimes such as human trafficking, and not everyone considered corruption a crime. Some viewed it, wrongly, as the price of doing business. Fast forward 20 years, and criminals are the unintended beneficiaries of technology and globalisation. We have prospered from our high-speed, high-tech world, but the criminals have been gifted a digital platform on which to develop their illicit businesses. Technology and globalization enable criminals to work across regions; increasing their reach, their crimes and their profits. Just as the Internet has transformed every aspect of our lives, it has also become a cornerstone of criminality. What happens in the bright sunshine of the Internet echoes in the far murkier depths of the dark web. The Internet helps companies sell their legitimate goods, but it allows criminals to sell drugs, firearms, and endangered wildlife. Social media websites give millions the ability to share their joyful experiences, while the dark web protects the privacy of criminals who are also networking and building relationships. Accepted by the financial world, the explosion of Crypto-currencies is helping criminals launder money and lower the detection risk. Advertisement Throughout these developments, UNODC has also adapted. We offer countries advice on combatting borderless cybercrime, including the callous exploitation of children. Assistance is delivered through specialist bodies designed to stop trafficking or promote judicial integrity; and cooperation is provided in every region. The result is a solid alliance against illicit drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism covering the globe. Close cooperation is a necessity if we are to succeed against these challenges. Terrorists are using technology to incite and recruit. The spread of violent extremist ideologies, including in prisons, has been connected to some appalling terrorist outrages in Europe. We are also facing links between the terrorists and the criminals. Crimes such as human trafficking, cigarette smuggling and trafficking in cultural property are generating funds for the terrorists to maim and kill. There are positive developments that spread awareness and support UNODC's advocacy. Social media is driving participation, including celebrity involvement, in some of the world's biggest issues. As just one example, on 24th October, UNODC's Goodwill Ambassador for Belgium, and music star, Ozark Henry, gave a benefit concert on behalf of our Blue Heart Campaign for human trafficking victims. Advertised using social media, this event is ensuring that a new generation enjoys themselves, while appreciating the cruelty of human trafficking. iciHaiti - REMINDER : A week of activities around the Haitian heritage From October 23 to 27, 2017, the Knowledge and Freedom Foundation (FOKAL), the French Institute in Haiti (IFH) and the Alliances francaises in Haiti are joining forces to reflect on the heritage issues in Haiti. What is done the heritage today in Haiti ? How the history is embodied ? What challenges, what problems raise the safeguarding of Haiti's tangible and intangible heritage ? This "Heritage in question" cycle aims to discuss the answers to be given to better protect and enhance our heritage and make it interact with history. During 5 days, Haitian and international experts will animate a series of conferences in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel, Les Cayes, Jeremie, Gonaives and Cap-Haitien. A program of visits to monuments and heritage sites, documentary screenings, live shows and exhibitions will also be held throughout the week nationwide. Download the program : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/dossier_de_presse_le_patrimoine_en_question.pdf IH/ iciHaiti COLUMBUS The Platte County Attorney's Office has confirmed how a 27-year-old man whose body was found near the Union Pacific Railroad tracks died. What remains unclear is the manner of death whether it was an accident, suicide or criminal act. Platte County Attorney Carl Hart said Scott Dirksen died of blunt force trauma to the head and body that's consistent with being struck by a train. His body was found lying along the railroad tracks near the 23rd Avenue crossing and reported to police around noon Saturday. Hart said Dirksen, who is originally from Minnesota but lived in Columbus, was reportedly at a downtown bar Friday night and didn't have a driver's license. An autopsy was conducted Sunday, but toxicology results that will show whether Dirksen had alcohol or drugs in his system when he died aren't available yet. Hart said the death "appears to be, at least at first blush, an accident," although it remains under investigation. Attempts to reach a Union Pacific spokesperson for comment Monday were unsuccessful. An armed man got into a locomotive on an Amtrak train passing through southwest Nebraska early Saturday and pulled the emergency brake while about 175 passengers were on board, authorities say. Deputies from Furnas and Harlan counties responded to the incident in Oxford around 1:54 a.m. after being alerted that the eastbound California Zephyr was in emergency response mode, Furnas County Sheriff Kurt Kapperman said in a news release. Oxford is 23 miles southwest of Holdrege. Amtrak staff detained Taylor M. Wilson, 25, of St. Charles, Missouri, and turned him over to the Furnas County Sheriffs Department, the release said. Kapperman's deputies found a loaded Smith and Wesson .38-caliber revolver on Wilsons waistband and a speed loader for the weapon in his pocket. They also seized two bags containing three more speed loaders, a box of ammo for the revolver, a knife, tin snips, scissors and a ventilation mask, Kapperman said. Wilson was traveling from Sacramento, California, to St. Louis, and somehow got into the second locomotive and stopped the train using the emergency brake, the release said. It's believed Amtrak engineers in control of the train were in the first locomotive, which was at the front of the train and can't be accessed from the second locomotive directly behind it. Deputies arrested Wilson on suspicion of possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, felony criminal mischief and trespassing. He was being held at the Furnas County jail on $50,000 bond and set for a first appearance Monday. Kapperman didn't say how Wilson got the gun on board whether he carried it on himself or retrieved it from a checked bag. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said that detail was unclear and that the exact circumstances are under investigation. Amtrak only allows firearms in checked baggage, and only if they are unloaded. However, train passengers aren't required to undergo the level of screening required of airline passengers. The difference reflects the vastness of Amtrak's rail system and the "'open' and therefore porous transportation environment" it operates within, the company says on its website. Saturday's incident delayed the train by a little more than an hour, Magliari said. The eastbound train departed the Sacramento area Thursday morning, with its expected arrival in Chicago on Saturday afternoon. From Chicago, Amtrak trains connect to the St. Louis area. The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers. To unlock this article: Imperial Valley News Center Attorney General Becerra Announces $120M Multistate Settlement With General Motors Over Defective Ignition Switch Sacramento, California - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced a $120 million multistate settlement with General Motors Company (GM) over allegations that the company concealed safety issues related to defective ignition switches in GM vehicles. California will be receiving over $7 million. The settlement, reached among the attorneys general of 49 states and the District of Columbia and GM, concludes a multistate investigation into the auto manufacturers failure to disclose in a timely manner known safety defects associated with unintended key-rotation and/or ignition-switch related issues in several models and model years of GM vehicles. What GM did is inexcusable it took nearly a decade for the company to inform consumers that its ignition switches were defective, said Attorney General Becerra. We are holding GM accountable today for this blatant violation of the law, which threatened the lives of millions of Americans. All companies should be put on notice: the California Department of Justice has zero tolerance for those who put profits over people. In 2014, GM issued seven vehicle recalls in response to unintended key-rotation and/or ignition-switch related issues, which have affected over 9 million vehicles in the U.S. The recalls involved a defective ignition switch which, under certain conditions, could move out of the Run position to the Accessory or Off position. If this occurs, the driver experiences a loss of electrical systems, including power steering and power brakes. If a collision occurs while the ignition switch is in the Accessory or Off position, the vehicles safety airbags may also fail to deploy, increasing the risk of serious injury or death in certain types of crashes in which the airbag was otherwise designed to deploy. The States alleged that certain employees of GM knew as early as 2004 that the ignition switch posed a safety defect because it could cause airbag non-deployment. However, GM personnel decided it wasnt a safety concern and delayed making recalls. GM continued to market the reliability and safety of its motor vehicles which were equipped with this defective ignition switch. The states alleged that these actions were unfair and deceptive and that the automakers actions violated state consumer protection laws, including Californias Unfair Competition Law (Bus. & Prof. Code, 17200 et seq.) and False Advertising Law (Bus. & Prof. Code, 17500 et seq.) Under a stipulated judgment, which will be presented to the Los Angeles Superior Court for approval, GM shall: Paul D. Delacourt Named Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office Los Angeles, California - Director Christopher A. Wray announced the appointment of Paul D. Delacourt as the assistant director in charge of the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office. Mr. Delacourt most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Honolulu Division. Mr. Delacourt entered on duty as a special agent with the FBI in 1995 and was first assigned to the Chicago Division, where he worked gang and drug investigations and was a member of the SWAT team. Following 9/11, he transferred to the Counterterrorism Division, working on a temporary assignment to the Guantanamo Bay Task Force at FBI Headquarters and then on deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. Throughout his career, Mr. Delacourt has held leadership positions in the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters, in the Atlanta Division, as the FBI deputy on-scene commander in Afghanistan, in the Honolulu Division, and in the Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters. Mr. Delacourt will assume this new role in early December. Border Patrol agents seize third firearm in less than a week Blythe, California - Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Blythe Stations Integrated Targeting Team apprehended a convicted felon in possession of a loaded handgun Monday evening. Agents stopped a Honda Accord near Blythe, California to conduct an immigration inspection. Subsequently, agents then searched the vehicle and ran a records check on the driver. Records identified the man as a 26-year-old U.S. citizen and convicted felon. Inside the vehicle, agents found a loaded 9 mm Glock handgun. Agents contacted the Blythe Police Department who arrived on scene and took custody of the subject, the firearm and vehicle. This is the third vehicle stop resulting in a firearm seizure by Blythe Station agents in less than a week. Two previous incidents occurred on October 11 when Blythe agents seized a Keltic PF9 9 mm pistol and a Smith and Wesson M&P 9 mm pistol. Both of these incidents resulted in the seizure of small amounts of drugs and the arrests of the vehicles occupants. Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents effectively combat smuggling organizations attempting to transport people and contraband through southwestern Arizona and California. Citizens can help the Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection by calling 1-866-999-8727 toll-free to report suspicious activity. Callers may remain anonymous. El Centro Sector Border Patrol Makes Two Drug-Related Arrests Salton City, California - El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Highway 86 checkpoint arrested a man and a woman suspected of smuggling narcotics on two separate events over the weekend. The first incident occurred Friday at approximately 12:45 a.m. when a 36-year-old man approached the 86 checkpoint in a grey, 2000 Toyota Land Cruiser. Agents sent the man to secondary inspection for a closer examination after a K-9 alerted during primary inspection. The Border Patrol canine detection team was able to pinpoint the location of the narcotics in a spare tire mounted under the vehicle. After further inspection of the tire, 48 packages were discovered inside. All packages tested positive for the characteristics of methamphetamine. The weight of the packages of methamphetamine was 55.29 pounds and had an estimated street value of $193,515. The man, a United States citizen, vehicle and narcotics were turned-over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The second incident occurred on Friday night at approximately 7 p.m., when a 21-year-old woman approached the same checkpoint in a 2011 grey Jeep Patriot. Agents referred the vehicle to secondary for further examination. At secondary inspection, Border Patrol agents questioned the woman as to her citizenship and asked for consent to search the vehicle. Agents searched the vehicle and discovered two small packages of methamphetamine. One package was located inside of a purse and the other package was inside a make-up bag. Both packages tested positive for the characteristics of methamphetamine. The total weight of the methamphetamine was 2.05 pounds and had an estimated street value of $7,175. The woman, a United States citizen, vehicle and narcotics were turned-over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Through August 31, of fiscal year 2017, El Centro Sector has seized more than 1,880 pounds of methamphetamine. Off Duty Border Patrol Agent Rescues Motorist in Rollover Accident Blythe, California - An El Centro Sector Border Patrol agent rescued a motorist who was involved in a rollover fiery vehicle crash last Friday evening. The incident occurred October 13th at approximately 9 p.m., when an off duty El Centro Sector Border Patrol agent was traveling southbound on Hwy 78, near the Blythe Border Patrol checkpoint. The agent observed a dust cloud farther down the highway. When the agent reached the location of the dust cloud he discovered a vehicle had rolled over on the side of the highway. The occupant remained trapped inside while flames erupted from the engine compartment. The agent acted quickly and extracted the driver from the vehicle before more serious injuries occurred. The actions of our agent were heroic and demonstrates the deep commitment that our agents have to safeguarding the public, said Assistant Chief Patrol Agent David S. Kim. The California Highway Patrol and Imperial County Fire Department were contacted and arrived at the scene of the accident. The driver was transported to a near-by hospital for evaluation and treatment. 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! LINCOLN At the end of September, Department of Correctional Services Director Scott Frakes sent a letter to inmates warning about the dangers and effects of the drug K2. He outlined the problem seen in some of the department's 10 prisons. "We have a growing list of inmates that have experienced bad reactions to K2," he said. He understood the power of addiction and the desire to escape reality, he told them. Many drugs can lead to bad outcomes, he said, but this one especially is untested, unpredictable and potentially fatal. He didn't mince words. "Spending your final moments on earth covered in your own vomit, convulsing and sliding into respiratory failure is a sad legacy," he said. K2, also called synthetic marijuana, spice or potpourri, is often made by spraying chemicals onto natural herbs. Users of the drug believe it mimics the effects of pot when smoked. But there are no standards for dosage and no way to predict how the chemicals will impact receptors in the brain, Frakes said. In Nebraska, it is illegal to sell the drug, or any product packaged or marketed to look like controlled substances. In August, a federal judge sentenced owners of two Lincoln businesses to prison for selling the drug, which Frakes referred to as poison. The two owners were indicted after more than 100 people smoking the drug were treated in hospitals. The drug still makes its way into Nebraska prisons. Jami Cutshall, a caseworker at the Nebraska State Penitentiary, was arrested this month on suspicion of unauthorized communications with a committed offender, unauthorized acts by a corrections employee and sex abuse of a parolee. A Lancaster County search warrant showed Cutshall told an investigator she had sex in May or June with a paroled inmate, which led to her smuggling the synthetic marijuana into the penitentiary, concealed in her vagina. She sold it to inmates for $200 each time. She brought the K2 in four times in September, she said, getting it from an inmate's relative's girlfriend. Frakes said he knew scare tactics and memos wouldn't convince users to stop. So he aimed his message at inmates who didn't want to deal with the drama it caused and the impact on prison operations. Maybe, they would convince their friends of the potential harm. Staffers at Lincoln prisons say they see the adverse effects of the drug on inmates using it, sometimes daily. Several told the Lincoln Journal Star that one day earlier this month at the Nebraska State Penitentiary, more than 20 adverse reactions were reported in just hours, requiring emergency responses. When staffers answer a call involving a K2 emergency incident, they aren't sure what to expect. They could be assaulted, vomited on, cussed at or even sexually hit on, they said. They may have to deal with seizures or do chest compressions if an inmate stops breathing. Department nurses in both Lincoln and Omaha have seen it, too. John Wright is an associate director of nursing at the Lincoln Correctional Center, and Christy Nielsen is an associate director of nursing for the Omaha Correctional Center, the Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility in Omaha and Community Corrections Center-Omaha. They said the problems with K2 runs in spurts. When it arrives, however it arrives, they may see a bunch of calls for assistance at once over a course of days or a few weeks. Then they go a while without many emergency calls because of the drug. "We get called when staff find them (inmates) laying on the floor, or something like that, and they are in enough discomfort that they want to go to medical," Wright said. The chemical ingredients of K2 are changed frequently and each change can cause different reactions. The inmates often smoke it like marijuana, with deeper, longer draws, taking in all the differentiated chemicals the drug is laced with, and getting more of those unknown components that can cause adverse reactions, Nielsen said. Responders don't know what is causing the dangerous symptoms unless the inmate tells them. "We don't assume K2, because it could be anything from a stroke or a heart attack. We want to make sure we are treating them according to the symptoms they are having," Wright said. They have seen disorientation and combativeness, elevated blood pressure, rapid heart rate and labored breathing. The symptoms may dissipate within a few minutes. But they have seen an inmate turn completely red because he was so hot, and that lasted six hours. Those reactions use a lot of nursing and medical resources, having to figure out what might be wrong by ruling out other health problems, Nielsen said. The drug can interact with prescription drugs, cardiac medications or blood thinners, for example, and prevent them from working, or heightening their effects. "We have to shut down a whole clinic to see these guys," she said. "It's very dangerous," she said. "For the community, the public, everyone, it's just a drug you just absolutely don't want to be involved with, or take." So they try to educate the inmates, one-on-one, or with posters, or by spreading the word. Director Frakes tries, too. "If you are tired of having other people interfere with your time, if you hate seeing your visitors treated as potential drug smugglers, if you don't want to spend another evening sitting in your cell because someone was smoking K2 and had to be taken to the hospital ... tell us where the problems are." 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 }} The spotlight on Tessa Thompson has been steadily growing brighter ever since her impressive turn as an unapologetic black activist in Dear White People. Since then shes landed roles in Ava DuVernays critically-acclaimed Selma and opposite Michael B. Jordan in Creed, but now the American actress will be seen in her biggest role to date - as Asgardian warrior Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok. Indie filmmaker Taika Waititi was hired to make the third Thor movie, and Thompson believes its his background that makes the third Thor movie stand out from the rest. With this film they really wanted Ragnarok to really feel like what Ragnarok means, which is the destruction of the old and the birth of the new, the actress tells the Independent. "It needed to have a filmmaker that feels very singular, you needed to have someone who was going to really shake up the tone. "If you look at Taikas work hes such an auteur and so funny, his humour is really specific. Im just happy that Marvel let him make a Taika Waititi-ish Marvel movie. 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Show all 27 1 /27 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Black Panther Released: 12 February 12 February Director: Ryan Coogler Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Forest Whitaker, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 The Greatest Showman Released: 1 January 1 January Director: Michael Gracey Cast: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Darkest Hour Released: 12 January 12 January Director: Joe Wright Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri Released: 12 January Director: Martin McDonagh 12 JanuaryMartin McDonagh Cast: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Caleb Landry Jones > Twentieth Century Fox 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Coco Released: 19 January 19 January Director: Lee Unkrich ,p>Cast: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Renee Victor 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Downsizing Released: 19 January 19 January Director: Alexander Payne Cast: Matt Damon, Christopher Waltz, Jong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Early Man Released: 26 January 26 January Director: Nick Park Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Timothy Spall 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Fifty Shades Freed Released: 9 February 9 February Director: James Foley Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Kim Basinger 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Maze Runner: The Death Cure Released: 9 February 9 February Director: Wes Ball Cast: Dylan O'Brien, Thomas Brodie Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 The Shape of Water Released: 16 February 16 February Director: Guillermo del Toro Cast: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Doug Jones 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Annihilation Released: 23 February 23 February Director: Alex Garland Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Lee, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Oscar Isaac 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Dark River Released: 23 February 23 February Director: Clio Barnard Cast: Ruth Wilson, Mark Stanley, Sean Bean 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Red Sparrow Released: 2 March 2 March Director: Francis Lawrence Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Tomb Raider Released: 16 March 16 March Director: Roar Uthaug Cast: Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, Dominic West, 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 A Wrinkle in Time Released: 23 March 23 March Director: Ava DuVernay Cast: Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Zach Galifianakis 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Pacific Rim: Uprising Released: 23 March 23 March Director: Steven S. DeKnight Cast: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Roman J Israel, Esq Released: 23 March 23 March Director: Dan Gilroy Cast: Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo Columbia Pictures 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Isle of Dogs Released: 30 March 30 March Director: Wes Anderson Cast: Bill Murray, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Ready Player One Released: 30 March 30 March Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Avengers: Infinity War Released: 27 April 27 April Director: The Russo Brothers Cast: Robert Downey, Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Untitled Han Solo Film Released: 25 May 25 May Director: Ron Howard Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Released: 8 June 8 June Director: J.A. Bayona Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pine, B.D. Wong, Toby Jones 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Deadpool 2 Released: 1 June Director: David Leitch 1 JuneDavid Leitch Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Zazie Beetz, Josh Brolin 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Ocean's 8 Released: 22 June 22 June Director: Gary Ross Cast: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Anne Hathaway, Olivia Munn, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, Matt Damon 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Ant-Man and the Wasp Released: 29 June 29 June Director: Peyton Reed Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Soldado Released: 29 June 29 June Director: Stefano Sollima Cast: Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Jeffrey Donovan, Catherine Keener, Matthew Modine 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 The Incredibles 2 Released: 13 July 13 July Director: Brad Bird Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Samuel L. Jackson Thompson says she was a fan of Waititis work before she was cast in the movie, revealing that shes seen What We Do In The Shadows multiple times and said of his debut Boy, [it] broke my heart and filled it. "I think hes so, so, so talented, she continues. "They really let his personality shine through and really, he is all of it, because he was such a part of the integral process of us ad-libing, and would throw alternates out. "Hes just so funny that he enthused the script with him. Thompson and Waititi had worked together to make sure that Valkyrie stood out from the other female heroes already seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She drinks, shes jaded and shes more than a match for most of the men in the movie. "It was quite collaborative but [Taika] and I got on from the minute we met each other, the actress explains. He pitched Valkyrie as sort of the Han Solo over the movie and so I sort of knew the space that she wanted to occupy, and we wanted to subvert any sort of cliches in our portrayal of her. I say ours' because he was really integral to that. Valkyrie is certainly more than just a potential love interest for Thor, though she does replace Jane Foster, the God of Thunders ex-girlfriend and brilliant scientist who was in the first two movies and played by Natalie Portman. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Coincidentally, Thompson and Portman were working together on another movie, Annihilation, right before Thor: Ragnarok began production in Australia. It was really cute because I literally went from Annihilation on Friday and flew to Australia to work on Thor that Monday which is nuts, the actress remembers. "And the whole time I was on Annihilation I would practice my swords work on set, so it was funny to be doing that in front of Natalie because she would just crack up. "She said that Chris was lovely and he was, she was totally right." 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 }} Harvey Weinsteins former chauffeur has revealed further information about the disgraced Hollywood mogul who has been accused of sexual abuse by multiple actors. Mickael Chemloul, 56, told The Sun how staff secretly called Weinstein The Pig and spoke about several occasions where he would engage in sexual acts in the car. On one occasion, Weinstein was with a woman who was "begging him not to hurt her, the pair going to a hotel room while his pregnant wife slept nearby. Chemloul drove Weinstein around the South of France between 2008 to 2013, saying of the producer: Weinstein was a terrible man to work for. Everyone knew him as le porc [the pig] because of his size and because he sweated so much. When he came to Cannes we all knew what to expect. Speaking about a singular incident with a woman, Chemloul said: She was a good-looking girl, around 25 to 30, who had clearly had a few drinks. This was a fairly familiar sight for me, but even I was shocked when I heard her say, Dont hurt me in the car. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Show all 42 1 /42 Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Harvey Weinstein Harry Weinsteins reputation as one of Hollywoods leading executives was long cemented in stone. The acclaimed movie mogul, who produced Oscar-winning films Shakespeare in Love, The English Patient, and The Artist, clocked up box office successes and accolades aplenty. But this has quickly changed since a chorus of women have come forward to accuse the Hollywood producer of sexual harassment and assault. Since the New York Times bombshell report disclosed sexual harassment and rape allegations against the film mogul dating back decades, Weinstein has been fired from his namesake company, expelled from the Oscars and has had his wife leave him. Weinstein has apologised for having caused a lot of pain but has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Annabella Sciorra The Sopranos actor alleged Weinstein raped her after shooting The Night We Never Met, a 1993 movie that Weinstein produced. Similar to the stories told by other women, Weinstein drove the actor home, only to reportedly burst into Sciorra's apartment and start unbuttoning his shirt. He shoved me onto the bed, and he got on top of me, Sciorra said. I kicked and I yelled. Weinstein then allegedly locked her arms and forced sexual intercourse on her. After the incident, Sciorra found it increasingly hard to get work, many filmmakers saying 'We heard you were difficult', something the actor claims was because of the 'Weinstein-machine'. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Natassia Malthe The model and actress, who has appeared in around 50 films, said she met Weinstein at a BAFTA after party in 2008 while she was working as a spokeswoman for LG. She told a press conference in New York that she felt pressured into telling Weinstein she was staying at the Sanderson Hotel after being put on the spot. Malthe, now 43, said after her shift on February 10 she went back to her room and went to sleep, but was awoken by "repeated pounding" on her door, from someone yelling: "Open the door Natassia Malthe, it's Harvey Weinstein." Feeling humiliated, she said she opened the door. She alleged Weinstein began implying sex would get her a role in an upcoming film while semi-undressed and then he began to masturbate. "I was sitting on the bed talking to Harvey when he pushed me back and forced himself onto me. It was not consensual. He did not use a condom," she said. AP Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Sean Young The actor, best known for her role in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, said that Weinstein exposed himself to her in the early 1990s, when she was starring in the Miramax-produced Love Crimes - a production company that Weinstein headed at the time. "I personally experienced him pulling his you-know-what out of his pants to shock me," she said. "My basic response was, 'You know, Harvey, I really dont think you should be pulling that thing out, its not very pretty.'" Young never worked with Weinstein again after the incident. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mimi Haleyi Mimi Haleyi said she was assaulted by Weinstein in what appeared to be a child's bedroom in his New York City apartment in 2006 when she was in her 20s. She said she was aspiring to work in television and film production when she was first introduced to him at the London premiere of The Aviator around two years earlier and he helped her get experience on the set of a TV show being produced by The Weinstein Company. But, she added, he repeatedly hassled her and even tried to force himself through her front door in an effort to get her to join him on a trip to Paris. At one point he allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on an aspiring production assistant while she was on her period. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lupita Nyong'o In an op-ed for The New York Times, the Oscar-winning actor said she was invited to Weinsteins family home in Connecticut on the premise of watching a film shortly after they met in 2011. But she said shortly after it started he "insisted" in front of his children that she follow him and she was led to his bedroom. The Kenyan-Mexican actress, now 34, said she felt pressured into giving him a massage after he offered her one. "Before long he said he wanted to take off his pants," she wrote."I told him not to do that and informed him that it would make me extremely uncomfortable. He got up anyway to do so and I headed for the door, saying that I was not at all comfortable with that." Over the years that followed, he continued to get in touch, Nyong'o said, and when she declined another proposition she felt her career was threatened. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lena Headey Writing on social media, the Game of Thrones actor claims she first met Weinstein at the Venice Film Festival in 2005 where, after taking her for a walk by the water, he made some suggestive comment and gesture. Headey claims she bumped into Weinstein years later where he kept asking her questions about her love life. She alleges that, when Weinstein invited her to his hotel room to show her a script, the "energy shifted. The actor notes how, after saying she was not interesting in anything but the work, Weinstein was furious, apparently marching her back to a lift, "grabbing and holding tightly to the back of [her] arm." She claims that, after paying for her car, he whispered in her ear: "Don't tell anyone about this, not your manager, not your agent. Headey finished the post, writing: I got in the car and I cried. Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lucia Evans The actor told The New Yorker that after a meeting to discuss casting her in various projects, Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him. I said, over and over, I dont want to do this, stop, dont. She added: Hes a big guy. He overpowered me. I just sort of gave up. Thats the most horrible part of it, and thats why hes been able to do this for so long to so many women: people give up, and then they feel like its their fault. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Laura Madden Madden, a production assistant who worked at Miramax for a decade, told the Times that Weinstein allegedly prodded her for massages at hotels, a common theme among the sources the Timess reporters spoke with. On one occasion, she claims she locked herself in his hotel bathroom, sobbing Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ashley Judd Judd recounted for the Times how Weinstein allegedly harassed her while she was filming Kiss the Girls in 1996, inviting her to his hotel room and asking her for a massage, then inviting her to watch him shower. Judd first went public with the allegations in a 2015 interview with Variety during which she discussed the experience without naming the producer involved. She described Weinsteins alleged behaviour as coercive bargaining; I said no, a lot of ways, a lot of times, and he always came back at me with some new ask, she told the Times AFP/Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Rose McGowan McGowan reportedly reached a previously undisclosed $100,000 settlement with Weinstein in 1997, over an incident that occurred in a hotel room Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mimi Haleyi Mimi Haleyi said she was assaulted by Weinstein in what appeared to be a child's bedroom in his New York City apartment in 2006 when she was in her 20s. She said she was aspiring to work in television and film production when she was first introduced to him at the London premiere of The Aviator around two years earlier and he helped her get experience on the set of a TV show being produced by The Weinstein Company. But, she added, he repeatedly hassled her and even tried to force himself through her front door in an effort to get her to join him on a trip to Paris. At one point he allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on an aspiring production assistant while she was on her period. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Emily Nestor Nestor had been temping at the Weinstein Company for only one day in 2014 when Weinstein allegedly offered to boost her career in return for sexual favours, according to the Times. She declined and reportedly complained of his behaviour to colleagues, who later passed the information on to senior executives. An internal Weinstein Company document cited by the Times describes Nestors encounter with Weinstein as follows: She said he was very persistent and focused though she kept saying no for over an hour Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ambra Battilana In March 2015, Battilana, an aspiring model and actress, was reportedly summoned to Weinsteins office on a Friday night to discuss her career. According to a police report cited by the Times, Battilana claimed she was assaulted by Weinstein, who grabbed her breasts after asking if they were real and put his hands up her skirt. Weinstein later claimed that Battilana had set him up, according to colleagues of his who were interviewed by the Times. The Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus Vance, later declined to press charges, and according to the Times, made a payment to Battilana. On 5 October, the International Business Times reported that after Vance dropped the charges, he received $10,000 from Weinsteins lawyer Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lauren OConnor Lauren OConnor, an employee of the Weinstein Company, penned a memo to executives alleging a toxic environment for women at the company. The memo cited numerous incidents of Weinstein harassing or coercing women who worked for him. She expressed fear that Weinstein was using her and other female employees to facilitate liaisons with vulnerable women who hope he will get them work. That same year, Weinstein allegedly reached a settlement with OConnor Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Kate Beckinsale The actor, who starred in the Weinstein Company films Serendipity and The Aviator, alleges that she was invited to Weinsteins hotel room at the age of just 17. When she approached the door, the producer reportedly greeted her dressed in just a dressing gown. I was incredibly naive and young and it did not cross my mind that this older, unattractive man would expect me to have any sexual interest in him, she wrote on Instagram. After declining alcohol and announcing that I had school in the morning I left, uneasy but unscathed. Theo Wargo/Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Gwyneth Paltrow The actor alleges that after he cast her in the title role of the film Emma when she was 22, he took her to his hotel room, placed his hands on her and suggested massages. I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified, Paltrow told the New York Times. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Asia Argento Italian actress Asia Argento has alleged that in 1997 Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her as she repeatedly told him to stop. When I see him, it makes me feel little and stupid and weak, Argento told The New Yorker. After the rape, he won. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Cara Delevigne The British model and actress penning an Instagram post claiming that Weinstein had ordered her to kiss another woman in his hotel room, and tried to kiss her on the lips. AFP/Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ashley Judd Ashley Judd said she rebuffed Harvey Weinsteins unwanted sexual advances by offering to consent only after she had won an Oscar. When she was initially invited to a meeting with Weinstein, Judd said, she was surprised to learn the producer was in his hotel room - a tactic that recurs in other womens accounts. Echoing the accounts of other women, Judd said Weinstein suggested she give him a massage and then invited her to watch him shower. After a volley of nos she said she would only after she wins an Oscar, fleeing after making the comments. Reuters/Mike Segar Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Judith Godreche French actress Judith Godreche said when she was 24 Weinstein invited her to his hotel room and asked to give her a massage. The next thing I know, hes pressing against me and pulling off my sweater, she told the New York Times. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mira Sorvino The Oscar-winning actor said she found herself in a hotel room with Weinstein in 1995 where he started massaging my shoulders, which made me very uncomfortable, and then tried to get more physical, sort of chasing me around. According to an interview in The New Yorker Weinstein subsequently arrived at her apartment late at night and she had to call a friend to come over to pose as her boyfriend in order to get Weinstein out of the house. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Katherine Kendall The actress said Weinstein undressed and chased her around a living room when she was just 23. She subsequently felt that telling others meant Ill never work again and no one is going to care or believe me, she told the New York Times. WireImage Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Tomi-Anne Roberts As an aspiring actress and working in a restaurant in New York, Tomi-Ann Roberts encountered Weinstein who encouraged her to audition for one of his films back in 1984. She subsequently went to meet him and found him naked in the bath and invited her to get naked and get into the bath with him, she told the New York Times. She said she left feeling manipulated. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Myleen Klass It has also been alleged that the disgraced film producer propositioned Myleene Klass with a sex contract at Cannes Film Festival in 2010. One of the singer and television personalitys friends reportedly told The Sun, Klass had told Weinstein to f*** off. Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Sophie Dix Sophie Dix, best known for her role as Captain Sadie Williams in Soldier Soldier, described her encounter with Weinstein when she was 23 as the single most damaging thing thats happened in my life. She told The Guardian Weinstein had pushed her to her bed and was tugging at her clothes. She rushed to the bathroom to escape, but when she came out she found him standing there masturbating. I quickly closed the door again and locked it, she said. Then when I heard room service come to the door I just ran. Rex Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lea Seydoux The actor and director claims she had to fight off Weinstein after he brought her to his hotel room during what she remembers to be 2012. He suddenly jumped on me and tried to kiss me. I had to defend myself. Hes big and fat, so I had to be forceful to resist him. I left his room, thoroughly disgusted, she wrote in The Guardian. AFP/Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Claire Forlani British actress Claire Forlani wrote on Twitter that she had evaded Weinsteins advances on five occasions at the age of 25. At meetings with the Hollywood a-lister, she says massage was suggested, and that Weinstein had boasted of all the women hed had sex with. Mark Douet Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Florence Darel French actress Florence Darel claimed Weinstein relentlessly pursued her in the mid 1990's and propositioned her while Eve Chilton, his wife at the time, was in the hotel room next door. I was astonished, she told People magazine. When you have someone so physically disgusting in front of you, continuing and continuing as though this was all perfectly normal What happened to me may not be illegal but it was inappropriate. Very inappropriate. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lysette Anthony Lysette Anthony, who starred as Marnie Nightingale in Hollyoaks, has claimed Weinstein raped her in the late 1980's after turning up to her London home in the late 1980s. She described the disgraced film producers alleged attack as pathetic and revolting and said it left her feeling disgusted and embarrassed. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Dawn Dunning Dunning said she met Weinstein in 2003 when she was 24-years-old and the disgraced film producer suggested she have a threesome with him and someone else. She told the New York Times Weinstein got angry when she refused. Youll never make it in this business, she said he told her as she left. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Rosanna Arquette Rosanna Arquette was already well known for her role in Desperately Seeking Susan, when she said she met Weinstein at his hotel to pick up a script in the early nineties. Weinstein was dressed only in a dressing gown, and tried to put her hand on his erect penis. Speaking to the New York Times, Arquette said as she left she told him: I will never be that girl. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Emma de Caunes Caunes, a French actor, claimed Weinstein took her to his hotel room in 2010 supposedly to retrieve a book he was making into a film, but once there he went into the bathroom. De Caunes said he then emerged naked, with an erection and told her to lie on the bed. She fled the room. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Zoe Brock Model Zoe claimed that she had to lock herself in a bathroom at Weinsteins hotel in 1997, after the mogul had sent all of the assistants out of the room, and then appeared naked. I was alone with Weinstein, she told ITVs This Morning programme. He very quickly left the room and came back naked. He chased me naked. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Jessica Barth Actress Jessica Barth described an encounter with Weinstein in 2011 in an interview with The New Yorker in which she said Weinstein veered between offering her roles in films and demanding a naked massage. She alleges the producer said to her: So, what would happen if, say, were having some champagne and I take my clothes off and you give me a massage? When she tried to leave, he then promised to give her the number of a female executive at the company. He gave me her number, and I walked out and I started bawling, Barth said. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Romola Garai The actress told The Guardian she felt violated after she went to a meeting with Weinstein at the age of 18 and he met her in his hotel room wearing nothing but a dressing gown. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Heather Graham Graham claimed that during a casting opportunity in the early 2000's Weinstein had told her he had an open relationship with his wife. He could sleep with whomever he wanted when he was out of town. I walked out of the meeting feeling uneasy, Graham told Variety. There was no explicit mention that to star in one of those films I had to sleep with him, but the subtext was there. Graham was never hired to work in a Weinstein film. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Jessica Hynes Spaced and W1A star Jessica Hynes tweeted about an encounter with Weinstein earlier this week, but subsequently deleted the tweet. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lucia Evans The actor told The New Yorker that after a meeting to discuss casting her in various projects, Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him. I said, over and over, I dont want to do this, stop, dont. She added: Hes a big guy. He overpowered me. I just sort of gave up. Thats the most horrible part of it, and thats why hes been able to do this for so long to so many women: people give up, and then they feel like its their fault. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Louisette Geiss The former actress said she met Weinstein to pitch a film script she was working on. During the meeting, Weinstein allegedly went out and reappeared naked and got into a jacuzzi where he masturbated in front of her and said he would make the script into a film if she stayed and watched. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Liza Campbell Liza Campbell, a British writer and artist, alleged that Olympically ugly Weinstein asked her to join him in the bath and began getting undressed at a hotel. In a piece for The Times, Campbell claimed she was forced to sprint to the door to escape. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Louise Godbold Writing in a blog post, Louise Godbold, a non-profit director in Los Angeles, said her encounter with Weinstein took the form of an office tour that became an occasion to trap me in an empty meeting room. She said then Weinstein was begging for a massage, his hands on my shoulders as I attempted to beat a retreat. Chemloul also detailed how Weinstein almost died at Naomi Campbells birthday party: People ran out to say Harvey was flat out on the floor and could hardly breathe. Luckily for Harvey someone found a surgeon who lived nearby on the Cap DAntibes. It appeared he had eaten so much from the buffet that it was too much for the sort of gastric band he had fitted. Recommended Trump accusers watch Harvey Weinstein downfall with bewilderment The surgeon apparently lifted the band, allowing Weinstein to breathe easier, saying how the producer would have died within 30 minutes if not for the intervention. The amazing thing was that when he opened his eyes and saw me, he said, F*** you, go home. Then he went back to the buffet and started eating again, Chemloul added. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Weinstein has denied all allegations against him, the mogul reportedly saying from rehab that theres a conspiracy against him. Conversely, actors including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Beckinsale, Lupita Nyongo, and Angelina Jolie have all accused Weinstein of harassment, while Rose McGowan has accused him of rape. 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 }} Oscar-nominated director and writer James Toback has denied accusations of sexual harassment by dozens of women in the midst of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. 38 women have come forward to allege that Toback, now 72, harassed or assaulted them over a period stretching back to the 1980s. He is accused of prowling the streets of Manhattan looking for attractive young women, usually in their early 20s, sometimes college students, on occasion a high schooler, according to the Los Angeles Times. Toback, who was nominated for the Academy Award for writing the original screenplay Bugsy, which starred Warren Beatty, is said to have promised aspiring young actresses that he had the power to make them Hollywood stars. It is claimed he persuaded girls and women to meet him in private rooms for an interview or audition, with the encounters turning into something far more sinister, according to the investigation. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Show all 42 1 /42 Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Harvey Weinstein Harry Weinsteins reputation as one of Hollywoods leading executives was long cemented in stone. The acclaimed movie mogul, who produced Oscar-winning films Shakespeare in Love, The English Patient, and The Artist, clocked up box office successes and accolades aplenty. But this has quickly changed since a chorus of women have come forward to accuse the Hollywood producer of sexual harassment and assault. Since the New York Times bombshell report disclosed sexual harassment and rape allegations against the film mogul dating back decades, Weinstein has been fired from his namesake company, expelled from the Oscars and has had his wife leave him. Weinstein has apologised for having caused a lot of pain but has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Annabella Sciorra The Sopranos actor alleged Weinstein raped her after shooting The Night We Never Met, a 1993 movie that Weinstein produced. Similar to the stories told by other women, Weinstein drove the actor home, only to reportedly burst into Sciorra's apartment and start unbuttoning his shirt. He shoved me onto the bed, and he got on top of me, Sciorra said. I kicked and I yelled. Weinstein then allegedly locked her arms and forced sexual intercourse on her. After the incident, Sciorra found it increasingly hard to get work, many filmmakers saying 'We heard you were difficult', something the actor claims was because of the 'Weinstein-machine'. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Natassia Malthe The model and actress, who has appeared in around 50 films, said she met Weinstein at a BAFTA after party in 2008 while she was working as a spokeswoman for LG. She told a press conference in New York that she felt pressured into telling Weinstein she was staying at the Sanderson Hotel after being put on the spot. Malthe, now 43, said after her shift on February 10 she went back to her room and went to sleep, but was awoken by "repeated pounding" on her door, from someone yelling: "Open the door Natassia Malthe, it's Harvey Weinstein." Feeling humiliated, she said she opened the door. She alleged Weinstein began implying sex would get her a role in an upcoming film while semi-undressed and then he began to masturbate. "I was sitting on the bed talking to Harvey when he pushed me back and forced himself onto me. It was not consensual. He did not use a condom," she said. AP Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Sean Young The actor, best known for her role in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, said that Weinstein exposed himself to her in the early 1990s, when she was starring in the Miramax-produced Love Crimes - a production company that Weinstein headed at the time. "I personally experienced him pulling his you-know-what out of his pants to shock me," she said. "My basic response was, 'You know, Harvey, I really dont think you should be pulling that thing out, its not very pretty.'" Young never worked with Weinstein again after the incident. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mimi Haleyi Mimi Haleyi said she was assaulted by Weinstein in what appeared to be a child's bedroom in his New York City apartment in 2006 when she was in her 20s. She said she was aspiring to work in television and film production when she was first introduced to him at the London premiere of The Aviator around two years earlier and he helped her get experience on the set of a TV show being produced by The Weinstein Company. But, she added, he repeatedly hassled her and even tried to force himself through her front door in an effort to get her to join him on a trip to Paris. At one point he allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on an aspiring production assistant while she was on her period. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lupita Nyong'o In an op-ed for The New York Times, the Oscar-winning actor said she was invited to Weinsteins family home in Connecticut on the premise of watching a film shortly after they met in 2011. But she said shortly after it started he "insisted" in front of his children that she follow him and she was led to his bedroom. The Kenyan-Mexican actress, now 34, said she felt pressured into giving him a massage after he offered her one. "Before long he said he wanted to take off his pants," she wrote."I told him not to do that and informed him that it would make me extremely uncomfortable. He got up anyway to do so and I headed for the door, saying that I was not at all comfortable with that." Over the years that followed, he continued to get in touch, Nyong'o said, and when she declined another proposition she felt her career was threatened. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lena Headey Writing on social media, the Game of Thrones actor claims she first met Weinstein at the Venice Film Festival in 2005 where, after taking her for a walk by the water, he made some suggestive comment and gesture. Headey claims she bumped into Weinstein years later where he kept asking her questions about her love life. She alleges that, when Weinstein invited her to his hotel room to show her a script, the "energy shifted. The actor notes how, after saying she was not interesting in anything but the work, Weinstein was furious, apparently marching her back to a lift, "grabbing and holding tightly to the back of [her] arm." She claims that, after paying for her car, he whispered in her ear: "Don't tell anyone about this, not your manager, not your agent. Headey finished the post, writing: I got in the car and I cried. Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lucia Evans The actor told The New Yorker that after a meeting to discuss casting her in various projects, Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him. I said, over and over, I dont want to do this, stop, dont. She added: Hes a big guy. He overpowered me. I just sort of gave up. Thats the most horrible part of it, and thats why hes been able to do this for so long to so many women: people give up, and then they feel like its their fault. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Laura Madden Madden, a production assistant who worked at Miramax for a decade, told the Times that Weinstein allegedly prodded her for massages at hotels, a common theme among the sources the Timess reporters spoke with. On one occasion, she claims she locked herself in his hotel bathroom, sobbing Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ashley Judd Judd recounted for the Times how Weinstein allegedly harassed her while she was filming Kiss the Girls in 1996, inviting her to his hotel room and asking her for a massage, then inviting her to watch him shower. Judd first went public with the allegations in a 2015 interview with Variety during which she discussed the experience without naming the producer involved. She described Weinsteins alleged behaviour as coercive bargaining; I said no, a lot of ways, a lot of times, and he always came back at me with some new ask, she told the Times AFP/Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Rose McGowan McGowan reportedly reached a previously undisclosed $100,000 settlement with Weinstein in 1997, over an incident that occurred in a hotel room Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mimi Haleyi Mimi Haleyi said she was assaulted by Weinstein in what appeared to be a child's bedroom in his New York City apartment in 2006 when she was in her 20s. She said she was aspiring to work in television and film production when she was first introduced to him at the London premiere of The Aviator around two years earlier and he helped her get experience on the set of a TV show being produced by The Weinstein Company. But, she added, he repeatedly hassled her and even tried to force himself through her front door in an effort to get her to join him on a trip to Paris. At one point he allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on an aspiring production assistant while she was on her period. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Emily Nestor Nestor had been temping at the Weinstein Company for only one day in 2014 when Weinstein allegedly offered to boost her career in return for sexual favours, according to the Times. She declined and reportedly complained of his behaviour to colleagues, who later passed the information on to senior executives. An internal Weinstein Company document cited by the Times describes Nestors encounter with Weinstein as follows: She said he was very persistent and focused though she kept saying no for over an hour Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ambra Battilana In March 2015, Battilana, an aspiring model and actress, was reportedly summoned to Weinsteins office on a Friday night to discuss her career. According to a police report cited by the Times, Battilana claimed she was assaulted by Weinstein, who grabbed her breasts after asking if they were real and put his hands up her skirt. Weinstein later claimed that Battilana had set him up, according to colleagues of his who were interviewed by the Times. The Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus Vance, later declined to press charges, and according to the Times, made a payment to Battilana. On 5 October, the International Business Times reported that after Vance dropped the charges, he received $10,000 from Weinsteins lawyer Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lauren OConnor Lauren OConnor, an employee of the Weinstein Company, penned a memo to executives alleging a toxic environment for women at the company. The memo cited numerous incidents of Weinstein harassing or coercing women who worked for him. She expressed fear that Weinstein was using her and other female employees to facilitate liaisons with vulnerable women who hope he will get them work. That same year, Weinstein allegedly reached a settlement with OConnor Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Kate Beckinsale The actor, who starred in the Weinstein Company films Serendipity and The Aviator, alleges that she was invited to Weinsteins hotel room at the age of just 17. When she approached the door, the producer reportedly greeted her dressed in just a dressing gown. I was incredibly naive and young and it did not cross my mind that this older, unattractive man would expect me to have any sexual interest in him, she wrote on Instagram. After declining alcohol and announcing that I had school in the morning I left, uneasy but unscathed. Theo Wargo/Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Gwyneth Paltrow The actor alleges that after he cast her in the title role of the film Emma when she was 22, he took her to his hotel room, placed his hands on her and suggested massages. I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified, Paltrow told the New York Times. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Asia Argento Italian actress Asia Argento has alleged that in 1997 Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her as she repeatedly told him to stop. When I see him, it makes me feel little and stupid and weak, Argento told The New Yorker. After the rape, he won. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Cara Delevigne The British model and actress penning an Instagram post claiming that Weinstein had ordered her to kiss another woman in his hotel room, and tried to kiss her on the lips. AFP/Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ashley Judd Ashley Judd said she rebuffed Harvey Weinsteins unwanted sexual advances by offering to consent only after she had won an Oscar. When she was initially invited to a meeting with Weinstein, Judd said, she was surprised to learn the producer was in his hotel room - a tactic that recurs in other womens accounts. Echoing the accounts of other women, Judd said Weinstein suggested she give him a massage and then invited her to watch him shower. After a volley of nos she said she would only after she wins an Oscar, fleeing after making the comments. Reuters/Mike Segar Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Judith Godreche French actress Judith Godreche said when she was 24 Weinstein invited her to his hotel room and asked to give her a massage. The next thing I know, hes pressing against me and pulling off my sweater, she told the New York Times. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mira Sorvino The Oscar-winning actor said she found herself in a hotel room with Weinstein in 1995 where he started massaging my shoulders, which made me very uncomfortable, and then tried to get more physical, sort of chasing me around. According to an interview in The New Yorker Weinstein subsequently arrived at her apartment late at night and she had to call a friend to come over to pose as her boyfriend in order to get Weinstein out of the house. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Katherine Kendall The actress said Weinstein undressed and chased her around a living room when she was just 23. She subsequently felt that telling others meant Ill never work again and no one is going to care or believe me, she told the New York Times. WireImage Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Tomi-Anne Roberts As an aspiring actress and working in a restaurant in New York, Tomi-Ann Roberts encountered Weinstein who encouraged her to audition for one of his films back in 1984. She subsequently went to meet him and found him naked in the bath and invited her to get naked and get into the bath with him, she told the New York Times. She said she left feeling manipulated. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Myleen Klass It has also been alleged that the disgraced film producer propositioned Myleene Klass with a sex contract at Cannes Film Festival in 2010. One of the singer and television personalitys friends reportedly told The Sun, Klass had told Weinstein to f*** off. Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Sophie Dix Sophie Dix, best known for her role as Captain Sadie Williams in Soldier Soldier, described her encounter with Weinstein when she was 23 as the single most damaging thing thats happened in my life. She told The Guardian Weinstein had pushed her to her bed and was tugging at her clothes. She rushed to the bathroom to escape, but when she came out she found him standing there masturbating. I quickly closed the door again and locked it, she said. Then when I heard room service come to the door I just ran. Rex Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lea Seydoux The actor and director claims she had to fight off Weinstein after he brought her to his hotel room during what she remembers to be 2012. He suddenly jumped on me and tried to kiss me. I had to defend myself. Hes big and fat, so I had to be forceful to resist him. I left his room, thoroughly disgusted, she wrote in The Guardian. AFP/Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Claire Forlani British actress Claire Forlani wrote on Twitter that she had evaded Weinsteins advances on five occasions at the age of 25. At meetings with the Hollywood a-lister, she says massage was suggested, and that Weinstein had boasted of all the women hed had sex with. Mark Douet Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Florence Darel French actress Florence Darel claimed Weinstein relentlessly pursued her in the mid 1990's and propositioned her while Eve Chilton, his wife at the time, was in the hotel room next door. I was astonished, she told People magazine. When you have someone so physically disgusting in front of you, continuing and continuing as though this was all perfectly normal What happened to me may not be illegal but it was inappropriate. Very inappropriate. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lysette Anthony Lysette Anthony, who starred as Marnie Nightingale in Hollyoaks, has claimed Weinstein raped her in the late 1980's after turning up to her London home in the late 1980s. She described the disgraced film producers alleged attack as pathetic and revolting and said it left her feeling disgusted and embarrassed. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Dawn Dunning Dunning said she met Weinstein in 2003 when she was 24-years-old and the disgraced film producer suggested she have a threesome with him and someone else. She told the New York Times Weinstein got angry when she refused. Youll never make it in this business, she said he told her as she left. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Rosanna Arquette Rosanna Arquette was already well known for her role in Desperately Seeking Susan, when she said she met Weinstein at his hotel to pick up a script in the early nineties. Weinstein was dressed only in a dressing gown, and tried to put her hand on his erect penis. Speaking to the New York Times, Arquette said as she left she told him: I will never be that girl. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Emma de Caunes Caunes, a French actor, claimed Weinstein took her to his hotel room in 2010 supposedly to retrieve a book he was making into a film, but once there he went into the bathroom. De Caunes said he then emerged naked, with an erection and told her to lie on the bed. She fled the room. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Zoe Brock Model Zoe claimed that she had to lock herself in a bathroom at Weinsteins hotel in 1997, after the mogul had sent all of the assistants out of the room, and then appeared naked. I was alone with Weinstein, she told ITVs This Morning programme. He very quickly left the room and came back naked. He chased me naked. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Jessica Barth Actress Jessica Barth described an encounter with Weinstein in 2011 in an interview with The New Yorker in which she said Weinstein veered between offering her roles in films and demanding a naked massage. She alleges the producer said to her: So, what would happen if, say, were having some champagne and I take my clothes off and you give me a massage? When she tried to leave, he then promised to give her the number of a female executive at the company. He gave me her number, and I walked out and I started bawling, Barth said. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Romola Garai The actress told The Guardian she felt violated after she went to a meeting with Weinstein at the age of 18 and he met her in his hotel room wearing nothing but a dressing gown. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Heather Graham Graham claimed that during a casting opportunity in the early 2000's Weinstein had told her he had an open relationship with his wife. He could sleep with whomever he wanted when he was out of town. I walked out of the meeting feeling uneasy, Graham told Variety. There was no explicit mention that to star in one of those films I had to sleep with him, but the subtext was there. Graham was never hired to work in a Weinstein film. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Jessica Hynes Spaced and W1A star Jessica Hynes tweeted about an encounter with Weinstein earlier this week, but subsequently deleted the tweet. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lucia Evans The actor told The New Yorker that after a meeting to discuss casting her in various projects, Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him. I said, over and over, I dont want to do this, stop, dont. She added: Hes a big guy. He overpowered me. I just sort of gave up. Thats the most horrible part of it, and thats why hes been able to do this for so long to so many women: people give up, and then they feel like its their fault. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Louisette Geiss The former actress said she met Weinstein to pitch a film script she was working on. During the meeting, Weinstein allegedly went out and reappeared naked and got into a jacuzzi where he masturbated in front of her and said he would make the script into a film if she stayed and watched. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Liza Campbell Liza Campbell, a British writer and artist, alleged that Olympically ugly Weinstein asked her to join him in the bath and began getting undressed at a hotel. In a piece for The Times, Campbell claimed she was forced to sprint to the door to escape. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Louise Godbold Writing in a blog post, Louise Godbold, a non-profit director in Los Angeles, said her encounter with Weinstein took the form of an office tour that became an occasion to trap me in an empty meeting room. She said then Weinstein was begging for a massage, his hands on my shoulders as I attempted to beat a retreat. All the women are said to have recounted similar tales of him allegedly asking personal or uncomfortable questions of a sexual nature, touching them inappropriately, or masturbating in front of them. Of the 38 women who made allegations, 31 were willing to speak on the record about Toback, who is married to Stephanie Kemmpf, with whom he has a son. Toback has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and claimed that it is biologically impossible for him to have done the things he is accused of because of his medical conditions, said to include diabetes and a heart problem. Actress Adrienne LaValley described an alleged 2008 hotel room encounter that she claimed ended with the writer trying to rub his crotch against her leg before he ejaculated in his pants. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up I felt like a prostitute, an utter disappointment to myself, my parents, my friends. And I deserved not to tell anyone, she said. Toback has been active as a writer and director since the mid 1970s, and titled his semi-autobiographical 1987 film The Pick-Up Artist. His most recent film, The Private Life of a Modern Woman, stars British actress Sienna Miller. In 2008, he directed the documentary Tyson, which took a sympathetic look at the boxer and convicted rapist Mike Tyson. He also wrote the film Seduced and Abandoned, featuring a look at how Hollywood films are financed. As with Weinstein who continues to deny that he had non-consensual sexual contact with any of his accusers Tobacks behaviour is said to have been something of an open secret in Hollywood, with rumours of his behaviour reported in celebrity gossip columns as far back as 1989. Louise Post, now a guitarist and vocalist for indie rock band Veruca Salt, said she met the writer in 1987 when she was a 20-year-old student. Going to his apartment has been the source of shame for the past 30 years, that I allowed myself to be so gullible, she said. In the wake of the Weinstein scandal, many women have shared tales of sexual harassment from being harassed on the street to serious sexual assaults including rape, using the hashtag #metoo. The Veruca Salt account tweeted: Us too: by bosses, boyfriends, male babysitters, taxi drivers, strangers and movie director/pig #jamestoback #metoo. James Toback damn you for stealing, damn you for traumatizing, one of Weinsteins most prominent accusers, Rose McGowan, tweeted on Sunday. Weinstein accuser Asia Argento wrote on Twitter following the allegations against Toback: So proud of my sisters for bringing down yet another pig. 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 }} Tom Hanks knows how the world views him - that steady, dependable force. There to calm us, and to give us the hope we need. Which is exactly what he offered when he spoke at the National Archives Foundation, honoured with the "Records of Achievement Award" at their annual gala in Washington. "People are upset about what's going on today. They're furious, they're frustrated, they're worked up," Hanks said (via CNN). "If you're concerned about what's going on today, read history and figure out what to do because it's all right there." "As we continually move towards a more perfect union," he stated. "That magnificent document (the US Constitution) out there, that might be the only self-correcting, open-ended document anywhere on the planet Earth (that) keeps us going, that keeps saying that we're going to learn how to do that one thing we've already sort of done, we're going to become better and better and better." When asked about the issues surrounding the legacy of Confederate monuments and statues of Christopher Columbus, Hanks offered: "Let's have that discussion, let's have that be part and parcel to an ongoing reexamination about what is taught about [America's founding]." The Rock says he is running for President in 2020 with Tom Hanks He did add that he didn't believe the dialogue necessarily needed to include destruction. "But the destruction, the destruction is anti-social, period, the end. Be intelligent, and be smart, write about it, bring it up, talk about it," he added. The "Records of Achievement Award" is, according to a statement from the foundation, the "highest honor given by the National Archives Foundation to an individual whose work has fostered a broader national awareness of the history and identity of the United States through the use of original National Archives records." "No actor has covered the span of 20th-century American history as broadly as honoree Tom Hanks," David Ferriero, archivist of the United States, said in the statement. Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more. 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 }} Woody Allens upcoming film reportedly features a 44-year old male character accused of sleeping with numerous young starlets. According to Page Six, the main character, a middle-aged married man played by Jude Law, sleeps with numerous young women, at one point being accused of sleeping with a 15-year-old. Played by Elle Fanning, 19, the plot twist comes when she is revealed to be 21-years-old. The characters then have a conversation about infidelity, the woman asking: Were all these women for pleasure, or were you researching a project? Other actors to also feature in A Rainy Day in New York written and directed by Allen include Selena Gomez, Liev Schreiber, Suki Waterhouse and Kelly Rohrbach. Allen, 81-years-old and married to Mia Farrow's adopted daughter, was previously accused of sexual abuse by daughter Dylan Farrow. 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 case against Allen was closed in 1993, investigators saying there was no evidence against the director. Allen has consistently denied the allegations. Recently, the four-time Oscar winner has backtracked over comments on Harvey Weinstein, having expressed sadness for the Hollywood mogul accused of sexual assault. When I said I felt sad for Harvey Weinstein I thought it was clear the meaning was because he is a sad, sick man, he said. I was surprised it was treated differently. Lest there be any ambiguity, this statement clarifies my intentions and feelings." Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This 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 Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Pioneering Australian songwriter George Young has died aged 70. Young, the brother of AC/DC's Angus and Malcolm Young, was a member of the Easybeats and co-wrote the band's hit "Friday On My Mind". Born in Scotland in 1946, he migrated to Australia with his family as a teenager, forming The Easybeats after he met Dutch-born artist Harry Vanda in Sydney. After the band broke up in 1969, Vanda and Young would embark on a songwriting career that saw the pair produce dozens of hits. They became two of Australia's best-known songwriters, with Young's work including "Love Is In The Air" and "Yesterday's Hero" for John Paul Young. The news was confirmed by David Albert, CEO of Alberts record company, early on Monday 23 October. "It is with great sadness that Alberts acknowledge the passing of George Young," hje said in a statement. "A consummate songwriter, trailblazing producer, artist, mentor and extraordinary musician, George was above all else a gentleman who was unfailingly modest, charming, intelligent and loyal, a man with a wonderful sense of humour. "George was a pioneer who, with close friends Harry Vanda and Ted Albert, created a new sound for the Australian music industry, He will be missed." AC/DC said in a separate statement that the band would not exist without Young's "help and guidance". "As a musician, songwriter, producer, advisor and much, much more, you could not ask for a more dedicated and professional man," the band said. "You could not ask for a finer brother. We will always remember him with gratitude and hold him close to our hearts." 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 }} Stranger Things nostalgia fixation has reached a new extreme, intensified to the point of taking physical form in Sean Astins Bob Newby, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder)s new boyfriend. Theres no doubting here: Astins essentially playing Mikey from 1985s The Goonies all grown-up just as plucky, just as naively heroic. Here he lives, amidst the nods to Cold War paranoia, The Terminator, Farrah Fawcett, and Cyndi Laupers Time After Time. But Stranger Things is not The Goonies, and that makes all the difference. Bobs unwavering optimism, inevitably, must come to face the veil of darkness descending upon Hawkins, Indiana; to those around him, its a weary business as usual, but to him its as if the movies and comics of his youth have come to life. Stranger Things 2 is weaponised nostalgia to its core, but not in the way were so accustomed to assume. This is nostalgia in its older, more traditional form: the feelings of things lost. Present in the first series, but more strongly felt here. Viewers may take simple pleasure in returning to their own pasts the songs, movies, and clothes of their childhoods but that joy must forever be in contrast with the strange and lonesome fates of those who live in Hawkins. Will is tortured by his time in the Upside Down, so pale and serious he seems no longer like a child. The events of a year ago hang in the air as an unspoken whisper. Eleven, of course, was robbed long ago of the childhood she deserved. Stranger Things - Season 2 Final Trailer Stranger Things 2 may open on portraits of quaint simplicity at the arcade, or the kids in their Ghostbusters costumes but those scars are never far behind. Mike (Finn Wolfhard) is found alone, in his basement, trying to contact Eleven on his walkie-talkie. Its been a year since she sacrificed herself to save them. Since he last saw her. All he hears is static. On top of scars, come new wounds. Or, perhaps, the same wounds re-opened. Ironically, directors the Duffer Brothers continual insistence this second season is far more like a cinematic sequel rings truest here: like most movie sequels, its a rehash of what everyone liked about the first one. Its just, in this case, they largely get away with it. Credit it all to two central ingredients: characterisation and tone. Stranger Things 2 narrows in even closer on its central cast here (to the point youll forget about Barb all over again). The kids, Hopper (David Harbour), Joyce, Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Steve (Joe Keery), and Nancy (Natalie Dyer) were all beautifully fleshed out in the first season, and here were allowed to settle into that comfortable familiarity. TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Show all 16 1 /16 TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Jessica Jones Starring: Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor, Carrie-Anne Moss, David Tennant Start date: 8 March, Netflix Netflix TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for The OA Starring: Brit Marling, Emory Cohen, Phyllis Smith, Patrick Gibson, Jason Isaacs Start date: 15 March, Netflix TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Trust Starring:Hilary Swank, Brendan Fraser, Donald Sutherland, Harris Dickinson, Anna Chancellor Start date: 25 March 2018, AMC (Sky Atlantic air date TBA) FX Productions TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for A Series of Unfortunate Events Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Malina Weissman, Patrick Warburton, Lucy Punch, Tony Hale, Nathan Fillion Start date: 30 March, Netflix TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Atlanta Robbin Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Malina Weissman, Patrick Warburton, Lucy Punch, Tony Hale, Nathan Fillion Start date: 30 March, FOX (UK air date TBA) Matthias Clamer/FX TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Legion Starring: Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, Aubrey Plaza, Jean Smart, Jemaine Clement Start date: 17 April, FOX 20th Television TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for The Alienist Starring: Daniel Bruhl, Luke Evans, Dakota Fanning, Brian Geraghty Start date: 19 April, Netflix Warner Bros. Television Distribution TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Westworld Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, James Marsden Start date: 21 April, HBO TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Fear the Walking Dead Starring: Kim Dickens, Lennie James, Frank Dillane, Alycia Debnam Carey, Colman Domingo, Maggie Grace Start date: 23 April, AMC on BT TV Richard Foreman, Jr/AMC TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for The Handmaid's Tale Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Samira Riley, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd Start date: 25 April, Hulu (Channel 4 air date TBA) Hulu TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Better Call Saul Start date: TBA, Netflix Netflix TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Call the Midwife series 7 Starring: Vanessa Redgrave, Kate Lamb, Stephen McGann, Leonie Elliott Vanessa Redgrave, Kate Lamb, Stephen McGann, Leonie Elliott Start date: TBA, BBC One TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for House of Cards Start date: TBA, Netflix Netflix TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for 13 Reasons Why Start date: TBA, Netflix TBA, Netflix TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for This Is Us season 2 Start date: TBA, Channel 4 TBA, Channel 4 Ron Batzdorff/NBC TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Unforgotten series 3 Start date: TBA, ITV1 Theyre neatly split up (who knew Steve and Dustin could get on so well?), but all convene when its needed. All in all, Stranger Things 2 only grows our affections for these characters: Winona Ryder gets to yell at a bunch of people like we all want, Jonathan and Nancy get to do their adorable will they, wont they routine once more. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up There are new characters here, some more effective than others. Max (Sadie Sink) is the defiant, tough skateboarder who adds a little more gender balance to the mix. Shes a great new character for the four main boys to spark off of, creating natural bonds and tensions within the group, but beyond that? She doesnt have that much bearing on the story. Neither does her aggressive, abusive older brother Billy (Dacre Montgomery) he's too preoccupied with punching inanimate objects and dressing like a cast member of The Lost Boys. If theres a major leap from the familiar to be found, certainly, its with Eleven; her story shifts from Carrie to the X-Men, in a way, and its with her that the show seems to really craft itself a future. Indeed, Stranger Things 2 does, at least, start to play fast and loose with exactly which 80s references it preys upon; the Stephen King/Steven Spielberg vibes are still prominent, but others, too from Alien to Poltergeist. There's even a joke that one of the kids' recountings of the events from the first season turn out a little derivative. Stranger Things 2 may be a safe move, but its a smart one. Founded in the familiar, its allowed to put to the side any temptation that might arise by shows enormous success. Namely, we dont get a season that becomes too wrapped up in its own mythology: in the origins of the Upside Down, or the history of the lab. There is power in that mystery, and in that simplicity we can revel in what Stranger Things does best nostalgia in its sweetest, most wistful form. For a second spin, it all comes together fairly wonderfully. But theres a concern here, too. Stranger Things ends with a sense of the cyclical once more. With a season 3 and 4 already discussed, theres a point where the trick will tire. And why should they remain stuck in the same place? Their style, their world has been thoroughly established by now. Why not break out and explore? Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for insider tips and product reviews from our shopping experts Sign up for our free IndyBest 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 IndyBest email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Looking for a new single malt whisky? Then why not broaden your choice beyond Scotland and pick a dram from a less well-known whisky-producing nation. Theres excellent whisky to be had from all over the world, with a rapidly expanding list of countries that have whisky-producing distilleries distributing their products to a global audience. With the varying climates and conditions in which to distil and age the spirits, and a keenness to look at production methods and ingredients from a fresh perspective, there are lots of amazing new discoveries to be had. So just what is behind the global surge in distilleries producing single malts, and why folk are more eager to try whisky from outside the more traditional whisky-producing nations? According to Eddie Ludlow, founder of The Whisky Lounge, much is down to the good work done by Japanese distilleries. Japanese whisky is, he says, now accepted as a high-quality alternative to Scotch whiskies and has helped kick the door down for whiskies from anywhere in the world. Read more: As a result, you can find quality whisky from hot and humid countries such as Taiwan and India along with other cooler regions such as Scandinavia. Ludlow believes that whisky fanatics should also look closer to home and some of the excellent distilleries throughout England. English whisky is really riding a wave at the moment, he says. Many of the key distilleries such as The Lakes, Spirit of Yorkshire and Bimber all came of age last year, with single malt whisky releases from all of them. How we tested To test the best of these globally produced spirits, we joined numerous tasting sessions hosted by The Whisky Lounge and The Whisky Show, besides clearing the kitchen table for a few sessions of our own. Weve not included whisky from more familiar places such as Ireland, USA and Canada, but in case your adventurous spirit doesnt want to travel beyond Scotland weve thrown in a new, innovative treat from the old whisky country too. So cast aside any misguided preconceptions you may be harbouring and join us on this globe-trotting whisky adventure Kavalan classic single malt whisky, 40% The sub-tropics of Taiwan might be a world away from the chilly climes of Scotland, but that hasnt stopped the King Car distillery producing a whisky with more awards than most. Along with skilful production, the heat and humidity also plays a key role too causing a greater rate of alcohol evaporation that, in turn, draws more of a mature flavour from the oak. Those deep oak notes are accompanied by delicious tropical fruit syrup flavours and lightened with a bouquet of blossom, making it both rich and fresh. Buy now 59.99 Masterofmalt.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Stauning peat single malt whisky, 47% Stauning can claim its peated whisky is truly a product of terroir, with local malted barley smoked by peat unearthed from the Danish landscape. Its not all smoke in the aroma, with an apple-fresh fruitiness vying for attention and, on tasting, the peat is reminiscent of the embers of a fire, fading on a gentle breeze, while the sweet fruits give way to a distinctive taste of cocoa at the finish. Buy now 83 Masterofmalt.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Rampur double cask single malt whisky, 45% The Rampur Distillery is based in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, where the climate can be challenging for the whisky maker. High humidity, cold winters and exceptionally hot summers can lead to overly woody flavours, but in Rampurs expert hands the double casks (bourbon and sherry) have been well behaved, yielding tropical fruit aromas and figgy, chocolatey flavours that come with a hint of leather and wax polish. Buy now 79.99 Selfridges.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Milk & Honey classic single malt, 46% Milk & Honey, Israels first single malt whisky distillery, is another that uses a hot climate to its advantage, with the Mediterranean sunshine accelerating the maturation process in ex-bourbon and refurbished red wine casks (known as STR casks). The resulting whisky evokes a sun-drenched landscape, with a dryness throughout and toasty caramel and black pepper edge to the spicy, tannic oak. Those bold flavours are balanced with a light body and a drip of honey as if squeezed straight from the golden Mediterranean sunshine. Buy now 44.95 Thewhiskeyexchange.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Mackmyra Jatlycka Swedish single malt whisky, 46.1% If youre a fan of big, bold whiskies with bags of flavour then take your taste buds to Sweden with this seasonal release from Mackmyra. The distillery focuses its efforts on sustainability and producing distinctively local products, and this release celebrates a Swedish autumn, with local berry wine used to season some of the casks. It has a creamy feel and heady aromas and flavours of berries, ginger, tannic fruit and a whole load of prickly pepper. We think itll keep you warm through not just autumn but also into the harshest of winters. Buy now 57.95 Masterofmalt.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Cotswolds Distillery Cotswolds single malt whisky, 46% Englands whisky-barren decades have been consigned to history and the land is now blessed with many fine producers, from the excellent Lakes Distillery in the north to exciting new arrival the Dartmoor Distillery down south. For several years the English whisky standard setter has been Cotswolds single malt, with locally grown barley producing a fruity spirit thats aged in ex-Bourbon barrels and reconditioned in red wine casks. Its smooth and creamy with the kind of rich, fresh fruit flavours that give it a broad appeal and warming spices that help you to cosy up and relax. Buy now 39 Cotswoldsdistillery.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Starward Solera single malt whisky, 43% Australia is a country teeming with distilleries, many of them small producers scattered around the whisky hotbed of Tasmania. Head over the Bass Strait to Melbourne and youll find Starward whisky, one of the few Aussie distilleries to regularly export to the UK. Matured in apera barrels (Australias alternative to sherry), its aroma gives an instant hit of rich fruit and sweet almond, and the fruity theme continues on the palate with lots of juicy goodness. Theres also a sprinkling of festive spices, a comfort of crusty toast and the final reward is a lick of dark chocolate. Buy now 44.90 Masterofmalt.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Michel Couvreuer blossoming auld sherried malt whisky, 45% Michel Couvreurs whiskies are a marriage of Scottish distilling expertise and French ageing craft, making them special dual-nation drams. Some of the finest Scottish single malt whisky is transported to Burgundy and allowed to mature in rare sherry oak casks, some housed in a dry cellar for a feisty high ABV spirit and some in a very damp cellar to produce a mellower liquid. Combining these whiskies has produced an exceptionally smooth sipper, with some deliciously rich oak flavours and a big wallop of intense sherry that has seeped out of a Christmas cake studded with orange. An outstanding glow-inducing whisky. Buy now 194.94 Masterofmalt.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Penderyn Portwood single malt whisky, 46% A unique still designed by Dr David Faraday, a descendant of the famous electromagnetic scientist, is the key component in the production of whisky from the Brecon Beacons Penderyn distillery. The distilled spirit weighs in at a very high 92 per cent alcohol, which gives it a fresh and fruity base before ageing begins. Some additional fruitiness in this whisky (and a slightly pink tinge) comes from its finishing in port casks, which not only gives it an immediate aroma of port but also adds flavours of sweet, dried berries while a swell of oaky, peppery spice adds depth before the lingering dry finish. Buy now 53.99 Houseofmalt.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} 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 notorious theme of Larry Clarks work, sex, drugs and skateboarding provided the foundation for his 1995 film Kids, which to this day still has a cult-like following. The American film director and photographer has been using his camera to capture the reality of the teenage experience since 1961 but, as his first-ever feature film, Kids set itself apart from other films of the time Clueless was released the same year with its uncompromising and debauched documentation of life as teen in New York City. A whirlwind of underage drinking, indiscriminate drug taking and illicit sexual encounters, the films bare-bones quality and unpolished style has since inspired a torrent of Kids-themed collections. The latest of which comes from US skateboarding brand Vans. As a clothing company thats been connecting with youth culture to promote self-expression and authenticity since its inception in 1966, it seems only natural that the two should collaborate. So, what can you expect to see? Included in the line-up is Larry Clarks take on a pair of classic Old Skools in all-over black and embroidered with the visionarys signature in contrasting white stitch. You can also pick up a selection of printed long sleeve T-shirts and caps emblazoned with a poem written by the director, which reads, It took a 12-year-old boy to figure out the city was a concrete playground. Of course, this isnt the first time Clark has collaborated with a fashion brand. The inimitable photographer has also worked alongside Supreme, JW Anderson and even Dior Homme, for whom he not only modelled in the AW16 campaign but also shot a one-and-a-half minute short film featuring a group of young men wandering around Paris. The Larry Clark x Vans KIDS collaboration drops 3 November at select retailers, including Dover Street Market Ginza, Dover Street Market Ginza, Billys ENT and United Arrows & Sons. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our Now Hear This 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 IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A celebrity chef has stepped down from the helm of his restaurant empire amid allegations of sexual harassment. John Besh quit his post as chief executive of the Besh Restaurant Group after more than 20 women said they had been sexually harassed while working either at head office or at one of his restaurants. A former employee said he "continued to attempt to coerce [her] to submit to his sexual overtures" during a months-long unwelcome sexual relationship while she worked for him. She said Besh once insisted [she] drink heavily at a tasting event during a work trip to Los Angeles in 2015. She said that afterwards Besh came to her hotel room and "immediately started to kiss and fondle" her. He easily overwhelmed her, she said, and he then engaged in oral sex and fell asleep" next to her. The allegations against the southern Louisiana chef and TV host were published on Saturday by Nola.com and The Time-Picayune. Allegations against male management include unwanted touching, attempts to leverage power for sex, and suggestive comments. The report in the Times-Picayune said two former employees had filed complaints with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that alleged sexual discrimination and retaliation. The woman said when she tried to end the relationship some employees "retaliated" against her. Company executive Shannon White said Besh has decided to step down from all aspects of operations and to provide his full focus on his family. White, formerly chief operating officer, immediately becomes chief executive. The firm says it is hiring an expert to independently investigate whether any unreported claims exist. Before he quit Besh issued a statement in which he said he had deeply hurt those I love by thoughtlessly engaging in a consensual relationship with one member of my team two years ago. He says he is now trying to rebuild his marriage and come to terms with his reckless actions. I alone am entirely responsible for my moral failings. This is not the way the head of a company like ours should have acted, let alone a husband and father. Besh won the James Beard award for Best Chef of the Southeast in 2006. Harrahs casino in New Orleans, which has had a Besh Steak restaurant inside the casino for more than a decade, said it was terminating its relationship with the group. 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 }} At the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, villain Kylo Ren received a large facial scar after committing his darkest act in the film. Oddly, when the trailer for 2017s The Last Jedi came out, this scar had moved. There was an immediate uproar from continuity fans, but writer/director Rian Johnson took to Twitter to defend his decision: It honestly looked goofy running straight up the bridge of the nose. Popular film culture has been using facial injury as a shorthand for evil for so long that many filmmakers no longer treat scars as injuries, but as decorative features. Could this tradition be the reason why so many countries are yet to properly pay tribute to the facially injured servicemen of the First the First World Warn film? You may have read articles about these servicemen, or found photographs of their injuries online. You may even have seen them in a war documentary but you will never have seen a British feature film in which they take centre stage. During the First World War, tens of thousands of servicemen were being sent home with facial injuries. There were pilots with severe burns and infantrymen whose cheeks had been torn off by flying shrapnel. Fathers whose mouths had been shot away and sons left without the ability to see or speak. Recommended This may be the title of the next James Bond film These men put their lives into the hands of ambitious surgeons with experimental methods, one of whom was Sir Harold Gillies, who would later become known as the father of plastic surgery. Many servicemen endured years of procedures and painful recovery periods, but the results were groundbreaking. Suddenly, pioneering developments were being made in plastic surgery that would pave the way for modern techniques. Despite their impact, most countries that were involved in the First World War have either included these disfigured servicemen as secondary characters in their war films, or nowhere at all. Perhaps filmmakers worry that profit margins wont be as impressive for a realistic film drama, in which the disfigured characters are not represented as criminally insane. They see profit in the scarred villain, and this is made no clearer than in one of the UKs most profitable franchises, James Bond. Scars are a regular facial feature among Bond villains and, since Daniel Craig took over the role of Bond in 2006, three of the four villains have had a facial injury. The two that were actually taken from Ian Flemings original novels, Le Chiffre and Blofeld, were never described as having scars in the books. Photos of facially injured First World War servicemen before and after reconstructive treatment (Plastic Surgery of the Face) (Plastic Surgery of the Face by Sir Harold Gillies, 1920) Using facial injury as a shorthand for evil is not just a method used in films aimed at adults. There is the tellingly named Scar in Disneys 1994 classic The Lion King and, for the new generation, the villainous unicorn Tempest Shadow in the 2017 film My Little Pony: The Movie, who has a large scar over her right eye. More than skin deep Every film that uses facial injury as a shorthand for evil is influencing negative perceptions that reflect, in many ways, the society that the disfigured servicemen re-entered a century ago. Many men left hospital with very successful reconstructions, but some level of disfigurement would often remain, in the form of uneven features or surgical scars. These were minor compared to their initial injuries, but some members of society could not see past the differences. This is evident in the stories of disfigured men being turned out of employment, suffering verbal abuse in the street, and being abandoned by fiancees from before the war, simply because of their appearance. Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) was the disfigured cyber-terrorist in 2012 Bond film Skyfall Despite such challenges, most of these men went on to lead normal lives that did include successful careers and marriages, with no evidence that their changed appearances had any effect on their morality. There are certainly no statistics that show a spike in crime by disfigured ex-servicemen after the First World War. It was disappointing, then, when the villain for this years long-anticipated superhero film Wonder Woman was revealed. The film is set during the First World War and Dr Poison does not just have scars, but is a villain with a facial injury that mirrors the kind suffered by the First World War servicemen. This injury does not appear on the comic book character and neither does the skin-toned prosthetic mask that she wears, which is similar to those worn by facially injured servicemen. Initially, we could hold out hope that Dr Poison might have some depth beyond pitiful destructiveness or at least give us an explanation of how she received her injury. But it quickly became clear that there was no story her appearance was for the sole purpose of making her seem more menacing. The disfigurement is a wordless explanation for why she is driven to commit such horrific acts of inhumanity and, as such, reflects on the men who suffered similar injuries serving during that period. But facially injured servicemen were not horrific or horrors of war as so many people still like to call them. The pain that they suffered may be described in this way, but the men themselves were ordinary human beings. Misrepresentation is a damaging thing, but when it comes to the laudable practice of paying tribute to servicemen through film, lack of representation can be just as harmful. Sian Liddle is a PhD researcher at Nottingham Trent University. This article was originally published on The Conversation (theconversation.com) 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 mother was left outraged after caretakers shaved off her mixed race daughters curly hair without permission. Denise Robinsons seven-year-old daughter, Tru, lives part-time at Little Heroes Group Home in Dracut, Massachusetts. The carers reportedly decided to shave Trus hair for hygiene reasons. Recommended Kids of alcoholic parents more likely to have violent relationships Robinson was furious when her daughter came home with a shaved head, insisting that nobody at Little Heroes had consulted her first. She was told that a clinician gave consent for the haircut, which has left her daughter nearly bald. "There was no hygenical reason for them to shave my childs head, Robinson told NECN, adding that Tru's hair was very long before. "I am very upset. And I'm not going to stop being upset because I feel like my child was assaulted and violated," she continued. She didn't understand why staff at Little Heroes would need to shave Trus head out of hygiene, given that her daughter had never shown any signs of head lice or bed bugs. Robinsons Lawyer, Richard Kendell, told CBS Boston that the incident was appalling and revealed that Tru was told that her hair would grow back straight after it was shaved. Little Heroes is a co-education intensive group home for children between the ages of five and 11; Tru lives there for part of the week as she suffers from complex emotional issues. They issued the following statement in response to Robinson, who intends to sue: "The program employs a diverse staff that is attentive to the needs of all children. Decisions regarding grooming are based on a variety of factors, including hygiene." 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 }} Chris Jeanes proposed to his girlfriend in mid-air as their plane started hurtling towards the ground. The London-based lawyer had planned to pop the question in Bali, when the AirAsia plane fell 24,000 feet in just nine minutes, prompting oxygen masks to drop. As other passengers assumed the brace position, Jeanes decided to ask his partner, Casey Kinchella, to marry him there and then. Recommended Singapore Airlines is introducing sustainable plane food Luckily she said yes, Jeanes told NBC News. We both reconfirmed with each other when we were on the ground. The couple were flying from Perth to Bali, a route which typically takes just under four hours. However, 25 minutes into the flight, a technical issue caused the pilot to turn back to the Western Australia capital. Suddenly, the plane started plunging towards the ground and lost cabin pressure. Terrifying video footage shows the extent at which the Airbus A320 was shaking as it fell, leaving passengers fearing for their lives. Thankfully, the captain was able to land the plane safely an hour later, leaving the young couple to enjoy their engagement in Bali. We commend our pilots for landing the aircraft safely and complying with standard operating procedure, said Captain Ling Liong Tien, AirAsia Group's head of safety. We are fully committed to the safety of our guests and crew and we will continue to ensure that we adhere to the highest safety standards." AirAsia have issued an apology to passengers for any inconvenience caused. 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 }} China has scrapped a ban on importing soft and mould-ripened cheeses including brie, gorgonzola and stilton. Customs authorities last month forbid businesses from bringing the cheeses into the country because of concerns over the bacteria used to produce them. European Union (EU) officials have since been lobbying against the ban, which affected many popular continental products. Cheeses including Roquefort, camembert, and Danish blue also fell foul of the ban because they were made using strains of bacteria that were not approved in China. The quarantine was lifted following talks between the EU and Chinese customs officials at the weekend. To avoid further such bans, the EUs China delegation and the French Embassy in China said that they would arrange a meeting with Chinese cheese experts. The EU delegations statement said Chinas cheese standards were outdated. China's mainly expatriate cheesemongers have celebrated the announcement. "We are very happy about the decision," said Vincent Marion, co-founder of Shanghai-based delivery service Cheese Republic. "I think it's a way for China to show they're really open-minded to selling foreign products and especially cheese." He told the BBC the ban had affected more than half the products his business sold. The import restrictions were lifted with immediate affect but it is expected to take several weeks for banned cheeses to make their way back through the supply chain to reach shelves in China. Research by Euromonitor predicted cheese sales in the country will be worth 5.3bn yuan (620m) this year, up more than a quarter from 2016. More than 90 per cent of the cheese eaten in China is imported. 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 }} Jordan Belfort, who was the real-life inspiration behind the film The Wolf of Wall Street starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has said that the trend for initial coin offerings (ICOs) is the biggest scam ever. According to the Financial Times, Mr Belfort said that Promoters [of ICOs] are perpetuating a massive scam of the highest order on everyone. His warning comes following a steep rise in the popularity of ICOs through which companies gather funding by selling investors digital tokens in exchange for cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Mr Belfort estimated that five to 10 per cent of ICOs are scams. Mr Belfort went sentenced to prison in 2003 and served 22 months after pleading guilty to securities fraud and money laundering. According to the FT, he compared ICOs to the blind pools in the 1970s and 80s in which companies gained funding from investors without providing detail on how the money would be spent. These pools were often dissolved without investments being made, but not before brokers took off with big fees. For startups, ICOs are seen as a legitimate way to raise money and part of a push to disrupt banks and venture funds. The well-known cryptocurrency Bitcoin was trading at $6,200 (4,705) on Saturday, it broke through the $6,000 barrier for the first time on Friday. But it dropped below $6,000 again on Monday. So far in 2017, 202 ICOs have raised over $3bn, according to Coinschedule.com. ICOs and digital currencies have gathered criticism from banks and regulators. Last month, JP Morgan chief executive Jamie Dimon said that Bitcoin isnt going to work and that it is worse than tulip bulbs, referring to the tulip market bubble of the 1600s. Also last month, the Chinese central bank banned ICO funding and said it had seriously disrupted the economic and financial order. UK regulators have told investors that they should be ready for the value of their tokens to drop to zero. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. Mr Belfort, who was released from prison in 2005, now works as an author and a motivational speaker. According to the FT, he said that ICOs were going to blow up in many peoples faces. Its far worse than anything I was ever doing, he added. 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 }} Police hunting one of Britains most wanted fugitives have released details of his wife and two daughters in the hope they could provide the key to his capture. Mark Acklom, 44, who is alleged to have fleeced a divorcee out of 850,000 in life savings in a romance scam, was last spotted in Geneva, Switzerland, on 10 May. Avon and Somerset Police believe he is with his wife, Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez, 47, and their two daughters, aged six and eight. The force has released a photograph of Ackloms wife, who is also known to use aliases including Yolianda Ross, Maria Long and Mary Moss, and said she may be working as a yoga teacher or attending yoga classes. Both Acklom and his wife have previously set up property businesses and police believe their daughters may be attending a fee-paying school. Detective Inspector Adam Bunting said: Mark Acklom is a convincing fraudster and were working hard to locate him as soon as possible. We believe hell be with his wife, Maria Rodriguez, and their two young daughters, who we know, up until last years appeal, were enrolled in El Limonar International School in the Murcia area of Spain. In the days following the appeal he removed his children from the school and, together with his wife, he disappeared. We have significant concerns about the childrens wellbeing given they were uprooted, with no notice, from their school, friends and family. Its highly likely Acklom will have placed his children in another fee-paying school. Police are appealing to British expats with children in private international schools, who may have noticed the recent arrival of a family from Spain. Last year a European arrest warrant was issued for Acklom and he was believed to be at large in Spain, having been released from a Spanish prison over a 200,000 property fraud. He is said to have left Carolyn Woods financially and emotionally devastated after promising to marry her. She alleged that he posed as an MI6 agent and conned her into lending him her savings during a year-long romance in Bath, Somerset. They met when the former public schoolboy walked into her boutique in Gloucestershire to buy a jacket and began chatting her up. DI Bunting said: Mark Acklom has links through property to Spain and theres been a positive sighting in Switzerland. We also have information linking him to Dublin and Italy, but he could be anywhere in Europe. Its possible he may have travelled outside the EU. Hes described as 5ft 10in, of medium build, with dark brown hair and green eyes. Were grateful for the ongoing support of the National Crime Agency and our law-enforcement colleagues in Europe but we need the help of the media and the public in the UK and Europe to track him down. In 1991, Acklom, then aged 16, received a four-year custodial sentence for a 466,000 mortgage fraud after he posed as a City stockbroker. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty 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 He also spent 11,000 after stealing his fathers credit card, swindled a former teacher out of 13,000 and ran up a 34,000 bill with a private charter jet company. Acklom convinced Leeds Permanent Building Society at the age of 16 that he was a 25-year-old stockbroker on 214,000 a year. They gave him a 466,000 mortgage for a 516,000 executive home in Dulwich, south London. PA 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 }} The Conservative Party has received a "warning" from the Information Commissioner over its use of a controversial call centre during their election campaign. Secret footage obtained by Channel 4 News suggested the party may have broken data protection and election laws by contracting the Blue Telecoms centre in Neath, Wales, to directly contact voters in marginal seats. The investigation found the party used a market research firm to make thousands of cold calls to voters in marginal seats in the weeks leading up to the election. Channel 4s Ciaran Jenkins said the call centre told voters they were calling from "AXE Research". "Our investigation found some calls contained apparently positive messages about Theresa May and negative messages about Jeremy Corbyn," he wrote on Twitter. This prompted an investigation by the Information Commissioners Office into whether the Conservatives acted illegally. The ICO found parts of the written scripts used in calls to voters on behalf of the party "legitimate market research to unlawful direct marketing," Mr Jenkins wrote. The party was warned its campaigns "must be rigorously checked in future" but the ICO stopped short of "formal enforcement action." Mr Jenkins said the ICO expressed concerns over scripts which "referenced Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn". A South Wales Police investigation into whether the party acted illegally at the election call centre is ongoing, he said. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images 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 In a letter to the Labour MP for Caerphilly, Wayne David, South Wales Police said the investigation was being conducted by its economic crime unit, which had experience in dealing with electoral integrity investigations. The investigation is of sufficient scale and significance that South Wales Police are unable to offer any specific timescale, it said The Conservative Party has denied the allegations. 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 }} Far-right extremists are weaponising internet culture in an increasingly coordinated effort to spread their radical ideas around the world and the UK is their next major target. Researchers who spent three months undercover inside European and American movements said Britain was seen as key a bridge to link up growing radical movements in the EU and US. Julia Ebner, a research fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), told The Independent members of the ethno-nationalist Identitarian movement met in London over the weekend with the aim of starting a new British branch. Among key figures believed to be at the meeting was the Austrian co-leader of Generation Identitaire Martin Sellner, who also headed the Defend Europe mission that claimed to combat the flow of refugees from Libya to Europe, and American alt-right activist Brittany Pettibone. Ms Ebner said the extremists were also interested in setting up branches in Ireland and Scotland, adding: Theyve seen that there is a vacancy there because the UK has either very traditionalist street movements like the English Defence League (EDL) and British National Party (BNP), or the very hard-right and violent ones like National Action who are now terrorist organisations. There wasnt really anything in between and thats the niche they are trying to fill. Official figures suggests Britain is an increasingly fertile ground for the divisive ideology, with police figures showing dramatic rises in hate crime as around a third of extremists referred to Government programmes are from the far-right. The terror attack that targeted Muslim worshippers in Finsbury Park, murder of Labour MP Jo Cox and pipe bombing plot have all been linked to extreme nationalism and there are fears of more violence if radicalisation continues. Neo-nazi punched by crowd at Richard Spencer event A new ISD report warns that the Identitarians, American alt-right and other far-right extremists are increasing collaboration, while weaponising internet culture to target the youngest and most easily manipulated members of society. Researchers warned that the sophistication of far-right messaging had been underestimated after discovering some networks were using leaked strategic communication documents from GCHQ and Nato to run campaigns against their own governments. The Identitarian movement, which originated in France, is a rapidly expanding ethno-nationalist group focusing on the preservation of European culture and identity. Members reject accusations of antisemitism and racism but former Holocaust deniers and neo-Nazis are among their ranks, with supporters including the former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Ms Ebner said some extremist have been kicked out of the movement from a PR perspective, with policies officially banning Nazi symbols. They have learnt to be very careful how they portray the movement publicly but inside their channels you see a very different rhetoric, she added. Its really interesting to listen to them try to mainstream their views as publicly acceptable. The Identitarians have been amassing growing international online support through projects like Defend Europe, which crowdfunded hundreds of thousands of pounds from dozens of countries. By focusing on narratives of white victimhood, including perceived threats to ethnic and religious identity and mass immigration, they have drawn in a huge spectrum of right-wing support by appealing to a populist base. Far-right extremists aboard a vessel aiming to defend Europe from migrants and refugees Jacob Davey, a research coordinator at the ISD and co-author of the report, said the Identitarians had links to Scottish Dawn a proscribed terrorist group. The group, which describes itself as a patriotic society for the defence of our race and nation active across Scotland, was exposed as an alias of National Action alongside another group called NS131. By extending the proscription of National Action, we are halting the spread of a poisonous ideology and stopping its membership from growing - protecting those who could be at risk of radicalisation, Amber Rudd said while announcing the ban last month, although The Independent revealed that Scottish Dawns website was still operating. Mr Davey said not all Identitarians were neo-Nazi and their ideology is not ostensibly violent, but they represent a threat through the mainstreaming of fringe ideas to appeal to a broader constituency. He warned that they were manipulating migration, terrorism, the refugee crisis and sexual offences using sophisticated messaging techniques that stay just within the law to avoid censorship. They do talk about white genocide [but] they are careful to represent themselves in a peaceful way and avoid any suggestion of violence, Mr Davey added. They are using memes and the language of young people to compartmentalise and broadcast very far-right ideals. Ms Ebner said extremists had so far been ahead of the curve exploiting social media mechanisms and algorithms to radicalise new audiences, calling on European authorities to increase counter-messaging efforts to the same levels seen with Islamist propaganda. Key forums include 4chan, Gab and Discord, while important moments for the burgeoning global extreme-right are the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, attempts to manipulate the German elections and the Defend Europe mission. Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell The ISD found all three events significantly raised the profile and support for radical narratives amid increasing cooperation across borders to radicalise and disrupt democratic processes. With four main groups Identitarians, neo-Nazis, the US alt-right and Islamophobic counter-jihadists" identified, the research showed mounting collaboration with the ultimate aim of radicalising normies and Generation Z in particular. The cooperation sees movements magnify each other's messages on social media, for example using Twitter and Facebook posts, and appearances on far-right websites like the Daily Stormer. The outlet came to international attention in August, when American white supremacists, nationalists, neo-Nazis, neo-Confederates and militias gathered in Charlottesville for the Unite the Right rally. Counter-protester Heather Heyer was killed by a car in the ensuing clashes, which provoked condemnation around the world. Meanwhile in Germany, there was a concerted and successful effort to bolster the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party, which took third place Septembers federal elections with 13.3 per cent of votes. The ISD found coordinated extreme-right efforts including the Reconquista Germania Discord channel and international troll armies dictated social media conversations and the top trending hashtags for a period of two weeks. At the same time, Defend Europes ship was sailing in the Mediterranean with the stated aim of preventing migration from Libya to Europe. Although the mission was ridiculed for a series of mistakes and its lack of true involvement in the crossings, it sparked a slew of media coverage on unfounded claims of collusion between NGOs and people smugglers and coincided with intensified operations by the Libyan coastguard that forced some rescue ships to pull out of the Mediterranean over safety concerns. The ISD report concluded that strategic, tactical and operational convergence has allowed the extreme right to translate large-scale online mobilisation into real-world impact. Calling for urgent action across Britain, Europe and the US, researchers said it is imperative that counter-strategies are developed which match the sophistication of the extreme right on a technological, cultural and communications level, adding: Policy makers, technology companies, practitioners and activists need to work closely together to challenge the extreme-right. 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 Palestinian man who posted good morning in Arabic on Facebook was arrested after Israeli police mistakenly translated his message as attack them. The man, who has not been named, posted a picture of himself working on a construction site in the West Bank settlement of Beitar Ilit near Jerusalem. Alongside the photo, which shows the worker leaning against a bulldozer, he wrote: Good morning. Yet the automatic translation service offered by Facebook, which uses its own proprietary algorithms, translated the words to mean attack them in Hebrew and hurt them in English. The police were notified and arrested the man on suspicion of incitement, but he was released after a few hours once the mistake was realised. No Arabic-speaking officer was consulted before the arrest was made. 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 Judea and Samaria District police confirmed the details and said a mistake in translation was made, which led to the mistaken arrest, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. Officials were reportedly suspicious as the Facebook post contained a photo of a bulldozer, a vehicle used as a weapon in attacks in previous years, the publication said. 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 restaurant has won praise for leaving boxes of free food for the homeless after closing each night. Staff began placing leftover meals at the doors of Bosu Body Bar in Manchester after noticing a sharp rise in people sleeping rough. The healthy fast food shop's owners have also encouraged customers to donate unwanted warm clothes to hand out alongside the food. "When we close the doors for the day, we promise to leave bags outside full of tasty food," the restaurant posted on Facebook. "If you see anyone on the streets of Manchester or Didsbury who look hungry, let them know where they can find a meal in a bag." The post was shared and liked by thousands of people, with many praising the shop. Lorraine Maher wrote: "What a lovely thing to do, we need more people like that in this world." Andria Oz said: I think every business should be doing this! Where is the sense of throwing away food when a few feet away a person is starving?" The shop sells healthy fast food (Bosu Body Bar) Michael Beck, who runs the city centre restaurant with business partners Oliver Drummond and Josef Ramzi-Faddoul, said they had been humbled by the response. "It was quite overwhelming," he told the Manchester Evening News. "We're not the only ones doing it and we're certainly not the only people who care about people in need, but hopefully other people who have seen it will now do the same." He added: "It's either that or the bin, it's as simple as that." The response inspired the restaurant to ask customers to drop off scarves, hats and warm clothes that they can hand to homeless people with the food. Mr Beck said they were contacting homeless shelters to arrange drop-offs and collections to ensure food went to the people who needed it most. 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 }} Boris Johnson has said the option of military action against North Korea must theoretically remain on the table in discussions about the countrys nuclear crisis. Speaking at Chatham House, the Foreign Secretary said it was the duty of US President Donald Trump to keep available the possibility of a pre-emptive strike against Kim Jong-uns regime. It is the duty of any president of the US given the threat that his or her country could face from a nuclear-armed North Korea, it is the duty of the President at least to explore those military options and keep them on the table, he said. Asked whether Britain would support a pre-emptive strike against North Korea, and if it was time the world accepted the hermit nation as among the club of nuclear states, Mr Johnson stressed that he preferred the productive avenue of talks orchestrated by China. I dont think anybody can conceivably want a military solution to this problem, and I know many who have studied the matter find it hard to see how the military solution might play out, he said. Recommended North Korea sends unprecedented open letter to the West And yet clearly it must remain on the table. The possibility of some kind of military option there is a spectrum of things that could be done that possibility must theoretically remain on the table. Comparing the situation to the Cold War, the Foreign Secretary said: The public can be forgiven for genuinely starting to wonder whether the nuclear sword of Damocles is once again held over the head of a trembling human race. In a speech to the Chatham House foreign affairs think tank, Mr Johnson said the Pyongyang regimes nuclear ambitions would not make the country safer. No one wants any kind of military solution to the problem, he said. But Kim and the world need to understand that when the 45th President of the United States contemplates a regime led by a man who not only threatens to reduce New York to ashes, but who stands on the verge of acquiring the power to make good on his threat, I am afraid that the US president whoever he or she might be will have an absolute duty to prepare any option to keep safe not only the American people but all those who have sheltered under the American nuclear umbrella. And I hope Kim will also consider this: that if his objective is to intimidate the US into wholesale withdrawal from East Asia, then it strikes me that his current course might almost be designed to produce the opposite effect. Mr Johnsons intervention comes amid concern at what has been seen as inflammatory rhetoric being traded by Mr Trump and Mr Kim, who the President describes as Rocket Man. It also comes after Mr Trump decertified the 2015 pact with Iran, complaining his predecessor Barack Obama was taken advantage of in negotiations, and last week repeated his threat to pull out of the landmark deal entirely. Giving a speech at Chatham Houses conference in central London, the Foreign Secretary said the Iran deal proved crucial at a time when the country had been only months away from producing a nuclear weapon, which could have triggered an arms race in one of the most volatile regions of the world. Think of the nightmare that deal has avoided, he said. Mr Johnson said Mr Trump had not junked the deal and with determination and courage the joint comprehensive plan of action deal could be preserved. He acknowledged concerns about Irans support for Hezbollah, its supply of weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen and interference in Syria. But that does not mean for one minute that we should write Iran off, or that we should refuse to engage with Iran or that we should show disrespect to its people, he said. On the contrary, we should continue to work to demonstrate to that population that they will be better off under this deal and the path of re-engagement that it prescribes. Additional reporting by agencies 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 }} Pregnant and seriously ill migrants are going without medical care because they are afraid of receiving bills they cannot pay and subsequently being referred to the Home Office, new studies show. Research, seen exclusively by The Independent, shows a third of vulnerable migrants requiring medical treatment had been deterred from seeking timely healthcare because of concerns that their information would be shared with the Home Office as a result of the NHS charging process. It comes as new regulations are introduced on Monday that will extend charging rules and build on existing policy for billing overseas visitors in NHS hospitals. Every hospital department in England will now be required by law to check patients eligibility and charge upfront for care. Obligatory upfront charging in hospitals is being introduced in parallel with the extension of charges to NHS community services, such as health visiting, school nursing, community midwifery, community mental health services, abortion services and district nursing. If a patient cannot prove they are entitled to free care, they will have to pay the estimated price for their treatment upfront, unless it is considered by the doctor to be urgent or immediately necessary, in which case the charge will be made at a later date. Campaigners have warned that the human impact of the new rules will be huge, leaving many vulnerable people, including sick schoolchildren and women seeking abortions, no longer able to afford essential services or becoming too afraid to access them. The new findings, identified by Kings College London Centre for Global Health, indicated that under the current regulations, heavily pregnant women and people suffering from cancer, diabetes, cataracts, kidney failure, fibroids and post-stroke complications had already reported delaying or avoiding care. Almost two thirds of the pregnant women surveyed had not yet accessed antenatal care at 10 weeks of pregnancy, despite the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommendation for a first appointment by that time. A quarter had not accessed antenatal care at 18 weeks and in one case, antenatal care was not accessed until 37 weeks of pregnancy. Reported charges levied ranged from 40 to 80,000, with the average being 2,600. More than half 56 per cent of patients who received a bill following discharge had not settled the debt one year later, with one service user still in debt seven years post-discharge. If a patient does not clear their bill in two months, they are reported to the Home Office. The research was collated using patient data from Doctors of the World UKs clinic, which offers healthcare to vulnerable patients, including refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, victims of trafficking and homeless people. Researchers analysed 1,801 case notes and medical records of adult migrant service users who had attended the clinic between April 2016 and April 2017, as well as conducting interviews with staff members, GPs and adult service users in May 2017. The report also raised concerns that the new regulations will affect people who are entitled to free care but who may not have easy access to paperwork and passports, such as asylum seekers, with the inevitable increase in bureaucracy and workload leading to increased patient waiting times and pressures on staff. It warned there is also a risk that, rather than check all patients paperwork, providers rely on racial profiling as a means of identifying chargeable patients, thereby increasing health inequalities. Recommended Thousands of asylum seekers and migrants wrongly denied NHS healthcare An investigation by The Independent earlier this year found this was already occurring in some instances, with asylum seekers who have the right to free healthcare being wrongly charged for hospital treatment, sometimes up to thousands of pounds each. The investigation also revealed that thousands of migrants suffering from life-threatening conditions, such as cancer and heart disease, had been refused treatment by hospitals, despite NHS guidelines stating no one should be refused urgent or immediately necessary treatment because they cannot pay. The Government has made multiple commitments to carry out an assessment of the unintended consequences of extending NHS charges on vulnerable people, pregnant women and children but this has not happened. Lucy Jones, head of UK programmes at Doctors of the World UK said: This research exposes the real impact of the NHS charging regime on some of the UKs most vulnerable people, which todays new rules are certain to make even worse. Insisting that destitute people pay impossible sums before they can access NHS care in hospitals, and now in community services, will push more people away and ultimately, threaten public health as well as the future sustainability of the NHS. She added that the new rules could lead to administrative chaos, with patients who should be entitled to free healthcare, such as asylum seekers, already sometimes being charged in error. Further research and guidance is needed before these drastic changes are put in place, to ensure they dont lead to racial profiling and administrative chaos, she said. We already know from experience at our clinic that even patients who are legally entitled to free care are sometimes charged in error we are currently working on cases where asylum seekers, for example, have been asked to pay when they shouldnt have to. Dr Claire Ferraro, NHS doctor and Doctors of the World staff member, highlighted the psychological impact the new regulations will have on women seeking abortions. Abortion is a deeply personal choice, she said. The psychological impact of putting women in a position where they feel that the decision is imposed on them by the high price of pregnancy and birth in todays NHS, causes me great concern. Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty Health minister Lord OShaughnessy said: The NHS is a cherished national institution that is paid for by British taxpayers. We have no problem with overseas visitors using our NHS as long as they make a fair financial contribution, just as the British taxpayer does. The new regulations simply require NHS bodies to make enquiries about, and then charge, those who arent entitled to free NHS care. All the money raised goes back into funding and improving care for NHS patients. We are clear that some vulnerable groups are exempt from charging and the NHS will never withhold urgent and immediately necessary treatment. 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 }} Brexit could be postponed by up to two years if any part of the negotiations is referred to Europes highest court, experts have warned. At the end of talks, the European Parliament will have the opportunity to vote on the final deal as part of the ratification process, and members could opt to seek a judicial review from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) if there are questions raised about the legality of any aspect of the agreement. Any referral would undoubtedly delay Britain leaving the European Union but due to the unprecedented nature of Brexit the exact timeframe remains unknown, with estimates varying from a few months to two years. Catherine Barnard, a professor of EU law at the University of Cambridge, warned that trade deals in the past, including the Singapore free trade agreement, had been referred to the ECJ. The Brexit process could be delayed if the deal is referred to the ECJ to see if it is compatible with Article 50 and Article 50 is part of European law, she told The Independent. This could either be from someone who is dissatisfied by the deal, but they would need to bring the case to their national court, or the European Parliament could seek a judicial review action. The European Parliament has the right to bring a case before the ECJ. Although there is no historic precedent of Article 50 being invoked, the Singapore trade deal was considered by the ECJ and any future trade deal could also be considered by the ECJ. Baroness Julie Smith of Newnham, European Centre director at the university, said there were multiple aspects of the negotiations that could raise questions. It would not take very much for the Brexit process to be referred to the ECJ. The whole issue is so complex there are going to be many areas that are contestable, she told The Independent. It is not just the divorce deal. The transitional deal and all sorts of things might impede the process. Richard Corbett MEP, a member of the European Parliaments constitutional affairs committee, has said the delay could be up to two years and raised the issue of citizens rights as a major concern. Apart from voting yes or no, the parliament could refer the divorce deal to the European Court of Justice to ask whether the text is compatible with the treaty, including the charter of rights, he told The Independent. Since the parliament is elected by citizens, it sees itself as championing citizens rights. Thats both ways round. British citizens in the rest of Europe and EU citizens in Britain. On this rather first crucial negotiation on citizens rights, if the agreement reached restricts rights compared to what they are now, which is quite possible, the parliament might say 'We have doubts whether this is compatible with the charter of rights and the treaty, could the court give an opinion?' Parliament does this from time to time for various agreements and these cases normally take about two years. The court would have to say the clock stops, pending our consideration of the case. 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 MPs have also been warned the ECJ could veto any Brexit deal altogether. Sir Konrad Schiemann, who was Britains representative on the court until 2012, told the Brexit select committee that even if both sides agreed to the deal, the ECJ could force them back to the negotiating table. Any agreement that is made between the EU and parliament is subject to challenge in the European Court of Justice on the subject of powers of the parties who have made that agreement, Sir Konrad said. So the Commission and the people negotiating on behalf of the EU are faced with this problem: they cant just do what they think is good. They have got to remain within their powers. 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 come under pressure from Tory bankbenchers over claims she privately agreed to pay the EU a bigger divorce bill to speed up the Brexit talks. The Prime Minister was told not to hand over a penny more than Britain owes, with one backbencher suggesting it would be impossible to look public sector workers in the eye. The warnings, during a Commons statement, laid bare the difficulty Ms May faces in meeting the EUs demand to up her offer in order to break the deadlock in the negotiations. Without a concession on the financial settlement, the EU will not agree to discuss future trade or a transition deal provoking mounting alarm among business leaders. It has been claimed that Ms May said Britain was prepared to pay future liabilities of up to 20bn (17.7bn) to secure a two-year transition on top of promised subs of 20bn. In the chamber, Edward Leigh, a senior Tory backbencher, demanded openness, telling the Prime Minister: We still have no idea what we have offered, what they are demanding. He warned: I think we could do with some more information, because ultimately there will be a vote on this in this House and that will be a vote that counts. John Whittingdale, the former Culture Secretary, insisted she only budge from the initial 20bn pledged if the EU shows flexibility on future trade. And another backbencher, Philip Davies, said that any spare tens of billions should be spent on social care and pay rises for public sector workers. The Tories would not be able to look public sector workers in the eye if money went into the bottomless pit of the European Union and [European Commision chief] Jean-Claude Junckers wine cellar. The criticisms revealed growing Tory pressure for the Prime Minister to stand firm on money even if that keeps the Brexit talks in deadlock past Christmas. Business leaders have warned they will start to implement contingency plans to move jobs and investment out of Britain if there is no progress by the New Year. In reply to her backbenchers, Ms May insisted there could be no running commentary on the details of the negotiations. However, she also insisted she had been very clear that the financial settlement cannot be finally settled until the future trading arrangements with the EU are known. Promising the Government was going through commitments line by line, the Prime Minister said: We are not just going to sign up to anything, like the Labour Party. However, she also faced pressure from pro-EU Tories, including from former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, who urged her to face down the no-deal Brexiteers. Can the Prime Minister assure us that those talks will continue and that she will not listen to those, unfortunately on these benches sometimes, who want talks to stop? Ms Morgan asked. Labour MP Stephen Kinnock warned of border chaos, revealing that MPs visiting Dover were told that if you add two minutes to customs procedures, you get additional 17 miles of tailbacks. Meanwhile, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said it was like Groundhog Day, claiming Ms May was too weak to bring together the warring factions of her own Cabinet and party. But the Prime Minister insisted progress was being made, with a deal on EU citizens within touching distance and a degree of confidence that the talks will move onto trade in December. 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 }} The European Commission has accused some people of leaking an account of Theresa Mays dinner with commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to undermine the EUs position on Brexit talks. In an unprecedented move, commission chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinas broke the bodys silence and told reporters in Brussels that other people had their own political agendas for leaking the claims that Ms May had begged Mr Juncker for help on Brexit. He urged the unnamed party to leave us alone after the unnamed source told a German newspaper that the PM looked like someone who cant sleep a wink at the meeting. Downing Street has entirely declined to comment on the affair, which is the second leak of a private dinner between the two leaders in as many months. Normally we do not comment on leaks, but today I will. Some people like to point at us to serve their own political agendas, their own political priorities, or even to undermine our negotiating position, the commission spokesperson said. We would appreciate if these people would leave us alone, we have lots of work and no time for gossip. I have to be very clear that President Juncker would never have used the words attributed to him and never would have said anything like this. We have never been punitive on Brexit, we have said at all levels and on many occasions that we are working for a fair deal. The commission spokesperson would not be drawn on who he thought had leaked the details of the two-party dinner between Ms May and Mr Juncker. Why dont you have a BBC investigation out for this? I stated the position of the institution very clearly, no time for gossip, he told a BBC reporter who asked a follow-up question about who might have been behind the report. Speaking later in the day Mr Juncker himself told the BBC that the reports were not true and that he had not leaked them. Im really surprised, if not shocked, about what has been written in the German press, and of course repeated by the British press. Nothing is true in all of this, he said. I had an excellent working dinner with Theresa May, she was in good shape, she was not tired, she was fighting, as is her duty, so for me everything was OK. Martin Selmayr, Jean-Claude Junckers chief of cabinet, was accused of the leak, but denies it (Getty) (Getty Images) He added that pleading for help was not the style of British prime ministers. After the report emerged, Ms Mays former chief of staff Nick Timothy, who resigned from his position after the disastrous election result, had accused his old opposite number in Mr Junckers office of leaking details of the dinner last week. After constructive council meeting, Selmayr does this. Reminder some in Brussels want no deal or a punitive one, said Mr Timothy referring to Mr Junckers chief of staff, Martin Selmayr. The account to the German newspaper is the latest leak blamed on Mr Selmayr, a German from Angela Merkels political party who ran Mr Junckers campaign for the commission presidency. Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA The CDU-aligned aide was also accused of leaking details to the same paper about an April meeting between Ms May and Mr Juncker in Downing Street, which the commission President was said to have left 10 times more sceptical than when he arrived. But Mr Selmayr accused Mr Timothy of spreading false claims and insisted that Brussels did not want to weaken the Prime Ministers position. In his response he suggested there were some people who had an interest in undermining the constructive relationship between Ms May and Mr Juncker. 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 }} Theresa May appeared tormented and begged for help in Brexit talks, Jean-Claude Juncker reportedly told aides after dining with the Prime Minister last week. The highly personal comments about the private meeting in Brussels came after the pair issued a joint statement after the dinner pledging to accelerate the Brexit negotiations. But an account of the meeting published by the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) - claimed that Ms May looked like she could not sleep and seemed anxious and tormented as well as despondent and discouraged with progress so far. Theresa May: No Brexit breakthrough on the cards The newspaper report said: She indicated that back home friend and foe are at her back plotting to bring her down. May said she had no room left to manoeuvre. The Europeans have to create it for her. May's face and appearance spoke volumes," Mr Juncker is said to have later told his colleagues. She has deep rings under her eyes. She looks like someone who can't sleep a wink. Jean-Claude Juncker: Brexit will take longer than initially thought The apparent leak comes as senior UK officials admitted at last weeks European Council summit that the Prime Minister was operating in a difficult domestic political backdrop. Ms May admitted to EU leaders over dinner for the first time on Thursday evening that Brexit had faced difficulty. Downing Street claimed the unannounced dinner had been long-scheduled, but the leak claims it was arranged at the last minute. The Commission at the time said it had only been formally scheduled at the end of the previous week but both leaders had been keen to have dinner for some time. And later in the week, at the European Council summit, EU leaders said they would begin scoping work on future trade talks while making clear to Ms May that she must make more concessions on Britain's divorce payment for negotiations to progress. After the report emerged, Ms Mays former chief of staff Nick Timothy, who resigned from his position after the disastrous election result, accused his old opposite number in Mr Junckers office of leaking details of the dinner last week. After constructive council meeting, Selmayr does this. Reminder some in Brussels want no deal or a punitive one, said Mr Timothy referring to Mr Junckers chief of staff Martin Selmayr. The account to the German newspaper is the latest leak blamed on Mr Selmayr, a German from Angela Merkels political party who ran Mr Junckers campaign to be Commission President. The CDU-aligned aide was also accused of leaking details to the same paper about an April meeting between Ms May and Mr Juncker in Downing Street, in which the Commission President was said to have left 10 times more sceptical than when he arrived. But Mr Selmayr accused Mr Timothy of spreading false claims and insisted that Brussels did not want to weaken the Prime Ministers position. In his response he suggested there were some people who had an interest in undermining the constructive relationship between Ms May and Mr Juncker. Asked to comment on the leak, a spokesperson for the European Commission referred The Independent to the statement by Mr Selmayr denying behind behind the leak and underlining the Commissions interest in constructive talks. Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA Downing Street and the Commissions Article 50 negotiations taskforce both declined to comment on the episode. Mr Selmayr said: I deny that 1) we leaked this; 2) Juncker ever said this; 3) we are punitive on Brexit. Its an attempt to frame the EU and to undermine talks. Juncker and I have no interest in weakening the PM, he added 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 }} The British governments plan to force EU nationals to register as part of a transition deal would be illegal, the Home Secretary has been warned. A group of MEPs from across Europe have written to Amber Rudd after she suggested the idea, which was also floated in Theresa Mays Florence speech, in front of a parliamentary committee. Though some European Union countries such as Belgium force migrants to register, this is as part of a national identity scheme that requires all residents to register. Is the Home Office suggesting that only non-UK EU citizens needs to register? Article 26 of the freedom of movement directive makes it very clear that residency cards are for everyone, or no one, the MEPs said in a letter first published by the Guardian newspaper. We find it extremely troubling for the home secretary of a member state currently complying with EU laws to make such a statement. The MEPs in question are Sophie in t Veld, Seb Dance, Jean Lambert, Claude Moraes, Beatriz Becerra, Cecilia Wikstrom and Catherine Bearder. Under the proposed transition period as envisage by the Prime Minister the UK would comply with EU law. The proposed registration system would be the starting point for a post-Brexit immigration system, under the proposals. The European Parliament has a final veto on any Brexit deal, though day-to-day negotiations are conducted by the European Commission under the auspices of a mandate set by the Council. The EU has so far refused to discuss any transition period until separation issues have been dealt with sufficiently the Northern Ireland border, EU citizens rights, and the divorce bill. Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA During her Florence speech, Ms May said: During the implementation period, people will continue to be able to come and live and work in the UK; but there will be a registration system an essential preparation for the new regime. EU citizens coming to the Britain do not currently require any special documentation to come and live and work in the UK. The rights of EU citizens after Brexit are currently uncertain until the first phase of negotiations is completed. 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 }} Deprived women from Northern Ireland seeking an abortion in England will be offered help with their travel costs under new Government plans to allow them free access to terminations. Women and Equalities minister Justine Greening said Northern Irish women would be able to apply for 'hardship' grants to travel to England where they will be eligible for free, fully funded abortions. Hundreds of women cross the Irish Sea each year due to strict abortion laws in Northern Ireland, where the procedure is illegal except in a limited number of cases. The Government announced it would give Northern Irish women free access to termination earlier this year, in an attempt to head off a rebellion on the Queen's Speech. In a written statement, Ms Greening said women would be able to book free consultations and procedures by phone by the end of the year She said: "We intend that women from Northern Ireland will access the service through existing providers of abortions in England, in the same way that women in England do. "We have invited providers of abortions in England to apply for funding to extend their service provision to women from Northern Ireland. The funding will be accessed via a grant scheme that will be administered by the Department of Health. "The cost of this service will be met by the Government Equalities Office with additional funding provided by HM Treasury." The move does not impact on the abortion ban in Northern Ireland, as the matter is reserved to the government in Belfast, she said. Ms Greening said ministers would reimburse the three main abortion providers in England, which have not been charging Northern Irish residents since the move was announced. Labour MP Stella Creasy, who spearheaded the campaign, said in a statement on social media: "It has been a shame on our country for too long that women in Northern Ireland were denied their basic human right to control what happens to their own bodies - today we took a step forward in addressing that injustice, with a scheme that will give them support to come to England for healthcare assistance and I want to thank all those involved in making that happen for their work bringing this proposal to reality. "But today we also pledge to keep standing with them until they have equal access to abortion services in Northern Ireland itself - our sisters need to have their human rights to be upheld and we won't give up until they have so." UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty 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 A spokesperson for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas) welcomed the announcement but urged politicians to go further to challenge the "injustice of Northern Ireland's archaic abortion laws". The spokesperson said: "After decades of political impasse on abortion rights in Northern Ireland, the governments commitment to fund abortion care in England is a policy that will make a real difference. Bpas will also be funding travel and accommodation for those women who meet the government's eligibility criteria until a permanent framework is in place. However, funded treatment in England is not the solution to the injustice of Northern Irelands archaic abortion laws. We know that even with financial support, the barriers to travelling for treatment will be insurmountable for some women." 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 }} Number 10 has failed to deny that Theresa May begged for help to break the deadlock in the Brexit talks, in a crucial dinner with EU officials. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said he had no comment whatsoever on the leaked report, which appeared in a German newspaper. Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission President, was reported to have said that Ms May appeared tormented, despondent and discouraged and begged for help to push forward the negotiations. The spokesman said: I think you are referring to a newspaper article with no quotes in it. I have no comment whatsoever on that. The dead bat reaction is in striking contrast to Ms Mays response when similar leaks followed the last dinner with Mr Juncker, during the election campaign. On that occasion, the Prime Minister made an extraordinary statement outside No 10, accusing Brussels of trying to influence the result. Theresa May hugs Jean-Claude Juncker after a meeting at the European Commission (AFP/Getty Images) She claimed her Brexit negotiating position had been misrepresented in the continental press, saying: Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. This time appearing to reflect Ms Mays much weaker position, since her election humbling No 10 was desperate to hose down the controversy. Asked if the latest leak was also a hostile act, the spokesman replied: You have got my comment. I have nothing to add to that. He did add: One of the people who was present has denied this morning that the European Commission president ever said it, a reference to Martin Selmayr, Mr Junckers chief of staff. The spokesman pointed to a joint statement by the European Commission and by Downing Street, which said that the talks last week were constructive and friendly. The account appeared in the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), which also reported the last leak blamed on Mr Selmayr. It said, of the Prime Minister: She indicated that back home friend and foe are at her back plotting to bring her down. May said she had no room left to manoeuvre. The Europeans have to create it for her. May's face and appearance spoke volumes," Mr Juncker is said to have later told his colleagues. She has deep rings under her eyes. She looks like someone who can't sleep a wink. Over dinner last Thursday, Ms May admitted to EU leaders for the first time that Brexit had faced difficulty. While EU leaders will begin scoping work on future trade talks, they have told the Prime Minister she must make more concessions on Britain's divorce payment for negotiations to start. 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 warned she will reject a transition to cushion Brexit if she has failed to also strike a long-term trade agreement with the EU raising the chances of a no deal exit. The Prime Minister said Britain must know where you are heading before agreeing the two-year transition she has proposed, to try to break the deadlock in the talks. The stance echoes a statement, last week, by the Brexit Secretary David Davis, which was immediately attacked as extraordinarily dangerous by a pro-EU group. It is widely agreed, both at home and in Brussels, that there is no time to agree permanent trading terms, given the need to reach a deal by next autumn. Last week, Mr Davis told MPs the Government would not sign up to what one Conservative MP called a permanent bridge to nowhere with no end state agreed. Such a transition phase would only be triggered once we have completed the deal itself, he said. Asked, by The Independent, if that was agreed government policy, the Prime Ministers spokesman replied: Yes. Everyone has always been clear that we are looking to wrap all this up in one single go. Everything will be agreed at the same time, he added. As the Prime Minister has set out, its a bridge to where you are heading. You need to know where you are heading. Cabinet divisions over what sort of long-term trading arrangements Britain should seek have made a transition the only likely way to avoid crashing out of the EU. Indeed, no proper discussion has taken place because one group of ministers is demanding a clean break, while the other seeks to remain as close to the EU as possible. In her Florence speech, Ms May suggested the transition would be used to put into place agreed arrangements, but avoided setting down firm conditions. She has now been forced to abandon that deliberate ambiguity, after her Brexit Secretary sought to reassure Brexiteer Tories in the Commons last week. He said Rishi Sunak, a backbencher, was right that a transition would only be accepted if the final relationship with our European allies has been agreed, at least in principle. We cannot carry on negotiating through that. Our negotiating position during the transition phase would not be very strong, Mr Davis added. The No 10 spokesman argued both sides were now keen to agree future trading arrangements as soon as possible, after the EU said it would start internal preparatory work. However, asked if a decision to seek a transition in principle would be made by the end of December, the spokesman replied: Im not going to get ahead of myself. The further hurdle thrown in the way of a transition will alarm business leaders, who have joined forces to warn jobs and investment will be lost if there is further delay. In a draft letter to the Brexit Secretary, five business groups said time was running out before firms start implementing contingency plans for a no-deal departure. 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 }} Almost half of people think Theresa May should reshuffle her top team to restore her authority amid reports of Cabinet strife, a new poll shows. The exclusive survey for The Independent found that 45 per cent thought the Prime Minister should bring warring ministers in line as flagging Brexit negotiations exposed fault lines at the top of the party. Only 18 per cent of voters thought Ms May should stay the course and hold back from a Cabinet reshuffle, the poll by BMG Research found. Recommended Tory Brexiteers will waste no time replacing May in the negotiations The results come as Ms May returned from a meeting in Brussels where EU leaders agreed to scope out trade talks but made clear she must make more concessions on Britains divorce payment to unlock talks on a future trading relationship. Speculation has mounted over a possible reshuffle to revitalise her administration and the weakened Prime Minister has faced recent calls from rival Conservative factions to sack Philip Hammond or Boris Johnson over their respective Brexit approaches. Downing Street saw off an attempt to oust Ms May in the wake of her calamitous party conference showing, when her key speech was marred by a comedian clutching a P45 form, the set collapsed around her and she was plagued by a persistent cough. However the attempted coup fizzled out when senior Conservatives rallied around the Prime Minister and branded ringleader Grant Shapps, a former party chairman, as cowardly and embittered. In the wake of the plot, Ms May hinted she would consider sacking Mr Johnson as Foreign Secretary after he provoked ire in the party with repeated interventions over the Governments Brexit strategy. Asked what she planned to do with the Foreign Secretary, Mrs May previously told The Sunday Times: I didnt come into politics for an easy life. It has never been my style to hide from a challenge and Im not going to start now. Im the PM, and part of my job is to make sure I always have the best people in my cabinet, to make the most of the wealth of talent available to me in the party. The Prime Minister has also faced calls to demote Mr Hammond as the pro-Remain Chancellor has enraged Tory Brexiteers by refusing to prepare for crashing out of the EU with no deal. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty 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 Mr Hammond got into hot water when he had to apologise for calling the EU the enemy during a recent TV interview in Washington. It is thought the timing of next months Budget makes it impossible for the Prime Minister to get rid of Mr Hammond, who has the support of many business leaders for his cautious Brexit approach. But Brexiteer Tories are said to be demanding he goes if Mr Johnson is sacked, which may make it difficult for Ms May to demote the Foreign Secretary. Fieldwork was carried out between 17 to 20 October, interviewing a 1506 GB adults aged 18+. Results were weighted to reflect the profile of GB adults. BMG are members of the British Polling Council and abide by their rules. Full details at www.bmgresearch.co.uk/polling 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 }} Tony Blair has said there must be a second referendum on the terms of the UKs future relationship with the European Union, once those terms are known. In an interview with The National, Mr Blair said that vote could take the form of either a referendum or a national election. Whats important is that we dont have a vote on the divorce until we see the terms of the new relationship, he said. It could be an election, it could be a referendum you have to have a final say. Recommended Tony Blair says he regrets siding with Israel over Hamas in 2006 Mr Blair has called for a second referendum on several occasions, arguing that is important to follow the will of the people, but that the will of the people can shift as the situation shifts. In recent months, stalled talks with Brussels have increased the likelihood of the UK leaving the European Union with no trade agreement in place, the consequences are likely to be disastrous. The government has commissioned a series of impact assessments on the effects of a no deal Brexit, but has so far refused to publish them. The Liberal Democrats have also called for a second referendum on the terms of the deal. Mr Blair also said Brexit would reduce the UKs global standing and influence, and also put at risk the lasting peace in Northern Ireland, which has been maintained by the Good Friday Agreement which was brokered in 1998, in the early days of his Premiership. Brexit is the determining issue of our time for the UK, he said. With Northern Ireland, Brexit imposes a strain on the UK. 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 }} A Conservative minister has been accused of ignorance and bigotry after mocking a German food chain for selling doner kebabs in the UK apparently not realising that the popular dish was actually invented in Germany. Greg Hands, the minister for international trade, used his official Twitter account to make the jibe about German Doner Kebabs, an international kebab shop chain that first opened in Berlin in 1989 but now has more than 20 stores in the UK. Posting an image of the companys store in his Chelsea and Fulham constituency, Mr Hands wrote: How long before we have German fish and chips? Twitter users rushed to criticise the post, with one accusing the MP of displaying ignorance and bigotry in one short tweet. Others slammed the international trade minister for taking aim at a foreign company operating in Britain, particularly at a time when the Government is desperately trying to promote the UK as a trading destination after Brexit. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty 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 As criticism mounted, Mr Hands posted another message saying: This tweet this morning has kept literally thousands of Lefties occupied, seeking a wider putative meaning! The initial tweet had received 577 comments at the time of Mr Hands second post. The doner kebab is believed to have been invented by Kadir Nurman, a Turkish immigrant living in Germany, in 1972. Mr Nurman, who died in 2013, said he got the idea after noticing that German workers had little time to sit down for lunch. Several other Turkish immigrants in Germany have disputed this, claiming they were selling versions of the doner earlier than Mr Nurman. However, the national original of the dish is not in doubt. The doner is German, Tarkan Tasumruk, chairman of the Association of Turkish Doner Producers in Europe, told the berlin.de website. Responding to Mr Hands tweet, other social media users pointed out that, while fish and chips has become known as a traditional British dish, many people claim it was actually introduced to the UK by Jewish immigrants from other European countries. Fried fish was brought to Britain by Jewish refugees from Portugal and Spain, and the first combined fish and chip shop is said to have been opened by Joseph Malin, a Jewish immigrant in the East End, in the 1860s. 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 killed an Alabama police officer 20 years ago was put to death on Thursday, following a last-ditch effort to challenge his execution. Torrey Twane McNabb addressed his family when asked for a final word: Mom, sis, look at my eyes. I have no tears. In my eyes, I'm not afraid. Then, in a final act of defiance, he cursed at the state of Alabama. I hate you motherf-ers. I hate you. I hate you, he said, according to al.com, whose reporter witnessed the execution Thursday night. Just before he lost consciousness, McNabb raised both of his middle fingers. The execution was carried out just before 9pm Central at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama. McNabb, 40, was pronounced dead less than an hour later. He had been condemned to die after he was convicted of the death of Montgomery police officer Anderson Gordon. The 30-year-old officer was killed on 24 September 1997, after he arrived at a crash that McNabb caused while fleeing a bail bondsman, prosecutors said. McNabb shot the officer five times while Gordon was sitting in his patrol car. Over 20 years ago, we lost a companion, a father, a brother and a friend who only wanted to make a difference in his community, the officer's family said in a statement that was read by Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jefferson Dunn at a news conference. ...Although the wounds of having a family member murdered can never be healed, through this tragedy, the Gordon family has remained strong and will continue to be resilient... Though this has been a difficult day for the Gordon family, we also continue to pray for the family of Torrey McNabb. McNabb's lawyers sought to stop the execution because of his involvement in a pending lawsuit challenging the state's lethal injection procedure. Inmates, including McNabb, argued that the procedure involves a controversial sedative that does not make people completely unconscious, making them suffer an agonising death as subsequent drugs are injected to stop their heart and lungs. A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, which has jurisdiction in Alabama, had earlier upheld a stay on the execution to allow for more proceedings on the lawsuit, the Associated Press reported. The decision prompted the Alabama Attorney General's Office to ask the Supreme Court to intervene, arguing that the justices had already allowed four other lethal injections involving the sedative midazolam. The Supreme Court delayed McNabb's execution just minutes before the procedure was supposed to start to consider his attorneys' request. The justices allowed the execution to proceed two hours later. During the execution, McNabb's family and attorneys expressed concerns that he remained conscious after the sedative was injected. He's going to wake up, one of his family members whispered, according to the AP. McNabb appeared to be breathing for 20 minutes after he was injected with the midazolam. He moved his head, grimaced and raised his arms after a guard pinched him, said his name and pulled back his eyelid to check if he was conscious, the AP reported. Dunn, the commissioner, said the movements were involuntary. Alabama uses midazolam and two other drugs during lethal injections. The sedative has been used in several executions in recent years that either took longer than normal or were apparently bungled. In 2014, an Oklahoma inmate writhed and grimaced before dying; an investigation later found issues with the IV insertion. That same year, an Arizona inmate's execution took nearly two hours as he gasped for air and struggled to breathe, while an Ohio inmate took 30 minutes to die. 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 In 2015, the Supreme Court heard a case involving Oklahoma's use of midazolam after those high-profile executions. A bitterly divided court upheld the use of the drug. In December, a deadlocked Supreme Court decided not to intervene in the execution of an Alabama inmate, who coughed and heaved for 13 minutes before he died. 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 }} Brazilian police accidentally shot dead a Spanish tourist in a Rio de Janeiro favela after the car she was in failed to stop at a police roadblock. The woman has been named by local media as 67-year-old Maria Esperanza Ruiz Jimenez. She is reported to have been travelling with two other Spaniards, an Italian and a guide. Police said in a statement the victims car had broke through a police blockade in the Rocinha favela and officers opened fire, unaware there were tourists inside. During a check, the vehicle was found to be for the transport of tourists. One Spanish woman who was wounded was taken to the Miguel Couto hospital but died of her wounds, the statement said, AFP reported. The incident took place an hour after police clashed with drug gang members in the favela, in which two officers were hospitalised with wounds along with a suspected gang member. Last month, the military was sent to the sprawling favela in an attempt to control violence between rival drug gangs. 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 Around a quarter of Rios 6.5 million people live in favelas, where drug and gang-related violence is common. The latest victim is the third tourist to have been shot dead in Rio favelas in less than a year. 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 struggled to remember the name of fallen soldier Sergeant La David T Johnson during a phone call with his family, according to the sergeant's widow. In an interview with Good Morning America, Myeshia Johnson referenced the controversy over the President's comments in which he said Johnson "knew what he signed up for". And she also confirmed previous reports suggesting Mr Trump failed to remember her husband's name. She said: "I heard him stumbling [over] trying to remember my husband's name, and that's what hurt me the most." Recommended The FBI is now investigating deaths of four US soldiers in Niger "If he's putting his life on the line for the country, why can't you remember his name?" she commented in the interview. "My husband was an awesome soldier," Ms Johnson said, adding that Mr Trump's call made her "cry even worse." Ms Johnson also addressed Mr Trump's claims that Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson lied about the condolence call he had had with her. She said Ms Wilson has known she and her husband since they were young. Ms Johnson said she took the call on speaker phone in the vehicle where Ms Wilson was asked to be present while the family travelled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive Mr Johnson's body. The Congresswoman had gone on CNN the morning after to detail that Mr Trump did not know Mr Johnson's name and kept calling him "your guy." John Kelly coached Trump to use the phrase "he knew what he was getting into" to bereaved widow She also said the President told Ms Johnson: "You know, he mustve known what he signed up for." "Whatever Ms. Wilson said was not fabricated. What she said was 100 per cent correct," Ms Johnson confirmed. Ms Johnson also noted that she had not actually seen her husband's body on his return; "they won't show me a finger, a hand." "I don't know what's in that box. It could be empty for all I know," she told GMA, adding that she had asked to see him many times but was never allowed. Ms Johnson has not been briefed on any details of what happened in Niger when three other soldiers Staff Sergeants Bryan Black, Jeremiah Johnson, Dustin Wright, and also Mr Johnson died and two others were injured when a group of a dozen US Army soldiers and 40 troops from Niger were ambushed on 4 October. The Pentagons initial assessment was to blame Isis militants. Congress, however, is questioning not only the purpose of the mission but why the Green Beret-led team was without sufficient support to fight off the 50 Isis militants. In the ensuing rescue operation to get the US soldiers out of the area during a firefight with the militants, it appears Mr Johnsons body was left behind. 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 His body was only recovered 48 hours later - found by Nigerian nationals - and returned the US. Mr Mattis confirmed that the soldiers were there on a foreign internal defence training mission to "help the people in the region defend themselves." He said these types of counter-terror missions are are done "by, with, and through our allies". Mr Mattis, in response to some news reports, asked that the media "not question the actions of the troops caught in the firefight" who "did everything they could" to recover all the wounded and killed in action at the same time. "We at the DOD like to know what were talking about before we talk," Mr Mattis said as an explanation for the lack of more details on the investigation. The FBI has also joined the Defence Department investigation and Secretary James Mattis was adamant in saying: the "US military does not leave its troops behind". However, he did admit the Pentagon does not "have all the accurate information yet" regarding the ambush and rescue operation. Mr Mattis headed to Capitol Hill on Friday afternoon to meet with Senator John McCain - a retired Naval officer, prisoner of war, and chair of the Armed Service Committee - after he threatened to potentially use a subpoena to compel information from the Pentagon and the administration about the Niger attack, complaining that it was easier under Obama to find out about active military operations. Mr Trump took to Twitter shortly after Ms Johnson's interview aired to write: "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!" He previously tweeted that Ms Wilson was "wacky" and that her claims should not be believed about the condolence call. Thus far, 43 soldiers have been killed in action during Mr Trump's term in office. He has not contacted at least nine families according to a recent report. 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 }} Friends and relatives of a couple whose bodies were found in Joshua Tree National Park say they believe the two got lost while hiking in the sprawling desert park and struggled in the searing heat with little food or water before they died in a sympathetic murder-suicide. Rachel Nguyen, 20, and Joseph Orbeso, 22, had been missing for nearly three months after going for a hike in late July and failing to return to their bed-and-breakfast. Their disappearance launched an exhaustive search. Crews spent more than 2,100 hours scouring the rugged terrain before finding their bodies in a steep canyon on 15 October. Autopsies found both had gunshot wounds and evidence at the scene led detectives to believe Orbeso shot Nguyen and then himself, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said in a statement on Friday. The stunning announcement came days after Orbeso's father, who was with searchers who made the discovery, said the bodies were locked in an embrace. Recommended At least 60 people still missing after California wildfires The Orange County Register reports there was evidence the pair had been battling the elements. The bodies were under a tree, with clothing covering their legs to protect them from the blazing sun. They appeared to have been rationing food and had no water. Nguyen's family said investigators told them that based on the circumstances and positioning of the bodies, they believed the two died in a sympathetic murder-suicide. We hold no grudges against Joseph or the Orbeso family, they said in a statement and offered their condolences. We thank God that we'll be able to give Rachel a proper burial and lay her to rest. As for authorities, Orbeso's actions remained under investigation, though his motive may never be known. Since we don't have any evidence (note, message) to tell us why the shooting occurred, we are left to speculate, sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said. Knowing that they rationed food, had no water and were seeking shade certainly sheds a different light on the apparent dire circumstances. Orbeso and Nguyen had once dated and he took her to Joshua Tree to celebrate her birthday, his best friend Austin Young told the newspaper. A gun found near the bodies was registered to Orbeso. Young said Orbeso worked as a security guard, and may have carried the gun to protect Nguyen. I think they got lost and were suffering in 100-degree heat, Young said. They had a choice of a slow and painful death or a quick death, he said. And they made the choice of a quick death. 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 Joshua Tree Search and Rescue team said on its Facebook page that it's easy to get lost in the vast park covering more than 1,200 square miles of the Mojave and Colorado deserts, 130 miles (209 kilometres) east of Los Angeles. You can take a short hike and lose sight of the road, and, if you didn't pay attention to what the landmarks look like, in the opposite direction, you could start wandering, AP 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 }} Lawyers for two disgraced policemen have reportedly said a provocative selfie posted to social media by a woman who accused them of raping her means her claim is dubious. NYPD detectives Eddie Martins and Richard Hall admitted having sex with the alleged victim while she was in custody but said it was consensual. But their 18-year-old accuser claimed she was handcuffed, detained in an unmarked police van, driven to a car park and forced to perform oral sex on the two men in the vehicle, and then one of them raped her while she was still in cuffs. Joe Biden shares video that unpicks the language and behaviour of rape culture The woman has gone public with her accusations and has tweeted about her experiences and her legal campaign against the two officers. She is planning on bringing a $50m (37m) lawsuit against the NYPD. Mr Martins and Mr Hall, who worked on a Brooklyn drugs squad, have been suspended. According to the New York Post, the officers lawyers are trying to avoid rape charges by attacking the credibility of their accuser. A legal document obtained by the newspaper claimed the womans social media activity included a provocative selfie and bragged about being followed by the paparazzi after a meeting with lawyers. The letter also referenced language the woman used online. This behaviour is unprecedented for a depressed victim of a vicious rape, the letter said. It continued: She has posted Instagram videos of herself using drugs and rapping about the case while joking about the millions that will be in her bank account. The legal letter then requested prosecutors further investigate [the womans] dubious claim before you ask the grand jury to return an indictment against Martins and Hall. While it is against NYPD policy for officers to have sex with someone in their custody, it is not actually against state law, the Intercept reported. The conduct of the officers lawyers was criticised by both the Brooklyn District Attorneys Office and the womans lawyer, Michael David. 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 David told the Post: Were dealing with a teenager here.and teenagers, they post a lot of things It can never take away from what these monsters did to her. He has also rubbished the notion of consent, citing the context and small size of the victim, compared to the large builds of Mr Martins and Mr Hall. The Brooklyn District Attorneys Office said the letter was inaccurate, inappropriate and demeaning. 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 }} Nicaragua has reportedly signed the Paris climate change agreement, leaving Syria and the US as the only two nations yet to add their names to the pact after Donald Trump's decision to withdraw. The government said the 2015 deal - which aims to reduce greenhouse gases to try and prevent a global temperature rise of more than two degrees - represented the only international instrument that offers the conditions to face global warming and its effects, according to a statement read out by Vice President Rosario Murillo. Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega had signalled last week that his country would sign the deal soon, but did not say when. Nicaragua's government had initially refused to sign on to the accord, saying that the deal did not require enough sacrifices by wealthy nations and did not go far enough in its goals. Recommended EPA cancels appearances by three top climate scientists at conference The move had seemingly been in the works for some time, with newspaper El Nuevo Diario reported that Mr Ortega said back in September that: We will soon adhere, we will sign the Paris Agreement. We have already had meetings addressing the issue and we have already programmed the accession. Nicaragua has been a haven for renewable energy - more than half of the nation's energy comes from geothermic, wind, solar, and wave energy. They plan on increasing that to a 90 per cent share by 2020. 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke filled with the carbon that is driving climate change drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan The World Bank called it a a renewable energy paradise in 2013. The signing of the deal by Nicaragua means that the US is further isolated after Mr Trump's decison withdraw and widespread criticism by other world leaders he faced as a result. Mr Trump said the Paris Agreement, put into action for the US by an executive order signed by former President Barack Obama, put American workers in the coal, steel, and other manufacturing industries at an economic disadvantage. 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 judge overseeing the trial of an illegal immigrant whose shooting of a young woman was seized on by Donald Trump during the presidential campaign, has ruled that the politics of immigration and gun control must not be raised during the hearing. Defendant Jose Ines Garcia Zarate has acknowledged fatally shooting Kate Steinle in the back while she was walking with her father on a San Francisco pier in 2015. The 54-year-old claims he did so accidentally, after handling a weapon he found wrapped in a T-shirt under a bench on the pier. As opening statements were delivered on Monday, prosecutors dismissed Mr Zarates claim and insisted he had shot Ms Steinle intentionally. Mr Zarate has pleaded not guilty (AP) The Associated Press said Deputy District Attorney Diana Garcia showed the gun to the jury and said a ballistics expert would provide testimony that it could only be fired by pulling the trigger. Its a very reliable, high-quality gun, said Ms Garcia. Its one that wont go off on accident. The shooting of 32-year-old Ms Steinle was pounced on by Mr Trump during the election campaign and he cited it as evidence of the need for a tougher approach to immigration. He called Mr Zarate an animal and said the incident underscored the need to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. Two days after she was killed, Mr Trump said her death was yet another example of why we must secure our border immediately. The White House: We anticipate Trump's UK visit "will be sometime next year" He added: This is an absolutely disgraceful situation and I am the only one that can fix it. Nobody else has the guts to even talk about it. That wont happen if I become president. Mr Zarate is charged with second-degree murder, which could result in a sentence of 15 years to life in prison if he is convicted. He has pleaded not guilty. Ms Steinles mother and brother attended the opening of the trial. The AP said Mr Zarate had been deported five times and was homeless in San Francisco when he shot Ms Steinle. He had recently completed a prison sentence for illegal re-entry to the US when he was transferred to the San Francisco County jail to face a 20-year-old marijuana charge, it added. Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters Prosecutors dropped that charge, and the San Francisco sheriff released Mr Zarate from jail despite a federal immigration request to detain him for at least two more days for deportation. Mr Zarate lawyer, Matt Gonzalez, told reporters before the start of proceedings, his client was unaware that he had picked up a gun on the pier. He does not bear criminal responsibility, said Mr Gonzalez. The handgun belonged to a Bureau of Land Management ranger who reported that it had been stolen from his parked car in San Francisco a week before Ms Steinle was shot. Since being elected, Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding to so-called sanctuary cities such as San Francisco, several of which have filed lawsuits to prevent the move. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Now that sexual harassment allegations have toppled powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, women who accused Donald Trump are wondering why the President was unaffected. A cascade of women saying they were harassed or assaulted by Mr Weinstein - accusations he denies - has led to Mr Weinsteins ousting from his film company. News accounts relaying their claims have depicted a decades-long history of Mr Weinstein making unwanted advances. Similar accusations have trailed Mr Trump, with multiple women describing unsolicited sexual overtures (Mr Trump has denied those claims). Audio in which Mr Trump boasted about sexually assaulting women leaked in the final days of the campaign, which Mr Trump at the time dismissed as inconsequential locker room talk. Many political observers at the time proclaimed Mr Trump had no path to victory as numerous Republicans condemned the comments or disassociated themselves. But Mr Trump won, of course, and as his accusers watch Mr Weinsteins downfall they wonder why Mr Trump did not suffer a similar fate, according to The Washington Post. It is hard to reconcile that Harvey Weinstein could be brought down with this, and [President] Trump just continues to be the Teflon Don, Jessica Leeds, who said Mr Trump grabbed her and attempted to kiss her on a flight, told the Post, adding that she it was really upsetting to see the President just keeps merrily going along. A woman who sued Mr Trump for allegedly groping her vented a similar frustration on Twitter. Many conservative critics and Republican party officials have reacted to the news about Mr Weinstein by accusing Democrats of hypocrisy, noting that the producer was a prolific supporter of liberal politicians. Social media users pushed back on that argument, pointing to Republican support for Fox News heavyweight Bill OReilly - who reportedly paid $32 million to settle a harassment claim - and for Mr Trump. Journalist Jake Tapper has been among those pushing back on conservative critics of Mr Weinstein, slamming Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniels for dismissing comparisons between the President and Mr Weinstein. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Show all 42 1 /42 Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Harvey Weinstein Harry Weinsteins reputation as one of Hollywoods leading executives was long cemented in stone. The acclaimed movie mogul, who produced Oscar-winning films Shakespeare in Love, The English Patient, and The Artist, clocked up box office successes and accolades aplenty. But this has quickly changed since a chorus of women have come forward to accuse the Hollywood producer of sexual harassment and assault. Since the New York Times bombshell report disclosed sexual harassment and rape allegations against the film mogul dating back decades, Weinstein has been fired from his namesake company, expelled from the Oscars and has had his wife leave him. Weinstein has apologised for having caused a lot of pain but has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Annabella Sciorra The Sopranos actor alleged Weinstein raped her after shooting The Night We Never Met, a 1993 movie that Weinstein produced. Similar to the stories told by other women, Weinstein drove the actor home, only to reportedly burst into Sciorra's apartment and start unbuttoning his shirt. He shoved me onto the bed, and he got on top of me, Sciorra said. I kicked and I yelled. Weinstein then allegedly locked her arms and forced sexual intercourse on her. After the incident, Sciorra found it increasingly hard to get work, many filmmakers saying 'We heard you were difficult', something the actor claims was because of the 'Weinstein-machine'. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Natassia Malthe The model and actress, who has appeared in around 50 films, said she met Weinstein at a BAFTA after party in 2008 while she was working as a spokeswoman for LG. She told a press conference in New York that she felt pressured into telling Weinstein she was staying at the Sanderson Hotel after being put on the spot. Malthe, now 43, said after her shift on February 10 she went back to her room and went to sleep, but was awoken by "repeated pounding" on her door, from someone yelling: "Open the door Natassia Malthe, it's Harvey Weinstein." Feeling humiliated, she said she opened the door. She alleged Weinstein began implying sex would get her a role in an upcoming film while semi-undressed and then he began to masturbate. "I was sitting on the bed talking to Harvey when he pushed me back and forced himself onto me. It was not consensual. He did not use a condom," she said. AP Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Sean Young The actor, best known for her role in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, said that Weinstein exposed himself to her in the early 1990s, when she was starring in the Miramax-produced Love Crimes - a production company that Weinstein headed at the time. "I personally experienced him pulling his you-know-what out of his pants to shock me," she said. "My basic response was, 'You know, Harvey, I really dont think you should be pulling that thing out, its not very pretty.'" Young never worked with Weinstein again after the incident. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mimi Haleyi Mimi Haleyi said she was assaulted by Weinstein in what appeared to be a child's bedroom in his New York City apartment in 2006 when she was in her 20s. She said she was aspiring to work in television and film production when she was first introduced to him at the London premiere of The Aviator around two years earlier and he helped her get experience on the set of a TV show being produced by The Weinstein Company. But, she added, he repeatedly hassled her and even tried to force himself through her front door in an effort to get her to join him on a trip to Paris. At one point he allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on an aspiring production assistant while she was on her period. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lupita Nyong'o In an op-ed for The New York Times, the Oscar-winning actor said she was invited to Weinsteins family home in Connecticut on the premise of watching a film shortly after they met in 2011. But she said shortly after it started he "insisted" in front of his children that she follow him and she was led to his bedroom. The Kenyan-Mexican actress, now 34, said she felt pressured into giving him a massage after he offered her one. "Before long he said he wanted to take off his pants," she wrote."I told him not to do that and informed him that it would make me extremely uncomfortable. He got up anyway to do so and I headed for the door, saying that I was not at all comfortable with that." Over the years that followed, he continued to get in touch, Nyong'o said, and when she declined another proposition she felt her career was threatened. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lena Headey Writing on social media, the Game of Thrones actor claims she first met Weinstein at the Venice Film Festival in 2005 where, after taking her for a walk by the water, he made some suggestive comment and gesture. Headey claims she bumped into Weinstein years later where he kept asking her questions about her love life. She alleges that, when Weinstein invited her to his hotel room to show her a script, the "energy shifted. The actor notes how, after saying she was not interesting in anything but the work, Weinstein was furious, apparently marching her back to a lift, "grabbing and holding tightly to the back of [her] arm." She claims that, after paying for her car, he whispered in her ear: "Don't tell anyone about this, not your manager, not your agent. Headey finished the post, writing: I got in the car and I cried. Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lucia Evans The actor told The New Yorker that after a meeting to discuss casting her in various projects, Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him. I said, over and over, I dont want to do this, stop, dont. She added: Hes a big guy. He overpowered me. I just sort of gave up. Thats the most horrible part of it, and thats why hes been able to do this for so long to so many women: people give up, and then they feel like its their fault. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Laura Madden Madden, a production assistant who worked at Miramax for a decade, told the Times that Weinstein allegedly prodded her for massages at hotels, a common theme among the sources the Timess reporters spoke with. On one occasion, she claims she locked herself in his hotel bathroom, sobbing Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ashley Judd Judd recounted for the Times how Weinstein allegedly harassed her while she was filming Kiss the Girls in 1996, inviting her to his hotel room and asking her for a massage, then inviting her to watch him shower. Judd first went public with the allegations in a 2015 interview with Variety during which she discussed the experience without naming the producer involved. She described Weinsteins alleged behaviour as coercive bargaining; I said no, a lot of ways, a lot of times, and he always came back at me with some new ask, she told the Times AFP/Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Rose McGowan McGowan reportedly reached a previously undisclosed $100,000 settlement with Weinstein in 1997, over an incident that occurred in a hotel room Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mimi Haleyi Mimi Haleyi said she was assaulted by Weinstein in what appeared to be a child's bedroom in his New York City apartment in 2006 when she was in her 20s. She said she was aspiring to work in television and film production when she was first introduced to him at the London premiere of The Aviator around two years earlier and he helped her get experience on the set of a TV show being produced by The Weinstein Company. But, she added, he repeatedly hassled her and even tried to force himself through her front door in an effort to get her to join him on a trip to Paris. At one point he allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on an aspiring production assistant while she was on her period. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Emily Nestor Nestor had been temping at the Weinstein Company for only one day in 2014 when Weinstein allegedly offered to boost her career in return for sexual favours, according to the Times. She declined and reportedly complained of his behaviour to colleagues, who later passed the information on to senior executives. An internal Weinstein Company document cited by the Times describes Nestors encounter with Weinstein as follows: She said he was very persistent and focused though she kept saying no for over an hour Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ambra Battilana In March 2015, Battilana, an aspiring model and actress, was reportedly summoned to Weinsteins office on a Friday night to discuss her career. According to a police report cited by the Times, Battilana claimed she was assaulted by Weinstein, who grabbed her breasts after asking if they were real and put his hands up her skirt. Weinstein later claimed that Battilana had set him up, according to colleagues of his who were interviewed by the Times. The Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus Vance, later declined to press charges, and according to the Times, made a payment to Battilana. On 5 October, the International Business Times reported that after Vance dropped the charges, he received $10,000 from Weinsteins lawyer Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lauren OConnor Lauren OConnor, an employee of the Weinstein Company, penned a memo to executives alleging a toxic environment for women at the company. The memo cited numerous incidents of Weinstein harassing or coercing women who worked for him. She expressed fear that Weinstein was using her and other female employees to facilitate liaisons with vulnerable women who hope he will get them work. That same year, Weinstein allegedly reached a settlement with OConnor Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Kate Beckinsale The actor, who starred in the Weinstein Company films Serendipity and The Aviator, alleges that she was invited to Weinsteins hotel room at the age of just 17. When she approached the door, the producer reportedly greeted her dressed in just a dressing gown. I was incredibly naive and young and it did not cross my mind that this older, unattractive man would expect me to have any sexual interest in him, she wrote on Instagram. After declining alcohol and announcing that I had school in the morning I left, uneasy but unscathed. Theo Wargo/Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Gwyneth Paltrow The actor alleges that after he cast her in the title role of the film Emma when she was 22, he took her to his hotel room, placed his hands on her and suggested massages. I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified, Paltrow told the New York Times. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Asia Argento Italian actress Asia Argento has alleged that in 1997 Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her as she repeatedly told him to stop. When I see him, it makes me feel little and stupid and weak, Argento told The New Yorker. After the rape, he won. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Cara Delevigne The British model and actress penning an Instagram post claiming that Weinstein had ordered her to kiss another woman in his hotel room, and tried to kiss her on the lips. AFP/Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ashley Judd Ashley Judd said she rebuffed Harvey Weinsteins unwanted sexual advances by offering to consent only after she had won an Oscar. When she was initially invited to a meeting with Weinstein, Judd said, she was surprised to learn the producer was in his hotel room - a tactic that recurs in other womens accounts. Echoing the accounts of other women, Judd said Weinstein suggested she give him a massage and then invited her to watch him shower. After a volley of nos she said she would only after she wins an Oscar, fleeing after making the comments. Reuters/Mike Segar Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Judith Godreche French actress Judith Godreche said when she was 24 Weinstein invited her to his hotel room and asked to give her a massage. The next thing I know, hes pressing against me and pulling off my sweater, she told the New York Times. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mira Sorvino The Oscar-winning actor said she found herself in a hotel room with Weinstein in 1995 where he started massaging my shoulders, which made me very uncomfortable, and then tried to get more physical, sort of chasing me around. According to an interview in The New Yorker Weinstein subsequently arrived at her apartment late at night and she had to call a friend to come over to pose as her boyfriend in order to get Weinstein out of the house. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Katherine Kendall The actress said Weinstein undressed and chased her around a living room when she was just 23. She subsequently felt that telling others meant Ill never work again and no one is going to care or believe me, she told the New York Times. WireImage Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Tomi-Anne Roberts As an aspiring actress and working in a restaurant in New York, Tomi-Ann Roberts encountered Weinstein who encouraged her to audition for one of his films back in 1984. She subsequently went to meet him and found him naked in the bath and invited her to get naked and get into the bath with him, she told the New York Times. She said she left feeling manipulated. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Myleen Klass It has also been alleged that the disgraced film producer propositioned Myleene Klass with a sex contract at Cannes Film Festival in 2010. One of the singer and television personalitys friends reportedly told The Sun, Klass had told Weinstein to f*** off. Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Sophie Dix Sophie Dix, best known for her role as Captain Sadie Williams in Soldier Soldier, described her encounter with Weinstein when she was 23 as the single most damaging thing thats happened in my life. She told The Guardian Weinstein had pushed her to her bed and was tugging at her clothes. She rushed to the bathroom to escape, but when she came out she found him standing there masturbating. I quickly closed the door again and locked it, she said. Then when I heard room service come to the door I just ran. Rex Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lea Seydoux The actor and director claims she had to fight off Weinstein after he brought her to his hotel room during what she remembers to be 2012. He suddenly jumped on me and tried to kiss me. I had to defend myself. Hes big and fat, so I had to be forceful to resist him. I left his room, thoroughly disgusted, she wrote in The Guardian. AFP/Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Claire Forlani British actress Claire Forlani wrote on Twitter that she had evaded Weinsteins advances on five occasions at the age of 25. At meetings with the Hollywood a-lister, she says massage was suggested, and that Weinstein had boasted of all the women hed had sex with. Mark Douet Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Florence Darel French actress Florence Darel claimed Weinstein relentlessly pursued her in the mid 1990's and propositioned her while Eve Chilton, his wife at the time, was in the hotel room next door. I was astonished, she told People magazine. When you have someone so physically disgusting in front of you, continuing and continuing as though this was all perfectly normal What happened to me may not be illegal but it was inappropriate. Very inappropriate. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lysette Anthony Lysette Anthony, who starred as Marnie Nightingale in Hollyoaks, has claimed Weinstein raped her in the late 1980's after turning up to her London home in the late 1980s. She described the disgraced film producers alleged attack as pathetic and revolting and said it left her feeling disgusted and embarrassed. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Dawn Dunning Dunning said she met Weinstein in 2003 when she was 24-years-old and the disgraced film producer suggested she have a threesome with him and someone else. She told the New York Times Weinstein got angry when she refused. Youll never make it in this business, she said he told her as she left. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Rosanna Arquette Rosanna Arquette was already well known for her role in Desperately Seeking Susan, when she said she met Weinstein at his hotel to pick up a script in the early nineties. Weinstein was dressed only in a dressing gown, and tried to put her hand on his erect penis. Speaking to the New York Times, Arquette said as she left she told him: I will never be that girl. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Emma de Caunes Caunes, a French actor, claimed Weinstein took her to his hotel room in 2010 supposedly to retrieve a book he was making into a film, but once there he went into the bathroom. De Caunes said he then emerged naked, with an erection and told her to lie on the bed. She fled the room. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Zoe Brock Model Zoe claimed that she had to lock herself in a bathroom at Weinsteins hotel in 1997, after the mogul had sent all of the assistants out of the room, and then appeared naked. I was alone with Weinstein, she told ITVs This Morning programme. He very quickly left the room and came back naked. He chased me naked. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Jessica Barth Actress Jessica Barth described an encounter with Weinstein in 2011 in an interview with The New Yorker in which she said Weinstein veered between offering her roles in films and demanding a naked massage. She alleges the producer said to her: So, what would happen if, say, were having some champagne and I take my clothes off and you give me a massage? When she tried to leave, he then promised to give her the number of a female executive at the company. He gave me her number, and I walked out and I started bawling, Barth said. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Romola Garai The actress told The Guardian she felt violated after she went to a meeting with Weinstein at the age of 18 and he met her in his hotel room wearing nothing but a dressing gown. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Heather Graham Graham claimed that during a casting opportunity in the early 2000's Weinstein had told her he had an open relationship with his wife. He could sleep with whomever he wanted when he was out of town. I walked out of the meeting feeling uneasy, Graham told Variety. There was no explicit mention that to star in one of those films I had to sleep with him, but the subtext was there. Graham was never hired to work in a Weinstein film. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Jessica Hynes Spaced and W1A star Jessica Hynes tweeted about an encounter with Weinstein earlier this week, but subsequently deleted the tweet. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lucia Evans The actor told The New Yorker that after a meeting to discuss casting her in various projects, Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him. I said, over and over, I dont want to do this, stop, dont. She added: Hes a big guy. He overpowered me. I just sort of gave up. Thats the most horrible part of it, and thats why hes been able to do this for so long to so many women: people give up, and then they feel like its their fault. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Louisette Geiss The former actress said she met Weinstein to pitch a film script she was working on. During the meeting, Weinstein allegedly went out and reappeared naked and got into a jacuzzi where he masturbated in front of her and said he would make the script into a film if she stayed and watched. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Liza Campbell Liza Campbell, a British writer and artist, alleged that Olympically ugly Weinstein asked her to join him in the bath and began getting undressed at a hotel. In a piece for The Times, Campbell claimed she was forced to sprint to the door to escape. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Louise Godbold Writing in a blog post, Louise Godbold, a non-profit director in Los Angeles, said her encounter with Weinstein took the form of an office tour that became an occasion to trap me in an empty meeting room. She said then Weinstein was begging for a massage, his hands on my shoulders as I attempted to beat a retreat. Those who express outrage at one sexual harasser and not another because of the first harassers political views? Mr Tapper said, That is morally bankrupt. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has claimed he spoke the name of Sgt. La David Johnson from the beginning of a conversation with the serviceman's widow contradicting the wife's account of the President's condolence call after her husband was killed during an ambush in Niger. Myeshia Johnson took the call from Mr Trump last week, saying it made me cry even worse. She said what hurt her the most was that the President struggled to remember my husband's name. I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name, and thats what hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risked his life for our country why cant you remember his name, Ms Johnson told ABC's Good Morning America. Recommended Democrat accuses John Kelly of using racist term to describe her Thats what made me upset and cry even more because my husband was an awesome soldier, she added. Ms Johnson had known her husband since they were six years old. Disputing Ms Johnson's description of what happened, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter: I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! The accounts of Mr Trump's call with Ms Johnson have placed the grieving widow at the centre of a national controversy. Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who had listened in on the call on speakerphone, said last week that Mr Trump told Ms Johnson that her husband must have known what he signed up for, an account later corroborated by Ms Johnsons aunt and custodial mother, Cowanda Jones-Johnson. Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters Mr Trump vehemently denied Ms Wilsons account, stating that it was totally fabricated. But White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a retired military general, later appeared to confirm Ms Wilson's report of the President said. In an emotional statement during a White House briefing, Mr Kelly said he was stunned that Ms Wilson had listened in on the call and then spoke to the press about it. Ms Johnson on Monday said that the congresswoman's version of events was 100 percent correct. Why would we fabricate something like that? she said. Mr Johnson was killed along with three other soldiers during an attack that appears to have been carried out by 40 to 50 Isis militants. Nearly, three weeks after the incident, questions continue to swril about what happened. In the ensuing rescue operation to get the US soldiers out of the area during a firefight with the militants, it appears Mr Johnsons body was left behind. His body was only recovered 48 hours later found by Nigerian nationals and returned the US. I want to know why it took them 48 hours to find my husband. . . . When they came to my house, they just told me it was a massive gunfire and that my husband, as of October 4, was missing, Ms Johnson said on Monday. They didnt know his whereabouts. She continued: He went from missing to killed in action...I dont know how he got killed, where he got killed or anything. Mr Johnson's body was flown back to the US last Tuesday. A photo shows his widow kissing his casket just before he was buried. But Ms Johhson told Good Morning America that she still doesn't know if her husband was inside it. Why couldnt I see my husband? Every time I asked to see my husband, they wouldnt let me, she said. They wont show me a finger, a hand. I know my husbands body from head to toe. They wont show me anything. I dont know whats in that box, she added. It could be empty for all I know. Both the FBI and the US Defence Department are investigating the incident, and Congress is also demanding more clarification on what happened. On Thursday, Defence Secretary James Mattis said that the Pentagon does not have all the accurate information yet regarding the ambush. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Former US President Jimmy Carter has revealed he voted for insurgent candidate Bernie Sanders over party choice Hillary Clinton in during the Democratic primaries. The former Democrat politician, who served one term as president between 1977 and 1981, said he backed the populist senator from Vermont who nearly won the partys nomination despite coming from the far-left and only joining the Democrats 18 months earlier. In a joint New York Times interview with his wife Rosalynn, he explained how he had always been set apart from other former Democrat presidents saying he had the best relationship with Republican George HW Bush and that he is willing to work with Donald Trump on North Korea. Mr Carter said he would like to form a productive partnership with Mr Trump over North Korea as he is nervous about unpredictable Kim Jong-un and afraid of the consequences of a tit-for-tat war of words between Mr Trump and Pyongyang. He said: Im afraid, too, of a situation, he said. I dont know what theyll do. Because they want to save their regime. And we greatly overestimate Chinas influence on North Korea. Particularly to Kim Jong-un. Hes never, so far as I know, been to China. And they have no relationship. Kim Jong-il did go to China and was very close to them. In 1994, Mr Carter flew to Pyongyang to negotiate a deal with the country over its nuclear weapons programme with then-leader and regime founder Kim Il-sung against then-President Bill Clintons wishes. At the time he was pictured hugging Kim, who died later that year, and called the trip a good omen but the country flouted the terms of the deal less than four years later. But now he warns that the stakes even higher. He said: I think hes now got advanced nuclear weaponry that can destroy the Korean Peninsula and Japan, and some of our outlying territories in the Pacific, maybe even our mainland. Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Show all 15 1 /15 Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Andrew Harnik/AP Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Darren McCollester/Getty Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Mary Schwalm/Reuters Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Brian Snyder/Reuters Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Brian Snyder/Reuters Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Brian Snyder/Reuters Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Brian Snyder/Reuters Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Brian Snyder/Reuters Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Andrew Harnik/AP Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Andrew Harnik/AP Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Darren McCollester/Getty Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Andrew Harnik/AP Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Andrew Harnik/AP Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Andrew Harnik/AP Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Andrew Harnik/AP Mr Carter said that if Mr Trump called on him to go to the country negotiate a new deal he would do so. The 93-year-old, who recovered from brain cancer less than two years ago, declined to criticise Mr Trump too severely despite the former reality star previously describing him as one of the worst presidents in history. When asked whether Mr Trump was souring the countrys international reputation, he said he might be escalating it but thinks the problem precedes the president as it is part of the USs wider decline in influence on the worlds stage. The United States has been the dominant character in the whole world and now were not anymore. And were not going to be. Russias coming back and India and China are coming forward, he explained. Instead the Democrat, who became the only US President in history to win a Nobel Peace Prize for his work out of office in 2002, reserves much of his criticise for Barack Obama. Recommended Bernie Sanders touts universal healthcare as Republican plan implodes He said every member of his family voted for Mr Obama in 2008 but criticised his record on foreign affairs. Mr Carter said Mr Obama refused to talk about North Korea more and criticised his decision to join in with the bombing of Yemen. He also revealed he and his wife disagree on the role Russia played in the election. Ms Carter said the Kremlin obviously interfered with the election due to the drip, drip, drip of negative stories about Ms Clinton whereas Mr Carter said there is no evidence that what the Russians did had any effect on how people voted. He also dismissed concerns about the Trump White Houses seemingly close relationship with Vladimir Putins Kremlin, saying his non-profit organisation the Carter Center frequently dealt with Moscow on Syria. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} First Lady Melania Trump said that it is our responsibility to teach children empathy and "integrity" just one day after Donald Trump called a Congresswoman wacky on Twitter hours after he accused a Gold Star widow was lying. Ms Trump was speaking at Orchard Lake Middle School in West Bloomfield, Michigan with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as a kickoff to National Bullying Prevention Month. Ahead of the event the First Lady said: By our own example, we must teach children to be good stewards of the world they will inherit. We need to remember that they are always watching and listening. Ms Trump made prevention of cyber-bullying one of her platforms when Mr Trump entered office. She said of the initative: It is our responsibility to take the lead in teaching children the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of kindness, mindfulness, integrity, and leadership. Critics were quick to point out the irony of this cause of the First Ladys as Mr Trump began to use Twitter as a means of ridiculing Democrats, Republicans who voted against party-sponsored bills, the NFL, Senator John McCain, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and a frequent target - Hillary Clinton, whom he calls Crooked Hillary in several dozen tweets. His latest focus is the family of Sergeant La David T Johnson, who died in Niger on 4 October. The recent controversy began with the deaths of Staff Sergeants Bryan Black, Jeremiah Johnson, Dustin Wright and Mr Johnson, who were patrolling with Niger troops when they were ambushed by militants thought to be affiliated with Isis. Melania Trump: "It's our generation's imperative to take responsibility for what our children learn" The incident is still under investigation as to why Mr Johnsons body was not recovered until 48 hours after the initial rescue operation. Mr Trump called the pregnant widow of Mr Johnson, Myeshia Johnson, and was said to have said: You know, he mustve known what he signed up for. The details of the conversation between the President and Ms Johnson were revealed by Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, a longtime family friend of the Johnsons who was in the vehicle when Ms Johnson received the phone call while on their way to meet her husbands body at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Ms Wilson said: When [Ms Johnson] got off the phone, she said, He didnt even know his name. He kept calling him, Your guy. Mr Trump vehemently denied the Congresswomans interpretation of the conversation and tweeted that she was wacky or crazy at least three times. He also retweeted another Twitter users post with a picture of Ms Wilson and Mr Obama, writing People get what is going on! The exact meaning of the tweet is unclear, but it appears to tie Ms Wilson as a last hope representative of Ms Clinton and Mr Obama. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders later commented that just because the President said your guy, I dont think that means he doesnt know his name. But Mr Johnsons mother, Cowanda Jones-Johnson told the Washington Post that Mr Trump did disrespect her son and the rest of their family. 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 Ms Johnson then appeared in an interview on Good Morning America when she confirmed: "Whatever Ms. Wilson said was not fabricated. What she said was 100 per cent correct. Just after the interviewed aired live, Mr Trump once again took to Twitter in what critics say was another example of a lack of the empathy to which the First Lady had referred. He wrote: I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! The First Ladys office has not responded to Mr Trumps several tweets or how it may appear to conflict with her message on cyber-bullying, a campaign she kicked off at the United Nations General Assembly. Mr Trump had just called Mr Kim Rocket Man in his official speech. The First Lady said: Nothing can be more urgent nor worthy a cause than preparing future generations for adulthood with true moral clarity and responsibility. We must live by the golden rule, which is to do unto others as you would have done unto you, Ms Trump said. The Washington Post annotated Ms Trumps latest statement with examples of tweets from the Presidents account, both before and during his presidency. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Melania Trump paid a surprise visit to a school in Michigan as part of a nationwide anti-bullying campaign in the US. The First Lady visited students at the Orchard Lake Middle School in Detroit on Monday as part of National Bullying Prevention Month, a topic she has spoken out about on several occasions. As well as speaking to pupils at the school, she joined students in the cafeteria in an effort to raise awareness of the No One Eats Alone concept, which seeks to address social isolation among children. As part of my ongoing commitment to the overall well-being of children, I am looking forward to todays visit, Ms Trump said in a statement ahead of the trip. By our own example, we must teach children to be good stewards of the world they will inherit. We need to remember that they are always watching and listening. It is our responsibility to take the lead in teaching children the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of kindness, mindfulness, integrity, and leadership. Secretary of education Betsy DeVos also joined Ms Trump at the school. In a speech to the United Nations last month, the First Lady condemned bullying and said she was committed to fighting it. She urged world leaders to be more accountable for the development of children and said they should be taught kindness and integrity by example, addressing the international body in New York. 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 We must turn our focus right now to the message and content children are exposed to on a daily basis through social media - the bullying, the experience online and in person, she said. Many were quick to point out her words were contradicted by her husband Donald Trumps prolific use of social media to criticise his opponents. The US President has used Twitter to levy insults at a number of people, from crooked Hillary Clinton to Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly, who cited Mr Trump as a reason for leaving her job at the network after 12 years. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} After menbers of Congress questioned the transparancy of the Trump administration over the ambush in Niger that killed four US troops, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Joseph Dunford has sought to answer questions but shed little light on the circumstances of the attack. We owe families and the American public more answers on what happened on 4 October, said Marine Corps General Dunford speaking from the Pentagon. Staff Sergeants Bryan Black, Jeremiah Johnson, Dustin Wright, and Sergeant La David T Johnson died and two others were injured when a group of a dozen US Army soldiers and 30 troops from Niger were ambushed that day. The response to the incident became a national issue amid a controversy over a call between Mr Trump and the widow of Sgt. Johnson - with Myeshia Johnson saying that the call "made her cry" as Mr Trump struggled to remeber the naem of her husband. Yes, the president said that 'he knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway.' And it made me cry 'cause I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said he couldn't remember my husband's name, Mrs Johnson told ABC's Good Morning America on Monday. The only way he remembered my husband's name is because he told me he had my husband's report in front of him and that's when he actually said La David. President Trump answered back on Twitter soon after the interview aired, saying: I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Monday's pointed exchange was the latest in an ongoing dispute over how Mr Trump responded to the deaths of the four service members. The clash over the call began last week when Democratic Representative Frederica Johnson accused Trump of being callous in the conversation and Trump retorted that Wilson's account was fabricated. But Mrs Johnson backed Ms Wilson's account, saying that the congresswoman was a longtime friend who was with the family in the car when Mr Trump called last Tuesday and that Ms Wilson listened on a speakerphone. Mrs Johnson said she had asked for the call to be put on speakerphone so relatives with her could hear. The Pentagons initial assessment of the incident was to blame militants affiliated with Isis but an investigation is underway by the Defence Department and FBI. Republican Senator John McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on Monday that Congress wanted answers about the ambush in Niger, which may have been one of the reasons behind General Dunford's address. We should not be fighting about a brave American who lost his life serving his country. That should not be a topic in America today, he told ABC's The View programme, adding that his committee needed more information about the incident. Unless you learn the lessons, then you're going to repeat them, he said. In separate interviews on Sunday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer both said they backed McCain's efforts to get more details, and that they had not been aware that the United States had so many military personnel in Niger. Soldier's widow says Trump 'couldn't remember her husband's name' Sgt. Johnsons body was not found until 48 hours later after the ambush and Mr Dunford said US Africa Command brought the full weight of the US government to bear in trying to find [Mr Johnsons] body. However, the General also confirmed that Nigerien troops, five of whom died in the attack, were the ones to find him and report to the US. There were, according to Mr Dunford, US, French, and Nigerien troops in the area from the time of rescue to the moment Mr Johnsons body was returned. The US troops were accompanying Nigerian troops from a village on a reconnaissance mission - referred to as a train, advise, and assist mission - and returning to their outpost during the ambush and ensuing firefight, according to Mr Dunford. He explained that we dont normally accompany partner forces if enemy contact is expected, instead opting to allow local partners to handle the situation. Defence Secretary James Mattis also confirmed last week that risk of enemy contact was low according to pre-mission assessments. The General also confirmed a very rough timeline of the events. It took approximately an hour for the troops to signal they needed help, 30 minutes for French partner forces to prepare, and an additional 30 minutes to arrive at the scene with helicopters. 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 Dunford said it was not clear exactly why the troops on the ground took almost an hour to signal for help, but that it was likely because of an on-the-ground risk assessment: they thought they could handle the situation with the resources at hand. They were being attacked by approximately 50 Isis militants with small arms and rocket-powered grenades. It is unknown if any of these militants was killed in what Mr Dunford called a pretty tough firefight. He also said a US remotely piloted vehicle in the area - or a drone - was retasked within minutes of the initial signal for help and had full-motion video capability of the scene. Mr Dunford said he had not viewed the video footage from the drone as yet. The French forces then evacuated the two injured soldiers, but Mr Dunford did not have the exact time of how long that part of the mission took. Aside from the roughly two-hour window, Mr Dunford said several questions remain about what happened which will be uncovered during the investigation. For instance, whether the initial mission change at some point while the troops were on patrol, if there was adequate intelligence, the nature of the pre-mission assessment, how the US forces became separated, and how Mr Johnsons body ended up nearly one mile away from the initial site according to many reports. Mr Dunford said these are all fair questions but asked for some patience in gathering exact details. Families will be briefed once the details become known, after which the general public will be informed. The US has approximately 800 troops in Niger, the most in any one African country. Members of Congress have been questioning why US troops were in the country, however. Mr Dunford explained that the US has been in the country for nearly two decades and that Niger is an area of concentration for terror groups like Isis and al-Qaeda. We have sent them there to operate areas in which there are extremist threats. Are they taking risks? They are, said Mr Dunford, adding that it is nothing beyond capabilities of the soldiers. He said the presence of US troops is not only about where terrorists are currently located, but also where they will be and enabling local forces to handle those threats so risk to US forces and any potential attacks on the homeland are minimised. Mr Dunford said Niger is a relatively small footprint for this type of mission compared to Afghanistan, where 11,000 US troops still remain. The investigation is expected to last the next "several weeks," according to the General. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} During a visit to Beijing next month, President Donald Trump will attempt to persuade Chinas leader to do more to rein in North Korea, after having criticised the country for not taking more action on the issue. In a bilateral meeting, Mr Trump will also urge President Xi Jinping to fully implement sanctions by the United Nations Security Council against Pyongyang and to take steps that go beyond that, an official told reporters. Mr Trump will travel to Asia next month for a 12-day trip, during which he will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. It will be his longest tour abroad as President to date. Recommended India Prime Minister meets Donald Trump to seal drone deal Along with having a sit-down with the Chinese president, Mr Trump will also have bilateral meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, South Korean President Jae-in Moon, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, a White House official confirmed. The official said Mr Trump will likely not visit the Korean demilitarized zone, the heavily guarded strip of land that has divided North and South Korea for 64 years. Mr Trumps trip comes during a tense standoff between the US and North Korea over the latters continued development of its nuclear and ballistic weapons programme. Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters The UN Security Council unanimously voted in September to ratchet up sanctions on North Korea following the regimes sixth and largest nuclear test, although the penalties fell short of the sweeping sanctions the Trump administration had demanded. Both Russia and China, North Koreas main economic ally, had opposed the USs call for an oil embargo and other far-reaching sanctions. The new penalties include a ban on the sale of natural gas to North Korea and limits the amount of refined petroleum sales to the country to two million barrels per year. China supplies most of North Korea's crude oil. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has warned that China could face further sanctions from the US if it does not abide by the new UN sanctions placed on Kim Jong-uns regime. Mr Trump has said repeatedly that he is disappointed in China for not doing more to help control North Korea. In August, Chinas state media hit back, blasting Mr Trump for his emotional venting on Twitter. Trump is quite a personality, and he likes to tweet, said Xinhua, Chinas official news agency, in an editorial displayed on Chinese news websites. But emotional venting cannot become a guiding policy for solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula, it said, referring to the divided Korean Peninsula. In the past, Chinese diplomats have asserted that the US and its allies should not depend so much on China to ease tensions created by North Koreas growing nuclear weapons and missile capabilities. The US and North Korea hold the primary responsibility to keep things moving, to start moving in the right direction, Ambassador Liu Jieyi said at a news conference to mark the end of Chinas July term in the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council. Mr Trump has suggested that if China does do more to help rein in North Korea, he may change his views on trade between Americans and the Chinese a topic which he has constantly said he will do something about. We lose hundreds of billions of dollars a year on trade with China, Mr Trump said in August, referring to the large US-China trade deficit, which he has repeatedly railed against. They know how I feel. Its not going to continue like that. But if China helps us, I feel a lot differently toward trade, a lot differently toward trade. A White House official said Mr Trump will also try to pressure Mr Xi next month to ease what Washington views as unfair trade practices. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A British businessman and outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin said his ability to enter the US has been revoked after Russia placed him on an international police wanted list. Bill Browder, a hedge fund manager and activist, said he was informed his so-called Global Entry status had been suspended and that he was unable to check in for a flight to the US, after Russia had him added to the Interpol arrest list. Mr Browder, 53, who pushed for the US to enforce a powerful set of sanctions against figures close to the Kremlin, said Russia had tried on four previous occasions to have him placed on the Interpol Red List. Those requests were turned down, he said, but Russia then had his name added via a loophole known as a diffusion. The London-based businessman said he believed Russia was inspired to act after Canada last week passed its own version of the Magnitsky Act. The 2012 US law was drawn up to target Russian officials accused of being responsible for the 2009 death in custody of Sergei Magnitsky, Mr Browders Russian lawyer who helped exposed money laundering said to total $230m. The Magnitksy Act was passed in Canada last week. Its devastating for Putin because it shows there are other nations signing up for this, Mr Browder told The Independent. As with the USs passing of the original act, Canadas adoption of similar sanctions appears to have infuriated Vladimir Putin. He responded to the USs action, by making it more difficult for American couples to adopt Russian babies. Speaking last week at an international forum in Sochi, a Russian resort on the Black Sea, Mr Putin told a questioner that Canada was playing unconstructive political games. Putin watches Russia's military might on display in war games What do I think about what you have just said, about Canada joining or wanting to join, or about somebody else wanting to do it? Mr Putin said, according to the Canadian Press. These are some very unconstructive political games over things, which are in essence not what they look like, to be treated in such a way or to fuss about so much. The Magnitksy Act and Mr Browders role in pushing for its passage received global attention earlier this year after it was revealed that in the summer of 2016, Donald Trumps eldest son had met with a Kremlin-linked lawyer who he believed was set to provide incriminating material about Hillary Clinton, his fathers election rival. The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images Mr Trump Jr later said the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, had provided no information and in truth wanted to talk about lifting the Magnitksy Act and restarting the adoption process. Ms Veselnitskaya, along with one of three other Russians who attended the meeting, Rinat Akhmetshin, have been at the forefront of Russias lobbying efforts in the US to overturn the act. Mr Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, his campaign manager, Paul Manafort, music publicist Rob Goldstone were also at the meeting, along with a Russian translator and a Russian businessman Ike Kaveladze, who works for Azerbaijani-Russian oligarch Aras Agalarov. The meeting may have been initiated by Mr Agalarov, whose son, Emin, is an Azerbaijani-Russian pop star who has previously done business with the Trumps alongside his father. Ms Veselnitskaya has also represented Russian tycoon, Denis Kaysyv, whose company, Prevezson, was involved in a massive money-laundering case against Mr Browders company. That case was settled with the US government for $6m earlier this year in a New York court. Earlier this summer, Mr Browder testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about his time in Russia with Hermitage Capital Management, from 1996-2005. It was during that period, he said, that he and Mr Magnitsky discovered a massive corruption scheme and reported it to the authorities. We waited for the good guys to get the bad guys, he said. It turned out that in Putins Russia, there are no good guys. Mr Browders situation was raised by senior US politicians. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain and Maryland Senator Ben Cardin said the Briton was a strong advocate for anti-corruption efforts and asked the Homeland Security Department to review the decision. Interpol did not respond to inquiries. A US State Department spokesperson said: We have no record of this individual ever applying for a US visa. Many citizens of the United Kingdom are eligible to travel on the Visa Waiver Programme. The Visa Waiver Programme, administered by the Department of Homeland Security, is separate from the Department of States visa operations. The DHS said Mr Browder had been cleared for travel last week. Moscow has yet to comment on its request to place Mr Browder on the Interpol list, but over the weekend, the New York Times reported Moscow was proceeding with an investigation against Mr Browder, who it has accused of killing Mr Magntisky, even though he was living in the UK at the time of the lawyers death. The newspaper said a Russian court had already convicted Mr Browder in absentia of fraud. The developments come as a federal probe in the US, led by Special Prosector Robert Mueller, continues to investigate possible links between the Trump campaign and Russias alleged interference in the 2016 election. Several congressional investigations into the issue are also proceeding. Mr Browder said he believed his US visa had been suspended automatically after his name appeared on the Interpol list. He said he had spent the weekend trying to find out what the US was doing to resolve it. He said: If this does not get normalised quickly, it could suggest it could be something else. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump plans on meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during his upcoming trip to Asia, and the two will reportedly discuss human rights when they do. Mr Trump has faced criticism previously for his approach to dealing with Mr Duterte, who has been accused of overseeing human rights abuses for his handling of his countrys war on drugs. The two leaders have not met in person yet, but spoke on the phone in May, when they had a friendly discussion that included an invitation for Mr Duterte to visit the White House. The trip marks the first time that Mr Trump will visit the region in his official capacity, and comes as the President has overseen increasingly contentious relations with North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme. The Presidents travel will underscore his commitment to long-standing United States alliances and partnerships, and reaffirm United States leadership in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. The Philippine president has authorised a bloody war on drugs in his country since becoming president, leading human rights organizations to sound alarm bells. Police have said that 3,900 people have been killed since the operation started, saying that they were armed suspects resisting arrest. Human rights groups claim that the number is far higher, with 7,000 people having been killed since Mr Duterte came to power in 2016. That war on drugs, which Mr Duterte says is conducted in a lawful manner, has been pillorised by rights groups. Human Rights Watch found that the war mostly targeted impoverished urban slums, and has described state-sanctioned death squads that gun down individuals in those communities. The organisation - and a number of others - has accused police in the country of conducting extrajudicial executions. The Philippine National Police have denied this, saying there have been no extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration and Mr Duterte himself has blamed the killings on "vigilantes". Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Show all 22 1 /22 Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump talk as they leave the Army Museum at Les Invalides in Paris AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump arrive for the group photo at the G7 Taormina summit on the island of Sicily in May 2017 Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Mr Trump was pressed on the subject at the G7 summit in Italy Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump gives a speeech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May during a ceremony at the NATO headquarters before the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic is seen to the right of Donald Trump at a Nato summit in Brussels REUTERS Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis meeting with US President Donald J. Trump EPA Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis poses with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump arrives at Palazzo del Quirinale ahead of the meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella Ufficio Stampa Presidenza della via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is seen during a joint press conference with the Palestinian leader at the presidential palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas meets US President Donald Trump PPO via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Donald Trump prior to the President's departure GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering a speech at the Israel Museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance as White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump watch on during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump look at a display of Saudi modern art at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips King Salman presents Donald Trump with The Collar of Abdulaziz al-Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace on 20 May AP Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn prior to their first foreign trip Getty Images Earlier this month, Mr Duterte ordered police to withdraw from the anti-narcotics campaign and leave all operations to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) following scrutiny of police conduct. He has previously said that the anti-drugs operation would not be cowed by allegations of abuses. Last week, Mr Duterte threatened to shoot criminals himself as he suggested he may bring the police back into the fight against the drug trade. He said: Those who rape children, who rape women... if you don't want the police, I am here now. I will shoot them. That's true! If nobody would dare it, I will pull the trigger. Referring to the police, he added: Let us see, six months from now. If things get worse again, I will say... 'Go back to this job. You solve this problem of ours.' Mr Duterte has also ordered police to kill his eldest son if drug trafficking allegations against him are proven true. Paolo Duterte told a Senate inquiry last month he had no links to a seized shipment of $125 million worth of narcotics from China, dismissing as "baseless" the allegations of his involvement in the drugs trade. Talking about the allegations, Mr Duterte said: I said before my order was: If I have children who are into drugs, kill them so people will not have anything to say, So I told Pulong [his sons nickname]: My order is to kill you if you are caught, and I will protect the police who kill you, if it is true. During Mr Trumps visit to Asia, he is scheduled to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations conference, which Mr Duterte is hosting in Manila. Mr Trump is also scheduled to visit China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam during his trip in November. The President will visit with American service members in Japan during his trip there, as well as Japanese service members and families of individuals who have been abducted by North Korea. In South Korea, Mr Trump reportedly plans on addressing the National Assembly, and meet with President Moon Jae-in. In Beijing, Mr Trump will engage in bilateral, commercial, and cultural events, including meetings with President Xi Jinping, according to the White House. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Conspiracy theorists everywhere can rejoice over Donald Trumps decision to release tens of thousands of never-before-seen documents left in the files on the John F Kennedy assassination. The 1992 Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act required that the millions of pages many of them contained in CIA and FBI documents all be published by October 26, 2017. The National Archives has released most of the documents already, either in full or partially redacted. While experts told the Washington Post they dont think the last batch of papers contains any major bombshells, many are hoping the information will shed more light on the activities of Lee Harvey Oswald, Mr Kennedys assassin. Recommended Donald Trump to allow release of classified files on JFK assassination Mr Oswald was killed by Jack Ruby two days after the JFK assassination and therefore never stood trial, leaving many questions unanswered. Mr Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, struck by two bullets one in the head, one in the neck while riding in an open-topped limo through downtown Dallas, Texas. A year after the presidents death, a presidential commission headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren concluded that Mr Kennedy was killed by a single gunman, Mr Oswald, who acted alone and not part of a conspiracy. In 1978, however, another government committee, the House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations, found that in addition to Mr Oswald, there likely was a second gunman who fired at the presidents motorcade. The committee found that the gunmen were part of a conspiracy without determining exactly who was behind it, opening the door to a series of theories some more realistic than others about what happened. Even to this day, more than five decades after his assassination, a large percentage of Americans continue to believe that Mr Kennedys death was the result of a larger plot. In November 2013, as the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination approached, 61 per cent of Americans still believed others besides Lee Harvey Oswald were involved, according to a Gallup poll. Could the Soviets have done it? At the time Mr Kennedy was killed, the US and the Soviet Union were engaged in a bitter cold war. Conspiracy theorists claim that Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was so embarrassed by what happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis that he ordered the hit on Mr Kennedy. Mr Oswald also had ties to the Soviet Union and had twice visited the country with his Russian-born wife, Marina. Experts hope the papers Mr Trump has decided to release will provide more details about the activities of Mr Oswald while he was travelling in Mexico City in late September 1963, and courting Cuban and Soviet spies, according to the Post. The Warren Commission and the House Committee on Assassinations found little evidence to support the theory that the Soviets backed the operation to kill JFK. However, one former KGB agent later said the Russians did play a role. Could the Mafia have done it? The Mafia had made lucrative investments in Cuba prior to Fidel Castros communist revolution, according to one iteration of the theory. The mob is said to have been enraged after Mr Kennedy botched the Bay of Pigs military invasion which was aimed at overthrowing Mr Castro because the results of the failed mission ended their chances of returning to Cuba. Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters The mob also reportedly did not like Mr Kennedys younger brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and hoped he would lose influence if the elder Kennedy brother was killed. The Warren Commission cleared the mafia from involvement in any plot to assassinate the President. While the House Committee on Assassinations found that the Mafia was not involved in a conspiracy, it didnt rule out the possibility that individuals connected to the mob were part of the plot. Could the Cubans have done it? Since US agents tried to assassinate Mr Castro several times, it is only fair that Mr Castro would have tried to get Mr Kennedy killed, conspiracy theorists say. Kennedy was trying to get to Castro, but Castro got to him first, President Lyndon B Johnson, famously told ABC News in 1968. Both the Warren Commission and the House Committee on Assassinations cleared the Cubans of any involvement in the plot. In an interview with Bill Moyers in 1977, Mr Castro called the theory that Cubans were involved absolute insanity. Could Lyndon Johnson have done it? Mr Johnson, Mr Kennedys Vice President, was sworn in as President almost immediately following the death of Mr Kennedy. Conspiracy theorists assert that Mr Johnson had the most to gain if the President was killed, and therefore could have been the mastermind behind the plot. One theory even says that Mr Johnson was aided by George HW Bush, a burgeoning CIA official at the time who happened to be in Dallas on the day of the assassination. Mr Bush would later become the 41st President of the US. 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 }} After his decisive election victory, Japan's Shinzo Abe pledged on Monday to tackle what he called the country's two national crises. The first North Koreas nuclear threat overshadowed the election campaign and won support for Mr Abe from conservative Japanese who approved of his hard line on the Kim Jong-un regime.. Fresh from his victory, Mr Abe said he is committed to protecting the Japanese people's prosperity and peace under all circumstances, and specifically referred to individual Japanese citizens who are believed to have been abducted and held by North Korea. Recommended Shinzo Abe scores major victory for ruling coalition in Japan election "I will pursue decisive and strong diplomacy to tackle North Korea's missile, nuclear and abduction issues and put further pressure to get it to change its policy," he said. The win shows Mr Abe has bounced back from the summer, when support ratings for his Cabinet plunged to 30 per cent amid accusations of government favouritism to people connected to him. Sundays vote appears to have handed his ruling Liberal Democratic Party a more than two-thirds majority of Parliaments 465 seats enough for a working majority even without coalition partner the Komeito party and boosting Mr Abes chances of winning another three-year term as party leader next year. With a so-called super-majority in both houses, he has a more or less free hand to push through divisive policies and legislation, not least his long-term goal of convincing a reluctant public to overturn Japans post-war constitution committing it to pacifism. But in the short-term, Mr Abe will use the victory to silence critics and continue with policies he has pursued since taking office in December 2012: a hard-line on North Korea; close ties with Washington, including more purchases of American missile interceptors; a push for nuclear energy and an Abenomics platform to address a growing pensions crisis. "This was a gamble that seems to have paid off for Shinzo Abe," John Nilsson-Wright, senior lecturer in modern Japanese studies at Cambridge University told The Independent. "He anticipated the opposition would not have enough time to put together a credible alternative." He added: "We saw at the beginning of the election lots of expectation that public opinion would shift against the government off the back of Abe's personal unpopularity, caused by two high-profile corruption scandals. But this has been an election that has been not so much for [the Liberal Democratic Party] as a vote against a divided opposition." Mr Abe said he will have "deep discussion" on North Korean policies with US President Donald Trump during his planned visit to Japan on 5-7 November. He described Japan's decreasing population and ageing as "the biggest challenge" for Abenomics, driving Japan's economic recovery from deflation. "The problem is progressing by the minute, and we cannot afford waiting around," he said. He also promised a comprehensive package by the end of the year to deal with Japan's demographic challenges, including investments in education, productivity improvements and pension system reform. Mr Abe's ultimate goal is to revise his country's post-war coalition, however, an issue which has polarised Japanese politics. His party and its nationalist supporters view the 1948 constitution as the legacy of Japan's defeat in the Second World War and an imposition of the victor's world order and values. 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 charter renounces the use of force in international conflicts and limits Japan's troops to self-defence, despite the fact Japan has a well-equipped modern military that works closely with the US. Any change to Japan's constitution, which has never been amended, would require approval first by two-thirds of parliament, before a public referendum. Polls indicate the Japanese public remains opposed to amendment. Additional reporting by AP 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 has sent an unprecedented open letter to the West, urging sharp vigilance against the heinous and reckless administration of Donald Trump. It also announces the emergence of North Korea as a fully fledged nuclear power". It is believed the letter, written by the Foreign Affairs Committee, was sent to a number of Western countries covertly. But its existence has been made public by Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who received it after it was passed to Australia's Indonesian embassy by the North Korean consulate in Jakarta, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Britain are 'preparing for war with North Korea' The author of the message and the way it was delivered is said to be unusual North Korean communiques to the West are usually published through state news agency KCNA. Addressed to the parliaments of different countries, it condemned Mr Trumps rhetoric at the UN, in which he promised the US could totally destroy North Korea, also known as DPRK. If Trump thinks that he would bring the DPRK, a nuclear power, to its knees through nuclear war threat, it will be a big miscalculation and an expression of ignorance, said the letter. It continued: The DPRK has emerged a fully-fledged nuclear power which has a strong nuclear arsenal and various kinds of nuclear delivery means made by dint of self-reliance and self-development. The real foe of nuclear force is a nuclear war itself. The Foreign Affairs Committee takes this opportunity to express belief that the parliaments of different countries loving independence, peace and justice will fully discharge their due mission and duty in realising the desire of mankind for international justice and peace with sharp vigilance against the heinous and reckless moves of the Trump administration trying to drive the world into a horrible nuclear disaster. Ms Bishop told the Herald: "This is the first letter that we can find that any Australian foreign minister has received from North Korea... it's an open letter, this is not how they usually send messages around the world." "I read this as showing that the collective strategy of allies and partners to impose maximum pressure and diplomatic and economic sanctions on North Korea is working, she added. The minister said the letter was a desperate attempt to divide the international community and showed North Korea was feeling isolated. The US is the backbone of an alliance of countries that are highly wary of North Korea, including South Korea, Japan, the UK and Australia. In pictures: North Korea military drill Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: North Korea military drill In pictures: North Korea military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video But even China and Russia, both traditional allies of the DPRK, are believed to have become increasingly frustrated with the secretive country in recent months. Its frequent test firing of missiles, in contravention of international treaties, has infuriated the US and ratcheted up global tensions. In September, China backed UN sanctions against North Korea, while calling for the de-escalation of tensions on the peninsula. The Independent has asked the Foreign and Commonwealth Office if the UK has received a similar open letter. 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 prisoner who admitted torturing the killer of a 13-year-old boy has been given a three-year jail sentence by an Australian court. Adam Paul Davidson, 30, pleaded guilty to torturing Brett Peter Cowan by pouring a bucket of boiling water over his head. Cowan, a paedophile who is serving a life sentence for the murder of Daniel Morcombe in 2003, sustained serious burns to his head, chest and legs. When Cowan stood up, Davidson hit him three or four times with the bucket. Prosecutor Mark Whitbred told the court Davidson attacked Cowan from behind while he was playing a game of cards at Walston Correctional Centre in Wacol, west of Brisbane. He said the intention was to harm, but not kill, the child-murderer. The court heard Davidson told officers: "I did it... he had it coming, he's a f****** grub", ABC News reported. The prosecutor said Davidson later admitted to the crime to officers and described it as "a vigilante act" on Daniel's behalf. Sentencing him, Judge Ian Dearden said Cowan was already being punished by being in prison and he should not have been abused. 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 He quoted Mahatma Gandhi, saying: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." Davidson has already served almost 11 months in prison for the attack and is due to be released on parole next month. 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 }} Several men have come forward with firsthand accounts of an alleged crackdown on the LGBT community in Azerbaijan. One of the men, who remained anonymous, said he was detained for nine days and tortured. They gave me electric shocks, he said in an interview with Radio Free Europe. They beat me with a stick on my knees. I couldnt move afterwards. Dozens of gay and transgender people in Azerbaijan have been arrested, detained and forced to give up friends to authorities, according to lawyers and activists in the country. Homosexuality was decriminalised in the majority-Muslim nation in 2000 and people are legally allowed to change their gender, but animosity towards LGBT people still remains. Some of those arrested have been subjected to beatings, abuse and forced medical examinations, lawyers said, although these reports could not be independently verified. Trans women have had their heads forcibly shaven, according to a report by British gay rights charity Stonewall. One Baku-based activist, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that authorities were targeting main streets, metro stations and LGBT-friendly placed like clubs, pubs and bars. Authorities in Azerbaijan have alleged that those arrested were involved in sex work, although nearly all cases the accused have denied such allegations. Recommended Egypt launches largest LGBT crackdown in more than a decade Some alleged they were coerced into confessing involvement in the sex industry. One unnamed man told Radio Free Europe officials made him sign documents that were already filled in as well as other blank documents, before questioning him about seeing clients. I told them I am not seeing clients, Im just gay, he said. Azerbaijan has a poor record when it comes to protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. 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 Earlier this year, the country was rated the worst place in Europe for LGBT rights, with a 5 percent score compared to 76 percent in the UK. The allegations follow an alleged anti-LGBT purge carried out by authorities in Chechnya earlier this year, in which hundreds of gay men were reportedly arrested, detained and tortured in the conservative republic. 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 }} Tributes have been paid to a British mother killed in a boating accident in southern France. The victim, understood to be Jess Wilkes, 27, was flung from the craft as it travelled on the Rhone near the city of Avignon on Saturday night. Four other people were injured, including two seriously, when the boat the group were in struck a warning beacon, a French official told the Associated Press. Ms Wilkes, from Lamberhurst, Kent, is said to have spent the evening with friends at a restaurant on Barthelasse, an island on the river, and the boat was travelling back to Avignon. Local officials have launched an investigation into the tragic incident as Ms Wilkes's family and friends paid tribute to her. Ms Wilkes's brother, Philip Wilkes, 25, told The Sun his sister was larger than life and loved by her family. Meanwhile her father, Bernard Wilkes, 72, said they want answers over the death of his beautiful young girl who lived life to the full. He told the newspaper Ms Wilkes, who celebrated turning 27 earlier in October, had a seven-year-old daughter. Meanwhile a friend wrote on Facebook that no word can describe this awful pain in my heart over Ms Wilkes's death. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red 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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 They added: I just wish I could be a better friend. Goodbye my twin, see you one day. Keep shining with your immense light in the sky. PA 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 President of the Czech Republic has affronted reporters by brandishing a replica gun with the words for journalists inscribed on it during a press conference. Milos Zeman, who has been in office since 2013, prompted particular controversy because his stunt comes just a week after a prominent investigative journalist was killed with a car bomb in Malta. Maltas government have said they are offering an unprecedented reward of 1m (890,000) for information about who killed Daphne Caruana Galizia. The journalist, who has been dubbed a one-woman WikiLeaks, unearthed Maltese links to the Panapa Papers leaks and her reporting on corruption has targeted the PM and other senior political figures in Malta. Mr Zeman has prompted controversy for his remarks about the press in the past and previously referred to journalists as manure and hyenas. In May, he joked to Vladimir Putin that some of the journalists at event needed to be liquidated in comments which were widely condemned in the Czech Republic. Mr Zemans brandishing of the mock submachine gun which included the At journalists inscription come just before the country voted in a populist billionaire. Mr Zeman said he would be naming Andrej Babis, the countrys second-richest man, the countrys Prime Minister on Saturday. 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 Critics voiced concern about Mr Babis clout in the media as he owns two of the countrys leading newspapers and a radio station and raised the prospect of a potential conflict of interests. Mr Babis, who is the leader of the anti-establishment ANO party, rose to power on an explicitly anti-establishment and Eurosceptic platform. Press freedom is an issue in the country because the Czech news media is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few highly wealthy individuals. Mr Zeman, a former PM who helped prepare the ground for the country joining the European Union in 2004, holds a predominantly ceremonial role but does have important powers under the Constitution. He has become famed for making incendiary comments. Back in 2016, he urged Czechs to arm themselves against a potential Super Holocaust which would apparently be carried out by Muslims. He has also referred to Islam as a religion of death. Whats more, he once suggested vegetarians and teetotalers should be put to death and then explained he was referring to Hitler - who refrained from consuming alcohol and meat. In September, he triggered a diplomatic row by suggesting Bosnia and Herzegovina could become a base for Isis. In November 2014, on the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, thousands engaged in a demonstration against Mr Zeman in protest against his pro-Russian stance and vulgar language. 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 }} French supermarkets have experienced a mini-shortage in butter due to the soaring popularity of the dairy product and pastries abroad. A fall in Europes milk supply has also been linked to the shortage, which has hit the French regions of Brittany and Normandy the worst. Some stores in France have been forced to put up notices stating: The butter market faces an unprecedented shortage of raw material which has led to shortages in stores, The Local reported. Recommended France may be facing a croissant shortage The price of butter rose 60% in a year, reaching 6.70 (5.97) per kilogram in August, according to official data. The increase has created problems for pastry exporters in France and fears of a shortage of Christmas delicacies such as the traditional Yule log dessert. Dominique Charge, head of the national cooperative of dairy products, told French radio RTL butter was "more and more in demand in emerging economies like China and the Middle East". Claude Margerin Francois, who runs a small company specialising in pastry dough in central France and has been buying Poitou-Charentes butter from a local producer for 15 years, told The Associated Press she has not been able to fulfil orders from Lebanon, China and Vietnam because of the shortage. "I'm looking for butter everywhere," she said. This weekend French newspaper Le Figaro responded to the butter crisis by publishing a short survival guide on how to cook without butter. The threat of a shortage was reported in the summer, when prices were expected to increase sharply. Matthieu Labbe, of French baking industry body Federation des Entrepreneurs de la Boulangerie, said in June: Last April, we were paying 2,500 (2,200) a tonne. Now its 5,300 (4,700). At best, consumers are going to have to pay more. At worst, we may no longer be able to get butter. Additional reporting by AP 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 Russian journalist Tatyana Feldenhauer has been seriously injured after an unidentified attacker stabbed her in the throat. The incident took place in the editorial offices of the Echo of Moscow radio station after 12 noon local time. Ms Felderhauer is deputy editor in chief of the leading liberal media outlet. The man, who had broken into the editorial office, was held by colleagues and later arrested. Tatyana Feldenhauer is deputy editor in chief of the leading liberal radio station Echo of Moscow (Twitter) Ms Feldenhauer is in hospital and receiving treatment, which includes a catheter to bypass the neck wound. According to the editor in chief, Alexei Venediktov, the injuries are not life-threatening. The Ria Novosti state news agency has reported a source claiming that the assailant may have been motivated by an undisclosed personal conflict. A spokesman for the Russian Prosecutor-General's office, Alexander Kurennoi, said on Facebook the attack was an outrageous act. Fellow Echo of Moscow journalist Vitaly Ruvinsky posted a picture on Twitter showing a man accused of being the attacker. Other images shared on social media showed blood splashed across the floor of the editorial offices, a large knife and Russian police officers with a suspect in handcuffs. Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station Show all 7 1 /7 Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station Police officers detain an unidentified man who reportedly stabbed journalist Tatyana Felgenhauer AP Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station Police officers detain an unidentified man who reportedly stabbed journalist Tatyana Felgenhauer AP Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station An unidentified man who reportedly stabbed journalist Tatyana Felgenhauer is seen detained AP Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station An ambulance leaves the Ekho Moskvy radio station office in Moscow AP Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station Police officers arrive at a building where the Ekho Moskvy radio station office is located AP Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station Police officer work inside the office of Russian Echo AFP/Getty Images Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station The station's editor-in-chief, Alexei Venediktov speaks to the Associated Press at the radio station's office AP Echo of Moscow is owned by the state-run gas giant Gazprom, but it does give air time to journalists and commentators who are fiercely critical of the Kremlin and has been described in the past as "Russia's last independent radio station". One of the station's regular broadcasters, Yulia Latynina, said earlier this year she had been forced to flee Russia after a series of attacks, including the torching of her car. 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 }} Zookeepers at Berlin's main animal park are hoping to cure a young female panda's habit of walking backwards by introducing her to one of life's most precious pleasures: sex. They plan to introduce four-year-old Meng Meng to Jiao Qing, a panda three years her senior, in the hope that romance will help her with the frustrations associated with life in captivity that could be behind her habit. "Meng Meng is in puberty," Berlin Zoo director Andreas Knieriem told the Berliner Zeitung newspaper on Sunday. "The reverse walk is a protest against things she dislikes, be it the food or the carers." China lent Meng Meng and Jiao Qing to Germany earlier this year. The two bears are a major attraction at the zoo's $10-million Chinese compound inaugurated by Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Xi Jinping in July. In pictures: The Edinburgh Zoo pandas Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: The Edinburgh Zoo pandas In pictures: The Edinburgh Zoo pandas Edinburgh Zoo Tian Tian is seen exploring her enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo In pictures: The Edinburgh Zoo pandas Edinburgh Zoo Tian Tian eats a bamboo stick In pictures: The Edinburgh Zoo pandas Edinburgh Zoo Yang Guang giant Panda on show in his enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo In pictures: The Edinburgh Zoo pandas Edinburgh Zoo Yang Guang, the male Panda at Edinburgh Zoo, eats bamboo inside his enclosure In pictures: The Edinburgh Zoo pandas Edinburgh Zoo Tian Tian the female panda at Edinburgh zoo sits inside her enclosure In pictures: The Edinburgh Zoo pandas Edinburgh Zoo Yang Guang giant Panda on show in his enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo In pictures: The Edinburgh Zoo pandas Edinburgh Zoo Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male panda, chews on bamboo on his ninth birthday, his first on Scottish soil, at Edinburgh Zoo In pictures: The Edinburgh Zoo pandas Edinburgh Zoo Tian Tian the female panda at Edinburgh zoo sits inside her enclosure Giant pandas in captivity are kept apart except for in the mating season, which occurs between February and May. "By then, Meng Meng will have reached sexual maturity and could focus all her energy on seducing her partner," Knieriem said. 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 }} In the minutes before he plunged a knife into the neck of radio presenter Tatyana Felgenhauer, the assailant carried out a series of improbable tasks. First, firing tear gas from a distance of 15 cm, he would incapacitate the ground floor security guard. Then, after running down the corridor, and somehow catching a lift that usually isn't working, he would go up to the fourteenth floor. Turning right, he would enter the editorial offices of Moscow's leading liberal radio station, and turn left into the correct room. There, he would approach Ms Felgenhauer, embrace her, and stab her just below the jawline. The man was eventually detained by a second security guard, Alexander Usachyov, who had noticed his strange behaviour. Speaking to The Independent at the Echo of Moscow's central Moscow HQ, Mr Usachyov revealed the man said nothing, and only offered minimal resistance while being detained. The security guard was wearing a bandage on his left arm but said his injuries were "inconsequential." Recommended Top Russian journalist stabbed in neck by intruder at radio station Ms Felgenhauers condition is less straightforward. The 32-year-old is being kept in a medically-induced coma at the citys Sklifosovsky Accident and Emergency Unit. She remains in a moderately serious condition but her injuries are not believed to be immediately life-threatening. The radio stations deputy editor, Olga Bychkova, described the immediate scene as being bloody and confusing, but that her immediate concern was for her colleague. Tanyas injuries were very serious, an obvious laceration of the neck, she told The Independent. Ms Bykova followed her colleague out of the radio station's offices, into the lift and down the fourteen floors to street level. Mercifully the emergency services came very quickly, and did everything they had to, ensuring she could breathe. Tatyana Feldenhauer is deputy editor in chief of the leading liberal radio station Echo of Moscow (Twitter) The man who committed the attack has been identified in local media as 49-year-old Boris Grits, and a citizen of Israel. It is not yet clear if the man had dual Russian citizenship, or ever had Russian citizenship, though he did communicate to investigators in Russian. Later, investigators released a video of the initial questioning. In it, the man claims to have been tormented by Ms Felgenhauer telepathically. Blog posts, apparently written by the assailant, also indicate an unhealthy obsession with the radio presenter. Interfax news agency reported an unnamed investigation source saying that the man would undergo a psychiatric assessment. Colleagues, however, expressed doubts that the man was acting out a purely personal vendetta. Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station Show all 7 1 /7 Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station Police officers detain an unidentified man who reportedly stabbed journalist Tatyana Felgenhauer AP Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station Police officers detain an unidentified man who reportedly stabbed journalist Tatyana Felgenhauer AP Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station An unidentified man who reportedly stabbed journalist Tatyana Felgenhauer is seen detained AP Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station An ambulance leaves the Ekho Moskvy radio station office in Moscow AP Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station Police officers arrive at a building where the Ekho Moskvy radio station office is located AP Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station Police officer work inside the office of Russian Echo AFP/Getty Images Russian journalist stabbed in neck inside Moscow radio station The station's editor-in-chief, Alexei Venediktov speaks to the Associated Press at the radio station's office AP Everyone knows us and everyone has an opinion about us, Olga Bychkova told The Independent. I cant tell you for sure if what we are seeing is a result of hatred of independent journalists, or a psychiatric issue, or both. Ms Felgenhauer, predominantly a talk show host, was not known for investigative work, and there is nothing to suggest she was on the verge of uncovering a major economic or political scandal. That said, independent Russian journalists are subject to increasing levels of hostility and threats. Life has never been easy, but government propaganda, which regularly criticises disloyal journalists for betraying national interests, has upped the stakes. It was not the first time that Echo of Moscow journalists were targetted. In the last month alone, the station was forced to evacuate another journalist, Yulia Latynina, after she was targeted in an arson attack. The state TV channel Russia 24 put out a report two weeks ago that described the station as an "arm of the US State Department," saying it was getting paid for "destabilising society" ahead of Russia's presidential election in March. The report identified Ms Felgenhauer personally, running her picture, and compared foreign NGOs funding Echo of Moscow with the threat posed to Russia by Isis. Alexei Venediktov, the radio station's veteran and wily editor, said he believed the attack was connected with Ms Felgenhauers work. The assailant was acting out what seemed to be a well-informed plan, he said. The man was caught with a map of the editorial offices and scribbled notes in English. Its clear the level of threats against our team is on the increase, Mr Venediktov said. At this point, the editor turned to journalists from Russia 24. It is good that so many of you are here, he said. Its important to show solidarity whatever your political colour. Just a few minutes earlier, the same reporter encountered a less welcoming voice from another employee of the radio station. Thank you for your work, that employee said. This is all thanks to you. Police are treating the crime as attempted murder. 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 Russian National Guard says one of its officers has shot and killed four other servicemen dead before being killed by guards. The agency said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the incident happened Monday in the Russian republic of Chechnya. It said the officer fired on his comrades inside the National Guard barracks in the village of Shelkovskaya. The man was then shot and killed by the members of an alert unit, TASS news agency cited a Federal National Guard Troops Service spokesman as saying. The news agency reported the man who opened fire was a senior lieutenant of the National Guard Troops. The National Guard says a panel would be set to investigate the shootings. The slayings come less than a month after a Russian soldier fatally shot three other servicemen during drills and wounded two others. He was tracked down and killed. Reporting by AP. More follows 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 only way of dealing with British Isis fighters in Syria will be to kill them in almost every case, an international development minister has said. Rory Stewart said converts to the terror group believed in an extremely hateful doctrine, saying fighters can expect to be killed given the threat they pose to British security. Hundreds of British citizens are known to have travelled to Syria to fight with Islamist groups during the course of the six-year conflict. Brett McGurk, a top US envoy for the coalition fighting Isis has said his mission is to ensure every foreign Isis fighter in Syria dies in Syria. Mr Stewart was asked about the comments on BBC Radio 5 Lives Pienaars Politics. The minister said they were very difficult moral issues, adding: These are people who have essentially moved away from any kind of allegiance towards the British Government. They are absolutely dedicated, as members of the Islamic State, towards the creation of a caliphate, they believe in an extremely hateful doctrine which involves killing themselves, killing others and trying to use violence and brutality to create an eighth century, or seventh century, state. So Im afraid we have to be serious about the fact these people are a serious danger to us, and unfortunately the only way of dealing with them will be, in almost every case, to kill them. Mr Stewart, a former diplomat, went on to say: These are people who are executing people in the back of their heads, who have held women and children hostage, who are torturing and murdering, trying by violence to impose their will. Our response has to be, when somebody does that, Im afraid, to deal with that. Recommended Terror attacks likely to rise in the UK despite Isis defeat in Raqqa Mr Stewart also said British authorities had made it very clear that people should not be volunteering with militia groups to fight Isis. If you wish to serve your country and you wish to fight terrorism, then please apply to join the military or join the police or join our intelligence services. Well train you, well work with you to do it in a legal and controlled fashion, he said. Mr Stewart also confirmed it remained British policy to remove Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. I dont think anyone should be in any doubt that the control that he has is brutal and ultimately fragile, said Mr Stewart. The policy of the British Government is that Bashar al-Assad needs to step aside and we need a transition to a new government, because so long as that man is in power it is going to be impossible to have a long-term, stable, sustainable future for 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 }} A British tourist who faced three months in prison after accidentally touching a man's hip in Dubai has been told he is free to leave following an intervention from the emirate's ruler. Campaigners said charges against Jamie Harron, 27, had been dismissed and his sentence overturned at the order of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. The electrician, from Stirling, Scotland, was sentenced for public indecency on Sunday after being arrested in July. He is said to have touched a businessman on the hip to steady himself and avoid spilling a drink as he brushed past him in a crowded bar. Campaign group Detained in Dubai, which has been supporting Mr Harron, said police called him on Monday morning and told him his case "has been dismissed and he can pick up his passport and is free to leave". Mr Harron later collected his passport and was making arrangements to return to the UK, the group added. The electrician was arrested during a two-day stopover in the United Arab Emirates after working in Afghanistan. He since lost his job because of his detainment. The Justice4Jamie campaign group wrote on Facebook: "Jamie was contacted by the police this morning, and was informed that the government had intervened in his case. Apparently the charges have been dismissed and the sentence against him nullified. He was told to come to the police station to collect his passport." Campaigners were initially fearful Mr Harron, who had vowed to appeal the sentencing, might be lured into "a trap" and detained again by police as he collected his passport. Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained in Dubai, said: He was understandably nervous as similar calls from the police in other cases were merely tactics to lure individuals into police custody. But when Jamie arrived at the police station, his passport was returned, and he was told that he was free to go. The charges were dropped, the sentence annulled, and he faces no order for deportation. This came by direct order from Sheikh Mohammed. 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 She added: We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Sheikh Mohammed for his personal intervention in this case, and for exonerating Jamie at long last. It has now been established that the allegations against Jamie were entirely unwarranted, defamatory, and meritless, to such an extent that the ruler of the country found it necessary to step in and correct the wrongful action of the public prosecutor and to quash the judgment of the court. "Of course, a fully functional legal system would not require outside intervention, and a case like Jamies would never proceed in the first place. But we are enormously grateful to Sheikh Mohammed for stepping in and vindicating Jamie after months of hardship. Ms Stirling said Mr Harron was considering civil action against the businessman who accused him and his employers. He has spent more than 30,000 in legal fees and expenses in Dubai, where he has been stranded for three months after police confiscated his passport. Mr Harron was also sentenced, in his absence, to 30 days in prison for allegedly making a rude gesture and drinking alcohol during the same incident. He spoke earlier this month of the toll the case had taken on him. "I've lost my job, I'm in debt now, I may be going to prison and all this for a two-day stopover," he said. The whole thing is like a horrible dream and I just dont know when it is going to end. I thought it would be over by now but it feels like it will never be." Detained in Dubai said the case "highlights the urgent need for judicial reform" in the country but said Mr Harron's exoneration was "a hopeful sign that the UAEs leadership possesses the will and vision to pursue such reforms in the future". The International Campaign for Freedom in the UAE said it welcomed the Briton's release but urged the UK government to "do more to inform its citizens about the real risks and dangers" of travelling to the Gulf state. "We urgently call upon the UAE authorities to institute a judicial system that is in line with internationally recognised legal standards," said spokesman Joe Odell. He added: "Since the Arab Spring of 2011, repression has been rapidly stepped up by the UAE authorities which has seen both emiratis and non-emiratis arbitrarily detained, forcefully disappeared, and in many cases tortured on the most frivolous of charges. "It is imperative that Jamie's case be understood within this wider climate of repression inside the UAE." Last month a British father was arrested during a family holiday in Dubai after unknowingly handing over a counterfeit 20 note at a currency exchange shop. A spokeswoman for the UK Foreign Office said: We have been in contact with a British man following his arrest in Dubai in July. We are providing consular assistance. 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 }} Isis has killed at least 128 people in a Syrian town deep inside regime-held territory, a human rights monitor has said. Government forces managed to retake Al-Qaryatayn over the weekend, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed on Monday. Rumours of execution-style killings of captured soldiers or civilians suspected of links to the government had not previously been verified. Donald Trump says Isis are "giving up" now he is president Al-Qaryatayn, some 300 kilometres (190 miles) from one of Isiss strongholds of Deir Ezzor, was recaptured by militants in an unexpected attack far from the front-line fighting earlier this month. An Associated Press video, filmed as Syrian government troops recaptured Al-Qaryatayn, showed several bodies in the streets of the town. In the video, a town resident says Isis monsters killed more than a 100 people, including soldiers and civilians. These are people who dont know God, they dont know anything. They killed children and women with knives, they beat women, broke their arms, he said. Talal Barazi, the governor of the surrounding Homs province, said most of the bodies were of townspeople who were government employees or were affiliated with Syrias ruling Baath party. Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters celebrate victory in Raqqa atop of military vehicles REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces march past destroyed buildings as they celebrate victory REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces gesture the "V" sign in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces evacuate a civilian from the stadium REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures A civilian prays after she was rescued by fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces from the stadium REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters ride atop of military vehicles as they celebrate victory in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters celebrate victory in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures A fighter of Syrian Democratic Forces celebrates in Raqqa Reuters He said the killings went on for the three weeks that Isis held the town and terrorised its residents. It is a shocking massacre, he said. At least 153 Syrian army soldiers and fighters from allied militias, such as Lebanons Hezbollah, lost their lives over five days of heavy clashes for the Homs province town, the UK-based SOHR previously said. It is still not clear how militants were able to carry out a successful offensive so far away from supply lines. Isis has been known to use sleeper cells, often dressed in the uniforms of government or Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) soldiers, to carry out attacks behind enemy lines in the past. While the militants counter offensive took Bashar al-Assads forces by surprise, it came as the group continued to steadily lose control of its once huge empire across both Syria and Iraq. Last week, Isiss de facto capital of Raqqa was declared free of the jihadis after a four-month-long battle by US-backed Kurdish-Arab SDF. The Syrian government managed to break through the Isis siege on the eastern town of Deir Ezzor in August. Despite a ferocious stand by the militants, they will be unable to hold out against regime ground troops and Russian air power for long. Isis was previously forced out of Al-Qaryatayn in April 2016 after seizing it in August 2015. Syrias complex civil war is now in its seventh year. Almost 500,000 people have died in the violence, the UN estimates, and half the countrys population of 19 million driven 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 }} The British Hollywood actor who travelled to Syria to volunteer in the fight against Isis has been filmed playing an Ariana Grande song from his phone after US-backed forces managed to drive the militants from their de facto Syrian capital. The US-funded Arab-Kurdish alliance of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters declared victory over Isis in Raqqa city last week. Photos and video of the SDF celebrating among them Kurdish YPG (Peoples Protection Units), whose ranks include several foreign volunteers have been widely circulated in recent days. Michael Enright, who had a role in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest and episodes of CSI, was inspired to join the YPG after Isis burned captured Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh to death in January 2015. Footage uploaded to YouTube on Sunday by Kurdish ANF news shows him standing in Naim Square in Raqqa city centre, holding a phone and an AK-47. While once the centre of public life in the city, Naim became the scene of grisly public executions and the now-infamous video of Isis tanks doing victory laps after seizing the city in 2014. With the shells of bombed-out houses behind him, Mr Enright says that Isis put heads on spikes on Naim Squares roundabout, and ransacked and burned a music shop over the road for not adhering to its extremist ideology. Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters celebrate victory in Raqqa atop of military vehicles REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces march past destroyed buildings as they celebrate victory REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces gesture the "V" sign in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces evacuate a civilian from the stadium REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures A civilian prays after she was rescued by fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces from the stadium REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters ride atop of military vehicles as they celebrate victory in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters celebrate victory in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures A fighter of Syrian Democratic Forces celebrates in Raqqa Reuters [I thought that because] Im from Manchester and they came to my city they came to my city and they tried to shut up Ariana Grande, that she [should] be the first one to sing, he said, referring to the Isis-claimed Manchester Arena bombing of a concert by the US pop star earlier this year that left 22 people dead. Mr Enright starts playing Grandes song Bang Bang on a phone and addresses Isis directly. So you didnt shut her up, and you didnt shut my city up, but shes singing Bang Bang, and you know what happened? I came and we did bang bang, and you left, you ran away, and so light is coming here now, freedom is coming back here now, singing is coming back here now. Recommended Raqqa is liberated from Isis but civilians face months of hardship Ariana, this is your first concert here, he says winking. God bless. The jihadis now cling onto mostly desert territory on the border with Iraq, but civilians have paid a high price in the battle to reclaim Raqqa. Local monitors and Airwars, which tracks US-led air strikes, estimate that up to 1,800 people died in the four months of fighting, and the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that 80 per cent of the city has been destroyed. 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 British husband whose wife is being held in an Iranian jail today accuses the Tehran regime of torturing his wife, and calls on Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to stand up and for the first time publicly condemn the complete violation of a British citizens rights. Writing exclusively for The Independent, Richard Ratcliffe offers the most detailed account yet of the spectacularly cruel treatment inflicted on his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was arrested in April 2016, at the end of a two-week holiday in Iran with the couples 21-month-old daughter, Gabriella. His unflinching denunciation of the Tehran regime has now prompted the Iranian embassy in London to accuse the 42-year-old accountant of black propaganda. The Independent is now backing Mr Ratcliffe, and asking our readers to support his campaign to free Nazanin so she and Gabriella can return home to London in plenty of time for Christmas. Recommended Richard Ratcliffe calls on Boris to free wife and daughter from Iran The Independents backing comes as Mr Ratcliffe reveals how all bar 18 days of his wifes first nine months in captivity were spent in solitary confinement. He says the innocent 38-year-old charity worker was subjected to repeated interrogations by Irans dreaded Revolutionary Guard, who falsely accused her of being a threat to Iranian national security before subjecting her to a trial that was a mockery of justice. The conditions his wife endured were, he says, so harsh that by day 39 of her captivity, she couldnt walk unaided. On 8 October this year, Nazanin, who has dual British-Iranian nationality, walked into an Iranian courtroom expecting early release from a five-year sentence, only to be told she was facing new charges that could condemn her to 16 more years in Iranian jails. The shock, writes Mr Ratcliffe, was so great that she was unable to walk, and had to crawl to the judges desk to say she rejected the charges against her. While his wife was in jail, says Mr Ratcliffe, the Revolutionary Guard kept Gabriellas passport until May 2017. The Iranian regime, he says, effectively detained my daughter, a little girl and a British citizen, in Iran, for more than a year. And while this was happening, he says, his wifes Revolutionary Guard interrogators were taunting her: Nazanin, your husband has abandoned you ... He has taken your child away. You will never see Gabriella again. The family as they were: Nazanin, Gabriella and Richard (Change.org) Gabriella, now three, is able to visit her mother in jail and remains with her Iranian grandparents in Tehran. Mr Ratcliffe has promised his wife he would never return Gabriella to London without her permission. Gabriella, Mr Ratcliffe reveals, has been in Iran so long she has gradually forgotten nearly all the English words she once knew, except I love you. Outlining his belief that the Iranians are using his wife as a bargaining chip in diplomatic negotiations with Britain, Mr Ratcliffe writes: She is a pawn, and it is breathtaking what they are prepared to do to an innocent mother. Nazanin has been subjected to torture. Her treatment meets the legal definition of psychological torture under both the UN Convention against Torture and UK law [which] define torture as the intentional infliction of severe pain or suffering, physical or mental. That fits what has happened to Nazanin. This is psychological torture. It is not due legal process. It is normalised cruelty. To put it mildly, it merits some public criticism. But Mr Ratcliffe says public criticism has never been forthcoming from the British Government. In public at least, the Foreign Office appears to have stuck to a softly, softly approach towards the Iranian regime. As his wife enters her 570th day in captivity, Mr Ratcliffe demands that this changes. He says: I have no complaint whatsoever about the people [in the Foreign Office]. Its the policy. Its the lack of public criticism of Iran, the lack of public defence of Nazanin, and the extraordinary failure to acknowledge even once that her rights have been violated. Its the unwavering conviction that the quietly, quietly, softly, softly approach is the way forward even after the Foreign Office has been trying it for 570 days. Richard Ratcliffe and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe before they were separated by her imprisonment in Iran Calling on Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to intervene personally, Mr Ratcliffe writes: The time for softly, softly and nothing else is over. The British Government must now acknowledge publicly that what Nazanin has been put through is a mockery of justice, a complete violation of her rights. It is time for Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to stand up and say: This is unacceptable. No British citizen should be subjected to this level of abuse. It is time for Boris Johnson to say loud and clear that there are no grounds for Nazanins detention and she must be released immediately. I want Nazanin and Gabriella home for Christmas. Mr Ratcliffes call for action was backed by the couples local MP Tulip Siddiq, who condemned the lack of tangible action our Government has taken on behalf of a British citizen. The Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn told The Independent: A year and a half down the line, it is entirely understandable that Richard is demanding urgent action. At a bare minimum, this means calling for Nazanins release and denying the ludicrous accusations of espionage. The time has come for action that goes above and beyond raising concerns. I hope Richards latest intervention will prompt some soul-searching and long-required urgency. Ms Siddiq added: The human rights abuses Nazanin has faced are cruel and unforgivable. Nazanin with her daughter Gabriella before the charity worker was detained by Iranian authorities (Change.org) A Foreign Office spokesman said: We are very concerned for Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe and have repeatedly raised her case with the Iranian authorities. Over the last fortnight, the Foreign Secretary has discussed all our dual national cases, including Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, with Irans foreign minister Zarif and vice president Salehi. Our minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt, has done the same with the Iranian ambassador in London, as has our ambassador in Tehran with Irans deputy foreign minister. Mr Burt has also spoken directly with Richard Ratcliffe to assure him that we are doing all we can. We have been in regular contact with Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffes family since we were first made aware of her situation and Mr Burt has met her family, both in London and Tehran, to discuss the case. We will continue to raise all of our dual national cases with the Iranian government at every available opportunity. An Iranian embassy diplomat responded by accusing Mr Ratcliffe of black propaganda. He claimed: This is not the first time that Mr Ratcliffe has tried to intrigue public opinion and make black propaganda based on false information in order to mislead the media and public opinion about the realities on the ground. The diplomat insisted Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been detained by the Iranian authorities due to her illegal acts. He said she had received a fair trial and her subsequent unsuccessful appeal had been according to the due judicial process. Rejecting claims that she had been tortured or denied her legal rights, the diplomat claimed: While being in prison is not a pleasant experience, she has full access to medical care and services, to a social worker and she has the right to regularly twice a week contact her husband, meet her family including her parents who live in Iran and her daughter. Her daughter has access to her British passport and lives comfortably with her grandparents based on her mothers free will. To sign the petition calling for Nazanin to be released, visit change.org/p/free-nazanin-ratcliffe 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 }} Distressing pictures of a baby on the brink of death have emerged from a rebel-held area of Syria, a tragic reminder of the horrors faced daily by civilians in the six-year-old war. Acutely malnourished Samar Dofdaa was 34 days old when she was taken by her parents to a clinic in Hamouria in rebel-held east Ghouta on Saturday. She died the next day. In photos and video from the hospital shared by activists, the baby is clearly in great distress but is too weak to make a noise when she cries. Her skin is stretched taut and translucent over her tiny frame and breathing is clearly a struggle. Samar weighed just 1.9 kg (four pounds) when she was admitted by her also malnourished mother (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images) A nurse said Samar weighed just 1.9 kg (four pounds) when she was admitted by her also malnourished mother, whose was unable to produce milk to feed her baby daughter. The familys tragedy is just one of many such starvation stories in east Ghouta, which has been under siege by government forces since 2013. While the bloodshed caused by international efforts to destroy Isis caliphate is the focus of many of the news stories which emerge from Syria, elsewhere in the country, people are slowly dying under government sieges. Syrians make fuel from plastic waste Show all 8 1 /8 Syrians make fuel from plastic waste Syrians make fuel from plastic waste Sifting through plastic: the workshop uses plastic from bottles and other waste materials to produce liquid and gas fuels. The liquid is refined into gasoline, diesel and benzene fuels, which in turn are sold for domestic and commercial use Reuters Syrians make fuel from plastic waste Khodor, 20, at the workshop in the rebel-held and besieged neighbourhood of Douma, Damascus Reuters Syrians make fuel from plastic waste Back to basics: a man checks the heat of a pipe pouring with fuel Reuters Syrians make fuel from plastic waste Khodor, 20, must keep an eye on the burning plastic inside the workshop in Douma Reuters Syrians make fuel from plastic waste A young man takes a container of the locally made fuel, which can be used for domestic heating and on farms and bakeries Reuters Syrians make fuel from plastic waste Abu Fahad on a rest break with his colleagues inside the workshop, where the air is heavy with toxic fumes Reuters Syrians make fuel from plastic waste Fuel drips into a container at the workshop. Most locals are glad of the family-run business, which has restored a degree of normality to the region Reuters Syrians make fuel from plastic waste Khodor extracts fuel from plastic in the workshop Reuters Deliberate starvation of citizens is a war crime under the Fourth Geneva Convention, but the tactic has been effectively utilised by the regime over the years to inflame tensions between different rebel groups and turn civilians lacking food and medicine against opposition fighters. While a deal brokered by Iran, Turkey and Russia earlier this year supposedly created four de-escalation zones between various rebel factions and the government, monitors and rebels say fighting has continued on many fronts - and food and other vital supplies are still not reaching people in besieged communities. The latest report on the situation from Siege Watch, a Syria monitor based in Washington DC, estimated that 821,200 people live in 34 areas without freedom of movement. According to UN figures, the civil war - now in its seventh year - has killed almost 500,000 people and driven half of Syrias pre-war population of 20 million 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 }} The founder of popular surf brand Roxy has revealed she used to be a pleasure wife for a Saudi Arabian billionaire businessman. Jill Dodd, who was also a model, said she was one of Adnan Khashoggis numerous wives and he would lavish her with gifts. Mr Khashoggi is best known for his involvement in arms dealing and is estimated to have enjoyed a peak net worth of around $4 billion in the early 1980s. During an appearance on 60 Minutes on Australian TV Channel 9 News on Sunday, Ms Dodd recalled her time with him. Ms Dodd, who has also written a new memoir, said she first encountered him in the 1980s when she was a 21-year-old aspiring model living in Paris. The former model, now a 57-year-old mother of three, said she met him at a party on the French Riviera but it was not until they had a romantic dance together that she was told who she had been dancing with. "Suddenly, my dance partner stopped, grabbed a chair and threw it into the fire. I hurled one in too. We laughed and slammed together like two magnets, whirling around before the flames," she recalled. 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 "Giddy and out of breath, I finally sat down. My new friend gazed into my eyes as he tenderly pushed up my sleeves and used his fingertips to write 'I love you' in red on my forearm. It took me a minute to realise it was in blood. Accidentally or not, he had cut himself with a piece of glass." Within a day, he had invited her to join him on his yacht. At that point, the 83m Nabila was at that point was the worlds biggest private cruiser and it would go on to be featured in James Bond film Never Say Never Again, before being sold to the Sultan of Brunei and later being owned by Donald Trump. While Mr Khashoggi had a legal wife, at the time he informed Ms Dodd that according to Saudi law he was allowed 11 pleasure wives. In the weeks after their first encounter, he asked her to be one of them. The pair would enjoy decadent dinners and attend high-end parties dressed in the highest couture. We would lock ourselves in a room for days and we would make love, we would eat, the chef would bring us food, we would do cocaine and sleep when we wanted and not sleep when we wanted, she recalled. After two years of spending time with him, Mr Khashoggi offered to pay Ms Dodds tuition at one of Americas top design colleges. She later utilised this education to help create her fashion brand Roxy which was founded in 1989. Ms Dodd, who lives in Marin County, California with her husband, insisted that she never perceived herself as a hooker and still does not to this very day. Nevertheless, she found herself falling for him as time went by and towards the end of 1981 she began to feel uncomfortable with the unusual arrangement and the relationship eventually drew to a close in 1982. "But I never forfeited my independence, ambition or creative expression when I was with Adnan and have no regrets," she said. 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 }} While some places struggle to attract holidaymakers, others have to contend with the opposite problem too many tourists. A number of attractions and cities have taken steps or proposed measures to quell the torrent of visitors that pour through daily, such as Santorini capping the number of cruise visitors at 8,000 per day and Cinque Terre introducing a ticketing system to ensure no more than 1.5 million tourists are in the area at any one time. Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, meanwhile, has suggested introducing a new tourist tax and limiting visitor numbers. Amsterdam, however, has taken a different approach. The increasingly popular capital of the Netherlands, which attracts over 14 million visitors each year, is getting creative rather than prohibitive with its solutions. Were an open, tolerant city, tourism chief Geerte Udo told Conde Nast Traveler. How can you ever imagine us saying Youre not welcome here!? Recommended 10 things to do in Amsterdam Udo and the i amsterdam team, which oversees the citys tourism, have spent the last two years trying to subtly move tourists away from the most popular attractions, such as the Red Light District and Museum Quarter. They used the data stored on the chip inside Amsterdams City Card, which gives access to various attractions and free public transport, to analyse tourist behaviour and devise ways of changing it to ease congestion. We can see exactly how these people behave, said Udo. Everybody comes to the city and goes to the Van Gogh Museum in the morning, and [takes] a canal boat in the afternoon. The team then attempted to switch up this pattern, for example by suggesting people take a boat ride in the morning to avoid the crowds when they bought their City Card. Another scheme involved displaying a live feed showing the queue at the most popular places, such as the Van Gogh Museum, to encourage visitors to plan their trip for later in the day or plump for another destination altogether. Other strategies have included rebranding places to entice tourists to venture further afield. Zandvoort, 18 miles from the city centre, has been renamed Amsterdam Beach to signal that it can be easily reached and public transport to more far-flung destinations like this is also now included as part of the City Card offering. Technology is also playing a major role in Amsterdams bid to redistribute tourists. A new app called "Discover the City" sends users notifications warning when an attraction is busier than normal and suggesting alternatives. An AI-powered service for Facebook Messenger is also in the works; it will scrape a persons profile and then come up with interesting things to see and do in the city based on their posts and likes. Currently only available in Dutch, an English version is expected to be ready by late 2018. You cannot close a city, said Udo. Its such a short-term solution. She added: You have to make solutions for the future to cope with the local world. 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 are a million and one economic reasons why Britains withdrawal from the EU is likely to result in something approaching a disaster. However, that isnt to say the European Union is beyond criticism; far from it. And its reaction to the constitutional crisis currently enveloping Spain is a case in point. As we heard myriad times during the referendum campaigns, the EU means something rather different to many on the continent than it does to people in the United Kingdom. For us, it has largely been about trade and about global influence and, to a lesser degree, about developing a shared European identity (although younger generations might argue that, for them, this latter point takes precedence). For continental Europe, the EU was primarily established as a means to avert a repeat of catastrophic war between nations. Yes, it has helped economic growth (though not equally) and has enabled Europe to present at times a united face to the rest of the world. But at its heart, the EU is a political project, designed to prevent a resurgence of nationalism and of militarism; and for its most ardent proponents, it remains far from finished in terms of the greater federalisation of Europe. Indeed, for those who oppose the EU, both in the UK and elsewhere, it is precisely that desire to empower the union even further which causes such anxiety. Yet for all that the EU represents (to its supporters at least) a fundamentally progressive ideal, it is nonetheless constrained by the conservative realities faced by any club with 28 (soon to be 27) members, each of which is answerable to its own group of people, who in turn have their distinct concerns, their discrete pre-eminent ideals and their separate national identities. The European Union may have been set up in response to the horrors of extreme nationalism in the 1930s and the global war that followed, yet paradoxically it has perpetuated the nation state narrative that has dominated European history for 200 years. Catalan leader: Democratically deciding our future is not a crime As a club of national members, it cannot do otherwise unless or until such time as all the members, each authorised by their own constituent peoples, agrees to be effectively subsumed within a European super-state. Despite the hopes of some in Brussels, that time has not yet come, nor frankly is it likely to. One of the consequences of this in practice is that, when it comes to national politics, EU officialdom invariably feels obliged to hold its tongue. While that largely creates no difficulties, at times it has the effect of making the organisation appear impotent when confronted by the very things it was supposedly set up to prevent nationalism and conflict within Europe. Recommended What suspension of autonomy could mean for Catalonia The situation in Spain has shown these limitations to a striking degree. Plainly the question of Catalan independence is complex one, not least in terms of establishing whether a majority of the population there actually wishes formally to break from Spain. Moreover, there are regional independence movements within other parts of the EU: a pronouncement from Brussels on Catalonia has much wider consequences. Yet the EUs reluctance to become embroiled has meant it refuses even to comment on the very obvious brutality of Spanish police officers who sought to prevent the Catalan referendum. Whatever the votes legal basis, surely condemning violence by the authorities against innocent people isnt too much of a stretch, is it? One might have thought the EU could also be interested in reports of violence by Spanish neo-Nazis opposed to Catalan independence, as well as claims those extreme nationalists have been given free reign by police. Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA Of course it is an oddity of Western European history that in its post-war period it quite successfully confronted the evils of fascism as it had been manifested in Germany and Italy: the rebuilding of Europe after 1945 demanded it. Yet Spains fascist dictatorship took a different course, dying a natural death only in the 1970s. Even though the country joined the EU in 1986, it remains a matter of debate whether the Franco era in all its nastiness, including the repression of regional culture has ever been properly addressed. No wonder the present political conflict between Madrid and Barcelona is becoming so bitter and so volatile: the echoes of the past for both sides are all too obvious. The failure of the EU to respond effectively to the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s led to the realisation that a common approach to foreign policy was necessary in certain circumstances. But the Catalan independence movement which pits Catalan national identity against Spanish national pride is showing its limitations, with the EU conflicted between an intrinsic desire to oppose nationalism in all its forms and to confront the organisational reality of a structure which takes the notion of nation states as a given. None of this should lead to the conclusion that departing the EU makes sense for Britain. But in its approach to Spains current, troubling problems, we are seeing the EU at its worst. You know it's been a tough time in Thoroughbred racing when the best news heard all week is that a big-name horse has been suffering from stomach ulcers. With the tragic and unexpected deaths of Effinex and Irap and the retirement of last year's 2-year-old champion Classic Empire, racing needed some good news as we approach the Breeders' Cup. Ulcers, good news? Most definitely when it not only provided an explanation for Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming's abrupt form reversal, it virtually plucked him out of retirement and put him on the path for a 4-year-old campaign. In danger of becoming a Derby bust and one of the most forgotten classic winners in years, Always Dreaming and his ulcers have now provided a ray of hope that the Derby form was indeed legitimate and that we have an exciting and brilliant horse to look forward to next year; the same exciting and brilliant horse who dominated his opponents in the Florida Derby and the Run for the Roses. It turned out to be a good thing that WinStar Farm put off issuing an official retirement release. We waited and waited for the release that was inevitable. WinStar is always looking to build on their already extensive stallion roster, but this was one horse they were in no hurry to add, especially after such an ignominious final three races, in which he was a total bust in the Preakness and Travers Stakes and blew an easy uncontested lead in the Jim Dandy Stakes. But then came the results of the tests taken by Dr. Larry Bramlage of Rood & Riddle that stamped him perfectly sound and healthy except for the presence of some of the nastiest ulcers Dr. Steve Reed of Rood & Riddle has ever seen. Just like that, the Preakness, Jim Dandy, and Travers slate was pretty much wiped clean, as if it never happened. Now, the last people will remember of Always Dreaming was him skipping through the slop and crushing his Kentucky Derby opponents. With Gunnevera heading to the Breeders' Cup Classic following his fast-closing second in the Travers Stakes at 24-1, racing fans will again take notice of the Florida Derby when Always Dreaming left him 6 1/2 lengths behind in his impressive five-length romp, run in a razor-sharp 1:47 2/5. He then crushed Gunnevera by 13 1/2 lengths in the Kentucky Derby. Those are the races we will take into 2018 as we await the 4-year-old debut of Always Dreaming with great anticipation. That means we also get a second dose of the colt's colorful owners, headed by the Brooklyn boys Anthony Bonomo and Vinnie Viola, along with Anthony Manganaro and West Point Thoroughbreds' Terry Finley, with a touch of Tom Durkin thrown in for additional color. We now have the distinct possibility of an Always Dreaming--West Coast rivalry to look forward to, as the latter is expected to return next year. Or in other words, an East Coast--West Coast rivalry or a first half of the year vs. second half of the year rivalry or, as of right now, a Kentucky Derby--Travers winners rivalry. Pick whichever you find most enticing. But the important part is that we have the Kentucky Derby winner to look forward to as a 4-year-old, something you rarely see anymore. If it takes ulcers to get that accomplished, as well as a reputation restoration, so be it. "I'm very excited about his return," Bonomo said. "We found out about the ulcers after the Travers when we sent him to WinStar Farm and had a full workup done. Of course, now we know why his Travers performance was not what was expected of him. I'm encouraged by his demeanor and his looks now. WinStar has done an outstanding job with him and I hope his return will be equal to his earlier races." This is like getting a second chance and resurrecting what looked to be an outstanding career. "It's tough to see a horse like that retire when you think there's so much left in the tank," Bonomo said. "I believe racing and his fans deserve to see him again. It's good for the sport." Elliott Walden president and CEO of WinStar added, "It also explains a lot about his regression in form, and we are extremely excited about his racing potential in 2018. The sky is the limit." Following a scope of his stomach in the next several weeks, he should return to light training at WinStar around November 1, eventually shipping to Todd Pletcher at Palm Beach Downs. So you can make up your own mind to what degree the ulcers affected Always Dreaming's performance in the Preakness Stakes and even in the Jim Dandy, although he didn't run that poorly in the latter. The logical conclusion is that horses, especially a Kentucky Derby and Florida Derby winner, as talented and brilliant as Always Dreaming do not go off form that dramatically and that quickly. Considering his impending ailment, perhaps the colt, who was fairly lightly raced when he ran at Churchill Downs, was affected by the stress of having to come back in two weeks following the Derby. Again, it is all speculation, but the fact is, after witnessing his impressive victories this spring, his Preakness simply was too bad to be true. But that is in the past. It is time to look ahead. For the colt's connections, who at one time had to be extremely bewildered and frustrated by the turn of events, the dream continues. And for the rest of us, all that matters is that the Derby winner is back. 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 }} Unless the unthinkable happens and Donald Trump directly contradicts himself, could this be the end of modern historys first and most productive conspiracy-theory generator? On Thursday, as the Troll-in-Chief tweeted yesterday, he intends to sanction the publication of 3,000 classified documents relating to John F Kennedys murder. He reserved the right to change his mind, and yield to FBI and CIA pressure to block the law mandating the documents release. But this is unlikely. According to a White House official, he believes [they] should be made available in the interests of full transparency. Oh yup, he does love that. Thats why he cant stop releasing his tax returns. But even if his motive is purely to divert the headlines away from his many epic failures, anyone who has been sated with the JFK theories ages ago might enjoy the novelty of agreeing with Trump. For a mental image of the sheer volume of conspiracies the Kennedy killing has produced, picture the almost 1000 books on the subject piled into a column. For a snapshot of just how long its been going on, look at my ravaged old face. Does Melania Trump have a body double? On 22 November 1963, the shock of hearing about the shooting in Dallas sent my mother into what was not, as she still likes to remind me, a swift or relaxing labour. Three days later, I emerged into a world of tears just as Kennedy was being buried in Virginia. The midwives, nurses and doctors were crying, without the venues traditional precursor of a slap on the bum. If that tells a story of how loved across the planet Kennedy was, the reason so many have spent so long in such a futile pursuit as solving the almost certainly non-existent mysteries of his death goes beyond grief. Kennedys murder was more than a heart-wrenching human tragedy. It is widely assumed to be a history-changing event. Stephen Kings novel, 22/11/63, is predicated on that idea. In 2011, a New England teacher goes through a rabbit hole, back to 1958 to begin preparing to stop Lee Harvey Oswald shooting the President. If Kennedy lives, after all, everything changes. No military escalation in Vietnam, no culture wars, no later assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, no Richard Nixon using a blatantly divisive strategy to win the White House (remind you of anyone?). On any timeline where Oswald is stopped and Kennedy lives, so Kings protagonist believes, the future of America and beyond is far gentler, kinder and more civilised than ours. Whether that proves true or another outlandish theory (the law of unintended consequences is a mighty piece of legislation), the received wisdom holds that Kennedys death was worse than the end of something good. It was the start of something hideous a uniquely powerful trauma with massive, far-reaching consequences. Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters Small wonder that no single occurrence in modern history has inspired such obsessive speculation. Did Oswald act alone or with an accomplice, or was he (as he claimed in the the days between killing Kennedy and being shot by Jack Ruby) a patsy. Did Moscow collude to change the occupancy of the Oval Office (once again, ring any bells?) in payback for JFKs perceived humiliation of Nikita Khrushchev over those Cuban-bound nukes the previous year? If it wasnt the KGB, did Fidel Castro commission the hit in response for various attempts on his life by the CIA? Was it the CIA itself or the mafia or Lyndon B Johnson, or Sooty and Sweep, Alf Ramsey, or one of the myriad others fingered by the phalanx of theory-concoctors down the decades? Any violent death radiates shards of confusion which can be finessed into a sinister plot by those who wish to do so. Princess Dianas car crash and the 9/11 attacks created industries of their own. But as a character in Stephen Kings novel says, its best to rely on Occams razor. The simplest solution is usually the right one, and its a 97 per cent likelihood that Oswald acted alone. The Warren Commission investigated for a year and found no conspiracy, domestic or international. The peculiar Catch 22 genius of the conspiracy theorist, of course, is that nothing confirms the conspiracy like evidence it never existed. The more and harder proof you offer, the stronger they believe what is being disproved. Its like one of those pirate knots that get tighter and tighter the more you struggle against them. Barack Obama tried to destroy his conspiracy theory by publishing a long-form birth certificate issued in Hawaii. He was reluctant to engage with crazy racists but eventually decided it was time to shame them into silence, and abort one individuals embryonic political ambitions. Five years later, America replaced Obama with the Birther Supreme; the same Donald Trump who, during the campaign, tweeted that the Cuban-born father of Republican rival Ted Cruz was with Oswald shortly before the JFK murder, and may have been involved. So bring it on, Mr President, and let us know at last if Oswald did have an accomplice hidden behind that fabled Texan hillock. Who better than Twitters troll to unlock the secrets of the grassy knoll? 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 }} John F Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, a former US marine who had a Russian wife, had defected at one stage to the Soviet Union and may have been indoctrinated there. He was a lone killer who had no accomplices when he carried out the assassination. Those were the conclusions of official investigations. But a considerable amount of evidence has emerged since the shooting on 22 November 1963 in Dallas which pointed to a cover-up. Many now firmly believe that rogue elements in the CIA and FBI had worked in collusion with the Mafia to murder the President of the United States. This is part of the reason why it makes good sense for Donald Trump to order the release of classified material, including CIA and FBI files, on the affair which has hitherto been kept secret. Trump himself has indicated that he is a believer in a conspiracy and has made the claim that the father of Ted Cruz, his opponent in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, was associated with Oswald. Roger Stone, who helped launch Trumps presidential campaign and remains a close confidant, is a leading conspiracy theorist. He has written a book on the assassination which makes the accusation, unsupported, that Lyndon Johnson, Kennedys vice president and his successor in the White House, was involved in the killing. Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters Stone said at the weekend that he helped persuade Trump to release the Kennedy documents. He told Alex Jones, the right-wing radio host and another conspiracy theorist: I had the opportunity to make the case directly to the President of the United States why I believe it is essential that he releases the balance of the redacted and classified JFK assassination documents. The conspiracy theories of Stone and Jones are not confined to the past. They have repeatedly charged that Trump is being assailed by the deep state, a supposedly clandestine alliance of senior officers in the CIA, FBI and the US military carrying out the establishments dirty works against a populist president. Jones, who heads the alt-right site InfoWars, has warned that he may even face an assassination threat. They are not the only ones in the Trump camp to rail against secret forces. Donald Trump Jr has declared that the deep state is real, illegal and a threat to national security. Sean Hannity, the Fox News anchor, charges: Deep state has gone rogue. The deep state is now actively seeking to take out your President. For Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, into links between Trump and his associates and Moscow is the deep state at its very worst. As that investigation continues and expands, Trump himself has been retweeting claims of sabotage by the deep state. It is certainly the case that Trump has made enemies in the intelligence community where there is deep concern among some that he is a threat to national security. He sacked James Comey after, it is claimed, the FBI director refused to ease up on the Russia inquiry: the former CIA director, John Brennan has called Trumps behaviour on a range of issues despicable and disgraceful. So making public documents that are likely to reinforce the view that the intelligence services were perfidious over the Kennedy assassination would play into the current Trump narrative. It will rekindle interest on that dark and extraordinary chapter of American history and focus on the workings of the secret state. Alex Joness InfoWars is proclaiming: Deep state panics as Trump readies JFK files release. US intelligence operatives have falsely claimed then that Oswald was working for the Russians. Now they are claiming falsely, Trump supporters would say, that there are secret Russian connections to the Trump White House. The intelligence services, the dark state, goes the mantra, are the real villains of the piece. There are, however, some crucial differences between the Kennedy and Trump eras. The antipathy towards JFK from elements in the intelligence services and the military came because of his supposed lack of aggression over Cuba the Bay of Pigs fiasco and the missile crisis and towards Russia overall. A few of the commanders at the time appear to have verged on being deranged. Air Force General Thomas Power, for instance, dismissed the idea of restraint if conflict were to break out with the declaration: The whole idea is to kill the bastards. At the end of the war, if there are two Americans and one Russian left alive, we win. Now it is the former military commanders in the Trump administration who are the restraining check over a President who, John Brenner warns, has by his words and his actions, putting our national security and our collective futures at grave risk. Defence Secretary Gen James Mattis, national security adviser Lt Gen HR McMaster and Chief of Staff Gen John Kelly are said to have an agreement that not all three of them would ever be abroad at the same time: one would stay behind in Washington to monitor Trumps orders. There is another, somewhat ironic, echo from the Kennedy times. JFK became a target of the mafia, it is claimed, because his brother Robert, the Attorney General, was carrying out a concerted drive against organised crime, one he refused to halt despite warnings. Carlos Marcello, the mafia boss of New Orleans, told a friend before the President's killing: You know what they say in Sicily: if you want to kill a dog, you dont cut off the tail, you cut off the head. Santos Trafficante, mob boss in Florida, confided to an FBI informer: Kennedy is not going to make it to the [1964] election, hes going to be hit. The alleged role of organised crime is now part of Robert Muellers investigation into Trump. The Special Counsels team are looking into claims on whether proceeds from crime, some of it from Russia and former Soviet Union, were laundered through Trump construction projects. The Trump Organisation denies the allegations. 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 }} The latest round of North Korean public diplomacy, an open letter attacking Donald Trump, comes at a time when major political events have taken place in China and Japan, and on the eve of a high-profile visit to Asia from the US President. As a result, two big stories, one a long-term process of great power competition in Asia, the other an increasingly immediate crisis on the Korean Peninsula with potentially devastating results, look increasingly interlinked. The wider regional environment is defined by the rise of China politically, strategically but most prominently economic and the increasing uncertainty of US commitments to the region, in particular as the guarantor of security. The rest of the region has an immediate challenge in deciding how to respond to the threat of a nuclear North Korea and the potential of conflict, and a long-term challenge in how to position themselves vis-a-vis China and the US. Beijing and Pyongyang may be united in opposition to US presence in the region, but the likelihood of China gaining the strategic and stable space it desires in Asia, is lower when the primary issue is the security concerns emanating from a nuclear North Korea. Speaking at the Chatham House London Conference on 23 October, the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, declared the single most productive asset in a peaceful resolution to the North Korea crisis is Chinas economic pressure. This dovetails with a line often heard from President Trump and from Japan, that it is in Chinas gift to dissuade Kim Jong-Un from his current path. There are those who disagree: former US President Jimmy Carter, for instance, has said that many greatly overestimate the influence China possesses. Boris Johnson says military option must remain on the table with North Korea This weekend saw the sending of an open letter attributed to North Koreas Foreign Affairs Committee distributed to Australias embassy in Indonesia but addressed to Parliaments of Different Countries. The letter attacked Donald Trump for the tightening of sanctions on Pyongyang and his UN speech of 19 September, in which he threatened to totally destroy North Korea if the United States is forced to defend ourselves or our allies. In a call to all countries loving independence, peace and justice the North Korean letter opposed heinous and reckless moves of the Trump administration trying to drive the world into a horrible nuclear disaster. One problem with adopting a strategy of bluster and bellicosity is that it can be interpreted as demonstrating aggression or defensiveness, strength or weakness. Kim Jung-Uns regime is arguing that their nuclear programme is a defensive action, required in response to Trumps threats; regional stability requires the rejection of ties to the US and its military presence. But this crisis revolves around a long-standing North Korean move to attain nuclear capability (which the letter claims it already possess) to strike the continental United States. This could reflect a cowed Pyongyang suffering under deeper sanctions a bellicose cry for help. Or it could be further escalation of rhetoric between Pyongyang and Washington. If North Korea is using declarative options which fall short of testing US response, this may be a sign of a creeping fear that President Trump will take pre-emptive action to stop their aims. His tweets may be dismissed as sound and fury yet more bluster but in the absence of a clear strategy they must be taken seriously. The letter is also the latest attempt to drive a wedge between the United States and its partners in the region. This time, it has been directed at (or through) Australia, but they come after missile tests directed at Japan. Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a resounding victory in a snap election held on Sunday, winning a super-majority (meaning majorities in both the lower and upper houses). Pending a victory in his partys leadership contest next year, Abe will be in power until 2021. This would make him the longest serving Japanese leader since the Second World War. It gives him space to push for the constitutional reform he has long advocated. This reform would allow for a more proactive security policy, and remove restrictions on Japans armed forces. Abe based his campaign in large part on the threat from Pyongyang, and upon his victory declared My immediate task is to deal with North Korea. Relations between Beijing and Tokyo are clouded with mistrust, if Abe is able to secure his goals in part due to North Korean aggression which Japan blames in part on China, Beijings ties to Pyongyang will look even more thankless. In November, President Trump will embark on a high-profile trip to Asia, visiting China, Japan and South Korea, and attending conferences in Vietnam and the Philippines. He will speak to the National Assembly in Seoul and lay out a vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific in Vietnam. Allies will seek reassurance about the US role in the region and the world will watch for an indication of the latest position on addressing North Korea. In an atmosphere of heightened tension and uncertainty, less bluster and blame and more diplomacy, on all sides, would be more than welcome. 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 }} There were those who said a 13th series of The Apprentice could be a series or 10 too many, but the true persevering genius of the BBC finally reveals itself once you come to realise the show simply had to make it through to 2017 to answer its true calling as a weekly Brexit negotiation live metaphor. As far back as, ooh a decade or so ago, it was reasonable to start wondering whether you hadnt perhaps seen enough of, say, a gang of egotistical imbeciles failing to sell breeze blocks of cash-and-carry mild cheddar to French gourmands at a Parisian farmers market. Or, to pluck another entirely random example from what just so happens to have been the most recently broadcast episode, not managing to convince a leading department store that whats missing from its shelves is a 750 smart robot not quite smart enough to remember its own name. But, once your eyes have shifted to view this nano-brained, witless WTFgasm through the prism of the much larger nano-brained, witless WTFgasm currently facing the nation, the process becomes extraordinarily illuminating. Scaled down to meet the hour-long episode timeframe, were 20 minutes into the Brexit negotiations now. The project managers brainstorming session ended with the voters taking a Claude-style glance at the camera, its head and jowls suddenly united in disapproving tremolando. Mere minutes ago, witless men with towering opinions of themselves were shouting things like, Were gonna smash it! Were gonna smash it! but now someones accidentally dropped the anthrax in the artisanal sausage machine, and any vague attempt at winning the task has been replaced by increasingly frantic and unhinged attempts at pre-apportioning blame for failure. We turn then to the leak of the latest disastrous dinner between Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker. EU chiefs say Theresa May dinner leaks intended to 'undermine' Brussels On the day in which the BBC reports news of a Cambridge-based dog with its head stuck in a wall, it is as good a time as any to remind oneself of that sacred dog/man/bite triptych of newsworthiness. For, as anyone who has dined with Theresa May knows, a disastrous dinner with Theresa May is not news. Indeed polite veterans of such traumatic occasions have been known to remark that, By the end even the cutlery was glancing at the door. An un-disastrous dinner with Theresa May that would be news. Back to the topic at hand. News of this disastrous occasion, after which Jean-Claude Juncker is understood to have told colleagues our Prime Minister is sleep-deprived and begging for help, has again appeared in the German press. The early rounds of finger-pointing have led with fingers pointed at Juncker wunderkind Martin Selmayr, on account him being a) the only German at the dinner and b) almost certainly having done it last time. Theresa May has failed to deny that she 'begged' Jean-Claude Juncker for help on Brexit Chief among the finger-pointers was Nick Timothy who, not at all sad that for some reason he doesnt get to go to these dinners anymore, immediately blamed Selmayr. After constructive Council meeting, Selmayr does this. Reminder that some in Brussels want no deal or a punitive one, he wrote on his newly reactivated Twitter account. But, in scenes sadly transposed to Twitter rather than their natural home in a Brentwood greasy spoon, stirring cold tea and taking responsibility for failure by loudly listing the reasons none of it is your fault, Selmayr struck back. I deny that 1/ we leaked this; 2/ Juncker ever said this; 3 /we are punitive on Brexit. Its an attempt to frame EU side and to undermine talks, he wrote. That the most important question facing the UK in generations should have descended to whoever-smelt-it-dealt-it territory should come as no surprise. Whether the one who denied it really did supply it cannot be ruled out. Whos coming back into the boardroom is not immediately clear, but you wont necessarily need a half-hour sit down with Adrian Chiles over on BBC Two to work out someone somewhere is not telling the whole truth. If immediate reaction is to be believed, this accusation and counter-accusation is not evidence of mere incompetence but a deep cover operation. It has even been suggested it could be Timothy himself, leaking to the German press, framing the man who was once considered his heavyweight Brexit sparring partner, before he accidentally punched himself in the face and knocked himself out on the way to the ring. Far-fetched of course, but dont forget that the last time this happened, Theresa May took it as pretext to give a truly demented speech, doubtless written by Timothy, blaming the EU for interfering in our election. And given what we have since come to know about the sheer weight of Timothys strategic genius, it would be naive to assume such political fart-lighting pyrotechnics on a self-hospitalisation scale are entirely beyond him. Intrigue aside, there is also the poor German newspaper-buying public to consider. How many euros should anyone be expected to pay to discover Theresa May is desperate, depressed and begging for help? There they are, pausing over their weisswurst to learn that Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel are of the view that Brexit is unwanted and that it is not up to them to solve Britains problems. Youve got to pity them really. That passes as news over there, does it? Over here weve got a dog with its head stuck in a wall. And dont tell anyone, but Ive heard the BBC have got him lined him up for series 14, once hes finished negotiating Brexit of course. Ireland will retain the common travel area (CTA) with the UK in the first landmark agreement to be hammered out under the Brexit talks. The impending CTA agreement, being hailed as a major victory for Ireland in the Brexit negotiations, will not include Border issues but will resolve a huge number of the Anglo-Irish concerns first raised by Brexit. Business groups have hailed the agreement as a huge boost to trade between the two countries and something that will, at a stroke, eliminate many of the Brexit fears over Anglo-Irish trade, travel and social issues. Under the deal, free movement of people between Ireland and the UK will be retained. Furthermore, Irish and UK citizens will continue to have their common social welfare and healthcare entitlements respected by each country. Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney indicated a deal on the CTA was now imminent and that it was "a big win" for Ireland in the EU and UK talks over Brexit. "The first big win of the Brexit negotiations will be on what is called the common travel area (CTA)," he said. "Ireland and Britain have, since 1923 and Independence, essentially recognised each other's citizens. "They have allowed free movement between the two islands, access to healthcare and social welfare - you can carry your pension entitlements and you can vote in each other's country. "We think we are going to get a deal on that and it will be protected even post-Brexit," he told RedFM Business. "This would be a really good deal for Ireland. Of course, the really complicated deal is the Border." Mr Coveney echoed the warning of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that London had come to understand that agreement on Irish issues over Brexit was central to allowing the EU to move on to trade talks. "We are part of those (Brexit) negotiations. Ireland is essentially on the EU negotiating task force," Mr Coveney said. "We speak with them every day and Michel Barnier leads that task force. "I speak to him a lot - that is my job in Government. "My job is to co-ordinate the Government's response to Brexit and to make sure that Ireland remains at the centre of those negotiations. "We can safely say that we are. "Britain knows now that the Irish issues need to be resolved or at least for significant progress to be made on them. "Without that, they cannot move on to talk about what they want to talk about which is trade and transition as regards the future relationship." Signals of the deal came just days after Mr Varadkar warned that physical precautions along the Border for a "hard Brexit" were not taking place amid fears they could become "a self-fulfilling prophesy". Two frontline gardai have taken the unusual decision to speak out about their fears ahead of Brexit. As members of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), James Morrisroe from Cavan and Brendan O'Connor from Donegal speak for rank-and-file officers in the Border region. The concerns they raise in an article for today's Irish Independent will make for stark reading for the Irish Government and indeed the politicians of Northern Ireland, who remain incapable of getting power-sharing back on course. In particular, the officers say the threat posed by dissident republicans, armed vigilantes and criminal gangs will be worsened if a physical Border is re-established. Low-level traffic offenders are now prepared to "risk lives" along the Border, knowing that they are unlikely to be caught due to a lack of gardai. "We are at breaking point and at times are struggling to respond to some incidents," the officers write. "A hard-Border Brexit outcome, one imagines, would certainly place an intolerable strain on the already depleted resources. It would simply be unsustainable at current levels." Warning that community policing has been dismantled due to cuts, the officers claim that their colleagues are often left isolated when responding to suspected crimes. Luke 'Ming' Flanagan voted in tandem with far-right eurosceptics such as Nigel Farage and Marine Le Pen on the issue of the Border with Northern Ireland. But the MEP then requested to the EU authorities that his vote be changed, saying that it was cast "in error". All other Irish MEPs voted in favour of a resolution that strongly rejected a hard Border for the North. The resolution stated that the parliament "strongly believes that it is the responsibility of the UK government to provide a unique, effective and workable solution that prevents a 'hardening' of the Border" and "ensures full compliance with the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts". MEPs such as Mr Farage and Ms Le Pen - who are seen as the most far-right politicians in Europe - opposed the motion, along with Mr Flanagan. But Mr Flanagan then requested to the EU authorities that his vote be changed, saying it was cast "in error". It is understood that Mr Flanagan was strongly criticised over his vote by the Border Communities Against Brexit group. The Irish Independent sent a query to Mr Flanagan on Saturday asking why he voted in this manner. The Midlands-North West MEP responded: "An error in following my voting list. "Haven't heard from you since we had to run you from our dinner table in the Oireachtas restaurant." This journalist has never been in the Oireachtas members' restaurant. After sending the response, Mr Flanagan tweeted that this newspaper should be "careful what ye write". It is understood that Mr Flanagan had become engaged in testy exchanges with the Border Communities Against Brexit group after it criticised him for voting against the resolution. A meeting was then scheduled between the MEP and the group for last Thursday. Sources close to the group say they were furious with Mr Flanagan. However, Mr Flanagan later said that it was an "error". Resolution The resolution itself - which passed through parliament - was issued in response to the serious concerns about the return of a hard Border. It stated that the parliament "stresses that the unique position and special circumstances confronting the island of Ireland must be addressed in the withdrawal agreement". It also said that this must be done "in a manner fully consistent with the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts, the agreed areas of co-operation, and with European Union law in order to ensure the continuity and stability of the Northern Ireland peace process". Northern Ireland property tycoon Padraig Drayne has been revealed as the private developer who bought the former Ballynafeigh police station on the Ormeau Road in south Belfast. The police station was sold last December amid reports it may become a retail unit. However, the Irish Independent understands the property - which was on the market for 900,000 (1m) - was snapped up by Mr Drayne, from Co Tyrone, with a view to building retail and residential units. Mr Drayne has been involved with several developments, including with his frequent business partner, Belfast-born investor Paddy McKillen. The two joined forces to build the Jervis Street shopping centre in Dublin more than 20 years ago. Mr McKillen is not involved with the Ormeau Road police station development. Mr Drayne is involved in plans to build an exclusive multi-million-euro apartment development in the Dublin suburb of Malahide. The developer plans a five-storey building that will include 23 apartments. Mr Drayne also became embroiled in Mr McKillen's lengthy legal battle against the billionaire Barclay brothers, in the fight to control the Maybourne Hotel Group. The Maybourne group includes luxury London properties, such as Claridge's, the Connaught and the Berkeley. Mr Drayne was one of the original investors in the deal, but later sold his shares in the venture to Mr McKillen. Social media companies face the prospect of unlimited fines if they fail to remove posts which risk prejudicing criminal trials. Landmark legislation to be published this week will push responsibility for online content back on to tech giants such as Google, Facebook and Twitter rather than the individual who posts it. The use of social media has been in the spotlight since the Jobstown case earlier this year, when water protesters launched an online campaign in support of those on trial for the alleged false imprisonment of former Tanaiste Joan Burton. Both the Supreme Court and the Law Reform Commission have previously called for contempt of court to be defined in legislation, as it is in other countries such as the UK. The bill, written by Fine Gael TD Josepha Madigan, aims to provide clarity to judges who are struggling to deal with contempt of court issues. Under the proposals going before the Dail tomorrow, the courts will be able to force companies to remove or prevent the publication of prejudicial content. Expand Close Josepha Madigan Picture; Gerry Mooney / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Josepha Madigan Picture; Gerry Mooney It will be left to trial judges to decide the level of fine imposed if a company fails to comply. Ms Madigan, who is also a solicitor, said she was concerned social media was not being treated in the same manner as traditional media. "We need to protect juries from being influenced in any adverse or prejudicial way," she told the Irish Independent. Her bill will give the law on contempt of court statutory footing for the first time. "It protects the balance between the right to free speech and the right to a fair trial," she said. Disruptive During the summer, then-chief justice Susan Denham indicated that new procedures were needed in relation to how contempt of court laws apply to posts on social media. She said it had been rare that courts in Ireland have had to use contempt of court laws to curb inaccurate and disruptive online communications about cases. But she added: "It would be naive of us not to plan for the future in this regard." Ms Justice Denham said the right to a fair trial didn't change "in the face of any new means of communications" and that the rules "can and must reflect the new reality". Ms Madigan's Contempt of Court Bill 2017 gives judges the power to direct that material which risks prejudicing court proceedings be removed from websites. They would also be able to order that the website's operators take steps that the court deems "reasonably necessary" to prevent the publication of such posts. Failure to comply with such orders would be contempt of court. The penalty for individuals found to be in contempt of court after they made posts on social media is imprisonment or a fine. Websites could be found to be in contempt notwithstanding the fact that their administrators were not responsible for the original posting of the material. Internet providers may be ordered to block access to the offending sections of the website, under the proposed law. Among defences allowed for in the bill is if the website's operators can show they went "beyond what is reasonably necessary" to prevent the publication of material prejudicial to a court case. It would not be an offence to unwittingly prejudice a trial by posting a comment on a social media site while believing a trial was not ongoing. A worker at Beigene labs. Shares in the Chinese biotech have soared on international markets Investors are betting on China's potential to feed the global pharmaceutical pipeline, putting a multi-billion-dollar price tag on a handful of stocks, even as the country struggles to close a huge research and development (R&D) gap with the West. Shares in firms such as Chi-Med, Beigene and Zai Lab have soared on international markets this year, fuelled by hopes for their drugs and recent reforms to China's regulatory system that should speed up approvals. "It's almost a coming out party for China biotech," said Christian Hogg, chief executive of Hutchison China MediTech or Chi-Med, which presented promising data at a global medical congress this week on a lung cancer drug it discovered in China and is developing with AstraZeneca. "China is in vogue because of the positive moves on the regulatory side, as well as advances at companies. It's a big, big change versus 10 years ago and it is accelerating." Importantly, national and provincial authorities are also moving faster to agree payments for innovative drugs, albeit after negotiating price discounts in many cases. Yet, amid the euphoria, it is easy to lose sight of the fact China still has far to go. It contributes just 4pc of global drug innovation - as measured by the number of products in development and recent launches - against 50pc from the United States, according to an October 2016 report from four Chinese pharmaceutical associations. "It is very apparent they are trying to transition to being more of a novel drug development environment and bring in more innovative research," said Scott Gottlieb, head of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). "I think it's going to be a long transition... we built up an ecosystem in this country over decades and decades." China's traditional strengths lie in generic drugs and the bulk production of active pharmaceutical ingredients that are found in pills in pharmacies worldwide. The shift in focus to original research is a change in mindset, although it builds on the success of contract research and manufacturing company WuXi Biologics, which does much of the legwork for China's budding biotechs. Bi Jingquan, the reformist bureaucrat who has led China's drugs watchdog the CFDA since 2015, views innovative - and affordable - drugs as the key to meeting the country's growing clinical demands. China is now the world's second-biggest drugs market after the United States. But the CFDA head lamented in a recent speech that Chinese domestic drug industry R&D investment was only 42 billion yuan (5.3bn) last year, a small slice of the 133bn spent worldwide by drug companies in 2016, according to market intelligence group EvaluatePharma. Not helping is an under-developed academic ecosystem in China and the fact most big local drugmakers are deeply rooted in generics, despite outward talk of innovation. "It's easy to say I want to do new drug development, but then it's harder to see yourself spending $100m and then fail," said Samantha Du, chief executive of Zai Lab. (Reuters) Old-school methods worked for the longest time in preparing students for life after graduation. For generations of Americans, the public school experience was a pattern of 180-days a year that repeated itself 13 times from kindergarten to their senior year in high school. The classroom had rows of desks that faced forward toward a teacher who was the recognized authority on the subject and the go-to person for questions. Students carried textbooks, spent the whole day in one building, learned much of the content by rote and demonstrated what they learned through tests and quizzes. The original system was designed as an industrial model, said Karen Quinn, director of curriculum and instruction for the Carlisle Area School District. The thinking was that if employers could get people to do repetitive tasks in a factory to produce a product, then school districts could do the same thing with thousands of students moving through, Quinn said. We all move forward and we all graduate with the same set of skills, Quinn said. It was always to educate a citizenry so they could become good citizens. And the model worked for the longest time, especially when information didnt change all that quickly. Students came out skilled enough in math and language arts with knowledge in other subjects to find a pathway through life. New methods But now we are overloaded with information, which is why we need to start teaching kids how to access information on their own and judge the accuracy and value of that information, Quinn said. Public schools are moving away from a rigid structure of requiring students to memorize blocks of content. Instead, educators are trying to balance the need to follow academic standards with the flexibility of teaching students how they can be adaptable and self-direct their own philosophy of lifelong learning. This is being done to prepare students for a world of increased automation and uncertainty over what future jobs may look like. Old school methods are giving way to new models where teachers will be looked upon more as facilitators in education than as the end-all experts or the only source of information in the classroom, Quinn said. Instead of rows of desks, students are being clustered more into groups to allow for greater collaboration on projects and assignments, she said. Rather than teach the whole class the same content at the same time, day-to-day instruction may evolve into a series of stations where some students are listening to a lecture while others are busy elsewhere in the room with online research and group discussion. Laptop computers and downloadable content are replacing textbooks in many cases, and the changes are such that some students are spending part of their school day in traditional classrooms and part of their day in a cyber school-type setting. While Carlisle provides each student a laptop from the eighth grade on, there are many school districts across the U.S. that cant afford such an initiative, Quinn said. Learning code Big Spring School District in western Cumberland County is studying the feasibility of implementing a coding curriculum in its elementary schools, Superintendent Richard Fry said. We are in the very early stages, said Robyn Euker, director of curriculum and instruction for Big Spring. When you look at the research on coding, its just like learning a different language. The younger you can do that the better. Coding is what drives computers, Euker said. Its going to be what drives automation, technology and artificial intelligence. Its going to be the language those things are written in. For students, coding will become an avenue for them to practice critical thinking and problem solving skills. The other thing you are teaching them is logic and mathematical reasoning, said Quinn, adding that Carlisle has after-school coding clubs at Bellaire and Mooreland elementary schools. Kids are finding they have to think differently, Quinn said. That I have to try it out and if it doesnt work I have to come back. I have to be resilient and I have to persevere because the code is not going to work the first time. More than memorizing Because technology has made information so much easier to obtain, emphasis has shifted away from the stacked memorization of content to a more skills-based transfer of knowledge and the application of facts to real-world situations, Euker said. For example, there was a time when each Big Spring student was required to memorize every state capital. Now they are only required to know about Harrisburg and other capitals in the mid-Atlantic region. They are taught to do a Google search for the rest of that content. But the instruction doesnt stop there. Students today are taught how to identify credible sources, how to reconcile sources that conflict and how to pick up on any bias or propaganda, Quinn said. They are also taught how to interpret information and to make sound judgments on its accuracy and usefulness. The goal is to help students learn how to problem solve, make decisions and investigate topics of interest to them, Quinn said. She added, in the future, classroom instruction will move away from just a Google search and an analysis of findings toward teaching students how to consult with experts outside of their classroom teacher. How do we branch out to say there are other experts in the world? Quinn asked. If I want to learn filmmaking, can I blog with someone who is a filmmaker in Hollywood? If I write a fictional story can I have a writer give me some feedback? At Big Spring, elementary school students are learning through a Habits of Mind curriculum that teaches the life skills necessary for lifelong learning, Euker said. Such lessons include persistence in the face of challenges and how to be engaged and to have input into the direction of your own learning. The shocking conditions in dozens of slum-like houses are revealed in a special investigation that lays bare the lengths landlords will go to in order to evade inspectors. In some dwellings up to eight people are sleeping in the same room, with up to 30 crammed into a property, while the landlords collect cash-in-hand payments every week. The investigation reveals eight landlords manage more than 40 properties across Dublin. The group of people running the houses are removing bunkbeds, partitions and items of furniture before inspections in an attempt to deceive council staff. These tactics are being used to mislead inspectors about how many tenants are living in the overcrowded houses. The group removes mattresses and furniture the night before inspections and stores them in warehouses in Bray and Drumcondra. In correspondence seen by Independent.ie, some members of the group also discussed ordering "10 big bags" of cement to pour over leaking sewage before Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council carried out an inspection at a property in south Dublin. Expand Close No room between beds in one room / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp No room between beds in one room It also emerged that one property in Ranelagh was previously the address for more than 2,000 offshore firms, some of which were investigated by international authorities as they were linked to criminal activities. There are 25 girls living in the house. The ownership of the property is also registered in the name of a company that has since been dissolved. Other properties are located in Blackrock, Rathmines, Dundrum, Shankill, Rialto, Clontarf and Tallaght. All the properties viewed during the investigation were two-storey houses in residential areas, except for a three-storey house in Clontarf. One house in Rathmines has 23 girls living there. The lease is in the name of one of the property managers, who is also listed as director of a property management company. He said the properties mentioned above had nothing to do with his management company and the other members of the group were not employed by him. Each property has an appointed 'queen' who is responsible for collecting rent, overseeing housework and management of the bills. Independent.ie was unable to contact the owners of any of the houses. A source said some owners were clueless as to how the houses were being rented. Convicted rapist Christy Griffin has had his jailhouse privileges withdrawn after being caught with a contraband mobile phone in his Midlands Prison cell. The armed robber whose conviction for raping a young girl in 2007 sparked a deadly Dublin feud was caught with the phone in his cell on Sunday two weeks ago. Sources confirmed Griffin was subsequently removed from his cell in the jails G-wing and transferred to C-wing. A P19 disciplinary hearing in relation to the discovery of the contraband phone was held the following Tuesday and Griffin was found guilty of a breach of prison rules. The phone was subsequently handed over to Gardai for analysis. Since May 2007, it is an offence under the Prisons Act for an inmate, without the permission of the governor, to possess or use a mobile phone. Inmates caught with a mobile phone can be sentenced to a further five years imprisonment and a fine of 10,000, if convicted on indictment. A summary case in the District Court can result in a 12-month jail sentence and a 5,000 fine. Griffin, who in January marked his 10th year in the Midlands Prison, has now served two thirds of a 15-year sentence that was reduced from life on appeal. In January he filed a petition for Habeas Corpus in the High Court which, if granted, would have in effect had the result of ruling his continued detention illegal. However, court records show the application was refused on an ex-parte basis in April. Griffins move to secure release was met with alarm in the north inner city, where five men died as part of the Sheriff Street feud. Christy Griffins release has the potential to kick off a fresh wave of violence, said a source at the time. Griffin was a senior member of a gang of over 30 men and women who were involved in the drugs trade as well as stealing from cargo containers in Dublins docklands. But when allegations surfaced back in 2003 that he had been repeatedly raping his partners daughter they caused a split in the gang. One side of the crime syndicate remained loyal to Griffin while another group believed the victims allegations and turned on him. Two tense trials followed during which Gardai were forced to set up an armed checkpoint outside the victims family home. When the jury failed to reach a verdict at his first trial at the Central Criminal Court, in May 2006, there were violent scenes outside the Four Courts when associates of Griffin clashed with family friends of the rape victim in front of frightened onlookers. Throughout that summer, tensions mounted in the north city and Griffin moved out of the area before he was eventually jailed. The board of the new National Children's Hospital (NCH) has defended its fire safety plans after concerns were raised over the hospital applying for derogation from certain fire safety conditions. The hospital's board appealed against three of four conditions which were included in a fire safety certificate issued by Dublin Fire Brigade. It is understood the appeal to An Bord Pleanala was made in relation to the costs associated with the conditions issued. The NCH, which will be located at the site of St James's Hospital, is expected to open in 2021. It will amalgamate the three children's hospitals currently operating in the capital - Temple Street, Our Lady's in Crumlin and Tallaght. A spokeswoman for the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) moved to play down any fears that the fire safety standards would not be to the required level. A statement released by the hospital in response to reports yesterday said the 1bn hospital would be fully equipped with sprinkler systems. The hospital says it has held extensive consultations with Dublin Fire Brigade in relation to its safety certificate application and is confident its proposals will exceed the minimum requirements. "The provision of fire sprinkler protection planned for the new children's hospital will exceed the number that is set out within the fire safety regulation legislation," the statement read. "A statutory process is under way in relation to a number of conditions relating to the fire safety certificate. A decision is expected from An Bord Pleanala (ABP) by year end and the NPHDB will comply with any fire safety requirements associated with ABP's decision." Children's Minister Katherine Zappone told RTE yesterday that the appeals were cost-related. Buildings spokesperson for the Social Democrats Cian O'Callaghan said the appeals made by the board were "alarming". He said the conditions issued by Dublin Fire Brigade were sensible measures. "Ireland has a poor track record in construction standards meeting fire safety standards in recent years and a shamefully weak record of enforcement," Mr O'Callaghan said. "I'm calling on the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board to withdraw its application for a derogation of these fire safety requirements. It's important that the board shows leadership." The hospital, however, has insisted patient safety is its number one priority. "The safety of children attending the new children's hospital and that of their parents and visitors, together with hospital staff and the wider community, is the primary concern for all those involved in this project," it said. The hospital will have two satellite centres along with the main building - located in Tallaght and Blanchardstown. Construction at the satellite building in Blanchardstown, at the Connolly Hospital site, is due to begin today. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris will join representatives of the board and he Children's Hospital Group for the official sod-turning ceremony. The building is expected to be used to provide urgent care to children in the Greater Dublin Area and is projected to deal with 25,000 urgent care patients each year. President Michael D Higgins has dismissed suggestions he may find another seven years in office too demanding. Since he arrived in Perth on October 4, Mr Higgins has travelled the length and breadth of Australia, taking part in a multitude of meetings and events. The 77-year-old has not had a single day off. In fact, he has actually scheduled additional business and cultural meetings during his time in Australia. Speculation is mounting about whether Mr Higgins will stand again for the Presidency - but he said that the decision won't be made public until May next year. Asked if the demanding nature of such trips would make him wary of standing for a second term, he said he would factor in all considerations. He added, however, that he "would really find it an extraordinary construction if someone suggested that because my trips are going well I should be disqualifying myself from any of my options". He added that he would take "everything into account" before making a final decision. "I was invited by Prime Minister [Justin] Trudeau to visit Canada, which is very significant again for migration, trade, investment and economy. If that happensIt might be May or whatever. After that, I will have a very clear view." Some believe that a delay in the announcement could pose problems for other potential candidates. Yesterday he stressed: "None of this decision-making of mine is standing by way of any obstacle to anybody else who wants to say what they want to wish for by way of being President of Ireland. That is the way it has always been. "That is the way I became President myself." Emotional Michael D recalls emigrant ancestors It was the thought of the thousands of unsent letters home that caused President Michael D Higgins' voice to crack, and then break. He was in the small outback town of Warwick in south Brisbane to meet the Irish diaspora on the penultimate day of his Australian state visit. Warwick is the final resting place of his great uncle Patrick and great aunt Mary Ann who sailed to Australia in 1862. They were not alone. Between 1860-63, some 25,000 Irish arrived in Warwick. In the 19th century, Mr Higgins said, remaining in touch with the old country took a heroic effort. There were financial costs, the distance emigrants had to travel to post offices, and the length of time it took their words to arrive home. The emigrant's desire to shield their families from the difficulties they were facing was another factor, he said. As a result, the writing stopped, and the families drifted further apart. Better to lose touch than cause pain. "So it is incredibly important on this visit as an Irish President to be able to say I am sorry for that broken connection," Mr Higgins said pausing to regain his composure. "There is nothing we can do about the letters that didn't come but there is a lot we can do about building our future relationships." When I was filming my latest TV series in Italy, Modena was the place that impressed me most. For a foodie, it's heaven. Modena is what I'd call a cross between Galway and Sligo, as it's sort of halfway between a city and a large town. It's also the home of balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano-Reggiano, so the first thing I'd do is go somewhere for a glass of wine and a serving of Parmesan that you dip into a little bowl of balsamic. Gorgeous, and I'd never seen that anywhere before. The food market is the centre of Modena for me. You could spend hours there, and Modena is a lovely place to walk around, with a sort of mini leaning tower of its own. Osteria Francescana in Modena was voted the best restaurant in the world in 2016. I was ringing for months before I was going to be in Modena, trying to get a table. When they eventually rang back and said they had one, I nearly wet myself with excitement. I brought my producer, David Hare, and I'd recommend it to anyone visiting the city. There is a Michelin- star restaurant called L'Erba del Re, and the chef there did the most amazing risotto for me. No onion, no garlic, no wine; instead, it was drizzled with Parmesan-infused milk at the very end. I came home and started doing my risotto that way. Down the road, the same chef, Luca Marchini, has Trattoria Pomposa. I had the best bolognese ragu of my life there, with pappardelle, the way the Italians do it. I'll fly back there with the family for that ragu alone. 'Neven's Italian Food Trails' is on at 7pm, Thursday, RTE One Dr Peter Boylan's contribution to the Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment appears to have been one of the more aggressive and arrogant versions of the recent 'Trust me, I'm a doctor' efforts. Given the repeated failures by consultants over the years, hepatitis C and symphysiotomy to mention just two, and the fact that termination would have been fully legal in the Savita Halappanavar case, he might have explained why the hospital involved was not prepared to properly deal with this known, if not very common, problem. Neither his contribution nor that of Professor Sabaratnam Arulkumaran addressed the issue of what rights the unborn child might be allowed, if any. Dr Rhona Mahony is someone who was very good to us at some difficult times and whom we hold in very fond regard. The contribution on this debate by her and Professor Fergal Malone was more measured and presented genuine dilemmas faced by doctors. Unfortunately, it was also very incomplete and left a lot of issues open. Dr Mahony and Prof Malone blend two separate issues: genuine danger to the mother and serious foetal abnormalities. A serious foetal abnormality, as we know from personal experience, is emotionally devastating but represents no immediate hazard to the mother. However, how do you define those that are so severe that they can justify killing the child? One example is Down Syndrome: where the child is capable of a joyful and fulfilled life, but where many medical systems urge termination and Iceland, among others, has proposed, as a "progressive" measure, to detect and permit the termination of every DS child before it is born. We don't doubt the difficulty of the question when a mother's life is genuinely at risk, but Dr Mahony and Prof Malone propose no actual solution other than "a change". Every human law is imperfect and open to reform, but we need a concrete proposal to discuss. We need to clearly understand in detail how proposed changes can improve things and, given the dishonesty and disrespect for the law shown by the abortion industry lobby here and in other countries, how they can protect against abuse of the proposed changes. In a country with people of many faiths and none, we are obliged to discuss these matters rationally and legislate based on scientific fact and respect for the dignity of all human life. Attempts, whether by extremist believers or State-financed human rights lawyers, to evade this obligation lead us directly to the likes of Trump-ian climate change denial and Brexiteer fantasies and ultimately to irrational, harmful laws. Anne and Liam Mulligan Letterkenny, Co Donegal 'Golden Pages' number is up Today I received my copy of the 'Golden Pages' (it was actually my second copy in three weeks). It was like receiving a relic from a previous time. How much did it cost to put this together, print and distribute? I spoke to my neighbour who said he put it straight in the green bin. Does anyone use this book to get phone numbers today? Damien Carroll Kingswood, Dublin 24 Keegan proposes vandalism Owen Keegan, Dublin City CEO, needs to be challenged when he proposes that public interest would be served by allowing residential development on land presently zoned as amenity/open space. These areas that he calls "low-quality spaces" are presently used as public parks, playing fields, nature reserves, etc. Far from serving the public interest, his proposal, if implemented, would be vandalism. There is enough land available in the city without building on public parks or playing fields. A Leavy Sutton, Dublin 13 The banks can act with impunity The banks went rogue in the past when they facilitated tax evasion, a criminal offence, as instanced by the Dirt and Ansbacher scandals. This was followed by reckless lending, which devastated many ordinary people, for whom bank shares were their pension fund. Now they have defrauded thousands of their customers in the tracker scandal. This indicates a sense of impunity as bankers see themselves as above the law and accountable to nobody. The politicians have failed to bring in appropriate and effective legislation - to put the fear of God into them - like the Revenue does to the rest of us. Donal Healy Co Meath State must step in to tracker row The recent exposure of the tracker mortgage scandal by the banking fraternity is daylight robbery by financial lending institutions of their long-suffering customers. The pain, grief, sleepless nights, anguish and torment endured by tens of thousands of ordinary people trying to put a roof over the heads of themselves and their families leaves an awful lot to be desired. The Central Bank is supposed to be the watchdog protecting consumers, and keeping our financial institutions in line. It was either not aware of what was going on, or took its eye off the ball. One wonders what - if any - role it played in this catastrophe, or what its future responsibilities should be, if any. But this is modern-day Ireland, where accountability is non-existent, and no one ever loses their highly paid jobs. White-collar crime must be tackled in this country as a matter of urgency, and the full rigours of the law of the land must be applied to those found responsible for any wrong-doing. The Government must now step in to ensure that not only is justice done, but more importantly is seen to be done. Tom Towey Cloonacool, Co Sligo A bonus for Charles, then The Sinn Fein mayor of Derry, Maoliosa McHugh, has refused to meet Prince Charles on his visit to that city. Usually, it is generally the same people who have all the good fortune, and I hope Charles suitably realises that it is not only the luck of the Irish which applies here on our sceptred isle. Robert Sullivan Bantry, Co Cork Leo can't fool all the people Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has made no gains for his party despite announcing a billion-euro package of tax cuts and spending measures. It appears that finally the Irish people can see through Government pre-election goodie bags. "You can fool all the people some of the time, but not all the people all of the time." Seamus McLoughlin Keshcarrigan, Co Leitrim American Association of University Women Carlisle and YWCA Carlisle will host a Carlisle Area School District candidate forum Wednesday at the YWCA facility at 301 G Street in Carlisle. The Carlisle Area School District has four open school board positions in the upcoming general election on Nov. 7. The CASD Candidate Forum, set to begin at 7 p.m., is an opportunity for the voting public to meet the candidates and get to know their qualifications, priorities and policy positions. Candidates will respond to questions around issues of interest in the Carlisle Area School District presented by moderator Robin Scaer, Executive Director of YWCA Carlisle. The questions were developed in advance by the organizing committee with input from both sponsoring organizations. Additional questions will also be taken from the audience. Participating in the forum are six candidates for the school board: Kitzi Chappelle, Rick Coplen, Brian Guillaume, Anne Lauritzen, Julie Lesman, and Deborah Sweaney. These six candidates participated in an earlier candidate forum during primary season in May 2017. This forum is free and open to the public. A man casts his vote for Veneto's autonomy referendum at a polling station in Venice, Italy. Photo: REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri Voters in the wealthy northern Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto went to the polls yesterday on proposals for greater autonomy from Rome, riding a global tide of self-determination that has swamped Spain's Catalonia region. While the twin referendums are non-binding, a resounding "yes" vote would give the presidents of the neighbouring regions more leverage in negotiations to seek a greater share of tax revenue and to grab more responsibility from Italy's central government. The leaders want more powers in areas such as security, immigration, education and the environment. Unlike in Catalonia, the referendums do not seek independence and have been approved by Italy's constitutional court. Still, the autonomy drive is a powerful threat to Rome's authority. Together, Veneto and Lombardy account for 30pc of Italy's GDP and nearly one quarter of the nation's electorate. At their respective polling places, Lombardy president Roberto Maroni and Veneto president Luca Zaia cast the referendum as a historic opportunity. "A page of history is being written," Mr Zaia said as he voted in Treviso province, north of Venice. "Veneto will not be the same as before." Mr Maroni, speaking as he voted in Varese province north of Milan, said the referendum represented "a historic occasion" for the two leaders to seek "greater responsibilities and resources". After 12 hours of voting, the turnout in Veneto was high enough to make valid the pending results of its ballot initiative seeking popular backing to grab power from Rome valid. In Veneto, 52pc of the region's four million voters cast ballots. No quorum was set in Lombardy, where turnout was lower, above 30pc of the eight million voters. These are some of the regional powers Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is seeking by triggering Article 155 to crush the separatist movement: Depose leaders First, Mr Rajoy wants to remove the members of Catalonia's pro-independence government. Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, vice-president Oriol Junqueras, and the 12 regional ministers claim Catalonia is sovereign and not subject to Spanish law. Impose control Catalonia has secured the ability to govern itself in many areas since democracy returned to Spain following the death of dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975. Education, health and policing are areas in which the region enjoys self-rule. Mr Rajoy proposes taking over the regional administration and its 200,000 civil servants after the top officials are removed. How Madrid's management would work is unclear. One option would be for Spanish ministries to assume direct control of their regional counterparts. Timetable for takeover A commission of 27 senators will assess Mr Rajoy's request tomorrow. Regional president Mr Puigdemont will have the chance to argue his case before the Senate on Thursday before it holds a vote expected on Friday. Difficult to enforce Political observers across the ideological spectrum agree Mr Rajoy and his government may have to resort to using force if Catalonia's leaders disobey orders to step down. Calls for resistance and disobedience have become standard in the secessionist camp. Hardcore separatists will put intense pressure on Mr Puigdemont and his government to stay in office. There are fears such a stand-off could lead to violent police raids like those that marred the referendum. Snap elections In all 17 of Spain's regions, the right to call early regional elections belongs exclusively to regional leaders. Mr Rajoy wants that right passed to him temporarily in Catalonia. His request includes a commitment to call for regional elections within six months. Limits on legislation While the prime minister isn't asking to dissolve the Catalan parliament, Mr Rajoy wants to limit what it can do. Specifically, the parliament would not be able to designate a new regional president until after Mr Rajoy calls for new elections. Catalonia's Parliament also would not be allowed to pass laws countering the Article 155 measures. Police Catalonia and the Basque Country are Spain's only regions with their own fully deployed police forces. Spain wants to take direct control of Catalonia's police, and warns it will consider increasing the presence of the National Police and Civil Guard. Police chief Josep Trapero is already under investigation for sedition by a Spanish judge. Finances Spain will increase its supervision of the region's finances, specifically to ensure that no public funds or revenues are used to promote a campaign for secession. Madrid put a large portion of Catalonia's budget under its direct supervision in the run-up to the October 1 referendum in an attempt to stop the vote from occurring in the first place. Public media Under Mr Rajoy's plan, Spanish authorities will also oversee the running of Catalonia's public television and radio stations, which have been major proponents of secession. Photographs from the day of polling showed aggressive action from some police. Photo: AP Spain's foreign minister yesterday dismissed scenes of police violence against voters in the Catalonia independence referendum as fake news. Live video and pictures of aggressive tactics by Spanish police filled social-media platforms and were beamed around the world, attracting condemnation by politicians internationally. However, speaking on The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One, Alfonso Dastis, an independent politician and a legal adviser to the United Nations, dismissed the images of Spanish brutality. Many of those pictures have proven to be fake pictures, he said. If there was any use of force, it was a limited one, prompted by the fact that the law and order agencies were prevented from discharging the orders of the courts. Pressed by Mr Marr, the Spanish minister added: I am not saying that all are fake pictures, but some of them are and there have been a lot of alternative facts and fake news. Expand Close People hold Catalan pro-independence Estelada flags and Basque Country flags during a demonstration in the northern Spain Basque village of Beasain yesterday to support the movement led by Carles Puigdemont. Photo: GETTY / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People hold Catalan pro-independence Estelada flags and Basque Country flags during a demonstration in the northern Spain Basque village of Beasain yesterday to support the movement led by Carles Puigdemont. Photo: GETTY Mr Dastis also rebuffed criticism from Catalonias authorities of his governments move to impose direct rule over the region on the weekend, saying: If anyone has attempted a coup, it is the Catalan regional government. Andrew Stroehlein, the European media director of Human Rights Watch, responded by saying that the NGOs detailed investigation into three cases found that the national police and Civil Guard used excessive force. The police may well have had the law on their side to enforce a court order but it didnt give them the right to use violence against peaceful protesters, said Kartik Raj, Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch. Media outlets around the world showed scenes in which voters or volunteers running polling stations were beaten with truncheons, had their hair pulled or were otherwise manhandled as Spanish security forces attempted to enforce a ban on the referendum, which was ruled unconstitutional by Spains courts. Expand Close Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis. Photo: AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis. Photo: AFP/Getty Images A report on Catalonias referendum by independent election observers from The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies condemned the police violence that it said had caused injuries to hundreds of voters on polling day. The use of force displayed by the Spanish police has no place in established democracies, the report said. Catalonias health department has since released a breakdown of the 991 patients it says required treatment on October 1 as a result of the scenes of confrontation between the police and citizens at polling stations. According to the data, the biggest reasons for treatment were contusions and multiple contusions, together accounting for 818 patients. Fifty people were reported to have suffered wounds and gashes, with another 30 listed as having suffered a head trauma or concussion. Most of those affected were dealt with by mobile ambulance units or in health centres, while 38 needed hospital treatment. Among those taken to hospital was a 38-year-old man treated for an eye injury believed to have been caused by the police firing rounds of rubber bullets, which were established to be projectiles used by Spains national police force in Barcelona. Catalonias government claimed that 90pc of the 2.3 million people who voted had said yes to independence, which represents 38pc of the electorate. Catalan president Carles Puigdemont claimed the result gave the region a mandate to declare independence. Madrid responded on Saturday by announcing the imposition of direct rule over Catalonia. Mr Puigdemont has said he will ask Catalonias parliament to debate and then take action against this attempt to liquidate our self-government in the coming days, prompting speculation that he was preparing to put a declaration of independence to a vote before calling regional elections. However, the chief spokesman of Catalonias government said the calling of a snap election was not on the table. Jordi Turull, speaking on Catalonias RAC1 radio station yesterday, said he did not rule out a unilateral declaration of independence. What Catalonia is will be decided by the parliament legitimately elected by the citizens, he said. Mr Puigdemont has vowed to fight on even as prosecutors warned he could face up to 30 years in jail if he refuses to back down. Supporters of the regional government flooded the centre of Barcelona on Saturday following Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys announcement on direct rule. Local police estimated a turnout out of around 450,000. The Catalan institutions and the Catalan people cant accept this attack, Mr Puigdemont said later. We should defend our institutions as always in a peaceful manner, but also with dignity and with solid arguments. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] People protest against the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia last Monday, in Valletta, Malta. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi Thousands of Maltese joined in a protest yesterday calling for justice over the murder of a campaigning journalist who was killed by a car bomb last week. The demonstrations in Malta's capital, Valletta, were organised by the group Civil Society Network after the attack that killed anti-corruption blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia (53) in a murder that shocked the Mediterranean island. However, some of the politicians she accused of wrongdoing stayed away from the demonstration. Some of those present at the protest carried placards or wore T-shirts with the last words written by Ms Caruana Galizia, minutes before she was killed: "There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate." "You remember, we gathered, almost three years ago, in Paris, after the Charlie Hebdo killing. We have gathered today in Valletta for Daphne and everybody can say 'I am Daphne, je suis Daphne'," said Christophe Deloire, secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders. Michael Briguglio, who heads the Civil Society Network, said the commissioner of police and the attorney general should be removed for not having acted following revelations in the so-called 'Panama Papers'. Expand Close A woman and child wrapped in Maltese flags stand near a memorial for murdered investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Photo: REUTERS / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A woman and child wrapped in Maltese flags stand near a memorial for murdered investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Photo: REUTERS Ms Caruana Galizia reported in April that the wife of Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was the beneficiary of a secret company in Panama, called Egrant, in which $1m (850,000) had been deposited from Azerbaijan. The claim was strenuously denied by the prime minister and by his wife. A magisterial inquiry on the Egrant charges is under way. The Maltese government on Saturday announced a 1m reward and protection for anyone who comes forward with information leading to the identification of whoever was behind the journalist's murder. "This is a case of extraordinary importance which requires extraordinary measures," the government said in a statement on the reward. However, Mr Muscat did not attend the event in Valletta because he said he knew that the anti-corruption reporter's family didn't want him to be there. "I know where I should be and where I should not be. I am not a hypocrite and I recognise the signs," Mr Muscat said, adding that he supported the rally's goals of a call for justice and national unity. Mr Muscat had been re-elected with a large majority for a second five-year term in June. Nationalist leader Adrian Delia also decided to skip the rally because he didn't want to "stir controversy". "Today is not about me, but about the rule of law and democracy," he said. A delegation from his Labour Party and the opposition Nationalist Party attended. President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca was present, walking at the back of the large crowd with her husband. She was later due to meet a delegation of the Civil Society Network. Flowers were laid at the foot of the Malta Great Siege monument commemorating the unsuccessful siege of Malta by Ottoman Turks in 1565 - which has become a temporary shrine for Ms Caruana Galizia. "It is us who are now under siege," a participant said as he looked at the banks of flowers under a picture of Ms Caruana Galizia. Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe Abe pledged to tackle what he called Japan's two national crises, the military threat from North Korea and an ageing and shrinking population (AP) Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to tackle what he called Japan's two national crises: the military threat from North Korea and an ageing and shrinking population. Speaking after a decisive election victory, he said he is committed to protect the Japanese people's prosperity and peace from any contingency. He also referred to Japanese people who were abducted years ago and are believed to still be held by North Korea. "I will pursue decisive and strong diplomacy to tackle North Korea's missile, nuclear and abduction issues and put further pressure to get it to change its policy," he said. His ruling coalition was returned to power in elections for Japan's more powerful lower house on Sunday. Mr Abe said Japan's decreasing population and ageing is "the biggest challenge" for his Abenomics policy aimed at Japan's economic recovery from deflation. "The problem is progressing by the minute, and we cannot afford waiting around." He promised a comprehensive package by the end of the year to deal with Japan's demographic challenges, including investments in education, productivity improvements and pension system reform. Mr Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and a small coalition partner together secured at least 313 seats in the 465-member lower house, passing the 310-barrier for a two-thirds majority. Three seats remained undecided. Mr Abe said the result showed "strong support" from the people and thanked them for backing stability and his government's policies. The victory boosts his chances of winning another three-year term as party leader next September. That could extend his premiership to 2021, giving him more time to try to win a reluctant public over to his longtime goal of revising Japan's pacifist constitution. In the immediate term, the win is likely to mean a continuation of the policies Mr Abe has pursued since he took office in December 2012 - a hard line on North Korea, close ties with Washington, including defence, as well as a super-loose monetary policy and push for nuclear energy. Stocks rose in Tokyo on Monday morning. Mr Abe said he will have "deep discussion" on North Korean policies with US President Donald Trump during his planned visit to Japan from November 5-7. He said he will call a special parliamentary session to be re-elected as prime minister and install his new Cabinet, which is expected to retain most of its current members. Mr Abe's ruling coalition already has a two-thirds majority in the less powerful upper house. Having a so-called supermajority in both houses gives them virtually a free hand to push even divisive policies and legislation. That would also increase Mr Abe's chances of achieving a constitutional revision, a goal his party and its nationalist supporters have advocated for years. They view the 1947 constitution as the legacy of Japan's defeat in the Second World War and an imposition of the victor's world order and values. The charter renounces the use of force in international conflicts and limits Japan's troops to self-defence, although Japan has a well-equipped modern military that works closely with the US. Any change to Japan's constitution, which has never been amended, requires approval first by two-thirds of parliament, and then in a public referendum. Polls indicate that the Japanese public remains opposed to amendment. The win indicates Mr Abe has bounced back from the summer, when support ratings for his Cabinet plunged to 30% after accusations of government favouritism to people connected to him. For the first time since he took office nearly five years ago, he appeared vulnerable as both party leader and prime minister. The ruling coalition's victory reflects as much the lack of viable alternatives as support for Mr Abe. Turnout was just 54%, as typhoon rains lashed much of the country and delayed final results. Mr Abe dissolved the lower house less than a month ago, forcing the snap election. Analysts saw it as an attempt to solidify his political standing at a time when the opposition was in disarray and his support ratings had improved somewhat. His plan was briefly upstaged by the launch of a new opposition party by populist Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike. But initial excitement faded, and the Party of Hope took only 49 seats. Another new party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, won 55 seats and looks to be the biggest opposition grouping. It is liberal-leaning, while both the Party of Hope and Mr Abe's Liberal Democratic Party are more conservative. AP A Scottish man has been sentenced to three months in prison in Dubai for touching a man's hip in a bar, according to campaigners. Jamie Harron, from Stirling, was arrested in July over the incident in which he said he put his hand on a man's hip to avoid spilling a drink in a crowded bar. The 27-year-old electrician had been working in Afghanistan and was on a two-day stopover in the United Arab Emirates at the time. After his arrest for public indecency, he lost his job and was told he could have faced up to three years in jail. Campaign group Detained in Dubai (DiD) said he was sentenced to three months imprisonment at court yesterday but lawyers plan to appeal. The group said Mr Harron was "angry, disappointed, and dreads what may happen next". He is not currently in custody while the appeal is considered, DiD chief executive Radha Stirling said. Mr Harron has already been sentenced in absentia to 30 days in prison for failing to appear at a court hearing for making a rude gesture and drinking alcohol during the same July incident. DiD said the 27-year-old was not told about the court date in advance and that sentence is also being appealed. In relation to the alleged public indecency charge, Mr Harron is said to have been holding a drink, moving through a crowded bar and held a hand in front of him to avoid spilling it on himself or others. He then "touched a man on his hip to avoid impact''. He was initially jailed for five days and then released on bail with his passport confiscated. Ms Stirling said: "Now Jamie has been sentenced to three months; there is no telling whether a judgment on appeal will be better or worse. "He has already suffered tremendously as a result of these allegations, and now faces the likelihood of incarceration. "His family was unable to visit him during this critical time because they faced a very real risk of imprisonment themselves under the UAE's cyber crime laws which forbid criticism of the government. "At this point, Jamie will definitely be pursuing civil action against his accusers when he does eventually return home, as it appears that he will not be able to find justice in the UAE." She added: "He feels betrayed and exploited by the system, which did not investigate the reports of key witnesses." President John F Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade in Dallas shortly before he was shot. Photo: AP Thousands of never-before-seen and classified documents relating to the assassination of John F Kennedy look set to be released this week after US President Donald Trump said he would not block their publication. He tweeted: "Subject to the receipt of further information, I will be allowing, as president, the long blocked and classified JFK FILES to be opened." The National Archives has until Thursday to disclose the remaining files relating to Mr Kennedy's 1963 assassination. The trove is expected to include more than 3,000 documents that have never been seen by the public and more than 30,000 that have been previously released but with redactions. Congress mandated in 1992 that all assassination documents be released within 25 years, but Mr Trump has the power to block them on the grounds that making them public would harm intelligence or military operations, law enforcement or foreign relations. Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia centre for politics, and the author of a book about JFK, tweeted: "This is the correct decision. Please do not allow exceptions for any agency of government. JFK files have been hidden too long." The anticipated release has had scholars and armchair detectives buzzing. Expand Close US President Donald Trump has agreed to the release of thousands of never-seen government documents related to the assassination. Photo: AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp US President Donald Trump has agreed to the release of thousands of never-seen government documents related to the assassination. Photo: AP But it is unlikely the documents will contain any big revelations on a tragedy that has stirred conspiracy theories for decades, Judge John Tunheim said. Mr Tunheim was chairman of the independent agency in the 1990s that made public many records and decided how long others could remain secret. He said: "There could be some jewels in there because our level of knowledge in the 1990s is maybe different from today." JFK scholars believe the trove of files may provide insight into assassin Lee Harvey Oswald's trip to Mexico City weeks before the killing, during which he visited the Soviet and Cuban embassies. His stated reason for going was to get visas that would allow him to enter Cuba and the Soviet Union, according to the Warren Commission, the investigative body established by former president Lyndon B Johnson. However, much about the trip remains unknown. RBI clarifies linking Aadhaar to bank accounts mandatory Putting an end to any legal confusion, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently issued a clarification on the linking of Aadhaar to bank accounts. In its statement, the RBI announced that the linkage of Aadhaar with bank accounts is mandatory under the Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records) Second Amendment Rules, 2017 published in the government Gazette on June 1. Accordingly, existing bank account holders must furnish their Aadhaar number by December 31, 2017; failure to do so will invalidate the bank account. It is also mandatory to link ones Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar. Only small accounts where the aggregate of all credit in a financial year does not exceed US$1,538 (Rs 100,000), withdrawal and transfers in a month do not exceed US$154 (Rs 10,000), and the account balance at any point of time does not exceed US$769 (Rs 50,000) fall outside the purview of this linkage requirement. RELATED: Audit and Financial Review Advsiory SEBI applies pressure on shell companies with stringent MPS norms In an attempt to curb listing of shell companies in the stock market, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has directed stock exchanges to be stringent with companies on minimum public shareholding (MPS) norms. The move follows the governments ongoing crackdown on shell companies. SEBI requires listed companies to maintain an MPS of 25 percent. According to the directive, companies found to be in non-compliance with MPS norms will be fined US$77 (Rs 5,000) for each day of non-compliance. Further, the exchange can tell depositories to freeze the entire shareholding of a promoter or promoter group in the company. In cases where the listed company continues to be non-compliant with MPS norms for more than a year, the penalty will increase to US$154 (Rs 10,000) per day. The exchanges will also intimate depositories to freeze all the securities held in the demat account of the promoter and promoter group. RELATED: Shutting Down Indias Shell Companies Government Continues Anti-Corruption Drive New reporting requirements for bank and financial transactions above 50,000 rupees A new rule notified under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) mandates Indias banking and financial institutions to match the original identification documents of persons dealing in financial transactions above the prescribed limit of US$769 (Rs 50,000) with the photocopies of the same. Through this rule, the government aims to wipe out forged documents used in black money generation and money laundering in India. The Official Gazette notification was issued on October 16. Currently, individuals opening new accounts have to provide banks with their Aadhaar information and other official documents. The new rule requires individuals to produce these documents used in the opening of the bank account for all subsequent cash dealings of more than US$15,379 (Rs 1 million). The rule also applies to cross-border wire transfers of more than US$7,689 (Rs 500,000) in foreign currency, and in the sale and purchase of immovable property valued at US$76,894 (Rs 5 million) or more. The FBI hasnt been able to retrieve data from more than half of the mobile devices it tried to access in less than a year, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Sunday, turning up the heat on a debate between technology companies and law enforcement officials trying to recover encrypted communications. In the first 11 months of the fiscal year, federal agents were unable to access the content of more than 6,900 mobile devices, Wray said in a speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Philadelphia. To put it mildly, this is a huge, huge problem, Wray said. It impacts investigations across the board narcotics, human trafficking, counterterrorism, counterintelligence, gangs, organized crime, child exploitation. The FBI and other law enforcement officials have long complained about being unable to unlock and recover evidence from cellphones and other devices seized from suspects even if they have a warrant, while technology companies have insisted they must protect customers digital privacy. The long-simmering debate was on display in 2016, when the Justice Department tried to force Apple to unlock an encrypted cellphone used by a gunman in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. The department eventually relented after the FBI said it paid an unidentified vendor who provided a tool to unlock the phone and no longer needed Apples assistance, avoiding a court showdown. The Justice Department under President Donald Trump has suggested it will be aggressive in seeking access to encrypted information from technology companies. But in a recent speech, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein stopped short of saying exactly what action it might take. I get it, theres a balance that needs to be struck between encryption and the importance of giving us the tools we need to keep the public safe, Wray said. In a wide-ranging speech to hundreds of police leaders from across the globe, Wray also touted the FBIs partnerships with local and federal law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism and violent crime. The threats that we face keep accumulating, they are complex, they are varied, Wray said, describing threats from foreign terror organizations and homegrown extremists. Wray also decried a potential blind spot for intelligence gathering if Congress doesnt reauthorize an intelligence surveillance law set to expire at the end of the year. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows the government to collect information about militants, people suspected of cybercrimes or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other foreign targets outside the United States. Intelligence and law enforcement officials say the act is vital to national security. A section of the act permits the government, under the oversight of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, to target non-Americans outside the United States. If it doesnt get renewed or reauthorized, essentially in the form that it already is, were about to get another blind spot, Wray said. Fusion Microfinance closes 12% lower on debut After a weak listing, stock of Fusion Microfinance closed Tuesday's session down 11.74% to Rs324.80. According to BSE data, the IPO was subscribed 2.95 times, with qualified institutional... November 15, 2022 | 15-11-2022 4:10 pm Markets see a topsy-turvy day Indian equity markets saw a topsy-turvy day. After starting the day in Green, markets started falling. In the afternoon session, they started rising again. After 3 p.m., in the last one h... November 15, 2022 | 15-11-2022 3:54 pm Healthcare Global posts Rs 7.4 crore profit in September quarter Healthcare Global Enterprises Ltd's revenue in the September quarter increased y-o-y by 19.3% to Rs 4,200 million. Profit after tax, after removing the impact of exceptional items, incre... November 15, 2022 | 15-11-2022 3:41 pm Global Health IPO to list tomorrow The Initial Public Offer of Global Health Limited is all set to list on bourses on Wednesday, November 16, 2022. The price band for IPO has been fixed at Rs 319-336 per share. The company aims ... November 15, 2022 | 15-11-2022 3:40 pm EaseMyTrip launches 2.0 self-booking tool for corporates Easy Trip Planners Limited has announced the launch of a self-booking tool for corporates. With this tool, business travellers and corporates can book their travel with ease as it si... November 15, 2022 | 15-11-2022 2:52 pm Were excited to announce that indmin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com. A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets. Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials. If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details. In high school civics I was taught that, in America, the president has many roles, often divided in other countries. Hes commander in chief, head of state, chief administrator and executive, the head of his party, chief diplomat, legislative leader and, according to some lists, the guardian of the economy. I think we need to add another job description: Hes the talent. In Hollywood and increasingly journalism, business and government the talent is the person who must be catered to above all others. With few notable exceptions, you can get another executive producer or director, but you cant get another Barbra Streisand or Arnold Schwarzenegger. Hollywood is full of stories of the talent making ridiculous demands and issuing absurd fatwas to protect their egos. Streisand instructed through aides, of course that the help at a London hotel not look her in the eye. Sean Penn had a serf swim the polluted and dangerous waters of the East River to get him a cigarette. Mike Myers halted production of Waynes World because he didnt have margarine for his bagel. Writing about the unfolding scandals around Harvey Weinstein a rare example of off-screen talent Washington Post movie critic Ann Hornaday described the time-honored Hollywood reflex to circle the talent. When times get tough when a reporter or newbie or civilian dares to challenge the behavior of a Hollywood eminence the impulse is to close ranks around who has more power, money, fame and, perhaps most crucially, talent, Hornaday wrote. Did a star lash out at a clumsy boom operator on a film set? Circle the talent, fire the crew member. Does a director have a drug problem thats endangering an entire production? Circle the talent and quash the expose. Is a movie mogul serially abusing young women and enlisting his employees as accomplices? Circle the talent and lie, ignore, attack, move on. Theyre worth it, goes the rationalization. No one else can do what they do. Washington is full of people who think theyre the talent. I once knew an intern who was in an elevator with a politician-turned-pundit. Even though the celebrity was standing right next to the elevator buttons, he told the intern in the back corner: That button isnt going to press itself. Much has already been said about how our ratings-obsessed president is a product of reality television. When he picked his Cabinet, he reportedly saw it as both a staffing and a casting challenge. Thats the language he speaks, an inside source told the Washington Post. Hes very aesthetic. You can come with somebody who is very much qualified for the job, but if they dont look the part, theyre not going anywhere. Trumps well-documented tendency to dislike it when members of his administration get more attention i.e., get more screen time or appear on the cover of Time magazine is classic talent behavior, as is his need to have more ice cream than his guests. Trump, who likes a good entourage, even in the Oval Office, is by many accounts consumed by his reviews in the press. On the infamous Access Hollywood tape that was released a year ago, Trump was heard explaining that he could get away with his alleged groping of women because when youre a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. My friend Rob Long, a veteran Hollywood TV producer, saw it all coming back in January. President Trump is the actor starring in your series who is going to make your life miserable for the next four years, Long wrote in Variety. President Trump is what you get when you put the talent in charge. Sen. Bob Corkers jab last week that the White House is an adult day-care center prompted Chief of Staff John Kelly to take over the press briefing to deny the story. I was not brought to this job to control anything but the flow of information to our president so that he can make the best decisions, Kelly told reporters. So, again, I was not sent in to or brought in to control him. Maybe thats true, but it sure sounds like what someone circling the talent would say. As does much of what passes for conservative commentary about the talent-in-chief these days. Iraq's Shia Militia 'Must Go Home', Says Tillerson By teleSUR Exactly what country is it that Iraqis who rose up to defend their homes against ISIS return to? Iran's top diplomat responded. Posted October 23, 2017 In a rare joint meeting between the leaders of Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the U.S. top diplomat Rex Tillerson announced that it was time for Iranian-backed militias and their Iranian advisers who helped Iraq defeat the Islamic State group to go home, drawing accusations that U.S. foreign policy is dictated by the Saudi Kingdom. Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against Daesh and ISIS is coming to a close, those militias need to go home. The foreign fighters in Iraq need to go home and allow the Iraqi people to regain control, Tillerson said at a joint news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir. Tens of thousands of Iraqis heeded a call to arms by religious clergy in 2014 after the Islamic State group rapidly conquered a third of the country. The militia force called the Popular Mobilization Forces, which received funding and training from Tehran and have been declared part of the Iraqi security apparatus. A senior U.S. official said Tillerson had been referring to the PMF and the Quds Force, the foreign paramilitary and espionage arm of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The PMF is comprised of dozens of organizations, including Sunni Muslim, Yazidi, Christian and Shiite Turkmen groups. The groups have been excoriated as a sectarian tool of Iran due to the heavy representation of Shia Muslim organizations. Arab Shia militia include those who ideologically align with the Islamic Republic of Iran such as the Badr Organization, who worked with U.S. troops following the 2003 U.S. invasion, as well as groups like Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq a paramilitary group that carried out daring operations against occupying forces during the insurrection that followed the collapse of the Iraqi state. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif derided Tillersons commands as being dictated by Irans oil-rich arch-rival Saudi Arabia. The Saudi rulers have been accused of giving massive funding and logistical aid to Sunni extremist groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter Exactly what country is it that Iraqis who rose up to defend their homes against ISIS return to?, Zarif said in a tweet. Shameful US FP (foreign policy), dictated by petrodollars. Iraqs military, armed by the United States but supported by the PMF, ejected the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim militant group from Mosul and other cities in northern Iraq this year. Several thousand U.S. troops are still in the country, mostly for training but also to carry out raids against the Islamic State group. A new joint ministerial-level body between Iraq and Saudi Arabia convened its inaugural meeting earlier on Sunday to coordinate their fight against the Islamic State group and on rebuilding Iraqi territory wrested from the group. Jubeir emphasized historic ties between the two neighbors, which share a border, vast oil resources and many of the same tribes. The natural tendency of the two countries and people is to be very close to each other as they have been for centuries. It was interrupted for a number of decades. Were trying now to make up for lost ground, he said. The rare senior meeting, signaling a slight thaw between states that have been at loggerheads for decades, was also attended by Saudi King Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. See also - Russia stands by Baghdad and insists on Iraq's territorial integrity Foreigners who joined IS face almost certain death in Raqqa ; World governments are loathe to let jihadists come back home, and may even be encouraging local forces to see that they die in battle The U.S. Will Invade West Africa in 2023 After an Attack in New York According to Pentagon War Game By Nick Turse October 23, 2017 " Information Clearing House " -When the Pentagon peers into its crystal ball, the images reflected back are bleak. On May 23, 2023, in one imagining from the U.S. military, terrorists detonate massive truck-bombs at both the New York and New Jersey ends of the Lincoln Tunnel. The twin explosions occur in the southern-most of the three underground tubes at 7:10 a.m., the beginning of rush hour when the subterranean roadway is packed with commuters making their way to work. The attack kills 435 people and injures another 618. Eventually, well come to know that it could have been much worse. The plan was to drive the trucks to high profile targets elsewhere in Manhattan. Somehow, though, the bombs detonated early. This spectacular attack, which would result in the highest casualties on U.S. soil since 9/11, isnt the hackneyed work of a Hollywood screenwriter it is actually one of the key plot points from a recent Pentagon war game played by some of the militarys most promising strategic thinkers. This attack, and the war it sparks, provide insights into the future as envisioned by some of the U.S. militarys most important imagineers and the training of those who will be running Americas wars in the years ahead. The 5/23 terror attack was a small but pivotal part of a simulated exercise conducted last year by students and faculty from the U.S. militarys war colleges, which are the training grounds for prospective generals and admirals. Sprawling and intricate, the 33rd annual Joint Land, Air and Sea Strategic Special Program (JLASS-SP) brought together 148 students from the U.S. Air Forces Air War College, the Army War College, the Marine Corps War College, the Naval War College, the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, the National War College, and the National Defense Universitys Information Resources Management College. They collaborated for several weeks of remote war-gaming conducted via cyberspace tools, telephones and video teleconferencing, according to Pentagon documents obtained by The Intercept. It culminated in a five-day on-site exercise at the Air Force Wargaming Institute at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. The materials used in JLASS-SP obtained via the Freedom of Information Act detail the chaotic tenure of an imaginary 46th president, Karl Maxwell McGraw, and offer a unique window into the training of the Armed Forces future leaders. The documents consist of hundreds of pages of summary materials, faux intelligence estimates, fictional situation reports, and updates issued while the exercise was in progress The Intercept is publishing one of these fictional situation updates here . They are highly detailed and, at a time when the press and lawmakers are increasingly asking questions about U.S. military involvement in Africa, offer a stark assessment of the potential perils of armed action there. While it is explicitly not a national intelligence estimate, the war game, which covers the future through early 2026, is intended to reflect a plausible depiction of major trends and influences in the world regions, according to the files. Map: The Intercept McGraw, a former independent Arizona senator who rode his populist America on the Move campaign to victory in the 2020 election, ushers in a wave of equally independent congressional candidates and the promise of TRUE change in Washington. His presidency is, instead, buffeted by a seemingly endless string of crises. Just after entering office, in February 2021, a cyberattack shuts down the control system of the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Berwick, Pennsylvania, shaking the confidence of the American people in the governments ability to protect critical infrastructure. For the next two years, while dealing with the fallout from an Asian economic crisis, state-sponsored cybercrime, and the rise of new anti-globalism and right-wing extremist groups, the McGraw administration claims success in thwarting numerous overseas terror attacks, including a plot to bomb a number of U.S. embassies and consulates throughout Europe. But in West Africa, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is expanding its presence and building on long-running failures of U.S. anti-terrorism efforts in the region, including U.S. support for French and African military operations that began in 2013 and now appear more or less permanent. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter By 2021, according to the war games scenario, AQIM boasts an estimated 38,000 members spread throughout Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, and a network of training camps in Mauritania, as well as outright bases in Western Sahara . At the same time, AQIM strengthens its ties with the terror groups al Shabaab in Somalia and Boko Haram in Central Africas Lake Chad Basin to create a network of synchronization across the African continent and beyond, including shared funding, training methods, and IED-making materials. As this pan-African Islamist terror cartel grows, so does AQIMs global reach, eventually allowing it to carry out the devastating attack on the Lincoln Tunnel and another, that same day, on the Canadian Embassy in Nouakchott, Mauritanias capital, killing 135 people including the Canadian Ambassador and his staff. With near-complete congressional backing and the assent of the government of Mauritania, President McGraw joins forces with Canada to launch Operation Desert Strike. A major U.S. and Canadian ground force, backed by air and sea power, lands in Mauritania on June 15, 2023 with McGraw promising the American people a well-planned, rapid, and efficient operation that would conclude in three years. As with so many other American wars and interventions since 1945, however, U.S. military operations do not go as planned and instead seem to follow the well-worn path of Americas many other forever wars. We are facing a tough and adaptive enemy, Major General Roger Evans, the commander of Operation Desert Strike, tells the press in January 2026. But this coalition is tougher and more adaptive. Even in wargames, however, theres a credibility gap between what imaginary generals say about fictitious wars and the (made up) facts on the ground. Exercise documents offer a more pessimistic assessment of the three-and-a-half-year-old war. A steady increase in violence in northern Mauritania and Mali continues to frustrate Operation Desert Strike commanders as they struggle to counter a stubborn enemy, reads a report. According to the fictional files, during December 2025 attacks are up a staggering 90% over Novembers numbers. Mounting terrorist strikes like the Christmas Eve bombing outside a Canadian base in eastern Mauritania that kills eight coalition troops and wounds another 15, an assault on a U.S. military convoy that claims the lives of seven American soldiers, and an ambush that kills one Green Beret and sees another reportedly captured by al Qaeda-allied militants are just one indicator of the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Maghreb. As the conflict enters its fourth year, weapons and militants continue to freely pour into the war zone. Were doing our best to work with the nations in the region to control the flow of enemy fighters and weapons into Mali, Mauritania, and Algeria, but there are not enough forces to be everywhere, coalition spokesman Colonel Byron Scales admits. That coalition, too, is frequently a problem in and of itself. In November 2025, the United States is slated to begin transferring responsibility for the war to the African Union and decrease its military footprint. But that deadline comes and goes as the AU demands more money and fails to adequately scale up its efforts. That, coupled with Canadian Prime Minister Richard Baker beginning to withdraw his forces on April 1, 2026 and NATO rebuffing President McGraws request for additional support, makes it clear that the war would become ever more American and grind on far beyond McGraws own withdrawal deadline of December 2026. Despite or perhaps, increasingly, because of the presence of 70,000 U.S. forces and their Canadian allies, civilians in the region continue to suffer mightily. In 2025, the terror group Boko Haram, reinvigorated by the war, carries out 12 suicide bombings in Nigerias capital, Abuja, alone. That December, the group rampages through the Nigerian town of Damaturu, killing more than 100 people in a series of coordinated bombings and gun attacks. Days later, AQIMs Christmas Eve bombing of the Canadian military base in Mauritania claims the lives of 83 civilians shopping in the nearby marketplace. We will continue to work with our partners to root out and destroy al Qaeda. We are making progress, but it will take time, Major General Evans tells the public in early 2026. Just how much time and how much progress, however, is only offered in a private assessment sent to the head of U.S. Africa Command on March 8, 2026. In that communique, Evans catalogues the many setbacks plaguing Operation Desert Strike: the resilience of AQIM, the upcoming loss of Canadian forces, the weakness of Malian and Mauritanian troops, and the African Unions reluctance to provide soldiers, among them. Even a decade into a fictional future, however, the recommendations for another failing, forever war-in-the-making sound far less like futuristic thinking and far more like the predictable solutions to Americas present-day military adventures: I recommend that we delay our pullout from Mauritania and Mali for a minimum of 12 months. Additionally, given the loss of the Canadian forces, and the desire not to give-back the gains we have made in their sector, I recommend a surge of three additional Army [brigade combat teams], or [U.S. Marine Corps] Regiments, for a period of 12 months. While this is a difficult scenario given the competing global demand for forces, the mission will fail if some adjustment is not made to keep forces on the ground here in Northwestern Africa. Evans message is the last issued for the Operation Desert Strike segment of the war game, so we dont know the AFRICOM commanders response or what President McGraw eventually decides when presented with the options to either double down on the war to avenge the deaths of a devastating terror attack, or to fail. Given the range of responses over the last decade-plus to setbacks in Afghanistan and Iraq, Syria and Somalia, Yemen and Libya, you dont need a crystal ball, or to attend a U.S. military war college, to have a pretty good idea of President McGraws decision. It seems safe to assume that Americas fictitious war in West Africa will continue into the 2030s, just as its wars of the 2000s have staggered into the late 2010s. One can almost imagine the fictional military officers of President McGraws fantasy world conducting their own wargames, charting out their own fictitious forever wars that grind on without end into distant fictional futures. This article was originally published by The Intercept - Israel Maintains Robust Arms Sales With Rogue Regimes By Jonathan Cook October 23, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Human rights activists are stepping up efforts to expose Israels long and covert history of supplying weapons and military training to regimes while they actively commit massacres, ethnic cleansing and genocide. The issue of Israels trade with rogue regimes has been thrust into the spotlight again after revelations that it is sending weapons to Myanmar, in defiance of a US and European arms embargo. Formerly known as Burma, Myanmar was condemned last month by the United Nations for conducting what it called a textbook ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are reported to have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in recent weeks, after evidence of the torching of entire villages, massacres and systematic rapes. Israel has not divulged details of its ties to Myanmars military government, but public records show that it has sold the military there armed patrol boats, guns and surveillance equipment. Myanmars special forces have also been trained by Israelis. Protest outside parliament Human rights groups are set to stage a protest outside Israels parliament on October 30, calling for an immediate halt to the weapons sales to Myanmar. Israeli firms have also broken with the United States and Europe by supplying weapons and surveillance equipment to militias in South Sudan, where a civil war has raged since late 2013. Some 300,000 Sudanese are believed to have been killed in the fighting. Eitay Mack, a human rights lawyer, has submitted a spate of petitions to the Israeli courts in an attempt to bring to light details of Israels trade with such regimes. He said the cases were designed to hasten war crimes investigations of the officials and contractors involved. Many Western states sell arms, but whats unique about Israel is that, wherever war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed, you find Israel is present, Mack told Al Jazeera. The companies selling the weapons, and the officials who quietly approve the trade, must be held accountable. Otherwise, why would this ever stop? Clandestine practice Mack said that Israels collusion with Myanmars military was part of a pattern of aiding rogue regimes that went back decades and reflected the importance of the arms trade to Israels economy. Over the summer, it was revealed that Israeli defence officials approve 99.8 percent of all requests for arms export licences. As well as fuelling the current violence in Myanmar and South Sudan, Israel has been accused of clandestinely providing arms used in notorious past episodes of genocide and ethnic cleansing in places such as Rwanda, the Balkans, Chile, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Haiti, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Israel also cultivated close ties to apartheid South Africa, Mack noted. Yair Auron, a genocide researcher at Israels Open University, said that Israels supply of weapons to regimes such as Myanmar should be compared to the sending of arms to Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. These sales turn me and all Israelis into criminals, because they are sent in our name, he told Al Jazeera. We are abetting genocide. Defence minister lied Efforts by human rights groups to shed light on Israels collusion with Myanmar have so far been frustrated by Israeli authorities and the courts. The Haaretz daily accused Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman of lying when he claimed in parliament last month that Israels policy in Myanmar accorded with that of the enlightened world. Officials refused to disclose information of arms exports to the military government during a hearing at Israels Supreme Court last month on a petition to halt the sales. Lawyers for the state insisted on closed-door sessions when discussing relations with Myanmar. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter The three judges hearing the case issued a gag order to prevent publication of their decision, widely assumed to have approved the continuation of arms sales. They justified the blackout on the grounds that publicity risked damaging Israels foreign relations. Late last year, the same court rejected a petition demanding that officials release documents showing Israels role in arming Serbian forces that carried out massacres of Bosnians in the 1990s. Campaigners are waiting on hearings in a host of other cases concerning South Sudan, Rwanda, Chile, Haiti and Argentina. In August, Israeli officials argued before the Supreme Court that its exports to militias in South Sudan were lawful. Evidence suggests that Israel sold rifles and surveillance equipment to militias and the army in South Sudan. A UN report found that the Israeli-made Ace and Galil rifles were in widespread use there. No oversight of permits Next week, the Supreme Court is due to hear a petition on Israels involvement in Rwanda, where it reportedly armed Hutus who carried out genocidal attacks against Tutsis. Mack noted that there were a handful of officials in the Israeli Defence Ministry overseeing some 400,000 annual permits issued for weapons sales. That means in practice, there is no oversight at all, he said. Israeli companies, meanwhile, are authorised to sell arms to some 130 countries, though activists say there are other states with which Israel deals covertly. Israel is the only major weapons exporter that has consistently bucked the global trend of a downturn in arms sales. In March, it was reported that Israels weapons trade in 2016 was worth some $6.5bn, up from $5.7bn the year before. That included a 70 percent jump in sales to Africa. African states accused of widespread human rights abuses were among more than 100 countries that attended the annual Israel Defence Exhibition, a weapons trade fair, in June. Biggest exporter per capita Despite its tiny size, Israel is believed to be the sixth biggest arms exporter in the world and the largest one per capita. That has made arms sales integral to the Israeli economy, accounting for possibly as much as 8 percent of gross domestic product. As many as 100,000 Israeli households are reported to be dependent on the arms industry. John Brown, an investigative journalist with the Haaretz newspaper who writes under a pseudonym, said there was a long history of what he called Uzi diplomacy referring to the Israeli sub-machine gun that became a favourite with security forces around the world from the 1960s onwards. If countries want the best arms, then they probably go to the US and Europe. But when no one else will sell to you, then you turn to Israel, he told Al Jazeera. The benefits for Israel are not just measured in money. Often even more important are the diplomatic and strategic alliances Israel can gain from this arms trade. Rebuke from US Mack said that mounting international outrage over the plight of Myanmars Muslim minority provided an opportunity to shine a light on Israels long role in supporting regimes in the midst of ethnic cleansing and genocide. In what sounded like a rare rebuke to Israel, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, said last month: Any country that is currently providing weapons to the Burmese military should suspend these activities until sufficient accountability measures are in place. Although the Israeli courts have blocked access to documents that could shed light on what arms have gone to Myanmar, activists have been able to identify some dealings from open sources. In September 2015, Min Aung Hlaing, the commander of Myanmars army, posted on social media details of a shopping trip to Israel that included visits to leading Israeli weapons manufacturers and a meeting with the Israeli militarys chief of staff, Gadi Eisenkott. A year later, Michael Ben Baruch, an Israeli defence ministry official in charge of exports, visited Myanmar to meet its armys top brass to sign a deal for patrol boats. Shortly afterwards, the website of TAR Ideal Concepts, an Israeli company, posted images of its staff training Myanmar special forces and teaching them how to handle Israeli-made Corner-Shot guns. A conduit for drones Other analysts have suggested that Israel has also been acting as a conduit for Chinese weapons, including drones, to Myanmar, allowing Beijing to bypass the embargo. There is no statute of limitations on war crimes and crimes against humanity, so we will keep putting Israeli officials under pressure till the trade stops, Mack said. They will have to endure a regular walk of shame in the courts, forcing them to explain their policies and why the documents remain secret. He noted that Israels success in arms dealing was intimately tied to five decades of its control over the occupied Palestinian territories. Israeli companies exploit Israels long experience there to sell arms, arguing that the weapons and training have been tested in real-world conditions. Brown said that Israel appeared to be indifferent towards the victims of the violence it helped to stoke. This was especially evident during the so-called Dirty War in Argentina, through much of the 1970s, when 30,000 left-wing activists were disappeared, he said. Israel is believed to have supplied the military government there with some $700m in weapons. Of those killed, probably some 2,000 were Argentinian Jews, he said. Israel knew that the weapons it was selling were being turned on Jews, but that did not stop it selling arms. It simply didnt care. Jonathan Cook is a Nazareth- based journalist and winner of the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism. - http://www.jonathan-cook.net/ Enter the Dragon, Exit the Turkey (Formerly American Eagle) By Finian Cunningham October 23, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Two very different faces of world leadership were on display this week. In Beijing, President Xi Jinping delivered a bold, outward-looking vision of Chinese global leadership. Meanwhile, in Washington President Donald Trump was embroiled in yet more egotistical infighting and tawdry claims of media lies. Addressing the 19th congress of Chinas Communist Party, 64-year-old Xi was reelected for a second five-year term. He is being talked about as the greatest Chinese leader since Mao Zedong who led the countrys founding revolution in 1949. With dignified composure, Xi spoke to the Great Hall of the People about a new era of modern socialism open to the world. The Washington DC-based Council on Foreign Relations headlined: Xi Asserts Chinas Global Leadership Role. The BBC reported Xi as telling the more than 2,000 delegates: China has entered a new era in which it should take centre-stage in the world. Reuters reported : In what was probably an indirect reference to US President Donald Trumps America First policy, Xi promised that China would be fully engaged with the world, and reiterated pledges to tackle climate change. Trump this year opted to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate pact. No country can alone address the many challenges facing mankind; no country can afford to retreat into self-isolation, Xi told delegates during a three-and-half-hour address. Reuters again: Xi set bold long-term goals for Chinas development, envisioning it as a modernized socialist country by 2035, and a modern socialist strong power with leading influence on the world stage by 2050. Fair enough, cynics may balk at promise fatigue and snipe that the Chinese leaders rhetoric was heavy on aspiration and light on specific enabling details. However, there is no denying that Xi was this week offering a vision of ambitious possibility for social progress and internationalism. Contrary to American leadership and Trump in particular, Chinese characteristics of global leadership are not marked by knuckle-dragging domination, militarism and aggression. The emphasis from the Chinese leader is on global cooperation and multilateralism. In short, a peaceful and prosperous world. Contrast that to Trumps tirade before the UN General Assembly last month when he rhetorically swaggered and threatened nations with total destruction. In that regard, Russian President Vladimir Putin shares the same leadership qualities as Chinas Xi. No wonder the two leaders are visibly comfortable when they meet publicly, as they have done more frequently than any other two current heads of state. Quietly, with dignity, the two men seem driven to create a more progressive, peaceful world of co-development and co-existence in spite of American proclivities to create a world of chaos, conflict and hegemony. While Xi Jinping was conducting himself with dignity and dedication, on the other side of the world, physically and metaphorically, Trump was behaving like the antithesis. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter Again this week, Trump was bragging about massive tax cuts for the already mega-rich; about imposing stricter travel bans on foreigners; about ripping up international accords (the Iran nuclear deal); and showing appalling disrespect for his own countrys military men and women despite at other times boasting about American military might. Trumps embarrassing boorishness is getting so bad, senior Republicans are deploring the countrys lack of leadership. Arizona Senator John McCain lamented that Americas leadership and ideals are absent. Last week, another senior Republican Senator, Bob Corker, said Trump was behaving like someone who should be confined to an adult care center and whose reckless rants are endangering the planet with World War III. But it was Trumps reported comments to the young widow of a US soldier killed in Niger earlier this month that sunk his reputation to a new low. Trump apparently phoned Myesha Johnson, the grieving pregnant mother of two on her way to receive the casket of her dead husband, and said: Well I guess he knew what he was signing up for The president was referring to 25-year-old Special Forces Sgt. La David Johnson who was killed along with three other US troops in an ambush by Islamist militants in Niger on October 4. Admittedly, the incident of Trumps phone call to the widow was reported by CNN which has an anti-Trump editorial bias. Nevertheless, it sounds credible. Trump hit back, saying it was more fake news. However, he made matters even more ugly by doubling down to accuse his predecessors Barack Obama and George W Bush of not phoning families of fallen soldiers to offer condolences. It was another unseemly spat in a litany of spats involving Trump as president. Spokesmen for Obama and Bush said Trump was telling lies again. A firestorm erupted on social media with veterans and other war widows denouncing Trumps insensitivity and lack of respect. The row centering as usual on Trumps egotistical self-aggrandizement has renewed criticism of the former real estate moguls own personal history of avoiding military conduct during the Vietnam War. Trump eluded being drafted during that war because he obtained five deferments due to education at an elite Ivy League university and for allegedly having a bad foot. Trump would later joke in interviews that his personal Vietnam was avoiding contracting sexually transmitted diseases while living the high life in New York during the 1960s and 70s. He also joked that he couldnt remember which one of his feet was the cause for obtaining a medical deferment from the military draft. So, here we have a draft-dodging business tycoon-turned president who makes little of a Gold Star widows grief, and who is itching to start World War III with North Korea, while snubbing international obligations, and accusing every other nation of cheating American generosity. And, oh, also relishing massive tax cuts for wealthy oligarchs like himself. Its evidently not America First. Its Trump First and all his billionaire cronies on Wall Street. American political leadership like its society and its dwindling state of democracy is no longer the proud soaring eagle it once claimed. Its a state led by hucksters and charlatans. In a word, this is no eagle. Its leadership is like a grotesque gobbling turkey, plumped up with pea-brained pomposity. And its not just about Trump, one individual. Its a systemic problem of American decadence. Trump is just an outgrowth from the systemic decay. Chinas Xi Jinping and Russias Vladimir Putin are at least showing some responsibility and awareness of what real world leadership requires. Even the sniping Western media are beginning to catch on to the reality. Finian Cunningham has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Masters graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. He is also a musician and songwriter. For nearly 20 years, he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organisations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent. This article was originally published by Strategic Culture Foundation - The Harmful Effects of Antifa By Diana Johnstone October 23, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - An historic opportunity is being missed. The disastrous 2016 presidential election could and should have been a wakeup call. A corrupt political system that gave voters a choice between two terrible candidates is not democracy. This should have been the signal to face reality. The U.S. political system is totally rotten, contemptuous of the people, serving the corporations and lobbies that pay to keep them in office. The time had come to organize a genuine alternative, an independent movement to liberate the electoral system from the grip of billionaires, to demand a transition from a war economy to an economy dedicated to improving the lives of the people who live here. What is needed is a movement for the pacification of America, at home and abroad. That is a big order. Yet this approach could meet with wide support, especially if vigorous young people organized to stimulate popular debate, between real live people, from door to door if necessary, creating a mass movement for genuine democracy, equality and peace. This is as revolutionary a program as possible in the present circumstances. A moribund left should be coming back to life to take the lead in building such a movement. Quite the opposite is happening. Provoking a new Civil War? The first step toward preventing such a constructive movement was a false interpretation of the meaning of the Trump victory, massively promoted by mainstream media. This was essentially the Clintonite excuse for Hillarys loss. Trumps victory, according to this line, was the product of a convergence between Russian interference and the votes of misogynists, racists, homophobes, xenophobes, and white supremacists. The influence of all those bad people indicated the rise of fascism in America, with Trump in the role of fascist leader. In this way, criticism of the system that produced Trump vanished in favor of demonization of Trump the individual, making it that much easier for the Clintonites to solidify their control of the Democratic Party, by manipulating their own leftist opposition. The events of Charlottesville resembled a multiple provocation, with pro- and anti-statue sides provoking each other, providing a stage for Antifa to gain national prominence as saviors. Significantly, Charlottesville riots provoked Trump into making comments which were seized upon by all his enemies to brand him definitively as racist and fascist. This gave the disoriented left a clear cause: fight fascist Trump and domestic fascists. This is more immediate than organizing to demand that the United States end its threats against Iran and North Korea, its open and covert project to reshape the Middle East to ensure Israels regional dominance, or its nuclear buildup targeting Russia. Not to mention its support for genuine Nazis in Ukraine. Yet that trillion dollar policy of global militarization contributes more to violence and injustice even in the United States than the remnants of thoroughly discredited lost causes. The Left and Antifa All those who are sincerely on the left, who are in favor of greater social and economic equality for all, who oppose the endless aggressive foreign wars and the resulting militarization of the American police and the American mentality, must realize that, since the Clintonian takeover of the Democratic Party, the ruling oligarchic establishment disguises itself as the left, uses left arguments to justify itself, and largely succeeds in manipulating genuine leftists for its own purposes. This has caused such confusion that it is quite unclear what left means any more. The Clintonian left substituted Identity Politics for the progressive goal of economic and social equality, by ostentatiously coopting women, blacks and Latinos into the visible elite, the better to ignore the needs of the majority. The Clintonian left introduced the concept of humanitarian war to describe its relentless destruction of recalcitrant nations, seducing much of the left into supporting U.S. imperialism as a fight for democracy against dictators. Antifa contributes to this confusion by giving precedence to the suppression of bad ideas rather than to the development of good ones through uninhibited debate. Antifa attacks on dissidents tend to enforce the dominant neoliberal doctrine that also raises the specter of fascism as pretext for aggression against countries targeted for regime change. Antifas excuses Antifa has several favorite arguments to justify itself to those who criticize its use of force and intimidation to silence its adversaries. 1. Its violence is justified by the implicit violence attributed to its chosen enemies who if left alone plan to exterminate whole groups of people. This is demonstrably untrue, as Antifa is notoriously generous in distributing the fascist label. Most of the people Antifa targets are not fascists and there is no evidence that even racists are planning to carry out genocide. 2. Antifa is engaged in other political activity. That is completely beside the point. Nobody is criticizing that other political activity. It is the violence and the censorship which are the hallmarks of the Antifa brand, and the target of criticism. Let them drop the violence and the censorship and get on with their other activities. Then nobody will object. 3. Antifa defends threatened communities. But that is certainly not all they are doing. Nor is that what its critics are objecting to. Actual defense of a truly threatened community is best done openly by respected members of the community itself, rather than by self-styled Zorros who arrive in disguise. The problem is the definition of the terms. For Antifa, the victim community can be a whole category of people, such as LGBTQI, and the threat may be a controversial speaker at a university who could say something to hurt their feelings. And what community was being defended by Linwood Kaine, younger son of the Democratic Party Vice Presidential candidate, Senator Tim Kaine, when he was arrested in St Paul, Minnesota, last March 4 on suspicion of felony second-degree riot for attempting to break up a pro-Trump rally at the State Capitol? Although Kaine, dressed in black from head to toe, resisted arrest, the matter ended there. What downtrodden community was the young Kaine defending other than the Clintonite Democrats? His own privilege as a family member of the Washington political elite? 4. Antifa claims that it is in favor of free speech in general, but racists and fascists are an exception, because you cant reason with them, and hate speech is not speech but action. This amounts to an astounding intellectual surrender to the enemy. It is an admission of being unable to win a free argument. The fact is that speech is indeed speech, and should be countered by speech. You should welcome the chance to debate in public in order to expose the weaknesses of their position. If indeed you cant reason with them, then they will shut down the discussion and you dont have to. If they resort to physical attack against you, then you have the moral victory. Otherwise, youre giving it to them. 5. Antifa insists that the Constitutional right to free speech applies only to the State. That is, only the government is banned from depriving citizens of the right to free speech and assembly. Among citizens, anything goes. This is a remarkable bit of sophistry. Bullying and intimidation are okay if done by an unofficial group. In keeping with neoliberalism, Antifa is out to privatize censorship, by taking over the job itself. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter Verbal Violence The verbal violence of Antifa is worse than their physical violence insofar as it is more effective. The physical violence is usually of minor consequence, at most temporarily preventing something that will happen later. It is the verbal violence that succeeds most in preventing free discussion of controversial issues. Alarmed by the proliferation of pro-Antifa articles on CounterPunch , I ventured to write a critique, Antifa in Theory and Practice. My criticism was not personal; I did not mention the authors of those pro-Antifa CounterPunch articles and my mention of author Mark Bray was respectful. The result was a torrent of vituperation on CounterPunchs FaceBook page , as well as in a hostile email exchange with star Antifa champion Yoav Litvin . This culminated with a hit piece by Amitai Ben-Abba published on CounterPunch itself. Note that both Litvin and Ben-Abba are Israelis, but pro-Palestinian, which provides the two with impeccable left credentials. These reactions provided a perfect illustration of Antifa discussion techniques. It is a sort of food fight, where you just throw everything you can pick up at the adversary, regardless of logic or relevance. On the FaceBook page, Litvin, on the basis of my past carefully objective articles on French politics, accused me of shilling for Marine Le Pen. Irrelevant and inaccurate. In his hit piece Ben-Abba dragged in this totally off-topic assertion: Much in the same way that her early 00s pseudo-historical denial of the massacre in Srebrenica worked to embolden Serbian nationalists, her present analysis can embolden white supremacists. Need I point out that I never denied the massacre but refuse to label it genocide, nor did Serbian nationalists ever need my humble opinion in order to be emboldened especially since the war was over by then. I happily grant that there are issues raised in my initial article that deserve debate, such as immigration or whether or not the fascism of the early twentieth century still exists today. Indeed my whole point was that such issues deserve debate. Thats not what I got. Ben-Abba came up with this imaginary allusion to the immigration issue: antifa is a broader umbrella term that allows formerly unaffiliated folks (like the sans-papiers migrant baker who makes Johnstones croissants) to participate in defense of their communities against neo-fascist intimidation. Very funny: I am exploiting some poor undocumented baker and preventing him from being defended. Aside from the fact that I very rarely to eat a croissant, the bakers in my neighborhood are all fully documented, and moreover this largely immigrant neighborhood is the scene of frequent peaceful street demonstrations by African sans-papiers clearly not intimidated by neo-fascists. They obviously do not need Antifa to protect them. This fantasy of omnipresent neo-fascism is as necessary to Antifa as the fantasy of omnipresent anti-Semitism is to Israel. Antifa rhetoric specializes in non sequitur. If you agree with some conservative or libertarian that it was wrong to destroy Libya, then you are not only guilty of association with a pre-fascist, you are a supporter of dictators and thus probably a fascist yourself. This has been happening in France for years and its just getting started in the United States. The Antifa specialty is labeling anti-war activists and writers as red-brown, red for left and brown for fascist. You may pretend to be on the left, but if we can find the slightest association between you and someone on the right, then you are a red-brown and deserve to be quarantined. By claiming to defend helpless minorities from a rising fascist peril, Antifa arrogates to itself the right to decide who is, or might be, fascist. Whatever they think they are doing, whatever they claim to be doing, the one thing they really are doing is to tie the left into such sectarian intolerance that any broad inclusive single-issue anti-war movement becomes impossible. Indeed, it is precisely the imminent danger of nuclear World War III that leads some of us to call for a non-exclusive single issue anti-war movement thus setting ourselves up as red-brown. That is why Antifa unwittingly let us say is running interference for the war party. It is most unfortunate to see CounterPunch become a platform for Antifa. It didnt have to. The site is quite able to reject articles, as it has systematically rejected contentions about 9/11 or as it rejected David Cobbs and Caitlin Johnstones (no relative) right to respond. It could have taken a principled stand against calls for violence and censorship. It did not do so. It is one thing to encourage debate and quite another to sponsor mud wrestling. This article was originally published by Paul Craig Roberts - Vladimir Putin Positioning Russia as the Main Player in the Middle East It would be Russia who does the rebuilding of Syria after the war and Saudi Arabia who paid for it. The two vast oil nations now seem to be set on a course of mutual collaboration. So much for Trumps $300bn weapons deal with the king By Robert Fisk October 23, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - After Israels victory in the 1973 Middle East war, Soviet foreign minister Andrei Gromyko went on 22 October to see President Brezhnev at his dacha at Zavidovo just outside Moscow. The Israelis were not much interested in accepting a ceasefire set to begin the previous day, and, according to Anatoly Chernyaev, a Soviet official present at the talks, Brezhnev wanted to encourage the Israelis to keep the truce by offering a Soviet guarantee of Israels borders. Gromyko replied that the Arabs would take offence but Brezhnev burst out that we have been offering them (the Arabs) a sensible course of action for so many years. They wanted war and they are welcome to it To hell with them. It was a view long shared by Soviet military officers. I recall the remaining anger of a former Soviet instructor in Yemen during the 1962-70 civil war, who, showing me Red Square one cold afternoon, made a remark almost as contemptuous as Brezhnevs. We helped to train the Arabs [against the monarchists] and they were useless and I think they should be on their own. Let someone else save them. Why should it be us all over again? In October 1973, Brezhnev was saying the same thing. He swore at Gromyko, said Chernyaev, for wanting to keep our flag and bases in the Middle East. And Brezhnev then shouted out: We will not let these f***ing people involve us in a world war! According to author and former British intelligence official Gordon Barrass, who wrote one of the best books on the Cold War eight years ago, the Soviet airlift of military equipment to Syria stopped that very day. How lucky now are the Arab potentates and dictators to have a Russian rather than a Soviet to talk to, and a fit some might say almost too fit Vladimir Putin to rely on, rather than a Brezhnev. A vacillating Obama and a lunatic Trump, of course, do the impossible: they make Putin look like a Roosevelt or an Eisenhower perhaps even the swashbuckling Theodore Roosevelt with his Rough Riders. Putins Rough Riders in Syria are crushing the Isis threat and any other threat for Bashar al-Assads government. The Russians are not just bombing Assads enemies and re-arming the Syrian army but helping to arrange ceasefires. I watched them escorting al-Nusrah and other still-armed Islamist fighters from Homs all the way to the Turkish front line at al-Bab (inside Syria). Russian armoured vehicles stood on both sides of that line this year I saw them with my own eyes alongside both Syrian and Turkish occupation troops. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter Putin has learned a few tricks from the Brezhnev days. Just as the bankrupt Soviet president put Tajik Muslim Soviet military units into bases west of Kabul, so Putin has deployed Chechen Muslim Russian soldiers into Palmyra. But these Russians are not the Soviets of Afghanistan infamy. Many of the officers speak fluent Arabic (and, please note, pretty good English). Putin knows how to measure Russian power in the Middle East, happy to keep Moscows flag and bases in the region. And playing Bismark across the Arab world, even in Turkey and Israel. Egypts field marshal/president Abdel Fattah el-Sissi took Putin to a Verdi performance in Cairo. Iran will host him before the end of this year. Putin welcomes both Assad loyalists and Syrian rebels to Astana. He invites both Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his racist (and Soviet-born) defence minister Lieberman who once advocated drowning Palestinian prisoners in the Dead Sea to the Kremlin. And of course, he won the cachet of a visit from King Salman of Saudi Arabia to the Kremlin. Undemocratic, brutally suppressing his own internal political opponents, hateful of all Muslim extremists he suggested that Moscow doctors could emasculate them careless of what others say of his air forces bombing in Syria and we must not forget Ukraine and the Crimea and Western sanctions, in the Middle East he can wear the mantle of an international statesman. It might all come to grief for Putin. Failing to foresee the outcome of his actions was regarded as his greatest fault when he was a KGB officer in Dresden. But hes been sending in groups of Russian military non-FSB intelligence men to Syria, some of them in Aleppo reporting directly to the Kremlin. Maybe he has learned a thing or two. And so we come back to King Salmans visit to Moscow. Here is a man whose kingdom maintains the same purist Wahhabi faith which inspires Isis and the Taliban and al-Qaeda. He signed preliminary agreements to buy Russias S-400 air defence missile systems. Of course, the kings long speech he enjoyed his Kremlin banquet, they say talked about the necessity of preventing Irans destabilisation of the Middle East. Russian foreign minister Lavrov said Russia supports the efforts of the Saudi kingdom in trying to unify the Syrian opposition. Which particular opposition, one might like to know? So, I imagine, would Assad. Yet the king was, according to Russian officials in the Middle East, asked to participate in the rebuilding of Syria when its war finally peters out. Quite a role for King Salman if Assad as all believe he will remains the president (or in some similar role) in Syria. But of course, it would be Russia who does the rebuilding, Saudi Arabia who paid for it. So the two vast oil nations now seem to be set on a course of mutual collaboration. So much for Trumps $300bn weapons deal with the King. Maybe Salman is smarter than we think. If Putin might, for Washington, be Ivan the Terrible, thats better than being Trump the Farcical for the Arabs Robert Fisk is the multi-award winning Middle East correspondent of The Independent, based in Beirut. He has lived in the Arab world for more than 40 years, covering Lebanon, five Israeli invasions, the Iran-Iraq war, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Algerian civil war, Saddam Husseins invasion of Kuwait, the Bosnian and Kosovo wars, the American invasion and occupation of Iraq and the 2011 Arab revolutions. This article was originally published by The Independent - See also - The U.S. Air Force is preparing to place its fleet of nuclear-armed B-52 bombers on 24-hour alert for the first time since 1991 Iraq PMs office rejects Tillersons call for Iran-backed militias to go home Russia stands by Baghdad and insists on Iraq's territorial integrity Propaganda Alert Former Israeli Defense Minister: There'll Be No Peace, West Bank Can Hold Millions of More Settlers By Chaim Levinson October 23, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon expressed support on Thursday for continued Palestinian autonomy in parts of the West Bank, but not independence, and said the territory could hold one or two million additional Jewish settlers. After speaking at a religious girls school in Beit Shemesh on Thursday, Yaalon was asked his views about Israels 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and about evacuation of Jewish settlements more generally. Yaalon said that as army chief of staff he had opposed the withdrawal. My home is the kibbutz, he said. The border is marked by the furrows of the plow. The border is marked by the childrens house. Where there is no childrens house, there is no army. If you want to hold territory, you need for there to be people living there. Turning his attention to the peace process with the Palestinians, he said: On one hand, I dont see prospects for a [peace] agreement in the foreseeable future. The gap between us is not bridgeable. They have not agreed to any proposal to divide the land. They are not prepared even to accept a state along the 1967 borders and a division of Jerusalem. From their standpoint, thats just 22 percent of Palestine, he said. I dont foresee that they will have a leadership that will want to divide the land, adding that he doesnt foresee it among the leadership of Fatah, which controls the Palestinian Authority, or among Hamas, based in the Gaza Strip. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter On the other hand, he said, I dont want a binational state, noting that the Palestinians already have autonomy. I say we will not evacuate Jews or Arabs. On the map that already exists at the moment, we can protect our interest that there not be a binational state. There wont be settlers on every hilltop. Referring to the West Bank by its biblical name, the former defense minister said: There is enough room in Judea and Samaria to settle one or two million more people in locations that suit us through a policy not to become a binational state. This is done through a policy that is thought out, not through illusions. The illusion of peace has now evaporated. The illusion of a Greater Land of Israel has also evaporated, a reference to Israels remaining in control of all of the West Bank. Between the two, we need to find a way for [the Palestinians] to live in political autonomy, not voting for the Knesset but rather for their own parliament. There isnt peace now here. There wont be. We need to manage things wisely, looking to our interests. Thats true [with regard] to a Palestinian state, Syria [and] Lebanon. If we conduct things wisely, there will be unprecedented quiet. Ya'alon also said that since becoming Labor Party chairman in July, Avi Gabbay has been pressuring him to join the party. Gabbay was the environmental protection minister, representing Kulanu, when he resigned in 2016 to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus firing Yaalon and replacing him with Avigdor Lieberman. Gabbay has said privately he has no political differences with Yaalon. Chaim Levinson is a Haaretz correspondent, covering the Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Previously, he was the Yedioth Ahoronot correspondent for Religious Affairs and the Orthodox communities. This article was originally published by Haaretz - French Minister: Citizens Who Joined Jihad Should Die on the Battlefield We Dont Want Them Back By Peter Koenig October 23, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - AP reported in The New York Post of 21 October 2017, that during ISIS heydays, it is estimated that about 30,000 citizens from around the world traveled to the Middle East, mostly Syria and Iraq, to join ISIS / Daesh as jihadi fighters. This included an estimated 6,000 Europeans, mostly from France, Germany and Britain, many with immigrant backgrounds. A study found that less than 10% converted to Islam. After ISIS defeat in Syrias northern city of Raqqa, the former ISIS stronghold and artificial capital of the Islamic States Caliphate, about a third of the European jihadists have returned home, where many are awaiting trial in prison. Others are free and under surveillance. They are easy fodder for western secret services to blow themselves up, as jihadists, leaving always an ID behind; False Flag acts of terror, immediately claimed by ISIS, through the Islamic States news agency, Amaq. No surprise, though, in case they were contracted by CIA, Mossad, MI6 et al, to do so. Other European jihadi fighters are still left on defeated battlefields, hiding in Raqqas ruins, some captured and facing immediate death by execution. They are not wanted back in their European home countries. These countries had then and have now no time, nor interest to care for these people, their desperate, rudderless citizens. Let them die on the battlefield we dont want them back. While most European Governments didnt dare express it in such blunt words, the French Minister of Defense, Florence Parly, told Europe 1 radio last week, If the [French] jihadis perish in this fight, I would say thats for the best. US orders were similar, Our mission is to make sure that any foreign fighter who is here, who joined ISIS from a foreign country and came into Syria, they will die here in Syria, said Brett McGurk, the top U.S. envoy for the anti-IS coalition, in an interview with Dubai-based Al-Aan television. So, if theyre in Raqqa, theyre going to die in Raqqa, he said. This is as much as saying, no prisoners are taken, they are all to be neutralized, a euphemism for murdered. Imagine, this comes from the very countries that have created, trained and funded ISIS. Then they have nurtured ISIS for their purposes of spreading destruction, chaos, and assassination throughout the Middle east with focus on Syria and Iraq. These are the NATO governments who have left their young rudderless people without hope, seeking a raison detre, a purpose in life. Desperate without hope and guidance, many with zero income, zero chance in our western ultra-competitive merciless society thats what they were then, when they joined the Jihad and thats what they are today at the point of being slaughtered with the permission of their governments who created the army they volunteered to fight for out of despair. These European governments were and are in the first place interested in NATO, war and in pleasing their masters in Washington, but not in providing jobs or social safety nets for the young, the jobless, the desperate. These governments must destroy the world as a priority for their own elites greed and satisfaction, for the war industrys profit. They do not care for the generations of young people either killed or without a future in Syria, Iraq, or even at home and now they are ordering, yes, literally ordering to kill their own citizens, who left because their warmongering neoliberal neofascist economies had no space and interest in helping their hapless and hopeless citizens finding a purpose in life, a decent job, a roof over their head and most important, inclusion in society. Feeling as outcasts, they felt inspired by the western initiated jihad propaganda and left to fight a purposeless horrible western financed war. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter This is the same Europe directed by a nucleus of unelected white-collar criminals in Brussels, called the European Commission, the same Europeans, rather than caring for the well-being on their home-turf, they are colluding with their transatlantic financial mafia pals of Wall Street, FED, the Bretton Woods Institutions, planning on how to rob more poor countries of their natural resources, by indebting and blackmailing them into austerity and privatization of their public services. The same NATO-chained Europe with hundreds of years of history of brutal colonialism throughout the world. Madame Parlys statement must have been approved by president Macron, who stayed silent at the condemnation to death of French jihadi citizens by his Minister of Defense. Macron has just managed to put a permanent state of emergency basically Martial Law into the French Constitution, entering into effect on 1 November 2017 the first European country to do so. The State of Emergency was in effect in France permanent police and military surveillance throughout France since the Charlie Hebdo murders in January 2015. Despite this law, 43 terror attacks causing hundreds of deaths, occurred in France to this day. No doubt other EU countries will follow Macrons lead. There is clearly no space for French ex-jihadists in France. An anonymous Kurdish YPG official said, foreigners who fight until the end will be eliminated. In other words, we dont take prisoners following the dictate of the French Minister of Defense, and the US envoy, McGurk. The YPG is a powerful Kurdish secessionist militia, financed and supported by Washington. The anonymous source also said that for the few prisoners they had captured, they, the Kurds, tried to reach out to the prisoners home countries, We try to hand them in. But many would not want to take their (detainees). He added these were sensitive issues not to be discussed with reporters. The general sentiment in northern Europe is we dont want these people back, but I dont think anyone has thought about the alternatives, said Pieter Van Ostaeyen, an expert on the Belgian jihadists. He insinuates the complications on prosecuting the returnees, and how to track them if and when they leave custody. You can see why almost the preferred resolution is that they dont return, said Bruce Hoffman, head of Georgetown Universitys security studies program and author of Inside Terrorism. What worries me is I think its wishful thinking that theyre all going to be killed off, he added. Wishful thinking or not, French Minister Parly said its the best outcome. We cannot do anything to prevent their return besides neutralize the maximum number of jihadis in this combat, she said. Shamefully, all sense of Human Rights, of the Geneva Convention of War Prisoners, has been erased form the witless, immoral brains of western politicians. No country openly admits refusing to let citizens who joined the Islamic State return, including women and children. Germany and Russia are exceptions to this sinister rule. German diplomats state that all German citizens are entitled to consular assistance. Russia actually goes out of her way to repatriate their citizens who want to come home, with a special effort on orphaned children and wives of killed Russian jihadists. It is again just wonderful to see the difference in human approach between the east and the decadent west. In his final words at the closing ceremony of the Sochi Youth Festival, Mr. Putin warned that worse than nuclear bombs are the loss of ethics and moral values in society. Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a former World Bank staff and worked extensively around the world in the fields of environment and water resources. He lectures at universities in the US, Europe and South America. He writes regularly for Global Research, ICH, RT, Sputnik, PressTV, The 4th Media (China), TeleSUR, The Vineyard of The Saker Blog, and other internet sites. He is the author of Implosion An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! Essays from the Resistance . This article was originally published by Information Clearing House - Video: The Vietnam War and the Phoenix Program: A Computerized Genocide Michael Maclears 1975 documentary, Spooks and Cowboys, Gooks and Grunts By Michael Maclear and Douglas Valentine Introduction by Douglas Valentine October 23, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Michael Maclear s 1975 documentary, Spooks and Cowboys, Gooks and Grunts (Part 1) is more relevant now than ever. Forty-two years after its release, it exposes the suppressed, shameful truths that have corrupted America since the Vietnam War. The documentary makes it perfectly clear that we have always known what was going on and that we have perfected the means of denying and obfuscating it. Maclears documentary stands in stark contrast to the current Ken Burns documentary, The Vietnam War, which is nothing more than historical revisionism, sprinkled with massive doses of cognitive dissonance, served up as healing. While Burns assiduously avoids connecting the conflicts of the Vietnam War to Americas on-going experiment in technofascism, Maclears documentary is straightforward in stating several shameful truths. Foremost, that the CIA has corrupted not only the military, but Americas political and judicial systems; and that, through its secret control of the media, the CIAs power to create the official version of history has left veterans of the Vietnam War, as well as every subsequent generation of Americans as well, in a state of neurotic delusion. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter This is what Guy Debord meant when he said, Secrecy dominates this world, and foremost as the secret of domination. While Burns falsely characterizes the war as a tragedy engendered by decent men with good intentions, Maclear offers incontrovertible proof that it was a war of imperial aggression in the pursuit of counterrevolution. Maclear gets to the heart of the matter by focusing on the CIAs Phoenix program, which Burns spends all of two minutes on. Through interviews with Bart Osborn and Jeff Stein, both veterans of Phoenix, Maclear shows what happens to combat veterans when they are made to function as judge, jury, and executioner of civilians. Mass murder and computerized genocide are the terms used in the documentary. This article was originally published by Global Research - The police has confirmed the death of up to sixteen persons in a Maiduguri community in a deadly twin Boko Haram suicide attacks. It has been confirmed that twin explosions in Maiduguri late Sunday night have killed 16 people including the suicide bombers. According to The Sun News, the explosions occured at the Muna Garage and Muna Dalti, suburds of Maiduguri which have experienced more than five blasts in the past. Commissioner of Police, Borno Command, Mr Damian Chukwu said a male suicide bomber with explosives strapped to his body caused the first explosion at Muna Garage, killing himself and 13 persons. Five persons were also injured, he disclosed. In another development at Muna Dalti, two female suicide bombers detonated explosives killing themselves and injuring 13 persons, Chukwu said. He said 16 people died in the explosions while 18 were injured. He said those injured have been taken to the university teaching hospital for treatment. Muna Garage general area, the scene of the bombing, is located some 2 kilometres to the city centre. It has witnessed more than five suicide bomb attacks this year. The Sunday bombing came barely two weeks after four suicide bombers blew up themselves while attempting to scale the peremetre of a public hospital at the city outskirts. Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has to inform members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) of his intention to be the partys flag bearer in the next presidential election. According to a report by Vanguard newspaper on Monday, Mr. Lamido said in his letter that all the party needs to reposition Nigeria is to take over power in 2019 and bring the country back to the path of recovery. Lamenting that the nation has departed from the dreams of the PDP founding fathers, Mr. Lamido said the PDP needs to lead the nation back to a brighter future. Today, 57 years after the independence of our dear country, can we in all sincerity claim to have achieved the dream of our founding fathers? Where did we fail and from where did we begin to fail? Nigeria with its natural endowment and human capacity cannot be forgiven for being otherwise. We cannot even demonstrate our ability and capacity to meet domestic, regional and global challenges which currently seems to overwhelm us. The PDP will and must lead the nation back into a bright, progressive, and innovative future, the former governor wrote. Mr. Lamido said the PDP must rekindle in Nigeria a new hope, a nation of united people with a common and assured destiny and that the country must demonstrate its confidence, tenacity, ability and capability to address our domestic regional and global challenges that confront us. It is against this background that I offer myself to vie for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019 if my party finds me worthy to fly its flag. I am no means claiming to be the only capable material, any PDP member given the trust and support can fly our flag, and I expect many more aspirants will express the desire to run. My hope and prayer is that at the end of all the process which I hope will be open, fair transparent and credible is to give Nigeria in 2019 a candidate who will lead the party and Nigeria. This is because there is no alternative to PDP in 2019, it will be a defining moment in the Nigerian political evolution. Our imperfect union as a federation should not be an excuse for our legendary failure which appears to have found vent in the call for restructuring, a union of multi-ethnic multi-lingual and multi-religious can certainly task the best of human capacities, but that is precisely the challenge and how to work on it and build a nation of people of a common destiny, and this is where the PDP must raise to the challenge. The starting point is where the PDP began in 1998 and critical to it is creating an open environment in which every Nigerian must not only been seen to be, but must be an equal stakeholder and therefore restoring trust and faith in our shared union and this PDP was able to achieve in its first four years, Mr. Lamido said in the letter. He said while the clamour for restructuring rages, the most important aspects of addressing the Nigerian economy by creating prosperity will make the debate less emotional and sentimental and that the PDP has enough talents to salvage the nations from its current woes. The PDP, which ruled Nigeria from the dawn of the Fourth Republic in 1999 until it was defeated by the All Progressives Congress in 2015, has zoned its presidential ticket to the Northern region of Nigeria. The arrangement, however, did not deter Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who last month publicly declared his ambition to seek the ticket. Source:( Vanguard Newspaper ) An ex-convict, identified as Kunle Afolabi, was arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Police Command. The suspect was reportedly apprehended at CMS, Lagos Island, after he had vandalised a Toyota Corrolla on Broad Street. It was learnt that the car belonged to a deacon of First Baptist Church on the street. Two brainboxes of Toyota vehicles and four winding buttons were said to have been recovered from him. The police said the native of Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, confessed to removing the auto parts from the deacons car and another Corrolla in the neighbourhood. He also confessed to participating in the vandalism of over 57 cars in Lagos. He is an ex-convict; he was arrested by the RRS men around 4am on Friday in CMS after escaping from Broad Street, Lagos Island, where he had vandalised a car, the police added. The suspect, in his statement, reportedly disclosed that he was initially into illegal oil bunkering, before he took to car theft in 2014. He said, I was introduced into stealing of vehicle parts by Yinka, a friend living on Cole Street, Oyingbo, Lagos, in 2014. Together, we stole brainboxes of many vehicles, including Toyota and Lexus. Our areas of operations were Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Ajah and Lagos Island. We operated thrice weekly. Having mastered the act, I started operating alone. I majored in brainboxes of (Toyota) Corrolla and Hilux. The suspect explained further that he sold brainboxes of Toyota Corolla N40,000 each while those of Hilux went for N70,000 each. He stated that buyers were readily available for the stolen items. He said, I usually go for operations on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays. Because I wanted to operate on the Lagos Island that night (Friday), I told my wife that I was going to work. She knows I am into illegal oil bunkering around Takwa Bay. About a year ago, the police forced me to abandon it for stealing car parts. I surveyed Broad Street around 9pm on Thursday to see any vehicle I could remove its brainbox. When it was 3am, I sneaked into Broad Street for operation. Before getting there, I had removed the brainbox of a Toyota Corrolla parked on the adjoining street. I had removed the brainbox and all the winding buttons in the (deacons) car when a guard spotted me. He raised the alarm which drew the attention of the Rapid Response Squad officers around. I was chased and arrested. I sell the stolen items to a vehicle parts dealer, called Senior, in the Coconut area of Ajegunle. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, confirmed the arrest, adding that efforts were ongoing to apprehend more suspects. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) Boko Haram suicide bombers attacked Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, according to reports, the suicide bombers struck at two locations in the town, killing 16 persons. The Commissioner of Police in a text message to journalists said the attacks happened at the Muna garage area where many have been killed in the past by suicide bombers, and at Muna Dalti. The message of the commissioner read, On 22-10-2017. Date at about 2020hrs, a Male Suicide bomber detonated IED strapped on him at Muna Garage killing himself and thirteen persons with five injured. In another development at Muna Dalti two female suicide bombers detonated same killing themselves and injured thirteen. Chukwu revealed that the injured persons were conveyed to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for treatment and the corpses of the dead were evacuated from the scenes of the attack. He said EOD/other Police teams have been deployed to sanitize scenes and environs. In all 16 persons were killed while 18 others were injured in the three explosions. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) The breaking news appeared that Nigerian President Buhari asked the World Bank to concentrate all their improvement efforts in Nigeria only on the north. The World Bank president, Jim Yong Kim, told about this at his press conference in Washington. According to Kim, during his first meeting with Buhari, Buhari told that he wanted the World Bank to alter their focus to the northern region of Nigeria. And the Bank gladly followed Buhari`s wish. This fact has immediately sparked numerous reactions on Twitter and Facebook making Northern Nigeria a trending topic. The exposure of Mr. Kims statement further fortifies the quarrel that Nigerian President Buhari is biased to the north and never hides it. This dispute is roughly as old as Buharis political career. In several months after Buharis swearing-in in 2015, informs NAIJ Nigeria, Ayodele Fayose, the Ekiti state governor, accused Buhari of the Northernization of Nigeria, decrying his irregular appointments that significantly favored people from the North. It is not surprising as over 80 percent of Buharis 15.4 million votes came from the North and less than 8 percent from the South-South, even though ethnocentrism is never justified. The nature of his victory, while a win for democracy, was an indicator of the instability of ethnicism in the country, the weighty nervousness between the South and the North. For several times already President Buhari has been accused of favoritism. Oby Ezekwesili, ex-education minister, accused the President of Nigeria of deliberately alienating a segment of the people he leads. She also added that it is the lowest form of churlishness that is unbecoming of a leader to send signals that you dislike anyone of the groups you lead, remembering Buhari`s deployment of soldiers in the South-East for Operation Python Dance Two. Therefore, it looks like when President Buhari tries to choose between Nigeria and the North, he selects the North. So, there is a question. Where his commitment lies: to his tribe or his country? A Catalan party on Monday threatened massive civil disobedience if Spain dismisses the regions government to stave off its threat to declare independence. The Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) party denounced Madrids plans as the biggest aggression against the Catalan people since the Franco dictatorship. This aggression will receive a response in the form of massive civil disobedience, said the party, a key regional power broker, in a statement. The CUPs threat upped the stakes in the standoff over Catalan independence, which has raised fears of unrest in Spains deepest political crisis in decades. Half a million angry separatists took to the streets of Barcelona on Saturday after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced he would remove Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and his executive. Rajoy said Madrid would take control of ministries under unprecedented measures to stop the region breaking away. The CUP is a key ally of the ruling separatist coalition in the regional parliament. It said the details of the protest actions it is planning would be unveiled later this week. Source: ( AFP ) A couple murdered a 20-year-old pregnant woman in a bid to rip her baby from her womb and steal it in Brazil. 22-year-old Joelma Queila Santana da Silva, and 18-year-old Alex da Silva Carvalho (pictured below) met the victim on her way to visit a doctor in Itapiranga. The victim, who was 37 weeks along, followed the woman and man who then took her to have a drink at a local cafeteria. Once there, they distracted her and Joelma put a date rape drug into the pregnant womans drink, causing her to pass out. They then took the woman to a forest area where they used a knife to open up her belly and remove the fetus. The victim died on the spot. The incident occurred in the municipality of Sao Sebastiao do Uatuma, state of Amazonas, Brazil. When asked about the motive for the crime, Joelma said that she could not get pregnant but wanted very much to have a child. So she used her influence over young and immature Alex to get him to participate in the heinous crime. The corpse of the woman was found by the residents in an area near a place known as Campo de Pelada Pimenta, in the neighborhood of Paz. They alerted the police and this led to an investigation. The baby reportedly survived and is being treated in the Itapiranga hospital. A popular Nigerian human rights lawyer has described the order granting forfeiture of funds in accounts without bank verification number to the federal government as illegal. It was reported on Sunday that thousands of commercial bank customers who operate accounts without a Biometric Verification Number (BVN) are currently panic stricken, as the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted federal governments prayers to have such accounts forfeited if owners do not come forward to claim them in two weeks (14 days) time. In a swift reaction through an official statement, Nigerian human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, described as illegal, the order granting forfeiture of funds in accounts without bank verification number (BVN) to the federal government. Adegboruwa citing section 36(1) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and Article 7 of the African Charter, said it is not proper to determine the rights of parties in their absence. He said the BVN is a policy decision that is not backed by law, and also faulted the bindingness of the order on millions of bank customers who he said are not directly parties to the suit. The legal practitioner said the quest to get revenue for the government should not be to the detriment of the constitutional and fundamental rights of the citizens. The statement read; I am very well concerned about how we deploy interim orders for permanent purposes, such as to forfeit valuable assets, without any or fair hearing from the person(s) concerned. I think it is improper to obtain interim orders to freeze bank accounts of estates that are in dispute between the beneficiaries, of estates of deceased persons that are still being contested, of profits of companies that are still subject to litigation or other disputes, just to mention a few examples of the arbitrariness of these orders. There is nothing in section 3 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, that makes BVN a condition precedent for operating a bank account in Nigeria. Nothing at all. What the law requires is verifiable identity of the customer, such as name, address, photographs, identity cards, etc. BVN is policy decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria and a court of law should not base its orders on executive policies that are not backed by law. I get truly worried with the way we adopt ex-parte applications to determine very serious and weighty issues of law. The other point is the bindingness of an ex-parte order upon the whole world and upon all millions of bank customers in Nigeria, who are not directly parties to the suit. How proper is it, for a court to seek to determine the rights of parties in their absence, in view of the clear provisions of section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter. Why this desperation, if one may ask? I support that money suspected to be proceeds of crime should be traced, isolated and forfeited if the owner cannot successfully account for it. But to proceed to seek to forfeit all monies in all banks meant for all customers in Nigeria, on the ground of absence of BVN is manifestly illegal. I therefore humbly urge the honourable attorney-general of the federation to review this case with a view to tempering the tenor of these rather outlandish orders. The quest to scoop revenue for government should not be at the detriment of the constitutional and fundamental rights of the citizens. Which is why I have been praying that these orders are not real, but rather one of the usual social media gimmicks. One of Nigerias richest men and best known business moguls, Muhammadu Indimi, who was recently criticized for donating a lecture hall for an American university, has talked on how he didnt go to school but now controls PhD and Master degree holders. While speaking in an exclusive interview with Premium Times, billionaire business mogul and Borno-born magnate, Muhammadu Indimi, opened up on controversies trailing him for donating a lecture hall for an American university when same institutions in his home country Nigeria are begging for such gesture. In the interview, the money bag, who is an in-law to President Muhammadu Buhari, spoke elaborately on his foundations philanthropy, why he built a hostel for a U.S.-based university and how he was able to rise as an accomplished business man without any background of formal western education. Here are excerpt from the chat: Could you kindly shed light on the controversy that trailed your building and donation of a lecture hall for an American University? You see, about 10 of my children studied in America and in that particular university where I made the donation. And each time I go there to visit them or to attend their graduation ceremony I meet with other students especially Americans who knew me as an accomplished international businessman. And somehow, some of them came to find out that I have no advance certificate of education and yet I was able to accomplish all that God has blessed me with. So being very inquisitive as they are by nature, the students approached me and asked if I could be available to give them an insight as to how I was able to accomplish such business successes without any form of formal education. What they wanted was some kind of talk or lecture. And when I went to share my experience with them, I found out that the venue was too small for the crowd that attended the programme, and it was from there I pledged to help them build a better and befitting lecture for the faculty. I did that in my kind gesture as a father to many children that graduated from that school; and also in appreciation of the recognition and regard they gave me. But what will I hear back home, all kinds of insinuation. Sadly, some persons, especially those from a south south of the country, felt it is their money I took to go build a lecture hall for an American university. But little did such persons know that all my active life as a businessman I have never shied away from my basic social responsibility in every place I do my business. It was even in the recognition of such kind of efforts that the University of Uyo sent me a nomination letter awarding me an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration. That is because in that state I am fully committed to my corporate social responsibilities as a businessman. I have an ongoing 100 housing units that is going on in that state. Besides that, I have contributed immensely in seeing that the University attains all the requirements that enabled them get their Department of Petrochemical Engineering get accredited and certified as an affiliate of the University of Texas. I have offered more than a 100 scholarship in that university; I have also given about 500 women in the business community there in Uyo soft loans to start their own businesses. Though some people were blind to all these efforts we have been making in the areas of our corporate social responsibilities, the University community has appreciated us; that is why on the 4th of November, they will be conferring me with an honour of doctorate degree in Business Administration. It may interest you to know that I have never been to any formal school all my life. No teacher of western education can say he or she had taught me how to pronounce the alphabet A in my life. But here I am helping people to get educated in the Western baccalaureate because I know how important it is. So, how were you able to master the art of reading and speaking in English. As I told you I have never been to any kind of school. I simply learnt by listening and association with people. I am a very committed person when it comes to learning and adapting. And thank God today, as an unlettered person by Western standard I still supervise people with masters and Phds who are working in my organisation. As a matter of fact, if any of my employees want to approach me with any project proposal or some kind of memo or presentation, they have to be well prepared and make sure they did their home work well because they know I will definitely point out any error therein. So Alhamdullillahi, I thank God for his kindness upon me; and I do all that I do for the sake of God. I hate mentioning or celebrating our acts of kindness in the past, but the times have come that people will want to drag your name in the mud with lies. So we have to beat our drum for our selves even though with all humility and comportment. Thank you. A family of five, including an unborn baby, have reportedly died after consuming a meal made with the Ewedu vegetable, also known as Jute in the northern parts of Nigeria. According to report, the Ex-police inspector Peter Dauda, 43, his pregnant wife Dorothy, 35, their son Godwin, 9, and daughter Patience, 6, all ate their meal prepared with jute one night and went to bed. The unused portion of the jute was spread on a container overnight. The following day, they used the remaining jute to prepare a fresh pot of soup which they ate that night, but shortly after the meal, they all began to complain of stomach ache. They were rushed to the hospital where they all died one after the other. The two dogs belonging to the family also died after eating the meal, Sunday Sun reports. The incident shocked residents of the Dushai village along the Kagoro-Manchok road, in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Narrating the sad incident, President of Dushai Community Development Association, Mr. Daniel Duniya Bosan said: The family had prepared and eaten the jute leaves in the evening of Wednesday, September 6, 2017 and went to bed without any problem. But the remaining leaves were spread on a container and preserved for consumption the following day. Trouble started on Thursday, September 7, shortly after they had eaten the vegetable soup. All the family members started complaining of stomach aches the following day, which was Friday, and neighbours rushed them to a nearby hospital. The jute leaves was suspected to have been laced with a poisonous substance by unknown persons. The first family member to die was their six-year-old daughter, Patience, who gave up the same Friday, while Dorothy, Godwin, and their father, Inspector Dauda, died on Saturday, September 9. Source Sunday Sun The Supreme Court in Kenya ruled that all eight candidates who took part in the 8 August presidential election must be included in the re-election later this month. This information was released after the leader of the opposition, Raila Odinga, proclaimed about his pulling out.\ Kenyan opposition is pushing for electoral changes before a new election is held. As TUKO informed earlier, the Supreme Court had canceled Uhuru Kenyattas win in the August election, after it found that the election commission did not follow both the electoral laws and the constitution. Odinga made the further announcement: We have concluded that there is no intention on the part of the IEBC to take on any changes to its operations and personnel. All indications are that the election scheduled for October 26, will be worse than the previous one. Will the re-election take place? Absolutely. The Kenyan Constitution informs that re-election must be held on the first of November. Therefore, the newest court order means that even though the opposition leader has pulled out, Uhuru Kenyatta must still face some competition, unless they all quit as well. Why did the opposition leader Odinga quit? According to Odinga`s National Super Alliance, their conditions for a credible election have been denied. NASA will give the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission much more time to initiate entirely new reforms. The principal NASA demands are simple. The opposition wants to: Replace all companies which were responsible for printing ballot papers and supplying the voter transmission and verification kits; Dismiss all electoral officials who participated in shameful 8 August election; Embed worldwide experts with the IEBC to supervise its IT systems to prevent results from being rigged. What political experts say? Many political experts in Kenya say that this withdrawal is a particular strategy for Raila Odinga to leave the political scene on his terms. The cancellation of Uhuru Kenyattas victory in August election is a much-needed political high for Mr. Odinga. A Lagos-based housewife has done the unthinkable by turning her own husband to her houseboy after she reportedly received N2.5 million from her Facebook lover. A Nigerian housewife who recently received N2.5million from her Facebook lover, who is based in Dublin, has reportedly disowned and referred her own husband as house help employed by the family to assist in domestic matters. According to a report by P.M Express, the woman simply known as Rita who did the unthinkable after her online lover known as Mr. Gabriel, had started making arrangement with Gabriel for marriage. It was gathered that the man who live at the Isolo area of Lagos where with his wife and their three children, is comfortable and also bought an SUV for the wife to take the children to school. Reports revealed that Rita met Gabriel on Facebook and they became lovers even though they have not met face to face. Gabriel expressed so much love and indicated interest to marry Rita. She agreed despite the fact that she was married with children. Gabriel reportedly sent her N2.5m to take care of herself and procure travelling papers to join him in Dublin where he resides. Meanwhile, while the relationship was going on Rita did not tell Gabriel that she was married and had children. She rather told him that she was still single and had no commitment with any man in Nigeria. The whole thing got exposed after the husband suspected Rita, mostly because of the way she was spending money which he did not know the source. The husband who insisted that he did not want his name mentioned secretly took Ritas phone and observed the chat between her and Gabriel. The husband then hid his real name, added Gabriel as his friend on Facebook, Gabriel accepted and they started chatting. It was gathered that it was during the chatting that the husband then informed Gabriel that Rita was his legitimate wife and he should leave her alone. However, Gabriel did not believe the husband but made it clear that he wanted to marry Rita, had sent her N2.5m to facilitate her travelling documents and that she will soon join him in Dublin. It was also gathered that the husband then revealed his real name to Gabriel and told him to asked Rita about him. While Rita and Gabriel were chatting, she referred her husband as the family house help and expressed her commitment to marry Gabriel. The husband then summoned Rita and asked to know what was going on between her and Gabriel. Rita threatened to dump and sue him for dabbling into her private affairs. The matter was reported to the Isolo Police Division and the police summoned Rita to explain her conduct. By then her husband had printed hard copies of her chatting with Gabriel. When the DPO showed her all the chatting she had with Gabriel, she then started accusing the police and her husband of dabbling into her private matter. She is now threatening to sue both the police and her husband and had contacted her lawyer to that effect. It was not certain the next step the husband will take as he said he will contact his family before any further action. It was all round chaos at the headquarters of Ikeja Electricity as residents of Onilekere, Onipetesi, Valley Estate, Santos Estate Phase I & II, Lagos State, stormed the office on Thursday to protest against poor power supply, outrageous estimated billings, as well as the poor state of a substation transformer that feeds about 20 transformers in the four communities. The protesters lamented that on the average, they had 125 hours electricity monthly, saying the problem had taken its toll on the people and commercial activities in the neighbourhoods. They also displayed placards, some of which read, 11 months of darkness is inhuman and wickedness, We cant continue to pay for darkness, Replacing 15MVA (substation) transformer with 7.5MVA is unacceptable, and Ikeja Electric has gradually killed our businesses, among others. The Secretary, Valley Estate Residents Association, Amaehi Ogwuse, told PUNCH Metro that the communities had been enduring erratic electricity since December 2016 when the substation transformer packed up. He said, The 15MVA substation at Mangoro got bad in December and for about two months, there was a total outage. The IE officials told us that the substation transformer packed up as a result of overloading. We started mounting pressure on them and eventually they connected us to the Shasha substation. The load shedding has been one day on; two days off and we hardly have four hours electricity on our on day. We had complained to the company, but we were told lies. Yet, they give us estimated bills. A three-bedroomed flat gets a bill of N13,000 in a month. It is outrageous. They brought the 7.5MVA last month when they got wind of this protest and they had yet to energise it. But the transformer cannot serve the four communities. The 15MVA spoilt as result of overloading. We need both the 15MVA and 7.5MVA to solve this problem. A representative of Onipetesi residents, Olusola Gabriel, said he spent a major part of his income in paying the crazy electricity bills and fuelling his generator. He said, I live in a two-bedroomed flat. I spend N15,000 on fuel every month. The company also brings a bill of N8,000 monthly. An average income earner in Nigeria gets between N50,000 and N70,000. So, if you spend about N25,000 on electricity every month, isnt that crazy? A fashion designer and youth leader of Valley Estate, Olayinka Balogun, said the outage had rendered him and his colleagues idle, adding that it was difficult for them to make ends meet. He said, I have not been working because of the outage and same applies to other artisans in the communities. Also, one Precious Innocent said, Since I moved to Valley Estate about a year ago, the power supply has been very poor. The company brought an accumulated bill of N50,000 for our house recently. We dont have any meter, but we get bills that have meter number. The company management and representatives of the communities had a closed-door meeting, which lasted for about two hours. After the meeting, one of the representatives, Ita Henshaw, told our correspondent that they had made their demands known to the company. The operational manager, Mr. Daramola, said they had been working on the 7.5 MVA at the substation in Mangoro. He promised that in a weeks time it would be energised. We have told the management that we want to have 24-hour power supply; we want pre-paid meters given to all consumers in the communities; we dont want load shedding system of two days off and miserable one day on anymore. We also want total cancellation of all debts arising from the illegitimate billings; we dont want estimated billing system henceforth and no disconnection of power until these demands are met, he added. The Ikeja Electric spokesman, Mr. Felix Ofulue, affirmed that the company would energise the transformer in a weeks time, adding that the demands would be looked into accordingly. He said, They had power transformation issue and they are being fed from other sources. There are some processes that need to be taken to energise the new transformer and we have told them that it would be done in one week. The other issues are generic. Some of the demands may not be realistic considering the current reality. The ones that we can do, we will and provide alternatives where necessary. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) The police said that an Indian man who tried to protect his daughter from sexual harassment and complained to authorities has been burnt alive. Police officer RA Pandey said that Narmada Sahu, 45, died at a hospital in Madhya Pradesh state late on Sunday. Mr. Pandey said that the victims relatives alleged that his 16-year-old daughter was routinely harassed by a neighbour and that Mr. Sahu complained to police in August. He said the neighbour demanded that Mr. Sahu withdraw the complaint. Police said on Sunday the neighbour barged into the victims house with two friends, poured kerosene on him and set him on fire. We have arrested the three attackers, lodged a criminal case and launched investigations, Mr. Pandey said. Sexual violence has been a focus of public attention in India since the gang-rape and murder of a student in New Delhi in 2012. (dpa/NAN) A man shocked the world with his weird decision to leave the comfort of his home and live on top a really tall coconut tree for three long years. Gilbert Sanchez, a 47-year-old man from La Paz, in the Agusan del Sur province of the Philippines, had last felt solid ground under his feet in 2014, before climbing a 60-foot-tall coconut tree near his house. According to Oddity Central, he had never come down since, and would have probably stayed atop the tree till the end of his days, had authorities not rescued him by force recently. The man had apparently left his home to live atop a nearby coconut tree three years ago, after being hit on the head with a gun, during an altercation. His mother remembers that he was so afraid that someone would come to kill him that he felt that the only way to stay alive was to climb the tallest tree he could find and stay there. And thats exactly what he had been doing for the last three years, surviving only on the food and water his mother brought him every day, which he would pull up in his tree haven with an improvised rope. He would relieve himself from the top of the tree, and not even the raging storms, the blistering heat or the ruthless insects could get him to come down. Winifreda Sanchez, Gilberts mother, had been trying to convince him to come down from the tree at least to get a bath, but he always refused. All she could do for him was deliver food, water, clothes and cigarettes to him every day, hoping that they would at least keep him alive. She would shout to him to lower his rope, tie the supplies tightly, and he would hoist them up to his tree-top haven. Aldrin Sanchez, Gilberts brother, said that both he and the other members of their family had been constantly pleading with him to come down, but he just waved them away. One time, I asked him to come down, Aldrin told KMJS Exclusives. He said Be quiet, I wont go down. Someone would kill me if I do. A widower since 2000, when his wife died giving birth to their second daughter, Gilbert Sanchez didnt even come down from his tree-top home when his mother told him that she was too old to take proper care of his children, and that they didnt even go to school anymore. Even though everyone in La Paz knew Gilbert Sanchezs story, no one did anything about it until an obscure article about him went viral on social media and was eventually picked up by major news outlets in the Philippines. They sent film crews to his village, and their coverage finally convinced local authorities to help the mans family get him down from his tree. On October 11th, a team of 50 people along with Gilberts family tried convincing him to come down voluntarily, one more time, after which they started cutting down the coconut tree with a chainsaw. It was a difficult operation, as one wrong move could make the difference between bringing the man down safely or killing him, but in the end, everything went as planned, and Gilbert was once again on solid ground, after three long years. Videos doing the rounds on Facebook show Gilbert Sanchezs body covered in blisters and insect bites. He also suffers from muscle atrophy and his spine has become deformed after so much time spent crouching in the coconut tree. But the mans mind is by far the most damaged. According to a psychiatrists initial assessment, the 47-year-old exhibits symptoms of psychosis, including delusions, hallucinations and the fear that someone is trying to kill him. He has been put on a medication, and will have to take it regularly in order to have a normal life. Gilberts tragic story made quite an impact on Filipino social media, with many users asking how they could help him and his mother get their lives back on track. A bank account in Winifreda Sanchezs name was set up so people could donate whatever they could to their cause. Davidos 30 Billion Tour This Time Took Approximated number of about 50,000 people off the streets of Sierra Leone, as the massive crowd gather in a 50k capacity stadium. Davido obviously jiggled the country with his outstanding performance and loyal fan base. Photos https://www.instagram.com/p/BajdNwxlcvC/ source: 36ng A young model has shut down the damn internet after she and her team caused light traffic on Victoria Island in Lagos, just for a rare kind of photo shoot. From the videos making rounds online, the model, a dark-skinned buxom beauty, is seen in a stringy bikini that put her massive behind on display, the look was complete with stilettos. She struts across the road, in front of parked cars, while her photographer snapped away at his camera. Also, the model poses on the pavement, besides a palm tree, before crossing the road again, seemingly uncaring of the massive attention she is getting. Do this instead of giving out money to those who already have private jets in the name of tithes Nigerian man says Astounded Lagosians could be heard behind the camera, swearing in righteous indignation, however, none dared to confront to model. This photoshoot may be the first of its kind in Lagos, and sure thing, everyone wants to know who this daredevil of a model is. But what do folks think about this daring shoot? There are beaches and pools for shoots in Nigeria though. All for the wrong type of attention, said one Instagrammer. Another disagreed with this, saying that the model has the right to walk around the whole neighborhood.Shes Mama Africa. However, some did note that the model put herself in harms way, and this is because of the occasional reports of women who were harassed for wearing certain outfits their abusers deemed immodest. Here is her identity: Her name is Symba, an American Nigerian model Here are more photos from that photo-shoot as she poses with Keke Napep. It was around that Imo Event Center or whatever that place is called. So I crossed the road and she told me that she can only give me her Facebook ID, that she cant give me her number. The truth is that her ass was awesome. And apart from the fact that I had no money then I was in a relationship and didnt ever wanna cheat. So I found her on Facebook and she still refused to give me her number until I used a girls Facebook account where the girl told her she was my sister. I got the number called for months but she refused coming to see me. So I had to chill until money came this year I called her last month and told her about Gods blessings in my life and it took her just 5 mins to fall in love and decided that we must see. But the story is that after eating out her friend or room mate was supposed to leave but she didnt. Even after I have dashed them 5k each just for keeping me company. [remember I told you that I can give a girl I like any amount of money if she is nice to me but I cant pay anybody penny because of sex cus I dont believe that its the guys that fuck the girls. I believe that sex is a mutual thing enjoyed by the both parties]. Later, i went to the cheap hotel room where I lodged around World Bank with the 2 girls and Definitely it wasnt my first time of doing THREE SOME. I cant lie to you my dear friends. Okay, thanks for reading. While speaking ahead of the meeting of the Southern governors forum holding, in Lagos State, on Monday, the Governor of Ekiti State, has vowed to fight for presidency whether his party likes it or not. Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has declared that he is not going back in his quest to seek to be the next president of Nigeria, this he would do on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Fayose said this, in Lagos, on Sunday, ahead of the meeting of the Southern governors forum holding, in Lagos State, on Monday. Fayose, who said he risked his life to remain the sole opposition voice to the APC-led Federal Government, maintained that the constitution of the country far outweigh that of the party and insisted that he was going ahead to contest the number seat in the land. Said he, I am not on my own, I have most Nigerians behind me. Rather, the PDP is on their own. I have been well groomed. I am matured and firebrand enough to face challenges of tomorrow. Things dont happen by accident. When the party (PDP) almost fell apart, how many of them did we see at the time. How many of them spoke at the time. If they zoned it to the North, so because I am not a northerner, then I dont have a right, the Constitution does not allow me to contest? Forget that. He continued, What are you saying? Have you not seen n this country where a zone has two key offices. We know where the Speaker from. There was something there before. During Tambuwal speakership, the post was zoned to the southwest but because we lost it, a zone got the two top appointments in the land. Forget about that. It is the Presidency that orders things. When I become President in 2019, I will reorder those things. Nothing can stop me from contesting. Even if they pick the partys chairman from my family: even if they pick my son as party chairman, I will contest. On the issue of restructuring, Governor Fayose said that the Igbo remained the most marginalized ethnic group in Nigeria and that itt would only be fair to address the issue of the Igbo in the Nigerian nation. 54-year-old grade level 16 officer in the Kogi state Teaching Service Commission, Edward Soje, committed suicide because he was owed 11 months salary, 10 days after his wife of 17 years welcomed a set of triplets. His body was found dangling from a tree at the mammy market at the Maigumeri barracks, the Nigeria Army Command Record in the state on October 21st. Nana Sule has released this real picture of him following an alleged photo of him circulating the media. President Muhammadu Buhari will Tuesday depart for Niamey, Republic of Niger, to participate in a meeting to discuss the notion and possibility of a common currency for the West African sub-region. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, made this known in a statement issued on Monday. Mr. Adesina said Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun and CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, will also accompany the president to the meeting. The statement added that Mr. Buhari will return to Abuja same day after the meeting. The possibility of having a common currency to serve nations in the sub-region has been a point of deliberation at different parleys in the past. Source: ( Premium Times ) The Enugu State police command has explained what led to the shooting that claimed two lives along the Enugu-Onitsha highway on Friday. In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Nkeiruka Nwode, the command said the refusal of a driver of a Toyota Camry to stop when flagged down by police officers led to a chase which ended in the shooting. The police alleged that the driver, who was later stopped at a junction was found to be in possession of 15 bags of Indian Hemp. The command did not, however, explain what led to the shooting as the statement did not indicate whether the driver, who was shot dead, was armed or not. The command said the second victim was a boy attached to a trailer who jumped to his death when he sighted a rampaging mob who had gathered to protest the incident. The police said officers involved had been detained while investigations were ongoing. The statement read in part: Following the shooting incident and the disturbance of peace at the Tarzan junction along the popular Enugu-Onitsha expressway on Friday, October 20, 2017. The police command wishes to set the record straight. At about 800hours of 20/10/2017, a police patrol team on stop and search duties stopped the driver of a suspected Camry vehicle for a routine check. However, the driver failed to stop as directed. He was chased by the police team from Dennis Memorial Grammer school, (DMGS) Onitcha and subsequently accosted at Tarzan junction, Nkpor as a result of the traffic build-up. In the bid to search the vehicle properly, a melee ensued and the driver was shot by the police. Unfortunately, the driver died on the spot. A thorough search of the vehicle revealed 15 bags of weeds suspected to be Indian Hemp, the statement said. Further detail about the nature of confrontation that resulted in the death of the unnamed driver was however not given by the command. According to the statement, the death of the driver resulted in an angry mob who set ablaze a security pick-up van that was seen approaching the junction. The driver of the van escaped unhurt. Some miscreants unaware of the true facts behind the incident took advantage of it and gathered up for mob action. Sadly a motor boy on an approaching trailer vehicle on sighting the angry mob jumped down from the trailer and lost his life on the spot. He was reported to have been crushed to death by a hit-and-run vehicle. The command wishes to warn against spreading false rumours to heat up the polity as the incident has no connection with any political party, the statement said. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) A Spanish tourist was shot dead by Police officers in Rio de Janeiro while he was visiting a violent favela slum where earlier two officers had been wounded. A car broke through a police blockade in the Rocinha favela, police said in a statement, and officers who did not know there was a tourist aboard opened fire. During a check, the vehicle was found to be for the transport of tourists. One Spanish woman who was wounded was taken to the Miguel Couto hospital but died of her wounds, the statement said. The incident occurred an hour after police from an elite unit fought with narcotics gang members in two locations in Rocinha, a giant favela that has long been almost out of control of the authorities. In the clashes, two police were hospitalized with wounds, along with a suspected gang member, police said. A Glock pistol was confiscated. Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers have been deployed to help police in crackdowns on Rocinha in September and October after rival drug gangs battled each other with automatic weapons in the densely populated neighborhood. Violence is common in favelas, where around a quarter of Rios population of 6.5 million live. Drug gangs control much of the territory and police are forced to remain on permanent alert, leaving large areas in the hands of local gunmen. Tourists are routinely warned to keep away from favela neighborhoods, with few exceptions. G1 news site identified the slain tourist as Maria Esperanza Ruiz Jimenes, 67. This could not be immediately verified. The Spanish embassy in Brasilia told AFP that it was in contact with the authorities over the incident. Source: ( AFP ) By Michael Kennell In many business sectors, top-performing companies often treat their employees better and offer more enticing compensation packages than their competitors. But when it comes to salary and bonuses in self-storage, pay is all over the board! If youre an independent owner or small regional player, you may give your staff more responsibility and empowerment than the big-box, national companies. In a lot of ways, thats a big advantage; but are you doing enough to attract and retain the most talented employees available? According to a recent survey, the five most important work-related issues for employees are enjoyment of the work, finding work/life balance, pay satisfaction, a correlation between pay and performance, and whether a company is adequately staffed. Your pay plan should touch all five of these areas. Paying a strong hourly wage isnt enough. To retain talent, you need to make your employees bullet proof when competitors come hunting for new staff. For example, whats your plan to increase the wage of a team member as his learning and productivity improve? Do you offer bonuses, and how are they unlocked? Consider creating an incentive plan thats tied to goalsones employees can achieve and exceed. Also, think about what you can do to keep things fun and give your business a spark of energy. Here are some ideas to keep competitive in staff compensation. Wage Structure Its good to start with a range. You may want to pay above the going rate or minimum wage, but you dont want to overpay. Base your starting wage on a combination of what youre willing to pay, what the applicant has earned in the past, and what will get the candidate to sign with you. This doesnt always jive with how the big boys do things, but as a smaller operator, it gives you a decisive advantage. Pay different people differently. Its also effective to show candidates a pay road map. For example, if you start someone at $12 an hour, offer an ongoing training plan with different achievement levels. A new employee would start at Level 1, but after hes completed his training, he would move to Level 2. Once he effectively grasps the basics of running the property, he would move to Level 3, and so on. Assign each level with a pay increase, or tie in eligibility for a bonus. For example, you might tell the employee, Well start you at $12 per hour and put you through three weeks of training. At the end of the training period, you will have reached Level 2 and be eligible for a bonus. Once you reach Level 3, well bump your hourly pay to $13. A pay road map should also include a formal feedback plan that ties into compensation. Feedback is the breakfast of champions for employees. Maintaining a formal calendar that details when employees will receive candid, balanced reviews with the potential for compensation adjustments adds a layer of accountability to the work environment and rewards your top performers. Incentive Plans and Bonuses Your staff incentive plan should be monthly. Think of it as a TEAM program: Incentives should be timely . . They should be structured to allow managers to exceed goals. goals. Incentives should be attainable . . They should also be measurable. Common pitfalls are making incentive plans too easy to achieve, or failing to explain how they work or why theyre in place. You want the plan to be be challenging, but also simple to follow and within reach of the levers your employees pull daily. This will result in positive business-performance metrics. The metrics managers impact at a self-storage facility include rentals, merchandise sales, occupancy, delinquency and bad debt, so build your program to focus on these areas. For example, lets say your facility had four move-ins last month. You might set the move-in goal for the current month to five. As an incentive, try a cash pool approach. For every move-in up to five, youll put $2.50 into the pool. Once the goal is hit, the bonus could jump to $5 per move-in. If the team manages to get seven move-ins, you could bump the bonus to $7.50, $10 or whatever you believe is appropriate. The benefit to scaling the incentive is it encourages a pour it on mentality from employees when theyre having a good month. At the end of the month, divide the pool among the staff. Just remember to include a disclaimer in any incentive plan stipulating that a bonus can be invalidated for unsatisfactory behavior or performance. You can also build goals and incentives around controllable repairs and maintenance, though its a bit trickier. One way is to look at your budget for these items and then motivate staff to reduce recurring costs for landscaping, pest control, etc. Other goals could be structured around renegotiating prices with existing vendors, hiring new suppliers and so on. You can also incentivize staff to perform some maintenance tasks themselves, such as minor latch or door repairs, painting and other routine duties. Remember, incentives should be the coal feeding the engine that propels a business forward. Self-storage is a game of inches, and those inches add up. Losing just one customer or failing to convert one lead, compounded over a year, will cost you in occupancy and revenue. A good plan will include levels your managers can hit and provide incentive to reach stretch goals. It should also give you the flexibility to add to or subtract from the plan as you see fit. Culture of Enthusiasm Finally, make your framework for goals and incentives fun. For example, you could create a contest to increase online reviews or promote a holiday sale. Consider offering a gift card, or bonus dollars that can be paid on an employees next check. Building a formal goal and incentive system helps create excitement within your business. It gets staff focused on operational goals and personal improvement, and allows everyone to share in the success of the business. Michael Kennell is owner and president of Storage Management Pros LLC, a self-storage consulting firm, and American Value Self Storage in Port Charlotte, Fla. He has 16 years of industry experience as an owner, regional vice president and district manager for several national and regional self-storage companies. To reach him, e-mail [email protected]; visit www.americanvalueselfstorage.com. The Florida Self Storage Association (FSSA) will host its annual Owners Summit, Nov. 1-2, at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Fla. Open to self-storage owners, operators and investors, the event will begin with an evening reception in the hotels Bay View Bar. The second day will include opening remarks followed by four seminars and a luncheon. Michael Mele, senior managing director of investments for real estate firm Marcus & Millichap, will lead the first education session, a panel discussion on operational challenges. Panelists will include Paul Feikema, vice president of operations for Hide-Away Storage LLC; Jay Massirman, founder and managing principal of Rivergate Cos.; Noah Springer, senior vice president of business development and strategic relations for Extra Space Storage Inc.; and Rick Yonis, president of Sentry Self Storage. Next, a seminar on eminent domain will be led by Brian E. Smith, an attorney with the law firm Baker & Hostetler LLP, while a third session will discuss how recent hurricanes might affect insurance rates, claims and processes. The final seminar, led by Bret Zinn, senior account executive for Yardi Systems, will explore industry construction and rental-rate data. The show will close with a networking lunch on the hotels Ca dZan Terrace. The FSSA is a great resource for owners and vendors alike to stay up-to-date on trends and issues that may impact our businesses, said Chuck Dodge, senior account executive of Bader Co., a show sponsor. Show registration is available via the FSSA website. Fees vary for members and nonmembers. The FSSA works to ensure the stability and growth of the Florida self-storage industry. It provides a forum through which members can increase knowledge, exchange information, and promote an established, unified voice, according to officials. A demand has been issued to insurance companies and the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) to come to the Whitsundays to speak up on how they are resolving claims due to a severe weather event that hit Australia in March this year.Dawson MP George Christensen made the call in parliament on Monday after hearing many appalling cases of poor treatment from insurance companies who are dragging out Cyclone Debbie-related claims."I am demanding that the relevant insurance companies as well as the Insurance Council of Australia come to Airlie Beach and sit down with stakeholders to fix the problems that people are having," Christensen said in a Whitsunday Times report.Christensen said that more than six months after ICA and insurers assured him that they would honour every claim without dragging out the process ... there are hundreds, if not thousands of insurance claims still not settled."Meanwhile, people are living in damaged homes and going to work in damaged work places, he said. "And then, when they get back to their damaged home, they are spending hours on the phone, arguing with building assessors, engineers, and insurance companies who are putting forward undercooked scopes of works that don't come close to covering the costs of necessary repairs."ICA announced that more than 75% of insurance claims had been closed six months after Cyclone Debbie lashed across the country.The Dawson MP hopes the meeting with insurers will be held next month, the report said. Insurtech has enjoyed seismic growth in recent years so it may not come as a surprise to learn the up-and-coming discipline now has a new industry association Insurtech Australia.The national non-profit announced its formation yesterday and said it will be representing insurtech start-ups, insurers, reinsurers and brokers, as well as other insurance-related disciplines.Brenton Charnley lead and co-founder of Insurtech Australia said that the formation came after two highly successful networking groups were launched in Sydney and Melbourne.We could really see the appetite for an objective conversation around not just insurtech but also insurance innovation, Charnley told Insurance Business.One thing I noticed is that its very hard to make industry change when you are inside a company because youre tied to their strategy - so the aim was to set up an independent organisation to work on behalf of all partners and members, he added.Charnley, who was formerly the head of innovation at MetLife , said reaction from industry figures has been positive overall although there has been some anxiety.Insurance by its very nature is about risk mitigation so when anything new comes in theres a little bit of concern and the D word disruption comes out, he said. However, with the partners we have on board and the fact we have most of the large general and commercial insurers, brokers and service providers to the insurance industry on board it shows that people see this not as a disruption but an enabler to their business.Created as a standalone division of Fintech Australia, Insurtech Australia already has support from a number of major industry names including ANZIFF, IAG Suncorp and QBE This isnt something thats being done to the insurance industry, its something that people are actively involved in, stressed Charnley.While he insists the industry association will help Australia become a world leader in insurtech, Charnley also said the development could pose a challenge to brokers.A lot of insurtech is going after digital distribution so that does pose a challenge for people-based broker organisations, Charnley told Insurance Business. However, it also creates an opportunity for brokers to respond and to use technology to both enable and enhance the services they offer. A top regulator had stern words for Wells Fargo over reports that the bank wrongly pushed auto insurance on customers who didnt need it. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency slammed the banking giant for forcing unneeded car insurance on borrowers. The OCC also criticised the banks handling of the problem after it was revealed. Search and compare product listings for Auto Insurance from specialty market providers here The OCCs preliminary report on the bank said that it may have underestimated the costs of reimbursing harmed consumers. The regulator said the banks practices should also be kept under close scrutiny, according to a Reuters report. The OCC has, for weeks, contemplated new sanctions against the bank for abusing mortgage and insurance customers. Report sheds light on why insurance in the state is only deceptively affordable A top regulator had stern words for Wells Fargo over reports that the bank wrongly pushed auto insurance on customers who didnt need it. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency slammed the banking giant for forcing unneeded car insurance on borrowers. The OCC also criticized the banks handling of the problem after it was revealed. The OCCs preliminary report on the bank said that it may have underestimated the costs of reimbursing harmed consumers. The regulator said the banks practices should also be kept under close scrutiny, according to a Reuters report. The OCC has, for weeks, contemplated new sanctions against the bank for abusing mortgage and insurance customers. In all, more than half a million Wells Fargo customers may have received unneeded insurance. OCC spokeswoman Stephanie Collins told Reuters that the agency didnt comment on individual banks. Catherine Pulley, spokeswoman for Wells Fargo, told Reuters that the bank meant to help any customers who were wrongly charged for auto insurance. The insurance value-chain is a prime topic of debate in the industry worldwide. What does the emergence of insurtech start-ups mean for distributors like brokers and agents? Will reinsurers start bypassing carriers and sell direct? The uncertainty is endlessInsurance brokers are the unfortunate subject of a lot of this doom-and-gloom industry chatter. There seems to be widespread consensus that insurers will increasingly opt to tackle distribution by going direct to the customer and eliminating the broker from the value-chain.But what if brokers turned that discussion around and challenged the value of the carriers?Tim Attia, CEO & co-founder of insurtech startup Slice, spoke to Insurance Business about the value of the distribution channel and the power of the broker.Selling insurance is expensive. Eliminating brokers could open up millions of dollars to spend on advertising but then you lose the value-added services of the broker, said Attia. Its a brokers job to go out and win the customer, which is not always easy.When its time to place business with the carrier, the carriers systems are often ancient and outdated and the broker gets squeezed. The carrier pushes a lot of the expense on to the broker to go and process the business. Imagine if we gave the broker a digital insurer where they could press a button and the insurance is issued?Slice is one such digital insurance startup. It operates through the Cloud, servicing the on-demand economy of homeshare and rideshare business. It has the potential to threaten the value of brokers, but Attia assures this is not the plan.I often get asked if our business model will eliminate agents. My answer is always if we were to eliminate all the agents, we would open up our own agency the very next day, Attia told Insurance Business. But it would be a digital agency to compliment us as a digital carrier. The experience for the agent and customer would be tech-forward.The customer is the most important part of the process and owning that customer is the key goal of all insurance professionals, according to Attia.The insurance industry spends a lot of time automating the policy document and then automating the processes around it (submission, quote & bind, renewals & cancellation, etc.). The one part of the value chain they care less about is the agent the customer facing distributor, Attia commented.Customer engagement is way more important than these transactions. So, if I were an agent or broker, its maybe controversial, but I would find a way to eliminate the insurance company from the process. If you already own the customer, why not go after the insurance carrier especially if you can buy a digital insurance platform thats in the Cloud and has the same capabilities of a carrier? Managing general agent and national wholesale insurance broker Worldwide Facilities has launched a new energy liability facility, in partnership with energy liability specialist Aspen Insurance.According to a release, the facility is designed to meet the needs of the land based oil and gas lease operators based in the United States.We are very pleased to be in partnership with one of the premier energy liability underwriting teams in the business, said Worldwide Facilities Houston senior vice-president Rick Burns. They are familiar with the issues facing the energy industry today and we believe they will strongly enhance our product offering in this sector.Worldwide Facilities has an excellent reputation and well-established relationships in the energy insurance sector, commented Aspen Insurance London deputy head of marine & energy liability Tom Davies. We believe this will be a strong and long-lasting partnership, and we look forward to working with them.Earlier this month, Worldwide Facilities appointed a new chief financial officer, John Galaviz. Galaviz was previously associated with Answer Financial, an Allstate company that facilitates the online distribution of P&C insurance. An independent brokerage made a great call, upping a policy in the nick of time and saving a client from losing millions of dollars. This is the story of what happens when brokers do what they do best.On April 09, Erin County Medical Center a 1,000-bed hospital and nursing home in Buffalo, New York was hammered by a ransomware attack that rendered its computer system useless.Cyber criminals had infiltrated its security, kidnapping its servers, and encrypting its data. The crooks demanded $30,000 to unlock the thousands of crippled computers.But ECMC chose not to pay the ransom, at the advice of cybersecurity experts and law enforcement. The decision was likely made easier thanks to the hospitals new cyber insurance policy, taken out months earlier at the recommendation of ECMCs new broker.As part of a deep dive analysis into the ECMCs risk exposure, brokers at Lawley Insurance recommended the hospital drastically increase its cyber limit, from $3 million up to $10 million.The hospital has estimated costs relating to the cyberattack have already reached almost $10 million. The brokers recommendation was timely and necessary.Hospitals are targets, and if they are hit theyre going to get hit hard, said Reggie Dejean, specialty insurance director at Lawley, an independent agency in Buffalo, New York. These arent fender-bender [type claims], these are head-ons when you have large clients like this.When we started working with the hospital, we looked at options for them. We gave them pretty significant limit options, he said. We did tell them that the $3 million was in no way going to be adequate for what their exposures were.ECMC president and CEO Thomas J. Quatroche Jr. told Insurance Business the agencys coverage increase recommendation was a large part of the hospital getting back to normal. For weeks after the attack, staff had to resort to paper files for everything until the computers could be remedied by experts.By carefully analyzing the potential risks and assessing potential impact on hospital operations, Lawley developed and recommended an insurance policy that will assist ECMC significantly in its post-cyberattack restoration and recovery effort, Quatroche said.The cyberattack, and the coverage that went with it, may have occurred south of the border, but it was a good lesson for brokers everywhere, said Ashley Manti, client manager at brokers Pearson Dunn and president of Insurance Brokers Association Hamilton, in Ontario, which is just 70 miles from Buffalo.What theyve done is the same thing that we as brokers are doing, or should be doing, here [in Canada] as well, she said.As a broker, thats the premise of what we do, and thats the reason why people choose to be with a broker because were looking at your account as a portfolio and [looking at] what we can recommend as the best coverage and solutions for your business needs.It didnt matter what side of the border the attack took place, Manti said. Cyber criminals do not respect international borders. What is important is that brokers act diligently for their clients and stay on top of their individual needs, she said.One of the key things that jumps out [from this case] is that this broker took over this account from another broker. So they didnt just take it and run with it, they took it and re-evaluated their [clients] entire program and saw where the deficiencies were, and put forth the proper recommendations. And thats obviously worked out in the clients favor.Of the $10 million already spent by ECMC on fixing this attack, roughly half was spent on improved computer hardware, software and cybersecurity expertise, according to the Buffalo News. The other half is knock-on spending, including overtime wages for staff and business interruption costs associated with shutting down the systems.The price tag is severe, for sure. But the hospital decided early on accepting expert advice that paying the ransom was not an option. After all, who could guarantee they would have their computers returned to them without the criminals having stolen patient data or laying further traps.Dejean, at Lawley, said the ordeal still wasnt over. But thats part of the process, continuing to handle the fallout of a policy claim.It didnt always work out so positively and so publicly when brokers recommended new policies, he said, but this case was gratifying.Its a partnership, Dejean noted. We just need to make sure we continue to work with them because theres still a long road ahead to make sure this continues to be the good story.Knowing the client and recognizing their risk was important, Dejean said. That may seem a given, but the proof is in the pudding when you hear about large public cases both positive and negative.In some cases its easier when you take over an account. Thats when you do your critical analysis. You do a deeper diver, certainly, when youre looking at a client for the first time, Dejean said. But we like to keep that going, too, at renewal time.Its a delicate balance. Obviously you dont want to always be push, push, push on the sales side. But you want to do whats best for your client. Optisure Risk Partners, a Manchester, N.H.-based insurance broker, has promoted Christopher Arnold to vice president of its Sutton James Aviation division. In this role, Arnold will continue to work with Sutton James President Jon Doolittle in overseeing carrier relations, business development, finance and strategy for Sutton James. Arnold is a licensed broker who began his career after graduating from Daniel Webster College in 2006. He is a commercial pilot with a main focus on fixed wing aircraft and commercial operators. He currently handles accounts ranging from personal, corporate and commercial aircraft to various other commercial operators and airports. Sutton James is a resource for aviation-related coverages throughout North and South America. The broker staff are licensed pilots with aviation experience and carrier relationships. Optisures regional partners operate locally but with global capabilities, addressing the spectrum of risk management, employee benefit and property and casualty insurance needs. The organization employs insurance professionals throughout the Northeast and Florida. Source: Optisure Risk Partners Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Aviation New Hampshire Police in Virginia are investigating after an explosive device was detonated in Williamsburg. News outlets report the device was found Thursday night in a parking lot. Firefighters and police were called to the scene near Merchants Square at about 5 p.m. for what they thought was a car fire. When they arrived, they discovered the fire was caused by an improvised explosive device. No injuries were reported. The FBI and Virginia State Police are assisting in the investigation. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Auto Law Enforcement Virginia Aegon NV, the Dutch insurer that generates most of its business from the U.S., is scouting for acquisitions and has looked at companies including smaller rival ASR Nederland NV amid consolidation in the domestic market, according to people familiar with the matter. As part of its search for potential targets, The Hague-based Aegon recently made an informal approach to ASR but the preliminary overture was rebuffed, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. It isnt clear whether Aegon, which is working with advisers on its merger strategy, is still interested in ASR, the people said. Any potential takeover of ASR would rank among the largest insurance deals in Europe in the last five years, joining the ranks of Aviva Plcs acquisition of Friends Life Group Ltd. in 2014, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. ASR, which raised 1.02 billion euros ($1.2 billion) in an initial public offering last year, has a market value of about 5 billion euros. Its shares have risen about 53 percent this year, while Aegon is worth about 10.5 billion euros after a 4.6 percent drop, which may hurt the chances of a deal, the people said. A spokesman for Aegon said the company doesnt comment on rumors. A spokeswoman for ASR declined to comment on market rumors, saying only that the company believes its strong enough for a standalone position in the Dutch insurance market. Aegon has been under pressure to break up and list its European and U.S. units separately, Olivetree Financial Ltd. said in a report following the Bloomberg story. Industry observers have suggested Aegon might look to bolster its European operations through an acquisition of ASR or Vivat NV as a precursor to a de-merger, the report said. ASR stock is generally perceived by the market as cheap, it should be running a more aggressive business model now that the government has fully exited its shareholding and its capital surplus position is likely of interest to Aegons Dutch business, Olivetree said. ASRs stock rose 2.5 percent to 34.86 euros at close in Amsterdam after gaining as much as 8.1 percent. Aegon shares fell 0.5 percent to 4.98 euros. ASR trades at about 8 times trailing earnings, while Aegon is at 6.4. The domestic insurance market has already seen consolidation as local players look to boost scale and cut costs amid pressure on investment returns. NN Group NV agreed to acquire Delta Lloyd NV for about 2.5 billion euros last year. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Carriers Europe Marsh announced the appointment of Dr. Jamie Saunders as a strategic adviser on cyber risk management within its UK specialist cyber security and risk team, part of the firms Client Advisory Services division. Saunders will be based in London. One of the UKs foremost cyber security experts, Saunders was previously director of the National Cyber Crime Unit at the National Crime Agency (NCA), said Marsh in a statement. Before joining the NCA, he was director of International Cyber Policy for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He began his career in 1988 at GCHQ, the UK Governments intelligence and security organization. In this newly created role, Saunders will provide strategic cyber security and risk management advice to Marshs clients, helping them to improve their resilience against cyber attacks. His appointment further enhances Marshs dedicated specialist cyber security and risk team, and follows the appointment of Sir Iain Lobban, formerly director of GCHQ, as a senior adviser, cyber risk, in 2016, said Marsh. Daniel Max, head of Client Advisory Services, Marsh UK & Ireland, said: We believe insurance is a vital part of how firms manage cyber risk. As well as insurance being a part of crisis financing, it is a rich source of information and an objective validation of how firms are coping with cyber. As one of the UKs leading cyber security experts, Jamie will add enormously to how Marsh helps our clients respond to the cyber threat. Source: Marsh Topics Cyber Fraud AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. announced that Steve Arora has been named chief executive officer of AXIS Re. Arora joins the company from Swiss Re where he spent 18 years in a variety of senior positions, most recently as head of Casualty Reinsurance and as a member of the Reinsurance Executive Committee. He has extensive international experience and leadership capabilities and has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader. Arora, who will lead AXIS Capitals $2.2 billion reinsurance business, will become a member of the companys Executive Committee where he will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Albert Benchimol. Throughout his career, Arora has held positions in New York, Munich, London, Tokyo and Zurich. He has spent time in a variety of functional roles including finance, risk management, underwriting, sales, and general management. In addition to his role as head of Casualty Reinsurance, he served as president of Swiss Re Japan, managing director to some of its largest global clients, and head of the Engineering & Construction business across the Americas region. He is a graduate of the GE Capital Financial Management Program, Swiss Re Management Development Program, and STARS Symposium for Leaders of the Next Generation. Arora graduated from Muhlenberg College with a Bachelors Degree in Economics. He and his family will be based in Zurich, Switzerland. Steve is a remarkable talent and an accomplished and widely respected executive who stands at the forefront of an emerging generation of senior leaders in our profession, said Benchimol. He is perfectly suited to be CEO of AXIS Re, bringing breadth and depth of experience on a global scale and a client-centric mentality that matches our culture. In addition, the company announced that AXIS Re Interim CEO Jan Ekberg will resume his previous role as president and chief underwriting officer of AXIS Re Europe upon Aroras formal appointment in January 2018. Benchimol added, On behalf of AXIS, I must express my deep appreciation to Jan for his strong and steady oversight of our reinsurance business during the interim period. Jans leadership has and will continue to be integral as we further establish a strong foundation for growth in our key sectors. I am very excited to join AXIS. I am impressed with the strong team and company culture, and the value proposition which combines the agility of a mid-sized company with the sophistication of a global player, said Arora. This combination leads to a unique competitive advantage, which I am confident will translate to increased relevance and long-term profitable growth. Source: AXIS Capital Topics Reinsurance Swiss Re Kansas City-based global insurance broker Lockton has added Brian Clanton to its Nebraska operation. Bringing more than 20 years of industry expertise, Clanton will work with businesses to develop solid insurance, risk management and employee benefits programs. Prior to joining Lockton, Clanton held a variety of roles with a focus in commercial insurance, risk management, employee benefits, and property and casualty, and he has extensive underwriting experience. Most recently, he led operations for UNICO Group. Clanton holds multiple high-level insurance designations including Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Associate, Reinsurance Administration (ARA). Clanton will combine his industry expertise and consulting skills to help clients achieve their business objectives and protect their most valuable assets their people, property and reputation. Source: Lockton Topics Nebraska H.W. Kaufman Group has opened a new office for wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager, Burns & Wilcox, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The opening of the new location follows the acquisition of Grand Rapids-based Chlystek & White Insurance Services in June 2017. It expands the companys presence to better serve an expanding client base of insurance retail brokers and agents marking the second major location in Michigan. Jeff Diefenbach will serve as managing director of the new office located in downtown Grand Rapids inside the historical Ledyard Building. Diefenbach is corporate senior vice president and current managing director of Detroit/Farmington Hills. He also oversees Burns & Wilcoxs Cleveland and Indianapolis operations. A growing team of industry experts will operate in the new Grand Rapids office, with employees originating from the local area and across major Midwest cities, including Chicago, Detroit, and Indianapolis. Source: H.W. Kaufman Group Topics Michigan Managing general agency and surplus lines broker J.M. Wilson has promoted Seth Mahaffey to transportation underwriter in its Westerville, Ohio, office. Mahaffey is responsible for quoting new and renewal accounts for a wide variety of commercial transportation risks, as well as issuing policies and servicing accounts for independent insurance agents in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia. He joined J.M. Wilson in March as an assistant transportation underwriter. Source: J.M. Wilson Topics Underwriting Ohio The U.S. Coast Guard searched for two missing crew members on Saturday from a crude oil-bearing barge that caught fire off the Texas coast. Coast Guard spokeswoman Jennae Steinmiller says that emergency responders are also working to contain the spread of oil, which had reached the shoreline of Mustang Island, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico about 14 miles (22 kilometers)from the site of Friday mornings explosion. A Port Aransas city official told The Associated Press Friday that one of the crew members had died. Steinmiller wasnt able Saturday to confirm the death, saying that no one had been recovered from the water. The explosion happened while a tugboat with the barge was pulling in its anchor early Friday about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Port Aransas. Steinmiller says the barge was carrying about 132,000 barrels of crude oil. Six crew members were able to safely escape from the tugboat. The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Texas Florida Gov. Rick Scott has won the first round in a legal tug-of-war over his mandate that nursing homes and assisted living facilities install generators. The 1st District Court of Appeal on Thursday rejected a legal challenge to emergency rules put in place by the Scott administration. A panel of judges split 2-1 over the challenge. The court has not yet issued a full opinion explaining the decision. Groups that represent nursing homes and assisted living facilities asked the appeal court to review whether or not there was an emergency that warranted the rules. A separate legal challenge to the actual rules is still ongoing. Scott issued his order after residents at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills died in the days after Hurricane Irma wiped out power to much of South Florida. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Florida Authorities have arrested three people after a burglary at a southern West Virginia coal company. Wyoming County Sheriffs Chief Deputy Jimmy White tells The Register-Herald the department heard two masked people were going toward Brooks Run Coal Company Oct. 4 in Marianna. Deputies discovered coal mining bits worth $13,000 were stolen. White says 25-year-old Nick Hatfield of Baileysville was charged with driving on a revoked license, grand larceny and conspiracy to commit a felony; 39-year-old Troy Porter of Marianna was charged with grand larceny, transfer of stolen property and conspiracy to commit a felony; and Porters girlfriend, 37-year-old Jamie Stewart of Marianna, was charged with conspiracy to commit a felony and transfer of stolen property. Each was in Southern Region Jail. White says $5,000 worth of bits have been returned. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Fraud Virginia One of the largest producers of Georgias famous Vidalia onions must pay $1.4 million in damages and unpaid overtime owed to hundreds of workers, a federal judge ruled. A U.S. District Court judge found that Bland Farms Production and Packing LLC failed to pay overtime to 460 workers during spring harvest seasons from 2012 through this year. The U.S. Department of Labor filed suit against the company, owned by farmer Delbert Bland of Glennville, in 2014. This decision recovers back wages for hundreds of workers in an industry where these violations are all too common, Wayne Kotowski, Southeast administrator for the Labor Departments Wage and Hour Division, said in a news release Thursday. A farmer for more than three decades, Bland grows onions on more than 2,000 acres (810 hectares) in rural southeast Georgia. Vidalia onions, touted by some as being so sweet they can be eaten raw like apples, ship worldwide but are limited by state law to being grown in just 20 Georgia counties. Last years crop was valued at $120 million, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Labor Department attorneys said Bland Farms ran afoul of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which exempts American farmers from paying overtime to workers for growing, harvesting and packaging the farmers own crops. The lawsuit accused Bland Farms of wrongly claiming that overtime exemption when it paid workers for packing onions Bland bought from other farmers. Most of the onions Bland markets are grown on his own land, his attorneys said. But Bland Farms also had contracts with smaller local farmers to buy their entire onion crops. Defense attorneys said Bland broke no labor rules because he was more than just a buyer. In court filings, they argued Bland Farms employees helped grow and harvest onions produced by the farmers it had agreements to buy from therefore making Bland a farmer of those onions. Bland Farms respects but disagrees with the district courts decision against it, said Bradley Strawn, Blands lead attorney in the case. Strawn said Bland plans to appeal the judges ruling, which was filed Oct. 2. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Legislation Agribusiness Georgia Although still burning, the largest fires that have devastated California wine country are mostly contained, and winemakers, winery owners, and growers began taking stock this week of what they haveand haventlost. The numbers are numbing: at least 42 dead, nearly 100,000 evacuated, more than 5,700 homes, businesses, and wineries destroyed or damaged, more than 200,000 acres burned in total, and many vineyards singed and torched, according to an Oct. 17 announcement by CalFire, the state department of forestry and fire protection. If youre a wine lover, you know the people and places behind these numbers. The wineries include Signorello Estate, Paradise Ridge, Frey Vineyards, White Rock Vineyards, Roy Estate, Mayacamas, Pulido-Walker, Michael Mondavi Family Estate, and more that make the reds and whites you love to drink. As of now, 22 wineries have been damaged in northern California, with effects ranging from lost buildings to burned vines and ruined wine product. Tom Pagano, a wine expert and account executive at global insurance broker Aon said overall damage could be in the $5 billion to $6 billion range and maybe worse. It will take at least a couple of months to assess, he said in a phone interview. And it may be years before we know the final numbers. The wine industry generates about $26 billion annually for Napa and Sonoma, according to the most recent reports from vintners groups. Yet despite the horrific human toll and massive damage, early signs indicate that northern Californias wine industry isnt ruined beyond repair and that much of its 2017 business can be rescued. Ray Signorellos eponymous estate on Napas Silverado Trail in the Stags Leap District was one of the hardest hit by the fast-moving Atlas Fire. The main winery building and much of the winemaking equipment, the handsome tasting room, and his family residence went down in flames more than a week ago and are now rubble. The hillside and 100-year-old oaks behind it all are black and scorched, although the barrel cellar survived. He says hell rebuild, and he has already leased office space for his team in the nearby city of Napa. Amazingly, the 28-year-old vines on his 42-acre vineyard are fine. If Id lost the vineyard, he said, Id be out of business. Signorellos grapes had already been picked and pressed, so his 2017 wine was in tanks outside on the crushpad, ready to be put into barrels. Inexplicably, miraculously, he says, the fire went around them, but the winemaker hasnt yet been able to test the wine in the tanks for heat damage. Much of the destruction in the region was winery buildings and owner residences. In Sonoma, at Paradise Ridge winery, the building, the tasting room, and events center were completely gutted by fire. Backbone winery in Mendocino burned to the ground along with its library of wines made over the past five years. Homes, barns, and sheds at Napas White Rock vineyards are gone, along with hundreds of shattered bottles of wine. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics California Catastrophe Natural Disasters Profit Loss Wildfire Un ottobre da sogno per Antonio Conte: lex ct della Nazionale italiana, attualmente alla guida del Chelsea, nelle ultime quattro gare di Premier League ha collezionato solo successi, conditi da 11 reti segnate e addirittura nessuna incassata. Numeri da record che non sono certo passati inosservati alla Federazione inglese, la quale ha conferito al tecnico leccese lambito premio di Manager del mese. Unavventura oltremanica iniziata in sordina, quella di Conte, pur a fronte di tre vittorie nelle prime tre gare di campionato. A far vacillare, anche se solo per un momento, le certezze del patron del club londinese, Roman Abramovich, i risultati conseguiti tra la 4a e la 6a giornata, coincisi con un pareggio sul campo dello Swansea City e, soprattutto, con le due pesanti sconfitte subite dal Liverpool, sul terreno casalingo di Stamford Bridge, e dallArsenal. In particolare, la debacle interna coi Reds, aveva irritato non poco il numero uno russo, poiche occorsa proprio nel giorno della sua 250esima partita da presidente della societa. Come detto, solo un momento. Dopo lincontro dellEmirates, il tecnico salentino cambia modulo, adottando un piu equilibrato 3-4-3 e inserendo elementi di corsa come lo spagnolo Pedro. Una svolta totale perche, di li in poi, il Chelsea inanellera solo e soltanto vittorie: 2 gol allHull City e al Southampton in trasferta, 3 ai campioni dInghilterra del Leicester e 4 allo United in casa, con un meraviglioso numero zero nella casella delle reti subite. Un fantastico poker, ottenuto tra l1 e il 29 ottobre. Un cambio di marcia sbalorditivo, confermato dal 5 a 0 rifilato ai toffees dellEverton nel primo match di novembre, e una scalata che, man mano, ha portato i blues al secondo posto in classifica, a soli 2 punti dal Liverpool capolista. E allora, non poteva mancare il riconoscimento di migliore allenatore del mese, ottenuto surclassando tecnici del calibro di Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) e Mark Hughes (Southampton). Tanta, ovviamente, la soddisfazione: E un grande onore e voglio condividerlo con i giocatori e con la societa ha dichiarato Conte sul sito ufficiale della Premier League -. E la prima volta che lavoro in un altro Paese, con una cultura diversa, e portare la propria filosofia non e facile, ma ora sono contento di questa scelta. A completare la festa, la premiazione del fantasista belga, Eden Hazard, come miglior giocatore di ottobre. Due risultati importanti per il club, ottimo incentivo per la rincorsa al trono dei campioni, occupato dal Leicester di Ranieri. Il prossimo appuntamento per l11 di Conte sara al Riverside Stadium, tana del Middlesborough neopromosso. Il tempo di festeggiare e gia finito. Three cars were set on fire in what police in Belfast have described as racially motivated hate crimes. The PSNI said the arson attacks took place on three streets in east Belfast in the early hours of Sunday. In the first incident police were alerted to a car having been set on fire on Florida Street off the Ravenhill Road shortly before 4.15am. Officers said the vehicle was extensively damaged and a number of other cars parked nearby were also damaged as a result. In the second attack, around the same time, a police patrol in the Wayland Street area off the Castlereagh Road discovered a small fire on the bonnet of a parked car. The fire was put out but not before the front of the car and the windscreen were damaged. And in the third incident, which occurred a short time later, a car parked on Carlingford Street near the Woodstock Road was extensively damaged after being set on fire. The PSNI said it was investigating a link between the attacks and said they were being treated as racially motivated hate crimes. Officers appealed for witnesses to come forward. Meanwhile, local councillors condemned the attacks. Ulster Unionist Sonia Copeland said: "It is vile that anyone would be targeted in an attempt to make them feel unwelcome in an area. Hate crime cannot be tolerated in any shape or form." She added: "Those who are acting in this vile way need to consider the effect it has, not just on the victims who are now left without vehicles, but also on the entire area." Sinn Fein's Mairead O'Donnell said: "These racist attacks come on the back of UVF intimidation which saw four Catholic families forced to leave their homes in Cantrell Close just a few streets away from this morning's arson attacks. "Those responsible for these attacks have shown blatant disregard for the community. The racists need to hear loud and clear that their cowardly actions are unacceptable." The Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said the "first big win" of the Brexit negotiations will be the retention of the Common Travel Area between Britain and Ireland. Mr Coveney has expressed confidence that any deal done between Britain and the EU will allow for continued free movement between the two islands. More than 60 civilians whose bodies were found in a Syrian town taken back by government troops from Islamic State militants were killed in a "shocking massacre", a Syrian official has said. Talal Barazi, the governor of Homs province, where the discovery was made, said the search and documentation of those killed in the town of Qaryatayn is still under way. Mr Barazi said most of the bodies were of townspeople who were government employees or were affiliated with Syria's ruling Baath party. Mr Barazi said at least 13 residents remain missing, while six bodies have not been identified. He said the killings took place during the three weeks that IS was present in the town, "terrorising" its residents. Government forces regained control of Qaryatayn on Saturday. News of the discovery of at least 67 bodies began to emerge yesterday. The death toll is likely to climb. Some were shot in the street as IS militants retreated from the town, because they were suspected of working with the governments, according to activists. At least 35 of the casualties were found shot and their bodies dumped in a shaft. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented the killings of at least 128 people in Qaryatayn during the last days of IS control of the town. The head of the Observatory, Rami Abdurrahman, said what happened in the town was a "massacre". The activist-run group said other bodies were also found in the town streets - apparently people who had been shot by pro-government forces and suspected of working with IS. The Observatory also said it documented at least 12 killed at the hands of pro-government troops after they regained control of the town. IS militants first seized Qaryatayn in August 2015, and relied on the strategically-located town to defend another of their bastions, the historic city of Palmyra. At the time, thousands of the town's Christian residents fled, fearing the extremist group's brutality. With Russian backing, Syrian troops regained control of the town in April 2016. But IS, facing major setbacks around Syria and Iraq, launched a new attack on the town in late September and recaptured it. At the time, Russia accused the United States, which is battling IS, of looking the other way and allowing the militants to attack Qaryatayn. Most of the IS militants who were involved in attacks on the town were local residents. Pro-government media blamed the loss of Qaryatayn for the second time on what it described as militant "sleeper cells". There was no immediate comment from the government in Damascus on the discovery of the bodies in Qaryatayn. US secretary of state Rex Tillerson has made a secret trip to Afghanistan to outline the Trump administration's new south Asia policy. Mr Tillerson visited Bagram air base on Monday for talks with Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, chief executive Abdullah Abdullah and other senior officials. He also underscored the continuing US commitment to stabilising the war-torn country but stressed it was "conditions based", meaning that the Afghan government must meet certain benchmarks. Cloaked in secrecy and under heavy security, Mr Tillerson slipped out of the Qatari capital Doha in the pre-dawn hours and flew into Afghanistan in a military plane on the third leg of a trip that started in Saudi Arabia. He will visit Pakistan on Tuesday and India on Wednesday. "The US has made it clear in terms of our support for Afghanistan, support a sovereign unified Afghanistan, a democratic Afghanistan, of charting a path to peace, prosperity and self-reliance," Mr Tillerson told the small group of reporters allowed to accompany him to Kabul. "It is imperative in the end that we are denying safe haven to any terrorist organisations or any extremists to any part of this world. "We also want to work with regional partners to ensure that there are no threats in the region. Rex Tillerson and Ashraf Ghani "This is very much a regional effort as you saw. It was rolled out in the strategy itself, demanding that others deny safe haven to terrorists anywhere in the region. We are working closely with Pakistan as well." He praised Mr Ghani for his reform efforts, notably to curb corruption, and to prepare for parliamentary elections next year. Donald Trump rolled out his south Asia strategy last month and made clear that his approach to the region would be inclusive of its three main nations, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan, and defeating the Taliban and other extremist groups. Mr Tillerson has said several times that peace in Afghanistan will come only when the Taliban realises that it cannot win militarily and sit down for negotiations with the government in the framework of the country's constitution. "Clearly we have to continue to fight against the Taliban, against others, in order for them to understand they will never win a military victory," he said. "And there are, we believe, moderate voices among the Taliban, voices that do not want to continue to fight forever. They don't want their children to fight forever. "So we are looking to engage with those voices and have them engage in a reconciliation process leading to a peace process and their full involvement and participation in the government." "There's a place for them in the government if they are ready to come, renouncing terrorism, renouncing violence and being committed to a stable prosperous Afghanistan." The Dublin-headquartered group had agreed a deal for Ash Grove last month before a rival bid from Denver-based company Summit Materials surfaced. That pushed out a deadline for Ash Groves shareholders to vote on the CRH offer, but that approval was granted late on Friday. While the deal remains subject to regulatory approval (it is expected to close by early 2018 at the latest) the news of investor approval boosted CRHs share price by up to 2.3% yesterday, despite a slight paring back of gains in later trading. Countless romantic relationships across the globe have been formed out of one of the 21st centurys most successful technological advances, online dating now business is catching on to sophisticated matchmaking, according to the head of Irelands angel investment body, Halo Business Angel Network. Technically HBAN is the umbrella organisation for all angel activity in Ireland. Untechnically were a sophisticated dating agency, quipped HBAN national director John Phelan. HBAN makes the connections between investors big and small and some of Irelands most promising start-up companies. Investment in a high-potential start-up can begin at around 20,000. Matching companies with investors is becoming big business. HBAN is a joint initiative of Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland, dedicated to the all-island promotion of business angel investment. It supports the early-stage entrepreneurial community across the island of Ireland and actively works to increase the number of angel investors investing in early stage companies. In 2016, HBAN business angels invested 13.5m into 50 companies. This direct angel investment leveraged a further 20.6m of additional public and private funds into these companies from organisations such as Enterprise Ireland, venture capital companies, and founders. This week saw a significant record broken for HBAN. It announced a 1.8m investment in Cork-based medtech company, AventaMed. The investment which includes 1.6m angel funding, the largest single HBAN angel investment to date will fund AventaMed through FDA clearance and commercialisation of its solo tympanostomy tube device, which enables the quick and simple insertion of ear grommets. AventaMed, a spin-out company from Cork Institute of Technology, was set up by co-founders Olive ODriscoll and John Vaughan in 2013 to find a method of inserting ear grommets in children without requiring general anaesthetic. The insertion of grommets is used to treat recurring ear infections and hearing loss in children and adults, and is one of the most common surgeries carried out on children worldwide. We saw a significant increase in angel investment last year rising more than 25% from 10.8m in 2015 to 13.6m. That is because we only introduce angels to high-potential businesses like AventaMed that we have identified as having the ability to scale internationally. Thats a big pull for angel investors and it is why last year, one-in-four businesses that pitched to HBAN-registered angels received funding. Did you miss our last newsletter? You can view it now on our website #startups #AngelInvestor https://t.co/kHdJh5tNrF pic.twitter.com/upi7KyPjra HBAN (@HaloIreland) October 9, 2017 Investor syndicates are a vital part of angel investing, said Mr Phelan. If potential investors were put off about having to part with hundreds of thousands of euro into an area that does carry financial risk, the syndicate route found across Ireland can allay those fears, he said. The Boole syndicate in Cork has about 20 or 30 members. What they will do is meet every six weeks. Basically if they were to invest in a company, and put 200,000 into that company, they might have 10 people who put in 20,000 each. Youll have a lead investor who would have the knowledge and experience in the field. The others will trust that person. He or she will put their hand up and say, listen, I understand where these companies are coming from, I understand the kind of problems that they are fixing, and I have been in that industry so I know such and such is a problem, I can see the potential to the solution they are offering, that has the potential to do what it says, Mr Phelan said. Such a person may also have the international connections which could accelerate it much quicker, as well as due diligence on the commercial side, he added. There is risk involved in angel investing, Mr Phelan acknowledged. However, with a successful start-up, the rewards can be significant for the investor, he said. Every angel who comes in is advised that it is high risk, theres no doubt about that. As you would with any high-risk investment, you would only put in 5% to 10% max of your liquid assets or liquid available assets. You do not go beyond that and you certainly dont rely on it. Id strongly recommend investing in a sector that you understand, or that you invest with a lead investor who understands the sector and has the correct knowledge. Ive seen too many people get excited about something that sounds really interesting on the shiny surface of it and it takes them six to nine months to do due diligence on it, and to realise it is actually no good. HBAN gets 700 enquiries a year, it brings that down to about 120 that it would share with the network, and of that around 50 would get investment, he said. With burgeoning talent that needs support, Mr Phelan wants to see more angels come forward. My battle cry is always that we always need new angels to bring into the syndicates and we are creating those syndicates all the time. That means we need more angels. 8 : , 12 DUBLIN-based company CroiValve is working on developing a medical device to treat tricuspid valve disease a heart condition which is currently difficult to treat and has a significant impact on survival. Expecting to have its device ready for human trials by 2020, the company initially plans to target markets in the US and Europe where over half a million new cases of the condition are identified each year. Ultimately, it intends to go after a global market estimated to be worth over 3bn. A regional finalist in this years Intertrade Ireland Seedcorn competition, CroiValve is now engaged in a multimillion funding round with a view to spinning out from the Trinity Centre for Bioengineering and recruiting eight additional staff. We are currently at the pre-clinical stage carrying out animal and bench trials. This will demonstrate our solution is safe and effective at treating this unmet need. Comprehensive testing will then be conducted to provide us with the data to submit for submission to regulatory bodies, said company CEO and co-founder Dr Lucy OKeeffe one of the companys two full-time staff members. The CroiValve device was invented and patented by one of the companys other three co-founders, Dr Martin Quinn, a consultant cardiologist at St Vincents Hospital in Dublin who had previously been involved in developing concepts for the mitral heart valve. He joined forces with Professor Bruce Murphy at Trinity, who had developed a minimally invasive solution for the mitral valve and who had experience in securing early stage funding for this type of venture. Securing Enterprise Ireland commercialisation funding, they then invited Ms OKeeffe, who has led multiple large medical device development programmes, and biomedical engineer Paul Heneghan, who has significant experience with early stage device development and prototyping, to join them in setting up CroiValve in mid 2016. Lucy OKeeffe said she jumped at the chance to participate in a venture which provided a proprietary novel approach to an unmet clinical need. Devices had already been created for the other three heart valves, but to date none is commercially available for the tricuspid. The device is a minimally invasive solution that treats tricuspid valve regurgitation quickly and cost effectively without requiring a long hospital stay, said Ms OKeeffe, further explaining that, at present, patients suffering from this condition are too high risk for surgery and have no effective treatment option. She said that over the last year, pre-clinical trials have demonstrated that the device significantly reduces tricuspid regurgitation and is safe to use. While there are a number of other companies around the world working on a solution for this disease, Ms OKeeffe said the CroiValve device is easier to use. It may not be the first to market as a device for tricuspid valve disease but it has significant advantages over competitors and this is supported by leading clinical experts. Ms OKeeffe added that Irelands growing ecosystem for medtech companies has been hugely beneficial for CroiValve and that the track record of successful medtech companies here creates a good climate and support for fundraising for this type of venture. We have had interest from large multinationals in this space who may acquire the company at a later stage as well as support from seasoned medtech professionals who have been involved in this type of start-up and who shared their experience and knowledge with us. Now actively engaged in fundraising, she has been talking to medtech investors, angel syndicates as well as private investors who provide funding for start-ups both nationally and internationally. Support from Enterprise Ireland has included the initial commercialisation grant as well as ongoing assistance with the programme. Moving ahead to clinical trials, and subsequently to trials in humans, will be an extensive process for the company. Ms OKeeffe said there is huge global interest in the CroiValve device and that discussions are already being held with hospitals here and internationally who are eager to participate in the first in-human trials in 2020. Taking part in the Intertrade Ireland Seedcorn competition is now helping CroiValve become investor ready, Dr OKeeffe said. Wives and Partners of the Defence Forces (WPDF) is hoping that hundreds, if not thousands, of people will support its protest, which will take place on November 30. WPDF members decided to take the action, having being angered by the the recent budget. The budget offered next to nothing to the Defence Forces, who are the most poorly paid, by far, of all the public services. Many receive so little in wages that they are in receipt of family income supplement (FIS). WPDF was also angered that Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, who is the senior minister in charge of the Defence Forces, is to get a pay increase of 21,000 over three years. Last April, the organisation held protests at all the countrys military installations to highlight pay and conditions endured by enlisted members of the Defence Forces. They have highlighted the fact that the reorganisation of the Defence Forces, in 2012, led to the disbandment of one brigade and that many of its former members now have to travel huge distances to work at other military installations. As a result, a number of them cant afford to return home on a daily basis and sleep in cars overnight. Meanwhile, it has also been claimed that young sailors stationed at the Naval Service headquarters, in Haulbowline, Cork, cannot afford soaring rents in the area and that they are sleeping onboard ships during their days off. WPDF said that, in the coming days, it will issue further information about organising travel from around the country to Dublin. It is also asking former members of the Defence Forces, and their families, to take part in the protest. The five main banks will be asked to set out a clear timeline for compensating borrowers and exactly how many must be repaid, when they meet the finance minister this week. A rise in the bank levy, increased taxation, penalty fines, and enhanced consumer protection were flagged at the weekend by Government figures. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe will today meet with the CEOs and chairmen of KBC, Bank of Ireland, and Permanent TSB, while Ulster Bank and AIB will also be quizzed at Government Buildings over the next two days. This evening, the Cabinet will also discuss responses from the banks and options to resolve the tracker mortgage scandal. Financial experts are predicting that as many as 30,000 people could have been wrongly removed from their tracker mortgages and moved onto a higher rate. Mortgage campaigner David Hall told the Irish Examiner that, despite the Government promises, borrowers must be protected after what was stolen from them in the tracker scandal. The pressure to act will also intensify this week as Fianna Fail moves a Dail motion, demanding an inquiry and penalties. Legislation to allow for class action suits should also be introduced so borrowers can sue the banks, Fianna Fail says. The prospect of fines for banks failing to adequately compensate borrowers is being strongly considered. If they act the bollix, we can get the money off them [for those customers] by doing it this way, one minister told the Irish Examiner. The minister pointed to a recent 4.5m fine for PTSB over its subprime unit Springboard Mortgages, which it sold to Mars Capital in 2014. The junior rural affairs minister, Sean Kyne, also said this threat should be used with the banks. Whatever legislation is needed to fine the banks should be prepared now, he said. And I think that threat needs to be made by Minister Donohoe to the banks, and have that rushed through the Dail, as it were, before Christmas if needed. Junior finance minister Michael DArcy confirmed the prospect of increasing the bank levy or taxation on banks was on the table. The current levy will bring in 750m by 2021. Mr DArcy also suggested the consumer protection role of the Central Bank may be removed and transferred to a stand-alone authority. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar left open the option of financial penalties for the banks. At a Fine Gael event on Saturday, he said: We are very frustrated at the lack of progress to date and we are certainly not ruling out further sanction, further regulation, or additional taxation on the banks. Government sources said that between now and Wednesday, the six lenders would be asked for exact figures and a timeline on compensating customers. If this is deemed unsatisfactory, sanctions, in combination with fresh legislation, will then be considered. However, Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty said empty promises were a slap in the face for customers, some of whom had lost homes or families, or had emigrated. Banks dont do morals, said Mr Doherty, adding six of the lenders involved had not returned a cent to customers. Meanwhile, an advocacy group representing people who lost homes as a result of the tracker scandal said it will take aggressive action against the banks. The Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation wrote to banks last week asking them not to sell any of the homes repossessed as a direct result of the mortgage scandal. If the banks do not reply, it is understood the IMHO will seek a High Court injunction against them selling on these properties. It is estimated by the Central Bank that more than 20,000 people have been affected by the scandal, whereby a person was not allowed to return to their tracker mortgage after a period of paying a fixed rate. Approximately 23 people had their homes repossessed as a direct result. It is understood the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation will seek an injunction against several banks, to stop them selling these repossessed homes. Letters have already been sent to banks by the group requesting that the repossessed homes are not sold until the tracker mortgage scandal has been fully investigated. If this correspondence is not responded to, or its suggestion rejected, an injunction will be sought. David Hall, CEO of the organisation, would not comment directly on the legal threat but told the Irish Examiner his advocacy group would take aggressive action against the banks. We will continue to protect our clients interests and where family homes have been taken from clients by the banks, following them have stolen from them in the tracker scandal, we will take aggressive action. It is understood the banks have until the middle of the week to respond to the letter. The scandal dates back several years, when home-owners on tracker mortgages went on a fixed rate for several years but were not put back on their trackers after this period. As a result of this change, some people were unable to serve their mortgages, fell into arrears, and had their homes repossessed. The issue of the repossessed homes came to light recently when one of the affected parties realised their property was lying vacant even though the bank had repossessed it a number of years ago. It then emerged that AIB wrote to one of its tracker victims offering to sell back the house repossessed two years ago at open market value. In a letter, the bank is understood to have offered the customer several options including buying back the home at market value, with the bank clearing any remaining balance on the mortgage account; applying for a new repayment scheme on the corrected mortgage balance; or selling the property, clearing any remaining balance. A spokesperson for AIB said a tracker review is ongoing. To date, 97% of the 3,200 customer accounts identified as impacted have been paid redress and compensation and this process is progressing. The tracker review is ongoing and our expectation remains that work will continue into 2018. Our review will be fully complete when the Central Bank concludes its own assurance work, said the spokesperson. This follows advice from the governor of the Central Bank, Philip Lane, that people affected by the tracker mortgage scandal could go to the courts or to the Ombudsman as he did not have the power to help them. He was speaking at the Oireachtas finance committee, which has called the banks and regulators to account over the scandal. The Sunday Times reported that the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board had lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanala, seeking to be relieved of Dublin City Councils requirements relating to a water-sprinkler system in the planned atrium during the construction phase of the 1bn project. It was reported that the project had been granted a fire certificate subject to four conditions last May, but a month later the hospital board had sought to have all bar one of those overturned. A report by a local authority watchdog shows that it takes over 20 minutes for fire officers to reach the location of a reported fire in 13% of incidents. Almost half of all fires are reached by emergency crews 10 to 20 minutes after they are notified of the fire. The study by the National Oversight and Audit Commission a body set up to provide independent scrutiny of the performance of local authorities found the proportion of fires reached within 10 minutes had increased in 18 council areas last year. In contrast, the proportion of fires where it took over 20 minutes for the first fire brigade to attend the scene rose in 13 fire authorities. Fire crews in urban areas had the fastest response times with Cork City fire brigade units reaching almost 90% of all reported fire scenes within 10 minutes, followed by Dublin with 78%. More than half of all fires were attended within 10 minutes also in Limerick, Louth, Sligo and Waterford. Figures were unavailable for Galway City. Roscommon fire brigade units had the poorest response with only 16% of fires reached within 10 minutes just ahead of Kildare at 20%. Roscommon also had the slowest mobilisation rate of any local authorities which operate part-time fire services with an average of 7.49 minutes. Sligo had the quickest at 4.26 minutes. The average time in full-time stations was 1 minute 31 seconds and 5 minutes 38 seconds in local authorities with part-time crews. This compared with one minute 36 seconds and five minutes 27 seconds in 2015. It took over 20 minutes for fire brigade units to arrive at fires in more than a quarter of all incidents in Galway County Councils administrative area last year. This was the highest level in any of the 31 local authorities. Other areas with a relatively high proportion of response times taking at least 20 minutes were Clare, Roscommon and Wexford. The Local Government Management Agency said the report highlighted relatively consistent attendance times at fires over the last two years. It shows almost 41% of fire scenes are attended within 10 minutes while 86% are attended within 20 minutes, This compares with 40% and 85% respectively in 2015, the agency said. Around 22,400 fires were attended by fire brigades around the country last year an annual decrease of 4%. However, the number of other emergency callouts rose by over 10% to 9,700. Meanwhile, the commission report also showed the number of complaints to local authorities about pollution rose 15% last year to 63,587. The level of complaints rose in 26 of the countrys 32 councils including a 300% increase in Galway City. The European Committee of Social Rights, in a decision published today, found that a significant stock of local authority housing is of substandard quality. Ireland is, therefore, in breach of Article 16 of the European social charter. The charter is a legally binding counterpart of the European Convention on Human Rights and is monitored and implemented by the committee. In July 2014, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) brought a complaint to the European committee against Ireland over alleged breaches of the charter linked to local authority housing. These breaches related to sewage leaks, dampness, and mould. FIDH, provided a range of evidence to the committee showing that a number of local authority tenants reside in poor housing conditions amounting to housing that is inadequate in nature, according to a summary of the decision. This evidence came from tenants, architects, and engineers. There were problems with mould, dampness, sewage invasions. According to the decision, some of the conditions in the social housing, raise serious concerns. Some of the conditions described regarding sewage invasions, contaminated water, dampness, persistent mould etc, go to the core of adequate housing, raising serious concerns from the perspective of both habitability and access to services, in particular, the high number of residents in certain estates in Dublin complaining of sewage invasions, reads the decision. The complaint against the Governments social housing stock was not, however, limited to just the conditions of the properties. No complete statistics on the condition of local authority housing have been collected since 2002 by the Irish authorities and no national timetable exists for the refurbishment of the local authority housing stock. A significant number of regeneration programmes adopted by the Government for local authority estates in the last decade have not been completed with the effect that a number of local authority tenants remain living in substandard housing conditions. The Government has failed to take sufficient and timely measures to ensure the right to housing of an adequate standard for not an insignificant number of families living in local authority housing and therefore there is a violation of article 16 of the charter in this respect, reads the decision. The complainant organisation, FIDH, also referred to the lack of progress in relation to the regeneration and building of more social housing. As a result of the economic crisis, the original regeneration programmes were delayed or halted, with a deterioration of conditions in some cases. New regeneration programmes have subsequently been developed, however not all of these have been completed to date, state the findings. The FIDH alleges that Ireland was in violation of four other articles in the charter, but the European Committee of Social Rights only found one breach out of five. Ireland is now obliged to take steps to address this violation and a meeting will be held with a view to adopting a formal resolution to the Irish authorities based on the findings. Judge James McNulty also urged the thousands of other customers affected to get help in seeking justice for what they have suffered. He said that if banks enjoy the privilege of a banking licence from this State, then there is a duty on the bank to conduct all its business ethically. Judge McNulty, who sits in the West Cork court district, revealed that, a few years ago, he sought clarity from a bank on the standard variable rates of interest charged to his account prior to clearing the loan on a property he sold. Judge McNulty told the Irish Examiner he found it difficult to obtain an answer to his query, despite persistent letters. Eventually, he had a meeting with the banks regional manager. He said he was told by the manager it would appear he had been overcharged by approximately 17,000, but it could be more or less. But they were unable to confirm either overcharging, or the amount involved, Judge McNulty said. They hadnt fully ascertained. They hadnt the resources to do so, I was told. At a subsequent meeting, Judge McNulty told the bank he had arranged a consultation with a litigation solicitor. I indicated that I was inviting them to make a proposal for restitution and to avoid litigation, he said. I told them that given their admission, my entitlement to compensation for breach of contract and their liability for my costs would begin on seeing the solicitor. Prior to my meeting my solicitor, and still apparently unsure about whether they had, in fact, overcharged me, or by how much, the bank wrote off 18,000 and the debt figure quoted to me and paid by me was reduced by 18,000. The bank asked me to sign a confidentiality agreement, to keep it quiet for them, I presume. I declined. I had done nothing wrong and had nothing to hide. I reserved my rights. So I am free to tell my story. Listening to four brave souls who shed their anonymity in Dail Eireann last week has prompted me to shed mine. He said he chose to share his experience to give heart and encouragement to those who are suffering at the hands of these banks. There is no shame. You are not alone. Do not be afraid. Be brave, said Judge McNulty. You may need professional assistance. In addition to Flac, Mabs, IMHO, Phoenix, and Abhaile, there are many very fine lawyers out there who are noble and brave, and who are motivated by the pursuit of justice, by the public interest, and the defence of citizens against big corporations, who will often work on a pro bono/no fees basis. Judge McNulty also said those considering civil claims against the bank should act in time to ensure that the window of opportunity in which they can take a case does not close before legal action is taken. It would add insult to injury if those who caused harm to others, through prolonged stress inflicted, knowingly or negligently, should escape civil liability because of delays which they have insidiously engineered, he said. Mr Varadkar and Mr Macron will hold a full bilateral meeting at the Elysee Palace, their first such meeting, to examine any possible common ground on the impact of the United Kingdom leaving the EU. The meetings come just a few days after European leaders decided not to progress Brexit talks due to a failure of the British government to provide sufficient detail. Meanwhile, a border Fianna Fail councillor has called for a hard border to be implemented to protect our local and national economy and to protect the influx migration entering Europe in my country, Europes back door. Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Dundalk councillor Emma Coffey called for the people of Ireland and particularly in border counties to come to the realisation that Ireland faces a hard border with Northern Ireland. Cllr Coffey said she was speaking in the context of the continuing lacklustre approach undertaken by the British government and the Irish governments failure to fully Brexit-proof Ireland. We have heard ridiculous utterings from the British prime minister, as she seeks to out-bluff her party members with nonsensical remarks that have now reduced important issues of Brexit and its impact on Ireland to nothing more than a bluffing game. As someone who works and lives in border counties we face a daily diet of falsehoods and it is time for us all to come to realise that a hard border is going to fall on us and we will all have to suffer the consequences. It is impossible for the EU to monitor our 500 km border with the vast labyrinth of 300 crossings, more than in Norway or Switzerland. Emmanuel Macron I believe that in light of this situation FF should call it as it is, and state that a hard border must be implemented to protect not just our national integrity but also our rights as European citizens. A Fianna Fail spokesperson said: Fianna Fails position on this could not be clearer we are opposed to the imposition of a hard border and the reintroduction of customs controls. We have been calling for the creation of a special economic zone in Northern Ireland in order to prevent the imposition of a hard border. Fianna Fail will continue to push the Government on this issue and work with our colleagues in the EU to prevent the emergence of a hard border. Bord Pleanala has set nine working days aside for an oral hearing into the proposed Cork-Ringaskiddy (M28) motorway, which will get underway at the Ambassador Hotel on the northside of Cork City on November 7. The short notice given by the planning appeals board and its choice of venue for the hearing have been strongly criticised by a county councillor. They given very little notice of the event and many people may have to organise time off work and childminding for it, said Independent councillor Marcia DAlton. And worse, they are proposing to hold it on the northside of Cork City. She questioned why a venue could not have been found on the southside of the city, where the motorway is to be built and where the vast majority objectors live. It is proposed that the new 12.5km road would run from the Bloomfield interchange to Ringaskiddy. The vast majority of it will be built to motorway standard to handle what is predicted to be a 40% increase in average daily traffic and a leap in freight numbers from 700 to 3,900 trucks by 2035. Some of the redevelopment of the Port of Cork container facilities at Ringaskiddy is dependent on the motorway getting approval. Ms DAlton, an environmental engineer, said the project does not include for any upgrade of the Bloomfield Interchange and she foresees bottlenecks developing there. Along the existing N28 from Mount Oval down almost to the N40 is a residential corridor. Were talking levels of noise that are either simply not permitted or receive compensation in other developed countries. Ms DAlton said residents close to the existing N28 can not leave their windows open at night and if the existing road is widened to motorway status, it will bring traffic even closer to some houses. A slip road is planned to bring traffic straight from the M28 onto the N40 westbound, she said. This would run virtually over the back gardens of houses. There simply isnt the physical room down this valley to develop the N28 into a motorway whilst giving existing residents a decent quality of life. Ms DAlton said no funding had been put in place for many years to protect residents living along the existing N28 from the noise that has badly impacted on their lives. At the same time, huge numbers of cars come out of Cork Airport Business Park into traffic queues at the Kinsale Road roundabout. Objectors believe its a major mistake not to connect the two biggest strategic transport hubs in the county Cork Airport and the Port of Cork container terminal in Ringaskiddy. They maintain the motorway should be built to connect the two from the Bandon/Macroom road junction at Bishopstown. It is envisaged that the oral hearing will run until November 17, with a decision made on December 21. Philip Lane has said there is no upper limit to the amount of compensation banks will have to pay customers they wrongly removed from tracker mortgage rates. Mr Lane was speaking to the media after he met with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe yesterday. The surprise meeting took place just before bank chief executives met with the minister to be admonished for their behaviour in relation to the tracker scandal. Following their meeting with Mr Donohoe, Wim Verbraeken, chief executive of KBC Bank Ireland, and Francesca McDonagh, chief executive of Bank of Ireland, said they would consider the discussion with Mr Donohoe before making a full statement. Mr Verbraeken told reporters after meeting Mr Donohoe: KBC Bank Ireland can confirm that we had a productive and informative meeting with the minister for finance this morning. The minister conveyed the Governments great concern around the matter to us. We have undertaken to revert to the minister on the matters discussed and we anticipate to be in a position to issue a statement later this week. In agreement with the minister this is all we have to say on the matter. As she was exiting, Ms McDonagh said: We had a meeting with the minister and we listened very carefully to what the Minister had to say and his concerns. We are treating this matter very seriously and well be making a statement in due course Executives of both Ulster Bank and AIB are due to meet with Mr Donohoe later this week. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the taxpayer would not have to foot the bill for the compensation of those wrongly moved off tracker mortgages. The banks have it in their hands to resolve this in a matter of weeks or months if they want to do so. I would hope that after their meetings this week they will do want to do so, he said. The Government had threatened a series of actions against the banks if they failed to compensate those affected by Christmas. Up to 30,000 homeowners have potentially been caught up in the scandal which saw banks forcing people off loss-making tracker mortgages in the post-crash period. Some of those who were overcharged went on to struggle to meet their repayments and some lost their homes through repossession. Prof Lane said banks have paid out 163m in redress and compensations thus far. We think the vast majority of those cases will be paid out before Christmas. However, we continue to press the banks to expand their coverage to make sure that all those affected are included in their schemes. That is the current focus of our work . . . is to make sure yet more included so that all those affected will receive redress and compensation from the banks. The Fine Gael minister said that the right to access abortion in cases of rape, fatal foetal abnormalities, and incest will have to be addressed. His remarks, in an interview with Newstalk, come after an Oireachtas committee cleared the way last week for next years referendum on abortion, agreeing that the Constitution should be changed. Mr Harris told Newstalk that he also had an open mind on recommendations from the Citizens Assembly that there be unrestricted access to abortion in Ireland for pregnancies up to 12 weeks. The Bush Telegraph is up in force since the hurricane on Monday. Rumours swirl around Kinsale and Ballinspittle about where the best area to nab phone coverage might be (one of my neighbours managed to call her family while up in the furthest point of her attic the day after the storm), and cars are parked in a line outside the shop at Barrels Cross where a teensy patch of coverage can be found. Weve been without electricity, water and phone coverage since Monday morning, and latest estimates say that we might (just might) get it back late on Friday night. Schools are closed, shops are sending out batteries, water and dry supplies on tick weve literally gone back to the dark ages. Were used to storms in Kinsale. Two years ago it rained every single day from the end of October until the end of January. Our house was surrounded by a moat of water for two months as the ground surrounding it became swollen with surplus water. We emptied our septic tank twice in two months that winter, and ended up putting in a barracks of extra drainage and soak-aways around the house to future-proof against floods. My husband, two boys and I live at Old Head, one of the windiest areas of the locality. We love the wildness of our home; the way the trees grow to the side, because of the constant year-round breeze and the near guaranteed great drying every day. During the colder months, wind batters our house, and we hunker down with a roaring fire and extra water just in case the electricity goes and we find ourselves without services. When news of impending Ex-Hurricane Ophelia started to roll in, then, my family and I were relatively nonplussed. Well used to stocking up for storms, on Sunday we bought batteries, extra water and candles and went to sleep without a worry. Howling, keening wind woke us at 5am on Monday, flexing our windowpanes and shaking our doors. At 11am roof slates started to fly across the garden and by 1pm our shed had overturned and shattered, exposing its innards (and my secret shame of cardboard box hoarding). We lost power early in the afternoon, and with it all phone coverage. The wind howled all night, and it seemed darker than usual; likely from the lack of twinkling lights from houses on the headland. Community spirit has kicked into gear all around the area. A local roofer was with us at 7.30am the morning after the storm and our local co-op supplied the replacement slates and ridge tiles on a promise that wed pay as soon as power and bank machines were back up and running. Amazonas hair salon is offering complimentary hair washes to those of us without water and Martin Shanahan and the staff of Fishy Fishy cooked all of their food that survived the storm and gave it away to the locality for a donation towards charity. Local builders are working double-time to restore a feeling of safety to the older people in the area, and anyone who has a gas cooker is opening up their kitchens to facilitate family meals to continue. In the worst of times, come some of the best of times. Of course, we are dirty and smelly and cross. My kids are five and six and havent survived such a long period without screens. They are constantly roaring about how BORED they are, and weve all suffered injuries from rogue Lego pieces that lie unseen in our darkened house. Last night, my husband and I were reading our books in the Edwardian candlelight, staying up until 10pm to see if the promised restoration time of electricity would come about, and chatted excitedly about putting a wash on and flicking the dishwasher to its hottest setting. It truly has come to this. Im writing from my remote office in Actons Hotel, where Im sharing a table with a group of ladies who have been playing bridge together for 23 and have met up today to get a hot coffee and a scone and discuss the perils of Ophelia. The storm terrified these dignified women, who are fragrant and powdered and dressed immaculately despite assuring me that they havent been able to shower for days. Noelle is in her ninth decade and says shes survived worse than this. I tell her how I bravely washed my hair with cold bottled water this morning over my bathroom sink and she roars sure what did you think we did when I was a child, girl? Everything was outside! And so, the world keeps turning, and these women keep organising. The most important item on the agenda of their coffee meeting is the distribution of food from their chest freezers to the ones in the area that are serviced by generators. One of the ladies has already cooked for a party thats happening next week, and there is no way she is losing that food not if these women have anything to do with it. The fugitives try every trick in the book to shake off their pursuers but the tracker isnt fooled. Although the historical Butch and Sundance were chased by many a posse, the film depiction is fictitious. But are similar feats of detection possible in the real world? The San people have lived in southern Africa for over 20,000 years. They dislike being called bushmen, a name derived from the Dutch for bandit. The ability of San hunters to track animals, and read the signs of their behaviour, is legendary. They can often determine an animals size sex and relationships, simply by examining its footprint. Trackers can even work out what an individual might be doing at a particular location. Many traditional hunters now work as safari and eco-tourist guides; some of those Ive been with in Africa, and elsewhere, displayed remarkable field-craft skills. But as the hunter-gatherer way of life declines, knowledge developed over millennia is being lost. Is there a way to document and save this legacy for posterity? Larissa Slaney, of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, thinks so. In her studies of cheetahs in Namibia, she is enlisting the help of both traditional hunter-gathers and modern information technology. The cheetah is the worlds fastest land animal. There were about 100,000 of them in Africa and Asia a century ago. According to a study published this month, only 7,100 remain. Over 90% of their habitat has been lost to human encroachment. Farmers, trying to protect their livestock, shoot cheetahs on sight or set snares to catch them. Many are killed for the illegal bush-meat trade and cubs are kidnapped to be sold as exotic pets. Cheetah populations have become fragmented, isolated from each other. This is leading to in-breeding and declining genetic variation. Slaney hopes that, by having traditional hunters interpret photographs of cheetah footprints and codifying the techniques they use, new algorithms can be developed. She will then have a tool with which to identify individual cheetahs from digital images and determine their ages and sex categories. Most importantly, she may be able to work out parental and sibling relationships between animals. This Footprint Identification Technique (FIT), she claims, is capable of doing so with more than 90% accuracy. If it works for cheetahs, it may be used for large animal studies generally. FIT could help address another problem. Capturing large wild animals, and fitting geo-location devices on them for research, is intrusive, expensive and time-consuming. All trapping regimes carry risks for the creatures being targeted. Having a radio collar or a tag fitted must not alter the subsequent behaviour of an animal. If it does so, the data obtained is tainted; the marked animal is no longer representative of the population as a whole. Can we be sure that chasing animals with helicopters and shooting tranquiliser darts at them, doesnt result in behavioural change? Determining blood relationships by DNA analysis of tissue samples is time-consuming and expensive. Digital pug-mark examinations, if successful, could reduce the need for much of this. Slaney thinks that FIT, being less invasive, is a more satisfactory way to identify animals and track their movements in the field. Whether Slaneys study proves viable or not, preserving the ancient knowledge of hunter gatherers is a laudable project in its own right. Butch and Sundance would not have got far with a San posse tracking them. In January, I wrote an article for the Irish Examiner, suggesting that the tracker mortgage scandal might warrant a criminal investigation. This may be on the way. I am prompted to revisit the tracker mortgage scandal due to the appalling and unconscionable delay by the banks in making full amends to wronged customers. The banks concerned have the facts, files, data, resources, and the means to put matters right, but clearly they dont have the will, or any compulsion to do so. In taking this unusual step, for a judge, I am inspired by Louis Brandeis who was an exemplary public interest lawyer and a legendary US Supreme Court judge. Appointed in 1916, he was the first person of Jewish faith to sit on that court. Commemorating him last year, America: The Jesuit Review, described him thus: He was an avowed enemy of those who looked upon the common people with distaste and disdain, even though he was comfortably well off. He placed himself on the side of those who were without power and influence. I commend his life and work and writings to readers, and to leaders of this republic. And as a poor scribe , I will draw liberally on his writings in what follows in this piece. Among the issues of concern to Brandeis, as lawyer and judge, was the abuse of economic power by large corporations to the detriment of ordinary citizens. He challenged and exposed fraudulent insurance companies who cheated customers and workers. He later published a book, Other Peoples Money and How Banks Use It, and suggested ways of curbing the power of large banks. I acknowledge that there is a convention that judges should not involve themselves in political or controversial matters. But this is a matter of justice and truth. And speaking truth to power. On this occasion, my duty as a citizen, to my fellow citizens, suffering injustice, and worse, exceeds my obligation to the judicial convention of saying nothing. Brandeis was revered for defending both the rights of the citizen and freedom of speech in defence of democracy. One of his best-known quotes is: The most important political office in a democracy is that of the private citizen. In his landmark opinion in the US Supreme Court case of Whitney v California in 1927 Brandeis wrote that If there be time to expose falsehood and fallacies... the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence. So I hope I will be forgiven. The re-appearances by senior bankers before the Oireachtas finance committee this month was a dispiriting and depressing experience. After all the foot-dragging, they were barefaced and shameless in their insidious stonewalling of public representatives who have had the tenacity and persistence to challenge their banks malpractices. To be absolutely fair to all of them, some are in fact performing better than others. Tracker crusader Padraic Kissane has said AIB are probably the best of them. Glad to hear it, but they are still majority State-owned, and as such they ought to be ethical, and they need to be leading by example, and if not, be directed to do so. Among the worst of them appearing before the Oireachtas committee was a foreign-owned bank (KBC Bank). The chief executive blithely told the committee it hadnt even yet ascertained the full extent of its problems in this regard. Worse still, he informed the committee that his bank would not be filing a report required of it by the Central Bank, within the fixed-time deadline given to his bank. The response of this bank was an affront to the democratic process and to the people of Ireland. I wonder would the same CEO tell a parliamentary committee in Belgium that his bank hadnt done their homework, and that it would not be complying with a demand made of it by the Belgian central bank on a matter of urgent interest to customers in distress there? And do so without any consequences? Unlikely. The banks are a key, critical part of the economic infrastructure of our society but they have social and moral obligations to the society in which they trade, for profit. Most senior bankers have survived this dreadful recession very nicely. Through the worst of times they were protected and cosseted, and most never knew a pay cut. How can the same senior bankers truthfully say that they just dont know fully what they have done wrong, or who they need to compensate? And that justice must wait. Just as branches and cash transits are protected for good societal reasons, banks are likewise accorded the protection of the law when they seek vindication of their contractual and property rights in courts, in debt recoveries and forced asset sales. Brandeis observed, if law is to be respected, the law must be made respectable. Similarly, if the banks are to be respected they too must be respectable. There are two important principles in the law of equity which come to mind in this regard. The first is that he who seeks equity must do equity. The second is that he who seeks vindication of his rights in the courts must come to court with clean hands. There is a third legal principle, from land law, that he who takes the benefit must also take the burden. If a bank enjoys the privilege of a banking licence from this State, then there is a duty on the bank to conduct all its business ethically. Leaving customers suffering for years while awaiting restoration of trackers and compensation breaches that duty. Someone in authority needs to tell the banks that once more, with feeling and with intent. There is an urgent need to defend and vindicate the rights of our citizens against a small number of corporations which at this stage are quite clearly out of control. Under Article 40.3.1 of the Constitution, the State guarantees to respect and as far as practicable by its laws to defend and vindicate the personal rights of the citizen. Brandeis said: We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we cant have both. Indeed. Recent Irish Examiner editorial rightly raised the issue that we need to do much more to address the problem of waste.The editorial referred to a recent decision by the Chinese government to implement a ban on the importing of Western waste/recyclable material to China. While China will continue to strategically import certain types of recyclable materials for use in their reuse industries, this partial ban, along with the fact that landfill capacity is no longer a viable option, highlights the urgency of our situation. We need a proper strategy to address the mixed waste we generate as a community. We understand the leader writers frustration with regard to the waste problem and agree wholeheartedly that the community needs to do much more, much more urgently, to face up to it. The editorial also referred to the ongoing controversy around the proposed siting of an incinerator in Cork Harbour. As researchers on sustainability and, as members of Cobh Zero Waste, we agree with the EU Commission that incineration is an undesirable solution, and we believe that far less divisive methods than incineration exist, as a means to address our waste management problem right away. We agree that, as a modern society, we must find an alternative way forward for us all a means to manage our resources sustainably and make the best possible use of them for everyone. This alternative way forward already exists; to embrace it, we simply need a change of perspective. Far from seeing the things we throw out as waste, we need to learn to see our waste as a reusable resource. In short, we need to move from a linear approach to our economy to a circular approach, where products are designed with recycling or re-use in mind, organic material is recovered, and overall consumption is reduced. The use of any materials that do not fit into these categories, such as unrecyclable plastic, should be phased out. This new perspective is often referred to as Zero Waste. This terminology in itself can at first seem naive or idealistic. How could there possibly be such a thing as zero waste? How could we hope to achieve a situation where there was no waste? Our bins are full when we put them out; how can we move away from having full bins, whether they are destined for landfill or an incinerator two equally unsustainable destinations at the bottom of the waste management hierarchy? The answer to these questions lies partly in that phrase, to move away from. Zero Waste is a journey towards sustainability, not an overnight solution. It takes time to implement; just not as much time as you might think. It also saves money and creates clean, green jobs jobs in what we now call the circular economy. Thats why it is already being used by companies like Apple, who have begun to roll it out among their international suppliers. Apple was very concerned that the waste being produced by one of their suppliers in China was going to incineration and landfill, so they partnered with this supplier to develop processes for separating this waste. It now goes to recycling or composting (depending on waste type) instead. This has move eliminated this suppliers need for incineration and landfill, and they have since moved on to help their suppliers begin the move towards Zero Waste. But we shouldnt make the mistake of thinking that Zero Waste is some form of high-tech process, that only successful multi-national companies and their suppliers can implement. Instead, it is something that has also been successfully adopted by a rapidly growing number of towns and cities worldwide, including cities such as San Francisco and Ljubjana, the capital of Slovenia, large towns such as Capannori in Italy and Roubaix in Belgium, and modest towns such as Kamikatsu in Japan, where the community built an incinerator, then shut it down and are now moving to eliminate all waste by 2020. What these towns and cities all share is their observance of the proximity principle; they have taken responsibility for their own waste and are managing this waste as a resource for the benefit of their own communities; citizens, local authorities, and local businesses are working together for a sustainable future. So, in learning from these examples, rather than burning valuable economic resources, we should improve the sorting and separation of our so-called waste to reduce contamination and provide resources for reuse. Most of us already sort our recyclables, but brown bins for organic material have only recently been introduced in many areas, whilst many plastics used for packaging are unrecyclable and need to be phased out. We have an opportunity in this country to build a national resource recovery industry that could employ many thousands, whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing the manufacturing and farming sectors with home-produced resources such as organic fertilisers, thereby reducing imports of fossil fuel-based synthetic fertilisers. The EU has already signalled legislation in this area following the launch of the Circular Economy Package in 2014. Ireland is also a signatory to the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Climate Change Treaty, which bind us to actions that conserve and recycle resources whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions. All of this points us away from incineration, which of course generates additional greenhouse gas emissions rather than reducing them. In stark contrast to the Zero Waste approach, incinerators provide no incentive to conserve resources or reduce waste. Instead, waste management companies are typically contracted to deliver sufficient quantities of materials as mixed waste, whether recyclable or not, to incinerator corporations, in order to avoid penalties for under-delivery. Incineration also destroys resources requiring more to be extracted or produced, thereby creating additional greenhouse gas emissions. That is why the EU Commission clarified its position on incineration at the beginning of this year, placing it at the bottom of the waste hierarchy alongside landfill. The Commission has warned that the increased separation and recycling of resources over the coming years will significantly reduce the material available for incineration (some EU countries are already at over-capacity) risking stranded assets. The Commission has therefore recommended: A moratorium on new incineration facilities; The decommissioning of older ones; The phasing out of any support schemes for incineration; Introducing and increasing taxes on incineration. We should follow the European Commissions advice and invest in recovering resources rather than burning them. Where and when can we start? Well, there is no time, as they say, like the present. So, local community groups in Cobh, in conjunction with Chase, Cork Environmental Forum, South East Cork Area Development, Cork County Council and local waste management companies, recently established Cobh Zero Waste in order to encourage reduced household waste and advise on better separation of recyclables to avoid contamination. Since its establishment, Cobh Zero Waste has embarked on a range of activities. We have begun consulting with retailers, locally and nationally, jointly discussing ways to reduce food packaging and to reduce the use of unrecyclable materials. To help and encourage the community to engage in a practical way with the proximity principle, we have launched a series of repair, reuse, and composting workshops and other public events. Last month, we welcomed Bea Johnson (dubbed the Queen of Zero Waste by the New York Times) to the Rochestown Park Hotel, where she gave a fascinating talk on Zero Waste to a very enthusiastic audience. As part of national Reuse Month, we are co-hosting an Upcycling and Pre-Loved Clothing Event in Cobh Community Centre (Saturday October 28, 12.30-3.30 pm). Our alternative, sustainable, approach to waste management, our journey towards Zero Waste, has begun. For more details please feel free to get in touch with us via Facebook or our website, www.cobhzerowaste.com. New members are always welcome. Mary OLeary is chairwoman of Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (Chase). Dr Stephen Thornhill and Dr Brendan Richardson are both with Cobh Zero Waste. Drug overdoses have now exceeded car crashes in the number of deaths in the United States annually. According to the DEA, more than 28,000 died from an overdose involving prescription opioid medications and heroin in 2014. Then in 2015 the national agency declared that heroin was one of the two most significant drug threats facing the United States. St. Francois County Coroner Jim Coplin said so far this year there has been 20 confirmed fatal overdoses of "mix drug intoxication," which is right on track with last years numbers. We list it as that because there is more than one drug in their system, said Coplin. We typically see heroin, fentanyl and morphine. Most commonly those are the drugs cut with the heroin. On average the deaths we have seen are people in their early to mid-30s. Coplin said on occasion he will see someone who overdoses by taking too much prescription medication, but its more common for them to have been shooting the drugs into their veins. The epidemic has been years in the making and between 2006 and 2014 heroin overdose deaths increased by a staggering 406 percent nationwide. According to the Centers For Disease Control between 2002 and 2013 the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths nearly quadrupled. More than 8,200 people died as a result of overdose in 2013. According to drugfacts.org, heroin can be sniffed, smoked or injected. People who use it describe a feeling of warmth, relaxation and detachment. Users are likely to develop a physical dependence, sometimes with the first or second use. Heroin poisoning occurs when an individual accidentally or intentionally overdoses on the drug. Coma, respiratory depression and death are the hallmarks of opioid overdose. Symptoms generally develop within 10 minutes of intravenous injection. People often use heroin along with other drugs or alcohol, which is especially dangerous because it increases the risk of overdose. Heroin is typically injected, but it is also smoked or snorted. When people inject heroin they are at risk of serious, long-term viral infections such as HIV, Hepatitis C, and Hepatitis B, as well as bacterial infections of the skin, bloodstream, and heart. St. Francois County Ambulance District Administrator David Tetrault said this year to date they have received 150 overdose calls and on 111 of those calls they administered Narcan. On some of those it could be they were over-medicated or took too much of their prescribed medications. Tetrault said. If its an unconscious person and we dont know why, sometimes we will give Narcan just to determine if its a blood sugar issue or its an opioid issue. Most of the time if its not an opiate derivative they will not come out of the coma. Tetrault explained the ambulance district uses the Narcan shot, but the Farmington police and fire departments were trained on the nasal atomizer. The reason is because only medics, nurses or doctors can give a shot to a patient. We have the option to use the nasal atomizer, but most of the time we have an IV started so we give up to 2 mg through the IV and it works a lot quicker, explained Tetrault. The nasal atomizer takes about (5 to 10) minutes to work. Tetrault described some of the symptoms or signs they see on overdose calls. Signs include respiratory distress, which means they are barely breathing or have stopped breathing. Also they can be completely unconscious and drenched in sweat. There could be other medical problems going on with these people, too, and that is what we worry about, Tetrault said. Heart rates are going to be either extremely low or extremely high and we determine that by cardiac monitors and their blood pressure. If theyre an opiate overdose, or we suspect an overdose, we will look at the heart rate, vital signs, pulse pressure and respiratory rate. Those are the key things they look at, along with their pupils. The pupils will be very small if it is an opiate overdose. We also look for history, like what is going on in the house, and ask a lot of open-ended questions to find out what is going on with the person, Tetrault said. A lot of times we find they are taking Fentanyl, which is (exceedingly) stronger than the regular overdose with heroin or methamphetamine. Tetrault said people are taking the gel out of the Fentanyl patches and mainlining those types of drugs. Fentanyl patches are time released, Tetrault said. The problem is when you take the drugs out of that time-released patch and you put it into your own vein they dont realize how strong that medicine is. Tetrault explained that some of the calls involving overdoses that first responders are dispatched to are calls for seizures, unconscious patient, psychiatric case or altered mental status. He said sometimes family members dont know what is going on because addicts keep them in the dark. So we dont know what it is until we get there and determine the cause of the issue, Tetrault said. Last year we had 234 overdoses and we are on track with the same numbers or a little bit higher this year. According to the DEA, like cocaine, heroin and its derivatives are imported into Missouri for distribution. Most heroin entering the U.S. originates from South America and Mexico. It is smuggled into the U.S. via ports of entry along the Mexico border and is then transported to U.S. cities for further distribution. Heroin also originates from southwestern and southeastern Asia and is usually smuggled into the U.S. east and west coast cities via commercial air carriers. It is then transported to regional distribution centers. Asian heroin entering Missouri usually is distributed through Chicago. Analyses of heroin/opiate quantities seized by multi-jurisdictional drug task forces indicate distribution of these drugs is limited in Missouri compared to marijuana, cocaine, or methamphetamine. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Close Dianne Holifield sat on a couch in her Bonne Terre home on the day she should have been celebrating her son Jason's 36th birthday. Instead, she was wiping away tears as she retold the story of how he died at the age of 28 from a drug overdose on Father's Day 2010. Jason's mother remembered her son's first encounter with drugs. "It started at about the age of 14 that he started smoking marijuana," she said. "In the last few years, [smoking marijuana] gave him a lot of anxiety he couldn't do that anymore but that's how he got started. It was only when he got older that he started doing heavier stuff." While no one can be absolutely sure why someone starts abusing drugs and every addict's story is unique, Holifield believes she knows the source of Jason's problems. Both Jason and his sister were abused as children by Holifield's boyfriend at the time, who was later sentenced to 250 years for molestation. Still, despite the trauma Jason had endured, she described her son as "having the biggest heart you can imagine." Jason eventually graduated from Central High School where he was known as the "class clown." He later got married and enlisted in the Navy. Unfortunately, it wasn't all that long before Jason was kicked out of the service and returned to Missouri where he began working at a variety of jobs. "He told me he got out of the Navy for lying on his application, but instead it was because he was using cocaine," Holifield said. "We knew he was using drugs. He was in and out of rehab a few times. One time I put him in the hospital at Parkland for overdosing on Xanax. He was in the hospital about three or four times for overdosing. "He left the hospital and was supposed to go straight to rehab. The security guards said he was missing, but I found him in my car. He didn't want to go to rehab, so he went to the mental health center over by the prison. He wouldn't talk to me at first, but after three or four days he began talking to me. He was so mad at me for putting him in there." With a catch in her voice, Holifield insisted her son was constantly battling against his dual addictions to drugs and alcohol. There's little doubt, however, that Jason's greatest reason to stay clean was the love he felt for his son, Dylan. "Jason would be clean for a couple of months and then he'd relapse," she said. "He was talking about going to rehab, but that last week I don't think that he was doing much of anything." Recalling the day Jason died, his mother broke down in tears and said, "He got off (a local restaurant where he worked) at 4:30. It was Fathers Day. I picked him up. He seemed OK. I had to babysit (his sister's) kids, so I dropped him off by his house. "You know how people do the 'if I'd done this?' I just thought of something yesterday. I thought, 'If I'd picked up her kids and went and got him to see his son that day ... I'm still doing the 'ifs' and this was seven years ago." One hour after Holifield dropped him off, his sister stopped by Jason's home to check on her brother and found him unresponsive. "She tried to resuscitate him, but he was gone really at that time," Holifield said. "Then I ran over there and went to the hospital. He was pronounced dead at 5:30. Your mind works funny. Every Sunday at 5:30 I think about it, but I'm getting better at that that's one thing I'm getting better at. After these many years, 5:30 on Sunday is still hard for me to deal with. "At first I thought it was heroin he overdosed on, but it was fentanyl (an opioid pain medication often mixed with heroin). That was back in 2010. They said it was heroin at first. You didn't hear much about fentanyl, but now you hear about it all the time." Holifield said she feels most sorry for her grandson, Dylan, 13, who has had to grow up without his father. In spite of losing his father at such a young age, Dylan appears to be thriving. "It almost makes me want to cry because he's just like my son," she said. "He's a major athlete at (school) where he plays all sports. He's great. He's probably going to get scholarships. I mean, there are a lot of kids who are really good at sports, but he is a wonderful kid. He knows why his dad died. "Not long ago he was going to go to a friend's house, but he told his mom he didn't think he was going because there was supposed to be drinking." Meanwhile, Holifield's recovery from her son's death has been much more difficult as she has faced her own addictions and the never ending hurt that remains in her heart. "I wish I could help someone," she sobbed. "I feel like a loser because I don't feel like I've done anything, ya' know? I went to a VA counselor after he died that helped me more than anybody. I've been thinking maybe I'll call her back and get some help. You can't help somebody else until you help yourself. "I retired from the prison after 21 years. I called in a lot because I was trying to help Jason. At the last I was just trying to keep him alive, but that last week he seemed to be doing so good. It just floors me to this day that you pick somebody up at 4:30 and at 5:30 they're dead." Editor's note - Be watching later in this series for a story where a reporter sits down with Jason's sister to share her memories and perspective and how she's devoted her life to helping others battle addiction. DEAR HARRIETTE: I am about to get married, and my fiance and I have come to an impasse over something that I don't think is such a big deal. I grew up in a household where everybody had chores, but we also had a housekeeper who came once a week to do heavy cleaning. It was so helpful having Mrs. Lancaster with us. She became part of the family. I want the same thing for my new home. Of course, both of us should do chores, but I believe having extra help will ensure we keep everything organized and clean. My husband thinks this is excessive and a waste of money. He grew up in a household where no extra help was ever there. They couldn't afford it. We can. Plus, I work 80 hours a week usually. I need the help. How can I get my fiance to see that? -- Clean Up, Rochester, New York DEAR CLEAN UP: This is one of many value-driven conversations you must have with your fiance to determine whether the two of you can compromise when needed to build your life together. While it may sound cliched, it is the little things in a marriage that help to make your bond stronger or erode it entirely. Since your husband-to-be does not see the need for a housekeeper, a compromise might be to have someone come in once a month in the beginning. Suggest this as an acknowledgment that you know he doesn't see eye to eye with you on this point but that you know you need help in order to keep your home in the manner you believe appropriate. DEAR HARRIETTE: My son is applying for college, and he is required to write several essays. The ones we have seen thus far are not good at all. It looks like he has been rushing through them. He hasn't gotten particularly good grades on them. I have offered to edit his work to help boost his writing, but he wants to do it by himself. I like that in theory, but I'm shocked he hasn't become a stronger writer yet. With the essays he has shown me thus far, I don't think he is going to get into a good school. How can I support him? -- Need a Boost, Boston DEAR NEED A BOOST: It is often difficult for parents to serve as tutors for their children. Tempers can flare quickly, and judgments abound. You and your son would do better if you hired a writing tutor to support him. There are many companies that offer this service, specifically for helping students write their essays for high school and college admission. Interview several of these services to find the best fit for you. One small company that has a good reputation is Write for the Future. You can reach them at writeforthefuture.com. A much larger company that people recommend is Kaplan at kaptest.com. DEAR HARRIETTE: I've been dating a man who is the quintessential nice guy. He calls me a lot. He asks me out on dates every weekend. He has great manners. On paper, he is everything a girl could want. The problem is, I am bored out of my mind. He is so predictable. I understand this should be great, but I want to have my guy make things exciting, at least a little. I tried to light the spark by suggesting different kinds of dates, but he is clear about what he wants to do, when the date begins and when it ends. I am spontaneous, at least a bit, and he doesn't seem to have room for that. I know we aren't a perfectly matched couple, but I do like him. How can I get him to think more collaboratively? It is nice to have company, so I don't want to push him away. -- Rev Him Up, White Plains, New York DEAR REV HIM UP: Ask yourself if nice is enough. It doesn't sound like it to me. If you want more, be willing to ask for more. Be honest. Tell him you want to mix things up a bit. Ask him to consider being more collaborative. Think about trying to get closer to him rather than pushing him away. Say as much to him. Now is the time to get to know him better. He may be cautious about what you do on dates because he is watching his budget. Suggest free or affordable activities that are fun, like apple picking or hiking around a lake and bringing a bag lunch. If he doesn't budge for any new idea, rethink whether he's your guy. You deserve a date who is willing to consider your ideas too. DEAR HARRIETTE: I've been dating a man who is the quintessential nice guy. He calls me a lot. He asks me out on dates every weekend. He has great manners. On paper, he is everything a girl could want. The problem is, I am bored out of my mind. He is so predictable. I understand this should be great, but I want to have my guy make things exciting, at least a little. I tried to light the spark by suggesting different kinds of dates, but he is clear about what he wants to do, when the date begins and when it ends. I am spontaneous, at least a bit, and he doesn't seem to have room for that. I know we aren't a perfectly matched couple, but I do like him. How can I get him to think more collaboratively? It is nice to have company, so I don't want to push him away. -- Rev Him Up, White Plains, New York DEAR REV HIM UP: Ask yourself if nice is enough. It doesn't sound like it to me. If you want more, be willing to ask for more. Be honest. Tell him you want to mix things up a bit. Ask him to consider being more collaborative. Think about trying to get closer to him rather than pushing him away. Say as much to him. Now is the time to get to know him better. He may be cautious about what you do on dates because he is watching his budget. Suggest free or affordable activities that are fun, like apple picking or hiking around a lake and bringing a bag lunch. If he doesn't budge for any new idea, rethink whether he's your guy. You deserve a date who is willing to consider your ideas too. DEAR HARRIETTE: I feel like the luckiest man in the world when I look back and I see how good my wife has been to me. When I was younger, I played the field, and she never left me. We got married young, and I sowed my oats even after we got married. I'm not proud of my indiscretions, but I do want to do something for my wife to celebrate her and our marriage. I had surgery recently, and she has been way better than a nurse to me. How can I show her my appreciation now? -- Filled With Gratitude, Los Angeles DEAR FILLED WITH GRATITUDE: Start by telling your wife on a regular basis how much you love and appreciate her. Notice the little things she does and comment on them. Think about what she loves to do, and plan a special occasion to give that to her. It could be taking a trip or going to the museum or a play. It could be watching a chick flick or taking a walk. Tap into what makes your wife smile, and offer that to her every day. Paying attention to her needs and desires will show her your appreciation. DEAR HARRIETTE: I feel so lucky we were able to get my son into a private school that offers all the courses that interest him. This is a blessing, considering my husband and I cannot afford to pay the hefty tuition. We received a scholarship that allows my son to attend. What has become difficult is many of the kids have a lot more money and things than my son. That is to be expected, but practically speaking, it is hard to manage. I don't want my son to feel "less than," but am unsure what to do to support my son and manage his expectations. -- Looking In, Washington DEAR LOOKING IN: Your son is getting to see how wealthy people live. Consider that a good thing. The more he learns about the dynamics of the world, the better off he will be. Will he lust for things he doesn't have? Probably. But that's part of our commercial culture, isn't it? What you must do is remind him of your family values and teach him it's OK he doesn't have all the things that some of his friends do. What he is getting is a top-notch education. This includes access to see what money can and cannot bring you. Suggest that he observe everything happening in his world. He will discover what types of jobs afford certain luxuries, the value of connections and relationships, the priceless value of honesty and respect, and the downside of excess. Encourage him to choose friends who share his beliefs, regardless of how much money or how many things they have. Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106 A Walkertown lawyer obtained an arrest warrant last week against a black man who was beaten after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., two months ago. Harold Ray Crews, 48, obtained the warrant on Oct. 9 from a city magistrate in Charlottesville. The warrant charges DeAndre Harris, 20, of Suffolk, Va. with felony unlawful wounding. Crews, who is white, accused Harris of striking him with a blunt weapon on the left side of his face on Aug. 12 on Market Street, according to the warrant. Crews indicated that neither he nor any of his companions had provoked Harris. As a result of this attack, I have been permanently scarred, Crews told the magistrate. Harris turned himself in to the Charlottesville Police Department on Oct. 12. He was released on an unsecured bond. Crews declined to speak with a Journal reporter about the case last Saturday, telling the reporter to go away. Crews is the chairman of the League of the Souths North Carolina chapter. His law office is on Old Hollow Road in Walkertown. Crews, members of the League of the South and other neo-Confederate groups, neo-Nazis, the Klu Klux Klan and white nationalists gathered in Charlottesville on Aug. 12 to rally against that citys decision to remove a statute of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from a downtown park. Counter-protesters gathered to oppose the white nationalists rally. Both sides fought each other. Heather Heyer, 32, a counter-protester, was killed when a car plowed through a crowd; 19 others were injured. James Alex Fields, 20, of Maumee, Ohio, a Nazi sympathizer, has been charged with first-degree murder and other offenses in Heyers death. Brad Griffin, a spokesman for the League of the South, said that Crews doesnt like talking to news reporters. Griffin said he has a video that shows Harris and other men attacking Crews in Charlottesville. The incident started after authorities in the city canceled the Unite the Right rally at the downtown park where the Lee statue stands, Griffin said. As those protesters were walking to their cars in a parking garage, Harris, his friends and members of Antifa followed them, Griffin alleges. Antifa, which is short for anti-fascists, is a broad group of people whose political beliefs lean toward the left often the far left but do not conform with the Democratic Party platform. Members of Antifa fought with the white nationalists in Charlottesville. At some point, a man with Harris group grabbed the Confederate battle flag that Crews was carrying and spun Crews around, Griffin contends. Moments later, a man struck Crews on the left side of his face with a flashlight, causing a wound, Griffin said. During the attack, another man struck Crews in the back of his head, Griffin said. Those actions started a huge brawl, Griffin said, between the protesters and the counter-protesters and led to Harris being assaulted by a group of men. Photos and video that were widely shared online showed Harris being beaten by a group of men inside a parking garage. In addition to Harris, three men have been charged in the attack. Harris suffered a spinal injury and a head laceration, according to media reports. Harris attorney has said that Harris did nothing wrong and that authorities dont have probable cause to charge him. S. Lee Merritt of Philadelphia, Harris attorney, issued a statement last week, saying that Crews has led a campaign to manipulate the Charlottesville judiciary and further victimize Harris by providing incomplete video evidence that led to a warrant being issued for Harris. Mr. Crews was not injured in any way by DeAndre Harris, the statement reads. Griffin said he thinks that Crews has mostly recovered from the attack. The Southern Poverty Law Center of Montgomery, Ala, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation, has classified the League of the South as a hate group. Griffin said that his organization considers the Southern Poverty Law Center a hate group. They hate white people, Griffin said of the SPLC. Its not a credible source. 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Three teens are facing burglary charges for several car burglaries reported in Clermont during the early morning hours of October 15. The Fayette County Sheriff's Office said security footage from a residence showed one of the burglaries as it was happening. Deputies captured a still image from the video and posted it to social media. Several tips helped identify the male subject. All three juveniles are 15 years old and have been referred to Juvenile Court Services. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. MINDEN A Wilcox man involved in an incident at a Minden womans home was sentenced in Kearney County Court last week to four days in jail. According to court records, Chad Carlson, 39, was charged in April with third-degree assault and first-degree criminal trespassing, both Class I misdemeanors. The third-degree assault charge was dropped in a plea deal. Carlson received four days credit for time already served in jail. He also was ordered to pay $500 in court costs. According to court records, the charges stem from an April incident at a Minden home. One woman was allegedly assaulted and another was found unresponsive on the floor. Carlson and Ruth Ann Ehrke, 35, of Oxford were alleged to have gone to the Minden residence because Ehrke and Carlson had a dispute with the female resident. A fight allegedly ensued between Ehrke, Carlson and the woman, court records say. Carlson assaulted the resident, court records say, and Carlson fled the residence. The resident was treated at a hospital for minor injuries. Ehrke was found unresponsive on the floor and later died at CHI Health Good Samaritan, according to a previous Minden Police Department press release. A doctor later determined she may have experienced a drug overdose. Upon searching the Minden residence, law enforcement allegedly found a black and gray plaid backpack Carlson reportedly brought to the residence. The backpack was alleged to have contained six glass jars of marijuana, two baggies filled with marijuana, cannabis extracts, a THC container, an electric scale, a pipe with drug residue and a marijuana pipe. @erikadpritchard KEARNEY The Kearney Catholic Marching Band faced a stiff north wind at 1 p.m. and was first to perform at Saturdays Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Marching Band Contest at KHS, but the Stars completed their performance and were rated a I by judges. The Kearney High School Marching Band was last to perform. By 7:45 p.m., Saturdays winds had calmed, and the Marching Bearcats also rated a I. The competition was the 35th annual Bandmasters contest and it was the first time the contest unfolded at Kearney High School. With its I rating, the 160-member KHS Marching Band, under the direction of Nathan LeFeber and Rick Mitchell, climaxed a successful marching season in which the Bearcats dominated the University of Nebraska at Kearney Band Day contest. KHS fielded the outstanding drum line, won first in AA and took the sweepstakes trophy at the UNK competition. KHS also earned a superior rating at the Lincoln Public Schools contest and was judged superior and won second at the Harvest of Harmony contest in Grand Island. The 78-member KCHS band, under the direction of Lindsay Lund, was first in Class C at UNK Band Day and fielded the outstanding color guard. Drum majors were Sarah Sommers, Jake Maaske and Samantha Homan. KCHS performed Pandora Reopened by Randall Standbridge. KHS performed Discovering Joy: A Journey Through Holts Planets. Drum majors were Allison Sheen, Victoria Thacker and Trevor Beckenhauer. KEARNEY University of Nebraska at Kearneys newest building will be officially presented at a community event Thursday with a celebration of Jerome and Charles J. Warner Hall. A brief sign-unveiling ceremony will be at 2:30 p.m. in the green space west of Warner Hall. Refreshments will be served. The building formerly known as Founders Hall has been re-named to honor the father and son who were instrumental in the universitys history, as Nebraska political leaders and advocates for Kearney Normal School, Kearney State College, and later, UNK. The name was approved by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents March 31. Since then, the buildings signs and some interior updating occurred to signal the transition. The former Founders Hall was built in 1978. Charles Warner was a member of the Nebraska House of Representatives from 1901-07, then in the Nebraska Senate from 1919-37 and the Nebraska Unicameral from 1937-39. He served as the combined Legislatures first speaker. He was later elected lieutenant governor four times, serving from 1949 until his death at age 80. Charles was often referred to as the grand old man of Nebraska politics. He led the effort in the Nebraska House in 1903 to establish Kearney Normal School. Always by Charles side growing up, Jerome Warner became the next grand old man, serving 35 years in elected service as state senator, including as speaker. His leadership helped make Kearney State College part of the state university system in 1989. A man found dead Saturday near the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Columbus, Nebraska, has been identified as Scott Dirksen. Dirksen, 27, is thought to have died after he was struck by a train, authorities said. Columbus police found him about noon Saturday by the tracks near 23rd Avenue. Platte County Attorney Carl Hart said Monday that an autopsy was conducted Sunday in Douglas County. Authorities are awaiting results of a toxicology report to find out whether Dirksen had alcohol or drugs in his system. What we dont know yet is why he died, Hart said. It appears to be an accident. Dirksen is originally from Minnesota but lived in Columbus, Hart said. Witnesses said Dirksen had been at a Columbus bar Friday night. Scotts Bluff County Sheriff's Deputy Troy Brown said that deputies assisted after a Nebraska Game and Parks Conservation officer had contact with Scott Bosse, 46, as the officer investigated a violation and Bosse allegedly pointed a gun at the officer. Brown said that the area was contained and the Nebraska State Patrol negotiated with Bosse for five hours before he surrendered. He was arrested on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and obstructing a police officer but has since been released from jail after posting 10 percent of a $60,000 bond. President Trump says many things that are wildly exaggerated or flat-out false, but he told one of his biggest whoppers at a recent White House press conference. Just so you understand, he boasted to reporters, the Republican Party is very, very unified. In truth, the Republican Party is very, very fragmented, pulled apart by competing factions defined largely by their relations to Trump, whose outsized ego and undersized competence eclipse the political sun and darken all debate. This festering fratricide could jeopardize the GOPs Congressional majorities in elections next year. Even if Republicans maintain control, their ability to run the government could be even more weakened than it already it is. And thats saying a lot, since party leaders have produced exactly one notable achievement this year: Neil Gorsuchs elevation to the Supreme Court. On one side are the True Trumpians, led by Steve Bannon, who recently told Sean Hannity on Fox News that he is declaring war on the Republican Establishment. He has vowed to oust Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and support primary challengers against any GOP senator who does not swear allegiance to Trumps brand of economic nationalism as defined by Bannon, of course. Nobodys safe; were coming after all of them, and were going to win, he crowed. The other side of this civil war is more splintered and less bellicose, but just as motivated. Recruits range from Never Trumpians like Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who refused to vote for the nominee of his own party, to Former Trumpians like Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, who have grown increasingly alarmed by the presidents impulsive and reckless behavior. In a stunning interview with The New York Times, Corker said Trumps volatility risks putting the country on a path to World War Three. Asked whether other Republicans shared his fears Corker said, Oh, yeah. Are you kidding me? Oh, yeah. ... The vast majority of our caucus understands what were dealing with here. Since Corker is not running again, hes freed from political considerations, but the vast majority of Republican lawmakers fear a primary challenge from Bannons jihadists. That means they wont join the public denunciation of Trump, no matter what they feel in private. And they all share with Trump a common need: writing a record of accomplishment they can take to the voters. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a prime Bannon target, wrote a book excoriating fellow Republicans for not standing up to Trump. Rather than defending the enduring principles that were consonant with everything that we knew and had believed in, we pretended the emperor wasnt naked, Flake writes. Even worse: We checked our critical faculties at the door and pretended that the emperor was making sense. Sen. John McCain was clearly referring to the president when he denounced as unpatriotic those who follow some half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska accused Trump of violating his oath to uphold the Constitution by threatening to punish media outlets that cover him critically. No president should play with censoring news they dislike, he tweeted. These are the voices of reason that Bannon wants to purge from the party. Trump fueled the civil war in the Republican Party, and as a campaign tactic, it worked well. But governing requires compromise, not chaos; negotiation, not napalm. And the firestorm he deliberately ignited could wind up consuming him. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form hot dragon said: its likely the white house knew nothing of this until these deaths. jesus, do you think the president is personally informed of the whereabouts and situation of every single individual deployed troop? this is a story about american imperialism, fighting dirty little wars in secret, about the worlds largest military engaged with guerrilla militia in the worlds poorest countries. it might be an important story, but remember its happened continuously under all of the last 5 presidents. its nothing to do with trump personally. Click to expand... I would bet my last dollar Trump couldn't find Niger on a map, much less had any direct knowledge of our troops there.He made a statement some months ago that he was taking a HANDS OFF approach to the military. That he was going to give them more latitude and autonomy to act.Even tho the Dumpster can't be held personally liable, this was still a serious mission failure. A commander somewhere totally failed to protect his troops. Why have air cover if they can't actually provide cover ?? Why contract out critical services ?? IF we're going to put boots on the ground, then we must be fully prepared to back them up. There must a a military rescue chopper in the area. There must be armed air support, at least an armed drone.Ambushes and attacks are inevitable. However we MUST have the tools and equipment to deal with such things when they occur. What I see here is first a failure of intel, and second a failure of proper back up. Could some of these men been saved if a drone had been able to bring some decent fire power ? Could even a lightly armed chopper have provided both air support and rescue ?? How did Sgt Johnson get "separated" from his squad and his body found more than a mile away even tho his homing beacon was active ??Leaving something SO critical to foreign military who have their own agendas and contractors just seems stupid to me. FILE - In this Sept. 22, 2017 file photo, Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani poses with models at the end of his womens Spring/Summer 2018 fashion collection, presented in Milan, Italy. In an interview with Corriere della Sera published Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, Armani broke the silence, saying that after he dies, three people that he names will be put in charge of the foundation that he created last year as a succession tool. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, files) The TRVL app is shown on a smartphone in this undated handout photo. A new website that lets travellers bypass travel agents and pocket commissions has ceased operations in Ontario after the province's travel regulator claimed the site violates provincial laws. The dispute is the latest in a consistent pattern of regulatory pushback against online businesses disrupting industries that have been slow to modernize. "We see this type of thing happening everywhere," said Jochem Wijnands, TRVL's founder, pointing to struggles other online platforms, like Airbnb and Uber, have faced for giving amateurs access to previously off-limits worlds. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - TRVL, *MANDATORY CREDIT* FILE - In this May 31, 2015 file photo, chef John Besh attends the Supper to benefit the Global Fund to fight AIDS in New York. Besh is stepping down from the restaurant group that bears his name after a newspaper reported that 25 current or former employees of the business said they were victims of sexual harassment. (Photo by Brad Barket/Invision/AP, File) New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant, left, and Rick Doucet, government house leader leave Government House after speaking with the province's lieutenant-governor in Fredericton, N.B. on Monday, October 23, 2017. Gallant has issued a laundry list of his government's priorities for the new session of the legislature. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Stephen MacGillivray FILE - In this May 19, 2013, file photo, Prince performs at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Three Indiana pharmacists have been reprimanded for trying to access Prince's medical records within days of the superstar's death last year. Prince died April 21, 2016, of an accidental overdose of the painkiller fentanyl. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File) President Donald Trump, right, salutes retired Army Capt. Gary M. Rose, left, before bestowing him with the nation's highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) FILE - Megyn Kelly poses on the set of her new show, "Megyn Kelly Today" at NBC Studios on Thursday, Sept, 21, 2017, in New York. Kelly says she complained to her bosses about Bill O'Reilly's behavior after she had accused former Fox chief Roger Ailes of sexual harassment, and that the abuse and shaming of women has to stop. Kelly, now with her own show on NBC, spoke Monday, Oct. 24, 2017, after it was revealed in The New York Times that Fox paid a $32 million settlement to former Fox analyst Lis Wiehl shortly before his contract was renewed. O'Reilly was fired in April. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File) What makes Harvey Weinsteins? The chief of Amazon studios, Roy Price, has now resigned in the wake of allegations that he made lewd comments and propositioned a producer. Lists of accused sexual predators in Hollywood and journalism are circulating on social media. President Donald Trump's long history of pawing and gawking at women has again reached center stage. Actress Alyssa Milano, one of Weinstein's targets, fumed, "This is not an uncommon occurrence. This is a sick culture. Men like Harvey Weinstein are around every corner. Men who undermine women and their strength, ability and intelligence exist everywhere." This is a common theme you find in feminist thinking. Harassment and even sexual assault are seen as part of the spectrum of sexism. It begins with disparagement of women's abilities and intelligence; then progresses to making them sexual objects; and finally results in abuse and even rape. The "MeToo" hashtag and related posts on Facebook are intended as a feminist rallying cry. The Feministing website explains, "Gender violence doesn't exist without white supremacy (such as racism, colonialism, zionism (sic), militarism." That's hard to beat for dimness. In China, according to a UN study, 23 percent admit to rape. In Papua New Guinea, 61 percent of men say the same. What if boorishness isn't a form of sexism, but merely bad behavior? Let's face it, many a flagrant lecher Bill Clinton, anyone? has been a stalwart and possibly even sincere feminist. Many a womanizer seeks absolution for his grubby conduct by ostentatious displays of political correctness. The louts seem to calculate that they earn gropes for every contribution to Emily's List or the National Organization for Women. Weinstein offered a particularly pathetic appeal to left-wing sympathies by declaring that he would train even more fire on the NRA. Feminism made a critical misstep when it joined forces with the sexual revolution in the 1970s. Women needed more outlets for their sexuality, they claimed. Traditional notions about women being more interested in relationships than in casual encounters were outmoded. In 2014, feminist Hanna Rosin looked forward, only slightly tongue-in-cheek, to an era when women would surpass men in sex scandals. For decades feminists have made abortion the signature feminist issue thus signaling that consequence-free sex for men (who don't undergo the surgery and heartbreak) was a key goal. Feminists may not have intended to thereby send the message that they were all in on the sexual free-for-all, but some men concluded as much nonetheless. Feminists set themselves a contradictory task to insist that men and women were indistinguishable in their sexual tastes and appetites but then to demand that men respect women's particular reserve. It would be healthier for our culture about which Alyssa Milano is not wrong if feminism were more realistic about human nature. Male sexual aggressiveness has been a challenge every civilization has had to manage. Among some Orthodox Jews, one answer is to set such strict limits on contacts between the sexes that men do not even touch women they are not related to not even to shake hands. This can lead to other problems when Orthodox men's reticence is misunderstood by others, but it isn't crazy. How many of us have been hugged a little too long and a little too aggressively by men taking advantage of the fact that they can get away with it? I could easily sign on the #MeToo campaign. Sexual harassment cost me a summer job in college. But the "men equal bad, women equal good" slogan is a bit too simplistic. I've seen my share of women behaving badly, too. Older women very seldom demand sexual favors from younger men (sorry, Hanna Rosin), but I've seen young women use sex to get ahead in workplaces, sometimes targeting other women's husbands. And I've known men of all backgrounds, religious affiliations and political views who were perfect gentlemen not because they were feminists but because they were raised right. A more realistic approach to sexual misbehavior would be to acknowledge that the temptation is always there. Most men aren't predators but why make it easier for those who are by pretending that a business meeting in a hotel room is anything other than wrong? Even in offices, an open door is a good policy when a man and woman are alone. Perhaps the slogan we need for both sexes is #BeDecent. SWEET HOME A 16-foot-tall wooden statue that depicts Sweet Home's logging history will soon welcome visitors to the community and raised $48,400 for the Boys and Girls Club at the annual auction Saturday evening. The 1,000-pound artwork was conceived by tree farmers and loggers Robin Miller and Mike Melcher. The project began more than a year ago when Miller noticed a tree on his property that had three large trunks, known as a "school marm." After falling the tree, Miller decided it could be put to good use for the Boys and Girls Club and the community at large. The two men contracted chain saw artist Jessee Strack of Whidbey Island, Washington, to work on the giant fir log. Strack crafted two 5-foot tall loggers designed after he studied hundreds of historical logging photos. The loggers are standing on springboards built by Miller that are several feet in the air. He also carved mountain scenes into the base of the tree. "We have gotten approval from the board of directors at the East Linn Museum to place this on the lawn of the museum," Melcher said. "We also will sell memorial bricks to create a perpetual fund for the Boys and Girls Club." After taking donation bids totaling several thousand dollars, Melcher called his daughter-in-law Wendi Melcher, a member of the auction committee, to the stage and handed her an envelope. Inside were several checks from donors who could not attend the auction and wished to remain anonymous. Those checks totaled $18,400. Melcher also received a check for $1,000 at Mass on Sunday morning, bringing the total raised to $48,400. "We truly appreciate the support and the great response we received for this project," Melcher said after the auction. Miller added that he was very happy with the project's outcome. "It was more than I expected and we had a lot of fun with it," Miller said. Wes Collins of Radiator Supply House emceed the event with the theme, "Hula For Moola." Although the weather was brutal with high wind and driving rain, a full house of club supporters turned out and donated more than $50,000 toward scholarships, eclipsing last year's $35,000 total. The evening's title sponsor was Santiam Spray Service, a third-generation Sweet Home business. Auction committee members were Melcher, Heather Search, Heather Swanson, Ali Gardner, Joyce Rice and Melissa Klumph. Nearly 27 percent of children in east Linn County live in poverty. About 1,100 children join the club annually and about 220 participate in daily after-school activities. Last year, the Sweet Home and Lebanon clubs, that operate as the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Greater Santiam, served more than 85,000 meals. Bidding was lively. A pie per month for the next year, donated by retired school teacher Mary Betts, was sold for $700 to Melcher Logging. Weyerhaeuser donated four units of 2X6 lumber that brought $400 per unit. A Snap-On tool chest donated by R and J Daniels sold for $700 and 365 gift cards donated by Dutch Bros. sold for $1,050. A custom metal fire pit crafted by Travis Northern sold for $750 and a Yeti cooler package donated by Aaron and Amy Burke sold for a cool $3,000. A catered dinner for up to 25 donated by Matt Slack, Jeff Gainer and Friends of the Club brought $1,150. The evening's Hawaiian-themed buffet and dessert was prepared by Angie Tack Food Services. A local councillor has called for funding to be expedited to progress a flood pilot scheme in two Kilkenny towns to the next phase. The Interdepartmental Flood Policy Co-Ordination Group is considering the potential costs and benefits associated with the introduction of an individual property protection scheme. The Group is being informed by pilot projects which are currently underway in Thomastown and Graignamanagh in Kilkenny and Crossmolina in Mayo. In respect of the Kilkenny pilot, the Office of Public Works have funded the costs of a research and feasibility study into the potential provision of individual property protection. Cllr Peter 'Chap' Cleere has expressed his disappointment that the OPW have still not responded to Kilkenny County Council regarding the funding of this scheme even though the request was sent last July. Cllr Cleere had requested that the council write to the OPW seeking the necessary funding required for the total cost of these individual property protection measures. He said: Both Thomastown and Graignamanagh were both left devastated with flooding in Christmas 2015. Given the significance of what has happened to both towns, I feel it is imperative that the OPW now fund the cost of implementing these flood protection measures for both towns to give these residents a break. It is estimated that the cost of such measures could be up to 600,000 to implement. I'm adamant that full funding be made available by the OPW to fund these works. Cllr Cleere said: I have also insisted that the Council get confirmation from the OPW that the implementation of this pilot scheme will not have any impact on the bigger CFRAM pilot study which was conducted last year. This particular pilot is welcome, but it is very much a temporary measure until the funding becomes available to implement the CFRAM recommendation. Cllr Cleere says the speed at which this needs to be processed is very important. He said: Many people are anxious about the risk of flooding and Storm Ophelia and Storm Brian have certainly left their mark and done nothing to allay those worries for people - and this pilot flood relief scheme will certainly help allay some of those fears. In a statement to the Kilkenny People, the OPW said: A Feasibility Report into the provision of individual property protection for the towns of Thomastown and Graignamanagh was received by the OPW in August. The report is currently being considered before a response issues to Kilkenny County Council. In an exciting new development Barnstorm Theatre Company has teamed up with Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce to host a Presentation Skills workshop. The session is available free of charge to all finalists of the Kilkenny Business Awards 2017 as part of Kilkenny Chambers continued support for local businesses. The ability to deliver a compelling story is the key to successful business presentation. Workshop participants will learn how to outline a strong business model, define a persuasive value proposition and deliver a memorable and impactful proposal. The workshop is run by Barnstorms Development Manager, John OBrien, who is also an arts and business consultant specialising in strategy and development, and a lecturer in the School of Business in UCD. "We have to be able to tell the story of our business in a compelling and succinct fashion, John tells us. And not merely for the judging panel, but to our customers, shareholders, bank managers. A strong pitch is, in fact, a great story told well. Barnstorm have twenty-five years professional experience in telling great stories exceptionally well, so it makes complete sense to share that expertise with the business community, here, in Kilkenny." John Hurley CEO of the Chamber of Commerce said: "Even business people who are experienced in presenting will benefit from this session. It is a huge challenge to make an effective pitch presentation in just ten minutes; wouldnt it be something to talk about if those who attended this workshop all won awards in their categories?!" The workshop took place last Friday at the Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce Office at The Maltings, Tilbury Place. An autistic Kilkenny man has been committed to the Central Mental Hospital after being found not guilty by reason of insanity of attempting to murder his pregnant sister so she wouldnt raise her child in Dublin. A Central Criminal Court judge made the order this morning, two weeks after a jury returned the special verdict following the trial of 33-year-old Daniel OConnell. Mr Justice Paul Butler had remanded him to the hospital for the required 14 days under the Insanity Act. James Dwyer BL, for the State, informed the judge that consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Anthony Kearns had prepared the required report during that time. There's evidence before the court, which would warrant such an order being made, he said. He was referring to an order committing Mr OConnell to the CMH, where he would receive the inpatient care or treatment needed for the mental disorder from which he suffered. The judge said that he had thoroughly read the report and noted that there was a bed available in the hospital. The evidence is only one way in this matter, he said. In those circumstances, I make the order. Mr OConnell, who had been brought to court by staff from the CMH, was then accompanied from court by his family and returned to the hospital by the CMH staff. Trial evidence The trial heard that Mr OConnell had first developed homicidal feelings for his sister when she had settled in Dublin years earlier, due to the fear that she would have a baby born and raised there. He had developed what the prosecution described as an unnatural and almost pathological dislike of Dublin and Dublin people as a child, when teased by a group of Dublin youths during a school trip to Mosney. He became more upset when he learned of her pregnancy a few months before he attacked her. However, he hoped that she might die of natural causes when he heard that she had been diagnosed with cancer around the same time. This didnt happen and Mr OConnell admitted during Garda interviews that he had tried to kill Olivia OConnell (now 42) by stabbing her a number of times in her Dublin home. However, the 33-year-old with an address at Rosemount, Newpark, Co Kilkenny had pleaded not guilty to her attempted murder on April 25, 2016 at Scholarstown Park, Scholarstown Road, Knocklyon. Consultant psychiatrists for both the prosecution and the defence testified that he was entitled to a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. The trial heard that his computer had been used to search for the terms, murder suicide and not guilty by reason of insanity, in the months before the stabbing. There were also searches for jugular vein and wrist three days before the incident. He told gardai that he had travelled to Dublin with a knife, hammer and duct tape with a plan to kill his sister that Monday, while his parents were away. He said he had planned to kill himself 12 days later during a weekend in London with his father. The jury heard that Ms OConnell was 26 and a half weeks pregnant and suffering the effects of chemotherapy when her younger brother arrived at her house unexpectedly that afternoon. She told Gardai that the accused was almost tearful when he arrived. She was aware of his autism and of his feelings about Dublin. She also knew that he was upset about her pregnancy and tried to keep herself covered with a blanket. The accused went upstairs to use the toilet and came back down wearing latex gloves and carrying a knife. He stabbed her three to four times in the back before she managed to break free. She understood that this was a fight for her life and she struggled with her brother, managing to wrestle the knife from him. She tried to get out the back door through which he had entered, but he had taken the key. She then tried to run out the front door but he kicked her into the back of the calves. She eventually escaped when her dressing gown ripped. She ran to a neighbours house, trying to hide the knife and to remain calm for the sake of her neighbours children. The accused was still in the area when the Gardai arrived and he admitted the attack and his full motivation. He said he wanted to kill his sister because she was carrying a Dublin baby. He also said that he was suicidal, didnt want to be alone in heaven and didnt want to leave all his family behind. Garda Niall Russell arrested him under the Mental Health Act and he was seen by a doctor, who sent him to the psychiatric unit in St Lukes Hospital, Kilkenny. He was fit for interview three weeks later and he explained that he had first decided to kill his sister that St Stephens Day. He also disclosed his elaborate preparation, including that he had not used his travel pass to get to Dublin so that it wouldnt be traced. Dr Paul OConnell of the Central Mental Hospital testified for the defence, giving evidence of his meetings with the accused while he was an impatient there this year. I was annoyed that she fought me off and survived, the accused had said at one stage, illustrating what the doctor described as a profound impairment of judgment. The doctor also noted that the accused mans parents had said he showed little or any remorse for his sister. Dr OConnell explained that the defence of not guilty by reason of insanity required a diagnosis of a mental disorder. His opinion was that the accused mans autism was consistent with that. In my opinion, the alleged offence would not have occurred were it not for the mental disorder operating at the material time, he said. It was such that the accuseds capacity to form the necessary intent was negated. Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Anthony Kearns testified on behalf of the DPP. Dr Kearns, also of the Central Mental Hospital, said the accused still harboured views about Dubliners on the basis of what appears to me to be quite tenuous reasoning. He still shows extremely little understanding of the inappropriateness of his catastrophic actions or their effect on others, he added. He was also of the view that his autism disorder was a mental disorder under the Insanity Act. He has great difficulty in constructing appropriate strategies for dealing with threats and fears and, importantly, perceived threats, he said, adding that his autism would have compromised his understanding of what constituted a threat. At the time of the offence, he had set out on a course of action, which would have appeared irrational and dangerous to a person without his disorder, but to him appeared necessary, he added. He did not properly understand that what he was doing was wrong. He also believed that the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity was appropriate in the case. The jury then heard brief closing speeches from both sides. Michael Bowman SC, prosecuting, said that, because the facts of the case were admitted, Mr OConnells state of mind is where the true battleground in this case lies. However, he said that no dispute arose between the prosecution and the defence in relation to his state of mind. He said that both doctors came to a similar conclusion, that Mr OConnell suffered from a mental disorder. He said their evidence was in conformity with a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, suggesting that verdict. Vincent Heneghan SC, defending, said he agreed entirely with Mr Bowman. I ask you to return a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, he said. Mr Justice Paul Butler said that it must have been an absolutely horrendous experience for the victim. She was vulnerable, she was pregnant, she was suffering an illness and it was a horrendous attack, he said. She has my greatest sympathy. However, he summarised the medical conclusions for the six men and six women of the jury, telling them he didnt think that theyd have the slightest difficulty in reaching a unanimous verdict. The jury returned with that unanimous verdict following two hours and six minutes of deliberations, finding the accused not guilty by reason of insanity. BEIJING, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan has started supplying gas to China via the Central-Asia China gas pipeline system for the first time, state-owned China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) said on Monday. Commercial gas volumes were sent across the Kazakh-Chinese border on Oct. 13, CNPC said on its website, part of a deal under which Kazakhstan has agreed to send 5 billion cubic meters of gas to China over one year. The gas, which arrives as China prepares for its winter heating season, is pumped through the 25 billion cubic metres (Bcm) per year 'Line C' of the three-line Central Asia-China pipeline network operated by CNPC in conjunction with local partners. The first line became operational in 2009. To date, shipments via the system have now reached 194.5 Bcm, CNPC said. The vast majority of the gas comes from Turkmenistan, while Uzbekistan also feeds volumes into the system. Kazakhstan has previously been only a transit state in the Central Asia-China gas pipeline project, although small volumes of Kazakh gas have flowed through a privately owned pipeline built by Guanghui Energy . (Reporting by Tom Daly; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) BAGHDAD, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Gorran, a main opposition party to Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, called on Sunday for his resignation, and for a "national salvation government" to be formed to deal with crisis pitting the Kurds and the central Iraqi authorities. Gorran, or the Change Movement, blamed Barzani for the "disaster" facing the Kurds after the loss on Oct. 16 of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, captured by Iraqi forces in retaliation to a Kurdish independence referendum held last month despite warnings from Baghdad and neighbouring Iran and Turkey. "The Kurdistan presidency must be dissolved and a national salvation government be formed to overcome the current situation," said a statement published by the party leadership after meeting in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya. Gorran supports the right of Iraq's Kurds for self-determination but it opposed holding the referendum on Sept. 25, saying the timing was ill-chosen. (Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli, editing by David Evans) Image Courtesy of Alrosa (Kitco News) - The worlds top diamond producer by output, Alrosa, has surpassed its record number of large colored diamonds unearthed in a year, with the latest discovery being a 34.17-carat yellow diamond the biggest find by the company to date. This year, Alrosa has already hit the record in the number of large fancy-colored stones, said Evgeny Agureev, director of the United Selling Organization Alrosa. We used to extract fancy-colored rough diamonds over 10 carats once a year on the average. [In 2017], we have already recovered several large fancy-colored diamonds, and this 34.17-carat yellow stone is the largest one so far. The discovery was made by Alrosas affiliate Almazy Anabara at the Ebelyakh alluvial deposit in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), located in Far Eastern Russia. The measurements of the precious gem are 20.17 by 19.65 by 15.1 mm. It is described as a transparent intense yellow crystal with a small inclusion in the intermediate zone, according to a press release. Russias diamond company plans to send the stone to Moscow before the end of October for further assessment. The Companys specialists are still to study the stone more in detail, but we can say in advance that it is fancy vivid yellow, which is very rare and highly valued, Agureev added. Alrosa has had a very lucky year. In September, the company announced that it made history with a discovery of a massive 27.85-carat rough pink diamond the most expensive precious stone in the companys collection. And in June, Alrosa revealed it recovered a 62.75-carat diamond from its very fruitful Jubilee kimberlite pipe. The precious stone was described as transparent with a light-yellowish tint and an octahedron shape. Alrosa, accounts for more than 29% of global diamond production in terms of carats. In 2016, the company said it produced 37.4 million carats of rough diamonds, with plans to ramp up production to over 41 million carats annually by 2019. SINGAPORE, Oct 23 (IFR) - Asian markets seemed to ignore Friday's risk rally in the US, with spreads barely moving. Treasuries widened and stocks jumped on Friday after the U.S. Senate passed a budget resolution, bringing planned tax reforms a step closer to happening. Counter-intuitively, the Asia ex-Japan iTraxx investment grade CDS index tightened 1bp to 73.8bp/74.4bp. The iTraxx Japan index tightened half a basis point to 48.25bp/49.25bp, following the ruling party's decisive win in yesterday's election. In Asian investment grade credit, CDB Financial Leasing's 2023 bonds widened 1bp in spread terms to 113bp, while its 2027s tightened 1bp to Treasuries plus 121bp. CK Hutchison's 2020s tightened 1bp to 69bp, while its 2023s and 2027s were flat at 90bp and 100bp, respectively. South Korea's 2023 bonds widened 2bp to Treasuries plus 83bp, while its 2027 bonds widened 1bp to plus 72bp. The Korean sovereign is likely to be a reference point for China's five and 10-year sovereign bond offering, which is targeted for Thursday. Chinese high yield was unchanged to moderately lower today, said a credit trader. "Some of the recent high-yield issues have dropped back a bit lately, but they're still doing okay," said the trader. Indonesia's Geo Energy Resources' Single B rated 2022 bonds have rallied almost three points since pricing at the end of September, and were bid at a cash price of 101.7. Noble Group's 2022 bonds gained 1.5 points on news that the commodities trader had agreed to sell Noble Americas, a global oil liquids business. The notes were seen at a cash price of 38.9, giving an almost identical implied yield of 38.8%. (Reporting by Daniel Stanton; Editing by Vincent Baby) Keywords: MARKETS ASIA DEBT/ LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - European and British banks do not have much time left to prepare for Britain's exit from the European Union, the European Central Bank's top bank supervisor said on Monday. "Once the United Kingdom becomes a 'third country' for the EU, banks located there will lose access to the European market, and European banks will lose access to the UK market," Daniele Nouy told an audience in London. "They will have to act, and there is not much time left to do so." (Reporting By Ritvik Carvalho; Writing by Francesco Canepa in Frankfurt; Editing by Alison Williams) * Canadian dollar at C$1.2637, or 79.13 U.S. cents * Bond prices mostly higher across the maturity curve TORONTO, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar was slightly weaker against its U.S. counterpart on Monday after a big fall to end last week, as investors wait for a rate decision from the Bank of Canada. At 8:50 a.m. ET (1250 GMT), the Canadian dollar was trading at C$1.2637 to the greenback, or 79.13 U.S. cents, down 0.1 percent and at its weakest level since late August. The currency had fallen by the most in nine months on Friday as a drop in domestic retail sales bolstered expectations that the central bank would hold steady at a policy announcement on Wednesday after two hikes so far this year. The greenback has meanwhile been boosted by progress on U.S. tax reforms that raised the prospects of a fiscal lift to its economy. The European Central Bank is also due to make a closely-watched policy announcement this week in which it is expected to start trimming its monthly asset purchases. Canadian government bond prices were mostly higher across the maturity curve, with the two-year price flat to yield 1.473 and the benchmark 10-year up 8 Canadian cents to yield 2.021 percent. The Canada-U.S. two-year bond spread was -9.7 basis points, while the 10-year spread was -35.6 basis points. Prices for oil, a major Canadian export, were steady, with U.S. crude up 0.14 percent at $51.91 a barrel and Brent down 0.35 percent at $57.55. (Reporting by Alastair Sharp; Editing by Susan Thomas) SHANGHAI, Oct 23 (Reuters) - China's top steelmaking city, Tangshan, will step up curbs on industrial output as it makes greater efforts to cut hazardous smog, the China Securities Journal reported on Monday. The city, in northern China's Hebei province, has ordered more industrial plants, including rubber, plastics and paint producers, to make deep cuts in production, the newspaper said, citing a government notice. The curbs will last for four months, until March 2018, but the city is asking industrial plants to make temporary, steeper, cuts in production over the next three days, when smog is expected to worsen. The city will also limit the use of trucks and tractors between Oct. 24-27. China has been cracking down on big industrial polluters to reverse the damage done to its air, rivers and soil by more than three decades of breakneck growth. Tangshan already ordered steel mills, cement and other plants to cut output in early October, a month earlier than expected. It is the latest city to launch a campaign to tackle toxic air before the previous deadline of Nov. 15. The city produces nearly 100 million tonnes of crude steel a year, more than the United States, and is routinely listed among China's 10 smoggiest cities. It vowed last month to shut ceramic and cement factories and restrict road freight activities during the heating season. China will strive to comply fully with its own air quality standards by 2035, the country's environment minister Li Ganjie said on Monday, adding that the long and difficult battle against pollution would eventually benefit the economy. (Reporting by Ruby Lian and Josephine Mason; Editing by Adrian Croft) (Kitco News) - China may have just dodged a major bullet for now. We had a senior official, [Liu Shiyu] on the sidelines of the Communist Partys 19th National Congress in Beijing, saying that President Xi JinPing foiled a coup. A group of officials, Liu said, had plotted to usurp the partys leadership and seize state power, explained Gordon Chang, best-selling author of Nuclear Showdown and a columnist for the Daily Beast. Speaking from the twice-decade gathering, Liu, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, said that Xi Jinping saved socialism and the country. While Chang personally does not think a coup took place, he does see it as a very bad sign. Lius loaded charge suggests China is heading into a period of turbulence, likely one reminiscent of the Maoist era, Chang said. Xi Jingping is upping the cost of losing a political struggle. In the Maoist era, if you lost a political struggle, you often lost your life, he said on Monday. He is characterizing his political adversaries as traitors to the State, and that is something we have not heard in a long time. [W]e can see China tearing itself apart as the political struggles become more intense and thats why Im concerned about political stability. Maybe not this monthbut they will be more vicious than we have seen in the past couple of decades, Chang explained. The Communist Party looks like it is already tearing itself apart, he added. China Weaponizing North Korea And with growing concerns that North Korea is developing a nuclear weapons program, Chang said China has been equipping the country with weapons. China has supplied the mobile missile launchers for North Koreas intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), the ones that were tested on July 4 and July 28. The missiles North Korea tested in August of last year and February and May of this year looked to be variants of Chinas JL-1 submarine launch missile, Chang said. As to whether China has stopped supplying its neighbor, I hope it has ended already, but Im not sure. The U.S needs to ask Beijing some pointed questions, once we get an answer to that [of China supplying North Korea], then we can fashion an effective North Korea policy, so this needs to be a matter of public discussion, Chang said. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to urge Xi Jinping to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions against North Korea when he travels to China next month, a senior White House official said on Monday. The latest numbers from customs data indicate that Chinese exports to North Korea soared 20.9 percent from January to September. China's total trade with Pyongyang amounted to $4.03 billion, up 3.7 percent on-year. (Corrects to read "debt conversion", headline, paragraph 1) MILAN, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Banca Carige said on Monday bondholders had voted to make mandatory a debt conversion as part of the Italian bank's fundraising efforts. Carige had proposed swapping four of its junior bonds into senior-ranking debt, looking to reap a capital gain in the conversion. The move is part of a broader capital raising plan which hinges on a new share issue for up to 560 million euros ($658 million) to be launched next month. After the swap offer was taken up by a majority of bondholders, the conversion became mandatory for all holders of that debt following a favourable vote at meetings held on Saturday, Carige said in a statement. After Rome rescued larger rival Monte dei Paschi di Siena and liquidated two failing regional banks this year, Carige came into focus as the last large Italian bank still in difficulty following a deep recession. The European Central Bank has given Italy's ninth-largest bank until the end of December to strengthen its capital. ($1 = 0.8512 euros) (Reporting by Valentina Za; editing by Jason Neely) PRAGUE, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial markets on Monday. ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA========================== Real-time economic data releases.................... Summary of economic data and forecasts........... Recently released economic data.................. Previous stories on Czech data............. **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: =========================EVENTS================================= GOVERNMENT: President Milos Zeman meets with electtion winner, Andrej Babis, at the presidential Lany chateau to discuss forming of the new coalition. (1300 GMT) Related news: =========================NEWS=================================== GOVERNMENT: Czech President Milos Zeman said on Sunday he would name Andrej Babis prime minister, but the tycoon leader of the anti-establishment ANO party may struggle to find coalition partners despite his emphatic election win. Story: Related stories: ******************************************************* ** Take A Look page on a parliamentary election: ** For a FACTBOX on Andrej Babis's businesses: ** For a GRAPHIC on the election: ******************************************************* HACKING: The websites used for presentation of the Czech Republic's election results were hacked on Saturday afternoon, the Czech Statistical Office (CSU) said on Sunday, adding that the vote count was not affected. Story: Related stories: ELECTION: Czech billionaire Andrej Babis won a thumping victory in Saturday's election as voters shunned traditional parties and gave a mandate to the anti-establishment businessman pledging to fight political corruption while facing fraud charges himself. Story: Related stories: CEE MARKETS: Central European government bond yields tracked U.S. Treasuries higher, while some investors positioned ahead of reviews of Poland's credit rating by S&P and of Hungary's by Moody's due late on Friday. Story: Related stories: For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX For updates on CEE currencies TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets Prague Newsroom: +420 224 190 477 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (Reporting by Prague Newsroom) * NSE index up 0.27 pct, BSE index 0.21 pct higher * Corporate earnings to determine short-term trend - analyst * Shares of Indian Energy Exchange fall on market debut By Tanvi Mehta Oct 23 (Reuters) - Indian shares rose on Monday as telecom stocks gained after Reliance Industries Ltd's unit Jio raised data tariffs last week, signalling more pricing discipline in the sector, while strong global markets also boosted sentiment. Japanese shares jumped on a weaker yen as an election win for Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc gave a green light for more policy stimulus. Indian markets hit fresh highs last week and analysts think upcoming corporate earnings will have an impact on the short-term trend. Infosys Ltd and Hindustan Unilever Ltd will report results on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. "Overall global sentiment is good and the Japanese yen has weakened," said Anita Gandhi, whole-time director at Arihant Capital Markets. "Things this week will also depend on the results." The broader NSE index was up 0.27 percent at 10,173.85 as of 0542 GMT, while the benchmark BSE index was 0.21 percent higher at 32,456.94. Indian share markets were closed on Friday for a public holiday. Reliance Industries rose as much as 2.28 percent to a record high while Bharti Airtel Ltd gained as much as 3.4 percent to its highest level in over eight years. Idea Cellular Ltd and Reliance Communications Ltd gained over four percent each. Financial stocks capped the gains on indexes after a rise in bad loans at Axis Bank Ltd last week sparked concerns over recovery of stressed assets. Axis Bank was down 1.8 percent and Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd was trading 1.2 percent lower. Shares of power-trading bourse Indian Energy Exchange Ltd fell as much as 8.5 percent in its market debut on valuation concerns. (Reporting by Tanvi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Vyas Mohan) (Updates with closing prices) By Eric Onstad LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Zinc prices rose on Monday after data showed output in China slipped in September, highlighting worries that winter production cuts are tightening supplies of metals. Data on Monday showed zinc production fell 2.7 percent last month to 537,000 tonnes after numbers last week showed aluminium output dropped 5.6 percent to 2.6 million tonnes, its lowest since April 2016. "It could be that the winter production cuts are already having an impact. I do see this as a factor supporting prices for the remainder of the year," said Caroline Bain, chief commodities economist at Capital Economics in London. Metals rose across the board on the London Metal Exchange, still basking in the glow of last week's firm growth data in China, the world's biggest metals consumer. "I think it's a continuation of the positive sentiment from last week," Bain said. That data showed the world's second-largest economy grew at 6.8 percent in the third quarter and remained on track to post the first full-year pickup in seven years. The head of the state planning agency said on Saturday that China's economy was on track to meet its official growth target for 2017 despite a punishing war on pollution. * ZINC: Benchmark LME zinc closed up 0.9 percent at $3,129 a tonne after dipping 0.5 percent on Friday. * ZINC SPREADS: The premium of cash zinc over three-month zinc remained elevated at $57 a tonne, showing near-term supply was still limited. It was down from a peak of $91 on Oct. 12 but still much higher than the peak for the year before mid-September of $11. Traders say the high premiums are linked to one party continuing to hold a large position -- more than 90 percent of available inventories and short-term futures. * ZINC MINES: Chinese zinc mine output has been impacted more than copper due to the small-scale of zinc mines, said analyst Natasha Kaneva at JPMorgan. "This year, throughout August, nearly 60 percent of Sichuan province's zinc concentrate production ... was reportedly shuttered during the last round of inspections," she said in a note. * COPPER: Three-month copper finished 0.8 percent firmer at $7,004 a tonne, despite data showing Chinese refined copper output rose 6.8 percent in September to its highest since December 2014. Copper has retreated from a three-year peak of $7,177 hit last week, when it posted its fourth straight weekly gain. * NICKEL: LME nickel ended 1.1 percent higher at $11,860 a tonne, bolstered by gains in Chinese steel prices. * PRICES: Aluminium added 0.1 percent to close at $2,137, lead climbed 1.2 percent to $2,500 and tin inched up 0.02 percent to $19,580. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Top Base and Precious Metals Analysis - GFMS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Additional reporting by Melanie Burton in Melbourne; Editing by David Evans and Edmund Blair) DUBAI, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Stock markets in the Gulf may recover from losses on Sunday due to a positive global trend and as crude oil prices gained, while Dubai's index could be weighed down by leading real estate developer Emaar Properties. Japan's Nikkei share average rose 1 percent to its highest since 1996 after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looked to have easily won in national elections over the weekend. All three U.S. stocks indexes hit record closing highs on Friday, while MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan held steady on Monday, with Singapore's main index touching its highest in over two years. Brent crude rose 16 cents to $57.91 a barrel, while U.S. crude futures added 28 cents to $52.12, over supply concerns in the Middle East and as the U.S. market showed further signs of tightening while demand in Asia keeps rising. Meanwhile, Saudi bank shares could attract more interest on the back of strong earnings from National Commercial Bank (NCB), the kingdom's largest lender, which reported a 8.4 percent rise in third-quarter net profit on Sunday. The Saudi main index slipped 0.5 percent to 6,975 on Sunday, retreating from resistance on the 200-day average, now at 7,035 points. In Dubai, the main index may still face pressure from real estate developer Emaar , which lost 2.1 percent on Sunday after saying it expected to sell 20 percent of its local property development unit Emaar Development LLC in an initial public offering. Emaar said previously it would offer up to 30 percent of the business, distributing funds raised as dividends to shareholders in the parent company. In Qatar, the stock market may stay weak after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who arrived in Doha on Sunday, said there was little chance of a swift breakthrough to resolve a blockade imposed on the Gulf state by Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies. (Reporting By Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath) (Kitco News) - The mining industry needs to significantly downsize if the sector is going to attract the attention of retail investors again, this according to one financing executive. On the sidelines of the Xplore 2017, the Quebec Mining Exploration Associations annual conference, Chad Williams, president of Red Cloud Klondike Strike, told Kitco News that 90% of listed mining companies are not big enough to be viable and could be hurting the sector, taking coveted capital away from viable companies and projects. Do we really need 2,000 mining companies, he said. Does any other sector have this many listed companies. Williams said the issue he has with a lot of junior mining companies is that their projects are too small to justify either building a mine or attracting the interest of a major producer. He added that most majors are looking for projects with reserves of at least 250,000 ounces, with the potential for further exploration. Having so many junior mining companies creates a lot of noise and confusion in the marketplace, Williams said. He added that investment capital given to these companies is just lost with investors never seeing a return on their investment, which is something the sector is in desperate need of. The mining sector just hasnt seen the returns that investors are getting in the general market, he said. Most investors are staying away from the mining sector because they dont smell the money. Why should they invest in mining when they are making money in the general market? The solution to the issue, Williams said, is for some of these smaller companies to merge their projects together, creating a critical mass in the sector. While Williams is critical of many projects, he still sees potential for the sector. He said that so far, the 10% of companies with feasible projects are finding the funding they need. We are seeing some incredible projects and some of the best opportunities in years, he said. The reality is that if you have a good project then there is money available for you. In 2015, Red Cloud created what could be the first regulated equity crowdfunding platform for the sector. Williams added that through the new investment platform they are hoping to attract the millennial crowd. He added that this will be the biggest source of investment capital in the futures. The added that millennials have the power to transform the global economy the same way baby boomers did. Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Monday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 2 hours): S&P Rating agency S&P Global affirmed Poland's rating at BBB+ with a stable outlook on Friday, as expected, saying the decision balanced the risks of the economy becoming overheated against the country's solid economic fundamentals. FISCAL DEFICIT The statistics office is due to publish at 0800 GMT the so-called second fiscal notification, together with data on 2016 fiscal debt and deficit. M3 MONEY SUPPLY The central bank is due to publish M3 money supply data at 1200 GMT. DEBT SUPPLY The finance ministry is expected to publish details of the supply for Wednesday's bond tender at 1300 GMT. PEKAO One of the reasons why Polish lender Pekao has decided to issue bonds worth 1.25 billion zlotys ($347.04 million) is to maintain the capability of paying out high dividends, Parkiet daily quoted the bank's deputy head as saying on Saturday. PKN ORLEN It is hard to talk about sustainability when it comes to profits in the petrol sector, PKN Orlen's Chief Executive Wojciech Jasinski told Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily after the company posted record profits in 2016. Jasinski also said that PKN does not plan to withdraw from neighbouring markets such as Lithuania and the Czech Republic, and that it will soon receive its first delivery of crude oil from the United States. POSTED WORKERS It seems that there is a consensus regarding the issue of posted workers while the transport sector is to be treated separately, European Union's EU Social Affairs Commissioner Marianne Thyssen told Rzeczpospolita daily. ****Reuters has not verified stories reported by Polish media and does not vouch for their accuracy.**** For other related news, double click on: Polish equities E.Europe equities Polish money Polish debt Eastern Europe All emerging markets Hot stocks Stock markets Market debt news Forex news For real-time index quotes, double click on: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX ($1 = 3.6019 zlotys) (Reporting by Warsaw Bureau; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath) BUCHAREST, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Romanian debt managers rejected all bids at a tender to sell Oct. 2020 treasury bonds on Monday, the sixth failed debt auction this month, central bank data showed. Debt managers, who had planned to sell 300 million lei ($76.64 million) worth of the paper, last tendered it in September at an average yield of 1.91 percent. On Thursday, bids totalled 380 million lei. Low market liquidity and a rise in yields have driven the finance ministry to reject all bids at tenders this month. The Monday auction was the last scheduled for October, but the ministry has a comfortable funding buffer. So far this year, Romania has sold 37.3 billion lei and 340 million euros of domestic bills and bonds. It has tapped foreign markets for 2.75 billion euros of 2027 and 2035 Eurobonds. ($1 = 3.9146 lei) (Reporting by Luiza Ilie) HANOI, Oct 23 (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 0410 GMT. October 23 USD/VND mid-point 22,465 USD/VND interbank 22,718/22,720 USD/VND unofficial 22,750/22,780 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.30/36.52 Interbank offered rates Overnight 0.4-0.9 1 week 0.7-1.1 1 month 1.4-1.9 3 months 3.2-3.6 NOTES: The State Bank of Vietnam began setting the mid-point rate on daily basis as of Jan. 4, 2016, 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) Oct 23 (Reuters) - Spire Healthcare has rejected an approach by South African private hospitals operator Mediclinic International on a deal to take full control of Britain's second-largest healthcare company. The proposal comprised 150 pence in cash and 0.232 new Mediclinic shares per Spire share and valued Spire shares at 298.6 pence, Spire said on Monday. Spire reveiwed the proposal and decided that it significantly undervalues Spire and its prospects, it added. The offer values Spire at 1.2 billion pounds ($1.59 billion). Mediclinic already owns 29.9 pct of Spire, Thomson Reuters data shows. ($1 = 0.7569 pounds) (Reporting by Justin George Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by David Goodman) ZURICH, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The Swiss blue-chip SMI was seen opening 0.2 percent higher at 9,254 points on Monday, according to premarket indications by bank Julius Baer . The following are some of the main factors expected to affect Swiss stocks: CREDIT SUISSE Activist investor RBR Capital Advisors wants to expand its stake in Credit Suisse to 1 billion Swiss francs ($1 billion), as the hedge fund pushes to spin off the Swiss lender's investment bank and asset management business. RBR Chief Executive Rudolf Bohli also told Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger the number of employees at Credit Suisse's investment banking trading division, which has around 12,000 staff, needs to be reduced by half. For more news, click SWISSCOM Chief Financial Officer Mario Rossi told Finanz und Wirtschaft he does not expect the company to increase its dividend in the next few years. Rossi also told the paper Swisscom's performance in the third quarter moved according to plan. For more news, click POENINA The chief executive of the Swiss building technology company, which plans to float new and existing shares on the Swiss stock exchange, told Finanz und Wirtschaft it will aim to pay around two-thirds of profits to shareholders through dividends. RICHEMONT The new head of Richemont's IWC Schaffhausen, Christoph Grainger-Herr, told SonntagsZeitung the watchmaker is seeing significant growth in China, the company is happy with its performance in the United States and that in Europe Britain, the Benelux countries and Spain are developing well. He said uncertainty surrounding North Korea had not dampened demand for expensive watches. For more news, click LAFARGEHOLCIM Cement maker Lafarge Africa, the subsidiary of Franco-Swiss group LafargeHolcim, is expecting regulatory approval from Nigerian authorities for a 131.65 billion naira ($431.43 million) rights issue as it focuses on Nigeria for growth and expands into Ghana, its chief financial officer said on Friday. For more news, click NOVARTIS A spokeswoman told the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper that the drugmaker plans to submit an approval application for its $450,000 treatment for leukaemia in children. Further, the drugmaker on Monday said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted breakthrough therapy status to the combination of Tafinlar and Mekinist to treat patients with BRAF V600-positive stage III melanoma following surgery. For more news, click BASELLANDSCHAFTLICHE KANTONALBANK Chief Executive John Haefelfinger told Basler Zeitung the company's full-year guidance remained unchanged and that it expects a result in 2017 which will be slightly below the previous year. For more news, click COMPANY STATEMENTS * Meyer Burger said it was awarded a contract for around 45 million Swiss francs by an Italian photovoltaic manufacturer. * Cosmo Pharmaceuticals' Aemcolo, a treatment for travelers' diarrhea, has received fast track and qualified infectious disease product designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Cosmo said. * Basilea Pharmaceutica said it received a 5 million franc milestone payment from Astellas Pharma after strong sales of antifungal Cresemba in the United States. ECONOMY The Swiss National Bank is due to give an update on sight deposit data at 0800 GMT. (Reporting by Zurich newsroom) Daily Swiss stock market report in German................ All SMI constituent stocks............................ News on major Swiss stock price moves.................. FTSE Eurotop 300 index................................ DJ STOXX index........................................ Top 10 STOXX sectors............................. Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors........................ Top 10 Eurotop 300 sectors....................... Top 25 European pct gainers... , losers... Swiss mid-cap index SMI futures Swiss all-share index Market statistics Swiss market digest Sector overview All Swiss news Swiss research news All equity news INTERNET ADDRESSES: Swiss Exchange / Eurex STOXX Ltd SPEED GUIDES: )) Keywords: MARKETS SWISS STOCKS/ Taipei, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Taiwan's central bank edged up its economic growth forecast for 2017 to 2.15 percent from 2.11 percent, thanks to buoyant export orders which are underpinned by a global economic upswing and strong demand for electronics. The central bank also said it expects the trade-reliant island to post economic growth of 2.2 percent for 2018, slightly slower than the 2.27 percent previously forecast. In August, Taiwan marginally raised its 2017 economic growth projection to 2.11 percent from the 2.05 percent seen in May and 1.92 percent predicted in February. Taiwan is one of Asia's major exporters, especially of technology goods, and its export trend is an important gauge of global demand for technology gadgets worldwide. On Friday, Taiwan said its export order value hit its highest on record in September, with manufacturers pinning their hopes on Apple Inc's new smartphones to sustain momentum into the year-end shopping season. Analysts expect further economic momentum into 2018 as the island's factories continue to see strong orders. (Reporting by Jeanny Kao; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Richard Borsuk) WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said he would make his choice to lead the Federal Reserve soon and was still weighing at least three people: Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell, Stanford University economist John Taylor and current Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. "I will make my decision very shortly, pretty shortly," he told Fox Business Network in an interview that aired on Monday. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Toby Chopra) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. ISTANBUL, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Here are news, reports and events that may affect Turkish financial markets on Monday. The lira stood at 3.6865 against the U.S. dollar at 0502 GMT, weakening from 3.6715 at Friday's close. The yield on the benchmark 10-year bond was at 11.45 percent in spot trade on Friday, rising from 11.36 percent a day earlier. The main BIST 100 share index rose 0.05 percent to 108,488.69 points on Friday. GLOBAL MARKETS Japanese shares jumped on a weaker yen on Monday as an election win for Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc gave a green light for more super-easy policy stimulus, while the euro eased as Spain's constitutional crisis aggravated concerns about political unity in the region. The U.S. dollar was the major beneficiary as President Donald Trump and Republicans took a small step toward tax cuts, boosting Wall Street stocks and lifting bond yields. ERDOGAN President Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a remembrance programme for the late Bosnian leader Aliya Izzetbegovic at the presidential palace (0900 GMT). He will also meet Qatar's foreign minister (1315 GMT) and chair a central executive committee meeting of his ruling AK Party (1430 GMT). TURKEY-U.S. DISPUTE Erdogan showed no retreat from a diplomatic row with the United States on Saturday, castigating Washington for what he said an "undemocratic" indictment against his security detail. ECONOMIC COORDINATION COMMITTEE Prime Minister Binali Yildirim will attend a meeting of the economic coordination committee (0800 GMT). CONSUMER CONFIDENCE The Turkish Statistical Institute will release economic confidence index data for October (0700 GMT). TREASURY AUCTIONS The Treasury will issue a new 12-month, zero-coupon bond maturing on Oct. 24. 2018. It will also tap a five-year, fixed-coupon bond maturing on Aug. 17, 2022 and a 10-year, CPI-indexed bond maturing on July 7, 2027. ARCELIK RESULTS Turkish consumer electronics maker Arcelik posted a net profit of 256.2 million lira ($69.50 million) in the third quarter, down 2.5 percent from a year earlier, the company said. BANK REGULATOR DISMISSES RUMOURS Turkey's banking regulator urged the public on Saturday to ignore rumours about financial institutions, in an apparent dismissal of a report that some Turkish banks face billions of dollars of U.S. fines over alleged violations of Iran sanctions. TOMATO EXPORTS TO RUSSIA Russia will allow imports of 50,000 tonnes of Turkish tomatoes from November 1, one month ahead of the original plan, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said after a meeting of the Russian-Turkish intergovernmental commission on Saturday. For other related news, double click on: Turkish politics Turkish equities Turkish money Turkish debt Turkish hot stocks Forex news All emerging market news All Turkish news For real-time quotes, double click on: Istanbul National-100 stock index , interbank lira trading , lira bond trading ($1 = 3.6865 liras) (Writing by Daren Butler) KAMPALA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The Ugandan shilling was unchanged on Monday amid a slowdown in appetite for hard currency from manufacturing firms and banks. At 1112 GMT commercial banks quoted the shilling at 3,655/3,665, the same level as Friday's close. UGX Spot Rate..... Ugandan Shilling Money Guide.... Calculated Cross Rates.......... Deposits..................... Deposits & Forwards............. Uganda Equities Guide....... Uganda All Share Index........ Shilling background ..... Ugandan Debt Guide............ All Uganda Bonds............. Uganda T-Bills.............. Uganda Benchmark............. Central Bank ................ Ugandan Contributor Index.... Uganda Coffee Prices....... (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May's meeting with European Union officials last week was "constructive and friendly", her spokesman said on Monday when asked about an unflattering newspaper account of the meeting in a German newspaper. "I think you're referring to a newspaper article with no quotes in it, but I have no comment whatsoever on that," the spokesman said. He referred to a joint statement issued following the meeting last week which said the talks were "constructive and friendly." (Reporting by William James. Editing by Andrew MacAskill) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. (Recasts, adds CEO comments, details) By Huw Jones and Emma Rumney LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Britain's financial watchdog is considering further action against Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) for its treatment of struggling companies during and after the financial crisis. The Financial Conduct Authority on Monday published a detailed summary of a report into RBS's Global Restructuring Group (GRG), after clashing with lawmakers over the disclosure of its full contents. Customers have accused the GRG of pushing ailing firms into bankruptcy to pick up their assets on the cheap. The report outlined numerous failings and the FCA said it was investigating further, suggesting a problem that has spawned years of lawsuits and public criticism of RBS from former customers could drag on even longer. "Far from drawing a line under this affair, today's report is just the start of the long journey to justice for GRG's victims," said a spokesman for the GRG Action Group, which represents more than 500 former RBS business customers. Some of the bank's conduct amounted to a systematic failure to manage its customers' and its own conflicting interests, the report said, in one of the strongest official condemnations yet of RBS's behaviour. The report however stopped short of saying RBS had systematically and deliberately pushed companies into bankruptcy, as alleged in a previous report in 2013 and repeated by some former RBS customers in the years since. The bank focused too heavily on pricing increases and debt reduction to the detriment of customers' long-term viability, and did not adopt adequate safeguards or procedures to ensure customers were fairly treated, the report continued. Just 10 percent of the companies placed into the GRG, which handled 12,000 troubled firms between 2007 and 2012, emerged intact and returned to the main RBS bank, the BBC reported in August, citing a leaked copy of the full report. "RBS has accepted that it did not meet the standards it set for itself which impacted on how it treated some of its SME customers," FCA Chief Executive Andrew Bailey said on Monday. "We are investigating the matters arising from the ... Report and are focusing on whether there is any basis for further action within our powers. We cannot comment any further on this," Bailey said. SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS RBS welcomed the FCA's confirmation that the most serious allegations against it had not been upheld, and that the measures it had taken to compensate customers were appropriate. "There would be nothing better than for us to see the end of this on behalf of our customers and behalf of the bank," Chief Executive Ross McEwan told reporters by telephone. A barrister hired by parliament's Treasury Select Committee, which has pressured the FCA to publish the report, still needs to check the detailed summary is faithful to its full contents. The FCA said a final version of the detailed summary would be published once the barrister has reported back. The watchdog has rejected calls from lawmakers to publish the full report. The detailed summary reiterated that the full report has identified other concerns about the treatment of small firms. Treasury Committee Chairwoman Nicky Morgan said on Monday it had taken the watchdog too long to publish the summary. "When its independent adviser reports back later this week, the Committee will consider whether further steps are required," Morgan said. Bailey is due to be questioned on the report by the Treasury Committee on Oct. 31. Scottish police are also investigating complaints made against RBS in relation to the GRG, British newspapers reported last weekend. McEwan said the bank would cooperate with investigations by both police and the FCA, but added there was nothing in the report that warranted a police probe. ($1 = 0.7579 pounds) (Reporting by Huw Jones and Emma Rumney; Editing by Jane Merriman and David Holmes) (Adds details, analyst comment, Mediclinic response) Oct 23 (Reuters) - Britain's Spire Healthcare has rejected a takeover by private hospitals operator Mediclinic International . South Africa's Mediclinic, which already owns 29.9 percent of Spire, offered 150 pence in cash and 0.232 new Mediclinic shares per Spire share to take over the rest. The deal values Spire at roughly 1.2 billion pounds ($1.59 billion). Spire reviewed the proposal and decided that it significantly undervalues Spire and its prospects, it said. Spire "strongly advised" its shareholders to take "no action" in relation to the proposal. Mediclinic, in response, said it is "considering its position". "MDC is still turning around the Al Noor asset it acquired in the UAE, and we are unsure of MDC's shareholders' appetite for another large transaction so soon," said James Vane-Tempest, an analyst at Jefferies. ($1 = 0.7569 pounds) (Reporting by Justin George Varghese in Bengaluru; editing by David Goodman and Jason Neely) (Adds context) BAGHDAD, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The Iraqi government has dismissed a call from U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for Iranian-backed paramilitary units that helped Baghdad defeat Islamic State to end operations in Iraq. Speaking after a meeting on Sunday with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Saudi Arabia's King Salman, Tillerson said it was time for the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation forces and their Iranian advisers to "go home". Washington, which backed Baghdad against Islamic State, is concerned Iran will use its expanded presence in Iraq and in Syria to expand its influence in the region. But Abadi showed unwillingness to meet Tillerson's demand. "No party has the right to interfere in Iraqi matters," the statement from his office read. It did not cite the prime minister himself but a "source" close to him. Trained and armed by Iran, the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation forces often supported Iraqi government units in the fight against the militants who were effectively defeated in July when a U.S.-backed offensive captured their stronghold Mosul. They are paid by the Iraqi government and officially report to the prime minister, but some Arab Sunni and Kurdish politicians describe these militias as a de facto branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp. Iraq's Sunni neighbours, including Saudi Arabia, share Washington's concerns over Shi'ite power Iran's influence in Iraq, where the population is also predominantly Shi'ite. But the office of Abadi, himself a Shi'ite, said the forces were under the authority of the Iraqi government. "Popular Mobilisation are Iraqi patriots," it said in the statement. The United States trained tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers in the course of rebuilding the Iraqi armed forces and has over 5,000 troops deployed in the country, providing key air and ground support to the offensive on Islamic State. (Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) (Adds quotes, details) DAR ES SALAAM, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Tanzania's new central bank governor will be tax law professor Florens Luoga, the country's president said on Monday. President John Magufuli said Luoga would take over in December or January after the tenure of current governor Benno Ndulu expires. "I have decided to appoint a new (central bank) governor from among members of the committees that investigated the mining sector," Magufuli said. He was speaking at a ceremony to award certificates of recognition to members of two presidential committees that investigated allegations of tax evasion in exports of gold and copper concentrate in the east African country. Luoga currently serves as the deputy vice chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), the country's largest public university. In July he was also appointed by Magufuli as chairman of the board of directors of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA). Magufuli said he was aware many people expected him to appoint an economist as next governor. But "Luoga is a professor of taxation law and he will help us strengthen checks on capital flight by some foreign companies that use tax havens." President Magufuli's government accuses mining firms of cheating Tanzania out of its fair share of mineral wealth through tax dodging and smuggling, allegations they deny. Magufuli ordered the country's central bank to crackdown on capital flight by foreign investors companies. The country's new Minister of Minerals, Angellah Kairuki, speaking at the same function, said the government was determined to "plug all loopholes in the mining sector, including the smuggling of minerals." (Reporting by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala; writing by Elias Biryabarema; editing by John Stonestreet) Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 18F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%.. Tonight Snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 18F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%. It is a festival connected with purity, devotion to the Sun God who is considered as the source of life on this earth and is regarded as wish fulfiller. The festival is with an aim to express thanks to Sun God for offering energy to earth continuously enabling the environment suitable for the people to live. In the evening arghya people express their thanks to Sun God for its work in growing their crops during the preceding year and morning arghya is considered as a request for a bountiful crop, peace and prosperity in the year to come. Devotees assemble at the ghats at rivers and ponds including Ganges and take a holy dip before preparing offerings (Prasad). The main constituent of the offerings are Thekua, which is a wheat based cake. Offerings are preferably cooked on earthen Chulha (oven). Some traditions are exercised with little difference varying from region to region and across the families with basic similarity. During the , offerings are contained in small, semicircular pans woven out of bamboo strips called soop. Chhath is a Hindu festival but many muslim families also participates in this holy festival. Chhath is also called Suryasasthi as it observed after the six days of Diwali, the festival of light. Chhath takes place during 6th day (Shasthi) lunar fortnight of Kartik month. lasts for four days. There is also a "Chaiti Chhath" just after Holi during Chaitra Navratri in the month of Chaitra (March last to mid April). First Day of Chhath Puja: Nahai Khai Nahai Khai (Bath & Eat) During the , offerings are contained in small, semicircular pans woven out of bamboo strips called soop.Chhath is a Hindu festival but many muslim families also participates in this holy festival.Chhath is also called Suryasasthi as it observed after the six days of Diwali, the festival of light. Chhath takes place during 6th day (Shasthi) lunar fortnight of Kartik month. lasts for four days. There is also a "Chaiti Chhath" just after Holi during Chaitra Navratri in the month of Chaitra (March last to mid April). Second Day of Chhath Puja: Kharna A whole day fast (without water) is observed by the vratis (devotees). The vratis end their fast in the evening after performing puja. Offerings (Prasad) are comprises of Rasiao-kheer (rice delicacy), puris (deep-fried puffs of wheat flour) or chapatti and bananas - are distributed among family, friends and visitors. Third Day of Chhath Puja: Chhat Sandhya Argh (Chhat Dala Evening puja) Devotees observe fast without consuming water. The whole day is spent in preparing puja offerings. All the offerings are kept in tray made up of bamboo. Offerings comprises of Thekua, coconut, banana and other seasonal fruits. The evening ritual is performed at the banks of river or pond or any clean water body. All the devotees, family, friends and visitors assemble their and the agrahya is offered to the setting Sun. Kosi One of the most charming events during Chhath Puja known as Kosi is celebrated at the courtyard of the house after evening offerings. Lightened earthen lamps (diyas) are kept beneath the covering of five sugarcane sticks or 24 sticks (as per local tradition). The same event also takes place at the ghats in the early morning before morning offerings (arghyas). Fourth Day of Chhath Puja: Chhath Suryodaya Argh (Chhath Dala Morning puja) This is the last and final event of the auspicious puja, the devotees again with their family, friends and relatives assemble on the bank of river or pond to offer arghyas (offerings) to the rising Sun. After performing arghyas devotees break their fast. Ginger and Sugar are used by devotees to break their fast (as per local tradition). Know more about Chhath festival The first day of the puja is known as Nahai Khai (Bath & Eat), the Vrati (devotees) take a bath preferably in sacred river Ganga and bring the holy water to cook offerings (Prasad) at home.A whole day fast (without water) is observed by the vratis (devotees). The vratis end their fast in the evening after performing puja. Offerings (Prasad) are comprises of Rasiao-kheer (rice delicacy), puris (deep-fried puffs of wheat flour) or chapatti and bananas - are distributed among family, friends and visitors.(Chhat Dala Evening puja) Devotees observe fast without consuming water. The whole day is spent in preparing puja offerings. All the offerings are kept in tray made up of bamboo. Offerings comprises of Thekua, coconut, banana and other seasonal fruits.The evening ritual is performed at the banks of river or pond or any clean water body. All the devotees, family, friends and visitors assemble their and the agrahya is offered to the setting Sun. Kosi One of the most charming events during Chhath Puja known as Kosi is celebrated at the courtyard of the house after evening offerings. Lightened earthen lamps (diyas) are kept beneath the covering of five sugarcane sticks or 24 sticks (as per local tradition). The same event also takes place at the ghats in the early morning before morning offerings (arghyas).(Chhath Dala Morning puja) This is the last and final event of the auspicious puja, the devotees again with their family, friends and relatives assemble on the bank of river or pond to offer arghyas (offerings) to the rising Sun. After performing arghyas devotees break their fast. Ginger and Sugar are used by devotees to break their fast (as per local tradition). Chhath, also known as Dala Chhath is an important festival celebrated in Bihar and many other parts of India in which setting Sun (dawn) is worshiped . Although Bihar celebrates Chhath most elaborately it is also followed in some parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa, Assam, Mauritius, mainly among the Bhojpuri and Maithali speaking people. Chhath is also important for Nepalese worshippers of god as well as in eastern Uttar Pradesh.The best place to witness Chhath would be around Northern Bihar where it is celebrated in great grandeur. The festival is observed and in Bihar since time immemorial with the constant faith that the Sun God fulfils wishes if 'araghya' is offered with complete dedication and devotion. Chhath is not just a physical attachment to the people of Bihar, it is also present in their hearts, and this is why the people bring wherever they have migrated. Nowadays it can be easily seen at the ghats of Yamuna in Delhi and other parts of India indicating its presence across the country. New lending rules to debut in January By Nam Hyun-woo The government will make it harder for households to get mortgages by introducing tougher lending rules next year in a move to rein in snowballing household debt. The government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea agreed Monday to introduce tougher lending standards. The agreement came a day before the government is scheduled to announce a package of steps to curb household debt which amounts to about 1,400 trillion won ($1.24 trillion). Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon said the tougher rules will focus on keeping borrowers with lower repayment ability from getting mortgages. Kim said the government will introduce a new debt-to-income (DTI) ratio requirement which will more accurately screen a borrower's repayment capability. The DTI measures what proportion of a homeowner's monthly income is used to pay off debt. Under this rule, banks cannot urge households to spend more than a specific proportion of their income to pay interest and the principal on mortgages. After the regulation is strengthened, it will be more difficult to buy homes on big mortgages. Kim said the government will also introduce a debt service ratio (DSR) in the second half of next year. The DSR is stricter than the DTI because the former counts factors that were not considered in the latter such as loans other than mortgages. Initially, the DSR was scheduled to start in 2019. But Kim said, "It is necessary to employ pre-emptive measures because the volume of Korea's household debt is too huge and the speed of its growth is too fast compared to its GDP." According to the Bank of Korea, the country's ratio of household debt to GDP stood at 93 percent in the first quarter of this year. The average of OECD member countries was 72.4 percent in 2015. The latest step to curb household debt comes days after the central bank's signal on a policy rate hike in the near future. A higher benchmark rate will slow down the growth of household debt or even reduce its total size. But at the same time, it will lead to heavier burdens on borrowers, especially the economically vulnerable. Hence, the government's household debt measure is expected to include plans on helping vulnerable borrowers. Kim said the measures will include control of delinquency risks, debt rescheduling and retirement of debts in some extreme cases. "The government will categorize borrowers based on their solvency and bring up dedicated measures for each class," Kim said. Korean-American theater veteran Michael K. Lee performs at the Korean production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" which will run through Sept. 13 at Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul. / Courtesy of Blue Stage By Kwon Mee-yoo Korean-American theater veteran Michael K. Lee is preparing for a double life. He is currently portraying Jesus Christ in Andrew Lloyd Webber's groundbreaking rock musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" in Korea, but he will soon depart for the United States to take part in the Broadway premiere of "Allegiance A New Musical." It is Lee's second time playing the titular role in Korea and he has become more comfortable compared to his stint two years ago in the rock musical depicting the final days before Christ's crucifixion. "I think life experience is what I draw from to make the character realistic. Technically speaking, I've got two years' experience in a different culture, in a way that my heart and personality changed," Lee said at an interview with The Korea Times last week. "It is similar to the life Jesus was had in his last three years. He probably learned how to love somebody, to spend days and nights with the same people and to part with somebody. There is a certain sense of knowing that you have to depart with somebody and in our show, Jesus knows he has to be separated with his friends from the very beginning. Having an understanding of that makes the drama stronger." Lee is a second generation Korean-American born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1973 and he has pursued most of his career in the States. He also made a few stints in Korea where he played American soldier Chris in "Miss Saigon" in 2006 and 2010. He returned to the land of his father in 2013 to play the title role in the Korean production of "Jesus Christ Superstar," directed by Lee Gi-na. His portrayal of Jesus Christ torn between being a man and Messiah received rave reviews from critics while building a strong fan base in Korea. After finishing a six-week run in Superstar 2013, he could have gone back to the States right away. Lee was in talks to reprise his role in the critically-acclaimed world premiere of "Allegiance" on the Great White Way, when the show was aiming for a Broadway run in the 2013-14 season. However, difficulties of securing a suitable theater on Broadway pushed back the production schedule and Lee stayed in Korea a little while longer with his family, which eventually changed his life. "After Superstar was finished, I had an open heart. I didn't know whether I want to stay or leave. But at that point, my home was in the U.S. and I wanted to go home and keep working there," Lee said. However, it was Lee's wife who spoke to his heart. "My wife has good sense. After having studied the musical industry here, she realized that there would be more opportunities for me to play stronger roles than in the U.S.," the actor said. "My wife said if we are in Korea, my face isn't going to limit my career. It's an opportunity that I don't take for granted (in the U.S.)." Poster of Jeju Dark Tours / Courtesy of Baek Ga-yoon By Choi Ha-young Baek Ga-yoon Jeju Island is Korea's most popular tourist destination. However, Baek Ga-yoon and Kang Eun-joo, co-representatives of Jeju Dark Tours, say little is known about the island's dark history. Jeju Dark Tours, a civic group, provides information about tragedies that took place among the island's well-known tourist attractions. "Tourists love Hamdeok Beach, but they usually don't know the white beach is where numerous civilians were killed decades ago," Baek told The Korea Times. "Actually, Jeongbang Falls' great cliff was used to dispose of the bodies of the victims killed during the massacres and bodies are still buried under Jeju International Airport." Between April 1947 and May 1954, a government-backed anti-communist suppression campaign killed about 10 percent of Jeju's population estimated at around 30,000 men, women and children an incident that came to be known as the Jeju massacre. "I vividly remember the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014, where 304 people lost their lives. Tragedies should be commemorated not to repeat them," Baek said. Baek said there are around 800 historic sites that are related to the uprising, but they are not well-preserved and some of the places remain abandoned. "As South Korean tourists would wonder about the history of their tourist destinations in foreign countries, foreigners flocking to Jeju would also be curious about its history. We are also planning to put the exact spots on online maps posted by Google, Naver and Daum, so tourists can easily visit these places." When she worked for People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, South Korea's largest civic group, Baek used to be in charge of international solidarity with foreign NGOs and U.N. bodies. She believes reflecting the dark history of the peninsula would help resolve ongoing tragedies in neighboring countries including Myanmar's Rohingya refugees. "One day, I read an article titled A soldier hurled my son down to his death.' I thought that story was about the Jeju massacres, but it was actually describing a Rohingya mother's narrative," Baek said. "Many of the current issues are rooted in history while similar cruelties are taking place. For example, far-rightists in Korea openly use Northwest Youth Group, the anti-communist group that contributed to the killings in Jeju, since society has failed to reflect on the historical wrongdoing and eradicate the group." She does not intend to disrupt tourists' precious relaxation by recalling bloody scenes. To satisfy diverse people from various nations, regions and generations, Baek is now drawing up tailored programs and travel routes. "While designing the programs, we are particularly taking children into account. Also we are creating programs to discover Jeju's environment, cultural assets and arts that are themed with the April 3 incident." Ucoms mobile customers will benefit from the best internet roaming rate of 8 AMD/MB when travelling to Georgia, Egypt or the UAE Ameriabank Launches Google Pay and Google Wallet Support for Card Users in Armenia Karen Vardanyan donated 112 million drams for the medical equipment for National Center for Infectious Diseases. UCOM HAS INTRODUCED FUTURE NETWORK WI-FI 6E ROUTERS Google Ad Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union 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 Google Ad Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 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 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter is willing to go to North Korea to broker negotiations over its nuclear weapons program, the New York Times reported Sunday. In an interview at his home in Georgia, the 93-year-old Democrat said he made his intention known to President Donald Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, but has so far received a negative response. "I would go, yes," Carter told the Times. "I told him (McMaster) that I was available if they ever need me." The former president flew to Pyongyang in 1994 to seek a solution to the nuclear impasse, and again in 2010 to win the release of a detained American citizen. He said the current North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, is "unpredictable" and could use nuclear weapons if he feels that he is under threat from Trump. The United States is unlikely to go to nuclear war with North Korea despite the recent escalation in tensions, a former director of the Central Intelligence Agency said Sunday. David Petraeus, who served in the Barack Obama administration from 2011-2012, said he thinks U.S. President Donald Trump has been using tough rhetoric with North Korea to get the attention of the leadership in China, not in Pyongyang. "This is about getting President Xi's attention ... so that China will really clamp down on the umbilical cord through which 90 percent of the trade that goes to and from North Korea transits," Petraeus said in an interview on ABC News. China is able to "bring North Korea to its senses," he added, alluding to Beijing's leverage as Pyongyang's main ally and economic benefactor. North Korea carried out two long-range missile tests in July and a sixth nuclear test in September. Trump declared shortly thereafter that he would "totally destroy" the North if it posed a direct threat to the U.S. By Chyung Eun-ju, Park Si-soo The South Korean government is trying to locate two North Korean defectors who recently vanished in China, the Ministry of Unification said on Monday. The ministry believes the married couple, surnamed Song and Son, are in North Korea, but it is uncertain if they were kidnapped or if they returned voluntarily. The couple lost contact mid-October, shortly after they arrived in Jilin, a border town facing North Korea. They defected to South Korea in 2014, said the ministry. A South Korean broadcaster reported on Monday that they had voluntarily returned to the North after finding life difficult in the South. The ministry said nothing had been confirmed yet. A person walks a dog next to a warning sign banning unleashed dogs at Yeouido Park in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap By Kim Se-jeong The government vowed Monday to toughen regulations on pet dogs that attack people, in response to the recent death of a famous upscale Korean restaurant owner who died after being bitten by her neighbor's dog. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, one of the measures is to increase the number of breeds required to wear a muzzle when outside. Currently, only breeds like Tosas, American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers and Rottweilers are required to wear one. Also, the ministry will push to increase fines imposed on owners who let their dogs roam around without a leash or a muzzle. The current fine is up to 500,000 won. It will also award people who report unleashed dogs to the authorities in an effort to improve law enforcement. The 53-year-old restaurant owner, known as Kim, was attacked by a neighbor's dog in her apartment elevator on Sept. 30 in southern Seoul. According to CCTV footage, the French bulldog, unleashed without a muzzle, rushed toward the woman as soon as the elevator door opened. The next scene is Kim crouching to touch the wounded spot and the dog owner rushing to drag the dog out of the elevator. She died six days later of sepsis, a condition where the body causes injury to its own organs while responding to infection. Critics said the incident shows the government's failure to manage pet dogs. The law requires a leash for all dogs when outside the home both a leash and a muzzle for dangerous breeds but many refuse to abide by the law, especially with the muzzle. Critics also said the list of dangerous breeds is too small. French bulldogs are not included. Kwon Cheol-nam / Courtesy of The Hankyoreh By Kim Bo-eun A North Korean man who defected to the South is requesting to return home. The man identified as Kwon Cheol-nam, 44, spoke at a press conference organized by the Christian Pastors for Peaceful Action in front of the U.N. Human Rights Office in central Seoul, Thursday. Kwon, who arrived in the South in November 2014, claimed he was persuaded to come here by a broker, who said the government would provide him a home and job. In the North, Kwon lived with his wife and son and sold medicinal herbs. However, after coming to the South, he claimed he worked at a greenhouse, where he suffered discrimination and wasn't paid properly. "If anyone wishes to return to one's home country, measures must be taken from a humanitarian perspective to enable it," Pastor Lee Jeok, who heads the civic group, told The Korea Times. By Rachel Lee North Korea is repeating its demand that South Korea repatriate 13 North Koreans who defected to the South from China in April last year. Uriminzokkiri, a state-run media outlet, has released a video clip of a mother, who has been missing her daughter, one of the waitresses who defected to Seoul from a chain of eateries operated by Pyongyang. The mother said in the video that it has been a year since her daughter was "taken" to the south. "The past one year felt like 10, 100 years to your father and mother, who are missing you so much," she said. The mother also said she was determined to stay strong until her daughter comes back home. Last month, Pyongyang revealed a note written by the deceased father of one waitress in a video clip. In the note, the father said his physical condition worsened after the "enemies" dragged his daughter away. He also said he would rest in peace only when his daughter comes back home and pours a glass of alcohol on his grave. By Choi Ha-young Hong Joon-pyo Liberty Korea Party (LKP) Chairman Hong Joon-pyo lashed out at loyalists of former President Park Geun-hye for resisting his reform drive, Monday, saying they were acting like "cowards." Hong's criticism came after two pro-Park lawmakers Choi Kyung-hwan and Suh Chung-won snubbed the party's request to leave the party "voluntarily," harshly criticizing Hong for "dividing" the LKP. Following a war of words with pro-Park lawmakers over the weekend, Hong reopened his verbal attack on the faction before boarding an airplane for Washington, D.C., where he will meet with U.S. officials and politicians to discuss issues related to North Korea. "They are acting cowardly to avoid responsibility (for Park's collapse)," Hong told reporters in a press conference at Incheon International Airport. "Those who tasted power for six years in Park's glory should have protected her when she was removed from power. They concealed themselves when she was in hardship and are now re-emerging stealthily to defend themselves," Hong said. The LKP reform panel has urged the party leadership to deprive Park of her party membership. On Friday, the party's ethics committee asked Park and two key loyalists to leave the party. Hong is expected to convene a general meeting Saturday to expel Park and her followers after his U.S. trip, during which he will seek the reintroduction of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea. If they refuse to leave the LKP no later than Sunday, Park is supposed to lose her membership if the party's Supreme Council makes a decision, while the two lawmakers' expulsion requires two-thirds support in the general meeting. The LKP chief has been determined to root out Park's legacy in unifying conservatives here. Some lawmakers of the breakaway Bareun Party have called for the expulsion of Park and her loyalists as a condition of their return to the LKP. Hong's bid has stirred up vehement resistance from the pro-Park faction. Suh, an eight-term lawmaker and its de facto leader, took issue with Hong's weakest point his corruption case. "Hong is the one who awaits a Supreme Court ruling over a bribery conviction," Suh said in a press conference Sunday. Hong was found guilty of taking money from the late businessman Sung Wan-jong and sentenced to 18 months in prison. The appeals court overturned the ruling in April, which paved the way for a presidential candidacy in May. Demanding Hong's resignation from the LKP's top post, Suh stated that Hong asked a favor of him when he was under investigation. "If you are curious about Hong's secret request to me, ask Hong. If he hides the truth I'll show evidence," Suh told reporters. Hong dismissed the claim. "I was a political scapegoat of so-called Sung Wan-jong list which was fabricated by the Park administration in order to rescue her loyalists," Hong said on social media, Sunday. "If you have any recording files of our phone calls, don't hesitate to make them public." Further, he disclosed Suh's illicit requests not to lose the party membership. "In early September, Suh tried to cajole me during a dinner and his associates visited me later to blackmail me," he said. The battle between Hong and Suh centers on a person surnamed Yoon, who allegedly delivered the money from Sung to Hong. Yoon is known as an associate of Suh. On Monday, prosecutor-turned-lawmaker Rep. Lee Yong-ju of the People's Party fanned speculation. "Actually, the People's Party has solid evidence that Hong pleaded with Suh to reverse Yoon's testimony during the prosecution investigation," Rep. Lee said. "The prosecution should question Suh to figure out if he really has any such recording." Hong Jong-haak / Yonhap President Moon Jae-in on Monday nominated a new candidate to fill the top office at the newly created Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Hong Jong-haak, a former lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party, has been designated to head the new ministry, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said. The 58-year old served as a policy adviser in Moon's election camp. He is currently a professor emeritus at Gachon University in Seongnam, located some 40 kilometers south of Seoul. Hong, if appointed, will be the first minister of the new government office created after President Moon took office in May. However, he is the second nominee for the job. Moon's first pick, Park Seong-jin, an engineering professor from Pohang University of Science and Technology, withdrew from nomination last month due to criticism over his qualifications and his controversial views on religion and history. Hong's appointment, if made, will also mark the launch of the new administration in earnest as the president has filled all 18 other cabinet posts with his own nominees. By Choi Ha-young President Moon Jae-in The ongoing investigation into suspicious hiring practices at casino operator Kangwon Land should expand to all public and state-owned firms, President Moon Jae-in said Monday. "While looking into illegal hiring practices at some public firms, we can't help but suspect the problem could be quite common in all public firms," Moon said during a meeting with his senior secretaries. "The public companies involved undermined the fairness of society although they should be examples for private ones. It disappointed citizens and frustrated the young generation." The President called for harsh punishment for all officials at the public firms accused of irregularities. "Please come up with measures to cancel the recruitment of those who got jobs backed by illicit connections with high-ranking officials," Moon said. If these problems occur again at public firms, government officials monitoring them will face punishment, Cheong Wa Dae said. Since last week, the Kangwon Land scandal has been a political hot potato. Rep. Lee Hoon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea revealed that all 518 successful candidates who landed jobs at the casino from 2012 to 2013 had been recommended by the casino's CEO at the time and then-ruling party lawmakers as well as community leaders. Unprecedentedly, Rep. Lee revealed the list of the incumbent lawmakers who solicited for their acquaintances' jobs Reps. Kweon Seong-dong, Yeom Dong-yeol, Han Sun-kyo, Kim Han-pyo and Kim Ki-sun all from the conservative Liberty Korea Party. As well as the casino, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) found irregularities at more public companies the Financial Supervisory Service, Korea Coal Corporation, Korea Institute of Design Promotion and Busan Port Security Corporation. The state auditor said those organizations' hiring systems were favorable to applicants with relationships with high-ranking officials. By Kim Hyo-jin A big victory by Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition in Japan's snap election is casting a cloud over relations between South Korea and the neighboring country. Abe will obviously push for a revision to Japan's so-called pacifist Constitution based on his renewed political momentum; and the militaristic move could complicate bilateral policy cooperation against North Korea's provocations and resolving historical issues, analysts said Monday. "Abe must have interpreted this overwhelming victory as being given the authority to push ahead with the constitutional revision, his personal ambition that had been pushed back by a recent corruption scandal," said Yang Kee-ho, a professor of Japanese studies at Sungkonghoe University. Yang says the timing could be advanced against this backdrop. "If the revision is realized, the psychological impact will be huge for both South Korea and China, and it could disturb security cooperation in dealing with North Korea's nuclear and missile programs." Abe's LKP-led coalition won 312 seats in the election Sunday, securing a two-thirds majority in the 465-seat lower house that is enough to revise the Constitution. He earlier proposed that the war-renouncing Article 9 be amended to include grounds for Japan's Self-Defense Forces to operate overseas by 2020. The move is expected to be accelerated as Abe is likely to secure a third three-year term as LDP leader next September. The North's provocations and public fears gave Japan's ruling bloc a much-needed boost in the election. His hard-line stance toward North Korea will be further strengthened, Yang said, which could trouble smooth coordination with the Moon Jae-in government seeking a two-track North Korea policy of dialogue and sanctions. "Japan, in close coordination with the U.S., has focused on putting more pressure on North Korea at an international level, while South Korea is openly pursuing more dialogue with the country before it completes its nuclear weapons program," he said. "Japan's hard-line drive could threaten to upset policy coordination between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan." Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong Global University, pointed out that Abe's boosted power could leave little room for Seoul and Tokyo to resolve the issue of wartime sexual slavery of Koreans during Japan's 1910-45 occupation of Korea. "Japan now has a strong right-wing administration without an opposition powerful enough to check and balance it. That means, when unsolved historical issues are rekindled, they are less likely to seek a compromise." The sex slave issue could be further expanded later this month, as UNESCO is expected to decide on whether it will list records of comfort women on its Memory of the World Register. Civic groups from eight countries, including Korea and China, requested the listing in May last year. The Abe administration has protested the move, threatening to end financial contributions to the body. Another variable in Seoul-Tokyo ties is how the South Korean government will assess the implementation of the accord reached between the two sides in December 2015 over the sex slaves, the analyst noted. Seoul's foreign ministry launched a taskforce to review the agreement in late July, aiming to draw up a conclusion by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Japan's claim to territorial sovereignty over the Dokdo Islets is expected to remain in its annual defense white paper and history textbooks. Ucoms mobile customers will benefit from the best internet roaming rate of 8 AMD/MB when travelling to Georgia, Egypt or the UAE Ameriabank Launches Google Pay and Google Wallet Support for Card Users in Armenia Karen Vardanyan donated 112 million drams for the medical equipment for National Center for Infectious Diseases. UCOM HAS INTRODUCED FUTURE NETWORK WI-FI 6E ROUTERS Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union 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 Google Ad Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 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 By Kim Rahn Hong Jong-haak Hong Jong-haak, a former lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, has been named to lead the SMEs and startups ministry, a role that has been vacant for nearly three months since its establishment in July. Cheong Wa Dae said Monday President Moon Jae-in nominated the 58-year-old for the minister position. Moon initially named Pohang University of Science and Technology professor Park Seong-jin for the post, but he failed to win over the National Assembly due to controversial historical and religious views and withdrew from the nomination in mid-September. "We've screened a dozen candidates after Park's withdrawal, and we concluded Hong has both theory and field experience in economy," presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said. The nominee became a lawmaker in 2012 as a proportional representative, and was a vice chief of Moon's policy panel within the party. Before becoming a lawmaker, he was a policy head of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice. He obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees in economics at Yonsei University and his doctorate at UC San Diego. By Doug Bandow The Cold War was marked by hysteria over the potential for nuclear conflict. The world seemed to enter a new age when the Soviet Union collapsed. Small wars continued, but the famed nuclear doomsday clock finally moved backwards. Yet the possibility of nuclear war again is dominating international headlines. People have begun to share their parents' fear of nuclear warheads raining down upon American cities. Unfortunately. President Donald Trump's decision to match North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un threat for threat creates a serious risk of misjudgment and mistake. Peace is not advanced by the two nations' leaders behaving like participants in a cockfight. Most analysts who know the Korean peninsula realize that war is not an option, other than as unavoidable self-defense. There are a few war advocatesSen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) comes to mindwho suggest that a Second Korean War wouldn't be such a big deal because it would not be "over here." Of course, the U.S. military would be involved in any fight and the North probably has the capability to hit American bases in the region. Moreover, Pyongyang could loose murder and mayhem on South Korea and Japan. Casualties surely would be at least in the tens of thousands and perhaps many, many more. And if the conflict's impact flowed over the North's borders into China and Russia, Washington would face additional significant geopolitical dangers. Yet some analysts as well as politicians, like Graham, appear to believe that the only choice is war or living with a dire North Korean nuclear threat against the American homeland. In which case they would prefer war. Those might appear to be the only choices because the U.S. insists on remaining militarily entangled in Northeast Asia. However, it is Washington's commitment to South Korea which has brought America into potential conflict with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. So long as the U.S. intervenes militarily to protect the South from the North, the latter will prepare to offset Washington's overwhelming military might with nukes and missiles. However, nothing requires American troops to remain forever in the Republic of Korea. The ROK was a wreck in July 1953 when the armistice was signed. Today the South vastly outranges the DPRK, enjoying a 45-to-1 economic edge and 2-to-1 population advantage. Long ago South Korea gained the ability to field a military capable of deterring the North and defeating the latter's forces if deterrence fails. Moreover, without the Cold War context, South Korea no longer matters significantly to U.S. security. A renewed Korean conflict would be a humanitarian tragedy and highly disruptive to Asia, but neither of those problems warrant either triggering a conflagration on the peninsula or making America's homeland a nuclear target. Of course, the problem of South Korea defending itself against a North armed with nuclear weapons would remain. Yet it still isn't in America's interest to risk Los Angeles, Honolulu, Seattle, Phoenix, and perhaps a host of other cities to defend Seoulor, frankly, Tokyo, Taipei, and Canberra. Which suggests that Pyongyang's acquisition of a nuclear arsenal is an appropriate time to consider encouraging nations threatened by the North, most obviously the ROK and Japan, to develop countervailing deterrents. Seoul started down the nuclear path a half century ago before being forced to halt by U.S. pressure. Today the South Korean public wants to finish that journey. That would force Japanese policymakers and people to consider doing the same to confront growing challenges from the North and People's Republic of China. Beijing then might feel forced to do more to constrain the North's nuclear ambitions to forestall America's friends going nuclear. In any case, the U.S. would escape the either war or nuclear threat conundrum. There is no reason to believe Kim Jong-un is suicidal. The North seeks to avoid American involvement, not trigger it. Stepping back militarily and allowing prosperous and populous states to take over their own defense surely is better than starting the very war Washington has spent 64 years attempting to prevent. North Korea is the land of second best solutions, it has been said. But war is far worse than second best. Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan. He is the author of "Tripwire: Korea and U.S. Foreign Policy in a Changed World" and co-author of "The Korean Conundrum: America's Troubled Relations with North and South Korea." By Kwak Jin-o Almost 70 years have passed since the United States Army soldiers were first stationed on the Korean Peninsula after the end of World War II. The Korean War, one of the greatest tragedies of our nation, was a product of the Cold War, but it was also a war of the United States. In line with this, modern Korean history became a history that cannot be talked about without mentioning the United States. In history, there is no such thing as "if," but if there was, many would ask "if the Korean Peninsula was not divided or if the Korean Peninsula was a unified nation of the past, what kind of country would it have become by now?" On June 23, 1950, two days before the outbreak of the Korean War, the United States Army announced there were signs of DPRK's attack, but the United States underrated this as an always existing possibility of attack. Meanwhile, the ROK military could not respond to this information provided by the U.S. Army. The reason is that the ROK could not possibly persuade the United States which was concerned about Syngman Rhee's possible attack on North Korea. Defense Secretary Shin Seong-mo, who had gained the absolute trust of President Rhee at that time, publicly insisted, "lunch should be eaten in Pyongyang and dinner in Sinuiju," and thus the U.S. was worried the Rhee government would invade the North. Even if the ROK knew about the North Korean plan to invade the ROK, it would not have been able to persuade the United States. Professor Akira Iriye mentions that "after the collapse of the Japanese colonial administration, it was soon revealed that the Americans were ill-prepared to occupy Korea." He further adds that there was either a misperception or a distortion of reality, due to a lack of American experience in that country. In the meantime, the Korean Peninsula policy, which was part of the United States policy toward East Asia, had its own limitations when considering the ROK internal perceptions toward the North. First, as Professor Iriye mentioned, the United States did not know about the situation in Korea. At the same time, although the ROK government did not have military or economic superiority over the North, it thought it could easily suppress the North any time. So, the United States considered the ROK as a belligerent country that could invade North Korea. Second, also according to Professor Iriye, the United States policy became strongly idealistic. This can be supported by the fact that the United States which was at the time involved in European reconstruction as part of the Marshall Plan and in countermeasures to the Soviet Union's European expansion policy, focused less on Korean security compared to that of Japan. However, when the Korean War broke out, the United States and the United Nations fought the Korean War, and the United States Army has been stationed in Korea even more than 60 years after the end of the Korean War. This means there is no country to replace the United States forces in the ROK yet. In other words, since the military power of the United States is absolute to the security of the ROK, the North's nuclear weapons issue goes beyond the Korean Peninsula and expands to a security issue between North Korea and the United States. And the current verbal clash between the United States and North Korea on the North's nuclear weapons problem reminds us of the security situation of post-World War II and the beginning of the Korean War period. Fortunately, however, the United States' perception of security in the ROK is different from what it was before the Korean War. This can be seen as the consequence of the ROK-U.S. alliance for more than the last 60 years. But not long ago, Han Kang, a Man Booker Prize winner and Korean novelist, told the New York Times that "the Korean War was a war on behalf of the surrounding powers." While in Korea, there are a lot of pros and cons to this statement, it must be noted that this is the idea of a single novelist rather than the majority of Koreans. The Americans would have a different view on this statement. The Korean War was a war in which many United States soldiers were sacrificed in order to defend freedom and democracy. Both Korea and U.S. would agree on this point. Regarding the differences in perception, what should the two countries do in order to resolve them and prevent another war from happening on the Korean Peninsula? In short, the answer is close cooperation and communication between the two countries. To this end, the United States must frequently inform the ROK of its security policy process on the Korean Peninsula. And the ROK should ask the United States of its needs, and at the same time, the United States should do the same with the ROK. Of course, the United States' military capability and access to North Korean military information overwhelms that of the ROK. And the significant strategic assets of the United States are even hard to convert into numbers. Thus, as it always has been, the U.S. is now a central partner with the ROK. Kwak Jin-o (ojkwak@nahf.or.kr) is a research fellow at the Northeast Asian History Foundation. By Andrew Salmon In recent weeks, several editorials by South Koreans have appeared in U.S. media. Their overall thrust is South Koreans' fear of U.S. President Donald Trump's unpredictability; of possible American military action on the peninsula; and of resultant devastation. Doubtless, these articles reflect a legitimate body of South Korean opinion. And they make an important case against war. Absent from these pieces is mention of North Korea's vileness its lethally self-centric hereditary dictatorship; its massive restrictions on individual freedoms; its hideous human rights abuses; its frequent bouts of military aggression against South Korea; its defiance of international norms. Instead, the writers stress the risk that the United States the strongest ally this country has had during its national existence - poses to South Korea. I have issues with these pieces. Firstly: I don't think the current situation merits hysteria. More importantly: In stating South Korean fears and overlooking North Korea evil, the writers lose sight of clear moral imperatives. Most glaringly: In terms of real politick, they overlook U.S. rights to self-defence. Since the 1953 Korean War armistice, it has been South Korea which has lived under threat of North Korea, not America. Given this, it made sound sense for Washington to defer to Seoul. And America a nation frequently criticized for implementing aggressive foreign policies has acted with remarkable (and perhaps mistaken) restraint on the peninsula. Among other incidents, the U.S. has declined to retaliate with military force even when North Korea shot down a spy plane; seized the USS Pueblo; and hacked two officers to death at Panmunjeom. Now, however, the broad strategic dynamic that it is South Korea, not America, which is threatened - is shifting. North Korea is investing scarce resources in nuclear weapons, which are a potential threat to South Korea, Japan and possibly even China. But it is also investing massively in intercontinental ballistic missiles. These missiles are over-engineered for regional targets; they are aimed at America. In other words, the United States is now in the crosshairs. This shift has profound implications. I do not believe that the present situation merits a strike by U.S. forces. Nor, in my opinion, does North Korea's possession of a full atomic weapons package (i.e. nuclear warheads and the missiles to deliver them to the US mainland) constitute a causus belli. However, the situation is dynamic. Things may change. North Korea could become an actual, rather than a potential, danger to the United States. In that situation, the US president would be remiss if he did not put America first. That would present Seoul with searing choices. Does it stand with its alliance partner? Or does it withdraw support from Washington in hopes that Pyongyang does not retaliate against its own soil? Given that a clear and present danger to the United States does not (in my opinion), exist at this time, the biggest danger for US policy is falling into North Korea's trap. How might this happen? Among analysts there are, broadly, two opinions about North Korea's nuclear strategy. One holds that it is designed to deter American attack. The other holds that it is designed to force the United States off the Korean peninsula. If the U.S. strikes and North Korea retaliates, we are in the nightmare scenario a spiral of escalation that could go nuclear. If the US strikes and North Korea does not retaliate, the second strategy may become reality. Both Koreas would have common ground in deploring and opposing the U.S. action. Such a situation could create a crack in the alliance possibly, even invalidate it. In both cases a retaliatory spiral or a crippled alliance - we would be in dangerously uncharted territory. So, absent any imminent threat to the United States, we must hope that Washington keeps doing what it has done for over half a century: Maintains a cool head, while containing and deterring Pyongyang. Equally, we must hope that Seoul maintains a strong nerve, understands Washington's concerns - and makes very clear, via policy, who its real friends are. Addressing that last point, some might respond: "North Koreans are blood relatives." Perhaps. But you can't choose family; you can choose friends. Andrew Salmon (andrewcsalmon@yahoo.co.uk) is a Seoul-based reporter and author. By Park Si-soo Do you feel uncomfortable and anxious when speaking a foreign language? A study suggests drinking alcohol could be a solution -- not just quelling nervousness but also helping you speak the language more fluently. British and Dutch researchers published their finding this week in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. They found that people really did speak more fluently after a low dose of alcohol -- even when the speakers did not think so themselves. According to TIME magazine, the study included 50 native German speakers studying at Maastricht University. All of the people in the study said they drank alcohol at least sometimes, and, because their classes were taught in Dutch, had recently passed an exam demonstrating proficiency in the language. Each person was asked to have a casual, two-minute conversation with an interviewer in Dutch. Before the chat, half of the respondents were given water to drink, while the other half were given an alcoholic beverage. The amount of alcohol varied based on the person's weight, but for a 150-pound man, it was equivalent to just under a pint of beer. The conversations were recorded and then scored by two native Dutch speakers who were not aware which people had drunk alcohol. The participants were also asked to rate their own performances, based on how fluently they felt they had spoken. Unexpectedly, alcohol had no effect on the speakers' self-ratings -- those who had had a drink were not any more confident or pleased with their performances than those who had drunk water. But they did perform better, according to those who listened to the recordings. Overall, the native Dutch speakers rated people in the alcohol group as having better fluency -- specifically better pronunciation -- than those in the water group. Ratings for grammar, vocabulary and argumentation were similar between groups. According to TIME, the authors point out that the dose of alcohol tested in the study was low, and that higher levels of consumption might not have these beneficial effects. After all, the researchers point out, drinking too much can have the opposite effect on fluency and can even lead to slurred speech. Daewoo E&C head office in Seoul / Korea Times file Foreign capitals target Korean construction firm By Park Jae-hyuk Foreign companies are still interested in a takeover bid for Daewoo Engineering & Construction (E&C), although they have not made any official announcement, sources familiar to this issue said Monday. Since the Korea Development Bank (KDB) posted a sales notice of its 50.75 percent stake in Daewoo E&C earlier this month, several companies have been mentioned as potential bidders. The bank is the biggest shareholder of the nation's third-largest builder. Potential bidders include Saudi Arabia's state-run petroleum and gas company, Saudi Aramco; China State Construction Engineering Corp. (CSCEC); and Petronas, a Malaysian state-run oil and gas company. Industry officials said a foreign company will likely win the bid against local companies, as the price is expected to reach 2 trillion won ($1.7 billion). According to the current share price, KDB's stake will be valued at around 1.5 trillion won, and the state-run bank can ask for premiums for management rights. The above-mentioned companies, however, have dismissed the possibility they will take part in the bid. In September, Petronas denied reports speculating it was considering acquiring an equity interest in Daewoo E&C. "Petronas has no intention of entering into such business transaction and wishes to categorically deny the report," the company said in a press release. CSCEC also rebuffed Korean news outlets' reports on Daewoo E&C acquisition as groundless. An Aramco Korea official said, "We know nothing about this issue." Despite their denial, sources said the three companies are still conducting negotiations. They said Petronas and CSCEC are lobbying officials of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. Aramco's strategy is reportedly to offer a higher bidding price than its competitors instead of lobbying politicians. KDB has decided to sell the construction company at market price regardless of its book value, if a proper bidder shows up. The bank said it will choose the preferred bidder early next year. Mirae Asset Daewoo and Bank of America Merrill Lynch are jointly managing the sale. They sent investment prospectuses and confidentiality contracts to potential bidders. In most deals, bidders typically deny their interest so as not to invite more competitors, which ends up raising the final price. Against this backdrop, Rep. Kim Seon-dong of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party pointed out during a National Assembly audit Monday that KDB will suffer more than 1 trillion won in losses from the sell-off. "Daewoo E&C stock has fluctuated around 7,000 won over the past three months," he said. KDB bought its stake in Daewoo E&C for 15,000 won per share on average between 2010 and 2011. The lawmaker said, "KDB will be unable to sell its stake for 12,000 won per share as it wishes." Kim also criticized KDB for not apologizing to the public for this failure. Making things more complicated, Daewoo E&C's union is ready to butt in the sales. Just after KDB's notice of sales, the union urged KDB to sell the company for the builder's future, not for more cash. "Companies without management abilities should not acquire Daewoo E&C," the union said in a statement. A Daewoo E&C official said the government should be very cautious in selecting the constructor's buyer. "Daewoo E&C has a competitive edge in setting up nuclear reactors. The buyer would acquire all the knowhow and technology together with the company. If foreign outfits gobble up the builder, it may harm the interests of Korea," said the official who asked not to be named. Seen is an unmanned E-mart 24 convenience store in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. / Courtesy of E-mart 24 Advanced technologies ready to replace part-time workers By Park Jae-hyuk A steep hike in the minimum wage next year and technological advancement are prompting local retailers to operate unmanned convenience stores. According to industry officials, Monday, more retailers in Korea have begun running unmanned convenience stores by installing self-checkout machines which can replace part-time cashiers, most of whom receive the minimum wage. E-mart 24, a convenience store chain of the local retail giant Shinsegae, has three unmanned stores in Seoul and one in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. Its stores at the Westin Chosun Seoul and the Jeonju National University of Education are fully operated around the clock without workers. Another store in Seongsu-dong in Seoul operates without workers from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and one in Dongdaemun-gu does so from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. During the daytime, employees man the stores. To enter the unmanned E-mart 24 stores, customers identify themselves with a credit card. The identification is a measure for preventing theft and damage to the property. After choosing the purchases, customers can pay by scanning their barcodes. If they have any problems, they can get in touch with E-mart 24 employees at the head office through microphones installed at the stores. According to E-mart 24, products that pass their expiration dates are unavailable at the unmanned stores and deliverymen are directly in charge of perishable foods. The company explained it converted ordinary stores into unmanned ones to help their owners reduce costs. It said it would eliminate 24-hour operation, royalties and penalties for breach of contract. "We are just checking the efficiency of the stores for now," an E-mart 24 official said. "We have yet to decide whether to set up additional unmanned stores." In May, E-mart 24's competitor 7-Eleven launched its first smart convenience store named 7-Eleven Signature at Lotte Word Tower in Seoul. The store is equipped with the HandPay system, which identifies individuals by the pattern of their veins. If customers register their vein patterns on their Lotte Cards, they can purchase products at the store by identifying themselves with their hands. Unlike E-mart 24's unmanned stores, which are accessible with any credit card, 7-Eleven Signature blocks entry to those who do not register their vein patterns in their Lotte Cards. Instead, the store features 360-degree scanners at unmanned counters. When customers place their purchases on a conveyor belt at an unmanned counter, the scanner locates the barcodes. Analysts expect the minimum wage hike next year will spur more retailers to turn to technology to cut costs. The nation's hourly minimum wage will be 7,530 won ($6.67) next year, up 16.4 percent from this year. It may reach 10,000 won in 2020, in line with the Moon Jae-in administration's labor-friendly policies. "Amid the minimum wage increase, the trend of automation will spread fast," said Yoon Jung-seon, an analyst at KB Securities. "The self-checkout machines will allow sellers to cut costs and provide convenience for the customers." GS Retail and BGF Retail have also begun adopting technologies. The former, which operates GS25 convenience stores, signed a partnership agreement with KT in May, establishing futuristic stores. The latter is planning to introduce SK Telecom's NUGU artificial intelligence speakers in CU convenience stores nationwide next year. A customer purchases products by verifying her identity with her hand at a 7-Eleven Signature store at Lotte World Tower in Seoul. / Yonhap Lagging behind China, Japan While Korean retailers have just begun operating unmanned convenience stores, those in China and Japan have already carried out aggressive investments in the new technology. According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), more than 20 brands in China run unmanned convenience stores there. This is because Chinese retail giants including Alibaba have begun actively investing in unmanned convenience stores, since the U.S. retail giant Amazon unveiled its unmanned Amazon Go store last December. In June, Shanghai got the world's first 24-hour unmanned convenience store named BingoBox. BingoBox said it will open 5,000 unmanned convenience stores by the end of next year. Wahaha Group, one of the largest food firms in China, is also set to open TakeGo automated convenience stores. Japanese retailers are opening unmanned stores, which are more like vending machines. Family Mart runs 2,100 unmanned convenience stores equipped with vending machines. 7-Eleven plans to open 500 vending machine-styled convenience stores in Japan by February 2019. Lawson started running small unmanned stores equipped with self-checkout machines. It strives to open 1,000 unmanned stores by next February. Japan's top five convenience store chains said they will install self-checkout machines in all of their stores by 2025. However, many industry officials in Korea are still skeptical about the commercial viability of 24-hour unmanned stores. They said technologies will just help workers focus more on customer services, displays and cleaning. In the case of 7-Eleven Signature stores, employees are still in charge of displays and cleaning. Some people mention additional costs, because every product will need radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for the complete automation. An RFID tag costs 100 won. Armen Amiryan answeres Vahan Artsruni's accusations RA Minister of Culture Armen Amiryan's statement: "Comments on Vahan Artsruni's failed concert in recent days has gone all the limits of insults, so I think it is necessary to publicize once again that neither the Ministry of Culture, nor the SNCO are connected with the organization and, of course, the further events (Sharm, the organizer of the concert, did not even have a rent agreement for the concert). All the accusations, judgments, assumptions and interpretations sounded are absolute lie and slander. I invite Vahan Artsruni, the author of the concert, and Sharm, the organizer of the concert, to the Ministry of Culture in order to find out the causes and the guilty of the failed concert in the presence of journalists. I find an intention to criticize the Ministry at any cost in comments that are based only on assumptions. I also think it is necessary to mention that any artist, including Vahan Artsruni, can freely present their works in any hall or platform of the Ministry of Culture, signing a contract in advance. If the financial difficulties arise, the ministry is ready to support it financially (as it is done). I once again express my willingness to reveal the guilty of of the failed concert." Armen Amiryan Vahan Artsruni's statement on the "Mashtots Komitas" concert project, canceled in Zvartnots, on September 29, the policy pursued by the Ministry of Culture, and the fundamental rights of a human and creator in Armenia, can be viewed here Sri Lanka has pledged US $ 50,000 towards the fund to assist the Rohingaya refugees and the host community in Bangladesh. This pledge was announced by the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN Ravinatha Aryasinha, at the Pledging Conference for the Rohingaya Refugee Crisis held today (23.10.2017) at Palais des Nations in Geneva. Sri Lanka commended the Government of Bangladesh for hosting the Rohingaya refugees including the recent influx, under challenging conditions. It was noted that the humanitarian exigencies of the Rohingaya refugees have to be the shared responsibility of the international community due to its sheer magnitude. Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka Geneva 23 October 2017 If you're working in corporate America, chances are you've experienced your fair share of stress. Whether it's meeting deadlines, managing projects, or dealing with difficult co-workers, the workplace can be a breeding ground for stress. reducing stress from completing a project Once you've identified your triggers, it's important to take a step back and assess the situation objectively. LewiLink.com provides an in-depth article on reducing the stress from meeting deadlines at work. Bong a la noi ma ta co the hoa nhip ban than vao, noi ma nhung cam xuc uoc dang trao, that tuyet voi khi xem bong a cung ban be va xem tai nhung kenh truc tiep tuyet voi nhat cakhiatv Chung toi noi khong voi quang cao, luon ua trai nghiem cua nguoi dung len hang au, truc tiep nhung tran bong kich tinh nhat e phuc vu cho tat ca fan bong a . PRESS RELEASE Russia Accuses Nikki Haley of Lying as UN Investigation About To Issue Report on Syria Chemical Weapons Oct. 21, 2017 (EIRNS)The United States is going to put before the UN Security Council early next week a resolution to extend the work of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), that body of investigators charged with determining who is responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria. The Associated Press reported on Oct. 18 that U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley claimed that there is "overwhelming support" among Security Council members to extend the JIM mandate, but she said Russia wants to see if the JIM blames the Syrian government for the alleged chemical weapons attack in Khan Sheikhoun on April 4, in which case Russia will have no faith in the investigative body. Haley said, "If the report doesnt blame the Syrians, then they say that they will" renew the JIMs mandate. "We cant work like that," Haley said. "We need to prove that it was actually a chemical [attack], and then we need to look at who did it. We cant go and pick and choose who we want to be at fault, who we dont." Aside from the fact that the United States has already decided who in its view was responsible for the Khan Sheikhoun attack (this was demonstrated by the U.S. cruise missile strike on the Shayrat air base a few days later), Haley flatly lied about the Russian position. Yesterday, Russian Foreign Ministry official Mikhail Ulyanov said, "This is not true, although I can hardly keep from using stronger words: this is a lie, twisting the facts and crooked gambling." Ulyanov, who is the Director of the Russian Foreign Ministrys Nonproliferation and Arms Control Department spoke in Moscow. "As a matter of fact, we put it straight: all depends on the quality of the report rather than on its conclusions. It looks like Haley intentionally distorts Russias position to expose it and picture us in a wrong light. It is indecent for a diplomat of such a high rank. "The Americans have astonished us increasingly more often recently by taking strange steps that run counter to established and proven practice," Ulyanov continued. "The U.S. suggests putting the cart before the horse, despite the fact that little is known about the JIMs activities over the past year. During the past year, the JIM presented, perhaps, only one report, and the administrative-technical one at that. There were no substantive reports, and extending powers in these circumstances would be unwise." Ulyanov further noted that the JIM investigators somehow managed to draw conclusions about the attack without ever visiting the site of the attack or the airbase from where it was supposedly launched. "To tell the truth, the situation looks like a subversion," he said. They have refused to visit Khan Sheikhoun, though they did finally visit the Shayrat airbase about ten days ago, but refused to collect any samples. "It has turned out that it was the JIM top officials principal stance: do not collect samples," Ulyanov said. So, the question isnt what conclusions the report will draw, but rather the quality of the report itself. "As soon as we get the report, we will see and analyze. Then we will take a decision if it is worth extending the mechanism which appears to be unable to perform its duties in full, and moreover, seems to be unwilling to do it." he said. The report is due Oct. 26 but the United States wants the vote in the Security Council before that. PRESS RELEASE Apollo Astronaut Tom Stafford: The Space Program Has Lost 16 Years Oct. 21, 2017 (EIRNS)"Righteous Apollo-era anger," is how Popular Mechanics writer Joe Pappalardo describes a recent talk given by legendary astronaut Gen. Tom Stafford (ret.) at the Perot Musuem of Nature and Science in Dallas. Stafford flew two pre-Apollo Gemini flights, and the Apollo 10 mission, which was a dress rehearsal for the lunar landing. He commanded the Apollo-Soyuz joint mission with Soviet cosmonauts in 1975. "We lost 16 years," said the 87-year-old astronaut, referring to President Bushs 2004 announcement of a Moon-Mars program, which was never funded, and President Obamas cancellation of the Constellation program. In fact, as Pappalardo recounts, as far back as 1990, Stafford led a study for President George H.W. Bush that detailed a Moon-Mars program, which the Congress rejected. And President Clinton ended any discussion about a return to the Moon. Stafford was very critical of the fact that NASA no longer dictates the design of spacecraft, with close supervision of the contractors. Stafford is not impressed, says Pappalardo, with the companies that are now given that responsibility. "The issue is safety and trust," he said. "Its like President Reagan said: Trust but verify." Recalling that in five years, NASA built the launch facility, spacecraft, and rockets to take astronauts to the lunar surface, Stafford asked, "Why cant we? Why cant we do it again?" PRESS RELEASE Kotegawa on Japan ElectionsAbe Victory Is About Trump and Putin Oct. 22, 2017 (EIRNS)Daisuke Kotegawa, former official at Japans Ministry of Finance, gave EIR his analysis of todays overwhelming victory for Prime Minister Shinzo Abes Liberal Democratic Party in the snap election for the lower house. The LDP with its coalition partner Komeito is likely to retain its supermajority wih two-thirds of the seats, according to most exit polls. The new opposition party headed by the recently elected Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, did not win a significant vote. Kotegawa said of Koike, she made a mistake by accepting only select members of the former leading opposition Democratic Party, which split into three factions this year, rather than forming an opposition coalition. While the press, both in Japan and in the West, claim the election was primarily about North Korea and Abes effort to change the pacifist Constitution, Kotegawa said the most important issue was Abes strong relations with both Presidents Trump and Putin. Kotegawa was recently in the United States during the International Monetary Fund meeting, in Rhodes for the Russia-sponsored Rhodes Forum, and in Moscow for other meetings, where he said both the Russians and the Americans are fully supporting Abes effort to strengthen relations among the three nations, and with China as well. Asked about Abes domestic economic policies, which have followed the loose money approach of the Bush/Obama years, and about Abes relations with China, Kotegawa said that these will be greatly influenced by the policies Trump adopts, presuming he can defeat the coup attempt against him by the war party led by Mueller. Trump will spend two nights in Japan starting Nov. 4, before going on to South Korea and China, where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. It is likely that this victory for the LDP will result in Abe being elected for a third term as head of the party next year, giving him another three-year term and making him the longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan. Sen. John McCain, the ailing Arizona Republican and Vietnam war hero who has been a thorn in the side of President Trump, will publish a memoir in April. The Associated Press reports that Simon & Schuster will publish The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations. The book deal was finalized in February, five months before McCain was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Jonathan Karp, the publisher of Simon & Schuster, praised the senator in a statement, saying, This memoir will be about what matters most to him, and I hope it will be regarded as the work of an American hero. Advertisement The memoir will be co-written by Mark Salter, a speechwriter and longtime friend of McCains. The two men have collaborated on several books, including McCains 1999 bestseller Faith of My Fathers. Salter told the AP that the book is not yet completed, but that McCain was hard at it. He also said the book was originally about international issues, but that it has evolved since the project began. There will still be examples of that in the book, but it will be a little more expansive and reflective about his career and life, the direction of our politics and our leadership in the world, and the causes and values that matter most to him, Salter said. McCain, who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination in 2000 and was his partys presidential nominee in 2008, has emerged as a frequent critic of President Trump. In July, he cast a dramatic vote against a Republican attempt to repeal Obamacare with a thumbs-down gesture that drew praise from Democrats and independents opposed to the repeal effort. On Sunday, McCain, who was imprisoned in a POW camp in Vietnam for 5 years, took a thinly veiled swipe at Trump in an interview, saying, One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America, and the highest income level found a doctor that would say that they had a bone spur. Trump received a medical deferment from the Vietnam War draft because of a bone spur in his heel. McCains book has already undergone a title change. Its original name was Its Always Darkest Before Its Totally Black, a darkly humorous spin on the optimistic adage Its always darkest before dawn. The original title was an old joke he employed often over the years, Salter said. But the senator thought it was too flip for some of the subjects he now wants to address. Tesla is about to make history as the first foreign automaker to build cars in China independently, without having to link up in a joint venture with a Chinese company and give away half its profits and much of its technological know-how as part of the bargain. Whats not clear is whether Elon Musks company will have to strike other compromises such as a battery-making partnership as part of the deal. Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal reported that electric car maker Tesla and the government of Shanghai had reached an agreement to build an auto assembly plant there. The Shanghai government soon told Bloomberg that no agreement had yet been signed, however. Advertisement But its clear something big is in the works. As weve said before, Tesla commented, it is in talks with Shanghai and we expect to more clearly define our plans for production in China by the end of the year. If an agreement is struck, it will be precedent setting, said Mark Wakefield, managing director at consulting firm AlixPartners. Its a big deal. Indeed, such an arrangement would break with the decades-long approach to foreign access to the huge and fast-growing Chinese motor vehicle market. China is the worlds largest car market, with almost 30 million passenger vehicles to be sold by the end of the year, compared with about 17 million in the U.S. Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen and Nissan all have been required to enter into a 50-50 joint venture with a local Chinese automaker, in which profits are split and much of the technology developed by the foreign manufacturers is shared. Local partners for every other global manufacturer in China are pretty much dead weight for the joint ventures in that they bring nothing to the table while taking about half the profits on every vehicle sold, said G.E. Anderson, a Taiwan-based consultant. The foreign companies would certainly like a better deal, but theyve been unwilling to make the tradeoff that Tesla is apparently prepared to accept: a 25% tariff on cars built in a China free-trade zone like the one near Shanghai the same tariff applied to any company that exports a motor vehicle into China. Analysts note that the luxury Tesla Model S and Model X cars now exported to China from the companys sole assembly plant in Fremont, Calif. are saddled with the tariff anyway. By doing away with shipping costs, by locally sourcing less expensive Chinese components, and by paying a Shanghai factory workforce far less than it would pay California workers, Tesla could reduce expenses and, if it needed to, reduce prices. Tesla could also more cheaply export cars from China to Japan, South Korea and other markets in Asia, whose own tariffs are far less severe than Chinas. Its unclear, though, whether the Tesla deal in the long run will truly alter the relationship between the carmaker and China. The joint ventures struck by the major automakers cover all powertrains, whether they use gasoline, diesel or electricity. What isnt clear, said Qian Xu, who runs AlixPartners China operation, is where the batteries will come from. I think theres another shoe yet to drop. Tesla makes electric car battery packs at a giant factory it owns and operates in Nevada. Battery packs are the heaviest and most expensive parts on an electric car. Analyst estimate the battery cost to Tesla ranges between $15,000 and $20,000 per vehicle. Xu said battery provisions in the contract will show whether Tesla is giving up a little or a lot for the privilege of building cars in Shanghai. Besides a concerted push by the Chinese government to spur development of electric cars, in an attempt to cut pollution and move into the leading ranks of worldwide auto manufacturers, China is also dedicated to a world-leading motor vehicle battery business. Chinese leaders recently announced plans to ban new sales of cars that run primarily on fossil fuels by 2040 or sooner. If China is looking to reduce pollution, to get the industry to meet strict 2020 emission standards, and phase out internal combustion engines, its going to have to bring in someone like Tesla, said Steve Man, Hong Kong-based auto analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, which researches the market. The government wants to show the rest of the world that the government is really serious about the new-energy vehicle market, said Xu and meanwhile spur its own electric car makers into building vehicles with high-style looks that are fun to drive, which Tesla has achieved. Its also possible, Xu said, that Tesla will manufacture batteries in China to supply the cars it makes there. He noted that Panasonic, Teslas battery-cell provider in Nevada, recently opened a fabrication line outside of Shanghai to make the same kind of battery cells Tesla uses in the Model S and Model X. However, Japan-owned Panasonic, like South Korea-owned battery cell makers LG and Samsung, has not been approved for the same government subsidies that China gives indigenous battery cell makers. That could mean higher costs for Tesla. Another question for Tesla is where the capital to build the factory will come from. The company has been in startup mode for 14 years, has never earned an annual profit and relies on lenders and stock investors who buy into its long-term vision, which also includes battery storage cells and solar roofs for homes and businesses. Meyers, a special correspondent, reported from Beijing. Twitter: @jessicameyers russ.mitchell@latimes.com Twitter: @russ1mitchell NBC Today host Megyn Kelly used her program Monday to take on her former employer, Fox News, over the disclosure that the network signed former host Bill OReilly to a $25-million contract in February after he had paid $32 million to settle a sexual harassment claim. Kelly opened her show by noting how she complained to Fox News about OReilly, who had disparaged her publicly for writing about her own experiences with sexual harassment at Fox News in her memoir, Settle for More. The abuse of women, the shaming of them, the threatening, the retaliation, Kelly said in her remarks to her audience. The silencing of them after-the-fact. It has to stop. Advertisement Kellys book included an account of how former Fox News chief Roger Ailes had made sexual advances toward her early in her tenure at the company. Ailes, who died in May, was fired in 2016 after former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a harassment lawsuit against him. Kelly was among a number of female Fox News employees who came forward with allegations against Ailes during an internal investigation. OReilly did not mention Kelly by name, but blasted his then-co-worker for writing about the harassment during a Nov. 15 appearance on CBS This Morning. Im not interested in, basically, litigating something that is finished that makes my network look bad, OReilly said. In response, Kelly said she sent an email to then-Fox News co-presidents Bill Shine and Jack Abernethy to complain about OReillys remarks, which she believed discouraged women from coming forth with sexual harassment complaints. I wrote, in part: Perhaps he didnt realize that his exact attitude of shaming women into shutting the hell up about harassment on grounds that it will disgrace the company is in part how Fox News got into the decade-long Ailes mess to begin with. Perhaps its his own history of harassment of women which has, as you both know, resulted in payouts to more than one woman, including recently, that blinded him to the folly of saying anything other than I am just so sorry for the women of this company who never should have had to go through that, Kelly said. Kelly said Shine replied that he would deal with OReilly on the matter. But OReilly did not back down on his program that night. He was permitted with managements advance notice and blessing to go on the air and attack the companys harassment victims yet again, Kelly said. Six weeks after the exchange, Kelly announced that she was leaving Fox News, where she hosted a prime-time program, for NBC News, where she now hosts the third hour of Today. Kelly also told her Today audience that Fox News communications chief Irena Briganti leaked damaging stories about her because she did not speak out in support of Ailes after Carlson filed suit against him. Briganti is known for her vindictiveness, Kelly told viewers. To this day, she pushes negative articles on certain Ailes accusers, like the one youre looking at right now. Briganti was defended by 21st Century Fox in a statement. Irena is a valued colleague and she has our full support, the company said. A spokesperson for OReilly denied any wrongdoing involving the $32-million settlement with former Fox News legal analyst Lis Wiehl, first reported by the New York Times on Saturday, and said no complaints about OReillys behavior had been made to the networks human resources unit during his tenure. Kellys commentary, unusual for a network morning program, is a sign of how much scrutiny is ahead for Fox News over offering OReilly a new contract just after OReilly settled with Wiehl. Fox News parent 21st Century Fox has stated the company was aware of the settlement but not the financial terms, which were confidential. OReilly, long the highest-rated personality on the cable news network, was fired in April following a harassment complaint by Wendy Walsh, a psychologist who appeared as a frequent guest on his program. Walshs complaint came after the New York Times reported Fox News had made a total of $13 million in payouts to five women who asserted they were sexually harassed or verbally abused by the host over the last 16 years. stephen.battaglio@latimes.com Twitter: @SteveBattaglio ALSO Weinstein scandal puts nondisclosure agreements in the spotlight 38 women have come forward to accuse director James Toback of sexual harassment How Harvey Weinstein used his fashion business as a pipeline to models UPDATES: 1:15 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from 21st Century Fox. This article was originally published at 11:15 a.m. New York Atty. Gen. Eric Schneiderman has launched a civil rights investigation into Weinstein Co. following dozens of sexual harassment allegations against the studios co-founder, Harvey Weinstein. The states top prosecutor issued a subpoena Monday as part of an investigation into whether officials at the New York-based film and television company violated state civil rights and New York City human rights laws. For the record: An earlier version of this report omitted actress Lucia Evans first name. No New Yorker should be forced to walk into a workplace ruled by sexual intimidation, harassment, or fear, Scheiderman said in a statement. If sexual harassment or discrimination is pervasive at a company, we want to know. Advertisement The attorney generals subpoena is seeking all documents related to complaints of sexual harassment and other types of discrimination against employees, said a person familiar with the probe not authorized to comment. The probe is also looking for all records of how such complaints were handled by the company, and all documents concerning settlements. In addition, the subpoena is seeking the companys records related to hiring and casting criteria. Representatives for the Weinstein Co. did not respond to requests for comment. The attorney generals move comes about two weeks after Weinstein Co. fired its namesake co-chairman following the publication of sexual harassment allegations in the New York Times. The subpoena represents a new front in the growing legal battles involving Weinstein and the company he co-founded in 2005. The scope of the investigation could expose the Weinstein Co. and its officials to numerous potential civil and criminal cases, said Albany, N.Y.-based attorney Paul DerOhannesian, who specializes in sexual assault cases. Once they investigate, it opens the door to a multiplicity of potential liabilities, DerOhannesian said. In a way, its like a camels nose under a tent. Since then, police in Los Angeles, New York and London have opened criminal investigations into Weinstein. New York police already have two active sex-crime investigations, and Londons Metropolitan Police is investigating allegations made by three women against Weinstein. The L.A. Police Department also is investigating claims from an Italian model-actress that the movie mogul assaulted her in a hotel in 2013. Since a New York Times article first revealed allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein earlier this month, more than 40 women actresses, studio workers and models have accused Weinstein of inappropriate behavior, including harassment and rape. Actresses Asia Argento, Rose McGowan, Lysette Anthony and Lucia Evans have all publicly stated that they were raped or forced to perform a sex act by Weinstein. An unnamed woman also told the New Yorker that he raped her. Eight women have received civil settlements over the years from Weinstein related to his conduct, the New York Times reported. Weinstein has unequivocally denied allegations of non-consensual sex, according to his representative. As legal woes mount, the Weinstein Co. is struggling to survive. Last week the company secured a financial lifeline from Thomas Barracks private equity firm Colony Capital, which may end up buying all or part of the studio, best known for movies such as The Kings Speech and the television show Project Runway. Executives and employees have been battling back questions about how much they knew about Weinsteins misconduct. A group of about 30 anonymous employees said in a statement last week that they did not know he was a serial sexual predator, although his temper and bullying ways were well-known throughout the industry. Meanwhile, the Weinstein Co. has lost key projects, including a high-profile Amazon Studios television project from director David O. Russell. Now the producers of Paddington 2, a sequel to a hit family film about a talking bear, are looking to cut ties with the company, which is set to release the movie in the United States in January. Bob Weinstein, now the companys lone chairman, has cited Paddington 2 as one of the Weinstein Co.s most promising pictures. The film was produced by David Heymans Heyday Films and French production company StudioCanal. ryan.faughnder@latimes.com @rfaughnder UPDATES: 4:20 p.m.: This article has been updated with additional information about the Weinstein Co.s business and a quote from an Albany, N.Y.-based attorney. This article was originally published at 11:45 a.m. Amazon.com has driven an economic boom in Seattle, bestowing more than 40,000 jobs upon a city known for Starbucks coffee and Seahawks fandom. Its growth remade a neglected industrial swath north of downtown into a hub of young workers and fixed the region, along with Microsoft before it, as a premier locale for the Internet economy outside Silicon Valley. Seattle is the fastest-growing big city in the United States, a company town with construction cranes busily erecting new apartments for newly arriving tech workers. Google and Facebook have joined Amazon in putting large offices there. When Amazon made a surprise announcement last month that it planned to open a second headquarters with even more jobs, it set off an unprecedented race among cities to lure the tech giant their way. Amazon said it will need 8 million square feet in a second region, making it the biggest economic development target in decades, experts say. Bids were to be submitted by Oct. 19. Advertisement But as Seattleites will say, keeping up with the Internet juggernaut has not always been easy, providing a word of caution for officials from other cities willing to pursue the company at great expense. Over the past decade, Amazon and founder Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, have added new products and business units at a breakneck speed and expected public partners to keep pace. In Seattle, that meant rehabbing an area of more than 350 acres at a cost to taxpayers of hundreds of millions of dollars in ongoing transportation and infrastructure upgrades as well as expanding public transit, road networks, parks and utilities. Harold McDuffie II watches pedestrians pass by as he lies in a sleeping bag on a bridge in downtown Seattle last year. The city and surrounding King County declared a state of emergency in 2015 over homelessness. (Ted S. Warren / Associated Press ) It also put new strains on housing. Seattle is one of the most expensive places in the United States to live, forcing lower-income residents to move to far-off suburbs. The city and surrounding King County declared a state of emergency in 2015 over homelessness. Since then, the problem has worsened. Rents in King County have more than doubled in the past 20 years and gone up 65% since 2009. Seattle spends more than $60 million annually to address homelessness, up from $39 million four years ago. We started seeing apartment listings that would say, No deposit needed and priority for Amazon, Microsoft and Google employees, said Rachael Myers, executive director of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, a Seattle-based advocacy group. How much of Seattles evolution is attributable to Amazon is a matter of debate. In the past decade, millennial workers have poured into other big cities Washington, San Francisco, Boston exacerbating housing costs and homelessness there. But few buildups are so linked to the prospects of one company. Amazon has contributed $30 billion to the local economy and as much as $55 billion more in spinoff benefits. Unemployment in the Seattle area is 3.7%, below the national rate of 4.4%. Much of that progress is the result of Amazons decision to open its first headquarters downtown a decade ago. John Schoettler, who oversees real estate for the online giant, thought it simplest and least expensive to plan a suburban headquarters campus east of Lake Washington in Bellevue, Wash., near Microsoft. Bezos had a different idea. He wanted to stay in Seattle. Jeff said the type of employees we want to hire and retain will want to live in an urban environment. They are going to want to work, live and play in the urban core, Schoettler said. The decision helped usher in a new era, one in which top employers abandon suburban office parks for lively, urban neighborhoods integrated into the cities around them. Only seven Fortune 500 companies had research or engineering hubs in Seattle in 2010; now 31 do. Their growth has just been so positive to lots of other companies, big and small and medium and in between, said Jon Scholes, president and chief executive of the Downtown Seattle Assn., where Schoettler is a board member. Its a boom that has shown little sign of slowing. Seattle added 57 people a day for a year through the summer of 2016, according to census data. How best to accommodate that growth provokes regular debate in Seattle and could well shape whatever city Amazon comes to next. Such details spark little discussion as mayors and governors from coast to coast have embarked upon a sweepstakes fit for a reality show, touting their cities in online videos and dangling taxpayer-funded subsidies of as much as $7 billion, even if their jurisdictions dont have the workforce or transportation network Amazon said it requires. Amy Liu of the Brookings Institution said the Amazon competition will hopefully serve as a chance for elected leaders to take the temperature of how prepared their neighborhoods and infrastructure are to drive growth, whether from Amazon or elsewhere. Seattle won its economic beauty contest in 1962, when it hosted the Worlds Fair. To serve the crowds, the city built acres of parking and low-slung motels in an area known as South Lake Union. The bet paid few dividends. Three decades later, the area was probably best known for a printing plant, struggling motels and a Hooters restaurant. Only 677 people lived there in 1990. Then Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, launched a real estate firm called Vulcan and bought 60 acres in the area. Vulcan executive Ada Healey recalls the early skeptics. During a 2002 pitch meeting, she said, a representative from a prospective company turned to her and asked: Why would I want to move to South Lake Union? It is a wasteland. A delivery driver brings balloons into an Amazon building for a company event. Amazons buildings are home to 34 restaurants. (Elaine Thompson / AP ) Bezos, though, saw promise in the urban locale. He had started Amazon in his garage in nearby Bellevue, then opened an early office in a former military hospital now called Pacific Tower. Before long, he was searching for more space to accommodate his fast-growing company. Schoettler initially secured about 1.7 million square feet in 10 buildings. It was enough, he thought, to contain the company through 2016, when it was projected to have 9,300 employees. Instead, Amazon grew five times as fast. It now has more than 40,000 employees in 33 Seattle buildings totaling 8.1 million square feet. It occupies 19% of the high-end office space in the city, according to an analysis by the Seattle Times, as many square feet as the citys next 40 biggest employers combined. Next year, Amazon will complete its most prominent addition three glass biospheres featuring about 40,000 plants, a unique environment for employees to come and collaborate and innovate, Schoettler said. Seattle officials have raced to keep up, approving $480.5 million in improvements over more than a decade for South Lake Union. Amazon and Vulcan, in need of approval to take over city alleys for its development, chipped in funding. A $190.5-million road-realignment program included $31.4 million from property owners led by Vulcan. A new, 1.3-mile streetcar line cost $56.4 million and benefited from $5.5 million from Amazon, including the donation of a fourth car. Now the city has embarked on a $201.5-million electrical substation, work that includes burying electrical wires. On weekdays, South Lake Union teems with young workers sporting Amazon name tags and eating bananas that the company offers free to passersby. Many are walking their dogs 4,000 employee-owned pups are registered with headquarters access, helping Seattle earn notoriety recently for having more dogs than children. The campus has produced spillover benefits for the city. Amazons buildings are home to 34 restaurants, including a culinary job-training program called FareStart. More than 20% of employees walk to work, and fewer than half drive. Large spheres take shape in front of an existing Amazon building, as new construction continues across the street. (Elaine Thompson / AP ) The companys longtime support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights including a $2.5 million donation that Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, made in support of same-sex marriage dovetail with the citys progressive politics. We could have gone to the suburbs, and we could have built a campus, and we would have had an entry gate where everybody would come and go so you would be very inward-looking and very exclusive, Schoettler said, as opposed to being in a very urban environment where you have to look outward, so youre very inclusive, and everyone is your neighbor and everyone is welcome. Maybe no city could have built housing fast enough to keep prices from spiraling upward during Amazons growth, but Seattle despite nearly leading the nation in new apartment construction hasnt come close. On the sidewalks, alongside rentable neon bikes, people subsist in tents and sleeping bags in places locals say they did not congregate at 10 years ago a warning sign for cities nationwide trying to capture a version of Seattles glory. We dont have enough housing for low-income people especially, but we also just dont have enough housing, said Myers, a longtime Seattle housing advocate. And Amazon obviously impacts both of those things. Officials at Bellwether Housing, the citys largest nonprofit manager of affordable housing, at 2,000 units, report a vacancy rate of 1%. Its very rare that someone moves out, because they have nowhere else to go, said chief executive Susan Boyd. A state analysis of evictions found they were driven not by social problems but by economics. As Amazons boom has continued, the city approved a rule this year requiring landlords to accept the first viable renter who applies rather than cherry-picking a tech worker. The government also adopted an inclusionary zoning policy requiring developers to set aside some new units at below-market rates or pay into a fund to develop other affordable units. Myers suggested other jurisdictions pay heed: If youre going to get an Amazon thats going to create a ton of high-paying jobs and a ton of pressure on the housing market, what are the things you can do before rents really skyrocket? These are things every city should be doing anyway, she said. ALSO Tesla reportedly reaches agreement to build car factory in Shanghai UCLAs effort to patent a costly prostate cancer drug in India hurts the poor, critics say Bill OReilly reportedly paid $32-million harassment settlement before signing new Fox News contract Amazon said Monday that it received 238 proposals from cities and regions in the United States, Canada and Mexico hoping to be the home of the companys second headquarters. The online retailer kicked off its hunt for a second home base in September, promising to bring 50,000 new jobs and spend more than $5 billion on construction. Proposals were due last week, and Amazon made clear that tax breaks and grants would be a big deciding factor on where it chooses to land. Amazon.com Inc. said the proposals came from 43 U.S. states as well as Washington and Puerto Rico, three Mexican states and six Canadian provinces. In a tweet, the company said it was excited to review each of them. Advertisement Besides looking for financial incentives, Amazon had stipulated that it was seeking to be near a metropolitan area with more than a million people; be able to attract top technical talent; be within 45 minutes of an international airport; have direct access to mass transit; and be able to expand that headquarters to as much as 8 million square feet in the next decade. Generous tax breaks and other incentives can erode a citys tax base. For the winner, it could be worth it, since an Amazon headquarters could draw other tech businesses and their well-educated, highly paid employees. The seven U.S. states that Amazon said did not apply were: Arkansas, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. Ahead of the deadline, some cities turned to stunts to try and stand out: Representatives from Tucson sent a 21-foot-tall cactus to Amazons Seattle headquarters; New York illuminated the Empire State Building in orange to match Amazons smile logo. The company plans to remain in its sprawling Seattle headquarters, and the second one will be a full equal to it, founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said in September. Amazon has said that it will announce a decision sometime next year. Abigail Johnson, the chief executive of Fidelity Investments, told employees on Monday that the financial giant has no tolerance for any type of harassment after reports emerged alleging two company executives had been pushed out for sexual harassment. The company recently began reviewing its operations, particularly in its powerful stock-picking unit, after forcing out former Fidelity portfolio manager C. Robert Chow earlier this month and Gavin Baker, a prominent tech fund manager, in September, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly about the cases. Chow and Baker could not be reached for comment. An unnamed spokesman for Baker told the Wall Street Journal, which reported their dismissals earlier, that he strenuously denies the allegations. In a brief video distributed to Fidelitys 400,000 employees Monday morning, Johnson did not mention Chow or Baker by name. But Johnson said she expected employees to foster an environment where all associates are treated with courtesy, compassion and respect. Advertisement Id like to remind everyone that we have no tolerance at our company for any type of harassment. We simply will not, and do not tolerate this type of behavior, from anyone, she said. When allegations of these sorts are brought to our attention, we investigate them promptly and take appropriate action. The company held an emergency meeting last week in the wake of dismissals of the two executives, according to a person familiar with the allegations. Brian Hogan, president of Fidelitys stock-picking division, stressed the companys intolerance of inappropriate workplace conduct during that meeting, the person said. The allegations come amid heightened sensitivity to sexual harassment complaints in corporate America. Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was recently fired as the head of his company after reports surfaced that he had harassed dozens of women over decades. And Wall Street has long fought its reputation as a place where women and minorities struggle to succeed. Renae Merle is a Washington Post staff writer. renae.merle@washpost.com Celebrity chef John Besh stepped down Monday after a report detailed numerous allegations of sexual harassment at his renowned restaurants and company. The southern Louisiana chef and TV personality left his post with the Besh Restaurant Group after more than two dozen women said they were sexually harassed while working at the company or its eateries. The allegations, published Saturday by Nola.com/The Times-Picayune, included unwanted touching by male co-workers and bosses, suggestive comments made about womens appearances and male managers attempts to leverage power for sex. Advertisement The Times-Picayune investigation also detailed two complaints filed by former employees with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that alleged sexual discrimination and retaliation. In one complaint, a former employee said Besh continued to attempt to coerce [her] to submit to his sexual overtures during a months-long unwelcome sexual relationship while she worked for him, according to the Times-Picayune. In one instance, she said Besh insisted [she] drink heavily at a tasting during a work trip to Los Angeles in 2015. Afterward, she said, Besh came to her hotel room and immediately started to kiss and fondle her. She said in the complaint, obtained by the Times-Picayune, that she was barely conscious, and easily overwhelmed by JBesh (sic), who engaged in oral sex and fell asleep next to her. When the woman later tried to end the relationship, some employees allegedly engaged in retaliation, she said in the complaint. In a letter to Besh Restaurant Group employees obtained Monday by the Los Angeles Times, company executive Shannon White said Besh has decided to step down from all aspects of operations and to provide his full focus on his family. White, who previously served as chief operating officer, said she had assumed the role of chief executive, effective immediately, and that the company was in the process of getting an expert to independently investigate whether any unreported claims exist. Besh said in a statement released before his resignation that he deeply hurt those I love by thoughtlessly engaging in a consensual relationship with one member of my team two years ago. Since then, he said, he was seeking to rebuild my marriage and come to terms with his reckless actions. I alone am entirely responsible for my moral failings, he said in the statement. This is not the way the head of a company like ours should have acted, let alone a husband and father. Besh and his business partner, Octavio Mantilla, told the Times-Picayune that the restaurant group did not previously have a human resources department to process these kinds of claims. A company spokesman told the newspaper that its first-ever HR director came on the job on Oct. 11. Raymond Landry, general counsel of the Besh Restaurant Group, said in a statement that the company learned recently that a number of women in our company feel that we have not had a clear mechanism in place to allow them to voice concerns about receiving the respect they deserve on the job. While weve had a complaint procedure in place that complies with all existing laws, we now recognize that, as a practical matter, we needed to do more than what the law requires and we have revamped our training, education and procedures accordingly, he said in the statement. Besh has a long and much-lauded culinary career. He won the James Beard award for Best Chef of the Southeast in 2006, and his flagship restaurant, August, has been a nominee for several James Beard awards. Backlash against Besh has been swift. Harrahs New Orleans, which has had a Besh Steak restaurant inside the casino since 2003, said it was terminating its relationship with Besh Restaurant Group. Harrahs emphasized that the restaurants employees work for Harrahs, not Besh Restaurant Group. The company also said that none of the allegations in the report pertain to Besh Steak to the best of our knowledge. Harrahs said the restaurant will remain open under a different name that would be announced soon. samantha.masunaga@latimes.com Twitter: @smasunaga Harvey Weinstein. Bill OReilly. Roger Ailes. Bill Cosby. The Catholic Church. All were able to skirt years and sometimes decades of allegations of sexual harassment or assault through the use of settlements or contracts that included nondisclosure agreements: legal provisions that swear employees or alleged victims to secrecy. Have you signed a nondisclosure agreement? Share it with us Advertisement Those cases and especially the unfolding Weinstein scandal have sparked criticism that the agreements allow powerful companies and individuals to stave off scrutiny and continue abusive practices. Now, there is a move afoot to place clear restrictions on their use. Last week, a group of Weinstein Co. employees, in a letter published by the New Yorker, sought to be released from their signed nondisclosure agreements, or NDAs. We ask that the company let us out of our NDAs immediately and do the same for all former Weinstein Company employees so we may speak openly, and get to the origins of what happened here, and how, the unnamed employees wrote. And just Monday, in an interview in the Financial Times, Zelda Perkins, who worked as Weinsteins assistant in the London office of Miramax, his former production company, broke a nondisclosure agreement she said she and another worker signed in 1998. Unless somebody does this there wont be a debate about how egregious these agreements are and the amount of duress that victims are put under, she is quoted as saying in the article, which details how she was allegedly sexually harassed and her co-worker sexually assaulted by Weinstein, who denied the allegations. These confidentiality agreements have become a ubiquitous legal tool for purposes both controversial and benign, such as protecting trade secrets or confidential financial information. Nondisclosure clauses in employment contracts and severance agreements prevent employees or former employees from badmouthing their bosses. Generally, as part of a private settlement, one party agrees to drop potential or unresolved legal action in exchange for a payment and their silence. The latest high-profile instance of such an agreement surfaced late last week when it was reported that in January, former Fox News anchor OReilly paid $32 million in a confidential settlement over a threatened sexual harassment lawsuit. Cathy Schulman, an Oscar-winning filmmaker who is president of the Women in Film advocacy group, said such deals are part of a silencing culture in Hollywood. If a person complains about their work culture, what they usually hear is: Its time to move you to another workforce. Lets settle this out, Schulman said. They are asked to make a deal with the devil. They are asked to sign and shut up. And then you plan your exit, Ive done it myself. But in some cases, signing these secret agreements can benefit an individual victim, even if it allows bad behavior to continue, said Gloria Allred, the high-profile L.A. attorney whose firm has negotiated confidential settlements and who is representing some of Weinsteins accusers. If she resolves it in a way thats positive for her and that she feels good about, then thats whats most important, said Allred, who has a reputation for litigating in the press when she feels its in her clients interest. And yes, it may mean that others may not know. But should it be mandated that no settlement should be confidential? We dont think its a good idea. Full Coverage: Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal >> Without confidentiality agreements, many companies and high-profile individuals will choose not to settle and instead take their chances in court, which is not right for every victim, she said. The alternative is facing years of litigation and the risks inherent to that and the expense inherent to that, she said. Thats going to be hard on our clients. In fact, there are already limits on confidentiality agreements, though individuals who sign them may not be aware a fact that can make NDAs more effective in practice than they might be in theory. Wayne Outten, a New York employment lawyer and co-founder of the nonprofit Workplace Fairness, said all such agreements, whether in a severance contract or a private settlement, allow victims to report harassment, discrimination and criminal activity to authorities. No matter what somebody has signed, theyre free to go to the government, Outten said. Its a matter of public policy. For instance, employees can report alleged harassment to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, crime victims can file reports with the police and corporate whistleblowers can contact the Securities and Exchange Commission. Whats more, under California law, confidentiality agreements are not enforceable if they are attached to civil settlements involving some potential crimes, including felony sexual assault and child sex abuse. In such a case, if a victim broke the confidentiality agreement, a court could reject a breach of contract lawsuit. Theres no law forbidding confidential settlements in matters that dont rise to the level of a felony, though there may be a push in Sacramento next year to bar such settlements in harassment cases too following the Weinstein scandal. Still, regardless of various exceptions and even in cases where an agreement might be invalidated by a court, people who sign nondisclosure agreements tend to abide by them. An attorney can say a confidentiality agreement is not enforceable, but a victim might say, I dont care, Im not saying anything, said Assemblyman Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley), who authored a 2016 law that added child sex abuse to the list of potential crimes where a confidential civil settlement is not allowed. Attorneys say many individuals who sign them believe an NDA applies more broadly than it truly does. Ive seen plenty of confidentiality agreements that dont mention any exceptions whatsoever, whether ones that are agreed to or that the law recognizes, said Sherman Oaks litigator David Krause-Leemon. I dont know if the intent is to create a perception that there are no exceptions, but from a defense point of view youd be better off if the plaintiff had that perception. That can make someone hesitant to speak even when theyre allowed to. Los Angeles consumer attorney Brian Kabateck said hes sometimes had trouble getting people who have signed NDAs to testify in court something such agreements generally must allow. Theyll avoid service of the subpoena. Theyre terrified, he said, and with good reason. Breaking a nondisclosure agreement can be expensive. The agreements often spell out the financial consequences of a breach, and the recipient of the settlement could have to pay damages that exceed the amount received initially. Indeed, the agreement that Perkins said she signed in London expressly stated that she will use all reasonable endeavours to limit the scope of the disclosure as far as possible in any criminal proceedings, according to legal documents cited in the Financial Times article. Still, its rare for companies to take action when nondisclosure agreements are broken, in part because it would look bad, said Helene Wasserman, a partner at Littler Mendelson, a law firm that specializes in representing companies in employment matters. Ive never had a client say, We know this person breached confidentiality, lets go after them, she said. I cant imagine many companies would want that kind of publicity. And those are the cases that would get publicity. While such cases are rare, theyre not unheard of. In one high-profile case, Bill Cosby last year sued one of his accusers for breach of contract, saying she had violated a decade-old nondisclosure agreement by agreeing to be interviewed by local prosecutors in Pennsylvania. Andrea Constand had sued Cosby in 2005, accusing him of drugging and sexually assaulting her. The two reached a settlement, complete with a confidentiality agreement, the following year. In 2015, after numerous women came forward to accuse Cosby, investigators with the Montgomery County district attorneys office re-interviewed Constand. Cosbys lawyers argued that Constand had no legal obligation to cooperate with investigators because she is a Canadian citizen and that her cooperation amounted to a breach of the confidentiality agreement. A federal judge threw out that claim, saying a confidentiality agreement that forbids speaking to law enforcement is not enforceable. But Kabateck said that the fact that Constand was even threatened with a breach of contract suit illustrates why some victims even when protected by the law are unwilling to step forward. It has a chilling effect, he said. james.koren@latimes.com Follow me: @jrkoren ALSO New York attorney general launches investigation of Weinstein Co. George Clooney and Matt Damon explain what and when they knew about Harvey Weinsteins conduct 38 women have come forward to accuse director James Toback of sexual harassment UPDATES: 6:15 p.m.: This article was updated with details from a Financial Times article about a nondisclosure agreement signed by a Miramax employee. This article was originally published at 11:10 a.m. As one theatergoers bliss is another theatergoers cornball, lets accentuate the positive before delving into the negative of a show that reveals just how thin the line is between hokey and charming. Bright Star, the eager-to-please country musical by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell that had its world premiere at San Diegos Old Globe in 2014 before landing on Broadway for a few months last year, seems perfectly at home at the Ahmanson Theatre, where the show opened on Friday. So often Broadway musicals coming through the Ahmanson are loaded in on such a dizzying schedule that microphones are popping on opening night as sound technicians are still getting up to acoustical speed. Advertisement In the case of Bright Star, Center Theatre Group is producing this first stop before sending the show off on a national tour. The difference is immediately apparent. The production, directed by Walter Bobbie, seems custom-tailored to the Ahmansons stage. Eugene Lees scenic design, which includes a movable wooden cabin that helps establish some of the musicals North Carolina locales while conveniently housing the band, is fluid and sharp. Japhy Weidemans gorgeous lighting converts stage pictures into dreams. Martin first made a name for himself as an audacious comic, but hes become something of Renaissance man, and here he gets to showcase the strides hes taken as a composer of bluegrass. Love Has Come for You, the Grammy-winning album he collaborated on with Brickell, inspired the duos foray into musical theater, and the shows score, seasoned generously with banjo and fiddle, will have you doing a jig in your seat. Anchoring the musical with top-drawer panache is Carmen Cusack, reprising her Tony-nominated performance as Alice Murphy, whose tall tale the musical unfurls. Overflowing with charm, crackling with wit and containing just the right amount of vinegar, Cusack entrances as much with her vocal beauty as with her pungent smart talk. Carmen Cusack and Patrick Cummings. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times ) Sounds like a musical you wont want to miss, right? Not so fast. Bright Star has a few flaws that are impossible to overlook. Lets start with the storytelling, which is so far-fetched it could make Oklahoma! seem like a work of documentary drama. Not to give too much away, but Alices romantic impetuosity in her youth has fateful consequences that only a show as sentimentally over the top as this could happily resolve. Martin and Brickells book bisects the story into two time periods, one set in the 1940s at the end of World War II, the other 20 years earlier in the Jazz Age, which is still only a rumor in the rural South. The link that connects the past to the present is one that only the most old-fashioned of fictional imaginations would dare to contrive. Billy Cane (A.J. Shively) has returned from war to discover that his mother died when he was away. An aspiring writer who wants to be part of the burgeoning Southern school, he is determined to follow his own bright star, as he earnestly sings in the shows title number. He leaves hillbilly country for Asheville, N.C., where he marches into the office of the Asheville Southern Journal, a leading literary magazine where Cusacks character, Alice, is the formidable editorial gatekeeper. At the top of the show Alice sings, If you knew my story / Youd have a hard time / Believing me. As her cockamamie tale comes out, you might have an even harder time accepting that an important literary editor would have any tolerance for such preposterous fiction. The flashbacks that fill us in on Alices past are so melodramatic there were times when I wondered whether the musical might actually be set in the 1800s, when cries of You cant take my baby boy! were perhaps more commonplace. Mistaken identity, reunited families and losses restored are, of course, the stuff of Shakespearean romance. Audiences love an emotional roller coaster. But before we can make peace with a storys many improbabilities, we must feel some degree of experiential truth in what were watching. Fiction, to put it another way, can do whatever it likes. Its not a question of what occurs but how it unfolds. As dramatists, Martin and Brickell fall readily into cliches. Plot overrules character, and change occurs by fiat. Bright Star insists that a disastrous moment can brighten if the lyric sun is gonna shine is repeated often enough. The songs work best when the sentiment is simple. Always Will, the love duet between Billy and Margo (Maddie Shea Baldwin), the childhood friend he no longer sees as a child anymore, wont win any awards for its lyrics, but it accomplishes its romantic task with mellifluous ardency. Too often, however, the songwriting reveals Martin and Brickells standing as musical theater novices. The setups are clumsy and lyrical subtlety is effectively banished. And while a few numbers (such as the lively Another Round) serve little narrative purpose, others (such as the stupefyingly tiresome A Mans Gotta Do) are embarrassingly direct in their contribution to the story. Shall I bother to mention Josh Rhodes choreography, which turns the leaping chorus of town folk into a cloud of tadpoles hatched in some Agnes de Mille fishery? Let me instead praise the performers for being such agreeable company. Carmen Cusack as Alice Murphy on the bed, with Stephen Lee Anderson playing her father in Bright Star at the Ahmanson. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times ) If the women outshine the men, its partly because their characters are a good deal smarter. As Jimmy Ray, the handsome scion of well-to-do family who brings out the temptress in Alice in the flashback scenes, Patrick Cummings at least seems likes a worthy enough fellow for a bright young woman to upturn her teenage life over. Shivelys Billy matches Baldwins Margo in sweetness, though if you were going to place bets on who had the better chance of becoming a notable writer, the safe money would be on her. As Daryl, one of Alices kooky underlings at the journal, Jeff Blumenkrantz reels off his characters campy wisecracks with delicious sass. Kaitlyn Davidson, playing another Asheville Southern Journal employee, stalks Billy like a lioness who wants what she wants when she wants it. Bobbie directs the supporting cast to be vivid, innocuous fun. A few theatergoers in my vicinity seemed to get misty at the end when the secrets of the characters are all sorted out. My eyes were as dry as Death Valley. Bright Star would be completely winning if we could unplug that part of our brain responsible for critical sentience. But the vacuous smile this throwback musical leaves with you is hardly a crime. Bright Star Where: Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. When: 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays. Ends Nov. 19 (call for exceptions) Tickets: $30-$135 (subject to change) Info: (213) 972-4400 or www.centertheatregroup.org Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (including intermission) SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter charles.mcnulty@latimes.com Follow me @charlesmcnulty MORE THEATER: Carmen Cusack finds her place in L.A. Carrie Coon, at the top of her game, returns to the stage where it all began Tonya Pinkins in a story of gun violence and a mothers loss Lupita Nyongo relates her story of inappropriate Harvey Weinstein encounters Lupita Nyongo with her Oscar after winning Best Actress for 12 Years a Slave at the 86th Annual Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) With stories about women allegedly harassed by Harvey Weinstein surfacing all around her, Oscar winner Lupita Nyongo decided she couldnt keep her own story squashed down any longer. She thought the things that had happened were unique to her, not a larger pattern of what she on Thursday called sinister behavior. She blamed herself for much of it. I had shelved my experience with Harvey far in the recesses of my mind, joining in the conspiracy of silence that has allowed this predator to prowl for so many years, Nyongo wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times. The 12 Years a Slave actress was still at Yale School of Drama when she and Weinstein crossed paths at a 2011 awards ceremony in Berlin, where he was introduced to the then-aspiring actress as the most powerful producer in Hollywood. Dinner companions told her he was a good man to know in the biz, but someone to be careful around because he could be a bully, she wrote. The interactions that followed between her and the producer went back and forth between seemingly appropriate and uncomfortably inappropriate, Nyongo said. The invitation to screen a movie with Weinstein and his children at his Connecticut home turned into a restaurant lunch where he tried to bully her into drinking alcohol, she wrote, followed by him cutting short her viewing of the movie after 15 minutes and taking her to his bedroom where he offered to give her a massage. She said she flipped the situation around. I began to massage his back to buy myself time to figure out how to extricate myself from this undesirable situation, the actress said. Then he wanted to take off his pants, she wrote. He couldnt make it to see a production she was in, but invited her to bring anyone she wanted to see a staged reading of Finding Neverland, one of his. Dinner followed, with her friends relegated to a non-Harvey table. The talk was shop the whole time and Harvey held court with ease. He was charming and funny once more, and I felt confused about the discomfort I had previously experienced, Nyongo said. Lupita Nyongo accepts the supporting actress Academy Award for her work in 12 Years a Slave on March 2, 2014. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) A couple of months later, he invited her to a screening of W.E. followed by a trip to the Tribeca Grill, which she said she assumed would be another group meal. It was not. His assistants, she said, had seemed uncomfortable as they set up the logistics with her. Before the starters arrived, he announced: Lets cut to the chase. I have a private room upstairs where we can have the rest of our meal. I was stunned, Nyongo wrote. I told him I preferred to eat in the restaurant. He told me not to be so naive. If I wanted to be an actress, then I had to be willing to do this sort of thing. He said he had dated Famous Actress X and Y and look where that had gotten them. She declined, and his tone changed, she said. As he escorted her out, sans meal, she checked in with him to make sure they were still good after shed said no. His response, according to the actress: I dont know about your career, but youll be fine, he said. It felt like both a threat and a reassurance at the same time; of what, I couldnt be sure. They didnt cross paths again until the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, which she was attending in support of 12 Years a Slave. At an after-party, he found me and evicted whoever was sitting next to me to sit beside me, she wrote. He said he couldnt believe how fast I had gotten to where I was, and that he had treated me so badly in the past. He was ashamed of his actions and he promised to respect me moving forward. I said thank you and left it at that. But I made a quiet promise to myself to never ever work with Harvey Weinstein. Our business is complicated because intimacy is part and parcel of our profession; as actors we are paid to do very intimate things in public. Thats why someone can have the audacity to invite you to their home or hotel and you show up. Lupita Nyongo The following year, after her Oscar win, he tried to get her in one of his films, showering her with talk of a star-vehicle film in the offing for her later if shed first take a role in a Weinstein Co. movie shed already turned down. She held firm. When she first met the now-disgraced producer, she wrote, she was entering into a community that Harvey Weinstein had been in, and even shaped, long before I got there. He was one of the first people I met in the industry, and he told me, This is the way it is. And wherever I looked, everyone seemed to be bracing themselves and dealing with him, unchallenged. Since then, she said, she hasnt encountered treatment like that from anyone else. Still, she talked about the often-blurry lines in the workplace known as Hollywood. Our business is complicated because intimacy is part and parcel of our profession; as actors we are paid to do very intimate things in public, wrote Nyongo, who is now 34. Thats why someone can have the audacity to invite you to their home or hotel and you show up. Precisely because of this we must stay vigilant and ensure that the professional intimacy is not abused. Organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and PBS have faced the chopping block in recent years when it comes to government funding. But the political landscape was a lot brighter five decades ago. In fact, the arts and humanities took center stage on Sept. 29, 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act, which set in motion the creation of the NEA and the NEH. Among the the goals of the act was to create an American Film Institute, bringing together leading artists of the film industry, outstanding educators and young men and women who wish to pursue the 20th century art form as their lifes work, Johnson declared. Advertisement The AFI, initially funded by the NEA, the Motion Picture Assn. and the Ford Foundation, became a reality in 1967. The 22-member AFI Board of Trustees named Oscar winners Gregory Peck as chair and Sidney Poitier as co-chair. George Stevens Jr., the son of two-time Oscar-winning director George Stevens and a filmmaker in his own right, was named director and chief executive. It was a moment when America realized that it needed to support its artists and where a president proclaimed film as an art, said Jean Picker Firstenberg, who became the second president and chief executive of the AFI in 1980, led the organization for 27 years and is president emerita and a lifetime trustee. In those days, folks out here [in Los Angeles] were very uncomfortable being called artists, because they were making a lot of money, she said. It seemed brash and inappropriate. It helped that an institution like AFI really provided that context for why this is Americas art form, how much it changed American culture. Now in its 50th year, Los Angeles-based AFI has become part of American pop culture. Bob Gazzale has been the president and chief executive since 2007. The AFI Conservatory, which was created in 1969, is going strong and counts among its graduates directors Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman) and David Lynch (Twin Peaks). The AFI Life Achievement Award, which was established in 1973 and is televised, recently named George Clooney as its latest recipient. The annual AFI Fest, which begins Nov. 9, is one of the years major film events in Los Angeles (tickets are free), and the AFI Awards will announce its top 10 choices for the best in movies and TV for 2017 in December. (The choices are often good indicators of Oscar nominations). Firstenberg and James Hindman, who was with the AFI for 24 years as co-director, chief operating officer and provost of the AFI Conservatory, have written a book celebrating the organizations golden anniversary, Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute. (Firstenberg will be appearing in a Writers Bloc conversation Thursday evening with former Monkee Michael Nesmith, who was a trustee at AFI for 12 years.) Less a straightforward history and more a behind-the-scenes memoir, Becoming AFI also features photographs chronicling the last five decades of the institute. Jenkins and Lynch have provided the preface and afterword. The organization hit the ground running under the auspices of Stevens, opening the school, then known as the Center for Advanced Film Studies, at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills in 1969. First, however, Stevens had to figure out the organizations mission. What should it be? How should it be organized? Whats the structure? He went through all the film institutes around the world, noted Firstenberg. They were supported by their governments, because they were trying to build up their own film community. I really think that from those early beginnings, the tutorial concept of learn by doing, study with the masters, was absolutely a brilliant concept. Were still doing it that way. Under Firstenbergs tenure, the AFI purchased the campus of Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles for its permanent home, instituted the AFI Fest and hired the late Oscar-winning writer-director Frank Pierson as the schools artistic director. Preserving film history is also a part of AFIs mission. In 1996, the AFI National Center for Film and Video Preservation made headlines when it received an original nitrate print of Richard III, a 1912 adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy that is the oldest surviving U.S. dramatic feature. Gazzale has overseen the launch of the AFI Docs festival in Washington, D.C., and AFIs Master Class: The Art of Collaboration on TCM. The AFI Conservatory was recently named the best film school by the Hollywood Reporter. One of the hardest chapters for Firstenberg to write was on the well-respected magazine American Film, which began in 1975, only to suffer the same fate as many other periodicals, stopping publication in 1991. (In 2012, it relaunched as a digital magazine.) It had some great work, she said. Thats the sad part about 50 years. There are programs you are deeply committed to that dont survive. Firstenberg also chronicles the difficulties in running a nonprofit organization, especially dealing with funding issues. The political environment is very intense. You see how much you have to hang in there and just hold on. One program that has held on over the decades is the Directing Workshop for Women, created in 1974 to give more opportunities for women to direct. Unfortunately, its still needed, said Firstenberg. In 2016, women comprised only 7% of directors of the top 250 films. Still, Firstenberg adds, for the first time, I see a light down the road, pointing out that several studios are developing their own programs to help female directors and that Jenkins Wonder Woman has grossed more than $800 million internationally this year. I am hopeful, but its been a long walk. ********* A Tribute to the 50 Years of AFI Who: Writers Bloc Presents Jean Firstenberg with Michael Nesmith When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 Where: Temple Emanuel, 8844 Burton Way, Beverly Hills Price: $20, www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3090372 Info: writersblocpresents.com/main/ calendar@latimes.com Hes about to release his 14th solo album. Hes also produced dozens more for a roster of artists that reads like a whos who of American rock, R&B, folk, blues and jazz. But only now is Joe Henry ready to go public with the secret hes guarded so closely for much of his life. Yes, he willing to confess now, hes a poetry lover. Im deeply invested in poetry, and I write a lot of it, Henry, 56, said from Nashville recently, where hes wearing his producers hat yet again, working on a new collection with L.A. folk duo the Milk Carton Kids. See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour I know how that sounds to most people, and how few people of my generation and younger read poetry anymore. A lot of people think that when you refer to poetry, youre getting above your raising. Hes talking about a note he wrote to accompany the release of his latest album, Thrum, which The Times is premiering in full ahead of the formal release date on Friday, Oct. 27. I recognize at this point of my professional creative life, he wrote, that I am seeking less to move along the paths of my earliest musical influences whether Bob Dylan, Louis Armstrong, or Ray Charles; Duke Ellington, Randy Newman or Johnny Cash and more toward true alignment with the mystic poets [Rainer Maria] Rilke and [Walt] Whitman, [Arthur] Rimbaud and Rumi. Those familiar with the astutely literate content of Henrys songs wont be surprised, much less shocked, at his admission, which is all the more evident in the 11 songs on Thrum. His lyrics studiously sidestep the obvious, the trite and the literal in favor of graceful allusions and mercurial metaphors that strive, like great poetry, to outwit the mind. Thats a tall order in a world that increasingly seems unable, or unwilling, to look beyond rigid literalism on almost any front. I think a great song is as powerful as the greatest poem, he said. Song is the first human expression, and I believe that poetry grew out of song, more than song grew out of poetry. On Thrum, Henry addresses themes of light and darkness, spiritual and emotional hunger, loss, rebirth and other fundamental aspects of human experience. The work, he conceded, reflects a deep concern over the coarsening of civic discourse in many corners of society, not just Washington D.C. In Hungry, by way of example, he sings Oh come let us be hungry in the world, expressing a yearning for something most people spend their lives trying to avoid. That, for me, as much as any line on the record, probably speaks most directly about what Im getting on about, if Im getting on about anything, he said. We are not, as mortal people, going to save ourselves from hunger, from fear, from all the things that extend out from need. We cant resist it, we cant flee from it, but we can walk into it and meet it. In doing so, we live our life, and hopefully we live it awake. Henry had worked for years at his home studio in Pasadena on his own albums and those he produced for Over the Rhine, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples , Mose Allison, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Solomon Burke, John Doe, Allen Toussaint, Elvis Costello, Rodney Crowell and numerous others. After selling that house and moving with his wife, Melanie, to Altadena, he recorded Thrum primarily at United Recording Studio B in Hollywood, which he calls my favorite recording space in all of Los Angeles. He urged recording engineer Ryan Freeland to act not simply as an audio documentarian, but to exercise his own creative instincts to interpret sonically what was being played. Thus, the sound of instruments and vocals are often tweaked, twisted and distorted, or stripped down to their rawest form, as the songs unfold. It all contributed to the ideal that Henry pursues in writing and recording each song of how it might live in the air. Along with coming clean about his passion for poetry, Henry has been forthright on his Facebook page with concerns about the current political and social climate. Following Donald Trumps election in November, when Henry was on tour in the U.K. with English rocker Billy Bragg, Henry said he felt paralyzed. I was gutted, and couldnt imagine how I could do [the concert] I had to do that night. He reached out to veteran musician-actor-activist Harry Belafonte, with whom hed bonded a few years earlier traveling through Europe working together on a film documentary. I wrote him saying, I dont know what to do. Im at a loss, said Henry, who will undertake a brief tour in December and January, concluding with a Jan. 13 show in L.A. at the Pico Union Project.. He wrote me back, quickly and briefly, and said to me, I, too, am disappointed. I remind you that this is not my first disappointment. That rang my bell really hard. I read that note from Harry, opened my notebook and in the course of 45 minutes, I wrote Keep Us in Song, he said, referencing the new albums gently reassuring closing track. I thought what Id write would be angry, he said, yet I watched it literally come off the end of my pen and understood: I recognized that even if I was paralyzed, the song I was the vehicle for the conduit for was not paralyzed. I heard immediately the optimism in it. Its the difference between thinking youre writing to express a thought youve already had and want to share with others and what I more accurately believe as the need to write a song to hear what I believe, he said. I write to discover not my wisdom, but a greater wisdom I need to engage for the sake of my own peace and survival. randy.lewis@latimes.com Follow @RandyLewis2 on Twitter.com For Classic Rock coverage, join us on Facebook From the closing of Thomas Kellers Bouchon Beverly Hills to pizza from Roy Choi, heres whats happening in the food and drink world. Au revoir: Chef Thomas Keller announced that he will close his Beverly Hills restaurant Bouchon, Bar Bouchon and the Bouchon bakery at the end of the year. The chef, known for his Yountville, Calif., restaurant the French Laundry, cited adverse conditions impacting our success with our landlord, the city of Beverly Hills as the reason for the closure in a recent statement. Bouchon Beverly Hills, Bar Bouchon and Bouchon bakery downstairs are all located across the courtyard from the Montage Beverly Hills hotel. The restaurant, known for its beautiful seafood towers, French food and Monday night fried chicken dinners, has been open for nine years. The circumstances no longer exist to operate a profitable restaurant, said Keller in the statement. The last day of service for the restaurant, bar and bakery is Dec. 31. 235 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 271-9910, www.thomaskeller.com/bouchonbeverlyhills. Pizza pizza: Roy Choi, the chef behind the Kogi BBQ trucks and restaurant, Chego, Pot, Commissary and Locol (Jonathan Golds restaurant of the year), is making pizza. The chef posted a photo of a bubbly pie on Instagram with the caption R&D round two. Getting there. POT Pizza Joint is opening soon. Choi will be making a thin, square pizza in a pan, thats between a Detroit, New York and LA-style, with the sauce on the bottom. Hell start serving the pies out of the POT cafe space in the lobby of the Line hotel, where he also has the restaurant Commissary, upstairs. The pizzas will be available starting in November, on Friday and Saturday nights, from 6 p.m. until they run out. 3515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 368-3030, www.eatatpot.com. Advertisement Dinner and a show: Les Coulisses, a new restaurant at the Belasco Theater Complex on Hill Street in downtown L.A., will open Nov. 1. The restaurant, which has taken over the space formerly occupied by Vintage 10 Fifty Wine Bar, is located off the main lobby of the theater. Executive chef Francis Li, who was part of the opening team at Providence and has worked at Melisse, is preparing a menu inspired by the regions near the Mediterranean Sea. Highlights include crispy octopus with blood orange gastrique, loup de mer, and roasted carrot and farro salad. The restaurants name means backstage in French, and the 3500-square-foot space includes a first-floor parlor room, a second story bar and an upstairs mezzanine. Marc Sittenfield of the Belasco Theater Hospitality Group and TINI Vintage Interior Design remodeled the space, which now includes overstuffed sectionals and remixed antiques. The restaurant will be open from 5 p.m. daily, and the lounge will be open until midnight. 1050 S. Hill St., Los Angeles, lescoulissesla.com. Cocktail time: Matthew Biancaniello, the Los Angeles bartender who has made a name for himself with his innovative cocktails (that often incorporate foraged ingredients), has started a weekly pop-up at Ysabel restaurant in West Hollywood. Every Wednesday, from 6 to 10 p.m., Biancaniello will be behind the bar, working on R&D for his next book, serving classic and new cocktails. In November, Biancaniello will introduce a ticketed, eight to 12-course tasting menu with two seatings (eight people each) a night. The pop-up will run through Christmas. 945 N. Fairfax Ave., West Hollywood, (323) 366-2940, www.ysabel.la. Chicago burgers: DMK Burger Bar, the Chicago burger restaurant by James Beard Award nominated chef Michael Kornick, David Morton of Mortons Steakhouse and David Grossman, is headed for California. The restaurants owners will start accepting franchise applications in California (as well as in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin), and they are starting with California. DMK is known for its grass-fed beef, Colorado lamb, turkey and veggie burgers; a secret sauce and Parmesan truffle fries. Multiple locations and more information is available at dmkburgerbar.com. Jenn.Harris@latimes.com @Jenn_Harris_ ALSO: Start your day with 18 of our favorite pancake recipes How a family-run mezcal company grew from a single case to the shelves of Trader Joes Thai chef Suthiporn Tui Sungkamee dies at 66; his gift for spices turned Jitlada into a favorite Mexicos festivities for the annual Dead of the Dead holiday (Dia de los Muertos in Spanish) will kick off in less than two weeks, so now is the time to make some travel plans if you havent already. And if you dont have the time or the funds for a last-minute getaway, keep this saved so you can plan your Day of the Dead 2018 trip well in advance. Click here for the 7 Best Destinations in Mexico for Day of the Dead gallery. From October 31 to November 2 of every year, cities, towns, and villages across Mexico celebrate the Day of the Dead. On the first day, All Hallows Eve, children are encouraged to prepare altars for spirits of dead children, known as angelitos (little angels). The spirits of these dead children and infants are to visit the living on the next day, All Saints Day, which is also known as Dia de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels) or Dia de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents). Deceased adults are honored on the third day, All Souls Day, which is itself known as Dia de los Muertos or Dia de los Difuntos (Day of the Deceased). On this day, families gather at cemeteries to decorate the graves and tombs of their loved ones who have passed on. Advertisement Symbols and tokens of the holiday include the widespread use of marigolds, colorful sugar skulls, cardboard skeletons, tissue paper decorations, incense, fruits, nuts, and other traditional foods and decorations. The exact offerings at each tomb vary based on the personality of the deceased, as loved ones will often bring their favorite foods and drinks, poems, photos, toys, and other memorabilia. Its also important to sweep or otherwise clean up the graves during this time as well. Despite the somewhat morbid themes, all the traditions are not somber. In fact, in most places, enormous parties and celebrations are thrown, involving musical and theatrical performances, parades, dances, and other activities. The exact rituals, however, can vary from town to town and city to city, and this article will break it down for seven different locations around Mexico that really know how to honor their dead. -Editor Syjil Ashraf and Matt Sulem contributed to this roundup. In the days since fires ravaged towns here, people have pulled together. Strangers at coffee shops share their trauma, talking of homes destroyed and loved ones lost. Almost everyone seems to know a neighbor who knocked on a door or lifted someone into a car, and saved a life. The phrase The love in the air is thicker than the smoke is on signs in shop windows, in Facebook posts and on peoples lips. Advertisement The community solidarity has buoyed peoples spirits, experts say. But when it fades, the trauma will stay. Thats when the cracks start to show, said Jennifer MacLeamy, a therapist in Petaluma, which neighbors Santa Rosa, the city hardest hit by the fires. Peoples lives are still devastated. The wildfires that ripped through the region killed more than 40 people and displaced tens of thousands from their homes. Those who evacuated had only minutes to do so, leaving them with few, if any, possessions. Search teams look through the debris after the Journeys End Mobile Park was destroyed by wildfires. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times ) Other natural disasters, including previous wildfires in California, have left scars in the minds of survivors, studies have shown. Already, therapists in the Bay Area report hearing from patients who say theyre having trouble sleeping or feel scared when they hear heavy winds or sirens. Health workers say North Bay residents require psychological attention to head off serious problems. Those mental health needs, however, are often neglected after disasters as communities focus on repairing the damage that can be seen. Anxiety, flashbacks and tantrums Talking to therapists at the Petaluma Health Center recently, a woman described her 4-year-old son as extra needy and energetic since they evacuated their home. I told my mom hes a Stage 5 clinger right now, the woman told MacLeamy, who is the centers director of behavioral health. Children might have separation anxiety, be unusually irritable or complain of headaches or stomachaches after traumatic events, MacLeamy said. Some might regress and begin sucking their thumbs, throwing tantrums and wetting the bed even though they had grown out of those behaviors. MacLeamy created a Parenting Through Crisis class last week after co-workers told her they were struggling to talk to their children about the fire. She said the cashier at the grocery store started crying when MacLeamy asked how she was doing. People are just barely stitched together, she said. Julayne Smithson, 55, was working as a nurse at Kaiser Santa Rosa hospital while her mobile home burned across the street. She had purchased the home and moved to Santa Rosa just three weeks before. Smithson and her Chihuahua, Tiki, found a place to live temporarily, but are still searching for permanent housing. Its just amazing how stressful this all is. You dont realize it, you dont realize youre in stress, but youre just exhausted, said Smithson, 55. Anxiety, flashbacks, sleep disruptions, and hypervigilance are normal, and what therapists call an acute stress reaction. The strain may reopen old emotional wounds, or lead alcoholics to begin drinking again. Not everyone experiences these problems immediately. Were really anticipating the reality of this to hit people in the next couple of weeks the reality of what they lost, said Maryellen Curran, who oversees behavioral health services for the Santa Rosa Community Health centers. PTSD after natural disasters The feelings could develop into post-traumatic stress disorder if they continue for more than a month and interfere with relationships or work, experts say. A study of Californians evacuated from their homes during the 2003 wildfires showed that 33% were depressed and 24% were experiencing PTSD three months later. People whose property was damaged and who were injured or had a loved one injured were the most likely to be affected. Lawrence Palinkas, USC professor of social policy and health, said people trained in mental health should be triaging survivors of the fires and referring those who are particularly stressed or not coping well into treatment. Some experts say theres a 30-day window after a traumatic event, a golden month, in which even small interventions can make a difference. It should be happening right now, Palinkas said. Simply because youve provided food and shelter, it doesnt mean the job is completed. Sonoma County health workers have been administering psychological first aid to evacuated people for days, county health department spokesman Scott Alonso said. As long as those shelters are open and theres a need, our folks will be out there, Alonso said. Some questioned whether the region has the capacity to provide more mental health care. The healthcare system took a major hit in the fires, with hospitals and clinics damaged and hundreds of medical professionals losing their homes. When community solidarity fades Even for those who didnt lose homes or loved ones, seeing a hometown dotted with trucks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and people wearing masks can be painful. The air still smells of smoke. Cyndi Evans, 49, couldnt sleep through the night for days last week because the winds were changing so quickly that a new neighborhood could be at risk within minutes. I felt very vulnerable, very raw, said Evans, who lives south of downtown Santa Rosa. Evans said shes grateful her home was spared and her family is safe. She began volunteering at a shelter last week. I still feel weepy for our town, she said. This isnt over yet. Many people, some of whom are experiencing survivors guilt, welcomed those displaced into their homes. Shelters in the region reported having too many volunteers and donations. 1 / 59 An inmate firefighter monitors flames as a house burns in the Napa wine region. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 2 / 59 Flames ravage a home in the Napa wine region in California. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 3 / 59 A firefighter walks near a pool as a neighboring home burns in the Napa wine region. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 4 / 59 Firefighters douse flames as a home burns in the Napa wine region, as multiple wind-driven fires whip through the region. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 5 / 59 Louis Reavis views the burned remains of his classic Oldsmobile at his home in Napa. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 6 / 59 A tent structure built for the 2017 Safeway Open burns in Napa on Monday. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 7 / 59 The Estancia Apartment Homes on Old Redwood Hwy. were completely destroyed in Santa Rosa. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 59 A resident rushes to save his home as a wildfire moves through Glen Ellen, Calif. Tens of thousands of acres and dozens of homes and businesses have burned in wildfires in Napa and Sonoma counties. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 9 / 59 A Fountaingrove Village man surveys the rubble of his home in Santa Rosa. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 59 Downed power poles and lines block a street in Hidden Valley. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times ) 11 / 59 A fcar burns in the driveway of a destroyed home in Fountaingrove Village. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 59 A wheelchair left abandoned at the evacuated Villa Capri assisted living facility on Fountaingrove Parkway in Santa Rosa. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times ) 13 / 59 A resident rushes to save his home as fire moves through the area in Glen Ellen, California. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 14 / 59 A San Jose firefighter keep flames down at a home in Hidden Valley. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 59 A Fountaingrove Village couple takes in the ruins of their home after fire ripped through the neighborhood. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 59 A home destroyed in the fast moving wildfire that ripped through Glen Ellen. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 59 A swimming pool reflects the damage caused by the wildfires that moved through neighborhoods near Glen Ellen. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 59 Benicia Police Officer Alejandro Maravilla, left, offers resident Gwen Adkins, 84, a soda while patrolling in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 59 Spencer Blackwell, left, and Danielle Tate find Tates fathers gun collection, melted and burned, inside a gun safe at her fathers home in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times ) 20 / 59 An American flag is draped on a burned pickup truck on Camino del Prado in the Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times ) 21 / 59 Scorched wine barrels at the Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa after the wildfire burned through. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 59 Fire lights up the night sky framed by a vineyard near Kenwood. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 59 Oakland police officers knock on doors as residents of the Rancho de Calistoga mobile home park are told to evacuate in Calistoga. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 59 An aerial view of the Coffey Park neighborhood detroyed by wildfire in Santa Rosa. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times ) 25 / 59 Contra Costa paramedics help Bill Parras, 96, evacuate his home in Calistoga. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times ) 26 / 59 CHP officers study neighborhood maps before going door to door to tell Sonoma residents to voluntarily evacuate ahead of the wildfire. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 59 A home perched on top of a hill sits in the foreground of a fire moving up on Shiloh Ridge near Santa Rosa. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times ) 28 / 59 Scorched grapes and vines along the edge of Storybook Mountain Vineyards in Calistoga. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 59 John and Jan Pascoe survived the firestorm by running out of their home and into their neighbors swimming pool in Santa Rosa. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 59 Hundreds of burned wine bottles at the destroyed Helena View Johnston Vineyards near Calistoga. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 59 A Contra Costa County firefighter breaks a wall with an ax as his crew battles flames inside a home along Highway 29 north of Calistoga on Oct. 12. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 59 Atascadero Firefighters try to control flames burning inside a home along Highway 29 in Calistoga on Oct. 12. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 59 Contra Costa firefighters work to put out flames burning inside a home along Highway 29 north of Calistoga on Oct. 12. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 59 Search teams sift through the debris of mobile homes at the Journeys End Mobile Home Park in Santa Rosa. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times ) 35 / 59 A worker pulls out a firearm from the burned wreckage as search team members look through the debris at the Journeys End Mobile Home Park in Santa Rosa. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 59 Search team members sift through debris at the Journeys End Mobile Home Park in Santa Rosa. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 59 Santa Rosa Mayor Chris Coursey surveys the damage to the Coffey Park neighborhood. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times ) 38 / 59 Melted metal is seen on a car in the shadow of a destroyed home in Napa. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 59 Lola Cornish, 50, and her daughter Kat Corazza, 18, look over recovered family jewels that survived the fire at Cornishs grandfathers home in Napa. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 59 Some residents were allowed to return to their properties Friday in a neighborhood in Napa that was ravaged by the Atlas fire. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 59 A helicopter prepares to drop water on a fire that threatens the Oakmont community along Highway 12 in Santa Rosa. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 59 A helicopter drops water on a fire that threatens the Ledson Winery and Historic Castle Vineyards in Kenwood on Friday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 59 Manuel Mendoza sorts through donated clothing at the Bridge Church in Santa Rosa on Sunday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 59 Jean Schettler hugs Father Moses Brown after Mass at St. Rose Church on Sunday. Schettlers daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, after losing their house in the fires, have moved into the Santa Rosa home of Jean and Jim Schettler. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 59 Gianna Gathman, 18, hugs her grandfather Jim Schettler during Mass at St. Rose Church in Santa Rosa on Sunday. Gathmans family lost their home in the Fountaingrove neighborhood to the fire. They are now living with the Schettlers. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 59 Kimberly Flinn holds onto the only item that wasnt lost in a fire that destroyed her home in the Mark West Springs area in Santa Rosa. Flynn recovered a ceramic white butterfly that she had made in memory of a boy she used to babysit and was killed in a hit and run accident. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 59 Gerry Miller, 81, tells San Francisco Police Department Officer Gary Loo how grateful she is to find her home still standing. Residents were allowed to return to their homes in the Mark West Springs area in Santa Rosa Sunday night. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 59 Denise Finitz, 61, thanks Torrance Fire Department firefighters Keith Picket, right, and Capt. Mike Salcido on Oct. 16 after they helped her find her mothers wedding ring in the ashes of her home, destroyed by wildfires on Carriage Lane in Wikiup. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 59 A search and rescue crew member gives a cadaver dog some water during the hunt for a possible fire victim in the Mark West Springs area of Santa Rosa on Oct. 15. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 59 Burned cars like this vintage Volkswagen litter the landscape in Coffey Park. The neighborhood was completely destroyed by the Tubbs fire 11 days ago, with many residents fleeing in haste as their homes were enveloped in flames. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 59 A giraffe framed in the smoke filled air at the Safari West preserve. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 59 A Watusi bull looks out through the haze of the recent Tubbs fire at the Safari West preserve. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 59 Peter Lang, 77, owner of the Safari West preserve, stands between a pair of white rhinos against a backdrop of charred hillside in Santa Rosa. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 59 Mark Sharp, a resident of Coffey Park, sifts through the remains of his charred home in search of his wifes wedding band. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 59 Flowers were left on the mailbox of Roy Howard Bowman, 87, and his wife, Irma Elsie Bowman, 88 who died at their Fisher Lake Drive home from the Redwood Valley fire. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 59 Dee Pallesen, left, and her daughter Emily Learn console each as they look over Pallesens home, destroyed by the Redwood Valley fire. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 59 Jason Miller plants an American flag on the charred remains of his house as residents of Coffey Park return home. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 59 Burned vehicles litter the landscape in Coffey Park. The neighborhood was completely destroyed by the Tubbs fire 11 days ago, with many residents fleeing in haste as their homes were enveloped in flames. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 59 A pickup truck rests beside a row of charred trees in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) The sense of unity and support that swells after a crisis is one of the best ways to ward off PTSD and depression, but it often wanes when rebuilding starts, Palinkas said. Some groups will feel slighted because they wont get as many resources as others, he said. Social networks also fray after disasters because loved ones have died, people scatter to find new housing, and survivors tend to withdraw because they feel isolated, he said. The disruption of the social fabric of the community is as much a victim of a disaster like this as the disruption of individual health and well-being, Palinkas said. Andrea Williams-Epting, 30, started a Facebook group to share mental health resources for people affected by the fire. She said shes heard people in Guerneville about 20 miles west of Santa Rosa and close to a redwood park say theyve become sensitive to certain triggers: the sound of the wind, helicopters, people smoking or candles. Even just out here in Guerneville, people are on edge because you strike a match and the redwoods can just go up in flames, she said. Its going to take a while for people to heal. Mental health resources The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has a guide to help patients talk to their children about wildfires, as well as tips based on the kids age pre-school age children, school-age children or adolescents. For adults and children, there are some relaxation tips. The Redwood Empire Chapter of the California Assn. of Marriage and Family Therapists compiled a list of licensed therapists offering free counseling to people affected by the fires. The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration runs a disaster distress hotline at (800) 985-5990. soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com Twitter: @skarlamangla ALSO A Santa Rosa woman died in the fires, her neighbors survived. Here are their stories Wildfires stressed wine countrys healthcare system, creating a crisis and a warning for future Insured losses top $1 billion in Northern California fires Berkeley police arrested a 32-year-old transient who allegedly burned a rainbow flag at an LGBTQ center and punched a staff member who tried to stop him, authorities said. Richard Woods was booked Friday on suspicion of committing a hate crime, arson and battery, Berkeley Police Sgt. Peter Hong said. The incident occurred about 11 a.m. Friday at the Pacific Center for Human Growth on Telegraph Avenue near UC Berkeley. Woods allegedly lit the flag on fire outside the center, and when a staff member rushed to intervene, he punched her in the face, Hong said. Advertisement The woman called authorities, who responded and found him nearby. The man made derogatory statements about the LGBTQ community to the woman, as well as to police officers who spoke with him later, Hong said. Woods is due in court Monday. The center, which was founded in 1973 and provides mental health services, is the oldest LGBTQ center in the Bay Area, according to its website. alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @AleneTchek A 50-acre brush fire broke out south of Beaumont on Monday amid a red-flag warning in the region, officials said. Firefighters responded to reports of a fire near Lambs Canyon Road in Gilman Springs around 10:30 a.m., according to Cal Fire. The first crew to arrive reported a two-acre blaze, but the fire jumped to 50 acres within two hours, authorities said. Approximately 214 firefighters were battling the Riverside County blaze as of noon, officials said. Highway 79 was closed from California Avenue in Beaumont to Gilman Springs Road late Monday morning due to fire, Caltrans said. Advertisement SR 79 remains closed in both directions bet California and Gilman Springs due to fire #caltrans8 pic.twitter.com/AbHflIN2MB Caltrans District 8 (@Caltrans8) October 23, 2017 RT @Caltrans8: Update: RIVCO: SR-79 closed in both directions from California to Gilman Springs Road due to fire. #Caltrans8 pic.twitter.com/KPZAcqA1h6 Caltrans District 8 (@Caltrans8) October 23, 2017 The National Weather Service has issued a red-flag warning through Wednesday and an excessive-heat warning through Tuesday, saying high temperatures and Santa Ana winds will bring the most dangerous fire weather conditions that Southwest California has seen in the past few years. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly, the weather service said. sarah.parvini@latimes.com Twitter: @sarahparvini A former Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy was sentenced Monday to nine months of home detention and 640 hours of community service for lying to federal investigators about the violent arrest of a jail visitor six years ago. Noel Womack, 39, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer to three years of probation. Womack pleaded guilty in 2015 to a felony charge that he lied to FBI agents during an interview when he told them he did not know if the visitor was handcuffed. He admitted to lying again when he told the agents his supervisor had ordered him to punch the man and a third time when he said the strikes he inflicted on the man had been necessary. Advertisement Womack was one of six ex-deputies to be prosecuted for the 2011 assault on Gabriel Carrillo and its aftermath. Three others were convicted by a jury, while Womack and another ex-lawmen struck deals with prosecutors that required them to plead guilty to lesser charges and testify at trial. The sixth defendant is still facing a charge of lying to investigators after his acquittal on charges of conspiracy and writing a false report. Carrillo was assaulted Feb. 26, 2011, after guards found him carrying a prohibited cellphone in the waiting area of the Mens Central Jail. When the phone was discovered, Carrillo was handcuffed and brought into an employee break room, where he was beaten and pepper-sprayed. Womacks plea agreement required him to resign from the Sheriffs Department and never work again in law enforcement. Prosecutors, for their part, recommended to Fischer that Womack receive no prison time. A total of 21 now-former Sheriffs Department members were convicted of various crimes uncovered during a wide-ranging FBI investigation of the jails. The federal inquiry reached the sheriffs executive branch. Former Sheriff Lee Baca was sentenced in May to three years behind bars for his conviction on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and making false statements. Baca is free pending his appeal. Former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka is serving a five-year prison term at a minimum security camp in Colorado following his conviction for obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. A half-acre brush fire broke out in the Sunland-Tujunga area Sunday night as firefighters were on high alert because of a red-flag warning in the region, officials said. The fire was reported shortly after 9 p.m. near 11120 Oro Vista Avenue, drawing a response from both air and ground crews, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Flames were fully contained within about 40 minutes, though officials reported some spotting due to wind-driven embers. No structures were threatened. Temperatures Sunday night hovered around 79 degrees, with winds at 8 mph, and are expected to climb into the triple digits throughout the region starting Monday, forecasters said. Advertisement The National Weather Service on Saturday issued a red flag warning, indicating extreme fire danger, from Santa Barbara to San Bernardino counties through Tuesday as higher-than-normal temperatures and Santa Ana winds combine to create volatile conditions. The red flag warning puts firefighters on alert for the possibility of rapid or dramatic increases in wildfire activity. A high-pressure system is expected to bring the hottest temperatures on Monday and Tuesday, as well as moderate Santa Ana winds. An excessive heat watch will remain in effect in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties through Tuesday. Times staff writer Javier Panzar contributed to this report. alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @AleneTchek Sitting on a bed inside an evacuation center, Imelda Flores had nothing to do but think. Her Santa Rosa home had been spared by a massive wildfire, but her sons caretaker wasnt so lucky. I dont know if Ill be able to find another nurse now, she said. I dont have anyone who can understand his situation. Her 12-year-old son, James Lopez, was born with one bad lung, a weak immune system and requires a machine to pump food into his stomach; if done improperly, it could lead to an infection. Because of his health problems, her son needs a nurse by his side at school. Advertisement Flores looked at James on the bed next to her. A blue face mask lay between them. I may need to go to school to personally feed him, she said. I may become his nurse. As firefighters anticipate full containment of the Sonoma County wildfires this week, residents like Flores are anxious about how they will find affordable housing while others find themselves overwhelmed at having to start over. We have an opportunity to move forward, Flores said. We didnt lose our home, and Im compelled to help others. The mother and son have been staying at the Grace Pavilion on the Sonoma County Fairgrounds for two weeks now. She said the first three days at the evacuation shelter were difficult. People were waking up screaming, some were crying, and some people would storm in here, desperately looking for relatives, she said. It was just difficult and sad. But amid the chaos, she said, Red Cross volunteers at the shelter helped ease her worries by providing them clothing and other essentials. She said Lopezs doctor and nurses from UC San Francisco Medical Center came by to check on the young boy. Though the shelter is now mostly empty, Flores said she has decided to stay longer because lingering smoke from the massive fires could endanger her sons health. He is prone to getting sick, she said. A cold can turn into pneumonia. Even when things clear up, she feels she cant let her guard down. Hell still have to wear a mask a few more days, she said. There have been 18 large wildfires in Northern California, displacing about 100,000 people and destroying about 7,700 homes and other buildings since the blazes began Oct. 8, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Some fires merged as more than 10,000 firefighters struggled to establish containment lines and prevent the spread of the flames. On Thursday, light rain helped firefighters battle the flames, which have scorched more than 240,000 acres, killed 42 people and caused more than $1 billion worth of insured losses. In Sonoma County, the Nuns fire was reported to be 90% contained Sunday evening after burning 56,556 acres; the Tubbs fire, which is the most destructive wildfire in California history, was 94% contained after burning 36,807 acres; and the 17,357-acre Pocket fire was 87% contained. In Napa County, the Atlas fire was 93% contained Sunday evening after burning 51,624 acres and killing at least six people. And in Mendocino and Lake counties, the 36,523-acre Redwood fire was 97% contained and the Sulphur fire 97% after burning 2,207 acres. Across from the pavilion at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Terry Andrew, 63, sat with his girlfriend, Marjorie Roush, 59, and her mother, Marjorie Sparaco, 92, at a special Red Cross shelter set up for pet owners. The couple said their mobile homes were spared, but they couldnt return to the Journeys End Mobile Home Park because there is no power, gas or water. Almost all of the parks 160 homes were destroyed. It was sad going in there to see the mobile home park, Roush said. The couple said a neighbor had alerted them about the fast-moving fire encroaching from the Napa area. They didnt think the fire would reach deep into town until Andrew woke up and saw the flames had gotten closer. I didnt think we were going to get out, Andrew said, adding that he had to help Roush move her mother, who uses a wheelchair, from the mobile trailer into a vehicle. At the shelter, the couple said its been difficult having to lift her mother to use the restroom. Sometimes, her mother yells out to them whenever theyre away. She doesnt know where shes at and when we tell her, she forgets, Roush said. The couple have managed to find a two-bedroom home, which they say they will move into Monday; but they had to dip into their savings, taking out $5,000 to make first and last months rent. They said rent will be about $2,000 a month, leaving them with only $1,000 to work with from social security benefits. They still have to buy furniture for their home and a T.V. for Roush. I love T.V., she said. Lying on the ground, Andrews dog, Homer, slept, ignoring the loud parrot from across the room. Nearby, Forrest Smith, 53, a paratransit bus driver for the city of Santa Rosa, lay on a cot while his dog, Jazz, licked his cheek. She doesnt think Im clean enough, he said, smiling. Smith was living in a hotel, trying to find a new place to live when the wildfire swept through the storage unit where he kept all his belongings. Whatever I have is in my truck, he said. On the day of the fire, Smith said he and other bus drivers help evacuate people from retirement homes. Smith, alone, helped evacuate six people. Since then, he hasnt been working much. Hes volunteered at the shelter, cleaning cots, throwing out trash and doing anything else to keep his mind from thinking about his situation. How am I going to find a place for me and my dog, he said. Outside, sitting on a folded chair, Steve Champ, 61, who has been homeless for more than 10 years, could only feel sad. Unlike other residents, he lost his bicycle and an orange tent where he slept. He had a few photos of his family in a zip-lock bag that the fire destroyed. I have them up here though, he said, tapping his head with his index finger. Champ said he doesnt know where to even begin. Having to start over is even harder when youre homeless. He said he had found a new sleeping place at Coffey Park when the wildfire swept through the neighborhood. The community was left in ruins. Also gone was Champs tent, which he considered home. I didnt have a chance to grab anything, he said. Unlike other residents, Champ said he will have to seek help at homeless shelters and other religious organizations. Until then, he said: Ill let God guide me all of us. ruben.vives@latimes.com For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter. Catalonias leaders have no divine right to stay in power, Spains deputy prime minister asserted Monday, hardening a threat to oust the northeastern regions independence-minded president as the two sides moved closer to a showdown. A senior official in Catalonia, meanwhile, sent a new signal of defiance, suggesting that the regions civil service will keep taking orders from local leaders even if Spain removes the regions president and his top deputies. And a far-left Catalan party predicted that the regional police force would also defy orders from Madrid if the central government asserts control. Advertisement The spiraling confrontation between Spains most affluent region and the central government has rattled European neighbors, spooked corporate leaders and opened up deep political divisions within Catalonia and in the rest of Spain. As a result of Catalan officials refusal to renounce secession aims, Spain has said it will invoke constitutional powers, never before used in the countrys democratic era, to halt the independence drive by imposing direct rule on the region, which until now has had a degree of autonomy. The Madrid government, backed by court rulings, says an independence referendum held Oct. 1 was illegal. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of secession, but turnout was less than half as many voters obeyed Spanish authorities call to stay home. Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, Spains deputy prime minister, on Monday called Catalonias secessionist push and the leaders behind it illegitimate, saying they havent been put in the role by some divine power. Theyre completely not in compliance with the constitution and the statute of autonomy, she told the private Spanish-language broadcaster Onda Cero. They may be living in some other reality, but the political and legal reality is that they will be removed. The regions president, Carles Puigdemont, said the referendum outcome was a mandate to declare independence, but immediately announced he was suspending the result and calling for talks with Madrid. Spain said there could be no dialogue while independence was on the table. Spains Senate is to meet Friday to vote on Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys call to invoke Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, which gives the central government broad authority to administratively take over a region in the event of a serious breach of law. Spanish officials have not spelled out the details of the takeover plan, but said it could be effective immediately after the Senate vote, and cover such matters as policing and regional finances. Raul Romeva, Catalonias foreign affairs chief, predicted that Catalan institutions would respond with defiance. It is not a personal decision, he told BBC radio. It is a 7-million-person decision a reference to the regions population. I have no doubt that all civil servants in Catalonia will keep following the instructions provided by the elected and legitimate institutions that we have right now in place, Romeva added. The far-left Catalan Popular Unity Candidacy party, an ardent backer of secession, predicted massive civil disobedience, perhaps including regional police officers, if Spain strips the region of its local powers. The party said in a statement that a takeover by Madrid would be considered an aggression. There has been speculation that Puigdemont might try to short-circuit Spains takeover plan with a pre-emptive independence declaration. The regional parliament is to meet Thursday to chart its response to Madrids warnings that direct rule is in the offing. Joan Maria Pique, a spokesman for Catalonias regional government, declined Monday to say whether independence would be declared this week, but repeated Puigdemonts contention that the referendum result made such a course permissible. We feel that weve got the mandate for the Catalan government to move ahead, he said. Puigdemont is facing some internal pressure, though, to try to stave off the takeover by issuing a call for new parliamentary elections before an administrative takeover occurs a course he and his aides have ruled out. Some opposition politicians say poor leadership on Puigdemonts part led to the impasse with Madrid. The leader of the conservative Peoples Party of Catalonia, Xavier Garcia Albiol, on Monday blamed the regional president and his top deputies lousy governance for the crisis. Staff writer Hennessy-Fiske reported from Barcelona and staff writer King from Washington. Special correspondent James Badcock in Madrid contributed to this report. molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com @mollyhf laura.king@latimes.com @laurakingLAT ALSO Catalonia takes a breather but this week could bring its independence bid to a boil Separatist leader vows to defend Catalonias sovereignty after Spanish premier seeks to oust regional government Nailing down Britains exit payment sits front and center for the European Union UPDATES: 1:15 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from a regional government spokesman. This article was originally published at 7 a.m. As U.S.-backed forces succeed in driving Islamic State militants from territory in Iraq and now Syria, the Trump administration has difficult choices and divided opinions about how the heavily devastated region can recover in an era when U.S. policy is to take a back-seat role. The administration has stated unequivocally that it is no longer in the nation-building business. But the desire to avoid getting enmeshed in rebuilding civilian institutions conflicts with the need to reconstruct towns that forces backed by the United States fought so hard to liberate and the hope of avoiding conditions that would allow Islamic militants to regain a foothold, as they have done before. Some of Trumps advisors are arguing for a longer U.S. presence in Syria, according to a person familiar with the debate who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The goal would be to guarantee deliveries of humanitarian aid and oversee repatriation of the displaced, the start of rebuilding and the setting up of local governments. Advertisement Others, however, want to hew more closely to the no more nation-building doctrine. Current policy is that we will restore basic services, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, ticking off tasks such as removing rubble, clearing mines and connecting electricity, not the nation-building that the U.S. government previously engaged in other countries. The administration plan is for nations like Saudi Arabia to fill the void. But Saudi Arabias mission has not always been what Washington considers constructive. In the aftermath of the Balkans wars in the 1990s, foreign policy experts note, it was Saudi Arabia that used the distribution of aid and the building of mosques and housing to spread radical Islam in Bosnia, where until then a moderate, secular form of the faith was observed. On Sunday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson embarked on a mission to begin building alternatives to U.S. leadership in the region, presiding over the first meeting of the new Saudi-Iraqi Coordinating Council inaugurated in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We urge you to expand this vital partnership, Tillerson told Saudi King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the prime minister of Iraq, Haider Abadi, in an elaborate signing ceremony. The growing relationship between the kingdom and Iraq will be vital to Iraqs reconstruction efforts. Tillerson said the signs look good: He pointed to the first commercial air traffic between Baghdad and Riyadh resuming last week after decades. Most important for the Trump administration is the bulwark that Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Arab neighbors can form against Iran, the Saudis hated regional rival. The Shiite-dominated government in Tehran has steadily expanded its military, economic and political influence throughout Iraq, Syria and as far as Yemen and Afghanistan. Iranian-backed militias that have been active in Iraq need to go home, Tillerson said. It will strengthen the relationship again of Iraq with the Arab world, which suffered in recent decades of conflict. Whatever the difficulties in Iraq, the situation in Syria represents a far greater challenge. On Friday, U.S.-backed forces declared Raqqah, the city in eastern Syria that was the Islamic State capital, totally liberated. Tillerson described the Raqqah offensive as a critical milestone. Iraq, at least, has a recognized central government that the United States can work with. Syria is still trapped in civil war; the U.S. has several unappealing choices, including the ceding of control to the reviled government of President Bashar Assad or allowing Russia or even Iran to take over. The Syrian Democratic Forces, which the U.S. backed in ousting Islamic State from Raqqah, is predominantly Kurdish, with few ties to the local population. As a start, the U.S. has joined in the formation of a Raqqah Civil Council made up of tribal leaders, but it is not yet clear how much authority they will wield in a community that has been torn asunder, hundreds of thousands of Raqqahs residents having fled. Those who want a greater U.S. role, including a number of members of Congress, argue that failure to follow through could allow a backslide and a return of Islamic State militants. The United States must play a leading role in working with our partners to ensure that post-[Islamic State] areas and communities receive appropriate support, Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said last week, with emphasis on the word appropriate. He is in talks with the State Department, he said, to bring the full scope of its diplomatic and development expertise to bear in Iraq and Syria. James Jeffrey, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq and senior State Department official, testified to Congress earlier this month about the need to keep a robust U.S. military presence in the area. The ostensible purpose would be to protect enclaves and U.S. partners from a resurgence of terrorism, but it would also implicitly put military pressure on Damascus and Iran to negotiate seriously in the search for a political solution to Syrias civil war, he said. With the fighting still fresh, the Pentagon has not yet revealed its next steps. The U.S. has roughly 7,000 American troops in Iraq and about 500 in Syria. In Baghdad, Prime Minister Abadi has shown willingness to keep U.S. troops in Iraq even after the battle against Islamic State concludes. But the Syrian Kurds most responsible for the liberation of Raqqah are already planning for a future without the United States. They watched warily as Washington seemed to abandon its long-time allies, the Kurds in Iraq, who were instrumental in driving Islamic State from the militants largest city in Iraq, Mosul. Iraqi Arab forces moved in recent days to take back areas long dominated by the Kurds, centered on the oil-rich Kirkuk region. The Trump administration said it would remain neutral but also voiced support for a united, federal Iraq, one without major autonomy for the Kurds. Randa Slim, a conflict-resolution expert at the Middle East Institute, a Washington think tank, said Syrian Kurds are already casting a wider net in search of partners and support. Losing the Syrian Kurds as allies may be inevitable: Supremely pragmatic, they have never completely cut ties with Assad and Russia. The Americans were useful to them, but they were not in dreamland, thinking that the Americans were ever anything more than occasional, useful partners, said Paul Salem, senior vice president for analysis and research at the Middle East Institute. As with Iraq, the administration is turning to Saudi Arabia for help in Syria. Brett McGurk, U.S. special envoy to the 73-nation coalition against Islamic State, quietly toured enclaves around Raqqah last week, with a guest in tow: Saudi Gulf Affairs Minister Thamer Sabhan. They met with the Raqqah Civil Council, among others. McGurk is sending a signal to the Sunni Arabs, Slim said, giving an Arab component to the recovery and enticing money towards reconstruction, when he knows the Americans wont come. Staff writer WJ Hennigan contributed to this report. tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter ALSO Officials in Spains Catalonia warn of civil disobedience if Madrid moves ahead with takeover plan The case of a 17-year-old immigrant, illegally in the U.S. and seeking an abortion, goes back to court Kelly might not be like Trump, but he seems like many Trump voters The judge deciding Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahls punishment said Monday he is concerned that President Trumps comments about the case could impact the publics perception of the military justice system. Sentencing for Bergdahl on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy was set to begin Monday, but the judge, Army Col. Jeffery R. Nance, instead heard arguments about a last-minute motion by defense attorneys that recent comments by Trump are preventing Bergdahl from getting a fair sentence. Bergdahl faces life in prison on charges that he endangered comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009. He pleaded guilty last week. Advertisement Nance allowed the attorneys to question him on the record about whether he was swayed by Trumps comments. The judge said he was not aware of the comments beyond the legal motions in the case. Nance said he plans to retire as a colonel in about a year and isnt motivated by pleasing commanders to win a future promotion. I dont have any doubt whatsoever that I can be fair and impartial in the sentencing in this matter, Nance said. But he had stern words and pointed questions for prosecutors about what effect Trumps comments would have on the publics perception of the case. He indicated he would issue a written ruling later on the defense request to have the case thrown out over Trumps comments. On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly called Bergdahl a dirty, rotten traitor who deserved to be executed by firing squad or thrown out of a plane without a parachute. Nance previously ruled that those comments were disturbing but didnt amount to unlawful command influence and noted the statements were made before Trump assumed his position at the top of the armed forces command structure. But last week Trump addressed his past comments in response to a reporters question at a news conference. He told reporters he couldnt say anything more about the case, but I think people have heard my comments in the past. That, the defense, said shows that he still harbors his previous views as commander in chief. Prosecutors argued that Trumps comments didnt reaffirm his campaign-trail criticism and were narrowly focused on the question a reporter posed. But Nance said he was having a hard time with prosecutors interpretation, noting public confidence in military courts was something he had to consider. The member of the public that we are interested in maintaining confidence in the military justice system is going to be influenced by context, he said. Nance said his interpretation of Trumps most recent comments was tantamount to the president saying: I shouldnt comment on that, but I think everyone knows what I think on Bowe Bergdahl. The White House issued a statement Friday that, without mentioning Bergdahl by name, said any military justice case must be resolved on its own facts. Prosecutors cited that statement in opposing the latest defense arguments. Sentencing was set to resume Wednesday because a defense attorney was unavailable for part of this week, the judge said. Bergdahl faces up to life in prison. Prosecutors made no deal to cap his punishment, so the judge has wide leeway to decide his sentence after a hearing expected to take several days. Nance is expected to weigh factors that include Bergdahls willingness to admit guilt, his five years of captivity in the hands of the Taliban and its allies, and the serious wounds that several service members suffered while searching for him. Prosecutors are expected to put on evidence or testimony about soldiers and a Navy SEAL who were seriously wounded by gunfire during these search missions, including an Army National Guard sergeant who was shot in the head, suffering a traumatic brain injury that put him in a wheelchair, unable to speak. Bergdahl, 31, from Hailey, Idaho, was captured soon after walking off his remote post in 2009. He has said he was caged, kept in darkness and beaten, and tried to escape more than a dozen times. He said his intention had been to alert other commanders to what he saw as problems with his unit. Still, when he pleaded guilty, he told the judge that his actions were inexcusable. President Obama brought Bergdahl home in 2014 in a swap for five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, saying the U.S. does not leave its service members on the battlefield. Republicans roundly criticized Obama. ALSO Bowe Bergdahl pleads guilty to desertion, misbehavior Bowe Bergdahl says Trump is preventing him from receiving a fair sentence The case of an undocumented immigrant seeking an abortion goes back to court Pentagon investigating troubling questions after deadly Niger ambush UPDATES: 10:10 a.m.: This article was updated with information on the judge hearing arguments about a defense motion that comments by the president are keeping Bergdahl from getting a fair sentence. This article was originally published at 4:50 a.m. The ACLU asked a federal appeals court Sunday night to reenter the case of a 17-year-old pregnant immigrant in detention whose request for an abortion has been blocked by federal officials. The woman, identified in court as Jane Doe to protect her privacy, has been held in a federal detention center in south Texas since crossing the border illegally in September. She is 15 weeks pregnant and has been seeking an abortion for several weeks. She got approval from a Texas state judge, which the states law requires for minors who dont have a parents permission for the procedure. Advertisement But under policies adopted by the Trump administration, federal officials have tried to block any pregnant minors held in immigrant detention from getting abortions. E. Scott Lloyd, the head of the federal refugee agency that oversees detention centers for minors, is a longtime antiabortion activist, and he has refused to allow Doe to leave the detention center to go to an abortion clinic. On Friday, a divided three-judge panel of the federal appeals court here gave the government until the end of the month to find a private sponsor who could house Doe. The majority opinion, by appeals court judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, a prominent conservative, said that solution could allow Doe to get an abortion while sidestepping the need for the court to resolve the broad, legal questions raised by the governments policy. The dissenting judge, Patricia A. Millett, an appointee of President Obama, objected, saying that the federal policy clearly violated Does constitutional rights and that further delay was unjust. In this context, timing profoundly matters, she wrote. The ACLU, which represents Doe, largely followed Milletts lead in telling the full 10-judge court of appeals Sunday that the further delay is extremely likely to be an exercise in futility that serves no purpose other than to keep J.D. pregnant longer. Weeks have passed with no resolution for Jane Doe, Brigitte Amiri, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, said in a statement, which accused the administration of holding Doe hostage in an effort to prevent her from getting an abortion. The administration is seeking to delay the process until Does pregnancy is too advanced to allow an abortion, the ACLU said. Texas law does not allow abortions after 20 weeks. J.D. is not seeking any assistance from the government to get the abortion, they wrote: Her court-appointed representatives or the shelter personnel stand ready to transport her; the health center stands ready to provide the care; and private funds have been provided to pay for the procedure. All defendants must do is to step aside and stop blocking the door. In a response filed Monday morning, the Justice Department said that the government already has received inquiries from prospective sponsors. The appeals court should not take further action until the refugee office has had time to review those, they said. Even if the government does not need to transport Doe or take other action, officials would still be complicit in her abortion if they allowed her to leave the shelter to have the procedure, the administration lawyers wrote. And they repeated that Doe could leave the shelter if she agreed to be deported to her home country. Ms. Doe arrived here illegally and refuses to leave. She has put herself to a difficult choice of having an abortion or leaving the U.S., they wrote. On Friday, the Health and Human Services Department, which the refugee office is a part of, said in a statement that for however much time we are given, the Office of Refugee Resettlement and HHS will protect the well-being of this minor and all children and their babies in our facilities, and we will defend human dignity for all in our care. A review by the full appeals court, as the ACLU is seeking, could provide Doe with an advantage. By random assignment, the three-judge panel included two Republican appointees, but of the 10 active judges on the full appeals court, seven were appointed by Democratic presidents. The appeals court seldom grants so-called en banc rehearings of cases, but can if a majority of the judges agree to do so. To back up its assertion that further delay will not be likely to resolve the case, the ACLU included a declaration from Robert Carey, the head of the refugee agency in the Obama administration, who detailed the extensive, time-consuming procedures that federal rules require for vetting and approving outside sponsors for minors. The process can take months, Carey said. Crucially, he noted, the rules, which are designed to prevent minors from harm or exploitation, ordinarily do not allow a person to be a sponsor unless he or she can present evidence of a bona fide social relationship with the child and/or the childs family that existed before the child migrated to the United States. I do not think J.D. can be released within the short time period that the appeals court envisioned, Carey said. Activists with Planned Parenthood demonstrate in support of a pregnant 17-year-old being held in a Texas facility for unaccompanied immigrant children to obtain an abortion, outside of the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) David.Lauter@latimes.com Twitter: @DavidLauter ALSO 38 women have come forward to accuse director James Toback of sexual harassment Divide in Californias GOP on display at convention: Were not offering anything hopeful Kelly might not be like Trump, but he seems like many Trump voters Get the latest news from the nations capital on Essential Washington >> UPDATES: 9:30 a.m.: This article was updated with the governments response. The article was first published at 6 a.m. California Republicans walked into their weekend convention facing a persistent question: What direction should they take to stop the ongoing decline of their power in the state? Three chaotic days later, there was little resolution. Concern about the partys future, decisions being made by its leaders and how inclusive the state GOP truly is topics typically only whispered about at party gatherings were openly discussed in Anaheim this weekend, spurred by a series of contentious events at the convention, which ended Sunday. Stephen K. Bannon, a former top advisor to President Trump, criticized former President George W. Bush as the most destructive leader in the nations history and injected a nationalist tone into the biannual gathering. College Republicans selected an ally of conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos over a centrist as their new leader in a contentious fight. And debates over resolutions pitted the so-called establishment against tea party members and other outsiders. Advertisement I currently feel like a stranger in a place where I used to feel home, said Francis Barraza, a top aide to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, one of the states most prominent Republicans. I feel like the leadership has emboldened people that are not working toward what weve been working toward: being a party thats more inclusive, more forward thinking I feel like we have reverted 10 years. By their nature, political conventions function partly as debate clubs, and disagreements among factions are frequent. Democrats also saw internecine party warfare at their state convention following the bitter 2016 presidential primary. But the level of tension at the state GOP fall convention reached new heights this weekend, a reflection of a similar battle taking place nationally among Republicans between nationalists and the establishment. In California, the problem is compounded by the partys lack of power. About 1 in 4 voters identifies as Republican, according to state election officials, and Democrats control every statewide office and super majorities in both houses of the Legislature. The chances of a Republican winning one of the top two prizes on next years ballot governor or U.S. Senate are slim. The partys top priority in 2018 is defending seven Republican members of Congress who represent districts that voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, four of which are within driving distance of the Anaheim hotel where the convention took place. Just one of those members appeared publicly at the convention Rep. Mimi Walters of Irvine. Some state lawmakers purposefully avoided it. There was just too much strife here to attend, said an aide to a state legislator who asked for anonymity to freely discuss the matter. Ive been doing this for over 15 years, Ive never seen it this bad, the infighting, the circular firing squad. The biggest flash point of the weekend occurred Friday, when Bannon lashed out at Bush and Sen. John McCain. Several attendees said that while they appreciated the bulk of Bannons remarks notably his focus on how a disparate coalition of GOP factions united to win Trump the White House they were dismayed by his criticism of Republican leaders. Theyre both heroes for our country, Mario Guerra, California Republican Party treasurer, said of Bush and McCain. I was disappointed in some of the reactions from people here too. Guerra noted that a lone wolf yelled Hang him! when Bannon spoke about McCain. State party Chairman Jim Brulte, who has been close with the Bush family, said that while he did not appreciate Bannons attack on the former president, he agreed with nearly everything else in his 40-minute speech, as did dozens of delegates across the GOP spectrum he surveyed afterward. Brulte and other GOP leaders said they were optimistic about the partys prospects in upcoming elections, citing Democratic overreach in Sacramento and the upcoming state gas tax increase, which will hit voters in their pocketbooks. The Democrats control California, he told delegates on Sunday. They own it, they broke it, and we are the fix. Follow California politics by signing up for our email newsletter But a new hurdle could be be on the horizon. The state GOPs biggest benefactor in recent years, Charles Munger Jr., has told party leaders that he plans to scale back his financial support, according to several of his allies who asked not to be identified to discuss their private conversations. Munger demurred when asked about his plans. Im interested in winning elections, and I dont tell people what Im willing to do to win a political battle in advance, he said. Supporters were despondent about the prospect. We need Charles Munger in the worst way, now more than we ever had before, said Brandon Gesicki, a longtime advisor to former Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, adding the party would have had zero credibility in recent years without Mungers efforts. After the weekends activities, which included unsuccessful efforts to call for repeal of Proposition 14, a 2010 ballot measure to create the top-two primary that Munger funded and Maldonado wrote, and to censure GOP legislators who voted for the states cap-and-trade program, Gesicki said he was rethinking his involvement with the party. I definitely feel close to being finished if this is the direction this party is going, he said. While Munger has been a devoted backer of the California GOP, he has also long been a polarizing figure in the party. Munger didnt rescue the GOP. He bought the party, and hes corrupted it by doling out money to the most Democrat-like candidates and causes, said former Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, a tea party favorite whom Munger opposed in two campaigns. Donnelly and Gesicki got into a heated argument about Munger at a hotel bar Friday. It was one of several public spats over the weekend, leading GOP strategist Alex Burrola to compare the convention to the Red Wedding scene in Game of Thrones a celebration that ends in a massacre. Ive seen a lot of different kinds of ideological movements and tug of wars come and go, Burrola said. Ive never seen something this ugly, and frankly to me, repulsive. Its really disheartening because there is so much potential and people do want another choice in California aside from Democrats. But what are Republicans offering? Were not offering anything hopeful. Were just offering ugliness. seema.mehta@latimes.com For the latest on national and California politics, follow @LATSeema on Twitter. ALSO This is what Steve Bannon told the California Republican Party convention Stephen K. Bannon brings his war against the GOP establishment to California Bannons mention of Sen. John McCain, George W. Bush draws boos at California GOP convention California Republicans walked into their weekend convention facing a persistent question: What direction should they take to stop the ongoing decline of their power in the state? Three chaotic days later, there was little resolution. Those divisions were on display at the GOP convention headlined by Steve Bannon this weekend, just as they are struggling to get viable statewide candidates any traction. Not that the Democrats are much more unified, although Nancy Pelosi downplayed the partys schisms when I interviewed her last week at our summit event in Los Angeles. Advertisement Meantime, the candidates vying to replace Gov. Jerry Brown appeared together on a stage for the first time in a preview of the pivotal race ahead. BANNON COMES ON STRONG The California Republican Party gathered for its fall convention in the shadow of Disneyland in Anaheim this weekend. But Seema Mehta reports that for some members, it wasnt the happiest place on earth, largely because of the presence of Bannon, President Trumps confidant. Even before the convention started, there were concerns about Bannons nativist message, Phil Willon wrote. The appearance drew protests. Some members of Congress stayed away. Convention attendees did appreciate Bannons message about how Trump won the White House and how Republicans can win in California. California is to Donald Trump as South Carolina was to Andrew Jackson, he said during his speech. Worries about inflammatory statements quickened after Bannons attacks on former President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain. Want to know exactly what Bannon told the delegates? Weve got the full transcript. Bannon also cheered college Republicans by making a surprise appearance at a cigar reception late Friday night. The young men and women who make up the future of the GOP had their own contentious battle over their new leader, ultimately picking an ally of conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos. Other speakers at the state GOP fall convention included House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who went after state lawmakers, and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who criticized the new California sanctuary state policy. Just down the street, the major Democratic candidates for governor took part in their first gubernatorial candidate forum at a gathering of the National Union of Healthcare Workers. (The Times Melanie Mason was one of the moderators.) They splintered over single-payer healthcare but little else. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom won the groups endorsement later Sunday, the day after he earned the backing of the powerful California Teachers Assn. A reminder you can keep up in the moment via our Essential Politics news feed on California politics. A LOOK AT THE CULTURE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SACRAMENTO An explosive letter on the culture of sexual harassment that pervades California politics continues to reverberate in the Capitol. Mason reports that legislative leaders have begun looking into a graphic allegation of a lawmaker attempting a forced sexual encounter with a lobbyist. Her story -- and others like it -- underscore a systemic flaw in the sexual harassment protections afforded to lobbyists and other non-employees who work in, but are not employees of, the Capitol. State Sen. Connie Levya (D-Chino) says she will introduce a bill next year barring confidential settlements in sexual harassment cases. Those settlements, she said, serve to cover up serial misconduct, such as the alleged behavior of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein; her proposal would cover public employers, such as the Legislature. Harassment also is the subject of this weeks California Politics Podcast. A CONVERSATION WITH NANCY PELOSI Asked about differences between her partys leaders and the rank and file, Pelosi suggested the GOP has bigger problems. But she defended her own experience as a party elder, told me she wasnt worried about calls for her to step aside and made a bold prediction her party would be returned to power after the 2018 midterms. The House minority leader also insisted she hasnt personally experienced any harassment, and said there should be a zero tolerance policy in the Capitol when it comes to the behavior being described through the me too movement. Watch the conversation, co-hosted by the L.A. Times and the Berggruen Institute, in full here. Appearing a few days later on The View, Pelosi said its important to have a woman at the table with Trump and GOP leaders, and she intends to remain that woman. You also can watch John Myers conversation from our event with state Sen. Robert Hertzberg, GOP strategist Luis Alvarado, UCLA professor Lynn Vavreck and Alma Hernandez, executive director of SEIU California. $3.8 MILLION AND NOWHERE TO SPEND IT State Senate Leader Kevin de Leon launched a run for the U.S. Senate with $3.8 million sitting in various state campaign accounts, including one for an abandoned race for lieutenant governor, but he cant just roll the money over into his federal contest. Federal law prohibits transferring funds raised for state committees into a campaign for U.S. Senate like the one he has launched to unseat Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Legal experts and political strategists say there may be legal, although heavily restricted, ways money raised for state campaigns could end up helping De Leon get to Washington, but the candidate acknowledges there are hurdles and says he is focused on raising new contributions to his campaign for U.S. Senate. And Team Feinstein has done its research. George Skelton said voters shouldnt be surprised if De Leon shakes things up. Its rare, but it happens: An esteemed, powerful, senior politician is booted from office, he writes. NATIONAL POLITICS LIGHTNING ROUND Trump raised expectations Sunday about Republicans timetable for completing tax reform, indicating he expects the as-yet-unwritten overhaul of the tax code on his desk by Thanksgiving. Trump tweeted he plans to allow the release of classified files related to the November 1963 assassination of President Kennedy. Noah Bierman writes that both Trump and his chief of staff John Kelly hark back to an undefined time in America when some things were sacred, as Kelly put it, to a better moment thats been lost. Female U.S. senators shared their personal me too stories on Meet the Press. Get the latest about whats happening in the nations capital on Essential Washington. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRES FORCE THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS TO FACE THE REGIONS HOUSING PROBLEMS Even before devastating wildfires struck Northern California last week, the regions housing market was in crisis. Home values and rents already were at or near record highs, and decades of slow construction has left few homes available for the thousands of displaced residents. The number of new families flooding the market is giving rise to fears of widespread displacement and even higher costs, reports Liam Dillon. POLITICAL ROAD MAP: CALLING THE GOP CANDIDATES As Republicans wrapped up the convention, it was still unclear whether viable candidates will emerge for several statewide offices in 2018. In one race, theres not any GOP hopeful whos ready to run. In his Political Road Map column, Myers takes a look at the long losing streak of Republicans for any of the eight statewide offices in California. And its unclear whether donors will step up to change that in the election cycle thats on the horizon. TODAYS ESSENTIALS -- Skelton tells the story of a California lobbyist who lost his home in the fires. All he wanted was for the governor to sign his bill and he did. -- Brown is in Washington, talking about the threat of nuclear war. -- Billionaire Democratic donor Tom Steyer, still contemplating a U.S. Senate bid, launched a nationwide call for Trumps impeachment. -- Gold Star father Khizr Khan, who clashed with Trump during the election, also appeared before the National Union of Healthcare Workers on Saturday and criticized the Trump White House for its clash with a widow of a fallen soldier last week. -- California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra asked a federal court to stop the Trump administration from cutting off healthcare subsidies. -- A California lawmaker plans to introduce legislation to protect workers who exercise the right to free speech. -- Newsom has asked the courts to lift an order that blocks Californias ban on large-capacity ammunition magazines, which was approved in November by voters when they passed Proposition 63. -- Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox plans to donate a substantial amount of money in the six figures to a campaign to qualify a ballot measure that would repeal increases in gas taxes and vehicle fees in California. -- Los Angeles Rep. Tony Cardenas spent $105,500 on Hamilton tickets and ended up with more money than he started with. -- Until this weekend, Republican Justin Fareed had been coy about whether he was jumping in again to challenge Rep. Salud Carbajal, even though he reported raising more than $200,000 last quarter. He officially announced on Saturday that he wants a rematch. -- Far-right blogger Chuck C. Johnson gave a $5,400 campaign donation to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in bitcoin. LOGISTICS Essential Politics is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can keep up with breaking news on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics? Miss Fridays newsletter? Here you go. Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox. The top four Democrats running for California governor stood onstage for the first major candidate forum Sunday, splintering over single-payer healthcare but little else. The divide on healthcare mirrored the conflict within the Democratic Party both nationally and in California, with progressives including those who backed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for president aggressively pushing for universal healthcare while moderates and establishment party members want to plot a more deliberative, cautious course. On almost every other issue, from immigration to making housing more affordable in California, the four gubernatorial candidates aligned on Sunday. They remained cordial throughout the 90-minute exchange, taking only a few subtle digs at one another that would probably go unnoticed by voters paying only casual attention to the race. Advertisement The candidates each called for an increase in coverage for mental health and for holding healthcare companies more accountable. They threw sharp jabs at the Trump administration, vowing to take legal action to shield immigrants in California. All four also lavished praise on organized labor, which was well received by the sponsor of the forum in Anaheim, the National Union of Healthcare Workers, an organization that has close to 14,000 members in California. Union president Sal Rosselli said the Republicans in the governors race were also invited but did not respond. The exchange over state-sponsored single-payer healthcare, including shelved legislation in Sacramento that would have made the state responsible for paying all of the medical costs of Californians, offered a glimpse of the biggest contrast between the Democrats. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he supports the concept of a state single-payer system, but cautioned that politicians pushing for it were selling snake oil because they havent explained how to pay for it the estimated cost is between $330 billion and $400 billion. When youre governor, youve got to make the tough choices, Villaraigosa said. You cant just say I want pie in the sky, because that doesnt put food on peoples tables. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the current front-runner, dismissed those concerns. He said the next governor needs to show the political courage to tackle the issue. He cited a UCLA study that found Californians already pay an estimated $367.5 billion for healthcare through private insurance and public programs, with 70% of the cost borne by taxpayers. Its a question of leadership. This is what they said about Social Security and Medicare You cant do it, Newsom said. The fact is the money exists in the system. The money is not being well invested. A single-payer system provides the ability to provide more efficiency and more cost controls Im not going to wait around for the debate to unfold in Washington, D.C. Former state schools chief Delanie Eastin was the only one to throw her full support behind the single-payer legislation in Sacramento. But she provided only general concepts about how the state would pay for it, citing a new gross receipts tax among her ideas. Im not sure exactly. But its doable. We can do it if we put our minds to it, Eastin said. State Treasurer John Chiang, who is campaigning as a steward of fiscal responsibility and government transparency, was the most measured. He also favors universal healthcare, but suggests a slower approach to ensure it doesnt swamp the state budget. We have to figure out how to scale up, Chiang said. We dont have to go all in [and] provide all the services at once. After the debate, the union representatives in the audience cast their ballots to determine which candidate to endorse for the 2018 election. When no one received more than 50% of the vote on the first ballot, a second vote was taken between the top two finishers: Newsom and Eastin. Newsom received the endorsement. phil.willon@latimes.com Twitter: @philwillon Updates on California politics ALSO We will have universal healthcare in the state of California, Gavin Newsom promises single-payer advocates The push for single-payer healthcare just went national. What does that mean for the California effort? You asked, we answered. Here are some of our readers questions on Californias proposed single-payer plan California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon will hire two outside firms to look into allegations of a widespread culture of sexual harassment in the state Capitol. De Leon announced Monday he has hired the law office of Amy Oppenheimer to conduct an external investigation into harassment and assault allegations, and the consulting firm CPS HR Consulting to review Senate policies on harassment, discrimination and retaliation. The Senate leader also sent letters to lobbyists in the Capitol community detailing how existing rules protect non-employees, as well as a letter to senators saying the focus on harassment requires both reflection and action. Advertisement Theres always more employers can do to protect their employees, De Leon said in a statement. Everyone deserves a workplace free of fear, harassment and sexual misbehavior and I applaud the courage of women working in and around the Capitol who are coming forward and making their voices heard. The women behind an open letter sent last week calling out a pervasive culture of mistreatment in the political field said that De Leons actions were insufficient. More than 140 women, including legislators, Capitol staff, political consultants and lobbyists, signed the letter. To find the truth and rebuild trust, we need a truly independent investigation, not a secretly hand-picked self-investigation, said Adama Iwu, a government affairs director for Visa who spearheaded the campaign. We need full transparency. How was this firm selected? Who will they report their findings to? What exactly are they investigating? Is the Assembly involved? Dan Reeves, De Leons chief of staff, said the two firms were selected based on the recommendation of the state Senates outside employment counsel. Meanwhile, the women who have signed the letter, who have coalesced into a group called We Said Enough, announced they were formalizing their advocacy efforts on Monday by launching a nonprofit organization. The group plans to hold forums to outline a plan of action for improving how harassment and abuse complaints are reported, investigated and addressed. The current structure has and continues to fail, the group said in a news release. Decades of structural harassment and abuse cannot be repaired with a quick fix. melanie.mason@latimes.com Follow @melmason on Twitter for the latest on California politics. Graphic allegations about California legislator show there are few protections for female lobbyists in the Capitol Female lawmakers, staffers and lobbyists speak out on pervasive harassment in Californias Capitol Updates from Sacramento UPDATES: 8:35 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Dan Reeves. This article was originally published at 2:15 p.m. After his house burned down in the wine country wildfire and he and his wife escaped through flames, community college lobbyist Patrick McCallum got a call from the governors office. Is there anything we can do? asked a top advisor to Gov. Jerry Brown. It was a common-courtesy throwaway that evoked a serious answer. Yeah, McCallum immediately replied. Sign AB 19. Assembly Bill 19, which McCallum had been lobbying for all year against stiff odds, finally passed the Legislature Sept. 13 near the end of its 2017 session and was on Browns desk to be signed or vetoed. It would allow full-time, first-year students to attend community college without paying course fees. Advertisement McCallum had expected Brown to veto the bill because of the cost, estimated at between $32 million and $50 million annually by the governors budget office, which opposed the measure. But Brown signed it. Maybe it was just a coincidence that the veteran lobbyists house had been totally destroyed in a firestorm. Maybe Brown wasnt feeling sorry for McCallum and his wife, Sonoma State University President Judy Sakaki, and trying to ease their pain. But maybe he was. Regardless, it was a laudable signing, one of the most important of the year. It was among Browns nearly 1,000 bill signings or vetoes in 2017. Browns staff argued that providing free college courses for students, no matter their families incomes, should have been debated in June while the state budget was being passed. But McCallum and the bills author, Assemblyman Miquel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), a former community college student, lobbied the governor hard. They solicited 6,600 student signatures on petitions. We got a lot of buzz going, McCallum recalls. More from George Skelton The contention that this state cant afford free community college is hogwash. Before 1984, California didnt charge any community college course fees. Then the Legislature authorized $5 per unit. Now its at $46. Books, supplies and any housing are on top of that. About half the students get their fees waived because theyre poor. But the other half should too just to encourage continued learning, expand career options and provide a more educated California workforce. What a high school degree provided 35 years ago now requires a community college degree, McCallum says. The bill-signing deadline was Oct. 15. McCallum went to bed Sunday night, Oct. 8, fretting about AB 19. In the wee hours, smoke alarms started sounding. They were ignored because McCallum, in his slumber, figured high winds were setting them off. Finally, Judy got up to take a look, he says. She opened the bedroom door, and the house was in flames. We ran through the flames, and everything outside was ablaze. If we had left 10 seconds later, wed have died. I was barefoot and in boxer shorts. Judy had a robe. We ran for a third of a mile with embers all over the road. Everything in the house was lost. Brown signed the bill Oct. 13. Either the governor saw the light or the flames probably both. Coverage of California politics Brown also acted on several other significant bills, including: Primary elections: He signed a measure moving up Californias presidential primary from June to March in an attempt to give the state more clout in the nominating process. That also could help a California candidate. Good idea. But it was a bad bill because the state primary was moved up, too, even in non-presidential years. So well have gubernatorial and other state candidates running full speed by Halloween of the previous year. Political campaigns will become even longer. Brown should have insisted on separating the elections, moving up the presidential primary and keeping the state contests sensibly in June. Candidate tax returns: Brown wisely vetoed a spiteful gotcha bill aimed by Democrats at their hated punching bag, President Trump. It would have required all presidential candidates to release their income tax returns for the last five years. Anyone who refused wouldnt be permitted on the California ballot. First, it may not be constitutional, Brown wrote. Second, it sets a slippery slope precedent. What would be next? Five years of health records? A certified birth certificate? High school report cards? And will these requirements vary depending on which political party is in power? Wireless expansion: Backing local governments, Brown vetoed a bill that would have given telecommunications companies power to install wireless transmitters on utility poles, streetlights or wherever without pesky interference from city hall or the courthouse. Thats too much power. Beach smoking: Brown vetoed legislation to ban smoking at state parks and beaches. If people cant smoke even on a deserted beach, where can they? the non-smoker asserted. There must be some limit to the coercive power of government. Agreed. Brown signed several major bills that had already been shaped by him before they passed the Legislature. They included the so-called sanctuary state bill, an affordable-housing package, a $4-billion parks and water bond proposal and a $5.2-billion annual gas tax and vehicle fee increase to finance highway repairs. It was a good legislative year for Brown. Next year, the governor and lawmakers should develop legislation aimed at alerting the likes of McCallum and Sakaki during sleeping hours. Television warning alerts dont work when the TV is off. Cellphones and other fancy technology melt in fires. Perhaps we need to go back to old-fashioned horn honking and bullhorns. george.skelton@latimes.com Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter ALSO Think Feinstein is a shoo-in for another term? Dont be shocked if voters shake things up Brown should compromise and settle for just one delta tunnel Will politics pass by Sen. Dianne Feinstein as both parties veer to extremes? Lets hope not Republicans, in a shift after Las Vegas massacre, are open to considering a gun limit -- on bump stocks The Las Vegas massacre has forced a breach in congressional Republicans solid opposition to gun restrictions, prompting many, from party leaders on down, to say they will consider banning bump stocks that turn assault rifles into virtual machine guns. The National Rifle Assn., to which most Republicans are loyal and which had been silent since the gunmans attack Sunday night, on Thursday in a statement said it could back such limits -- as a federal regulation, not law. The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations. its statement on Thursday said. The NRAs blessing will probably increase the number of Republicans willing to back restrictions, but if those limits come in the form of regulations from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), rather than in a law, Democrats are certain to object. Just Wednesday, when California Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation to ban bump stocks by law, only fellow Democrats joined with her. By Thursday, however, top GOP leaders in the House and Senate, including Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, signaled their interest in working on legislation that that could limit access to the devices. Clearly thats something we need to look into, Ryan told MSNBC host Hugh Hewitt in an interview scheduled to air this weekend. Senators on Thursday morning privately discussed ways they could tackle the issue as they met for routine business. I will tell you that the unique aspect of the bump stock and how you would literally transform a semiautomatic weapon into an automatic weapon is something that I think bears looking into, Cornyn told Texas reporters on a conference call. He has asked Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley of Iowa to convene a hearing and look into it. Even Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus of conservative hard-liners, told reporters earlier in the week hed be willing to consider banning bump stocks, if the Senate passes a bill and sends it to the House. The shift is notable for Republicans who, under great pressure from the NRA and other gun rights groups, have resisted past efforts at gun control, even after some of the most devastating mass shootings in the United States. Coming after the Las Vegas shooting, which left 58 dead and hundreds wounded in what authorities said is the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, the movement may indicate the potential limits of the gun lobbys reach into politics and policy. Polls show Americans overwhelmingly want measures that could curb gun violence and pressure has mounted as cultural figures, including late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, have delivered heart-wrenching criticisms of congressional inaction. Democrats, who have at times splintered on firearms issues as conservative-state lawmakers joined Republicans to defeat gun-safety bills, welcomed the changed outlook. They have called on President Trump to cut across partisan lines and push Congress toward legislation to reduce gun violence that polls show most Americans would support. Will the president stand up? said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York. The president has a choice. Many Democrats, however, will not want to limit action to bump stocks. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco said bump stock legislation was one approach, but no substitute for a background check bill that she said would have bipartisan support in the House if Ryan would allow a vote. It really is all up to the speaker, she said. Is he going to bring the bill to the floor? At the same time, lawmakers were skeptical that initial interest in limited bipartisan legislation would translate into enough actual votes to write the restriction into law. We need to move Republicans from being open to the idea to being willing to actually work on it, said Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a Democrat who has become a leader on firearms safety measures since the 2012 killings of 20 first-graders and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. One key Republican, Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, who co-sponsored a bipartisan background check bill that was defeated a few years ago, was noncommittal Thursday. He said he was just learning about bump stocks and needed more information. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas told reporters it was too soon, as the investigation in Las Vegas was just underway, to consider legislation. Lawmakers, though, appeared concerned that the device offers a way to get around the existing ban on automatic weapons, which have been outlawed for years except for military use. In the House, several military veterans, led by Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois, sent a letter to federal officials asking them to reconsider how they regulate the devices. During the Obama administration, the ATF authorized use of the stocks. This is definitely an area were going to look [at], Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield said on Fox News. A number of lawmakers, including Ryan, an avid hunter, said they were unfamiliar with bump stocks before the Las Vegas shooting. The alleged gunman appears to have used the device for rapid shooting. Read More A right-wing demonstration in Laguna Beach aimed at calling new attention to previous attacks on American installments in Benghazi, Libya, and an Army helicopter in Afghanistan ended Sunday night without violence or arrests. Shortly after 8 p.m., officers in riot gear walked rally organizer Johnny Benitez from the sand at Main Beach to a car parked behind a gas station on the other side of South Coast Highway. Let them be the dogs, said Benitez, leader of the group Onward America. Its because of Kyle Chapman, a well-known conservative organizer involved in the spring unrest in Berkeley who showed up in Laguna. Advertisement Laguna police Capt. Jason Kravetz said police and Benitez mutually decided to end the demonstration after arguments intensified among participants and counter-protesters. If people are put in a perilous situation, our goal is to get them out of it, Kravetz said. Law enforcement from 11 agencies, including Irvine, Seal Beach and the Orange County Sheriffs Department, stood watch along the boardwalk and sidewalks. Protective barriers lined South and North Coast Highway from Ocean Avenue to a point near the lifeguard headquarters. The K-rails were set up as a precaution to keep motorists from the crowd. The public stage illuminated a rift between Benitez and the Proud Boys, a self-proclaimed fraternity of Western chauvinists. Tensions peaked halfway into the demonstration when one of the Proud Boys shined a flashlight into the face of Onward America member Bassad Pesci and traded verbal barbs. Police separated the men. Chapman said the Proud Boys booted Benitez from their ranks earlier this year because of a clash of ideologies. We kicked him out because he is a racist white nationalist and our group allows people of all races and identities, Chapman said in an interview, adding that the two had an altercation the previous night at the California GOP Convention in Anaheim. Benitez has said he is not a racist or a white nationalist. My white advocacy has been that we need to curtail the messages in academia that are training the white kids to hate themselves, he said in a video post. Pesci, who stood on the sand with a bullhorn, said claims that Onward America is pro-Nazi and pro-Ku Klux Klan are a technique of the left to shift the pendulum of truth to put us on the defensive. The stated purpose of the Laguna demonstration was to call attention to Extortion 17, an Army helicopter the Taliban shot down in 2011, killing all 38 occupants, and the attacks against two U.S. government facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador. Were here to hold the administration accountable when we have Americans in harms way, regardless of who is in office, said Eric Gonzales, a Navy veteran. Police made no arrests Sunday night and said the event, at its height, drew about 60 demonstrators and counter-demonstrators, a number that paled in comparison with the thousands who flocked to Main Beach in August to oppose Benitezs America First demonstration. bryce.alderton@latimes.com Twitter: @AldertonBryce Results from a survey on drug use and other topics meant only for fifth-graders at Davis Magnet School were destroyed because the questionnaires were inadvertently circulated to students in other grades, school officials said this week. The California Healthy Kids Survey is meant to help schools and districts assess any areas of need as they relate to student health and related topics. Students, who participate anonymously, are asked to complete questions regarding their participation in school, school environment, home life and whether theyve use tobacco, alcohol or drugs. Data are only collected for students in grades 5, 7, 9 and 11 so the survey can target the major transition years that sometimes correlate with risky behavior, according to the surveys website. At Davis, the survey was distributed to third- and sixth-graders, in addition to fifth-graders, according to Newport-Mesa Unified School District spokeswoman Annette Franco. Students at the Costa Mesa school were given the survey Feb. 29 and March 1. Costa Mesa resident Jeff Wilcox, whose grandson is a Davis third-grader, said the situation concerned him. Wilcoxs daughter told him that her son came home from school and said he had taken a survey at the direction of a substitute teacher. "[My grandson] told the substitute teacher that he was uncomfortable taking the [survey] and that he wanted to speak to his mother, according to him, Wilcox said. The substitute teacher said he had to take the test and that he had no choice. Im very concerned that theres no accountability for anyone. According to Franco, Davis Magnet Principal Christy Flores issued a communication to parents March 2, apologizing for inadvertently administering the survey in the wrong grades. As soon as we found the error, we communicated with parents and encouraged them to contact me if they had concerns, Flores said. Letters were sent home to the parents of the students who took the survey. Survey results were destroyed, and we are moving forward as a school community, focusing on the high-quality education that we offer students at Davis Magnet School. Because the results were destroyed Davis will not participate in the California Healthy Kids survey this year. -- Alexandra Chan, alexandra.chan@latimes.com Twitter: @AlexandraChan10 A Fresno man was sentenced Friday to three years and eight months in state prison for pimping an 18-year-old woman in Costa Mesa and illegally possessing a loaded firearm. Adam Rocky Trinidad, 25, pleaded guilty in August to felony counts of pimping, pandering, possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person. He also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of possessing a loaded firearm with the serial number removed, according to Orange County Superior Court records. Trinidad has a previous felony conviction in Fresno for possession of a controlled substance for sale in 2012, according to the Orange County district attorneys office. Prosecutors said Trinidad pimped an 18-year-old woman from Fresno to areas in Orange County known for human trafficking and prostitution between Aug. 23 and 25, 2016. Undercover Costa Mesa detectives arranged to meet the woman at a motel on Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa on Aug. 25 under the guise of being a customer, prosecutors said. Police said they found a bag in a motel room that contained a loaded firearm with the identification number scratched off. Trinidad was arrested near the motel. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN Typically, Im up by 5 a.m. each day, sometimes earlier. After reading for two hours and checking my email, Im off to Starbucks, hopefully, to write another page for the sequel to Girl with the Purple Ribbon. Last Thursday morning I began to have visions of a freshly baked apple fritter from La Canadas Golden Donut. But since I had promised my buddy Charlie Kamar that Id attend the LCF Chamber of Commerce meeting, I didnt have time to swing by the doughnut shop. Instead, I headed to the meeting, hoping theyd have an assorted dozen or more on hand there. Upon arriving, I was greeted graciously by Dr. Rion Zimmerman, the chairman of the chambers board. I thought to myself, I hope he didnt think I came for the doughnuts. Zimmerman set the tone for the collective spirit emitted by the chamber. Doc, I said, you look like youre 18. I sat in the back of the room, a Bronx wise-guy habit. There, I realized that many of our locals begin their day serving the community. The essence of any stable society begins at the grassroots level, those members of a community who are early to rise and through their endeavors assure the collective good becomes the focus of yet another meeting. Plato was instrumental in defining the importance of community advocacy. In The Republic he speaks to the importance of the volunteer as the glue that binds the citizenry. Although I was sitting in the back of the room, it was nice to be among such volunteers. The La Canada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce is a local business network, an organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of their respective endeavors. What is unique about the La Canada Chamber is its symbiotic relationship with the greater community. Their motto, Big enough to serve you, small enough to care, speaks to the synergistic relationship between commerce and the community. I was pleased that the chambers interest was inclusive of the community of La Canada. During the meeting, I found it interesting that the LCF chamber has various liaisons between local and statewide governments. As the liaisons reported to Pat Anderson, our chambers president chief executive, I noted that their rationales were founded in the interconnectedness of legislation, business and community. Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher king, was the first emperor of the Roman Republic to assert that legislation is a triad between the state, its people and its commerce. Chambers of commerce date back to Marseille, France, in 1599. Historically, their emergence was the evolution of the business communitys incursion into the dominant monarchies of Europe and their hold on the economic well-being of the people. According to the history of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, it was just such a trade association in Boston that organized a tax protest in 1773 popularly known as the Boston Tea Party. In the 1950s and 60s, my familys delicatessen, Puglias, belonged to a chamber of commerce of sorts. The Don of the North Bronx, Mr. Davia, protected the local businesses and often interdicted on the peoples behalf, bringing either financial or emotional support. If we needed muscle, hed bring that too. Mr. Davia helped my dads deli recover from vandalism and supported me as I trained for the Golden Gloves. There was only one unspoken cost for his benevolence: respect. The La Canada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce has a philosophy that is defined as service to the community. Its members adhere to political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseaus contention that there needs to be a balance between commerce and social responsibility. The LCF chamber promotes Fiesta Days, sponsors Miss La Canada Flintridge, community mixers, the December Festival in Lights, the farmers market, movie screenings and numerous scholarships. Although I didnt get my apple fritter, I enjoyed the morning hanging with my buddies Charlie Kamar, Nick Sarkisian and all the others. Thats community. JOE PUGLIA is a practicing counselor, a retired professor of education and a former officer in the Marines. Reach him at doctorjoe@ymail.com. Visit his website at doctorjoe.us. BEIJING At soon as Luo Yuannan heard about the change in Chinas one-child law, she began to calculate when it would be best for her 2 1/2-year-old son to get a baby sister, because, like many modern Chinese women, Luo is pining for a girl. I was amazed, said Luo, 31, who lives in the southern city of Shenzhen. I always wanted to have a second child and now I will get the chance. If things go as planned, a second child for Luo could be part of a baby boomlet for China. The Chinese Communist Party announced Friday that, as part of a reform package approved at the third party plenum, it would ease the one-child policy to allow couples in which either partner is an only child to have a second baby. Advertisement Demographers believe the change previously, exceptions were made if both parents were only children will benefit about 10 million couples, including Luo and her husband. She is an only child, but he has a sibling. Certainly the stock markets are anticipating the pitter-patter of little consumer feet. On Monday, the first trading day since the announcement Friday night, shares of toy, milk powder and baby goods manufacturers were up sharply. Hailun Piano Co., whose instruments are used by the progeny of Chinese tiger moms, saw its shares rise 9.98% both Monday and Tuesday, before it hit the Shenzhen Stock Exchanges limit of a 10% change in price a day. Despite the giddiness, demographers are not expecting a full-fledged baby boom, perhaps merely a baby bump. Symbolically, it is a turning point, but I dont think the numbers will be that large, said Wang Feng, a demographer who teaches at UC Irvine and Shanghais Fudan University. Wang expects the 16 million annual births to increase by 1 million to 2 million. He bases his estimates on pilot programs in Shanghai and nearby Jiangsu province, which found that in cases of couples permitted to have second children, no more than half choose to do so. I am so busy with one child, I cant imagine taking care of two children, said Feng Zhilan, a 32-year-old saleswoman who was coming out of a Beijing childrens clinic with her son. And Im spending about $490 to $655 a month on him for kindergarten, clothes, activities. It is not possible. Zhao Mei, 30, who has a 15-month-old daughter, said she and her husband had been planning to have a second child all along but were figuring they would have to save up the money to pay the fines, which run up to $50,000. Now its legal. This is much better. The one-child policy was introduced in 1979 to rein in population growth in a nation that now has 1.3 billion people. Since then the Communist Party has allowed countless exceptions to the rules for ethnic minorities, for rural couples whose first child is a girl, for couples with a disabled child and various provinces enforce the policy differently. However, the underlying law has not been substantially amended at the national level for years. The Chinese birthrate has plunged to 1.18 births per woman, considered too low for the population to replenish itself. Perhaps no Chinese policy has been as contentious and emotional as the limit on family size. During a briefing Tuesday on the plenum, a senior Communist Party academic told a mournful anecdote about his daughters loneliness growing up as an only child in a Beijing apartment compound with few other children. I feel we could have provided her with a better life. That is a regret I hope we will make up in the future, said Zhang Yansheng, general secretary of the academic committee of the National Development and Reform Commission, the central planning agency. We came to this moment when the one-child policy had to be adjusted for the economy, society and for the renewal of the Chinese nation. Exactly how the change in the policy will be implemented remains vague because local governments have a great deal of autonomy in family planning. Theres no nationwide timetable for the implementation of the new second-baby policy. Each province, city or district should make a specific timetable based on local conditions, Wang Peian, vice minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, was quoted as telling the official New China News Agency over the weekend. But some people arent waiting for the fine points. As a microblogger in Chengdu put it in a comment on the popular site Sina.com after the new policy was announced: Lets stop trying to interpret the policy. Just turn off the lights. barbara.demick@latimes.com The Philippine government on Monday declared an end to the militant siege of a southern city that lasted five months, left more than 1,100 people dead and sparked fears of the Islamic State group gaining a foothold in Southeast Asia. Speaking at an annual meeting of the regions defense ministers, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters that combat operations in Marawi were ending after troops recovered 42 bodies of the last group of militants. Those are the last group of stragglers of Mautes and they were caught in one building so there was a firefight, so they were finished, he said. There are no more militants inside Marawi City. Advertisement The siege had sparked fears the Islamic State group would influence, fund and strengthen local militancies as it was losing ground in Syria and Iraq. The defeat of the Islamic State-linked uprising and the deaths of its leaders have been a relief to the region. The Philippine security forces, aided by its government and the massive support of the Filipino people, have nipped the budding infrastructure and defeated terrorism in the Philippines, Lorenzana said. He said the achievement shows how regional cooperation can contain the spread of terrorism. In crushing thus far the most serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and the region, we have contributed to preventing its spread in Asia. Fighting terrorism is high on the agenda of the Southeast Asian defense ministers meeting at the Clark freeport north of Manila. As the meetings opened, the head of the Brunei delegation expressed condolences for the loss of lives in Marawi but congratulated the Philippines for being able to liberate the city. Malaysias minister said the siege was a wake-up call for the region. We have to be very careful. What happened in Marawi can happen anywhere, Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said. Hundreds of militants, many waving Islamic State-style black flags, launched the siege on May 23 in Marawi, a bastion of Islamic faith in the south of the largely Roman Catholic Philippines, by seizing the lakeside citys central business district and outlying communities. They ransacked banks and shops including gun stores looted houses and smashed statues in a Roman Catholic cathedral, according to the military. The fighting has left at least 1,131 people dead, including 919 militants and 165 soldiers and police. At least 1,780 of the hostages seized by the militants, including a Roman Catholic priest, were rescued. The final group of 20 captives were freed overnight, Army Col. Romeo Brawner said at a news conference Sunday. That left the gunmen with none of the hostages they had used as human shields to slow the military advance for months. The disastrous uprising, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of Marawi residents, erupted as the Philippines was hosting annual summit meetings of the Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations this year, along with the 10-nation blocs Asian and Western counterparts, including the United States and Australia. The two governments have deployed surveillance aircraft and drones to help Filipino troops rout the Marawi militants. Last week, troops killed the final two surviving leaders of the siege, including Isnilon Hapilon, who is listed among the FBIs most-wanted terror suspects in the world, and Omarkhayam Maute. Following their deaths, President Rodrigo Duterte traveled near the main scene of battle and declared Marawi had been essentially liberated. DNA tests done in the United States and requested by the Philippine military have confirmed the death of Hapilon, according to the U.S. Embassy in Manila. Washington has offered a bounty of up to $5 million for Hapilon, who had been blamed for kidnappings for ransom of American nationals and other terrorist attacks. Among the foreign militants believed to be with the remaining gunmen in Marawi were Malaysian militant Amin Baco and an Indonesian known only as Qayyim. Both have plotted attacks and provided combat training to local militants for years but have eluded capture in the south. Lorenzana said Monday the identities of the final 42 bodies had not been determined and some were beyond recognition. The bodies of at least 67 Syrian civilians, many summarily killed by the Islamic State group, have been discovered in a central town in Syria retaken from Islamic State by government troops over the weekend, the Syrian government and activists said Monday. A senior Syrian official described the attack as a shocking massacre, saying the search and documentation of those killed in the town of Qaryatayn, in Homs province, is still underway. The news of the gruesome find first began to emerge late on Sunday. The number of bodies was likely to climb. Advertisement Some were shot in the street as Islamic State militants retreated from the town, gunned down because they were suspected of working with the government, according to activists. At least 35 of the casualties were found shot and their bodies dumped in a shaft. The apparent revenge killings underscore the Islamic State groups ability to inflict heavy losses in Syria even while its militants are on the retreat in north and eastern Syria, days after having been defeated in Raqqah, the groups onetime capital of its self-proclaimed caliphate. They also raise the specter of more revenge killings by the group while it fights to hang on to its last strongholds in Syria. An Associated Press video, recorded as Syrian government troops recaptured Qaryatayn, showed several bodies in the streets of the town. In the video, a town resident says Islamic State monsters killed more than a 100 people, including soldiers and civilians. These are people who dont know God, they dont know anything. They killed children and women with knives, they beat women, broke their arms, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for his own safety. Talal Barazi, the governor of Homs province, told the Associated Press on Monday that most of the bodies were of townspeople who were government employees or were affiliated with Syrias ruling Baath party. He said the killings went on for the three weeks that Islamic State was in town and terrorized its residents, adding that at least 13 residents remain missing while six bodies have not been identified. It is a shocking massacre, he said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented the killings of at least 128 people killed in Qaryatayn during the last days of Islamic State control of the town. On Saturday, Syrian troops and allied militias regained control of the town. The government-run Syrian Central Military Media at the time said the Syrian army and its allies restored security and stability to Qaryatayn after clearing the town of Islamic State fighters. The activist-run Palmyra Coordination Committee published the names of 67 civilians confirmed killed and also said the number was likely to rise. It said at least 35 were found shot and dumped into a deep shaft. The activist-run group said other bodies were also found in the town streets apparently those of people shot by pro-government forces and suspected of working with Islamic State. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said it documented at least 12 killed at the hands of pro-government troops after they regained control of the town. Islamic State militants first seized Qaryatayn in August 2015, and relied on the strategically located town to defend another of their bastions, the historic city of Palmyra. At the time, thousands of the towns Christian residents fled, fearing the extremist groups brutality. With Russian backing, Syrian troops regained control of the town in April 2016. But Islamic State, facing major setbacks around Syria and Iraq, launched a new attack on the town in late September and recaptured it. At the time, Russia accused the United States, which is battling the Islamic State group, of looking the other way and allowing Islamic State to attack Qaryatayn. Most of the Islamic State militants who were involved in attacks on the town were local residents. Pro-government media blamed the loss of Qaryatayn for the second time on what it described as militant sleeper cells. There was no immediate comment from the government in Damascus on the find of the civilian bodies in Qaryatayn. A Laois councillor has claimed that Government ministers have had a big say in the likely designation of Athlone over Portlaoise and other midlands towns as the new hub town for growth and investment in the region. Laois is set to lose out once again to another midlands counties for investment, growth and job creation, Laois County Councillors claimed as a result. The draft National Planning Framework plan for the midlands was discussed by Laois County Council today, Monday October 23. Councillors, Paddy Bracken and Catherine Fitzgerald sit on the regional authority which has been discussing a replacement of the National Spatial Strategy. They told colleagues that west midlands towns of Athlone in Co Westmeath has been ahead of Portlaoise and other towns as the new hub for development and growth. Cllr Fitzgerald raised the issue. She said that under the plan Portlaoise would only be allowed to grow by 5,000 people up to 2040. No population growth if forecast for Portarlington or Mountmellick "It does not take into consideration where people want to live. It is unthinkable," she said. She added that it will interfere with future investment and development in Laois and deter people from moving to the county. Cllr Bracken said it will 'stifle towns' and hit funding for development in Laois. He also said politics have played a big role. "This is being decided at cabinet level and there are two heavy hitters around Athlone," he said. Minister for State Kevin Boxer Moran is based in Athlone. He is part of the Independence Alliance which is part of Government. Minister for Transport is the de facto leader of this group. Minister Denis Naughten is a TD for the Roscommon Galway constituency which includes part of Athlone. Tullamore, Mullingar had previously been part of the ATM hub with Athlone. Longford and Laois did not have hub status. A number of IDA backed companies are located in Athlone but most are located on the Roscommon side of town. Athlone has also suffered serious flooding in recent years due to its low lying location and the fact that . The boss of the State agency that travels the world to persuade foreign companies to set up and create jobs in Ireland has confirmed he will visit Portlaoise. Laois Fianna Fail TD Sean Fleming said the chief executive of the IDA, Martin Shanahan has confirmed to him that he will come to Laois in December. Mr Shanahan has told Deputy Fleming in writing that the chief executive of Enterprise Ireland, Julie Sinnamon will also visit on Friday, December 8. Enterprise Ireland backs Irish owned companies that want to expand and become exporters. Deputy Fleming said he discussed the IDA's poor record with Mr Shanahan in the Dail recently and asked him to visit. The Fianna Fail TD told the Leinster Express that this would be the first visit paid by the top brass of both agencies. He said the significance was that there was now a chance to sell the county face to face in Laois. Deputy Fleming appealed to all local agencies and organisations to prepare constructively for the visit. He said this should not be used as an opportunity to 'whinge' about the failed record to date. I want this to be positive and constructive, said Deputy Fleming. He said the visit would be an opportunity to 'put the best foot forward' in efforts to create jobs in Laois. Laois is bottom of the league for IDA created and supported jobs as well as visits to the county by foreign compaines. Figures reveal that Laois was completely bypassed in the first quarter of 2017. No companies were brought to the county by the IDA which travels the world to bring investment and jobs to Ireland. CAREERS NIGHT IN LAOIS James McGovern - Mountrath The death took place on Sunday, October 22 of James (Shay) McGovern of Portlaoise Road, Mountrath At his residence. Retired Dentist, formerly of Dublin and Saudi Arabia. Deeply mourned by his loving wife, Bernadette, his daughters Siobhain and Tara and their partners Collins and John, by his brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, by Edna and his extended family and friends. Reposing at his residence on Monday until 4pm. As a mark of Shay's generosity to others, he has gifted his body to Medical Research and a Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday 28th of October at 11am in St. Fintan's Church, Mountrath to celebrate Shay's life. Anne Elizabeth Byrne - Mountmellick The death took place on Thursday, October 19 of Anne Elizabeth (Betty) Byrne (nee Skelly) of Knightstown, Mountmellick. Late of Birmingham. At the Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise. Dear mother of the late Daniel. Sadly missed by her husband Danny, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, extended family, relatives and friends. Reposing at Maher's Chapel of Rest Portarlington on Tuesday from 7.30pm until 9pm. Reposing at Maher's Chapel of Rest Portarlington on Wednesday from 11am with Funeral Service at 12.30pm. Interment afterwards in the New Cemetery Emo. Fiona McGlynn - Ballybrittas The death took place on Friday, October 20 of Fiona McGlynn of Killanure, Ballybrittas. Daughter of the late Mick and Agnes. Much loved sister of Angela, Tom, Michael and Brian. Deeply regretted by her loving family, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, relatives and friends. Funeral Arrangements Later The centenary of the Ford motor company in Ireland will be celebrated in Portlaoise next weekend when the very popular Indoor Vintage and Classic Motor Show returns to the Laois Shopping Centre. Along with a great selection of vehicles from yesteryear (30 year rule applies), the show will feature a display of the early and not so early Ford models. Among the Ford models on show will be: 1906 Model N, Model T, Model A, Model B, Model Y, Model Ford Prefect, Ford Anglia, Ford Poplar, Consul. The organisers once again are the Laois Ballinakill Vintage and Classic Owners Club supported by the shopping centre and Downey's Autostop Ford dealers. More below picture The say the event is really something to look forward to. "This show will be a unique even to see the cars that your father and grandfather would have driven in years gone by," they say. As with previous years, there will be a display of a wide selection of makes and models of vintage and veteran cars to "feast your eyes on". Apart from the Ford celebration, here will also be a couple of displays of very special interest. The proceeds will once again be going to charity. This year's chosen charity is the Guide Dogs for the Blind. The Ballinakill vintage club has chose that charity because of the big contribution they make to to help people in Laois with impaired vision. Members of local Lions Clubs in Laois will be doing bucket collections to help fund all the vital work they do in Laois during the year. "As this is a totally voluntary event all the visitors to the show will be expected to make a voluntary donation so please come along and supported a nominated charity," says the vintage club. All roads lead to Portlaoise on Sunday, October 29. Travellers are significantly over represented in in the prison population in Portlaoise and elsewhere and changes in policy and practice have a positive impact on Travellers in prison, their families and communities, according to a Minister for State in the Department of Justice. David Stanton, Minister for State at the Department of Justice and Equality, has special responsibility for Equality, Immigration & Integration. He gave a keynote speech in recent days St Stephens Green Trust Travellers in Prison Initiative - National Conference. "The Irish Prison Service acknowledges that Travellers are significantly over represented by comparison with other groups in our society. Although they account for approximately 0.6% of the overall population in the ROI, the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service anecdotally estimate that Travellers account for 22% of the female prison population and 10% of the male prison population," he said. He said over representation of minority ethnic communities features in other parts of the world. He said the Travellers in Prison Initiative (TPI) developed as a response to the particular needs and circumstances of Travellers within the 13 Irish prisons. "The overall aim of the TPI is to embed changes in policy and practice that have a positive impact on Travellers in prison, their families and communities. Through engagement with key stakeholders, a number of possibilities emerged with the potential for influencing change; and for developing initiatives in policy and practice that have the potential for sustainability," he said. He outlined the following five key action areas have been identified. "Firstly, we need to build a knowledge base about Travellers in prison because, as I said earlier, we are operating on anecdotal evidence. "Secondly, we need to expand and improve access to prison-based services for Travellers. "Thirdly, we need to strengthen supports for families of Travellers in prison and after prison, using a multi-agency approach. Fourthly, we need to mainstream a peer-support model to reinforce self-advocacy and create a supportive environment for Travellers to self-identify in prison. "Fifthly, and finally, we need to increase awareness and boost the capacity of Irish Prison and Probation Service staff through training and learning programmes." He said it is self-evident that improvements in the lives of prisoners generally benefit the Traveller prison population as well. He congratulated prison service management on the many reforms and improvements introduced into prisons and the Probation Service in Ireland in recent years, all of which have a direct and indirect positive effect on Travellers in Prison. "These include initiatives such as the national roll out of the Community Return Programme, in conjunction with the Probation Service, which is an incentivised scheme for earned temporary release under which carefully selected offenders can be granted structured temporary release in return for supervised community service. In addition to this programme, Community Support Schemes have been set up for shorter sentences in Cork Prison, Mountjoy Campus, West Dublin Campus, Midlands and Limerick Prisons, the aim of which is to reduce recidivism rates by arranging for additional support structures and provide for a more structured form of temporary release," he said. Full text of speech below Speech by Mr. David Stanton, T.D., Minister for State at the Department of Justice and Equality, with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration & IntegrationSt Stephens Green Trust Travellers in Prison Initiative - National Conference 20th October, 2017Good morning everyone and welcome to the launch of the Travellers in Prison Initiative - National Conference. I was delighted to receive and accept an invitation to launch this initiative. I have had a deeply held interest in this area over the course of many years and I am acutely aware of the many challenges facing the Traveller Community today. I chaired the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence & Equality when, in March 2014, it produced its report on the recognition of Traveller Ethnicity. Much later, in my role as Minister of State in the Department of Justice and Equality, I had the pleasure of seeing this issue through to a conclusion. By this I mean the Taoiseachs statement in March this year announcing the Governments recognition of Traveller ethnicity. I am sure youll agree with me that this was one of the most significant milestones for the Traveller community for many years. The recognition of Traveller ethnicity is an important stepping stone and a marker in Ireland in having a more inclusive society. But on its own, it is not enough to bring about the change needed to help us to deal with the challenges facing the Traveller community. We need sustainable and achievable policies to address these challenges. So I am delighted to be here today to discuss this initiative, as it is focussed on real policies and initiatives that will bring about positive and better outcomes for the Traveller community. The National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, which was launched back in June, addresses issues focussed on the needs of the Traveller community and, I hope, will result in a real improvement in the overall quality of life for Travellers. My Department has identified feuding as a pivotal issue that will be put centre-stage in the implementation of this Inclusion Strategy. The design of a culturally appropriate intervention, in conjunction with Traveller representatives and relevant public sector bodies, to address this is one of the key pillars of the new Inclusion Strategy. To this end, a new sub-committee of the Inclusion Strategys Steering Group has been formed, with the focus of, Mediation to bring Feuding in the Traveller community to an end, definitively. This sub-committee is made up of volunteers from Traveller representative groups as well as officials from relevant State agencies. The first meeting of this sub-committee took place on Monday of last week, and the discussion was mostly exploratory at this stage. I am hopeful that the work of this sub-committee will ultimately make a positive contribution to the future direction of conflict resolution and mediation services in the Traveller community. The Travellers in Prison Initiative (TPI) developed as a response to the particular needs and circumstances of Travellers within the 13 prisons in the Republic of Ireland. These were highlighted in the Irish Penal Reform Trusts 2014 publication, Travellers in the Irish Prison System: A qualitative study. Available at:http://www.iprt.ie/files/IPRT_ Travellers_Report_web.pdf This research report captured some of the challenges and difficulties experienced by Travellers in Irish prisons. There are no official statistics on the number of Travellers in prison but the Irish Prison Service acknowledges that Travellers are significantly overrepresented by comparison with other groups in our society. Although they account for approximately 0.6% of the overall population in the ROI, the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service anecdotally estimate that Travellers account for 22% of the female prison population and 10% of the male prison population. Over representation of minority ethnic communities features in other parts of the world. For example, Minister Flanagan is going to New Zealand next week where he will join President Higgins on his official visit there. Statistics on the issue of minorities in prisons in New Zealand, show that Maori people comprise approximately 14% of the general population, however they represent 50.8% of the prison population. The overall aim of the TPI is to embed changes in policy and practice that have a positive impact on Travellers in prison, their families and communities. Through engagement with key stakeholders, a number of possibilities emerged with the potential for influencing change; and for developing initiatives in policy and practice that have the potential for sustainability. The following five key action areas have been identified: Firstly, we need to build a knowledge base about Travellers in prison because, as I said earlier, we are operating on anecdotal evidence. Secondly, we need to expand and improve access to prison-based services for Travellers. Thirdly, we need to strengthen supports for families of Travellers in prison and after prison, using a multi-agency approach. Fourthly, we need to mainstream a peer-support model to reinforce self-advocacy and create a supportive environment for Travellers to self-identify in prison. Fifthly, and finally, we need to increase awareness and boost the capacity of Irish Prison and Probation Service staff through training and learning programmes. Given that a tenth of the prison population is composed of members of the Traveller Community, it is self-evident that improvements in the lives of prisoners generally benefit the Traveller prison population as well. In this regard, I know that Michael Donnellan, the Director General of the Irish Prison Service and Vivian Geiran, Director of the Probation Service, will be speaking later and will elaborate on many of these key action areas. However, without seeking to steal their thunder, I would just like to welcome developments in these areas, as they are central to achieving better outcomes. I would also like to congratulate Michael and Vivian on the many reforms and improvements introduced into prisons and the Probation Service in Ireland in recent years, all of which have a direct and indirect positive effect on Travellers in Prison. These include initiatives such as the national roll out of the Community Return Programme, in conjunction with the Probation Service, which is an incentivised scheme for earned temporary release under which carefully selected offenders can be granted structured temporary release in return for supervised community service. In addition to this programme, Community Support Schemes have been set up for shorter sentences in Cork Prison, Mountjoy Campus, West Dublin Campus, Midlands and Limerick Prisons, the aim of which is to reduce recidivism rates by arranging for additional support structures and provide for a more structured form of temporary release. In relation to the conditions of detention in prison, huge improvements have been made to prison conditions in recent years. The practise of slopping out has practically been eliminated. With the construction of a new prison in Cork that opened on 12 February 2016 and the complete refurbishment of all the wings in Mountjoy Prison, this has resulted in the elimination of the practice of slopping out in both of these prisons. At present, over 98% of prisoners across the prison estate have access to in-cell sanitation. The practice of slopping out will be completely eliminated through the implementation of the Irish Prison Services Capital Strategy 2016-2021, which outlines plans for the complete replacement of the remaining outdated accommodation for males in Limerick and Portlaoise prisons. The development of a step down unit for female offenders which is being progressed and the planned modernisation & expansion of the female facilities in Limerick Prison, which includes a transition unit, will greatly improve the conditions within the Prison system and options for the successful reintegration of females into the community In recent years, my Department, the Irish Prison Service & the Probation Service, with the support of other agencies and stakeholders, have introduced several strategies targeted specifically at stemming the growth of and reducing the prison population. The commencement of the Fines (Payment and Recovery) Act 2014 in 2016 should result in a large reduction in the number of committals to prisons on short sentences. Alternatives to custody such as the Criminal Justice (Community Service) (Amendment) Act 2011 were introduced which requires a sentencing judge to consider the imposition of community service where a custodial sentence of 12 months or less is being considered. The initiatives aimed at reducing the prison population, provide the Irish Prison Service with the opportunity to focus more on rehabilitation and support services, which they are doing. The Irish Prison Service and Probation Service provide a wide range of rehabilitative programmes that include education, vocational training, healthcare, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare and spiritual services. Michael and Vivian may elaborate more on these services and how to access them. The Irish Prison Service is also committed in its Strategy statement to ensuring that prisoners are detained in accordance with the law, including international human rights law, and that prisoners are treated with dignity and respect. It is initiatives like this which strengthen supports for families of Travellers in prison, and after prison, using a multi-agency approach, which gives meaning to the concept of being treated with dignity and respect. Giving individuals in prison support, access to services, opportunities for education, health and welfare, are the real things, which can have a profound impact on not only prisoners, but also their families, friends, their communities and society as a whole. Whilst imprisonment can be problematic in breaking the support ties & links of family, friends, employment & accommodation, it can also be an opportunity for a person who may have been marginalised by society, missed out on education, or got caught in a spiral of addiction and criminal activity, to address the causes of their offending behaviour. In order to maintain and support familial links, the Irish Prison Service and Probation Service are working on promoting and sustaining strong partnerships with civil society in general who are dealing with the same complex issues. The presence of many of the groups here today is evidence of that. The active involvement of civil society in our prisons is essential to help the Prison Service achieve their strategic objectives. Groups such as yourselves play a key role in supporting prisoners and ex-prisoners to reintegrate into society, and with the Irish Prison Service engaging actively with you, brings a broad range of expertise, knowledge, resources and experience that may otherwise not be available to them. I will finish by thanking the Traveller men involved in the process and in the delivery of this programme: three facilitators involved in delivering the programme are members of the Traveller community. The involvement of Travellers in the programme was important as it provided an opportunity, and a space, to focus on Traveller identity and how conflict impacts on individual Travellers and on the community as a whole. It also enabled participants to gain an insight into the potential of peer mediation through the experience of other Traveller mediators. We know that mediation works and is increasingly used as a tool for dispute resolution. I see mediation as an invaluable tool in addressing conflict within the Traveller community and helping to break through the barriers that have been built over years of fear, discrimination and hostility, keeping the Traveller Community on the fringes of the Irish society. Traveller mediators are best placed to address this divide, as their first-hand understanding of the culture of their community, and an understanding of the potential impacts mediation can have in shaping the future, provides a unique opportunity to bring about real change. I hope you enjoy the rest of the conference. There is a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise here today. Unfortunately I have another appointment which I must attend, however I really look forward to hearing about the remainder of the conference and the valuable exchange of information, views & perspectives from everyone involved. Sinn Fein has called a public meeting in Laois to protest against a HSE hospital management plan for Dublin and the Midlands to downgrade Portlaoise hospital as part of big changes to hospital services in the region. The meeting is titled the Future of Portlaoise Hospital - Investing in Our Health Services. It is due to be attended by the party's Laois TD Brian Stanley, Louise O'Reilly its health spokesperson. Also due to attend is Joe Hoolan of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. The organising of the meeting comes on the back of the leaking of a 'Strategic Plan' to Dep Stanley for hospitals under the remit of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group (DMHG). It oversees hospitals in Laois, Offaly, Kildare and Dublin which have a national and regional remit. The plan, which was submitted to the Minister for Health Simon Harris in late 2016, proposes a radical reconfiguration of services provided by Portlaoise, Naas, Tullamore, Tallaght and St James' hospitals. The most controversial is the ending of 24/7 A&E emergency care in Portlaoise and Naas with patients from both hospitals being diverted to Dublin or Offaly instead. The DMHG has declined to comment on the leaked contents. It has previously confirmed that the proposals are with the Minister. It's chief executive, Dr Susan O'Reilly, has also said that any reconfiguration will only be carried out in line with best clinical practice and in the interest of patient safety. The meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, November 9 in the Parish Centre Portlaoise. Much more on this story at www.leinsterexpress.ie and in this week's Leinster Express out on Tuesday Four properties were broken into in separate incidents in Portlaoise and Stradbally over the weekend. On Friday, October 20 between 7pm and midnight two houses in Portlaoise were broken into. One property was at Summerhill, Portlaoise and the other was at Chantier Gate, Portlaoise. On Saturday, October 21 between 7pm and midnight two more houses were broken into. One house was in Newtown Stradbally and the other was in Roselawn Portlaoise. Gardai are investigating the break-ins and are appealing for witnesses. Jewellery was stolen from a number of the houses. The rear doors of three properties were broken into and the front door of one. Anyone with information can contact Portlaoise Garda Station. Force used in theft from popular Laois shop Gardai appeal for witnesses. Public meeting called by Sinn Fein on the future of Portlaoise hospital. Gardai have issued a warning about the serious danger associated with using fireworks in the run up to Halloween. Garda Sergeant Graham Kavanagh, the Laois/Offaly Crime Prevention Officer has warned of the injuries that can occur. "Each year many children and young person's suffer horrific injuries caused by fireworks including burns, loss of limbs and serious eye injuries. Laois is the scariest place to be this Halloween, with a spookily long list of events all around the county. "The public should be reminded that the sale, possession or use of fireworks in this country is illegal and many of the fireworks that are offered for sale illegally in this jurisdiction have not passed any quality control tests and are possibly defective. "In addition to gardai confiscating any fireworks found in the possession of persons, An Garda Siochana are asking that parents be responsible in ensuring that their children do not injury to themselves or others during Halloween," he said. In order to assist with delivering a message of safety the National Community Policing Office has developed a "Stay Safe on Halloween" presentation aimed at parents/adults in the community. Four houses broken into in Laois. Force used in theft from popular Laois shop Gardai appeal for witnesses. Laois TD Sean Fleming has called on the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, to reject the report prepared by Susan O'Reilly to cut the A&E services in the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise. STRATEGIC DUBLIN MIDLANDS PLAN TO SEE A&E CUT FROM PORTLAOISE HOSPITAL. According to Deputy Fleming, this is the only way to end the uncertainty which has been created by HSE management. "Some time ago there were major problems in the Maternity Unit and instead of the lazy approach of curtailing the services the HSE properly increased resources and hired additional staff to improve the service. This is what is now needed in the A&E Department. "Susan O'Reilly took over the position of Regional Manager in the HSE some time ago and a very early date announced her intention to curtail the A&E services in Portlaoise. 40,000 Laois hospital patients face going to overloaded Dublin or Offaly hospitals. "Her suggestion was questioned by many people and after that she drew up a detailed report to justify her initial ideas which she had announced without a proper examination. "The report, which has major implications for Portlaoise Hospital, was and is a solo run by Susan O'Reilly. "This is the only hospital in Ireland, with a maternity unit, where it has been proposed to cut A&E services. If this happens the future for the maternity and the pediatrics units will be totally undermined. What is the future for the hospital then? Public meeting called by Sinn Fein on the future of Portlaoise hospital. "Given that the A&E Departments right around the Country including Portlaoise are seriously overcrowded it is outrageous that HSE senior management could even think about closing down some of the services and telling people to travel up to an extra 40 miles to A&E Departments in Dublin which are already over crowded. "Some people have called for the report to be published but I believe this would not be the correct approach. "We want this report rejected by the Minister, not published. He should tell the HSE to improve their management of the A&E services and not to be spending their time working to close down a service," he said. 'Scrap' hospital downgrade plan - Minister Charlie Flanagan responds to leak of report. Read More: Dublin and midlands hospital management are to meet shortly on how to execute a downgrade of Portlaoise hospital as part of a big shakeup in hospitals across Laois, Kidlare and Dublin, a Laois TD has claimed. Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley told the Leinster Express that he has seen a copy of a plan for Portlaoise and other hospitals drawn up by Dr Susan O'Reilly, chief executive of the HSE's Dublin Midland Hospital Group (DMHG). The group includes the Midlands Regional Hospitals in Portlaoise and Tullamore, Naas General Hospital, Tallaght Hospital and St James in Dublin. The plan is understood to have huge implications for all these hospitals because it will direct many emergency referrals to Tullamore and the Dublin hospitals. Dr O'Reilly's plan has been kept under wraps for some time but it was sent to the Minister for Health Simon Harris because of its controversial recommendation to downgrade Portlaoise. Dep Stanley described the document he has read as a plan to Downgrade Portlaoise Hospital. Naas hospital is likely to be bypassed. The plan to downgrade it is in the final draft of the 'Strategic Plan' for the Hospital group. This is due to be discussed with senior management next Wednesday. Both the HSE and the Government have been foot dragging in publishing this for over two years," said the Sinn Fein TD. "The document states: 'we will develop a 24/7 GP referred medical assessment unit and a 12/7 local injuries unit in the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise in line with national clinical care programmes models of care.' "So its clear whats intended, an 8am to 8pm minor injuries and a medical assessment unit. "They commit to expanding 'emergency department capacity, principally in Tallaght and Tullamore'. So upgrade these and downgrade Portlaoise," Dep Stanley told the Express. The Laios TD, who also represents parts of Kildare, called for action. "This plan needs to be stopped in its tracks and its up to government to act immediately. I raised this again with the Minister for Health Simon Harris last week and he replied that it being reviewed in detail by his department. This is simply play acting," he said. Laois TD Charlie Flanagan is one of the most senior Ministers in Government and he has opposed downgrade in the past. An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has an intimate knowledge of the hospital because he was Minister for Health during the crisis that engulfed the maternity services at the hospital. Dep Stanley believes the issue is a matter for Government. "The ball is in the Government court, he said. Dep Stanley believes the plan has been on the desk of the Minister for Health Simon Harris for some time. He has expressed reservations about downgrading Portlaoise. A Medical Assesment Unit was built in Portlaoise at at cost of 5million in 2016. The building is only partially used and the Assesment Unit has never been opened. Staff at Portlaoise hospital believe that if 24/7 emergency care is removed there is little future for some other acute services such as maternity and paediatrics. They fear all move elsewhere with the loss of A&E. Cara Rescue Dogs are appealing for help from the public, particularly in Portlaoise, with capturing a stray pregnant Labrador dog. The dog has often been spotted wandering around the land at the back of Aldi at Kylekiproe in Portlaoise but the Cara Rescue Dog workers have been unable to capture the dog safely so far. Cara are now asking the public to keep an eye out for the dog, which they have names "Aldia", and to let them know if you notice where the dog anywhere she might be regularly sleeping or frequenting. The rescue workers desperately want to help they dog as she is visibly heavily pregnant but they need to capture her in a safe manner before they can help her. Cara said that ideally the dog would be captured in a gated space and held until their workers could get the area. They have said that the dog is very nervous. The public have been advised NOT to attempt to chase her as she may run out in front of traffic. This picture shows the areas where the stray dog has been spotted. Cara Dog Rescue said that they are out day and night doing their best. Contact the Facebook page here. Anyone with information on the regular whereabouts of the dog can message any of the following phone numbers to let Cara Rescue know: 0879275040, 0868408041, 0857476311 or 0860594375. The five year Strategic Plan for hospitals in the Dublin Midlands Region confirms all the fears the people of Laois have for the future of Portlaoises hospital. Central to the implementation of its five year plan is the sacrificing of Portlaoise as a front line hospital. Instead the HSE's Dublin Midlands Hospital Group wants to concentrate resources in Tallaght, Tullamore and St James' hospitals. A reduced role is envisaged for Naas General. Management's rationale for change is that: prompt and optimum care for patients with serious medical and surgical conditions can only be provided where there are adequate number of staff with essential skills to provide 24/7 services. It lists the service priorities as follows: - Urgent and emergency services will be redesigned to integrate between smaller and larger sites providing the optimum ans safest configuration to deliver high quality emergency care. - We will formalise a trauma network between Tallaght hospital, the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore and St James' Hospital and align the development with the forthcoming National Trauma Report. - We will expand emergency department capacity, principally Tallaght Hospital and the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore. - We will develop 24/7 General Practitioner referred medical assesment unit and 12/7 local injuries unit in the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise in line with national clinical care programmes models of care. - The group recognises the importance of working with GPs and the Irish College of GPs in order to achieve these changes. The DMHG says that in excess of 80% of patients in hospitals are admitted through A&Es. It admits that the biggest challenges facing the Acute Hospital services are coping with these numbers. In the strategy, health management commit to investing in the recruitment of senior decision makers in acute medicine services. It pledges to invest in 'improving patient flow pathways within hospitals and to communities'. Also promised is a committment to work with GPs and other community partners to help develop intergrated care programmes. The 450k upgrade works for Kildangan bridge are one step closer and may even be completed by next spring. Councillors approved the Part 8 for the footpath scheme of the upgrade works at this month's area meeting, which was held this morning Monday, October 23, and will be completed by the end of the year. Members heard that the footpaths will extend towards the school and provide safe pedestrian access over the bridge. The members were told that a new design for the bridge needs to be satisfy Irish Rail and be sympathetic to the area and the historic makeup of the bridge. The funding for the works is already in place from LPT monies, NTA funds and council funds. The NTA funds have to be spent this year, said Area Engineer Dave McGrath. A start will be made to the approaches to the bridge this year and the footpaths on either side of the bridge as well as the lighting. The rest of the work will be carried out next year. The meeting heard that the design for the bridge must be go to the architects and planners before it will be brought before the council for discussion. Chair of the meeting Ivan Keatly said it was an area of concern for all residents of Kildangan and the upgrade by next spring will be very much appreciated. The bridge has been a major concern for residents for years. To help highlight the issue 230 children walked across the bridge in protest in June 2016. A Minutes Silence will be observed at all Marts nationwide this week in remembrance of loved ones who that have been killed in farming accidents, to promote safety awareness and to further ignite a continuing commitment to farm safety among the farming community, the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has announced. National Marts Farm Safety Awareness and Remembrance Day is supported by ICOS, The Association of Livestock Marts, FBD, the Health and Safety Authority, the Farm Safety Partnership and Embrace, the farm accident support network. Each Mart Manager will make a speech at 1.00 pm and the Minutes Silence will then be observed. Michael Spellman, Chairman, ICOS National Marts said: Livestock farming is a challenging and labour intensive enterprise at the best of times. It is physically demanding and it carries associated safety risks due to the requirements to manage and control animals which requires a careful approach and the need to be alert to danger at all times. There are also serious ongoing risks from machinery and equipment. Farmers undertake their tasks professionally day in and day out so it is sometimes understandably the case that a routine can take hold. What we all have to ensure is that the daily routine on every farm is actively reducing and eliminating the safety risks that exist. Staying safe on the farm requires vigilance and prevention. Keeping yourself, your family and your workers safe must become a key part of the daily routine for every farmer because one injury or one life lost, is one too many, and none of us ever want that kind of tragedy visited upon us. Safety must not be left to chance, farmers need to manage health and safety on their farm and effectively plan work activities. This planning must include planned safety maintenance on farm tractors machinery, equipment, facilities and time management. Michael Spellman expressed sympathy and solidarity on behalf of the co-operative livestock farming community to the families of 197 people, including children, who were killed in farming accidents between 2007 and 2016. 20 people have already lost their lives this year in farming accidents. Every fatal farm accident has a devastating effect on that persons family, friends and the wider farming community. Through this weeks campaign, and on an ongoing basis, we are asking farmers to identify where they can reduce the risks on their farms and if in any doubt, to seek advice on how best to do so. The high number of serious and fatal accidents is a cause for great concern. Changing unsafe working behaviour is the key to sustaining a reduction in the number of serious and fatal accidents on farms. Tractors, machinery and livestock are the main causes of farm fatalities and with this in mind we would ask that extra precautions are always taken when working with or near tractors, machinery and livestock. We are asking all farmers to redouble their commitment to farm safety, ask for help if needed and to stop taking risks, said Michael Spellman, The Brexit effect is having an impact on tiurism in Leitrim and the syrrounding counties. The latest Failte Ireland Tourism Barometer, a survey of tourism businesses around the country, has been published and shows that overall industry sentiment, while still healthy, is less positive than in recent post-crisis years. The industry started this year facing a lot of uncertainty over Brexit, exchange rates and the surprise US presidential election result but the general feeling in the sector is one of relief that this year has worked out better than expected. The Brexit effect When tourism enterprises are surveyed about performance across markets, Northern Ireland and Britain clearly stand out as areas of concern. Half of the accommodation providers surveyed are reporting British business down and two in five have experienced a drop in Northern Irish tourists. The proportion of those businesses impacted rises in northern counties - Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Monaghan and Sligo which are most exposed to those markets. In terms of the Sterling/Euro exchange rate, about two thirds (68%) of accommodation businesses in Northern counties say they have been affected by the exchange rate this year as compared to a lower proportion (44%) of accommodation businesses in the rest of the country. The barometer also shows that 58% of Dublin accommodation providers are also affected by the value of Sterling disproportionally more than the rest of the country. Accommodation performing well The tourism accommodation sector is performing well this year, with 63% of businesses receiving more visitors than the same period last year. Hotels are behind this strong performance, with two thirds (65%) saying that visitor levels are up. The strength of the North American market is a significant factor. Guesthouses are also enjoying a good year, with about half (52%) experiencing increased visitor levels. The German market is performing very well for them about three in five (58%) guesthouses have had more German visitors this year. B&Bs are also up on balance and 44% have had more visitors to date this year with a further 35% holding steady. Like guesthouses, the strength of the German market is a key positive with well over half (57%) of B&Bs receiving more German visitors this year. Commenting on the publication of the Barometer study, Failte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly emphasised: Tourism performance, in general, is still robust but Brexit is having an impact. On a national level, losses from the British market are being compensated for by strong performances in American and other markets. However, for those regions that are heavily reliant on British and Northern Irish tourists this offers little consolation and Brexit is already making a real impact in many counties. The recent retention of the lower VAT rate will be of assistance to any struggling businesses. Furthermore, through our Get Brexit Ready programme, Failte Ireland is working with those tourism businesses who are over-reliant on the British market to help them minimise their risks by diversifying into other stronger prospects. Overall Industry Sentiment Industry sentiment is positive regarding this years performance. However, a sense of caution is emerging, with almost a third of accommodation providers maintaining the status quo in 2017 and 15% expressing negative sentiment. Observing the trend, confidence is at its lowest levels in four years. Jobs offering perks like a free lunch, Friday beers, bring your dog to work policies and gym membership are on the rise, according to new statistics revealed by Irelands leading jobs board, Jobs.ie. The number of companies listing roles with on-the-job perks increased by 6 percent in the first nine months of 2017 compared to the same period last year, and by 135 percent compared to the same period five years ago, in 2012. A job perk is distinct from a job benefit, like annual leave or a pension contribution. Whereas the latter is typically included as part of a salary, perks are provided on a daily or regular basis to encourage productivity and creativity. Commenting, Christopher Paye, General Manager at Jobs.ie, said the upward trend in job perks shows that companies are increasingly putting people at the heart of their business. Ireland is hungry for talent, particularly in emerging industries like tech and financial services. Professionals are free to shop around for the best employment package, and on-the-job perks can help to sway them one way or the other, Paye said. Perks are no longer the exclusive remit of American multinationals. In addition to competitive salaries and benefits, like annual leave and health insurance, many Irish companies are prioritising their employees happiness by providing catered meals, gym membership and team bonding events. To a prospective hire, this shows a commitment to culture and a positive working environment. Some companies have taken it a step further and introduced quirkier perks, like free beer fridges, on-site massages, music rooms, yoga classes, and a dogs welcome policy. This helps to grow a strong employer brand. Ten years ago many of these perks were completely unheard of. It will be interesting to see what the next wave of workplace perks look like, and which employers will lead the charge. As employers demand more from their employees in terms of hours worked and always-on availability, perks also help to reduce stress and offset personal costs, particularly food spend. In the long term, this encourages loyalty and improves employee retention. Likewise, as the office perk culture becomes commonplace, employees will increasingly come to expect it from their employer. Companies that dont take this on board risk losing out in the war for talent. TWENTY beds will be re-opened in St Johns Hospital in Limerick in a measure aimed at addressing the levels of overcrowding across the health sector. Sinn Fein Limerick city deputy Maurice Quinlivan has welcomed the move by the Health Service Executive, which has been confirmed by Colette Cowan, chief executive of the UL Hospitals Group. Twelve of the 20 beds in St Johns are due to open this Monday October 30, and the remaining eight will open as soon as the required staff are hired and in place. I have been constantly advocating for additional beds and staff for Limerick hospitals to help address the crisis. Having 902 patients on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) in September was totally unacceptable, said deputy Quinlivan. On Friday last, there were 48 people waiting on trolleys and in wards in UHL, again the highest in the State. Although this announcement of 20 extra beds is welcome, it is not even enough to match the current overcrowding levels, let alone meet the demand winter will put on our hospitals. Funding must be put in place to progress the building of the 96-bed block for University Hospital Limerick to ensure patient safety and comfort and to meet the demand of our growing population. Trolley figures recorded by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) for the month of September confirm that a record number of 8,101 patients, admitted for care, were on trolleys, in emergency departments or wards nationally. This represents a seven per cent increase on 2016, and a 132% increase in a decade. The hospitals with the greatest levels of overcrowding, in the past month, were University Hospital Limerick, with 902 on trolleys; Cork University Hospital, with 628 on trolleys; and University Hospital Galway with 598 on trolleys. By comparison, in UHL, then known as the Regional, just 139 people were on trolleys during the month of September in 2006. The figure began to rise in Limerick to in excess of 500 for a single month in 2010 and rose to over 700 in 2015. THE Clare-based medical devices manufacturer Vitalograph has announced that 50 new jobs will be created at its manufacturing and R&D facility, which will also see a 12 million investment. The company, which provides cardio-respiratory diagnostic products, will be hiring across a number of positions including data analysts, software designers and engineers and said it expects to fill the positions over the coming six months. The jobs announcement coincides with the news that Vitalograph is to invest 12 million in its facility in Ennis, where 100 people are already employed. Vitalograph has been designing, developing and manufacturing respiratory and cardiology devices for the healthcare sector for over 50 years. It has recently been working in collaboration with a number of leading pharmaceutical companies providing clinical trials of new drugs, particularly those used in the treatment of cough and other respiratory conditions. Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Innovation, Pat Breen, who attended this mornings announcement in Ennis, said news of 50 new jobs was fantastic for Ennis and the Mid-West region. Vitalograph has been a long-established name in the region since 1974 and has built a reputation as a great employer. The company is also acknowledged as a leading provider in the development and production of medical devices and software as well as providing the expertise to deliver world-leading medical innovation, he said. Im delighted to be part of todays milestone and it is a very positive reinforcement of our position in the global pharmaceutical, medical and clinical testing sector. Frank Keane, General Manager at Vitalograph Ireland said: We are delighted to announce a significant investment in the facility here in Ennis, along with the creation of 50 new jobs. We have been at the forefront of the design and development of cardio-respiratory devices for decades but todays announcement means that we can further expand in the area of clinical trials, particularly in the treatment of cough, he added. The company, which also has facilities in England, Germany, China, US and Japan and a workforce of 200, works with a number of pharmaceutical companies on the clinical testing of new cough drugs. Mr Keane said it had "devised the only system in the world that has been approved and validated to accurately measure cough". Dr. Tom Kelly, Divisional Manager, Cleantech, Electronics and Life Sciences, Enterprise Ireland said that the medical technologies sector in Ireland was "globally recognised as a major centre of excellence". "The sector has continued to grow year on year and has evolved to become a world-class ecosystem made up of highly innovative companies like Vitalograph. Working closely with Enterprise Ireland, these companies are designing and developing products and services that have the potential to significantly and positively impact the lives of people worldwide. "Enterprise Ireland will continue to work with Vitalograph as it transforms itself through innovation, underpinning the companys continued growth in world markets and the creation of sustainable employment at home," he added. THE number of patients on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick has risen dramatically again this Monday and is approaching peak levels. According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, there are 61 patients being treated on emergency department trolleys and additional trolleys or beds in the wards at the Dooradoyle facility this Monday. UHL broke the national record for overcrowding in September with 69 patients on trolleys at the hospital, which was first time since the state-of-the-art 25m emergency department opened on May 29 that UHL had surpassed the 60 mark. On November 8, 2016, UHL broke the national record for that year with 66 patients on trolleys. It once again matched that record on January 4 of this year. The rate of overcrowding at the Limerick hospital this Monday is significantly higher than any other hospital in the country, with Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, the closest with 33 on trolleys. Top emergency medicine consultants at the hospital have argued that unless the hospital gets more beds in the wards, the overcrowding crisis in the Mid-West will persist. The UL Hospitals Group has put in a bid to secure funding from the Department of Health for a new 96-bed acute ward block, which could help to alleviate UHLs overcrowding crisis. Twenty beds in St Johns Hospital are due to be re-opened in an attempt to help ease the levels of overcrowding across the health sector. RAIL services from Limericks Colbert station are set to grind to a halt next week after workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action. Workers will go to the gate on Wednesday, November 1 for the first in a series of five 24-hour work stoppages over pay and conditions. Around 60 staff work for Irish Rail locally. Walkouts are also planned for Tuesday, November 7, Tuesday, Nobvember 14, Thursday November 23 and Friday, December 8. The action comes after talks between the National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU), Siptu and other related unions with Irish Rail bosses broke down. Over 90% of its members have voted for the industrial action as a result. Staff were looking for a pay rise in the region of 3.75%. In a joint statement, officials at the NBRU, Siptu, Unite the TSSA and the TEEU said: The responsibility for this dispute lies squarely with the chief executive and his management team at Irish Rail. The treatment meted out to staff over the last number of months, and in particular the debacle which occurred at the Workplace Relations Commission has been nothing short of contemptuous and will make a resolution to this dispute even more difficult, if not now impossible. Cllr Frankie Daly, who chairs the transport strategic policy committee, warned that the strike could drag into the festive season. He said: From my own point of view, I am in full support of the workers, and I think common sense needs to prevail. Its coming up to Christmas, and if the trust breaks down even further, you will have stoppages in and around critical times coming up to Christmas, affecting people wishing to see their families. I feel for the workers. Cllr Daly also called on Transport Minister Shane Ross to intervene. It is a top-down approach again from the Irish Rail management. We have guys at the top dictating terms and conditions, putting proposals forward and fudging them, he added. Limerick is connected to Dublin, Galway and Ennis directly, plus Cork and Waterford indirectly. FINE Gael TD for County Limerick, Tom Neville, has said he is 'honoured' to have been appointed secretary of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party. Its a major coup for the local TD, who entered the 32nd Dail for the first time in 2016 after the retirement of his father TD Dan Neville. Taking up the role of secretary, Deputy Neville follows in the footsteps of Ministers Damien English, Helen McEntee and Minister for Finance, Pascal Donohoe, who all recently served in the position. I am delighted that my colleagues have shown this vote of confidence in me, and I look forward to discharging my duties to the very best of my ability, he said. Tom's father Dan previously served as chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party during his long career in politics. Tom Neville was co-opted to his fathers seat on Limerick County Council in 2003. He was county poll topper on his first attempt at contesting in the 2004 local election. Having emigrated to Australia for four years to work after the economic crash, he didnt contest the 2009 local elections, but successfully ran again in 2014. He remained a member of Limerick City and County Council until his election to Dail Eireann in 2016. The TD, who is a trained actor, claims to focus on jobs, mental health and arts. A GROUP of dedicated volunteers in Limerick carried out a dramatic rescue of a stranded horse after a river burst its banks. Volunteers from Horse Education Limerick Project Southside (HELPS) and Limerick Animal Welfare (LAW) waded across waters in Castleconnell to rescue the piebald after the alarm was raised on Saturday. In a post on Facebook, HELPS outlined the mission in which four people attended the animal that was trapped on a small patch of ground surrounded by water. She was in trouble, the bank had burst, the heavy rain still pelting down and water rising even further - she had nowhere to go but drown if she was left there, they wrote. Having reached the first mare, they also heard that there were two foals and another mare supposedly in the field. Having secured the mare on a tiny bit of ground, we then sloshed on through the water and weeds trying to find the others. It became more difficult the further up we went, they said, because a step wrong would plunge the volunteers into the fast flowing river. The group got word that the foals and mare had already been moved, so they returned to the first horse and led her out. The group does not have the authority to seize a horse, so they found an area of high ground with secure fencing to leave her. Boy was she happy, she galloped up and down, done a couple of bucks, then started to eat the grass, wrote the group on social media. LAW chairperson Marion Fitzgibbon explained how horses who are stuck in floods could face death if they are not rescued. The riverbank burst there the other night, and if horses dont get out of there theyll drown. We had one of our volunteers who went out into the river, and its highly dangerous because when the whole area is flooded, you could be on the river bank and if you take two steps to the left, you could be down in the river. You cant see the surface, she said. There were all boggy holes and marshland, so you could get stuck in the mud, and thats whats happening to the horses. They are getting stuck in the mud and they cant move, they get cold from standing in water, and they get panicked because they are stuck in the ground, she added. The HELPS volunteers notified the owner to attend to the mare the next day, and the group is urging people to make sure they check their animals daily to ensure their safety. Please try follow our advice - help us to help you, they said. ONE LITTLE girl from Limerick has just received the surprise of a lifetime - and staff at Shannon Airport helped her parents to pull it off. Kayla Clancy arrived at Shannon Airport this Monday morning thinking she was headed off to Spain on her holidays. But she got the shock of her life when she found out she would actually be making the trip Stateside, to Disney World Orlando. Kayla burst into tears when a staff member from United Airlines presented her with a t-shirt revealing her destination. Shannon Airport representatives shared the heartwarming story on Facebook: Imagine arriving at Shannon Airport and being told that instead of going to Spain.... you are going to Florida!! This just happened to Kayla Clancy from Limerick, who is now ready to take off on United Airlines flight UA24 to Newark and on to Orlando, Florida. Have an amazing adventure, Kayla. We can't wait to hear about your first trip to Disney World. The video of the adorable surprise has already garnered almost 30,000 views in the eight hours since it was posted. A YOUNG man who was jailed, last year, for his role in a violent robbery in the city centre has successfully appealed the severity of the sentence. Christopher Higgins, aged 22, who has an address at Parnell Place in the city centre pleaded guilty to robbing a wifi dongle and around 80 in cash from a man at Pery Square in the early hours of March 17, 2016. In May of last year, he was sentenced to six years imprisonment with the final two suspended. Higgins successfully appealed that sentence with the Court of Appeal holding that insufficient credit was given to mitigating factors put forward on his behalf. He will be released from prison next month. During the original sentencing hearing, Limerick Circuit Court was told that shortly before 1am Higgins and another man sat into the car which was parked near Limerick City Gallery of Art. A knife was held against the throat of the owner who was then ordered to hand over whatever money and valuables he had. It was accepted that Higgins did not use the knife but Detective Garda John Keane said he did threaten him before taking a substantial quantity of coinage from the car as well as the dongle. Giving judgment in the Court of Appeal this Monday, Mr Justice Michael Peart noted that Higgins made admissions in custody and pleaded guilty very early. It was accepted, he said, that his admissions greatly helped the prosecution case. The defendant, he commented, was 18 at the time of the offence while his co-accused was 32. Significantly, Mr Justice Peart said Fr Tony O'Riordan, the then parish priest in Moyross, gave evidence of having known Higgins for a number of years. Fr ORiordan had arranged a trial of employment and agreed that Higgins could live with him under strict conditions until other arrangements were made. Higgins had previously stayed with him for six or seven weeks. Mr Justice Peart said there was considerable force in the argument that insufficient credit was afforded for the significant mitigating factors. There was impressive evidence from the parish priest which indicated a real prospect for Higgins' rehabilitation. The judge said rehabilitation was an important principle to be reflected in sentencing where there was specific and cogent evidence of progress. Mr Justice Peart, who sat with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, imposed a new six year sentence but suspended the balance as of November 14 next. The period between today and that date is to enable practical arrangements so as to ensure, in so far as possible, having turned a corner, he can continue on the straight road ahead Fr O'Riordan certainly considers him capable of. Higgins was required to enter into a good behaviour bond and he undertook to be so bound. 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. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Houston's pitch for Amazon's $5 billion second headquarters hinges on a four-mile stretch on the Metro light rail line running from downtown to the Texas Medical Center, an area city leaders are calling the innovation corridor. It's a section of Houston that includes some of the city's largest companies, Rice University, tech startups, venture capital, private equity shops, museums, green-spaces, financial and professional services and plenty of restaurants and housing, according to a document outlining the city's confidential proposal to Amazon. Now Playing: Everyone wants a piece of Amazon! The tech giant announced on Monday that 238 proposals came pouring in from cities across North America who want to host its second headquarters. Some of the contenders include New York, Boston, and Atlanta. Amazon said it's looking for placed that have software developers, good transportation, and would be a good cultural fit. The company also noted new job salaries will average $100,000. Video: Wibbitz Local leaders have given Amazon its choice of undisclosed sites within the so-called innovation corridor, an attractive zone they hope can overcome some of Houston's macro-level drawbacks, including low levels of mass transit ridership across a broad swath of the city. The corridor is, according to the document drafted by the Greater Houston Partnership, "the center of a power social and economic convergence." "The corridor offers close access to two international airports, three interstates, 3 million workers, plus access to key game changers in business and an unparalleled array of amenities," city leaders said in the document. In the bid, local leaders highlighted Houston's most prominent industries, including oil and gas, health care and manufacturing, saying these more traditional businesses would benefit from a partnership with a leading technology companies, and Amazon could, in turn, tackle some of the biggest modern challenges, such as the sustainability of the world's energy resources and climate change. "What disrupters need is access to the traditional industry model and the problems it creates that they can't imagine or conceive of from the outside," said Bob Harvey, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, the group spearheading Houston's bid for Amazon. "People might say what interest would Amazon have in oil and gas, but energy is the issue of the day." HoustonChronicle.com: In bidding for Amazon, Houston leaders see catalyst for growth -- win or lose Also among the document's 32 bullet points is the city's ethnic diversity, nearly 100,000 people who work in technology-related fields, low local taxes, eclectic neighborhoods and restaurants, a low cost of living. The city's diversity, Harvey argued, should appeal to a company that wants to attract millennial workers and to a tech industry that has come under fire for its ethnic uniformity, particularly in Silicon Valley. "As Amazon seeks to diversify its ranks at the executive, manager and professional levels, there is no better place to locate in Houston," city leaders said. The College Board's National Hispanic Scholar Recognition Program has recognized Cesar Cruz of the Hector J. Garcia Early College High School, Catalina Berry and Lauren Melendez of Nixon High School and Carlos Cruz of Martin High School. The four seniors have been given the prestigious honor as 2017-18 National Hispanic Scholar for their excellence in academic achievement and superior college entrance exams. The four students were among 5,000 academically outstanding students from more than 250,000 Hispanic/Latinos juniors who took the Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and identified themselves as Hispanic/Latino. To be eligible, the students must be at least one-quarter Hispanic/Latino, achieved a minimum PSAT/NMSQT score for their region, and have a cumulative junior grade point average of 3.5 or higher to be designated as Scholars. The NHRP honors these outstanding students and makes their information available to subscribing college and universities. READ MORE: TAMIU AmeriCorps students provide much needed bilingual phone bank for hurricane victims "LISD congratulates these four outstanding scholars who continue to demonstrate superior academic excellence," LISD superintendent Sylvia Rios said. "We also want to acknowledge their parents and teachers for supporting their educational and extracurricular endeavors." The students all expressed their excitement about the recognition and acknowledged their teachers and parents for their support. "It's a great honor. All the hard work you devote when it comes to preparing for the test and everything you do at school finally pays off," Cesar Cruz said. "If you get recognized it looks good on your resume and it gets your name out to the top colleges and universities. "Several teachers helped me throughout the way, especially Mr. Roberto Guerrero. I honestly think that without his help and support, I would not have been able to accomplish this." Cruz plans on majoring in biology and attend medical school. He is currently ranked third in his class with a GPA of 104.20. He is currently enrolled at TAMIU and has completed 68 college hours. Cesar is a member of the GECHS Chess Club, Student Council, UIL Math and Science, UIL Current Events, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and LISD Secondary Menu Advisory Council. He was named 2013 GECHS Sophomore of the Year, Honor Roll, and has maintained perfect attendance since the beginning of his academic career. Cruz also volunteers his time at Casa de Misericordia, TAMIU and GECHS Tutor and Laredo Little Theater. MORE ON LMTOnline.com: United High School students caught changing grades will be sent to alternative campus Berry is currently enrolled at the Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts. She plans on attending the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a degree in biology. She is an AP scholar, a member of the VMT Chess Club, and has won multiple art contests. Melendez is currently enrolled at VMT. Lauren is a member of UIL Ready Writing, National Hispanic Institute, Girl Scouts, 4-H and the United Nations Girl Up. She has received the Girl Scout Gold Award for her Pillow Drive for Africa and the Congressional Silver Medal Award from U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar. "It was honestly quite a surprise. I'm really excited," Melendez said. "It's an honor to have been recognized as a National Hispanic Scholar. I really worked very hard to get a good SAT score. "I would most definitely encourage all juniors to take the test. There are a lot of free online resources that can help you prepare for the test and improve your scores. Kahn Academy was very helpful." READ MORE: Laredo ISD students enjoy live 'Mango Street' production Carlos Daniel Cruz is also a student at VMT. His college aspirations include attending Texas State University with a focus on music education and performance. He is an active member of UIL Number Sense, Band, Cross Country and Track. He was also a 2015 5A Cross Country State Qualifier, 2015 TMEA Region 14 All-District Band Member, 2015 TMEA All-Region Symphonic Band Member, 2016 5A Cross Country Regional Qualifier and 2016 TMEA Region 14 All District Band Member. Carlos has accumulated over 500 community service hours volunteering for the VMT Pit Orchestra and the Laredo Animal Shelter. Taking the PSAT/NMSQT Test as juniors allows students to see for themselves where they rate academically in comparison to other juniors all over this state and country. For some who achieve national standing, it is the time to make final selections of colleges or universities as being a National Hispanic Scholar opens the door to many opportunities. Taking a test such as the PSAT is the first important step in planning for the future. CORRECTION: This article has been updated to correct an error in a quote from Lauren Melendez. She was originally quoted as saying, "It's an honor to have been recognized as a National Hispanic Scholar. I really worked very hard to get a good ACT score." In fact, she said she worked hard to get a good SAT score. Editor's note: LMT reported in June on a rise in rape reports at TAMIU in 2015 and 2016. This story provides further details on the reports, which LMT obtained through an open records request. Thus far in 2017, TAMIU police have not recorded any sexual assault reports by students. This is part one of a two part story. Part two can be found here. Only one of the 12 rapes reported in the past two years at Texas A&M International University has ended with a conviction. In most of the cases, the rape report was not filed until months after the alleged assault occurred. Also, most survivors later decided they did not want to be a witness, press charges or proceed with prosecution. However, one woman decided to file charges against her alleged perpetrator after revisiting the incident. In February 2015, she reported to TAMIU police she had been sexually assaulted. RELATED: Former TAMIU official files lawsuit alleging college retaliated against him after he criticized handling of sexual assault The police report states that she had been consuming alcohol at a party with the alleged offender. She noted he wasn't drinking alcohol. According to the police report, the two left for his dorm. "(She) reported going into (the) apartment and making him promise that he would do nothing sexually to her because she did not want to have sex," the report states. The report further states that she remembered being naked and fondled by the male. According to the report, she recalled performing a sexual act voluntarily, but then stopping when she realized she no longer wanted to continue. She told police that he said to her, "We should stop and do this when you're sober." The male claimed she had insisted in engaging in sexual acts and that he had reluctantly agreed. No charges were filed at the time. About two months after, she returned to TAMIU police wanting to file charges. She informed police that "at first she did not want to file charges because she blamed herself for allowing herself to be in the situation where she had been assaulted," the report states. "She states she could not have given consent but does remember (him) asking her if she was sure, but does not remember what the question was about being sure," according to the report. "She has realized she was not conscious enough to have given consent for any sexual act. This is why now she is coming forward with charges against (him) because she had made him promise he was not going to do anything to her sexually." The case was declined for prosecution due to insufficient evidence, according to the report. RELATED: Rape reports on the rise at Texas A&M International University The university's definition of consent, as per Lauren Jones, TAMIU director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity and interim director of compliance, is a clear and voluntary agreement between the parties to engage in a specific type of sexual activity. Jones noted at each of her presentations for university students she explains that consent has to be renewed as you "round the bases." Trevor Liddle, TAMIU associate vice president for administration, had attributed the rise in rape reports in 2015 and 2016 to increased student awareness. He explained that there are two tracks students may take when reporting sexual assaults. They may report to someone at TAMIU that they have been sexually assaulted, and the university proceeds to notify the compliance office as well as the Title IX coordinator. Students are then asked if they would like law enforcement involved in the case. The two options might or might not run simultaneously, Liddle said. "Sometimes they want to tell a law enforcement officer, 'This happened. I have now told you. I'm ready to move on. I don't want to go any further,'" he said. "It's interesting, the police bring in an advocate and have them to talk to the (victim) and they really try to tell them, 'You can revisit this decision. Your decision today is not final.' "Understand you have reported it to us so it's going to automatically go, what I call 'upstairs' (to the compliance office). So anytime an event or sexual assault is reported to any employee on campus, we are duty-bound to report it to the Title IX office. So even if they say, 'Yes, I want anonymity here and I don't want any further involvement,' there is still a mechanism that moves it forward." Two rape reports were filed by former students seeking employment with the Texas Department of Public Safety. As part of the hiring process, they were given a polygraph exam during which they said they had been sexually assaulted in 2014. The two separate cases were still pursued by TAMIU. But timing plays a large role in how well the university can respond. READ MORE: Serial restaurant burglary suspect nabbed by Laredo PD When one of the women spoke with TAMIU police, she recalled that her friend had told her that the alleged rapist said it was consensual sex because she had asked if he had protection. But she stated she doesn't remember giving consent. The woman said the rape occurred at an after-party. She indicated she was intoxicated and remembered a friend of hers had walked her to his dorm room and sexually assaulted her. The suspect was an exchange student from Brazil. According to the report, several attempts were made to contact him but were unsuccessful. TAMIU President Pablo Arenaz noted while some cases might not have reached full conviction through the District Attorney's Office, the university complies with its student conduct code. "The district attorney may decide that there's not enough evidence for a criminal conviction but we, our investigators, may find that there is enough evidence to show that indeed this did occur and that this person was culpable and so we put sanctions in place," he said. Liddle explained TAMIU's general policy is to investigate and present the case, sending it to the District Attorney's Office. The ultimate decision, concerning criminal conviction, then comes from the district attorney. Five of the 12 reported rapes ended with the victims signing a waiver of prosecution. That means they did not desire to go forward as a witness in the case or file charges against the suspect, and that the initial complaint be withdrawn. MORE ON LMTOnline.com: Former foster daughters of South Texas man accused of sexually assaulting 5 girls react to his arrest The one case that did reach formal conviction involved two men. According to the report, a student had a party with several friends in his room and was intoxicated when he went to his room to go to sleep. He reported awakening to a sharp pain in his lower half and came to discover a fraternity brother on top of him, the police report states. The suspect, Pablo Reyes, later pleaded guilty to Class A misdemeanor assault. He was sentenced to two years' probation. One of the 12 cases remains under investigation, according to the District Attorney's Office. Deonnte Breedlove was arrested on two counts of sexual assault and two counts of indecent exposure in 2016. TAMIU takes action in providing resources for victims of sexual assault. Under Title IX, the university offers interim accommodations and protective measures, including modifications to housing arrangements, class arrangements and no-contact orders. As of now, an offense does not show up on a student's transcript if they have been suspended due to an alleged assault. Juan Castillo, TAMIU vice president for finance and administration, noted the complexities that arise between educational institutions and that of the judiciary system. "Those conversations are happening at the state level as to whether or not that should be," he said. "One of the iffy things is student conduct, the threshold is lower. We might suspend someone and the judiciary process happens and they're found not guilty or the district attorney doesn't even take it." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate There will be some happy people when Mattie Beasley graduates from Liberty High School in May and the reason might be surprising. It won't be because she finished her academic career successfully. Her competition in the auction arena might be happy she's moving on. Why? The senior at Liberty collected a handful of banners at the Trinity Valley Exposition Youth Auction again this year taking home the Grand Champion Market Rabbit, Grand Champion Market Steer, Reserve Champion American Commercial Heifer and finished fifth in her class with her pig. You might think she'd feel a little embarrassed about taking home so much hardware, but you'd be wrong. "I don't feel guilty because I've worked hard for this," she said. "After competing yesterday, I realized that all my work had finally paid off and I've been working on this for a long time," the senior said. The money, she said, will be used for her college education. Her parents are so proud that she's earned it the old-fashioned way - hard work. The morning schedule can get hectic, so she relies on help from her dad, Dwight. "He feeds the cattle in the morning for me," she said as she heads off to school. "You can't show good cattle without a little help from your parents," she said. Tears welled up in her dad's eyes as he heard his daughter giving him credit for his help. The two have been an inseparable team helping her achieve her goals. "It's non-stop from morning to night," she said. He feeds the cows in the morning, she goes to classes. When she gets home, she barely has enough time to change her clothes and then she's already out in the barn. "I feed the cows again, work them, tie them up and wet them down, especially my steer when it's so hot outside," she said. Depending on the night of the week, the water bath could come more often. She has more than just cows or steers. There's a complete animal house with cows, steers, rabbits, pigs and more. "I'm in the barn weighing rabbits, walking pigs; it's a never-ending project," she said. Mattie spends anywhere from 4 to 9 p.m. working her animal projects and planning for the shows during the school week and even more time on the weekends doing the things she can't do because of time restraints during the week. Brushing down the animals is another priority and she has more animals at home that she didn't show. When the load gets heavy at school, her dad pitches in to help. There's no time for being on the drill team, cheerleading or any other extracurricular activities at school. "This is my commitment," she said. Mattie's hard work did pay off. She entered four animal projects and placed in all four. She has the magic touch. Normally, a student is only allowed to have two animals in the sale, but because she had a Grand Reserve they can't pull that one out. She finished fifth with her pig. "If that one would have won Grand Reserve, I would have been able to put that one in the auction as well," she smiled. This isn't the first time Beasley has come away from TVE as a winner. She's won Grand Champion now four years in a row. Breeding and showing animals is in her blood. "My parents showed and my sister, who is six years older than me, came home and told my dad that she wanted to show a pig," she said. "I couldn't be left out!" The third-grader got into pigs and then her breeding frenzy shifted to rabbits where she found major success. "I won Grand Champion Overall with my rabbits at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo two years in a row and Reserved it as well," she said proudly. She also took third, sixth, ninth and 16th in the competition. She gave lambs a try, but her real love came when she got her first Brangus heifer. "Ever since then, I've been in love with cows," she said. "They're fun and you really create a bond with them." She said she was sad to see her steer go, but understands she raises them for the auction and money. She's narrowed down her college options to Texas Tech, Tarleton State and Texas State. "I don't know which one just yet, but it will be one of those three," she said. She will major in either agriculture communications or social work and help others. "It's a lot of work and I'm really proud of her," said Dwight. He showed as well when he was younger, but could not compete with his daughter's success. "I never won the belt buckles she's won," he said, grinning. Mattie has won enough buckles to outfit about 70 of her friends. Her mom, Cammie, said she can call for the two of them to come in from the barn to eat supper, but they don't come until they're finished working with the animals, she said. "I'm the photographer and banner holder," her mom said with a laugh. "I'm super proud of her." Mattie won't be giving up the farm life after college. She wants to have a Brangus farm. She has one more year in Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and then head off to college. In the meantime, she will sneak away and head out to the barn and spend time talking to her cows building that bond. Her competition only has the Cleveland and HLS&R shows to worry about this year - again. To see the results of the Trinity Valley Exposition Youth Auction, click through the photos on the Dayton News website. As part of a series of courses at the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University, Anne Sloan, a Heights historian, dedicated a course on Wednesday, Oct. 18, about the Historic Heights area through a presentation for a City in a City. The series examines communities that have become "cities in a city" like, Bellaire, Harrisburg and Southside place. Courses take place each Wednesday starting through Nov. 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sloan has studied the Historic Heights area for nearly 30 years saying, "It's something I have done for fun." She put her course together in chronological order from the earliest master planned independent community, including what she calls, a brief preview of the important revitalization of Houston Heights after its decline during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1891, Oscar Martin Carter made his way to the historic area establishing the Omaha and South Texas Land Company (OSTLC) and purchased Houston's two mule-drawn transportation systems and 1,765 acres of undeveloped land. The Houston Heights area received its name for settling 23 feet above downtown Houston. Once the land was cleared for a grand boulevard, which will become the entrance to the community in 1892, OSTLC began enacting deed restrictions for house constructions on the boulevard. Sloan said this was the first residential building restrictions in Houston. That same year brought the first electric streetcar that ran down the boulevard. The first Victorian mansion was built in 1893 and belong to a Daniel Denton Cooley who also had the first Heights county public school named after him, The Cooley School. The Cooley School no longer exists today, but received a Historic marker where it once stood. Sloan goes on to explain the annexation of the Heights area to the city of Houston citing that many residents in the area were pushing for the annexation because of the inadequate tax base for education. In the early 1970s, the Heights area began to deteriorate, which led to the establishment of the Houston Heights Association to help promote the enhancement of the community. Sloan said after the area was annexed by Houston, Victorian mansions were a thing of the past, and much of the area was no longer well kept, which she said is a reflection onto Houston's effort in being a more "modern" city. Out of the 17 Victorian mansions built, Sloan said there are only a couple left. "This tells you a lot about Houston," Sloan said. The prominent Heights Festival kicked off in 1975 and lasted for over 20 years. Marmion and Donovan parks were purchased by the Houston Heights Association in 1983 and shortly after the Heights is designated as a Multiple Resource Area of the National Register by the Texas Historical Commission. The well-known Bungalows came under criticism as people not familiar with the iconic homes looked to move into the Heights found the homes less accommodating. Sloan described a time where longtime residents of the Heights had to fight to keep the Bungalows as they were and prevent them from demolition in the early 2000s. "This is what makes the Heights, this is the heart to the Heights," Sloan said. Slowly as a compromise to residents looking to move to the area but wanted more space, a whole new section is added to Bungalow homes resulting in the name, camelback Bungalows. Sloan shared the unfortunately loss the Heights felt for the art scene, that there was a time when the area was flooded with artists, but now not so much. As the area becomes more gentrified, Sloan said the art scene will continue to deplete and longtime residents will struggle to hold on to what makes the Heights so iconic. Many wonder why the Heights has streets named after Ivy League Universities such as Harvard and Yale, Sloan said that is a direct result of having founders from the Northeastern part of the country. In 2015, as a result of 500 trees planted on Yale Street during the 1980s, Houston City Council designated 13 blocks of the street as Houston's first Green Corridor. Longtime Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek is resisting pressure to resign, fashioning himself into an unlikely rebel as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan turns a sweeping purge of Turkish society against his own party. Gokcek, who's been elected to the post in five consecutive elections since 1994, has been under pressure to step down since early this month, when Turkish media began to report speculation that he would go. His resignation seemed imminent when he met Erdogan at the presidential palace late on Oct. 5. But the mayor emerged from that meeting with his job, and later sent tweets saying he'd discussed a museum and other projects with the president. Gokcek's refusal to abide by calls to quit from Erdogan, who has ruled by decree under emergency law since last year's coup attempt, is a risky move that could see him forcibly removed from office, or facing an investigation. Pro-government media that once supported the mayor have turned against him, publishing stories hinting at corruption and connections to the group the government blames for the failed putsch. Erdogan warned Oct. 19 that resistance by mayors would yield "severe" consequences. "I don't even want to think about it," he said. There's also a risk for Erdogan of alienating supporters, turning powerful allies against him and tarnishing his own party with allegations of graft and a disregard for voters. While Gokcek is one of Turkey's most divisive politicians, some 1.4 million people cast votes for him at the last local election in 2014, which he narrowly won against a nationalist candidate run by the main opposition party. The next local ballot, in March 2019, will be seen as an important bellwether for Erdogan's chances at re-election six months later. Erdogan has probably seen polls showing "that some of these mayors are losing popularity," said Mert Yildiz, a former economist for Roubini Global Economics who works as an independent consultant for municipalities. "Erdogan is thinking ahead, and he's saying, 'I don't want to lose these cities so I need to get rid of these guys."' Gokcek has a Twitter following of more than 4 million and an affinity for insult matches and wild conspiracy theories. Earlier this year, he organized a trip for reporters from top U.S. media organizations promising that they'd meet Turkish officials including Erdogan. Instead, he brought the visitors to a complex in Ankara, showed them a gruesome film depicting injuries and deaths from the night of the coup, and shared his views on issues including the 1999 earthquake in Turkey, which he says was triggered by Israel and the U.S. Yeni Akit TV, a pro-Erdogan Islamic news outlet, has recently accused Gokcek of colluding with the main opposition party, the CHP, which the mayor himself has linked to the Gulen religious movement that Erdogan's party says masterminded the coup. A spokesperson and an adviser for Gokcek didn't respond to requests for comment over the weekend. The government refers to Gulen's following by the abbreviation "FETO." Allegations of being linked to the group, if taken up by a prosecutor, are a certain career-ender for politicians in Turkey, if not also a ticket to jail. More than 150,000 people have been fired, jailed or detained since the coup attempt. Erdogan's insistence that Gokcek step down is part of a larger shake-up he triggered after returning to the ruling party and declaring that "fatigue" had set in within its ranks. Last month, Kadir Topbas, the mayor of Istanbul since 2004, was the first of three mayors to step down. Saban Disli, a founder of the ruling AK party whose brother is in prison for allegedly being a coup-attempt ring leader, resigned Thursday as an adviser to Erdogan. Dozens of elected mayors in the nation's southeast have already been replaced with so-called kayyums, or trustees, appointed by the central government. Most of those mayors were members of a pro-Kurdish party and many have since been charged with terrorism. Erdogan also spearheaded a move to strip the party's parliament members of their immunity and to send its leaders, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, to prison. They've been jailed for almost a year. In an interview with the pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper published on Monday, Hayati Yazici, a former government minister who's now deputy chairman of the ruling party, acknowledged that forcing mayors out of office was an "exception" to the party's commitment to letting voters decide on changes of power. "We're still committed to this principle," Yazici said. "But like in everything, there can be exceptions. We see this as an exception to the principle." The showdown leaves Erdogan in a difficult spot as he prepares for 2019, according to Yildiz. The referendum in April, in which voters ultimately approved a series of constitutional amendments to hand Erdogan more power, showed that the ruling party is losing urban support. All of Turkey's largest metropolitan areas, including Istanbul and Ankara, voted against. "Erdogan has the kayyum card, he can appoint a kayyum" to replace Gokcek, Yildiz said. "The other card is the investigation card for FETO, and Gokcek in the past has sent lots of tweets in support of Gulen, so it's easy. But he doesn't want to use either on his own guys." --- Bloomberg's Selcan Hacaoglu contributed. Alameda County Sheriffs Office / / A 42-year-old Oakland man was arrested for stealing a San Lorenzo mans truck and fatally running him over in his own driveway, officials said Monday. The suspect, Victor Martinez Alvarez, was booked on suspicion of murder and vehicle theft after being arrested Saturday night in San Leandro. MOSCOW -- An assailant stabbed a senior editor at Russia's Echo of Moscow radio Monday in a brazen break-in and attack at one of Russia's most prominent and politically outspoken talk stations. The assault was the latest in a series of attacks, some with political motives, on prominent journalists in Russia. Tanya Felgengauer, the deputy editor in chief, was hospitalized with wounds to her neck and arms. As of Monday evening, Felgengauer was in an induced coma following an operation to repair a deep wound to her neck, Alexei Venediktov, the radio station's editor in chief, said in an interview. "This is not acceptable. It's spreading like a plague," Venediktov said, referring to attacks on journalists. "Journalists are absolutely without protection in our country." The attack shocked Russia's political establishment. The Moscow mayor personally intervened to get Felgengauer quickly to an elite hospital, Venediktov said, possibly saving her life. Alexei Gromov, deputy chief of staff to Russian President Vladimir Putin, also called to pledge his support. The attacker was identified as Boris Grits, a graduate of a Moscow university who Russian police said held a foreign passport and had lived in Israel. In leaked footage of a police interrogation broadcast by a Moscow television station, Grits said that Felgengauer had "used telepathy" to sexually harass him. The two did not know each other personally. Journalists, political bloggers and activists have raised alarms about security fears for years. Several weeks ago, Felgengauer and another Echo of Moscow journalist were targeted in an expose on Russian state television for meeting with a leading Russian opposition figure, while the station was accused of taking Western money. "It's the same way this channel began to persecute Boris Nemtsov," the former Russian opposition leader gunned down in 2015, Venediktov said. "They raised the level of hate." According to security footage, the man sprayed a gas in the eyes of security guards in the lobby before taking the elevator up to the radio station's 14th-floor offices. Once there, he found Felgengauer and attacked her with the sharp object before security guards intervened and handcuffed the man. A photograph of the assailant released on social media showed a middle-aged man in dark clothing sitting handcuffed in an office chair. Nearby, blood is spattered across the office's lacquered wooden floor. Echo of Moscow journalists have complained about violent threats against them in the past. Venediktov regularly travels with a bodyguard. Yulia Latynina, a veteran political analyst for the radio station who reports on the Kremlin and Russian security services, fled Russia last month after unknown assailants set fire to her car. "You remember that I have had to evacuate some of my employees," Venediktov said, referring to Latynina and several others who have been threatened or had to leave the country because of their reporting. The Committee to Protect Journalists lists more than 50 Russian journalists killed since 1993. Catalan separatists are mobilizing a human shield to block efforts by the Spanish authorities to take control of the breakaway region as both sides prepare to escalate the political conflict. Groups will concentrate their activists around the regional government's headquarters in Barcelona's Gothic quarter and the nearby parliament building, according to two people familiar with the plans, asking not to be identified by name. They expect Spanish police to use force to try to shut down the administration and will put their bodies on the line, said one person. "We are calling for a peaceful and democratic defense of the institutions," Lluis Corominas, the leader of the main separatist group in the Catalan Parliament, said at a press conference in Barcelona. Regional President Carles Puigdemont has called for similar action. It's a critical week of brinkmanship. The Catalan leadership was left to plot its next move following Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's declaration of unprecedented measures to reassert his authority. The rebels in Barcelona are running out of options while Madrid attempts to bring an end to the country's most dramatic political crisis for four decades. The showdown may come at the end of the week. Puigdemont, who accused Rajoy of a "coup d'etat," is set to be ousted by the Spanish government and his allies are signaling he could declare independence. The legislature in Barcelona, which is controlled by separatist parties, will convene on Thursday and Friday just as Rajoy is expected to win approval from the Senate for his crackdown. Puigdemont may travel to Madrid to address the Senate, a Catalan lawmaker said on Monday. Rajoy on Saturday shocked many observers with plans to clear out the entire separatist administration in Barcelona and take control of key institutions including public media and the regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra. Spain's chief prosecutor said that if Puigdemont declares independence he would face as much as 30 years in jail and signaled that he could be arrested immediately. The euro weakened as investors watched for the next big development. The common European currency slipped 0.4 percent to $1.1735. Spain's benchmark IBEX stock index was down 0.4 percent at 3 p.m. Madrid time. Spain is trying to snuff out an independence drive that's been gathering momentum since Rajoy took office in 2011. Puigdemont's challenge to Rajoy's authority culminated in a referendum on independence held Oct. 1 that the Spanish constitutional court had declared illegal and whose validity Rajoy fiercely contests. Puigdemont claims the vote gives him a mandate to declare a Catalan republic. The constitutional battle is wounding the economy, prompted companies to decamp from the region and is dividing the nation. With Spain's upper house set to give its seal of approval to his strategy by the end of this week, the focus is shifting to the mechanics of how Madrid can take charge of Catalonia's institutions in the face of secessionist resistance. "Catalan government officials and many within the Mossos and Catalan media are not just going to stand down without a fight," said Caroline Gray, a lecturer in politics and Spanish at Aston University in the U.K. who specializes in nationalist movements. "The big question for me, really, is how Madrid is actually going to implement its proposed actions in Catalonia." Rajoy is wielding the untested powers of Article 155 of Spain's 1978 Constitution to try to impose central government control on Catalonia. The aim ultimately is to trigger regional elections within six months. Spain will seek to apply the clause gradually, but will act against people with the administration who obstruct it, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria told Onda Cero radio on Monday. She said the Senate could still "adapt" its decision on allowing Rajoy to enforce Article 155 if Puigdemont denies he's declaring independence. The separatists have shown they can rally support. A crowd estimated by local police at around 450,000 joined him to protest in central Barcelona after Rajoy announced his plans. CUP, a pro-secessionist party, on Monday called for mass civil disobedience in Catalonia, Ara newspaper reported. --- Bloomberg's Charles Penty and Maria Tadeo contributed. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The criminal offense happened as Jamie Harron was weaving through a Dubai bar in July, balancing a drink - his transgression so small that the British national didn't know he'd committed a crime until he was almost in handcuffs. Harron had lost his balance and grabbed a man's shoulder to keep himself and his drink upright, according to The Associated Press. Apologetically, he claims, he patted the man on his behind. But it was not over. Police were called. Harron was arrested and was well on his way to being featured in the latest anecdote about just how different things are in Dubai. Harron, an electrician from Stirling, Scotland, was traveling to Afghanistan for a new job. But what was supposed to be a relaxing two-day layover in Dubai, on the western edge of the Persian Gulf - he'd snapped photos of himself swimming in the Gulf and standing in front of a skyscraper - morphed into a months-long legal battle as Harron was tried, then convicted of sexual assault. He was also accused of raising his middle finger to his accuser as police were en route to the bar. Harron's ordeal ended Monday, when the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Maktum, nullified Harron's conviction and the three-month jail sentence, The Associated Press reported. Harron was called to the police station (a summons he briefly feared was a trap) and handed his passport, free to leave the emirate whenever he wanted. While navigating the legal maze, he'd lost his job and accumulated more than $40,000 in legal and other expenses. "I've lost my job, I'm in debt now, I may be going to prison and all this for a two-day stopover," he told the Independent newspaper. "The whole thing is like a horrible dream and I just don't know when it is going to end. I thought it would be over by now but it feels like it will never be. Harron is detained in Dubai, and an aid group that has been working with him applauded the ruler's move but said the incident illustrates systemic problems in the United Arab Emirates. "Of course, a fully functional legal system would not require outside intervention, and a case like Jamie's would never proceed in the first place," the group said in a statement. "But we are enormously grateful to Sheikh Mohammed for stepping in and vindicating Jamie after months of hardship." Legal codes in the United Arab Emirates often ensnare expatriate residents and visitors lulled into assuming that the Western-style amenities - sprawling malls, five-star hotel bars and beach resorts - also mean relaxed rules on public behavior. Dubai, one of seven emirates that comprise the United Arab Emirates and the hub of the UAE tourist industry, does allow far more latitude on dress codes and other aspects compared with neighboring Persian Gulf nations. But UAE laws are still widely influenced by tribal codes and traditions that leave little flexibility. Bouncing checks can be punishable by jail time, and women who report sexual assault can end up in legal trouble themselves on charges of having sex outside marriage. Travel groups and websites have made a cottage industry of listing how to avoid potential trouble in the UAE. Among the cautionary tales is that of an unmarried British couple found guilty in 2008 of having sex on a beach in Dubai after leaving an all-you-can-drink champagne brunch at a luxury hotel. In another case, a British couple was ordered jailed for a month in 2010 after an Emirati woman complained that they had kissed each other on the mouth in a Dubai restaurant. A couple was once arrested for sending each other "sexy texts." Britain's Foreign Office has put out notices warning travelers to be mindful of local rules while in Dubai. Last week, Philip Parham, the British ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, issued advice to British travelers, politely and diplomatically reminding them that Dubai's legal system can be a field of land mines. "Our travel advice for the UAE explains that local laws and customs are very different to those in the UK and that there may be serious penalties for doing something which may not be illegal in the UK," he said. "Both our travel advice and our Embassy's many public awareness-raising campaigns cover some of the specific issues which may arise from differences in laws and customs." That travel advice includes such statements as "terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in the UAE" and "showing sympathy for Qatar on social media . . . is an offense. Offenders could be imprisoned." It is a tricky balancing act for Dubai, the affluent municipality that seeks to boost its economy with tourism dollars from people like Harron. But as Detained in Dubai wrote on its blog, Dubai is also an extremely religiously conservative emirate "with an archaic corrupt legal system used as a corporate jail by the unscrupulous and vindictive." For many, Harron's arrest has served as an unofficial travel advisory. Harron told the Sun that the justice system in Dubai was in an "absolute shambles." But right now, he said, he has more pressing matters than pursuing legal reform in the Middle Eastern country. His flight back to Scotland is on Tuesday. He wants to see his mother. According to the Sun, he told her: "Just stop crying, Mum, don't be upset anymore. Don't cry anymore." When Energy Secretary Rick Perry proposed a plan to subsidize coal and nuclear plants for reliably supplying electricity to the power grid, he scrambled the usual alliances that exist on energy issues. Oil and gas representatives teamed with solar and wind lobbyists to urge caution on what they regarded as a rushed proposal. Ex-Federal Energy Regulatory Commission commissioners from both parties formally denounced Perry's plan as a "significant step backward" that would distort electricity markets. But support for Perry's proposal is coming from corners usually aligned with Democrats. A few labor unions that traditionally support Democratic politicians are backing the bid to change regulations to help coal and nuclear power. "The importance of these plants remaining operational cannot be overstated," Tim Burga, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO, wrote in a letter to the FERC, the independent agency that will decide whether to implement the proposal. "We have seen the devastation that occurs in our communities when major employers leave a region." The Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), as well as several local chapters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) representing workers at coal and nuclear plants, also submitted letters of support to FERC during the comment period for the proposed rule. "The UWUA supports those who support the priorities of our members and their communities regardless of their political affiliation," Mike Langford, the union's national president, said in a statement to The Energy 202. In late September, Perry proposed a sweeping set of rules to help older coal and nuclear plants compete with gas-fired, solar and wind power sources. The worry from Perry and other supporters of coal and nuclear power is that as more electricity generation shifts to increasingly cheaper renewables, the less reliable the power to the grid becomes. That's because solar and wind power produce electricity only when the weather permits it. So, the Energy Department proposed compensating facilities capable of running continuously, which include coal and nuclear plants, for the resiliency they provide to the grid. Critics contend that the Energy Department's own research leading up to the proposed rule found that it is cheap natural gas, not environmental regulations nor renewable energy sources, that have driven coal and nuclear plants out of business - and that the loss of those plants has yet to effect the reliability of the grid. But should FERC enact a rule similar to Perry's proposal - still a big if for the independent agency - it will constitute a seismic shift for electricity markets that could upend investments made in renewable energy. "It scared the bejesus out of me," said Richard Pierce Jr., a George Washington University law professor who specializes in energy regulation. Unions have adopted Perry's argument emphasizing that coal and nuclear provide reliable power - as well as pointing out the jobs such industries provide. "Time and again, these EGUs [electrical generating units], with their stable sources of on-site fuel, have kept the lights on when the grid is strained to the breaking point," wrote D. Michael Langford, the UWUA's national president. "If baseload coal and nuclear generation EGUs are not properly valued for their services," he continued, "thousands more workers are at risk of losing their jobs." Labor support for this specific proposal may not portend a greater shift. The AFL-CIO, IBEW and UWUA each supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. The IBEW has backed the Democratic lieutenant governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, over Republican Ed Gillespie in the state's Nov. 7 gubernatorial race. And more than a year before Ohio elects its next governor in 2018, UWUA has endorsed Ohio State Sen. Joe Schiavoni, a Democrat. For each time that President Donald Trump has aligned himself with union interests during his presidency - by renegotiating NAFTA and, now, the grid reliability proposal - there are other instances of the administration alienating union workers. These include picks to the National Labor Relations Board activists perceive as anti-labor and the Supreme Court nomination of Neil Gorsuch, who has a history of siding with businesses on labor issues. "It doesn't appear that co-opting the unions was central to the thinking of the people who designed this DOE policy," said Joseph McCartin, a history professor at Georgetown who focuses on labor unions. "But it isn't surprising that unions in the utility industry should embrace it." McCartin says the administration could do a better job of reaching out to union leaders and members around issues on which Trump and labor agree. "The administration hasn't been disciplined enough to try to do that," McCartin said. "The potential is there but I don't see this administration working really aggressively." KABUL - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made back-to-back, unannounced visits to Afghanistan and Iraq on Monday, flying into both countries under great secrecy out of concern that he might be a target for militants. As his day looked likely to stretch from before dawn to past midnight, covering almost 4,000 miles, Tillerson and his aides donned flak vests and helmets in Baghdad before boarding helicopters that took them to the U.S. Embassy and elsewhere in the Green Zone to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and President Fouad Massoum. Tillerson's visit to Afghanistan was conducted in even greater secrecy and was announced only after he had left the country. Though he never left Bagram air base, north of Kabul, his short visit showecased U.S. support for the Afghan government after a week of Taliban attacks that killed more than 200 people. After arriving from Doha, Qatar, Tillerson met with President Ashraf Ghani to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to helping Afghanistan win its war with the Taliban and achieve peace, according to U.S. and Afghan officials. "I thought it was very important to stop here in Afghanistan coming to the South Asia region as part of the recently announced policy and strategy that President Trump put forth," Tillerson said after meeting with Ghani for about an hour. He was referring to a U.S. buildup in Afghanistan that will add about 4,000 troops, for a total of 13,500 in the country. The visit underscores the strong tone that Tillerson is expected to adopt with Pakistan during his visit with interim Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and other officials on Tuesday. Earlier this year, Trump threatened Pakistan with sanctions for offering "safe havens" to terrorists near the border with Afghanistan - an allegation that Pakistan officials deny. Senior officials in Islamabad were quoted by Pakistani media on Monday vowing to "work as closely as possible" to defeat terrorist groups on the border but insisting that the U.S. military "stay away from Pakistan." At Bagram air base, Tillerson reiterated the importance of Pakistan's role in reaching peace with the Taliban. "It is imperative in the end that we are denying safe haven to any terrorist organizations or any extremists to any part of this world," he said. "This is very much a regional effort . . . It was rolled out in the strategy itself, demanding that others deny safe haven to terrorists anywhere in the region. We are working closely with Pakistan, as well." Tillerson said he will discuss with Pakistani leaders "specific requests" by the Trump administration for actions that cripple the support networks of the Taliban and other extremist groups. Tillerson also said future U.S. aid to Pakistan will be "conditions-based." "It will be based upon whether they take action that we feel is necessary to move the process forward for both creating opportunity for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan but also ensuring a stable future Pakistan," he said. Pakistani officials, who last week won some U.S. favor by rescuing an American woman and her family held hostage by a Taliban affiliate for five years, did not respond to messages seeking comment Monday. Tillerson's trip to Afghanistan was cloaked in extraordinary secrecy, even by the standards of previous visits by U.S. secretaries of state. His public schedule listed a morning meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Qatar that was later "canceled." He flew from Doha to Bagram accompanied by a small contingent of pool reporters who are traveling with him on his swing through the Middle East and South Asia. A total news blackout was imposed until after they left the country and returned to Qatar. He arrived about 11:30 a.m. at Bagram air base, where he was met by Gen. John Nicholson, commander of the U.S.-led NATO effort in Afghanistan, and U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens. Tillerson then met with Ghani, Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah and other top Afghan officials at the airfield,where they discussed the importance of weeding out corruption and ensuring that the 2018 parliamentary elections go forward as scheduled to strengthen the country's stability. In a statement, Ghani vowed to follow through. "The Afghan people are supportive of the strategy and hope that it will ensure peace and security," he said. After the meeting, Tillerson called on moderate members of the Taliban to join the effort for peace, saying they could be part of the government if they renounce terrorism. "There are, we believe, moderate voices among the Taliban, voices that do not want to continue to fight forever," he said. "They don't want their children to fight forever. So we are looking to engage with those voices and have them engage in a reconciliation process leading to a peace process and their full involvement and participation in the government." Taliban fighters sought to show strength last week in the face of the mounting U.S. buildup, carrying out suicide attacks that killed dozens of Afghan police officers and troops, along with dozens of civilians. Earlier Monday, the Taliban was dealt a blow when Afghan intelligence agents arrested one of its top leaders, Soor Gul, who is suspected to have orchestrated the suicide bombings. Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, was defiant at Tillerson's suggestion that some fighters may be willing to lay down their arms. "If America genuinely wants a peaceful settlement of the crisis, then it needs to pull out its troops and end the occupation," he said. In Baghdad, Tillerson is likely to face criticism for remarks he made in Qatar on Sunday, when he urged Iranian-backed militias to "go home" now that the fight against Islamic State militants is nearing a close. The Shiite militias are supported by Iran, and some are reported to have Iranian advisers, but the fighters are Iraqi citizens. "No side has the right to interfere in Iraqi affairs and decide what Iraqis should do," said an official in Abadi's office, adding that foreign troops are not engaged in combat in Iraq but that there are some in limited numbers to train and provide logistical and air support. --- Morello reported from Qatar. Tamer El-Ghobashy in Baghdad, Pamela Constable in Islamabad and Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul contributed to the report. --- Video: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to helping Afghanistan win its war with the Taliban and achieve peace, according to officials in both countries. (The Washington Post) URL: http://wapo.st/2yKubo1 Embed code: During an unannounced trip to Afghanistan on Monday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reminded the Taliban the United States is ready to negotiate, going so far as to say the militant group could join the Afghan government if they renounced its extremism and violence. Tillerson said the United States wanted to make it clear to the Taliban and other militants that the United States was in Afghanistan for the long haul and the militants would not prevail militarily. "We believe moderate voices among the Taliban, voices that do not want to continue to fight forever," he said. "There's a place for them in the government if they are ready to come, renouncing terrorism, renouncing violence and being committed to a stable prosperous Afghanistan," he added. Tillerson made remarks after a meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and other top Afghan officials at Bagram Air Base near Kabul, the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan. The diplomatic overture signals the Trump administration's eagerness to wrap up the longest war in U.S. history. In August, Trump pledged open-ended support for Afghanistan following fierce internal debates and foot-dragging after having campaigned on ending the costly 16-year war. Former President Barack Obama tried multiple times to negotiate peace with the Taliban, to no avail. The Trump administration hasn't yet made clear how its diplomatic efforts will be different this time around. Tillerson during his visit reiterated his desire to get more Pakistani cooperation to stabilize Afghanistan, and hinted at a tough message for Islamabad when he goes there Tuesday. "We are as concerned about the future stability of Pakistan as we are in many respects here in Afghanistan," Tillerson said. "Pakistan needs to, I think, take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they are confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organizations that find safe haven inside of Pakistan," he said. President Donald Trump will meet with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and may meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during a 12-day trip to Asia and Hawaii in November, a White House official said. Trump also is likely to visit a U.S. Army base in South Korea, Camp Humphreys, instead of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea in a trip that will focus on maximizing pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its missile and nuclear programs, said the official. A visit to the DMZ hasn't been ruled out, said the official, who briefed reporters at the White House on the Nov. 3-14 trip on condition of anonymity. Many of Trump's predecessors have taken the opportunity to visit one of the world's most heavily fortified borders during their trips to South Korea. President Bill Clinton memorably walked partially down the Bridge of No Return crossing the military demarcation line between North and South Korea. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Barack Obama peered into North Korea with the aid of binoculars. President George H.W. Bush is the only U.S. leader since Reagan's visit in 1983 not to have stopped at the DMZ as president, though Bush did visit while serving as Reagan's vice president. Trump's vice president, Mike Pence, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson went to the border during their visits to South Korea earlier this year. The official said Trump was unlikely to have time to visit both the DMZ and Camp Humphreys. Humphreys, a facility largely paid for by the South Koreans, was a good example of cost-sharing, a principle the president has stressed with U.S. allies, the official said. Trade and economic relations will be the other key priority for the trip, which will be Trump's longest foreign journey to date as president and take him to five countries and two regional summits, the official said. Trump plans to visit South Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines after first stopping in Hawaii for a briefing from the U.S. military's Pacific Command. In China, the official said, the president plans to stress fair and reciprocal trade and economic relations. Among the issues the president plans to raise are forced technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and reciprocal treatment for U.S. services companies seeking to invest in China, the White House said. The trip will be Trump's first foray to Asia as president, and it takes place amid escalating tension in the region over North Korea's weapons programs. It will come just after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition was returned to power in parliamentary elections and Chinese President Xi Jinping further consolidated his power in his country's party congress, which occurs once every five years. Trump would send a clear message on human rights principles in his meeting with Duterte, the official said. Duterte has been criticized over extrajudicial killings in the Philippines as part of his crackdown on the drug trade. Trump has previously offered praise for Duterte, telling the leader on a private phone call that he he had done "an unbelievable job on the drug problem," according to a transcript of the conversation obtained by the Washington Post. Obama canceled a scheduled visit with Duterte during his final visit to Asia after the Filipino leader said it would be "rude" to raise human rights issues in their conversations and referred to the former president by a vulgar epithet. On today's menu: Welch Foundation lauds Goodenough for battery research that changed the world Ilana Panich-Linsman/For the Houston Chronicle From the Chronicle: John Goodenough doesn't carry a cellphone - he doesn't like interruptions at dinner - but his life's work keeps them running. The acclaimed Texas scientist's research decades ago set the groundwork for the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power smartphones, cameras and tablets. Late in his career, the 95-year-old Goodenough hasn't stopped trying to drive battery science forward. READ MORE. Live-stream app helps families connect with NICU babies Michael Wyke/freelance From the Chronicle: When about-to-be parents rush to the hospital for delivery full of the joy and terror, there is almost never the thought that when they leave their newborn will not be with them. They're unprepared for the heartbreak of an empty lap. But an infant born too sick or too soon to go home may remain behind in the neonatal intensive care unit for a few days or for months on end. This week, for example, Kamryn Ruth Abbott celebrated her third month of life at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center's NICU. She had been there since July 17 when her mom, Lisa Abbott's, blood pressure was so high she was told she must deliver that day - nearly four months early. For the past three months Kamryn Ruth Abbott and her husband, Kevin, have gone to the hospital whenever they could but they have also kept watch over Kamryn through a new piece of technology that lets them view their baby in real time any hour day or night from their phone or computer screen. READ MORE. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Culture / Events The Elephant Society Gala Dinner 2017 returns this November, convened under the title When the buying stops, the killing can too with an aim to help the community realise the importance of the illegal poaching problems facing Africa. Oct 23, 2017 | By Andrea Sim Event host, The Elephant Foundation Limited, will be holding its 4th Gala Dinner at the Island Shangri-La in Central Hong Kong on Nov 9, 2017. This year, The Elephant Society will be working closely with star guest, Daniel Ole Sambu from Kenya, inviting him to visit the schools in Hong Kong, with the main objective to help students realise the importance of the illegal poaching problems facing Africa. The annual gala dinner 2017 will cover topics such as important updates of the current condition of the illegal ivory trade and elephant population numbers and also look at another primary threats of how human wildlife conflict can present threats to elephants. Last year, the week culminated in a gala dinner for over 200 people, who agreed to adopt orphaned elephants with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and seek to expand support for the DSWT this year. The funds collected from last years gala were channelled to Big Life Foundation to support the operating cost of the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU). RDU is an armed and mobile elite team, constantly on the move, to protect the wildlife in the remote areas (covering over 2 million acres governed by the Big Life Operation Unit) that dont have permanent ranger presence. We will be raising funds 100 per cent in aid of The Elephant Foundation, which will go towards our own operations here in Hong Kong, Big Life Foundation and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and their orphan adoption programme. The Elephant Society Established on November 2014, The Elephant Society based in Hong Kong is an anti-poaching and conservation charity organisation, formed with a specific goal to abolish acts to illegal poaching of rhinos and African Elephants in East Africa. To help raise awareness of the two endangered species, The Elephant Society aims to promote extensively by educating the population the lead causes and harms that poaching has on both animals and the communities. Prices of the tickets for the Gala will start at HKD 2,250 for Standard Ticket (exclusive of 10 HKD Fee). Interested attendee can put in a donation amount of $100, $500 or $1,000. For Combos, the package price is HKD22,500 (exclusive of HKD100 fee) for 10 pax. For more information about the Gala and registration, please visit www.ticketflap.com/elephantsocietygaladinner2017 Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > JP: Some Reflections On the occasion of Jayaprakash Narayans 115th birth anniversary on October 11, 2017 we are carrying the following piece written by N.C. under the pseudonym Analyst after JP passed away on October 8, 1979. by Analyst Jayaprakash Narayan has carried with him fulsome tributes from all political circleshis adherents and admirers, his adversaries and detractors. A life of ups and downs of heroic times and despairing moments. Living beyond the Psalmists assigned span, JP had not only witnessed mighty deeds but participated in them in the company of the great and was often acclaimed as one of them. Where History will place him in the pantheon of the architects of our freedom, it will be known only to posterity. For us, who have lived in the age of his life-time, the millions who bade him a tearful farewell on the banks of the Ganga, testify to his eminence, and the regard and the affection in which he was held by his countrymen and women. Jayaprakash in his eventful political career always served as a carrier of expectations, a catalyst of mighty happenings, although he never claimed, and rightly so, to be the creator or the moulder of such events. After his early wanderings in search of an ideology that could combine his urge for nationalism with his yearning for a better social order where poverty could be banished, he shot into the limelight in Indian politics when he founded the Congress Socialist Party in 1934. The inspiration for it, of course, came from Jawaharlal Nehrus gropings for instilling into the Congress the commitment to social change in the struggle for independence. Jayaprakash took the initiative for setting up a definite group within the Congress itself. Those were the years when some of the finest intellectuals-turned-activists in the national movement like Narendra Dev, Yusuf Meherally, Achyut Patwardhan and Rammanohar Lohia joined hands with him, or more correctly, spurred him on in the new endeavour. Side by side, the outlawed Communists, after a protracted phase of persecution and sectarianism, were also feeling the need to build bridges with comrades-in-arms against foreign rule. It was this combination of the urge for socialism with the restlessness of militant nationalism that soon made the Congress Socialist Party a force to reckon with, so much so that it commanded in strength more than one-third of the AICC, with its influence spilling over to many more. In this united front of the Left that the CSP represented within the broader nationwide united front that was the Congress, JP held the balance. He was not a Communist, but he felt the need at the time to enlist and retain the support of the Communists within the CSP itself. In fact, it was this approach which led to the estrangement between JP and Masani, who candidly and in mellifluous language, has described this in the first volume of his autobiography. JPs estrangement from the Communists within the CSP came earlier than the break brought by the Communist stand in opposing the Quit India movement under a mistaken understanding of the implications of the world struggle against Fascism for India. It was at the Tripuri Congress in 1939 that JP, under the spell of Nehru, kept his flock away from support to Subhas Bose in the latters confrontation with the Congress High Ommand, while the Communists stood by Subhas though they did not agree to leave the Congress along with him. The breach between JP and the Communists, so complete in 1942, did not lead to permanent hostility. When, after the end of the War, there were mass upheavals, there were a number of occasions when they worked to together. For instance, the proposed Railway strike in 1946 saw JP in its leadership with the Communists by his sidethe strike was withdrawn as both by that time felt, mainly on the counsel of Nehru, that the transfer or power must not be disturbed, while the workers demands were promised to be considered by the Congress leadership. The eminence that JP commanded at that time could be seen from the fact that he was to have been made the Congress President in 1947 with Gandhijis blessings, but it was vetoed by Sardar Patel with his far-seeing conservatism, and, as a result, Rajendra Prasad was made the Congress President. The years immediately following indepen-dence saw the Left in wilderness. Communists were excluded from the Congress in 1946 for the sins of 1942, but the Socialists under JP also opted out in 1948, leaving the parent organisation with its massive prestige to be exploited by the Right, the balance inside the Congress having changed in its favour with the exit of the Left. If the Communists wasted the next three years in sectarian adventurism, the Socialists under JP fared no better. The strains between the militant wing under Lohia and the moderates under JP grew, and by the time of the 1952 General Election, the Socialist Party, with Asoka Mehta at its head, decided to contest without allies and fared badly: in comparison, the Communists, with all the handicaps of semi-illegality, scored much better. This led the Socialists to rethink and merge with Acharya Kripalanis KMPP to jointly form the PSP under Jayaprakash. Very soon after the General Election, Nehru in the autumn of 1952 opened a dialogue with the Socialist leaders, particularly with JP. By then Nehru was not hamstrung in the Congress leadership by Sardar Patel, and he frankly sought the cooperation of the Socialists, at all levels, with the Congress; in other words, Nehru was interested in building a Left buffer against the Right pressure within the Congress, and also perhaps as a Congress-Socialist counterpoise between the aggressive Right as represented by the Hindu communalist attacks on his Kashmir arrangement on the one hand, and the emerging growth of the Communists as registered in the election results on the other. This effort at unity between Nehru and JP however failed: for one thing, Nehru could not, under pressure of his colleagues, agree to JPs Fourteen-Point Programme, nor could JP, under pressure from Lohias militant wing, walk into the ruling Establishment. This was the time when many thought that Nehru was keen on grooming JP as his successor. In his correspondence with JP, Nehru candidly admitted that he was not satisfied with the rate of progress in the country: I wanted to hasten it and so I wanted your help. It would perhaps be of interest to note here some of the items in JPs Fourteen Points: they included, among other things, the abolition of the second chamber in legislatures and Parliament; abolition of Privy purses and privileges of the princes; abolition of service guarantees to the ICS; redistribution of land without compensation and encouragement of cooperative farming; nationalisation of banks, insurance and coal industry and development of state trading. If the Congress in 1953 could not accept these, JPs worshippers in 1977-79 have opposed or rejected many of these with vehemencean eloquent commentary on the changing stances of political leaders and the changing composition of their followers. There followed a period of political drift of the Socialists under JP. It was in this period that the militant wing under Lohia was antagonised because JP was not prepared to condemn the police shooting of workers under a Socialist-led Ministry in the then Travancore-Cochin State. This led to a parting of ways and Lohia revived the Socialist Party, denouncing JPs moderate line. All this had its impact on JP who began wandering again and sought shelter in the Bhoodan movement under Vinoba Bhave. In fact, JP formally abjured politics in 1956, dedicating himself to the Sarvodaya movement, turning it into gramdan and ending up with the thesis of jeevan-dan. All these were signs of a highly individualistic personality, moved largely by emotions rather than by reason. If the yardstick of political greatness is to be intention and desire, then certainly JP had it in abundance. But if political statesmanship has to take into account the working out of a political line, with its strategy and tactics, with the creation of the leverage of change through an organisation, then JP would have been the first to confess that he did not possess them. In his eventful career, there are many instances to bear this out. JP was intensely committed to Indo-Pak unity, and even visited Pakistan under Ayub and had a good word to say about his dictatorshipa step which was misunderstood by many. And yet it was the same JP who in 1950-51 had been clamouring for the Indian Army to march into East Pakistan to carve out a portion of territory to settle the refugees. Again, the very same JP, when the Bangladesh crisis came, did not hesitate to undertake a world tour explaining the Indira Governments policy towards Bangladesh. He was always a close friend of Sheikh Abdullah, but one looked up to him in vain for any concrete proposal to bring about reconciliation between Sheikh Sahib and New Delhi, or between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. An individua-list without an eye for details expects events to happen on their own, and is unable to forge the instruments of change. JPs was no doubt a sensitive mind and he could react spontaneously to events. In the days of his retirement from politics, when there was a brutal police firing on students in Bihar, JP came out denouncing the government, and in the campaign that followed he did not hesitate to join hands with the Communists. At the same time, during the Hungarian crisis in 1956 he wrote an open letter to the CPI journal raising basic issues about democracy and socialismwhich brought forth an equally frank response from the then leader of the CPI, Ajoy Ghosh. This correspondence between JP and Ajoy, now forgotten, is one of the landmarks in socialist thinking in India, while the second landmark came when the CPI, two years later at its Congress under Ajoy Ghoshs leadership, laid down in its constitution that under the socialism of its model in India, there would be room for pluralism of political parties. After Bangladesh, when Indira Gandhi, dizzy with electoral success, not only became complacent and allowed corruption to be rampant, but made State governments servitors of the Centre and was becoming more and more impervious to the hardship of the masses with scarcity and rising prices, JP was drawn into the mass unrest in Gujarat and followed it up by campaigning in Bihar. In both cases, the movements had all the sign of spontaneity without any organised thrust. JP in his failing health used his personal stature to give these movements a character, but did not seem to have had any clear perspective of the forces at work. It was more an outburst of anger at the inequity and injusticeno doubt noble by itself but it had the danger of being frittered away. It was at this stage that JP was attracted by the organised discipline of the RSS and thought that by harnessing this force, he would be able to lead the people in the struggle against corruption. It was this approach by JP which led Chandra Shekhar at that time to write to JP objecting to his testimonial to the RSS though he approved of JPs crusade against corruption. This happens to many leaders who, fired by emotional spontaneity, tend to depend on borrowed organisation. In a sense, Nehru too had that weakness, when, at the peak of his power, he left the management of the Congress Party organisation to men like S.K. Patil and Atulya Ghosh. Indira Gandhi went one step furthershe dispensed the party altogether. What happened from 1975 onward is recent history. More than what JP could do, Indira Gandhi by her folly, power-hunger and attachment to her sons mafia forced the pace and brought upon the nation the curse of the Emergency. Inevitably, JP in prison became the symbol of resistance. But significantly, no organised resistance could be discerned, because JP was never a man of organisation. This absence of resistance led Indira further astray into more misdeeds. By the time the election was announced on January 18, 1977, many of the Janata heroes had already, from prison, compromised themselves by almost beseeching overtures to the Indira Government: one has to look at the records of Charan Singh and Biju Patnaik, not to speak of Jagjivan Ram who only deserted at the right moment. The Janata Party won a landslide victory, not because JP had welded it into a party but because of the anger of the electorate against the Emergency Raj. The dismal history of the Janata Raj must have come as a matter of utter distress for Jayaprakash Narayan. From the sick bed, there was nothing that he could do to stem the rot. However, one wonders, with due deference to his memory, how much more he could have done had he been in better state of health, except occasional admonitions which power-hungry politicians would have ignored without qualms of conscience. The very manner of choosing the new Janata Prime Minister gave an inkling of the innate drawback that has always afflicted JP in handling matters organisational at the best of times. His Total Revolution was at best an emotional urge without the contours of a well-framed idea. This was indeed a career bereft of consummation. Jayaprakash Narayan has left this world of sordid politics with an abundance of tributes of gratitude from his countrymen and women. If one has taken a critical view of his life-work, it is with the fullest knowledge that JP belonged to the generation wherein leaders could listen to criticism and were not scared at nor insensitive to the slightest murmur of dissent as do those who strut about the political stage today. Under different aegis and in different times Jayaprakash Narayan would have had a better epitaph than the crumbling edifice of the discredited Janata Party. (Mainstream, October 13, 1979) Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Pekings Shadow Over NEFA Presidents Unique Initiative From N.C.s Writings Fiftyfive years ago in this week itself the Chinese aggression of India rocked the country. It formally happened on October 20 but the preparations for it were going on for quite sometime and Chinese intrusion into Indian territory had taken place since the beginning of September 1962. To mark the anniversary we reproduce here N.C.s New Delhi Skyline in the Mainstream issue of October 20, 1962 (the October 20 issue did not carry the news of the formal aggression as the journal was put to bed before that date). The flare-up in NEFA has assumed a serious form which is causing considerable concern in responsible quarters in the Capital. The understanding even a few weeks ago was that Chinese penetration south of the McMahon Line was militarily a minor affair and that it was more in the nature of a move to force the inclusion of the eastern sector in the agenda of the talks that at the time were in the offing. Recent reports are believed to have made it clear that the Chinese have massed consider-able forces on our NEFA border and that they seem to be getting ready for an armed showdown in this sector. This has been reinforced by reports of new Chinese threat to Longju. In a sense, this seems to have awakened our Defence planners to the grim realities facing us in this sector. Previously, it was thought that any big push to throw the Chinese out across the McMahon Line might touch off a counter-push on the part of the Chinese in the Ladakh sector; otherwise, there would be no difficulty in clearing them out of NEFA, we were assured at the time. Now, however, it is felt that the new decision to drive the Chinese intruders to the other side of the border would by itself require a full-scale muster of our forces not only in terms of soldiers but of fire-power. An important assessment of the Defence position along the McMahon Line was thus made on the basis of the first-hand report brought by General L.P. Sen in charge of the Eastern Command, during his urgent consultations in the Capital last week. As things stand today, the Chinese are reported to be entrenched along a narrow strip, three miles in width and about 15 miles in length, just south of the McMahon Line. Although all their attempts to widen this breach have been repulsed, it would require consider-able effort to smoke them out of this strip altogether. While a military decision in the eastern sector is very much being talked about in the Capital just now, responsible quarters are not slow in assessing the political aspect of the new develop-ments in NEFA. One interesting implication of the present Chinese stand is that not only are they careful not to make the defiant claim that the McMahon Line did not exist in their concep-tion of the legal boundary, but that they have been forced, indirectly, to recognise the strength of the Indian stand that the McMahon Line is the boundary of India: the fact that they have violated this long-recognised Line is being sought to be covered up by the claim that the area of the present round of clashes is to the north of the McMahon Line. The obvious duplicity of Pekings stand is clear here from the fact that during the officials talks on the boundary question, the Chinese team did not make any observation disputing the alignment of the McMahon Line on this sector; they only disowned the McMahon Line as the frontier itself. What is significant is that the Chinese officials team put as many as eight questions on this particular stretch of the boundary, never disputing the location of the Thagla Ridge or questioning the fact that this marked the McMahon Line in this region. The details that the Chinese officials sought during the talks on this sector referred not only to the co-ordinates but even such questions as how far south was Khinzemane from the Indian alignment or the point where the Indian alignment crossed the Namjang river or the terrain features of the Indian alignment in a particular stretch of the boundary here. The minutest interest shown by the Chinese in this crucial terrain just adjoining the tri-junction was regarded at the time as an index of Chinese anxiety to know the location of the sector that leads to Tawang with its wide ecclesiastical influence in this region, which no doubt has a bearing on the politics of disturbed Tibet. It was not realised at the time that presumably behind the extraordinary interest in this stretch of the border on the part of the Chinese officials lay the dictates of Pekings military strategists. For it is now taken for granted here that no move on the part of the Chinese authoritiesnot even this sudden thrust across the McMahon Linetakes place without long-range planning prece-ding it. Thus apart from the fact that the recent Chinese notes have given wrong co-ordinates about the location of the present clashes, it is clear to New Delhi that the Chinese were never in doubt that they had crossed the McMahon Line, for this very area was the subject of detai-led scrutiny on their part during the officials talks. It is of course possible that the Chinese are deliberately pretending not to recognise that the Dhola area is inside India so that they might claim that there was discrepancy in our align-ment about the McMahon Line just as we have found patent discrepancy between their 1956 and 1960 maps concerning the Ladakh frontier. The only snag in the Chinese case is that during the officials talks, they made exhaustive enquiries about our alignment and did not even hint at any doubts regarding it. In this embittered context, what is the prospect of negotiations opening, if at all, in the near future? This question is being seriously asked in the Capitals political circles today. The deadline of October 15 is gone. The Prime Ministerand the President more categoricallyhas said that the status quo ante as on September 8 has to be restored before any talks could possibly begin. Does the present temper of Peking warrant any such development? Frankly speaking, no. Not only the stepping-up of armed operation in NEFA but the tone and postures of the Chinese leaders give little opening for any talks to begin. The extraordinary performance of Marshal Chen Yi at the reception to mark the anniversary of the Nepal-China Agreement has shocked New Delhi not only because of the bombastic threat held out about coming to Nepals aid in case she is menaced by aggressionthe obvious reference being to expansionist Indiabut also by the vicious language used in calling the Government of India jackals of the same lair as British imperialists. Even the bitterest of New Delhi officials or Ministers have not uttered such language with regard to China, and the Marshal happens to be the Foreign Minister of China. Choice terms of abuse, such as calling the Prime Minister a maniac could by no means be inter-preted as a sign of thaw in Pekings intemperate mood. At the same time, it seems fairly on the cards that New Delhi will avail itself of any oppor-tunity to open talks with Peking, for, as the Prime Minister made it clear in his address to Ceylons MPs, this whole business of armed clash with China went against the very grain of Indias foreign policy. From all this, the impression is gaining ground hereeven in circles which were optimistic about negotiations coming up only two months agothat what Peking is planning is to show up India as the erring party, at least before the Asian audience. Viewed in this background, the Prime Ministers patient and elaborate explanation of Indias case in Colombo assumes importance. His narration of the entire dispute with China from the beginning has, according to observers here, helped to clarify many of the doubts in the Ceylonese mind about the validity as well as the propriety of Indias stand on the border question. There is a general feeling of satisfaction here over the impact of the Prime Ministers visit on Ceylon. It is believed that the Ceylonese leaders are now more favourably disposed towards India on this particular issue. Thereby, it marks the enlistment of an important ally while China is parading King Mahendra as an outstanding statesmanvide Marshal Chen Yis already-referred-to speech. In the prevailing cold war between India and China, the rallying of friends on this border issue has become a major task of the External Affaris Ministry, and everybody here recognises that the Prime Minister has done a fine job of it with dignity and dispassion. The gains of the Ceylon visit are being assessed here from another angie, and that is, of the Second Bandung. The latest position is that India has been able to put across her misgivings about it effectively to Colombo. And observers here think that Mrs Bandaranaike will also be less enthusiastic now about the project. The Prime Minister has more or less convinced her of the undesirability of highlighting inter-State differences in the Afro-Asian world through the medium of a conference called to demonstrate the solidarity of the peoples of this important part of the world. A second hitch has come over the question of sharing the financial burdens of the conference. The Indonesian suggestion appears to be that the eleven sponsoring countries alone should share the expenses. In contrast, New Delhi wants that all the participating countries should con-tribute, though their quotas may vary according to the limits of their resources. The overall picture of Second Bandung pros-pects is that, apart from Nigeria and Lebanon, UAR also is opposed to the proposal for a Second Bandung. India is not interested, nor is Ceylon. It is learnt that Indonesia at the moment is rather subdued over the question, a marked change from its attitude two months ago. Dr Radhakrishnans call for national unity in the face of Chinese aggression is regarded as a splendid example of Presidential initiative at a very opportune moment. Apart from the august office that he holds today, the personal regard that he commands from all sections of public opinion has added weight to this timely call. It is clear here in the Capital that this call for national unity has two aspects. One concerns those critics of the government, particularly of the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister, who blame them for a policy of what they call appeasement and unpreparedness with regard to the Chinese. By this call the President has tried to lift the national issue out of the narrow grooves of petty party politics and urged that all such carping critics should support the government. The other edge of the Presidential appeal is directed, according to New Delhi observers, to the Communists and they were asked to come out in a forthright manner against Chinese violation of the McMahon Line. While the Indian Communist stand on the McMahon Line was made clear two years ago, the need to come out in open condemnation of the latest Chinese intrusion is widely felt. It is also learnt that the Home Ministry is in touch with the State govern-ments with regard to the Communist stand on the border question, and a very close scrutiny is being made of Communist pronouncements on the India-China dispute. The latest list of proscribed publications with regard to the border is indicative of the tightening-up process that has already started. It appears that the government will be watching the reactions in Communist Party circles to the stand of the partys Central Secretariat before deciding whether the official policy needs re-examination. Governmental reappraisal of the Communist Party stand with regard to China is understood to be in the offing. Surprise is evident in New Delhi circles over the two recent Ambassadorial appointments. Is not the Moscow assignment too big for Sri T.N. Kauls feet? Along with this is heard the other query: does not Sri Parthasarathy deserve a more important responsibility than High Commissionership in Rawalpindi? (New Delhi Skyline, Mainstream, October 20, 1962) Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > A Brave Journalist by Kuldip Nayar It was a disappointing memorial gathering a few days ago. I thought that the meeting, held to attract wide attention towards the murder of Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh at Delhis Jantar Mantar, would draw many journalists, particularly the senior ones, to the venue. But it turned out to be a gathering of no more than 30-35 people, very few among them being journalists. It has become a habit with senior journalists to stay indoors and not mix with the ordinary scribes. I can understand that editors are too busy, planning and editing the paper. But what about those who are a peg lower? They behave as if they are equally busy and have no time for such meetings, even if it relates to the fraternity. But all these journalists, after retirement, come down to the earth because their utility is very limited. They are among many who are trying to get space in the paper, writing columns. Not many make it because the readers are interested in those who have fought on principles. Those who gave their all, refusing to be cowed down, are very few. Gauri Lankesh was one of them. She had been a loud dissenting voice against the excesses committed in the society. The ideals Gauri stood for as a journalist and social activistshe edited a Kannada weekly, Gauri Lankesh Patrikeare unlikely to be forgotten even if she is no more in our midst. Gauri had been getting threatening messages every now and then but she was never afraid. Apparently, she was ready for any kind of sacrifice, including putting her life under threat. An outspoken critic of Hindutva politics, Gauri was gunned down by unidentified assailants at the entrance of her residence in Bengaluru. Of course, there were initial protests all over, including the Press Club of India condemning the killing, saying: A fearless and independent journalist, who gave voice to many causes and always stood up for justice, has been shot dead in the most brutal manner in order to silence her voice. But this is not the first time that such attacks have taken place. In a democracy, the rule of law should prevail but, unfortunately, what we see today is mob-lynching and harassment in the country. Incidents like Alwar, Dadri and Udhampur should serve as an eye-opener. In addition, there have been attacks on cultural, academic and historical institutions, universities, especially Nalanda University and the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. Gauris murder is being compared to the August 2015 assassination of Kannada journalist M.M. Kalburgi, who was similarly gunned down at his home. She had, during one of her speeches, mentioned Kalburgi, pointing out how a Bajrang Dal leader had remarked about his killing, saying: Mock Hinduism and die a dogs death. She, too, met the same fate. She was also critical of the politics in her own State. She had a few years ago warned that Karnatakas trajectory from a progressive, secular State to a communal State has been a very interesting and crippling one, when the BJP was ruling the State. Karnataka, she said, was witnessing an increase of attacks in the name of Hindutva and faced the prospect of falling under a communal, casteist, and corrupt BJP Government. Gauri also vehemently opposed the RSS, the BJP, and the Hindutva forces and her killing is the silencing of that voice against hate politics. Kalburgis murder remains unsolved after two years. These attacks are growing at a shocking rate, and as we remember the September 1995 murder of human rights defender, Jaswant Singh Khalra, we are reminded that my way or the bullet has become a pattern in India. As a journalist, Lankesh knew her outspoken nature earned her a share of enemies. As a citizen of India, she opposed the BJPs fascist and communal politics. In her interviews to a few journals, she said: I oppose its misinterpretation of Hindu Dharma ideals. I oppose the caste system of the Hindu Dharma which is unfair, unjust and gender-biased. Referring directly to the BJP-led massacres of Muslims and other minorities, she declared: I oppose Advanis Ram Mandir Yatra and Narendra Modis genocide of 2002. In a 2016 interview, she also expressed how her journalism exposed her to the rabid hate the Hindutva brigade and Modi Bhakts have for its critics and naysayers. Gauri knew her life was in danger. Yet, she brushed aside all threats and continued to defy the establishment and plugged the same line as an activist. In the last article she wrote for her weekly, Gauri Lankesh Patrike, she challenged the archaic forces in her own inimitable way. But the Hindutva forces never forgave her. As a parting shot, she wrote: I know very well that you are all devastated. I am also unhappy that I left suddenly without a word. But tell me, what else could I do? Tell me what was my fault in this final separation? This Tuesday also began just like the hundreds of other Tuesdays of my life. But I did not even have a hint that it would end with me being permanently taken away from all of you. Till that moment when the assassins bullet split my chest and made me roll down to the earth, my mind kept thinking about the next days issue of the paper. I am starting this last conversation with all of you with the belief that you will understand this critical situation... True, Gauri had a premonition, witnessing her own death and describing it exactly the way it happened. She doesnt falter even in the face of death. This is a lesson for journalists. At times, they have to face even the gravest situations. They cannot keep their eyes shut to the realities. This is what the profession expects from them. Gauri was a rare species of journalists. She said in the article that she was willing to pay the price for what she stood up in rebellion for her India and had no regrets. I have a sense of fulfilment, is what she said. Such words are rare. The author is a veteran journalist renowned not only in this country but also in our neighbouring states of Pakistan and Bangladesh where his columns are widely read. His website is www.kuldipnayar.com Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Secularism is not an Ideological Compulsion for Nitish by Arun Srivastava Defending his action to break the mahagath-bandan and forge a new alliance with the BJP, the Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, claimed on the floor of the Bihar Assembly that he was the tallest secular leader in contemporary India and dared other leaders to prove their secular credentials. He even asked the leaders not to use secularism to hide their corruption and corrupt practices. To prove his point that he was the only secular leader in India, he recalled: Remember I had reopened the Bhagalpur riots cases and increased the compensation amounts to victims. His assertion, nevertheless, did not make clear whether his bragging had some element of realism and political rationality; but one thing was clearly perceptible that: the new alliance of the JD (U) and BJP would disseminate a new verbiage Hindu Secularism to the Indian political system. After what he did on July 26, 2017, people have refused to subscribe to the view that he is a secularist. If some leaders have been using secularism to conceal their corrupt practices, Nitish was exploiting it to capture power. For him, the ideological implication of secularism and communalism has no relevance. In the 1995 Assembly elections he had entered into an alliance with the Naxalites, the CPI(ML). During those years he nursed the feeling that the CPI(ML), with its wide network and strong base, would reach him to the power house. But the fundamental contradictions between his support-base of junker peasants and the CPI(ML)s landless poor peasantry and proletariat crashed his unethical edifice. Before entering into an electoral alliance with the CPI(ML) he could have understood that two divergent social forces, having deep contra-dictions, cannot come together. But he failed to make out the political paradigm of his move. After more than 25 years now, he has held the hand of the Right reactionaries and communal BJP. Nitish can go to any extent to fulfil his ambition. No doubt for the saffron party secularism has been a pariah and a nasty word which they use to abuse a person they hate and despise. Their patriarch, L.K. Advani, had coined the word pseudo-secular to insinuate and malign the secular people. Nevertheless, Nitish has made it feasible for them to adopt the new phrase Hindu Secular and Secularism. The recent political developments make it abundantly clear that the Sangh leadership will stretch itself to any extent to achieve its mission. There is nothing they cannot do in their endeavour to capture power. They claim the BJP of being different but they have been using all the dirty tricks the Congress and other parties had been resorting to earlier. What is really interesting is that their murky actions have the sanction of their supporters and cadres. They perceive these as morally correct. It is obvious that Nitish had been preparing his ground for the switch-over for months to strike at Laloo, which he did once the NDA got its own man as the President of the country. Lingering apprehensions were there in the minds of the central BJP leaders on the attitude of the former President towards this volte-face by Nitish; that is why they deferred the execution till Ram Nath Kovind took over. Nitish Kumar betrayed secularism, if not the secular forces, but in the process, in fact as a boon in disguise, has gifted a young and dynamic secular face in the form of Tejashvi Yadav. The way he lambasted Nitish on the floor of the Bihar Assembly while speaking on the confidence motion moved by Nitish Kumar on his government, made it abundantly clear that Nitish, Sushil Modi and Narendra Modi have erred in the political assessment of this young lad of 29 years. Tejashvi is certainly not Laloo Yadav or Nitish Kumar. His speech reflected that he is far away from the caste nuances and is not a hypocrite. Usually politicians avoid using hard words even against their sworn enemies as they are not sure on which turning they will come face to face and would need the help of the other. But Tejashvi was unsparing when he sought to know from Nitish on the floor of the House: Did you not feel ashamed at sitting by the side of Sushil Modi? Certainly by any standard this was harsh. Even some of the JD(U) and BJP legislators had described the words as unparliamentary and had requested the Speaker to expunge those from the proceedings. The words came from a boy who till hours back used to address him chachaji (uncle). Behind the facade of targeting Laloo, the BJP and Nitish were actually aiming at Tejashvi. This was clearly manifest in the approach and attitude of Nitish. While he had no moral and political qualm in seeking and surviving with the help of Laloo Yadav who is already a convicted guy, he was finding it difficult to work with Tejashvi against whom the CBI had filed a simple case of money-laundering. Tejashvi is yet to be charged. In fact the BJP had come to assess the political and administrative potential of this young chap. In him they were seeing a potential challenger to their political hegemony. They conspired to finish him off at the embryonic stage. But to the misfortune of Nitish and Sushil Modi, after this incident he has emerged as the new face of contemporary Bihar politics. In Indian politics a section of the media and experts evaluate Nitish Kumar as next to Narendra Modi in terms of skill and manoeuvrability tactics. But Tejashvi demolished even his facade of high morality. To be honest to the BJP and Sangh leadership, they have come to realise the potential of this young chap. They could comprehend that a new face of the secular force was waiting in the wings to show its presence on the stage. Basically that was the reason they had planned to implicate him in frivolous cases and malign him. Their strategy was to push him out of the political frame of the State to oblivion. But their calculation was based on parameters and inputs which were basically flawed and wrong. They never expected that he would come out of the shadow of his father so soon and in such a ferocious manner. The manner in which he lampooned and lambasted Nitish was beyond anyones expectation. True enough, Nitish could not retort to his charges. His choosing the words to address Nitish also made it explicit that he has no respect for his claim to be the honest and conscientious politician. He used the term boss for Nitish making it clear that his image has a market value and nothing more. Nitish did reply to his accusations while summing up the debate but it was insipid. It lacked thrust and conviction. He mocked at the charge levelled by Tejashvi that he had betrayed the mandate of the people given in 2015. On his part he tried to put the blame on Laloo and Tejashvi. He said: The mandate given by the people was for a clean and transparent governance. My commitment is to serve the people and not one family. Nitish wanted to tell the House that he had become a captive to Laloo. He even charged that the RJD was living in ahankar (arrogance) and illusion, obviously implying to Laloo. Interestingly, at no stage did Nitish raise the accusing finger towards Laloo during his 20-month rule. To be fair enough to Nitish, he should have placed the facts in the public domain, as he did it on the day he resigned. If Nitish was really concerned of the charges of corruption against all the family members of Laloo, he should have taken up the issue with Laloo and try to find a way out of the impasse. He claimed to have maintained the alliance dharma. But it surely does not imply that you should hide the misdeeds of your partner. Plain-speaking has its own dynamics and ironically politicians never indulge in plain- speaking. They simply maintain the facade of it. While Nitish himself admitted: I had to face a lot of difficulties. But I tried to deal with it. I resigned only when I thought I could not run the government. I did not ask for Tejashvis resignation. But I asked him for an explanation. He did not have an explanation. How come his spokespersons tell in public through the media that Nitish had asked Tejashvi to resign? Certainly this is against the ethics of coalition dharma. No doubt Nitish intended to give a strong rebuff. But it lacked punch. However, the young leader of the Opposition, Tejashvi put him on the defensive. In contrast he took Niitsh to task on issues ranging from corruption to lust for power and questioned his motive behind forming four different governments. Even a senior BJP MLA was forced to concede: We did not expect such a good retort from Tejashvi. He hit Nitish where it hurts most. Through his body language and speech he made it clear that a new Opposition leader had been born in his own right. Nitishs allegation that he was forced to tolerate the activities of the RJD leadership was aptly exposed by Tejashvi who told the House: During these 20 months, Nitishji usually told me that he had grown old and I and Ashok Choudhary were the future of Bihar politics. He also warned us against the BJP and described it as an expert in conspiracies. What happened to your vow that you would rather die than rejoin the BJP? While I was Deputy Chief Minister I did my work honestly. I held the road construction department and moved a proposal that no file related to the award of contracts or to variation of bills would come to the Minister. Everybody knows what happens with these files, and had I disposed of these files or else I would have been framed. Nitishji knows who opposed the move in the Cabinet. Tejashvi was quite caustic: Everybody knows what a large social base Nitishji has. In the 1995 Assembly elections... his party ended up with just seven seats.... In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls he ended up with just two seats. Nitishji needs the crutch of either the BJP or the RJD. According to Tejashvi, his father Laloo was not obsessed with putramoh (love for son). It was bhaimoh (love for brother). After three days of the high voltage moral drama, the situation has started returning to normalcy. The political picture has started taking a shape. The people too have started reacting to the development. One thing is clear and loud: that there are few takers for Nitishs claims and exhortions. A senior government officer tried to find allegory to the TV serials popularity and quipped: His TRP has fallen substantially. Even tribal leaders from the neighbouring State, Jharkhand, who were contemplating to float a joint front with Nitish, accused him of betraying their trust. Nitish Kumar may have won the trust vote but has lost the trust of the tribals in Jharkhand. He often visited Jharkhand and shared the dais with tribal leaders to attack the State BJP Government on giving tribal land to big corporate houses. He had also spoken against the BJP Governments decisions to amend the tenancy law and local residents policy that they believed diluted the tribal claims to land and government jobs. No doubt Laloo is involved in scams; he has been the godfather of the scamsters and has amassed a huge fortune out of his nasty operations, but this was certainly not the politically correct reason for Nitishs volte-face, and also the move to paint Tejashvi with the same brush. Attempts are being made to project Nitishs parting of ways as the dying declaration of secularism in India. This is simply a ploy to present Nitish as the sole saviour of secularism in the prevailing political scenario. The fact of the matter is that the entire episode that took place just outside the sprawling palace of the Governor has once again exposed the politicians greed and lust for power and, above all, the acute sense of insecurity that grips them for being out of power. Indian politics is littered with State leaders who thought they could easily become national figures. Those who have watched Nitish growing in the States politics vouch that his first instinct has always been survival. He has an enviable track record of managing to remain an indispen-sable and also at the same time a firm believer in a weak party organisation that ensured he is never challenged from the inside. Look at the way he dropped George Fernandes, Sharad Yadav and many other leaders. He always prefers to ride on the piggy-back of one or other leader to reach his destination. This time he was desperate to get the Congress to acquire a national image. He has been striving to fructify his mission without an organisation of his own, without a pan Indian ideology, without years of national outreach and of course without exhausting too much of sweat and blood. He intended to position himself as a conscience-keeper and crusader against corruption to serve his political manoe-uvring to ride the Modi bandwagon. Undeniably Nitish is the first victim of the BJPs mission of an Opposition-mukt Bharat. Modi has plans to have a Congress-mukt Bharat. But his confidant Amit Shah is more ambitious and has launched the mission Opposition-mukt Bharat. He is already been experimenting in different States. Goa, Manipur are witness to it. Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have also joined the list of poaching territories, a hall of fame that is already crowded with Bihar, Gujarat, Goa and Arunachal Pradesh. While the deserters are citing varied reasons from patriotism to fighting the national enemy, Nitish made his inner voice responsible for prompting him to resign and return as the Bihar Chief Minister in 15 hours with the BJPs help. In the case of Gujarat the development has been of quite significance. For ensuring the defeat of Sonia Gandhis trusted aide, Ahmed Patel, in the election to the Rajya Sabha, the BJP had lured seven Congress MLAs to resign from the Assembly. The resignations coincided with Shahs arrival in his home State to file his nomination papers for the Upper House polls. One thing is absolutely clear: that for achieving its goal, the BJP was reviving and indulging in the old nasty game of horse-trading. Amit Shahs Lucknow statement is worth quoting: After forming governments in some of the States, the BJP has not lost and is continuously augmenting its strength. In this situation, our target should be to build a BJP that is invincible. There is no denying the fact that by going back to the BJP, Nitish has put at stake his political career. The BJP will eat him up. Some friends of Nitish describe his going over to the BJP side as the watershed moment in Indian politics. Does it really represent the death of secularism? Does it represent the death of regional parties? No such development has taken place. In fact Nitish has made himself vulnerable. He has a track record of managing to remain an indispensable figure in Bihar politics. His instinct, like many politicians in India, is to ensure a relatively weak internal party system. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars shift from being an ally of the RJD to forming a government with the BJP was effected in barely 14 hours. The speed of the transition may appear as though there was a certain inevitability built into it. An insight into the action will unravel the reality of Nitish feeling insecure. In fact he cannot continue to trust a strong partner for a longer period. The reach and acceptability of the BJP as a pan-Indian party under Narendra Modi is quite extraordinary. It has a national and international footprint. One thing is obvious: the BJP of 2017 is not the BJP of 2013, when Nitish had shown it the door. Nitishs record of shifting fast and loose between allies is a story of political expediency and it is not entirely clear what political compulsion or personal ambition the latest move was born of. Nitish will have to tread cautiously and cannot dare to dictate to the BJP. On the contrary, he will have to kowtow to the dictates of Amit Shah, the chief strategist of the BJP. Nitish should also realise that he cannot run the Bihar Government according to his whim and desire as the future of the saffron politics in eastern India primarily depends on the success of the experiments the BJP leadership makes in Bihar. Nitish will have very little space to manoeuvre. It is not clear how he will steer the JD(U) on this political realignment in the days to come; a question-mark also remains on how long the new arrangement would last. Nitish should come to realise that Amit Shah is not the person who would allow the party to play second fiddle to Nitish and compromise its position to be diluted only for the sake of keeping the coalition running and maintaining the coalition dharma. That Nitish has been an unfaithful partner is a known fact; obviously any sort of reconciliation would be a tricky exercise. One cannot expect that Shah would forget that Nitish had broken the 17-year-old Janata Dal (United)-BJP alliance in 2013 only for his personal gain. In the prevailing situation Nitish will have to deal with a different BJP. The BJP leadership has already forced Nitish to induct 12 of its members, out of the total strength of 53 members in his Cabinet. Interestingly, they were allotted important portfolios like Finance, PWD, Urban Development and, for the first time, Agriculture. In 2010, the BJP had 91 seats, and got a similar number of Ministries. This simply reflects the changing times and clout of the BJP leadership. The author is a senior journalist and can be contacted at sriv52[at]gmail.com Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Fourteenth India-European Union Summit: Whither the Strategic (...) by Purusottam Bhattacharya The Fourteenth India-European Union (EU) Summit was held in New Delhi on October 6, 2017 as part of the annual summit between the two sides that is organised alternately in India and Europe. These summits are being held since the India-EU strategic partnership was estab-lished in 2004. As a matter of protocol the EU side is led by the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission and the Indian side is led by the Prime Minister and his team of advisers comprising representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs and various other Ministries concerned with the partnership with the EU. This time the EU side was led by the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and the President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Indian delegation. Notwithstanding the absence of a glamour quotient in the India-EU partnershipat least in the eyes of the foreign policy elite in India the ties between New Delhi and Brussels (the headquarters of the EU) have always been recognised by the cognoscenti as one of the principal planks of Indias foreign relations for over four decades. It was the British decision to join the then European Community in 1961 which acted as a catalyst in the evolution of a multifaceted relationship between the EU and India over the next five-and-a-half decades. While a detailed narrative of the development of this partnership is not in the purview of this brief commentary, a snapshot of these ties will set the background for an evaluation of the present scenario. The evolution of this relationship till 2004 was primarily in the nature of economic and commercial ties taking into consideration the fact that the EU is a customs union providing for free movement of people, goods, services and capital within the Union with a single market, a single currency and a common external tariff that is applied to the products of non-EU states entering the Union. The very nature of the EU customs union, which encouraged unfettered trade among its member-states but was discriminatory to the entry of products from non-EU countries, was a handicap from Indias point of view in increasing exports to the countries forming the Union to the extent preferred by New Delhi, notwithstanding its status as a developing country. (An EU official told this writer way back in 1986 in Brussels that the EU did not view India as a developing country so far as market access was concerned.) Despite this handicap, a framework for co-operation between the two sides evolved through a succession of agreements which provided the much-needed thrust for the development and strengthening of the nascent ties between New Delhi and Brussels. The phenomenal growth in trade and investments since 1973 (when Britain, which had been the principal market for India in Western Europe, joined the EU), and especially after Indias economic liberalisation in the 1990s, bore testimony to a newly acquired dynamism. (With more than Euro 100 billion trade in goods and services, the EU, as a collective entity, is Indias largest trading partner. In terms of investments it has been estimated that between 2004 and 2013 European companies invested more than Euro 198 billion in India; during the same period Indian companies invested more than Euro 50 billion in Europe.) The rapidly strengthening economic and commercial relationship provided the bedrock for the further maturing of the partnership since the turn of the century. Following the launch of the EU-India Strategic Partnership in 2004, the Joint Action Plan in 2005 and the start of negotiations for a Broad-Based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) in 2007 (which still remains unrealised), the partnership seemed to be poised to scale new heights as both sides expressed much enthusiasm. In fact there was reason for optimism as the relationship held out the promise of moving beyond economics encompassing not only greater trade but also increasing investments in both directions, transfer of technology, an active EU role in Indias development programme and, most importantly, on developing co-operation in the security field in the light of the 2010 bilateral declaration on International Terrorism; migration and mobility issues; implementation of the joint work programme on energy, clean development and climate change adopted at the 2008 summit and reinforced by a joint declaration for enhanced co-operation on energy in 2012. (Gulshan Sachdeva: 2017: 8) During the period 2009 and 2014, the relation-ship however lost momentum. The factors that contributed to such a trend included a deadlock in trade negotiations, the global recession of 2008-09, the Eurozone crisis and a policy paralysis during UPA II. A change of leadership in India in 2014 (despite the newly-installed Modi Governments professed emphasis on Asia, especially its Act East Policy) led to the emergence of a new possibility to breathe new life in the India-EU bilateral relations. The NDA Government under Narendra Modi adopted a fresh approach to economic and development issues which became a priority within the Indian Governments foreign policy and it was hoped that the EU could become a focus area of engagement for India. As the Government of India announced several new development initiatives such as Make in India, Clean India, Digital India, 100 Smart Cities and Clean Ganges, it is hoped that member-states of the EU can become significant partners and contributors to these programmes. As a result of these developments some momentum is back in India-EU ties. The Thirteenth India-EU summit, held in Brussels in March 2016, chalked out an ambitious agenda titled Agenda for Action 2020 for the partnership which included trade and investment, energy and climate, water, migration and co-operation in foreign and security policy in areas of mutual interest such as Asia (including West Asia), Africa and Europe. The two sides also agreed to strengthen co-operation on non-proliferation and disarmament, counter-piracy, counter-terrorism (including counter-radicalisation) and cyber security; sharing information between EUROPOL and Indian agencies; promoting maritime security, peace- keeping, peace-building, post-conflict assistance, and fight against transnational organised crime. Both also reaffirmed their commitment to the bilateral human rights dialogue. (Gulshan Sachdeva: 2017: 8) Bilateral relations with key EU member-states have also progressed further in recent times. There are bilateral strategic partnerships between India on the one hand and France, Germany and the United Kingdom on the other. In the last three years Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made bilateral visits to Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK. In fact the history of the India-EU relationship over the past several decades has been overshadowed by the Indian preference to deal with individual partners like France, Germany and the UK rather than Brussels which has been some sort of an enigma for the Indian bureaucracy. However, with the prospective British withdrawal from the EU (Brexit), Europe is closing ranks and Brussels will probably have a larger role with Germany and France in the drivers seat and India is likely to pay greater attention to Europe. These visits and meetings, both at the bilateral and India-EU level, have brought Europe back to the Indian foreign policy agenda which was somehow missing for some time. (Gulshan Sachdeva: 2017: 8; The Times of India: June 3, 2017) However, in spite of a firm foundation for a bilateral trade and investment regime, the prospects for a Broad-Based Trade and Invest-ment Agreement (BTIA), negotiations for which started in 2007, have proved to be illusory. After twelve formal rounds and several technical meetings, the negotiations virtually ran aground in 2013 due to what the European Commission called a mismatch of the level of ambitions. Though some discussions resumed in 2016 there are no clear indicators that India is in a mood to start these negotiations in a hurry. Brexit has further queered the pitch as no side is prepared to explore BTIA further until a clear picture emerges with regard to the final deal between the UK and EU. The complexities involved in the BTIA negotiations are enormous with high stakes on both sides and it is outside the purview of this commentary to deal with these issues. (The sensitive nature of the BTIA was conceded by Donald Tusk in an interview prior to the summit meeting when he said that the EU remains committed to an ambitious and comprehensive trade agreement with India which should be mutually beneficial and acceptable to our respective constituencies. As trade contributes to creating wealth and jobs, EU will keep markets open, fight protectionism and actively promote an ambitious free and fair global trade agenda.) (Gulshan Sachdeva: 2017: 9; Purusottam Bhattacharya: 2017: 37-41; The Times of India: October 6, 2017) Such is the background for the Fourteenth Summit meeting in New Delhi on October 6, 2017. In an interview prior to the meeting the European Council President Donald Tusk was frank enough to concede that the ultimate goal is to have a strong strategic partnership (even 13 years after its existence) enhancing both geo-strategic relations and economic co-operation. In response to a question that there seems to be little progress in relations, Tusk emphasised three areas which could provide a concrete basis for further engagement climate change, counter-terrorism and urbanisation. On climate change India and the EUapparently on the same pagehas to take the lead on implementing the Paris Agreement. On counter-terrorism (Europe is one of the worst victims of terrorist onslaughts in recent times and so is India) the two sides have a common interest in working together. On urbanisation the EU intends to link its urban agenda with Indias 100 Smart Cities Mission including direct investment in infrastructure via the European Investment Bank which has already invested in the Lucknow metro project and is going to support the Bengaluru metro phase-II. (The Times of India: October 6, 2017) The summit itself, in the words of both sides, was productive and fruitful as reflected in the Joint Statements issued by the two sides after the meetings. (For details, see the European Commission Press Release as well as the Statement by the Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Prime Ministers Office) However, for both India and the EUboth victims of terrorist onslaughtsthe real takeaway was the Joint Statement on Co-operation in Combating Terrorism adopted with a view to deepening their strategic and security co-operation. The two sides expressed strong commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, based on a compre-hensive approach. The statement condemned terror attacks across the world including those in India and Europe by various outfits operating across continents. (The Times of India: October 7, 2017) Donald Tusk was confident that Brexit has made EU 27 more determined in a sense that the Union is a common European future and it swill only strengthen the European determination to speak with one voice and reap the benefits of world markets and global co-operation. The EUs external actions and responsibilities will not be affected before, during and after the departure of the UK. Indeed there are new areas of co-operation for the EU and India to explore. Sharing of digital ambitions, space exploration, peacekeeping in Africa and elsewhere, maritime security and the challenges of global migration are some of the areas where the two sides can work together. Particular mention must be made of the success of the EUs Erasmus+ programme, which is the worlds greatest mobility progr-amme for students and youth; it is of 30 years duration and has just celebrated its 5000th Indian alumnus. (The Times of India: October 6, 2017). In conclusion, it may be worthwhile to quote another expert on India-EU relations. In spite of working together after 13 summits (excluding the latest one) the rhetoric, however, continues to be strong. Despite shared values, the lack of shared interests on a number of issues continues to limit co-operation. India and the EU have many common interests, but transforming them into co-ordinated policies has been rather elusive. Despite the ongoing dialogue and consultations between India and the EU on 35 or so issues, Brussels and the member-states complain that they encounter problems of capacity and resources of Indias Ministry of External Affairs. There is greater recognition of the need to focus on a smaller number of long-term strategic priorities rather than cluttering the agenda. (Rajendra K. Jain: 2017: 19) In the ultimate analysis both sides must recognise each others strengths and weaknesses and seek to find hard, practical common grounds for effective co-operation which is mutually beneficial and shorn of vacuous rhetoric. That is the challenge of this partnership which, according to some experts, is yet to achieve truly strategic dimensions. References Purusottam Bhattacharya (1994), Britain in the European Community: Implications for Domestic Politics and Foreign Relations. New Delhi/Calcutta. Purusottam Bhattacharya, Brexit: Britains European Odyssey- Hubris or Nemesis?. World Focus, August, 2017. Gulshan Sachdeva (2017), Developments in Europe and India-EU Relations, World Focus, August. Rajendra K. Jain (2017), India and European Union: Perceptions, Narratives and Prospects, World Focus, August. The Times of India, October 6 and 7, 2017. Dr Purusottam Bhattacharya is a former Professor and Head, Department of International Relations and erstwhile Director, School of International Relations and Strategic Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Face of the Danger EDITORIAL Once again the BJP leaders are exposing their majoritarian proclivities. First, the Yogi Adityanath Government in UP omitted the world-renowned 17th century monu-ment, the Taj Mahal, from an official booklet on tourist destinations. Thereafter on October 16 BJP MLA Sangeet Som, speaking at an event in Meerut, questioned the Taj Mahals place in Indias heritage and observed that history would be rewritten to erase the Mughal emperors from it. He further asserted that the present governments in UP and at the Centre were determined to rewrite history, adding: From the history of Ram to Krishna, Maharana Pratap to Shivaji Rao, they are trying to incorporate them in the textbooks... and the blots which are in our books, be it of Akbar, Aurangzeb, Babur, the government is working to remove them from history. Instead of pulling up Som for his comments which militate against our pluralist ethos, the BJP came out in support of his observations on the ground that the citizens must enjoy freedom of speech. BJP spokesman G.V.L. Narasimha Rao went out of his way to assail the Muslim rule in India as barbaric and a period of incomparable intolerance while affirming that the party members could hold any opinion they want on the specific monuments. So the BJP has indirectly supported Soms basic position. Also Rajasthans Education Minister Vasudev Devnani has declared that in that State students will be taught that Rana Pratap, not the Mughals, won the battle of Haldighati. And The Indian Express has disclosed: The BJP Government in Maharashtra plans to revise school books to focus on Maratha glory and downplay Mughal history, which is now identified solely with Muslims. Elsewhere, there is a demand to rename places, roads, buildings named after the great Mughals. ...From Babur downwards, the Mughals are being described as outsiders in the manner of colonial historians who interpreted Indian history as a conflict between Hindus and Muslims to deny the existence of a multi-faith, multi-cultural society. The intention is to further polarise the society and this attempt is yielding fruit with noted Muslim politiciansfrom Asaduddin Owaisi to Azam Khanreacting on predictable lines. As PM Narendra Modis rabble-rousing anti-Congress pronouncements in Gujarat yesterday underline, the ruling party at the Centre is currently facing an uphill task: however much Modi may harp on vikasvaad (development) as opposed to the Congresss vanshvaad (dynasty), he is actually relying on communal polarisation to mobilise the people on emotional lines in order to overcome the disadvan-tages of the Union Government due to the economic problems springing from demonetisation and GST that are hitting the public hard of late. This is a dangerous situation. And the only way one can combat this danger is to unite against the Modi dispensation. Regardless of the infantile acrobatics of the Marxist sectarians in the CPM and CPML, it is only by uniting the secular democrats of all huesfrom the Congress to the Leftcan we effectively fight and defeat the conspiracies being hatched by the Sangh Parivar in power. October 17 S.C. Counsel in the tech, life sciences and chemistry sectors say they would like more assurance over litigation funding and how it works many still see it as too much of a gamble Texas is a fabled land for those those that love freedom and the thrill of the open road. One of our friends, Mike from TheGentlemanRacer.com just came back from an incredible cross country road trip from Cleveland to Los Angeles. Along the way, he spent some time exploring Austin, Texas. Here's some of his favorite motorcycle trails in the area. I loved riding the Ace Scrambler because it gave me the looks and style of a classic 60s or 70s motorcycle with the modern comfort and convenience of todays bikes. Every time I would stop at a gas station or pull over to grab a drink someone would come up and ask what year it was, or how long did it take me to restore it, that is how you know Cleveland got the retro look just right. Since I have been touring around the US on my Cleveland Ace Scrambler, I have had some amazing experiences and ridden some great roads. Having recently spent several days touring around Texas I made up this short list of some of my favorite rides in the Lone Star State. Navasota/Burton Loop This route will take you through beautiful ranchland, across Brazos river, and to the Bahia Trail. The Bahia trail to the original site of Baylor University and to the town of Burton with a popular stop for motorcyclists is the Pig and Whistle Pub. Depending on the time of of year this is one of the best places to enjoy the Blue Bonnets. From Burton head down the road to Brenham, home to the Blue Bell Creamery where you can stop for their world famous ice cream. At right around 80 miles, this is a great ride on a Sunday afternoon. South Congress to COTA Loop If you happen to be in Austin for a race at Circuit of the Americas Start off at the Revival Cycles Store (1603 South Congress Avenue), they always have a cool selection of bikes and gear and are located in the heart of the hip South Congress district surrounded by cool bars and restaurants. Head south on Congress towards old Lockhart Highway and then enjoy cruising through some old farm roads until you come to 812 which will take you to COTA. If you can purchase a pit pass parking permit ahead of time and ride straight into the pits and enjoy a day at one of the most amazing motorsports facilities on the planet. When you are done take Burleson road back to Congress Ave and head down to C-Boys Heart & Soul and enjoy a drink in the Jade Room lounge, a cool 1950s style Japanese GI bar. Hill Country Weekend Texas Hill Country offers one of the best rides in Texas, from the historic town of Fredericksburg to the shores of Canyon Lake this scenic route is perfect for the weekend. Start out in New Braunfels and head north towards Johnson City then take the 290 to Fredericksburg. No matter what you are interested in this stretch of road has something to offer everyone, from boutique wineries and shopping to great restaurants and bars. From there head south towards Kerrville, and if you are planning to stop for the night, book yourself at the motorcycle friendly Medina Highpoint Resort which offers amazing views and is off one of the most fun motorcycle roads in Texas, Highway 16. From there take your time and explore Pipe Creek and stop in the quaint town of Bourne before heading back to New Braunfels. MARTINSVILLE The City Council and the Martinsville Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Tuesday night on a request for a special-use permit that would enable First Piedmont Corp. to establish a vehicle terminal in the Clearview Business Park. The terminals proposed location is Lot 3, near the intersection of Clearview, Progress and Royal drives on the citys north side. According to city officials, the terminal would be a garage where First Piedmont, a regional solid waste management company, would store and repair vehicles. During the planning commissions meeting earlier this month, board member Ural Harris voiced concerns about how the terminal would affect nearby property values, also asking if it would be visible from nearby homes. The answer from city officials, in terms of visibility, was no, it would not be able to be seen. If the permit request is approved, the council will consider conveying Lot 3 for development. Those matters are to be considered when the council meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on the second floor of the municipal building on West Church Street uptown. Other agenda items will include: @ Hearing information pertaining to a request for widening Geter Street and installing curbs and gutters along it. @ Discussing the citys legislative agenda and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. @ Presenting a proclamation regarding Extra Mile Day 2017. @ Hearing any public comments about city matters not on the agenda for discussion. At 7 p.m., the council will meet privately to consult with its legal counsel. The council will hold a neighborhood meeting at 7:30 tonight at Albert Harris Elementary School on Smith Road. City residents especially those living on the west side are invited to come and discuss with council members their concerns about city issues. Fifty years ago the week began with anti-Vietnam war and pro-GI demonstrations across the country. In Washington, D.C., police arrested 600 anti-war demonstrators during a two day protest at the Pentagon. Many were arrested Sunday night as the permit for the demonstration expired at midnight. In New York City, several thousand marched in support of the troops in Vietnam. A two-day vigil in Manhattan's Battery Park attracted between 15,00 and 20,00 people. From the October 23, 1967 edition of The Springfield Union Locally, over 700 people came out in support of 35 draft protestors who continued their protest in front of City Hall in Northampton. Two were arrested during the 90-minute protest along Main Street from City Hall to the Smith College campus. From the October 24, 1967 edition of The Springfield Union Over in Vietnam, U.S. aircraft continued their bombing of targets in North Vietnam. U.S. officials announced the loss of three American planes with four fliers missing. The North Vietnamese announced that they had captured two U.S. pilots including, now U.S. Senator, Lt. Cmdr. John S. McCain, and Lt. Charles Donald Rice. They said McCain had parachuted into a Hanoi lake after an anti-aircraft missile shot down his plane. From the October 28, 1967 edition of The Springfield Union These are some of the headlines you'll see from Page 1 of The Republican and its predecessors over the past fifty years for the week of October 22 - October 28. Each week I'll put together a slideshow of Page 1 images from selected years over the course of that week. We're starting with a look back at one, five, thirty, forty and fifty years ago, with Page 1s from each day of the week for those years. The slideshow for October 22 - October 28 is embedded at the top of this article. We'll also find some humor printed out on page one over the years. In 1967 'Dennis The Menace' could be found on the bottom of page one six days a week. From the October 26, 1967 edition of The Springfield Union Other newspaper comics from the archive can be found in the Featured Collection photo galleries on MassLive. Five years ago, was making preparations for a potential hit from hurricane Sandy making its way up the east coast. And a year ago, a story on the first day of early voting for the presidential election in Springfield. As you'll find with looking through the slideshow, that while many stories come and go, many of the issues and topics that affected lives in the past, continue to have an impact on our lives today. Copies of these and other stories can be found in the online archives. The Historic Archive includes stories from 1824 to 1989, and the Newsbank Archive covers 1988 through the present day. Rowers and spectators participated in a warm and sunny 53rd Head of the Charles Regatta this weekend. The annual race -- said to be the largest two-day rowing event in the world -- drew more than 11,000 athletes from over 700 rowing clubs and university teams across the United States. The race, which runs from Boston to Brighton, was sponsored by financial service company BNY Mellon for the fifth year in a row. More than 50 different competitions took place along the Charles this year, in a three-mile course from the Boston University Boathouse to Christian Herter Park in Cambridge, past the Belmont Hill Winsor Boathouse. Boston-area universities fared well in some races. Out of the 36 total teams in the Men's Club Eights, Boston University's Men's team placed first at 3:22.142, Harvard placed second, Northeastern University placed fifth and the University of Massachusetts placed 28th. BU, Northeastern and Harvard also landed in the top 10 winners of the Men's Club Fours placing in third, seventh, and tenth, respectively. For the first time ever, two 13-year-olds participated in the world-famous rowing race. Quinlan Daly and George Lathrop, from Old Greenwich, Connecticut raised funds for charity in their pursuit to be the youngest rowers to compete at the Head of the Charles. The two placed 41st out of 48th in the Men's Youth Doubles race, which normally includes high schoolers. Organizers say the event typically draws more than 350,000 spectators to the banks of the Charles, and this year was no exception. The unusually warm weather this year may have drawn closer to half a million attendees across the three-mile race route. The Environmental Protection Agency canceled speaking appearances by three agency scientists at the State of the Narragansett Bay and Watershed program scheduled for Monday in Providence, according to a report by the New York Times. EPA spokesman John Konkus told the Times the agency scientists would not speak without providing reason for the cancellation. The newspaper also reports the three EPA scientists helped develop a 400-page report that will be published on Monday. The Rhode Island event will place a heavy focus on climate change in its review of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program's latest technical report, which organizers say was a bi-state effort by both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The report tracked 24 indicators to evaluate "key stressors" and "assess the chemical, physical and biological conditions" at Narragansett Bay, New England's largest estuary, and its watershed. Boston shares climate change data stripped from EPA website following President Trump's inauguration Climate change has been a contentious topic in President Donald Trump's administration. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has said he does not believe humans and CO2 are the primary cause of climate change. Many were surprised at the EPA's withdrawal from the event, reports the Times, because the federal agency provides funding to the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. NORTHAMPTON -- An Easthampton police dog is earning his keep. Gino, who joined the Easthampton Police Department this year, tracked down a crime suspect in Northampton early Saturday, according to the department's Facebook page. Around 2:30 a.m., Easthampton's K-9 Unit responded to a call from Northampton police to help find a suspect "wanted on multiple felony charges, stemming from an incident that had just occurred." K-9 Gino was deployed, and began to search the woods behind the suspect's last known location. The suspect "became aware of Gino's presence and surrendered," according to police. The defendant was taken into custody without further incident. Gino is a Belgian Malinois, a breed known for its keen sense of smell. The K-9 was acquired from a Pennsylvania kennel with a $25,000 grant from the Cambridge-based Stanton Foundation. Officer Andrew Beaulieu committed to being Gino's handler for five years. The two attended an intensive nine-week training academy, and are on call whenever they are needed. Maintaining funding that encourages innovation, implementation and investment in rural America and in our federal agency partners is imperative. In this spirit, more than 130 organizations representing ranchers, farmers, foresters, conservationists, sportsmen and women, and businesses have endorsed a set of unifying principles to achieve rural economic health, a productive agricultural sector, provide for human needs, and protect the landscapes in which we live and work. These are: By Lesli Allison | Steve Jester | and Karen Hardigg MTIP is pleased to present a new and exciting opportunity. Fast Phase 0 is designed to reimburse Montana small businesses for costs associated with applying to the Phase I SBIR/STTR program. FAST Phase 0 offers grants of up to $3,000. For more information and/or to apply, visit MTIPs website. The FAST Phase 0 grant program is made possible solely through the funding of the Small Business Administrations (SBA) Federal and State Technology Partnership (FAST) program grant, which MTIP was awarded for the current federal fiscal year. https://t.e2ma.net/message/agkjz/imaecs Climate justice organizations and groups in Africa have launched a platform dubbed Africa Vuka #Road2COP to highlight climate stories, campaigns and calls for climate solutions on the road to COP 27 in Egypt. The platform will showcase a variety of campaigns from across the continent advocating for real climate justice and a fossil-free Africa through several stops, which will culminate in arrival at the location of the climate talks in Egypt. CSOs and groups across the region are invited to submit their stories and contribute to the platform. In the lead up to COP, communities across Africa demand that the summit prioritizes a Loss and Damage finance mechanism that adequately addresses the needs and priorities of climate-vulnerable countries. Among key campaigns that will feature on Afrika Vuka Road to COP is the Stop East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Stop EACOP) campaign, which has received regional and global attention over calls by climate activists to halt the project citing threats to people, nature and climate. Landry Ninteretse, Regional Director 350Africa.org said Afrika Vuka Road to COP is an opportunity to spotlight the stories of Africans, how we are affected by climate change, stories of resistance and success stories of communities leading climate solutions. This is a chance to bring the African voice to COP and urge worlds leaders to address the three big components of the climate crisis: adaptation, mitigation and loss and damage. At COP, we anticipate that nations across the globe will shun fossil fuels, invest heavily in renewable energy solutions and commit funds to helping the nations most affected by climate change to build resilience to the climate crisis. Without concrete actions to address these pressing issues, COP27 would be just another shameful summit. Omar Elmawi, Coordinator Stop EACOP Coalition said We are putting the spotlight on campaigns against all, and especially, huge fossil fuel projects such as the planned East African Crude Oil Pipeline because it is unacceptable to even consider such projects when rapid and deep emission cuts are needed to avoid catastrophic climate impacts. We want this message to be heard as we head to COP and commitments to be made to halt such projects and instead have finances channeled into a just transition to community-led renewable energy. Portia Adu Mensah of Renewable Energy for Communities campaign said, At the upcoming UN climate talks, it is crucial that governments across the world, especially those in the Global North with historically high greenhouse gas emissions, take real action towards lowering greenhouse gas emissions. It is also crucial that African countries scale up clean energy for the sake of our planet and humanity. In Ghana, we have been calling on the government to scale up renewable energy to at least 30% of the countrys energy mix by the year 2030. We not only need to break free from fossil fuels, but also need to lead in ensuring small scale, off grid community friendly renewable energy is accessible to all. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Art performances at the launching ceremony It will support the efforts to intensify Vietnams traditional friendship with Laos and Cambodia and help Lao and Cambodian readers to gain insight into what is happening in Vietnam. Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan affirmed that the debut of the Lao and Khmer editions marks the strong development of the Peoples Army Newspaper and turns it into a multimedia and multilingual press outlet.They will be important channels disseminating the Vietnam Party and States policies, the image of Vietnams land and people, and the time-honoured relations between Vietnam and Laos and Cambodia, and preventing wrongful view-points distorting the relations. The Peoples Army Newspaper launched its online English edition in 2005 and the online Chinese edition in 2012./. Officials at the joint press conference after the 24th APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting concludes (Photo: VNA) Following is the full text of the joint ministerial statement of the 24th APEC Finance Ministers Meeting. 1. We, the Finance Ministers of the economies of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), convened our 24th meeting in Hoi An, Vietnam on 21st October 2017 under the chairmanship of H.E. Dinh Tien Dung, Minister of Finance of Vietnam. Global and Regional Economy 2. We discussed the economic and financial outlook that our economies face and shared views on appropriate policy actions. The near-term outlook for global economic growth is encouraging, with a more broad-based pick up across both emerging markets and advanced economies. In the medium term, the risk of global financial conditions tightening remains and slower productivity gains continue to inhibit sustainable growth. We commit to focus on our priorities and economic and financial cooperation to promote growth, towards the goal of fostering a shared future. 3. We are committed to use all policy tools monetary, fiscal and structural individually and collectively to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. Fiscal policy tailored to member economy's circumstances should be used flexibly and be growth friendly, while ensuring that the public debt as a share of GDP is on sustainable path. Monetary policy should continue to support economic activity and ensure price stability, consistent with central banks mandates. Strong fundamentals, sound policies, and a resilient international monetary system are essential to the stability of exchange rates, contributing to strong and sustainable growth and investment. Flexible exchange rates, where feasible, can serve as a shock absorber. We recognize that excessive volatility or disorderly movements in exchange rates can have adverse implications for economic and financial stability. We will refrain from competitive devaluation and will not target our exchange rates for competitive purposes. We reaffirm the key role of structural reforms in strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. 4. We reaffirm the importance of the APEC Finance Ministers' Process (FMP) as an active forum for fostering policy cooperation and exchange of experience among economies in the region. Cebu Action Plan 5. We welcome the efforts made by member economies in identifying and implementing activities under the Cebu Action Plan (CAP). We encourage member economies, on a voluntary and non-binding basis, to continue to submit activities and initiatives in alignment with the CAP for implementation as appropriate to their domestic circumstances. 6. We welcome the active engagement of international organizations and appropriate APEC sub-fora and encourage their continued assistance to help member economies achieve the goals of the CAP. We welcome ABAC and the APFFs contribution to the implementation of the CAP, including the recommendations on financial market infrastructure and micro insurance. We encourage continued collaboration among interested relevant stakeholders in advancing these initiatives of the CAP. Long term Investment in Infrastructure 7. We recognize the importance of mobilizing long-term investments in infrastructure and reiterate the relevance of quality infrastructure for sustainable economic growth. While recognizing the role of public investment in APEC economies, diversification of financing sources and fostering private sector involvement in infrastructure projects is an important solution to meet the significant demand for long-term capital for infrastructure. 8. We welcome the efforts and achievements in cooperation under the theme of long-term investment in infrastructure in APEC 2017, which are in line with Pillar 4 of the CAP. In this regard, we endorse the policy statement on Diversifying Financing Sources and Fostering Private Sector Involvement in Infrastructure Investment in APEC Member Economies (Annex A), and encourage economies, to take into consideration these recommendations to improve long-term investment in infrastructure projects. 9. Recognizing the importance of building risk allocation mechanisms and applying appropriate risk mitigation instruments in PPP contracts as important elements of a successful project, we welcome the report on Selected Good Practices for Risk Allocation and Mitigation in Infrastructure in APEC Economies, developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in collaboration with the Global Infrastructure Hub (GIH) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as a good reference for member economies in building bankable PPP infrastructure projects. 10. We encourage economies to continue strengthening regional cooperation, explore and develop effective financing solutions for infrastructure, and promote private sector involvement in infrastructure projects in the region. We call on OECD, the World Bank Group (WBG), ADB, GIH and other international organizations to continue to work with APEC economies to study good practices and provide technical assistance and capacity building on quality infrastructure investment for member economies. Base Erosion and Profit Shifting 11. We recognize the importance of base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) issues in APEC member economies, and the need for enhanced regional cooperation in sharing experiences, approaches and good practices on tax policy development, legislative design and tax administration, in order to address the challenges of BEPS in the region while enhancing the certainty, transparency and fairness of the tax system. 12. We welcome the efforts of APEC member economies in promoting a mutual support program, sharing experiences in the implementation of BEPS minimum standards and other relevant BEPS actions, in the context of the Inclusive Framework in the APEC region, under the work plan initiated in Vietnams host year 2017. We will continue these efforts in Papua New Guineas host year 2018. We appreciate the active support from international organizations, such as ADB, IMF, OECD, WBG and encourage these organizations to continue their support for APEC economies Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance 13. We recognize the importance of improving institutional and legal frameworks on disaster risk insurance against the increasing impacts of natural disasters and their contingent liabilities in economies in the region. Effective strategies on disaster risk financing and insurance, including solutions for financial risk management of public assets, will help mitigate and transfer risks, thereby better support timely rehabilitation and reconstruction when disaster occurs. 14. Given the importance of risk data and information for assessing the governments potential disaster-related contingent liabilities and financial impact on public assets, we welcome the cooperation on disaster risk financing and insurance in 2017. Particularly we welcome the report on Improving Public Assets and Insurance Data for Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Solutions; and report on Financial Risk Management of Public Assets Against Natural Disasters in APEC Economies, developed by the WBG in coordination with member economies; and the report on Managing Disaster-related Contingent Liabilities in Public Finance Frameworks, developed by the WBG and the OECD in coordination with the ADB and with the active participation of a number of member economies, as good reference for us. We look forward to discussing the recommendations from this joint report in 2018. We encourage member economies to continue to improve their risk information systems considering their own particular circumstances. Recognizing the essential role of the private sector in providing innovative market-based risk transfer solutions, we encourage member economies to explore partnership with the private sector for potential solutions. 15. We welcome the work of the APEC Working Group on Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance in 2017 with support from WBG as a lead technical facilitator and OECD and other international organizations, and look forward to the implementation of the work plan for 2018. We encourage more economies to join the Working Group to enhance the regional partnership and knowledge exchange on this agenda. We welcome the APEC disaster risk finance knowledge portal developed by WBG that serves as an online repository of policies, practices and lessons, which could help member economies develop effective policies to address disaster risks. We are committed to enhancing our cooperation and knowledge exchange on disaster risk finance and insurance, particularly on financial risk management of public assets. Financial Inclusion 16. We acknowledge the significance of financial inclusion and appreciate the collective contributions of APEC member economies and international partners to the sustainable, innovative and inclusive development of financial services in the region. We welcome, in this respect, the OECD/INFE progress report on financial literacy and financial consumer protection in APEC economies and look forward for the final report. 17. We recognize that agricultural finance makes an important contribution to the sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas, and helps narrow income gaps through capacity building for people and businesses in developing household business, micro, small and medium enterprises, value chains, and scientific and hi-tech based agricultural production. The introduction of new and diversified financial solutions in this area will create more favorable opportunities for people and businesses to access suitable and affordable products and services. In this respect, we highly appreciate the recommendations from international development partners, particularly the ABAC, the Foundation for Development Cooperation (FDC) and the Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA), to further promote financial inclusion and digital payments toward the goal of sustainable agriculture and food security in member economies. We encourage member economies, on a voluntary and non-binding basis, to take into consideration these recommendations in order to contribute to the agriculture restructuring and sustainable development. 18. We recognize the importance of financial infrastructure, particularly credit information, secured transaction and insolvency systems as well as trade and supply chain finance. We also call on World Bank, IFC, ABAC and other development partners to continue supporting APEC economies in implementing initiatives to further improve financial infrastructure development in the region and promote the cooperation on credit information to support cross border trade and investment. Other Issues 19. We welcome the good progress on the development of the Asia Region Funds Passport (ARFP) and encourage member economies to consider participating in this initiative to increase financial integration. We encourage the participating economies to implement their needed arrangements in domestic regulations, to achieve successful implementation of the ARFP passport, and also encourage other member economies to participate in this initiative for the aim of more integrated financial cooperation in the APEC region. 20. We welcome the enhanced collaboration and coordination between APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) and Senior Finance Officials Meeting (SFOM) officials this year, which are critical to promote greater coherence in APECs work and to ensure that the two processes are mutually supportive. In this regard, we encourage the development of an Action Agenda on Promoting Economic, Financial and Social Inclusion. We instruct SFOM officials to work closely with SOM officials in finalizing this Action Agenda. 21. We welcome the joint activities between senior finance officials and the APEC Economic Committee (EC) this year and look forward to ongoing collaboration to prepare the APEC Economic Policy Report (AEPR) 2018 on Structural Reform and Infrastructure. We encourage continuing joint discussions between senior finance officials and EC officials in 2018. 22. We welcome the exploratory dialogues between senior finance officials, Life Science and Innovative Forum (LSIF) and Health Working Group (HWG) to address the fiscal and economic impacts of the steep rise in chronic disease and of ageing societies in APEC economies. We encourage further dialogue with interested economies to share best practices and explore innovative, sustainable health financing solutions. 23. We appreciate the support from ADB, IMF, OECD, WBG and ABAC to the FMP work during this year. 24. We thank Vietnam for hosting the APEC Finance Ministers Process this year. We will meet again for our 25th meeting in Papua New Guinea in October 2018./. Vietnamese Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (L) and Speaker of the Latvian Parliamentary Assembly Inara Munierce (Source: VNA) During her meeting with visiting Vietnamese Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh in Riga on October 20th, Munierce said the two nations should increase the exchange of delegations at all level and boost cooperation in potential fields such as information technology and education-training. She suggested Latvia and Vietnam enhance cooperation in preventing illegal immigration and applauded the conclusion of negotiations on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), expressing her hope that the agreement will be signed soon. For her part, Thinh affirmed that Vietnam attaches significance to the traditional friendship between the two countries and wants to beef up multifaceted cooperation with Latvia, including relations between the two parliaments. She suggested the two sides discuss and soon sign agreements on educational cooperation, visa exemptions for diplomatic passport holders and aviation, among others to create a legal framework for bilateral cooperative ties. Thinh called on the Latvian Parliamentary Assembly to create favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese in Latvia, thus helping them to promote their role as a bridge to connect bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, investment, education-training, culture and tourism. During a working session with Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkievics, Thinh spoke highly of strides in the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two nations, particularly in economy and trade. She suggested the two sides jointly deploy measures to boost bilateral cooperation in politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, education-training, and science-technology. Rinkievics welcomed Thinhs visit on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-Latvia diplomatic ties, and agreed with the latters proposal to increase delegation exchanges between the two States and Governments in order enhance mutual understanding. Latvia and Vietnam should support their enterprises in trade and tourism promotion activities, while beef up cultural and people-to-people exchanges, he said. Rinkievics expected that Latvia will be one of the first EU nations to ratify the EVFTA, considering it as a key factor to boost economic-trade cooperation between Vietnam and the EU in general, and Latvia in particular. The two sides agreed to support each other at international forums, particularly the United Nations and to sign an agreement on educational cooperation on the sidelines of the ASEM Education Ministers Meeting in the Republic of Korea in November 2017. They consented to negotiate agreements on visa exemption for diplomatic passport holders and reception of returned citizens. Vietnam and Latvia also agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating transnational criminals, and share experience in joining the UN peacekeeping force as well as search and rescue operations./. The Vietnamese delegations participation in the ADMM and ADMM and its official visit to the Philippines will be made at the invitation of Philippine Secretary of National Defence Delfin Lorenzana. Minister of National Defence General Ngo Xuan Lich (Photo: VNA) Its engagement in the events reflects Vietnams active, proactive and responsible participation in different spheres of cooperation within the framework of the ADMM and ADMM+. It is also to continue implementing Vietnams initiatives within the framework of ASEAN defence cooperation while affirming its role and position in the region and the world through activities at multilateral forums and promotion of common efforts to maintain peace, stability and development in the region. Meanwhile, the delegations official visit to the Philippines aims to discuss measures to boost bilateral defence relations in the time ahead, thereby helping to intensify the Vietnam-Philippines strategic partnership./. Vietnamese Ambassador Le Quy Quynh donates to support flood victims (Photo: VNA) Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Le Quy Quynh highlighted the significance of the Vietnamese Women's Day, which honours the great contributions of generations of Vietnamese women to the cause of construction, protection and development of the nation. He praised the commendable achievements that women of the Overseas Vietnamese community in Malaysia have made in recent years, especially, support and mutual help among the women, as well as their help and sharing for unfortunate people in the community. Over the past year, the Women's Club has devoted a great deal of attention to common activities of the community, especially the establishment, maintenance and development of Vietnamese language teaching classes for children of the community and participation in counselling and sharing legal experience for Vietnamese women marrying local husbands. On this occasion, the organizers spent a large amount of time to share information about the recent floods in the northern and central provinces. This serious natural calamity has killed dozens of people, causing great damage to houses and crops, pushing thousands of families into difficult circumstances. On behalf of the Vietnamese community in Malaysia, the Vietnamese Embassy, Community Liaison Committee and Vietnamese Women Club in Malaysia launched a movement to raise funds to help people in Vietnam overcome the consequences of the floods. Ms. Tran Thi Chang, Head of the Vietnamese Women's Club in Malaysia, called upon the overseas Vietnamese community in Malaysia to continue to take practical acts to support domestic people to overcome difficulties to stabilize their lives. At the ceremony, the Vietnamese Embassy presented certificates of merit to typical women, who have made remarkable contributions to the common activities of the community./. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Terens Quick, met in Cyprus today with the Cypriot Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Issues and Overseas Cypriots, Fotis Fotiou, and Armenian Diaspora Minister, Hranush Hakobyan. t this, first, trilateral meeting it was ascertained that there is a great deal of room for cooperation between the three countries on Diaspora affairs. The three sides agreed, in principle, to elaborate joint programmes oriented towards academic institutions, cultural foundations, media outlets and think tanks in countries where Greek, Cypriot and Armenian Diaspora communities reside, with a focus on the U.S. and France. It was also agreed that the priority of this joint effort should be the youth of the three Diaspora communities. Finally, cooperation will also be aimed at raising awareness, in the appropriate manner, on the Pontian and Armenian genocides, and the illegal occupation of Cyprus. The next trilateral meeting is scheduled to convene in Yerevan this coming December. Korean tourists in a visit to Hoi An. (Photo: SGGP) The delegation will experience, survey and use typical tourism services at key tourist destinations in Hanoi, Da Lat, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh city. Specifically, the delegation includes 16 members representing 10 RoK big travel agencies such as Hana Tour, Mode Tour and Very Good Tour. As planned, it will arrive in Nha Trang on October 27th to survey island tourism products, hot mineral mud baths, visit landscapes and enjoy local cuisine. Earlier, VietJet Air met with travel businesses to introduce a new air route from Cam Ranh to Incheon and vice versa. The route is scheduled to be launched in early December with five flights a week. Together with China and Japan, the RoK is one of the three key markets for Vietnams tourism in recent years. Among about 9.45 million foreign tourists to the country in the first nine months of 2017, tourists from the RoK saw the most rapid growth, with a 51% increase compared to the same period of the previous year./. On Tuesday, 24 October, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, will be carrying out a working visit to Ankara, where he will meet with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu. The talks are to focus on issues of bilateral, regional and international interest, with emphasis on the organization of the next meeting of the Greek-Turkish High-Level Cooperation Council, which will be held in Thessaloniki. By the time the bodies of Rachel Nguyen and Joseph Orbeso were discovered in Joshua Tree National Park, the two hadn't been seen for nearly three months. They had been reported missing July 28 by the owner of a nearby bed-and-breakfast, who told authorities that the pair had probably gone hiking but never returned to check out. Their disappearance set off a massive search - involving aircraft, dogs, horses and search-and-rescue workers on foot - in the vast, rugged national park. The day that Nguyen and Orbeso vanished, a park ranger discovered their empty vehicle near the park's Maze Loop trailhead. Orbeso's father threw himself into the search efforts, scouring the rocky landscapes in the unforgiving desert heat for any signs of his son, according to the Desert Sun. Gilbert Orbeso told the newspaper that he had last seen his son on July 26, just before Nguyen had picked him up to go on the trip, which was to celebrate her birthday. The two, from Orange County, California, had dated in the past and remained friends, the father added. "Everything seems like it's in slow motion, I think because of the waiting, the anticipation," Gilbert Orbeso told the newspaper in August. "Going on these searches helps. I can't just sit around and do nothing." Through August and September, there would be nothing else that indicated the pair's whereabouts. At last, on Oct. 15, a park ranger reported seeing "two deceased persons located inside ... a steep canyon to the far north of the Maze Loop Trailhead." The following morning, investigators went into the canyon by air to retrieve the bodies, which were soon identified as Nguyen, 20, and Orbeso, 22. Both had gunshot wounds, according to a statement from the Morongo Basin Sheriff's Department. "Based on evidence located at the scene, detectives believe Orbeso shot Nguyen, then shot himself," the statement read. "The investigation into Orbeso's actions remain under investigation." The case has left more unanswered questions than answers, and police said they still do not have a motive for why Orbeso would have killed Nguyen - or when, exactly, they died. AllTrails.com describes the Maze Loop as a 4.8-mile loop trail, accessible year-round and rated as "moderate." Other hiking sites, such as Modern Hiker, describe the Maze Loop as part of a larger route, full of impressive desert vistas and "some of the most secluded rock formations in Joshua Tree." In a subsequent update Friday, officials released more details, which hinted that the pair may have been suffering from the elements and from thirst when they died. "The bodies of Rachel Nguyen and Joseph Orbeso were found under a tree," the sheriff's office said. "They had positioned their clothing to cover their lower extremities and protect them from the sun. It appears they had been rationing their food and had no water." The gun found near the bodies was registered to Joseph Orbeso, officials said. Gilbert Orbeso, who was with Joshua Tree Search and Rescue when his son's body was found, said the two friends had been locked in an embrace when they died. A San Bernardino sheriff's spokeswoman later confirmed that account. "I want Joseph to be remembered as a kind, caring and thoughtful person," Gilbert Orbeso wrote in an email to the San Jose Mercury News. "The way he was found beside Rachel holding her as they were seeking shade under the brush says everything you need to know about him as a man and as a human being. I am proud to be his father and his kindness will live on in me and those who knew him best." Nguyen's family said they believed that Rachel had injured herself and that Orbeso had cared for her - then shot her out of compassion. "It was explained to us by the investigators on scene, with the circumstances and positioning of the bodies, that they believe this was a sympathetic murder-suicide," Son Nguyen, Rachel's uncle, told the Desert Sun. "We hold no grudges against Joseph or the Orbeso Family. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Orbeso Family, and that they will remain in our prayers. We thank God that we'll be able to give Rachel a proper burial and lay her to rest." Son Nguyen told the newspaper that Rachel may have been in distress; her T-shirt had been wrapped around her head like a bandage. "Until you are in the same situation ... you don't know how you would react," he told the newspaper. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A furtive snapshot of a blurry projector screen revealed David Sorbello's quiz to the world: "'Female or Shemale' can you tell?" was the title. Then came a series of head shots, and the sociology students were told to choose between the two options. Instead, dozens of students at the State University of New York's Geneseo campus have demanded that Sorbello be fired, and the school's president has announced an investigation into last week's quiz. Sorbello, an adjunct lecturer, had earned a smattering of mostly positive online reviews from students in his time at Geneseo: clear instructions and snappy lectures that made his introduction-to-sociology classes fly by. Wednesday's topic was gender, sexuality and sexual identity, sophomore Jillian Sternberg told BuzzFeed. Somehow, this led to the quiz Sorbello put up on the screen. "We want you to write whether it's female or she-male," Sternberg recalled him saying. The student told Buzzfeed that Sorbello then commented on each photo as the class evaluated it: "Like, 'I'm definitely not going to the bar with you.' " More for you DeVos rescinds 72 guidance documents outlining rights for... Neither Sorbello nor administrators immediately replied to emails from The Washington Post seeking comment, so it's unclear what the quiz's purpose was supposed to be. Sternberg told BuzzFeed that Sorbello didn't explain it to the class, either, so some students walked up afterward and confronted him. "He told me the lecture was 'part humor and part to teach sexual dimorphism,' " another student, Jessica Friedman, wrote on Facebook. "My professors have managed to teach me about sexual dimorphism without being discriminatory and transphobic." The quiz bears the same name as a game that the drag queen RuPaul used to run on the show "Drag Race." In that version of "female or shemale," contestants were shown close-ups of celebrities and told to decide whether they were a "biological woman" or "psychological woman," according to Slate. But HuffPost reported that "Drag Race" canceled the segment in 2014 and apologized to viewers who considered the term "shemale" a transphobic slur. Three years later in Geneseo, students spread a photo of Sorbello's quiz far and wide across the internet. More than 150 people have signed a petition on the school's website to fire Sorbello, claiming he told the class that "this is a lesson to you all not to get drunk or you might take the wrong one home." The president of the school, Denise Battles, promised on Friday to investigate and "determine if and what action is warranted." "Let me say unequivocally that SUNY Geneseo has a steadfast and uncompromising commitment to diversity and inclusivity," she wrote in a statement. "We work diligently to sustain an inviting and supportive environment for people of all gender identities, gender expressions, sexual orientations, races, religions and other identities." Gender issues have flared in classrooms across the United States this year, one in which the Trump administration rolled back federal protections for transgender students, banned transgender troops and nominated for federal judgeship a man who called trans children part of "Satan's plan." As The Washington Post has reported, a fifth-grade teacher in Florida was removed from a classroom last month after asking to be addressed with gender-neutral pronouns. The same month, violent clashes broke out at Georgia Tech after police fatally shot the leader of a campus LGBT group. Outraged students at Geneseo, for their part, aren't happy to wait and see whether the school takes any action over the quiz. "Professor Sorbello's rhetoric deeply disturbs us," reads an open letter to the school, co-signed by nearly 100 past and present students. "An attack on any protected class is an attack on the entire campus community." An Indigenous airman, who had to cut his braids when first joining the Air Force two years ago, is now one of the first in... Here are five news stories and events to start your week, from the editors at Military.com: Bergdahl to Be Sentenced Bowe Bergdahl, the 31-year-old U.S. Army sergeant who has pleaded guilty to deserting his post in Afghanistan in 2009, is expected to receive his sentence as early as Monday in a courtroom at Fort Bragg, N.C., by Army Col. Jeffery R. Nance, the judge overseeing the case. Bergdahl said his Taliban captors were more "honest" with him than the Army has been since his release from captivity three years ago, according to a Fox News article, which cites information from a Sunday Times Magazine of London. Vietnam Vet to Receive Medal of Honor Via Matthew Cox at Military.com: President Donald Trump on Monday will award the Medal of Honor to Vietnam veteran Gary Michael "Mike" Rose for his heroism during a secret mission into Laos that he promised never to discuss. The retired U.S. Army captain and 5th Special Forces medic is credited with risking his life on multiple occasions to treat about 70 wounded soldiers under enemy fire during Operation Tailwind. The daring mission was launched into Chavane, Laos, Sept. 11-14, 1970, and would not be declassified until June 1998. Trump Lets Air Force Recall 1K Retired Pilots Via Oriana Pawlyk at Military.com: "The Trump administration is giving the Air Force the option to return through voluntary programs as many as 1,000 retired pilots to active-duty service, the Pentagon announced. Through an executive order signed Friday, the measure gives the service more leverage as it attempts to combat the growing pilot shortage in its ranks. Ann Stefanek, a spokeswoman for the service, said Sunday the Air Force does not "currently intend to recall retired pilots." Veterans with 'Bad Paper' Won't Get New VA ID Cards Via Nikki Wentling at Stars & Stripes: "Starting next month, veterans can register for identification cards that prove their military history -- but not everyone who has served will get one. The Department of Veterans Affairs will provide free, hard-copy identification cards that include their names, photos and an identification number. The rollout is the result of legislation Congress passed in 2015 to make it easier for veterans to receive things such as discounts at stores and restaurants." Air Force Mulls Uniform Shift from ABUs to ACUs Via Oriana Pawlyk at Military.com: "The Air Force is weighing a decision to get airmen out of the Airman Battle Uniform and into the Army Combat Uniform, officials tell Military.com. "The Air Force regularly reviews uniform policy and gathers feedback from airmen via a number of channels. One recommendation has been the movement from ABUs to ACUs,' said Air Force spokeswoman Brooke Brzozowske. 'The Air Force uniform policy team is currently considering this feedback and working on possible courses of action,' she said in a statement Friday." -- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry. As the fate of Bowe Bergdahl rests in the hands of a judge this week, a military court is expected to hear dramatic testimony Monday from the soldiers and a Navy SEAL who were badly hurt in the search for the Army sergeant after he deserted his post. The judge, Army Col. Jeffery R. Nance, will hear at a sentencing hearing at Fort Bragg from one soldier involved in the search for Bergdahl who must now use a wheelchair, unable to speak because of a head wound. Another is still unable to use his right hand. A third searcher sustained a leg wound from enemy fire that ended his career as a Navy SEAL. Related content: Bergdahl, who was held for five years by Taliban allies, could face life in prison on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy after he pleaded guilty to the charges last week. Here are the stories of the wounded searchers who are part of the case against Bergdahl. 'All of the Suffering' Retired Senior Chief Petty Officer James Hatch is expected to testify about a leg wound he sustained on a search mission that ended his career as a Navy SEAL. "Senior Chief Hatch has always said he wants him to have a fair trial and a fair sentence, with the understanding of all the suffering that he caused by trying to support his own agenda," Buddy Rake, Hatch's lawyer, told The Associated Press. Hatch has said his team had 90 minutes to plan a separate search mission under poor conditions, but felt the mission was crucial. "I did not want Sgt. Bergdahl's mother to see her son executed on YouTube," Hatch said in a statement. The team's helicopters came under fire as they were landing to search near the Pakistan border. Hatch testified his leg was hit by AK-47 fire, and a military dog that helped locate enemy fighters was killed. Hatch now runs a nonprofit providing care and support for military and law enforcement dogs. He credits survival to team members who quickly applied a tourniquet. "They saved me from bleeding to death," said Hatch, who entered the pretrial hearing limping. Rake, himself a Navy veteran, declined to say what level of punishment Hatch thinks is appropriate, but said he believes Bergdahl should, at a minimum, be deprived of an honorable discharge. "As you go through life you get all sorts of trophies and awards, but the most important that I've ever received is the one that says 'honorable discharge,' " he said. 'The Best America Has to Offer' Army National Guard Master Sgt. Mark Allen had already served in Iraq and could have begged off another deployment, a family friend told the AP. "He told me that he was coming back to a frontline unit because they were going to be deployed and he didn't want his guys to go alone," Robert Stokely said. Allen was shot in the head in July 2009 while searching for Bergdahl in Afghanistan. The traumatic brain injury dramatically changed life for Allen, his wife and two children. Once an avid outdoorsman, Allen now depends on a wheelchair and can't speak. Allen's wife, Shannon, declined to be interviewed, but the toll was evident as she sat crying in the courtroom the day Bergdahl pleaded guilty. Before being wounded, Allen gave words of support to Stokely after his son -- National Guard Sgt. Michael Stokely -- died in Iraq in 2005. "If you want to look at the best America has to offer, look at the Allen family," Robert Stokely said. 'I Manned Those Missions' When he was recalled to be deployed in Afghanistan, Jonathan Morita, of California, who served as an Army corporal, was a reservist and Iraq veteran taking college classes. "I was at home enjoying life as a civilian -- going to school, working at a job," he told the AP in a phone interview earlier this year. During the search mission for Bergdahl that left Allen wounded, a rocket-propelled grenade shattered Morita's hand. While, the projectile didn't explode, he needed multiple surgeries that left him unable to bend the thumb or index finger on his right hand. "Imagine doing things with your three fingers," Morita said. "I can't even change the oil on my car." As he's trying to learn again how to brush his teeth and write, Morita still feels anger toward Bergdahl. "Every time I hit my finger on something, there's only one image that pops in my head, and it's him," he said. In a second interview with the AP, Morita said he was struck by Bergdahl's comment in court that he didn't think such a large search would be mounted for him. "I manned those missions," he said. "I mean anybody who's ever watched 'Black Hawk Down' would know that we do that." -- The Associated Press contributed to this report. Ukraine could again buy gas from Gazprom if Europe transfers purchase of Russian gas to Ukrainian-Russian border It is risky and carelessly to buy natural gas directly from Russia's Gazprom in the current format of relations, although the transfer of purchase of Russian gas to the Ukrainian border with Russia could change the situation, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Kistion has said. "Never say never ... If we moved the entry point for transit to the eastern border, this option [direct purchase of gas from Gazprom] could be considered," he said in an interview with Ekonomichna Pravda published on Monday. Commenting on the estimates that Russian gas is cheaper than gas purchased by Ukraine in Europe, Kistion recalled that "free cheese is only in a mousetrap." "We can analyze the previous experience, when we were tied with attractive conditions, and then solved all their issues," he said. As reported, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko set the task of switching the purchase of Russian gas by Europe to the eastern border of Ukraine after 2019. "Due to the fact that the [gas transit] contract is expiring in 2019, our task is to achieve the revolutionary change in the organization of transit with the help of the European Union," he said when delivering his annual message to the Verkhovna Rada early September 2017. He said that Ukraine should provide transit services not to Russia, but to the European Union. Naftogaz Ukrainy said commenting the statement of Poroshenko that European companies that would buy Russian gas on the eastern border of Ukraine could provide for the future loading of the Ukrainian gas transport system. Naftogaz stopped direct gas purchase from Gazprom 696 days ago. The young Gold Star widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson said Monday that she was "very upset and hurt" by the tone and content of President Donald Trump's condolence phone call to her last week. Myeshia Johnson said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that Trump appeared not to know her 25-year-old husband's name, but the president later tweeted, "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!" However, 24-year-old Myeshia Johnson, who is six months pregnant, said Trump's phone call left her in tears. "I heard him [Trump] stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name, and that's what hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risked his life for our country, why can't you remember his name?" Johnson said. Related content: "That's what made me upset and cry even more because my husband was an awesome soldier," she said. Johnson's comments and Trump's Tweet renewed an increasingly bitter dispute over Trump's response to the deaths of Johnson and Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 35, of Puyallup, Washington; Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39, of Springboro, Ohio; and Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 29, of Lyons, Georgia. The four members of the Army's 3rd Special Forces Group were killed in an Oct. 4 ambush in Niger. Johnson's body was not recovered until two days after the attack. Last Monday at the White House -- 12 days after the Niger attacks -- Trump was asked about his calls to the families of service members who have been killed during his presidency. He said his responses compared favorably with other presidents, including former President Barack Obama. The call to Myeshia Johnson came as she was in a car with two relatives and Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Florida Democrat. Wilson later said that Trump told Myeshia Johnson words to the effect that her husband "knew what he was getting into but it still hurts." She also said that Trump appeared to have a problem recalling Sgt. Johnson's name. Trump has since denied making the statement and charged that Wilson "fabricated" her account of the call. In the "Good Morning America" interview, Myeshia Johnson said, "Whatever Ms. Wilson said was not fabricated. What she said was 100 percent correct." When asked if she wished to say anything to Trump, Johnson said, "No. I don't have anything to say to him." She said the casualty officers who initially came to her house told her that Sgt. Johnson was missing. "They didn't know where he was or where to find him, and a couple days later is when they told me that he went from missing to killed in action," she said. "I don't know how he got killed, where he got killed or anything," Johnson said. "I don't know that part. They never told me, and that's what I've been trying to find out since day one, since Oct. 4th." -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. A New Jersey man who was outed in 2012 for posing as a Navy SEAL on dating sites has been convicted of producing and possessing child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's office in New Jersey. Gregory John Schaffer, 38, was found guilty Oct. 20 on two counts of making child pornography and one count of possessing it after a three-day trial at the Newark federal court, according to a release. Schaffer was charged in December 2012 with sexually assaulting two young girls between 2005 and 2010. His May 2013 indictment, reviewed by Military.com, shows he was also accused of coercing two child victims into sexually explicit behavior so that he could film it. Evidence at trial shows that in 2010 he filmed the sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl in a tow truck office in Union City, N.J., and, in a separate incident, filmed a 14-year-old girl in a hotel room, according to the release. Schaffer kept video recordings on his laptop and a backup storage drive, officials found. Related content: He also had in his possession other images of minors and sexually explicit videos. Schaffer first received attention in the military veterans' community when retired SEAL Don Shipley called him out for stolen valor, posting a photo on his Facebook page of Schaffer sporting a Navy dress uniform with a SEAL trident in a profile photo for a dating site. Schaffer's user name was "usnavyseal1," and his profile also alleged he had a Ph.d. According to Hudson County View, which covered the trial, Schaffer was found to have posed as a talent scout, swim instructor, and producer as well as a SEAL on various dating and social media sites. Blogger Jonn Lilyea wrote about Schaffer's conviction Monday at the popular veterans' blog This Ain't Hell, which has followed the phony SEAL's plight since he was initially outed as a faker. "He used his fake SEAL persona to lure the young girls into doing his bidding," Lilyea wrote. "It only took them four years from his indictment to his trial. The wheels of justice." A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office told Military.com Schaffer's sentencing is set for Feb. 7 at 11 a.m. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Hawaii police are questioning suspects after a 23-year-old Marine was stabbed and killed in Waikiki on Saturday. Sgt. William Brown, an 81mm mortarman stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, was stabbed during a street altercation around 1 a.m. Saturday morning, according to police information reported by local outlet Hawaii News Now. The outlet reported that Brown was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later died there. In a Sunday statement, officials with Hawaii's 3rd Marine Division identified Brown, and said local Marine units are cooperating with the Honolulu Police Department's investigation into his death. "Sergeant Brown was a beloved member of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, who had been with the unit for five years. He had qualities we value in our Marine non-commissioned officers. His death is tragic, and the battalion joins his family in grief," Lt. Col. Steven Eastin, battalion commander, said in a statement. "He will always be loved and remembered." Hawaii News Now reports that multiple suspects have been taken into custody for questioning, including two teens and a 21-year-old, Brad Paul Aliksa, who was eventually released. According to Marine officials, Brown, a Tennessee native, joined his unit in November 2012 and had just attained the rank of sergeant Oct. 1. His awards include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, and two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. President Donald Trump on Monday presented the nation's highest award for valor to a former Green Beret medic for his heroism on a secret operation during the Vietnam War. At a White House ceremony, Trump presented the Medal of Honor to retired Army Capt. Gary Michael "Mike" Rose for treating as many as 70 wounded soldiers during Operation Tailwind from Sept. 11 to Sept. 14, 1970. For many years after the war, Rose never spoke of the operation until it was declassified in 1998. "For many years the story of Mike's heroism has gone untold, but today we gather to tell the world of his valor and proudly present him with our nation's highest military honor," Trump told an audience, which included nine surviving Medal of Honor recipients. In front of Rose's wife, Margaret, their three children and two grandchildren, Trump described the sacrifices Rose made while acting as the only medic for the 136-man force on Operation Tailwind. "Helicopters dropped the unit into Laos; before they even touched the ground, enemy fire struck three men," Trump said. As the unit pushed deeper into enemy territory, it ran into more enemy forces, and took more casualties. Rose, a sergeant at the time, moved through the enemy fire to treat the mounting numbers of wounded, firing at the enemy in order to get to the wounded men. Gunfire was so intense that Rose had to crawl from position to position to treat the wounded. Rose received the most severe of many wounds on the second day of the mission. During an assault by a company-sized element of North Vietnamese Army, one of the Montagnards was wounded 40 to 50 meters outside the company area. Rose ran, crawled, and maneuvered his way to this wounded man, shielding the soldier with his own body as he treated him. Rose then dragged the wounded soldier back to the company with one hand while holding back and engaging the enemy with his weapon in the other hand. "Soon after they returned to their unit, a rocket-propelled grenade exploded nearby and shot smoldering metal into Mike's back and into his leg," Trump said. "He was seriously, seriously wounded. The shrapnel left a gaping hole in Mike's foot. "For the next, excruciating 48 hours, he used a branch as a crutch and went on rescuing the wounded." The company had taken so many wounded that a medevac helicopter was called. The helicopter was unable to land in the small opening where the company sought cover, and Rose, standing and fully exposed to the withering enemy fire, attempted to pass the wounded up to the crew on the hovering helicopter. So intense was the enemy fire, the medevac pilot aborted the mission, and the severely damaged helicopter crashed a few miles away. Using close air support, Rose's unit was able to break out of their defensive position. Rose improvised litters for the wounded, which now numbered over half the company. On the last day of the mission, after destroying an enemy base camp, Rose's unit was notified by the forward air controller that over 500 NVA were moving on their position. The company was ordered to a helicopter extraction point as Air Force assets cleared their path, guiding the company to the next landing zone. The enemy attacked from all sides. Rose's unit set up a perimeter around the LZ. Rose moved under intense fire from the assaulting NVA to retrieve the friendly dead and wounded and return them to the company defensive perimeter. The extraction helicopters arrived, but Rose waited to board the last bird, firing at the enemy while he hobbled up the loading ramp. Shortly after takeoff, the helicopter was "hit by enemy fire," Trump said. "Mike. This is serious stuff," Trump said, using a touch of humor. "This was not a good four days." The audience chuckled, listening intently. Then Marine door gunner was soon shot through his neck. Rose rushed to his aid and treated him that saved the Marine's life before the helicopter crashed. "Mike was thrown off the aircraft before it hit the ground, but he raced back to the crash site and pulled one man after another out of the smoking and smoldering helicopter as it spewed jet fuel from its ruptured tanks," Trump said. Rose continued treat the injured until another helicopter arrived on the scene to extract the men. "In every action during those four days, Mike valiantly fought for the lives of his comrades, even if it meant the end of his own life," Trump said. "Mike, I have to say, your will to endure, your love for your fellow soldier, your devotion to your country inspires us all. ... Nations are formed under the strength and patriotism that lives in the hearts of our great heroes." Trump took a moment to recognize the 10 members of Rose's former unit that served alongside of him on Tailwind. Trump asked them to stand as he called each of their names to the audience's applause. Mike went on to become an officer in the Army, and served for over 20 years, Trump said. Now, Mike and his, wife Margaret, live in Huntsville, Ala., where he lives by "a core conviction," Trump said. "You serve your country by fixing your block or fixing your neighborhood," Trump said, describing how Rose volunteers for the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus and many other organizations. "He volunteers at a local soup kitchen, fixes appliances for the elderly and disabled neighbors, donates his hair for those suffering from cancer, makes lunches for children in need and organizes community gatherings to bring people closer together. "Mike we honor you, we thank you, we salute you and with hearts full of admiration and pride we present you with the Congressional Medal of Honor." Trump placed the prestigious medal around Rose's neck as he stood at attention with a solemn expression fixed on his face. Dressed in his Army dress blue uniform, Rose shook hands with the president and then rendered a salute. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Discover your perfect career path and get customized job recommendations based on your military experience and vocational interests with Military.com's Military Skills Translator + Personality Assessment. Military service members face many challenges when their enlistment ends. They must adjust to living outside a military compound, having more free time and less rigorous social interaction, seeing beloved friends and family every day and losing responsibilities while gaining others. However, the most stressful challenge for most soon-to-be vets is getting a job. Related: Does your resume pass the 6-second test? Get a FREE assessment. Rarely do service members worry about interviews; even more rarely do they think about resumes and cover letters. Job hunting is as foreign to a military vet as living on an active military facility would be to a civilian; the difference is that vets usually have to find work, whereas few civilians will ever step foot on a base. Fortunately, it can be easy for vets to find jobs -- especially if they look in the following industries that eagerly accept military experience. Information Technology As most service members know, running into hostile territories equipped with guns and armor is a dying art. So much of America's defenses have become digital that many service members are trained specifically for information technology positions, which is an outstanding advantage in today's civilian job market. There is not a business in America today that does not rely on technology, which means anyone equipped with skills like operating digital equipment and networks, analyzing data, and building and maintaining computer systems is likely to have no problem finding a well-paying job. In fact, among the top 15 businesses boasting the highest veteran hiring rates, five are within the information technology field; these companies include: Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) General Dynamics CACI Institute International Business Machines (IBM) Throughout the industry, jobs are expected to grow more than 6% by 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries for information technology professionals vary based on job title and responsibilities, but service members can always return to school for enhanced credentials and greater earning power. Aerospace and Defense The aerospace industry is committed to building technology used in military pursuits: aircraft, spacecraft, satellites and missiles. Therefore, it follows that most aerospace firms are eager to employ veterans who have experience using these technologies in the wild. Service members can evaluate and improve defense-related technologies with greater assiduousness than average citizens, who generally do not understand the specific and exceptional needs of military personnel. However, vets interested in aerospace engineering can look forward to more than building technologies for military use. In fact, many of the discoveries made to actualize air and space travel have become foundational in modern society, including water filtration systems, more energy-efficient lights and electronics, nutritionally enriched foods and more. While some of the top aerospace firms hiring vets are focused on defense, others have notably contributed to general technological advancement: Lockheed Martin Corp. The Boeing Company Northrop Grumman Corporation General Electric Co. Aerospace has been growing steadily for years -- and not just in America. Vets can find ample opportunities for work in aerospace and defense outside the U.S., especially in countries eager to reach space, such as India. A bachelor's degree is typically the lowest education requirement for aerospace engineers, but vets can return to school for master's- and Ph.D.-level credentials that will boost earning potential. Weapons and Security The weapons and security industry tends to be an attractive option to vets recently out of service. As with information technology, service members are often trained directly in the fields of weapons and security, which means their employment history makes them ideal candidates for jobs in this industry, where knowledge about national security and weapon use -- as well as experience with teamwork and leadership -- are mandatory. The frequency that vets find positions within weapons and security firms is proven by the fact that one-third of the top 15 companies hiring vets falls within this industry: Booz Allen Hamilton Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) BAE Systems Inc. L-3 Communications Raytheon Co. Within this industry, the types of available positions -- as well as job requirements and pay -- are incredibly diverse. Vets interested in performing similar duties to their positions in the service should strongly consider investigating opportunities in weapons and security. Government Agencies It shouldn't be surprising that the U.S. government is attracted to individuals who have already demonstrated commitment to the country. Passion for protecting and improving the U.S. is critical for work in government agencies, and vets' history of service is proof of their American patriotism and zeal. Plus, there are two federal departments -- the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs -- that directly apply vets' specialized training and experience. Not only can vets help advance the U.S. from these positions, but they can help individual service members, as well. The Next Step: Find the Right Veteran Job Whether you want to polish up your resume, find veteran job fairs in your area, or connect with employers looking to hire veterans, Military.com can help. Sign up for a free Military.com membership to have job postings, guides and advice, and more delivered directly to your inbox. FLINT, MI - University of Michigan Board of Regents member Andrea Fischer Newman found a recent $8 million gift from the Leinweber Foundation for a physics center in the university's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts particularly noteworthy when addressing the board last week. The gift, which will expand opportunities for students and faculty from the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics, was tailored specifically to a program that doesn't traditionally get a lot of love from donors, Newman said, proving the value of listening to the interests of donors in creating academic opportunities. "It's not always the school that school they went to," Newman said, referring to the habits of donors to UM. "There are different reasons for different things people are interested in. This is a gift that I hope we can hold out publicly over and over and over again as a model of what we need to do." The gift will allow students to study fundamental questions in particle physics and the evolution of the universe. In recognition of the gift, the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics has been permanently renamed the Leinweber Center for Theoretical Physics. The gift will provide resources to attract top physics talent, expand research, and better understand theoretical physics, including elementary particle theory and cosmology. The endowment also establishes the Leinweber Fellows program in LSA's Department of Physics and provides support for conferences, visiting faculty and fellowships for students studying theoretical physics. The Leinweber Foundation is led by Michigan-based software entrepreneur Larry Leinweber and Claudia Babiarz of Bloomfield Hills. "I've always been fascinated by scientific discoveries, including research around the origin and scope of the universe we exist in," Leinweber said in a statement. "The complex work being done at the center is made possible at the U-M and other leading research centers because of the talented researchers whose curiosity and commitment lead them to answering complicated, abstract questions. With this gift, the Leinweber family wants to help the university continue to attract talented students and provide faculty with enhanced resources to make groundbreaking discoveries. The university will also share their discoveries with the public through community engagement and outreach." UM Vice President for Development Jerry May credited UM LSA Dean Andrew Martin and Department of Physics Chair Brad Orr for being responsive to the interests of donors in recognizing the best way to use the gift in order to have the greatest academic impact. "What it really came down to in the course of conversations with Larry was he said, 'I'd really like to learn more about theoretical physics,'" May said. "That's something that just doesn't happen every day. "This is a classic example of how when you engage with people for a long period of time, and you try to match things up, you find the things that the donors are interested in," May added. Students and faculty at the Leinweber Center explore new findings through research and collaboration to promote discoveries in astrophysics, particle physics, cosmology, string theory and gravitation, among other topics. After graduating from Michigan State University and beginning his early computer career at IBM, Leinweber founded and served as CEO of New World Systems Corp. in Troy, a software company focused on large-scale applications for public sector entities. Babiarz is a 1971 graduate of MSU. She earned her juris doctorate degree summa cum laude in 1984. The donation was part of UM's Victors for Michigan fundraising campaign. In September, the university reported it collected $467 million in cash gifts and pledge payments during the fiscal year, helping it meet its $4 billion goal for the fundraising campaign, which has now raised $4.24 billion. ANN ARBOR, MI - There are still a few tickets left for Hillary Clinton's book tour stop in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, Oct. 24. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the University of Michigan's Hill Auditorium, 825 N. University Ave., in Ann Arbor. Clinton is in the midst of a tour that takes her across the U.S. and into Canada to promote her book, "What Happened," which reflects on the 2016 presidential election. Remaining tickets available through Ticketmaster are going for about $300 a seat. StubHub has tickets for as low as $30 for a balcony seat. There were not many seats left as of Monday morning. Janine Easter, who helped start the Ann Arbor chapter of Clinton's national fan club in 1994, said she is looking forward to hearing Clinton speak on Tuesday and getting a signed copy of her book. The Ann Arbor chapter of the fan club - which was once the largest in the world - has mostly disbanded since the November election, Easter said, but several members are planning to get dinner together Tuesday and then go to the book event, sporting Hillary T-shirts. "We'll be together and we'll thank her for her service to the country and wish her a happy birthday," Easter said. "I hope to hear her talk about her recovery after this kind of tragedy of an election. I hope she will be positive. ... She bounces back and I'm sure she will continue to help women run for office and encourage women all over the world to educate their daughters to be leaders in their countries. That is what I admire her for." Easter expects Tuesday's event will be an emotional experience for some. "We loved her dearly and hoped for so much. ... It's very sad that she didn't become the first woman president," Easter said. "Maybe she paved the way for others is how I look at it." Ukraine has increased natural gas inventories in underground storage 2.1-fold or by 8.85 billion cubic meters (bcm) since the end of the previous heating season, to 16.95 bcm, according to operational data from Ukrtransgaz. The inventories amounted to 8.1 bcm on March 22, at the end of the previous heating season. The current inventories are 15.6% more than on October 21, 2016 (14.66 bcm), 2.7% more than on October 15, 2015 (16.509 bcm) and 1.3% more than on October 21, 2014 (16.734 bcm), according to Interfax-Ukraine calculations. Ukraine injected 558.95 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas into underground storage from October 1 through October 21, 2017 (26.62 mcm a day on average), compared with 51.68 mcm a day on average in September, 53.78 mcm in August, 52.82 mcm a day in July, 49.88 mcm a day in June and 51.86 mcm a day in May. Ukraine started the 2016/2017 heating season in the middle of October with 14.7 bcm in stock. The action plan to prepare the energy complex to the autumn and winter period 2017-2018 approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine envisages that Ukraine by November 1, 2017 will accumulate 17 bcm of gas in underground storage facilities. ANN ARBOR, MI - Beginning next week, the University of Michigan's Detroit Connector bus service, connecting the Ann Arbor campus to the city of Detroit, is set to open its services to the public. The university announced it will begin providing service seven days a week, starting Monday, Oct. 30, to UM faculty, staff, students and the general public. Previously, the Detroit Connector service was offered four days a week. Bus stops include the Central Campus Transit Center (CCTC) in Ann Arbor, University of Michigan-Dearborn campus and University of Michigan Detroit Center. The Detroit Center is at 3663 Woodward Ave. The Detroit Connector schedule will include expanded service hours, with Fridays and Saturdays beginning as early as 7 a.m. and concluding at 1 a.m. The new schedule is available online. UM DEI Marketing and Communications Manager Mike Morland said there has been internal demand from staff and students encouraging expanded service times for the connector, which was launched in the fall of 2013. The connector is operated on grants, donations, and funding by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Detroit Center. In support of the expanded service, riders are now be able to make reservations online, with one-way trips ranging between $6-$10. Pell Grant students from UM can ride the Connector for free, with reduced fares available to UM students and faculty who engage in community service or class activities in Detroit. "We've received internally a demand for expanded service times, days and more opportunities for staff and students to (travel) to Detroit and UM-Dearborn for two to three years," Morland said. "We have a presence in Detroit with UM's Detroit Center, it's always about finding ways to provide access. For us, it was a slam dunk to open that service up to the general public." Indian Trails, the Detroit Connector's bus provider since 2014, will shift daily operations to its Michigan Flyer division, which currently supports a similar service, called AirRide, between Ann Arbor and Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Nathan R. Moszyk BAY CITY, MI -- When Nathan R. Moszyk was 20, he flouted the law by sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. In the prosecution's eyes, he manipulated his victim. To defense counsel, the girl started a relationship with an immature man, something she came to regret only after it became public. Despite the attorneys' differing perspectives, Moszyk will be spending up to the next decade and a half behind bars. It was a necessary sentence to convey to Moszyk's victim she was not at fault for what was done to her, according to the judge who imposed it. Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran on Monday, Oct. 23, sentenced Moszyk to 22 months to 15 years in prison. He gave Moszyk credit for 32 days already served in the county jail. Moszyk will also have to register as a sex offender for 25 years. Moszyk in September pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct causing injury. Though the charge is limited to touching, Moszyk in his plea stated he had received oral sex from the girl when she was 14. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed five counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person between the ages of 13 and 15. Three of those counts are in a file related to one victim; the other two are in a separate file connected to a second victim. Before Sheeran handed down the sentence, defense attorney Matthew L. Reyes asked that leniency be granted so his client could avoid prison. "Mr. Moszyk is now 22-year-old young man, 20 at the time the offense happened," Reyes said. "What I've learned about Mr. Moszyk is he's small and has always been on the small side of kids in his class. He's always been on the immature side. He's always been somebody who has gravitated socially throughout high school to kids who are more in line with his physical and mental maturities, and this case is a perfect example of that." Reyes said video footage of the victim being interviewed at the Nathan Weidner Children's Advocacy Center feature her describing her association with Moszyk as a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. She never said she was frightened by Moszyk and added she and a friend reached out to him, Reyes said. Their relationship initially was not sexual and consisted of watching movies and eating pizza together, Reyes added. Moszyk's association with the girl came to light when her mother found some items on her daughter's cellphone, Reyes said. Reyes added that he was surprised to hear the girl's account via a victim's impact statement that was read aloud by Bay County Prosecutor Nancy E. Borushko on Oct. 16. In the letter, the girl said Moszyk would yell at her when she didn't want to have sex and that she was scared to upset him. She went further to say adults and her peers have since harassed, bullied and shamed her. "Not one thing in the CAC interview is at all consistent with her letter," Reyes said. Borushko countered that Moszyk manipulated his victim and that she penned her letter a long time after the recorded interview Reyes referred to. The victim, present for the sentencing with her family, has since sought counseling, Borushko added. "I believe the defendant has not only been deceptive to her, but he's been deceptive to the court," Borushko continued. "He had a conviction while on bond in a different county, which was never brought to anyone's attention, and that is of great concern." A shackled Moszyk himself offered a short statement of apology. "I would just like to say that through this whole process everyone has suffered, and I'm truly sorry," he said. "I'm sorry for everyone who has been hurt by this." Judge Sheeran said prison time was appropriate. "By her statement, this young girl was feeling significant repercussions from this that were damaging to her," the judge said. "She's entitled to know we care about her and we're standing up for her. She should know clearly this was not her fault in any way. This was something that simply should not have happened." Several in the courtroom gallery cried when the judge announced his sentence. As Moszyk was being led from the courtroom to begin serving his sentence, an adult woman yelled to him, "Love you, Nate. Hang in there, buddy." "I love you," proclaimed a teenage girl as she sobbed. Case background The case has been ongoing for more than a year. He was arraigned on the first three third-degree charges in May 2016, when he was 20. He was arraigned on the second batch of third-degree charges in July 2016. Regarding the charges Moszyk was first arraigned on, an affidavit authored by a Bay City Department of Public Safety detective and contained in court records states a girl told staff at the Nathan Weidner Children's Advocacy Center that she had oral sex with Moszyk on multiple occasions at his house in the 1700 block of South Monroe Street. The activity occurred between February and May 2016, the affidavit states. With the latter charges, another affidavit authored by a detective states a different girl said she had oral sex with Moszyk on two occasions between May and September 2015. At the time, the girl was 13 and Moszyk was approximately 19, the affidavit states. In Michigan, a person cannot legally consent to sexual activity until reaching age 16. Reyes previously told The Bay City Times-MLive his client met the victims on social media. The seventh bulker with 75,000 tonnes of anthracite for the needs of thermal power plants (TPPs) of public joint-stock company DTEK Energy from the Souoth Africa arrived in the Yuzhny seaport (Odesa region), the companys press service has reported. The press service said that the unloading of Leda C bulker will start soon. Then coal will be sent to warehouses of Prydniprovska and Kryvy Rih TPPs. "We have supplied 450,000 tonnes of anthracite from South Africa to Ukraine, which allows our TPPs to help to maintain operations of the power grid. With the arrival of autumn and winter their role has only increased. DTEK will continue rhythmically cover the needs of TPPs in imported coal so that the power grid operates stably, and consumers are confident of stable power supply," DTEK Commercial Director Vitaliy Butenko said. As reported, DTEK contracted 675,000 tonnes of anthracite. The number of complaints against Ukrainian law-enforcement agencies during the third quarter of 2017 has risen significantly, because business no longer is afraid to complain, Business Ombudsman Algirdas Semeta has said. "The number of complaints during the last quarter against Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), the National Police of Ukraine has risen significantly during the last quarter. The number of complaints against Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office has stayed the same, compared to those lodged during the second quarter. The reasons are various, but one of them is that business now believes that it is able to get justice," he said during an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. Semeta said entrepreneurs previously were afraid that complaining would result in crackdowns against them. "But now they have seen the result of our involvement and begun to contact us more often," the businessman said. He added that Ukraine's Fiscal Service remains the leader in the number of complaints, with the number rising significantly because of problems with registering tax filings. "If we exclude this factor, the amount of complains against tax authorities during the third quarter has dropped," he said. Some 154 new commodity items have been added to the list of exports to Canada, including special vehicles for $3 million, copper bars and profiles for $2.9 million and turbojets for $1 million, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Ukraine's trade representative Natalia Mykolska has reported. "The largest growth was in non-raw materials. The rise concerns such positions as devices on rare crystals, sound electrical equipment, flour, equipment for processing rubber and plastic, equipment using X-rays, printing equipment. As for agricultural products, they include juice, honey, and sunflower oil. That means that positions with high added value are growing," she said. She added in monetary terms the new 154 export positions make up $10.2 million in total exports. In general, for the eight months exports of goods to Canada increased by 70.9%, or by $12.9 million compared to January-August 2016, to $31.2 million. Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine Roman Waschuk noted exports in the new niche segments are growing most significantly, and in some of them the growth reaches 500% to 8,000%. "Such figures mean that the new niches, previously unoccupied, are being occupied. The matter concerns energy equipment and agricultural machinery. Experience shows the increase in exports occurs initially at the expense of filling new niches and only then moves to the expansion of already existing export sectors," he said. Bull's Eye, CNBC-TV18's popular game show, where market experts come together to dish out trading strategies for you to make your week more exciting and compete with each other to see whose portfolio is the strongest. Remember these are midcap ideas not just for the day, but stocks that look attractive in the medium-term as well. This week, Rakesh Bansal, Vishvesh Chauhan and Ruchit Jain battle it out for top honours. Below their top stock picks and analysis: Rakesh Bansal of RK Global Buy Shiva Cement with a stoploss at Rs 24.90 and target of Rs 40 Buy Donear Industries with a stoploss at Rs 57.90 and target of Rs 72 Buy Ganesha Benzoplast with a stoploss at Rs 95.40 and target of Rs 120 Buy Genus Power with a stoploss at Rs 57.80 and target of Rs 74 Vishvesh Chauhan of Monarch Networth Capital Short Voltas with a stoploss at Rs 511 and target of Rs 547 Buy Torrent Power with a stoploss at Rs 240 and target of Rs 248 Buy Penna Industries with a stoploss at Rs 69.70 and target of Rs 75 Short DCB Bank with a stoploss at Rs 183 and target of Rs 171 Ruchit Jain of Angel Broking Buy NBCC with a stoploss at Rs 247.50 and target of Rs 264 Buy Bliss GVS with a stoploss at Rs 175 and target of Rs 194 Buy Eveready Industries with a stoploss at Rs 321 and target of Rs 340 Buy GMDC with a stoploss at Rs 151 and target of Rs 161 Sandeep Wagle of powermywealth.com told CNBC-TV18, "Buy Reliance Industries with a stop loss at Rs 924 for target of Rs 963." "Buy Grasim Industries with a stop loss at Rs 1152 for target of Rs 1200," he added. : Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Rejecting Nalco's claim that three units of the PSU's captive power plants were shut due to fuel shortage, the coal ministry today said there is ample dispatch of coal to the PSU which has a regular supply of 4.7 MTPA dry fuel, more than the committed quantity by Coal India. "It is stated that contrary to the recent media news, attributing the closure of three units of Nalco's captive power plant due to shortage of coal leading to curtailment of aluminium production, the ground reality is totally different," the Coal Ministry said in a statement. The supply of fuel to the National Aluminium Company Ltd is mainly from Bharatpur opencast mines of Talcher coalfield of MCL (Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd) -- a Coal India arm, the ministry said, adding that in case of shortage of supply of coal from this mine the balance quantity of fossil fuel is supplied from other opencast mines of Talcher Coalfields. Nalco has a regular coal linkage for supply of 4.716 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) coal from MCL, the ministry said. Although the commitment of MCL is to supply a minimum of 75 per cent of the linkage quantity, the aluminium major has been supplied 96 per cent of pro rata linkage quantity, the ministry added. "Although the supplies against bridge linkage are on a best effort basis i.e. subject to availability of coal, NALCO has been supplied 130 per cent of the pro rata bridge linkage quantity so far," the ministry said. The Talcher Coalfield in general and in particular some of the mines like Bharatpur, Hingula, Kaniha are facing land constraint and law and order problems in the form of frequent work stoppage by few local people who are not employees of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. "It has been reported by MCL that due to these constraints, in this year MCL could produce 37.23 MT coal (so far in the current fiscal) in Talcher Coalfield against the target of 55.49 MT which is not only 18.26 MT below target but is also a negative growth of 7.8 per cent as compared to the coal production from Talcher coalfields in the same time period during last year," the ministry said. These law and order issues have been frequently highlighted at different levels with the Odisha government by the senior officials of Coal India and Coal Ministry. Coal Minister Piyush Goyal also raised the matter in his letter dated September 1 addressed to the Chief Minister of Odisha. Despite the fact that there have been several law and order problems hampering the targeted coal production of MCL, the coal supplies to the different power plants in Odisha have been maintained. The four power plants in the state, which account for nearly 4910 MW capacity, have not only been supplied coal more than the minimum committed quantity but are also having coal stock sufficient for 7-12 days consumption, the ministry said. Last week, navratna CPSE Nalco had said faced with coal shortage it had to close down its three units of its captive power plant. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Nearly half a dozen units of Hero Motocorp, Indias largest two-wheeler maker, likely to get impacted the most from the ban on sale of small engine bikes in Karnataka if the state government does not amend rules. Splendor, Splendor+, Passion, Passion Pro, HF Delux, HF Delux Eco, which are entry level, low-cost bikes from the Delhi-based manufacturer, will likely be hit as all the five models can seat pillions. According to a notification issued by the Karnataka Transport Department in compliance of the Karnataka Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, No pillion seat shall be attached to a motor-cycle with less than 100 cc engine. All motorcycles currently produced in India come with a pillion seat. Karnataka used to issue Type Approval to all motorcycles fitted with a seat for a pillion. This applied even for bikes which had engines of 100c or less. However, the High Court of Karnataka sought an explanation from the state government while hearing an accident case involving death of a youngster. While most two-wheelers sold in India have engines of 110cc and above a handful of models do have an even smaller engine catering to the budget segment buyers. Only Hero MotoCorp and TVS Motors make bikes with engines less than 100cc. Chennai-based TVS Motors, Indias third largest two-wheeler maker, has three models with engines less than 100cc. The Scooty Pep+ (scooter), Sport (motorcycle) and XL 100 (moped) have engines less than 100cc. Besides being known for the class-beating mileage (going up to 80 km per litre) such budget bikes are often accused of illegally carrying more pillions than they are meant for. For instance, due to the long and flat seat such bikes sometimes seat four people though as per law only two people (including the rider) can ride on a motorcycle. Because of their cost-effectiveness budget bikes are a huge hit in rural areas. Vijay Mallya live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Even as the possibility of embattled industrialist Vijay Mallya voluntarily returning to India looks dim, United Breweries (UBL) has convinced him to step down from the company board and propose a successor. A report in the Economic Times says, quoting sources, that the liquor baron is expected to issue a successor by the year-end, a move that allow UBL to comply with SEBI regulations, which bar willful defaulters from holding directorships in a listed company. As per the agreement signed between Diageo, joint venture owner in UBL, and Mallya, the latter is entitled to be UBLs chairman for life and remain a non-retiring director, unless he nominates someone to replace him or voluntarily steps down. It added that UBL has, for now, nominated CY Pal, one of the directors, as acting chairman. Neither Mallya nor Heineken responded to ET's queries. Mallya had earlier rejected a request from UBL to quit the board following the Sebi directive barring him from the securities market and holding any directorships or other key managerial positions. Mallya last chaired a board meet at UBL in November 2016 by video conference from London. The company has stopped sharing confidential information with him. Born to industrialist Vittal and Lalitha Mallya in 1955, Mallya junior took over the reins of the company as UB Group's chairman in 1983 after his father died. Once known as "India's Richard Branson", he was famous for his extravagant lifestyle and niche taste. In 2005, he expanded into aviation sector and launched a full-service carrier Kingfisher Airlines (KFA). However, his downfall began in 2012 when the airline, burdened by a debt of over Rs 7,000 crore, was grounded. Failing to contain the fallout from the Kingfisher default, Mallya had to bring in foreign partners for each of the UB Groups two crown jewels: Diageo for United Spirits and Heineken for UBL. Since then, his slide further has been swift. He left the country last year, on a diplomatic passport (he was a Rajya Sabha MP then), after which he was declared as absconding. Recently, Mallya was arrested in London twice but he got bail within few hours of the arrest and the case is still on. But should he step down as UBL chairman, it would cut off probably one of the last links he has with the UB Group, the sprawling liquor behemoth he inherited from his father, and which he took to dizzying heights before have to give up on it. Ukraine's Ministry of Justice has registered the order of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) granting the right to non-residents to participate in the rent of Ukrainian state facilities. "The Ministry of Justice has registered the SPF order dated September 18, 2017, which actually gives the right to non-residents to participate in the rent of Ukrainian state facilities. In the near future, after publication in the official bulletin, the order will come into force," First Deputy Head of the SPF Dmytro Parfenenko said on his Facebook page. He added the SPF plans to intensify "work on popularization of objects for rent." "We are working with the management bodies to make them more actively expand the catalog of property that can be leased. Today there are 5,988 objects in it," he said. As reported, with reference to Parfenenko, the SPF sent a draft order to the Ministry of Justice that allows non-residents to participate in the rent of state facilities and simplifies the procedure for submitting documents for such a rent. Parfenenko noted the adoption of such an order is a logical step, since non-residents are already allowed to privatize property in Ukraine. In an exclusive chat with CNBC-TV18's Malvika Jain, Communications & IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad reiterated that investing in India will be a big gain for Apple. Malvika Jain asked him about the progress in talks with Apple about the company's plans for manufacturing handsets in India. Apple is welcome in India. Any investors coming into India is going to be a gainer and Apple is already having a big footprint, it will be a big gain for them. The negotiations are on, I can only tell you it is a work in progress, he said. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The Centre is in the process of reducing its stake in public sector banks (PSBs) to below 75 percent in order to comply with Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) norm of 25 percent minimum public shareholding of the listed entities. United Bank of India, Indian Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Central Bank of India, Punjab and Sind Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, UCO Bank and Bank of India are the eight PSBs where government stake is more than 75 percent at the end of September, as per a report published in the Financial Express. Corporation Bank, Dena Bank and Syndicate Bank are other banks in which government holds between 70 percent and 25 percent. The public sector banks are grappling with the issue of mounting non-performing assets (NPAs) and are finding it difficult to raise capital to meet with the Basel-III requirements. The Centre is looking at various options to increase the capital base of PSBs and bring down its stake below 75 percent. A senior government official told the newspaper that the stake sale will depend on market conditions and may rope in domestic institutions like LIC to trim its holding. Depending on the need and other parameters, the government would decide on further capital infusion in the bank. The Centre had informed the Parliament in 2015 about its intention to bring down its holding in all public sectors banks to 52 percent once their financial condition improves. The governments holding in six out of eight PSBs increased due to capital infusion under the Indradhanush scheme. Rating agency Fitch said last month that Indian Banks will need USD 65 billion of fund infusion to meet with Basel III capital adequacy norm by March 2019. The government has time till August 2018 to bring down its stake below 75 percent in these banks to comply with norms. N Chandrababu Naidu | Andhra Pradesh | Total cases: 3 | Serious IPC: Nil Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has said greater co-operation between India and the US would help boost agricultural production and yield promising results for both countries. The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) in collaboration with the Iowa State University organised a special session on agriculture as part of the World Food Prize meetings this week. Naidu was visiting the US to attend the meeting. "Agricultural cooperation between the US and India allows the two countries to exchange innovative ideas and promote technical knowledge that has the power to boost agricultural production and yield promising results for both countries," Naidu said at a business round-table meeting organised by the USISPF in Iowa. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss areas where the US industry may be able to work with the Andhra Pradesh government in providing Agricultural Extension services to farmers and to transfer the latest technical knowledge to the farming community, introduction of high yielding varieties, imparting training to farmers to improve skills and knowledge to boost up the agricultural production and productivity. The meeting was attended by a delegation of the Indian government as well as representatives from John Deere Financials, PepsiCo, US Department of Agriculture, US India Foundation, GrainPro, Pioneer, and the Global Food Banking Network. The discussion focused around US-India investment and trade opportunities and challenges with members of the Indian government, along with US industry representatives in the agriculture and food sectors. "There are great opportunities for collaboration between the US and Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh has demonstrated leadership in the Indian food and agriculture industry by leading the way in initiatives such as mega food parks and cold chain development," USISPF president Mukesh Aghi said. With the aim to start 500 new IT firms in Andhra Pradesh in the next 12 months, Naidu met with representatives from around 80 IT companies from all of US. In his visit to Iowa university, he also enquired about crop genetics and discussed methods to improve agricultural productivity. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More With banks burdened with a spike in bad loans and shortage of capital availability, the government may push the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to help them in meeting capital requirements. The government will also look to ease provisioning norms for the loan accounts identified under the insolvency process. While bankers have approached the banking regulator, the Indian Banks Association (IBA) has also made a representation to the government seeking a breather on the provisioning requirements which may hit the banks' profitability given the capital constraints and weak credit growth at about 6 percent. "We have made a representation and the government may look at it, otherwise it will be difficult for many banks to set aside that huge amount as provision. Our profitability could also take a hit as we have large exposures to many accounts. It also reduces the benchmarking of the value of the asset to find a new buyer," said a senior State Bank of India official. In June, RBI had directed banks to set aside 50 percent of the loan amount as provisions for likely losses for all NPA accounts referred to the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. This provisioning should be 100 percent in cases that fail to get resolved under insolvency proceedings and are forced into liquidation. The provisioning norms are currently applicable for the 12 cases referred to NCLT by RBI on June 13. In August, RBI sent out a second defaulter list to banks of about 28-30 accounts where 60 percent of the outstanding amount had turned NPAs as on June 30. The regulator told banks to resolve the cases by December 13, failing which they have to be taken up for bankruptcy proceedings. Another large public sector bank executive said, "We have made provisions for the accounts we have classified as NPAs but for all insolvency accounts, the arbitrary provisioning requirements and forcing banks to file cases under insolvency will impact our profits." Further, the executive said that once a loan account goes for insolvency the clock starts ticking for a resolution to be brought about within 270 days. Hence, to quickly arrive at a solution, the hair-cut on such accounts could be huge, which is as good as a write-off of these loans. Hence, banks are wary of taking loan accounts to the NCLT for the insolvency proceedings. It is estimated that banks may need additional provisioning of Rs 50,000 crore and a hair-cut of about 50 percent of the debt. However, RBI Deputy Governor NS Vishwanathan recently said that such provisioning requirements are "nothing unusually large". An email sent to RBI did not get a response. As per PTI reports based on Axis Bank's post results interaction with analysts, the banking sector fears accretion of more than Rs 40,000 crore of bad loans to its books following classification of eight consortium accounts of Axis Bank as NPAs suggested by the RBI's annual risk based supervision (RBS) exercise conducted for 2016-17. Axis Bank had to reclassify 9 standard accounts as NPAs with divergence of Rs 5,632.80 crore in gross NPAs the bank at the end of March 2017. Of these, 8 accounts are part of consortium lending totaling loans worth Rs 40,000 crore. It is going to have an impact on all the consortium lenders. Banks have to reconcile these accounts as NPAs sooner or later. Reclassification by others may happen over two quarters, Suresh Ganapathy of Macquarie Capital Securities said as per PTI reports. If they reclassify these assets as NPA banks will have to make provisioning accordingly that could impact their bottomline, he added. According to the SBI official, the divergences could have been because of the interpretation of the RBI guidelines. Also, banks cannot ask the RBI for clarification while accounting of the loans. Only an RBI inspection can reveal that. Banks are already battling NPAs worth about Rs 8.5 lakh crore, a majority of which is coming from the stressed sectors of power, steel, road infrastructure and textile sectors. Karthik Srinivasan, Group Head, Financial Sector Ratings at ICRA ratings agency, said, "It shows that the time is still challenging for the banking sector for the next year or so. We should wait for more results. But capital challenges continue to remain as banks will need to raise external equity to meet the minimum capital requirements as well as the provisioning needs." ICRA's estimate of capital requirement for banks, especially public sector banks at Rs 1.1-1.2 lakh crore is much higher than the government's plan to infuse capital worth Rs 20,000 crore for two years. Going by the second quarterly financial results of some banks, the stress on most banks balance sheets is here to stay. The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has appointed Suresh Sethi, the former managing director of Vodafone M-Pesa Ltd as its managing director and chief executive officer. Sethi has been selected by the Banks Board Bureau from amongst contenders for the post from both public and private sector, which included banking and fin-tech professionals. According to Sethis LinkedIn profile, before joining Vodafone in November 2012, Sethi worked with Anthemis as an advisor, Yes Bank as group president for transaction banking and financial institutions, as well as Citibank in various positions across India, Kenya, London, Argentina and the United States. His experience in the digital and mobile payments space will be of great relevance to IPPB which aims to deliver financial inclusion with special focus in rural and semi-urban India and among the under-banked segments, the Ministry of Communications and IT said in a statement. Sethi takes over from the dynamic leadership of AP Singh who had been the interim MD and CEO of IPPB since January 2017. IPPB has been incorporated as a public limited company under the Department of Posts with 100 percent government of India equity. IPPB plans to leverage the wide reach of the India Post network to achieve a Pan India roll out of 650 branches by early next year. business DMCCs Made for Trade: Aims to promote trade The Dubai Multi Commodities Centres (DMCC) Made for Trade Live conference was held in Mumbai to enable DMCCs members to connect and trade with business across Dubai, the UAE and the world. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is planning to allow foreign portfolio investors to trade in commodities, sources told Moneycontrol. The proposal, aimed at deepening the commodities market, has been forwarded to the Finance Ministry, sources said. A senior Finance Ministry official confirmed the proposal. We have received a proposal for allowing FPIs in the domestic market; we have raised some concerns on the proposal which they have cleared, the official said. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has already given its approval for allowing foreign portfolio investors to trade in commodities. It is a good move and will make the commodity market more liquid, said Kishore Narne, Head of Research - Commodities of Motilal Oswal. However, the Finance Ministry is expected to allow only those FPIs that have business exposure in India. The move may give a chance to companies that have a global presence to hedge positions here. For example, Vedanta, which is one of the biggest zinc producers, currently hedges its position in global commodities markets but not in India. Even global firms that deal in agricultural commodities face the same issue. SEBI has already allowed FPI participation in commodities at Gujarats International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). SEBI has already given its nod to FPIs in IFSC; so, there is no reason to hold them back in the domestic market, said an official at a commodities broking firm. After getting approval from SEBI, we will need 2-3 months for allowing FPIs in domestic market, the person said. Recently, the banking regulator allowed brokerage arms of banks to start trading in the commodities market. In the last six months, SEBI has cleared option trading in commodities, Alternate Investment Funds have been allowed to trade in commodities. The market regulator approved unified broking licences and the RBI has allowed banks to set up commodity broking firms. Industry watchers say Ajay Tyagis understanding of the commodities market is good because of his experience as Additional Secretary, Finance Ministry in the commodities division which helped push reforms in this market. The Supreme Court has expressed concern over non-utilisation of funds for providing shelters to the urban homeless and non-constitution of committees for the purpose in the urban local bodies of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Seeking a roadmap from these states on how they plan to provide such shelters, the apex court has observed that the executive committees to oversee the implementation of the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) have not been constituted by most of the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) in the states. "These three states will also give a roadmap of what they propose to do for the implementation of the National Urban Livelihood Mission," a bench of Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said. The court directed that a senior officer dealing with the NULM should file an affidavit within two weeks and made it clear that no extension of time will be granted. It noted that no information was available with regard to the status of executive committee in the ULBs in Haryana in the status report filed by the Centre. "As far as the state of West Bengal is concerned, only six committees have been constituted out of 125 ULBs and as far as the state of UP is concerned, only 74 committees have been constituted out of 130 ULBs," the bench noted. The court is first dealing with the status of three states--Haryana, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh--among eight and two Union Territories which have been highlighted by the apex court-appointed committee headed by former Delhi High Court judge Justice Kailash Gambhir to oversee the implementation of the NULM across the country. The bench said the Centre's affidavit does not clearly showcase the status of utilisation of funds for the NULM, while noting that the funds have not even been released to several states like Bihar, Maharashtra and Delhi. The counsel for the Centre assured the bench that the details regarding utilisation of funds and constitution of committees will be made available to the court, especially with respect to the three states. Counsels appearing for Haryana, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh said they proposed to take up the matter "very seriously". The apex court on September 13 favoured an audit of the government funds meant for providing shelters to the urban homeless, saying the money was not being spent by the states and the homeless people continued to suffer. The apex court, while suggesting an audit of the money disbursed by the Centre to the states for a scheme under the NULM, had said it could possibly be done by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and observed that these funds, which are meant for a specific purpose, should not be diverted. It said such an audit was necessary as the apex court- appointed committee would not look into it. The Centre had earlier informed the court that the unspent amount by states for the previous period stood at Rs 412 crore, while Rs 228 crore was released by it for 2017-18. The top court had last year slammed the Centre and the state governments for their lackadaisical approach in providing shelters to the poverty-stricken in urban areas despite availability of sufficient funds. It had also observed that the mission of the NULM scheme "remains a distant dream even after lapse of a long period." The NULM was launched in September 2013 to reduce poverty and vulnerability of urban poor households. The Centre had earlier told the court that an amount of Rs 1,000 crore, released under the NULM, does not pertain only to urban homeless but to other activities also. JP Associates on Monday submitted its proposal to raise Rs 2500 crore by hiving off Yamuna Expressway. The Supreme Court is expected to hear the embattled firms plea seeking nod for the Expressway deal on October 25. In a five-minute hearing held this evening, the embattled company was asked by the apex court to submit its proposal to the attorney general and the interim resolution professional. A decision on whether the company would be allowed to hive off the expressway would be taken on Wednesday. The firm told the Supreme Court through its lawyer Kapil Sibal that they have received an expression of interest for Yamuna Expressway and hope to generate Rs 2500 crore by hiving off the expressway. On October 13, JP Associates, the parent company of Jaypee Infratech had sought the Apex courts permission to sell its Yamuna Expressway project to raise money to refund homebuyers. The Supreme Court on September 11 had directed JP Associates to deposit Rs 2,000 crore by October 27 and ordered that even if the company planned to sell its assets to raise money, it would need to seek the court's permission. The apex court had on September 11 revived insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech Ltd and given its management control to the Interim ResolutionProfessional (IRP), appointed by the National Company Law Tribunal, with immediate effect. While handing over the management of Jaypee Infratech to insolvency resolution professional (IPR) that day, the court had also restrained its real estate promoters, directors and managing director from travelling abroad without this courts permission. You cant be so selfish. This is a human problem with great magnitude. We are only concerned about the homebuyers. We are not concerned about the company. The companies can drown in the Bay of Bengal, Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra had observed. On September 11, the Supreme Court also appointed senior advocate Shekhar Naphade as amicus curiae to assist the proceedings of the IRP, which will submit a resolution plan indicating how to safeguard the interests of home buyers and secured creditors. Yamuna Expressway is a 6-lane, 205 km long, expressway, connecting Greater Noida with Agra. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The Centre, which holds 16.38 percent stake in IDFC, has expressed its displeasure over the planned merger between Shriram Capital and its associate companies with IDFC and its subsidiary IDFC Bank on concerns of substantial dilution of ownership which would take place post merger, reports The Economic Times. The report states that both sides are working on common agreeable alternate arrangement as they were not able to resolve the issues. The government has two nominees on the board of IDFC. Another significant IDFC investor, Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah, which has 9.5 percent stake in the company and a nominee on the board, has opposed the merger proposal. The companies have already extended exclusivity agreement by a month to November 8 after the initial 90-day exclusivity agreement, which was signed on July 9, ended on October 8. Stakeholders concerns and the merger proposal would be taken up by IDFC board for a discussion on October 30. Rajiv Lall, CEO of IDFC Bank, has said that proposed merger is a marriage made in heaven as they complement each other and the combined entity would create a financial conglomerate worth USD 10 billion. Sources told the newspaper that the government stake would reduce to 5 percent and Khazanah stake would drop to 3 percent if the proposed merger goes through. The swap ratio favours Shriram Group due to the high valuation of Shriram Capitals listed and unlisted assets which has skewed the deal in favour of Shriram Group which remains the main issue of disagreement. Saakashvili presents his "rescue plan for Ukraine" to hundreds of protesters in Kyiv The leader of the New Forces Movement Mikheil Saakashvili presented his "Rescue Plan of Ukraine" prior to five plenary weeks in front of a hundred participants of the rally near the building of the Verkhovna Rada on Saturday. During the presentation of the rescue plan of Ukraine, Saakashvili noted the need to abolish the medical reform adopted by the parliament and the adoption of the law on insurance medicine; and also spoke out in favor of the creation of a reserve army, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported. The main items of the plan were displayed on the parliament building with the help of the projection device. Yuriy Derevianko, Mustafa Nayyem, as well as Saakashvili's colleague David Saakvarelidze were among the participants of the rally who listened to the presentation. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will hold detailed talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow on furthering the shared objective of promoting security and stability in Afghanistan, and efforts to combat the menace of terrorism. The external affairs ministry said today that the Afghan president would be here on a one-day working visit at the invitation of the prime minister. The invitation was extended by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval during his Kabul trip on October 16. During his visit, President Ghani will meet with his Indian counterpart and have delegation level talks with the prime minister, who will also host a lunch in his honour, an official statement said. "Both sides will have the opportunity to review the entire gamut of multifaceted bilateral strategic partnership, including the New Development Partnership; hold consultations and coordinate on furthering the shared objective of promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and efforts to combat the menace of terrorism," it said. They will also discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest. The visit will build upon the recent high level bilateral exchanges between the two countries, including the recent visit of Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and that of Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani to India for the meeting of the bilateral Strategic Partnership Council, which was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Swaraj will call on the visiting dignitary, who will also give a public address at Vivekanand International Foundation. NCP chief Sharad Pawar today termed "unfortunate" the death of farmers in the state allegedly after inhaling pesticides and claimed that when he was the Union agriculture minister, harmful chemicals were not allowed to be used. He expressed concern over availability of uncertified pesticides in the market and said the "ministry concerned is fully responsible" for the deaths. Recently, 21 farmers from Yavatmal died allegedly after inhaling pesticides while spraying them in their cotton fields. Last week, seven farmers in Solapur district were hospitalised as they complained of uneasiness after coming in contact with chemicals used in vineyards. "It is a very unfortunate thing because there is a law regarding (use of) pesticides and there is an independent institute for this. Besides, pesticides cannot be used without the consent of this institute," Pawar told reporters at Nagpur airport on his way to Amaravati district. Replying to a query about the spate of pesticide-related death of farmers, he said, "Such incidents did not happen till now. Uncertified pesticides are available in the market and the ministry concerned is 100 per cent responsible for this the deaths)," he said. "During my tenure as the agriculture minister (in the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre), such incidents never happened because we never allowed use of pesticides without clearance," Pawar said. On the issue of farm loan waiver in Maharashtra, the former chief minister raised questions about the way the scheme was being implemented. "In some places farmers who did not take loans have been handed over loan waiver certificates. This raises questions over its proper implementation. I am ready to give the government some time on this issue," he said. The Maharashtra government had last week released Rs 4,000 crore under the first phase of the over Rs 34,000 crore farm loan waiver scheme. The disbursal, in the first phase, would cover more than 8 lakh farmers. The NCP chief said the state government should seek the Centre's help and provide assistance to farmers who have suffered losses to their soyabean and cotton crops due to unseasonal rains. "The state should approach the central government in this regard and provide immediate assistance to the affected farmers. I will discuss this issue with the state government," Pawar said. October 23, 2017 / 07:53 PM IST 19:52 Patidar leader Hardik Patel allegedly met Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi at the Taj hotel before attending a rally organised by OBC leader Alpesh Thakor in Gujurat.A CNN-TV 18 report showed footage of Patel entering the Taj hotel on late last night, only to leave on Monday afternoon. dir="ltr">17:39 Rahul Gandhi mocks PM on demonitisation announcement, says, 'PM said I don't like 500-1000 notes so I'm discontinuing them hahaha' pic.twitter.com/OYv4wparyO ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 16:48 No one knows when Gujarat will vote, but political activity is in full swing A controversy continues to rage over the fact that the date has not been declared yet. At a press conference on October 12, the election watchdog had only announced the voting dates for Himachal Pradesh. It said that counting for both Himachal and Gujarat would take place on December 18, but unexpectedly did not declare the voting schedule for Gujarat and did not give a reason for this decision. Since the Himachal Pradesh election dates were announced, the BJP-led government in Gujarat has launched a number of big-ticket projects, rolled out incentives for government employees and made attempts at balancing political equations. Read the full story here. #WATCH: Rahul Gandhi mocks PM on demonitisation announcement, says, 'PM said I don't like 500-1000 notes so I'm discontinuing them hahaha' pic.twitter.com/OYv4wparyO ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 16:32 Rahul Gandhi also said that PM Modi claims credit for everything. "Our government will be a government of youth, farmers, and everyone who didn't get representation in Gujarat," he added. 16:26 Rahul Gandhi, while addressing the rally, said that the Gujarat government snatched the land from farmers and gave it to industrialists. "The Nano cars are nowhere in sight," Rahul said. "Every time you click a selfie and click that button, a Chinese youth gets employment," says Rahul Gandhi added. 16:23 Inki jo GST hai ye GST nahi hai, ye hai Gabbar Singh Tax: Rahul Gandhi in Gandhinagar, #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/PvwypuB4Tj ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 16:11 Rahul Gandhi says that 'this is not Congress' GST. This is BJP's Gabbar Singh Tax!' 16:07 Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that Lots of movies have been made on Number 1s, Aunty No. 1, Hero No. 1, there should one be made on Drama Party No. 1 for Congress. 16:01 Rahul Gandhi says that 'only rich people in Gujarat are getting loans' and calls 'Make in India' and 'Startup India' a failure. 15:52 Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi for youth unemployment. "There are 30 lakh unemployed youth in Gujarat today," he said. The Congress Vice-President has said that 'the people of Gujarat are angry and that they won't be silenced'. 15:48 Rahul Gandhi has said that there is an agitation happening in every community in Gujarat. "For the last 22 years Gujarat government has not worked for the people," he said. Gujarat government has worked for handful of businessmen, he added. 15:42 Rahul Gandhi is now addressing the rally. 15:34 Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot who is campaigning in Gujarat alongside Rahul Gandhi is not addressing the 'Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan' rally in Ahmedabad. 15:29 Patidar leader Dinesh Patel has said that Rahul Gandhi did not meet Hardik Patel today. They will be instead meeting from November 1-3. Nikhil Sawani had met the Congress Vice President instead. 15:23 Meanwhile, Patidar leader Alpesh Thakor, who quit the BJP has formally joined the Congress in presence of Rahul Gandhi in Ahmedabad. He is currently addressing the 'Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan' rally. 15:17 Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has told CNN News18 that there is 'no proof that BJP has tried to bribe Patidar leaders'. CM Rupani said that he is fully confident that BJP will get 150 seats in the upcoming assembly election. 15:12 In an interview to CNN News18, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has said that there is no proof that BJP tried to offer money to Patidar leaders. CM Rupani has called it Congress' conspiracy. The chief minister has also said that BJP has support of the Patidar community. 15:00 Rahul Gandhi will be addressing the 'Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan' rally in Ahmedabad shortly. 14:54 Congress has in the meanwhile released list of its 'star campaigners'. #HimachalElections: Congress releases list of star campaigners for upcoming Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections pic.twitter.com/IfgqmyUTWF ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 14:51 Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Achal Kumar Jyoti has told ANI that polls in Himachal Pradesh were announced for an earlier date as parties and the state administration had requested the Commission before mid-November due to probability of snowfall in 3 districts. 'Will plan schedule in Gujarat in such a way that polling in Gujarat is over prior to Himachal Pradesh result, so that outcome of result doesn't affect voting in Gujarat,' the Jyoti said. Jyoti also said that the polls in Gujarat will be scheduled for 'at a time when restoration work (of Gujarat floods) is done, it involves a lot of government force'. The Commissioner has said that a total of 26,443 employees of the state government will be given election duties. 'So the staff, which manages the restoration work will only be assigned the election duties as we don't supply staff,' Jyoti told ANI. So, once Moral Code of Conduct (MCC) is implemented, these govt employees will have to leave revamping and start performing their poll duties, the Chief Election Commissioner has said. 14:39 Nikhil Sawani, who had quit BJP this morning, has told media that Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and the Patidar leaders discussed the Patidar agitations. 14:25 Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has arrived in Ahmedabad and is currently meeting Patidar leader Rahul Gandhi. #Gujarat BJP President Amit Shah arrives for BJP state board meeting in Gandhinagar pic.twitter.com/EzMPp7WRFK ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 14:00 BREAKING | The Congress may move court against the Election Commission. The party is concerned that the polls in Gujarat may not be free and fair, reports CNN-News18. 13:50 Earlier in the day, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi said that "Gujarat is priceless and can never be bought". His comments come amid two Patidar leaders levelling bribery charges against the BJP. 13:40 Gujarat Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki has said meeting between Rahul Gandhi, Patidar leader Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani has been postponed. The meeting might happen when Gandhi visits Gujarat again in November 1-3. 13:31 Both Varun Patel and Reshma Patel have in the past been critical of the BJP during the Patidar agitation. The duo joined the BJP after a meeting Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and state party chief Jitu Vaghani during its parliamentary board meeting, which was also attended by BJP President Amit Shah. 13:30 #Gujarat: Visuals of preparation from Ahmedabad where Congress VP Rahul Gandhi will take part in OBC 'Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan' today pic.twitter.com/LnWlmld0eL ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 13:20 The events in the run-up to the Gujarat election have been quite interesting. In what might invite fresh trouble for the Gujarat BJP days ahead of the Assembly elections, Narendra Patel, a Patidar leader who had just joined the BJP, claimed that the party had offered him Rs 1 crore to do so. Patel, in a midnight press conference in Ahmedabad on Sunday, said that he was made to switch sides. He also added that the BJP leaders had paid him an advance amount of Rs 10 lakh and promised to pay him the balance Rs 90 lakh on Monday. Meanwhile, Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel's key aides Varun Patel and Reshma Patel have joined the ruling BJP in a dramatic turn of events. 13:15 Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will take part in Navsarjan Gujarat Janadesh rally organised by his party in Gandhinagar. 13:01 The election is a high-stakes battle for the BJP as it has been the party in power for nearly 22 years in Gujarat. Besides, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah hail from the state. Hello and welcome to Moneycontrol's coverage of the Gujarat Assembly elections 2017. This blog will keep you updated on the developments as the BJP aims retain power while the Congress looks to unsettle the incumbent As rail accidents continue to dominate the headlines, it has now emerged that railway workers had warned the government about network safety five months ago, flagging the issue of overworked employees owing to shortage of staff, reports Economic Times. At the Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) meeting on May 3, the staff side said that the shortage of staff was forced by a recruitment 'ban' imposed by the Department of Expenditure. The staff stated that the recruitment ban was taking place as a way to save money and that despite the safety concerns, no action was being taken. This is despite the Task Force, set up by the ministry of railways on safety-related matters, having suggested that additional staff be mobilised to ensure safety. Even the Hon'ble Prime Minister in his speeches has stressed the need for safety, but the ministry of railways has chosen to ignore, the staff side pointed out. The staff side argued that no recruits were hired when new services or trains are introduced, which results in employees having to put in extra hours. The government has denied the recruitment ban, but accepted that the recruitment processes are slow, according to the minutes of the meeting. The JCM meet is a dialogue exchange between staff and officials for resolving issues arising between the two parties - government and the employees. The staff side representatives for the JCM are selected from the members of the recognised service associations and employee unions. A series of railway accidents in recent months had prompted Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to offer his resignation in late August, following which Piyush Goyal was tasked with heading the ministry as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reshuffled his Cabinet in early September. Goyal's tenure got off to a rough start after 23 people died in a stampede on a foot overbridge at a Mumbai suburban station on September 29. Philippines Tourism Department today said it expects one lakh tourists from India by the end of the calendar year as against about 70,000 during last year. "We have been experiencing very good arrivals from India. We expect about 100,000 tourists this year. We hope that the growth in arrivals from India would be over 30 per cent. Last year, we had over 70,000 tourists from India to Philippines," Glen Agustin, chief tourism operations officer, Market Development Division of Department of Tourism, Philippines told PTI. Replying to a query, he said the growth is expected mainly on the basis of attractions, destinations and facilities that the country offers to visitors. He said the archipelago hopes to receive about seven million tourists globally this year. "We are going to receive about seven million tourists this year predominantly from our Asian neighbours. Also, we receive good number of visitors from the UK and the USA also. Last year, 5.5 million people visited Philippines," he said. When asked about the visa requirements for Indian citizens, he said prior visa is needed for Indians while people who hold valid visas of countries such as Australia, USA, Japan, any of Schengen countries and UK are allowed to obtain visa on arrival into Philippines. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today dubbed the Goods and Services Tax as 'Gabbar Singh Tax', naming it after Bollywood's iconic villain as he fired a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the sweeping tax reform and demonetistion. As Gujarat headed for Assembly polls, Gandhi also said that the state is "priceless and can never be bought", a day after Patidar leader Narendra Patel claimed in Ahmedabad that he was offered Rs 1 crore to join the BJP, a charge rubbished by the saffron party. Gandhi brought up the issue of GST while highlighting the hardships it caused to people during a rally that marked the formal joining of OBC leader Alpesh Thakor into the Congress as part of the opposition party's strategy of broadening its political and social base to take on the BJP which has been in power in Gujarat for nearly two decades. "Their (Centre's) GST is not GST. GST means Gabbar Singh Tax. This is causing a loss to the country. Small shopkeepers are finished. Lakhs of youths have gone unemployed. But they are still not ready to listen," Gandhi told the rally of Thakor community in Gandhinagar. Late Amjad Khan portrayed the character of dacoit Gabbar Singh in the Bollywood blockbuster 'Sholay' and immortalised him as the scariest villain in the Indian cinema. Stating that the GST, in its present form, is not what the Congress had conceived, Gandhi said that although his party had warned the government about the adverse impact of the new tax regime (in the present form), the Modi government acted against its suggestions. Gandhi also asked the government to change the new tax system by making it simpler. Gandhi also mocked Modi over demonetisation announced by him on November 8 last year. "Don't know what happened, on November 8, Modiji says that this Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes, I do not like them, so from 12 at night, I am going to scrap it. Ha Ha Ha," he said. "He hit the axe, and for the first 2-3 days he could not understand what happened," he said, adding that "the prime minister only realised his mistake after 5-6 days". "Narendra Modi ji ruined the economy of the entire country," he alleged. Gandhi attacked Modi and the BJP while latching on to the bribery allegation made by Narendra Patel, an activist of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). Gandhi said thousands of youths in Gujarat, belonging to all castes, will not remain silent now and their voices cannot be "suppressed" or "purchased". Narendra Patel, within hours of joining the BJP, alleged last night at a press conference that he was offered Rs 1 crore by the BJP and was given a token amount of Rs 10 lakh. "This Gujarati voice is not an ordinary voice. This voice of Gujarat cannot be silenced or suppressed. You can offer any thing, (Rs) one crore, (Rs) 10 crore, (Rs) 50 crore, (Rs) 1000 crore, entire budget of India, entire money of the world, (but) this Gujarati voice cannot be purchased," Gandhi said. "In the past also, there were attempts to suppress this voice. British tried to suppress Gandhiji, first in South Africa, then in Gujarat and India. But the voice of Gujarat drove out that superpower from the country," he said. Earlier in the day, Gandhi tweeted to say that Gujarat is priceless and can never be bought. "Gujarat is priceless. It has never been been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought," Gandhi said on Twitter. The BJP has rubbished Narendra Patel's charges and said it was a "drama" staged at the behest of the Congress. "All these allegations are false. It was a drama (enacted) by Narendra Patel at the behest of Congress," Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said. Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, is likely to highlight India's role in the new South Asia policy of US during his three-day visit to India beginning October 24. With growing unpredictability in China, India's role along with neighboring countries like Japan and Australia has become key for the US. We need to collaborate with India to ensure that the Indo-Pacific [region] is increasingly a place of peace, stability, and growing prosperity so that it does not become a region of disorder, conflict, and predatory economics, Tillerson said in a speech to the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies last week. Tillerson is currently on a visit to Pakistan and will be visiting Afghanistan and India. He is expected to meet his counterpart Sushma Swaraj and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tillerson - who will be in India from October 24 to 26 - will also brief the ministers on the outcome of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group meeting that happened on October 16. The Quadrilateral Coordination Group comprises US, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Trump administration is determined to dramatically deepen ways for the United States and India to further this partnership, Tillerson said. Besides highlighting India's role, he is likely to discuss the countrys relations with Pakistan and Afghanistan. In August, US President Donald Trump had outlined its new strategy for Afghanistan and said that India too will play a key role in it. A senior US official recently said that the Trump administration wants India to help strengthen Afghanistan, so that it can take on the Afghan Taliban. US wants India to help in the war-torn country's economic development. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani will also be on a visit to India on October 24. He is expected to meet President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Narendra Modi. The two countries are likely to review bilateral ties between the two countries. Armed Forces brigades in Donbas soon to be replaced by other units - Poroshenko Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced the upcoming rotation of the units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces participating in the anti-terrorist operation in Donbas, the presidential press service has reported. The head of state said during his visit to the site of the 72nd separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Avdiyivka (Donetsk region) on October 22 that Armed Forces units would soon return to their permanent sites in Volyn region, Bila Tserkva (Kyiv region), Chuhuiv (Kharkiv region), and Severodonetsk (Luhansk region). "Other brigades are coming to replace you, and they will hold your positions firmly," the press service quoted Poroshenko as saying. He also said that the Ukrainian army had completely changed over the past three years and that the Ukrainian soldiers were guarantors of the independence of the Ukrainian state. "A Ukrainian soldier is a warrior, who fights for his land without giving a single piece of land to the enemy, a warrior against whom Russian propaganda and hybrid war technologies proved to be ineffective, a warrior who shows the best examples of loyalty to oath, courage and heroism," Poroshenko said. The president thanked the servicemen of the 72nd, 14th, 92nd and 53rd brigades of the Armed Forces for the brilliant accomplishment of the tasks assigned to them. Several Congress leaders took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for wearing Italian glasses in front of the shrine at Kedarnath. AICC In-charge of Communications, Randeep S Surjewala took to Twitter to post a video and posted comments slamming Modi for BVLGRI glasses at the shrine, while at the same time accusing him of being "arrogant". In his Kedarnath visit, Modi had attacked the Congress for his proposal in June 2013 when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat for development of shrine after the 2013 flash floods in Uttarakhand. Congress, apart from taking a dig at PM Narendra Modi for quoting wrong facts on the redevelopment of Kedarnath shrine, also claimed that he disrespected the people of Uttarakhand. Surjewala, in a video message on Twitter, lashed out against the Prime Minister, saying: He spoke with arrogance at Babas shrine. He further added that this was the first time somebody gave a speech with his back towards the shrine. Surjewala in the video message further went on to say: By visiting Kedarnath today (Friday), Modiji has not only disrespected the people of Uttarakhand but also showed his arrogance. Surjewalas remarks came after Prime Minister accused the Congress of rejecting his proposal of redeveloping the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath after the 2013 flash floods. To counter the same, Congres spokesperson RPN Singh said that after the flash floods the UPA government had formed a Cabinet Committee and released Rs 8,000 crore for Uttarakhand's redevelopment. Continuing his attack, Singh added that Modis labelling himself as Babas son is a political gimmick ahead of the elections. The Congress spokesperson added: Prime Minister does Babas darshan wearing an Italian brand BVLGARI glasses. Similarly, he promises to develop a New India through those Italian glasses. In his speech, Modi said after the BJP government came to power in Uttarakhand earlier this year I understood that the work of Kedarnath redevelopment will be done by us. "After the 2013 disaster, is it only Modiji who is capable of redeveloping Uttarakhand? Was the work done by the then state government, people and the devotees of Lord Shiva to redevelop Kedarnath a waste? Out of 130 crore people, is none capable of redeveloping Kedarnath other than Modiji?" said Surjewala in his Twitter video. Last year, BJP Chief Amit Shah had accused Rahul Gandhi of shedding his Italian glasses and switching to Indian ones for seeing the development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. No other person can protect the shrine except Baba Kedarnath, Singh said in a bid to further slam PM Modi for his comment that he was the only one who could work for the redevelopment of the shrine. Modiji should maintain at least some humility at the door of Lord Shiva, Surjewala added. Even Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi went there as a devotee. One cannot go there as an arrogant person, said Singh. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury termed the NDA government's demonetisation move as the "biggest diabolical method of money laundering" and said it had converted all black money into white. Hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led central dispensation on the economy front, he said government's policies "have virtually ruined" the country's economy and said it did not know how to revive it and provide relief to people. In his address after the release of a Tamil translation of compilation of his speeches in Parliament, Yechury questioned BJP's stand of zero tolerance for corruption, accusing its leaders of being involved in many scams. He pointed out, among others, BJP chief Amit Shah's son Jay Shah's company reportedly registered manifold revenue after the party came to power in 2014. "You have the BJP President's son involved in serious allegation that are not being investigated. You have the Sahara diaries, Panama papers, the Lalit Modi case, Vyapam case, Land scam case in Bihar," he said, adding there was no investigation into these. However, opposition leaders were being targeted for various corruption charges even "if there was a case or not," he said. "The worst corruption that has taken place in the country is demonetisation. This has been the biggest diabolical method of money laundering that has been undertaken in independent India. Today all the money that was demonetised has come back " he said. The government, he said, had "no idea of what they are doing, but what they have done is converted all black money into white." "They have legalised all illicit money. They have neither been able to reduce terrorist attacks... in fact they have doubled," the former Rajya Sabha MP said. The economy has been ruined to "favour" certain corporate companies, Yechury alleged. To divert attention from such issues, "communal divide" was being created and "sadly Taj Mahal has become an issue now," he said in reference to the controversy surrounding the Mughal-era monument in Agra. He also referred to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath raising the issue of construction of Ram temple. Further, moral policing squads were telling youngsters "what to eat and whom to befriend," Yechury rued. Shivraj Singh Chouhan (2nd R), chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, greets his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters during Chouhan's swearing-in ceremony in the central Indian city of Bhopal December14, 2013. Five months before India's next elections are due, there is already an air of victory around Narendra Modi as he strides from one jam-packed rally to the next. And yet, a regional leader from his Hindu nationalist fold is quietly emerging as an alternative to lead the country. This month, Chouhan notched up a thumping election victory in Madhya Pradesh, a sprawling central state with a population larger than that of France, becoming its chief minister for a third time. Picture taken December 14, 2013. REUTERS/Raj Patidar (INDIA - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS PROFILE) - RTX16O82 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan arrived here on nearly a week-long visit during which he would deliver a keynote address on integral humanism at the US Capitol and meet representatives of the corporate world seeking investments for his state. He would also travel to New York, according to officials. Today, the chief minister would address a Washington audience on integral humanism at the US Capitol during the inaugural Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya forum organised by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), a US-based think-tank in association with the Embassy of India. With focus on seeking investment in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan, in Washington DC, is scheduled to have an interaction with representatives of the corporate world at meetings organised by US India Business Council and US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF). He would also meet US lawmakers including Indian-American Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu lawmaker in the US Congress. In his interaction with senior business leaders, Chouhan would deliver the keynote address, while Madhya Pradesh Commerce Secretary Mohammed Suleman will make a detailed presentation on investment opportunities in the state. On his way from Washington DC to New York by road, Chouhan would also visit the Akshardham Temple in New Jersey. In addition to his interaction with the business community and representatives from companies like Amazon and Goldman Sachs, the chief minister is scheduled to visit incubation center at the Columbia University. Chouhan would address a meeting of "Friends of MP" at the Indian Consulate in New York on Thursday. PM Narendra Modi The Election Commission has yet to announce the voting schedule for the Gujarat Assembly elections, but political activity is in full swing in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state. PM Modi visited Gujarat on October 16 and again on Sunday to lay the foundation stone for several projects. BJP President Amit Shah also addressed a rally in the state, while Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to visit Gujarat on Monday. And in what might invite fresh trouble for the Gujarat BJP days ahead of the Assembly elections, Narendra Patel, a Patidar leader who had just joined the BJP, claimed that the party had offered him Rs 1 crore to do so. A controversy continues to rage over the fact that the date has not been declared yet. At a press conference on October 12, the election watchdog had only announced the voting dates for Himachal Pradesh. It said that counting for both Himachal and Gujarat would take place on December 18, but unexpectedly did not declare the voting schedule for Gujarat and did not give a reason for this decision. The Congress smelled a rat, alleging that that the postponement was done to favour the BJP, which heads the Gujarat government. EC will be recalled from its extended holiday after Gujarat Govt has announced all concessions and freebies. P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) October 20, 2017 Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, former Finance Minister said: "EC has authorised PM to announce date of Gujarat elections at his last rally (and kindly keep EC informed). EC will be recalled from its extended holiday after Gujarat govt has announced all concessions and freebies, he said in another tweet. Chidambaram was implying that the EC was giving PM Modi and the government time to announce schemes and policies that would benefit the state before the Model Code of Conduct comes into force. The Model Code of Conduct stops governments from announcing such initiatives once the election dates are announced. Since the Himachal Pradesh election dates were announced, the BJP-led government in Gujarat has launched a number of big-ticket projects, rolled out incentives for government employees and made attempts at balancing political equations. Here's a round-up: #1 Projects worth more than Rs 750 crore have been either inaugurated or their foundation stone was laid #2 The state government announced implementation of the 7th Pay Commission benefits for 15,000 Nagar Palika employees of the state. It also said that a family member of employees who die on duty would get jobs. #3 The state government announced zero-interest crop loans for up to Rs 3 lakh for farmers. At least 25 lakh farmers are expected to benefit from this initiative. #4 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a Rs 650 crore roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) ferry service that cuts travel time between Saurashtra and South Gujarat by six hours. #5 The Home Department withdrew 22 cases filed against farmers of Nalkantha area. #6 The government withdrew 468 cases against members of the Patidar community. These cases were filed by the police during the reservation stir. #7 A new post of Additional SP was created. More than 20 DSPs were promoted to the rank of Additional SPs. As many as eight of the 21 promoted are Patidars. The Shiv Sena today lashed out at the BJP without naming it, claiming that "one party" possessed "unlimited money" and had come to power in Goa and Manipur despite being "rejected by the people". It also claimed money was being used to "try and uproot" the Sena. "Even if people face recession after demonetisation, one party is on an upturn and came to power in Goa and Manipur despite being rejected by the people," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said. The BJP formed a government in Goa and Manipur in March this year. The editorial said people were watching which party "indulges in horse-trading backed by the power of money". "The same money was used to try and uproot the Shiv Sena as well," it said. Referring to the senior ally, again without naming it, the editorial said the party kept "boasting" that the government in Maharashtra would be stable even if the Sena withdrew its support to it. "This boasting is being done on the back of unlimited money only. It is surprising that nobody approaches the Enforcement Directorate to seek a probe against them," the Sena said. It then went on to allege that attempts were also being made to seize power in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, riding high on the money of traders. The Opposition Congress and NCP were not as disturbed as "the party with unlimited money" by the increased strength of the Shiv Sena after six corporators from the MNS joined it, the editorial said. Five Opposition parties - Congress, TMC, BSP, SP, and DMK - will meet on Monday to chalk out a strategy to take on the BJP-led government at the Centre on the first anniversary of demonetisation. The meeting will be another attempt to forge unity between parties from across the spectrum. The parties could plan another protest, possibly on the streets, against the note ban, a drive declaring 500 and 1000-rupee notes as illegal to eradicate corruption and black money menace. A year ago, when PM Modi launched the demonetisation, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, accompanied by a number of other Opposition leaders, had marched to the President's house demanding the withdrawal of the exercise. Tobacco (Representative Image) Maharashtra government has directed all offices, departments and undertakings not to participate in events sponsored by cigarette companies and those producing tobacco related products or accept gifts, scholarships and prizes from such companies. The Government Resolution has been issued by the Public Health department on October 4. The GR cites section 5 and sub-section 5.3 of "The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisements and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COPTA), 2003" passed by the Centre which seeks to ban direct and indirect advertisement of cigarettes and tobacco related companies. It states that the said Act prohibits accepting sponsorship of events wherein advertisements of cigarettes and tobacco related products which seek to promote consumption of these products by sponsoring scholarships, prizes, gift articles or sponsoring any events. Speaking to reporters, under secretary Public Health department Sharad B Londhe said that the state has followed the Central government's directive issued to all the state governments recently. "Many states like Himachal Pradesh and others have issued such directives to its departments and public undertakings," he said. When asked as to why the GR does not refer to sponsorship of events by liquor companies, he said that it was up to the Home and State Excise departments to issue similar such notifications. The Centre passed the Act in 2003 after the World Health Organisation (WHO) in May 1986 urged member states to enact laws banning what is now known as Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship (TAPS). A report appearing in the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR) in May 2013 stated that despite the enactment of TAPS, exposure to tobacco advertising and promotion is still prevalent in India. Amazon A couple in the US got a shock of their life after discovering approximately 30 kgs of cannabis in the package they received from Amazon. According to a report by WFTV, a couple from Florida had ordered 27 gallon tote bags from Amazon in order to solve their storage problem. But when the order arrived they found cannabis. Inside the totes, they discovered boxes filled with marijuana. The police who were informed about the incident confiscated the banned drug. An investigation is in progress though no arrests have been made. They have also identified that the material was shipped by Amazons Warehouse Deals via UPS from a facility in Massachusetts. Amazon said that its customer service team is working directly with the customer to address concerns and has assured co-operation with law enforcement agencies regarding the investigation. Also Read: Amazon patents a drone that can recharge electric vehicles on the go The couple, however, isn't impressed. Alleging that the company does not care about customer safety, they said that they were unable to talk to any official in the firm even after repeated communications and instead received a gift card of $150 with the message saying that they are unable to do anything else at this time. The threat of North Korea bombing the US is rising, so are the concerns of another World War. Global leaders are fretting over the consequences of the war of words between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, be it the "Rocket Man" rhetoric or the "barking dog" banter. American citizens, however, seem unperturbed by the North Korean threat. They fear corruption in the US government the most. Majority of the Americans are less afraid of North Korea using a nuclear weapon than the country's own corrupt government officials, according to a Chapman University Survey Americans Fear Wave 4 (2017). Out of 1,207 US adults polled in the survey, 74.5 percent said that they are "afraid" or "very afraid" of corrupt government officials compared to 47.5 percent who are scared that the regime in Pyongyang will nuke the country. While the fear among Americans regarding corruption increased by 13.9 percent over the year, the threat of war between the US and North Korea assimilated fresh fear among the US citizens not only against the use of a nuclear weapon but regarding the country's involvement in another world war. In contrast, the United States ranked 16th out of 176 countries in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2016 published by the Transparency International on January 25, 2017. According to the study, the higher ranked countries tend to have higher degrees of press freedom, access to information about public expenditure, stronger standards of integrity for public officials, and independent judicial systems. Nevertheless, even though in the high-scoring countries most obvious forms of corruption may not scar citizens' daily lives in all these places, they are not immune to corruption, said the report. Thus, the fear of corruption among officials in America continues to grow despite a high-rank in CPI. Coming back to the Americans Fear Wave 4 report, US citizens fear the American Healthcare Act/Trumpcare, the sweeping healthcare changes proposed by Donald Trump. Over 55.3 percent of respondents are fearful of the American Healthcare Act/Trumpcare. Apart from corruption and healthcare, more than 50 percent of the Americans fear environmental pollution as well as not having enough money for the future. While 53.1 percent Americans say that they are afraid or very afraid of pollution of oceans, rivers and lakes, 50.4 percent fear the pollution of drinking water and 50.2 percent fear about not having enough money for the future. Interestingly, this year environmental quality ranked in the top 10 fears of Americans, which may have been influenced by the President's decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, with 48 percent Americans being afraid of global warming and climate change and 44.9 percent fearful of air pollution.. Out of the 80 categories listed to capture the levels of fear among Americans, animals were the least feared category with only 3.7 percent voting for being either afraid or very afraid. FILE PHOTO: China Eastern Airlines planes are seen on the tarmac at Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai, July 29, 2014. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD SEARCH GLOBAL BUSINESS 28 AUG FOR ALL IMAGES - RC1CCED4CF90 In a second such instance this year, an elderly woman grounded a plane in China after tossing a coin into the engine for luck. The act forced the mechanics to go for a full examination of the engine and the plane was immediately evacuated. Passengers who were supposed to fly on the plane had to wait for an alternative flight at Anqing airport in the eastern Anhui province, reported The Independent. The 76-year-old woman was later taken into custody for questioning. However, it is not clear if she will be charged. The alarm was raised after airport staff found coins on the ground next to the engine which prompted the plane to be grounded overnight. In religions like Buddhism, throwing coins is believed to bring good luck. In a similar incident in June, an 80-year-old woman had stranded 150 passengers of a China Southern Airlines flight for several hours by tossing coins as a prayer for a safe flight." The officials, however, decided not to charge her. The story had quickly gone viral across China, the world's second-largest aviation market. China Southern Airlines later urged passengers to comply with civil aviation laws and regulations and avoid behaviour that could prove detrimental to the safety of passengers travelling on its flights. Russia's hybrid military forces have violated the ceasefire in Donbas 12 times in the past day, as a result of which one Ukrainian soldier was wounded, the press service of the Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) headquarters has reported. "There were no drastic changes in the developments in the ATO zone in the past day. The enemy continued shelling positions of the Ukrainian army in all directions from time to time, using primarily infantry weapons," the report posted on Facebook page of the ATO staff on Monday morning, reads. Ukrainian positions near the town of Avdiyivka and Butovka coal mine in the Donetsk sector came under fire in the evening. The enemy used grenade launchers, machine guns and small arms. The village of Kamianka was attacked by an infantry fighting vehicle; anti-tank grenade launchers were also used. The attack lasted for more than an hour. Russian proxies used large-caliber machine guns to fire on the villages of Shyrokyne and Starohnativka in the Mariupol sector. Ukrainian troops stationed near the village of Vodiane in the same sector came under fire. Ukrainian positions near the village of Krymske in the Luhansk sector were attacked with the use of 82mm mortars, automatic and anti-tank grenade launchers in the evening. The attack lasted for almost 1.5 hours. Saudi billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said Monday that bitcoin will "implode" one day. "It just doesn't make sense. This thing is not regulated, it's not under control, it's not under the supervision" of any central bank, Alwaleed said in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "I just don't believe in this bitcoin thing. I think it's just going to implode one day. I think this is Enron in the making," Alwaleed said. The billionaire investor was referring to the massive accounting fraud that took Enron, a U.S. energy-trading and utilities giant, into bankruptcy in late 2001. Alwaleed runs Kingdom Holding, a massive conglomerate whose investments include Citigroup, Apple and Twitter. The company is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Digital currency bitcoin has surged about 500 percent this year and hit an all-time high above $6,100 on Saturday. Bitcoin traded more than 4 percent lower around $5718 Monday, according to CoinDesk. Bitcoin has shaken off an August split into bitcoin and bitcoin cash, and a Chinese crackdown in September on digital coins. Bitcoin trading is available in Saudi Arabia, according to exchange websites. However, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority warned in a July tweet about dealing with bitcoin because the digital currency which is not supervised by the government might have negative consequences on individuals' investments. The monetary authority did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment on bitcoin's legality Monday. Bitcoin's massive price gains are fueled by growing interest from some institutional investors and Japanese investors. Trading in Japanese yen accounted for about 62 percent of total bitcoin trading volume Monday, according to industry website CryptoCompare. Trading in U.S. dollars accounted for roughly 21 percent, the site showed. But most major investors remain skeptical of bitcoin. Alwaleed said Monday he agrees with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, who last month called bitcoin a "fraud" that will eventually blow up. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has also called the digital currency an "index of money laundering" for its ability to facilitate illegal commerce on the internet. However, JPMorgan and other financial institutions are investing in blockchain, the technology that enables bitcoin to transfer value nearly instantly without a third-party intermediary. The development of digital currencies has also spawned the growth of token sales, or initial coin offerings, which have taken off this year. The coin sales have raised $3.04 billion, according to financial research firm Autonomous Next. Jordan Belfort, the infamous "Wolf of Wall Street" penny stock broker, told The Financial Times in an interview published Sunday that initial coin offerings are the "biggest scam ever." The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana. "The thought is that parents, grandparents, will bring their kids there to have fun, to use the trails, but also to understand the history of veterans' service in Towamencin," land planner Peter Simone Jarrett Coleman goes from school board to statehouse with win in 16th Senate District race October 23, 2017 Help Wanted - State Department Seeks Self-Consistent Secretary European business deals with Iran are safe: Tillerson - AFP, October 20 2017 Washington (AFP) - The United States does not intend to disrupt European business deals with Iran, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in comments published Friday. ... "The president's been pretty clear that it's not his intent to interfere with business deals that the Europeans may have under way with Iran," Tillerson told The Wall Street Journal. "He's said it clearly: 'That's fine. You guys do what you want to do.'" Tillerson Warns Europe Against Iran Investments - NYT, October 22 2017 RIYADH, Saudi Arabia ... Speaking during a visit to Saudi Arabia, Mr. Tillerson said, Both of our countries believe that those who conduct business with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, any of their entities European companies or other companies around the globe really do so at great risk. Mr. Tillerson appeared at a brief news conference in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, with the Saudi foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir. ... Mr. Tillersons remarks were the administrations most pointed warning to date ... This not the way to get the European Union in line with U.S. policies. So what is going on here? Trump in often inconsistent in what he says. That is his privilege. But it does not mean that the Secretary of State has to contradict himself each and every day. It is Tillerson's task to project a steady foreign policy. If there is none - for whatever reason - he must keep his comments vague. Contradictions like the above make him a joke. 'Rexxon' has experience in doing international businesses. He knows that consistency is one of the most important factors in getting things done. No one will make deals with a party that changes its mind every other day. So why is Tillerson jumping around like this? He seeks to replace Ms. Jubeir as court jester in Riyadh? Or does he want to sabotage his own position? One inevitably gets the impression that Tillerson wants out. That he wants to chuck his job rather sooner than later. That he longs for the inevitable day he will be fired. Tillerson is a realist at heart. He is no fan of Netanyahoo. He despises the fake human rights blabber others use to hide their motives. The neo-conservatives would love to see him go. Josh Rogin lists their favorite candidates: The most popular parlor game in Washington right now is speculating who will replace Rex Tillerson as President Trumps next secretary of state ... two qualified and apparently willing candidates have emerged. ... The top two contenders, Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and CIA Director Mike Pompeo, ... Haley is way too loud and incompetent. Pompeo is too narrow minded. I wonder who the White House junta will prefer as new Secretary of State. One from its own stable? David Petraeus? He would be another nail in the coffin of Trump's presidency. Posted by b on October 23, 2017 at 13:28 UTC | Permalink Comments Investigators of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) on Monday conducted investigative actions in the office of Odesa Mayor Henadiy Trukhanov, a source in law enforcement agencies told Interfax-Ukraine. It said that Trukhanov is in Odesa, but his exact location is not known yet. Also, the source did not rule out that the NABU is conducting or conducted searches at the mayor's place. As reported, at the beginning of October 2017 Odesa Mayor Henadiy Trukhanov visited the office of NABU during his visit to Kyiv. According to the TV channel, Trukhanov was summoned to the NABU in connection with the investigation of the purchase of the building for the centralized deployment of Odesa City Council's departments. Activists of a number of public organizations and journalists have repeatedly written that this building was purchased by the city council at an extremely inflated price (UAH 185 million), and then repaired for an exorbitant price. What are investors reading this week? Popular on Morningstar.co.uk are articles on profit warnings, a bullish outlook from Columbia Threadneedle managers, and why Remain-voting MEP Kay Swinburne rejects Jean-Claude Juncker's vision for Europe. Why We're Buying Equities at Market Highs Multi-asset investors Maya Bhandari and Toby Nangle are adding stocks to their portfolios - despite equity market valuations looking stretched Top 20 FTSE 350 Dividend Paying Stocks UPDATED JUNE 2017: Dividend payments are expected to total 85bn in 2017. We reveal the top 20 dividend paying stocks in the FTSE 350 Brexit is Not a Priority for Europe say Economists David Davis claims the European Union is stalling Brexit negotiations for cash. But reporting from Brussels, Emma Wall learns that Brexit just isn't a priority for Europe Top 20 FTSE 100 Dividend Paying Stocks THE INCOME INVESTOR: The largest companies in the UK source their revenues internationally, meaning your dividend stream is boosted by global economic growth Hobson: Profit Warnings Make Me Nervous THE WEEK: A usually upbeat Rodney Hobson says it would be foolish to ignore completely the very patchy nature of economic news here and abroad MEP: I Voted Remain But I Would Leave This EU Conservative MEP for Wales Kay Swinburne voted to remain in the European Union. But she says she would vote to leave Juncker's new vision for the EU Turn to Alternative Assets for Downside Protection ESG multi-asset investor Camilla Ritchie of 7IM is upping her exposure to cash and alternatives as stocks and bonds look expensive Can the Japanese Stock Market Rally Continue? What has caused Japanese stocks to reach a 21 year high? And how will Sunday's up-coming election impact markets? Emma Wall talks to Mohammed Syed of Coutts Brand Power Gives Consumer Goods Firms an Edge UK-listed companies such as Diageo and Reckitt Benckiser possess significant competitive advantages through their well-known brands What is a Fund? Funds are suitable for investors who do not have the time or expertise to construct and monitor a portfolio themselves. We go back to basics and explain all New Ratings Kenneth Lamont High fees and structural geographic biases mean that we have little confidence in the ability of this fund to outperform its category peers over the long term. With an ongoing charge of 0.60%, the fund is considerably more expensive than comparable passive offerings. Also, despite being relatively broad, the MSCI AC Asia Pacific Ex-Japan index suffers from a significant structural bias toward China relative to peers in the Asia Pacific ex Japan Morningstar Category, making the fund an imperfect tool with which to access that market. Kenneth Lamont We have initiated coverage of this fund with a Bronze rating based on our confidence in MSCIs ESG screening process applied to an index that has proven hard to beat by active managers. By sampling an ESG-compliant sub-set of stocks in each sector, this fund retains the strengths of its parent MSCI EMU Index. The sector constraints help to avoid the persistent sector biases which typically plague ESG funds, while the 5% single stock cap reduces single holding concentration. Kenneth Lamont This fund's narrow and geographically biased exposure makes it an imperfect vehicle through which to access Asia-Pacific Ex-Japan equities. A large structural overweight to Australia and the funds exclusion of important Asian counties such as China and South Korea mean that we have little confidence in the ability of this fund to outperform category peers over the long term. Upgrades Don Yew We have upgraded the Morningstar Analyst Rating of Pictet-Asian Local Currency Debt to Bronze from Neutral. This is predicated on our increased conviction in long-tenured and experienced comanagers Wee-Ming Ting and Philippe Petit, who have managed the fund together since July 2007 and delivered strong peer-relative returns. Carrie Liaw joined Ting and Petit in the Singapore office in May 2015 and we consider her to be a valuable addition to the compact team. The fund utilises an unconventional but well-established investment process that is employed across Pictets emerging-markets-debt strategies, including the Bronze-rated Pictet Emerging Local Currency Debt fund, and has been tested over market cycles. Samuel Meakin Over time, our conviction in this strategy has grown as the experienced managers, backed by a well-resourced team, have continued to demonstrate consistency in their well-established approach and strength in their thematic and stock-specific analysis. They seek to add value by identifying disruptive growth areas within the sector and finding the companies best placed to profit from these emerging themes. We consider the fund a strong offering for investors seeking to benefit from the long-term growth prospects of the sector. Mathieu Caquineau This fund is in the hands of a very experienced emerging-markets skipper. Wim-Hein Pals has accumulated almost three decades of experience, mostly spent managing equity portfolios invested in emerging markets at Robeco. He is supported by a stable bench of experienced analysts and fund managers. The fund delivered underwhelming results from 2010 to 2013, but we think the fund manager effectively tackled the issue by taking a more active stance. The portfolio is more concentrated, and its active share has gained 20% in the past five years with a positive effect on performance. With the same disciplined process blending top-down country allocation with bottom-up stock selection, we believe that Robeco Emerging Markets Equities has more potential than before. Niels Faassen Lead manager Victor Verberk has managed this fund since January 2008. He is supported by two comanagers with whom he forms a close-knit and experienced investment-grade credit team. The investment process is a combination of top-down beta positioning (that is, management of the portfolios market sensitivity) and bottom-up security selection, with an emphasis on the latter. It allows the managers considerable freedom to invest based on their level of conviction. All in all, Verberks sometimes bold approach has paid off, which strengthens our confidence in this fund. Downgrades Kenneth Lamont This ETF remains a strong investment proposition. However, pending changes to the German tax system are expected to lower reported fund returns. The full impact of this has yet to be observed. Considering this uncertainty, we have signalled our lower level of confidence by downgrading the fund from a Gold to a Silver rating. The fund remains one of the broadest and cheapest within its direct peer group, which has seen the fund perform strongly against surviving peers over 3, 5 and 10 years on a risk-adjusted basis. Simon Dorricott One of the positive aspects of this fund was the fact that the three senior team members had all worked together for a significant period of time. With the departure of Neil Denman, this factor has diminished and, with a team of just three individuals, resources are now a little light in comparison with peers. In addition, the flexibility of the mandate in terms of stock-level yields has not quite delivered the consistency of returns we would have hoped for. We still recognise the longer-term performance track record and the experience of the manager William Calvert, but the pricing of the fund tips the balance towards a Neutral rating at this time: the ongoing charges are high compared with peers and on top of this there is a performance fee. David Holder In August 2017, Baillie Gifford announced that Dominic Neary, longstanding comanager of Scottish American Investment Trust and head of the Baillie Gifford Global Income Growth team, was leaving the business. James Dow and Toby Ross retain their positions as comanagers and have been appointed as coheads of the team. They are joined by new team member, Vera German, who will serve as comanager. Following a recent interview with Dow and Ross, we are reassured that investors can expect continuity of investment approach. However, we believe Nearys departure is material, given the loss of his experience to the team. In recognition of the changing dynamic within the team, we feel it appropriate to award the fund a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Neutral. A Ukrainian citizen carrying handguns, grenades, and, presumably, mercury has exchanged fire with Russian border guards when trying to illegally cross the border, the Federal Security Service (FSB) public relations center said in a statement seen by Interfax on Monday. "Officers of the Federal Security Service's border department in the Kursk region have detained a 31-year-old citizen of Ukraine for illegally crossing the state border into Russia," FSB said. The man opened fire when the border guards tried to detain him and intended to escape to Ukraine. "He sustained medium-grave injuries in the shootout," FSB said. Two handguns, five grenades, 50 cartridges of caliber 5.45mm, and 26 ampoules presumably containing mercury were seized from the trespasser. In a report commissioned by the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario, it was found that over 1,000 planned purpose-built rental units have been converted to condos in the wake of the introduction of the provinces extended rent control under its Fair Housing Plan.Ever since the provincial policy came into effect earlier this year, around 20,000 of more than 28,000 planned purpose-built rental units in the GTA also went under review.The introduction of rent control was the main catalyst for many of these developers to convert planned rental units into condos, Urbanation senior vice president Shaun Hildebrand told BuzzBuzzNews.Hildebrand added that the pace of growth in the number of proposed purpose-built rental units has slowed (1,719 units), despite steady rises in the second quarter (2,453 proposals). He noted that developers are seeing the new-construction condo market as too good to pass up.The decision to convert is made easier by the allure of the condo market, which has seen values jump by 30% in the last year, Hildebrand explained. When you consider the demand in the market for new-built condo units, and versus the relative lack of supply, its an obvious incentive for developers.I think moving forward youre going to continue to see condo owners supply units into the sector, says Hildebrand. But that being said, in order to create the amount of units needed to address affordability issues in the market, we feel that purpose-built development needs to be twice as high as it is right now.Urbanations latest report found that condos listed for rent in the third quarter were leased within the shortest amount of time on record, at an average of just 10 days, while the ratio of leases-to-listings sat at a record high of 88%. Detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) under the procedural leadership of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) are conducting searches at the place of work and residence of the mayor of Odesa Henadiy Trukhanov within the investigation of two criminal proceedings. In the context of a criminal proceeding, the possible appropriation of local budget funds is being investigated by overrating the cost of works on the reconstruction of roads and further transferring of illegally obtained revenues to the accounts of controlled offshore companies, the press service of NABU said on Facebook on Monday. The second proceeding concerns the transfer of property of the airport Odesa International Airport to the charter capital of Odesa International Airport LLC, as a result of which, according to detectives, the property of the territorial community was illegally taken, the damages of the last amount to more than UAH 100 million. "The searches are carried out at the place of residence of persons who may be involved in the commission of these criminal offenses and at the location of things and documents relevant to criminal proceedings. In view of the fact that the detectives also verify the version of the possible involvement of the mayor of Odesa in these criminal offenses, investigative actions (searches) are carried out at the place of his work and residence," the NABU said. Earlier on this day, a source in law enforcement agencies told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency that investigators of the NABU on Monday conducted investigative actions in the office of Trukhanov. As reported, at the beginning of October 2017 Trukhanov visited the office of NABU during his visit to Kyiv. Dave Motley, CMB has been sworn in as the new chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association. The president of Colonial National Mortgage and CU Members Mortgage, as well as parent company Colonial Savings, F.A has been an active member of the MBA for two decades including chairing its diversity and inclusion committee and serving on the board for 6 years. He has received MBA's Andrew D. Woodard Distinguished Service and Top 25 Member Heads of Mortgage Awards. "I am honored to serve as MBA's 2018 Chairman and look forward to the year ahead," said Motley. "It will be a pleasure to work with both Chris and Brian and together we will ensure that MBA serves its many members, of all sizes, by focusing on the issues that most affect the residential and commercial/multifamily industries." Christopher M. George, president and CEO of privately held mortgage bank CMG Financial was sworn in as chairman-elect while Brian Stoffers, CMB becomes vice-chair. He is Global President, Debt & Structured Finance at CBRE. The swearing-in ceremony took place Sunday during the Association's 2017 Annual Convention & Expo in Denver, CO. The impact of hurricane season continues to be felt across the southern states with Florida Realtors reporting a sharp drop in sales last month. There were 18,030 single-family homes sold in September, down 20.4% year-over-year. "The impact from Hurricane Irma was wide-ranging across Florida, though the devastation and damage was certainly greater in some areas, such as the Keys and in Naples," said 2017 Florida Realtors President Maria Wells, broker-owner with Lifestyle Realty Group in Stuart. She added that even before the physical impact of the hurricane, the market was affected by potential buyers and sellers taking time out to prepare for the impact and then there was the post-Irma clean-up. The fall in sales comes as the statewide inventory remains tight (3.3 months supply for single-family) adding upward pressure to median prices. The existing single-family home price was up 7.6% to $239,900 according to data from Florida Realtors Research department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations. For condos/townhouses, the median price rose 8.1% to $173,00o with sales down 15.9% year-over-year to 7,404 units. Inventory was down to 5.5 months of supply at current sales pace. "Perhaps the most important thing to understand about this month's sales numbers is that these declines in real estate activity are not in any way indicative of a decline in the demand for housing going forward, or any other structural change in Florida's housing market dynamics, for that matter," said Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. Brad O'Connor. "This is the result of a temporary economic decline brought about by Irma before and after it passed through. We should expect to see similar temporary drops in restaurant and retail sales, job hiring and other economic indicators at the local level, he added. Four New Jersey housing industry professionals were arrested in New Jersey last week for perpetrating a $5 million mortgage scam.Real estate investor Victor Santos, builder Arsenio Santos, real estate settlement attorney Fausto Simoes, and mortgage loan officer Raquel Casalinho were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. According to the Department of Justice, between September of 2007 and November of 2008, the four co-conspirators and others fraudulently obtained mortgage loans with a total value of more than $5 million.Prosecutors say that Victor Santos, Arsenio Santos and the others recruited straw buyers to purchase properties in Newark, N.J. The conspirators allegedly agreed to pay each straw buyer a fee of around $5,000 for the use of the straw buyers identity and credit history. They also provided the down payments and closing fees for the purchases.The straw buyers information was then provided to Casalinho, who was Victor Santoss niece, so she could prepare fraudulent mortgage applications, the DOJ said. Simoes, meanwhile, served as closing attorney on about 10 of the fraudulent transactions. He signed and certified as true the final settlement statements, according to authorities.The straw buyers allegedly agreed to nominally purchase the properties for far more than the sellers prices. The conspirators kept the difference, the DOJ alleged.If convicted, the alleged conspirators could each face up to 30 years in prison. Illegal armed groups continue to block the work of the Zolote checkpoint in Luhansk region, which complicates the humanitarian situation in Donbas, the Ukrainian side of the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) has reported. "The Zolote entry and exit checkpoint near the town of Popasna began its work from October 20, 2017 in a regular mode at 07.00... The checkpoint, from the side of the occupied part of Luhansk region, remained closed from October 20. Illegal armed groups operating there refuse to ensure the crossing of the contact line by the civilian population and vehicles for its part," the press center of the anti-terrorist operation headquarters said on its page on Facebook on October 22. According to deputy head of the Luhansk regional military and civil administration, Yury Klymenko, there were no official explanations from the militants, but unofficially their representatives appealed to the OSCE monitoring mission and said that at present they were not ready to open the checkpoint on their side due to technical circumstances and unsatisfactory condition of the road surface. The report notes that the Ukrainian side of the JCCC fully supports the issues of setting up the full-fledged work of the Zolote checkpoint, which will help redistribute part of the passenger traffic and will largely relieve the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint. This, in turn, will significantly improve the humanitarian situation in the region and will help repair the bridge at the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint, the technical condition of which threatens the safe movement of civilians. Ukraine's State Border Service has no confirmation of FSB report about alleged shootout with Ukrainian at joint border The State Border Service of Ukraine has not yet received any confirmation of the information disseminated by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) about the detention of a Ukrainian citizen who allegedly started a shootout while trying to cross the border illegally. "Probably, this is another one of Russia's provocations, we have not yet found the information confirming the detention of the Ukrainian at the border," Oleh Slobodian, an assistant to the head of the State Border Service of Ukraine told Espreso.TV on Monday. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian border guards continue to examine this matter, he added. Earlier on Monday, October 23, the FSB reported a Ukrainian citizen carrying handguns, grenades, and, presumably, mercury has exchanged fire with Russian border guards when trying to illegally cross the border. "Officers of the Federal Security Service's border department in the Kursk region have detained a 31-year-old citizen of Ukraine for illegally crossing the state border into Russia," FSB said. The FSB claims man opened fire when the border guards tried to detain him and intended to escape to Ukraine. "He sustained medium-grave injuries in the shootout," FSB said. According to them, two handguns, five grenades, 50 cartridges of caliber 5.45mm, and 26 ampoules presumably containing mercury were seized from the trespasser. GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. Florida Gov. Rick Scott is proposing a big investment in environmental funding for next year's budget. Gov. Scott proposes over $1.7 billion in environmental funding Funding would be in 2018-2019 budget State lawmakers would have to approve it Scott proposed a more than $1.7 billion investment in environmental funding for the 2018-2019 recommended budget -- more than $220 million more than this year's budget. Scott's office say the funding would include: $55 million for Florida's springs $100 million for Florida's beaches $355 million for Everglades restoration $50 million for Florida's state parks The governor is also proposing $50 million for Florida Forever, the fund that is supposed to help protect natural lands, but that conservationists say has gotten little money from the state in recent years. The governor made the announcement at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland at 2:30 p.m. The state legislature will consider the governor's request during the January session. Whether the state will be able to accomodate the proposal is another matter. State economists say the cost of Hurricane Irma, and the cost of absorbing thousands of Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria, have wiped out the state's modest budget surplus. Scott has a controversial record on the environment. In the past he's called for budget cuts to the state's regional water management districts, and the state Dept. of Environmental Protection. He's floated ideas in the past that would open up state parks to more private business, and his agency has been accused of trying to white wash the term "climate change," a topic he has avoided in public statements in the past. Some question why he is making such a big push for the environment now, among them Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum. Next year is Scott's last year in office, and it's widely believed he will run for Florida Senate in 2018 against incumbent Bill Nelson, an environmental champion. The Pine Hills area has had a large number of bad wrecks involving pedestrians and Ruth Hill from Orlando wants to know when or if improvements are coming. Pine Hills sees pedestrian safety phase Phase 1 is between Alhambra Drive and Silver Star Road She asks: "When will things change in Pine Hills? There have been so many tragic accidents in the past. It seems like walkers need more options." Spectrum News 13 gets questions like that all the time regarding pedestrian safety and the Pine Hills area and as it turns out, just this past week the station got word of some significant progress. For Wednesday afternoon at Barnett Park marked what officials hope is the beginning of a pedestrian safety renaissance for the Pine Hills area as the first phase of the Pine Hills Trail was unveiled. "Its very needed," said Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs. "We love this park. It's one of our really premier parks. And it's in an area that needs parks, that needs opportunities to do things as families." In fact, it's labeled as the third most needed trail according to Orange County's Trails Master Plan. It's a small step for a much bigger plan for pedestrians and bikers. "This is an eight-mile section of the first part of what really is a 250 mile trail system all the way from the east coast to the west coast of the state of Florida," added Jacobs. This ribbon-cutting only marked the opening of Phase 1 of the Pine Hills trail between Alhambra Drive and Silver Star Road for now, a stretch of about two and a half miles. Officials are hoping even that small stretch will have a big impact on an area that always has lots of children. "It connects a few schools," pointed out Matt Suedmeyer, manager of Orange County Parks and Recreation. "Pine Hills Elementary School and it's really close to Evans High School at the intersection of Silver Star and Pine Hills Road." The location was seen as ideal because of its safety and seclusion from Pine Hills Road and Hastings Street. With this trail expected to help accommodate more than 60,000 residents, officials hope that this will be a huge recreational asset to a high-density area. The county's master plan calls for two more phases of the trail. The second phase of the Pine Hills Trail hasn't been funded yet for design or construction but when completed will eventually connect the trail from Silver Star Road to Clarcona Ocoee Road. The third phase will extend from Clarcona Ocoee Road to the Seminole-Wekiva Trail. View our Real Time Traffic Map and check cameras on Central Florida's major roads. If you have a traffic question, Ryan Harper can answer it. Send him your question. Two men from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico were recently arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle more than $900,000 in heroin and methamphetamine, according to court documents. A federal judge ordered Alfredo Mario Alberto Ruiz Esparza Navarrete and Raul Cardenas Camarillo, both 41, detained, pending further court proceedings, according to court records obtained this week. Trudeau said says he will meet with Groysman in Ottawa on Oct 31 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a meeting in Ottawa with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman for October 31 during the latter's visit to Canada. During the meeting, Trudeau and Groysman will explore ways to deepen the relationship between Canada and Ukraine, including through the trade and business opportunities created by the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement, a statement posted on the website of the Canadian government reads. Trudeau will also reiterate Canada's unwavering support for the people of Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its democratic, economic, and legal reform efforts. "Canada and Ukraine have a long history of friendship forged through generations of family ties and shared values. I look forward to meeting with Prime Minister Groysman to discuss how we can work together to build a more prosperous and secure future for both of our countries," the press service quoted the prime minister of Canada as saying. Kyiv reported earlier a visit of a governmental delegation led by the Ukrainian prime minister to Canada is scheduled for the end of October. LUBBOCK A 22-year-old Brownwood man, Sebastian Contreras, who pleaded guilty in July 2017 to two counts of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced last week by Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 168 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas. Contreras will begin serving his prison sentence on Dec. 1, 2017. According to documents filed in the case, in December 2016 and February 2017, Contreras used the Internet to download images of child pornography depicting female minors under the age of 18 years engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab resources. The U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Brown County Sheriffs Office, and the Brownwood Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy prosecuted. Over 100 senior automotive executives from Ukraine, Europe and North America will gather on 31st October at the Leopolis Hall in Lviv for the Ukrainian Automotive Forum (http://strategy-council.com/en/events/1/), which is being organised by Strategy Council of the UK and UkrAutoprom, the Ukrainian Vehicle Manufacturers Association. A key focus of the Forum will be on the major international automotive component manufacturers, who have been opening production facilities, primarily in western Ukraine, to serve their global OEM customers whose vehicle plants are located just over the border in the EU. Key speakers at the Forum include: Senior national and regional government officials who will outline strategies to support investment in the Ukrainian automotive sector. Regional leaders include: Oleg Sinyutka, Governor of Lviv region, Roman Matys, Head of Investment, Lviv Regional State Administration and Andriy Sadoviy, Mayor of the City of Lviv; National officials include: Volodymyr Omelyan, Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, Daniel Bilak, Director, UkraineInvest and Viktor Halasyuk, Chairman, Committee for Industrial Policy & Entrepreneurship, Verkhovna Rada; Top executives of major component manufacturers with production facilities in Ukraine, including: Gunther Ungericht of PRETTL Kabelkonfektion, Stephan Schmidt of Leoni Wiring Systems, Alexander Goetz of TE Connectivity, Laszlo Adorjani-Klosz of Gentherm Ukraine, Denys Gurak of Ukroboronprom and Oleh Bilobrovko of SE Bordnetze. In addition, Ukrainian-born Mariya Trickett, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Dana Inc, will address the crucial issue of hiring and retaining a suitably qualified workforce. Senior representatives of Ukraines leading vehicle manufacturers, who will outline their companies development strategies, such as Oleg Boyaryn, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Eurocar, Roman Chernyak, CEO of AvtoKrAZ and Mykhailo Reznik, President of UkrAutoprom. The full programme and speaker line-up for the Forum can be found here http://strategy-council.com/en/events/1/ For press accreditation and information partnership, do contact: olga.stefantsova@strategy-council.com For all programme and general enquiries, do contact: stephen.butler@strategy-council.com Interfax-Ukraine is the media partner of the Ukrainian Automotive Forum A sense of normalcy and routine settled back over Napa on Monday as the citys 18,000 students returned to class for the first time since a firestorm swept through their county two weeks ago. But normal was relative. Across the district, counselors were stationed at every school, ready to help students process the grief and trauma related to the homes and lives lost to fire. At Napa High School, a sign was posted at the entry to every classroom: The love in the air is thicker than the smoke! We missed you! So glad youre back. At the high school, students spent first period talking about the fires, and across the district, teachers planned to let students discuss the life-altering blazes, said Elizabeth Emmett, spokeswoman for the Napa Valley Unified School District. Every class is going to let kids take time to process and talk, she said. In one world literature class, the teacher unraveled a ball of blue yarn, stringing it from student to student as each one spoke until they were all part of one big web, said senior Colton Maher, 17. Then they each snipped off a section of the yarn and made bracelets they proceeded to wear around campus. It feels strange having spring break in the fall, Colton said. Were all ready to come back. But our routine got thrown off. He noted that the upside of two weeks off was extra time to finish a project on The Stranger, by Albert Camus. His classmate Malia Blackmon, 17, however, said that like a typical teenager, she still put off doing the Camus project until Sunday. But she wasnt feeling very typical Monday. Im super jittery and antsy and Im usually super mellow, but I cant sit still, she said. Its like living in a movie. These two weeks felt apocalyptic. When you dont have a clear blue day, it changes your mood a little. District officials sought to find a balance between acknowledging the fire and offering students the security of a class schedule and pepperoni pizza in the cafeteria. One teacher greeted every student with a hug, even as hall monitors chastised dawdlers for being late to class. A lot of students are excited and happy, but there are some who were affected who are keeping it in, said student body president Ulises Cid, 17. These two weeks have added a lot of stress. For seniors like Ulises, the evacuations and school closures were also complicating an already stressful college application process. State and local administrators were working to reschedule college entrance exams and extend deadlines at universities offering an early admission process. And teachers were having to backtrack, reviewing content to remind students what they were working on before the fires. Napa High student Martin Velazquez, 16, said his chemistry class had been working on atomic theory, but now two weeks later it was all a little fuzzy, like whether there are protons or electrons in the nucleus, and a lot of other stuff. His classmate Gage Kite added that hed forgotten a lot of verbs hed been conjugating in Spanish class. Hed also lost track of the plot of The Crucible, and so he wasnt feeling good about the 40-question quiz his teacher gave in the morning. I like school, but I could have used another week off, Gage said. You can always use another week off. That was the kind of typical teenage sentiment that was music to adult ears. The school had five counselors, a psychologist and other mental health workers on hand asking staff to refer any students who they felt might need some support. School security officer Chris Jenkins, who patrolled the campus on a bicycle, said for the most part it was a typical day at school. When youre 17, youre able to bounce back from things, maybe more than adults are, he said. Thats what theyre doing. The fire made this community a lot tighter than it was before. While students in Napa County readjusted to the routine of reading, writing and arithmetic, many of their counterparts in neighboring Sonoma County were expected to miss at least another week of school, including those in Santa Rosa public schools. Aside from smoke issues, no schools in Napa County were damaged by the Atlas Fire, although the blaze destroyed about 500 homes, businesses and wineries across the county. As of Monday, the fire had burned 51,624 acres and was 95 percent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. As students headed to schools, businesses were also hoping to get back to normal this week, and open signs across downtown beckoned customers. At the John Anthony vineyard tasting room on First Street, however, there wasnt a single visitor to sample Cabernet at three tastes for $25. Were open, said tasting room hostess Sylvie Tannhauser. If you want to support us, come on down and drink wine. Steve Rubenstein and Jill Tucker are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com, jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF, @jilltucker This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate On long climbs, Brad Gobright usually lets his mind wander to his favorite television shows, a song stuck on repeat in his head, food, friends and memories. But on Saturday, as Gobright and his climbing partner, Jim Reynolds, attempted to scale one of the worlds most famous and dangerous verticals in record-breaking time, there was no room for even a second of distraction. It could have cost him precious time or, worse, his life. Gobright and Reynolds set a new speed record on the Nose route of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on Saturday, climbing the nearly 90-degree 2,900-foot precipice in 2 hours and 19 minutes. Thats four minutes faster than the previous record set five years ago. A couple cool shots taken by @christian_cattell of @chimney_jim and I on the last hundred feet of the Nose. We got the speed record yesterday at 2:19:44! In this final section our stoke was high as we knew we had it in the bag! Maybe the hardest physical thing I've ever done. @gramicci A post shared by Brad Gobright (@bradgobright) on Oct 22, 2017 at 2:09pm PDT The big thing that Jim and I were worried about was that to some extent you have to kind of put safety behind you when youre trying to move that fast, Gobright, 29, said in an interview Sunday. It requires a lot of focus, much more than a regular climb. Speed climbing requires your full attention. Just 10 days earlier, a friend of theirs, Quinn Brett, suffered paralyzing spinal injuries when she fell 100 feet off the Boot Flake feature of the Nose and landed on boulders below. She, too, was attempting to climb the route in a day, though not for a speed record. Reynolds and Gobright had originally planned to attempt their record-setting climb the next day, but postponed after learning of Bretts fall. I worry about people up there, said Ken Yager, the president and founder of the Yosemite Climbing Association. Its a very dangerous pursuit. Especially when you add speed to the mix. More than two dozen people have been killed on El Capitan since 1905. Yager, who used to lead climbs up the Nose, said it typically takes three days to complete the ascent, which tops out at 7,569 feet above sea level. The conditions Saturday were less than ideal. The air was tinged with smoke, pushed into the Yosemite Valley by winds from the north. The route was crowded with climbers, more than Gobright had ever seen in his nearly 30 times up the Nose. They werent sure they would make it. But they decided they had to try. To maximize their speed, they ditched camming devices meant to prevent falls and whatever weighty gear they could live without. They didnt pack food or water. After two hours of heavy breathing, Gobright said, he could feel the smoke affecting him. His throat was scratchy, his mouth dry. But they were so close. Yager and other rock-climbing experts said what pushed Gobright and Reynolds over the speed record was their strategy in the climbs final stretch: The two men ascended nearly simultaneously, foregoing the usual practice of having one climber go on ahead of the other. If youve got two fast people and they can climb together, thats how you get the fastest time, Yager said. With a standard ascent youll have a lot more gear, and youll use a lot more of that gear. (Gobright and Reynolds) had about one piece of gear between them and the ground. When they reached the top, Gobright said, they could hear the cheers of a crowd of friends, family and supporters gathered on the meadow below. Five minutes later, he said, his phone beeped with the receipt of a new message. It was from Hans Florine, the previous record holder. He was sending his congratulations. Florine and Alex Honnold climbed the Nose in 2 hours and 23 minutes in June 2012. Florine, now 53, has set eight speed records for his climbs up the Nose since 1990. Gobright, who has been climbing since he was 7 years old, said the Nose has always held a special appeal for him. But it wasnt until a year and a half ago, on his first climb with Reynolds, that he thought he might be a contender for the speed record. Before Jim and I were trying to go for the record, wed just do it fast so wed have time to do more climbs before the sun went down, he said. Thinking we could try for the record seemed crazy at first. It was this really big, big goal that seemed kind of out of reach. I think thats why we wanted to do it. More than 200 locales submitted formal bids to house Amazons second North American headquarters including several in the Bay Area. The retailer announced Monday it received 238 proposals from cities and regions eager to host HQ2, a $5 billion investment that Amazon says will bring 50,000 high-paying jobs to the winning city. When Amazon announced its search for a second home on Sept. 7, the company included a list of requirements: a city with over 1 million people, a business-friendly environment, the ability to attract tech talent, and communities that think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options. Amazon said it would consider cities that offer a downtown location, but the company also insisted it isnt wed to the idea of duplicating its Seattle campus. Hundreds of cities and regions made their cases before Thursdays deadline to submit proposals. Some were distinctive: Calgary, Alberta, put up a billboard Thursday announcing the city would fight a bear for HQ2, while New York turned the citys prominent buildings Amazon orange the night before the deadline. A coalition of Bay Area cities including San Francisco and Oakland submitted a joint bid, while San Jose filed a separate one. Other cities made news simply by announcing they wouldnt make a bid. Blindly giving away the farm isnt our style, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff wrote in a joint letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Wednesday. Its hard to imagine that a forward-thinking company like Amazon hasnt already selected its preferred location. And if thats the case, then this public process is, intentionally or not, creating a bidding war amongst states and cities. Little Rock, Ark., preemptively broke up with Amazon in a full-page ad in the Bezos-owned Washington Post Thursday morning. Amazon, youve got so much going for you, and youll find what youre looking for, the ad read in part. But its just not us. The company will decide on its new home sometime in 2018. Founded by Bezos in 1994 as an online bookstore before growing into the worlds third-largest retailer, Amazon has transformed Seattle, particularly the citys South Lake Union neighborhood, which houses most of the companys current 33-building headquarters and 40,000 employees. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Stephen Cohen is a SeattlePI.com writer. The Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to hire more than 300 people during an Austin job fair Saturday and Sunday to help the agencys Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. The fair will be conducted between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 1309 Rutherford Lane in North Austin. The positions pay between $14 and $37 an hour, depending on the position. People who are hired will work at FEMAs joint field office in Austin with some workers required to travel small distances, said FEMA spokesman Leo Skinner. The jobs are temporary, and people who are hired will be able to move into FEMAs on-call reservists program, Skinner said. FEMA will be in the state as long as long as it takes. There will be a long-term housing program, too, going forward, Skinner said. About 1,400 people already are working at FEMAs field office in Austin, he said. FEMA currently is providing assistance for four disasters, hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the California wildfires, Skinner said. The people hired in Austin this weekend will work solely on Hurricane Harvey recovery along the Texas coast, he said. The open positions include American Sign Language interpreters, bookkeepers, accountants, auditing clerks, civil engineers, claims adjusters, examiners, couriers, messengers, customer support representatives in multiple languages, disability integration advisors, global information systems specialists, graphic designers, writers, information technology specialists and administrative assistants. Job seekers should bring copies of their resumes and should be ready to be interviewed, Skinner said. They should also bring drivers licenses and Social Security cards or passports and must pass background checks. Online pre-registration is preferred by emailing resumes to: fema-dr4223TX-localhires@fema.dhs.gov. People unable to attend the job fair may apply online at: www.workintexas.com and search FEMA under the search all jobs option. dhendricks@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate By the looks of it, the Silo chain may be extending its San Antonio footprint into a downtown location, nestled in the historic Fairmount Hotel. The chain, which has locations at the Dominion, Alamo Heights and the Stone Oak area seems to be taking its elevated cuisine to 401 S. Alamo St., perched between Southtown and the heart of downtown. Multiple inquiries made to both Silo and the Fairmount Hotel were unsuccessful, but an Instagram account for "Silo Prime" shows some fancy digs are moving into the lower-level of the building. The account teases an "upscale, classic American steakhouse featuring prime selected steaks, chef features and an elegant wine menu" is "coming soon," this fall. RELATED: Critic takes aim at Chef Jason Dady's newest restaurant: Range chophouse on the River Walk The "newest addition to the Silo family" also boasts "elevated" views of the downtown skyline, according to the account. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation also shows a 2016 project review for Silo at the Fairmount Hotel saying, "The project consists of two restaurant finish-outs." The Fairmount Hotel's website says the "restaurant is currently under renovation. We will be unveiling exciting news about our new restaurant and chef soon." A call to the front desk on Monday suggested two restaurants a Silo outpost and another restaurant are on the way and that an opening could be forthcoming as soon as the end of the month. The restaurant has been vacant since Jason Dady's Tre Trattoria closed in 2014. See signs of new life from the Silo Prime Instagram account in the gallery above. Staff writer Mike Sutter contributed to this report. | Madalyn Mendoza is a digital reporter for MySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| mmendoza@mysa.com | Twitter: @MaddySkye NEW MILFORD An 18-year-old New Milford man appeared in court Friday on charges that he kidnapped and beat his girlfriend last week. Paul Stormy Pacheco kicked and hit his girlfriend in the head and shoulder before taking her phone and forcing her into his car last Thursday evening, police said. He is charged with second-degree kidnapping and three second-degree assault charges. Pacheco also faces misdemeanor drug charges for marijuana and traffic violations. New Milford police first heard of the kidnapping when Pachecos neighbors on Paper Mill Road called police to report a loud fight, according to court documents. When police arrived, they learned that Pacheco had sped off with his girlfriend in his spray-painted black Honda Accord. Police set off in search of the Accord, and soon got another call from residents of the Bel Air condominium complex, who reported that the two were now fighting in the Bel Air parking lot, police said. Police started tracking the girlfriends cellphone, which they located at Chappuis Park, about a mile north of Pachecos home. There, police found the two. Pacheco was in the driver seat of the car with both his girlfriends cellphone and her ID while she sat, bloodied, in the passenger seat, police said. She was injured from the assaults and when Pacheco slammed on the brakes causing her head to hit the dashboard, police said. The girlfriend, who had protective orders against Pacheco stemming from earlier assaults, was taken to New Milford Hospital. According to court documents, police learned early Friday that the girlfriend was believed to possibly have internal cranial bleeding. Pacheco was also taken to the hospital, where he was evaluated and released to police. But once in his jail cell, Pacheco slammed his head into walls and cell bars, police said, so he was taken back to New Milford Hospital. Pacheco, who is being held in lieu of $50,000 bond, is next due in state Superior Court in Torrington on Nov. 13. blytton@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3411; @bglytton This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DERBY For the first time in a dozen years, the citys two mayoral candidates will square off in a debate Tuesday night. Mayor Anita Dugatto and her Republican challenger, Richard Dziekan, will take center stage in the high school auditorium beginning at 7 p.m. The two-hour debate is open to the public. The race is considered the closest in the Valley. In Shelton and Seymour, Republican Mayor Mark Lauretti and First Selectman Kurt Miller are running unchallenged. In Ansonia, David Cassetti, the two-term Republican mayor, is being challenged by Tarak Raslan, a political newcomer. Both Dugatto and Dziekan used the weekend to knock on doors and talk to voters. Dugatto, accompanied by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, spent Saturday in the Orangewood Condominium complex on Route 34. Next Saturday she plans to door knock with U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, she said. Dziekan said he is close to having knocked on every door in the city. Debates enable the voters to make an informed decision, Dugatto said Monday. Im not nervous. Im very proud of what my administration has been able to accomplish. We need to keep moving Derby forward. Among the topics expected to be discussed is last weeks announcement that the state will begin demolishing the remaining buildings on the south side of Main Street in 90 days. The demolition is expected to pave the way for widening Route 34/Main Street into four lanes from the Route 8 exit to the Derby/Shelton bridge. That project is expected to start in 2019. The mayor also is expected to talk about a U-shaped development plan for the future downtown and how she has spent much of the past four years resolving issues left behind by the previous Republican administration: the decaying water pollution control system, settling the $4 million OSullivans Island pollution clean-up for $675,000 and upgrading city halls technology systems. Dugatto said the city hall computer system was so corrupted with viruses that the Town/City clerks office was blackballed from sending information to the state. Dziekan, who lost by 112 votes to Dugatto in 2015, said, There are a lot more questions shes going to have to answer. Dziekan, a Hamden police officer, said he plans to ask Dugatto about the rainy day fund of less than $1 million which led Standard and Poors to put the citys AA bond rating on a watch list and the closing of Adams and Walmart, which have left third-ward residents without a nearby grocery or department store nearby. He also is expected to talk about the citys 39.37 mill rate, which is the 18th highest among the states 169 municipalities, and the $32 million drop in the Grand List. He also said he planned to bring up the neighborhood outcry over a proposal to turn the former Marshall Lane Manor convalescent home into a dormitory for 110 teenage students from China attending private high schools. The debate is a joint venture between the citys school system and the Valley Independent Sentinel. It will open with each candidate making a three-minute statement followed by a question to each candidate from a high school student. The candidates will ask each other three questions and then answer questions from local reporters. It will end with each candidate making a closing statement. No questions from the public will be taken and audience members are asked not to vocally respond to answers given by the candidates. HAMDEN Since increasing speeding and traffic safety enforcement this year, the Police Department has seen significant results in a recent reports of the town-wide effort to reduce vehicle accidents and fatalities. From May to July this year, the department more than quadrupled the number of written warnings and more than doubled the number of verbal warnings, infractions and misdemeanor charges they issued related to traffic safety enforcement, compared with last year in during the same months. The primary mission is to mitigate crashes, not to punish citizens, Chief of Police Thomas Wydra said. In that period, the department issued 107 written warnings, 579 verbal warnings, 526 infractions, and 48 total misdemeanor charges. The increased enforcement statistics represent a 435 percent increase in written warnings, a 119 percent increase in verbal warnings, a 138 percent increase in infractions and a 167 percent increase in total misdemeanor charges issued when comparing 2016 and 2017 enforcement incidents during the same months. The department also saw an uptick in citations during August, which is known as Distracted Driving Month, when departments conduct initiatives such as U Drive, U Text, U Pay. In August alone, 45 more written warnings, 105 more verbal warnings, 212 more infractions, and eight more misdemeanor charges were issued than in August 2016. Across 1,388 locations in town where officers conducted vehicle stops, the report found the largest issues were speeding, running lights and stop signs and drivers not wearing seat belts, which are common in many towns with traffic safety issues, Wydra said. Along with other physical traffic calming efforts, such as signs, paint markings, speed humps and more, the enforcement shows people driving in Hamden that this local government takes fast and unsafe driving very seriously, Mayor Curt Leng said. The department has been growing its traffic division over the years, Wydra said, but during this effort also included patrol officers. Part of the goal is to deter activity and a benefit of traffic enforcement is identifying problem streets with engineering, Wydra said. Along with increased enforcement effort, the town is conducting a number of traffic calming and traffic safety studies to measure issues of speeding and other traffic violations and determine solutions. The locations of the studies include Todd Street, Ridge Road and the intersection of Hillfield and Johnson Roads. These studies produce recommendations for solutions to traffic safety issues in the studied area, Wydra said. Residents living near Hillfield and Johnson Roads expressed their concerns for traffic safety at a recent Legislative Council meeting. This effort will continue indefinitely as we work together to make our streets safer, Leng said. From May 1 to July 31, 556 motor vehicle accidents were reported and 83 involved complaint of injury, according to the departments traffic report. Democratic members of President Donald Trump's voter fraud commission are voicing mounting frustration about its mission and lack of collaboration, raising questions about the future of a bipartisan panel that has been a magnet for controversy since its inception. In just the past week, two of the commission's four Democrats have written letters to its executive director, demanding basic information such as when the panel might meet again, what kind of research is being conducted by its staff and when it might send a report to the president. Their concerns are being fed by suspicions that the panel's direction was preordained and that the agenda is being driven by its Republican members, several of whom would like to see restrictions on voting imposed that would be detrimental to Democrats. RELATED VIDEO: Two top Hogan officials OK'd participation in Trump voter fraud commission, emails show Now Playing: Two top Hogan officials OK'd participation in Trump voter fraud commission, emails show. Video: The Baltimore Sun "I think the basis of this whole commission was an urban legend," said Alan King, a probate judge in Alabama and one of the Democratic members who recently wrote commission leaders seeking information. "If you're going to go down this road, it needs to be done right, and it needs to be done in a professional way. So far, I haven't seen that." The commission was launched by Trump following his baseless assertion that he had not only prevailed in the electoral college but would have won the popular vote if he hadn't been thwarted by as many as 5 million illegally cast votes. The 11-member panel, which is nominally chaired by Vice President Mike Pence and formally known as the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, has met publicly twice, in Washington in July and in New Hampshire last month. A third meeting has yet to be announced. "For all I know, we may never meet again," said Matthew Dunlap, Maine's secretary of state and a Democratic commissioner. Asked about plans for future meetings, the commission's executive director, Andrew Kossack, issued a statement leaving open the possibility there would be none. "The Commission continues to review information obtained during the last meeting and will keep all Commission members updated should further meetings be scheduled," Kossack said. The panel was rattled in recent weeks by two unforeseen events: the arrest of a staff member on charges of possessing child pornography and the death of one of the commissioners, David Dunn, a former Arkansas state legislator. Dunlap said the only formal communication he's had with commission staff since the Sept. 12 meeting in New Hampshire was an email about Dunn's death. In a letter last week to the executive director of the commission, Dunlap demanded copies of all correspondence between its members since its inception, citing a provision of federal law that he said entitles him to that information. Dunlap said his concerns have been growing for some time but that he was prompted to write his letter after learning of the arrest of Ronald Williams II, a policy adviser for the commission. Dunlap said he first heard about the arrest when he was walking into church two Sundays ago and received a text message from a reporter asking about it. There still has been no formal communication about the arrest from the commission, he said. Despite the concerns raised by Democratic members, J. Christian Adams, a Republican on the commission, said he remains confident that the group will fulfill its mission. "I think it's a good idea to actually try to work together and get something done," said Adams, who leads an organization whose work has included a report titled, "Alien Invasion II," which details the presence on noncitizens on the voter rolls in Virginia. The executive order establishing the commission calls for it to produce a report to Trump detailing laws and policies that both enhance and undermine "the American people's confidence in the integrity of the voting." Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, R, the vice chairman of the commission, who has vigorously sought prosecution of illegal voting in his state, did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, a Democratic member of the commission, criticized Kobach at the panel's last meeting for having written a piece for Breitbart News in which he speculated, without evidence, that the result of New Hampshire's Senate election last year "likely" changed because of voter fraud. But in an interview last week, Gardner said he remains hopeful the commission can do some good after what he acknowledged has been a very rocky start. "Sometimes if you're tested severely at the beginning, you end up much stronger at the end," Gardner said. Among other things, Gardner would like the commission to examine why average voter turnout in presidential elections since 1972 has been lower than in the previous five elections, despite multiple efforts across the country since then to make voting easier. "I think we will meet again," Gardner said. "I have no reason to think we will not." Even before the panel first convened in July - at a meeting where Pence assured the public there were "no preconceived notions" - it was the source of considerable controversy. A request to states for massive amounts of voter data was met with a public outcry, including from some Republican secretaries of state, who said it was overly broad and raised privacy concerns. Among the information requested were home addresses, dates of birth and partial Social Security numbers. Leaders of the commission have defended the request, saying lost in the controversy was the fact that letters sent to states requested only publicly available data, an acknowledgment that disclosure laws vary from state to state. The commission has also drawn multiple lawsuits and other complaints seeking to curb its authority and force it to conduct more of its work in public. Among the latest was a complaint filed last week with the Office of Special Counsel alleging members of the commission are violating the Hatch Act, which prohibits most executive-branch employees from engaging in political activity while on duty. The complaint, filed by the American Democracy Legal Fund, contends Kobach and others on the commission are "trying to leverage governmental authority to lend credibility to implausible claims of widespread voter fraud." Trump's commission also continues to draw the ire of Democratic members of Congress. A letter signed last week by 18 Democratic senators complained that its previous letters to the commission had gone unanswered and said they continue to be concerned about the commission's collection of data from the states. A separate letter from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., sought information about the commission's vetting process for staff in the wake of the news of the arrest of Williams. Among the questions she posed: "Did the staffer charged with possession and distribution of child pornography have access to voter data, including data collected for minors who pre-register to vote?" Klobuchar requested answers by Wednesday. A commission official told The Post that Williams, a Maryland resident, was on loan from the Office of Special Counsel and had held several previous positions in the Justice Department, spanning multiple administrations, where background checks and security clearances were required. The official requested anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. Neither of the Democratic members of the commission who wrote critical letters last week said they have plans of stepping down at this point. "I've served on civic club subcommittees where there was a lot more contact than what I have on what I assumed was a pretty high-level presidential commission," King said. But, he added: "If I step down, I'm kind of giving into the agenda. At my core, I don't run away from issues. At core, that's not who I am." Dr. Hans Hendrischke, professor at the University of Sydney SYDNEY, Oct. 23 (Peoples Daily Online) --On 18 October, 2017, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which attracted worldwide attention, opened in Beijing. Dr. Hans Hendrischke, a professor at the University of Sydney, Australia, said in an interview with Peoples Daily Online that China has become one of the main drivers of global economic development in the areas of trade, investment, and finance. Chinese youth have reason to be proud, he added. Belt and Road Initiative creates hope for regional economies around China Dr. Hendrischke said that the success of the Belt and Road Initiative creates a sense of confidence and hope for regional economies around China to integrate into larger markets. They will also be able to share the benefits of technological development and economic growth in a manner that would not be possible if they were operating as individual economies. Dr. Hendrischke used the energy infrastructure network between China and Central Asia as an example. On one hand, this is proof that China is able to project its capital and technology into new regions; on the other hand, this is a demonstration that new markets are emerging that will benefit other partner countries as well, he said. The stable and long-term development of our global economy cannot be separated from China Since joining the WTO in 2001, China has been firmly committed to reforming and opening up, even in the face of rising global protectionism. In 2001, China needed the WTO in order to open up its domestic economy, Dr. Hendrischke said. Furthermore, he believes that Chinas economy is currently one of the major drivers of the global economy through trade, investment, and finance. Therefore, the sustainability of Chinas economic growth is critical to the long-term stability of the global economy. China occupies global leadership in many fields In May 2017, youths from 20 countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative voted for the new four great inventions: high speed railways, electronic payments, shared bicycles, and online shopping. Dr. Hendrischke states that Chinas young generation has reason to be proud when they see new products coming out of China. However, these new creations are only the tip of the iceberg. China is implementing the Made in China 2025 strategy, which will lead to upgraded manufacturing. Dr. Hendrischke believes that the use of big data and artificial intelligence will allow China to rapidly occupy the leading position in information technology and financial services. Most importantly, Dr. Hendrischke states that China is an increasingly important part of the global economy and of global social change, and he expects China to keep taking on global responsibilities. Lawyers for an undocumented pregnant teenager detained in Texas have asked the full federal appeals court of ten judges in Washington to immediately consider allowing her to get an abortion. The move came after a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday declined to order the federal government to immediately let the 17-year-old girl obtain an abortion. Instead, the appeals court panel gave the Department of Health and Human Services 11 days to find a sponsor to take custody of the girl. Late Sunday, lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union filed a petition asking the full D.C. appeals court to hold another hearing for the girl, who is about 15 weeks pregnant. The teenager, identified in court papers only as Jane Doe, is a Central American immigrant who has been seeking an abortion since September. She has a permission from a state judge to obtain an abortion, but Trump administration officials have refused to transport her to a clinic. The government says it has a policy of "refusing to facilitate" abortions for undocumented minors. This marks a shift from the Obama administration, which allowed them. Her lawyers say the government is violating her constitutional right to choose an abortion. The panel's decision to allow the government to continue to blocking the abortion, lawyers argued in the petition Sunday, "violates decades of well-settled Supreme Court precedent that holds that the government may not impose an undue burden on-or, as in this extraordinary case, completely block-a woman's ability to obtain an abortion." The court gave the government until 11 a.m. Monday to file a response to the petition. "Time is really of the essence,"Arthur Spitzer, a lawyer with the ACLU, told The Post early Monday morning. "Every day, every week that goes by is a psychological harm to her." Spitzer added that the longer the pregnancy continues, the more risky the abortion could become. "The government has already delayed this by a month," Spitzer said. "One way or another we hope that they will decide quickly." While the full court does not often review the actions of a panel on emergency order, Spitzer thought the chances were relatively good in this case. Five votes are required to review the panel's actions and one of the judges is recused, Spitzer said. If the appeals court declines to review the panel's decision, the lawyers will consider taking the case to the Supreme Court, Spitzer said. NEW HAVEN Marcus Paca, who lost to Mayor Toni Harp in the Democratic primary last month, is suspending his campaign for the general election. His name however, will remain on the ballot, and Paca hopes his supporters will still vote for him. I remain hopeful that New Haveners will vote for a change and a new, positive direction for our city. I strongly belief I can chart the most promising course forward, Paca said in a Register forum piece. But he added that it was too short a window until the Nov. 7 election to overcome the strong forces of special interests, entrenched mutually-beneficial relationships and money he said are connected to his opponent. Harp, when told that Paca had suspended his campaign, said she knew nothing about that and had no comment at the moment. Paca lost his challenge to Harp on Sept. 12, when Democrats voted three to one in favor of the two-term mayor for the party nomination over the first-time challenger. Paca was the former labor relations director for the city before Harp fired him after embarassing emails between staff connected to the dismissal of Nichole Jefferson were released from his office. She also accused him of signing contracts that cost the city money. Paca was also a one-term alder. He said he feels his platform triggered discussion of affordable housing and services for the homeless; a concentration on economic development for the neighborhoods; the need for a diversified workforce and development at Long Wharf. Paca has been critical of the direction of the school system, which he said was defined by political power grabs and pettiness. Both campaigns filed complaints with the State Election Enforcement Commission against each other. Rulings on these things can take months or longer. Paca, in his forum piece, said if Harp opts for state office, he hopes she will commit to serving a full third term as mayor of New Haven. We can agree that the problems were facing require a full-time commitment to solve. Harp is among those looking to the 2018 gubernatorial election, possibly as a lieutenant governor contender. Paca said he was proud to have not accepted any donations from city contractors, special interests or big donors. The incredible people who have tirelessly supported my campaign were not motivated by promises of city contracts, employment or promotions, he wrote. They did not allow themselves to be threatened or intimidated by harassment from City Hall, machine politics or special interests. Paca urged residents to vote on Nov. 7, as less than 20 percent of eligible Democrats cast a ballot in the primary, which meant it was determined by fewer than five percent of the citys voters. Local politics has tremendous impact over the day-to-day aspects of peoples lives. Every voice matters. Every vote truly counts,. Paca wrote.Voter apathy benefits no one, so where we see disengagement as we do in New Haven, it is incumbent upon leaders to restore confidence in their offices and the political system. There was one debate between the candidates and one, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, had been scheduled for Tuesday. The debate got personal, with Harp accusing him of having a failed job record throughout his career, while he said her response was more character assassination. Harp, as of the latest campaign filing, had raised more than $190,000 since she began the effort a year ago, which also included a $5,000 personal loan, far outspending Paca who opted for public campaign financing. The decision by Alexion to move a large contingent of its workforce to Boston failed to have any impact on the election. Paca and his wife, Mendi Blue, both have suits against the city over Harps firing of the couple. Paca said he will remain active in city affairs and will encourage others to do the same. Given New Havens serious fiscal troubles, the foreseeable years are going to be very difficult ones. For the city to emerge stronger on the other side, we will need to harness the wisdom and power of our collective voices, he wrote. A pair of pit bulls attacked and killed a 7-year-old boy in Lowell, Massachusetts. A preliminary investigation suggested the unidentified boy entered a fenced area containing the two pit bulls, which then attacked him, the Middlesex district attorney's office said in a statement to several local media outlets. Neighbors witnessed the attack at around 6 p.m. Saturday evening and frantically began calling police. "I heard someone yelling, 'It's my baby! It's my baby!' and I come to find out that it was my daughter's friend's son," neighbor Annmarie Dizazzo told WFXT. Records show there were multiple 911 calls. "A child's being attacked by some sort of animal," the operator told police. "Apparently the dog will not let go of the child." When police arrived, the child was already dead, Fox News reported. By then, at least one of the dogs had escaped the enclosure. It then charged at a police officer, who shot the dog, which continued running toward him anyway. "Lowell, shots fired, the dog is hit, it's still coming at me," the officer told the operator. That pit bull was later captured and euthanized. The other dog is currently being held by animal control officials, according to the Boston Globe. The incident remains under investigation, and no charges have been filed. One neighbor told WHDH that the boy's mother is "trying to wake up from this nightmare." The Lowell City Council passed an ordinance in June 2011 that limits pet owners to two pit bulls, which must be spayed or neutered. Owners also have to keep the dogs muzzled or secured in a temporary enclosure, according to the Lowell Sun. Many who perceived the dogs as dangerous argue that they shouldn't be allowed as pets - and in many cities, they're not. They're also banned from all military bases in the United States for being a "dangerous dog breed." From 2005 to 2015, pit bull attacks caused 232 deaths, which accounted for 64 percent of all deaths caused by dog bites during that decade, according to the nonprofit organization DogsBite. But some argue that the dogs themselves aren't inherently dangerous. The breed descended from the English bull-baiting dog, an animal that was bred "to bite and hold bulls, bears and other large animals around the face and head," according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Eventually, people began pitting the dogs against each other, once baiting large animals was outlawed in the 1800s. Through crossbreeding with terriers, the American pit bull was created. But the ASPCA argued that while pit bulls "may be more likely than other breeds to fight with dogs," this doesn't translate into aggression toward humans. Now Playing: The California Highway Patrol is investigating an overnight freeway shooting in San Bruno, where the victim is believed to be an Uber driver coming from San Francisco International Airport. Leigh Martinez reports Video: KTVU A driver for a ride-hailing service was shot as he drove two passengers from San Francisco International Airport along Interstate 380 late Sunday near San Bruno, officials said. The driver is expected to survive after being treated for a gunshot wound to the neck, California Highway Patrol officials said. Puerto Rico is slated to open about one-tenth of its schools Tuesday - despite not having electricity in classrooms - a small but critical step in returning one of the nation's largest school systems to normalcy. The territory's Education Department said students will return to class at 119 campuses in the island's capital, San Juan, and in Mayaguez, on the west coast. Students at an additional 26 schools, which are still under repair, will be transferred to nearby schools that are ready to accept students. Teachers returned to class Monday to prepare their classrooms. Before the storm hit Sept. 20, the island had more than 1,100 schools that educated 347,000 students, nearly all of whom qualified for free meals. Officials expect that many students have left the island and enrolled in schools in Miami, Orlando, Florida, New York and other areas with large populations of Puerto Ricans. Julia Keleher, the education secretary in Puerto Rico, said it remains unclear when the department will be able to reopen the remainder of the schools and said that it may decide to shutter some permanently. The agency had opened some schools as service centers, places where children could take half-day classes and where teachers and families could meet with federal officials. Other schools were being used as shelters, their classrooms transformed into makeshift bedrooms for displaced residents across the island. Tuesday is the first time any school will host a full day of classes, albeit without electricity, since Hurricane Maria. The storm struck a beleaguered school system. In an effort to save $7 million, Keleher closed 179 schools this year as the island grappled with a deepening debt crisis. About 18,000 students left Puerto Rican schoolsas their families moved away from the island. She said waiting for the power to return would have kept students out of classrooms for many more weeks. So rather than keeping the schools shuttered, she is urging teachers to get creative in their instruction. Some schools were accustomed to outages even before the storm. "We want to try to bring the maximum benefit to the maximum number of students while protecting their safety and well-being," Keleher said. The Army Corps of Engineers has been assessing school buildings to ensure it is safe for children to return. Keleher said the island's education department will reopen schools only after they are deemed safe and found to have clean, running water. Keleher said she hopes teachers will make the best of the challenging situation and urged educators to abandon outdated teaching methods in favor of more hands-on, "project-based learning," which encourages students to find solutions to real-world problems. She sees it "as a huge opportunity for Puerto Rico and public education to re-engineer itself and for it to become an uplifting learning opportunity." The education department has begun to rewrite required curriculum. Keleher said she hopes teachers will incorporate the recovery from the storm into their classroom lessons. Women take part in an embroidery class in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region's Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner to learn how to decorate clothes, slippers and pillowcases with traditional designs. [Photo provided to China Daily] Government-run embroidery classes are among the measures being used to raise living standards, as Cui Jia reports from Beijing with Yuan Hui in Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Mu Dan is proud that she can now produce all kinds of traditional Mongolian embroidery, much as her mother did. Even better, the 40-year-old farmer in Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, is excited that her newly developed skills can lift her family out of poverty. The banner, a county-level settlement, lies at the north of the grassland in Horqin, and 86 percent of its population hails from the Mongolian ethnic group. Horqin means "archer" in Mongolian. The area is affected by severe desertification and a fragile environment, which means that farmers such as Mu are constantly concerned that their land will be hit by natural disasters that could leave them destitute and starving. After years of problems, the banner was placed on a list of areas of the most poverty-stricken places in the country. However, as a result of initiatives promoted by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and president of China, the list won't exist after 2020 because all the residents who live below the current poverty line, including Mu, will be lifted out of poverty by then. "Ensuring that poor people and impoverished areas will enter the 'moderately prosperous' society along with the rest of the country is a solemn promise made by our Party," Xi said, when he delivered a report to the 19th CPC National Congress on Wednesday. He added that poverty alleviation measures should reach the people who truly need them and must deliver genuine outcomes. In June, at a conference to discuss poverty alleviation measures and solutions with top officials from impoverished areas, including Horqin, Xi said lifting people out of poverty is one of the tasks to which he has devoted the most attention. During the first five years of his term as president, Xi has visited the 14 poorest parts of the country, and more than 30 of his 50-plus investigative visits nationwide have been related to poverty relief. The task is a formidable one. Winning the battle in areas of extreme poverty will be difficult, but with enough determination and the right measures, China can secure that victory, he said. Mu, from the banner, explained how the local conditions have pushed her family into poverty. "In a good year, my husband and I can earn about 20,000 yuan a year by selling our crops. However, Inner Mongolia experienced a severe drought last year so we almost had no income," she said. Residents with an interest in horses have been encouraged to start equine-related businesses in Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner to boost their income. [Photo provided to China Daily] Tailored measures In December, she began taking embroidery classes arranged by the local government as a part of a targeted poverty relief strategy. At the classes, she was taught how to decorate clothes, slippers and pillowcases with traditional embroidery. When complete, the items are sold online. The classes are part of the government's plan to make decisive progress in poverty alleviation. Every person living in poverty is now offered a tailor-made poverty relief plan designed to suit their family circumstances, personal skills and even their interests. Because Mongolians are passionate about horses and many learn to ride as children, the banner's authorities decided to create jobs by developing the equine industry. In addition to breeding horses, young Mongolians are encouraged to become skilled riders and take part in races nationwide. Xi first raised the idea of the targeted poverty relief in November 2013 when he visited a village in Huayuan, a county in the central province of Hunan. In June 2015, he explained the philosophy behind the strategy and its basic requirements while presiding at a CPC symposium on poverty relief and economic and social development in Guizhou province. Starting in 2014, before the tailor-made plans were drafted, the authorities conducted detailed surveys and registration work. The surveys identified 29.48 million poverty-stricken families, 89.62 million poor people and 128,000 impoverished villages, while pinpointing their distribution, examining the sources of their poverty and determining the measures required to raise living standards. The measures used in Horqin are perfect for Mu. "Embroidery is part of our ethnic group's heritage, I really enjoy doing it. I used to watch my mother doing it when I was age 4. I've made more than 5,000 yuan in the last six months," she said. The 2,600 women, including Mu, who were registered as poor and encouraged to join embroidery workshops earned an average of 2,000 yuan each between April and August, providing extra income for their families. The highest earner made 8,000 yuan. Now, 50 university graduates from the banner have established an association to help the women sell their embroidered products via the internet and mobile applications. "We can sell 150 to 200 pairs of slippers a day online. We expect online sales to rise in the future and the annual incomes of these hardworking women could reach between 5,000 and 8,000 yuan next year," said Fu Lin, head of the association. "Every yuan counts in poverty alleviation." E-commerce network The country's fast-growing e-commerce network is playing an important role in the latest round of poverty alleviation measures. Last year, online sales of products from poverty-stricken counties reached 29 trillion yuan, four times higher than five years ago. The determination and scale of the poverty alleviation projects launched after the 18th CPC National Congress at the end of 2012 is unprecedented, according to Liu Yongfu, director of the State Council Leading Group Office for Poverty Alleviation and Development. From 2013 to 2016, the number of people living in poverty fell from 99 million to 43.36 million, and more than 10 million people will be lifted out of poverty this year, Liu said. An average 13 million people have been lifted above the poverty line in each of the past five years. From 1986 to 2000, the figure was about 6.4 million, while it was 6.7 million from 2001 to 2010. In addition, the poverty head count ratio has fallen from 10.2 percent to less than 4 percent since 2012. During the same period, 28 counties have dropped the unglamorous "poverty-stricken" title, and more are expected to follow suit this year. For the first time in history, the number of poverty-stricken counties is falling, according to Liu. "The number of people being lifted out of poverty annually actually began to fall before the latest poverty alleviation approaches were put in place," he said. When he outlined the relief measures in 2014, Xi cited the key approaches as industrial development, relocation, environmental protection, education, social welfare and financial and medical support from the government. He also encouraged financial input from industries and social forces, saying the social welfare system should provide basic living standards for the impoverished and unemployed. In a letter of congratulation to the 2017 Global Poverty Reduction and Development Forum on Beijing, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke highly of China's poverty alleviation achievements, saying that targeted alleviation measures are the only way to help the poorest in society and to achieve the major goals of the organization's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, and its experience can offer valuable lessons to other developing countries, he added. Obstacles remain China's western areas have achieved the best results in poverty alleviation, the number of impoverished people has been halved in five years, but the West and a number of areas with large ethnic populationsincluding the Tibet autonomous region and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regionremain the biggest obstacles to achieving the goal of lifting the remaining 43.36 million people out of poverty on schedule. At present, about 39 percent of the 281,800 people in Pishan county, Hotan prefecture, southern Xinjiang, live below the poverty line. The county, designated a place of "extreme poverty" lies next to the Taklimakan Desert, the largest arid area in the country, and about 99 percent of its population hails from ethnic groups, including Uygurs, Tajiks and Kyrgyzs. "Although reaching the poverty relief target is extremely challenging as a result of the historical, social and environmental factors in the county, there is no excuse for us not achieving the goal along with the rest of the country," said Ahmet Memet, Party chief of Pishan who is also a delegate at the congress, on Thursday. After undertaking detailed analysis of the causes of poverty by visiting every impoverished household, the county authorities decided to help local people to raise the quality and output of agricultural produce, such as walnuts and dates, and improve water conservation facilities. People living in harsh environments are also offered the opportunity to relocate. "We fully respect their choices and make sure those who are willing to move can find new careers," said Ahmet Memet. He added that more than 57,740 people were lifted out poverty in Pishan between 2012 and last year. Future problems However, despite the progress made, the task is likely to become more difficult across the country. "It will be more costly and difficult to move forward," said Liu, from the State Council Leading Group Office. He added that a small number of officials in the worst-affected areas had succumbed to the pressure and falsified some statistics relating to the progress of poverty alleviation programs. Speaking in June, Xi said the country will adopt a strict appraisal system for poverty alleviation measures, and officials who forge statistics or misuse funds intended for poverty relief will be severely punished. He added that no matter how much assistance is provided, it won't make a difference if people lack motivation and are not willing to lift themselves out of poverty. "Leaning against the wall and sunbathing while waiting for the good life to be delivered is unacceptable," he said. When he delivered his report on Wednesday, Xi stressed the role education plays in the eradication of poverty. "We will pay particular attention to helping people gain greater confidence in their ability to lift themselves out of poverty and ensure that they have access to the education they need to do so," he said. Back in Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner, Mu has become a trainer at the embroidery workshop, earning an extra 100 yuan a day by teaching other women. "In addition to making more money, I have become more confident. I believe I can tackle more difficult patterns now," she said, with an optimistic smile. Would you spend over a thousand dollars on a pair of sneakers? There are plenty who would -- a pair of Adidas Yeezys comes with a price tag of $1,000 or more. For those who are less flush, the market has become flooded with knock-off fakes. These are promoted via comments and sponsored ads on sites like Facebook and Instagram. When Kanye West tweeted you probably got bootleg Yeezys on right now, followers responded in typical Twitter fashion, with a torrent of abuse from all angles, but when it came to real brand loyalty, sneakerheads were split. Die-hard fans rebuked the fakes, though others have been tempted by prices as low as $99. A year later, these social commerce scams are running riot online, fueled by social bots and a growing underground counterfeit economy, hijacking brand advertising efforts. Andrea Stroppas "Social media and luxury goods counterfeit" investigation revealed that 20 percent of Instagram posts for luxury brands feature counterfeit or illicit products. At BrandBastion, we conducted an investigation into Instagram counterfeiters to examine the risks brands face on social media and what they can do to fight it. Social medias safe harbor for organized crime. The luxury online retail market is estimated to reach $41.88 billion by 2019, according to Bain & Company. Its impressive, but just a fraction of the booming business of the $461 billion global counterfeit goods market funding large-scale criminal operations. Stroppas investigation explains how exploitative practices force women and children to work in inhumane conditions, in turn powering illegal gangs, dictatorships and global terrorism. Related: Evolve or Die: Luxury Brands Must Embrace Digital To Thrive Organized crime has entered the digital realm, with counterfeit trade visible on the most popular ecommerce platforms and social media streams. These operations are largely based in China, Russia, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Ukraine, though technology allows them to target global audiences. In the U.S., the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) mandates that so long as platforms have an effective takedown system, they are not liable, putting pressure on brands to protect themselves. Until now, this has mainly impacted selling tools such as eBay, Alibaba and commerce-friendly social network WeChat, to the detriment of luxury brands like Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton and Gucci. But digitally-savvy fake sellers have graduated from basic host services like eBay, finding global reach and big profits as commerce takes off on social media. Complete with new mobile-oriented features like Instagrams Shop Now and Buy buttons, these networks are becoming serious selling tools for counterfeit criminals. As online sellers invest in social growth tactics, the frauds are hot on their heels, armed with ad campaigns and bots, retargeting their users and flooding sites with illegal goods. This social media safe harbor creates a playground for fraudsters using aggressive tactics, even hijacking a brands own social media posts or ads to target audiences with counterfeit copies. The Instagram comments scam. BrandBastion examined a sample of 36,000 comments from the Instagram posts of 12 top luxury brands -- Salvatore Ferragamo, Manolo Blahnik, Marni, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Fendi, Jimmy Choo, Burberry, Balmain, Versace and Dior -- with a combined reach of more than 62 million followers. One in 18 comments included a serious threat for brands. Major dangers included 729 (2.03 percent) comments leading to direct counterfeiting from some 94 counterfeit sellers; 1,013 comments (2.81 percent) contained spam and scams; and 208 (0.58 percent) had brand attacks from avid activists, at times launching brand boycotts. Some retailers fared worse than others; 8.27 percent of Saint Laurent comments contained a brand threat. On the other end of the scale, Dior had 3.37 percent brand threats, though with a significantly larger following and greater posting activity. Related: U.S. Shuts Down Huge Online Dark Web Market, AlphaBay Counterfeiters borrow images scraped from online searches, newly embed fresh information to appear unchanged, and, armed with purchased fake followers, they often appear legitimate. Fraudulent accounts post comments such as Check out my page Got All Designer along with contact details, such as instant messenger chat IDs, enabling encrypted conversations with so-called "salespeople." The OECD reported that sellers post these goods via complex routes, preying on transit hotspots from countries with weak governance and widespread organized crime such as Afghanistan and Syria." Fighting fire with fire. Instagram is cracking down on fake accounts, purging millions of spam and bot accounts and using proactive tools such as spam detectors and blocking systems. But by cloning and replicating content, fresh accounts pop up every day. This proliferation of content keeps moderators busy in a cat-and-mouse chase. Meanwhile, the responsibility of tackling new social media fraudsters largely rests on law enforcement agencies, brands and innovative technologies. A digital ecosystem to target counterfeit sellers is in early stages. Informal name-and-shame accounts on Instagram, such as @fake_education and @yeezybusta reveal identified fake sellers. Online community forums like Scamadviser, Realscam and Scamwarners allow both retailers and consumers to name and shame known offending domains. Flipping community activism on its head, third-party services and blockchain technologies, such as startup Blockverify using the bitcoin currency infrastructure, also verify goods and track sales. The downside is that lack of formal regulation facilitates a free-for-all of independent forums and competing businesses. Moreover, uneducated consumers are often not deterred by fake labels and are unaware of real threats from criminal operations. One in four consumers report purchasing counterfeit products online -- and these forums can even aid their search for fake products. Brand managers need to be able to monitor new social media accounts using keywords, images, handles (or account names) and trending hashtags to uncover brand violations. New accounts often have similar names, posting behaviors and messages, and third-party forums also provide new leads. Its important that brands also have community moderation checks in place when it comes to their own content and community engagement, to ensure that sellers arent getting a free ride through hacking their own ads and posts. Related: Lax Online Security Can Destory Your Brand Overnight As fake sellers adopt new technology to mimic and automate brand posting behaviors, artificially-intelligent moderation tools help businesses to uncover the crooks. Its a battle of the bots, cross-referencing masses of data and identifying trends in order to uncover new threats and scams. Counterfeiters that have traditionally focused on luxury brands are branching out to all industries. While footwear is the most frequently copied, fraudsters plagiarize anything from high-fashion handbags to popular wines, automotive parts, chemicals, medication and even fresh fruit. With brands like Adidas, Louis Vuitton and Chanel fighting fakes and launching high-profile courtroom disputes, it draws attention to the crisis. Declaring war on this criminal activity, intelligent technology and anti-counterfeit partnerships seek to take control, cleaning up social media and kicking out those counterfeit crooks. Its a new wave of rebellion against organized crime masquerading as luxury produce and trusted household goods. Related: Inside the Walmart-Google Partnership: Getting to Know Consumers on a Whole New Level How Virtual Reality is Changing the Way You Construct your House Startups Are Not Exclusive to Urbanites. Here's Why Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com The San Antonio area will experience clear and sunny weather throughout the weekuntil a cold front moves in Friday. National Weather Service Meteorologist Yvette Benavides confirmed Sunday that Bexar County will see nice and sunny weather because of a dry cool front coming in Monday night into Tuesday morning. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Judge Nelson Wolff on Monday put economic development and job creation at the front of an ambitious agenda for Bexar Countys future, challenging the private sector to lend a hand in developing the local skilled workforce. In his annual State of the County address to the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Wolff laid out an itinerary that includes workforce training and the expansion of air travel and public transit. He said the court would be willing to consider helping Mayor Ron Nirenbergs recently announced airport task force if the commissioners agree with its recommendations, pointing to a state statute that gives both cities and counties authority on airport planning. Wolff also backed an aggressive approach through incentives to recruiting new businesses and growing existing ones, citing the recent additions of Hulu and the India-based manufacturer Indo-MIM through property tax abatements. But he defended his recent decision with Nirenberg to pull out of the competition for Amazons second headquarters, echoing their joint message that blindly giving away the farm isnt our style. Some local lawmakers have criticized the decision, saying the city and county gave up too early. We need to be smart in how we offer tax incentives, Wolff told the crowd of about 500 at a Grand Hyatt luncheon. We have an obligation to taxpayers to be prudent and thoughtful and not gamble with their funds. During his address, Wolff cited New Jerseys willingness to give Amazon $7 billion in state and local tax incentives as one example of the competition San Antonio would have faced. The company announced Tuesday it received 238 proposals for its headquarters. We do not want to mortgage our future playing a game like that, Wolff said. Early in his speech, Wolff called on businesses to double the programs they offer to students, including paid internships, job shadow days and ways for high school students to earn dual credits. He said afterward that with a skilled workforce, San Antonio would not have to seek out big companies running around with their hand out. Along with workforce development, Wolff on Monday put air travel and public transit at the top of his agenda. In supporting Nirenbergs independent panel to study ways of improving air service, Wolff mentioned the idea of an independent authority to oversee San Antonio International Airport, Stinson Municipal Airport and Kelly Field at Port San Antonio. He said Port San Antonios 11,500-foot-long runway about 3,000 feet longer than International Airports longest strip could change the dynamics of air service, allowing cargo planes and larger international aircraft to land. Wolff later said the airport authority is just one method he hopes the panel will consider, not necessarily the ideal route. I really hope that the city comes up with a good way to manage the great assets they've got, Wolff said. And maybe we could participate in that through an authority. But we'll have to see what they come up with and what they're willing to do. There are some great assets at Port San Antonio that are just not being used. Turning to mass transit, Wolff said the citys fixed-route bus system must evolve into a multimodal public transit system that includes light rail, bikes, car sharing and other areas. Beyond that, Wolff offered few specifics, saying he would be addressing these issues early next year with Nirenberg. Later in his address, Wolff announced Texas A&M-San Antonio will open up the Daughters of the Republic of Texas collection of 38,000 historical artifacts this week, located at the Bexar County archives building. He also touched on the state of county roads, calling for future highway funding from the state Legislature, and pointed to the Commissioners Courts joint opioid task force that last week announced a $3.2 million grant toward the use of Naloxone, a drug that counteracts opioid overdoses. Wolff, who turns 77 on Friday, announced Oct. 10 he will seek a fifth four-year term as county judge, a position he was appointed to in 2001. jscherer@express-news.net | Twitter: @jaspscherer Authorities are searching for at least one gunman who shot up a far Southeast Side trailer park Sunday night, hospitalizing one person. Deputies with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office responded to the shooting around 11:15 p.m. at the Lake Village Mobile Home Community in the 5000 block of Lake Mitchell, where they found the 36-year-old victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his stomach, officials said. China's marine research vessel Xiangyanghong 03. [File Photo: Science and Technology Daily] China has around ten marine research vessels under design or construction by the end of August 2017, according to the Oceanic Scientific Research Vessel Technology Summit 2017 held in Shanghai on Friday. It is learned at the summit that the country's first domestically built polar research vessel and icebreaker is expected to be put into use in 2019. The vessel will be able to break polar ice with both its bow and stern. China has 50 marine research vessels at present, which fall into series including Dongfanghong, Xiangyanghong, Yuanwang, Haiyang, Kexue and Shiyan, said Xing Wenhua, president of Shanghai Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers. Qu Tanzhou, head of science and technology department under the State Oceanic Administration, said the number and performance of these research vessels are far from adequate in terms of global marine research and international cooperation. Google Maps The Medina County Sheriff's Office is searching for the suspect in a fatal shooting at a Castroville home on Saturday. The victim, Harvey Gene Brown Jr., was shot in the chest around 9 p.m. at a home in the 18700 block of County Road 5737, authorities said. San Antonio Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information on a man who stole merchandise from Sephora at The Shops at La Cantera. The man robbed the store on Sept. 30 around 1:30 p.m., according to a news release from the Crime Stoppers. A San Antonio man assaulted his girlfriend's 85-year-old father after learning he was being evicted, according to police. Richard Michael Harbour, 29, was arrested by San Antonio police over the weekend on suspicion of injury to the elderly. RELATED: Uber driver yells out to reporters while being booked on sex assault charge On Friday evening, Harbour's girlfriend's father called police to report the assault, according to an arrest affidavit. He reportedly told police he had let Harbour stay with them, but began the eviction process after he believed Harbour was being violent with his daughter. Harbour was allegedly upset about being kicked out and punched the man several times. Police noted the man suffered visible injuries on his face and his body, the affidavit says. Harbour ran into his room and locked the door when police responded to the call and refused to open the door for them, the affidavit states. Harbour was previously convicted of a family violence charge in 2007, according to Bexar County court records. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA A San Antonio man assaulted his girlfriend with a shotgun in front of her children over comments she made about his family, according to police. Mark Cabrera, 26, was arrested Sunday evening on a warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate An Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting a San Antonio woman who requested a ride told reporters he didn't do anything wrong and, "She was drunk," as deputies brought him into custody on Monday. Juan Ontiveros, 28, was charged with sexual assault. Bexar County Sheriff's investigators believe he raped a woman on Feb. 25 at his northwest Bexar County home after picking her up from a downtown San Antonio bar. RELATED: SAPD: Man struck girlfriend with shotgun in front of her children Investigators believe there may be other victims. "We're hoping this will create awareness and other possible victims will decide to come forward," Sandra Pickell, a spokesperson with the sheriff's office, said. Now Playing: Uber is in trouble again for a sexist advertisement it ran for UberEATS. Tony Spitz has the details. Video: Buzz60 The woman called deputies the day of the alleged sexual assault after she woke up in Ontiveros' home and noticed her genital area felt "different," according to an arrest affidavit. She told police she was heavily intoxicated that night and could not remember having sex with Ontiveros. Ontiveros denied the claim when deputies questioned him, according to the affidavit. He reportedly told deputies the woman fell asleep before he reached her destination and that after he woke her up the woman left the car briefly before getting back in the car again. READ ALSO: Man accused in standoff allegedly fired toward Terrell Hills police officers before they shot him The Uber driver claimed he drove around the block hoping she'd wake up before he took her to his home 30 miles away, the affidavit states. He told deputies his intention was to drop her off at a safe place so he could continue picking up passengers. He also indicated he kept her ride open so her fare would be higher, according to the affidavit. Both Ontiveros and the victim agreed to a Sexual Assault Nurse's Exam. The results, returned in September, indicated the woman's DNA was found on Ontivero, authorities said. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Monday turned a Medal of Honor ceremony for a Vietnam-era Army medic who risked his life to help wounded comrades into a mini homework tutorial for the boy and girl who came to watch their grandfather be enshrined "into the history of our nation." Every Wednesday, retired Army Capt. Gary Rose's grandchildren - Kaitlyn and Christian - head to his Huntsville, Ala., home for "homework night" with him and their grandmother, Margaret, Trump said. "I think that Kaitlyn and Christian will agree this field trip is their best homework assignment yet. Right?" Trump said he had been told that Christian recently asked Rose about the Medal of Honor. Then he proceeded to explain. "It's the award given to America's bravest heroes who earn our freedom with their sacrifice," said Trump, whose lack of military service has drawn renewed attention during the debate over the fate of four service members killed in an ambush in Niger. "Those who receive the Medal of Honor went above and beyond the call of duty to protect their fellow service members and defend our nation," he said. With that, a military aide read a citation recounting the acts of heroism the now 70-year-old Rose performed on Sept. 11. 1970, as the only medic for 136 men on a mission designed to keep the North Vietnamese from moving weapons along the Ho Chi Minh trail. Throughout the four-day mission, Trump said, "Mike rescued those in distress without any thought for his own safety," including in one instance by using his body to shield a wounded soldier from the rat-tat-tat of machine gunfire while treating the man and then carrying him to safety. A helicopter sent to extract the men was downed by enemy fire. Before the chopper crashed, Rose rushed to the aid of a Marine gunner who was shot in the throat. Rose was thrown from the helicopter before it hit ground, but raced to the crash site less than a mile from where it had taken off and pulled one man after another from the smoldering wreckage, Trump said. Another helicopter rescued them. Rose, covered in blood by the time he reached the base, refused treatment until all of his men had received care "In every action during those four days, Mike valiantly fought for the life of his comrades, even if it meant the end of his own life," Trump said. he president seemed to marvel at how Rose now lives his life following two decades in the Army and a post-military career as an industrial designer. He volunteers with groups like the American Legion as well as a local soup kitchen, fixes broken appliances for his elderly and disabled neighbors, donates his hair for people with cancer, makes lunches for children who don't have enough to eat and organizes community gatherings "to bring people together, which is something we need all over the world and certainly in our country," Trump said. China's new energy bus companies shined at the 2017 Busworld Kortrijk in Belgium, as more innovations and breakthroughs have been made to their high-end buses, Xinhua News Agency reported. Chinese bus companies such as Zhejiang CRRC Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd, King Long, Higer, BYD, and Yutong debuted their latest vehicles at the expo. Zhejiang CRRC Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd jointly launched a 12-meter MTH fuel cell city bus with a Denmark fuel cell manufacturer at the opening. It was a major breakthrough in the new energy bus field as it can function well at a temperature of minus 25 degrees Celsius. After the expo, it will begin trial operation in Alborg, northern Denmark. The company also showcased a series of core proprietary technology to be used in unmanned vehicles including smart start and stop, automated acceleration and intelligent obstacle avoidance features. As a precursor to attending Busworld Kortrijk, King Long bus launched four brand new buses customized for the European market. King Long made full use of the expo to garner attention for its advanced bus manufacturing technology and concepts to facilitate the development of Chinese bus companies in Europe, according to a spokesperson for the company's European operations. At the event, Chinese bus companies are accelerating their progress in going global. BYD received 21 orders from Connexxion of Netherlands for its cutting-edge pure electric buses and cell technology at the media open day on October 19. Higer also reached a procurement deal with DAN, an Israeli bus company, for 100 super-capacitor buses. The Childrens Health Insurance Program began two decades ago as a bipartisan initiative, but it has now expired due to Republican indifference. The certainty of health insurance for an estimated 26,800 Bexar County children and 9 million across America could permanently disappear, along with services for many disadvantaged mothers. When childrens health suffers, so does their ability to learn, which only continues the cycle of inequality. Congress must not linger any longer while parents worry about their childs access to a family physician. The Arriola family is one of many that depend on CHIP. Laura had to leave her full-time job after a lupus diagnosis. Not too long afterward, the family lost health coverage when her husband lost his job. While working to overcome these setbacks, the family relies upon CHIP to insure their three children, providing them with care and peace of mind. On Thursday, I heard similar stories from physicians and child health advocates at the Childrens Hospital, where we focused attention on the need for immediate action to restore CHIP. Dr. Mark Gilger, the Childrens Hospital Pediatrician-in-Chief, began our event by explaining how CHIP is absolutely essential to the CHRISTUS Health model of providing preventative services to all children and to moms-to-be. Dr. Dianna Burns spoke eloquently about a 16-year-old with special needs on CHIP, whose father is a disabled veteran and whose mother is a home health care provider. This family sometimes struggles to even afford the $5 copay for covered services. Fred Hines, CEO of the Clarity Child Guidance Center, explained how CHIP allows children access to timely treatment for mental illness, including the trauma caused by disasters like Hurricane Harvey. Dr. Rudy Morales Urby shared the story of Juan and Maria, whose parents make a bit too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private coverage. Both of these children with chronic illnesses were finding themselves in the emergency room about once a month, before getting covered through CHIP. Now, when they need care, the children can see a family physician, instead of the inside of an ambulance. Further delay is unconscionable. Emergency funds have already been rushed to three states, and the head of Texas CHIP expects to run out of money in about three months or less. Texas CHIP would likely be bankrupt already had the state not created barriers to insuring more children legally eligible for coverage. Texas ranks near the bottom on covering our kids. Of almost 700,000 uninsured Texan children in 2015, more than 300,000 were eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. Struggling parents cannot access help that they do not know exists. Texas has done about as little as possible to encourage CHIP enrollment, and it erects procedural barriers to enrollment for those who do manage to discover it. We must both protect CHIP and make it more accessible. After postponing consideration of any legislation until authorization expired on September 30, congressional Republicans are attempting to pay for CHIP renewal by hiking Medicare premiums and by raiding the Affordable Care Act. Medicare premiums should be used solely to strengthen Medicare, not be diverted to another purpose, however worthy. CHIP began as a bipartisan priority, and we need to find that spirit of cooperation again. Every day that passes without legislative action on CHIP puts more children at risk. We should not permit millions of children to be kicked off coverage specially designed for their needs. As President Trump wreaks chaos in the broader insurance marketplace, it is increasingly critical to maintain stable coverage for children. I hope others will join in being a voice for the littlest voices. Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett represents the 35th Congressional District, which includes an area ranging from San Antonio north to Austin. No one likes rate increases. But heres the tough reality for San Antonio Water System ratepayers: The rate increases are paying for the sins of the past as well as our future water security. Under an Environmental Protection Agency consent decree, SAWS is required to invest $500 million in additional infrastructure improvements to fix sewage leaks across the system. Much of the rate increases the public has experienced in recent years is tied to this work. This includes proposed rate increases of 5.8 percent in 2018 and 4.7 percent in 2019. Its needed because throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, SAWS didnt sufficiently address infrastructure for sewage, officials have said. Yes, this kept rates low, and now we are all paying for it. In hindsight, we were really deferring renewals of our system, SAWS Chief Operating Officer Steve Clouse recently told City Council. We cant opt out of the consent decree. Its a requirement. At this point, so is sticking with Vista Ridge. Yes, its a divisive point in the community. But the ship has sailed. The project is under construction. In 2020, SAWS will likely propose a whopping 12.4 percent rate increase. Thats when water from the 142-mile Vista Ridge pipeline will arrive in San Antonio. There is no turning back from Vista Ridge and if city officials did abandon the project, they would still need to embrace a comparable replacement. This is the price of water security. San Antonio Water System recently said it has an abundant water supply for the next 50 years. Thats partly thanks to Vista Ridge, which will deliver 50,000 acre-feet of water a year in 2020. Its also remarkable given the projected growth for the region: 1 million more residents by 2040. City Councilmen Greg Brockhouse and Clayton Perry have expressed the strongest reservations about rate increases. Perry said he is a no vote unless somehow convinced otherwise. Brockhouse has been a bit more nuanced, saying he supports the sewage infrastructure, but wants to see cuts in other areas. We certainly can understand the political calculus of voting no on these proposed rate increases, but it would be irresponsible to undercut the consent decree or Vista Ridge. A more productive and responsible approach would be to press SAWS to broaden and expand its assistance to low-income ratepayers. These would be families most affected by a spike in their water bills. Council should also insist on addtional water conservation programs, which would save water and help lower bills. But theres another factor here: Tone deafness. President and CEO Robert Puente recently received a 5 percent raise and his total compensation, including a bonus, is about $567,000. We are generally supportive of Puentes stewardship of SAWS, but, as weve noted previously, his pay puts him pretty much in line with San Antonio City Manager Sheryl Sculley, whose compensation is an endless flash point in the community, but whose job running a major city is significantly more complex. Puente's salary also dwarfs those in similar jobs in Austin, El Paso and Dallas by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Puente has a tough job and a pay cut would not negate the need for a rate increase, but its the principle. To pay the head of SAWS so much, especially at a time when ratepayers are taking on more cost, doesnt send the right message. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Stamford police / contributed Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Stamford police / contributed Show More Show Less 3 of 3 STAMFORD A New York City man was picked up at the Stamford Town Center mall for allegedly using fake money to make purchases on Sunday, police said. Capt. Richard Conklin said police were called to the Zara clothing store on the fifth level of the mall at about 5 p.m. on the report of a man who had just passed 13 counterfeit $20 bills and picked up two blazers. Store employees told police that a man fitting the description recently passed some counterfeit bills at their sister store in Greenwich. A special delegates passage was set up by the ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) for the representatives to answer questions from reporters to present the world a more open and transparent China. The CPC is offering this great event to the domestic and foreign press, as well as to people around the world with a broad mind and open attitude, analysts said, adding that the passage is one aspect of such transparency. 19 grass-roots Party representatives met with the press at the passage before the 19th CPC National Congress opened on Wednesday. Among them were Jing Haipeng, an astronaut who has been on three Chinese space missions; Zhang Ruimin, CEO of Chinese home appliance giant Haier, and a Tibetan obstetrician surnamed Tsering. Though working on different fronts, all of them impressed the world with confidence and openness. They willingly fielded questions from journalists. The new passage grabbed headlines. It not only offers the media a face-to-face conversation with the delegates, but also reveals the increasing transparency of the CPC National Congress, analysts said. The delegates passage is not only a window for the world to observe Chinas development, but also shows the confidence and broad mind of the CPC as a party of a major country, a web user surnamed Mengjie said. Photos of the 19 delegates who met with the press at the delegates passage before the 19th CPC National Congress opened on Oct. 18. (Photo by Peoples Daily) Overseas experts also praised the passage. The delegates passage is an innovative practice, said Luigi Gambardella, President of ChinaEU, a Brussels-based international association promoting business ties between the two. After watching the opening ceremony of the 19th CPC National Congress, he told the Peoples Daily that media interviews at the passage have no doubt opened a new information channel, adding that it also provided the audience with the delegates perspectives on the event. The innovative approach has generated results, said Marcel Marsal, a former journalist of La Voix du Nord. It helped us understand the ideas of grass-roots Party members and the great performance of the elite from each profession, he said, adding that their speeches have demonstrated the vitality of China. The passage will help introduce a real China to foreign audiences, as many from the Western media are not reporting China with an objective attitude, Marsal said, calling for a repeat of the model at other events. SOME parents in Victoria Falls have resorted to buying their childrens school uniforms and stationery from neighbouring Botswana and Zambia, as local shops have hiked prices beyond the reach of most average earners. Parents expressed concern at the sharp increase in uniforms and school stationery, ahead of schools opening for the first term tomorrow. The Victoria Falls and Kazungula border posts have been busy since last week, with parents, who were buying goods from the neighbouring countries, frequenting Zambia. I was in Kazungula on Saturday, things are quite affordable and I managed to buy all the stationery needed for my Form One child, together with some white shirts and grey trousers. I will only buy the badges here, Victoria Falls resident, Sindiso Mpofu said. Another resident said: Everything has gone up and we cant afford this. Livingstone Shoprite (Zambia) is way, way cheaper and we are crossing to buy there and their things are of better quality. Some parents said shop owners were taking advantage of the high demand for uniforms and stationery to make a quick buck. In Hwange, it was reported that parents have resorted to buying from street vendors who sell products like stockings, hats and ties at low prices while some are engaging individual tailors, who sell school uniforms at reasonable prices. A pair of stockings in a retail shop costs $4, while vendors are selling theirs at half the prices. A set of uniform for a child enrolling for Form One costs an average of $140 for boys and $130 for girls in many shops in the town. NewsDay Breaking News via Email Makokoba MP Tshinga Dube says people must accept that Gukurahundi happened adding that the Emmerson Mnangagwa led government must engage traditional leaders over the issue so that the cultural custodians can once and for all spiritually address the emotive matter. According to NewZimbabwe.com, he was addressing journalists at the Bulawayo Media Centre at the weekend. Dube said the best way government can solve the Gukurahundi issue was to apologise to the nation for the atrocities which were committed in Matebeleland and Midlands provinces when the state unleashed the notorious North- Korean trained Fifth Brigade in the provinces to supress alleged banditry activities during the early 80s. First let us accept that Gukurahundi happened. We can find a way of apologising through chiefs. Traditional chiefs can come together and make the necessary rituals. In shona they usual talk of Ngozi (avenging spirits) but that Ngozi is treated. At times, we try to heal the Gukurahundi issue politically but that cannot work because this is purely a spiritual issue, said Dube. The former war veterans minister said the new government should move with speed to resolve the matter, insisting that further would cause serious instability in the country. I am rather very reluctant to talk about Gukurahundi but my point is that it has not been conclusively addressed. When we have a conflict where a lot of lives are lost, it means we must take it seriously. To those who were not affected by Gukurahundi it means nothing to them apart from being a moment of madness but to those who were affected it remains in their hearts. The pain remains for a very long time and those things go from father to son because people still talk about them, he said. The kids that listen to you when you talk about Gukurahundi keep it in their hearts. When they grow, they grow with it in their hearts. They have a grievance but we do not want that grievance to go on. We want these things to be put to an end, added Dube. NewZimbabwe Breaking News via Email This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settings ACCEPT DALLAS For African immigrants in Dallas, Quick Shop offers more than a place to pick up necessities and snacksit brings a little bit of home to Texas, the Dallas Observer reports. The convenience store stocks desserts, frozen foods, cured meats and snacks from Kenya, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The store specializes in dried meats, such as biltong, chilisticks and droewors. Biltongs a type of jerky spiced with sea salt, coriander and pepper. Quick Shop has biltong cured specially for the shop, and sells it pre-sliced or in bulk. Tiny meat sticks, Chilisticks are chewier, drier and spicier than biltong. but spicy and in the form of tiny sticks. Droewors more closely resembles American beef jerky but with coriander seeds. In the grocery section, dried pigeon peas, dried stinging nettle and crab spread via for position among Vegemite, Marmite or Beefy Bovrite, as well as gooseberry jam. Piri-piri sauce, a peppery hot sauce mostly used to flavor chicken, comes in many varieties, including lemon and herb, pure hot and tomato. Sesame snaps are small crackers made with sugar and sesame seeds. South African chocolate bars like Chomp, Tex (like a large Kit Kat), Cadbury Top Deck and Nestle Milo share shelf space with McVites digestive biscuits (crackers with chocolate icing) rounding out the offerings. Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including favourite documentary series and films Free Solo, The Rescue, Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth and The World According to Jeff Goldblum. ADS ADS Barely has the SIAR in Mexico finished and we are already looking ahead to SalonQP in London next week and wondering how this equally renowned regional exhibition could match or even surpass the high calibre of watches and personalities on show in Mexico City last week. Along with celebrities such as Usain Bolt and Alec Monopoly and industry heavyweights like Jean-Claude Biver, there were a number of new launches and a couple of unique pieces presented [rajouter louis moinet plus lien dans la version francaise]. You can find out by following us on WorldTempus and on our social media platforms, since we will once again be on the spot in London to see whats happening. Looking further ahead, after SalonQP we will barely have time to catch our breath before the GPHG on 8th November and the Only Watch charity auction just three days later on 11th November. You can read our last look at this years GPHG finalists today, as David Chokron casts his critical gaze over the watches in the Mechanical Exception category. You can also find all our coverage of the Only Watch pieces on our dedicated page. David Chokron is back again later this week with a look at two singular creations: on the one hand, he delves into the remarkable details of the Grand Seiko Spring Drive 8 Days Power Reserve; on the other, he examines the very distinctive chronograph trigger mechanism found on Graham watches. In tribute to the brands distant origins in England, where we drive on the left, this imposing device is found on the left-hand side of the case. See this interview with Grahams founder Eric Loth for a primer on the brand. Our in-house team have also been getting to grips with some new models. On Wednesday I review the new Vacheron Constantin Historiques models with historical and stylistic guidance from Christian Selmoni, the brands Director of Style & Heritage, while Michele Brunner reviews Hyseks IO Annual Calendar model. Serious watch fans should check out the site mid-week for news of two new mechanical marvels that will have everyone talking. Our colleagues at GMT magazine worked hard over the summer on a new layout of the magazine. WorldTempus still has its place here in print but in a new form, as I offer my opinions on selected articles and add handy QR codes that take you straight to related content on WorldTempus. For more information, read GMT Editor-in-chief Brice Lechevaliers editorial or head over to GMT to download the latest issue. A fallen soldier's angry widow joined the stormy dispute with President Donald Trump on Monday over his response to her husband's death, declaring that his failure to remember the soldier's name in last week's condolence call "made me cry." He retorted that the call was "very respectful" and her accusation about her husband's name simply wasn't true. Though Trump refused to let the new round of complaints go unanswered, he steered clear of the insults he exchanged last week with a congresswoman who had overhead the sympathy call. The president spoke in public at two events during the day including his awarding of the military Medal of Honor to a Vietnam-era Army medic and made no mention of the case of Sgt. La David Johnson, one of four soldiers killed Oct. 4 in a firefight with militants tied to the Islamic State group in Niger. In addition to criticizing Trump, Myeshia Johnson, the sergeant's widow, also complained that she had not been able to see her husband's body. "I need to see him so I will know that that is my husband," she said. "I don't know nothing, they won't show me a finger, a hand." A Pentagon spokeswoman said the military often may make a recommendation on viewing but that soldiers' bodies are prepared and turned over to the family and its funeral director. The final decision on viewing is up to them, said spokeswoman Laura Ochoa. Myeshia Johnson spoke for the first time in the dispute on ABC's "Good Morning America." In the interview, she supported critical statements last week by Rep. Frederica Wilson, who had been in the car with the widow and other relatives when Trump phoned. "Yes, the president said that 'he knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway.' And it made me cry 'cause I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said he couldn't remember my husband's name," Johnson said. The president answered on Twitter soon after the interview aired, saying: "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!" At the Pentagon, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said an investigation has still to resolve questions about the Oct. 4 firefight. They include whether the U.S. had adequate intelligence and equipment for its operation, whether there was a planning failure and why it took two days to recover Johnson's body. Besides Johnson's family, members of Congress are demanding answers. Last week, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., threatened a subpoena to accelerate the flow of information. The row over Trump's call began last week when Wilson, a Florida Democrat, accused Trump of being callous in the conversation and Trump responded that Wilson's account was fabricated. But Johnson backed Wilson's account, saying that the congresswoman was a longtime friend and listened on a speakerphone in the car with family members. Said Johnson on Monday: "I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name, and that's what hurt me the most, because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risked his life for our country why can't you remember his name." The continuing dispute drew criticism from McCain, who spent more than five years in a Vietnamese prison. He said on "The View" Monday: "We should not be fighting about a brave American who lost his life." Confusion over what happened in Niger has dogged Trump, who was silent about the deaths for more than a week. Asked last Monday about that silence, Trump credited himself with doing more to honor the military dead and console their families than any of his predecessors. His subsequent boast that he reaches out personally to all families of the fallen was contradicted by interviews with family members, some of whom had not heard from him. Questions about Trump's responses continued Monday. The family of Capt. Ben Cross of Bethel, Maine, who was one of three Marines killed in an MV-22 Osprey crash in August off the coast of Australia, received a letter from Trump on Friday, a day after his brother called out Trump. The timing of the letter indicated "it was obviously done in an attempt to repair the political damage," said Ryan Cross. "We think he was going through the motions." The administration has said protocol requires that the Pentagon and White House Military Office prepare and confirm an information packet before the president contacts grieving family members, a process that can take weeks. A White House official said Monday that the controversy did force a look at the overall outreach efforts and prompted letters that in some cases had been held up for bureaucratic reasons. Rep. Wilson criticized the condolence call beginning last Tuesday. She continued to assail Trump, and he fired off insulting tweets, calling her "wacky" and accusing her of secretly listening. Johnson declined to directly address Trump on Monday. Asked if she had a message for the president, she replied: "No. I don't have nothing to say to him." Associated Press writer David Sharp contributed from Portland, Maine. A baby is recovering after losing consciousness while at the State Fair of Texas. Dallas Police Officer Ilse Casas was on duty at the fair on Oct. 8 when she was flagged down by someone regarding a medical emergency. Casas discovered a frantic mother with an unresponsive infant in her arms. Casas checked the child's vital signs and determined the baby wasn't breathing. Casas put the infant on the ground in a grassy area and immediately performed CPR until paramedics arrived. EMTs then checked out the baby, who had regained a pulse and was breathing. The child was rushed to a hospital and released shortly thereafter in good condition. The paramedics that responded to the incident said that had it not been for the quick thinking and heroic actions taken by Casas, the outcome could have been significantly more tragic. Casas was recognized and presented with a Life Saving Award in a ceremony at Fair Park. El-Sisi and Macron will attend the signing of 17 joint cooperation agreements between the two countries in different fields, including in investment and the economy. Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Paris on Monday for an official visit where he will meet with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and attend a reception at the Elysee Palace on Tuesday. El-Sisi and Macron will attend the signing of 17 joint cooperation agreements between the two countries in different fields, including in investment and the economy. The Egyptian president will start his visit to France, his third since he assumed office in 2014, with a meeting with a French CEO, according to the Egyptian presidency. El-Sisi will also give an interview to Paris-based France 24 and will attend a dinner in his honour organised by French Minister of Defence Florence Parly. Egypt has made several purchases of French military hardware in recent years, the most recent of which was a Gowind 2500 corvette naval vessel, which arrived in Alexandria earlier this month. The vessel is one of four such models purchased by Egypt in a deal signed in 2014. El-Sisi will also meet with French PM Edouard Philippe and foreign minister Jean Yves Le Drian. The Egyptian president will discuss with top French officials a number of regional and international issues, including the international efforts to fight terrorism, the developments in Libya and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Concerning the human rights situation in Egypt, presidency spokesman Alaa Youssef said that Egypt is open to discussing all issues including claims made by some regarding the human rights situation in Egypt. Youssef added that the international community, including French officials, understands Egypts views on the issue of human rights. El-Sisi is accompanied on his trip by foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, finance minister Amr El-Garhy, minister of planning and administrative reform Hala Saeed, minister of industry and commerce Tarek Qabil, minister of transportation Hisham Arafat, and the head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service Khaled Fawzy. Search Keywords: Short link: Dozens of stray dogs rescued in Puerto Rico are looking for a new home in New York. The 53 dogs were rescued from all over Puerto Rico by The Sato Project and then flown by cargo plane to New York by the John and Wendy Neu Family Foundation. The plane had dropped off supplies on the island before picking up the dogs. The pups arrived in New York on Sunday and were taken to Animal Haven, a no-kill shelter in Lower Manhattan. A separate plane that flew to Puerto Rico with supplies brought back seven dogs so they could be reunited with their owners, who had been evacuated to the mainland during Hurricane Maria last month. City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito praised the initiative in a statement. This effort will provide comfort to those who are reunited with their beloved pets, and help stray dogs from the island find some respite here in New York City after all they have gone through," Mark-Viverito said. The dogs will be available for adoption on Tuesday. Those interested in adopting can fill out an application ahead of time can find more information at animalhavenshelter.org. The Harvey Weinstein story reminded us of the ugliness, the humiliation and perhaps most importantly, the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault. In response, women took to social media and began telling their stories using the hashtag #MeToo, illustrating how common this kind of behavior can be. Now even some of the most powerful women in government are saying #MeToo. "Meet the Press" asked every female member of the Senate all 21 if they would share stories they might have of sexual harassment. Four senators, all Democrats, said yes and told us of experiences from early in their careers. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii; Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.; Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D.; and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., share their stories. Three officers were injured during a performance at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference in Philadelphia Sunday. Police told NBC10 three highway patrol officers hurt themselves while performing on their motorcycles around 6 p.m. outside the Convention Center in Center City where the conference, which features police chiefs from across the country, is taking place. "Highway patrol drill team was doing one of their shows for the chiefs that are in town," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said. "Something we do frequently. A mishap occurred. A couple guys went down and then a subsequent one with a different stunt." All three officers were taken to Hahnemann Hospital and treated for minor hand, arm and leg injuries. "Right now looks like a couple minor injuries," Ross said. "Two are about to be discharged and a third shortly. Bumps and bruises and that's about it." The incident comes a day after two Philadelphia police officers were injured during a confrontation with protesters outside the IACP conference. Those officers also suffered non-life-threatening injuries and at least five protesters were arrested. What to Know There is more certainty in Radee Prince spending the rest of his life behind bars in Delaware, rather than Maryland, authorities say. Prince shot five co-workers, killing three, at a Maryland granite company, then drove to Wilmington and shot a car dealer, police said. The motive for Prince's rampage has not been revealed. He was prohibited from possessing a gun in Delaware. A man accused of gunning down three co-workers and shooting three others during a two-state shooting spree isn't expected to face murder charges until he can be tried on attempted murder charges. Instead of being extradited to Maryland to face first-degree murder charges, Radee Labeeb Prince will be tried in Delaware first on attempted murder and weapons charges, according to a joint statement from the Delaware Department of Justice and Harford County (Maryland) State's Attorney. "Prince should be tried for his Delaware offenses first and then tried for his Maryland crimes," the joint statement said. The 37-year-old shot five co-workers at a kitchen countertop company in Maryland Wednesday morning before driving to Wilmington, Delaware, and opening fire on a man with whom he had "beefs" in the past, wounding him, police said. The shooting rampage set off a multi-state manhunt. Police cruisers were stationed in medians along the Interstate 95 Northeast corridor, and overhead highway signs displayed a description of Prince's sport utility vehicle and its Delaware license plate. An ATF agent eventually took Prince into custody Wednesday night. "A coordinated effort brought this to a very successful conclusion on a very, very bad day," Wilmington Police Chief Robert Tracy said. A Delaware judge ordered Prince to remain jailed on $2.1 million cash bail. Prince was prohibited from possessing a gun after being found guilty of third-degree burglary in New Castle County, Delaware, in 2003, police said in court documents obtained by NBC10. Police say he discarded a firearm while being chased. A preliminary hearing on the attempted murder and weapons charges was set for Oct. 31 in Delaware. If found guilty, Prince could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. Once the Delaware trials wraps up, "Prince will also face the possibility of life sentences in Maryland for three counts of first degree murder and two counts of attempted murder," the joint statement said. The reason for letting the Delaware proceedings play out first is that criminal sentencing in Delaware doesn't include the possibility of parole while Maryland's does, meaning there is more certainty in life behind bars with a Delaware sentence. "Prince will ultimately face trials in both states, Delawares proceeding will simply occur first," the joint statement said. The Navy to the rescue! Sailors on the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Howard rescued a sea turtle that was caught in a partially sunken fishing vessel in the Arabian Gulf last Monday. A Naval air crewman spotted the boat while conducting helicopter operations. The USS Howard then deployed search and rescue swimmers on a boat to investigate. Once they reached the boat the sailors found the turtle and cut it free. Constant vigilance of our surroundings and the ability to adapt and react to any situation is a goal to which we constantly train, said Cmdr. Ryan Billington, commanding officer of Howard. We were able to simultaneously carry out multiple missions. We launched one of our RHIBs to cut free and rescue a sea turtle and used our crew served weapons to sink the vessel completely to make it safe for not only wildlife but the safe navigation of other ships as well. Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Scott Stearns was one of the search and rescue swimmers that saved the turtle. This was a very unusual rescue, Stearns said. We train for rescuing people in SAR school so a turtle is a very different situation, but it was good practice getting into the water for a real-world situation and we were able to cut the turtle free. The USS Howard is deployed with a Carrier Strike Group conducting maritime security operations in the Arabian Gulf. The ship is homeported in San Diego. Fears that rising costs are driving shoppers away WEST Berkshire Council says it wont be reducing car parking charges in Newbury, despite widespread concerns that rising costs are driving people away from the town. The cost of a one-hour stay in the council-owned car parks has increased by 50 per cent in the past two years from 1 an hour in 2015 to 1.50 an hour in 2017. Sunday parking charges, previously a flat rate of 1 per day, were also scrapped last year and replaced with the higher weekday tariff. The knock-on affect has seen tariff increases at other car parks in the town, including Parkway. Self-employed therapist Tania Fisher said it was costing her 12 a day to park in the shopping centre. She said: Parkway prices have always been quite high, but they have put them up even more. Mrs Fisher, who has a room at Neals Yard Remedies, said: Customers come in constantly complaining about it. It puts people under extra stress because they are always worrying about parking going up to the next level. I dont think its encouraging people to come and shop in the town. The problem is being further exacerbated by a shortage of spaces in the town. The council has admitted that there will be a shortfall of parking spaces in Newbury by 2026 unless drastic action is taken. Mrs Fisher said that the lack of available cheaper spaces was already manifest. I know the council say there are cheaper places to park, she said. I try to park in cheaper spaces, but there are limited spaces unless you can get in before half eight. For more on this story see the Newbury Weekly News. By Express News Service CHENNAI: A day after actor Vishal criticised BJP leader H Raja for candidly admitting to watching a pirated version of Vijay-starrar Mersal online, Income Tax officials visited Vishals movie production company here on Monday. Though the Income Tax officials were unavailable for comment, it was alleged that the inspection was over non-payment of TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) to the tune of Rs 51 lakh. Since neither the staff nor the account books were available, summons were said to be issued to the company officials to appear on Friday. My staff told me IT officials were on an inspection over the TDS issue. I am paying all taxes properly and I have no fear, Vishal told mediapersons later in the day. He said he was away for a movie shoot when the IT officials came to his office. When queried if he thinks of being targeted for his comments against the BJP leader, he said, I think it is a regular assessment... But I dont know if the timing is wrong or right. He said he merely recorded his regret that a national party leader himself confessed to watching a pirated version of a movie. The inquiry came just a day after the actor had slammed BJP leader H Raja for watching a pirated version of the newly released Vijay starrer , 'Mersal'. Meanwhile, a statement from P V K Rajasekhar, joint director of Directorate General of Goods and Service Tax Intelligence, denied of any search operations by the agency in the premises of Vishal. The statement was issued after it was widely reported in TV and social media that it was the GST intelligence agency that carried out the searches. I-T raids were conducted at actor Vishal's Vadapalani office on Monday in Chennai. (Express Photo Service | P Jawahar) WATCH VIDEO: Income tax sleuths knock on Vishal's doors In a related development, the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC) on Monday said it had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, seeking action against H Raja for watching Mersal online. SIFCC president L Suresh said that the BJP national secretary was liable to be prosecuted for this under the Tamil Nadu Video Piracy Act. READ HERE | 'Mersal' producer says no scenes cut or muted, acknowledges BJP's objections: Here's all you need to know about the 'Mersal' row CHENNAI: A day after actor Vishal criticised BJP leader H Raja for candidly admitting to watching a pirated version of Vijay-starrar Mersal online, Income Tax officials visited Vishals movie production company here on Monday. Though the Income Tax officials were unavailable for comment, it was alleged that the inspection was over non-payment of TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) to the tune of Rs 51 lakh. Since neither the staff nor the account books were available, summons were said to be issued to the company officials to appear on Friday. My staff told me IT officials were on an inspection over the TDS issue. I am paying all taxes properly and I have no fear, Vishal told mediapersons later in the day. He said he was away for a movie shoot when the IT officials came to his office. When queried if he thinks of being targeted for his comments against the BJP leader, he said, I think it is a regular assessment... But I dont know if the timing is wrong or right. He said he merely recorded his regret that a national party leader himself confessed to watching a pirated version of a movie. The inquiry came just a day after the actor had slammed BJP leader H Raja for watching a pirated version of the newly released Vijay starrer , 'Mersal'. Meanwhile, a statement from P V K Rajasekhar, joint director of Directorate General of Goods and Service Tax Intelligence, denied of any search operations by the agency in the premises of Vishal. The statement was issued after it was widely reported in TV and social media that it was the GST intelligence agency that carried out the searches. I-T raids were conducted at actor Vishal's Vadapalani office on Monday in Chennai. (Express Photo Service | P Jawahar) WATCH VIDEO: Income tax sleuths knock on Vishal's doors In a related development, the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC) on Monday said it had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, seeking action against H Raja for watching Mersal online. SIFCC president L Suresh said that the BJP national secretary was liable to be prosecuted for this under the Tamil Nadu Video Piracy Act. READ HERE | 'Mersal' producer says no scenes cut or muted, acknowledges BJP's objections: Here's all you need to know about the 'Mersal' row Egypts Air Force foiled on Monday an attempt to smuggle arms and ammunition into the country through its border with Libya, the military spokesperson said in a statement on Monday. The operation was part of raids and search operations along the border region to track the terrorists involved in the Friday clash between security forces and terrorist fighters in the Western Desert, which saw 16 security personnel killed and 13 injured. Fifteen terrorists were also killed in the shootout, according to the interior ministry. The operation by the Air Force saw the destruction of eight vehicles carrying arms, ammunition, and explosive materials, as well as the killing of the drivers of the vehicles. Egypt's 1,000 kilometre-long border with Libya has been a hotspot for arms smuggling since the fall of Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi regime in 2011. Search Keywords: Short link: By IANS CHENNAI: A Madurai based advocate has filed a complaint against Tamil actor Vijay over the dialogues in "Mersal", said a police official. "A complaint has been received against actor Vijay. An acknowledgement for receipt of the complaint has been issued. No first information report (FIR) had been lodged," a police official in Anna Nagar police station in Madurai told IANS over phone on Monday. Temple town Madurai is around 500 km from here. "Mersal" is in the midst of a controversy after the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded the removal of certain dialogues which take a dig at the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and digital India. Directed by Atlee, "Mersal" stars Vijay in the roles of a village head, a doctor and a magician. It is doing brisk business at the box office. IN PICTURES: How Kollywood celebrities reacted to controversy over Vijay's 'Mersal' BJP's National Secretary H. Raja and Tamil Nadu BJP President Tamilisai Soundararajan criticised Vijay and the movie for the dialogues critical of GST and Digital India. The BJP leaders said the dialogues were factually incorrect. In a tweet on Monday, Soundararajan said like the freedom to express views, one has the freedom to rebut wrong views. Raja, who raked up the actor's Christian origin by his tweet "Joseph Vijay's hatred for Modi is 'Mersal'" on October 21, continued that on Monday. He uploaded the actor's voter identity card and a letter written by the actor to a magazine on his letter pad. "Truth is bitter," tweeted Raja on Monday uploading the two documents to underscore Vijay's religion. Vijay, who had met Narendra Modi during electioneering ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, had even lauded demonetisation last year. CHENNAI: A Madurai based advocate has filed a complaint against Tamil actor Vijay over the dialogues in "Mersal", said a police official. "A complaint has been received against actor Vijay. An acknowledgement for receipt of the complaint has been issued. No first information report (FIR) had been lodged," a police official in Anna Nagar police station in Madurai told IANS over phone on Monday. Temple town Madurai is around 500 km from here. "Mersal" is in the midst of a controversy after the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded the removal of certain dialogues which take a dig at the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and digital India. Directed by Atlee, "Mersal" stars Vijay in the roles of a village head, a doctor and a magician. It is doing brisk business at the box office. IN PICTURES: How Kollywood celebrities reacted to controversy over Vijay's 'Mersal' BJP's National Secretary H. Raja and Tamil Nadu BJP President Tamilisai Soundararajan criticised Vijay and the movie for the dialogues critical of GST and Digital India. The BJP leaders said the dialogues were factually incorrect. In a tweet on Monday, Soundararajan said like the freedom to express views, one has the freedom to rebut wrong views. Raja, who raked up the actor's Christian origin by his tweet "Joseph Vijay's hatred for Modi is 'Mersal'" on October 21, continued that on Monday. He uploaded the actor's voter identity card and a letter written by the actor to a magazine on his letter pad. "Truth is bitter," tweeted Raja on Monday uploading the two documents to underscore Vijay's religion. Vijay, who had met Narendra Modi during electioneering ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, had even lauded demonetisation last year. By Associated Press LONDON: A gunman who had taken two male members of staff hostage at a bowling alley in Bermuda Park at Nuneaton, central England on Sunday noon has been arrested and the hostages have been freed, according to TV reports. No casualties have been reported. The gunman was treated at the scene and taken to hospital, while the two other hostages were uninjured, West Midlands Ambulance Service tweeted. He had laid seige at 2:30 pm Sunday. The armed siege lasted for more than four hours. Shortly after 6.30pm, TV reports quote witnesses as saying that a series of loud bangs could be heard and about 10 minutes later an ambulance was allowed through the police cordon and two people got out. Warwickshire Police had confirmed they were dealing with an incident Sunday at MFA Bowl Bermuda Park, a shopping and leisure center in Nuneaton, about 7.5 miles north of the town of Coventry in central England's Warwickshire. The force said the problem was not terror-related, but provided no details. READ | Warwickshire Police's statement Pleased to say that the situation in #Nuneaton is now resolved. One suspect treated at scene and taken to hospital by ambulance... pic.twitter.com/GUi3Pd5THP WMAS (@OFFICIALWMAS) October 22, 2017 Police swept in and took control of the situation after warning the public to stay away from the shopping center on Sunday. Mehdi Amshar, chief executive of the MFA Bowl bowling alley chain, told Sky News that he was informed the two employees were being held at gunpoint at the company's Nuneaton branch. Amshar said he believed the gunman was an ex-husband or former boyfriend of an employee, but he couldn't be sure. All customers were able to leave the premises and were unharmed, Amshar said. There had been no contact with the two staff members since the commotion was reported, he said. "All our staff, the rest of our staff, are safe and they made sure that all the customers have left the premises so everybody is in safety, with the exception of the two people who are missing," he told the broadcaster. One man who said he was at a children's party at the bowling alley said he initially thought it was a joke when a staff member told him to leave because a gunman was inside. "I looked up and there was a guy, probably 20 or 30 feet away, walking towards us with a sawn-off shotgun sort of slung over his shoulder," Lawrence Hallett told Sky News. He added the man was "basically shouting and had a very aggressive demeanor about him." An eyewitness told Sky a nearby restaurant was in lockdown. "We got notification that someone had a shotgun inside the bowling alley," the witness, Sarah Fleming, told Sky News. "Then we had notification from the police that he actually had hostages. "Everyone has been a bit up in the air, don't know what's going on," she said. "Everyone is a little bit scared at the minute." An ambulance is driven away under police guard from the Bermuda Park leisure park in Nuneaton. (AFP Photo) Another witness from the same restaurant, Carl Lenton, described what he saw outside. "There were police cars arriving, there was a helicopter, police dogs, armed police stood all around the bowling alley, around the outside of it," Lenton said. West Midlands Ambulance Service said it was called to the shopping center Sunday afternoon and dispatched an ambulance, two paramedics, the Hazardous Area Response Team and an emergency planning manager to the scene. It said on Twitter there were "no casualties." Gun crimes are rare in Britain, which has strict firearm control rules. (With online desk inputs) LONDON: A gunman who had taken two male members of staff hostage at a bowling alley in Bermuda Park at Nuneaton, central England on Sunday noon has been arrested and the hostages have been freed, according to TV reports. No casualties have been reported. The gunman was treated at the scene and taken to hospital, while the two other hostages were uninjured, West Midlands Ambulance Service tweeted. He had laid seige at 2:30 pm Sunday. The armed siege lasted for more than four hours. Shortly after 6.30pm, TV reports quote witnesses as saying that a series of loud bangs could be heard and about 10 minutes later an ambulance was allowed through the police cordon and two people got out. Warwickshire Police had confirmed they were dealing with an incident Sunday at MFA Bowl Bermuda Park, a shopping and leisure center in Nuneaton, about 7.5 miles north of the town of Coventry in central England's Warwickshire. The force said the problem was not terror-related, but provided no details. READ | Warwickshire Police's statement Pleased to say that the situation in #Nuneaton is now resolved. One suspect treated at scene and taken to hospital by ambulance... pic.twitter.com/GUi3Pd5THP WMAS (@OFFICIALWMAS) October 22, 2017 Police swept in and took control of the situation after warning the public to stay away from the shopping center on Sunday. Mehdi Amshar, chief executive of the MFA Bowl bowling alley chain, told Sky News that he was informed the two employees were being held at gunpoint at the company's Nuneaton branch. Amshar said he believed the gunman was an ex-husband or former boyfriend of an employee, but he couldn't be sure. All customers were able to leave the premises and were unharmed, Amshar said. There had been no contact with the two staff members since the commotion was reported, he said. "All our staff, the rest of our staff, are safe and they made sure that all the customers have left the premises so everybody is in safety, with the exception of the two people who are missing," he told the broadcaster. One man who said he was at a children's party at the bowling alley said he initially thought it was a joke when a staff member told him to leave because a gunman was inside. "I looked up and there was a guy, probably 20 or 30 feet away, walking towards us with a sawn-off shotgun sort of slung over his shoulder," Lawrence Hallett told Sky News. He added the man was "basically shouting and had a very aggressive demeanor about him." An eyewitness told Sky a nearby restaurant was in lockdown. "We got notification that someone had a shotgun inside the bowling alley," the witness, Sarah Fleming, told Sky News. "Then we had notification from the police that he actually had hostages. "Everyone has been a bit up in the air, don't know what's going on," she said. "Everyone is a little bit scared at the minute." An ambulance is driven away under police guard from the Bermuda Park leisure park in Nuneaton. (AFP Photo) Another witness from the same restaurant, Carl Lenton, described what he saw outside. "There were police cars arriving, there was a helicopter, police dogs, armed police stood all around the bowling alley, around the outside of it," Lenton said. West Midlands Ambulance Service said it was called to the shopping center Sunday afternoon and dispatched an ambulance, two paramedics, the Hazardous Area Response Team and an emergency planning manager to the scene. It said on Twitter there were "no casualties." Gun crimes are rare in Britain, which has strict firearm control rules. (With online desk inputs) Egyptian security killed six terrorists and seized a large amount of weapons during a raid on a hideout in North Sinai, Armed Forces spokesman Tamer El-Refaie said in a statement on Monday. The statement came hours after the army said it that it foiled on Monday an attempt to smuggle arms and ammunition into the country through its border with Libya. The Libyan border operation was part of efforts to track terrorists involved in the Friday shootout between security forces and terrorist militants in the Western Desert, which killed 16 policemen and injured 13 others. Fifteen terrorists were also killed or injured in Fridays hours-long shootout, which took place in the Bahariya Oasis, about 135 kilometres southwest of Giza. Egypts security forces have been waging a war over the past four years against an Islamist terrorist insurgency, mostly in North Sinai, that has seen hundreds of security personnel killed, as well as hundreds of terrorists killed in security campaigns. Search Keywords: Short link: The two MPs said they decided to withdraw their resignation from parliament after receiving assurances that they will perform their duties in parliament in a more democratic atmosphere. Egyptian MPs Akmal Qortam and Mohamed Fouad have decided to withdraw their resignation from parliament, Speaker of the House Ali Abdel-Aal said on Monday, adding that he will help the two deputies perform their parliamentary duties in a more democratic atmosphere. Mohamed Fouad, a deputy affiliated with the Wafd Party and representing the Giza district of Omraneya, told MPs in a plenary meeting on Monday that he has decided to withdraw a resignation request submitted in June in protest over the Tiran and Sanafir border demarcation deal with Saudi Arabia. "I declare before my fellow MPs that I have decided to withdraw this resignation request, hoping that parliament will act in a more democratic atmosphere in the coming period," said Fouad. In response, speaker Abdel-Aal told Fouad "you are welcome again and I hope you will play a more effective role in this parliament, which is keen to perform its duties in a democratic atmosphere." According to Article 391 of parliament's internal bylaws, an MP can submit a written resignation to parliament's internal bureau, but it can go into effect only after MPs vote in favour of it in a plenary session. MP Qortam, an oil tycoon and chairman of the Conservatives Party, also withdrew his resignation from parliament on Sunday. Qortam had submitted his resignation last year after he failed to be elected head of parliament's human rights committee at the beginning of parliament's second legislative season (2016-2017) last October. Qortam, who appeared in parliament on Sunday for the first time since his resignation, said that "upon the request of my colleague MPs and after receiving assurances that we will perform our duties more effectively, I declare that I have decided to withdraw my resignation from parliament." Parliament speaker Abdel-Aal said that he had tried many times to contact Qortam after he submitted his resignation to urge him to reconsider, but in vain. However, MPs affiliated with the Conservatives Party and others affiliated with the Support Egypt bloc implored Qortam not to resign from parliament. Search Keywords: Short link: Tesla has reached an agreement with Shanghai authorities that would make it the first foreign automaker to build its own plant in China, putting it in the driver's seat in the world's biggest electric-vehicle market, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Silicon Valley electric carmaker's wholly-owned manufacturing facility would be built in Shanghai's free-trade zone, the Wall Street Journal said, quoting unnamed sources with knowledge of the deal, and could allow Tesla to dramatically lower the cost of its cars in China. China usually requires foreign automakers to set up joint ventures with local Chinese partners, which involves splitting profits and giving away some technology, though they also avoid import tariffs. AFP was not immediately able to obtain comment from Tesla or the Shanghai government. China's electric-vehicle market is already the world's largest and is expected to continue growing fast, especially since the government plans to require that all automakers' sales include a certain percentage of electric vehicles from 2019. Beijing is also mulling plans to ban fossil-fuel burning cars by an unspecified date, following decisions by France and Britain to outlaw the sale of such vehicles from 2040 to limit emissions. No timeframe for the launch of the Tesla plant was given. Tesla had said in June that it was in talks with the Shanghai government and that it would detail its China manufacturing plans by the end of the year. More than half a million "new-energy" cars were sold in China last year, and the government is targetting sales in the millions in coming years. The Wall Street Journal said any cars built by Tesla in the free-trade zone would still incur a 25 percent import tariff. WATCH VIDEO: Tech And Auto Show | EP16 | Honor 9i, Audi A5, Airbender & More New Delhi: Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced demonetisation of high value currency on November 8 last year, some of the wealthy Indians went on a spending spree abroad. Indians spent $246.6 million on overseas holidays in November 2016, up 581% from the same period a year ago. According to a Moneycontrol news report, in December 2016 Indians spent $201 million travelling across the world, 517% more than December 2015. The trend continued in January 2017 with foreign travel spending of $217.8 million, 434% more than the corresponding period a year ago. Interestingly, growth in overseas tourism related spending came down drastically in February. The Reserve Bank of India is yet to release data for such spending March onwards. A fortnight before the first anniversary of demonetisation, these figures raise questions whether some wealthy Indians chose to blow away undisclosed assets worth crores of rupees to escape scrutiny in wake of demonetisation. Tax officials are closely looking at data to zero in on those individuals whose declared income and spending on international travel mismatch. Travel-related and other overseas remittances take place through RBIs Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) that allows people to spend up to $250,000 overseas in a year through legitimate financial instruments such as travellers cheques without specific approval. Authorities are now scrutinising suspicious bank transactions that may have been used to remit money overseas through the LRS route after PM Modis surprise announcement last year. Officials said data mined after November 8 has thrown up several tax evasion methods that the government will now crack down on. In some instances, account holders were found to have deposited large sums and later converted these into foreign country travellers cheques. Records during November and December 2016 also show a spike in credit card bill payments in cash exceeding more than Rs 1 lakh in thousands of cases. Officials are now examining overseas spending pattern on these credit cards. Chennai: Tamil actor Vishals production house was raided by Income Tax Department officials a day after he got into a war of words with the state BJP over criticism of the Centre in the Vijay film Mersal. Initial reports had said that the raids were conducted by the GST Intelligence team, which in turn led to speculation that it was a fallout of the actors spat with BJP leader H Raja over the movie Mersal. The reports, however, were denied by the GST Intelligence. "It is to clarify that the officers of DGGSTI have not conducted any such search operations and the news which is being circulated is factually incorrect and false," Joint Director of DGGSTI PVK Rajasekhar said in a release. Sources in the Income Tax Department too clarified that the raids were conducted by them. Vishal Film Factory has reportedly assured the I-T department that the pending TDS would be deposited in two to three instalments. The department has issued summons to the company to appear on Friday. Responding to the incident, the actor said he had no previous knowledge about the raids and had to send his team when the I-T officials decided to raid his production house. It was the TDS wing of the Income Tax Department. All of us were at a shoot location. When the I-T officials came, I had to send my manager to the office. It was only when he reached there, did he know that it was a TDS assessment, Vishal told News18. When asked if he felt the raids were politically motivated, the actor said, Honestly, I dont know. I will abide by their directions, I will make sure things are in order. Who is behind this or whether it is a conspiracy against me, I do not know. Vishal had a day earlier accused BJP leader H Raja of advocating piracy by watching Vijay-starrer Mersal online, a charge rejected by latter. The spat between the two had escalated a controversy over the movie Mersal which kicked up a row with the BJP taking exception to references on GST in some scenes. Actor Vijay's fans have been reportedly circulating the contentious scenes through mobile phones. "I don't have the patience to watch a two-and-a-half hour movie. This entire episode shows that whoever opposes the BJP are supporting Vijay, and this is expected," Raja had said. Hitting back, Vishal said: "Dear Mr H Raja, as a leader and prominent personality, you are advocating piracy and blatantly agreeing to it." The actor also said he wondered "how a political leader like you could watch a pirated version of a film (online)" and added that it "sets a bad example". BJP leaders, including Raja, a national secretary in the party, state president Tamilisai Soundarajan and Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, have been demanding that the "incorrect" references be deleted from the big-budget flick. Bengaluru: The Indira canteens, launched by the Karnataka government with much fanfare in August this year, has run into a controversy after a customer uploaded a video on social media showing an insect on his plate. Though the veracity of the video is being questioned, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has filed a complaint at the Kamakshipalya police station in west Bengaluru. City mayor Sampath Raj said that he suspected "mischief" by some people. We ensure a very high-quality food is given. This is why we have installed high-security CCTV cameras, and no one can open containers en route the journey So far, no such incident was reported. Unfortunately, yesterday, such an incident occurred which looks very suspicious. We have taken the recordings circulated on social media, Raj told News18. Indira canteens, on the lines of the Amma canteens in Tamil Nadu, are government-run canteens offering highly subsidised food thrice a day. BBMP officials said that the incident was reported by the last customer for breakfast on Saturday, around 8.45 am. They said there was no mistake from the kitchen, but the insect was noticed four minutes after the food was taken by the customer. But why would someone put a bug in the food that they were going to eat? If you see the video, two people are eating. There is a khara bath (upma) and kesari bhath (a sweet dish). It is very unreasonable that the insect will be found in both. Food has been cooked at 100C, but the insect was found alive in the food if you go by the pictures, he said. Asked if the bug could not have fallen into the plate while it was being taken from the counter to the table, the Mayor said he wouldn't deny such a possibility. However, the CCTV images of the behaviour of the customers give rise to suspicion. While a group of three customers is eating, one person finds a bug, others continue eating for some time. It is still being investigated... If this type of incident has happened, we will take measures to ensure such incidents do not happen. We do not want people to play any mischief and bring a bad name to the canteen because very poor people are enjoying the food at affordable prices, and I assure you that we are taking precautions that such incidents do not happen, the Mayor added. Admitting that it could have been a lapse too, he said pest control machines will be installed soon. We are not blaming anyone. It is a first information report. If it has happened, let the investigation happen on both the teams in the interest of people and interest of serving hygienic food to them. We will not accuse anybody before we get the report, he said. New Delhi: An auto thief, who is a suspect in close to 62 cases, underwent plastic surgery to avoid arrest. His luck, though, deserted him as he was arrested by Delhi Police. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Romil Baaniya, said Delhi resident Kunal was arrested from Nehru Place in south Delhi on October 13 for being involved in multiple auto theft cases. Kunal's interrogation led to his accomplices Irshad Ali and Mohammad Shadab, police said. Both Ali and Shadab are from Uttar Pradesh. Baaniya said Kunal was involved in 62 cases of vehicle theft in Delhi and neighbouring areas. The accused had undergone plastic surgery about four years ago and 12 cars were recovered from him following the arrest. Interrogation revealed that before stealing a car, the accused first found vehicles declared as "total loss" by insurance companies but whose documents had not been destroyed. Once the accused got hold of the documents, they would find similar cars and then steal them. They would then change the chassis and engine number of the vehicles and sell them in the market. Police are trying to arrest others who helped the accused. (With IANS inputs) New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it "must be clarified" whether the multi-crore six-lane Yamuna Expressway, connecting Greater Noida with Agra in Uttar Pradesh, belonged to a Jaypee Group firm which wanted to hive it off. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra posed the query to Jaypee Associates after the counsel appearing for IDBI Bank raised objection over the proposal to hive off the 165-kilometre long expressway by the applicant firm. The apex court was hearing a plea by Jaypee Associates seeking its permission to "hive off" the Yamuna expressway in order to generate money. The company has said it has an offer worth Rs 2,500 crore for hiving off the property. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Jaypee Associates, told the bench that the company has a proposal worth Rs 2,500 crore for the property. The counsel, appearing for the IDBI Bank, opposed Sibal's contention and claimed they cannot be permitted to hive-off the expressway as the property does not belongs to the firm which has come before the court to seek its nod. "It must also be clarified whether the property belongs to you (Jaypee Associates)," the bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, asked Sibal. Sibal argued that the priority of the firm was the homebuyers who had booked flats in their housing projects and they wanted to help them. He said that Rs 2,500 crore would be used to complete the projects and hand over possession of flats to the buyers. Meanwhile, the IDBI Bank contended that the group was earlier directed by the court to deposit money by October 27. The bench, after hearing the brief submissions, asked Sibal to hand over copy of the proposal to Attorney General KK Venugopal and posted the matter for hearing on October 26. The apex court had on September 11 directed Jaypee Associates, the parent company of Jaypee Infratech, to take prior approval of the court if it wished to sell any asset or property to raise funds to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore to be deposited by it in the apex court registry by October 27 to pay off the troubled home buyers. Earlier, the Jaypee Group had told the apex court that the company needs to raise funds to deposit Rs 2,000 crore in the apex court registry for paying the troubled home buyers. The apex court had on September 11, while hearing a plea of home buyers of Jaypee's Wish Town project at Noida in Uttar Pradesh challenging the insolvency proceedings initiated against Jaypee Infratech, had restricted the directors of firm from leaving the country. It had revived insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech Ltd and given its management control to the Interim Resolution Professional (IRP), appointed by the National Company Law Tribunal, with immediate effect. The top court had also asked Jaypee Infratech to hand over records to the IRP for drafting a resolution plan, indicating protection of interests of over 32,000 hassled home buyers and creditors. The apex court while passing slew of directions had stayed any other proceedings instituted against the company for any purpose in any forum like the consumer commission, as IRP has been given control of the company's management. The court had then said it was not concerned about the interest of company but of the hassled home buyers, who mostly belong to the lower and middle-class strata. Flat buyers, under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code of 2016, do not fall in the category of secured creditors like banks and hence they can get back their money only if something is left after repaying the secured and operational creditors, one of the pleas filed by some home buyers said. Hundreds of home buyers have been left in the lurch after the National Company Law Tribunal, on August 10, admitted the IDBI Bank's plea to initiate insolvency proceedings against the debt-ridden realty company for defaulting on a Rs 526 crore loan, the plea said. Hyderabad: In a horrific video that surfaced on Monday, a 20-year-old drunk man can be seen raping a woman in broad daylight on a footpath in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh. The incident took place on Sunday around 2pm and the auto-rickshaw driver who shot the video took it to the police immediately. In the video, the victim can be seen sitting on the footpath near the quarters in Railway New Colony and a man, wearing a blue shirt, raping her. What is even more shocking is that while the auto-rickshaw driver was shooting the video, he didnt pause to help the woman or apprehend the rapist. Moreover, a number of passers-by who can be seen walking on the footpath, too did not bother to help the victim. Police have now arrested the culprit and have informed the victims family about the incident. She is currently being treated at a local hospital. New Delhi: The Minister for Home Rajnath Singh on Monday announced that the government was in favour of a sustained dialogue with various stakeholders in the Kashmir Valley to restore peace. However, separatist group Hurriyat may not take part in the discussion to bring normalcy to conflict-ridden state, Wajahat Habibullah, the IAS officer who served as the Divisional Commissioner of nine districts in Jammu and Kashmir, told News18. "It is possible that Hurriyat may not participate as the pressure on its leadership, mounted by young people, is to not enter any dialogue," he said. The government declared that it was going ahead with a dialogue process in which the former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director, Dineshwar Sharma, will lead talks on the behalf of the government. Rajnath said that the Centre will address legitimate apprehensions of the state populace, and try to restore peace in the valley. However, Habibullah said that it wasn't like people are dying to get into a dialogue there. "They want a dialogue with someone who, they think, is listening to them," he said, adding that to start a dialogue, "Hurriyat also needed some kind of incentive". Seventeen years ago, in 2000, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had led an all-party delegation to the valley to take stock of the ground reality. Vajpayee declared Ramzan ceasefire and had a dialogue with the representatives of Hizbul Mujahideen. Later, in April 2001, the Vajpayee-led government appointed former Union Minister KC Pant as its interlocutor for peace talks with Kashmiris, but the then undivided Hurriyat conference refused to meet Pant. However, Pant had then asked Habibullah to help him interact with the Hurriyat, and separatist Shabir Shah was only to meet them. KC Pant had tried to involve me in the matter with Hurriyat, and it was only Shabir Shah who had responded. The fact remains that even at that time, the initiative was taken at the level of Mr. Vajpayee himself who had first appointed the former editor of the Patriot, Mr. RK Mishra, as the interlocutor on an informal basis," the first Chief Information Commissioner said. Habibullah added that Mishra made considerable headway, and he met with the Hurriyat leadership and they had come up with a solution in which they were allowed to travel up to the LOC. Habibullah expressed surprise at the appointment of former IB director, Dineshwar Sharma, as the interlocutor by Narendra Modi government in Jammu and Kashmir, saying, Hope the government has done its homework as Mr. Dineshwar Sharma, who has no experience of Jammu and Kashmir, has been appointed." "If you ask me whether the process will work or not, I don't think it will work out. I hope there will be some response, but it is quite possible that frustrated with the fact that there has been no movement forward, people like Mirwaiz may not respond, said the former chairperson of the National Commission of Minorities. Sharma was earlier made the interlocutor for peace talks with Assams insurgent groups, including the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in June this year. Its not clear at the moment if Sharma will be relieved of his assignment in Assam owing to the latest task he has entrusted with. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Monday in Paris with French minister of defense Florence Parly increasing military cooperation between Egypt and France, the state-owned MENA news agency reported. They also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, including the war on terrorism and the situation in Libya. Minister Parly received President El-Sisi at the headquarters of the French Ministry of Defence in Paris, after which a dinner was held in El-Sisis honour. Egypt has made several purchases of French military hardware in recent years, the most recent of which was a Gowind 2500 corvette naval vessel, which arrived in Alexandria earlier this month. The vessel is one of four such models purchased by Egypt in a deal signed in 2014. El-Sisi, who is currently on his third official visit to France since he was elected president in 2014, is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday. Search Keywords: Short link: Amarjit Singh Dulat, former chief of Research and Analysis Wing, was the advisor to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Kashmir. He was Kashmir in-charge of Intelligence Bureau from 1988 to 1990, the most violent phase in the Valley. In an interview with News18s Suhas Munshi he says Dineshwar Sharma is best person to restart dialogue with all stakeholders. Recalling Vajpayees legacy, he says Narendra Modi government should talk to separatists as well as Pakistan. The vacuum, according to him, had arisen only in the last year and a half when Centre relied only on pellet guns and forgot to talk. Edited excerpts: Q. Are you surprised by todays announcement of the Indian government to resume dialogue and political engagement with Kashmir? If Im surprised, let me say Im very pleasantly surprised. But on the other hand, one had been expecting something like this for quite some time. Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about the need to embrace the people of Kashmir and to talk to them, and remember that Home Minister himself went to the Valley and stressed the need for engagement, one was expecting this. Im glad it happened sooner than later. It is always good time to resume talks. And let me add here that the Hurriyat and other Kashmiri leaders should also respond favourably. They should not bury their heads in sand like New Delhi has done all this while. Q. What do you think of the appointment? Do you think Dineshwar Sharma was the best person available for this job? I think Dineshwar is the best person for this job. There is nobody better than him to start dialogue in Kashmir. He understands Kashmir and feels for it very much. I can say this because he had been for a long time a friend and a colleague. He has all the qualities that an interlocutor should have. Q. While making this announcement though Rajnath Singh said Sharma will talk to all stakeholders but he did not specify who these stakeholders are. He didnt say anything on the Hurriyat. Do you think the government has not yet decided on talking to the separatists? When the Union Home Minister went to Kashmir he said he will talk to all stakeholders, so I think there should not be any doubt about the fact that separatists will also be spoken to. And anyways I think holding a dialogue will not make sense unless one talks to the Hurriyat. Omar Abdullah had also a while back batted for dialogue between New Delhi and separatists saying that mainstream political leaders can anytime come to New Delhi and talk, and it was the Hurriyat that one normally doesnt talk to, which needed to be engaged. After all Vajpayee held talks with them twice. Q. With an operation all out on one hand, NIA raids against Hurriyat on the other, do you think political engagement with Kashmir shows a contradiction or confusion in governments policy towards the valley? Well, the thing is everyone has to do their job. The security forces have to do what they have to do and so is true with the intelligence. All these things can be done together. Q. Would you say that political engagement with Kashmiri people, and efforts to bring peace in the Valley, are not complete unless talks are also held between India and Pakistan? Of course, we need to talk to Pakistan also. When it comes to Pakistan, we say that we will only talk when terror stops. It is a justified, logical and right demand. But we have been engaging with Pakistan amid terror attacks also. Modi went on a Christmas to Pakistan and the previous governments have also talked to them. Why stop dialogue? Lets admit that Pakistan is a factor in Kashmir. And as far as the Kashmiris are concerned, everyone there knows that Kashmir is not going anywhere. It is staying with India. So talking to Pakistan is not going to worsen Indias position in the valley. Q. How do you look at the appointment of Sharma in the context of such attempts by New Delhi in the past but to no great benefit at the end? The three-member interlocutor committee recommendations, compiled after extensive unrest in 2010, gather dust today. Im glad there is no committee this time around. Not that there was anything wrong with that committee. They were good people. But I think one person will work better than a group of three or four. Dineshwar will do what he thinks is right. And Im again saying this because he and we have worked together and I know him to be a first class professional. Q. But has India gained much through these representatives or similar outreach attempts in the past? Wont you consider them a failure? Tell me did we talk to the Hurriyat or not? Did Advani talk to them or not? They met and spoke right? We have been talking to the Hurriyat since 90-91. If talks and dialogues had failed, why would separatists have come down to New Delhi and talked to deputy PM Advani? And be prepared to be referred to as the Advani Hurriyat? We have been moving forward over time through these dialogues and talks only. The problem had arisen only in the last year and a half. When we relied only on pellet guns and forgot to talk. Let there be no doubt about it. Talking is the only way forward. New Delhi: Soon after Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced on Monday that former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma will represent government of India to hold talks with all stakeholders in Kashmir, Minister of State for Prime Ministers Office Dr Jitendra Singh said there was no question of speaking to those who indulge in violence. Rajnath Singh said a sustained dialogue with all stakeholders in Kashmir will be held to address their legitimate concerns. When asked if Sharma will speak to separatists, including Hurriyat, Home Minister said un par koi bandish nahi lagayi gayi hai (There are no restrictions on him). However, when asked about dialogue with Hurriyat, Jitendra Singh said, How can you speak to people who indulge in violence and hawala transactions? MoS for PMO clarified that talks with Kashmiris will be held within the framework of the Constitution. Constitution is sacrosanct, he said clarifying the broad framework of dialogue. When News18 spoke to AS Dulat, former Research and Analysis Wing chief and advisor to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Kashmir, he said Sharma should not only speak to Hurriyat but also Pakistan, just like Vajpayee did. Of course, we need to talk to Pakistan also. When it comes to Pakistan, we say that we will only talk when terror stops. It is a justified, logical and right demand. But we have been engaging with Pakistan amid terror attacks also. Modi went on a Christmas to Pakistan and the previous governments have also talked to them. Why stop dialogue? Lets admit that Pakistan is a factor in Kashmir. And as far as the Kashmiris are concerned, everyone there knows that Kashmir is not going anywhere. It is staying with India. So talking to Pakistan is not going to worsen Indias position in the valley, Dulat said. Similarly, Radha Kumar, who was one of Indias three interlocutors on J&K said government should hold talks with open mind. She said Hurriyat leaders are absolutely essential for talks. There are many issues at hand. Alienation and anger are the two biggest problems in the Valley. Whatever is required to make sure that these feelings go away must be done immediately. And militancy. All these need to be discussed in detail and Hurriyat must be involved. The NDA government, however, has maintained so far that talks with separatists were out of question. The National investigation Agency in its probe of terror funding has arrested Hurriyat leaders, including son in law of Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Rajnath Singh said that NIA probe would be independent of the dialogue process. When asked, Dineshwar Sharma told News18 he was yet to decide whom to talk to. This is a big responsibility. I am thankful and will try and live up to expectations of the government and of Kashmiris, he said. The Home Minister has made it clear that all stakeholders will be talked to. I will go to Kashmir and then decide. Immediate priority is for peace to prevail in Kashmir, he said. Opposition leaders across the political spectrum have welcomed Centers move. While some like former Home Minister P Chidambaram called it a realisation that muscular policy wont work in Kashmir, other have called the dialogue a U-turn by Modi government. Three different set of interlocutors have submitted their reports on Kashmir to the government in the past but nothing has been implemented so far. Top government sources said Modi government found Dileep Padgaonkar-led committees report full of contradictions. Dialogue at this point is a well thought out decision, a top government source said. We have cut off the money from Pakistan. Brought down stone pelting, so now is the best time to talk to genuine stakeholders like Kashmiri youth who want Kashmir to develop, the source said. No timeframe has been set for the interlocutor to submit the report. New Delhi: As the nation debates whether the recent ordinance by the BJP government in Rajasthan, which grants immunity to public servants and magistrates from investigation for the work done in official capacity, is constitutionally valid or not, former Supreme Court judge Justice BN Srikrishna has said that the ordinance will not stand the test of law. The Rajasthan High Court will strike it down. This ordinance is contrarian to the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution. This law is not capable of being upheld at all, Justice Srikrishna told News18. Earlier on Monday, lawyer Ajay Jain filed a petition in the HC stating that the ordinance be struck down as being in violation of the Constitution. Slamming the Rajasthan government, Justice Srikrishna, who currently heads a committee of experts to deliberate on data protection framework for the country, said that the ordinance made a mockery of the Right to Information. The former SC judge said information has to be made public under the RTI and that the HC will strike it down for reasons more than one. He said including judges into the ambit of the ordinance was utter nonsense since there was already a law on it. Independence of judiciary is one of the basic features of the Constitution. The Protection of Judges Act, 1985 looks into that area. According to the law, no judge will be liable for anything that they do in discharge of their judicial capacity, he said. Its very rare that allegations are levelled against judges for the work done in official capacity. Justice Srikrishna said in such cases the famous Veeraswami Case would come to play. In 1991, judgment was delivered in case of K Veeraswami, former chief justice of the Madras High Court, who in 1976 challenged an FIR filed by the then Chief Minister under the Prevention of Corruption Act on the ground that the Act did not apply to judges. A five-judge bench of the SC ordered that the Chief Justices permission was mandatory for the filing of even a first information report (FIR) against any Judge of the High Courts and the Supreme Court. The SC has said that a judge can be prosecuted individually as long as the Chief Justice is kept in the loop to ensure that the judge is not being harassed, Justice Srikrishna said. Additionally, he added, it was very important to define working in an official capacity. A police officer is not expected to beat up an accused, or kill him. His role is to only probe and all this is not in his official capacity and he has to be answerable in law. Taking bribes is not a part of the duty of the government servant and that it cannot be said to be an exercise of duty within his jurisdiction. So the question that needs to be answered is what exactly is working in official capacity, Justice Srikrishna said. Justice Srikrishna, who had also headed the Srikrishna Commission to inquire and report on the 1992-93 Bombay communal riots, said this ordinance was indeed a backdoor approach of amending the Prevention of Corruption Act. The whole idea of this ordinance is to ensure that a government servant is not exposed to action by a citizen, irrespective of what they have done or not done. Under the criminal procedure code and the Indian penal code, provision for prior sanction is there. Now, if there is an allegation of corruption against the chief secretary, etc, then the government can utilise these provisions. The government is expected to reasonably apply its mind and come to the conclusion whether to grant the sanction or not, the former SC judge said. Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth came out in support of Vijay-starrer 'Mersal', saying that the film addressed an important issue. In a terse Twitter message, the veteran actor did not explicitly refer to any specific issue. The film has courted controversy over its criticism of the Goods and Services Tax, which the BJP claims are incorrect references to the central taxation. "Important topic addressed..... well done!!! congratulations team #mersal" Rajini said in his tweet. Important topic addressed... Well done !!! Congratulations team #Mersal Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) October 22, 2017 Diwali release "Mersal" has kicked up a row with the BJP taking exception to references on GST in the movie. BJP leaders, including Raja, a national secretary in the party, state president Tamilisai Soundarajan and Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, have been demanding that the "incorrect" references be deleted from the big-budget flick. However, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, his senior colleague P Chidambaram, DMK working president M K Stalin, veteran star Kamal Haasan and a host of Tamil cinema industry representatives had supported the film crew on the issue. The BJP had on October 20 objected to what it termed as "untruths" regarding the GST in just-released "Mersal", and wanted dialogues on the central taxation to be deleted. Actor Vishal had earlier accused Raja of advocating piracy by watching the movie online, a charge rejected by latter. (With PTI Inputs) Washington: America's relationship with India is of strategic importance which is not limited to South Asia, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday. Tillerson, who paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Monday, said the Trump administration was of the view that India can play a positive role in creating a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. "They already are providing important economic activity creating jobs which is important for the future Afghanistan. And we think they we want to encourage that as well. We think they can be a very positive influence on creating the right environment for the future in Afghanistan," he said. "I think, our view of the relationship with India is one that's of strategic importance not just for this specific region, but in the context of that speech it was about a free and open Indo-Pacific region stretching all the way from Japan to India," Tillerson told reporters at the Bagaram Air Force Base on his arrival for his maiden visit to South Asia. He was responding to a question on his major India policy speech last week in which he sought broader goals for India-US relationship. In addition to Afghanistan, Trump is scheduled to travel to Pakistan and India during his current trip to South Asia. He said during his visit to Pakistan he would discuss with the Pakistani officials the role of India in Afghanistan. "Thats certainly something well be talking about during the visit tomorrow," he said. Bengaluru: A descendant of Tipu Sultan on Monday demanded an unconditional apology from Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde for describing the 18th century Mysore ruler as a "mass rapist" and "brutal killer". Bengaluru-based businessman Sahabzada Mansoor Ali Tipu said he would meet Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Tuesday and may also file a complaint with the police. "On behalf of the descendants of Tipu Sultan, I am lodging a complaint against Hegde for calling ourforefather a mass rapist and brutal killer," he told PTI here. Ali said he would seek necessary action for Hegde's "uncalled for" comments on Tipu, who fought against the British. "Being a Union minister, he should not have made such irresponsible comments against a ruler who is revered as a hero in Karnataka. I seek an unconditional apology and necessary action against Hegde for his comments," he said. Alleging that Hegde's comments could stoke "communal sentiments", he demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi drop him from his council of ministers. "The tweets of Hegde are distasteful and hurt not only family sentiments, but also the sentiments of the country. Modi should sack him as Union minister," he said. Ali, who said he was a 7th generation descendant of Tipu Sultan, added that he was in touch with others in the family, including Bakhtiar Ali in Kolkata, who is contemplating taking legal action against Hegde. Hegde had stirred a hornet's nest after he requested the Karnataka government not to include his name in programme invitations for Tipu Jayanti celebrations. "(I have) conveyed (to) Karnataka government not to invite me to the shameful event of glorifying a person known as a brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist," Hegde said in a Tweet on October 20. The BJP leader had also written to the Chief Secretary and Uttara Kannada deputy commissioner, asking them to direct the state government not to include his name in the programme invitations to mark the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan. In 2016, Hegde had flayed the state government for celebrating Tipu Jayanti, claiming that the ruler was "against Kannada language and anti-Hindu". Subsequently, Hegde was arrested for threatening to disrupt celebrations in the Uttara Kannada district. The government's decision to celebrate the day on November 10 last year had been criticised by the BJP and RSS, who termed the act of the Congress as "minority appeasement". The Siddaramaiah-led government is all set to celebrate Tipu Jayanti despite widespread protests and violence that hadmarred celebrations in the last two years. Jaipur: Two MLAs from the ruling BJP government in Rajasthan are protesting against the new ordinance in the state by terming it a black law and a legislation that seeks to grant immunity to the corrupt. Talking to News18, BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari and Narpat Singh Rajvi termed The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, as unconstitutional. The criminal law ordinance issued by the Vasundhara Raje government seeks to protect both serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on-duty action without its prior sanction. The amendment also states that a two-year imprisonment will be levied on a person printing or publishing about the individual against whom charges have been levied. The law ushers in an era of emergency and violates the basic freedoms guaranteed to a citizen. They (the government) issued this ordinance, a month ago. They have granted immunity to themselves, their ministers, and the members of the CMO who have been involved in corrupt practices. This law will only protect to those in power, said Tiwari. The former state education minister further added that, in protest, he would not be part of an event which was to be presided by the Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu. This is a black law. It is unconstitutional and a reminder emergency days. I will protest against this, both inside and outside the assembly, said the MLA from Sanganer. Tiwari, however, believes that his association with the BJP is not a deterrent to his protest against the law. Jagjivan Ram protested against the emergency, Jay Prakash Narayan revolted against the emergency and if it is wrong, then we should protest it, said Tiwari. The other BJP MLA, Narpat Singh Rajvi, also stated that this bill was a means to protect the corrupt. We should have a mechanism in place when the reputation of an honest officer is tarnished but with this law, who do they want to protect? said Rajvi, talking News18. Rajvi pointed out that on Sunday, the Revenue Authority had attached properties of a few senior level officers and an IAS officers wife, which were allegedly gifted to them by their in-laws. But after this ordinance is passed, till six months, nothing can happen to them, he said. Rajasthan Congress leaders, led by Sachin Pilot, are set to march in protest from the Assembly to the Governor house as the ordinance is tabled in the Rajasthan assembly session on Monday. UPSC Recruitment 2017 advertisement for Online Recruitment Application (ORA) is inviting applications for various posts to fill 64 vacancies in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare amongst many others. Candidates interested in exploring these opportunities with the central government can visit the official website of Union Public Service Commission at upsconline.nic.in and apply online on or before November 2nd 2017, midnight. How to apply for UPSC Recruitment 2017? Step 1 Visit the official website - https://upsconline.nic.in Step 2 Click on the following link: ONLINE RECRUITMENT APPLICATION (ORA) FOR VARIOUS RECRUITMENT POSTS (...) Step 3 Click on the Post Name to see the detailed notification with information about the Pay scale, age limit, essential qualification, duty, probation, head quarter of the post. Step 4 Apply Now to apply for a post for which you fulfill the criteria Step 5 Enter all details Step 6 Pay the registration fee Step 7 Download the confirmation page and take a print out for further reference UPSC Recruitment 2017 Online Registration Fee: Candidates are required to pay a registration fee of 25 either online or via submitting cash in any SBI Branch. Female applicants and candidates falling in scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and physically handicapped category are exempted from online registration fee. Selection Process for UPSC Recruitment 2017: Candidates who will be shortlisted on the basis of their application forms will be required to furnish self-attested copies of their documents and certificates as and when demanded by the Union Public Service Commission. Post Details: 1. Deputy Controller of Explosives under Ministry of Commerce and Industry No. of posts 17 (SC-05, OBC-07, UR-05) 2. Scientific Officer (Electrical) under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution: No. of posts 3 (UR-03) 3. Junior Technical Officer under Ministry of Defence, Integrated Headquarters (Navy): No. of posts 3 (SC- 01, ST-01, OBC-01) 4. Specialist Grade III (Cardiology) under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare: No. of posts 1 (OBC-01) 5. Specialist Grade-III Assistant Professor (ENT) under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: No. of posts 3 (OBC-01, UR-02) 6. Specialist Grade-III Assistant Professor (Preventive and Social Medicine) under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare: No. of posts 10 (OBC-05, UR- 05) 7. Specialist Grade III Assistant Professor (Psychiatry) under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare: No. of posts 7 (OBC-05, UR-02) 8. Deputy Director (Safety) (Electrical) under Ministry of Labour and Employment: No. of posts 2 (OBC-02) 9. Deputy Director (Safety) (Mechanical) under Ministry of Labour and Employment: No. of posts 1 (OBC-01) 10. Sub-Regional Employment Officer under Ministry of Labour & Employment: No. of posts 8 (SC-02, ST-01, OBC-03, UR-02) 11. Assistant Controller of Mines under Ministry of Mines: No. of posts 8 (OBC-02, UR-06) 12. Assistant Director (Physical Education) for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute of Technology, Port Blair: No. of posts 01 (UR-01). New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday announced former chief of Intelligence Bureau and 1979 batch IPS officer Dineshwar Sharma as Government of Indias representative to Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a press conference, Singh said Sharma would lead a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir and recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modis Independence Day speech in which he had said that Kashmirs solution was neither in abuse nor in bullets, but in embracing Kashmiris. Dineshwar Sharma will talk to all stakeholders in Kashmir, Singh said. He will have full rights to decide his course of action and talk to whoever he wants to, Singh said in reply to a question on whether Hurriyat will be among the stakeholders that the Centres representative will talk to. Speaking to CNN-News18, Dineshwar Sharma said he has not yet made up his mind on who to talk to. This is a big responsibility, I am thankful. Will try and live up to the expectations of this government and of Kashmiris, he said. While Singh avoided use of the word interlocutor and did not specify Sharmas brief or the timeframe in which he will work, the former IB chiefs latest assignment is bound to be close to that of an interlocutor. Sharma was earlier made the interlocutor for peace talks with Assams insurgent groups, including the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in June this year. Its not clear at the moment whether Sharma will be relieved of his assignment in Assam or will he carry out his duties at both places. Sharma, a Kerala batch IPS officer, took over from Syed Ibrahim as the IB chief on December 31, 2014. He served as the chief of IB till December 2016 and at the end of the fixed two-year tenure, reportedly refused an offer of extension by the government. Sharma served as the chief of IB during very tumultuous period when strong links between ISIS recruiters and Kerala first came to light and when Kashmir was on boil since the encounter of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in September last year. And it was during his tenure that the Indian government reached a settlement with North East-based insurgent group NSCN (IM). The former IB chief is known to keep a very low profile. He is also known for his unique policy of reforming potential ISIS recruits, instead of arresting them when the news first broke out. As the then head of IB, Sharma had made a policy of observing the online activity of ISIS sympathisers and engaging community and religious elders in getting the youth back to mainstream, instead of arresting them. This strategy is believed to have prevented, to a large extent, popularization of the terror groups influence. Sharma is also known to have kept a close watch of developments in Kashmir and played a role in keeping terror incidents at a minimum during his tenure from the end of 14 to the end of 16. Mondays development is bound to be looked at with a measure of cynicism considering that the recommendations of the last group of interlocutors appointed by the government of India, under UPA II, were never taken seriously. Journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, academician Radha Kumar and former Information Commissioner MM Ansari were appointed as Indias interlocutors to Kashmir following the massive 2010 unrest in which over a 100 Kashmiris had died. Among their recommendations was a proposal to review the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), urgently address human rights violations, reducing armys visibility, and lift the Disturbed Areas Act. None of these recommendations were implemented by the UPA II government. National Conference leader and former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah echoed these fears soon after Rajnath Singh's press conference. "I am his (Dineshwar Sharma's) report will also gather dust," he told CNN-News18. Taking to Twitter, his son and former CM Omar Abdullah questioned whether the NIA investigation in J&K would be suspended. What does this mean for the NIA investigation in J&K? Will investigation be suspended to facilitate dialogue with detained Hurriyat leaders? https://t.co/zcNYVu7lso Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 23, 2017 The wife of long-time palestinian prisoner Ali El-Qaisy gave birth to a child on Sunday, having conceived using her husband's sperm, which was smuggled out of prison, according to Palestinian news websites. Haifaa El-Aseer expressed her joy at giving birth to a healthy child weighing 2.5 kilos, according to hospital doctors in the West Bank town of Nablus. However, the doctors said her contentment will be compelete only when her husband has been realesed from jail. El-Qaisy has been in prison in Israel for the past 14 years. The newborn child, named Ghaith, is the couple's third child; they already have a 15-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter. El-Aseer's new addition was conceived with the use of IVF technology. Palestinian activist Myassar Atyani said that 50 wives of palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have given birth in the same way over the past few years, the first being in 2012. Atyani described the matter as a victory over the tyranny of Isreali imprisonment. The management of Nablus Hospital said they will continue providing IVF services to prisoners wives free of charge. Search Keywords: Short link: The years end is fast approaching and with so many ups and downs, many of us havent had a chance to go for a vacation yet. Most people plan their annual vacations for summer, but autumn and winter months are equally good for planning a getaway. Here are a few places you can consider for a break: 1. Vietnam Vietnam is not as popular a destination as its neighbour Cambodia, or Thailand, but that only adds to its appeal. Saigon and Hanoi are the two major airports and most travellers to the country begin their explorations from one of the two hubs. The compact capital city of Hanoi is the jumping off point for the stunning Ha Long Bay, which should be on your must-see list. Hoi Ans quaint old town is charming enough for you to be able to spend a few days there, and Hues imperial city provides a rare glimpse of pre-war Vietnam. Conclude your vacation with a couple of days in dizzying Saigon, sampling its culinary delights and drinking iced coffee by the litre, take a day trip to visit the historic Cu Chi tunnels, and cruise down the mysterious Mekong Delta to cap it off. 2. Norway Youve probably noticed an increasing number of people on your timeline making their way to Norway in the last two years. Although Norway, along with other Scandinavian countries, is one of the most expensive countries to visit, it is becoming easier to visit with each passing year! This year is also supposed to be one of the best to view the Northern Lights or Aurora borealis, which occur in 11-year solar cycles, and this decades cycle is winding down, making it the best time to check it off your bucket list! Apart from chasing the Northern Lights, Norways cosmopolitan capital of Oslo is an exciting city to visit and the colourful city of Bergen is a delight and the most popular city with travellers visiting the country. 3. Turkey With normalcy returning to Turkey, so are tourists. With its fabled old cities, confluence of cultures and celebrated hospitality, Turkey is a destination that needs no introduction! Istanbuls famous alleys, markets, food, coffee and architecture alone can keep a traveller happily occupied for days! Once youve had your fill of Istanbul, make your way to Cappadocia, famous for its unusual rock formations, which seem to have been plucked straight out of a fantasy novel. If beaches are more to your taste then head to Turkeys coastline, also nicknamed the Turquoise Coast, and spend your time floating around in the Aegean Sea, Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. In fact, you can even sail across the Aegean Sea to all the way Greece, as many travellers do! 4. Bhutan If youre more of a mountain person, then you cannot do better than a trip to Bhutan. From its quaint Himalayan cities like Paro and Thimphu to luxuriant valleys and mountainous monasteries, Bhutan is a destination like no other! Most places youll visit in Bhutan require some hiking and trekking, so be prepared for it. But rest assured that the views of the Himalayas from here are unmatched. Bhutan is fiercely independent and protective of its indigenous culture and takes every step to protect itincluding restricting foreign visitors to the country! As a result, Bhutan also makes for a great cultural vacation. Any trip to Bhutan is, of course, incomplete without a trek to its most famous monastery, Tigers Nest, situated at a height of 3,120 metres! The hike up to the monastery is certainly not easy but is a truly rewarding experience. This is by far the best time of the year to make a visit to the Kingdom of Bhutan, so make your plans now. 5. Arunachal Pradesh Closer home, Arunachal Pradesh is no less beguiling and definitely worth your consideration. For those looking to get away from the throngs of tourists for a much-needed mental break, there could not be a better destination than Arunachal Pradesh and its pristine jungles, lakes, valleys and Himalayan views. Tawangs famous monastery and the now-famous Ziro Valley are the most popular stops on any travellers itinerary. However, the further you get away from the tourist-frequented places, the more magical (and remote) it gets! Mechuka Valley and its unhindered views of snow-capped peaks and crystal clear rivers, and the Namdapha National Park in eastern Himalayas, are both largely untouched by tourism and perfect for a serene vacation, cut off from the frenetic pace of city life. Arunachal Pradesh is certainly not for the faint-hearted but it is highly recommended for travellers looking for an immersive experience in the lap of Himalayas, surrounded by nature in all of its raw, awe-inspiring glory. Model Cara Delevingne entered the profession to escape problems and emotional issues in her life. Delevingne, 25, believes that her career as a model gave her with a way of avoiding her problems, but acting has forced her to deal with them, reports dailymail.co.uk. "Modelling came at a time in my life where I wanted to please people. I was just doing things to run away from my own problems. I wasn't dealing with things that were going on emotionally. That's why I ended up being unhappy," Delevingne told Australia's Stellar magazine. In a lengthy post on Instagram, Cara wrote: "When I first started to work as an actress, I was working on a film and I received a call from Harvey Weinstein asking if I had slept with any of the women I was seen out within the media. It was a very odd and uncomfortable call.... I answered none of his questions and hurried off the phone but before I hung up, he said to me that If I was gay or decided to be with a woman especially in public that I'd never get the role of a straight woman or make it as an actress in Hollywood. "A year or two later, I went to a meeting with him in the lobby of a hotel with a director about an upcoming film. The director left the meeting and Harvey asked me to stay and chat with him. As soon as we were alone he began to brag about all the actresses he had slept with and how he had made their careers and spoke about other inappropriate things of a sexual nature. He then invited me to his room. I quickly declined and asked his assistant if my car was outside. She said it wasn't and wouldn't be for a bit and I should go to his room. At that moment I felt very powerless and scared but didn't want to act that way hoping that I was wrong about the situation. "When I arrived I was relieved to find another woman in his room and thought immediately I was safe. He asked us to kiss and she began some sort of advances upon his direction. I swiftly got up and asked him if he knew that I could sing. And I began to sing....I thought it would make the situation better....more professional....like an audition....I was so nervous. After singing I said again that I had to leave. He walked me to the door and stood in front of it and tried to kiss me on the lips. I stopped him and managed to get out of the room. "I still got the part for the film and always thought that he gave it to me because of what happened. Since then I felt awful that I did the movie. I felt like I didn't deserve the part. I was so hesitant about speaking out....I didn't want to hurt his family. I felt guilty as if I did something wrong. I was also terrified that this sort of thing had happened to so many women I know but no one had said anything because of fear. "Being an actor helped me reflect on my own emotions, be able to express them more, be in the moment," she added. A new list of the most budget-friendly international holiday destinations suggests heading to Nordic destinations this winter, which posted the best airfare deals for US consumers this season. In Kayak's annual Holiday Hacker Guide, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen and Reykjavik topped their "Wallet-Friendly International Flights" list for travellers looking for a holiday escapade. Median airfare to Stockholm, for instance, is 41 percent lower than the median airfare for other international routes. While travellers may save on their plane ticket, however, Stockholm and Oslo are well known for being expensive cities to visit overall. Likewise, the travel search engine's choice may lack broad appeal among holidaymakers looking to escape the winter cold. For sun-seeking snow birds, expert recommend Atlanta and Dallas as domestic alternatives, with median fares predicted to be 30 and 27 percent lower (respectively) than the median airfare for North America. Meanwhile, editors at US News and World Report picked Rome as the best winter vacation and the most affordable destination this year. And when it comes to the hottest New Year's Eve destinations this year, it seems Guadalajara is the place to be, with searches for the Mexican city up 38 percent. As for best times to book, Kayak's data suggests that flying on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day will save travellers the biggest bucks. Otherwise, flying on Dec. 23 and returning Dec. 26 will likewise shave a few dollars off their flight. Here is Kayak's list for the most wallet-friendly international flights this winter: 1. Stockholm, Sweden 2. Oslo, Norway 3. Copenhagen, Denmark 4. Reykjavik, Iceland 5. Barcelona, Spain 6. Cartagena, Colombia 7; Madrid, Spain 8. Paris, France 9. Malaga, Spain 10. Bogota, Colombia European tourism is on the rebound according to the latest stats from the UN World Tourism Organization, which found that international tourist arrivals were up 8 percent in the first half of the year. Between January and June of this year, Europe's 28 countries received 231 million international tourists -- 17 million more than the 214 million who travelled to the continent during the same period last year. Spain recorded the highest growth at 12 percent, followed closely by the UK (+11 percent), France (+8 percent), Germany (+4 percent) and Italy (+3 percent). Analysts call the performance "extraordinary" considering the maturity of most destinations and the large base volume. "This growth follows a modest 2 percent increase in 2016 and reflects a clear rebound in destinations that suffered decreases in previous years, such as Turkey, France and Belgium," reads the report. At the global scale, international tourism likewise posted their strongest half-year results since 2010, with an estimated 598 million international tourists travelling the world in the first half of the year -- six percent growth, or 36 million more tourists. Globally, growth was highest in the Middle East (+9 percent), followed by Europe (+8 percent), Africa (+8 percent), Asia and the Pacific (+6 percent), and the Americas (+3 percent). Bollywood actor Esha Deol and husband Bharat Takhtani have welcomed their first child, a daughter. Proud parents of a baby girl, the couple welcomed their bundle of joy on Sunday at Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai. Esha has been updating her fans about her pregnancy by sharing photos on her official Instagram account. From their recent vacation in Greece to their baby shower which was also the occasion when the couple tied the knot, the actress shared every key moment with her fans and well-wishers. Out now on stands! @healthnutrition_india ...Some healthy talk, some fun talk, some ready to be a mummy talk , basically my personal experience through these awesome months of carrying my first child A post shared by Esha Deol (@imeshadeol) on Oct 16, 2017 at 9:31pm PDT ONE LOVE! ONE HEART! @aapkadharam A post shared by Esha Deol (@imeshadeol) on Oct 2, 2017 at 8:44pm PDT Happy birthday mamma! May God bless you ! Stay happy & healthy always! We all love you very much @dreamgirlhemamalini A post shared by Esha Deol (@imeshadeol) on Oct 15, 2017 at 9:35pm PDT Image: Yogen Shah The traditional baby shower ceremony was reportedly set on a colour-laden celebratory theme wherein the family also organised a 'chappan bhog' ritual for Lord Krishna. The actress opted for a red and pink Radharani-inspired anarkali-sharara outfit customised by ace designer Neeta Lulla. Esha was quick to take to Instagram a few days before the ceremony and shared a sneak peek into her outfit and wrote, "Godh bharai fittings with the one n only @neeta_lulla. #IndianOutfit #TraditionalGodhBharai #RaniPink #Red" Esha married Bharat in 2012 and the couple has been often spotted together with their families in a happy and jovial relationship. Image: Yogen Shah The Insta pics on Eshas account say it all: Ahaana thanks for hosting the most fun filled Babyshower ! And all my friends a big hug for making it a super hit @bharattakhtani3 @theweddingstoryusa @rockystarofficial @simplysimone.official @TIKAMDAS_MOTIRAM_JEWELLERS @phagun_mumbai @delcakes.in @houseof_cookies A post shared by Esha Deol (@imeshadeol) on Aug 29, 2017 at 12:18am PDT Chennai: The controversy over Vijay-starrer "Mersal" refused to die down today, with actor Vishal accusing BJP leader H Raja of advocating piracy by watching the movie online, a charge rejected by latter. Earlier in the day, referring to Raja's remarks, reported in a section of the media, Vishal, head of the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) and general secretary of the South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA), had also demanded an apology from him. However, Raja clarified that he had only watched clips of the movie on his mobile phone and said he did not have the patience to sit through a two-and-a-half hour film. "Dear Mr H Raja, as a leader and prominent personality, you are advocating piracy and blatantly agreeing to it," Vishal said in a statement. The actor also said he wondered "how a political leader like you could watch a pirated version of a film (online)" and added that it "sets a bad example". This was "totally insensitive and uncalled for," said Vishal, who is known for his strong anti-piracy stand and activities. Demanding an apology from Raja on the matter, Vishal also pressed the government to enact more stringent anti-piracy laws. Raja, however, categorically denied having watched the movie, especially online as it was being made out. "I had not watched the movie. I only watched the clips received on my phone," he told PTI. Piracy is one of the major issues being faced by the multi-crore Tamil cinema industry, with films being uploaded on certain websites soon after their release. The availability of pirated CDs and DVDs of new films is also an issue. Actor Vijay's fans have been reportedly circulating the contentious scenes, allegedly mocking the central government's Goods and Services Tax (GST), through mobile phones. "I don't have the patience to watch a two-and-a-half hour movie. This entire episode shows that whoever opposes the BJP are supporting Vijay, and this is expected," Raja said. Diwali release "Mersal" has kicked up a row with the BJP taking exception to references on GST in the movie. BJP leaders, including Raja, a national secretary in the party, state president Tamilisai Soundarajan and Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan, have been demanding that the "incorrect" references be deleted from the big-budget flick. However, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, his senior colleague P Chidambaram, DMK working president M K Stalin, veteran star Kamal Haasan and a host of Tamil cinema industry representatives had supported the film crew on the issue. In Puducherry, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy came to the defence of the film, saying questions have been "justifiably" raised on the GST and the Digital India initiatives in the movie and there could be no objection to expression of one's views in a democratic set up. "I am a member of the GST council and I have expressed my strong criticism of the abnormal levy of GST on medicines and on hotels at the council meeting," he told reporters. "Will those unable to tolerate criticisms made by actor Vijay in the movie against the GST seek action against me as well for objecting to the abnormal levy of taxes at the council meeting?" the Chief Minister asked. Stating that movies, television and newspapers had every right to express views and criticise policies and decisions of authorities, he claimed that there was no political motive, whatsoever, in the movie's dialogues. "Let not BJP leaders labour under the mistake that they should always be lauded for anything and everything of the NDA regime even if the decisions of the Centre are injurious to the people," Narayanasamy said. The BJP had on October 20 objected to what it termed as "untruths" regarding the GST in just-released "Mersal", and wanted dialogues on the central taxation to be deleted. Bengaluru: Amid a raging debate over Tipu Sultans birthday celebrations in Karnataka, an old photo of former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar dressed as Tipu Sultan has surfaced, much to the embarrassment of the saffron party. In this viral photo, the two BJP leaders can be seen wearing a headgear and posing with a sword, like that of the late Sultan. A few days back Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde had refused to join the birthday celebrations of Tipu Sultan, asking his officials to keep his name out of the invitation list. Many a BJP leader, including Hegde, have come out to speak against the Mysore ruler saying he had indulged in murdering thousands of Indians. At a time when BJP is again debating the need to celebrate Tipu Sultans birth anniversary, the viral photo of the two BJP leaders, that dates back to five years, has given Congress a new weapon to call out on the hypocrisy of the opposition party. Karnataka Congress Working President Dinesh Gundu Rao said that BJP's double standard was exposed. Bangalore Central MP PC Mohan and former Deputy CM R Ashok are also seen sharing the stage. "The backlash for us celebrating Tipu Jayanthi is politically motivated. Didnt Shettar know back then that Tipu was tyrant and a bigot? BJP wants to polarize voters and communally rake-up the sentiments of the people," said Rao. However, BJP has defended the photo saying it was not a government-organised celebration where they had posed. Jagadish Shettar said that BJP is against the government spending money for Tipu Jayanthi celebrations, let Congress do it as a private event. "The photo was from an award ceremony of the minority morcha, where they had given us headgears and swords. Our government was not organising the event. It was not Tipu Jayanti either," said Shettar. Meanwhile, the Congress has decided to celebrate the birth anniversaries of over 30 people like Kittu Rani Chenamma, Swami Vivekananada, Basaveshwara, Kanaka Dasa along with Tipu Sultan. This years Tipu Jayanthi is slated to be held on November 10, when the BJP is planning to call a state-wide protest alleging that Congress is celebrating these Jayanthis to appease the minorities ahead of the elections in 2018. Ahmedabad: Did PAAS (Expand) leader Hardik Patel have a secret meeting with Congress VP Rahul Gandhi on Monday? Both Patel and Congress have so far denied that the two leaders had any discussions in Ahmedabad where Congress VP had gone to attend a rally organised by OBC leader Alpesh Thakor. Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief Bharatsinh Solanki said, It is true that Rahul Gandhi and Hardik Patel were in the same hotel, but they did not meet. Later in the evening, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said that it was he who Hardik was there to meet with and not Rahul. Gehlot also alleged that the BJP had ordered surveillance and the Intelligence Bureau was checking his hotel room. CCTV footage with Network18 from Hotel Taj, however, shows that PAAS leader entered the five-star hotel late last night. He left the hotel from an alternative exit on Monday afternoon. Rahul, interestingly, checked into the same hotel Monday morning, before leaving for the rally organised by Thakore in the afternoon. Days after the Grand Old Party offered tickets to OBC leader Alpesh Thakore, Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani, and Patidar leader Hardik Patel, the meeting between the top Congress leader and Patel is seen as another attempt to take the latter onboard. Though Thakore formally joined the Congress on Monday, sharing the stage with vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Jignesh and Patel have repeatedly denied mulling joining any political outfit. Patel also said that he wished to carry on with his movement independent of any party and there was no question of contesting election since he was not eligible for it. Another Patidar leader Narendra Patel, who had joined the BJP on Sunday, came out alleging that he had been offered an amount of Rs 1 crore to defect from the movement and join the party. Narendra addressed a press conference late Sunday evening and placed an amount of Rs 10,00,000 that he had received from the ruling party as an advance. The Congress has ramped up its criticism of the BJp in Gujarat, saying that the party had served just the industrialists in the past 22 years of its rule. Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the PM and the BJP over the same allegations, saying the youth of Gujarat can't be bought for any amount. New Delhi: Congress Vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that Gujarat is priceless and can never be bought. Rahuls comments came as two Patidar leaders, who had joined the BJP, levelled bribery charges against the party. "Gujarat is priceless. It has never been been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought," Gandhi said on Twitter. Both Paridar leaders Narendra Patel and Nikhil Sawani have now returned to the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). Patel addressed a press conference on Sunday to claim that the BJP had offered him Rs 1 crore to join the saffron brigade. He even showed the Rs 10 lakh cash that the BJP had given him on Sunday, with the promise of giving another Rs 90 lakh on Monday. Gujarat is priceless. It has never been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought.https://t.co/czGCQzrxY4 Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 23, 2017 Sawani has further alleged that the BJP is offering bribes to other Patidar leaders to join them. However, while PAAS chief Hardik Patel has refused to join Congress, Sawani says he is open to meet Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi. The BJP has rubbished Patels charges and said it was a drama" staged at the behest of the Congress. "All these allegations are false. It was a drama (enacted) by Narendra Patel at the behest of Congress," Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said. New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Achal Kumar Joti on Monday defended announcing elections in Himachal Pradesh earlier than Gujarat. He went on to cite multiple factors, including the weather, which came into play while deciding the poll dates. When we went to Himachal Pradesh, the state election commission there, political parties and the state administration had said three districts - Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti and Chamba - are likely to experience snowfall. Therefore, a request made to conduct the elections in early November so that voters do not get affected and can cast their votes, Joti told ANI. He said that the poll schedule in Gujarat will planned in such a way that the outcome of the (Himachal Pradesh) result should not affect the voting in Gujarat. Another main reason is that Himachal and Gujarat are not adjoining states. If multiple states go for polls, they are adjoining states. The EC has always made sure that the voting pattern of one state does not affect the voting pattern of another state, and that is why the counting period in Himachal Pradesh has been kept for December 18, Joti told ANI. The CEC, citing an office memorandum issued by the ministry of law and justice in 2001 and approved by the Supreme Court, said, The commission will announce the date of any election which will be a date ordinarily not more than three weeks prior to the date on which the notification is likely to be issued in wake of elections. The day we make the announcement, the model code of conduct is applied from that day till the poll is over. So, if the states share the border, it should have been an issue, but with Gujarat, the situation is very different. Referring to the Gujarat floods, which claimed hundreds of lives and caused huge damage to infrastructure, the CEC said the state had to undergo restoration before elections could be organised. Joti also underlined the fact that the government staff which would carry out the restoration work is the same lot which would carry out services during the elections. In July, parts of Gujarat were ravaged by incessant rains and floods that claimed more than 200 lives. And at a time when restoration work is done, it involves a lot of government force. A total of 26,443 employees of the state government will be given election duties. So the staff, which manages the restoration work, will only be assigned election duties as we dont supply staff, he said. So, once the moral code of conduct is implemented, these government employees will have to leave all the revamping and start performing their duties in connection with elections, he added. The spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants says contacts with Russia are underway to avoid friction on the ground between U.S.-allied fighters and Syrian troops backed by Moscow around Syria's largest oil field, coveted by both sides. Col. Ryan Dillon told The Associated Press on Monday that the coalition will continue to "de-conflict" with the Russians, to ensure allied forces and the coalition air support can operate safely in and around the Al-Omar oil field. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces captured Al-Omar on Sunday, narrowly beating the Russia-backed Syrian troops who were also advancing toward it. Dillon says SDF fighters are fighting remaining IS militants in a housing complex adjacent to the oil field. He says the SDF will continue to secure key areas and will attack further into IS-held areas along the border with Iraq and in the oil-rich region of Deir el-Zour. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi: Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Election Commission for not announcing the Gujarat Assembly poll dates and said that the 'jugalbandi' (duet) between the two is out in the open. "PM , EC jugalbandi now in the open . Allow me time for jumlas, then announce election dates in Gujarat . First week December : Amit Shah ! (sic)," tweeted Sibal. The former HRD Minister also referred to reports which quoted BJP party president Amit Shah claiming that Gujarat assembly elections will be held in the first week of December. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hit out at the Congress for questioning the Election Commission over the delay in announcing the poll schedule for Gujarat. "Some of them (Opposition) are worried why Modi is coming to Gujarat after Diwali. They can't say anything to me, so they are targeting the Election Commission," the Prime Minister said and asked the gathering, "You tell me, should I not come to Vadodara?" To hit out at the Congress, Modi referred to the recent Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat in which Congress leader Ahmed Patel won by defeating BJP's Balwantsinh Rajput. "In the recent election, votes were counted and TV channels were showing who is the victor, but they (Congress) did something after which a recount took place in which they won," Modi said. "Those who won in the recount are now asking the Election Commission why Modi is going to Gujarat," he said. "They do not have any moral right to ask this question to the Election Commission," Modi said. On October 12, the Election Commission had announced the Assembly poll schedule for Himachal Pradesh, but did not announce the dates for Gujarat, only saying that it would go to the polls before December 18. The Congress has alleged that the NDA government had pressurised the EC to delay the announcement of Gujarat election schedule, so that the Prime Minister could offer sops to his home state before the model code of conduct came into force. The move has been questioned by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, senior leader P Chidambaram and some others in the Congress party. "EC has authorised PM to announce date of Gujarat elections at his last rally (and kindly keep EC informed)," Chidambaram had tweeted. Chitrakoot: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has now said that his Taj Mahal visit will be to draw the international communitys attention towards it and that no one can defame the Taj. CM Adityanath told CNN-News18, Taj Mahal is part of our culture and history and by going there I wish to send across a message to the international community that it is part of our heritage and that no one should try to defame it. Adityanath had so far maintained that his upcoming Taj Mahal visit has nothing to do with BJP MLA Sangeet Soms outrageous comment that the Taj Mahal is a blot on Indian heritage that was built by traitors. Soon after Soms comment, Adityanath announced that he would be visiting the 17th century monument and that it was not a damage-control move. Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government had forgot to mention the iconic Mughal architecture in its tourism booklet, despite it earning the maximum tourism revenue for the state. Speaking on the Ayodhya temple issue, CM Adityanath said that BJP will also not abandon either of its key agenda, that of development and Ram temple in Ayodhya. The chief minister made it clear that for his government, Ram and development go hand in hand. Development for me comes with the name of Ram and we are here for both the jobs, Adityanath told CNN-News18. He further explained, We have come up with a lot of developmental schemes for UP along with promoting religious tourism. Celebrating Diwali in Ayodhya is part of the idea and we want to take the temple town to the international circuit. We plan to do the same for Chitrakoot, where Lord Rama had spent some time during his exile. The chief minister again visited the disputed Ramjanmabhoomi site, a day after the mega pre-Diwali celebrations organised by his government here. Speaking to reporters after the visit, Adityanath had said that visiting Ayodhya was his personal belief and opposition parties had no right to question him on it. New Delhi: Gearing up to corner the government ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament, opposition parties are all set to announce a seven-member coordination committee to chalk out protests against policies of the Narendra Modi government. This committee will be representative of 18-member United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by the Congress. The formation of the committee is likely to be announced on Tuesday morning at a joint press conference of opposition parties. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, in the presence of other leaders, is likely to announce the formation of the coordination group which will have members from DMK, SP, BSP, TMC and CPM. JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav may also be included in the panel. The first leg of the joint campaign against the government could be a held in the first week of November just ahead of the first anniversary of demonetisation of high value currency notes announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi is addressing a rally in Gandhinagar, targeting the BJP-ruled state and central governments over unemployment and education in the poll-bound state. Also present are OBC leader Alpesh Thakore, who recently joined the party, and senior leader Ashok Gehlot. Stay tuned for LIVE updates: Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here. Jaipur: Amid an uproar from the opposition Congress, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria on Monday tabled in the Assembly a bill to replace its ordinance to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants from being investigated without its prior sanction. The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2017, seeks to replace the September 7 ordinance, which drew widespread criticism from various quarters. The opposition Congress strongly opposed the bill and staged a walkout. BJP MLA Ghanshaym Tiwari, who had expressed opposition to the ordinance, walked out of the Assembly twice when he was not allowed by the Speaker to raise a point of order. The 9th session of the 14th Assembly began with greetings to President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on their elections to the respective posts. Soon after, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Ramesh Meena, raised objection to the bill and an uproar followed. BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari requested Speaker Kailash Meghwal to allow him to raise a point or order but his plea was rejected. He then walked out of the House. The opposition Congress and National People's Party (NPP) MLAs also staged a walkout in protest against the bill. Amid the uproar, Kataria introduced and tabled the bill in the House. The Rajasthan government had last month promulgated the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, that seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on-duty action, without its prior sanction. It also bars the media from reporting on such accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe is given by the government. After the bill was tabled, Independent MLA Manik Chand Surana through a point of order opposed it, saying there was no prior sanction of the President to the bill which was circulated among the embers last night. He said that prior sanction of the President should be there to amend a central law. Surana said that the bill also had no object and reasons. He said it was a "kaala kanoon" (black law) and that the government was trying to impose an undeclared emergency through it. He said that the opposition would not allow a debate on the bill without the prior sanction of the President. Responding to Surana, the home minister said that the merits and demerits of the bill would be discussed during the debate and that the bill would become a law only after it was passed by the House. A few minuted after they had walked out, opposition members and BJP MLA Tiwari returned to the House. Tiwari again requested the Speaker to allow him raise a point of order. He warned of a dharna in the Well of the House if he was not allowed by the Speaker to raise his point, but the Speaker ignored him following which he staged a second walkout. Tiwari said that he was walking out in protest against the behavior of the Speaker. Three more bills were also tabled in the House before the session was adjourned for the day. New Delhi: For the first time in many years, Ashok Gehlot was not home in Jodhpur for Diwali. The Congress general secretary was busy giving final touches to the caste coalitions he has been stitching for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls, whose charge he has been given by the party high command. A day after Diwali, marking the dawn of Gujarati New Year, Congress offered tickets to three young turks Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mevani and Alpesh Thakor. While Patel has led a protracted Patidar agitation for quotas, Mevani left his legal practice to lead protests against public flogging of Dalits at Una last year. However, Thakor is electorally most significant catch for the Congress. The OBC leader has formally joined the Congress after meeting Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. Out of power for more than two decades in the Western state, Congress is attempting to cast a net around Narendra Modi-led BJPs pan-Hindu identity. It is not challenging the BJP on Hindutva, or taking the beaten path through the communal-secular divide. This time, the Grand Old Party is hedging on the fundamentals of Indian socio-political matrix the caste. Congress strategy in the state is pivoted on mobilizing close to 150 Other Backward Castes (OBCs) which together form the largest voting bloc in the state. Alpesh Thakor emerged as the leading OBC face by challenging Patidars claim over the quota pie. The fact that Thakor has joined the party shows that OBCs will be the core constituency that Congress will target. It is now clear that this amorphous group of socially and educationally backward castes will be at the core of the Congress campaign in Prime Minister Narendra Modis home turf. These communities are also compatible with Congress traditional vote bank among Dalits and minorities. The most clinical aspect of this game-plan rests on the assessment of consolidation of majority votes in the last three elections. In popular narrative, Patidars were always seen to be the backbone of BJPs uninterrupted rule in the state. Patels, like many intermediary agrarian communities in other states, were politically influential and vocal in their support to the BJP. But a combination of agrarian stress and Hardik Patel-led popular movement against state government may dent this fort, at least partially. And Congress seems to be making a cautious move on this front. While it wants support of Patidars, Hardik Patel is unlikely to join the party. This will help Patel retain his image of a protester while not allowing BJP to charge him of being a Congress plant. Under Narendra Modi, BJPs success in the state was partly due to its ability to manage caste contradictions despite Patel domination. Modis own OBC identity was perhaps a key stabilizer. Modi, interestingly, has underscored his caste credentials only outside Gujarat especially in Hindi heartland. In Gujarat, he doesnt need to do that. Its there in the subtext. By emphasizing on caste identity in home state, one also runs the risk of antagonizing other dominant communities. But this subtext or the background score has the potential to mobilise 146 disparate backward communities without disrupting the social order. BJP has benefited from this mobilization for two decades. Congress is now trying to disrupt the status quo. Ahmedabad: Within a span of 24 hours, two key Patidar leaders in Gujarat who had joined the BJP, have levelled bribery charges against the ruling party. Narendra Patel and Nikhil Sawani, two key aides of Hardik Patel, have now returned to the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). Patel addressed a press conference on Sunday to claim that the BJP had offered him Rs 1 crore to join the saffron brigade. He even showed the Rs 10 lakh cash that the BJP had given him on Sunday, with the promise of giving another Rs 90 lakh on Monday. Sawani has further alleged that the BJP is offering bribes to other Patidar leaders to join them. However, while PAAS chief Hardik Patel has refused to join Congress, Sawani says he is open to meet Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi. While addressing the media on Monday, Sawani said, "I had joined the BJP because they showed some intentions of working towards getting reservation for the Patidar community. However, their commitment doesn't seem strong enough and they are not doing much for the Patidars." Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has reacted to the development and tweeted: "Gujarat is priceless. It has never been been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought." Narendra Patel, in a midnight press conference in Ahmedabad on Sunday, said that he was made to switch sides. He also added that the BJP leaders had paid him an advance amount of Rs 10 lakh and promised to pay him the balance Rs 90 lakh on Monday. It was only hours before the midnight announcement by Narendra Patel on Sunday, who is the local convenor of Hardik Patels Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti that he had joined the BJP flanked by prominent leaders of its Gujarat unit. Gujarat is priceless. It has never been been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought.https://t.co/czGCQzrxY4 Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 23, 2017 Meanwhile, Hardik Patel's key aides Varun Patel and Reshma Patel joined the BJP in a dramatic turn of events on Saturday. Narendra Patel has now alleged that it was Varun Patel, who had facilitated his turning towards BJP. The Patidar leader has further named prominent Gujarat BJP leaders and state ministers, whom he had met in Ahmedabad. There, I was introduced to several BJP leaders, including Jitubhai Vaghani and Chudasmasaheb, Patel said on Sunday. While Jitubhai Vaghani is the Gujarat BJP President, Bhupendrasinhji Manubha Chudasama is a member of the Gujarat Assembly. "The BJP leaders then immediately called a press conference, and made me say it. I felt that this is wrong and that the Patel community is being betrayed," Narendra Patel said on Sunday. The Congress had also attempted to get its caste equation right in poll-bound Gujarat on Saturday by offering election tickets to Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani, the three prominent young leaders in Gujarat. However, while Hardik Patel rejected the offer, Thakor, an OBC leader has declared that he is joining hands with the Congress. Ahmedabad: Whats the first thought that comes to your mind when you hear the name Rahul Gandhi? A dynast, or a man who ended up becoming subject of jokes! But political leaders, they say, are created by the circumstances and opportunities. And this election season, Rahul Gandhi seems to be on the top of his game. On Monday, I was in Ahmedabad to interview Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, and the man who is keen to turn tables on him, Alpesh Thakor. On my return flight, I was in for a surprise. My co-passenger was Congress vice-president who is slated to take charge of the Grand Old Party anytime now. While I didnt get to ask Rahul Gandhi if his social media team was using bots to boost interactivity, I did get a close view of the man who has converted reclusiveness into popular appeal. #EXCLUSIVE Gujarat Traders bats for Rahul Gandhi says he will win Gujarat election. Take a look. pic.twitter.com/MUJKBA58cQ News18 (@CNNnews18) October 23, 2017 Just when he enters the flight, he immediately takes the window seat. His security guard by his side, keeping a close eye on passengers who jump to take selfies with Gandhi scion. "No cameras until the flight lands," everyone was told. Even I couldnt break that protocol. So first things first, Raga, like most of us, loves his mobile. A joke on his mobile throws him into splits with his photographer companion for almost two minutes. As the flight takes off, he pulls out a book Vedanta: Voice of Freedom by Swami Vivekananda. Throughout the flight, amid many distractions, Rahul doesnt let go of the book. He points to page 43 and an animated conversation on the idea of freedom follows. In between, a woman passenger comes and seeks Rahuls help in some matter. He patiently listens to her. Now, snacks are being served and Rahul loves his food and cold drink. May be this is the only short break he is getting after a day-long campaign in Gujarat. Another passenger approaches him for help. Rahul is all ears. But Rahul reserves his best for a Gujarati businessman sitting right in front of him. Rahul Gandhi asks Mahendra a trader from Gujarat if his business has suffered due to GST. Pat comes the reply. Indeed, it has. pic.twitter.com/bApi7pLRw0 News18 (@CNNnews18) October 23, 2017 Raga asks Mahendra Bhai if his business had suffered due to GST. Pat comes the reply. Indeed, it has. I once again tried to ask him a few questions on the Gujarat election, But Rahul chose to stay with his book. Now, the flight is about to land. And passengers are ready with their mobile cameras to take home the memory of a journey with soon-to-be Congress chief. While Rahul obliges a few people, the pilot announces that passengers can now deplane. I cant help but think, what if Rahul engaged with all passengers on the flight? What if everyone was greeted with a handshake? Yes, it would have led to some commotion, but who would have complained? Hell, even the air hostess wanted to come and have a word with RG. Till next time, happy flying Rahul. India and Russia have signed an agreement to cooperate in Information Technology and the projects in the agreement include cooperation in Smart City projects, cybersecurity and e-governance, officials said. The agreements were signed by Russian RusITExport (RITE), a key integrator of top Russian IT solutions in the global market, and Indian firm Aark Infosoft Pvt Ltd. for development of complex IT projects in India. The agreements were signed in Dubai at the GITEX Information Technology Forum held earlier this month, in the presence of the Indian Ambassador to UAE. The first stage of the implementation of the agreement will be the development of a roadmap, Russian officials said. As per the MoU, the companies will cooperate in the Smart City projects in three cities in India but the names were not revealed. The two sides will also cooperate on the development of cybersecurity systems and electronic elections, which refers to the electronically conducted election process, including security solutions. "The Indian IT market is one of the fastest growing in the world. The region is actively developing and cooperating with other countries in the digital economy. Despite the high competition from local developers of IT solutions, we see that Russian IT solutions in the fields of Smart City, Cybersecurity and E-Government, which have a successful implementation in the Russian Federation, are of great interest and are already finding potential customers in India," said Evgeniy Matveev, CEO of RITE. A statement from RITE said the two sides also discussed current trends in IT and communications, the need to develop IT infrastructure in India and possible joint projects aimed at implementing Russian IT solutions in India. WATCH VIDEO: Tech And Auto Show | EP16 | Honor 9i, Audi A5, Airbender & More Samsung got into another debacle on Friday as a Galaxy J7 device has reportedly burst into flames and even more worryingly, in the middle of a Jet Airways flight that was bound for New Delhi from Indore. The flight crew successfully managed to submerge the device in water, saving everyone onboard from a potential catastrophe. As per reports, owner of the Samsung smartphone, identified as Arpita Dhal, noticed smoke releasing from her handbag, in which she had kept the Samsung smartphone along with three other handsets. She immediately called the crew for help, who then tried to extinguish the fire using the fire extinguishers in the flight. Once this attempt failed, the crew then put the Galaxy J7 smartphone into a tray of water to put out the fire, along with Arpitas other smartphones as a precautionary measure. In an interaction with HT, Arpita stated "I will complain against Jet Airways after I return home. This is a question of safety of passengers in flights. If there is a major fire or blast what will they do when their fire extinguishers don't work like this." The situation was serious enough to create a panic in the flight as Arpitas husband Atul recalls "It was a mid-air panic. We prayed to god." Samsung has not released an official statement regarding the incident as of now. The company is reportedly looking into the matter and will be up for further comments only once the situation is assessed thoroughly. A similar isolated incident took place in Indonesia recently, wherein a Samsung smartphone burst in a mans pocket. The entire incident was captured live on a CCTV camera. Samsung had accused an incompatible third-party battery for the mishap and there are possibilities of a similar scenario in this case. Watch this space for updates regarding the ongoing investigation into the case. Watch Video: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Review: The Best Galaxy Note Ever Pro-government media is reporting that Syrian troops have taken up a position allowing them to fire down on a supply route between an Islamic State-held town on the Iraqi border and a nearby desert outpost. Pro-government forces are closing in on the frontier town of Boukamal, the last major IS stronghold in the country after the militants were driven from their de facto capital in the northern city of Raqqa as well as the eastern town of Mayadeen. The Central Military Media, a pro-military media outlet, said Monday Syrian troops and allied militias have encircled the T-2 pumping station in southern Deir el-Zour province following clashes with the militants. A race is underway between U.S.-backed Syrian forces and Russia-backed government troops in the oil-rich Deir el-Zour province. In a swift advance Sunday, U.S.-allied Syrian forces captured the country's largest oil field from IS. Search Keywords: Short link: The U.S government issued a rare public warning about hacking campaigns targeting energy and industrial firms, the latest evidence that cyber attacks present an increasing threat to the power industry and other public infrastructure. The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation warned in a report distributed via email late on Friday that the nuclear, energy, aviation, water and critical manufacturing industries have been targeted along with government entities in attacks dating back to at least May. The agencies warned that hackers had succeeded in compromising some targeted networks, but did not identify specific victims or describe any cases of sabotage. The objective of the attackers is to compromise organizational networks with malicious emails and tainted websites to obtain credentials for accessing computer networks of their targets, the report said. U.S. authorities have been monitoring the activity for months, which they initially detailed in a confidential June report first reported by Reuters. That document, which was privately distributed to firms at risk of attacks, described a narrower set of activity focusing on the nuclear, energy and critical manufacturing sectors. Department of Homeland Security spokesman Scott McConnell declined to elaborate on the information in the report or say what prompted the government to go public with the information at this time. "The technical alert provides recommendations to prevent and mitigate malicious cyber activity targeting multiple sectors and reiterated our commitment to remain vigilant for new threats," he said. FBI representatives did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday. Robert Lee, an expert in securing industrial networks, said the report describes activities from two or three groups that have stolen user credentials and spied on organizations in the United States and other nations, but not launched destructive attacks. "This is very aggressive activity," said Lee, chief executive of cyber-security firm Dragos. He said the report appears to describe groups working in the interests of the Russian government, though he declined to elaborate. Dragos is also monitoring other groups targeting infrastructure that appears to be aligned with China, Iran, North Korea, he said. The hacking described in the government report is unlikely to result in dramatic attacks in the near term, Lee said, but he added that it is still troubling: "We dont want our adversaries learning enough to be able to do things that are disruptive later." The report said that hackers have succeeded in infiltrating some targets, including at least one energy generator, and conducting reconnaissance on their networks. It was accompanied by six technical documents describing malware used in the attacks. Homeland Security "has confidence that this campaign is still ongoing and threat actors are actively pursuing their objectives over a long-term campaign," the report said. Government agencies and energy firms have previously declined to identify any of the victims in the attacks described in June's confidential report. WATCH VIDEO: Tech And Auto Show | EP16 | Honor 9i, Audi A5, Airbender & More Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 has reportedly been spotted on Chinas certification website TENAA, further strengthening the speculations of the smartphones release soon. The successor to Xiaomis top-selling smartphone boasts of impressive hardware and specifications including an 18:9 aspect ratio display with narrow bezels, as per the latest leaks. Such leaks around the upcoming Xiaomi smartphone have been doing the rounds on the Internet since long and reiterating the same, the recent leaks also reveal a single lens camera setup, along with the recently launched mid-range processor by Qualcomm, to be featured on the smartphone. Cumulating all the leaks around the Redmi Note 5, the smartphone is expected to carry a single lens camera setup (with speculations of a dual-lens camera setup variant as well), a near bezel-less display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a speculative FHD+ display quality, powered by the new Snapdragon 636 SoC that claims a 40 percent performance boost as compared to the previous Snapdragon 600 series processors. In case the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 comes with the speculated specifications, the smartphone will surely boost Xiaomis already impressive sales figure in the country. For starters, the smartphone will be one of the very few budget offerings to carry an 18:9 bezel-less display, joining Micromax Canvas Infinity and LG Q6. Xiaomi India, which is a tad bit too close to Samsungs position as the top smartphone seller in India has its budget Redmi series to thank for this feat. With Qualcomm providing major enhancements in its budget-segment processors, chances are that the budget smartphones OEMs like Xiaomi will now carry impressive new features like improved camera capabilities, FHD+ display and better CPU performance. Watch Video: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Review | The Premium Xiaomi For India | News18 Tech Dhaka: A Bangladeshi court on Monday issued an arrest warrant against Opposition leader Khaleda Zia's London-based son in a sedition case for delivering a provocative speech. The Dhaka court issued arrest warrants to Tarique Rahman, the senior vice-chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and two former journalists of private TV channel Ekushey Television (ETV), The Daily Star reported. On January 8 last year, a sedition case was filed with the Tejgaon Police Station over the live telecast of a provocative speech by Rahman at a programme in London on January 5. Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah of the Sessions Judges Court accepted the chargesheet in the sedition case on Monday. The court also told police to submit a report on the execution of the arrest warrants by November 20. The other two accused Mahathir Farooki Khan and Kanak Sarwar went into hiding after securing bail. Ekushey TV's former chairman Abdus Salam, also an accused in the case, is now on bail. According to the case, Rahman instigated his partymen by delivering provocative speech against law enforcers which led the country to anarchy at that time. Rahman, who lives in London, is the eldest son of Zia, two-times former prime minister. Beijing: China on Monday said the safety of the diplomatic personnel and missions is an obligation of the sovereign countries but declined to comment on its reported complaint to Pakistan that its ambassador to Islamabad faced threats from a Xinjiang-based terror group. China reportedly asked Pakistan to step up the security of its newly-appointed ambassador in Islamabad in the wake of threats to his life from the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), according to reports. The Chinese embassy made the request in a letter written to Pakistan's interior ministry on October 19, saying a member of the ETIM has sneaked into Pakistan to assassinate its ambassador Yao Jing. The letter, circulated in the local media in Pakistan, was written by the focal person for the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Ping Ying Fi who asked the interior ministry to "enhance the security" of the ambassador and other Chinese working in the country. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang when asked about the report said, "I am not aware of the information mentioned by you. The ETIM is a UN Security Council listed terrorist organisation. Combating ETIM is an important part of the international counter terrorism efforts, Geng said. China alleges that the ETIM, an Al-Qaeda linked group fighting for the separation of Uygur Muslim majority Xinjiang province, was responsible for a host of terrorist attacks in the province and the country. Xinjiang borders Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Asked whether the Chinese government expressed concern to Pakistan about the safety of the diplomatic personnel, Geng said the safety of the diplomatic personnel and missions is an obligation of the sovereign countries according to the Vienna Convention. China has appointed Yao, who has served as Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan, as its new envoy to Pakistan. Yao replaced Sun Weidong, who served as China's Ambassador to Pakistan for three years and recently returned to his country. Clark, Philippines: A five-month battle against Islamic State supporters in the southern Philippines that claimed more than 1,000 lives has ended, the nation's defence secretary said on Monday. "We now announce the termination of all combat operations in Marawi," Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Clark, a northern Philippine city. Lorenzana said there were no more militants, known locally as coming from the Maute group, providing resistance following an intense final battle after which 42 bodies were recovered. "Those are the last group of stragglers of Mautes and they were caught in one building and so there was a firefight so they were finished," he said "All terrorists, fighting troops. All hostages have been recovered." Hundreds of gunmen who had pledged allegiance to IS rampaged through Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23, then took over parts of the city using civilians as human shields. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and security analysts said the militants were trying to establish a Southeast Asian caliphate in Marawi. The ensuing US-backed military campaign to evict the militants claimed more than 1,000 lives, displaced 400,000 residents and left large parts of Marawi in ruins. Duterte travelled to Marawi on Tuesday last week and declared the city had been "liberated", shortly after the Southeast Asian leader for IS, a Filipino militant named Isnilon Hapilon, was shot dead there. However the continued fighting raised questions over whether the city was indeed free of the militants. US Defence Secretary James Mattis on Monday praised the Philippines for its success in Marawi. "One of the first things I'm going to do when I get there is commend the Philippine military for liberating Marawi from the terrorists," Mattis told reporters on board a flight to the Philippines to attend the security meeting in Clark. "It was a very tough fight as you know in southern Mindanao (the local region). And I think the Philippine military sends a very strong message to the terrorists." Hapilon, who was on the US government's list of most-wanted terrorists, was killed along with one of group's other leaders, Omarkhayam Maute, according to the military. Hapilon and Maute, along with hundreds of other militants, had been able to defy near daily bombing raids that left much of the city in ruins by sheltering in basements and travelling through tunnels, according to the military. The impoverished southern Philippines, home to many of the nation's Muslim minority, has for decades endured conflict. The nation's biggest Muslim rebel group is in talks with the government to end a rebellion that began in the 1970s and has claimed more than 120,00 lives. But more extreme groups have emerged have emerged with no interest in forging a peace. Some of those, including those led by Hapilon and Maute, had in recent years declared allegiance to IS. Berlin: Zookeepers at Berlin's main animal park are hoping to cure a young female panda's habit of walking backwards by introducing her to one of life's most precious pleasures: sex. They plan to introduce four-year-old Meng Meng to Jiao Qing, a panda three years her senior, in the hope that romance will help her with the frustrations associated with life in captivity that could be behind her habit. "Meng Meng is in puberty," Berlin Zoo director Andreas Knieriem told the Berliner Zeitung newspaper on Sunday. "The reverse walk is a protest against things she dislikes, be it the food or the carers." China lent Meng Meng and Jiao Qing to Germany earlier this year. The two bears are a major attraction at the zoo's $10-million Chinese compound inaugurated by Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Xi Jinping in July. Giant pandas in captivity are kept apart except for in the mating season, which occurs between February and May. "By then, Meng Meng will have reached sexual maturity and could focus all her energy on seducing her partner," Knieriem said. Islamabad/Washington: Ahead of his maiden visit to Pakistan, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday indicated that he will firmly tell Islamabad to stop providing safe havens to terror groups on its soil to improve bilateral ties. Tillerson's crucial visit to Islamabad on Tuesday, aimed at normalising bilateral ties, comes days after he made a major policy speech on America's growing strategic relations with India and US President Donald Trump's move to offer a bigger say for India in war-torn Afghanistan. Islamabad needed to "take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they are confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organisations that find safe haven inside" the country, Tillerson told reporters in Kabul where he paid a surprise visit. "We want to work closely (with) Pakistan to create a more stable and secure Pakistan as well. "We have made some very specific requests of Pakistan in order for them to take action to undermine the support that the Taliban receives and the other terrorist organisations receive in Pakistan," Tillerson told reporters travelling with him at the Bagaram Air Force base in Afghanistan. According to transcripts of his media interaction provided by the State Department in Washington, Tillerson said the whole South Asia strategy of the Trump administration is conditions-based approach. "So, our relationship with Pakistan will also be conditions-based. It will be based upon whether they take action that we feel is necessary to move the process forward of both creating the opportunity for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan, but also ensuring a stable future Pakistan," he said. "In our conversations with Pakistani leadership, we're as concerned about the future stability of Pakistan as we are in many respects here in Afghanistan," he said. On the eve of his maiden visit here, Pakistani media reported that policymakers have put together an agenda for talks with Tillerson. Tillerson is visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. Earlier this month, Asif, who recently toured the US, said in a television interview that Pakistan has offered the United States a joint operation against terrorists on its soil. However, he later clarified that he never said Pakistan could allow foreign boots on ground. Pakistani officials have prioritised the issues to be taken up with Tillerson which include the recent strain in Pak-US ties; US President Trump's new Afghan strategy; Pakistan's role in the Afghan peace process; and Pakistan's reservations on India's future role in Afghanistan, The Express Tribune quoted sources as saying. The sources told the paper that Tillerson's visit is significant as it would clarify Trump's policy and set course for future Islamabad-Washington relations. Tillerson last week said that the US expects Pakistan to take "decisive action" against terrorists and such a move will improve Islamabad's international standing as well as stability in the region. "We expect Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorist groups based there that threaten its own people and the broader region," he said while speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a top US think-tank. "It is the obligation, not choice, of every civilised nation to combat the scourge of terrorism. The United States and India are leading that regional effort together," he said. By taking decisive actions against terrorists, Tillerson said, Pakistan furthers stability and peace for itself and its neighbours, and improves its own international standing. Trump administration officials are frustrated by what they see as Pakistan's unwillingness to act against terror groups like the Haqqani network, which reportedly has close ties with the Pakistani military and its intelligence agencies. Pakistan regularly denies that it hosts terror groups fighting the US and Afghan forces in Afghanistan. In August, President Trump had unveiled his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in which he had hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. Trump's criticism led to further strain in US-Pakistan relations with a peeved Islamabad saying the US president ignored its efforts in the war against terrorism. Pakistan also asked the US to postpone a planned trip by its special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Alice Wells to Islamabad. Foriegn Minister Asif also delayed a visit to Washington for which he was invited by Secretary of State Tillerson. But bilateral relations improved slightly after a meeting between Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Vice President Mike Pence on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month. Washington: President Donald Trump struggled to remember the name of the US soldier killed in an ambush in Niger when he called the man's widow for condolences, the woman told ABC on Monday. "Yes, the president said that he knew what he signed up for but it hurts anyways and I was it made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it," Myeshia Johnson, the widow of the late Sergeant La David Johnson, said on the Good Morning America TV program. Trump "couldn't remember my husband's name," she said. "The only way he remembered my husband's name because he told me he had my husband report in front of him and that's when he actually said La David." Trump responded quickly via Twitter. "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!" he said. I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2017 The widow, who is pregnant with the couple's third child, said that she "heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband name and that hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risks his life for our country, why can't you remember his name?" That, she said, "made me upset and cry even more because my husband was an awesome soldier." Johnson was among four US soldiers killed in a jihadist ambush October 4 in Niger, where Islamic State fighters have established a presence. The Miami native's body was returned home on October 17. Doha, Qatar: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson took the Trump administration's case for isolating and containing Iran in the Middle East and beyond to two Gulf Arab nations on Sunday, pushing for Saudi Arabia and Iraq to unite to counter growing Iranian assertiveness. He also called for a quick resolution to the ongoing crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors, which he said was unintentionally bolstering Iran. In Saudi Arabia and later Qatar, Tillerson denounced Iran's "malign behavior" and urged nations of the region and elsewhere, notably Europe, to join the administration to halt any business they do with Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps. He also demanded that Iranian and Iran-backed Shiite militia in Iraq either return to their homes, integrate into the Iraqi army or leave the country. "Those fighters need to go home," Tillerson said. "Any foreign fighters need to go home." In Riyadh for the inaugural meeting of the Saudi Arabia-Iraq Coordination Council a vehicle that US officials believe can wean Iraq from Iran Tillerson told Saudi King Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that the nascent partnership between their countries held great promise for Iraq's reconstruction after devastating battles to wrest territory from the Islamic State group and its independence from foreign influence. "We believe this will in some ways counter some of the unproductive influences of Iran inside of Iraq," he said at a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir after the council meeting. Tillerson said countries outside of the region could also play a role, primarily by shunning the Revolutionary Guards, which play a major role in Iran's economy and were added to a US terrorism blacklist earlier this month. Companies and countries that do business with the guards "really do so at great risk," he said. "We are hoping that European companies, countries and others around the world will join the US as we put in place a sanctions structure to prohibit certain activities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that foment instability in the region and create destruction in the region," Tillerson said. At the council meeting, Tillerson praised the Saudi king and Abadi for the August reopening of a major border crossing and the resumption of direct flights between Riyadh and Baghdad last week. "Both represent the beginning of what we hope will be a series of even more tangible actions to improve relations and strengthen cooperation on a host of issues," he said. "Your growing relationship between the kingdom and Iraq is vital to bolstering our collective security and prosperity and we take great interest in it." His participation in the meeting comes as US officials step up encouragement of a new axis that unites Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a bulwark against Iran's growing influence from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. Amid the push for that alliance, the Iraqi government is struggling to rebuild recently liberated Islamic State strongholds and confronts a newly assertive Kurdish independence movement. History, religion and lots of politics stand in Tillerson's way, but both the Saudi king and the Iraqi prime minister appeared optimistic about the prospects. "We are facing in our region serious challenges in the form of extremism, terrorism as well as attempts to destabilize our countries," Salman said. "These attempts require our full attention. ... We reaffirm our support for the unity and stability of our brother country of Iraq." Abadi expressed pleasure with "the thriving relations between our two brotherly countries." "We are open and we want to move away from the past," he said. "The region cannot tolerate any further divisions. Interference in the internal affairs of other state should stop." Shiite-majority Iraq and Sunni-led Saudi Arabia, estranged for decades after Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, have tried in recent years to bridge their differences. Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Baghdad in 2015 after a quarter century. The first visit by a Saudi foreign minister to Baghdad came in February this year, followed by the border crossing reopening in August and resumption of direct flights between the capitals suspended during the Gulf War. Over the weekend, the Saudi oil minister, Khalid al-Falih, made a high-profile appearance at Baghdad's International Fair, and held talks with his Iraqi counterpart, Jabar al-Luabi. Nevertheless, the relationship is plagued by suspicion. Iran's reported intervention in Iraq's semiautonomous northern Kurdish region, after last month's much criticized vote for independence in a referendum, has deepened the unease.;After his talks in Riyadh, Tillerson flew to the Qatari capital of Doha, a direct route that has been closed to commercial airlines since June when the now-five-month old crisis between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates erupted, ostensibly over terrorism financing. Qatar and Bahrain are home to the largest US military bases in the Middle East. Tillerson has attempted to facilitate a dialogue through talks with the feuding parties as well as supporting a Kuwaiti mediation effort but has thus far been unsuccessful. He renewed those calls but allowed that progress seemed unlikely. "We cannot force talks between parties who are not ready to talk," he said. "The United States remains concerned that the dispute has had negative consequences economically and militarily; the US has felt these effects as well," he said. "None of us can afford to let this dispute linger. We ask that everyone ease the rhetoric and deescalate the tensions." Tillerson noted that the only country benefiting from the crisis is Iran, which is now Qatar's lifeline as its neighbors have sealed their land, sea and air borders. He said Qatar's new reliance on Iranian airspace is "the most immediate and obvious gain that Iran has." "Anytime there is conflict and destabilization among countries that are typically allies, someone will always come in to exploit those differences," he added. Bagram: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson renewed US support for Afghanistan in a surprise visit Monday, days after the Taliban launched a spate of attacks they described as a "message" to America. Tillerson is only the second member of Donald Trump's cabinet to visit the war-torn country since the US president's pledge in August to stay the course in America's longest war and send more troops. His unannounced trip comes after one of the bloodiest weeks in Afghanistan in recent memory as the Taliban attacked multiple security installations and Islamic State bombed a mosque in the Afghan capital. The visit of America's top diplomat to Afghanistan was preceded by several rockets fired into Kabul on Monday morning by militants, but there were no casualties. The meeting between Tillerson, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah took place at the heavily protected Bagram Airfield, America's largest base in the country. Tillerson reaffirmed the US committment to working with the Kabul government and regional partners "to achieve peace in Afghanistan and deny safe havens to terrorists who threaten that goal", the US embassy said on Twitter. "Clearly we have to continue to fight against the Taliban, against others, in order for them to understand they will never win a military victory," Tillerson told reporters after the meeting. It was Tillerson's first trip to Afghanistan as secretary of state and comes several weeks after US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis also paid an unannounced visit. During Mattis's visit last month Taliban militants fired multiple rockets towards Kabul's international airport in an attack that killed one person and wounded 11 others. The closed-door talks Monday covered Ghani's reform programme, anti-corruption strategy and preparations for parliamentary elections due to take place next year. Trump "has declared that we are here to stay until we can secure a process of reconciliation and peace", Tillerson said, adding: "It's not an unlimited commitment." The US has vowed to deploy more than 3,000 additional troops, on top of the 11,000 already in Afghanistan, to train and advise Afghan security forces as part of a new strategy outlined by Trump in August. A spokesman for the Taliban told AFP last week the recent spate of attacks was "a clear message... The enemy who thought they had scared us with the new Trump strategy have now been given a lesson". Warning to Pakistan The Taliban has been rampant since the withdrawal of US-led NATO combat forces at the end of 2014. Trump's open-ended committment to put more American boots on the ground and a surge in US airstrikes has further fuelled the insurgency. Tillerson is due to fly to Pakistan on Tuesday where he will pressure Islamabad to take action on the support Taliban and other "terrorist organisations" receive in the country. Pakistan needs to "take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they are confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organisations that find safe haven inside" the country, Tillerson said. "We want to work closely (with) Pakistan to create a more stable and secure Pakistan as well," he said. In August Tillerson warned an angry Pakistan that it could lose its status as a privileged military ally if it continued giving safe haven to Afghan militant groups. Islamabad has long denied Washington's accusation it is helping the Taliban, adding that the claim belittles the thousands of lives it has lost and billions it has spent in fighting militancy. As one of 16 "Non-NATO Major Allies", Pakistan benefits from billions of dollars in aid and has access to some advanced US military technology banned from other countries. For his part, Ghani reiterated his support for the US strategy, saying it would result in "a positive change in the region", according to a statement issued by the presidential palace. But in a thinly veiled attack on Pakistan, Ghani said "all partners should play their roles with honesty". US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday flew in to Baghdad on a surprise visit for talks with Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and President Fuad Massum. The visit, during which Tillerson and Abadi will hold their second meeting in as many days, comes after America's US top diplomat called on Iranian militias to leave Iraq, prompting a sharp response from the Iraqi cabinet. "Certainly Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fighting against (the Islamic State group) is coming to a close, those militias need to go home," Tillerson said Sunday at a press conference in Riyadh. But Iraq's cabinet on Monday insisted that the paramilitary forces that helped it to defeat IS were fully Iraqi. "The fighters of the Hashed (al-Shaabi paramilitary units) are Iraqis who are concerned for their country and have sacrificed for its defence and for its people," it said in a statement, quoting a source close to Abadi. The cabinet added that "nobody has the right to interfere in Iraqi affairs". Abadi and Tillerson both attended a landmark meeting between Saudi and Iraqi leaders in Riyadh on Sunday aimed at upgrading strategic ties between the two countries and countering Iran's regional influence. Tillerson earlier on Monday also made a previously unannounced trip to Afghanistan, following visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Search Keywords: Short link: Washington: The Trump administration wants India to help strengthen Afghanistan's capacities and institutions so that the war-torn country can take on a resurgent Afghan Taliban based in neighbouring Pakistan, a senior US official has said. "Where the help is needed by India primarily is in areas of ensuring that Afghanistan can be strengthened as a state, that the state can be hardened and strengthened against any regenerative capacity of the Taliban which lies mainly across the border in Pakistan," said the official. The official was responding to a question on India's contribution in bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the new Afghan and South Asia policy announced by President Donald Trump in August. India's focus of assistance has mainly been on the developmental side, which the US wants to continue and accelerate further. "India is helping Afghanistan by helping the Afghan people. India has done a great deal of work to help Afghanistan in the area of water management for example. They've also helped foster some important industries that will lead to economic growth and employment in particular. The construction sector is another area where it does help tremendously," the official said. And as such, any help India can do here in those areas of economic development would be of great help, he said. Ideas and help in connection with working on solving the problem of the narcotics trade would be particularly helpful as well, he added. The US, he said, is doing a lot. "But as the president has said that he hopes others will share responsibilities and help share burdens to get Afghanistan on the path to enduring security, stability, economic growth, and reduction of dependence on international assistance. And that help can be in the areas of institutional reform for example as well," the official said. All these are aligned with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's initiatives. "I'm confident that he would welcome any assistance that India could give and in those areas," the official said. Responding to a question on India-US counter-terrorism cooperation in Afghanistan, the official said "our work in the defence sector in Afghanistan is really not the priority". The US wants to ensure that Afghanistan gains the security gains even as the US and the coalition have the lead in assisting Afghanistan's security sector and enabling the fight against the Taliban and the Haqqani network and other terrorist organisations on Afghan territory, he said. A new partnership between Virginia Legal Aid Society and the Liberty University School of Law aims to serve underprivileged clients and develop law students nearing the completion of their degrees. In development since early 2016, a law clinic for four LU students offered through VLAS became a reality this fall. Through the clinic, LU students have a chance to practice law in the courtroom, work hands-on with clients and gain valuable experience working under the supervision of VLAS. The four students Christina Wright, Johnna Chick, Taylor Noonan and Aaron Minguez are in their third year of law school and are certified to practice law with courtroom supervision. Students can practice independently after graduation and passing the bar exam. The students were chosen after a competitive application process open to third-year law students. Though the Sixth Amendment grants an attorney to those charged with a criminal offense, there is no such provision for civil cases. For those with limited resources, VLAS offers free legal representation to qualified individuals. On the civil side, if you cant afford an attorney, a lot of times, youre out of luck, Wright said. A nonprofit law firm based in Lynchburg, VLAS has four offices which serve 20 counties and six cities in central and southwest Virginia, providing services to those near or below the poverty line with an emphasis on consumer and debtors rights, health care, housing, family law, public benefits, education and employment issues. With the help of VLAS, students work directly with clients to service needs in those areas. All of those are areas of law in which Virginia Legal Aid [Society] already practices, and we have demand from clients, but particularly we were looking for cases we could quickly resolve, so that law students who became involved in representing a client could see the results of their work, said David Neumeyer, the executive director of VLAS who helped establish the law clinic with LU. The clinic became a reality thanks to a grant from Legal Services Corporation, a national nonprofit that funds civil litigation. The grant provided funding for the law clinic and allowed VLAS to expand its service offerings across the region. Neumeyer said the cost to put the clinic on for two years was $132,650, with $70,150 coming from grant funding and $62,500 from the LU law school. Keith Faulkner, dean of the Liberty School of Law, and Tim Todd, LU law school associate dean of Academic Affairs, worked with Neumeyer to develop a program that focused on building hands-on law skills. With the students nearing graduation, Neumeyer said this is an opportunity to build on the academic work theyve completed in their first two years of law school and develop practical skills. This program gives students an opportunity to begin using that knowledge to help real people and to apply their training in interviews and in courtrooms, Neumeyer said. Its really giving them on-the-ground training in how to be a lawyer. After hearing about it for two years, now they get to do it. The benefit doesnt belong to the law students alone. Neumeyer noted VLAS doesnt have enough staff, with 33 statewide, to meet the needs of all clients so the four students provide needed additional help. With more helping hands, this means VLAS can serve more clients with various legal issues. According to VLAS, the nonprofit law firm closed 3,009 cases in its last fiscal year and served 6,603 individuals. Faulkner hopes students understand the importance of civil litigation through their experience. Quite frankly, these lawyers could be out there making a lot more money doing other things, but they choose a life of service, and thats very inspirational for our students to see and practice every day, Faulkner said. Chick noted while civil litigation doesnt sound glamorous; its a much-needed service. Similarly, her classmates share an interest in and dedication to helping underserved populations. I started law school with the desire to help people, and my dream is to someday do a lot of pro bono work and to make an impact for people who cant represent themselves. This is the perfect opportunity to serve and learn during the same time in my third year [of law school], Noonan said. Minguez said the law clinic is better than an internship experience because of the emphasis on working with clients. While many internships are heavy on research and memo drafting which is a part of the law clinic Minguez said he has the chance to lead client interviews and work with them directly. Additionally, Faulkner noted the law clinic connects the LU law school with the community. Lynchburg is really a learning laboratory for our students in a lot of ways, Faulkner said. For LUs law school, this is its first clinic focused on civil litigation. Other clinics offerings through Liberty have focused on prosecution and constitutional litigation. The law clinic began at the start of the fall semester with an intensive one-week course that examined the areas of law VLAS practices. Now students are working with clients and have 13 open cases. The law clinic continues through the academic year, concluding after the spring semester. The clinic is funded for two years, but Neumeyer expects it to be around beyond that timeframe, noting he will work with staff at the Liberty School of Law to secure funding for the future. Going forward, Neumeyer hopes to see the program grow to accommodate eight students. Kristine Smith, an attorney and pro bono director for VLAS, leads instruction and oversees student case work. She noted VLAS clients are grateful for the help theyve received from students. Already the students feel like they are making a difference for the clients who come to VLAS. You can genuinely see in their eyes and hear in their voice how desperate they are for this legal representation, so being able to offer them legal help has been such a blessing, Wright said. Bangladesh faces an untenable situation because nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees have fled across its border from violence in Myanmar and its government should let them return home, Bangladesh's UN envoy said on Monday. About 600,000 people have crossed the border since Aug. 25 when Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts were met by a ferocious counter-offensive by the Myanmar army in Rakhine state which the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing. "This is an untenable situation," Shameem Ahsan, Bangladesh's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told a U.N. pledging conference. "Despite claims to the contrary, violence in Rakhine state has not stopped. Thousands still enter on a daily basis." Vital humanitarian aid must continue, Ahsan said, adding: "It is of paramount importance that Myanmar delivers on its recent promises and work towards safe, dignified, voluntary return of its nationals back to their homes in Myanmar." Bangladesh's interior minister was in Yangon on Monday for talks to find a "durable solution", he said. But Myanmar continued to issue "propaganda projecting Rohingyas as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh", Ahsan said, adding: "This blatant denial of the ethnic identity of Rohingyas remains a stumbling block." Myanmar considers the Rohingya to be stateless, although they trace their presence in the country back generations. Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, later told journalists that the two countries had begun talks on "repatriation". Any return must be "voluntary, safe and dignified" and conducive conditions have to be "recreated" in Rakhine, he said. "This must include a solution to the question of citizenship, or rather lack thereof for the Rohingya community," Grandi said. Khaled al-Jarallah, deputy foreign minister of Kuwait which co-hosted the meeting, called on Myanmar authorities to "cease the practice of stripping the Rohingya minority of their right of citizenship, which as a result deprives them of the right to property and employment". "Systematic Persecution" Jordan's Queen Rania visited Rohingya refugee camps on Monday and called for a stronger response from the international community to the plight of the Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh to escape "systematic persecution" in Myanmar. "One has to ask, why is the plight of this Muslim minority group being ignored? Why has the systematic prosecution been allowed to play out for so long?" she asked after touring the camps. The United Nations has appealed for $434 million to provide life-saving aid to 1.2 million people for six months. "We need more money to keep pace with intensifying needs. This is not an isolated crisis, it is the latest round in a decades-long cycle of persecution, violence and displacement," U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told the talks. "Children, women and men fleeing Myanmar are streaming into Bangladesh traumatised and destitute," he added. Lowcock said a total of $340 million had been pledged to date, but Grandi later put the figure at $335 million. New pledges included 30 million euros announced by the European Union, $15 million by Kuwait, 10 million Australian dollars by Australia and 12 million pounds from Britain. Search Keywords: Short link: George W. Bushs speech last week at a forum hosted by his eponymous institute might as well have been titled Dear Donald. The 43rd president all but called out the current president by name as he lamented the tone and character of todays political rhetoric. Bigotry seems emboldened, said Bush. Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication. Indeed. Trump likes to label these theories and fabrications fake news, but fake news is Trumps own invention and his greatest fabrication to date. Now the rallying cry for millions of Trump supporters, fake news is a deflection, a decoy floated on the human sea of credulity to distract people from coverage he finds unflattering. The truth is, what Trump says and does is so often unflattering without embellishment that adjectives and adverbs neednt apply. One need look no further than last Tuesday when, attempting to comfort the widow of a slain soldier, Trump reportedly couldnt bother to use the deceaseds name and reminded the grieving woman that her husband had known what he was signing up for, but it hurts anyway. You could say that. Or not. By contrast, Bushs suffering on behalf of the injured and killed whom he sent into harms way as president is apparent in his visage, in the portraits of wounded soldiers he has painted and in his ongoing work with troops and military families. Such actions dont alter the pain of a deadly mistake, but they at least indicate a profound empathy that is utterly lacking in the current president. No stranger to media criticism crushing criticism Bush never attacked the fourth estate. He also obviously recognizes that worse than a reporters or editors error is the undermining of public faith in a free press. Once the government succeeds in eliminating a countrys watchdogs, the government becomes the only source of information. Most people know, or should know, how that ends. The irony is that the very people who curse the media also tend to curse government overreach. Trumps fake news charge is very much in the vein of propaganda. He has created a false narrative to clear obstacles such as questioning reporters or the hindrance of accountability from his path. Russians are also very good at this. Recent revelations about fake Twitter accounts tied to Russia through which genuinely fake news was posted and distributed to influence the 2016 election remind us of how vulnerable we are to real fake news. Unfortunately, Trump has helped blur the line between propaganda and what is otherwise known simply as news. The fact that members of Trumps campaign and family retweeted some of these real-fake news items demonstrates how difficult it can be to recognize whats real and whats not. This may be the greatest challenge of our times. Disinformation combined with generalized antipathy toward the traditional press may be the toxic combination that poisons unity and condemns democratic principles to the hazardous-waste dump. One cannot overemphasize the importance of these developments or of the presidents contributions to the undermining of institutions created by our Constitution to monitor government power. Recall that a presidents primary duty, in addition to defending the country, is to protect the Constitution. Yet, in just nine months in office, Trump has done more to challenge the integrity of the First Amendment than any other president in history, including expressing interest in making it easier to sue journalists for libel. He would never actually push such a measure because Trump is smart and knows hed get nowhere. But he also knows that many among his base dont know this. No matter. Hes rallied the base with rhetoric and re-enforced the infrastructure of his greatest deception. Talk about fake news. In other remarks clearly aimed at Trump, Bush addressed bullying and prejudice in public life that sets a national tone, provides permission for cruelty and bigotry and compromises the moral education of children. And: We cant wish globalization away, any more than we could wish away the agricultural revolution or the industrial revolution. One neednt be a sleuth to infer that Bush was speaking to the man oft-referred to as our bully-in-chief, as well as to Trump-the-salesman, who convinced working-class Americans that he would bring back all those jobs lost to globalization. As Bush suggested, globalization is the new age and the old one isnt coming back. A Republican president needed to say these things and his name wasnt Trump. Parker is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post. Email her at kathleenparker@washpost.com. One of the states favorite slogans is Virginia is for Lovers, and wedding vendors, planners and designers are seeing the love in every region of the state during the fall season. Wedding professionals say October is the new June as far as wedding dates go, and it probably has to do with the fact that Virginia combines mild temperatures with picturesque mountain and valley scenes. Carrie Cowardin was married Sept. 30 at Pharsalia, an event venue in Nelson County. Her main reason for choosing a fall wedding was related to weather, as she wanted her guests to be comfortable during the ceremony and reception. [My husband and I] are both from Virginia and love hiking, so it seemed fitting that we would get married outdoors in the mountains, she said. Cowardins wedding was coordinated by Lynchburg-based A Little Party, an event planning service operated by Schuyler Somers and Katie Lester. Locally, October is popular and for one reason: the leaves are changing, Somers said. Sometimes November is too cold, and June can be too hot. Mackenzie Cunningham, a resident of Gladys who married Oct. 7 in Gladys, felt connected to the fall season because of the change theme. To me, just as the leaves change their colors and shed from the trees, people are also ever changing, she said. Fall to me means new beginnings, and getting to marry my very best friend is just the start of a new chapter book for me. Although peak wedding season is typically in April, May and June, Somers and Lester both say September through November is when brides are booking for their wedding dates. We also see brides try to work around the peak season so youll find that the October 20 weekend, we have the whole weekend booked for the peak day, Somers said. Countryside weddings are a big deal in Virginia, Lester said. Fall weddings allow you to add shawls, blanket wraps, cozy signs, apple cider and hot cocoa, Lester said. You just dont see that in June weddings. Lester herself married in October a decade ago, and though she was planning for a cooler fall day, she landed on a 95-degree day. One of the reasons I picked October was for that lovely, cooler, time of year, but youll find the beginning of the month is warmer and the end of the month is cooler, and you have to prepare your clients for that, she said. Cowardin said the weather for her wedding ended up being both beneficial and challenging, adding the temperatures can be unpredictable. During the day it was absolutely perfect, but the evening ended up being very chilly, she said. Luckily, we were able to find several heaters, blankets and had a fire going for our guests to warm up. There is a trend in fall for outdoor venues, so brides must be cautious of weather. This October has been all over the board with temperatures, but thats Virginia for you, Somers said. Cunningham had an outdoor wedding, but as her wedding date approached, she became worried about a hurricane ruining her plans. She had her dream plan, but she also had a backup plan for rainy weather. And while the weather held off for the most part, we did have a little sprinkle later that night, but all was good, she said. We danced anyway and it was truly a magical dream-come-true wedding. Lauren McQuillan, event stylist from Lynchburg-based Max & Dexter Event Design, said interactive stations help when guests are not eating, drinking or dancing. She said there are many things a couple can set up at their wedding, such as a cornhole game, coffee stations, a fire pit with smores or a lounge area. Popular flowers for fall weddings tend to be dahlias, and colors are usually rich, bold jewel tones such as burgundies and wines, which fit in wellwith this time of year. At Cowardins wedding, she chose to incorporate wine and berry colors and grapes and figs into the floral table runners. Pharsalia was also decorated beautifully, with green and white pumpkins and other fall accents, Cowardin said. Its an incredibly beautiful time to visit Pharsalia as the leaves were just beginning to change, flowers were still in bloom and the apples were in season, so that certainly helped. Though prices usually go down in January and February, Somers said the average wedding costs between $25,000 and $35,000 in Central Virginia, and that amount usually changes based on the number of guests. When you add 10 guests, youre adding to the food, chairs, table, floral arrangements, linens, etc., she said. When people are thinking of their budget, the easiest way to cut is the guest list. Favors are a good way to do-it-yourself, or DIY, Lester said. You can go to an apple orchard, and the couple can pick apples and make apple butter for guests to take home, she said. Wedding professionals say brides often try to cut costs by opting out of hiring vendors and instead trying to do everything themselves, but McQuillan said the bride usually doesnt realize the load she is taking on. You might have a girl thats hospitality-driven and likes to host dinner parties for 20, but shes never thrown an all-day party for 200 and shes never been the bride the day she hosted the dinner party, she said. Its a lot more responsibility, thinking, planning than anyone could imagine. Lester said she has seen friends of the bride and groom try to play DJ and make a playlist on a music streaming service such as Pandora, Google Play or Spotify. A real DJ is an emcee; they are navigating the night, they are letting your guests know what is going on. Because yes, you might be great at hosting 20 people in your house because you can talk to them and tell them where everything is, but when youre getting married you dont have time to host at all points of the evening. The professionals are communicating to the guests so the guest is happy and enjoying the event that youve spent all this time planning, she said. From a designers perspective, McQuillan encourage brides to think outside the box and not do what they see professionally done. Its important to honor your relationship in ways that feel really natural and special, she said. As planners and designers, our greatest goal is to pair a bride with people who will execute her vision within her budget while making her feel loved. Pope Francis on Monday mourned the plight of 200,000 Rohingya children stuck in refugee camps a month before he heads to Myanmar and Bangladesh, the countries at the heart of an intensifying humanitarian crisis. "Two hundred thousand Rohingya children (are) in refugee camps. They have barely enough to eat, though they have a right to food. (They are) Malnourished, without medicine," he said. The pope will visit mainly-Buddhist Myanmar at the end of November before moving on to neighbouring Bangladesh, which has had to absorb more than half a million Rohingya refugees fleeing the violence across the border. He has previously expressed support for the persecuted Muslim minority in Myanmar, calling them "brothers and sisters". During his visit he will meet with Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace prize laureate who has sparked international dismay for her perceived lack of sympathy towards the Rohingya and unwillingness to condemn alleged atrocities by the army. There are currently no plans for the Argentine pontiff to stop in strife-torn northern Myanmar state of Rakhine or the refugee camps in Bangladesh. But he risks provoking a backlash in any case with his messages of support for the Rohingya. Inside Myanmar, anti-Rohingya hatred has festered for years. Many, including the army and government officials, refuse to use the term Rohingya and instead insist the group are illegal "Bengali" immigrants. Search Keywords: Short link: As Zimbabwe fast approaches the 2018 elections there are fears among pro democracy groups, civil and political activists, and opposition political parties that the ruling Zanu PF government will not put in place mechanisms to allow special groups like prisoners and those living in the Diaspora to vote based on technical operational arguments rather than the legality point of view. Apart from the Diaporans and the prisoners, thousands of Zimbabweans who are blind will have to be assisted to vote in 2018 because Zimbabwes voting system does not provide for Braille ballot papers. The Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that all citizens of Zimbabwe have got the right to vote; essentially meaning that even those Zimbabweans who live in the Diaspora and prisoners have the right to vote. Ironically, ideals of democracy like one man, one vote, were at the core of Zimbabwes liberation struggle and motivated young men and women who abandoned everything to cross the borders to fight for a better Zimbabwe for all. Therefore the right for Zimbabwean citizens to vote is a basic principle of electoral democracy which must not be subject to unreasonable restrictions. Denying prisoners and those in Diaspora the right to vote when the Constitution allows them is illegal, unjust and an act of rigging. Diaspora Vote There are an estimated three million people living in the Diaspora who will not be able to vote, most of these who were displaced by political violence while others are seeking economic opportunities abroad after the failure of the national economy. Since all these Zimbabweans were forced out of the country by Zanu PFs policies, chances are that in the event of any election they will vote for opposition political parties. The ruling government, cognizant of this fact, has made it difficult for the Diaspora vote citing various flimsy logistical problems. While there is no law in Zimbabwe that prohibits those living outside the country from voting, the ruling government has been giving excuses and only allowing those working at their embassies that right. They vote through what they call the postal vote which they cast at local embassies/consulates and ballots are then posted to Zimbabwe. Three million voters would be a big game changer in Zimbabwes politics and the ruling Zanu PF knows that because the party announced that in preparation for the 2018 elections, it is ambitiously targeting at least five million potential voters for registration. In the 2013 elections a total of 3,4 million Zimbabweans cast their vote with the ruling party garnering just over two million while the opposition got more than one million. The Diaspora voters did not take part. So the Diaspora vote can easily twist any elections in Zimbabwe in favour of the opposition and the ruling Zanu PF has over the years barred this block from casting their votes. It is also a double-faced act that while the Zimbabwean government is disenfranchising those in the Diaspora of their right to vote, the Zimbabwean economy is propelled by financing from their remittances. In 2016 those living in the Diaspora remitted $1 billion. Prisoners Vote Another group that will not vote and that has not been allowed to vote since independence are the prisoners. According to the Justice ministry, currently they are more than 19 000 prisoners in Zimbabwe and these are not allowed to vote although again, like the Diaspora voters, there is no law in the country that bars them from casting their vote. Zimbabwe Election Commission, a government body that runs elections in the country has given flimsy reasons as to why they cannot allow prisoners to vote. But democracy provides that all people in Zimbabwe must freely exercise and enjoy their constitutional rights to freedom of association. The prison conditions in Zimbabwe are so bad, rough and food is scarce that the ruling Zanu PF knows fully well that this voting bloc will vote for the opposition political parties. Zimbabwean prisoners are citizens too, going through rehabilitation and have a right to vote. They are not disenfranchised by the Constitution because Section 86 of the Constitution provides that fundamental rights and liberties may only be limited in terms of a law of general application and to the extent that the limitation is fair, reasonable, necessary and justifiable in a democratic society. Essentially, therefore, it is unreasonable and unjustifiable to deny prisoners the right to vote. In the recent elections that were held in Kenya, prisoners were allowed to vote while in South Africa, in recent years prisoners have been voting after winning that right through a Constitutional Court ruling. The Blind A total of 125 000 people in Zimbabwe are registered as blind and twice that number are visually impaired. Government has over the years deliberately made life difficult for the blind because of the absence of Braille on election related material. In fact, right from political campaigns to the day of voting there is absolutely no literature in Braille. Political parties in Zimbabwe have also ignored the blinds concerns; hence this block has to rely on others to read for them any election information. Because of the absence of Braille ballot papers, the electoral law says blind voters are assisted to vote by officers presiding over polling stations, in the presence of a police officer and agents of contesting political parties. But opposition parties and election monitoring bodies have in the past accused the ruling Zanu PF of using assisted voters to steal votes. While Zimbabwe is considered among the most literate countries in Africa with a literacy rate of more than 90 percent, in 2013 elections the African Union observers noted a worryingly "high number of assisted voters in many polling stations nationwide". While it is not only the blind who can be assisted as assisted voting is intended to also help the illiterate or the infirm cast their ballots, suspiciously, at least 200 000 most of them claiming to be illiterate were assisted to vote in the 2013 poll. Election experts have called on Parliament and Zimbabwe Election Commission to push for a change of laws governing casting of assisted votes, following a large number of assisted votes in the 2013 general elections. They want authorities to amend constitutional provisions relating to assisted voting ahead of the 2018 elections, as the current ones are prone to abuse. Conclusion Since Zimbabwe adopted a new Constitution in 2013, the government has refused to align the Electoral Act with the Constitution. This year concerned stakeholders and fellow civil society petitioned the Parliament of Zimbabwe over administrative lethargy in Government and the piecemeal approach to the review of the Electoral Law. But even with the petitioners beseeching the Parliament demanding that Zimbabwes Electoral Law be reviewed in compliance with the provisions of the Constitution and that a legal framework is put in place that guarantees an undisputed electoral process, nothing has been action. The challenge in Zimbabwe is that there is absolutely no political will from the authorities to remove unreasonable limitations to voting rights and yet the essence of the liberation struggle was to break down these barriers on the basis of the mantra of 'one man one vote' to enable everyone to participate in the public affairs of their country. The rules for Zimbabwean elections are so skewed against free and fair participation; those running the elections are controlled by those running for election. The environment in which elections are conducted is often characterized by suppression of free will. Always as Zimbabweans approach elections they are reminded of that which inspired the waging of a war of liberation in the 70s; that which compelled young people then, to take up arms and determine their destiny. There is no doubt that part of struggle of independence was for self-determination through an equal suffrage. The belief then was that the struggle, if won, would guarantee one man one vote, something which is not happening today. While the right to vote is recognised in the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Law has not ensured that the right is enjoyed by Zimbabweans in prisons, at home and abroad. daily news Smoking Pot May Not Be as Safe as You Think The new acquisitions, costing $3.4 billion, will be partly funded by the airline's existing budget, but will also make use of funding from Egyptian banks and a 'capacity rental system' involving other companies EgyptAir is to boost its fleet with the purchase of 33 new passenger jets, the airline's chairman Safwat Mosalam said in a press statement on Sunday. The new purchases will include a range of aircraft suitable for short-, medium- and long-distance journeys, in line with the company's expansion strategy, Mosalem said. The planned purchase of 33 aircraft will cost almost EGP 60 billion ($3.4 billion), a source from the company told Ahram Online. No schedule or time-frame has yet been settled for the new purchases, the source said, but work has begun on securing the necessary finances. "Funding the new planes will not only depend on the company's existing budget," the source told Ahram Online. "The company has sold some of its old planes to finance the new deal, and Egyptian banks will participate. Also, some international companies will contribute through the capacity rental system, which means those companies will buy planes and EgyptAir will rent them." The new purchase plan is part of a broader strategy that aims at building a fleet of 150 planes by 2025, the source said. EgyptAir took one step closer to realising that goal on Saturday, with the delivery of its eighth Boeing plane as part of a 2016 $1 billion (EGP 18 million) deal to buy nine planes from the manufacturer. The final aircraft in that deal is expected to be delivered by the end of this year, increasing the EgyptAir fleet to 68. The 85-year-old airline has faced several challenges over the past few years, including disappointing financial results. In May, Egypt's civil-aviation minister announced that the company had lost around $777 million since 2011, but it is now seeking to turn its fortunes around. Search Keywords: Short link: A young girl in New Jersey who hoped to return two dollar bills she found on a sidewalk to their rightful owner will use the money to donate a box of Girl Scout nuts to the military, the AP reports. Isabella King found the money on a sidewalk in Pequannock on Wednesday and her mother, Alyssa, tells the Daily Record that Isabella insisted on bringing the money to the police. Pequannock police Capt. Christopher DePuyt says that police politely declined to take it since there was no way to prove ownership of such a small amount. "Obviously, this young lady has outstanding parents," DePuyt says. "Her honesty and integrity should be an inspiration to everyone." Isabella says that she didn't feel right keeping the money because whoever lost it might need it more than she does. "I know it was only $2, but I still wanted to do the right thing and be honest," she says. Alyssa King says no one came forward to claim the money so they will donate a box of Girl Scout nuts to the military. "All of the support from the community has helped her realize it's important to try to do the right thing and be honest," Alyssa King says. (Read more New Jersey stories.) Girard, Ohio, is mourning Justin Leo, who's believed to be the first police officer killed in the line of duty in the Youngstown-area city's history. Police say Leo, a 31-year-old who'd been on the Girard force for five years, was shot dead Saturday night after responding to a call about a domestic disturbance, WTVR reports. Authorities say a man at the house pulled a gun and shot Leo after briefly speaking with the officer and his partner. The partner returned fire, killing the man, whose identity has not been released. According to a 911 call police released Sunday, the man had "several firearms" and had been "drinking all day." Girard Mayor James Melfi said he'd known the officer since he was in first grade and that Sunday was the "saddest day of his life," WJW reports. "We woke up a different community," he said. "We woke up shaken like we never shook before. I don't know how and when we get back, but we have to do that in honor of Officer Leo." At least 1,000 Girard residentsmore than a tenth of the city's populationjoined a candlelight vigil for Leo Sunday night at Girard High School's Arrowhead Stadium, the Youngstown Vindicator reports. Vigil organizer Marcie Plant says the community is organizing several other ways to pay tribute to Leo. "We're strong. We all stick together," she says. "This is devastating to us." (Read more Ohio stories.) Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cruised to re-election victory Sunday on a promise to take a hard line against Pyongyang, and he says the country will now "dramatically show counter-measures against the North Korea threat." Abe said Monday that action against North Korea will be discussed with President Trump when he visits Japan next month, the BBC reports. His Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition ally now hold 313 of the 465 seats in the lower house of Japan's parliament. That's a big enough majority to pass an amendment to the country's US-crafted post-WWII constitution, and Abe plans to do so by formally recognizing the country's military in the document for the first time. The constitution currently has a "pacifist clause" that limits the country's military to a self-defense role, and changing it to allow a more robust military would still require approval in a national referendum, USA Today notes. Abe, whose popularity sank to just 30% in the summer but rebounded as the nation fretted about threats from North Korea, is expected to continue his policy of closely aligning with the US, the AP reports. Abe has also promised action on what he says is the country's second big crisis, after North Korea: An aging and shrinking population. "The problem is progressing by the minute, and we cannot afford waiting around," he said Monday. (In 2015, Abe's party reinterpreted the constitution to allow the military to fight in overseas conflicts.) The John Kelly-Frederica Wilson controversy moved up a level Sunday when most of the black women in Congress called for Trump's chief of staff to apologize to the Florida lawmaker. Some 17 female members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued a statement calling for Kelly to "take responsibility" for "reckless and false statements" and apologize for "blatant lies" about Wilson, Politico reports. Amid a dispute over a call from President Trump to the family of one of the soldiers killed in Niger, Kelly claimed that Wilson, a Democrat, had boasted about securing funding for an FBI building dedicated to two slain agents, but video of the building's dedication contradicted his claims. In other developments: Trump attack . Trump attacked Wilson again on Sunday, tweeting: "Wacky Congresswoman Wilson is the gift that keeps on giving for the Republican Party, a disaster for Dems. You watch her in action & vote R!" . Trump attacked Wilson again on Sunday, tweeting: "Wacky Congresswoman Wilson is the gift that keeps on giving for the Republican Party, a disaster for Dems. You watch her in action & vote R!" An emotional burial . Sgt. La David Johnson, whose widow Trump spoke to, was laid to rest in Florida on Saturday, the Miami Herald reports. Speakers described Johnson's tough childhood and said the 25-year-old was determined to build a better life for his wife and two children. A third child is due in January. The only mention of controversy was a line in an opening prayer calling for "clarity for the circumstances surrounding his death." . Sgt. La David Johnson, whose widow Trump spoke to, was laid to rest in Florida on Saturday, the Miami Herald reports. Speakers described Johnson's tough childhood and said the 25-year-old was determined to build a better life for his wife and two children. A third child is due in January. The only mention of controversy was a line in an opening prayer calling for "clarity for the circumstances surrounding his death." Calls for the full story. Oklahoma's Sen. James Lankford has added his voice to those calling for lawmakers to be given the "full story" on what happened in Niger, Politico reports. "We have all the same questions that have already been mentioned there as well to find out what actually happened. That's the key aspect right now, is all the facts that are on the ground," the Republican said Sunday. A congressional source says the four US deaths were the result of a "massive intelligence failure." Khizr Khan. The Gold Star father who clashed with Trump last year said Sunday that Kelly should not have "indulged in defending behavior of the president and made the situation even worse," Mediaite reports. The Gold Star father who clashed with Trump last year said Sunday that Kelly should not have "indulged in defending behavior of the president and made the situation even worse," Mediaite reports. "Character assassination." Wilson called for an apology from Kelly on Sunday, accusing him of "character assassination," the Hill reports. In media appearances, she called him a "puppet of the president" and said he also owed the American people an apology. Wilson called the Niger deaths a "catastrophe" and called for the government to release more information. Wilson called for an apology from Kelly on Sunday, accusing him of "character assassination," the Hill reports. In media appearances, she called him a "puppet of the president" and said he also owed the American people an apology. Wilson called the Niger deaths a "catastrophe" and called for the government to release more information. "Strategy of dismissal." In an op-ed at the New York Times, Charles M. Blow describes Trump's attacks on Wilson as part of a pattern in which the president singles powerful women out for attack, "particularly if the women are black or brown or if they have directly challenged Trump." Part of this "strategy of dismissal is to portray these women as mere ideological, party-serving puppets, rather than as fierce advocates with their own opinions and power," Blow writes. In an op-ed at the New York Times, Charles M. Blow describes Trump's attacks on Wilson as part of a pattern in which the president singles powerful women out for attack, "particularly if the women are black or brown or if they have directly challenged Trump." Part of this "strategy of dismissal is to portray these women as mere ideological, party-serving puppets, rather than as fierce advocates with their own opinions and power," Blow writes. Fact check. The AP fact-checked the controversy and found that Kelly's "recollection was incorrect" about the building dedication. Kelly and Trump were also wrong when they claimed Wilson had "secretly" listened to Trump's conversation with Johnson's widow: The call had been put on speakerphone in the vehicle both women were in. (Read more John Kelly stories.) Mainland US universities are offering a helping hand to students in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands affected by Hurricane Maria. Some schools are granting students discounted tuition at the rate for in-state residents; others are waiving tuition altogether for a semester, NPR reports. Tuition help is being offered to displaced students at 64 state universities in New York, 17 in Connecticut, and schools in several other states. In Florida, a few public universities have heeded Gov. Rick Scott's call last week to offer the in-state rate to Maria victims. "I may not be able to solve their housing crisis or their food crisis," Marielena DeSanctis, a VP at Broward College, tells the Sun Sentinel. "But hopefully I can give them something they'll keep forever, and that's their education." In New Jersey, NJ City University is offering a tuition-free semester with the chance to extend to the spring semester with scholarships, per the Jersey Journal. The school in Jersey City is also offering a $2,000 housing grant for each semester to help students "who are in need because of the unimaginable devastation caused by hurricanes," says President Sue Henderson. In New Orleans, Tulane University, which closed for four months after Hurricane Katrina, will waive tuition for the spring semester for a select number of displaced students, though they'll be required to pay tuition to their colleges back home, per Fortune. An 18-year-old Florida International University freshman tells NPR the in-state discount allowed her to send $4,000 in refunded tuition home to her devastated family in Puerto Rico. (Experimental balloons help restore internet service in Puerto Rico.) He didn't mention President Trump by name, but John McCain seems to have taken a swipe at the president over his Vietnam War deferment. In an interview with C-SPAN for the 50th anniversary of the war, McCain took issue with how easy it was for wealthy men to get out of serving. One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America," said the senator. "The highest income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur." A bone spur diagnosis prevented Trump from serving in Vietnam, and he would get five deferments over the course of the conflict, notes the Daily News. "If we are going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve," said McCain. Last year, Trump told the New York Times that his bone spur issue was legit. "I had a doctor that gave me a lettera very strong letter on the heels," he said. "Over a period of time, it healed up." Trump memorably criticized McCain during the presidential campaign over his war record, saying he didn't view the former Navy pilot and POW as a hero because McCain had been captured. McCain largely shrugged it off at the time. More recently, McCain delivered a public rebuke of Trumpism, drawing a warning from Trump. (Read more John McCain stories.) A 22-year-old with dreams of traveling the world has disappeared in the middle of an eight-month backpacking trip through South America and Southeast Asia. Jesse Galganov, who is from Montreal and plans to start medical school in Philadelphia next fall, was last heard from around Sept. 28, when he texted his mom telling her he was about to start hiking the 31-mile Santa Cruz trail through Peru's Cordillera Blanca Mountains and might be unreachable until Oct. 2. But no one has heard from him since, NBC News reports. His friends say he was in touch with them consistently from the start of the trip until Sept. 29, but no one has been able to get a hold of him since then. His mother tells the Toronto Sun authorities are investigating the possibility her son was abducted, and she believes that's what happened. "Nobody really disappears into thin air," she says. The local DA's office is conducting a criminal investigation after inconsistencies were uncovered regarding his stay at the Kame House Backpacker Hostel, with employees giving differing reports of when he arrived and left and the owner initially confirming he had been there, then later saying he had not. Galganov was planning to stay at the hostel the evening of Sept. 28, and security footage shows him leaving a bus station that morning in the direction of the hostel. He later sent a friend a Snapchat from the hostel. There is no record of him registering at the entry point of the trail he was planning to hike, and no other hikers or guides on the popular trail have reported sightings of him. His mother is in Peru trying to retrace her son's steps, and a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help with costs. She has also started a petition asking Apple, T-Mobile, and Amazon to release information from his iPhone and Kindle that could help investigators. (Read more missing person stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Egypts minister of commerce and industry Tarek Qabil said on Monday that there was a 21 percent increase in Egyptian exports to France in 2017, state-owned MENA news agency reported. Qabil, who is currently accompanying President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on a visit to France, told MENA that trade between Egypt and France in 2016 reached 2 billion euros, including 500 million euros in Egyptian exports. Qabil also said that French investments in Egypt reached 5 billion euros, mostly in the glass manufacturing and chemical industries. The minister said that the Egyptian delegations visit to France will include meetings with French companies to encourage them to enter the Egyptian market. Qabil said that the Egyptian-French business council will hold a meeting to showcase the investment situation in Egypt as well as the results of the countrys latest economic reforms. Seventeen cooperation agreements are set to be signed on Tuesday between Egyptian and French officials in various fields, including the economy and investment. Search Keywords: Short link: Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Related Miss France crowned Miss Universe Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere arrived in Cairo on Monday at the start of a week-long visit to promote tourism and support charity work in Egypt, with trips to Alexandria and Luxor on the itinerary, state-run news agency MENA reported. French beauty queen Mittenaere will start her trip with a press conference in Cairo to announce her schedule, with officials from the tourism ministry and the French embassy attending. The embassy has already confirmed that she will take part in a charity event in Luxor, organized by Egypte Terre d'Espoir. The charity offers educational services to underprivileged children in Luxor, including apprenticeships in pottery. They also provide food and medical services to poor families. A gala dinner will be held at the French embassy on Friday in honour of the charity, with the beauty queen attending. Mittenaere, 24, won the 65th edition of the annual Miss Universe contest hosted by the Philippines in January 2017. She edged out Miss Haiti, the first runner-up, and Miss Colombia, the second runner-up, to win France's first Miss Universe title since 1953. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi: The festival of Chhath will begin from Tuesday and due to this New Delhi railway station witnessed heavy rush in early hours of Monday morning, reports news agency ANI. Due to a large number of commuters travelling during Chhath Pooja and their relatives visiting the stations to pick and drop them, huge crowd gather at the station creating chaos at the in and around the Railway stations. The sale of platform tickets has been stopped at New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi and Anand Vihar railway station. Earlier on October 23, the city's Development Minister Gopal Rai inspected a Yamuna ghat in north Delhi and took stock of preparations for the festival. According to the government, 565 ghats are being set up along the banks of River Yamuna for Chhath Puja, a major festival of people from Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. The development minister, accompanied by senior officers of irrigation and flood control department, DJB and revenue department, inspected Kudesia Ghat at Kashmari Gate. New Delhi: The Directorate General of Goods and Service Tax Intelligence (DGGSTI) on Monday denied the reports that it raided the top Tamil actor Vishal who demanded an apology from BJP leader H Raja for allegedly watching a pirated version of Vijay-starer "Mersal". "It is to clarify that the officers of DGGSTI have not conducted any such search operations and the news which isbeing circulated is factually incorrect and false," Joint Director of DGGSTI P V K Rajasekhar said in a press release in Chennai. A section of Tamil media on Monday reported that Goods and Services Tax's Intelligence Agency GSTI conducted raids at the office of Vishal Film Factory, a production house owned by the actor. Vishal who is also the President of Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council has accused BJP leader H Raja of advocating piracy by watching Vijay-starrer Mersal online. Dear Mr H Raja, as a leader and prominent personality, you are advocating piracy and blatantly agreeing to it, Vishal said in a statement. However, Raja has denied the allegations and said he had only watched the clips of the movie received on his phone. Also Read | 'Mersal' row: Rahul Gandhi attacks PM Modi, says don't try to 'demon-etize' Tamil pride Piracy is one of the major issues being faced by the multi-crore Tamil cinema industry, with films being uploaded on certain websites soon after their release. The "Mersal" controversy: Diwali release Mersal has kicked up a row with the BJP taking exception to references on GST in the movie. BJP leaders, including Raja, a national secretary in the party, state president Tamilisai Soundarajan and Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, have been demanding that the incorrect references be deleted from the big-budget flick. However, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, his senior colleague P Chidambaram, DMK working president M K Stalin, veteran star Kamal Haasan and a host of Tamil cinema industry representatives had supported the film crew on the issue. The BJP had on October 20 objected to what it termed as untruths regarding the GST in just-released Mersal, and wanted dialogues on the central taxation to be deleted. (With PTI Inputs) For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Due to heavy morning fog in Bihars Munger, an intercity train ran over five women, killing four of them, after they failed to notice it approaching towards them, a senior police official said on Monday. Five women were crossing the tracks on their way home after taking bath at a nearby ghat, when the incident took place, Munger Superintendent of Police Ashish Bharti said. The women must have failed to notice the approaching Bhagalpur-Danapur Intercity train due to heavy morning fog, he added. Four of them died on the spot and another received serious injuries, the SP said. The injured woman has been admitted to Munger Sadar Hospital. Soon after the accident, angry villagers came to the spot and squatted on the tracks, preventing the bodies from being removed, the SP said, adding that efforts were being made to pacify the locals. (With PTI inputs) ALSO READ | Chhath Puja Special Train 2017: South Eastern Railway to run nine pairs of special trains between Howrah and Ranchi For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Senior BJP leaders and sitting MLAs Ghanshyam Tiwari, Narpat Singh Rajvi on Monday joined Congress in opposing Rajasthan governments gag law to protect ministers, lawmakers and government officials from being investigated without its prior sanction. This is a kala kanoon (black law) and I am against it, this is against the principles of the party. We did not fight against the Emergency to have a BJP government bring such a law, Tiwari said. Congress has launched a black band protest led by the leader of the Opposition Rameshwar Dudi and Sachin Pilot outside the state assembly against the gag law. The governments move to bring the ordinance and now a bill clearly shows that it has no respect for democracy and is working against the principles of democracy, Dudi told reporters. Earlier, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi taking a dig at CM Vasundhara Raje had said, "Madam Chief Minister, with all humility we are in the 21'st century. It's 2017, not 1817." ALSO READ: Rajasthan: Civil rights group PUCL demands repeal of ordinance shielding judges and bureaucrats BJP has defended the move and said the reason Vasundhara Raje govt brought this law was people filing false cases against public servants. The Rajasthan government had last month promulgated the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, that seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on-duty action, without its prior sanction. It also bars the media from reporting on such accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe is given by the government. The Editors Guild said the law gives untrammelled power to even imprison journalists and endangers freedom of the press. Continue Reading: Vasundhara Raje govts new ordinance shielding public servants challenged in Rajasthan High Court For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Kerala police on Sunday arrested a 33-year-old man after a video of him sexually harassing a woman in a deserted lane in Kozhikode last week went viral on the social networking sites. Jamsher was arrested following a search based on the visuals of the incident that occurred on the afternoon of October 18, the police said. The accused has been booked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections pertaining to sexual harassment, assault or criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe and stalking, they added. ALSO READ | Victims silence after rape not proof of consent: Delhi HC The incident was captured by a CCTV camera installed at a residence in the area in which Jamsher can be seen accosting and then assaulting the woman in the narrow lane. After a while, the man was seen fleeing the spot and the victim was seen chasing him. The police registered a case and arrested him after the video went viral on social media. The woman was sent for medical examination, police said. (With PTI inputs) ALSO READ | Patna: 35 yr old woman dies in failed rape attempt, accused arrested and SIT formed to probe incident For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday announced that former Intelligence Bureau director and 1979 batch IPS officer Dineshwar Sharma would be Government of Indias representative for holding talks with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a press conference, Singh said Sharma would lead a sustained dialogue with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir. The Home Minister said that this step of the govt was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modis Independence Day speech in which he had said that Kashmirs solution was neither in abuse nor in bullets, but in embracing Kashmiris. So here is a close look into Dineshwar Sharma's career profile, the civil servant who has been appointed as the Union Govt interlocualtor for holding talks with stakeholders in Kashmir #Dineshwar Sharma is a Kerala-Cadre Indian Police Service officer of the 1979 batch. He was the chief of the Intelligence Bureau and served at a wide variety of command & staff positions in various Police, Paramilitary & Intelligence agencies. #He was appointed as the IB chief in 2014 and has experience of handling issues like separatism and insurgencies to regional and domestic politics.He served as the chief of IB till December 2016 and at the end of the fixed two-year tenure, reportedly refused an offer of extension by the government. #He has previously served in Nagaland, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Lucknow in various capacities. #He has attended training on Intelligence work and Policing methods in East Germany, Poland, Israel and South Korea. Apart from this, he has also worked with the National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval during his earlier stint as IB chief. #Sharma was earlier made the interlocutor for peace talks with Assams insurgent groups, including the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in June this year. Reacting to the news of his appointment, Sharma said that it is a huge responsibility and he will look to live up to expectations. Its a big responsibility, hope I live up to expectations, he told ANI on appointment as GoI representative for dialogue in J&K. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A day after Narendra Patel, a close aide of Hardik Patel, claimed of being offered Rs 1 crore to join Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari has demanded an FIR to be lodged against Gujarat BJP president on alleged bribery of Patidar leaders to change loyalty on Monday. The Congress spokesperson has also demanded a judicial enquiry on the claims made by the Patidar leader Narendra Patel. Tewari during a press conference said that the allegations of bribing Patidar leaders are not being made by any political party. The way BJP is allegedly bribing Patidar leaders in Gujarat is a black spot in democracy, said Tewari. He added that the BJP is letting no stones unturned to win the elections. BJP has lost grounds in the state and making all attempts to win the forthcoming elections, added Tewari. The Congress leader also claimed that the BJP is trying to run away from election. Tewari also said, The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has insulted 6 crore voters by saying if BJP does not win the elections funds and sanctions will be stopped. Also read| Rahul Gandhi is now an effective challenger to BJP, has brought fresh energy into Congress: Shashi Tharoor This is the biggest hit on a federal structure, added Tewari. The Congress spokesperson also demanded the Election Commission to announce election dates to the earliest. The Election Commission should announce the election and enforce model code of conduct to stop such incidents. Narendra Patel, a close aide of Hardik Patel, has alleged that he was offered Rs 1 crore to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a press conference on Sunday late night in Ahmedabad. Another Paitdar leader Nikhil Savani on Monday morning announced to quit the saffron party and alleged the same as Narendra. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Agra Lucknow expressway on Tuesday will witness a barrage of fighter jets and cargo planes displaying various formations and maneuvers as the Indian Air Force shall be carrying out a full war drill at Bangarmau in Uttar Pradesh on October 24. The war drill is a standard exercise undertaken by the Air Force for making it operationally prepared for war time.IAF would also look into the feasability of using the expressway as ad-hoc landing / take-off strip for undertaking flying sorties during war time. So here is a look at the how the exercise shall unfold and what lies in store with the formations and manouvers likely to be executed by the fighter jets and Garuda Commandos The IAF exercise will commence with an impressive short landing by the C-130 which on its landing roll itself will start off loading the Garud Commandos and their vehicle. Immediately on disembarking from the C-130, the Commandos will take up position on either side of the airstrip to cordon it off for the fighter operations. This will be followed by 3 Jaguar Deep penetration strike aircraft, 2 formations of three aircraft each of Mirages and 2 formations of three aircraft each of Sukhoi-30. All fifteen fighter aircraft will carry out a roller/touch and go manoeuvre on the expressway. The C-130 will then return for another short landing to extricate the Garud Commandos. C130 lands at 10am and from10:15 Am onwards 25min blocks are given for various formations. All timings are subject to weather conditions The Agra-Lucknow Expressway is 302-km six-lane Expressway which can be expanded to 8-lane. The expressway starts from Agra to reach Lucknow via Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Oraia, Kannauj, Hardoi,Kanpur Nagar and Unnao. The 302 kilometer-long expressway was completed in a record time of 22 months at the cost of Rs 13,200 crore. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Egypts Ministry of Antiquities has released a statement denying reports on social media that Alexandrias Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue has been placed on UNESCOs List of World Heritage in Danger. Yasmin El-Shazly, the General Supervisor of the Department of International Organisations for Cultural and the International Cooperation, said in the statement that the site was declared endangered by the World Monuments Fund, a non-profit NGO that is not part of UNESCO. El-Shazly said that according to the rules and regulations of this fund, any person or entity can nominate any archaeological building to be placed on the list of this fund without a scientific study proving that the building is in danger. The Egyptian government gives equal importance to all its monuments and heritage sites, whether Ancient Egyptian, Jewish, Coptic or Islamic, El-Shazly asserted. El-Shazly said that the Egyptian government has allocated EGP 100 million to finance the restoration of the synagogue, which started in August and will last for eight months. El-Shazly added that this affirms the Egyptian government's keenness to protect and preserve the synagogue as part of Egypts heritage and identity. Waadalah Abul-Ela, the head of the Projects Department at the antiquities ministry, said that the work on the synagogue aims to restore its architecture and fine decorative elements, as well as the lighting and security systems. The Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue is located in Nabi Daniel Street in downtown Alexandria and is the oldest synagogue in the city. It was originally built in 1354 but was partially destroyed by the Napoleon expedition in 1798 in order to build a defensive wall from the Kom El-Dikka area to the Mediterranean. In 1850, the synagogue was reconstructed with contributions from the royal family. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi: A 10-year-old girl was mauled to death by a tiger in Madhya Pradeshs Khanabad village near Ratapani wildlife sanctuary, forest officials said on Monday. According to forest officials the deceased minor along with her two younger siblings had taken their cattle to a forested area adjoining their village. Manoj Bhadoriya, sub-divisional officer of the forest department said, The forested area falls in buffer zone of Ratapani sanctuary. He further added, As per information, the tiger pounced on the girl killing her on the spot. The deceased younger siblings made an attempt to save her by hurling stones at the tiger but in vain, added the forest officer. The girl left the incident site after her siblings started screaming to the loudest of their voice. The duo siblings carried the body of the girl to their village and informed the villagers about the tiger-attack. Bhadoriya further told the media that this is the first reported incident in the area. Also read: Bengaluru: White tigers kill caretaker in Bannerghatta National Park We have launched a manhunt for the tiger. We have told the villagers to avoid taking cattle into deep forest areas, added Bhadoriya. We have registered a case of unnatural death. The girls body was handed over to the family members after postmortem, said Additional Superintendent of Police Avdhesh Pratap Singh. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A 14-year-old girl has suffered serious injuries after she jumped off from the ladies compartment of a running train to escape sexual harassment morning in Mumbai. The victim has fractured on of her legs and head. The Mumbai Police said the girl had boarded the Kalyan-bound train at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on Sunday morning. The survivor told the police that she jumped off the train after she failed to pull the chains to prevent advances of her perpetrators. The victim told the media, The ladies compartment was empty and a man in pink shirt had boarded the train. On asking him to deboard, he started molesting me. I was shocked and in state of fear. The train had crossed CSMT and on seeing railway workers I decided to jump, added the victim. The girl was rushed to a city-based hospital by Government Railway Police. Also read| Patna:35 yr old woman dies in failed rape attempt, accused arrested and SIT formed to probe incident According to doctors the girl has suffered a fracture on her heel and received 20 stitches. An FIR has been registered against an unidentified person. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Patna: RJD will hold rallies across Bihar on November eight, the day when demonetisation was announced a year ago, to highlight the alleged failures of the step taken by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, party Supremo Lalu Prasad said on Monday. A few days ago Lalu has shown his intention to hold a grand rally against the NDA governments at the Centre and in Bihar, where his former ally Nitish Kumar is now heading a government in alliance with the BJP. At our November eight rallies we will ask the BJP what the common people gained by the arbitrary step of invalidating Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, he told reporters in Patna. The note ban wreaked havoc on small traders. Millions of people were forced to stand for hours in queues outside banks to get their old notes exchanged. The countrys economy is in tatters as a result of this decision, he added. Prasad and his family members are facing probes and frequent interrogations by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate in connection with corruption charges. The Grand Alliance, comprising RJD, Kumars JD(U) and the Congress, which had swept the 2015 assembly polls, collapsed in July this year following differences between the Bihar Chief Minister and Prasads party over the course of action to be adopted following the name of the then Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav cropping up in hotels for land scam. Incidentally, much before he quit the alliance, Kumar had come out in support of demonetisation and had urged the Modi government to tighten the noose further on Benami transactions to curb the flow of black money. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jammu: Senior leader of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party Vikramaditya Singh on Sunday announced his resignation from the outfit, saying it was not possible for him to continue with the PDP which disregarded the demands and aspirations of Jammu region. Singh said he would also resign from the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council. The grandson of last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh sought urgent intervention of the Centre in addressing regional issues and claimed that the people of Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir regions were not happy with the present dispensation. Singh had joined the PDP on August 2015 in presence of the partys late president Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He was a member of the state Legislative Council. I have sent my resignation to party president Mehbooba Mufti with a request to accept it immediately. I feel it is neither morally nor ethically right for me to continue as the member of the PDP and as an MLC, he told reporters here. I have also decided to resign from the Legislative Council where I was nominated to by the Governor. I shall write to the chairman of the Legislative Council requesting him to accept my resignation, Singh, the son of Congress leader Karan Singh, said. He claimed that he never nursed any political ambition and said had that been the case, he would have joined politics at the age of 25. Accusing the PDP of criticising him every time he raised any issue related to Jammu region, Singh claimed, I have publicly expressed my concerns for our state in general and Jammu in particular over the last several months but the party has rejected those. According to him, the issues included illegal settlement of Rohingyas and demand for a public holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh. It is no longer possible for me to be a part of a party that continues to disregard the demand and aspirations of Jammu region, he said in his resignation letter. Who is happy (with the present dispensation) in Jammu and Kashmir... all the three regions are pulling in different directions, Jammu is demanding complete integration, Ladakhis favour Union territory and Kashmiris are looking for a solution. They too are our own people. Where is the meeting point and the integrity of the state under the prevailing circumstances? Indian government should take urgent steps to address the issues, Singh said. Advocating a solution where people of all the three regions of the state are happy, he said the government needs to address the aspirations of the people of the regions. Whether that means separation (of Jammu region), Union territory (for Ladakh) or a solution to Kashmir issue. The government need to reach out and address the issues or come out with any other formula, Singh said. He also alleged that attempts are being made to wipe out the over 100-years-old glorious history of Dogras. I twice wrote letters to PDP ministers Naeem Akhtar and Altaf Bukhari demanding inclusion of golden period of Dogra rulers in the school books. But they paid no heed, he said. Singh thanked the civil society for their struggle for various issues concerning the people of Jammu, including the demand of public holiday on the Maharajas birth anniversary. We have to continue this agitation till justice is done with Jammu. Till we get the due share, we have to carry on with our struggle, and everyone needs to support me on this, he said. Remembering PDP founder and the states former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Singh said we have completely failed in his vision. He wanted to connect the hearts of the people but today we have left every soul with broken heart. We have gone backwards, he said, adding he joined politics on the invitation of Sayeed, but unfortunately with his death the situation changed drastically. Asked whether he has consulted his father before deciding to resign from the PDP, Singh said his father is the head of their family and no decision is taken without consulting him. On his future plans, he said his family has a bigger role to play and will work towards fulfilling his responsibility. I have decided to undertake people contact programme and I am visiting different parts of the region... It does not matter if I am an MLC or associated with any party. What is important is to remain in touch with the people, Singh said. ALSO READ: PDP, NC raise concerns with Rajnath over Article 35 A review For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: After the protests from Opposition Congress and her own partys lawmakers, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje asked state ministers to rethink the gag law. According to the sources, CM Raje has met state ministers at his residence to make changes in Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) bill which was tabled in the assembly on Monday. In a shocking move, BJP-led Rajasthan government had last month promulgated the new Ordinance that seeks to protect ministers, lawmakers and government officials from being investigated without its prior sanction. The move left Rajasthan BJP divided with some of the partys senior leaders joining Congress in opposing the gag law. Former State Education Minister and sitting MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari termed the law a Kala Kanoon (Black Law) and said he was against it. The Opposition Congress has also launched a black band protest led by the leader of the Opposition Rameshwar Dudi and Sachin Pilot outside the state assembly against the gag law. The governments move to bring the ordinance and now a bill clearly shows that it has no respect for democracy and is working against the principles of democracy, Dudi told reporters. Earlier, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi taking a dig at CM Vasundhara Raje had said, "Madam Chief Minister, with all humility we are in the 21'st century. It's 2017, not 1817." For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Despite ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops over the past two days along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, the weekly Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service operated on Monday. The officials said that the Karvan-e-Aman bus operated as per its weekly schedule, taking 42 passengers from Srinagar towards Muzaffarabad. The passengers included 29 Pakistan-occupied Kashmir residents who are on their way home after spending time with their relatives on this side of the LoC, they added. More passengers will board the bus from Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre for onward journey, the officials said. ALSO READ | J&K: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Kamal Koot area of Uri sector; one porter injured Despite Pakistani troops resorting to unprovoked firing targeting Indian Army, posts and villages on Sunday and the day before, the bus service was operational on Monday. On Saturday, a civilian was killed and two other women were injured in firing by Pakistani side in the Uri sector. The services gets suspended many a times if the situation becomes tense along the LoC. The service was launched in April 2005 and it has helped thousands of families living on the two sides of the LoC meet each other. (With PTI inputs) ALSO READ | J&K: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Balakote sector of Poonch; Army retaliates For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In yet another horrific incident, an 18-month-old girl was allegedly raped by her uncle at a village near Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, police said on Monday. Superintendent of Police Kamal Kishore said the incident took place on Sunday evening at a village in the Binawar area in Badaun. The villagers alerted by the girls cry reached the spot and caught the accused before he could flee, Kishore said. The police have arrested the accused uncle and said that the child was admitted to a hospital. Her condition was stated to be serious. (With PTI inputs) ALSO READ | Victims silence after rape not proof of consent: Delhi HC For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Rajasthan governments new ordinance, tabled in the state assembly on Monday, seeking to protect ministers, lawmakers and government officials from being investigated without sanction has been challenged in the Rajasthan High Court. A plea filed by advocate Ajay Jain stated that the new ordinance will subvert the wisdom of judiciary. The petitioner asked the High Court to declare the 'The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 as violative of the constitution. Earlier, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a swipe at Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje over the ordinance, pointing out that the year was "2017, not 1817". ALSO READ: Rajasthan: Civil rights group PUCL demands repeal of ordinance shielding judges and bureaucrats Madam Chief Minister, with all humility we are in the 21st century. It's 2017, not 1817, Gandhi tweeted. He also tagged a news report titled Rajasthan ordinance is against free speech, say legal experts. The report said the ordinance prohibited an investigation without prior sanction against judicial officers and public servants and also restricted the media. It said under the proposed law, the media cannot report on accusations against magistrates and others until the prosecution gets the go-ahead from the sanctioning authority. (With PTI inputs) ALSO READ | 7th Pay Commission: Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje announces pay hike for over 12 lakh employees, pensioners ahead of Diwali For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: While people all over India were busy spending some gala time with friends and family on this festival of lights, a European Space Agency astronaut dropped a glittering picture of Indian subcontinent taken from space on this Diwali. According to reports, Paolo Nespoli, the European astronaut took to micro-blogging site Twitter on this auspicious occasion of Diwali and posted the much illuminated and beautiful picture of a brighter India. Quite interestingly, Paolo did not mention the day it was captured. He left it to users to decide whether it is a real picture of India from space on Diwali or a mere trap to make people fool yet again. After creating a lot of buzz regarding the same on social networking sites, the air has recently been cleared. Yes! Latest media reports suggest that the picture taken and uploaded on the Nespoli's Flickr account was actually clicked on September 29, 20 days before Diwali. The bright orange line of light running across the picture is happened to be the Pakistan-India international border, reported on NASAs website. Also Read | New NASA three-dimensional model: Searching for lives on alien planets is now a bit easier While some of the Twitter users were very much quick to point out the truth, another group of users were amazed by the beauty of mother India and owe Nespoli big thanks and a debt of gratitude for the same. Nespoli's tweet has already received 4.5K retweets and was liked nearly 7.5K times when last checked. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Donald Trump administration is "considering" India's request for armed drones for its air force, according to a senior American official. "Yes, yes," the administration official told PTI when asked about India's pending request about the purchase of armed drones as part of its armed forces' modernisation drive. The armed drones, the Indian Air Force (IAF) believes, would help it strengthen its defence capabilities. Early this year, the IAF had requested the US Government for General Atomics Predator C Avenger aircraft. It is understood that IAF would need 80 to 100 units making it approximately a whopping $8 billion deal. The Trump administration's consideration in this regard comes months after a successful meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump at the White House on June 26, during which the US announced to sell 22 unarmed Guardian drones to India+ , which would add the Indian Navy's surveillance capabilities in the strategic Indian Ocean region. "We are at ways to, in terms of Foreign military sales, but really also in defence cooperation broadly how to strengthen our relationship and cooperation," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official was responding to questions on defence relationship and India's quest for high-tech defence equipments and technologies from the US as part of its long overdue armed forces' modernisation drive running into several hundred billions of dollars over the next decade. Previous Obama administration had designated India as major defence partner and the Trump administration has accelerated the process of considering Indian requests. "The US Navy and the Indian Navy have been cooperating for many years on counter piracy efforts, on ensuring freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean and the and Red Sea and the Persian Gulf," the official said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The United States policy toward Islamabad will be based on whether they take necessary action in creating an opportunity for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. Tillerson, who arrived in Afghanistan on Monday to discuss US strategy asked Pakistan to stop supporting Taliban and other terror groups. We have made some very specific requests of Pakistan in order for them to take action to undermine the support the Taliban receives and other terrorist organizations receive, he said. Also Read | Diwali Gift to Pakistan: Sushma Swaraj grants medical visa in all deserving cases that are pending Tillerson is scheduled to visit Pakistan before coming to India on Tuesday. Ahead of his meeting with Pak Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, He said, Pak needs to take a clear view of the situation they are confronted with in terms of no. of terror organisation that finds safe haven inside the country. The US Secretary of State praised India for taking up several developmental projects in Afghanistan for the betterment of war-hit countrys people. They (India) already are providing important economic activity, creating jobs, which is important for future Afghanistan, he said. Tillerson said the US believes India can play very important positive role in the process to achieve peaceful and stable Afghanistan. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. paraklisi Most of the details of the life of Saint James are unknown, though he is said to have been a Fool for Christ from his youth and a ship-worker who died young perhaps by being struck by lightning, but the Lord glorified him after death.In the year 1540, on the third day of Pascha, a large block of ice floated up against the current along the River Msta to the village of Borovichi (in the district of Novgorod), and on this block of ice stood the coffin (made from an oak log) without cover, in which the incorrupt body of the youth lay. Shunning the holy relics, peasants with poles pushed the block of ice back into the river, but it returned to the shore. This was repeated three times. That night the youth appeared in a dream to the elders of the village, who had seen him upon the ice-flow, and said, I am also a Christian just like you. Dont push me away. My name is James. I am the namesake of Saint James, the Brother of God.The relics of the holy youth were first placed in a chapel, then in 1544, after a commission was established by Archbishop Theodosius of Novgorod to examine the relics and six reliable miracles attributed to them, it was decided they be transferred to the Descent of the Holy Spirit Monastery (built in 1345). Then in 1545 the commission established an annual commemoration of the Saint every year on October 23 with his namesake Saint James the Brother of God (he is also celebrated on the Tuesday of Bright Week). The Lord, having glorified His God-pleasing one, granted the relics of Saint James a curative power. A feast day with Matins was established in 1572. The Iconographic Manuals describe Saint James: A youth, bare, girded with a piece of cloth.But as if in punishment for the unbelief and cowardice of the Borovichi inhabitants, rendered by them during the arrival of the incorrupt relics of Saint James, the Lord did not favor that this treasure forever remain with them. His Holiness Patriarch Nikon learned of the miracles that took place at the relics of Saint James the Righteous, but, having received information that they are in Borovichi in great neglect, wished to transfer the relics to the newly created Iveron Monastery in Valday. The transfer took place in February 1654.On the eve of the transfer, the Patriarch had a vision in a dream, about which he himself told the clergy: "I saw a great light in the place where this monastery is being built, and in the midst of this light lies a man on a high ground, with a bright body; considering him dead, I approached him, to cover up the nakedness of his body; but approaching, I saw the hands in blessing, and he, as if alive, folded them on his chest."The next day, Patriarch Nikon personally transferred the relics of Saint James from the dilapidated wooden coffin into a new, silver one. As soon as he approached the coffin, he saw the boy exactly like he did in the dream - with hands in blessing position. Then the Patriarch folded the hands of the righteous James on his chest as he had seen in the dream.In the autumn of 1918, the Bolsheviks took from the monastery a golden garment from the miraculous Iveron icon, old precious utensils, and personal belongings of Patriarch Nikon. However, by order of the Commissar of the People's Commissariat of Education in 1919, the valuables were returned to the monastery, which was transformed into the Iversky Labor Artel. At the same time, the Nikon Museum was placed in the premises of the western wall of the monastery.In the same year, in March, the relics of Saint James were twice publicly publicized in order to accuse the Church of quackery. After this, the relics of the holy youth mysteriously disappeared. According to legend, they were buried in the ground on the eve of the destruction of the monastery.According to a current monk at the monastery, Hieromonk Panteleimon: "In 2002, a woman wrote a letter that she had a vision. Several times she dreamed of a handsome young man who said that his relics are still in the Iveron Monastery, under the porch of the Church of the Epiphany. Every day we read the Akathist to the Saint. Everything was dug, but nothing was found."In the Svyatodukhovsky (Decent of the Holy Spirit) Cathedral in Borovichi there is a reliquary with portions of the relics of Saint James. In the Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul in the city of Valday is kept his icon with a portion of the relics, before which there have been prayers performed for many years for the finding of the relics of the Borovichi wonderworker.Descent of the Holy Spirit MonasteryPortion of the relics of St. James at Dormition of the Holy Spirit CathedralIveron Monastery in ValdayRelics of St. James in Iveron Monastery before the Sovietsplundered it and when the relics went missing Fresh off a decisive election victory, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged Monday to tackle what he called Japan's two national crises: the military threat from North Korea and an aging and shrinking population. Abe said at a news conference that he is committed to protect the Japanese people's prosperity and peace from any contingency. He also referred to Japanese people who were abducted years ago and are believed to still be held by North Korea. "I will pursue decisive and strong diplomacy to tackle North Korea's missile, nuclear and abduction issues and put further pressure to get it to change its policy," he said. His ruling coalition was returned to power in elections for Japan's more powerful lower house Sunday. Abe said Japan's decreasing population and aging is "the biggest challenge" for his Abenomics policy aimed at Japan's economic recovery from deflation. "The problem is progressing by the minute, and we cannot afford waiting around." He promised a comprehensive package by the end of the year to deal with Japan's demographic challenges, including investments in education, productivity improvements and pension system reform. Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and a small coalition partner together secured at least 313 seats in the 465-member lower house, passing the 310-barrier for a two-thirds majority. Three seats remained undecided. Voter turnout for single-seat constituencies in Sunday's election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, is projected at around 53.69 pct, the second-lowest in the post-World War II period, a Jiji Press estimate showed Monday. The figure is higher than the post war low of 52.66 pct marked in the previous Lower House election in 2014. The low voter turnout apparently reflected bad weather caused by the approach of a powerful typhoon. In addition, voters' interest in the election apparently did not increase as media polls showed soon after the start of the official campaign period that the ruling camp led by the Liberal Democratic Party was taking a comfortable lead over opposition parties. By prefecture, estimated turnout was the highest in Yamagata Prefecture, northeastern Japan, at 64.07 pct, and the lowest in Tokushima Prefecture, western Japan, at 46.47 pct. At the former site of Strada 18 at 122 Washington Street in South Norwalk, Il Posto opened on Friday, Oct. 20, with a menu focused on traditional northern Italian food. The restaurant has posted a menu online at www.ilpostoct.com with no prices listed immediately; on a menu posted Monday morning at the restaurant, entrees ranged from a penne alla vodka for $16 to a seared Scottish salmon with garlic scampi sauce for $28. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON - Prior to Sunday's ceremony awarding the 20th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to David Letterman, the red-carpet question on everyone's minds had to be: to Trump or not to Trump? Each of the funny famous folks making their way down the red carpet at the Kennedy Center before the big show had all been tasked with a tough job: roasting the 70-year-old king of late night at a time when the comedic landscape seems riddled with political punchlines packed with names like Trump and Harvey Weinstein. Would the night get serious or stay silly? It depended on who you asked. And it just so happened that the first big name to pose in front of the step-and-repeat was none other than Jimmy Kimmel, the late-night host whose sharp, politically minded monologues criticizing the Cassidy-Graham health-care bill had one attendee branding him a "hero." "I don't know that I am making a difference," Kimmel said, "but I am going to try. I think if everybody adopts that philosophy we will actually make a difference." Kimmel, a self-described Letterman "stalker" (he had the birthday cake and vanity license plate to prove it), kept his material for the night close to the vest but remained characteristically candid about the state of the country. "I feel hopeful but not necessarily optimistic," said Kimmel, who planned to hightail it out of Washington after the show. So no quick sit-down with President Trump then? "Oh, I have a million questions for Donald Trump," Kimmel said. "I'd need like three hours with him." The next few hours, though, could very well be a Trump-free zone. "No politics tonight," Martin Short said definitively. OK then. Comedian Jimmie Walker, who hired Letterman as a writer when the future late-night host first moved to Los Angeles, said the two don't ever talk politics. "Dave is not a political guy," said Walker, one of the honoree's oldest industry pals. "He's not that type of cat." Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., agrees -sort of. "No Trump jokes," Franken said. "This is about David." But whether Letterman himself is political or not? That's up for debate, according to Franken, who joked that he tried to get the former TV weatherman to run for office in Indiana (for what position, we don't know). "He's very interested in subjects like climate change," said Franken, who also saw parallels between Kimmel's political comedy and Letterman's, pointing to the former "Late Show" host's Youtube-able 9/11 monologue as proof. "[Letterman's] someone who takes the 60 minutes they have on TV five nights a week very seriously," Franken added. Speaking of taking things seriously, finally, here's the man of the hour himself, making jokes about some serious stuff. When asked by a reporter on the red carpet how he feels about the current state of affairs in Washington, Letterman deadpans: "I'll tell you something, if I can be candid - I'm beginning to lose confidence in the Trump administration." But seriously, folks: How exactly is Letterman, who famously hates being complimented, taking all this - the praise, the roasting, the fawning? "It's uncomfortable," Letterman said. "So far I'm having a very nice time, but I'm afraid that will all diminish when people are on stage telling lies about me, and then I'll start to wither and become uncomfortable and sweat through my shirt." So why do it? Why show up in a tux and subject yourself to a barrage of glittery tributes from the likes of Steve Martin, Amy Schumer, and last year's Mark Twain recipient, Bill Murray ? He's doing it for his 13-year-old son, Harry, who is somewhere in the building. "With every breath I take, I'm trying to impress him," Letterman said. "And every now and then I feel like I have to let the young man know that, in fact, his father, not just a dope, but someone in addition to being a dope, was in show business. That's why I'm doing it." Fair enough. The Mark Twain ceremony will air Nov. 20 on PBS. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The year 2017 has not been a good year for airlines. Although United Airlines has faced a lot of controversy, several other companies have been scrutinized by the public. British Airways is the latest airline to face the wrath of the internet after a passenger claimed the plane he was on was infested with bed bugs. MOST RELIABLE: America's best airlines to be on time ranked According to his Twitter, Eric Neilsen, his fiance, Heather Szilagyi, and her daughter were on their way to Slovenia for a funeral, so they found themselves on an overnight flight from Vancouver to Heathrow. Now Playing: Although travelers may be alert and check for bed bugs in hotels, incidents onboard airplanes receive less attention. Video: Travel & Leisure The trip left the three of them covered in insect bites allegedly cause by bed bugs. A report on The Guardian said Szilagyi first saw the bugs on the seat in front of her and near the TV monitor. After the nine-hour flight, the two took to Twitter to share photos of the bites and even saying that Szilagyi had even managed to catch "the biggest one" and give it to the flight attendant. Both Neilsen and Szilagyi's accounts mention that they have received terrible customer service from British Airways, but according to The Guardian, the airline has apologized and upgraded their return flight to business class. Chron.com called to get a comment from British Airways, and was told "they are aware of the issues and it has been escalated." The representative refused to give further explanation. Take a look through the gallery above to see photos of the bites, and keep going to see other PR nightmares airlines have had to deal with. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DANBURY The Democratic challenger for mayor has proposed an overhaul of city roads to alleviate what he calls chronic congestion problems that compromise the citys quality of life. Mayor Mark Boughton, meanwhile, said the city is already working to improve its roads. Democrat Al Almeida, who is challenging the Republican incumbents run for a record ninth two-year term, is calling for a city-wide study of roads and a capital program to modernize them in the states fastest-growing city. The other day it took me 40 minutes to go from North Street to Great Plain Elementary School and I know the back roads, said Almeida, speaking of a drive that on paper should take nine minutes. And this traffic congestion is all around the city. Boughton on Monday said the city already conducted a comprehensive study of roads, and the city has been following a few of its recommendations for improvements every budget season since the study was completed a decade ago. But Almeida, an investigator in the public defenders office, called that study outdated. Where is there congestion? You name it, he said. Congestion is anywhere you go in the city from Mill Plain Road to Newtown Road to Federal Road to Main Street to North Street. The fact that most of those roads are state roads is immaterial, Almeida said, adding that he would work with state representatives to strike project partnerships with Connecticuts transportation department. Boughton challenged Almeidas contention that the city was overrun with congestion and suggested that some of the traffic jams are due to construction projects that will alleviate the problem once the improvements are complete. Danbury is growing but its not like we cant move traffic around the city, Boughton said. There is a lot of construction in the city right now between the gas pipeline and the state construction at (Interstate 84) Exit 5, that has put pressure on other roads, but things will smooth out as these areas are completed. The city is also studying how to promote development downtown by improving transit connections. Almeida said his study would be city-wide, but he stopped short of providing more details, such as the cost. He also would not estimate how much the capital improvement program would cost. This congestion is costing people time, its costing people gas and its adding to pollution, Almeida said. This is something that is needed that hasnt been done in years. Boughton said the city didnt have unlimited money to spend. Given enough money you can solve anything, but the fact of the matter is you have to balance all of your needs to be able to do the things you do, Boughton said. You have to prioritize the money you have to get the biggest impact. rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342 Graveyard tours are an interesting way to bring history to life. At Danbury area events planned this week, guests will be led through cemeteries where they will encounter people portraying some of the towns most interesting, influential or historic members buried there. Several tours through the areas historic graveyards will be held across the state this weekend, including ones in Washington and Redding on Friday. The Gunn Historical Museums Washington Green Cemetery Tour returns for its 10th year from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday. As part of the anniversary, the museum is bringing back some of its favorite characters from the towns past. These citizens from centuries long ago will be brought to life by costumed actors who will tell stories of their life; some amusing, some sad, some tragic even horrific, according to the press release. Groups of visitors will be led through the cemetery by tour guides dressed in vintage clothing, guided by a path of 1,000 luminaries. Those taking the hour-long tour will meet at the Gunn Historical Museum and get numbered tickets on a first-come first-serve basis, starting at 6:15 pm on Friday and continuing until the tickets run out. Refreshments, face painting for kids, and a Halloween themed movie will be shown in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Library. Attendees can wait inside for their tour group to depart. Each tour group will have 18 people and will leave every eight minutes from the cemetery. Visitors are encouraged to bring a flashlight, dress warmly, wear comfortable walking shoes, and carpool since parking is limited. If it rains, the tours will be offered from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. on Sunday. While there is no fee to attend the Washington Cemetery Tour, donations are appreciated. Redding will also offer a graveyard tour from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday as part of the town-wide read of My Brother Sam is Dead to celebrate the towns 250th anniversary. The event will be held at the Christ Church Parish, 184 Cross Highway. The book is set in Redding during the American Revolutionary War and includes a number of places in town. Fridays tour will be led by Town Historian Charley Couch and focus on the historically significant gravestones in the Colonial Graveyard of Christ Church Parish, where the main characters also worshiped. Reverend Marilyn Anderson, rector of the parish, will welcome participants and lead a brief moment of silence before the tour. Participants are then invited inside the church for a light refreshment after the tour. Anderson will also point out some church artifacts from the Revolution. This event is limited to 50 participants, ages 10 and up. Visit www.marktwainlibrary.org for information and to register. It is also co-sponsored by the Redding Historical Society. Keep this number in mind when advertising an open position: 1.2. It's the United States' current ratio of job-seekers to job openings, according to the August Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In June 2009, when the economy was in the middle of the Great Recession, that ratio was an impressive (from a hiring perspective) 6.6. Related: How to Hire Like a Pro While low unemployment is good news for the economy, it makes finding the right talent more difficult. This forces employers to get creative. One solution is utilizing business-relationship graphs, or visual guides which depict relationships of professionals and organizations. For example, before becoming president, Donald Trump established a vast network of business contacts, mapped with this business-relationship graph. At Owler, a San Francisco-based business insights platform company, chief operating officer Jeremy Bellinghausen faced the unique challenge of finding engineers in Silicon Valley, a notoriously competitive talent market. He said the company responded by using its competitive relationship graph, a tool it made for mapping companies and their competitors within its industry network. The company uses the tool to refine its search and identify professionals at similar organizations. "The competitive relationship graph provides more granularity than traditional industry-mapping tools like [standard industrial classifications] and has been incredibly effective in helping us build a world-class engineering team," Bellinghausen said via email. Business-relationship graphs present a great opportunity for employers to find new hires in a fast, effective way. Unfortunately, many don't know how to mine this type of resource for useful insights. So, here are insights from employers that do: Probe, don't poach. When looking within your company's relationship network, the temptation might be to poach from your partners or vendors. However, this sours relationships. Instead, look within partners' networks to find talent from their competitors. "Seeing their competitors expands your breadth of places to find promising hires," Bellinghausen said. "For instance, say you love your PR firm and want to hire your account strategist [employed by the PR firm] to join your in-house team, but you don't want to sour the relationship or break your contract terms. You can look to your PR firm's top competitor and source an account strategist from their team." To maintain positive relationships, establish ethical guidelines with your hiring team about which companies are off limits. Then, automate your search through tools like Google Alerts. Set up an alert for targeted companies -- competitors of those on the "do not poach" list. If a targeted company announces it's undergoing a merger or downsizing, for example, that's the perfect time to reach out to top candidates on its team. Related: 4 Strategies for Hiring the Right People at Your Startup Stick to "six degrees of separation." Erika Van Noort, the senior director of talent acquisition at Softchoice, an IT solutions provider in Toronto, told me her company uses a simple technique to tap its business-relationship graph: She called it "six degrees of separation." The term is the name of the theory that every two people on Earth are connected within six other relationships -- or less. To determine the value of potential candidates, research every connection within your business-relationship graph to find out who has the skills and knowledge that you need and that are relevant to your company and role. "We want to understand not only the candidate, but what they are, what they have applied for, where they are working now, who they know and past working relationships," Van Noort said via email. "These days, so much of what a candidate can offer goes beyond the resume. Building out relationship models helps to bring this all together." This same strategy helped Softchoice hire a candidate who had applied years earlier and since then had built the skills the company needed. When relationships are built and maintained, candidates feel valued and are therefore more likely to be interested in the position. Develop a communications strategy to stay engaged with any candidates who might not be a good fit in the moment -- but might be in future. Use a scoring system to rate each passive candidate on his or her skills and knowledge, and update that person's score after reconnecting. Then, once the candidate reaches a score that indicates role fit, let your hiring team determine the best course of action. Consider cultural fit. Skills are crucial, but a bad cultural fit means the new employee won't last long. Mai Ton, the vice president of human resources at San Francisco-based OneLogin, an identity and access management provider, said she taps into the networks of her employees to help find the right people. "Because our employees know and understand our ecosystem, they become the greatest sources of finding the passive, hard-to-find talent," Ton said via email. She noted the value of experimenting with professional graph tools, like LinkedIn. Each professional's profile provides more data and a clear picture of his or her accomplishments and skills. First, integrate every employee's network through employee-referral software. Show employees how the hiring team assesses each referral and uses the business-relationship graph to get a full perspective of the entire talent pipeline. Then, consider appointing a "referral society" of passionate employees to start a grassroots approach to educating and encouraging employees to participate in the program. To effectively teach employees about building and maintaining relationships within their networks, host workshops on improving communication and active listening skills and establishing trust. Finally, take the referral program to the next level by using a "candidate scavenger hunt" to teach employees how to rate their referrals in a fun way. This game includes a list of specific aspects for employees to look for on a candidate's online presence, like professional certifications, endorsements and relevant interests. Related: The 3 Most Common -- and Costly -- Hiring Mistakes "Six degrees later," you'll have found your perfect next hire. Related: Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com Survey Reveals Average Time Spent Getting To and From Work Workers spend an average of 53 minutes commuting each day 28 per cent of Canadian workers say commutes are too long TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2017 /CNW/ - As the scariest day of the year approaches, staffing firm Robert Half surveyed Canadian workers to determine how long they spend commuting to and from the office. The survey found that the average travel time is 53 minutes, which, according to more than one-quarter of respondents, is too long. When it comes to stress associated with commutes, Canadians ranked stress levels an average of four out of 10, with 10 being the most stressed. Robert Half commissioned an independent research firm to collect the data. More than 500 workers in Canada were surveyed in September 2017. Can Employers Lessen Commute Headaches? Commute times rank as a top concern among employees when considering a job offer, according to feedback gathered from Robert Half's recruiters. "With today's increasingly dispersed workforce, organizations need to be proactive in mitigating the impact that lengthy commutes can have on both employee morale and productivity," said Greg Scileppi, president of Robert Half, International Staffing Operations. "If commute times are causing stress for employees or hindering performance, managers should consider alternative work arrangements that provide flexibility without compromising daily business obligations." If you're an employer concerned that a lengthy commute could be hurting retention efforts or scaring away potential candidates, consider the following solutions: Survey your employee base. Talk to your workers individually or conduct surveys to gauge how much their commutes might be impacting their workday. Research surrounding firms and companies in your industry to see how they handle commuting issues. Talk to your workers individually or conduct surveys to gauge how much their commutes might be impacting their workday. Research surrounding firms and companies in your industry to see how they handle commuting issues. Offer staggered work schedules. Give employees the option to work during hours when the traffic isn't heavy. Staggered schedules can also provide the benefit of longer coverage. Give employees the option to work during hours when the traffic isn't heavy. Staggered schedules can also provide the benefit of longer coverage. Consider telecommuting options. Many companies allow employees to work remotely on occasion. If workers' responsibilities allow, consider offering telecommuting options several days a week. Many companies allow employees to work remotely on occasion. If workers' responsibilities allow, consider offering telecommuting options several days a week. Increase commuting benefits. If you already provide commuting benefits, find out how much they are being used. Once you know which are being most utilized, you can make educated decisions to enhance or modify them. If you don't offer these benefits, consider adding some, like subsidized public transportation or company-sponsored carpooling. About Robert Half Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company has 325 staffing locations worldwide and offers online job search and management tools at roberthalf.ca. For career and management advice, follow our blog at roberthalf.ca/blog. Follow Robert Half Canada on Twitter at @RobertHalf_CAN for additional workplace advice and hiring trends. SOURCE Robert Half Canada For further information: Naz Araghian, 416.865.2140, [email protected] Related Links http://www.rhii.com CALGARY, Oct. 23, 2017 /CNW/ - Cervus Equipment Corp. ("Cervus" or "the Company") (TSX: CERV) today announced that it will host its third quarter 2017 results conference call on November 9, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Company intends to disclose its financial results after markets close on November 8, 2017. President and CEO, Graham Drake, and CFO, Randy Muth, will discuss Cervus's financial and operating results for the quarter ended September 30, 2017, and then take questions from securities analysts and institutional shareholders. Interested parties may access the conference call by dialling (647) 427-7450 or 1-888-231-8191. Please connect approximately 10 minutes prior to the beginning of the call. The conference call will be archived for replay until Thursday, November 16, 2017 at midnight. To access the archived conference call, dial (416) 849-0833 or 1-855-859-2056 and enter the reservation number 3279348 followed by the number sign. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1533799&s=1&k=A46785CF515F05713F1F2F7E7BB6DC4F Please connect at least 15 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure adequate time for any software download that may be required to join the webcast. The webcast will be archived at the above website for 90 days. About Cervus Equipment Corporation Cervus acquires and operates authorized agricultural, construction, materials handling and transportation equipment dealerships. The company has interests in 64 dealerships in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, employing more than 1,500 people. The primary equipment brands represented by Cervus include John Deere agricultural equipment; Peterbilt transportation equipment; Bobcat, CMI and JCB construction equipment; and Clark, Sellick and Doosan material handling equipment. The common shares of Cervus are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trade under the symbol "CERV". SOURCE Cervus Equipment Corporation For further information: Graham Drake - President & CEO, (403) 567-2095, [email protected]; Randy Muth - Chief Financial Officer, (403) 567-2097, [email protected] TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2017 /CNW/ - George Weston Limited (TSX: WN) will be announcing its 2017 third quarter results on November 21st, 2017 at 6:00AM (ET). This announcement will be followed by a conference call and audio webcast at 9:00AM (ET). To access via teleconference please dial 647-427-7450 or 1-888-231-8191. The playback will be made available two hours after the event at 416-849-0833 or 1-855-859-2056 passcode: 49340857#. Full details and Pre-registration are available by visiting our website at www.weston.ca. About George Weston Limited George Weston Limited is a Canadian public company founded in 1882 and through its operating subsidiaries constitutes one of North America's largest food processing and distribution groups. George Weston Limited has two reportable operating segments: Weston Foods and Loblaw, which is operated by Loblaw Companies Limited. The Weston Foods operating segment is primarily engaged in the baking industry within North America. Loblaw is Canada's largest retailer and provides Canadians with grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, banking, and wireless mobile products and services. SOURCE George Weston Limited For further information: Geoff Wilson, CPA, CA, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations, Business Intelligence and Communications, 416-965-5206 Related Links http://www.weston.ca MISSISSAUGA, ON, Oct. 23, 2017 /CNW/ - Air Georgian's SOAR program for aviation career awareness, recruitment and retention continues to grow with the addition of Montair Aviation to their flight school program. The partnership provides a career pathway for instructors at Montair to become First Officers with Air Georgian. "Montair is excited to offer our aspiring airline pilots the opportunity to advance their careers through the SOAR program," says Montair's Director of Flight Operations, Blair Parrant. "We are proud to be involved in such a motivating and rewarding opportunity while supporting growth within the aviation industry." "We're proud to partner with great flight training providers such as Montair through the SOAR program," says Air Georgian's System Chief Pilot, Jeff Tillapaugh. "This partnership offers Montair instructors career progression from a Class IV instructor to a CRJ Captain and beyond." About the SOAR Program Montair enters SOAR though Air Georgian's ATAC member program which is open to all ATAC member airlines and flight schools. The program is designed to provide SOAR partnered operators and flight schools with predictable, timed attrition with extended notice periods while providing their employees visibility regarding career progression with an entry point to the Air Canada system. With this new partnership the list of ATAC member partners continues to grow ahead of SOAR's official November 2017 launch. SOAR (Sharing Opportunities for Advancement and Reward) is comprised of three initiatives: Raising awareness of careers in aviation for high school students Working with flight schools and 703/704 operators to recruit pilots into Air Georgian, and; Providing career fulfillment and advancement opportunities for employees About Montair Aviation Montair Aviation is a flight training academy based in Pitt Meadow's BC, with a secondary training base in Red Deer AB. Founded in 1988, Montair was established with the goal of training future professional pilots to a skill and knowledge level that allows them to serve the airline industry with minimal further training required. About Air Georgian Air Georgian is a proud member of the Air Canada family, operating 62,000 regional flights per year on behalf of Air Canada through a capacity purchase agreement. With bases in Calgary and Toronto, they carry over 1.5 million passengers a year to 31 domestic and transborder destinations. SOURCE Air Georgian Limited For further information: Jeslene Bryant, Human Resources Business Partner, Air Georgian Limited, (905) 676-1221 ext. 260, [email protected] ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, Oct. 23, 2017 /CNW/ - St Petersburg has hosted the largest assembly in the history of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Upwards of 2,500 participants, 160 delegations (over half of which were headed by parliamentary speakers), and 400 journalists took part in the 137th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, which was held from 14 to 18 October 2017. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/588519/Inter_Parliamentary_Union_Assembly.jpg ) The event saw impressive results: members of parliaments from around the world signed the IPU Petition in support of the formation of democratic societies. A number of issues were also discussed, from banning nuclear weapons to information security, using scientific research to achieve higher standards in health care, encouraging the use of renewable energy in the private sector, and strengthening the parliamentary dimension of the UN. The assembly's business programme included the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians. Meetings were held between the IPU's six geopolitical groups: the African Group, the Arab Group, the Asia-Pacific Group, the Eurasia Group, the Group of Latin-America and the Caribbean, and the Twelve Plus Group (which includes the countries of Western and Central Europe, Canada, and other states). The event also saw the election of Gabriela Cuevas Barron as new President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. In addition, the IPU accepted a number of new members: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, and the Marshall Islands, bringing the total number of IPU member-states to 177. Russia guaranteed all foreign participants a smooth entry into the country, irrespective of their presence on Russian restricted lists drawn up in response to Western sanctions. An atmosphere was created in which parliamentarians could engage in productive dialogue at the assembly. The next meeting will take place in 2018 in Geneva. About the union Founded in 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Union is the oldest and one of the most authoritative and influential international parliamentary organizations, and the informal parliamentary partner of the UN. The union has 177 member states, and 12 inter-parliamentary associations are associate members. The Roscongress Foundation is a major conference and exhibition organizer. The Roscongress Foundation was founded in 2007 with the aim of facilitating the development of Russia's economic potential and strengthening the country's image by organizing conventions, exhibitions, and public events. The Foundation develops substantive content for such events, providing companies and organizations with advice, information, and expert guidance, and offering comprehensive evaluation, analysis, and coverage of the Russian and global economic agendas. Today, its annual programme includes events held from Montevideo to Vladivostok, offering an opportunity to bring together global business leaders, experts, the media, and government officials in one place, creating favourable conditions for dialogue and the promotion of new ideas and projects, and assisting in the creation of social enterprise and charity projects. http://www.ipu137russia.org http://www.ipu.org/conf-e/137agnd.htm SOURCE IPU NICHOLS, NY -- The new 161-room hotel at the Tioga Downs Casino -- one of Upstate New York's three new "Vegas-style" resorts -- is set to open in November, with a conference center to follow in December. Tioga Downs was the first of the three new full-service casinos to open -- in December 2016 -- but the last to get its hotel operating. Rivers Casino Resort in Schenectady and del Lago Resort Casino near Waterloo opened as a new full-service casinos in February, and each opened its hotel in July. Tioga Downs had operated as a harness-racing track and slot-machine "racino" before December. Now it has a full-rage of table games and slots, and is completing its other resort accomodations, including events space and conference center. The Tioga Downs hotel will have three swimming pools (indoor, outdoor and water slide) plus a spa, a fitness facility and banquet and reception center. It also has a P.J. Clarke's pub and restaurant. Tioga Downs is in Nichols, about 40 miles west of Binghamton, off Route 17 (the Southern Tier Expressway) and near the Pennsylvania border. Tioga Downs, Rivers and del Lago are three of the four new non Indian nation-owned Vegas-style casinos authorized by the state. The fourth, Resorts World Catskills, is scheduled to open in Monticello in 2018. The four casinos are authorized to operate in territories not covered by the state's gaming compacts with the Seneca, Oneida and Akwesasne Mohawk nations. Together, those Indian nations operate six casinos, and the Oneidas have plans to open another in in their territory, in Bridgeport, just east of Syracuse. Revenues from the new casinos have so far fallen short of expectations, according to reports filed with the State Gaming Commission. Some observers, including Tioga Downs owner Jeff Gural, have suggested the Upstate casino market is already "saturated." Gural also operates a racino at Vernon Downs in Oneida County. Others, such as de Lago general manager and vice president Jeff Babinki, have said the resorts are creating jobs and contributing to the local economy, and that revenues should rebound once the resorts complete all their amenities (like hotels). Here's a look at revenues for the past year from the three non-Indian casinos: Here's a promotional video for the new Tioga Downs hotel: Coming in November to #TiogaDownsCasino! Hotel, Event Center, AgeLess SPA, Outdoor Terraces, Golf Course, P.J. Clarkes Restaurant. 6 story boutique Hotel features spacious rooms, an indoor pool, event space to host conferences, trade shows, weddings and so much more! We are now accepting reservations for our hotel! Book your stay today! Click here: https://www.tiogadowns.com/hotel/#reservations Call (607) 699-3900 Stay tuned for hotel packages! Gambling Problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369) #TiogaDownsCasino #HotelReservations #BookingNow Posted by Tioga Downs Casino Resort on Sunday, October 22, 2017 Don Cazentre writes about Upstate New York casinos for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook. Two men who killed children in Central New York and one who killed a cop in Queens are among 235 convicted murderers recently released from state prisons in New York, records show. Four of the released prisoners were convicted of murders in Onondaga, Oswego and Madison counties. Two other released murderers committed crimes in other parts of New York, but are now living in Central New York. Syracuse.com obtained a list of murderers freed in the first half of 2017 from the New York State Department of Corrections under a Freedom of Information Law request. We plan to update the list periodically. The state offers a lookup for anyone who wants to check the status of any inmate who has served time in a state prison. (That search requires a prisoner name.) Onondaga County crimes: William Montaque William Montaque, 37, was released in June. He was charged with second-degree murder and sent to prison in 2001. He was sentenced to 17 years to life. Montaque was 21 years old when he admitted he intentionally killed Lambert Taylor Jr. by shooting him once in the back of the head inside Molly's Place, a bar on Grand Avenue in Syracuse. Taylor had angered Montaque and his friends by singing a reggae song when others had been singing rap songs at an open microphone in the bar, prosecutors said at the time. He apologized to Taylor's family in court, saying he was not the monster the media made out. Montaque is living in Onondaga County, records show. Allen Isaac, 40, was released in January. He had been in prison since 1997. Isaac Allen Allen Isaac was one of four men charged with participating in the 1995 killing of Marie Johnson, who was shot in the chest during a robbery at the social club she ran in the basement of her home on State Street, in Syracuse. He was released from state prison in January 2017. Isaac was one of four men charged with participating in the 1995 killing of Marie Johnson, who was shot in the chest during a robbery at the social club she ran in the basement of her home on State Street, in Syracuse. Isaac never entered the house and he was not present during the shooting, but he was found equally responsible for what happened because of his participation in the robbery. Prosecutors said Isaac waited outside and drove the getaway car. Isaac is living in Onondaga County, records show. Oswego County crimes: Constantino Rossi Constantino Rossi, 65, was released in March. He had been in prison since 1987. Rossi was convicted in 1986 in the killing of his 15-month-old daughter, Susan House, and her two-year-old half-sister, Carrie A. Carr. He deliberately set a fire at the Melrose Apartments in Granby that killed the two. Rossi, who was convicted in November 1986, deliberately set a fire at the Melrose Apartments in Granby on March 28, 1986, killing his 15-month-old daughter, Susan House, and her half-sister, Carrie A. Carr, who was nearly three at the time. Rossi is living in Oswego County, records show. Madison County crimes: Donald Mettler Donald Mettler, 50, was released in January. He had been in prison since 1987. Mettler, who lived in Earlville, was convicted of second-degree murder in the killing of toddler Darrick Holmes. Mettler was living with the boy's mother when he beat him on the head and body to punish him, prosecutors said. Mettler was angry at the boy for putting his pants on backward and for writing on the upholstery in Mettler's car. Mettler was released from prison to another agency, records show. At the sentencing hearing, the judge said Mettler could barely read or write or function in society. Two other recent parolees who committed crimes elsewhere are now living in Onondaga County, records show. Robert Williams, 57, was sent to prison in 1980 in connection with the murder of an Ohio police officer in Queens. He was released from Elmira in March. Cleveland Police Detective Sgt. George C. Zicarelli was shot to death in a robbery outside of a hotel near LaGuardia Airport. He and other officers were in New York to pick up two suspects in an unrelated theft case, according to news reports. Jose Vazquez, 68, was convicted murder in 1974 in Richmond County. He was released from Marcy prison in April. to load this Caspio Contact Michelle Breidenbach anytime: | | 315-470-3186. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New York health officials are warning state residents that disease-carrying ticks might still be active this fall. Ticks can remain active until temperatures drop below about 40 degrees. So officials say it's important to take precautions and perform tick checks after being outdoors even as the weather cools down. Lyme disease-causing bacteria are spread by blacklegged ticks, which are common around the state. More recently, the state has confirmed several cases of Powassan virus, a tick-borne illness. There has been one confirmed case in Dutchess County and three cases in Saratoga County. A 74-year-old man died this year in Saratoga County after contracting Powassan virus. A top executive at a major Wall Street bank is deep into his spiel on how artificial intelligence will make the firm smarter and leaner when he pauses to take a question: What does this mean for young people entering the business? The silence grows. "It's, um," he says, shifting tone and making clear he can't speak publicly. That question is gnawing on him, he confides, because he has kids. "I would want them to pick their careers very carefully. I think AI is going to eliminate most jobs. That's a private view. I think we're just starting to feel that." Within the upper echelons of many financial firms, there's a lot of soul searching as executives prepare to roll out a new generation of technology. Publicly, they're upbeat, predicting machines will perform almost all repetitive tasks, freeing humans to focus on more valuable pursuits. Privately, many confide to peers, consultants and sometimes journalists that they're worried about what will happen to their staffs -- and what to tell them. There's also uncertainty. Maybe it's all overblown, executives say, because the tech will be hard to implement and humans will find new roles. Or perhaps it's the beginning of the end for legions of professionals in one of the world's most lucrative fields. Can jobs held by office-dwelling millionaires disappear like those on factory floors? The result, is that employees aren't getting a clear message on what's to come. For a rosy scenario, look to McKinsey & Co. In July, the consulting firm published a report estimating machines are ready to assume roughly a third of the work now performed by banks' rank and file. The authors framed it as positive: People will have more time to tend to clients, conduct research or brainstorm ideas. So far, it noted, firms at the forefront aren't slashing jobs. At JPMorgan Chase, one of the most tech-savvy banks, Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon predicted in June that his workforce will more likely grow than shrink over the next 20 years. Technology may displace workers, he's said, but it also creates opportunities. Yet in interviews, about a dozen Wall Street executives and consultants responsible for deploying technologies -- and steeped in their capabilities -- were more bearish on humans. Machines will take over task after task, they said, and banks simply won't need nearly as many people. It's time for senior managers to stop sugarcoating, said Simon Moss, who has been advising banks and investing firms as head of Grant Thornton Ltd.'s fintech and innovation practice for the industry. "Are there positions in financial services that are actually untouchable from technology? The simple answer is 'No,'" Moss said. "It's just a case of when." Early adopters like JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Bank of New York Mellon Corp. are experimenting, he said. They're working with tech including machine-learning software that improves itself by searching data for patterns, and natural-language processing, which helps computers comprehend human speech. Once firms figure out how to deploy those, rivals may quickly follow suit. Humans will have less to do, and banks will whittle costs by shrinking headcount. "Sitting with excess capacity is not a good business decision,'' Moss said. Managers should start warning employees that they need to learn more skills to stay on. That's supported by history. Floor traders who once shouted orders in raucous marble-columned exchanges have seen their numbers dwindle since the 1990s, forcing many to seek new work. Gary Cohn, who last year stepped down as president of Goldman Sachs, told investors in 2011 that technology had helped the firm slash equities staff by more than half over the previous decade. The trend was similar in currencies. Few automators set out to kill jobs. Inder Thukral, co-founder of Kognetics, is making machine-learning algorithms that ease life for investment bankers working around the clock on mergers and acquisitions. "It's the spirit-crushing work that it's replacing," he said in an interview. Dealmakers should focus on only the most important stuff, he said. "Searching through 6,000 documents is a computer's job, so let it do it." Ultimately, that means fewer people will be needed, he said. But if planned well, banks may be able to avoid firings through attrition -- leaving positions open as they become vacant. That hope comes up a lot. At UBS Group executives are using a digital employee known as Amelia to quickly perform repetitive tasks in the firm's investment bank and asset management divisions. Executives say employees shouldn't fret as the software, developed by digital labor company IPSoft Inc., spreads across operations. "The first question at mind is 'What happens to my job?'" said Tom DeCarlo, a managing director who sits on the bank's innovation committee. But dismissals aren't his plan. "As we have attrition -- internal or external -- I'm just not replacing those people.'' Sergio Ermotti, the bank's CEO, said in a recent interview that the firm could shed 30 percent of its employees over a decade. Another senior UBS executive, asking not to be quoted by name, estimated technology would allow it to operate with up to 40 percent fewer people in just four to eight years. Attrition has limits. Some employees may retire, while others quit to take more promising jobs elsewhere. But if the whole industry is shrinking, those opportunities may be scarce. There's no denying that fewer people will be needed, according to Richard Johnson, vice president of market structure and technology at Greenwich Associates. At least, he said, the transformation will be incremental. "It's not as if everyone is going to come to work and there's a bunch of robots sitting in their seats." But eventually, a transformation is coming, said IPSoft CEO Chetan Dube, who's working with UBS and more than 100 other finance firms to deploy his company's software. "Time, tide and technology will wait for no one," he said. "We've tippy-toed around this topic too much and for too long." --- Bloomberg's Stephen Morris contributed. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WEST HAVEN>> Retired state Supreme Court Justice Lubbie Harper Jr. is building quite a legacy for himself. The legacy now includes a scholarship endowment fund in his name and a portrait that will hang in the halls of the main campus of the University of New Haven. I am overwhelmed with deep gratitude and humbled by the fact that my alma mater has established an endowed scholarship in my honor, Harper said during a recent ceremony at the university. The scholarship is designated primarily to support students from New Haven, but will be awarded regardless of race, ethnic background, gender, major or academic year, he said. University Vice President Steven Morin said Harper, who is a 1965 graduate of the university, is one of the schools most prominent alumni. He is the consummate leader and ambassador for the university, and importantly, is passionate about helping others, Morin said. Given Harpers distinguished career and the positive impact he has made on countless people, it was only fitting to establish an endowed scholarship in his name, Morin said. The fund has raised more than $30,000 and Harper said he hopes by the end of next year to have raised $1 million or more to help young people succeed. Justice Harper wanted this scholarship to be intentionally inclusive, said Morin. Harper understands the challenges of some city youth. He was born in the city, raised on Winchester Avenue and faced many obstacles. Yet, Harper was able to excel and had the opportunity to serve on the state Supreme Court before retiring in 2012. He was nominated by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in 2011 and took the oath of office in March of that year. As I think about the target group for this scholarship, I am mindful of the challenges and some of the drastic consequences of inner city life, said Harper. He said he is reminded that so many of our young people, who have academic promise, are bombarded with role models that are not always positive. Sadly, Harper recalled, during my tenure on the bench, I have seen the tragic consequences of lives corrupted by crime. So many of our young people who know despair turn to a life of crime, commit violent crimes, and some are tried as adults and end up incarcerated for life without the possibility of parole, he said. In addition to the endowment fund, an unveiling of a portrait of Harper took place during the recent ceremony at UNH, which more than 200 people attended. One of Harpers proteges, Franco Accornero, was commissioned to do the portrait, according to Morin. The University of New Haven is grateful to continue to be a part of Justice Harpers impactful work, said Morin. While the endowment is prestigious, this not the first time Harper has been honored with something named for him. Four years ago, Harpers high school, Wilbur Cross High School, dedicated its Library Media Center in honor of him for his accomplishments and service to the community. He graduated from the school in 1961. Then last year, Brazis Italian Restaurant designated a steak dish for him, calling it The Justice Harper Steak Rollatini which complements The Justice Harper Martini that the restaurant also named after its long-time customer. The steak is rolled flank steak with broccoli rabe and sharp cheese. Harper is the only city native to have a dish named in his honor at the restaurant. Harper graduated from the University of New Haven with a bachelors of science degree in 1965. He earned a masters degree from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work in 1967 and a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1975. In May 2012, he was presented an honorary doctor of laws degree from the Quinnipiac University School of Law and in 2013, he received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of New Haven. Harper is currently the chairman of the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System, as well as Connecticuts representative to the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts. My life journey has taught me to judge and befriend folks on the basis of their character and values, said Harper. Reach Community Engagement Editor Shahid Abdul-Karim at 203 680-9343. Chatham The scandal involving sexual harassment and assault allegations against powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has caused the cancellation of a movie to be shown at the village's FilmColumbia festival and a movie about General Electric's controversial beginnings no less. The Weinstein Co. pushed the film "The Current War," which is about the battle between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, from its planned release on Nov. 24 to an undisclosed time in 2018. The removal means it will not be shown Monday night at the Chatham film festival, which runs until Friday. The turn of events also means that the movie, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Edison and Michael Shannon as Westinghouse, might not be released in time to be eligible for the 2018 Oscar nominations. "The Weinstein Company decided wisely to push back the release of this film until sometime in 2018 as the company realized that it would be difficult to focus on the merits of the film given the overwhelming scandal," FilmColumbia artistic director Laurence Kardish said. "Fortunately we were able to make a quick substitution." The dark comedy "I, Tonya," starring Margot Robbie as figure skater Tonya Harding, will be shown instead. "The Current War" traces Edison's brutal rivalry with electric competitor and Pittsburgh business giant George Westinghouse. Edison used questionable means in an attempt to prove Westinghouse's alternating current method was dangerous compared to Edison's direct current method. Edison publicly electrocuted dogs, horses and even a circus elephant with alternating current in an attempt to prove his point, according to an article published by the Smithsonian. In the end, however, Westinghouse's method proved more effective at transferring electricity over great distances and General Electric eventually adopted alternating current as its standard. The battle of the electric titans happened in the mid-1800s around the same time Edison moved his Machine Works, a different company than his electric company, to Schenectady. The Hollywood Reporter said two weeks ago that Weinstein was removing his producing credit from "The Current War" so the scandal would not taint the film's chances at Oscar nominations. Earlier this month Weinstein was fired from his own company and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after the New York Times published a scathing article about the many women who accused Weinstein of attempting to extract sexual favors in exchange for career advancement. Tens of other women, including some of Hollywood's most well-known actresses, have since come forward. More Information If you go For more about Chatham's film festival and purchasing tickets, go to www.filmcolumbia.org. See More Collapse The writer of "The Current War," Michael Mitnick, also dropped out of a panel that was scheduled for last week at the New York Film Festival. Variety reported that Mitnick decided it wouldn't be appropriate to promote "The Current War" due to the scandal. Film festival attendees who already bought tickets for "The Current War" can use those tickets to see "I, Tonya." The festival, in its 18th year, uses the historic Crandell Theatre as its base, and hosts many films that have also been screened at the New York, Venice, Toronto and Cannes film festivals. lyedwards@timesunion.com 518-454-5403 HAMDEN The theme of Saturdays fifth annual Climate and Creation Stewardship Summit, sponsored by the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network, will be water, including sea level rise, ocean pollution, biodiversity loss and toxic chemicals. The statewide network examines environmental issues from a scientific, ethical and theological perspective. This years summit will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Spring Glen Church, United Church of Christ, 1825 Whitney Ave. I love the city of New Haven and I believe in its potential. I also believe that fresh, strategic, action-oriented leadership is the best way to turn current challenges into future opportunities. However, I am not blind to the fact that public service is about more than leadership, vision and principles. Unfortunately, special interests, entrenched mutually beneficial relationships and money are far too often the strongest forces in our political system. I am suspending official campaign operations because I believe it will require more time than remains in this election cycle to overcome these strong forces. But that does not mean I am giving up on our vision of a more vibrant, resident-focused and ethical city. My name will remain on the ballot on Nov. 7 and residents will still have a choice in future leadership. I remain hopeful that New Haveners will vote for change and a new, positive direction for our city. I strongly believe I can chart the most promising course forward. As Ive stated throughout this campaign, competitive elections are healthy for democracy. Competition raises the bar for all by demanding accountability and engagement from current leadership and bringing new ideas to the forefront. I encourage voters to visit my website and learn about my ideas and plans. I am proud that my platform forced New Havens current mayor to address many serious issues, including shortages of affordable housing and services for the homeless population; economic stagnation throughout the citys neighborhoods; high unemployment and overall absence of a diversified workforce development plan; tremendous untapped potential at Long Wharf; exclusion of young, new voices from political decision-making; lack of fiscal accountability and oversight in the form of perpetual overspending and debt bonding that created the current financial crisis and threatens to make New Haven unlivable for future generations; and abandonment of a Kids First ideology in leadership of the public school system in exchange for a strategy defined by daily political power grabs and pettiness. Should I be elected on Nov. 7 , I plan to begin tackling these problems actively on my first day in office. I plan to lead a city government that places people above politics and self-interest. Should the current mayor be re-elected, I am hopeful that the campaign engagement around these topics will inspire her to commit to identifying and implementing solutions. I am also hopeful that regardless of any state office ambitions, she will commit to serving a full third term as mayor of New Haven. We can agree that the problems were facing require a full-time commitment to solve. I am also proud that Ive been able to run a clean campaign. As a participant in the clean election fund, I have not accepted donations from city contractors, special interests or big donors. I am proud that hundreds of New Haven residents gave small amounts of their money and large amounts of their time to try to bring about huge change. The incredible people who have tirelessly supported my campaign were not motivated by promises of city contracts, employment or promotions. They did not allow themselves to be threatened or intimidated by harassment from City Hall, machine politics or special interests. They donated and volunteered simply because they want to see a better New Haven. I will be eternally grateful for their efforts and conviction. I am inspired that they are my friends and neighbors. In conclusion, I strongly encourage all New Haveners to vote on Nov. 7. The Democratic Primary had historically low voter turnout. Less than 20 percent of eligible voters chose to have their voice heard. The outcome of the primary was determined by fewer than five percent of the citys residents. Local politics has tremendous impact over the day-to-day aspects of peoples lives. Every voice matters. Every vote truly counts. While I hope you will vote for me to lead New Haven into the future, I hope you will exercise your right either way. And I call on all individuals running for public office to encourage more people to vote because no leader should want to assume office based on the limited mandate of a very few voices. Voter apathy benefits no one, so where we see disengagement as we do in New Haven, it is incumbent upon leaders to restore confidence in their offices and the political system. Progressive change often comes about incrementally. The Progress with Paca campaign has contributed to incremental progress in New Haven, if by no other means than opening up necessary dialogue and challenging the status quo. Irrespective of the outcome of Novembers election I will remain actively engaged in city issues and will continue to encourage new people to participate in civic life. I would love to live in a New Haven where people are so actively engaged that there is a competitive election for every office, thus requiring residents to offer, test and challenge new ideas. Competition forces us to innovate; innovation enables us to improve. Given New Havens serious fiscal troubles, the foreseeable years are going to be very difficult ones. For the city to emerge stronger on the other side, we will need to harness the wisdom and power of our collective voices. I plan to continue to do my part to fight for more opportunity for our youth, more security for our senior citizens and more protection for our most vulnerable neighbors. We must hold our leaders and ourselves accountable to a higher bar. We deserve better. We can do better. I hope to see you at the ballot box on Nov. 7 . Lets work together for a brighter future for the city we all call home. Marcus Paca was the Democratic primary challenger to New Haven Mayor Toni Harp in September 2017. His website is www.marcuspaca2017.com and he can be reached at marcus2017@gmail.com. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WEST HAVEN The dead rose again recently in West Haven but only long enough to tell you a bit about their lives and their history. Itll be a graveyard smash one of the citys more popular pre-Halloween events. The West Haven Historical Societys 8th annual Graveyard Lantern Tour began at the Historical Societys Poli House at 686 Savin Ave. and stepped off every 15 minutes to meet various dear departed West Haveners on the Green. Students from the University of New Haven Drama Department portrayed several deceased residents making appearances at the Saturday night event. The various roles were meant to bring to life several late citizens of West Havens past, Purmont said. Among this years highlighted spirits were well-known entrepreneur and businessman Frank Wilcox, the longtime owner of Wilcoxs Pier Restaurant at Savin Rock. Wilcoxs was the home of the famous $5 Lobster Dinner, which brought people from all over New England to West Havens shore. Another, Bathsheba Smith, was part of a celebrated incident of the early 19th century. Grave robbing was a frequent occurrence in the 19th century and one such incident took place in West Haven in 1823, Purmont said. The stolen corpse Smith was taken for the intended purpose of medical research, he said. Smith was buried in the cemetery on the Green when her remains were stolen, Purmont said. The resulting uproar resulted in two days of turmoil, which required calling out the state militia, he said. Finally, the appearance of Rufus Porter, who lived from 1792 to 1884, brought to light the saga of an itinerant mural painter, editor, inventor and journalist who died in West Haven while visiting family, Purmont said. Porter, a long-forgotten soul scheduled to be played by David Ortoleva, was the founder of the journal Scientific American. He is buried in West Havens Oak Grove Cemetery. mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN A pedestrian was hit by vehicle Sunday night at Whalley Avenue and Ella T Grasso Boulevard, police said in a release. Police and EMTs responded to the scene where 31-year-old Andre Davis of New Haven had been hit. Davis suffered nonlife-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital to be treated, police said. The driver stayed at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation, police said, but the charges are undetermined at this time. In another incident, a woman was stabbed by a man Sunday night near 266 Valley St. where officers responded, police said in a release. The victim was identified as 31-year-old Stephanie Bealle. She was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital where she is in serious condition, police said, but not in a life-threatening state. Police described a bald black man as being the one to stab and assault Bealle. The man may have been driving a dark-colored Toyota Tundra, police said. Detectives were on the scene investigating Sunday night. And in a third incident, a man was shot Sunday night near Bassett Street and Dixwell Avenue during an apparent cell phone robbery, police said in a release. The victim, 21-year-old Willie Wiggins of New Haven, was hit in the thigh, police said. He was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. The injury was not life-threatening, police said. Officers were alerted to the gunfire through ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system that uses sensors to detect gunfire and sends the location of the sounds to police. Police are asking anyone with knowledge of this crime to phone detectives at 203-946-6304. Calls may be made anonymously. ANSONIA When voters cast ballots on Nov. 7, theyll decide whether to keep incumbent Republican Mayor David Cassetti in office another two years or put relative newcomer Tarek Raslan, a Democrat, in the citys top seat. Cassetti, 57, an Ansonia native and business man, is seeking his third term in office, and said he wants to continue the Ansonia Recharged movement happening with new businesses moving in and others expanding and reinvesting here. Raslan, 32, born in Stamford, moved here in 2015 and immediately got involved in helping beautify town parks. He wants to plan for Ansonias long-term future by attracting new generations of homeowners and business owners with an innovative approach. CEO of a real estate company, Trusted Properties, and vice president of IT Properties, a real estate company in New York City, Raslan said his background in economics, marketing, finance and real estate gives him the experience needed to lead the city. Cassettis can-do attitude has helped generate excitement and positive momentum, but the measures taken are short sighted and if continued will rapidly erode any progress hes made, said Raslan. If Ansonia is going to succeed long term, we need leadership that is able put forward a bold vision, build regional relationships, plan, and invest strategically and sustainably in our community. Cassetti, a father of five, said he is proud of whats been accomplished on his administrations watch, not only in terms of economic development growth, but the ability to lower or stabilize taxes every year since taking office. As your mayor, I will continue to do everything I can to stabilize or lower the taxes and I will continue to prioritize economic development and the growth of our grand list, said Cassetti. I will continue to invest in our public education system and the lives of our residents young and old. For Cassetti, getting re-elected means continuing to stabilize the tax base; continuing to focus our efforts on economic development and the growth of the grand list by making every effort to develop/redevelop parcels of land an unoccupied buildings and focusing on partnering with our neighbors and looking at cost savings measures to help government run more efficiently and effectively. Raslan said, if elected, he would focus on cultivating and attracting innovation; long term tax rate stability and providing residents with the City Hall performance stats they need to hold their city managers accountable. Raslan said living most of his life outside Ansonia gives him strong insight into what makes Ansonia marketable to the rest of the world. Small cities like ours are losing out to bigger cities, which are capturing a greater share of economic growth, said Raslan. If we dont figure how to become an engine of innovation, no incremental improvement in retail and restaurants will prevent our gradual decline. I believe Ansonia can be innovative, and Ill put my background in economics, marketing, finance, and real estate to work to reach that goal. We need to prepare Ansonia for the future. Founder of Friends of Gatison Park and co-founder of Friends of Pine Lot Park, two volunteer groups that he rallied to improve the parks, Raslan said he represents a new generation and will focus, in part, on sustainable energy efforts, growing technology and keeping the city financially sound. I have lots of ideas, but just like the progress at Gatison Park, it wont be as effective or nearly as valuable without the extensive input from all residents, and I really look forward to hearing all the innovations that you would like to see happen in Ansonia, said Raslan. Cassetti said he wantsto continue to improve the city he adores. He is thrilled to have played a role in keeping iconic businesses such as the 150-year old Farrell-Pomini Co. here, helping attract national companies such as RugPad USA to invest in downtown, and bringing more cultural and seasonal events to town. Cassetti said Ansonia has secured nearly $20 million in state and federal grant money to help move the city forward, including paving long-neglected city roads, improving sidewalks for children walking to school, expanding the popular Riverwalk and working toward a major reconstruction of Wakelee Avenue. I care about the future not just for myself and my family, but for every resident, said Cassetti. I want to be able to continue to recharge and breathe new life into Ansonia. I hope that the accomplishments we have made in the last four years have made a real difference in the lives of the residents of Ansonia and I hope they will allow me to serve as their Mayor for the next two years. I would be humbled to do so. Reach correspondent Jean Falbo-Sosnovich at jean.sos@snet.net. Aggrieved Ex-militants under the Phase II Amnesty Programme of the Federal Government, on Monday threatened to resume violence and militancy in the Niger Delta Creeks if the Federal Government fails to reactivate their bank accounts and pay their monthly stipends to them.The militants, who carried placards with various inscriptions during a peaceful protest, handed down the threat at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Warri Correspondents Chapel.Our accounts have remained dormant since 2012. They blocked our accounts with UBA and Fidelity in Warri. We were made to understand that the problem iis from the Amnesty Office, they claimed.The militants accused the Presidential Adviser on Amnesty Programme, Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh and some Staff in the Amnesty Office of allegedly diverting monies budgeted for them.They also accused some of their leaders of short changing them.The leader of thee group, which was drawn from seven camps, Robert Okosogha in their demands said, Our account should be reactivated. The money should be paid into the accounts. Correction should be made on account number that was changed from UBA to Sterling and Fidelity Bank.Failure to do so, we will go back to the creeks and continue with our militant activities. Iceland tests floating zebra crossing to slow down speeding drivers A 3D zebra crossing has quite literally popped up in north-west Icelands Isafjorur, catching the eye of web users from around the world. But of course its just an optical illusion creating the effect that the zebra crossing is floating in mid-air instead of simply being painted on the road. Local road painting company Vegamalun Gih came up with the idea while looking for ways to slow drivers down and protect pedestrians. If it manages to encourage motorists to go easy on the gas, more are expected to be introduced around the town. Photo credit: CCTV.com A probe into stolen crude oil initiated by the Goodluck Jonathan administration has uncovered some scandalous revelations, according to investigations.The investigations led by the National Assembly, the Office of the Attorney General and US based consultants have uncovered a total of 1.492 billion barrels of crude oil stolen by unnamed Nigerian saboteurs in conjunction with their foreign enablers.Over $15.8 billion has been traced in connection to the stolen crude with $12 billion traced to the United States, $3 billion traced to China and over $850 million located in Norway.According to Hon Agbonayinma, former President Goodluck Jonathan contracted an auditing firm to probe what went wrong and he gave a brief synopsis of the report. He gave the breakdown that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and other agencies were indicted in the report.The company was contracted in 2013 by the administration of President Jonathan to proffer solutions to the challenges of crude oil theft. Agbonayinma, in the motion, recalled that Molecular Power System was engaged to provide technical data (records of crude oil and liquefied natural gas lifting in Nigeria as obtained from the NNPC, and landing certificates at global destinations) to verify possibilities of non declaration to the federal government by multinational companies.The data gathering of shipment to the USA for the period 2011 to December 2014 through critical NNPC data and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, pre-shipment inspection report shows undeclared crude oil shortfalls of 57,830,000 MT of Nigerian crude oil, translating to well over $12 billion to the USA, also over $3billion to China, and $839,522,600 to Norway, he said. These were conclusively ascertained by buyers bill of lading, arrival dates, destination ports, quantity of crude oil and other documented information, Agbonayinma said. Buhari & Dele Momodu Fellow Nigerians, I often wonder why an average Nigerian politician is so squeamish. They love and crave power but eventually prove too timid to do the needful. The comfort power provides seems to be what matters most to them, but, certainly not the pain it may attract. God bless all those who fought for the democracy we seem to be bastardising today. It is difficult to pick out the Obafemi Awolowos, the Sir Adesoji Aderemis, the Nnamdi Azikiwes, the Anthony Enahoros, the Funmilayo Ransome-Kutis, the Wole Soyinkas, the Aminu Kanos, Abubakar Rimis, the Alfred Rewanes, the Waziri Ibrahims, the Fela Anikulapo-Kutis, Gani Fawehinmis, the Moshood Abiolas, the Kudirat Abiolas, the Abraham Adesanyas, the Alani Akinrinades, the Bola Tinubus, the Bolaji Akinyemis, and such others in the crowd today. These were men and women who were not afraid of tyrants and tyranny. The reason for the poser on this page this week is simple and straight-forward. I never imagined that a day would come, at this time and age, when supposed democrats would voluntarily throw away their freedom, like many of our leaders seem to be doing at the moment. Less than two years to the next Presidential elections, only three aspirants have demonstrated the guts to come out in the open to express their ambition publicly, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Ekiti State Governor, Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose and former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido. The fourth person who has expressed his intention privately to me is my friend and brother, Mr Alistair Soyode, the Chairman of BEN Television, United Kingdom. I really dont care if they win or not but I salute their audacity to challenge the status quo. You can never, and will never, win if you dont try first. There would have been no President Barack Obama or President Donald Trump if they failed to throw their hats in the ring. I know so many over-qualified Nigerians who want to contest but are being bogged down by trepidation or abject fear. They only express their dreams in hushed tones. I call them jelly, lily-livered beings. I feel sad anytime I read in the newspapers about full-grown men abdicating their God-given inalienable power to demi-gods with feet of clay. Let me say categorically that Nigeria will never change unless we change our style of doing things. How can we do the same things repeatedly and expect the same failures to evaporate and vamoose? Im now convinced that we need our whizz-kids to step out and leap forward to grab power as soon as possible. No one would say we have not been patient enough. Our serial experiments have not yielded the desired results. We had our fair share of coups. We fought a most atrocious civil war. However, despite all this and when given the opportunity, we choose to largely vote for the dregs of society above visibly talented candidates. We have recycled leaders. Former Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo departed in 1979 but resurrected in 1999. Now Major General Muhammadu Buhari who was sacked in 1985 catapulted himself back to power in 2015. Even President Ibrahim Babangida who stepped aside in 1993 attempted to sneak back in 2003 but President Obasanjo bullied him into submission and he perished the thought without as much as a whimper. Recall, that the man who took over from President Obasanjo in 2007, Alhaji Umaru Musa YarAdua, who was already the Governor of Katsina State, was the brother of Major General Shehu Musa YarAdua, and his emergence was to ostensibly compensate their family for the death of Shehu in prison, under the Abacha regime. In short, it has been a relay race by military Generals and their acolytes and cronies. Im happy that Buhari has fulfilled his own dream. I voluntarily supported him and owe him my love and prayers till 2019 when that contract would expire. I pray that God will grant him the wisdom to understand and appreciate the treacherous nature of politics and politicians. I see how Governors are falling over themselves to visit him and pay homage to HE who must be obeyed and worshipped. I wish to admonish Baba not to believe this monumental scam of the highest order. If and when tomorrow comes, Baba will be stunned at how these same latter day disciples will turn against him 360 degrees. I can place a bet on that. Everyone is afraid today because of the palpable fear of EFCC. No more. No politician wants to be roughened up for any reason. Their strategy is to pretend like rattlesnakes and pounce on the prey without warning. I foresee Buhari as one such quintessential prey. These guys are not going to extend this regime of fear by another four years. Buhari would have to go on a blistering offensive to come back to power in 2019. Im sure, hes going to be cajoled into believing that hes the Messiah Nigerians have waited for all this while, until they pull the rug from under his feet. I remember one of Chief Moshood Abiolas favourite wisecracks aponle ni foreman, enikan o le se ise eeyan merin (the appellation of Foreman is a mere exaggeration, no man can do the job of four men). There is a limit to what Buhari can achieve in less than two years to come because time flies at supersonic speed. By this time next year, he must be on the campaign trail if indeed he wants to return to power in 2019 and his Party has nominated him as candidate. Since politics is a game of numbers, he would have to travel round Nigeria and plead for votes. You can force people to support your tenure in power but you cant intimidate people to vote for you because you will never see the minds of voters. According to a popular political song in the First Republic, boo roju mi, o rinu mi, demo ni mo wa (You may be able to see my face but you cant read my mind, Im a member of Demo (National Democratic Party) ]. Such is life. The truth I want to tell today, as a major supporter of Buhari in 2015, is that his goodwill has weakened and waned drastically and dramatically. Minus the favoured members of the inner caucus of this government, things are no longer at ease within the ruling party. Is there anything Baba can do to redeem himself, his party and floundering government? Of course yes, I believe in miracles. He must listen to the cries of the people. He should concentrate on building institutions instead of pursuing handpicked individuals. He should unleash the talents that abound in every part of Nigeria instead of seeking to please any section. It is always better to be a national hero than a local champion. Nigeria is too divided at the moment and this is not good for national development. I still have faith in Babas ability to do the best for this country. It is clear to me that this is the legacy that he wants to leave behind albeit that this has not yet been achieved. The government must be restructured before Nigeria itself can be restructured. The recent mess in NNPC was as a result of excessive and unnecessary officialdom and bureaucracy. The President need not be the Minister of Petroleum. The functions of the Minister of State in relation to the Board of NNPC should be clearly delineated if at all there is any role for him. Such ridiculous overlaps we recently saw should never have happened. We should stop over-concentrating power in one man. It has been said that absolute power corrupts absolutely Ministers must be allowed to do their constitutional duty, in accordance with the provisions of section 148 of the 1999 Constitution, of meeting regularly with the President and the Vice President to (i) determine the general direction of domestic and foreign policies of the Government (ii) co-ordinate their respective activities in the discharge of their executive responsibilities and (iii) advise the President generally in discharge of his executive functions other than those functions where he must be advised by other persons. The revelations coming from the NNPC debacle where we now know that it is possible for a Minister of State of a crucial ministry such as the Petroleum Resources not to see the President for months on end should never be allowed to happen. Regular meetings with Ministers and the Vice President as envisaged by section 148 is not, cannot and should not be limited to the weekly Federal Executive Council meetings. The regular meetings should also include meetings with groups of Ministers and even individual Ministers. That is surely the intendment of the Constitution. As it is with the Federal Government, so it should be with the State Governments, as similar provision for the States exists in section 193 of the 1999 Constitution. The corollary of this is that both at Federal and State level Ministers and Commissioners must be appointed as early as possible into the administration. The situation where President Buhari did not nominate and appoint Ministers until more than 4 months into his administration and Governor Rauf Aregbesola did even worse by waiting almost 3 years to select his cabinet must never happen again. The Civil and Public Service must become transparent and accountable again. Civil and public servants are there to serve us as their nomenclature indicates. They are not meant to be overlords creating fiefdoms where the general populace become their serfs or even worshippers in some cases. A truly restructured viable and vibrant civil and public service is the lynchpin for a proper democratic, fair and just society. It is insensitive and inappropriate for Government to expect the best of these workers if they are not properly remunerated not to mention, the present scenario, where even the ridiculous wages that they are paid are paid many months in areas. It is the same insensitivity that extends to the illogical policy of no work, no pay! Imagine the chaos and calamity if the workers through the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) also decided that there would be No pay, no work! A properly structured government would be faced with no such conundrum and the nation can only be better for it. Courageous Nigerians must step forward and herald the much needed change in governance. They do not have to wait on President Buharis decision as to whether he will seek a second term or not before showing their hand. They would be doing the nation a wealth of good if only what they achieve is to provide stiff opposition to the President and an opportunity for the people to truly use their votes. Otherwise, the Nigerian public would simply have been short-changed and disenfranchised as usual by the political class because again they would be limited in their choice of candidates. ********** The arraignment of alleged billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumene Onwuamadike, aka Evans, was on Monday stalled, as Evans through his counsel brought an application challenged the competence of the charges.His counsel Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, contended that his client could not be arraigned until his application challenging the charges and the courts jurisdiction had been determined.Ogungbeje said since the prosecution team for the state just served him with a reply to the application on Monday morning in court, he would need an adjournment to reply.Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, adjourned the matter till Friday, October 27, 2017.The Lagos State Government had slammed the fresh charges on Evan, who was hauled up before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo over alleged attempt to kidnap the Chairman of the Young Shall Grow Motors, Mr Vincent Obianodo.Following the application, the judge fixed Evans arraignment for Oct. 27.Evans, who was arrested on June 10, was brought to court alongside other defendants.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the first charge, Evans was docked with one Victor Aduba on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms.They were accused of conspiring and kidnapping one Sylvanus Hafia.In the second charge, Evans was docked with three other defendants Joseph Emeka, Chiemeka Arinze, and Udeme Upong.They are facing a seven-count charge bordering on murder, attempt to commit murder, attempt to kidnap and sale and transfer of firearms.When the case came up on Friday, the courtroom was packed with a battery of reporters, lawyers and armed security men.Counsel to Evans, Ogungbeje, told the court that the charge was only served on him this morning and objected to the arraignment of the defendants.We got a wind that our client will be arraigned this morning; so, we brought a motion challenging the competence of the charge based on the issue of jurisdiction, Ogungbeje said.The lawyer also said that the Prosecutor, Ms T. K. Shitta-Bey, the State Director for Public Prosecutions, had replied his motion on notice with a counter-affidavit.He, therefore, told the court:We intend to reply the counter-affidavit on points of law. We ask for a short adjournment to enable us reply on points of law.It is also a settled law that when an application challenging seeking to quash a charge is brought, such application should be taken first before any arraignment because when plea is taken, it means trial has started.The counsel to other defendants, Mr Emmanuel Ochai and Mr Ogedi Ogu, however, did not object to the arraignment of the defendants.Ochai said: We were served with the charge this morning, since we are seeing the charge for first time, we do not wish to join issues, we live it at the discretion of the court.The prosecutor, however, earlier told the court that the business of the day was arraignment of the defendants.Shitta-Bey said the charge was served personally on the defendants on Aug. 28, adding that it was in compliance with the provisions of Section 87 (1) Administration of Criminal Justice Law, Lagos State.She said the application seeking to quash the charge should not be allowed.The application is not ripe for hearing, we were only served on Friday evening Oct. 20, we have diligently replied by filing a counter-affidavit.It is my humble submission that the business of the day be allowed to go on.Shitta-Bey, afterwards conceded to the defendant counsels argument and said that the pending applications should be heard first.The judge, consequently, adjourned the case until Oct. 27 for hearing pending of applications.NAN also reports that the lawyers to the defendants, however, declined press interview after the short proceedings.Evans had on Oct. 19 at an Ikeja High Court made a U-turn as he entered a plea of `not guilty as he was re-arraigned on a two-count amended charge of conspiracy and kidnapping.On Aug. 30, Evans had at his arraignment pleaded guilty to the charges, while other alleged accomplices Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, the only female defendant, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba denied the charges.They were charged with the kidnap of Mr Donatius Duru on Aug. 30.The punishment section in the second count of amended charge was changed from Section 271 (3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State to Section 2(1) of the Kidnap Prohibition Law of the Laws of Lagos 2017.According to the prosecution led by Ms. P.K. Shitta-bey, the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Evans and his accomplices committed the offence of conspiracy at 7.45 p.m. on Feb. 14 on Obokun Street, Ilupeju, Lagos.The prosecution said the defendants between Feb. 14 and April 12 at Obokun Street, Ilupeju, while armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, captured and detained Duru.The defendants allegedly collected a ransom of 223,000 euros for the release of Donatius.Before the amended charges were read to the defendants, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje, the counsel to Evans and Amadi had opposed the reading of the charges to them. President Muhammadu Buhari employed diplomacy to douse the tension that the issue of the Fethullah Movement would have created between N... President Muhammadu Buhari employed diplomacy to douse the tension that the issue of the Fethullah Movement would have created between Nigeria and Turkey, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geofrey Onyeama, said at the weekend.He also said the Turkish authorities requested for the extradition of over 1,000 Turkish citizens in Nigeria for belonging to the Fethullah Movement FETO, which has been declared a terrorists organisation by the Turkish government.The extradition request, prior to the meeting between President Muhammad Buhari and President Tayyip Erdogan, on Thursday, in Ankara, had created tension between both countries as Nigeria refused to accede to the request of the Turkish authorities to have the affected persons extradited.Speaking with reporters in Turkey, the Minister said for the diplomatic skills of President Buhari, the matter would have led to a frosty diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Turkey.He said There was the request for the extradition of some of the Turks in Nigeria who have been given asylum to remain in Nigeria and recognized by the United Nations (UN) as political refugees and the Turkish government requested that we extradite some of them.There was also the request that the schools and hospitals established by GulenMovement should be closed in Nigeria. They now labelled them Fethtulah (FETO) as a terrorists organization.These were all issues that were lingering and complicating slightly relationship between the two countries. So what this visit has been able to do I think is to put all those to rest and facilitated direct engagement and what I will call agreeing for a way forward between the two countries.Mr. President was very very good in that. He is a very good diplomat. Very very skillful diplomat. He was able to really douse the tension between the two sides while not compromising on principles of Nigeria.He did it very very well with a lot of diplomatic skills. The result has been that it has improved relationship between the two countries and government. The level of confidence between the two countries has also increased. It is a real diplomatic masterpiece, he said.Onyeama said that President Buhari assured President Erdogan that Nigeria would not allow its territory be used as a breeding ground for any terrorist or group of individuals with the aim of destabilizing Turkey.The point was made and Mr. President with regard to the Gulen movement that under no circumstances would Nigeria allow itself to be a base for the destabilization of Turkey.And Mr. President came out very strongly in support of the democratic process and institutions of Turkey, condemning the coup attempt in Turkey and reassuring the Turkish government of Nigerias total support for the territorial integrity of Turkey, for the democratic governance in Turkey and the security of Turkey.Likewise the Turkish government made that reassurance to Nigeria. So once they got those different issues out of the way, it was much easier and they were more able to focus on what will transform the lives of Nigerians and the Turkish people, Onyeama said. Wanted Nigerian civil servant AbdulRasheed Maina bought a $2 million house in Abuja, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)... Wanted Nigerian civil servant AbdulRasheed Maina bought a $2 million house in Abuja, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has claimed. The mansion was allegedly acquired by Maina when he was the chairman of the controversial Presidential Task Force Team on Pension Reforms.Maina also has a 24-charge case pending before a Federal high Court. He has been reinstated as director, an action that has sparked a big row over the anti-graft war.Maina was declared wanted by the EFCC in November 2015 for alleged fraud. The EFCC reported him to the International Police (INTERPOL).He resurfaced this month as an acting director in the Ministry of Interior.An EFCC fact-sheet shows that Maina was under probe for multiple allegations, including fraudulent biometric contracts, which resulted in the mismanagement of over N2billion of pension funds and acquisition of choice mansions in Abuja.According to the document, an investigative team led by Habibu Aliyu, an EFCC official, uncovered how Maina paid $2million for a property at 10, Amisi Musa Street in Jabi Lake, Abuja.Part of the fact sheet says: Our findings confirmed that he paid $2million for the house in cash in one day when he was the chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team.Investigation showed that the house was sold to him in June 2012 by one Adamu Modibbo. It is located at 10, Amisi Musa Street, Jabi Lake Area. The house was bought at the time he was in charge of pension reform.The EFCC marked the house as a property under investigation but all the marks were removed and the walls repainted. Maina has other properties which he acquired as an Assistant Director in the Federal Civil Service.The fact-sheet gives an insight into attempts to bring Maina to book, including when he relocated to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).The document states: Maina was declared wanted by the EFCC. On November 11, 2015, the EFCC wrote to the Inspector-General of Police, with an attention to the Commissioner of Police (INTERPOL), requesting for the publication of Abdulrasheed Maina on INTERPOL Red Alert.The letter sought assistance for the arrest of Maina who has a fraud case, FHC/ABJ/ CR/, requesting for the publication of Abdulrasheed Maina on INTERPOL Red Alert.The letter sought assistance for the arrest of Maina who has a fraud case, FHC/ABJ/ CR/97/ 2015 dated July 10, 2015.A source told our correspondent: This INTERPOL step was taken barely a week after Ibrahim Magu took over as the Acting Chairman of EFCC.It will be interesting to tell you that when we sent the letter to the INTERPOL initially, it got missing, but unknown to them, we had the acknowledged copy. We were undeterred; we had series of correspondences with the INTERPOL.After many months, on January 12, 2016, the commission received a response from INTERPOL acknowledging the receipt of the letter to place Maina on Red Alert.But INTERPOL requested for more information to take some steps. This was the position in INTERPOL while the EFCC went ahead with the trial of Maina and others.It was learnt that the EFCC was on the trail of Maina.Our detectives are on standby to arrest him any moment from now. We are already trailing his whereabouts. As of Sunday, he was said to have shifted base to Kaduna.I can tell you that Maina, who was declared wanted by EFCC, is being protected by some armed policemen. No one knows how he came about special protection.The EFCC had on November 2, 2015 declared the former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team wanted.A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said Maina was wanted for his alleged role in the fraudulent biometric contracts through which he and former Head of Service Steve Oronsaye and two others allegedly mismanaged over N2billion of pension funds.The statement said: Maina was on July 21, 2015 charged alongside Oronsaye , Osarenkhoe Afe and Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited before a Federal High Court on a 24-count charge bordering on procurement fraud and obtaining by false pretence.While Oronsaye and two others were in court and pleaded not guilty to the charge, Maina had been at large.However on July 21 when the court heard the bail applications of the accused persons, Maina through his counsel, Esther Uzoma, told the court that he was not at large, claiming that the EFCC had never invited him.Consequently, EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, pleaded with the court to prevail on the accuseds counsel to produce Maina in court as the Commission had no clues as to his whereabouts.The court granted Rotimis prayers, yet Maina continued to shun court proceedings, leaving the Commission with no option than to declare him wanted.Indeed, since the Commission filed charges against Maina, more damning evidence have emerged on how the ebullient former Pension Task Team boss siphoned pension funds using secret accounts in a new generation bank in Abuja.Two officers of the bank were quizzed two weeks ago. Commissions sources said they made damning revelations of several opaque transactions through which Maina allegedly lined his pockets at the expense of thousands of hapless pensioners.Oronsaye has been discharged and acquitted by the Federal High Court of the charges preferred against him. The Federal Government has replied to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribes application seeking to withdraw as one of the sureties for the leader ... The Federal Government has replied to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribes application seeking to withdraw as one of the sureties for the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, describing the application as belated.The government, in its counter-affidavit and written address filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja to oppose Abaribes request, told Abaribe that Kanu was in his custody and he had to produce him for the continuation of his trial.It stated in its counter-affidavit that Abaribe was aware that Kanu has long violated the bail conditions handed down by this honourable court on April 24, 2017 before September 11 when he claimed to have lost contact with the defendant.The counter-affidavit read in part, That it was at this point at violating the conditions at the bail that the senator surety ought to surrender the 1st defendant and or bring up this application; That this application is belated and ill-timed;The applicant failed to apply to the court timeously, stating on oath that the defendant bound by recognizance to appear before this court had violated the bail condition given by this court.The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran, argued in the written address that Abaribe failed woefully by allegedly aiding and abetting Kanu to flout his bail conditions.The written address stated, My lord, the surety has failed woefully to abide by the terms of the contract he entered into with this court and therefore cannot claim frustration.My lord, we urge that the court hold, that surety having refused to do what he ought to have done pursuant to section 174 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 aided and abetted the 1st defendant in the flouting of the bail conditions of this court and should forfeit the bond he entered into.Denying that Kanu was not in the custody of the Nigerian Army, the Federal Government stated in its counter-affidavit that the defendant remained in Abaribes custody.That the military activities in Abia State tagged Operation Python Dance II was a routine exercise in its second year carried out by the military at the end of every year.That the 1st defendant is not in the custody of the Nigerian military or any other security agency in that regard.That the 1st defendant is in custody of the applicant (Abaribe).Kanu was absent from court when his case came up on October 17, 2017, but his co-defendants with whom he was being prosecuted on charges of treasonable felony were produced in court by prison officials.Abaribes lawyer, Ogechi Ogunna, informed the court of the motion by his client seeking to withdraw as Kanus surety but the judge said she would not hear it until the senator first produced the missing defendant.She gave Abaribe and the two other sureties up till November 20 to produce the defendant in court.Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra on Sunday insisted that the Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari knew the whereabouts of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.It asked the government to produce Kanu without further delay in order not to provoke the group to go into armed conflict with the government.In a statement made available to our correspondent in Awka, Anambra State by the groups Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB accused Buhari and some leaders in the South-East geopolitical zone of conspiracy of silence on the issue.The statement read, We are asking Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Nnia Nwodo and South-East governors to produce Nnamdi Kanu because they or their representatives all participated in countless meetings in Abuja and Enugu where the modus operandi of the genocidal Operation Python Dance II was agreed and ratified.It was as a direct result of military invasion of the home of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and massacre of 28 innocent unarmed civilians with many missing that has led us to once again politely ask that our leader be presented to us dead or alive.It is becoming clear to everybody that Muhammadu Buhari, Nnia Nwodo and South East governors are desperately trying to draw IPOB into armed confrontation and militancy to justify their genocidal clampdown on innocent people of the South-East and South-South. At least one person has been confirmed dead, with shops worth millions of naira looted and burnt following a clash between Muslims and Christian youth in Dan-Anacha, a town in Gassol local government area of Taraba State.An eyewitness, Mr. Titus Gowon told our correspondent on phone that trouble started at about 8:00pm on Sunday following a misunderstanding between Muslims and Christian youth at a brothel in the town.According to him, a Christian youth was sighted with a Muslims praying bead and was accosted by four Muslim boys who accused him of blasphemy, beat him up and handed him and his friend to the police for detention.He narrated that worried by their actions and why the police have to detain the two, some youth mobilised and went to the police station demanding for the release of the boys.While at the police station, the Muslim boys in their numbers attacked them, leading to the escalation of the misunderstanding. More details soon General overseer and founder of Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, has described Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Do... General overseer and founder of Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, has described Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara as a man of integrity. Oyedepo stated this when he hosted the Speaker and some members of the House of Representatives in Canaan Land, Ota, Ogun State on Sunday. According to a statement signed by Dogaras Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan, the Bishop described Dogara as a true follower of God. He said, I have zero doubt about his integrity, I will stand with him anywhere. The testimony of his front-line role in the Christian youth Corpers Fellowship in Akwa Ibom is there in the record today. In spite of the attack on his health, he still went back to complete his mission there. Its not just about religion, its about the fear of God and the love for humanity. The Speaker, Rt Hon Dogara is a follower of this Commission. And no wonder hes manifesting the Grace of this Commission. How could someone do away with his six months of salary? If he told me I would tell him dont do it. But he would do what his father does, and so he must see what his father sees. Your lifting has just started, your promotion has just begun. He has remained consistent in his walk with God. Bishop Oyedepo admonished Nigerians to have faith in the country as according to him, Nigeria is coming out and prayed that every wish of the devil against Nigeria will not flourish. Nigeria will prosper again. And the kind of things we are hearing today are the only way out, let us sit down together and solve our problems. The whole world is watching, Syria is dead, no nation will come and take responsibility for you, we must wake up and take responsibility. The brain of man is the same world-over, same content, same weight, same color. Theres no white brain and black brain, same color, whats the problem? With adequate engagement of this resource, we can solve our problems. Speaking earlier, Dogara revealed that he committed his six months salaries to the project of building Covenant University and how Gods grace and favour has been upon him since then. You have never ceased to inspire people like us and to inspire our generation. We pray that God will continue to increase and enlarge your coast. We pray God gives you uncommon and unparalleled wisdom. So that we can rescue not just Nigeria, but the black race. The Taraba State Police Command, on Monday, killed notorious militant identified as Nyamadue. The Taraba State Police Command, on Monday, killed notorious militant identified as Nyamadue. Until his death, Nyamadue was said to be the second-in-command to the wanted criminal Terwase Kwaza, also known as Ghana. The State Commissioner of Police, David Akinremi, disclosed this while addressing the press on the developments in the state. Akinremi said that Nyamadue was killed by men of the command in a shootout while operating along Takum Katsina Ala road following intelligence report by men of the command. According to him, a G3 rifle, with 10 rounds of ammunition and a band of criminal charms were recovered from him, while other members of the gang ran into the nearby bush with gunshot injuries. The commissioner, however, advised members of the public in the area to be watchful and report anyone with serious injuries to the police since the injured may be seeking medical attention. He also revealed that several kidnappers and other criminal elements who have been terrorising the people have been arrested and were currently facing trial. Cleber Rene Rizerio Rocha, a Brazilian whose arrest led U.S. authorities to discover $17 million hidden under a mattress in an apartmen... Cleber Rene Rizerio Rocha, a Brazilian whose arrest led U.S. authorities to discover $17 million hidden under a mattress in an apartment in Westborough, Massachusetts , United States, has pleaded guilty that he tried to launder funds tied to one of the largest pyramid schemes ever.Rocha, who prosecutors said tried to help get money out of the United States that a co-founder of TelexFree Inc left behind when he fled the country, entered his plea in federal court in Boston.Rocha, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and money laundering charges, is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 7. While the charges each carry up to 20 years in prison, prosecutors have agreed to recommend a 40-month term based on his cooperation.The 28-year-olds case stemmed from an investigation of TelexFree, a Massachusetts-based company that sold voice-over-internet telephone service and was founded by James Merrill, a U.S. citizen, and Carlos Wanzeler, a Brazilian.Prosecutors said TelexFree was a pyramid scheme, making little to no money selling its service while taking in millions of dollars from thousands of people who paid to sign up to be promoters and post ads online for it.TelexFree collapsed in 2014, inflicting more than $3 billion in losses on nearly 1.89 million people worldwide, prosecutors said.Merrill was arrested in 2014. He was sentenced in March to six years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges.Wanzeler in 2014 fled to Brazil, where he cannot be extradited from, leaving behind tens of millions of dollars he laundered from TelexFree accounts, prosecutors said.In 2015, Leonardo Casula Francisco, Wanzelers nephew, asked someone who became a cooperating witness to help transfer cash generated from the scheme that Wanzeler had hidden in the greater Boston area out of the United States, prosecutors said.The pair agreed someone would be sent to the United States to deliver the money in increments to the witness, who would send it to accounts in Hong Kong where it would be transferred to Brazil, prosecutors said.In December, Casula sent Rocha to the United States to deliver money to the witness, an indictment said.After a Jan. 4 meeting in a parking lot where Rocha gave the witness $2.2 million in a suitcase, federal agents followed Rocha to a Westborough, Massachusetts, apartment complex, prosecutors said.They said that after Rocha was arrested, he helped agents locate the apartment, where they found $17 million hidden under a mattress. Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido has written to members of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, informing them of his decision to... Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido has written to members of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, informing them of his decision to fly the partys flag for the 2019 presidential election. Lamido in a letter to all PDP members across the country said the party needs to reposition the country but must first re-take power in 2019. Lamido lamented that the nation has departed from the dreams of its founding fathers. He wrote, Today, 57 years after the independence of our dear country, can we in all sincerity claim to have achieved the dream of our founding fathers? Where did we fail and from where did we begin to fail? Nigeria with its natural endowment and human capacity cannot be forgiven for being otherwise. We cannot even demonstrate our ability and capacity to meet domestic, regional and global challenges which currently seems to overwhelm us. The PDP will and must lead the nation back into a bright, progressive, and innovative future, Lamidos letter reads. He said the PDP must rekindle in Nigeria a new hope, a nation of united people with a common and assured destiny. To the world, Nigeria must demonstrate our confidence, tenacity in our ability and capability to address our domestic regional and global challenges that confront us. It is against this background that I offer myself to vie for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019 if my party finds me worthy to fly its flag. Lamido noted that the PDP have enough talents to salvage the nations from its current woes. I am no means claiming to be the only capable material, any PDP member given the trust and support can fly our flag, and I expect many more aspirants will express the desire to run. My hope and prayer is that at the end of all the process which I hope will be open, fair transparent and credible is to give Nigeria in 2019 candidate who will lead the party and Nigeria. This is because there is no alternative to PDP in 2019, it will be a defining moment in the Nigerian political evolution. He said while the clamour for restructuring rages, the most important aspects of addressing the Nigerian economy by creating prosperity will make the debate less emotional and sentimental. Our imperfect union as a federation should not be an excuse for our legendary failure which appears to have found vent in the call for restructuring, a union of multi-ethnic multi-lingual and multi-religious can certainly task the best of human capacities, but that is precisely the challenge and how to work on it and build a nation of people of a common destiny, and this is where the PDP must raise to the challenge. TRENTON -- A coin dealer will spend 15 months in prison for cheating the government by not paying taxes on $400,000 in income. William Dominick, 69, formerly of Old Tappan, is also required to pay restitution on the income he failed to report between 2010 and 2014. A federal judge sitting in Trenton handed down the sentence on Friday. Dominick, who ran Westwood Rare Coin out of his home, tried to corner the market by buying coins in bulk from the U.S. Mint with credit cards he opened by stealing people's identities. He then sold the coins and failed to report the income to the IRS. Dominick, who later moved to Collier County, Florida was also fined $10,000 and will be subject to supervised release for three years after his prison stint ends. He pleaded guilty to tax evasion and identity theft on Feb. 14. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. By Amanda Hoover | NJ.com Forking over cash or watching the balance rundown on an E-ZPass isn't anyone's favorite part of crossing the Delaware River. It might only be $5 here, or maybe just $1 if you're using a bridge farther north, but those tolls slowly add up as thousands of cars make the journey each day, resulting in millions of dollars in revenues for agencies that operate bridges between the borders of New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Don't Edit Don't Edit Tolls have long served as ways to fund maintenance and construction on bridges, as well as salaries for workers and port officers. The four operating bodies the Delaware River Port Authority, Burlington County Bridge Commission, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission and the Delaware River & Bay Authority collect scaled tolls daily based on the size of the vehicles crossing their bridges. Each year, they see millions of cars cross the bridges in each direction. Here's the amount each major bridge brought in last year. Don't Edit The bridge carries vehicles across Route 206. (photo provided) Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission Milford-Montague Toll Bridge - $1.7M Vehicles traveling between Montague, New Jersey, and Milford, Pennsylvania, paid $1,728,077 in tolls during 2016, with cars paying $1 each. The bridge saw some 1.3 million vehicles make the trip from Montague to Milford. Don't Edit The Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge seen from above. (Photo provided) Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge - $2.6M The Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge collected $2,601,778 in tolls during 2016 as nearly 1.3 million vehicles drove from New Jersey into Pennsylvania. The bridge charges $1 per car. Don't Edit Don't Edit The New Hope-Lamberville Toll Bridge seen from above. (Photo provided) Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission New Hope-Lambertville Toll Bridge - $3.3M The New Hope-Lambertville Toll Bridge crossing Route 202 pulled in $3,329,471 in toll revenue in 2016 with just under 2 million vehicles crossing into New Hope. The bridge charges cars $1 each. Don't Edit The Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge along Route 22. (Photo provided) Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge - $9.5M The Easton-Phillipsburg bridge, which charges $1 per car, collected $9,500,508 million in tolls in 2016, with 5.4 million westbound vehicles crossing the bridge. Don't Edit The Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge carries vehicles across Route 1. (Photo provided) Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge - $16M The Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge collected $16,437,720 from just over 9 million vehicles crossing into Pennsylvania in 2016. The bridge charges cars $1 each. Don't Edit Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge - $34.3M Connecting Hardwick Township in Warren County to Monroe County in Pennsylvania, the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge brought in $34,270,833 last year, charging $1 per car. Some 9.8 million vehicles crossed the bridge. Don't Edit The Betsy Ross Bridge seen from Northeast Philadelphia. (Amanda Hoover | For NJ.com) Betsy Ross Bridge - $40M The Betsy Ross Bridge, off I-95 in Philadelphia and into Pennsauken, made $40,408,000 in 2016. It charges $5 per car crossing. 6.182 million vehicles crossed the bridge from South Jersey that year. Don't Edit Don't Edit The Palmyra-Tacony Bridge connects Northeast Philadelphia to Palmyra. (Amanda Hoover | For NJ.com). Amanda Hoover | For NJ.com Burlington County Bridge Commission - $52M The two smallest, and cheapest bridges, connect Burlington County to Northeast Philadelphia and Bristol, Pennsylvania. Operated by the Burlington County Bridge Commission, the Palmyra-Tacony and Burlington-Bristol bridges charge $3 for EZ-Pass users and $4 in cash, bringing in a combined revenue of $51,195,356.70 in 2016. Together, the two bridges brought nearly 13.5 million vehicles from New Jersey into Pennsylvania. Don't Edit Commodore Barry Bridge - $56M Connecting Gloucester County and Chester, Pennsylvania, the Commodore Barry Bridge made $55,731,000 in 2016. Tolls are $5 for cars, and a total of 7.311 million vehicles paid to cross last year. Don't Edit The I-78 Toll Bridge is the highest grossing of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission bridges. (Photo provided) Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission Interstate 78 - $63M The Interstate 78 Bridge, which charges cars crossing into Pennsylvania $1 each, connects Northampton County, Pennsylvania and Warren County, New Jersey. The bridge made $62,871,328 in 2016, charging more than 12 million vehicles. Don't Edit Above, the number of vehicles, in millions, that crossed the New Jersey-Pennsylvania or New Jersey-Delaware border in the toll-collecting direction from 2013 to 2016. Note, data was not immediately available for the year of 2013 from the Burlington County Bridge Commission, which operates the Palmyra-Tacony and Burlington-Bristol bridges. Don't Edit The Ben Franklin Bridge seen from the Philadelphia side. (Amanda Hoover | For NJ.com) Ben Franklin Bridge - $102M The Ben Franklin Bridge had a toll revenue of $101,860,000 last year. It charges $5 per car traveling between Camden and Center City, Philadelphia. A total of 18,367,000 vehicles crossed the bridge into Philadelphia last year. Don't Edit Don't Edit This 2015 file photo shows a view of the Delaware Memorial Bridge from atop of the Delaware-bound span tower looking toward New Jersey. (Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com) Delaware Memorial Bridge - $104M The Delaware Memorial Bridge, which connects I-295 to Route 40 in Delaware, made $103,841,896 in toll collections during 2016. The bridge charges $4 a car. More than 18 million cars drove across the bridge in the toll-collection direction in 2016. Don't Edit The Walt Whitman bridge, which connects Route 76, or the Atlantic City Expressway, to South Philadelphia. (Delaware River Port Authority) Walt Whitman - $124M The Walt Whitman, which charges $5 per car in tolls, raked in $124,379,000 during 2016. A total 19,945,000 vehicles crossed the bridge from New Jersey to South Philadelphia that year. Don't Edit Related Stories E-ZPass reportedly coming to 5 Jersey Shore toll bridges Man arrested at GW Bridge owes $88K in tolls and violations, cops say Don't Edit Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amahoover. Find NJ.com on Facebook. More than 20 brands of processes vegetables have been recalled because they might contain listeria, health officials said. The recall was announced late last week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and applies to several items that were shipped to Target and Trader Joe's stores across the country. California-based Mann Packing issued the recall "out of an abundance of caution," after a single product tested by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency tested positive. There have been no reports of illnesses. The recalled products were distributed throughout the United States and Canada with "best if used by" dates from Oct. 11 to Oct. 20. In addition to products with Mann's name on them, nine kinds of vegetables sold under the Walmart brand are also part of the recall. One Trader Joe's brand is also included. Listeria can cause high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, health officials say. In particularly serious cases, listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Customers who bought any of the vegetables should either throw them out or return the package for a refund. Here's a full list of the products recalled. Anyone with additional questions can call 888-470-2681 or visit veggiesmadeeasy.com/products. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. The Jersey Shore is still feeling the pain of Superstorm Sandy, five years later. Many homeowners lost everything. Thousands are still not back in their homes. Too many were victimized a second time when unsavory contractors stole repair money without doing the jobs they promised. We keep seeing the headlines. But the headlines only tell part of the story. All these homeowners want is for life to go back to normal. For some, it will never be the same. Senior citizens Gail and Don Seckler didn't lose everything when the storm hit. They're finally back in their home, but it was anything but easy. After their contractor allegedly stole the money that was supposed to repair and lift their home, they say they've been wronged a second time -- this time by a government program that was supposed to help. The couple's story came to Bamboozled from someone who volunteers with the Secklers at the The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Ocean County. Don Seckler goes down the steps from his Pelican Island home on his bottom. Russ DeSantis | For NJ Advance Media The friend recounted how the couple has given their time over and over again, even after Don Seckler, 82, a Navy veteran, had multiple surgeries for his gallbladder and back, plus three operations for his knee. Even though Seckler mostly relies on his wheelchair or a walker, the friend said, Seckler and his wife haven't slowed down. But what's happening to them now is having a big impact on their ability to stay in their home of 32 years. The home is on Pelican Island, at the base of the bridge linking Toms River to Seaside Heights and Seaside Park. When Sandy came through, the Secklers' home was left standing. They lost their air conditioning, heating and hot water units, plus personal belongings, when the waters from Barnegat Bay poured in, climbing four feet high. As they planned to make their home livable again, they looked for ways to lower their flood insurance bill, which was already $3,300 a year. They decided to use funding from the Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, Elevation and Mitigation program, or RREM, to elevate the home, which dropped their flood insurance premiums to less than $800 a year. In December 2014, approved for RREM help, they chose a contractor -- Price Home Group of Manahawkin -- and they rented a first-floor apartment while they waited for the rebuilding to start. At the same time, they applied to a program called the "Sandy Relief Home Access Program." Through RREM and the Department of Human Services' (DHS) Division of Disability Services, the program would pay for a lift to be installed at the couple's home to accommodate Don Seckler's wheelchair. Without it, living in a raised home -- with 10 steps to climb to get in or out -- wouldn't be reasonable for the retired couple. They were approved for the lift, documents show. But before any lift could be installed, the rest of the construction had to be completed. There was delay after delay. The contractor wasn't responsive. Someone stole the copper piping and wiring in the home, which stood empty as they waited for the contractor to start working. By June 2015, the couple knew that something was wrong with the contractor. Gail Seckler braces herself and Don Seckler's walker as he gets up after going down his stairs on his bottom. They filed a complaint with Consumer Affairs, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and the Attorney General, said Gail Seckler, 77. It turns out the couple was one of nine homeowners who had trouble with Price Home Group. In July 2016, Consumer Affairs filed suit against the company, alleging it took more $1.1 million from Sandy victims. The complaint said company "took significant initial payments to elevate or replace Sandy-damaged homes then failed to begin work, performed the work in a substandard manner and/or abandoned unfinished projects without returning for weeks, months, or at all." The company's principals have since filed for bankruptcy, and Consumer Affairs has asked the court that the restitution the state is seeking not be discharged in the bankruptcy proceedings. Consumer Affairs said the cases are still pending. While the state was preparing its case, the raising of the Seckler's home was at a standstill. But there was hope. They would be reimbursed for the RREM money the contractor allegedly stole, but not until the case against the company was official. "In order to help homeowners in the RREM Program withstand instances of contractor fraud, DCA created and instituted a policy that permits additional assistance to defrauded homeowners," said DCA spokeswoman Lisa Ryan. "As soon as a charging document is filed against a contractor by a law enforcement agency, a RREM homeowner can access the grant funds they've been defrauded of; they don't have to wait for the courts to adjudicate the case." And that's what happened for the Secklers. Once Consumer Affairs filed its case, they were able to get the construction money back from RREM. So finally, the couple was able to hire a new contractor, and they were back in their home on April 22, 2017. They now needed the lift to be installed. A screen shot of the state website, showing the program that would have provided a lift for the Secklers is out of money. "Don called Disability about May 5, 2017 to say we were back in the house and they could come any time to get started," Gail Seckler said. But the program manager said no. The program was out of money. The DHS' Ramp/Lift Replacement Sandy Recovery Program was a budget-firm, first come, first served, federally funded initiative, said DHS spokeswoman Pam Ronan. "Individuals may have been deemed eligible, but slots were not 'saved,'" she said of the program that paid for 291 projects. "The funding was dispersed by project, until exhausted." So even though the couple had been approved, and even though the raising of their home was delayed because of an allegedly fraudulent contractor and by no fault of their own, the couple didn't have a place in line for the lift. Now, they're without. They can't afford to pay to install a lift -- estimated to cost $15,000 several years ago -- without help. Don Seckler's mobility isn't getting any better, and he usually needs to take the 10 steps on his bottom because his knee is unreliable and he doesn't want to risk a fall. Gail Seckler has developed a bad back from lugging the wheelchair around, pushing her husband in it and helping her husband up and down the stairs. We asked several government agencies if there were other programs to help the couple, and while they recommended some non-profits, there was no clear path for them to get the lift they desperately need but cannot afford. "Don is angry and feels as if he's been screwed," Gail Seckler said. "There was no communication from Disability to say we were in danger of losing the opportunity to get the lift." "I don't know if I'm depressed but I truly do not feel anything," she said. Dear readers, perhaps you have ideas or resources to help this couple. If you do, please contact us at Bamboozled@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Have you been Bamboozled? Reach Karin Price Mueller at Bamboozled@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KPMueller. Find Bamboozled on Facebook. Mueller is also the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Stay informed and sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter. MILLVILLE -- Firefighters responded Sunday afternoon to a tank breach at a local glass manufacturing facility, a fire official confirmed. Millville Fire Department Chief Michael Lippincott said that no one was injured in the incident at Durand Glass at 901 S. Wade Blvd. A breach in a tank at a glass factory means that there is a break which allows molten glass to escape into the surrounding factory area. The first alarm was sounded at 4:16 p.m. with a second coming just after 5 p.m. Lippincott said that Millville's fire company is experienced in handling breaches in the tanks which hold the molten glass. Millville has long been a South Jersey glass manufacturing center. A telephone message left for plant officials was not immediately returned. Assisting Millville at the scene were companies from Downe Township, Vineland and Rosenhayn, officials said. Laurel Lake covered Millville's station. Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook. By Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com New Jersey's long history includes plenty of murder and mayhem, giving the state its fair share of spooky and haunted locations. There are creepy lakes and cemeteries, forests and abandoned places. In Oxford, there's an abandoned manor where the doors have been seen opening and closing on their own and an historic inn in Monmouth County where a long dead father has been heard mourning his dead wife. Here is a list of 13 locations in the state where you may not want to stay after dark: Don't Edit via GIPHY The Devil's Tree The tree, located on Mountain Road in Bernards, is a solitary oak tree located in a field on Mountain Road in Bernards Township. Local legend suggests the tree is cursed. The story goes that a local farmer killed his wife and children, then hanged himself from the tree. The legend continues that anyone who cuts down the tree will come to an untimely end.(Tony Kurdzuk / Star Ledger) Don't Edit via GIPHY Tillie Smith "She died in defense of her honor." Matilda Smith, better known as Tillie was found murdered in April of 1886, her assaulted body left in an open field on the grounds of Centenary College in Hackettstown where she lived and worked as a kitchen maid. James Titus, a maintenance employee at the college was arrested and charged with her murder. Titus went to trial and was convicted of the crime even though the evidence against him was circumstantial. He was sentenced to hang but escaped death by signing a confession of guilt. Titus was released from prison in 1904 after serving served 19 years for the murder. A large headstone stands in honor of her memory in Hackettstown's Union Cemetery. According to local legend, there are frequent Tillie sightings along the grounds and schools campus. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit The Devil's Tower The Devil's Tower, located at the end of Esplanade Road in Alpine, was built in 1910 by Manuel Rionda for his wife so that she could see the view of New York City. Legend states, Manuel's wife was enjoying her view in the tower one evening when she spotted her husband with another woman. Overcome with anger and rage she leaped to her death. Alpine, N.J. 10/9/15 (Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ..com)' Don't Edit Shippen Manor Shippen Manor, a historic Georgian mansion built in the 1760s, is the site of some strange happenings such as items appearing on shelves that weren't there before, doors opening and closing on their own and ghosts appearing. Oxford, N.J. 9/25/15 (Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Don't Edit via GIPHY Ghost Lake Ghost Lake is part of Jenny Jump State Forest and just off Shades of Death Road. The lake was created in the early 1900s by local men damming a creek. They named it for the vapor formations rising off it on cooler mornings. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Watcher House A Westfield home purchased in June of 2014 for $1.3 million as become known world-wide as the Watcher House. After purchasing the home, owners Derek and Maria Broaddus never moved in because three days after the purchase they received the first of three letters from a stalker calling himself " the Watcher." The letters asked about the couples children. (Photos: John OBoyle / Star Ledger and Video: Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital Formerly known as the State Lunatic Asylum at Morris Plains, Greystone first opened in 1877 to receive 342 patients. According to Preserve Greystone website, the psychiatric hospital "had dark years in the 1990s. Patient escapes became commonplace, staff was accused of abuse and rape, and some female residents ended up getting pregnant. Buildings were falling apart and lacking in basic creature comforts. In October 2015, the main hospital building was demolished after decades of decay. (Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Snake Hill Snake Hill, located in Secaucus, was once home to a psychiatric hospital, almshouse, penitentiary and a potter's field. Workers, while clearing land for a road apparently uncovered the dead. There could have been as many as 10,000 undiscovered graves there, mostly the mentally ill and the poor. In later years, there was a mass exhumation. But did they find all of the bodies? (Patti Sapone/The Star-Ledger) Don't Edit Jenny Jump State Forest Some say the ghost of Jenny lurks at Jenny Jump State Forest, who according to legend, was 9 years old when she was chased by an Indian and jumped to her death off of Jenny Jump Mountain. Hope, N.J. 9/25/15 (Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Don't Edit Patti Sapone for NJ Advance Media Cranbury Inn The Cranberry Inn was established in the mid-1700s as a tavern, in the 1930s new owners Adrian and Marge Van Ravesteyn started to rent rooms. Now the inn is a popular wedding venue and offers a fine dining experience. The current owners are Tom and Gay Ingegneri. In the 25 years, the Ingegneris have owned the inn they have had dozens of ghost hunters visit in hopes of communicating with spirits. The history of the inn lends itself to having many spirit entities. According to the inns website, it was a rumored stop on the underground railroad. The deed for the property was issued by King George III. According to Gay Ingegneri, strange things have happened over the years. A pregnant employee had doors mysteriously swing open for her. Some staff members insist theyve gotten telepathic messages, warning them to turn off electrical fixtures. All the psychics that have come through tell us that of all the ghosts in here are friendly and theres not a bad one in the bunch, Ingegneri said. They love being in the Inn, and thats why theyre attached to the Inn, she added.(Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Historic Village at Allaire Lantern tours at the Historic Village at Allaire in Farmingdale. Sobbing has also been heard from inside the founder's former home, where a tall figure was seen dressed in funeral attire and a top hat. This may have been James Allaire mourning the death of his wife, Frances, from cholera in 1832. Another ghost that has been reportedly sighted: the "playful" spirit of Hal Allaire, who has been known to hide household objects and interact with candles. (Alex Remnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit via GIPHY Spy House The Spy House, also known as the Seabrook-Wilson House, is one of the oldest surviving homes in the Bayshore. Built in mid 1663 in Port Monmouth, the house has a history of ghostly apparitions and paranormal presences. Owner and innkeeper, Thomas Seabrook, was a patriot in the New Jersey militia who spied on British troops during the Revolutionary War. Over the years people have claimed to see a female spirit walking from room to room looking for her crying baby, the ghost of a small boy looking out of windows, and an elderly bearded sea captain roaming the grounds and halls. The legend goes that Captain Morgan, an infamous pirate was known to conduct torture in the basement of the house. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Shades of Death Road Shades Of Death Road is a 7-mile stretch and the subject of many local legends. One legend states that the ghostly victims of highwayman robberies or the criminals themselves were hanged from the trees that line the road. (Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Patti Sapone may be reached at psapone@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Instagram @psapo, Twitter @psapone. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Don't Edit Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal By Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal JERSEY CITY Voters may be weary of all the campaigning for next month's mayoral and council races, but the campaigns are giving the regional economy a boost. In the last three months, the two men running for mayor and the 34 City Council hopefuls have reported spending over $869,000, according to campaign finance documents made public last week. In the previous quarter, the total was $168,000. More than half of the latest round of spending $540,370 was shelled out by Mayor Steve Fulop and his team of eight council candidates. Fulop is seeking a second term on Nov. 7 against one challenger, attorney Bill Matsikoudis. So where is that money going? Don't Edit Alyssa Ki | The Jersey Journal Fulop, 40, spent $23,756 for Facebook advertising, compared to $6,069 spent by his opponent. The mayor is known for sponsoring his Facebook posts to get them on the timelines of voters statewide and for blocking people who criticize him on the social media platform. David Gerzof Richard, a professor in communication studies at Emerson College in Boston who also runs a public relations agency called Big Fish, said savvy marketers prefer advertising on Facebook to television because Facebook has strong data on their users. "Facebook knows your age, where you live, your gender, if you're married or single ... who your friends are," Richard said. "It has all this amazing information on you that advertisers really, really like. You don't get that information from buying a political ad on television. You just know it ran at a specific time and some estimate of the number of people who were watching." Fulop isn't skimping on television, either. His campaign, which has produced three television spots so far, spent $85,600 buying air time in the last quarter. It paid Putnam Partners $135,920 to produce at least one of those ads. Don't Edit Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal It's no secret that city workers are assisting Fulop's re-election effort some of the aides who work in his office were handing out Fulop fliers outside a recent debate at School 4 and a few of them are rewarded financially: Fulop's campaign paid at least $21,000 to city employees and their families in the last quarter. The campaign paid Mark Albiez, who is the city's chief of staff, $11,000 for consulting fees and another $2,299 to reimburse expenses paid. Hannah Peterson, a mayoral aide who moonlights as Fulop's campaign spokeswoman, was paid $3,000 in consulting fees by the campaign and another $123 for expenses reimbursement. Nancy Warlikowski, who runs Fulop's schedule for the city and for his campaign, was paid $705 for expenses reimbursement. Alma Santana, another city employee, was paid $269 for the same reason. Tommy Curtis, who is on leave from his job at the school district to work for the city Department of Public Works, was paid $880 for campaign expenses. Curtis is one of Fulop's chief political operatives in Ward C. 07 Films, a production company with ties to Stephanie Daniels, who works for the city's JCTV channel, was paid $2,728 by Fulop's campaign for drone footage. Daniels' husband runs the company. She said she does not work for it. Don't Edit $33,415 went from Team Fulop to Royal Printing Services in West New York, which prints up campaign materials you see all over the trees, telephone poles, cars, sidewalks and streets of Jersey City. Don't Edit Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal Lynn Hazan, the Downtown woman who blogs as Chicpea, was the target of criticism earlier this month for an interview she conducted with Rebecca Symes, 36, who is seeking the Downtown council seat against four other people. Residents aligned with Symes' opponents have lambasted Hazan for the Sept. 28 "sponsored post," language that indicates it was paid for. Hazan's critics said the post, which doubled as a Symes endorsement, amounts to paid support. Hazan argued that Symes' campaign paid for the post to appear on her blog, but did not pay for the endorsement and called the amount "not that much money." Symes' new campaign finance reports show she paid Hazan $2,000. Hazan said the amount paid for "five videos someone on my team filmed and edited in our studio for her campaign, professional photos for her campaign and the sponsored post." Hazan's support of Symes is not her first foray into Jersey City's political world. She held a fundraiser on June 8 for Fulop, whom she has interviewed on her blog. The Fulop administration had previously paid Hazan $2,625 for sponsored posts, hosting social media workshops for local businesses and taking pictures, city invoices show. Don't Edit Don't Edit Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal One expenditure you wont find on Ward E council hopeful Nicholas Grillos campaign reports is the rent on his 280 Newark Ave. campaign office. Grillo said he and the landlord agreed to a lease that allows Grillo to pay all the rent in January, after the election. I structured it that way just in case fundraising was slow, Grillo, 36, told The Jersey Journal. With Downtown Jersey Citys real estate market booming, the expense for a Newark Avenue storefront is substantial. Grillo opponent James Solomon, 33, who has a similarly sized Newark Avenue campaign office 300 feet away from Grillos, pays $2,500 a month, Solomons campaign records show. Joseph W. Donohue, deputy director of the state Election Law Enforcement Commission, said the agency does not comment on issues related to a specific candidate. But Donohue said, "Generally speaking, if someone is paying for your rent and they expect to forgive it, then it's an in-kind donation. If someone is paying for your rent and they expect to be paid back, it's an obligation. Either way it should be reported." Adding another wrinkle for this race where candidates are distancing themselves from ties to the real-estate community and promising to reform how the city works with developers, the identity of Grillos landlord is sure to cause a stir: local developer John D. Fio Rito. In an interview with The Jersey Journal two weeks ago, Grillo acknowledged his view on development is different than his opponents and he credited that with him being the only native Jersey City candidate in the Ward E race. Twenty years ago we had nothing down here, he said. The waterfront was nothing. So I believe that all the development weve had over the past, you know 15, 10 years has benefited downtown Jersey City. Fio Rito told The Jersey Journal he agreed to rent the space to Grillo because they are both friends and belong to the Dante Alighieri Society. He said he is charging Grillo's campaign about $600 a month. Don't Edit An earlier version of this story should have said Stephanie Daniels has ties to 07 Films, not that she runs it. Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- A Jersey City man may have been spared an enormous hangover following his arrest on charges he stole nearly $800 worth of tequila from a Hoboken liquor store last week. Justin B. Rubio, 26, of the 100 block of Nelson Avenue, was arrested after the break-in on Tuesday and charged with burglary, theft and criminal mischief, the criminal complaint says. A witness walking his dog near the First Street liquor store said he heard glass shattering and saw a man running away before realizing the liquor store window had been smashed, the complaint said. The witness dialed 911 and officers arresting Rubio found he had bottles of DeLeo and Jose Cuervo Tequila worth about $780, the complaint says. Store security video captured what appears to be Rubio walking past the store several time and peering inside the store prior to the incident, the complaint says. Rubio made his first appearance on the charges on Wednesday in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. At the hearing, the state moved to detain him through the course of his prosecution and a detention hearing was scheduled. JERSEY CITY -- A 35-year-old Jersey City man charged with strangling his wife in 2014 will face up to life in prison plus 15 years if convicted at trial after turning down the prosecution's final plea offer today. The state made its final offer to Kevin Montone -- who has been in Hudson County jail since September 2015 -- a 30-year prison sentence in exchange for a guilty plea to a murder charge at a hearing in Hudson County Superior Court. Judge Patrick Arre set Feb. 26 as Montone's trial date. Montone appeared at the hearing today in an orange Hudson County jail jumpsuit. He did not speak during the appearance, except to say that he understands how much prison time he faces if convicted. On Aug. 18, 2014, police and EMTs responded to 124 Sycamore Road after getting a 911 call from the home and found Montone's wife, Monica Montone, 34, dead inside the house. Kevin Montone and his 2-year-old son were at the home at the time. Montone is also charged with endangering the welfare of his son because police found heroin "strewn about their home," Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Linda Claude-Oben said at today's plea cutoff hearing. Montone was laughing uncontrollably, an appeared incoherent at times when officers placed him in a police vehicle that day. He was originally charged with drug offenses and posted a $35,000 bail. In December 2014, he was charged with his wife's murder after an investigation by the state Regional Medical Examiner's Office determined Monica Montone's "cause of death was asphyxia due to neck compression," and the manner of her death was ruled a homicide. He then posted a $250,000 bail. Almost 10 months later, Montone was charged with robbery after authorities say he grabbed a woman's purse on Sept. 15, 2015. People came to the woman's aid and held Montone until police arrived, officials said at the time. After being charged with robbery, a judge raised Montone's bail on the murder charge to $300,000 cash or bond. A $50,000 bail was added for the robbery charge. He has remained in custody ever since. NEWARK -- A 38-year-old New Jersey man who posed as a Navy SEAL to lure girls he sexually abused while recording the assaults faces has been convicted on production of child pornography charges. Gregory J. Schaffer Gregory J. Schaffer, of Bayonne, was found guilty Friday following a three day trial, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. Schaffer abused a 12-year-old girl in a tow-truck office in Union City and a 14-year-old girl in a hotel room, prosecutors said. Both recordings were stored on a laptop computer found in Schaffer's office. In addition to a mandatory minimum of 15 years on the production charge, Schaffer faces up to 10 years on each possession charge. Schaffer used various social media sites, including Craigslist, to communicate with and coerce girls to meet him. An investigation revealed that Schaffer represented himself as many things, including a talent scout, producer, swim instructor, business owner, Navy SEAL and information technology specialist, officials said. He was indicted on federal charges in 2013 following his 2012 arrest. Schaffer has also been convicted in New York on a charge of enticement to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. In this Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017, photo, an Amazon employee checks on a box riding on a belt at the Amazon Fulfillment center in Robbinsville Township, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) New Orleans' Christopher Simms, 31, pleaded guilty June 23 in federal court to committing nine armed robberies -- including two bank holdups -- across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama between Jan. 13-Feb. 8, 2016.(Courtesy of Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office) Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks to reporters as he heads to vote on budget amendments, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) 'Magnum P.I.' star Tom Selleck and guest star Carol Burnett, in a promotional image from a 1987 episode of the classic TV show. Variety is reporting that CBS has given the go-ahead for production of a pilot episode of a 'Magnum' reboot series. Pottawattamie County Community Foundation President and CEO Jerry Mathiasen has retired. Mathiasen, 63, said hes stepping away to focus on his fight with acute myeloid leukemia. He had taken a leave of absence in mid-September. The support of family, friends, and colleagues has been incredible, and I want to thank PCCF and everyone for everything, Mathiasen said. I cant believe the cards, notes and CaringBridge (website) comments; they are so appreciated. But, to be fair to PCCF, I need to concentrate on this with my family and community. Jerry Banks, head of the foundations board, said the board would meet sometime this week to determine an interim president and CEO. Until then, inquiries can be sent to Banks or PCCF Director of Operations Kelly Dix, who is a candidate for the interim leadership role. Mathiasen started his role as president and CEO of the community foundation on an interim basis in December 2014 before being named permanently to the role in June 2015. He said hell miss the job, including his coworkers and the people he interacted with in the county. The most enjoyable part about being president and CEO of PCCF was taking it to the next level and really getting it on a roll, as well as just meeting so many new people across our great communities in the county, he said. Under his leadership, Mathiasen said the foundation has increased the number of local philanthropists and also started Pottawattamie Gives, a part of the annual Omaha Gives charitable giving event. Banks said Mathiasens retirement is effective Nov. 1, at which point the interim president is expected to take over the role. Jerry has made PCCF a philanthropic force in the region, whether starting Pottawattamie Gives or increasing donor funds to give back to our communities, Banks said. Hes been a huge difference maker here. Everyone associated with the PCCF wishes Jerry well in his fight against this horrible disease. Jerry is a fighter and always has an incredibly positive attitude. We have total faith he will win this battle and we look forward to welcoming him at future PCCF events. After experiencing flu-like symptoms in mid-September, doctors eventually determined he had acute myeloid leukemia. Leukemias are cancers that start in cells that would normally develop into different types of blood cells. Myeloid refers to the type of cell from which leukemia develops. Mathiasen said the fight continues. Obviously, my family and I are learning a lot about AML and its been a lot of information overload, he said. But were taking findings from tests to develop a long-term plan of action. Weve already done some short-term chemotherapy. Mathiasen and his wife, Cindy, have two adult children and four grandchildren. Theyve been married for 24 years. Jerry Mathiasen is a Council Bluffs native and St. Albert High School graduate. He is an alumnus of Buena Vista College in Storm Lake. Before taking over at the foundation, Mathiasen served as senior vice president with the Iowa West Foundation almost 18 years, according to a biography on the PCCF website. Hes served on the Iowa Council of Foundations in a variety of roles. Mathiasen spent 14 years in the administration of former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, spending much of it as deputy chief of staff, during the longtime governors first stint in office. He was recently reappointed to another three year term on the Terrace Hill Commission, which oversees the historic landmark that also serves as the home of the Iowa governor. Eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa could be slightly colder and snowier this winter. Paul Pastelok, a meteorologist and long-range forecaster for AccuWeather, The World-Heralds weather consultant, said temperatures in the Council Bluffs-Omaha area should be 1 to 3 degrees below normal, and snowfall may be up to 10 inches greater than last year. Still, the predicted snow amount would be below the norm. It could be worse, but I think its going to be cold, and you could get more snow, Pastelok said. The average daytime high and overnight low temperatures in the metro area for December through February are 35 degrees and 17 degrees. Another 3 to 6 degrees below normal, he said, would be a real cold winter. Pastelok said the average snow total for the Omaha area from October through April is 25 inches. He said Omaha totaled 10 inches last winter. For this winter, hes calling for 20 inches. The colder air could be blamed on a possibly weak La Nina system, which has a 55 percent to 65 percent chance of developing over Pacific Ocean waters before winter sets in, the National Weather Service said. A La Nina could produce quick-moving storms tracking out of Canada into the Midwest. The weather service office in Valley was more cautious with its winter prediction for the region. Meteorologist Cathy Zapotocny said the weather services data predicted 33 percent chances for above-normal, normal or below-normal precipitation and temperatures. Weather in the Midwest frequently is transitioning, she said, leaving the regions ever-changing conditions a challenge to accurately forecast. Our part of the country is always difficult to forecast for, Zapotocny said. JOIN A WINNING TEAM right here in northwest indiana We have been covering Northwest Indiana for over 100 years and were still growing. We are, by far, the main source of news, information and advertising in the Region and are looking for great people to join out team. Whether youre just starting out or looking for a place to step up,TheTimes has opportunities you need to explore. PAGE DESIGNER TheTimes Media Co., located 20 miles from downtown Chicago, is looking for highly motivated, creative page designers who can bring a new dimension to our brand of local newspapers and magazines. As our design center has expanded, so has our drive to find designers with innovative newspaper and magazine design and illustration skills. Our energetic design staff is working hard to change the perception of designers as merely visual people. We work with the belief that good content drives readership, and we push our staff to be content editors. If you possess the heart of a journalist and an innovative mind, we want you to join our close-knit, talented design team. Our ideal candidates will have experience in design at a newspaper or magazine, understand the fast-paced, newsroom environment, have the ability to manage several tasks simultaneously, and are experienced in information and content design. Candidates also must display a strong instinct for problem solving, a sense of urgency, and a passion for news. Experience with InDesign and Photoshop is preferred. In this position you must be willing to work a varied schedule with night hours. 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You will be required to work at least one weekend day and some holidays. Only those interested in night shift part-time employment need apply. Pre-employment background and drug screening is required. Equal Opportunity Employer APPLY AT NWI.COM/TIMESJOBS A new Jamaican restaurant has brought jerk chicken and more lakefront dining to downtown Hobart. Montego Bay Grille at 322 Main St. in Hobart officially celebrated its grand opening over the weekend. The 37-seat sit-down restaurant has a menu filled with Caribbean favorites and a back patio that seats an additional 15 and looks out onto Lake George. It was founded by chef Teddian Jackson, who has 20 years of culinary experience and has worked for the tourism industry in Jamaica. "He's worked for cruise ships, casinos and restaurants in 50 countries," said Ashley Garner, front of house manager. "He pulled inspiration from all those places to develop a menu with everything from lobster ravioli to cheeseburgers." Montego Bay Grille's signature items are jerk chicken, jerk pork, jerk salmon, jerk shrimp and jerk wings, which also can be ordered to go 25-30 minutes ahead. They typically come with sides of sauteed vegetables and what's called rice and peas in Jamaica, which is actually rice and kidney beans. "Jerk's the main focus. It's the specialty," Garner said. "Everything's fresh. He buys fresh local produce, and utilizes farmers markets as much as he can." The restaurant moved into a former clothing store and employs 12 people. It has a full bar and offers wine, sangria, craft beer, the Jamaican beer Red Stripe and the signature Jamaican cocktail, the Dark and Stormy, which combines rum with ginger beer. Local art hangs on the walls, and the motto is "eat, drink, vibe." "It's more than going out to a restaurant it has an atmosphere," Garner said. "The expectation is it's going to be a little longer than going to Applebee's because all the food is cooked fresh to order. There's Jamaican music playing in the background, and the chef comes out to talk to the guests, to make them feel at home." A lunch menu includes jerk chicken wraps, jerk shrimp tacos and a market salad. "We honestly serve such a wide market," she said. "Everybody's welcome, from millennials to baby boomers." Montego Bay Grille is closed on Monday, open from 4 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then from 4 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. For more information call 219-940-3152, visit montegobaygrille.com or find the restaurant on Facebook. Actor Mark Wahlberg joined Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, at the first (re)Encounter, a young adult faith night. The Archdiocese presented the event Friday at UIC Pavilion in Chicago. Wahlberg was a special guest at (re)Encounter, which included speakers, faith-focused discussions, live music and adoration. "The Archdiocese is embarking on a real strong effort to tap into the energy and enthusiasm of young people to invigorate and enliven our church," Cardinal Cupich said, during a news conference prior to the event. He said it was important to have an event like this to encourage young people to realize how important faith is and also to encourage them to go out into the world and share that faith. "Young people have something not only to gain but to offer to us," Cupich said. The conference roster of special guests included not only Wahlberg, who is a devout Catholic, but also Sister Bethany Madonna of the Sisters of Life; the Rev. Paul Mueller, vice-director of the Vatican Observatory, who spoke about the correlation between faith and science; and Joe Melendrez, a youth minister who is also a DJ. Melendrez shared his faith journey and performed contemporary hip-hop spiritual songs. Emcees for the faith-filled evening were the Rev. Brad Zamora, director of liturgy at The University of St. Mary of The Lake and Dina Bair, reporter for WGN TV. Wahlberg said when he talked with Cardinal Cupich about this event months ago, he "absolutely" wanted to be involved. "The most important thing for me to do as a person who needed guidance and needed to refocus his faith was to be an example," Wahlberg said. "Anytime I get to share my story and my experience and how refocusing my faith has made the impossible possible, I want to do that. That's one of the many things I should be doing as blessed as I am. I want to share those blessings and I want to encourage people, especially young people, as much as possible," the popular actor stressed. During a Q & A-style conversation that Cardinal Cupich and Wahlberg had on stage at the conference, the actor talked about the trouble he got into as he was growing up, his incarceration, involvement with gangs and how he eventually focused on his Catholic faith. He told the crowd that he makes time for prayer as soon as he gets up in the morning and that absolutely nothing discourages him from attending Mass. The actor also told attendees that it wasn't until he turned his life around and made the Lord the focus that good things started to happen in his life. About his morning prayer time, Wahlberg said "It's an absolute must" and he won't do anything until after he devotes time to "the word of God" every morning. Wahlberg told the crowd he was "fired up" about being at the event. "It's so nice to be in the presence of so many people who love the Lord. It's an infectious thing." Wahlberg said he strives to be an example of faith to his children and it's important for him to continue to help others on their faith journey. He also talked about how rewarding it is to think about the concept of heaven. "The idea and the promise of heaven is a very beautiful thing to me. So I'll do everything I can to walk that fine line to be able to gain entrance, that's for sure." During the evening conference, various young attendees shared some ways they found the "place where they belong" in the church and gave examples of how they helped in the community while also finding meaning and joy by sharing their faith. To learn more about (re)Encounter and to learn about the Archdiocese' Belong program, visit archchicago.org Hammond and Lansing police said Monday they have arrested a Gary man suspected in recent robberies and a criminal assault of elderly victims along the Indiana-Illinois state line. David Washington, 34, of Gary, is being held in the Lake County Jail on charges of burglary, burglary resulting in bodily harm and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, Lansing police Detective Lt. Steve Roberts said Monday afternoon in a news release. Washington is also wanted in Illinois for aggravated criminal sexual assault and being a noncompliant sex offender. Police said Washington is a convicted felon who is also wanted for arrest in multiple communities and could face additional charges soon. Roberts states officers arrested Washington on Friday at his Gary home following a joint investigation by Lansing and Hammond police into this series of attacks: The robbery Oct. 5 of a 73-year-old man and a 97-year-old female of money and jewelry from the victims who were standing outside their residence in the 6600 block of State Line Road in Hammond. The victims described the offender as a black male, muscular build with a short fade haircut, who left in a dark blue SUV. A robbery Oct. 11 of a 72-year-old male and a 70-year-old female. The suspect entered their unlocked home on the 6700 block of Indi-Illi Parkway in Hammond, while they were working outside. The suspect ripped a necklace off of the womans neck, took her purse and other valuables and fled the scene. A robbery Oct. 12 of a 79-year-old male who was going out to his garage on the 17100 block of Lorenz Avenue in Lansing. The suspect pushed him down and demanded money, took the victim into his residence for additional money before fleeing the scene. A robbery Oct. 15 of an 81-year-old female who arrived home to find a man in her garage on the 17100 block of Greenbay Avenue, in Lansing. The suspect demanded money, took her into her residence, sexually assaulted her and took her jewelry before fleeing. The Cook County Sheriff's Department developed a composite sketch of the suspect and police developed other leads that resulted in Washington's arrest in the 900 block of 48th Place in Gary and seizure of a vehicle and several firearms through a search warrant. Roberts said officers took Washington to the Hammond Police Department where he gave a voluntary statement about his involvement in the incidents. CHICAGO HEIGHTS A fight in an intersection early Saturday led to the stabbing death of a Northwest Indiana man and left a Ford Heights man wounded, police said. Chicago Heights police responded about 5:30 a.m. to Joe Orr Road and State Street for a report of several people fighting. Officers didn't find anyone at the intersection, but later learned a stabbing victim had been located in the 1600 block of East 14th Street in Ford Heights. The victim, a 29-year-old Ford Heights man, was taken to St. James Hospital Chicago Heights and later to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn for treatment of stab wounds to the back. Police then learned a man identified as Dalton Rhyne, 27, of Highland was at Franciscan Dyer Health hospital receiving treatment for a stab wound to the chest, police said. The Lake County coroner's office listed Rhyne as a 26-year-old Munster man. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 6:37 p.m. Saturday. A coroner's release said his manner of death was pending further investigation. Chicago Heights police located a crime scene and asked Illinois State Police to assist in processing evidence, Police Chief Thomas Rogers said. The Chicago Heights detective division and South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force were investigating. Anyone with information about the stabbings is asked to call detectives at 708-756-6422. A biotech company in Gary lined up funding from a Philadelphia-based life sciences investment fund to develop a new breast cancer testing technology. IVDiagnostics, which operates on the Ivy Tech Gary Campus, is seeking Phase 1 U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for Velox, a new testing method which tags and monitors circulating tumor cells in the body. The company describes its test as "revolutionary," saying it can capture individual cancer cells that are within 2-30 microns while current imaging systems can only detect solid tumors of 1mm or more in size. "The Velox diagnostic cancer test tags and monitors circulating tumor cells in a cancer patients body allowing doctors and oncologists to provide more accurate and frequent monitoring of a patients progress during and after treatment," IVDiagnostics said in a news release. Prevail InfoWorks and its subsidiary Prevail Partners will help IVDiagnostics with its clinical studies and invest and undisclosed sum in the testing. Everyone at Prevail Partners is excited to invest in the growth of IVDiagnostics as they develop the fastest and lowest cost CTC assay for the accurate in-vitro monitoring of pathogenic cell growth in patients undergoing cancer treatment or other blood-borne diseases," Prevail Partners President Mary Schaheen said. "Furthermore, we have great confidence in our partnership and its ability to accelerate IVDiagnostics to a significant value inflection point through the completion of its planned pilot and pivotal trials. Northwest Indiana-based IVDiagnostics develops, tests and markets new diagnostic tools for rare circulating tumor cells and blood-borne diseases, including Velox, which it said is ideal for patients with advanced stage cancers. The company won the 2011-2012 Chanute Prize for Team Innovation and an eDay award from the Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center for its cancer research. The company is pursuing FDA approval a lengthy process that requires extensively testing for its latest innovation so it can bring it to the market. "This partnership with the leading FDA approved analytics driven process and data management company is precisely what we need to succeed with the FDA approval of our initial breast cancer assay," IVDiagnostics President and CEO Frank Szczepanski said. HAMMOND The largest school district in Northwest Indiana is turning to local voters next month to build a new high school, modernize other school buildings and maintain its current level of student instruction. A special election Nov. 7 for the School City of Hammond will request the approval of this city's voters on two public questions: the authority to borrow $110.6 million for new construction, and $70 million for operational support. Hammond schools Superintendent Walter J. Watkins is asking for the public's support. "Our locally elected school board of trustees has worked with all of us to do more with less despite a reduction of funding from state government, state-mandated tax caps, increased costs for healthcare and continued increases in energy and fuel costs," he said. Assistant Superintendent Kristopher A. Rivera said the school district hasn't asked for referendum support from voters previously, but must now, because the state has reduced its revenue to city schools by $5.7 million in the past two years. The projected shortfall in state funds next year is $3.1 million. The School City of Hammond currently spends a total of nearly $127.9 million annually on student instruction and other daily operating expenses. Rivera said they are asking voters to raise city property taxes to generate a total of $70 million over the next seven years for salaries, benefits and other instructional costs to attract and retain quality teachers and maintain the current student transportation system. He said if the operations referendum fails, the district can be expected to lay off teachers and their support staff, close schools, increase class sizes, curtail its early-college program, its performing arts academy and other programs. He said that may result in reduced property values. The school district had about 14,000 students enrolled in the 2016-17 school year and employed about 1,000 Hammond residents. It provides 26,000 meals and 3,500 bus rides daily to children enrolled in city schools. The School City of Hammond also is asking voters to authorize borrowing $110.6 million to build a new 400,000-square-foot middle/high school to replace Hammond High on the same site. The construction referendum also would bring upgrades in technology, energy efficiency and security to other schools within the city. Rivera said if the construction referendum fails, the city will be left with a 100-year-old Hammond High school building that no longer meets safety and security needs. Rivera said the impact in Hammond would be an increase to the average homeowner of $86.90 a year in 2018 and 2019. Then the average tax bill will drop $75.46 in 2020 because of the state's circuit breaker system, which limits an individual property owner's tax liability. The Lake County elections board reported a total of 167 people had cast early referendum ballots since Oct. 18 at all the county's polling places. That includes 50 votes cast at the Hammond County Courthouse, 232 Russell St., Hammond; 111 votes at the Hobart Police Community Center, 705 E. Fourth St., Hobart; and six votes at the Lake County Government Center, 2293 N. Main St., Room A-205, Crown Point. Election officials won't announce results for the referendums until after polls close at 6 p.m. Nov. 7. The Crown Point School Corp. and Lake Central School Corp. won voter support for their school referendums in 2011, as did Hanover Community School Corp. in Cedar Lake and the River Forest Community School Corp. in Hobart Township in 2015. The Lake Station Community Schools and the School Town of Munster won referendums last May. Voters rejected Gary Community School Corp. referendums in 2015 and 2016, and rejected the School City of East Chicago's referendum in May. INDIANAPOLIS State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron, is asking his constituents in southern Lake and Porter counties to tell him what issues they'd like to see Hoosier lawmakers address next year. The two-term representative is hosting four town hall meetings over the next week throughout House District 11. They're set for 5 p.m Thursday at Cedar Lake Town Hall, 7408 Constitution Ave.; and 7 p.m. Thursday at Lowell Town Hall, 501 E. Main St. As well as 5 p.m. Oct. 30 at Hebron Community Center, 611 N. Main St.; and 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at Kouts Town Hall, 210 S. Main St. "I want to represent our area to the best of my ability, so I encourage you to join me at these meetings and express your thoughts and provide input," Aylesworth said. Crime scene tape. Blood spatter analysis. Flashing lights. Fingerprints. Crime scene and forensic investigation is not for the faint of heart, but for one Bishop Noll junior, it is where she feels the most comfortable. For Alexis Carrasco, of Hammond, forensic studies have always held her interest and given way to keen insight for her future pathway. Carrasco got a little taste of what she hopes to be her career this past summer in Washington, D.C., at the National Student Leadership Conference, which was sponsored by American University. Along with offering dynamic and innovative ways for correspondents to engage with the justice system, Carrasco was offered a few exclusive privileges, including obtaining one transferable college credit. At the conference, Carrasco sat in several forensic science classes and prepared testimonies for crime scenes. We were divided into groups and assigned different crime scenes, in which we had to find the culprit and used various tactics to help prove our case. Then we prepared testimonies to use in 'court,' where our suspect was either found guilty or not guilty, she said. Carrasco was also able to explore D.C. in her free time, where she visited the International Spy Museum, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Georgetown University, the Holocaust Museum, the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and the Roosevelt Memorial. She also listened to guest speakers who gave the students backgrounds on their careers and decisions to pursue a field in forensics. Carrasco said the impact of the conference is one that will stay with her. It gave me direction in my career path after high school and college, as well as giving me an idea as to what to major in when I get to college, she said. "I want to go into the forensic science field in college and I'll either major in forensic science, criminology, of criminal justice. Then I want to also receive a minor in psychology. As of right now my hope is to get into Grand Canyon University and attend there, but I am looking at Ball State as well." MERRILLVILLE Laying the foundation for the future facility for the Chinmaya Mission of Northwest Indiana didn't involve spreading concrete. Prayers and blessings were used Sunday afternoon to prepare the site for construction. Through the Chinmaya Mission, people can experience spiritual growth and learn virtues and values from spiritual texts. It's associated with the Indian American Cultural Center and the Bharatiya Temple of Northwest Indiana, both at 8605 Merrillville Road, and it will be adjacent to the facilities. Although the center is tied to Hinduism, the Chinmaya Mission is open to those of all beliefs and backgrounds, said Padmini Makam, of the IACC. Under a tent, the large group who attended the ceremony offered flowers, milk and gems. They asked for forgiveness knowing their actions will disrupt the land and nature. Makam said an idol of Ganesha will be placed in the new Chinmaya Mission center. Prayers also were said to Ganesha during the ceremony. At its conclusion, the event moved inside the IACC for a cultural program that included music and dances. Sunday's events were viewed as a historic day to advance the Chinmaya Mission. The next step in the process will be construction of the center. That work will begin before the end of the year. The facility, which will include classrooms, is expected to open in 2018. Chinmaya Mission classes have been conducted at the IACC facility. Leaders there felt it was important for the Chinmaya Mission to occupy its own space. CROWN POINT Plans for a new liquor store in the city are moving forward and even passed the city's Williamsburg-style standards required for the Broadway corridor. The building being planned on a vacant lot at 11351 Broadway will be owned by the Luke Land Co. that owns that Liq Go brand. It has not been determined if this liquor store would be a Liq Go location. David Hill, the project's architect, told the plan commission during a recent workshop meeting that he doesn't like to get "too fussy" when it comes to a design aesthetic for a small building like this. "I don't like too much ornamentation on a small building, because it just gets too busy and cluttery," he said. "We try to keep it nice and clean and give it a classic look." Hill said some of the design elements are borrowed from a neighboring building to the north to meet the intent of the Broadway standards, to give it "that classic pseudo-colonial style." Whatever he did must have worked, because the plan commission approved the project to move forward. Board member Dan Rohaley said it was right on the money. "Apparently, you must have driven down Broadway and saw all the other Williamsburg styles," he said. Not all board members were fully convinced. Commission president John Marshall called it a "plain Jane." "I've seen nicer designs come in that were ripped to shreds," he said. Crown Point's Broadway style is based on Williamsburg, Virginia, and the historic district known for its colonial architecture. In 1998, Crown Point adopted a resolution for architectural standards for the Broadway corridor. That resolution says development plans for all commercial, residential and industrial buildings or structures located within the Broadway architectural area, "shall utilize a Willamsburg architectural style and brick or masonry materials on the exterior of each building or structure." Developers for the new liquor store will return to the plan commission for site development approval at its December meeting. HOBART A 33-year-old Illinois man was killed in a crash late Saturday on U.S. 30 near Utah Street, police said. Hobart police were dispatched to the area about 11:30 p.m. for a crash, Lt. James Gonzales said. Officers found a box truck had overturned onto a car, crushing the car's passenger side, he said. The car's driver was unresponsive and later was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the Lake County coroner's office. His identity has not yet been released. The driver of the box truck, a 41-year-old Illinois man, was found standing on the side of the road, police said. He was checked by medics and taken to St. Mary Medical Center. A witness told police the box truck was eastbound on U.S. 30 as it turned northbound on Utah, across the westbound lanes of the highway. As the box truck entered the westbound lanes of U.S. 30, it was struck by the car, police said. Toxicology tests showed the truck driver did not have any intoxicants in his body, police said. Toxicology tests for the car's driver were pending, police said. The cause of the crash remained under investigation. MICHIGAN CITY When Carol Pozos' oldest child came out as genderqueer she jumped online and began educating herself on the topic. "I Googled my fingers off," she said. She learned that the term refers to a person "who does not subscribe to conventional gender distinctions but identifies with neither, both, or a combination of male and female genders." Having grown up in a very accepting household, Pozos said she the news was not a problem, but she did have to educate herself. "My biggest struggle was not knowing how to help them with their journey," said Pozos, who also has a lesbian daughter. Recognizing that other parents and children face even greater challenges, she agreed to help form and serve as the first president of the Region's only chapter of PFLAG, which had been known as Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Pozos said she envisions the role of PFLAG Michigan City as a safe place where parents and others can go for answers to their questions concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer issues. Pozos said the group has a telephone number, 219-561-0948, and a Facebook page. Education is another goal, Pozos said. The group hopes to organize a pride event in the summer and offer presentations to interested organizations. Support and advocacy are also planned, she said. This includes support for parents and advocacy in the community. The idea for PFLAG Michigan City started with Nancy Moldenhauer, who serves on Michigan City's Human Rights Commission. She recognized the need for the group after the City Council unanimously updated 23 of its ordinances to protect the rights of LGBTQ individuals. Moldenhauer, a married lesbian, said, "People kept asking what services are available, and it was shameful to reply we needed to identify specialized services or develop such support." The group hosts regular meetings, which feature discussion on various needs for action, she said. The meetings also feature guest speakers and offer time for participants to mingle for support. The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Politics Art Roots Culture (PARC) Center at 1713 Franklin St. Moldenhauer said while progress has been made in this area of the culture, there is still a need for PFLAG. "Yeah, it's OK on TV," she said. "But there are still family struggles going on, particularly in more conservative households." The Crown Point Police Department arrested three people after finding drug paraphernalia and weapons during a raid Saturday. Crown Point Police Chief Pete Land said the police department executed a search warrant with the help of the SWAT team at a house at West and West Goldsborough streets, in a residential neighborhood just west of North Main Street and about half a mile north of the Old Courthouse square downtown. The raid took place before dawn at around 5:45 a.m., attracting a lot of attention in the neighborhood. A witness said police cordoned off streets and brought out tactical vehicles. Police took three people into custody after finding three weapons and "certain pieces of narcotic paraphernalia," Land said. He said criminal charges are pending in the case. "Our detectives are working on the follow-up case," he said. Police did not immediately disclose the suspects' names, the reason for the search warrant or specific details of what contraband was found in the house, but Land said more information may be forthcoming. A monk-professor posting his thoughts on the door of a German church began one of the most profound religious, political, cultural and intellectual movements of the second millennium. Five hundred years later, Lutherans are celebrating in worship and song Martin Luthers posting of his 95 Theses, which sparked the Protestant Reformation. This is a very big deal, said Valparaiso University's Tal Howard, a professor at Christ College, who spoke Thursday on the history of this commemoration. Reformation Sunday is Oct. 29, but some Lutheran congregations have already been celebrating. Some have been holding a lecture series on the Reformation and Luthers teachings. Others, such as Immanuel Lutheran in Michigan City, held a hymn festival involving multiple LaPorte County congregations. For the Rev. David Solum, Immanuels pastor, the observance of Luthers posting on the castle church door in Wittenberg, Saxony (present-day Germany), represents the culmination of our beliefs, our faith. We look back at what Luther did in anticipation of our future. On Oct. 31, 1517, Luther posted his Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences, an academic document containing 95 points for debate. Luthers theses, focusing on repentance and forgiveness, specifically targeted the Roman Catholic practice of indulgences, which waived punishment for sins. Luther argued against the Catholic Churchs practice of selling indulgences and the trust in indulgences for salvation. What it was all about For the Rev. Steve Bongard, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran in Valparaiso, this anniversary provides for most of our congregation, an opportunity to learn more about what the Reformation was all about, what it was like back then. Bongards church held an Octoberfest celebration, along with a series of speakers of the Reformation. Next Sunday, Immanuel Lutheran will participate in a special afternoon service at Valparaiso Universitys Chapel of the Resurrection. That chapel service, titled The Truth Will Make You Free, will feature the chapels Kantorei choir and the adult choir from Immanuel Lutheran. Also that day, the Rev. Abdi Mulat, a pastor and professor at the Central Seminary of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church MekaneYesus, the largest church in the Lutheran World Federation, will be the guest speaker at the morning chapel service. The congregation at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hobart will hold a block party on Reformation Sunday. Special music is planned for that weekends worship services, as the Rev. Nathan Kramer hopes the churchs Carillon bells will again chime. A lot of this is just celebrating the traditions we have, Kramer said, and being grateful for the Bible, God and his word and that its available to all people in their languages. Kramer noted that prior to Luther and the printing press, the Bible had been printed only in Latin, a language few people knew. Through Luthers efforts, religious texts were printed in German. The Reformation created a schism splintering Catholic Europe, setting in place structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era. Luthers actions initiated this religious movement, continued by John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli and other Protestant leaders of the 16th century. According to Howard, there are more than 30,000 Protestant denominations and 560 million Protestants worldwide. With about 80 million adherents, Lutheranism is the third largest Protestant denomination, after historically evangelical denominations and Anglicanism. The Lutheran World Federation, the largest branch of the Lutheran Church, represents more than 72 million people. The United States is home to 8,319,591 Lutherans, representing 6 percent of this countrys population, according to the website adherents.com. Special services Trinity Lutheran Church in Crown Point is hosting a special afternoon service Reformation Sunday featuring several area Lutheran congregations. Guest preacher will be the Rev. Daniel P. May, Indiana District president for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. This is a wonderful time to celebrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ, said the Rev. Steve Henderson, pastor at Trinity Lutheran. Were all sinners, but through Christs death on the cross we are forgiven. St. Paul Lutheran Church in Munster is marking the anniversary as a celebration 500 years in the making. As posted on the churchs website about the Reformation, Its still all about Jesus. The Munster church is holding a Trunk 'n Treat Festival on Sunday following the worship service. Augustana Lutheran Church in Hobart is hosting a Taste of Augustana following the second service on Oct. 29. Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Merrillville began its celebration with a series of talks, videos and discussions. Although a religious split can have negative connotations, one thing churches can do today, Solum said, is remain steadfast in the teachings of the Gospel to bring about unity in the faith. Bongard added, We need to stand together more than in the past. Singapore surprise for Kiwi owners New Zealand owner Graham Mackie and his wife, well-known racing photographer Trish Dunell, have once again enjoyed elite level success in Singapore with Gilt Complex landing an unexpected win in the S$700,000 Raffles Cup (1800m) on Sunday night. The pair were regularly in the winners circle care of their homebred star Spalato, the winner of 10 of his 17 starts and nearly S$1.7 million in prizemoney. Gilt Complex Photo: Singapore Turf Club But the win of Gilt Complex was a shock for punters and owners alike, with the son of Gold Centre starting at 50-1 for Australian conditioner Cliff Brown. Neither of us were there, said Dunell from a rain-soaked Te Rapa on Monday. We would have gone had we had another runner with a decent chance, but there were some pretty big race meetings here in New Zealand this weekend. Ridden by Harry Kasim, Gilt Complex sat on speed throughout and won by nearly two-lengths. We thought he was a going to be a good light-weight chance in the Singapore Gold Cup (2200m) last year, as thats his distance, but he just failed to make the field, Dunell said. Gilt Complex will get his chance in this years S$1.35 million Singapore Gold Cup on November 12 as he looks to add to his career prizemoney of S$800,000. I am a bit scared that he will get too many points and get weighted out of it, she said. While Dunell bred Spalato, Gilt Complex was a relatively modest yearling purchase. We asked Anna Scott to buy some cheapies for us at the Karaka Sales and he was bought for $10,000 at the Festival Sale. Hes out of a Zabeel mare and I love that. He was a beautiful type, she said. Anna broke him in, but she got the opportunity to train in Malaysia soon afterwards so we sent him to Shaun Clotworthy where he won his first trial very easily as an immature two-year-old. We realised he had potential and sent him to Singapore. Originally trained by John OHara, Gilt Complex later joined the stable of Cliff Brown. Gilt Complex has finished in the first three on 15 occasions from 25 starts. We will definitely be up there for the Gold Cup, Dunell said. NZ Racing Desk. For more than a decade, Nanette Chadwick and her husband, Yoel Furman, have enjoyed living in their quiet Auburn neighborhood in the Burke Place subdivision. Now they and others in their neighborhood fear the very quietness they value may be disrupted after the city council on Tuesday granted conditional approval for the development of a nearby restaurant at 1200 Opelika Road that is projected to feature a performance stage and courts for playing bocce ball, volleyball and shuffleboard. Four conditions, which emerged as a result of discussions Councilman Brent Beard had with concerned residents and the projects developers and engineer, were applied before the development was approved. Particularly, the term amphitheater within the project was clarified and replaced with performance stage. It was also agreed that the stage would be oriented to face north toward Opelika Road and would also have a sound-proofing back wall, side walls and a roof. A 12-foot fence is expected to be erected behind the property to serve as a barrier as well, and outdoor performances and amplified music are required to cease by 10 p.m. Still, Chadwick and others are concerned about how things will affect their home environment. Weve been living here for 13 years, Chadwick said, and I consider this to be the biggest threat to the home values and well-being of the neighborhood. Some precautions Beard, himself a resident in the Burke Place subdivision, said he was primarily concerned about noise potentially overtaking nearby neighborhoods when he first heard about the project. Reviewing what was submitted to the city, Beard also recalled how he received a phone call the following day from the project engineer, Parker Lewis, and they proceeded to discuss the project multiple times for days via phone, numerous texts and two meetings, the latter of which included the presence of principal developers Matt Poirier, owner of The Hound and The Depot restaurants, and Brian Malone. It became evident from that first phone call and others afterward that those guys were not looking to put a college-style bar over there, Beard said. They were looking to become a part of that community. Feeling more comfortable as he continued to converse with the developers and the engineer to obtain a better understanding of their intentions, Beard also noted that he still took precautions. Hence, the addition of the four conditions that were agreed upon as the project received approval. I knew things could potentially change and felt there still needed to be some protections for existing neighborhoods that are over there, he said. And thats the beauty of the conditional use in our performance zoning ordinance. Only protection is a noise ordinance Despite the conditions under which the project was approved, residents in the Burke Place subdivision expressed concern about how the development may affect their lives. Some also shared personal outlooks of having been disregarded by city officials. We felt that our needs as city residents were not taken into account at all, said Chadwick, who, with her husband, Furman, attended last weeks council meeting and a planning commission meeting that focused on the matter on Oct. 12. They seemed mainly concerned with the developers needs, frankly. Many of us gave statements about our concerns and they were largely ignored. Its a power destroying what Auburn used to be, a small town and family-oriented, Furman said. Others who attended the meetings were Renee Twombly and her husband, Jim Ryan, who have lived at their residence for 17 years. The neighborhood's notification about the project was "totally inadequate" and "rushed," Twombly said. "There were two weeks between our receipt of a certified letter, the planning commission meeting and the city council meeting," she said. Fearing the neighborhoods quietness could very well be disrupted, Twombly also remarked about how she and others are seeking refuge in a particular prospect that Auburn currently lacks. The only protection this neighborhood has is a noise ordinance, which the city of Auburn doesnt have, Twombly said. We specifically asked the town council to look at a noise ordinance that many towns in Alabama including Tuscaloosa have. And while they made no promises, there was a tepid response by Mayor (Bill) Ham asking staff to look into it. We will continue to insist that the city adopt a noise ordinance. Communities with similar activities as Auburn can provide insight about how to implement and enforce a noise ordinance, Mayor Bill Ham said, also noting that City Manager Jim Buston was asked to contact such communities. Once this insight is obtained and discussions are held with law enforcement officials to gather their input, the council will then determine what steps will be taken. "During the time that I've been involved with the city, we've discussed a noise ordinance before," Ham said. "And as any ordinance or law that's put on the books, my biggest concern is with enforcement. And beyond that, I would just simply say it's really difficult to enforce a noise ordinance in a college or university community because of the broad range of activities producing loud noises, whether that is sporting events, outdoor music or anything else that might produce noise with excessive decibels." Richard Robinson, who has lived with his wife, Sandy, at their residence in the Burke Place subdivision for nearly 17 years, thought city officials were attentive to the neighborhoods noise concerns and regarded the four conditions placed on the approved project as good, although he noted how he had been hopeful that there would have been a measurable noise level condition also. I think well see how it develops, said Robinson, whose residence is separated from the approved project site by train tracks and some trees. Hopefully the city will pass a noise ordinance that will cover all residential areas of the city. LANETT --Two people were killed and seven others injured Sunday morning in a nightclub shooting in Lanett, as police continue to investigate. One man and one woman are dead from the incident. A shooter opened fire at Club Addiction just before 2 a.m. Sunday, Lanett Police Chief Angie Spates said. Bridget King said she was standing outside behind the nightclub on 19th Street Southwest, talking to friends, when she heard several shots fired from the front of the building. We heard the shots, and everybody scattered. she recalled. They were going pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. It seemed like a lot of shots. King said she was so frightened when she heard the shots, she hid behind a Dumpster and almost jumped into it. Michael Woody owns the building that houses Club Addiction and leases the building to the club owners. Woody also owns the building next door, a venue for patrons age 37 and older. He was at his venue next door when the shots rang out. We had some people having a birthday party, and we noticed that a lot of young kids were running from there through my parking lot, Woody said. I went to the door, and I heard some shots going off. It was a lot of people just running. They were running, trying to get away. When officers arrived at the club, they found one man with a critical gunshot wound. Woody said he saw the man lying on the parking lot. The victim was taken to East Alabama Medical Center-Lanier, and was pronounced dead at the hospital. During that time, there was a young lady who was parked up the street, on the side of the road. We noticed some more shooting going on up there, Woody said. Someone shot into that young ladys car, during the time the police officers were here. They had no regard for the police or anybody. The other seven victims who were injured in the club went to the hospital in their private vehicles and were treated and released. Police are trying to determine whether there were one shooter or multiple shooters involved, Spates said. Were still working on that right now, she said Monday, and added that the names of the victims will be released, pending notification of relatives. The gunman allegedly stormed into the club, firing his weapon, and a security guard was shot in the hand when he tried to detain the suspect. If it hadnt been for the security guard, they would have got up in that door, Woody said. He came in shooting. All the shots were located right on the inside of the door right there, not back there where the people are. Its not like he was in the club, came out and got a gun. Woody said he always advises the club owners and security guards to check patrons for weapons and illegal drugs upon entering the building. He estimated between 275 and 375 people were at Club Addiction at the time of the incident. Atlanta-based rapper Lil Baby was scheduled to arrive at the club shortly before the shooter came. He was to perform from 2 to 2:30 a.m., with the club officially closing for the night after his set. The shots were fired about 1:45 a.m., Woody said. Woody said the incident prompts a conversation about ensuring people responsible for shootings are incarcerated. One lady asked me if the business would close, he said. I dont know what the city might do, but I can tell you right now, that aint the solution. These people need to be locked up and put off the street for good, not get out on parole. They need to stay locked up for the rest of their days, because they took some family member away from their mothers or children. He added that he operated a club in that building between 1995 and 2015, and police were called out to the venue no more than 10 times during that period. Since the current owners have taken control, there have been a handful of skirmishes, but nothing of the magnitude of Sundays attack. They aint never had nothing like this, he said. Anyone with information on the incident or potential suspects should contact the Lanett Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at (334) 644-5254, or the Crimestoppers line at (334) 756-8200. The youth are bitter with their MP Muyingo A group of youth opposed to the proposed removal of the presidential age limit has disrupted a consultative meeting called by National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders in Luweero district. This afternoon NRM party leaders right from the village to the sub county level convened at Sarabwa playground in Kikyusa town to re-affirm their support for the proposed scrapping of article 102 (b) from the constitution, which caps the president's age at 75 years. The area legislators including the woman MP, Lillian Nakate, the Bamunanika County MP, John Chrysestom Muyingo and the LC V chairman, Ronald Ndawula were expected to attend but they sent aides to represent them. The meeting that was convened by Paul Sarabwa, the Kikyusa sub-county NRM party chairperson degenerated into chaos when angry youths besieged the leaders at the playgrounds denouncing the proposed amendments. They displayed placards expressing their dissatisfaction. "Don't touch article 102(b)," read one of the placards. They faulted their areas MPs for supporting the proposed amendment without consulting them. "We the youth of Luweero dont want the age limit lifted. Those in power are in their 70s and are about to die and want to leave us in political uncertainty. It's us the youth who will serve the consequences of the turmoil that may result from amending the Constitution", said one of the protestors. The NRM leaders attempted to block the youth but were restrained by Sarabwa and police officers from Kikyusa police station. Sarabwa condemned the protestors, saying they were being intolerant. He however, said this will not stop them from supporting the proposed amendment to enable President Yoweri Museveni to stand again. "The amendment is very good because it will enable our children that we have invested in so much also be able to stand for presidency. Also, the elderly will have a chance to stand. When the constitution is amended, it doesnt mean that Museveni will be the beneficiary", Sarabwa said. Led by Hassan Mutesasira, one of the protesters said that the proposed constitutional amendment is not a matter for NRM but the country, which makes it wrong for the area MPs to reduce the consultations to their party structures. "Weve have never sent them [MPs] to amend the Constitution to enable us the youth to stand for presidency as they claim. We, the youth have no money to stand for the presidency. Let President Museveni go and retire at his home in Rwakitura." He also claimed that the area MPs are holding secret meetings and paying off party mobilisers to endorse the proposed amendments and sign documents showing they consulted their constituents. "Weve never told our MP Chrysostom Muyingo that we want the Constitution amended. We dont want the Constitution amended more so when we even lack basic social services like water in the area. Our message is simple, we, the people of Kikyusa dont want the age limit amended", said a resident. Erasmus Mutyaba, another resident asked the MPs to convene general meetings like they did during their campaigns and consult all stakeholders for fair representation. "We want our MP to come and consult us on this age limit matter just like he came to us when he was seeking for our votes. We dont want the constitution amended", Mutyaba said. After disrupting the meeting, the youths led a peaceful procession in Kikyusa town vowing to soldier on until their area MPs denounce the proposed amendment. Eria Ndawula Mande, the Luweero sub-county NRM party chairperson, says it isn't unlawful to support the proposed amendment. "Weve all agreed that the constitution be amended the constitution itself has that provision. There is no need to fight and amending it doesnt necessarily bring a new president. Let those opposed to the amendment not vote the elderly when elections come. Museveni is our preferred candidate those making noise shouldnt vote him when the time comes", said Mande. 55 people believed to have come into contact with a Marburg victim in Kween district have been placed under surveillance, the health minister Jane Ruth Aceng has said. A 50-year-old woman from Chemuron village in Moyok parish in Moyok sub-county in Kween district died of Marburg on October 17. Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) is caused by the Marburg virus, a rare but severe type of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, which affects both humans and non-human primates like monkeys and baboons. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday afternoon at the ministry of health headquarters, Aceng said that they have listed 55 people for a follow up as they could have come in contact with the deceased during the burial ceremony. She says 13 of the 55 people have completed the 21 day follow-up from the time of the death of the probable case, while the rest remain still under close monitoring. Aceng stated that Uganda has capacity to handle the outbreak and is working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the neighbouring countries to contain the disease. "The probable case that passed away, passed away on the 25th of September. The confirmed case passed away on the 13th of October. In between so many things could have happened that we dont know. So until we have managed to round up people and follow them up for the 21 days and then another 21 days and there is nothing that is when we can be comfortable. And in this particular case, the suspect case is the little child who came from another village, another sub-county but also had signs and symptoms similar to that of Marburg. That is a suspect case. The probable case in this case is a 42-year-old man who passed away when we did not take samples.", said the minister. Aceng specifically warned people who are staying near forests and caves and across the borders to be very vigilant of their health and contacts. Uganda will for the first time host the Global Health Security Agenda conference from October 25-27 at Common Wealth Resort Munyonyo with an aim of supporting countries to build their capacities to prevent, detect and respond to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and public health threats. Aceng says for the first time the Global health Security Agenda conference is being held in a state with an active outbreak of an infectious and potentially highly fatal disease. She assured the delegates of their safety saying Kween district is more than 300km away from Kampala. According to Aceng, although three isolation wards have been set up at Kapchorwa district hospital and Kaproron health center IV in Kween district to handle cases, they are currently empty as most of the contacts are being monitored from their homes. Uganda registered a single Marburg in September 2014 involving a healthcare worker. The source of infection was not identified nor was there any secondary cases identified. The Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) has shut down Kanungu Broadcasting Services (KBS) radio in Kanungu district over alleged breach of minimum broadcasting standards. Eng Godfrey Mutabazi, the executive director of UCC wrote to city businessman, James Musinguzi Garuga, the managing director, Kanungu Broadcasting Services on October 20 directing him to cease operations effective immediately. He accuses KBS of ignoring directives from UCC to stop the broadcast of certain programs that violate the minimum broadcasting standards. Mutabazi also accuses the radio station for failing to submitting recordings of the said programs as directed in the Commission letter dated October 17. Godfrey Mutabazi the executive director of UCC In the said letter, Mutabazi asked KBS to suspend the station manager, Ronalds Agaba alias Mwene Ngaro and Desmond Kyokwijuka Misri, the host of the Global Focus program and anchor of Rukiga news, who were accused of 'fuelling public insecurity'. He also asked management to suspend their programs and submit recordings of all broadcasts by the aforementioned presenters that aired over the past 30 days. In his October 20 letter, Mutabazi warns that should KBS radio resume broadcasting operations without rectifying the above breaches and obtaining a valid broadcasting license, the Commission shall not hesitate to carry out further enforcement actions against it, including prosecution of its directors for illegal broadcast under section 27 (2) of the UCC Act 2013. Garuga, the proprietor of the radio couldn't be reached for a comment as his phones were switched off. One of the employees who spoke to URN on condition of anonymity blamed their woes on political intrigue. He claimed that some National Resistance Movement (NRM) party leaders recently threatened to push for the closure of the station for allegedly giving platform to those against the presidential age limit removal. KBS is a popular destination for opposition leaders targeting audiences in the districts of Kanungu, Rukungiri, Kabale and Kisoro. Prof Fredrick Ssempebwa The deployment of cadre judges is eroding the judiciarys cardinal role of dispensing justice without fear or favour, according to Prof Fredrick Ssempebwa. A senior and respected member of the law fraternity, Prof Ssempebwa warned that the tendency is unlikely to build a strong judiciary. The phenomenon of cadre judges refers to President Musevenis appointment of politically like-minded individuals to the bench in a practice seen to further the partisan interests of his ruling NRM regime. We really need to have a strong judiciarywhen you have cadre judges; you are unlikely to have justice, Ssempebwa told a symposium of public-interest lawyers. The meeting, which was held at Kampala Sheraton hotel on October 20 was organised by Coalition for the Independence of the Judiciary in Uganda (CISTIJ) and Centre for Public Interest Law. The lawyers were discussing lessons that Uganda can draw from the 2017 Kenyan Supreme court election petition decision. It takes an independent mind to interpret the Constitution and the law to come up with a just judgement, Ssempebwa said. I agree there is the law, and justices implement the law but implement it in a way that upholds justice, he added, drawing reference to Justice Njoki Susanna Ndungs dissenting judgement in the 2017 Kenya presidential election petition that led to the nullification of Uhuru Kenyattas re-election. Ssempebwa worked with Njoki in the writing of the current Kenyan constitution, and because of her conduct during that process, the constitutional law expert said, he was not surprised when she disagreed with the other judges who annulled the election. Ssempebwa, who chaired the Constitutional Review Commission that led to the 2005 constitutional amendments, poked holes in the Ugandan Supreme Courts ruling in the 2016 Amama Mbabazi presidential election petition. He argued that the Ugandan courts reliance on the ground of whether given evidence of rigging substantially affected a poll outcome, somehow rationalises serious electoral malpractices such as cheating. An independent mind can judge and pay attention to substantial cheating and substantial non-compliance to the law. In Uganda, Justice George Kanyeihamba is the only judge who in all his judgements paid attention to cheating and substantial non-compliance with the law, Ssempebwa said. If people are disenfranchised like I was in the previous election because election materials didnt arrive on time. By the time the materials came at 3pm in the afternoon, I and many others had given up. So, how can we show court where the votes of those who were disenfranchised would have gone? Ssempebwa wondered, further making an argument for the need for independent- minded judges. But Elison Karuhanga of Kampala Associated Advocates, one of the firms, which defended President Museveni in the Mbabazi election petition, disagreed. The fundamental issue on [substantial] effect cant be underestimated. The question is; can you have a perfect election? Cant the actors make genuine mistakes? Once you have an election, there must be a standard at which you annul it but that standard cannot be the standard of perfection, Karuhanga argued. Fundamentally, the issue is not the question of substantiality, because that is a misunderstanding of the issue. The real issue is; does the result of the election reflect the will of the people who turned up to vote? If the result reflects the will of the people and it is those who have the power to choose who to govern them and how they should be governed, on what basis then can you overturn that will? Karuhanga wondered. sadabkk@observer.ug The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has ordered for the suspension of Pearl FM station manager Suliman Kalule for allegedly 'causing public insecurity and violence'. The Commission says it has received several complaints against Pearl FM that it breached minimum broadcasting standards when it aired Kalules program, Inside Story. The political program discusses the current political affairs in the country. Suliman Kalule during one of his programs As a holder of a broadcasting license under Section 29 of the Uganda Communications Act 2013, Pearl FM and its producer have the duty to ensure that what is broadcast is not contrary to public morality and must retain record of all broadcast content for not less than sixty days. In light of the above, therefore, the purpose of this letter is to inform Pearl FM that the Commission has initiated investigations into this matter and to that end therefore, hereby orders Pearl FM to immediately suspend the presenter, a one Suliman Kalule, the radio station producer and his program, The Inside Story aired on Pearl FM with immediate effect as investigations are being concluded by the commission", the letter reads in party. BECOMING THE NORM? This is the second time in less than a week that the Commission is ordering for the suspension of media staff accused of causing public insecurity. On October 17, UCC wrote to Kanungu Broadcasting Services (KBS) radio ordering the station to suspend its manager, Ronalds Agaba alias Mwene Ngaro and Desmond Kyokwijuka Misri, the host of the Global Focus program and anchor of Rukiga news, who were accused of 'fuelling public insecurity'. Later on October 20, the Commission closed the station accusing it of failing to suspend the accused staff and submitting recordings for the said program. Last month, the Commission also banned live broadcasts of events including plenary when MPs were debating the 'age limit' bill, saying the media was inciting the public. A 47-year-old man from La Paz, in the Agusan del Sur province of the Philippines, had last felt solid ground under his feet in 2014, before climbing a 60-foot-tall coconut tree near his house. He had never come down since, and would have probably stayed atop the tree till the end of his days, had authorities not rescued him by force recently. The man, identified as Gilbert Sanchez, had apparently left his home to live atop a nearby coconut tree three years ago, after being hit on the head with a gun, during an altercation. His mother remembers that he was so afraid that someone would come to kill him that he felt that the only way to stay alive was to climb the tallest tree he could find and stay there. And thats exactly what he had been doing for the last three years, surviving only on the food and water his mother brought him every day, which he would pull up in his tree haven with an improvised rope. He would relieve himself from the top of the tree, and not even the raging storms, the blistering heat or the ruthless insects could get him to come down. Winifreda Sanchez, Gilberts mother, had been trying to convince him to come down from the tree at least to get a bath, but he always refused. All she could do for him was deliver food, water, clothes and cigarettes to him every day, hoping that they would at least keep him alive. She would shout to him to lower his rope, tie the supplies tightly, and he would hoist them up to his tree-top haven. Aldrin Sanchez, Gilberts brother, said that both he and the other members of their family had been constantly pleading with him to come down, but he just waved them away. One time, I asked him to come down, Aldrin told KMJS Exclusives. He said Be quiet, I wont go down. Someone would kill me if I do.' A widower since 2000, when his wife died giving birth to their second daughter, Gilbert Sanchez didnt even come down from his tree-top home when his mother told him that she was too old to take proper care of his children, and that they didnt even go to school anymore. Even though everyone in La Paz knew Gilbert Sanchezs story, no one did anything about it until an obscure article about him went viral on social media and was eventually picked up by major news outlets in the Philippines. They sent film crews to his village, and their coverage finally convinced local authorities to help the mans family get him down from his tree. On October 11th, a team of 50 people along with Gilberts family tried convincing him to come down voluntarily, one more time, after which they started cutting down the coconut tree with a chainsaw. It was a difficult operation, as one wrong move could make the difference between bringing the man down safely or killing him, but in the end, everything went as planned, and Gilbert was once again on solid ground, after three long years. Videos doing the rounds on Facebook show Gilbert Sanchezs body covered in blisters and insect bites. He also suffers from muscle atrophy and his spine has become deformed after so much time spent crouching in the coconut tree. But the mans mind is by far the most damaged. According to a psychiatrists initial assessment, the 47-year-old exhibits symptoms of psychosis, including delusions, hallucinations and the fear that someone is trying to kill him. He has been put on a medication, and will have to take it regularly in order to have a normal life. Gilberts tragic story made quite an impact on Filipino social media, with many users asking how they could help him and his mother get their lives back on track. A bank account in Winifreda Sanchezs name was set up so people could donate whatever they could to their cause. If youre looking to get a tattoo, but dont have a specific design in mind, or if youre just looking to get a classic tattoo at a discount, the Get What You Want tattoo gumball machine may be just what youve been looking for. Located at the Elm Street Tattoo shop, in Dallas, Texas, the Get What You Get gumball machine is filled with random tattoo designs packed in plastic balls. Interested customers must pay $100 to turn the little knob and have the machine release a random tattoo design which they can then have inked for free at the shop. While there are no bad designs in the bunch, the owner of the Elm Street Tattoo shop anticipated that some people may not be satisfied with their first design, so for an extra $20, they get another turn. You dont have to get the design tattooed, but the shop does state that the fee for using the Get What You Get machine is not refundable. Theyre all good ones old-school snakes, devil heads, a shop employee told the Dallas Observer. All of these tattoos I would price out between $160 and $180 maybe $250. So youre getting a considerable discount as long as youre willing to take a gamble. According to a post on the Elm Street Tattoo shops Instagram page, Tattoos will be completed on a first-come, first-served basis. If theres no line, you can get yours right away. If all of the artists are booked, you may have to make an appointment. The tattoo gumball machine was unveiled a couple of weeks ago, and people havent exactly rushed to give it a go, but the shop plans to keep it around for a couple of months, and is considering making it a permanent feature. Apparently, the whole tattoo gumball machine thing isnt new at all. The Idle Hands tattoo shop in San Francisco has been suing one since 2009, and they were inspired by Justin Shaw, of Faith Tattoo, in Santa Rosa, California, who has been doing Get What You Get Tattoos since 2004. Ronn Torossian Fox News offers no apologies regarding its support of the military. The network frequently discusses military issues, hosts guests in the armed forces and discusses issues of importance to veterans families. So, its doubly sad that Fox was duped by a fake bio submitted by a U.S. vet, posting a story that the network was later forced to retract. The story a decorated Vietnam Veteran who was now making a living as an artist had all the elements for a Fox News grand slam. John Garofalo, a member of the first U.S. Navy Seal team and a war hero, had created a massive bronze and glass presidential seal replica in the hopes of gifting it to President Trump. The story, published online through Fox News website, highlighted Garofalos military service, offering multiple, specific details. Turns out, though, it was all a lie, which Fox quickly apologized for spreading. In a prepared statement, the network said: Unfortunately, all of Garofalos claims turned out to be untrue The fact is that he did not serve in Vietnam. He was never a U.S. Navy SEAL. Even though he showed us medals, Garofalo was not awarded two Purple Hearts or any of the other nearly two dozen commendations he claimed to have received, except for the National Defense Service Medal Despite admitting much of Garofalos military history was essentially fabricated, the network stopped short of making a retraction. Instead, they offered a correction to the previously published piece: Over the last two weeks, weve worked with Garofalos family and the National Personnel Records Center to get to the bottom of a military past that Garofalo had claimed to be covert It is true that Garofalo is a glass artist and a veteran. He served in Spain, and he gifted two presidential seals to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush We apologize to our viewers, especially veterans and servicemen and women The change and the apology highlights an important challenge for all news networks. In the race to produce quality, unique news content almost instantly, networks struggle with ways to beat the competition to market without losing credibility. Most have been forced to pull things back, sometimes fully retracting stories that were based on false or incomplete information. Add to that the fact that most news teams have been slimmed down by budget cuts, and the need for producers to work overtime to vet stories has dramatically increased. While no network can be perfect, each mistake is a nick in the armor of the publics trust. *** Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a leading PR agency. Agricultural News Oklahoma Beef Council Board of Directors Approves $1.27M Spending Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 The Oklahoma Beef Council will invest about $1.27 million in programs of beef promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, international marketing and producer communications during fiscal 2018. In action taken at the Oklahoma Beef Council's annual board meeting on October 19, 2017, the board of directors considered investment opportunities in Oklahoma, domestically through the Federation of State Beef Councils and internationally through the US Meat Export Federation. The Oklahoma Beef Council board of directors includes members representing the following organizations American Farmers and Ranchers, Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, Oklahoma CattleWomen, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma DFA and Oklahoma Livestock Marketing Association. "From programs working to educate Oklahoma consumers about beef and beef production to our first efforts in the China market, we feel we are delivering a plan of work for the Oklahoma beef checkoff that achieves our goal of serving Oklahoma's beef producers by working to strengthen beef demand." said Angie Meyer, Chairman for the Oklahoma Beef Council. The Oklahoma Beef Council board of directors approved the following for program expenses: $369,000 for Federation of State Beef Councils including support of national programs in promotion, consumer information, industry information and research. In addition, this includes support of the 5-State Digital Marketing Campaign working to amplify national digital marketing efforts in high-population states. $265,000 for International Marketing including the funding of promotion and market development efforts in Japan, South Korea and China. $186,000 for Oklahoma promotion programs including the development of new social media properties, revamped website, digital marketing efforts and in-state billboard advertising. $135,000 for Oklahoma information programs including beef nutrition education for physicians and other health professional groups, outreach to consumers through events, beef cookery education in the classroom and funding for ag literacy programs in Oklahoma. $161,000 for Oklahoma Industry information programs including Beef Quality Assurance efforts, ranch tours for health professional influencers, the FFA/Masters of Beef Advocacy program and the Oklahoma Beef Quality Summit. $29,100 for support of OSU meat science programs including funding of a graduate assistantship focused on beef science research and the OSU meat's judging team. $123,000 for producer communications to help connect producers with information and knowledge of Oklahoma beef checkoff programs through e-newsletters, radio and print advertising, producer events and outreach. Separate from program funding includes $153,000 for compliance expenses associated with oversight of beef checkoff collections and $210,000 for administrative expenses. According to Becca McMillan, OBC Vice Chairman, "In 2018, we are very excited about a new approach to digital marketing in Oklahoma. In the past, we have focused on driving consumers to the national Beef Checkoff social media properties, but we believed it was time we took our own approach in Oklahoma focused on Oklahoma consumers. Producers can look forward to a lively, engaged beef community in Oklahoma in 2018." To learn more about Oklahoma Beef Checkoff programs, visit www.oklabeef.org. Source - Oklahoma Beef Council WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI Top Agricultural News The State of Iowa has withdrawn its request for temporary changes intended to reduce costs and keep more Iowans under individual health insurance, with Gov. Kim Reynolds saying the Affordable Care Act proved too inflexible to allow such changes. That means 72,000 Iowans for sure will have only one choice for individual and family health plans when open enrollment begins Nov. 1: Medica of Minnetonka, Minnesota. Insurance officials said people who need that insurance should be sure to check their options at HealthCare.gov. People may be surprised, said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow for the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health insurance research group. They really should take a look before they drop their coverage and see what the 2018 plans are and what they would cost. Health plans through employers and government plans like Medicare and Medicaid are not affected by Mondays withdrawal of the Iowa proposal. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen said he fears that 20,000 Iowans will forgo health insurance next year because of high costs, now that the Iowa stopgap measure wont happen. The measure would have allowed Blue Cross affiliate Wellmark to offer competing health plans in 2018, possibly lowering monthly premiums and other costs. Ommen said federal officials last week said the law required Iowa to submit projections that werent available. With open enrollment looming, he and Reynolds said during a press conference Monday in Des Monies, the state had to drop its request so that people who need the coverage can get ready to sign up. Medica said in a statement that it is prepared to be the only individual insurance carrier in Iowa. Consumers who bought individual plans through HealthCare.gov will receive information soon from Medica and the federal government on their options for 2018. We strongly encourage consumers to see if they qualify for a premium subsidy, Medica said, because more people will be eligible for subsidies than this year. Wellmark said in a statement that the stopgap measure was the most innovative attempt to address the challenges with the individual Affordable Care Act market in the country and would have made individual insurance more affordable and the states insurance market more stable. Wellmark said it would continue to work with state and federal officials toward a long-term solution. At the press conference, Reynolds and Ommen criticized what they said was the ACAs inflexible, lengthy process for reviewing state waiver requests, saying the law requires time-consuming approvals from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Treasury Department and other agencies. They said the required filings and information werent available in time. Bureaucracy at its finest, Reynolds said at one point, although she also praised the agencies for trying to work with Iowa officials on the request. The governor called on Congress to replace and repeal the ACA, also known as Obamacare, and to restore what she said was a robust, low-premium individual health insurance market in Iowa before the passage of the ACA. In a statement, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa said, The reality in Iowa is that continuing the status quo simply isnt an option because Obamacare is unsustainable. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement that the ACA had promised to allow states to waive certain portions of the ACA in order to provide affordable insurance options. This turns out to be another broken promise of Obamacare. As written, the law hamstrings the administrations ability to help Iowa. Ommen, the insurance commissioner, said not having the stopgap measure means that the healthiest people who do not receive subsidies are most likely to drop their individual plans, leaving the ACA to cover those who are in poorer health and receive subsidies. That will continue to cause the individual health market to collapse in the state, Ommen said. Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported that in late August President Donald Trump had called Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and told her to reject the Iowa waiver as part of an effort to undermine the health insurance law. But Reynolds praised Verma and her staff for trying to work with Iowa officials even though the law is too inflexible to allow innovative changes such as those sought by Iowa. Chuck Olson, chief executive of OCi Insurance and Financial Services, an Omaha company that works with insurance agents, said industry groups had doubted Iowas proposal could be approved in time for 2018 even if the Trump administration had supported it. Iowa submitted the plan in mid-June. Executive orders can do a lot of things, Olson said. But its a huge process to ask for this waiver. Trying to push it through in a few months just didnt seem possible, the way the laws written. Olson said insurance agents in Iowa will start advising clients how to keep some sort of insurance coverage even if they cant afford the cost of a plan that meets ACA standards and, for a family of four, could cost $30,000 a year for premiums alone. For example, short-term, cheaper plans can be extended up to a year under a recent Trump executive order. Pollitz, the Kaiser insurance expert, said approval of the Iowa plan had seemed doubtful partly because the changes it sought were pretty drastic compared with other state waiver requests. Although the Trump administration had encouraged states early this year to apply for waivers, so far only Alaskas waiver request has succeeded, and that was much simpler than Iowas complex and multi-dimensional request, she said. The stopgap measure would have used some federal funds to set up a reinsurance program for large health claims, would have changed subsidy calculation and would limit some options to reduce costs. Consumers would have been able buy subsidized health plans directly from insurance companies instead of through the ACA exchange. Her breast cancer diagnosis last year, Janet Cooper says, was the lowest point of my life. Not knowing what lay ahead, she reminded husband Mark that she had long wanted to visit the music scene in Nashville. So before her surgery and treatment, they went to Tennessee. Mark had tried to make reservations for a weekend night at the famed Bluebird Cafe, where Garth Brooks was discovered three decades ago, but the best they could get was a Monday. They had no idea it would become a memorable night. The club has only 20 tables, 10 bar seats and eight short church pews, and Mark and Janet were seated near the front. As musicians played, Mark said the man at the next table looked familiar from TV. He was Gov. Bill Haslam and had recently given an award to Garth. You can guess who then walked in unannounced, unadvertised and carrying his guitar. Onstage, Garth joined the performers, who happened to be the songwriters of some of his biggest hits Victoria Shaw, Pat Alger, Tony Arata and Kent Blazy. For two hours, said Janet, now 64, we sat and listened to them talk about Garths songs and how they came about. Whoever wrote a song would sing it with him. Then Garth introduced his wife, Trisha Yearwood, who came to the stage for more music. Could this get any better? Janet recalled. Yes, it could. After the show, Garth asked where the Coopers were from. I said Omaha, Nebraska, and told him if I hadnt been diagnosed with cancer, I wouldnt be here today, she said. He put his arm around me and said, Youre going to be OK. Im going to say a prayer for you. Then the superstar said, You want to do pics? So they posed for photos, and he and Trisha signed autographs. As Janet said, What an amazing night! She and Mark returned home, and she soon had a lumpectomy, as well as removal of two lymph nodes. Over 16 days she received radiation but didnt require chemotherapy. She attended a 12-week support group, A Time to Heal, and she swims three times a week. Ive never skipped a mammogram, but last year I almost did, Janet said. Something told me no. She grew up on a farm in Oakland, Iowa, worked for 30 years at the Omaha Housing Authority and is retired from selling real estate. She enjoys line dancing to country music at Bushwackers in Ralston. Janet and Mark Cooper married 12 years ago. They picked Dec. 27 as their wedding date after discovering that both sets of their parents had married on the same day Dec. 27, 1951. The Coopers live in Council Bluffs, where they built a house and where she has volunteered with Jennie Edmundson Hospital. When Garth Books appeared in Omaha two years ago, Janet said, she was unable to get tickets. And she didnt try for them at last weekends concerts in Lincoln because, well, nothing could match the intimate experience at the Bluebird. But because its Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Garth Brooks was back in our area, she said, it seemed like time to tell her story. Theres another reason: She just had a year-after mammogram, and she is cancer-free. In a difficult time last year, her close-up experience and Garths encouraging hug left her over the moon. But she loves that he is so down-to-earth. Federal officials have reached a decision on whether Iowa can change some rules of the Affordable Care Act next year, but so far there's no word on what that decision is. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen are to discuss the decision at a press conference this afternoon in Des Moines. About 72,000 people in the Iowa buy insurance through the ACA. The signup for the 2018 plans will be Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. Iowa is seeking a waiver that would be a temporary "stopgap measure" to keep its individual health insurance market alive next year. It would set in motion a series of steps intended to lower rates, keep more people insured and add more insurance options for Iowans next year. Ommen has said about 20,000 of those people, especially those with good health, would drop their plans because of high insurance rates if the government rejects the waiver request. Wellmark of Iowa, the states Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate, has said it would enter the 2018 market if the stopgap measure is approved, and other insurers may agree to offer health plans. The Trump administration has denied some states wavier requests, and others have been partially approved or withdrawn. Critics have said denying the waivers weakens the federal health insurance system for individuals and families. The Iowa Division of Insurance submitted its proposal to waive some rules of the Affordable Care Act to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that oversees the law also known as Obamacare. A public comment period ended Thursday. If the waiver is approved, Medica, the only health insurer so far committed to offering the ACA plans to individuals in Iowa next year, may lower its 2018 rates. Medica plans premiums that would be an average of 57 percent higher than this year. The stopgap measure would use some federal funds differently to reduce monthly premiums so more healthy people would sign up, keeping the ACA active in Iowa next year as Congress revises the system. For example, some of the federal money would set up a reinsurance program for large health claims. The measure would guarantee coverage and include the ACAs "essential health benefits" but limit other options to reduce costs. Under the proposal, consumers would be able to buy standard health plans with subsidies directly from insurance companies instead of through the ACA exchange. Health plans through employers and government plans like Medicare and Medicaid are not affected. Maurice Jones has the resume to prove how an Omaha Public Schools-sponsored trip to Selma for the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday changed his life. Next summer, 40 more teens will get the same chance. After returning to Omaha from the 2015 trip, the then-17-year-old Jones got involved in Black Votes Matter and the Nebraska Democratic Party, becoming the elected vice chair for the partys Black Caucus. He ran an ultimately unsuccessful campaign last year for a seat on Omahas City Council, and is now looking forward to starting college next fall with a triple major in history, public policy and political science. Experiencing Selma turned his textbook knowledge of civil rights into a personal call to action, Jones said. Its been something I cant get out of my head, he said. Now I know I have a voice, and I need to stand up and advocate, and never settle for complacency. Preston Love, the founder and director of Black Votes Matter and an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, hopes to spur the same epiphany in 40 other high schoolers from north Omaha with a trip to more than 15 Southern civil rights venues, including the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, where a bombing killed four young girls in 1963. The tour is planned for June 18 to 24, but Love and other organizers are already busy planning and preparing students. There are the usual details that necessitate early planning the lodging, the chaperones, the transportation but theres also the Black Votes Matter club meetings, the civil rights lectures and the overnight stay at the Hope Center for Kids that the high schoolers are expected to attend before the trip. Well, its not just about a great trip, Love said. Its about leadership development. Love said the pretour events will give the high schoolers the perspective to better understand the significance of the civil rights landmarks theyll be seeing. When Love walked across the bridge in Selma where civil rights marchers were beaten by the police, he remembered how his knees shook with every step. Love hopes the high schoolers will also realize the gravity of the history and that those tremors will be translated into action. Were looking for future leaders that will be sensitive to, educated on and inspired by civil rights history, Love said. Those potential leaders were nominated for the trip by north Omaha youth groups, like 100 Black Men of Omaha, Girls Inc., Avenue Scholars and the Heartland Workers Center. Love is confident that the nominees will be diverse by virtue of each individual clubs makeup. That diversity is important to Love, because his tour isnt just an opportunity for African-Americans, he said, its an opportunity to invest in the low-income communities that need guidance most. Leadership isnt about race, Love said. Hope Center program director Rich Blackburn will be accompanying the tour as a chaperone, and he selected four teens to come with him. Hes seen how the high schoolers have puffed up with the honor of being selected and said he thinks when 40 passionate high schoolers rub shoulders with each other and with history for a week, leadership development is inevitable. I would be very shocked if 10 years down the road these kids werent running for office, Blackburn said. And not just one of them, maybe 10, maybe 20. And thats exciting to all of us. It was a day for three extraordinary speeches by three extraordinary men, each with an important message for another man who was not in the room. Two former presidents, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, delivered speeches at separate events on Thursday that seemed pointedly to be aimed at President Donald Trump while avoiding any mention of his name. That omission was prudent. As we have learned repeatedly, our president can be as sensitive as a snowflake to even the mildest criticism of his self-described winning and terrific self. Yet it was in defense of his boss that White House chief of staff John Kelly delivered the most poignantly memorable speech of the day. In an 18-minute appearance in the White House briefing room, Kelly defended Trumps phone call earlier in the week to the widow of a slain Army sergeant, a call that had turned into a surprisingly ugly controversy. Kelly criticized Rep. Frederica S. Wilson, a Florida Democrat, for making a public issue out of the presidents private phone call to Myeshia Johnson, whose husband, Sgt. La David T. Johnson, was one of four American soldiers killed in an Oct. 4 ambush in Niger. Kelly, a retired Marine general, has made those painful calls himself. He also received them, after his own son 2nd Lt. Robert Kelly was killed in Afghanistan in 2010. Before this tragic episode, he had guarded his personal story in public. But he was so upset by Wilsons appearance on TV news shows, he told reporters, that he had to collect his thoughts in a visit to the graves at Arlington National Cemetery. He described Wilson, who was in a car with Myeshia Johnson when Trump called, as a publicity-seeking opportunist. Trump fell into hot water after Wilson quoted him as saying basically that, Well, I guess he knew what he signed up for. But I guess it still hurt. Kelly put that into a different context. He recalled telling Trump about the military officer who informed him of his sons death and described how he was doing exactly what he wanted to do when he was killed. He knew what he was getting into by joining that 1 percent. He knew what the possibilities were because we were at war. I know what Kelly means. I used to wonder where that courage comes from. The courage, I soon realized, grows out of devotion not just to ones country but also to the men and women with whom you are fighting. You rely on them to watch your back and they rely on you. Greater love has no man or woman. It is unfortunate that President Trump might not have expressed himself as sensitively as he should. But he also didnt help matters by fiercely denying that he said it shortly after Kelly had confirmed the president probably did say it. It might make Kelly feel better to know that Wilson was more than an opportunistic politician to the Johnsons. She has been a family friend for decades, according to the Washington Post. The deceased soldier was an alumnus along with his two brothers of the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring program Wilson started for youths pursuing various careers, including the military. Like those of his fellow fallen heroes, Johnsons story offers a model of courage and sacrifice that should bring Americans together. The lesson for President Trump in facing the families of veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice: If nothing else, remember to say simply, Im sorry for your loss. Those few words say it all. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Jerusalem Post 21 Jan 2022 The honor, given by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and awarded annually since 1998, has not been given to anyone for.. Rumble 01 Sep 2022 There is no change to the project scope and the cost must not exceed the budget. In this case, the most effective way to compress.. A 21-year-old Portland man was killed early Sunday after he crashed into an unoccupied office building in Southeast Portland, police said. Anthony Reyes crashed into a building in the 13400 block of Southeast Stark Street after he failed to negotiate a turn, Portland police said. Firefighters arrived at about 2 a.m. and found Reyes dead in the front seat of a 2017 Toyota Tacoma truck. Police said he apparently died from the impact of the crash. Investigators believe speed and intoxication contributed to the crash. Reyes' death is the 36th traffic-related fatality in Portland in 2017. The Oregonian/OregonLive President Donald Trump's bellicose response to North Korea's nuclear-weapons program has provoked a surprising response. North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), issued an "open letter" to various national parliaments in late September, shortly after Trump publicly threatened to "totally destroy" the small Asian dictatorship. "It is not the way they usually publish their global messages," Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said. "The collective strategy of imposing maximum diplomatic and economic pressure through sanctions on North Korea is working. This is a response to the pressure." Last week the Sydney Morning Herald published a copy of the letter sent to Australia's parliament, which came through North Korea's Indonesian embassy. The letter lambasted Trump, saying he was "threatening to totally destroy the whole world." It called Trump's threats "a declaration of war against the DPRK and a grave threat to the global peace." The letter also announced that North Korea had "emerged a full-fledged nuclear power which has a strong nuclear arsenal and various kinds of nuclear delivery means made by dint of self-reliance and self-development." Read the letter below. North Korea letter by FairfaxPolitics on Scribd -- Douglas Perry To the editor: Following on the tragedy of Las Vegas, the Michigan Senate intends to move forward on Senate Bill 584. This bill would allow for concealed carry of weapons in places where guns dont belong such as schools, colleges and bars. Another bill in the Michigan Senate would punish these public institutions for passing ordinances or rules that allow them to decide what works for their communities when it comes to gun safety. This is the wrong direction for Michigan and does not make us safer. Our state lawmakers should instead be working on common sense solutions to our gun violence problem, not putting more guns in more places. Please write Sen. Jim Stamas, 201 Townsend St., Suite No. 5200, Lansing, MI. 48933 or you can call him at 517-373-7946 and tell him to oppose Senate Bill 584. MARGARET M. DARGER Midland 40 Prozent aller Menschen, die an die Dialyse mussen, weil die Nieren nicht mehr arbeiten, haben als Grunderkrankung einen Diabetes mellitus. Eine fortschreitende Nierenkrankheit bis zum Organversagen ist also eine haufige Begleiterscheinung und Folge von Diabetes. Der Verlust der Nierenerkrankung kann aber mit neuen Medikamenten verlangsamt werden, so dass vielen die Dialyse uber eine lange Zeit erspart bleibt. Die aktuell publizierte Leitlinie der KDIGO empfiehlt den Einsatz dieser Medikamente. Wichtig ist, dass das Nierenleiden fruh erkannt und behandelt wird. Die Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Nephrologie mochte am Weltdiabetestag Menschen mit Diabetes fur das Thema Niere sensibilisieren. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. BLOOMINGTON Attempted murder charges were dismissed Monday morning against a Normal man after he pleaded guilty to aggravated domestic battery. Stover was sentenced to seven years in prison on the felony battery offense that occurred while he was under the influence of PCP, according to a statement given by Assistant State's Attorney Mary Koll to Judge Scott Drazewski. The woman, who was treated at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, Normal, had abrasions around her neck and was unconscious at one point, said prosecutors. Stover told officers after his arrest he thought he had killed the woman. Six officers were required to control Stover during the arrest because of his combative conduct, said a police report. Stover will receive credit for 229 days in jail. He must serve 85 percent of the prison term. Q: I am a veteran living in an assisted living facility and I recently read an article, in a respectable magazine, whereby I might be eligible for a VA benefit called a VA Pension and an additional benefit called Aid and Attendance. This sounds too good to be true, but the high cost of living in a private assisted living facility is quickly draining my assets. A: On Oct. 19, the Illinois Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the Association for Wartime Veterans and Atlantis Marketing Solutions Inc. for steering veterans and their families into costly insurance products they did not need. Fraud allegations under the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act is the basis of the lawsuit. The organization is a for-profit organization and is not the only one pitching the same story to veterans. There is a VA Pension benefit but it has a very low means test for income that would likely rule out eligibility for most veterans who can afford to live in regular non-subsidized assisted living facilities. These companies tell veterans that they can get an additional $1,000 or as much as $1,600 of monthly income be filing for the VA Pension and the additional benefit of Aid and Attendance. The company tells the veteran that to qualify for VA Pension and A&A benefit, the veteran must reduce the veterans asset level. The company then usually suggests establishing a non-revocable trust account or annuity. The monthly income then becomes lower than the means test for eligibility. Setting up such financial accounts is costly and there is usually a stiff account management fee. In addition, the money received each month is determined by the annuity amount and the VA Pension amount. If a veteran receives VA Pension and Aid and Attendance benefit using questionable methods to hide assets, the veteran could also be charged with fraud. EVENTS The Illinois State University Veterans Day ceremony will be at noon Nov. 10 in the Prairie Room of the Bone Student Center. Veterans can pick up yellow ribbons in the Veterans and Military Service Building (112 Moulton Hall) until 11 a.m. or at the door. The ISU Center for Community Engagement and Service is recording the histories of veterans on Nov. 11. The recordings will be processed and sent to the Illinois Library and the Library of Congress for preservation and use. Hour-long recording sessions will be conducted in Milner Library in a private room from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To participate, email vpsapebusc2@ilstu.edu or call 309-438-1166. The Illinois State Dental Society is offering free dental care for veterans on Nov. 10-11, who will receive a free dental exam and one free treatment: cleaning, filling, or extraction, with the dentist determining priority treatment. Visit www.illinoisdentistssalute.org to register by Nov. 1. Call 708-222-7141 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Illinois Department Affairs' Serving Those Who Served" program is offering assistance to individual veterans and to veterans' organizations for veteran-focused service projects Nov. 5-11. Visit www.chicagocares.org/stswopportunitysubmission for more information and to submit a request for help. BLOOMINGTON YWCA McLean County will celebrate 30 years of after-school programs as part of its annual Lights on Afterschool event. The YWCA-hosted event, which is part of a nationwide celebration of after-school programs, will be 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at YWCA, 1201 N. Hershey Road, Bloomington. The event is free. "After-school programs give children a safe place to go while giving them the opportunity to learn new skills," Liz German, YWCA vice president of operations, said in a prepared statement. "They also give parents peace of mind, knowing their child is safe and in good hands." The Thursday event also will have information and activities including hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities for children from other area after-school programs and from the Bloomington and Normal public libraries and the Children's Discovery Museum, Normal. State Farm Bank, the event sponsor, will host free home buyers' seminars throughout the event. Lights on Afterschool is a nationwide event in which thousands of children, parents, educators and community members come together to support safe, after-school programs. YWCA began offering an after-school program at Bent Elementary School, Bloomington, in 1987 with the help of a startup grant from United Way of McLean County. Now, YWCA Young Wonders offers before- and after-school programs at eight locations, serving 275 children last year. Last year, YWCA launched an after-school program for children with special needs. George Clooney and Matt Damon are two actors who worked with disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein early in their careers and now find themselves having to explain what they did or didn't know about his history as a sexual predator. The two are currently on a press tour for their new movie Suburbicon, and sat down with Michael Strahan on on Good Morning America this morning to talk about what they knew. Both Clooney and Damon said that while they were aware Weinstein frequently hit on actresses, they didn't know he was a harasser or abuser. "I knew he was a womanizer," Damon said. "You know, I wouldn't want to be married to the guy. But I'm not, you know, that's not my business really. But this level of criminal sexual predation is not something that I ever thought was going on. Absolutely not." Clooney said that Weinstein told him about his "affairs" with actresses. "I didn't really think that they were going to have affairs with Harvey, quite honestly," he said. "And clearly they didn't. But the idea that this predator, this assaulter was out there silencing women like that it's beyond infuriating." Damon did say that he knew about Weinstein sexually harassing Gwyneth Paltrow in the late 90s when she was 22. Earlier this month, Paltrow told the New York Times that she told her boyfriend at the time Brad Pitt, who confronted Weinstein. "I knew the story about Gwyneth from Ben, because he was with her after Brad," Damon admitted. He said, though, that things between Weinstein and Paltrow were worked out as far as he knew. "I never talked to Gwyneth about it. Ben told me," Damon said. "But I knew that [Weinstein and Paltrow] had come to whatever agreement or understanding they had come to. She had handled it. And she was, you know, the First Lady of Miramax, and he treated her incredibly respectfully. Always." When Affleck posted on Twitter that he was "angry" about Weinstein's alleged behavior, Rose McGowan quickly called him a liar, saying he knew about the abuse because she told him when it happened. Two women have since come forward to accuse Affleck of groping them. [h/t The Cut] Image via Getty Last week Patently Apple posted a report titled "A Hysterical South Korean Tech report is already demanding that their Government force Apple to Recall the iPhone 8." The report pointed out the disdain some in the South Korean press have for Apple as the report illustrated that they were already pushing the government to announce a recall of the iPhone 8 in Korea for a problem that doesn't even exist yet in Korea. In the report I had also noted that "The rivalry between Apple and Samsung fans began with Apple suing Samsung for patent infringement regarding several aspects of the iPhone. The case is still ongoing as Samsung is dragging it out and fighting it at every turn." This point is once again in the press today as Samsung will be getting their design patent damages retrial in their case with Apple, reports FOSS Patents. Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents posted a blog earlier today wherein he notes that on Sunday, "Judge Lucy Koh of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California determined that a new Apple v. Samsung trial on design patent damages, which Samsung had been fighting for in courts on both coasts of the United States since the 2012 verdict, is indeed going to happen. You can read her decision" below in Scribd document. New Order Requiring New Apple v Samsung Trial on Design Patent Damages by Jack Purcher on Scribd The report further noted that "theoretically the retrial could still have been denied: Judge Koh explained that the test for the relevant article of manufacture (with respect to which Apple would be entitled to an otherwise-unapportioned disgorgement of infringer's profits) had to be determined first." For more analysis of this ruling, read the full report by Florian here. Samsung's official statement on this development issued earlier today stated: "We welcome to District Courts decision for a new trial. This is a historic opportunity to determine how the U.S. Supreme Courts guidance on design patent damages will be implemented in our case and future cases." About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. Patna: Police in Patna on Sunday arrested four men in connection with the August 29 armed robbery of a cash van from Patna-Masaurhi Road under Dhanarua police station in which the criminals had gotten away with Rs. 45 lakh in cash. Acting on a tip-off after someone identified them from a police sketch, police raided a house near Saguna Mor in Patna on Sunday and arrested Santosh Pawan and Vikas Kumar. The two, during the police interrogation, spilled the beans on two other partners in crime following which police arrest Sanjeet Kumar from his home in Masaurhi and Vicky Kumar from Punpun. Two other accomplices who were identified as Suppu and Bablu were yet to attrested. Police seized Rs. 2 lakh in cash, two SUVs, more than a dozen cell phones, a property deed, several gold and silver jewelries, three motorbikes, one 9 mm pistol, three country-made pistols and 22 live cartridges during raids at the homes of the four men. As reported, the daring heist took place on August 20 when the armored vehicle was carrying a large amount of cash from the Allahabad Bank branch in Masaurhi to its branch in Patna. A private security guard was shot during the robbery who survived his injury. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manu Maharaj, at a press conference in Patna, said that the criminals, after robbing the armored van, spent money in buying a piece of land in Masaurhi, a used SUV, a brand-new SUV after putting Rs. 4.5 lakh as down payment, gold and silver jewelries, and a number of home appliances. Patna: Less than a week after he carried out a survey of Patna ghats ahead of the Chhath festival, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday embarked on yet another boat ride on Ganga to review works going on at various ghats by the River Ganga to ensure his orders were being carried out and no stone was being left unturned to ensure the safety of the devotees. Kumar, who was accompanied by Patna Mayor Sita Sahu, Road Construction Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nand Kishore Yadav, Water Resources Minister Lallan Singh and a host of district administrators, directed the Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCO) and Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials to finish repair work on approach roads and to ensure the lanes were adequately lighted at all times so low visibility was not an issue anymore. The Chief Minister also suggested replacing slopes with concrete steps at all ghats to avoid injuries caused by slippery mud. Officials told him that work on barricading the ghats to separate the safe zone from danger zone would be completed by Tuesday and installation of street lights was also almost finished as the clean-up process of ghats considered safe continued round-the-clock to ready them for the first arghya on Tuesday. The CM was accompanied by cabinet colleagues Nand Kishore Yadav and Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and Patna mayor Sita Sahu. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi also carried out a separate survey of ghats of his own directing officials to place trash cans at every nook and corner of the streets leading to the ghats and also at the place of puja in order to keep ghats clean before, during, and after the conclusion of Chhath puja. Modi also emphasized the need for the presence of divers, para-medical experts and doctors through the entire four-day event to deal with emergency of any kind. Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) Commissioner Abhishek Singh told the Deputy CM that 17 ponds in the state capital had been designated safe for the Chhath festival. "We have created eight new ponds for the purpose along with renovating 17 existing ponds in the city. Mixed with water brought from the Ganga, we encourage devotees to use these ponds to avoid rush at the ghats," Singh said. Interestingly, Shatrughan Sinha, BJP leader and MP from Patna Saheb, after recently being snubbed by the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah team during the 100th anniversary celebration of Patna University, also conducted his own survey of the ghats on Sunday. Sinha had been criticized by his own party members of abandoning his constituents for a long period of time only visiting Patna when it served his own purpose. He has earned the wrath of his party leaders for being too chummy with BJP's arch rival Lalu Prasad Yadav and going against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on many occasions. News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. AMERI Energy has said it gave Ghana value for money in the 510 million-dollar power plants it supplied the country during the acute power crisis under former President John Mahama. AMERI, in a statement ahead of a scheduled meeting with the Energy Committee of Parliament, said even though they are confident of the integrity of their arrangement with Ghana, they admit the government has the right to reassess the deal. AMERI acknowledges that the Government of Ghana has every right to assess all public contracts for value of money or quality of delivery. The company strongly believes the project delivered on both. An independent report by renowned auditors PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PwC) found that, out of 7 similar projects, the Ameri plant at Takoradi offered the best value for money, the statement said. The statement added: When we entered Ghana, the country was going through its worst energy crisis. The only option on the table for the Government was a rental deal, which offered no value for money to the country. We are proud to say that we are the only company working in the region which offered and delivered a short term 5 year BOOT (Build, Own, Operate and Transfer) solution, installed in record time the power plant features brand new, state of the art GE turbines. Meanwhile, the parliamentary committee has granted a request by former Power Minister, Kwabena Donkor, to allow the media to cover his testimony before the committee. Mr. Donkor was in charge when the deal was signed with AMERI. Source: Today 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 reviewed the graduation parade of the Cadet Corps of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) at the Military Academy Training School (MATS) at Teshie in Accra yesterday. It was the first time he was doing this after becoming president on January 7, 2017. The parade, which featured cadets from the Regular Career Course 57 and Short Service Commission/Special Duty Course 55, had four foreign officers two each from Benin and Guinea. In all, 106 cadet officers from Ghana, Benin and Guinea graduated. Warning The Commander in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces gave a note of caution to his men. Remember, you are to safeguard and protect the territorial integrity of the nation and its citizens, and not to use your position to antagonise the very citizens whose sacrifices have made your training possible, he said. He stressed the need for the soldiers to remain conscious of their responsibilities towards the people of the nation, whose security they had been charged to protect. As you enjoy the euphoria that surrounds your achievements on this memorable occasion, do not forget that a responsibility has been thrust on your shoulders. Your commission into the Armed Forces is the beginning of your careers as professional officers and leaders, and you are expected to exhibit exemplary conduct. You must at all times discharge your duties professionally and diligently, he charged the Cadet Corps. Charge President Akufo-Addo pointed out that you owe it a duty to the nation to work towards ensuring its peace, stability and development. Living in a constitutional democracy, which has taken the blood and sacrifices of several generations of Ghanaian patriots to establish, the president posited, It has become the standard bearer and beacon of democratic engagement on the African continent, receiving worldwide acclaim for its progress. All of us political leaders, religious leaders, civil society leaders, military leaders are first and foremost citizens of this democratic state, and our first and paramount duty is to uphold the teachings of its Constitution. Besides being equipped with the fundamentals of functional leadership, the president noted that the cadet officers had also been imbued with the requisite military skills and other relevant areas of military studies, upon which they are required to build their future careers. Advice He revealed that as young officers, you must be desirous of acquiring more knowledge, so you are not overtaken by the changing tides in this fast-paced technological era. The sky must be your limit in your quest for information and knowledge. He also had cause to remind them that they were being commissioned into the Armed Forces, which has carved a niche for itself over the years, as a unique, disciplined and professional entity, nationally and internationally, in the discharge of its duties. It has performed excellently in various international peacekeeping operations, resulting in Ghana being one of the best troop contributing countries for peacekeeping operations in the world, he declared. Source: Daily Guide 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 Acting Upper East Regional Manager of the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority (DVLA), Mr Mutawakil Abdulai, has said there was a syndicate in the region engaged in the procurement and issuance of fake licences and licence plates. He, therefore, cautioned the public to be wary of it. We thought that some people from other places were bringing fake licence plates to sell to innocent people in the region, but we have now found out that a syndicate within the Bolgatanga township is involved in the illegal business and we are putting intelligence together to trace those people, he said. Mr Abdulai, who was speaking in an interview with Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, on Saturday, said the illegal activity was causing financial loss to the DVLA. Every year, we register more than 8,000 motorcycles but we suspect that the syndicate sells about 3,000 fake number plates, which is not a small amount of money. He said last August, the DVLA together with the police services arrested two suspects in the Ashanti Region for engaging in the production of fake number plates and that might have trickled down to the Upper East, he added. Mr Abdulai cautioned those who patronise the fake number plates to desist from doing so, because such number plates could not be used to trace stolen vehicles. He entreated the public to apply for their vehicle and motorbike licenses only at the DVLA and urged all to be wary of fake number plates and report to the appropriate authorities on such deals. Source: Today 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 The immediate past Minister of Power, Dr Kwabena Donkor, and the Africa and Middle East Resources Investment (AMERI) Group have defended the $510 million power agreement with the government, saying it was the best deal for Ghana, considering the country's energy crisis at the time. Speaking before the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament in Accra last Friday, Dr Donkor said due diligence was done before signing the agreement and denied the suggestion that the deal was fraudulent. The CEO of Ameri Energy, Mr Maher Al Alili Ameri, also appeared before the committee and issued a press statement thereafter, insisting that the power deal had increased the country's energy generation and almost eliminated the regular power outages. He was of the view that the $510m price for the 230-megawatt power plant it supplied to Ghana was not over-priced by $150 million, as claimed by a former Deputy Minister of Energy and Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa, Mr K.T. Hammond. Background The Ameri deal was signed as an emergency power agreement between the government, represented by the Minister of Power, and Ameri Energy in February 2015 to ameliorate the countrys power challenges at the time. The report of a committee set up by the current government, chaired by a private legal practitioner, Mr Phillip Addison, to investigate the deal disclosed that it found technical and financial lapses in the contract. Thereafter, Mr Hammond moved an urgent motion in Parliament for the House to rescind its decision to approve the power deal for gross misrepresentation. Mr Hammond wants Parliament to rescind its decision to approve the build, own, operate and transfer agreement between the government and Ameri Energy for the installation of 10 GE TM2,500+ aero derivative gas turbines, operate, maintain and transfer and the provision of support services that the House took on March 20, 2015 for reasons of gross misrepresentation. The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has referred the issue to the Committee on 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 A cold war is ensuing between two opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) stalwarts over the position of General Secretary in the upcoming congress of the party to select new leaders. Current General Secretary, Jonhson Asiedu Nketia aka General Mosquito, has attacked his deputy in-charge of Operations, Koku Anyidoho, for claiming that he (Koku) has the endorsement of the incumbent to succeed him, since he (Asiedu Nketia) was no longer interested in the post. Matters came to a head when Mr Koku Anyidoho said on Neat FM last Monday in Accra that, The beautiful thing is that he (Asiedu Nketia) gave me his endorsement that hell not contest again, and that is the beauty of it. He added, Hes given me his blessing to contest as General Secretary. Im going in continuity and Asiedu Nketias legacy shall forever remain strong in the NDC. Mr. Asiedu Nketia responded to the claim by Mr Anyidoho, describing him as a lair. He said on Asempa FM on Wednesday that he had not appointed anyone as his personal secretary to explain his decision to the public. Everyone should have known that the claim by Koku Anyidoho is not true. Im not a kingmaker to decide who succeeds me, even if I decide not to contest, General Mosquito countered. I was shocked when I saw the story online. I thought it was fake but Koku is not my personal secretary so he cannot make decisions for me, he stressed. General Mosquito said that if Mr Koku Anyidoho has any General Secretary ambition and wants to contest him, he should be bold to come out instead of perpetrating lies to make a case. Even if I wont run again, I dont have the power to appoint someone to be General Secretary, he made it clear, before asking NDC members to treat Koku Anyidohos claims with contempt. Earlier in the week, leadership of the NDC finally admitted that the partys biometric register which it spent millions to compile, lacks integrity and cannot be relied upon for any meaningful internal elections. They have officially decided to throw away the biometric register, which was compiled ahead of the 2016 general election, and start a new process to register NDC members manually. NDC National Chairman, Kofi Portuphy, who made the admission at a news conference in Accra, said the National Executive Council (NEC) took the decision to dump the biometric register in favour of a new one to be manually compiled, having realized that it is not credible. The biometric register was well intended but was abused by our operatives and does not meet the standards required to make a credible one, I learnt people have invested heavily in the data-capturing book ready to do same when registration starts once again, Mr. Portuphy said. The NDC also used the news conference to announce a timetable for the partys upcoming activities. Between 18th and 24th October, 2017, there is going to be what they called National outrage programme, followed by the fresh registration for party members of all branches between November and December, 2017. The branch elections are expected to be held on 2nd, 27th and 28th January, 2018, followed by constituency elections on 3rd, 24th and 25th March, 2018. Regional Youth, Women and Zongo Caucus elections are expected to be held on 2nd and 3rd June, 2018 respectively, and slated the regional conference on June 9th, 2018. National Youth and Women Conferences are set for 13th and 14th July, 2018 while National Executive Conference is scheduled for 27th and 28th July, 2018. Source: Daily Guide 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 Police block the road near the site of a train derailment north of Edmonton Alta, on Sunday October 22, 2017. Residents were evacuated from two subdivisions, affecting approximately 46 homes in the Sturgeon Valley area. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson President of the Catalan parliament Carme Forcadell, center, sits with parliament representatives to discuss their next move after Spanish government announced plans to remove members of the region's pro-independence government, at the Catalonia Parliament, in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called on Spain's Senate to trigger a section of the constitution that allows the central government to temporarily govern a region if its leaders break the law. Rajoy wants to take over law enforcement, finance, public media, legislating and other powers as he seeks to clip Catalonia's wings. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) SYRIA QARYATAYN 102317: Map locates Qaryatayn in Syria, where civilian bodies were found after government forces retook town from IS; 1c x 2 3/4 inches; with BC--Syria; JEM; ETA 5 a.m. SOURCE: maps4news/HERE. Editors Note: It is mandatory to include all sources that accompany this graphic when repurposing or editing it for publication. Britain's Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, speaking at the Chatham House London Conference at an hotel in London, Monday Oct. 23, 2017. Johnson is urging North Korea to Auchange courseAu and engage in diplomacy to resolve the crisis over its nuclear ambitions. But he says U.S. President Donald Trump is right to keep the option of military action open. (Yui Mok/PA via AP) FILE - In this Sept. 28, 2017, file photo, debris scatters a destroyed community in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico. The Senate is pushing ahead on a $36.5 billion hurricane relief package that would give Puerto Rico a much-needed infusion of cash but rejects requests from the powerful Texas and Florida congressional delegations for additional money to rebuild after hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The measure is sure to sail through a Monday, Oct. 23, procedural vote and a final vote is expected no later than Tuesday. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) NuStar Energy Terminal, at the north end of tiny St. Eustatius (stalia) in the Caribbean. NuStar's refusal and other details of PDVSA's payment problems emerged after trader Trafigura sought to load a cargo of Venezuelan oil held at Statia HOUSTON Petroleumworld 10 23 2017 Venezuela's state-run petroleum firm PDVSA has been barred from using a NuStar Energy ( NS.N ) oil storage terminal in the Caribbean over $26 million in unpaid bills, according to documents reviewed by Reuters, halting delivery of a cargo to an oil trader. The suspension was triggered when PDVSA missed a payment for use of NuStar's Statia facility on the island of St. Eustatius, according to company documents viewed by Reuters. We should not load this cargo, wrote NuStar Vice President James Calvert in response to a loading request, according to one document. NuStar's refusal to retrieve the oil over what amounts to nearly a year's worth of monthly fees shows how recurring legal and trade disputes are disrupting PDVSA's ability to deliver its oil to foreign customers, which generate more than 90 percent of the country's export revenue. Shipping delays and quality concerns also are jeopardizing the OPEC-member country's crude sales, the lifeblood of its troubled economy. The suspension comes months after PDVSA had expanded its NuStar storage contract following a payment dispute with Buckeye Partners ( BPL.N ) over a Bahamas storage facility. Both U.S. firms operate key transit hubs for companies that move oil through the Caribbean. NuStar declined to comment. PDVSA did not respond to a request to comment. NuStar's refusal and other details of PDVSA's payment problems emerged after trader Trafigura [TRAFG.UL] sought to load a cargo of Venezuelan oil held at Statia. Trafigura was the winner of a court-ordered auction of the heavy crude intended to help resolve a separate billing dispute between PDVSA and units of Russian state-run conglomerate Sovcomflot ( IPO-SKF.MM ). Trafigura declined to comment on the auction or whether it expects to receive the cargo. Sovcomflot also declined to comment. NuStar first sought fees for the stored oil from PDVSA. On Oct. 10, after receiving no response from the Venezuelan firm, NuStar sent a $287,500 invoice to Sigma Navigation, a unit of Sovcomflot. NuStar offered to allow the oil to be loaded by Oct. 20 if payment was made before that date. That request led to a series of exchanges between representatives of the three companies. In one, a law firm representing Sigma alerted PDVSA's lawyers that its client was willing to pay the NuStar bill but reserved the right to seek repayment as part of the broader claim, according to documents. Sigma's lawyers also revealed in emails that, according to its talks with NuStar, the U.S. firm was claiming PDVSA owed it another $26 million for accumulated unpaid Statia storage fees. LONG TRIP The tangled story of the oil cargo at the heart of the dispute began a year ago, when PDVSA sent 550,000 barrels of crude oil to St. Eustatius on tanker NS Columbus rented from Sovcomflot. The oil had been sold to Norway's Statoil ( STL.OL ), which planned to retrieve it at Statia. Before it could get there, Sovcomflot had a St. Maarten court freeze the delivery in hopes of collecting partial payment for shipping fees unpaid by PDVSA. Five months after crossing the Caribbean, the court ordered the tanker to discharge its cargo at Statia. Trafigura's attempts to obtain the oil first were delayed due to force majeure declared by NuStar due to Hurricane Irma, and later over the unpaid bills between PDVSA and NuStar. We are facing a delay in the payment for the use of such facilities and related services contracted there. PDVSA is doing its best to catch up with outstanding debts, but has not made any special arrangements to cover the storage costs of the relevant tank, a PDVSA official wrote in an email in October. The PDVSA official explained that since June no payment has been made to NuStar, but also said that a payment schedule was proposed to the U.S. firm in a meeting in September in Caracas, with a first installment of $2.3 million planned for October. According to the schedule, 10 percent of the accumulated debt was to be paid from October through December, with a one-time additional payment due in January and the remainder paid off through 10-percent monthly installments. PDVSA has not yet paid the October installment, according to a PDVSA source, prompting NuStar's refusal to load. In a memorandum to PDVSA's finance chief, Simon Zerpa, the oil company's trade and supply department warned further payment delay to NuStar could result in possible tanker embargoes, broken supply contracts with Caribbean customers and a shortage of fuels for Venezuela's domestic market. In the September meeting, PDVSA suggested it could terminate a related contract with NuStar for fuel oil tanks rental and sublease a portion of its Statia storage to an undisclosed firm as a way to reduce further debts. NuStar countered that PDVSA could pay off the debt with oil, or by allowing it to become a partner in the state-run company's terminal on the island of Bonaire along with a partial payment to show good faith. It is unclear if any agreement on topics different than the payment schedule was reached. 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That frequency increases over the lifespan, peaking among the elderly. Among men 18 to 29 who have ever been married, about 1 in 10 is There isnt much new construction planned for Philadelphia after the Comcast Technology Center is completed this winter. Read more U.S. stock prices keep hitting record highs, as hope and greed push past fear. But back on the ground, where real companies add locations and hire people, "we've seen a little bit of a slowdown," says Bruce Van Saun, chief executive of Citizens Financial Group, whose Citizens Bank has the biggest branch network in Philadelphia and its suburbs. Loans to businesses by U.S. banks rose rapidly last year and early this year, as commercial real estate developers and private-company investors rushed to borrow cheap before the Federal Reserve's threatened rate hikes. But that little rush is over, Van Saun told me Friday, as area banks reported slow third-quarter loan growth, compared with last year. Loan growth is "weak" for Citizens and for rival banks; "this is an industry issue," bank stocks analyst R. Scott Siefers told clients of Sandler O'Neill + Partners, New York, in a report. Indeed, Citizens shares rose Friday and Monday to their second-highest closings since the bank went public three years ago, after the bank reported higher-than-expected third-quarter profits, thanks partly to cost cuts. U.S. economic growth now "hinges on Washington getting some work done around the growth agenda, such as tax cuts," Van Saun said. "Get something done in Washington and you'll see a release of those 'animal spirits.' " He's especially interested in a proposal for more-rapid expensing of capital investments against current taxes, which could be "a real tonic to pick up growth." Bosses who were optimistic that Donald Trump's election would lead to pro-business policies are still taking a "wait and see attitude" toward actually hiring and investing. For example, in Philadelphia, which now has plenty of new apartments and condos seeking occupants, "you will see less new development," Van Saun said. Office deals have also slowed; after the second Comcast tower, due to finish basic construction this winter, "there's not a lot more going up." President Trump said last week that he'll deliver business and personal tax rate cuts before the end of this year. He's betting businesses will spend part of their savings on expanding U.S. operations, earn more profits and pay more taxes, even at the new lower rates, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says. But even with the House and Senate backing a budget with less tax revenue, "finishing tax legislation in 2017 is overly optimistic," Brian Gardner, Washington-watcher for bank investment firm Keefe Bruyette & Woods, warned in a report to clients Monday. "Tax legislation, if passed, will be completed in 2018." Meanwhile, Citizens has been cutting costs by downsizing its branches and staff at some of its 154 Philadelphia-area locations, and others from New England to the Midwest. Loan growth was also "modestly weaker" than expected at Beneficial Bank, the largest bank still based in Philadelphia, wrote Frank Schiraldi, another Sandler O'Neill analyst, in a report to clients. Consumer lending was down last quarter, even as business loans were up modestly. Bryn Mawr Trust Corp. lenders have lately become "more cautious" about construction loans as Philadelphia-area development slows, analyst Matthew Schultheis told clients at Boenning & Scattergood in West Conshohocken. He noted that Bryn Mawr is also expanding its capital-markets operation so as to rely less on new loans. Madison Reed CEO Amy Errett had lunch yesterday with dozens of her employees in the San Francisco's Mission District to talk about how her start-up will storm the barricades of the $50 billion hair-care market, with some help from Comcast Ventures. The cable giant's venture arm was the lead investor in Madison Reed's latest financing round, helping raise $25 million for about two dozen Color Bars sleek hair salons to add to Madison Reed's products sold mostly online. The Color Bars are expected to open by the end of 2019. There are now two Color Bars, in New York and San Francisco. "What I was talking about today was what it's like today" with about 100 employees "and what it will be like when we hire 400 people for our Color Bars," Errett said. Ninety-five million American women color their hair every six weeks a huge market but there has been little innovation in the market for those products, dominated by companies such as L'Oreal and Procter & Gamble, in decades, Errett said. Madison Reed's potential market is women between the ages of 35 and 75. "Even women in their 60s know how to shop online," Errett said. Fifty-two percent of women color their hair at home, a product served by Madison Reed's online sales. The remaining 48 percent of women color their hair at salons. The Color Bars aims to serve those customers. Traditional hair-products giants are beholden to brick-and-mortar stores and are late to sell their products aggressively online, Errett said. So far, Madison Reed, which was launched in 2014, has raised $70 million. It markets its hair products as being free of ammonia, resorcinol, parabens, phthalates, and other potentially harmful ingredients and being "delivered to your door." Comcast Venture has been investing in digital start-ups such as MealPal and Dollar Shave Club. The research firm CB Insights has ranked Comcast Ventures as the nation's No. 4 corporate start-up investor since 2011, with stakes in 105 early-stage companies that carry a combined valuation of billions of dollars. CB Insights says that the only U.S. companies with more start-up investments are three Silicon Valley giants: Google (286), Intel Corp. (207), and Salesforce.com (124). The Comcast venture arm has offices in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and New York. A lawsuit filed Monday attempts to block Gov. Wolfs plan to borrow $1.25 billion against future PLCB profits to help fill a $2 billion budget gap. Read more Gov. Wolf's plan to borrow $1.25 billion against future profits of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to help fill a gaping $2 billion budget gap for fiscal 2017-18 faces a court challenge. A petition for a temporary preliminary injunction was filed Monday in Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania by Matthew J. Brouillette, president and chief executive of the Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs; Rep. Jim Christiana (R., Beaver), and Harrisburg-area small businessman Ben Lewis. The petition said Wolf's borrowing, including loans from the state treasury, violated the Pennsylvania Constitution. "Our constitution requires that the commonwealth's budget be balanced, meaning that expenditures cannot exceed revenues, and that money only be borrowed in the name of the people of Pennsylvania with the explicit consent of their General Assembly," the petition said. The Wolf administration, which had no comment, has said the PLCB has the authority to borrow the $1.25 billion because of the board's ability to enter into contracts. Artist's rendering of part of the uCity Square complex being developed in University City, one of the sites pitched in Philadelphias proposal to Amazon. Read more Philadelphia and some of its neighbors are among 238 cities and regions across North America that are bidding to become home to Amazon's planned second headquarters campus, according to a tally posted on the company's website Monday. Proposals to host Amazon.com Inc.'s new corporate home came from 54 states, provinces, districts, and territories across the continent, it said. Bids originated from all but six U.S. states (Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Arkansas), according to an accompanying map. The tally was released four days after Amazon's Oct. 19 deadline for responses to its request for proposals to accommodate the company's expansion beyond its native Seattle. Locally, bids came from Philadelphia, Delaware County, Camden County, and the state of Delaware. Bensalem and Bristol Townships in Bucks County also each submitted a proposal. Amazon's headquarters-search team will review each of the proposals in the coming months, company spokesman Adam Sedo wrote in an email. John Boyd, a Princeton-based location consultant, said the large volume of applications received by Amazon is a result of many bids coming from single metropolitan areas, such as the Philadelphia region. Boston and its near neighbors in Massachusetts and elsewhere in New England also submitted separate pitches, as did municipalities in the New York City metro and San Francisco Bay areas. Amazon had asked for one response per metropolitan region as part of its original request, in which it outlined its plan to employ 50,000 skilled workers at the second headquarters campus, nicknamed HQ2. The plans call for spending $5 billion to develop millions of square feet of office space. "At the outset of this process, Amazon certainly had a select group of cities they felt would show the most promise," said Boyd, whose company has helped Boeing Co., PepsiCo Inc., and others with site searches. "Now they have 238." Boyd said that Amazon would probably generate a short list of 10 to 15 serious contenders for the new headquarters and that company officials would in coming months begin making in-person visits to specific sites. He predicted that Philadelphia would make the company's short list. Philadelphia's pitch revolves around the Schuylkill Yards and uCity Square developments in West Philadelphia, and South Philadelphia's Navy Yard. Camden County has a Delaware River waterfront site in mind for the retail giant, and Delaware has proposed a block of properties along Wilmington's South Market Street, a former steel mill in the New Castle County town of Claymont, and a business park in Fairfax. Delaware County and Chester City, and Bensalem and Bristol Townships were also offering up stretches of their waterfronts for the retail behemoth. If any of those sites makes Amazon's initial cut, local boosters will go out of their way to make sure the company gets a broad look at the overall region, said Matt Cabrey, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's business-retention affiliate, Select Greater Philadelphia. "When the Amazon team names Greater Philadelphia as one of their short-listed regions, we will host them as a unified community," he said. Boyd said he did not expect Amazon to look any less favorably upon metro regions such as Philadelphia that submitted multiple bids. "Amazon can walk and chew gum at the same time," he said. "They'll sort this out." Sea level rise could have a devastating effect on real estate properties in some coastal areas by the end of the century, a Zillow report predicts. Read more With hurricanes wreaking havoc from the Caribbean to Ireland, you might be excused for forgetting that climate change is about more than just intensifying weather events. Friendly reminder from Zillow: rising sea levels are happening, too. According to the real estate company's latest report, residents in Egg Harbor Township and Upper Township in New Jersey may want to pay attention. The report is an update to similar findings last year, which predicted dire financial losses in real estate values by 2100. Nationally, 1.9 million homes are projected to be swamped if the ocean rises six feet by then a number midway between a conservative estimate of 4.3 feet and the "cannot be excluded" prediction of 8 feet. Of course, many coastal homes are among the most expensive in their regions, meaning cities like Miami could be facing enormous losses. Yet circumstances would be more dire for less-affluent homeowners who would face losing most of their net worth if seas rise as predicted. Upper Township in Cape May County and Egg Harbor Township in Atlantic County are included Zillow's top 20 areas likely to be hardest hit. In Upper Township, the report found 45,757 homes would likely be under water by the end of the century a staggering 56.6 percent of all homes, representing $29.3 billion in assets. The report also examined the distribution of home values, finding that they are relatively even between the lowest, highest and middle tiers. In Egg Harbor, 27,288 homes would likely be underwater at $10.3 billion in assets, again distributed relatively evenly among the tiers, according to Zillow researchers. Former Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams used his mother while he was a free man. Now, he's trying to use her to get out of prison. I don't have much sympathy for Williams, who betrayed the public trust and sold out his office to enrich himself. The city's first black district attorney shamed us all and deserves every single day in prison he gets. The bum even bilked his own mother. When family friends donated $10,000 to help with her bills, Williams absconded with that money, too. And now he wants to be released from prison so he can go see her? Please. Williams, who unexpectedly pleaded guilty in June in a federal bribery case, is expected to be sentenced Tuesday to up to five years. But before he is moved to a new prison, he wants another taste of freedom. His attorney last week filed a memorandum asking that he be released with an electronic monitor, pending his assignment to the facility where he will serve out his sentence. Williams reportedly wants to see his ailing mother for what may be the last time and put his affairs in order. "It's really a humanitarian request," Thomas Burke, Williams' lawyer, told me on Monday. Since being taken into custody immediately after his guilty plea, Williams has been kept in solitary confinement in a special housing unit at the Philadelphia Federal Detention Center, allowed out for only an hour each day. He most likely will be assigned to a low-security prison camp, but because he was the city's top law enforcement officer, it will be some distance away, making it more challenging for visitors. How would his mother see him then? "She's still in a nursing home. She's 85 years old. She has good days and bad days. She's not mobile. She has to be transported with a wheelchair, and she has to get rides everywhere, and she has to be cared for," Burke said. He pointed out that if Williams is assigned to a prison in Virginia, for example, it would make it difficult for her to travel to see him. "You're going to have this lady travel two days? That's like a Bataan Death March," he said. "I think it's physically dangerous." He also raised the issue of finances. "The nursing home is not going to provide that level of transportation," Burke said. "That's why I'm hoping the judge has a little compassion given mom's situation." I feel for his ailing mother, who suffers from Parkinson's disease. What did she do besides love Williams, the son she and her late husband adopted as a toddler? Imelda Williams hasn't been able to see her only child since who knows when. Judging from court testimony, it doesn't look as if Williams had been spending much time with her. Administrators had a time catching up to him to get him to pay his mother's bills. If he's released for a few weeks, how much time would he actually spend with her? Excuse me if I sound cynical, but he was his family's great hope and promise, and he threw it all away for some free trips to the Dominican Republic, a used Jaguar, and a chocolate-colored couch, among other items. Williams pleaded guilty to a single violation of the Travel Act, stemming from bribes he accepted from a wealthy donor to his campaign. Twenty-eight other charges were dropped, but Williams admitted committing those offenses as well. He has since been disbarred. I'm sure Imelda loves her son no matter what. If the judge has mercy and agrees to let Williams out, this could be her last chance to see him. I can't help but feel for her. But then I start thinking about Williams and how he hoodwinked us all, and I get mad all over again. Judge Paul S. Diamond sent a strong message when he locked Williams up immediately. Letting him out now to go see his mom would diminish it. The Harvey Weinstein scandal that started in Hollywood has blown open a much wider hole in the insidious and seemingly entrenched world of male supremacy and the harassment, abuse, and even rape that comes with it with new revelations on Sunday about Bill O'Reilly and the well-known film director James Toback, and with thousands of women sharing their horror stories under the #MeToo hashtag. What's more, the movie producer's lechery has become the kind of story that takes on a life of its own, launching 1,000 takes on everything from politics to pop culture. To be clear, there's nothing about the Weinstein saga that's worse than what he actually did to dozens of vulnerable women. But it's also appalling that when the story broke wide open after years and years of keeping it under wraps the Hollywood icon blamed everyone but himself. And there was one thing he said that I found especially irksome, because it gave new life to arguably the most tired trope of my lifetime. That everything is the fault of the 1960s and the 1970s. "I came of age in the '60s and '70s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different," Weinstein told the New York Times when the story broke earlier this month. "That was the culture then." Weinstein's evasions are transparently wrong, and dumb. But what bothers me more was that his comments gave ammunition to a backwards-looking movement among conservatives that sometimes unconsciously, but often consciously, want to take America back to a black-and-white, bad-laugh-track TV sitcom 1950s version of America where everything was just peachy keen just as long as you weren't a woman or black or brown or gay or, heaven forbid, somehow just a little different from "the norm." Some social critics some more nuanced than others tacitly endorsed Weinstein's weird mea culpa, including the New York Times' resident puritan Ross Douthat, who opined that "when it comes to Weinsteinian behavior and related evils, things probably haven't ever been as bad in modern America as they were for a time in the 1970s." Such arguments give life force to a movement in statehouses, Congress, and the White House that claim to target licentiousness but primarily would make it easier to discriminate against gays, roll back hard-won women's rights, or make it harder for blacks to vote all because it fits that hazy "Make America Great Again" philosophy. The idea that Harvey Weinstein's perversions have anything to do with the 1960s and '70s is absurd. There were no "rules" to encourage people to do the actual things that Weinstein is accused of doing bullying and harassing young women to have sex, groping, and flat-out lewd behavior. Changing social mores certainly led to an uptick in consensual activity by the late 1960s and '70s, but men in a position of power forcing non-consensual sex on women or young men is a story older than the Bible. In Hollywood, the phrase "the casting couch" the sexual scam that Weinstein updated originated in the 1910s, making that sick tradition essentially as old as the movie studios themselves. And if "Weinsteinism" is some kind of warped offshoot of 20th century liberalism, how to explain the abuses by conservative heroes such as O'Reilly or his boss, the late Roger Ailes? The biggest difference in sexual abuse by family members, "trusted" adults, bosses, or the otherwise powerful before the arrival of the 1960s and '70s was that victims were more likely to suffer in silence, increasing their trauma. As for those changing "rules" that Weinstein clings to as his excuse, the only real rule changes that mattered that came from the early 1970s were the ideas that women had a right to more freedom, more respect and greater opportunity in the workplace and in every other social arena that mattered. In 1957, the writer Betty Friedan surveyed her Smith College classmates from the 1940s and discovered widespread dissatisfaction with their stultified lives as housewives in the Eisenhower era what she famously called "the problem that has no name" in her 1963 classic work, The Feminine Mystique. That was part of a much bigger reality, that the time of Father Knows Best in America which certainly did bring newfound prosperity to a largely white middle class was indeed a golden age as long as you were a father. A white, heterosexual father, to be more specific. For millions of Americans on the social, cultural and economic margins, there was no laugh track for life as it was on Jan. 1, 1960. If you were black, you attended segregated schools, were routinely denied job or college opportunities, and in wide swaths of this country could not use the same restrooms, drinking fountains, or swimming pools as whites. If you were a member of what today we call the LGBTQ community, you lived life in the dark shadows of a confining closet, unable to openly love whom you loved or live the way you wanted to live. If you were one of the millions confined to poverty, you were invisible. That was a center that could not hold, but it took 15 years of courageous activism and hard questioning to unravel some of society's contradictions and some haven't been unraveled a half century later. And it can't be denied that, as in any revolution, there were excesses hard drugs weren't a form of consciousness-raising but another grim variation on human addiction, "free love" was rarely free. Still, while it's human nature to focus on the ongoing problems rather than the victories, it's good sometimes to remember how oppressive things were before the much-maligned 1960s and '70s to appreciate the rights and the opportunities that have been gained by so many in the years that followed. It reminds me, ironically, of the tagline from Ronald Reagan's famous 1984 "Morning in America" political ad, that "Why would we ever want to return to where we were ?" And yet there are many powerful people who would like nothing better. This week, the New Yorker's Jane Mayer published a remarkable profile of the ultimate back-to-the-'50s politician, Vice President Mike Pence, who now famously won't eat lunch with a woman who's not his wife and won't attend a co-ed cocktail party if not accompanied by the woman he called "Mother." That weird stuff would be fine, I guess, if Pence didn't want to governmentally cram his black-and-white morality down America's throat, through so-called "religious freedom" laws that sanction anti-LGBTQ discrimination or through myopic policies toward Planned Parenthood and drug treatment that contributed to an HIV-infection crisis when he was governor of Indiana. Even if Pence never replaces the increasingly bizarre President Trump, Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill and in statehouses across the country have made it clear that while completely incapable of tackling legislation that might create jobs they're very successful at mounting a kind of holy war against women's reproductive rights including, increasingly, birth control. It's as if they're determined to create a new culture of female servitude, to bring back "the problem that doesn't have a name." It all fosters a climate where the hard-won victories of the 1960s most notably the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that was gutted by a conservative Supreme Court and neglected by the GOP Congress can be undone, all under the bogus guise of making America "great" again. That's why it's good to sometimes take a deep breath, ignore the propaganda, and remember what was gained by questioning authority. Thanks to the Weinstein scandal flap, the '70s were on my brain even before I drove to New York on Saturday for my 40th high school reunion. The women of the Class of '77 were wildly successful in ways that just wouldn't have been possible or even conceivable in Betty Friedan's heyday high-flying careers in retail and finance and whatnot. And then there was the successful art dealer now able in the 21st century to marry her female partner, as well as an African American who attended an elite university south of the Mason-Dixon line and became a physician. (And no "housewives," but one "house husband" who wrote books and described his wife as the "breadwinner.") None of this seems especially remarkable today but it would if you were a time traveler from 1959, the year most of my classmates were born. I'll ask one more time: Why would we ever want to return to where we were? Regulars raise a toast to their years at Toweys Tavern. From left are Andrew Walls of Mount Airy, Chris Bond of Chestnut Hill, and Harvey Nelson of Olney. Read more In the early days of Towey's Tavern, blue-collar workers bellied up to the Chestnut Hill bar, where neighbors played pool, everybody smoked, and there was no such thing as a craft beer. The passing 50-plus years haven't altered Towey's, where the beer stayed cheap and cigarette smoke still drifts near the ceiling. But the world outside changed, bringing with it new patrons, then fewer of them. Denizens of the wood-paneled Germantown Avenue institution noticed empty seats even on weekends. At first, they didn't mind; more room for them. But in the early hours of next Sunday morning, after one last party, the venerable shot-and-a-beer dive will close for good, casting adrift the bartenders and regulars to whom it has been a second home. The decision wasn't easy, said Lyn Russo, whose grandfather Frank Towey opened the place, but the bar was a victim of the neighborhood's changing demographics and a craft-beer boom that sent customers elsewhere. "It's strange, because it's always been such a huge part of my life," said Russo, 50, who as a child ate pickles and cherries from behind the bar as her parents cleaned the place. "It's become a family." Manager and bartender David Marcolina, who has worked at Towey's for 30 years, offered a more blunt assessment. "It's a great [expletive] bar, and there's a lot of people pissed we're closing," he said. "We're going to be missed when we're gone." Adding insult to injury in the minds of some regulars, the building will become an outpost of the Foodery, the purveyor of bottled beer that has three locations in Philadelphia and one in Phoenixville. It should do well there, Russo said, given Towey's popularity as a late-night spot for takeout beer. But what of the locals, the Eagles and Phillies and Flyers fans, the drinkers who depend on Towey's for companionship and laughs and community? "We'll be homeless," said regular Tom Bregatta, sighing into his lager. "Who has the patience to babysit all these miscreants?" There's disagreement among family members over exactly when Frank Towey opened the place, but according to Russo, it was 63 years ago. From the start, the bar drew construction workers and factory employees coming off night shifts. Often, it was packed by 8 a.m., Marcolina said. Towey's is the only dive bar in the area, and although blue-collar types still make up a large percentage of the clientele, now they're joined by lawyers, judges, doctors, professors, artists, employees from nearby restaurants, and, once in a while, professional athletes. Bill Murray even came in once while waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant. "He stood by the cigarette machine," Marcolina said. "People walked in and looked at him, like, oh, that's Bill Murray. Nobody paid him a bit of mind." He also left a $50 tip. Towey's was eventually taken over by Russo's parents, John and Lois Towey, who ran the place until several years ago, when Russo took over. Russo's father died in 2010. Marcolina, 63, started out as a bar regular who lived in an apartment upstairs. After a construction accident left Marcolina unemployed, John Towey knocked on his door and offered him a job. After a while, he started selling cheesesteaks out of the bar for $3, which only added to Towey's charm among faithful patrons. The bar has four brews on tap, a fridge full of beer, and an array of liquor bottles bathed in pinkish light behind the bar. Decorations include mirrors, neon beer lights, and bags of Herr's chips and popcorn clipped to the wall. A sign behind the bar reads: "The customer is always right. Bartender decides if you are a customer." Over the years, some of Chestnut Hill's well-heeled residents have turned up their noses at Towey's, said John Spruance, a bartender for 16 years. But he always took pride in the bar's lack of pretension. When customers ask to see the wine list, Spruance writes "red" and "white" on his notepad and hands it to them. Occasionally, someone asks why people are smoking. "To me, it's a matter of, you want something to drink or not? You comin' or goin'?" It's not that Towey's never tried to change with the times. But saving the bar would have required a total image overhaul, Russo said, and experiments with modernizing hadn't gone over well with regulars. First, Russo added some craft beer. Then, last summer, she made it nonsmoking. "That was a disaster," Russo said. "Our longtime patrons were like, 'Screw this, we're out of here!' I think they felt why fix what's not broken?" Russo, who planned to try the smoking ban for six months, ended it after a week. In Towey's heyday, the scene was rowdier, with breakups, makeups, and the occasional argument between friends. ("We have our share of morons," Marcolina allowed.) The bar was most festive on snow days, when it was often the only bar open in Chestnut Hill, and on Christmas evenings. "I'll never forget the first Christmas night," Spruance said. "I open up, and an hour later it's packed with people who are sick of being around their families!" Spruance and Marcolina are considering career changes after Towey's closes. Russo said she and the rest of her family are hoping for an upbeat mood on the final night, which will include live music and all the Towey's staff as well as past and current regulars. Then, sometime after the last customer leaves, the real party will start, and the staff will gather and reminisce for as long as they see fit. At some point, the last Jamesons will be poured, the last pints of Miller Lite drained. Then they'll lock up for the last time. "That'll be one of the hardest nights, or mornings, as the case may be," Spruance said. "Just locking the door and walking away." Federal investigators remove boxes of evidence from the Advanced Ugent Care facility in Willow Grove Pa., Monday Oct. 23, 2017. Read more At least five Advance Urgent Care centers in the Philadelphia region, Scranton, and State College, Pa., have been raided by federal law enforcement agencies. The raids were conducted as part of an investigation into overprescribing of opioids, according to sources. Efforts to contact the chain were not immediately successful. A spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration would not comment on the raids. The FBI and U.S. marshals were also involved in the operation. At the Willow Grove location at 126 Easton Rd., dozens of agents were seen, NBC10 reported. Locations in the 9400 block of Roosevelt Boulevard as well as Scranton and State College were also subjects of the raid, a source said. The owner, Mehdi Nikparvar, is the subject of an investigation, a source said. Nikparvar, a physician, was listed as being in custody at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia. In 2015, the Willow Grove and Roosevelt Boulevard locations, along with another in Scranton and one on the 5000 block of City Avenue in Wynnefield, were also raided, 6abc reported at the time. These are the winning designs for U.S. Mints breast cancer awareness commemorative coins Read more The U.S. Mint on Monday unveiled the designs for a pink-ribbon product unlike any seen before: a $5 gold coin made with a pink-hued alloy. When the breast cancer awareness collectible currency set goes on sale next year, buyers also will be able to purchase a $1 silver coin and a half-dollar metal-clad coin. The obverse, or "heads" side, features two women, one wearing a scarf and raising a fist, the other with her hands folded on her chest "and a relieved expression on her face," according to the Mint's news release. Above the women, as well as on the reverse, a butterfly floats as "a symbol of hope." Commemorative coin programs are created by acts of Congress to honor a person, place, or event. The breast cancer coins also will raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, a nonprofit based in New York City. A $35 surcharge on each $5 coin is earmarked for the foundation, which was created by Evelyn Lauder, who was a breast cancer survivor, daughter-in-law of cosmetics magnate Estee Lauder, and inventor of the Pink Ribbon campaign. "More than just a beautiful reminder of the fight, the coin will directly contribute to research the kind that has decreased mortality rates by 38 percent over the last 25 years," foundation president Myra Biblowit and U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D., N.Y.), a co-sponsor of the breast cancer coin law, wrote Monday on MarieClaire.com. Last year, the Mint, with a facility on Independence Mall, announced a competition to design the coins. The winner was Emily Damstra, a freelance illustrator whose art appears at museums and zoos and in many publications, the Mint said. Although Breast Cancer Awareness Month promotions and races have raised billions of dollars for research and charitable programs, some women's health activists are critical of what they see as a lack of financial transparency and the less-than-healthy products that profit from tie-ins. One longtime critic, Breast Cancer Action, a California-based education and advocacy organization, this year launched a "Knot Our Pink Ribbon" campaign, urging people to "join us in calling out Estee Lauder for their role in launching the breast cancer industry." The Mint's collectible coins are part of that industry, Breast Cancer Action executive director Karuna Jaggar said Monday. "Breast cancer remains an urgent public health crisis and social justice issue. It's hard to see how a pink coin contributes to the systemic change needed to address the breast cancer epidemic," Jaggar said in a email. "After 25 years of pink ribbons, we have too little to show for the billions of dollars spent on pink ribbon products, promotions, and publicity stunts." Agents take evidence from the Nueva Vida Behavioral Health Center of N.J. in Camden. Read more Cesar Tavera, the former executive director of a community health center in Camden, was sentenced Monday to more than five years in prison for stealing money from the nonprofit, which was created to provide mental health services for the city's underserved residents. In addition to 70 months in prison, three years of supervised release was ordered by U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden. The judge also issued a $2.5 million restitution order. In May, Tavera pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $1.5 million and conspiracy to commit health-care fraud. Had he gone to trial and been convicted, Tavera could have faced more than 10 years in prison. Two others, including Tavera's wife, Maria, and a therapist, Andres Ayala, pleaded guilty to similar charges earlier this year. Maria Tavera pleaded guilty in June to embezzling $40,000 from the nonprofit. Maria Tavera, who was an administrator for the center, is scheduled for sentencing next month, and Ayala in December. Authorities said Cesar Tavera, 53, of Cherry Hill, embezzled from Nueva Vida Behavioral Health Center of New Jersey, using the money for his family and for personal use that included gambling jaunts to SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, meals, and travel in the United States and abroad. In 2015, authorities said, Tavera withdrew $35,000 from the center's bank account while at the casino. He also funded his daughter's music career, and paid "no-show" employees, prosecutors said. New Jersey Medicaid rules require that people giving mental health therapy to Medicaid recipients must either be licensed or have a master's degree in mental health. Tavera had several unlicensed and unqualified individuals treat Medicaid recipients and then billed Medicaid as if qualified therapists had treated the patients, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Tavera also treated Medicaid patients even though he was not qualified, prosecutors said. Among the fraudulent billings, prosecutors said, were that if a mother received therapy without her child, Nueva Vida would bill Medicaid for a session with the mother and a separate session with the child. Nueva Vida billed Medicaid for short sessions as if they lasted for 45 minutes. To cover up his crimes, Tavera created false records to pass Medicaid audits, prosecutors said. In 2016, federal agents raided the office in Camden. Cesar Tavera founded the clinic to provide mental-health services for the city's Spanish-speaking population. Tavera's attorney could not immediately be reached for comment after the sentencing. There was no answer Monday at a home phone number listed for Tavera in Cherry Hill. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions addresses the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Monday. Read more U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday formally designated the criminal gang MS-13 as a priority for federal law enforcement, vowing to use agencies ranging from the FBI to Homeland Security and the IRS to dismantle what he described as an organization that "threatens the lives and well-being of each and every family and each and every neighborhood [it] infests." "We will use whatever laws we have to get MS-13 off the streets," Sessions said. His remarks, delivered at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Center City, represented an extension of Sessions' months-long focus on MS-13, a violent gang with links to Central America that police officials have connected to recent killings in Long Island; the Washington suburbs; and elsewhere in the United States. In the last six months, Sessions has delivered speeches about the group on Long Island and in El Salvador, and promised to prosecute or deport members responsible for crime. He did not say that the gang had any particular foothold in Philadelphia, and local officials have long said that the city is not a hub for such organized, hierarchical gangs. But Sessions said that by designating MS-13 as a priority for the Justice Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, investigators from a number of federal agencies could use a variety of tactics to "dismantle" the group. As an example, he pointed toward how Al Capone's downfall came due to tax violations, as opposed to widely suspected criminal conduct. "MS-13 members brutally rape, rob, extort, and murder," Sessions said. "Guided by their motto 'kill, rape, and control' they leave misery, devastation, and death in their wake." Sessions said that last month the Justice Department and officials in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras announced charges against 3,800 gang members. The speech was the second by Sessions at the police conference, an annual gathering of tens of thousands of law enforcement personnel from across the world. On Saturday, he vowed to support local police in their fight against violent crime. In his address Monday, Sessions also said the Justice Department would issue grants to local police departments and other organizations, including $200,000 to help with community building efforts; $5 million for training to respond to active shooter events; and $100 million in an attempt to bolster recruitment efforts. Commissioner Richard Ross applauded the final initiative, saying: "I am delighted to hear that there's going to be some push toward putting more cops on the street. We believe that that helps." As for MS-13, Ross said, "They haven't got a stronghold here whatsoever." "We've got our localized gangs, and those are the ones that cause us grief," he added. The convention has had its share of protesters, although Sessions' appearance Monday seemed to pass largely without incident. Sunday's demonstration by about 40 protesters was largely peaceful, but on Saturday several picketers were cited and arrested during protests that injured three people, including a police officer. The conference is scheduled to conclude Tuesday. Radnor Township Commissioner Phil Ahr is walked to his arraignment at District Court in Newtown Square on charges of distributing and possessing child pornography Wednesday October 11, 2017. DAVID SWANSON / Staff Photographer Read more Philip Ahr has resigned as Radnor Township Board of Commissioners president for "personal reasons," but will continue to serve as a commissioner, according to a resignation letter released Monday, nearly two weeks after he was charged with distributing and receiving child pornography. The board did not elect Ahr's replacement, however, after two separate nominations failed in 3-3 votes along party lines at the board's regularly scheduled meeting Monday evening. Ahr, 66, of Bryn Mawr, was arrested and charged on Oct. 11 with numerous felony counts. Authorities said that since at least 2013, Ahr sent and received hundreds of images of child sexual abuse some involving infants and toddlers, others depicting sadomasochistic abuse and abuse involving children and animals. His preliminary hearing on the charges is set for Thursday. Ahr's resignation on Friday came three days before the board was scheduled to hold its bimonthly meeting, at which acting President Elaine Schaefer said the board intended to vote to replace Ahr as president if he had not already resigned. No one can be voted off the board unless convicted of a crime, according to its charter. A two-paragraph letter to Township Manager Robert Zienkowski signed by Ahr, who is free on $100,000 bail read in part: "Although I will continue to serve as commissioner of the Seventh Ward, the duties and the responsibilities of president of the board are demanding and personal reasons necessitate that I vacate my position as president of the board effective this date." Some township residents in the audience scoffed and laughed to themselves as the letter was read aloud at Monday's meeting. "What?" someone exclaimed at the reading of "personal reasons." Ahr, a Democrat whose ward encompasses parts of Bryn Mawr and Villanova, was not present at the meeting. He had also been absent from the two other board meetings that had been held since the criminal investigation began last month. During public comment, several residents addressed the board, voicing concern about the Seventh Ward effectively being left unrepresented and asking whether anything could be done to remove Ahr before his case is adjudicated. Ahr "has not been here to add the Seventh Ward voices to the township matters," said Jane Galli, a Seventh Ward resident who has run against Ahr for commissioner in the past. "Perhaps it is time to change our charter to allow for an ad-hoc commissioner at large." "For people in the Seventh Ward, this is not fair, what is happening to them," said Jerry O'Connor of Garrett Hill. "Get him off of the board completely and move on." Others, such as Wayne resident Dan Sherry Jr., had questions regarding a board vote at an Oct. 9 meeting two days before Ahr was charged to remove Ahr as president as he was being investigated. The motion, brought by Republican Richard Booker, failed in a 3-3 vote along party lines, with Democrats Schaefer, John Nagle, and James Higgins voting against Ahr's removal. "What did the three members on or before Oct. 9, 2017, know about Phil Ahr? Specifically, what were they told?" Sherry said. "Did you think [the criminal investigation] was about unpaid meter tickets?" Schaefer said earlier this month that board members did not know the nature of the crimes being investigated prior to Ahr's arrest. The details of the investigation were sealed until Ahr was charged, and a criminal complaint laid out in graphic detail Ahr's alleged behavior in illicit online chatrooms, sometimes under the username "Daddy X" or "Daddy XX." A day after the charges were filed, Ahr, a marketing director at Progressive Business Publications, was placed on administrative leave from the Malvern company, for which he has worked for more than 40 years. For nearly two decades of that tenure, Ahr also mentored at-risk schoolchildren through a company program. Over the last month, Ahr has not responded to multiple requests for comment. At his arraignment, both he and his attorney, Mark P. Much, declined to answer reporters' questions. Later calls to Much's office in Media and Ahr's home were not returned. Controversy has surrounded board presidents in recent times. Just one day after Ahr was charged, former Board President Bill Spingler was sentenced to probation for allegedly groping his 103-year-old mother-in-law at her Wayne nursing home last year. Earlier, Higgins stepped down as president in April 2016 after he inserted nearly $1 million into a storm-water management budget after it had been passed. Higgins said the insertion was a mistake. Ahr, a husband and father of two grown children, became a commissioner in January 2016 and three months later became president. On Monday, Schaefer moved for a vote to elect Nagle as Ahr's successor and Republican Luke Clark as vice president until Nov. 28, and then have Nagle and Clark switch positions until the end of the year. "That lacks stability," Booker said. "I'd like to see us move in the direction of splitting the leadership of the board," Higgins said, adding that many residents have requested greater bipartisan leadership on the board and less political bickering. The vote was tied, and Republican Donald Curley then moved to elect Clark as president, with a Democrat serving as vice president, but that vote also failed along party lines. Because the board did not elect a new president, Schaefer will continue to act as president, at least until the next board meeting in two weeks. Attorney General Jeff Sessions addresses the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference, at the Convention Center, in Philadelphia, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. JESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer Read more U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, speaking Monday at a major police conference in Philadelphia, vowed to "dismantle" the international criminal gang MS-13. He has spoken frequently about the organization since taking office this year but what is it, and does it have a local foothold? What is MS-13? It's a violent criminal gang that started in Los Angeles in the 1980s and has strong ties to Central American countries, including El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, according to InsightCrime, a foundation that studies organized crime in Latin America. The foundation's website said MS-13 members "rob, extort and bully their way into neighborhoods and have gradually turned to transnational crimes such as human smuggling and drug trafficking. Their activities have helped make the Northern Triangle Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras the most violent place in the world that is not at war." Why is MS-13 relevant in the United States? A 2008 FBI assessment estimated that MS-13 had as many as 10,000 members operating in 42 states. And police officials across the country have said recently that the gang has been operating in increasingly public and violent ways. On Long Island, for example, officials believe the gang is responsible for at least 21 deaths since 2016. And in Maryland, prosecutors in a county outside Washington said in October that 10 murders over the last two years could be tied to MS-13. What is law enforcement doing about it? President Trump and Sessions have taken aim at MS-13 since taking office this year. Trump gave a controversial address about the gang on Long Island in July that may have been overshadowed by his off-the-cuff remarks that police officers shouldn't be afraid to be "rough" with criminal suspects. Sessions has given several speeches about MS-13, including in El Salvador, on Long Island, and in Philadelphia on Monday. "The MS-13 motto is kill, rape and control," Sessions said on Long Island in April, according to the New York Times. "Our motto is justice for victims and consequences for criminals. That's how simple it is. Prosecute them, and after they've been convicted, if they're not here lawfully, they're going to be deported." Is MS-13 active in Philadelphia? Local police leaders don't believe so. Philadelphia has never had a significant presence of hierarchical, national gangs, and commanders haven't seen a change recently, even as MS-13 makes headlines elsewhere. Police Commissioner Richard Ross said after Sessions' speech Monday that local crews were responsible for most of the violence in the city. Homicide Capt. John Ryan said Monday that gangs like MS-13 "don't seem to operate in Philadelphia." "We get mostly these localized" disputes that lead to violence, Ryan said. Inspector Ray Convery, who leads the East Detective Division, long plagued by gun violence, echoed that sentiment over the summer: "There's no big don that runs the whole area down here. It's all individual corners." So why did Sessions speak about MS-13 in Philadelphia? His remarks were delivered at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference, one of the largest law enforcement events in the world, with as many as 14,000 estimated attendees. Given Sessions' focus on trying to attack the gang and reduce its impact, the conference and the audience provided a natural forum for him to address a topic he has made a priority. Attorney General Jeff Sessions addresses the Major Cities Chiefs Association fall meeting at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Read more Attorney General Jeff Sessions is speaking Monday at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Philadelphia. Watch live starting around 11 a.m., courtesy of NBC Philadelphia: Sessions is expected to speak about efforts to combat the MS-13 gang. He also addressed the gathering on Saturday, telling attendees that their work was a "noble and high calling" and promising to work with them to target the most violent offenders and reduce crime. You can also follow reporter Chris Palmer on Twitter (@cs_palmer) for updates from Sessions' remarks. Protesters have had a presence outside the event at the Pennsylvania Convention Center throughout the conference. Several demonstrators were charged with assaulting Philadelphia police officers. Jesse Burns says organized political debates are starting to disappear in New Jersey. "This isn't the way democracy is supposed to work. Voters should be hearing the positions of the candidates," said Burns, executive director of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of New Jersey. She said chapter leaders are reporting an alarming decline in the number of legislative and county government candidates who are willing to participate in league-sponsored debates that typically are held this month, as Election Day approaches. Across New Jersey, there are 33 active league chapters. Some candidates say they have "scheduling conflicts," others just don't respond to requests to appear, while still others "straight out refuse," Burns said. She has been with the league 10 years. For the first time in more than a decade, the league's Burlington County chapter had to cancel the three debates that it usually sponsors. Voters will not have the opportunity to hear an exchange between the candidates who are running for legislative seats in Districts 7 and 8, and for the county Freeholder Board. In each district, there is one open seat for the state Senate and two seats for the Assembly. The Freeholder Board has two seats up for grabs. "The decision was not taken lightly," said Barbara Kutscher, the chapter's debate coordinator. She said communications broke down after the two major parties agreed to participate and had selected dates, but before they had forwarded all the paperwork the league requires. Josh Foote, the Republican campaign manager for the party's district and freeholder candidates, stopped responding during a critical five-day period when final arrangements for a venue and moderator had to be made, she said. "There was radio silence. I began to send more and more frantic emails and voicemails," Kutscher said, adding that she sent two emails and left one voicemail message before calling Foote again to tell him that he needed to contact her by noon Oct. 11. That return call never came, and the league canceled the debates that night, she said. Foote did not respond to calls seeking an interview. His reply was an emailed quote that was released by Chris Russell, the county GOP party's longtime political consultant, after the the league's vote. "We had agreed to dates, and our candidates were certainly ready and willing to participate. The abrupt cancellation yesterday was a surprise," he said. Kutscher said she had been asking Foote to confirm, verbally or in writing, that the Republican candidates would participate in the debates and would sign agreements saying they would abide by the league's debate rules. The Democrats had already given her a verbal confirmation, she said. None of the Republican candidates who would have participated in the three canceled debates returned calls seeking comment. Some of their staff referred calls to Foote. Several other league chapters in New Jersey also had debates go by the wayside this year, including the debates for legislative candidates in Cape May and Princeton, Burns said. "That's four legislative districts, and these are big, important races for voters," she said. "One reason is that maybe incumbents don't feel the need to debate because they feel they're in a safe district. They're not hustling as much to get their positions out there. Part of it might be candidates rely on the party faithful to vote a straight party ticket," Burns said. In other counties, such as Camden and Gloucester, there aren't enough volunteers to organize debates, she said. There will be no debates for legislative and county races. Gloucester County has no league chapter. Suzanne Almeida, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, said she too sees a pattern where "it's becoming more difficult to get candidates to commit to debates, particularly contentious races." Last year, when the state's legislative elections were held, some debates had to be canceled because candidates opted out, she said. "We have so many safe districts that it becomes a disincentive for people to want to get out there and debate. There's a worry that putting themselves out there really opens them to attacks, and there is risk because they don't have full control over the situation. It's not just a stump speech." But this year, the only statewide races being held in Pennsylvania are for judicial positions. Those nontraditional candidates fully commit to debates, she said. "If you're ahead," he said, "this is a straightforward strategy." In New Jersey, the majority of legislative candidates and many candidates for freeholder boards, municipal races, and school board positions engage in debates sponsored by the league. Hundreds of these events have been scheduled during October and some even go into early November, Burns said. On Oct. 10, the League of Women Voters of New Jersey also cosponsored a gubernatorial debate between Democrat Phil Murphy and Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. They are running to replace Gov. Christie, whose term ends this year. To help voters make an informed choice, the league also offers Vote411.org, a website that includes a Q&A with legislative candidates that asks them to outline their proposals for lowering taxes, addressing problems with the pension system, meeting energy needs, protecting the environment, and promoting job growth. But again, participation is spotty. In Districts 7 and 8, which cover a large portion of South Jersey between the Delaware River and the Jersey Shore, nine of the Republicans and Democrats running for 12 open seats for Senate and Assembly did not submit answers for the website. Only three legislative candidates responded: Democrats George Youngkin, Joanne Schwartz, and Carol Murphy, all newcomers. Youngkin and Schwartz are seeking seats in the Eighth District and Murphy is a Seventh District candidate. "Candidates need to know that they need to do more than shake hands at a diner," Burns said. "This is frustrating for the league and for voters. How else will voters know where the candidates stand?" Staff writer Avalon Zoppo contributed to this article. President Donald Trump listens as his daughter, Ivanka Trump, speaks at a workforce development roundtable in Wisconisn earlier this year. Read more WASHINGTON Ivanka Trump will visit Bucks County on Monday to press for President Trump's tax-cutting plan, the White House's top legislative priority. The afternoon town hall event in Richboro will give the president's daughter a platform in a moderate part of the state, a major media market where conservative groups have run ads trying to build support for the tax plan now pending in Congress. The county is represented by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a first-term Republican who has at times defied GOP leaders, including on Trump's push to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Several other Republicans in the Philadelphia area have also raised questions about the tax plan's call to eliminate deductions for state and local taxes, a benefit that helps many in the city's suburbs. The president himself visited the Harrisburg area earlier on Oct. 11 to also push his proposal, emphasizing then the benefit he says it will offer the middle class a point sharply disputed by Democrats, who say the proposal favors the wealthy. White House officials said that Ivanka Trump will argue that the tax proposal will benefit middle-class families. She is to be joined by U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza and former U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth of New York. Ivanka Trump, like her father, has ties to the area, having graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. She is often called on to present a softer side of the president's vision. Two Republican lawmakers last week formally launched an effort to create a constitutional convention to fix, in their words, "our broken state government" because "Pennsylvanians deserve better." Can I get an amen? Sen. John Eichelberger (R., Blair) and Rep. Stephen Bloom (R., Cumberland) want citizens to have direct say in making government more efficient and just maybe pull Pennsylvania off the list of America's worst-run states. Imagine that! Imagine 150 citizen delegates who are not state politicians meeting with 13 delegates who are politicians (a pretty good citizen balance) to come up with improvements to all three branches of government. Then voters many of whom wonder, in frustration, What can we do? can weigh in on statewide ballot questions to reshape the government for which they pay. Imagine the power to cut the size of the largest (arguably lousiest) full-time legislature, make it part time; curtail pay, pensions and perks; put in term limits; stop state spending (including for lawmakers and their expenses) in the absence of a budget; repair reapportionment; get fairer school funding; get merit selection of state judges; and jettison the office of lieutenant governor, a post with possibly the nation's worst cost-benefit ratio. All this and more could streamline government, cut costs, and improve politics. And, it could start to restore faith and trust at a time faith and trust is down the rusted drain of a political system whose infrastructure has too long been ignored. It's been 50 years since the last constitutional convention. It's time for another one. Eichelberger and Bloom are pushing bills in the Senate and House with bipartisan co-sponsorship to put a question on a statewide ballot as soon as next spring asking voters whether they favor a convention. If voters approve, as they should, the next step is electing 150 citizens three from each of the 50 Senate districts to be joined by 13 legislative leaders for a convention lasting no longer than four months. Citizen delegates must be at least 21 years old, state residents for at least four years, and registered voters for at least a year in the Senate district from which they run. No member of Congress or the state legislature, no judge, and no statewide elected official can be a citizen delegate. Whatever the convention agrees to goes to ballot questions, and voters get to pick what they like. "The legislature has proven unable or unwilling to address systemic problems," Bloom tells me. "In a constitutional convention, citizens are the ones who get to put forth ideas." But can convention legislation pass? Eichelberger says, "I think so. I really do. I think we'll see a fair amount of public pressure on this, particularly because of our budget situation." Senate spokesmen say Senate President Joe Scarnati and Majority Leader Jake Corman are supportive. House leaders are described as "open" to the idea. Gov. Wolf's spokesman says the governor, who has pushed reforms, will "look at" specifics once they're in final form. So, nobody is saying "no." There's even a provision for public contributions to help defray start-up costs of $200,000 (delegates are unpaid except for expenses), and at least one citizen group already is offering financial support, Eichelberger said, though he declined to identify the group. I, of course, am suspect. I'm wary of pre-election-year hype suggesting any broad reforms and weary of vague commitments from state leaders, who support reforms then never take a lead. However, citizen interest in government and politics, fueled by last year's presidential election and ginned up by this year's budget mess, seems more heightened than normal. So, I see opportunity. If citizens push legislative leaders and their own representatives (the legislature's website legis.state.pa.us has contact info) to vote for a constitutional convention, it's possible citizens can push Pennsylvania to a better place. There's no question it needs such a push. There's no way it comes without a convention. Do you feel the calling to run for public office in Philadelphia? The best advice I can offer: Lie down until you regain your senses. Still hungry for elected office? A trio of groups is hosting a free interactive training class next month on how to become a candidate, focusing on filing deadlines for important documents, campaign planning, and most important, unfortunately fund-raising. Those are all good topics. And Crowdpac, the Committee of Seventy, and Philadelphia 3.0 know the ropes well enough to teach them. That's a fine approach, I guess. But what if we taught local politics the way some high schools teach drivers' education by showing the students a mangled car wreck? I present to you, for educational purposes only, the lingering aftereffects of the 2015 Democratic primary election for the Second Council District in Philadelphia. Consider this a lesson in the many things not to do in an election. This mess bubbled back up last week when a Common Pleas Court judge approved a whopping $60,000 fine for a local political action committee, Citizens Organizing for Pennsylvania's Security, aka COPS PAC. Ori Feibush, a real estate developer who challenged Councilman Kenyatta Johnson in the 2015 primary, spent a bundle for the services of COPS PAC. That became its own mess when Feibush filed a lawsuit after losing the race, claiming he'd been ripped off. The lawsuit seems to have triggered a probe by the Philadelphia Board of Ethics, which went to court because COPS PAC didn't file two required campaign finance reports showing where its money came from and how it was spent in 2015. The judge on the case gave COPS PAC until midnight on Thursday to file the reports, offering a $20,000 rebate on the $60,000 fine if that deadline was met. COPS PAC last week filed some but not all of the required information. An example: It reported taking in $161,200 in 2015 but only detailed $4,097 in spending. Shane Creamer, the Board of Ethics' executive director, said the reports don't meet the standard set by the judge, so COPS PAC is ineligible for the rebate. Kevin Price, the PAC's treasurer and Democratic chairman in the Second Ward, says he's working on submitting the remaining information but believes that his efforts so far should satisfy the judge's deadline. That's for the judge to decide. A jury has already handed down judgment in December in the lawsuit Feibush filed in October 2015 against COPS PAC and Ed Nesmith, the Democratic leader of the Second Ward. Feibush claimed he paid Nesmith and COPS PAC to rent vans, pay election-day workers, and other expenses but was bilked by the ward leader. Nesmith claimed Feibush still owed him money. The jury awarded Feibush $37,500 from Nesmith and $22,500 from COPS PAC. It also awarded Nesmith $15,000 for his claim against Feibush. Nesmith paid up, according to Wally Zimolong, Feibush's lawyer, but COPS PAC did not. Nesmith's lawyer, James Berardinelli, said Feibush paid up, too. So, 2 years after the 2015 primary, this councilmanic catastrophe drags on. There must be a lesson in all this for aspiring politicians as valuable as how to fill out nomination petitions, schedule fund-raisers, and plan door-to-door canvassing routes. We could call it: How Not to Run 101. Justice for ATTAC sets up the Trump Rat, by John Post Lee near the Frank Rizzo sculpture Monday, October 23, 2017 at Thomas Paine Plaza in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Read more A 15-foot "Trump Rat" caricature balloon with the president's bouffant head, a red tie, and Confederate flag-style cuff links was inflated in front of the 10-foot bronze statue of Frank L. Rizzo on Monday, the 97th birthday anniversary of the former Philadelphia police commissioner and mayor, in front of the Municipal Services Building. The balloon is the brainchild of Philadelphia native John Post Lee, 58, a New York City art gallery owner. "I was appalled by this guy becoming president," Lee said after inflating the balloon Monday morning on Thomas Paine Plaza. An hour later, he was ordered by police to deflate it and move it to the public sidewalk because he did not have a permit to put it on the plaza. The rodent image was picked to depict Trump, Lee said, because, "like a rat," Trump is "untrustworthy, he's a liar, he's mean-spirited." Lee, who worked up a sketch for the Trump Rat with New York-based artist Jeffrey Beebe, raised $10,000 on Kickstarter to fund the project. He hired an Ohio company, Inflatable Images, to make it. The Trump Rat debuted near Trump Tower in Manhattan in mid-August, and came to Washington Aug. 29. Faye Anderson, a Philadelphia activist who is a member of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, was instrumental in bringing the balloon to Philadelphia. She was in New York on Oct. 14, saw the inflatable rodent and met Lee. "His idea is to use public art as a form of protest," said Anderson, who added that Lee embraced her idea of bringing the Trump Rat to Philly on Rizzo's birthday. Rizzo, born Oct. 23, 1920, served as Philadelphia's police commissioner from 1967 to 1971 and as mayor from 1972 to 1980. He died of a heart attack at age 70 in July 1991. Protesters have called for Rizzo's statue to be removed, saying Rizzo was racist and heavy-handed, especially toward the city's African American community. Others have petitioned for his statue to remain where it is, saying he represented law and order and promoted African Americans on the police force. Rizzo's "legacy is one of police brutality, racism," Anderson said. "He was Trump before Trump." Of all the mayors who have led Philadelphia, "why has this one been given a signal honor?" she asked. On Monday afternoon, the towering Trump Rat caused many passersby to stop, chuckle, and take photos. "It's funny. It's very funny," said Jamar Holmes, 40, of West Philadelphia, who held daughter Liliana, 2. "He's for himself," Holmes said of the president. "He's not for the people. He's not for the country." Others thought the caricature was a disgrace. Michael Henkel, 59, of South Philadelphia, said he had voted for Trump, who he said was doing "a tremendous job." "It is disgusting. It is embarrassing," he said, to have something mocking the president placed on a Center City sidewalk. Shortly after 5 p.m., as he had planned, Lee removed the inflatable Trump balloon. He said he'd like to bring it back to Philadelphia one day. October 23, 2017 -- View of some of the repaired headstones that were vandalized in February at the Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Northeast Philadelphia. Mayor Jim Kenney and a few other public officials will take a semi-private tour of the site Tuesday October 24 with staff and volunteers from the Jewish Federation who helped complete the repairs. Read more Mount Carmel Cemetery is once again a resting place. In February, the historic Jewish cemetery at Frankford and Cheltenham Avenues was vandalized about 275 headstones were damaged but the burial ground's monuments have been fully restored. The effort was spearheaded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and on Tuesday Mayor Kenney will get the first tour of the refurbished cemetery. In March, when word spread about the vandalism, it was international news, and 300 volunteers came forward to assist in the cleanup. The Jewish Federation organized the "Stand Against Hate" rally, and more than 5,000 people gathered in support at Independence Mall. After the vandalism, Kenney took a private tour of the grounds. No arrests have been made and the motive behind the vandalism remains a mystery. "The mayor was very helpful and supportive," said Laura Frank, spokesperson for the Jewish Federation. "We were thinking about how we were going to publicly come out with the restoration, and we thought the mayor would be a symbol for our appreciation for the entire city of Philadelphia." Headstones and bases at the grave site that weighed between 1,000 and 4,500 pounds had to be lifted out for repair. New holes had to be dug, bases were reset and headstones reattached. Larger headstones required a crane for lifting and replacing. There were 225 additional stones that did not topple but had to be repaired because they had been loosened. It takes almost two hours to repair one monument and about six months for the stone masonry work and landscaping to be completed. The costs added up to more than $145,000, but donations from around the world totaled almost $300,000. "We were completely floored and so amazed by the massive amount of support that came from every corner of the world," said Frank. "It was a time when we felt vulnerable, the mood in the country at the time made us concerned for what was to come. Not just the Jewish communities but many minority communities. [The response] showed that was not the case, and we were really encouraged by it." The excess funds were added to revamp the cemetery. More than 300 stones are in need of restoration because of exposure to the elements. Workers removed weeds, bought additional supplies, and will be replacing the fences. Further security measures are being discussed. "This is a resting place," said Frank. "Everybody deserves a safe place to rest." Donations are still being accepted at www.jewishphilly.org/donate-now-mt-carmel-cemetery Michael Froehlich was getting so sick of seeing the "We Buy Houses" signs desecrating his West Philadelphia neighborhood he decided to offer a bounty for them $1 for every one dropped off at his house, up to $200. It took less than 48 hours to hit his limit. "Everyone who came by said they already do this anyway," Froehlich, 42, said Monday. "They're motivated by the sense that investors are coming into their neighborhoods and taking advantage of longtime residents and that this is sort of a very tangible and tactile way of doing something about it. And then they're also like, 'Thanks for grocery money.' " Neighbors enthusiastically embraced the exercise posting on Facebook strategies for taking down the hard-to-reach signs (extendable tree trimmers, paint rollers, and rope), and sharing ideas for how to repurpose them (protest signs, "Philly monster trash Halloween costume"). And then one neighbor volunteered $200 for a second collection, which continues. Nobody likes how the signs look, said Froehlich, who works at Community Legal Services, but more important, they disparage the reputation of a community and prey on people facing financial insecurity. As an attorney who represents homeowners going through mortgage and tax foreclosure, Froehlich has seen people in dire need of money sell fast only to realize later the house could have earned about four times as much if they'd consulted a Realtor. "I have no problem with any homeowner in gentrifying neighborhoods selling their house and cashing out, but what really bothers me is when longtime homeowners get less money than what they're actually worth because they're misled by these folks," he said. The so-called bandit signs illegally posted on public utility poles or public property have long been an issue in Philadelphia. The fine for posting is $50, but perpetrators are rarely caught, said Pat O'Donnell, right-of-way manager for the Streets Department, as the phone numbers listed often go directly to voicemail or are connected to prepaid cellphones. O'Donnell said this month that the best thing neighbors can do is tear them down themselves. Froehlich isn't the first resident to take the problematic signs into his own hands. (Literally: He's stacked up 228 in his living room.) Christopher Sawyer of Kensington started the Bandit Project 10 years ago to educate residents that the signs are illegal and encourage neighbors to take them down. As part of his campaign, he held a Kindle giveaway contest for the neighbor who collected the most signs. He also robo-called the numbers before it got to be too expensive. The messages, "Any House, Any Condition" or "Fast Ca$h for your house," frequently plastered around rapidly changing neighborhoods, make homes, and by extension, homeowners, sound easily expendable, Sawyer said. It's not just signs. Fliers dropped off in mailboxes can take an even more vulgar tone. A flier that circulated around Germantown last week from Posimo Properties featured an idyllic block of homes but read, "Sell Your S!" bordered by two smiling poop emojis. The bandit signs have become such a familiar image of negative neighborhood change they're part of an exhibit focused on gentrification at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A wall lined with about 100 signs pulled from different neighborhoods in the city is part of the Philadelphia Assembled project now on display at the Perelman Building. If you call the numbers on them, you'll hear taped interviews with Point Breeze neighbors about how the signs impact their community, or you can leave a message and record your own. Jorge Galvan, 32, one of the artists who created the display, wants to have a workshop to reinvent the signs before the exhibit closes. "This came out of not knowing what to do about them and being pretty upset about their existence in the neighborhood," said Galvan, who lives in Brewertyown. "Our neighbors seem pretty attacked, between the signs and stuff in the mail. It's aggressive, it's definitely not building community, so I don't think we are proposing a solution but encouraging people to take them down. Anything is better than seeing them out on the poles." Froehlich has an art project idea of his own. Perhaps his 8-year-old daughter can do something with the brightly colored boards piled up in her living room. He figures: What better way to reclaim the signs he sees as instruments of destruction than to build something? "It'd be funny to make her a playhouse out of the signs," Froehlich said. "I told her, if she comes up with the design, I'd build it." As a longtime supporter of the severance tax, I find myself in the unusual position of now opposing it. Although it would provide much-needed revenue for this year's commonwealth budget, it is clear that Senate Republicans will not allow even a modest severance tax without exacting provisions that would significantly compromise the state Department of Environmental Protection's ability to regulate the natural gas industry. Pennsylvania is the only major gas-producing state without a severance tax. It has been fiercely opposed by the drillers since it was first proposed by Gov. Edward Rendell in 2010. Since then, drillers and their representatives have spent $46.6 million on lobbying and $14.5 million on strategic campaign contributions to legislative leaders and key committee chairs, according to the Inquirer. But despite the gas industry's opposition, the commonwealth's dire financial situation has sparked serious discussion about a severance tax to help fund the budget. In July, the state Senate passed a tax-code bill that contained a severance tax of less than 1 percent. But the bill also included three provisions that would make it much more difficult for the DEP to regulate the natural gas industry. The first would provide that any unconventional oil and gas permit application the DEP does not process fast enough would be "deemed approved" regardless of whether it meets legal standards for approval. Arbitrarily forcing the DEP to issue permits because a certain number of days have passed would put the public's health and the environment at risk. The second provision would privatize the environmental permitting process, allowing gas drillers and other applicants to seek permit approval from third parties rather than from the DEP. This would eliminate a core protective function of the DEP and introduce conflicts of interest that would weaken protections for public health and the environment The third provision would establish a politically appointed advisory committee to decide on air-quality permits for unconventional gas well sites. This in effect would eliminate part of the methane-reduction strategy Gov. Wolf proposed last year. Reducing fugitive methane emissions is one of the most important things Pennsylvania can do to address climate change. The potential environmental damage of these three provisions is not worth the revenue even a robust severance tax would bring. Unfortunately, the governor has indicated he would sign this bill. Gubernatorial politics has factored heavily into the severance tax debate, with potential candidates on both sides of the aisle calculating how its passage might affect their chances in 2018. Although some provisions of the tax-code bill have changed, the severance tax and these permitting provisions are still under consideration, and on Oct.18, a severance tax bill was approved by the House Finance Committee. That same day, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R., Centre) reiterated that there would be no severance tax without permitting provisions that would weaken the DEP. People who care about good public policy should not be lobbying for a severance tax now. Instead, they should stand against legislation that would endanger public health and the environment. State Rep. Greg Vitali (D., Delaware, Montgomery) represents the 166th Legislative District. gvitali@pahouse.net A victory in the snap election will likely ensure Abe receives another three-year term as head of the LDP coalition next year, making him Japan's longest serving leader. Japanese media predicts Abe's Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition winning a majority, possibly even retaining the two-thirds "super majority" it held in parliaments lower house before Abe dissolved the chamber in September. Exit polls indicate Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition is on track for a comfortable victory in Sunday's general election. Seeking to take advantage of rising public support for his hardline stance against the North Korean nuclear threat, Abe recently dissolved the lower house of parliament to call for a "snap" election this month, rather than wait for the legislative term to end in December, 2018. But the Japanese public remains divided over Abe's proposal to allow the military more latitude to counter potential threats from countries like North Korea and China, and to support allies like the United States. President Donald Trump's threatening rhetoric to totally destroy North Korea if attacked has heightened concerns for Abe opponents, who argue that loosening restrictions on the use of force will entangle Japan in U.S.-led conflicts. Millions of Japanese voters braved crushing rain and winds to vote as Typhoon Lan is set to make landfall. Two people have been reported dead and tens of thousands ordered to evacuate as the storm barreled toward Japan's main island. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Theres a case in which were seeing the Trump administrations efforts to weaken the rights of women and immigrants at the same time. On Friday, a federal judge in D.C., issued a temporary restraining order preventing U.S. officials from blocking a 17-year-old undocumented immigrant from terminating her pregnancy. Later that day, the DOJ sought and obtained an order further delaying the young womans abortion. That plays into the Trump administrations strategy of forcing this woman to complete her unwanted pregnancy by running out the clock. The young woman known as Jane Doe in Garza v. Hargan is in Texas, where under state law, abortions are illegal after twenty weeks. She is under custodial control of the Office Of Refugee Resettlement, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. In March, the office established a policy that would bar young women in its custody from taking any action to terminate a pregnancy, including making doctors appointments, without the directors consent. The director, a Trump appointee, doesnt know anything about refugee policy, but he is a militant anti-choice activist which may explain why Trump chose him for this position. The Sessions DOJ is working to weaken the rights of immigrants in the Muslim Ban case and now in this one. That ideal is reflected in the DOJs position in this case. As noted in a LA Times article, the DOJ argued that the government was not infringing Does rights because she could leave custody at any time if she agreed to waive her immigration claims and be deported. The bottom line is the DOJ is playing two different rights off each other. If Jane Doe really wants her constitutional right to due process (a right that is also protected under numerous instruments of international law to which the U.S. is a party) then the government has the right to force her to complete her pregnancy. If she really wants her constitutional right to an abortion, then she must waive due process on her immigration claims and be deported. As much as this is about attacking the rights of immigrants, its also a part of the Trump administrations war on all womens reproductive rights that only begins with abortions and birth control. Trumpcare would deem pregnancy a pre-existing condition, which will make insurance for pre-natal care and giving birth out of reach for millions of women. There is nothing pro-life or great about attacking the constitutional protections of immigrants and women, or limiting their choice to which right they are willing to forgo to preserve the other one. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Trump declining mental state was evident when he was asked about tax cuts for high-income earners, and he melted down into babbling about a ring Bob Kraft gave him. Video: Transcript of Trump on Fox Business: BARTIROMO: If the top earners pay 80 percent of the taxes why are you so afraid to cut taxes on the top earners? TRUMP: I think this, look, you know, I am very happy with the way Ive done part of this in my civilian life, all right. BARTIROMO: Of course. This is not about TRUMP: Other people well its about me representing rich people. BARTIROMO: OK. TRUMP: Representing being representative of rich people. Very interesting to me Bob Kraft was down. He was very nice. He owns the Patriots. He gave me a Super Bowl ring a month ago. And he BARTIROMO: Well Putin took his TRUMP: Which was very nice. Thats right. But he left this beautiful ring and I immediately give it to the White House and they put it some place and thats the way it is. BARTIROMO: Thats great. Trump went on to repeat his now worn out yarn about how Bob Kraft told him to give the tax cuts to the middle-income people, but it was clear that Trump had no clue how to answer the question. There is some doubt as to whether or not he understood the question at all. The White House wont let Trump do interviews with objective journalists because they believe that he has mentally lost a step. It is clear that Trump has lost more than a step. The President can no longer adequately bluff his way through questions even those that come from friendly media. Never has a president looked so out of step and in over his head as Trump does. There is no plan. THere is no leadership. The lights are on, but no one is home, as Donald Trump is Americas first mentally vacant president. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print By Phil Stewart CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Philippines (Reuters) The threat from North Korea has grown to a critical and imminent level and the United States, Japan and South Korea must address the matter, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told his U.S. and South Korean counterparts in talks on Monday. Onoderas remarks underscored the deep concern in Tokyo after North Korean weapons tests, including test firing missiles over Japan, as Pyongyang seeks to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States. His comments broke from more measured language on Monday by U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-Moo, as the three men met on the sidelines of a gathering of Asian defense chiefs in the Philippines. (The) threat posed by North Korea has grown to the unprecedented, critical and imminent level. Therefore, we have to take calibrated and different responses to meet with that level of threat, he said, speaking through a translator, at the start of talks in the Philippines. South Koreas Song also acknowledged that North Koreas provocative behavior is becoming worse and worse, in public remarks before reporters were escorted out of the meeting room. Mattis renewed sharp criticism of North Koreas tests, saying they threaten regional and global security. Mattis, who kicked off a week-long trip to the region on Monday, has been eager to emphasize diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully as escalating tension between Washington and Pyongyang stoked fears of armed confrontation. Asked about his conversation with Onodera after the two met earlier in the day, before joining South Koreas Song, Mattis said they discussed maintaining stability and peace in support of the diplomats. Meanwhile, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said he is willing to travel to North Korea on behalf of the Trump administration to help diffuse the situation, the New York Times reported. Mattis has been more cautious in his public remarks than U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been locked in a war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, threatening to destroy North Korea if necessary to defend the United States and its allies. Kim has blasted Trump as mentally deranged. GRAVE CONCERN Mattis is at the start of a week-long trip to Asia and will attend meetings hosted by defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Philippines. ASEAN defense ministers, in a joint statement, expressed grave concern over North Koreas nuclear and missile programs and urged the reclusive country to meet its international obligations and resume communications. They underscored the need to maintain peace and stability in the region and called for the exercise of self-restraint and the resumption of dialogue to de-escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula. Mattis trip, which will include a stop in Thailand, comes before Trumps first visit to Asia next month, including a stop in China. Trump has been pressuring China to do more to rein in North Koreas missile and nuclear program. China is North Koreas neighbor and biggest trading partner. Mattis, while in the Philippines, said he will commend the military for defeating insurgents in Marawi City on the islandof Mindanao. The Philippines said on Monday it has ended five months of military operations in Marawi after a fierce and unfamiliar urban war that marked the countrys biggest security crisis in years. Some experts see the Marawi insurgency as a prelude to a more ambitious bid by Islamic State loyalists to exploit Mindanaos poverty and use its jungles and mountains as a base to train, recruit and launch attacks in the region. It was a tough fight, Mattis told reporters on his flight to the Philippines, adding he thought the Philippines military had sent a very necessary message to the terrorists. On Thursday, Mattis will lead the U.S. delegation inThailand for the cremation rites for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Additional reporting by Manuel Mogato in Manila; Editing by Peter Cooney and Jeffrey Benkoe) Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print After the widow of La David Johnson, who was one of the Green Berets killed in an ISIS ambush in Niger, detailed her call with Trump on Good Morning America, the President Of The United States disputed her account of the call on Twitter. Video of Myeshia Johnson: Johnson described the call, He goes on to say his statement as, what he said was he knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway. And I was, it made me cry because I was very angry at him the tone of his voice and how he said it. He couldnt remember my husbands name. The only way he remembered by husbands name is because he told me he had my husbands report in front of him, and thats when he actually said it, La David. I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husbands name, and thats what hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country, and he risks his life for our country, why cant you remember his name? And thats what made me upset and cry even more. Johnson said she was very upset and hurt when she got off of the phone, and that Trumps call made her cry even worse. Instead of apologizing, Trump tried to argue with a grieving Arny widow: I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2017 With his tweet, the President confirmed everything that Johnson said about the call. His tone is not sympathetic and consoling. It is adversarial. Trump isnt disputing the words that he used. He is taking issue with not knowing La David Johnsons name, which means that Trump didnt know his name. The whole episode could have been resolved with an apology. The White House has refused to send Trump to memorial services in the past because they fear that he will make things worse. Trump wont apologize and is demonstrating that just when you think he cant sink any lower, he tries to attack and argue with an Army widow. Forget being president; Trump isnt fit to be a human being. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The White House has announced that they have no plans to reach out again to the family of the fallen Green Beret that Trump disrespected, La David Johnson. The administration is telling reporters: I'm told there are currently no plans for the administration to reach out to the family of Sgt. La David Johnson again. Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 23, 2017 The White House is going to allow Trump to call a grieving Army widow a liar, and do nothing to try to make the situation right. This is such an easy fix. If Trump wasnt a heartless sociopath, he could apologize for his poor choice of words, but this White House doesnt apologize. They specialize in taking bad situations and making them worse by doubling and tripling down on their lies and previous comments. The wife and family of La David Johnson deserve an apology. The President Of The United States should never speak to the family of a person who sacrificed their life for their country in the way that Trump spoke to Myeshia Johnson. More Gold Star families who have been neglected, disrespected or ignored by Trump need to speak out. Trump disrespected the Gold Star Khan family during the campaign, and now he has disrespected the Johnsons. They arent the only ones. The White House is trying to bury this scandal, which is why patriots of all varieties need to speak out against the behavior of this president. Silence is enabling, and we cant allow this president to be normalized. panish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced Saturday he would dismiss Catalonia's separatist government and call for new elections in an attempt to prevent the semi-autonomous region from declaring its independence. Rajoy made the announcement after an emergency Cabinet meeting to deal with the political crisis caused by secession efforts undertaken by the regional leadership of Catalonia. Rajoy's office invoked Article 155 of Spain's constitution, which gives the government the power to take away some or all of Catalonia's autonomy. Opposition political parties have agreed to support the imposition of central rule over Catalonia. Rajoy is nearly certain to get the required votes next week from Spain's upper legislative body, which is ruled by Rajoy's conservative party. Carles Puidgemont, Catalonia's leader, said the prime minister's move was "the worst attack on institutions and Catalan people" since the era Francisco Franco, and called for a meeting of the Catalan parliament. Franco was Spain's military dictator from 1939 to his death in 1975. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. "I have listened carefully to all who have expressed their concerns, and heard the different issues that they have raised. I have also consulted with the Government of Zimbabwe and we have concluded that this decision is in the best interests of the World Health Organization," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. Tedros, who became head of the WHO in July, had announced his appointment of Mugabe two days earlier during a conference in Uruguay, saying that Zimbabwe could "influence his peers in his region" and praising the country's commitment to providing health care for all. But over two dozen organizations quickly released a statement slamming the decision, saying health officials were "shocked and deeply concerned" -- citing Mugabe's record of human rights abuses and claiming that the country's healthcare system has collapsed under his nearly 30-year rule. The United States called the appointment of Mugabe by WHO's first African leader "disappointing." The United States has maintained sanctions on Zimbabwe since 2003, citing the leader's use of millions of dollars to travel abroad, human rights abuses, and accusations of electoral fraud. WASHINGTON In a quest to end cookie-cutter health care, U.S. researchers are getting ready to recruit more than 1 million people for an unprecedented study to learn how our genes, environments and lifestyles interact and to finally customize ways to prevent and treat disease. Why does one sibling get sick but not another? Why does a drug cure one patient but only cause nasty side effects in the next? Finding out is a tall order. Today, diseases typically are treated based on what worked best in short studies of a few hundred or thousand patients. "We depend on the average, the one-size-fits-all approach because it's the best we've got," said Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health. That's changing: The NIH's massive "All Of Us" project will push what's called precision medicine, using traits that make us unique in learning to forecast health and treat disease. Partly it's genetics. What genes do you harbor that raise your risk of, say, heart disease or Type 2 diabetes or various cancers? ADVERTISEMENT But other factors affect that genetic risk: what you eat, how you sleep, if you grew up in smog or fresh air, if you sit at a desk all day or bike around town, if your blood pressure is fine at a check-up but soars on the job, what medications you take. Not to mention differences based on age, gender, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomics. Spot patterns Layering all that information in what's expected to be the largest database of its kind could help scientists spot patterns, combinations of factors that drive or prevent certain diseases and eventually, researchers hope, lead to better care. "The DNA is almost the easiest part," Collins said. "It's challenging to figure out how to put all that together to allow somebody to have a more precise sense of future risk of illness and what they might do about it." Pilot testing is under way, with more than 2,500 people who already have enrolled and given blood samples. More than 50 sites around the country large medical centers, community health centers and other providers like the San Diego Blood Bank and, soon, select Walgreens pharmacies are enrolling patients or customers in this invitation-only pilot phase. If the pilot goes well, NIH plans to open the study next spring to just about any U.S. adult who's interested, with sign-up as easy as going online . It's a commitment. The study aims to run for at least 10 years. ADVERTISEMENT The goal is to enroll a highly diverse population, people from all walks of life specifically recruiting minorities who have been under-represented in scientific research. And unusual for observational research, volunteers will get receive results of their genetic and other tests, information they can share with their own doctors. "Anything to get more information I can pass on to my children, I'm all for it," said Erricka Hager, 29, as she signed up last month at the University of Pittsburgh, the project's first pilot site. A usually healthy mother of two, she hopes the study can reveal why she experienced high blood pressure and gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Precision medicine Heading the giant All Of Us project is a former Intel Corp. executive who brings a special passion: How to widen access to the precision medicine that saved his life. In college, Eric Dishman developed a form of kidney cancer so rare that doctors had no idea how to treat him, and predicted he had months to live. Only two studies of that particular cancer had ever been done, on people in their 70s and 80s. "They didn't know anything about me because they'd never seen a 19-year-old with this disease," said Dishman. Yet he survived for two decades, trying one treatment after another. Then, as he was running out of options, a chance encounter with a genetics researcher led to mapping Dishman's DNA and the stunning discovery that his kidney cancer was genetically more like pancreatic cancer. A pancreatic cancer drug attacked his tumors so he could get a kidney transplant. ADVERTISEMENT "I'm healthier now at 49 than I was at 19," said Dishman. "I was lucky twice over really," to be offered an uncommon kind of testing and that it found something treatable. Precision medicine is used most widely in cancer, as more drugs are developed that target tumors with specific molecular characteristics. Beyond cancer, one of the University of Pittsburgh's hospitals tests every patient receiving a heart stent looking for a genetic variant that tells if they'll respond well to a particular blood thinner or will need an alternative. The aim is to expand precision medicine. Answers and understanding "Why me?" is the question cancer patients always ask why they got sick and not someone else with similar health risks, said Dr. Mounzer Agha, an oncologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "Unfortunately I don't have answers for them today," said Agha, who says it will take the million-person study to finally get some answers. "It's going to help them understand what are the factors that led to their disease, and it's going to help us understand how to treat it better." And NIH's Collins expects surprises. Maybe, he speculates, Type 2 diabetes will turn out to be a collection of genetic subtypes that require varied treatments. "This looks at individual responses to treatment in a way we couldn't do previously with smaller studies." Participants' involvement The study starts simply: Volunteers get some standard health checks weight, blood pressure and heart rate. They answer periodic questionnaires about their health, background and habits, and turn over electronic health records. They give a blood sample that, if they agree, will undergo DNA testing sometime next year. Eventually, researchers will ask some participants to wear sensors that may go beyond today's Fitbit-style health trackers, such as devices that measure blood pressure while people move around all day, or measure environmental exposures, Collins said. In Pittsburgh, the Rev. Paul Abernathy made a health change after signing up for the pilot study: Surprised to learn his BMI was too high despite regular weightlifting, he began running. "I'm praying I have the discipline to continue that, certainly in midst of a busy schedule," said Abernathy, who directs the nonprofit Focus Pittsburgh that aids the poor and trauma victims. "We have a chance really to influence history, to influence the future of our children and our children's children," added Abernathy, who hopes the study will help explain racial disparities such as lower life expectancies between African-Americans and whites who live in the same areas. At NIH, Collins plans to enroll, too. He's had his DNA mapped before but can't pass up what he's calling a one-in-a-million experience to be part of a monumental study rather than the scientist on the other side. "I'm curious about what this might teach me about myself. I'm pretty healthy right now. I'd like to stay that way." Has a sudden jolt of personal insight ever blown your mind? When I recently took Gretchen Rubin's quiz at a friend's suggestion, complete aha-ness dawned on me when I was deemed a "Rebel." As a frequent taker of quizzes and tests, that rarely happens. It felt so on point. I also had an emotional connection to the word because my late father's nickname for me was "little rebel." And when I read her book "The Four Tendencies," more and more became clear to me. My thought processes and those of the people around me began to make more sense. I could learn how to properly motivate myself, based on how I respond to expectations. As a Rebel, I resist outer expectations and inner expectations too (yep, I struggle with commitment even to myself). I forge my own path and don't necessarily go with the flow. When I was fortunate enough to enjoy tea with Rubin recently, she said something that made me feel understood: "Rebels understand how free we all are." I secretly always think to myself: Why does everyone seem to be doing what they're expected to do in this world? You can live where you want! You can get start your own business! You don't need permission to be whatever you want to be! Our life is up to us. ADVERTISEMENT But what does your Tendency say about you? Here's a wrap of Rubin's Four Tendencies and their accompanying mantras. Read up to find out your personality type. Upholders: Adhere to outer and inner expectations Mantra: "Discipline is my freedom." Put simply, Upholders stick to commitments to themselves and to others. They're reliable, probably stick to a schedule and well get it done. People trust their follow-through. It's the opposite of me, a Rebel. I wonder if life is easiest for Upholders because they probably abide by the 100-Percent Rule in making their decisions. There's no overthinking or "but do I feel like doing it?" According to Rubin, you might wish to improve on being rigid (and at times, defensive). Because it's OK to make a mistake! And to delegate too. As a Rebel, I wonder if Upholders could benefit from evaluating how much satisfaction their actions bring them and checking in with their innermost desires once in a while. Because Upholders can seem (to me) a little on auto-pilot as they breeze through their days. Questioners: Question all expectations; they'll meet an expectation if they think it makes sense. Mantra: "I'll comply, if you convince me why." My sister is a questioner, and her questions exhaust her (and all of us sometimes). "Is getting a dog a good idea? If so, why? If not, why not?" Put simply, Questioners like data. Because of this, they are fair-minded. They're not people-pleasers because they are self-directed. ADVERTISEMENT I think Questioners are the most interesting of the Tendencies, as they are always curious. And hey, it's wise to seek information before making a decision. I also like the headstrong nature of Questioners (because of this quality, Rubin says it's easy to get Rebels and Questioners confused). Historically speaking, they may also be our key change-makers, as they frequently question the status quo. Rebels: Resist all expectations Mantra: "You can't make me, and neither can I." Rebels don't live by conventional wisdom. They're spontaneous and independent. If you're a Rebel, you might struggle with self-discipline (another rose, please! Who cares if it's Monday at 9 p.m.?). I've learned we might want to consider allowing more structure into our days, because some rules and systems can be helpful and allow us to be more successful. For me, this is automation in my business and hiring people who are detail focused. Because passion needs structure, and feeling restless and defiant can be unproductive (don't I know it). Rebels might make life a little easier by being more agreeable at times saying yes to family holidays, letting Jane plan your baby shower (even though you cringe at anything baby-themed), and just attending those mandatory internal meetings. Obligers: Meet outer expectations, but struggle to meet expectations they impose on themselves Mantra: "I'll do anything you ask. Until I won't." ADVERTISEMENT Obligers, being focused on delivering for and helping others, make great bosses and responsive leaders. They're responsible. They care deeply about people. But they're most susceptible to burnout because saying no is hard for them. It's important to create boundaries to avoid resentment and even what Rubin calls "Obliger rebellion" (when you've had enough oh my). Ever seen that? When someone gives, gives, gives then blows up? I had an Obliger colleague who did everything for everyone ("Yes, I'll run that errand. Of course I will go to San Francisco if you can't make it. I'll totally help you with your expense report!"), and one day he flipped out in a taxi when one demand too many came through via email request. Even though it seemed unfair, his Obliger rebellion did hurt his reputation over time. Boundaries matter! SO WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? Socrates said, "To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom." Knowing your Tendency can be tremendously helpful. For example, as a Rebel, working out is painful for me because conventional wisdom (aka my fit friends and scientific literature) tells me to. I hate it. So I have to position it another way. To convince myself to get to a barre class, I say, "For an hour, I'll be free from my phone! No one can reach me, no matter what! Ha." That's good motivation in my mind. A Questioner might want to assess the real value of their workout and dive in if it they're convinced it's worthwhile. An Obliger would do best with a workout buddy who holds them accountable to a Sunday run in the park. An Upholder wouldn't have to convince themselves; they'd stick to their schedule. Understanding yourself and other people means not only do we get the most out of our personality, but the motivations and actions of others make sense too. Because life is just easier and better when we all understand one another a little more. ---- Want to take the quiz? Find it online: tinyurl.com/ycnvh5f8 . A man one official described as "a violent, bad dude" was arrested Friday after a months-long narcotics investigation. Dwight Fredrick Barnes, 47, was taken into custody at a residence in Stewartville; he could be charged as early as today with first-degree controlled substance sales, first-degree controlled substance possession and importing a controlled substance over state borders, all felonies. Though Barnes was the target of an ongoing investigation by the criminal interdiction unit of the Rochester Police Department, it came to a head Friday with the delivery of a package to a home on Eighth Street near Broadway Avenue North. The package was addressed to a person who died within the past year, said Capt. John Sherwin; shortly after it arrived, two men came to the home to claim the parcel. The resident refused to give it to them, Sherwin said, then called law enforcement. A witness at the scene believed one of the men was Barnes; the caller also took a photo of the men, and officers recognized Barnes. ADVERTISEMENT The package contained two pounds of methamphetamine, the report says, mailed from an address in California. Based on that, and in addition to the other evidence compiled in the past few months, Barnes was arrested. Authorities executed search warrants at two other residences Barnes is associated with, Sherwin said, and arrested Crystal Adcox, 30. She faces a possible charge of being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, the report says. Barnes, who has spent time in both state and federal prisons, "is a significant narcotics dealer in Rochester," Sherwin said, selling both heroin and meth. "He's a violent, bad dude," Sherwin added. "This is a good arrest." Barnes was accused in 2008 of stabbing another man outside a bar in Rochester. In October of that year, he was sentenced to 36 months in prison after being convicted of second-degree drug sale. BYRON Two area men with at least four outstanding warrants between them are in custody today after a chase Friday night in a stolen vehicle, authorities said. The incident began at 9:38 p.m., when a deputy on patrol in southeast Byron ran the license plate of a pickup; it came back as reported stolen. When the deputy turned around to follow the pickup, it sped east on Olmsted County Road 34, also Country Club Road West, said Capt. Scott Behrns, eventually reaching speeds "in excess of 90 mph." Another deputy joined the chase near 10th Street and 60th Avenue Southwest, continuing into the 1500 block of Weatherhill Court Southwest, where both men inside the truck jumped out and ran. After setting up a perimeter in the area and warning of the presence of a police dog, deputies heard someone say, "I'm coming out," Behrns said. ADVERTISEMENT It was Isaac Joseph Cronin, 20, of Brownsdale, who was charged Monday in Olmsted County District Court with one count each of theft of a motor vehicle and fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, both felonies, and fleeing a peace officer on foot, a misdemeanor. He remains in custody in lieu of $100,000 unconditional bail and is due back in court Nov. 7. The passenger, later determined to be Erik Allen Cole, 27, of Stewartville, surrendered after a Minnesota State Patrol airplane found a heat source in the surrounding wooded area. Officers once again gave a warning about the police dog, Behrns said, and Cole came out of the woods. The pickup was reportedly stolen from Wabasha. A search of the vehicle turned up 15 grams of a white powder that did not test positive for methamphetamine, as well as some "possibly stolen property," Behrns said. Cronin is wanted on felony warrants in Wabasha, Winona and Olmsted counties, the report says; Goodhue County has a warrant for Cole's arrest on fifth-degree controlled substance charges. Nearly nine in 10 Americans regard North Korea as a "serious threat," according to a new CNN poll. In the poll conducted on 1,010 American adults by SSRS for the news network, "an overwhelming 86 [percent] of Americans said North Korea poses a serious threat to the U.S.," CNN reported on Friday. This is 17 percentage points higher than the 69 percent who see Iran or Russia as serious threats. Some 62 percent say the threat from North Korea is "very serious," and 24 percent saw it as "moderately serious." Another 4 percent saw no threat, and 1 percent answered "Don't know." Only 48 percent "are worried that they or their families will become victims of a nuclear attack on the U.S.," compared to 51 percent who "are not that worried." A majority, or 57 percent, said they disapprove of the way U.S. President Donald Trump is handling North Korea. This is up from 50 percent in a similar poll in September. And 63 percent said "Trump's responses to North Korea's threats... have been more reckless than responsible." It looks as if the Rochester Area Chamber of Commercewill start November down four staff members, with another employee leaving for a new job. Vanessa Carroll, the chamber's marketing and communications manager, informed the chamber leadership on Thursday she is leaving to take a position as a multimedia design specialist with the University of Minnesota Rochester. Her last day is Nov. 2. Carroll, who declined to discuss why she chose to leave the chamber, is the latest in a string of recent departures. Paul Omodt, of the Minneapolis-based Omodt & Associates Critical Communications, said this turnover is a sign of a broader issue in Rochester. "It shows the vitality of the region," he said Friday. "A lot of our members are dealing with workforce issues." ADVERTISEMENT Events Manager Meghann Southwickannounced on Oct. 11 she is leaving for a job with the Rochester Area Downtown Alliance. Tuesday will be her last day. The two most high-profile exits occurred at the end of August when then President Rob Millerattempted to force the resignation popular Membership Director Judy Braatz. As Braatz left, she submitted a letter detailing incidents of what she described as bullying and harassment by Miller. Amid the controversy, Miller resigned on Aug. 30. Mayo Clinic executive Kathleen Harringtontook over as interim director in mid-September. An investigation into Braatz's claims against Miller is being conducted by the Minneapolis law firm of Robins Kaplan. In the meantime, the chamber is looking for a new president, a new membership director, a new events manager and now, a new communications manager. Eight staffers, plus Harrington, remain working in the chamber office. Omodt says in the short term, the chamber might look at using contract workers to temporarily fill those roles. Two other chamber staff members Julie Brock and Julie Fiesel also left abruptly during the same week in May. Carroll and Brock were both hired at the end of 2014/start of 2015, along with Paul Richardson. Richardson, who worked with Miller previously in Arizona, was hired as development director. He is the only one of the three who remains on staff. Jimmy Carter tells Maureen Dowd I would go to North Korea to negotiate with Kim Jong Un. Apparently, he has told the Trump administration, via its national security adviser H.R. McMaster, the same thing. So far, says Carter, the response has been negative. Carter doubts that China can help rein in North Korea. The Chinese have no relationship with Kim Jong Un, he explains. Carter doesnt either. However, he has a relationship with the dictators grandfather. In 1994, he negotiated a disastrous deal with the regime and managed to foist it on President Clinton. The current crisis is the fruit of that deal. Im pretty sure Carter would be welcome in Pyongyang. I say, give Jimmy a chance. While hes at it, President Trump can ask George W. Bush to draft immigration reform legislation on the administrations behalf. Then, he can enlist Barack Obama to negotiate a free trade deal with Iran. In his interview with Dowd, Carter take a conciliatory attitude towards Trump. He says Americas poor image in the world predates the current president. Indeed, according to Dowd, Carter was harder on Barack Obama than on Trump. Carter likes Trumps outreach to Saudi Arabia. And he denies that Russian interference in the 2016 election affected the outcome. I dont think theres any evidence that what the Russians did changed enough votes, or any votes, the former president sensibly opines, with his wife Rosalynn dissenting. As for the medias treatment of Trump, Carter says this: I think the media have been harder on Trump than any other president certainly that Ive known about. I think they feel free to claim that Trump is mentally deranged and everything else without hesitation. These truthful words must be music to Trumps ears, but not to the point that hes going to accept the services of Jimmy Carter on North Korea or any other matter. Lawyers will know that U.C. Berkeleys law school has long been known as Boalt Hall, named for John Boalt, a prominent 19th century California lawyer whose estate donated the money for Berkeley to start a law school way back in 1906. But theres a problem: it seems Mr. Boalt harbored some racist views, in particular against the Chinese. You can read a paper Boalt delivered in 1877 entitled The Chinese Question, in which he argues that Chinese assimilation is simply impossible. You know what is coming next: a campus controversy about whether formally to drop Boalts name from the law school. (Its already kinda, sorta happened. A lot of people are already just saying Berkeley Law instead of Boalt Hall.) There has been set in motion a Berkeley Law Committee on the Use of the Boalt Name. The committee is soliciting comments from faculty and students, so perhaps against my better judgment, I have submitted the following comment: There deserves to be a sober discussion about what to do in the numerous cases where important historic figures fall woefully short of our current understandings of justice and equity. The case against John Boalt could just as easily be applied to Woodrow Wilson, and the attachment of his name to the School of Public Affairs at Princeton. (In fact some Princeton students have so argued that his name should be formally dropped.) What standard should be applied? I often draw the attention of students to a passage in Justice John Marshall Harlans famous and celebrated dissent in Plessy vs. Ferguson [the infamous separate but equal decision] that is strangely omitted from the presentation of the case in nearly every con law casebook, which runs thus: There is a race so different from our own that we do not permit those belonging to it to become citizens of the United States. Persons belonging to it are, with few exceptions, absolutely excluded from our country. I allude to the Chinese race. But from here Harlan complicates the judgment we might draw from this fragment by noting that it constitutes yet another weakness in the majority argument in Plessy, namely, that we do not segregate Chinese in our streetcarsonly blacks. What then is our final judgment on Harlan? (And should we also strike Harlans name from any honor roll or building that may exist?) As repugnant as John Boalts views read today, Harlans comment reminds us that it was a well nigh universal view. Im hard pressed to think of many examples of a serious contest of that view from that time. How did we come to change that view? Might it be better to keep the unvarnished truth of figures like Boalt, Harlan, and Wilson rather than airbrushing them out of sight, and thereby contribute to a forgetfulness of the path of change over the decades? Stay tuned. Ill let you know if I have triggered anyone. The New Jersey Presidents Council, an organization of college and university presidents from across the state, announced its support for the continuation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program last week. There are 58 college and university presidents on the council, including Barbara Gaba of Atlantic Cape Community College and Harvey Kesselman of Stockton University. Through a resolution passed unanimously by the council at its Oct. 16 meeting, the NJPC called for speedy and forceful action by the Congress and Trump Administration to implement a timely legislative remedy for these promising and deserving young people. The resolution was in response to an announcement by President Donald Trump in early September that the executive office would rescind the DACA program, which affects 800,000 undocumented immigrants, 22,000 of whom are in New Jersey. The program, established by an executive order under the Obama administration, allows certain undocumented immigrants living in the United States, who entered as minors, to apply for deferred action and eligibility to work and travel. They are vetted by the federal government and are attending school, working or serving in the military. We join the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce in calling for implementation of legislation that, in the words of the N.J. chamber, reflects basic American fairness and recognizes the value of DACA childrens contributions to New Jersey and the nation, the resolution states. The national higher education community has voiced support for the program, as have more than 400 CEOs and the U.S. and New Jersey chambers of commerce. A senior North Korean official vowed on Friday that Pyongyang will never abandon its nuclear weapons program. Possessing nuclear weapons is "a matter of life and death" for North Korea, Choe Son-hui, an official from the North's Foreign Ministry, said at a conference on non-proliferation in Moscow. She also said North Korea won't repeat the mistakes of Iraq and Libya. The North apparently believes it would not be able to defend itself from a U.S. attack should it give up its nuclear weapons program. ATLANTIC CITY A coveted piece of bayfront property may soon be the site of an off-campus housing complex for Stockton University students, as developers are working on a plan to bring more than 100 beds to North Trenton Avenue. Were solving a need here for off-campus housing. Every university has it, said Donald E. Haviland Jr., Light House Properties president and CEO. Haviland and General Manager Ron G. Ruffner Jr. unveiled plans Monday for private student housing at the site just west of the Gateway Project, which includes Stocktons new Atlantic City campus expected to open next fall. From where were standing today, you can see the future of Atlantic City, Haviland said. Haviland said Light House Properties is in the contract phase of development, which includes acquiring the properties at 106, 108 and 110 N. Trenton Ave. While the corner lot is vacant, the adjacent properties contain an occupied residential building and the foundation of another. Called The Point, the four-story structure off Sunset Avenue and adjacent to the Wonder Bar would offer waterfront views on two sides and a head-on view of the Gateway Project. The first floor would be a lobby area with residential units on the second through fourth floors. Most of the apartments will be one-bedroom units between 350 and 400 square feet, Haviland said. There will be some two-bedroom units available. Haviland did not say what the lease rate of the units would be. I think well be competitively priced, he said. The developers are planning an eco-friendly building with a green roof and waterfront amenities for tenants, including launches for kayaking and paddle boards. The rooms will be furnished and there will be security guards and surveillance, Haviland said. He said they expect to offer 12-month leases. We want these students who come to Atlantic City to stay in Atlantic City, Haviland said. Haviland said Light House Properties has been communicating with Stockton and has received its support for the project from the beginning. He said the company will work with Stockton to make sure students know about off-campus housing options. We want to help frame the campus, he said. Stockton University Director of News and Media Relations Diane DAmico said Stockton supports off-campus housing development. Promoting new and diversified economic development in Atlantic City has always been a goal of the Gateway Project. As we move forward with plans to open Stocktons Atlantic City campus in fall 2018, we welcome private development in the surrounding neighborhood, DAmico said. The developers said they want to take advantage of the five-year tax abatement plan offered by the city, but Haviland said he is also interested in a 10-year tax abatement if possible. As far as the 100 cars that may come with the students, Ruffner said they are working with the city to develop an off-street parking plan that will include the lot across the street, as well as additional lots off site, but in close proximity. Currently, the narrow streets that surround the property offer some on-street parking that is mostly used by residents in the area.(tncms-asset)8b587acb-719d-5c86-b875-e91df619f301[3](/tncms-asset) According to New Jersey business records, Light House Properties is a limited liability company that formed earlier this year. It is a subsidiary of parent company Teach Solais, based out of Trenton and Philadelphia, Ruffner said. Atlantic County property records show the parent company has been acquiring properties throughout Atlantic City for the past two years. Ruffner said Light House Properties will build, develop and manage properties in Atlantic City, with plans to develop additional housing projects. Ruffner said Light House Properties is opening up a headquarters here, at 2715 Arctic Ave., sometime early next year. Haviland said the company will employ a dozen people and plans to consider Atlantic City residents first. The development has not yet made it through the permitting process, which Haviland said will at least require a Coastal Area Facilities Review Act permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. He expects that process to take at least six months. The developers are hoping to have the building complete by January 2019, Haviland said. He said they have not been before the Planning Board yet for approval. At 11:16 a.m., firefighters from the Cardiff and Bargaintown volunteer companies responded to a reported car on fire parked next to a home at 6235 West Jersey Ave., in the Cardiff section of the township. Cardiff Assistant Fire Chief Gil Zong said the fire started in the engine compartment of the four door sedan and spread to the interior. The flames and smoke visibly damaged the siding on the home. Zong said firefighters had the fire under control in about 30 minutes and cleared the scene just after 12 p.m. The driver was not in the vehicle when the fire started and no injuries were reported. MARGATE After months of negotiations with the state Department of Environmental Protection, the city commissioners approved a local cooperation agreement Oct. 19 for the dune project and a fix for the citys rudimentary drainage system. We are getting a multimillion drainage system at no cost to the city, Mayor Michael Becker said. Commissioner Maury Blumberg said he approved the measure reluctantly because the city could incur expenditures down the road to replenish certain beaches. In my view, we should not have been forced into this agreement because of the predictable and inexcusable design mistakes of the Army Corps of Engineers, he said. It is true the agreement does not require us to participate in any future replenishment project, which all three commissioners stood firm on, but I am concerned we will be passing on the decision to future boards of commissioners. The agreement does not bind Margate to future replenishments. However, the city may want renourishment if erosion leaves little sitting room on the beach, especially between Lancaster and Rumson avenues. In that event, the city has no guarantee that the state will help with the cost. We will be forced to pump additional sand if we want to have a recreational beach there. The state doesnt believe they will have to pay for that. That money will probably be borne by the Margate taxpayers, Blumberg said. Commissioner John Amodeo said the agreement solves a problem the city has dealt with for more than 40 years. Beach project resumes; Margate finalizes negotiations on new drainage system MARGATE After three hurricanes temporarily halted the dune building project on Absecon Island, the dredge Lindholm has returned to the area and sand is being pumped onto the beach once more. As difficult as it was to deal with the Army Corps of Engineers and to negotiate with the DEP, we came out in general for the good of the whole town with all 40 blocks having a drainage system, he said. Amodeo said the negotiating process mended the citys relationship with the DEP, which will be beneficial if we face issues, as we are all aware we are going to. After the dune building project ordered by Gov. Chris Christie caused severe ponding between the new sand dune and the existing bulkhead, the Army Corps, under court order, undertook temporary measures to mitigate the ponding. The agency has since created a conceptual design to replace the drainage system, which essentially allows stormwater from the beach blocks to flow onto the beach, and will fund 100 percent of the cost. Whenever there were heavy rains, the city public works crew would use its heavy equipment to cut trenches that allow the water to flow to the sea. The plan calls for an underground lateral pipe to be installed along the citys border-to-border bulkhead to allow water to flow underneath the dune and into the ocean through outfall pipes under the sand. Longport resident worries about dune work's effect on butterflies LONGPORT A local resident has expressed concerns about the effect the pending dune project will have on the migration of monarch butterflies to the mountains outside Mexico City. The agreement provides reimbursement for up to $500,000 for the city to install storm drains at all street ends. Although the Army Corps has sole control over the construction contract and schedule, the city and DEP will work to persuade the Army Corps so as not to disrupt the 2018 summer season, according to the contract. Under the agreement Margate will assume all maintenance of the new drainage system and the associated cost. However, if additional capital improvements are needed, the DEP and Margate will partner on a solution, which may include sharing of said costs, the agreement states. The agreement prohibits Margate from reducing the dunes through bulldozing, excavation or other mechanical means. The city also granted a perpetual easement for the state to do future replenishments. Towns that agree to maintain the dunes for 50 years benefit from a cost-sharing arrangement in which the federal government pays 65 percent and the non-federal sponsor the state picks up 35 percent, which is split with the municipality. The final cost to municipalities is about 8.75 percent. Dan Gottlieb, executive director of the Margate Citizens Questioning the Beach Project, expressed concern at the meeting about the future costs of replenishment. Army Corps agrees to install drainage pipes under dune in Margate MARGATE The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to install a drainage pipe system under the new sand dune in Margate, according to a consent order. He called the agreement a necessary evil that fixes a problem the city never had. It may have been rudimentary and old, but it worked very well, Gottlieb said. Amodeo said that unless there is a major storm that is declared an emergency by the federal government, there is no guarantee there will be money available to fund replenishment. U.S. Army Corps pumps Lake Margate storm water into ocean MARGATE Three days after a deluge created a lake behind a newly built sand dune at Delavan Avenue, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun pumping the stagnant water back into the ocean. Resident Glenn Klotz said the location of the dune "guarantees" that the city will lose face beach in front of the berm. If you are farther back, there is less of a chance you will need (replenishment), he said. Resident John Sewell pressed the commission to convince the DEP to build a master jetty in Longport to prevent sand from migrating into the Great Egg Harbor Bay. Lets use logic for a change, he said. Lets get pro-master jetty. DEP spokesman Robert Geist said the department is pleased to see the project moving ahead "to protect the people, property and infrastructure of Margate" as part of the comprehensive coastal storm protection plan for the entire New Jersey coast. "Completing the Margate and Longport portions is key to the stabilization of the entire Absecon Island project, he said. Cumberland County has some of the same tourism and economic development opportunities as neighboring Cape May County, but marketing has lagged and the state underserves the area, 1st Legislative District Republican candidates say. James Sauro, a Cumberland County freeholder and candidate for state Assembly, said Cumberland County can learn a lot from Cape May County regarding tourism and economic development. One of my pet peeves is marketing, Sauro said during a recent editorial board meeting at The Press. Cape May County does a better job than Cumberland does. ... We need to work on our advertised pros and work on the cons. Republican Assembly candidates Sauro and Bob Campbell and Senate candidate Mary Gruccio are advocating for more school funding, help with economic development, property tax relief and resources to fight the opioid epidemic. All three have different backgrounds and areas of expertise. Gruccio is the current superintendent of the Vineland school district. She also served as a Cumberland County freeholder for seven years. Sauro was the freeholder director in Cumberland County in 2002 and was re-elected to the board in 2013. During his time as an elected official, Sauro has sat on the county finance committee, served as chairman of the Department of Public Works, served as chairman of the Drug & Alcohol First Step Program, and been a member of the Health Department Committee. He also is a plumber and is the CEO of A.R. Sauro Plumbing & Heating and A.R. Sauro WaterCare in Vineland. Campbell, the other state Assembly candidate, is the mayor of Downe Township and has been involved in politics since 1992. Some of his experience as a politician include sitting on the legislative review committee for the New Jersey League of Municipalities and being nominated to the New Jersey Clean Air Council and the New Jersey Coastal Coalition, among other memberships. He also the director of the Delaware Bayshore Redevelopment Commission, which works to create and encourage public-private partnerships for economic development in bayshore communities like Cape May and Cumberland counties. At the editorial board, Sauro said many issues the state faces are intertwined, and education is a good place to start when discussing the revitalization of struggling communities in Cape May and Cumberland counties. Gruccio said one of her top priorities if elected is to fight for equitable school funding the 1st District. I deal closely with families, I deal closely with students, and I think they need to do more with funding for our districts are in need, she said, adding the opioid epidemic has created more challenges for many schools, when students families are struggling with addiction. There are things that I deal with every day based on what our children deal with and what they see at home. The 1st District includes all of Cape May County, a large portion on Cumberland County and a sliver of Atlantic County. Its economy continues to lag the rest of that state, and unemployment rates are higher than the national and state average. Gruccio, who is running in a field that includes state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, a Democrat, and independent Anthony Parisi Sanchez, of Vineland, said there is a perception that Cape May County doesnt need more school funding or property tax relief because people see it as just shore towns and other thriving communities. If you really look into it, Cape May (County) has some very poor areas and some people who are really struggling and need help, she said. So taxes seem to be an issue across the board, and then of course school funding is a big issue as well. Sauro said he believes schools need more social workers to help children who come from broken families or whose relatives struggle with addiction. Helping solve the opioid epidemic and getting proper funding for the schools in the 1st district would help spur economic development, he said. We want to bring economic development in, we want to build up our base, we want to hire more people, Sauro said. Well, we cant hire people because theyre not educated. We need to start somewhere, and I do believe that we need to start with the school systems. ATLANTIC CITY From cracked light bulbs at the closed Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino to ripped awnings at the closed Atlantic Club Casino Hotel, defunct casinos can be found up and down the Boardwalk after five shut down in the past several years. Some properties such as the former Trump Taj Mahal, which will become the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City next summer, and Revel, which could be sold in the coming weeks are expected to reopen at some point. Others, such as the Atlantic Club and Trump Plaza, face an uncertain future and have fallen into disrepair. On Sept. 27, a portion of the ceiling of the covered entrance at Atlantic Club collapsed onto the closed casinos driveway. No one was hurt, but the incident raised concerns about the conditions of these properties. While city officials do their best to make sure the buildings are safe, lack of access to the properties is a challenge. Dale Finch, director of licensing and inspection for the city, said they check the properties as often as they can, but sometimes that is not enough. We continually monitor the properties, but the hard part is that we dont go into the buildings and dont have access to them, said Finch. If we see something, we call the property manager for the property and let them know. Mayor Don Guardian said the city and fire department are working to ensure there are no safety issues with the building. They do fire inspections on a regular basis and found all of them completely safe, Guardian said. There are no structural issues at any of the properties. Guardian added Revel is in the best condition of the closed properties because it was built less than a decade ago. Earlier this month, representatives Keating & Associates, a New York-based private investment firm interested in purchasing the property, praised its condition. It (Revel) looks like it closed a couple of weeks ago, Guardian said. Some have said the closed properties have given the city a black eye and contributed to the perception the city is failing. The biggest issue is that they are vacant and anything can happen, Finch said. Its a concern that they are vacant hopefully something will happen with them soon. The properties and their conditions could present a deal for some investors, said Ken Calemmo, chief operating officer of Cooper Levenson and co-chair of the Economic Development Committee of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber. Vacant properties of that size are always both a challenge and an opportunity a challenge because of their lack of curb appeal to the city, and great investment opportunities for the right group, Calemmo said. Both the Atlantic Club and the Plaza have great locations and I am sure can be gotten for a reasonable price. FREDERICKSBURG, Va. The first time Amy Siegel visited the Department of Veterans Affairs to apply for survivor benefits, her husband had been dead for less than five weeks and she was four months pregnant. Army Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Siegel had survived three deployments to Iraq only to lose his life to a distracted driver 1,000 feet from his parents home in Stafford County. Amy Siegel staggered through grief and court hearings as she prepared to give birth to the daughter she would have to raise alone. But it was a comfort to know her husbands 18 years of military service would provide a measure of financial security in the form of a tax-free monthly benefit for widows of wartime veterans. Accompanied by the casualty officer assigned to assist her, she filled out benefits paperwork at the VAs regional office in Baltimore. A backlog of VA claims meant it could take several months until the pay kicked in, but there was a stopgap: a separate award called the Survivor Benefit Plan that would automatically lower after the VA pay began. Five months passed. Neither came. The Army had submitted incorrect paperwork, she said, and it was holding up both payments. In March, seven months after her first visit to the VA, the stopgap funds, including back payments, kicked in. She asked if she would have to return the money once she received the retroactive VA pay. She wouldnt. Her husband had worked hard and sacrificed for that money, the man on the line told her. She said she asked a second time, and a third, and finally felt assured. It was hers to keep. In April, a letter arrived from the VA. The agency had deposited more than $10,000 dating back to Nicholas Siegels death eight months before. That same day, her bank called. The money had gone into someone elses account. Over the next several months, she would make more than two dozen phone calls to the VA and to her bank. She would fill out forms, contact her congressman and file a formal complaint with the VAs inspector general. Her calls would be routed to call centers around the country, so she would rarely, if ever, speak to the same person twice, and they would often give conflicting instructions. She would update her bank account number for the VA multiple times, but her first regular monthly paymentthis one for more than $1,200would go into the wrong account, too. When the mistakes were finally fixed six months later, she would learn thered been another one. This time, it could ultimately cost her $17,000. Nick and Amy She was Amy Anderson when she and Nicholas Siegel met online in 2011. He was in Iraq, but his family lived in Stafford. She was working as a hand therapist in Fredericksburg. The distance made for a bumpy start, but by September, he was stateside, stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas. They talked or messaged every day. Almost every weekend, he flew to Virginia or drove halfway across the country to see her. One day in June 2012, they took an 8-mile canoe ride down the Rappahannock River. The ride was rough, and they argued the whole time, shouting over the sound of rushing water. Later that day, he asked her to marry him. She was prepared to say no, but she couldnt resist him. They exchanged vows in front of family and a handful of friends in a backyard ceremony in June 2013. He was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland when they settled in Nicholas Siegels bachelor apartment in a bad part of town and waited for their house to be built in Pennsylvania. He was often away, and she commuted more than an hour to and from work each day. Two pregnancies ended in miscarriages, and the strain took its toll. By the time they marked their three-year anniversary in June 2016, Amy Siegel was pregnant again. A series of early tests showed a healthy baby girl. There was more good news: The Army moved Nicholas Siegel to Fort Belvoir, into a high-profile position that would perfectly position him for a civilian job when he retired in two years time. We were at the best point of our relationship, she said. We were best friends. We were what each other had. They found a house to rent near Quantico. They were coming home. A horrible mistake On July 21, 2016, five days before Amy Siegel was set to rejoin her husband in Stafford, Nicholas Siegel came to a stop on his motorcycle on State Route 610 near Ridgeway Road. It was 5:30 p.m. A 17-year-old driver rammed into the back of his bike, knocking him off and hurtling his motorcycle into oncoming traffic. He died at the crash site. Amy Siegel was just getting home from work when her mother called with the news. It hit her so hard she collapsed to the floor. She moved through the days like she was moving through water. Sometimes the grief was so stark she couldnt stop crying, sometimes so numbing she felt guilty because it didnt hurt more. She found strength in her growing belly and in a fitness studio, where she practiced barre. On Jan. 6, 2017, a most bittersweet day, she gave birth to Genevieve Nichole Siegel. Theyd picked out the first name together; Amy Siegel chose Nichole for the father the newborn baby so closely resembled. In March, the driver pleaded guilty to reckless driving; two months later, Amy Siegel sat on the witness stand and talked about the last 10 months without her husband. The driver lost her license for a year; at the familys request, she would have to share her story at drivers education classes rather than go to jail. She just made a horrible mistake, Amy Siegel said. I didnt want two lives ruined. Red-tape runaround The court case behind her, Amy Siegel felt a sense of freedom. The fog of her grief had at last begun to lift. After a series of delays, shed finally received the award from the survivors benefit plan meant to tide her over. On April 12, the bank called. Was she expecting a large sum from the VA? Because another customer had contacted the bank to report an erroneous $10,000-plus deposit. The bank representative said shed tried to contact the VA, but no one there would talk to her. Amy Siegel would have to call. She did. She learned that the VA had submitted an incorrect account number during that August 2016 visit to Baltimore. She faxed the correct information to the VA because the agency couldnt update it over the phone, she said. She asked about retrieving her money, and the VA representative told her he was filling out a permission to transfer funds form, which he would fax to her bank. The bank never got the fax because the bank had given an overseas fax number. The VA would have to fax the form again. Amy Siegel called the VA back. The permission to transfer funds form was not in her paperwork, she said she was told, but that didnt matter, because the only way to retrieve the funds was to put a tracer on them. The tracer could take six to eight weeks. She asked whether her account information had been updated. It hadnt, so shed have to fax it again, the VA told her. The first regular monthly payment from the VA hit the wrong account. Amy Siegel called again to start the tracer process for that, too. In June, nearly a year after Nicholas Siegels death, she began receiving $1,569.59 a month from the VA. But she still seemed no closer to getting the missing back pay and first months payment a total of $11,300. Her frustration started to show. A VA representative grew silent during a call, then accused her of ranting, she said. A few weeks later, the person who answered the phone told Amy Siegel shed help her as long as she didnt get an attitude. Six weeks passed, then eight, then 10, and in a July call to the VA, a representative asked whether shed contacted the U.S. Department of Treasury. Amy Siegel asked to speak to a manager anyone who could help. I know it can be done, Amy Siegel said. The response, she said, was not necessarily. Only a supervisor could decide whether her case warranted a call back from a manager. Amy Siegel ended the call and contacted her congressman. On July 31, she got a letter from the VA that said it was tracing the missing payments, but in the meantime, it had issued paper checks. If the checks were sent, she never got them, and three more calls to the VA by a congressional aide went unanswered, she said. Permanent migraine On Sept. 23, Amy Siegel relayed her story to a family friend. Jim Anthony was a retired Navy veteran who worked for the federal government and had connections. Hed never heard anything quite like this. Let me see what I can do to help, Anthony told her, and soon he was emailing a nearly four-page, single-spaced timeline of Amy Siegels year-long ordeal to everyone he knew and thought could help. Theres literally no excuse, he said. Earlier this month, a call center manager phoned Amy Siegel with news: The VA was depositing the missing pay into her account. In response to a series of questions about the delay, press secretary Curt Cashour wrote: We sincerely regret the inconvenience that this delay posed for Mrs. Siegel and are constantly working to improve our benefits delivery processes for Veterans and their families. Cashour did not respond to specific questions about Amy Siegels case. Nor did he respond to questions emailed twice about how common her experience is, how the VA plans to prevent it from happening again or what avenues are available to those without an advocate like Anthony or a lawmaker. The $11,300 arrived in Amy Siegels account as promised twice. One would have to be returned, of course. But she wasnt expecting the call that came last week. The spousal benefits pay hadnt decreased when the VA pay kicked in. Shed have to pay it back along with the large payment shed been assured she could keep. All told, she owed $17,400. That was in addition to the second $11,300 payment sent accidentally. If the VA simply withholds the payments until all the money is repaid, she will have to delve into her savings for expenses beyond her mortgage and household bills. The hardest aspect of all of this is not having my husband here and not being able to make memories with him anymore and doing this all myself, she said. The VA is a migraine that wont go away. She wants to move back to Virginia, just as they were set to before that awful day a year and a half ago. But until the ordeal with the VA is resolved and she sells their house in Pennsylvania, she is stuck. She keeps her husbands clothes hanging in the closet the way he left them, his toiletries in the bathroom. Each morning is a reminder that he isnt there, that she didnt get to tell him goodbye or tell him she loved him one more time. Instead of finally being able to tuck away the piles of paperwork, to let the frustration of the administrative nightmare subside and focus on a new normal, Amy Siegel has made a decision. She wishes she didnt have to. But shell keep battling the VA. HAMMONTON The clubhouse of the Puerto Rican Civic Association was filled with cases of bottled water and boxes of food and hygiene supplies Sunday. It was the final day the group was accepting donations for its relief effort for Puerto Rico, devastated by Hurricane Maria about a month ago. Donations processed Sunday will fill the fifth container the group will have sent to the island since the hurricane, said association President Marilyn Nogue, of Hammonton. Then we are hoping to do a toy drive (for Puerto Rico) in November and December, said Vice President Lilliam Pagan, of Hammonton. Nogue said the group never expected the huge turnout of volunteers and donations from schools, companies, civic groups and others across the county and beyond. The magnitude has been enormous, she said. People of all ethnic backgrounds became volunteers in the past month, helping to sort clothing and other donations, Pagan said. But many volunteers have family on the island, such as Press of Atlantic City Classified Manager Idalis Ruiz. She got permission from The Press to organize a donation drive, and Press readers came through with a trailer and another truckload of donations in just a couple of weeks, she said. She has an uncle living in Lares, a mountainous community facing mudslides that has no electricity, and an aunt in Aguas Buenas. I felt helpless, Ruiz said of not being able to assist her family. Helping stack water cases Sunday was Luis Rodriguez, of Egg Harbor Township, who has a sister in Ponce. She says she hasnt seen much help, Rodriguez said. Many school systems in Atlantic County conducted donation drives for the association, as did Stockton Universitys Sigma Pi fraternity. Noel Feliciano, of One Stop Bait & Tackle in Atlantic City, organized a fishing tournament that raised $3,000, said Nogue. Edwin Negroni, of Hammonton, is trying to raise funds to send specialized buckets with water filters in them, to help people get clean water, he said. I was looking for a water filtration system that doesnt use electricity, he said. One bucket sits atop another. The top bucket has a carbon filter inside a ceramic casing. Water drips through it into the bottom bucket, and is cleaned of many pollutants. It takes four hours to do five gallons of water, Negroni said. He estimates each unit will cost about $35 for the filter and buckets. To find out how to help, contact Negroni at 609-226-9300 or dongo42@comcast.net. The Puerto Rican Civic Association will announce the start of its toy drive on its Facebook page, Nogue said. The last bits of high pressure will be overhead Monday. We will start with patchy morning fog in the rural areas, typical of what we have seen the past couple of nights. That fog will burn off quickly, though, and become a beautiful afternoon. We will have a partly sunny sky with a nice southerly wind keeping highs in the 70s for another day. Winds then flip to the southeast overnight, ahead of a cold front. In this kind of setup, the east component of the wind brings in the moisture from the ocean, while the south component brings in the unstable air. This combination can lead to drizzle or even light showers. This is what I expect late Monday night and into Tuesday morning, before the actual cold front arrives. As the day progresses, the cold front will move in. It will be large, stretching from Canada to the deep South. A low-pressure system will ride up that cold front and should be in interior New England by the time the front arrives in South Jersey. A windswept rain will be the case for the latter parts of Tuesday. Rain will be heavy at times, ending during the evening. It will be breezy, with sustained winds around 20 mph and gusts in the 30s. Make sure to bring inside any lighter, loose objects, such as potted plants and lawn chairs. This will be a beneficial rainfall for South Jersey, as it has been dry this month. By the time all is said and done, one-half to 1 inch of rain will fall. Roads may pond in isolated, sensitive areas. While a shower will linger into the first hours of Wednesday, it is not enough to include rain in Wednesdays forecast. Instead, we will see increasing sunshine as dry air from the west shoots into New Jersey. The low pressure will linger well to the north, in Canada, though. As this moves east, remnant moisture and clouds will settle in for Thursday. Isolated showers are expected, but unlikely enough to cancel outdoor plans GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP Stockton University will host debates for state Senate and Assembly candidates in the 2nd Legislative District on Wednesday at Stocktons Campus Center Theatre. The Assembly debate will start at 7:30 p.m., and will feature Republican candidates Brenda Taube and Vince Sera as well as Democrats John Armato and incumbent Vince Mazzeo. In the first debate, Senate candidates Chris Brown, a Republican, and Colin Bell, a Democrat, discussed topics including North Jersey casinos, school, marijuana law and their stance on "sanctuary cities". The debates are co-sponsored by The Press of Atlantic City and William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy. John Froonjian, of the Hughes Center, will moderate the debates. Press reporter Nicholas Huba will serve as a panelist with a Stockton faculty member, posing questions to the candidates, including some submitted by readers of The Press. The debates will be open to the public. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The campaigns in the 2nd Legislative District, which includes most of Atlantic County, have heated up in the past couple of weeks. Among the issues raised at recent debates are property taxes, school funding, the state takeover of Atlantic City and Atlantic Countys economic future. PLEASANTVILLE The three Democratic incumbents in New Jerseys 1st District will continue to advocate for South Jersey at this flashpoint in the state, they said Wednesday during an editorial board meeting at The Press. We have just tremendous challenges, whether you look at Kids Counts or any other factor, any other barometer used to see how our families and our people are doing, said Sen. Jeff Van Drew, a state senator since 2008. Van Drew, of Dennis Township, is seeking his fourth term in the state Senate. His running mates, Assemblymen Bob Andrzejczak, of Middle Township, and Bruce Land, of Vineland, are seeking their third and second terms, respectively. From helping veterans to bringing jobs to Cumberland and Cape May counties and training potential employees, the Van Drew team as they call themselves said they are working every angle to help the residents of deep South Jersey. We have every single problem you can think of, Van Drew said, adding there is nowhere else he would rather live. Its wonderful if you happen to have a job, but for many people, its a challenge. The 1st District includes portions of Cumberland and Atlantic counties and all of Cape May County. The vast area is complex: home to both rural and urban areas, and very poor and very wealthy towns. The economy in the 1st District is lagging behind the rest of the state and foreclosure and unemployment rates remain higher than the national and state averages. To their success, Van Drew and Andrzejczak touted a recent bill that streamlined the approval process for oyster farming and other aquaculture businesses, which are important contributors to the states economy. He said prior to the bill, approvals were needed by various agencies within the state Department of Environmental Protection that often disagreed with one another. Federal approval also was needed. Land and Andrzejczak talked about the success of several veterans advocacy bills, including a court diversion program for veterans who commit nonviolent offenses. The candidates said it was their job to show North Jersey legislators why certain bills were important for South Jersey residents. We really do have two New Jerseys, Van Drew said. He said they currently are working to develop the areas around county airports to become economic hubs. In particular, Cape May County is looking to become a hot spot for the drone industry, and the candidates are helping push for legislation to make that easier, they said. Andrzejczak said they are working with technical schools, county colleges, employers and four-year colleges to provide specialized training programs to cater to businesses that want to develop in the area. Land said he was very proud of the level of bipartisanship he sees in South Jersey in coming up with ways to boost the economy. We all get along, we talk, we sit down and we try to figure things out, Land said. Were all trying to do the same thing. Were trying to bring jobs down here to South Jersey. Van Drew, who is challenged by Republican candidate Mary Gruccio, the Vineland schools superintendent, and independent candidate Anthony Parisi Sanchez, a recent Vineland school board candidate, said school funding is very important to him. He said he wants to make the state funding formula more equitable for South Jersey, where many districts lost funding this year. He said it was distasteful politics to take away funding from one school and give it to another, noting some of the schools already were not spending at adequacy and were struggling economically. On the budget, Van Drew said he is a fiscal conservative and New Jerseyans were being asked to give too much. We are taxing, tolling, feeing, charging people out of New Jersey, he said. So for me the No. 1 issue ... before you can to do any good, youve got to get this fiscal issue under control. Van Drew said before new programs are started, legislators need to find a way to fund them. He was optimistic this year would be good for New Jersey in terms of income tax revenue, particularly from the success of the stock market, but said the state needs to be careful how its spent. What we should do is say, You know what, man, lets hold onto as much of it as we can, Van Drew said. Myanmar, Vietnam and Uganda have recently expelled diplomats of traditional ally North Korea as U.S.-led efforts to isolate Pyongyang gain steam. In a report to the UN Security Council, Myanmar said Friday that Kim Chol-nam, a second secretary at the North's embassy in Yangon, had been told to leave the country after being identified as working for blacklisted Korea Mining Development Trading Corp., which is North Korea's primary arms dealer involved in exporting goods and equipment related to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons. Kim and his family returned to Pyongyang in June. Lee Hyuk, South Korea's ambassador to Vietnam, said Friday that Kim Yong-su, the head of the Vietnam branch of Wonyang, controlled by North Korea's Ocean Maritime Management, was expelled from Vietnam in July. OMM is an exporter of North Korean minerals and coal and is known to be a source of hard currency for the North Korean regime. Vietnam also refused to extend the visas of 21 North Korean IT workers who were suspected of being hackers. Meanwhile, Ugandan Foreign Minister Oryem Okello said his government expelled several North Korean military officials and businessmen. PEORIA, Illinois, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT / NYSE Euronext: CATR) informs its stockholders that today, a Form 8-K was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") with respect to monthly retail statistics. Caterpillar files electronically with the SEC required reports on Form 8-K, Form 10-Q, Form 10-K and Form 11-K; proxy materials; ownership reports for insiders as required by Section 16(a) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and registration statements on Forms S-3 and S-8, as necessary; and other forms or reports, as required. All of the forms and reports filed electronically with the SEC are available on the SEC Internet site (www.sec.gov ). Caterpillar also maintains an Internet site (www.Caterpillar.com) and copies of its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to these reports filed or furnished with the SEC are available free of charge through Caterpillar's Internet site (www.Caterpillar.com/secfilings ) as soon as reasonably practicable after the relevant document has been filed with the SEC. CONTACT: Corrie Scott, Corporate Public Affairs, +1- 224-551-4133 This is a disclosure announcement from PR Newswire. SOURCE Caterpillar Inc. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160513/367297LOGO ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/586859/Smart_City_Expo_World_Congress.jpg ) The crossroads between cities, security and technology is Robert Muggah's field of expertise. Muggah is the co-founder of the Igarape Institute and The SecDev Foundation and is largely known for his work on fragile cities, arms control, and migration. His work on designing platforms to map arms transfers, track homicide, predict crime, and promote accountability among police is globally recognized. Joan Clos is the Executive Director of UN-Habitat since October 2010. Prior to joining the United Nations, he served as the Spanish Ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan and was Minister of Industry, Tourism, and Trade of Spain and has an extensive background in urban governments having been elected twice as mayor of Barcelona from 1997 until 2006. Bettina Warburg leads the blockchain practice at Animal Ventures and works with Governments and members of the Fortune 500 list to help drive the global commercialization and integration of blockchain technology. Warburg started her career as Public Foresight Strategist at the Institute for the Future. Dimitri Zenghelis is one of the leading experts in climate change economics. A Senior Visiting Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, he studies the macroeconomic aspects of climate change and the design of policy regimes for tackling harmful climate change. Among the other speakers at SCEWC are Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez, Senior Director Social, Urban, Rural & Resilience Global Practice at the World Bank; Gilles Babinet, Digital Champion representing France at the European Commission; Miguel Gamino Jr, New York Chief Technology Officer; Theo Blackwell, London Chief Digital Officer; and Kasim Reed, Mayor of Atlanta (USA). Smart Mobility World Congress SCEWC will also host the first Smart Mobility World Congress, a smart transport summit focusing on urban and intercity transport. Among the highlighted speakers is Dirk Ahlborn, CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, the new transportation mode aimed at transporting people and objects at 1,200 km/h through a system of sealed tubes. SOURCE Fira de Barcelona STOCKHOLM, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Electrolux today announced that the Brazilian court administering the bankruptcy of Mabe Brazil has accepted a BRL 70 million (SEK 178 million) bid to acquire the intellectual property assets of the estate. Electrolux will consequently take over the rights to the Continental brand of home appliances. Continental is a well-known, traditional brand, with a long history of supplying cooking, cooling and laundry products to Brazilian families. "Continental will be a valuable asset to Electrolux, supporting the continued profitable growth in our region," said Ricardo Cons, Head of Electrolux business area Major Appliances Latin America. "The acquisition will enable us to further expand our market coverage by offering great experiences to more consumers." For further information, please contact Electrolux Press Hotline, +46-8-657-65-07. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/electrolux/r/electrolux-acquires-continental-brand-in-latin-america,c2372882 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Electrolux (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/588017/Eurozine_Conference.jpg ) Eurozine, the network of European cultural journals, together with the Estonian journal Vikerkaar, the Institute of Social Studies at the University of Tartu, and the Estonian cultural organisation SA Kultuurileht, jointly held the 28th European Meeting of Cultural Journals in Tartu, Estonia, on 20-22 October 2017. Over the course of three days, 100 cultural journalists and media professionals participated in a programme of public talks and discussions on the effects of technology on democracy, and its contribution to phenomena like 'post-truth' and fake news. Leading internet analyst Vladan Joler, Director of Share Foundation, Serbia, in his keynote speech on 20 October, offered insights into the algorithmic 'black boxes' which mediate our experience of the internet, social media and the world, showing how they can be used by political actors and are governed by commercial interests. Showcasing his team's forensic investigations, he warned that these processes are likely to become even less transparent. "These big algorithmic machines are the editors of the 21st century, not humans anymore," he told the audience - many of them editors. Estonia's Minister of Culture Mr. Indrek Saar opened the conference and emphasized the importance of Estonia's vibrant cultural journals. Over the weekend, participants joined panel discussions that featured experts from across Europe and from the US, as well as practical workshops on social media and cross-media publishing. The final day of the conference ended with a participative Barcamp-style format for knowledge sharing. The digital revolution has had a devastating effect on the economics of journalism, and poses unexpected challenges to democracy itself. But it also offers new opportunities for citizens to participate more actively in their societies, and for media outlets - including journals like those in the Eurozine network - to collaborate. How do we address these paradoxes? And what is the role of cultural journals in this process? Eurozine's conference explored these questions, and more, from a range of theoretical and practical perspectives. The event was co-sponsored by the European Union (Creative Europe), Eesti Kultuurkapital, the National Endowment for Democracy, the City of Tartu and the Open Society Initiative for Europe. Conference website: http://www.eurozine.com/tartu2017 Videos of keynote and panel discussions: http://www.fb.com/eurozine #eurozineconference2017 SOURCE Eurozine ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kazakhstan's delegation attended the International Participants Meeting (IPM) dedicated to the upcoming EXPO 2020 Dubai. There are three years to go until the World EXPO 2020 starts in Dubai, the UAE's largest city. The event will run between October 20, 2020 and April 10, 2021. On October 19 and 20, the organizers of EXPO 2020 Dubai invited delegates from 180 countries to discuss the progress of preparations for the event. Kazakhstan's delegation was headed by Akhmetzhan Yessimov, Chairman of JSC National Company "Astana EXPO-2017". "EXPO 2020 is not only an excellent opportunity for Kazakhstan to showcase its achievements, but also a way to further develop the bilateral relationship between our countries. 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future', the theme of EXPO 2020 Dubai, is very closely allied to the theme of our Astana EXPO 2017, 'Future Energy'. We hope that the innovations and ideas that have been presented in Astana, will be further elaborated at EXPO 2020," Akhmetzhan Yessimov said in the course of bilateral meetings. Dimitri Kerkentzes, Deputy Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions, noted that, "The World EXPO 2020 Dubai raises quite an ample topic for the world community to discuss. The theme of the planet's sustainability will definitely be further elaborated, particularly with regard to alternative sources of energy. This demonstrates the continuity and relevance of the EXPO themes. International participants that have presented their inventions at EXPO 2017 in Astana will be able to further develop the topic at EXPO 2020 Dubai." The IPM included a series of panel discussions for representatives of the countries exhibiting at EXPO 2020, as well as for the Exposition sponsors, partners and winners of the EXPO Live Impact Innovation Grants. The two-day event enabled its participants to look into details of preparation of the exposition facilities, the specifics of the theme and the legacy of EXPO 2020. They also visited the Exposition's construction site. The exposition site covering a total area of 438 hectares will be located in Jebel Ali district, equally distant from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Once the Dubai EXPO 2020 is closed, its site will continue as a research centre and university. During EXPO 2017, representatives of the Dubai EXPO 2020 Bureau visited Astana on several occasions as part of the implementation of the Memorandum of Collaboration between JSC NC "Astana EXPO-2017" and the Bureau of Dubai EXPO 2020. "We are thankful to Astana EXPO 2017 for the experience we had. The organizing committee of EXPO 2020 Dubai had an amazing opportunity to gain an insight into all the stages of organizing and running the EXPO, from start to finish. The representatives of our respective departments studied the issues of the Exposition's security, operational management, IT systems etc. This experience will help us to successfully implement our own project," said Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and director general of the Bureau of EXPO 2020 Dubai. Contact: Valerie Bystrova, expo2017@m-p.ru, +7(925)-308-2227 SOURCE National company Astana EXPO-2017 (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/588519/Inter_Parliamentary_Union_Assembly.jpg ) The event saw impressive results: members of parliaments from around the world signed the IPU Petition in support of the formation of democratic societies. A number of issues were also discussed, from banning nuclear weapons to information security, using scientific research to achieve higher standards in health care, encouraging the use of renewable energy in the private sector, and strengthening the parliamentary dimension of the UN. The assembly's business programme included the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians. Meetings were held between the IPU's six geopolitical groups: the African Group, the Arab Group, the Asia-Pacific Group, the Eurasia Group, the Group of Latin-America and the Caribbean, and the Twelve Plus Group (which includes the countries of Western and Central Europe, Canada, and other states). The event also saw the election of Gabriela Cuevas Barron as new President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. In addition, the IPU accepted a number of new members: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, and the Marshall Islands, bringing the total number of IPU member-states to 177. Russia guaranteed all foreign participants a smooth entry into the country, irrespective of their presence on Russian restricted lists drawn up in response to Western sanctions. An atmosphere was created in which parliamentarians could engage in productive dialogue at the assembly. The next meeting will take place in 2018 in Geneva. About the union Founded in 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Union is the oldest and one of the most authoritative and influential international parliamentary organizations, and the informal parliamentary partner of the UN. The union has 177 member states, and 12 inter-parliamentary associations are associate members. The Roscongress Foundation is a major conference and exhibition organizer. The Roscongress Foundation was founded in 2007 with the aim of facilitating the development of Russia's economic potential and strengthening the country's image by organizing conventions, exhibitions, and public events. The Foundation develops substantive content for such events, providing companies and organizations with advice, information, and expert guidance, and offering comprehensive evaluation, analysis, and coverage of the Russian and global economic agendas. Today, its annual programme includes events held from Montevideo to Vladivostok, offering an opportunity to bring together global business leaders, experts, the media, and government officials in one place, creating favourable conditions for dialogue and the promotion of new ideas and projects, and assisting in the creation of social enterprise and charity projects. http://www.ipu137russia.org http://www.ipu.org/conf-e/137agnd.htm SOURCE IPU COLOGNE, Germany, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In mid-September, the global testing service provider TUV Rheinland heralded the soft opening phase of its recently acquired wireless laboratory in the Swedish city of Lund with a customer event. The acquisition of the laboratory, which also constitutes the foundation for TUV Rheinland's newly established national subsidiary in Sweden, took place this year during the summer. In doing this, TUV Rheinland is expanding its global involvement in the field of wireless technologies and is extending its European wireless network to five locations. Apart from Sweden, TUV Rheinland also operates corresponding IoT labs in Nuremberg (Germany), Cologne (Germany), Leek (Netherlands) and Milan (Italy). "The laboratory in Lund is equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as Sigfox and LoRa and allows us to offer the latest IoT services on site," explains Stefan Kischka, Vice President Wireless/Internet of Things at TUV Rheinland. "With the soft opening of our laboratory in Lund, TUV Rheinland now has access to the northern European wireless/IoT market," adds Anders Nordlof, Managing Director of the national subsidiary, TUV Rheinland Sweden AB. The Lund laboratory is located in the heart of a technology cluster consisting of research and development companies, manufacturers and integrators. It is a fully equipped test laboratory that comprehensively covers the wireless needs of all industries. On a total area of 900 square meters, distributed between seven individual laboratories, customers can discover the entire spectrum of wireless testing options. This applies for technologies such as Sigfox and LoRa as well as Zigbee, 3GPP, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread and eCall. In addition, the laboratory is equipped with OTA chambers and SAR systems. Lund is the first European wireless laboratory that covers both short-range and long-range technologies. Equipped with SAC 5 chamber In addition, an SAC 5 chamber is planned for the start of 2018. "This will be followed by the grand opening in the spring of the coming year," says TUV Rheinland expert Nordlof. TUV Rheinland Center of Excellence Wireless/IoT in Silicon Valley The acquisition in Lund is just one part of a broad expansion of the testing service provider's wireless network. As recently as spring 2017, TUV Rheinland opened its laboratory in Fremont, California. Together with its laboratory for wireless communication technologies in Silicon Valley, which has existed since 1986, the facility forms the "TUV Rheinland Center of Excellence Wireless/IoT", which performs wireless communication tests in the North America region, for example. "The laboratory in Lund is a further milestone that provides an excellent addition to the services we offer and brings us another step forward in the expansion of our global involvement in the area of wireless technologies and the fulfillment of our TUV Rheinland Wireless Strategy 2020", reports Stefan Kischka. Like IoT privacy, cyber security and autonomous driving, the expansion of testing facilities for wireless communication technologies is one of the future-oriented digitalization topics on which the testing service provider will be placing a stronger focus in the future. For more information, visit www.tuv.com/en/wireless-iot TUV Rheinland is a global leader in independent inspection services, founded 145 years ago. The group employs 19,700 people around the globe. Annual revenue is more than EUR1.9 billion. The independent experts stand for quality and safety for people, technology and the environment in nearly all industrial sectors and areas of life. TUV Rheinland inspects technical equipment, products and services, and oversees projects, processes and information security for companies. Its experts train people in a wide range of careers and industries. To this end, the company operates a global network of approved labs and testing and education centers. Since 2006, TUV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption. Website: www.tuv.com Related Links http://www.tuv.com SOURCE TUV Rheinland Singapore Pte Ltd MOSCOW, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vnesheconombank and Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) signed a memorandum to lay down principles underpinning strategic cooperation in the financing of investment programmes and other activities of ERG in Kazakhstan in connection with the deliveries of Russian industrial products. The event took place in Astana as part of the negotiations involving VEB, VEB-Leasing, and ERG. The document was signed by Daniil Algulyan, Vnesheconombank's Senior Vice President and Head of International Business, Export and Financial Institutions, and Ilmir Masgutov, Director General of ERG Commercial Centre LLP. The parties have agreed on Vnesheconombank's loan support for the purchases of equipment required for ERG's projects. In particular, Vnesheconombank will consider financing deliveries of high-technology industrial products, as well as the performance of associated works and services. In September 2017, Vnesheconombank began financing a project on the delivery of 2,600 freight cars to Kazakhstan for their subsequent financial lease to ERG companies. Daniil Algulyan said that cooperation between VEB and ERG was opening new vistas for Russian manufacturers of industrial equipment and railway machinery in terms of promoting their products in the Kazakhstan market. Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) is one of the global leaders and most diversified companies engaged in extraction and refining of natural resources with fully integrated mining, processing, energy, transport and marketing operations. Represented by enterprises and business development projects in fourteen countries across the globe, the Group is one of the biggest employers in the industry. In 2014, ERG marked its 20th anniversary. The headquarters of the management company are located in Luxembourg. ERG accounts for one third of Kazakhstan's mining and metallurgy sector. It is also one of the key power providers and a major rail operator in Central Asia. Kazakhstan is home to the Group's major enterprises: TNC Kazchrome JSC, SSGPO JSC, Aluminium of Kazakhstan JSC, Kazakhstan Aluminium Smelter JSC, Eurasian Energy Corporation JSC, Shubarkol Komir JSC and Transportation Group TransCom LLP ERG enterprises in Kazakhstan give job to more than 61 thousand people. https://www.erg.kz/ru SOURCE Vnesheconombank VIENNA, October 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "A platform bringing together decision makers and experts" - this is how the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) Director General Michael Spindelegger described the Vienna Migration Conference, which will take place at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna on 23-24 October. First held in 2016, the conference is ICMPD's flagship event promoting collaboration on critical issues in the field of migration. ICMPD will host ministers, state and deputy state secretaries, as well as high-level representatives from Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Nigeria, Norway, the EU Commission, European External Action Service and the European Investment Bank. Together with more than 300 participants including political decision makers, government experts, academia, media and civil society they will explore a key question that should enable safe and orderly migration: How should partnerships on migration work in the future? ICMPD will present five Migration Partnership Priorities developed on basis of its long-standing experience in the migration field. These priorities cover a range of topics, from crisis responsiveness to refugee autonomy, responsibility sharing and pathways to protection, the regional dimensions of migration and displacement, pathways for legal migration, perspectives for the young and educated in countries of origin and more intelligent policies on return. "The relationship between countries of origin and countries of destination of migrants should not be based on simple deal-making. Substantial partnerships that cater for both immediate and long-term needs are what we have to achieve," says Director General Spindelegger. The conference will also highlight opportunities for the private sector to contribute to policies that promote safe, regular and orderly migration. Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank, will provide a keynote address examining the role of the private sector in the field of migration. "The Vienna Migration Conference discusses pressing migration issues from a European perspective and from the perspective of our many partners from outside Europe. While we acknowledge areas where progress has been made, it is also necessary to identify areas where gaps persist and questions remain open," said Director General Spindelegger. The International Centre for Migration Policy Development is a key player in the migration field. The organisation has 15 member states and carries out activities throughout the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. The Vienna-based organisation has a mission in Brussels and duty stations in other 18 countries. Founded in 1993, ICMPD serves as a support mechanism for informal consultations and provides expertise in multilateral cooperation on migration issues. The principles of partnership and balancing of interests are the foundation of the organisation. More Information And Interview Requests Bernhard Schragl ICMPD - Communication and Media Coordinator T: +43-1-504-4677-2444 E: bernhard.schragl@icmpd.org SOURCE International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) 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 Manila, Oct 16 : Two key Islamic State (IS)-affiliated leaders engaged in a standoff with Philippines forces in the conflict-ridden Marawi city have been killed, a top official said on Monday. According to Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the victims were identified as Isnilon Hapilon, who was declared the terror group's emir for Southeast Asia, and Omar Maute, a leader of a militant group that pledged allegiance to the IS, reports CNN. Their bodies have been recovered, the Defence Department said in a statement. Seventeen civilian hostages were also rescued. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading directly to Hapilon's apprehension or conviction for a litany of alleged crimes, including hostage taking, murder, and terrorist activities. The battle for Marawi began on May 23, when the military launched an operation targeting Hapilon on the island of Mindanao, where Marawi is located. Hapilon was thought to have issued an emergency call for reinforcements from members of the Maute group, which was headed by Omar and his brother Abdullah. Abdullah was rumoured to have been killed in early September, but the military is yet to confirm his death, CNN reported. Omar's death had been reported multiple times in the past, though never confirmed. The violence forced over 350,000 residents to flee the city and the surrounding areas, and saw President Rodrigo Duterte declare martial law across the island shortly after. The Philippines Congress granted Duterte's request in July to extend the emergency measure until the end of the year. According to the Philippines government, at least 1,066 people including 47 civilians have been killed and over 1,700 soldiers and policemen were injured. Hyderabad, Oct 16 : Flaying BJP leader Sangeet Som's remark that Taj Mahal was built by traitors, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday wondered if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would stop hoisting the national flag on Red Fort. The Hyderabad MP said it was very unfortunate and shameful that a legislator who had taken oath on the constitution was speaking out of arrogance and ignorance. "If what he says is true then why is Mr Modi going to Red Fort and hoisting national flag because Red Fort was also built by traitors," Owaisi told reporters. He also challenged the government to ask Unesco to remove Taj from the list of world heritage sites and ask tourists coming to India to stop visiting the monument. Owaisi said Modi should also stop hosting foreign dignitaries at Hyderabad House as this too was built by "traitors". He said the BJP leaders were raking up such issues to divert people's attention as their government at the Centre had failed in providing jobs, tackling terrorism, failed in dealing with China and was also facing flak from common man because of demonetization and GST. Voicing concern over the continuing attacks by "gaurakshaks" or cow vigilantes, he reiterated that Modi's statement that attacks should stop was a mere lip service. On plans by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to install a tall statue of Sri Ram, he said this was violation of the Supreme Court judgement that public money should not be used for construction, maintenance or reconstruction of places of worship. The MP said this was another evidence of the priorities of the UP government. He said instead of installing statues, the government should focus on supplying oxygen and providing basic facilities to government-run hospitals as the lack of the same was resulting in deaths of hundreds of children. New Delhi, Oct 17 : To enable a seamless transition to Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime for millions of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), start-ups and SOHOs (Small Offices Home Offices), Vodafone Business Services (VBS), the enterprise arm of Vodafone India, on Tuesday announced its association with HP India and KPMG in India. The end-to-end solution comprises of hardware from HP, GST invoicing software by KPMG, cloud storage for storing invoice data, uninterrupted GST Suvidha Provider (GSP) access, e-sign, GST registration and migration services, a company statement said. "At Vodafone Business Services, our endeavour is to make all businesses digitally ready to take their business to the next level. We are happy to be associated with HP and KPMG in India and provide a seamless experience to our customers by being the first service provider in the country to offer an integrated GST solution," said Nick Gliddon, Director, Vodafone Business Services. Washington, Oct 19 : The US President said on Wednesday that a congresswoman had lied about his conversation with the widow of an American soldier killed in an ambush early this month in the northern African nation of Niger. Donald Trump took to Twitter to slam Republican Frederica Wilson, a Democrat from Florida, who said the head of state had told US Army Sgt. La David Johnson's widow that her husband "knew what he signed up for... but when it happens it hurts anyway." "Democrat Congresswoman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action (and I have proof). Sad!" Trump tweeted. Wilson, meanwhile, told CNN Wednesday that she also had her own evidence. "I have proof, too. This man is a sick man," Wilson said in response to Trump's tweet, adding that Johnson's widow was in tears after the phone call and that the president did not even know the soldier's name. The body of the army sergeant, one of four US servicemen who died in an October 4 ambush in Niger, was received with honors at Miami International Airport at a ceremony attended by authorities, the soldier's widow and other family members. Wilson said she was with Johnson's widow when she received the phone call from Trump and heard a portion of the conversation. This latest controversy comes just days after Trump sparked outrage by saying his predecessors had not made phone calls to the families of soldiers killed in combat. "The traditional way, if you look at President (Barack) Obama and other presidents, most of them didn't make calls, a lot of them didn't make calls," Trump said in a press conference Monday at the White House when asked why he had not yet spoken publicly about the soldiers killed in Niger. When he was pressed by a journalist who said Obama had made calls to fallen soldiers, Trump backtracked but not fully. "President Obama, I think, probably did sometimes, and maybe sometimes he didn't, I don't know, that's what I was told ... And some presidents didn't do anything," Trump said. Amid a wave of criticism over his remarks, Trump suggested that his chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly, did not receive a phone call from Obama after one of his sons was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010. "I don't know. I mean, you could ask General Kelly. Did he get a call from Obama? You could ask other people. I don't know what Obama's policy was. I write letters and I also call," Trump said in a radio interview Tuesday with Fox News. Los Angeles, Oct 23 : Actress Famke Janssen, who originally essayed the role of Jean Grey in most of the "X-Men" franchise films, blames Hollywood's sexism for her exit from the series. "I didn't give up, they gave up on me. There's a big difference," Janssen told usmagazine.com. She cited ageism and sexism as the reasons of her exit. "It was their (producers') decision, you know? It's like what happens in life. You get, well not to me thankfully. But people, just like men trade women in for a younger model version. It's like that," said Janssen. She was excited for Sophie Turner, who was cast as a young Jean Grey, Janssen wondered why the old Grey couldn't exist alongside the younger one just like they did with Margneto (Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender) and Professor X (Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy). "In the 'X-Men' series, they've been doing this for years. Although women, it's interesting because they're replaced, and the older versions - or more mature, whatever the politically correct version of that is - are never to be seen again. "Whereas, the men are allowed to be both ages. Sexism. "I think that I should be back along with my younger version and the way that we've seen it with Magneto and Professor X." Turner started joining the "X-Men" franchise in 2016 with "X-Men: Apocalypse". Her character is expected to have a bigger role and cross to dark side in the next installment "X-Men: Dark Phoenix". Actress Jennifer Lawrence is back as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, Alexandra Shipp as Storm, Kodi Smit-McPhee asANightcrawler, Evan Peters as Quicksilver, and Olivia Munn as Psylocke. Directed by Simon Kinberg, the film is set to release next month. New Delhi : Recent studies show that new dreams driven by short-time achievements make us forget the real objective and purpose of long-term missions. The global environmental accord called The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a case in point. Its key objective is to protect the stratospheric ozone layer that shields life on the Earth. Has that mission been achieved? The ozone layer is a protective screen about 8-50 kms from Earth's surface. It filters out high-energy, destructive UV-rays from the Sun. After more than a decade of scientific postulations, vigorous studies and observations it was revealed that the ozone shield has been threatened by man-made chemicals, mainly chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and their emissions into the atmosphere. Depletion of the ozone layer was considered a catastrophic risk to the life on the Earth. In 1987, world leaders, after protracted negotiations under the UNEP, agreed that the way to protect the life-saving ozone layer was to phase-out production and consumption of CFCs, and nearly 100 other man-made ozone-depleting chemicals that travel up into the stratosphere. The Montreal Protocol was thus born and since then, has become a universally ratified treaty. All the member-states of UN are Parties to the Protocol. The Protocol will celebrate its 30th Anniversary later this year in Montreal. Indeed, there are reasons to be upbeat. Ninety-eight per cent of the production of ozone-depleting chemicals has been shut down. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in 2000 that the Montreal Protocol was "perhaps the single-most successful international agreement so far". More recently in 2017, UN Secretary-General AntAnio Guterres, called it as 'milestone for all people and our planet' The numbers are astounding and overwhelming. Without the Protocol, we could have got sunburnt in five minutes. There would have been an additional 280 million cases of skin cancer, 1.5 million skin cancer deaths and 45 million cataracts in the US alone, according to the Environment Protection Agency. If the impact due to loss of food production due to UV rays penetrating through the ozone layer and the weakening of human immune system is considered, one can say that Earth has avoided the possibility of a sixth extinction. Last year, there were global headlines when all countries unanimously agreed to amend the Protocol to include the "phase-down" of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). That was an unprecedented decision because HFCs do not only deplete the ozone Layer -- albeit in a much weaker way than CFCs -- they have a dangerously high global warming potential. Interestingly, they are also part of the six Green House Gases (GHGs) packaged in the Paris Climate Agreement that aims to control their emissions. The countries, in other words, decided to help the Paris Climate Agreement by using another international treaty -- the Montreal Protocol. Many called it "surrogate mothering" by the countries. The reasons for this extraordinary "inter-treaty" intersect was that HFCs were mainly introduced to replace CFCs under the Montreal Protocol. In a way, the countries wanted to correct the inadvertent error they had committed by introducing HFCs. They rightly thought that all the successful armoury in the form of institutional and financing resources were accessible. Hence dreaming of conquering HFCs -- albeit a new territory -- was logical. So, has the ozone layer being saved and is it on recovery mode? One of the key factors to assess the success in its recovery is to measure the depth and extent of annual appearance of the "Ozone Hole" over Antarctica. Every spring (August to October), when the sun rays break out over the frozen continent, the chemical species riding on the tiny ice particles in the Antarctic vortex start destroying the ozone layer. This annual "dance festival" tells us the extent of the ozone hole's recovery. Flying over the lower end of the polar vortex recently in a DC-8 NASA aircraft loaded with 23 instruments, Paul A. Newman, the Agency's Chief Scientist, measured the chemical radicals in the vertical column of atmosphere. Newman said the NASA mission recorded that the 2017 ozone hole was unusually small and weak in depth. However, he was quick to add that "this weaker ozone hole is a result of year-to-year variability of the meteorology and it is still not known if it is an evidence of recovery because the meteorological variability masks the long-term projected trend". Variability is evidently having a last laugh. In 2000, the hole had a record size. In 2002, it was half the size. In 2006, it was almost another record size. In 2012, it was second smallest. In 2016 it was again worse than average. As per the latest 2014 UNEP-World Meteorological Organisation's Scientific Assessment Panel report, the measured tropospheric concentrations of ozone depleting substances continue to decrease. Susan Solomon, pioneer atmospheric scientist and Professor at MIT, stated in 2016 that we had succeeded in creating a situation for ozone layer recovery. The expected recovery is projected by the Science Assessment Panel by middle of this century. I asked Dr Newman: "Tell me doctor, is the ozone layer finally recovering?". Quick came his response from the southern tip of Chile: "Ozone-depleting substances in the troposphere are decreasing. Chlorine and Bromine species in stratosphere are decreasing. On recovery of the Ozone Layer? Jury is still out, but we're all pretty sure that they'll soon render a verdict!" (Rajendra Shende is Chairman, TERRE Policy Centre, IIT alumnus and former Director, UNEP. Views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at shende.rajendra@gmail.com) San Francisco, Oct 23 : Refuting media reports of sharing revenue with news publishers, Google has said there is no deal lined up with them and that its subscriptions project is in its early stages. "We have not reached any conclusion on the revenue side," Google spokeswoman Maggie Shiels was quoted as saying by CNET late on Sunday. "We haven't reached any conclusion [regarding] subscriptions and need to speak to publishers." The tech giant has called the report of sharing revenue with news publishers "totally wrong" and said it is yet to reach any conclusion on the revenue side. Earlier in the day, reports said that Google will give news publishers revenue-sharing deals similar to what it grants YouTube personalities and third-party ad hosts -- helping them connect with a subscriber base. "Google would likely take a cut of less than 30 per cent of subscription revenues," Richard Gingras, Head, Google News, was quoted as saying by Financial Times. The revenue-share agreements with the publishers could be similar to the company's AdSense business that allows the web publishers to place ads on their site. New Delhi, Oct 23 : Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Monday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's version of the Gujarat Rajya Sabha election in which the BJP lost to the Congress, saying there was no recount in the poll. "In Gujarat RS elections, Congress complained to EC before counting began. There was only one count, no recount. Ask EC," Chidambaram said in a tweet. "If citizens cannot question the EC, please tell us who can? And what should citizens do, pray to the EC?" He was reacting to Prime Minister's statement in a public meeting in Gujarat on Sunday when he attacked the opposition over the poll commission not announcing a schedule for the state assembly polls. The Prime Minister referred to the Rajya Sabha biennial election in August in which Congress leader Ahmed Patel defeated BJP's Balwant Sinh Rajput. "These are the same people who, when they saw the result of the counting and realized that they had lost, ran to the Election Commission to plead for a recount. The EC considered their plea and allowed a recount. Such people, who won an election because of the EC, have no moral right to question the EC." Washington, Oct 23 : Police have found the body of a child near the residence of 3-year-old Indian American Sherin Mathews who has been missing since October 7, the media reported. Investigators from the Richardson Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation spent hours on Sunday combing through a field where police search dogs helped find the body inside a narrow 75-foot culvert, reports NBC News. The body was found less than a mile away from the home of Sini and Wesley Mathews who adopted Sherin in June 2016 from Bihar. Police spokesman Kevin Perlich told reporters on Sunday night that no arrest had been made, reports CNN. While a medical examiner is yet to see the child's body and make a positive identification, Perlich said: "The indications are that it is most likely her. However, we have not had positive ID. So until we have a positive identification, we are not going to say it is Sherin." The police received "more and more leads during the investigation and we followed up on that. "It led to the search of that area with canines and that's how we came across the body," Perlich added. Sherin had development disability and was malnourished, according to her parents. Her father Wesley Mathews, 37, said he ordered his daughter to stand next to a tree behind the fence at their Richardson home at around 3 a.m. as punishment for not drinking her milk on October 7, according to an arrest affidavit. The tree is across an alley from the home, reports CBS News. Wesley Mathews went outside about 15 minutes later to check on her but she was gone, the affidavit stated. The child was wearing leggings, a pink long-sleeved shirt and pink flip-flops. He did not notify the police that his daughter was missing until about five hours later. Wesley Mathews was arrested and charged with child endangerment. He is currently out on bail. Sini Mathews, who told police that she was sleeping when the child was sent out, has not been charged. Later, the Child Protective Services took custody of the couple's biological child. Lucknow, Oct 23 : Uttar Pradesh is committed to promoting religious tourism in the state, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday after undertaking a five-kilometre long 'parikrama' of the Kamadgiri temple at Chitrakoot. On the second day of his visit to Chitrakoot, Adityanath took many by surprise when he decided to walk the entire five kilometre stretch around the temple called 'Panchkosi Parikrama'. Later, amending his scheduled programme, he went to meet holy men from the Nirmohi Akhada on the banks of Mandakini. Refusing to take a seat specially kept for him, Adityanath sat on the floor, like other holy men, and said that he being a saintly person did not require VIP treatment. The holy men handed over a memorandum to the Chief Minister, who said all their demands would be accepted by the government. He said Mandakini was a holy river and efforts would be made to ensure it was kept pollution free. He said the area would be a 'no power cut zone' and would get 24x7 electric supply. The Chief Minister declared that the Madhya Pradesh-Uttar Pradesh border would be declared a free zone to make it easy for people to visit Chitrakoot. Bloggerii militari rusi, extrem de suparati ca armata lor nu a tras asupra lui Zelenski in timpul vizitei din Hersonul rusesc: Nu vrem sa luptam cum trebuie! New Delhi, Oct 23 : The Congress on Monday demanded a court-monitored probe into allegations by a Patidar leader from North Gujarat that he was paid Rs 1 crore to join the BJP. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said Narendra Patel, who belongs to the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) led by Hardik Patel, had said that the BJP attempted "to purchase him for Rs 1 crore and Rs 10 lakh was paid in advance". Tewari said the allegations of bribery were "very serious" and said Narendra Patel had said Gujarat BJP President Jitubhai Vaghani was the culprit. "It calls for reaction from the Prime Minister and the BJP President. It calls for registration of FIR against the Gujarat BJP. It calls for investigation under a sitting judge of the Gujarat High Court. If this is not checked, the sanctity of the election process in Gujarat in times to come will be questioned," Tewari said. He said it was incumbent on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to investigate the allegations as these were being levelled against his own party leaders. Tewari also accused the BJP of trying to "break" people-led movements opposed to BJP rule in Gujarat. "Why is the BJP trying to coerce, lure, allegedly bribe the leaders of this movement and trying to break it? Isn't this a clear sign of their frustration? Isn't this a clear manifestation of their demoralisation?" he asked. Tewari said another Patel leader, Nikhil Sawani, had quit the BJP within days of joining it. He said "allegations of bribery" were also levelled by Congress MLAs during the Rajya Sabha election earlier this year. "Congress MLAs were coerced, attempts to bribe them were made, every instrumentality of state and central government was used and misused by the BJP-led central government. Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate and god knows which other agency was tasked to raid the resort where the MLAs were staying in order to protect themselves." Tewari said the truth prevailed in the end and the BJP lost the Rajya Sabha poll. Los Angeles, Oct 23 : Actor George Clooney hopes the current scenario where women are voicing their cases of sexual harassment is a "watershed moment for society where women feel safe enough" to talk about the issue. On Sunday, at the premiere of his latest directorial foray "Suburbicon", Clooney talked about the issue, reports thehollywoodreporter.com. "What we hope is this is a watershed moment for society where women feel safe enough to talk about this issue, feel believed and where men who are committing these crimes and violations don't feel safe and feel as if they do these things they're going to be outed, sued and may even get litigated and go to jail for it," said Clooney. "If we can get to that point then we actually succeeded. This thing won't end up just being Harvey Weinstein jokes in three months," he added. In addition, stars including Jessica Chastain, Brie Larson, Patricia Arquette, Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen have all spoken out in one way or another. Clooney also spoke out against filmmaker Woody Allen's remark that Hollywood had created a "witch hunt atmosphere" after several actresses blamed Weinstein of sexually harassing them. "That's a stupid thing to say," Clooney responded. "The reality is it's not a witch hunt to these women who were trapped in a hotel room and told they were going to get a part and then suddenly here comes Harvey Weinstein in his birthday suit. That's an assault. It's not just Hollywood it's all of society and we're going to have to come to terms with it because we haven't yet," he added. "It's infuriating and it's also infuriating when I read stories about reporters who did investigations and didn't print it for 10 years. Then you go, 'Why didn't you print that story? I would have liked to have seen it. And I would like to know who brought actresses up to Harvey Weinstein's room and then left. I'd like to know that'." Actor Matt Damon remains optimistic about how these stories can bring change. "I really do believe there is going to be major change. There won't be this type of behaviour anymore," said Damon. Damon hopes victims of these crimes speak out worldwide and not just in Hollywood. Dhaka, Oct 23 : A court in Dhaka has issued arrest warrants against senior BNP leader Tarique Rahman and two others on charges of treason. Prosecutor Tapash Kumar Pal said the court on Monday accepted the police chargesheet in the case, bdnews24 reported. Police filed the case over ETV's live telecast of Tarique's speech at a programme in London on January 5, 2015. Police filed the case three days later and pressed treason charges against Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Senior Vice Chairman Tarique, then ETV chairman Abdus Salam, former chief reporter Mahathir Faruqi and former senior reporter Kanak Sarwar. Salam is currently out on bail. The court ordered the arrests of Faruqi and Sarwar on Monday and fixed November 20 for the indictment hearing. According to police, the suspects threatened the country's sovereignty and tried to incite hatred against a legally constituted government by broadcasting and uttering false and fabricated information. As per the case documents, the suspects had also tried to create a rift in the judiciary and internal conflicts within the Army, border guards and police. Thiruvananthapuram, October 23 : Kerala speaker P Sreeramakrishnan on Monday came down heavily on the judiciary, saying that judges at times behaved as if they were oblivious to the social conditions that led to the enactment of laws. The public was scared of the atmosphere of courts where the ghosts of British colonialism still hovered, he said. The courts still follow the language, customs, and attire of the British colonial period. Judges are referred to as my lord, Mr. Sreeramakrishnan said, wondering whether it was time such deferential practices were done away with. People are afraid of criticising court verdicts because of this atmosphere (of reverence to judges), he added. Lamenting that even as the public was at liberty to flay the legislature and the executive but still refrain from criticising even the delay of several years on the part of the judiciary in disposing of routine civil cases, the speaker asked, Should not this situation change? Mr. Sreeramakrishnan also condemned what he termed the practice of judges chucking into the Arabian sea laws that were enacted after prolonged deliberations and studies, saying that laws were enacted taking into consideration the needs of the people and that judges should give serious thought to the conditions that paved the way for a laws enactment. The speaker was speaking after inaugurating a seminar organised in connection with the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Kerala legislature secretariat staff association. New Delhi, Oct 23 : The Congress and other opposition parties have planned to hold a protest in Delhi against the government's economic policies as also demonetisation on November 8, the day the decision to junk high currency notes was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. The decision was taken at a meeting of the coordination committee of the parties held in Parliament House on Monday and attended by Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, JD-U leader Sharad Yadav, BSP's Satish Chandra Misra, TMC's Derek O'Brien, DMK's Kanimozhi and CPI's D Raja. Talking to reporters later, Azad said that the leaders of 18 opposition parties had formed a coordination committee that also includes CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury and Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav. Both Yechury and Ram Gopal Yadav were not present at Monday's meeting and Raja represented the Left parties. The 18 opposition parties had come together for the presidential and vice presidential elections and had decided to coordinate with each other to take on the government on various issues concerning the people. They had also decided to form a coordination committee. Azad has been authorised to consult leaders of other opposition parties and the protest programme will be announced at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday. "A coordination committee has been constituted which held its first meeting today. The committee will discuss the issues and future programmes and then take on board the other opposition parties which are not in the coordination committee," Azad said. Sources said the meeting decided to hold a joint protest against the "fallout of government's economic policies including GST and demonetisation." Interestingly, the joint opposition protest will be held a day before Himachal Pradesh goes to the polls and amid campaigning for the Gujarat elections. San Francisco, Oct 23 : Tech giants Samsung Electronics and Apple will face each other in court for another trial looking into design patent infringement as a US federal judge has ordered a new trial in the case. "The judgement was made by Judge Lucy Koh of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, with the ruling spotted and shared by patent lawyer Florian Mueller," The Verge reported on Monday. "Apple and Samsung now have until October 25 to propose a date for the retrial, although Mueller suggests there is a 30 per cent chance that the two companies will settle out-of-court instead," the report added. Earlier in 2012, the lawsuit was settled with a court ordering Samsung to pay damages to Apple. The federal judge signed an order instructing the two companies to return to court and said that the onus would be on Apple to make its case. Samsung and Apple, the world's top two smartphone makers, have been embroiled in a legal battle called "patent war of the century", in more than 10 countries across the globe since 2012. Kolkata, Oct 23 : Drawing flak for its handling of the dengue menace in the city, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation on Monday maintained it has been effectively able to control the spread and alleged a "deliberate attempt" at misinformation about its tackling of the disease that has claimed at least 30 lives in West Bengal. "We have been on the ground since January 7. There is a deliberate attempt to create the idea and create confusion that we are not discharging our duties. We have deployed our human resource to take all steps to surveil, prevent and curb the disease. The kind of infrastructure we have to combat dengue, does not exist in any other state across India," Atin Ghosh, Member, Mayor-In-Council (Health) told the media here. Ghosh's comments come on a day when West Bengal BJP leaders and workers staged a protest against the dengue outbreak and criticised the state government for alleged lack of infrastructure to tackle the disease which, they claimed, had led to over 1,000 deaths. Drawing attention to the changing climate, Ghosh said the disease has affected other states across the country. He asserted the civic body is using state-of-the-art equipment for diagnostics. "We work under the mandate of primary healthcare. Our framework doesn't involve hospitalisation and personalised treatment. We are in-charge of detection and recommending treatment guidelines in accordance with WHO. We do dengue detection with 15 machines in 15 centres. We do NS1 Antigen testing in two days free of cost and IgM (antibody) in five days. Our reporting system is the fastest. We have catered to 10,000 people in Kolkata, which is more than what the private sector can do," he added. The civic body is planning to procure a cell counting machine to speed up detection. The state government had earlier said 31 people have died of dengue in the state while more than 14,500 have tested positive this year. Kolkata, Oct 23 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday inaugurated the restored house of Sister Nivedita here to commemorate the Scots-Irish social worker's 150th birth anniversary. This comes ahead of Banerjee's London visit next month to unveil a Blue Plaque at Sister Nivedita's family home. The building at 16 A Bosepara Lane in Bagbazar was the site for her school for girls from middle class families. She opened it in November 1898 in the presence of Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. "I had requested Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to help in the renovation of this place. They took over this house, and after completing the renovation, handed it over to Sarada Math," Banerjee said. "A committee has been formed to commemorate Sister Nivedita's 150th birth anniversary." As part of the facelift, fresh beams were laid on the first floor roof and arches restored in the rooms of that floor among other measures. The dilapidated century-old two-storeyed building was acquired by the state government and subsequently handed over to the Sarada Math which proposes setting up a museum and archive to preserve Sister Nivedita's writings etc. The KMC has declared it a Grade I heritage building. It was in this very house that Sister Nivedita lived and nursed and took care of the patients during the plague in 1899. Sister Nivedita was born Margaret Elizabeth Noble on October 28, 1867 in Ireland. She was a social worker, author, teacher and a disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She met Swami Vivekananda in 1895 in London and travelled to Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1898. Swami Vivekananda gave her the name Nivedita (meaning 'Dedicated to God') when he initiated her into the vow of Brahmacharya on March 25, 1898. Banerjee will officiate as the chief guest at a programme in Sister Nivedita's family home in Wimbledon on November 12. The London blue plaques scheme run by English Heritage links the people of the past with the buildings of the present. Started in 1866, it is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world. Nagpur (Maharashtra), Oct 23 : Against the backdrop of around 40 farmers' deaths due to poisoning by insecticides, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar on Monday blamed the Maharashtra government for easy availability of unlicensed pesticides in the market. He demanded stringent action against the officials, especially from the agriculture department as being responsible for the deaths of so many farmers besides over 2,000 others who have been affected in varying degrees. "There are stringent laws to control such illegal pesticides and institutions to enforce the laws. No pesticide can be available in the markets without the nod of the institutions," Pawar pointed out, interacting with mediapersons in the afternoon. He said that during the Congress-led UPA government, when he served as the Union Agriculture Minister, the laws were strictly enforced - "Now, I don't know what is going on since the past three years." Pawar's statement came three days after the state government's panel Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavalamban Mission Chairman Kishore Tiwari demanded a CBI probe into the reports of sale of around 3.50 million packets of illegal Herbicide Tolerant genetically modified cotton seeds. Tiwari claimed that cotton plants from these Herbicide Tolerant seeds have recently suffered huge bollworm pest attack, leading to the indiscriminate use of deadly insecticides, and the subsequent deaths of at least 40 farmers. Attacking the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre and in Maharashtra, Pawar held them responsible for various pending issues related to farmers, including the improper implementation of the loan waiver scheme in the state. Pawar charged the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance of implementing it without proper planning owing to which the intended beneficiaries are facing huge difficulties. "Many farmers have not received the benefits of the scheme so far. We shall wait and watch for another fortnight or so.. If the government fails to clear the mess, we shall be forced to resort to an agitation," Pawar warned. He also threw his lot behind the farmers who have lost their crops due to the receding monsoon rains in many parts of the state and urged the government to help them on priority "without bothering too much about rules and regulations" for the calamity they are burdened with. New Delhi, Oct 23 : Landing of fighter aircraft on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway is an "important operational achievement", Vice Chief of Indian Air Force Air Marshal S.B. Deo said on Monday. "It's a very important operational achievement, we have done it earlier where we have the Mirages land on this highway, and highways can be very important during wartime when the runway is denied for some reason," Deo said on the sidelines of an event here. "I am very happy that the government has taken this very serious step, every new highway that has been made has provision, wherever straight leg permits, it will be made capable of handling fighter aircraft," he said. The IAF Vice Chief said that the unique feature of Tuesday's exercise will be landing of transport aircraft C-130. "What is unique about what is being done tomorrow is that we are also landing transport aircraft, the C-130 which is special operations aircraft," he said. A C-130 transport aircraft with Special Forces commandos, and frontline fighters from IAF's inventory will be a part of an exercise to use highways as landing strips, which will be held on Tuesday morning on a patch of the Lucknow-Agra Expressway around 65 km from Lucknow. According to the Defence Ministry, the exercise will commence with a short landing by the C-130, which will drop Garud Commandos and their vehicle. Immediately on disembarking from the C-130, the Commandos will take up position on either side of the airstrip to cordon it off for the fighter operations. This will be followed by three Jaguar Deep penetration strike aircraft, two formations of three aircraft each of Mirages and two formations of three aircraft each of Sukhoi-30. All 15 fighter aircraft will carry out a touch and go manoeuvre on the expressway. The C-130 will then return for another short landing to extricate the Garud Commandos. On May 21, 2016, a Mirage-2000 fighter plane of the IAF had touched down on the Yamuna Expressway as a display of capability to land fighter jets on highways. A number of highways have been cleared by the government for being used as airstrip for emergencies such as disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, as well as in situations of war or conflict. He, however, asserted the state govt should also respect its limits that it's not their job to run universities. New Delhi, Oct 23 : In a sudden shift of its tough stand, the government on Monday said it would start talks on Jammu and Kashmir with all parties, including separatists, and appointed former intelligence chief Dineshwar Sharma as its pointsman for the troubled state. Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the move was to carry forward the "the conviction and consistency" in the government's Kashmir policy. "We have decided that a sustained dialogue process should begin in Jammu and Kashmir." The Minister told a hurriedly-convened news conference here that Sharma had "complete freedom" to speak with whoever he wanted, indicating that talks with separatist leaders were also possible. "As a representative of the government of India Sharma will initiate a sustained interaction and dialogue to understand legitimate aspirations of people in Jammu and Kashmir. He will meet elected representatives, political parties, different organisations and individuals he wants to." He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had talked to all political parties as to what could be done to find a solution to the Kashmir problem. "People told us that the dialogue process should be started. We are doing this," Rajnath Singh said and recalled the Prime Minister's August 15 speech saying "neither by bullet, nor by abuses but by embracing the people we can solve the problems in Jammu and Kashmir". The measure is significant because the BJP government at the Centre had constantly maintained a tough line on opening peace talks with separatists in Kashmir, particularly after the 2016 unrest that left over 100 civilians dead. Asked whether the interlocutor, who will have cabinet rank, would hold talks with Hurriyat leaders, Rajnath Singh appeared not to rule that out. "There is no bar on him to talk to one group and not to another... We want to understand aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly its youth." He said after completing the exercise, Sharma, a 1979 batch IPS officer with intimate knowledge of the security situation and Kashmir affairs, will give a report to the central government. There is no time frame for submitting the report. The Minister also didn't speak about the terms of references for the ex-police officer who was the IB Director from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016. The move comes at a time when some separatist leaders, including close aides of Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq - are jailed on charges of receiving cash from Pakistan for subversive activities in the valley. Both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference have in recent months become increasingly open to dialogue and have hinted their willingness in their statements. The government's announcement drew both praises and criticism even as the Hurriyat Conferences did not react immediately. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the move saying "dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward". She hoped that all the stakeholders including the separatists would come forward with a positive response to the development. Asked whether the appointment of the interlocutor would have a bearing on the NIA investigations going on against the separatists, the Chief Minister said: "Security is a separate issue and the political process is a separate issue." Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, however, reacted with caution saying the move without preconditions was a "resounding defeat of those who could only see use of force as a solution". "The 'legitimate aspirations' of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is an interesting formulation. Who gets to decide what is legitimate?," he asked. Senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who had also announced a similar exercise in 2010, said the government has admitted that its "muscular approach" has failed in the state. "From no-talks to talks-with-all-stakeholders is a major victory for those who had strongly argued for a political solution in Jammu and Kashmir. With the appointment of an interlocutor, I hope the government has finally admitted muscular approach has failed." Hyderabad, Oct 23 : The Telangana government has decided to develop an exclusive industrial estate and IT corridor for Muslims. The decision was taken on Monday by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at a meeting with senior officials and Muslim leaders. It was also decided to construct the Hyderabad International Islamic Cultural Convention Centre on 10 acres of land in Kokapet here. The Chief Minister directed that work on the project should commence in three weeks. According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office, Charminar and its surrounding area will be developed like the Golden Temple in Amritsar. KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said a 42 km stretch along the Musi river will be developed like the Sabarmati riverfront in Gujarat. He asked officials to make arrangements for plying metro and nano rail along the Musi riverbank. Deputy Chief Minister Mahamood Ali, Ministers K.T. Rama Rao and Etela Rajender, AIMIM President and Hyderabad Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM Legislature party leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, state Chief Secretary S.P. Singh, Government Advisor A.K. Khan and other senior officials attended the meeting. KCR said all the development schemes initiated by the government should benefit the minorities. For the self-employment of the minority youth, subsidy to units worth Rs one lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh will be given without having any link with the banks. The Chief Minister said that minorities should have 10 per cent quota in the double bedroom housing scheme. Also, tests for recruitment to government jobs will be conducted in the Urdu language along with English and Telugu. Asaduddin Owaisi lauded the residential schools set up by the state government for minorities and said this would bring a revolution in the next 10 years. New Delhi, Oct 23 : Hours after his appointment as the Centre's representative for starting a dialogue with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir, former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma on Monday said he will try to fulfil the expectations of both the government and the state's people. "I thank the Union government for appointing me (as its representative for a sustained dialogue process). I will try my best to fulfil the expectations of the government and the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Sharma told Doordarshan News. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, in a press briefing on Monday, announced the start of a dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir and appointed Sharma, a retired 1979 batch Indian Police Service officer, to represent the central government for talks with "all" stakeholders in the troubled state. Sharma, appointed in the rank of a Cabinet Secretary, will have complete authority and mandate as the Centre's interlocuter to hold a dialogue "with anyone he wants". New Delhi, Oct 23 : Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chairman T. Suvarna Raju backed the India-Russia Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft programme on Monday, saying it will bring home niche technology, even as the programme appears to be stuck over its high price. Asked about the project, Raju said it was a "dream" for him and he expects to see it through. Asked about the project, Raju said: "We are still hopeful, that is what we will say. It's an opportunity as an industry and as a country." The HAL CMD said it was an opportunity for India as a country, and for the industry as well. "This is an opportunity for us to go in for this kind of technology which no one else in the world is offering us... Let's see how it unfolds," he said. He was speaking at the sidelines of an event to handover the 50th AL31FP engine, manufactured by HAL Koraput from raw material phase to Indian Air Force. The papers of the engine were handed over to Vice Chief of Indian Air Force Air Marshal S.B. SEO. Asked if not going for the FGFA project may have political repercussions on India-Russia relationships, he said: "I will not be able to comment on political repercussion... But technology wise we have done the preliminary design already. It's just one step more to move on to." To a question on what may have led to the IAF not being enthusiastic about the project, he said: "They would have their own priorities." "Fifth generation is an opportunity for India to learn the technologies and I would definitely see this will be the first project, the way the contract has been written, it has lots of benefits and it will definitely have a very positive impact," he said. The long delayed programme for a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft that India and Russia were to develop together appears to be stuck, primarily over prices, as India feels it is very expensive. A committee was constituted by the Defence Ministry to look into the details of the programme between India and Russia, which has been in the pipeline since 2007. The committee recently submitted a report on the programme to the Ministry. However, as per the report, the cost of developing four prototype fighter jets would cost around $6 billion, which is very high according to officials in the Defence Ministry. India and Russia had inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project in 2007. It was to be based on the Russian Sukhoi-57 or the PAK FA T-50 fighter jet. India has earlier also expressed to the Russia side that the project's cost was too high, and had also discussed buying the Su-57 fighters. In December 2010, India had agreed to pay $295 million towards the preliminary design of the fighter, also referred to as 'Perspective Multi-role Fighter' (PMF). However, negotiations faced various hurdles in the subsequent years. There were several disagreements between New Delhi and Moscow, including on work and cost share, aircraft technology, as well as the number of aircraft to be ordered. After evaluating the first PAK FA T-50 prototype (the Russian prototype of the PMF), the Indian Air Force (IAF) wanted more than 40 changes - addressing, among other things, perceived weaknesses in the plane's engine, stealth, and weapon-carrying capability. New Delhi, Oct 23 : The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is likely to decide the date of election of the new party president after the poll schedule for Gujarat is announced. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is set to be elevated to the top post in the election. Congress sources said that the party's organisational election process to elect a new president will need a window of about 15 days and the period has to be chosen in a way that it does not interfere with the campaign for assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. Himachal Pradesh will go to the polls on November 9 and the election schedule for Gujarat is yet to be announced by the Election Commission. While there is a possibility of Rahul Gandhi getting elevated in the second week of next month after the Himachal Pradesh elections, it could also stretch further with the election process taking place after the Gujarat polls. Congress leaders expect that the party will give a good fight to the Bharatiya Janata Party in both the Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat assembly polls and a favourable result in both states or at least in Gujarat will considerably shore up the political capital of Rahul Gandhi. The Congress has already completed the organisational election process in the states and the schedule for election of the Congress president has to be cleared by the CWC, the highest decision making body. Party leaders have made it clear that Rahul Gandhi will be elevated as the new party chief at the culmination of the organisational elections. Washington, Oct 23 : US President Donald Trump's possible trip to the Demilitarised Zone separating North Korea and South Korea during his upcoming Asia tour next month is "still being worked out," said a White House senior official on Monday. Trump is "most likely to visit" Camp Humphreys, a military base about 60 km south of Seoul, capital of South Korea, said the official on condition of anonymity. The time limit may not permit Trump to do both, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the official. Trump's travel to Asia is slated for November 3 to 14. It will be his first trip to the region since becoming President, during which he will attend a meeting of leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economies in Vietnam. He will also join gatherings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Philippines. New Delhi, Oct 23 : US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will arrive here on Tuesday on a three-day maiden official visit to India, during which he will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. On Wednesday, he will hold a meeting with Sushma Swaraj before calling on Modi, according to the External Affairs Ministry. Tillerson is on a five-nation visit from October 20-27, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan and Switzerland, according to the US State Department. Ahead of his visit to New Delhi, Tillerson, in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, put both China and Pakistan on notice by saying that Beijing's provocative actions in the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific regions went against international norms and rules the US and India stood for. He categorically said that Washington expected Islamabad to take "decisive action" against terrorist groups operating within Pakistan's boundaries. Bagram Air Base, (Afghanistan) : Bagram Air Base, (Afghanistan) Oct 23 (IANS) The United States seeks a broader role for India not just in the South Asian area but beyond it as a strategic partner across the Indo-Pacific region, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday. At a news conference here, he was asked if he had talked to Pakistani leaders since his recent speech on India and was "trying to reassure them" about New Delhi's involvement in Afghanistan. Tillerson, who is scheduled to visit India for talks with leaders in New Delhi, explained that the US approach was that the scope of its relationship with India was not confined to South Asia, but went beyond Pakistan's regional interests to a wider area stretching across the Indian and Pacific Oceans and having global implications. "Our view of the relationship with India is one that's of strategic importance not just for this specific region, but in the context of that speech it was about a free and open Indo-Pacific region stretching all the way to - from Japan to India," Tillerson said. "So it's a broader relationship." Tillerson said that he had not yet spoken to leaders in Islamabad about his speech on India, but would talk about on Tuesday when he visits Pakistan. But he added: "We do, though, believe that India has a very important positive role that India can play in the process to achieve a peaceful, stable Afghanistan as well. They already are providing important economic activity - creating jobs - which is important for the future Afghanistan. And we think they - we want to encourage that as well." "We think they can be a very positive influence on creating the right environment for the future in Afghanistan," he said. On the purpose of his visit, Tillerson said: "I thought it was very important to stop here in Afghanistan coming to the South Asia region as part of the recently announced South Asia policy and strategy that President Trump has put forth." Trump had warned Pakistan in August of consequences if it continued to allow terrorists to operate, while calling for increased Indian involvement in helping Afghanistan. On October 18, Tillerson fleshed out the US strategy on India as a strategic partner to counterbalance China and called Washington and New Delhi as "bookends" of a democratic world. Tillerson said that in Pakistan he will discuss US demands for securing Afghanistan and its conditions for continuing their relationship. "We have made some very specific requests of Pakistan in order for them to take action to undermine the support that the Taliban receives and the other terrorist organisations receive in Pakistan," he said. "And we've said in this whole strategy this is a conditions-based approach, and so our relationship with Pakistan will also be conditions-based. It will be based upon whether they take action that we feel is necessary to move the process forward of both creating the opportunity for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan, but also ensuring a stable future Pakistan." Mumbai, Oct 23 : Designer Neeta Lulla, who earlier designed for Grammy winning record producers The Chainsmokers, is now on board to design for Indo-American DJ and record producer KSHMR. DJ KSHMR, whose real name is Niles Hollowell-Dhar, started his tour across India starting from October 20. "I have always been quite fascinated by Indian sensibilities when it comes to fashion and style and I'm excited to see what Neeta has in store for me," KSHMR said in a statement. Promoted by Percept Live, after performing in New Delhi, KSHMR will be performing in Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai. "KSHMR is known to love his kurtas so we have tried to experiment with the style, fabric and design and make a Diwali friendly kurta. The exotic vibe of Kashmir and the aesthetic history of paisley is all the inspiration we needed to design for the very talented Indo American DJ KSHMR," Lulla said. The National Award winning designer says the design on the kurta will be rather subtle with an Indian touch with "astute details in the embroidery". "Given the history of KSHMR and his love for Kashmir, the versatile paisleys seemed very apt to reflect our Indian heritage and the intricacy of our craftsmanship. KSHMR has been very experimental with his music and we thought of doing the same with his outfit. "We have also curated one more kurta where we have embroidered the KSHMR logo in ruby red jewels which he can wear when he performs on stage. The materials used are silk and cotton blend giving it a rich feel," Lulla added. Lulla has also designed for international celebrities like Steven Seagal and Tyra Banks apart from designing for Bollywood stalwarts like Kangana Ranaut, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Rajnikanth, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan among others. Lucknow, Oct 23 : A delegation of US businessmen called on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday to explore investment opportunities in the state. The Chief Minister told the visiting delegation of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum that India was emerging as a growing economy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. The state's strong economy will act as a backbone to strengthen the India-US ties, Yogi Adityanath said, assuring his government's commitment to provide investor-friendly environment through strengthened power supply, better road connectivity and better law and order. The delegates led by Boeing India President Pratyush Kumar showed keen interest in investing in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, water conservation, cleanliness, rural development, waste management, agriculture, dairy development, animal husbandry, smart city, education, women empowerment, skill development, software technology, traffic, renewable energy, food processing, and other sectors. The Chief Minister identified sectors like information technology, energy, electronics, renewable energy, development of smart cities, and development of infrastructure as key areas where opportunities exist. For ease of doing business, the Chief Minister said, a single-window system has been set up under his office's supervision through which prompt clearances and permissions are granted to investors. Dr. Randy Shepard, author of Peak Performance Leadership, released a new mobile app called IdentiMap, which enables a user to identify their unique personality style in less than 3 minutes. The App will help companies match candidates with a corporate culture and assist management in identifying the best mix of personality styles for a project team. This App enables a user to identify the ideal behavioral attitude most suited for an employment position in a company, to compare a persons characteristics with several prospective candidates, to compute the gaps between the various candidate scores and to use applied analytics to compute the likelihood that a candidate will fit the target position in the company culture. IdentiMap (patent pending) is based on Dr. Shepards research on leadership styles and uses a proprietary mathematical model that compares and ranks the results of a users profile with the profiles of more than 100 other styles from a career library. IdentiMap was developed with Lazarus Software Corp. a nationally recognized boutique software development company. Dr. Shepard said, IdentiMap should eliminate many hiring mistakes and help people find their best career. Ryan Walker, president of Lazarus Software and first licensor of the product, said, This product should help a business owner select the best person to fit into a companys culture. IdentiMap is available for both Android on Google Play and iOS at the Apple App store. Dr. Randy Shepard is a nationally-known management consultant, trainer, and speaker. His clients have included such corporate giants as AT&T, Sprint and Nortel Networks. Dr. Shepard conducts personal and corporate growth seminars to equip people with the practical tools for leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, and employee motivation. (http://www.drrandyshepard.com) Lazarus Software Corp. is a mobile solutions company that provides enterprise solutions centered around a clients target audiences. Located near Omaha, Nebraska, the company has been developing customized commercial software applications for more than 10 years for prominent firms such as Marriott Corporation and technology companies. (http://www.lazarussoftware.com) For more information, contact Dr. Shepard at 816-739-9894 or email at drrshepard(at)yahoo(dot)com Contact Lazarus Software Corp. at 239-285-5892. Were giving artists a whole new way to feature their art and to do what Threadless has always set out to do: make great together. Threadless, the global design community best known for their graphic apparel and accessories, has acquired direct to consumer shoe brand, Bucketfeet. Building on the success of Artist Shops, Threadless acquired Bucketfeet to expand their product line from a vast collection of apparel, home, and accessory items into high quality, on-demand manufactured shoes. Artist Shops allows anyone to set up their own store for free with Threadless handling all of the logistics like manufacturing, order fulfillment, and customer service. We have similar goals, said Threadless founder and CEO, Jake Nickell. Threadless was founded in 2000 to support independent artists through apparel, Bucketfeet was founded in 2011 to support independent artists through footwear. By combining our communities and resources, were giving artists a whole new way to feature their art and to do what Threadless has always set out to do: make great together. Threadless & Bucketfeet recently launched a collaboration, offering a limited collection of footwear featuring Threadless designs exclusively available on Bucketfeets website. Bucketfeets extremely high quality shoes made to order from scratch are a natural fit with Threadless artists and designs. The process of construction allows for designs to be printed before the shoe is created, thus maintaining print quality throughout the manufacturing process. "Threadless is the godfather of artist-designed eCommerce. We wanted to partner with a company that allowed us to scale our own Bucketfeet brand globally and much more rapidly, said Bucketfeet co-founder, Raaja Nemani. "Together, we will immediately be the global leader in on-demand footwear manufacturing." Bucketfeets online shop will continue to remain open through the holidays. Threadless will slowly integrate Bucketfeets shop and collections onto http://www.threadless.com in the new year. Until then, Bucketfeets online store will function independently and remain fully shoppable through the transition. When we heard Threadless was interested in acquiring Bucketfeet, our first thought was: they are literally the perfect company to take over, said Bucketfeets co-founder and chief artist, Aaron Firestein. Threadless is a company that has dedicated itself to empowering and working with artists all over the world. As an artist first and foremost, I really could not be more thrilled to have them continue our legacy. Customers and fans are encouraged to visit http://www.bucketfeet.com to see the full collection of designs and shoes. Artists are encouraged to visit http://www.threadless.com and sign up to be notified when shoes become available in Artist Shops. For more information, visit: http://www.threadless.com and http://www.bucketfeet.com For the media kit, visit: http://bit.ly/2kBKu0V About Threadless Threadless is an online creative community that makes, supports, and buys great art. Thousands of independent artists worldwide submit their designs to be scored and picked. The designs that score the highest within the community get made into t-shirts, bags, wall art, and a wide selection of home, apparel, and accessory items. Founded in 2000, the Threadless mission has always been to support artists. From t-shirts, to adding home and accessory items, and now with the newest addition, Artist Shops where people can create their very own online store, their goal has always been to help creatives succeed. When people buy from Threadless, they are supporting the artist who created the designs. Make Great Together. http://www.threadless.com Facebook Twitter Instagram About Bucketfeet Bucketfeet is a footwear company that collaborates with a global community of artists to design handmade-to-order shoes, spark conversations, and create a brighter world. With a network of 40,000 artists from more than 120 countries, Bucketfeet empowers artists to share their stories and perspectives using the universal language of art and the shoe as their canvas. Artists earn royalties for their unique designs, which are manufactured and sold by Bucketfeet. Through an on-demand supply chain, the company is disrupting traditional manufacturing cycles and redefining the $300B footwear industry. Bucketfeet was founded in 2011 by Raaja Nemani and Aaron Firestein and is headquartered in Chicago. For more information, visit http://www.bucketfeet.com. PRESS CONTACT: Threadless Elizabeth Schmidt Press (at) threadless (dot) com Lform Design Owner Ian Loew, center, his wife, Audrey Laurelton, right, and Debbie Godt, of Unity Bank, left, stand outside of Lform Design at 42 Park Street in Montclair, NJ. Lform Design (https://www.lform.com), a full-service digital agency specializing in web design, app development, corporate branding, and digital marketing, has relocated to Montclair, NJ. Nestled in the heart of Montclair on 42 Park Street, the freshly renovated three-story building will be the companys new headquarters. Lform Design also has a satellite office in Manhattan. I couldnt be happier about this move, said Ian Loew, Lform Design owner and creative director. Montclair is vibrant, thriving community with amazing culture and great small businesses on every streetits a true epicenter of entrepreneurism. Were so glad to be here. Loew is a Montclair native. Previously headquartered in Verona, NJ, Lform Design has helped hundreds of US-based manufacturing companies and consulting businesses build their online brand and digital presence with modern responsive websites, apps, corporate branding, and social media. Lform Design currently employees six full-time digital experts and is the recipient of four 2017 AVA Digital Awards for excellence in web design and development, including two platinum awards and one gold. This is a really exciting step for us, said Brandon Fenning, Lforms senior developer. Ive been with this web design company for nearly ten years. Its amazing to see us move into a space that we can continue to grow into. The ability to make this move is absolutely a testament to our design prowess and digital expertise. About Lform Design Lform Design is an award-winning web design specializing in branding, web design and development, and digital marketing for business-to-business companies in manufacturing and consulting. Lform was founded in 2005 as a boutique agency with offices in New Jersey and New York City. Since its inception, Lform has developed hundreds of high-impact custom websites and digital marketing plans that yield measurable results. In the last decade, Lform has gained regional attention for its creativity, people-focused approach, and first-rate service. The agency is headquartered in Montclair, NJ. For more information, visit https://www.lform.com. Changing Lives in Africa The Changing Lives Award is particularly meaningful as it underscores RippleNami's tremendous capabilities to connect massive population centers using novel blockchain and mapping solutions to further bridge socio-economic development and widespread inclusion. RippleNami, Inc., a provider of blockchain map-based data visualization platform is designated a finalist in the 2017 AfricaCom Awards Changing Lives category. This annual awards program pays tribute to those companies with innovative solutions connecting and elevating Africa through its fourth industrial revolution. This prestigious designation falls on the 20th anniversary of AfricaCom and marks the 10th year of the awards program thats amassing global significance. KNect365 announced Ripplenami, Inc. as one of the top twenty finalists across ten different categories and joins the winners stage with iconic brands such as Coca Cola and United Nations. Receiving this distinguished award is a testament to our technology and our singular commitment towards transforming an entire society and enhancing the lives of those in it, said Jaye Connolly-LaBelle. The Changing Lives Award is particularly meaningful as it underscores our tremendous capabilities to connect massive population centers using novel blockchain and mapping solutions to further bridge socio-economic development and widespread inclusion. RippleNami, is predicated on the notion that by taking its technology solution into developing countries the world would be forever altered. Founded on the need for an easier way to securely collect and visualize any data on a map, RippleNamis team leverages its extensive experience working in developing countries. In the wake of so many organizations struggling with digital identification, asset tracking, supply chain, geo-location of basic resources such as water wells, healthcare, schools, contagious diseases, security issues and other critical information, the market need is severe. What makes RippleNamis solution so unique is its ability to simplify blockchain and geolocation so that anyone regardless of education can easily obtain and enter information on a virtual map and enable enterprise-wide collaboration. Its ability to ingest any kind of data including blockchain and mapping makes its the preferred platform. The inclusion of several new categories in this years awards line-up speaks to the continual progress affecting the African continent with the advent of digital solutions and adaptability, says Tom Cuthell, Portfolio Director for KNect365, organizer of AfricaCom. Its an exciting time for technology across the globe but none more than across Africa, with many of these shortlisted contenders leading global development in their respective fields. About RippleNami RippleNami recognizes that people empowered with real-time and easily accessible information around the world can connect and foster unimaginable change. RippleNami is redefining blockchain and mapping with the first visualization platform that consolidates big data and provides information that matters most to users and organizations. Is cost-effective, device agnostic cloud-based platform delivers millions of real-time actionable data points on an intuitive map to customers across enterprises, nonprofits and foreign government agencies that are enabling critical decision making and enhanced collaboration. With seamless integration, limitless customization and scalable architecture, RippleNami allows people to chart their own world, streamlining communication and improving operational effectiveness. For more information about RippleNami, visit http://www.ripplenami.com. About AfricaCom Awards AfricaCom is the largest and most successful technology event in Africa. The 20th edition of the annual event is set to be held from November 7-9 in Cape Town, South Africa. The AfricaCom Awards celebrate the achievements of the best companies, solutions, products and personalities improving connectivity and driving Africa through the fourth industrial revolution. The 3-day event which aims at promoting digital excellence in Africa, and will bring together tech giants, senior decision makers from the entire digital community to network, develop knowledge, showcase their latest solutions and technologies and gain inspiration from current industry trends and products For more information about AfricaCom, https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/awards. . Technogym has been promoting wellness, as a social and economic opportunity, for over two decades and I believe our wellness campus and the surrounding area, which is oriented to wellness and quality of life, is an ideal location for gathering wellness experts and operators from all over the world. The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the annual event focused on the $3.7 trillion global wellness economy, wrapped up its incredibly successful 3-day Summit earlier this month at The Breakers Palm Beach, FL. The event, which attracted a record 600+ health and wellness leaders from 43 countries, included an inspirational Wellness Moonshot, a call-to-action to rid the world of preventable disease. Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Andrew Weil and Weight Watchers CEO Mindy Grossman were just some of the luminaries that voiced their strong support for this massive, yet urgently needed, goal. At the close of the event, Susie Ellis, Chairman & CEO of the Global Wellness Summit, announced that Technogym, the world-leading company specializing in technologies for fitness, wellness and health, is the 2018 host sponsor. As a company that embodies the business of Living a Well Life, I cant think of a better host to carry on the conversations that began at The Breakers in Florida. Technogym is an official supplier of the Olympic Games, their products are in over 100 countries worldwide and over 35 million people use them each day. Technogym is proof that wellness can be authentic, innovative and big business! Before the word wellness permeated the lexicon, Nerio Alessandri, who founded the company in 1983 after building a prototype of his now globally famous fitness equipment in his garage, dubbed Technogym a wellness company in the early 90s. Alessandris innovative and integrative approach to the business of wellness, including his insights on technology and the building of a successful, publicly-traded company, will drive the dialogue and agenda of the 2018 Summit, as will the unique location in the heart of Italys Wellness Valley. Delegates will have rare access to a company steeped in wellness from the products it produces to the environment it has created for its employees and surrounding community to its mission to inspire the world with wellness innovations. Located in Cesena, Italy, a small town between the Adriatic coast and the hills of Emilia Romagna, the 2012 Technogym Village opening celebration was attended by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Italys then-President Giorgio Napolitano, as well as numerous global opinion leaders in fitness, sport and health. The 37-acre campus was designed from the ground up to inspire and encourage the wellness lifestyle not only in terms of physical fitness, but also with a focus on environmental sustainability, architectural wellness and even mental well-being through the beauty of art, music and fashion - and is home to an expansive research and education center, state-of-the-art gym, the Technogym factory, and farm-to-table restaurants. Technogym and the entire Wellness Valley are very proud to host the 2018 Global Wellness Summit, said Nerio Alessandri, Technogyms Founder and CEO. Alongside our creative products and solutions, Technogym has been promoting wellness, as a social and economic opportunity, for over two decades and I believe our campus and the surrounding area, which is oriented to wellness and quality of life, is an ideal location for gathering wellness experts and operators from all over the world. When it comes to the Technogym campus, seeing is believing, said Ellis. High design and high tech mashes with a forward-thinking management style that is awe-inspiring - as is Technogyms support of the Wellness Valley and the impact its Wellness Foundation has made throughout the world. The Global Wellness Summit is an invitation-only gathering for senior executives, for more information about attending or to see the news and updates from the 2017 Summit, click here. About the Global Wellness Summit: The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) is an invitation-only international gathering that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $3.7 trillion global wellness economy. Held in a different location each year, Summits have taken place in the U.S., Switzerland, Turkey, Bali, India, Morocco, Mexico and Austria. The 12th annual Summit will be held at Technogym Village, Cesena, Italy from October 6-8, 2018. About Technogym: Founded in 1983, Technogym is a world-leading supplier of technology and design driven products and services in the wellness and fitness industry and is an official supplier of the Olympic Games. Technogym provides a complete range of cardio, strength and functional equipment alongside a digital cloud based platform allowing consumers to connect with their personal wellness experience anywhere, both on the equipment and via mobile when outdoors. With over 2,000 employees and 14 branches globally, Technogym is present in over 100 countries. More than 80,000 wellness centers and 200,000 private homes in the world are equipped with Technogym. Brookhaven of Glen Ellyn* *Photos are of builder's similar completed homes. The exquisite, densely wooded natural beauty of these home sites offers a once in a lifetime opportunity. Chicago real estate broker Suzanne Olivieri of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group has been selected to represent sales and marketing of a new residential development in the Glen Ellyn, Illinois community to be known as Brookhaven of Glen Ellyn. The Development is located on Maya Court, Sheehan Avenue East to Sunnybrook Road South to Maya Court just South of Jenna Court. I am thrilled to represent Brookhaven of Glen Ellyn, said Olivieri. She continued, For those seeking to live in a luxury residence that completely suits their taste and meets every wish, there is no better option than to custom build. The exquisite, densely wooded natural beauty of these home sites offers a once in a lifetime opportunity. Close to downtown Glen Ellyn, Interstate 355, top rated schools, shopping and transportation, Brookhaven of Glen Ellyn is a win-win for buyers offering the best of city living while maintaining the charm of the countryside. Brookhaven of Glen Ellyn is a luxury residential community consisting of 10 generously sized lots ranging from 1/3 to over acre. Three of the lots have already sold. McKeown Classic Homes, a builder known for producing high-end homes of exceptional quality and craftsmanship, is offering the lots and will work with buyers to create a completely custom residence. Alternately, a buyer could purchase a lot directly. According to Olivieri, every home is custom built by the owner and a team of experts, so every home is truly unique. Prices for lots with homes start in the low $1 million range, though depend upon the buyers customization choices. Prices for lots start in the low $300,000s. To learn more about Brookhaven of Glen Ellyn, please click here or contact Suzanne Olivieri at 708.710.1128 or email her at solivieri(at)KoenigRubloff.com. About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group is a full-service real estate firm with nearly 1,500 real estate professionals and staff in 24 offices serving customers throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, the North Shore, Western Suburban communities and Harbor Country, Michigan. Deep local roots are complemented by the extensive global reach of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the top real estate brand in the nation. Affiliated and ancillary services in the form of HomeServices Lending, Fort Dearborn Title, and HomeServices Insurance complete the comprehensive services offered to clients. Visit KoenigRubloff.com. We are extremely proud and honored to partner with the Milwaukee Public Schools, said Evan Erdberg, CEO of PLI, With access to Chromebooks and quality internet, education in MPS has no boundaries now." Proximity Learning Inc. (PLI) is proud to announce a new partnership with the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), the largest school district in the state of Wisconsin. This partnership will empower MPS to provide: German, French, Chinese, Spanish and American Sign Language in every middle and high school that has students interested in taking the class for credit. Through this new alliance, MPS students will have the opportunity to achieve their academic goals without any sacrifices to current faculty, methods, or resources while the district manages the challenge of the Wisconsin Teacher Shortage crisis. We are extremely proud and honored to partner with the Milwaukee Public Schools, said Evan Erdberg, CEO of PLI, With access to Chromebooks and quality internet, education in MPS has no boundaries now, we are able to connect some of the countrys best teachers with their students that want to learn no matter where they are located. Using our virtual instructional model school districts now have a backup plan for when they cant find a teacher locally. The real power of this program is that students will be learning from master teachers streamed live into their classrooms each day from around the country. Students will log into the class via a Chromebook, see the teacher on the screen, and the teacher will see them through the webcam and will lead the instruction the same way a teacher would if they were physically there in person. The student will raise their hand to ask questions, be placed in small groups to work on projects, and even have their parents meet the teacher during parent conference nights. Teacher shortages have become increasingly problematic in Wisconsin making it profoundly harder for districts to locate and identify qualified teachers. Milwaukee Public Schools is pioneering the use of Virtual teachers in their schools to ensure all students receive the education they deserve. About Milwaukee Public Schools: well known as the largest district in Wisconsin, MPS sees each student as a valuable resource and is dedicated to providing them with a world-class education. Their district mission is committed to every student by providing them with high quality instruction, a well-rounded educational experience, and the support necessary to be college or career ready. About Proximity Learning Inc: Proximity Learning Inc. is a K-12 virtual staffing company catering to students ranging from kindergarten to high school. Proximity Learning has served over 150 school districts. Proximity Learning has been rated as one of the top K-12 Virtual Staffers in the nation, boasting the highest quality teachers, most innovative virtual classrooms, and the reputation as a flexible learning solution to both public and private school districts. Learn more: http://proxlearn.com/. We were excited to partner with Carmel and bring the many military families, as well as the people of Hawaii, design, luxury, and functionality. Faulkner Design Group, a leading national interior architecture and design firm has been recognized by winning two 2017 Multifamily Executive Awards. Now in its 10th year, Multifamily Executive honors the industrys best and brightest with its MFE Awards competition drawing from nearly 400 entries this year for a total of 37 winners in 21 categories. Faulkner Design Group was awarded the Grand Award - Best Amenity for Broadstone Germantown and the Merit Award - Best Reuse of Land Kapilina Beach Homes. Winners were announced at an Awards Luncheon September 19th during the MFE Conference in Las Vegas. Awarded Best Reuse of Land, the Kapilina Beach Homes community sits on the historical site entrance of Pearl Harbor. Carmel Partners, Inc., a San Francisco-based real estate investment firm, saw great potential in what the undeveloped land and former U.S. Military base could offer along with Faulkner Design Group. The teams set out to create a resort-like experience for people who wanted to rent property in a more secluded area, west of Honolulu. We were excited to partner with Carmel and bring the many military families, as well as the people of Hawaii, design, luxury, and functionality, says Faulkner COO, Michelle Duncum. The redesign included a major beach renovation consisting of building rock jetties to re-landscape the shoreline from previous erosion and adding a multi-amenity community center. The utilitarian units were transformed to enhance the experience and view or the resorts natural beauty through complementary colors, large glass windows, and open spaces. The community center also offers inspired design, while remaining true to Hawaiian culture. Faulkner used many locally sourced materials, like Hawaiian Monkeypod Wood, to create an authentic feel as seen in many of the custom made pieces throughout the property as well as an indoor living wall (a wall of organic and live materials), using plants and flowers native to Hawaii. Located in Nashville, Tennessee and awarded Best Amenity, Broadstone Germantown was designed to bring the citys passion for music directly to the residents. This multifamily community, developed by Alliance Residential, includes a 5,200-square-foot Rooftop Sky Lounge with an indoor/outdoor music stage. Residents are encouraged to use the space for their own creative jam sessions while also having the ability to rent the space for private events, and often, a host for up and coming musicians and performances. The amenity, however, includes more than just a performance venue, but, a songwriters room, and five different sound zones that are all controlled by touch screen. The space is located on the apartments parking deck, separating the venue from homes as to not cause disruption. The Rooftop Sky Lounge offers beautiful views of the city, seating, a fire-pit, and ping-pong table for everyone to enjoy. See the MFE Awards Announcement here. View Kapilina photos here. About Faulkner Design Group Faulkner Design Group, Inc., is a fully integrated interior architecture and design firm specializing in multifamily housing and senior living environments, completing over 650,000 residential units in more than 2,000 communities across 37 states, from Hawaii to New York, and Canada, working with the largest developers, contractors, real estate investment groups, and management firms in the country. These communities are surpassing the industry standard for creativity and quality, earning a reputation as the most highly sought after properties on the market. Faulkner Design Group offers comprehensive design services during the architectural development and construction planning phases of projects, approaching each design solution as a fingerprint in which no two are alike. http://www.faulknerdesign.com info(at)faulknerdesign(dot)com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate is pleased to announce that Patsy Bryan, an industry veteran with more than 28 years real estate experience, has recently joined the professionals at the St. Simons Longview office location. Patsy is one of the most knowledgeable residential real estate agents in the area and is recognized for her exceptional results and commitment to excellence. She is a member of the Circle of Excellence and Oglethorpe Award recipient. Patsy will focus her real estate efforts on residential and luxury real estate on St. Simons Island and Sea Island. I am honored to welcome Patsy Bryan to our real estate team, said Pat Cooper, President and Broker of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate. Patsy is a true professional and is a perfect fit for our company as we continue to redefine the real estate experience. Her proven track record and local market expertise are unsurpassed in the Golden Isles. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, which is independently owned and operated, became a member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brokerage network, operated by HSF Affiliates LLC, earlier this year. Since that time, it has earned a host of honors and welcomed several new professionals to the highly successful real estate team. About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate Hodnett Cooper Real Estate is a family-owned and operated company with three offices throughout the Golden Isles offering a full range of real estate services including real estate sales, residential rentals, property management and commercial sales. The brokerage is the premier real estate company in southeast coastal Georgia with a professional and diverse team of agents. Visit http://www.BHHSHodnettCooper.com. About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, based in Irvine, CA, is a brand-new real estate brokerage network built for a new era in residential real estate. The network, among the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name, brings to the real estate market a definitive mark of trust, integrity, stability and longevity. About HSF Affiliates LLC Irvine, CA-based HSF Affiliates LLC operates Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Prudential Real Estate and Real Living Real Estate franchise networks. The company is a joint venture of which HomeServices of America, Inc., the nations second-largest, full-service residential brokerage firm, is a majority owner. HomeServices of America is an affiliate of world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Natives beat out other top social media and marketing agencies from around the country. Digital Natives Group (http://nativesgroup.com) has been recognized by Sprout Social for Social Media Campaign of the Year for the agencys work with Drs. Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel on their recent book, The Telomere Effect. In taking home this prize, Natives beat out other top social media and marketing agencies from around the country. Sprout Social is one of the most popular social media management platforms on the market, used by some of the top brands in the world to run effective campaigns on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other networks. As a founding member of Sprout Socials partner program, Digital Natives Group has been selected as a leader in the social media marketing space and granted exclusive access to some of the industrys best tools. This honor further exemplifies the firms leadership and effectiveness. Natives work with Dr. Blackburn, a Nobel laureate, and Dr. Epel on the Telomere Effect (published by Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group) encompassed a holistic digital campaign that used Facebook, Twitter, and other tools to drive sales ahead of the book's January 2017 release. Combining influencer outreach, pre-order incentives, blog and podcast seeding, engaging video content, and a host of other tactics, the book debuted as a #1 in multiple categories Amazon, as well as immediately hitting the New York Times Bestseller list. "It was incredibly humbling to be entrusted to tell the story of this Nobel Award-winning science by the Telomere Effect team, and getting to work with them on the launch of this groundbreaking title was a remarkable experience. To see the work of this team recognized by an industry-leading company like Sprout Social is incredibly flattering," said Jonathan Jacobs, Partner at Digital Natives Group. This award from Sprout Social is the latest honor for Natives, a problem-solving digital marketing agency in New Yorks Long Island City neighborhood. The Telomere Effect joins the list of more than 26 best-selling books launched by the agency. Christian Valiulis, Chief Revenue Officer at Automatic Payroll Systems, Inc. My acceptance into the Forbes Business Development Council will allow me to better leverage APS's expertise as a high-growth human capital management software company with other organizations while making a positive contribution to our industry. Christian Valiulis, Chief Revenue Officer at Automatic Payroll Systems, Inc. (APS), has been accepted into the Forbes Business Development Council, an invitation-only community for senior-level sales and business development executives. Christian joins other Forbes Business Development Council members, who are hand-selected, to become part of a curated network of successful peers and get access to a variety of exclusive benefits and resources, including the opportunity to submit thought leadership articles and short tips on industry-related topics for publishing on Forbes.com. Forbes Councils combines an innovative, high-touch approach to community management perfected by the team behind Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) with the extensive resources and global reach of Forbes. As a result, Forbes Council members get access to the people, benefits and expertise they need to grow their businesses -- and a dedicated member concierge who acts as an extension of their own team, providing personalized one-on-one support. Christian is looking forward to bringing his 20+ years of business experience and thought leadership to this rewarding opportunity. "I am privileged to join such a prestigious community of business executives and serve with the unified goal of sharing knowledge with and gaining valuable insight from my peers," says Christian. "My acceptance into the Forbes Business Development Council will allow me to better leverage APS's expertise as a high-growth human capital management software company with other organizations while making a positive contribution to our industry." Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, says, "We are honored to welcome Christian into the community. Our mission with Forbes Councils is to curate successful professionals from every industry, creating a vetted, social capital-driven network that helps every member make an even greater impact on the business world." About APS APS brings innovation and scalability to modern human capital management. We believe that our clients, their employees, and our partners deserve the best, easy-to-use human capital management platform delivered with personalized service and support. We build our technologies from the ground up, focusing on usability, efficiency, and adoption. APS understands the challenges organizations of all sizes face, which is why we craft a full spectrum of cloud solutions that address all aspects of employee management. By maintaining a vision of unified systems that make human capital management nearly effortless, we support our clients in their growth and success. APS is different because of our unique approach to technology and service. As a result, we continually maintain 98% customer retention and satisfaction rates. We have ranked as a High Performer the past four years and were named Best Software for HR and Administrative Teams for 2017. APS also consistently ranks Best Customer Support, Best Ease-of-Use, Best Functionality, and Best Product Quality. For more information, please visit http://www.apspayroll.com or call 855-945-7921. APS Media Contact Tiffany Seaton 318-213-3286 tseaton(at)apspayroll(dot)com About Forbes Councils Forbes partnered with the founders of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) to launch Forbes Councils, invitation-only communities for world-class business professionals in a variety of industries. Members, who are hand-selected by each Council's community team, receive personalized introductions to each other based on their specific needs and gain access to a wide range of business benefits and services, including best-in-class concierge teams, personalized connections, peer-to-peer learning, a business services marketplace, and the opportunity to share thought leadership content on Forbes.com. For more information about Forbes Business Development Council, visit forbesbizdevcouncil.com. To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com. SkillSurvey, the provider of cloud-based solutions that help organizations hire with faster, more reliable insights, today released research identifying top work behaviors that could be improved for warehouse workers, customer service and online sales candidates based on direct feedback from thousands of job references. These insights can assist hiring managers in making better quality hires this holiday season, boosting the bottom-line of the business. As online sales are becoming increasingly important for business success, its critical to consider whether job candidates will be able to adjust to business needs and communicate effectively and efficiently in a way that solves problems and fosters new business. said Ray Bixler, President and CEO of SkillSurvey With the explosion of e-commerce, retailers are under pressure to fill positions not only in traditional customer service and sales roles but also in warehouse order fulfillment roles to survive this holiday season. Analyzing a sample of reference feedback for 8,000 candidates, SkillSurveys Analytics Team found references rated the following job-specific behaviors lower than average for those applying for positions in warehouses as well as customer service and sales. Five Common Areas for Improvement for Warehouse Workers 1. Getting approval from supervisors when needed on questions or changes 2. Multi-tasking when needed to meet deadlines 3. Making decisions and solving problems 4. Performing consistently to meet or exceed job requirements 5. Maintaining warehouse equipment The ratings for these skills are supported by some of the verbatim comments submitted by references for areas where candidates can improve. For example, comments included: Ask for help when needed and Continue to learn new methods to make work more efficient and Prioritize duties more efficiently; Management of time more efficiently. Five Common Areas for Improvement for Customer Service and Online Sales Candidates: 1. Being open to feedback to improve performance 2. Communicating with customers to tailor recommendations of products and services 3. Learning and maintaining knowledge of company products and services 4. Encouraging customers to buy new products or services and offering new options 5. Properly documenting customer interactions and transactions A sample of verbatim comments references provided that relate to some of these areas include Do more to encourage customers to upgrade or buy new products and Addressing the customers need was always top priority, but upselling was not. Further introduction of more products to the customer could be an area for improvement. Making the right hiring decisions this time of year is critical for any retailer looking to increase sales and support product fulfillment. Knowing what qualities to look for in candidates can put companies ahead of the curve, especially in the demanding retail market, continued Bixler. If companies are serious about improving their customer experience and the efficiency of their warehouse operations, then they should be utilizing structured reference checks with job-specific surveys that make it easy to identify a candidates strengths and areas for improvement. Using references as a hiring tool this holiday season will provide companies with valuable insight into their potential employees. About SkillSurvey SkillSurvey applies the science of human behavior and harnesses the power of insights and data to create a fuller picture of the people you recruit and hire. SkillSurvey makes the referencing, sourcing and credentialing process more efficient and effective helping employers save time and money, grow revenues, and bring employees onboard faster. SkillSurvey Reference is proven to reduce turnover and SkillSurvey SourceTM offers new ways to build your talent pool. Visit SkillSurvey at http://www.skillsurvey.com, and on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. SkillSurvey is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries and SkillSurvey ReferenceTM is a trademark of SkillSurvey Inc. SkillSurvey Reference is a patented solution. 2017 SkillSurvey Inc. and its affiliates. Media Contact: Stephanie Sabath Sloane & Company (212) 446-1873 ssabath(at)sloanepr(dot)com Aristech Surfaces LLC today announced it ranked 82 on the Deloitte Cincinnati USA 100, a ranking of 100 of the largest privately owned companies in the Cincinnati area. The companies ranked on the 2017 Deloitte Cincinnati USA 100 continue to serve as a strong foundation for our local economy, said Frank Leggio, Partner and leader of Cincinnatis Growth Enterprise Services practice, Deloitte & Touche LLP. Thanks to their strong business practices and ability to drive and sustain performance, these innovative, entrepreneurial businesses continue to grow, strengthening an already thriving local business climate. Aristech Surfaces LLC previously ranked 82 as a Deloitte Cincinnati USA 100 award winner for 2017 and has been on the list for 4 years. Overall, 2017 Deloitte Cincinnati USA 100 companies generate more than $36 billion in sales and employ nearly 107,000 people. About the 2017 Deloitte Cincinnati USA 100 Since the launch of the Deloitte Cincinnati USA 100 in 1983, the program has honored greater Cincinnatis most recognizable private companies. Deloitte is joined by Great American Insurance Group, and Enquirer Media to recognize private businesses for the tremendous economic and civic contributions they make to our community. The Deloitte Cincinnati USA 100 is an annual ranking and recognition of the largest, privately held companies in the greater Cincinnati area. The list ranks the top 100 companies by sales, as determined by a voluntarily submitted qualification form. In order to be eligible for the Deloitte Cincinnati USA 100, companies must be privately held and headquartered in the 18-county tristate area. For more information visit http://www.deloitte.com/us/cincinnati100. About Aristech Surfaces LLC Aristech Surfaces produces and markets a broad range of surface and design materials under its flagship brands, Aristech Acrylics, Avonite Acrylic Solid Surface, and the Studio Collection. Aristech provides quality, cost-conscious, and high-end aesthetic solutions sought by OEMs, architects, designers, and fabricators for industries around the globe. Aristechs corporate headquarters is located in Florence, KY with its international office in Horsham, UK. Manufacturing facilities operate in Florence, KY and Belen, NM. To learn more, visit http://www.aristechsurfaces.com. Contact Kellie Grob Aristech Surfaces LLC 859-283-6494 kgrob(at)aristechsurfaces(dot)com Twenty-six Denver Broncos Cheerleaders explore Xenses, Xplor and Xel-Ha It really unifies us as a team, said fourth-year Broncos Cheerleader Gioia Bartalo. We get to leave Mexico as one. The Denver Broncos Cheerleaders traveled to Cancun to explore a few of Riviera Mayas most exciting adventure parks after their annual calendar photoshoot. The cheerleaders spent two days venturing through Xel-Ha, Xenses and Xplor park, taking advantage of all of the available excursions. On the first day, 26 cheerleaders jumped off the Cliff of Courage, a ledge 5 meters high, and were challenged by the Trepachanga, a ropes course that tests agility and balance. At Xenses and Xplor, the cheerleaders admired the scenery while ziplining and riding in amphibious vehicles. They also experienced the Xensatorium, a trail that stimulates your senses with an array of unique sounds and environments. It really unifies us as a team, said fourth-year Broncos Cheerleader Gioia Bartalo. We get to leave Mexico as one. ABOUT XEL-HA Xel-Ha is a true paradise for nature lovers. It is located in Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo, Mexico and has been a model for sustainable tourism development since 1995. Visitors can explore the wonders of nature with more than 10 activities that are fun for the whole family. Excursions include snorkeling with tropical fish, relaxing on the underground rivers and braving the Cliff of Courage. ABOUT XENSES Xenses opened in summer 2016 and is the sixth and newest of the Xcaret parks. It has more than 15 activities that will take visitors on a journey through air, land and water. After experiencing activities like the Xensatorium, ziplining and the Sludgerie, visitors will be more in touch with their senses. ABOUT XPLOR Xplor is the most-visited zipline park in the world and offers five other activities: amphibious vehicles, rafts, swimming in underground rivers, spelunking and the hammock splash. With nature and adventure at their core, these excursions take place in natural outdoor settings and within underground environments. Google is still selling ads to big pharma, but they shut down addiction treatment? How is this helping the opioid crisis? Google is now on the hot-seat as they recently embarked on a crusade to help combat the opioid crisis. A decision that was initially praised, now in hindsight may have inadvertently made things worse. As per our article reports on FullCircleSEM.com that things went from bad to terrible when it was realized that Google, by ceasing all ads on addiction treatment, may have actually driven more traffic to the companies they set out to fight. That's not good. The article explains that Google's decision was well received at first, but nearly a month later it seems as though there may have been some unforeseen (and potentially detrimental) consequences. Citing a NY Times article, Google was trying to stop large call centers and shady treatment facilities that were brokering individuals seeking treatment to the highest bidder. These companies would use false advertising to collect the individuals information (as if they were a real treatment center) and then just sell that info off. This allowed a growing number of companies to effectively take advantage of the opioid crisis - so no one seems to disagree that something needed to be done. However, the article takes issue with Google's decision to remove all addiction treatment advertising, instead of implementing a process to confirm legitimate facilities (like they do for other industries, such as big pharma). They allege that the unforeseen result of this move was that all addiction treatment traffic is now pointed to Google's organic results - but guess who owns the vast majority of those top organic listings? Of course, the large national call centers (a.k.a. the exact companies Google was trying to weed out). Google, deliberately or not, seems to have created a huge problem in the addiction treatment industry. Making matters worse, they've been unresponsive regarding what they plan to do about it.. The growing frustration has finally reached a boiling point and we've led the way with a change.org petition asking Google to remedy the situation. For more information, see the full article at FullCircleSEM.com. What can I do during European Week In line with the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights, EU-OSHA promotes fair working conditions and assists employers and workers to address their challenges. Promoting safe and healthy workplaces for people of all ages is vital to sustaining Europes workforce. Currently, workers exit the labour market at the age of 61 on average much younger than the average official retirement age (65) set by many EU Member States.[1] Earlier this year, the European Commission launched the European Pillar of Social Rights - 20 principles about equal opportunities and access to labour market, fair working conditions, and social protection and inclusion. EU-OSHA strongly supports these principles through promoting good practices, assisting employers and workers to address challenges together, and creating many practical tools and guidance materials aimed at risk assessment and life-long learning, among others. said Dr Christa Sedlatschek, Director of EU-OSHA. Since early 2016, EU-OSHAs national focal points, official campaign partners and campaign media partners have supported the Healthy Workplaces for All Ages campaign. Many of the focal points host special events this week, including a conference for journalists and experts about the current situation of work in Luxembourg, a press conference in Hungary about results of the Good Practice Awards, and a conference in Lithuania titled Safe workplaces for all ages. In Estonia, the 19th Health and Safety Day Seminar will gather 300 participants. Dozens of events will take place in many different countries throughout the week. EU-OSHAs Official campaign partners are also hosting events across Europe. In Poland, the Medicover Wellbeing team continues two months of awareness-raising events promoting preventive actions. The offices of ZF TRW Active & Passive Safety Technology are initiating tailored activities such as providing medical exams or giving ergonomic and sport advice sessions to workers. Their office in Romania will sponsor a family health day. Media partner Safety Focus organises three events in several locations throughout Italy in October - including one titled Farming, Healthy Workplaces for All Ages and IOSH Magazine organises a webinar for their members from different countries. One of the highlights of EU-OSHAs work throughout the campaign is the recently released Joint Report Towards age-friendly work in Europe: a life-course perspective on work and ageing from EU Agencies. Coordinated by EU-OSHA, the report has contributions from Cedefop[2], Eurofound[3] and EIGE[4]. This cross-agency collaboration highlights the diverse factors that impact the European workforce and the actions needed to keep the whole population healthy and active. It includes facts and figures, the latest EU legislation and employment trends, and places extra focus on the vocational education and training sector and gender in relation to work and ageing. This Joint Report follows many multilingual campaign resources made available by EU-OSHA, including an e-guide, data visualisation tool, Good Practices Award booklet, etc. The European Week for Safety and Health at Work allows partners to share the campaign results built up over the past two years. These exchanges lead up to the Healthy Workplaces Summit next month, on 21-22 November, taking place in Bilbao, Spain. Links: See a list of European Week Events Follow the European Week for Safety and Health Facebook event page Find out more about the Healthy Workplaces for All Ages campaign [1] EU-OSHA, Cedefop, Eurofound and EIGE (2017), Joint report on Towards age-friendly work in Europe: a life-course perspective on work and ageing from EU Agencies, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. [2] European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) [3] European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) [4] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) Notes to editor: 1. The Healthy Workplaces for All Ages 2016-17 campaign raises awareness of the importance of good occupational safety and health management and risk prevention throughout the working life and of tailoring work to individual abilities whether at the start of a workers career or at its close. Like previous Healthy Workplaces Campaigns, it is coordinated at national level by EU-OSHAs focal points and supported by official campaign and media partners. The campaign is launched on 15 April 2016. Key dates in the campaign calendar include the European Weeks for Safety and Health at Work (October 2016 and 2017) and the Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards ceremony (April 2017). The campaign will end with the Healthy Workplaces Summit (November 2017), when all those who have contributed to the campaign will come together with EU-OSHA to take stock of the campaigns achievements and the lessons learnt. 2. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) contributes to making Europe a safer, healthier and more productive place to work. The Agency researches, develops, and distributes reliable, balanced, and impartial safety and health information and organises pan-European awareness raising campaigns. Set up by the European Union in 1994 and based in Bilbao, Spain, the Agency brings together representatives from the European Commission, Member State governments, employers and workers organisations, as well as leading experts in each of the EU-28 Member States and beyond. Salem Author Services has announced the launch of a partner-imprint for its recognizable Christian book brand, Xulon Press. XP Books will offer self-published authors an elevated publishing experienceincluding an Expanded Distribution service, with amenities like offset printing and a warehouse distribution network. Print-on-demand is an important part of this industry and always will be, states Chad Nykamp, Vice-President and General Manager of Salem Author Services. But weve found theres also a second audience of authors with a need for an expanded model. These authors are highly-motivated, committed to building their platform, and want the flexibility of self-publishing paired with the opportunities of traditional publishing. These authors are already achieving the quality of traditionally-published booksusing the best book editors and marketing programs in the businessso providing them with traditional printing and distribution amenities is the natural next step. Both Xulon Press and XP Books are housed within Salem Author Services, the self-publishing arm of Salem Media Group. Xulon Press is one of the oldest and most established Christian self-publishers in the industryreleasing almost 10,000 titles to dateand XP Books joins brands like Mill City Press and Liberty Hill Publishing as part of the quickly-expanding footprint of Salem Author Services. More information can be obtained at http://www.xulonpress.com/expanded-distribution/. Media Contact: Brittnee Newman Email: bnewman(at)salemauthorservices.com EnterWorks To rank in the top two for customer satisfaction (moving up one spot from 2016) in a survey based on a large sample of references speaks volumes for EnterWorks and its user feedback. EnterWorks, a leading provider of Master Data Management (MDM) and Product Information Management (PIM) solutions, has been recognized in MDM analyst firm, Information Differences MDM Landscape Q2 2017 Report. EnterWorks ranked second overall for Customer Satisfaction. The analyst firm compiles its customer satisfaction rankings through direct communication and surveying vendors customers. The MDM Landscape Report is an industry analysis of the state of the MDM market and top performing vendors. The report recognizes those MDM vendors that have a large customer base, score highly in customer responses concerning the companys technology, and demonstrate strength in the MDM market. This years report totaled 40 MDM vendors, of which 10 were highlighted including EnterWorks. The reports author, Andy Hayler, President & CEO of The Information Difference, said, To rank in the top two for customer satisfaction (moving up one spot from 2016) in a survey based on a large sample of references speaks volumes for EnterWorks and its user feedback. The MDM market is growing and gaining increased attention as businesses realize the increased value and insights that come with a unified repository of data, said Rick Chavie, CEO of EnterWorks. Consumers and businesses demand personalized interactions that acknowledge their preferences and buying behaviors as they engage in content and commerce interactions. Were excited that EnterWorks is featured in the report three years in a row. Customer satisfaction comes from helping our customers succeed in their markets, so its highly gratifying to see our customers confirm their satisfaction with their EnterWorks experience in support of their businesses. EnterWorks was previously named to the Q2 2015 and Q2 2016 MDM Landscape Reports. The MDM Landscape Report is considered an expert source for understanding the MDM industry and its vendors. Author of the report, Hayler, is also a MDM analyst for Bloor Research; EnterWorks was featured in Bloor Researchs 2016 Bullseye Report. Bloor is one of Europe's leading independent IT research, analysis and consultancy firms, based in London and founded in 1989. Download the MDM Landscape Q2 2017 report here. About EnterWorks Holding Company EnterWorks Master Data Management (MDM) and Product Information Management (PIM) solution enables companies to acquire, manage and transform product information into persuasive content that drives higher sales and new competitive strengths through e-commerce Web, mobile, print and various electronic channels. Services offered include: Master Data Management, Product Information Management, Dynamic Data Modeling, Workflow & Collaboration, Syndication & Publishing, Digital Asset Management, Geographic Localization, Portal Content Exchange, and Digital Channel Accelerators. EnterWorks is highly ranked by various research analysts and used by industry leaders such as: Ariens, Big Rock Sports, CPO Commerce, Creative Converting, Darigold, Fender Musical Instruments, Guthy-Renker, Hearth & Home Technologies, HON Furniture, HP Hood, Interline Brands, Johnstone Supply, Mary Kay, Mercer, Orgill, Publishers Clearing House, Restoration Hardware, Strategic Market Alliance, US Foods, and W.B. Mason. Learn more at http://www.enterworks.com. Wireless Zone, the nations largest wireless retail franchise, offering exclusive Verizon products and services, is poised to capture a near record level of new growth momentum as it closes out 2017. With 329 locations already open across the country, including 17 openings so far in 2017, Wireless Zones growth is accelerating rapidly. The brand has sold 30 new units so far in 2017, 20 of which are now under contract. 12 additional openings and up to four new transfers are scheduled in key development markets by the end of the year, adding to already successful ownership transfers in 14 markets so far in 2017. Demand for mobile phones, tablets and accessories has never been higher, and consumers are now always on the lookout for the next upgrade, said Dave Staszewski, Wireless Zone Executive Vice President. With so many new, exciting products to choose from, there is a critical need for expert guidance. Wireless Zone provides the most knowledgeable, personalized customer service in the industry, and we want to continue to solidify our firm position as the go-to retailer who is leading the way into the future of wireless. Founded in 1988 as "The Car Phone Store", the Wireless Zone system has become the nation's largest wireless retail franchisor and was ranked the No. 1 franchise in its category by Entrepreneur magazine. Wireless Zone increased its nationwide footprint in 2017, opening new units in markets like Tyrone, Penn., Sturgis, Mich., Gardner, Mass. and Houston, Tex. New multi-unit agreements were also signed in key growth markets, with heavy focus in the Northeast, including Connecticut, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. Now, with the opening 18 new locations to close Q4 2017 and signed agreements for an additional 53 locations expected to be signed by the end of the year, Wireless Zones franchise growth is hitting overdrive. Wireless Zone is relying on unprecedented growth in the mobile technology sector and on the strength of its experienced franchise system to propel the brand forward to new levels of success. Wireless Zones franchise system has been honored with Verizon's Best Customer Service award for five consecutive years, and was recently ranked as No. 142 on Franchise Times Magazines 2017 Top 200 list. A franchise is only as good as the franchisees that make up its system, and thats one big reason why we continue to excel, said Staszewski. Wireless Zone wouldnt be where it is today without its franchisees. Together, we stand poised to enter an exciting new chapter in our brands growth. Wireless Zone was acquired by leading Verizon Wireless retailer The Cellular Connection (TCC) in 2016, and together the duo has created a partnership unmatched anywhere else in the wireless industry. The merger, paired with the rapid multi-unit expansion Wireless Zone saw in 2016, created fresh momentum for 2017 as the brand mounted plans for a new growth push. The brands have also made an indelible mark in the local communities they serve through Culture of Goods annual School Rocks Backpack Giveaway. In 2017 alone, a combined more than 1,000 Wireless Zone and TCC stores across the U.S. donated 172,000 backpacks full of school supplies to ensure children less fortunate were prepared for the start of the school year. In addition to its backpack giveaway, Wireless Zone also recently donated $10,000 to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Harvey disaster relief efforts in honor of the brands three Houston stores, their franchisees, staff and families, all of whom were directly impacted by the hurricane. Even with all of this exciting growth nationwide, Wireless Zone remains a tight-knit franchise, focused on the right support to ensure success, said Staszewski. With that mindset front and center, we are thrilled about the exciting developments to come for Wireless Zone as we close another successful year and look forward to unprecedented new growth in 2018. ABOUT WIRELESS ZONE Founded in 1988 as "The Car Phone Store", the Wireless Zone system has become the nation's largest wireless retail franchisor and was ranked the No. 1 franchise in its category by Entrepreneur magazine. Each store is independently owned and operated, exclusively offering Verizon Wireless products and services. The Wireless Zone system has been honored with Verizon's Best Customer Service award for five consecutive years and is franchised and operated by Wireless Zone LLC. For more information, visit http://www.wirelesszone.com. www.vcgfl.com The ALS Association and Florida Chapter are doing a tremendous job and were honored to support their massive research efforts, says Stephen Shanton, president and CEO of Venture Construction Group of Florida, founder of the Shanton ALS Foundation. Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL) is the Presenting Sponsor of the ALS Association Florida Chapter Miami-Dade Walk to Defeat ALS in Miami on Oct. 21 at Tropical Park located at 7900 SW 40 St. Registration took place at 8 a.m. and the walk kicked off at 10 a.m. Over 50 teams signed up for the event. Venture staff and crews participated in the walk and volunteered throughout the event. The ALS Association Florida Chapter offers comprehensive support and resources for persons diagnosed with ALS, their families and caregivers. The chapter provides services and assistance to clients and members of their support network struggling with issues related to ALS. All services and programs provided are free of charge and funded solely through Chapter fundraising efforts. Learn at http://www.alsafl.org. The ALS Association and Florida Chapter are doing a tremendous job and were honored to support their massive research efforts. For all of those fighting this battle, we are committed to supporting research and advancement of ALS treatments. I lost my father to ALS in 2012. He was a fighter every step of the way. Ill always admire his gift of giving back, an important trait he instilled in me, says Stephen Shanton, president and CEO of Venture Construction Group of Florida, founder of the Shanton ALS Foundation. The Walk to Defeat ALS is The ALS Associations largest annual event. Funds raised have a direct impact on the advancements of global ALS research and public policy initiatives aimed at finding treatments and a cure for the disease. Established in 1985, The ALS Association is the only national non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrigs Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure. With the worlds largest ALS research program, The ALS Association is active in more than 150 labs around the globe. About Venture Construction Group of Florida Founded in 1998, Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL) is an award-winning leader in construction, restoration, renovations, roofing, storm damage repairs, and 24/7 emergency services throughout the state of Florida. Specializing in industrial/ commercial projects, VCGFL assists property managers, condominium boards, homeowner associations, association boards, hotels and business complexes with general contractor services, specialty construction, historical restoration, water and flood mitigation, and property repairs due to fire, flood, water, wind and hurricanes. VCGFL won the prestigious Qualified Remodeler Top 500 Remodelers in the U.S., Qualified Remodeler Master Design Award, and is the proud recipient of the 2017 FRSA S.T.A.R. Spotlight Trophy for the Advancement of Roofing Awards in Sustainability and Community Service. With offices in Boca Raton, Ft. Myers, Orlando, Stuart, and Tampa, VCGFL is committed to operational excellence and exceptional customer service. VCGFL takes care of the details every step of the way including roofing, siding, windows, drywall, flooring, paint, gutters to rebuilding properties after major storm events from hurricanes, tornadoes, and hailstorms. VCGFL carries the industrys leading accreditations and is an exclusive certified National Storm Damage Center Preferred Contractor, Platinum Preferred Certified Contractor with the National Insurance Restoration Council, Windstorm Insurance Network WIND Certified Umpire, WIND Certified Appraiser, WIND Certified Fellow, Certified Member of the United Association of Storm Restoration Contractors, Certified Member of the Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (FRSA), Certified Member of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Industry Members Association (EIMA), Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, Mule-Hide Legacy Contractor, Certified CertainTeed Contractor and Duro-Last Certified Contractor. VCGFL credentials have been vetted and screened through independent third party Global Risk Management Solutions. For more information call 866-459-8351 or visit us online at http://www.vcgfl.com. Media Inquiries: Matt Orlewicz Elev8 Consulting Group Ph: 386.24.ELEV8 Web: http://www.elev8cg.com ### The Terrace, Hotel Valencia Santana Row "These rankings reinforce the appeal of our dedication to "Timeless Hospitality" and support our commitment to creating hotels with a keen sense of place, thoughtful amenities, timeless design, and attentive service," says Doyle Graham, Jr. President & CEO. Conde Nast Traveler announced the results of its 30th annual Readers Choice Awards. All of Valencia Groups full service hotels were named to the prestigious list, and two properties Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio and Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose, CA ranked #1 in their respective markets. Scoring 95.79/100 Hotel Valencia Riverwalk was #2 among the Top 15 Hotels in Texas, while Hotel Sorella CITYCENTRE placed #11 with a 93.25/100. Hotel Valencia Santana Row was #10 on the Top 25 Hotels in Northern California list with a score of 95.06/100. We are thrilled that all of our full service hotels in our award-winning collection were recognized by discerning travelers for this prestigious honor, said Doyle Graham, Jr., President and CEO of Valencia Group. These rankings reinforce the appeal of our dedication to Timeless Hospitality and support our commitment to creating hotels with a keen sense of place, thoughtful amenities, timeless design and attentive service. Graham is the visionary and thought-leader behind building the Valencia Group hotel collection and attributes much of the companys success to its unique management approach and efficient cost structure which have made the Valencia Group a leading market performer with consistent customer satisfaction ratings above the 90th percentile. Over 300,000 readers submitted millions of ratings and tens of thousands of comments, voting on a record-breaking 7,320 hotels and resorts, 610 cities, 225 islands, 468 cruise ships, 158 airlines and 195 airports. The Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry and are commonly known as the best of the best of travel. Under Editor in Chief Pilar Guzman, the Readers Choice Awards have become more selective and specific to the passions that inspire todays travelers. The Readers Choice Awards are announced in the November issue of Conde Nast Traveler, on newsstands nationwide on October 24, 2017. The full list is published exclusively online, at http://www.CNTraveler.com/rca. About Valencia Group Houston-based Valencia Group is a fully integrated hospitality company that provides management, development, branding and repositioning services for independent, full-service hotels owned by the company, in addition to third parties. Exceptional service, style and location have become brand trademarks. Earning both national and international recognition for their distinctive designs, amenities and settings, Valencia Group properties are destinations and gathering places within their respective communities, some further benefitting from and enriching their space within the cultural heart of a city. The company continues to forge a niche with hotels that anchor and add value to urban, mixed-use environments, which further support or enhance the guest experience with superior residential, restaurant, retail and office components. The Valencia Group portfolio currently includes the Valencia brands: Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose, CA and Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX. The Sorella brand includes Hotel Sorella CITYCENTRE in Houston, TX by developer Midway. The Court concept brands include Lone Star Court in Austin, TX and Midway and Valencia Groups Cavalry Court in College Station, TX. Recent openings in 2017 include: Midway and Valencia Groups The George in College Station, TX and Midways Hotel Alessandra in Houston, TX. For more information, please visit http://www.valenciagroup.com About Conde Nast Traveler As the most discerning, up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel, Conde Nast Traveler is the global citizens bible and muse, offering both inspiration and vital intel. Conde Nast Traveler is the most trusted and celebrated name in travel with 6 National Magazine Award wins and 26 nominations in its 28-year history. Advertising Age named Pilar Guzman Editor of the Year in 2014 and CNTraveler.com attained 4 Webby Awards since 2015. Andreas C. Dracopoulos; Roy Geronemus, MD; Susan L. Solomon; Paul Goldberger; Dorothy Lichtenstein; Clifford Ross Roy Geronemus, M.D. was presented with the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Leadership Award at the 12th annual Science Fair and Gala at Lincoln Centers Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. One of three Stem Cell Heroes honored that evening, Dr. Geronemus was honored for his visionary commitment, support and advocacy for NYSCFs pioneering stem cell research. About The New York Stem Cell Foundation The NYSCF Science Fair & Gala serves as way to showcase the latest breakthroughs in the research, discoveries and technologies done by the many scientists and physicians who are part of the foundation. Guests had the opportunity to engage with NYSCFs scientists and learn firsthand about the critical research their support is funding. I am honored to be the recipient of this years Leadership Award, said Dr. Geronemus. The importance of stem cell research cannot be understated. I will continue to work alongside the NYSCF with the goal that the research we provide will help those with severe and currently untreatable or incurable conditions. NYSCFs mission of using stem cell research is to continue to investigate the use of stem cells in an effort to cure major diseases. NYSCF supports its own laboratory and collaborative research throughout the world. NYSCF has created not only foundational tools for using stem cells in basic research, but also pioneering technologies that will allow stem cells to be used therapeutically. About Roy Geronemus, M.D. Dr. Geronemus is world renowned for his work in laser treatments and research. He is the Director of the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York, and specializes in laser procedures, cosmetic dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery for the treatment of skin cancer. The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery awarded Dr. Geronemus with the Ellet Drake award for outstanding contributions to laser medicine and the Leon Goldman award for excellence in clinical laser research. He has been listed in New York Magazines Best Doctors in New York 20 times, 10 times as one of the Best Doctors in America, and was acknowledged as Allure magazines Influencer in 2013. Success Files the informative TV series hosted by the incomparable actor Rob Lowe has received accolades for its informative and educational in-depth look at various aspects of today's modern society. An upcoming episode of Success Files will be no exception as it focuses on sustainable architecture. In recent years, sustainability has grown in popularity in various disciplines including architectural design. In essence, sustainable architecture promotes the use of environmentally friendly building materials and techniques with an aim of minimizing the destruction caused by buildings to the ecosystem. In addition, green design upholds the moderate use of building space and use of energy-efficient materials and equipment. The use of natural and recycled materials lowers the construction cost which makes this building technology cost-effective. This green building technology focuses on designing sustainable buildings by the use of natural and renewable materials such as wood and concrete along with recycled materials. In some instances, the sustainable architecture may involve the reuse of building components such as doors, windows, and flooring. Sustainable buildings often rely on renewable energy sources during the construction process such as solar energy. One of the undeniable benefits of sustainable architecture is its effort to create a pollution-free environment, which improves the quality of human life, and reduction of energy consumption. In addition, green architecture lowers the cost of construction and maintenance cost. It also creates employment opportunities for the citizenry. If viewers want to learn more on this interesting topic, they can tune into a Public Television PBS Member station to which the program is delivered. Despite political push back from the U.S. Government, the SBTC is on the look-out for government fraud, waste, mismanagement, and abuse. It is the policy of the SBTC to expose unlawful government activities and improprieties. -James Lamb, SBTC President. The Small Business in Transportation Coalition ("SBTC"), a motor carrier industry non-profit 501(c)(6) watchdog trade group representing more than 8,000 independent truckers, motor carriers, freight brokers, shippers and industry suppliers, announced today that a Federal Judge has ruled that the Unified Carrier Registration ("UCR") Board of Directors ("Board") did indeed violate the Federal Sunshine Act --as alleged by the trade group in a lawsuit filed on September 27, 2017 Case 1:17-cv-02000-APM; 12 PERCENT LOGISTICS, INC. et al v. UNIFIED CARRIER REGISTRATION PLAN BOARD et al; Amit P. Mehta, presiding-- by holding an improperly noticed Board meeting on September 14, 2017, the trade group's president, James Lamb, said today. According to the lawsuit complaint, the Board allegedly violated the Federal Sunshine Act (the U.S. Government's open meetings law) 5 U.S.C. 552b, by holding an unnoticed, unlawful September 14, 2017 Board meeting. During that meeting, the Board postponed the annual UCR truck registration open date set by the "UCR Agreement," an interstate compact among 41 participating states, from October 1, 2017 to November 1, 2017 to allow time for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ("FMCSA") rulemaking, which was published in the Federal Register on September 21, 2017 under Docket No. FMCSA-2017-0118, shortening the amount of time industry has to comply with the Federal UCR law from 90 to 60 days. SBTC argues this causes industry confusion at the 11th hour and as a result, many motor carriers may fail to comply and be fined up to $1,100 per day in certain jurisdictions. SBTC further argues in its complaint, that under 49 U.S. Code 14504a, the Unified Carrier Registration System Plan, and UCR Agreement, specifically subsection (d)(7), the Secretary, or here the FMCSA to whom the Secretary delegated her authority to set UCR fees, see 82 Fed Reg at 44144, has 90 days to act to set the fees after receiving the Boards recommendation. SBTC contends that because the recommendation was submitted by the Board to the Secretary on March 22, 2017, and FMCSA failed to act during the 90 day window, current FMCSA rulemaking to change the UCR fees down for 2018 and back up again for 2019 is also illegal and actionable once a final rule is promulgated. SBTC argues that 11th hour rulemaking will cause a delay in the states receiving funds used for motor carrier safety and enforcement programs and thereby adversely affects public safety. The group points to a similar delay of eight months caused by FMCSA in 2009 when it last tinkered with the UCR fee schedule at the 11th hour, as well as a 2007 report from the U.S. Office of Government Accountability that warns of the impact of such unreasonable delays on the states. At the court hearing before the Honorable Judge Mehta on October 12th, 2017, Jim Bopp, counsel for SBTC explained to the judge that the UCR Board does not have the lawful authority to extend the December 31, 2017 UCR deadline set by the UCR Agreement for the 2018 UCR registration permit because each state has its own right to enforce its own laws regarding UCR compliance; so, the Board's act of reducing the compliance period cannot possibly be cured by the Board. In his decision on the SBTC's request for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order, issued on October 18, 2017, Judge Mehta ruled: "On September 14, 2017, Defendant Unified Carrier Registration Plan Board (Board) held a meeting in which it decided to postpone the start of the annual registration period for motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders from October 1, 2017, to November 1, 2017. The Board adopted the 30-day postponement to give the Secretary of Transportation more time to act on a rate reduction proposal that the Board had submitted to the Secretary six months earlier. The manner in which the Board noticed the September 14th meeting did not comply with federal law. Under the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b, the Board was required to publicly announce meeting information. Although the Board notified prior Board-meeting attendees of the September 14th meeting, it failed to publish information regarding the meetings time, location, and subject matter in the Federal Register, as required by the Sunshine Act... (emphases added)". The UCR Board has now been ordered by the court to cure its September 14, 2017 violation at its next meeting: "The Board shall immediately publish any draft minutes, transcripts, or recordings of the September 14th meeting on its website, or if it does not have a website, on the Department of Transportations website. The Board also shall endeavor to publish such materials on the Indiana Department of Revenues website, https://www.ucr.in.gov/ucrHome.html. Finally, at the Board meeting on October 26, 2017, the Board shall inform the public that such materials are publicly available and where they may be found," Judge Mehta ordered. That upcoming meeting was originally scheduled by the Board, according to the Board's August 2017 meeting minutes, to be held on October 12, 2017. However, in an emailed sent by the Board to interested parties on October 5, 2017, UCR Board Chair Avelino A. Gutierrez stated: "UCR Board Members and All Persons interested in the Unified Carrier Registration Plan-- The UCR Board Meeting originally set for next Thursday, October 12, will be postponed until Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 12:00 Noon EDT. The October 26 meeting will take place by teleconference and call-in information and a proposed agenda will be sent to you ahead of the meeting. Thank you." A notice of the October 26, 2017 Board meeting appears in the October 17, 2017 edition of the Federal Register. There is no record of a Federal Register notice for the originally planned October 12, 2017 meeting. Judge Mehta also found that the Secretary cannot lawfully adjust the UCR fees --through her designee FMCSA-- after the 90 day window under the enabling statute expired: "Whenever the Board proposes a change to the annual rates, the Secretary is statutorily required to provide notice and an opportunity for public comment and to act on the Board's recommendation within 90 days. Id. 14504a(d)(7)." The court has indicated that it wishes to receive a status report after the October 26th, 2017 board meeting. On October 18th, 2017, Judge Mehta directed the parties to: "...file a Joint Status Report on or before November 2, 2017, that sets forth the Parties' intentions with respect to continuing to litigate this matter. Additionally, the Report shall advise the court of: (1) whether UCR registration and fees collection began on November 1, 2017; (2) whether the Secretary of Transportation has acted on the Unified Carrier Registration Plan Board's fees recommendation; and (3) whether the Unified Carrier Registration Plan Board has complied with the terms of the court's Order of injunctive relief." SBTC President James Lamb said this is part two of his non-profit watchdog investigation into UCR irregularities: "Despite political push back from the U.S. Government, the SBTC is on the look-out for government fraud, waste, mismanagement, and abuse. It is the policy of the SBTC to expose unlawful government activities and improprieties." Lamb said. The Trade Commission of Spain and Wines from Spain announce Spains Great Matchs return to Chicago on Thursday, November 2 at VenueSIX10. Hundreds of wines, representing many of the exciting varietals and wine regions of Spain, will be featured in a walk-around tasting format. Spanish wineries and their American importers will present new wines and the latest vintages to wine industry professionals during the day and the general public in the evening. During the afternoon, members of the wine trade and press are invited to attend regional tasting seminars in addition to the walk-around tasting. In the evening, Spains Great Match will open to the public for a ticketed event that will feature some of Chicagos best Spanish restaurants and tapas bars. We are excited to be returning to Chicago with Spains Great Match this year to showcase some of the best of Spanish wine, food, and culture to wine professionals, wine lovers, and Hispanophiles, says Genaro Gonzalez Palacios, Senior Trade Commissioner of The Trade Commission of Spain in New York Its been 8 years since weve hosted Great Match in the Windy City, and were thrilled to be returning to one of our favorite spots. Wine trade and press are invited to attend the seminars and a walk-around tasting from 1-4:30 p.m. To register for Chicagos Spain's Great Match trade event, please visit: sgm2017chicago.eventbrite.com. The evening portion of Spains Great Match will be ticketed and open to the public from 6-8:30 p.m. To purchase tickets for Chicagos evening portion of Spains Great Match, please visit: sgm2017chicagopublic.eventbrite.com. Attendees must be 21 or older to enter. About Wines from Spain: The Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (Instituto Espanol de Comercio Exterior, ICEX) is the public platform for the promotion of Spanish exports and Spanish companies abroad. Vinos de Espana - or Wines from Spain - is ICEX's brand for a wide range of promotional activities designed to inform trade and consumers about Spanish wines. Wines from Spain has been promoting Spanish wines in the United States for nearly 30 years. For more information about Wines from Spain, please visit http://www.winesfromspainusa.com. ### Flow, a naturally alkaline spring water brand from Canada, is now available at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. This exciting partnership brings Flow to wellness and eco-minded customers across the United States for the first time. Working with Whole Foods Market is a natural fit, as we are both on a mission to provide customers with premium, healthful additions to their everyday lives," said Nicholas Reichenbach, Founder and CEO of Flow. With the highest quality naturally alkaline spring water in North America in an eco-friendly Tetra Pak, Flow focuses on the well-being of both our bodies and the Earth, and we are thrilled to share our values with Whole Foods Market customers. We are excited to roll out Flow in Whole Foods Market stores nationally as part of our robust beverage lineup, said Jillian Shimskey, Global Grocery Category Manager for Whole Foods Market. The artesian single-source alkaline water brand has established itself as an innovator in the beverage industry and is closely aligned with our core mission and values. We are always eager to work with brands like Flow who share our passion for the practice and advancement of environmental stewardship. Since its beginnings, Flow has focused on providing 100 percent naturally alkaline spring water, mindfully sourced in Southwestern Ontario from the founders family-owned spring to consumers across North America. The water comes straight from the source, packed with essential minerals which provide electrolytes and an alkaline pH of 8.1. And it comes in a 100% recyclable, 70% sustainable paperboard Tetra Pak container with a sugarcane-derived plastic lid. Better for you water and better for you packaging. Flow is available in 500 mL ($1.49) and 1 L ($2.29) varieties, as well as in multipacks of 6x500 mL ($7.49) and 6x1 L ($12.99). For more information and retail listings, visit flowwater.com. You can also find Flow on social media; @FlowWater on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook.com/FlowH2O. ### About Flow Flow is a brand on the forefront of the sustainable water movement, providing naturally alkaline Canadian spring water while maintaining responsible business practices including sustainability, healthful qualities and social good. Founded in 2015, Flow is mindfully sourced from the founders family-owned artesian spring in South Bruce County, Ontario. Its a Canadian source remains virtually untouched by man or machine. Flow is uniquely packaged in a Tetra Pak paper carton made from 70 percent renewable resources. Due to its unique origins, Flows water is packed with naturally occurring electrolytes, essential minerals, and an alkaline pH of 8.1. Welcome to water as it was meant to be. Pure. Authentic. Never plastic. Flow is available in over 5,000 retailers across Canada and is now available in over 2000 locations across the US through such retailers as Whole Foods, Safeway, Bristol Farms, Earth Fare, Central Market, Jewel Osco, Gelsons, and Kowalskis. For more information, visit http://www.flowwater.com; find @FlowWater on Instagram and Twitter and on Facebook.com/FlowH20. The Regional Legal Management Conference Planning Committee put together a schedule filled with top-notch educational speakers that covered a wide array of topics to ensure there was something for everyone. The Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) 2017 Regional Legal Management Conferences took place in September and October. The West conference in Las Vegas occurred September 7-9 and the East conference in Nashville occurred October 12-14. Each conference featured more than 30 speakers and sessions totaling 35 hours of education and opportunities for recertification credits for CLM, CLE, MCLE, CPE, HRCI and/or SHRM. The three-day events hosted nearly 500 attendees, speakers and legal industry experts discussing the challenges facing legal management professionals. Each Exhibit Hall featured more than 50 business partners who were on hand to discuss law firm- and legal department-related solutions. The Regional Legal Management Conference Planning Committee put together a schedule filled with top-notch educational speakers that covered a wide array of topics to ensure there was something for everyone, said Aly Lynch, Planning Committee Chair. The sessions spanned a range of skill levels, from new legal managers and executives to those with decades of experience. The conference featured whats happening in innovation, strategy, leadership, technology and more. Prior to the start of each conference, ALA hosted a pre-conference workshop with Timothy B. Corcoran, principal with the Corcoran Consulting Group, Aly Lynch, founder of Next Step Legal Consulting, and Catherine Alman MacDonagh, JD, chief executive officer and a founder of the Legal Lean Sigma Institute (LLSI). The workshop titled, Legal Lean Sigma and Project Management White Belt Certification Course, was designed to discuss Six Sigma, Lean, project management and other methodologies and tools in contexts that are immediately useful and relevant to the work legal management professionals do. Each conference started with a keynote session, Leaderships Indispensable Ingredient led by presenter David Thomas. Following the keynote, breakout education focused on each specialty area human resources, finance, operations management, legal industry/business management and communications/organizational management. Some of the sessions included technology tips and tools, the future of health care in the current political climate, accounts receivable, artificial intelligence and 401(k) planning. Building on the success from its Regional Conferences, ALA will be offering additional noteworthy legal management education at its Annual Conference & Expo in National Harbor, Maryland, May 3-6, 2018. This annual event is open to all legal management professionals. For details, visit alanet.org/conf18. About the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) ALA is focused on the delivery of cutting-edge management and leadership products and services to the global legal community. The Association identifies and provides solutions to the most critical strategic and operational challenges its members and customers face today, and it prepares them for the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow. For more information on ALA, visit alanet.org. # # # Modern Kitchen Cabinets Los Angeles The Greencastle brand provides some of the best options when renovating. Their affordable kitchen cabinets are made of solid wood and are a very attractive option for modern kitchen designs. Now available from Polaris Home Designs are brand-new cabinets from the Greencastle brand. The centerpiece of the new arrival are recently released Ashton Gray Shaker style modern kitchen cabinets that look right at home among contemporary home decor. According to a company spokesperson from Polaris Home Designs, "The Greencastle brand provides some of the best options when renovating. Their affordable kitchen cabinets are made of solid wood and are a very attractive option for modern kitchen designs. The visible wood grain adds authenticity without adding cost." Made from high-quality materials at every stage of the manufacturing process, Greencastle brand kitchen cabinets are designed to be incredibly attractive without sacrificing any affordability. The Shaker style for kitchen cabinets is incredibly popular today due to the rise in popularity of farmhouse-style kitchens. However, the simple, refined style is also used to complement a number of different kitchen designs. The classic simplicity makes them endlessly adaptable, and they are an excellent choice for kitchen redesigns today as they will not go out of style. In addition to the brand-new Ashton Gray Shaker style cabinets, Polaris Home Design has also added more than 15 other kitchen designs from the Greencastle brand to its collection. They come in a variety of finishes, including authentic wood patterns, abstract prints, and metallic designs. Polaris Home Design offers a wide variety of Greencastle brand kitchens in order to meet their customers' needs. No matter what customers are looking for in a kitchen redesign, the Greencastle brand has a style that will work for them at an affordable cost. The new arrival of Greencastle kitchen cabinets also includes the arrival of the very popular German Designs kitchens. These cabinets come in a variety of finishes as well, including white, black, oak wood, redwood, and grey. There are also many other options that can be customized to fit any kitchen's design. German Designs kitchens are certified to meet all common quality standards. They are high-quality cabinets that are designed to last a lifetime. When looking for kitchen cabinets in Los Angeles, the Greencastle brand is an industry leader. Polaris also offers installation services, so customers experience a smooth process from purchase to installation. This also saves customers money, as they do not need to deal with multiple companies. Polaris Home Design's recent addition of this popular brand cements their place as a go-to dealer of kitchen cabinetry and furnishings in the LA area. Children will make Halloween masks and other hands-on projects at Spooktacular Family Maker at Hacker Lab powered by Sierra College on Oct 27. Photographer Daryl Stinchfield Sierra College invites everyone to come to Spooktacular Family Maker Night to tour the makerspace, meet our friendly community members and have fun making. Sierra College Makerspaces are sponsoring a free Spooktacular Family Maker Night where all ages can treat themselves to making masks, sewing treat bags, crafting gourd birdhouses, soldering LED costume embellishments and creating other projects, as well as participating in a costume contest, photo booth and Trunk-or-Treat on Friday, October 27 from 5-8 PM at Hacker Lab powered by Sierra College located at 4415 Granite Dr., Rocklin CA. You can RSVP to Spooktacular Family Maker Night. Maker stations with supplies and instructors to help guests will be set up throughout the makerspace according to Dominic Gutierrez, Director, Sierra Makerspaces. Activities are designed for both children and adults to apply their own creativity to customizing easy-to-make projects, said Gutierrez. We hope everyone will come in costume, take a complimentary photo provided by RocketBooths.com and participate in the costume contest for kids, adults and couples. Members have been creating Cosplay costumes at the makerspace so we hope they will join in. Katie Lucero, Mathematics Professor, Sierra College, explained that Family Maker Night introduces the campus and community to the Rocklin makerspace tools, teachers and creative environment. Ive incorporated hands-on projects into mathematics classes and gotten a great response from students who appreciate experiencing how math lessons can be applied to real life, said Lucero. This Spooktacular Family Maker Night will be a fun way for faculty members to see all the amazing tools, people and possibilities at Hacker Lab for crafting projects, and inspiring their children and students. Eric Ullrich, Co-Founder, Hacker Lab, is hosting the event at the Rocklin makerspace. There is nothing more creative than Halloween so a family oriented night of making with a Halloween theme will be a lot of fun, said Ullrich. It is another way to introduce students to tools they can use to make class projects, show children the fun kids camps offered, and showcase our creative tools and spaces where seniors meet up for sewing, virtual reality enthusiasts share their knowledge and anyone can learn to weld, build electronics, laser cut gifts, produce art and 3D print. Sierra Makerspaces are funded by the Community College Chancellors Offices CCC Maker initiative to offer internships, create curriculum that teaches innovation and entrepreneurial skills through making, and build inclusive makerspace communities that teach in-demand skills that will contribute to the regional economy. Hacker Lab powered by Sierra College is a community makerspace open to the public and offers members 24/7 access. Sierra College faculty are given memberships to incorporate innovation into their curriculum, Sierra College students can join for just $12.50 per month and reasonable rates are available for individual and family memberships. Frequent classes are offered so members can learn to use tools and then they can create their own projects, explained Gutierrez. The most amazing part of the makerspace is the community of people who share their expertise and ideas to help others design and build their projects, Gutierrez. I want to personally invite everyone to come to Spooktacular Family Maker Night to tour the space, meet our friendly community members and have fun making. Contact Dominic Gutierrez at (916) 913-2708 or dominic(at)SierraMakerspaces.com and follow Sierra Makerspaces on Twitter @SierraMakers, Facebook @Sierra College Makerspaces and Instagram @sierracollegemakerspaces. Learn more about the statewide CCC Maker initiative, managed by Sierra College. About Sierra College Sierra College District is rising to meet the needs of our community, serving 3200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley and Truckee. With over 120 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is Northern California's top community college for transfers to four-year universities and offers career/technical training and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. DiabetesSisters POD Leaders from 16 gathered in Alexandria, VA Each year, our Institute grows and brings together a diverse and experienced group of women who show dedication to their health, as well as the health of other women." - Anna Norton, CEO Twenty-three peer leaders gathered on October 13, 2017 in Alexandria, VA for the 3rd annual DiabetesSisters Leadership Institute. The volunteers lead PODS (Part Of DiabetesSisters) Meetups in their communities each month, providing peer support, education, and encouragement for women with any type of diabetes or prediabetes in 20 different locations as well as a virtual/online meeting. Attendees traveled from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia. The Institute expanded on the current skills of the PODS Leaders, providing them in-depth experiential training on group facilitation, communication, teambuilding, and peer support for women living with diabetes. Educational sessions at the Institute this year included: crafting and sharing our diabetes stories; building bridges based on our different identities including type of diabetes; yoga and diabetes; & best practices in small group facilitation. Each year, our Institute grows and brings together a diverse and experienced group of women who show dedication to their health, as well as the health of other women, said Anna Norton, CEO. Our leaders consistently demonstrate dedication to DiabetesSisters, our mission and values, and are eager to learn more to bring to their communities, resulting in empowered and healthier women living with diabetes. A DiabetesSisters signature program, the PODS Meetup Program started in Raleigh, NC, in 2010 and has grown to support over 30 monthly meetups in various locations throughout the United States, including one online. The program provides peer support, education and advocacy to women living with diabetes and prediabetes and serves more than 1,300 women annually. DiabetesSisters recognizes and appreciates the Dexcom On Step Ahead Foundation, Boehringer Ingelheim-Lilly, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Merck, and Novo Nordisk as sponsors of this years Institute. About the PODS Meetup Program: Since 2010, the PODS (Part of DiabetesSisters) Meetup Program has offered monthly support to women living with any type of diabetes or prediabetes, providing a safe and nonjudgmental place to discuss the successes and challenges of living with diabetes. Led by women living with diabetes, the groups offer true peer support focused on women and diabetes. The PODS Meetup Program reaches more than 1,300 women annual in person and online. Women age 18 and over, living with any type of diabetes or prediabetes, are invited to attend PODS Meetups. For more information on local PODS Meetups near you, or starting a group in your community, please complete the PODS Meetup inquiry form at diabetessisters.org/form/pods-part-diabetessisters-signup-form. About DiabetesSisters: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, DiabetesSisters is the only organization nationwide focusing exclusively on women living with diabetes. Our mission is to improve the health and quality of life of women living with and at risk of diabetes and to advocate on their behalf. DiabetesSisters has a 20,000+ member peer network that unites women with diabetes for the purpose of support, education and advocacy. Signature programs include monthly peer support meetings (PODS Meetups); the Minority Initiative Program; online blogs, forums, and expert resources; and conferences throughout the US. For more information, visit http://www.diabetessisters.org We are elated to honor Stephen Pagliuca as our Business and Community Leader of the Year. His unwavering dedication, commitment, and leadership contribution to numerous civic projects and charitable causes for children have helped and inspired people in the Boston area and beyond The Harvard Business School Association of Boston (HBSAB), one of the worlds largest alumni Clubs of Harvard Business School (HBS), will present Stephen Pagliuca, HBS MBA class of 1982, with the Business and Community Leadership Award at its Inaugural Leadership Dinner to be held on May 3, 2018 at the Harvard Club, Back Bay, Boston, MA. The event will bring over 250 top business and community leaders along with HBS alumni to celebrate the Business and Community Leader of the Year. The event will also highlight the mission of the Club to connect leaders who make a difference in the world and reaches over 8,000 HBS alumni in the Greater Boston community. HBSABs community outreach and initiatives include its award-winning Community Action Partners (CAP) program, that empowers Harvard Business School and Kennedy School alumni to channel their business expertise to create impact in the nonprofit sector. Community Action Partners marshals from 80 to 120 alumni volunteers to serve nonprofits by providing more than 7,000 hours of pro bono services each year. Since its inception, CAP has served over 200 nonprofit clients in a variety of sectors. Community Action Partners will celebrate its 25th Anniversary this year. We are elated to honor Stephen Pagliuca as our Business and Community Leader of the Year. His unwavering dedication, commitment, and leadership contribution to numerous civic projects and charitable causes for children have helped and inspired people in the Boston area and beyond. He clearly embodies the mission of HBS and HBSAB, states Stephen Pittman, President, Harvard Business School Association of Boston. Among the several nonprofits and causes Pagliuca supports, one Massachusetts nonprofit stated, "During more than a decade of serving as Chairman to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC), Steve's leadership, dedication and steadfast support made a real difference in the lives of thousands of children by keeping them safe, healthy and thriving.- Mary McGeown, Executive Director, MSPCC. In addition, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey stated, Greater Bostons strength comes from leaders who make our communitys well-being their personal responsibility. Steve Pagliuca exemplifies that commitment. Weve worked together to protect civil rights, stand against racism, and advance opportunity for all Massachusetts residents. Steves philanthropic and civic leadership has improved the lives of countless children and families in our state. I commend the HBS Association of Boston for their choice. For more information on Harvard Business School Association of Boston, please visit: http://www.hbsab.org. For more information on the Inaugural Leadership Dinner including corporate engagement and sponsorship opportunities, please visit: http://www.hbsab.org/inauguraldinner or contact Christina E. Thirkell at 617-515-3241 or cthirkell@hbsab.org. About Harvard Business School Association of Boston The Harvard Business School Association of Boston (HBSAB) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes learning, professional networking, business growth, and fosters goodwill and community service. HBSAB mission is to connect leaders who make a difference in the world and strives to generate an inclusive environment based on integrity and excellence. As we shift from gigabytes to terabytes of storage for reporting marts, the need for open-source big data processing power becomes more apparent. Telarix Inc. ("Telarix"), the leading provider of wholesale and partner solutions for service providers, has announced that it has adopted Hadoop to underpin its iXLink and iXTools solution offerings. The shift to Hadoop will provide international carriers and interconnect providers the speed, scalability and big data business intelligence tools required to meet new regulatory demands, enter new markets and address upcoming business connectivity challenges, such as the Internet of Things and 5G networks. It is estimated that carriers who historically processed one billion CDRs a month, typically aggregated and reported on 100,000s of report records a month, equating to 300 GB of storage. Today, carriers who traditionally process even fewer CDRs are now finding themselves processing 10s of millions more records per month, resulting in multi-terabyte reporting marts. This amount of data, reporting and storage required is expected to grow exponentially as 5G networks become operational. By moving to an open-source platform based on Hadoop, Spark and other big data technologies, Telarix will enable CSPs to support additional reporting capabilities, reduce final storage and significantly reduce reporting times, while providing CSPs with a lower cost of ownership. As we shift from gigabytes to terabytes of storage for reporting marts, the need for open-source big data processing power becomes more apparent. By bringing big-data architecture to our iXLink and iXTools platforms not only empowers carriers to meet the demands of todays evolving telecom landscape but equips them for IoT and 5G requirements, says Aravind Venkateswaran, Chief Technology Officer at Telarix. iXLink is a unique telecom-focused, wholesale business optimization platform that brings together a growing community of over 4,000 carriers from 200+ service providers around the globe. It automates and standardizes the exchange of critical interconnect business information and facilitates the buying and selling of voice, SMS and data minutes between carriers. In this collaborative environment, carriers can better manage the complexities of their entire interconnect business, and receive and exchange information with greater efficiency, security and reliability. The iXTools platform is a comprehensive solution that automates a carriers routing, billing, settlement, audit and trading processes. For 20+ years, Telarix has automated hundreds of carriers back-end businesses; from routing and billing, to partner settlement, wholesale trading, price list and invoice management. Over that time Telarix has helped carriers of all sizes become more efficient and profitable. About Telarix Telarix is a leading provider of interconnect and settlement software solutions to telecom communication service providers (CSPs) worldwide. The Companys products drive ROI for customers by enabling and optimizing voice, SMS, video and data between CSP networks with wholesale billing, business intelligence, fraud management, least cost routing and partner settlement solutions. Telarix supports a global community of over 4,000 carriers, including 38 of the top 40 worldwide, and processes over 300 billion voice, SMS, content and data minutes each year. The Company's solutions serve as the standard in electronic information exchange for the telecom industry, offering carriers an unprecedented level of visibility and control of their interconnect traffic. For more information, visit us at http://www.telarix.com. Media Contact Mohamed Alsinnawi Telarix, Inc. Director of Strategic Programs +1-703-564-9603 Mohamed.Alsinnawi(at)telarix(dot)com http://www.telarix.com This list reaffirms Paces commitment to successful outcomes for our students and that education is the path forward. -- Marvin Krislov, President, Pace University Pace University was ranked number one among private, non-profit, four-year institutions nationwide in a list published last week by the Chronicle of Higher Education, Colleges with the Highest Student-Mobility Rates, 2014. The list is based on data from the Equality of Opportunity Projects study, Mobility Report Cards: The Role of Colleges in Intergenerational Mobility (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner, and Yagan, 2017). The study compared the median parent household income for students at colleges and universities across the country with the earnings these same students achieved after graduation. This list reaffirms Paces commitment to successful outcomes for our students and that education is the path forward, said Paces President Marvin Krislov. New York is a national leader in this arena. Six of the top 10 private four-year institutions for economic mobility are located in New York State, while seven CUNY campuses are ranked in the top 10 four-year public colleges. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median annual earnings for Americans with less than a high school degree amounts to $25,636 while the unemployment rate for the same population is 8 percent, the highest of any of the educational categories. Workers with a high school diploma achieve a median income of $35,256 per year while experiencing an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent. Americans with a bachelors degree earn significantly higher with median annual income of $59,124 per year and face a much lower unemployment rate at 2.8 percent. Median annual earnings continue to rise with advanced and professional degrees. In 2012, New York residents with a bachelor's or post-graduate degree earned a median annual income of approximately $70,700, which ranks among the highest in the nation. (New York Building Congress, 2014). About Pace University: Since 1906, Pace has educated thinking professionals by providing high quality education for the professions on a firm base of liberal learning amid the advantages of the New York metropolitan area. A private university, Pace has campuses in Lower Manhattan and Westchester County, NY, enrolling nearly 13,000 students in bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs in its Lubin School of Business, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, College of Health Professions, School of Education, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. http://www.pace.edu. Walkera, Agrowing, and Icaros have created a one-of-a-kind, professional, state-of-the-art, agriculture solution which takes remote sensing to the next level of Remote & Close sensing. This is our vision. Remote & Close sensing are the key to fully automated precision agriculture. Walkera, Agrowing, and Icaros are pleased to announce that they have joined forces to offer educational institutions a special limited-time, highly discounted price for AgroVoyager, Walkeras drone solution for Agriculture, distributed by Ambar Group. The AgroVoyager agricultural solution is based on the high-end Walkera quadcopter Voyager 4 and includes: a built-in Agrowing narrow band multispectral sensor that is 8 Megapixels per channel, with sunlight sensor and accurate triggering recording, a perpetual license of Icaros OneButton software, an extremely easy to use multispectral image processing package and, a perpetual license of Agrowings agriculture analytics software. The all-inclusive bundle is incredibly priced at $7,500, and includes 1 year of technical support and maintenance on software. The special AgroVoyager bundle will be available to educational institutions/academies through the end of the year. Furthermore, or colleges and universities ordering during the offer period, will be entitled to order up to 100 AgroVoyagers at the same price for up to 1 year. This unique package will enable researchers and students to acquire and process imagery into high-fidelity fully indexed, geospatially accurate orthomosaic maps for agriculture. These maps can be used to monitor and analyze crop health, irrigation, pests and plant disease symptoms, in resolution as high as 0.5mm per pixel. Such imagery, acquired from as low as 3m altitude above the crops, is crucial for machine-vision systematics and professional agricultural precision analytics. We joined forces to offer the AgroVoyager at such an aggressive price for academies, because we thought that academics will be the best promoters of the solution. We are confident they will find the AgroVoyager solution a game changer, and will let them further develop new and innovative ways to monitor vegetation. Said Robert Luo CEO of Walkera. The Agrovoyager drone is the first in a line of Walkeras agricultural drones, which could be used for agricultural surveys. The drone already has proven record in its police version. Walkeras integrated mission planning software, One-key return, its greater than 22 minute endurance, and its user-friendly operation, make the drone ideal for academics, who need to focus on the acquired data rather than on complex operation of hardware and software," Said Mr. Itzik Omer, CTO Of Ambar Group. Agrowings sensor technology represents a unique and advanced patent pending multispectral solution to capture four 8MP narrow bands of 35nm each. The sensor has interchangeable NDVI (450;550;650;850nm) and Red-Edge (450;550;710;850nm) lenses. These E-mount lenses coupled with Sonys APS-C sensor full spectrum cameras, are of 25mm focal length and amazing <1% distortion. Numerous vegetation indices are supported by the accompanying software, which allows the user to add formulas, customize palettes, and set surveys ranges. There is no other solution in the agriculture market with such capabilities. Compared to the other leading multispectral sensor brands that offer 1 to 1.3 megapixels and lens distortion exceeding 15%, Agrowings 8 megapixels, or 1 to 6 scale versus others. The integration with a solid professional drone with a top quality gimbal, enables the acquisition of imagery never acquired before by any drone," said Tom Bosanko, CEO at Icaros. Walkera, Agrowing, and Icaros have created a one-of-a-kind, professional, state-of-the-art, agriculture solution which takes remote sensing to the next level of Remote & Close sensing. This is our vision. Remote & Close sensing are the key to fully automated precision agriculture, Dvir says. The full package will be offered at $7,500 per unit + shipping. Sales will start at Walkeras & Ambar Groups booth 601 at the Commercial UAV Expo Americas (Westgate, Las Vegas, Oct 24-26, 2017, and through Ambar Group http://www.ambargrp.com; About Walkera Walkera Technology Co., Ltd. founded in 1994, is located at the center of Pearl River Delta - Panyu District of Guangzhou and is made up of 1500 staff. On June 3, 2014, Walkera opened its USA division to meet the demands on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). iUAS Inc was established and began distributing selective unmanned aircraft systems such as the QR X800, Tali H500 UAV USA Edition, QR X350 Pro UAV, VCT converters 5.8G image to WIFI, iLook+ 1080p FPV camera, Devo F12E FPV long-range radio transmitter. iUAS is also exploring the manufacturing of large scale models for cinematography, agriculture and security. About Agrowing Agrowing is working to turn agricultural remote sensing into a fully automatic process from beginning to end. Designing the affordable tools for the task is only the first step. Our next goal is aerial automatic identification of pests, diseases and pathogens on location, in near real time and real time. For further information, please contact Ira Dvir, CEO directly at ira(at)Agrowing.net learn more on http://www.Agrowing.com About Icaros Inc. Based in Fairfax, Va., Icaros is a leading provider of geospatially accurate remote sensing software products and services. Since 2004, Icaros has provided solutions of the highest quality and precision to some of the largest organizations and governments in the world. For more information, please contact Tom Bosanko directly at tom(at)icaros.us or by phone at 703-570-8303. Learn more at http://www.icaros.us About Ambar Group The Ambar Group provides turnkey solutions for varied and specialized drone applications. Ambar Group in joint cooperation with Walkera Technology Co. Ltd has tailored its Drone vehicles and software to provide the latest technical solutions for the Professional Aerial Photography field directly focusing on both Military/Policing sectors and Civilian sectors such as Agriculture/Civil Engineering and Mapping. For more information please contact us at info(at)ambargrp.com or by phone +972.72.221.3134, or visit our websites: http://www.agrowing.com and http://www.ambargrp.com More than 730 children in Adams County, Ohio benefit from adapted bikes purchased for local schools through a national healthy activities pilot program for people with disabilities. From hiking path signs for people with a visual impairment to adapted bikes in school systems, we were impressed with how participating communities leveraged their grants to improve inclusion in treasured community resources like parks, farmers markets, and playgrounds. The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, in partnership with the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability, Lakeshore Foundation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Disability and Health Branch announce the Promoting Activity and Inclusive Healthy Communities Series, a collection of videos showcasing the work of 10 communities in five states to improve access to healthier lifestyle choices for people living with disabilities. Our federal partner, the CDC Disability and Health Branch of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities granted each participating community $22,800 to explore targeted interventions for increasing access and opportunity for physical activity, healthy eating, and general accessibility at the local level, said Karma Harris, one of NACDDs disability inclusion experts. From hiking path signs for people with a visual impairment to adapted bikes in school systems, we were impressed with how participating communities leveraged their grants to improve inclusion in treasured community resources like parks, farmers markets, and playgrounds. Lakeshore-NCHPAD believes all people have the right to access their community and lead active, healthy lifestyles, says Lakeshore Foundation President Jeff Underwood. We are proud to partner with NACDD and CDC to foster the growth of inclusive communities. CDC State Disability and Health programs applied to the Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities project, identifying two local communities to participate as part of their application. NACDD then selected five states: Iowa, Montana, New York, Ohio, and Oregon for the project. Some of the results of the 10 pilot communities included: Iowa Carroll County worked closely with a day and residential care provider for people with disabilities and a local gym to incorporate more physical activity opportunities into clients daily routines as well as offering no-cost, personal training sessions and fitness classes. Sioux City worked with the local parks and recreation center to make a popular indoor climbing wall accessible. Ohio Adams County purchased seven adapted bikes and changed school policies to enable approximately 734 children with disabilities to participate in biking with their peers and families through a bike-share program. Marion launched a mobile pantry with staffing opportunities for people with disabilities to help address food insecurity for 100 families. Oregon Corvallis developed a plan to improve the downtowns infrastructure to make it more wheelchair accessible and more walking and biking friendly. Pendletons resident inventor, Darrin Umbarger, created 10 wheelchair charging stations that have been installed in local parks and for the first time anywhere in the U.S., in a state capital - the Oregon Statehouse. Darins invention, with more installations planned (including in other states), is enabling people who use power wheelchairs to spend more time enjoying the outdoors and to become more involved with their local government. Montana Butte citizens, who are planning a new community pool, have incorporated zero-entry decks, wheelchair accessible pool lifts, stairs with handrails, and family changing rooms into the planning design to make the $7.2 million, bonded facility inclusive for all. An accessible playground next to the pool also is being planned. Helena hosted workshops with the Healthy Communities Coalition to integrate inclusivity in walk audits and active living wayfinding activities. They now have trained inclusive walk audit facilitators who lead audits regularly with key leaders, community members, and decision-makers so that inclusion is permanently built into the process. New York Olean explored redesigning its main thoroughfare, North Union Street, beyond the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act to include new, fully inclusive crosswalks in four locations along the street for people with mobility, hearing, and visual impairments. Syracuse revised its Monday Mile walking program to develop a new policy for making its walking routes inclusive for people with disabilities as well as in low income neighborhoods. NACDDs work on Promoting Activity and Inclusive Healthy Communities, supports a larger, global campaign, Commit to Inclusions Partnership for Inclusive Health, announced in May 2017. In partnership with the campaigns founders, NACDD programming seeks to help implement guidelines and programming to empower people with disability to lead healthy, active lifestyles. John Robitscher, NACDDs CEO, acknowledges that work to include people with disabilities in healthy living activities is especially important for the chronic disease directors that his Association represents. Chronic diseases do discriminate against people with disabilities. With nearly one in five Americans living with a disability, it is incumbent on public health officials to help ensure that everyone in our communities has the opportunity to lead a healthier, more productive life, Robitscher said. The Promoting Activity and Inclusive Healthy Communities collection of videos is now available on the NACDD website, as well as on YouTube. ### The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors Since 1988, the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and its more than 6,500 members have worked to strengthen state-based leadership and expertise for chronic disease prevention and control in all states, territories, and nationally. Learn more at http://www.chronicdisease.org. Lakeshore Foundation and NCHPAD Lakeshore Foundations activity, research and advocacy initiatives annually serve thousands of children and adults with physical disabilities and chronic health conditions. Lakeshore is home to the CDC-funded National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD). NCHPAD works to create health equity for people with disability by providing assistance in the form of web-based materials and health communication endeavors. For more information, visit http://www.lakeshore.org and http://www.nchpad.org. Catapult Learning, Inc. today announced that the company has been awarded a contract by the Houston Independent School District to provide Title IV, Part A services to private, nonpublic schools within the district. Catapult is the sole recipient of this one-year contract (RFP is option to renew through 2022), which will enable the company to provide services to as many as 52 private nonpublic schools within the Houston Independent School District. The Title IV, Part A program, also known as the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant, will service schools in three focus areas: well-rounded educational opportunities; activities to support safe and healthy students activity; and effective use of technology. The Title IV program services will support students, families, teachers, and school leaders. The family-specific programming focuses on family engagement and personal well-being as critical to student success. STEM-focused programstargeting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)will support both students and teachers, providing STEM literature and hands-on activities for students and professional development workshops for teachers. The Title IV, Part A grant provides great flexibility to support eligible students at our participating schools, said Pamela Evans, Manager, External Funding - Titles I, II & IV, for Houston Independent School District. This new grant expands our working relationship with Catapult Learning that is centered around on-going collaboration between Houston ISD, Catapult Learning, and our private nonprofit schools. Catapult Learning has provided education services to the Houston Independent School District (HISD), the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston (ADGH), and the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston for nearly ten years. The company partners with HISD, providing Title I and Title II services to more than 2,000 students and professional development to over 1,000 teachers and school leaders annually. This is an exciting opportunity for us to grow and strengthen our partnerships with Houston ISD, ADGH, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, said Meridith Banks, Catapult Learnings Regional Director. This new Title IV program allows us to provide additional support services in the region to help meet the needs of an even greater number of students and teachers. Catapult Learning provides Title I and Title II services in both public and nonpublic schools throughout the country. Several of its longest-standing partnerships are with the largest dioceses and archdioceses in the country, including New York, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, in addition to Galveston-Houston. The company is a proud partner to the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) and is participating in this weeks NCEA Catholic Leadership Summit in Tempe, Arizona. About Catapult Learning Catapult Learning, Inc. has dedicated over four decades to providing education solutions that generate demonstrable academic achievement and better life outcomes for students, regardless of their learning barriers or other challenges they may face. The companys team of 5,600 educators works to achieve sustained academic gains and build teacher and leadership capacity through evidence-based programs that include intervention services, special education and alternative education programs, and professional development solutions. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Camden, New Jersey, Catapult Learning partners with over 500 school districts, including 18 of the 20 largest school districts in the United States. Catapult Learning has Education Service Agency Accreditation by AdvancED, a global leader in providing improvement and accreditation services worldwide. http://www.catapultlearning.com Ed Sickmund, Market Owner MyWay Mobile Storage of Pittsburgh MyWay Mobile Storage of Pittsburgh is pleased to announce that Pittsburgh Market Owner, Ed Sickmund was appointed vice president of his Business Networking International (BNI) chapter, Circle of Excellence. Sickmund has been a member of the chapter for four years. In 2015 he received the Notable Networker Award for making the most referrals (80) to the other businesses in the group during the year. Ed Sickmund, MyWay Mobile Storage of Pittsburgh Market Owner said, As vice president of the Circle of Excellence chapter of BNI, I see my role as ensuring the BNI's proven fundamentals are followed because with this structure each member will grow their own business and thats why we invest our time each week. BNIs website notes that networking requires commitment. Circle of Excellence, one of 29 Pittsburgh area BNI chapters, meets Wednesday mornings in Wexford. The most successful chapters of BNI are comprised of participants who are sincerely committed to helping one another through networking. Networking and referrals have always been a vital part of my business. I take it very seriously, both within BNI and beyond. What goes around comes around, Sickmund commented. He continued, Ive always found that the more open I am to making referrals, the more referrals come my way. I also enjoy helping others around me to grow their businesses everyone benefits. About Business Networking International (BNI): BNI is the largest business networking organization in the world. They offer members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and most importantly, business referrals. BNI provides a positive, supportive, and structured environment for the development and exchange of quality business referrals. It does so by helping you build personal relationships with dozens of other qualified business professionals. Last year, members of BNI passed more than 8.8 million referrals in 7,800-plus chapters with more than 210,000 members in 74 countries resulting in more than $11.2 billion in business. To learn more about BNI visit http://www.bni.com/ and for BNI in Western Pennsylvania visit http://www.bni-westernpa.com. About MyWay Mobile Storage: MyWay Mobile Storage is the leading provider of moving and storage solutions and located in a spacious 25,000 square foot facility in West Mifflin, PA to better service their customers in the metropolitan Pittsburgh area. They provide quick and easy do it yourself moving containers that can be delivered right to your door and stored in their climate controlled, secure storage facilities. Sickmund and MyWay Mobile Storage are also involved with the Realtors Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh (RAMP), National Association of Productivity & Organizing (NAPO), where Sickmund serves on the board as marketing director, Business Networking International (BNI) and the South West Communities Chamber of Commerce (SWCCOC), where Sickmund served two terms as board president. MyWay Mobile Storage of Pittsburgh is also a major sponsor of the Cornhole Classic which benefits Veterans Place of Washington Blvd. To learn more about MyWay Mobile Storage, visit http://www.mywaystorage.com or call 888-336-9929 to speak with a Moving & Storage Consultant. News flash for executives: Youre being watched Owler, the worlds leading source for community-based business insights, today released its 2017 Perceptions of Leadership Team Diversity Study, which provides a true market view of how the public perceives the diversity of corporate leadership teams based on more than 10,000 inputs from members of the Owler Community. The rankings break down which companies are perceived to have the most diverse leaders by industry, region and division across the public and private sector. News flash for executives: Youre being watched, said Jim Fowler, Founder and CEO, Owler. Members of the Owler Community are following your every move. And, for many of you, they werent impressed with the diversity of your companys leadership team. Knowing that, we want to invite those who had a strong showing to take pride in having established a reputation for embracing diversity. And for those who didnt fare as well, we invite you to reflect on what can be done now and in the future to become known for being more diverse than you are today. According to the report, Snap-on, Autozone and Sprint were three of the public companies and Mary Kay, New York Life Insurance and Millercoors were three of the private companies perceived to be most diverse. Across the United States, Southern companies are perceived as having more diverse leadership teams. More specifically, among the nine divisions that make up the nations four regions, the East South Central Division of the United States is considered as having the most diverse corporate leaders. This includes all companies based in Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky and Tennessee. This isnt surprising considering Mississippi and Alabama are two of the most diverse states, according to the most recent U.S. Census. Both states are far more diverse than Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, which are 90 percent white. Industry-wide, Owler found that companies in retail, transportation, and pharmaceuticals are perceived to have the most diverse leadership teams. This is to be expected as one-third of the retail industrys labor force consists of ethnic and racial minorities. Retail is a far cry from the real estate and construction industries, which came in dead last on this years report. Real estate specifically has been enmeshed in issues related to diversity, like redlining and gentrification, that make this finding that much more interesting. Owlers 2017 Perceptions of Leadership Team Diversity Study included both public and private companies spanning across four regions, nine divisions and 14 industries. To be featured in the rankings, companies needed to earn a minimum of 20 votes from Owler members, who were surveyed on whether or not they believe the company has a diverse leadership team. The results are based on 11,700 total responses for more than 500 unique organizations. To review the complete ranking, please visit: https://www.owler.com/leadership-diversity.htm About Owler Owler is the worlds largest community-based competitive insights platform that business professionals use to outsmart their competition, gain competitive insights, and uncover the latest industry news and alerts. Owler is powered by an active community of 1.5 million business professionals who contribute unique business insights such as competitors, private company revenue, and CEO ratings. From startups all the way to large enterprises (including 96% of the Fortune 500), CEOs, salespeople, marketers, product managers, and all types of business professionals use Owler daily. Launched in 2014, and funded by Norwest Venture Partners and Trinity Ventures, Owler is headquartered in San Mateo, CA with offices in Spokane, WA, and Coimbatore, India. Philanthropist, Emmy-award winning composer, and musician Peter Buffett "The meaningful work that we do is only possible because of the support of individuals and organizations that share our values and believe in our vision." Alfa Demmellash, CEO and co-founder, Rising Tide Capital On November 2nd at 6:00 p.m., philanthropist, Emmy-award winning composer, and musician Peter Buffett will host a private concert and conversation to benefit Rising Tide Capital, a non-profit dedicated to transforming disadvantaged communities and lives through entrepreneurship. The event, RISE: A Celebration of Entrepreneurship, will feature a food festival showcasing Rising Tide Capitals entrepreneurs. The food festival is being organized by Midnight Market, a small business co-founded by a Rising Tide Capital Community Business Academy graduate. We are proud to support the transformative work that Rising Tide Capital is doing in some of our nations most economically vulnerable communities, stated Peter Buffett, co-president of the NoVo Foundation. The work of Rising Tide Capital aligns perfectly with the mission of the NoVo Foundation in that we are committed to developing the capacities in peopleindividually and collectivelyto help create a more equitable society. Providing programs and resources to help underserved entrepreneurs to start, sustain, and grow businesses can offer a powerful pathway for people to lift themselves out of poverty and improve their own communities. We are immensely grateful to the Novo Foundation, under the leadership of Jennifer and Peter Buffett, for its long-time support in helping us to build more inclusive economies through entrepreneurship, said Alfa Demmellash, co-founder and CEO of Rising Tide Capital. The meaningful work that we do is only possible because of the support of individuals and organizations that share our values and believe in our vision. Our collaboration with Jennifer and Peter and the NoVo Foundation will enable us to have a greater impact on the communities that we serve and to replicate our work in economically marginalized areas across the United States. We are proud that the graduates of our nationally recognized Community Business Academy experience a 64% increase in business sales, a 47% increase in household income, and a 56% reduction in the use of public assistance. RISE: A Celebration of Entrepreneurship is taking place on Nov ember 2nd at 6:00 p.m. at Harborside Plaza 3 Atrium in Jersey City. In addition to the concert and festival, the 10 finalists of the 2017 Start Something Challenge will be recognized, and they will receive $25,000 in small business grants presented by JPMorgan Chase. Over the past 6 years, over 500 individuals from across New Jersey have entered the competition and the winning entrepreneurs have been awarded with approximately $150,000 in grants to support and grow their businesses. Principal sponsors of the event are JPMorgan Chase, NJ Advance Media, RWJBarnabas Health, Silverman, and TD+Partners. RTC is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey with offices in Newark and Orange. The organization is also in the South Side of Chicago through a replication partnership with a local non-profit. RTC has four primary programs: the Community Business Academy, the Start Something Challenge, Credi t to Capital, and Business Acceleration Services. All of these programs are aimed at helping entrepreneurs to achieve self-sufficiency, thrive, and deliver value to their communities. RTCs model is unique in that it offers ongoing mentoring and support to ensure sustainability. RTCs work has been recognized by CNN, the World Economic Forum, and President Obama at the White House. The MIAMI Association of REALTORS (MIAMI) will host its 23rd annual International Real Estate Congress on Oct. 29-31 at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. About 80 foreign delegates from more than 10 countries and hundreds of South Florida Realtors will network, learn and collaborate. We are honored to have an expanded presence of our international partners and powerful programming at this years MIAMI International Real Estate Congress, said Coral Gables Realtor Christopher Zoller, the 2017 MIAMI chairman of the board. This is the South Florida international real estate event of the year. Details: What: MIAMI International Real Estate Congress Who: Hundreds of real estate professionals from around the world When & Where: Oct. 29-31 in Miami Biltmore Hotel Coral Gables NAR VP of Research to Present Local and National Market Information National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Vice President of Research Paul Bishop will headline the 2017 MIAMI Congress. Bishop is presenting Markets to Target for Foreign Investment & International Buyer and Economic Update." The Miami-Dade Beacon Council CEO Mike Finney will address economic development in Miami and why Miami attracts global business enterprises. Featured programming includes MIAMI CEO Teresa King Kinney revealing initial findings from the latest Miami Profile of International Buyers, a survey conducted for MIAMI by NAR. The presentation will include key statistics and trends on the top foreign countries purchasing Miami real estate. The Keyes Company President and CEO Mike Pappas, EWM Realty International President and CEO Ron Shuffield, Douglas Elliman CEO Jay Philip Parker and other nationally-regarded speakers will also present. For more information including agenda and other details, visit: MiamiCongress.com More than 10 Foreign Countries to Participate Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Dubai (UAE), France, Italy, Mexico, Serbia, Spain and Tunisia will be represented with delegates at the 2017 MIAMI Congress. Participants will enjoy nightly gala receptions, attend special international market briefings featuring several countries on Sunday, Oct. 29, and engage in marketing sessions to capitalize on the presence of MIAMIs esteemed partners. MIAMI has official partnerships with 164 international organizations worldwide. To register: visit MiamiCongress.com Media - RSVP, Inquiries and Interviews Lynda Fernandez, MIAMI Senior VP of Public Relations & International lynda@miamire.com (305) 468-7040 2017 Miami Congress Diamond Sponsors: Artesia, Festival Minto Resorts Orlando, Miami Herald Media Company and MintoUSA.com. Platinum Sponsors: Missoni Baia Miami Residences and Perez-Roura Law. Gold Sponsors: Aria on the Bay Miami, Botaniko Weston, Espejo & Asociados, Modern Doral, Residencial Roble, Residencial Stella and Seawinds Punta Goleta. About the MIAMI Association of REALTORS The MIAMI Association of REALTORS was chartered by the National Association of Realtors in 1920 and is celebrating 97 years of service to Realtors, the buying and selling public, and the communities in South Florida. Comprised of six organizations, the Residential Association, the Realtors Commercial Alliance, the Broward Council, the Jupiter Tequesta Hobe Sound (JTHS-MIAMI) Council, the Young Professionals Network (YPN) Council and the award-winning International Council, it represents 45,000 real estate professionals in all aspects of real estate sales, marketing, and brokerage. It is the largest local Realtor association in the U.S., and has official partnerships with 164 international organizations worldwide. MIAMIs official website is http://www.MiamiRealtors.com ### Its been inspiring to see the outpouring of support for our community through fundraising, volunteering and neighbors helping neighbors In an effort to help those affected by the devastating fires in the North Bay, Alain Pinel Realtors (APR) has committed to a dollar-for-dollar match in donations for the APR North Bay Fire Relief Fund up to the first $50,000. Launched on Oct. 13, the APR fundraiser is already halfway towards its goal with $25,000 raised in less than one week. With its matching pledge, the fundraiser is expected to contribute $100,000 in total. Sometimes tragedy brings out the best in all of us, said Mike Hulme, president of APR. Its been inspiring to see the outpouring of support for our community through fundraising, volunteering and neighbors helping neighbors. On behelf of our clients and our agents, we wanted to do our part as well. The funds raised will be given to the Redwood Credit Union Community Fund, with one-hundred percent of donations going to relief efforts for victims and first responders. For more information or to make a donation to APRs North Bay Fire Relief Fund, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/apr-north-bay-fire-relief-fund. About Alain Pinel Realtors Alain Pinel Realtors (APR) is the largest privately owned residential real estate company in Northern California and is consistently ranked among the top 10 largest residential real estate firms in the United States based on closed-sales volume. The firm has 1,400 agents in more than 30 offices throughout Northern California. APR was founded in 1990 by Chairman and CEO Paul L. Hulme, and is based in Saratoga, Calif. Visit us at apr.com, china.apr.com, facebook.com/AlainPinelRealtors, and @AlainPinel. Peter Wohlfelders latest book release featuring Alcatraz Escapees in the Bahamas: Updated Edition (published by AuthorHouse) is set to receive a new marketing campaign this 2017. This biography sheds a new light on the subject of the Alcatraz escapees, offering evidence that the three escapees started a new life on a subtropical island. Wohlfelder discovered this as a result of living in the Bahamas as a missionary. This has been confirmed by a retired FBI agent and an Asian criminal-photo expert at the Cable Beach Police Station in Nassau, he shares. Three men escaped from Alcatraz on June 11, 1962. Freddie Pinders mom died in May of 1962. He was a child at the time. He went to live with his great aunt in June 1962. About a month later, three mysterious men came by boat and lived in the bush behind his great aunts farm. They came daily to where Freddie lived for water and food. In Alcatraz Escapees in the Bahamas, readers will learn about the daily lives of these men who look just like the mug shots of the three escapees, of which we have affidavits. Readers will discover the story of how a young Bahamian boy went fishing with Alcatraz escapee, alleged Clarence Anglin, on this island. Within this book, you will be comparing photos of this man to the mugshot of Clarence Anglin. The discourse that Pinder and Wohlfelder had with the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI agents, a retired FBI agent and a criminal-photo expert is also disclosed. Discover how these three escapees went from living as prisoners in Alcatraz, to living as free men on a lush subtropical island, the author adds. Alcatraz Escapees in the Bahamas: Updated Edition By Peter Wohlfelder Softcover | 5 x 8in | 180 pages | ISBN 9781524690601 E-Book | 180 pages | ISBN 9781524690595 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the Author Peter Wohlfelder was a missionary in the Bahamas Islands during the 1970s, working with the Island Missionary Society. He is a graduate of St. Petersburg College and a member of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society. Alcatraz Escapees in the Bahamas is his second publication following My Missionary Adventure. Readers can follow him at http://www.alcatrazescapees.com. AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industrys only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrated 15 years of service to authors in Sept. 2011.For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.com or call 1-888-519-5121. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter. Reports and analytics in real-time for your Moodle LMS IntelliBoard is thrilled to join the Moodle Premium Integrator program. The reporting & analytics functionalities that IntelliBoard provides to Moodle LMS users will help empower their learning strategies with purposefully-built tools - tools that can inform, drive, and focus learning. IntelliBoard, (IntelliBoard.net) a premier reporting and analytics provider for the Moodle LMS and recipient of Best of Elearning! 2016 Award of Excellence, announced its new Premium Integrator partnership with Moodle, the worlds largest, most-adopted, open-source learning platform. Corporate and educational users of Moodle worldwide can use the IntelliBoard plugin to significantly augment their reports and analytics leveraging the rich data stores captured within their Moodle sites. Easy-to-use reports, widgets and analytics help inform educational business decisions; institutions worldwide use IntelliBoard to track at-risk learners, engagement, compliance training whatever Moodle is used to manage for learning/training. Anatoliy Kochnev, IntelliBoards CEO, IntelliBoard is beyond thrilled to join the Moodle Premium Integrator program. We have been long-time supporters of Moodle and the open-source community. The reporting and analytics functionalities that IntelliBoard provides to Moodle LMS users will help empower their learning strategies with purposefully-built tools - tools that can inform, drive, and focus learning in improved ways." IntelliBoard started in 2015, and now have partners in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Romania, Russia, the U.S. and the U.K. Over 1600 Moodle sites are connected to IntelliBoard and serves over 10.4MM learners. The IntelliBoard platform is plug-and-play, user-friendly, and provides reporting and analytics for every role, every user, and multiple perspectives for data (learner, course, site, etc). Users do not require specialized knowledge of SQL or other database controls to access IntelliBoard reports/analytics. Users can preview IntelliBoard at their demo site: https://demo.intelliboard.net. The demo site serves as a play space to view real-time reports and analytics. Of course, as Anatoliy Kochnev, IntelliBoards CEO, is quick to point out, however, The IntelliBoard demo site doesnt beat seeing your data live. Download the plugin! Martin Dougiamas, Founder and CEO of Moodle, said: Moodles mission of empowering educators to improve our world is made possible through our extensible open source learning platform filled with powerful tools for collaborative learning. As a Moodle Premium Integrator, we are recommending Intelliboards reporting and analytics plugin for Moodle, which you can get right now either directly from Intelliboard; via our Certified Moodle Partners, who will provide expert assistance for integration, training and other support services; or directly from our Moodle Plugins site." Reporting and Analytics are an important component for online learning and Moodle, and while we continue to work on our built-in Moodle reporting and Analytics with our Inspire project, we recognise the great work done by companies like Intelliboard in bringing to the community a suite of external reports that add real value to an organisations view of their students and their Moodle site." Welcome Anatoliy and the team at Intelliboard to the Moodle family. We look forward to working together to advance our missions. About IntelliBoard IntelliBoard.net offers analytic and reporting services to education communities and institutions who use the Moodle LMS. IntelliBoard extracts the statistical data collected in Moodle and presents this rich data on a single dashboard in the form of easy-to-read, aesthetic, and printable charts, graphs, and formatted reports. We strive to be the premier analytics dashboard for Moodle LMS users. Feel the strength of empowered learning with our purposefully built analytics for education and training. Our mantra: provide the best instantly-available, most-simplified point-and-click access to your Moodle LMS data to inform your educational business decisions. Contact Tonya Riney @ IntelliBoard: tonya(at)IntelliBoard(dot)net 866.89.REPORTS About Moodle Moodle, the worlds open source learning platform, allows educators to create a private space online filled with tools for collaborative learning for K-12, higher education and workplaces . First released in 2001 by Martin Dougiamas, Moodle is now used in every country in the world. Moodle is a key part of operations for leading education institutions such as Open University (UK), Ulm University (Germany), Monash and Columbia (USA), Shanghai International University (China), Mumbai University (India), as well as big organisations such as the United Nations, World Vision International and the US Defence force. Moodles open source project and development is supported by its global community of users and network of certified Moodle Partners, who offer a range of tailored Moodle services and support. To join Moodles mission to empower educators to improve our world and for more information, visit http://moodle.com. Contact information: Name: Petra Vanessie Email: petra(at)moodle(dot)com Website: https://moodle.com MavenHill Capital (MavenHill) has closed on its first investment with the acquisition of Connecticut Coining, Inc. MavenHill is a lower middle market private equity firm focused on investing in leading healthcare and industrial companies. Committed to building businesses, the firm takes a partnership approach with owners and executives over a long-term investment horizon. MavenHill primarily invests in entrepreneur and family-owned businesses seeking growth capital, strategic guidance and acquisition expertise with EBITDA between $1-$6 million. MavenHills team is composed of seasoned professionals who have completed more than 30 transactions representing over $1 billion of enterprise value. The firm was founded by Managing Partners Jay Studdard, a Managing Director at Linsalata Capital Partners, and Rhodes McKee, the Managing Partner at Maverick Capital Partners. The founding team also includes Principals Nate Schuster and Alex Trouten. We are very pleased to announce the launch of MavenHill and the acquisition of our first portfolio company, Connecticut Coining. MavenHills strategy is to develop collaborative partnerships with leadership teams and owners of companies that have a strong operational history, a sustainable business model and the desire to grow. said MavenHill Co-Founder and Managing Partner Rhodes McKee. Connecticut Coining, Inc., located in Bethel Connecticut, is a leading manufacturer of precision deep drawn metal parts for mission critical applications in the medical, aerospace, defense and power tube industries. Founded in 1962, Connecticut Coining has developed significant customer relationships with global market leaders and is recognized to be among the highest quality manufacturers in the industry. Connecticut Coinings leading operational capabilities, long-term customer relationships and position in attractive end markets are key attributes that fit with our investment thesis. We are excited about partnering with the company to allow it to continue serving its existing customers and to provide the capital, strategic guidance, and acquisition expertise to help the company realize its potential for growth. added MavenHill Co-Founder and Managing Partner Jay Studdard. ABOUT MAVENHILL CAPITAL Located in the Cleveland suburb of Chagrin Falls, MavenHill Capital is a lower middle market private equity firm that makes control investments in healthcare and industrial companies. MavenHill provides equity capital to lead leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and divestitures of entrepreneur and family-owned businesses. The MavenHill team has completed more than 30 transactions representing over $1 billion of enterprise value and is committed to a partnership approach with owners and management to accelerate growth and build long-term shareholder value. MavenHill invests in companies with EBITDA between $1-$6 million. For more information, please visit http://www.MavenHillCapital.com. ABOUT CONNECTICUT COINING INC. Connecticut Coining, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of precision deep drawn metal parts for mission critical applications in the medical, aerospace, defense and power tube industries. Located in Bethel, Connecticut, Connecticut Coining operates a 40, 000 square foot facility with 50+ employees and 40+ custom presses ranging from 20 - 600 tons, CNC lathes, milling machines, wire EDMs and a state of the art quality control system. Founded in 1962, Connecticut Coining supplies products to an international base of blue-chip customers. For more information, please visit http://www.ctcoining.com. Leadership from Miller Welding & Machine Company will present its lean manufacturing implementation process at FABTECH 2017 Good enough is never good enough, in our eyes. -- Mike Repine, Foreman, Miller Welding & Machine Company Leadership from Miller Welding & Machine Company (MWM), a strategic metals manufacturing partner for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) headquartered in Brookville, PA, will present its lean manufacturing implementation process at FABTECH 2017. The F56 session entitled, Looking at Lean Journey Through the Eyes of the Job Shop! will take place on Tuesday, November 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in room 401D of the McCormick Center in Chicago. MWM Lean Development Manager Rich Steel, along with Plant Manager Matt Feight and Foreman Mike Repine, will each discuss their personal perspectives throughout the companys execution of Kaizen, process improvements, 5S, and other lean undertakings. The panel discussion will center on departmental challenges, key metrics, personnel engagement, and MWMs next steps in the process. Our journey into lean began five years ago with a push to better ourselves for our innovative OEM customer base," says Rich Steel. "Demand caused daily fluctuations and we were in constant fire-fighting mode. Now our load-level schedule is our priority. The session will weave in concepts from the Lean Six Sigma Body of Knowledge as well as successful tactics employed by the metals manufacturer. We work towards everyone having pride in their area to look the best we can at all times, says Mike Repine. Good enough is never good enough, in our eyes. Register to attend MWMs F56 session at http://www.fabtechexpo.com. To contact Miller Welding & Machine about their extensive OEM metal manufacturing services, visit http://www.millerwelding.com. About FABTECH FABTECH is North Americas largest collaboration of technology, equipment and knowledge in the metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing industries. The event provides a powerfully aligned hands-on, face-to-face business growth experience, attracting more than 1,700 exhibitors and 50,000 attendees. The event is made possible by its five co-sponsors, all of whom representing the varied and diverse makeup of the manufacturing industry. They include SME, the American Welding Society (AWS), the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International (FMA), the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) and the Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI). About Miller Welding and Machine Co. (MWM) Established in 1963, MWM is the strategic metals manufacturing partner for innovative OEMs. MWM delivers high-quality metal parts and assemblies through its value-added services and extensive manufacturing capabilities. With a core focus on utilizing modern technology and robotic automation coupled with lean processes, the MWM Customer Experience works to ensure that your complex project measures are exceeded now and well into the future. Learn how you can transform your metal manufacturing processes by scheduling an MWM consultation today. atmail object storage plugin store(obj) Who doesnt want to drive the costs down on their email platform? atmail, a leading email hosting solutions provider and the company behind more than 40 million mailboxes worldwide, today announced the release of their newest product, store(obj), an object storage plugin for Dovecot, designed to help email administrators drive email storage costs down. "Our new object storage plugin is yet another example of our commitment to continually improve our offering and help customers reduce their costs, said CEO Dave Richards. After all, who doesnt want to drive the costs down on their email platform? Additional benefits of atmails store(obj) plugin include: reduction of an organisations exposure to the inherent risks of storing all of their data in-house; compatibility with various cloud storage and cluster file system vendors; de-duplication support; compression support; cache support for bandwidth optimisation; and flexible administration (for example, an email administrator can choose which attachments will be uploaded to cloud storage, based on multiple parameters). Object storage brings simplification of current file system storage from a directory structure of traditional file systems to a flat list of 'buckets', that store information using unique IDs rather than filenames. This means that for each piece of data stored, the amount of overhead data (metadata) required is significantly lower than a traditional file system. Object storage systems store this metadata with the object itself, which makes it very easy to scale. High availability is provided by replicating the objects across many geo-locations and disk drives. Whilst object storage might have only gathered some serious steam in recent years with the rise of Amazon S3, the origins of object storage can be credited back to research on Network Attached Secure Disks led by Garth Gibson in 1995. That was the research that first promoted the concept of splitting less common operations (such as namespace manipulations), from common operations (such as read and writes), to optimise the performance and scale of both. Source About atmail: atmail is an email solutions provider with nearly 20 years of experience solving email headaches for telecommunications and hosting providers. Based in Australia, with representatives in the United States, Europe and India, the company currently powers more than 40 million mailboxes across 90 countries worldwide. Their products include both cloud and on-premises options. For more information, please contact sales(at)atmail(dot)com. https://www.atmail.com/ https://www.atmail.com/object-storage/ Company contact: Andrea Martins marketing(at)staff(dot)atmail(dot)com Bill Moffat, Founder and CEO Smart phone, tablet and laptop computer consumers are depending on their electronics to be small, lightweight and fast. FOWLP allows these products to be hand-held sizes with high-quality graphics. Past News Releases RSS FOWLP Device Equipment... Yield Engineering Systems, Inc.... Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packaging... Fan-Out Wafer Level Packaging (FOWLP) is a vital packaging trend in microelectronics. FOWLP uses a wafer reconstruction process, where Known Good Die (KGD) and other types of devices, packages or components are placed side-by-side and embedded with epoxy mold compound. This is followed by a thin-film processing, repassivation and metallization on one or both sides of the wafer to fan out interconnections from original die pads to external pad locations. Yield Engineering Systems, Inc. (YES) manufactures dielectric vacuum cure ovens that provide critical steps in the FOWLP process, and offer: Reduction in particles Shorter process time Less Nitrogen used No discoloration or trapped solvent Increase in Known Good Die The objectives of a proper cure process are to: 1. Complete the imidization process, 2. Optimize film adhesion performance, 3. Remove all residual solvents and extraneous gases, and 4. Remove photosensitive components. The YES-VertaCure (automated) and YES-PB Series (manual) Dielectric Vacuum Cure Ovens are used for polyimide, PBO and BCB cure applications. YES PB Series total sales from 2015 compared to 2016 have more than doubled. Fan-Out Wafer Level Packaging is already in high-volume but its about to grow even more, said Bill Moffat, Founder and CEO of YES, Smart phone, tablet and laptop computer consumers are depending on their electronics to be small, lightweight and fast. FOWLP allows these products to be hand-held sizes with high-quality graphics." To continually show the industry that their tools can assist all FOWLP Engineers, YES will be exhibiting at the 2017 International Wafer Level Packaging Conference (IWLPC), which will take place October 24-25, 2017 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in San Jose, CA. YES will be located at Booth #7. IWLPC brings together the semiconductor industrys most respected authorities addressing all aspects of Wafer-Level Packaging, 3D and Advanced Manufacturing and Test. YES will also be co-exhibiting with John P. Kummer GmbH at SEMICON Europa being held November 14-16, 2017 at the Messe Munchen in Munich, Germany. They will be located at Booth #B1-1823 and promoting the YES dielectric vacuum cure ovens. For the first time co-located with Productronica, SEMICON Europa will create the strongest single event for electronics manufacturing in Europe. For more information regarding YES tools, visit http://www.yieldengineering.com or contact them toll free in the USA or Canada at 888-937-3637 or worldwide at +1-925-373-8353. About Yield Engineering Systems, Inc. YES was founded in 1980, and is headquartered in Livermore, California, USA. They provide quality process equipment for semiconductor, photovoltaic, WLP, FOWLP, MEMS, medical, nanotech industries and more. They manufacture dielectric vacuum cure ovens, silane vapor phase deposition systems, plasma etch and clean tools used for precise surface modification, surface cleaning, and thin film coating of semiconductor wafers, semiconductor and MEMS devices, biosensors and medical slides. About John P. Kummer GmbH The John P Kummer Group was founded in 1975 in Switzerland to supply Specialized Materials and Instruments to the microelectronics industry. John P. Kummer, GmbH was founded in 1980 in Munich, Germany. They provide customers expertise when applied to various specialized applications in the field of semiconductor, hybrid microelectronics, circuit/electronic assembly, medical devices and optical materials. We are very pleased to be in partnership with one of the premier energy liability underwriting teams in the business, says Rick Burns, Senior Vice President at Worldwide Facilities Houston office. National wholesale insurance broker and managing general agent Worldwide Facilities announced today they have launched a new energy liability facility in partnership with energy liability specialist Aspen Insurance, the insurance segment of Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited. The CGL and Excess programs, written on the Worldwide Facilities Liability forms, are designed to meet the needs of the land based oil and gas lease operators based in the United States. We are very pleased to be in partnership with one of the premier energy liability underwriting teams in the business, says Rick Burns, Senior Vice President at Worldwide Facilities Houston office. They are familiar with the issues facing the energy industry today and we believe they will strongly enhance our product offering in this sector. Worldwide Facilities has an excellent reputation and well-established relationships in the energy insurance sector. We believe this will be a strong and long-lasting partnership, and we look forward to working with them, added Tom Davies, Deputy Head of Marine & Energy Liability for Aspen Insurance in London. About Worldwide Facilities, LLC Worldwide Facilities is a national wholesale insurance broker and managing general agent that has been in business since 1970. Its brokers and underwriters are industry leaders providing expertise in a wide range of specialty lines, as well as extensive contacts with carriers domestically and overseas. For more information, please visit wwfi.com. About Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited Aspen provides reinsurance and insurance coverage to clients in various domestic and global markets through wholly-owned subsidiaries and offices in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. For the year ended December 31, 2016, Aspen reported $12.1 billion in total assets, $5.3 billion in gross reserves, $3.6 billion in total shareholders equity and $3.1 billion in gross written premiums. Its operating subsidiaries have been assigned a rating of A by Standard & Poors Financial Services LLC (S&P), an A (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company Inc. (A.M. Best) and an A2 by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys). Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East He disclosed this information at the Palm Oil Trade Fair and Seminar (POTS) in Accra, organised to foster the diplomatic relations between both countries. MPOC Chairman Dato Lee explained that imports into Ghana increased by 23.9% to 203,000 tonnes in 2016 as compared to 163,000 tonnes in 2015. Within the first nine months of 2017, Malaysian palm imports into Ghana totalling 213,000 tonnes had already exceeded the palm oil imports for the entire 2016. As a means of facilitating palm oil growth in Ghana, Malaysia has established a research facility in Accra. Ghana is one of Malaysia's biggest trading partners in the Africa region with the total trade between both countries hitting $337 million in 2016. Ghanas first international commercial trade in oil palm took place in 1820. Starting from the wild palm harvesting, oil palm evolved into an agricultural crop and plantations were established by 1850. Malaysia which is currently dominating the world palm oil market started the establishment of oil palm plantations with planting materials from Ghana. Ghana has a total of 305,758ha of oil palm. More than 80% of this is cultivated by private small-scale farmers. revise the countrys pacifist constitution, while continuing with 2. After the victory, Abe said on Monday he would discuss North Korea "thoroughly" with U.S. President Donald Trump when he visits next month, and reaffirm the two countries' commitment to working together in dealing with the country.Abe was speaking at a news conference after his ruling coalition scored a landslide victory in the lower house election on Sunday. 5. The UK government has announced plans to crackdown on gazumping in the housing market a process when a seller accepts a higher offer from a new buyer after already agreeing to a sale.Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has announced an eight-week review of the property buying process. Javid said: "We want to help everyone have a good quality home they can afford, and improving the process of buying and selling is part of delivering that." 7. Catalonia's leaders said on Saturday they would not accept direct rule imposed on the region by the Spanish government, as a political crisis that has rattled the economy and raised fears of prolonged unrest showed no signs of easing.Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced earlier on Saturday he would invoke special constitutional powers to fire the regional government and force a new election to counter the region's move towards independence. 9. The number of trademarks registered by financial services companies hit a record-high of 4,228 in 2016, according to professional services firm RPC.Financial trademarks have risen by 35% over the last five years, figures from the Intellectual Property Office show. RPC, which compiled the data, puts the spike down to Britain's booming fintech financial technology startup sector. In July, he took a 4,500 ($5,900) flight on Lufthansa first class for just $750 (570) using air miles. He departed from Frankfurt Airport heading to New York and he documented his luxurious experience in a video. Scroll down to see what it's like to fly first class on Lufthansa, according to the man who travels in style on the cheap. This is frequent flier and points expert Gilbert Ott. In July, he paid $750 (570) for a 4,500 flight in first class on Lufthansa by using Asiana Club miles, which he earned by purchasing Starwood Preferred Guest hotel points. "Its a little over eight hours in change, and Id flown over in economy for a short work trip, so it was a very welcomed improvement," Ott told Business Insider. "To be on a plane with four cabins, and be in the one that only has eight seats at the pointiest end is pretty cool." Ott arrived at Frankfurt Airport's First Class terminal yes, there's a separate one and said it was "like a hotel lobby but just for first class passengers," compete with a cigar bar, fine dining, unlimited booze, shower rooms, nap rooms, and private security. Once checked in and through to the lounge, he took a shower, "because I have my own bathroom to take showers in," he said. They gave out rubber duckies. He then made use of one of the nap rooms, which allows travellers to use the bed, eye mask, toothbrush, or just chill out and charge their devices. Once relaxing in the lounge, a waiter brought him a Singapore Sling. 'You're given a 'personal assistant' that takes care of you," Ott said. It was "all you can drink," from $200-a-bottle Johnnie Walker Blue, to Bollinger Champagne or 12 kinds of water. There was plenty of food on offer, too. Ott was impressed by the meat slicer. When it was time to board, a Porsche Cayenne picked Ott up to drive him directly from the lounge to the plane. "I don't have to go into the terminal, I don't have to board with the rest of the people, I'm going straight to the plane, on the ground," he said. This is what first class looks like on a Lufthansa plane. The seats are certainly spacious and there was a divider wall for extra privacy. "The seat is not the wildest one youll find in first class that belongs to the Etihad First Apartment but the service, comfort, and refinement is up there with anyone," Ott told BI. Who would you want to share... @ godsavethepoints Once seated, Ott tucked into some Champagne. They left him the bottle. "The champagne goes for $150 a bottle, and there's a caviar course, so I definitely made a dent in getting my moneys worth," Ott said. He also dug into some Beluga vodka. "I had a wonderful crew member named Alex taking care of me," Ott said. "He was so good I remember his name months later. It felt like a really cool friend who said 'Its all on me, were going big tonight.'" Throughout the flight, food was served on white table cloths. When it was time for bed, the cabin crew made his bed for him. There was even a button he could push to put up a wall to make his bed completely private. "I have a rule of thumb which I apply in my editorial guidelines on the site which roughly reads 'If you have anything bad to say about first class, someone will come from economy and kick your ass,'" Ott said. "I cant fault a single thing about the experience." Watch the full video of his first class flight here. The British Foreign Secretary has likened the North Korean crisis to a Classical myth, and thrown his weight behind US President Donald Trump's military threats against North Korea. In a keynote speech at the Chatham House conference in London on Monday, Boris Johnson said Trump has an "absolute duty" to protect Americans from a nuclear attack from Pyongyang, but urged the US to continue pushing for negotiations. "It is this increased tempo of nuclear testing, coupled with florid outbursts of verbal belligerence, that have reawakened, even in this conutry, those forgotten fears" of nuclear attacks, Johnson told the conference. "The public can be forgiven for genuinely starting to wonder whether the nuclear sword of Damocles is once again held over the head of a trembling human race." The sword of Damocles is an ancient myth, which demonstrated the fragility of power by imaging a king sitting on a throne with a sword permanently suspended above his head by a single thread. In modern usage it has come to refer to any kind of impending danger. Johnson added: "Kim and the world need to understand that when the 45th President of the United States contemplates a regime led by a man who not only threatens to reduce New York to 'ashes,' but who stands on the verge of acquiring the power to make good on his threat. "I am afraid that the US President whoever he or she might be will have an absolute duty to prepare any option to keep safe not only the American people but all those who have sheltered under the American nuclear umbrella." North Korea has tested 19 missiles and has conducted four of the six nuclear tests ever carried out by that country this year alone, Johnson said. The Foreign Secretary backed US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's push for dialogue with Pyongyang. Earlier this month, Trump said Tillerson was "wasting his time" trying to negotiate with North Korea. On Sunday, Trump boasted that the US was "totally prepared" to respond to any North Korean aggression. "We are so prepared, like you wouldn't believe," he told Fox Business Network, as cited by CNN. "You would be shocked to see how totally prepared we are if we need to be." Earlier this month, the Daily Mail reported that British military officials had secretly started outlining plans for war with North Korea. Johnson backs the Iran deal Johnson also highlighted the success of the Iran nuclear treaty, a deal orchestrated by former President Barack Obama that Trump has repeatedly criticised and threatened to rip up. He said: "That is the model of toughness but engagement, each reinforcing the other that we should have at the front of our mind as we try to resolve the tensions in the Korean peninsula," Johnson said. "It is right that Rex Tillerson has specifically opened the door to dialogue." Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland is pushing House Oversight Committee chairman Trey Gowdy to subpoena White House senior adviser Jared Kushner for documents related to his use of private email while serving in the White House. In a letter to Gowdy sent Monday, Cummings, the ranking member on the committee, asked the South Carolina Republican to either join his September request to Kushner asking for such documents or "allow committee members to vote on a motion to issue a subpoena to compel Mr. Kushner to produce the requested documents." Cummings sent a letter to Kushner in September asking for him to preserve official records of his emails and provide the committee with email addresses for any private account he used to conduct official business as well as a list of emails he'd sent or received on those accounts pertaining to official business. On Friday, Cummings wrote to Gowdy asking that he either demand "full compliance" from the White House on a separate, email-related request he made to White House counsel Donald McGahn, or allow for the committee to vote on subpoenaing the White House for documents. In both letters, Cummings said that White House lawyers told committee staffers during a meeting last week that "several" Trump administration officials used private email accounts to conduct government business, which is in violation of the Presidential Records Act. Cummings said the lawyers, deputy counsel Stefan Passantino, deputy counsel Uttam Dhillon, and associate counsel Daniel Epstein, refused to name the officials. Referencing his initial letter to Kushner, Cummings said he "explicitly directed" the senior adviser, who is also President Donald Trump's son-in-law, to preserve his email records and take "reasonable steps to prevent the 'relocation' of those email records." Cummings cited reports that both Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Kushner's wife and an assistant to the president, re-routed their personal email accounts to Trump Organization computers less than two days after Cummings' request was sent. "It was unclear why they would transfer these accounts to the Trump Organization, which they claimed previously to have halted all business with in order to avoid conflicts of interest," he said. Cummings added that when the White House lawyers were asked about whether Kushner was in compliance with the Presidential Records Act, they said, "You should talk to Mr. Kushner's counsel about that." "In light of the statement from the White House that the committee should obtain this information directly from Mr. Kushner and his attorneys, I am writing today to urge you to reverse your current course of action and join my requests for documents and a briefing," Cummings wrote in the Monday letter. "If you decline, then I believe committee members should have the opportunity to debate and vote on a motion to issue subpoenas to compel Mr. Kushner and Ms. Trump to produce these documents." "If the committee is going to conduct a credible investigation into the use of private email by President Trumps top aides, we cannot allow lawyers representing the White House and the Kushners to play off each other to withhold documents and evade congressional scrutiny." The latest push comes more than a month after Politico reported Kushner set up a private email account in December and used it since to discuss official government business with fellow administration officials. Some of those officials included former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, and National Economic Council chairman Gary Cohn. Though Kushner's lawyer said the adviser also "uses his White House email address to conduct White House business," he admitted that Kushner had utilized a personal email account to discuss government business. "Fewer than 100 emails from January through August were either sent to or returned by Mr. Kushner to colleagues in the White House from his personal email account," the lawyer said. "These usually forwarded news articles or political commentary and most often occurred when someone initiated the exchange by sending an email to his personal rather than his White House address." "Kushner has adhered to government record-keeping requirements by forwarding all the emails to his account," the lawyer added. In addressing last week's letter from Cummings, Gowdy said the "assertion that the White House has not cooperated is false." "Our investigation into private email use for official business is government-wide and not about one entity," he said in a statement provided to Business Insider. "The committee has been looking at the use of private email for years. Im glad my Democrat colleagues now acknowledge the severity of the issue. The White House provided a briefing this week to share specific details on all of our outstanding questions and committed to follow up at the conclusion of an ongoing investigation." "Allegations that we have completed our engagement with the White House on this issue are absurd," he continued. "As recently as this morning I was on the phone with a cabinet-level official to ensure their full compliance. We need the documents not the drama." The future of a Microsoft "power station" in Ireland hangs in the balance after a local resident complained to authorities, according to The Times. The US tech giant wants to build an 18 megawatt gas-fuelled generator just outside Dublin to power to one of its vast new data centres in the area. But Dublin-based conservation architect David Hughes reportedly made an observation to local authorities where he pointed out that the power plant could provide enough energy for over 60,000 people. He specifically said it would be able to support "roughly half of the electrical demand of all of the housing in Cork city," which is home to approximately 125,000 people. Hughes who has also appealed against Apple, Facebook, and Amazon developments, according to The Times added that Microsoft should team up with Irish energy supplier Bord Gais to run the generator on biogas and suggested that the firm should use the heat from the data centre for a district heating scheme. Data centres are the backbone of the internet Data centres contain thousands of power-hungry servers that allow consumers worldwide to stream videos and music, search the internet, and send emails. Around 2% of global greenhouse emissions are produced by data centres, which is about the same amount as air travel. Google, Facebook, Amazon, and other US tech firms have also built data centres on the outskirts of Dublin, which is a short distance from many of their European headquarters and a well connected city between the US and mainland Europe. One particular hotspot in the Dublin area is The Grange Castle Business Park, where there are four Microsoft data centres and an unknown number of Google data centres. But the data centres here have been set up relatively quickly and the local electricity network has been unable to keep up. Microsoft gained planning permission to build four more data centres at Grange Castle last year, according to The Irish Independent. The data centres are likely to cost Microsoft around 900 million (794 million). But electricity demand has exceeded supply because the local transmission network hasn't been upgraded quickly enough. Government-backed EirGrid, the company that oversees Ireland's electricity transmission network, warned that there might be a shortfall in electricity in Dublin prior to "huge" upgrade, which is set to begin in the next few weeks. The "West Dublin Project", as it is known, is set to complete in 2019. "Space at Grange Castle Business Park is in high demand from international business customers," an EirGrid spokesman told the Irish Independent. "To accommodate this growth, further power is required to meet both current electricity needs and to plan for future electricity demand." Microsoft did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Apple has a fight on its hands in Athenry Elsewhere on the west coast of Ireland, Apple has a data centre battle of its own on its hands. Silicon Valley has never been a center of haute cuisine. Rising Nobu's ever-expanding culinary empire has a glitzy new addition. Nobu Palo Alto is located in the Larry Ellison-owned Epiphany Hotel, which is currently being rebranded as a Nobu Hotel. It's not the first time the tech icon and chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa have partnered. The pair co-owns Nobu restaurants in Malibu and Hawaii. Source: Nobu Palo Alto restaurant No. 37 in chef Matsuhisa's empire aims to deliver the same hugely popular dishes and clubby scene as other Nobu locations worldwide. Hotel guests have the luxury of being able to order room service from Nobu. Another popular dining option is to reserve a meeting room in the hotel. Ross Boykin, the restaurant's general manager, said most tech executives prefer the private setting. Boykin wouldn't name names, but he said the restaurant has been visited by tech executives and "pioneers" from nearby companies, including Facebook, Google, Apple, and Instagram. Most people will want to pop into the hotel's ground floor, where the restaurant is. Collapsible walls allow guests to people-watch on the streets of downtown Palo Alto. There are no white linens on the table. "We don't like to be too stuffy," Boykin said. He added that the plain teak tables and patio space help create a family-style atmosphere, where businesspeople can "let their hair down." You won't find silverware at your dinner setting just chopsticks with the logo burned in. During a recent visit, we stopped first at the bar. Nobu offers a premium selection of sakes, but the restaurant is also known for its original cocktails. Every month, Nobu bartenders participate in a challenge that's like "Top Chef." A recent challenge asked bartenders to incorporate monk fruit, a melon that is about 300 times sweeter than sugar. The winning Nariyuki cocktail, out of Malibu, is made with Atlantico Platino Rum, Disaronno amaretto, egg white, pineapple, monk fruit, and yuzu. It costs $18. The drink burst with tropical flavors. We bet it would taste even better poolside. Nobu Palo Alto, like other Nobu restaurants located in hotels, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It does this to better accommodate guests, as well as executives who power-lunch. The culinary team has adapted Japanese flavors for three distinct menus. A popular breakfast item is the jidori chicken and waffles served with wasabi-infused maple syrup. The chicken comes from a Japanese poultry breed that our server described as the "Wagyu of chicken," because of its superior quality and lofty price. The combination of sweet and spicy flavors played well, but the dish was otherwise an unsurprising take on a Southern staple. The jidori chicken and waffles costs $24. A power-lunch might include some Nobu sushi classics. The restaurant receives shipments of fish imported from Japan "all day long," according to Boykin. The yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno is one of the best known dishes created by Chef Matsuhisa. "It is a simple dish, but full of flavor; the heat of the jalapeno enlivens the milder yellowtail," the chef told food blog First We Feast. I would have eaten it by the fistful. Source: The restaurant prepared a trio of samples for us, but a standard plate of the yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno costs $29. The bluefin and yellowfin toro tartare with caviar is made with the flavorful bits of tuna that don't make the cut for as sashimi or sushi. It's frozen and mixed with garlic and onion. The $38 dish gets a kick from the melts in your mouth. The dish landed Nobu in hot water about 10 years ago when the bluefin tuna was named an endangered species. Chefs like Gordon Ramsey swiftly removed the fatty pink fish from their menus, but Nobu refused. Instead, it added a note to its menu asking diners to consider an alternative. The World Wildlife Fund still lists the bluefin tuna as an endangered species. A personal favorite was the tai agave sashimi, which features thinly sliced Japanese red snapper sashimi with an aji amarillo (a Peruvian chili pepper) and agave dressing. It costs $36. A spinach salad topped with dehydrated tofu skins and a Japanese olive oil cost $24 that I would have preferred to spend on something a little more elaborate. The chefs flexed their culinary skills with this whole-fish showstopper. A sea bass prepared tempura-style and served with dry miso and a tomato-based soy sauce was a visual delight. Succulent pieces of white flakey fish fell off the bone in chunks. It was heavenly. The cost of the whole fish is based on market prices. We went in for a second round of drinks and tried the signature lychee and elderflower martini. The $16 cocktail contains Spring 44 Vodka, St. Germain, and lychee (a sweet summer fruit). The sugary concoction added a dose of indulgence to the meal. I took a break and stepped in to the kitchen. I was unsurprised to find chefs wearing Apple Watches a pretty clear indication that the restaurant is based in Silicon Valley. Young chefs of every ethnicity hustled in the kitchen. A diverse staff is a reflection of Chef Matsuhisa's style, which blends Japanese and Peruvian influences, according to Boykin. We watched as a chef plated a sashimi sampling with precision. The presentation was simple and clean. When the server set the plates down in front of us, he rattled off the exotic ingredients used in each piece. The sashimi glistened before us. To be honest, I had no idea what I was eating. I lost track during the server's monologue. But each piece of melt-in-your-mouth sashimi tasted fresher than the last. Sashimi ranges in price between $7 and $18 per piece. Check out the menu here. I was prepared to refuse dessert, but Boykin insisted we try the white chocolate namelaka. "We want you to feel lighter than when you walked in," he said. White chocolate panna cotta topped with orange tapioca pearls, strawberries, citrus fruits, and shiso syrup was so refreshing and light, it acted as a palette cleanser. The dessert costs $16. The meal gave a whirlwind tour of Japanese, Peruvian, and Californian flavors, and was a feast for the eyes as much as my stomach. The worldnewsdailyreport.com reported that when the prison staff asked Jeremy Morris if he wanted anything special for his last meal, he answered I just want a Bible. Thinking that the prisoner probably wanted to read the holy book, pray and repent, the prison guards of the William C. Holman Correctional Facility gave him an old copy of the King James Bible. However, to the surprise of everybody present, the condemned murderer began tearing up the holy book and eating it. It took hours of chewing and swallowing small pieces of paper, but Mr. Morris ate the totality of the 1200-page book, including the cover. Walter Henri, the prison guard who handed him the old and worn out Bible, says the inmate seemed to savor every bite. He explained that He kept tearing pieces from his Bible and eating them like they were potato chips! Responding to questions about the propriety of the bizarre development, Holman Prison director, Frank Davis, said the staff decided to let the prisoner eat the Bible because it didnt violate the establishments last meal policy. It is customary in most jurisdictions where the death penalty is legal, to give sentenced prisoners a special last meal at their request. But there are restrictions, concerning mostly the legality, the accessibility and value of the meal. Despite its unusual nature, Mr. Morris choice of meal was locally accessible and worth less than 40$, making it conform to the rules of Alabama correctional facilities. Thats all well and good, as long as its approved by your doctor. As for taking medicine into your own hands? Thats not always the best idea, since some alternative treatments can be extremely dangerous. Just recently, one Australian man learned that the hard way, according to a recent case report published in the British Medical Journal. The 67-year-old manwho had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which had gone into remissionconsumed homemade apricot kernel extract daily for five years, since its typically marketed as a preventive medicine for cancer. He was also taking a fruit kernel supplement called Novodalin. While he was undergoing a routine surgery, his doctors noticed that his oxygen levels had severely dropped while he was under anesthesia, leading to a condition known as hypoxia, which can be deadly. Once they performed blood tests on the patient, the doctors concluded that his blood contained 25 times the accepted level of cyanide, a potentially deadly chemical, according to the report. Thats because apricot kernels contain amygdalin, also known as laetrile. Amygladin is a known cyanogenic glycoside, meaning its processed and converted into cyanide in your body, according to the Food and Drug Administration. While laetrile has been talked up for its anticancer properties, no human studies have actually proven its effectiveness in treating the disease. In fact, no controlled clinical trial of laetrile has ever been conducted, says the National Cancer Institute. Many extracts lack quality control in production and are not subject to extensive testing applied to standard medicines, the authors of the report write, hence efficacy and safety cannot be assured. Pits and seeds of several fruitslike apricots, apples, peaches, and cherriescan contain substantial amounts of cyanide. Just last July, a man in the U.K. suffered cyanide poisoning after eating cherry seeds. If youre exposed to small amounts of cyanide, you may experience dizziness, rapid breathing and heart rate, or headaches. If you consume a large amount, however, it can cause loss of consciousness and even respiratory failure, which can be fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Luckily, the man described in the case report didnt die, but his doctors quickly explained that the apricot kernel extract was slowly making him sick. He decided to continue taking it anyway. Why? He personally believes that the quality of evidence is sufficient for his purposes,Alex Konstantatos, M.D., coauthor of the case report and head of pain medicine at Alfred Hospital in Melbourne told The Verge, or maybe he cannot wait for the scientific proof to come through as it may take too long to prevent his cancer from recurring. The thing is, people have actually died from ingesting too much cyanide. In 2011, a 2-year-old girl died after eating about 10 apricot kernels, according to a separate case report. Konstantatos told The Verge that he wrote about this specific case because he wanted to bring awareness to the health implications of alternative medicine. Most doctors typically only ask about prescribed medications, and often arent aware of self-prescribed supplements, he says. Dr Tackie was installed late last Friday with the current king, Nii Adama Latse forcefully removed. Meanwhile, a statement from the Office of the Ga Mantse and signed by Nii Yaote Otoga II, the Paramount Stool Dzaasetse had maintained that installation of Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II as new Ga Mantse is illegal. But reports say that the kingmakers of the Ga Paramount Stool including the Dzaasetse, Dr. Nii Tetteh Kwei and Ga Stool father (Ga Seitse) and Nii Tetteh Ashong V are in support of the installation of the new King. READ ALSO: Claimant to Ga stool files suit to stop Adama Latse from sprinkling kpokpoi The situation has, however, created tension in the area, with the Ga Dangme Concerned Youth Association (GDCYA) urging calm. The Association said that even though the installation is illegal, We hope and pray that our forefathers will grant us wisdom to solve this Ga Mantse issue so there will be peace and development in our Ga Mashie land. Background There have been four claimants to the stool since the demise of Ga Mantse Nii Amugi II in 2004. READ ALSO:Another Ga Mantse installed Apart from Boni Nii Tackie Adama Latse II, the two other claimants to the stool are Ayittey Canada, now deceased, and Dr Kelvin Tackie Abia. In February this year, the Abola Piam kingmakers also installed one Nii Obli as the new Ga Mantse, hoping that the move will bring an end to the chieftaincy issues. According to the complainant, Ama Yeboah, she bought a parcel of land from Akua Donkor in 2009 but has since been given pressure from the family of Akua Donkor to stay away from the land. READ ALSO: 3 men who robbed Akua Donkor jailed 60 years She said that she had called Madam Donkor to complain about the issue but she has not been able to reach her. The complainant, however, had a hint on Monday morning that Akua Donkor was in Kumasi. The successful businessman contested in the 2016 elections as presidential candidate of the PPP, but has revealed that it's time to take a step back for others to take over. According to him, the growth of the party depends on the younger faithfuls, who he encouraged to "make it great and successful". Addressing persons at the CPP's 4th National Convention held at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region on Saturday, Dr Nduom said: "I am now part of the older generation. My task now is to encourage, support and educate our young progressives to come to the front line of our party. The PPP is not Nduom's property. It is our party. Now it is there for you the young people to make it great and successful." He continued: "To our members, I say remain committed and confident that soon and very soon we will enjoy victory. "Our commitment to building a united alternative to the NDC and the NPP is strong and without conditions. "Finally, I am confident that our party will be successful. God willing and with good effort, PPP will be in Parliament. PPP will go to the Flagstaff house. And Ghana will see wonders! Ghana will become a strong and prosperous country." Read Dr Nduom's full statement below: 4th National Convention 21 October 2017 Progressives, 1. Thank you - I have not had the chance to thank you at a national gathering like this since the 2016 elections: - the thousands of men and women mostly young people who sacrificed time and various opportunities to promote our 2016 campaign. - the men and women such as John Obiri Yeboah, John Sterlin, George Afari, Sarah Bucknor, Nana Owusu and others who boldly and confidently contested the parliamentary election. - my running mate Brigitte Dzogbenuku for having faith in the PPP as the credible alternative in Ghanaian politics. - to those our members and supporters who gave hard earned money to push our campaign forward. 2. To Charlotte Osei and others at the Electoral Commission, I say we will never forget your failed attempt to take away our freedom and our right to participate in the 2016 election. Yes you succeeded in sabotaging our campaign but in the end, we still stand tall. Never again should you dare to circumvent the laws that put you in office. 3. I am now part of the older generation. My task now is to encourage, support and educate our young progressives to come to the front line of our party. The PPP is not Nduom's property. It is our party. Now it is there for you the young people to make it great and successful. 4. To President Akufo-Addo, I say you are President for all Ghanaians and not just for NPP members and I know you know this. The PPP will continue to offer our ideas and support positive policies that will improve the lives of our people. But as citizens we reserve the right to criticize when we believe the situation calls for it. All we ask for is equal opportunity for all Ghanaians. In this regard, A. Free SHS is good. But it does not go far enough. What Ghana needs is free, compulsory and continuous education from kindergarten to the end of senior high school. And PPP will continue to push for it. B. One district one factory is good. But it has not gone far enough. We need organized infrastructure, industrial estates with water, roads, electricity and tax breaks to make the investments work. Remember Komenda Sugar Factory, Ayensu Starch Factory and others. We need critical mass not isolated investments. The Akans say, "Dua Kor gye ehum a obu". C. Saying and promising the election of MMDCEs is good. But you must take firm steps to implement it. For the PPP, this is non negotiable. You must make it possible for the people to elect the MMDCEs and the assembly members in 2019, before the 2020 elections. This is what will signal growth and prosperity in Ghana. To our members, I say remain committed and confident that soon and very soon we will enjoy victory. Our commitment to building a united alternative to the NDC and the NPP is strong and without conditions. Finally, I am confident that our party will be successful. God willing and with good effort, PPP will be in Parliament. PPP will go to the Flagstaff house. And Ghana will see wonders! Ghana will become a strong and prosperous country. Per Papa Preko!Party Papa Paa!PPP, Y'asor! The article, which did not cite sources, said May appeared "tortured," "fearful" and "discouraged" at a dinner with Juncker just days ahead of a summit in which EU leaders handed May a small victory by agreeing to start preparations for the next stage of negotiations. The report which appeared on Sunday said Juncker later told colleagues that May appeared beaten down by party infighting and looked like she wasn't sleeping at night, with "dark circles" under her eyes. A similar leak to the same newspaper after another private meeting between the pair in May ignited a diplomatic row. This time Juncker, his right-hand man Martin Selmayr and the European Commission's chief spokesman all lined up to issue speedy denials of the report. Juncker told the BBC he was "shocked" by what appeared in the FAZ, insisting that "nothing is true" in it. "It was a good meeting. She was neither tired nor defeated," Juncker later told a gathering of students in the French city of Strasbourg. In a tweet, Juncker's cabinet chief Selmayr, who was at the dinner with May, also gave a staunch denial. "I deny that 1/we leaked this; 2/Juncker ever said this; 3/we are punitive on Brexit," wrote Selmayr. "It's an attempt to frame EU side and to undermine." Fraught atmosphere Selmayr's response came after May's former joint chief of staff Nick Timothy took to Twitter to accuse him of leaking the information, calling it a "reminder that some in Brussels want no deal or a punitive one". Selmayr, a former ECB official from Germany, is a powerful figure in Brussels, known as a skilled spin doctor and is often thought to be a source to FAZ, a conservative Frankfurt-based daily. It is the latest leak to highlight the fraught atmosphere surrounding the talks, whose slow progress has stoked fears Britain could leave the European Union in March 2019 without a deal in place, risking economic and legal chaos. The EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier meanwhile said that the transition period could go up to 2020. "At this stage I don't have a mandate on this point. But if we can reach an agreement, such a period that is short and clearly defined is possible," he told France's Les Echos financial newspaper. "It will give us a little more time to prepare the future relationship." May is struggling to contain divisions within her government and Brexit hardliners have been quick to jump on any opportunity to paint Brussels as insincere or vindictive in their negotiating tactics. Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas accused unnamed people of trying to "point at us to serve their own political agendas, their own political priorities or even to undermine our negotiating position". The stone, which was unearthed in March, is the largest discovered in Sierra Leone in almost a half-century and is between the 10th and 15th largest ever found worldwide, experts say. The government has pledged to be transparent in the stone's sale, mindful of the history of cross-border diamond trafficking that fuelled Sierra Leone's civil war from 1991-2002. Such "blood diamonds" were often found by enslaved members of the population, who were killed or maimed by rebel groups if they refused to dig. The 709-carat behemoth was discovered by Emmanuel Momoh, an Evangelical pastor who is also one of hundreds of so-called artisanal miners in Kono, Sierra Leone's key mining district. Momoh said he hoped the sale would "improve the lives of the people by providing water, electricity, schools, health facilities, roads and bridges" in the Kono region. The state expects to collect 15 percent of the sale's proceeds and a 30-percent income tax. Sierra Leone had initially looked to sell the diamond at home but the best offer the country received was $7.7 million (6.5 million euros) in April, which the government deemed insufficient. It then decided to sell abroad. The rough stone was shown in Israel on Monday and Tuesday and will be on display in the Belgian city of Antwerp -- one of the world capitals for diamond trading -- from October 30 to November 10. The diamond -- known under its official name as the "diamond of peace" -- will then be shown at the United Nations in New York, authorities said. "We are grateful to the pastor for transferring the diamond to the government rather than smuggling it abroad," presidency spokesman Abdulai Bayratay said. , which deals with the Lebanese civil war, was scheduled to be screened Monday in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as part of the " festival. But Ramallah's municipality decided on Sunday to cancel the showing at a city-run facility after pressure from Palestinian activists who accused French-Lebanese director Ziad Doueiri of promoting "normalisation" with Israel. "The Attack" was banned in Lebanon and prompted authorities to detain Doueiri for questioning on his arrival in Lebanon last month. Lebanon submitted "The Insult" as its official entry for the Oscars, in the foreign film category. In Ramallah, activists had planned a protest against the screening and launched a social media campaign urging Palestinians to boycott it. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which campaigns for economic and cultural measures against Israel, had accused Doueiri of "defending normalisation" with Israel and called for the screening to be cancelled. Ramallah municipality director general Ahmad Abu Laban told AFP the screening was cancelled over "our responsibility to keep the peace". But the victory by no means indicates that ISIS is defeated, and enormous ethnic challenges still lie ahead for the embattled country. Here's how the Raqqa campaign was won, and what lies on the horizon for Syria: The campaign to retake Raqqa from ISIS (which seized the ancient Syrian city in early 2014) officially began in November 2016, several weeks after the campaign to retake Mosul, the group's stronghold in Iraq, was announced. SDF spokesman Talal Sello said the campaign would consist of The Syrian Democratic Forces that led the Raqqa campaign is a coalition of various militias, however it has always been led by the Kurds. The SDF was created in order to bring non-Kurdish groups that live in northern Syria, including Assyrian Christians and especially Sunni Arabs, into cooperation with the Kurds to create a single, moderate coalition to defeat ISIS. Yet inter-ethnic problems remain. Source: , and In July, the SDF began the most arduous part of the Raqqa campaign conquering the city itself. A combined ground and air assault began on Raqqa, and with it came vicious urban warfare and hundreds of civilian casualties. Because Raqqa is an ancient city, fighting ISIS amidst its small, winding streets proved difficult for both the SDF and their American air support. ISIS used urban guerilla tactics as it had in other places like Mosul, Iraq, making the SDF's campaign to clear the city from fighters a long, frustrating task. The presence of civilians made airstrikes and troop movements even more difficult despite precautions, Amnesty International has reported that "hundreds" of civilians had been killed by US airstrikes in Raqqa, which had begun before SDF ground troops were able to move in. The Worst of all, however, not only was ISIS using civilians as human shields and moving through underground tunnels, but they also murdered anyone in the city trying to escape through sniper fire and mortar bombardments. After months of brutal urban warfare and heavy resistance from ISIS fighters, the SDF declared victory in Raqqa on October 17 after seizing the national hospital and the city stadium, where the last ISIS fighters were stationed. Amid the celebrations, though, the SDF is still in the process of clearing landmines and other explosives from the area, and although it warns that there may still be 100 ISIS militants hiding amid the city's rubble, nearly 6,000 fighters surrendered as the group's resistance was in its final hours. Nevertheless, Arabs in Raqqa were the main celebrants after ISIS's defeat. The SDF's victory in Raqqa diminishes ISIS's presence in Iraq and Syria to only a few border territories in the desert. The Islamist group no longer has access to the large cities they conquered when they rose to international prominence in 2014. However, there remains much work to be done in Raqqa. With a large displaced population and reconstruction costs mounting, the SDF is now faced with the task of dealing with the Raqqa campaign's fallout. From the prelude to the battle of Raqqa in June to its conclusion this week, a group of Syrian activist journalists known as Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently has documented more than 3,829 airstrikes, 1,873 civilian deaths, and 450,000 displaced people in the city. In addition, RBSS estimates that 90% of the city has been destroyed by the months of fighting. Reuters reports that the SDF has set up the Raqqa Civil Council in order to oversee security and reconstruction efforts in the city, however funding from the US and other sources has so far been insufficient. Sources: "We gave our city as a sacrifice for the sake of defeating terrorism," Ibrahim Hassan, who heads reconstruction for the RCC, told Reuters. "It's the world's duty to help us." In addition to logistical concerns about the future of Raqqa, socio-political ones remain as well. It is unclear how the Syrian government, which is also conducting campaigns against ISIS in northeastern Syria, will react to the SDF's vast zone of control. The group, along with the Kurdish-dominated Federation of Northern Syria, hopes to establish its own country in the area, a move that would surely be met with hostility from Damascus. Kurdish moves toward independence in neighboring Iraq after the fall of ISIS there were met with exactly this kind of aggressive resistance from the government in Baghdad. Former President Barack Obama is the only president since Richard Nixon who didn't have to deal with an independent investigation into his activities or the activities of his family or subordinates, according to Politico. The detail comes as special counsel Robert Mueller investigates President Donald Trump and his associates as part of his inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump is being investigated for obstruction of justice related to his decision to fire former FBI director James Comey, and the special counsel is also looking into Trump's decision to dictate a misleading statement his son, Donald Trump Jr., released in response to reports that he met with a Russian lawyer said to be offering dirt on opponent Hillary Clinton last June, at the height of the campaign. Several of Trump's close associates, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, are also being investigated over their ties to Russia. As he grapples with the Russia probe, Trump joins former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and Gerald Ford, who all dealt with independent investigations. Ford Vice President Ford assumed the presidency shortly after Nixon resigned, following the bombshell revelation that Nixon had not only been aware of the break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972, but had attempted to cover it up. When Ford assumed the presidency, the Watergate scandal still loomed large and the investigation had not yet been closed. Ford's administration also drew criticism when it was revealed that senior White House officials altered large portions of the Rockefeller Commission's investigation into the Central Intelligence Agency's activities. Most significantly, then deputy White House chief of staff Dick Cheney ordered the removal of an 86-page section on CIA assassination plots, according to the National Security Agency's archives. Carter President Carter attracted scrutiny when it emerged in 1979 that his family's peanut business had received questionable loans, and that Carter may have used some of that money as campaign funds in 1976. Paul J. Curran, a renown former US attorney, was eventually appointed special counsel in charge of investigating the allegations. Following a seven-month investigation, Curran concluded there was no basis for criminal prosecution. Carter's chief of staff, Hamilton Jordan, and campaign manager, Tim Kraft, were also investigated for separate drug-related offenses in 1978 and 1980, respectively, by two special prosecutors. Reagan Reagan's presidency was marred by several scandals, the largest of which was the Iran-Contra affair. Details of the incident, which involved the US' decision to sell arms to Iran in an effort to secure the release of six US hostages, first came to light in November 1986. In addition to congressional inquiries, the Reagan-appointed Tower Commission also probed the scandal and cleared the president of any wrongdoing. Independent counsel Lawrence Walsh's investigation into the Iran-Contra affair resulted in the convictions of Vice Admiral John Poindexter and Lt. Colonel Oliver North, though both convictions were later overturned. Several high-ranking members of Reagan's Department of Housing and Urban Development were also scrutinized over allegations that they had rigged low-income housing grants, by independent counsels Arlin Adams and Larry Thompson from 1990 to 1998. The investigation resulted in several convictions, but HUD secretary Samuel Pierce Jr., described as one of the key players in the controversy, was not charged after he made a public apology. Bush 41 George H.W. Bush's administration came under the spotlight when several administration officials were accused of secretly facilitating the flow of weapons, technology, and support to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war in 1992. Federal officials were also separately accused of corruption related to their dealings with an international bank in Italy. Retired federal judge Frederick B. Lacey was named special counsel in charge of investigating both matters, and he determined that no federal crime had been committed in either case. Clinton Two defining events of Bill Clinton's presidency were the Whitewater investigation and the Monica Lewinsky scandal, both of which took place in the 1990s. The former involved an inquiry into the business dealings of Bill and Hillary Clinton relating to the Whitewater Development Corporation. The Clintons were accused of pressuring Arkansas banker David Hale into granting an illegal loan to their partner in the Whitewater deal. The allegations were first investigated by the Senate, and later by special prosecutor Kenneth Starr. Neither of them were indicted. The House of Representatives impeached Clinton in 1998 after being accused of perjury and obstruction of justice related to his sexual relationship with Lewinsky, a White House intern. He was acquitted of all charges following a trial in the Senate. Bush 43 George W. Bush invited controversy of his own when it emerged in 2003 that administration officials leaked the identity of CIA covert officer Valerie Plame to members of the press. Plame was married to Joseph Wilson, a former diplomat and staunch critic of the Iraq War. Attorney General John Ashcroft recused himself from investigating the matter and handed the decision off to then-deputy attorney general James Comey. Comey appointed US attorney Patrick Fitzgerald as special prosecutor in charge of overseeing the probe. No one was charged with leaking Plame's identity to the press, but Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby, known as Scooter Libby, was charged and convicted of obstruction of justice and lying. Bush eventually commuted Libby's sentence. Obama He probably doesn't need any introduction, he is apparently the biggest music producer from this side of the world. Anything he touches turns to gold! Born Michael Collins Ajereh in Umuahia, Abia State, Don Jazzy attended the Federal Government College Lagos. After which he enrolled in Business Management Studies at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo state. His journey towards music started in 2000 when he visited London and his uncle had invited him to play the drums for the local church. Don Jazzy later went on to work with Solek, JJC, Kas, The 419 Squad and D'Banj. He later created the record label, 'Mo' Hits' with D'banj and signed other artists like Wande Coal, Dr. Sid, D'Prince on its label. Don Jazzy was responsible for D'banj's "The Entertainer" album and Wande Coal's "Mushin to Mo'hits" album is said to be one of the best album to have ever been made in Nigeria. After parting ways with D'banj in 2012, Don Jazzy formed the Mavin Record Label with new acts like ReekadoBanks, Korede Bello, D'ija. Don Jazzy has been able to make these new names to become international superstars. The channel which is called Teen Africa Television will launch online by the end of November and on cable in April 2018. Teen Africa Television is expected to feature 100% content. Novia revealed this with a photo of himself alongside one of the Teen Africa TV presenters, Ide. "After years of hard work and sleepless nights, with the journey still far from being over, my channel, TEEN AFRICA TELEVISION prepares to launch in a two-phased plan by the end of November," Novia wrote. "I still need money ooo to finish. Make God touch one rich person heart to find me some kuza. Lol. But it's so much joy to know the dream is now a reality." The Commissioner of Police, Mr David Akinremi, disclosed this while presenting the suspects corpse to newsmen in Jalingo. He said a G3 rifle with 10 rounds of ammunition, and a band of criminal charm were recovered from the deceased, while other members of his gang fled the scene with multiple injuries. Akinremi said the command had intensified efforts to arrest the criminals still at large, urging residents of Takum and Wukari areas to report to the police anyone found with gunshot injuries. I enjoin you to watch out for people with gunshot injuries around Takum and Wukari axis as they may be members of the notorious gang. Such information will be treated with confidentiality, the commissioner assured. While Uzor who had done everything possible to have a child is gloating over the news, Nnamdi is not very comfortable about the whole situation. Read his story here: "My name is Nnamdi, a 46-year-old businessman living in Lagos. I have a dirty confession to make and I hope by the time am done, I will have solutions and ways to solve it. I have been married for 15 years now and have four children but now my best friend and business partner's wife is currently carrying my baby. Uzor has been married for 10 years with no child and that has always caused problems in their marriage as his family keeps blaming the woman for her inability to have a child. Uzor too believes his wife is the problem and has made several attempts to send her packing but I always intervene, telling him that God is the one who gives babies. I have also told him to seek medical attention or even try some fertility drugs but being a conservative man, he refused. To prove his manliness, Uzor has slept with different women and none of them has been able to get pregnant and when I point this out to him, he will take offense and say I was either mocking him or taking sides with the wife. In her desperation to have a baby and keep her home, his wife, Ngozi, has done a lot to no avail. There is no known fertility hospital she has not visited in Lagos, all to no avail. About six months ago, Uzor and Ngozi got into a serious fight and he beat her mercilessly and sent her out of his house in the middle of the night. Naturally, my place was where she ran to and all attempts by me and my wife to beg Uzor to take her back fell on deaf ears. Ngozi ended up spending three weeks in our house and that was when the devil did his trick and we had sex like three times and now, the pregnancy is the result of the devil's intervention. I cannot but blame myself for falling into such a temptation but then, the deed has been done. I feel bad when Uzor would thump his chest and claim that he is now a man as his wife is finally going to make him a father. Uzor would gather his friends, buy us drinks and pepper soup as he prepares for fatherhood. Ngozi has been begging me to keep her secret and save her marriage but my conscience would not let me be. What if the baby resembles me, would Uzor and his people notice that? Ngozi says in the eventually of the baby resembling me, she will explain that it is because we are very close. My other fear is if Uzor decides to go for a paternity test when the baby is born and it turns out to be mine, what will happen to us and our business? I am very confused. Nnamdi." The teaser for the day was: What do you think Nnamdi should do? How Nigeria voted: Nnamdi should keep the secret so as to protect Uzor's marriage - 38% Nnamdi should confess to Uzor what he did and beg him to keep the secret - 31% Nnamdi should make Ngozi get an abortion - 5% Nnamdi should confess to his wife and beg her for forgiveness - 27% Decades after, it has been made known through available data that the rate at which sexually transmitted disease spreads in Nigeria is alarming. Although one would like to think that this should be a thing of concern to only city dwellers, it suffices to say that there is a rapid movement of these diseases to rural areas as well. As a matter of fact, it can be argued that owing to lack of proper orientation with regards to STDs, the situation in rural areas is as worse as it is in urban areas. However, if we're serious as a people in any way whatsoever, this issue should have been taken seriously enough to attract government attention to initiate necessary control measures to prevent those consequences that cannot be separated from these diseases. But we also know that to depend on government is to leave the lives of both old and young Nigerians at risk, that's why we're taking it upon ourselves to create the awareness of the most prevalent STDs in Nigeria. Here are six common sexually transmitted diseases in Nigeria 1. Chlamydia Listed as one of the most common diseases that can be transmitted sexually, chlamydia is a bacterial infection that is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. Early-stage of this disease usually comes with no sign or symptoms, therefore, making Chlamydia difficult to detect. And when they do occur, it takes one to three weeks after you've been exposed to chlamydia. The signs and symptoms seem to be always mild and passing, making them easy to overlook. 2. Gonorrhea Gonorrhea is not only a common infection in Nigeria, it is also one of the serious STDs that threaten our wellbeing. Caused by the bacterium known as Neisseria Gonorrhea, gonorrhea is a bacterial infection of the genital tract. Surprisingly, the bacteria can also grow in the mouth, throat, eyes, and anus. Usually, gonorrhea symptoms start appearing within ten days after exposure. But various studies have shown that there are rare cases of people experiencing signs and symptoms, months after infection. 3. Syphilis Syphilis is another serious transmitted disease that has the tendency of becoming deadly if not treated beforehand. Caused by the bacterium known as Treponema Pallidum, research shows that syphilis has increased over time. And this is believed to be happening because the starting of this disease goes undetected. Syphilis is likely to attack the heart, brain and nearly all internal organs as time goes on. 4. Trichomoniasis Trichomoniasis is an infection of the vagina for women and the urethra for men. It is caused by microscopic parasites called Trichomonas vaginalis. It is mostly contracted through sexual intercourse. Additionally, it can be spread by bathing suits, towels, and washcloths shared by an infected individual. The parasite is capable of living outside the body for hours. And when trichomoniasis causes symptoms, they may appear within five to twenty-eight days of exposure and range from mild irritation to severe inflammation. 5. Herpes Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) that can be gotten by any sexually active person. Usually, the herpes virus causes sores that appear on the vaginal area, penis and/or the anus. It can, sometimes, appear around the mouth. Herpes can only be suppressed but it never goes away. It can return, and it is contagious even when there are no visible sores. ALSO READ: Most common HIV symptoms in men Upon observation, a patient can have from four to seven flare-ups each year. 6. HIV HIV which is the most dreaded of them all is an infection with the human immunodeficiency virus that interferes with the body's ability to fight off viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Most times, if not properly managed, it can lead to AIDS, a chronic, life-threatening disease. Note: Latasha Ngwube's About That Curvy Life Collective (ATCL) is set for a second outing revealing Osuare, Nori Clothing and Assian by Matiu Idang as designers presenting this year. The collective set out to cater to the plus size modelling industry debuted at the 2016 LFDW and only recently at the Glitz Africa Fashion Week. ALSO READ:Get ready for fashion week in Lagos ATCL seeks to promote body positivity and size inclusion on the runway; making obvious every woman has a right to want to feel beautiful, confident and stylish at whatever size. A brainchild of TV host/media personality Latasha Ngwube, ATCL is slowly giving a voice to the plus size industry which has gotten attention all over the world in recent times; We are extremely proud of the historical success The About That Curvy Life Collective achieved in 2016. Launched at The Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week 2016, we made history as the first plus size fashion show on an international fashion runway in Africa. This eventually led to our invitation to make history in Ghana by taking The Collective to the Glitz Africa Fashion Week 2017, Accra, Ghana" Ngwube shares. Apart from also tapping into the profitable industry- studies revealed in 2016 Americans spent around $20.4 billion on plus size clothing- ATCL is set to position the plus size fashion industry as a hugely successful one in Nigeria. ALSO READ:Exploring the African fashion narrative through craftsmanship at LFDW When I look around at the women and men in my life, my parents, my siblings, my friends, I cant help but imagine that a sizeable amount of that money can be attributed to sales from plus-size clothing. What strikes me even more is the possibility, in light of the dearth of plus size brands in the country, which the majority of money spent on plus size clothes are on imported items. As the nation looks to curb imports and promote exports, and as Nigerian fashion brands, in the midst of increasing competition, struggle to create and communicate unique value propositions, plus size fashion merits serious consideration Ngwube shares about making the industry a profitable one. About That Curvy Life is set to debut Abuja based NORI by Uga Akinbode and Lagos based Osuare by Osuare Egbuonu with Assian by Matiu Idang also making a comeback on the runway via the collective. Osuare is an eponymous brand, a cosmopolitan African women's wear brand that caters to the needs of women of all shapes and sizes. Osuare Egbuonu specialises in the use of hand-painted and hand-dyed prints. Her pieces are edgy, reflecting originality and heritage. Nori Clothing owned by Uga Akinbode is an Abuja based woman clothing brand known for ready to wear and bespoke pieces. The Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, said this in a statement by his media aide Sarah Sanders on Monday in Abuja. The reports had quoted Onyeama as saying that there was a request for the extradition of some of the Turks in Nigeria who have been given asylum to remain in Nigeria and recognised by the UN as political refugees and the Turkish government requested that we extradite some of them. There was also a request that the schools and hospitals established by Gulen Movement should be closed in Nigeria. They now labelled them Fethtulah (FETO) as a terrorists organisation. It also quoted Onyeama as saying that President Buhari assured President Erdogan that Nigeria would not allow its territory to be used as a breeding ground for any terrorist or group of individuals with the aim of destabilising Turkey. The point was made and Mr President with regard to the Gulen movement that under no circumstances would Nigeria allow itself to be a base for the destabilisation of Turkey." The minister said that Nigeria did not enter into any agreement with any nation to extradite its nationals. He assured all foreigners living in Nigeria legally that their protection is guaranteed. For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry wishes to state in clear terms that, no such agreement was entered into. In a counter to the lawmaker's application filed before Justice Binta Nyako to be discharged as a surety in the bail bond of the IPOB leader, prosecuting counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran, has accused Senator Abaribe of shielding Kanu from the court. He accused the lawmaker of being slow to withdraw his bail bond particularly after Kanu started to violate his bail conditions before September 11 when Abaribe said they last had contact. Describing Abaribe's application as 'belated and ill-timed', Labaran accused the lawmaker of aiding and abetting Kanu to violate his bail conditions. He said, "The applicant failed to apply to the court timeously, stating on oath that the defendant bound by recognizance to appear before this court had violated the bail condition given by this court. "My lord, the surety has failed woefully to abide by the terms of the contract he entered into with this court and therefore cannot claim frustration. "My lord, we urge that the court hold, that surety having refused to do what he ought to have done pursuant to section 174 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 aided and abetted the 1st defendant in the flouting of the bail conditions of this court and should forfeit the bond he entered into." The counter-affidavit further dismissed the claims that Kanu is secretly in the custody of the Nigerian government, alleging that only Abaribe can account for his whereabouts. It read, "That the 1st defendant is not in the custody of the Nigerian military or any other security agency in that regard. "That the 1st defendant is in custody of the applicant (Abaribe)." Kanu failed to show up for the commencement of his treason trial in Abuja on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 as he has not been seen in public since September 14 after the military's alleged invasion of his father's home in Umuahia. While his three co-defendants were present in court during the commencement of the case on Tuesday, Kanu's counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, announced the appearance of the IPOB leader, but alleged that he is in custody of the government. While condemning Kanu's failure to appear as "a grave violation of the order of this court", Mr. Labaran, urged Justice Nyako to revoke his bail and order the three sureties that facilitated his release to "show cause why the bail bond of N100m entered into by each shall not be forfeited or they be committed to prison." During the court proceedings, Senator Abaribe's counsel, Mr. Ogechi Ogunna, filed an application for the lawmaker to be discharged as Kanu's surety, an application that was turned down by the court. Justice Nyako said the lawmaker's only options are to either produce the defendant, forfeit his N100 million bail bond or ask for time to produce Kanu. Senator Abaribe's counsel opted to ask the court for more time to produce the IPOB leader despite claiming in his application that he "cannot reasonably be expected to produce the second respondent before this court at any subsequent date." The lawmaker has until November 20 when the trial resumes. Kanu was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in 2015 and he spent two years in custody until he was granted bail on health grounds in April 2017. The Chairman of the committee and Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Francis Alimikhena, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, October 23. He also accused police officers of paying millions of naira to the Idris for special promotions. The Senator further said IGP impregnated some policewomen and promoted them. The IGP has since denied all the allegations as the Federal Government filed a suit against the senator for the accusations. "Senator Isah Hamman Misau will appear before the committee on Tuesday to answer to questions that will come up after his presentation. From there, we will take the next step," the committee chairman said. The Nigeria Police Force had in-turn accused Misau, who was a Deputy Superintendent of Police, of unceremoniously leaving the Force to avoid the pending disciplinary action against him. ALSO READ: Senator Misau attacks Police boss on live TV The Force alleged that the Senator refused to proceed on Junior Command Course 49/2008 at Staff College in Jos between January 5, 2009, and June 19, 2009. On Monday, October 23, 2017, Metuh's counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), told Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja that he will subpoena the former president after he refused to reply a request letter. Despite the ruling of the Court of Appeal that ordered for the appearance of detained former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki,as a witness in the trial, the Department of State Service (DSS) failed to produce him on Monday. Dasuki's counsel, Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN), appeared before Justice Abang to oppose the request to compel his client to testify as Metuh's defence witness. While reacting to Dasuki's non-appearance, Dr. Ikpeazu, notified the court of the defence team's intention to get former President Jonathan to testify in the courtroom. He said, "We have another witness on subpoena, and at the end of the evidence of this another witness, we will take a decision on whether or not the first defendant (Metuh) will testify. "The other witness we want to subpoena is Goodluck Jonathan, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. "We wrote him a letter but he did not respond and our plan will be to apply for the subpoena after the first application (for subpoena to be issued on Dasuki)." After the proceedings on Monday, Justice Abang signed a draft of the subpoena requiring the former president to appear before the court on Wednesday, October 25. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited, on a seven-count charge bordering on fraud and money laundering. Akande said that during the visit Osinbajo would address the plenary of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Beneficial Ownership Conference taking place in Jakarta, Indonesia, from October 23 to October 24. According to the statement, the Vice President will speak on a range of issues concerning Nigerias extractive industry and general reforms embarked upon by the Buhari administration in the extractive sector of the economy, among other issues. Other dignitaries scheduled to speak at the event include the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo; Minister of National Development Planning in Indonesia, Bambang Brodjonegoro; EITI Chair, Fredrik Reinfeldt. This years conference would focus on using beneficial ownership information to achieve national priorities for the extractive sector and to improve natural resource governance with the theme: "Opening up ownership sharing practice, building systems." The conference was hosted by the Government of Indonesia and other partners committed to working on beneficial ownership reform to showcase best practices so far. The conference also would discuss challenges, provide peer learning and exchange experiences. According to the organisers, the conference is coming in the aftermath of the Panama papers scandal that implicated some highly placed individuals with links to the extractive sector across the world. The EITI last year agreed to adopt new rules on disclosing beneficial ownership for all extractive companies operating in its 52 member-countries. Nigeria joined the EITI to promote prudent management of revenues from its abundant natural resources to reduce poverty and ensure sustainable development. The NEITI is the Nigerian national sub-set of the global EITI, while the Buhari administration is renowned globally for its position on anti-graft issues, and its campaign against corruption. The EITI has held a global conference at least every three years since 2003, bringing together all stakeholders of the EITI with no fewer than seven conferences held till date. While in Jakarta, the Vice President would hold bilateral talks with his Indonesian counterpart, Jusuf Kalla, and would also be hosted to a state reception by the government of Indonesia. Osinbajo would also meet with representatives of the Indonesian business community, the Chairman, International Board of EITI, and African Group of Ambassadors accredited to Indonesia. The wanted ex-pension reforms chairman had fled Nigeria in 2015 after he was indicted for allegedly perpetrating fraud amounting to N2 billion. Surprisingly, when he later returned to the country, he was posted to the Ministry of Interior based on the recommendation of the Head of Service and was given double promotion. In a latest development, the spokesman for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on Sunday, October 22, said that Maina is still wanted. Uwujaren, however, declined to comment further when asked if Maina would be arrested by the Commission. But a picture of Maina being declared wanted remains on the EFCC website, www.efccnigeria.org. The information of the website reads: "The public is hereby notified that Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the EFCC for offences bordering on procurement fraud and obtaining by false pretences. "Dark-complexioned Maina is allegedly complicit in the over N2bn pensions biometric scam in the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation. He remains at large after charges were filed against his accomplices. "Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should contact the commission in its Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices." Reacting to the development, PACAC chairman, Sagay said Maina's case cannot be swept under the cover given the gravity of his alleged offences. "This man was accused of embezzling billions of naira meant for pensioners who had spent all their lives serving this country. One man took the money they should rely on in their declining years, subjecting them to misery and hopelessness. "This is a moral and criminal issue. So, to hear that the man is in the country and somebody employed him means he is not the only criminal in the system. It means there is an accessory. "Whoever was involved in employing him and then giving him promotion is an accessory after the fact to the crimes committed by this man if it is established that he is culpable. I dont see why he escaped if he was not guilty. "The EFCC should not just say they are aware; they should take action. The EFCC should now arrest him, interrogate him and if they can establish a case, prosecute him. They should also investigate all those involved in the reabsorbing and promotion of this man. "If it established that they brought him back into the civil service despite knowledge of the mans alleged crimes, they are also accessories after the fact and should also be arrested and prosecuted." In his reaction, human rights lawyer, Falana urged the EFCC to speedily prosecute Maina over alleged N100 billion pension fraud for which he was declared wanted for years. He also called for the arrest of the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, and the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, for allegedly shielding the suspect from prosecution. He said, "Mr. Maina was declared wanted by the EFCC because of his indictment in a pension scam. Now that he has been located, the EFCC has a duty to charge him without any further delay. "The Head of Service and interior minister who shielded him from prosecution ought to be charged with aiding and abetting the felon. "Those who recalled and promoted the fugitive ought to be sanctioned by President Buhari to serve as a deterrent to others who may wish to sabotage the war against corruption." The Minister of Interior has, however, denied involvement in the restatement and promotion of Maina. Obiechina filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before Justice Mohammed Idris, complaining about how the police unlawfully kept him in custody while they were conducting investigations into Evans' crimes. In his ruling on Monday, October 23, 2017, Justice Idris declared Obiechina's arrest and detention by the police to be unlawful and ordered the police to either release him unconditionally or promptly charge him to court if he has any case to answer. He ruled the remand order the police claimed to have obtained from a magistrate's court as invalid and asked them to publish a public apology to Obiechina in two national daily newspapers, and pay him N2 million in damages. Obiechina was arrested by two police officers on June 26 and has been held in a detention cell since then without any official criminal charges filed against him. As a result, Obiechina and his wife, Nzube, filed a lawsuit against the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the Nigeria Police, and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the state.While Justice Idris was ruling on the case, Evans appeared before Justice Oloruntoyin Taiwo of the Igbosere division of the Lagos High Court early on Monday on fresh charges of conspiracy and attempted kidnap. ALSO READ: Evans to answer to fresh charges in Lagos court on Friday The fresh charges are separate from the ones already filed against him before the Ikeja division of the court, where he pleaded 'not guilty' to two-count charges of conspiracy and kidnapping before Justice Hakeem Oshodi last week. Evans was arrested by a combined team of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Anti-Kidnap Unit of the Lagos State Police Command at one of his Magodo Phase II GRA, Lagos, home on Saturday, June 10, 2017. In a report by ThisDay, the Chairman, South-south Governors Forum, said: You have to create a platform for people to ventilate their feelings. I dont believe that you will have a majority of people in any party of this country that will decide to break up the country. No! As I always say, Nigerias unity is desirable, but stop telling me its not negotiable. Continuing, Dickson said: Until now, our own colonial masters, UK, is still dealing with its own issues of restructuring and devolution of powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Island. Last year, the Scots had a referendum on whether they should be an independent nation or not, heavens did not fall." The governor also stated that he disagrees with the President's stand on restructuring saying for a balanced, stable and united Nigeria, we need to review the structure of the country. The present attitude of the federal government and the president to the issue of restructuring is something I disagree with. I am not like other politicians. I stand with my people. As an Ijaw man, a Niger Delta man and a Nigerian progressive, I believe that this country has to have a meeting and discuss how we can make Nigeria more stable, prosperous and therefore a Nigeria that can last," he said. ALSO READ: Thugs attack Bayelsa Governor Seriake Dickson The governor also said agitations are normal as every country in the world is an artificial creation. Lamido made this known in a letter dated October 22, 2017, which was sent to members of the Peoples Democratic Party. In the letter, the former governor said all the opposition party will and must lead the nation back into a bright, progressive, and innovative future. The letter read in part, Today, 57 years after the independence of our dear country, can we in all sincerity claim to have achieved the dream of our founding fathers? Where did we fail and from where did we begin to fail? Nigeria with its natural endowment and human capacity cannot be forgiven for being otherwise. We cannot even demonstrate our ability and capacity to meet domestic, regional and global challenges which currently seems to overwhelm us. The PDP will and must lead the nation back into a bright, progressive, and innovative future,Lamido, who has yet to officially declare his intention said that the PDP must rekindle in Nigeria a new hope, a nation of united people with a common and assured destiny. To the world, Nigeria must demonstrate our confidence, tenacity in our ability and capability to address our domestic regional and global challenges that confront us. It is against this background that I offer myself to vie for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019 if my party finds me worthy to fly its flag, he wrote. Lamido also noted that he expected more aspirants to express their desires to fly the PDP flag for the 2019 election. ALSO READ: Sule Lamido wants to be president in 2019 He also said though he isn't claiming to be the only capable candidate but he prays and hopes the process of choosing the party's flagbearer is fair, transparent and credible. He said, I am no means claiming to be the only capable material, any PDP member given the trust and support can fly our flag, and I expect many more aspirants will express the desire to run. My hope and prayer is that at the end of all the process which I hope will be open, fair transparent and credible is to give Nigeria in 2019 candidate who will lead the party and Nigeria. This is because there is no alternative to PDP in 2019, it will be a defining moment in the Nigerian political evolution." Ebtisam al-Saegh was released late Sunday pending her trial on "terrorism" charges, Amnesty International and the Bahrain Institute for Human Rights (BIRD) said. Two other activists, Radhi al-Qatari and Mohammed al-Shakhoori, were also released until their trials on similar charges, BIRD said. London-based Amnesty International confirmed the charges against Saegh had not been dropped. Bahrain's justice ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Saegh was detained in July after retweeting a series of posts critical of Bahrain's king and its security agency and charged later the same month with "terrorism". Her detention prompted warnings from rights groups she was at risk of torture, after Saegh accused Bahraini security services of torture and sexual assault during a previous arrest in May. In April, Bahrain's parliament approved military courts trying civilians charged with "terrorism", a vaguely defined legal term in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. Authorities have cracked down on political dissent since a wave of protests erupted in 2011 demanding an elected government in the Shiite-majority country. A key US ally located between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Bahrain is home to the US Fifth Fleet and a British military base that is still under construction. "Yesterday there was a fully-fledged coup against Catalan institutions," said Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull. "What happens now, with everyone in agreement and unity, is that we will announce what we will do and how," he told Catalunya Radio. Rajoy has taken Spain into uncharted legal waters by moving to wrest back powers from the semi-autonomous region, which could see Madrid take control of the Catalan police force and replace its public media chiefs. The move sparked outrage among separatists, with nearly half a million taking to the streets of regional capital Barcelona on Saturday and Puigdemont declaring Rajoy guilty of "the worst attack on institutions and Catalan people" since the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Among other repressive measures, Franco -- who ruled from 1939 until 1975 -- took Catalonia's powers away and banned official use of the Catalan language. Though Catalans are deeply split on whether to break away from Spain, autonomy remains a sensitive issue in the northeastern region of 7.5 million people, which fiercely defends its language and culture and has previously enjoyed control over its policing, education and healthcare. Rajoy said he had no choice but to force Puigdemont out by triggering never-before-used constitutional powers, as the Catalan leader refuses to drop his threat to declare a breakaway state. Spain's Senate is set to approve the measures by the end of next week. Rajoy's conservative Popular Party (PP) holds a majority in the upper house, while other major parties also back his efforts to prevent a break-up of the nation. What now? In a crisis that has sent jitters through one of Spain's most important regional economies and rattled stock markets, Rajoy has ordered fresh elections to be called within six months of the Senate hearing, which would see a vote by mid-June at the latest. Separatist parties of all political stripes, from Puigdemont's conservatives to the far-left, have dominated the Catalan parliament since the last election in 2015, holding 72 seats out of 135. Ahead of a meeting of Catalan parties Monday to organise a crucial session of the regional parliament to debate next steps, Turull insisted on RAC1 radio that elections were "not on the table". Political analysts warn that Madrid faces a serious struggle in practical terms to impose control over the region. Potential scenarios include Catalan police and civil servants refusing to obey orders from central authorities. "What is going to happen if they don't abide by it?" said Xavier Arbos Marin, a constitutional law professor at the University of Barcelona, raising the prospect of the government trying to "take them out by force". He said there is fierce debate among experts over whether the government's actions are even legal. Independence supporters may also seek to scupper the plans through civil disobedience, such as surrounding regional ministries to thwart officials sent by Madrid. "If police try to enter one of the Catalan institutions, there will be peaceful resistance," said Ruben Wagensberg, spokesman for new activist group En Pie de Paz. 'Group of rebels' Asked if Puigdemont will be arrested if he shows up for work, Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis tried to strike a reassuring tone. "We are not going to arrest anyone," he told BBC television, dismissing the idea of the army having to be brought in to enforce order. But he warned that if Puigdemont's government keeps trying to give orders, "they will be equal to any group of rebels trying to impose their own arbitrariness on the people of Catalonia". Puigdemont says 90 percent backed a split from Spain in the referendum, but turnout was given as 43 percent as many anti-independence Catalans stayed away from a vote that was declared illegal by the courts. The 27-year-old went overboard and was later found by divers at a depth of six metres, the fire service told AFP. Five others, including another Briton, were injured in the incident. Eight friends aged between 20 and 30 -- four French and four British -- were on board the seven metre boat with a pilot aged around 50 when it struck the beacon at 10:45 pm (2045 GMT) on Saturday. Five were taken to local hospitals after the incident, two with serious injuries. An investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances. "Everyone is in shock," police said. "We feel that Europe has not been playing its role," said Jaume Roure, the head of Unitat Catalana which seeks self determination for French Catalans. "As the storms are gathering, we have asked people ... to see if they can host the Catalan government and those people who are forced to leave," he said, speaking of Perpignan, the capital of France's Pyrenees-Orientales department which acts as a bridge between Barcelona and the south of France. The region was for centuries a part of Catalonia and only became French in the latter half of the 17th century. Three years later, the stocky prime minister with a close-cut white beard has transformed what many in Iraq considered "mission impossible" into a success story. He has rebuilt the crumbling armed forces, chased IS from more than 90 percent of territory it had seized -- around a third of Iraq -- and retaken disputed areas in the north from Kurdish peshmerga fighters. "The standard view of Abadi was that he was indecisive, weak and bit too conciliatory for Iraqi politics," says Fanar Haddad, a research fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore. When Abadi took over from Nuri al-Maliki he faced huge challenges, including rampant corruption, poor infrastructure, falling oil prices and the jihadist threat. Abadi was up against "the world's hardest job", says Sajad Jiyad, director of the Baghdad-based independent Al-Bayan Centre for Planning and Studies. But dressed in military garb or suit and tie, Abadi over time announced several military victories while trying to battle corruption by rolling out sweeping reform. His policies won him supporters. "He is the best prime minister in Iraq's history. He speaks little but acts a lot," one of Abadi's 2.5 million followers on Facebook recently wrote. Analysts say Abadi has succeeded where other Iraqi premiers failed. "His calm and conciliatory manner and his openness to dealing with a broad array of actors (inside and outside Iraq) stand in stark contrast to his predecessor," says Haddad. A recent survey carried out by an Iraqi polling institute found the Shiite premier has a "75 percent approval rating", even including Iraq's Sunni minority, Jiyad notes. From exile to politics A member of the Dawa party, Abadi was born in 1952 in a wealthy Baghdad district but lived in exile for much of Saddam Hussein's rule, including in Britain where he earned a doctorate in engineering from the University of Manchester. Two of Abadi's brothers were arrested and executed by Saddam's regime for membership of the Dawa party, which opposed his rule, while a third was imprisoned for a decade on the same charge. Abadi returned to Iraq after Saddam's overthrow in 2003 and was communications minister in the interim government set up after the dictator's fall. In 2006 he was elected to parliament, chairing an economy, investment and reconstruction committee and then a finance committee. He was voted deputy parliament speaker in July 2014, before being tapped to form the government a month later. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment since then was to rebuild the Iraqi police and army which had been weakened by decades of conflicts, including the 2003 US-led invasion. Abadi succeeded in remobilising tens of thousands of force members with help from Iraq's allies, including the United States, which stepped in to train and equip them. Under his command, Iraq's forces chased IS jihadists from more than 90 percent of the territory they had seized, dealing a major blow to the group's self-proclaimed "caliphate". And earlier this month, Iraq's army retook Kurdish-held positions in and around Kirkuk province, outside the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. International player These achievements have transformed Abadi into a hero, almost worshipped by many Iraqis. "Today there seems to be a bit of a cult following growing around Abadi," says Haddad. "One hopes it doesn't go to his head; after all, Maliki in 2008-2009 was in a similar place to where Abadi is today," he adds. Analysts say Abadi won the day thanks to his step-by-step approach. He also embarked on a battle against corruption and under his tenure several officials have been arrested and tried for graft. Jiyad notes that Abadi also "deftly positioned Iraq on the international stage" and succeeded in securing the support of international allies. Diplomats based in Baghdad describe Abadi as someone who knows how to establish himself and command respect. On Sunday, Abadi visited Saudi Arabia in a bid to ease years of tension between Shiite-majority Baghdad and the Sunni-ruled kingdom. The trip -- which Haddad says would have been "unthinkable" under Maliki -- is seen as another diplomatic coup for Abadi, whose government is allied with Saudi rival Iran. But despite his many achievements, "it is important to recognise the limits on what Abadi can do", says Haddad. Jakarta has demanded an explanation for the incident after General Gatot Nurmantyo -- who is believed to harbour presidential ambitions -- was refused boarding in Jakarta by the US Customs and Border Protection agency. Nurmantyo had been invited to Washington by the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph F. Dunford, America's highest-ranking military officer, where he was due to attend a conference. Erin Elizabeth McKee, acting deputy ambassador to Jakarta, told reporters there were "absolutely no issues" with the general's ability to visit the US. "General Gatot is able to travel, there are no restrictions, the United States welcomed his participation in the conference that General Dunford invited him to," she said. Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said the US ambassador had apologised, but had offered no explanation. "We have told them that we still demand a clarification and explanation on why the incident happened, we told them we are still waiting," she said. Nurmantyo will not attend the conference unless this clarification is received, the military said. "If there has been a mistake, there must be an apology, not to the military commander but to the government," a military spokesman said. Since being appointed armed forces chief by President Joko Widodo in July 2015, Nurmantyo has been at the centre of several controversies. Earlier this year he abruptly suspended all military cooperation with Australia in a row over teaching materials, and he has been rebuked by members of President Joko Widodo's cabinet for making misleading public remarks. The conclusion of the conflict ended immediate fears that IS would establish a Southeast Asian base in the southern city of Marawi. But concerns remained about its longer-term intentions and capabilities for the region. "We now announce the termination of all combat operations in Marawi," Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Clark, a northern Philippine city. "There are no more militants inside Marawi city." Hundreds of local and foreign gunmen who had pledged allegiance to IS rampaged through Marawi, the principal Islamic city in the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23. They then took over parts of the city using civilians as human shields. An ensuing US-backed military campaign claimed the lives of at least 920 militants, 165 soldiers and 47 civilians, according to the military. More than 400,000 residents were displaced as near-daily air strikes and intense ground combat left large parts of the city in ruins. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte travelled to Marawi on Tuesday last week and declared the city had been "liberated", a day after the Southeast Asian leader for IS, a Filipino militant named Isnilon Hapilon, was shot dead there. However the continued fighting in subsequent days raised questions over whether the city was indeed free of militants. "The presence of the Maute-ISIS was confined to two buildings: one of them a mosque," armed forces chief General Eduardo Ano told reporters on Monday as he explained the situation in Marawi following Duterte's liberation proclamation. "That is where the last fighting occurred and that is the place where we rescued (an) additional 20 hostages. "In that fighting, we gave the chance for these militants and terrorists to surrender. But they fought to the last breath so we had no choice." The bodies of 42 militants were recovered after the final battle, including two women and five foreigners, according to Ano, who spoke at the same briefing as Lorenzana in Clark. Hiding in basements, mosques Hapilon, who was on the US government's list of most wanted terrorists, was killed along with one of group's other leaders, Omarkhayam Maute, according to the military. The militants had been able to defy the relentless bombing raids that destroyed entire neighbourhoods by sheltering in basements and travelling through tunnels, according to the military. The military had also said its opponents hid inside mosques, and that soldiers had been ordered not to bomb or fire artillery at such buildings. The Philippines' Muslim minority regards the southern Philippines as its ancestral homeland. Muslim rebels have been battling in the south since the 1970s for independence or autonomy, with that conflict claiming at least 120,000 lives. The nation's biggest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, is in talks with the government to end the rebellion, and its leaders regularly denounce IS. But there are more extreme groups with no interest in peace, some of which were originally part of the MILF. Hapilon and Maute led small armed groups that declared their allegiance to IS in recent years, and they formed an alliance aimed at taking over Marawi and establishing a regional caliphate for the Middle East-based jihadists. Duterte imposed martial law across the southern third of the Philippines immediately after the Marawi fighting erupted, saying it was needed to contain IS's influence spreading throughout the region. When asked on Monday whether marital law would be lifted, Lorenzana said a decision had not yet been made. US Defence Secretary James Mattis on Monday praised the Philippines for its success. Secessionist sentiment in the two wealthy regions is restricted to fringe groups with little following. Nonetheless, with both regions expected to vote in favour of the principle of greater autonomy, analysts see the referendums as reflecting the pressures that resulted in Scotland's narrowly-defeated independence vote, Britain's decision to leave the EU and the Catalan crisis. At midday (1000 GMT) voter turnout -- which will have a critical bearing on the significance of the results -- stood at 10 percent in Lombardy and just over 21 percent in Veneto. The participation rate has to pass 50 percent in Veneto for the result to be considered valid. There is no threshold in Lombardy but a low turnout would weaken the region's hand in any subseque negotiations with the central government. "I'm happy that thousands, I hope millions, of voters in Veneto and Lombardy are asking for closer and more effective politics with less bureaucracy and waste," said Matteo Salvini, leader of the Northern League which had pushed for the referendums. New powers European Parliament chief Antonio Tajani on Sunday took care to distinguish between Catalan's chaotic independence referendum, deemed illegal by Madrid, and the votes in Italy. "First of all these two referendums are legitimate, that was not the case in Catalonia," he told the Rome daily Il Messaggero. "In Spain, it is not about autonomy, but a proclamation of independence in defiance of the rule of law and against the Spanish constitution." He said Europe should "fear" the spread of small nations: "It is not by degrading nationhood that we reinforce Europe." Lombardy, which includes Milan, and Veneto, which houses Venice, are home to around a quarter of Italy's population and account for 30 percent of its overall economic output. With dynamic economies and lower unemployment and welfare costs than the Italian average, both regions are large net contributors to a central state widely regarded as inefficient at best. "Our taxes should be spent here, not in Sicily," says Giuseppe Colonna, an 84-year-old Venetian. Fiscal rebalancing will be a top priority for Veneto president Luca Zaia and his Lombardy counterpart Roberto Maroni if the votes go their way. Lombardy sends 54 billion euros more in taxes to Rome than it gets back in public spending. Veneto's net contribution is 15.5 billion euros. The two regions would like to roughly halve those contributions -- a concession the cash-strapped state, labouring under a mountain of debt, can ill afford. The two regional presidents, both members of the far-right Northern League, plan to ask for more powers over infrastructure, the environment, health and education. They also want new ones relating to security issues and immigration -- steps which would require changes to the constitution. Domino effect The referendums could have a domino effect -- a similar autonomy vote is being debated in Liguria, the region that includes the Riviera coastline, and Emilia Romagna, another wealthy industrial part of the country, is already trying to negotiate more devolved powers. Economist Lorenzo Codogno said Italian unity is not under threat but added: "The issue is likely to spread, and eventually, it will require a generalised approach by the next government and a reform of the constitution." Although the referendums have been driven by the Northern League, which has long abandoned its secessionist principles, the Yes campaign is backed by most of the centre right and sections of the centre left. jpegMpeg4-1280x720Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala, a member of the ruling Democratic Party, says greater self-rule "is an idea shared by everyone, not one that belongs to the League". A substantial body of opinion regards the votes as unnecessary extravagances, at a cost of 50 million euros in Lombardy and 14 million euros in Veneto. Tension has been high on the divided peninsula for months with Pyongyang staging its sixth nuclear test and launching two ICBMs that apparently brought much of the US mainland into range. Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-Un have meanwhile traded threats of war and personal insults. Mattis, on his way to the Philippines for security talks with Southeast Asian defence ministers, said he would discuss the "regional security crisis caused by reckless... North Korea" among other issues. At the forum, Mattis is also expected to hold three-way talks with his counterparts from South Korea and Japan -- key US allies in Asia -- before visiting Seoul for annual defence talks. "We will discuss... how we are going to maintain peace by keeping our militaries alert while our diplomats -- Japanese, South Korean and US -- work with all nations to denuclearise the Korean peninsula," Mattis told reporters on his aircraft. He stressed the international community's goal was to denuclearise the flashpoint region, adding: "There is only one country with nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula." Mattis' visit to Seoul comes ahead of Trump's first presidential trip to Asia next month, which also includes South Korea. All eyes will be on Trump's message to the isolated North. His recent remark that "only one thing will work" with North Korea fuelled concerns of a potential conflict. But even some Trump advisers say US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South Korean capital Seoul -- only around 50 kilometres from the heavily fortified border and home to 10 million people. The defence ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), meeting in the northern Philippine city of Clark ahead of talks with Mattis, issued a strong statement against North Korea on Monday. "(We) express grave concerns over the escalation of tensions in the Korean Peninsula including the testing and launching by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) in addition to its previous nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches," the joint declaration said. "(We) strongly urge the DPRK to immediately comply with its obligations arising from all the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions." "I would go, yes," Carter told the Times in an interview at his home when asked if he would go on such a trip for the Donald Trump administration. The 93-year-old Democrat, who was president from 1977 to 1981, said he had told the Republican president's National Security Advisor HR McMaster that he "was available if they ever need me." In 1994 Carter had traveled to Pyongyang to negotiate with Kim Il-sung, the current leader's grandfather, over the North's nuclear program, the Times said. In recent months President Trump has engaged in an escalating war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, trading personal insults and threatening to "totally destroy" North Korea if it threatens the United States. Asked about the verbal attacks, Carter told the Times he is "afraid, too, of a situation." "I don't know what they'll do," he said of the North Koreans. "Because they want to save their regime." Calling Kim Jong-Un "unpredictable," Carter said he worried the young leader could take pre-emptive action. "I think he's now got advanced nuclear weaponry that can destroy the Korean Peninsula and Japan, and some of our outlying territories in the Pacific, maybe even our mainland," Carter said. "God willing, I will convene the greater city municipal council on Saturday, say farewell to council member friends and give my resignation," Gokcek wrote on Twitter, after meeting with Erdogan at the presidential palace. Bursa mayor Recep Altepe also announced his resignation on Monday, leaving Balikesir mayor Edip Ugur the only one of three mayor not to make a statement about a possible stepdown. Erdogan, who has often noted that parts of the party have suffered from "metal fatigue", is seeking refresh his ruling Justice and Development Party ahead of 2019 elections. Last week, the president clearly said the Ankara mayor would abide by his call. "What's necessary will be done in a short period of time," the president had said, warning that his party would take action against the mayors if they refused to heed the calls. Local elections due in March 2019 will set the tone for a crunch political year, culminating in parliamentary and presidential elections in November. The speculation over Gokcek's position had been on the rise since he met Erdogan early this month. Gokcek has often made outlandish claims on Twitter, where he regularly updates his more than 4 million followers. The outspoken mayor once warned that outside forces could be using sophisticated technology to try to trigger a manmade earthquake in a deliberate bid to harm Turkey's fragile economy. "We cannot force talks among people who are not ready to talk," Tillerson said at a press conference in Doha. "There is not a strong indication that parties are ready to talk yet," he added. "We cannot and will not impose a solution on anyone." Tillerson's comments came after he held talks Sunday in both Riyadh and Doha on a visit that has focused on curbing Iran's influence in the region. It comes just weeks after US President Donald Trump refused to certify the Iran nuclear deal and declared an aggressive new strategy against Tehran. The visit appears aimed in part at boosting Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia's clout in Iraq, where Shiite forces backed by Tehran are fighting in the north, as part of a wider regional battle for influence that extends from Syria to Yemen. Tillerson also aimed to persuade the feuding Gulf states to open dialogue, according to US officials, months into a crisis that has seen Qatar isolated from its neighbours. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt in June announced they had cut all relations with Qatar, accusing Doha of ties to Islamist fundamentalists and Iran. Qatar has denied the allegations and has rejected the conditions of a proposed settlement to the diplomatic and economic boycott. 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 The world over, the topic of globalism rarely fails to elicit a strongly held opinion. At its extreme in Europe, the march of globalization is accepted as a near-inevitability: In that view, it is no longer merely a path that should be taken, but the inexorable destination of humanity. As such, there is little room for assessing, much less understanding, alternative perceptions about the structure of the world, either internationally or domestically. Whether talking with a German economist, a British investor or an expatriate businessman in Spain, there is a near-bewilderment as to why anyone would want to pursue nationalism over globalism. As such, the bump in popularity for the Alternative for Germany party, the independence referendum in Catalonia and the Brexit are all seen as anti-historical trends. To them, the European Union remains the moral and political compass for the world, the guiding principle upon which the nation-state will be subsumed and a new global society will emerge. In Asia, globalization is seen as a potential path, but not an inevitable one, and is viewed more often in economic than political terms. The nation-state firmly remains the unit of political and social organization, and while there are numerous initiatives to enhance cooperation among national entities, there is little movement toward the creation of a pan-national umbrella along the lines of the European Union. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), one of the most aggressive Asian attempts at pan-national cooperation, explicitly promotes a policy of noninterference in national politics, recognizing the very different systems in each member country, rather than seeking to replace them with a regionwide political and economic structure. Over the past 12 months, I have engaged with business leaders, government officials, researchers and members of the media in London, Berlin, Paris, Rome, Barcelona and The Hague, and in Auckland, Seoul, Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore. Over the course of those discussions, a distinct difference in worldview between the "elites" of Europe and those of Asia became apparent. I use the word elite loosely here to describe the thin layer of society with the economic and social freedom to observe and assess the world in a manner disconnected from daily life. These are the economists, political scientists and bankers, the pundits, heads of major corporations, politicians and journalists. Their views shape much of the popular narrative, but one that often misses the underlying realities and beliefs held by a large portion of the societies in which they reside. Now, all such broad-brush assessments are, by their nature, simplistic and superficial. There are certainly those in Asia who subscribe to the ideals of extreme globalism, and some among the European elite who recognize clearly that the Continental vision is just that a vision and not an inevitability. But nonetheless, I noted the striking difference in tone between those I met in Europe and those in Asia. In part, the geopolitical developments in each region over the past several decades could explain this dichotomy. Following the end of the Cold War, with the exception of the breakup of Yugoslavia, Europe has experienced perhaps its most stable multidecadal period in centuries. The European experiment appeared to be working. The peace and prosperity that spread across the continent allowed for the European Union to spread in kind, absorbing elements of the former Soviet bloc and even parts of the former Soviet Union itself. In guiding the economic and political directions of individual European nations, the European Union sought to erase the underlying nationalism that had riven Europe for millennia. But that noble goal failed to take into account the realities that remained below the surface. These were exposed dramatically with the global financial crisis in 2008, which forced the differences between the economic, social and political predilections underlying its systems to the surface once again, leaving the Europeans struggling with the growing gap between the globalized ideal and the national realities. Vladimir Putins centralization of power in Moscow over the last 18 years reflects his belief, and that of many others, that the disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)which he has termed the largest geopolitical catastrophe of the [20th] century (Kremlin.ru, April 25, 2005)occurred because the union republics had gained too much power and acquired too many opportunities to pursue an independent course. But now, some Russian critics are saying that the result of concentrating almost all power and authority in Moscow, in and of itself, constitutes a threat to the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation. The Moscow problem is discussed most often in terms of relocating the capital or some of its functions beyond the ring road. Calls for that as a means to reduce the hyper-centralization of Putins Russia are now commonplace, historian Yury Chernyshev pointed out, in an interview with Regnum, although he suggested he is skeptical such proposals will lead to anything, at least in the near term (Regnum, August 21). Still, he argued that something is going to have to be done because, today, all Russia is divided between Moscow and not-Moscow, rendering federalism meaningless and preventing the development of the country. At the same time, there is a real problem that lies behind such talk, the historian said. All Russia now is divided between Moscow and not-Moscow, the result of Kremlin actions that have made federalism meaningless and that have sucked the best and the brightest out of the regions to the center, while allowing them to give orders and demand reports from the subjects. And that, in turn, has led to an even greater bureaucratization of the state apparatus than was the case in Soviet times. This trend has undercut any chance for the country to develop or even survive. Others, like Moscow economist Vladislav Inozemtsev, suggest the problem is not Moscow as such, but rather hyper-centralization. In an article for Snob.ru, he urges for other cities and regions to be made more attractive as places of development. Moreover, he recommends that the country move to genuine federalism in which the regions come together to form the state, rather than having everything imposed top down. The latter approach to governing restricts development and breeds resentment every bit as much as Soviet policies did, Inozemtsevasserts (Snob.ru, August 21). When New Zealands 37-year-old Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern is formally sworn in as Prime Minister there will be some, on both sides of the Tasman, who will try to question her legitimacy. Those doing so will reveal they do not understand New Zealands proportional representation system. This will be the seventh election in a row where more than two parties have combined to form a government in New Zealand. Critics will also demonstrate they have learned nothing from Winston Peters history as the kingmaker in Kiwi politics. Hes done it before. He kept National in power, demanding the deputy prime ministership back in the late 1990s, and he combined with Labour to keep Helen Clarks government in office in 2005, serving as her foreign minister. For Ardern and Labour this is an extraordinary turn-around in political fortunes. Labour was polling so poorly mid-year that its MPs installed Ardern as leader on 1 August with a job description which basically read 'save the furniture'. Now, less that 100 days later, she will move into Premier House as the nations 40th prime minister and the youngest since 1856. She will head a coalition government alongside Peters populist New Zealand First party, with the extra insurance of being backed on confidence votes by the Green party. This will give Arderns grouping 63 seats in the new parliament, up against 57 MPs for the opposition National Party. Critics will inevitably predict that the deal wont last and in doing so they will underestimate both Ardern and Peters. He has signed up to a full coalition agreement with Labour, which underscores his commitment. In similar circumstances in 2005 he provided a confidence and supply arrangement to underpin Helen Clarks administration. This time around, the formal coalition that has been negotiated will mean his party will take four of the twenty cabinet seats, with the remaining sixteen being elected by the Labour caucus later this week. The coalition policy deal and portfolio allocations will be announced next week. I understand Peters has been offered the role of deputy prime minister but he has yet to make his final decision. So why did Peters make this decision, given that National scored a higher number of MPs and a significantly larger proportion of the votes than Labour? Peters is 72 and not expected to contest the next election as leader, but he clearly wants the party he created in 1993 to outlast him. By hitching his team to a new government with a young leader, Peters clearly believes there will be a greater long-term electoral dividend than simply backing a fourth and likely final term for National. The latter course would not have given Peters a 'big bang' finale to his mercurial career. Peters likes to shock and play a starring role. That would not have happened by backing more of the same. For outgoing Prime Minister Bill English this result is his worst nightmare. Widely regarded as a competent and unflappable Finance Minister, he was seen as the perfect deputy for former PM John Key, whose easygoing charisma dominated the centre ground of New Zealand politics, securing National three terms. In contrast, English will unfortunately be remembered as leading National to two election defeats, 14 years apart. His first time around saw National record its worst ever election result against Clark and Labour. This time he was painfully close to securing an historic majority government and a fourth term for National. English is not expected to stay on long as Opposition Leader, and is likely to step aside to allow National, like Labour, to invest in the next generation of leaders. There is also no doubt that many in the National Party are today regretting the concerted personal attacks they made against Peters, including accusing him of double dipping with his pension, plus the tough campaign they ran to unseat him in his Northland electorate. For the Green Party, Arderns arrangement with Peters is bittersweet. I understand Arderns preference was to have a three-way coalition that included the Greens and NZ First, and which would combine against a large and formidable National Opposition. Peters aversion to the Greens kyboshed such an arrangement and he vetoed any coalition deal that involved them. However, the Greens will offer Ardern their support in confidence votes in exchange for three positions in the outer Ministry. They will be bound by collective responsibility for the portfolios they are given and have also pledged to back the government on key money votes. However, the Greens support on other legislative initiatives will have to be negotiated case by case. Those who know Ardern well do not expect any sense of triumphalism from her as Prime Minister. Though young and new to leadership, she has shown in a very short time how attuned she will be to the national mood. A large slice of New Zealand cast its vote for National, and big swings to Labour, which saw it ahead mid-campaign, ebbed away in the final week following an effective and sustained campaign against Labours tax policies. Yet even opponents concede Ardern ran a great campaign and has again demonstrated she is a class act politically in difficult negotiations with NZ First and the Greens. She is likely to now make a solid pitch to embrace middle New Zealand, particularly in the provinces where Labour needs to rebuild. Former NZ Labour Leader Phil Goff, now the popular Mayor of Auckland, spoke highly of Ardern ysterday. He described her as 'vigorous, enthusiastic, charming and genuine. What you see is what you get and despite her age she has equanimity and experience'. At 22 she worked in Goffs office and later was employed by Helen Clark, plus she had a stint in Tony Blairs Cabinet Office. She was elected to parliament in 2008 and has been mentored by former Labour Deputy Leader Annette King, who accompanied Ardern throughout the campaign and was alongside her during the negotiations with Peters and the Greens. Policy-wise, addressing housing affordability and economic inequality will be fundamental to an Ardern Government. Meanwhile New Zealand First will push for significant cuts to immigration numbers and stricter controls on the foreign ownership of property. For the Greens, Ardern is already committed to a major clean-up of New Zealands rivers and to making action on climate change the 'nuclear free moment' of her generation. For Australia, despite Julie Bishops much publicised comments during the campaign, New Zealand will remain a committed partner under Arderns leadership. Both Malcolm Turnbulls and Bill Shortens telephone calls to Ardern within hours of Peters decision were greatly appreciated. There will be a strong commitment from Ardern to build familiarity and trust with Canberra from the earliest days of her new government. Reprinted with permission from Lowy Interpreter. The Hon Mike Rann AC CNZM, former Premier of South Australia and National President of the ALP, was raised and educated in New Zealand and was speechwriter and campaign strategist for David Lange in his successful election campaign against PM Rob Muldoon in 1984. For centuries Europe has fought wars over borders. During the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, Europes borders shifted wildly, as empires fragmented, new nations arose and wars were waged. After 1945 and the beginning of the Cold War, a new principle emerged on the Continent. The borders that existed at the end of World War II were deemed sacrosanct, not to be changed. The confrontation of the United States and the Soviet Union in Europe was enormously dangerous. It was understood that border disputes had been one of the origins of the two world wars and that even raising the legitimacy of post-war borders risked igniting passions that led to violence. Europeans generally accepted that living with unreasonable or unjust borders was far better than trying to get them right. So, during the Cold War, border issues were rarely raised, and when they were, they were usually quickly swept under the rug. The U.S. and Soviet Union were calling the shots, and neither wanted a world war over Europes borders, nor did they trust the common sense of European politicians, particularly after the wars of the first half of the 20th century. Similarly untouchable were the existing spheres of influence on the Continent. There was the East and the West, and neither would mess with the other. Thus, when the Soviets crushed independence movements in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, the United States refrained from any military action (not that there were many options). When Yugoslavia chose a pro-Western neutrality over membership in the Warsaw Pact, and the Soviets might have responded by supporting independence movements in Yugoslavias member states, they ultimately declined. Borders, and the reckless behavior of Europes leaders over those borders, had led to tens of millions of deaths. The Americans and Soviets were more prudent, in part because it wasnt their borders at stake. In 1991-92, two things happened. First came the fall of the Soviet Union; then came the signing of the Maastricht Treaty and the creation of the European Union. Border issues began to drive events again. The border of the Soviet Union collapsed, and a multitude of countries popped up to reclaim their past. There were many questions about borders that were mumbled about. The border of Ukraine and Belarus had moved far to the west in 1945. The borders in the Caucasus were poorly defined. The borders in Central Asia were theoretical. And the borders between Eastern European countries had been the subject of suspended dispute. For Eastern European countries, other problems took precedence: establishing national sovereignty, finding their place in a Europe that they longed to join, and building a new life for their people. They let the border issue drop for the most part. Yugoslavia and the Caucasus were exceptions that drove home the lesson of European borders. There, outside the framework of the EU and of little consequence to others, more than 100,000 people died. Compare this to the Velvet Divorce of the Czechs and Slovaks, which took place within the context of future European states and left no one dead. After this, and with Yugoslavia and the Caucasus in mind, the European Union tried to reinstate the principle that borders were sacrosanct. It provided what it had promised peace and prosperity and treated borders as anachronistic. No one was supposed to care where the lines were drawn. But there was a problem. The European Union had affirmed the principle of national self-determination while avoiding the question of what a nation actually was. A nation was, under the blocs definition, any political entity that was in place when the EU was formed. There was little consideration after that. This is why Catalonia is so important, along with Scotland. The Scots rejected a divorce by a startlingly narrow vote. One would have expected 90 percent of Scots to want to remain in the United Kingdom. Slightly more than 55 percent wanted to, which means secessionists are within striking distance of secession which would not only divide Scotland from England, but would also maintain the divide among the Scots. Add to this another critical element. Catalonia has been part of Spain for a long time, but it has considered itself a unique nation apart for an even longer time. Spain will not legalize an independence vote. The underlying questions are the ones the Europeans tried to bury, particularly after Yugoslavia: What is a nation, and what rights does it have? Both Scotland and Catalonia are nations. Do they therefore have a right to national determination or have they lost that right? And what are the consequences if the Catalans disagree? This is not the only such issue festering in Europe. Hungary was partitioned between Romania and Slovakia. Does it have a right to reclaim these lands? Belgium was a British invention binding the Dutch and French in an unhappy marriage. Can they divorce? Lviv used to be a very Polish city, and now it is part of Ukraine. Can western Ukraine secede and its people rejoin the countries they were citizens of before 1945? The European Union promised universal prosperity for everyone if they suspended the question of borders and ignored their identities. It was a good bargain. But times have changed, and economic problems make borders much more important. Europe, of course, has no solution to the problem. That we would be talking about an independent Scotland and Catalonia in 2017 would seem preposterous. No economist would see it as a rational discussion. The economic man, as envisioned by the EU, is unfortunately an insufficient explanation for who we are. Nations matter because Europe is merely a continent, and the EU is merely a treaty. It is a useful entity, and being useful is the only thing that justifies it. If it loses its utility, it loses its legitimacy. And that would also mean that the boundaries it has set on what is admissible would wither and die. Catalonia and Scotland both have serious independence movements. They want to determine their own futures, because they see themselves as distinct. Even if they were to join the EU on their own, the very idea of old European nations reasserting themselves, and questioning the legitimacy of borders as they were drawn in 1945, terrifies the EU. Indeed, it should frighten it more than Brexit. Almost all current nations in Europe have border issues and constituent parts that want to be independent. Most are quiescent at the moment. But they are watching Scotland and Catalonia. And they know where border issues in Europe lead. Property details: INVEST IN THE WEST! We are constantly adding to our inventory of quality, cheap vacant land in the Western U.S. We take pride in offering you properties priced well under the competition. We offer prompt, professional and friendly customer service, easy and flexible payment terms, and we never charge you any processing fees or interest. It's time to invest in the west! You're bidding on the down payment for 1.04 acres of land in Apache County (Concho Lake), Arizona. $75 down and $100/month for 1... 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Amenities include a king bed, two double beds, a queen sleepe... Price: $ 1 City: Kissimmee State/Province: Florida Seller State of Residence: Pennsylvania Property Address: 7700 Westgate Boulevard Zip/Postal Code: 34747 Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 2 Location: 180**, Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania You will be redirected to eBay Nearby 2 , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Will Infosys, which will announce its Q2 results on Tuesday, be able to break away from the single-digit growth rates the IT services sector has been seeing? Numbers apart, investors and analysts are keen to hear the strategy that co-founder Nandan Nilekani, recently having taken charge as chairman, will unveil for faster growth than industry peers. Since he took charge in August after a boardroom reshuffle following the exit of former chief executive officer (CEO) Vishal Sikka, hes asked key members Ravi Venkatesan and D N Prahlad, and senior executives, to prepare a growth plan for the next phase of the company. Nilekani is expected to signal if Infosys would be able to break away from the single-digit growth rates the IT services sector has been seeing, tapping newer business opportunities. Expect CC (constant currency) revenue growth guidance (forecast) to be cut to 6.5-7.5 per cent and Ebit (earnings before interest and taxes) margin guidance to be maintained at 23-25 per cent year-on-year, wrote Urmil Shah, IT analyst at brokerage IDBI Securities, in a note on the expectation. The strategy plan would also throw light on how much Infosys will deviate from Sikkas software plus services model. Sikka, first non-founder CEO, who came with a promise to transform Infosys to a lean software plus services company with annual revenue of $20 billion, margins of 30 per cent and employee productivity at $80,000, admitted defeat after he failed to lift to faster growth, with a changing business environment. He focused on increased adaption of artificial intelligence tools to improve productivity and thought of building a slew of software products that would be used to deliver services. Controversy over the Panaya acquisition put an end to his plan. Nilekani will indicate when a new CEO would be in place or if Pravin Rao would continue to be interim managing director and CEO. Indias IT industry is expected to grow in single-digit for a successive year in 2017-18 as global corporations spend lesser on traditional services and allocate more on newer ones such as digital and cloud. While there is more business for digital services that generate higher margins, this has not offset the steep fall in outsourcing for traditional services. Analysts say Infosys has an opportunity to build strategy around three areas. How do you help clients adopt software products in the consumer space and bring it into enterprises; help clients in managing the changing regulations due to technology shifts, and integrate applications and products for enterprises and manage it for them, says Siddharth Pai, a global consultant who has led over $20 billion in outsourcing contracts. These things should be done with minimal disruption to the existing business and workforce. Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro have already disclosed their numbers, which beat the Street estimates. However Wipros lower forecast was a dampener, say analysts. Photograph: PTI Photo Why is the BJP upset about the dialogues in a Tamil movie, wonders A Ganesh Nadar. Mersal is Chennai slang, mainly deployed by the young to indicate shock/amazement. And that's what happened to BJP leaders when the Vijay starrer Mersal released over the Diwali weekend. State BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan and Pon Radhakrishan -- the solitary Union minister from Tamil Nadu -- were in a state of mersal as there had been no hint in the media about dialogues in the movie that would go straight for the Modi Sarkar's throat. Vijay, known locally as Ilaya Thalapathi (young commander) -- to set him apart from the Thalapathi of Tamil cinema, Rajnikanth -- declares in the film that there is 7% GST in Singapore but the city-State provides its citizens with free medicare. Here, Vijay goes on to say (Disclaimer: I haven't seen the film yet, so this is hearsay) has 28% GST, but it doesn't provide proper care. In Tamil Nadu, below-poverty-line families have 'Amma cards', with which they can avail of medical treatment even at private hospitals. Clearly, Vijay was not referring to Tamil Nadu in Mersal. Then he talks about the lack of oxygen in hospitals due to unpaid bills for two years (again not Tamil Nadu). He also talks about a new-born baby in an ICU being bitten to death by rodents (not in Tamil Nadu, again). He refers to patients on ventilators dying when the power goes off because there is no backup power (no, not in Tamil Nadu). He talks about babies dying in hospitals (certainly not in Tamil Nadu). He then says people go to private hospitals because they are not scared of the disease, but of government hospitals. Again not in Tamil Nadu as the state government gives the poor mediclaim cards to go to private hospitals. The BJP does not have a single MLA in Tamil Nadu, so why is the state party unit getting so worked up about dialogues in a Tamil movie that don't even apply to the state? There is a track in the film featuring comedian Vadivelu where he encounters robbers and tells them, 'Who has money these days now that everything is digital?' Why is the BJP perceiving this dialogue as an attack on digital India when the line actually praises digital India as it prevents citizens from getting robbed? Mersal's producers said they would delete the portions that offended the BJP. After the said offending portions went viral on social media drew a groundswell of national support, the producers appear to have changed their mind. Kamal Haasan was the first to support Mersal against the BJP's attempts to re-censor the film, then Rajnikanth -- who is perceived to be close to the BJP -- tweeted his support for Mersal. South Indian Artistes Association President Vishal has denounced BJP leader H Raja -- who been vocal against Mersal -- for encouraging piracy. Why? Because, Raja, it seems, watched the movie on the Internet! S Ramana Girivasan, who wrote Mersal's dialogues which are at the heart of the controversy, has curiously been omitted from the ruckus. Poor fellow must wonder, 'Damn, I wrote the dialogues, but people are talking to Vijay and the producers. Every Kannan, Kamakshi and Kumaran are being asked their opinion about the film, but nobody is talking to me!' Last heard, likely daunted by the hostile response their protest evoked, Tamil Nadu's BJP leaders were planning to beat a hasty retreat. 'Clarifying that modernisation of national defence and armed forces should be completed by 2035, Xi Jinping asserted the goal is to make the People's Liberation Army a "world class force" that "can fight and win" by 2050,' points out former RA&W officer Jayadeva Ranade. IMAGE: Xi Jinping, centre, flanked by from left, Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress, former Chinese presidents Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, at the opening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, October 18, 2017. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, crucial for Xi Jinping achieving his agenda for 'national rejuvenation', opened on October 18, 2017, amidst stringent security in Beijing and other major Chinese cities including the autonomous regions of Tibet and Xinjiang. Xi, who holds 14 formal positions -- more than any other Chinese Communist leader till now -- has positioned himself to emerge stronger from the Congress. His unprecedented sustained anti-corruption campaign has eliminated opposition in the Communist party and military and drastically reduced the influence wielded by his predecessor once removed, Jiang Zemin. In September 2017, China's official media publicised that more than 176 Communist party ccadres -- equivalent to the rank of central vice minister and above -- had been dismissed and arrested for corruption and that more than 14,000 officers of the People's Liberation Army had been similarly dismissed, including more than 86 officers of and above the rank of major general. Just weeks before the Congress, Xi publicly demonstrated his authority by arresting two top generals, appointing 20 generals to command 13 new Group Armies and promoting close associates to head the PLA Army (ground forces) and the PLA Air Force. In a rare move, 13 delegates representing the Chongqing municipality were removed from the list of delegates to the 19th party congress because of their alleged association with imprisoned former Politburo member Bo Xilai. Politburo member and Chongqing Party Secretary Sun Zhengcai, viewed a likely candidate for the all-powerful Standing Committee of the Politburo, was suddenly dismissed on charges of graft. He had been admonished in February for not doing enough to eliminate Bo Xilai's influence in Chongqing. These efforts were buttressed by systematic use of the official media to project Xi. The official party newspaper, the People's Daily, publishes 5,000 stories each year mentioning Xi in contrast to the 3,000 and 2,000 articles published by it each year mentioning Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao during their respective terms as China's leader. Xi took three-and-a-half hours -- twice the time taken by his predecessor Hu Jintao -- to read the 32,000-character Work Report to the 2,280 delegates attending the congress. He outlined a confident, bold, two-stage plan setting China's goals to be achieved by 2050. For the first time he set timelines and declared that by end of the first phase (2020 to 2035) China will be an innovative, technologically advanced, large, middle-income country ranking among the top nations in the world. By completion of the second stage (2035 to 2050), China should be a nation with 'pioneering global influence'. Implicit in this vision is that China will rival or surpass the US in strength and be pro-active in international affairs to promote its interests. Interesting is the direct linkage of military modernisation to the 'China Dream' and China's becoming a nation with 'pioneering global influence'. Clarifying that mechanisation will be basically achieved by 2020 and that modernisation of national defence and armed forces should be completed by 2035, Xi asserted the goal is to make the PLA a 'world class force' that 'can fight and win' by 2050. He pointedly described the PLA as a 'people's army'. There was pronounced emphasis in the Work Report on 'the party exercising leadership over all areas of endeavour in every part of the country', clearly indicating that party controls will be expanded and ideology will remain predominant. Xi emphasised that 'sweeping efforts' had been made to 'strengthen party leadership and party building', while dismissing any notion of copying 'Western style democracy'. The Work Report included 331 references to the 'Party', many more than in the Work Reports of the past eight congresses. A significant achievement for Xi was the inclusion of the 'Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era', already being headlined throughout the Chinese media as 'Xi Jinping's Thought', which will be incorporated by amendment in the party constitution. An entire section of the Work Report defined this 'Thought'. This includes: 'The party's goal of building a strong military in the new era is to build the people's forces into world class forces that obey the party's command, can fight and win, and maintain excellent conduct'; 'major country diplomacy aims to foster a new type of international relations and build a community with a shared future'; and the 'defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party'. These imply a global role for the Chinese Communist Party. The references to Hongkong, Macau and Taiwan were uncompromising. The report reiterated Beijing's 'leadership' over Hongkong and Macau. With regard to Taiwan, Xi said, 'We have the resolve, the confidence and the ability to defeat separatist attempts for "Taiwan independence" in any form.' 'We will never allow anyone, any organisation or any political party, at any time or in any form, to separate any part of Chinese territory from China.' There was no direct reference to the Dalai Lama or India in the Work Report, but Xi did state: 'We will fully implement the party's policy on religious affairs, uphold the principle that religions in China must be Chinese in orientation... and adapt to socialist society.' The section on national security indicated Xi's policy when he said, 'We must rigorously protest against and take resolute measures to combat all acts of infiltration, subversion, and sabotage, as well as violent and terrorist activities, ethnic separatist activities and religious extremist activities.' At a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing party congress on October 21, Zhang Yijiong -- the executive deputy head and vice minister of the Communist party's united front work department -- was more direct. In a remark with implications for India, he asserted that the Dalai Lama 'established a so-called government-in-exile, whose goal and core agenda is the independence of Tibet and to separate (from) China.' 'For decades, the group headed by the 14th Dalai Lama has never stopped such attempts. As head of the group, the 14th Dalai Lama has never stopped his activities in this regard over the past decades.' Zhang Yijiong warned foreign officials they cannot get away by saying they were meeting the exiled Tibetan leader in a personal capacity as they still represent their governments. 'Any country, or any organisation, accepting to meet with the Dalai Lama, in our view, is a major offence to the sentiment of the Chinese people,' Zhang warned. 'The Chinese government opposes governments and organisations in any country in the world to receive the Dalai Lama in any name. We consider such visit as a severe insult to the feelings of the Chinese people,Zhang added. Tibetan Buddhism, he declared, was a special religion 'born in our ancient China'. 'It is a Chinese religion. It didn't come in from the outside.' Jayadeva Ranade -- former additional secretary in the Cabinet secretariat, Government of India -- is currently President, Centre for China Analysis and Strategy. 'It is obvious that the lakhs who come to see it do not see it through the prism of religion,' says Jyoti Punwani. I first saw the Taj Mahal when I was in school. The sight of it literally took my breath away. After that, every time I've seen it, the effect has been the same. I haven't seen the other wonders of the world, but I know, as does everyone who sees it, that the Taj Mahal is indeed a wonder -- how can anything so solid be so ethereal, as if suspended in air? As I took in every inch of the monument as a 11 year old, I remember thinking that had I lived in Agra, this would have been the place I would come to study, and also to read my vacations away. For months after that, I dipped into a fantasy world in which I would get to choose a different spot inside the monument every day to settle down with my books. That fantasy never left me. As soon as my child turned five and old enough to appreciate man made marvels, I made sure he saw the Taj before it became all yellow. I remember gasping with surprise as we got the first glimpse of the monument. Why had I imagined it yellow? It was as it was: Gleaming in the sunlight, a treasure all ours. The only thing that made me angry whenever I visited the Taj was the way it had been looted by the British. If it was so breathtaking now, what must it have been then! Growing up, the only debate I heard about the Taj was the story that Shah Jahan had the hands of the artisans who actually built the monument cut off so that they couldn't replicate it. A terrible thing, if true. But sadly, even such alleged cruelty couldn't detract from the pleasure I got from the monument every time I saw it. Nor could poet Sahir Ludhianvi's anger that the monument mocked at the love of the poor who couldn't afford to display their love so extravagantly. ik shahanshah ne daulat ka sahara le kar ham garibon ki mohabbat ka udaya hai mazaq meri mahbub kahin aur mila kar mujh se Of course, there was P N Oak who said the Taj Mahal was actually a temple. Though we laugh at him, there are people who believe this, and even teach this to their children. But never had I imagined there would come a day when those ruling us would spew hatred for the Taj Mahal. The recent hateful remarks against the Taj bring back another hate speech. Akbaruddin Owaisi in his infamous speech in Nirmal (then in Andhra Pradesh) in 2013, threatened 'Hindustan' that if Muslims were driven away, they would take all 'their' treasures with them. The remark immediately exposed the younger Owaisi's mentality. He looked at Hindustan through the lens of 'us' (Muslims) as separate from 'Hindustan'. It was 'us' Muslims that had given this separate entity 'Hindustan' the monuments that all Hindustanis took pride in. Now here's the BJP doing exactly the same, but in reverse. What is Sangeet Som saying? Forget the colossal ignorance he displays by saying that its maker imprisoned his father, when actually Shah Jahan was the one imprisoned by his son. By now, BJP leaders have displayed so much ignorance of history, we are no longer surprised. What Som is saying echoes Akbaruddin Owaisi's viewpoint. For Som, the Taj was built by 'them' (Muslims) and so 'we' (Hindus=Indians) cannot relate to it. If Som is right, Owaisi was right too and so was Jinnah and his theory that Hindus and Muslims constitute separate nations. Indeed, when the news that the Taj Mahal had been dropped from Uttar Pradesh's tourism booklet reached Pakistan, a friend there asked disbelievingly if it was true. She was sickened when informed that the CM of the state had said it was not part of India's cultural heritage. Though he changed his stand later, in his original remark Adityanath too was echoing the two-nation theory. But not all Pakistanis would feel sick by Adityanath's statement. Many would just say: 'Give it to us please. It belonged here anyway.' Many Pakistanis have started saying: 'It took 70 years, but finally you did prove that our quaid-e-azam (Jinnah) was right, that Hindus and Muslims cannot co-exist.' Surely he was not. Despite Adityanath and Som and those who lynched Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri getting government jobs, the two-nation theory can never be right. And it is not some obstinate idealism that is behind this belief. Reports from across the country reassure us that even today, despite the Sangh Parivar, bonds between Hindus and Muslims remain strong. Where the Taj is concerned, it is obvious that the lakhs who come to see it do not see it through the prism of religion. There is one more factor. Never before would it have even occurred to me to notice this, but as Supreme Court human rights lawyer Colin Gonsalves said in an interview to Rediff.com: 'We are living in Kalyug.' So we respond like creatures of Kalyug. Hence, it needs to be pointed out that the long list of Indians who have actually gone out of their way to preserve the Taj -- be they citizens who moved the courts to stop the destruction of the environment around it, the judges who ordered its protection at great human and financial cost, heads of the National Green Tribunal who lashed out at governments over its neglect, or historians who waxed eloquent in praise of it -- this long list comprises all faiths. Consider the names: Justices T S Thakur, C Nagappan, Kuldeep Singh, Faizan Uddin, Swatanter Kumar; citizens M C Mehta, Rajkumar Singh, Bhim Singh Sagar, D K Joshi, Surendra Sharma, R Nath... So when UP's Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary said: 'The Taj is not a symbol of any religion and is nobody's', he was both right and wrong. Though it has a mosque on its premises, the Taj is not a religious symbol. But far from being nobody's, it is everybody's. Sangeet Som's remarks have been condemned across the board, including by Dr Karan Singh, the first 'regent' of Kashmir after its accession to India, known for his scholarship in Hinduism. But what matters more is what ordinary Indians think. When former UP minister Azam Khan said that the Taj Mahal should be handed over to the wakf board, Agra's residents shouted him down. Now come reports that they have given the same treatment to Som. Indeed, Vishal Sharma, the Agra tourist welfare centre secretary, has been quoted as having said that if people had to choose between the Taj and the state's BJP government, they would choose the Taj. There is just one question for Adityanath, Chaudhary and Som: Have you ever seen the Taj? IMAGE: The beautiful Taj Mahal -- a vision in white in this early morning picture shared by Rediff.com Reader Subrata Chatterjee. 'The Chinese media was beside itself with rage that how can a country with one-fifth of its economic power and maybe one-third of its military power stand up to them and not allow them to wean away a small Himalayan kingdom.' Nitin A Gokhale -- author of the new book Securing India The Modi Way - Pathankot, Surgical Strikes and More and founder of Bharatshakti.in -- speaks to Rediff.com's Utkarsh Mishra about China, the Maoist menace and the Rohingya issue in the concluding part of the interview. You write about possible political reasons behind the standoffs in Chumar and Doklam. Although, as you said, it is too soon to offer an analysis, why was the Chinese State media unusually aggressive this time? Was it because the Chinese did not expect India standing up for Bhutan? They did expect some diplomatic protests from Bhutan, but what they definitely did not expect was military intervention from India, in what they consider their own territory. They never thought India would do this. But India had to do it for strategic purposes. Therefore, I think, the Chinese media was beside itself with rage and anger that how can a country with one-fifth of its economic power and maybe one-third of its military power stand up to them and not allow them to wean away a small Himalayan kingdom. That was the anger all about. Indigenisation of defence technology is another area the government is focussing on strongly, you say. But do you think quality is a major constraint when it comes to India-made defence equipment? There are two issues in this. Of course, quality has to be maintained by Indian companies and the armed forces are well within their rights to reject any substandard equipment when it comes to that. However, Make In India is not all about arming the forces only with indigenous defence equipment. It is about creating an ecosystem which will be self-sustaining, so that when push comes to shove, India should be able to manage its own resources like ammunition, spare parts and all the other stuff. There is no doubt that quality is a concern and it has to be improved by the Indian companies. Overall, I think the intention is correct. Although, I am slightly disappointed with the implementation of the programme and a rather erratic handling of the defence portfolio. It could be implemented faster, but there we are. To change something which is very opaque in the defence ministry takes a lot of time. But I'm not totally pessimistic about it. I'm sure things will improve. And lots of policy changes are coming. Would Manohar Parrikar staying back in the defence ministry helped more? (Laughs) Yes, it's my personal view. It was like someone batting for 20 overs and scoring a 100 runs in a 50-over match and poised for a bigger score, suddenly gets run out or retires voluntarily. But that's what it is. And in an institution no individual is indispensable. Now that we've a full-time defence minister there's hope again, let's see. You also gave details of the government's contract with foreign vendors of defence equipment increasing massively in number and in value over the years. Does it adversely affect the Make In India push or the indigenisation drive? No, it will not. Make In India can still succeed. All equipment which are being imported are the essentials which cannot be ignored. Also, one thing must be understood that in defence, you cannot suddenly reduce imports. Even if, over the next five years, imports are reduced by 10 per cent every year then it's a reasonable target to achieve. Some of the equipment will have to be purchased from outside, there's no alternative to that. Given the efforts of the Centre to, in the words of PM Modi, 'promote jointness across every level of the armed forces' and appointment of a chief of defence staff, one wonders if the appointing a CDS would render the roles of the three service chiefs redundant? Not at all. The chiefs will remain operational heads as they are. The role of a five-star or four-star chief of defence staff will be, one to coordinate and pool resources; two to look at some of the tri-service organisations and agencies which are already existing and which are likely to come in space and cyber and special forces. However, if you want to build a 20-storey structure, you can't start with building the 20th floor first. The incremental approach has to be followed. We've been talking about a CDS for 16 years now. There has been some progress. More could've been done, but I'm not totally disappointed with the pace. Quoting NSA Doval, you write at one place that the PM strongly believes that 'We should not do or support anything that is not in consonance with India's core values, or that might be internationally unacceptable'. In the light of this statement, do you think the government's stand on the Rohingya issue is justified as it clearly runs counter to India's core civilisational values that have harboured and sheltered the persecuted and fleeing? I think the issue is being handled properly. We've to keep our national interests as well as international relations in mind. We're friendly with both Myanmar and Bangladesh. It's a fine balancing act that India is following. We cannot antagonise one of them completely. And let's not minimise the possibility of radicalised Rohingyas posing a national security threat. Nobody is saying that all refugees are a threat, but elements within those refugees can be a threat. Again, as I said. these diplomacy issues are never black and white. So India is handling it very well. It has to keep in mind relations with both countries before taking decisions either way. It is completely in consonance with India's core values. In any case, India is not a signatory to the refugee convention. So we are not doing anything against the law. The government has the right to screen the refugees and see to it that they don't become a menace. By being soft earlier, we're already paying the price in the north east. Writing about the Maoist menace, you say that a lack of political consensus impedes the reforms necessary to tackle the problem. Now that most of the Naxal-affected states are ruled by the National Democratic Alliance, do you think this objective can be achieved? I think there is much better common understanding between the states and between the states and the Centre on the issue. One because, as you said, most of the Maoist-affected states are now under NDA rule. And secondly, again it is because of the willingness to stick to the hard route of not getting affected by periodic ups and downs. Once the PM takes a decision, he sticks to it, even after one or two setbacks like a Maoist attack or raid. Earlier (in the aftermath of a Naxal attack) there would be immediate calls from within the government to (talk to them). That (difference within the government) has thankfully vanished. There is one single purpose, which is fine. And there have been reports that Maoist violence is reduced. They're not completely out, but they are certainly down. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters IMAGE: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at a press conference in New Delhi on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo The Centre on Monday appointed former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma as its special representative for a sustained dialogue with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir, in a fresh move aimed at bringing peace to the troubled state. Sharma, with the rank of cabinet secretary, will have complete independence in deciding who to hold talks with, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said while making the crucial announcement at a hurriedly-called press conference in New Delhi. Singh stated this when asked whether Sharma would hold talks with the separatist Hurriyat Conference. Sharma, a 1979-batch IPS officer who served in the state in 1990s and retired last year, would initiate sustained interactions and dialogue to understand the legitimate aspirations of people, especially the youth, and try to fulfil them, Singh said. He will hold talks with all sections of people and organisations, the minister said and made it clear that there is no time-frame for him as the issue is sensitive. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the announcement while the Opposition parties like National Conference and Congress took a dig at the government, saying it had realised that force and muscular approach alone would not solve the problem. Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a series of meetings with political representatives on the Kashmir issue and all of them were clear that the process of dialogue should begin in the Valley. The home minister referred to the prime minister's last Independence Day address in which he had said that problems of J&K cannot be solved by bullets or abuses but by embracing the people of the state. That statement clearly underlined the government's policy and intention, Singh said while adding that the government was sensitive to issues related to Jammu and Kashmir. "The Centre has shown conviction and consistency on Kashmir issue and carrying forward this policy, we have decided to begin a sustained dialogue policy for Jammu and Kashmir. "And for this, we have decided to appoint Dineshwar Sharma as special representative of the Government of India," he said. Sharma is the fourth interlocutor appointed by the Centre since 2002. The first one was former Union minister K C Pant, the second N N Vohra, the present governor of the state, and the last was a three-member panel comprising former bureaucrat M M Ansari, academician Radha Kumar and late journalist Dileep Padgaonkar. Asked about the failure of similar initiatives undertaken earlier, the home minister said, "Please take it from me that whatever we do, we will do with good intentions and clear policy." To another question regarding previous reports of interlocutors gathering dust in the home ministry, he said, "You cannot pre-judge that this initiative will not be successful. Our announcement shows how serious we are about initiating dialogue." Asked whether a police officer was capable for holding talks on such a sensitive issue, Singh shot back, "What's wrong in that? He is an apolitical person having no political affiliation, which is his greatest advantage. Besides, he is well aware about the internal security situation of the country." Mehbooba welcomed the announcement, saying dialogue is the need of the hour and the only way forward. Welcome the initiative of Union Government, appointing an interlocutor for leading a sustained dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir (sic), Mehbooba said in a tweet. This dialogue initiative is in line with P.M @narendramodi's 15th August speech na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmirki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se (sic), she said in another tweet, referring to the prime minister's remarks in his Independence Day speech. National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said the acceptance of the political nature of the Kashmir issue was a resounding defeat of those who could only see use of force as a solution. Centre announces an interlocutor to engage with stake holders in J&K. Will keep an open mind and wait to see results of the dialogue process, he tweeted. Referring to the home minister's statement that Sharma would try to understand the legitimate aspirations of the people of the state, Abdullah said, The legitimate aspirations of people of J&K is an interesting formulation. Who gets to decide what is legitimate? He also sought to know the fate of the ongoing probe into terror-funding cases against some separatist leaders. He asked, "What does this mean for the NIA investigation in J&K? Will investigation be suspended to facilitate dialogue with detained Hurriyat leaders? Responding to a tweet about the choice of a non-political representative, Omar said, One can't get everything. So for now, we'll take what we can get. More important than the person is the mandate and absence of pre-conditions. Senior Congress leader and former Home Minister P Chidambaram said the movement from No talks to Talks with all stakeholders was a major victory for those who had argued for a political solution in Jammu and Kashmir. "With appointment of interlocutor, I hope government has finally admitted 'muscular approach' has failed in J&K," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on his re-election and said he looked forward to further strengthening the relations between the two countries. Abe got a resounding victory in the snap polls held on Sunday, with his Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition winning two-thirds majority in the lower house of Parliament. "Heartiest greetings to my dear friend @AbeShinzo on his big election win. Look forward to further strengthen India-Japan relations with him," Modi tweeted. Modi and Abe share a great relationship and have met several times over the last three years. Abe was in India recently for the annual summit meeting with Modi. Abe's conservative coalition is on track to win at least 312 seats with only a handful left to call, according to public broadcaster NHK, giving him a coveted two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament. He had called the snap vote to seek a boost to his parliamentary majority and is likely to use any new powers to attempt to overhaul the country's defense strategy and pacifist stance. The prime minister said the crushing election victory had hardened his resolve to deal with the crisis in North Korea, which has threatened to sink Japan into the sea and fired two missiles over its northern islands. As I promised in the election, my imminent task is to firmly deal with North Korea. For that, strong diplomacy is required, stressed Abe, who has courted both US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "My immediate task is to deal with North Korea," Abe told reporters. "It will take tough diplomacy. With the mandate given by the people, I would like to exercise my command in diplomacy." Even as local media acknowledged what was described as a "landslide" victory, many chalked up Abe's win to a weak and ineffective opposition and urged caution. The voters did not think the opposition parties were capable of running a government... they chose Prime Minister Abe, who is at least better, even if they had some concerns about the ruling coalition, said the Nikkei daily. The Asahi newspaper said: The Abe brand is not as strong as it was before. There are some signs that voters are seeking a change in the situation whereby Abe is the only decent option. Winning an election in a democracy doesnt give the winner carte-blanche and he would be overconfident if he thought people were satisfied with the past five years of government management, said the paper. With inputs from agencies Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe after the groundbreaking ceremony for the high-speed bullet train project in Ahmedabad, September 14, 2017. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters IMAGE: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi being offered sweets by children during a public meeting in Gandhinagar on Monday. All Photographs: PTI Photo Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday dubbed the Goods and Services Tax as 'Gabbar Singh Tax', naming it after Bollywood's iconic villain as he fired a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the sweeping tax reform and demonetistion. As Gujarat headed for Assembly polls, Gandhi also said that the state is priceless and can never be bought, a day after Patidar leader Narendra Patel claimed in Ahmedabad that he was offered Rs 1 crore to join the BJP, a charge rubbished by the saffron party. Gandhi brought up the issue of GST while highlighting the hardships it caused to people during a rally that marked the formal joining of OBC leader Alpesh Thakor into the Congress as part of the opposition party's strategy of broadening its political and social base to take on the BJP which has been in power in Gujarat for nearly two decades. "Their (Centre's) GST is not GST. GST means Gabbar Singh Tax. This is causing a loss to the country. Small shopkeepers are finished. Lakhs of youths have gone unemployed. But they are still not ready to listen," Gandhi told the rally of Thakor community in Gandhinagar. Late Amjad Khan portrayed the character of dacoit Gabbar Singh in the Bollywood blockbuster Sholay and immortalised him as the scariest villain in the Indian cinema. Stating that the GST, in its present form, is not what the Congress had conceived, Gandhi said that although his party had warned the government about the adverse impact of the new tax regime (in the present form), the Modi government acted against its suggestions. Gandhi also asked the government to change the new tax system by making it simpler. Gandhi also mocked Modi over demonetisation announced by him on November 8 last year. "Don't know what happened, on November 8, Modiji says that this Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes, I do not like them, so from 12 at night, I am going to scrap it. Ha Ha Ha," he said. "He hit the axe, and for the first 2-3 days he could not understand what happened," he said, adding that "the prime minister only realised his mistake after 5-6 days". "Narendra Modi ji ruined the economy of the entire country," he alleged. Gandhi attacked Modi and the BJP while latching on to the bribery allegation made by Narendra Patel, an activist of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti. Gandhi said thousands of youths in Gujarat, belonging to all castes, will not remain silent now and their voices cannot be suppressed or purchased. Narendra Patel, within hours of joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, alleged on Sunday night at a press conference that he was offered Rs 1 crore by the BJP and was given a token amount of Rs 10 lakh. "This Gujarati voice is not an ordinary voice. This voice of Gujarat cannot be silenced or suppressed. You can offer any thing, (Rs) one crore, (Rs) 10 crore, (Rs) 50 crore, (Rs) 1,000 crore, entire budget of India, entire money of the world, (but) this Gujarati voice cannot be purchased, Gandhi said. "In the past also, there were attempts to suppress this voice. British tried to suppress Gandhiji, first in South Africa, then in Gujarat and India. But the voice of Gujarat drove out that superpower from the country, he said. IMAGE: Rahul with OBC leader Alpesh Thakor who joined the Congress recently. Earlier in the day, Gandhi tweeted to say that Gujarat is priceless and can never be bought. 'Gujarat is priceless. It has never been been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought,' Gandhi said on Twitter. "Sardar Patelji, Gandhiji were from this land and they used to protect the voice of Gujarat," he said. During Gandhi's speech, Alpesh Thakor asked the crowd to be silent and listen to the Congress vice president's speech. At this, Gandhi said, "You want to make the crowd silent Alpeshji? But they cannot remain silent. Modiji has harassed them so much that they cannot remain silent." The rally was organised by Thakor and his supporters. "There are thousands of youths in Gujarat who cannot remain silent now. They belong to all castes. There are two more youths like you (Thakor) -- they are Hardik (Patel) and Jignesh (Mevani, a Dalit leader). Both of them cannot remain silent," the Congress leader said. Modi, on a visit to Gujarat last week, mounted a stinging attack on the Congress and the Nehru Gandhi family, saying they disliked Gujarat and Gujaratis who were an 'eyesore' for them. In his 30-minute speech, Gandhi said, "Every caste is agitating here, I am surprised that everybody is agitating here. They are tired of false promises of the BJP government." The Congress vice president also targeted Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on the issue of alleged business deals of the latter's son Jay Shah. Amit Shah and Jay have denied any wrongdoing. "Modiji gave long lectures in Gujarat (during his recent visits), but has not spoken a single line regarding the company of Jay Shah," Gandhi said. "Modiji Make in India has failed. Only one company has benefited from the Make in India programme. The company was worth of Rs 50,000 and not made any progress till 2014. But after 2014 it grew to Rs 80 crore," he said. "Modiji just speak one sentence about it. You had said that you will not indulge in corruption and would not allow others to do it, then what is this," Gandhi said. On last Saturday, Thakor had met Gandhi in New Delhi and later announced that he would soon join the Congress. The Congress has been wooing leaders of various communities like Hardik Patel, Mevani and Thakor. The party is inviting them to join hands with the aim of expanding its base by securing the support of Patels, OBCs and Dalits, and dent the BJP's poll prospects in its stronghold. The BJP, however, described Thakor's decision to join the Congress as 'drama', claiming he was already a member of the party, and said Gandhi had 'reduced himself to a gimmick' with such 'desperate' tactics. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters in New Delhi that Thakor was a member of the National Students' Union of India, the Congress' student wing, and had contested a panchayat poll on a party ticket earlier. "A big claim is being made that a major leader has joined the party (Congress). I have often accused Rahul Gandhi of not doing his homework but it seems even his scriptwriter is not doing his homework," Prasad said. He called the Congress 'dramabaaz party number one' (number one party in dramatics) and said its actions reminded him of Hindi films such as Coolie No. 1 or Aunty No. 1. IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi takes part in a cultural dance during the meeting. Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot and Bharatsinh Solkanki are also seen. Thakor's father was also a district president of the Congress in Gujarat, he said. After facing repeated defeats and being out of power in the state for over 22 years, the Congress had become so desperate that Rahul Gandhi had 'reduced himself to a gimmick', the Union minister said. Prasad described as 'baseless' and 'scandalous' the Congress's attack on the Election Commission for not announcing the Gujarat poll schedule. "It is a settled position that the Model Code of Conduct is in force for 45 days," he said. The polls are expected in December. Taking a dig at the Congress over its campaign built around young leaders such as Thakor joining hands with Gandhi, Prasad referred to the Congress vice president's tie up with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, and with Omar Abdullah in the Jammu and Kashmir election. "He has not learnt from his experience in these polls," Prasad said, referring to the Congress defeat in the elections. Prasad also dismissed the claims of Narendra Patel, an associate of Patidar leader Hardik Patel, that the BJP had offered him Rs 1 crore to join the party. "Patel claims to have been offered Rs 1 crore but has shown only Rs 10 lakh," Prasad said, adding that the matter was fishy. This is also part of the drama, he said, and accused the Congress of practising such inducements. He referred to the alleged cash for vote scandal in Parliament when some BJP members had shown in the Lok Sabha wads of cash, allegedly offered to them to vote in favour of the United Progressive Alliance government during a floor test in 2008. Then Speaker Meira Kumar had not taken the matter up with the required seriousness, he alleged. Asked about the display of Rs 10 lakh in cash by Patel when rules prohibit cash transactions of more than Rs 2 lakh, he said the issue could be looked into. "Lies, corruption and negligence of development have been the history of the Congress," he said. Accusing the party of obstructing Gujarat's progress, he said it did not provide environmental clearance for a ferry service, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, when it was in power at the Centre. Rejecting Gandhi's criticism of the government over its economic and development policies, he said the Congress vice president did not understand the dynamics of either of them. "These are issues alien to him," he said. He also dismissed charges against BJP president Amit Shah's son, over his business transactions. "All allegations against him are false and part of a motivated campaign," he said. "I will miss his tantrums" is what Congress president Sonia Gandhi said while bidding farewell to Pranab Mukherjee from the Congress Working Committee at a meeting which formally approved his name as the United Progressive Alliance's presidential nominee in June 2012. "After briefing the meeting on the presidential election, Sonia Gandhi bid me an emotional farewell...Thereafter, with a mischievous smile she looked at me and said 'Along with that, of course, I will miss some of his tantrums'," Mukherjee writes in his just-launched book, The Coalition Years. The former president's third political memoir gives several accounts of how the UPA chairperson remained reluctant to approve his name for the country's top constitutional post despite often acknowledging that he was the "most suited" for the office. Recalling the events in the run-up to the presidential elections in 2007 and 2012, Mukherjee said the Congress chief told him that he could not be spared by the party on account of the "crucial role" he played for it in the UPA government and Parliament. Narrating the sequence of the Congress Working Committee meeting on June 25, 2012, at the 7 Race Course Road residence of the prime minister, Mukherjee noted Gandhi, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party office-bearers and chief ministers present at the meeting finally gave him the green signal to run for the presidential office. Mukherjee earlier said that on May 29, 2012, the Congress president's political secretary Ahmed Patel had informed him that Gandhi had perhaps finalised his name as the party's presidential nominee but was also exploring the possibility of adequate support for then vice president Hamid Ansari. "The bone of contention about my nomination remained the same as that in 2007," the former president said in the book referring to Gandhi's refrain over sparing him from the government. Mukherjee said that on June 2, 2012, he met Sonia Gandhi. "She told me frankly, 'Pranabji you are the most eminently suited for the office, but you should not forget the crucial role you are playing in the functioning of the government. Could you suggest an alternative?" Mukherjee records in the book, adding that he told Gandhi he would abide by whatever decision she took. "The meeting ended and I returned with a vague impression that she might wish to consider Manmohan Singh as the UPA presidential nominee. I thought that if she selected Singh for the presidential office, she may choose me as the prime minister. I had heard a rumour that she had given this formulation serious thought while on a holiday in the Kaushambhi hills," Mukherjee says in the book. He said there was no doubt that Gandhi considered him as an organisation man as she once chose him to reply in Parliament on a crucial topic when there was commotion by the then opposition BJP members. "The matter (in Parliament) was thus sorted out, but not before Sonia Gandhi commented, 'This is why you (Mukherjee) can't be the President'," he wrote. Disclosing dramatic events ahead of his name being cleared for the top post, Mukherjee documents that Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee met Gandhi on June 13, 2012, and later Gandhi told him that the TMC chief had suggested two probables -- Mukherjee himself and Ansari, and also told her that she was in discussion with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and would inform her of the decision accordingly. "I am not aware of the discussion at Mulayam Singh Yadav's residence. But at a press conference jointly held that evening, they declared that their presidential nominees were APJ Abdul Kalam, Manmohan Singh and Somnath Chatterjee, in that order. "Mamata Banerjee also mentioned her meeting with Sonia Gandhi and insisted that Sonia Gandhi had suggested two names -- Hamid Ansari and Pranab Mukherjee -- both of which were unacceptable to them. I heard of this development but chose not to comment. A certain disappointment spread amongst my family and friends...," Mukherjee says. He later writes that the same night he received a call from Sonia Gandhi requesting for a meeting the next morning. "On June 14, I went to Sonia Gandhi at 11 am and had a long discussion with her. I found her to be in a decisive mood. She told me about her meeting with Mamata Banerjee. She was dismayed that Mamata Banerjee had not informed us about her decision after the meeting with Mulayam Singh Yadav and, instead, had disclosed information to the media," he said. Mukherjee said later Gandhi told him that the matter be discussed further at the core group meeting the same evening. After a slew of meetings, Manmohan Singh informed Mukherjee of a joint decision to nominate him as the presidential election nominee of the UPA. "Both of them were seized of the fact that we could not afford to lose the presidential election," he said. Chronicling the incidents leading to the 2007 presidential election, Mukherjee said, "When Manmohan Singh was holding discussions with the coalition partners on the presidential nominee I was told my name was proposed by the Left parties first and then seconded by others." The former president said the final decision was left to the Congress party. "Sonia Gandhi called me and said, your name is being suggested by some political parties as the presidential candidate, but it would be difficult for me to spare you as you are a strong pillar of the party in the government and in Parliament'," he said in the book. Later, Mukherjee said Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Prakash Karat told him that during the latter's meeting with Gandhi, she ruled out his name citing a number of reasons, including the fact that she did not have a substitute for him as the Leader of the Lok Sabha. Mukherjee also narrated the incident when Gandhi was to appoint a prime minister after she declined to take up the position in 2004. "There was intense speculation in the party and the media about her choice. Within the Congress party the consensus was that the incumbent must be a political leader with experience in party affairs and administration. Finally she named Dr Manmohan Singh as her choice and he accepted. "The prevalent expectation was that I would be the next choice for prime minister after Sonia Gandhi declined. This expectation was possibly based on the fact that I had extensive experience in government, while Singh's vast experience was as a civil servant with five years as a reformist finance minister," he wrote in the book. Photograph: Reuters UN Security Council strongly condemns terrorist attack in Egypt Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 October 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN Security Council strongly condemns terrorist attack in Egypt, 21 October 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59edc27b4.html [accessed 15 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. Condemning "in the strongest terms" the terrorist attack that took place Friday in Egypt's El Wahat desert, the United Nations Security Council underlined the need to bring the perpetrators and sponsors of such "reprehensible acts" to justice. According to reports, more than 50 police personnel were killed and many injured. "Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security," reaffirmed the Security Council members in a press statement issued today. "Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed," they reiterated. They also underlined the need for all UN Member States to combat by all means, in accordance with the UN Charter as well as other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. The Security Council members also expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of Egypt, and they wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured. 'Cycle of violence must end,' says UN chief, condemning latest attacks in Afghanistan Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 20 October 2017 Cite as UN News Service, 'Cycle of violence must end,' says UN chief, condemning latest attacks in Afghanistan, 20 October 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59edc38f4.html [accessed 15 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. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned today's attacks at mosques in Afghanistan's Kabul city and Ghor Province during Friday prayers. "This week alone, hundreds of Afghan civilians going about their daily lives, including practicing their religious faith, have fallen victims to brutal acts of violence," the Secretary-General said in a statement from his Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric. Through the statement, Mr. Guterres emphasized that those responsible must be swiftly brought to justice. "The cycle of violence must end and dialogue commence," he said. The Secretary-General also extended his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured, while expressing his solidarity with the Afghan people and Government. 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. Rohingya crisis: UNICEF issues 'Child Alert,' outlines urgent action to save lives Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 20 October 2017 Related Document(s) Outcast and Desperate: Rohingya Refugee Children Face a Perilous Future Cite as UN News Service, Rohingya crisis: UNICEF issues 'Child Alert,' outlines urgent action to save lives, 20 October 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59edc4fa4.html [accessed 15 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. Issuing a dire warning on the desperate situation of Rohingya refugee children, who now number more than 320,000 in Bangladesh, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for an end to the atrocities targeting civilians in Myanmar's Rakhine state, and immediate and unfettered access to all children affected by the violence there. At present, UNICEF has no access to Rohingya children in northern Rakhine state, where horrific violence since late August has driven over half a million members of the minority Muslim community to seek refuge across the border in Bangladesh. Many Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh have witnessed atrocities in Myanmar no child should ever see, and all have suffered tremendous loss, said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake, releasing a new report Outcast and Desperate: Rohingya refugee children face a perilous future. This crisis is stealing their childhoods. We must not let it steal their futures at the same time. In the report, UNICEF has called for urgent action in four key areas: International support and funding for the Bangladesh Humanitarian Response Plan and humanitarian response plan for Myanmar; Protection of Rohingya children and families, and immediate unfettered humanitarian access to all children affected by the violence in Rakhine State; Support for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar; and A long-term solution to the crisis, including implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. The most pressing need for thousands of refugees and refugee children is food, safe water, sanitation and vaccinations. Psychosocial support, education and counselling is also urgently needed. Meanwhile, the influx of refugees continues unabated between 1,200 and 1,800 children are arriving per day (about 60 per cent the total number) and thousands more are said to be on way. VIDEO: Thousands of new Rohingya refugees arrive in Bangladesh. UNHCR Video To cope with the crisis, UN relief agencies are working at full tilt, but funding and resources are in short supply. Ahead of an international pledging conference on 23 October in Geneva, UNICEF has urged donors to respond promptly to the requirements of the updated Bangladesh Humanitarian Response Plan released jointly by the UN and humanitarian agencies. We are appealing for $434 million to help address the urgent needs of over 537,000 #Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar. We need your support. - William Lacy Swing (@IOMchief) October 16, 2017 The Plan calls for $434 million, including some $76.1 million to address the immediate needs of newly-arrived Rohingya children, as well as those who arrived before the recent influx, and children from vulnerable host communities. The ministerial-level conference, organized by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and co-hosted by the European Union and Kuwait, will provide Governments an opportunity to show their solidarity and share the burden and responsibility. More than 700,000 over-one-year-olds vaccinated in massive campaign In the midst of a crisis which appears to overwhelm any response, UN agencies successfully concluded the first phase of a massive oral cholera vaccine (OCV) campaign, reaching over 700,000 children and people over the age of one with protection against the deadly diarrheal disease. The coverage is commendable as the oral cholera vaccination campaign was planned and rolled out against very tight timelines, said Dr. N. Paranietharan, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) presence in Bangladesh. Among the 700,487 people inoculated since the campaign was launched on 10 October, 179,848 are children aged between one and five. [The campaign] demonstrates the commitment of the Government of Bangladesh, partners on the ground, as well as partners such as GAVI (a publicprivate global health partnership) and the International Coordinating Group on vaccine provision, to help secure the health and wellbeing of these immensely vulnerable people, added the WHO official. The second phase is scheduled for early November to give an additional OCV dose to children aged between one and five years, for added protection. The vaccination campaign supplements other preventive measures, such as increased access to safe water, adequate sanitation and good hygiene. To help improve hygiene, a bar of soap was also handed out to each individual administered the vaccine. China: Voice Biometric Collection Threatens Privacy Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 22 October 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, China: Voice Biometric Collection Threatens Privacy , 22 October 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59edc60e5.html [accessed 15 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 Chinese government is collecting "voice pattern" samples of individuals to establish a national voice biometric database, Human Rights Watch said today. Authorities are collaborating with iFlytek, a Chinese company that produces 80 percent of all speech recognition technology in the country, to develop a pilot surveillance system that can automatically identify targeted voices in phone conversations. Human Rights Watch wrote to iFlytek on August 2, 2017, asking about its business relationship with the Ministry of Public Security, the description on its website of a mass automated voice recognition and monitoring system it has developed, and whether it has any human rights policies. iFlytek has not responded. "The Chinese government has been collecting the voice patterns of tens of thousands of people with little transparency about the program or laws regulating who can be targeted or how that information is going to be used," said Sophie Richardson, China director. "Authorities can easily misuse that data in a country with a long history of unchecked surveillance and retaliation against critics." The Chinese government has stepped up the use of biometric technology in recent years - including the construction of large-scale biometric databases - to bolster its existing mass surveillance and social control efforts. Compared with other biometric databases run by the police, the voice pattern database appears to be less established, with fewer samples in it. By 2015, police had collected 70,000 voice patterns in Anhui province, one of the main pilot provinces identified by the ministry for such collection. In comparison, national police databases have more than one billion faces and 40 million people's DNA samples. The collection of voice biometrics is part of the Chinese government's drive to form a "multi-modal" biometric portrait of individuals and to gather ever more data about citizens. This voice biometric data is linked in police databases to the person's identification number, which in turn can then be linked to a person's other biometric and personal information on file, including their ethnicity, home address, and even their hotel records. It is extremely difficult in China for individuals to remove such personal information, challenge its collection, or otherwise obtain redress for government surveillance. Unlike other types of biometric collection, such as fingerprinting or DNA sampling, individuals may not even realize their voice pattern has been collected, or that they are under surveillance. Official tender documents and police reports suggest that police are collecting voice patterns together with other biometrics - fingerprints, palm prints, and profile photos, as well as urine and DNA samples - when they conduct "standardized" () and "integrated" () "information collection" (). Police officers can subject anyone suspected of "violating the law or committing crimes" (), including misdemeanors, to this treatment. In one case, for example, police collected the voice patterns of three women who were suspected of sex work - including two suspected of administrative offenses - as police filed the case in an Anhui county. No public official policy documents attempt to justify the creation or use of such voice pattern databases, but academic articles by scientists who are leading their development state that its purpose is to help identify the speaker in voice materials collected during a crime. An artificial intelligence program, known as an Automatic Speaker Recognition (ASR) system, is used to speed up the matching process. Government reports in the media claim that Automatic Speaker Recognition forensics have been used to match voice patterns to solve cases involving telecommunications fraud, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and blackmail. According to these same reports, it will also be applied for counterterrorism and "stability maintenance" purposes - terms authorities sometimes use to justify the suppression of peaceful dissent. As the government weaves a tightened web of surveillance, there are more ways ordinary citizens can get caught for criticizing the government, as well as for mobilizing and organizing for social change. There have been documented cases in which activists and netizens have been sentenced for their peaceful expression on communication tools, including on social media applications like WeChat. The government has stepped up efforts to enforce "real-name registration" requirements for a range of services, including when purchasing mobile SIM cards, narrowing the space for anonymity and privacy. There are also cases in which activists are being tracked down by police when they travel on trains, as the authorities require "real name registration" for this and other forms of public transportation. Authorities have also installed CCTV cameras in front of the residences of activists, intimidating and monitoring them. Government collection or use of biometric data is not inherently illegal and has been justified at times as a permissible investigative tactic. But to meet international privacy standards enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which China has signed but not ratified, each government instance of collection, retention, and use of biometrics must be comprehensively regulated, narrow in scope, and necessary as well as proportionate to meeting a legitimate security goal. Given the sensitivity of biometric data, government officials should not collect or use such information unless necessary for the investigation of serious crime, and not for minor offenses or administrative purposes such as tracking migrants. Both collection and use should be limited to people found to be involved in wrongdoing, and not broad populations who have no specific link to crime. Collection, use, and retention should never be based on a person's sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, or religious, political, or other views. Individuals should have the right to know what biometric data the government holds on them. Technology companies also have a human rights responsibility to ensure that their products and services do not contribute to human rights abuses, including violations of privacy and fair trial rights. "Chinese authorities' arsenal of surveillance tools just keeps getting bigger while privacy rights lag far behind," Richardson said. "The Chinese authorities should immediately stop gathering highly sensitive biometric data until legal protections are clear - and clearly reliable." Voice Pattern Database; Automatic Speaker Recognition In 2012, the Ministry of Public Security started the construction of a national voice pattern database and designated Anhui as one of the pilot provinces. In 2014, the Anhui provincial police bureau issued an order to accelerate the database construction. Since then, police bureaus across that province have purchased voice pattern collection systems, based on official tender documents. Similar purchases for voice pattern collection systems were also made in 2016 by the police bureaus in Xinjiang, a repressive region with 11 million ethnic minority Uyghurs, following the "Notice to Fully Carry Out the Construction of Three-Dimensional Portraits, Voice Pattern, and DNA Fingerprint Biometrics Collection System" (DNA). A local police station reported that front-line officers are given monthly quotas for biometric collection. Police and media reports also indicate that police units have been constructing voice pattern databases in Guangdong province, Anqi county in Fujian province, Wuhan city in Hubei province, and Nanjing city in Jiangsu province. Human Rights Watch also found that police have collected voice patterns of ordinary citizens. For example: A police station in Xuancheng city, Anhui province, stated on April 27, 2017, that it is collecting voice patterns along with fingerprints and blood samples of migrant workers "to effectively grasp the actual situation regarding the migrant population"; In Bole city, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, an office responsible for managing domestic migrants described 14 new voice pattern collection systems in its 2016 annual report as part of its efforts to "strengthen the collection information on migrants"; Two separate police reports, dated April and May 2017, from Zhengzhou city, Henan province, note that the voice patterns of Uyghur migrants in their jurisdictions have been collected, along with other biometrics; Human Rights Watch has earlier documented that Xinjiang passport applicants are required to submit their biometrics to the police, which includes a voice pattern sample. A February 2017 report by the news website The Paper, since deleted inside China but still available on the overseas website China Digital Times, described how Anhui police were piloting an Automatic Speaker Recognition system to monitor phone conversations in real time, automatically picking out the targeted voice patterns of individuals and alerting the police: The technology is integrated into a surveillance system put in place by iFlytek and an unnamed local telecommunications company. iFlytek iFlytek, based in Anhui province, is a major artificial intelligence company focused on speech and speaker recognition. iFlytek's website touts the company's achievement in developing the country's first "mass automated voice recognition and monitoring system." Its website states that it has helped the Ministry of Public Security in building a national voice pattern database. It is also the designated supplier of voice pattern collection systems purchased by Xinjiang and Anhui police bureaus. It says it has set up, jointly with the ministry's forensics center, a key ministry laboratory in artificial intelligent voice technology () that has "helped solve cases" in Anhui, Gansu, Tibet, and Xinjiang. The company states it can develop artificial intelligence systems that can handle minority languages, including Tibetan and Uyghur. iFlytek's website also claims it has developed other audio-related applications, including "keyword spotting" for "public security" and "national defense" purposes. The web page gives no further details of what these keywords or the security threats might be. In a patent it filed in August 2013, iFlytek states that it has developed a system to discover "repeated audio files" in the telecommunications system and on the internet that may be useful in "monitoring public opinion": [Such a system] which can automatically pick up, from a massive amount of audio information, audio clips that appear repeatedly is very important in information security and in monitoring public opinion. For audio information on the phone [system], the use of the technology can quickly find illegal phone recordings that are being transmitted. For audio and video data on the internet, the technology can quickly and accurately dig out the most popular audio and video clips. iFlytek has a joint laboratory with the Department of Electronic Engineering at Tsinghua University. The department has a long history of developing speech and speaker recognition for automated telephone surveillance, and is a major player in the Golden Shield Project, the Ministry of Public Security's ambitious plan to bolster and broaden surveillance using technology. iFlytek also has a range of commercial text-to-speech and speech recognition applications for mobile phones, including a voice assistance app for Android phones in China. The company states it has 890 million users, which would provide a large speech data set that can be used to train and improve its speech recognition software for a range of purposes, potentially including surveillance. It is unclear to what extent iFlytek shares the personal information it collects for commercial purposes with the Ministry of Public Security. While iFlytek promises confidentiality in its customer privacy statement, it also says that it may disclose personal information "according to the demands of the relevant government departments." China's Cybersecurity Law requires companies to provide undefined "technical support" to security agencies to aid in investigations, and provides no privacy protections against state surveillance. iFlytek is not required to inform users of government information requests, for example. During the 2014 annual meeting of the National People's Congress (NPC) - China's rubber stamp legislature - Liu Qingfeng, chairman of iFlytek and a deputy to the NPC, urged the authorities to "employ big data in countering terrorism as soon as possible, and to speed up the construction of the voice pattern database to protect national security." Other governments have used automated speech recognition programs, including the United States for monitoring prison calls and Australia for verifying callers accessing social services; the Spanish police have more than 3,500 voice samples from people convicted of crimes. While some governments pursue voice pattern collection for identification or authentication in limited situations, there are significant challenges to applying such technology for crime control and surveillance. The accuracy of an Automatic Speaker Recognition system is affected by the circumstances of speech, including emotions. According to a speech recognition expert who spoke to Human Rights Watch but did not wish to be named, a system's ability to conduct real-time surveillance is also limited. With current technology, such a system at most can only "listen" to 50 phone lines at one time to trace one targeted voice. The consequences of false positives, where the system incorrectly matches a voice to a stored voice pattern, could be severe when the technology is used to investigate and prosecute crimes, especially in countries such as China, where conviction rate is above 99 percent and few effective redress mechanisms exist. Governments and private sector companies alike face additional challenges in securing large-scale biometric databases. These can become prime targets for cybercriminals, who could attempt to breach them to acquire biometrics to commit identity theft and fraud. Unlike with a national ID number or password, people cannot generally change their voice, face, or other biometrics, and so they may be left with little recourse or protection if such data is breached. Biometric Collection and Wiretapping in Chinese and International Law Chinese law appears to limit police collection of biometric samples to people connected to the investigation of a specific criminal case. Article 130 of the Criminal Procedure Law (CPL) states that in the course of criminal investigations, to "ascertain certain features, conditions of injuries, or physical conditions of a victim or a criminal suspect, a physical examination may be conducted, and fingerprints, blood, urine and other biological samples may be collected. If a criminal suspect refuses to be examined, the investigators, when they deem it necessary, may conduct a compulsory examination." But there are no legal guidelines or limitations on how long biometric samples can be stored, shared, or used, or how their collection or use can be challenged. While there are Ministry of Public Security internal departmental rules that focus on the administrative and technical aspects of voice pattern collection, most are not publicly available. The collection of biometrics from migrants may also be taking place outside the law. While there are provincial-level rules authorizing local governments to collect migrants' "basic data," they do not explicitly include biometrics as part of the collected data. Chinese law also does not authorize the police to collect individuals' biometric data in cases of administrative offenses, though this may be changing. In early 2017, the Chinese government issued new draft amendments to its Public Security Administrative Punishments Law, in which a new provision, article 112, authorizes police to collect biometrics to identify victims and offenders in minor administrative cases. Article 148 of the Criminal Procedure Law allows criminal investigators to wiretap criminal suspects as well as anyone connected to the crime for serious crimes, including endangering state security, terrorism, organized crime, drug-related crimes, and corruption. Such wiretapping does not require a court warrant - approval from supervisors in the relevant criminal investigation units is adequate under the law. The National People's Congress should review and revise legislation relevant to biometric data collection and wiretapping to ensure they are compliant with standards under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These standards must be part of a legal framework that ensures collection, use, and retention of such data is a) necessary in the sense that less intrusive measures are unavailable; b) appropriately restricted to ensure the action is proportionate to a legitimate purpose such as public safety; and c) does not impair the essence of the right to privacy and other related rights. To ensure these standards are enforced, any biometric data program should also include independent authorization for collection and use, public notification, and means of independent oversight, as well as avenues for people to challenge abuses and have access to remedies. The authorities should also publish information about the collection and use of voice pattern recognition technology, including disclosure about databases that have been created and specific searches they conduct. iFlytek should cease technology transfers and support for surveillance systems provided to the Ministry of Public Security and provincial authorities until regulations are in place that ensure privacy and other human rights are protected. Technology companies should refrain from sharing voice pattern or other personal information collected for commercial purposes with security agencies without a specific court warrant targeting an individual under suspicion of a serious crime. The companies should not use voice patterns that were collected for commercial purposes to train or otherwise develop technology for surveillance purposes, as information collected from individuals for one purpose should not be used for another without their consent. Companies should also submit voice recognition technology developed for surveillance applications to public, independent accuracy competitions and publish performance results, including tests that address accuracy for ethnic minority languages and potential algorithmic bias that would affect minorities. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Greece: Asylum Seekers in Abysmal Conditions on Islands Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 23 October 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Greece: Asylum Seekers in Abysmal Conditions on Islands, 23 October 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59edc73d4.html [accessed 15 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. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras should end the Greek government's "containment policy" of confining asylum seekers to the Aegean islands, 19 human rights and humanitarian aid organizations said in an open letter released today. Thousands of people, including very young children, single or pregnant women, and people with physical disabilities, are trapped in abysmal conditions as winter sets in. Forcing asylum seekers to remain in conditions that violate their rights and are harmful to their well-being, health, and dignity, cannot be justified by the implementation of the EU-Turkey deal, the organizations said. Since the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement in March 2016, the Greek islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Kos, and Leros have become places of indefinite confinement. Thousands of women, men, and children are trapped in deplorable and volatile conditions, with many denied access to adequate asylum procedures. Asylum seekers who arrived on the islands in the first days of the implementation of the EU-Turkey Deal have been stuck there for almost 19 months. The recent increase in arrivals of men, women, and children has increased the pressure on the already overcrowded reception and identification centers known as hotspots. Current arrivals are still comparatively quite low and should be manageable for Greece and the EU more broadly, but they include a significant number of women and children. The situation is particularly critical on Samos and Lesbos, where a total of more than 8,300 asylum seekers and migrants are living in hotspot facilities meant for just 3,000. The recent announcement that 2,000 asylum seekers will be moved from the two islands to the mainland in the coming weeks as an emergency decongestion measure is a positive development, the groups said. But it is not sufficient to alleviate the current overcrowding of the facilities and does not sustainably address the systemic issues that have created this emergency situation - namely the containment policy. With the approach of the third winter since large-scale arrivals on the islands began, it is evident that the Greek authorities cannot meet the basic needs and protect the rights of asylum seekers while they remain on the islands. Implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement has been cited by EU and Greek officials as a justification for the containment policy. But forcing asylum seekers to remain in conditions that violate their rights and are harmful to their well-being, health, and dignity, cannot be justified, the organizations said. The organizations urged Prime Minister Tsipras to protect the human rights of asylum seekers trapped on the islands by ending the containment policy. They should be transferred to the mainland so that they can be provided with adequate accommodation and services to meet their needs and to ensure that their asylum claims are fairly heard. Quotes from Participating Groups "Greece should end its cruel policy of trapping asylum seekers on the islands," said Eva Cosse, Greece researcher at Human Rights Watch. "People should not be forced to suffer another winter in unheated tents and without proper services." "The policy of containment is putting the lives of people who are seeking sanctuary in Europe at risk," said Jana Frey, the International Rescue Committee's country director. "While we welcome the government's announcement to move 2,000 people on Lesbos and Samos off the islands in the coming days as an emergency measure, this can only be seen as a first step. Far more must be done to both improve conditions on the islands, and move the most vulnerable to the mainland, in order to ensure that lives are not lost this winter." "The EU-Turkey deal must no longer be used as pretext to strand asylum-seekers in inhuman conditions on the Greek islands'' said Irem Arf, Amnesty International's researcher on migration. "It is imperative that the Greek government urgently move people to mainland Greece." "The policy of implementing the EU-Turkey Statement has been violating asylum seekers' rights under international law, and has contributed in disrupting social cohesion in the Greek islands affected," said Spyros Rizakos, director of Aitima. "It is high time the EU and Greek authorities abandoned this policy." "Europe is refusing to offer humane reception conditions and dignity to people in need who arrive on our shores," said Nicola Bay, head of mission for Oxfam in Greece. "Greek and EU authorities should immediately transfer migrants to the Greek mainland instead of leaving them trapped in abysmal conditions on the Greek islands." "Making these Greek islands a huge detention center isn't in the interests of anyone," said Gianmaria Pinto, Country Director of the Norwegian Refugee Council. "We all know what it is needed, including the government: to provide vulnerable people trapped on the islands with dignified accommodation and adequate services, without overlooking legal aid." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Russia: Don't Veto Extension of Syria Inquiry Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 20 October 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Russia: Don't Veto Extension of Syria Inquiry, 20 October 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59edc77d4.html [accessed 15 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. Russia should not block the extension of the inquiry into who is responsible for chemical weapons use in Syria, Human Rights Watch said today. The mandate for the inquiry, called the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), will expire on November 17, 2017, even though it has yet to investigate several alleged chemical attacks in Syria. The United States has circulated a draft resolution at the UN Security Council to extend the mandate of the joint UN and Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) inquiry for another year. But Russia has threatened to block the renewal, citing concerns over the inquiry's upcoming report on one attack. "Russia is basically holding the inquiry's continued work hostage to its findings on a specific attack," said Ole Solvang, deputy emergencies director at Human Rights Watch. "There's a word for that - blackmail." Thoroughly investigating these reports is crucial because they suggest a clear pattern of nerve agent use. A Russian veto would effectively prevent a credible investigation into who was responsible for this and other similar attacks. The Joint Investigative Mechanism is expected to release on October 26 its report on an April 4 chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun, a town in northern Syria, which killed about 90 civilians. While investigations by the UN-mandated Syria Commission of Inquiry and Human Rights Watch have concluded that the evidence strongly indicate government responsibility for the attack, Russian officials have claimed that armed anti-government groups were most likely behind the attack. In a briefing on October 13, the Russian ambassador to the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, Mikhail Ulyanov, said, based on a transcript posted on the website of Russia's mission to the UN: "We are going to review [the Khan Sheikhoun report] in most carefully to determine the quality of its work moreover since in November the UNSC will have to determine whether it is appropriate to further extend the JIM mandate. [sic]" A Russian veto of the mandate extension would be inconsistent with Russian officials' past statements about the importance of investigating chemical weapons use, Human Rights Watch said. Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have on multiple occasions condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria and have insisted on a full and impartial investigation of the Khan Sheikhoun attack to find and punish those responsible. "The JIM's October report is the result of the impartial investigation that Russia has called for," Solvang said. "There is no point calling for an independent investigation if you are going to kill it for reaching conclusions you do not like." Russia supported the creation of the JIM and the extension of its mandate in the past, but has become increasingly critical of its work after the investigation attributed responsibility for three chemical attacks in 2014 and 2015 to the Syrian government. Russia has twice used its veto to block Security Council resolutions related to chemical weapons use in Syria. In February 2017, Russia, together with China, vetoed a resolution imposing sanctions on Syria after the JIM found the Syrian government responsible for chemical attacks in 2014 and 2015. In April, Russia vetoed a resolution condemning the attack in Khan Sheikhoun and expressing the Security Council's determination to hold those responsible for the attack accountable. The Syrian government's repeated and systematic use of chemical weapons poses an unprecedented threat to the global ban on chemical weapons, which, with 192 member states for the Chemical Weapons Convention, is the strongest ban on a weapon in international law. An official investigation to identify those responsible for such attacks serves as a crucial deterrent and a basis for Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and UN Security Council action to hold those responsible for attacks accountable and prevent future attacks, Human Rights Watch said. Other countries should uphold the norm against the use of chemical weapons by urging Russia not to block the extension of this crucial investigation. As a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, Russia should ensure that it is not facilitating violations by another party to the convention, namely Syria. As of September 15, 2017, 114 countries have endorsed the Accountability Coherence and Transparency (ACT) Code of Conduct, pledging not to vote against a credible draft resolution aimed at preventing or ending serious crimes under international law, as well as supporting timely Security Council action to address such grave abuses. Further highlighting global momentum in favor of restraint in using a Security Council veto, 96 countries support a French and Mexican initiative calling for permanent Security Council members to voluntarily pledge not to use the veto in situations of mass atrocities. The UN Security Council created the Joint Investigative Mechanism in August 2015 "to identify to the greatest extent feasible individuals, entities, groups, or governments who were perpetrators, organizers, sponsors or otherwise involved in the use of chemicals as weaponsin the Syrian Arab Republic." At the time, Russia said the establishment of the JIM would close the gap in identifying those responsible for the use of chlorine as a weapon in Syria. An OPCW Fact-Finding Mission has the mandate to determine whether chemical weapons are used in Syria, but does not have the mandate to determine who used them. In reports in August and October 2016, the JIM found the Syrian government responsible for the use of chemical weapons in three attacks and the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) for one. The UN Security Council extended the mandate twice, in October 2016 and November 2016. There is plenty more work for the JIM, Human Rights Watch said. In a July report, the OPCW said that the fact-finding mission was investigating the most credible allegations among 60 incidents of alleged chemical weapons use in Syria. In one of those cases, an attack near the town of al-Lataminah on March 30, five days before the Khan Sheikhoun attack, it has already confirmed the use of sarin, a deadly nerve agent. When its report is finalized, it will send the case to the JIM so it can seek to identify who is responsible for the attack. Human Rights Watch concluded in a report in May that the Syrian government's use of chemical weapons had become widespread and systematic and could amount to crimes against humanity. Russia has been much less critical of the JIM's finding that ISIS used chemical weapons. For example, commenting on the August 2016 JIM report that found that both the Syrian government and ISIS had used chemical weapons, the Russian ambassador to the UN told reporters that he had "very serious questions" about the two cases the investigation attributed to the Syrian government, but he was pleased the report had confirmed that ISIS had used chemical weapons. The investigation appears to have applied the same methodology to investigate all of these incidents. "If Russia blocks the renewal of this mandate, it is hard to see how those responsible for chemical attacks in Syria would not take that as a green light to continue using chemical weapons," Solvang said. "Blocking the renewal mandate would send a message to other members of the Chemical Weapons Convention that ignoring the ban on these weapons is perfectly fine." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Peru: Rumours of pardon for Fujimori must not distract from efforts to seek justice for victims Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 20 October 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Peru: Rumours of pardon for Fujimori must not distract from efforts to seek justice for victims, 20 October 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59edc8124.html [accessed 15 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 Peruvian government must focus all its energy on ensuring that the thousands of victims of human rights violations committed during the administration of former president Fujimori receive truth, justice and reparation, said Amnesty International in an open letter sent today to President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. "The rumours of a possible pardon for former President Alberto Fujimori are little more than a distraction from the government's historic debt to guarantee justice for thousands of people," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International. "President Kuczynski must also listen to the voices of the families of the victims and civil society organizations who, on several occasions, have requested meetings with him in order to voice their concerns." The former president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000), was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2009 for his responsibility for crimes against humanity committed by his subordinates, the paramilitary group Colina. Fujimori is also currently facing charges for his alleged responsibility for other human rights violations which could constitute crimes against humanity, such as the killing of six people in Pativilca, Central Peru. Any pardon or clemency which would revoke the 2009 sentence against Alberto Fujimori for crimes against humanity would disregard the sentence issued by the Peruvian Supreme Court of Justice, would violate the country's obligations under international law and would undermine what little achievements have already been accomplished in the recent fight against impunity. The possibility that the former president could benefit from a humanitarian measure, based on serious illness which should be verified by means of a transparent process, should not hinder the ongoing trials and investigations against him for human rights violations and crimes under international law. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, is visiting Peru this week. This could prove a crucial opportunity for President Kuczynski to confirm his commitment to the process of obtaining peace, justice and reparation for the victims. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Argentina: Authorities must guarantee justice for Santiago Maldonado Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 20 October 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Argentina: Authorities must guarantee justice for Santiago Maldonado, 20 October 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59edc8504.html [accessed 15 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. News that a dead body found in a river in the state of Chubut, Argentina, is that of activist Santiago Maldonado, who was presumably forcibly disappeared, marks a tragic day for human rights and justice in the South American country, Amnesty International said today. Maldonado was forcibly disappeared in a context of a demonstration on 1 August 2017 when militarized forces violently entered a Mapuche community. "In these tragic moments we stand hand in hand with Santiagos family and will not rest until justice is done and all those responsible are brought to justice", said Mariela Belski, Director at Amnesty International Argentina. "Authorities must now ensure that a full independent investigation is conducted to establish who was responsible for Santiago's disappearance and death, who ordered it and who knew about it and failed to act." "Failing to guarantee justice, truth and reparation would be a clear indication of where the human rights agenda of the government is" Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Tanzania: Activists imprisoned without charge in LGBTI crackdown must be released Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 20 October 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Tanzania: Activists imprisoned without charge in LGBTI crackdown must be released, 20 October 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59edc8b2a.html [accessed 15 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. After the Tanzanian authorities today detained without charge a group of 12 health and human rights activists and publicly accused them of "promoting homosexuality", Amnesty International's Director of Global Issues and Research Audrey Gaughran said: "This peaceful group of activists and lawyers will now spend the weekend behind bars despite having done nothing wrong - as illustrated by the fact the authorities have failed to even find a crime to charge them with. All of these people unlawfully detained must be immediately and unconditionally released. "These baseless detentions are the latest example of the Tanzanian authorities' ongoing, unlawful witch hunt against the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community," said Audrey Gaughran. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Search Refworld and / or country All countries Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China) Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau (Special Administrative Region of China) Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste (East Timor) Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkiye Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu U.S. Virgin Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Territory Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Winter is coming: Who will rebuild Raqqa? Publisher IRIN Author Aron Lund Publication Date 23 October 2017 Citation / Document Symbol Cite as IRIN, Winter is coming: Who will rebuild Raqqa?, 23 October 2017, , available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59edfaa34.html [accessed 15 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. After years of fighting, the so-called Islamic State has finally been driven out of Raqqa, its main stronghold in Syria. This is a major victory for those fighting the group, but Raqqa is now a ghost town, strewn with rubble and unexploded bombs. As winter approaches, the city's new rulers are in a race against time to make it habitable once again. Central Raqqa's Naeem roundabout has become emblematic of IS rule: The group's gory propaganda films delighted in showing black banners fluttering over crucified bodies and severed heads at the traffic circle. That's all over now. Today, the roundabout is draped in the yellow flags of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-Arab coalition fighting to destroy IS, aided by the United States and dozens of other countries. For the SDF and its allies, taking Raqqa was a harbinger of victory and cause for great celebration. But in the process of eliminating IS, Naeem roundabout and everything around it was reduced to rubble. "One hundred and thirty-five days of clashes created huge destruction in the city," SDF media official Perwar Mohammed Ali told IRIN by phone from Ain Issa, north of Raqqa, describing a wasteland of collapsing buildings strewn with land mines and unexploded bombs. "As of now, we cannot tell civilians to come back to Raqqa, because it's dangerous." A city without people Since the SDF offensive began in June, the US-led coalition has reportedly dropped some 20,000 munitions on Raqqa. According to the monitoring group Airwars, in August alone the city was pummelled with 10 times more bombs than all of Afghanistan over the same period. Airwars counts US bombing as responsible for most of the 1,800 civilian deaths it recorded during the Raqqa offensive, although the coalition disputes these numbers. Echoing SDF estimates, a UN official told IRIN that at least four fifths of Raqqa city is now uninhabitable, partly because of material destruction, but also due to unexploded ordnance and a lack of electricity and water. The UN says more than 312,000 people have fled Raqqa province as a whole, and many of the city's former inhabitants are now stuck in camps in the barren, SDF-controlled countryside north of the city. Conditions there are "miserable", according to Save the Children, which warns that many of the displaced could be trapped in makeshift camps for "months or years to come". That's why aid workers insist there's no time to lose in creating the conditions for a safe return to Raqqa. "The camps are overcrowded and we need to be thinking about that now," Christy Delafield, spokeswoman for Mercy Corps - an aid group that was shut down by the government in Turkey but still has some operations on the ground in Syria - told IRIN, told IRIN. "The timeframe that we're really looking at is weather. At this particular moment, everybody is keeping an eye on the approaching winter, and nobody wants to spend this winter under a tent." In the meantime, the UN is already distributing "winterisation kits" across Syria - these include insulation, floor mats, waterproofing, and a heater for tents. Bombs under the rubble The security situation in Raqqa is extremely precarious. SDF sources told IRIN that IS fighters are still thought to be hiding inside the city, claiming to have caught one as recently as Friday. Apart from flushing out the last few IS snipers, the SDF's to-do list is topped by the need to clear out landmines and unexploded US bombs - or at least figure out where they are. Landmines have already killed members of least nine families that have tried to return to Raqqa, coalition sources say. "IS had years of time to prepare and place booby traps in buildings," Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway, a Pentagon spokesman, told IRIN. Delafield said there are "quite a few unknown dangers in terms of unexploded ordinance and other kinds of explosive devices, such as booby-trapping," in Raqqa. "People need to be given accurate information about what clearance has been done in their neighbourhoods and their homes, to ensure that people are not moving into harm's way when they are trying to return," she added. And once the tough job of demining has been completed, there'll be the not-so-small matters of governing and rebuilding to worry about. The Raqqa Civil Council The SDF has said it will hand power over to the Raqqa Civil Council, a group set up in Ain Issa last April. Like most SDF-backed organs, and in stark contrast to the values enforced by IS, the council has a gender-balanced double presidency: Leadership is shared by Leila Mustafa, a Kurdish woman from the border town of Tel Abyad, and her male Arab counterpart Mahmoud al-Borsan, a former member of the Syrian parliament and a leader of the Walda tribe, which is influential in Raqqa. Co-opting tribal figures to win Arab support is a tried and true tactic of the SDF, and it has worked fairly well elsewhere in northeastern Syria. The Raqqa Civil Council seems to be an attempt to draw on those experiences: Mustafa even served in a similar council set up to govern her hometown Tel Abyad, which is also majority Arab, when that city was taken from IS in 2015. But Kheder Khaddour, a Syrian scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center, warns that Raqqa - a city at least 10 times larger than Tel Abyad - is a very different social landscape than the SDF has dealt with in the past. "Raqqa is a city of [around] 200,000, where you have educated middle classes and traders who operate in autonomy from their tribal belongings. A legitimate local governance body cannot function without involving this largely displaced educated middle class," Khaddour told IRIN by email. According to Khaddour, the Kurdish factions that dominate the SDF have faced trouble before in co-opting educated urban elites, even in cities like Qamishli, which has been under their control for more than five years. It is an open secret that these Kurdish groups are the real power behind the Raqqa Civil Council and the SDF, and that they are affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought a long insurgency against the government in Turkey. Huge portraits of PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan were on display in the Naeem roundabout as a group of female Kurdish fighters staged the first round of victory celebrations, and their commanders dedicated the victory to him. It drove home the point: For all the councils and front groups created to obscure it, there's no doubting that Raqqa, like much of northern Syria, is now under de facto PKK control. The politics of reconstruction Though the PKK's Syrian affiliates are known to run a tight ship - they have proven themselves far more adept at administering territory than most of Syria's armed groups - they lack the resources and trained cadre necessary for launching a major rebuilding programme on their own. The SDF will have to depend on foreign allies to fund the reconstruction of Raqqa, and that's where things start to get complicated. In the best of worlds, reconstruction supplies would already be flooding in across the Turkish border, paid for by an international community eager to get the Raqqa Civil Council up and running and demine residential neighbourhoods in time for winter. Humanitarian aid does cross Syria's northern border regularly - but the SDF's PKK connection means Turkey may block anything headed for Raqqa. Ankara views the group as a major threat to its national authority, and seems more likely to attack Kurdish-ruled regions than help them rebuild and recover. Neighbouring Iraqi Kurdistan is not necessarily a reliable conduit for support to Raqqa, either. The president of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, Masoud Barzani, is a fierce rival of the PKK and, most of the time, a close ally of Turkey. Plus, Barzani's decision to stage an independence referendum on 25 September prompted both Turkey and Iran to put his autonomous area under blockade, while the Iraqi central government moved to recapture swathes of disputed, Kurdish-controlled land, including border regions that might otherwise have been used by the SDF to supply reconstruction efforts in Syria. So what about the Americans? The US government has been a reliable ally of the Syrian Kurds on the battlefield, and it has already given some aid that can be used in the post-conflict phase. "During the clashes, the coalition provided the SDF with mine sweepers and some machines to clear the mines, but the amount of destruction is huge and we need much more," insisted the SDF's Perwar Mohammed Ali. Yet Washington has repeatedly signalled that there are limits to how much non-military assistance it will provide, and that it won't engage in long-term nation-building. "We're not here forever to fix everything. We have no money or desire to spend 20 years here demining the homes," a US State Department official told AFP last week. The US State Department did not respond to IRIN's request for comment by publication. The Americans are also constrained by their need to balance investments in the SDF against a much older relationship with NATO member Turkey. Ankara is already outraged by US military support for the SDF, and any hint of American backing for Kurdish civil governance and state-building efforts in northern Syria would strain ties further. The issue is divisive and controversial inside the US government, and Thursday's Ocalan shindig in Naeem roundabout did nothing to help the SDF's allies in Washington. "There is a very active debate right now within the US government about whether the SDF, or the Kurdish components within it, can actually pull off sustainable post-IS governance," said Nicholas Heras, a Washington-based fellow at the Center for a New American Security who is regularly in touch with US policymakers on Syria. He told IRIN the Naeem roundabout episode "came unexpectedly and at the wrong time", embarrassing key Pentagon officials who have advocated for continued US support to the SDF. A role for Riyadh? But there may be ways to bypass the political blockages in Washington: The US-led coalition has reportedly tried to get Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to step in and pay for Raqqa's reconstruction. On Tuesday, Saudi Gulf Affairs Minister Thamer al-Sabhan visited the Raqqa Civil Council in Ain Issa alongside the US special envoy to the anti-IS coalition Brett McGurk. According to both council officials and the Dutch journalist Wladimir Van Wilgenburg, who was on site in Ain Issa, the meetings dealt with reconstruction funding. But al-Sabhan's visit seems to have been a first contact, and no clear indication of Saudi support has yet materialised. "McGurk came and some Saudi Arabian officials came, but still we have seen nothing," said the SDF's Perwar Mohammed Ali. "We expect in the coming days they will help us, but so far it is only promises." While getting the Gulf Arabs to fund reconstruction efforts sounds like a jackpot for the SDF, it would come with its own set of risks and strings attached. The conservative Sunni Arab regimes in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have traditionally taken a dim view of Syrian Kurdish aspirations, and they seem to view the PKK's feminist and socialist guerrillas with particular distaste. Nevertheless, their interests are temporarily aligned, as it just so happens that the PKK's arch-enemy Turkey has lined up behind the Gulf states' local rival Qatar, and the Syrian regime is tightly allied with their regional foe, Iran. Any Gulf money to northern Syria would have to hinge on the SDF's continued ability to serve as a thorn in the side of Turks and Iranians, and it could dry up if the Saudis and Emiratis were to reconcile with either the Qataris or the Turks, or if the Gulf royals were to conclude that the SDF was too cosy with President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Damascus. Hurdles on the road to Damascus This is a bit of a problem for the SDF, which seems to view cooperation with al-Assad as a necessary evil to ensure the survival of their project in northern Syria. As the Syrian regime drives east, gobbling up desert cities in the dying days of the IS "caliphate", it has mostly avoided clashes with the SDF. Russia and the United States are of course working hard to prevent friction between their respective allies, but that could change now that Syria is visibly moving toward some form of endgame, with al-Assad still in uncontested control of Damascus. With Turkey an implacable enemy, and northern Iraq an unreliable ally at best and another enemy at worst (but mostly just a weird mess), and the United States unwilling to put both feet down and nation-build, Damascus represents the Syrian Kurds' only window on the world. Al-Assad holds the keys to the rest of Syria's borders, airports, roads, and infrastructure, to accessing the state bureaucracy and the Syrian economy, to public sector services and salaries, and to a significant portion of UN aid. The SDF leaders might not like it, but they know it, and they seem to have decided that it would be better to lay out their case while they still have the US Air Force at their back. "We will negotiate in the future with the Syrian regime," said the SDF spokesman, Perwar Mohammed Ali. "If they attack us, of course we have a right of self-defence, but we are ready for talks and negotiations with everybody." In the coming days, Damascus-allied Moscow will organise a round of talks between the Kurds and the al-Assad government at the Russian-run Hmeymim Air Base in western Syria. "Let's see what the other parties to the conflict say," said Perwar Mohammed Ali. "It will be good to sit down and listen to each other. It's better than fighting." Indeed, shaped by Russia's intervention and fading foreign support for the anti-regime insurgents, the Syrian war now appears to have settled into a logic where all roads lead to Damascus. Yet much could still change. If the SDF moves too quickly or too close to al-Assad and his Iranian allies, it can kiss its hopes of Saudi and Emirati reconstruction funding goodbye. Following Russia down the road to Damascus might also trigger pushback from the American government, whose main goal in Syria, which is to smash jihadis and ignore the rest, is a poor match with its main goal in the Middle East more generally, which is to hurt Iran. And finally, how do you deal with a regime whose overriding instinct seems to be to not compromise about anything ever? A slew of questions remain to be answered before we'll know how all this will play out. Syria's local politics have a tendency to get snagged in international rivalries. Raqqa's reconstruction will clearly be no exception. With Connecticut having tightened the leash in the past few years on both animal shelters and pet stores, legislators held open the possibility the state will go a step further and match Californias landmark law enacted last week, requiring pet stores to sell rescue dogs, cats and bunnies. In mid-October, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law an act that requires pet stores to sell only dogs, cats and rabbits obtained by shelters or other nonprofit animal rescue organizations. California became the first state in the country to ban so-called puppy mills that have been maligned for selling pets born in high volume breeding facilities with diseases or inbred genetic characteristics that endanger their health or that of their offspring. An animal rights activist group called Social Compassion in Legislation was among those urging California policymakers to enact the law statewide after three dozen municipalities did so on their own initiative in the past decade. The California law comes three years after Connecticut increased its own oversight of pet stores, which it defines as stores where animals are sold that were not bred on site, as distinguished from breeding kennels. Under Connecticut law, pet shops must have cats and dogs examined every 15 days by licensed veterinarians until the animals are sold, and must maintain records on those vet inspections for multiple years. In the event of an animal falling ill within 20 days of purchase, pet shops are on the hook for any vet bills of up to $500 or the amount paid for the animal if more than that amount. The same holds for any congenital defects affecting the health of a dog or cat, with buyers able to get a full refund or have the pet store provide a replacement pet. Pet shops are required to display those terms visibly on their premises and provide a copy as part of any sale. Some of those rules emerged from hearings held In 2013 and 2014 under state Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, and Rep. Brenda Kupchick, R-Fairfield, who chaired a legislative task force on the issue. It was quite contentious Duff told Hearst Connecticut Media he had sought a compromise in which pet stores would be required to sell a percentage of rescue animals, which he said still represents a possible solution; he also wants to see whether sellers will find loopholes in the California law before moving ahead with any new legislation in Connecticut. For her part, Kupchick indicated she originally envisioned a law in line with Californias, but ratcheted back that vision after industry trade representatives dug in to protect the interests of their member pet store owners. It was quite contentious, Kupchick recalled in response to an email query by Hearst Connecticut Media. But in the end we passed stronger regulations and hopefully raised awareness that buying a puppy from pet stores or over the Internet without visiting the breeder is being complacent to the horrific treatment of puppy mill breeding dogs. Even as California debated its new pet shop law, the Connecticut General Assembly was increasing its oversight of animal shelters to the rules governing pet stores, breeders and others, requiring shelters to register with the Connecticut commissioner of agriculture. While most rescue shelters schedule regular veterinary visits, the new law arrives after the 2016 conviction and subsequent prison sentence of Fred Acker, who was charged with keeping animals in inhumane conditions at his SPCA of Connecticut animal shelter in Monroe. The shelter remains in operation today under director Susan Fernandez, maintaining its no-kill mission to keep animals until they find new owners. SPCA of Connecticut is among the local shelters that has been attempting to raise money to support the placement of pets orphaned in Hurricane Harvey in Texas. State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, R-Seymour, championed the bill after visiting the Monroe shelter a few years back with sister and state Rep. Themis Klarides, R-Derby, in hopes of adopting a cat. She testified last March about the shock she encountered at the time, in support of the new law she hopes will give all animals a safe living environment, regardless of whether they are bred for sale or simply needing a new owner. We walk in, with a stench that was coming from the shelter, Klarides-Ditria said in March of her initial experience in Monroe. Walk upstairs to where the cats were housed ... It was awful. Kupchick said she is aware of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture issuing fines to pet stores for noncompliance of the new rules. But she welcomes the new publicity generated by Californias law, and said awareness is the most important tool to hold to the highest standards the entities that find homes for pets, regardless of their mission or profit motive. I would prefer people either rescued or went through reputable local breeders, Kupchick stated. I would love to have (Connecticut) follow California on this issue. The Chamber is pleased to partner with Central Holidays West to offer a South African Adventure & Safari from April 21-30. Excite your inner adventurer in South Africa! Set out from Johannesburg for a safari in Kruger National Park, one of Africas leading game sanctuaries that covers more than 7,700 square miles of land between the Crocodile River in the south and the Limpopo in the north. It also boasts the greatest species diversity in Africa with more than 140 resident mammal species, including the iconic Big Five (lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino). A 4x4 vehicle gives you nearly unlimited photo opportunities to snap pictures of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, hippo, crocodile, wild dog and vast antelope herds. Then explore the wine-producing region of the Cape Winelands, visit picturesque vineyard estates and sample some of the finest South African wines. Take a stroll through Stellenbosch, a charming vineyard village boasting splendidly preserved Cape Dutch and Georgian-Victorian architecture. Next, discover scenic Cape Town. This once colonial settlement is one of the worlds most picturesque tourist destinations and most beautiful cities. Snug between hilly mountains and pristine white beaches, Cape Town is often called the cosmopolitan hub of Africa. Due to popular demand, a second information session will be held at the Chamber on October 23rd at 6 p.m. For more details on this and other Chamber sponsored trips, please visit the Chambers Travel Program page at nwctchamberofcommerce.org/events-programs/chamber-travel-program. 2017 Economic Summit Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerces 2017 Economic Summit will be held on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 a.m. at the Torrington Country Club. The keynote speaker is Donald Klepper-Smith of DataCore Partners, LLC. Don has been a professional economist for 30 years and served as Chairman of Governor Rells Economic Advisory Council from 2007 to 2010 and as an Economic Advisor during the Weicker Administration. Prior to his work for the state, Don served as Corporate Economist for Southern New England Telephone from 1982 to 1996. He has also served as President of both the Economic Club of Connecticut and the Hartford Area Business Economists, two organizations which explore economic issues of importance to the State with a focus on business, government and education. Don is a long-time observer of the regions economy, and is regularly quoted by various media sources on his perspective and insights on the domestic and Connecticut economies including as a frequent commentator on WTNH Television in New Haven. He is a professional researcher, developing and directing strategic planning initiatives for his clients. Don will share his wealth of knowledge, provide an outlook for the state and countrys economy and answer questions at this years Economic Summit. His appearance at the Summit is made possible through an Employer Services Grant from the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board. A full breakfast will be served at the Summit. Reservations are required and can be made at nwctchamberofcommerce.org/calendar. Tickets are $30 per person. Call the Chamber with any questions you may have, 860-482-6586. Check out our website at www.nwctchambero fcommerce.org for more Chamber happenings. *This institution is an equal opportunity provider* This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Some of the countrys most promising biotech firms think Connecticut has the right economic DNA to support their businesses. The opening last month of genomic testing firm Sema4s headquarters in Stamford points to the appeal of the area for expanding enterprises looking for more space in a central location with a strong research-and-development tradition. But experts say Stamford and other cities will not fulfill their potential as bioscience hubs unless the state tackles its fiscal and infrastructure problems. Businesses, including tech and biopharma businesses, have woken up now, and people around the country are looking at Connecticut, said Paul Pescatello, executive director and general counsel for the Connecticut Bioscience Growth Council. But more and more articles about Connecticuts fiscal problems certainly dont help. Still, even with those long-term challenges, Im optimistic. I think theyre very solvable. Growing in Connecticut Spun off earlier this year from the Mount Sinai Health System in Manhattan, Sema4 was looking for affordable office space to accommodate its growing operations. It employs about 75 at its new base in Stamfords South End and plans to nearly double that number by the middle of next year. The new headquarters complements a laboratory for sequencing of DNA-based tests Sema4 opened about two years ago in Branford, where it employs about 50. In total, the company has around 385 employees, with the remainder based in Manhattan. We were born and raised at Mount Sinai, and what we were doing got pretty successful and grew to a pretty good size, to a point where we felt like itd be better to move that outside, Eric Schadt, founder and CEO of Sema4, said last week during a meeting at the new offices with Stamford Mayor David Martin. Expanding dramatically in New York City is very difficult and expensive, so Stamford topped the list as being in this corridor. Other biotech startups have set up in Stamford in recent years. Loxo Oncology, which is working on therapies for genetically defined cancers, has been based in the city since its 2013 founding. Cara Therapeutics, which is developing treatments for acute and chronic pain and pruritus, relocated last year from Shelton. Its worked out nicely because Stamford is close to New York City, where a lot of our large shareholders are and where Memorial Sloan Kettering (Cancer Center) is, Loxo CEO Joshua Bilenker said in an interview earlier this year. There is a biopharma community here. It has turned out that were reasonably situated to build a strong team here in Stamford. City officials said they hope similar firms move to Stamford in the coming years. Were starting to build the ecosystem, as another business sector within Stamford, said Thomas Madden, Stamfords economic development director. With the talent coming out of New York and the fact that New York City is pretty much out of space, this is the alternative to come up to. Stamfords largest biotech company, Purdue Pharma, has been headquartered in the city since 2000. It operates in an approximately 350,000-square-foot base at 201 Tresser Blvd., a block from Caras and Loxos offices. Supporting the industry Growing the bioscience sector represents an important part of Gov. Dannel P. Malloys economic agenda. Milestones since Malloy became governor in January 2011 include the renovation of University of Connecticut health buildings in Farmington, the opening of the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington and the launch of a $200 million bioscience innovation fund. No matter where you are in the state, you can make it work for bioscience, Catherine Smith, the states economic development director, said in a recent interview. The state is an industry leader in a number of areas, according to a 2014 report by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization and the research-and-development group Battelle. Connecticut placed fourth nationally in bioscience patents for every 1 million people between 2009 and 2013. It also ranked fourth in the country for per-capita spending in academic bioscience research and development in the 2012 fiscal year. About 24,000 in Connecticut were working in 2012 in bioscience, with the sector affecting a total of about 113,000 positions, according to the report. Connecticut Innovations, the agency that manages the state bioscience investment fund, has made in the past year several key investments, including about $500,000 in BioHaven Pharmaceutical. The New Haven-based firm, which is developing treatments for anxiety and depression, raised $168 million in a May initial public offering. Most of the ones we get involved with are early stage, so we are hopefully setting the table for the next phase of larger financing, said Dan Wagner, Connecticut Innovations managing director of investments. Our focus is to be relatively opportunistic and get companies to move to Connecticut, set up shop and grow their teams here and hopefully be successful. Challenges As it looks to recruit more biotech firms, Connecticut can continue to lean on its geography. None of its five largest cities are more than 200 miles from either Boston or New York City. But the state is hobbled by aging and congested rail and road infrastructure. The states troubled finances also hinder its corporate recruitment, with Connecticut carrying the unwanted distinction of being the only state in the country not to have passed a budget for the current fiscal year. We still compete, Pescatello said. But if we had our fiscal house in order and transportation were improved, we could compete a lot better. While stabilizing the states finances and upgrading its infrastructure would make it more attractive to the private sector, business experts say the state would also need to cultivate other areas to create a booming bioscience community. They also suggest the state avoid trying to compete with biotech hubs such as the Boston area. Connecticut is going to have to find a niche where it can be particularly effective, said Bill Aulet, managing director of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. You have to have a population with people who will start new companies and be able to commercialize new ideas. You have to build a culture of entrepreneurship. pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott TORRINGTON Susan B. Anthony Project invites the community to its annual candlelight vigil, which will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 pm at Coe Memorial Park in Torrington. At the vigil, attendees will remember victims of domestic violence and celebrate those who have survived. Susan B. Anthony Project will also honor community members who have collaborated with and supported its work throughout the year. Everyone is invited to come and show their support. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence is a pervasive and life-threatening crime affecting millions of individuals across our nation regardless of age, economic status, race, religion or education. Between 2000-2015, there were 222 intimate partner homicides in Connecticut, with an average of 14 per year. In that same time frame there were 3,600 occurrences of intimate partner violence with serious or near fatal injuries, according to the 2015-2016 Findings and Recommendations of the Connecticut Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee that cam out in September last year. Last year, Susan B. Anthony Project provided safe housing for 74 women and 56 children in our shelter and transitional housing programs. Susan B. Anthony Project helped 1,818 men, women, and children in crisis. Domestic violence not only impacts victims but our entire communities. SBAP also provided prevention education programs to 4,531 school-age children, and 2,072 adult community members. The Clothesline Project will be displayed at Thomaston Public Library and Beardsley Public Library in Winsted, as well as on the Susan B. Anthony Project Facebook page www.facebook.com/sbaproject. The Clothesline Project breaks the silence about violence against women and children by giving a voice to survivors and victims. The display features t-shirts designed by survivors of domestic violence and those who have lost loved ones to domestic violence. Please visit the Thomaston Public Library or the Beardsley Public Library throughout the month of October to see the display. Founded in 1983, Susan B. Anthony Project promotes safety, healing and growth for all survivors of domestic and sexual abuse and advocates for the autonomy of women and the end of interpersonal violence. Based in Torrington, Susan B. Anthony Project provides services, free of charge, in 20 towns in Litchfield County. Services range from a 24 hour hotline, individual counseling, support groups, court advocacy and community education. To find out more about SBAP services, call the 24 hour crisis hotline at 860-482-7133 or visit www.sbaproject.org . This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LITCHFIELD The ordinarily green-hued nature preserve of White Memorial Conservation Center turned pink on Sunday afternoon. The 5K (or 3.1-mile) noncompetitive, nontimed walk Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Litchfield County 2017 attracted more than 500 participants and several local teams to 80 Whitehall Road during a sunny day in the low 70s. Several walkers sported T-shirts, sneakers, feather boas, face-painting and hair dyes in hues ranging from salmon to fuchsia. Pink is the official color of the American Cancer Societys yearly nationwide endeavors to raise money for treatment, assistance and research to combat breast cancer. I walk because I have a dear friend who is a survivor, said Pat Rodgers of Waterbury, who attended the walk with her granddaughters and a 4-year-old Yorkshire terrier-mix named Charlie in a baby carriage. One of the several teams sporting pink T-shirts hailed from Oldcastle Precast, a concrete manufacturing company in Avon. Plant accountant Dana Bock-Decoteau was one of the companys participating 45 employees and their families who walked. We are here to raise money for breast cancer, she said. We plan to also be sponsors next year. The event featured raffle prizes, wood-fired pizza and a survivors dining tent. Organizers said the event will eventually raise $46,000 by years end for breast cancer treatment, assistance and research. We are two-thirds of the way to our goal with $35,000 in so far, declared Heather Stocking Byron, American Cancer Societys community development manager. She gestured to the crowd covering the preserves rolling hills, adding, Look at all this hope. These people are walking for all the people who cant. Joseph Barbetta of the societys southern New England board, said, This event just gets better every year. It is a special day that fosters a real sense of community. The opening ceremony and rally started at 12:30 p.m. with breast cancer survivors and cheerleaders leading the walks warmup. DJs Patti and Brad Adkins played upbeat top-40 dance songs to energize the crowd. Rhonda Cote and Terry Creighton, both from the sponsoring company O&G Industries, a stone-products manufacturer in Torrington, were on hand in the Survivors Tent nearby. The company provided food that was partly catered, solicited from local merchants and homemade. This is the third time we have been at the walk and the first time being host, said Cote. Our team is named Powerful in Pink. The team had 20-plus walkers. Cote added the turnout was special for her: I have been cancer-free for three years. Creighton added that the walk was significant for her as well. I have been a caregiver in the past for family and for friends in their journeys. The American Cancer Societys study Cancer Facts & Figures 2017 estimates that 252,710 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer and 40,610 will die from the disease this year. About 2,470 men are expected to be diagnosed, with 460 dying. Volunteers own stories made the statistics real. Event chair and volunteer Kari Rebehn, 36, said she had been diagnosed with breast cancer at age 29. After undergoing a double mastectomy with reconstructive surgery as well as chemotherapy, her cancer went into remission in 2012. Early detection is so important, Rebehn added. Her cancer experience as well as her participation in American Cancer Societys genetic study inspired her to volunteer with the national organization. Rebehn said she brings in everyone she knows to help out with the cause. Her son Donald Boyd of Terryville manned the Chance tent, which consisted of a raffle of donated items, including a fitness club membership; four tickets to theater shows in Oakville and Torrington; and flower-shop gift certificates. It is a good event, said Boyd. Jaime Loomis of Bantam and her son, Shane, 4, also helped out at the tent. I love this event, said Loomis. I do this for my best friend, a cancer survivor. According to the American Cancer Society, the Making Strides Walk was established in 1984 when Massachusetts breast cancer survivor Margery Gould Rath wanted to find a way to celebrate fellow cancer survivors and to raise funds. Gould Rath created a "move-along-a-thon. The first event, held in Boston, drew 200 participants and became an annual city tradition. By 1993, the event became officially known as the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, attracting 4,000 walkers in New England towns and in 250 communities nationwide. Gould Rath remained a dedicated Making Strides volunteer until she lost her battle with cancer in 2001. The organization said that since 1993, more than 13 million walkers nationwide have raised more than $810 million. Funds raised from the event go toward early-detection education efforts, cancer research and providing information, care and assistance to people impacted by cancer. For more information about breast cancer, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org. TORRINGTON In honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Susan B. Anthony Project will be holding its 29th Annual Candlelight Vigil on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Coe Memorial Park in Torrington. The vigil raises awareness of domestic violence, honors survivors and remembers those who have lost their lives. The vigil also provides an opportunity to give a voice to survivors and their families during its Speak Out portion. At the vigil, Susan B. Anthony Project recognizes exceptional individuals and organizations in the community for their continuing support. This year, we recognize: Devin Stilson, Supervisory Assistant States Attorney, who has a victim centered approach with domestic violence cases. He has played a vital role in providing safety measures and advocating to the judge in all capacities to make sure abusers are held accountable and victims are safe. Candice Fedorovich, Judicial Branch Clerks office, has been very helpful to the projects Civil Family Violence Victim Advocate. As a result of Fedorivichs help the advocate was able to navigate the civil court process and deliver services to clients more effectively. Her kind and approachable demeanor made the advocate feel welcomed and supported, a press release reads. Teddi Creel is a member of the Litchfield/Waterbury Coordinated Access Network (CAN) and as a member has advocated on numerous occasions for domestic violence clients to receive housing vouchers. Academy of Medical Training has worked collaboratively with the agency towards the best outcome for our clients. The staff has been accommodating to clients, whether it be registering for a class or making payment arrangements. Janette Coury is an LCSW at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, who helped facilitate collaboration between behavioral health and domestic violence services on behalf of a survivor. Officer James Foley of Torrington Police Department has gone above and beyond to make victims of domestic violence feel safe during first process. Thomas M. Ford is an attorney for CT legal services and has been instrumental in assisting one of our clients with housing matters. Tom is always very respectful towards clients and went above and beyond to help them find different agencies that could help this client financially, members said in the release. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend Wednesdays events. Founded in 1983, Susan B. Anthony Project promotes safety, healing and growth for all survivors of domestic and sexual abuse and advocates for the autonomy of women and the end of interpersonal violence. Based in Torrington, Susan B. Anthony Project provides services, free of charge, in 20 towns in northwestern Connecticut. For more information on SBAP services, call the24 hour Hotline at 860-482-7133. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The grieving family of the climber tragically crushed by rockfall in Yosemite National Park last month say that they "still hope, every morning, that we will awake from a bad dream." Andrew Foster, 32, and Lucy, 28, of Cardiff, Wales, were at the foot of El Capitan preparing for a climb on Sept. 27 when a massive slab of rock broke off the world's largest granite monolith "Andrew died whilst shielding Lucy and, indeed, we understand another climber witnessed him running back to the rockfall to protect Lucy," a statement from Andrew's family reads. "They loved each other dearly and, while our loss is indescribable, we are so proud of our brave boy in saving Lucy; he will always be our hero." "Our family is devastated by these events: for the loss of Andy and for the plans they had made together for their future adventures," a statement from Lucy's family reads. "He truly was the man of her dreams. We take some comfort from the fact that Andy's last act of love saved Lucy's life. Now Playing: One person was killed and another injured in a rockslide on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, California, on Wednesday, September 27. Climber Peter Zabrok captured this video of two of the seven rockslides, one of which resulted in the death of Andrew Forster and the injury of his wife, according to park officials. According to The Guardian, Forster and his wife Lucy were climbing adventuring as part of their wedding anniversary celebrations. Yosemite National Park said about 1,300 tons had fallen following seven rockfalls across a four-hour period. Credit: Peter Zabrok via Storyful Video: Storyful Lucy was critically injured by the falling granite and airlifted to a local hospital. She remains hospitalized in stable condition. Friends who were climbing with Andrew and Lucy comforted her at her bedside until her family from the UK arrived. The couple were experienced climbers on a dream holiday of adventure, as reported previously by SFGATE. Yosemite was a favorite place of Andrew's, and he had visited the park a few times over the years to climb and explore. The London Guardian reports that they met at Cardiff University, married in August 2016 and were visiting Yosemite for their one-year anniversary. Andrew worked for Patagonia International and Lucy works for the international engineering company AECOM. Patagonia issued a statement reading, "It is with much sadness that we mourn the loss of our dear friend and colleague Andrew Foster, who was killed in a tragic accident in Yosemite. Andy was a sales representative working in our UK team and had been with the business for five years. He was a much-loved member of our team and a passionate climber, mountaineer and skier who loved being in the outdoors." A severe deterioration in the state of human rights and democracy in Cambodia requires a reconvening of the Paris Peace Conference, a group of 55 nongovernmental organizations said Monday, in a letter marking the 26th anniversary of accords that ended conflict in the Southeast Asian nation. The NGOs called on United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and French President Emmanuel Macron to take decisive action and ensure that the democratic vision for Cambodia outlined in the Paris Peace Agreements is not completely forsaken. The Paris Peace Agreements ended war between Vietnam and Cambodia in 1991 and led to the U.N.s administration of Cambodias government while the country transitioned to a system of democratic elections. According to the terms of the accord, the 55 domestic and international NGOs noted, signatories are obligated to undertake appropriate consultations with members of the Paris Conference in the event of the agreements being violated. We respectfully submit that your obligation to take concrete action under the Paris Peace Agreements has now been triggered as a result of the severe deterioration in the state of human rights and democracy in Cambodia in recent weeks and months, which has led to clear violations of the Paris Agreements, their letter said. The severity of this crackdown is unprecedented in the post-1991 era, and poses an existential threat to Cambodian democracy. Last month, Cambodian authorities arrested opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) chief Kem Sokha and charged him with treason for collaborating with the U.S. to overthrow the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), in a move critics say shows Prime Minister Hun Sen is intensifying his attacks on political opponents ahead of a general election set for July 2018. Hun Sen has threatened to dissolve the opposition, and redistribute its parliamentary seats and commune councilor positions to government-aligned parties in the event that the CNRP is shut down. Since late August, the government has also expelled U.S.-funded NGO the National Democratic Institute (NDI), suspended some 20 radio stations that aired content by U.S. broadcasters Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, and targeted the English-language Cambodia Daily with a hefty tax bill, leading to the newspapers closure. In their letter, the 55 NGOs said that if present circumstances persist, next years vote has no chance of legitimacy and that far-reaching remedial steps would be required for this election to be deemed genuine, participatory and inclusive. They called on the three leaders to reconvene the members of the Paris Conference, along with other relevant stakeholders, for an emergency summit to discuss the state of Cambodian democracy, and methods to encourage Cambodias government to reverse course. Urgent action is required to ensure that the vision of a democratic Cambodia outlined in the Paris Agreements is not betrayed, the NGOs said. In a statement accompanying Mondays letter, Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director of New York-based Human Rights Watch, said Hun Sen had taken a wrecking ball to the human rights and multi-party democracy commitments enshrined in the Paris Peace Accords in recent months. Robertson noted that in the 26 years since the Peace Accord, billions of U.S. dollars of U.N. and international donor resources have been spent in support of Cambodias democratic development. This is why it's so disconcerting that the international community has been shockingly silent as Hun Sen has stepped up his blatant grab for total power, he said. The Paris signatories should act now, and stop Hun Sen from making his destruction of democracy and disregard for human rights the new normal for Cambodia. Prison letter Also on Monday, Kem Sokha penned a letter from Trapeang Phlong Prison, in remote Tbong Khmum province, echoing calls for signatories of the Peace Accords to convene an urgent meeting about Cambodia, which he said has been marching against the spirit of the Paris Peace Accords, resulting in condemnation from both the national and international communities. In the letter, which was posted on his Facebook account, Kem Sokha said that the government has been labelling people as a pretext for preventing Khmers, who are one and the same, from being able to fully take part in the election, and that doing so is a violation of the constitution and the spirit of the Accords. The CNRP leader said that issuing statements alone is not enough, and urged members of the international community to take actual measures to prevent the government from victimizing the Cambodian people. I am of the opinion that if the international community, as well as all Cambodian parties, do not promptly seek solutions at this point of juncture, Cambodia will regress to its earlier stage, which will result in the loss of Cambodias interests and slow its development, much like we witnessed during the more than two decades of war prior to the Paris Peace Accords, he said. Hun Sen responds Hun Sen on Monday dismissed suggestions that his government had violated the Peace Accords and likened the CNRP to the Khmer Rouge, which ruled Cambodia from 1975-79 and was gradually dismantled in the aftermath of the Paris Conference. Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for a bridge on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh, said that the organizational structure of the remaining Khmer Rouge soldiers had been abolished because they failed to respect the Paris Peace Accords and that is the same reason [the CNRP] will be subject to dissolution in the very near future. These are the factswe shall convict those who have betrayed the Paris Peace Accords, the contents of which had already been built into the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia, he said. The prime minister said that calling for the signatories of the accords to reconvene is outdated and cannot be realized because four Cambodian political parties that were present at the time would have to be recreated. Now there is only a single Cambodian [political] party and that is my legitimate government here, as represented by our monarch [King Norodom Sihamoni], who serves as the head of state of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Politician flees Meanwhile, former senior official of the royalist Funcinpec Party Lu Lay Sreng fled Cambodia for neighboring Thailand Monday amid accusations by Hun Sen that the veteran politician had insulted Cambodias King Sihamoni in a leaked telephone conversation, according to local media reports. Lu Lay Sreng, who had recently spoken out against the governments political crackdown, had become the subject of complaint jointly filed by lawyers representing Hun Sen and Funcinpec president Prince Norodom Ranariddh. The leaked conversation was posted over the weekend on the page of Facebook user Seyha, who is believed to have close ties to the government. During the phone call, Lu Lay Sreng purportedly claims that if the King cannot resolve the present political crisis, he should abdicate, and suggests that Hun Sen has financed the Funcinpec party in return for its filing of a lawsuit calling for the dissolution of the CNRP. The former Funcinpec official was unavailable for comment Monday, but sources told RFAs Khmer Service that he had unsuccessfully sought apologies from King Sihamoni and Hun Sen before he left the country. Since Kem Sokhas arrest, some 20 CNRP lawmakers, along with deputy presidents Mu Sochua and Eng Chhay Eang and a number of party activists, have fled Cambodia fearing retaliation by the CPP following important electoral gains by the opposition in Junes commune ballot, which are seen as pointing to a strong showing in next years vote. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. As President Xi Jinping gears up for the first meeting of the ruling Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee following the opening of the 19th party congress last week, speculation is mounting over who will make the new leadership line-up. The 19th party congress ends on , when its 2,000-some delegates have carried out their main task, which is to elect a new Central Committee to steer the party through the next five years. Then, the new Central Committee will hold its first plenary session, choosing a 25-member Politburo and, crucially, the members of its all-powerful standing committee, which traditionally has seven members, with the final leadership line-up expected to be announced on. Parliamentary chief Zhang Dejiang, anti-corruption czar Wang Qishan, CPPCC chief Yu Zhengsheng and top ideologist Liu Yunshan are expected to make their exit, in keeping with rules governing retirement over the age of 68, according to reports in a number of Hong Kong newspapers. Hong Kong media predictions expect only Xi and his premier Li Keqiang to remain in their posts. They will be flanked by vice premier Wang Yang, newly promoted to executive vice premier, current Politburo member Wang Huning, Politburo economic reform architect Zhao Leji, party general office director Li Zhanshu and Shanghai party secretary Han Zheng as head of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), according to the English-language South China Morning Post newspaper. There had been speculation that Xi could reduce the size of the Standing Committee to five, to further centralize power, but the paper cited sources as saying that is now unlikely to happen. But the list doesn't include Hu Chunhua and Chen Min'er, both Xi proteges regarded as rising political stars. A Chinese academic who asked to remain anonymous said the entire selection process has been marked by fierce factional strife behind the scenes, and that names may be being leaked to strengthen the hand of one or another interest group within the party. "The more chaotic things are [behind the scenes], the more carefully they control information, and I don't think we have even the slightest hint of the real outcome yet," the source said. "Nobody will dare to leak something that hasn't already been voted on by the Central Committee." Internal factional power struggle He said China's political circles and financial markets are currently awash with rumors about the new leadership, but not necessarily coming from reliable sources. "They have clamped down very tightly on everything, which means that the internal strife must be pretty intense," he said. "And I think that the very tight security ... actually shows their weakness." Retired Anhui state prosecutor Shen Liangqing said the new line-up will have a profound effect on China's political future. "Everyone outside [the corridors of power] is desperately trying to make predictions about who will be in the line-up, and who will be retired," Shen said. "Most of the predictions have some kind of logic to them, whether or not they turn out to be true." "Whoever winds up getting elected will be the result of the internal factional power struggle within the party," he said. "Under this kind of political system, anyone who makes [into the Politburo standing committee] will have had to get past layer upon layer of selection processes," he said, adding that older leaders may not be required to step down after all. "That rule about stepping down if you are over 68 [at the end of a five-year term] was never a fixed thing," he said. "It's entirely possible that they may change it, if a consensus can be found to do so." None of the new appointments or promotions announced later this week will take effect until confirmed by the National People's Congress (NPC) annual parliamentary session in March. Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wen Yuqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called in a recent speech for a new agency to protect the rights of People's Liberation Army (PLA) veterans, thousands of whom have staged mass protests in Beijing since last year in protest at a lack of pensions and other promised benefits. But veterans said they are waiting to see if the agency will act as their protector, or as just another persecutor. "We will set up an agency that will manage veterans and protect their legal rights and interests," Xi told the 19th National Congress of the ruling Chinese Communist Party in his plan for the next five years in office. "We want to make a career in the military one that is revered and respected by all." PLA veterans have been identified by the leadership as one of the most politically sensitive groups in China. This time last year, thousands of demobilized PLA personnel converged on Beijing from across China, staging a vocal protest outside the headquarters of the Communist Party's Central Military Commission (CMC), which Xi chairs. Singing "In Unity is Our Strength" and other Chinese military choruses, the veterans, some of whom had fought in in the Korean war (1950-1953), wore their old uniforms and stood peacefully, calling for pensions, healthcare and other demobilization benefits they said were promised but not delivered. Any bid to organize has since triggered nationwide security alerts via the "stability maintenance" system, which targets peaceful protesters, petitioners and critics of the government. A PLA veteran from the central province of Hunan who gave only his surname Tang cautiously welcomed the move, but said he is concerned the new agency could be use to exert further government control over demobilized members of the armed forces. "No policy has yet been put forward regarding how these rights will be protected," Tang said. "The most important part is protecting our legal rights and interests." "Old people still need food to eat and clothes to wear, so if there is no guarantee of a basic income, then this will be meaningless," he said. Honoring promises The veterans are calling on the authorities to abide by promises made to them before they signed up to fight in China's short border war with Vietnam in 1979. Clause 3 of the Military Pensions Priority Regulations requires governments to ensure that the standard of living and social situation of demobilized PLA soldiers doesn't fall below the national average. Other veterans are citing official document No. 75 issued by China's cabinet, the State Council, in 1978 promising to find jobs for demobilized military personnel. Tang said many of those who volunteered for the 1979 border war did so on the basis of promises that jobs would be found for them when the war was over. He said the government is claiming that their redundancy payments amounting to tens of thousands of yuan (thousands of U.S. dollars) meant that its obligations have been met. And a PLA veteran surnamed Lin from the southern province of Guangdong said he currently receives a monthly pension payout of 590 yuan (U.S. $89), as well as health insurance paid for by the government. But many of his fellow veterans lack even that basic level of support, Lin said. "I want the government to pay a bit more attention to this issue, to those veterans who can't buy their own insurance," Lin said. "We gave our labor on behalf of our country and the Communist Party when we were young, and we just want something we can rely on, now that we're old." "I think this is a reasonable request," he said. 'Stability maintenance' PLA veterans who have taken part in previous protest events have been targeted by "stability maintenance" operations across China ahead of the 19th party congress, however. Earlier this month, Guangdong veteran Chen Fengqiang disappeared in Zhuhai city which under round-the-clock surveillance by "stability maintenance" officials, his son told RFA. "He was in their car at the time, on his way downtown, and then he disappeared," Chen's son said. "My uncle called me to say that he was in the police station, and that he is believed to be under illegal detention." "This is definitely to do with the 19th party congress, to stop him from petitioning and so on. They are just locking him up on a pretext," he said. Last month, China's censors canceled the release of Youth, a movie by top director Feng Xiaogang, following "discussions with the film administration bureau and other relevant parties," according to a statement from Fengs production house. Political commentators said the film may have been ditched because its coming-of-age plotline is also in part a tribute to veterans of the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese war, many of whom are now living in extreme hardship and joining the recent spate of mass protests. The mass protest outside the CMC on Oct. 11, 2016 shocked the authorities, who ordered provincial chiefs to Beijing to begin escorting the disgruntled protesters home. And a follow-up protest last February outside the party's disciplinary arm also highlighted local governments' failure to deliver promised pension, medical and social security benefits as promised. While officials from the CMC ordered provincial and city leaders to Beijing to address the crisis, the veterans say promises that changes would begin to be implemented from Jan. 1 haven't been kept. Reported by Hai Nan for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Gu Jirou and Gao Feng for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. India fully backs Bangladeshs efforts to deal with an unprecedented influx of Rohingya refugees from neighboring Myanmar, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said Monday, signaling an apparent policy shift on the issue. New Delhis embassy came out with the statement a day after visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that Myanmar must take back the Rohingya people. This is a big burden for Bangladesh. How long will Bangladesh bear it? There should be a permanent solution to this crisis, Swaraj told Hasina on Sunday, the first day of a two-day trip to Bangladesh, according to a statement posted online by the Indian foreign ministry. Just over 600,000 stateless Rohingya Muslims have fled to southeastern Bangladesh since late August, when Myanmars military launched a crackdown against suspected Rohingya militants in Rakhine state, which lies along the border. On the issue of displaced persons from Rakhine state, [the] External Affairs Minister reaffirmed Indias continued support in responding to the influx, the Indian High Commission said without using the term Rohingya. Myanmars government does not recognize members of the minority group as citizens. The statement marks a change in Indias stance toward the crisis in southeastern Bangladesh, which U.N. officials have described as the worlds fastest growing refugee emergency. On Aug. 26, a day after Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgents attacked about 30 police outposts in Rakhine, India said it stood by Myanmar in the hour of crisis while assuring Myanmar of its backing in the fight against terrorism. But on Monday, as Swaraj inaugurated the chancery complex at the Indian High Commission, she said: India is following a policy of neighbors first and among the neighbors Bangladesh is foremost. Following her meeting with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood on Sunday, Swaraj said India was deeply concerned about the spate of violence in Rakhine. We have urged that the situation be handled with restraint, keeping in mind the welfare of the population, Swaraj told reporters in Dhaka. She, too, preferred not to use the word Rohingya to refer to the minority. Myanmar, whose security forces have been accused of carrying out pogroms to drive the Rohingya people out of the country, blamed ARSA for the violence that has pushed refugees across the border since the last week of August. It is clear that the normalcy will only be restored with the return of displaced persons to Rakhine state. In our view, the only long-term solution in Rakhine state is rapid socio-economic and infrastructure development that would have a positive impact on all the communities living in the state, she said. India urged Myanmar to take back members of the Muslim minority even as the Indian government planned to deport an estimated 40,000 Rohingya refugees who are settled across the country. New Delhi cited national security issues as the reason for the plan that has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups. Beating around the bush However, Indian and Bangladeshi analysts were skeptical about New Delhis promised support for Bangladesh. Given Indias economic and strategic interests in Myanmar, I think it will be difficult for India to support Bangladesh and put pressure [on Myanmar] to address the Rohingya problem, Ameena Mohsin, an international relations professor at Dhaka University, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. The Indian minister used diplomatic words such as repatriation, and displaced persons instead of addressing the refugees as Rohingya, Mohsin said. Bangladeshs former foreign secretary, Mustafa Kamal, said that only time could tell if India would act on its promise of supporting Bangladesh and not Myanmar. Surely, this is a good development. But we have to wait and see its reflection at the grassroots, Kamal told BenarNews. The Hindu nationalist Indian governments policy toward Rohingya refugees was motivated by politics of religious antagonism, another expert opined. Anti-Muslim politics is the main plank of the ruling [Bharatiya Janata Party] government, which nurtures the cause of turning India into a Hindu nation, New Delhi-based political analyst Y.S. Gill told BenarNews. With her statements in Dhaka, Swaraj is merely beating around the bush. Genocide is taking place in Myanmar. Instead of giving refuge to people fleeing the violence, you are asking them to go back to the death and devastation they are trying to run from, Gill said, adding that Indias stand was abhorrent and condemnable. But another expert differed. What Swaraj has said must not be seen with political overtones. Her statement is in line with its foreign policy. It is absolutely right on Indias part to urge Myanmar to take back its nationals, Dushyant Nagar, a political commentator from New Delhi, told BenarNews. Shashi Tripathi, an expert on South Asian affairs, seconded Nagars view, saying that the governments statement was welcome. India should in fact take up the matter directly with Myanmar, warning it that if it doesnt act in a concrete manner and take its nationals back, India would snap trade ties with it. The international community should also exert pressure on Myanmar to take back Rohingya, he told BenarNews. An arc of suffering and rejection Meanwhile in Geneva, United Nations officials announced Monday that donors had pledged at least $340 million in money that needs to be raised urgently in responding to the humanitarian crisis in southeastern Bangladesh, where more than one million Rohingya refugees are now concentrated. In addition, several donors have committed more than $50 million in in-kind assistance to Bangladesh and Myanmar, Mark Lowcock, the U.N.s under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, told reporters covering an international pledging meeting in Geneva devoted to the crisis. William Lacy Swing, the head of the International Organization for Migration the U.N.s migration agency and other U.N. officials said the statelessness of Rohingyas made the crisis unique. These people are trapped in an arc of suffering and rejection from northern Rakhine state well into Bangladesh, at Coxs Bazar, Swing told reporters, according to a video posted by U.N. News. [A]midst eight or nine armed conflicts worldwide, it is the one that pulls at our heart strings the most because of what it represents in terms of total rejection of one of the most rejected people in the world, he said, adding that the volume of the influx of refugees was expected to exceed a million fairly shortly. U.N. officials in Geneva said they also supported Bangladeshs efforts to negotiate with Myanmar over the safe repatriation of Rohingya refugees. However, it must include a solution to the question of citizenship for Rohingya, said Filippo Grandi, the U.N.s high commissioner for refugees. As the pledge-making meeting was happening in Geneva, Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was traveling to Myanmar where he was to hold talks with government officials over the crisis. We believe this crisis must be addressed comprehensively by the international community , Shameem Ahsan, Bangladeshs ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told Mondays meeting, according to a video recording released by the U.N. While humanitarian assistance very, very essential must continue, it is of paramount importance that Myanmar delivers on its recent promises and work toward safe, dignified, voluntary return of its nationals back to their homes in Myanmar. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. China has detained seven Tibetan men in Yushul (Yushu, in Chinese) prefectures Tridu (Chenduo) county on charge of producing and distributing videos about self-immolation protests that took place several years ago, sources in the region told RFAs Tibetan Service. "In the past 10 ten days alone, China has detained at least seven Tibetans. They are currently being held in Tridu County, said a source from Tibet. "According to the local Tibetans, the reasons for their arrest and detention is due to sharing and dissemination of a new video that these Tibetans made two years ago, highlighting the hardship and agonizing suffering of those Tibetans self-immolators, and it is being shared via WeChat, the source told RFA. Although it was not widely circulated, the newly made video highlights the Tibetan self-immolators ordeals that took place several years ago, added the source. "Due to the heavy clampdown and scrutiny on internet usage, and on WeChat, it is difficult to further verify the status of those Tibetans held by the Chinese through their families and friends," said a source. According to a written list obtained by RFA from another source, the detainees are Tashi Damdul, Kalsang Gyaltso, Tsering Chophel, Tenzin Namgyal, Choephel, and Tsering Norbu from Khanra village in Tridu County. The seventh detainee, Tsegyam, is from Kamyi village in the county. Chinese authorities accused those Tibetans of making contact outside Tibet, via the internet, and also charged them with engaging in many unlawful activities, said the first source. Since the Chinese authorities arrested these Tibetans under a secret operation, the exact date of detention, and how it took place could not be ascertained, added the source. The detentions came amid the ruling Chinese Communist Partys 19th Party Congress in Beijing, which opened on Oct. 18 for one week brought a wide crackdown on communications and travel. During the congress, the source said, Tibetan WeChat users come under threat, as Chinese spies have infiltrated into many chat groups under fake names for the purpose of keeping an eye on user activities. These restrictions and scrutiny have caused big inconveniences to even simple harmless chats between family members and friends, said the source. It was not immediately clear which self-immolation protests featured in the videos. A total of 150 people have now set themselves ablaze in Tibet and Tibetan-populated counties in western China. Their protests have featured demands for Tibetan freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from India, where he has lived since escaping Tibet during a failed national uprising in 1959. Reported by Kunsang Tenzin for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Paul Eckert. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. The deadline has been extended to nominate a company to be included in the regions Top Workplaces awards program. The Richmond Times-Dispatch has set Nov. 17 as the deadline to give people another chance to nominate their favorite employer for the newspapers fifth annual Top Workplaces program. Nominations may be made at www.Richmond.com/Top-Workplaces or (804) 977-9367. Anyone can nominate a business, as long as the business has at least 35 employees. So far, more than 70 companies have signed up to take the Top Workplaces challenge. Workplaces are evaluated by their employees using a 24-question confidential survey on numerous topics affecting workplace life, from pay and benefits to training and work-life balance. Employees will be surveyed through December. For the Top Workplaces program, The Times-Dispatch is partnering with Energage, a Pennsylvania-based employee research firm that formerly had been called WorkplaceDynamics. Energage has conducted these types of surveys for dozens of newspapers. The company surveyed 2.8 million employees at nearly 7,000 businesses in 2016. Energage surveyed 90 local companies last year. Sixty of those businesses were recognized this past May at the Sterling Workplace Awards ceremony. At that program, the awards were based on company size: mega (1,000-plus employees); large (400-999); midsize (125 to 399); and small (124 or fewer). Five companies were recognized in each of the mega and large categories, 20 businesses in the midsize category, and 30 firms in the small category. The Times-Dispatch and Richmond SHRM, a chapter of the national Society for Human Resource Management, will honor the Top Workplaces companies at the Sterling Workplace Awards program in May. The employers also will be recognized in a Top Workplaces special section. The first-place winners for 2017 in their respective categories and named the Sterling Workplace Award winner were automotive retailer CarMax Inc.; wireless provider T-Mobile; financial planning software firm PIEtech; and medical eye care provider Commonwealth Eye Care Associates. In the past 30 years, the number of wineries in Virginia has increased six-fold. As of 2015, more than 8,000 people worked in the industry full time, up from fewer than 5,000 five years earlier. Also in 2015, wineries and vineyards throughout the state had an estimated economic impact of $1.37 billion. Vino, it seems, is big business. And that heady growth is good news for more than 60 farm wineries operating in Central Virginia. October is Virginia Wine Month, a month-long celebration established in 1988 to promote agritourism at Virginias then-40 wineries. In the 29 years since, that number has grown to more than 260, with state officials touting the increase as a key driver of tourism in Virginia. Wine sales reached a new record level last fiscal year, at over 587,500 cases, Gov. Terry McAuliffe said in a recent statement. The continued growth of the commonwealths wine industry, one of Virginias fastest-growing agricultural sectors, is a priority for my administration as we work to build a new Virginia economy. Im proud that these vineyards are bringing jobs and tourism to many rural localities across our beautiful commonwealth. Much of that growth has happened in just the past decade, according to studies from the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office. Between 2010 and 2015, the full economic impact of the wine and grape market in Virginia nearly doubled, rising from approximately $747 million in 2010 to $1.37 billion in 2015. In that same time span, the state added 68 wineries to its roster and nearly 3,500 full-time-equivalent jobs in the industry. While wineries were exploding, the number of grape-growing vineyards in the area decreased from 386 in 2010 to 338 in 2015, but the total vineyard acreage increased by more than 20 percent. According to Annette Boyd, director of the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office, that consolidation signals a healthy maturation of the state vineyard market. While Boyd didnt have locally concentrated data, its safe to say that Central Virginia has been a substantial contributor to that growth. Coming in just behind Northern Virginia, Central Virginia is home to the second-highest number of wineries in the state 67, according to a list from VirginiaWine.org. That may be a far cry from the 400-plus wineries that span Napa Valley in California, but Central Virginia has nonetheless witnessed a renaissance in winemaking in the past five years, according to Neil Williamson, chairman of the Virginia Wine of the Month Club tasting panel. Local wines of recent vintages particularly red blends and Petit Verdots are winning accolades across the nation, he said, and were over-represented in this years Governors Cup Awards. Nine of the 12 wines featured in the prestigious Governors Case this year were from Central Virginia wineries. This acclaim was born from a very energetic new generation of winemakers, Williamson said, working collaboratively rather than competitively across the Monticello Wine Trail, a collective of 33 local wineries in the Monticello American Viticultural Area. When you have the concentration of wineries that you have here in Central Virginia, you have the opportunity to learn from each other and to share the good and the bad, Williamson said. The Monticello Wine Trail has done a great job in bringing what some might see as competitors together and working toward a common goal of great Virginia wine. *** Among those winemakers is Matthieu Finot, head vintner at King Family Vineyards, who has been crafting Virginia wines for more than a decade. Finot agrees that a large component of local growth in the industry has come from the synergy amongst winemakers. We are a bunch of friends, thats the best way to describe it, Finot said. As soon as you remove this potential competition, then you realize we all do the same job and are trying to do something we like that were passionate about. According to Finot, there is no best winery or best wine in the region, as differences between most establishments come down to style and preference; collaboration thus creates a best practices approach for increasing quality across the board. This sense of collaboration materialized in 2013, when several local vintners came together to create the Monticello Winemaker Research Exchange, which eventually morphed into the Virginia Winemaker Research Exchange. The fruits of that endeavor have been realized in the acclaim thats surrounded Virginia vintages ever since. Theres a very true sense of community in all of the winemakers in the area, Finot said. We are making world-class wine. But growing the industry cant be accomplished with high-quality wine alone, Finot said. While most Central Virginia wineries are excelling in agritourism, the next phase of growth has to happen outside of the tasting room. Most farm wineries in the state sell very few bottles beyond the Virginia border. If we grow, we will grow by getting out of Virginia, Finot said. That means were going to need to tackle other markets and not be only in agritourism. Thats when your wine will be compared to the rest of the world. *** Sarah Gorman, business manager for Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery, agrees that more sales are needed beyond the tasting rooms themselves, and hopes that the buzz around Virginia wines will translate to higher consumption from Virginians themselves. The percentage of Virginians drinking in-state wine is still disappointingly low, she said. That, to me, is something I wish we could change to get Virginians to be drinking it, Gorman said. With the local movement of eating from whats seasonal and local, folks should get on board with doing that with their wine, as well. Expansion within both local agritourism and production also could be beneficial, but Williamson said that expanding the number of fruit-bearing vineyards could prove challenging, given the three-year period it takes for newly planted vines to become viable. Gorman agreed, saying it can be hard to convince a grower to invest in an expensive fruit that can have temperamental outputs based on Mother Natures unpredictability. I think that we still have land that could be good for it, but theres no getting around the fact that its still challenging, Gorman said. That said, Finot sees Central Virginias wine industry as a fledgling business landscape, noting that Europes own legendary winemaking communities took centuries to fully develop. Only decades into its own industrys growth, and in light of 2017s record-setting grape production across the state, Virginias vines have room to grow. A Richmond man accused of selling heroin with the street name Gray Death, a form of the narcotic that has caused overdoses, will be held in jail pending federal grand jury proceedings. Emmanuel O. Robinson, 27, described by authorities as a five-time convicted felon, was arrested last week and appeared Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Roderick C. Young, who issued the detention order. According to an FBI affidavit and criminal complaint filed Oct. 17, confidential sources said Robinson traveled to the Fredericksburg area to sell a kind of heroin that was responsible for five overdoses. Authorities would not comment Monday on whether any of the overdoses were fatal, or say whether they were caused by heroin from Robinson. However, the affidavit alleges that a sizeable quantity of heroin and fentanyl distributed in the Fredericksburg area came from Robinson, who on five occasions allegedly sold heroin to a cooperating source in Richmond. Robinson also is accused of commonly conducting drug deals in the Walmart parking lot just off Forest Hill Avenue in South Richmond. In all, Robinson allegedly sold more than 100 grams of heroin to the FBI source or sources last month, and testing by the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory showed the Gray Death contained heroin, fentanyl, and a new form of fentanyl the DEA has not seen before. On Oct. 4, the FBI alleges that Robinson was observed from an aircraft and from surveillance units driving from his residence to the Walmart parking lot and another man was seen entering and leaving Robinsons vehicle. That man drove off and was stopped a half-mile away by the Virginia State Police Interdiction Team. That man allegedly admitted to agents that he bought four to five grams of heroin from Robinson every other day. The affidavit said his prior convictions include possession of a firearm by a felon, possession with the intent to distribute an illegal drug, grand larceny and malicious wounding. The FBI sources also said Robinson kept a Glock handgun in the glove box of his vehicle and was always armed. Christopher G. Healy, a special agent with the FBI, testified at a brief hearing before Young on Monday that a search of Robinsons residence turned up two handguns one hidden inside an air duct and a total of $7,320 in cash. Under cross examination by Robinsons lawyer, Paul G. Gill, Healy said that no drugs were found in the search and that investigators were told the cash was from a 401k and savings for children and was meant to pay for a funeral. Court records show Robinson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm as a felon and was sentenced to five years in prison in federal court in Richmond in 2010. In the Richmond region, nearly 2 in 5 children age 5 and younger live in a low-income household, putting at risk a childs healthy development, a new report says. Virginia federal, state and local officials gathered Monday in downtown Richmond to discuss Building the Workforce Pipeline, an event hosted by ChamberRVA that highlighted school and workforce readiness. The filled room on the 17th floor of the SunTrust Center was given copies of a regional plan for school readiness prepared by Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond, an organization aimed at improving school readiness in the region. The plan, for 2017 through 2020, outlines four main goals with the hopes of preparing more students for school through partnerships and a hub of services. The report was prepared after 22 meetings coordinated by the organizations impact committee last year from March to August, according to its methodology. Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond came out with its original school readiness plan in 2010. The plans four goals more awareness and enrollment; collaborative pathways; policy alignment; and organizational capacity are supplemented by strategies to meet the goals. For the collaborative pathways goal, for example, one strategy for implementation is having effective pathways between public schools and early childhood programs. That has led to one kindergarten registration date across local school divisions. The report includes statistics on children in the region, including the rising number 38 percent of children younger than 5 who live in economically challenged homes. Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond encompasses the cities of Richmond and Colonial Heights and the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Powhatan. Brad Armstrong, chair of Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond, said in September that many people are working to combat the issue and that the plan helps bring things under one roof. Everyone is siloed in what theyre doing, he said. We can do more together. More than 100 local organizations both in the private and public sectors were part of the plans development. At Mondays Chamber of Commerce breakfast, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and others spoke on the importance of making sure children are prepared for school, which ultimately leads to a stronger workforce. Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, said the committees focus so far this year has been on health care as Republicans have worked to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare. Kaine said education, including early childhood education, will be a priority going forward. Theres much more we can do in the early childhood space, he said. Kaine, a co-chair of the Senate Career and Technical Education Caucus, also spoke on job training and exposing students to programs related to career and technical education at a younger age. He highlighted the Middle School Technical Education Program Act he introduced last month, legislation that aims to expose middle school students to career and technical education programs with a focus on career exploration. No action has been taken on the bill since it was introduced on Sept. 14. A Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates is contending with an independent challenger Nov. 7 in a contest to represent a district that spans Charles City County along with parts of Henrico County and Richmond. Del. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, is hoping for a second full two-year term as delegate for the 74th District, but will have to fend off competition from Preston Brown, a local radio station owner running as an independent. Bagby, 40, who served on the Henrico County School Board from 2008 to 2015, is the director of operations for the Peter Paul Development Center, a community center in Richmonds East End. The former Henrico public school teacher was first elected to the House in a special election in July 2015. The seat had become vacant that March, when then-Del. Joseph D. Morrissey moved out of the district in order to run for the state Senate. Bagby easily won a first full two-year term in the November 2015 general election. Bagby has raised more than $56,000 in cash, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. His top donors include the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus ($5,000), Dominion Energy ($3,000) and Ivan Jecklin of Weinstein Properties ($2,500). Brown, 63, is a part owner of two local AM radio stations that play music that he said caters to baby boomers: 1450 WUWN and 1540 WBTL. He has run unsuccessfully for the Richmond City Council and for the seat of Del. Betsy B. Carr, D-Richmond, and has made two failed bids for the 16th District state Senate seat now held by Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance, D-Petersburg. Brown has raised about $1,000 $500 of which came from a car rental company. He thinks missteps by the two major parties have created an opening for independents like him. Our community needs a person who will go to the General Assembly and not work for the party but work for the people, he said. Brown said he would look to work across party lines to ensure that money for schools is being distributed fairly. Education is a key issue for Bagby, who has served on the House Education Committee. He wants to continue his work on reforming the Standards of Learning tests and combating the school-to-prison pipeline. [BLACKSBURG] Police are investigating a Facebook account belonging to a Virginia Tech graduate student whose posts on white supremacy have riled fellow students. The writings of the instructor, who says his posts were intended for the eyes of a private audience only and should have never prompted a debate, spurred a public protest last month and has increased scrutiny on the limits of free speech on the schools campus. Mark Neuhoff, a graduate student and part-time instructor teaching English composition at Tech, has posted his political ideas on Facebook and discussed what he calls basic conservative principals with what he calls a sympathetic group of like-minded individuals. As a result, Neuhoffs name began circulating online in late September, when a group calling itself New River Valley Against Fascism published a blog post Sept. 26 with screen captures of social media posts by a profile under the name Mark Daniel. The posts discussed white dominance and included phrases such as I am a white supremacist, and 1 million might be a tad too many dead jews but thats splitting hairs. The Roanoke Times approached Neuhoff after he left a classroom on Techs campus on Oct. 11. He said his posts were intended for a specific audience that gets him and should not be thrown into the public square for ethical debate. He said he wrote the posts shared by the anti-fascism group. When people write on Facebook, youre not writing something thinking its going to be made public or that millions of people are going to see it, he said. All of the posts are private for a specific audience who knows and understands who I am. He said that his posts were meant to rebuff a negative connotation associated with the words white supremacist and not to threaten others. At the same time, he stated his commitment and agreement with Techs Principals of Community, which are an accurate reflection of my personal beliefs. What I was doing with my posts was trying to redefine the term that is destructive and shuts someone down white supremacist, Neuhoff said. When you hear that term, you think of a violent, hateful evil person who wants to kill others. I think thats incredibly harmful. When people call each other fascist, Nazi and white supremacist, its the same thing as calling them witch. Thats how it feels. Techs public response did not acknowledge Neuhoff directly but instead condemned views that have been described by the universitys president as being in stark contrast to the schools self-ascribed principals of community. The situation came to a head Sept. 29, when a handful of student activists interrupted President Tim Sands annual State of the University speech, criticizing the school for employing and protecting a man they characterized as dangerous. On Oct. 2, NRV Against Fascism published a Facebook post with pictures of a communication sent to WordPress, the host site of the blog, by Neuhoff saying that he is the author of the posts. He demanded that the writings, as his property, be taken off the blog. Meanwhile, Tori Coan, a student at Tech who was part of the Sept. 29 protest, filed a formal complaint with the university dated Sept. 13 alleging that Neuhoff had targeted [her] personally and was threatening violence toward those who speak out against [him]. She said she was told the university was investigating the matter but had not been given an update as of earlier this week. Fearing her complaint would not be addressed, Coan and a small group of students interrupted Sands Sept. 29 speech demonstrating with a banner and chanting No Nazis, No KKK, No Fascist USA. We have spent a month talking to administration, asking them where are our answers, Coan told The Roanoke Times that afternoon. We havent had any action and we felt like the student body and the campus community had a right to know. On Oct. 2, the Mark Daniel Facebook account, which had been renamed Daniel Mark, shared a link to the online version of a Roanoke Times story on the student demonstration. In the post, it listed Coans personal cell phone number and instructed friends and followers of the account to fuher up, destroy her. In a written statement provided to police, Coan said she received more than 70 phone calls from a blocked number and threatening voice messages shortly after the post was published. In an email to The Roanoke Times on Oct. 3, Neuhoff denied making the Oct. 2 Facebook post. He later told The Roanoke Times that a family member had posted it to his account without his permission. When contacted by The Roanoke Times, the family member declined to comment. The search warrant filed by Blacksburg Police on Oct. 18 requested from Facebook all posts, comments, photographs and messenger conversations from Neuhoffs page between Aug. 20 and Oct. 13. Police indicated the request comes as an investigation into the potential charge of threatening death or bodily injury, a felony charge with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Citing federal student privacy law, Virginia Tech denied a Roanoke Times Freedom of Information request seeking emails sent to or from Neuhoffs university address the day of the student demonstration. The school also declined to provide any information regarding Neuhoff including his dates of enrollment or employment, salary or stipend amount and status at the university. When asked about the Oct. 2 Facebook post now at the center of the police probe, Tracy Vosburgh, a spokeswoman for the university responded: Because any information would be considered part of a student record we cannot comment. A second antifascist demonstration was held on campus on Oct. 6, this time outside a classroom in which Neuhoff was teaching. In photo and video accounts of the protest, both plainclothes and uniformed Virginia Tech Police officers are seen following behind as Neuhoff entered a classroom while students stood silently in the hallway, holding pieces of paper with printouts of the instructors social media posts and other anti-fascist messages on them. This is NOT okay, one read. A white supremacist has more protection on this campus than its minority students, another said. Tech Police Chief Kevin Foust declined to comment on the police activity outside the classroom that afternoon. A few hours later, Sands released a statement to the campus community. Most speech that promotes ideologies of hate is protected free speech under the First Amendment. As a community, we are all threatened by these ideologies of hate, as it is in stark contrast to our Principles of Community. Let me state without equivocation that Virginia Techs administration and the Board of Visitors find the ideology encompassed by white supremacy, neo-fascism, neo-Nazism, and others to be abhorrent and to have no place in modern society, Sands said. We also remain committed to our policies and procedures that prohibit disrupting teaching, learning, research, and the operation of the university. Individuals who cross this line will be held accountable by our policies and the law, some of which mandate confidentiality. When I was 20, I dropped out of college and got a job with a morning newspaper whose city editor Mr. Walt Streightiff put me to work writing obituaries of ordinary men and women whose deaths were not considered newsworthy. Other reporters handled crime, natural disasters, City Hall, sports, fatal accidents, high finance, visiting celebrities, and what was called human interest, meaning heartwarming stories, usually involving children. I was in charge of ordinary cold death. Mr. Streightiff liked his obituaries straight basic facts, plus the deceaseds education, professional achievements, church and club memberships, survivors, and funeral arrangements. I liked to add interesting detail the man who, until he was 70, swam across White Bear Lake every summer, the woman whose potato salad was envied by others, the woman who could look at a sentence and speak it backward quickly and perfectly, the man with the enormous model-train layout filling his basement. Some of these Mr. Streightiff sniffed at but tolerated, others he crossed out. That was 55 years ago and he was in his 50s and a chain smoker, so I suppose he is gone now. If I were writing his obit, Id mention his short bristly hair, his starched white shirt and suspenders, his high-top leather shoes and armbands, and his commanding presence at the end of the horseshoe city desk, the way he barked out your last name, how he picked up a phone and said YEAH? into it. His breed is gone now, along with the cigarette smoke and the clatter of typewriters. And now Im 75 and the people in the obits are pals of mine. There were three of them in October, Bruce and Russ and Margaret, and the month isnt over yet. Bruce was an organic farmer for 40 years, raising farm-to-table produce. His land had been in the family for more than a century and he made it as productive as it could be, taking on dozens of young interns who wanted to learn the ropes and find out if they had a vocation, too. He kept bees and whenever he visited me, he brought a quart jar of honey. The farm was his life. We shared an ancestor, Elder John Crandall of Rhode Island colony who came over from England in 1637 or so and who was arrested for preaching religious freedom among the Puritans. I am a Puritan myself and Bruce tolerated me pretty well. Russ was an architect who took up the truck-driving life, played in a blues band, found romance, watched over his kids and cheered them on, and admired well-made things: motorcycles, guitars, old houses, barns, a song, a well-told tale. He once built a long, twisting snow slide on a hillside with banked curves that he designed for maximum thrills. He made a habit of telling you a joke every time he met you. Ole & Lena jokes, lightbulb jokes, whatever. A man walks into the bar with a handful of fresh dog manure and says to the bartender, Look what I almost stepped in. A meaningful joke. His specialty. Margaret was a college classmate who sat ahead of me in Miss Youngbloods Shakespeare class. I once recited to her Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments and meant it but we stayed friends. She became a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst while raising three kids, and practiced for 30 years or so. I accused her of being a hired friend to people of privilege, a joke, and she laughed. I think that what her patients craved was not to be healed but to be understood and she gave them her keen attention. I miss her calm and inquisitive voice. I never heard her speak about anyone with contempt or derision. Not even Death, whom she saw coming a long way off and met with serenity. They each had a clear vocation and made a mark and I miss them and hate to delete them from my phone. I grieve for each of them and I also tell myself to buckle down. Pay attention. Do your job. Dont kill time. Cherish your elders as they pass. My cousin Olive Darby died recently at 104, clear of mind, a steady star shining through the branches of the family tree. Im sorry I didnt go visit her, the last living person to have known my grandfather James, but theres no time for regret now. November is coming, 2018 approaches. Onward. Expect some downpours to race across the Richmond metro late Monday night or early Tuesday morning, possibly with some strong gusts. Storms may produce severe weather to our west this evening. 5:45 p.m. update: A Tornado Watch is in effect until 2 a.m. for the southern Piedmont and parts of Southwest Virginia, and it does not include the Richmond metro area. The tornado watch does include Amelia, Nottoway and Cumberland County and points west like Farmville, Lynchburg, Danville and Roanoke. This is a region where conditions are favorable for thunderstorms to rotate and produce tornadoes. If any are sighted or detected on radar, a tornado warning would be issued. Richmond and the Tri-Cities are not in a tornado watch at this time, and there's no imminent danger from any storms this evening. Here's a timeline focused on what will happen in the Richmond metro area later tonight: When will the rain start? Most of the heavy rain chance will hold off until after midnight, but it's possible for showers to move into the area as early as 9 p.m. Early this evening, most of the rain will still be in the western Virginia. The cold front responsible for that band of rain will move east as the night goes on. When will the rain be heaviest? The best chance for rain - and also the best chance for a burst of heavy rain - will be between midnight and 4 a.m. When will it be over? The rain should end in the Richmond metro before daybreak on Tuesday. By 5 a.m., it's likely that all of the steady rain will clear to the east, but an isolated sprinkle can't be ruled out during the morning drive. Tuesday should be a dry day with clouds clearing during the morning. Will there be any severe weather? A few of the showers could contain gusts strong enough to do some tree damage, but there won't be a widespread severe threat. That may be associated with some of the downpours tracking through between midnight and 4 a.m. There isn't a threat of damaging hail in these storms, and there may not even be much lightning activity. The region along and south of U.S. Highway 460 will be a bit more favorable for gusty storms overnight. A tornado or two cannot be ruled out somewhere in the Piedmont tonight, so have a way to receive weather alerts. How much rain will we get? Most spots around central Virginia will get between 0.25 inches and 0.75 inches of rain overnight. The totals at or above 1 inch will probably be very isolated, and it all depends on where the heaviest storms track. Though the rain will come down at an impressive rate, the showers will move too quickly to let it pile up and lead to flooding. When will it get chilly again? Fall-like air will return on Wednesday. Tuesday will still be mild and slightly humid. Expect upper 60s at daybreak and mid 70s in the afternoon. The low should be closer to normal on Wednesday morning, likely in the upper 40s, then the afternoon will only warm to the mid 60s. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. I am sometimes asked if I think the parenting pendulum is swinging back, however slowly, toward where it was 60-plus years ago or at least toward a tolerable middle point. Before I answer the question, the reader should understand that prior to the psychological parenting revolution of the late 1960s and 1970s, there was no periodic swing in child rearing in America or any other culture. The evidence points to a parenting ethos that remained essentially unchanged for thousands of years (while everything else was changing). This ethos consisted not of methodologies, but of timeless understandings concerning children and parental responsibilities, understandings that crossed cultural boundaries. It is, in fact, still being adhered to in cultures that have not turned to mental health professionals as the primary source of child-rearing guidance but still rely on community elders for parenting support and counsel. In the cultures in question, children are everything American children were before experts determined that they had been anointed by some New Age divinity to fix something that wasnt broken: responsible, mannerly, respectful of adults, hard-working and trustworthy. As an example, a woman who recently spent two years working in rural African schools told me that it was not unusual to find over 100 children of all ages being taught in one large space by one teacher who was dealing with virtually zero behavior problems. That is a hallucinogenic dream in America today, yet I have met a good number of American women who taught, solo, over 90 first-graders at one time in the early 1950s. Without exception, they testify to orderly classrooms where discipline was not a major issue. The major difference between then and now is that parents in the good old days understood their obligations to their neighbors, communities and culture, whereas todays parents do not have as good a grasp of these obligations. Today, the raising of the typical child is not about strengthening culture; its all about the child and promoting his accomplishments. You know, helping him get accepted by the right university and such. (By the way, the right university for me was Western Illinois University not generally included in a best of list.) So having put the original question into a proper historical context, my answer is no. I had hope for such a restoration up until recently. Then it became clear to me that most of todays parents will do such things as give their 10-year-olds smartphones on demand even if theyre aware of research saying that such devices induce changes in brain development that mimic addiction. The inmates are obviously running the asylum. Which leads me to point out that todays parents are, as a lot, afraid of their children. They are afraid to upset them, deprive them of what their friends have, afraid of losing their carefully cultivated friendships with them. As is typical of folks in my generation, I am thankful that my parents did not care whether I liked them or not. It never occurred to me to yell I hate you! because it would not have caused them to even pause in what they were doing. American child rearing underwent a paradigm shift 50 years ago and has been off the rails ever since. Indeed, more and more people are recognizing this and resolving to correct it in their own homes. But will the big picture ever be re-balanced? I doubt it, but thats not the point. The point is to do the right thing without needing someone else to join in, or even cheer you on. Private rail car operators plan to tag along shortly after Amtrak resumes service to and from Roanoke next week. Private rail cars, which offer whats billed as a premium rail travel experience, will be hitched to Amtrak trains for special outings. Two operators currently offer the excursions in restored passenger cars of yesteryear, one as a fundraiser for the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Amtrak has scheduled service to and from Roanoke beginning Tuesday, offering hundreds of daily seats with leg room, Wi-Fi and access to a food and beverage car. There is a four-piece luggage allowance and the option to bring a cat or small dog for a nominal fee. Private rail car travel is a second option that has received less attention than Amtraks return, which will result from a private-public partnership and nearly $100 million investment of taxpayer money. Private rail cars do not operate on a schedule as Amtrak does, nor travel as often. But when put into service in response to passenger demand, they go anywhere Amtrak goes hitched to the rear of the standard train. Private rail car travel is available to individuals or groups. Options are endless as private rail car operators say they can create a unique experience. Name your destination and were [able] to put something together for you, said Chuck Akers, who co-owns a restored Pullman car built in 1923. He is in business as the Roanoke-based Virginia Rail Investment Corp. with partner Chuck Jensen and has sold out trips from Roanoke to Washington, D.C., Nov. 4 and 5, he said. The Pullman car seats 20 people in the day and sleeps 10 during overnight travel. It has a kitchen and the company will provide food and a chef or allow groups to bring and cook their own food. Information is available at www.virginiarail.com. The car reserved for the transportation museum trips is a Moonlight Dome belonging to the Cincinnati Railway Co. based in Ohio. The Moonlight Dome, which seats 24 in a luxury setting, will travel to Roanoke from Washington, and vice versa, on various dates between Nov. 10 and 13. Tickets cost $225 each way, which includes food and beverages. From each ticket, $16.11 will go to the upkeep of the museums 611 steam engine, said Shayne Dwyer, museum spokesman. Further details are available at FireUp611.org. Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie launched a new campaign ad Monday making clear he does not support blanket restoration of voting rights and gun rights for violent felons by highlighting a case from Accomack in which a felon arrested on child porn charges regained his rights months after his arrest. A critique of Gov. Terry McAuliffes blanket restoration of voting rights for more than 200,000 felons, a move later overturned by the Supreme Court of Virginia, Gillespies ad points to John Martin Bowen, a sex offender who was arrested last year and accused of possession of 1.7 million images and videos of child pornography. But Bowens child pornography charges and restoration of his voting and gun rights arent directly related. Bowen was convicted of molesting a child in 2001. He had his rights restored in 2016 after he served his prison time and completed the other conditions of his sentence, McAuliffe said Monday. Bowen has since been convicted on the 2016 child pornography charges and subsequently lost his voting rights for a second time. Gillespie highlighted the incident in calling for a thoughtful legislative solution for restoring rights to felons. He advocates a policy in which rights are automatically restored to felons who have served their time and paid their court costs and restitution. Violent and recurring offenders should have to go through a more rigorous process, he said Monday. For those who are unrepentant, unreformed, violent felons who pose a danger to Virginias families, there would be a screening process and a review process that we do not have in place right now, Gillespie said. McAuliffe blasted the ad as divisive and sensationalized Monday. The 60-second spot can be viewed online, but Gillespie would not say if the ad will appear on TV ahead of the Nov. 7 election. This is a page straight out of Donald Trumps playbook, McAuliffe said, noting that felons have to go before a judge before regaining their gun rights. Since the state Supreme Court ruling, the governors office has been individually restoring voting rights for felons who have served their time. Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman, opposes Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam. Northam has been involved in rights restoration for years and his position aligns with McAuliffes. McAuliffe called his move to restore rights to more than 150,000 felons one of the proudest moments of his governorship, and one that doesnt make Virginia any less safe. He also stressed that felons automatically regain their rights upon completion of their sentence in nearly 40 other states. There are folks who are paying their taxes, theyre living freely among us and I didnt believe they should live like second-class citizens, McAuliffe said. Everybody deserves a second chance. Gillespie also has come under fire for stoking fear of immigrants and violent street gangs in his MS-13 gang ads. The ads connect how Northam voted on a sanctuary cities bill to violent crime in the commonwealth. Virginia has no sanctuary cities. On rights restoration, Gillespie is proposing a legislative solution similar to one presented by Del. Greg Habeeb, R-Salem, during last years General Assembly session. While he doesnt know exactly what form the legislation would take, Gillespie said, he would solicit advice from lawmakers like Habeeb and from former governors Bob McDonnell and Douglas Wilder in finding the ideal legislative solution that would prevent vast policy changes from one governor to the next. Habeeb praised Gillespies plan, and said this is how the legislative process is supposed to work. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Officials say a recent round of staff cuts at Sweet Briar College is part of the plan for developing a model of sustainability as the school continues its rebound from a failed closure attempt in 2015. Faculty and staff have been in flux since the college nearly shut its doors two years ago when a previous administration claimed financial difficulties required closure of the historic womens school. In the wake of the closure attempt, all employees were dismissed except for senior staff retained to close the college. A legal victory by alumnae kept it open. Via email, Interim President Phil Stone immediately rehired many staff and faculty members roughly 200 who had moved on or been dismissed as part of the prior administrations closure attempt. By fall 2015, Sweet Briar had 256 employees. However, employee ranks have not returned to pre-closure numbers. One factor, according to Teresa Tomlinson, chairwoman of the Sweet Briar Board of Directors, is that the decline in enrollment from 700 in the 2014-15 school year to 322 this fall means less student services are needed, which has reduced the demand for those employees. Since fall 2014 to present, faculty and staff ranks have decreased by 74 positions, according to the 2014 Sweet Briar Fact Sheet published online and recent numbers provided by the college. Recent departures came earlier this month, though a college spokesperson did not provide numbers on positions cut or for employees who voluntarily accepted early retirement offers from Sweet Briar. SBC currently has 254 employees, down from 328 before the closure attempt in 2015. The college did not release the number of layoffs or early retirements citing confidentiality agreements with personnel. Based on a review of the SBC website, recent departures largely come from administrative and academic support staff, rather than faculty. According to numbers provided by Melissa Richards, vice president for communications and enrollment management, of the 254 employees, there are 80 full-time and 13 part-time faculty members and 130 full-time and 31 part-time staff members currently employed by Sweet Briar. Former Sweet Briar staff members contacted about their departure from the college declined to provide a comment for this story. Richards noted the number of employees is a snapshot in time, so it does not reflect natural attrition, open positions, positions that were not filled due to lack of qualified candidates, etc. Sweet Briar has four open positions listed on its website. Recent staff departures come alongside major changes at Sweet Briar, such as hiring new President Meredith Woo, slashing tuition by 32 percent, changing the academic calendar and announcing a move from traditional academic departments to three collaborative interdisciplinary centers, a plan that still is being fine-tuned by faculty and staff with more details expected to come in December. Great things are ahead for Sweet Briar. In order to accomplish that, in order to grab our future, we have to remain ever evolving, and we have to continually assess our resources and where we need them, Tomlinson said. She added as various departmental needs evolve, staffing needs and requirements change. Tomlinson said staff shakeups since the near closure have been a process of evolution as the college identified key growth areas such as STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), creative arts, and environmental studies and sustainability. Those three areas will be the focus of the collaborative interdisciplinary centers. On Wednesday, Woo announced the appointment of faculty members tapped to lead the three centers. Raina Robeva, professor of mathematical sciences, will direct the Science and Technology in Society center; Carrie Brown, the Margaret Banister Writer-in-Residence, will lead the Center on Creativity, Design, and the Arts; and the Human and Environmental Sustainability center will be led by two co-directors, Bethany Brinkman, an engineering professor, and Linda Fink, the Dorys McConnell Duberg Professor of Ecology and director of the environmental science program. The center directors will be forming small advisory committees consisting of some faculty and outside experts; design medium to long range plans for their areas that harness and further build on intellectual energy of the faculty and students on grounds; engage in conversation with major foundations and donors alike; and help shape our overall curriculum as it goes through evolution over the next few years, Woo wrote in a letter to the Sweet Briar community. With faculty and staff members working with Woo to fine-tune details on the curriculum updates and transition away from traditional academic departments, more changes could be on the way. Well be retooling the college administratively, from a staff standpoint, and the faculty will be reporting to us soon about their thoughts on how they can reorganize themselves, Tomlinson said. The proposed changes to tuition, the academic calendar and the focus on three collaborative interdisciplinary centers are set to begin at the start of the 2018-19 academic year next fall. #FIFA World Cup Numbers confirmed for S. Korean players South Korea released squad numbers for their players at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday, with captain Son Heung-min getting his usual No. 7. The Korea Football A... #BTS Seller of BTS member Jungkook's lost hat referred to prosecution Police on Tuesday referred to the prosecution a former foreign ministry employee accused of attempting to sell BTS member Jungkook's lost hat online, officials said. The suspec... What the heck is going on? Last week we saw a slew of new polls in the governors race and they were all over the place, ranging from Democrat Ralph Northam with a lead of 14 percentage points in the Quinnipiac Poll to Republican Ed Gillespie with a lead of 1 percentage point in the Monmouth Poll. Lots of others were in between. How can the polls be so different? The answer is they are all based on different assumptions about what the electorate who shows up at the polls on Nov. 7 will look like. Quinnipiac assumes that Democrats will outnumber Republicans by 10 percent, which naturally leads to a double-digit lead. Monmouth assumes Republicans will outnumber Democrats by 2 percent, which inevitably leads to the slight Gillespie lead. So what will the electorate look like? The only honest answer is nobody knows until we have an actual election. However, history provides some guidance, and that guidance gives better news for Republicans than for Democrats. In the last three presidential elections, Democrats have outnumbered Republicans on election day in Virginia by 6 to7 percentage points. That gives the party a built-in advantage even if independents break sharply the other way. However, this isnt a presidential year. In off-year elections, turnout is down, and down in ways that help Republicans and hurt Democrats. The off-year electorate in Virginia tends to be older and whiter and therefore more conservative. Democrats had an advantage four years ago, but that was out of the ordinary. Typically, off-year turnout in Virginia tends to be pretty split, or trend slightly Republican. Quinnipiac is betting that Donald Trump will provoke a big Democratic turnout. Monmouth is betting well have a more normal turnout. There have been Democratic trends across the country in special elections although many of those were in such Republican areas that Republicans won anyway. So maybe we will have a big Democratic wave on Nov. 7. Monmouth, though, is making the safer bet. We know this: When Democrats have won in off-year Virginia races, theyve barely won. Terry McAuliffe didnt break 50 percent in a three-way race last time. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine topped out at 52 percent in their victories in 2001 and 2005. By contrast, when Republican Bob McDonnell won in 2009, he won big with 59 percent. To find a big Democratic win in a Virginia governors race, you have to go back more than three decades, to Jerry Baliles pulling in 55 percent in 1985. Maybe were in a new era but until thats clear, it seems wiser to assume that this will be a nail-biter of an election. Some other observations: n Gillespie has a clearer message than Northam does. That message tax cuts may or may not be good policy, but its easy to visualize what Gillespie would try to do as governor. Northam doesnt have a particularly concise message, other than he would continue McAuliffes policies and oppose Trumps. Perhaps the most astonishing thing to happen in the race came when The Washington Posts editorial board, normally friendly toward Democratic candidates, slammed Northam for saying hed replace the states Standards of Learning tests but was then utterly unable to explain what hed replace them with. n Northam has some interesting ideas that he hasnt pushed very well. The model for messaging is Jim Gilmores No Car Tax! campaign of 1997. Simple, clear, easy to fit on a bumper sticker. (Again, lets set aside whether it was good fiscal policy). Northam has a proposal that isnt quite free community college, but would lead the state in that direction. However, he hasnt distilled that into a simple message of Gilmoresque clarity. Likewise, Northam has proposed to cut the states tax on food. This was the kind of thing that Henry Howell built an entire campaign around in the 1970s, but Northam hasnt. n Democrats have missed an opportunity to make a play for rural votes. Once again, Northam has made some fascinating policy initiatives. He was the first to propose expanding the University of Virginias College at Wise; something Gillespie liked so much he endorsed, as well. Northam also proposed waiving certain taxes for start-ups in rural areas. A Democrat proposing tax cuts! Yet theres been no real campaign follow-through to talk that up and cut into Republican margins in rural areas. This seems campaign malpractice. n Neither candidate scares the other side. Four years ago, Ken Cuccinelli terrified Democrats and Republicans were repulsed by McAuliffe. Even then turnout was 43 percent in contrast to presidential years where turnout typically tops 70 percent. Neither Gillespie nor Northam seem likely to provoke a backlash from the other side. Maybe Trump will drive the turnout (Democrats hope so), but the candidates themselves probably wont. n In fact, neither candidate excites a key segment of his partys base. Some so-called progressives arent particularly thrilled by the centrist, low-key Northam. And environmental voters are especially unhappy that hes refused to oppose natural gas pipelines. Northam has an enthusiasm gap on his left. Meanwhile, Gillespie faces a potential enthusiasm gap on his right among Trump supporters. Hes done a better job of addressing that, though, by calling attention to Northams position on Confederate statues (the Democrat wants them taken down) and the MS-13 gang. Both of those issues may excite the Trump base, but risk tainting Gillespies good name. The statue issue is mostly contrived; the state apparently owns just two Confederate statues. The rest are owned by local governments. A governor cant take them down. Theres a legitimate issue with gang violence. But its an ugly move to the extent that the focus on MS-13, whose members are primarily of Central American origin, really inflames anti-immigrant feelings. Demographically speaking, rural Virginia needs more immigrants to help reverse population declines. Gillespies not helping us have a thoughtful conversation there. Ultimately, most of things the candidates are talking about Trump for Democrats, statues for Republicans are distractions designed to excite certain voters. If candidates spent their time talking about the issues a governor actually deals with, wed be seeing television commercials focused on the minutiae of economic policy. Sadly, that would probably give us an even lower turnout than the one well likely get. Protesters at an event in Woodsetts in September A "FRACKOWEEN" event will protest the proposed drilling for shale gas in Rotherham. Prizes will be given for the best Fracula and Frackenstein costumes at the meeting in Woodsetts. Joe Corre, the activist son of Vivienne Westwood, will talk to concerned residents from the village, as well as others from neighbouring Harthill, and Marsh Lane in Derbyshire, where chemicals giant Ineos is also pursuing fracking. He said: The company are seeking to buy the law, destroy our environment, our homes and our health for the sake of their corporate profits in their Swiss bank accounts. We must not let this happen. Richard Scholey, a retiring police officer and Woodsetts resident, will talk about the concerns over Ineos obtaining a high court writ to make some forms of protest an arrestable offence. Ineos is expected to file a planning application for a 2,800-metre exploratory well on Dinnington Road in Woodsetts this week. The firm says the community would benefit through sharing the profits and the country would benefit from reduced gas imports. The protest event takes place at Woodsetts Recreation Ground from 6pm to 8pm on Wednesday. Ernie Blom, the President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) for the third term, has served on a range of industry bodies as an executive as well as chairman for many years, including Chairman, Diamond Dealers Club of South Africa; Chairman, Rough Diamond Dealers Association; Chairman, Master Diamond Cutters Association; Chairman, Jewellery Council of South Africa, South African Diamond Board; and is a Special Diplomatic Advisor to the Belgium government on trade with Africa. Here, in an interview with Rough & Polished, Ernie Blom speaks on various issues currently plaguing the global diamond industry. Can we say that the diamond market has finally recovered after the market dive in 2014-15? I believe that the situation has definitely improved from the point reached during that period. However, conditions for our members are still very difficult. As I always say, though, we need to be optimistic and look forward to better times. Diamond industry members need to be continuously on the lookout for new niches to enable them to expand. Do you think that a future rough diamond shortfall is possible? According to the graphs that we see from the large diamond producers, this is due to happen sometime in the next 5-10 years. I remember that before the financial crisis of 2008, it was due to happen around now, but was delayed due to a decline in demand as the economic situation took a real dip. There are no large mines coming on stream, which would support the argument for a shortfall. However, there are mines with fairly significant production, such as the Renard and Gahcho Kue mines in Canada. And there are expansions taking place at mines, such as Jwaneng in Botswana and the Venetia mine in South Africa. I believe there will eventually be a shortfall, but I would not want to give an estimate of when it will start happening or by how much. What is the best way to keep the existing balance between supply and demand? Well, this is simply related to demand at the retail end. If there is demand, then goods will be needed. If there is a reduced demand, then producers need to reduce their supply. Unfortunately, we know that this does not always happen because manufacturers need to keep their operations running and that is because they are often huge factories producing very large numbers of polished goods. We need the industry's members to work carefully and prudently. Do you agree with the opinion that since polished diamonds are not daily necessities, it is highly probable that people would prefer to buy living essentials or other popular luxury items should their disposable income improve even slightly? I don't believe that anyone would seriously argue that diamonds are a daily necessity that clearly is not the case. However, they symbolize very powerful human emotions: especially those of long-lasting relationships, love and commitment. We know that younger people, especially, are keen on purchasing the latest high-tech gadget or a luxury handbag. But the industry needs to show that these are items with a limited shelf-life. Diamonds, by contrast, are units of value that remain and that can be handed down from generation to generation. They are not items that you buy every year, but they are very much objects that are bought to symbolize the milestones of life. What is required to support the reputation of diamonds? As you know, the diamond industry is probably the best example of a self-regulated industry that there is. We have taken very big steps in the last decade and a half to ensure that trade in conflict diamonds is stamped out. We have also shown and continue to show that we have zero tolerance for synthetic diamonds being illegally mixed in with real, mined diamonds, or the examples we have seen in several trading centres of coatings being applied to diamonds in a bid to ensure that they receive a higher grade from the industry's labs. We must all act forcefully where there are instances of wrongdoing to ensure that transgressors are not only banned from doing business at the WFDB-affiliated bourses, but that they are also punished to the full extent of the law. Do you share the view that the diamond industry faces a growing challenge from recycled diamonds? The issue of recycled diamonds is an interesting but rather difficult one to assess since nobody has a very strong and grounded estimate of their value within the sector. We know from anecdotal evidence and media reports that after the 2008 financial crisis, people were selling diamond jewellery, particularly in the United States, in order to raise money to cover basic bills and expenses. Is that continuing? Common sense would suggest that it has dropped off sharply since the financial situation is no longer as desperate as it was in 2008-2009. Can we say that the global gems and jewellery business is facing liquidity issues? The situation as far as financing and credit remains highly challenging. Banks have left the diamond sector and that has been very disappointing to see since we are not a high-risk industry that we have been painted as. Our members have learned especially since the financial crash of 2008 to work in a highly prudent way, dealing only with stock they need immediately and slashing the consignments/memo system. Unfortunately, the price of rough goods remains distressingly high and is preventing members of the industry from making a satisfactory profit. Alex Shishlo, Editor of the Rough&Polished European Bureau in Brussels (jingdaily.com) - Amid a wave of store closings in the luxury industry around the world, China has recorded the most number of closures between July 2016 and July 2017, the latest report by the investment research and management company Bernstein shows. The report, titled Store Wars, based its findings on Bernsteins tracking of about 7,000 stores referring to 36 luxury brands including big names such as Burberry, Saint Laurent, and Celine. Burberry and Dunhill had the most store closures in China of all the brands during that period. China has seen 62 net closures of luxury brand stores during the surveyed period, the largest number observed by Bernstein among all significant geographies. The firm viewed the trend as a revision of the over-expansion, in previous years, of luxury brands into the Chinese market. (ehudlaniado.com) - The diamond industry has quieted down this week, as the Indian center went on its Diwali holiday vacation. Diwali, one of the most popular Hindu holidays, celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. It is an important holiday, and businesses close for at least five days. These closures are significant for the diamond industry. In the weeks prior to the holiday, factories start to wind down. Managers from the Mumbai headquarters head out to the factories in Surat to supervise the closing process. The level of rough diamond purchases drops sharply, as seen in the most recent cycle, when De Beers announced that rough diamond sales fell 27% to $370 million from the $507 million worth of rough diamond sold just five weeks earlier. This is part of the diamond industrys annual cycle (last year De Beers sales fell 23% during the same period). The National Bank of Fujairah (NBF) is planning to open a representative office in Antwerp as it looks to capitalize on the decline in financing to the Belgian citys diamond sector, Diamonds.Net reported. Ive been pushing for the move for a long time because theres an opportunity to cherry-pick some clients, Davy Blommaert, head of diamond lending at NBF, told Rapaport News on the sidelines of the Dubai Diamond Conference. Blommaert participated in a fact-finding mission to Antwerp in June, along with NBFs CEO and other executives, to explore the possibilities of servicing the Antwerp diamond industry. He noted that a gap had opened as European banks cut their lending to the diamond sector, with Antwerp Diamond Bank (ADB) closing its doors and Standard Chartered Bank withdrawing from lending to the diamond trade. The NBF delegation met with representatives from Belgiums central bank, the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) and prospective clients, and Blommaert expects the office to open in the first quarter of 2018. It will enable the bank to service Antwerp-based companies with dollar-based lending in Dubai. NBF opened its diamond-focused branch in 2015 and Blommaert reported it had gained steady market share since, ranking behind ABN Amro as the second-largest lender to Dubais diamond trade. With the Dubai business now firmly established, Blommaert said its expansion into Antwerp was a test for possible penetration into other markets. However, he cautioned that the global industry was still considered a high-risk sector and that further consolidation and bankruptcies should be expected. Many at the conference pointed to a lack of profitability in the manufacturing sector, due to a perceived divergence between rough and polished diamond prices. Still, rough sales have been steady this year, while polished demand has remained stagnant, resulting in a rise in polished inventory in the midstream, Blommaert noted. There are too many diamantaires vying for rough, and that has resulted in them paying premiums for goods that are not necessarily required by the market, he said. Erik Jens, head of ABN Amros diamond and jewelry unit, added that the trade was over-financed by banks enabling those rough purchases. While the diamond industrys global bank debt is estimated at around $15 billion, Jens estimated that it really only needed about half that amount. For similar reasons, the midstream manufacturers and dealers are left with high inventory exposure. Ultimately, a clean-up must happen and I believe we will see more consolidation in the next few years, Blommaert said. At the same time, there are good companies that are struggling to get financing who we can help. Alex Shishlo, Editor of the Rough&Polished European Bureau in Brussels The World Diamond Council (WDC) concluded its 13th annual meeting last week in Dubai. The event was hosted by the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), with attendees representing an inclusive group of global diamond industry participants in recent WDC AGM history, says a press note from the Council. Discussions at the meeting spanned issues and opportunities for the diamond industry to ensure that no diamond is linked to conflict or human rights abuses, a process where the WDC serves as the single voice of the diamond industry as an Official Observer of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). Participants included all of the major global industry players in the diamond supply pipeline. Diamonds continue to delight consumers and at the same time they deliver tremendous value, creating employment opportunities for millions of people and providing much needed economic, healthcare and education benefits across every continent on the globe, said WDC Acting President, Stephane Fischler. The 2017 AGM opened with a keynote speech by Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman of the DMCC, who thanked the WDC for its contributions to the Kimberley Process Chair, saying that the UAE will continue to invest and build to provide everything the diamond industry needs to flourish. Discussions followed throughout the two-day meeting, focused on various ways to strengthen the integrity of the complex diamond supply chain. This included ideas to broaden the scope of the KPCS to enhance prevention and reduce the risk of systemic violence and conflict. The WDC System of Warranties (SoW) was also reviewed. The consensus was reached to formalize principles related to the duty of care for responsible business practices. The need for a KP Permanent Secretariat was also unanimously supported and will be championed by the WDC as part of its KP Observer status. The next years WDC AGM will take place in India, hosted by the GJEPC. The 2019 AGM will be hosted by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) in Antwerp. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished Zimbabwe said it will soon conduct an international tender of Marange diamonds after an evaluation by Botswana Government Diamond Valuators (GDVs), which is expected to commence next week. The state-owned Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) had since March this year, stockpiled more than 1,4 million carats of diamonds. The stones are projected to fetch over $200 million at the tender, according to the Herald newspaper. The country is preparing to conduct an international tender soon and let me take this opportunity to invite all the buyers here present to the tender, Mines minister Walter Chidhakwa was quoted as saying at the Dubai Diamond Conference. Even as we continue to sell internationally, we also continue to nurture a growing cutting, polishing and jewelry making sector in our country. We seek partners who exhibit a whole value chain capability to become our strategic partners as we revolutionise our Diamond sector. The mines minister recently told parliament that ZCDC had not put its diamonds under the hammer because our systems for evaluation had been compromised. We have had to ask the Tswanas to come and they are comingto assist us with the valuation of those diamonds and after that, we will now have a new system, he said recently. ZCDC took over mining in Marange early last year when Harare pushed out erstwhile miners in a bid to improve transparency and plug revenue loopholes. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished A report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Monday said manufacturing firms in New York reported that activity continued to expand strongly in the month of October. The New York Fed said its general business conditions index climbed to 30.2 in October from 24.4 in September, with a positive reading indicating growth in regional manufacturing activity. The increase came as a surprise to economists, who had expected the New York manufacturing index to drop to 20.7. With the unexpected increase, the New York manufacturing index reached its highest level since a matching reading in September of 2014. The unexpected increase by the headline index was partly due to a notable acceleration in shipment growth, as the shipments index jumped to 27.5 in October from 16.2 in September. The number of employees index also rose to 15.6 in October from 10.6 in September, indicating faster job growth in the New York manufacturing sector. On the other hand, the report said the new orders index dropped to 18.0 in October from 24.9 in September, suggesting a slowdown in the pace of growth in new orders. The prices paid index also slid to 27.3 in October from 35.8 in September, while the prices received index fell to 7.0 from 13.8. Looking ahead, indexes assessing the six-month outlook suggested that firms continued to be optimistic about future conditions. The New York Fed said the index for future business conditions climbed to 44.8 in October from 39.3 in the previous month. On Thursday, the Philadelphia Federal Reserve is scheduled to release its report on regional manufacturing activity. The Philly Fed Index is expected to dip to 20.2 in October from 23.8 in September. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Forex News California Governor Jerry Brown has vetoed legislation requiring presidential candidates to release their tax returns, expressing concerns the legislation sets a "slippery slope" precedent. The bill passed by California's Democratic-controlled legislature would have required any presidential candidate to disclose five years of tax returns before their name can be placed on the state's primary election ballot. Brown noted that the bill was a response to President Donald Trump's refusal to release his tax returns during the last election. "While I recognize the political attractiveness - even the merits - of getting President Trump's tax returns, I worry about the political perils of individual states seeking to regulate presidential elections in this manner," Brown said. The Democratic governor expressed concerns about whether the bill is constitutional as well as the potential slippery slope. "Today we require tax returns, but what would be next? Five years of records? A certified birth certificate? High school report cards?" Brown said. "And will these requirements vary depending on which political party is in power?" Brown said he was hesitant to start down a road that might lead to an ever escalating set of differing state requirements for presidential candidates. A report from Politico noted Brown did not release his tax returns during his 2010 or 2014 campaigns, breaking with a tradition of gubernatorial candidates in California. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News (Agencia CMA Latam) - The Argentinean stock market posted a bullish rally during September and October as investors, following the pre-election polls, began to take for granted a victory by Mauricio Macri's allies in Sunday's legislative elections. In Buenos Aires, the pro-government candidate Esteban Bulrrich was four to five percentage points ahead of the former President Cristina Kirchner for that Senate's chair run. However, and although several analysts pointed out that the optimistic landscape suggested by the Merval rise was exaggerated, the appearance of a body floating in the Chubut river this week may affect the government performance. The body was found in the same region where searches for the 28-year old backpacker Santiago Maldonado were being conducted. Maldonado is missing since August 1. The backpacker disappeared shortly after surrendering and being arrested by the Gendarmerie during the border guards' repression of a Mapuche demonstration over the claim of Indian ancestral lands in the province of Chubut, in Southern Argentina. The body found in the Chubut river this week was not identified yet but was enough to trigger social and political turmoil amid the electoral campaign. While the main Argentinean political factions suspended their campaigns for Sunday's legislative elections, thousand of people demonstrated against state violence against its citizens. According to Mauro Mazza, an analyst at Bull Market Brokers, until last week the victory of the ruling coalition Cambiemos was taken for granted by investors, leading to a bullish rally and the stability of the locally traded U.S. dollar. Mazza noted that last night one of the main pollsters issued a report in which, following the revival of the so-called "Maldonado Affair," many voters began to re-think their vote. The "undecided" vote until last week was at one percentage point, but since yesterday, it is estimated to have amounted to three percentage points. Meanwhile, Bulrrich's lead over Cristina Kirchner dropped to a technical tie. If confirmed that the young man was murdered by the border guard, it could further harm Macri's support. According to Mazza, if a technical tie is confirmed, as in the primaries, the Merval on Monday would open in red and then recover again in the coming weeks. However, Martin Przybylski, an analyst at Cohen, said that in the last few weeks the market reached historical highs in stocks and bonds due to a presumed Kirchner's defeat. Consulted on the latest polls, the analyst acknowledged that the new figures point to a technical tie. If during the weekend there is no new news on the "Maldonado Affair," Przybylski said, the Merval would open in red and then recover, given that when analyzing the national elections, it is expected that the disappearance of the young man does not affect the performance of the government nationally. The national government seeks to ensure governability and obtain a majority in Congress to pass its economic projects. Also, both Kirchner and Macri look at the elections as a preparation for the upcoming 2019 presidential elections. by Agencia CMA Latam For comments and feedback: 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. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has retained power with the ruling coalition winning a decisive two-thirds majority in parliament. This is Abe's third term as Prime Minister. Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and coalition partner Komeito together won 313 seats in the 465-member Lower House, which gives them the impetus to pursue a first-ever amendment to the Constitution. The election saw the opposition vote split between the left-leaning Constitutional Democratic Party and the Party of Hope. Sunday's polls saw a poor voter turnout of 53.68 percent, partly attributed to the Typhoon that battered much of the country. The victory could reinforce Abe's chances of succeeding in the LDP leadership contest in September next year and eventually becoming Japan's longest-serving prime minister. Abe had previously announced that he wanted to revise a clause which renounces war, known as Article 9, to formally recognize Japan's military, which is known as the "self-defense forces". Addressing a post-election press conference in Tokyo, Abe told reporters that the victory was a vote of confidence from the public, and based on that the government would "dramatically show counter-measures against the North Korea threat". He vowed to protect the nation from it. The big win for Abe's coalition is expected to pave the way for more ultra-easy monetary policy and flexible fiscal stimulus that has boosted Japanese stocks and helped Asia's second-biggest grow for six straight quarters. Stocks hit their highest level since 1996 in response to Japan election results. Abe's re-election would give U.S. President Donald Trump a reliable partner in pushing a hardline stance against Kim Jong Un's regime in North Korea. Trump, who is visiting Japan next month, called Abe to congratulate him on his decisive victory. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Canadian stocks were poised to take another run at record highs Monday, supported by upbeat economic data and optimism over U.S. tax reform. Wholesale sales rose 0.5% to $62.8 billion in August, led by the personal and household goods and motor vehicle and parts subsectors. Hudson's Bay Company (HBC.TO) Chairman Richard Baker announced that CEO Jerry Storch will leave the company. "Right now, our entire team in North America and Europe is focused on delivering a strong holiday season and best serving our customers," Baker said in a statement. Energy stocks may rise as crude oil rebounded above $52 a barrel. The TSX Composite Index begins the day near 15,800. A move above 15,940 would take this index to its all-time high. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis The US media has come out with another story of sexual harassment involving a Hollywood big shot at a time the Harvey Weistein saga is hot in the air. The Los Angeles Times reported that 38 women have come forward to accuse Oscar-nominated director James Toback of sexual harassment. The victims that the report named include actress Adrienne LaValley, Karen Sklaire, a New York drama teacher, actor and playwright, and Louise Post, a guitarist and vocalist for the indie rock band Veruca Salt. The newspaper has detailed experiences of several women who encountered Toback in places such as a hotel room, a movie trailer, a public park, meetings framed as interviews or auditions quickly turned sexual. During these meetings, Toback boasted of sexual conquests with the famous and then asked humiliating personal questions, The Los Angeles Times quoted many of the women as saying. The women's accounts portray the 72-year old writer and director as a man who sexually harassed women he hired, women looking for work, and women he just saw on the street for the last 30 years. Toback, who was nominated for best screenplay for his 1991 film Bugsy, denied the allegations and said he had never met any of the women in question or, if he did, it "was for five minutes and have no recollection". Toback reportedly claimed that it had been "biologically impossible" for him to engage in the behavior described by the women in this story because he had diabetes and a heart condition that required medication. Like Harvey Weinstein, Toback was a powerful Hollywood film-maker, who titled his 1987 semi-autobiographical movie "The Pick-up Artist" starring Robert Downey Jr. His latest film, "The Private Life of a Modern Woman" starring Sienna Miller, premiered at this year's Venice Film Festival. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News Yemeni journalist Afrah Nasser, who won the International Press Freedom Award, has been banned from entering the US to receive her accolade, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Afrah is one of five internationally acclaimed journalists that CPJ has selected this year to honor courageous journalists from around the world. The award ceremony is scheduled to be held on November 15 in New York City, but the exiled Yemeni blogger's request for visa has been turned down. Yemen is one of many Muslim-majority countries whose citizens have been barred by the Trump administration from entering the United States. Afrah, who is a Swedish and Yemeni dual national, is currently residing in Sweden's capital Stockholm. She said her two US visa applications have been rejected by the American embassy in Stockholm. "I am currently applying for the third time, and I am not optimistic," she wrote on her blog. The CPJ explained that from the Arab region, they had chosen Yemen this year in order to shine a light on the conditions in which Yemeni journalists work, and Afrah for her reporting on "human rights violations, women's issues, and press freedom in her home country" despite all the obstacles. In addition to an invitation to the awards ceremony in New York, the CPJ had also organized for Afrah to meet with State Department officials in Washington DC, and university staff to raise awareness about violations against Yemeni journalists and the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country. As the violence escalated in her hometown, Sanaa, and under death threats for her anti-regime writings during the beginning of Yemen's 2011 uprising, Afrah sought political asylum in Sweden in May 2011. She later became a Swedish citizen. Afrah Nasser is the founder and editor-in-chief of Sana'a Review. After reaching Stockholm, she continued freelance reporting on Yemen for various media outlets. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The Swiss stock market ended the first trading session of the new week with a small increase. After struggling in early trade, the market crossed definitively into positive territory in the afternoon. A weak performance from index heavyweight Nestle hampered the overall market. Investors remain hopeful that U.S. tax reform will finally come to fruition. Traders are also looking forward to the release of the European Central Bank's monetary policy decision on Thursday. The Swiss Market Index increased by 0.12 percent Monday and finished at 9,248.49. The Swiss Leader Index climbed 0.30 percent and the Swiss Performance Index added 0.16 percent. Sonova was among the top performing stocks of the session, with an increase of 1.7 percent. Kuehne + Nagel also gained 1.6 percent. Aryzta, Geberit, Givaudan, Dufry, Clariant and Vifor Pharma all finished higher by over 1 percent. Schindler and Logitech advanced by 1.2 percent each. Index heavyweight Novartis also added 0.8 percent. The company has received a breakthrough designation from the U.S. FDA for the combination therapy of Tafinlar and Mekinist. Food giant Nestle declined 0.8 percent. Liberum confirmed its "Sell" rating on the stock. Swatch weakened by 0.7 percent, while rival Richemont climbed 0.9 percent. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Canadian stocks were flat Monday, holding near record highs after a quiet session. In economic news, wholesale sales rose 0.5% to $62.8 billion in August, led by the personal and household goods and motor vehicle and parts subsectors. Hudson's Bay Company (HBC.TO) Chairman Richard Baker announced that CEO Jerry Storch will leave the company. The stock fell 1.7 percent. "Right now, our entire team in North America and Europe is focused on delivering a strong holiday season and best serving our customers," Baker said in a statement. Crude oil futures inched higher Monday despite moves by Iraq to mitigate the supply disruptions brought on by the Kurdish conflict. West Texas Intermediate crude for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 6 cents to close at $51.90 a barrel. The TSX Composite Index was up 1.69 points to 15,858.91. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Hess Corp. (HES) Monday said it agreed to sell its interests in offshore Equatorial Guinea to Kosmos Energy (KOS) and Trident Energy for $650 million. "This sale is a further step in our strategy to focus our portfolio by investing in higher return assets and divesting more mature, higher cost assets," CEO John Hess said. "Proceeds from asset sales, along with cash on our balance sheet, are expected to fund the development of our truly world class investment opportunity offshore Guyana. Our investment in Guyana will position our company to deliver a decade plus of returns-driven growth and increasing cash generation to our shareholders," he added. During the first half of 2017, net production from the company's assets in Equatorial Guinea averaged 28,000 barrels of oil per day. Hess holds an 85 percent paying interest and is operator. The sale is expected to close before year end 2017. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News By SA Commercial Prop News - Tinashe Remwa Investec Australia Property Fund Non-Executive Director Sam Leon said the objective of the fund is to invest in high quality, sustainable and well diversified real estate in Australia. Investec Australia Property Fund on Thursday listed on the JSE's main board, bringing to the market a R1.2 billion (AU$129.9 million) property portfolio consisting a mix of industrial and commercial assets across Australia. This is the second property fund to list under the REIT structure on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The fund is one of three property stocks seeking a JSE listing this month and one of two which are focused off-shore. As the fund will be inwardly listed, it would allow South African investors to get direct exposure to property and currency in Australia. Valued at AU$129.9 million (R1.2 billion), the fund's property portfolio will be managed by a team on the ground in AU. "The objective of the fund is to invest in high quality, sustainable and well diversified real estate in Australia. At the outset, the fund is a solid, sustainable platform that is well positioned for growth," says Sam Leon, Non-Executive Director of the Investec Property Fund. The fund's private placing closed on 10 October and was significantly oversubscribed, with more than 128 million shares at AUD 1.00 placed. Graeme Katz CEO of Investec Australia Property Fund said the listing had been far oversubscribed. He was very optimistic about the funds performance. "We have good simple assets and we are expecting good returns. We have various tenants locked in for seven year leases and I believe the time we spent to find the stock will pay off," Mr Katz said. "We're pleased to welcome the Investec Australia Property Fund on to the JSE's Main Board. This listing gives South African investors the opportunity to further diversify through off-shore property exposure," says Zeona Jacobs, Director of Issuer and Investor Relations at the JSE. A regulatory change effective on 1 May 2013 saw South Africa adopt the globally understood REIT structure and positions the exchange as a capital raising venue for international property funds. More than 25 countries make use of the REIT model including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, France and Belgium. Since this this change 26 property funds have converted to REIT status while two funds have listed using the REIT structure. South Africa is ranked second in the world for raising capital through the local equity market according to the recently released World Economic Forum's Global Competiveness Report for 2013-2014. In the latest report, the country moved up one place from last year's ranking. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) The last mass-produced car designed and built in Australia rolled off General Motors Co.'s production line in the industrial city of Adelaide on Friday as the nation reluctantly bid farewell to its auto manufacturing industry. GM Holden Ltd., an Australian subsidiary of the of a U.S. automotive giant, built its last car almost 70 years after it created Australia's first, the FX Holden, in 1948. Since then, an array of carmakers including Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Chrysler and Leyland have built and closed manufacturing plants in Australia. After the last gleaming red Holden VF Commodore, a six-cylinder rear-wheel drive sedan, left the plant in the Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth that had grown over decades to provide its workforce, 955 factory workers will clock off the last time "It's pretty tragic really that we've let go probably one of the best cars around the world," an auto painter who identified himself as Kane told reporters. The 36 year-old was worked at Holden for 17 years and starts a new job with an air conditioner manufacturer on Monday. But he knows many other former Holden employees won't find jobs so quickly. Thousands of jobs in businesses that have supplied components and accessories to Australian auto manufacturers are also at risk. "It's not the easiest thing. Life will go on," Kane said. Dozens of Holden enthusiasts gathered outside the factory, bringing with them generations of Holdens dating back to favored FJ models that were built between 1953 and 1956. South Australia state Premier Jay Weatherill said car manufacturing was seminal to the state's industrial know-how. "It has provided the backbone for our manufacturing capability in this state," Weatherill told reporters. "It's given us the ... the capacity to imagine ourselves as an advanced manufacturing state." Holden is an iconic Australian brand and has been a source of national pride for generations. The V8 Holden Commodore has sold in the United States since 2013 as the Chevrolet SS. The brand will survive although Holdens will all now be imported from GM plants around the globe. Holden retains design and engineering teams, a global design studio, a local testing ground, 1,000 employees and a 200-strong national dealer network. The brand that became known as "Australia's own car," accounted for more than half the new cars registered in Australia by 1958. The reasons behind the demise of Australian auto manufacturing are numerous. The first Holden cars were built in an era of high Australian tariffs and preferential trade with former colonial master Britain, which encouraged global carmakers to set up local factories to increase market share. Australian import tariffs have since tumbled through bilateral free trade deals with car manufacturing countries like the United States, Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. The Holden workers' union blames a lack of government support through subsidies for GM's decision to end manufacturing. There had been debate about whether the 7 billion Australian dollars ($5.5 billion) that the government spent on the car industry in subsidies since 2001 was worth the jobs that it created. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the closure was due to a "perfect storm" of factors. The factors included the value of the Australian dollar which due to a mining boom was for the first time stronger than the greenback in 2013 when the last three carmakers GM, Ford and Toyota announced that they would close. Other factors were high production costs, a small domestic market in an Australian population of 24 million and the most competitive and fragmented auto market in the world, with more than 60 car brands on sale. "You can't get away from the emotional response to the closure," Turnbull told Melbourne Radio 3AW on Friday. The opposition Labor Party accused "rightwing economic rationalists" within the government of "goading General Motors to leave Australia" but refusing to guarantee future subsidies. "We're not just losing a car, we're not just losing an industrial capability. We're losing an icon and that is a tragedy," Labor lawmaker Nick Champion, who represents the Holden factory region, told reporters on Thursday. LOS ANGELES (AP) A judge on Friday tossed out a $417 million jury award to a woman who claimed she developed ovarian cancer by using Johnson & Johnson talc-based baby powder for feminine hygiene. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Maren Nelson granted the company's request for a new trial, saying there were errors and jury misconduct in the previous trial that ended with the award two months ago. Nelson also ruled that there wasn't convincing evidence that Johnson & Johnson acted with malice and the award for damages was excessive. The decision will be appealed even though Eva Echeverria has died, said her attorney, Mark Robinson Jr. "We will continue to fight on behalf of all women who have been impacted by this dangerous product," he said in a statement. Echeverria alleged Johnson & Johnson failed to adequately warn consumers about talcum powder's potential cancer risks. She used the company's baby powder on a daily basis beginning in the 1950s until 2016 and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007, according to court papers. Echeverria developed ovarian cancer as a "proximate result of the unreasonably dangerous and defective nature of talcum powder," she said in her lawsuit. Her attorney contended that documents showed that Johnson & Johnson knew about the risks of talc and ovarian cancer for three decades. The company said it was pleased with the ruling. "Ovarian cancer is a devastating disease but it is not caused by the cosmetic-grade talc we have used in Johnson's Baby Powder for decades. The science is clear and we will continue to defend the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder as we prepare for additional trials in the U.S.," spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said in a statement. Similar allegations have led to hundreds of lawsuits against the New Jersey-based company. Jury awards have totaled hundreds of millions of dollars. However, on Tuesday a Missouri appellate court threw out a $72 million award to the family of an Alabama woman who has died, ruling that the state wasn't the proper jurisdiction for such a case. The court cited a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that placed limits on where injury lawsuits could be filed, saying state courts cannot hear claims against companies not based in the state where alleged injuries occurred. Dear Editor, Re: Playground politics as the P.M. returns Thank you Marj Moore for your editorial. Succession planning to smooth leadership changes is part of the mature planning behind mature political parties full of mature people. However, this rarely goes smoothly for most political parties around the world, let alone the H.R.P.P in Samoa. Tuilaepa taking over from Tofilau at the end of 1998 was smooth in the end but there was still internal movement to out-manoeuvre Tuilaepa. However, in the end Tuilaepa out-manoeuvred them. There will inevitably be a huge contest for the leadership of the party in the event of Tuilaepas eventual retirement or passing away. Why? Because there is no stand out candidate. In 1998, Tuilaepa had been Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister for a good number of years. He had been Tofilaus acknowledged number 2 for over a decade. In the H.R.P.P of 2017, there is nobody remotely of that stature. There are a number of senior MPs who could step up but nobody with a clear run to the line as Tuilaepa had in 1998-1999. There has been a revolving door of Deputy PMs and Finance Ministers as Tuilaepa has employed a rotation policy over his 18 years as PM - giving different people (and their factions) a turn. Petelo Suaniu Dear Editor Re: Refugees talk in Samoa First of all to anyone who has at least one drop of *True Samoa Love*, or a drop of *Samoa Integrity*, you would not be talking about how to properly assist refugees because the Simple truth is, there are enough people in Samoa, right now, suffering from serious poverty problems such as health poverty, or financial povertyenough to keep any humanitarian busy for the next 100 years. Secondly, people like Tyrone on previous paragraph, need to get the priorities straight. The first responsible priority for any human residing in Samoa is to receive training to find ways to properly help humans that need help in Samoa first, then maybe, if we have enough money and time, we can help other people from other places. In other words, it is not a good idea to place the wagon in front of the horse because the wagon is not able to pull the horse, and the horse does not want to push the wagon. If any Samoan government official is reading this post, feel free to send me a message, if you want to receive more effective training, free of charges, about how to help Samoan people first. Much appreciation for your consideration. Faafetai lava. Noe Levan A family at Nofoalii has lost thousands of tala worth of valuables after a fire shredded their home yesterday afternoon. Pictures immediately shared on social media shows the fire ripping through the house as bystanders look on helplessly. The Samoa Observer contacted the Fire Emergency Services in Apia. An official who spoke to on the condition of anonymity said the house is located next to the E.F.K.S. Church at Nofoalii. The guys from Faleata were the ones who responded to the call, said the official. At the moment the Fire Safety staff are still at the familys home investigating the incident. According to reports from the guys that were there, when the fire occurred there were three young children inside the house. However, there were adults that were at another house at the back it is believed that these young children were playing with a matches which might have caused the fire. Thankfully the young children are all okay as well as the whole family. The guys arrived at the scene but the fire had already cut through most of the house and they did their best but it was too late. Everything was destroyed and investigations are still continuing in regards to the incident. It was not possible to get a comment from the family. The application from a foreign businessman accused of stealing from a local A.T.M to leave the country has been denied. The decision was handed down yesterday by District Court Judge, Fepuleai Ameperosa Roma. The prosecutor is Vaisala Afoa of the Attorney Generals office. Thirty-three year- old Catalin Razvan Veverita of Romania is charged with 30 criminal charges. Veverita was arrested by the Police on June this year for allegedly scheming money from one of the local banks. The itemizations of the charges are: 10 counts of theft; 10 counts of accessing with electronic system without authority, and 10 counts of electronic system for dishonest purpose, said Judge Fepuleai. So in total you face 30 charges and in the record it shows that you deny all the charges and the matter has been set for hearing on the 15th November, 2017. The following bail conditions; first is that you surrender all travel documents and secondly, you are to report to the Apia Police station every Tuesdays and Thursdays. In this list I have to consider your application and variation in bail conditions so that you are able to travel overseas. In other words you seek leave from the court jurisdiction specifically to travel to Vanuatu for the main reason as written in your application and in your supporting affidavit is that you have business interest in Vanuatu and that you wish to sort out. It includes settlement of arrears. Your application is oppose by prosecution on the main grounds are that you face serious charges, you are not a Samoan citizen and the flight risk is very high, said the District Court Judge. Judge Fepuleai pointed out to the defendant the application was thoroughly reviewed. I decided the factors argued on the grounds of variation for leave are far outweighed by those interests. I have accordingly reached the following decision; one your application for variation on bail condition specifically a leave for you to leave the jurisdiction is denied. Secondly, a previously assigned hearing date for all the charges is being the 15th November, 2017 remains. The Samoa Umbrella of Non Government Organisation (S.U.N.G.O) hosted a Volunteerism Skills training for C.S.Os last week. The five-day course was conducted for 14 people from the various N.G.Os and C.B.Os around Samoa. Volunteers play a key role in not-for-profit organizations. They provide their time free of charge which allows the organization to expand its services and activities. They provide valuable skills or talents that the organization lacks. They also bring valuable perspectives, since they themselves often directly benefit from the organizations work. Volunteers can inspire and motivate paid personnel, presenting an open, participatory image of the organization, and spreading the word about its work and its cause. The rising growth of the N.G.O sector in Samoa has also brought forward the rising need of volunteerism locally to implement activities pertaining to civil society. The nature of N.G.O work needs in place a volunteerism system to both align the principles of volunteerism in Samoa with the international level of volunteerism worldwide and helps to serve the workforce of N.G.O. Volunteerism is a living practice mechanism in Samoa whereby our culture, church and other activities are carried out by individuals on daily basis without recognising that their work parallels with the principles of volunteerism. The international recognition of volunteerism brings attention to its current practice locally and it deserves a chance to be taught for N.G.Os and civil society members in our country. Volunteerism plays a vital role to better implement the core services of NGOs and it will contribute to the awareness of our community the recognition of volunteerism principles. Most of S.U.N.GO members services deliver for our people and the continuous upholding of cooperative working environment had attracted quality volunteers who are keen to share their expertise with the organization. Therefore it is for the People and for the healthy growth of the organization that appropriate measures are laid out to accommodate and recognize the service of the Volunteers and that the service is constructively utilized for a successful outcome. Lineta Tamnikaiyaroi, Director O.C.P.D.C.E N.U.S. and Rosa Maulolo from S.U.N.G.O were both there from the outset of the programme. Tamnikaiyaroi delivered the key note speech upon the presentation of certificates. By the end of the training, participants will now be able to: Identify and discuss key features which influence the employment of suitable staff including volunteers evaluate the mechanism of a stable workplace for volunteers/paid staff Develop policies and procedures to motivate and retain volunteers and staff. Develop an employment agreement and design systems of implementation for volunteers. Design and implement personnel management procedures which reinforce the goals of the organisation. The trainer for the week long course was Reverend Dr. Siaosi Salesulu. Samoa will once again play host to another conference in November 2017. This event will see Pacific artists and academics from around the world descending on Apia, prepared to take on this years theme of Making the invisible, visible. The International Pacific Arts community will be taking their turn to weigh in on the issues of climate change and dislocation and how they will impact our cultures in the future. Samoan artist, Tupe Lualua, is the Creative director behind Le Moana Dance Company based in Wellington, New Zealand, and she will be attending this years arts conference. In addition, she has been invited by the Samoa Arts Council to use her talents as a writer, director and choreographer to present her findings through the performance art piece titled, Aumaga. The young creative director spoke about her upcoming presentation which will be very interactive in nature. The project will see the dancers live and work on a plantation in the village of Savaia in Lefaga, to further research and develop the choreographic, theatrical and elements of the story, which they will then present to the PAA conference in a live session. Ms. Lualua looks forward to the chance to come together with other Pacific artists to share, celebrate and hopefully collaborate in this years PAA conference and more than that she is thrilled that it will be held in Samoa, a place she holds close to her heart. Registrations will take place on Monday 27th November and the conference itself will run from Tuesday 28th November through Friday 1st December. The conference will not only include academic presentations, but will also provide delegates with the opportunity to engage with artists and museum personnel and participate in workshops. The conference will be held in the Pacific Fale at the National University of Samoa (N.U.S). Approximately 20 million Blue Sharks are killed each year, propelling Samoa and Sri Lanka to jointly propose to place the species on a special global list asking countries to conserve them and protect their habitat. The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (C.M.S) is holding its Twelfth Conference of the Parties in Manila, Philippines which Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Palau and Samoa will be attending. This monumental gathering is held every three years. The C.M.S had 124 Parties as of July this year, uniting to protect migratory species placed under two different lists. Appendix 1 lists migratory species that are endangered and, Appendix 2 lists migratory species which have an unfavourable conservation status requiring international agreements for their conservation and management. At the C.M.S COP12 Samoa and Sri Lanka are proposing that the Blue Shark be placed on Appendix 2 in a show of proactive conservation. The Blue Shark is the most commonly caught large shark species in the world. While its reproductive rate is higher than that of many shark species, given the numbers that are killed each year, we congratulate Samoa for addressing a conservation problem before it is too late, said Juney Ward, the Shark and Ray Officer of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (S.P.R.E.P). We are also pleased that fellow Pacific countries of Fiji and Palau are supporting this proposal and we hope to see more countries support the listing on Appendix II. S.P.R.E.P is attending the CMS COP12 to provide technical support and advice to the S.P.R.E.P Member delegates at this key event that will help ensure the conservation of migratory species crucial to the Pacific islands. Mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and one insect are listed on the Conventions two Appendices, including many whales and dolphins, bats, gorillas, antelopes, albatrosses, raptors, waterbirds, sharks, sturgeons, marine turtles and the Monarch Butterfly. This is the only convention that looks at migratory species, and its important because a lot of our species are migratory in nature. As they cross multiple jurisdictions, the Convention helps ensure that we all work together to protect and conserve them, said Ms. Ward. As it meets once every three years, its crucial that our Pacific island region is well represented and our Pacific voice is heard. The Pacific region will be holding two different events over the one week, to highlight the Pacific Whale Campaign as well as Pacific Shark Conservation. The island region will also be showcased with a booth, and representation at the High Level Segment through S.P.R.E.Ps Director General, Leota Kosi Latu. Well also be providing support at the national level so whatever is agreed to here, on the global stage, will transcend into action on the ground within our Pacific islands and communities, said Ms. Ward. Get your household in order and everything else will fall into place. Thats the message from Suitulaga Lio who believes most of the problems today are caused because families do not get their priorities right. Instead of the father taking his children to church on Sunday, he would rather stay home and drink beer, he said. The head of the family must always lead by good example. Suitulaga from the village of Vailele said this is also responsible for the growing incidents of domestic violence, incest and other vile crimes within the home. The 50-year-old said that normally within families, most people usually use making lunch on Sunday as an excuse to not attend church. This is what happens when they have too many problems and they choose to keep it to themselves instead of sharing with others or look for people to talk to and going to church, he said. He believes that the gospel has everything we need in this life and that the God that we serve is a God of abundance. The word of God shapes our paths into the right direction, he said. It speaks about life, hope and wisdom. The only way for us to have a happy life is through the word of God itself. The father of four said that going to church refreshes your mind for the following week. Going to church on Sunday prepares you mentally for the challenges of the upcoming week. Start Monday morning and you start off fresh for you have the message of the Lord planted within your heart to guide you throughout the entire week. You go on Sunday and pray to God for guidance and to show you the way. Despite being poor and not have anything the Lord will always provide, he told the Village Voice. According to Suitulaga the way of living is not expensive, he is grateful for what he has. He also mentioned that the reason our people are struggling is because they are too lazy to work. Within my opinion the way of living is not expensive. We as Samoans within this new generation want everything to come easy, such as cheap products from the stores. But we need to work hard within our lands, grow crops like how our ancestors did then we will not face these problems. Some people are mostly complaining about the government not doing their job right but it is not them it is our own people that are too lazy to work, he said. Suitulaga is certain if our own families are in order and they are well off then the government would have fewer problems to worry about. It all starts within our families; if they are not stable then so will be the government. Design in all its forms will be at the forefront of the San Diego civic conversation this week with advocates hoping San Diego will be declared a Design World Capital by 2028. Design is not likely what you expect it is, said Scott Robinson, a graphic designer who founded his FreshForm Interactive digital marketing company in 2001 and chairs the year-old Design Forward Alliance. Design today is solving complex problems. Urban design, architectural design and design thinking will be the focus at three sets of events starting Wednesday. Advertisement The sponsoring groups are: The Design Forward Alliance, a spinoff of UC San Diegos Design Lab, will hold its second annual Design Forward Summit that runs Wednesday through Friday. The goal is to inject the design mindset into local business, government and community activities. The San Diego Architectural Foundation will present its annual Orchids & Onions Awards on Thursday to highlight good and bad architecture, landscape architecture and urban design. The local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which is finishing up its monthlong Archtoberfest of design panels, tours and talks, will announce its annual design awards Nov. 2 for the years best architectural work. The Design Forward Summit offers the most ambitious agenda. There will be a kickoff reception at the Broadway Pavilion on the downtown waterfront, followed by two days of panels, speakers and workshops at Liberty Station. Leading speakers include executives from IBM, Pepsico, USAA insurance who will talk about how their companies are incorporating artists, architects and other designers into day-to-day decision making. Robinson said three quarterly events will be held next year prior to the next summit in the fall. Our long-term goal as a team is that we want San Diego to be known as a design-driven, innovation economy, he said. And ultimately, he said, the group hopes San Diego will win the designation World Design Capital by 2028. The two-year honor comes from the Montreal-based World Design Organization, formerly known as the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design. Founded in 1957, it has grown to include 140 member organizations from 40 nations. It began naming world design capitals in 2008 with the latest being Lille, France, for 2020-2021. No U.S. city has yet won the designation. Phil Gilbert, general manager of design for IBM in Austin, Texas, said he will tell the Design Forward Summit how IBM hired 1,500 artists, architects and other designers to help the company reengineer its products and services. The consumers of things dont care what it takes to bring them together, he said. But from our standpoint as a large enterprise and working with thousands of companies around the world that are also trying to deliver experiences (for users and consumers), what we found at the beginning of this century was that the old ways of working didnt deliver these experiences as well as they could. He said IBM recently brought designers together with software and hardware engineers to develop a new main frame computer. Theyre doing phenomenal work on a platform that has existed for decades and brought a completely new life and absolute relevancy to that platform, he said. The Design Forward Summit kickoff event will take place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Broadway Pavilion at the foot of Broadway. The Thursday panels, workshops and other events will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Liberty Station in Point Loma. Last month, the UC San Diego Design Lab, led by Don Norman, launched a hackathon of designers, students and interested residents to invent new products and services related to mobility commuting, biking and walking, and public transit. Since then more than 50 teams have to working on prototypes and winners will be announced at the end of the Thursday sessions, to be followed by a reception. An all-event pass costs $649 with less for the Thursday events and Friday workshops. Details are available at designforwardsd.com. The Orchids & Onions awards program will take at the U.S. Grant Hotel, starting with a reception at 6 p.m. and the ceremony at 8 p.m. Tickets for the ceremony are $20 each and the reception and ceremony cost is $120 with less for members of the San Diego Architectural Foundation. More details are available at orchidsandonions.org. The architectural Design Awards from the AIA local chapter will be handed out at 6 p.m. Nov. 2 at the University of San Diegos Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, followed by a reception. The cost is $65 with less for members and students. More details are available at aiasandiego.org. Business roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley The next frontier for unmanned military drones may not be solely in the skies. It could be under the seas. The U.S. Navy and defense contractors such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin and others are increasingly focusing on ocean drones as the next big market for unmanned technology. Lockheed Martin Ventures last month invested an undisclosed amount in San Diego-based Ocean Aero a 25 employee start-up that is developing the Submaran a solar and wind powered ocean drone capable of operating above and below the surface. Advertisement The ability to be environmentally powered allows us to maneuver at great persistence because its renewable, said Eric Patten, chief executive of Ocean Aero and a former Navy officer. And then to be able to transition that vehicle from the surface to a sub-surface vehicle that has significant capability under water, that is truly unique. Lockheed Martin Venture typically invests $1 million to $5 million in young companies. Ocean Aero represents the next generation of environmentally powered autonomous systems, said Chris Moran, executive director of Lockheed Martin Ventures, in a statement. Our investment will allow us to better respond to customers maritime needs with technology solutions for a diverse set of missions. Lockheed Martin isnt alone in betting on ocean drones. Last year Boeing bought a Bay Area start-up, Liquid Robotics, which is developing unmanned surface vehicle technology. General Dynamics and L3 Technologies also have acquired ocean unmanned systems firms over the past 18 months. The U.S. military has plans to invest as much as $3 billion into undersea systems over the coming years, according to a report last year by the Washington Post. Blue Tech for the maritime defense sector feels like where Clean Tech was a decade ago, said Greg Murphy, executive director of The Maritime Alliance, a San Diego trade group for the Blue Tech industry. There is momentum. The Navy is increasingly using autonomous systems, and the large defense contractors are starting to buy up smaller Blue Tech companies that are developing systems. Boeing and Lockheed Martin recently were named finalists in the U.S. Navys Orca Extra-Large Unmanned Underwater vehicle project, which aims to develop big submersible drones capable of handling long-distance missions with significant payloads. Ocean Aero is not part of Lockheeds work on the Orca project. But the companies are working together more generally on underwater drone technology, said Patten. We have a strategic cooperation agreement with Lockheed as part of our recent deal, said Patten They have great expertise in a variety of things. Last year, Lockheed partnered with Ocean Aero for a technology demonstration at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, Rhode Island. A version of Ocean Aeros Submaran patrolled the surface above a Lockheed undersea drone the Marlin providing communications gateway from the shore to the submerged vessel. The link between the shore and the Submaran used radio frequency technology, while the link between the Submaran and the Marlin used acoustic communications. That communications gateway mission is critical for a ton of folks, said Patten. Defense is great use case, but commercial use cases are just the same. If you are operating a wind farm off the coast and you have things underneath the surface and you want to communicate with that equipment, there are only a couple of ways to do it. Ocean Aero, which is also backed by Teledyne Technologies, makes three different drones. Its S10 Submaran is a 14-foot-long craft with an 8-foot solar/wind wing. It can dive about 30 feet and glide underwater. Its rechargeable lithium batteries allow it to spend months at sea and targets the research and commercial markets. A sister vessel is the same size but can dive 660 feet and maneuver under the surface. Ocean Aeros big boat, called the Silent Aero, is 40 feet long, can dive 660 feet and carry a payload of 2,000 pounds. About two years ago, Ocean Aero received a Department of Defense Rapid Innovation Fund grant to develop a hybrid unmanned underwater/surface vehicle that can travel long distances on the surface and then submerge to avoid surface traffic and conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. Murphy of the Maritime Alliance believes San Diego is well-positioned to benefit from the rising interest in Blue Tech for defense, as well as research and commercial sectors. The region not only has a large Navy footprint, it also is home to top research organizations such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. And it has a cluster of Blue Tech companies. The alliance is organizing its ninth annual Blue Tech Summit and Tech Expo Nov. 6-10, with 450 expected attendees from 10 countries. Sessions include a demonstration of marine robotics systems taking place in San Diego Bay. Theres also an invitation-only workshop on marine autonomous systems featuring representatives of the United Kingdoms Royal Navy. For information, see bluetechweek.org. In terms of robotics in the oceans, you can do things faster, cheaper and more efficiently, said Murphy. You can have robots out of sea collecting data, searching for things that shouldnt be in the water and would present problems for the United States, or trying to find data where you want to have a covert operations. Business mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com; Twitter:@TechDiego 760-529-4973 In the past four weeks, I have attended multiple pitch fests the Tech Coast Angels, the San Diego Venture Group and a couple of others not so famously sponsored. But the pitch fest that rocked my world was a week ago at Donovan State Prison, where the first cohort from Defy Ventures graduated. On Jan. 27, 2016, 62 inmates -- soon to be known as EITs (entrepreneurs-in-training) started the Defy Ventures program, which advances the principles of entrepreneurship INSIDE the prison. Only 22 finished. It is not a gut class. The course is taught by Stanford and Harvard professors who lecture on video tape, along with a comprehensive work book. The program is over 100 hours long and takes about five months. It is not all gross margin, cost of goods and financing. In fact, about 70 percent of the program is about life skills, behavior modification, self-image resurrection, resume preparation, and interview techniques. The balance is devoted to developing a business plan. Advertisement This was the first graduation for a Defy group at Donovan and as you can imagine, completing the course work took longer than anticipated, and there were speed bumps along the way. It took tremendous discipline, courage and perseverance to finish and receive the graduation certificate. The graduation was heart-breaking. Family members attended and watched the graduates walk in a classic processional parade in a blue cap and gown to receive their diploma. I can make a safe bet that not one of those EITs had ever seen a cap and gown before that day. So let me share a little of the pitch-fest competition. The business plans ranged from landscape services to cross breeding of snakes with fish (that one was way out there). The two that made the finals were marvelous in their simplicity and their ability to execute. Each needed to raise less than $20,000 to get rolling and start to create cash flow. Nota bene: To all the entrepreneurs who darken my door, pause and ask yourself, when does positive cash flow start? One of the pitches was from Abe Stapleton. His plan was to take his old truck, make a few modifications and create a mobile tattoo parlor (piercings available as well). He is an artist who has created unique designs. The problem he solves is that you do not have to go into the gang banger sleazy neighborhoods to get a tattoo. He comes to you. Simple and effective. By the way, the rate for a tattoo is $150 per hour. He ran the numbers, and he can clear $75,000 in the first year. Now, hang in here reader. The reason to promote entrepreneurship inside a prison is because when they get out they are felons. Not a great item on the resume you send to the human resources department. So entrepreneurship is not a choice, it is the default option. Another pitch came from Steven Webb. His idea is to be a plumber. His unfair advantage is that his dad was a plumber and has a successful plumbing business, is 64 years old and is going to retire. Steven worked as a plumber up until the time he stumbled and had to serve some time. Currently, he does plumbing work in the prison. In Webbs world, he can also go to ABC Associated Builders and Contractor, a trade organization that is desperate for construction workers in all categories I know these two ideas do not win the Connect Most Innovative New Products award, but I love that they are simple and create cash flow. They bring dignity to the founder and allow him to hire other EITs as the business scales. The next Defy cohort starts on C yard in November. And E yard gets a chance in February. Nice stuff if you ask me. And now, the next half-baked idea. I have been asked to be the CEO of a new prison project specifically to create a prison record label. It is sort of Johnny Cash 2.0 with the inmates doing the singing. If you happen to know anyone who has skills in music-talent management, record streaming, producing etc. feel free to give them my email. We are hiring. And as for the tats well no problemas, we will come to you. Neil Senturia, a serial entrepreneur who invests in early-stage technology companies, writes weekly about entrepreneurship in San Diego. Please email ideas to Neil at neil@blackbirdv.com. Rule No. 535: That was a pitch fest! At Butterfly Farms in Encinitas, a group of students helped send black and orange Monarchs off on what they hope will be a voyage of discovery into the migration patterns of the declining species. The students, from Capri Elementary in Encinitas, visited the farm Thursday to tag and release a dozen butterflies for a study on their wintering habits. Marked with tiny, numbered stickers, the butterflies dispersed from the site. From the small number of tagged Monarchs that are recovered, researchers will be able to track where they go. Were working across the county to encourage people to think about the Monarch butterfly and become knowledgeable about their migration, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Jonathan Snapp-Cook, who helped host the school field trip, along with staff from the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County. Advertisement During the visit, students also learned how the creatures transform from hungry caterpillars to winged pollinators. And they got up close and personal with the colorful creatures in the vivarium, where butterflies landed on a few lucky students. It tickled and it was really pretty, said Evelyn Boyle, 7, who coaxed a butterfly onto her hand. If they land on you, you dont try to get them off, because its rare to get them on. Butterfly Farms is a an educational research nonprofit that studies local butterflies, said Tom Merriman, one of the organizations directors. Focused on sensitive, threatened or endangered species of the insects, the organization formed in 2012 to increase awareness of butterflies and other key pollinators, using the Monarch as a model. Monarch populations in the Eastern U.S. declined by 90 percent over the past two decades, and those west of the Rockies dropped by more than 50 percent since 1997, according to a 2015 petition to list the species under the federal Endangered Species Act. San Diego is host to about 150 species of butterflies, and six to 15 of those, including Monarchs, can be found in the vivarium at any time, Merriman said. The farm also raises and promotes planting of milkweed essential food for Monarch caterpillars along with nectar-producing flowers. Local varieties of milkweed include narrowleaf milkweed and woolly-pod milkweed, Snapp-Cook said. The butterflies frequent a wide range of nectar flowers, such as the purple-petaled seaside daisy, California monkey flower and California buckwheat. The California Native Plant Society offers information on how to purchase and plant them, he said, adding that its a simple step toward conservation at home. Its not a faraway issue, he said. Its something you can do something about, right on your patio or backyard, Snapp-Cook said. In a classroom at the farm, students viewed slides of the life cycle of Monarchs, learning how they hatch from eggs, fatten up on milkweed, and then transform in a chrysalis, which Butterfly Farms co-director Pat Flanagan described as a sleeping bag for the caterpillar. There, the caterpillar body dissolves into gel and re-forms as a winged insect. Next, students visited the vivarium, playing hide and seek with yellow, orange and black butterflies, hoping that one would alight on their hands or head. Two boys squatted in front of a patch of flowers with their hands splayed out beside their faces, pretending to be flowers. In groups of four or five, they circled around Butterfly Farms staffer Cash Merriman as he gently clasped each Monarch and applied a small, numbered yellow sticker to its wing. The kids christened the butterflies with names such as Solana and Pumpkin Pie, wrote down the numbers, and took turns patting down the stickers on the delicate wings. It felt soft like silk, smooth, and it felt like a really soft blanket, said Penny Lipshaw, 8. Once the Monarchs were tagged, they were ready for release. Only about 1 percent of the marked butterflies are recovered, but they provide clues about the habits of western Monarchs, which typically winter in forested groves on the California Coast, according to the Xerxes Society for Invertebrate Conservation. So if someone in Santa Barbara found it, for instance, well know that it flew there from San Diego, said Joanna Gilkeson, a public affairs specialist for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With kids gathered around, the butterflies were released from a netted cage, and sailed into the wind. Except one, which landed squarely on 8-year-old Anaya Fairons purple eyeglasses, perching there for several minutes as she walked around the grounds. After it finally took wing, she expressed a little relief, along with wonder. I felt it was sticking on me, she said, after one of the adults finally set it aloft. It was a bit fun to have it on. deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan A movement to change the way Californians elect their local officials, one that is costing millions of dollars to implement, may find itself in legal limbo. A federal court judge in San Diego is being asked to issue a preliminary injunction that could halt changes being made, under threat of legal action, by dozens of cities, school districts and other agencies statewide in the way they elect their representatives. Last month, former Poway Mayor Don Higginson, being represented by a conservative Washington, D.C. think tank and law firm, filed a lawsuit against the state and Poway challenging the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). Advertisement The lawsuit takes aim at a provision in the CVRA that has forced numerous cities to go from at-large voting methods to electing council members and other local officials by geographic districts. If approved, the injunction filed Thursday in San Diego federal court would likely suspend such changes scheduled for the November 2018 elections while the lawsuit is being litigated. Many legal experts think the lawsuit could be in the courts for years as it is appealed. It is unclear when a decision on the injunction might be made. On Friday, lawyers for state Attorney General Xavier Becerra asked for a 30-day extension to file their initial response to the lawsuit, which was due this week. This case presents complicated issues regarding redistricting under the California Voting Rights Act and its goal of protecting minority communities from vote dilution in elections; its intersection with the federal Voting Rights Act; and the rights of voters under the Fourteenth Amendment, attorneys for Becerra wrote in a court filing. Because of the significance of the case, and the statewide implications it could have, additional time is needed to allow the Attorney Generals Office to analyze these issues and formulate a response. Last month, Poway reluctantly switched to district elections after being threatened with legal action by Malibu attorney Kevin Shenkman, who in a letter said the city was in violation of the CVRA because Latino residents of the city were being discriminated against as evidenced by the fact there has never been a Latino on the council. The majority of the council, saying they thought the voting method change was unneeded and bemoaning the fact that they were being forced to enact district elections, nevertheless went ahead and created four council districts. Carlsbad, Encinitas, Oceanside, and Vista have also agreed to make the change after getting similar letters from Shenkman. The Poway Unified School District is also in the final stages of creating districts. In each case, elected officials have said their only alternative would have been to go to court, which could easily rack up millions of dollars in legal expenses, and no one has won that fight. According to the request for an injunction, Higginsons attorney Bryan Weir wrote that the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment prevents states from separating its citizens into different voting districts on the basis of race. But in passing the CVRA, Weir said, the California Legislature ignored that constitutional principle. The CVRA not only makes race the dominant consideration in redistricting remarkably, it makes race the only factor, he said. But in Poway, members of the council pointed out, the minority population is too small to create a voting district with a minority-majority voting block. None of the districts that were created could have included a Latino voting majority because there is no one area of the city where most Latinos live, and because their numbers are too small in any event. The lawsuit and injunction request do not mention that issue. Weir said that of the 74 cities that will have by-district voting in 2018, 45 of them switched from at-large voting in the last five years. He said Higginsons equal-protection rights are being violated as are the rights of all California voters subject to the CVRA. Weir also said lawyers like Shenkman, who get paid $30,000 for having written the letter, have many potential future targets. In 2016, there were 415 California cities using at-large voting, Weir wrote. Absent an injunction, then, voters in all of those localities remain at risk of suffering Higginsons fate not being able to vote for all of his citys representatives. Put differently, Weir wrote, an injunction here would protect the rights of millions of California voters. Weir and another Higginson attorney, William Consovoy of Arlington, Va., said Monday they will not comment on ongoing litigation. jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones A sweltering heat wave will blanket Southern California through the middle of the week, elevating the risk of wildfires and potentially breaking heat records, forecasters said. 1 / 19 Sunrises over Santa Fe Dam on Wednesday morning as October heat wave continues across Southern California. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 19 A surfer catches a wind-swept wave amid 104-degree temperatures in Huntington Beach on Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 19 Jim Dodd of Huntington Beach relaxes in the shade under the Huntington Beach Pier as a surfer heads across the beach after riding large Santa Ana wind-swept waves amid 104-degree temperatures in Huntington Beach on Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 19 Chris Waring of Seal Beach rides a Santa Ana wind-swept wave with his son, Noah Waring, amid 104-degree temperatures in Huntington Beach on Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 19 A woman uses a towel for shade while relaxing at the Huntington Beach Pier. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 19 Otis Jewell-Busche, 2, of Atwater Village cools off in Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 19 Johnny Griffin of Long Beach takes in the cool ocean breeze while playing guitar next to the Seal Beach Pier. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 19 Nova Burrows, 7, cools off in a fountain in downtown L.A.'s Grand Park. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 19 Los Angeles city and county firefighters work to put out a brush fire at the Hansen Dam Recreation Area in Pacoima. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 19 Los Angeles city firefighter Tony Acevedo puts water on a brush fire along the Woodley Ave. exit from the 118 freeway in Granada Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 19 A pedestrian walking by Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles uses an umbrella for shade during the October heat wave. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 19 Tuan Nguyen of Long Beach shoots a video of Tony Tave of Los Angeles performing aerial tricks at Hollenbeck Skate Park in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 19 Magic, a Staffordshire terrier-pitbull mix, cools off in a puddle of water during a visit to Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 19 Firefighters battle a wildfire in Moreno Valley. Officials warn of the most dangerous fire weather conditions that southwest Cakifrnia has seen in years. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 19 A firefighter keeps watch on a wildfire burning behind homes at Poormans Reservoir in Moreno Valley. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 19 Joseph Neksalyan of Tarzana finds a shady spot to relax during a visit to Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 19 George Adjikian, 8 months, and his cousin Abraham Daglian, 4 months, prepare to have their photograph taken by their mothers during a visit to the pumpkin patch at Tapia Brothers Farm in Encino. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 19 With the air already warm, a surfer rides a wave at Surfrider Beach in Malibu on Monday morning. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 19 The hot sun reflects off the water as a surfer walks along Surfrider Beach in Malibu on Monday morning. The heat on Monday and Tuesday is expected to flirt with temperature records in places across California. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) Advertisement The National Weather Service on Monday issued a red flag warning through Wednesday, saying the high temperatures and Santa Ana winds will bring the most dangerous fire weather conditions that Southwest California has seen in the past few years. The hottest and driest conditions are expected Monday and Tuesday, with record-breaking triple-digit heat and humidity lowering into single digits. Should a fire break out, there will be the potential for very rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior that could lead to a significant threat to life and property, the weather service said. Southern Californias hot and dry conditions come as firefighters begin to stand down from a series of massive wildfires that devastated Northern Californias wine country, claiming more than 40 lives and taxing resources. Stoked at times by 50-mph winds, there have been 18 large wildfires in Northern California that have displaced about 100,000 people and destroyed approximately 7,700 homes and other buildings since Oct. 8, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This is a very unusual late season heat wave and should not be taken lightly, the weather service said. There will also be elevated fire danger across Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties through Tuesday, especially in the Central Coast, forecasters said. High fire danger for SW CA through Wednesday. The most dangerous fire weather conditions seen in the past few years. Use caution! #CAwx pic.twitter.com/Js4GBTNI8Y NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) October 23, 2017 sarah.parvini@latimes.com For more local and breaking news, follow me on Twitter: @sarahparvini Times staff writer Javier Panzar contributed to this report. ALSO As flames fade, wine country grapples with emotional scars of devastating fires At evacuation centers, many ask whether their future is in Santa Rosa Firefighters battle half-acre brush fire in Sunland-Tujunga area A current heat wave has prompted San Diego Unified to call for a minimum day at 86 schools Tuesday. Families affected by the early closures were notified Monday when a similar number of schools had minimum heat days and the school district has posted a complete list of all schools online. The Coronado Unified School District closed schools on Monday because of the heat and will have a minimum day Tuesday. Other districts said they would limit outdoor activities. Advertisement San Diego Unified last called for minimum days because of heat at some schools in August. Under San Diego Unified policy, the district may call for a half day at schools where less than 80 percent of classrooms are air conditioned on days when the temperature is expected to be 95 degrees or higher. The district plans to have air conditioning at all schools by the summer of 2019. Schools may decide to make changes to instructional programs or find alternative locations for instructions as part of the districts hot weather plan. Extracurricular activities also are kept at a minimum at all schools during hot weather. Guidelines for district procedures during hot weather also are available online. Homeless Playlist On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services gary.warth@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @GaryWarthUT 760-529-4939 Annette Pernell, a council member in Orange, Texas, was aghast when she heard about plans to construct a Confederate memorial that would be visible from the interstate and loom over Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in this town. But there was nothing she or anybody else could do about it. The land was private. And so the Confederate Memorial of the Wind slowly went up on a grassy half-acre. A total of 13 concrete columns one for each Confederate state rise from a circular concrete pedestal. Eventually it will be surrounded by as many as 40 poles topped with Civil War battle flags. Advertisement Its as if weve gone backwards, said Pernell, who is 54 and black. I didnt think, at this age, I would see what Im seeing now. A Confederate memorial is a slap in the face of all Americans, not just African-Americans. More than 150 years after Robert E. Lees surrender at Appomattox, local officials across the Deep South are removing contentious Confederate monuments from prominent perches in busy town squares and government buildings. In August, violence at a rally of white nationalists seeking to preserve a statue of Lee in Charlottesville, Va. and comments by President Trump opposing its removal brought renewed national attention to the issue. Less publicized has been the quiet rise of a new generation of Confederate markers on private land, in cemeteries, on historic battlefields. In South Carolina last month, a granite monument dedicated to the immortal spirit of the Confederate cause was unveiled on a spot where Civil War enthusiasts gather each year to re-enact the Battle of Aiken. In Alabama in August, a gray stone memorial was dedicated in a private Crenshaw County park to unknown Confederate soldiers. In Georgia last year, a black marble obelisk was erected on public land in the mountain town of Dahlonega in memory of the countys nearly 1,200 Confederate veterans. We just want to honor our ancestors. Hank Van Slyke, Sons of Confederate Veterans In all, more than 30 monuments and symbols to the Confederacy have been dedicated or rededicated since 2000, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. A historian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, W. Fitzhugh Brundage, conducted an inventory of his own state and found that 20 monuments had gone up there over that time the most since the early 20th century. The people funding the monuments often the great-great grandchildren of Confederate soldiers say they simply want to remember their loved ones and ensure their legacies live on. More controversially, many also promote a revisionist history in which slavery was not a major cause of the war. We just want to honor our ancestors, said Hank Van Slyke, a 62-year-old engineering specialist and commander of a local Sons of Confederate Veterans brigade that put up the monument in Orange. The group is an association of male descendants of Confederate soldiers, and was formed in 1896 to hail the hallowed memories of brave men and record of the services of every Southern Soldier. Throughout history, whoever wins the war and conquers the nation, they get to write the history books, he said. Weve always studied that we had a good cause and our ancestors fought for what they thought was right. While most historians agree that the root cause of the Civil War was slavery, a significant number of Americans, particularly in the South, have been taught the war was about states rights in general. Six years ago, a Pew Research Center survey found that 48 percent of Americans said states rights were the reason for the war, while 38 percent cited slavery. The debate is particularly charged in Texas, where the State Board of Education in 2010 adopted new academic standards listing slavery as third among the causes of the war, after sectionalism and states rights. A Confederate memorial is a slap in the face of all Americans, not just African Americans. Annette Pernell, resident of Orange Theres a kind of historical symmetry, in that many of these men now fighting the battle to defend the Lost Cause are predisposed to see themselves as under threat, Brundage said. The new monuments tend to be more modest than older ones. At the turn of the 20th century, when Confederate organizations enjoyed enormous cultural prestige in the South, large bronze and marble monuments were erected in conspicuous public spaces and etched with politically charged plaques. Now, Brundage said, they often focus less on defending the Confederacy and more on memorializing unknown soldiers or listing those who died. Even in its unfinished state, the new Confederate memorial in Orange has stirred more public controversy than most new ones. We know this makes our town look bad, said John Jack Smith, the city attorney for Orange, a town of 19,000 near the Louisiana state line whose motto is Small town charm, world class culture. Smith said the monument didnt reflect the values of Orange residents, and he slammed the Sons of Confederate Veterans as a racist hate group. Were very concerned that this could send the wrong signal about Orange as people drive down the highway, he said. But what can we do about it? Its a matter of free speech. We cannot stop them from building the thing on private land. Just over a third of Orange residents are black a greater share than in any other town in the predominantly white county, which has long grappled with racism. In the 1990s, members of the Ku Klux Klan protesting federal attempts to integrate public housing held marches in the nearby city of Vidor, which was notorious as a sundown town because African-Americans were not safe after dark. In 2013, word spread that Granvel Block, then Texas division commander for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, had quietly bought a small plot of land near Interstate 10 for less than $10,000 and acquired a city building permit to construct a Civil War monument. The local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and several residents attended a City Council meeting to oppose the project. The monument also sparked an online petition and an editorial from a local newspaper, the Beaumont Enterprise: The last thing Southeast Texas needs is a large memorial to the Confederacy, it said. Simply put, it would be divisive and offensive. Still, when the newspaper conducted an online poll asking Do you want a Confederate monument here? more than 70 percent of respondents clicked Yes. The Confederate Army and Civil War are part of our history. Block responded by publishing a lengthy Call to Arms on his groups Facebook page. If we do not stand up when our ancestors are being attacked and break the stigma that our opponents attempt to attach to anything Confederate, we run the risk of everything Confederate as we know it, being condemned and exterminated, he wrote. These new Confederate memorials will be the turning point, and will open the doors and dialog for an accurate account of history to be taught. Rather than just follow the easy path of honoring ancestors in the ways which are acceptable, he argued, the group should focus on challenging the idea that the war was fought over slavery. Yet in a sign of how controversial the monument has become, Block now declines to meet with reporters or speak on the record for fear of upsetting his wife. In a telephone interview, Van Slyke, the local brigade commander, said that although slavery may have been a small part of the war, it was pretty far down the list. Karen L. Cox, a history professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, said that those putting up new monuments to the Confederacy represented a minority point of view. They continue to believe in the sort of version of history that mythologizes the Confederacy and its heroes, but its so obvious its disingenuous, she said. Theyre not honoring history; theyre commemorating the principles and objectives of the war. While Orange city officials decided they could not legally stop the monument there, they sought to limit its impact by regulating the size of the Confederate flags and placing restrictions on parking. In 2013, the council passed an ordinance to limit flagpoles to 35 feet tall and ban any flags larger than 4 by 6. While many people prefer not to talk about the monument, defenders arent hard to come by. John Broussard, 54, an industrial electrician, and John Shaver, 33, a millwright machinist both white said those who criticized the monument, and its position near a street named after a slain civil rights leader, didnt understand it. I dont think its intended to be malicious to any race, Shaver said. A Confederate memorial on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive could bring the community and two racial groups together. Being a Confederate monument, the first thing that pops up in your mind is segregation and slavery, but it isnt about that. Nathaniel Colbert, 68, an African-American and retired plant operator who lives on the other side of the interstate less than a mile away, believes the monument was a deliberate insult. At first, Colbert said, it really bothered him to drive by the memorial. Now he just whizzes on by in his pickup truck, barely noticing it. Its an affront, but Ive dealt with ignorance most of my life, he said. Right now, its just the beat of the drum. Jarvie is a special correspondent. A brush fire that charred 100 acres on the Campo Indian Reservation Saturday was expected to be fully contained by Monday, fire officials said. The blaze broke out about 1:20 p.m. near Shasta Way, about three miles north of the Mexican border. It burned in a southwest direction, pushed by hot, dry winds. Residents along Campo Road were evacuated for several hours while firefighters battled the flames. No buildings were damaged. Advertisement About 100 firefighters continued to put out hot spots Sunday, and had about 90 percent of the fire contained by 8 p.m. Twitter: @LAWinkley (619) 293-1546 lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com The two people killed in a plane crash near El Capitan Reservoir on Saturday were on a paid flight experience from a company that offers adrenaline-fueled rides for adventure seekers. A spokeswoman for Sky Combat Ace identified the victims as Peter Gillcrist, one of the companys pilots, and Garrett Engler. We would like to express our deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones and have been affected by this unfortunate accident, said spokeswoman Megan Fazio in a statement. We are devastated and extend our heartfelt sympathy to the families and to our (Sky Combat Ace) team members who have lost a beloved colleague and pilot. Advertisement The EXTRA EA 300 plane took off from Gillespie Field about 3:50 p.m. When it failed to return, Sky Combat Ace employees notified air traffic control. Sheriffs and California Highway Patrol officials said 911 callers in the Lakeside area reported a possible crash east of El Monte Road about 4:20 p.m. The impact sparked a fire that charred 20 acres. Debris from the crash was located about an hour later. To our knowledge, there were no distress calls made prior to the accident, Fazio said. Sky Combat Ace, which operates out of Las Vegas and San Diego, sells a variety of flight packages that include aerobatic and simulated air combat experiences. Youre not just a passenger on a joy ride. You are a steely-eyed fighter pilot at the controls of your very own fighter jet, pulling Gs and squeezing the trigger to get the kill, the companys website reads. Its unclear which experience Engler had purchased or who was flying the plane at the time. Some flight packages allow the student to control the aircraft. The aircraft, which was built in 2009, had up-to-date certification and was categorized for normal and acrobatic flights, federal records show. The company said on its website that safety is its No. 1 priority, and stressed that the planes are expertly engineered and that pilots go through rigorous training. It also said that air combat and low-level flying comes with an inherent amount of risk that cannot be entirely eliminated without jeopardizing the inherent nature of the experience. Gillcrist is the chief pilot for Sky Combat Aces San Diego location, according to the companys website. After graduating from the University of Virginia, he worked at Lockheed Martin with the Skunk Works, an experimental engineering group that develops aircraft and associated technologies. He later taught competitive aerobatics, emergency maneuver training and spin training. A similar fatal crash involving the same company occurred in April 2016. In that incident, a student passenger and an instructor pilot were performing air combat maneuvers when they crashed near Las Vegas. Fazio said the passenger had paid for the Sky Combat experience offered by the company, and that the crash happened as they were returning to the hangar. The Sky Combat package allows the participant to fly the plane while the pilot teaches air-to-air combat techniques. Its unclear who had control of the aircraft when it crashed, Fazio said at the time. The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing to investigate Saturdays crash. Twitter: @LAWinkley (619) 293-1546 lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com Im not a medical doctor nor an expert on water purification systems, but Im gravely concerned about any possible danger to citizens of San Diego drinking toilet-to-tap (TTT) water. Im sure the mayor and those who supported him will try convincing the public that purifying the water would be 100 percent safe. I object to drinking TTT and many San Diegans might feel the same way. What affect could hepatitis A, or any other possible disease and contaminant have on the quality of drinking water? It would be interesting to see a poll or public vote today on whether citizens in Americas Finest City agree with those politicians that our safety would be guaranteed. How about dropping this program and using taxpayers money on saltwater conversion systems instead? That water I would drink. If Im right, then lets hear some public reaction now! Gaetano Marino Advertisement San Diego Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. In this undated black and white photo a statue of British colonial era leader Cecil John Rhodes stands in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. One of guerrilla leader Joshua Nkomas statues was briefly erected last month on the same site where the Rhodes statue once stood. (AP Photo) ( / AP) The two North Korean-made statues were meant to honor a national hero but people were so offended because of Pyongyangs links to a blood-soaked chapter of Zimbabwes history that one was taken down almost immediately and the other has not been erected. Besides, at least one of them didnt even resemble Joshua Nkomo, a former guerrilla leader known as Father Zimbabwe who died in 1999 at the age of 82. Advertisement That the statues were designed and made by North Koreans is an affront to Zimbabweans who blame North Korean-trained troops loyal to President Robert Mugabe for massacring thousands of civilians as the government tried to crush an uprising led by Nkomo in the 1980s. The uprising ended when Nkomo signed a unity pact in 1987 and became a vice president. No offense was intended by the choice of North Korea to make the statues, Godfrey Mahachi, head of the state National Museums and Monuments, told The Associated Press. He said North Korea was chosen simply because it won the bid for the work, promising favorable prices. One of the Nkomo statues was erected briefly last month in Bulawayo, Zimbabwes second-biggest city, on the site where a statue of British colonial era leader Cecil John Rhodes once stood. Nkomos family called his statue artistically ineffectual. While there were no organized protests, criticisms were widespread before the unveiling. Nkomos relatives were quoted in newspapers complaining that they had not been consulted. Simon Dube, a Bulawayo businessman, said the Nkomo statue was shrouded under a black cloth under police guard. Dube, who glimpsed it, said the statues head was too small for Nkomos famously heavy and imposing build. Organizers kept the police on hand during the unveiling ceremony and took the statue down within hours. The other statue was to have been placed in the capital, Harare, outside an office tower known as Karigamombe, which in the local Shona language means taking the bull by the horns and slaying it. Some saw that as adding insult to injury: the symbol of Nkomos Zimbabwe African Peoples Union party and his former guerrilla army was a rampaging bull. Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi said that despite the kerfuffle, the North Koreans have been paid their $600,000 for the two statues, state media reported. Mahachi said officials are considering where else to put the two 3-meter (10 foot) statues. We still have to look at different options. They might go to museums, but that will be discussed to reach a final decision, he said. The Bulawayo statue is for the time being kept at the Bulawayo Natural History Museum, where the deposed statue of Rhodes is also kept. Nkomo spent his adult life fighting colonialism and was also imprisoned for a decade for his political activism against white rule in Rhodesia, as Zimbabwe was previously called. Father Zimbabwe spearheaded black nationalist resistance to white rule well before Mugabe came on the scene. Nkomos image has appeared on postage stamps and the Bulawayo international airport has been named after him. The temperature hit 90 in Poway and the mid-80s across East County early Tuesday as the heat wave worsened throughout Southern California. The unusually hot weather spread all the way to the coast, with La Jolla Heights reporting a high of 86 at 7:30a.m., according to the National Weather Service. The heat is being driven by dry Santa Ana winds, which were gusting more than 50 mph in Alpine, forecasters said. Advertisement Nearly 100 schools in San Diego County will close early on Tuesday to help the region cope with the heat wave, which is stoking the risk of wildfires and making life miserable for those without air conditioning. It will be the second straight day of school closures, a fairly rare event in a county thats usually celebrated for its sublime weather. The weather service says that the temperatures will reach 100 degrees or more across a wide area of the county on Tuesday, including spots only five miles or so from the coast. The Santa Ana winds are expected to peak in the morning, blowing 25 to 35 mph across inland valleys, foothills and mountains, with gusts to 45 mph or more. Forecasters also say that the relative humidity will drop to about 10 percent in San Diego which is about 40 percentage points below average. Its going to be so hot (on Tuesday) youll wish you were somewhere other than Southern California, which almost never happens, said Ivory Small, a forecaster at the National Weather Service in San Diego. A red flag fire weather warning will remain in effect for inland valleys and foothills, and local mountains, until 6 p.m. on Wednesday. The countys coastal zone will be under an excessive heat watch until 8 p.m. on Tuesday. The heat wave is being caused by a high pressure system that settled over the Great Basin and sent warm, dry Santa Ana winds flowing from the deserts toward the sea. On Monday, the temperature reached 105 in Valley Center, 103 in Miramar, and 102 at San Diegos Montgomery Field. San Diego International Airport had a high of 92, 19 degrees above average but not a record. Ramona topped out at 101, breaking the record for Oct. 23 by four degrees. The previous record was set in 2003. Vista hit 100, breaking the record of 99, set in 1965, and Alpine reached 99, breaking the high of 98, set in 1959. El Cajon reached 104, snapping the record of 100, set in 2003. There was broad concern about peoples welfare and comfort. These temperatures can be hard for people at the coast who dont have air conditioning, said Brandt Maxwell, a weather service forecaster. There was particular concern about school children. The San Diego Unified School District called for a minimum day at 86 schools Tuesday. A similar number of San Diego Unified schools had minimum heat days on Monday and the district has posted a complete list of all schools online. The Coronado Unified School District closed schools on Monday because of the heat and will have a minimum day Tuesday. Other districts said they would limit outdoor activities. San Diego Unified last called for minimum days because of heat at some schools in August. Under San Diego Unified policy, the district may call for a half day at schools where less than 80 percent of classrooms are air conditioned on days when the temperature is expected to be 95 degrees or higher. The district plans to have air conditioning at all schools by the summer of 2019. Schools may decide to make changes to instructional programs or find alternative locations for instructions as part of the districts hot weather plan. Extracurricular activities also are kept at a minimum at all schools during hot weather. The concern about school children came amid a sense of relief that the weather has not started or spread large wildfires. At this time ten years ago, the county experienced a series of firestorms that killed 10 people and destroyed more than 1,700 homes. Much of the destruction was fanned by Santa Ana winds, which are most common this time of year. The dry air flows off the desert and becomes hotter as it squeezes through canyons and mountain passes. Wildland areas are most prone to trouble. Through 5 p.m. Monday, the only blaze was one that occurred near the coast. A small fire roared to life in Golden Hill, near San Diegos Balboa Park. The short-lived fire started just north of state Route 94 near 28th Street at around 9:40 a.m. and charred about one-eighth of an acre, said San Diego Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Monica Munoz. The flames produced a plume of black smoke that could be seen for miles. Staff writer Lyndsay Winkley contributed to this report. Twitter: @grobbins gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com San Diego is in the midst of a heat wave thats causing a familiar, irritating pain sinus congestion. The specific culprit is the relative humidity, which is really, really low due the Santa Ana winds that are stoking the heat. At 2 p.m. on Monday, the RH had fallen to 10 percent across much of San Diego, 12 percent in Poway, and 17 percent in San Marcos. The same conditions will prevail on Tuesday. Advertisement The dry air is clogging peoples sinuses and producing headaches, eye irritation and dry skin. The website Livestrong.com suggests that you use a humidifier in your home or office, and moisture your nasal passages with saline nose sprays, which are available at most convenience stores. Twitter: @grobbins gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/23/2017 -- Wind Power Industry Description In 2016, newly-added installed capacity of wind power in China represented over 23 million kW, falling by 24% and the accumulated capacity reached about 170 million kW. Up to the end of 2016, the accumulated capacity in north China accounted for about 60 million kW. Thereinto, the capacity in Inner Mongolia ranked the highest, taking about 63% in the total capacity of north China. Based on ASKCI's investigation, there were over 800 above-scale wind power enterprises in China up to the end of 2016. In 2016, sales revenue of the wind power industry was about RMB100 billion, rising by 13.72%. Provinces that generate over ten billion kW wind power in 2016 include Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Hebei, Yunnan, Shandong, Gansu, Liaoning and Ningxia. Wind power generated in these nine provinces represents over 71% in the national total power amount. For recent four years, market shares of whole wind power machine manufacturers have been more concentrated. In 2016, there were 25 whole wind power machine manufacturers which installed new machines with the capacity of over 23 million kW. In the next few years, the newly installed capacity in north China is predicted to decrease and tend to keep stable. In 2022, the capacity is predicted to reach about 166 million kW. Request for Sample Report @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2258160-market-research-on-wind-power-in-china-2017-2022 Executive Summary Methodology 1 Market Analysis of Wind Power in China 1.1 Installed Capacity 1.2 Regional Distribution 1.3 Offshore Wind Power 1.4 Project Operation 2 Main Statistics of Wind Power Industry in China, 2012-2016 2.1 Industrial Scale 2.1.1 Number of Enterprises 2.1.2 Asset Scale 2.1.3 Sales Scale 2.1.4 Profit Scale 2.2 Cost and Expense 2.2.1 Sales Cost 2.2.2 Main Expenses 2.3 Operating Efficiency 2.3.1 Debt Ratio 2.3.2 Profitability 2.3.3 Operating Ability 3 Competition Analysis of Wind Power Industry in China 3.1 Concentration Ratio 3.2 Competitive Power of Enterprises 3.3 Competition Pattern 4 Regional Market of Wind Power Industry in China 4.1 North China 4.2 Inner Mongolia 4.3 Hebei 5 Analysis of Key Enterprises in Chinese Wind Power Industry 5.1 GD Power Development Co., Ltd. 5.2 Datang International Power Generation Co., Ltd. 5.3 Huaneng Power Generation International, Inc. 5.4 Sinovel Wind Group Co., Ltd. 5.5 Huadian Power International Corporation Limited 5.6 China Resources Power Holdings Co., Ltd. 5.7 Shanxi Zhangze Power Co., Ltd. 5.8 Goldwind Science & Technology Co., Ltd. 5.9 China Huadian Corporation 5.10 China General Nuclear Power Corporation 6 Forecast and Investment Strategy of Wind Power Industry in China, 2017-2022 6.1 Forecast 6.2 Investment Strategy 6.2.1 Comprehensive Strategy Planning 6.2.2 Technical Development Strategies 6.2.3 Regional Strategy Planning 6.2.4 Industrial Strategy Planning 6.2.5 Brand Marketing Strategies 6.2.6 Competitive Strategy Planning Leave a Query @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/2258160-market-research-on-wind-power-in-china-2017-2022 Figure 1 Newly-installed capacity proportions of wind turbines by powers in China 2016 Figure 2 Accumulative installed capacity proportions of wind turbines by powers in China 2016 Figure 2 Accumulative installed capacity proportions of wind turbines by powers in China 2016 Figure 3 Regional proportions of sales revenue in Chinese wind power industry 2016 Figure 4 Actual cost distribution of wind farms in China Figure 5 Numbers of above-scale wind power enterprises in China, 2012-2016 Figure 6 Total assets of wind power industry in China, 2012-2016 Figure 7 Sales revenues of wind power industry in China, 2012-2016 Figure 8 Total profits of wind power industry in China, 2012-2016 Figure 9 Sales costs of wind power industry in China, 2012-2016 Figure 10 Cost distribution of wind power in middle and low speed area Figure 11 Debt ratios of wind power industry in China, 2012-2016 Table 1 Newly and accumulative installed capacities of wind power in China, 2012-2016 Table 2 Regional proportions of newly installed capacities of wind power in China, 2015-2016 Table 3 Provincial grid capacities in China 2016 Table 4 Newly and accumulative installed capacities of offshore wind power in China, 2012-2016 Table 5 Newly-installed capacities of offshore wind power manufacturers in China 2016 Table 6 Accumulative installed capacities of offshore wind power manufacturers in China 2016 Table 7 Total assets of wind power industry in China, 2012-2016 Table 8 Sales revenues of wind power industry in China, 2012-2016 Table 9 Total profits of wind power industry in China, 2012-2016 Table 10 Sales costs of wind power industry in China, 2012-2016 Table 11 Expenses of wind power industry in China, 2012-2016 Table 12 Wind power outputs in Chinese provinces 2016 Table 13 Market concentration changes of whole wind power machine manufacturers in China, 2013-2016 Table 14 New installed capacities of whole wind power machine manufacturers in China 2016 Table 15 Accumulative installed capacities of whole wind power machine manufacturers in China 2016 Table 16 Regional distribution of newly installed capacity of wind power in China, 2015-2016 Table 17 Ranking of wind power enterprises by asset in China Buy Now @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=2258160 Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (Us) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (Uk) 'We are all aware of "Climate Change" but we need to talk more about "Ocean Change" and the effects of acidification, warming, plastic pollution dead zones and so on,' said Thomson during his visit, which included a meeting with IMO secretary-general Kitack Lim. 'The world must know that we have a plan to save the ocean,' he added. 'What is required over the next three years is concerted action', in accordance with the UNs Sustainable Goal 14 to conserve and sustainably use the resources of the ocean. Thomsons remarks coincided with publication of an eight-year study carried out by German research group Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification group (Bioacid), which found that crustaceans are most at risk as acid seas may prevent them forming shells. Fiji is presiding over this years UN Climate Change Conference being held in Bonn next month. Sen. Bam: Unite, work together for Marawi rehab Now that Marawi City has been liberated from the grasp of the Maute Group, Sen. Bam Aquino urged all stakeholders to work together to heal, rebuild and create prosperity in the city. "Now, we must illuminate the hopeful Filipino spirit. It's time to work together to heal, rebuild and create prosperity in Marawi City," said Sen. Bam, a member of the Special Committee on Marawi City Rehabilitation. Sen. Bam's pronouncement came after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana declared an end to the five-month fighting in Marawi City. Earlier, President Duterte declared the liberation of Marawi City from the terrorist group following the death of terrorists Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute, who were behind the siege that devastated the city. "This marks the end of a dark period in Philippine history, when terrorists sowed fear, violence and devastation in the City of Marawi. Our Armed Forces deserve our utmost praise and gratitude for this victory and for sacrificing their lives to bring peace to our country," said Sen. Bam. At the same time, Sen. Bam commended members of other local government units, government agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector who took in evacuees and provided support to families who lost their homes and livelihood. With the liberation of Marawi City, Sen. Bam said it's high-time to focus on rebuilding and developing Marawi City. "We fully support efforts to rehabilitate Marawi City and to bring normalcy and prosperity into the lives of Maranao families," said Sen. Bam. Press Release October 23, 2017 Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Reaction to the "IPU is a Bully" Claim of Sec. Martin Andanar 23 October 2017 "Bully" raw ang IPU, sabi ni Andanar. The action by the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) of sending a trial observer to monitor my cases earned the ire of Andanar and his minions who characterized the move as bullying and meddling in our judicial and democratic processes. This conclusion once again reveals Andanar's utter ignorance and sheer arrogance. Isa na naman itong paandar ni Andanar. The designation of a trial observer forms part and parcel of the accused and the public's right to speedy, impartial and public trial. Trial observation can be a crucial tool in efforts to defend human rights and the primacy of the rule of law. The right to observe stems from the general right to promote and secure the protection and realization of human rights. A trial observer is therefore part of our democratic and judicial processes. Kung sa bagay, ano ba naman ang aasahan natin kay Andanar at sa amo nya sa mga usapin ng "human rights" at "rule of law". Hindi ba sya ang nagsabing wala raw extrajudicial killings sa bansa dahil wala naman daw judicial killings kasi wala pa naman daw death penalty? Hindi ba sya rin ang nagsabi na sinuhulan ng tig-$1,000 ang kada reporter na dumalo sa prescon ni SPO3 Arturo Lascanas? Hindi ba siya rin ang nagbigay ng gradong "outstanding" sa sarili nyang amo noong nakaraang SONA? Kung kay Andanar ay wala pang extrajudicial killings kahit ito ay alam na halos ng lahat; kung kay Andanar ay ugali ang pagtsitsismis at pananakot sa media kahit alam naman nya ang totoo at tama; kung si Andanar ay walang habas ang pagpapasipsip kay Duterte kahit sa harap ng mga polisiya nito ng pagpatay, pagsisinungaling at pagyurak sa karapatang pantao: baka naman iba ang depinisyon niya ng salitang "bully." Kahit ang totoong bully ay walang iba kundi ang kanyang Katay Digong. A "bully" is a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker. In the balance of power relations and of control over the state apparatus of terror and violence, Duterte and his cohorts have the monopoly. With their consistent and persistent pronouncements and public demeanor that enable a climate of disorientation, despotism and death (translated into more than 13,000 EJKs, persecution and vilification of dissenters, narrowing of democratic spaces, and widespread fake news), the bully here is definitely not the IPU, not the democratic opposition, not the media, and not the growing numbers of Filipinos and various local and international groups clamoring for the restoration of decency in government, democracy in society, and dignity of the Filipino. And, if we may further engage Andanar in his "IPU as bully" line, we can add that the decision of that global organization of 176 parliaments to send a trial observer was arrived at after a painstaking and thorough gathering of evidence and a fact-finding mission to the Philippines. The Mission Report concluded, among others, that: "[T]here is no evidence to justify the criminal cases against Senator de Lima. It therefore calls on the relevant authorities to release her immediately and to seriously consider abandoning the legal proceedings... Should the criminal cases against Senator de Lima proceed, the delegation recommends that an IPU trial observer should monitor and report on respect for fair trial standards." (Emphasis supplied.) The IPU Mission to the Philippines last May was highlighted by a series of meetings with several Malacanang allies in the Senate (Senate President Pimentel, Majority Floor Leader Sotto, and Senators Gordon and Lacson) and in the House (Speaker Alvarez, Majority Leader Farinas, and Cong. Umali). The IPU delegates were also to discuss with high officials of the DOJ (Usec Orceo and Prosec. Ong) and the PNP (Deputy Director General Apolinario, and the directors for intelligence and headquarters support services). None of these authorities complained of being bullied by the IPU. These facts are all reflected in the mission report of the IPU Human Rights Committee, endorsed by the Governing Council, and adopted in the General Assembly last October 18 in Russia. IPU is not the bully here. It is a neutral third party that wants to make sure the legal proceedings in the trumped-up cases against me are safe from further machinations of Duterte and his minions, the real bullies. Press Release October 23, 2017 Address jail congestion, De Lima tells gov't Senator Leila M. de Lima today called on President Duterte and his allies in the two houses of Congress to set their priorities straight by addressing the perennial problems that have long been plaguing the country's prison system. In her message at the 30th celebration of the Prison Awareness Week, De Lima said Duterte should seriously address the problems confronting the country's detention facilities instead of focusing on earning "brownie points." "If he is really serious in addressing the issues of our prison system, Duterte should, at the very least, take note of and call on Senator Gordon... to finally act on the Resolutions I filed, and accordingly conduct investigations in aid of legislation to come up with a comprehensive solution on how to decongest and improve conditions in jails and detention facilities all over the country," she said. It may be recalled that in August 2016, De Lima has filed Proposed Senate Resolution (PSR) No. 97 seeking a Senate inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the current state of jails and penitentiaries all over the country. Months after, De Lima wrote to Sen. Richard Gordon, who chairs the Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee, requesting him to give priority to PSR No. 97 she filed, but to no avail. Last May, she also filed PSR No. 355 urging the Gordon committee to conduct an immediate investigation into the discovery of a "secret jail facility" at the Manila Police District Station 1, Tondo, Manila. "Enero pa lang, nanawagan na po ako kay Senator Gordon na aksyunan na ang mga ito. Sa kasamaang palad, wala pa ring nangyayaring pagdinig ukol sa mga ito, Malinaw naman po: Dapat igalang ang karapatan ng bawat Pilipino, anuman po ang kanyang katayuan sa buhay," she added. In 2015, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology alone accounts for 93,961 prisoners, which is 398% congestion rate in all the 461 jails in the country today, while the Bureau of Corrections (BOC) with 41,144 inmates in its seven prison and penal farms. At early 2016, the Philippines has been ranked 12th in the world with a prison population of 142,168, based on the World Prison Brief of the London-based International Centre for Prison Studies. As such, De Lima regarded as "publicity stunt" Duterte's recent visit at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City where he reportedly promised inmates a television in each cell. As the first political prisoner experiencing oppression under the Duterte administration, the Senator from Bicol said she now has greater understanding for addressing the problems of injustices in the country. "Ang bansa po natin ngayon ay nababalot ng kadiliman, nakakulong sa rehas ng kasinungalingan at panlilinlang ng iilang lasing sa kapangyarihan. I was imprisoned based on trumped-up charges, fabricated by Duterte and his cohorts. Despite their continuous political persecution, I will not be cowed. I will continue to have faith. I know that truth is on my side, and I am innocent," she said. When she was justice secretary, De Lima had steered the passage into law of the modernization of the BOC in 2013 as part of the then Aquino administration's resolve to decongest and improve the facilities of the country's jail system. In view of then administration's intensified drive against criminality, the former justice secretary pointed out that the government should look at the pitiful state of the country's jails and penitentiaries as an equally pressing issue that needs to be addressed. De Lima, a known human rights defender, noted her fight is not hers alone as "laban ito ng lahat ng nakakulong na walang kasalanan. Laban ito ng minsang nalihis ng landas at gustong magbagong buhay. Laban ito para bigyang hustisya ang pagkamatay ng mga hindi na binigyan ng pagkakataong mabuhay. Laban ito ng sambayanang Pilipinong nais ng tunay na pagbabago." With the theme "Your Love is My Light and My Salvation," the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)-Episcopal Commission heads the observance of the 30th celebration of the Prison Awareness week from Oct. 23-29. In line with the celebration, the Commission, through its Chaplains and Volunteers in Prison Service, has lined up activities nationwide, including the Mass held today at the CBCP Chapel in Intramuros, Manila. Press Release October 23, 2017 Drilon urges ratification of trade agreement with EFTA Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon expressed support for the immediate ratification of the free trade agreement between the Philippines and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Drilon recently met with Mr. Svein Roald Hansen, head of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Parliamentary Committee, in Oslo, Norway, after participating in the 137th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly held in St. Petersburg, Russia. Drilon assured Hansen of his support once the executive sends it to the Senate for its ratification. "As soon as the President ratifies the agreement and it is sent to the Senate for its concurrence, we, together with the minority bloc, will support it and we will ask the chamber to prioritize it," Drilon assured Hansen. Drilon said that the ratification of the free trade agreement could bolster trade between the country and the EFTA member-countries. The EFTA is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. Drilon noted a 5.6% decrease in the trade between the Philippines and Norway from 2014 to 2015 with a total trade in 2015 amounting to around US$ 51 million. The senator said that the immediate implementation of the trade agreement "will not only help the economy and local exporters, it will strengthen its relationship with the EFTA member-countries." Noting that there were around 11,799 Filipinos in Norway alone working in the healthcare sector, engineering and service industry, Drilon said "it is to the best interest of the Philippines that the relationship with Norway and EFTA-member countries is maintained." He added that there were an estimated 25,000 Filipinos working as seafarers on board Norwegian-registered vessels. The trade agreement, which was signed on 28 April 2016 in Bern by then Trade and Industry Secretary Adrian S. Cristobal and Mr. Johann N. Schneider-Amman, Switzerland President, will cover, among others, trade in goods, rules of origin, customs cooperation, trade facilitation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, trade remedies, trade in services, investments, intellectual property rights, competition, government procurement and trade and sustainable development. Press Release October 23, 2017 Speech of Senator Loren Legarda* Hibla ng Lahing Filipino Travelling Exhibition Opening 23 October 2017 | Philippine Embassy in London *Speech to be delivered on October 23, 2017 (4:00pm in London; 11:00pm in Manila) Today, I am filled with pride as I welcome all of you to the opening of the first Hibla ng Lahing Filipino Travelling Exhibition. It all started with a vision to have our own textile gallery in the Philippines, inspired by my travels to neighboring countries in Southeast Asia like Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, each having their own rich weaving heritage showcased in their museums. I thought, there is so much to show the world about the indigenous artistry of Filipinos through traditional textiles and I have proven this with the numerous visits I had to various weaving communities around the Philippines. I even go to the remotest barangays if only to see the most skilled weaver of a town or province. No weaver has ever failed to amaze me yet. Their diligence, creativity and passion are truly remarkable. When I met Director Jeremy Barns and Dr. Ana Labrador, I did not think twice and offered my proposal to establish a textile gallery in the Philippines. The plea did not fall on deaf ears. In fact, I was surprised to learn that the National Museum had a vast array of textile collection that was, sadly, kept in a storage room. Finally, in 2012, we opened the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino: The Artistry of Philippine Textiles at the National Museum, the country's first permanent textile gallery. I could still remember how proud I was that day, the same feeling I have right now, like a mother seeing her child achieve a new feat. The exhibition was then housed in two small rooms of the National Museum of Fine Arts; but its impact was immense that even Queen Sofia of Spain could not help but say that it was "the best of the best of the best." The gallery features the raw materials and looms used in weaving, the relevance of textiles in various communities, the different fabrics and styles of weaving, and various traditional textiles from ethno-linguistic communities, including the oldest existing textile in the Philippines, the Banton cloth. Former Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta, Japan First Lady Akie Abe, American-British entrepreneur Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, and Ermenegildo Zegna CEO Paolo Zegna were among the visitors of the gallery who were impressed with the artistry and craftsmanship of our Filipino weavers. A year after its launch, the National Museum found a bigger place to house the gallery. The Hibla gallery was transferred to the National Museum of Anthropology and it was able to hold more textiles and looms and accommodate more visitors. Many weekends, I would just walk in and observe the visitors. It is heartwarming to hear their comments and know that they find the gallery interesting and it enriches their knowledge about our weaving heritage and our culture as a whole. But one gallery is not enough to hold our rich weaving culture and through the Lecture Series and Weaving Demonstrations on Philippine Textiles and Indigenous Knowledge, we are able to showcase the various weaving techniques of different weaving communities in the country. It is an opportunity for the public to interact with our weavers and appreciate the work and love they pour into every textile they weave. Last July, the National Museum launched the first Hibla regional gallery, the Hibla Iloko at the National Museum Ilocos Regional Museum Complex in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Many more Hibla regional galleries will soon rise, and we hope that someday we will have not only galleries, but one whole Hibla Museum--a vision that I know we can bring into fruition. Because once, the Hibla gallery was a vision; but now it has travelled here to London. As the late Steve Jobs once said, "If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed. The vision pulls you." I have talked a lot about the Hibla project, but what really is my purpose in all of these? Why do I keep on promoting our traditional textiles and supporting our weaving communities, aside from other cultural projects that I have initiated? Beyond the intricate weaving technique and fine embellishments we find in these textiles, we discover cultural expressions and visions of our history that have endured the test of time. The T'bolis of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, home of the late National Living Treasure Lang Dulay, uses the t'nalak--a woven cloth made of abaca and inspired by the weaver's dream--during significant occasions like birth, marriage and death. The Panay Bukidnon community in Calinog, Iloilo--home of another National Living Treasure, Federico Caballero--employs intricate handiwork and a unique dyeing system in the creation of their traditional wear. Embroiderers intricately work on their craft to emphasize the elaborate symbol pictography of the Panay Bukidnon, which is usually inspired by their natural surroundings. In Banaue, Ifugao, the Lab Tie Dye Weavers Association of Lily Luglug continues to make textiles using the traditional ikat weaving technique, a tie dye resist process where the thread is dyed and tied before weaving. The process begins with the weaver visualizing the design, and then tying the threads accordingly. These are dyed, after which the ties are removed and woven. The design is revealed gradually as the weaver completes weaving the dyed threads. In my home province of Antique, Mario Manzano shared how after his experience of working in Manila, he went back home in Bugasong, Antique only to find out that the tradition of weaving the patadyong was waning. Through government support, he formed the Bagtason Loomweavers Association, which currently has 72 members skilled in using handlooms to produce fabric for patadyong, scarves, shawls, and other accessories like hats and bags. These are only a few of hundreds of stories of our weavers. Our pina-seda weavers and embroiderers who are with us today also have their own stories--both challenges and successes--to share. And we could only hope that through these efforts, we can further enrich our weaving heritage. Is it not astonishing to discover that despite technology, many of our weavers still choose traditional weaving processes? Is it not inspiring that these weavers remain faithful to their culture, have not turned their backs on their roots, and have fully embraced their tradition, which is an intangible wealth that they possess? The task before us is to help our people value and continue our heritage. We must open doors of opportunities for weaving communities. We must promote greater support for cultural enterprises and creative industries of our indigenous peoples. Let us make our people's cultural identity a fundamental source of their socio-economic development. And let our common vision and values weave us together as we seek to empower those who have given meaning to our being Filipino. The Hibla gallery, which has blossomed into many other initiatives, is not only an effort to celebrate indigenous artistry through textiles and provide more Filipinos the opportunity to discover priceless information about our heritage, but an attempt to bring the challenge of nurturing our weaving traditions into the national stage, to a wider audience. As we open the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino Travelling Exhibition, I invite you to take yourself in a journey, explore the similarity and diversity of our traditional textiles, and be fascinated with the traditional skills that gave fruit to such artistic creations. Thank you. Kate Steinles shooting death on a San Francisco pier in July 2015 by a man who had been deported multiple times escalated quickly from a crime to the subject of a nationwide furor over illegal immigration. Donald Trump used Steinles death to fuel his campaign for president, branding her killer, Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, an animal and declaring that the shooting showed the need for a wall on the Mexican border. In San Francisco, anger at Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi for his decision to release the jailed Garcia Zarate about 10 weeks before the shooting contributed to his 2016 re-election defeat. Mirkarimi cited San Franciscos sanctuary city law in declining to notify federal immigration officials that he was about to release an undocumented Mexican with a criminal record. The Trump administration has invoked Garcia Zarate and the slaying in its effort, unsuccessful so far, to strip federal funds from cities and states that refuse to take part in immigration enforcement. The House of Representatives, meanwhile, passed Kates Law, which would increase prison sentences for immigrants who, like the shooter, re-enter the U.S. after deportation. All of that is supposed to be off the table for the jury that convenes Monday in San Francisco Superior Court, for opening statements in a trial scheduled to last seven weeks. Jurors will be instructed, instead, to consider only the evidence they hear in court on a single, crucial question: Did Garcia Zarate shoot Steinle intentionally, or was it an accident? If Garcia Zarate, who has admitted firing the fatal shot, is found to have aimed at his victim, or at a group of people on the pier that night, he will be convicted of second-degree murder, punishable by 15 years to life in prison, and an additional 25 years for lethal use of a gun. If jurors decide the killing was unintentional but Garcia Zarate was grossly negligent, he will be guilty of involuntary manslaughter, punishable by two to four years in prison though previous drug convictions could add 13 more years to his term. And if, as his lawyers contend, he fired the gun accidentally, after finding it wrapped in a T-shirt under a bench and unintentionally setting it off as he unwrapped it, he must be acquitted. During two weeks of jury selection, Judge Samuel Feng repeatedly told prospective jurors that immigration, sanctuary cities, gun control and their political views should not enter into their deliberations. Lawyers on both sides conveyed much the same message but tried to put their own spin on the Trump connection. Assistant District Attorney Diana Garcia asked whether any jurors were so angry at Trump that they would be unable to convict Garcia Zarate, while Matt Gonzalez, chief attorney in the public defenders office, asked whether they could return a verdict that the president would dislike. Whether 12 ordinary citizens can ignore as jurors what they know as human beings is another question. We are all human, and its nearly impossible to come in with a clean slate, said Laurie Levenson, a criminal law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a former federal prosecutor. And you have to think about whether you really want jurors who dont have knowledge or opinions. ... The best that the law hopes for is that people will decide this case just on its facts and not on their prejudices. Sometimes, asking jurors to ignore something merely piques their curiosity, said Hadar Aviram, a criminal law professor at UC Hastings in San Francisco. Social science tells us that peoples experiences, peoples demographics and peoples histories come with them to decide questions of fact, Aviram said. On the other hand, she said, jurors might be able to put their views aside while grappling with issues of ballistics and forensic evidence. Steinle, 32, was shot in the back on July 1, 2015, as she walked along Pier 14 near the Ferry Building with an arm around her father. Garcia Zarate, who turned 45 Friday, had been released from San Francisco custody nearly three months earlier. He had been deported to Mexico five times since first entering the U.S. as a juvenile. Convicted of felony re-entry and sentenced in 2011 to 46 months in federal prison, he was released in March 2015. Then, instead of being deported a sixth time, he was transferred by federal authorities to San Francisco to face an old marijuana charge. But city prosecutors dropped the charge, and Mirkarimis office released Garcia Zarate three weeks after hed arrived in the city without notifying federal agents. The sheriff relied on his interpretation of a San Francisco ordinance barring cooperation with immigration officers unless an inmate in local custody has a serious criminal record or the agents have a warrant. The gun used to kill Steinle had been stolen from the car of a U.S. Bureau of Land Management ranger four days earlier. Garcia Zarate, who was homeless, has not been charged with stealing it. In a separate case, a federal magistrate has allowed Steinles parents to sue the federal government for negligence over the rangers actions, but has rejected their claims against Mirkarimi and the city for Garcia Zarates release, finding that they violated no laws. Prosecutors plan to call the ranger as a witness in the trial. Gonzalez says he doesnt expect to call Garcia Zarate to the stand. Were dealing with someone with about a second-grade education, whos got some cognitive challenges, some health issues, Gonzalez said in an interview. But he said the jury will hear evidence of a police interview with his client in which officers elicited potentially damaging admissions which, Gonzalez said, were factually inaccurate. The police got him to say he was 5 feet away from Kate Steinle when the gun went off, but the evidence will show that Garcia Zarate was sitting 90 feet away and fired a bullet that bounced off the pavement 12 feet from where he was standing, then ricocheted into the victim, Gonzalez said. It was a freak accident, the defense lawyer said. Gonzalez said officers also got Garcia Zarate to say he walked past the bleeding Steinle without trying to help, even though he had actually headed in the opposite direction after the shooting. Jurors will hear competing expert witnesses about the gun, a .40-caliber SIG Sauer P226. Prosecutors contend the pistols firing mechanism was in a position that would have required a conscious, deliberate action to pull the trigger. Gonzalez said defense witnesses will testify that it was set in hair-trigger mode and had no safety device, and that trained law enforcement officers had accidentally fired the same model firearm. The 12 jurors range in age from 24 to 57. Gonzalez said three are immigrants; jurors occupations include flight attendant, software engineer, nurse, marketing accountant and health economist; and they live in a variety of neighborhoods, from Visitacion Valley, Bernal Heights and the Excelsior to the Mission District, Russian Hill and Nob Hill. Defense lawyers in emotionally laden, high-publicity cases often seek to transfer the trial to another county. Gonzalez made no such request in this case. Things that happened in San Francisco ought to be tried here, he said. The city is large enough, and enough time has passed since the shooting, he said, that we ought to be able to have fair and impartial jurors. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko The people who run the airport in Stockton, a city 83 miles from San Francisco the last time anyone checked, dont think such a minor detail ought to be held against them. They have decided that San Francisco is such a nice place they would like to rename their airport the San Francisco Stockton Regional Airport. Were not trying to confuse anyone, said Stockton Municipal Airport director Harry Mavrogenes. Its not about being sneaky. Its all about marketing. Were trying to be helpful. The problem with Stockton, said the director of its airport, is that no one seems to know where it is. When I go to conferences, Mavrogenes said, the first thing people want to know is where Stockton is located. Stockton, he pointed out, is closer to San Francisco than Chicago Rockford International Airport is to Chicago (85 miles). And its just about as far as Orlando Melbourne International Airport is from Orlando (80 miles). And just down the road from Stockton, he said, is Fresno Yosemite International Airport, which is 96 miles from Yosemite Valley. And then theres Hollywood Burbank Airport, which isnt in Hollywood, and Reno-Tahoe International Airport, which isnt at Lake Tahoe. And besides, he said, San Francisco International Airport isnt located in San Francisco. Its in San Mateo County, near Millbrae. Everybodys doing it, Mavrogenes said, so why not Stockton? If approved by the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors at its meeting next week, the Stockton Metropolitan Airport will start calling itself the San Francisco Stockton Regional Airport just in time for the Thanksgiving travel season. There could be problems, however, for travelers arriving at San Francisco Stockton Regional Airport and trying to get to San Francisco. Theres no public transit serving the San Francisco Stockton Regional Airport, Mavrogenese conceded. The airport does have a bus stop in front of it, but no bus stops there anymore. Were working on that, Mavrogenes said. And a dispute with Uber means that there is no Uber service at the airport, either. Were working on that, Mavrogenes said. That leaves catching a taxi, or walking. Its only a 4-mile walk from the Stockton airport to the Stockton Amtrak station. From there, a passenger could reach San Francisco by taking a train to the Richmond BART station and transferring to a BART train to downtown San Francisco. Doing that by walking would take about six hours, depending on how quickly the passenger covers the initial 4 miles on foot. At present, one airline serves Stockton low-cost Allegiant Air and the only places to fly on Allegiant Air from Stockton are Las Vegas, San Diego and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (which is 20 miles from Phoenix and not the main Phoenix airport). Were working on that, Mavrogenes said. The airport, he said, would like to offer service to Los Angeles International Airport and to build a customs and immigration hall to attract carriers serving Mexico. But thats farther down the road than the Amtrak station. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. As for passengers trying to reach San Francisco, Mavrogenes said, one option would be someday to offer air service from San Francisco Stockton Regional Airport to San Francisco International Airport. Passengers would, in effect, fly from San Francisco to San Francisco. So far, no airline has expressed an interest in doing any such thing. In the past, such airlines as United, PSA, Hughes Air West, US Air, Continental and Frontier served Stockton. None still do. Some of them went out of business and dont serve anyone. Being small has benefits, the director said. There are so few passengers at the Stockton airport that there is rarely much of a line to pass through the airports single security checkpoint and metal detector. Only a few minutes, Mavrogenes said. Meanwhile, the Stockton Municipal Airport is getting into the spirit of bigger things. Its website features a large globe with big blue lines that converge on Stockton. At San Francisco International Airport, where 56 airlines serve 53 million passengers a year, officials werent sure how to feel about the proposed christening of San Francisco Stockton Regional Airport. Wow, said Joe Walsh, SFO airports duty manager, and then he added, Oy vey. Walsh said SFO takes names very seriously, and the last thing it wants is to have arriving passengers confused about where they are when their plane lands. Were really careful about how we label our own terminal, he said. We get concerned when people end up in Section A of the parking garage, instead of in Garage A. This would be a whole different ballgame. Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF Sen. Dianne Feinstein has a message for state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon and anyone one else who might want to run against her next year: Bring it on. Ive been challenged before. That doesnt bother me, the states senior senator told us. Michael Huffington spent something like $33 million to try to unseat me in 1994, so I pretty much assume that it comes with the territory. Feinstein waited until this month to announce that she will run for another term. Shes 84, and there had been speculation that she will step aside. Ive given this run for re-election a lot of thought, Feinstein said. These are very uncertain and troubling times, and I think there is a lot of value in what Ive done. Among those accomplishments, she counts sponsoring a federal assault weapons ban that lasted from 1994 to 2004; co-writing a ban on torture in military and other government interrogations; and sponsoring the Desert Protection Act, the 1993 law that created Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks. Few of the progressives who are lining up against Feinstein begrudge her those accomplishments, but they wonder whether new blood is needed. Lets see what the new ideas are, she said. I want to change things as much as anyone out there, but you dont just jump up and down to solve problems. You need to be in a position to get things done and be ready to do the work. De Leon, for one, says he decided to run against Feinstein when he heard her tell a Commonwealth Club audience that if President Trump could only learn and change, he could be a good president. He wasnt the only Democrat dismayed by her remarks. She says they were misunderstood. I said that I hoped he could change and become a good president, and for that I was bombarded with criticism, Feinstein said. But I also said that we are going to see if he is going to change. And it looks like he has not. Also, if there is an impeachment, we in the Senate will sit as a jury. So I feel I have to be somewhat careful. Still, Feinstein makes no apologies for working with the other side. Her co-sponsor on the torture ban, for example, was Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. I want to get things done, and sometimes that means working with Republicans, she said. If she wins re-election, 2019 will mark Feinsteins 50th year in political office. Especially given the toxic atmosphere in Washington, youd think she might get tired of it all. I do, sure, but you know, I deeply believe that this is what I was meant to do, Feinstein said. So I listen to my body and pace myself. I have learned over the years that I can go the distance. Ive left some things out of my personal side. I dont go to many social events, and I cant remember the last movie that Ive seen. As for the strain of another statewide campaign? I did five events last week, she said. Im ready. Tunnel trim: Despite a personal push from Gov. Jerry Brown, the Santa Clara Valley Water Districts Board of Directors gave a resounding no the other day to helping to pay for his plan for two 35-mile tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to help deliver water to the Central Valley and Southern California. The district was being asked to kick in $620 million to the project. The seven-member boards vote against the idea was unanimous. I dont want to hand ratepayers a huge bill without the voters having their say, said board Chairman John Varela. It was the second big water district to turn thumbs down on the twin tunnels. The other was the agricultural giant Westlands Water District on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. Varela said the Santa Clara Valley board is still open to the project, but that it should be scaled back to a single tunnel. That would mean starting over on a project that has already cost $262 million in planning and environmental studies. State Natural Resources Secretary John Laird said a redo might be on the table, but it too soon to speculate on where that discussion will land. Valera said that when Brown called him the day before the vote, he was absolutely clear that he still wanted two tunnels. Valera said he had invited the governor to come down to the boards meeting to make his case, but that Brown said he had to go to L.A. Well, you know, Verela said, Santa Clara is on the way. And that was pretty much how the conversation ended. At least for now. Coffin races: The sight may be a bit disturbing, given the tragic wildfires in the North Bay. Nevertheless, organizers are going ahead with the fifth annual Napa Valley Coffin Races charitable event next weekend. The races, scheduled for Saturday in downtown Napa, feature coffins on wheels being pushed along a 230-foot course by teams of racers, some of them wearing Halloween costumes. Think of a go-cart, but probably not built as efficiently, said Craig Smith of the Napa Downtown Association, which organizes the event. Its a bit of a tricky thing this year, conceded general manager Sara Brooks of the Napa River Inn, one of the businesses that help put on the event. But it is also a charity event that brings the community together. Smith said proceeds from this years races will go to Teens Connect, a local group that helps troubled youths. Organizers main worry is whether the smoke from all the wildfires will clear up in time. The optics? Not a big deal. Far from invoking any bad connections, its going to be way for people to finally relax and have fun, Smith said. So its game on, at 11 a.m., just after the Zombie Run. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross There was a long seven-year hiatus between A Visit From the Goon Squad the multifaceted, phantasmagorical best-selling novel that won Jennifer Egan a Pulitzer Prize and a host of new fans and her newly released follow-up, Manhattan Beach. And shes not any happier about it than anyone else. I hope that never happens again, Egan said firmly during a recent interview in the elegantly inviting Pacific Heights home of her mother and stepfather. Im too old to have another gap like that if Im going to get done what I need to get done. As it happens, Egan is just 55, with a proven track record of literary accomplishment that includes not only Goon Squad but also the sprawling and inventive Look at Me (whose reflections on international terrorism, conceived well before 9/11, proved prophetic) and the dazzling, quasi-Gothic hall of mirrors titled The Keep. But shes also got an agenda, and an eye on the clock. I have intimations of at least seven different worlds I want to explore, and if each one of those is a book, then were talking about ... and here Egan launched into an extended bout of calculations, pitting writing time against life expectancy like some kind of bookish actuary. Suffice it to say that shes already filling notepads with the first draft of her next novel. Of course, it isnt as though Egan just came off years of kicking around in her bathrobe. You only have to spend an hour with her to understand how deeply her work ethic runs, or to recognize the level of energy and commitment she brings to even the most mundane task. Beneath her ebullience and grace you can detect traces of a fierce will. And Manhattan Beach, a fantastically detailed evocation of life on the New York waterfront during World War II, gives its own evidence of how labor-intensive the act of creating it must have been. Not in the prose, which is as beveled and fine-grained as ever, but in the sheer scale on which Egan has conjured up a vanished history. Much of Manhattan Beach takes place in and around the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where hordes of young women had been suddenly injected into the workforce for the first time to support the Allied war effort. There are long, informative discursions on scuba diving and the sociology of the merchant marine, on maritime disasters and the elaborate web of ethnically stratified organized crime that grew up around the New York docks. Naturally, all of this had to be painstakingly researched. I really didnt know how to write a historical novel, Egan said. And Im so reliant on time and place for my entry point to fiction that I think I was uniquely hamstrung by trying to write outside of my own lifetime. On the other hand, Egan has plenty of experience as a journalist she's written frequently for the New York Times Magazine and she was helped along by an oral history project that shed been involved with at the navy yard several years earlier. She talked to a lot of the former workers there, women who by then were in their 80s, and got their stories about the sensations and tensions of that historical juncture. Lots of little details about the women and the things that happened to them found their way into the narrative. For example, the fact that the air smelled like chocolate that was one of those details that a number of different people mentioned. In addition, the plot of Manhattan Beach kept multiplying its focus and heading off into unforeseen directions. The novels migration from the docks to the middle of the ocean itself caught Egan unawares. The charismatic character of Dexter Styles a gangster and nightclub owner who has married into the genteel world of banking muscled his way into the book and into her heart. The idea that known crime bosses could become fixtures of polite society might seem kind of strange now, but back then it was very common. And Dexter Styles kind of embodied that I didnt quite see him coming, but I could feel that there was some magnetic criminal figure in the book. I loved him, I had such a crush on him, and in a sense I was just following him into his life. The sense of place that is so distinctive in Egans fiction whether the small-town Midwest of Look At Me or the contemporary San Francisco and New York of Goon Squad may owe something to the geographical dislocations of her childhood. She was born in Chicago, but her parents divorced when she was a toddler. At 7, she moved to San Francisco with her mother. I actually have a very strong visual and sensory memory of the extreme differences between the two places, she says. Chicago is rusty, with the feeling of old industry, and San Francisco is so bright and light and pastel in its palette. And I would go back every summer to visit my father for a few weeks, so I was aware of those differences at an early age. She graduated from Lowell High School a venue that figures prominently and recognizably in some sections of Goon Squad before going to college at the University of Pennsylvania. She spent two years studying in England and backpacking through China; she worked as a fashion model; she briefly dated Steve Jobs. In 1987, Egan settled in Brooklyn, where she now lives with her husband, David Herskovits, a theater and opera director, and their two teenage sons, about whom at their own strict insistence she will offer no information except that they have not read her books. Thats fine with her. I feel like there is something very revealing about being read, and I dont have any particular wish to be revealed to them in that way. Compared to the metafictional tricks of Egans earlier works, with their shifts in time and slippery, hard-to-pin-down narrators, the sturdy narrative architecture of Manhattan Beach seems as much of a departure as its historical setting. Shes not unmindful of the effect that may have on readers especially those who discovered her through Goon Squad. I feel like Goon Squad is where I found an audience, and I realize that some people who loved that book may not be enchanted by the new one. Im happy when people will stick with me from book to book, but it doesnt always work that way and I cant blame them. But readers whose devotion to Egans work centers on Goon Squad have a welcome development in store. The book shes currently got in the works picks up some threads from that earlier masterpiece. Goon Squad has such an open-ended structure, and there were things I wanted to do in it, people I wanted to write about, that I couldnt find a way to do. So in a way it always felt like the best I could do, rather than some kind of perfect, finished product. But if I can use some of the same structural principles to arrive at a new landscape, that would be really cool. And this time, it wont take seven years to hit the bookstores. Joshua Kosman is The San Francisco Chronicles music critic. Email: jkosman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JoshuaKosman This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Editor s note: Here are three Bay Area startups worth watching this week. As the gaming industry rapidly expands to reach a broader audience, San Franciscos Chartboost wants to help developers monetize all of that traffic. Founded in 2011, Chartboost helps companies place ads relevant to mobile game players. For example, a user can watch a video ad in exchange for a new life in a game. Its a win-win, says Pepe Agell, the companys vice president of corporate strategy: On one side there is an increase of gaming usage, and the audience who plays games is broader, more diverse and more valuable, he said. And then, there are more brands that want to reach mobile audiences. The company has $21 million in funding and 120 employees, Agell said. According to App Annie, a market data and insights company for apps, the average mobile consumer uses 10 apps a day and a big portion of these are gaming apps. In 2016, games made up 75 percent of iOS App Store revenue and 90 percent of Google Play revenue, according to a March report. And the numbers are growing. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Chartboost is trending on startup database Crunchbase this week because of its recently introduced exchange network, which allows companies to openly bid on certain ad placements. Advertisers want to increase their reach, Agell said. And today, if you want to reach the user at the right moment, you need to invest in online and mobile because this is where users are spending their time. Also trending: What it does: A software company that assists companies in their hiring process, from helping write job descriptions to conducting the final interview. What happened: It recently acquired Talent Function, a recruiting consulting firm. Why it matters: The public has a microscope on workplace diversity especially in Silicon Valleys tech industry. Liz Kofman, the companys sociologist, said Talent Sonar helps mitigate unconscious hiring bias, through services such as writing job descriptions that will attract the broadest representation of candidates and redacting names from resumes. Headquarters: San Francisco. Funding: $9 million, according to Crunchbase. Employees: 25. What it does: A digital media and commerce company that produces video tutorials and other content aimed at Millennial women; offerings include fashion, beauty, parenting tips and food. It also has DIY kits for making a range of items, from scarves to wall hangings. What happened: It recently held its first experiential event on the East Coast called #CreateGood, a five-day pop-up that hosted speakers, workshops and other events. Why it matters: CEO Brit Morin has branded herself as the Martha Stewart of this generation. Martha's led this (crafty movement) for 30 years, Morin told The Chronicle in 2015. I'm coming from a different generation. So I think some people can maybe relate to me better. Headquarters: San Francisco. Funding: $45 million, according to the company. Employees: 110. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani How we pick the companies Every week, The Chronicle and Crunchbase, a San Francisco firm that tracks key businesses in technology, analyze private Bay Area companies based on their financial backing, employees and activity on Crunchbase. We feature five that are moving up in the ranks. For more information on the companies: www.crunchbase.com Five years ago, Internet startup Aereo made headlines by retransmitting local over-the-air television signals to subscribers viewing online. But the company went bankrupt after big broadcasters won a copyright infringement case in the U.S. Supreme Court. On Monday, a Mountain View startup named Didja, eyeing a growing number of people ditching cable and satellite pay TV services, is introducing a similar service that retransmits Bay Area TV broadcasters and unlike Aereo, it has permission. Didjas BayAreaBTV will start with about 35 channels. But it has one major drawback: The lineup does not yet include the most popular stations that broadcast national networks CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox or PBS. Still, Didja executives believe theres enough of an audience looking for new ways to watch community programming, including shows in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Hindi and Korean, to get BayAreaBTV off the ground. I liked the concept of Aereo quite a bit. It got local broadcast onto smartphones and to me, that was the big missing piece, said Didja General Manager Jim Monroe. Thats part of our motivation. Weve got to put that missing piece back, but we have to do it in a way that supports people who are in business to make these shows and make these local stations. Didja placed antennas atop its data center on Paul Avenue in San Francisco to receive broadcast signals from the citys Mount Sutro, San Bruno Mountain just to the south and Mount Allison in the South Bay. Those signals are then retransmitted to viewers within the Bay Area who use Didjas iOS or Android app. Viewers can also watch on computers using Chrome or Safari browsers, and with Googles Chromecast video streaming device or an Apple TV, can beam the video onto a big screen TV. The basic Didja service is free, but the company charges $4.95 per month for a cloud-based DVR service. Monroe said Didjas setup differs from Aereo, which used individual antennas to beam New York station signals to its paid subscribers. Aereo, once hailed as a boon to cord cutters who have given up conventional TV, was forced to shut down in 2014 after the Supreme Court ruled that it was rebroadcasting TV station signals illegally. The concept of watching broadcast TV on a mobile device isnt new. A company that once tried to sell a device called Tablet TV to beam TV signals to an iPad went out of business. Airwavz, a Seattle startup, is about six months from producing a smartphone case that doubles as an over-the-air TV receiver, said Leonard Fertig, former CEO of one of the Tablet TV partners and now an adviser to Airwavz. Didja, which tested its service with independent stations in the Phoenix area, is so far able to offer only broadcast channels that have granted it a license. Monroe hopes to eventually get the major local network stations, which offer the most-watched programs. However, the big network stations have cut their own deals with online services like Hulu, Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. CBS is banking heavily on the success of its own fledgling online service, CBS All Access. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes And Sling TV is selling its own $130 device, called AirTV, that combines free over-the-air signals with its online service. While the cord-cutting trend continues to rise, those who want to dump pay TV services still always ask for the big broadcast channels and networks, analyst Mike Vorhaus, president of Magid Advisors, said in an email. So Vorhaus said he was less enthused about a service that would only offer local broadcast channels, more so without the network stations. Monroe said many community broadcasters operate low-power stations and are not carried on traditional pay TV systems, so Didja can extend their reach. Thats why Deepti Dawar, chief operating officer of DiyaTV, a network for South Asian programming, is enthusiastic that Didja could be a boon for niche broadcasters like her Santa Clara company. For the multicultural space, Didja is going to be huge, Dawar said. We want to be on as many platforms as possible. Benny Evangelista is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: bevangelista@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChronicleBenny Neil Davis, who used to own and bartend at the No Name bar in Sausalito and now lives in Sebastopol, was sitting in a lounge chair in a Santa Rosa mall when he overheard a conversation. Davis report, verbatim: The old man next to me, phone rings. I can only hear half of the conversation. Small talk. Yeah ... it caught us. ... Thank you, were fine, and then yeah ... We lost everything. Got out yesterday with two cars and both dogs. More talk. Yeah, wifes fine, close call. Working with FEMA. ... Going to look for rentals this afternoon. ... Yeah. .... Lost all our records and papers ... everything. Davis realized he was hearing half of a whole life lost. More talk. Eventually sweet old wife walks up with two shopping bags, as jolly as she could be. Happy talk. ... Fred just called to see if we were affected by the fire. Off they walked, hand in hand. P.S. As to couples with newer relationships, theres a follow-up to the tale of the couple who were forced to change the venue of their wedding, originally scheduled to take place Oct. 13 in Sonoma. A few days before, as Id mentioned here, a friend of theirs put out a Nextdoor call for help. Daniel and Amanda Bishop did get married, he said a few days afterward, at the Wingtip Club, a private club in San Francisco to which one of their friends belonged. We were looking at a whole bunch of places, said Daniel, and almost everything rehearsal dinner, hotel accommodations had to be replanned and reorchestrated. About eight friends gathered, with computers and telephones, to work out the details. It looked like a telephone call center, he said. At least one of the services theyd booked in Sonoma carried through with the order, and because the command team had made provisions for emergency flowers from San Francisco, it was a two-florist wedding. Everything went so perfectly, said Daniel, that Amandas grandmother referred to the preparations as the storm before the calm. While glowing reviews are soaring into the literary skies like firecrackers on the Fourth of July, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jennifer Egan, whose new novel is Manhattan Beach, found herself the center of the East Coast publicity blitz that started a few weeks ago: She was a guest on Fresh Air; the New Yorker published a lengthy profile in which Alexandra Schwartz described her as about as famous as a contemporary American literary novelist can expect to be. And last week, a few weeks after the book was reviewed in The Chronicle, the novelist, who lives in Brooklyn nowadays, came to San Francisco to do her hometown literary sweep: A City Arts & Lectures appearance, a Forum interview with Michael Krasny (family, she says; I was on his show before I ever did another radio program), and an evening book-signing party hosted by her mother and stepfather, Kay and Sandy Walker. Addressing that gathering, she paid special homage to my amazing mother and surrogate father. There was a long time when I never met any buyer of any of my books who didnt know my mom. Finally, there are a few book buyers who dont know her. When Egan finished a first draft of the book we were celebrating, she had found it to be terrible, she said. It was only after long phone conversations with her mother that she was persuaded to stick with the project. Kay Walker used to be an art dealer; Sandy Walker is an architect. They live in Pacific Heights, and their parties this one attended by Vanessa Getty, Paul Pelosi, Christine Pelosi, Peter Kaufman, Krasny, Vendela Vida, John and Tina Keker and many other comets and asteroids of the San Francisco solar system are the kind youd imagine Nick and Nora Charles attending. With all that, cocktails in hand, caviar and blinis passed around on trays, it was touching to witness something so elemental: a daughter expressing her love for her mom. As to last weeks speculation over road rage and driverless cars, it has come to pass: Bob Epstein was driving on the Peninsula when a self-driving car honked at me. ... At least it doesnt yet know how to give the finger. Julie Snyder thinks the Salesforce Tower should be called the corncob. Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik Public Eavesdropping If you give him spaghetti, hell put maple syrup on it and cover it all over with M&Ms. Hes exactly like you. Young woman on cell phone, overheard in Toronto by Kathy Stewart John Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, was supposed to instill discipline and integrity as White House chief of staff. Those expectations are proving hopelessly optimistic. It was distressing enough that Kelly invoked some Trump-like pettiness last week in condemning a Florida congresswoman as an empty barrel for claiming the president disrespected the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in an Oct. 4 ambush in Niger. Kelly then went a Trump-like step further in alleging that Rep. Frederica Wilson tried to claim credit for personally securing funding for an FBI building in Florida. Kelly said he attended the event and was offended by her remarks that were in the long tradition of empty barrels making the most noise. There was a big problem with Kellys account: A video of Wilsons remarks, released by the Sun Sentinel, showed no such thing. She said nothing about her role in the funding. She did, however, tell of her efforts in getting the building named after two fallen FBI agents and was lavish in crediting the roles of Republicans, including Sen. Marco Rubio and John Boehner, then the House speaker. It gets worse for this credibility-challenged White House. Asked at Fridays news briefing whether Kelly could take questions on the discrepancy, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders replied, If you want to get into a debate with a four-star Marine general, I think thats something highly inappropriate. Highly inappropriate? Not in a democracy, where no person in power, no matter how distinguished his or her background, is allowed to make statements without challenge or accountability. Ever so predictably, Trump piled on via Twitter, calling Wilson a wacky congresswoman who is the gift that keeps on giving for Republicans. Its clear who is setting the tone in the White House. It isnt John Kelly, or at least the John Kelly who arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. with a reputation as a straight shooter. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. For more than two weeks, before every performance of Thomas and Sally, Tracy Camp has stood outside the Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley handing out flyers as guests arrived, essentially asking them to turn around and boycott the play. At the very top, in bold, the handout reads: Please help us put an end to harmful stereotypes; do not support this play or Marin Theatre Company. Ask for a refund and let Marin Theatre Company know why. The play in question a fictionalized account of the relationship between founding father Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, the enslaved woman who was made to bear him six children has been a lightning rod for controversy since before it opened. But what began as complaints on social media about a single image has spun out into a fierce debate about representations of black women, the dangers of historical revisionism and rape. Several black women, and their allies, have been protesting the play in person and online saying it minimizes the repeated rape of a young enslaved girl by the man who owned her, and that theres no ground for ambiguity in Hemings experience. Marin Theatre Company, which commissioned playwright Thomas Bradshaw to create the play in 2014, says the story, however ahistorical, should be told. Sally Hemings and her family deserve to be part of our national story, Jasson Minadakis, the artistic director, wrote in a letter posted on the companys website. The first hints of what would unfold came when advertisements began appearing on Facebook. Thats how Camp first learned of the production. In the promotions, the actress who plays Hemings stares straight ahead, with an unmistakable coy smile on her face. Behind her, Jefferson looks off into the distance. The ad immediately hit Camp as inappropriate. The picture of Sally Hemings looked seductive and in control, Camp says. The actress was much older than Hemings would have been during the time in her life the play depicts 14 years old, according to historians and her come-hither look, based on the actress head shot, gave the impression that somehow an enslaved child held leverage over the decades-older man who owned her as property. I assumed the play was fine, Camp said. I had heard it was written by a black man. So she focused on the image itself. Camp went to the theaters Facebook page and noticed others had been commenting on the image as well. At first their concerns were met with dismissive responses from the company one was simply an image of a cowboy tipping his hat. (The image has since been deleted, but Camp saved a screenshot.) Eventually, though, the theater company apologized and agreed to remove the image wherever possible (though it still appears as the cover art for the plays handbill). That was victory, Camp thought, until she received an early copy of the script. Several scenes bothered her, especially those that implied Hemings enjoyed having sex with Jefferson an act Camp says can only be viewed as rape given the circumstances. I think thats dangerous for women, dangerous for black women. Bradshaw is known for crafting explosive and controversial pieces. In an earlier interview with The Chronicle, he said he hoped Thomas and Sally would complicate the narrative that all slave owners were evil, and that all slaves were noble martyrs. ... I try not to portray anyone as good or evil. Everyone exists along a spectrum of gray. Its also made explicitly clear, both in the play and on Marin Theatre Companys website, that the story is not meant to be historically accurate. Thomas and Sally is a work of historical fiction. You may recognize many of the names in this play, but others are pure invention. History is highly malleable and subject to interpretation, Bradshaw wrote in a statement. For Camp and others, a disclaimer is no justification for suggesting that Hemings enslavement and rape were anything other than evil. It bothered me that the playwright says up front this is fiction and were making it up, Camp says. Thats especially true given the many racist writings produced by Jefferson and the undisputed fact that he owned some 600 slaves. Whats more, last year, historians uncovered Hemings slave quarters at Monticello, Jeffersons estate near Charlottesville, Va. It was a single room with no windows. If youre bearing witness, then bear witness to the truth, says Regina Evans, one of the women who has protested in person at the theater. The theater has a huge voice. Why not use that in a healing way? A way that brings about compassion and empathy? The issue hit Evans particularly hard. Shes a survivor of sexual assault and works to end human trafficking. She sees those issues as bound to Hemings story. Were still having the same conversations of sexualizing women of color, she says. I think if people had an idea of what we still face today and how it is affected by the past ... people might not write, might not say, might not view certain things. Minadakis, the artistic director, says he understands the protesters concerns but that the play is much more layered than that, and its been difficult to have a conversation around that subject with people who have not seen the play. He pointed to efforts on the theater companys behalf to hold discussions and panels around the work as evidence that he and others are invested in making the controversy productive. Weve learned a lot through this process ... and how things are going to be different next time. Camp never expected the protests to shut down the play. She says she never let herself get that optimistic. Instead shes hoping that people will see her and others standing there, will read the flyer, full of the words of several black women describing the harm caused by the play, and will turn around or, at the very least, watch it with a critical eye, rather than just taking it in unconsciously. Ryan Kost is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkost@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @RyanKost This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Four Democrats looking to replace termed-out Gov. Jerry Brown next year will share a stage in San Francisco on Tuesday, giving voters an unusually early look at the candidates and the themes of the 2018 campaign. State Treasurer John Chiang, former state Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and onetime Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will field questions on health care, education, housing and immigration at the lunchtime event sponsored by The Chronicle, called States Big Issues: Do Democrats Have the Ideas and the Resolve to Meet Them? A similar event is in the works for the GOP candidates for governor. The event, starting at noon, will be live-streamed on The Chronicles Facebook page. Although theres nothing unusual about candidate debates or forums, its the timing that sets Tuesdays 75-minute event apart. It will take place more than a year before the Nov. 6, 2018, general election and seven-plus months before the June 5 primary election that will trim the list of candidates to two. Theres no guarantee that the participants in The Chronicles Democratic and GOP forums will still be in the contest come June. And since the filing deadline for the governors race isnt until March 9, theres plenty of time for additional candidates to open their campaigns. But theres an advantage to giving voters an early look at the prospective governors, said Chronicle Editorial Page Editor John Diaz, who will moderate the event. Its only fair that all California voters have a chance before the 30-second TV spots get rolling to assess the candidates ideas for taking on the states critical challenges, Diaz said. Were going to keep this discussion focused on big issues, rather than trying to induce gotcha moments or dueling talking points about which of the Democrats most despises President Trump. Tuesdays forum is early in the campaign for the candidates, too, which is likely to make them wary of making any ground-breaking pronouncements, said Jessica Levinson, a law professor and political commentator at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. This is the rehearsal dinner for the candidates, not the wedding, she said. Its practice being on stage, working out the kinks and getting to know each other, a preparation for battles closer to election day. As the candidates size each other up, theyll find plenty of differences that can be exploited between now and the June primary. Newsom, for example, is the former San Francisco mayor who has an early hold on progressive voters and a reputation for being in front of issues like same-sex marriage, gun control and legalized marijuana. Villaraigosa can portray himself as a can-do former mayor of the nations second-largest city, with Sacramento experience as Assembly speaker. Chiangs years of experience dealing with the myriad details of Californias financial affairs play to a certain audience, while Eastins education expertise can pull along the discussions on that issue. The forum will also give the candidates a chance to try to pin down their opponents on stances that could prove uncomfortable in the months to come. But the beauty of an event this far in advance of the election is that theres plenty of time for candidates to make up for any missteps. The vast majority of people who are going to be voting in next years election arent paying much attention yet, Levinson said. At Tuesdays forum, something extremely unusual will have to happen to affect the race, and by that I mean something extremely bad. That doesnt mean the debate doesnt count. Its a chance for the candidates to make an early impression on the states opinion makers the pundits, political junkies and deep-pocketed contributors who play an outsize role in California elections. The forum is especially important for the people who read about and follow politics all the time, Levinson said. Its an audition for donors. After being live-streamed Tuesday starting at noon, the event will remain archived on The Chronicles Facebook page. Admission to the forum itself costs $75, including luncheon at 11:30 a.m. and the forum starting at noon, at the City Club of San Francisco, 155 Sansome St. Tickets are available at http://bit.ly/2zEozJT. Chronicle senior political writer Joe Garofoli contributed to this report. John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth I tried, I really tried to get away from the Italian restaurants that have dominated my dining this month, so I sidetracked to Rooh, a contemporary Indian restaurant that opened earlier this year. When I reviewed the restaurant in April and gave it three stars, I was skeptical that chef Sujan Sarkar was in for the long haul, especially after reading that in March he had leased a large 170-seat space in New York. With restaurants in London too, I feared he was spreading his talent thin. I made a mental note to check back in six months to see what was going on. On a return visit I found the food even more pulled together. Sarkar, who is one of the most prominent Indian chefs in London and Mumbai, has fully embraced California. He starts with a classic base but cant resist adding modern embellishments. For example, his Traditional Butter Chicken ($26) is sprinkled with butter powder. Paneer Chili ($14), encircled by fine threads of crisp kataifi, is accented with ginger chutney and lemon achaar gel. Lamb keema hyderrabadi, a mixture of spicy ground lamb, is capped with a light potato mousse and accompanied by brioche that resemble Parker House rolls. Its a cross-cultural marriage of American sloppy joes, British shepherds pie and Indian spicing. The cocktails are also worth trying. The menu oganizes them on an illustrated tasting wheel by their main qualities sour, salty, sweet or bitter. An example of bitter is the Mustard Old Fashioned ($13), perfect for people like me who dont gravitate to sweet, fruity drinks. Sarkar prepared a Diwali tasting menu Oct. 19-21, celebrating the Hindu festival of lights, which included exceptional deep-fried pepper quail. Hes now in the process of introducing a fall menu. All this while traveling back and forth to New York for the anticipated opening of his Indian gastropub next month. He says hell stay there a couple of months to get it off the ground, but at least for now his bicoastal lifestyle hasnt affected the food at Rooh. Thats the sign of a great chef: the ability to build a crew that can carry on without the head guy looking over their shoulders. 333 Brannan St., San Francisco; (415) 525-4174. www.roohsf.com. Lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. Michael Bauer/The Chronicle Esan Classic In another break from the Italian groove, I visited Esan Classic, from Tom Silargorn of Lers Ros fame and longtime chef Chanon Hutasingh. The Tenderloin restaurant explores northeastern Thai food from the Isan Province that borders Laos and Cambodia. I was impressed with the juicy slices of pork shoulder ($12.95) with a pungent chile and rice powder dipping sauce; and the beef shank soup ($15.95) with a bold broth that fuses chiles, galangal, makrut lime and lemongrass but that will be the subject of a future Sunday review. 739 Larkin St., San Francisco (415) 800-7646. (Website under construction). Lunch and dinner daily. Oh, and about those Italian places. Last week I wrote about visits to Delfina, Gialina and Dopo, and then there was the review of Ardiana on Sunday, but it doesnt stop there. I checked out two more Cal/Ital restaurants recently. Michael Bauer/The Chronicle Tosca Cafe Chef Josh Even continues to hold sway over April Bloomfields kitchen. The food and the dark, retro interior was as good as when I reviewed the restaurant three years ago. Near the end of service, Even, in street clothes, walked through the dining room. He had been doing what many of his colleagues are doing these days feeding people in Napa and Sonoma. Cocktails are always on point here, as are the pastas ($20), such as the spaghetti alla chitarra with bacon, broccoli de ciccio and lemon olive oil; and trompetti with lemon cream and basil oil. The signature main course is chicken roasted to order and served with a rich Masala sauce. However, I still havent quite come to terms with paying $48 for it. The menu says it serves two, but if you are expecting a whole chicken your expectations will be dashed; two people split a half, which seems a little rich, even for a guy on an expense account. 242 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, (415) 986-9651. www.toscacafesf.com . Dinner until 1 a.m. nightly. Chris Stewart/SFC Piccino This Dogpatch restaurant has become one of the defining businesses of the emerging neighborhood, serving food that has wide appeal with its salads, pastas, pizza and generous main courses. While I still liked the margherita pizza ($12), another minute or so in the oven might have firmed up the crust so it didnt sag in the center. Fortunately, the salads continue to be on point and creative such as one with radishes, snap peas, tuna, puffed rice and almonds under a loose blanket of mache ($10). The three main courses include pork and beef meatballs ($18), sea bass with shelling beans ($29) and chicken al mattone, a crisp, flattened half chicken on a bed of polenta with piles of roasted peppers, capers and chiles. 1001 Minnesota St., San Francisco; (415) 824-4224. www.piccino.com. Open daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As full containment neared on multiple wildland blazes that left large parts of Northern California in ruins, firefighters were coping Monday with rising temperatures as they hustled to put out stubborn hot spots. A warming trend blowing in from Southern California is expected to send temperatures soaring into the mid-90s in the Wine County and the Santa Cruz Mountains, where fires are still smoldering, said Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. While rising heat is returning to the area after a few mild days and even some rain, Gass said winds would generally be light as firefighters continued suppressing the conflagrations. It may be locally breezy in the overnight hours, but nothing of major concern, Gass said. As of Monday morning, the major wildfires in Sonoma County and Napa County were almost completely out. The deadliest of the blazes, the Tubbs Fire, was 94 percent contained after it started on Oct. 8, killed at least 23 people, destroyed near 7,000 homes and burned 36,807 acres. Firefighters expect to have full containment on the fire by Friday. We really need to make sure we are thorough and make sure all the hot spots are out, said Heather Williams, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire, adding that downed trees, debris and topography have been challenging in the efforts toward full containment. Nuns Fire north of Glen Ellen in Sonoma County was 90 percent contained, while other big fires in the region, the Pocket and Atlas, were 89 and 95 percent contained respectively. The Bear Fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains had scorched 391 acres, and was 79 percent contained Monday morning, with full containment anticipated Tuesday, fire officials said. Nine firefighters were injured battling the blaze near Boulder Creek since the fire began on Oct. 16 and destroyed four structures. All evacuation orders in the area were lifted by Monday morning. Thats the good news, people have been able to go home, Williams said. In all, firefighters had control of the deadly blazes, Williams said, adding everything is pretty calm. Meanwhile, temperatures reached 82 in San Francisco Monday with similar temperatures expected in the city and the East Bay on Tuesday. In the South Bay, the forecast could reach into the 90s, Gass said. In Santa Rosa and Napa, temperatures were in the mid-80s, about 10 degrees above normal, with similar conditions expected Tuesday. A region-wide cooldown begins Wednesday and will continue through Friday though the forecast will still remain higher than seasonal averages, Gass added. While some rain could help improve conditions in the North Bay and Santa Cruz County, Gass said its unlikely that the region will see any rain in the foreseeable future. We will remain dry for the remainder of the month into Halloween, Gass said. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani The way Tina Huang tells it, the path to her resignation from Twitter was a Kafkaesque experience: She was denied a promotion, led to believe her coding skills were inferior, asked to take a leave of absence, and then scolded for taking it. Two years ago she sued, saying the company systematically thwarts the advancement of female engineers. Since then shes been gathering data on gender and pay for her peers there and says she can prove Twitter stacks the deck. By January, she plans to ask a state judge for permission to represent 133 female engineers at the San Francisco company in what would be the first group case of its kind in the Bay Area if certified. The time is ripe to do something thats never been done before: Pry open entrenched, male-dominated barriers in the technology sector, Huang said in an interview. One catalyst was a February blog post by former Uber Technologies engineer Susan Fowler that detailed a predatory work environment, infighting, a chaotic organization and blatant sexual harassment. That post helped lead to the founder and chief executive officers ouster. You not only saw real action happen at Uber but you also saw the amount of the conversation that followed, Huang said. Women were emboldened by it. Twitter has rejected Huangs claims in court filings and in a statement, saying she resigned voluntarily after being denied a second promotion and that company leaders tried to persuade her to stay. Twitter is deeply committed to a diverse and supportive workplace, and we believe the facts will show Ms. Huang was treated fairly, the company said. Since the suit was filed, the dynamics have changed in Silicon Valley. In September, three women at Google sued the company in a class action, claiming it systemically pays male employees more than their female counterparts. Added to that is a groundswell of women speaking out in the past few months with complaints against tech and venture capital companies alleging sexual harassment, underscoring the rocky terrain women face culturally and professionally. Hearing the stories from numerous other women has helped me understand how my incident, though unique in its details, is part of a larger narrative, Huang said. Its basically impossible for any individual to know with 100 percent certainty that her promotion was denied due to gender. The only way to understand the systemic bias is for all of us to share our experience so we can look at whats happening on the whole. Huang joined Twitter eight years ago as one of its first engineers. In 2013, she was one of a number of people being considered for a promotion. Engineers at Twitter are placed on a technical ladder, with an eight-rung hierarchy. When Huang joined the company, the ladder didnt exist, but she was eventually slotted into the fourth rung. No woman had ever reached the fifth rung, yet it was a critical step because its where engineering jobs shift from coding and discrete projects to higher-level management. Huang learned she didnt get the promotion in February 2014 and promptly told the chief executive officer, alerting him to her concerns that the process lacked transparency and that she believed she was denied a promotion due to her gender. But it was hearing from a colleague that her coding, an engineers fundamental tool of the trade, was deemed inadequate that felt personal. Even though I knew it was bogus, it was a huge emotional toll, Huang said. It took years for me to recover confidence in my engineering and technical skills. Before Twitter, Huang had worked at Apple, where she helped develop the OS X operating system, and Google, where she worked on Google News. She left both companies on good terms and as of January 2014, a few months before she left Twitter, was rated exceptional in a performance review. Workers often have different experiences of bias, and courts reject class actions when the facts vary too much by individual, an argument Twitter has already made in an early attempt to rebut Huangs case. But Huangs lawsuit seeks to show the result of systemic discrimination the impact rather than detailing treatment. The principal difficulty the case will face is in judicial resistance to a story of discrimination that places responsibility on the organization, said Tristin Green, a professor at University of San Francisco School of Law who specializes in employment discrimination. Green said Huang and her lawyers face an uphill battle if they cant convince a court to see the bigger picture of organizational involvement. Huang described Twitters promotion committee as a black box. Candidates for promotion dont know who sits on it and there is no input from workers, interview, feedback or explanation about the decision. When Huang complained about discrimination, human resources urged her to take a week off while managers looked into the matter, she said. She was then placed on indefinite leave amid an investigation that became a state of limbo dragging on for weeks. The turning point came at the end of April, when she met with Twitters head of engineering. Human resources had led her to believe the executive was reconsidering her promotion. Instead, Huang said, that person berated her for not being at work, clearly unaware that she was asked to go on leave months earlier. She also learned her projects had been shifted to other engineers. There was no intention of rectifying the situation, Huang said. They didnt really want me back in the office. Twitter said in a court filing that Huangs supervisor never suggested she take time off. While she was on leave, Huangs manager asked her what he should tell colleagues and she confirmed personal leave, according to the filing. The lawsuit against Google cites data from a 2015 review of the company by the U.S. Labor Department, which in a separate federal administrative complaint found systemic compensation disparities against women. Jason Lohr, Huangs lawyer, said he thinks he can make a similar, evidence-based case. By using statistical samples to show how it takes women longer to be promoted or that there are fewer women being promoted, the lawsuit will focus on company policies that produce that outcome, he said. Huang has since gone on to lead a startup, Transposit, with an infusion of venture capital. What shes learned about how Twitter works since filing her lawsuit has convinced her that criticisms of the quality of her coding skills werent legitimate. I saw all the data, I saw all the feedback, Huang said. It was just used as an excuse. Lohr said theres safety in numbers. You cant turn to all women engineers at Twitter and say theres a problem with all of them. Joel Rosenblatt is a Bloomberg writer. Email: jrosenblatt@bloomberg.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The San Francisco murder case that ignited a national debate over immigration policy went to trial Monday with attorneys sparring not over politics but the cases central legal question whether the killer of Kate Steinle on Pier 14 intended to fire in her direction or accidentally shot a gun he said he found under a bench. A city prosecutor said in her opening statement that Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, 45, brought the stolen pistol to the waterfront location, pointed it toward Steinle and pulled the trigger on July 1, 2015. The public defender representing the Mexican citizen said he found the gun in a T-shirt on the pier moments before the shooting, and that after he unwrapped the bundle the gun discharged a bullet that ricocheted off the concrete and struck Steinle in the back. By the afternoon, the trials first witness introduced the Steinle familys heartbreak into the courtroom. The victims father spoke of the confusion he felt as his daughter spoke her final words: Help me, Dad. Now Playing: A Mexican national who touched off a debate on illegal immigration when he fatally shot a woman on a San Francisco pier fired the gun on purpose, a prosecutor said Monday in her opening statement at his trial. Video: Fox5Atlanta The trial in front of Superior Court Judge Samuel Feng opened to broad interest fueled by the political firestorm that followed it. Garcia Zarate, who was homeless and had a record of drug crimes, was wanted for deportation by federal agents when his San Francisco jailers set him free 2 months before the shooting under the citys sanctuary laws. But the job of the jury sitting at the Hall of Justice is to put aside those politics. It is Garcia Zarates intentions on the day he killed Steinle that could mean the difference between a conviction for second-degree murder or manslaughter, or an acquittal. The prosecutor, Diana Garcia, said the defendant was guilty of murder because he either aimed a loaded gun at Steinle directly or at a crowd of people an act that implies malice, or an intent to kill. Shes dead because this man, known to the police as Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, pointed this gun in her direction and pulled the trigger, Garcia said. The gun had been stolen from a U.S. Bureau of Land Management rangers car four days before the shooting, when the off-duty ranger drove into the city and parked along the Embarcadero. No one has been arrested in the burglary. Garcia said Garcia Zarate had been wearing many layers of clothing that could have hid the gun when he sat down at the pier. He knew he had a gun, she said. He meant to conceal it from people. He meant to shoot it at people. He meant to shoot it at people, and he shot Kate Steinle. In his opening statement, attorney Matt Gonzalez of the city Public Defenders Office said the shooting was an accident, citing the bullets ricochet as evidence. Gonzalez played jurors surveillance video from about an hour before the shooting that showed a group of people gathered around the bench where Garcia Zarate later sat. Gonzalez said it was possible that someone in the group had left the gun under the seat, and that Garcia Zarate had the misfortune of finding it. The gun, a .40-caliber Sig Sauer, was known to have a hair trigger, and there have been cases of the gun discharging when the trigger was caught on a button or piece of clothing, Gonzalez asserted. The gun was pointed at the ground when it discharged the bullet, he said. Only a freakish ricochet altered the path of this bullet. Anticipating this argument, Garcia in her opening statement introduced the concept of a skip shot, in which a bullet hits a target after skipping off a surface. She said a ballistics expert will testify Garcia Zarate had the gun pointed at Steinle and the people around her, but that the shot bounced because of his seated position. Garcia Zarates actions after the shooting reflected his state of mind, the prosecutor said. While others on the pier rushed to aid Steinle, she said, the defendant tossed the gun into San Francisco Bay and fled in the opposite direction. He was soon arrested. Gonzalez said his client has a second-grade education. He played snippets of Garcia Zarates interviews with police, in which he repeatedly told frustrated officers, I dont, no remember. When he tossed the gun into the bay and left the scene, Gonzalez said, his client was scared by the noise the gun made and just wanted it to stop shooting. If it was a purposeful shooting, he would have fired more than a single time, Gonzalez said. The victims father, James Steinle, took the stand to describe the events leading to the shooting, saying he and a family friend had met his daughter in the city, where she lived, before going to lunch. On Pier 14, the father and daughter strolled with their arms around each other. James Steinle, who became emotional at times, said he recalled a loud bang before he noticed his daughter had been wounded. District Attorney George Gascon and Public Defender Jeff Adachi attended the opening statements, sitting on opposite sides of the aisle from each other, Gascon with members of the Steinle family and Adachi with the Mexican consul general in San Francisco and two women said to be relatives of Garcia Zarate. Before the shooting, Garcia Zarate had been on track for a sixth deportation after serving 46 months in prison for felony re-entry into the country. But his course changed when he was transferred from federal custody to San Francisco jail in March 2015 on an old warrant alleging he fled marijuana charges in 1995. When city prosecutors discharged the case, the Sheriffs Department released Garcia Zarate despite a federal request to hold him for deportation. Then-Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi cited the citys sanctuary policies, which limit local cooperation with immigration enforcement and seek to encourage undocumented people to feel comfortable having a relationship with city agencies. Anger over Garcia Zarates release contributed to Mirkarimis 2016 re-election defeat. But San Francisco remains committed to its sanctuary status, and Gov. Jerry Brown this month signed a bill to create a statewide sanctuary policy. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors amended the citys sanctuary policies after the shooting. But if a person with Garcia Zarates record were in San Francisco jail today, and eligible for release, he would still be freed rather than turned over to immigration agents. President Trump argued during his campaign that the case showed the need for his proposed wall along the Mexican border. The Trump administration has since invoked Garcia Zarate and the slaying in its effort, unsuccessful so far, to strip federal funds from cities and states that refuse to take part in immigration enforcement. The House of Representatives, meanwhile, passed Kates Law, which would increase prison sentences for immigrants who, like the shooter, re-enter the U.S. after deportation. Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo HALFMOON, N.Y. A physician who allegedly conducted human brain-activity experiments on people associated with the NXIVM corporation has apparently not published a scientific study in years and there is no indication his private research was being overseen by an independent review board, according to a medical expert and records of the National Institutes of Health and U.S. National Library of Medicine. The state of New York is examining the unusual research conducted by Dr. Brandon B. Porter, who abruptly resigned from his job at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany this week and has been associated with NXIVM for many years. The state Health Department initially brushed off a complaint filed in August by a Vancouver, British Columbia, woman who was associated with NXIVM and said she was traumatized from a bizarre experiment in which Porter showed her videos depicting graphic violence in August 2016. On Wednesday, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it was reviewing the Health Department's handling of the complaint. NXIVM has acknowledged it has conducted human research studies, including for treatment of Tourette's syndrome, although it's unclear that any of the studies sanctioned by the company have been published or peer reviewed. Also, Internal Revenue Service records indicate a non-profit associated with NXIVM acquired more than $145,000 worth of computers, medical equipment and brain-activity monitors several years ago. The IRS filings indicate the non-profit, Ethical Science Foundation, was funded at least in part by donations from Clare W. Bronfman, an heiress of the Seagram Company business empire who has described herself as the operations director of the NXIVM corporation. A 2015 IRS form filed by the non-profit listed its "charitable activities" as "Tourettes study studying the effects of a specific and innovative method has on individuals with Tourettes syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder." The 2015 tax form said its expenses were $32,620. The Vancouver woman, Jennifer Kobelt, 28, said the experiment she was subjected to last year which had no apparent connection to Tourette's syndrome took place in a small commercial building in Halfmoon that has been used for years by NXIVM for training and seminars. Kobelt said she was recruited for the study by an assistant of Nancy Salzman, who is NXIVM's president, and that she knew of at least four other women who took part. Kobelt said she was not told what the study was for or what would take place, and that she was not asked to sign any documents indicating she had been informed what the study was about and consented to take part. Porter drove Kobelt to the building that day, she said, hooked her up to an EEG machine that monitors brain activity and showed her terrifying images and videos of murder, rape and mutilation. She described her ordeal to the Times Union this week and also detailed her experience in a complaint that she filed with the state Department of Health earlier this summer. In response to the complaint that Kobelt filed with the state Health Department two months ago, the agency sent her a letter saying that what she described was "not medical misconduct." When asked last week about its standards for human brain studies, an agency spokesman said: "In cases where a study of human brain activity involves the practice of medicine, the physician conducting the study must comply with all standards of professional medical conduct, including the laws regarding informed consent." Porter's research on Kobelt and other women involved with NXIVM may be subject to ethical rules governing scientific research, according to medical experts. Kobelt said that Porter routinely monitored the brain activity of her and other women, usually while they were taking part in NXIVM-related "personal development trainings." Daniel Patrone, a lecturer at the State University of New York at Oneonta and a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Clinical Research & Bioethics, said regulations governing independent oversight of human studies may only apply to research that's associated with institutions supported by federal funding, or performed in support of applications for FDA approval. Patrone, who provided general background and did not directly address Porter's research, said privately funded research, even if it involves human subjects, "doesn't necessarily qualify as 'regulated research' under federal guidelines." "In some cases, for instance, physicians have some latitude to try out new, untested procedures without undergoing external review," Patrone said. "But even then, doctors need to have a good reason to think that the experimental procedure is in the best interests of the patient. There's a bright professional and ethical line it's always the patient's interests and well-being that matter here. A physician's professional judgment isn't license to experiment on people, no matter how important the physician, or anyone else, might think the experiments would be. That's settled medical ethics. It's settled research ethics." Patrone said scientific standards have also established strict guidelines requiring independent review panels on human research studies to protect participants. "This isn't just about preventing dangerous or worthless human-subjects' research," Patrone said. "It is about that. But it's also about the fact that with the white coat comes a considerable amount of power in the relationship with patients." NXIVM issued a statement on its website this week defending its practices in the wake of a New York Times story about Porter's experiment and a secret women's group within NXIVM in which another doctor branded female participants with the initials of NXIVM's founder, Keith Raniere, and a NXIVM associate, Allison Mack. The corporate statement also noted the company's interest in research, saying: "NXIVM has documented an initial case study of ten individuals suffering from Tourette's syndrome, a neurological disease known to be incurable, who were able to radically reduce, and in some cases completely eradicate, their symptoms." It's unclear whether Porter was involved in that study or what an "initial case study" is. Bronfman, Porter and Raniere did not respond to requests for comment. A database run by the National Institutes of Health indicates Porter was involved in at least four scientific studies between 2002 and 2006 related to cellular research, but none of those involved neurology, neuroscience, psychology or psychiatry. There is no indication those studies were connected to the Environmental Science Foundation. Dr. Arthur L. Caplan, head of the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University School of Medicine in New York City, who also reviewed the NIH database, said it's not unusual for non-profits to be used to fund scientific research. Caplan said that he is not familiar with the details of Porter's brain-activity research and had only reviewed press reports on the matter. Based on the information he has gleaned from the press reports, he said, there may be questions for the state Health Department or other agencies that regulate doctors about whether the research was done according to accepted scientific standards. "To me there's nothing about this that bears any resemblance to real scientific research other than calling it that, but that doesn't make it so," Caplan said. "When you set up a foundation and sponsor research you want to make sure that you are being responsible because the taxpayers are giving you a tax break for this foundation. So you want to make sure your work is peer reviewed and not just funding some fringe, bizarre, marginal interest that a doctor or scientist might want to indulge." The state is also reexamining the actions of another doctor associated with NXIVM, Danielle Roberts, who two women said used a cauterizing tool to brand multiple participants in the secret women's group. According to information referenced in a complaint filed with the state by Sarah Edmondson of Vancouver, at least 20 women associated with NXIVM were lured into the club. The participants were required to provide some sort of damaging "collateral," such as a nude photo or a dark revelation from their past, in order to become part of the club, she said. Edmondson and another woman involved with NXIVM told the Times Union that they were brought into the club and subsequently branded by Roberts, who then gave them special bandages and advice on helping the wounds heal. Edmondson said she was told it would be a "tattoo" and that she only learned weeks later that the brand, which she was told was a Latin symbol for "the elements," was actually the initials of Raniere and Mack, whom Edmondson's complaint identified as having "started" the secret women's group with Raniere. State Health Department officials said they are researching what regulations there may be, if any, governing human branding. In July, they had dismissed Edmondson's complaint, saying the allegations "did not occur with the doctor-patient relationship and should be reported to law enforcement ..." Edmondson said she contacted State Police, but an investigator told her there was no criminal conduct because the women agreed to be branded. Chatham The scandal involving sexual harassment and assault allegations against powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has caused the cancellation of a movie to be shown at the village's FilmColumbia festival and a movie about General Electric's controversial beginnings no less. The Weinstein Co. pushed the film "The Current War," which is about the battle between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, from its planned release on Nov. 24 to an undisclosed time in 2018. The removal means it will not be shown Monday night at the Chatham film festival, which runs until Friday. The turn of events also means that the movie, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Edison and Michael Shannon as Westinghouse, might not be released in time to be eligible for the 2018 Oscar nominations. "The Weinstein Company decided wisely to push back the release of this film until sometime in 2018 as the company realized that it would be difficult to focus on the merits of the film given the overwhelming scandal," FilmColumbia artistic director Laurence Kardish said. "Fortunately we were able to make a quick substitution." The dark comedy "I, Tonya," starring Margot Robbie as figure skater Tonya Harding, will be shown instead. More Information If you go For more about Chatham's film festival and purchasing tickets, go to www.filmcolumbia.org. See More Collapse "The Current War" traces Edison's brutal rivalry with electric competitor and Pittsburgh business giant George Westinghouse. Edison used questionable means in an attempt to prove Westinghouse's alternating current method was dangerous compared to Edison's direct current method. Edison publicly electrocuted dogs, horses and even a circus elephant with alternating current in an attempt to prove his point, according to an article published by the Smithsonian. In the end, however, Westinghouse's method proved more effective at transferring electricity over great distances and General Electric eventually adopted alternating current as its standard. The battle of the electric titans happened in the mid-1800s around the same time Edison moved his Machine Works, a different company than his electric company, to Schenectady. The Hollywood Reporter said two weeks ago that Weinstein was removing his producing credit from "The Current War" so the scandal would not taint the film's chances at Oscar nominations. Earlier this month Weinstein was fired from his own company and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after the New York Times published a scathing article about the many women who accused Weinstein of attempting to extract sexual favors in exchange for career advancement. Tens of other women, including some of Hollywood's most well-known actresses, have since come forward. The writer of "The Current War," Michael Mitnick, also dropped out of a panel that was scheduled for last week at the New York Film Festival. Variety reported that Mitnick decided it wouldn't be appropriate to promote "The Current War" due to the scandal. Film festival attendees who already bought tickets for "The Current War" can use those tickets to see "I, Tonya." The festival, in its 18th year, uses the historic Crandell Theatre as its base, and hosts many films that have also been screened at the New York, Venice, Toronto and Cannes film festivals. lyedwards@timesunion.com 518-454-5403 Back in the 1990s, the Finnish pianist Olli Mustonen was a favored collaborator with Herbert Blomstedt and the San Francisco Symphony, turning in performances that were oddly mannered but also eerily effective. Then he more or less went away, at least as far as local audiences were concerned. In a startlingly brusque and off-putting return engagement in Berkeleys Hertz Hall on Sunday afternoon, Mustonen revealed that the mannerisms are still there but the effectiveness is gone. Appearing as a solo recitalist under the aegis of Cal Performances, he unleashed some of the ugliest, most brutally percussive pianism Ive heard in a long time. The repertoire was nicely mixed, with sonatas by Beethoven and Prokofiev, Schumanns Kinderszenen (Scenes of Childhood) and a 1981 collection of pedagogical pieces by the Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin. Yet the details scarcely mattered, because everything came out sounding just the same: loud, aggressive and almost wholly devoid of expressive nuance. One might think that such an approach would be hard to pull off in the Schumann, a collection of reflective character pieces suffused with tenderness and tinged with nostalgia. But that would be to reckon without Mustonens overarching, one-size-fits-all MO for dynamics and keyboard texture. In his reading, even the poetic passages sounded mostly strident (the one notable exception was the cycles shimmery final moments, whose effect was quashed by the applause from a single overeager audience member). And the more vigorous movements werent so much energetic as explosively mechanistic. Mustonen brought the same unmodulated pile-driver aesthetic to Beethovens A-Major Sonata, Op. 2, No. 2, and to nearly every one of the 15 short, potentially charming studies in Shchedrins Notebook for Young People. Dynamics ranged from loud to punishingly loud; notes and key phrases were emphasized with all the finesse of a finger in the eye. After a while, the unwavering onslaught had a disorienting effect, like that of repeating the same word over and over until it loses any meaning. By midway through the program, I was starting to doubt whether it was even possible to play an emphatic piano chord that didnt sound like an anvil had been dropped on the keyboard. Intellectually I knew Id heard other pianists do it, but I could no longer remember or even imagine what it sounded like. Mustonens recital did boast one final, O. Henry-like twist, though. He concluded with Prokofievs Seventh Sonata, whose finale is a famous display of just the kind of steely, unwavering ferocity that had run unbidden throughout the program, and that promised to raise the level of clatter to an even more absurd level. In fact, though, that movement turned out to be the one fully successful passage of the entire afternoon, a perfect blend at long last of style and substance. When you play everything as though it were Prokofievs Seventh, maybe thats the only piece you really need to play. Joshua Kosman is The San Francisco Chronicles music critic. Email: jkosman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JoshuaKosman This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON The widow of one of four soldiers killed in Niger went on television Monday to criticize President Trump for how he spoke to her during a condolence call last week, drawing a swift denial from Trump, who breathed new life into a bitter controversy that has transformed a tragedy into a political feud. Myeshia Johnson, whose husband, Sgt. La David Johnson, was killed early this month in an attack that is under investigation by the U.S. military, said the president had blundered through the condolence call he made to her last week, only deepening her grief because he did not seem to know her husbands name. The president said, He knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway, Johnson said during an interview with ABC News George Stephanopoulos. It made me cry because I was very angry at the tone in his voice and how he said it. She said Trumps memory seemed to falter during their exchange. He couldnt remember my husbands name, Johnson said. The only way he remembered my husbands name is because he told me he had my husbands report in front of him and thats when he actually said La David. I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husbands name. And thats what hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country, and he risked his life for our country, why cant you remember his name? Last week, Trump denied saying that Johnson had known what he signed up for, but John Kelly, the presidents chief of staff and who is himself the father of a Marine killed in action told reporters that Trump had said those words. Kelly said that this message had provided solace to him when he received the news of his sons death. On Monday, even as White House officials conceded privately that they had to find a way to move beyond the episode, Trump refused to back down, posting a message on Twitter that contradicted Johnsons account after her interview was broadcast. I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Trump said in his message. The presidents response seemed certain to keep alive the extraordinary squabble, which erupted a week ago when Trump was asked about the deadly ambush in Niger and asserted wrongly that previous presidents had not called the families of U.S. troops killed in action. He then proceeded to call relatives of the soldiers killed in Niger, only to have Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., who listened to Trumps conversation with Johnson, criticize the president publicly for his words. On Monday, Johnson supported Wilson, who has been feuding with both Trump and Kelly over the call. Whatever Ms. Wilson said was not fabricated, Johnson said. What she said was 100 percent correct. Johnson said that on the call, she let Trump do most of the talking as her anger grew. When asked if she wanted to say anything to Trump, the young widow decided against delivering a message. Yamiche Alcindor and Julie Hirschfeld Davis are New York Times writers. WASHINGTON President Trump on Monday turned a Medal of Honor ceremony for a Vietnam-era Army medic who risked his life to help wounded comrades into a mini homework tutorial for the boy and girl who came to watch their grandfather be enshrined into the history of our nation. Every Wednesday, retired Army Capt. Gary Roses grandchildren Kaitlyn and Christian head to his Huntsville, Ala., home for homework night with him and their grandmother, Margaret, Trump said. I think that Kaitlyn and Christian will agree this field trip is their best homework assignment yet. Right? Trump said he had been told that Christian recently asked Rose about the Medal of Honor. Then he proceeded to explain. Its the award given to Americas bravest heroes who earn our freedom with their sacrifice, said Trump, whose lack of military service has drawn renewed attention during the debate over the fate of four service members who were killed in an ambush in Niger. Those who receive the Medal of Honor went above and beyond the call of duty to protect their fellow service members and defend our nation, he said. He said Rose is a patriot who never gives up, never gives in, and always stands strong for God, for family, and for country. With that, a military aide read a citation recounting the acts of heroism the now 70-year-old Rose performed on Sept. 11. 1970, as the only medic for 136 men who embarked on a mission designed to keep the North Vietnamese from funneling weapons along the Ho Chi Minh trail to use against American troops. Throughout the four-day mission, Trump said, Mike rescued those in distress without any thought for his own safety, including in one instance by using his body to shield a wounded soldier from machine gunfire while treating the man and then carrying him to safety. A helicopter sent to extract the men was downed by enemy fire. At that point in the retelling of Roses story as a member of the 5th Special Forces Group, Trump paused to say, Mike, this is serious stuff. This is not a good four days. Before the chopper crashed, Rose rushed to the aid of a Marine gunner who was shot in the throat. Rose was thrown from the helicopter before it hit ground, but raced to the crash site less than a mile from where it had taken off and pulled one man after another from the smoldering wreckage, Trump said. Another helicopter rescued them. Rose, covered in blood by the time he reached the base, refused treatment until all of his men had received care. Darlene Superville is an Associated Press writer. WASHINGTON President Trump shot down a possible approach for raising revenue to finance tax cuts in politically must-do legislation for the Republicans, promising Monday the popular 401(k) retirement program will be untouched. As Republicans hurtle toward producing a bill to overhaul the U.S. tax system, theyre scrambling to find new revenue sources to pay for anticipated tax cuts exceeding $1 trillion. A proposal to eliminate the widely used federal deduction for state and local taxes has run into heavy opposition from GOP House members from high-tax states, threatening the enactment of tax legislation that Republicans deem essential to retaining their majority in next years elections. Trump pledged in a tweet there will be no change to tax incentives for the 401(k) retirement programs. The plan crafted by Trump and Republican leaders calls for steep tax cuts for corporations and potentially individuals, a doubling of the standard deduction used by most Americans, shrinking the number of tax brackets from seven to three or four, and the repeal of inheritance taxes on multimillion-dollar estates. The child tax credit would be increased and the tax system would be simplified; most Americans would be able to file their income taxes on a postcard, according to the plan. Crucial details of the plan have yet to be worked out, notably what income levels would fit with each tax bracket. With the possibility of the state and local deduction being at least partly preserved, some Republican lawmakers were considering limiting the amount workers could save in 401(k) retirement accounts. It was a trial balloon and it crashed, said Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute. Theyre struggling to find legitimate offsets for tax cuts. Everyone has been promised they are going to be better off with tax reform, and thats really hard to do in a fiscally responsible way, Riedl said. Employees earnings from defined-contribution retirement plans such as 401(k)s arent taxed until retirement; pay-ins by both employers and employees also receive tax-preferred status. That cost the government $82.7 billion in lost revenue in the recent budget year a potentially juicy target for Republican tax-cutters. With 55 million U.S. workers holding some $5 trillion in their 401(k) accounts, the plans have become a touchstone of retirement security for the middle class. This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays! Trump tweeted. There will be NO change to your 401(k). House Republicans will be working to pass a budget this week so they can turn their attention to the tax overhaul. Trump warned Sunday that action on tax reform is crucial to avoiding political failure in 2018. Hell work to rally support for the plan at the Capitol Tuesday at a lunch with Senate Republicans. Marcy Gordon is an Associated Press writer. WASHINGTON President Trumps advisory commission on election integrity has integrity questions of its own with some of its own members raising concerns about its openness. This past week, two members fired off letters to commission staff complaining about a lack of information about the panels agenda and demanding answers about its activities. That comes as Democratic U.S. senators are requesting a government investigation of the commission for ignoring formal requests from Congress. The criticism from the commissioners was remarkable because it came from insiders the very people who are supposed to be privy to its internal discussions and plans. In a letter sent Oct. 17, Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said it was clear he was not being made aware of information pertaining to the commission. He requested copies of all correspondence between commission members since Trump signed the executive order creating it in May. I am in a position where I feel compelled to inquire after the work of the commission upon which I am sworn to serve, and am yet completely uninformed as to its activities, Dunlap wrote in his letter to Andrew Kossack, the commissions executive director. He said he had received no information about the commissions research or activities since its last meeting, on Sept. 12. He also said he continued to receive media inquiries about commission developments that I as a commissioner am blind to. A commissioner from Alabama, Jefferson County Probate Judge Alan King, said he sent a similar letter late last week. He said the only information he has received since the commissions meeting more than a month ago was an email informing him of the death of a fellow commissioner, former Arkansas state lawmaker David Dunn. Here I am on this high-level government committee, and I dont know when the next meetings are or how many meetings there will be, he said in a telephone interview. King and Dunlap are two of four Democrats on the 11-member commission. Requests for comment sent to Kossack, the commissions executive director, and the commissions vice chairman, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, were not returned. Christina A. Cassidy is an Associated Press writer. BLM ranger John Woychowskis .40-caliber Sig Sauer handgun has received far less attention, and how it ended up in Garcia Zarates hands remains a mystery. Garcia Zarates defense attorneys plan to argue that he found the gun wrapped in a T-shirt, and that he didnt know what he was holding when a round accidentally fired, bounced off the concrete pier and traveled some 78 feet before it hit Steinle in the back on July 1, 2015. But no one disputes that it was a bullet from Woychowskis gun that killed Steinle. Ranger Based in El Centro Woychowskis reason for being in San Francisco the evening of June 27, 2015, is somewhat unclear, although he will likely be questioned about it when he takes the stand. According to attorneys familiar with his statements to police and to his own agency, Woychowski has said he left El Centro, California, near the Mexican border, on June 27. He was on his way to an official assignment in Helena, Montana, that was supposed to begin around July 4. The trip wasnt strictly business, though. The attorneys say Woychowski was driving his personal vehicle, and he had passengers his then-girlfriend and three children, 5, 10 and 14 years old. According to attorneys familiar with the case, Woychowski told investigators he left on a day off and drove up the California coast over 600 miles before stopping near the Embarcadero in San Francisco for dinner at almost 10 p.m. When Woychowski and the group returned to the vehicle, they found it burglarized, with the backpack containing Woychowskis duty weapon and ammunition missing. It had been stashed under the drivers seat. The guns path from there to Jose Ines Garcia Zarates hands as he sat in a spinning metal chair on Pier 14 four days later is unknown. Garcia Zarates defense attorneys attempted to introduce evidence in August that Woychowskis vehicle was among several cars burglarized in the area along the Embarcadero south of the Ferry Building the night of June 27. Woychowski made a report to San Francisco police at 11:14 p.m., according to the defense motion. Another auto burglary, in a parking garage near 300 Embarcadero, just down the street from Pier 14, was reported at 11:34 p.m. The backpack, a .40-caliber ammunition magazine and Woychowskis BLM-issued credit cards were found near the site of the second break-in. But that information wont be presented to the jury. To resolve a dispute over its relevance, the prosecution agreed to stipulate that no evidence ties Garcia Zarate to the auto burglaries. It was a small victory for the defenses argument that Garcia Zarate found the gun on the pier just before the shooting, and he didnt know what he was holding until it accidentally fired. No Prosecution Woychowski faced neither discipline nor criminal charges for failing to secure his weapon a misdemeanor under California law. At a hearing on Thursday about the scope of Woychowskis testimony, defense attorney Matt Gonzalez said the police departments treatment of the ranger during its homicide investigation would be probed in front of the jury. The investigation in this case is going to be criticized, he said. [Police] adhered to an age-old custom of protecting their own. Part of that is the kid gloves they treated this ranger with. Attorneys representing Kathryn Steinles family in a civil lawsuit agreed. If the San Francisco Police Department and the district attorney wanted to, they could have pressed charges, civil attorney Alison Cordova said in an interview. From what we know, John Woychowski did not have his gun in a locked compartment in the vehicle. It was in a backpack, unlocked in the vehicle. That is not a locked compartment. It was a violation of criminal law at the time that it happened. Defense attorney Gonzalez says that wasnt the only crime. Woychowski had a second handgun in the spare tire wheel well in the trunk of his car that Gonzalez says was also unsecured. It wasnt stolen. Woychowski didnt mention it to police investigators, and they didnt ask, Gonzalez said. He was worried that he was going to be prosecuted, Gonzalez said, referring to notes of an interview SFPD conducted with Woychowski. He wanted assurances that he wasnt going to be, and they gave it to him. The law that could have led to charges for Woychowski was since strengthened through legislation authored by state Sen. Jerry Hill that took effect this year. Guns are now required to be locked in a container attached to the vehicle, so the container cant simply be swiped. Leaving a weapon unsecured in a vehicle also now carries a potential $1,000 penalty. No Discipline Even though he wasnt criminally charged, Woychowski should have faced administrative discipline such as a reprimand, suspension or firing, Gonzalez says, for violating BLM law enforcement policies in addition to state law. He faced none, however. The jury wont hear about that, though. Prosecuting attorney Diana Garcia successfully moved to exclude any testimony about a lack of consequences for the ranger. The jury is going to be fixated on, Oh my God, he wasnt disciplined, she said in court. I dont want them deliberating about that. But the BLM policies around firearm safety and security will come into evidence, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Samuel Feng ruled. The bureau closely guards the rules that govern law enforcement officers, arguing they are exempt from public disclosure. Defense attorneys provided KQED with the BLM policies relevant to their case. The policies came into the case over the prosecutions objection. The BLM policies are not on trial, prosecutor Garcia argued. None of the policies or rules are applicable to him. The BLM ranger did not violate any policies or procedures in place at the time. While there was an apparent loophole in specific regulations on storage of weapons in personal vehicles, Woychowski still appears to have violated several more general BLM law enforcement rules in place in 2015. An LEO (law enforcement officer) is responsible for ensuring that their authorized firearms are secure at all times, say general orders in place in 2011. They were later strengthened in response to Office of the Inspector General findings about lax firearm security throughout the Department of the Interior, which includes the BLM. Firearms not in an officers immediate control must be appropriately secured to ensure they are kept out of reach of children or other unauthorized persons, according to a Department of the Interior manual issued in 2014. The defense plans to argue that Woychowskis road trip with three children and his unlocked firearm that was eventually stolen violates that rule. We can allege that he violated policy, they can argue that he didnt, Gonzalez said after court. But in that skirmish I assure you that the takeaway will be he shouldnt have left his gun in a car loaded like that in a backpack. I think thats easy. BLM again updated its firearms rules after Steinles death. The bureau now requires two levels of locks on firearms stored in vehicles, and it closed the personal vehicle loophole. An instruction memorandum issued in June last year appears to reference Woychowskis conduct: While GO [General Order] 15, Firearms includes policy guidance focused on security, storage and handling requirements for firearms carried within officially assigned vehicles (e.g., government-owned vehicles such as Law Enforcement Rangers and Special Agents), it was determined additional guidance was necessary to address the securing of firearms within personally-owned vehicles, rental vehicles, etc. The federal governments internal investigation into Woychowskis conduct is not public. But attorneys defending the federal government in a civil lawsuit filed by Kathryn Steinles family included a description of the internal accountability for Woychowski in a footnote on a Sept. 12, 2016, motion to dismiss filed early in the case. The motion was eventually rejected. [T]he BLM rangers conduct was reviewed, and he was not found to have violated BLM rules or policies in place at the time of the theft were violated (sic), the footnote says. Calm Under Pressure Its unclear how long it took the BLM to absolve Woychowski through its review. But the loss of his unsecured firearm didnt prevent him from being promoted to a supervisory position five months after Steinles death, according to a former employee of the bureau and an internal BLM email thread that person provided to KQED. Its astonishing, civil attorney Cordova said of Woychowskis promotion when she was informed of it by KQED. Its really inexcusable. Gonzalez brought up the promotion in court on Thursday, after he learned about it in an interview with KQED. Your honor, he got promoted after this incident, Gonzalez said. Its not just lack of discipline. They [BLM] have zero credibility as an agency. The email thread announcing Woychowskis promotion starts with a message from Stephanie Clark, then the chief ranger of the BLMs El Centro field office, sent just before 1 p.m. on Dec. 9, 2015. Its recipients include the BLMs top law enforcement official in California, Special Agent in Charge Kynan Barrios, and the BLMs chief ranger in the state, Salvador Nieblas. Both are based in Sacramento but worked previously in El Centro. Im pleased to announce the selections of Ranger George Masner and Ranger John Woychowski as Supervisory Staff Law Enforcement Rangers (Field Supervisors) for the El Centro Field Office, the message begins. Clark mentions that both men had in the past served as acting supervisory rangers. John is an accomplished Field Training Instructor and provides tremendous guidance to his trainees, El Centro Rangers, and peers throughout the nation; experience greatly needed as El Centro prepares the next generation of rangers. Masner went on to become acting chief ranger for the El Centro field office, according to an annual report from February. The Bureau of Land Management confirmed that Woychowski was a BLM employee in July, when KQED reported that he was identified by a defense subpoena in the Garcia Zarate trial. The agency refused repeated requests to verify Woychowskis employment history where he had worked and in what positions since joining the BLM. He is listed in publicly available federal purchase records, however, as being based in El Centro from late 2009 to 2017. He was named ranger of the year in El Centro in 2011, according to a BLM newsletter announcement, since removed from the bureaus website (archived here). The post includes a photograph of Woychowski with then-El Centro Chief Ranger Margaret Goodro and Woychowskis then-supervisor, Salvador Nieblas. Nieblas had himself risen through the ranks of the BLM and in 2015, he was the chief BLM ranger for all of California, as he is today. Stephanie Clarks email announcing Woychowskis promotion in December 2015 was sent to state-level BLM officials and employees in the El Centro office. Nieblas forwarded the announcement, with a message of his own to larger email lists: All, Please join me in congratulating George Masner and John Woychowski as the 2 new LE supervisors for the busy El Centro Field Office. Their law enforcement field experience along with their stints as acting LE supervisors, acting Chiefs, shift leads, ops chiefs, and Incident Commanders sets a strong foundation for leadership, especially as we endeavor to rebuild our ranks. Not only are they good at making arrests, they easily transition to community policing and involving our non-LE staff to meet our mission. Calm under pressure. Congrats, Sal The email thread and the promotions it celebrated were confirmed by current and former BLM employees who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are either not authorized to speak on the record or because they fear retaliation from the federal government, including the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. departments of the Interior and Justice, which are all involved in the criminal and civil litigation arising from Steinles death. Though he received no consequences, both criminal and civil attorneys allege Woychowskis carelessness played a key role in Steinles killing. None of this would have been possible but for Woychowskis negligence, defense attorney Gonzalez said. He started the chain of events and theres been no scrutiny of his actions. He continued: You dont want to punish someone for an accident which he feels bad about. OK, we understand that. But to promote him is an affront to the role that he played in starting this chain of events. The former employee who saved and eventually provided to KQED a copy of the email announcing Woychowskis promotion said the Steinle family has a right to know about it. I feel horrible for the family, the source said. I feel somewhat accountable. I worked for the agency. I know the devil is in the details. I know the fact that he really shouldnt have been there. I know for a fact that he shouldnt have left his gun in the car. He did two major no-nos. KQED sought comment from BLM leadership involved in announcing Woychowskis promotion. Stephanie Clark could not be reached for comment. John Woychowski, Salvador Nieblas and Kynan Barrios did not return phone messages seeking comment. The BLM will not comment on employment history in cases where the request pertains to pending litigation, a spokeswoman for the bureaus California state office wrote in an emailed response. Marisa Lagos, Dan Brekke and David Weir of KQED News contributed to this report. A giant cheeseburger, a surreal looking fishbowl, and two blue-faced men hugging are just some of the surreal sculptures placed on an Australian beach recently. The sculptures on the beaches of Sydney are part of the Sculpture by the Sea public art exhibition. ANAHEIM Many California Republicans are frustrated that they frequently dont have a GOP candidate to vote for in November, often feeling forced to either choose between two Democrats or not cast a ballot at all. So on Sunday at its convention in Anaheim, the California Republican Party tried to take a step to decrease the chances of that happening by making it easier for the party to endorse candidates. Since California voters approved Proposition 14 in 2010, the top two finishers in the primary, regardless of political party, advance to the general election in November. It was pitched to voters as a way to elect more moderate candidates and reduce gridlock. Republicans, however, say the opposite has happened, with the Legislature more liberal than ever and California dominated by Democrats. Too often for many Republican voters, those top two finishers are Democrats not surprising in a state where 45 percent of the registered voters are Democrats, 26 percent are Republicans and 25 percent of voters decline to state a party preference. Republicans havent won a statewide office since 2006 and are a super-minority in the Legislature. Republicans hope that by making it easier for the party to give its seal of approval to one candidate, there would be fewer scenarios like what happened in the 2012 U.S. Senate race. More than two dozen little-known Republican candidates divided up the GOP vote in the primary, and none captured the grassroots full attention. Elizabeth Emken, a Danville Republican who advocates for people with autism, emerged from that primary pack with 13 percent of the vote, while incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., had 50 percent. Feinstein soundly beat Emken that November to win re-election. We have to give ourselves a chance to win, Republican National Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon, a San Francisco attorney who proposed the change, said Sunday. We should stop putting ourselves at a disadvantage to Democrats, who endorse candidates in primaries. Republicans hope that by endorsing candidates at their next convention May 4, they could give themselves an extra bit of momentum for the June primary a few weeks later. This is not a perfect thing, said Tony Krvaric, chair of the San Diego Republican Party, but it is a way to assert ourselves. Ill be darned if I sit on my hands while the Democratic Party endorses, the Chamber of Commerce endorses, the special interests endorse, all the unions endorse, he said. To be considered for the partys endorsement, a candidate would have to be a registered Republican for one year, obtain the written endorsement of 200 party delegates from different parts of the state, and secure the backing of five members of the partys board of directors. Then, at the convention, a candidate would have to receive the support of 60 percent of the delegates. Mark Meuser, a Republican attorney from Concord who just launched his campaign for California secretary of state, said anyone who couldnt fulfill those requirements isnt a serious candidate. But, Meuser added, the value of the partys endorsement depends on the resources that party puts into that endorsement. If they just announce it on their website, it doesnt mean that much. Even though many at the convention grumbled about Prop. 14 the top-two system the party did not take action on a resolution to go on record calling for its repeal. Its a sad day when anyone in the party would support a system that all but guarantees that a Republican wont be on the November ballot for a statewide office, said former state party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro. The people in the party dont like it, but the elite want to keep it, said Laurie Wallace, a delegate from Placer County. Even Eric Bauman, chairman of the California Democratic Party, opposes Prop. 14 but for different reasons. If there wasnt a top-two primary system, I wouldnt have to spend millions in Dem-on-Dem races in Democratic districts across the state, Bauman said Sunday. Instead, he could be spending that money trying to flip Republican-held seats, he said. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli MANILA The Philippines on Monday declared an end to months of fighting against Islamic State group-inspired militants in the southern city of Marawi, saying that the last stragglers had been killed in a firefight with the army. The announcement came on the same day that U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in the Philippines for an annual meeting of defense ministers in the region. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana of the Philippines said more than 40 militants, including at least five foreigners, had been killed when Philippine soldiers stormed a building in Marawi where they were holed up. Forty-two bodies were recovered, said Lorenzana, who called the militants the last group of stragglers in the monthslong siege. We now announce the termination of all combat operations in Marawi, Lorenzana said at the Clark Freeport Zone, north of Manila, formerly a sprawling U.S. military base. Mattis told reporters before his arrival Monday that the Philippines had delivered a very necessary message to the terrorists in Marawi. Mattis and the other defense chiefs were expected to discuss Islamist militancy and other issues affecting the region, including North Koreas nuclear pursuits and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Lorenzanas announcement came 154 days after militants led by Isnilon Hapilon, whose Abu Sayyaf group is affiliated with the Islamic State, sacked the southern city of 200,000, burning homes, killing Christians and prompting most residents to flee. The fighting was set off May 23 when the Philippine military moved to arrest Hapilon and was surprised by a huge rebel force that had stockpiled large numbers of weapons. Since then, much of the city has been devastated as the military, with intelligence support from the United States and Australia, fought to reclaim it. At least 1,000 people have been killed, most of them militants. President Rodrigo Duterte said last week that Marawi had been liberated, though officials later clarified that there were still fighters in the city. Hapilon was killed last week, as were the last of the Maute brothers, who led a militant group allied with Hapilon, and Mahmud Ahmad, a Malaysian who the authorities described as a key financier for the militants and a link to the Islamic State in Syria. Lorenzana said the military had crushed the most serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism to the southern Philippines. Felipe Villamor is a New York Times writer. KABUL Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made back-to-back, unannounced visits to Afghanistan and Iraq on Monday, flying into both countries under great secrecy out of concern that he might be a target for militants. As his day looked likely to stretch from before dawn to past midnight, covering almost 4,000 miles, Tillerson and his aides donned flak vests and helmets in Baghdad before boarding helicopters that took them to the U.S. Embassy and elsewhere in the Green Zone to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and President Fouad Massoum. Tillersons visit to Afghanistan was conducted in even greater secrecy and was announced only after he had left the country. Though he never left Bagram air base, north of Kabul, his short visit showcased U.S. support for the Afghan government after a week of Taliban attacks that killed more than 200 people. After arriving from Doha, Qatar, Tillerson met with President Ashraf Ghani to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to helping Afghanistan win its war with the Taliban and achieve peace, according to U.S. and Afghan officials. I thought it was very important to stop here in Afghanistan coming to the South Asia region as part of the recently announced policy and strategy that President Trump put forth, Tillerson said after meeting with Ghani for about an hour. He was referring to a U.S. buildup in Afghanistan that will add about 4,000 troops, for a total of 13,500 in the country. The visit underscores the strong tone that Tillerson is expected to adopt with Pakistan during his visit with interim Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and other officials on Tuesday. Earlier this year, Trump threatened Pakistan with sanctions for offering safe havens to terrorists near the border with Afghanistan an allegation that Pakistan officials deny. Senior officials in Islamabad were quoted by Pakistani media on Monday vowing to work as closely as possible to defeat terrorist groups on the border but insisting that the U.S. military stay away from Pakistan. Tillerson said he will discuss with Pakistani leaders specific requests by the Trump administration for actions that cripple the support networks of the Taliban and other extremist groups. Antonio Olivo and Carol Morello are Washington Post writers. CITY HALL -- Great Kills resident Christopher Altieri wants Mayor Bill de Blasio and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis to talk about rising property tax bills many Staten Island homeowners face. Each week until the Nov. 7 general election, the Advance will select a reader question on a Staten Island issue and pose it to the de Blasio and Malliotakis campaigns. Submit your own question with your full name, age and neighborhood of residence by email to asanders@siadvance.com or by leaving a comment on this article. THE QUESTION Altieri, 52, emailed the Advance, "NYC enjoys 12.6 billion dollars, probably more, in reserve funds, i.e. General reserve fund, Capital Construction fund, Retiree Health Insurance fund, etc... There are huge inequities within Class 1 effective property tax rates. deBlasio and his neighbors pay a .2% effective tax rate while most Staten Island homeowners pay a 1% effective tax rate. This has been occurring throughout your public service yet inequities in class 1 effective property tax rates widen, property tax bills increase significantly, annual multi billion dollar budget surpluses keep rolling in and huge NYC reserve funds grow in size. "The over all rate argument is irrelevant. How do you justify Staten Island homeowners paying five times the effective property tax rate that the Mayor and his neighbors pay? What will you do to correct these inequities? What will you do to stop growing Class 1 property tax bills? 12.6 billion dollars in reserve funds. How much is enough?" The borough-wide median effective tax rate is 1.12 percent excluding any property tax exemptions. The South Shore has the highest rate of all community districts citywide at 1.15 percent, followed by 1.11 percent on the North Shore and 1.10 percent in Mid-Island. The citywide median effective tax rate is 0.95 percent. The community district where de Blasio pays property taxes has the lowest rate in all five boroughs at 0.26 percent. But the fiscal year 2018 budget actually includes roughly $5.65 billion in reserves, according to the mayor's office. Under the Council's own method of calculation, which is different from the mayor's office, there were about $9.3 billion in reserves at the time of the executive budget proposal this past spring. Altieri also confronted de Blasio about property taxes and speed cameras in Oakwood in May 2015. Responses from candidates to his question are copied verbatim, but any factual errors may be noted and responses may be trimmed if longer than 400 words. Here's how they responded: RESPONSE FROM MALLIOTAKIS "As a Staten Island homeowner, I share the frustration felt by so many in our community. My home is valued at nearly 1/3 of the Mayor's home value and yet I am paying much more than he is in property taxes. It cannot be justified, which is why we need to start from scratch and base the property taxes on market rate after a property is sold. The City is failing to tax the most valuable homes at a rate closer to their market value. For example, while the owner of the penthouse in One57 in Manhattan paid nine figures for the home, the city only taxed the unit for $17,000 in property taxes. "We must lobby for a change in state law so property taxes correspond with the sale price of a home. In the meantime, as Mayor, I will control the rapid increase in taxes homeowners are paying by not increasing the property tax levy--which has increased by 28% under Mayor de Blasio. In 2013 the property tax levy was approximately $20 Billion in 2017 the city raised the levy to $26 Billion. The levy is projected to rise again next year by $2 Billion. "I support a property tax cap. Every municipality in the State has a cap except New York City because the Mayor came to Albany to personally lobby against it and got the city exempt. Additionally, he has abused property owners across the four classes by increasing the property tax levy by a whopping 28% during his short time on office to pay for double digit increase in city spending. I understand that we cannot act as if taxpayers are an unlimited source of money, which is why I also support a spending cap like the one we instituted in Albany." RESPONSE FROM DE BLASIO "The reader is right -- New York City's property tax system is fundamentally broken, not to mention opaque and often times unfair. Changing it will not be easy. It will require input and buy-in from communities across the City to forge a new consensus on a tax plan that is fair to all. It will require approval by the City Council, and by Albany -- which alone holds the power to change New York City's property tax formula. It will require thoughtfulness, hard work, and goodwill from all New Yorkers to their neighbors. But I believe change is possible and necessary, and if I am elected to serve another term as Mayor, I pledge to take this challenge head on and work with all communities to forge a new tax system that ensures fairness and equity for all homeowners." SUBMIT A QUESTION!! Submit a question with your full name, age and neighborhood of residence by email to asanders@siadvance.com or by leaving a comment on this article. Priority will be given to topics of general interest to Staten Islanders, as opposed to more narrow questions about issues specific to individual voters. Please include your name, age and neighborhood of residence. We will prioritize those from readers who provide this information. Let us know if there are circumstances that require you to remain anonymous. We'll pick a question and/or topic for the week by Wednesdays at 11 p.m., but suggestions from readers will be accepted on a rolling basis. The answers and responses we get from the candidates and campaigns will be published on Mondays. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A group of protestors stood their ground just outside the gates of St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School in Huguenot on Sunday, rallying for the removal of the school's principal Rev. Michael Reilly. Father Reilly was at the center of a media firestorm in May of last year after a lawsuit was filed by three Sea teachers who accused him of age discrimination, making homophobic, misogynistic and racist remarks and creating a hostile work environment with the constant usage of profanity. Last month, a Manhattan justice dismissed the lawsuit, ruling the teachers failed to meet the legal threshold required to support their claims. But former teachers, parents and students are still rallying for his removal. The group of protestors held up signs during the school's open house for boys and protested last Sunday during the open house for girls. "We are protesting not against the school, but for the best interest of the school," said former religion teacher Tim Sennett. "I'm disappointed in the decision [of the dismissed lawsuit]. Just because it was dismissed, doesn't mean the allegations didn't occur." Sennett was a religion teacher at Sea for five years before leaving on his own terms this past June. But he said many students he previously taught still attend the school. "A lot of kids I taught here said their faith has suffered while being here and they think it was a result of Father Reilly," Sennett said. Former student Nick Couteau, who graduated Sea in 2014, said the protest is not about the number of people who show up, but to get the word out to people who do not know there was a lawsuit filed against Father Reilly. "I find it hypocritical that a Catholic priest can say these things and still run a Catholic school," Couteau said. Sennett said the protests have been negatively misinterpreted and caused backlash among the school community. "Some people are upset by our presence and think we're trying to bring down the school," Sennett said. "I want the school to flourish. But I think a Catholic school only flourishes insofar as it teaches its students to love. Father Reilly has failed in that regard, and I believe he will continue to fail for as long as he remains the principal." Page Content Today another major shipment of emergency equipment arrived on Sint Maarten. An Airbus A400 from the French air force landed today on Princess Juliana International Airport bringing shelter homes, police supplies and medical supplies. The shelter homes will be used as temporary housing for people whose home has been destroyed in the hurricane. The shipment also contains important medical supplies and machines such as incubators, echoes and anesthetics equipment. The Airbus A400 of the French Armed Forces, landed today 11:30 at Princess Juliana International Airport in Philipsburg, Sint. Maarten. The Netherlands and France worked together to provide the island with emergency supplies. Since hurricane Irma hit Sint Maarten on September 6th six major cargoes with aid supplies were shipped to the island by the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Affairs of the Netherlands. At the end of this month, the next shipment will be the Karel Doorman for the third time to supply the island. For further questions you can contact Jaap Oosterveer, spokesperson with the mission of the Netherlands in Sint Maarten +31 6 48 10 01 61 A scene from A River All Red in London on Saturday. [Photo/China Daily] People describe Peking Opera in many ways. Some say it is a comprehensive art form that combines many elements, including singing, speaking, acting, and fighting. Others say it is a stage performance with fancy costumes and masks. And others see it as a symbol of China and a cultural link between the East and the West. Londoners now have the opportunity to experience it and define it for themselves. The China National Peking Opera Company, China's most elite organization in the performance of Peking Opera, has returned to the British capital for a fourth time, bringing with it two masterpieces: A River All Red and The Phoenix Returns Home. The operas, which opened on Saturday at Sadler's Wells Theatre, are being performed until Wednesday. A River All Red is based on the true story of general Yue Fei from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Yue is one of the most famed generals in China's history and a legend of resolute loyalty to his country and allegiance to his people. The Phoenix Returns Home tells the humorous story of a senior court minister who retires and returns to his hometown with his two daughters. The elder daughter, Xueyan, is a plain and ordinary woman while the younger Xue'e is beautiful and elegant. The opera tells tales of love and mistaken identity. Li Xin, a Chinese man living in London, said: "The performance was really touching, I wasn't expected the Peking Opera would actually express as much emotion as other modern operas. The performance was exquisite." The productions are being presented in partnership with London-based Sinolink Productions, a company that promotes Chinese art, culture and performance to British audiences. "Those selected are all-time classics of the authentic Beijing Opera," said Kevin Zhang, producer and director of SinoLink. "It is delightful to see Beijing Opera's fan base growing and we always want to see more next year." Zhang said the performances so far have received very positive feedback from audiences and the United Kingdom's media. "British audiences are quite open-minded and have a very good understanding of Beijing Opera", Zhang said. Yu Kuizhi, who led the cast of A River All Red and who is vice-president of the China National Peking Opera Company, said it was his third time performing in the UK. He said he has noticed an increasing interest in the art from among the public, and particularly among the young. "Never underestimate Western audiences," Yu said. "You may think that it would be hard for them to understand Beijing Opera but that's not true. Of course, we have different educational backgrounds and a different history and culture, but their level of art appreciation is no doubt world-class, especially the attention and awe they have for performers and the arts." He said a lot of people have traveled to Beijing since 2015 to watch performances, after first seeing Peking Opera performed in the UK. Zhang Yangfei contributed to this story. Tuesdays, 2-5 p.m. and Thursdays, 1-4 p.m. Continues through Dec. 22 Michael Victor II Art Library 1 NW Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield Downtown Free and open to the public Books & Authors The new downtown location of the Michael Victor II Art Library is ready for patrons to explore, relax and check out books. Our specialized library collection features over 3,000 books about art and film, most of which are not available at other central Illinois libraries. The library is located on the second floor of the Broadwell Pharmacy Building on the corner of Washington and Fifth streets. Check out the online catalog and call the office for curbside book checkouts! 2175232631 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 Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Women studying engineering and computer science at the Australian National University have spoken of "really weird" male classmates, sexist tutors and "knucklehead boys" in an external audit of the disciplines' culture. The May Group found young men within the College of Engineering and Computer Science perpetuated a culture in which bias, stereotyping, exclusion and a lack of respect affected women's experiences within the school. Women are underrepresented in STEM jobs. Credit:Louise Kennerley About 20 per cent of students within the college are female. The consultancy firm interviewed 12 women and 13 men across five focus groups and found many students felt included. However, the variation between the experiences of men and women was "concerning", the May Group report said. Women regularly experienced sexual harassment and objectification. Canberra couple Kirsten and Damien Willis spent just precious hours with their stillborn daughter Beatrix before she was taken away. That was almost three years ago - and Mrs Willis said her arms still ached for her baby. Kirsten Willis of Holt, and Katie Dowling from Queensland lost their babies, Beatrix and Shay. Credit:Karleen Minney "[I felt] shock and disbelief that lasted a couple of hours before it started to wear off and I actually started to cry and then a whole lot of emotions just takes over," Mrs Willis said. "We had waited a really long time for her ... and to have her taken away like that is just devastating." Naaw. Just when Canberra thought it couldn't love Raiders captain Jarrod Croker any more, we find out he cried as bride Brittney Wicks walked down the aisle toward him last weekend. Brittney Wicks wore her Pallas Couture dress - which had pockets - as 'something new'. Credit:Bushturkey Studio Croker and long-time girlfriend Wicks were married on Friday, October 13, at Byron Bay's Forget Me Not homestead, with Croker penning vows that in turn had more than 150 guests in tears. "Jarrod made my day before I even walked down the aisle," Wicks said. Hyperreality is a state of mind, where the real and the simulation of the real are so blended that the conscious mind cannot distinguish where one begins and the other ends and where it is possible to seamlessly combine the real with fiction. The hyperreal gained popularity about half a century ago in painting, photography and sculpture with a widespread appeal with a popular audience and the market place, where people marvelled at its life-like qualities. The Italian writer, philosopher and semiotician, Umberto Eco (1932-2016), in a famous essay Travels in Hyperreality (1975) speculated that the demand for the "real thing" led to the fabrication of the "absolute fake". In the world of the hyperreal everything is a little brighter, the forms a little more perfect and the happiness is more complete. The exhibition at the National Gallery is an excursion into the hyperreal in three-dimensional objects and video art dating from 1974 through to the present. There are 32 artists from around the world, including seven Australians, who through about 50 works engage with different aspects of the hyperreal. If one thinks of it as a movement, although possibly best described as an orientation in art, it is one that is largely at the mercy of technological change. Today 3D modelling and digital sculpting have become commonplace and manual dexterity, so valued only a generation ago, is growing increasingly redundant. As in most good art, it is the conceptual framework that is of higher value than the virtuosity of the execution and, as a matter of fact, many of the hyperreal artists leave the manufacture of their work to technicians. Patricia Piccinini, Prone 2011, silicone, fibreglass, human hair, felt 230 x 60 x 60 cm The Los Angeles artist, Paul McCarthy, best remembered for his extreme performance pieces that invariably involve tomato sauce, vomit and sexual mutilation, in his That Girl (2012-13) hired technicians to take casts to produce perfect replicas of the naked body of the artist's favourite actress in three copies placed on tables with splayed legs and revealed genitalia. Although all sorts of arguments may be advanced on the difference between the naked and the nude, the work invites a rather basic voyeurism that would not be permitted if observing a living model. These pieces are somewhat trite and completely forgettable. Similarly, John DeAndrea, another male American artist, who uses painted bronze instead of McCarthy's silicone, does not go much beyond restating the beautiful nude female body, which is somewhat objectified and presented to the voyeuristic gaze. A Canberra woman felt she was being watched before she noticed a phone pointed at her from underneath a neighbouring cubicle while she undressed, a court heard on Monday. It was October 26 last year, in the Kmart change rooms at the Tuggeranong Hyperdome. The woman, 23, told the ACT Magistrates Court she had entered a cubicle to try on some clothes. She said she saw from the corner of her eye a man walk into the cubicle next to her. She undressed before she noticed the back of a black phone pointed at her from underneath the next cubicle, she said. Out of 78 strip searches performed inside Bimberi throughout 2016-17, not a single one found any contraband, according to the commission's report. Of particular concern to the commission was the alleged use of the "squat and cough" strip search procedure, which has been discontinued. Read gun crime reporter Steven Trask's story here. 'I've never been more traumatised' Jane Keogh has been flying to Manus Island to assist asylum seekers. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong Here's a sobering story from Doug Dingwall. Nun and former school principal Jane Keogh says she has never been more upset or traumatised than after her visit to Manus Island a month ago. Sr Keogh says she was shocked at the deteriorated health of the asylum seekers, who she was visiting for the second time this year. The island is readying itself for the closure of the detention centre on October 31. Read our story here. Woman 'felt like she was being watched' in change room A woman had a phone pointed at her in a Kmart change room. A Canberra woman who had a phone pointed at her in a Kmart change room in Tuggeranong said she felt like she was being watched. The 23-year-old, who fronted court yesterday, said she saw from the corner of her eye a man walk into the cubicle next to her. She undressed before she noticed the back of a black phone pointed at her from underneath the next cubicle, she said. She said the phone appeared and disappeared six to seven times, appearing for roughly five seconds each time. She told the court she pulled out her own phone and started filming. Read Alexandra Back's story here. Doszpot to retire ACT Liberal parliamentarian Steve Doszpot with his wife Maureen. Credit:Jamila Toderas Long-serving Canberra MLA Steve Doszpot will announce his retirement today after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Mr Doszpot, 69, who spent his nine years in the Legislative Assembly raising awareness of "the lost causes", wants to raise awareness of liver cancer and encourage people at risk to have checks. The ACT Human Rights Commission has raised concerns about segregation, strip searching and the use of force inside the Bimberi youth detention centre. In its recent annual report, the commission highlighted issues with "squat and cough" strip searching and poor record keeping on the facility's use of force register. The Human Rights Commission said Bimberi had addressed concerns about strip searching and the use of force. Credit:Rohan Thomson Out of 78 strip searches performed inside Bimberi throughout 2016-17, not a single one found any contraband, according to the commission's report. Of particular concern to the commission was the alleged use of the "squat and cough" strip search procedure. It means the government has effectively foregone $25 million worth of revenue from the property industry since the remissions scheme came into effect in 2014. The tax breaks, or remissions, allow developers to reduce their lease variation charges on blocks of land they apply to change the use of, under criteria for 'economic stimulus' or environmental grounds, or both. Unions ACT secretary Alex White says $25 million in tax breaks for property developers would be better spent on frontline workers. Credit:Graham Tidy Unions ACT secretary Alex White said reports of the rising level of tax breaks delivered to Canberra's property developers illustrated the "excessive greed" of some in the industry. The head of the territory's peak union body has hit out at the ACT government giving property developers $25 million worth of tax breaks, saying such funds should instead go to more frontline workers. Mr White said that what was driving the rising land prices for such blocks was actually public investment in projects like light rail and other infrastructure, but that the industry was still trying to reduce the tax it paid, showing that "no amount of profit is too much". He said the tax was one of the few ways taxpayers could recoup the increase in the value of land caused by public investments, and the profits should be going back to taxpayers. "It's very disappointing that at the same time the government says there's no money to support migrant workers getting ripped off, or no money for extra work safety inspectors, all of those causes that we are told there's no money for, that the government is giving the richest industry in town these tax breaks," he said. "It also shows the political power the industry has, that they don't even have to lobby for laws to change, they get given money for free." ACT Property Council's Adina Cirson has said the industry backs the lease variation charge (LVC) remissions, but that developers believe it could be better targeted. Illustration: John Shakespeare It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Packer has been complaining for years that Crown's investments in Perth and Melbourne have not delivered the returns to justify the massive investment. Why should Sydney be any different. In his latest confessional, Packer also blames the financial settlement with his sister Gretel for plunging the family's privately-owned Consolidated Press Holdings into debt to the tune of $2.3 billion in 2015. We don't know what numbers Packer was looking at, but CBD had a quick look at the CPH financial statement lodged with ASIC and it showed the company had $4.66 billion worth of short-term liabilities in 2014-15, rising to $5.17 billion in 2015-16. Long-term debt was a much more palatable $736 million. The cash flow statement shows that the $338 million in interest payments over the two financial years was almost offset by the $320 million in interest received. And if the debt was such a worry for Packer, he might not have extracted more than $330 million worth of dividends over the two years. Sol-o The ABC's Four Corners was already grabbing the headlines ahead of Monday night's big story on the NBN. And we could only hope that somewhere in the US, former Telstra boss Sol Trujillo was watching this $49 billion trainwreck with a chuckle. More than a decade ago, Sol proposed an audacious $4.5 billion fibre-to-the-node network (FTTN) with user speeds of 24 megabits per second, upgradeable to 100Mbps, deployed to 4 million urban homes within 40 months - if the government gave it the appropriate regulatory protection. Telstra ended up scrapping its plans after failing to come to an agreement. "The government decided they wanted to keep us in the dark ages," said Trujillo's comical sidekick Phil Burgess. It does not bode well that the NBN's $3.6 million CEO, Bill Morrow, is worried that wireless broadband will stifle any chance of the NBN making a profit. It's a bit like Qantas boss Alan Joyce fretting that drones will torch his airline's profits. Baggage clearance The Myer crew are firmly on message as they prepare for an intense investor day, shareholder meeting and chairman transition that might just be derailed by its largest investor, billionaire Solomon Lew. Having nailed his colours to the mast, appointed chairmanGary Hounsell had no choice but to double down on his support for the current strategy when Myer's annual report and AGM notice came out on Monday. "If I am elected at this year's AGM" - and CBD thinks that's a significant 'if' with Lew now lined up against him - "I am very much looking forward to playing a leading role in its transformation," Hounsell said in the report. He praised the skills and diversity of the current board and Myer's senior executives - echoing the words of departing chairman Paul McClintock. Just in case Lew was having second thoughts about his Myer crusade. The one concession Hounsell is making to the huge task ahead is that he will be lightening his considerable workload to focus on Myer. "Gary has advised the company that he will resign from one of his other ASX listed boards by 30 November 2017," said a line at the bottom of page 8 of Myer's annual report. We doubt that Hounsell would dump his chairmanship of travel group Helloworld - given he only got the $175,000 a year gig last year. And there was certainly no mention of his retirement in Helloworld's AGM notice on Monday. Which leaves his board seats at Dulux Group and Treasury Wine Estates as the remaining candidates. The loss of the Treasury Wine board seat could be a big sacrifice for Hounsell given reports that he is about to offload his beloved Yarra Valley winery, Toolangi. Oil Search chairman Keith Spence is to head rival energy firm Santos, stepping down from his current role in the Papua New Guinean focused gas company. Mr Spence will replace Santos' chairman Peter Coates in February 2018. Santos' share price reached a 2017 high of $4.31. Credit:Cole Latimer While Mr Spence will join the board on January 1, 2018, he will only officially step into the role upon retirement of Mr Coates the following month. Mr Spence has spent more than three decades working in the oil and gas industry. In joining Santos, Mr Spence will retire from the board of energy rival Oil Search, although he remains a chairman of mineral sands company Base Resources, and a director of gold miner Independence Group and engineering and contracting firm Clough. Mr Spence was also briefly acting CEO of Woodside. Solomon Lew has threatened to call an extraordinary general meeting to get two seats on Myer's board, after the under-siege department rebuffed his request earlier this month. The billionaire retail veteran, whose Premier Investments is Myer's largest investor, is also calling on fellow shareholders to reject Myer's own board appointments, saying that "enough is enough" and action was needed to arrest any further decline at the iconic business. But Myer has returned fire, saying the request for board representation raised concerns of conflict of interest because Mr Lew is both a supplier to and competitor with Myer. In a statement to the ASX on Tuesday morning, Premier - which owns the Smiggle, Just Group, and Peter Alexander brands and 10.8 per cent of Myer - said it had no "current" intention of making a takeover bid for Myer. They never mentioned Trump's name, but in the past week, two former presidents began building the case for Donald Trump as a growing problem for American democracy. "We've seen nationalism distorted into nativism," George W. Bush lamented in a speech in New York. "Bigotry seems emboldened." Barack Obama, appearing the same day in Virginia, likewise denounced "the politics of division", offering a frustrated reminder that "it's the 21st century, not the 19th century. Come on!". Though neither issued an outright attack, the sight of two former presidents from different parties appearing on the same day to criticise a sitting president is a striking sign of how much politics has changed in the Trump era. It's not only because the former presidents spoke out, which is itself quite unusual. Rather, it's striking that the comments about bigotry, nativism, division, and the weakening of American democracy were widely understood as attacks on President Trump, even without direct reference to him. The American tradition of post-presidential deference is about as old as the country itself. When George Washington stepped down in 1797 after two terms in office, he not only set a tradition of self-imposed term limits (not made an official rule until 1951) but also one of polite withdrawal. Returning to his home at Mount Vernon, he conspicuously avoided commenting on the actions of his successors. For the most part, other presidents followed his example. But there were exceptions. Theodore Roosevelt, never one for circumspection, left office after two terms in 1909 with things seemingly in good hands: his vice-president William Taft had won the election, securing Roosevelt's legacy. If the last remaining government documents about President John F. Kennedy's assassination are made public later this week historians may have to hold their noses and thank JFK a 1991 blockbuster that conflated the historical record with conspiratorial fantasies. Oliver Stone's barely factual retelling of a prosecutor's effort to prove the CIA killed Kennedy grossed hundreds of millions of dollars, and pushed Congress to order the release of nearly all assassination documents within 25 years, or by Thursday. President John F. Kennedy and his daughter, Caroline, sail off Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Credit:AP As the government agency known as the Assassination Records Review Board once wrote, the film "disturbed" the public and elected officials with its suggestions of a secretive government cover-up. But as many reviewers and journalists have noted, JFK's most compelling scenes are totally made up. As I count down the final two weeks of the HSC, I feel a tremendous sense of relief. I've got one kid safely through high school. Only two to go. My son attended a private boys' school. I am a graduate of a co-ed school and never expected to send my child to a single-sex school. Life isn't single sex, and so a single-sex education makes little sense to me. All my kids were enrolled in a lovely co-ed school and my girls remain there to this day. Every child is different and what suits one child will not suit another. Credit:Jim Rice But my son was unhappy. He struggled to make friends, he wasn't challenged academically and he began refusing to enter the school gates in the morning. After endless discussions with family, his teachers, mental health professionals and other school communities, we moved him in year 5. My son has thrived at the boys' school. The environment suits him very well. And my girls remain happy and settled in their co-ed environments. The head of Australia's Immigration Department has blamed activists and "troublesome outsiders" for a looming and potentially violent standoff over the closure of the refugee processing centre on Manus Island. Bureaucrats also confirmed Australia will pay up to $250 million a year in services for refugees and asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea even after the facility shuts and Australian personnel leave next week. And authorities will also have to confront a last-ditch legal challenge - in PNG or Australia - to stop the centre being shuttered on October 31 and returned to the PNG defence force. Officials confirmed water, food, power and sanitation will be cut off at "some point" next Tuesday, prompting Greens senator Nick McKim to accuse the government of trying to "starve" refugees out of the centre. On Monday, ahead of a Four Corners report into the delivery of the network, Mr Turnbull said Labor's original fibre to the home plan was hugely expensive and billions of dollars had been wasted. Mr Sims said if a government business was not performing in the way that it should then it should have its value written-down as a private enterprise would but he could not say if the NBN was in that position. He said a comparable dynamic had existed in the energy market where state governments had doctored rules to protect their electricity distribution companies and that "whenever governments invest in infrastructure they have done it on the basis that it succeeds or fails on its own weight, if it turns out not to work then the shareholders, that is the taxpayer, should wear it". Mr Sims told Fairfax Media the concept of protecting government-owned infrastructure from competition - such as through a mobile broadband levy - to help it make money at the expense of consumers was unacceptable. "So having been left in a bad place by Labor, what we are doing is ensuring we deliver it as quickly and cost-effectively as possible but I have to say to you, again, one complaint is one complaint too many." Under the Coalition, the roll-out has moved to a multi-technology mix of fibre to the node, with slower copper and hybrid fibre cable used for connections to homes. Mr Turnbull said he was aware that a lot of people were not getting what they had paid for and was in discussions with NBN Co and the ACCC about the issue. About 4000 monitors will be put in place across the country to monitor speed and network performance. "At the moment, it [the NBN] is estimated to deliver a return of around 3 per cent, which is not - it is enough to keep it on the government's balance sheet, as a government asset, but it certainly is not a commercial return that the stock market would expect. It was supposed to be 6 per cent," he said. Complaints about the NBN increased by 160 per cent in the past year, according to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, with more and more users revealing they are not getting the speeds they have paid for and, in some cases, are receiving slower speeds than those they achieved on older ADSL connections, which are being phased out. NBN Co has blamed retail service providers, who sell connections to the network to the public, for the slower than expected speeds and argued retailers have not purchased enough bandwidth to deliver promised speeds. Should we be amazed that, at 93, Jimmy Carter has offered to start talks with Pyongyang? While it would seem unreasonable to subject a nonagenarian to the gruelling rigours of shuttle diplomacy, the 39th President's search for a sane alternative to war is sound. As North Korea's nuclear capability grows, the world is hostage to the duelling vanities of two of its least subtle, most unqualified leaders. Donald Trump has publicly upbraided his own Secretary of State for wasting time on back-channel communications. The future boss of the new Home Affairs department has launched a defence against claims it will be a "sinister behemoth" concentrating too much power and adding another layer of bureaucracy to agencies. Michael Pezzullo told a Senate estimate hearing on Monday the mega-department, announced in July, would be limited by checks on power and labelled claims to the contrary "fallacious and unworthy". "Power must always be exercised with legitimacy and never more so than in the performance of the security function of the state," he said. "Any contrary suggestion that the establishment of Home Affairs will somehow create an unchecked extrajudicial apparatus of power is ill-informed, even if predictable coming from some quarters. The proportion of Australians with a university degree has tripled over the past 25 years. Almost a quarter of Australians have completed a bachelor degree or higher, compared to just 8 per cent in 1991, according to new data from the 2016 Census. University degrees are on the rise Credit:Ryan Osland The staggering increase has been driven by more students finishing school and the uncapping of university places, which has let institutions recruit as many students as they want since 2009. Newcastle fraudster Lemuel Page continues to live the high life flaunting his taste for fine cars. If the holidays to the Greek Islands and luxury beachfront unit weren't infuriating enough for his creditors, they were apoplectic at Page's latest toy: a Ferrari 458 Italia V8 worth up to $500,000. Newcastle fraudster Lemuel Page, pictured with his partner Renay Bull, has been driving around Newcastle in a 458 Ferrari Italia similar to this one. Fairfax Media can reveal that the luxury car is owned by Ohmut, a company run by Page's ex-wife Fiona Page, which keeps the expensive toy at arm's length from creditors. Adding salt to the wound is the fact that several creditors, who lost their life savings to Page, have seen him driving around in the luxury car. The Nationals are set to lose the north coast seat of Lismore at the next NSW election, polling suggests, compounding the party's loss of neighbouring Ballina to the Greens in 2015. A ReachTel poll shows the Nationals primary vote at 32.8 per cent, Labor on 23.9 per cent and the Greens on 22 per cent. One Nation is on 6.8 per cent, others on 5.6 per cent and nine per cent are undecided. Thomas George is retiring at the 2019 election. The Nationals primary vote is significantly lower than the 42.4 per cent secured by current MP Thomas George at the 2015 election. Mr George, who is retiring at the 2019 election narrowly held on in Lismore two years ago against the Greens, leaving the seat one of the most marginal in NSW on just 0.2 per cent. Some Brisbane residents will have to cast a vote in two ballots at the impending state election after the shock resignation of Brisbane City Councillor Shayne Sutton. The long-serving Morningside ward councillor announced her intention to resign on Monday, citing ending a long-distance family living arrangement as the reason behind her early resignation. I love my job enormously, but I love my family more, she said. Councillor Shayne Sutton has been the councillor for Morningside ward for 13 years Credit:Harrison Saragossi Cr Sutton is just one of five Labor councillors in the chamber, as LNP councillors won 19 wards at the 2016 election, leaving one ward each to an independent and Greens councillor. The owners of 10 Brisbane homes have been forced to hand their properties over to the Brisbane City Council so a $115 million road-widening project can be finished. The two-stage Wynnum Road road upgrade was first announced by the council in 2014 and, in order to widen Lytton Road to six lanes, the full and partial resumption of 49 properties was required. An artists' impression of the proposed stage one of the Wynnum Road upgrade, showing the intersection with Heidelberg Street, East Brisbane. Credit:Brisbane City Council Last Friday, the remaining 10 property owners who were yet to reach a sale agreement with the council had their properties transferred to the council by means of the state government gazette. Lord mayor Graham Quirk said following the gazettal, all 49 partial and full properties required for the project would be in council ownership and construction could start early next year. A Brisbane City councillor has said after 13 years her days as a local councillor will soon be over. At 2pm on Monday, Morningside councillor Shayne Sutton told the councils chief executive Colin Jensen of her intention to resign. Councillor Shayne Sutton has been the councillor for Morningside ward for 13 years Credit:Harrison Saragossi Cr Sutton, who led the Labor opposition against Campbell Newman's LNP administration for four years, said it was a heart-wrenching decision but she had to put an end to a long-distance family living arrangement. I love my job enormously, but I love my family more, she said. A Queensland prisoner who scalded schoolboy Daniel Morcombe's killer with a bucket of boiling water has been sentenced to three years' jail. Adam Paul Davidson, 31, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane District Court on Monday to torturing Brett Peter Cowan at the Wolston Correctional Centre on August 5, 2016. Daniel Morcombe's killer Brett Peter Cowan was scalded with hot water in an act of prison retribution, a court has heard. Judge Ian Dearden sentenced Davidson to three years' jail but with time already served he will be released on parole in late November. The court heard Davidson plotted and watched Cowan's movements for a month to find the best way to harm the high-profile sex offender. The greater stick nest rat has teetered on the brink of extinction - and no one but a few dedicated souls seems ready to save the furry little rodent. Is it because of its name? Specifically, one word in its name? Rat? A greater stick nest rat, reintroduced to a large enclosed area of South Australia. Credit:Arid Recovery That's the question raised by the manager of an extraordinary zoological collection of both extinct and surviving species. Jack Ashby is a Londoner obsessed with Australian mammals and determined to stop more of this country's unique fauna going the way of the Tasmanian Tiger. Manager of the University College of London's Grant Museum of Zoology, Mr Ashby was in Australia recently for a project called Arid Recovery which is trying to bring back four species of Australian mammals from the edge of extinction. Melbourne gained an extra 485,220 residents in the five years to the 2016 census, the overwhelming bulk of them imports from the rest of the country or overseas. While most came from overseas (365,240), Sydney accounted for 27,670, more than any other Australian city, setting up a flow that was only partly offset by the 19,100 Melburnians who headed north to Sydney. Brisbane sent 17,000 of its residents to Melbourne, a flow partly offset by the 13,700 Melburnians who moved in the other direction. The next most important sources of new Melburnians were regional Queensland (16,730), regional NSW (15,350), Perth (14,190) and Adelaide (12,110). Many CBD roads should be ripped up and converted into "linear parks", bike paths and tram lines if Melbourne wants to keep its title as the world's most liveable city, says the council's new transport chairman. And a rail link to the airport also needs to be made a priority, says Nicolas Frances Gilley, who has been the council's transport chair since March. Chair of Melbourne City Council's transport portfolio has backed the government's proposed North East Link toll road, a rail link to the airport, and called for roads to be converted to "linear parks" reserved for trams, cyclists and pedestrians. Credit:Eddie Jim As the council prepares to update its transport strategy next year, Cr Frances Gilley has outlined his personal view of where the city should head. By 2036, the Melbourne council area is tipped to host 1.4 million residents, workers and visitors each day - up from 922,000 now. Judge alone trials could soon be more common place in WA courts if a bill set to be introduced into state parliament by the state's youngest MP gets the green light. WA Liberal Democrats MP Aaron Stonehouse has drafted a private members bill which is proposing amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act 2004. Liberal Democrats MP Aaron Stonehouse. The proposed amendments outlined in Mr Stonehouse's bill would mean courts must, upon a request from an accused person, make an order for a criminal trial to be judge alone, unless the court was satisfied it was not in the interests of justice. Currently, the courts can make an order for a judge alone trial but only when it is considered to be in the interests of justice. Jakarta: The United States is refusing to divulge why it denied Indonesian military chief Gatot Nurmantyo entry to the US as its own embassy in Jakarta scrambles to get to the bottom of the diplomatically embarrassing affair. The baffling incident threatens to cause ructions in the relationship between the two countries with a banner calling for the expulsion of the US Ambassador erected over a major thoroughfare in Jakarta on Monday morning. Indonesian Armed Forces Chief General Gatot Nurmantyo had been invited to a countering violent extremism conference in Washington. Credit:AP It could also play out domestically in favour of the nationalist General Gatot, who is widely believed to have political aspirations at the highest level and has long believed foreigners are engaged in a proxy war to undermine Indonesia. Earlier this year General Gatot temporarily suspended military ties with Australia over teaching materials perceived as derogatory at a Perth Army base. PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Guyanese Association has distributed relief supplies to more than 250 residents of the island, including the St. Martin's Home in St. John's Estate. Six bags of rice and six cases of water were handed over to the director of the Home last Wednesday (October 18, 2017), as the association felt that it was its civic responsibility to reach out to as many persons and organizations affected by Hurricane Irma. The relief supplies were delivered to the association some two weeks ago as the Government of Guyana was evacuating its nationals. More than 250 persons registered as having collected food items from the association's Back Street location. Apart from rice and water, which came in abundance from the rice-producing South American nation, persons also received pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and smoked fish. The association still has some items and is encouraging anyone who is in need to visit their location to uplift same. SMGA Press Release ~ Soft opening Wednesday night ~ PHILIPSBURG:--- The Honorary Consul of Guyana, Mr. Cleveland Beresford, will resume consulate services on Monday, October 23, 2017 for Guyanese living on the island. The office, which will be at 158 B Back Street, Philipsburg, will open from Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, and offer all services, especially those related to the renewal of passports and the issuing of birth certificates to children born in St. Maarten. On Wednesday, October 25, there will be a "soft" opening of the consulate and all are invited, especially nationals of the Guyanese community. Persons wishing to inquire more about the services offered can either visit the Back Street location or call 1(721)581-1402. SMGA Press Release PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister William Marlin said on Sunday afternoon following a phone call from Minister Ronald Plasterk, that it is not right for the Dutch government to hold the people of Sint Maarten hostage over the issue of establishing an Integrity Chamber controlled by the Dutch and reports to the Dutch. If that is not accepted Minister Plasterk said then there will be no aid from the Netherlands. In the present draft legislation currently being advised on by the Council of Advice, the board of the Integrity Chamber will consist of three persons, each nominated by the Courts of First Instance, by the General Audit Chamber and by the Ombudsman. That is unacceptable by the Dutch government according to Minister Plasterk as they do not trust the local institutions. Marlin pointed out that there are NO reasons not to trust the local authorities and that position by the Dutch is NOT fair and acceptable. According to Minister Plasterk the Dutch is concerned that large sums of money will attract criminals and Integrity breeches. This also didn't make sense according to Prime Minister Marlin as his government has indicated from the onset that the Dutch government does not need to transfer hundreds of millions of dollars or euros to Sint Maarten. The Dutch government not only has the possibility, but is encouraged to set the conditions under which the different projects will be funded. The Sint Maarten Government is also encouraging the Dutch Government to have the Dutch Audit Chamber carry out an audit on the money trail for every Euro they spent. As far as Prime Minister Marlin is concerned the Fund is not established as soon as possible. Prime Minister Marlin further pointed out that no amount is even mentioned and what part of it would be grant and what part loan. The Dutch Minister of Kingdom Relations replied to that saying that no amount will be made known unless Sint Maarten accepts the two conditions. Marlin said his government is willing and prepared to talk about the Fund, the conditions and the mechanisms to ensure that the monies are all spent in accordance with proper rules of transparency and accountability. For Minister Plasterk none of this would take place unless the Sint Maarten government accepts his two conditions. This is unfair and not right, according to the Sint Maarten Prime Minister and he hopes that the Dutch government would agree to negotiate fair and square. Prime Minister Marlin said the European Union is also willing to provide aid to Sint Maarten and they have their rules of transparency and accountability which will be enforced. The Dutch government can do the same, actually this was done after Hurricane Luis in 1995. During that period, Marlin said he was Commissioner of Housing and the system worked well. Prime Minister Marlin said he wants to make it clear again that the conditions set by the Netherlands have nothing to do with providing aid. The impression is wrongfully being created by the Government in The Hague that Sint Maarten is against establishing an Integrity Chamber. Many in Sint Maarten are therefore asking the question what it is the Sint Maarten Government has to hide or what is it the government is afraid of. Prime Minister Marlin has pointed out to Minister Plasterk once again that his Government has already taken the initiative to prepare the draft legislation to establish the Integrity Chamber and that the draft has been sent to the Council of Advice via the Governor ever since September Minister Plasterk is aware this and knows that because of the hurricanes the government of Sint Maarten is unable to reach the deadline of October 31st . There are several who are trying to misuse this situation for their own political agendas. Sint Maarten is a young, 7 years old country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and we have a Constitution that we all, Ministers and Members of Parliament, have taken an oath to uphold and defend, stated Prime Minister Marlin. He furthermore stated that during a press briefing scheduled for Monday, October 23 at 11 am, he together with the Minister of Justice will further elaborate on the stance his government has taken. Press Release from the Prime Minister of St. Maarten PHILIPSBURG:--- On Monday, October 23rd, the interim report of the workgroup National Recovery Plan (NRP) for the reconstruction and recovery of Sint Maarten will be available after 3:00 PM on the website www.sxmemergency.org, the website that Government launched shortly after the passing of Hurricane Irma. The interim report entitled Interim Report National Recovery Plan provides a preliminary analysis of the economic impact expected due to the loss of the countrys main business activities and infrastructure. The main objective of the workgroup NRP was to take the various available damage and needs assessments into consideration and to consult various stakeholders on local and international level to ensure a comprehensive plan, a roadmap for the reconstruction and recovery of Sint Maarten, for the short, mid and long term. This process will continue for the final draft of the National Recovery Plan. The guiding principle the workgroup utilized was Build Back Better. Based on this principle, the report outlines measures and initiatives to support the return of a robust economy, equitable social services and a resilient infrastructure. The recommendations are divided into five focal areas, namely sustainable economic development, including poverty eradication; education; maintenance of law and order; social infrastructure which includes public health and public housing and Institutional Strengthening. A dedicated organization would be necessary to implement the recovery plan once the plan is formalized and funding options have been identified. This dedicated office for recovery will be tasked with managing the implementation of the initiatives, projects, and programs. On October 26, 2017 the interim report will be debated in a Central Committee meeting of Parliament. In preparation for the debate, Prime Minister Mr. William Marlin recently presented the Interim Report National Recovery Plan to the President of Parliament Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams. The input, suggestions, and adjustments arising from this debate and public responses will be used to finalize the report that is due at the end of November / beginning December 2017. As for now, the interim report can be used as a basis to structure the use of funds that may be provided by the Netherlands, the European Union, and any other funding institutions. DCOMM Press Release PHILIPSBURG:--- In yet another letter to the Council of Ministers, the President of Parliament stresses the need for Parliament to be more involved, especially in these trying times. One of the duties of Parliament is financial control (budget right). In practice, this comes down to the right to question government, whether in writing or in meetings. The effectiveness of this stands or falls, dependent on the swift cooperation of Government. Otherwise, answers and thus information is withheld from the parliament and the public unacceptably long. The Presidents letter furthermore explains that the Parliament wants to adjust its schedule to accommodate and prioritize Irma recovery related items and calls upon the Government to provide Parliament with the necessary information to analyze, and execute Parliaments responsibilities. In our current governance structure, the relationship between Parliament and Ministers is one that is dictated by the Ministers political responsibility to Parliament. How that plays out we have seen every time there is talk about Parliaments lack of confidence in a Minister or in his/her performance. The above lends itself for hours of constitutional debate, but right now, today on St. Maarten, we need to adjust ourselves and our practices to the dire circumstances this island finds itself in and place the onus on the elected body. Not break any rules, but to jointly agree to their application, the President of Parliament explains. The letter to the Government continues: Of grave concern is the financial situation of the country. By separate mail, Government was asked to inform Parliament of the status of the draft ordinances, respectively budget amendment 2017 and budget 2018, currently at Parliament. Of utmost importance is what can be expected in terms of financial and or budgetary aid. Two immediate and viable sources are the Dutch Kingdom and the EU. Parliament requests that contact be made with aforementioned entities post haste to get clarity on the commitment, the sum involved, the conditions and any other relevant information regarding these sources. Press Release from the President of Parliament PHILIPSBURG:--- Fifty five families now have materials to rebuilding their Hurricane Irma-damaged roof thanks to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon Church), which, with the assistance of the St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation, donated a combined total of 3,505 roofing panels (zinc sheets), lumber and plywood to residents and their members in St. Maarten last week. The total number of building materials available were 1,625 zinc sheets; 880 2x4x8 pieces of lumber, 1,000 2x4x16 pieces of lumber and 665 sheets of plywood, both 1/2"and 5/8". Donated to residents were 1,271 zinc sheets; 466 lumber (2x4x8), 637 lumber (2x4x16) and 645 lengths of plywood. A total of 55 families benefitted from the relief of building supplies. Priority was given to senior citizens and single mothers during the distribution process. The remaining 354 roofing zinc, 414 lumber (2x4x8), 363 lumber (2x4x16) and 20 plywood were donated to the members of Mormon Church, who are in St. Maarten. The distribution of the relief building supplies was done over the course of four days last week. Some 2x4 lumber remained and these will be distributed to the elderly, poor and needy by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints members. Tzu Chi Commissioner Sandra Cheung thanked the Mormon Church for their generosity in donation the building materials to residents of the island so that they can help get their lives back together after the devastating natural disaster that hit the island on Wednesday, September 6, 2017. She said the Tzu Chi volunteers were more than happy to assist in the distribution process. She also personally expressed her gratitude to Mormon Church Elder, Sister Fielden, who traveled to St. Maarten from the USA to oversee the distribution of two containers of food (distributed earlier this month) and the four containers of building materials for the community of St. Maarten on behalf of the Mormon Church. Tzu Chi deeply appreciates and is grateful to be the back office organizing the requests for aid received from different volunteers. Tzu Chi personally checked and evaluated individual house assessments before the donations were approved, Cheung said. Once the recipients were approved, they had to go to the distribution location (Prime Distributors warehouse) to pick up their needed building materials. The volunteers from the Mormon Church led by Elder Fielden helped to give out the relief items at the distribution location. The cooperation of the two teams resulted in the successful donation of the items in a record four days. At the end of the distribution process the Mormon Church thanked the St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation for the opportunity to work with them for the distribution of aid to residents. All of you are caring examples of serving and giving, the Church said in a message to the foundation. The church also thanked Tzu Chi Foundation for making the distribution of food packages to 609 families in the country earlier this month possible. Cheung: We are thankful for the love from the church, the location of Prime Distributors, where the relief supplies were distributed and the efforts of the volunteers from the Church and Tzu Chi, without whose help, this would not have been possible. On behalf of the people of St. Maarten, we are thankful the generosity from the Mormon Church. Tzu Chi Foundation Press Release CentralNic secures contract to support 14 new Top-Level Domains London, 23rd October 2017: CentralNic has agreed to provide KSregistry GmbH with its market leading Top Level Domain registry services. The deal with KSregistry covers 14 Top-Level Domain (TLD) extensions currently managed by OpenRegistry, which KSregistry acquired from Group NCC in 2017. CentralNics registry services division is already the global leader and is the only company to support six out of the top twenty new Top-Level Domains, including .xyz, the domain chosen for new ventures by Google (abc.xyz), Deloitte (exponentials.xyz) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (engine.xyz) among many others. CentralNic is also a leader in TLD services for governments and enterprise, managing multiple country-code and geographic TLDs as well as the TLDs of global 1000 companies such as Saudi Telecom, Etisalat, and Kuwait Finance House. Under the terms of the deal, CentralNic will increase the number of new Top-Level Domains for which it is the Registry management platform to 65, with TLD clients spread across four continents. I am delighted to agree this deal with KSregistry, whose owners are among Europes most successful experts in the domain name industry, said Ben Crawford, CEO at CentralNic. CentralNic has been providing registry infrastructure services for over 20 years, and our registry platform is known for its performance, scalability and security. We are also the world leader in migrating TLDs onto our platform, having won dozens of new TLD contracts away from other backend providers, whilst never having lost a TLD client. Partnering with CentralNic to deliver registry services makes perfect sense for all parties, said Alexander Siffrin, CEO at KSregistry. CentralNics registry platform is the most advanced and feature rich in the world. Coupled with KSregistrys unmatched management and customer service means that we can provide current and future TLD registry clients with very best technology, experience and support at competitive pricing. KSregistry contacted its Registry Operator clients prior to signing this collaboration agreement in order to gauge their support for migration to CentralNics backend registry. The reaction was overwhelmingly favourable, which is why KSregistry and CentralNic were able to conclude an arrangement quickly, which also gives CentralNic the option of using KSregistrys SKYWAY data center. Optium Cyber Systems Enters Into $2.5 Million Dollar Licensing Agreement THE WOODLANDS, TX (Marketwired) 10/23/17 Optium Cyber Systems, Inc. (OTC: OCSY) (the Company), is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to license its proprietary cyber security analyzing and monitoring platform to Global Security Agency Inc. (Global Security) for use in the shipping industry. Pursuant to a license agreement, the Company grants to Global Security a worldwide license to use the Companys propriety cyber security analyzing and monitoring platform in the shipping industry. The license will have an initial term of twenty-five years (25) and will be renewable for up to seventy-five (75) additional one-year periods. As consideration for the license, Global Security will pay to the Company a fee of $2,500,000, due ninety days after the date of the license agreement and payable by the issuance of 10 million common shares of Global Security at a price of $0.25 cents per share. The key to success for any start-up IT company is the ability to monetize its technology, stated Todd Rutherford, CEO of Optium Cyber Systems, Inc. By licensing our propriety platform for release in different sectors we expedited the monetization process and diversify in a timely and cost-effective manner thereby maximizing profit potential. It is a very effective revenue strategy, continued Mr. Rutherford. Revenue generated from this transaction will be represented in the Companys financial statements as related party transactions as George Rutherford is a director and officer of both the Company and Global Security. About Optium Cyber Systems, Inc. OCSI has developed a proprietary process to analyze, identify and address cyber security vulnerabilities in an organizations critical IT infrastructure which is scalable to any size organization in any industry. OCSI has recently launched in the health care sector, focusing on protecting health care facilities including hospitals, nursing homes and doctors offices from cyberthreats such as the manipulation of medical devices or theft of patient records. OCSI is a publicly traded company having its common shares quoted on the OTC Markets under the symbol OCSY. About Global Security Agency Inc. Global Security Agency Inc. is a security solutions and risk management services company based in Houston, Texas. The Company offers a wide range of security and risk management services to individuals, corporations, and governments. Services offered include: risk assessment, training, crisis management, protection, support and intelligence. Client contracts range from hourly to yearly depending on the type of service being provided but are typically monthly. The Company can fulfill any type or size of client contract by utilizing a network of specialized consultants who are drawn from a database of former: US Navy Seals, Special Forces, Marine Corps, Naval Operations Special Units, FBI and CIA Field Agents. Each consultant has expertise in a specific field and acts as an independent contractor. Consultants are located worldwide. Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and are subject to risks and uncertainties. See Cre8tive Works, Inc.s filings with OTC Markets which may identify specific factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Safe Harbor Statement This release includes forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and reflects managements current expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. Some of these factors include: general global economic conditions; general industry and market conditions, sector changes and growth rates; uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; increasing competition; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of services; changes in the economy; changes in laws and regulations, including codes and standards, intellectual property rights, and tax matters; or other matters not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact Information: Optium Cyber Systems, Inc. 8350 Ashlane Way, Suite 104 The Woodlands, Texas 77382 USA Telephone: 936-559-7407 Web: Email: Twitter: Facebook: Investor Relations Ten Associates LLC 11529 N. 120th St. Scottsdale, Arizona 85259 USA Telephone: 480-326-8577 Contact: Thomas E. Nelson Email: UnitySC Expands; Opens U.S. Office With Global Software Development Center and Customer Demo Lab AUSTIN, TX (Marketwired) 10/23/17 today announced at the International Wafer Level Packaging Conference (IWLPC) in San Jose, Calif., the opening of Unity Semiconductor Inc., the companys new global software development center and North America customer demonstration lab located in Austin, Texas. The new facility serves as the companys main center for software development, and will house the full line of UnitySC metrology and inspection tools. This equipment will provide a demo lab that supports UnitySCs North America customer base, augmenting the primary demo lab at the companys global headquarters, located in Grenoble, France. Opening our U.S. office a little more than one year after launching the company demonstrates the rapid industry traction weve gained with our unique process control technologies for heterogeneous integration applications, said Gilles Fresquet, CEO, UnitySC. Locating this facility in Austin allows us to tap into the strong software design skill set for which the region is known, and enables us to further differentiate ourselves by augmenting our leading-edge software capabilities a key piece of modern advanced process control solutions. The new facility will serve as the global base for UnitySCs software development team, working in conjunction with the R&D software staff located at the companys headquarters in France. The new location will also strengthen the companys North America customer support capabilities. UnitySC is exhibiting at IWLPC in San Jose, October 24-26, 2017. To learn more about the company and its latest advances in metrology and inspection, please visit Booth #10. ABOUT UNITYSC UnitySC is recognized worldwide as a key player in inspection and metrology, combining advanced technologies in automated optical inspection and 3D imaging with microscopy, temporal-mode interferometry and spectrometry, which enables customers to achieve higher yields and faster time to market. Customers include the largest foundries, integrated device manufacturers, outsourced semiconductor assembly and test service providers, and R&D centers. We provide standard and customized solutions adapted to specific industrial needs and constraints, enabling a new era in process control. Headquartered in Grenoble, France, the company maintains facilities in Taiwan and the U.S., and is supported by a network of representatives and distributors. Learn more at . Yann Guillou UnitySC Tel: +33 456 526 800 Eric Lawson Kiterocket Tel: +1 480-276-9572 Jose Irizarry accepts that hes known as the most corrupt agent in U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration history, admitting he became another man in conspiring with Colombian cartels to build a lavish lifestyle of expensive sportscars, Tiffany jewels and paramours around... Georgetown, SC (29440) Today Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 53F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 53F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. When Frohling once alerted his superior to a mistake in how a patient was being treated, he was treated as if he had insulted royalty. He was yelled at. For the following three weeks his name did not appear on any operating timetables, and doctors who don't operate during their training fail to qualify for exams. Embittered, he came to terms with his superior's fantasies of omnipotence and went on to become senior physician at the orthopedic clinic at Frankfurt University. He worked 60 hours a week, did mammoth shifts around the clock, fulfilled the demands of his superiors. That was reflected in his pay: alongside his standard salary he received additional payments for shift work, fees for medical reports and a share of the money from the treatment of private payments. But then his superior demanded a bigger share of the fees for medical reports and a row over money ensued. The dispute says a lot about the unfair distribution of the 240 billion spent on the German health service. While most medical staff work like dogs, the profits are pocketed by the few. The medical law in the western state of Hesse, where Frohlich was working, states that head physicians must distribute about 80 percent of proceeds from private patients to the clinic and to the doctors who treat them. But at Frohlich's Frankfurt clinic the boss was paying them smaller amounts. The doctors knew their superior wasn't keeping clean accounts. But they also knew that such bevavior was standard practice in the German health service. No one said anything. Until one day a woman complained that she had paid cash but been treated as if she weren't a private patient. The head physician had taken the money but the computer database claimed she was insured under the public system. Research showed what the Marburger Bund doctor's association has suspected at many university clinics but hasn't been able to prove: head physicians had pocketed around 1 million per year in this way. An auditor found that more than 10 million was missing. The doctors got back only a fraction of that, Frohlich got around 155,000. He was the only one to leave. When he got an offer from sweden's Capio group to work at one its 21 clinics in Britain, he jumped at the chance. Now he's steering his Audi through the northern English countryside, headed towards the village of Renacres where he conducts operations once a week. More and more colleagues from Germany are ringing him up to ask him about jobs in Britain because they are sick of mounting bureaucracy and the growing power of hospital managers. Growing shortage of doctors Most of the German doctors who emigrate go to the United States, which has taken about 2,700. Britain comes second, according to figures from the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. Sweden, which has taken 700, and Norway, with 650, are becoming more popular. Special agencies lure doctors by placing advertisements in professional publications and doctors who want to supplement their income spend weekends working in Britain. After finishing their week's work in German practices they can earn up to 2,000 for a weekend shift in a British hospital. Doctors' salaries have fallen steadily in the last three years. Many a young clinic doctor gets paid less than a long-serving nurse even if he puts in 70 hours a week. Because ever fewer people are applying for such jobs there's a growing shortage of doctors in parts of the country. Many rural doctors are complaining that they can't find successors to hand their surgeries to. The situation is disastrous for public health and a debacle for the economy. If the trend of recent years continues -- with only 7,000 of 12,000 medical students completing their training -- over 1 billion of university costs will have been wasted. The deficit will continue to rise the more qualified doctors decide to earn their money abroad. Frohling leans back in the chair of his office at Euxton Hall Hospital. His salary here is three times higher than it was in Germany. But his work has disadvantages too. His office is dark and tiny and his medical equipment isn't exactly modern. During operations he doesn't have two assistant doctors on hand to help him. He has to make do with a "leg holder," a semi-skilled helper. Unqualified assistants hand him the tools of his trade -- drills and hammers. Because of these limitations, he has had to change his surgical techniques to make sure he gets hips installed properly. German doctors who come to Britain must accept that the British health system is by no means exemplary compared with the German system, says Frohling. The National Health Service provides basic care but passes on orders to the growing number of private clinics. That is making health provision more efficient and patients are benefiting, he thinks. Medicine men made in Germany remain in demand in Britain because of their solid training. But they aren't universally popular. Many local NHS doctors who treat private patients on the side have suffered big income losses as a result of the German competition. Some of the guest workers are already encountering the same envy and disapproval they were trying to escape in Germany. "Soon not every colleague will be giving us a friendly welcome," says Frohling. Vitry-Sur-Seine (France), Oct 23, 2017 (SPS) - The 42nd European Coordinating Conference of Support to the Sahrawi people (EUCOCO 2017) underlined Sunday the urgency to extend the prerogatives of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to the protection of human rights in occupied Western Sahara, announcing actions within the United Nations Human Rights Council. Extending the mandate of MINURSO to the protection of human rights in the occupied territories is a claim of the Polisario Front, the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, as well as of international human rights associations. In 2013, the United States presented a proposal of resolution to the UN Security Council that it withdrew following Frances request. The task force of solidarity with the Sahrawi people, EUCOCO, which welcomes Algerias flawless commitment, will undertake actions at the UN Human Rights Council, specialized committees and sub-committees, considering the action of the States of the Group of Twelve as an example to follow with other countries, said the final resolution, adopted following the works held Saturday and Sunday at Vitry-sur-Seine (South of Paris). EUCOCO called on the States to force Morocco to respect the Sahrawi peoples inalienable right to self-determination and independence. EUCOCO calls on all the States which take initiatives within UN Human Rights Council jointly with Morocco to force this one to respect the fundamental rights of the Sahrawi people notably their inalienable right to self-determination and independence, said the text read to the participants, denouncing the serious and ongoing violations of the Sahrawi peoples fundamental rights. (SPS) 062/SPS/APS Bir Lehlou, Oct 23, 2017 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, has sent a congratulatory message to President of the Republic of Zambia, H.E. Mr Edgar Lungu, on the occasion of the Independence Day. On behalf of the Government and people of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, I would like to extend to your Excellency and to the brotherly people of the Republic of Zambia our most sincere congratulations and best wishes as you celebrate your Independence Day, said the President of the Republic in his message. The Republic of Zambia has always been a staunch supporter of the liberation struggle of the Sahrawi people for their self-determination and independence, and we remain grateful for this principled position of support and solidarity. I would like to take this august occasion to renew to your Excellency our strong resolve to further consolidate and diversify the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation already existing between our two nations, and to boost them to the highest possible level in the interests of our brotherly peoples and the peoples of our continent, added the President of the Republic in his message to his Zambian counterpart. (SPS) 062/SPS Vitry-Sur-Seine (France), Oct 23, 2017 (SPS) -Participants in the two-day European Coordinating Conference of Support to the Sahrawi People (EUCOCO), which wrapped Sunday, showed great solidarity with the Sahrawi people in their struggle for self-determination and independence. In addition to Algeria, represented in this conference by a large parliamentary delegation, 300 participants from Italy, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Mauritania, Venezuela and others attended this solidarity event held under the slogan "Self-determination, an inalienable right." Counsellor at the embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in France, Gabriela Jaramillo reiterated her country's support to the struggle of the Sahrawi people and emphasized "good relations between the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and Venezuela." For his part, President of the Union of Forces of Progress in Mauritania Mohamed Ould Mouloud said the Sahrawi cause had made significant progress at the international level. "We are here to confirm the strength of geographical and historical relations between the two countries and renew our party's support to the struggle of the Sahrawi people," said Mouloud, who called on states and democratic forces to back the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination and freedom. Mayor of French commune Gonfreville l'Orcher, Albane Bruneau affirmed her commune's support to the struggle of the Sahrawi people and regretted the absence of French media and the media blackout on the Sahrawi issue. "It is important to hold this event in France to officially put it in front of its responsibilities," she stressed. Italian MP Romanini Giuseppe called on Morocco to comply with the Decision of the European Court of Justice to stop the plunder of Western Sahara's resources, stressing the need to inform the public opinion of the violations of human rights in Western Sahara. (SPS) 062/SPS/APS With a superb, consistent bale shape, superior design and high quality engineering, the new MF RB Series round balers further strengthen Massey Fergusons fast-growing fleet of efficient and dependable equipment. Five models provide a wide choice of fixed- and variable chamber balers to exactly match the requirements of all users, including smaller stock farms, larger mixed grass and arable enterprises through to professional contractors. The MF RB range will be recognised for its strength and reliability, with patented and unique features that will set the benchmark for producing consistent, superior hay, silage and straw bales. The MF RB Series joins the recently introduced mower, rakes and tedders, which quickly proved popular, says Adam Sherriff, Market Development Manager, Massey Ferguson Harvesting, EME. Customers are now able to buy a well-proven, quality baler from their local Massey Ferguson Dealer with the confidence of knowing they will receive superb service and back-up. The addition of these balers enables Massey Ferguson to expand its world-class range of hay and forage equipment, as well as provide arable operators with the industrys most respected variable chamber round baler, he adds. Constructed from the highest quality components, the straightforward design combines ease of operation and dependable performance with low maintenance. All are built to the very high standards and benefit from many unique features including the high speed camless pick-up, Hydroflexcontrol anti-block system, Constant Pressure System, Xtracut cutter and Varionet wrapping. Both fixed and round balers are fitted with a positive, mechanical tailgate lock that ensures uniform bale diameter and high density, while reducing power consumption. The MF RB Series is also available with a range of options including air brakes, wider pick-ups and larger tyres. MF RB Series Round Balers outstanding features: Three fixed chamber models making 1.25m diameter x 1.23m wide bales. Choice of three levels of specification to suit individual operational requirements MF RB Series fixed chamber balers make dense, hard-centred bales with 18 Powergrip rollers, each featuring ten uniquely shaped ribs and three Xtracut options Two variable chamber models making 0.9m-1.6m or 0.9m-1.8m bales, create consistent density and come with three Xtracut options High performance, camless pick-up lifts more crop smoothly and efficiently. Straightforward design has fewer moving parts, to improve reliability and reduce maintenance Xtracut option offers a choice of 13, 17 or 25 knives on fixed and variable chamber baler Hydroflexcontrol prevents damage and downtime providing two-stage protection with automatic mechanical floor suspension and hydraulic lowering system Varionet, standard on all MF RB Series balers, provides perfect edge-to-edge or over-the-edge wrapping with all types and qualities of net Variotwin twine wrapping is an option on all balers Positive mechanical tailgate lock ensures uniform bale diameter and high density, while reducing power consumption Automatic lubrication and central grease points ease maintenance and improve longevity Choice of ISOBUS compatible control or dedicated terminals MF RB Series Balers produce perfect bales in a range of crops Massey Fergusons new MF RB fixed and variable chamber balers make large, dense and uniform hay, silage and straw bales. Three fixed chamber machines, create 1.25m diameter x 1.23m wide bales, using 18 Powergrip rollers, and offer various levels of specification to precisely match each individual farms needs. The choice includes the straightforward MF RB 1125F, with net wrap; the MF RB 2125F with 13 or 17-knife Xtracut options and the top of the range MF RB 2125FPR, with 25-knife cutter for professional and large-scale operations. Two variable chamber balers, which create bales with four seamless belts, are available with three Xtracut options, offering 13, 17 or 25 knives. The MF RB 4106V makes bales from 0.9m-1.6m in diameter, while the MF RB 4180V goes from 0.9m to 1.8m. Perfect bales begin with superior pick-up All MF RB balers are equipped with an innovative camless pick-up, which lifts the crop gently and efficiently, conveying it directly to the rotor. This clever and practical design, operates more effectively, simply and quietly than traditional cam-based systems. Instead of running in a cam track, pickup tines rotate through specially-shaped segment wrappers. Equipped with five rows of closely spaced tines, the rotor lifts the crop quickly, smoothly and cleanly. The maintenance-free system has no grease points and employs fewer moving parts, which improves reliability. Two hydraulic rams raise and lower the pick-up into the floating work position. With adjustment to suit ground conditions, the rams can be set to support the weight to allow it to hover over the ground and protect the sward. Optimum feeding is ensured, with a crop roller minimising losses and pre-compressing the swath, ahead of the pick-tines. Two side augers gather the swath and convey it directly to the rotor, helping to create the best bale shape. The MF RB Series balers are available with a range of pick-up widths, from 2.0m on the MF RB1125F up to 2.4m on MF RB 4160V and RB 4180V. Xtracut boosts density Massey Fergusons Xtracut system helps pack in more crop to create denser, heavier bales, which improves silage quality as well as reducing wrapping, transport and storage costs. Cut silage is not only better quality, it is also more palatable and easier to feed. Chopped straw is easier to incorporate into total mixed rations and makes more absorbent bedding, which is easier to spread as manure. Available on all models, apart from the entry-level MF RB 1125F, Xtracut uses the longest knives on the market to deliver optimum cutting performance with trouble-free operation. With Xtracut comes the unique Hydroflexcontrol, which keeps the MF RB Series working by completely clearing any blockage, quickly and easily with a two-stage anti-block system. This page is archived. Data published after 5 April 2022 can be found on the renewed website. Go to the new statistics page Published: 23 October 2017 General government deficit for 2016 was revised by EUR six million General government deficit for 2016 decreased by EUR six million during Eurostats verification period compared with the figure published at the end of September. According to revised data, general government deficit for 2016 was EUR 3,769 million (was EUR 3,775 million) and 1.7 per cent relative to gross domestic product (was 1.8 per cent). The revisions were directed to central government. General government debt did not change during the verification period. General government debt was 63.1 per cent relative to gross domestic product at the end of 2016. General government EDP debt relative to GDP Consolidated general government gross debt (EDP debt) amounted to EUR 136.0 billion at the end of 2016. The debt grew by EUR 2.8 billion in 2016. Compared to the preliminary data released in March, the ratio of debt to GDP was now updated 0.5 percentage points lower, and was thus 63.1 per cent in 2016. The change was almost entirely caused by the revision of GDP. At the end of 2015, the GDP share of the EDP debt was 63.6 per cent. The EDP debt describes general governments debt to the other sectors of the economy and to the rest of the world, and its development is influenced by changes in both the unconsolidated gross debt and the internal general government debt. General government EDP deficit (-) relative to GDP In 2016, general government deficit, or net borrowing according to national accounts, was EUR 3.8 billion. The financial position improved by EUR 1.9 billion from the previous year. Compared to the preliminary data released in March, the deficit for 2016 diminished by EUR 331 million. Of general government subsectors, the biggest updates concerned local government where deficit decreased compared to March by EUR 175 million to EUR 864 million. The updating of data was due to revised source data. About the content and concepts of the statistics General government surplus/deficit refers to net lending/borrowing according to the sector accounts of national accounts, which is the difference between the total revenue and expenditure. For instance, in the case of local government, the concept differs from the surplus/deficit of the accounting period according to the profit and loss accounts of municipalities and joint municipal authorities included in the sector. The key difference concerns investments, which are recorded in national accounts as expenditure as such. In general government accounts, the European Financial Stability Facility EFSF is, based on Eurostat's decision, handled so that the EFSF's borrowing is recorded as part of the gross government debt of the countries that have provided guarantees. The loan received by the beneficiary country from the EFSF is recorded as if it had been received from the countries in the euro area that have provided guarantees and these countries in turn owe the corresponding amount to the EFSF. As a result, the EDP gross debt of the countries that provided guarantees grows but the net debt remains unchanged because the countries have a similar receivable from the beneficiary country. The gross government debt to be recorded for each country on the loans granted by the EFSF is calculated by dividing the loan granted to the beneficiary country by the contribution key (based on the share in the ECB's capital of each country participating in the support operations). At the end of 2016, Finland's general government debt includes EUR 3,401 million of debt granted by the EFSF to beneficiary countries. At the end of 2015, the amount was the same. Corresponding treatment does not apply to the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). Central government's EDP debt differs as a concept from the central government debt published by the State Treasury. Central government's EDP debt includes loans granted to beneficiary counties by the European Financial Stability Facility EFSF, received cash collateral related to derivative contracts, the capital of the Nuclear Waste Management Fund, debts generated from investments in central government's PPP (public-private partnership) projects, and coins that are in circulation. In national accounts, central government is also a broader concept than the budget and financial economy, in addition to which it includes, for example, universities, Solidium, the Finnish Broadcasting Company and Senate Properties. When these differences are taken into consideration, we reach the central government non-consolidated gross debt in accordance with the EDP concept (Appendix table 2). In 2016, the State Treasury's central government debt EUR 102.4 billion + conceptual differences of the debt EUR 10.1 billion + differences caused by the sector delimitation EUR 3.2 billion = central government gross debt EUR 115.7 billion. The valuation principle for both debt concepts is the nominal value, where the effect of interest-rate contracts and currency swaps is taken into account. A list of units belonging to general government (only in Finnish) can be found at http://www.stat.fi/meta/luokitukset/_linkki/julkisyhteisot.html . Decisions on major sector classification cases (only in Finnish) are available at http://www.stat.fi/meta/luokitukset/_linkki/soveltamisp.html . Source: General government deficit and debt. Statistics Finland Inquiries: Niina Suutarinen 029 551 2307, Atte Virtanen 029 551 3685, financial.accounts@stat.fi Director in charge: Ville Vertanen Publication in pdf-format (239.3 kB) Updated 23.10.2017 Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): General government deficit and debt [e-publication]. ISSN=1799-5914. 2016. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 15.11.2022]. Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/jali/2016/jali_2016_2017-10-23_tie_001_en.html The town clock has stood on the corner of Center and Broad streets, the Square, now for 127 years, since 1890. It has been loved and hated; it is indisputably a Statesville and an Iredell County landmark. There was little drama on election night in Iredell County as Republicans won races up and down the ballot. One Statesville woman has decided to give back to the Barium Springs Childrens Home by organizing a medieval faire. She needs sponsors to get the job done. 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The ceremony, organized and carried out together with the Romanian Land Troops, started with the arrival of the Romanian and US army officials, the presentation of the battle flags and playing of the national anthems of Romania and the USA and the anthem of the US Land Troops and also with a salute of the commander of the US infantrymen deployed to the air bases, Colonel Peter J Moon. In his speech delivered on this occasion, Lieutenant Colonel Moon said that the 250 infantrymen of the Vanguard Battalion, who started to arrive one week ago, from Poland, with their equipment, to the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, are coming to Romania to train and demonstrate their training skills, alongside their Romanian comrades, during a series of drills and bilateral applications, aimed at increasing the degree of inter-operability. The 1st Vanguard Battalion is a military force with joint weapons that will operate during its stay at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Base, as part of the Atlantic Resolve, a military operation that includes all Europe, Colonel Peter J Moon said. He went on to say that Atlantic Resolve is meant to prove the continuous commitment and dedication of the US to security, through a series of actions meant to defend the NATO partners, in the context of Russia's intervention in Ukraine. Agerpres. Hydropower corporation Hidroelectrica will be listed most probably next year, as the project to this end is currently under public debate, Energy Minister Toma Petcu told a conference on major investments in Romania this Monday. "I think bringing back into discussion Hidroelectrica's listing is a success of the Energy Ministry and of the government of Romania. It sends investors and the Romanian capital market a signal that the government is headed for transparency and performance in relation with state-owned companies," Petcu said. For now, Hidroelectrica's listing is under public debate, so that we'll talk about the effective listing most probably in 2018, Petcu said, adding that investments in the company continue. "For example, the company estimates that the contract for the re-engineering of the Vidraru hydropower plant - an investment of about 80 million euro - will be put up for bidding by the end of this year," Petcu also said. In late September the minister said that the authorities intend to list 10 percent of Hidroelectrica's stake on the Stock Exchange, compared to 15 percent as initially planned in 2014. "We have changed the stake from 15 to 10 percent, we'll issue a Government resolution in connection with this. We move at a faster pace, and we are interested in this listing from two perspectives. In the first place, this company is placed on the market for the indices to be clear to see, not just stock exchange indices, but the other indices as well, for us to permanently see how the company fares financially and on the market," Petcu explained. In the second place, the minister added, all the money raised in the listing stays with the company. "We want the amount obtained, a quite substantial one according to our estimates, to be used for the company's development. Hidroelectrica has been restructured (...) by let's say, setting aside investments in maintenance, upgrading, re-engineering. These three elements are very important because although Hidroelectrica's total production capacity is 6,400 MW, in reality it cannot produce more than 3,000 - 3,500 MW. It means that the rest of the capacity left unused must be re-engineered, upgraded to start producing and bring added value to the company. This is our top goal," the Energy Minister said. Agerpres. The bill on establishing Romania's National Minorities Day as national celebration on December 18 was unanimously adopted by the plenary sitting of the Senate with 92 votes in favor. The bill initiated by the deputies belonging to the national minorities regulates "the declaration and celebration of December 18 as a national celebration, established through Government Decision No. 881/1998 as the Day of National Minorities." The bill stipulates that for the celebration of the National Minorities Day of Romania cultural events dedicated to this celebration are to be organised. The central and local authorities can contribute with logistic or financial support. The Romanian Television Broadcasting Corporation (SRTV) and the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation (SRR) will cover the info from events celebrating the National Minorities Day of Romania, stipulates the bill. Agerpres. WASHINGTON Eight former federal energy panel members including five former chairs oppose a Trump administration plan to bolster nuclear and coal-fired power plants. The former officials, who served under presidents from both parties, call the plan "a significant step backward" and say it would raise prices and disrupt electricity markets. The plan by Energy Secretary Rick Perry would reward nuclear and coal-fired power plants for adding reliability to the nation's power grid. Perry says the plan is needed to help prevent widespread outages such as those caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. The plan aims to reverse a steady tide of retirements of coal and nuclear plants, which have lost market share as natural gas and renewable energy flourish. President Donald Trump has vowed to revive the struggling coal industry and expressed strong support for nuclear power, while casting a skeptical eye toward renewable energy such as wind and solar power. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is considering the plan and could decide by mid-December. A letter signed by eight former energy commission members said "subsidizing resources" such as coal and nuclear plants "so they do not retire would fundamentally distort markets ... and inevitably raise prices to customers." The plan could backfire as investors lose confidence in energy markets, the former officials said. "This loss of faith in markets would thereby undermine reliability," they wrote. The letter was signed by officials who served under every president since Ronald Reagan, including former FERC chairs Elizabeth Moler, James Hoecker, Pat Wood III, Joseph Kelliher and Jon Wellinghoff. Moler, Hoecker and Wellinghoff are Democrats, while Wood and Kelliher are Republicans. The American Public Power Association also urged FERC to reject the plan, saying in a statement Monday it would "impose significant costs on customers without any justification." Energy markets "need significant reform, but the DOE proposal would take us in the wrong direction," said Sue Kelly, president and CEO of the power group, which represents community-owned utilities. The Utility Workers of America, meanwhile, supported the plan, noting that nearly 8,000 jobs have been lost in electric power generation by traditional fossil fuels since 2011, with another 6,500 nuclear jobs lost during that same period. "If baseload coal and nuclear generation are not properly valued for their services, thousands more workers are at risk of losing their jobs," the union wrote. Perry's plan would compensate power plant owners that maintain a 90-day fuel supply protected against the elements. The exact cost is unknown, but critics say it could result in subsidies worth billions of dollars. The proposal has drawn opposition from an unusual coalition of business and environmental groups that frequently disagree with one another. Environmental groups say the plan would boost dirty and dangerous fuels, while the energy industry warns about interference in the free market and manufacturers that use huge amounts of electricity complain about higher energy prices that could be passed on to consumers. Opponents say there is no evidence of a threat to the grid's day-to-day reliability that would justify the emergency action Perry is seeking. An Energy Department report in August called reliability "adequate," citing significant additions to the grid from natural gas, wind, and solar. Democrats in Congress have denounced the plan, while Republicans have generally taken a wait-and-see approach. Union members will continue to ramp up organizing efforts and outreach to current members as labor faces right to work battles and other legislative challenges, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said Monday. Were going to fight back smartly, strategically, as one united movement, said Trumka in front more than 1,000 union members at the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations national convention at Americas Center in downtown St. Louis. The convention runs through Wednesday. Trumka, who was re-elected to his post Sunday, addressed the right-to-work law that bars workers from being compelled to join unions or pay union dues as a condition of employment. The law was initially slated to go into effect in Missouri in August, but a successful petition effort with more than 300,000 signatures temporarily blocked it until voters can decide on the issue in a referendum in November 2018. Were going to fight back against right to work, right here in Missouri, and across the country, Trumka said. Were going to do it by organizing. Several union leaders spoke at the convention about increasing outreach to union members across the country to better understand their concerns and priorities. We are laser-focused on building enduring relationships with our members, Trumka said. That means engaging directly with them and not just during election time but all year round. We need to listen to our members. We need to find out what they care about. We need to learn what makes them tick. St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger also addressed AFL-CIO delegates Monday, recalling St. Louis labor roots where union members fought for an eight-hour workday in the late 1880s. Right now, the county is experiencing an unprecedented economic boom, Stenger said. Since last year, major corporations have invested $4 billion in capital improvements and expansions in the county. These investments generated over 5,700 new jobs and retained about 21,000 more. Union labor has been the key to this expansion. Fidelity Investments, one of the world's largest investment firms, has pushed out two high-level executives over the past few weeks amid sexual harassment complaints, according to two people familiar with the allegations. Former portfolio manager C. Robert Chow resigned earlier this month and Gavin Baker, a prominent tech fund manager, was fired by the company in September, according to the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly about the cases. Chow and Baker could not be immediately reached for comment. Their dismissals was first reported by the The Wall Street Journal. Fidelity declined to comment on specific employees, but said in a statement that its policies "prohibit harassment in any form. When allegations of these sorts are brought to our attention, we investigate them immediately and take prompt and appropriate action. We simply will not, and do not, tolerate this type of behavior," Fidelity spokesman Vincent Loporchio said in a statement. Fidelity has also hired an outside consultant to review employee behavior in its stock-picking unit, according to one of the people familiar with the allegations. Chow was accused of making inappropriate sexual comments to colleagues and Baker allegedly harassed a 26-year-old employee. Both worked in the company's powerful stock-picking division. An unnamed spokesman for Baker told The Wall Street Journal that he "strenuously" denies the allegations. The allegations comes amid heightened sensitivity to sexual harassment complaints in corporate America. Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was recently fired as the head of his company after reports emerged that he had harassed dozens of women over decades. And on Friday, The New York Times reported that Former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly secretly settled a sexual harassment allegation with a network contributor for $32 million. Wall Street, meanwhile, has long fought its reputation as a place where women and minorities struggle to succeed. None of the country's leading publicly-traded banks JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup or Bank of America have ever been led by a woman. Last year, Bank of America was accused of running a "bros club" that underpaid female executives. Women account for just 2 percent of financial industry chief executives, according to research by Catalyst, a nonprofit group. They hold about 29 percent of executive or senior-level positions in the industry. Fidelity operates in the asset management world where such concerns have also lingered. Women and minorities are locked out of some of sector's most lucrative positions, managing just 1.1 percent of the $71.4 trillion of the industry's assets, according to a study commissioned by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Bella Research Group earlier this year. Fidelity is somewhat unusual in the financial world. It is led by a woman, Abigail P. Johnson, who has been chairman and chief executive officer since 2014. Johnson's grandfather started the firm, and she owns a significant share of the privately-held company, according to Forbes, which estimates her net worth at more than $17 billion. Johnson is considered one of the most powerful women in finance from her perch at Fidelity, which has more than $6 trillion in assets, including the retirement accounts of millions of Americans. It also has several women in senior leadership positions, including Kathleen Murphy, the president of personal investing, which controls more than $2 trillion in customer assets. The company held an emergency meeting last week in the wake of dismissals of the two executives, according to a personal familiar with the allegations. Brian Hogan, president of Fidelity's stock-picking division, stressed the company's intolerance of inappropriate workplace conduct during that meeting, the person said. "Fidelity remains committed to providing all associates with an outstanding work environment and we will always work hard to ensure that we take swift and appropriate action when an individual violates our policies, and more importantly, our values," the company's statement said. The widow of U.S. Army Sgt. La David Johnson, who was among four U.S. service members killed in Niger earlier this month, expressed a mix of blame and sorrow Monday on "Good Morning America," saying she was "very angry" about President Donald Trump's condolence phone call and upset because she says he struggled to "remember my husband's name." Myeshia Johnson spoke to ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos. Johnson criticized Trump's handling of the phone call that started a controversy. "I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name, and thats what hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risked his life for our country why cant you remember his name," she said. "Thats what made me upset and cry even more because my husband was an awesome soldier." Johnson, days after being informed of her husbands fatal firefight, said she was wearing dog tags over her black clothing and barred from seeing her husbands body or given any straight story on how he died in Niger. I need to see him so I know its my husband, she said. They wont show me a finger, a hand; I know my husbands body from head-to-toe and they wont let me see anything. She said the casket her husband come home in remains a mystery box for her. I dont know what is in that box, she said. It could be empty for all I know. ST. LOUIS A man found dead Saturday morning in a St. Louis park had been shot several times, police say. The victim is identified as Domonique Blacknoll, 24, of the 900 block of Catalpa Street. Police found Blacknoll in a park near his home. Gwen Giles Park is in the 900 block of Hodiamont Avenue, on the western edge of the city. Someone had called police about 7:45 a.m. Saturday after seeing what appeared to be a body. Police say they determined that a man shot Blacknoll around midnight Friday, then fled. Police provided no detailed description of the suspect, and didn't explain what may have led to the killing. FARMINGTON, Mo. Officers shot and wounded an armed man while investigating a burglary at an eastern Missouri home, according to authorities. KFVS-TV reports that police went to the basement of a Farmington home about 4 a.m. Sunday after the owner told police that he had heard gunshots and believed someone was down there. Police say one officer heard the sound of ammunition being loaded into a weapon and ordered whoever was inside to come out with hands up. After hearing several shots in the basement, the officers left the house and took cover. Police then heard more shots and say a man came out of the house holding a rifle. Officers fired at the man, striking him in the left side. The 29-year-old man was taken to a hospital and later booked into jail on $373,000 bond. Farmington is about 60 miles south of St. Louis. JEFFERSON CITY Gov. Eric Greitens has been criticized for attempting to stack the Missouri state school board with his own appointees in order to install his own top school leader. One nominee turned down his offer of a seat on the board, and a member of the board called the Republican newcomers actions incompetent. Greitens withdrew the nomination of another nominee after she said she felt pressured by the governors office to oust the current state education commissioner. But Greitens pick to replace Margie Vandeven, who has led the states school bureaucracy since 2015, was never clear. Now, records indicate whom he had in mind. According to a Post-Dispatch review of campaign finance records, Greitens paid $1,576 out of his campaign fund to bring Kenneth Zeff to mid-Missouri in August. Zeff is an Atlanta school administrator and education consultant whose familiarity with charter schools would appear to match Greitens support for expanding them in Missouri. Greitens campaign manager Austin Chambers did not deny that Zeffs trip to the capital city was in connection with his possible role as commissioner. Chambers defended using campaign funds to pay for the visit. Zeff, who earned about $265,000 as the interim superintendent of the Fulton County schools, is now executive director of a nonprofit that supports public schools in the Atlanta area. Previously, Zeff was chief operations officer for a charter school management organization serving students in Los Angeles and New York. In a 2016 application for a superintendents job in Nashville, Zeff focused on his charter school credentials. I have been responsible for building the structures and processes to implement our Board and communitys highly successful vision for a decentralized model, known as the charter system of schools. This organizational and culture change has taken root in every corner of the district, his resume says. Zeff, who was reimbursed for hotels, a car rental and a cup of coffee in Columbia, did not return messages left at his nonprofit office. For now, Greitens attempt to remake the state board of education appears to be on hold. The governor doesnt have the power to single-handedly remove the state school commissioner. Rather, he appoints the school board members who have the ability to hire and fire. Greitens came under heavy criticism after Springfield, Mo., resident Heidi Crane declined to accept Greitens appointment to the board. Crane was a last-minute choice to replace fellow Springfield resident Melissa Gelner on the board after the governor withdrew Gelners nomination. Gelner wrote that she was being pressured by Greitens administration to dump Vandeven. The campaign finance records now show that Zeff was, at least, a potential contender for Vandevens job. At the time, board members said it was uncommon for a governor to try to influence those appointees to fire someone. The State Board of Education is designed by the constitution to be somewhat independent, board chairman Charlie Shields said. Greitens decision to reimburse Zeff using campaign dollars is another example of the close coordination between Greitens the governor and Greitens the candidate. Although state campaign finance laws say donor contributions are supposed to be used to support or oppose candidates for public office, chambers says the financial maneuver was legal. Under state law, Chambers said, contributions may be used for any purpose allowed by law including, but not limited to, any ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with the duties of a holder of elective office. This expense was incurred in connection with the governors duties. Not only was it a permissible expense because it was not for a prohibited purpose (such as personal enrichment), it was an expense whose permissibility is explicitly recognized by law, Chambers said in an email to the Post-Dispatch. University of Missouri Law School Professor Richard Reuben said Chambers explanation is a stretch. I would put it in the category of a questionable use of campaign resources, said Reuben, who teaches a class on campaign finance law. If someone were to present this to the Missouri Ethics Commission, Im sure they would want to take a look. House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty, D-Kansas City, said Missourians should be disturbed by Greitens bumbling attempt to orchestrate a coup at the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Unfortunately, Eric Greitens has no respect for or awareness of the constitutional limitations on his power. His potential misuse of campaign funds as part of his underhanded scheme to depose the current state education commissioner and install his own handpicked choice seems to be yet another example of the governor playing fast and loose with the law, Beatty said. Missouri Democratic Party Chairman Stephen Webber said Greitens is fully entrenched in the shady establishment politics that he promised Missourians hed fight against. A previous version of this article misstated the scope of the ruling. JEFFERSON CITY A Jackson County judge on Monday denied a motion made by Planned Parenthood affiliates and the ACLU of Missouri that would've stopped implementation of a provision in Missouri's newest abortion law. On Oct. 10, the ACLU of Missouri and two Planned Parenthood affiliates sued the state to block implementation of a provision in Senate Bill 5, approved by lawmakers during an abortion-focused special session over the summer. The groups moved for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction against the "same-physician" provision in the law, which will require the doctor providing an abortion to be the one who tells a woman of medical risks 72 hours in advance of the abortion. Judge S. Margene Burnett declined to halt that provision from taking effect, saying Planned Parenthood's argument in favor of a preliminary injunction did not meet the court's high bar. The plaintiffs, arguing the provision violated women's constitutional rights, argued the same-physician rule would force out-state women to travel twice to faraway abortion clinics, and force doctors into scheduling conflicts which will delay care. They also argued the law was "vague and conflicting" in spots, and said the scope of the law was in conflict with the original intent of the bill, a violation of the state constitution. The plaintiffs also asked the court to rule on the overall constitutionality of Senate Bill 5, said Jesse Lawder, a spokesman for Planned Parenthood's St. Louis affiliate, but the court did not issue any opinion on that on Monday. With nothing stopping Senate Bill 5, the newest abortion law in Missouri is set to take effect on Tuesday. Among the law's provisions is a provision laying out a new abortion clinic inspection regime, new prosecuting powers for the attorney general, new whistleblower protections for clinic employees, and a section requiring tissue removed during an abortion be sent to a pathologist within 72 hours. The measure also exempts agencies that offer alternatives to abortion from a new St. Louis ordinance barring discrimination against women on the basis of whether they take birth control or have had an abortion. Mary Kogut, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood's St. Louis affiliate, said the group would continue to fight Senate Bill 5 "and any bill that allows politicians to stand in the way of a womans ability to make personal medical decisions that are best for her health and well-being." Attorney General Josh Hawley, a Republican whose office defended the law, said he was pleased with Burnett's decision, saying he would continue to "vigorously defend" such regulations. Burnett wrote that before granting the preliminary injunction, she would have to weigh the plaintiff's probability of success, the threat of irreparable harm without an injunction, the harm the injunction would cause others, and the public interest. She said the plaintiffs did not establish a probability of success. Burnett wrote that on the plaintiffs' three main points that the provision impedes the rights of women, that it was drafted unconstitutionally and that it is vague and contradictory that there was not "sufficient showing that Plaintiffs will succeed on the merits of these particular claims." Burnett seemingly sided with Planned Parenthood and the ACLU on the question of whether there would be irreparable harm to women seeking abortions under the new same-physician provision. She said the defense admitted that the provision could cause "irreparable harm to some. Even so, this factor is just one of four that the Court must weigh." On the third question, the plaintiffs argued the only adverse impact to the defense would be the state temporarily not being able to implement the rule. But the defense successfully argued they would also be impacted by the court "preventing the execution of duly enacted legislation." Burnett said that plaintiffs could not argue harm caused based on the scarcity of abortion providers, impacted further by the same-physician requirement. "The issue of abortion provider scarcity is not one of the state's making and, therefore, should not be considered by this Court in its consideration of the undue burden analysis," Burnett wrote, ultimately deciding the "balance of harm" would be greater to the state if the injunction were issued. On the last question the public interest in granting an injunction Burnett said public interest aligned with not granting an injunction, because the Legislature, an elected body, enacted the requirement. Like many cities around the country, St. Louis has submitted a bid to be the host of Amazons HQ2, Jeff Bezos latest attempt to exert his influence on American urban leaders (St. Louis-area officials submit Amazon bid," online Oct. 19). For many mayors, undoubtedly, the promise of 50,000 high-paying tech jobs would seem to be a dream come true. However, if St. Louis were to be the chosen host, this dream would quickly turn into a nightmare. For starters, this bid for a second headquarters is a transparent attempt by Amazons leaders to avoid paying their fair share in taxes. As soon as Seattle instituted a tax on rich people, Amazon coincidentally announced its plan to build this new facility. Is St. Louis the type of city to tell the wealthy they can play by a different set of rules than the average American? I hope not. On top of that, a rapid influx of tech workers will undoubtedly cause housing prices to surge. St. Louis has always been a city of the middle class, and one need only look at the homeless crisis in Silicon Valley to see what effect the tech industry has on that areas middle class. For a St. Louisan, more tech workers mean skyrocketing rent and housing prices so high that many will not be able to afford one. No one doubts St. Louis is in need of some form of revitalization, but luring in Jeff Bezos with tax breaks and other goodies will only hurt our city. If local leaders truly wanted to improve our area, they would start with the most pressing issues, like updating our infrastructure and reducing crime. Sam Sherwood Ellisville IMF: One Format to Rule Them All or Just One More Format? The Interoperable Master Format (IMF) holds the promise of drastically reducing the number of different versions of a file that a video publisher needs to deliver to viewersa promise so strong that the worlds leading video subscription service has been taking notice. A few years ago we discovered the Interoperable Master Format (IMF), a standard created by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), wrote Chris Fetner and Brian Kenworthy in a Netflix Tech Blog posting in late 2016. By using this standard, Netflix is able to hold a single set of core assets and the unique elements needed to make those assets relevant in a local territory. [Our global] supply chain needed an efficient way to vault our masters in the cloud that didnt require a different version for every territory in which we have our service, Fetner and Kenworthy wrote. So what is IMF and where did it come from? And what are the benefits and limitations of IMF? This article highlights several of those key areas, including the use of an extensible markup language (XML) and the material exchange format (MXF), the audio- and video-track container format that underlies IMF. The goal behind IMF is to provide a single interchangeable master file format primarily for distribution, says David Schleifer, Primestreams chief operating officer. Schleifer, who provided a good bit of detail for last months article MAM and DAM Evolve Into the Cloud, noted that Primestream strives to support the latest standards as a way to deliver new workflows and efficiencies their customers. However, he warned that IMF isnt exactly a universal format when it comes to the acquisition and post-production processes. We do not currently see IMF as a format in the production process upstream from distribution, says Schleifer, but rather as a deliverable for the final product. Understanding IMF: Bits and Bobs The IMF family of standards, according to SMPTE, is maintained by its Media Packaging and Interchange Committee 35PM. IMF is a superset of MXF and XML, with the benefits of both in addition to the ability to move beyond MXFs binary-based versioning (to what IMF refers to as the Composite Playlist, or CPL). A good overview of MXF and how it compares to IMF can be found in a blog post by Dalets Bruce Devlin. The blog post argues that XML, which has been used for everything from Microsoft Word to websites, is a more approachable option for creating playlists. There are maybe 20 or 30 really good MXF binary programmers in the world today, writes Devlin. XML is much more generic, and there must be hundreds of thousands of top quality XML programmers out there. In essence, IMF uses XML as a human-readable way to represent various content versions while, according to Devlin, maintaining the proven AS02 media wrapping to store the essence components. The entire standard resides under SMPTE ST 2067, with the most recent versions being designated as 2016, such as the Core Constraints standard, which is ST 2067-2:2016. In addition to the ST 2067-5 essence componentsincluding audio, basic metadata, timed text, and videothe SMPTE family of IMF standards also maintains a series of profile lists (100-103, currently) as well as key application use cases. The profile lists, which were last updated in 2014, provide common image or audio definitions and macros, as well as common image pixel color schemes. The applications are where the heavy liftingor at least the previous thoughtful constructing of typical use cases for the IMF container formatis done. For instance, Application 2 is geared toward studio applications where a TV or movie title is transformed into multiple content versions (airline edits, special edition, languages...) that are made available to multiple consumer distribution channels (internet, optical media, broadcast...) across multiple territories and over the span of many months to over a year. The Netflix Tech Blog post explains one of the practical approaches to the Application 2 use case. In their blog post, Fetner and Kenworthy point out that that for certain titles, such as the Netflix-owned Narcos series, the video asset is largely the same in all territories, although key elements at the beginning and end of an episode might change, such as the post-episode title sequence. [W]e can hold the Primary AV and the specific frames that are different for, say, the Japanese title sequence version, Fetner and Kenworthy wrote. This reduces duplication of assets that are 95 percent the same and allows us to hold that 95 percent once and piece it to the 5 percent differences needed for a specific use case. Playing Content in an IMF Container Format While the main assets, or essence, of an IMF container center on audio and video, another powerful feature of the IMF family of standards is the ability to play back content. ST 2067-3:2016 uses the underpinnings of XML to generate a CPL that acts as a representation of a single version of a finished IMF composition (feature, episode, trailer, advertisement, etc.). The CPL contains the information necessary to describe the composition and to synchronize its underlying essence for a series of use cases, from playout or transcoding. Because it uses XML, it is both extensible, in terms of how the playlist is laid out and new features are added, as well as readable by humans. As ST 2067-3:2016 currently stands, it is designed for file-based operations. An example of a company seeing immediate benefit from IMF playback functionality is Prime Focus Technologies. PFT is a strong supporter of the Interoperable Master Format because it is aligned with two of our driving principles, says Ramki Sankaranarayanan, CEO and founder of Prime Focus Technologies. The first of these is helping media enterprises better manage the business of content, and the second is using automation to boost efficiency and cost-effectiveness when syndicating across platforms, regions, and audiences, Sankaranarayanan says. Prime Focus has created an IMF-compatible player that provides the preview, review, and playback. In addition, the player can distribute, over a streaming proxy, a CPL with all its essences including video, audio, and timed text (e.g., captions, subtitles). Storing Assets Within IMF One area where IMF offers promise is the ability to move full packages of content around without requiring a relinking step thats often necessary in many container formats. As referenced in the Netflix Tech Blog, above, lowering overall storage requirements is a sizable benefit of avoiding duplication of assets. But theres also another benefit, wherein IMF acts almost like a folder on a desktop computer, holding multiple assets in a single logical storage location. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Related Articles Great expectations View(s): This Dickensian-connected headline was triggered by a casual remark on Thursday by Kussi Amma Sera on the forthcoming budget. Mahattayo, mey sarey, monawa thiyai-da, budget-eke? she asked sipping tea from her favourite mug inscribed with a smiling picture of the late Gamini Fonseka, a famous 1980s Sri Lankan actor who was also her favourite star. Ravi Karunanayake, mahattaya giyata passe, honda, honda dewal thiyai-da? she further queried. Two points emerged from this interesting conversation, more than the gossip that we get to share these days. Firstly, people still believe the budget will help to ease their painful cost of living, and secondly, there is a growing view that the former, under-pressure finance minister was the villain in not reducing the cost of living, though, in fairness to him, it was not entirely his fault. Since coming into office in mid-2015, the Government has been saddled with a burgeoning debt in the region of three trillion rupees, a spillover from the costly spending of the former regime. While Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has repeatedly assured that this debt will be cleared in three to four years under sound economic policies, not many are convinced given the level of corruption thats creeping into the current regime. The biggest setback for the Maithripala-Ranil coalition government, even before it got down to brass-tacks was the corrupt Treasury bond deals in February 2015 and early 2016. A damning indictment from the chief prosecutor at the Treasury Bond Commission, as it wound up proceedings this week more than eight months after its appointment, was that the chief culprit, Perpetual Treasuries Ltd (PTL) is a criminal organisation. Explosive revelations that led to Ravi Karunanayakes resignation included that he was staying in an apartment in which the lease was paid by PTL director Arjun Aloysius and that alleged bribes were given and payouts made to informants by PTL as it sought to control and influence the primary and secondary market for Treasury bills and Government securities, have put to shame the feeble, sweep-under-the-carpet attempt by the authorities to deal with the allegations centering around former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and his son-in-law Aloysius. To deflate criticism, the PM appointed a committee of party lawyers to probe the tainted February 2015 transaction and when that didnt bring the desired result demanded by the public, the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) carried out an investigation. Though COPE made startling revelations, it was the proceedings of the Bond Commission that have shocked the nation with some stunning headliners for the local press. Now the nation is waiting with bated breath for the report of the Commission. Will it also end up like the previous two probes, is what the public is anxiously waiting to see. The realization that the cost of living is causing serious concerns to the public, as the Government juggles with paying off costly loans and trying to sneak in some cost-of-living-reducing steps, emerged in a comprehensive joint poll by the Business Times and the Research Consultancy Bureau (BT-RCB) last week on expectations from Budget 2018 and the performance so far. Another trigger that COL is also affecting the neither-here-nor-there middle class came when a friend at another company recalled what his colleague, when asked for a birthday treat, had said: Only after payday, brother only after payday. I was quite surprised, since this individual normally has money to kill, my friend said. This, then, is the reality. COL is hitting all classes equally, resulting in a slowdown in the economy and a temporary halt in impulse-buying of white goods (electronics and non-essentials) which are reflected in the struggle by many companies to recover payments. Cheques are bouncing and people are in debt to credit card companies. Not the best of scenarios for new Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera to present his maiden budget on Thursday, November 9. He is sure to move heaven and earth to offer some handouts to cushion the COL. Last weeks BT-RCB polls reveal that there has been no improvement in the past year in reducing the cost of living or corruption. People have become very cynical and the not-so-complimentary-to-the-government evidence at the Bond Commission has aggravated the issues facing the current regime, with delays in prosecuting corrupt politicians and individuals in the former regime compounding the crisis. The following views from respondents in the poll resonate with the widely-held, public perception: The poor people have virtually become beggars. You need at least around 5,000 rupees per day to manage costs; 1000 rupees has depreciated so much that its value today is 100 rupees; there appears be a reduction in bribery and corruption. However, what is also happening is that only the sprats are caught while the big fish escape; corruption has remained down the ages; that will never change; Bribery? Some accept money in broad daylight! While the budget brings about great expectations, the task before the Government is how to fill a depleted Treasury. For example, worker remittances, the countrys main foreign exchange earner, have been slipping for the third year in succession. Tourist arrivals are only marginally increasing from last year owing to the 3-month closure of the airport, a drop in Chinese travellers and unrest in West Asia. Deadly flashfloods combined with an unusual drought forced the authorities to import rice due to a shortage, eating into foreign exchange reserves. On the bright side, foreign investment inflows are picking up with $711 million coming in this year up to August, double that received in January-August 2016 of $293 million and are expected to close the year with over $1 billion. Another tranche from the ongoing IMF facility has to some extent cushioned depleted foreign reserves though borrowings to stabilise reserves are not something to crow about. A recent Moodys Investors Service statement implies that this is not enough. Unless reserves rise still further, reserve coverage will weaken and external vulnerability will increase from 2019 when large international debt repayments are due. How the authorities prepare for and manage these risks will be critical to stabilising the external financing position, it said. Progressive is how Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake described the forthcoming budget at a recent Colombo business forum. His view is echoed by one email respondent in the BT-RCB poll who said that budgets should deal with macro-economic issues, not day-to-day issues (COL). So, while the budget will try to balance things, particularly the debt situation while providing some concessions leading to the growth of the SMEs, which is largely responsible for economic growth, Samaraweera is unlikely to wave his magic wand and substantially reduce the cost of living. The policy of incentives and concessions to stimulate private-sector growth which, in turn, would create jobs and thrust more money into the hands of the people, will take time and in this case, most likely one to two years. While it all points out to a growth-centric budget and lots of rhetoric on great expectations, Kussi Amma Sera and her ilk would be disappointed that their cup of tea or kottu rotti wont come down (substantially) when Samaraweera opens his black box, three weeks from now. Kingfisher Beer Europe to distribute 2 Lion Brewery brands By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s): The European arm of United Breweries in September has tied up with Sri Lankas Lion Brewery, in which Carlsberg holds a stake, to launch two of its beer brands across Europe. Kingfisher, bought by Heineken is now carrying out distributing and marketing duties for Lion Lager and Lion Stout in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Kingfisher spotted an opportunity with Lion Brewery for customers interested in discovery beers, Sharlene Adams, Lion Brewery Head of Experts and New Product Development told the Business Times. The unit wants to capitalise on the popularity of Lion, the beer market leader in Sri Lanka, with European tourists returning from the country who have acquired a taste for exotic beers, she said. Consumers now want premium beer. She noted that Lion Lager is served at 6,000 premium top end restaurants in the UK. So far the progress during the past two months has been excellent, Ms. Adams said noting that Lion Brewerys export business is its growth engine. Carlsberg owns a 25 per cent stake in Lion Brewery. Lion has a leading market position in the domestic beer industry. Its market share is supported by its entrenched brand and widespread retail coverage, with access to more than 2,250 outlets around Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government has consistently used excise taxes as a tool to boost revenue to bridge budget deficits; consequently, from October 2015 to November 2016, the industry especially the beer makers was taxed from multiple fronts through higher excise duties, introduction of beer can taxes and reinstatement of VAT, dampening the competitiveness of beer, according to a Fitch Ratings report in August. Local council polls also may be put off till March or later By Our Political Editor View(s): View(s): Election Commission chief says he is helpless till Gazette notification is issued Musthapha says Nuwara Eliya district issue could be sorted out soon and Gazette issued in two weeks Rajapaksa says Govt. deliberately delaying elections, predicts pro-Sirisena SLFP will come third or fourth 25 UNP MPs meet President and seek early local polls Sirisena says he is for the abolition of the executive presidency, though his party wants it retained Local Government elections, seen to be close on hand only just days earlier, have become yet so far now. The expected January 20, 2018 poll may now not happen. This time it is over another mundane issue the creation of more Pradeshiya Sabhas in the Nuwara Eliya district. This is a long standing demand from the plantation sector pro-Government political parties. The Government heeded their request when the Elections Commission is readying for the local polls. It comes amidst widespread belief that the Government wants to further delay the local elections. That too, in the aftermath of rushing through the Provincial Council Election (Amendment) law in Parliament. This effectively blocked early polls to PCs. Already, the Councils in the Sabaragamuwa, North Central and Eastern Provinces have come under Governors rule. A five-member Delimitation Committee, in keeping with the new law, is now busy demarcating boundaries of provinces, a time consuming task. Its first priority has become the three provinces where the PCs are not functioning now. Even if the committee keeps to a declared deadline of March next year to complete this task, officials say a delay cannot be ruled out. This is in the light of the appeal process when electorates coming under a province are earmarked. Moreover, the same process would have to be extended to other provinces too. Aggravating public apprehensions were remarks by Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya. He told the Sunday Times, There is no necessity to go through a Delimitation Committee process to create new local bodies. The Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government is empowered to establish them. He cited an instance in the Polonnaruwa district where the Ministry took a similar course of action and resolved a festering issue. The reference is to the carving out of an area from the Tamankaduwa Pradeshiya Sabha and creating a new Municipal Council for Polonnaruwa, President Sirisenas home base. A similar change is also expected in the Horana electorate. However, Deshapriya said, a final Gazette notification would be required after the creation of such bodies, so elections can be called. In fact, five prominent polls monitoring bodies in the country went in delegation for a meeting with Deshapriya on Thursday. They expressed concern over current developments which they fear would delay polls further. He told the group that the Minister had the power to create new local bodies. In candid remarks he made, Deshapriya said, I have to take some serious decisions if the Gazette is not issued. The monitoring bodies, some financially backed by Western governments which promote democracy and free elections, are also to respond jointly if the delay is prolonged. The Chairman told us he is in a helpless position until a Gazette is issued. He said there was no purpose in his receiving a draft copy for he cannot act on it, Rohana Hettiaratchchi, Executive Director of the Peoples Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), said yesterday. However, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Faiszer Musthapha, at the centre of accusations over prolonged delays, if not on his own volition, but at the behest of coalition leaders, declared, I do not want to take the responsibility for the delay. He told the Sunday Times, The Cabinet of Ministers took a collective decision on Tuesday that the boundaries of Pradeshiya Sabhas in Nuwara Eliya district should be further divided to create more local bodies. Musthaphas own cabinet colleague National Co-existence and Official Languages Minister Mano Ganeshan rubbished the claim that the delay to elections was the hurried creation of more Pradeshiya Sabhas in the Nuwara Eliya district. No one can say that this proposal was brought out at the eleventh hour to delay things, he asserted. Ganeshan told the Sunday Times, We brought up this issue on four different occasions at the Cabinet. In Parliament, one of our members moved for an adjournment debate. I also raised issue at meetings of political party leaders. He said his party had prepared proposals and handed over a file to Minister Musthapha a month ago. He added, No one can say that elections will be delayed due to this reason. The proposals were ready. We are asking to increase five local bodies to 12 an addition of seven. I have spoken at length on this matter when we discussed the new electoral system, he pointed out. Ganeshan said his party was confident that the changes could be made in just a few days since an increase in the number of members in the proposed new bodies would not be necessary. We are only seeking a separation of some to the new bodies, he pointed out. As the new cycle of events laid bare an apparent reluctance on the part of the coalition to hold local elections, Minister Musthapha, a one-time vice president of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) declared, We do not want to do injustice to one minority group. He said on Tuesday afternoon, he would conduct a discussion with all parliamentarians of the Nuwara Eliya district. They (the parties representing the plantations community) have asked for seven new councils but we have proposed three councils in each area to be divided. He raised a glimmer of hope when he said if the discussions are successful, I will issue a Gazette notification. Such a notification, giving the boundaries of different councils and the number of members to be elected, will be the first step to enable the Election Commission to make arrangements for a poll. In any case, he said, within two weeks he hoped to issue a Gazette notification. If he reaches accord with the Nuwara Eliya district MPs, the outcome will have to be placed for approval before the weekly Cabinet meeting on October 31. It is only thereafter, that his Ministry can set about with follow up action. These developments have all but put paid to moves to hold local elections on January 20 next year. Government sources now say it will likely be pushed back to March or even later next year. Musthapha also commented on the format of his Gazette notification. They are all (political parties in the hill country) asking that it should encompass all councils in one notification. I am also mindful of Government policy of conducting all polls the same day, he said. However, whether a Gazette would cover all local bodies together awaits a decision. The five Pradeshiya Sabhas which the plantation sector political parties want re-arranged are Nuwara Eliya (134,153 voters), Ambagamuwa (147,607 voters), Walapone (85,111 voters), Kotmale (81,445 voters) and Hanguranketa (72,980 voters). Compared to other existing local bodies in the district, the voter numbers in these five bodies are higher. For example, the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council has only 19,938 voters, the Hatton-Dickoya Urban Council has 10,849 voters and the TalawakeleLindula Urban Council 4,853 voters. Opposition slams moves to postpone polls The coalition move to cause further delays in local polls has angered Opposition political parties. They are trying to put off elections because they are frightened of losing. They are very unpopular now. The Minister in charge is delaying issuing the Gazette under different pretexts. He is not doing what is expected of him, declared former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the leader of the Joint Opposition. He returned this week after a private visit to Japan. Rajapaksa forecast that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) would come third or fourth at a local election. Asked whether any re-unification effort was under way with one time SLFPers now supporting him, Rajapaksa told the Sunday Times They (the SLFP) can join the Joint Opposition and field candidates. Of course, that will be entirely on our terms. With those remarks, Rajapaksa was effectively shutting the door for any last minute rapprochement between the two rival factions of the SLFP. Not that such a move was seriously under way. The gap for rapprochement was widening, not narrowing. To the contrary, conscious of this reality, Sirisena has chosen to oust SLFP electoral organisers who are loyalists of Rajapaksa. On the other hand, Rajapaksa declared if they do not want to contest with us, (JO), the UNP and the SLFP can join together and contest. This will not happen either since yahapalanaya is in tatters, he said. Rajapaksa will lead the Joint Opposition campaign at the local polls. Another key element which the Government wants to introduce in future elections is to legislate to control expenditure incurred by different political parties, their candidates and Independents. On Tuesday, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a memorandum from President Sirisena to introduce legislation for this purpose. Sirisenas recommendations are based on a report from the Election Commission seeking restrictions on the use of campaign funds. One Cabinet Minister who did not wish to be identified said the proposed new laws were intended to prevent JO leadership from flooding the election campaign with vast amounts of money, which they have collected through corruption while in power. However, a JO leader countered the claim saying they (the coalition) will not be able to throw money and abuse the state machinery as they pleased. He did not wish to be named either. At least legally, the Government has no hold on the Election Commission to delay the local polls on the grounds that legislation would have to be introduced. Elections Commission Chairman Deshapriya said the Commission was hopeful that the necessary legislation would be passed by Parliament. Firstly, Tuesdays decision by ministers would have to be confirmed at their next meeting. Thereafter, the Legal Draftsman would have to be directed to formulate draft legislation for approval. The Election Commission obtained assistance from its counterpart in India on how the use of funds is governed in that country by election laws. Deshapriya made clear if the elections are to be held in January next year, there is no time to have the legislation approved. However, these laws will not be required to go ahead with the local elections. UNP MPs meeting with Sirisena The local polls figured when a group of United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians met with President Sirisena on Wednesday. They urged that the local polls should be held without delay. The MPs said that the UNPs position was that it should be held by January next year. In fact, with this in mind, the party had summoned its Working Committee for a meeting last Thursday. It was cancelled after it emerged that the likelihood of a poll during that time is not likely. Sirisena noted that laws to control campaign funding would be introduced. He said that he too was in favour of the local polls being held as planned. Matath oney chandey or I also want an election, he added. There were also some tense moments for the group of some 25 MPs over a string of issues. One of them was to urge that Ravi Karunanayake be re-appointed to the Cabinet. He resigned over disclosures made before the Commission of Inquiry with regard the bond scam at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL). Sirisena replied saying, I did not tell him to resign. He quit on his own. He then went on to criticise the media and declare that mey maadye neetha sandarshanaya or it was a very lowly portrayal of the episode as a carnival by the media. The remarks put paid to any further questions but raised new ones over who then asked the former Minister to hand in his resignation. Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe had insisted that he had not asked him to quit since he had not been found guilty of any charge. That was why he had set up an office for the former Minister at Temple Trees and given him many official tasks, including party work. In addition, the security provided to him by the Ministerial Security Division (MSD) remains. Karunanayake who was present was to blame ministers who did not do their job for the unfortunate encounters he faced. This meeting with the President came a week after Karunanayake hosted a group of MPs to a retreat at Tangalle to discuss political developments within the UNP and the Government. The former Finance and Foreign Minister who has now been tasked by his leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to carry out party work said there was greater discipline among them. However, their counterparts in the SLFP were engaged in unfounded criticism, he said. Sirisena noted that on both sides, coalition members were critical of each other. He said he would have to rein them in. Among the UNP MPs who took part in the discussion were Ashu Marasinghe, Hector Appuhamy, Mujibur Rahman, J.C. Alawathuwela, Wijepala Hettiaratchchi, Nalin Bandara, Chaminda Gamage, Vadivel Suresh and Chaminda Wijesiri. Executive Presidency: Sirisenas revelation Sirisena also complained that even onetime President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga had not backed him for a ministerial position or to become the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Another Sirisena remark that caught the UNP MPs by surprise was the question of whether or not to abolish the Executive Presidency. The President declared he was in favour of abolishing it, much to the surprise of the UNP MPs. However, the party he leads, the SLFP has declared it was opposed to abolishing the Executive Presidency. In its report to the Constitutional Assembly on the draft Constitution, the party said: The opinion of the SLFP is that complete abolition of the Executive Presidency, that is present today, is not prudent. Considering various terrorist and extremist activities that happen in various countries in the world, the SLFP believes a President should be elected directly from the public mandate with a certain amount of powers to protect the unitary status of the country and to keep and to protect the stability of the country specially in a situation where a large volume of power is granted to the Provincial Councils. Thereby, every ethnic group of the country without narrow ethnic, religious problems gets political power by selecting a president and gets the opportunity to become a member of the presidential election process, and hence, it becomes a practical method of reconciliation. The president elected in that manner shall be the head of the Cabinet of Ministers, and it shall be ensured that he has the opportunity to hold the ministerial portfolios relating to national security, the three armed forces and the police. Is there a difference of opinion between the SLFP and its own leader, President Sirisena over the future of the Executive Presidency? The question comes to the fore in the light of Sirisenas remarks that he is in favour of abolishing the Executive Presidency. If indeed his party holds a different view from that of his own, there is little doubt Sirisena, as leader, could use his clout to change their thinking. On the other hand, if he wants pressure to build up within his own party for him to contest again, the current posture would be most helpful. In politics, after all, it is pressure over one issue or the other that moves minds to say one thing and do another. Presidents pet project Not surprisingly, developments that will impact on a future presidential or parliamentary election were playing out this week. On Friday, Sirisena launched an ambitious programme at the grassroots level titled Grama Shakthi. The idea behind is to enlist the support of Grama Sevakas or government officials at the grassroots levels in a poverty alleviation programme. These officials play a pivotal role and among other matters even compile electoral registers of those eligible to vote. The inauguration of the Grama Shakthi Peoples Movement got under way on Friday at a ceremony at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium. President Sirisena shared a secret with some of the ministers present. They included Susil Premajayantha, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sajith Premadasa and S.B. Dissanayake. He said that money for the project has been obtained from the Treasury. Sirisena said these funds had been set apart by his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa for a similar development project but had not been utilised. He said he would now use those funds and ensure that those in villages received at least an average income of Rs 8,000 per month. The significance Sirisena attaches to what seems his pet project is underscored by the priority the Presidential Secretariat is giving. An official source said among the measures formulated was to urge both public and private television channels to devote thirty minutes every week to report on the different aspects of the project. Similarly, the source said, the print media, both public and private, would be requested to devote half a page free of charge to report on the progress. In addition, periodic documentary films are to be screened for public information. A separate publicity programme is also being formulated for the social media. The project will begin to pay dividends in the next two years or more. We hope to change the social landscape at the grassroots level, so people will appreciate our efforts, the official source added. Sirisena told Fridays inauguration event that during the first phase of the project, opportunities would be given to people in 5,000 selected Grama Seva Divisions to build peoples co-operative societies. One of the objectives was to give strength to implement rural development plans with the proper understanding of the market opportunities, with the contribution of women and youth. Sirisena said that priority should be given for the conscience rather than the circulars and orders. He also said that all the Districts and Divisional Secretaries should be the pioneers in the development process but not the leaders in the field of administration. Sirisena has told Ministers and MPs that they should factor in their development agendas bearing in mind the new programme. He said he would review progress regularly. A noteworthy feature of the periodic postponement of both provincial and local elections is the deafening silence of Western diplomatic missions in Colombo, the international NGOs and other public action groups. During the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa administration, reams of paper were used by them to regularly condemn what they called anti-democratic acts, violation of human rights and protest over a multitude of other issues. This time however, delays in PC and local polls have drawn no comment from them. No doubt, the coalition enjoys the greater confidence of the international community, particularly the Western nations. However, growing public discontent over current developments, though obscured by events in other theatres abroad, could become a costly affair. More so, when elections delays are being caused with impunity and disregard to the public wish. Singapore company gets huge coal contract View(s): The Government has just approved a US$ 90 million deal to procure 2.5 million metric tonnes of coal for the troubled Chinese-built Lakvijaya power plant in Norochcholai. The decision came after President Maithripala Sirisena had earlier put on hold the matter for further discussion. This quantity is required every year to operate the three 300 megawatts coal power plants which have been hit by regular breakdowns. The contract of the current supplier expired on April 30 this year. In June, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to choose a supplier from September 2017 to April 2019 by calling for bids from registered suppliers. According to Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyabalapitiya, it was proposed to purchase 50 percent of the requirement through the proposed tender and the balance through spot tenders from September 2017 to April 2019. He has said that the latest procurement has been initiated by the Department of Public Finance by appointing the Technical Evaluation Committee and the Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee. When bids closed in August this year, five companies had forwarded quotations. The lowest bid by Gap International Ventures Sdn Bhd (Malaysian),Minister Siyambalaptiya has said, was rejected since it is incomplete. The second lowest bidder was Kausa Alam New Energy Singapore Ptd. Ltd, and this, he has declared, was rejected due to submission of incomplete bid security. According to the Power and Renewable Energy Minister, the third lowest bidder, Adani Global Pte. Ltd. based in Singapore, was the responsive bidder. Also considered as a responsive bid was Swiss Singapore Overseas Enterprises Pte. Ltd. Minister Siyabalapitiya has said the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee considered the TEC recommendations and decided to renegotiate the price reduction with Adani Global Pte. Ltd. It had agreed to offer a price reduction of four US cents a ton. Now it will supply at an FOB price of US$ 80.14 a metric tonne. No talks, only report handed over to PM The Association for Friendship and Love (AFRIEL), an NGO based in Vavuniya, carried out its own survey on the proposed constitutional reforms. For months, it continued its efforts for a meeting with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. It came last week when an AFRIEL youth delegation was told they could meet him for a brief discussion in Parliament last Thursday. The group did hand over a report but no discussion was possible. The occasion had been turned into a news conference after officials of the Prime Ministers office turned up with piles of newspapers.The delegation returned to Vavuniya saying they would seek another meeting for a discussion. Hats off to Speaker, sleeves off to female public officials Nine months after this column wrote (Dec. 25, 2016 issue) under the heading Modesty blaze over sleeveless blouses in Parliament), Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has relaxed a rule that forbade female officials from wearing sleeveless saree blouses when they are in the Official Box in Parliament. He has now instructed that security officials do not insist on such a dress code from female officials. Female public servants and their numbers are growing were virtually told that sleeveless blouses amounted to indecent exposure. The irony of it all was that the rule seemed to have come from a female MP who had earlier sent a note to one of the lady public servants in the Officials Box through the Sergeant-at-arms not to wear a sleeveless blouse in future. A notice at the entrance to the Box which said short sleeve blouses will not be allowed has now been removed, and it merely states that the dress code for ladies is saree. Hats off to the Speaker, and sleeves off for the female public servants. However, a Parliament official said this liberalisation has not been extended to the female MPs. There may be legislation to increase their numbers in the countrys elected bodies, but they must come in saree and blouses with sleeves. Bathiudeen, Yapa clash over CoL When business for the week was over at the weekly ministerial meeting last Tuesday, a lengthy discussion ensued under any other business. One of the vociferous critics over the mounting cost of living was Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa. He said there was no point in having different committees on the subject if no concrete measures were taken to lower living costs. If it became necessary, even the Minister in charge of the subject, should be changed, said Mr. Yapa. He said the Government should intervene and give priority to the matter. That was to draw an angry retort from the line minister. Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen took offence to the suggestion for a removal which he thought was a reference to him. Other ministers also contributed to complaints over living costs and on the need to take corrective measures. Five questions on FCID: No answers from Govt. Five questions were asked in Parliament from Law and Order and Southern Development Minister Sagala Ratnayaka over the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID). They were: (i) The total number of staff serving at the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) set up on February 26, 2015. (ii) The positions there that are rele vant to the staff grade; (iii) Whether a document containing the names and addresses of the officers appointed to those posts and the total salary paid to each including the allowances and spe cial Allowances paid in addition separately will be submitted? (iv) The total number of officers who were sent on foreign tours for investigations from February 26, 2015 up to now, the number of countries they have visited, the names of the countries and the amount spent on those visits; (v) Whether a document containing the names and addresses of the officers who participated in for eign visits, the countries visited and the amount spent on those visits? The answer to all these questions were the same. The details cannot be divulged, said Chief Government Whip Gayantha Karunatillake. He was replying on behalf of the Minister who was not present in the House. The question was asked by MP Shehan Semasinghe on behalf of MP Namal Rajapaksa who was also absent at question time. Rs. 120 million machine but ID cards come slowly slowly A state security arm imported equipment to produce identity cards for their personnel at a cost of Rs 120 million. A scrutiny of the purchase, now under way, has revealed that it could only produce 200 ID cards a day. Thus, a source familiar with the deal said, it would take at least a thousand days before the entire cadre received their cards through this equipment. Marapana to represent Lanka at Thai Kings funeral Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana will represent Sri Lanka at the royal funeral of Thailands much venerated King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He died on October 13 last year and his remains are lying in state until next weeks elaborate ceremonies costing the Thai government more than US$ 90 million. Thailand has been in a state of mourning. The five day funeral ceremonies will begin on October 25. Officers act caught on camera An armed forces officer has come under investigation for allegedly trying to assault a traffic police officer. Police say the incident occurred at the Thunmulla Junction in Bambalapitiya this week and the cop had lodged a complaint. The incident had taken a serious turn after a female employee of a television station used her mobile phone to video the incident. She had later had them posted on social websites. The perils of an ostrich-like approach to polls and governance View(s): The eruption of a fresh controversy this week regarding correction of technical mistakes in the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Governments Local Government Elections Bill has again raised the bogey of postponement of the upcoming punchi chande polls. The Government has reassured the public that the Bill will be rectified once party leaders meet in the coming days and that the local government polls scheduled for January next year will not be delayed. Interfering with polls is a perilous exercise But public confidence in such assurances is not high, given the recent exercise of using an innocuous amendment to the Provincial Councils Act ensuring women representation to bring in a whole host of amendments entirely unrelated to the original Bill which had the virtual effect of delaying the scheduled provincial council polls. One has scant sympathy for the so-called Joint Opposition howling to the heavens that its members are not given sufficient time to study Bills brought before the House. They headed a Parliament at one time which did not even care for the mundane checks and balances in law making and excelled in impeaching a Chief Justice in virtually a matter of days. These are memories still fresh in our minds. The pious preaching of the values of parliamentary democracy should therefore be roundly dismissed with the contempt that it richly deserves. Regardless of these inequities however, this Government came into power promising a change from the past. It must not shut its eyes, ostrich-like, to the dangers of ill-advised actions. This is true of allegations of bond scams that are swept under the carpet with alacrity, not to remain there for very long as we have seen as it is true of polls. Interfering with polls, particularly in regard to the fixing of dates therein is a perilous exercise which has always negatively rebounded on a Government in power by projecting an image of weakness. The importance of a citizens right to vote In one of the clearest precedents applicable to this precise point, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka warned long years ago (Karunatilleke and Another v Dissanayake and Another, 1998) that since, Article 154A (of the Constitution) contemplates the continued existence of elected Provincial Councils, it follows that elections must not be delayed more than is really necessary. The fundamental principle, as judicially articulated, was that the silent and secret expression of a citizens preference between one candidate and another by casting his vote is no less an exercise of the freedom of speech and expression than the most eloquent speech from a public platform. Here too the question concerned the holding of provincial polls with the central question being the power of the Elections Commissioner in regard to fixing a date of polls. The Court emphasized that this is a power that must be exercised independently. Bringing constitutional provisions into focus at the time, it was observed that the Commissioner has been entrusted by Article 104 with powers, duties and functions pertaining to elections, and has been given guarantees of independence by Article 103, in order that he may ensure that elections are conducted according to law: not to allow elections to be wrongfully or improperly cancelled or suspended, or disrupted, by violence or otherwise. Negative impact on the Elections Commission In the recent controversy that arose over the Provincial Councils amendment, it may be conceded that the matter concerned an amendment legislatively passed and therefore posits a very different legal question altogether. This is now before the Supreme Court. Regardless of the different factual contexts however, the impact on the voting populace remains the same. Postponement of polls is not an act that is welcomed with gladness by civic citizens. This is irrespective of the fact, as the Minister in charge of that portfolio loudly bleats to all and sundry, that the additional amendments brought in were meritorious of their own accord. In fact, this has repercussions on a different level. In 1998, the individual in issue was the Elections Commissioner and the very same public official who, in later years, wept before the national television cameras in the Rajapaksa period confessing to his inability to hold a poll with any measure of integrity. Now this country has an Elections Commission in place, as proudly showcased by this Government in its boasts of what the 19th Amendment achieved. But despite this theoretical change, of what worth is the independence of the institution when legislative devices and trickery are resorted to in order to circumvent the democratic process? This is a question that needs to be asked. Need for a national policy on scrutiny of Bills Meanwhile, a national policy mandating that draft legislation must be thoroughly studied in public before Bills are presented to the House is a priority. We have useful examples in this region itself. The Indian Government has put into place a policy on pre legislative consultation. Each Ministry must publicise draft laws for thirty days before submitting a Bill or even a Regulation to the Cabinet. Along with the Bill, a justification of its introduction, financial implications, estimated impact assessment and an explanatory note for key legal provision must also be provided. All comments and submissions on the Bill are made public. In Sri Lanka, this is an urgent need as only Bills can be challenged in court within a limited period unlike the case elsewhere where the respective Supreme Courts have firm powers to review unconstitutional laws. A cynic might argue that a policy such as this may be impossible in a context where hasty amendments and hasty laws have been instrumentally used by all Governments to achieve political ends. This argument may indeed be true. However, a Government must not be allowed to sidestep its electoral contract with the people using clever tactics that confound the trust placed in it. In tandem, the power of the courts to review unconstitutional laws must be ensured. It is the height of nonsense that Sri Lanka nervously declines to give judges that power. If the protection of customary laws that infringe constitutional guarantees is the reason as traditionally put forward, then it is high time that progressive law reforms takes place in these areas as well. Sri Lanka shames itself in this region and in the world in clinging to outdated and obsolete notions of privilege attaching itself to groups, parliamentarians or religious communities as may be the case. It is time we stopped. Will this palanaya ever thank the lord? View(s): The recent House of Lords debate attracted more than customary media coverage in Sri Lanka. It is quite a long time since that has happened. One reason for this might well be that the Hansard report was made available to the media through external sources. This debate was initiated solely through the efforts of Lord Naseby who has been a consistent and politically unbiased supporter of Sri Lanka over many years. This was particularly so when the LTTE and its cohorts were riding high in the UK. At the height of LTTE activity here the British Government did what the heroic Nelson did. It appeared not to see when its own anti-terrorism laws were being flouted by banned foreign organisations such as the LTTE and British MPs were participating in LTTE events. Lord Nasebys most recent effort was to have the British Government, its friends and the United Nations rethink some of their settled views on what happened in the last months of the military conflict with the LTTE. Lord Naseby challenged with hitherto undisclosed evidence some of the statistical and other data critics of Sri Lanka have been waving around as gospel. Unsurprisingly his call to the British Government, international critics and sections of the Tamil diaspora to reconsider some of their commonly held positions resulted in Lord Naseby receiving a large number of congratulatory and thank you messages from people in Sri Lanka. While perceptive Sri Lankans who had read Lord Nasebys contribution to the debate he initiated and realised the importance of the new evidence he introduced to justify his call for a recalibration of opinion, were quick to respond to his single-handed effort, the Sri Lanka Government appears to believe in the adage that silence is golden. So it is not only the British Government that has looked the other way. Its former colony now under this yahapalanaya administration has faithfully followed its colonial master. One does not expect the yahapalanaya government which has the third foreign minister in the course of six or so months to make a public display of saying a thank you to Lord Naseby. But it surely could show its appreciation by sending a private communication for few outside Sri Lanka have taken a steadfast position in calling for a more balanced approach to what is said to have happened in the last months of the war. If the citizens of Sri Lanka could show their appreciation to Lord Naseby for fighting a lone battle with British officialdom to extricate chronologically important reports sent by the defence attache working at the British High Commission in Colombo during those critical months, surely it behooves the yahapalanites who preach morality to say a simple thank you. There may of course be other reasons why the Sri Lanka government is doing what Nelson did. Since this government assumed office it has been trying-especially the conservative UNP- to build bridges with the West particularly the US and UK. It even co-sponsored the UNHRC Resolution of 1 October 2015 which carried severe strictures on Sri Lankas conduct of the war against the LTTE and made several serious allegations that pointed to possible war crimes and violations of international law. British Defence Attache Lt. Col Anton Gashs confidential despatches to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and copied to others (their names and official positions have been deleted), even with much of it redacted tends to present a different picture of the Sri Lanka militarys conduct in the war than has been publicly stated by the British political establishment including its government. How much more of the independent views of the defence attache would have become public had his despatches been released with less deletions if not in toto. One might recall then Prime Minister David Camerons journey to the north during the Commonwealth Summit in Colombo in November 2013 behaving like the Pied Piper with a rat pack at his heels in a desperate attempt to earn some political capital. After a three-year battle with officialdom and invoking the UKs Freedom of Information Act, Lord Naseby was handed over nearly 40 pages of Lt. Col Anton Gashs reports which were so severely redacted that once-white paper was now black. Yet it is possible to squeeze out snippets that do provide those who know Sri Lanka and the conflict areas with some valuable information and data from reliable sources that seem to contradict the political position taken by the British Government following in the footsteps of its war ally, the US. It was these two western states that illegally invaded Iraq which joined hands to condemn Sri Lanka at the UNHRC in Geneva. Given the current governments larger interest in cultivating the US and UK, Sri Lanka officially seems to want to give a wide berth to even the brief information available from the heavily redacted reports of the defence attache in order not to expose the British Governments fault lines. One thing that Whitehall cannot claim is that the defence attaches reports were only seen by the FCO. I have seen copies of those reports released in driblets to Lord Naseby. The FCO must surely have run out of black ink in its marker pens when drawing that multitude of lines across the contents of those reports and in deleting the numerous names of recipients to whom some of those despatches were addressed. The names and designations of recipients deleted are proof that the reports were available to a much wider circle of officials, especially in the defence departments, than only to some at FCOs South Asia Desk. So it cannot be claimed that sections of the political establishment could not have been privy to the contents of Lt. Col Gashs despatches that also carried conclusions he draws and predictions he makes. One of the curious outcomes of Lord Nasebys years of crossing swords with the FCO and other institutions to extract information concerning the allegations against the Sri Lankan forces is that the FCO could not produce any despatches sent by Lt. Col Gash after 26th April that is during the crucial three weeks leading to the end of the war. The final battles against the LTTE had already begun and were moving towards an inevitable denouement. There was obviously international interest in the humanitarian situation that had been building up over several months. We know that the West, especially the US, UK and France, were making efforts to have Sri Lanka call a ceasefire so that what is left of the LTTE leadership could be evacuated to safety from Sri Lanka. It beggars belief that at this vital stage in the conflict where the LTTE was presumably going to make, like General Custer, its last stand, the British Defence Attache who had all these months reported on the conflict and the humanitarian situation would suddenly abandon his prime duty of sending despatches and take a vow of silence like the Sri Lanka governments attitude to the Naseby debate. I have known Lord Naseby from the early 1960s when he was working in Sri Lanka. My brother Mervyn knew him better for I had just started my journalistic career when I met Michael Morris, now Lord Naseby. I renewed contact with Lord Naseby when I came to London as the Europe Editor of the Hong Kong Standard newspaper in 1989. Since then I have attended several of the debates he initiated and also events he chaired as the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sri Lanka and had lunch with him in London and in February this year in Colombo. Though he is no longer chairman of the group he is its president and continues to take an active interest in presenting Sri Lankas case in the UK far better than some of those officially mandated to do so. Lord Nasebys commitment and affection for Sri Lanka is beyond question. What sticks in the craw is when some others try to take credit for this debate and claim that this is the result of two months or so of hard work by them. Those who are novices to British politics and the parliamentary system should not mistake this for, say, democratic governance in the Gulf states. It takes much effort to secure a debate in ones name. As Lord Naseby told me he put in his name asking for a debate on June 21, the day of the opening of parliament and when some of the current claimants to authorship were hardly around. When I was Deputy High Commissioner here earlier in this decade we worked closely with Lord Naseby, (as with some other Lords and MPs), providing briefing papers when needed and updates on developments in Sri Lanka thus keeping him in the loop. It was the time anti-Sri Lankan feeling was very much in evidence and widespread, especially with regard to Sri Lanka hosting the Commonwealth summit, the murder of a British aid worker Khuram Shaikh in Tangalle and a dispute with the International Bar Association over visas to enter Sri Lanka. It was necessary to cultivate all party contacts in the Lords and the Commons and keep them up to date on developments. Not only was it necessary to provide brief analysis but make briefing notes available in a timely manner, not send notes on, say, Tuesday when they were required the previous Friday to be of any use as seems to have happened here. Fortunately there are very helpful Sri Lankans outside official circles as Lord Naseby noted in his speech. One question does arise. Where have all Sri Lankas critics gone? I remember being present at debates where strong Labour Party voices were raised against Sri Lanka even in the Lords. I remember when then High Commissioner Chris Nonis and I had quite an exchange with Lord Wills, a supporter of the Channel 4 features against Sri Lanka, at the parliament restaurant. For some reason the critical voices against Sri Lanka seemed to be stilled this time except for an occasional comment on speeding up reforms. If one is to challenge remaining dissenters then we should have strong, educated and articulate voices such as Lord Naseby to do so and not depend on a picayune presence of little worth. LNG and the Presidents visit to Qatar View(s): The President leaves on a state visit to Qatar next Wednesday (Oct. 25), a country diplomatically isolated by its Arab neighbours over accusations that it is funding terrorism in the region. Arguably, the richest country in the world per-capita-wise, Qatars Emir is the only West Asian Head of State to have visited Sri Lanka in recent years. There are some 130,000 Sri Lankans working in the Gulf peninsula-nation situated between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Despite comparatively low wages, these Sri Lankans are contributing to both, the Sri Lankan economy through remittances and the Qatari economy by helping to put up futuristic super-structures, somewhat faltering at the moment though, due to falling oil and gas prices. Qatar is the second largest exporter of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas), a fuel cleaner than coal and oil-based products and having more and more users throughout the world.Among the importers of LNG are India (entirely) and Japan (partially), both engaged in starting an LNG plant at Trincomalee. Given Sri Lankas experience with the clapped-out Chinese-built Norochcholai coal plant that is more broken down than in use, and creating serious environmental issues around the Puttalam district (See Page 12), the Trinco coal plant was to be converted to an LNG plant. The plant at Trincomalee was to balance giving the Hambantota harbour to the Chinese. These strategic diplomatic considerations should not get in the way of strategic economic thinking as well. It is therefore, incumbent on the Government to see if the President can strike a deal with the Qatari Government on securing a long-term contract for the sale of LNG. As LNG is a gas that comes naturally from the ground, it is liquified by pressure and kept at a particular temperature to transport it by ship. That is how the name derives Liquid Natural Gas. Then, it has to be re-gassified to allow pumping into land and for power generation that provides energy to consumers. For this process, a country does not need expensive plants for it can be done offshore by floating ships which also, need not be purchased but chartered. This is an option for Sri Lanka that is looking to save every dollar it can. Bangladesh is already going in for this option. World LNG prices have fallen and this is an ideal moment to strike a deal with a friendly country like Qatar. World LNG leaders like Shell, BP, Royal Dutch, ExxonMobil etc., are in Qatar and increasingly looking for business with small countries to offset huge investments and overruns on mega-projects in search of LNG. The International Energy Agency says countries like India have been emboldened to demand concessions due to prevailing low prices. The International Finance Corporation, the private-sector arm of the World Bank, says in two years, LNG importers can play suppliers off against each other (The Economist, September 16 issue). LNG is sold long-term and not on the spot-market like petrol. Two problems Sri Lanka will encounter therefore, notwithstanding the contractual kickbacks by politically backed businessmen are, the need to build pipelines from a plant to city, and the countrys credit-worthiness for long-term contracts. Yet, funding may still be sourced from international banks if there is a proper plan for energy generation and the sale of electricity. Floating terminals and LNG contracts on a long-term basis with a country like Qatar is the answer when renewable energy becomes more attractive in a decade or so; and when even LNG will probably go out of fashion.The President must return from Qatar with some real, tangible benefit for the country rather than merely signing an MoU on economic cooperation like the plethora of bilateral agreements he signs when he visits other countries which are hardly ever implemented. Political agendas hit UNESCO Despite its brave face, the embargoes and sanctions imposed on Qatar since June this year by its Arab neighbours seem to be hurting the country, both economically and diplomatically. Not only is Qatar seeking US dollar loans (bonds), it lost its bid to have its nominee elected as the next Director General of UNESCO, the UN agency responsible for education and culture globally. The Arab states in the voting collegiate pulled the rug below Qatar, eventually seeing the former French Minister of Culture of Moroccan origin scrape through 30-28. The vote, however, was upstaged by the withdrawal of the United States from UNESCO citing the UN bodys alleged anti-Israeli bias. The US knows only too well that all UN agencies have their member-states political agendas, and not least was the US own agenda in sponsoring a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC. This is not the first time the US has left and not the first time it has stopped funding the UN agency. It has returned to the fold twice as well. Its present dministration is on an isolationist path and while it may return some day, it is unfortunate that UNESCO will be at a loss universally in the immediate future. Reality and rhetoric Lord Naseby must have caused some blushes at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office with his speech last week in the House of Lords calling upon his Government to reconsider its crusade against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC. He had to resort to the UKs Freedom of Information Act to ferret out the fact that the British Defence Attache in Colombo at the time the LTTE was being liquidated on the battlefield in 2009 had said in his dispatches that the Sri Lanka Army had no way of distinguishing civilians from LTTE cadres during the fighting, and the death toll was nowhere near the 40,000 that is loosely quoted by all and sundry. Many will recall, the US Military Attache in Colombo at the time said about the same thing and was reprimanded by his ambassador. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez once told the UN that there was an Obama 1 who was run by the Defence Establishment, and an Obama 2 who was run by the State Department. Nothing is truer of Britain. It is the Defence Establishments that know the realities of fighting terrorism, while their diplomats spread the gospel of human rights, selectively, in other parts of the world. Billions lost by unabated official mismanagement of public finances By Chandani Kirinde COPE Report on 15 Govt. institutions View(s): View(s): The Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) in its latest report tabled in Parliament this week found, after scrutiny of 15 Govt institutions, that serious lapses continue to take place on the part of officials who handle public finances, resulting in losses running into billions of rupees. The Report tabled by COPE Chairman JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti dealt with the 15 State institutions that were summoned before the COPE during the period Sept.1, 2016-Feb.28, 2017. The COPE investigations were undertaken based on the findings of the Auditor General, of financial losses incurred due to mismanagement of public funds. MP Handunnetti said, after presenting the Report on Thursday, the Govt must take action against those who caused losses, as well as against politicians who approved and backed swindling of public funds, to prevent recurrence of such losses. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said he has instructed Finance Ministry officials to institute follow up actions based on the COPE recommendations. Following are some of the highlights from the Report. National Transport Commission (NTC): The NTC had spent Rs 1,705,343 to print stickers of destination boards and details of emergency telephone numbers on three occasions in 2015, without following proper procurement procedures. The NTC has spent Rs 37 million to renovate a part of a building to regulate provincial buses using GPS technology, but it has not been utilized. Of the 1,307 GPS equipment fixed in buses, spending Rs 79 million, the equipment in buses are not functioning. The NTC has spent Rs 8,009,310 for a festival it organised, and Rs 1,891,000 for a TV documentary, without approval. In 2013, the NTC fixed seven electronic boards at a cost of Rs 62 million in Bastian Mawatha- Colombo, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Nuwara Eliya, Kataragama, Ranna, and Puttalam to display the inter provincial and provincial running timetables, but currently, those boards do not function. A vehicle had been purchased for a former Chairman of the NTC, at a cost of Rs 9.2 million, exceeding the approved amount of Rs 8 million. The NTC has spent Rs 2,669,500 and Rs 1,327,500 to distribute school bags on two occasions in 2014, without proper approval. Tourism Development Authority of Sri Lanka (TDASL). The TDASL had paid Rs 7,382,305 as a part of the interest on a loan of Rs 100 million issued to a private hotel by the Bank of Ceylon in 2014, the Report notes. The COPE has found that a sum of Rs 11,089,228, out of Rs 29,195,802 allocated to renovate 30 rooms of a holiday bungalow belonging to the Authority, had been drawn without any work done. A sum of Rs 10,196,000 had been paid to a supplier of stones without approval. A sum of Rs 3,226,950 had been paid to suppliers by authority, without adhering to regulations. Even though the Kalpitiya integrated tourism project commenced in 2008, on an estimated cost of Rs 5,521 million, to construct holiday resorts with 4,000 rooms and infrastructure facilities, and the work to be completed in five years, not a single room had been constructed, despite an expenditure of Rs 88,797,590, as at Dec.31, 2014. Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) and Lanka Sathosa (Sathosa): The CWE had incurred a loss of Rs 39 million in 2014, by purchasing 14,000 Carrom boards and 11,000 Draughts boards. The CWE received only Rs 257,667,217 of the Rs 870,963,097 given to the Sathosa. Peoples Bank: An overdraft facility of Rs 245 million and a long term loan facility of Rs 150 million had been granted to a customer on Jan.30, 2009 and Jan.27, 2009 respectively, for a construction named Kandy City Center (KCC). However these loans have been classified as non-performing loans, after three months, by April 2009. Though the customer agreed to repay the loan in installments of Rs 1 million per month, it was decided to offset the loan against the monthly rent to be paid on behalf the Peoples Bank branch housed at the KCC. However even if the customer repaid the loan in monthly installments of Rs 1 million, it would take 62 years to recover the outstanding amount in full. The COPE Chairman noted that several such unsystematic transactions had been effected, and recommended the Bank adopt a more systematic legal process to grant loans, and disciplinary action be instituted against the officials who dealt with this loan facility. The Bank had written off Rs 260 million in loans (34 loan facilities of Rs 213 million and a temporary overdraft of Rs 47 million by a customer) in 2011. The amount so written off is 51% of the total amount of loans written off by the Bank that year. Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) (Ministry of Petroleum Resources Development) : COPE inquired from the CPC authorities of the current status of the investigations conducted on the Hedging deal, and found that, the loss of Rs 10.2 billion caused by the deal, as at Jan. 2016, had increased to Rs 14.06 billion as at Dec.31, 2016, says the Report. The institutions probed by the COPE included the NTC, CPC, Airport & Aviation (Sri Lanka) Ltd., CWE, Central Environmental Authority, Peoples Bank, Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation, National Lotteries Board, Lanka Mineral Sands Ltd., Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, Hingurana Sugar Co. Ltd., Ceylon Fisheries Corporation, Independent Television Network and the University Grants Commission. Bond Commission: AG names PM among witnesses By Ranjth Padmasiri View(s): View(s): Twenty witnesses, including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, are on a list submitted by the Attorney Generals Department to the Commission of Inquiry probing the Central Bank bond issue. The AG has requested that they be summoned before the commission. The Sunday Times learns that the request has been made to clarify certain statements and issues that had arisen before the commission. The commission this week declared that it had ended its public sittings, but said it was willing to listen to other witnesses, if required. The commission earlier sent a set of questions to the Prime Minister requesting him to submit responses in the form of an affidavit. The response had been delivered to the commission on Friday. Meanwhile, the commission has requested the President for an extension of its term. Presidential Secretary Austin Fernando told the Sunday Times that he was yet to see the request by the commission, but would look into the matter by Monday and discuss the request with the President. The term of the commission is due to end on October 27. Earlier two extensions were granted. The Commission probing the issue of Central Bank Treasury bonds from February 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 comprises Supreme Court Justices K.T. Chitrasiri (Chairman), Prasanna Jayawardena and retired Deputy Auditor General V. Kandasamy. Elephantine fraud: Rs. 250 million racket in importing elephant for Dalada Maligawa By Chandani Kirinde View(s): View(s): More than Rs 261 million was sent overseas fraudulently in the guise of paying for the import of an elephant from Myanmar in 2007, whereas the market value of the animal was around Rs. 10 to 15 million, a probe committee has revealed. The one-man committee, which probed corruption in the registration and issuing of licences of elephants, found that the elephant had been imported for the Dalada Maligawa and the person who was involved in the transaction had claimed the value was Rs 261,592,500, made an invoice for this amount and sent the money out of the country illegally, the report said. The actual cost of this elephant was only around Rs 10 to 15 million in the open market, the committee found. The report did not name the official but said it was the person who conducted the transaction on behalf of the Dalada Maligawa. The probe was conducted by retired Supreme Court Justice Nimal Edward Dissanayake. He was appointed by Sustainable Development and Wildlife Minister Gamini Jayawickrema Perera in 2015 to report on the allegations of corruption in the registration and issuing of licences for elephants and permits under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Such permits are issued by the Wildlife Conservation Department. The report was tabled in Parliament earlier this year. The Sunday Times filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to obtain a copy from Parliament early this month. The committee said the persons involved in the elephant import transaction has violated customs and foreign exchange regulations and was liable for criminal prosecution. It said that even belatedly legal action must be pursued against him. The committee also recommended that action be taken against other government officials who might have been involved in the transaction and steps should be taken to recover the money lost to the state by their action. In addition to this, the committee found that several department officials had colluded in altering the registry of elephants for financial gains, with most cases reported between 2011 and 2014 when there had been an organised racket in which elephants were captured from the wild and sold to businessmen, some temples and others with political patronage. This included preparing forged documents to give false details pertaining to the birth of the baby elephants and using blades to scratch off names from the registration book and replacing them with new names. The photographs of the elephants which were registered too were changed by pasting new ones in their place. Also names of dead elephants were deliberately kept in the registry so that they would be replaced with a new elephant forging the required process of registration. The committee named senior department officials among those who have acted in violation of the law to allow for the illegal ownership of elephants and recommended that action be promptly taken against them. The committee recommended that the Government should draw up a national policy in dealing with elephants and enact necessary laws to protect other endangered species of animals and plants. It was noted that there is a growing demand for tame elephants for temple and tourism-related activities such as elephant polo and that often animals were cruelly treated.The committee said that in the past, elephants were taken in peraheras conducted by rajamaha viharayas but with the increase in the large number of Buddhist temples and devalays; there was a bigger demands for elephants to be used in peraheras. It is time for the Government to formulate a national policy on the use of elephants for such activities and this should consider allowing elephants to be used for processions conducted by only by rajamaha viharays that have historically done so and even in such instances to reduce the number of animals allowed to be paraded, the Committee said. The committee also said the use of elephants for tourism purposes must be stopped and elephants must only be kept in open wildlife sanctuaries. It has also said the rules for registration of elephants and the issuing of licences must be tightened so that illegal ownership of elephants can be halted. New controversy over dredging of sand for Colombo Port City View(s): The Coast Conservation Department (CCD) has called for a detailed report from the Ministry of Megapolis after a citizens movement warned that a dredger belonging to Colombo Port City builders China Harbour Engineering Corporation could be mining sand closer to shore than has been approved. Screenshots from www.marinetraffic.com that reportedly showed the dredger within three kilometres of the shoremuch nearer than the recently sanctioned five kilometreswere provided by the Peoples Movement against Port City (PMAPC) to the CCD. The CCD then wrote to the Megapolis Ministry seeking a detailed report. The Megapolis Ministry claimed the PMAPC had miscalculated the distance by confusing kilometres and nautical miles, the CCD said yesterday. However, a response has not yet been submitted in writing. We will summon a meeting between representatives of the Megapolis Ministry and the Peoples Movement to clarify doubts, CCD Director General Prabath Chandrakeerthi said. A date for the discussion is yet to be confirmed. We plan to go to out to sea with members of the Megapolis Ministry and the Peoples Movement so that they (Ministry) can prove their point. Meanwhile, the Cabinet is evaluating a proposal by Megapolis Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka to change the location of the borrow pit from which sand is now being mined. A borrow pit, also known as a sand box, is an area where material is dug for use at another location. Minister Ranawaka submitted a Cabinet paper stating that the sand remaining in the pit reserved for reclamation activities of the Port City was insufficient. Around 40 million cubic metres of sand still need to be extracted out of a total requirement of 70 million. He proposed that this quantity be obtained from sea sand pit reserved for the purposes of the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLLRDC). The SLLRDC usually supplies offshore sea sand from its designated pit to the construction industry at a price. This is due to restrictions over mining of river sand. The Cabinet paper pointed out that under the tripartite agreement related to the project, the Government was committed to supply the required sand free of charge. It suggested that a lump sum of US$2 million be paid as administrative and other costs to SLLRDC by Colombo Port City Project Company. The Cabinet office announces on its website that this proposal was approved by ministers on October 3. However, a request for the relevant paper filed by the PMAPC under the Right to Information Act was turned down under section 5 (1) (m)on the basis that the information is of a cabinet memorandum in relation to which a decision has not been taken. The PMAPC has a longstanding battle with the Government and the Port City over mass-scale sand mining, particularly its impact on fisher communities. In a media statement issued this week, it said the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) had assured them in writing the sand extraction zone would be six to seven kilometres from shore. When fisher-folk staged a six-day demonstration in October 2016, Lasantha Alagiyawannawho was then the Deputy Minister of Megapolispromised them that dredging would take place at least 10km from shore. But subsequent monitoring by the PMAPC revealed that on more than one occasion the dredgers appeared to moving closer to shore than authorised. When these breaches were reported to the CEA, a meeting was summoned with relevant parties including CHEC and ministry officials. Here, it was claimed that a decision had been takenwithout consulting fisher communitiesthat the dredger could operate within eight kilometers of the shore. This indicated that, contrary to all assurances, it was nudging closer and closer to shore. On September 20, the CCD informed the Peoples Movement that permission had now been granted for dredging to be carried out five kilometres from shore. This was a realisation of previously expressed fears that despite claiming no danger to fisher-folk activities as the sand mining was to be conducted at least six km from shore, the approval had been sought to mine from three km. Notwithstanding this assertion in the media release, there is no formal indication that permission has been sought for dredging to take place three kilometres from shore. It could also not be independently verified if the dredger has already ventured this close. It is clear, however, that the borrow pit has moved much nearer than previously anticipated. The PMAPC states that the Chairman of the National Aquatic Resources Board has refused to share information of the CHEC dredger borrow areas citing privileged client information. It is inherently wrong for public institutions to conduct research on matters of public importance denying this research to the public, it says. If not for public funds, those institutions would not exist. All equipment used to make scientific assessments is the property of the public. There can also be no legitimate reason for such limits. The movement also scoffed at claims that the Port City agreement was beneficial to Sri Lanka. The Government was providing sand and quarry material for free. At internal bulk supply rates, the sand represents a value of US$ 13bn. At SLLRDC rates, its still US$ 2.8bn. The quarry material is worth US$ 1.2 billion. In addition to receiving all this without payment, for its input of a mere US$ 1.4bn (of which US$ 1bn is in loans), the project company will get 50 percent of saleable land amounting to US$ 3bn. But the Government invests around US$ 15 to four billion and receives US$ 3bn in saleable land. War-hit north and east trapped in poverty and debts By Namini Wijedasa Incomes far lower than in other parts of the country, President assures budget relief View(s): View(s): Eight years after the war ended there is persistent poverty in the north and east while incomes remain far lower than in other parts of the country, the latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) shows. The median income in Sri Lanka is now Rs 43,511. In the estate sector, it is Rs 29,134and this is much lower than the overall urban and rural sectors. But in Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Batticaloa districts, it is even lower at Rs. 25,526, Rs. 27.050 and Rs. 28,297 respectively. The HIES is produced by the Census and Statistics Department. Median household income, as distinct from average household income, is the amount that divides the household income distribution into two equal groupshalf having income above that amount and other half having income below that amount. On the average, there are 1.8 income receivers per household in Sri Lanka. This is more or less constant throughout the country. The median income receiver in Mullaitivu gets Rs. 12,864 which is almost half of what the national median income receiver gets at Rs 23,260. The Jaffna District median income receiver earns Rs. 16,000, less than half of Colombo District at Rs. 33,000. Such low incomes are reflective of the high levels of poverty in the war-affected districts particularly, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Mullaitivu and Killinochi, with double digit poverty head count of 10%, 11.3%, 12.7% and 18.2%. In Killinochi, the poverty head count has almost increased by 43% from the 2012/2013 HIES survey when it was 12.7%. In recent months, analysts have also pointed to high levels of indebtedness in the north and east. This is not measured by the HIES survey. President Maithripala Sirisena drew attention to the crisis at the launch of the Gramashakthi programme on Friday. He said he was aware of the huge burden placed on poor families when repaying their loans. Those in the north and east especially have become victims of banks and financial institutions. These enterprises entered the area soon after the war and distributed microfinance loans. The people were now being forced to repay the debt with interest which is beyond their means. The President said the Government would offer them relief in the 2018 budget. The upcoming Budget should, in addition to debt relief, provide considerable investment in the rural economy, if districts left behind since the end of the war are to be integrated in any meaningful way into the national economy, said Ahilan Kadirgamar, a political economist based in the north. Given the seriousness of poverty and low incomes in these war-affected districts, and with large sections of the population living at near poverty levels in the estate districts and some rural southern districts, targeted measures at poverty alleviation are unlikely to work, he said. It requires much stronger social welfare safety nets and income generating investment in the rural economy to ensure that another agricultural crisis such as the long drought does not dispossess more people and throw them deeper into poverty, he emphasised. Ladies get smart with interactive classroom boards By Kaveesha Fernando View(s): View(s): Imagine studying about life under the sea with a big screen in front of you depicting everything exactly as it would look. Or learning about the pyramids of Giza while looking at the pyramids themselves, and being able to zoom in and study the special features of each brick. Sounds futuristic, doesnt it? Yet the technology to do this and more was launched this week at Ladies College, Colombo the first school in the country to launch Smart boards in the classroom. These innovative ways of learning have been enabled by the SMART classroom project introduced this week. Through the project, the school raised money to fund 54 interactive boards to be used in all classrooms from primary school upwards. The project will include training for the teachers, and the collaboration of many school officials and others in order to ensure that it is implemented effectively, and is another step in the schools ethos of holistic learning. Teachers will have full control of the boards so that children cannot access the board without a teacher present (the boards will be password protected). The funding for the boards was through the Old Girls Association of Ladies College which organised a dance and collected funds from well-wishers, old girls and parents. At Ladies College we believe education is not just the accumulation of knowledge by rote in the classroom but a long term holistic process, says outgoing President of the Old Girls Association of Ladies College Preethi Adhihetty, who is happy to have been able to work on this project. A SMART board is a cross between a Smart television and a computer which means that it can play explanatory videos etc. while also allowing teachers to write on it just as they would on a normal board. The technology was given to Ladies College by East West Information Systems (EWIS). It looks like a Smart TV but it has a built-in computer, explains Chief Operating Officer of EWIS, Nirmal Pieris. Other interesting features include the ability of the board to automatically plot a graph by simply clicking and dragging the equation onto a graph, creating educational activities using various software and shape recognition, which allows teachers to draw an imperfect circle on a board which will automatically be transformed into a perfect circle etc. Ladies College Principal Eesha Speldewinde feels that the project would take the school into a new era in terms of teaching and learning. Their (the students) learning experience will be enhanced in terms of creativity, understanding etc. and also the rapport between the teacher and the student can be improved, she says, emphasizing however, that this is not a way for students to take shortcuts in their education. Some of the old methods also have to remain. Were not doing a complete shift. We are introducing a few elements which can enhance the learning experience, she says, adding that other essential skills such as learning how to write well by hand and memorizing essential knowledge such as timetables will continue. Explaining that there are different methods of learning for students such as visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning, she feels that the Smart board will help them all explore the world in a better way. With the touch of a finger, the world is open to them, she says. The new technology, she stresses, does not change the emphasis of the school. We are grateful to a lot of people for helping us in this endeavor and look forward with humility and appreciation, she says, adding that the goal of the school in producing young adults who are of service to others remains unchanged. Bayfair Shopping Centre, and HR Cement have made the finals along with Toi Ohomai lecturer Dr Ian McLean and Excelso Coffee general manager Josie Evans who are individual finalists in the sustainability superstar awards. We want to highlight the great success of Bay businesses over the past year, says SBN regional manager Glen Crowther. There are five finalists from the region that have made our national awards, plus many other businesses that had strong entries but missed out to a record number of entries from around NZ. The Sustainable Business Network (SBN) is celebrating the successes with an evening of celebration and fun, with MC Ben Hurley and a range of speakers, including Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless. There will be a special dinner menu prepared by one of NZs elite chefs, Nigel Reid. His tapas-style dinner will reflect the events sustainability theme. Another highlight of the event this year is that we will be celebrating SBNs 15th birthday, says Glen. Whats more, three BOP based members are among the 23 nationwide that have remained members since our organisation was formed in 2002. These are BOP Regional Council, Comvita and Zest Consulting. In a way, these three perfectly capture our diverse membership. One is a large corporate, another a council, and the third a small business. SBN caters for all types and sizes of business, and we work together to help make NZ a more sustainable nation. A broad range of businesses and individuals have registered for the event already. It is open to anyone, but attendees need to register and pay via Eventbrite. The event will be hosted at Tauranga Art Gallery, Friday October 27, 6pm-10pm In the hunt for New Zealands supreme Bach of the Year, two holiday homes in the wider Bay of Plenty region have been selected as Kiwi favourites, following an extensive public vote off which concluded Sunday night. The competition, run by Bookabach, is currently in its fifth year and recognises the diversity in baches around the country, which are available to rent through the Bookabach website. Shortlisted holiday homes are selected by Bookabach from its portfolio of more than 11,000 properties, and must have a star rating higher than 9.5/10, demonstrate qualities, features or facilities relevant to the category they are nominated in, and excellent traveller feedback to be considered. Over the last week forty baches, across eight diverse categories were selected for public voting to decide the best of the best. In the Bay of Plenty two properties will now be up for the Supreme award including Okere Falls bach The Love Shack awarded gold in the charm category and Te Kaha bach Executive Retreat Te Kaha awarded gold for its design. Tauranga bach, Strathmore House was also awarded bronze medal for being family-friendly and Waihi Beach North End in Waihi was awarded bronze in recognition of being a pet-friendly home. All gold winners are now in the running for the Supreme Bach of the Year Award, to be judged by two Kiwi home design experts. The Love Shack in Okere Falls. Supplied photo. Judges include interior stylist LeeAnn Yare, who has more than 15 years experience styling Kiwi homes and owns a homeware store Collected in Auckland, alongside media personality Goran Paladin who is best known as host of DIY show Our First Home. The Supreme Award Winner will be announced on Monday October 30. Full list of winners: Charm Winners GOLD The Loveshack (Property ID #2381) Okere Falls, Lake Rotoiti SILVER Golden Bay River Retreat (#37540) Parapara Beach, Golden Bay BRONZE Lahar Alpine Retreat (#31892) Ohakune, Ohakune & Surrounds Design Winners GOLD Executive Retreat Te Kaha (#35990) Te Kaha, Opotiki District SILVER Waiheke Art House (#23723) Little Oneroa, Waiheke Island BRONZE Kauri Tree Retreat (#35325) Raglan, Waikato District Setting Winners GOLD On the Beach Whangamata (#8091) Whangamata, Coromandel SILVER Gibbston Valley Boathouse (#30278) Arrowtown, Queenstown-Lakes BRONZE Matapouri Views Forever (#32091) Matapouri, Tutukaka Coast Hospitality Winners GOLD Arkles Bay Apartment (#40231) Arkles Bay, Whangaparaoa Peninsula SILVER Kuku Cottage (#32250) Te Awanga, Hastings District BRONZE Kowhai Lodge (#28789) Tutukaka, Tutukaka Coast Family Friendly Winners GOLD Uncle Bills Cottage (#4546) Ohakune, Ohakune & Surrounds SILVER Peacock Lodge in Ngunguru (#34124) Ngunguru, Tutukaka Coast BRONZE Strathmore House (#36617) Tauranga City, Tauranga District Pet Friendly Winners GOLD Peace and Tranquillity (#8902) Kerikeri, Far North District SILVER Mountain Views on Chalet (#37851) Hamner Springs, Hurunui District BRONZE Waihi Beach North End (#37174) Waihi Beach, Western Bay Of Plenty District Urban Winners GOLD Maison du Soleil (#35475) Christchurch City, Christchurch Area SILVER Villa Apartment (#35471) Wellington CBD, Wellington BRONZE The Eagles Nest (#36592) Saint Clair, Dunedin City Eco Friendly Winners GOLD The Point Holmes Bay (#25672) Pigeon Bay, Banks Peninsula District SILVER The Bali Room (#37840) Coromandel Township, Coromandel BRONZE Pouakai Bush Retreat (#9074) Egmont National Park, New Plymouth District A man who was fishing in the Bay of Plenty is now nursing a broken leg. The 36-year-old man was fishing off some rocks in Waihau Bay, when he slipped a broke his lower leg. The Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter was dispatched Waihau Bay just after 11am to fly the injured fisherman to hospital. He was stabilised at the scene by paramedics, before being flown to Tauranga hospital for treatment, says a spokesperson for the rescue helicopter. The Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter was also dispatched on Saturday for an emergency transfer of a 61-year-old female suffering a serious medical emergency. The woman was flown from Tauranga Hospital to Waikato Hospital for specialist treatment. The weather forecast is for a mainly fine day, with a chance of showers in the morning and afternoon, and westerlies. Its a three-clothing layer day today with a high of 20 and an overnight low of 10 degrees. High tide is at 10.50am and low tide is at 5pm. Sea temperature is 16 degrees. Theres an average sea swell of about .5m and sunset tonight is at 7.37pm. If youre going fishing today the best fish bite time is between 3.30 and 5.30pm. This day in NZ history, in 1913 violence flared on Wellington wharves. Violent clashes between unionised waterside workers and non-union labour erupted two days after Wellingtons wharfies held a stopwork meeting in support of striking shipwrights. The Great Strike of 1913 a bitter two-month strike involving 16,000 unionists around the country had begun. In world history on this day, in 1836 the match was patented. In 1901 Annie Edson Taylor, 63, was the first woman to go safely over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She made the attempt for the cash award offered, which she put toward the loan on her Texas ranch. In 1916 Henry Ford awarded equal pay to women. In 1945 on this day the United Nations came into existence with the ratification of its charter by the first 29 nations. In 2003 the supersonic Concorde jet made its last commercial passenger flight from New York Citys John F. Kennedy International Airport to Londons Heathrow Airport, traveling at twice the speed of sound. And in 2008 many stock exchanges worldwide suffered the steepest declines in their histories; the day became known as Bloody Friday. Our quote for today is from Roy T. Bennett who said Shine your light and make a positive impact on the world; there is nothing so honorable as helping improve the lives of others. Check out the activities happening around the Bay which are listed on our Whats On page. Have a great day! A kayaker has escaped without injured after being rescued from the Huka Falls near Taupo. The Taupo-based Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was dispatched around midday Monday to rescue the woman who was discovered on a patch of rocks, around 60m above the falls. An Apline Rescue team member was lowered to the kayaker via a long line, equipped with a water rescue basket. The woman was extracted from her location where she had become stuck and airlifted to safety, says a spokesperson. Fortunately, the woman did not suffer any injuries during her ordeal. A judge has given approval for a body to be removed from its niche in Malaga cemetery and DNA tests carried out. It follows a campaign by 54-year-old Juana Escudero, who says that her life has been made a misery since different public authorities started saying she had died in 2010 and refusing to attend to her. Juana found out that there is a body in Malaga's main cemetery which has been registered with the same personal details and national ID number as she has but up to now the authorities have refused to help her sort out the mess. She says it might be a long-lost sister. Two officers serving towns in Smyth County were singled out for their work to stop drunk driving. Mothers Against Drunk Driving recognized the work of law enforcement throughout Southwest Virginia during an awards program last month. Among the officers receiving awards were Patrolman Nicholas A. Stroupe of the Chilhowie Police Department and Officer Brian Morris of the Marion Police Department. Lt. Andrew Moss celebrated Morris recognition with the Marion Town Council. Moss said that Morris was nominated because he is the departments top DUI apprehender. Lt. Aaron Smith of the CPD said that Patrolman Stroupe joined the CPD in October 2016, and between that month and June, he had made eight DUI/DUID arrests and participated in five traffic-check zones. Smith said, Stroupe is very diligent in the detection of DUI/DUID drivers. Patrolman Stroupe is constantly working on his skills in the detection of impaired drivers. Patrolman Stroupe was nominated for the MADD award due to his constant pursuit to keep the town and public safe from impaired drivers. According to MADD, in 2016, 220 people died in drunk driving crashes on Virginia roads. MADD selects officers from law enforcement agencies throughout the region and awards them annually. The awards ceremony, sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and Food City, was held at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. The University of Cambridge Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies has banned students from taking a year abroad to study in Palestinian territories following a series of incidents in which students were subjected to brutal interrogation and deportation by Israeli security after admitting to studying in Palestine. This year, five students of Arabic, four female and one male, were due to spend eight months in Palestine to undertake an Arabic language course at Birzeit University, in Ramallah, which is located in the West Bank. Yet in order to get there, travellers must either fly to Tel-Aviv and travel by road, or fly to Jordan and navigate an Israeli-controlled border crossing, Evening Standard reports. Upon landing at Ben-Gurion Airport, in Tel-Aviv, the students faced interrogation, and for some, deportation. "I found out that a number of students, coming from different universities around the world, had been kicked out of Israel because they had admitted to studying in Palestine," says Cleodie Rickard, 21, who was deported to Luton Airport after a six-hour interrogation and overnight stay in a detention centre earlier this year, Evening Standard reports. She added, " once they realised I might be spending time in the West Bank their whole approach to me just flipped." A spokesman for the University of Cambridge told the Evening Standard: "Whilst we do not ban independent travel to, or study in, the Palestinian territories, students cannot choose to spend their Year Abroad in the West Bank for the time being due to recent difficulties faced by students in securing visa renewals from the Israeli authorities. "This is regrettable but our first duty is to ensure that students are able to complete their year abroad in an Arabic-speaking region before commencing their final year of study at the University of Cambridge." cn: sexual harrassment policy - At CUSU Council tonight (23rd October), four candidates stood for roles on the enquiry into CUSUs finances. In a series of speeches, prospective members of the enquiry detailed their experience on similar student groups, and what they hope to achieve. Connor Macdonald, Emmanuels current JCR president, mentioned his previous engagement with CUSU Council, saying he was a vocal member about CUSU finances, which he does not think is very sustainable. Angus Groom, a student at Trinity, stated he was running as he thought that this enquiry is really important because its about using the resources that CUSU has to make changes effectively. He went on to note that as an economist, he loves numbers and things like that. His role would be to not blame any particular individuals but broadly on what kinds of instititutional things we can change Daisy Eyre read the statement of Ryan Newman, whose speech detailed that innocent mismanagement had caused the financial issues, and that rather than a proverbial witch hunt lessons should be learned. Eyre went on to apply herself for a role, saying that it is her job to look into CUSU finances, and that she agrees things cannot go on as they are. She also said it makes sense for CUSU sabbatical officers to be on the enquiry because it is not a conflict of interest, as they are looking at the future of CUSU finances. There are three remaining positions available on the enquiry. According to the orginial motion, Eyres predecessor, Amatey Doku, should have begun the recuitment process after the final CUSU Council meeting of the 2016-17 academic year. More information about CUSU finances can be found here. UPDATE: All four candidates were elected to the enquiry on the morning of Tuesday 24th October. - Lola Olufemi, the CUSU Womens Officer, passed a motion to ensure the continuity of Breaking the Silence campaign. The motion resolved to support and publicise the University campaign against sexual harrassment, and to train future sabbatical officers in continuing the scheme. There were no votes against or in abstention of the motion. The Breaking the Silence campaign is being marked by a series of events over next week- including feminist readings in the English Faculty and an event demystifying the campaign. - A motion first brought to Council a year ago, to alter the collegiate funding model of CUSU and the GU, was debated for some time. Eyre stated multiple times that the decision for a college to disaffiliate should be political and not finanical. Currently, students at disafilliated colleges can still access welfare provisions, which according to Eyre creates an unstable funding model. Louis Ashworth, the President of our esteemed counterpart Varsity, took issue with this, asking whether its fair to say that financial and political things are disconnected?, and the impact of the changes to Cauis and Corpus, who are dissafiliated. The motion eventually passed. - Other motions debated included a motion to support the Living Wage Campaign, which passed. - Any student can attend CUSU Council. To find out about the agenda for the next meeting, follow the CUSU Facebook here. Formerly conjoined twins Erin and Abby Delaney are doing well four months after they received surgery to separate them, and they will soon be coming home. Now 15 months since they were born joined at the head, the Delaney sisters are recovering from an 11-hour surgery and are achieving various developmental milestones while doing so. Delaney Twins Are Doing 'Fantastic' Last June, just before the first birthday of Erin and Abby, a team of 30 surgeons at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia carried out an 11-hour surgery to separate the conjoined twins. The hospital had previously separated 23 conjoined twins, the most for any hospital in the western hemisphere, but it had never done so for twins connected at the head. That is, until now. The surgery was successful, and now 15-month-old Erin and Abby are hitting developmental milestones while sitting side by side instead of being connected at the head. Heather, the mother of the twins, knows that there is a tough road ahead for her family. This is especially true for Abby, who was cut off from a vital cranial blood vessel in her head that she used to share with Erin. "The doctors have a lot of hope for what the girls can do. But we won't really know what kind of deficits they have until they're about 3. For now, they're doing fantastic," Heather said. Heather and the twins' father, Riley, are expecting to bring their babies back to Mooresville, North Carolina as early as November. This will allow the four to celebrate Thanksgiving at their home, and the Delaney family certainly has a lot to be thankful for after the successful surgery on Erin and Abby. Other Cases Of Conjoined Twins The case of the Delaney sisters leads to one of the few good endings for conjoined twins. Another success story involving conjoined twins is Anias and Jadon McDonald, who, like the Delaney sisters, were connected at the head but were successfully separated in October 2016. An even more amazing case is the story of Carmen and Lupita Andrade, who, at 16 years old, are living without the need for surgery while attached from their chest walls down to their pelvis. Most cases of conjoined twins, however, end in tragedy. Such cases occur once every 50,000 to 60,000 births and most are stillborn. Last January, a conjoined twins with two separate heads sharing one body was born in Mexico, but the babies passed away before a life-saving treatment became available. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. London-based indie Chalkboard TV is to make a 6010-min improv-drama for CBBC out of a new Glasgow-based subsidiary, Chalkboard Scotland. Set in a fictional school in Edinburgh, Logan High is based on a scripted-reality format called First Years, which originally aired in the Netherlands. The original format was devised and produced by Newen-owned Dutch indie Tuvalu Media Group for public broadcaster AVRO-TROS. Logan High is structured on an improv-drama model, with actors improvising scenario-based rather than dialogue-based scripts. The action centres around life in secondary school, and the challenges, friendships, fads and fashions experienced by teens on the cusp of adulthood. CBBC controller Cheryl Taylor ordered the school-based drama, which is due to TX in early 2018 on BBC iPlayer. The 60 x 10 mins series will be executive produced by Mike Benson for Chalkboard, with Paul ODonohue as senior producer. Chalkboard will produce the show out of its newly formed subsidiary Chalkboard Scotland, based in Glasgow. Benson, managing director of Chalkboard, said: CBBC have backed us on a bold and exciting concept. Were confident that Logan High will live up to expectation, immersing its young viewers in great stories and characters in new and exciting ways." Chalkboard Scotland will produce Logan High. New executive appointments to be announced in the coming months. Chalkboard TV was founded in 2013 and is headed by Mike Benson and Warwick Banks. Recent UK primetime commissions include new ITV comedy game show Dont Ask Me Ask Britain, C4 rig camera show Life Behind Bars: Visiting Hour, BBC historical-crime series My Grandad Was Innocent and reality series Celebrity Fat Fighters. Chalkboard is part of the international production group IZEN, which consists of Elephant from France, Zebra from Spain and iMagic from the Middle East. Share this story New plant introduces modern production technology for construction China Wu Yi Co is set to officially begin producing construction materials in Kenya, following the completion of work on its factory for precast building materials. The factory in Athi River, a town outside Nairobi in Machakos county, has been conducting trial operations since August. The company's executive director, Lin Yihua, says the trial operations were intended to equip the technical workers with required skills before the launch of official operations in November. Workers at the China Wu Yi precast building materials factory. Edith Mutethya / China Daily "The workers are skillful, so we are guaranteed to produce good-quality products. The trial operation products are being used to construct the Chinese workers' dormitory and a canteen," he says. Once in operation, annual production of precast concrete will be 50,000 cubic meters which, according to Lin, is enough for 20,000 apartments for public servants, with each occupying between 80 to 100 square meters. Construction of the building industrialization research, development and production base, as well as a construction materials supermarket, kicked off in September last year. The $100 million project is being undertaken by the company's local branch, China Wu Yi (Kenya) Precast Co. The construction of the supermarket is progressing and it is expected to be complete by March. After the completion of the project, it will be a modern construction industrialization base able to design, manufacture, produce, develop, sell, display and demonstrate construction products, including prefabricated steel structures. Wainaina Macharia, the cabinet secretary in the Kenyan Ministry of Transport, congratulated China Wu Yi for bringing modern technology to Kenya through the project. "What I have seen in this project exceeds my expectations, because it's transformational in terms of industrial development. This project is being put in place at a very opportune time because the government plans to construct 1 million houses within the next five years," he says. Macharia says Kenya has a shortage of 1.85 million houses, so the project will greatly help in addressing the problem. He said he and his team were very impressed, especially by the modern use of technology, when they visited the project on Oct 17. "This demonstrates that China is our partner in development because it's bringing modern technology to Africa. I'm also impressed by Chinese diversified investment in the country, which ranges from roads, railways and now building materials technology," he says. Macharia thanked China Wu Yi for training young Kenyans on the new technology, saying the skills will help the country to move forward. He also thanked the Chinese government for partnering with Kenya on development projects. Macharia says the project is so impressive that he will ask President Uhuru Kenyatta to tour it. Liu Xianfa, the Chinese ambassador to Kenya, says the relationship between the two countries has been elevated to a strategic cooperative partnership. "We are ready to participate in the development of Kenya as well as help the country to attain its Vision 2030. We recognize that Kenya is a hub for East Africa as well as a hub for the Belt and Road Initiative," he says. The precast building materials will reduce the cost of construction by a third, the ambassador says. He asked that China Wu Yi set up a training center to transfer knowledge to Kenyans. Company Executive Director Lin says that since the materials produced at the factory will be sold in the supermarket, costs will be reduced because there will be no intermediaries. He says the company will set up more factories in other parts of the country within three to five years. The company also plans to expand throughout East Africa later. "Our aim is to bring good-quality products to Africa through the Belt and Road Initiative, in an effort to drive the continent's economic development," says Lin. edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn 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. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close From late drop-offs to awkward cafeteria lines, there was always a reason kids in Livingston Parish weren't eating breakfast on campus. Even when every student became eligible for the free meal one year ago, only some 24 percent of students opted for one, said Sommer Purvis, assistant director of child nutrition for Livingston Parish Public Schools. This year, 26 of the parish's 43 schools have changed how they serve breakfast from cafeteria-style to a bagged meal that kids can eat in class or around campus and have seen a two-fold increase in the number of students who partake: a jump from 6,000 to 12,000 of the system's 25,500 students, Purvis said. The increased breakfast participation has already led to better behavior, less tardiness and fewer trips to the school nurse, Purvis said. At two schools, kids grab a breakfast in a clear plastic bag and bring it to their classroom to eat while their teacher takes attendance or collects homework. At 24 other schools, kids take breakfast from kiosks or carts and eat it in the hallways, picnic areas or gyms with their friends. School administrators said the new setups help remove a common stigma surrounding school breakfast that the only kids who eat it are poor. The new program also encourages kids to eat first, then socialize. "There's no differentiation, no free or reduced, just every child gets a bag and every child eats," said Principal Carolyn Vosburg, who implemented the Breakfast in the Classroom program at North Corbin Junior High this year. The initiative to change breakfast started last school year, when several schools shared campuses because their own buildings were damaged by the August 2016 flood, Purvis said. It was hard to feed both breakfast and lunch when students were on alternating schedules. The system has been relatively easier to implement because all students in the district currently get free meals. After the August 2016 floods, the number of students in the parish who were directly certified for free or reduced priced lunch meaning they also qualified for some kind of food stamp benefit rose from 24.57 percent to 58.34 percent. The increase allowed the school to qualify for universal free lunch through 2021, Purvis said. The district is reimbursed for 93 percent of meal costs. She said the district is considering ways to track meals in case the schools lose eligibility and some kids need to pay. Despite the new location, most of the schools still offer hot and cold options to include items like breakfast pizza, pancakes, sausage biscuits, yogurt, granola, fruit and milk. The setup cost at most schools was about $2,000, which included new carts and heating and warming equipment, Purvis said. The school district has also received a $102,000 grant from Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom for North Corbin Junior High School and Walker Elementary School, which needed additional kitchen equipment to implement the program. The alternative breakfast service follows recommendations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on ways to increase the number of students eating breakfast at school. Different schools have taken the program in their own directions. When the bell rings at at North Corbin Junior High School in Walker, students grab a bagged breakfast from a cart near the gym or in the center of campus and bring it to their homeroom. As the teacher takes attendance and collects homework, kids gobble down their food. Vosburg said it's helped give the students energy to start the day. "The kids are less lethargic," she said. The principal added that it has fostered a close, family-like environment in the classroom without the mess she anticipated. "They forge bonds and relationships with their homeroom," she said. At French Settlement High School, Principal Lee Hawkins has combined breakfast with a mid-morning break. Having heard that breaks can help students achieve more in school, he added a seven-minute pause at 9:21 a.m. during which students have access to a "second chance" breakfast basically a "grab and go" bag of cold fruit, yogurt, granola or a doughnut to eat between classes with friends in a common area. He said adding this meal has increased the number of students eating from 15 to 300 on a daily basis. The school has about 400 students. He thinks the new program has already improved student behavior and decreased the number of discipline reports to his office. "(Breakfast) is so important," he said. "You have to think out of the box." The Louisiana Department of Education has failed to implement state-required academic guidelines for deciding whether charter school contracts should be renewed, Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera said Monday. The agency relies on an annual school performance score, or SPS, rather than reviewing standardized test score results as required by state law, Purpera said in an audit. Gains in school performance scores for middle and high school students do not ensure that standardized test score results are up because an SPS includes issues other than test results, like graduation rates and how many credits students have earned, the study says. The report said 39 percent of the 18 charter schools examined whose contracts were renewed failed to show gains in standardized test results. By doing so, the audit said, there is a risk the department "is renewing schools that may not have demonstrated improvement in the academic performance of its students, which is required for a school to be renewed." A department official said those schools actually showed gains, which were included in the SPS calculation. In their written response, department officials generally agreed with the two key findings in the report. However, state Superintendent of Education John White disputed part of the study. White said said "Louisiana has a clear and unambiguous history of using students' improvement on standardized test scores to determine whether to renew charter schools." Audit criticizes how Department of Education monitors charter schools, handles violations An audit issued Monday criticized how the state Department of Education monitors charter schools. The report marks the second time in the past week that Purpera has faulted the the department's oversight of charter schools. Charter schools are public schools run by non-governmental boards. About 48,000 students attend the type schools reviewed. When the schools are up for renewal, department officials check their operations and make recommendations to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which has the final say. School performance scores are made up entirely of results on key tests for elementary charter schools. For middle schools, exam results make up 95 percent of the SPS and 50 percent for high school students. Purpera said in his audit that state law says "no charter shall be renewed unless the charter renewal applicant can demonstrate, using standardized test scores, improvements in the academic performance of pupils over the term of the charter school's existence." BESE rules do not spell out how department officials should determine academic performance. The audit reviewed schools considered between 2011-16. During that period, 58 of 64 charter school contracts were renewed. In the case of one high school, it said, the charter was renewed for three years despite worsening academic performance. Other factors, including the school's graduation rate, bumped the score. The number of F-rated public schools is expected to shoot up 57 percent next year, and those with A ratings will drop 38 percent, under a new rating system approved last week by Louisiana's top school board. Backers praised the revamped measuring stick, which is part of the state's push to make student rankings here as rigorous as in most other states. "I think it is a reasonable compromise," said Brigitte Nieland, who follows public school issues for the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. The changes were approved over the objections of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, Louisiana School Boards Association and Louisiana Association of Principals. Critics contend the public will be jolted when top-rated schools suddenly drop a letter grade or more. Scott Richard, executive director for the LSBA, said district superintendents, school board members and principals will have to get the word out in the next year for parents to expect "some bumps in the road, some drops in letter grades." The new rating system won approval from the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on an 8-3 vote after a lengthy debate. Two efforts to soften the impact of the new rules failed on identical 4-7 votes, with all three of Gov. John Bel Edwards' appointees siding with the push for a milder approach. Donald Songy, education adviser for the governor, earlier urged BESE to "give every consideration" to the superintendents' plan, which would have meant a smaller drop in the number of A-rated schools and a smaller hike in those with F ratings. Tony Davis, a BESE member usually aligned with advocates of changes in public schools, said the day after the vote that an initial dip in school grades is inevitable when a rating system is toughened. Davis, who made the motion for the plan that was approved, said he understands the new rules will cause a "perception" issue for education officials amid public concerns when the grades drop. "But we have to maintain this high level," said Davis, referring to the increased rigor in how the state measures public schools. The changes apply to the current school year, not the state-issued letter grades for the 2016-17 school year set to be unveiled in the first week of November. The overhaul stems in part from changes sparked by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Louisiana's hotly debated plan to revamp public schools gets federal approval Louisiana's controversial plan to revamp its public schools has won federal approval, offici Every state had to produce a plan on how to comply with the federal law. Louisiana's proposal, among the first approved, included a revamped rating system that set off alarm among superintendents. It also triggered weeks of meetings among state officials, BESE members, local school board members, parents and officials of a wide range of education groups. "I would assure you there there has been no shortage of discussion," Davis, who lives in Natchitoches, told colleagues on the day of the vote. The focus of the revamped scoring system is the five achievement levels used by the state in testing students on English, math, science and social studies. The categories are advanced, mastery, basic, approaching basic and unsatisfactory. The state's goal by 2025 is to require students to average "mastery" in order for the school to earn an A rating, up from the more modest standard of "basic" used for years. The bulk of the results are in mastery and basic, and points earned for those two categories became the focal point of negotiations. Under current rules, schools get 125 points for students who earn mastery and 100 points for basic. The top tier, advanced, is worth 150 points; the two lowest, approaching basic and unsatisfactory, generate none. The initial plan proposed by the state Department of Education, and approved by BESE earlier this year, would have changed that to 100 points for mastery and 70 points for basic. That would have resulted in an 80 percent increase in F-rated schools and a 47 percent drop in those with A ratings. The Louisiana Association of School Superintendents then offered its own plan, with students earning 110 points for mastery and 85 points for basic. Taking that route would have meant next year's drop in A-rated schools would have been just 14 percent and the rise in F schools 29 percent. Raising the bar too high would make it difficult for superintendents to find high-quality teachers and win community support for renewing a school millage, said Cade Brumley, president of the group and superintendent of the A-rated DeSoto Parish school system in northwest Louisiana told BESE. Nieland disagreed. She called the superintendents' plan inflated, meaning that it would make students appear to be performing better than they are. Jessica Baghian, assistant state superintendent for assessments and accountability, told a state education panel Friday that the new system will ensure that an A in Louisiana "holds water" with the quality of A's in other states. Under the outline approved by BESE, 44 percent of public schools will be rated A or B next year, compared with 48 percent expected to get those two grades in 2017, according to department estimates. Debbie Schum, executive director of the Louisiana Association of Principals, backed the superintendents' proposal. She said that, if the state raises the achievement bar too quickly, educators will be "stressed and overwhelmed." Voting "yes" on the plan adopted were BESE members Holly Boffy, Tony Davis, Jim Garvey, Sandy Holloway, Kira Orange Jones, Jada Lewis, Gary Jones and Doris Voitier, an Edwards appointee who broke with her colleagues on the third and final tally. Voting "no" were Kathy Edmonston, Thomas Roque and Lurie Thomason. If you build it they will come, so the saying goes. That idea will be put to the test over the next decade in south Baton Rouge, where two schools are being built, one is about to be designed and as many as seven more are in the planning stages. That's quite a turn of events for an area with few public schools compared to the rest of East Baton Rouge Parish. Of the seven new schools under consideration for south Baton Rouge, three would be new. The initial proposal is to build a new elementary, a middle and a high school, but its unclear where; land would have to be acquired. The other four new schools would involve tearing down and rebuilding existing facilities, though not necessarily as is. Three of those four projects would produce schools substantially different from whats there now. The injection of new public school buildings in the area is contingent largely on the renewal of a 1-cent sales tax that likely will to head to voters April 29. About half of the revenue from that tax goes to school construction. The School Board on Tuesday was presented a list of proposed Tax Plan projects throughout the parish. Its the second stab at a list by an in-house committee that began meeting months ago. The first list, released Sept. 14, was largely based on ideas solicited from school principals. The latest list was informed by input from the public during three forums held in late September and early October. Another round of forums, all starting at 6:30 p.m., is scheduled to solicit more input: Tuesday: Mayfair Lab School, 9880 Hyacinth Ave. Thursday: Istrouma High School, 3730 Winbourne Ave. Nov. 9: Lee High School, 1105 Lee Drive. The second list is a bit smaller than the first version but needs to get smaller yet. Were going to have to pare that list down pretty significantly, said Superintendent Warren Drake. The newest list calls for spending $530 million at 30 schools, plus potentially more on proposed work at 15 other schools where the cost of work has yet to be estimated. Of those projects, 10 are new or rebuilt schools. Yet only $417 million is expected to be raised for school construction via the 1-cent sale tax over the next decade. So at least $113 million worth of proposed work will have to be cut. Roughly half the proposed spending so far is slated for south Baton Rouge. Its the home to some of the fastest-growing areas of the parish, yet public school construction there largely stopped in the mid-'70s. Private schools have largely filled that void. At least six private schools have opened south of Interstate 10 since 1980. Two of the older private schools that were already operating, St. Aloysius and St. George Catholic elementary schools, have grown over time and now educate more than 1,000 students each. Charter schools public schools run privately via charters, or contracts have also been finding homes in south Baton Rouge. South Baton Rouge Charter Academy opened along Burbank Drive in 2014 and currently has about 600 students in grades kindergarten to eight. Thrive Academy, which opened in 2012 as a charter school, recently relocated to a new facility on Brightside Drive, and has about 150 students. It recently became a state-run school and draws from a wide area. The two new schools under construction are both charter schools: IDEA Innovation and BASIS Baton Rouge. IDEA Innovation is locating on land acquired from LSU in the universitys Innovation Park near Gardere. It is one of two schools the Rio Grande Valley, Texas-based charter management organization is opening in Baton Rouge in fall 2018. IDEA Innovation, its south Baton Rouge school, is planning to open with 468 students in four grades, then add grades every year until it has 3,072 students in grades kindergarten to 12 by the year 2027. K-12 charter school at Woman's Hospital gets East Baton Rouge Planning Commission nod; low-income apartment proposal withdrawn A proposal to build a new K-12 charter school at Woman's Hospital sailed through the East Ba BASIS is building at the opposite edge of south Baton Rouge, six miles east and next to Womans Hospital on Airline Highway. BASIS, which is based out of Scottsdale, Arizona, plans to open its Baton Rouge school next fall with 450 students in seven grades. At capacity by the year 2024, BASIS would enroll 866 students in grades kindergarten to 12th. State law allows charter schools to educate even more kids, up to 120 percent of the capacity mentioned in their charters. So combined, the two schools could eventually enroll up to 4,725 kids. The oldest charter school in the area is Kenilworth Science & Technology Charter, which opened in 2009 and has about 500 students. Another charter, which will be run by The Emerge Center, will focus on children on the autism spectrum; its planning to operate on the property it leases from LSU at Innovation Park and expects to have as many as 140 students by 2024. The seven new south Baton Rouge schools that the East Baton Rouge Parish school system is considering building would compete with all these charter schools for the same students. The parish School Board granted charters to IDEA in 2016, and to BASIS and Emerge in May. +4 Eight groups apply to start charter schools in Baton Rouge Private organizations are asking the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board to give its blessi Drake said he is thinking about these charter schools as he considers what kind of construction the school system should undertake over the next decade. It will affect how large a school we build and what kind of (grade) configuration we build to, he acknowledged. Four of the seven proposed new schools the school system is considering building in south Baton Rouge would involve tearing down and rebuilding existing facilities: Arlington Preparatory Academy, Glasgow Middle, Mayfair Lab and Southdowns School. Only in Glasgow Middles case would the school be rebuilt largely as it is now. For instance, Mayfair Lab, a selective magnet school that opened in 2013, would be torn down and rebuilt, but the K-8 school would add a new high school as well as part of the deal. Southdowns School, now a special needs school for young children, would be rebuilt much bigger, enough to take in students from Buchanan and University Terrace elementaries, which the school system is considering closing and merging with Southdowns on one campus. Arlington Prep Academy would be rebuilt, but not as an alternative high school, but as a school serving students in the neighboring area. Board member Mike Gaudet said the problem with building a new school at Arlington it that its sole access road involves crossing a railroad track. You have a rail car open right in front of that school, you have no way to evacuate anyone, Gaudet warned. The centerpiece of the latest proposed project list is to build three new schools somewhere in south Baton Rouge. The cost has been pegged at $105 million total. The school system, however, lacks land in the most in-demand areas of south Baton Rouge and so would likely have to acquire property. Board member Jill Dyason expressed doubts during Tuesdays presentation whether $105 million is enough money to budget. The land acquisition could double that, Dyason observed. Ed Jenkins, program manager for CSRS/Tillage Construction, which oversees most school construction in Baton Rouge, said school officials are looking at a range of options to deal with that problem, including land swaps or persuading a developer to set aside land. Public schools are too quick to toss students with behavior problems, and most students fail to get the help they need when they are assigned to alternative schools, according to a report prepared for state education officials. In addition, black students make up 44 percent of the public school population but 85 percent of those sent to alternative programs, according to the study. "Too many young people in serious need of help are not receiving the services they need in Louisiana's alternative schools," it says. Numbers, racial disparity 'striking': Is education served by suspending troubled students? Why nearly 8,000 of Louisiana's youngest students were tossed out of school last year is tri The report was compiled by a 38-member study group of school superintendents, counselors, principals and others. The panel was formed by the state Department of Education earlier this year in a bid to improve services for students five times more likely to quit school than their peers in traditional settings. The review was presented to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education last week. Tossing students out schools? Louisiana state panel discussing new rules Amid disparities in racial and other public school suspensions, a state panel Friday began d A new model is needed for the state on how to handle alternative education, panelists said. "The time to act is now," state Superintendent of Education John White said in a statement. Copies of the review are being sent to Gov. John Bel Edwards and the state House and Senate education committees, and BESE directed department officials to recommend policy changes. About 18,000 students are enrolled in one of the 139 alternative programs or attend one of the state's 35 alternative education schools. The schools and programs are designed to help students improve their behavior and/or improve their academic achievement. But the report says that usually does not happen. "Students in Louisiana alternative education settings rarely receive academic, behavioral, social and emotional services needed to address the root cause of their exit from the home school," according to the report. They face limited face-to-face time with teachers and a lack of needed technology, career and technical options, academic counseling and clarity for students and parents on what they can expect at an alternative school. "Given these striking gaps in service, it should come as no surprise that students referred to an alternative school in Louisiana are five times more likely than their peers to drop out of school," it says. The average statewide dropout rate in grades 7-12 for students in alternative schools is 19 percent. The rate for students statewide is 4 percent for those grades. "There really has to be a shift to provide the academic and social and emotional support that these students need," said Katie Barras, an education program consultant with the state Office of Student Opportunities. Most students tossed out of traditional schools were guilty of "minor to moderate infractions," usually for the ill-defined "willful disobedience," the panel concluded. Pre-K students suspended? State panel shocked over toss rate A new state panel Friday was surprised to learn the depth of Louisiana's student discipline "Site visits revealed students suspended for improper dress, cell phone usage and excessive tardiness," according to the report. Many of those cases should be addressed by home schools, it says. BESE member Kathy Edmonston, who lives in Gonzales, said Monday the vagueness of the term "willful disobedience" has caused problems for years. "We need to look at that for sure," Edmonston said. Other infractions include fighting, violating school rules and using profane language. Nearly nine out of 10 students are sent to alternative schools for non-violent offenses. As part of the study, state education officials visited alternative schools and programs at 47 sites in 21 school systems as well alternative schools in Colorado and Texas. Barras said she was especially struck by the Colorado system, which she called "very student centered." State officials also surveyed 231 alternative education principals and school counselors. The report said students with disabilities make up 26 percent of those getting alternative services while they comprise 11 percent of the public school population. Students are typically enrolled in alternative education programs, sometimes in their home schools, if they need help for less than 45 days. Those needing more assistance are sent to alternative schools. The report said state and local education officials need to devise a plan for short and long-term treatment. The short-term plan should include academic and behavioral remediation for students in danger of being expelled for behavior problems or missing school. The long-term services would be for students who need extensive and intensive resources to succeed, according to the study. Edmonston said the high dropout rate for students in alternative schools often leads to trouble and jail time. "It is the schools to prison pipeline," she said. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) would be able to "disgorge" or confiscate company profits obtained by breaking the law, under a proposal to beef up Australia's corporate penalty regime. A high-powered review of ASIC's enforcement powers on Monday said the penalties available to ASIC were often too weak to act as a real deterrent, or inadequate when compared with the severity of misconduct. The position paper also pushed for longer prison terms for criminal breaches of the Act, arguing some criminal penalties should be doubled from five to 10 years. The move towards tougher civil and criminal penalties comes after multiple reviews have found Australia's penalties for corporate wrongdoing have failed to keep up with the public expectations. Every few months, people realise the biggest infrastructure project in Australia's history is a complete debacle. And then, like clockwork, the buck passing and blame shifting for this reality begins. That's the prism through which to view comments from NBN boss Bill Morrow this week about the challenges he is facing in making the multibillion-dollar internet project stack up financially. It is also the prism through which to view subsequent comments from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that the NBN was "in hindsight ... a mistake" and a "massive waste of money". It's our Prime Minister's birthday today. In a spirit of charity, we should wish him many happy returns. We must acknowledge, though, that, at the moment, he's not in a sweet spot politically. He never will be. To thrive in the job, a prime minister must be a canny politician. Yet Malcolm Turnbull, even though he has held the office for more than two years, has only ever exhibited a limited mastery of the art and craft of politics. Evidence of Turnbull's fitful strike rate as a political performer can be drawn from past decades as well as more recent events. Back in 1999, a masterful John Howard easily outfoxed Turnbull's badly organised republican campaign. In an eerie near-reprise 18 years on, the poorly plotted same-sex marriage postal survey looks like being carried partly because Turnbull is running dead on the issue. It's easy to get a bit depressed by the state of the world's problems, so we should take a moment to mark the triumphs. One of the world's most malicious and vicious groups, Daesh, which wants to be called Islamic State, has just been crushed. It's been crushed in the Middle East and, simultaneously, crushed in South East Asia. To its credit, Australia is one of only three countries that joined the effort in both theatres, together with the US and Singapore. At its peak, its "caliphate" straddled 90,800 square kilometres of land across Iraq and Syria. That made it bigger than Austria or Jordan, bigger than 86 of the world's nation states. With some 2000 new recruits estimated to be joining its forces every month from countries across the globe, Daesh was conservatively estimated to have a maximum strength of some 50,000 fighters. Daesh's leader, Baghdadi, dressed as an imam, took to the minbar, or pulpit, of the historic al-Nuri mosque in Mosul on July 5, 2014, to declare the creation of the caliphate: "O Muslims everywhere, glad tidings to you and expect good. Raise your head high, for today by Allah's grace you have a state and Khilafah [caliphate], which will return your dignity, might, rights, and leadership." And now? As it retreated from Mosul in June, Daesh blew up the al-Nuri mosque. And on the weekend a headline in the Jordan Times newspaper updated the condition of Daesh's capital, the Syrian city of Raqqa: "After Daesh, rotting corpses and empty jail cells in Raqqa." So much for the vision splendid. I tried to report a senior colleague for sexual harassment in 1983. I was young, it was pretty much my first year in the job. It went nowhere. I wasn't his actual physical target but what he did was to demean and degrade all the young women who rallied around the woman he hunted with personal remarks we all found hugely hurtful and insulting. He did his very best to undermine my career but I soldiered on. I think he's left journalism now, leaving broken women behind him. Since that time, 34 years ago, there have been so many occasions. And the older I get, the more depressed I become about the inevitable outcome. When you report harassment, sexual or otherwise, to a superior in a workplace, the likely response is something like: are you sure? That seems out of character for (insert male name here). And even: why should anyone believe you? The worst response: tell it to HR. Human resources where nothing ever happens to helps complainants except perhaps a suggestion to call the employee support scheme. Just once, about 12 years ago, did I have any success in reporting a colleague. It turned out several others had reported him, too. Lucky for us, he wasn't a charming sleazebag; just a regular run-of-the-mill sleazebag who wasn't very good at his job. If he'd been good at his job, maybe it wouldn't have been so easy to convince management he had to go. I spoke to a very old friend who had been very senior in the media. Had any woman ever gone to him to report sexual harassment? Yes, they had. But when push came to shove, "senior management had no appetite for a fight", none at all. He could only think of one case, maybe two, where he had been successful in removing a sexual harasser from the workplace. The chances of a wetter-than-average summer for eastern Australia are increasing, with the Bureau of Meteorology set to declare a La Nina weather pattern is likely to take hold in the Pacific. The bureau's shift from neutral conditions to a "La Nina watch" will be formally stated in Tuesday's fortnightly update, Rob Webb, the head of the bureau's national forecast services, told Senate estimates on Monday. Andrew Watkins, manager of climate prediction services at BOM, told Fairfax Media the declaration of a "watch" indicated at least a 50 per cent chance of a La Nina, although shy of the 70 per cent level that would prompt the declaration of an event as virtually certain. "We're not quite up to the 70 per cent yet," Dr Watkins said. Almost half the Australian population has moved house during the past five years, one in every six people in the past 12 months. The second release of data from the 2016 census paints a picture of an incredibly mobile population, in which one third of young Australians aged 20 to 29 change address every 12 months and two thirds move every five years. Almost half the Australian population has moved house in the past five years, according to the most recent census. Credit:Warren Goldswain For the population as a whole, 43.4 per cent changed address in the five years before the 2016 census, up from 41.7 per cent in the five years before the 2011 census. Although Queensland was the most popular destination for interstate arrivals, gaining 77,050 Australians from other states in the year before the census, it lost 66,480 locals to other states, giving it a net gain of only 10,570. Victoria was the most successful state at attracting and retaining residents, gaining 67,190 new arrivals from interstate and losing only 52,810 to other states a net gain of 14,380. One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has accused the Bureau of Meteorology of tinkering with weather data, but failed to produce any evidence when challenged by a senior government minister. Senator Roberts, who does not believe in climate change, queried why the government did not want a thorough external independent inquiry and audit of the BoM. One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The senator was responding to the findings of an internal bureau audit into the failure of automated weather stations at Goulburn and Thredbo in southern NSW to collect data when the temperature dropped below -10.4C in July. AAP Declan, I am loving your work ethic, time management skills and future focus. They are three things that augur well for real-world success. I'm 17 and about to graduate from school. I hope to study maths at university. I'm interested in investment and want to start earning compound investment returns as soon as I can. I am also interested in what you've been saying about exchange-traded funds and how they're a good place to start if you have very little money. I work part-time in a service station and will be able to up my hours in the holidays. So far I've saved $1000 for schoolies and another $500 to start building my financial future. Depending on where I get accepted, I should be able to stay at home until I graduate. So how do I buy ETFs and start a portfolio? And as I always say when I deliver my Smart Money Smart sessions in high schools: stay home and stash cash for the biggest financial opportunity you'll ever have. Now I'm assuming your savings are in a high-interest bank account. Be aware you may be automatically switched to the adult account when you turn 18, which might pay less. Your age is an issue with investing too you need to be 18 to open an online broking account in your own name. But, given you are so close, that gives you a lovely window to build funds to invest. While you can trade with as little as $500, $1000 is a prudent minimum amount because mozo.com.au says you'll pay as little as $9.90 per trade, which pushes the percentage cost to below 1 per cent. That's with amscot, and several other online outfits charge similarly. The shock resignations of staff at a prestigious Brisbane private school continues with three senior staff member quitting in the past two weeks. On Monday Somerville House announced the resignation the schools Dean of Students, Karon Graham. Karon Graham, Dean of Students at Somerville House, resigned on Monday. Mrs Graham had been at the school for five years. Parents questioned if this latest resignation would be the last of the senior resignations, labelling the situation as a fast sinking ship. Labor has called on Attorney-General George Brandis to be more transparent about reported changes that could have the Family Court scrapped and merged with the Federal Court. After reports that the heads of the three federal courts would meet in the next two weeks to discuss structural changes, shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said the government could not be trusted with the reform. Attorney-General George Brandis has said the government is open to radical change at the Federal Court. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "Senator Brandis has so far said absolutely nothing about what his plans are," he said. "Prime Minister Turnbull must demand that Senator Brandis publicly detail his plans for the Family Court, and do so straight away." Several new Australian-developed medicines showing promise treating childhood epilepsy, stroke and autoimmune diseases have emerged from an unusual source: the fangs of venomous creatures. Big pharmaceutical companies are excited by results showing these new venom-drugs are often superior to man-made drugs, and they are starting to pour money into research. Many of the drugs come from spiders. The secret to their success? About 400 million years of evolution. That has allowed arachnids to refine their chemicals into weapons with extraordinary effectiveness and accuracy. Venom-derived medicines retain this characteristic, able to target individual biological processes with precision and without nasty side-effects. The brother of alleged Bourke Street killer Dimitrious Gargasoulas is again back in jail, after being charged with breaching bail conditions over the three days that followed his last release from custody. Angelo Gargasoulas, 26, was granted bail on October 10 to live with his half-sister but was back in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday, having been arrested on October 13 and charged with three counts of breaching bail. Angelo Gargasoulas (photo taken in March) is the brother of accused Bourke Street killer Dimitrious Gargasoulas. Credit:Penny Stephens It is alleged that he failed to report to Footscray police station on October 11 - the day after he was released from custody - and on October 12. Then on October 13, he allegedly breached a curfew because he was not at his half-sister's Footscray home at 9.04pm when police officers checked. He was arrested and charged that night. There has been a 40 per cent jump in the number of sexual offences reported on Victoria's public transport system in a year. Now, Crime Stoppers' new 'hands off' campaign will see the release of images of 20 men who have allegedly committed sexual offences on trains, trams and buses this year. Most assaults were against women. Credit:Jessica Shapiro In one case, a man grabbed a woman who was on a tram in the Docklands before pressing his groin against her. In another, a man exposed himself to a female train passenger on the Sandringham line. Pressure has been ramped up against Israel to deal with the long-stalled extradition of former Melbourne principal Malka Leifer, who fled Australia nearly a decade ago after being accused of sexually abusing her students. Fairfax Media has been told that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will directly raise the issue with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu during high-level talks in Jerusalem next week. Malka Leifer. The Prime Minister's bid comes as members of Australia's Jewish community continue efforts to secure Ms Leifer's extradition, after she successfully claimed in an Israeli court to be too mentally unwell to return to Australia. A bipartisan delegation, including Labor MPs Michael Danby and Mark Dreyfus, is also seeking to raise the issue with Israel's justice minister, Ayelet Shaked, on October 30. Three men who tried to flee an alleged burglary in Perth's south on Saturday night have been caught by police after being heat-tracked by a police helicopter. Police were called to a burglary in Maddington around 11pm, with several patrol cars sighting a Holden Adventra allegedly carrying the trio. Police Air Wing tracked the three men as a stinger device was deployed on Hale Road in Wattle Grove, popping two of the car's tyres. The men were then tracked by Air Wing heat detector cameras abandoning the car, splitting up and attempting to flee the scene on foot. Lisa Scaffidi insisted she was not in a "defiant lala land" as she accused Premier Mark McGowan of acting "under instruction" during a long campaign against her. Speaking to Gareth Parker on 6PR, the suspended Perth Lord Mayor responded to renewed calls for her to step down after Perth City Council voters swung away from her allies over the weekend. John Carey says the City of Perth had been suffering under Lisa Scaffidi's direction. Credit:Stefan Gosatti Two of Ms Scaffidi's allies were not re-elected to the council, while her two strongest critics won second terms. Sitting members Reece Harley and James Limnios were returned to the council, while Keith Yong and Judy McEvoy were not re-elected. New councillors Steve Hasluck and Lexi Barton were part of a field of 16 people competing for four vacancies. Madrid: Spain's foreign minister has dismissed scenes of police violence against voters in the Catalonia independence referendum as "fake news". Live video and pictures of aggressive tactics by Spanish police filled social media platforms and were beamed around the world, attracting condemnation by politicians internationally. However, speaking on BBC One, Alfonso Dastis, an independent politician and a legal adviser to the United Nations, dismissed the images of Spanish brutality. "Many of those pictures have proven to be fake pictures," he said. if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi... Gordon & MacPhail unveils Glenlivet 1943 Gordon & MacPhail has released its Private Collection Glenlivet 1943 from a rare wartime cask. The Elgin-based whisky specialists announced the release of Private Collection Glenlivet 1943, the latest offering in its Private Collection range. Only forty decanters will be available for sale globally, with a UK RRP of 30,000. A small number of decanters will be available from Gordon & MacPhails retail shop in Elgin. Those purchasing a decanter at the South Street spiritual home will also enjoy a tasting experience. Distilled on 14 January 1943, a crucial date in the history of World War Two, the new-make spirit was filled into a sherry hogshead at the Speyside distillery. The release of Cask 121 also represents the last 1943 vintage from the Gordon & MacPhail stock inventory. As the bung was being hammered into place in Cask 121, a world away in North Africa, Prime Minister Winston Churchill met President Franklin D Roosevelt, General Charles de Gaulle, and General Dwight D Eisenhower at the Casablanca Conference. The meeting discussed Allied strategy for the war in Europe. Historians came to view this meeting as critically important to the fate of the world for generations to come. In 1943, Cask 121 was selected by John and George Urquhart, first and second generation of the Urquhart family, for filling at the Glenlivet Distillery. Stephen Rankin, a director of the company and John Urquharts great-grandson, made the decision to bottle it. Stephen Rankin says: This beautiful whisky has been nurtured and cared for by four generations of our family and it gives us enormous pleasure to release this unique and incredibly rare single malt. Gordon & MacPhail has been in the whisky business for over 122 years, with each generation building and handing on a lifetimes expertise to the next. We believe Private Collection Glenlivet 1943 by Gordon & MacPhail is a malt without comparison from a defining date in the history of a world in conflict. Today, whisky is a wonderfully unifying drink and this rare example gives people from across the world the chance to own and savour a defining piece of Scotlands liquid history. Whisky writer and specialist Jonny McCormick says: Gordon & MacPhail is a singular whisky company emphasised by their incomparable capacity to draw on stocks from the 1940s. This is an unparalleled opportunity to acquire an exquisite whisky that embodies the concept of rarity. The remarkable complexity and vivid flavours that have developed over a lifetime in wood ensure this single malt Scotch whisky will make a handsome addition to the worlds finest whisky collections. Every detail of Private Collection Glenlivet 1943 by Gordon & MacPhail alludes to the experience and patience poured into nurturing the whisky to maturation. The River Spey provides a closure to the handcrafted wooden box. Hand blown and bespoke, the decanter itself is adorned with gold engravings of the contours of the land surrounding the Glenlivet Distillery. Accompanied by a visually atmospheric commemorative book, written by Jonny McCormick, each decanter is numbered with a certificate of authenticity signed by Stephen Rankin, director and member of the Urquhart family. Private Collection Glenlivet 1943 by Gordon & MacPhail was matured in a first-fill sherry hogshead for seventy years. Only forty decanters, bottled at cask strength (49.1 ABV), have been released for sale worldwide. A limited number are available for purchase directly from the companys spiritual home, the South Street Retail Shop, at an RRP of 30,000. Prices may differ in international markets due to local taxes and duty. 22 October 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor Johnnie Walker reveals Blenders' Batch series Diageo has revealed the latest in its Johnnie Walker range, with the release of the Blenders' Batch series. Two expressions, Blenders Batch Espresso Roast and Rum Cask Finish will be available in the UK on and off-trade from October. The blends have been developed over the last ten years in collaboration between Johnnie Walker master blender, Jim Beveridge and his team of blenders, alongside global bartenders and whisky influencers. Johnnie Walker Blenders Batch Espresso Roast was headed up by Aimee Gibson, one of the new generation of Johnnie Walker blenders. Diageo claims Espresso Roast was inspired by her mission to make scotch the spirit of choice amongst more consumers. The blend is steered by leading flavour and coffee expert, James Hoffman, supported by industry figures including Ali Reynolds, and backed with practiced guidance from Ryan Chetiyawardana. Johnnie Walker Blenders Batch Rum Cask Finish signifies ten years of experiments conditioning Scotch in casks that previously held rum. Inspired by whiskies originating from distilleries in Speyside and the Lowlands, Chris Clark, Johnnie Walker expert blender, was responsible for rum quality at Diageo for 16 years and contributed his knowledge and curiosity for merging rum and scotch to developing Rum Cask Finish. Ali Reynolds, Johnnie Walker brand ambassador at Diageo Reserve comments: Blenders Batch paves the way for crafting truly exceptional cocktails and unlocks a wealth of opportunity for both the bartender and consumers. Blenders Batch is all about perfecting flavours by getting the balance right. Both new variants have been crafted by leading taste influencers whove shared years of expertise to now offer discerning whisky drinkers and those new to the spirit the chance to discover and explore whisky at its best. 19 October 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor Bryan City Council, Single Member District 4 Mitch Morehead Mitch Morehead is a former councilman who served in the at-large Place 6 position from 2000 to 2003, and served as mayor pro-tem for two of those years. Morehead, 57, is challenging incumbent Mike Southerland for the District 4 seat. Morehead is a lifelong Bryan resident who was born and raised in District 4. He attended Bryan High School, and is the president and co-owner of ACME Glass, the company his father and uncle started in 1946. He has served as president of the Bryan Business Council, chairman of the Research Valley Partnership board of directors, president of Habitat for Humanity, president of the Steep Hollow Cemetery Association and founded Brazos Charities. Mike Southerland Mike Southerland was first elected to the Bryan City Council in 2006 to the at-large Place 6 position, which he held for two terms. He was elected back on the council in 2014 to represent Bryans Single Member District 4. Southerland, 70, currently serves on the following city committees and boards: Brazos Valley Wide Area Communications System Board, city of Bryan/Bryan ISD Committee, Community Emergency Operations Center Policy Board, Intergovernmental Committee, TIRZ #19 board, water board liaison. He has served as president of the Bryan Rotary Club and Habitat for Humanity, and has been involved with Elder Aid, Boys & Girls Club of the Brazos Valley, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, American Red Cross and the Bryan Development Foundation. He has also been on the board of Keep Brazos Beautiful, and served as president and treasurer of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 937. Now retired, Southerland is an Army veteran and owned and operated two insurance agencies in town for 20 years. He has a bachelors degree in computer science from the University of Southern Mississippi and has completed some graduate course work at Texas A&M. College Station City Council, Place 1 Bob Brick Bob Brick is seeking the Place 1 seat on the College Station City Council. The seat is currently held by his wife, term-limited Councilwoman Blanche Brick. Brick, 78, is a research specialist at Texas A&Ms Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Tech and a Master of Science and doctorate from the University of Hawaii. Brick has been a member of College Stations Board of Zoning of Adjustments. He also served as president of the College Station Rotary Club and of the Foxfire Homeowner Associations. His other memberships include A&M United Methodist Church, the steering committee of the Fun For All Playground, Brazos Valley Texas Master Naturalists and the Rio Brazos Audobon Society. Bricks previous work history includes serving as a professor of biology, division chair and interim dean of agriculture and natural sciences for Blinn College, as aquaculture coordinator for the University of Hawaii and as an assistant professor of wildlife and fisheries sciences at Texas A&M. He previously has served as a consultant in marine science education to the Indonesian governments Ministry of Higher Education, and as a consultant in shrimp culture to the government of Pakistan. Brick has also worked in the private sector to develop shrimp culture in Texas, Illinois and South America, and was a Peace Corps volunteer teacher in Ceylon and the Philippines. Elianor-Azarak Vessali Elianor Vessali is seeking the Place 1 seat on the College Station City Council. Vessali is a member of the College Station Planning and Zoning Commissioner and is a real estate agent. Vessali, 41, holds a Bachelor of Science in biomedical science from Texas A&M and a juris doctorate from South Texas College of Law. She worked for Ernst & Young in Geneva, Switzerland, and taught chemistry and French in the Spring Branch school district before moving back to College Station in 2013 to manage her familys real estate business. Vessali has gone through the Citizens University, Citizen Police Academy and Citizens Sheriff Academy programs. She serves as secretary of the Citizen Police Academy alumni Association Board, and is also an alternate on the Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals. Her other community involvement includes mentor work through the CASA of Brazos Valley Voices for Children program, the Caring Aggies Mentoring Program and the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. She is also a Company P-2 CCA outfit representative. Vessali is a member of St. Marys Catholic Church. College Station City Council, Place 3 Linda Harvell Linda Harvell was elected to the College Station City Council in 2016 to fill the one-year unexpired term left on the Place 3 seat after Karl Mooney was elected mayor. She is seeking re-election for a full three-year term. Harvell, 70, sits on the citys audit and transportation and mobility committees. She is the owner and CEO of an online retail site, Texas Trading Post. Harvell previously worked in the travel and destination tourism industry, and worked for convention and visitors bureaus in Corpus Christi, Palm Springs, Lubbock and Denver. She attended Southwest Texas State University, where she studied special education, and Texas A&M, where she studied English and theater arts. Harvell is a graduate of Citizens University, Citizen Police Academy and Citizens Fire Academy. She also is a member of the Bryan/College Station Chamber of Commerce, the College Station Noon Lions Club, the Brazos County A&M Club, the Republican Women of the Brazos Valley and the American Legion Earl Graham Post No. 159 Ladies Auxiliary, among other organizations. Dallas Shipp Dallas Shipp is a local marketing consultant seeking the Place 3 seat on the College Station City Council. Shipp, 36, is the owner of 6 Shooter Marketing. He is challenging incumbent Linda Harvell for the seat. Shipp has a journalism degree from Texas A&M. He is an ambassador for the Bryan/College Station Chamber of Commerce and is a former publicity officer for the Brazos County A&M Club. He is also a member of the Bryan-College Station Association of REALTORS partnered with the local convention and visitors bureau for several events while working at Aggieland Outfitters. Bryan school board, Single Member District 2 Julie Harlin Work experience: High school agriculture teacher turned Texas A&M professor Run for a political office before? No (was appointed to the role after her predecessor relocated) Education: Orange Grove High School; bachelors in agricultural education and Masters in agricultural education from Texas A&M along with a Ph.D in agricultural education from Oklahoma State University Children: 13-year-old son at Davila Middle School Activities and community involvement: Speaker-elect of faculty senate at Texas A&M, on intergovernmental committee for Bryan board Diektrich Morgan Work experience: 11 Bravo Infantry for the United States Army Run for a political office before? No Education: Elkins High School; associate degree from Blinn College, bachelor degree in criminal justice from Sam Houston State University, will graduate with Masters in education from Texas A&M this winter. Children: 19-year-old in college, 17-year-old who attends school out of district and a 4-year-old at Kemp-Carver Elementary Activities and community involvement: Twin City Mission volunteer, neighborhood associations member, tutor for Brazos County Juvenile Services Department College Station school board, Place 7 Shana Elliott Age: 38 Work experience: Financial adviser Run for a political office before? No Education: Bachelors degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M Children: 10-year-old twins Activities and community involvement: Parent Teacher Organization member, room mom, Kiwanis Club of College Station chair, Boys and Girls Club, Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Brazos Gerlayn Nolan Age: 38 Work experience: Researched nutrition education in the Brazos Valley as part of her masters program Run for a political office before? No Education: Bachelor degree in psychology with a minor in business and horticulture along with a masters degree in horticulture from Texas A&M Children: A 7-year-old, a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old Activities and community involvement: Former Southwood Valley Elementary School PTO president, former vice president at Oakwood Intermediate School PTO, teacher appreciation chair at Cypress Grove PTO, served on Path to 25K, bond and realignment committees College Station school board, Place 6 Jacquelyn Huff Age: 36 Work experience: Engineer, high school teacher in Hearne and Bryan, associate professor at Texas A&M Run for a political office before? No Education: Bachelor degree and masters degree in electrical engineering from University of Illinois Children: 3-year-old son and 2-year-old twins Michael Schaefer Age: 52 Work experience: President of Schaefer Custom Homes, Blinn College professor Run for a political office before? Yes, incumbent Education: Associate degree in business from Binn College, bachelors degree in business administration from Sam Houston State University and a masters in business administration from the University of St. Thomas Children: A 25-year-old daughter and a 22-year-old daughter Related links Eagle Editorial Board recommendations Photo gallery A College Station man accused of kicking a College Station police officer in the head after Northgate bars closed over the weekend posted $5,445 bail and was released. Nathan Pitts, 21, was arrested for public intoxication after police said he tried to hit an employee at The Backyard restaurant and bar, then was making insults at officers and passersby, according to a College Station police report. Once handcuffed, Pitts told the arresting officer that he would hit him as soon as he was released, according to a court document. The officer said he began searching Pitts for weapons, and when he removed the man's shoes, Pitts kicked the left side of the officer's shoulder and head, the document states. Officers carried Pitts, who they said made himself dead weight, to the patrol unit, authorities said. Pitts was charged with resisting arrest, which is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. The public intoxication charge is a Class C misdemeanor. UPDATE: College Station police have arrested a 22-year-old in connection to Saturday's shooting at the Flats on 12 apartment complex. Traigh Liam Gonzalez of College Station was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. An arrest warrant was issued Sunday for a College Station man wanted in the shooting death of a 19-year-old killed during a drug deal in an apartment complex parking lot. The aggravated assault warrant identifies Liam Gonzales, 22, as the culprit in the Saturday evening incident outside the Flats on 12, which is across Harvey Mitchell Parkway from Walmart. Paramedics were called at about 8:45 p.m. Saturday to the scene, where they found Christopher Maurice Idlebird Jr. in the parking lot, which faces Valley View Drive. Police on Sunday declined to specify information regarding the type of drugs being dealt or where the victim was shot until the investigation is complete and an autopsy has been performed, according to a spokesman. It wasn't clear why the charge filed against the suspect was aggravated assault since the shooting resulted in a death. In an email sent to residents at Flats on 12 about an hour after the shooting, management stated that "there was an incident on the property that resulted in a casualty. It is very unfortunate when something so delicate occurs, but we would like you all to know that the local police department is taking extensive measures to care for our property as well as the victim." Residents were asked to avoid common areas and remain inside, according to the email obtained by The Eagle. No one at the complex could be reached Sunday. A shooting occurred in a parking lot of that same apartment earlier this month. Several residents reported hearing gun shots just before 7 p.m. Oct. 10. No one was injured, but police say a car was shot at several times. Authorities said the car sped away; a license plate number was not caught. A day later, police arrested Christian Juwan Nelson, a 20-year-old College Station resident, in connection with the incident. Nelson was charged with deadly conduct, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines. It was unclear late Sunday if the shootings were related. CSPD is asking anyone with information about the whereabout of Gonzales contact them at 979-764-3600. There should be no holiday or statues for Christopher Columbus W.R. Klemm is glad Columbus discovered America and brought Christianity to the "indigenous savages" thereof. He says thanks to Columbus, Europeans found opportunity and freedom in the new world. Klemm doesn't mention that Europeans systematically murdered and enslaved the indigenous peoples of the Americas, stealing their property and destroying their way of life. They offered little opportunity or freedom to the natives. It's estimated that at least 50 million and maybe more than 100 million people lived in the Americas when Columbus arrived. Within 200 years, 90 percent of them were gone, victims of violence and disease brought by Europeans. The Europeans brought about 12 million Africans to the Americas as slaves, 600,000 of them to the original 13 colonies. There was little freedom or opportunity for slaves. Slavery was justified as an economic necessity but also as something condoned by the Bible. Abraham and other prominent biblical figures owned slaves. Although slavery was common in Jesus's time, he never spoke out against it. Christianity brought religious wars, crusades, inquisitions, intolerance, sexual exploitation, a rejection of science and other ills to Europe. There should be no holiday for or statues of the man who brought it to the Americas. BOB PRESLEY College Station The shipping industry has "captured" UN talks on a climate target for the sector, using its clout to delay and weaken emissions curbs. That is the conclusion of a report by business lobbying watchdog Influence Map about the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The study was released to coincide with a meeting of an IMO working group on greenhouse gases on Monday. Based on analysis of delegate lists, meeting submissions and outcomes, it finds business interests exert an uncommon degree of influence over decisions. This, campaigners warn, jeopardises the international climate goals adopted in Paris. Representatives from business "The research proves almost conclusively that the shipping industry has been lobbying aggressively in the UN against climate change regulations," Ben Youriev, an author of the report, told Climate Home. "They have completely captured policymaking bodies at the IMO." Perhaps the most striking discovery is the extent to which business interests infiltrate national delegations. Researchers found 31 out of 100 member states at the last IMO environmental committee meeting brought representatives from business. Cosco and Vale are regular advisers to China and Brazil respectively, with the opportunity to advance their agenda in multiple subcommittees. "The IMO appears the only UN agency to allow such extensive corporate representation in the policy making process," the report said. Very active Asked for comment, a spokesperson for the IMO said: "Nominating people to its delegation is an internal domestic matter for each member state. The IMO Secretariat is not involved in those decisions." Special report: The tax-free shipping company that took control of a country's UN mission Five national delegations were led by commercial flag registries, not government officials. As Climate Home has previously reported, the Marshall Islands former foreign minister Tony de Brum faced resistance from registry figures when he sought to claim his seat at the forum. While the low-lying Pacific island state is known for advocating ambitious climate action, its ship registry - the second largest in the world - is based in Virginia, US and has little accountability to the country's elected leaders. Registry president Bill Gallagher said in an interview with Maritime Reporterin July: "We used to send a taxi over to IMO and now we send a bus. And that's true. I mean, we really spend a lot of money as a flag state, sending the right people to IMO. "Our regulatory guys say, If you're not in the working groups, you're not impacting what happened'. Where you really make a difference is at the working groups. So we're not only just sending a couple guys to sit in a chair; we actually are very active in the working groups." Emerging economies On top of these discreet channels of influence, the industry is visibly represented through trade associations like the International Chamber of Shipping, which have official observer status. Representing 80% of the world's merchant fleet, the ICS brought a bigger team to the last environmental committee meeting than 85% of national delegations. As an example of its sway, Influence Map points to last October's environment meeting, when 13 countries explicitly endorsed the ICS proposal. In the end, member states adopted a timetable for setting climate targets very similar to that suggested by industry, deferring implementation of greenhouse gas curbs to 2023 at the earliest. Shipping Watch reports that industry voices are also expected to prevail at this week's meeting, occupying a middle ground between ambitious European states and more conservative emerging economies. ICS, along with Bimco, Intertanko and Intercargo, are proposing an "aspirational" target to cap the sector's emissions at 2008 levels (the pre-financial crash peak) and halve its carbon intensity by 2050. They oppose absolute emissions cuts, on the basis this could constrain growth in world trade. Climate advocates say that is not nearly enough to align with the Paris Agreement goal to hold global warming "well below 2C". Ambitious action Shipping has a carbon footprint roughly the size of Germany. Without intervention, the IMO's own research predicts that to grow 50-250% by 2050. The latest available data, published by the International Council on Clean Transportation last week, showed emissions increasing 2.4% between 2013 and 2015. Fuel efficiency improved for many ship classes over the period, but the gains were outweighed by increased demand. Christiana Figueres, former UN climate chief and founder of Mission 2020, urged the sector to up its game. "The Paris Agreement committed the world to ambitious action on climate change, yet the shipping industry is not up to speed," she said in a statement. "It's time to raise the anchor and seize the opportunity between now and 2020 to align with other industries and chart the course to well below 2C pathway". Report: Gas tanker crosses thawing Arctic without icebreaker for first time Information transparency Influence Map director Dylan Tanner told Climate Home he hoped the report would inspire progressive businesses and investors to intervene. "We need the silent majority of companies to step up and address the difficult issues," he said. "Investors hate the lack of transparency and they hate not having risks disclosed to them... that is a big target audience, for them to address this not just with ship owners but the shipping value chain as a whole." The report praised AP Moller-Maersk as one of the only shipping companies to have a transparent - and relatively ambitious - position on climate policy. Some Scandinavian shipowners associations also support stronger action. Johannah Christensen of Global Maritime Forum, a Copenhagen-based body promoting collaboration on disruptive trends for the industry, said: "A low-carbon future is achievable if private and public stakeholders work together and must necessarily be based on facts and improved information transparency." Investors in the shipping sector may be failing in their fiduciary duties if they ignore "such damning evidence" of lobbying to obstruct climate action, said Alice Garton of environmental law firm Client Earth. "These findings reveal an industry so resistant to climate progress that it has negotiated a sector-wide free pass on emissions. But no business is exempt from the effects of climate change and it's time for these firms to be held to account." This Author Megan Darby is deputy editor at Climate Home, where this article first appeared. She previously wrote about UK energy and water industries for leading sector publication Utility Week. She holds a Mathematics degree from Newcastle University. She tweets at @climatemegan. You have a character that goes through the scrutiny of being sexualised , and then an audience that does the same thing. Franklin County celebrated the first phase of development at its 550-acre Summit View business park with a groundbreaking Thursday afternoon. At a price of $9.7 million, the first phase includes construction of an access road, water and sewer utility extensions and grading of two pad sites, where future buildings could stand. Work is already underway, and bulldozers could be seen moving in the distance. County Administrator Brent Robertson said it was a proud day for Franklin County and the region and he was glad to welcome those in attendance economic development officials, politicians and the family that sold the land to the county, among others to Summit View. "If youre wondering how we came up with the name," Robertson said, pausing to allow everyone to take in the view of Cahas Mountain, "I cant help you." Del. Charles Poindexter, R-Franklin, commended the countys board of supervisors for its forward thinking and effort to bring jobs to Franklin County. He pledged support from himself, the General Assembly and state agencies to help make the park a success. Supervisors Chairman Cline Brubaker acknowledged that the park is a significant investment the land alone cost upward of $11 million but said its a worthy one, since it will benefit young people. Brubaker, a dairy farmer, said when he went off to college he was proud to tell people he was from Franklin County and told them after graduation, he was going back. With the jobs created in the park, others will have the same opportunity. The beauty of the property, previously appreciated from a tractor by the select few people who farmed the land, can now be shared with many more, Brubaker said. "Its Gods beauty," he said. Ronnie Thompson is supervisor of the Boone District, where Summit View is located. He echoed Brubaker, saying the board often gets calls from parents asking whats being done to create jobs that will allow their children to get a job in Franklin County after college or trade school. Summit View is the answer, Thompson said. He asked the audience to imagine coming to work and looking out the window of their office to see Cahas Mountain, or having trails to walk and bike on during lunch breaks. What a tough life those employees would have, Thompson joked. "When its fixed up, itll be nice, and itll be something that we can all be proud of," he said. John Loftus, with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, said the business park would create employment opportunities for the region as a whole. Both the Roanoke region and the state lack large, business-ready sites, costing them opportunities, Loftus said. "Sites like Summit View will allow us to get into the process and compete for these projects," he said. Casey Fabris reports for the Roanoke Times. Remember who Browder is: He is the financier whose lawyer was Sergei Magnitsky, who became a prisoner of the Russian state and was tortured to death real slow. Thereafter, Browder dedicated himself to the cause of justice in Russia.In 2012, the U.S. Congress passed the Magnitsky Act, which targets Russian human-rights abusers: It freezes their assets and deprives them of visas. Boris Nemtsov called the Magnitsky Act the most pro-Russian law ever enacted by a foreign government. (Nemtsov was the leader of the opposition to Putin in Russia. In 2015, he was murdered within sight of the Kremlin.)The Magnitsky Act drives Putin nuts. It means that his men cant act as they always have, i.e., with impunity. Now there are consequences, which is a problem for Putin.Four countries have Magnitsky acts: the U.S., Britain, Estonia, and now Canada. (They passed theirs last week.) Browder is a driver behind these Magnitsky acts, and Putin hates him for it, understandably.Twice in 2013, he tried to add Browder to Interpols wanted list, and twice he failed, because Interpol knew that Putin was politically motivated. Browder is not a criminal. He is an anti-criminal, which is why Putin targets him.In the wake of Canadas new Magnitsky act, Putin has tried again. Tried for a fifth time. Interpol has accepted his request. Worse, the U.S. government seems in partnership with the Kremlin:Our government has revoked Browders visa. (American-born, Browder is a British citizen.) What the ? Let this error be corrected speedily. Its Putins killers and thieves who should be barred from the U.S., not their nemesis, Browder.Read more at: Why Is Bill Browder Banned from America? A | National Review This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado is believed by many to be haunted by ghosts, and one family's photo is the latest to attempt to give credence to the ghostly claims. The Mausling family of Aurora, Colorado was on a "spirit tour" of the 108-year-old hotel on Sept. 16 when John "Jay" Mausling claims to have snapped a photo of what he says appears to be two ghosts. HAUNTED?: Man's video of a 'ghost' in a South Texas motel goes viral It wasn't until the family returned home from their visit that they realized two shadowy girls might have been captured on camera. Mausling told Huffington Post that in the photo, the girls seem to be walking up the staircase, adding that there weren't any girls matching their description in their tour group. "At first I thought maybe a little girl ran by," Jessica Mausling, his wife, told Inside Edition. "I was in shock. How could all of us miss her, especially a little girl in a white gown?" Huffington Post had Ben Hanson, host of "Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files," inspect the Mausling's photo. Hanson told the outlet, "Assuming it's not doctored, it ranks up there as one of the best photos of possible paranormal evidence I've seen." HOUSTON GHOSTS: Is the Houston Zoo haunted by the ghost of a former daredevil zoo keeper? Given the Stanley Hotel's history, it's not surprising that tourists often report ghost sightings; the hotel helped to inspire Stephen King's novel, "The Shining." It even offers night spirit tour, noting "The experience will educate you on how to interact with the type of activity many people claim to encounter, but does not intend to prank or scare." The Mauslings aren't the only ones to share "ghost" photos on social media. Henry Yau of Houston also believes he may have caught a ghost on camera in April 2016 and shared his discovery on Instagram. By golly! I think I may have captured a #ghost at #StanleyHotel. #EstesPark A post shared by Henry Yau (@ares415) on Apr 12, 2016 at 7:33am PDT Scroll through the gallery above to haunted places you can stay at. Lights shined over the prairie specifically a movie theater as Nebraska films were shown on the big screen during a film festival this past weekend. About 40 films from a variety of genres, all from Nebraska filmmakers, were screened throughout the weekend at the Grand Theatre, 316 W. Third St., as part of the fifth annual Prairie Lights Film Festival. Mark Popejoy, assistant director of the film festival, said it is a way to showcase Nebraska filmmaking. He added the goal is to show films from a variety of genres. It is strictly for Nebraska-made films, either made in Nebraska or by Nebraskans. We do not particularly care what genre of film it is, Popejoy said. Thats why we have documentaries, comedies and horror films. We definitely like to have a wealth of different types of films. During the Prairie Lights Film Festival, filmmakers were able to discuss their films during various question and answer forums. In the question and answer session Saturday afternoon, the directors of both Decades and Prairie Pints talked about their documentary films. Decades focuses on the development of downtown Lyons over the years. Prairie Pints features numerous interviews from Nebraska craft brewers, who discuss their beer and the paths taken to form their craft breweries. Bill Hedges, director of Decades, said he made the documentary after being approached to do a film about downtown following the development of a storefront theater there. This was really fun to do because I learned a lot about Lyons from doing research, Hedges said. Also, there was so much community involvement. People came out with vintage cars and we had extras volunteer. We closed the street and filmed the part on driving down Main Street. The particular scene in Decades that Hedges referred to shows a re-enactment that reflects upon the 1950s when community members would hang out on the sidewalks of downtown Lyons and cruise its streets. Shadlee Jo Meinke, co-director of Prairie Pints, said she and her fellow directors really just love craft beer and wanted to explore what craft brewers were doing and kind of be a part of it in some way. This resulted in the three directors traveling across the state to film and interview a number of craft brewers. Popejoy, who served as emcee of the question and answer sessions, asked the three directors of Prairie Pints how many breweries they visited while filming the documentary. There was no consensus answer among the directors, but they agreed they visited somewhere between 20 and 30 breweries. Meinke added she and her fellow directors hope to screen Prairie Pints at craft breweries across Nebraska. At another question and answer session Sunday afternoon, more filmmakers discussed their films and the ideas behind them. Rhett McClure, director of 11 Confession Road, was one of the filmmakers on stage for the session. 11 Confession Road is about two bounty hunters on the run from the National Security Agency who are about to ditch their two prisoners in post-alien life reveal America. In Seward, we ran across this particular location. It was completely desolate with nobody around and completely surrounded by power lines. It went from there, McClure said. We took over a stretch of gravel road, went for it and one of my actors improvised a little bit. I was directing from the trunk of a car, watching an iPad and using a GoPro. In his short film, McClure uses fluorescent lighting to show each characters clothing. Popejoy asked McClure why he chose to do this. It ties a little bit into the paranoia, he said. All of our lights are a point of communicating, with the idea that the aliens would eventually have some control of that. That is an influence over what we do. Who Will Listen But the Wind, shown Sunday afternoon, centers around a high-stressed couple whose child has TARS Syndrome. The husband quits his job and his wife gets involved with another man. Things go downhill between the couple as the wife plots her husbands murder with a soldier suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Jennifer Hanisch, who directed the six-minute short film, said she originally intended it to be a trailer for a book she is writing. She added the film is based on the true story of her son and granddaughter being murdered in 2014. Mostly, I just wanted something to be attached to the book, Hanisch said. I didnt know anything about filmmaking. I think I put $1,500 and 50 hours into filming. I dont really know how to compare it with what other people are doing. But I am happy with what I did. Popejoy himself had a few of his films screened at the Prairie Lights Film Festival, including Mower Boy, which he directed, and Down Under, in which he starred. He said he was totally honored and stoked to have his films shown on the big screen during the Prairie Lights Film Festival. If you put your time, your heart and your soul into a project, you dont want it to just sit on a shelf. We want it to be shown and in this format, he said. You get to show it to your family and friends. Maybe someone else likes it, too. You get to see where your flaws are and pick apart your own stuff. You get to know where you want to change things and how to become a better filmmaker. Popejoy added he was pleased with the number of people who attended the Prairie Lights Film Festival and hopes they came out of it with a greater knowledge of Nebraska filmmaking. I hope the general public sees this sort of thing is going on in Nebraska, he said. Before I got involved in the film industry in Nebraska, I had no idea that there are so many filmmakers, so many good actors and others who are interested in this kind of thing. It is really starting to show right now with all the different film festivals held across Nebraska. Donald Trump, job killerFor starters, there is a fundamental mercantilist fallacy in his concern about trade deficits. He seems to think that these deficits are bad because they mean America is buying more from its partners than selling to them. However, the fact of the matter is that surplus dollars in the hands of foreigners ineluctably make their way back to America in the form of investments, stimulating the American economy and jobs.But the bigger problem with Ross' argument is that he harps on the annual percentage drop in American-made parts in NAFTA imports while disregarding their rise in absolute terms. Thanks to the treaty, trade between the three countries has increased dramatically. For example, American imports from Mexico have increased from $40 billion to about $300 billion a year. So even if the percentage of American parts in these Mexican goods has decreased, in absolute terms it has increased from $10 billion to $46 billion. Ditto for Canada.And of course, the Trump administration's flawed analysis leads to flawed remedies.To keep jobs in America, Ross wants to tighten NAFTA's already stringent "rules of origin" requirements on imports. Currently, the treaty stipulates that 62 percent of the parts in imports, especially cars, must come from North America to avoid the 2.5 percent border tax that non-NAFTA countries must pay. This is among the toughest requirements anywhere. But the administration wants to raise that to a whopping 85 percent. On top of that, it wants 50 percent of the content to be not just North American but American.This is a myopic demand that will backfire badly.From the standpoint of maximizing economic efficiency, rules of origin are far from ideal because they force companies to source their components not from countries that offer the best prices, but from where they can get preferential tariff treatment. Still, at the time it was written, these requirements were not out of sync with the desire of manufacturers to integrate supply chains across North America and expand their regional manufacturing footprint. These rules offered them an additional incentive to do so and stay in the region. Indeed, post-NAFTA, not only did the Big Three automakers expand their U.S. operations, but Asian auto "transplants" also set up shop in America. ST. PAUL Linda L. Lassen, 67, a lifelong resident of St. Paul, died Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, at the Howard County Medical Center in St. Paul after a courageous and hard-fought battle with cancer. An incredibly generous woman her entire life, Linda requested that her body be gifted to the Nebraska Anatomical Board with the hopes of making a positive contribution to the medical field. Linda always believed in living life to the fullest and to remember her, a Celebration of Life will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday in the Extension Building at the Howard County Fairgrounds. At 6, a beloved friend, the Rev. Marcia Dorn, will lead a time of sharing memories. Casual and comfortable dress requested. Memorials may be given to the familys choice. Jacobsen-Greenway Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Linda was born Oct. 23, 1949, in Central City to Richard Richie and LaVonne (Jacobs) Nielsen. She was raised and attended schools in St. Paul and Din, as her classmates lovingly called her, graduated from St. Paul High School in 1967. Following school, Linda was first employed at Shaughnessy Law Office in St. Paul. She was united in marriage to Jim Sidel and two children, Jason James and Staci Lyn, were born to this union. Linda worked for Twin Loups as an office manager from 1985 until 2015. Following her employment with Twin Loups, Linda greatly enjoyed her retirement. On Oct. 17, 1986, she married Gary Lassen. A daughter, Jessi Lyn, was born to Linda and Gary. Linda had a passion and love for flowers of all types. Gary would frequently bring Linda many Supermarket flowers, which Linda loved regardless of the price. Lindas passion for flowers was obvious in her beautiful backyard, where she planted her favorites. She also enjoyed relaxing with candles, had a love for turtles, and an appreciation for all types of music. She frequently could be found with a candle lit and music playing. Family, especially the grandchildren, was the most important part of Lindas life. She loved to attend their events and was always very proud of each and every one of them. She also thoroughly enjoyed watching volleyball and kept the volleyball books at St. Paul for many years. Linda loved to be around people and had an amazing ability to always see the good in people. Rarely could a person spend time with her without laughing. She was called the keeper because she loved keeping everyone informed about what was happening. She loved sending letters and keeping in touch with friends and family, always signing with her signature smiley face. One of Lindas favorite pastimes was reading and having coffee or tea on her patio, enjoying her backyard and fountain. The fountain, a gift given to her by friends and family, brought her much happiness. She said, Every time I sit outside, I get tears in my eyes and smile. I just love it and I think of all the people that helped make a dream come true. Such a great gift of love. She was a member of St. Marks Lutheran Church in St. Paul. Linda was a person who wanted to help others. She served as an EMT for many years and donated gallons of blood for the Red Cross. Linda was a member of the St. Paul Country Club for several years, winning many tournaments and titles. Survivors include her husband, Gary of St. Paul; a son and daughter-in-law, Jason and Kelli Sidel of Draper, Utah; two daughters and sons-in-law, Staci and Jess Rother of St. Paul and Jessi and Kyle Tebo of Lincoln; her parents, Richard and LaVonne Nielsen of St. Paul; seven grandchildren, Emma and Dane Sidel, Devyn, Daltyn and Damyn Rother, and Chase and Trey Tebo; and three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Dayla and Jerry Steiner of Omaha, Deb and Dave Scheer of Lincoln and Lori Nielsen of St. Paul. Linda was preceded in death by a grandson, Dawsyn Rother. Memories of Linda may be left at www.jacobsengreenway.com. WASHINGTON The desire to protect young people from offensive ideas and words is an understandable instinct. In the context of bullying, it is a requirement. In the context of great literature, it is nearly always mistaken. The distinction between the language of the schoolyard and the language of Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird has somehow been lost on the Biloxi, Mississippi, school board, which recently decided to remove the book from the eighth-grade curriculum. There is some language in the book that makes people uncomfortable, explained Kenny Holloway, the vice president of the board. The purpose of Lees classic, of course, is to make people uncomfortable with racial prejudice. To do so, it reflects the language employed by bigots in the segregated South, including the N-word. Given a desire to present the repulsive reality of racism, it could hardly do otherwise. But are the eighth-graders talking and giggling in the back row ready to handle that reality? Some, surely, are not. How, then, are children adequately prepared? For generations of students, an essential part of that preparation has been the reading of To Kill a Mockingbird, which is an education in empathy. The book may be narrated by a white child, but its whole purpose is to place the reader in the shoes of an unjustly accused black man to provoke anger at a legal system that betrays him and disgust with a social system that dehumanizes him. One child, Dill, nearly vomits in reaction to the sick parody of justice he sees in the courtroom. We are intended to feel the same nausea. The themes of the book social stratification, the sexual subtext of racism, the institutionalization of injustice are suited to adults. But Lee attempted to capture and encourage the pre-cynical outrage of children toward the horrors of the adult world. This is exactly what we would hope an educated eighth-grader to feel. Some of the best literature for children and young adults encourages moral reflection on the cruel reality created by adults. Read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, as I did with my son. It is the story of a 12-year-old Japanese girl who develops leukemia as a result of the Hiroshima atom bomb. In order to be granted a wish, she resolves to fold 1,000 origami cranes, reaching 644 before she is too sick to continue. Her friends and family finish the task, and the cranes are buried with her. Is it uncomfortable to consider that America took actions resulting in the irradiation of Japanese children? Is it hard to explain to a child? It should be. Or consider the fine graphic novel American Born Chinese, in which Danny, the Americanized, suburban child of Chinese immigrants, is embarrassed by the yearly arrival of his cousin Chin-Kee, who embodies every destructive Asian stereotype. In the book, Chin-Kee turns out to be the Monkey King, a deity who encourages Danny to embrace his true identity. Was the exaggerated presentation of Asian stereotypes in the book uncomfortable for my biracial child? I should hope so. But it was placed within a moral story that rejects exclusion and encourages the acceptance of ethnic identity. Cutting out the offensive parts would have left the story powerless. Our society has developed a deep confusion about the meaning of education. For some both the advocates of safe spaces and the banners of books the goal is the preservation of purity. They want to protect students and educational institutions from defilement by words and ideas they find offensive. It is more of a tendency than an ideology. The same pursuit of purity can motivate offended conservatives or offended liberals. To Kill a Mockingbird has been targeted, at various times, by both. But education must mean more than the avoidance of offense. One purpose is surely to take the horrible, offensive things that populate reality and put them in a moral context to train our emotional and intellectual reactions to uncomfortable human failings. The greatest stories confront the worst of human nature with the best of the human spirit. We diminish their power by lowering the stakes. This means that true education always involves risk particularly the risk of giving offense. But students are not defiled by the existence of terrible words and ideas. They are defiled by the acceptance or normalization of those words and ideas. Which is precisely what To Kill a Mockingbird and all true education sets out to prevent. Eagles losing another star player to injury, and the dropoff is steep How can the Eagles replace one of the NFL's top tight ends? Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 09:45 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a258eb00 2 City Jakarta-police,cctv,Police-ticketing Free The Jakarta Police Traffic Management Directorate will start an operation to ticket vehicles by detecting violators via CCTV cameras on Monday. The ticketing scheme was officially put in motion after last week, when the police obtained a permit from the Jakarta High Court, the Central Jakarta District Court and the South Jakarta District Court. We can start the operation. We will send the ticketing letter directly to the homes of the violators based on the address on the vehicles registration certificate, Jakarta Police Traffic Management Director Sr. Comr. Halim Pagarra said on Sunday as quoted from wartakota.tribunnews.com. The officers will supervise traffic through CCTV monitors. If a driver violates the rules of the road, such as running a red light or driving against the flow of traffic, the vehicles license plate number will be captured and printed as evidence. Even though the scheme will include vehicles from Greater Jakarta, the directorate is only focusing the system on vehicles registered under Jakartas administration. So far we have installed 800 CCTV cameras, and we will keep coordinating with the Jakarta Transportation Agency to install more devices in several spots in the city, Halim said. He also expected the cameras quality to be improved so they could zoom in and out as well as pan and tilt in various directions. (yon/wit) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 17:13 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a259ef60 1 Business ipoc,palm-oil,Conference,bali Free About 1,500 businesspeople from 25 countries are expected to attend the 13th Indonesian Palm Oil Conference (IPOC) and 2018 Price Outlook in Nusa Dua, Bali, from Nov. 1 to 3. The topics to be discussed at the conference include issues of sustainability and relations between companies and farmers, IPOC 2017 chairwoman Mona Surya said in a statement issued on Monday. Most of the attending businesspeople represented firms producing various products related to crude palm oil (CPO), Mona added. The conference, set to be opened by Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution, will also be attended by several other ministers, including Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita and Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil. The organizers will provide booths for those wishing to display their products at the event, Mona added. As many as 96 of the 98 booths have been booked, said Mona said, adding that the IPOC had attracted many visitors this year, because people from across the globe were paying serious attention to the palm oil business. Many of the foreign speakers have spoken at previous IPOC events, but there will also be several new faces, Mona said. The foreigners scheduled to speak at the event include James Fry of LMC International Ltd of Britain, Rasheed Janmohammad of the Pakistan Edible Oil Refiners Association (PEORA) as well as Dorab Mistry from UK-based Godrej International Ltd. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 16:02 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a259b9b5 1 City Gatot-Nurmantyo,banners,USA Free Banners erected in South Jakarta protesting the United States' decision to bar Indonesian Armed Forcers (TNI) Commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo to fly to the country were taken down on Monday. South Jakarta Public Order Agency head Ujang Hermawan was quoted as saying that the banners were taken down on the grounds that they were provocative. A white banner erected at the Dukuh Atas pedestrian bridge on Jl. Sudirman read: Kick out US Ambassador from the homeland! In South Kemang, another banner read: Send home US citizens from Indonesia! #News: Spanduk Usir Dubes Amerika Diturunkan https://t.co/PdArXvkVxX INFO PONDOK INDAH (@pondokindahinfo) October 23, 2017 Ujang told kompas.com on Monday, Our officers have taken down the two banners. I will communicate with the Police [to investigate them]. He added that he had instructed his subordinates to check other locations in the municipality for similar banners. Gatot and his wife, Enny Trimurti, were set to fly on Saturday to Washington, DC for a conference. The TNI commander had all necessary travel documents, including a US visa and an invitation from the US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, who had asked him to attend the Chiefs of Defense Conference on Countering Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs) on Oct. 23-24. Gatot was already at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport when an Emirates airline official informed him that the US Customs and Border Protection Agency had barred him and his delegation from boarding the US-bound flight. The ban has reportedly been revoked. (fac) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura, Papua Mon, October 23, 2017 11:06 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2590d70 1 National Papua,Freeport-Indonesia,Papua-Police,Mobile-Brigade,Boy-Rafli-Amar Free First. Brig. Berry Pramana Putra, a member of the National Polices Mobile Brigade stationed in Timika, Papua was killed in an exchange of fire with unidentified gunmen on Utikini bridge, Tembagapura, Mimika regency on Sunday. Berry died during a pursuit of armed assailants who were allegedly behind a shooting incident in the mining area of US-based PT Freeport Indonesia at Mile 60 to 67, Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said. The victim died on the scene while Mobile Brigade members were in an exchange of fire with an armed criminal group on Utikini bridge, a day after the group shot at two patrol vehicles owned by PT Freeport, he said in Jayapura on Monday. He alleged the group was behind security disturbances in Freeport's mining area. He also suspected it was the same group who seized two Steyr assault rifles and ammunition from members of the Mobile Brigade two years ago, as the same weapons were believed to have been used in the shooting that killed Berry. The allegations arose from the bullet casings found at the scene. We have identified the group, although we will not yet publish the name of the group, Boy added. No additional security personnel would be added despite the incidents, he said, adding that police would handle the issue in accordance with law enforcement procedures to end the security disturbances in Papua. The Papua Police delivered the body of First. Brig Berry to his hometown in Bengkulu in a release ceremony led by Boy. As Berry died on duty, the police also granted him a posthumous promotion to one level above his rank to Brig. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Esteban Duarte (Bloomberg) Madrid, Spain Mon, October 23, 2017 19:55 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a25a2799 2 World catalan,independence,rally,Spain,crackdown Free Catalan separatists are mobilizing a human shield to block efforts by the Spanish authorities to take control of the breakaway region as both sides prepare to escalate the political conflict, according to two people familiar with the plans. Groups will concentrate their activists around the regional governments headquarters in Barcelonas Gothic quarter and the nearby parliament building, the people said, asking not to be identified by name. They expect Spanish police to use force to try to shut down the administration and will put their bodies on the line, said one person. "We are calling for a peaceful and democratic defense of the institutions," Lluis Corominas, the leader of the main separatist group in the Catalan Parliament, said at a press conference in Barcelona. Its a critical week of brinkmanship. The Catalan leadership was left to plot its next move following Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys declaration of unprecedented measures to reassert his authority. The rebels in Barcelona are running out of options while Madrid attempts to bring an end to the countrys most dramatic political crisis for four decades. The showdown may come at the end of the week. Regional President Carles Puigdemont, who accused Rajoy of a "coup detat," is set to be ousted by the Spanish government and his allies are signaling he could declare independence. The legislature in Barcelona, which is controlled by separatist parties, will convene on Thursday and Friday just as Rajoy is expected to win approval from the Senate for his crackdown. Rajoy on Saturday shocked many observers with plans to clear out the entire separatist administration in Barcelona and take control of key institutions including public media and the regional police force, the Mossos dEsquadra. Spains chief prosecutor said that if Puigdemont declares independence he would face as much as 30 years in jail and signaled that he could be arrested immediately. The separatists have shown they can rally support. A crowd estimated by local police at around 450,000 joined him to protest in central Barcelona after Rajoy announced his plans. CUP, a pro-secessionist party, on Monday called for mass civil disobedience in Catalonia, Ara newspaper reported. Topics : catalan independence rally Spain crackdown Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 21:00 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a25a53f3 1 City Sandiaga-Uno,House Free Since Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno decided not to live at the official residence on Jl. Denpasar in Kuningan, South Jakarta, the house has been made available for religious activities. The house is now open 24 hours a day and seven days a week for majlis taklim [Quran study groups] and citizens activities, Sandiaga said on Sunday, as quoted by kompas.com. He added that the house was also open for Christian citizens who wanted to hold Sunday services. Feel free to use this house, because this is our house, Sandiaga added. He also said that, besides religious activities, citizens could also use the house for other meetings. (ecn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi Mon, October 23, 2017 16:56 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a259d327 1 National marijuana,aceh,Jambi,drug-smuggling Free Members of the drugs investigation directorate at the Jambi Police have arrested four people and seized 43 kilograms of dried marijuana delivered from Aceh to Jambi and Lampung. The police action was based on a tip-off that there would be a marijuana delivery from Aceh to Jambi. Police made the arrests at the Lorena Express bus counter on Jl. Patimura in Jambi city. Officers checked the bus and arrested the men, allegedly waiting for the package, Polda Jambi spokesman Adj. Sr. Cmr. Kuswahyudi Tresnadi said. The four have been named as Agung Ari Susanto, 38, Firdaus, 44, Eka Firdaus, 27, and Rio Saputra, 23. The police first arrested Agung in Jambi city. From him, it was learned that some of the marijuana had been sent to Lampung while the rest had been handed over to Firdaus who had also sold it to Eka. The dried marijuana package was delivered in chain to Rio, Kuswahyudi said on Monday. The police will charge the four men under the 2009 Narcotics Law, with a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The case is still under development to uncover any other members of the syndicate, he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 18:44 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a25a1a86 1 Business House,state-budget,2018,approval Free The House of Representatives plans to sign the 2018 state budget bill into law on Wednesday to end the lengthy deliberation involving lawmakers and government representatives. Before the houses plenary session on Wednesday, government representatives, Bank Indonesia and members of the houses budget committee would carry out a working meeting to have a final look into the bill. During the meeting, the committee would receive reports and approve a document prepared by a working committee, to listen to the final remark from each faction in the house, to listen to the governments opinion and to read the state budgets final draft. On Monday, Azis Syamsuddin, the houses budget committee chairman, said the working meeting would be held on Monday, but it was still waiting on reports from three house commissions that had completed their discussion with their partners in the government. We still have several hours before the kickoff of the working meeting, said Azis as reported by kontan.co.id. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati agreed to postpone the working meeting to Tuesday to allow members of three house commissions to lobby related government officials on the remaining issues. We will contact all ministers and officials of the relevant institutions so that they could conclude their discussion in the next nine hours, Sri Mulyani added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 15:39 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a25993a1 1 Business Qatar,Indonesia,LNG,imports Free Maritime Affairs Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has said Indonesia will buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar at a price of US$7.16 per million British thermal units (MMBTU). Energy and Mineral Resources deputy Minister Arcandra Tahar, who was in charge of the negotiation in the matter, had almost completed his job, Luhut said. Pak Arcandra nearly completed the negotiation. The price is at $7.16 per MMBTU, Luhut said at the Presidential Office in Jakarta on Monday, as reported by tribunnews.com. Read also: LNG import is a cheaper option: Luhut Meanwhile, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan said his ministry would allow the export of LNG from Qatar if the price was lower than that of LNG produced in Indonesia. He explained that the LNG from Qatar was planned to be used to supply power plants in North Sumatra, which were jointly developed by state-owned electricity firm PLN and a Qatar state-owned company. Luhut said President Joko Jokowi Widodo expressed the hope that cooperation with Qatar in a number of sectors, including the LNG purchase, could be implemented early next year. The President wants all agreements to be [signed] in the first quarter of 2018, Luhut said. Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani visited Indonesia last week to try to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. (bbn) Topics : Qatar Indonesia LNG imports Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rouba El Husseini (Agence France-Presse) Beirut, Lebanon Mon, October 23, 2017 18:36 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a25a1395 2 World Islamic-State,Syria,execution,revenge Free The Islamic State group executed dozens of civilians this month in the Syrian desert, a monitor said Monday, in a gruesome massacre as the jihadists see their "caliphate" collapse. The extremist group last week lost its key Syrian stronghold of Raqa, the latest in a string of setbacks for the jihadist who are facing multiple offensives in both Syria and neighbouring Iraq. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said IS fighters massacred more than 100 people in the desert town of Al-Qaryatain this month before they lost it to regime forces. "IS has over a period of 20 days executed at least 116 civilians in reprisal killings, accusing them of collaboration with regime forces," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. Regime forces retook Al-Qaryatain, which lies in the central Homs province, on Saturday, three weeks after the jihadists seized control of it. IS first occupied the town in 2015 and lost it to Russian-backed Syria forces last year. "After the regime retook it (on Saturday), the town's residents found the bodies on the streets. They had been shot dead or executed with knives," Abdel Rahman said. "Most of the IS fighters who attacked the town a month ago were sleeper cells... They are from the town, know the town's residents and who is for or against the regime," he said. The majority of those killed were executed in the last two days before IS lost the town again, he added. The regime seized back Al-Qaryatain on Saturday after more than 200 jihadists withdrew from the town overnight, pulling back into the vast desert region that stretches all the way to the Iraqi border. Al-Qaryatain was a symbol of religious coexistence before the civil war broke out in 2011, with some 900 Christians among its population of 30,000. But it was ravaged by IS during the group's eight-month-long occupation of the town in 2015-16, with its Christian sites including a fifth-century church reduced to rubble. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Bogor, West Java Mon, October 23, 2017 18:08 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a259f8aa 1 Politics megawati-soekarnoputri,Jokowi,Joko-Widodo,PDI-P Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo and his patron, the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Megawati Soekarnoputri, held a meeting over a traditional meal cooked specially by the former president herself. Jokowi and Megawati held a closed-door meeting at the Batu Tulis Palace, a privately owned residence of former president Soekarnos family, in Bogor, West Java, on Sunday. The dinner, prepared by Megawati, presented favorite dishes of her late father, such as chicken with lajak sauce, sayur lodeh (vegetable in coconut milk soup), rending ikan (fish simmered in coconut milk), fried trevally, fried tempeh and corn porridge. It was a sudden meeting. But as Megawati always does, she served special dishes for Jokowi. She cooked them herself, PDI-P secretary general Hasto Kristiyanto, who also attended the meeting, said in a press statement on Monday. He said the three-hour meeting was at times very casual and full of laughs, but serious when discussing national issues. Hasto refused to give further details on the discussion. "Megawati and Jokowi meet regularly to talk about national and political conditions. They had done that since Jokowi served as mayor of Solo [in Central Java]," Hasto said. The atmosphere of the dinner was not much different than the dinner the two attended in 2014, right before Megawati endorsed Jokowi as a presidential candidate, he added. Although several political parties have announced their support for Jokowi in the 2019 presidential election, the ruling party has yet to officially endorse the President. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Ambon, Maluku Mon, October 23, 2017 13:31 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a25955fa 1 National history,Banda-Islands,SusiPudjiastuti,New-York-City Free Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has said she only became aware of how the Banda Islands' Run was "swapped" with Manhattan on Sunday's 350th anniversary of the historic deal. "Only today I learned that Run island was swapped with Manhattan 350 years ago," Susi said during the signing of a plaque to mark the 350th anniversary of the Treaty of Breda, which sealed the deal on July 31, 1667. Susi was joined by US Ambassador Joseph R Donovan Jr. in marking the event. After learning about the fact, Susi said the historical deal was "extraordinary and unforgettable". "This small island is really extraordinary. Its potential as a spice producer was once huge, which prompted the Netherlands and Britain to compete over it," she said as quoted by Antara. Susi then jokingly asked Donovan if a new deal could be struck to swap Run for Manhattan. She also said that more effort was needed to encourage the younger generations to learn about their country's past. "History must be revealed because [the Run deal] allowed European and Asian countries to learn about Indonesia. In fact, an agreement from 350 years ago opened the history of New York as the heart of the United States," Susi said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 18:18 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a25a0587 1 City Jokowi,leadership,anniversary,protest Free The Jakarta Police have named 16 suspects in a protest in front of the State Palace that turned violent on Friday. The protestors expressed dissatisfaction with President Joko Jokowi Widodos three-year leadership. Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said the decision was made after the police found indications that they committed criminal acts during the protest. Two suspects, identified only as IM and MAS, were detained, he added. For now, we only detained two of the suspects, Argo said on Monday. They were charged under Article 160 of the Criminal Code on provocation and articles 216 and 218 on disobeying police orders, kompas.com reported. The protestors, comprising laborers and college students, turned violent after they refused to be dispersed at around 12 a.m. They demanded to meet Jokowi in person to convey their thoughts. (fac) Topics : Jokowi leadership anniversary protest Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 15:30 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2598f3f 1 City Sandiaga-Uno,anies-baswedan,puncak,Trips,TrafficCongestion Free Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno has denied a report saying that a number of city officials were given tickets by the Bogor police for traffic violations over the weekend. A number of media outlets have reported that at least 12 drivers from the Jakarta City Administration entourage were ticketed by police for violating one-way traffic rules imposed by the Bogor Police along the Puncak road. The city officials were rushing to join an outdoor tea walk on Saturday morning at the Gunung Mas tea plantation in Bogor, West Java. Newly-inaugurated Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga presided over the weekend event. Polisi Heran Mobil Rombongan Anies Terobos Arus One Way Puncak Hebat ya @aniesbaswedan.. pic.twitter.com/f2CUWlQbFv Cha Hoki (@NdaomanuCha) October 21, 2017 "It's 100 percent not true. We have issued a clarification. We live in a post-truth, post-fact world where fake news and hoaxes dominate," he said on Sunday as quoted by tempo.co. Sandiaga said that none of the official cars carrying Jakarta city officials were stopped by the police and that he and Governor Anies were stuck in traffic. At least 8,000 civil servants from the city administration joined the annual tea walk event, and it was the first time in five years that an incumbent Governor had attended the event. Anies Bantah Terobos Sistem One Way di Puncak Bogor https://t.co/aD30p1Pyy8 pic.twitter.com/xmI8mVwIrI METRO TV (@Metro_TV) October 22, 2017 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 16:46 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a259d2d4 1 City South-Tangerang,English,village Free South Tangerang in Banten has followed the success of Pare village in Kediri, East Java, by creating a village that provides English lessons for people of the surrounding area. Gusri Effendi, the founder of the Kampung Konservasi Rimbun (Rimbun conservation village) project, said the development of the village began in August last year, and it not only provides English lessons, but also teaches plant conservation. "We expect the development will be complete this December," Gusri said on Sunday, as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com. Even though the development has yet to be completed, Gusri said activities such as English lessons for children living near the village and plant conservation had started. "About 51 children from Buaran subdistrict in Serpong have taken the lessons. We currently have five instructors and we will add more teachers when the development is completed," Gusti said. "We plan that every house in the village will become a homestay just as happened in Pare. We even believe it can be greater than Pare," Gusti added. South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany appreciated the development of the village, saying that the innovation and the creativity were in line with her expectations. Airin said she hoped the English-learning program in Kampung Konservasi Rimbun would not only be aimed at children, but also adults. "I hope this village can be an important asset for South Tangerang and benefit future generations," she said. (rdi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 15:04 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2597ad6 1 Politics Gatot-Nurmantyo,USA,US-bound-flights Free Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met with Erin Elizabeth McKee, deputy chief of mission with the US Embassy in Jakarta, this morning to seek clarification over Saturdays incident in which Indonesias military chief was barred from entering the US, even though he had been invited by a top US military official. The US diplomat, she said, claimed to have resolved the issue and that the travel restriction on Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo had been lifted. However, no explanation was given during the meeting about why the embarrassing incident happened. "They said it was still Sunday night in Washington but I told her the Indonesian government urgently needed to receive clarification," the minister said at the State Palace on Monday. Gatot and his wife were about to fly to the US to attend a conference under the invitation of chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford in Washington, DC. The military general was scheduled to depart on Saturday at 5 p.m. on Emirates flight number EK 0357, but just before taking off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Banten, he was informed that he would not be able to enter the US. During the meeting on Monday, the US embassy confirmed that Gatot's departure was to accept an invitation from chairman Gen. Dunford and reiterated their regret over the incident, Retno said. (ahw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 15:06 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a259860d 1 City Ancol-Dreamland-Park,Dufan,accident Free An accident involving a river rapids ride at Fantasy World (Dufan) amusement park in Ancol Dreamland Park, North Jakarta, occurred on Sunday, in which a raft was flipped, injuring three people. Five people, M. Risma Saputra, Dimas Wildana Putra, M. Satio, Selviani Yuliani and Cut Mutia Azuenda, were inside the raft while it was turned upside down in the wave. Risma suffered light injuries to his stomach and hand while Dimas and Selviani suffered minor hand injuries after hitting the bottom part of the artificial river. The company's corporate communications manager, Rika Lestari, said the victims had been taken to a nearby hospital. "Alhamdulillah [thank God] there were no casualties in the accident. The victims are in recovery," Rika said in her statement. The company was still communicating with the police regarding the investigation into the accident, she said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan, North Sumatra Mon, October 23, 2017 15:36 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a259915b 1 National IS,Islamic-State,North-Sumatra,police Free North Sumatra's Labuhan Batu Police have arrested two men over the weekend on suspicions of being sympathizers of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group. The two men, AK, 28, and FG, 27, were arrested Friday evening in the Sigambal area of Labuhan Batu regency, said the Labuhan Batu Police's head of criminal investigation Adj. Comr. Teuku Fathir Mustafa. The arrests resulted from a traffic operation conducted in the area. The police suspected AK of being an IS sympathizer as he reportedly sent a text message to a friend when he was netted during the raid that said: I was arrested by thogut. Thogut is derived from an Arabic word meaning people who disobey Gods regulations, or infidel. Not long after the message was sent, FG arrived at the location of the raid, demanding the police to release his friend. The police then decided to apprehend the two and take them to the Labuhan Batu police station for questioning. In their initial investigation, the police found materials related to radical Islam in FGs house, confirming their suspicions that the two are IS supporters. We are still investigating their connection to IS networks, Teuku Fathir said on Sunday. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kyoko Hasegawa (Agence France-Presse) Tokyo, Japan Mon, October 23, 2017 15:46 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2599849 2 World Japan,weather,typhoon,flood,election,Shinzo-Abe Free A powerful typhoon left five dead, one missing and scores injured in Japan Monday, moving northward off the Pacific coast after millions struggled to the polls for a national election. Authorities advised thousands living in coastal areas or near rivers to evacuate to shelters before Typhoon Lan, described as "very large and very strong", hit Tokyo and surrounding regions early Monday morning. The typhoon had left the Japanese archipelago by about 9:00 am (0000 GMT) after making landfall in Shizuoka southwest of Tokyo six hours before, the weather agency said. The strongest storm on Earth right now is heading for Japan https://t.co/8aqXfGIPYm Mashable (@mashable) October 20, 2017 The storm, which had already dumped torrential rain over much of the country during the weekend, packed gusts up to 162 kilometres (100 miles) per hour, the meteorological agency said. Train operators suspended some commuter trains in Tokyo suburbs early Monday and cancelled some "Shinkansen" bullet trains in northern Japan after a blackout left passengers stranded overnight in the country's central region. Nearly 300 flights scheduled for Monday have already been cancelled, public broadcaster NHK said, after strong winds forced 500 flights to be grounded Sunday. I totally get why its not getting coverage, but just FYI theres a super typhoon hitting Japan thats already prompted 70,000 evacuations Max Fisher (@Max_Fisher) October 22, 2017 Some ferry services in western Japan were also cancelled as the weather agency warned of high waves, landslides and floods across the archipelago. The typhoon claimed its first victims Sunday as a male passer-by died when scaffolding collapsed on him at a construction site in Fukuoka in western Japan. Also in western Japan, a 70-year-old man was found dead in Yamaguchi after he dived into the sea to grab a rope from another vessel as he attempted to escape from his troubled boat, a coastguard told AFP. In Osaka prefecture, a man in his 80s died after being crushed under a blown-off shutter while a woman in her 60s was found dead in a submerged car, local officials said. A 29-year-old man was also found in a submerged car in the central prefecture of Mie. Separately, a 61-year-old man has been missing in eastern Japan's Ibaraki prefecture after he went fishing on Sunday. More than 130 people were injured across the nation, NHK said, while the central government has so far confirmed 97 injuries. Television footage showed rescuers tugging a rubber boat carrying an elderly woman in a residential area in Chiba southeast of Tokyo as a flooded river engulfed the area. Automaker Toyota said it would suspend operations at all domestic plants on Monday. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Indra Budiari (The Jakarta Post) Clark, Philippines Mon, October 23, 2017 16:00 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a259a9b6 1 Politics Gatot-Nurmantyo,TNI,US-administration,USA Free United States Defense Secretary James Mattis has apologized and has guaranteed there will be no repetition of the incident in which Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo was denied entry to the US. He delivered the message in a closed-door meeting with Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu in Clark, Philippines, on Monday, according to the ministrys spokesman Brig. Gen. Totok Sugiharto. Minister Ryamizard accepted the apology that was conveyed during the short bilateral meeting, Totok told The Jakarta Post on Monday. Both ministers are scheduled to attend the ASEAN Plus Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) in Clark between Monday and Wednesday. Gen. Gatot was informed that he was barred from entering US as he and his wife, who both had valid visas, were about to fly on Saturday. He was scheduled to attend a conference at the invitation of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford in Washington, DC. The government is still seeking clarification of the embarrassing incident from the US government. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sebastian Partogi (The Jakarta Post) Depok, West Java Tue, October 24 2017 The Indonesian language and script has developed over hundreds of years, with the influence of various foreign traders. However, cultural factors hinder critical thinking and a proper literacy tradition. The development of both the oral and written usage of our national language bahasa Indonesia, essentially a dialect variant of Malay has taken place over thousands of years, involving foreign influences thanks to human migration, trade and colonization. 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 (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 15:04 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a259746a 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,dragon-boat-race,Riau-Islands Free A total of 42 teams from Indonesia and Malaysia competed in Tanjung Pinang International Dragon Boat Race that was held at Carang River, Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands on Oct. 21. The Dragon Boat Race, which was a part of Riau Islands Marine Festival, was opened with Makan Sirih traditional dance performed by seven female dancers, dressed up in red-colored Malay traditional costumes. Tanjung Pinang mayor Lis Darmansyah explained that Dragon Boat Race was first held in 1992, previously named Bintang Dragon Boat Race. The Dragon Boat Race came from a tradition of one of the ethnic groups in Tanjung Pinang, Lis said. Read also: President promotes Mandalika, NTB through vlog In the early days, the race was always held on the ocean but since 2014, Carang River has been appointed as the main location for the race. The river was chosen due to its calmer waters and no ship traffic. Theres a ruin of the Malay kingdom located near Carang River called Rebah City Castle site, Lis added. Apart from the race, the festival also featured other competitions such as kayaking, middle school yel-yel (cheer chants) competition and a barongsai (Chinese dragon dance) performance. The committee had prepared a total prize of 150 million rupiahs for winners of the Dragon Boat Race and 15 million rupiahs for winners of the Kayaking competition. Meanwhile, winners of the yel-yel (cheer chants) competition received gifts from sponsors. (asw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jessicha Valentina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 16:03 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a259c360 1 News Hotel,#hotel,bali,#Bali,Jimbaran,travel,#travel,traveling,#traveling Free Five-star luxury accommodation InterContinental Bali Resort in Jimbaran, Bali, recently introduced redesigned rooms. Designed by Singapore-based multi-disciplinary design consultant James Park Associates, guests may notice the essentials parts of Balinese Hindu philosophies and symbolism in the room, such as mural paintings inspired by Balinese textiles as well as bed-head backdrops that similar to Balinese doorways. Read also: Bali declared world's top destination for 2017 The establishment said in a press release that that InterContinental Bali Resort also follows the principal of Tri Hita Karana concept, a Balinese philosophy of life stresses on the balance and harmony between the three sources of life, humans, nature and God. Meanwhile, in-line with the five-star resort Green Engage sustainable environmental program, the room is also equipped with occupancy sensors management system, which helps to reduce the energy consumption by controlling lighting and air-conditioning thermostats when guests are not inside. InterContinental Bali Resort is a part of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand. Nestled in Jimbaran Bay, the hotel has 417 guest rooms, five swimming pools, restaurants and a spa. (asw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta Mon, October 23, 2017 14:04 1849 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a25968ed 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Southeast-Maluku,kei-islands Free Tourism ministrys secretary Ukus Kuswara attended the Meti Kei Charm Festival (FPMK) 2017 that was held on Oct. 19 22 in Southeast Maluku. The Ngurbloat white sand beach was once nominated by National Geographic magazine. Tanimbar Kei village also offers plenty of interesting cultures which can be seen in its architecture, custom and belief, said Ukus in his speech at the closing event of FPMK 2017. In 2016, the total revenue from the tourism sector was the second highest with 13.568 billion dollars, right below the revenue of crude palm oil with 15.965 billion dollars. The oil and gas sector went down to the third spot because its commodity value has been decreasing in the past few years, Ukus added. Ukus predicted that in the next two years, the foreign exchange from tourism will dominate the market. In the past three years, the tourism sector has been gaining plenty of achievements, one of them is the percentage number of overseas tourist visits for the January August 2017 period that is at 25.68 percent. The number is higher than the tourism growth rate in ASEAN thats at seven percent and the global growth rate that is at six percent, Ukus said. Read also: Charming Southeast Maluku attracts more tourists Ukus also discussed the tourist attractions in Southeast Maluku that need improvement as well as its accessibility and accommodation. Currently, there are three airlines that serve the Ambon Langgur route using four flights. Hotels and resorts are also available in Southeast Maluku. FPMK 2017 is a national event that was initiated by the Southeast Maluku regional administration together with tourism ministry, Maluku province, Kei tourism promotion department, locals and GenPi Kei. The festival was opened with a cultural carnival that was joined by 102 participants. The starting point of this carnival was at Lodar El Kota Tual Field and finished at Langgur Market area. Traditional fishing was also one of the activities at the festival, it was held on the second day in Yafafun Abean village. The locals have their own unique way of catching the fish, they use a rope tied with coconut leaves. When the sea level begins to drop, they will steer the rope to the mainland to guide the trapped fish. Apart from using a rope, sometimes the locals also use traditional tools such as kalewang (fish spear), bow and sarut that is made of rumbia leaves. Other activities include Dayung Belan inter-Ratschap (an area consisting of several villages and lead by a king) competition and 10-kilometer run that was joined by 600 participants. (asw) The medical student who was deemed too clever for jail is believed to have found a loophole in the Oxford's disciplinary process to avoid expulsion. Lavinia Woodward, 24, admitted to having thrown a laptop at her then boyfriend and stabbing him in the leg before attempting to stab herself while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Woodward was given a suspended sentence after Judge Ian Pringle QC said that a prison sentence would damage her career. Pringle's decision is under investigation by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office. The judge ruled that a custodial sentence would be too harsh for a woman of her 'extraordinary' ability. It has been reported that Woodward has now suspended her studies for the duration of her sentence meaning that a staff panel who decide whether she should be expelled are unable to make their ruling until she states her desire to return. Originally, it was understood that Woodward would voluntarily leave the university after her legal counsel James Sturman QC claimed that she was reluctant to return in fear of being recognised. Since the high-profile trial, Woodward has returned home to her parents house in Italy and has undertaken drug rehabilitation. However, Oxford have warned Woodward that her readmission is not guaranteed. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, a senior source at Oxford claimed that both the Medical school and Proctors office would be forced to wait as late as 2019 before making their decision. They believe that Woodward may be trying to set the terms of the process, hoping that she is looked on more favourably after completing her sentence. However, they emphasised that she will still go through the same rigorous disciplinary action - regardless of how much time has passed. Around 10 pm last Sunday, Yehsung Kim was coming home from a social night out when he was attacked near his accommodation on North Street, Brighton. Kim, who is a South Korean exchange student studying International Relations at the University of Sussex, was passing the Japanese restaurant Oki-Nami when he saw two men arguing with the staff inside. He proceeded to walk past when he was hit by a bottle from behind but decided to ignore their provocation. The two men then began chanting monkey noises and shouting racial slurs. Speaking to TNS, Kim said they tried to provoke a reaction from him: "I was really angry but I knew that I'm a foreigner here and I could be kicked out of the country, I want to keep studying here. I tried to escape but they blocked my way and kept on making the noises." @SussexUni exchange student Yehsung Kim ATTACKED with glass bottle a few minute walk from his home (video by Minsu Jo) pic.twitter.com/y3SbWDIbBY Teuta (@teuutaa_) 19 October 2017 Trying to remain calm, Kim asked them to let him continue walking. At this point, he was with a female friend who didn't understand what they were saying. She froze when one of the men smashed a champagne bottle on his face. Reportedly, they defended their attack with "because you are fucking Asian." Kim sustained multiple injuries to his mouth including a crown fracture and a suspected crack on the maxillary ridge of bone. He waited two hours at A&E before travelling to New Malden to see a doctor and arriving home by four in the morning. A University of Sussex spokesperson said: "We are saddened to hear that one of our students has been the victim of an alleged racist attack. Whilst we can't comment on the case in particular, as it is rightly being investigated by the Police, we would like to emphasise the university of Sussex strongly condemns violence and discrimination of any kind." Sussex police issued the following: "At about 10:30 pm on Sunday (15 October), police were called by the South East Coast Ambulance Service following a report of an assault in North Street, Brighton. "The victim, a 20-year-old man from Brighton, had been struck with a bottle, causing facial injuries, and was taken to hospital for treatment. Lead image courtesy of Yehsung Kim's Facebook Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. 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But soon, the grief gave way to inspiration and a drive to honor her memory, culminating in perhaps the biggest night of his musical career. On Oct. 14, Joddi won his first Native American Music Award in Niagara Falls, New York, in the Best Hip-Hop Album category for his fourth studio album, The 7th Generation Prophecy. That moment was bittersweet. I broke down instantly thanking her for everything, he said. Its been very hard since she left, but I honor her by living every day to the fullest. She lived and died for her family and loved unconditionally, so the win was great but I would give it all back to have her here with us. As far back as the age of 10, a fire was lit inside the Mvskoke artist for music. He recalls listening to rock n roll and country on his parents home and car stereos, but it was not until he heard hip-hop that he was captivated. It was in this music that he truly found an identifiable connection. The struggle, the stories, the beats, the fashion, the art, just the culture as a whole totally hooked me with the first tape cassette played on a boom box, he said. Soon after, he began crafting his own lyrics and style. He became confident in the abilities that he was showcasing and found himself separating from the countless internet and YouTube famous rappers as he says, into a legit profession. And at the forefront of his musical career is his Mvskoke heritage. It was that heritage in fact that inspired the award-winning album The 7th Generation Prophecy. Joddi found himself personally and spiritually engulfed in the Standing Rock situation in North Dakota as Native opposition to a pipeline on the Sioux reservation commanded national attention. And naturally, his raw feelings went from pen to paper to the recording studio. It is quite possibly the most powerful and epic album I have ever recorded, he said. It pushes the boundaries and speaks on a lot of touchy subjects. It gives everyone listening a Native perspective of the way todays society views indigenous peoples, their rights, their sovereignty and how that effects everyone spiritually, economically and environmentally all over the world. He also draws on his own personal struggles in life and uses them as a way to reach out and give a story of hope to Native youth. Surviving an abusive childhood, a life on the streets, time in jail and an addiction to drugs and alcohol are all experiences he shares in hopes of imparting wisdom on young Native Americans in regards to the paths they choose in life. Aside from his mother, his five children are the greatest motivation in his life and have led him to have a heart for the younger generation. At this point in my career, Im able to reach out to youth everywhere and especially Native youth with a positive message, he said. I share 100 percent real-life experiences and with that comes wisdom, wisdom that some youth may not be ready to hear but needs to hear. I make sure to let them know they do have self-worth and that they can do anything they want as long as they work hard, dedicate themselves and never stop pushing to be the best human they can be. Joddi lives the example he shares of work ethic, showing no signs of slowing down by producing three full-length mix tapes and four studio albums in the last five years. A fifth studio album, #TheSingles, is in the works and will debut this winter. I have always had a passion for drawing and art, he said. I did my first tattoo on myself at the age of 12 and now I am a very well-known, accomplished tattoo artist of over 10-plus years. From a guy that has a hit song called Big Dreams, you would have to assume that there are still goals remaining for Joddi to check off his list. He is now working on booking a tour across the U.S. and hopes to one day play the main stage back home for his tribe at the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Festival. That would be nice, and you know Im coming anyway, he laughed. Just to get on that stageit would show that Creeks can achieve anything just like everyone else. Through every experience, hardship and obstacle Joddi has maintained a singular focus that keeps the drive to succeed alive in him. He just wants to make his family proud. That includes his wife, Amber, their five children and the memory of his mother. She instilled the passion of big dreaming in me and that journey is never complete until the day I go on my journey to the spirit world, he said. I will continue to reach for greatness as she would want me to. DES MOINES Gov. Kim Reynolds said Monday she would prefer to avoid cuts to K-12 education and commitments for local property tax relief if she and the Republican-run Legislature have to look at trimming spending this fiscal year due to continued weakness in the states revenue growth. Weve made a promise to them (K-12 schools) and theyve built their budgets on that so I think we have to honor that commitment, Reynolds said in an interview after Mondays Iowa Executive Council meeting. Likewise, she said, cities, counties and school districts have built their current year budgets on the states commitment to fill in the projected loss of revenue tied to 2013 legislation that reduced commercial property tax rates and made other tax adjustments. The possibility of a new round of belt-tightening for the budget year that ends June 30 was raised last week when a panel that estimates the amount of tax revenue the state will collect in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 pared back expectations by $133 million. A revised fiscal analysis issued by the Legislative Services Agency said the downward revenue growth projections, coupled with other adjustments, would erase a $98 million ending balance the Legislature and governor approved in their $7.26 billion budget and would create a potential shortfall of $34.6 million for fiscal 2018. Its a snapshot in time, said Reynolds, who noted there remains a lot of volatility in the numbers given the continued weakness in the farm economy and uncertainty over a number of national and international issues. She said her administration plans to monitor state finances, especially fluctuations in Medicaid costs. In the meantime, the governor said she wants to address barriers she said are a drag on the states economy, such as a shortage of skilled workers to fill vacant positions and an income tax structure impeding business growth. Hopefully, we can continue to look for opportunities to grow the economy, she said. That is what we ultimately have to do and that will help solve a lot of the problems. The state Revenue Estimating Conference is slated to meet again in December to revisit the projections and set a fiscal 2019 revenue estimate that will be the level the governor and Legislature will use for budgeting purposes during the 2018 session. Initially, the panel expects the state to take in $7.349 billion in fiscal 2019, which would be a 4.1 percent increase of $298.8 million. CLEAR LAKE | A Clear Lake police officer was injured early Friday morning while attempting to stop a fight at the Pilot Travel Center. The Clear Lake Police Department said in a news release Officers Zach Hall and Tory Reimann were dispatched to the travel centers parking lot at 2:10 a.m. to assist a commercial bus driver with escorting three allegedly intoxicated passengers from the vehicle. Upon arrival, officers located the individuals and asked them to exit, the police department said. As they were getting off the bus, two men began to fight with each other. Reimann sustained a serious leg injury while attempting to break up the fight and was transported to Mercy Medical CenterNorth Iowa. Reimann was released from the hospital later Friday morning and should make a full recovery, Chief Pete Roth said in a statement. Hall was not injured. Jerry Allen Farmer, 31; J. Patrick Keenan, 53, both of Saint Paul, Minnesota; and James A. Douglas, 35, of Youngstown, Ohio, were arrested and charged with misdemeanor public intoxication. Douglas was also charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct. The three men were transported to the Cerro Gordo County Jail. They have since been released on bond. The Cerro Gordo County Sheriffs Office, Mason City Police Department and Clear Lake Fire Department provided assistance. "I stand up and announce that his best mate's got to sit down and shut up or bugger off. Source: SJC is now one of the fastest growing airports in the country when it comes to international travel (see second image below). Aeromexico already has a nonstop to Guadalajara and starting next June it will have a new nonstop to Mexico City. The flight will leave Mexico City at 9:35am and arrive in San Jose at 11am our time (three and a half hour flight, two hour time difference) and the return flight from San Jose to Mexico City is scheduled for 1:40pm. The last time San Jose had this route was a decade ago.Mexico City will be San Jose's 9th international route (Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, London, Frankfurt, Vancouver, Guadalajara, and Cabo San Lucas are the others). This is an all-time high for international destinations from San Jose, and I have a feeling the number is going to become a lot higher in the near future. Himachals capital, falling under the Shimla (Urban) constituency, is likely to battle it out on the mass connect appeal, as candidates display show of strength during the filing of the nomination papers. As many as 5 candidates filed their nominations for the Shimla (Urban) on the last day on Monday, making the contest keener. If the show of strength is anything to go by for the candidates, in the fray for the elections, it seems that the humility and rapport is likely to be a game changer. The filing of nominations by an avid Congress worker, Harish Janartha, as an independent candidate to a great extent changed the dynamics, giving the voters an opportunity to the voters to rise above party lines while giving their mandate to the rightful candidate. Harish Janartha is known to have evolved an accord of his supporters, on Sunday, a day ahead of the last date of filing of the nominations, before jumping into the fray to contest the elections as an independent candidate. Over thousand of voters accompanied Harish Janartha to the venue of the filing of nominations, thereby exhibiting his mass appeal. A similar parallel, show of strength was also exhibited by the BJP candidate Suresh Bhardwaj, which is an indication that the election to the Shimla Urban seat is likely to be a tough contest between the BJP and an independent candidate. Suresh Bhardwaj is a three timer BJP legislator, who has won the Shimla (Urban) seat consecutively from the Shimla (Urban) in 2007 and 20012 Assembly elections. Going by the previous history, Harish Janartha is known to be Chief Minister Virbhadra Singhs loyalist, and it is not the first time that Harish Janartha was denied the party ticket to contest an election. On previous occasion, in the 2002 Shimla Municipal Election Harish Janartha, as a Congress rebel, after being denied party ticket to contest the councillor elections fought the elections, defeating the Congress official candidate. I do have reservations that the Congress party ticket was denied to me despite being a dedicated worker. Consensus was evolved by my supporters who were the deciding factor for my contesting the elections and I will not back out, said Harish Janartha after filing of his nomination papers. Besides, BJP candidate Suresh Bhardwaj and Harish Janartha, others who filed the nominations for the Shimla (Urban) seat include Harbhajan Singh Bhajji Congress candidate, Sanjay Chauhan Communist Party of India. Three days ahead of his visit to the Taj Mahal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday called the the 17th century marble wonder key for pride of India after a series of controversial statements by several BJP leaders. As far as Taj Mahal is concerned, who made it, when was it made, why it was made, these questions should not matter today Taj Mahal is key for Uttar Pradesh tourism, said Adityanath. The government will put in efforts to develop places which have the potential to be promoted as tourist spots, he added. Adityanaths visit to Agra on October 26 is being seen as an effort to help soothe frayed tempers after his legislator Sangeet Som stirred controversy by calling the Taj Mahal a blot on Indian culture. Some other right-wing politicians too jumped in and said the Unesco World Heritage Site visited by millions was not representative of the Indian socio-cultural ethos. The 17th century marble monument was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Both were buried at the Taj Mahal. Adityanath, whose BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has been accused of ignoring Taj Mahal in the tourism booklet of the state had earlier said that the monument was constructed by the blood and sweat of Indian labourers. The Embassy of Hungary and the Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre presented a unique exhibition by eminent Hungarian artist Miksa Roth, titled Colour Drenched Sunshine, at the Art Gallery of the Hungarian Centre.The exhibition was inaugurated by Dr Csaba Balogh, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Hungary and Prof. Lokesh Chandra, President of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations. Marking the occasion, the Ambassador quoted: During Europes belle- epoque era, Hungarian artist Miksa Roth was one of the continents top stainedglass masters, and his colourful works still brighten monumental buildings in Budapest, right up to this day. We are pleased to present a few of his works for art lovers in India. Roth established, in the beginning of the 20th century, a workshop renowned for reviving glass and mosaic art in Hungary. After first learning his craft in the workshop of his father Zsigmond Roth, the artist also spent time in England, France and Germany, where he studied medieval stained glass works. In 1885, Miksa Roth founded his own workshop and soon received a number of commissions due to the wave of construction that overtook Budapest, following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. Decorative elements, intended to grace buildings erected for economic or administrative purposes, churches, synagogues, cafes, private homes or blocks of luxury flats, were all crafted in his workshop. From the end of the 1890s, Roth was the first artist in the AustroHungarian empire to adopt the new type of glass invented by LC Tiffany, a material he utilised with great originality while also introducing mosaics to Hungary. His most significant works can be seen in distinguished buildings such as the Hungarian Parliament or the venerated Chapel of the Holy Right Hand of St. Stephen, located in the Royal Palace. In Budapest, the Academy of Music, the former headquarters of the Gresham Insurance Company and the Lipotmezo Chapel also feature Roth creations. The accolades reaped during Miksa Roths artistic career turned into tragedy following the outbreak of World War II. Forced by the 1939 Anti-Jewish Laws to close his workshop, Roth died at home in 1944. The exhibition is on till 27 October (10 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays ). As a finissage to the exhibition and with the objective of strengthening the bond of Indo-Hungarian Cultural ties, the Hungarian Centre, in collaboration with Gallery Sree Arts, will organise a three-day art camp titled The Sunbeam Consortium, inspired by Roth, on 28 October. Never before has India been so polarised along religious lines with Hindutva politics being the trigger. Since 2014, we have seen the media in a churn and being forced to conform and comply or lose out. It is a well-established fact that readership makes up a small fraction of media revenue. Its advertisements that pay for the upkeep of media establishments. Those media houses that believed in the good old adage of free speech and have no political leanings are now struggling to survive.Its a different matter that some media owners have their political loyalties and would find it hard to thrive in an environment where their political party is no longer in power. Indeed the shift from the UPA regime to the NDA has not been seamless. For a long time, media houses toed a path that was in line with the ruling Congress Party and its editors were cosily ensconced in that environment. But that comfort zone was shaken, tossed and stirred in May 2014. Many, who are not used to this new politics of Hindutva assertion, find it strange to deal with the emerging situation. Social media has only made things worse and the word troll, which includes issuing death threats to people who dare to dissent is the new normal. However, this is also the time for media to explore its prejudices. Media reflects life in all its intricacies; but in recent times it has tended to amplify the voices of the elected when it should actually give agency to the voiceless. So every other day we hear of the lunatic fringe from the Sangh Parivar, which includes a conglomerate of organisations with a strong Hindu revivalist mindset, spewing out stuff that hurts, intimidates and sends minorities who do not belong to the large Hindu fabric, as it is being fashioned today scurrying for cover. Its now become what Roger Cohen in an article, The captive Arab Mind refers to as cui bono (a principle that probable responsibility for an act or event lies with one having something to gain), where those in positions of responsibility speak and act in ways that alienate those who dont belong to the fold. Their agenda is to stoke the fires of Hindu fundamentalism because they believe that is what brought the votes in 2014. There are attempts now to rewrite history because apparently there is a need for a new kind of patriotism with the country being raised to the level of a deity (Bharat Mata). This is ironic in a country where women are molested, raped and killed for dowry and where their rights are not even considered legitimate. Frankly speaking all those who promote this new ideology are patriarchs who appropriate womens voices without even understanding the basics of gender equity. The other day I was speaking to a friend in Delhi and asked her why the Hindus who are a majority in this country should feel this sense of insecurity. Her laconic reply was that for too long those who ruled this country bent over backwards to appease the minorities and from the tone of her voice I could assume that she was referring to Muslims. Christians and other religious minorities were, in her scheme of things, too small to matter. I responded by saying that if the Hindus who are a majority in this country should feel so insecure then what about Christians and others, who at this point of time have been forced to remain voiceless? My contention is that in a country like India with so many races, religions and communities spread out geographically, it is the majority community in any place which should be protecting the minorities. In fact this is the discourse in the North-eastern states today. Christians and other minorities, who are feeling a sense of claustrophobia by the series of lynching that have taken place since May 2014 on mere suspicion that a person has beef in his fridge or is carrying beef or is suspected of transporting cattle for butchering, are wondering how this new culture will play out. There are of course, voices from the BJP such as that of KJ Alphons, the new Union minister of state for tourism, who are trying to allay those fears, especially since three of the eight north-eastern states are going to the polls in early 2018. But such voices of sanity are drowned out by the strident cacophony from legislators like Sangeet Som of Uttar Pradesh who now even wants the Taj Mahal to be wiped out because it was built by the Moghuls. This attempt to corner one religious minority is bound to result in them hardening their stances, retreating into a cocoon and ceasing to become stakeholders of this great nation. After that radicalisation is the next step. Cohen has rightly remarked that in the cui bono universe there can be no closure because events stream on endlessly, opening up boundless possibilities for ex post facto theorising. While on the one hand we have a Prime Minister who is evidently progressive minded and has rolled out reforms, which he is fully aware will have consequences particularly on the affluent (who have evaded taxes for too long and who are now hitting out at the government), there are within his party a fringe that wants to take the country back to the dark ages. This is the existential dilemma of the BJP as a political entity that drives policies in the country. The BJP, unfortunately, has to rely on the RSS for vote catching because this cadrebased organisation has its own electoral strategies. Hence, when the RSS says that the economy is hurting the countrys growth trajectory without looking at the long term prospects, it becomes a thorn in the flesh of the government. I am aware of the good work of many an RSS worker in creating the spirit of nationalism not in the sense of being jingoistic but as an attempt to include even those in the periphery in the idea of India. Many such RSS members have laboured ceaselessly to spread the message of My Home India where the youth from the North-eastern regions studying in different parts of India are provided a home and care away from home. There is also an organisation called One which stands for Our North East that has done phenomenal work at the grassroots level to bring that much- needed emotional bond between the people of the region and the rest of India. They have done it without coercing those young people to convert to Hinduism. So, I for one would not venture to demonise the RSS. What I would ask the organisation, however, is to introspect on why the minorities of Indias North-east are feeling a sense of insecurity about having to cede their religious and cultural rights and what has the RSS done to instil confidence in them that it will not indulge in shrill calls for beef ban or ghar wapasi. The BJP is a political reality that we have to contend with. It is important for the people of the North-east to assert their cultural hegemony and if they do accept the BJP then they should do so on their terms. Hindu revivalism should not be packaged as part of the BJP manifesto. In fact the BJP as a political entity should rise above petty religious debates and concentrate on governance. Governance not Hindutva or Hindu revivalism will win votes for the BJP. Why is it so difficult for Narendra Modi and his team to understand this simple fact? Or is it not so simple? (The writer is Editor of The Shillong Times) The Congress on Monday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modis deafening silence over allegations of ruling BJP bribing their opponents in Gujarat ahead of assembly polls. Congress leader Manish Tewari said the BJP was displaying a very unique combination of ignorance arrogance and downright frustration. The prime minister of India who repeats 500 times a day na khaunga na khaane dunga, does he not know what is happening on his watch in Gujarat? These days he is behaving as CM of Gujarat than PM of India, Tewari said. There are rampant allegations of bribery by people affiliated with movements that the BJP is trying to break and all you hear from Modi and BJP president Amit Shah is deafening silence, he added. Tewari was reacting to Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Narendra Patels allegations that the BJP tried to buy him. The PAAS is not a political organization. It is not affiliated to nay party. It is a movement. Why is the BJP so apprehensive? Why are they trying to break it. Isnt this a clear sign of their frustration? asked Tewari. On Sunday night, Patel dropped a bombshell two hours after he joined the BJP as he presented wads of currency notes, alleging that the BJP tried to buy him. He said Patidar leader Varun Patel, who joined the BJP on Saturday evening, took him to meet Gujarat BJP President Jitubhai Vaghani and other leaders on Sunday. They gave him Rs 10 lakh as part of Rs 1 crore deal, he alleged. On the last day of her Bangladesh visit, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said in Indias neighbour first policy, Bangladesh comes first and that the bilateral ties between the two nations were moving at fast pace. There are some issues still left unresolved between us (India-Bangladesh), we assure both are attempting to resolve them with honesty. In Indias neighbour first policy, Bangladesh comes first, Swaraj said in her address after the inauguration of the Chancery Complex of the Indian High Commission. During the ceremony, she also inaugurated 15 development projects of Bangladesh being funded by India. According to bdnews24.com, the projects cover sectors such as education, healthcare, IT, water supply and social welfare. Eleven water treatment plants are being built in southern Bhandaria Upazila in Pirojpur that will provide desalinated potable drinking water to 150,000 citizens. Some 36 community clinics will also be built. Those projects also include reconstruction of the Ramna Kali Temple which was destroyed by the invading Pakistani forces in 1971. The project includes construction of the main temple, a five-storey guesthouse, a deep tube-well in the temple premises and the construction of the main entry gate of the temple. Sushma Swaraj, who arrived in Dhaka on Sunday, held the Fourth Joint Consultative Commission meeting with her Bangladesh counterpart Mahmood Ali and reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties. Swaraj will return to New Delhi on Monday wrapping up her Dhaka visit, the second since assuming office in 2014. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal wants the Mathura Junction railway station to be equipped with all the necessary facilities, an official said here today. According to the official, who did not wish to be named, Goyal wants a plan to be submitted to his ministry for the facelift of the Mathura station. The minister had also emphasised on increasing the revenues of the railways through advertisement, he said. Travelling to Kota by Jan Shatabdi Express, Goyal made a whistle-stop at Mathura today. Though he did not interact with the media here, he gave instructions to the railway officials. The railway minister also took feedback from the passengers on board the Jan Shatabdi Express. Pakistan Rangers have violated the ceasefire 105 times this year along the 200-km international border in Jammu and Kashmir, the Border Security Force (BSF) said on Monday. A senior BSF officer told the media that a woman and a BSF trooper were killed and 19 others, including 12 civilians and seven BSF troopers, were injured in the ceasefire violations. Jammu and Kashmir has a 200-km international border which is guarded by the BSF on the Indian side and by the Rangers on the Pakistan side. The officer said over 10,000 border residents were forced to temporarily migrate from their homes after the Rangers targeted civilian facilities. There have been nearly 12,000 ceasefire violations by Pakistan since 2002 which resulted in the killing of 313 people, including 144 security personnel. The highest number of violations took place in 2002 when 8,376 incidents were reported while 2,045 incidents took place in 2003. India and Pakistan signed a ceasefire agreement on the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border in November 2003. The agreement brought a modicum of peace along the border and held well for nearly four years. There is nothing more wonderful than to have a helping hand when one is in a jam. But what to do when you are in a new country where you know nobody? I realized, to my surprise, that helplessness can sometimes be an asset. My experience is that new immigrants to the U.S. help each other whenever they we can. We have all learned the hard way that, as Euripedes said, there is no greater loss than the loss of ones first country. I misplaced my briefcase in a large conference in Washington and went to the organizers for help. They barely listened to me; they had other priorities. The recovery was critical for me, for the briefcase contained important work papers. Having no success with the bigwigs, I went to the humblest, a janitor. He took me to the head janitor, a Mexican wetback, who liked my Spanish accent, and asked all the janitors to initiate a thorough search. I had my briefcase by the end of the day. For my first visit to the U.S., I accidentally packed my visa in my checked suitcase instead of my carry-on handbag. When I changed planes in Paris, the French authorities told me that I could not board the flight to the U.S. without the visa. Luckily the gendarme was a Senegalese immigrant. He led me to the baggage room, against the rules: I spotted my suitcase and retrieved the precious document. One time I flew to attend a close friends wedding in a small town near Berlin, but on arrival found there was no room at the only hotel in town. The only option was an expensive hotel some miles away. But a Bangladeshi bellboy was willing to listen to my woes and told me to have a drink in the bar. Ten minutes later he returned with the key to a top-floor room. Another time a cousin died in Rochester, Minnesota. On my way there, the connecting flight from Minneapolis was canceled because of bad weather, and I couldnt get another. As I told my sob story to an airline official, a Salvadoran overheard and offered to give me a lift to Rochester on his way to an adjacent town. He drove through a snow storm and went out of his way to get me to my exact destination. He wouldnt even take a cent for gas. He said he owed help to a brother. (The writer is a Washington-based international development advisor and had worked with the World Bank. He can be reached at [email protected]) German elections are boring affairs. A month before the national election small posters with pictures of leaders of various political parties appear way up on lamp-posts, often hidden behind leaves of trees. There are hardly any open-air meetings and TV channels try to minimise sensationalism as much as possible. This is considered a blessing by Germans and other westerners alike. When the Nazis decided to participate in elections in the mid-twenties of the last century during the Wiemar Republic,Germans were increasingly spellbound by the bewitching speeches of Adolf Hitler. Soon enough the Nazis entered the Bundestag (the German Lower House) as the second largest party with 18.5 per cent of popular votes. How the Nazis then grabbed power, created the Hitler wave, killed millions of Jews and political adversaries and destroyed the Continent by starting World War II are now history. The latest German election this September was even more boring than is usually the case. One reason must have been the dramatic rise of the Nazis again, under the new name of AfD (Alternative for Germany). Until the election Germany was ruled by the grand national coalition of the Christian Union and the Socialist Party. It was difficult for one party to criticise the other too severely for the reason of credibility and the fear of being used as propaganda by the AfD. Angela Merkel once replied to criticisms of government policies by saying that there were no alternatives. This forced the disgruntled voters to look elsewhere, and as has happened elsewhere in Europe and America, they turned to the extreme right xenophobic parties openly sympathising with Nazi ideas. If we think of the Congress as a sort of grand national coalition of the broad centre-right to the centreleft spectrum, the dramatic increase in the support of the BJP may be explained in a similar manner. AfD has a weird history. It was originally a party that championed extreme free market economic ideas and attracted a small group of businessmen and academics. Soon the party was taken over by the populist anti-immigrants led by Frauke Petry, an East German who made the party hugely popular in that region of Germany. Anti-immigrant basically means anti-Muslim, and more broadly, anti non-white. Interestingly, this sentiment is also strongly shared by all former Warsaw Pact countries that are now part of the European Union. This seems strange for people growing up under Communist regimes where everyone was taught to love peace, socialism and each other. But as soon as the Berlin Wall fell, some East Germans tried to attack blacks and Vietnamese. In an oped page article by Roger Cohen in the New York Times, one intelligent East German AfD activist explained this anomaly thus, It makes no sense to force people to think this or that when they dont believe it. Theyll do the opposite as soon as they can. Political correctness will lead to the opposite. This explains why secularism was abandoned by most Hindus as soon as the BJP came to power. The anti-immigrant crusade by AfD under Ms. Petry soon took the slippery path of anti-refugee politics, criticism of the German governments bail-out policy of Greece and excessive financial commitment of Germany for efforts to reverse climate change. The party became nastier by the month and finally embraced the Germany First slogan. Of course the same slogan led to Brexit, the victory of Donald Trump and the surprising popularity of Marine Le Pen in France. But Germany First was the prime slogan of the Nazis, and that still sends shock waves everywhere in Europe. The party leadership of AfD was effectively taken over by two rabid German nationalists, Alice Weidel and Alexander Gauland. They started mentioning the unmentionable; that Germany is a vassal state of the western powers (read the Anglo-Saxons) who were victors of World War II. Now that AfD has won more than 13 per cent of popular votes in the latest election and has almost 100 members in the Bundestag, the political discourse in Germany is bound to alter in a fundamental manner. Because of proportional representation or two-tier election (in France), the extreme right-wing parties have been kept out of political power in Western Europe. But that made coalition formation an arduous, often frustrating, endeavour there. The Dutch election was held in mid-March, and they still have no new government in more than six months, although government formation is finally around the corner. German coalition talks are also expected to be very lengthy with the Social Democrats deciding to become the lead opposition and not joining any new coalition. Mrs Merkel is going to try an improbable coalition with the right-liberal FPD and the Greens. The situation in the East is still more alarming. Poland and Hungary have extreme right-wing governments already. With the election over on October 15, Austria seems destined to join Hungary of the erstwhile Austro-Hungarian Empire halfway by forming a government that includes the Freedom Party of Austria, a modern version of the Nazi Party of the past. After all, Austria was the birth place of Adolf Hitler. We are in an uncertain time at present. The world order of the Cold War is gone, and the American hegemony thereafter is being challenged on all fronts. In this era of ultra-nationalist demagogues ruling important countries, alliances are formed on specific issues between traditional adversaries. Western Europe should watch out against cozy political consensus covering the middle ground. Otherwise, AfD or some similar outfits might gain political power in the not so distant future. (The writer is former Dean and Emeritus Professor of Applied Mathematics, University of Twente, The Netherlands) The US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, is in India for his maiden visit, as part of his South Asia tour which would also possibly take him to Afghanistan. He comes to India after visiting Pakistan, where he would have only heard a collection of complaints against India, including their desperate objections to its enhanced role in Afghanistan. While his recent statements concerning growing relations between the US and India are making news, there are doubts on the American approach to Pakistan. The US seeks closer cooperation with India at the strategic level to counter China, as also play a greater role in stabilising and developing Afghanistan. Regular visits by the Afghan president to India only indicate their dependence on India. On the other hand, Pakistan, the main architect behind US failures, seeks the opposite. It has been crying itself hoarse about reducing Indias influence in Afghanistan, while it contributes nothing, other than supporting groups that bleed the country. The US policy towards Pakistan under Donald Trump has witnessed a reversal from previous administrations. Earlier it used a carrot and stick policy, which included providing Pakistan military hardware and finances to obtain support in curbing antiAfghan terror groups on its soil. The US did nothing even when Osama bin Laden was traced and eliminated on Pakistani soil. The US only got more casualties and empty promises in return. It remains dependent on Karachi port for its forces, hence needs to handle Pakistan with caution. The present US South Asian strategy was developed by serving and retired generals with vast experience in Afghanistan and in handling the duplicity of Pakistan. They recommended a reverse of the carrot and stick policy, where the stick came first, which immediately began producing results. In the initial phase, Pakistan was lambasted by Trump and his chief advisors, making their security establishment nervous enough to reconsider its approach. The very mention of an increased role for India in Afghanistan, made the Pakistan army chief rush to Kabul offering all forms of assistance, including joint operations, desperately seeking Kabuls support against an enhanced Indian role. Their prime minister and defence and foreign ministers decried increasing Indian footprints in Afghanistan at every possible forum. Subsequently and only when their foreign minister admitted that terror groups do exist within the country and Pakistan needs time to dismantle them, was the stick pulled back. Pakistan had accepted and indicated a willingness to act, contrary to its earlier denials. The recent action of the Pakistani army in rescuing a US-Canadian family kidnapped five years ago indicated a mild change in policy. The announcement of the success of the operation by Pakistan was countered by the CIA, when it stated that the captives had remained in Pakistan all through and close to the HQs of the Haqqani network. This only proved that Pakistan could act, but only when pressurised. The fact that none of the captors were arrested or killed raised doubts about whether it was a military operation or a ploy to befool the US. There have also been comments in the media that Pakistan acted because a message was conveyed that a possible Bin Laden type surgical operation may be undertaken. This would have been a massive and degrading blow to their army. After the incident, US drone strikes have increased along the PakAfghan border, targeting militant groups operating in the region. A number of these strikes have occurred on Pakistani soil, which their prime minister brushed away stating they were along the un-delineated border. Pakistan has refrained from adversely commenting on the strikes, solely because it fears the stick coming into play again. The US continues to warn Pakistan for its lack of resolve in curbing these groups especially as Taliban attacks on Afghan security forces are suddenly on the rise. This would have been the message Tillerson would have conveyed to Pakistan. In the same breath, the US openly calls India a major strategic partner. It is in this complicated atmosphere that Tillerson arrives in Delhi. The visit has deliberately been coincided with a visit by the Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani. This would convey a message of a joint strategic approach, which could then be conveyedto Pakistan by the US at an appropriate time. The US wants support from India in many fields, hence it should be willing to include Indian considerations while handling Pak. The US is keen for Indo-Pak talks to resume, but at the same time is aware of the Indian stand, terror and talks cannot go hand in hand. Further, both nations realise the level of fear within the Pakistani establishment of an increased Indian footprint in Afghanistan. India is already training the Afghan army, as also providing it military hardware and developmental assistance. It recently signed an agreement to commence training the Afghan police, hence now possesses influence in every field of the Afghan security forces. Indias agreement to the American desire that it enhance assistance to Afghanistan should be conditional on Washington pressuring Pakistan to do more in curtailing anti-India terror groups operating from its soil. Pakistan is a master in duplicity, making promises but refusing to adhere to them. India possesses first-hand knowledge of Pakistans duplicity, having witnessed regular turnarounds on the talks issue and hence can correctly convey the message. The message to Pakistan through the US should be clear. India is investing in Afghanistan, hence wants a say in the political affairs of the nation. If Pakistan desires that India not be involved in the political future of Afghanistan, but solely in development, then it must curb its anti-India activities, including terror groups. Failure to do so would result in enhanced Indian influence in Afghanistan, increasing the threat to Pakistan. With Ashraf Ghani being in Delhi at the same time, this message would carry immense weight and create more internal worry in Pakistan. Tillersons visit is an opportunity which India should exploit for cornering Pakistan. (The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.) The change in Government in 2014 has led to a sudden interest in our history. At one level history is being re-written with facts not suiting the current dispensation being airbrushed; thus we have Maharana Pratap getting even with Akbar and Taj Mahal being demoted to a symbol of barbarity. This is a futile exercise because those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it and learning can begin only with an acknowledgement of facts. At another level, the history of post-independence India is being reinterpreted, which is not a bad thing because we should have no totems or taboos in a historical narrative. However, this raging debate has missed one important thread running through the entire post-independence period. Why does our stupendous progress not reach the last man in the queue? Even after the green revolution, the white revolution, liberalisation, globalisation, antyodaya, garibi hatao, achche din etc. why are our social progress indicators still stuck at the bottom? Why are we at number 100 in the World Hunger Index? The paradox of an India as a wealthy country with poor inhabitants is truly puzzling because beginning with the Mahatma, modern India always had leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh who had exceptional vision and ability and who tried their utmost to ameliorate the lot of our poor countrymen. The failure, obviously, has been one of implementation. Leaders can only suggest a blueprint; it is for the bureaucracy to flesh it out and put it into operation. The failure of our bureaucracy to implement social reforms is really intriguing because our bureaucrats are recruited after clearing one of the worlds toughest examinations and are rigorously trained thereafter. Noticing the lacklustre performance of the bureaucracy in this and many other crucial spheres, the Government constituted two Administrative Reforms Commissions (ARCs). Each ARC gave voluminous recommendations for the bureaucracys betterment but there was no change on the ground perhaps because the implementation of the recommendations of the ARCs was left to the bureaucracy. Clearly, it was wrong to expect the bureaucracy to reform itself; as Warren Buffet had famously said after the global meltdown of 2008 Dont go to the finance guys to get us out of the crisis. They are the ones who got us there in the first place. The bureaucracy has a complete stranglehold over administrative processes which are so convoluted that even a simple decision can be taken only after following a number of rules, subrules, instructions and circulars. Any person who wants the Government to do something has to be on the right side of the bureaucracy otherwise he would have to wait till Armageddon. The Elphinstone Road mishap was a tragic consequence of this phenomenon. The need for a new foot overbridge was voiced by many citizens, including a couple of MPs. The Railway Minister ~ himself a Mumbaikar ~ was also aware of the problem. Yet, no action was taken for two years because all proposals have to be implemented by the bureaucracy which generally takes its time till a crisis is precipitated or the problem resolves by itself. In the instant case, to delay matters yet to show action on the file, an allocation of Rs100 was made for construction of the overbridge costing Rs12 crore. The file, the key to the bureaucrats power, is initiated by the juniormost officer in the setup, who proposes a particular action in his opening note, which is backed by rhetoric, precedents and rules. The veracity of the assertions made in the note is never examined; for example the Adarsh Building was proposed as a refuge for Kargil war widows but allottees ~ ranging from Ministers to Army Generals to Secretaries ~ did not include even a single Kargil widow. Almost always seniors dictate the contents of the crucial opening note, which is generally approved by all concerned. If questions are raised afterwards, the standard reply is that proper procedure was followed. Consider this: under a particular finance minister transfer lists of Income-tax Commissioners travelled from below with officers at each level making their own changes but when the list became final, the earlier notesheets were shredded and a final note-sheet was prepared which was signed by all. This welldesigned scam blew up when the CBI caught one of the persons who was paying a bribe for his transfer. Such scams are possible only because our governance is focused more on form than substance. Anything can be done if the prescribed procedure is followed; conversely even the most urgent task cannot even be started till a proper file is prepared, notes are written and approved. Since bureaucrats control the life-cycle of a file, work proceeds at the pace ordained by them. A proposal can be brought to a screeching halt by writing Please discuss or Consult such and such ministry. Since time is of the essence in most important matters, the ability to delay puts enormous power in the hands of bureaucrats. One of the main reasons for delay in decision-making is that our Government operates on a system of checks and balances which in practical terms implies that no one can do anything by himself; a number of consultations and permissions are required for any action which is afterwards scrutinised vengefully by the 4 Cs ~ CAG, CVC, CBI and the Courts. On pain of lifelong infamy, the person taking a decision is obliged to explain any honest mistake or initiative to the satisfaction of these agencies. No wonder, often delaying decisions or not taking a decision appears to be a more attractive proposition to the hapless officer. Is there a way out of the bureaucratic maze? Yes, if we can tackle the real culprits ~ bureaucratic mindsets, complex rules, bureaucratic hierarchy and irrational deployment of resources. The bureaucratic mindset is primed to maintain status quo and to reject rather than to accept any initiative. Often, long and far-fetched arguments are recorded on note-sheets to negate perfectly sensible proposals. If we want a Government that works, bureaucratic minds would have to be rewired to think on how and why a proposal should be accepted rather than the other way round. Till a complete change in approach takes place the bureaucracy will continue to be a stumbling block in our progress. The bureaucrats stranglehold over administration is perpetuated by the complex rules framed by them; such rules can readily be understood by other bureaucrats but seldom by people who have to follow those rules. Often contradictory and ambiguous, administrative rules give rise to delays, corruption and litigation. We can consider an alternative; if the plethora of rules is replaced by a set of general guidelines, drafted in simple language, red tape would disappear because there would be no scope for nitpicking. Abolition of rules would also limit the role of the 4 Cs to really bad cases because with fewer rules there would be fewer technical defaults. The underlying cause of delay and corruption ~ the present file system ~ should be done away with. Files should be maintained digitally; no files would then be lost or tampered with. All proposals should not go from the lowest to the highest; each level of the bureaucracy should deal with cases according to their importance and complexity. Superior officers can verify a small percentage of decisions of their subordinates to ensure that the subordinates act properly. These changes would reduce the time taken for reaching a decision and would also prevent the diffusion of accountability. Just think of the immediate benefit; if we abolish files and have a paperless office, we would not need the thousands of peons to carry files which would lead to substantial savings because the average emoluments of lower grade Government employees are around Rs 50,000 per month. Presently, we have a vast army of Government employees coupled with a shortage of persons at crucial positions. Only after being in the Government for some time does one realise that very few Government employees are engaged in core operations; some are engaged in servicing other employees and a sizeable number of Government employees have no work at all. This problem is not unique to India. Theresa May, the British PM, observed: Were getting rid of bureaucracy, so that were releasing time for police officers to be crime fighters and not form writers. Our Government has outsourced security, sanitation and transport, leaving chowkidars, drivers and sanitation staff without work. Additionally, each Government department has a sizeable number of support staff; made redundant by technology. Such posts should have been abolished long ago and such employees should have been redeployed. Rationalising work profiles and work reallocation (which has not been done in generations) would save money, increase efficiency and release staff for core functions. Keeping in mind the results of our earlier half-hearted experiments with administrative reform, only a complete revamp of Government processes would improve decision-making and efficiency in our bureaucracy. (The writer is a retired Chief Commissioner of Income-Tax) There appears to be a method in the madness to the revival of the assault on the Taj Mahal. While Yogi Adityanath may have backed off, realising that one of the worlds most-visited tourist attractions was a money-spinner for his financially mismanaged state, the likes of Sangeet Som, Vinay Katiyar and Subramanian Swamy bash-on regardless. There is a clear link to their utterances ~ they have little positive with which to sell themselves, so Taj-bashing is a sure-shot to getting some publicity. Few politicians are sensitive enough to discern the subtle difference between fame and notoriety, anything that helps hit the headlines is par for their curious course. Otherwise nondescript, they believe that pampering to Hindutva sentiments will retain some space for themselves. Not that the BJP minds too much, the senior leaders can always disassociate themselves when there is a backlash. Or get their officials to mount a damage containment exercise on the diplomatic/economic front. After all if Mother Teresa could be assailed why not a Mughal monarch ~ even if we are now being told that Hindu artisans built the marble masterpiece. In reality, however, the more the Taj is trashed the greater does its glory allure ~ and its detractors actually seek to revel in that reflected glory, it guarantees their name in bold print. Clearly lost to the BJP today are the consummate, delicate skills of Atal Bihari Vajpyee. There was artistic symbolism to his selecting Agra as the venue of his potentially game-changing summit with Pervez Musharraf, and the latters visit to the Taj was no accident. Alas, the buzz is that television channels streaming pictures of the General and his Begum getting mushy and lovey-dovey at the Taj is what alerted the powerful Corps Commanders back home to the possibility of Vajpayees charm-offensive making a mouse of the politicallynaive General so they swung into action ~ the story took a different turn when Musharraf returned to his hotel, And the rest, as they say, is history. Yet it was an exercise mounted with great finesse. The point is that history must be exploited to advantage not sought to be re-written to spread divisive poison. After all, the Prime Minister on Independence Day still addresses the nation from the Red Fort, which like the Taj Mahal was constructed by Shahjehan: and the first BJP leader elevated to the office of President of India has not opted out of Rashtrapati Bhawan, raised in colonial times. Belittling the Taj Mahal is in fact a manifestation of an inferiority complex that afflicts some saffron entities ~ they seek to demolish what they are incapable of creating. The universallyacclaimed monument to love will weather many a hate-laced storm. It has been a stinging rebuke for Aung San Suu Kyi, and the message that resonated across the world over the weekend was conveyed by the holy of holies, not any libertarian government of the democratic West. Students at St Hughs College, the undergraduate institution at the University of Oxford where Suu Kyi once studied, have voted to remove the name of the putative icon of democracy from the title of their junior common room because of her virtually muted response to the humanitarian crisis that confronts the Rohingyas. Not that her name has been relegated to the footnotes of Oxfords history; it has been eliminated fair and square and the outcome of last Thursdays vote will come into force with immediate effect. Which in itself is testament to the overwhelming disgust. A more resounding snub from academia would be hard to imagine. In a decidedly more robust response than the comity of nations has been able to muster, the rarefied campus of Oxford has condemned what it calls the silence and complicity in her rather intriguing attitude towards the countrys treatment of the Rohingyas, a Muslim minority segment that has suffered ethnic cleasing and repression by Myanmars omnipotent military and also, of course, a section of Buddhists. Coincidentally or otherwise, the campus reprisal, so to speak, has happened in parallel with UNICEFs report that Rohingya children are facing a hell on earth in Bangladesh ~ the neighbouring country where they have fled with their parents. More than half a million are believed to have crossed over, according to the UN. And yet the withers of Suu Kyi ~ the de facto head of government ~ remain unwrung as she plays to the military gallery. As it turns out, news travels fast from the squalid refugee camps to the hallowed precincts of the University of Oxford. The resolution adopted by St Hughs is a searing indictment of her style of governance ~ Aung San Suu Kyis inability to condemn the mass murder, gangrape and severe human rights abuses in Rakhine is inexcusable and unacceptable. She has gone against the very principles and ideals she had once righteously promoted. There is hardly a country in the democratic world ~ not to forget Indias pussyfooting ~ that has advanced so stout a denunciation of silence, almost deafening. This must rank as a tragic comedown for an alumnus who in 2012 was awarded by Oxford with an honorary doctorate. Nay more, her 67th birthday was celebrated at St Hughs, where she studied politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) between 1964 and 1967. Thursdays decision has reinforced the humiliation, notably the removal of her painting from the main entrance and the Oxford city councils unanimous vote early this month to strip Aung San Suu Kyi of the exceptional honour called Freedom of the City of Oxford. Her profound indifference is no less exceptional. China said on Monday that a sovereign country is treaty bound to protect foreign diplomats, a day after reports emerged that Beijing fears a terror attack on its newly appointed envoy to Pakistan. According to media reports in Pakistan, the Chinese Embassy has requested the Pakistani government to increase security for its ambassador. The Chinese diplomatic mission reportedly has cited a possible attack from the banned outfit East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). I think it is the obligation of a sovereign country to protect diplomatic missions and personnel according to the Vienna Convention, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said. Geng, however, said he was not aware of any Chinese request to Pakistan. ETIM is a terrorist organisation listed by the UN Security Council. Combating ETIM is an important part of the international counter terrorism effort. In June, two Chinese nationals were abducted and killed in Pakistans Quetta province. Pakistan had said they were linked with a missionary group in South Korea and were preaching Christianity. The key component of Chinas ambitious Belt and Road goes through Pakistans restive Balochistan where many oppose the project. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Cloudy with snow developing after midnight. Low 31F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.. Tonight Cloudy with snow developing after midnight. Low 31F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB:KBLB) (Company), the leading developer of spider silk based fibers, today announced the Company successfully opened its new research and production headquarters, designed to significantly enhance domestic production of spider silk based fibers and centralize the Companys research and development program for new polymers, in Michigan. The Company relocated its production operations from Indiana into its new larger headquarters. Hatching and rearing of silkworms at the new facility has already begun, with three separate strains. Over the next sixty days, the Company plans to expand the new facilitys production. Kraig Labs is, concurrently, in the process of hiring personnel, in the field of molecular biology, to accelerate the work in engineering exciting new polymers. Individuals with strong laboratory experience working in genetic engineering, and interested in taking a lead role in a fast paced, growing biotechnology company, are encouraged to apply, Click Here. It was only earlier this month we announced our plan for the new research and production center, said Company founder and CEO, Kim K Thompson. Less than thirty days later the new facility is already up and running, which is a testament to our dedicated employees, who made the transition to our larger new headquarters as seamless and as efficiently as we had hoped. We especially want to thank those who relocated to Michigan to make this next stage in our growth possible. This facility will be dedicated to fulfilling our contract with the Army, moving our product line to commercialization, as well as developing exciting new fibers and materials for unique applications. About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (www.KraigLabs.com), a fully reporting biotechnology company is the leading developer of genetically engineered spider silk based fiber technologies. The Company has achieved a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology with implications for the global textile industry. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information Statements in this press release about the Companys future and expectations other than historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are made on the basis of managements current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that managements expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as believes, plans, expects, anticipates, foresees, estimated, hopes, if, develops, researching, research, pilot, potential, could or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Companys business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Ben Hansel, Hansel Capital, LLC (720) 288-8495 ir@KraigLabs.com Solar power costs will fall by another 60 per cent over the next decade giving an already booming market another boost, the head of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) said on Oct 23. Solar power is in the midst of boom because of sharp drops in costs and efficiency improvements, pushing global capacity from virtually zero at the start of the century to 300 gigawatt (GW) by the end of 2016, a figure expected to rise again by 2020. IRENA expects 80 to 90 GW of new solar capacity, enough to power more than 8 billion LED light bulbs, to be added globally each year over the next 5 to 6 years, said Adnan Amin, the director general of IRENA, exceeding a forecast of 73 GW from the International Energy Agency (IEA). This could easily accelerate as costs decline in the future, said Amin. China alone can do 50 GW a year. In the next decade, the cost of (utility scale) solar could fall by 60 per cent or more, he said in Singapore on Oct 23. That growth will mark China as the worlds biggest and fastest growing solar market as Beijing relies on renewable power to cut air pollution from coal-fired power plants. While Amin said that India would also see sharp solar growth in coming years, he expected Southeast Asia to be more mixed. There is a target of 23 per cent (power generation) in ASEAN for renewables by 2025. We think its ambitious but its achievable, he said. The solar power share of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members is currently negligible. Amin said improvements in solar technology were especially expected from thin films, which can be applied on windows. While this is already possible, it remains prohibitively expensive. IRENA also expects the cost of batteries, key to back up a technology that relies on daytime, to fall by 60 per cent to 70 per cent in the next decade. Despite its boom, Amin said potential US trade barriers would only make solar energy more costly for the worlds largest oil consumer. US President Donald Trump is expected to announce by early next year whether to take measures to limit imports after the US International Trade Commission found in September that domestic panel makers had been harmed by cheap imports. Its not always the best strategy to try to protect your industry and have high prices. Because in the long-term what you want to do is drive down the cost of energy, Amin said. --Reuters Actor Famke Janssen, who originally essayed the role of Jean Grey in most of the "X-Men" franchise films, blames Hollywood's sexism for her exit from the series. "I didn't give up, they gave up on me. There's a big difference," Janssen told local media. She cited ageism and sexism as the reasons of her exit. "It was their (producers') decision, you know? It's like what happens in life. You get, well not to me thankfully. But people, just like men trade women in for a younger model version. It's like that," said Janssen. She was excited for Sophie Turner, who was cast as a young Jean Grey, Janssen wondered why the old Grey couldn't exist alongside the younger one just like they did with Margneto (Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender) and Professor X (Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy). "In the 'X-Men' series, they've been doing this for years. Although women, it's interesting because they're replaced, and the older versionsor more mature, whatever the politically correct version of that isare never to be seen again. Whereas, the men are allowed to be both ages. Sexism," she said. "I think that I should be back along with my younger version and the way that we've seen it with Magneto and Professor X," she added. Turner started joining the "X-Men" franchise in 2016 with X-Men: Apocalypse. Her character is expected to have a bigger role and cross to dark side in the next installment X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Actress Jennifer Lawrence is back as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, Alexandra Shipp as Storm, Kodi Smit-McPhee asANightcrawler, Evan Peters as Quicksilver, and Olivia Munn as Psylocke. Directed by Simon Kinberg, the film is set to release next month. Monday did not dawn well for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat. Within 12 hours after Patidar leader Hardik Patel's close aide Narendra Patel accused the BJP of bribing him to join the party, another prominent Patidar leader Nikhil Savani, who had joined the party a fortnight ago, has announced his resignation. Savani, a Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader from Surat, said he was resigning from the BJP as he realized that the party was using the Patidars merely for votebank politics. He said he had joined the BJP thinking the party would do good for the Patidars. He said he was with PAAS convener Hardik Patel and would continue to be with him. PAAS has been spearheading agitation for more than two years demanding reservation under the OBC category. Savani followed North Gujarat PAAS leader Narendra Patel, who on Sunday, quit the BJP, just hours after joining the party. Narendra, at a late night press conference had alleged that Varun Patel, another former PAAS leader, who had joined the BJP, had offered him Rs 1 crore bribe to join the party. Narendra displayed stacks of notes amounting Rs 10 lakh, and claimed these were given to him by Varun as a token amount. He alleged that Varun had promised the remaining Rs 90 lakh on Monday. Varun and Reshma Patel, considered staunch PAAS leaders until recently, had joined the BJP on Saturday. Varun had said that he did not want to become a Congress agent, alleging that Hardik was one. Varun denied Narendra's allegations and countered that the Congress would level more such allegations against him. He said Narendra was free to lodge a police complaint against him. Meanwhile, taking up the issue of horse-trading in Gujarat, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi tweeted: Gujarat is priceless. It has never been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought. Gandhi will be visiting Gujarat today, as OBC Ekta Manch President Alpesh Thakore is all set to join the Congress in his presence. Gandhi is also expected to meet PAAS leaders and dalit leader Jignesh Mewani. Mewani has made it clear that he was not in favour of the BJP but has not disclosed his next move. He has said that the decision would be taken after consulting the community. A day after actor Vishal criticised the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), GST intelligence team conducted a raid at his house, reports emerged. Earlier, referring to BJP leader H. Raja's remarks, reported in a section of the mediathat he had watched the movie Mersal onlineVishal, head of the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) and general secretary of the South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA), had demanded an apology from him. "Dear Mr H. Raja, as a leader and prominent personality, you are advocating piracy and blatantly agreeing to it," Vishal said in a statement. The actor said he wondered "how a political leader like you could watch a pirated version of a film (online)" and added that it "sets a bad example". This was "totally insensitive and uncalled for," said Vishal, who is known for his strong anti-piracy stand and activities. Demanding an apology from Raja on the matter, Vishal also pressed the government to enact more stringent anti-piracy laws. Barely a few kilometers away from Gujarat assembly in Gandhinagar, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi cornered the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday afternoon. Congress had just got a shot in the arm as OBC Ekta Manch president Alpesh Thakore joined the party. Addressing a massive gathering, which had waited patiently for over an hour to listen to him and Thakore, Gandhi left nothing in his short but direct speech. GST, unemployment, benefits to the industries, unrest among the youth and rise of BJP national president Amit Shah's son Jay, he said it all, amid cheers. Terming GST as gabbar singh tax, as the crowd burst into laughter, Gandhi said that it would need to be simplified, or else the nation would suffer. Gandhi began his speech by saying Jai Mataji, Jai Sardar and Jai Bheeman effort to show that he cared for all sections of the society. While Jai Mataji is said by the OBCs, especially Thakores; Jai Sardar is used by the Patidars and Jai Bheem by dalits. Today, there is not a single community in Gujarat, which is not associated with any agitation. This is because, for the last 22 years we have not seen people's rule but the rule of a handful of industrialists, alleged Gandhi. Bringing up the problems of unemployment, Gandhi said that crores of youth of the state won't remain silent as Modi has harassed them too much. The voice of Hardik and Jignesh is in the hearts of people and they won't become silent. These are no ordinary voices, he said, adding that Gujaratis cannot be suppressed or purchased even if the wealth of the entire world is put in. Gandhi, in the morning, had tweeted about the incident where Narendra Patel, former Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leader who joined the BJP, quit the latter after alleging that he was offered Rs 1 crore. He had also showed Rs 10 lakh in bundles of Rs 500 notes at a press conference. Using Modi's own style, Gandhi referred to Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in his speech. The Congress leader said that when the Britishers tried to suppress Gandhiji, he threw away the super power. Sardar Patel had worked to protect the voice of Gujarat while "this government wants to suppress the voice of Gujarat and wants to purchase it. But the reality is that it can't be purchased. Gandhi alleged that favours were given to industrialists, but farmers' loans were not waived off. Gandhi questioned Modi on Jay Shah's rise. Recently, there was a report that turnover of Jay's company increased 16,000 times within months of the NDA coming to power. Modiji, say something about him, Gandhi provoked Modi. Gandhi taunted Modi by saying that Modi claims that everything is done by him. Even if a rocket is fired he takes the credit, said Gandhi. The Resurgence Convention of Monday is seen to have given a major boost to the Congress. Gandhi assured the gathering that he would do whatever was necessary for the youth in the field of education, hospitals and employment. Before reaching the venue, Gandhi held talks with Thakore and some Patidar leaders. PAAS convener Hardik Patel did not meet him and said that he was away to attend a public meeting outside Ahmedabad. He did not rule out the possibility of meeting Gandhi in future for the benefit of Patidars and others. Gandhi is also slated to meet dalit leader Jignesh Mewani before flying to New Delhi. Mewani has made it clear that he is not in support of BJP. New Delhi is making another attempt to have a sustained dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir for a lasting solution to the militancy problem. With the Modi government appointing a one man committee of former director of Intelligence Bureau, Dineshwar Sharma to hold talks with a cross section of people in the state, one thing has become clearthe BJP government took three long years and waited until violence hit all the streets to understand that talks are the way forward and blaming Pakistan or radical Islamic forces for the deteriorating law and order and precarious security scenario is not the solution. However, the interlocutor this time is an IPS officer, a move that may not go down well with a section of people in Jammu and Kashmir who have had multiple clashes with police forces in the last two years . It also remains to be seen whether Sharma will be able to offer a political solution to the Kashmir problem besides conveying the angst of the people of the state to the central government after his various interactions with them. His appointment also comes as a sharp contrast to the political dialogue initiated by the previous UPA government when it set up a three member committee of M.M. Ansari, Radha Kumar and Dilip Padgaonkar who spelt out in detail administrative and political solution to the problem. We wanted someone who has no affiliation with any political party whatsoever, said Singh explaining why an IPS officer has been appointed. A former police officer, Sharma, has vast experience of Kashmir affairs having served in the early 1990s as assistant director in the IB, witnessing the insurgency at its peak. A 1979 batch Kerala cadre officer, Sharma retired as director of IB on December 31, 2016. He has been given a free mandate, he can talk to whosoever he wishes to, including the Hurriyat Conference, said home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday. This also comes as a sharp departure from their earlier stated position of the government which had said it was willing to talk to all political parties and moderate elements in the Valley. The National investigation agency (NIA) has already accused certain Hurriyat leaders of using terror funds to stoke unrest in the Valley at the behest of Pakistan. Will the NIA probe go slow once the interlocutor dialogue is initiated with the separatists is something remains to be seen. We will do everything with a clear heart and clean intention, said the home minister in reply to questions on what the government was doing over the various interlocutor reports submitted in the past. The government has given full freedom to Sharma to meet any challenges he faces and resolve the issue, Singh reiterated. He said that even if attempts made by previous governments, who sent interlocutors to the state in the past, had failed, it does not mean that the third attempt will also fail. The former IPS officer will enjoy the status of cabinet secretary, said Singh as he made the announcement in a special media briefing which was widely publicised and broadcast live on HMO and PMO social media handles. Not to forget the press information bureau worked overtime to bring the medias attention to this major announcement of the home minister. Technically speaking, the cabinet secretary reports to the prime minister are giving rise to speculation whether the PMO is going to play a greater role in Kashmir affairs. Its a futile exercise and an indication of the the government resolve to deal with Kashmiris through intelligence and military apparatus. This is worst of all the earlier committees and groups, former JK interlocutor M.M. Ansari told THE WEEK. Let the government also appoint an Ex Army chief to negotiate with Pakistan to get PoK back, he said. Clearly, there was scepticism about the governments move. Security sources in the Valley said that time will only tell how this time the governments decision to hold a dialogue with the people of Kashmir bears any fruit. For now, Rajnath Singh said no time frame has been given to the interlocutor to arrive at a solution. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abacus Mining & Exploration Corporation (Abacus or the Company) (TSX-V:AME) is pleased to provide an update on the Ajax Project, located southwest of Kamloops, B.C. Ajax is an advanced stage copper-gold project that is owned by KGHM Ajax Mining Inc., a joint venture company owned by Abacus (20%) and KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. (80%). The Ajax Project is in the final stages of a coordinated Provincial and Federal Environmental Assessment process ("EA process"). The provincial and federal agencies responsible for the EA process issued a Joint Assessment Report in August of 2017, together with the proposed provincial EA Certificate conditions. A final public comment period on the Joint Assessment Report began on August 8 and ended on October 10, 2017, following which separate environmental assessment decisions on the Ajax Mine Project will be made by the federal and provincial ministers. A provincial decision is expected by December of 2017 and a federal decision by early 2018. The Ajax EA process has been the subject of an active review under the coordinated direction of the provincial Environmental Assessment Office of BC (EAO) and the federal Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (Agency) for more than six years since its formal commencement on February 25, 2011. The EA process has involved: extensive engagement with government agencies, Indigenous groups and various stakeholder groups; a technical advisory Working Group established by the EAO and Agency early in 2012 comprising representatives of federal, provincial, and local/regional governments, including representatives of potentially affected Indigenous groups; a Community Advisory Group comprising nineteen local organizations, which met formally with the EAO on sixteen occasions; public consultation activities comprising: five public comment periods totalling 263 days of public comment; nine open houses attended by more than 2,600 participants; submission of more than 4,000 public comments. An 18,000-page EA Application which was formally accepted by the EAO on January 18, 2016. Significant conclusions of the joint Assessment Report are as follows: The Ajax Project is not likely to cause significant adverse effects with respect to the various environmental issues required to be evaluated under the B.C. Environmental Assessment Act. This conclusion was reached by taking into account the implementation of proposed mitigation measures and the proposed EAOs EA Certificate conditions. With respect to Indigenous groups, the report noted that the Ajax Project is likely to cause significant adverse effects to heritage and to the current use of lands and resources for traditional Aboriginal purposes. Ajax would be located within the asserted traditional territories of Tkemlups te Secwepemc (Tkemlups Indian Band) and Skeetchestn Indian Band, who are jointly represented by Stk'emlupsemc te Secwepemc Nation (SSN). Ajax would also be located in the asserted traditional territories of Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band, Ashcroft Indian Band, and Lower Nicola Indian Band. In addition, Ajax would be located in an area SSN calls Pipsell (Jacko Lake and the surrounding area) and has been identified by the band as being of high cultural and spiritual importance. On September 21, 2015, SSN filed a claim for Aboriginal rights and title in the BC Supreme Court over an area described as SSN territory, which includes Pipsell and the Ajax footprint. Nonetheless, extensive consultations and negotiations have since been undertaken to date, and will continue collaboratively with the Province to reach a fair settlement with the SSN and the other Indigenous bands. Abacus and KGHM remain committed to developing fair benefits agreements with the SSN and the other groups. In addition, the Joint Assessment Report acknowledges that the Ajax Project is expected to generate significant economic benefits over the life of the Project, through direct expenditures and employment as well as indirect benefits. These include: estimated total capital construction costs of approximately $1.54 billion; expenditures during 23 years of operation averaging $299 million per annum; during the 2.5-year construction phase: contribution of $873 million per annum toward BCs GDP and an additional $409 million to the rest of Canada; and an average of 1,290 direct full-time equivalent jobs per annum; mine operations directly generating approximately 450 full-time equivalent positions in BC; direct employment earnings in Kamloops estimated to range from $183 to $242 million during construction and to average $53 million annually during operations; tax revenues, including taxes paid by the project in addition to revenues from consumption and personal income taxes, estimated to be $354 million during the construction phase, comprised of: federal tax revenue of $162 million; provincial revenue of $115 million; local/regional government revenue of $25 million. For details on the economic viability and technical feasibility of the Ajax Project, please refer to the Updated Feasibility Study entitled "Ajax Project, NI 43-101 Technical Report, Feasibility Study Update" dated February 19, 2016, available on Abacus's website (www.amemining.com) and its filings under Sedar (www.sedar.com). For previous updates provided by the Company on the EA process for the Ajax Project, as well as a more detailed timeline of the EA Process, please refer to Abacus website (www.amemining.com) and its filings under Sedar (www.sedar.com). The Joint Assessment Report may be accessed on the EAO website. For further information, please contact Investor Relations at (604) 682-0301. On Behalf of the Board, ABACUS MINING & EXPLORATION CORPORATION Michael McInnis Chairman, President & CEO About Abacus Abacus is a mineral exploration and mine development company with a 20% interest in the Ajax Project located at the historic Ajax-Afton site southwest of Kamloops, B.C., and an option to acquire up to a 75% undivided interest in the Willow porphyry copper-gold property located in Nevada. The Ajax Project is a proposed copper-gold open-pit mine nearing completion of a coordinated provincial and federal environmental assessment process that commenced in February 2011. Through KGHM Ajax Mining Inc., a joint venture company between Abacus (20%) and KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. (KGHM) (80%), the Ajax Mine is being funded in large part by KGHM and operated by its wholly-owned subsidiary, KGHM International Ltd. For the latest reports and information on Abacus projects, please refer to the Companys website at www.amemining.com. Forward-Looking Information This release includes certain statements that are deemed forward-looking statements. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Abacus expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, plans, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, projects, potential and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could or should occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include changes to commodity prices, mine and metallurgical recovery, operating and capital costs, foreign exchange rates, ability to obtain required permits on a timely basis, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. 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. More than a century ago, a Namboodiri woman who was tried for promiscuity shook Kerala by boldly naming all those with whom she had had relations. Kuriyedathu Savithribetter known by her pet name Thathriwas the young wife of an old man. In a chastity trial that went on for several days, Thathri named more than 60 prominent men, condemning them for life. A similar tale is unfolding once again in Kerala. The new Thathri is Lakshmi Nairbetter known as Saritha Naira woman in her early 40s, who is an accused in a cheating case involving the sale of solar power units. Saritha and her second husband, Biju Radhakrishnan, launched Team Solar Renewable Energy Solutions Private Limited in 2011, which sold solar energy products to institutions and households. After Saritha and Biju flaunted their connections with the then chief minister Oommen Chandy and his office, many people invested in their projects. Some of the investors who lost their money went to the police, Saritha and Biju were arrested and cheating cases were registered against them. The scam attracted wide public attention after the media revealed details of phone calls between Saritha and some of Chandys personal staff. Saritha, on her part, gave contradictory statements about politicians involved in the scam and kept adding and dropping the names at will. Despite making many allegations, she never substantiated any of the charges. Though she had initially called Chandy a father figure, she later accused him of sexually abusing her. Chandy, however, claimed he was innocent and set up a judicial commissionretired judge G. Sivarajanto probe the allegations. The solar scam was a hot issue during the 2016 assembly elections and it played a key role in the humiliating defeat of the Congress-led United Democratic Front. The commission, after four years and umpteen rounds of sitting, submitted its report earlier this month. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan revealed some of its explosive contents and ordered criminal and vigilance inquiry against the accused named in the report. They are charged with offences including rape and corruption. The decision for a VACB [vigilance and anti-corruption bureau] inquiry and to register criminal cases against the accused has been taken by the cabinet on the basis of the legal opinion given by the advocate general and the director-general of prosecutions, said Vijayan. He said the report directly blamed Chandy and his personal staff for helping Saritha and that a special investigation team would probe the allegation of rape. Other senior leaders facing the probe include former Union minister K.C. Venugopal, former state ministers Aryadan Muhammed, Adoor Prakash and A.P. Anil Kumar. Chandy said he had nothing to fear and that it was his government which ordered the judicial inquiry. But he complained that the Vijayan government refused to give him a copy of the commissions report although he had filed a request under the Right to Information Act. Chandy is now planning to go to court for making the report public. An official at the chief ministers office, however, said the government was only obliged to submit the report in the assembly within six months. We will do that, he said. The Congress, especially the faction led by Chandy, is in disarray. Chandy had remained the most visible face of the party in the state even after the assembly election debacle, despite not holding any official position. But with the solar case, he is facing perhaps the gravest crisis of his political career. The young Turks in the state Congress are likely to use this as an opportunity to push for a generational change in leadership. The solar case should be a wakeup call. The so-called adjustment politics has to come to an end and we have to go on an aggressive mode against the CPI(M) and the BJP, said V.T. Balram, MLA, one of the most prominent faces among the younger lot. Saritha said she was happy that justice prevailed. I was fighting all alone against the heavyweights, even risking my life. I am not concerned about the political fallout, she said. Legal and criminal experts, however, said there were loose ends in the commission report. The discrepancies in the letters written by Saritha, too, stand out. I clearly remember Chandys name was not there in her first letter. There were 13 other names. Now the final list has only 11 names. What happened to the other names and how did Chandys name appear in the final letter? asked retired director-general of police Alexander Jacob, who had deposed before the judicial commission. He was DGP (prisons) when Saritha was jailed. A person who is an accused in 42 cases of financial misappropriation and with a questionable moral code is now in a position where she can point fingers at anyone. How terrible is that? asked a senior police officer who, too, had deposed before the commission. It is as if the future of Kerala politics depends on whom Saritha will name. Japans Shinzo Abe has managed to achieve an electoral success unmatched by the leaders of other advanced economies. Reforms associated with Abenomics may not have been adopted as quickly as once promised, but the prime minister has delivered growth after years of stagnation with the IMF forecasting 1.5 per cent expansion this year. Abe benefits politically from the fact that Japan is a less unequal society prosperity is more evenly spread than its Western partners. The revival of output, driven by smaller enterprises as well as sectors such as motors, IT and industrial machinery, powered the key Nikkei stock market index to 15 consecutive days of gains, and its best level since 1996. Shinzo Abe, Prime minister of Japan, has delivered growth after years of stagnation Abe and the Bank of Japan have kept the monetary accelerator to the floor. A squeeze on consumption is baked in the cake with the commitment to raise sales taxes in October 2019. Some 40 per cent of the proceeds are due to pay for child care. This is seen as essential in encouraging women back to work. As one of the worlds great exporters Japan is also being supported by a weak yen. The rise of China has tended to obscure Japans role as a global economic power. But even though it may not enjoy the best of political relations with Beijing, it is a big supplier of the industrial equipment which propels the Peoples Republic forward. Abes LDP stood firm against the challenger Party of Hope headed by Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike. That may give him the opportunity to press ahead with corporate governance reforms. There are signs deflation has been beaten back but prices are still rising at below 2 per cent and wages are subdued. In Japan, at least the great monetary easing still has a distance to run. Grandees charter Readers dipping into the FT City Network survey on capitalism might be forgiven a wry smile. Included among City panjandrums bewailing greed in the boardroom, short-termism and tax avoidance are some serial offenders. Sir Nigel Rudd, chairman of engineer Meggitt, suggests boards have been hijacked by the management class. As chairman of a variety of public companies including Boots, Pilkington, BAA and Invensys, all sold to overseas buyers, Rudd subjugated the public interest to short-term gains for investors and enriched management. A neat aspect of takeovers, wherever they come from, is that more often than not they trigger payouts on share options turning managers into multi-millionaires. Douglas Flint, who has just stepped down as chairman of HSBC, spent much of his time in office clearing up the mess made by some of his predecessors with disastrous takeovers of money laundering banks in Mexico, sub-prime mortgage lender Household and the Safra private banks. It was on his watch that disclosures of tax avoidance at the Geneva branch of HSBC emerged, including arrangements under which chief executive Stuart Gulliver was paid through Panama to the avoid avaricious eyes of colleagues. There is joy in the heavens when the sinner is repentant but it is worth noting that many of those named in the survey stuffed their wallets with excessive pay and awards before launching their attack on the next generation. Moreover, particularly in banking, they have done little to curb the pay arms race which is a contributor to the great divide between ordinary citizens and the elites. It is during their period in office that the forces which produced Trump, AfD in Germany, the Freedom Party in Austria and Brexit were forged. On a day when corporate bigwigs are being disparaging of short-termism we learn that shareholders in UK-listed firms are in line for record breaking dividends of 94billion this year. This at a moment when business investment is underwhelming and productivity in the soup. The longer term solution is to invest in technology and equipment, not executive pay and special dividends. Poor signal Hang out the bunting, the London Stock Exchange is set to welcome broadcast and telecoms-mast pioneer Arqiva to the listings after private equity owners failed to find a buyer for the 6billion outfit. Beware of private equity bearing gifts. The 2016-17 accounts show an enterprise weighed down with 5.2billion of debt which paid no UK corporation tax over the last two years. Thats a message which should keep the masts vibrating. They say that if you wait long enough, your old clothes become fashionable again. And that's exactly what appears to be happening to certain items of furniture, with sideboards, sofas and dining tables that were hugely popular in the 1960s and 1970s staging a revival. They include original designer sideboards, which would have been bought for hundreds of pounds back in the day and can now fetch thousands of pounds if they come with the right designer names, according to specialists. But even more run-of-the-mill pieces could fetch decent money, due to being on trend. 'If you are looking to sell such a piece, look for labels as anything made by a Danish or Italian designer could go for 8,000 upwards,' advises Stacey Sibley of interior designers Alexander James. She explained how vintage pieces by Ercol or G-Plan were especially popular in the 1960s and 1970s. At the same time, original leather modular sofas that are in good condition can fetch almost 5,000, while original extending dining tables can also set you back thousands. MailOnline Property reveals here the items that your granny might own, which could be worth a fortune... Sideboards A cabinet revival! The sleek rectangular shaped pieces with angular legs are back in fashion, with this original 1960s Long Credenza by I.B.Kofod-Larsen version costing 8,800 This original 1970s Bermuda Bird Sideboard by Lucy Turner has been newly laminated with formica and is being sold for 1,295 Original sideboards that are rectangular shape and come with angular legs are back in fashion, with the most sought-after distinguished by a stamp or plaque by the manufacturer somewhere on the furniture - usually on the back, on the inside of the drawer, or underneath the top drawer. Ms Sibley said: 'We can all think back to seeing the G plan cabinet in our parents' or grandparents' lounge in the 70s, sat on a lovely orange and brown patterned carpet, with a lava lamp on top of it. 'Its sleek rectangle shape with angular legs in a walnut wood that would often be hiding a cocktail bar inside a cupboard door. What we didn't know was that these pieces would be coming back into fashion and worth quite a bit of money.' Bidding wars can often break out on websites such as ebay for the original pieces of furniture. 'Everywhere you look there are copies of these Danish designed cabinets but where it's at is owning an original, so be prepared for a bidding war that can set you back thousands,' she said. And she went on to advise: 'It might be worth seeing if your granny still wants to hold on to her one.' Dining tables Old fashioned quality! This original Arne Vodder for Sibast Extending Dining Table is for sale for 4,950 This extending dining table and six chairs by Uniflex dates back to 1960 and costs 2,850 It's not only about those designer names, even if you own a more basic piece. Ms Sibley suggested that you can still make money in the current climate. These could include sideboards and cabinets but also that old dining room furniture that might have once looked dated but is now the height of cool. 'Companies like The Old Cinema sell a lot of vintage pieces, even recycled ones, so if you're good at painting you can spruce up an old piece to make a few extra pounds,' she explained. GUIDE TO G-PLAN AND ERCOL Labels such as G-Plan and Ercol can be extremely important in establishing the piece of furniture as genuine. One of the labels used by G-Plan until the mid 1960s was a gold embossed stamp. G-Plan furniture was made by Gomme, with its Danish sideboard range introduced in the 1960s. Ercol furniture was designed by Lucian Ercolani, who built his first factory in 1920 in High Wycombe. Advertisement The popularity of such pieces seems to be due to their retro modern style, with sideboards made of cherry or walnut wood giving 'warmth' to a room and being particularly sought after. The cabinets also provide a great storage solution and can be used as TV cabinets with cut outs for the wiring in the back. More expensive versions currently being sold via The Old Cinema - a converted cinema showroom for antique furniture and homewares - include the Long Credenza by I.B.Kofod-Larsen, Danish c.1960, which costs 8,800. A cheaper version is the Bermuda Bird Sideboard by Lucy Turner costing 1,295. Sofas This vintage brown leather chesterfield sofa dates back to the 1960s and costs 2,250 Sam Knight, of The Old Cinema, said: 'Items from the 1960s and 1970s can uphold their value if they are in good condition and have a label from a specific designer. 'But they do need to be in tip top condition, and so granny will have needed to taken care of it.' He explained the revival of furniture from the 1960s and 1970s by saying how people were seeking out 'good old fashioned quality that was built to last'. This 1960s De Sede Modular Sofa System in soft cream leather costs 4,600 Other places to pick up vintage 1960s sideboards, cabinets and sofas include auction site eBay, website Etsy and it is also worth hunting out local second-hand furniture specialists. If you want to pick up a few pieces at a good price, one tip is to put up notices on local boards in shops, or online, and offer to collect people's old furniture and take it away for free. Some may be glad to get rid of old pieces. FORM 8.3 PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code") 1. KEY INFORMATION (a) Full name of discloser: Majedie Asset Management Limited (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree TESCO PLC (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 20 October 2017 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A" 2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security. (a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any) Class of relevant security: ORD 5P Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 299,777,809 3.66 (2) Cash-settled derivatives: (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell: TOTAL: 299,777,809 3.66 All interests and all short positions should be disclosed. Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions). (b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options) Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages: 3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in. The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated. (a) Purchases and sales Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit ORD 5P Purchase 1,145,889 188.7423 ORD 5P Sale 7,473 188.7360 (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options) (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit (ii) Exercise Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities) Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable) 4. OTHER INFORMATION (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none" None (b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none" None (c) Attachments Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO Date of disclosure: 23 October 2017 Contact name: James Tanqueray Telephone number: 0207 618 3900 Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service. The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129. The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk. ORDINARILY patriots should be indebted to the compatriots behind the three-day Swaziland Economic Conference to be held at an Ezulwini hotel this week, but recent history and reality on the ground conspire against the possible success of this initiative. Far from being a doomsday merchant, I am a practical creature and realist whose perspective is anchored on the truth. But not only is the truth a very rare commodity within the obtaining body politic but one that could get you in trouble with those charged with the stewardship of the ship of State, the Kingdom of eSwatini. Consequently and given the scenario in which speaking the truth to power could extinguish ones dreams, it becomes somewhat of a tortuous exercise to define a patriot within these shores. Could it be that those in the comfort zones shoring up the obtaining political and socio-economic order notwithstanding the dire circumstances the nation, indeed the kingdom, finds itself in the ultimate compatriots? Or could it be the compatriots are those with strained vocal chords who have been calling for the enthronement of the truth to power and a radical transformation of the way this country is governed by devolving political power to its natural custodians, the people? Within the Swazi polity under the obtaining Tinkhundla political system, the definition of a patriot is premised on which side of the huge political divide one is. In which case those whose vocabulary and deeds are free of the obligation of speaking the truth to power are the patriots, while those critical of the systematic erosion of moral leadership are supposedly the enemies from within. As I see it, the idea of the scheduled economic indaba is not a bad one because time and again, a nation ought to engage itself in appraising its circumstances and what is happening around and strategising on how to extricate itself for a trajectory to a better and rewarding future. But given the environment, especially a hostile political environment, it is impossible that such gatherings can be of any value. Yes, there might be the sharing of knowledge, a crucial tenet of development, but can it be said it would, in turn, influence planning and prioritisation of national imperatives on the part of government that would advance development and by extension the lifestyle of the people. That today the kingdom appears to be carrying all the worlds problem on its shoulders is not a coincidence but self-inflicted. In the latter part of the 1990s decade, the country came out with a blueprint for accelerating economic development, the National Development Strategy (NDS). But the social partners realised that for the NDS to be effective required political transformation that would devolve power to the people. That was the undoing of the NDS owing to governments resistance to political transformation that would devolve centralised political power to the people to realise practical predictability that would ensure stability because it would be the people, not individuals, would be charged with forming and changing their own governments. This brings us to the question of the potential value of this weeks economic indaba in the face of many similar conferences in the past, that were also abortive because of governments resistance to change. From successive Smart Partnership Summits to Sibaya, not to forget the economic vusela led by Prince Guduza, that was the precursor to the NDS, the message from the people has been constant, the need for political transformation. But this has been a cry in the wild because of the lack of commitment from the leadership to address the multi-faceted challenges facing this country. For a country that should be a pioneer and in the forefront of industrialisation for doing things right the first time by exploiting its natural advantages, such as its physical size and that of its population coupled with the natural resources at its disposal and other dynamics, it is a shame that today it is impoverished and the people having been reduced to beggars and dependant on handouts from external donors. As I see it, just about everyone of average intelligence is pretty much aware of the causal factors to the economic and developmental stagnation besetting the country that, in turn, has mothered the scourges of poverty, disease and wide scale unemployment. A primary malady of the political status quo is nepotism that ensures individuals with no appropriate political currency, let alone skills being installed in political and other key positions leading to a lack of service delivery, resulting in the erosion of credibility on government and other state institutions. A disjointed educational system that does not speak to or connect with the needs of the economic trajectory of the kingdom owing to poor policies and a lack of timely reforms, thus hurting development. Poor management of the fiscus and untold wastages on vanity projects that would most probably never be economically viable, let alone sustainable exacerbated by unaccounted and massive outflows of money from the treasury and State owned entities, owing to endemic corruption because of an accountability deficit. Frustration of foreign direct investors (FDIs) with extra-legal requirements to cede part ownership/shareholding leading to withdrawal of such investments, thus further exacerbating unemployment since no new jobs are being created by the economy to absorb school/university graduates. Yes, the formidable challenge facing the economic indaba is influencing a paradigm shift in the kingdoms body politic for a meaningful trajectory to the Promised Land. NHLANGANO Everybody seems to be killing everybody in the kingdom these days. Just when the country is still reeling from the shock of the gruesome murder of two women, who were allegedly killed by their partners on Wednesday, hardly three days later, a man was brutally assaulted to death, apparently by three enraged pupils in a frightening case of road rage. The pupils from one of the schools in the outskirts of Nhlangano are aged between 22 and 24. The vicious attack on the 37-year-old man occurred shortly after 6pm on Saturday while the man was driving a herd of cattle home at Qinisweni, about 8km to the east of Nhlangano. The genesis of the violent attack was when a car which the youngsters were travelling in accidentally ploughed into the herd of cattle, killing one beast in the process. Witnesses said the car was also damaged as a result of the accident. An eyewitness said immediately after the crash, three fuming boys alighted from the vehicle and unleashed a tirade of abuse against the bewildered man. The witness said from that moment the trio started kicking and punching the man all over the body. The man reportedly attempted to flee but unfortunately stumbled and fell into a ditch next to the road. The witness said one of the boys lost control and followed the victim. He said the man was in a squatting position when the assailant kicked him hard around the throat, causing him to fall back to the ground. Three passengers from a kombi which was passing by are said to have tried to intervene, but the attacker could be seen repeatedly punching and kicking the victim. The bystander said in his fit of fury, the young man proceeded to stomp the victim viciously while he kicked and writhed desperately. He even stoned him as he lay defencelessly on the ground, narrated the stunned onlooker. Later, the kombi passengers were able to stop the incensed young man but it proved a little too late for the victim, according to the witness. It appeared he had already died as he lay motionless on the ground. Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter but the man showed no signs of life. He was pronounced dead on the scene. Meanwhile, residents who later gathered at the scene ensured that the attackers did not flee until the arrival of the police. Upon the arrival of officers from the Nhlangano Police Station, the trio were put in the back of a van and taken into custody. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Khulani Mamba confirmed a group of people assisted in the apprehension of three young men linked to the violent attack on a 37-year-old man of Makhonza while at Qinisweni. He praised the angry crowd for exercising restraint by not taking the law into their own hands. He also revealed that all three boys were charged with the mans murder and that their arraignment was expected soon. MBABANE Ngumsindvo. (This will cause trouble). This was the reaction of one of the Category A parastatals when reacting to governments stance of halting the payment of bonuses to its staff. Government, through the Public Enterprise Unit (PEU), informed some Category A parastatals, in writing, that Cabinet had taken a decision to halt the payment of bonuses for the 2016/2017 financial year while awaiting the approval of new guidelines for the payment of the bonuses. However, unions in these parastatals are not buying governments story, with some alleging that this new move was purely meant to frustrate them and to grease government coffers through huge dividend payments at the expense of the workers. The Public and Private Sector Transport Workers Union (P&PSTWU) Secretary General Thandukwazi Dludlu, when reacting to this new development said, I foresee trouble if this is implemented. P&PSTWU represents workers from Swaziland Railway. Dludlu narrated that they had an agreement with their employer that they would get bonuses in December. He said their employer could not revoke the agreement as it might spark big trouble. He made an example that they were paid a 13th cheques which meant that it was a condition of service and changing that would need the employer and workers to agree. Knowing workers, this might start trouble, warned Dludlu. The decision by government will see workers from about 50 public enterprises, including the University of Swaziland (UNISWA), Swaziland Railway, Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF), Swaziland Electricity Company (SEC), and Swaziland Water Service Corporation (SWSC), to mention but a few not getting bonuses. Some workers, especially those from the Swaziland Electricity Company (SEC), learnt of the decision through a letter written to the companys Managing Director Meshack Kunene by the Ministry of Natural Resources. The letter states that the decision came after the Director of Public Enterprise Unit (PEU) advised the ministry that Cabinet resolved to halt bonus applications by Category A public enterprises pending the finalisation of new guidelines on the payment of bonuses and dividends. Although the letter suggests that the issue was new guidelines, sources suspect that the real issue was money. A fortnight ago, SEC employees prayed for their employer to give them their promised bonuses this year. The Swaziland Electricity Supply Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (SESMAWU) President George Maseko was not pleased with news that they would not get the bonuses. Maseko revealed that their members were not happy with the decision and would today have a special general council to deliberate on it and forge a way forward. He revealed that they had an agreement with management regarding the bonuses and it would not be ideal for that accord to be breached by either party. He argued that decisions taken by management were by extension those taken by government as the former represents the latter. He was of the view that they should have let this agreement proceed as planned and then introduce the new rules later. Maseko stated that it would be unfair to employees not to get the bonuses when the year ends as they had played their part. According to a source, SEC employees did not receive bonuses last year and were eagerly awaiting them this year. The source noted that the rainy season was about to start; a time where there were often many power cuts. He stated that he would not be surprised if employees would engage in a go slow like they did last year. Another source stated that the employees were bitter that they did not receive the bonuses last year and would not get them even this year yet the companys financial position had improved. The agreement to give employees their bonuses was taken before the prayer held a fortnight ago. It was revoked after the company wrote to the Public Enterprise Unit through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy. It could not be established as to what will stand between the agreements made by employees and the company and the decision to halt the bonuses. According to the PEU Act of 1989, Section 10 (1), no Category A public enterprise shall do certain activities without the approval in writing of the minister responsible acting in consultation with the Standing Commit. Subsection (1)(e) further states that public enterprises in this category cannot make any major adjustment to the level or structure of staff salaries and wages or other terms and conditions of service of its staff. Again, the decision by government came at a time when UNISWA staff was engaging their employer about getting bonuses as they were not given in the past. The Swaziland Union of Non-Academic Staff for Higher Institutions (SUNASHI) Secretary General Fundizwi Sikhondze said although they did not receive bonuses, governments decision was absurd. Sikhondze believed that employees should be incentivised for meeting set targets so that they could work harder. He noted that parastatals were mandated to provide a service to the public. We feel that the decision is incorrect because it might jeopardise the delivery of certain services such as energy, water, and many others, Sikhondze said. Sikhondze then added that UNISWA employees did not get bonuses because the institution was not a profit-making entity but offered services. He stated that they engaged management about bonuses as they felt they deserved them based on that they produced human capital for the country. MONTREAL, Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sama Resources Inc. (Sama or the Company) (TSX-V:SME), is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding term sheet in view of forming a strategic partnership (the Term Sheet) with HPX TechCo Inc. (HPX), a private mineral exploration company in which mining entrepreneur Robert Friedland is a significant stakeholder, in order to develop its Cote dIvoire Nickel-Copper and Cobalt project in Cote dIvoire, West-Africa. As part of the Term Sheet, HPX would make a strategic investment in Sama of up to C$12,250,000. HPX would also have the ability to earn-into a joint venture with Sama to acquire a total of up to a 60% interest in Samas interest in the Cote dIvoire project, including the Samapleu Project, by funding exploration expenses and completing the feasibility study through total investments of C$30,000,000. Under the terms of the Term Sheet, HPX would purchase 25,000,000 Units (Units) of Sama at a price of C$0.21 per Unit, resulting in total proceeds to Sama of C$5,250,000 (the Private Placement). The Units include 25,000,000 fully vested two-year (2-year) common share purchase warrants (Warrants) with an exercise price of C$0.28 per share. Fully exercised, the Private Placement and Warrants proceeds will total an investment of C$12,250,000 in Sama. Following completion of the Private Placement, HPX would own approximately 11.4% of Samas issued and outstanding common shares and 20.5% assuming the Warrants are fully exercised, both on a fully diluted basis. On a non-diluted basis HPX would own approximately 15.4% of Samas issued and outstanding shares and 26.7% assuming only the exercise of its Warrants. We are very excited about the opportunity this partnership provides Sama in the form of a strong strategic shareholder, commented Benoit La Salle, Executive Chairman of Sama. We are pleased to be partnering with HPX, who bring to the table an experienced exploration team and a proven track record of developing a number of world-class mineral deposits. We look forward to working with the HPX team and leveraging their cutting-edge exploration technology and significant experience, added Marc-Antoine Audet, Samas President and CEO. In addition to the Private Placement and Warrants, the Term Sheet also provides for HPX and Sama to enter into a separate joint venture agreement (the JV Agreement), whereby HPX can earn up to a 60% interest in Samas interest in the Cote dIvoire project, including the Samapleu Project. The precise form of the joint venture (the JV Company) is subject to completion of discussions between the parties. The JV Company will be responsible for funding the development of the permits, through the proceeds from the Private Placement, the exercise of the Warrants, additional private placements as well as direct investments by HPX in the JV Company, for a total cumulative investment of up to C$30,000,000. Additional highlights of the Term Sheet include the following: HPX will have a pre-emptive / anti-dilution right to maintain its ownership percentage in Sama in future equity financings as long as the holdings of common shares of Sama by HPX and its affiliates remains above 10%; HPX will have the right, but not the obligation, to nominate and have appointed (i) two (2) directors to the board of Sama as long as its shareholding in Sama remains above 10%, and (ii) four (4) directors, if its shareholding is greater than 50%; and Sama has also granted HPX an exclusivity period of 90 days to settle and execute definitive agreements. A break fee of US$1,000,000 is payable in the event of a breach of the exclusivity provisions. The transactions contemplated by the Term Sheet remain subject to completion of due diligence by HPX, which is at a significantly advanced stage, and the settling and execution by HPX and Sama of definitive agreements (including a subscription agreement, an investment agreement, a joint venture and an earn-in agreement), as well as subject to approval of the applicable regulatory authorities, including the TSX Venture Exchange, final board approvals of both parties and Sama shareholder approval. The directors and officers of Sama, who collectively hold 7.26% of the outstanding common shares have agreed to support the transaction with HPX and to vote in favor of the transactions at the Sama shareholder meeting. Samapleu Project Overview The Nickel-copper-cobalt mineralization was discovered by Sama when it discovered the Yacouba layered complex of mafic and ultramafic rock. This layered complex was created approximately 2.1 billion years ago by the intrusion of magma through the Man Shield. The Yacouba complex can be traced over a strike length of more than 30 kilometers within Samas properties in Cote dIvoire. Sama's Cote dIvoire project is located approximately 600 kilometers northwest of Abidjan and is adjacent to the world-class nickel-cobalt laterite deposits of Sipilou and Foungouesso, forming a 125-kilometer-long new base metal camp in West Africa. The technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Marc-Antoine Audet, P.Geo, President & CEO, Sama and qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Sama Resources Sama Resources is a Canadian-based base mineral exploration and development company with projects in West Africa. For more information about Sama Resources, please visit the website at http://www.samaresources.com Contact information: SAMA RESOURCES INC./RESSOURCES SAMA INC. Dr. Marc-Antoine Audet, President and CEO Tel: (514) 726-4158 Mr. Matt Johnston, Corporate Development Advisor Tel: (604) 443-3835 Toll Free: 1 (877) 792-6688, Ext. 5 About HPX HPX is a privately-owned, metals-focused exploration company deploying proprietary in-house geophysical technologies to rapidly evaluate buried geophysical targets. The HPX technology cluster comprises geological and geophysical systems for targeting, modelling, survey optimization, acquisition, processing and interpretation. HPX has a highly experienced board and management team led by Co-Chair and Chief Executive Officer Robert Friedland, President Eric Finlayson, a former head of exploration at Rio Tinto, and co-chaired by Ian Cockerill, a former Chief Executive Officer of Gold Fields Ltd. For further information, please visit www.hpxploration.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in SAMAs periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. When used in this press release, words such as "will, could, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. Information provided in this document is necessarily summarized and may not contain all available material information. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding the completion and expected benefits of the proposed transaction and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management based on the business and markets in which operate, are inherently subject to significant operational, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Assumptions upon which forward looking statements relating to the transaction have been made include that Sama will be able to satisfy the conditions in the Private Placement and JV Agreement; that ongoing due diligence investigations of HPX will not identify any materially adverse facts or circumstances; and that all required third party, regulatory, stock exchange, shareholder and government approvals will be obtained. In addition, the factors described or referred to in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the MD&A of Sama and which is available at www.sedar.com, should be reviewed in conjunction with the information found in this news release. Although Sama has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward- looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the proposed transaction could be modified, restricted or not completed, and the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Sama disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and Sama assumes no liability for disclosure relating to HPX herein. Estimados amigos, Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia. Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro. Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras. There are decades when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen. You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out. No soy alguien que sabe, sino alguien que busca. Only Gold is money. Everything else is debt. Las grandes almas tienen voluntades; las debiles tan solo deseos. Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada. History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate New York The man who became a political power broker in New York City while representing guards in the city's 10,000-inmate jail system faces a bribery trial Monday that could send him to prison. Jury selection in the trial of Norman Seabrook, the longtime former head of the nation's largest municipal jail guard union, is set to be followed by opening statements Tuesday. Seabrook, 57, a figure who was beloved by guards, feared by jail administrators and could be either a powerful ally or a foe to city politicians, has been free on bail since his June 2016 arrest on conspiracy and fraud charges. Prosecutors say he accepted a kickback of $60,000 delivered in a Ferragamo handbag that was itself worth nearly $1,000 in exchange for having the New York City Correction Officers' Benevolent Association invest $20 million in a particular hedge fund. Also facing trial is Murray Huberfeld, the hedge fund financier who authorities say helped arrange the bribe. Both have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say receipts found in Seabrook's Bronx home prove he used some of the bribe money to pay off a casino debt. During his two-decade tenure as the head of the corrections officers' union, Seabrook was seen as having more influence over how the city's Rikers Island jail complex operated than any other person, even the head of the city's Department of Corrections. "I came to think that my wardens believed Norman was more important to their career than I was," former Corrections Commissioner Martin Horn once told The New York Times. Prisoner advocates saw him as one of the primary forces holding up reform of the jail, which had a reputation for violence. He publicly excoriated the Department of Corrections officials in charge of investigating misconduct and assailed district attorneys he felt were too quick to charge guards with brutality or too tolerant of violent prisoners. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SELKIRK Gov. Andrew Cuomo and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, in a rare joint appearance, urged New Yorks Republican congressional representatives to vote against a tax overhaul that would eliminate the federal deductibility of state and local taxes, including the Empire States notably high property and school taxes. The plan will pull thousands and thousands of dollars out of the pockets of middle-class New Yorkers, Schumer said. Congress has placed a bullseye on New York State. This plan stinks for the Capitol Region and all of New York. Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, said the plan could devastate the states real estate market and overall economy, and undo what he said were efforts to contain property tax increases and state spending. The governor called the proposal probably one of the most destructive policies to the state of New York Ive heard in 30 years. ... Its an attempted death blow. Schumer and Cuomo appeared in front of what they said was a typical middle-class Capital Region family home. Its owners, Kathleen and Anthony DiSpirito, have two young children and pay about $8,000 annually in state income, property, school and sales taxes, said Schumer. The Selkirk home is valued at $285,000. Currently, those taxes are deductible from their federal income taxes. But under the overhaul contemplated by President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress, those deductions would be replaced by a doubling of the standard deduction. If the proposed change goes through, families such as the DiSpiritos could easily end up paying another $1,000 or more on their federal taxes. Cuomo and Schumer warned that voters could turn against the states Republican members of Congress if they vote for such a tax overhaul. While Selkirk is in Democratic U.S. Rep. Paul Tonkos district, the event included homeowners who are constituents of Republicans John Faso and Elise Stefanik. Both of those GOP lawmaker have expressed concerns about the proposed change. This hurts the people of your district period, was Cuomos message to Republican representatives who might tend to support the measure. If they think they are going to sneak this by and think people are going to forget, nobody is going to forget, Cuomo added. Schumer said if the states nine GOP congressional members as well as those from New Jersey and California voted against the plan, it could be blocked. In addition to Stefanik and Faso, the states other GOP Congressional members are Claudia Tenney, John Katko, Chris Collins, Tom Reed, Dan Donovan, Lee Zeldin and Peter King. Cuomo said he believed King, from Long Island, which has some of the state and nations highest property and school taxes, will likely vote against the plan and Donovan, from Staten Island might as well. He added that he buttonholed GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan at New York Citys annual Al Smith dinner last week in New York City about the damage the plan would do to New York. He didnt say much, Cuomo said. Removing the state and local deduction, also known as SALT, is part of Trumps overall blueprint for a major tax overhaul. The Republican plan would consolidate tax brackets from seven to three, with the top rate going from 39.6 percent to 35 percent. The bottom rate would go from 10 percent to 12 percent. It would double the standard deduction to $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for married couples. Schumer, though, noted that it would also cut out individual exemptions, which would greatly lessen the impact of doubling the standard deduction. Its unclear when or even if the final plan would move forward. The proposed end of the SALT deduction has already been called into question by numerous big-state Republicans. Dan Freedman contributed. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU Beirut U.S.-backed fighters captured Syria's largest oil field from the Islamic State group Sunday, marking a major advance against the extremists in an area coveted by pro-government forces. With IS in retreat, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government have been in a race to secure parts of the oil-rich Deir el-Zour province along the border with Iraq. The Al-Omar oil field was a major source of income for the militant group and is considered one Syria's most productive. The condition of the field, which has been controlled by IS for three years, was not clear following intense coalition and Russian airstrikes. The SDF, with air support from the U.S.-led coalition, said it captured the field in a "swift and wide military operation." It said some militants have taken cover in oil company houses nearby, where clashes are underway. The U.S.-led coalition confirmed the SDF had retaken the oil field. After coming under heavy fire from IS, pro-government forces retreated from the area around Al-Omar field, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syrian troops, backed by Russian warplanes and Iranian-sponsored militias, have retaken nearly all of the provincial capital of Deir el-Zour, as well as the town of Mayadeen, another IS stronghold. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBANY Police and prosecutors called a Troy woman and the owner of a South Pearl Street business two of the area's "major traffickers" after the pair were stopped on the Thruway last week and allegedly found to be transporting 280 grams of uncut heroin. "These are the individuals who are, as you would say, the top of the food chain," Albany County District Attorney David Soares told reporters at a news conference in his office. Investigators also found more than 1.6 kilos of cocaine, four handguns and two assault rifles in the business and home of the merchant, Darrell B. Chapman of Rensselaer, authorities said. Chapman, also known as "Foxx," and Lacee Sousis of Troy were charged following a year-long investigation involving State Police and several other agencies, Soares said. Both defendants were charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance. More charges are possible, authorities said. "We tend not to speak about these cases because we always endeavor to go higher and higher up the food chain, and therefore we don't want to blow particular targets and possible cooperators," Soares said. "But ... we believe we have gotten one of the area's major traffickers and we look forward to establishing that fact in court." Chapman owns The Freezer, a business that sells clothing, jewelry and other items. It was seized, Soares said. Asked if he believed the defendant was involved in money laundering through the store, the district attorney said, "We have our suspicions in that regard, and that's one of the reasons and the basis for us being able to seize the business along with a variety of different accounts." Soares said authorities were initially investigating Chapman on allegations of disability fraud. On Oct. 17, State Police received a tip that a person would be traveling to New York City to obtain drugs. Early on Oct. 18, troopers stopped Chapman and Sousis, 20, in a car heading north on the Thruway. After the stop, police went to Chapman's business where they allegedly found 100 grams of cocaine, 7 grams of crack cocaine, cash, scales and a money counter. They then went to his home on John Street in Rensselaer where they found an additional 1.5 kilos of cocaine and the guns, they said. Both defendants are being held in the Albany County jail. NIAGARA FALLS (AP) New York State Park Police say they've investigated a report of a body floating over Niagara Falls in upstate New York. Police say witnesses reported seeing the body of a white male going over the falls on the U.S. side. WGRZ-TV reports police brought in a helicopter to search and did not find anything. New York is often regarded as the media capital of the world, but in our state, opinions expressed through traditional media outlets, blogs, social media and consumer review websites are not always protected from those who disagree with them. Too often, powerful entities with deep pockets use the courts to silence voices that challenge the status quo. Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers and a proud New Yorker, was a well-known advocate for free speech, arguing for the right of the people and the press to document the truth without fear of legal threat. It has been more than 200 years since the Constitution was signed, but Hamilton's vision of protecting free speech in New York is still just that a vision. In New York the home of many ideals that Americans hold so dear today citizens can still be silenced through a legal mechanism known as strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPPs. Thankfully, legislation has been introduced in Albany that would better safeguard free expression and speech for all New Yorkers. With this, state lawmakers have an opportunity to secure one of the most sacred rights: an individual's right to freely express his or her thoughts and beliefs without fear of reprisal. Only 28 states and Washington, D.C. have anti-SLAPP laws, and there is no federal law in place. While New York is one of the states with anti-SLAPP legislation in place, it has become increasingly apparent that its existing law is not strong enough. Take the case of Mary Rohs, a New York City patient who sought treatment from her dentist for chronic mouth pain July 16, 2015. After her two-hour appointment, the dentist requested she leave a review of his services. Rohs did just that. However, the dentist was displeased with her honest, negative review and filed a lawsuit against her and "at least four" other patients who'd also left unfavorable reviews, claiming their reviews have "harmed his practice over time." While a court did eventually rule in Rohs' favor, the case dragged on for more than two years, forcing her to spend countless hours in court and thousands of dollars in legal fees all for simply expressing her opinion online. If New York had a stronger law in place to defend free speech online, Rohs' case would likely have been thrown out years and many dollars sooner. This case and countless others are precisely why Sen. Kevin S. Parker, D-Brooklyn, is pushing to strengthen New York's current anti-SLAPP law. He aims to empower defendants to push back against frivolous lawsuits against free speech by having them quickly dismissed by the courts, and by holding plaintiffs responsible for court costs and fees. Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter. Strengthening the law responsible for protecting free expression is an issue all New Yorkers can rally behind. New Yorkers need lawmakers to step up and protect their fundamental rights. Not doing so will result in nearly 20 million New York residents left unprotected from the threat of frivolous litigation for simply speaking their mind. Alexander Hamilton argued in 1804 that Americans must have "the liberty of publishing truth, with good motives and for justifiable ends, even though it reflect on government, magistrates, or private persons." It's 2017, and we are still having the same fight to protect free speech. New York lawmakers must pass legislation to protect this most fundamental right once and for all. Jennifer Corklin reads a book to her first grade class. Corklin is battling stage four breast cancer. [October 23, 2017] GTT Named a Washington Business Journal Fastest Growing Company for the Fourth Time GTT Communications, Inc. (NYSE: GTT), the leading global cloud networking provider to multinational clients, announced today that it has been recognized by Washington Business Journal (WBJ) for the fourth time as one of the 50 Fastest Growing Companies in the Washington, D.C. region. WBJ bases its ranking for the award on the three-year revenue growth rate of each company. GTT's performance and ranking is a result of a consistent and focused growth strategy providing cloud network services to multinational clients and extending secure network connectivity to any location in the world and any application in the cloud. In 2017, the company completed several strategic acquisitions including Hibernia Networks and Global Capacity. GTT also launched new services this year including optical transport, DDoS mitigation and its industry-leading SD-WAN serice, leveraging GTT's Tier 1 Internet backbone and extensive and cost-effective range of broadband and internet connectivity options. "We are proud to be recognized as one of the region's fastest growing companies by the Washington Business Journal," said Rick Calder (News - Alert), GTT president and CEO. "This award reflects GTT's growing leadership in the market and the outstanding contributions of the entire GTT team as we deliver on our purpose of connecting people across organizations and around the world." The Washington Business Journal's Fastest Growing Companies award rankings were announced on October 19 at a reception in McLean, Virginia. GTT has also been recognized with several other accolades in 2017, including Light Reading's (News - Alert) Leading Lights Award for Company of the Year, as well as Stevie Awards for Company of the Year, Fastest Growing Company of the Year and Executive of the Year at the American Business Awards and International Business Awards. About GTT GTT provides multinationals with a better way to reach the cloud through its suite of cloud networking services, including optical transport, wide area networking, internet, managed services, voice and video services. The company's Tier 1 IP network, ranked in the top five worldwide, connects clients to any location in the world and any application in the cloud. GTT delivers an outstanding client experience by living its core values of simplicity, speed and agility. For more information on how GTT is redefining global communications, please visit www.gtt.net. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023005396/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Investing in U.S. Universities Bosch recently hosted the first symposium of energy researchers supported by the Bosch Energy Research Network. BERN also awarded six energy research grants to researchers at five leading U.S. universities and awarded energy internships to 18 students. At the symposium 14 university research faculty presented and discussed research results on battery, powertrain, and energy conversion and management topics with Bosch engineers from across North America and Germany. The symposium was held for two days in Palo Alto (News - Alert), California. "We brought together some of the best research minds in the U.S. to the BERN Energy Symposium," said Hauke Schmidt, head of Corporate Research for Bosch in North America. "Through BERN we invest in the research of sustainable energy solutions in our quest to advance mobility of the future. These research relationships enable us to find and apply the best technologies for efficient and clean energy storage, conversion and management." Symposium presenters were from six BERN partner institutions: California Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; and the University of Michigan. Panel topics included ceramic solid-state and lithium batteries, battery materials modeling, solid electrolytes in battery applications, energy conversion, low-emission combustion, and software platforms for energy management. Several BERN awardees discussed technological advances in solid-state batteries that could enable lower-cost electric vehicles with a longer driving range and the potential of fast charging on the go. Professor Bill Goddard of Caltech presented new computational approaches to discovering electrolytes with improved ionic transport, while Professor Nitash Balsara of UC Berkeley laid out a methodology to measure transport properties in these materials. MIT (News - Alert) Professor Yet-Ming Chiang provided a new model for understanding electrical shorting in ceramic electrolytes and new guidelines for their mechanical properties. Professors Jeff Sakamoto of MIT and Neil Dasgupta of the University of Michigan highlighted the importance of contaminants on the surface of solid electrolytes and demonstrated that removal of these contaminants could increase battery performance by improving the wettability of lithium and lowering the interfacial resistance. These results bring a step change in understanding the fundamentals of solid-state battery physics and chemistry. BERN-sponsored research has unlocked new approaches to the development of these highly important batteries. Professor Huei Peng of the University of Michigan discussed his work toward expanding advanced power-split transmissions in hybrid lightweight trucks. Also from U-M, Professor Anthony Rowe presented his work with Professor Mario Berges on software platforms for real-time command and control of energy usage in indoor environments, including implementation of these systems in buildings in multiple U.S. locations. These two BERN collaborations continue through grant support from the U.S. Department of Energy: Professor Huei Peng of the University of Michigan and Bosch were awarded a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2016 to perform research on Optimal configuration, component sizing and control of a power-split system for medium-duty trucks. Professors Anthony Rowe and Mario Berges of Carnegie Mellon University and Bosch were awarded a U.S. Department of Energy BENEFIT grant, to start in 2017, for their work on Software platforms for demand-side energy management. BENEFIT stands for Building Energy Efficiency Frontiers and Innovation Technologies. Bosch plans to host this energy symposium annually. <>Bosch Energy Research Network and university research support BERN's long-term goal is to develop transformative energy technologies for series production. In spring 2017 BERN awarded a fourth round of energy research grants in North America, following a competitive grant selection process, which was held in late 2016. For this round, Bosch awarded six two-year grants to faculty from BERN partner universities. This $1.7 million in research support continues Bosch's longstanding investment in energy technologies and furthers collaboration with leading researchers. BERN has now funded 26 research grants at U.S. universities. 2017-18 BERN research grant recipients include: Optimizing ionic transport in polymer electrolytes. Professor Alfredo Alexander-Katz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Professor Alfredo Alexander-Katz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Local ion dynamics in solid-block copolymer electrolytes . Professor Nitasch Balsara, University of California at Berkeley. . Professor Nitasch Balsara, University of California at Berkeley. Instability mechanisms of fluid-structure interaction in a piezoelectric flow-energy harvester. Principal Investigator: Professor Tim Colonius, California Institute of Technology. Principal Investigator: Professor Tim Colonius, California Institute of Technology. Interfacial engineering of all-solid state batteries. Principal Investigator: Professor Neil Dasgupta, University of Michigan. Principal Investigator: Professor Neil Dasgupta, University of Michigan. Developing new methods for the accurate ionization potential calculation in polymer electrolyte modeling for energy storage. Principal Investigator: Professor Heather Kulik, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Principal Investigator: Professor Heather Kulik, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Designing safe and high-performing lithium-ion batteries based on a fully coupled multiphysics computational model and machine learning. Principal Investigator: Christian Linder, Stanford University. Internship Opportunities for future energy leaders BERN also supports internship opportunities at Bosch sites throughout North America for future engineers and leaders in development of energy-efficient products and practices. Since 2011 BERN has supported 106 interns, recruited from 14 universities, at Bosch locations in North America, including Palo Alto, California; Farmington Hills, Michigan; Hoffmann Estates, Illinois; Bethlehem and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Charleston, South Carolina; and Waltham, Massachusetts. BERN interns work alongside Bosch associates on a range of energy research and development topics. Global commitment to research At 120 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 59,000 associates in research and development; approximately 2,000 Bosch associates are dedicated to R&D in North America. BERN is the North American arm of the global Bosch InterCampus Program, a 2011 initiative created in 2011 to mark the 125th anniversary of the founding of Bosch. 50 million euros was designated over 10 years to support universities and research programs in Germany, China, India and the U.S. in the environment, energy and mobility fields. In North America, BERN has allocated more than $10 million over eight years in support of energy research and student internships. The BERN program is managed by the Bosch Research and Technology Center (RTC) in North America. For further information on the BERN program as well as updates on activities, visit www.bernprogram.com. About Bosch Having established a regional presence in 1906 in North America, the Bosch Group employs nearly 32,800 associates in more than 100 locations, as of December 31, 2016. In 2016 Bosch generated consolidated sales of $13.7 billion in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. For more information, visit www.boschusa.com, www.bosch.com.mx and www.bosch.ca. The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. The company employs roughly 390,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2016) and generated sales of 73.1 billion euros ($80.9 billion) in 2016. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT company, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, smart cities, connected mobility, and connected industry. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group's strategic objective is to create solutions for a connected life, and to improve quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is "Invented for life." The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch's global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company's future growth is its innovative strength. At 120 locations across the globe, Bosch employs 59,000 associates in research and development. Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com, http://twitter.com/BoschPresse. Exchange rate: 1 EUR = $1.1069 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023005971/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Launch of Canada's First Cryptocurrency Fund MONTREAL, Oct. 23, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Rivemont Investments ("Rivemont") is pleased to announce the launch of Canada's first cryptocurrency fund, the Rivemont Crypto Fund ("the Fund"), effective October 20, 2017. The Fund is available to accredited Canadian investors and clients of Canadian portfolio managers. Total cryptocurrency capitalization now exceeds $210 billion CAD, the best-known currency of this type being the Bitcoin. The Rivemont Crypto Fund, the first actively managed Canadian cryptocurrency fund, will initially invest primarily in the leading cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. It may also invet in various emerging altcoins, based on strong fundamentals, and could buy into ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings). The Fund is primarily a simplified vehicle for investing in the complex emerging cryptocurrency market, while taking advantage of the expertise of seasoned industry analysts. Cryptocurrencies may be the opportunity of a generation, as the Internet boom was in the 1990s. The implementation and adoption of this revolutionary technology is still in its infancy. "Some firms have announced the launch of similar funds," notes Rivemont President Martin Lalonde, "but the Rivemont Crypto Fund is the only one thus far that is really accessible to accredited Canadian investors." Fund Code: MAJ710 Founded in 2010, Rivemont is a portfolio management firm with offices in Montreal and Gatineau offering innovative investment strategies to investors seeking solid returns with effective management of market volatility. We offer traditional strategies for a private wealth clientele as well as alternative funds. For more information, visit www.rivemont.ca/en/crypto or email [email protected]. Units of the Rivemont Crypto Fund may fluctuate widely. The units are available under the National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus and Registration Exemptions and are therefore only available to accredited investors, including clients of portfolio managers. This document does not constitute a recommendation nor investment advice and is presented for information purposes only. SOURCE Rivemont Investments [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] The Symposium on the Canadian Defence and Security Market in Quebec opens today BOUCHERVILLE, QC, Oct. 23, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED), in partnership with Aero Montreal and STIQ, is making an announcement regarding the third Symposium on the Canadian defence and Security Market to be held today. The focus is on "Industrial Capabilities in Quebec." The event in a nutshell On this occasion, Jean R. Rioux , Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Harjit Singh Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, will be giving the opening remarks, which touch on the Government of Canada's new defence policy. Simon Jacques , President of Airbus, will give the keynote lunch address on Airbus's value chain in Canada , current R&D partnerships and how to do business with Airbus. The Symposium on the Canadian Defence and Security Market brings together prime contractors, original equipment manufacturers and SMEs and is intended to position Quebec , its businesses and its research institutions at the centre of defence and security business opportunities. The event also informs SMEs about business opportunities in the defence and security market and best practices for achieving success, in addition to giving an overview of the industrial capabilities of Quebec businesses that are already working in this market. Key Government of Canada stakeholdes (Public Services and Procurement Canada; Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada; the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces; the Coast Guard; and many more) will attend and be available to meet with participants. There will also be a chance to test the prototype of the Quebec Security Defence Portal. This portal provides an array of services for businesses and organizations that want to increase their activities in the security and defence sector. The potential impact of Canada's new defence policy on the industry will also be discussed. Quotes "The Innovation and Skills Plan launched earlier this year is based on three focus areas: people, technologies and companies. The major defence companies are leaders in the development of new technologies and do business in the global market. Today's meeting is an excellent opportunity for Canadian companies to take ownership of these technologies in order to succeed internationally." The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for CED "A specialist in industrial networking, the STIQ is pleased to co-organize the third Symposium on the Canadian Defence and Security Market, a key sector of the Quebec and Canadian economies in terms of innovation, exports and job creation. The event is also an opportunity to launch the new Quebec Security Defence Portal, which was developed jointly by the STIQ, Aero Montreal and Quebec International with support from the ministere de l'Economie, de la Science et de l'Innovation (MESI). The symposium and the portal are unique ways to showcase the expertise of Quebec enterprises in the defence and security sector, while informing all stakeholders in the industry about business opportunities related to major National Defence and Canadian Coastguard procurement projects. There is no doubt that these projects provide unique business opportunities for standout Quebec businesses." Richard Blanchet, President and Chief Executive Officer, STIQ "The defence sector provides very significant business opportunities for aerospace SMEs, contributing $9.5 billion directly and indirectly to the Canadian GDP, including $2.3 billion in Quebec alone. That is why we are making every effort to help and encourage our enterprises to invest in this market segment. With this in mind, the Government of Quebec tasked Aero Montreal, the STIQ and Quebec International this year with developing the Quebec Security Defence Portal, a tool that inventories the defence and security industrial capabilities of Quebec businesses. The purpose of the portal is to further optimize the effectiveness and tangible benefits of business development in defence and security companies by offering them concrete, up-to-date information on business opportunities in this growth sector." Suzanne Benoit, President, Aero Montreal Related links Defence procurement strategy ITBs Innovation and Skills Plan Watch the event live #SymposiumDS Stay connected Follow CED on Twitter and LinkedIn SOURCE Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Xplornet Communications Inc. Announces Major Investment in Manitoba Deal with NetSet Communications underlines Xplornet's continued growth; NetSet's extensive LTE network supports Xplornet's launch of mobile service in Manitoba WOODSTOCK, NB, Oct. 23, 2017 /CNW/ - Xplornet Communications Inc. ("Xplornet"), one of Canada's leading broadband service providers, is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement for the purchase of the Internet access business of NetSet Communications ("NetSet"). Based in Brandon, Manitoba, NetSet is a privately held telecommunications company founded in 2001 providing next generation broadband services throughout the Province of Manitoba. The acquisition is the largest in Xplornet's history and accelerates the company's continued expansion across Western Canada. "Confidence in our economy is growing and this announcement is a great example that Manitoba is the right place for businesses to invest, build and grow," said Blaine Pedersen, Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade. "The Manitoba government welcomes Xplornet's investment in the province and its commitment to providing wireless broadband service for Manitobans." "We are delighted to welcome NetSe customers to Xplornet," said Mr. Allison Lenehan, President and CEO of Xplornet. "We believe our customers share much in common. Like Xplornet, NetSet's customers live in rural and remote communities and just outside of major centres. We are committed to continuing the proud legacy that NetSet has established in the Province of Manitoba and look forward to connecting Manitobans to more of what matters online." Xplornet will maintain the NetSet Communications tradename and retain virtually all NetSet's employees and business operations in both Brandon and Winnipeg. NetSet's founder and former CEO, Charlie Clark, has agreed to serve in an advisory role supporting Xplornet's business operations in the Province. Xplornet will complement NetSet's existing services by further expanding its wireless Internet footprint, as well as adding new products, including satellite Internet, home phone, and mobile wireless service next year. "This is great news for NetSet's customers, employees, and for the Province of Manitoba," said Tami-Rae Rourke (Clements), former Chief Operating Officer and a co-founder of NetSet. "Xplornet and NetSet share similar roots, and a similar passion for delivering fast, affordable Internet services in rural Canada, and it is our customers, and consumers across the Province who will benefit." Xplornet is one of Canada's leading broadband service providers, with customers in every province and territory. Xplornet has been nationally recognized in four of the last five years as a Top Employer in Atlantic Canada, has been named a Canadian Telecom Employer of Choice for three years in a row. This year, Xplornet was named the best company to work for in Canada's telecommunications sector by Forbes Magazine. In 2016, NetSet's success and rapid growth was recognized by the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce, while Charlie Clark was named Business Person of the Year by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce in March of the same year. Recently, NetSet has made considerable investments in its network including upgrading to the latest Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology. This expansion will support Xplornet in offering more mobile choice to all Manitobans in 2018. The agreements have been signed and the closing is set for October 31, 2017. About Xplornet Communications Inc. Headquartered in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Xplornet Communications Inc. is one of Canada's leading broadband service providers. For over a decade, Xplornet has been providing innovative broadband solutions to rural customers at work, home and play across Canada. Today, Xplornet offers voice and data communication services through its unique wireless and satellite network that connects Canadians to what matters. SOURCE Xplornet Communications Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2017] Openmind Networks Secures Contracts with 20 Mobile Operators for its NFV Mobile Messaging Platform DUBLIN, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Openmind Networks has announced that it has now secured contracts with twenty Mobile Operators to deploy its completely NFV-compliant mobile messaging platform across Europe, Africa and Asia. Openmind Networks' NFV Messaging solution, Traffic Control 6000, has been specifically engineered to operate in an NFV environment, and supports seamless orchestration and management capabilities, ensuring that operators can maximize their NFV investments. With this new product, Openmind Networks is again proving it's ability to lead the industry in response to the changing business and technical needs of mobile operators. Mobile Operators are choosing Traffic Control 6000 because unlike other vendors Openmind have entirely re-developed their messaging engine to take advantage of the features and benefits of NFV technology. Openmind has designed the system to be flexible and scalable, and has automated the upgrade and management processes using containerisation and a Continuous Delivery model. This redesign is unique in the messaging space - as other vendors struggle to modernise their out-dated messaging platforms, Openmind's customers are reaping the benefits and power of the new NFV architecture. By interating to the NFV orchestration layer, Traffic Control 6000 can automatically scale-out, and scale-in depending on the number of messages processed by the system. This allows operators to better manage the use of their NFV infrastructure resources during the peaks and troughs of traffic load. Alex Duncan, CEO of Openmind Networks explained that "Another benefit is that our solution provides automatic software updates to our deployed systems, meaning our customers are always on the latest version of software. This allows them to easily introduce new functionality at any time and they are responding well to that flexibility." Traffic Control 6000, with its micro-services architecture, implements core network platforms such as SMSCs, MMSCs, USSD Gateways and RCS Application Servers as separate Virtual Network Functions in an NFV architecture. The platform supports both SS7 and IP-based messaging services, and provides value-added capabilities such as SMS and SS7 Firewalls and advanced Enterprise (A2P) Messaging Gateways. About Openmind Networks Openmind's Communication Platform is deployed in over 120 sites across 30 countries in Europe, Middle East, Asia and North America, powering over 1 Billion transactions every day. Customers include Mobile Operators, Inter-Carrier Operators, Social and Media providers. The technology provides a gateway for communication and the transfer of data that takes place between individuals, groups, Apps, Service Providers and machines. The platform offers their customers al interfaces required to deliver and develop these services. Openmind is headquartered in Dublin with regional offices in the Czech Republic, Kula Lumpur, UAE, USA and the Netherlands. Follow us on LinkedIn Twitter: @Openmind_Ntwks Web: http://www.openmindnetworks.com Media and Public Relations: Grainne Farrell, [email protected], Tel: +353-1-633-0070 SOURCE Openmind Networks [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Sony Releases the Industry's Highest Resolution(*1) 7.42 Effective Megapixel Stacked CMOS Image Sensor for Automotive Cameras TOKYO, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Corporation ("Sony") today announced the release of the IMX324, a new 1/1.7-type stacked CMOS image sensor equipped with the industry's highest resolution*1 7.42 effective megapixel RCCC filter*2 for forward-sensing cameras in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Sony will begin shipping samples in November 2017. *1 As of announcement on October 23, 2017, according to Sony research. *2 A color filter that combines R (red) and C (clear). Model name Sample shipment date Mass-production shipment date (planned) Sample price (excluding tax) IMX324 type 1/1.7, 7.42 effective megapixel CMOS image sensor for automotive cameras November 2017 June 2018 10,000 JPY This image sensor is capable of approximately three times the horizontal resolution of conventional products,*3 enabling high-definition image capture of distant objects such as road signs of up to 160 meters away*4. Moreover, the sensor is equipped with a pixel binning mode*5 achieving the high level of low lighting sensitivity of 2666 mV. This capability enables the capture of images such as pedestrians or obstacles, even in dark situations. The sensor is equipped with a unique function that captures dark sections at high-sensitivity settings as well as bright sections at high resolution alternatively, enabling high-precision image recognition when combined with post-signal processing. Sony is providing another industry-first innovation with the efficient stacked design of the IMX324. The pixel array and signal processing circuit is layered allowing for a compact size and low power consumption while still delivering the industry's highest resolution. IMX324 is expected to offer compatibility with the "EyeQ4" and "EyeQ5" image processors currently being developed by Mobileye, an Intel Company headquartered in Israel, for use in ADAS and autonomous vehicle technology. The new sensor also leads the industry with a security feature that protects the output image from being altered in any way, a first*6 for image sensors in the automotive cameras vertical. The industry-leading sensor is on track to meet the AEC-Q100 Grade 2 reliability testing standards for automotive electronic components by June 2018. Sony has also introduced ISO-26262 automotive functional safety compliant development process to ensure that design quality satisfying the functional safety requirements for an ASIL B(D) *7 level automotive product. *3 When compared to IMX224MQV. *4 With a FOV 32 lens on the camera. *5 Reading mode that adds multiple pixel data to further raise sensitivity. *6 As of October 2017, according to Sony research. *7 This image sensor supports ASIL B (safety goal of the system is ASIL D) requirements. Main Features 1. 7.42 megapixels the industry's highest resolution*1 for image sensors for automotive cameras The new image sensor is capable of approximately three times the horizontal resolution of conventional products *3 which enables high-definition image capture of distant road signs approximately 160 meters*4 ahead of the camera. 2. High sensitivity of 2666 mV (Standard value F5.6, when using pixel binning mode) The sensor is equipped with a pixel binning mode for increasing the sensitivity in low-light environments. The pixel binning mode on this sensor adds data from a total of four pixels and processes it as a single pixel to enhance the sensitivity when reading image data. The pixel binning mode and RCCC filter*2 together achieve the high sensitivity of 2666 mV, making it possible to capture images of distant objects, obstacles and people even in low-light environments down to 0.1 lux, equivalent to moonlight. Also, by switching between pixel binning mode and full pixel mode for each frame it is possible to capture bright sections illuminated by the headlights in high resolution, and dark sections not illuminated by headlights at high sensitivity, thereby enabling high-precision image recognition when combined with post-signal processing 3. Industry's first*6 automotive grade stacked image sensor that delivers both a compact size and low power consumption through implementation of a stacked configuration that arranges the pixel array and signal processing circuits on different layers. 4. Meets quality standards and functions required for automotive applications Set to meet the requirements of AEC-Q100 Grade 2 automotive electronic component reliability tests by June 2018 . . ISO 26262 automotive functional safety compliant development process. Supports functional safety requirement level ASIL B (D) *7 . . Equipped with an industry-first*6 security feature that protects the output image from being altered. Key Specifications Model name IMX324 Number of effective pixels 3849 (H) x 1929 (V) 7.42 megapixels Image size Diagonal 9.69mm (type 1/1.7) Unit cell size 2.25m (H) x 2.25m (V) Frame rate Full Resolution Max. 40 fps Sensitivity (F5.6 standard value, 1/30 second exposure time) 784 mV (Clear Pixel), 2666 mV (pixel binning mode) Dynamic range (EMVA1288 standard) 120dB Saturation signal (minimum value) 800mV Power supply Analog 2.9V Digital 1.1V Interface 1.8V Interface MIPI CSI-2 serial output (4 lane / 2 lane) Package 108pin plastic BGA Package size 13.23mm x 8.97mm * Product names mentioned here are registered trademarks of their respective owners. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sony-releases-the-industrys-highest-resolution1-742-effective-megapixel-stacked-cmos-image-sensor-for-automotive-cameras-300540977.html SOURCE Sony Corporation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Photo by via Navid Baraty's Flickr We rely on your support to make local news available to all Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today [October 23, 2017] NANOBIOTIX completes patient inclusion for Phase II/III trial of NBTXR3 in soft tissue sarcoma Nanobiotix completes patient inclusion for Phase II/III trial of NBTXR3 in soft tissue sarcoma Paris, France and Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, October 23, 2017 - NANOBIOTIX NANOBIOTIX (Euronext: NANO - ISIN: FR0011341205), a late clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering new approaches to the treatment of cancer, today announced that it has completed patient inclusion for the Phase II/III trial (Act.In.Sarc) of its lead product candidate, NBTXR3, in soft tissue sarcoma. The last patients are expected to start their treatment in two to three weeks. Elsa Borghi, Nanobiotix's Chief Medical Officer commented: "We are pleased to have reached this important milestone in Nanobiotix's soft tissue sarcoma study, and we look forward to reporting our first data next year." The pivotal international Phase II/III study in soft tissue sarcoma was launched in Europe and Asia in October 2014 and aims to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of NBTXR3, a first-in-class radio-enhancer that could potentially target most solid tumors. The Phase II/III study is a prospective, randomized, multi-center, open label and active controlled two-arm study of 156 patients with locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma. The trial's primary endpoint is the complete pathological response rate. The secondary endpoints are the objective response rate (ORR) by imaging (MRI); the evaluation of the safety profile in terms of clinical and laboratory adverse events; the tumor volume changes; the resection margins and the limb amputation rate. Furthermore, an exploratory analysis of the progression free survival is planned once the follow-up period has been completed for all treated patients. Nanobiotix expects to present the results of its Phase II/III trial in soft tissue sarcoma in the first half of 2018. For more information about the study: Clinical trial.gov and http://www.actinsarc.com/ . *** About NANOBIOTIX: www.nanobiotix.com Nanobiotix (Euronext: NANO / ISIN: FR0011341205) is a late clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering novel approaches for the treatment of cancer. The Company's first-in-class, proprietary technology, NanoXray, enhances radiotherapy energy with a view to providing a new, more efficient treatment for cancer patients. NanoXray products are compatible with current radiotherapy treatments and are meant to treat potentially a wide variety of solid tumors including soft tissue sarcoma, head and neck cancers, liver cancers, prostate cancer, breast cancer, glioblastoma, etc., via multiple routes of administration. NBTXR3 is being evaluated in: soft tissue sarcoma (STS), head and neck cancers, prostate cancer, and liver cancers (primary and metastases). Additionally, head and neck cancer and rectal cancer trials led by Nanobiotix's Taiwanese partner, PharmaEngine, are underway in the Asia Pacific region. The Company filed in August 2016 for market approval (CE Marking) in Europe for its lead product NBTXR3. In 2016 the Company started a new preclinical research program in Immuno-oncology with its lead product NBTXR3, which could have the potential to bring a new dimension to cancer immunotherapies. Nanobiotix is listed on the regulated market of Euronext in Paris (ISIN: FR0011341205, Euronext ticker: NANO, Bloomberg: NANO: FP). The Company's Headquarters is based in Paris, France, with a U.S. affiliate in Cambridge, MA. Contact Nanobiotix Sarah Gaubert Director, Communications & Public Affairs +33 (0)1 40 26 07 55 [email protected] / [email protected] Noel Kurdi Director, Investor Relations +1 (646) 241-4400 [email protected] / [email protected] Media relations France - Springbok Consultants Marina Rosoff +33 (0)6 71 58 00 34 [email protected] United States - RooneyPartners Marion Janic +1 (212) 223-4017 [email protected] Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Nanobiotix and its business. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that Nanobiotix considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that the estimates contained in such forward-looking statements will be verified, which estimates are subject to numerous risks including the risks set forth in the reference document of Nanobiotix filed with the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des Marches Financiers) under number D.17-0470 on April 28, 2017 (a copy of which is available on www.nanobiotix.com) and to the development of economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which Nanobiotix operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Nanobiotix or not currently considered material by Nanobiotix. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Nanobiotix to be materially different from such forward-looking statements. This press release and the information that it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe for, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for, Nanobiotix shares in any country. At the moment NBTXR3 does not bear a CE mark and is not permitted to be placed on the market or put into service until NBTXR3 has obtained a CE mark. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] PAX First Terminal Vendor to Obtain Mir certification SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PAX Technology Limited (HKSE stock code:00327.HK), one of the worlds leading electronic payment terminals solutions providers, has been granted Mir certification on its payment terminal range in Russia. The Mir card payment system is operated by the National Card Payment System (NSPK), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia). Today, over 19 million Mir cards have been issued and NSPK plans to have them acquired outside Russia through co-badging deals with MasterCard, Japans JCB, American Express and Chinas Union Pay. The Mir certification granted to PAX covers the SP30 model, with the mobile wireless terminals S920 and S900, and multilane S300 smartPINpad due to follow suit shortly. Mr. Larry Sun, VP at PAX, said: "As the importance of the Mir card payment system grows, PAX is proud to be the first POS terminal vendor to obtain this certification in Russia, a sign of our commitment to the Russian market through our local channel partner, the Inpas Group. Mr. Jack Lu, CEO at PAX, concluded: Usage of the Mir card payment system is expected to grow, with proposed Russian legislation mandating that all welfare payments be processed through the system by January 2018, and as such PAX and Inpas will continue to focus on delivering payment terminal solutions tailored to Russian market requirements. About PAX (www.pax.com.cn) PAX Technology is an innovative global provider of electronic payment solutions, offering world-class, cost-effective and superior quality products. Building on its service excellence and proven leadership position, PAX is one of the fastest growing payment industry suppliers with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, excellent R&D capabilities and a worldwide network of sales and channel partners. PAX is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange as PAX Global Technology Ltd. (0327.HK). Contact: Mandy +86-755-2661-2501 [email protected] [October 23, 2017] Geoswift Partners With Bank of Shanghai to Launch Payment Remittance Services The new service will enable global businesses and individuals to remit funds into China securely and efficiently LAS VEGAS, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Geoswift, a leading provider of cross-border payments between China and the rest of the world, announced its partnership with Bank of Shanghai to launch a new remittance service in 2017. This announcement was made at Money 20/20 Las Vegas today. This partnership will enable businesses and individuals globally to remit funds into China through a secure and efficient medium that is well recognized by China's regulators, combining the network and market expertise of Geoswift and Bank of Shanghai. This service allows continuous real-time remittance of funds from seven currencies USD, GBP, HKD, CAD, AUD, JPY and EUR to the local currency RMB for recipients in China. The service uses a fixed daily rate to minimize risks arising out of foreign exchange fluctuations, and is designed to provide ease of transaction and transparency for both the sender and receiver. Factors such as the mobility of labor, rise in global emigrants, as well as the e-commerce boom have been instrumental in the popularity of digital remittances. According to the latest statistics from the World Bank1, China has received a total of US$32.2 billion worth of personal remittance in 2016. Geoswift performs transactions between China and he rest of the world through online and offline payment services, operating across key segments in travel, e-commerce and education. Raymond Qu, Founder and CEO of Geoswift said, "We are proud to be partnering with Bank of Shanghai in delivering swift, secure and efficient remittance services for our clients and partners globally. Given our expertise in understanding the requirements of China's authorities, we are strategically positioned to guide businesses and consumers through the complex regulatory system in China." "Our aim has always been to simplify transactions amidst the multilayered and constantly changing regulatory environment in China. The fact that Geoswift operates at a global scale with its roots deeply embedded in China -- makes our knowledge and expertise of the Chinese market our core capability. With regards to remittances, we understand that speed and clarity play a key role in the cross-border payments and remittance process. High standards of regulatory compliance is key to our business success and why we continue to work with global financial partners and merchants." Geoswift will be exhibiting at Money 20/20, October 22 - 25, 2017. Feel free to drop by booth 1634 for more information. 1 The World Bank Group, Personal remittances received. 2016. About Geoswift Geoswift is an innovative payment technology company connecting China and the rest of the world. The company comprises the world's leading payment technology experts that have a deep understanding of the industry, technology, and global and China monetary policy. Geoswift provides clients with customised one-stop cross-border payment solutions to and from China. Geoswift is relied upon by the world's leading e-commerce companies, most prestigious universities and the largest brands in the travel industry to grow their businesses. Geoswift is an acquirer of UnionPay International in North America, and a long-term partner of many other leading financial institutions. It also maintains numbers of currency exchange outlets throughout mainland China. Geoswift is headquartered in Hong Kong with operating offices in Shanghai, Singapore, London, Vancouver, Seattle and San Francisco for strategic and regulatory functions. For more information visit, please visit www.geoswift.com or send in your queries to [email protected]. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Fintech startup, Trade Ledger, launches world-first tech to help banks fight off global tech giants SYDNEY, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Career technologists, Martin McCann and Dr. Matthias Born, are launching a world-first lending tech for banks and traditional lenders that will help to equip them against competition from tech giants such as Facebook, Tencent, and eBay wanting to enter financial services. Trade Ledger is the world's first business lending platform that transforms digital data from business supply chains in real time, allowing banks to assess and regularly update credit and default risk of businesses they lend to. Currently this is only done on a one-off or infrequent basis on a very small sample of invoices, and not on any other trade documents. The platform will finally give banks more advanced network and data analysis technology than global technology companies, in a lending segment that has long suffered from a lack of technological innovation. "Banks and other business lenders have never been able to accurately leverage quality operational data to determine business lending risk, as a result there is a loan undersupply to the tune of AU$60 billion each year in Australia, and AU$2.1 trillion globally," said Martin McCann, CEO and Co-Founder of Trade Ledger. "But as the global economy increasingly transitions towards smaller, high-growth businesses, banks have an obligation to learn how to supply workig capital needed by these businesses for sustained growth. If they don't learn to do this, it's also only a matter of time before technology giants figure out how to resolve the problem, and swoop in. "The challenge for banks is improving both its cost/income ratio and capital efficiencies within a segment considered higher risk, and Trade Ledger offers the first open banking platform that resolves both of these challenges. "This represents a huge opportunity for local Australian banks and specialist business lenders to export financial services globally -- so long as they jump on the opportunity to do so before oversees competitors do," continued Martin McCann. The idea for the platform came about when the Trade Ledger co-founders realised that the increasing digitisation of business supply chains provided an opportunity to connect the business financial supply chain directly to the bank. They also wanted to provide a way for banks' customers to apply for funding in just a few minutes, compared to the current 30-hour average process, helping them to directly compete with more tech-savvy entrants such as fintechs and large tech companies. "For the first time, banks and other traditional lenders will be able to use the digital information being created in supply chains to predict the exact probability of an individual invoice default at any given time," continued Martin McCann. "SMEs will also no longer be treated as one homogeneous, high risk group of borrowers, when differences in corporate structure, business model, cash flow need, degree of technology adoption, scalability, and a multitude of other characteristics that can change hourly all affect default and fraud risk levels significantly," concluded Martin McCann. For more information: www.tradeledger.io Trade Ledger is the world's first open digital banking platform helping banks assess business lending risk in real time. This will help banks address the US$1.7 trillion global undersupply in trade finance lending, and provide high-growth companies with much-needed working capital. Media contact Hannah Moreno: [email protected] or 61 (0)452523117 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fintech-startup-trade-ledger-launches-world-first-tech-to-help-banks-fight-off-global-tech-giants-300540436.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Gilmore & Bell Adds New Attorneys in Salt Lake City Gilmore & Bell, P.C. is pleased to announce that Caitlin M. Benson and Aaron B. Wade have joined the Firm in the Salt Lake City office. Caitlin M. Benson is an associate of the Firm in the Salt Lake City office. She was admitted to the Utah Bar in 2017 and is a 2017 graduate from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. During law school, Ms. Benson won two CALI Excellence for the Future Awards and one Outstanding Achievement Award for her top performance in the areas of Constitutional Law, Judicial Process, and Property Law. She also served as an Executive Editor for the Utah Law Review and represented the College in the Western States Region, Transactional Law Meet, where she was awarded Best Agreement. Prior to joining Gilmore & Bell, Ms. Benson clerked in the legal department for a public utility, interned at the Securities and Exchange Commission, externed for the honorable Chief Judge David Nuffer of the United States District Court for the District of Utah, and worked as a law clerk for the Utah Office of the Attorney General. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Benson graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and was formerly a licensed teacher in the State of Utah. Aaron B. Wade is an associate of the Firm in the Salt Lake City office. Mr. Wade was admitted to the Utah Bar in 2017. He received dual B.S. degrees from Utah State University in Finance and Economics in 2012 (magna cum laude) and his J.D. (with highest honors) from the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law in 2017 where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif. During law school, he served as a Note and Comment Editor for the Utah Law Review and won the Western Region as a member of the Transactional Law Meet team. Prior to law school Mr. Wade worked as an analyst at Goldman Sachs. About Gilmore & Bell Gilmore & Bell is one of the leading public finance law firms in the United States. For more than 20 years, Gilmore & Bell has ranked in the top 10 nationally in the number of bond counsel opinions rendered on municipal bond issues. The Firm primarily represents states, counties, cities, school districts and other governmental and quasi-governmental entities as bond counsel in public finance transactions. Gilmore & Bell has offices in Utah, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Illinois. For more information, visit us at www.gilmorebell.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023005200/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] DT Research Announces First Complete Vehicle Mount Tablet Solution Purpose-built for First Responders, Field Service and Military PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IACP 2017 - DT Research, the leading designer and manufacturer of purpose-built computing solutions for vertical markets, today announced a complete vehicle mount tablet solution that includes a 12.5 inch Full HD display tablet (optional 4K Ultra HD) with a slim folding keyboard cradle. This is the first rugged tablet and vehicle mount solution designed by one manufacturer to ensure guaranteed compatibility and seamless interoperability for superior information capture/transfer and mobile communications through a dual pass-through antenna. The light, durable and highly reliable IP65 military standard DT325T tablet can be used in and out of vehicles or wall mounted. DT Research carefully designed these purpose-built tablets for first responders, military, law enforcement, field service, manufacturing and warehousing environments. The DT325T rugged tablet and mounting solution will be showcased at the IACP 2017 Conference (International Association of Chiefs of Police) in Philadelphia from October 21-24, 2017 in booth 1710. We saw a need in the market for a more versatile tablet that could be used in and out of vehicles, said Daw Tsai Sc.D., president of DT Research. Other mountable tablets are too bulky and do not consider how the tablets will be used in real-world situations. Our vehicle mount tablet solution mirrors the unique features needed in first responder, law enforcement and field service environments. To address the unique needs of first responders, DT Research designed the DT325T rugged tablet with support for Windows HELLO Face Authentication and optional 4K Ultra HD Displays. The tablet includes DT Researchs signature hot-swappable battery pack to avoid downtime in time-critical situations. Vehicle Mount Cradle with Fold-up Keyboard The mount cradle keeps the tablet compact inside vehicles, protects the tablet screen and offers more room for the driver and passenger. The unique 180 egree fold-up keyboard is highly durable with a full-function adjustable backlit keyboard, USB ports, and a touchpad that supports Windows gestures. For non-vehicle use, the tablet can also be mounted using a VESA standard mount. Dual Pass-through Antenna For the ultimate in and out of vehicle communications, the DT Research vehicle mount tablet solution includes GPS and 4G LTE communications. High Performance CPU With Intels first U-series Quad Core processor, the Intel 8th Generation Core Kaby Lake Refresh is up to 40% faster than the 7th Generation Kaby Lake (the 6th Generation Skylake is also available). Another important benefit of quad core processing is superior multitasking. In todays demanding fields, its not uncommon to see many applications running concurrently. Under such conditions, a processor with fewer cores needs to run at peak frequency to handle the heavy workload. This results in poor performance and high power consumption. By doubling the cores, it results in lower power consumption, thus increasing the battery life. Face Authentication Delivering authentication 3X faster than passwords for time-sensitive situations, the DT325T rugged tablets include an IR (3D) front camera with support for Windows HELLO Face Authentication. Users can avoid common challenges associated with fingerprint authentication in rugged environments. 4K Ultra HD Display The optional 4K 16:9 High resolution 3840 x 2160 display offers 4X the pixels to deliver sharper images in a variety of environments. The brilliant standard full HD display includes LED backlight and capacitive touch. High Capacity Hot-Swappable Battery Pack Delivers 60 or 90 watts for up to 15 hours of continuous mobile communications. Additional features of the DT325T tablet includes: Built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RJ45, and optional mobile broadband connection Built-in full slot smart card reader Built-in mini-HDMI Optional camera, RFID reader, GNSS, 2D barcode scanner To add to the flexible use, the DT325T tablet is complemented by a variety of accessories. These accessories include: hot swappable battery packs, keyboards, desktop and mountable charging cradles, battery gang chargers, and digital pens. Availability The DT325T Rugged Tablet and Vehicle Mount solution will be available from DT Researchs authorized resellers and partners in Q1 2018. About DT Research DT Research, an early Mobile Tablet pioneer and leading designer and manufacturer of purpose-built computing systems for vertical markets, delivers the worlds most comprehensive line of Rugged and Industrial-grade Tablets, Mobile POS Tablets, Digital Signage Systems and Medical Computing Solutions. DT Research products are uniquely designed with customizable built-in options assembled in California, providing customers with rapid time-to-market solutions. The DT Research family of products is based on embedded computing platforms that power secure, reliable and cost-effective computing. DT Research systems offer computing mobility within industrial and harsh environments through durable solutions with wireless connectivity, high-quality touch displays, and Windows operating systems. More than 200 organizations across the globe rely on DT Research solutions in industries such as government, healthcare, hospitality, logistics, military, retail and warehousing. DT Research is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California with offices in China and Taiwan. For more information, visit www.dtresearch.com and follow @dtresearch, #MobileTablets and #RuggedTablets. DT Research and WebDT are trademarks of DT Research, Inc. All other brands and product names may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Media Contacts: Barbara Reichert Reichert Communications, LLC [email protected] o) 650-548-1002 m) 415-225-2991 Gabrielle Marshall DT Research [email protected] o) 408-934-6192 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Cambrex Adds Large Scale Manufacturing Capacity at Its Charles City, Iowa Facility EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cambrex Corporation (NYSE:CBM), the leading manufacturer of small molecule innovator and generic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), today announced the completion of an expansion to its large scale production capacity at its Charles City, Iowa plant. The investment included the installation of 1,000 and 4,000 gallon glass lined reactors in addition to ancillary equipment. The new reactors have been installed in the 7,500 sq. ft. multi-purpose manufacturing facility which opened at the site in 2016. This brings the cGMP reactor capacity in this newest facility to 23,000 gallons, with the total capacity at the Charles City facility now approximately 107,000 gallons. Cambrex continues to experience strong demand for large scale small molecule API manufacturing, commented Shawn Cavanagh, COO of Cambrex. He added, Charles City is a key strategic site within our global manufacturing network and this additioal capacity enables us to take on new customer projects, as well as offering the flexibility for projects to be transferred in from other Cambrex sites as needed. This latest expansion follows the announcement of the construction of a $24M, 4,500 sq. ft. highly potent API (HPAPI) manufacturing facility at the Charles City facility, which is due to open in 2019. Cambrexs Charles City, Iowa facility is located on a 45-acre site and manufactures a wide range of APIs and pharmaceutical intermediates, including highly potent molecules and controlled substances. The facility is one of only a limited number authorized by the US DEA to import narcotic raw materials at commercial scale. About Cambrex Cambrex Corporation is an innovative life sciences company that provides products, services and technologies to accelerate the development and commercialization of small molecule therapeutics. The company offers Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), advanced intermediates and enhanced drug delivery products for branded and generic pharmaceuticals. Development and manufacturing capabilities include enzymatic biotransformations, high potency APIs, high energy chemical synthesis and controlled substances. For more information, please visit www.cambrex.com Contact: Alex Maw Director, Marketing and Communications Tel: +44 7803 443 155 Email: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Flexera to Present on Open Source for Executives and Developers at All Things Open 2017 ITASCA, Ill., Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHAT: Flexera will be presenting at All Things Open 2017 in Raleigh, North Carolina October 23 - 24. All Things Open is the largest open technology event on the East Coast, gathering the top technologists and decision makers, to discuss open source, open technology and open Web in the enterprise. Flexera will be exhibiting in Booth 65 and holding two speaking sessions: Open Source 101 for Executives on October 23 at 10:30 a.m. in the Business Track, Room 201, covering how: Open Source typically comprises 50 percent of a commercial product Typical software teams are only aware of less than 10 percent of their Open Source Software (OSS) usage Untracked Open Source leads to security vulnerabilities and license compliance problems Well-designed Open Source intake and management processes reduce risk Open Source typically comprises 50 percent of a commercial product Typical software teams are only aware of less than 10 percent of their Open Source Software (OSS) usage Untracked Open Source leads to security vulnerabilities and license compliance problems Well-designed Open Source intake and management processes reduce risk What Every Developer Needs to Know about Open Source License Compliance & Security on October 24 at 12:15 p.m. in the Front-End Engineering Track, Room 306B, addressing how: Open Source appears in many forms from source code to binary in a codebase Traditional static analysis tools arent sufficient for finding or managing vulnerabilities related to Open Source component usage Companies arent doing enough to educate developers and managers about Open Source WHO: Jeff Luszcz, Vice President of Product Management at Flexera WHERE: Raleigh Convention Center 500 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 WHEN: October 23 and 24 Follow us on LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Google+ RSS About Flexera Flexera is reimagining the way software is bought, sold, managed and secured. We view the software industry as a supply chain, and make the business of buying and selling software more transparent, secure and effective. Our Monetization and Security solutions help software sellers transform their business models, grow recurring revenues and minimize open source risk. Our Vulnerability and Software Asset Management (SAM) solutions strip waste and unpredictability out of buying applications, helping companies purchase only the software and cloud services they need, manage what they have, and reduce license compliance and security risk. In business for 30+ years, our 1000+ employees are passionate about helping our 80,000+ customers generate millions in ROI every year. Visit us at www.flexera.com. *All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more information, contact: Flexera Amanda Ingalls +1 (949) 241-1515 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] CAIS Wins 2017 Wealth Management Industry Award for Second Consecutive Year As Platform Surpasses $5 Billion Milestone NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CAIS was awarded the 2017 Wealth Management Industry Award for Outstanding Achievement in Hedge Funds/Private Equity for the second year in a row at the Wealth Management Industry Awards in New York City on October 11, 2017. From a field of 500 companies across a variety of award categories, CAIS was acknowledged for the rapid expansion of its hedge fund and private equity product menu along with its efforts to integrate with other wealth management platforms and enhance the advisor experience. CAIS hit another important industry milestone earlier this fall when it surpassed $5.0 billion in total platform volume, solidifying its position as the industry's leading financial product platform for the independent wealth community. The company is on track to grow its curated menu of products by another 25% by year-end. "We are 100% dedicated to providing independent advisors access to a broad selection of products and services, empowering them to compete with the large wirehouses," said Matt Brown, CAIS Founder and CEO. "It's gratifying to be recognized for the value we're providing to the independent wealth industry at the same time that we are experiencing exponential organic growth." Founded in 2009, CAIS serves as the primary gateway to the multi-trillion dollar independent wealth channel for private equity funds, hedge funds, real estate funds and bank-sponsored captal markets opportunities. The platform's advisor-friendly dashboard offers easy access to a diversified menu of funds at lower investment minimums. Upon selecting a fund, the investment experience is streamlined through the use of existing investor profiles as well as an automated subscription process and integrated custodial reporting capabilities. All funds on the platform are required to undergo independent due diligence by Mercer and summary reports and ratings are made available on the platform to all advisor members. Recognizing that advisors must increasingly work across multiple wealth management platforms to accomplish their goals, CAIS has focused on facilitating platform integrations that make it possible for advisors to access CAIS's products and research from their platform of choice rather than requiring the advisor to come to CAIS's platform. "Our platform members include thousands of advisors across the independent wealth community including registered investment advisors, RIA aggregation platforms and independent broker-dealers," said Brad Walker, CAIS Managing Director and Head of Alternative Investments. "We are laser-focused on delivering an unparalleled platform experience to advisors as well as the many product providers that we serve." CAIS has integrated directly with the enterprise portals of several respected wealth management firms and members of the CAIS platform can now subscribe to receive CAIS product and research updates directly in their browsers regardless of the platform they happen to be using. The CAIS platform has established single sign-on capabilities with the Orion, Envestnet and Tamarac platforms to allow seamless access across platforms. CAIS can now also publish content, product and research updates directly to members within the existing user experience of the Orion and Envestnet platforms. While CAIS will serve advisors in whatever platform they choose to operate, the CAIS platform's navigation and content have also been enhanced to intuitively introduce advisors to the nuances of alternative investment asset classes and capital markets offerings via a guided tour of relevant research from Mercer and other partners. CAIS remains committed to harnessing the full array of its distribution and technical capabilities for the entire independent wealth channel, benefiting RIAs, IBDs and product providers alike. About CAIS CAIS is the leading financial product platform offering independent wealth management professionals access to a diversified menu of funds and products. CAIS provides streamlined execution to an expanding list of alternative investment funds, IPOs and follow-ons, and structured notes. CAIS delivers a suite of portfolio construction and reporting tools, and complements its fund offering with independent due diligence provided by Mercer. CAIS is an NFA member with securities offered through CAIS Capital LLC, member FINRA, SIPC. For more information about CAIS, visit https://www.caisgroup.com/ Media Contact: Andrew Jennings JConnelly (973) 224-7152 [email protected] View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cais-wins-2017-wealth-management-industry-award-for-second-consecutive-year-as-platform-surpasses-5-billion-milestone-300540641.html SOURCE CAIS [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Kuebix Announces the First Free Multimodal Transportation Management System (TMS); Empowers Shippers with Unlimited Rating, Booking and Tracking of LTL, TL & Parcel Freight MAYNARD, Mass., Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Logistics technology innovator Kuebix today announced Kuebix Shipper, the industrys first free, multi-mode transportation management system (TMS). Kuebix Shipper gives logistics managers a free solution for unlimited rating, booking, tracking and management of shipments across LTL, truckload and parcel carriers. The evolution of freight is upon us and it all begins with an intelligent TMS, explained Kuebix Founder and President Dan Clark. At Kuebix, we believe all shippers should have the ability to rate, book and track freight directly with their carriers for free; similar to the way you can rate, book and track on Internet travel sites. To jump start this evolution, Kuebix will empower the shipper by democratizing basic transportation management through its free Kuebix Shipper TMS. Now, shippers of all sizes can get the power of a TMS that was only available to larger enterprises in the past. The free TMS enables logistics managers to be up and running in minutes with direct access to their negotiated carrier rates and the ability to take advantage of the vibrant community of carriers offering spot/volume quotes for specific shipping needs. Companies that aren't yet looking at TMS as part of their technology investment strategy should look into this in order to not fall behind, according to Gartner, Inc. research. TMS in the cloud has evolved from a buyer option to a default, with a high percentage of Gartner clients during TMS inquiries asking for cloud-based TMS options. Enhancements in freight procurement, audit and payment, and support for more modes of transportation (e.g., intermodal, parcel, rail, air and private/deicated fleets); visibility/event management (track and trace); and performance management add to the value of TMSs beyond the traditional boundaries of better load planning and electronic freight tendering.* Kuebix expects tens of thousands of shippers to take advantage of this free technology, building a massive global community where Kuebix can efficiently help the industry match capacity to demand across supply chains. Similar to how the widespread adoption of affordable smart phones changed the way we communicate and interact, a TMS that is available to all businesses and all budgets will have the same impact on the shipping community, continued Clark. As your smartphone has been the tool moving us into this collaborative digital era, the TMS will be that tool for the shipping world. This free, cloud-based TMS provides businesses invaluable freight intelligence to quickly reduce their shipping costs and regain time being wasted chasing carriers for rating and tracking information every day. Kuebix Shipper returns the power to the shipper, providing every business a long-awaited alternative to outsourcing business-critical functions to third-party logistics service providers or using resource-intensive manual processes. Leveraging Salesforces Force.com platform and other leading cloud technologies, the free Kuebix Shipper TMS enables logistics managers to get up and running in a matter of minutes. Kuebix has invested heavily in building a complete library of web service integrations to all the major North American carriers allowing Kuebix Shipper users to begin shipping faster than with any other TMS on the market today. *Gartner, Key Considerations for Supply Chain Leaders Evaluating Transportation Management Systems, 11 April 2017 About Kuebix Founded by a freight industry technology innovator, Kuebix offers a transportation management system (TMS) with Freight Intelligence that enables companies to capitalize on supply chain opportunities through visibility, control and the use of predictive analytics. Kuebix is democratizing the rating, booking and tracking of freight with its free TMS, Kuebix Shipper, which can be ready to use in minutes. Shippers looking for financial management, advanced analytics and other premium features can upgrade to Kuebix Business Pro and then seamlessly add Premier Applications and Integrations as needed. Kuebix also offers unique Managed Service Programs to businesses looking to partially or fully outsource transportation management. Follow Kuebixs quest to #freetheshipper on social media. Contacts: Sarah Clark Senior Director of Marketing & Communications Kuebix [email protected] 978-298-2157 Becky Boyd VP, MediaFirst PR [email protected] 770-642-2080 x 214 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] We rely on your support to make local news available to all Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today [October 23, 2017] Wipro Cited as a Leader in Everest Group PEAK Matrix for IT Security Services Wipro (News - Alert) Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today announced that it has been recognized as a 'Leader' by Everest Group, a global independent consulting and research firm, in its report titled "IT Security Services- Market Trends and PEAK MatrixTM Assessment 2017: Security- the Biggest Digital Insecurity". The report analyzed the capabilities of 17 leading global IT service providers on Everest Group's PEAK Matrix. Wipro has been named as a Leader for its strong global delivery network with a transformational mind-set, and its ability to deliver high quality of services across regions and service segments, in terms of both execution and responsiveness. The report highlights the trends influencing the IT security services market, focusing on the increasing complexities, size and variety of security threats. The report states that the rapid digitalization has made the enterprise IT security landscape highly complex and challenging to handle. With the proliferation in digital touch points, enterprises are now required to take a more intelligence-driven, holistic security approach to deal with this rapidly changing threat landscape. Elaborating on Wipro's vision and focus on IT security services capabilities, Sheetal Mehta, Vice President and Global Head, Cybersecurity & Risk Services, Wipro Limited said, "Being recognized as a leader in this report by Everest Group reflects our commitment to providing world-class IT security services to our clients. It is a testimony to the trust our clients place in their partnership with Wipro and demonstrates our focus on innovation and client centricity. Our vision for IT security is to simplify digital risk management, secure information and build business resilience. We am to achieve this by enabling digital trust, strengthening cyber intelligence, modernizing the core and collaborating to win." Wipro's top-down risk-based approach to security and real-time consumption of Threat Intelligence has given it the ability to propose client-specific initiatives along with the strong technical expertise that helps in defining strategy for security roadmaps for its clients. About Wipro Limited Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have over 160,000 dedicated employees serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future. Forward-looking and Cautionary Statements Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property, and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023005789/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Zensurance Selected as Finalist for Three Insurance Industry Awards Recognizing Top Brokerages and Digital Innovators TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The technology startup is a finalist for the 'Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario's Innovator of the Year Award', which celebrates top performing brokers and brokerages in the province. Zensurance takes the headache out of commercial insurance by using data analytics to present business owners with the coverage they need. Zensurance has been noticed for creating a seamless process to providing insurance coverage all online and in 10 minutes or less. The fast-growing startup is also a finalist for two Insurance Business Awards: the Keal Technology Award for Digital Innovation and the Best Brokerage Under 10 People Award. The Keal Technology Award for Digital Innovation recognizes companies leveraging technology to enhance the process of buying and selling insurance. Zensurance's platform was recognized for offering a pain-free way for both business owners and brokers to meet their insurance needs. "Our job is to empower both business owners and brokers," said Danish Yusuf, co-founder and CEO of Zensurance. "We do this by enabling both parties to assess business risk, get a quote, and purchase a policy all within one seamless platform." What sets the insurtech startup apart from other compnies is its focus on building an end-to-end platform as opposed to isolated insurance solutions like only e-signature or chatbot tools. Zensurance's team includes members from varied professional backgrounds including software development, behavioral psychology, machine learning and insurance. "The fresh perspectives and outside experience of our team allows us to think less like a brokerage and more like a Silicon Valley startup," explains Sultan Mehrabi, co-founder and CTO. "By design, we're set up to think outside the box when it comes to insurance. This is only the first inning for us. We look forward to pushing Canadian insurtech onto the world stage." The winner of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario's Innovator of the Year Award will be announced at the Awards of Excellence Gala at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa on October 25, 2017. The winners of the Keal Technology Award for Digital Innovation and the Best Brokerage Under 10 People Award will be announced at the 2017 Insurance Business Awards reception at the Liberty Grand in Toronto on November 30. Media Contact: Danish Yusuf (Zensurance), [email protected] About Zensurance Zensurance is Canada's leading online commercial insurance broker. They offer a full range of insurance products to small businesses, with a particular focus on digitizing businesses and technology startups. With its eyes towards the future, Zensurance knows what it means to work with new technology and understands the common risks for business owners. Based on experience and strong analytics, they recommend the ideal insurance coverage for your business. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zensurance-selected-as-finalist-for-three-insurance-industry-awards-recognizing-top-brokerages-and-digital-innovators-300540946.html SOURCE Zensurance [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] PCG Software COO Addresses Recent String of Fraudulent Claims Activity Impacting Healthcare Industry; Provides Guidance LAS VEGAS, Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The healthcare industry has its share of bad apples. Unfortunately, the fraudulent actions of these rotten apples leaves a very bitter taste in the mouths of millions of stakeholders. Just recently, we learned of the Fort Worth doctor who was handed a 200 month sentence for Medicare fraud. Then, news broke of a Miami physician sentenced to 8 Years for multifaceted fraud, followed by a New Jersey chiropractor charged in an alleged scheme to recruit car crash victims as part of an insurance fraud network. PCG Softwares Chief Operating Officer Andria Jacobs, RN, MS, CEN, CPHQ, tackles a few questions on the impact these cases have on the healthcare industry as well as what organizations can do to uncover these fraudulent activities before they make national headlines. Q: In most cases the fraudulent activity is discovered and the doctor sentenced for their crime, but what are the potential ramifications felt by the provider organization itself, as well as third-party payers? Jacobs: Payers are stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to resolving the issues created by a fraudulent provider as the investigation and prosecution often take years. As a result, the members are financially impacted and so is the payer as the money may not be recoverable but even when it is, recovery is always a slow process. A network provider who is convicted is not a great recommendation for the plan's panel of providers. As weve seen with many of this years high-profile cases, members are harmed by providers such as Dr. Farid Fata in Detroit who pleadd guilty in 2015 after poisoning hundreds of patients intentionally through unnecessary cancer treatments while collecting more than $17 million from fraudulent billings. As part of his criminal activities, Dr. Fata billed $225 million in six years to Medicare and was paid $91 million by the program. Arrested in August 2013, Fata pleaded guilty in 2014 and has agreed to forfeit more than $17 million and a number of assets in the case. When licensed professionals like the former Dr. Fata abuse the Medicare and Medicaid delivery systems, they harm the most vulnerable populations. Tax payers also pay the price for the fraudulent activity of these criminals, while members and employers are directly impacted by higher premiums and out of pocket costs. Q: Whats being done at the Federal level to help protect the healthcare industry from these rogue doctors who are intent on committing corporate fraud? Jacobs: The Federal coordination of investigative actions is ever increasing. In recent years, both HIPAA and ACA formulated new regulations and funding for the DHS, OIG, DOJ, along with other agencies to investigate and prosecute fraudsters. HIPAA required the establishment of a national Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program (HCFAC), under the joint direction of the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) acting through the Department's Inspector General (HHS/OIG). The HCFAC program is designed to coordinate federal, state and local law enforcement activities with respect to healthcare fraud and abuse. During Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, the Federal Government won or negotiated over $2.5 billion in healthcare fraud judgments and settlements. Fast forward to July 13, 2017 when Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, announced that 412 individuals had been arrested for taking part in healthcare fraud and opioid schemes that totaled $1.3 billion in false billing. 115 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals were among the 412 charged for their alleged participation in healthcare fraud schemes. Of those charged, over 120 defendants, including doctors, were charged for their roles in prescribing and distributing opioids and other dangerous narcotics. Q: How can organizations tighten up their internal claims process to ensure any fraudulent or abusive patterns can be identified? Jacobs: There is no magic bullet or one provider analytics report that indicates that a provider has abusive or fraudulent billing practices. It takes time and staff work to discover those patterns of abuse. The fraud schemes are developed and tested with payers to make sure that they are working. The schemes look for weaknesses in the adjudication system and claims processing. Once the billing scheme is established, the schemes often continue. Billions of dollars are sucked out of the limited healthcare funds of both members and payers. Member reports of billing issues, reports from provider's offices, and internal reports from claims and medical management all should raise the index of suspicion. Great care must be taken in gathering information regarding abusive billing practices. The lives and well-being of providers can be destroyed by rumor and false allegations. A provider who falls outside normal billing practices, is not a clear indicator of criminal activity or a straight pathway to prosecution. The staff of Special Investigation Units need special skills and a clear understanding of healthcare, claims data, data analysis, and investigative procedures. Billing behavior analytics are a key focus in identifying trends and patterns but only a part of the investigation. About PCG Software Established in 1984, PCG Software is a leading provider of innovative software solutions designed to slow the escalating costs of healthcare. The company works with healthcare payer organizations to increase profitability and maximize financial recoveries, while assisting their provider partners to improve the accuracy of billing processes. The companys flagship software solution, Virtual Examiner, enhances claims adjudication systems with more than 30 million edits per claim and uses investigative profiling reports to graphically indicate patterns of fraud and abuse. Through more accurate and efficient claims adjudication, this fraud and abuse prevention software acts as an automated cost containment system for national and regional health insurance plans, independent practice associations and third-party administrators. For more information, visit www.pcgsoftware.com, or follow us on Twitter. Press contact information: Dave Anderson Anderson Interactive 252-715-4767 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Zafin Launches Zafin Cloud -- a New Platform for Retail Banking Powered by Microsoft Azure At Money 20/20, Zafin announced its miRevenue platform is now available as a cloud-based SaaS (News - Alert) offering, Zafin Cloud, for Retail Banks in North America. For years, the miRevenue platform has brought value to its global banking clients through revenue enhancement, risk mitigation, and reduced time-to-market for retail and wholesale line of businesses within banks. Banks may now benefit from simpler, faster implementations via Zafin Cloud which is powered by Microsoft (News - Alert) Azure. "Zafin Cloud addresses our clients' need to move swiftly along their digital journey," said Adam Nanjee SVP, Digital Banking at Zafin. "We are already a trusted partner to many of the world's largest banks. Now, with Zafin Cloud launching with several North American banks, we are uniquely positioned to serve the entire banking landscape in North America from regional, to super regional to Tier-1 banks. As our first SaaS platform, Zafin Cloud is built to provide secure, scalable out-of-the-box functionality, empowering banks to bring financial products and offers to market faster." Moving to Microsoft Azure, Zafin makes its powerful financial technology platform more accessible to a wide range of North American banks. The move empowers banking clients with a scalable engine, insights-driven client analytics, and prescriptive modeling. Retail banks will benefit from Zafin Cloud features including: product bundling, multi-product conditional offers, relationship pricing, lending & deposits pricing, and a real-time predictive analytics platform for next-best offers driven by machine learning. The platform is designed for expedited integration using its standard open APIs, interface patterns and support from certified global system integrators. "Microsoft Azure provides Zafin with a secure, scalable infrastructure as well as meeting regulatory and compliance needs for banks and other financial services companies," said Jason Brommet, Director, Partner Stratey and GTM at Microsoft Canada. "The Zafin Cloud platform will allow Zafin to rapidly expand its footprint in the North American retail banking sector, and with Azure as its foundation, will scale and grow with increasing digital client demands." Traditionally, financial technology has been centered around software deployments on premises, which can be a costly and time-consuming investment. With Zafin Cloud, banks can receive the additional benefits and security that they've recognized from miRevenue, without the costly burden on IT infrastructure. Commercially, the SaaS model creates a number of benefits and efficiencies for banks, most notably is an accelerated integration, streamlined expenditure, and go-live execution within months. "Zafin Cloud is a secure processing option that meets the needs of retail banks and provides a well-structured way to rapidly onboard them into the platform," said Andrew McCue, Chief Technology Officer at Zafin. "Naturally, this will expedite time-to-value - a crucial metric for our banking clients." The new platform builds upon industry-vetted technology and is launching today having been already been trusted and deployed in multiple banking environments including several Tier-1 North American and global banks. Zafin Cloud helps these partners to create efficiencies, reduce time-to-value for retail banking products, enhance revenue and incentivize desired client behaviour. "We have built Zafin Cloud with a multi-layered prescriptive architecture leveraging on a range of modern innovative technologies and focused on a containerized approach," said Varghese Cottagiri, Chief Enterprise Architect at Zafin. "Utilized by several North American banks, Zafin Cloud provides financial institutions with security, high availability, rapid deployment and scalability." With a compelling and complete portfolio of solutions, Zafin is helping banks address digital transformation challenges and meet the growing client demand to move banking experiences online and become more client-centric. For more information: zafin.com/cloud About Zafin Zafin (@zafin) is a leading financial technology provider that enables banks to form richer, more personalized client relationships. Built from the ground up for financial services, its platform empowers banks to enhance revenue and operational efficiency. Founded in 2002, Zafin sits among North America's top FinTech companies, and is trusted by retail and corporate units at some of the largest banks worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto with global offices, Zafin has a proven track record with a 100 percent client retention rate as validation. For more information, visit zafin.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023005809/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] The Robo Report Announces 2 Year Return Numbers for Robo Advisors In New Q3 Report; Publisher BackEndBenchmarking Adds New Qualitative Sections MARTINSVILLE, N.J., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Robo Report, the first and only report on the performance and portfolios of robo advisors, published by BackEndBenchmarking, has been released for the third quarter 2017, the company announced. "We've been pleased by the overall response to the Report from the public, investment advisors and the financial media. It's getting noticed for the information it provides that previously has not been available to investors and the transparency it offers," said Ken Schapiro, Founder of BackEndBenchmarking, the publisher of The Robo Report. The expanded Report now offers a first look two full years of a few robo advisors performance data, along with new sections that include interviews with WiseBanyan, Personal Capital and Betterment; the addition of Sofi, TIAA and WealthSimple; and upside/downside capture ratios for more specific quant on risk tolerance, as well as more detailed asset allocation and style analysis. The company currently tracks Acorns, Betterment, eTrade, Fidelity Go, Future Advisor, Personal Capital, Schwab, SigFig, Tradeking, Vanguard, WiseBanyan, TD Ameritrade, Ellevest, Hedgeable and Merrill Edge, Sofi, TIAA and WealthSimple. Alongside reporting performance on a quarterly basis, The Robo Report includes a discussion on the trends during the quarter that drove performance, highlighting portfolios that benefited or were disadvantaged by he trends. It has added a Robo News section highlighting news stories and announcements in the robo investing world. Sections of the Report Include: Robo Reviews; Trades, which covers the moves made by different Robos; Market Commentary, covering how different asset allocations have responded to recent market trends; and Risk/Return Analysis, bringing a risk perspective to the portfolio. The Report rates the Robos by performance in Equity, Fixed Income and Total Portfolio as Best, 2nd and 3rd in each category for the quarter as well as comprehensive return data for all Robos tracked. To get a first-hand understanding of how the different providers operate and invest clients' money, BackEndBenchmarking opened up, funded, and sought specific portfolios. For taxable accounts, it sought a moderate allocation of approximately 60% stocks and 40% bonds for an investor in a high tax bracket. As for IRAs, the goal was to have the most aggressive (highest stock) allocation. Starting with a similar baseline allocation across the portfolios allows it to measure performance and compare how its funds are invested as equally as possible. The knowledge of the underlying assets held in portfolios helps to understand the structure of the portfolio, the risk, and what is driving or holding back performance. The Robo Report is an ongoing study that monitors the largest and most well-known robo advisors with the goal of providing industry transparency. Given the comparatively recent emergence and increasing popularity of these algorithm- and automation-backed products, its publisher BackEndBenchmarking sought to understand their characteristics and how they compare in order to bring transparency to investors. The goal is to provide a research tool to help investors make informed decisions when considering investing in a robo advisor. The company is committed to unbiased, informative, and numbers-driven analysis of the different robo advice providers. This report represents BackEndBenchmarking's research, analysis, and opinion only; the period tested was short in duration and may not provide a meaningful analysis. There can be no assurance that the performance trend demonstrated by robos vs indices during the short period will continue. The Robo Report is available for free at https://theroboreport.com/. Follow the Report on Twitter @theroboreport. For more information, contact BackEndBenchmarking at [email protected]. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-robo-report-announces-2-year-return-numbers-for-robo-advisors-in-new-q3-report-publisher-backendbenchmarking-adds-new-qualitative-sections-300540628.html SOURCE BackEndBenchmarking [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Cie Digital Labs Wins Best Digital Strategy in OCTANe's 2017 High Tech Innovation Awards IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cie Digital Labs (CDL), an innovation accelerator for large enterprises and a growth accelerator for emerging startups, today announced that it has won Best Digital Strategy from OCTANe, Orange County's technology and life sciences accelerator organization. CDL wins 2017 Best Digital Strategy Award A photo accompanying this announcement is available at //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b9a9dde1-9989-44ce-9b67-1b07e41c9207 "The award recognizes a company that demonstrates innovation in Digital Strategy, possesses strategic positioning, and has a sustainable growth strategy, said Samantha McDermott, Senior Advisor at OCTANe. Cie Digital Labs has shown true market leadership, and our judges were excited to name them this years award winner. Nearly 100 prestigious companies in the Orange County area were nominated for an award this year; 30 ere finalists. Eleven awards were given to recognize innovations in the following categories: software, digital strategy, device and hardware, healthcare, medical technology, digital communications, intelligent data analytics, horizontal disruption, intrapreneurship, and corporate culture. A panel of 12 judges selected the winners who were honored at a gala at Balboa Bay Resort earlier in October. The judges felt Cie Digital gave a strong and compelling presentation and demonstrated market leadership in digital innovation. We are honored to be recognized for our innovative digital work, said Cie Digitals CEO Anderee Berengian. Helping enterprise companies and rising startup stars tackle tough, complex problems is our passion. By introducing more modern solutions of commerce and customer engagement they become powerhouses that are set up for sustainable growth. CDL helps businesses across various industries such as retail, consumer products, automotive, and transportation solve a diverse range of operational and revenue-driven problems with digital technology solutions, oftentimes uncovering new business opportunities and ventures. Native advertising platform Nativo (which has grown to more than 150 employees in 3 years) and Cie Games (acquired by Glu Mobile for $100 million) are two examples of CDL's successes. About Cie Digital Labs Cie Digital Labs (CDL) is an innovation accelerator for large enterprises and a growth accelerator for emerging startups. CDL creates leading digital solutions, serves as an innovation lab for a variety of prominent global brands, and acts as a platform to develop and turn ground-breaking ideas into new technology ventures. CDL blends Silicon Valley know-how, startup dynamism and speed with the business maturity of serial entrepreneurs, seasoned venture capitalists, and Fortune 500 executives. This proven combination drives cutting edge solutions for top enterprises' strategic and operational business challenges. CDL's leadership team has served key roles at various successful startups including Amazon, Yahoo!, Overture, Nativo and Internet Brands. Visit www.ciedigital.com to learn more. About OCTANe OCTANe drives innovation and growth by connecting people, resources and capital to fuel technology growth in Southern California. Its members represent technology executive leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, venture capitalists, academicians, and strategic advisors, all working together to fuel innovation in the OC. The organization has helped more than 800 companies via the LaunchPad SBDC accelerator. LaunchPad companies have received more than $2.1 billion in investment and equity exits. OCTANe annually welcomes more than 7,000 people to its programs and events. More than 2,000 business leaders throughout the region are OCTANe members. For more information, visit www.octaneoc.org. CONTACT Nikki Reyes for Cie Digital Labs [email protected] (408) 499-0033 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Applause's First Annual Customer Conference is Sold Out Applause, the global leader in digital experience quality, today announced that tickets for its inaugural customer event, DigitalXChange '17, have sold out. Taking place in San Francisco on Tuesday, October 24, DigitalXChange '17 includes renowned futurist and author Gerd Leonhard, Forrester Research's (News - Alert) Julie A. Ask, Applause's co-founder and CEO, Doron Reuveni, and a host of technology executives from today's leading brands. The day-long customer event is set to be hosted at Park Central Hotel in San Francisco. Speakers include: CNN, Uber, and Google (News - Alert), who will describe how their brands transformed into digital powerhouses Dow Jones and Dignity Health, who will showcase how they're using Applause for digital testing Ford (News - Alert), the NFL, and EA, who will explain how continuous feedback is helping them drive innovation within their organizations Audible, Fox, and Realtor.com, who will highlight why exploratory testing is essential for a great user experience Vista Consulting Group and Accenture (News - Alert), who will analyze global software development trends and how they're evolving Visit the DigitalXChange '17 event site to learn more or to request a spot on the waitlist. To request an interview with an Applause spokesperson at the event or afterwards, please email [email protected]. About Applause Applause empowers the world's leading digital brands - including Google, Uber, Michael Kors, and FOX - to deliver flawless digital experiences to their customers on any device, in every location. Applause ensures software quality for websites, mobile apps, IoT products and in-store interactions in a way no other approach can - through its technology platform and managed global community of over 300,000 professional, on-demand, digital experience experts. Applause delivers authentic, real-world human input at every phase of software development, delivering insight into market requirements, user feedback and software quality. Companies that use Applause benefit from flawless digital experiences that build customer loyalty, drive revenue and accelerate innovation. Learn more at https://www.applause.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023006042/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Santech Announces New APIs for Credentialing & Provider Data Management Solutions at NAMSS ISELIN, N.J., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Santech Solutions is releasing new application programming interfaces (APIs) for its suite of solutions at NAMSS' 41st Educational Conference and Exhibit in Colorado Springs (Oct. 21-25, 2017). Santech is applying strategic IT intelligence to modernize provider data management infrastructure across all stakeholders with its in-depth knowledge of providers and payors' business needs. With the launch of its open APIs Santech will enable hospitals and medical practices to efficiently submit provider data to multiple participating payors. "Payors and providers need smarter solutions that can communicate with each other to exchange provider participation information. Since this is critical for the success of payor-provider partnerships, Santech has deployed an open infrastructure solution suite which provides readily usable APIs and a user interface for submission of provider data usually sitting in multiple systems such as Credentialing, Quality, EMR, HR, and Practice Management Systems, and across numerous spreadsheets and manual notes," said Neeraj K. Sharma, Chief Operating Officer at Santech Solutions. Santech expects the open APIs will make it easier for vendors of competing work flow systems to collaborate together to improve the healthcare ecosystem. With the help of these APIs, framented and distributed provider data can be pulled together from multiple systems and submitted seamlessly to payors in a usable format for credentialing, directory and value based reimbursement (VBR) contract management purposes. Earlier this year Santech was selected as a 'cool vendor' by leading analyst firm Gartner for enabling transformational provider management due to its continuous innovations and modern provider data management infrastructure. "Offering an API to allow other solutions to leverage this comprehensive infrastructure suite was a natural next move to help the industry," Sharma noted. APIs drive improved capabilities within the Industry: APIs allow hospitals and practices to seamlessly submit their provider data such as demographic, credentialing, location, specialty, work hours, accepting new patients (open close panel), quality scoring, attestations, signed applications, and participation acceptance of VBR contracts to multiple payors. APIs will help in submitting this data from heterogeneous sources, including Santech's comprehensive I-Net Exchange program which deploys patent pending algorithms to identify correctness and completeness of data and that data meets a payor or plan's specific business requirements. APIs coupled with a user interface provide additional capabilities to hospitals and practices to nurture their provider data based on their specific business alignment with each payor and network. APIs and user interfaces also allow hospitals and practices to receive and fulfill requests from payors seeking information. Traditionally these requests get exchanged through email/faxes and phone calls, a cumbersome and time-consuming process for medical professionals. Santech's intuitive APIs provide an appropriate solution to the three major problems of streamlining the payor-provider relationship. First, APIs allow hospitals and practices to seamlessly submit their provider data with payors right from their existing system of record. Second, APIs reduce staff time in accommodating provider directory update requests from multiple payors. Third, APIs reduce errors and mistakes of manual updates leveraging Santech's patent pending data cleansing and indexing algorithms. Through industry accelerating features, these APIs will help in modernizing the payor-provider relationship with more accurate provider information. A well-timed offering for NAMSS attendees System vendors work with multiple hospitals and practices to house their valuable provider data, and often struggle to exchange this information with payors. Santech encourages these system vendors to beta test the newly released APIs to enhance their system capabilities for exchanging information with payors. "How payers and providers exchange information is in drastic need of streamlining. While many of us are focused on filling that need, Santech believes that if we work together, we can truly turn the provider-payer relationship around. We welcome technology partners and system vendors to work collaboratively to extend their system capabilities by using these APIs," said Sharma. Sharma and Bert Fajardo, Santech's VP of Strategy, are available at NAMSS to discuss in detail a simplified and intuitive provider management platform for credentialing and compliance at Booth # 108. About Santech Founded and managed by healthcare specialists, Santech offers innovative solutions to payors, practices and health systems to transform their provider and network management capabilities. Built for scalability and high performance, our enterprise-caliber solutions are designed to meet the needs of small, midsize and large organizations. Santech is recognized as a 2017 Gartner "Cool Vendor" in Health-Value Management for U.S. Healthcare Payers. The company is headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey. Visit us at www.mySantech.com. Media contact: Neeraj K. Sharma, Chief Operating Officer, Santech Solutions [email protected] 908-930-3995 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/santech-announces-new-apis-for-credentialing--provider-data-management-solutions-at-namss-300541347.html SOURCE Santech [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Fort Smith Homeless Shelter Opens, with the Help of $500K Grant Thanks in part to a $500,000 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) and First National Bank of Fort Smith, Riverview Hope Campus has opened. Project representatives will attend the grand opening of the homeless shelter at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 24, 2017, at Hope Campus on 301 South E. Street in Fort Smith, followed by a tour of the facilities. The media is invited to attend. The funds were awarded to the Old Fort Housing Coalition to help renovate a 127,000-square-foot building, previously used as a furniture manufacturing plant. FHLB Dallas annually returns 10 percent of its profits in the form of AHP grants to the communities served by its member institutions, like First National Bank of Fort Smith. AHP grants fund a variety of projects, including home rehabilitation and modifications for low-income, elderly and special-needs residents; down payment and closing cost assistance for qualified first-time homebuyers; and the construction of low-income, multifamily rental communities and single-family homes. For more information about the AHP, visit fhlb.com/ahp. WHAT: Grand Opening and Tour WHEN: 11:00 a.m., October 24, 2017 WHO: Sam Sicard, President and CEO, First National Bank of Fort Smith Mitch Minnick, Executive Director, Fort Smith Housing Authority and Secretary, Old Fort Homeless Coalition Chris Joannides, Executive Director, Riverview Hope Campus Mark Loya, Senior Affordable Housing Analyst, FHLB Dallas Eric Haar, Vice President, Director of Government Relations, FHLB Dallas WHERE: Hope Campus 301 South E Street Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023006302/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Tenet CEO Trevor Fetter Departs Company as Part of Previously Announced Leadership Transition Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) (the "Company") today announced that Trevor Fetter has stepped down from his role as chief executive officer and resigned as a director of the company, effective October 23, 2017. The Board of Directors has appointed Ronald A. Rittenmeyer, executive chairman, to serve as chief executive officer while the company continues its search for a permanent chief executive officer. Tenet previously announced on August 31, 2017 the planned departure of Mr. Fetter, the commencement of a search for a new chief executive officer, and the appointment of Mr. Rittenmeyer as executive chairman and principal executive officer. "I want to sincerely thank Trevor for his leadership of the company over the past fourteen years, and particularly for his support in making this transition a success," said Mr. Rittenmeyer. "I have confidence in Ron's leadership and Tenet's management team, so now is the right tim for me to step down as CEO," said Mr. Fetter. "I am grateful for the hard work and dedication of all of Tenet's employees in building this great company, and it has been an honor to work alongside them." About Tenet Healthcare Tenet Healthcare Corporation is a diversified healthcare services company with nearly 130,000 employees united around a common mission: to help people live happier, healthier lives. Through its subsidiaries, partnerships and joint ventures, including United Surgical Partners International, the company operates 77 general acute care hospitals, 20 short-stay surgical hospitals and over 460 outpatient centers in the United States, as well as nine facilities in the United Kingdom. Tenet's Conifer Health Solutions subsidiary provides technology-enabled performance improvement and health management solutions to hospitals, health systems, integrated delivery networks, physician groups, self-insured organizations and health plans. For more information, please visit www.tenethealth.com. The terms "THC," "Tenet Healthcare Corporation," "the company," "we," "us" or "our" refer to Tenet Healthcare Corporation or one or more of its subsidiaries or affiliates as applicable. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023006371/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Premia Partners debuts with the world's first fundamental multi-factor China A-shares ETFs tracking bedrock and new economy with Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta methodology HONG KONG, Oct. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Premia Partners, the Hong Kong based investment firm that focuses on ETFs and smart beta solutions, announces the launch of two smart beta China equity ETFs designed to provide investors with diversified exposure to the China A-shares markets. The ETFs track the CSI smart beta indices which employ methodology provided by Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta ("Caixin Rayliant") led by Dr. Jason Hsu, Chairman and CIO of Rayliant Global Investors, and Co-founder and Vice Chairman of Research Affiliates. The two HKEX listed ETFs utilize a fundamental, multi-factor approach, and each consists of approximately 300 Shanghai and Shenzhen listed stocks. Both ETFs are physical A-shares ETFs utilizing Stock Connect and have a total expense ratio of 0.50% compared to the 1% average fee typically observed in the industry. The Premia CSI Caixin China Bedrock Economy ETF ("China BEI ETF") (Ticker: 2803 HK) tracks the CSI Caixin Bedrock Economy Index , which aims to capture leading companies that drive the mainstream economy of China , based on economic size, financial health and low risk characteristics, ("China BEI ETF") (Ticker: 2803 HK) tracks the , which aims to capture leading companies that drive the mainstream economy of , based on economic size, financial health and low risk characteristics, the Premia CSI Caixin China New Economy ETF ("China NEI ETF") (Ticker: 3173 HK) tracks the CSI Caixin New Economic Engine Index , which aims to capture leaders from new economy industries, selected based on non-fixed asset size, financial health and growth characteristics. With the inclusion of China A shares in the MSCI Emerging Market index, investors are increasingly looking for strategies that provide efficient access to the Mainland markets, while seeking to generate above-market returns relative to simply buying the largest companies by market capitalization or taking concentrated bet in the SOE or financial sectors. The Premia ETFs leverage on Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta's academic research, which identifies several equity factors -- including value, quality, low volatility, size -- as having the potential to outperform the broader A-shares equity market over the long term. The fundamental beta approach also introduces a buy-low, sell-high discipline into factor investing, as opposed to traditional market capitalization approaches that exhibit tendency to buy-high and sell-low. "We are very excited to partner with CSI, Madam Hu Shuli and Dr. Jason Hsu and their team at Caixin Rayliant in offering these two ETFs," said Rebecca Chua, Managing Partner of Premia Partners. "Dr. Hsu has long been the leading voice in the smart beta and factor investing world, with his work at Research Affiliates widely recognized and adopted by invesors globally. We are honoured to be able to leverage on him and the Caixin Rayliant team's insights and expertise in bringing to market the world's first fundamental multi-factor China A-shares ETFs. These strategies are based on robust academic research into China factor performance and are the first to capture the nuances of mainstream and new economy Mainland markets instead of following a narrow market capitalization approach." Hu Shuli, editor-in-chief of Caixin Media and founder of Caixin Insight Group said: "As the Chinese economy continues to expand, its financial markets become increasingly relevant for global investors. We are committed to provide the best financial content through our international platform, Caixin Global, and Caixin Rayliant which empowers investors with world class smart beta capabilities to participate in China's growth." Dr. Jason Hsu. Chairman and CIO of Rayliant Global Advisors and Vice Chairman of Research Affiliates: "We are so pleased to be working with Premia Partners on the NEI and BEI ETFs. Premia shares our passion for bringing to market state of the art investment strategies at low cost that generate long term value for investors. Particularly in Asia, where there is a culture of high fees and short-term performance selling, such strategies are in great need and Premia is taking a lead to fill the gap. These two ETFs offer the opportunity of excess return through low cost exposure to systematic sources of returns." Media Enquiry Premia Partners Company Limited +852-2950-5777 [email protected] About Premia Partners Premia Partners is an investment firm founded in Hong Kong in 2016, by a group of enthusiasts who believe in enabling investors with efficient investment tools and see enormous scope for innovation in the Asian ETF industry. The team came from various incumbent global and regional industry leaders and shares one common goal -- to reshape the ETF landscape in Asia by applying our collective knowledge and execution experience as well as by collaborating with the best-in-class global experts to curate ETF and smart beta solutions for investors. In Asia, and for Asia -- because this is our home. For more information, please visit www.premia-partners.com. About Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta is the joint venture formed in 2017, between Caixin Insight of Caixin Media Group and Rayliant Global Advisors. This partnership brings together the vast data, research, and publishing capabilities across the Caixin family of companies, and the smart beta, factor investing and index-construction expertise of Rayliant Global Advisors ("RGA"). The joint venture is led by Dr. Jason Hsu as the Chief Index Architect and Dr. Jason Tuan as the CEO. Dr. Jason Hsu is the Founder and Chairman of RGA and co-founder and Vice-Chairman of Research Affiliates. Dr. Jason Tuan is a Managing Director at RGA. For more information, please visit www.caixinrayliant.com. About Caixin Insight Group Caixin Insight Group is founded by Caixin Media Group's Editor-in-Chief and the internationally acclaimed journalist Madam HU Shuli. It is a sister company of Caixin Media (www.caixin.com), the leading financial and business news provider. The company focuses on providing best in class Chinese business and financial database, macroeconomic research, big-data analytics, smart beta index and strategy consulting services, with the goal of helping Chinese and global institutions better navigate through the structural economic development, internationalization, capital markets development and other important strategic agenda on China. About Rayliant Global Advisors Rayliant Global Advisors (RGA) is a Hong Kong-based investment management group founded in 2012. RGA specializes in Greater China equity strategies. Its unique quantamental approach of incorporating fundamental insights into a quantitative based portfolio construction process seeks to overcome challenges inherent in either fundamental-only or quantitative-only investment strategies. RGA is led by Dr. Jason Hsu, a well-established leader in factor investing and co-founder of Research Affiliates. Jason has published over 40 journal articles and has won numerous awards for his work. He is Adjunct Professor of Finance at the University of California, Los Angeles, and visiting professor at National Chengchi University in Taiwan and Kyoto University. For more information, please visit www.rayliant.com. SOURCE Premia Partners Company Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Over the weekend here on the blog, I wrote about a trip I took last week to New York to visit the 9/11 memorial sites. And I spoke about the darkness of misguided religion that led to the terrorist attacks... The Kansas City Police Department is investigating a shooting in the central part of the city Monday morning. Police confirm was person was shot in an incident near 42nd and Paseo. That call came in around 9:50 a.m. The man injured was taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Kansas City Citizens for Responsible Government: A motel could be coming next door to you! ATTENTION HOMEOWNERS:KCMO City Council is in the process of changing the zoning for most of the city (including single family homes in residential neighborhoods) to allow people to put small businesses in these neighborhoods. What does this mean for you? Unless your neighborhood is exempt, you could have a beauty shop, auto repair shop or a small hotel (AirBnB) next door. Historically these type of business in a residential neighborhood do not add property values, if fact they lower property values. There are loads of horrible stories on the internet. Google this: Police: Father finds Airbnb guest naked in 7-year-old daughter's bed.The group pushing this change is very well organized and even has organizations like EXPEDIA helping them. They are pushing the short term rental, AirBnB aspect. They have been very active at City Hall. In fact this last week there was a hearing on this ordinance, #170771, and while opposing forces had six people in attendance, the pro people had 85. The 85 is a small number when you think about the population of Kansas City which is single family, residential zoned. Their numbers at City Hall gave the council committee the feeling that there isnt any opposition to this zoning change.You could have as many as eight people renting rooms in the house next-door. The city is going to try and control this but we have about four code enforcement officers for the whole city, so you know how that will go.In some neighborhoods where there are large homes, investors come in and buy up the homes turning them into short term rentals. The owners of the homes do not even live there.The next meeting / hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, November 8th at 1:30pm on the 26th floor of City Hall.If you are interested in preserving the integrity of your neighborhood, you should plan to attend the meeting and testify! You can view the ordinance #1707771, check your current zoning classification, and reconfirm the November 8th meeting on the city clerks website: www.cityclerk.kcmo.orgWe believe this information should be of interest of every KCMO homeowner. Please pass along to your neighborhood associations, email lists, friends and neighbors.########## Downtown KC B-Ball Good Deeds KU defeats MU in exhibition game for hurricane relief The Kansas Jayhawks beat the Missouri Tigers Sunday 93-87 in an exhibition game, raising at least $2.5 million for hurricane relief. Dead-Tree Blame Game Innocent Kansas City man spent a year in jail because of the public defender's crushing caseload Understaffing and an impossible workload in the Kansas City public defender's office resulted in a man spending 13 months in jail for a robbery he didn't commit. Missouri has the second-worst funded public defender system in the country, and defendants are paying the price. Perfect Village Crime Surprise Prairie Village police investigate home burglary near 74th, Fontana Police are investigating an aggravated burglary in Prairie Village Sunday morning. It happened in the 7400 block of Fontana Street about 4:45 a.m. Police say the victim woke to find a man standing in her home. She screamed and he ran off. Officers say the burglar spoke to the victim but didn't threaten her. Show-Me Surprise In The Stix Woman witnesses shooting during ride along with Belton PD BELTON, Mo. -- A woman who was riding along with a Belton police officer Saturday night saw firsthand how quickly an officer's shift can go from run of the mill to a manhunt. Alayna Adamson's sister won the chance to participate in a ride-along with Belton Police through a Facebook contest. KCMO Fighting With Fall First Alert: Big temperature swing ahead this week Monday will be a ditto of day. Temperatures will be top out in the middle 60s after starting the day in the upper 40s. Later this week, we'll see a big shift in... Tribute to classicand just a few links that we're thinking about for tonight . . .And this is thefor tonight . . . CHECK THIS BLIND-ITEM ROUND-UP OF LOCAL DUDES BEING TARGETED WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS!!! - A Crossroads Bar owner has been accused of impropriety on FB, Twitter and throughout social media. - On Black Twitter, talk of an East Side "open secret" against an anti-crime activist and former politico has resurfaced like it does before every election season . . . And then never goes anywhere. - A socialite writer and photog has been hounded by his accusers and lost some pretty great writing gigs but there is no court case filed against the dude to date and prosecutors haven't decided to follow-up on any of the claims. The bottom line here is that while we respect the claims and hotness of Hollywood actresses sharing their stories of casting couch woe with the world, the low-rent Kansas City culture warrior manifestation of this trend is not only irresponsible but also unfair. In the fight for a man's rights, let's not forget that suspects are all innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Additionally, the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that "in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to be confronted with the witnesses against him." Media controversy over accusations of rape and harassment have finally started to hit home in Kansas City. However, our cheap cowtown mainstream media mimicry doesn't feature confessional interviews on the record but merely a great deal of social media hateration.To wit . . .There areto protect the innocent, guilty and just plain stupid . . . And all conjecture in the comments is just more of the same irresponsible Internets trolling.And so, here's the shortlist of local dude suspect being called out . . .Let's not overlook the fact that rape, sexual assault and even harassment is a horrible crime and a serious charge against a dude . . . Remember not so long ago Downtown pizza dude creeper Dennis A. Skeen was accused of serving up ato some poor woman and trying to take advantage of her. He entered a guilty plea but then killed himself with a nail gun rather than face his victim in court on the day of the sentencing.And so . . .Legal talk for all the cowtown attorneys raging behind the scenes . . .Are we grown up enough to realize that not every #MeToo claim is a conviction or even a valid indictment despite some very credible public testimony and great conversation aboutAnd while so many Kansas City hardline partisans want to blame Prez Trump for everything wrong with the world, let's realize that this bit of "battle of the sexes" culture war identity politics has been ramped up by "Hillaristas" who are blaming their election defeat on sexism and systemic persecution of women (the hegemony and/or their dad) instead of one of the most unlikable candidates in modern American political history.The bright side here is that Kansas City residents are skeptical of most political claims and online accusations are being met with really good questions and encouragement to come forward, tell stories publicly and let police and prosecutors do their job instead of just crying for Internets attention.Thankfully, while the mob mentality might rule political discourse . . . Most Kansas City residents seem to believe that everyone is entitled an opportunity to defend themselves in the court of law rather than taking the word of the fickle and mostly fake court of public opinion or the social media echo chamber.Brief aside . . . There hasn't been a woman who has visited the basement HQ of this blog for more than 20 years. Thankfully, those ladies haven't voiced any lingering complaints against TKC and seem happily married to far more faithful guys with steady jobs and prosaic worldviews. Fakebook informs all social media busybodies looking up college sweethearts that good insurance is far more rewarding than all ofBut I digress . . .Back to the point of the current witch hunt that now threatens to target Kansas City dudes.What we're seeing here is a preview of the 2018 midterm elections wherein so many politicos struggle to play the victim and earn a place of honor by way of mere ideological virtue and cultural affiliation rather than debate regarding real issues, accomplishments or policy.Developing . . . Greek Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura reiterated that the government places special emphasis on the tourism sector during the inauguration of the international tourism exhibition MITE 2017 organized in Paiania. "Tourism is a government priority and a driving force for growth and prosperity. We promote Greece as a world-renowned destination 365 days a year, offering complete authentic travel experiences," Kountoura noted. At the same time, she argued that a very dynamic and coherent national and regional tourism policy is being implemented, in close cooperation with the 13 regions of the country, with the municipalities, the chambers, the tourism institutions as well as the private sector. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: License: CC-BY-SA Source: ANA-MPA The 24th edition of World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC), the worlds longest running Islamic banking conference, is set to return to Bahrain this December, and will take stock of the most pressing issues affecting the global financial landscape. Middle East Global Advisors, a leading financial intelligence platform facilitating the development of knowledge-based economies in the MENASEA markets, announced that the largest and most prestigious gathering of Islamic banking and finance leaders in the world will be held from December 4 to 6 at the ART Rotana Hotel in Amwaj Islands, Bahrain. The event is being organized in a strategic partnership with the Central Bank of Bahrain. The theme for WIBC 2017 - Drivers of Economic Growth & Risks: Policymakers & Regulators - is in line with the conferences steady vision to serve as a compass for the global Islamic finance and banking industry, and is expected to draw participation from over 1,300 global industry leaders, policy makers, innovators and stakeholders, all focused on generating breakthrough insights that help navigate through the complexities of the global financial system, a statement said. Ehsan Abbas, chairman, Middle East Global Advisors, said: This years event will take place within the context of increasing global political and economic turbulence particularly the growing scepticism against the banking and finance industry attributed to the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-09. Over the years, this scepticism shaped into displeasure towards the establishment incumbents in the Government, official and private sectors, a sentiment that was echoed in the recent Edelman Trust Barometer. Khalid Hamad Abdul-Rahman Hamad, executive director - Banking Supervision, Central Bank of Bahrain, said: The Central Bank of Bahrain takes great pride in supporting the 24th World Islamic Banking Conference. WIBC has a track record of presenting topical issues every year. Some of the key topics this year will be the moral question in finance, the impact of Fintech and new trends in Shariah governance. The deceleration in growth of Islamic finance worldwide, continued tightening of regulations and Fintech provide a significant opportunity to the most efficient and technology savvy players to gain market share at the expense of their less efficient conventional and Shariah compliant competitors. The WIBC will witness a gathering of global subject matter experts who will help the audience understand the dynamics of an industry in transition. It will also provide an excellent networking opportunity to individuals and a platform for companies to exhibit their services, he said. Key features for WIBC 2017 include: Governors Addresses; High-profile Regulatory Debate among Central Bankers; a conversation with a distinguished Islamic finance veteran - Adnan Ahmed Yousif, chief executive and president, Al Baraka Banking Group on the future course of the Islamic economy, a CIO-focused panel session on harnessing digital technologies with the vision of staying relevant; Panel discussions focusing on dynamic capital markets, sustainable, equitable & inclusive growth, new horizons for Islamic finance, ESG Investing and the influence of energy prices, VAT, the effect of the recent global economic & political developments and much more. Committed in its vision to innovate year-on-year, the 24th edition will focus on generating thought-leadership via an exclusive WIBC Knowledge-Sharing Series whereby a select group of industry leaders will make focused presentations/speeches that will be followed by opening the floor to questions from the audience and a select panel of experts, who will be further discussing these key topics at length. The exclusive series will touch upon a number of topical issues like Leveraging Islamic Capital Markets for innovative solutions that will focus on Aviation Financing, Alternative/Renewable Energy Financing and the WIBC Islamic Economy Series focusing on developing a halal ecosystem, amongst others, the statement said. Industry leaders will also be recognised for their excellence through the WIBC Performance Awards 2017, the nominees of which will be announced weeks before the December event, and the winners at the Gala Dinner on December 5. TradeArabia News Service Canon Middle East, a leader in imaging and printing solutions, has signed United Electronics Company (eXtra), as a strategic partner for Canon Office Personal Products (OPP) in Saudi Arabia. With its many exhibitions and impressive website, eXtra is considered as one of the biggest retail companies in the GCC. It is one of the largest e-commerce concepts in the region, having a large digital presence and offering an extensive product range including TV, audio systems, computers, mobile phones and IT communications, cameras, home appliances and personal care products. With the help of a strong partner such as eXtra, Canon will deliver innovative, technology led solutions for its customers in the kingdom; the aim is to come closer to its customers, providing them with the tools they want and need to achieve their imaging and printing goals, said a statement. The kingdom's retail sector is in the frontline of the 2030 Vision. Alpen Capitals GCC retail industry 2017 report stated the GCC retail sector is expected to recover in 2018 and grow at a steady pace through 2021 to reach $313 billion, with that Saudi Arabia growing the fastest. In a recent development, Saudi Arabia was named as a leading global retail market in A T Kearneys 2016 Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), titled Global Retail Expansion at a Crossroads. Venkatasubramanian Hariharan, business unit director, B2C, Canon Middle East, said: The Middle East is undergoing a largescale transformation, and Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of this change. People in Saudi Arabia are technologically advanced, and with a connected young population, the country will continue to lead retail consumption, thereby contributing to economic growth, he said. Together with eXtra, we will create unique consumer retail experiences through eXtras large network of stores in the kingdom, he added. Hariharan continued: This partnership is a testament to our commitment to Saudi Arabia, in the form of creating economic opportunities. Through our enhanced presence in the kingdom, we will further grow our services to new and existing customers in the kingdom who will benefit from better product availability and services, product warranty and support. We believe that the key to success is to surround yourself with dependable and like-minded partners and Canon aims to be the partner of choice for every business, helping them to reimagine and realise their full potential, he said. Usama Bukhari, marketing director, eXtra, said: This is an exciting partnership with Canon Middle East, and together we look to unlock synergies and the potential of an innovative portfolio of products. We are delighted with this new partnership which enables us to broaden our print solutions portfolio and helps us bring great value proposition to our customers. The move demonstrates Canons confidence in our ability to help grow their brand across the kingdom, he added. TradeArabia News Service Turkish Cargo, a leading cargo airlines in the region, was recently recognised with the Overall Carrier of the Year award in the Customers Choice category at the recent 33rd annual Payload Asia Awards, organised by the Payload Asia Group. The awards are aimed at honouring the carriers for their excellence in the air cargo industry, said a statement. Awarded with the contribution of the readers, air cargo customers and business partners of Payload Asia, member of the Federation of Asia Pacific Aircargo Association (FAPAA), the awards were unveiled at the annual ceremony attended by distinguished guests from around the world, it said. The most prestigious award of the year was attributed to Turkish Cargo for its substantial growth, it added. Along with Turkish Airlines network coverage of 300 destinations worldwide offering belly cargo capacity of 313 aircraft and providing 16 dedicated freighter aircraft to 72 destinations through 60 countries, Turkish Cargo strives to become the most preferred air carrier in the sector, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Top officials from the UAE and Spain discussed various bilateral relations and coordination in various development fields of common interest at the 4th session of the UAE- Spain Joint Economic Committee, which was held in Dubai, UAE, today (October 23). The ministerial meeting of the committee was chaired by Eng Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy, and by Luis De Guindos Jurado, Minister of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness of Spain. Also present were Ministry officials Eng Mohamed Ahmed Bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehhi, undersecretary for Economic Affairs; Humaid Bin Butti Al Muhairi, assistant undersecretary for commercial affairs; Juma Mohammed Al Kait, assistant undersecretary for Foreign Trade; and Youssef Issa Al Rifai, assistant undersecretary for support services, along with Mohamad Sharaf, assistant minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Economic and Trade Affairs, and representatives of several related government entities such as the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Customs Authority. The Spanish side, on the other hand, included Marisa Poncela, secretary of state for Trade; Antonio Alvarez, Spanish Ambassador to the UAE; and several other diplomatic personal and senior officials from the Spanish Government. The two ministers discussed the most important economic and development issues in their respective countries, said a statement. They also reviewed the latest developments and trends in international economics and exchanged views on the many challenges and changes facing the global economy as well as the cooperative approaches to confronting them, it said. The group emphasised that the economic relations between their countries have been continuously growing. They expressed their commitment to working together to consolidate these relations on an ongoing basis and to explore development opportunities in various sectors. They noted the vital role played by the Joint Economic Committee in raising their existing cooperation to higher levels in accordance with well-planned frameworks and mechanisms and a clear agenda that meets the aspirations of the two countries. The committee focused on enhancing trade in goods and services; encouraging mutual investments; establishing joint ventures that serve the interests of both sides; deepening cooperation in innovation, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), entrepreneurship, scientific research and development; and participating in investments and business activities related to the hosting of Expo Dubai 2020. It also sought to build effective and mutually beneficial partnerships between the business sectors of the two countries. Al Mansoori said: We are proud to count Spain among one of our closest political and economic allies. Our non-oil bilateral foreign trade has flourished in recent years, growing by an impressive 26.3 per cent from $1.9 billion in 2011 to $2.4 billion in 2016. Spains direct investments to the UAE continue to grow, with 45 commercial companies, 112 commercial agencies and 2,456 trademarks from Spain registered locally as of 2015, he said. There is still huge room for growth, and given the ongoing major shifts in the global economy, we would mutually benefit from exploring new avenues of cooperation especially in areas prioritised by our respective national development agendas, he added. Al Mansoori continued: Since its first session in Madrid in 2010, the committee has played a pivotal role in bridging our commercial and economic gaps. For the 4th round of meetings we will assess the progress of the joint actions we agreed on during the last session in Granada and explore prime investment and partnership opportunities in sectors of common interest moving forward, he added. The Minister further noted that the UAE looks forward to exchanging experiences and knowledge and activating cooperation with Spain in several areas of common interest, particularly those that are in line with UAE Vision 2021 and those that reflect Spains leading developmental experiences, especially in the fields of innovation, SMEs, entrepreneurship, and scientific research. He also expressed optimism in intensifying trade and enhancing mutual investment as well as strengthening cooperation in the industrial and tourism sectors which are policy priorities in the two countries. He emphasised the importance of deepening collaboration in the fields of agriculture, food security and Halal products, health, education, transport, infrastructure, the Islamic economy, specifications and metrology as well. De Guindos Jurado said: We have strong bilateral relations with the UAE, mainly in terms of economic and trade cooperation which continues to grow. The UAE is among our countrys most important partners in the Middle East and we consider it an important economic destination for the Spanish Government and our private sector, he added. Guindos added that wider horizons for strengthening cooperation in the vital sectors of both countries lie ahead, especially in light of their economic development. He pointed out that the Spanish economy has achieved a significant growth of 3 per cent over the past two years and is considered as one of the most competitive and flexible in the European Union. He noted the importance of providing a suitable environment for establishing productive partnerships at the governmental and private levels that serve the development objectives of the two parties, particularly in light of their common interest in enhancing innovation, knowledge and scientific research capabilities as well as supporting and empowering the SME sector and entrepreneurship, which are considered key catalysts of economic growth in both countries. In terms of investment cooperation, the two sides discussed ways to move forward towards signing an agreement to encourage and protect investments between the two countries. The two parties agreed to move forward in supporting innovation, small- and medium-sized enterprises, scientific research and development, as well as the possibility of signing MoUs for these areas to provide an attractive business environment for all international companies operating in the UAE. The group emphasised the vital role of the SME sector in driving economic development. The Spanish praised the UAE's leading efforts to expand the presence of SMEs in Dubai Expo 2020. They emphasised the importance of exchanging experiences and sharing knowledge and best practices in these sectors, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Dubai-based ORG Logistics, a leading shipping company, revealed that its revenues were approaching Dh400 million ($108.90 million), and it plans to expand its global footprint into markets such as China, Hong Kong, and Egypt. Established in 2005, the company specialises in prominent services in the field of shipping, imports, and exports. Current exports per month are at 1000 tonnes to Hong Kong, Europe, and America, while imports are at 900 tonnes for the same region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt. Mohammed Al Gohary, chief executive officer, ORG Logistics, said: Logistics continues to play a major role in helping the region sustain its growth. A significant portion of the worlds cargo moves through the Middle East, and businesses now expect logistic companies to be a one-stop-solution for all their cargo needs. As market leaders, we have thorough knowledge of how to efficiently help our clients to connect with markets and move their goods globally, while providing them 24/7 support, he said. As a company we see significant growth opportunities here in the region and globally. We are constantly looking to expand our footprint, and offer world class services and business practices. We pride ourselves in being versatile, and our operations are backed by state-of-the-art warehouse facilities, and IT infrastructure, he added. ORG Logistics, part of the Multinational group Elgohary, is not just a business that sells transportation, but it offers various levels of specialised services. The company prides itself in being a one-stop-shop for all logistics solution either international or domestic including: warehousing and distribution (state-of art facilities for storage and distribution of general and special cargo; warehouses are insurance-covered), custom-warehousing, hold and release shipments, air freight (delivering any destination all over the world), overland transport (24/7 land transport service across the Middle East), customs clearance (customs brokerage services), shipments clearing (Jafza and Dafza), local market services (import), and air charter (provides private cargo flights for urgent shipments). Today, ORG is a certified member of WCA World, FIATA, and NAFL offering 24 hours service. ORG is the only company in Dafza that provide service to our valued clients 24/7, and the only logistic company in Dubai Airport Free Zone (Dafza) that is equipped with an X-ray machine and insurance covered warehouse, which is designed to inspect goods and adhered the highest standard of safety with the approval of Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulations (FANR). ORG Logistic also offer services like cross trade, where its customers can ship goods (from and to) outside of the UAE. The goods can be brought to other countries in America and Europe, and then sent back to the Middle East and Africa. The company also has three giant stores in the Dafza free zone, and operates a customs warehouse outside of the free zone as well, in Dubai, and insurance for the stores are offered from major companies. Other services include charter flights, and business hold and release for goods, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Saudi Arabia - the largest exporter of total petroleum liquids - has maintained its position of being the second-largest petroleum exporter to the US after Canada during the first half of this year, a Wam news agency report said. ''In the first half of 2017, US total petroleum liquid imports averaged slightly higher (than 2016 exports) at 1.2 million bpd. Since 2012, Saudi Arabia has been the second-largest petroleum exporter annually (after Canada) to the United States, when it surpassed US imports from Mexico,'' the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Saudi Arabia County Analysis. In 2016, Saudi Arabia exported an average of 1.1 million bpd of total petroleum liquids to the US, it said. 'In 2016, after the US, the next four top importers of Saudi crude and petroleum products were Japan (1.2 million bpd), China (1.0 million bpd), South Korea (0.9 million bpd), and India (0.8 million bpd), according to Global Trade Tracker (GTT). Saudi Arabia, which has 16 percent of the world's proved oil reserves, is the largest exporter of total petroleum liquids in the world, and maintains the world's largest crude oil production capacity at roughly 12 million barrels per day. In 2016, Saudi Arabia was the largest exporter of total petroleum liquids (crude oil and petroleum products), with exports mostly destined to Asian and European markets. During that same year, Saudi Arabia was the world's second-largest petroleum liquids producer behind the United States and was the world's second-largest crude oil and lease condensate producer behind Russia. During the first half of 2017, Saudi Arabia has maintained this position, despite lower production than in the previous year. Emirates marks its 10th year of service to Brazil this month, having carried over 2 million passengers since its first flight to Brazil in October 2007. The number of passengers carried annually in Emirates first year of operations over 26,000 in 2007has grown to over 288,000 passengers in 2016. In 2012, Emirates expanded its presence in Brazil by adding a daily service between Dubai and Rio de Janeiro. Underlining its commitment to the Brazilian market, Emirates started to operate the first ever scheduled commercial Airbus A380 flight to South America in March this year. The switch to the A380 offers a total of 959 additional seats per week in each direction meeting a growing demand from travellers on the route. The most travelled destinations from Brazilian passengers over the last few years have been Dubai, Bangkok, Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong. According to Brazil's Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services, Brazilian exports to the UAE grew 87 per cent ($1.2 billion to $2.24 billion) and overall trade grew 72 per cent ($1.5 billion to $2.6 billion) between 2007 and 2016. The UAE is the second biggest importer of Brazilian products among Arab countries, with imports worth $2.24 billion in 2016. This amount represents almost 40 per cent of all Brazilian exports to the GCC countries, of which food produce and products formed a major component. The UAE in particular is an active trader with Brazil, with two-way trade reaching $2.6 billion last year. The vast majority of this trade was exports from Brazil, leaving a significant trade balance of $1.9 billion in favour of Brazil. Emirates SkyCargo has also played an important role in connecting Brazil to the world, carrying more than 25,000 tons of imported cargo and more than 11,000 tons of exported cargo between Dubai and Brazil since 2007. Currently, major cargo imports include automobile and aircraft spare parts, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Major exports include general cargo, hatching eggs, spare parts, shoes, fruits & vegetables. Top export destinations include UAE, India and Saudi Arabia; main import origins are Hong Kong, India and China. Emirates has also operated multiple freighter charters to Brazil over the last few years to transport various types of cargo including horses for leading sporting events and outsized equipment including helicopters. Commenting on the milestone, Hubert Frach, divisional senior vice president, Commercial Operations West at Emirates, said: The 10-year anniversary is a significant milestone for Emirates in Brazil, celebrating our first touch point in Latin America. Over the years, we have achieved healthy growth on our Brazilian flights, as more and more customers experience Emirates award-winning service and our hub, Dubai. We are continuously bringing new exciting leisure destinations closer to Brazilians such as, Bangkok, Tokyo, Vietnam or more recently Cambodia. We look forward to continue supporting Brazils growing inbound tourist numbers and business trade opportunities. Emirates currently serves two Brazil gateways with services to Dubai from Sao Paulo, operated by the A380, and Rio de Janeiro, operated by the Boeing 777-300ER. Passengers can also fly to Buenos Aires onboard the Boeing 777-300ER from Rio de Janeiro. In October 2016, Emirates announced a codeshare and frequent flyer programme partnership with GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A (GOL) allowing customers to purchase connecting flights on both airlines using one reservation, and a seamless ticketing, check-in, boarding and baggage check experience during the entire journey. Passengers booking flights to Brazil can now connect to multiple destinations in Brazil with GOL, including Porte Alegre, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba and Brasilia. - TradeArabia News Service Wall Street Poised to Get a Key SEC Reprieve Over MiFID The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing to give Wall Street a reprieve by telling financial firms they wont have to overhaul their operations to comply with sweeping new European rules governing investment research, said three people familiar with the matter. In a report on Bloomberg, the SEC is expected to provide formal assurances by the end of the month that it wont object if brokerages break out the cost of market analysis for their European clients, rather than bundling it together with other services, the people said. Europe is requiring that brokers charge separately for research, but doing so could violate U.S. regulations. At issue is Europes coming ban of a practice that has been routine at global banks for decades: Issuing fund managers one bill for everything from executing trades to analyzing stocks and bonds. Europes goal is to give investors more transparency into how much they pay for specific services, while incentivizing brokers to produce higher-quality research. But in an odd twist, brokers say SEC rules technically prohibit them from selling stand-alone analysis unless they register with the agency as investment advisers. The investment adviser label subjects firms to a much stricter level of oversight, and has traditionally been meant for companies and individuals who manage clients money. For the rest of the story, please click here For more information on related topics, visit the following channels: Caribbean Travel Marketplace will be held in San Juan from January 30 to February 1, 2018. CARIBBEAN TRAVEL MARKETPLACE STILL ON FOR SAN JUAN CHTA voices confidence in Puerto Rico readiness by January and urges industry support MIAMI (October 23, 2017) - Puerto Rico will host the Caribbean's largest tourism marketing event in San Juan from January 30 to February 1, 2018, as officials work rapidly to prepare hotels and meeting facilities impacted by the recent hurricanes. "In rolling out a reenergized Caribbean Travel Marketplace, we look forward to showing the world how the courage, determination and hard work of the Puerto Rican people and tourism industry has prevailed in view of the challenges they are currently facing," said Frank Comito, Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA). Comito said the Puerto Rican people's resilience in rebuilding communities and getting their tourism and hospitality sector up and running is inspiring. "It is important for the entire Caribbean region, our industry's travel partners and those who book travel to the Caribbean to show their support. Already, most of the region's tourism industry is open for business and we anticipate by the end of the year most of the hotels in Puerto Rico will be welcoming guests, as will a growing number of hotels from the other impacted destinations," he noted. Marketplace is produced by CHTA in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, and the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association. CHTA President Karolin Troubetzkoy said Caribbean hoteliers, destination representatives and industry stakeholders who rely on doing business with the region will have a unique opportunity to learn about the region's diverse offerings, new products, improvements and upgrades, and niche market opportunities. "Marketplace also connects people, renewing business relationships and establishing new contacts," she said. Troubetzkoy also commended the people of Puerto Rico and other affected destinations. "Faced with so much adversity, our people have exhibited tenacity, bravery and dedication in helping their brothers and sisters rebuild their lives while committing to welcoming visitors back to their shores," she commented. Omar Marrero, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority, thanked CHTA and the wider Caribbean for showing solidarity with the Territory during this challenging period, declaring, "Nosotros estaremos listos! (We will be ready!) We look forward to welcoming our Caribbean family and our national and international partners to our island - come and do business, that's the best way to help us rebound in the new year." Marrero is also the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and the Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority. The Puerto Rico Convention Center will see a dynamic array of meetings between hotel and destination representatives, online travel agents, tour operators and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) planners with a busy program of thousands of pre-scheduled appointments. Marketplace 2018 will also see a wider range of suppliers eager to promote their new contributions to this fast growing sector. "In addition to the traditional partners and Marketplace participants, we want to stimulate and maintain these fresh connections to ensure current and future suppliers can remain abreast of the expanding needs of tourism at the region's largest and longest running marketing event. Our team at CHTA is constantly adjusting to a changing and competitive travel environment, so we can exceed delegates' expectations," Troubetzkoy said. In 2017, Caribbean Travel Marketplace, hosted by The Bahamas, attracted 114 buyer companies from 20 countries. More than 1,100 delegates from 31 countries participated in more than 10,000 pre-scheduled appointments. Details about registration can be found at www.chtamarketplace.com/registration-fees . The event opens on the evening of Tuesday, January 30, preceded by educational sessions earlier in the day. For more information, visit www.chtamarketplace.com or call +1 305 443-3040. Caribbean Travel Marketplace, produced by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, and the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association, is hosted by Interval International, JetBlue Vacations, and Mastercard. Platinum Sponsors include ADARA, AMResorts, Cable & Wireless, CaribbeanWE, Figment Design, Marketplace Excellence, OBMI, STR, TravelClick and Travelzoo. Lexicon Travel Technologies, Meredith Corporation, and The New York Times have joined the event as gold sponsors. About the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is the Caribbean's leading association representing tourism interests for national hotel and tourism associations. For more than 50 years, CHTA has been the backbone of the Caribbean hospitality industry. Working together with 1,000 hotel and allied members and 32 National Hotel Associations, CHTA is shaping the Caribbean's future and helping members to grow their businesses. Whether navigating new worlds like social media, sustainability, legislative issues, emerging technologies, data and intelligence or looking for avenues and ideas to better market and manage businesses, CHTA is helping members on matters that matter most. For further information, visit www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com ENDS Jayshree Sengupta FOR most people today, the quality of life is very important. It includes environmental purity of air, water and the citys sanitation. If the air quality is so poor that people have to wear masks and children cannot play outdoors, no matter how rich the country is, people especially foreign investors will leave. Some years ago, a correspondent from The New York Times wrote an article on Delhis pollution and why he was so glad to be leaving Delhi. His son was suffering from bronchial problems and he was not able to live the life he wanted, so he left New Delhi. At that time, Delhis pollution level was not as bad as it is today. Despite the ban on crackers, the air quality has become very poor in Delhi and nearby areas. Traffic policemen have been given masks to prevent them from having lung diseases. Most elderly people are suffering from some chronic respiratory ailment. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the second biggest killer in India after cardio-vascular diseases. Air pollution has reached very dangerous levels and the governments tardy response is not going to contain it. This Diwali, the ban on the sale of crackers did not help when people could buy crackers from the vicinity of the NCR. Even a ban on gensets is too late. The burning of agricultural stubble continues unabated in Haryana and the vehicular traffic is increasing at a mad pace every day. Diesel fumes from old vehicles are supposed to be deadly, but such vehicles are still plying. What can save us from breathing foul air 24x7 is the moot questionbecause air pollution is sending us running to doctors and hospitals. On the other hand, the Modi government is focused on GDP growth as it considers it to be the main indicator of success. Niti Aayog wants GDP growth to rise to 10 per cent. Lifting it from the low of 5.7 per cent as soon as possible seems to be its endeavour. There is nothing as jarring as ministers constantly going abroad and trying to attract FDI and promising great returns. The UPA ministers did it and NDA ministers are doing the same. This year, India has crossed the $100-billion mark in FDI flows since 2000. But when interested investors come to negotiate deals from now on, they will breathe the toxic air and drink water from bottles even in five-star hotels and they will begin to think twice about investing in India. They will be put off by the traffic snarls and the open garbage within a few miles of all the major airports of Indian cities. Even if they gloss over these problems and may not notice them in their short sojourn, the personnel coming to India to set up plants will experience the foul air as their children will have constant health problems and they will have to live in isolated enclaves with air-purifiers. We do, of course, need FDI for increasing the growth potential of the country. We need it to upgrade infrastructure and create jobs. But there is no guarantee that foreign investors will employ more labour in their factories. Their track record is poor on this count as most have gone for capital intensive production in the past. While to attract FDI the government is mainly focusing on ease of doing business ranking for India, in which India fares pretty badly at 130th out of 189 countries, it should also think of factors not taken into account in the index, but very important today such as pollution. It could become the main factor deterring FDI from coming to India. Most FDI has gone to South India, Gujarat and Maharashtra. In the north, FDI is located around Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. Koreans have taken a shine to Tamil Nadu. They are one of the big investors for making cars, household gadgets and phones. They have found Tamil Nadu to be somewhat an ideal location. But it is northern India specially the poorer states that need foreign investors more. Tamil Nadu has better infrastructure and labour force, but environmentally, it is as poor as other states. All over India, there is problem of environmental degradation and garbage disposal problems. India is generating 1,00,000 metric tonnes of garbage every day a huge amount of solid waste. One can see mountains of garbage near Delhi in Gazipur, which recently collapsed due to gas implosion, killing a few people. Solid waste management will be a monumental problem in the future. Stink from rotting garbage is a very off-putting factor for tourists and potential foreign investors. In the Capital every day, photographs of uncollected garbage lying on the streets appear in newspapers. These depots of solid waste breed diseases which we are all subject to; we are living with the threat of dengue, viral fever and stomach ailments on a daily basis. This is not the case of people living in other emerging economies where people live, by and large, healthy lives. Also, like in advanced countries, we are experiencing stress in big doses living in India. Where is all the solid waste being dumped? Often, in water bodies and the result is that our seas, lakes and rivers are so polluted that it has crossed danger levels, killing fish and other aquatic creatures. Water pollution is really serious. It is such a contrast to developed countries where you can see clean rivers and lakes and drink water from the tap. The culprits are the cash-strapped urban local bodies which dump raw sewage into rivers and factories are dumping industrial waste into rivers with abandon. It is awful to see the Yamuna being reduced to a drain which stinks to high heavens in the summer. The same is the case with the Ganges. Huge amounts of money poured into the cleaning of the Ganges have not yielded significant results in improving the quality of water. China, with a much faster economic growth in the past, is facing more or less the same problems, but is combatting environmental pollution on a war footing. It has chosen to slow down its GDP growth and clean its environment. Shouldnt we do the same? Chandigarh, October 23 The first day of the Haryana Assembly session on Monday witnessed noisy scenes as members of the opposition Congress were evicted after they remained adamant on the demand for a debate on the shelving of the Dadupur-Nalvi canal scheme by the state government. After the reading out of obituary resolutions, Congress MLAs, including former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kiran Chowdhary and Randeep Singh Surjewala, sought a debate on the scrapping of the canal project, claiming that the decision would hit the farmers hard. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Congress MLAs said they had brought an adjournment motion on the issue and demanded that a debate be held. However, when the Speaker Kanwar Pal did not relent, all the Congress members trooped into the Well of the House, pressing for a discussion on the burning issue. The Speaker, while trying to persuade the Congress MLAs to go back to their seats, said that he had accepted the adjournment motion and it would be taken up tomorrow. The Congress members kept demanding an immediate discussion. The Speaker first named all the Congress MLAs and then asked the watch and ward staff of the Assembly to evict them. The Congress MLAs, while being taken out of the House, raised slogans against the BJP-led government in the state. Later, talking to reporters, senior Congress leader and MLA Kuldeep Sharma said that once an adjournment motion is accepted in the House, it cannot be postponed. It should be taken up immediately. It seems the government was not ready for it, that is why it was postponed for tomorrow, claimed Sharma. Surjewala said the attitude of the BJP government in the state was anti-peasant. There is no provision in the law to return land acquired by the government for this project, Surjewala, who is also national media in charge of the Indian National Congress, asserted. Opposition parties had strongly condemned the Manohar Lal Khattar governments decision to scrap the Dadupur-Nalvi canal project last month, saying that it would adversely impact the farmers of northern Haryana. The Haryana Cabinet on September 27 had decided to scrap the Dadupur-Nalvi canal scheme after approving a proposal of Irrigation and Water Resources Department to denotify 1,019.2994 acres of land acquired for construction of the Dadupur-Nalvi Irrigation Scheme. The decision to scrap the project was taken after the government found that this scheme was not feasible. Earlier, when the proceedings of the House began with the reading out of obituary references, CLP leader and former minister Kiran Choudhary demanded the names of those, who died during in the violence following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case on August 25, should be included in the obituary resolutions. A total of 41 persons had died in Panchkula and Sirsa during the incidents of violence and arson. To this, INLD leader and Leader of Opposition in the House, Abhay Chautala made a demand for inclusion of names of people who died during Jat stir in February last year. The names of those who died during the Dera violence and the Jat violence have been included in the obituary references, said Speaker Kanwar Pal. PTI Visitation to Glacier National Park has never been higher, and need for maintenance has never been greater. My Model T friends driving classy, century-old Fords helped boost the record visitation, but park repairs require attention in Washington. In 2017, volumes of historic memories were created in Glacier National Park. In June, over 620,000 people visited the park, 30 percent above 2016. Attendance in July topped a whopping 1 million people, a 23 percent increase and a new monthly record. Included were 400 tourists riding in 175 nicely maintained Model T Fords. They spent beaucoup bucks in Whitefish, Eureka, Polson, Kalispell and Glacier National Park. While this increase in park visitation brings economic benefits to local communities including those in Lincoln County where I live, travelers cause wear and tear on park resources. This surge in visitation to Glacier hastens infrastructure aging and deterioration while annual maintenance funding from Congress is unreliable. In recent years our National Park Service put off repairs on roads, bridges, water systems and buildings throughout Glacier. The maintenance backlog in the park totals more than $148 million. This year compounded Glacier National Parks maintenance needs thanks to catastrophic wildfires. Talk about shock and awe and ruin! Some aspects of Glacier may be impossible to replace. For instance, the historic Sperry Chalet burned. Built in 1914, many of us have hiked to this spectacular chalet. Congress must dedicate funding to our national parks to fix years of neglect and wildfire devastation. Glaciers not the only national park suffering from neglected maintenance. Our National Park System needs $11.3 billion for deferred infrastructure repairs. Recently, I heard Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke tell Western Governors that the previous presidents decision to cancel offshore oil leases cost the Department of the Interior enough money to pay all deferred maintenance with billions left over. No question, postponing maintenance can be more expensive in the long run. Replacing infrastructure that has been allowed to waste away costs more. Ask any Model T driver if a quart of oil is cheaper than a rebuilt engine. Treasures like national parks are no different. There is a growing bipartisan movement in Congress to designate a dedicated funding stream solely for National Park Service maintenance needs. The National Park Service Legacy Act (S.751/H.R.2584), introduced this year with support from both sides of the aisle, offers a practical solution to reduce infrastructure backlog at national parks. Its encouraging to see our leaders in Washington come together to address this important national problem. Montanans should count our blessings Glacier is more popular and brings more economic growth to our state and my county than ever before. Help me to encourage Washington, D.C., to ensure resources to repair infrastructure. More visitors will come. The two Model T Ford national clubs have devoted huge sections of nationally circulated magazines to vintage car touring in our beautiful state, especially Glacier National Park. For details, type "MTFCA" or "MTFCI" into your internet search engine. Rep. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, represents House District 2 in the Montana Legislature. Smita Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 23 Ahead of his India tour, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson paid a surprise visit to Kabul on Monday. He was hosted by Afghanistans President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive of the National Unity government Dr Abdullah Abdullah. Tillerson, who is on his first official visit to South Asia after the West Asia leg, discussed US President Donald Trumps recently unveiled Afghanistan strategy. Trump had sought a larger and active development role for India in the war-torn country. An official statement said Tillerson in his meetings with Ghani underlined the US governments commitment to work with the Afghan government and regional partners to achieve peace in Afghanistan and deny safe havens to terrorists who threaten that goal. There has been a sharp spike in attacks by the Taliban in Afghanistan, including the deadly terror strike at the Afghan National Army base in Kandahar last week killing nearly sixty people and the earlier attack at the Kabul airport, during the visit of US Defence Secretary James Mattis. Interestingly, Tillersons Kabul stopover also comes just hours ahead of President Ghanis one-day working visit to India. Regional security challenges, cross-border terrorism and economic cooperation will dominate talks between India-Afghan and India-US leaders over the next 48 hours. Delhi and Washington DC have intensified engagements over the reconstruction work in Kabul, even as the Trump administration has sent out mixed signals of re-hyphenation of India and Pakistan. Tillerson will hold talks with the Pakistani leadership on Tuesday before flying in to Delhi tomorrow night as per sources. His message in Islamabad on Pakistani support especially to the Haqqani network and Afghan Taliban will be closely watched. Afghan President to hold talks in Delhi Ghani had been extended an invitation when NSA Ajit Doval was in Kabul last week for discussions. Both sides review the bilateral strategic partnership, including the New Development Partnership and hold consultations and coordinate efforts to combat the menace of terrorism, said a Ministry of External Affairs statement. Ghanis visit comes within weeks of high-level exchanges with Afghanistan, including visit of its chief executive and foreign minister to Delhi. During his visit, President Ghani will meet with President Ram Nath Kovind and hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will host a lunch in Ghanis honour. Ghani will deliver a public address at the Vivekanand International Foundation outlining his strategy and vision to seek peace for the Afghan people. New Delhi, October 23 The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Gujarat Government to apprise it within four weeks whether any departmental action had been initiated or taken against the police officers whose conviction was upheld in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud also allowed the gang-rape survivor to file a fresh appeal seeking enhancement of the compensation earlier granted to her in the gang-rape case that had taken place during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The gang-rape survivor has sought grant of adequate compensation and initiation of departmental action against the errant police officers. The Supreme Court, which sought a report from the Gujarat government within four weeks on the departmental action, asked the counsel for the rape survivor to file a separate appeal challenging a high court order on the issue of compensation. The Bombay High Court had on May 4 upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of 12 people in the gang-rape case, while setting aside the acquittal of seven people including policemen and doctors. Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped in March, 2002, while she was pregnant, lost seven of her family members in the aftermath of the Godhra train burning incident. The Bench had convicted seven persons, including five policemen and two doctors, for not performing their duties (sections 218) and tampering of evidence (section 201) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The convicted policemen and doctors are Narpat Singh, Idris Abdul Saiyed, Bikabhai Patel, Ramsingh Bhabhor, Sombhai Gori, Arun Kumar Prasad (doctor) and Sangeeta Kumar Prasad (doctor). A special court had on January 21, 2008, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment 11 men in the case. They later approached the Bombay High Court challenging their conviction and sought for the trial court's order to be quashed. The CBI had also filed an appeal in the high court seeking harsher punishment of death for three of the convicted on the grounds that they were the main perpetrators of the crime. According to the prosecution, on March 3, 2002, Bilkis Bano's family was attacked by a mob at Randhikpur village near Ahmedabad during the post-Godhra riots and seven members of her family were killed. Bilkis Bano, who was five-month pregnant at the time, was gangraped while six other members of her family managed to escape from the mob. The trial in the case began in Ahmedabad. However, after Bilkis Bano expressed apprehensions that witnesses could be harmed and CBI evidence tampered, the Supreme Court transferred the case to Mumbai in August 2004. PTI Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 23 Leader of the numerically powerful Thakur community in Gujarat, Alpesh Thakore today joined the Congress, while the BJP here described the move as yet another antic of the dramebaaz number one party. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Thakore had always been part of the NSUI (Congress student wing) and had even contested panchayat elections in Mehsana district on the Congress ticket, and lost. His (Thakore) father is also a zila adhyaksh (district president) of the party. Congress is dramebaaz number one and I am saying it with all responsibility about a party that participated in Indias freedom struggle, Prasad said. The BJP also predicted that the attempt by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to make vote-based jodis with young community leaders Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakore, Jignesh Mevani will backfire in the similar way as liaison with Akhilesh Yadav had in Uttar Pradesh. Congress has made it (Thakore joining the party) a big issue. It was always clear you (Rahul) do not do your homework. Now, it seems that even your scriptwriters do not do their homework. Politics of India is a serious business. But sometimes you are trending in Kazakhstan, sometimes in Indonesia and sometimes in Russia. Do something good here so that you can trend in India. The problem with Rahul is that he is yet to understand serious dynamics of economics and development. These are issues alien to him, Prasad said as the Gujarat elections veer towards caste-based equations. However, BJP leaders believe that ultimately other issues will play the decider. Hardik Patel is treading carefully on the Congress offer on fear of losing credibility among Patidars, they say, adding that even in the worst case scenario he will be able to influence only a limited percentage in the community. Around 22 of (BJP) MLAs are from the Patidar community. So at the best he may be able to influence only some percentage. Moreover, are people of Gujarat not aware that President (Ram Nath Kovind) belongs to the Koli (Dalit) community? questioned a senior BJP leader. BJP chief Amit Shah reportedly told an internal party meeting that if a section of Patidars do leave, new voters would join to support the BJP. BJP leaders say though jodis (of Rahul with youth leaders) may work for optics, eventually development plans like the roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry service which PM Narendra Modi inaugurated yesterday will work for the majority voters. On the Congress allegations that the Election Commission is helping the BJP, Prasad said: These are desperate allegations. It is uncharitable to unleash these kinds of baseless allegations against the EC. New Delhi, October 23 The government may hike the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat by Rs 100 to Rs 1,725 a quintal for this year, a government source said on Monday. A decision in this regard is likely to be taken in the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) meeting scheduled for Tuesday. The MSP is the rate at which government buys the grain from farmers. At present, wheat MSP is Rs 1,625 per quintal. The MSP of rabi crops, including wheat for the 2018-19 marketing year, is on the agenda of the CCEA meeting tomorrow. The proposal is to raise the support price for wheat by Rs 100 per quintal for 2018-19, the source said. Wheat is the main rabi crop, sowing of which will begin from this month. The crop will be marketed from next year April onwards. In the cabinet note, the agriculture ministry has proposed MSP of seven rabi cropswheat, barley, gram, masur, rapeseed/mustard and safflowerbased on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). PTI Gandhinagar, October 23 The Congress got a boost with OBC leader Alpesh Thakore joining it in the presence of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi who attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on demonetisation and GST, calling it a Gabbar Singh Tax that has ruined Indias economy. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Gandhi also asked Modi to break his silence on BJP president Amit Shahs son Jay whose business fortunes allegedly sky-rocketed after the NDA came to power. Addressing a gathering of thousands of supporters of young OBC leader Thakore, who heads Thakore Sena, the Congress leader alleged that the BJP had tried to buy priceless voices of Gujaratis and said it wont succeed. What happened on November 8? Modiji came on television and said I dont like Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. So I have decided to spike them from that midnight. And by doing that he attacked the whole country by one stroke. For the first two three days he too did not understand what had happened. And in a concert in Mumbai he announced I have done this. But after five-six days, he realised he made a mistake. Then again he appeared on television and said if I dont end the menace of black money by December 30, then hang me. Gandhi then asked farmers in the crowd if they buy seeds and fertilizers from their mobile phones and with cheques. The crowd replied with a loud No. He destroyed the entire economy. He did not stop there but went ahead with GST. GST was our thinking. We brought it, it was a thought of single tax of 18 per cent across the nation with less forms to be filled. He also took a dig at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for rejecting the Congress recommendation of cutting tax slabs. But they said that they will do it in the same way they did it with demonetisation with all celebrations at midnight. Now, there is a GST with 28 per cent tax and three return forms. Now GST has become a Gabbar Singh Tax, he said, punning on the name of famous Bollywood villain in Sholay. Gandhi also attacked the Make in India slogan of the Prime Minister, saying it was Chinese goods everywhere in the country. The government has to give employment to youth. Indias competition is with China. Should employment go to China or come to India? Most of the products you use have the label of Made in China. Whether it is a shirt, cameras or anything else. When you click selfies or press a button for a picture, a Chinese youth gets employment. Modiji talks of Make in India. In Gujarat alone there are 30 lakh unemployed youth. Everyday 30,000 people across the country enter the job market. But only 450 people get jobs. Referring to an allegation by Narendra Patel, a Patidar leader close to Hardik Patel, that a bribe of Rs 1 crore was offered to him to join the BJP, Gandhi said the priceless voices of Gujarat can neither be stifled nor bought. Alpesh ji, you asked these people to remain silent. But how they can remain silent. Modiji has harassed them a lot and that is why they cannot remain silent. Even Hardik, Jignesh Mewani, (a Dalit leader), cannot remain silent. They too have a voice. And this is no ordinary voice. It cannot be suppressed or bought. Whether they give Rs 1 crore, Rs 100 crore, Rs 1,000 crore or Indias total budget or the wealth of the world. The voice of Gujarat cannot be bought or suppressed. IANS Mumbai, October 23 Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar has taken a dig at BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao over his remarks that most Indian film stars have "very low IQ and very low general knowledge". "How dare you, sir?" an angry Farhan tweeted and tagged the BJP leader. How dare you, sir?? @GVLNRAO And to all film people in his ranks.. heres what he thinks of you. #shame https://t.co/6C8v6hZa23 Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) October 22, 2017 "And to all film people in his ranks... Here's what he thinks of you. Shame sir," the actor wrote. Farhan's comment was in reaction to an interview Rao gave to Times Now TV over the ongoing controversy on Tamil film "Mersal" that has scenes critical of the GST and the Digital India initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rao, criticising the movie and its makers in the TV interview, said: "In any case, most of our film stars have very low IQ, very low general knowledge." "Mersal", Tamil actor Vijay's Diwali release, is in the news after the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded removal of specific dialogues which take a dig at GST and digital India. Politicians, including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and DMK leader MK Stalin, apart from actor Kamal Haasan, slammed the BJP's attempt to muzzle criticism regarding its policies. Directed by Atlee, "Mersal" stars Vijay in the roles of a village head, a doctor and a magician. IANS New Delhi, October 23 A united Opposition plans to hold a joint protest on November 8, the first anniversary of note ban which it alleged has caused harm to the economy and jobs in the country. Some Opposition parties led by the Congress today met in Parliament to chalk out modalities for the proposed joint agitation. Leaders of six Opposition parties the Congress, the Left, the BSP, TMC, DMK and JD(U)s Sharad Tadav faction who are part of an Opposition coordination committee, today met in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad over the issue. After the hour-long discussions, Azad told reporters that it was an initial meeting and he was asked to consult all 18 Opposition parties before finalising anything further. We will discuss with the other Opposition parties and come with our plan soon, he told reporters. Sources said the Opposition is planning a nationwide protest on note ban anniversary to highlight the ill-effects on the economy hard and the job market. Today the Opposition coordination committee met. Representatives of six parties were present. We decided to meet again before the Parliament session. We will announce our plan tomorrow, TMC leader Derek OBrien said after the meeting. OBrien said the Opposition parties discussed the economic situation in the country, including demonetisation, GST and other issues. Today we met to discuss the economic fallout in the country and discuss various aspects of it. Ghulam Nabi has been given the responsibility to discuss the issue with other opposition parties. We will meet again to chalk out our plans, said CPI leader D Raja after the meeting. The Opposition parties also discussed the case of Sharad Yadavs disqualification from the Upper House, which is pending before Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu. The Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had sought Yadavs disqualification from the Rajya Sabha after he revolted against the partys decision to ally with the BJP. The sources said the Opposition leaders have decided to speak to the Vice-President tomorrow at a luncheon, where he has invited all leaders of Opposition parties. TMC leader OBrien said his party feels Yadav is been targeted by his party JD(U). This MP was elected by people on mahagathbandhan ideology. He didnt break the ideology, others broke it. Why should Yadav be penalised? he said. Sharad Yadav, Satish Chandra Misra, Derek OBrien, Kanimozhi and D Raja were among those present at todays meeting. Another member of the coordination committee Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party could not attend. PTI Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 23 The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the bail plea of Unitech Managing Director Sanjay Chandra and asked his company to deposit Rs 1,000 crore to prove its bona fides. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra suggested that the partially-complete flats of the real estate major spread over its 64 projects across the country be auctioned. This is the fourth time that the Bench has ignored his bail plea. Earlier, it had rejected his bail plea on September 8, 15 and 21. Amicus curiae Pawanshri Agrawal told the Bench Rs 1,865 crore was needed to refund the homebuyers money. On behalf of Chandra, former Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar submitted that the company could sell the flats in the 64 projects to raise money to refund the flat buyers. Kumar, however, insisted that Chandra should be given at least four-week interim bail for the purpose. Kumar said during this period, Chandra would prepare a proper plan for raising the money needed to pay back the homebuyers. Unless he was released from jail he would not be in a position to raise the money needed for refunds and completing the projects, Kumar submitted. Sanjay Chandra and his brother Ajay Chandra were arrested by the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police on April 1, 2017, on complaints of cheating filed by homebuyers against them. The Delhi High Court had on August 11 refused to grant interim bail to them. They have challenged the HCs order before the top court. The Supreme Court had on September 21 asked Unitech flat buyers to spell out if they wanted their dream home or refund of their hard-earned money even as it turned down interim bail plea of its Managing Director Sanjay Chandra yet again. CJI Misra had emphasised the need to strike a balance between one persons bail and tears of 16,299 flat buyers. When you (Chandra) will care for the tears of these people, who are your people, your buyers, you will be a free bird, the Bench had said. While asking homebuyers to submit their option to the amicus curiae by October 23, the Bench had made it clear that Unitech will have to either give possession of flats to the buyers or pay back their money; otherwise its properties would be auctioned to pay the investors. The amicus curiae had earlier told the Bench that the flats had been handed over to buyers in only 13 out of the 74 projects and 16,300 buyers in the remaining 61 projects were still waiting for it. The worth of 16,300 flats would be around Rs 7,816 crore, he had said. The amicus curiae has created a portal where the homebuyers could upload their details to claim flats or refund from the company. Five buyers of the Unitechs Anthea Floors Wildflower Country project led by some Delhi residents had filed a complaint for registration of FIR against the company in 2015. Later, 90 more complaints were lodged against the company for the same project. These 90 complaints were clubbed with the FIR. Washington, October 23 US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis will meet his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman in the Philippines this week at a conference of ASEAN defence ministers, the top Pentagon leader said on Monday. The bilateral meeting between Mattis and Sitharaman would take place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defence Ministers' Meeting in the Philippines that begins today and ends on October 25. "I will have meetings while I'm in the Philippines at the ASEAN meeting with regional counterparts - Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines of course, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia," Mattis told reporters travelling with him to Philippines. This would be the first meeting between the two leaders after Mattis' successful trip to India last month. Mattis said the ASEAN defence ministers' meeting will be an opportunity to recognise ASEAN for 50 years of promoting peace and stability in the region. "They have done a very good job of it. Nations coming of age, many years finding, finding, basically a foundation where they can discuss things," he said. ASEAN, he said, provides an international forum, giving voice to those who want relations between states to be based on respect, not on predatory economics or on the size of militaries, in an apparent reference to China. "ASEAN nations have demonstrated that they can listen to one another, they identify opportunities to increase defence cooperation for their own security, and seek shared solutions to shared concerns," he said, adding that the US remains unambiguously committed to supporting ASEAN. PTI Islamabad, October 23 Ousted Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif will return to the country to face an anti-graft court after spending two days in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, according to media reports on Monday. Sharif, 67, has been indicted in three corruption cases against him and his family in the Panama Papers case. He missed three hearings of Supreme Court-directed corruption cases against him in an accountability court. Sharif, who left for London earlier this month to see his ailing wife, was scheduled to arrive in Lahore tomorrow. After a change in plans for the second time, Sharif reached Jeddah from London today, Geo TV reported. He will now return to Pakistan after a two-day stay in the kingdom, the Pakistani channel quoted sources as saying. The change in plans came yesterday when the former premiers visa arrived for his travel to Jeddah. Sharifs mother is staying in Jeddah and sources said that he would take his mother along for performing Umrah with him. Sharif will then leave for Islamabad, the sources were quoted as saying. His visit to Saudi Arabia is said to be a completely private visit, during which no other meetings are on the agenda, the report said. On his arrival in Jeddah, Sharif was received by Saudi officials and members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz at the airport. He will proceed to his younger son Hussains residence from where he will go to Mecca to perform Umrah with his mother. Earlier reports said that Sharif had booked an air ticket for a return flight to Pakistan on October 21 from London. However it later emerged that he would arrive in Pakistan from London on October 24. But that plan too has been altered. Sharif had reached London on October 4 to spend time with his wife Kulsoom who is undergoing treatment for cancer. That was his second visit to London after his wife was diagnosed with lymphoma by British doctors on August 22. PTI Maiduguri [Nigeria], October 24 At least 13 people were killed and several others injured in twin bomb blasts in the restive northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Sunday. Anadolu news agency quoted Police Commissioner, Damian Chukwu as saying that that three suicide bombers suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents detonated IEDs (Improvised explosive devises) at different locations, killing themselves and 13 other locals. The first blast occurred at a bus station in Muna Garage. The other one took place a few metres away from the first explosion at Muna Dalti. ANI From left, Derek Leathers, Rebecca Brewster, and Bob Costello talk numbers at ATA. Photo: Evan Lockridge ORLANDO The trucking industry could be short 50,000 drivers by the end of 2017, warned American Trucking Associations Chief Economist Bob Costello Sunday at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition. The driver shortage was a key part of a wide-ranging presentation called How Do Your Numbers Stack up? According to the report, ATAs first in-depth examination of the driver shortage since 2015, the driver shortage eased in 2016 to roughly 36,500 down from 2015s shortfall of 45,000. We experienced a freight recession, last year, which eased the pressure on the driver market, Costello said. Now that freight volumes accelerating again, we should expect to see a significant tightening of the driver market. In the report, ATA projects the shortage to reach 50,000 by the end of 2017 and if current trends hold the shortage could grow to more than 174,000 by 2026. Driver turnover at large truckload fleets, which hit an all time high of 130% in 2005, averaged 81% last year with the freight slowdown. But by the second half of this year, it was back up to 90%, Costello noted. While 50,000 is an all time high for the industry, he said, it feels even worse. Theres quality vs. quantity. This is where the shortage feels much worse. If nothing improves and trends continue at the same rate, the industry could be short 174,000 drivers by 2026. Derek Leathers, president and CEO of Werner Enterprises, explained, The real issue I think were all faced with is the quality driver shortage. The ability to find drivers who meet the quality expectations we all have. This summer we crested 100,000 applications for the year. The problem was the hire rate in terms of meeting quality criteria was 2.7%. Costello detailed the causes of the shortage in the report, including the demographics of the aging driver population, lifestyle issues, regulatory challenges and others; as well as possible solutions. Over the next 10 years, he said, we need to attract almost 900,000 new people to the industry. Demographics is a big part of the problem. ATAs research arm, the American Transportation Research Institute, recently updated its demographic data on drivers and found some 57% of drivers are 45 or older. Only 4.4% are 20-24 years old, noted Rebecca Brewster, president and COO of ATRI. These demographics are daunting, said Werner's Derek Leathers. These demographics are daunting, Leathers said. Im happy to report ours have moved about 10 years to the left, thanks to the focus weve put on bringing more young people in. While the shortage is a persistent issue in our industry, motor carriers are constantly working to address it, Costello said. We already see fleets raising pay and offering other incentives to attract drivers. Fleets are also doing more to improve the lifestyle and image of the truck driver, but there are also policy changes like reducing the driver age as part of a graduated licensing system, or easing the transition for returning veterans, that can make getting into this industry easier and therefore help with the shortage. This led to a discussion of ATRIs efforts to develop a younger driver assessment tool. The idea is to look at the characteristics of some of the industrys best drivers and look at things such as personality traits, health, risk tolerance, age, attitudes regarding safety, and cognitive ability, and try to find younger candidates with similar traits. As we thread this needle as an industry, Leathers said, were going to have to bend over backwards to address every safety concern and some we probably havent thought of. Brewster noted that a new data point added to ATRIs industry metrics this year was more granular data on incentives and bonuses. The average bonus safety bonus per driver was $1,499, the average on-time delivery bonus was $1.946, with an average $949 starting bonus and $1,143 retention bonus. Leathers mused, Do these reflect what we stand for? In my mind what we ought to be doing is paying the folks in the truck in our fleet today and taking care of them every way we can. Put the money with the person whos already proven they can do it, rather than large sign on bonuses. Its nice to see more emphasis on safety, on-time and retention bonuses. For the full 2017 ATA Driver Shortage Report, click here. ONEOK Inc. announced Monday that the West Texas LPG Pipeline LP, a joint venture between ONEOK and Martin Midstream Partners LP, plans to invest approximately $200 million to expand its natural gas liquids system into the Delaware Basin, part of the larger Permian Basin. The project, which is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2018, is supported by long-term dedicated NGL production from two planned third-party natural gas processing plants. The Delaware Basin extension includes the construction of an approximately 120-mile, 16-inch pipeline that will have an initial capacity of 110,000 barrels per day as well as two new pump stations and pipeline looping along the existing West Texas LPG system. "Extending the West Texas LPG Pipeline into the core of the Delaware Basin, one of the fastest growing plays in the U.S., positions the West Texas LPG system for significant future NGL volume growth," said Terry K. Spencer, ONEOK president and CEO, in a statement. West Texas LPG Pipeline consists of approximately 2,600 miles of NGL pipeline in Texas and New Mexico operated by ONEOK, which owns 80 percent of the venture. The system provides transportation services to the Mont Belvieu market center from nearly 40 third-party natural gas processing plants in the Permian Basin. The Permian Basin in southeastern New Mexico and western Texas is the largest crude oil and natural gas producing basin in the U.S. JAY A Delaware County man was arrested on murder and assault complaints on allegations that he intentionally struck two people with his vehicle. Warren Winningham, 40, appeared by video before a judge in Delaware County District Court on Monday on complaints of second-degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. Winningham was freed on $110,000 bond, the Delaware County Sheriffs Office confirmed later Monday. The vehicular assault happened Saturday after a fight broke out among patrons of the Red Dirt Bar in Colcord, said Jessica Brown, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Bobby Shaffer Jr., 44, and Tristan Kauffeld, 21, were struck by a vehicle driven by Winningham, Brown said. Shaffer died from his injuries, and Kauffeld was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, she said. Colcord is about 75 miles east of Tulsa. How can Amazon -- or any company -- fill a second headquarters with 50,000 people? "Let me show you," said Thomas Paulson, a Minneapolis investment analyst who has followed Amazon for 17 years, as he pulled up a staffing chart on his iPad. "Their success has surprised even them." Beneath the hype of Amazon's search for a second headquarters are numbers that defy gravity and a business strategy that investors wouldn't tolerate from most companies. Seattle-based Amazon has expanded from a base as the world's largest online retailer to become a major competitor in several other industries. Its web services business is the largest provider of data warehouses for corporate America. Its logistics unit is building out airfreight, trucking and shipping lines. And its media business is now one of Hollywood's biggest producers. All four businesses have reached a size that make Amazon the fastest-growing large company in the United States at the moment -- and perhaps ever. It's leaping from $100 billion to $200 billion in annual sales faster than all but one of the handful of U.S. companies that have accomplished that. Exxon crossed $200 billion instantly when it bought Mobil in 1998. Amazon is mostly growing organically and could hit $200 billion next year, just three years after reaching $100 billion. Apple did it in five years, Walmart six and Berkshire Hathaway seven. UnitedHealth Group is on the verge of doing it in six years. In the process, Amazon is gobbling up people like a maw, adding a net 111,000 to its worldwide staff last year. That's nearly as many people as it employed in 2013. Amazon started this year with 341,000 people and was expected to add 136,000, not counting the 87,000 who joined in its acquisition of Whole Foods or the 120,000 holiday-season temps. For Paulson, who started his own investment firm, Inflection Capital Management, this year after two decades working for Alliance Capital and Cornerstone Capital Management, Amazon's ability to keep hiring at a fast rate is so important that he checks on the company's top human relations executive, Beth Galetti, every time he visits the Seattle headquarters. "I want to make sure she's liking her job and succeeding in her job," Paulson said. "These are really big (hiring) numbers when you go forward." Last month, Amazon announced that it envisions spending $5 billion on a second corporate home that may someday employ 40,000 to 50,000 people. It gave political and development leaders in U.S. and Canadian cities six weeks, until Thursday, to prepare real estate and incentive proposals. *** Amazon turned from a fast-growing company to an ultrafast-growing one in 2011, a year when it accelerated the construction of giant distribution centers for its retail business, and its web services business also hit the gas. Its staffing grew 67 percent that year, the fastest since its earliest years when the base was small. From 2012 through last year, it averaged 44 percent annual growth to its head count -- a staggering pace usually seen in much smaller or younger companies. Amazon declined to comment for this story. In a letter to shareholders early last year, Chief Executive Jeff Bezos ascribed the rapid growth as the payoff from a "distinctive organizational culture" built around a few principles. "I'm talking about customer obsession rather than competitor obsession, eagerness to invent and pioneer, willingness to fail, the patience to think long-term, and the taking of professional pride in operational excellence," he wrote. Bezos, a former hedge fund investor, started Amazon in 1995 as a way into the then-nascent world of internet retailing. He first offered books from a small warehouse near the Seattle Kingdome, added music and videos a few years later and rolled into other categories to become an "everything store." Bezos encourages risk and tolerates failure at a level beyond what's seen in most large companies. "Outsized returns often come from betting against conventional wisdom, and conventional wisdom is usually right," he wrote to shareholders last year. "Given a 10 percent chance of a 100 times payoff, you should take that bet every time." In 1998, Bezos took the critical step to make such risk-taking possible by telling shareholders that Amazon would focus on long-term growth more than short-term profits. He's repeated that idea every year since and investors have gone along, accepting small profits and occasional losses from Amazon even now, 20 years after the company went public. Its stock price which started at $1.50 in 1997, closed at 982.91 on Friday "Amazon's stock keeps getting bid up despite the fact they run at break-even," said Scott Galloway, a New York University marketing professor and author of the new book "The Four," which explores the high-level strategies of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. "They have reshaped the compact between investors and companies." Nearly all other U.S. companies are under pressure to hit quarterly profit targets or deliver dividends while Amazon reinvests nearly everything it makes into future businesses. "If you said to Best Buy or General Mills, we're going to give you access to the debt and equity markets so you can raise almost an infinite amount of capital, and their boards said all they needed to do with that capital is break even, those companies could be remarkably innovative," Galloway said. "They're not given that luxury." Amazon is now spending heaviest to build its shipping infrastructure and to make shopping even less of a hassle for consumers. One example: Amazon's voice-activated Echo devices shorten ordering time and give the company deeper insight into buying patterns. *** As Amazon mushrooms from retail giant into a major player in enterprise data, transportation logistics and media, some analysts say its chief constraint is likely to emerge from government regulators. Earlier this month, the European Union told Luxembourg to force the company to pay nearly $300 million in back taxes, part of a crackdown on sweetheart tax deals in Europe. Antitrust regulators always have an eye on the company; its growth fueled a debate in legal circles this year about whether U.S. competition laws can keep up. Other analysts note such challenges are unlikely because it has many competitors. Amazon's No. 2 executive, Jeff Wilke, recently told the Wall Street Journal that Amazon has "incredible competition" in all its businesses and that its biggest, retailing, gets less than 1 percent of what people worldwide spend to shop. In China, the world's most populous country, Amazon is a bit player and a local company, Alibaba, is also using dominance in online retailing to expand into new businesses. The other challenge Amazon faces is finding enough people to sustain its growth. The company's recruiters already swamp U.S. business schools looking for workers. Amazon's mammoth warehouses, which need about 1,300 people apiece, are constantly advertising. It offers starting hourly pay at $17 and benefits, including education for other vocations, that are unseen elsewhere. Of the four tech giants Galloway profiles in his book, he said he thinks that Amazon has the best chance to reach $1 trillion in market capitalization first. That means more than doubling its present value of $478 billion and leaping past Apple, Google and Facebook, which investors now value more highly. Where the four overlap competitively -- in voice services, artificial intelligence, media -- Amazon is currently winning, he said. "If there's one that's pulling away from the other three, it's Amazon," he said. "If I wrote the book two years from now, I would predict the name of it would be 'The One.'" Fifth-graders fidget. Its what they do. The 90 or so Ellen Ochoa Elementary School fifth-graders who sat on the schools lobby floor werent any different Monday morning. At least at first. They tugged at their hair and shoelaces. They stared at the floor. With limited success, teachers reminded them to be quiet. But when the former astronaut standing 60 feet away, Ellen Ochoa, began to narrate a video showing one of her four space voyages, the fifth-graders sat still. Fingers stopped dancing with their double-knots. Their eyes turned either forward or skyward, staying fixed on the image of a space shuttle flying upward or the woman wearing the blue NASA jacket. For the students who are here today, think of all the ways you might be involved in our adventure in the future. You can be an astronaut. You can be an aerospace engineer, said Ochoa, the first female Hispanic astronaut, one of the 500 or so people who have ever been in space. The Union Public Schools elementary school is among a handful named for Ochoa across the country. This one, however, has some family ties. Ochoas mother grew up in Tulsa. Some of her family sat in the audience, including her brother, who used to play for the Tulsa Philharmonic. She spoke of her fathers parents, who were Mexican immigrants. I can only imagine the amazement and pride that my grandparents would feel knowing that their granddaughter grew up to, not only to travel to space, but to have their name and their heritage used to inspire future generations, Ochoa said. What she became an astronaut and now director of NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston, which is used for spaceflight training and control is what Union officials hope inspires the children who attend the school, as well as the community around it. The fifth-graders who sat on the floor for Ochoas presentation will be the first students to graduate from the Union districts newest elementary school in east Tulsa, which opened this year but is still unfolding onto 30-plus acres along 31st Street. It is the districts first facility to be designed and built as a community school, following Unions model emphasizing parent involvement, academic enrichment, neighborhood development, and physical and mental health. It has about 500 students. When complete in 2019-20, that number will be closer to 1,000. Ochoas life story and character traits, Principal Rita Long said, should serve as inspiration for the students and staff. She was persistent and determined, especially since she didnt get into the NASA program at first, Long said. Its a great example for all of our students to see no matter what barriers you face that you can find a way to overcome those. On Monday, Ochoa challenged the students to imagine, and the students listened, enraptured. Ochoa covered some heavy stuff like transforming human existence in the solar system. She talked about NASAs ambition to go to Mars and explained what liquids do in a gravity-free environment. But what space does to the human body got the most response from the dozens on the floor. You grow an inch or two while in space, Ochoa said. One girl asked her friends, Is that true? With the new school, Union wanted more than anything to inspire hope, Superintendent Kirt Hartzler said. Were halfway there, he said of the schools construction, which depends, in part, on the passage of a bond issue next February. In 10 or 20 years, he said, he hopes to find that the school was transformative in more ways than we can imagine. OKLAHOMA CITY A tax hike and employee pay increase proposal unveiled Monday by Gov. Mary Fallin and Republican leaders faces an uncertain future in the House, where it would have to garner Democratic support to secure passage. The plan includes a $1.50 additional tax per pack of cigarettes; a 6-cent-per-gallon hike on gas and diesel; a hike on taxes on low-point beer; and restoration of the states ability to fund the earned income tax credit, which is given to low-wage earners. The plan also calls for a $3,000 teacher pay raise and a $1,000 pay raise for state employees, excluding those in higher education, legislators and statewide elected officials. Some state employees have not had a raise in more than 11 years, Fallin said. Democrats note that the plan fails to include an increase in gross production taxes or an increase in the income tax on high-wage earners. Instead of asking the oil and gas industry to pay a fair and just tax, Republican lawmakers would rather tax working class Oklahomans, the House Democratic Caucus said in a written statement. We believe that offering teachers and state employees a pay raise while simultaneously raising their taxes to pay for the raise is both disingenuous and a terrible way to balance a budget. Fallin called lawmakers into special session on Sept. 25 after a successful legal challenge to the cigarette tax that was passed last session. The Oklahoma Supreme Court said lawmakers violated the law by passing it as a smoking cessation fee because they couldnt get the super majority of votes needed to pass it as a tax. The bulk of the $215 million it was expected to generate was to go to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and the Department of Human Services. Coupled with a loss in federal matching dollars, the budget hole is closer to $500 million. Raising taxes requires 76 votes in the House, where the Republican Party holds 72 seats, but some House Republicans oppose the plan. The plan would need the support of some of the 28 House Democrats to secure approval. Rep. Jason Murphey, a Republican from Guthrie, said that it is a terrible proposal. It doesnt have the votes, he said. It will not pass. He said many lawmakers will listen to constituents who dont want a hike in fuel prices. Fallin, flanked by House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and Senate Pro Tem Mike Schulz, R-Altus, announced the plan during a Capitol news conference where no questions were taken. It has been very difficult to find agreement, but we cant let the perfect be the enemy of the good, Fallin said. We have to find resolution to close the $215 million budget gap and to put our state on a sustainable, stable path forward. We cant keep having budget shortfalls year after year. McCall said the people of Oklahoma support the plan. It boils down to this, McCall said. If you support health care, if you support education, a teacher pay raise, a pay raise for state employees, restoration of the earned income tax credit for low income families in this state, you vote yes. If you dont want to vote for those things, you dont think those things are important, you are voting no. Rep. Cory Williams, D-Stillwater, said the plan is irresponsible and regressive. I think they are having a really fancy dog and pony show, Williams said. They believe by doing this they will turn up the pressure on us. Fundamentally, our caucus does not believe in shifting the tax burden to the working poor and the middle class. Williams said the oil and gas industry and high-income earners need to contribute to solving the problem. Senate Minority Leader John Sparks, D-Norman, said the proposal will fail on the House floor. Republicans will then act surprised, which is all theater, he said. Sparks said that once the measure fails, Republicans will make more cuts to state agencies and rely on cash to fill budget holes. The plan does not include use of $83 million the state has in cash but does include about $25 million from the states rainy-day fund, according to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. Born in Oklahoma but living in Jacksonville, Florida, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Richard Luttrell remembers young men lining up around the block at Army recruiting centers, eager to enlist and join the fight. And he would have been one of them, but he was still in his mid-teens at the time. I was gung-ho, says Luttrell, now 91 years old. At least, I thought I was. Not able to join the Army right away, he persuaded his parents to let him ride a train by himself from Florida to Claremore, where he enrolled at the Oklahoma Military Academy. The school later evolved into Rogers State University. But during World War II, Oklahoma Military Academy was considered just a notch below West Point in preparing graduates to become Army officers, Luttrell says. When he left the Oklahoma Military Academy, however, the Army chose not to send Luttrell overseas, but gave him the job of training other recruits on infantry weapons and tactics. I guess they thought I would be good at training, and I think I was good at it, he says, sitting in his south Tulsa den decorated with black-and-white photos of his old infantry units. But I was disappointed. I want to be part of the fight. Of course, thats before I knew what combat was really like. After the war, Luttrell returned to his hometown of Hominy in the Osage Hills 45 miles northwest of Tulsa, where he hoped to become a rancher. But that turned out to be too expensive an endeavor, so Luttrell joined the Oklahoma National Guard. And when the states 45th Infantry Division deployed to Korea in 1951, he finally got his chance to join the fight. Ive always been one of those guys who enjoyed being with the troops. I liked it, says Luttrell, who worked his way up to the rank of captain. But everybody was scared. Thats just part of it. We dont like to talk about it, but thats the way it was. After Korea, Luttrell spent roughly 30 years living in Colorado, where he created and managed what he said was the first commercial river-rafting company on the Colorado River. Still an expert rider from his days at the Oklahoma Military Academy, he appeared as a cowboy in a Schlitz beer commercial that aired during the 1975 Super Bowl. Retirement brought him back to Oklahoma, where Luttrell, a citizen of the Osage Nation, is now helping design a war memorial for Pawhuska. The monument will recognize Osage veterans who fought in conflicts dating back to the Spanish-American War in 1898. Married for 70 years, Luttrell and his wife raised four children. The narrative is all too familiar . . . Oklahoma teachers working multiple jobs to make ends meet and record numbers leaving for neighboring states with higher pay and greater appreciation, or worse yet leaving the profession altogether. How much more data do we need before we recognize we have an acute problem in Oklahoma? Perhaps the lack of empathy for teachers, and the lack of pressure on policymakers to make a bold move on teacher pay is because 70 percent of citizens in Oklahoma do not have children in school. Have we forgotten where we come from? Like the bumper sticker says, If you can read this, THANK A TEACHER! Unfortunately, we have left our teachers abandoned along the roadside, devalued and disrespected, tin cup in hand. In the U.S., the average person with a high school diploma can expect to earn $33,800 per year, and an additional $22,000 with a four-year college degree. Yet in Oklahoma, a first-year teacher, after four years of college, will net a starting salary of just $31,600. I find that offensive. Lets face it, no one enters the teaching profession to become wealthy. For most, it is a calling, a profession chosen out of a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of students. Collectively, our teachers ply their craft to ensure our state has a quality workforce and an educated citizenry that adds value to our communities and our nations democracy. Economic development, quality of life measures, and a states investment in education are highly connected. We know this to be true. Then why do we find ourselves in a crisis unlike anything weve seen before in Oklahoma? Not only do we have a funding crisis, we have a serious teacher shortage. Nationally, since 2010, the number of students who have applied for teacher education programs has declined by about 20 percent. In Oklahoma, the shrinkage is even greater a 24 percent decline between 2006 and 2014 and its expected to worsen. Oklahomas teacher shortage facts are even more alarming. Seventeen percent of new teachers leave the state or profession after their first year. After five years, 40 percent of college graduates with education degrees no longer work as teachers in Oklahoma. Even our most experienced teachers are leaving; every year, 10 percent of Oklahoma teachers with 10-plus years leave our state or the profession. Are you beginning to see a trend? Since July 1, 2017, the Oklahoma State Department of Education has issued a mindboggling 1,674 emergency teaching certifications. Compare that to just 32 during the entire 2011-12 school year. The result is an acute teaching shortage that is going to take our state years, perhaps even decades, from which to recover. The current lack of highly qualified teachers in our classrooms impacts instructional quality, not to mention the cancellation of courses and higher class sizes. All of which have enormous implications on a schools ability to offer a dynamic, supportive, and enriching teaching and learning environment. I hear frequently from our policymakers that Oklahomas teacher benefits are significantly better than those of our neighboring states. While marginally better, these benefits cant be cashed in to pay the electric bill or to pay student loan debt. (The average student loan from the the University of Oklahoma, is $23,000). If Oklahomas teacher benefits are so great, then why is the average retirement $19,800 (pre-tax) after 30 years of teaching? When it comes to showing respect for teachers, Oklahoma has an odd way of showing it. Add to that the fact that an Oklahoma teacher in most school districts has not had a pay raise in 10 years. This I know as a school leader: If you want to see a successful school, look no further than the classroom. Teachers are the lifeblood of a schools success. A corollary if you want to see a successful state, look no further than the investment being made in their education system and how much the state values in respect and pay its teachers. This lack of investment would be understandable if Oklahoma was a poor state. We are not poor, and its time we quit playing the part. Oklahoma is the fifth-largest oil-producing state in the nation. We are 28th in the nation in per-capita personal income. These two data points alone are proof positive that the poor act is baloney. Its time our legislators acknowledge that we are not taking in sufficient tax dollars to meet core state needs and that our priorities are out of whack. We need to quit giving away tax breaks like they are cotton candy. Surely, our policymakers and state leadership can find a way to come together to get this figured out. Just for the record, they did back in 1990 with House Bill 1017! Almost a year ago, Oklahomans overwhelmingly defeated SQ 779 a sales tax proposal dedicated to increasing teacher pay and more adequately funding our schools. I think the vote was more a statement against a regressive tax that would have hit low- and moderate-income families than it was a vote against education. We must find a way to increase teacher pay and adequately fund education to a regionally competitive level or the teacher shortage will become a Teacher Dust Bowl. Were getting dangerously close! Lets show respect for teachers by giving them a pay raise. Our future depends on it! Kirt Hartzler is superintendent of Union Public Schools and a member of the Tulsa World Community Advisory Board. Opinion pieces by community advisory board members appear in this space each week. This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon! Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page? Under a scorching August sun, Odai Al Jburri is on the pitch, putting on a show. He heads the ball left and right, dancing around with his feet. Some people think because I am a refugee, I cant do much, he says loudly, I will prove them wrong. At 16, Odais passion for the beautiful game knows no limits. A refugee from Syria, Odai started playing football when he was just five. He trained at the Karama club in his hometown Homs until he was 11, dreaming of becoming a professional Football player. Football (soccer) is my first family, he says. It is everything I own, want and fight for. But the onset of the Syrian conflict changed everything. Odai had to flee to neighbouring Lebanon with his family in 2011, leaving everything behind. People were getting shot and arrested, recalls Amal, his mother. We feared for our childrens lives. The family of 7, settled in Hammanah, a mountainous village East of Beirut, where they rented a small shack. But life in Lebanon has been a struggle; moving Odai further away from his dream of becoming a professional Football player. Many people tell me that I should encourage him and support him, explains his father Mustafa,but how would I support him? I have no means, we use the assistance we get to pay for food and rent. "The minute I see the ball ... I feel relieved and happy." Odais family lives off a 216 dollars monthly stipend given by UNHCR. Odai had to drop from school to support his family. He works 13 to 14 hours shifts at a local butcher earning only 200 dollars a month. Despite the hardship, Odai wont give up on his dream. After hours, he is on the pitch either training or playing at the local club in Hammanah. "No matter how tired or stressed I am, the minute I see the ball and the field, I feel relieved and happy, says Odai. His Lebanese coach Raymond Hadchiti, who has trained in the United States, says Odai is full of potential, He is a very fast player, he always has a good vision of the Football field and fast passing skills. But Hadchiti adds that Odai wont be able to go to the next level without proper professional training abroad. LINCOLN For 29 years, four local sisters wondered about the identity of their older brother, who was given up for adoption before they were born. The mystery was solved after a Logan County judge opened the adoption record, dating to 1953, and united Rex Johnsen of Princeton with the family he didn't know he had in Lincoln. In May 1988, after the death of the sisters' father, Marilyan Jackson sat down her daughters and revealed a secret she had had a baby boy in 1953, when she was 18, and given him up for adoption. Three months after that confession, Marilyan died, and every question seemed lost to time. What was his name? Was he alive? If so, where did he live? And did he know who his mother was? "I looked around, but I couldn't find anything, asked family members and everything," Deniece Saylor said. She and her sisters twice petitioned the courts to open the file that contained their brother's name and that of his adoptive parents, but were denied each time. They scoured through birth announcements in the Lincoln Courier's microfilm archive at the Lincoln Public Library, looked through local yearbooks, searched online and even wrote to "The Steve Wilkos Show," hoping to narrow their search and find their brother. "I went to the county clerk's office and I found out that there were five babies born that day and I had record of four of them, so I knew the one baby missing was my brother, so we petitioned the courts and three days later they called," Saylor said. The file was opened and the family learned his name for the first time. Saylor's daughter, Amy Thompson, was able to find her uncle, Rex Johnsen, on Facebook while the family was still at the Logan County Courthouse. Together, they looked at his photos for the first time, saw the family resemblance and cried with relief and joy. "I cried for like a week after we found him," Deniece said with a smile. "I was very ecstatic; it just felt like our family was complete," Thompson said. She sent a message to Johnsen's daughter, Lyndsey, explaining their discovery and hoping for a reply. "My first response was shock," Lyndsey Johnsen said. "I left him a message saying, 'I have something to tell you and it's important.'" "I thought she was going to tell me something really bad," Rex Johnsen said with a laugh. "I was excited, but shocked." Johnsen had always known that he was adopted but never felt the urge to find his birth family. "I had a beautiful family, grew up on a farm. I never really looked (for my birth family). For an adoptive family, I couldn't have asked for any better," he said. "I felt very loved." Helen and Vernon Johnsen raised their adopted son in the tight-knit community of Wyanet Township, in Bureau County, located about 120 miles southwest of Chicago. Rex was an athlete in high school and graduated as part of a class of just 45 students. Helen had attended Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing in Peoria with the wife of Dr. William Spaits, the physician who delivered Marilyan's baby. In those days, doctors were permitted to make adoption arrangements. The adoption paperwork was finalized and filed with the Logan County clerk in July 1953. It remained in storage for 64 years. "God's timing was perfect, I believe it," Rex's wife, Brenda Johnsen, said. Rex plans to convert 8-millimeter films from his childhood into digital files to share with his sisters. The siblings have considered undergoing a DNA test. "Our plans are now just to love him and spend as much time with him as we can," Deniece said. "I mean, it's just amazing. I've always had this, like, hole in my heart as to where he was or 'is he OK?' or 'is he alive?' and now we know." Sarmina Begum, 20, from Myanmar holds her 10-monh-old daughter Dil Yahara. UNHCR/Roger Arnold The international donor community today announced pledges for more than US$344 million to urgently ramp up the delivery of critical humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh. Funding was also pledged for the humanitarian response inside Myanmar where violence, insecurity and growing humanitarian needs have sent nearly 600,000 Rohingya from the northern Rakhine state into Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh since 25 August. This ongoing exodus is the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world. Humanitarian donors have today expressed their solidarity and compassion with the families and communities in need. These very generous pledges must now quickly translate into life-saving relief for the vulnerable refugees and support to host communities who have been stretched to the limit, said Mark Lowcock, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. 35 pledges were made at the conference in Geneva which was co-organised by the UN Migration Agency (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and with Kuwait and the European Union as co-hosts. "More than 800,000 stateless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh aspire to a life that meets their immediate needs for food, medicine, water, and shelter. But beyond that, a life that has hope for the future where their identity is recognised, they are free from discrimination, and are able to return safely to their homes in Myanmar. As we come together in solidarity, I want to thank Bangladesh and its refugee hosting communities and the donors for supporting them, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. The Government of Bangladesh, local charities and volunteers, the UN and NGOs have been working around the clock in recent weeks to help the stateless refugees who depend on humanitarian assistance for food, water, shelter, health services and other essentials. The UN and partners have launched a response plan for six months (Sept 2017 - Feb 2018) to meet the needs of a combined 1.2 million newly arrived and existing refugees and their Bangladeshi hosts. The appeal requests $434 million, and pledges made today will increase the funding level of this plan. A preliminary list of pledges announced today is available here. Todays pledges from the international community will help rebuild Rohingya refugees lives. Without these vital funds, humanitarians would not be able to continue providing protection and life-saving aid to one of the most vulnerable groups in the world. While we are thankful, I hope that the end of this conference does not mean the end of new funding commitments. We have not reached our target and each percentage point we are under means thousands without food, healthcare and shelter, said William Lacy Swing, UN Migration Director General. Conference participants stressed that the international community must help bring a peaceful solution to the plight of the Rohingya and ensure conditions that will allow for their eventual voluntary return in safety and dignity. The origins and the solutions to the crisis lie in Myanmar. The mere convening of this humanitarian conference is a message of hope sent to the Rohingya refugees and their host communities in the friendly Republic of Bangladesh, reaffirming that the international community stands by them and supports them in their humanitarian plight. The State of Kuwait is always willing to take any initiative that is likely to alleviate humanitarian crises that strike affected populations, and to support humanitarian programmes in line with all efforts exerted at an international scale to assist the Rohingya refugees, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait, His Excellency Mr. Khaled Al-Jarallah. Today, we stand united for the right cause, said EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides. The cause of stateless people who have suffered for too long: the Rohingya. The Rohingya deserve nothing less than every other human being in the world. They deserve a future. We have a moral duty to give these people hope. Media Contacts: IOM: Olivia Headon, Mob: +41 (0)794035365, [email protected] UNHCR: Duniya Aslam Khan, Mob: +41 (0)79 453 25 08, [email protected] UNHCR (Interviews in French): Celine Schmitt, Mob +33 6 23 16 11 78, [email protected] OCHA: Vanessa Huguenin, Mob: +41 (0)79 202 68 44, [email protected] VIENNA, 16 October 2017 The Cameroon Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Serge Laurent Ngoa Etoundi, and the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), LI Yong, met today to sign the Inclusive Development and Entrepreneurship for All (IDEA) Private Sector Development Support Programme (PADSP) for Cameroon and its related Trust Fund Agreement. This project aims to foster a framework that better integrates a resilient network of formal small and medium-sized enterprises and build a competitive private sector in Cameroon, targeting young people and women in selected clusters and value chains. This signing represents the achievement of a process that began in 2016 when the Government of Cameroon requested UNIDOs support with activities related to the Private Sector Development Support Programme (PADSP) for Cameroon. The project is the result of a strong collaboration between UNIDOs Africa Division and the Department of Agribusiness Development with input from the Department of Trade, Investment and Innovation. The IDEA-PADSP Cameroon project aims to demonstrate that private sector restructuring, human resources capacity-building and value addition development in the pilot chains and territories could foster private sector development and boost economic growth sustainably. The project focuses on three pilot sectors/value chains in different regions: wood in the Centre, manioc in the South-West and rice in the Far North. The project was developed using the IDEA methodology/approach on the basis of the results of sectoral analysis held previously in Cameroon. This approach has been designed to provide continuous support throughout the various stages of business creation and development while adapting to local realities. The project focuses on structuring/clustering activities and value chains development, while strongly promoting the integration of youth and women in productive capacities and entrepreneurship development. For more information, please contact: Bashir Conde UNIDO Programme Officer Email Dear Dr. Roach: I am 68 years old, and I hesitate to continue with mammograms. I have a couple of friends who were treated with very harsh chemo and radiation for tiny stage 1 tumors. I wonder if, at this age, the severe treatment is more risky than just keeping an eye on the tumor: Maybe it would grow so slowly that you could outlive it. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to allow something to grow that could be dealt with early. What do you think? -- Anon. A: I think you have precisely identified the dilemma. There does come a point in a woman's life when screening tests, like mammograms, are more likely to cause harm than benefit. This comes at the point that a woman's life expectancy is short enough that she gets the early harms of the screening, including the treatment for a tumor that might be found, but does not live long enough to enjoy the extra life she might get as a result of treating the tumor early. There isn't an exact age that I can say is the right time for every woman, but 68 is a bit too young for most. The best evidence is that there is more benefit than harm for women up to age 74 (again, recognizing that mammograms are not appropriate for every 74-year-old), and some healthy women may still get a net benefit into their mid-80s. It also depends on a woman's other medical conditions and her own opinion, so it's definitely a choice for a woman and her doctor to make. Between 75 and 85 usually is the right time to have that discussion, but earlier is fine, especially in women who have other chronic health conditions. Questions about breast cancer and its treatment are found in the booklet on that subject. To obtain a copy, write: Dr. Roach, Book No. 1101, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 with the recipient's printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery. Spinal stenosis Dear Dr. Roach: In 2013, I suffered terribly with sciatica. The pain was more than excruciating -- it felt like a knife was stuck in my leg. I also had numbness in my toes. I had a CAT scan, which showed spinal stenosis, and I was scheduled for a laminectomy and spinal fusion. The surgery was a complete success. However, I thought that the numbness would go away after the surgery, but it hasn't. Even now, I still feel some tingling and sharp pains in my toes or foot, and more than three years later I still have the numbness in my toes, foot and leg, up to my knee. Is it likely this is permanent nerve damage? -- J.B. A: Spinal stenosis is a common condition, where the spinal cord or nerve roots of the cord are compressed by bony structures related to arthritis of the spine. The major symptoms are pain and numbness. Weakness is the most worrisome symptom, and progressive weakness is a surgical emergency. After successful surgery, the symptoms are relieved, but in my mind, surgery is not completely successful unless all of the symptoms are gone. Your surgeon may have done as good a job as humanly possible; however, nerves do not always recover 100 percent of their function. If nerve recovery is going to happen, it usually does so by the end of the first year. Marat Duryan, appointed head of the Investigation Department of Armenias Tax Service last November, has wasted no time in cashing in on Armenias mining free for all. In February 2017, Armenias Ministry of Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources granted geological survey rights to a company called Premium Mining LLC. Founded in August 2016, the company is 90% owned by Marat Duryan. Premium Mining LLC has its sights on a 154-hectare site in Tavoush Province, that environmentalists claim is 20% forested, and the Karnout-Sarnaghbyur copper-basalt. Duryan owns 50% in another mining company Basalt Mining LLC, founded last September. Basalt Mining has been granted a three-year exploratory permit at the Litchk basalt site in Gegharkounik Province. Marat Duryan, who bears the title Lieutenant Colonelof Justice, has declared revenues of 6.286 million AMD (in salary) and $20,000 (in the form of a loan) as of July 1, 2017. He also declared cash assets of 24 million AMD, $274,000, and 53,750 Euros. Prior to his appointment at the Tax Service, Duryan headed the Aragatzotn Provincial Investigative Department. Top photo: Marat Duryan receiving award from Investigative Committee President Aghvan Hovsepyan Notable UW Engineering Graduate Set for Antarctica Research Trip Rob Streeter, a 2013 graduate from the UW Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will support scientific research as one of two engineers at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. (Rob Streeter Photo) While attending college in Laramie, Rob Streeter grew accustomed to dealing with winter days on the high plains. As it turns out, hell need some of the cold-weather gear that got him through the winters at the University of Wyoming. Streeter, a 2013 UW Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate from Encampment, will embark on a journey to the ends of the Earth to support scientific research. Hell set up camp at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, a United States scientific research facility in the southernmost place on the Earth. The station, at 9,301 feet in elevation, is located on the high polar plateau of Antarctica. The U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) is managed by the National Science Foundation. Established 60 years ago, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station was built as part of an international effort to study the geophysics of the polar regions of Earth. It typically has 40-50 personnel at the station from February through October, and up to 150 during the austral summer, November through mid-February. Streeter accepted the opportunity because his mother had been offered an opportunity to work for the USAP, but turned it down to raise her family. Ill be one of two engineers at the Pole tasked with keeping the experiments running throughout the year, especially winter. Were called Beakers, he says. In addition to providing engineering support to the research projects, he will serve as a firefighter. Hell also learn how to drive a snow-cat ambulance and, along with the other members of the team, hell receive training as a weather observer. Were entirely self-sufficient in the winter, with no physical contact with the outside world for about eight months, he says. Im also quickly learning that my job is best described as the techie guy who fixes things. The challenges will be immense. Mail takes four to six weeks to arrive, and the last flight for the eight-month winter season is in early February. The South Pole gets about eight hours of internet access each day. Hell move to a location that runs on New Zealand time and is, thus, 18 hours ahead of Mountain Time. There are no cellphones and just one landline, reserved for very special occasions. No Skype or video conferencing is available. The decision to make the trip was not one he took lightly. Well, I passed the psych test, he says with a laugh. I guess growing up in rural Wyoming, being a part of search and rescue, and the fire department, and enjoying the outdoors in winter all added up to preparation. Ive also stored pictures of friends and filled a hard drive with familiar music to take with me to the Pole. Im counting on all of the folks down there all being in the same boat and bonding in our own ways. Its really a childhood dream come true. It illustrates that anyone can really pursue anything. Just because I graduated high school in a class of only 22, doesnt mean that I cant be one of fewer than 50 people to spend this upcoming winter season at the South Pole. I hope to learn from this opportunity. The station will be a collection of highly educated, highly intelligent, multifaceted and dynamic people. Each one will have skills and knowledge far beyond my own, and Im really excited to learn whatever I can. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is a United States scientific research facility located in the southernmost place on the Earth. It was built 60 years ago as part of an international effort to study the geophysics of the polar regions of Earth. (United States Antarctic Program Photo) Streeters plan is to leave Encampment for training in Denver in mid-October. Later this month, hell fly from Denver to Los Angeles to Christchurch, New Zealand. Hell spend time in Christchurch to be issued Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) gear and receive more training. He then will take a U.S. Air Force C-17 bound for McMurdo Station on the coast of Antarctica and receive more instruction. Another flight aboard an LC-130 Hercules, equipped with skis, will cover the last 850 miles to the Amundsen-Scott Station, which will be the destination for the next 12 1/2 months. Streeter isnt daunted by the length of the journey or duration of the assignment. He spent three years applying for the position and now will get to see a place only a handful of people on the planet have experienced. I think the opportunity absolutely can serve as an inspiration to UW students, Streeter says. I hope people realize that tenacity and hard work can open doors to worlds of new opportunities. Antarctica Facts -- Visit www.usap.gov for more information, including web cameras and a photo library. -- The Antarctic continent is more than 1.5 times the size of the United States. Dozens of nations have research facilities there, of which the United States maintains the largest presence. -- No one owns Antarctica. -- The Antarctic Treaty, adhered to by 53 nations, maintains that the continent will be reserved for research. -- The USAP maintains three year-round research stations: McMurdo Station is the largest research station on the continent; Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is where Streeter will be working; and Palmer Station is the smallest of the three U.S. stations. -- There are two main seasons in Antarctica: the austral summer and winter. The exact months defining each season depends on where you are located. The South Pole is much more remote and colder than Palmer Station, which is accessible year-round via ship as it is located on an island. -- The warmest temperature ever recorded at the South Pole was 9.9 degrees Fahrenheit Dec. 25, 2011. -- Science at the South Pole focuses on astrophysics, although other science is conducted there. Science Teaching Standards Workshop Oct. 31 at UW A one-hour workshop to help University of Wyoming faculty and staff members understand the impacts of Wyomings new K-12 science standards is scheduled Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 11:10 a.m.-12:10 p.m. in Room 217 of the Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center. The event, titled Wyoming Science Standards: Changing the Trajectory of Education, is hosted by Ana Houseal and Martha Inouye of UWs Science and Mathematics Teaching Center. Its open to all faculty and staff members. In 2016, Wyoming adopted a new set of science standards for the states public schools. At the university level, we may feel removed from these standards on a daily basis. However, Wyomings commitment to implementation means that our future students may bring experiences and learnings rooted in these standards to our campus community in the not-so-distant future, Houseal and Inouye say. With a focus on critical-thinking skills, the standards have the potential to influence student thinking across all of our academic areas. The objectives of the workshop are to: -- Explore the possible impacts of these new standards on future UW students. -- Provide an opportunity for faculty and staff members to examine UWs role in this educational trajectory. -- Promote understanding of the framework underlying the Wyoming science standards. -- Provide a space to air and discuss questions about these standards. These new science standards will likely yield significant challenges and opportunities for all educators, the organizers say. Please join us this Halloween as we build the foundation to tackle these challenges and seize these opportunities here at the University of Wyoming. Second Genus of Plants Named in Honor of UWs Hartman Ron Hartman, an emeritus professor of botany at UW, holds a specimen of Hartmaniella sierrae. It is one of two species in the genus Hartmaniella, which was named in Hartmans honor. (Charmaine Delmatier Photo) For the second time, a genus of plants has been named in honor of Ron Hartman, an emeritus professor of botany at the University of Wyoming. The latest genus named for him, Hartmaniella, is described in a paper published in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. The genus has two species: Hartmaniella sierrae and Hartmaniella oxyphylla. Hartmaniella is a member of the Caryophyllaceae family -- commonly called the pink family or carnation family. Both members of the new genus are white-flowered perennial herbs that are less than 10 inches tall. The plants stems have five to 10 pairs of narrow leaves that are 1 to 1 1/2 inches long. The flowers have five yellow anthers with five notched petals about one-third inch long. Hartmaniella sierrae is found in the understory of oak and conifer forests, while Hartmaniella oxyphylla is found on stream margins. Hartman and colleague Rich Rabeler, who manages the operation of the University of Michigan Herbarium, have collaborated on research involving the Caryophyllaceae family for a number of years. They published a new species from the Sierra of northern California in 2002 that was similar to members of the genus Stellaria (chickweed) but shared certain morphological (form and structure) features with the genus Pseudostellaria. They named the species Pseudostellaria sierrae. About the same time, Hartman rediscovered Stellaria oxyphylla in northern Idaho. This plant had been described by B.L. Robinson in 1898 from material collected near Coeur dAlene, Idaho. Subsequently, the name was considered a synonym of Pseudostellaria jamesiana and was collected only once since (in 1940). Hartman and Rabeler realized it was a distinct species and placed it in Pseudostellaria as well. They suspected that the two species might represent an undescribed genus endemic to North America, but did not want to describe it without supporting DNA evidence. Ming-Li Zhang, a botanist with the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with his associates from China, North America and Russia, performed a molecular analysis of members of Pseudostellaria and related genera. Rabeler provided them with leaf material from specimens of the two species so they could be included in the study. The results showed that the two species formed a well-supported group and were distinct from Pseudostellaria. Based on molecular evidence and morphological differences, a new genus was required. Rabeler, who reviewed the manuscript for the journal, suggested that the genus be named in honor of Hartman for his contributions to taxonomy of Caryophyllaceae in North America. I feel quite honored having a genus named for me, one that contains two species, both of which I have studied in the field and in the lab, and one of which Rich Rabeler and I described as new to science, Hartman says. Furthermore, they belong to a family that I have studied periodically throughout my career. In addition to studying Caryophyllaceae, Hartman has focused his career on taxonomic studies of Apiaceae (the carrot family) and Asteraceae (the sunflower family). The first genus named in his honor, Elaphandra, is a genus in the sunflower family. Hartman collected the first-known specimen of the genus from a cloud forest in Panama in 1977 and 1978. In 1991, John Strother, of the University Herbarium at the University of California-Berkeley, described the new species (Elaphandra bicornis) and genus in Systematic Botany Monographs. Because the generic name Hartmannia had been used already, Elaphandra was chosen as a take on Hartman. The name is derived from the Greek words elaphos (deer) and andros (man). Besides his roles of researcher and professor in the UW Department of Botany, Hartman served as curator/director of the Rocky Mountain Herbarium, including the National Herbarium of the U.S. Forest Service, both housed at UW. He helped to build the herbarium into an institution that ranks in the top 2 percent of herbaria in the U.S. and in the world. Of greatest significance and satisfaction has been our program in floristics, which has consisted of 63 plant inventories of federal lands in Wyoming and elsewhere in the Rockies. This includes projects by my 50 M.S. degree students, Hartman says. Hartman, who retired from UW in November 2015, recently received the UW Biodiversity Institutes 2017 Contributions to Wyoming Biodiversity Science Award for his extensive research with the Rocky Mountain Herbarium and his training of graduate students in the field of botany. Armenias Prosecutor Generals Office reports that a major serving in the Armenian Army has been arrested for official negligence that contributed to the October 10,2017 death of conscript soldier Chaplin Margaryan. Margaryan was shot by7 Azerbaijani gunfire while serving at a northeastern military post. An official investigation has revealed that the arrested major was remiss when it came to maintain security protocols during engineering work. Manufacturing is a strong driving force behind Vietnams growth, Photo: Le Toan Under a report on the plan compiled by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), to ensure a growth rate of 6.5-6.7 per cent for next year, the government has set on-year targets for some key sectors in the economy, including agro-forestry-fishery (up 3.07-3.19 per cent), industry and construction (up 7.17-7.59 per cent), and services (up 7.3-7.39 per cent). Of the industrial sectors growth, the manufacturing and processing sector, which creates 80 per cent of Vietnams industrial growth, is expected to rise 12.15-12.7 per cent on-year. The export growth target is set at 7-8 per cent. Registered foreign investment is expected to be $27.5-28.5 billion, while disbursements are projected to hit around $21 billion higher than the forecast $18 billion for this year. These targets are thoroughly weighed, based on the resolution of the 12th National Party Congress [organised in January 2016], the five-year Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2016-2020 already adopted by the National Assembly, estimations of achievements of 2017s socio-economic development, domestic and international situations, and disadvantages and difficulties for 2018, said MPI Minister Nguyen Chi Dung. Spain-based FocusEconomics, which provides in-depth economic analysis globally, wrote last week in a report that Vietnams economy is expected to expand 6.5 per cent in 2018 which is up 0.1 per cent from last months forecast and 6.5 per cent in 2019. FocusEconomics estimated that industrial output will grow by 7.6 per cent in 2018, and 7.4 per cent in 2019. The economy is projected to continue along this robust growth trajectory for the remainder of the year and into 2018, buoyed by resilient performance in exports as new factories funded by foreign investment open, and a flourishing influx of foreign direct investment (FDI), fuelled by more attractive investment opportunities, read the report. Stellar growth in the manufacturing sector, a strong service sector, and a boost in private consumption buoyed by a rapid rise in private-sector credit, propelled the fastest economic expansion in over nine years, the report said. Also highly commending Vietnams economic prospects, HSBC forecasts that the country will grow 6.4 per cent next year, thanks to strong increases in manufacturing and FDI. FDI jumped sharply in this years third quarter and should continue to trickle in toward the end of the year. FDI (newly registered capital) is up 30 per cent year-to-date year-on-year as of the third quarter to reach $14.5 billion, said HSBC economist Noelan Arbis. As a comparison, new FDI in 2016 totalled just over $15 billion, which suggests that this years numbers should easily surpass last years. In another case, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has predicted that Vietnams economy will grow 6.5 per cent next year, also crediting a jump in FDI and manufacturing. Continued buoyancy in FDI inflows should add impetus to growth in the coming months, as should the recent easing of monetary and credit conditions, said an ADB report on Vietnams economic prospects released last month. Other economic indicators also point to strong growth next year. The manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index continues its rising trend. New orders have risen continuously since December 2015 to signal improving business conditions for manufacturers. However, the government admitted that achieving a 6.5-6.7 per cent economic growth for next year, which might be the same as this year, is a difficult mission. This comes in light of new potential challenges the economy could face next year, such as import tax reductions due to international and regional commitments and decreases in the exploitation of minerals, coal, crude oil, and gas. For example, the government will likely reduce the exploitation of crude oil by two million barrels against 2017. All of these challenges will have a big impact on our goals for 2018, Minister Dung said. Abbott Vietnam executives receive the Award of Excellence from the Ministry of Health The Ministry of Health (MoH) annually grants the Excellence Award to showcase the good work of local and foreign organisations, companies, NGOs, and individuals in their contributions to the development of healthcare in Vietnam. General manager of Abbott Vietnam Douglas Kuo was awarded with the Health Ministers Medal Memorabilia, which is given to recognise individuals who serve over 20 years in the healthcare industry with significant contributions to healing, caring, protecting, and improving peoples health. As a global healthcare company, Abbotts mission is to help people all over the world live their best possible life through the power of health. In Vietnam over the last years, Abbott is honoured to partner with MoH in addressing Vietnams healthcare needs at the national scale through many initiatives that help the Vietnamese people build better lives and stronger communities, Kuo said. Vietnam is among the fastest ageing populations, with a pressing need to achieve quality at scale and implement preventive health programmes. Along with the governments efforts, contributions from companies are needed to tackle the national healthcare challenges. A prime example of that contribution is Abbott Vietnams initiatives, which are tailored to the needs of the country and carried out through collaborations with local organisations to improve public healthcare and the quality of life. For over 20 years, Abbot Vietnam has consistently been in Vietnam with its long-term commitment in enhancing the peoples quality of life. Along with the companys breakthrough products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutrition, and established pharmaceuticals that help enhance the quality of heath for Vietnamese, the company also works with local stakeholders, including governments, to anticipate and stay ahead of the countrys unique healthcare challenges, responding with local solutions that meet consumers changing needs. One of the companys key commitments is to improve maternal health, and to specifically address the high levels of stunting malnutrition in children caused by nutritional deficiencies in mothers during pregnancy and lactation. Abbott partnered with the MoH to combat this issue and work towards the improvement of nutritional status for pregnant women and lactating mothers. Using its wealth of nutrition expertise, Abbott collaborated with MoH to establish national nutrition guidelines for pregnant women and lactating mothers which was launched in March this year. From July-October, the ministry disseminated these groundbreaking national maternal nutrition guidelines to healthcare professionals in hospitals across Vietnam through a series of workshops with support from Abbott. In 2016, Abbott partnered with MoH to support the ministry on another pressing need in Vietnam: improving the quality of clinical nutrition in hospitals. This project, part of Vietnams broader National Strategy on Nutrition, focuses on developing a quality improvement programme (QIP) for clinical nutrition in hospitals. To date, the QIP has been implemented in seven key hospitals nationwide, bringing tangible benefits to patients. The company is also actively supporting Vietnams priorities in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), healthy ageing and food safety. These initiatives and contributions are linked to the overall goals and objectives of MoH. The commitment to improving the health and well-being of patients and consumers ranges in a variety of ways, including community outreach activities. In Vietnam, Abbott and its foundation, the Abbott Fund, have provided more than VND230 billion ($10.2 million) in grants and product donations to help people build better lives and stronger communities. By leveraging its extensive expertise in nutrition, as well as other areas of healthcare, Abbott has been able to have a meaningful impact on public healthcare across the globe. The company remains committed to investing in the long-term health of Vietnam and sees many more opportunities for partnerships and developments in the future. Shinzo Abe is on track to become the country's longest-serving leader. (Photo: AFP/Toru Yamanaka) Shinzo Abe is on track to become the country's longest-serving leader. (Photo: AFP/Toru Yamanaka) Abe's conservative coalition is on track to win at least 312 seats with only a handful left to call, according to public broadcaster NHK, giving him a coveted two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament. That will allow him to pursue his cherished goal of proposing changes to the country's pacifist constitution to beef up the status of the military, which is effectively restricted to self-defence. Abe, 63, is now on course to become Japan's longest-serving premier, winning a fresh term at the helm of the world's third-biggest economy and key US regional ally. The hawkish prime minister said the crushing election victory had hardened his resolve to deal with the crisis in North Korea, which has threatened to "sink" Japan into the sea and fired two missiles over its northern islands. "As I promised in the election, my imminent task is to firmly deal with North Korea. For that, strong diplomacy is required," stressed Abe, who has courted both US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'SOME CONCERNS' ABOUT ABE However, while local media acknowledged what was described as a "landslide" victory, many chalked up Abe's win to a weak and ineffective opposition and urged caution. "The voters didn't think the opposition parties were capable of running a government ... they chose Prime Minister Abe, who is at least better, even if they had some concerns about the ruling coalition," said the Nikkei daily. The Asahi newspaper said: "The Abe brand is not as strong as it was before. There are some signs that voters are seeking a change in the situation whereby Abe is the only decent option." "Winning an election in a democracy doesn't give the winner carte-blanche and he would be overconfident if he thought people were satisfied with the past five years of government management," said the paper. According to an exit poll by Kyodo News on Sunday, 51 per cent of voters said they do not trust Abe with 44 per cent saying they did. Turnout was expected to be only a fraction higher than all-time low set in the 2014 election and was boosted largely by people voting early to avoid a typhoon, which smashed into Japan on election day. The opposition Party of Hope, formed only weeks before the election by the popular Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, suffered a drubbing. It won just 49 seats according to the NHK projections. A chastened Koike, speaking thousands of kilometres away in Paris where she was attending an event in her capacity as leader of the world's biggest city, said it was a "very severe result" for which she took full responsibility. The new centre-left Constitutional Democratic Party out-performed Koike's new group but still trailed far behind Abe with 54 seats. "People are reluctant about Prime Minister Abe, but then who would you turn to? There is no one," said Naoto Nonaka, professor at Gakushuin University in Tokyo. 'DEEPEN CONSTITUTION DEBATE' Abe, who has in the past been criticised for an arrogant attitude towards voters, vowed to face the challenge posed by the victory "humbly." He struck a cautious note on possible revisions to the US-imposed constitution, saying that he would "deepen" debate in parliament on the divisive issue but not seek to ram anything through. "I don't plan to propose (changes) via the ruling bloc alone. We'll make efforts to gain support from as many people as possible." Any changes to the document must be ratified by both chambers of parliament and then in a referendum, with surveys showing voters are split on the topic. Many voters stressed that the economy is their biggest concern, as the prime minister's trademark "Abenomics" strategy of ultra-loose monetary policy and huge government spending has failed to rekindle the former Asian powerhouse. Abe has vowed to use the proceeds from a planned sales tax hike to fund free childcare in a bid to get more women into the workforce. "Neither pensions nor wages are getting better ... I don't feel the economy is recovering at all," said 67-year-old pensioner Hideki Kawasaki as he cast his vote in a rain-swept Tokyo. But investors cheered the victory, with the benchmark Tokyo index up 1.15 percent, extending a winning run that has seen 14 straight consecutive gains - the first since 1961. The three-day event, co-organised by Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and the Golden Communication Group, will offer domestic and international visitors a chance to admire more than 1,400 of the latest fashion designs by 153 designers from Vietnam and Southeast Asian countries. Cai luong (southern folk opera) meritorious artist Tu Suong opened the first day of festival themed Far East Identity, with the 30-kilogram design of designer Le Long Dung. The design was completed in three months with brocade material, hand embroidered patterns and crystal stones. After the first day, the next two days will be organised around other themes and activities, including New Waves and Future Stars, respective. The performances will offer the audience a unique fashion experience by using the latest technologies, such as 5D Mapping, where the model introduces many costumes on stage without changing clothes, the application of the Magic Mirror in showcasing products, and fashion designs using virtual reality technology. According to Bui Ta Hoang Vu, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the festival is expected to offer businesses and fashion designers a platform to seek business cooperation opportunities and develop the fashion design industry. The festival is scheduled to be held annually, creating a unique tourist highlight for Ho Chi Minh City, he added. The product has been recognized as a national trademark and is one of Hanois best specialties. Vong and Me Tri are the two Hanoi villages famous for making green sticky rice. They are only 1km apart but the craft has survived better in Me Tri, where many families are still involved in making green sticky rice. Green sticky rice can be made from several different types of paddy, but the most delicious is yellow flowery paddy. Nguyen Thi Buoi, the owner of the Nguyen Khac Tuan workshop in Me Tri village, said, To produce delicious green sticky rice, we should select young paddy whose grains look yellowish and taste as sweet as milk. We must go to Bac Ninh or Bac Giang to buy them. A typical characteristic of Me Tri green sticky rice is that it is never dyed. Its green is the original color of young paddy. In the past, Me Tri villagers only made green sticky rice in autumn, the harvest season. Now they make the specialty all year round and use machines in many steps of the process to save time, increase productivity, and preserve the typical flavor. Le Thi Hien, the owner of the Ngo Cong Bao workshop said, The rice grains are roasted and constantly stirred for steady heat until evenly cooked. Roasting is the most important step. The roasted grains are then put in a mortar to be pounded and winnowed several times. 100 kilos of unhusked paddy produce at most 15 to 18 kilos of green sticky rice. High quality products should be fragrant, glutinous, chewy, and soft. People preserve the flavor by wrapping the rice in lotus leaves and using straw to tie up the packet. Lotus leaves and young sticky rice have always been a happy combination. Lotus leaves represent purity. The aroma of the lotus leaves mingles with the sweet fragrance of the young sticky rice to create an aroma of great delicacy. Nguyen Thi Bich, the owner of the Lien Du workshop in Me Tri, told VOV: There are many big workshops producing green sticky rice. My familys workshop makes fresh and dried com for export to Japan, Britain, France, and the US. Our product is favored by overseas Vietnamese. To make com sausage, pork meat is ground and mixed in the proportion 1 kilo of meat to 250g or 300 g of fresh green sticky rice. The mixed meat balls should be steamed before frying. Steamed sticky rice is a mixture of fresh young sticky rice, green beans, and coconut milk or coconut extract. Green sticky rice is both popular and luxurious. Visitors to Hanoi often buy packages of green sticky rice flakes as gifts. Me Tri villagers proudly received President Barack Obama during his official visit to Vietnam last May. Green sticky rice is a symbol of Thang Long-Hanoi gastronomy often mentioned in Vietnamese literature and poetry and an enduring source of pride for the village of Me Tri. The State Bank of Vietnams Circular 41 introduced new risk-weighted assets to the Vietnamese market The State Bank of Vietnams Circular No.41/2016/ TT-NHNN has been deemed a progressive move to introduce a new generation of risk-weighted assets (RWA) in capital adequacy regulations for Vietnamese banks. Circular 41 is widely known as the first to adopt Basel II standards in Vietnam. However, the major shakeup of the circular is the adoption of the revised standardised approach for credit risks, drawn from the latest revisions to the Basel Framework, referred to as Basel IV. For global banks, Basel IV has been changing all existing methods for the calculation of RWA, regardless of the type of risk and regardless of whether a bank uses standardised approaches or internal models. This means that the total calculation of capital ratios will change. Circular 41 has adopted the latest generation of credit risk RWA introduced in the Basel standards for implementation in Vietnam. This reflects the forward-looking vision of the banking supervisory authorities in leveraging the leading practices on RWA for the benefit of the Vietnamese banking sector, Martin Neisen, PwCs Global Basel IV Lead, said at a workshop held by PwC Vietnam for Vietnamese bank leaders in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City last week. The benefits include improved risk sensitivity of capital requirements, a better link between the standardised approach and the internal model approach, and enhancement of policies and procedures. The new approach also brings a greater opportunity for the banking supervisor to compare capital adequacy among banks, thus ensuring safety and stability for the whole banking system, Neisen said. Elsewhere in the world, international banks are dealing with unprecedentedly comprehensive changes in RWA with the advent of Basel IV. To overcome the challenges, many are adjusting their capital management strategies and restructuring their asset portfolios, products, and operational models. RWA calculation can reveal some fundamental challenges that banks might face, such as a lack of capital, and business strategies or asset portfolios inappropriate for achieving capital optimisation. Vietnams banking sector is starting a new journey with the implementation of the next generation of RWA as per Circular 41. PwCs experience with RWA implementation in international and Vietnamese banks shows that the new RWA approach is by no means an easy and simple task. It requires a thorough understanding of the RWA methodology, detailed data collection and processing, and a robust RWA system. This process could take nine to 12 months, or up to two years in large banks. After the RWA calculation results are in, banks will be able to identify their own problems and take action. However, after they have decided to change their business strategy or restructure their asset portfolios, it could take banks one to two years before any capital optimisation impact shows, Neisen said. That means that it could be a two- to three-year journey in total for banks to comply with Circular 41. Non-compliance with capital adequacy regulations is not an option for banks. The compliance is to demonstrate their financial and risk management capacity, and deliver the transparency level that the market, investors, and credit rating agencies expect, Dinh Hong Hanh, Financial Services Consulting director at PwC Vietnam, said at last weeks workshop. Regardless of your banks size, non-compliance with Circular 41 by the date it goes into effect could cost you your advantage among your peers in the eyes of the market, the investors, and the credit rating agencies. The clock is ticking and Circular 41 takes effect in just over two years. There is no time left for hesitation, Hanh said. Compliance will only be possible if you start the RWA implementation now and give 100 per cent of your focus to this important transformation, she added. The Artsakh Ministry of Defense reports that Azerbaijan fired five mortar missiles and one Spayk anti-tank missile across the Line of Contact on October 22 in the Martakert-Mataghis region. The ministry has warned Baku to cease such provocations, threatening grave retaliation otherwise. At the launching ceremony of SME Vietnam Network held on Saturday, the network signed an agreement with United Overseas Bank Limited. - VNS Photo Gia Loc Speaking at the launching ceremony, Nguyen Van Cuong, deputy head of bureau of administration and management II under Government Office, said that SME Vietnam Network is being established following the guidance of the Vietnamese Entrepreneur Development Center under the Viet Nam Association of Small and Medium-seized Enterprises. The networks members will exchange business opportunities within the country and other countries in the world. In the network, many activities will help its members improve their brand names, products and services. Under the special support from Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (VietCham Singapore) and United Overseas Bank Limited, the networks members also will have a chance to access exclusive lending and funding schemes. Viet Nam has more than 600,000 SMEs, accounting for 97.5 per cent of the countrys companies, contributing more than 40 per cent of the GDP and using 51 per cent of the labour force. Each year, SMEs create more than half a million new jobs. According to Dinh Thi Phuong, director of the Vietnamese Entrepreneur Development Center and SME Vietnam Network, SMEs are still facing many difficulties and challenges such as a shortage of updated technologies and limited access to financial support, which is barrier for expanding their production. At the launching ceremony, SME Vietnam Network signed an agreement with United Overseas Bank Limited. VOF makes $11 million investment in high-grower OCB The investment in Orient Commercial Bank (OCB), a mid-tier retail bank in Vietnam established in 1996 and currently ranking 17th out of 34 banks in terms of total assets, was made via a privately negotiated deal, according to Vietnam Opportunity Fund (VOF), adding that it had recently received regulatory approval. This investment is a rare opportunity to own a stake in a bank that has high lending and earnings growth and a strong management team with a clear strategy for expansion, said Andy Ho, managing director of VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund. Over the past five years, OCB has been restructuring its business, and is now well-positioned to implement its growth strategy. In addition to negotiating an attractive price, we were able to obtain certain minority protections and performance commitments, which made this transaction all the more attractive. OCB has been rapidly expanding over the past four years, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23 per cent, and expects earnings growth of approximately 100 and 30 per cent in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The bank expects 2017 after-tax profit to be $34.3 million. The bank currently has 122 branches and offices nationwide and aspires to become a leading retail bank targeting affluent individual customers as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. To help drive growth, OCB plans to diversify the range of its products offered to targeted customer segments. BNP Paribas currently owns a 20 per cent stake in OCB. The bank expects to list on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange before the end of 2019. Armenias Investigative Committee is investigating a road accident that killed Armenian Army conscript solider Gevorg Khanamiryan earlier today. The vehicle Khanamiryan was driving swerved off the Yeghegnadzor-Agarakadzor roadway and plummeted 27 meters into a gorge. Khanamiryan, who was on leave to attend his grandfathers funeral, died in hospital. A passenger has survived. All I See Is You. Photo: Open Road Films In our dead-nerve Cuisinart culture, it will be very easy to digest All I See Is You as a GIF-accompanied list of meme-able can you believe they did that facts. It is, after all, the movie where Blake Lively, she of Gossip Girl and the ill-fated Preserve lifestyle brand, plays a blind woman who regains her vision; its also the movie where Blake Lively goes to a Barcelona sex show and ties up her husband in a failed bit of train-car BDSM. Its directed by Marc Forster, last seen with 2013s World War Z and a particularly unloved James Bond entry; it has all the markings of a middlebrow Hollywood contractor grasping at something like real art. But to dismiss it as the sum of its parts and the filmographies of its principal players seems, pardon the pun, shortsighted. All I See Is You is weird, but it is emphatically not dumb. Nor is it boring, but only because of its restless, only occasionally sweaty refusal to be the tasteful issues-driven Sundance-y movie it sounds like on paper. In examining my own reaction to it, I realized that what felt foreign about it wasnt its many sex scenes or its insane Hitchcock-worthy plot or the continued, inexplicable cognitive dissonance of Lively as a movie star. Its that it is a small film, focused almost entirely on two characters, and it looks, well, rather expensive. There is at least a healthy cinematography and effects budget; Matthias Koenigswiesers camera has a habit of soaring up mid-conversation into perfectly composed aerial shots worthy of an Apple TV screensaver, and early in the film scenes often dissolve into shimmering, near-abstract blurs. It caught me off guard a bit to see that kind of cosmetic investment in a story thats largely internal. Lively stars as Gina, a woman who lost her eyesight and her parents in a car wreck when she was a child. Shes now living in Bangkok with her husband James (Jason Clarke, currently on a roll as Hollywoods go-to problematic husband) in a state of near isolation, both as a blind woman and an expat in a foreign land. An early scene of her taking a shower is rendered as Lively alone in a seemingly endless steamy void; sex with James is a kaleidoscopic mishmash of body parts that she has little choice but to remain passive for. James works in insurance and frequently stays out late drinking with his work buddies, but hes by all appearances devoted to Gina; as her prime mediator with the world, he protects and guides her through life. At one point, James takes Gina to a nightclub to help shake off the heartbreak of their continued inability to conceive a child together. When they are separated, her helpless panic is palpable, as is her dependence on him. All I See Is You suspects that this is by design, without explicitly saying so. When Gina elects to undergo an experimental procedure to repair the vision in one of her eyes, her world opens up again. She has the bizarre experience of seeing her husband for the first time. (Youre not how I imagined, she says with a diplomatic smile.) She also realizes she looks like Lively and starts dressing the part, as well as taking a more active role in her and Jamess sex life. Gina wants to take in everything around her, and so do Forster and Koenigswieser, as the film becomes positively drunk on stimuli, from the exuberant color explosion of a flower market, to the LED monitor of a camera display. Koenigsweiser uses POV camerawork judiciously; but often finds more creative ways to convey Ginas deeply subjective impressions of the world. The result is something like a Lifetime movie directed by Gaspar Noe, equal parts stylistic audacity and lurid, crackerjack plotting. James, it turns out, realizes that there were some upsides to having a blind wife, particularly when Gina starts to attract the attention of other men. I wont spoil what happens next, but the script, co-written by Forster and Sean Conway, is subtle and well-observed about the hair-trigger sensitivities of this power dynamic. Gina feels like a very specific woman who is rankled by the newly discovered dullness of her partner in a very specific way. When they travel to Spain to revisit their honeymoon location, they get into a minor argument he swears he booked the same room they had before, and she knows, sight unseen, that its different. The conflict is small but revealing: Hes still feeling unexpectedly exposed by this new pair of eyes in his life; shes annoyed not only that he doesnt believe her, but that he might not be as observant as she is, despite years of advantage. All I See Is You goes to an improbably operatic conclusion that might not work for everyone, but its these smaller, interpersonal moments that keep it from being pure camp. Still, as a psychological not-quite thriller, its consistently entertaining; as a visual exercise, its more adventurous than most would be. And somehow Lively, in the midst of all these high concepts, finally feels like a real person onscreen, with real hunger and perspective. Brit Marling. Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images for LACMA In a new article for The Atlantic, Brit Marling talks about her own hotel-room confrontation with Harvey Weinstein, the economics of consent, and the sexual politics that startled her when she first arrived in Hollywood. Marling recounts her beginnings as an aspiring investment banker in New York, saying that she wanted the freedom that came with financial autonomy, but traded job security for a more creatively fulfilling life in movies. Upon arriving in Hollywood, though, she had a rude awakening when she realized that a large portion of the town functioned inside a soft and sometimes literal trafficking or prostitution of young women (a commodity with an endless supply and an endless demand). Marling remembers going out for parts like Blonde 4 and Bikini Babe 2, which spurred her decision to stop auditioning and and write her own roles, a move she calls an easy thing to say and a very hard thing to do. Marling found success with independent films like Another Earth and Sound of My Voice and The East, which led to her own hotel-room incident with Weinstein. The story is remarkably similar to many that have already come out: the female assistant who leaves once the meeting moves from the hotel lobby to the private room, the offer of a massage, the unwanted touching, the escape that ended with Marling alone, sobbing and feeling ashamed. But Marling says there was one key difference: Her creative and financial independence let her feel comfortable rejecting his advances. She notes that many women in the industry arent lucky enough to have that same independence, and she connects their lack of personal power in situations of assault to lack of financial power in the business as a whole: Im telling this story because in the heat surrounding these brave admissions, its important to think about the economics of consent. Weinstein was a gatekeeper who could give actresses a career that would sustain their lives and the livelihood of their families. He could also give them fame, which is one of few ways for women to gain some semblance of power and voice inside a patriarchal world. They knew it. He knew it. Weinstein could also ensure that these women would never work again if they humiliated him. Thats not just artistic or emotional exile thats also economic exile. Marling closes by saying that to grant consent, a person must possess a modicum of power to give it and that the conversation around consent should be linked to wage parity for disempowered demographics like women, people of color, and queer communities. At a time when hurricanes are leveling entire islands and wildfires are ripping through California, it seems important to be reminded of our connection to nature. One person who has never let up in her advocacy for animals and their habitats is Dame Jane Goodall, the worlds foremost expert on chimpanzees, who in 1960, at age 26, went to the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania as a researcher for Kenyan scientist Louis Leakey to live among primates and study their behavior. She was venturing where no man, or woman, had gone before, and her work not only proved a link between humans and chimps that went far beyond genetics (into social and emotional similarities), but also forever altered our perception of animals as feeling beings with personalities. Now, at 83, shes the subject of a beautiful new documentary, Jane, from Oscar-nominated director Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture; Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck) complete with an original score from Philip Glass. Its made up of 140 hours of silent footage from Goodalls earliest days in Gombe that were found in a National Geographic storage locker in 2014. And in addition to all the cute, and sometimes scary, footage of chimps, also reveals the swoon-worthy love story of how Goodall met her first husband, Baron Hugo van Lawick, in the wilds of Africa. He was a handsome and single Dutch photographer and filmmaker widely regarded as one of the greatest wildlife cinematographers of all time whom Nat Geo had sent out to chronicle Goodalls journey, and its his footage that was found in that storage locker. Vulture sat down with Goodall and Morgen to talk about their collaboration, grill her on that romance, and dissect Harvey Weinsteins downfall, and the dismantling of the EPA. You just came here from an event in San Francisco? Jane Goodall: Those fires are awful. Awful. Awful. The hotel was packed with people fleeing, whod lost their homes. It was like being in Beijing, the smoke was so thick over San Francisco. I looked from my window, you should see the ocean and I couldnt see it. Well, glad you made it. Whats it been like for both of you to comb through this lost Gombe footage? Brett Morgen: What made it challenging was at some point over the last 55 years, the footage got kind of scrambled up. We basically had 140 hours of random shots with no sound and no logs [explaining] which chimpanzee was which. JG: Pigglety. Pigglety. Pigglety. Did you know they cut the original [film reel]? We lost very valuable scientific information that way. BM: Its amazing that they saved some of that stuff where Hugos filming you. Stuff youd assume Geographic had no need for, but is the bread and butter of our film. Jane, did you know that there was all this footage just out there in the world somewhere? JG: I knew it existed, but had totally forgotten about it. And they suddenly found it. BM: It found us. JG: It found us, yes. The film needed to be made. It wanted to be made. Did you have any trepidation about diving back into it? JG: I was just thinking, This is ridiculous. Another film from that footage? Because theres already been three or four. I thought it was crazy. But this is all unseen stuff, right? JG: Hugo had shot a lot and I thought, Well they must have pulled out all the good stuff. And they didnt. BM: There was material that was never used on television because of the technology back then. Like the shot where youre tickling the chimp at the time there was an overexposure issue, but we were able to repair it. JG: [Starts hooting like a chimp and scratching her sides.] BM: [Laughs.] I love when you do that! JG: So very stupid. You know, I consulted on Planet of the Apes. I loved the last one. How closely did you two work together? JG: We didnt. The first time I met him was when he came to interview me, which was supposed to be three hours and lasted two days. I probably wouldnt have agreed to two whole days. BM: No, you would not. Jane obviously had never seen Montage of Heck. JG: [Rolls eyes, flashes Morgen a look of horror.] BM: I love her face when I say Montage of Heck! Shes like, Who is this guy that National Geographic brought into my world? She didnt know anything about me. But I like that shes a bit of an unwilling subject, because Janes not trying to sell you anything. Shes probably the least pretentious human being Ive ever met. Jane, what was it like, emotionally, for you to look back at this footage? JG: It took me right back to live in that time, which was the best time of my life. I knew those chimps so well. Seeing them again was very special. My favorite part, of course, is your love story with Hugo. Youd first gone to Gombe with your mother. Was she still there when he arrived? JG: No, Geographic sent Hugo after mum had left. Then Leakey said, tongue-in-cheek, You cant send a young man out to a young woman in the middle of nowhere if she doesnt have a chaperone. So Geographic sent mum back, but she arrived two weeks after him so It was too late! BM: It was not too late at least in the first two months, right Jane? JG: It wasnt too late to prevent I mean, nothing had happened by then. It was just that she was too late to be there for the whole time. So the whole chaperone business was blown. Did you and Hugo spark immediately? JG: No. BM: But he mustve. JG: Well, maybe he did. BM: Im assuming he did. Because Hugo has no idea when he arrives! Its not like Leakey sent a picture of Jane. Can you imagine Hugos reaction as a single, young man when he got off the boat and there you were? Its like, he hit the lottery! Hes stuck on an abandoned island with this woman! And he was good-looking, too. JG: Yeah. But you were very devoted to your work. JG: I was just so busy with the chimps. BM: Youve gotta remember, a woman at Janes age at the time, at 26, who hadnt been married who decides to go live with chimpanzees for a few years probably is figuring shes not getting married, right Jane? JG: Well, no. Back then, I never thought about a career versus marriage you were going to get married one day. That was the perception: That you could do what you wanted and then a white knight would come along in shining armor and look after you for the rest of your life. BM: Even at 26 you didnt feel like a spinster? JG: No. Not at all. BM: Thats so interesting. But all your friends must have been married off by then. JG: Probably. Your story with Hugo reminded me of a movie called Tracks that came out a few years ago. Its the true story of a young woman whos crossing the Australian outback on camelback and this National Geographic photographer is sent out to chronicle her and I think he falls in love, but she doesnt. JG: Oh right, right, right. Ive heard of it. Was National Geographic like a matchmaking service? JG: It was Leakey who was matchmaking. He picked Hugo as your photographer? JG: Yep. BM: Leakey wrote to Vanne [Janes mother] and said, Ive found a photographer and also a potential husband for Jane. JG: But he never said that to me. Or Hugo. Theres not a lot of footage of your courtship, and then Hugo proposes. It feels a little sudden in the movie, but you mustve spent an immense amount of time together. JG: My mum left after about two months and Hugo was still there. Its funny, because most people who see me walking around alone [on screen] dont think, Oh there must have been a photographer. He was there that whole time. The point of this film is that it isnt a wildlife film or a scientific documentary. Its more like a romantic fairy story. BM: About a woman and her work. You didnt have a college degree when Leakey picked you as his researcher. What do you think got you the job? JG: Well, Id read every book about animals. And then he let me go on an expedition searching for fossils in Kenya, and I think there he saw that I was really fitted for living in the wild, because we had one cup of water a day for washing, and I never complained. We were only allowed to wash our hair when the water truck came back and that was every two weeks. Wow. JG: But I think even more important was there was one day when we came upon a young male lion, fully grown, and very curious. [The other young woman on the expedition] wanted to go into the thick vegetation to hide. And I said, Thats silly. Hell know exactly where we are, but we wont have a clue where he is. So I said, No. We have to climb up onto the open plain. I think that was the evening that Leakey agreed I was the right person. BM: Because you didnt get eaten? JG: No, because I acted in the right way. You and Hugo had a son, Grub, who you raised in Gombe. What was it like to watch the footage of him? JG: I loved the stuff about Grub growing up. I adore when he makes the animal sounds. [Note: He imitates all kinds of animals during a TV interview.] Somebody said, Dont you feel youre exploiting your son? And I said, What?! I was proud of him making those sounds. He had a unique childhood. You were worried the chimps might eat him, right? JG: Well, thats why he was always in a cage. [Note: It was a pretty big cage.] He was up in the chimp camp in a cage in a house. BM: It doesnt sound good, Jane. JG: [Laughs.] It was very beautiful and there always somebody with him sitting in the cage, and this was before he could crawl. He was only in the cage when he was a very small baby. Once he could crawl and walk, then he was down on the beach. He was always with somebody. Every second. Im wondering how you feel humans relationships with animals have changed just in your lifetime. JG: Definitely. Hugely. BM: Thanks to her. JG: Thanks to me and the chimps. Its true. I was told when I went to Cambridge that chimps didnt have personalities, minds or emotions. It was only us [humans, that had personalities]. But I had already learned from my dog [that animals have personalities]. And then Hugo captured all the behavioral similarities that forced science to think differently. Now we think of animals as having human characteristics. JG: You can now get a Ph.D. in animal emotions, animal personality. BM: Theres a chimp that passes away, and the reaction of the other chimps is very relatable to us. JG: Grief. The first scientists to be interested in my footage I think zoologists didnt know what to do with it were child psychologists and psychiatrists [John] Bowlby and [Rene] Spitz. Why do you think that as humans get further away from the animal world, we seem to have more empathy for animals? JG: Because we have more awareness. I mean, I first went to China in the mid-90s and there was no concern for animals at all. Now many, many, many across China come up to me and say, Of course I care about animals. I was in your Roots & Shoots program in primary school. What do you think about the Trump administrations dismantling of the EPA? JG: What do you think I think about it? [Everyone laughs.] JG: If I tell you what I think you might print it. Its absolutely terrifying. To put climate change deniers in the positions theyre in? To have somebody in EPA whos taken out the P? The P is gone. Theres no protection left. Is this irreversible? JG: Well, if a second term, for heavens sake, came along it might be irreversible. It wont be, but we have to just keep fighting all the time as hard as we can. I also wanted to ask you about all the stories that have been coming out about Harvey Weinstein and the culture of sexual harassment and sexual assault that he perpetuated. He began his first apology by saying, I was a child of the 60s and 70s, as a sort of excuse for his behavior. As a female pioneer of the 1960s, what was your experience with sexual harassment? JG: I was personally never pushed to any extreme. I certainly knew maybe some men would have enjoyed jumping into bed with me, but I didnt want to jump into bed with them and they didnt push it. When a newspaper headline would call you comely while discussing your work, what was your reaction to that? JG: Well, I brushed it off. Geographic cover girl, shes only getting attention because of her legs. I brushed it off, but actually looking back on it, it was very useful, wasnt it? The Geographic liked it. They might not have enjoyed me if Id been a really ugly creature. So as long as it kept the research going, that was what mattered? Sexism could be turned into an advantage? JG: I think sometimes the most important part of getting research grants is personality and the ability to pitch our project. Im a pretty good pitcher. If people wanted to call me comely, it helped with awareness. Hugely. BM: Its like I was telling someone earlier, if Nirvana was fronted by Tad instead of Kurt I dont think they would be the band they were. And if National Geographic, or if Leakey had said, Put me in instead of Jane, I dont think wed be talking about this today. JG: It certainly made a difference. Because it was Beauty and the Beast [as a media narrative]. I mean, that was the whole thing at the beginning: this lovely girl goes in to live with these creatures. BM: Can I ask you something, though? In your other vocations, you must have had situations when you were working at other jobs, like the documentary company, where your employers were coming on to you. JG: Um No. BM: Really? JG: No. I mean, little flirtations, which I enjoyed. Ive always liked men. Whats one piece of advice youd give women who are trying to work in a male-dominated field? JG: I think you need to be sure of yourself. You need to feel good about who you are and youve got to set your boundaries and try and keep them. BM: For me, the most important section of the film is the section where Jane talks about how Vanne [her mother] listened and supported her. It went right through me. I didnt pick it up, but my wife Debra Eisenstadt, who is also a filmmaker and an executive producer, she said, Stop. Did you hear that? And I said, What? And she said, Thats not going to mean anything to you because youre a man, but trust me, as a woman, that was all I ever wanted from my parents. Was to be heard and understood and not to be this princess. My wife said that around the dinner table, her father would talk to the boys in the family but would never engage her for her intellect, and how frustrating it was. JG: It wasnt like that in my family at all. Mum was like Flo [the mother chimp in Gombe]. Supportive. Supportive. Supportive. BM: One more thing about the Harvey stuff so we premiered last week at the Hollywood Bowl. And as we were going down the carpet, someone from USA Today asked me about Harvey. It was so strange in that context, and I was talking about what a terrible reflection of our industry that is, and I looked down and I see Jane walking towards us and I was like, How apropos in this moment of darkness that theres this beacon of light coming towards us. And when people ask why this film was discovered in 2014, I can only imagine it was because it needed to come out now. JG: Thats been the magic all my life. Things have come when they were meant to come. BM: Because what are the odds the movie opens the week that these very questions are coming to the surface? And that the year that gave us Patty Jenkins and Wonder Woman has finally given us a real superhero that we can celebrate, that boys need as much as girls? JG: [Looking at publicists who keep signaling for me to wrap up.] We should say good-bye. Theyre going to stick a knife in your back. This interview has been edited and condensed. Photo: BBC America Broadchurch star Jodie Whittaker was revealed to be the 13th Doctor back in July, but it wasnt until today that the BBC announced who else will be joining Whittaker on her time- and space-bending adventures across the universe. Per a network release, actress Mandip Gill will portray Yasmin, while actor Bradley Walsh will appear as Graham. The Force Awakens actor Tosin Cole rounds out the cast as Ryan. As Variety points out, Walsh has been rumored to be playing the Doctors male companion; no information has been released about Gill or Coles character as of yet. You might be thinking you just cant wait to see the shows new cast in action, but unfortunately youll have to, for about a year, in fact. Doctor Whos next season, comprised of ten 50-minute episodes and a feature-length hourlong debut, will premiere next fall in 2018. You have no idea what Im trying to say, do you? Not really. But I want to. This exchange between Bill and Holden happens in a bar after a car crash abruptly ends their commute from a prison in Richmond, Virginia (or, to approximate the shows font, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA), back to their homes closer to Quantico. In an unusually raw and vulnerable state, Bill opens up about the responsibility he feels for his partner (You could have been killed, and I didnt see it coming), and the problems hes having at home, which hed never before been in a mood to disclose. He and his wife adopted a boy three years earlier, but parenthood has been a challenge: The boy is 6 years old and not talking, almost certainly because hes autistic, but that diagnosis doesnt come up. He tells Holden that he feels like hes failing the boy, and hes associating that failure with the car spinning out of his control. Its a natural by-product of dramas like Mindhunter that the testimony they collect from serial murderers will cloud their conscience, but Episode 4 incorporates it more subtly than the typical investigator-on-the-edge material, where theres some sort of mind-meld between killer and detective. In their conversations with Ed Kemper, the Sacramento killer, and now Monte Rissell, who raped and killed five women, Bill and Holden try to sort out broad patterns of behavior from more specific psychoses and the one common denominator has been harsh mothers and absent fathers. When Rissell talks about his childhood, he goes on and on about his mother removing him and his siblings from their home in Kansas and dragging them around the country, where he found trouble in every spot. But when he talks about his father, Rissell fantasizes about the life he was denied, with little thought to whether his father would have wanted him or would have been any better as a parent. Bill could not be accused of being an absent father, either to his adopted son or the less-seasoned partner hes taken under his wing. Yet his feeling of responsibility after the accident looms large, especially coming so soon after their session with Rissell. Although you could never say that Bill is abandoning his son, hes haunted by the question of whether hes doing enough for him or whether he can be said to have an impact on his life at all. And if he cant reach his son, what kind of man will he turn out to be? Holden doesnt get the association, but this conversation is a sign of how quickly these partners have grown attached to each other, and how much experience and wisdom Bill brings to the table. Holden has blinkered, babe-in-the-woods tendencies that Bill has taken it upon himself to curb, from cutting off his poetic speech to the rank and file at the Sacramento Police Department to counseling him through his first significant romantic relationship. Holden is irritated that Debbie wont drop everything and drive out to pick them up that night; Bill tells him its unreasonable to think that his time is more valuable than hers. Part of being in a relationship is realizing youre not the only one in it. Episode 4 also brings Dr. Wendy Carr onto the team permanently and shes a terrific addition, persistently questioning the standards and conclusions of the project. She insists on an academic rigor that Holden and Bills ten-hours-a-week sideline isnt currently providing. She also has the perspective of someone whos not in the room and can get a sense of the bigger picture. While the men are wrapped up in these tense individual encounters, Carr criticizes the process and makes broader associations about what might tie all of these subjects together. Its good to have her break up the buddy-picture dynamic so familiar to procedurals like these. Carr casts some doubt over the utility of the side missions Bill and Holden have been taking during their educational tours, when they try to apply the knowledge theyve gleaned to local murder investigations. Its a credit to the show that they dont solve the case presented to them in Altoona, Pennsylvania not yet, anyway but get in deep enough to reveal something about the characters. Holden is frustrated by the lapses of the local police, who let a major suspect go and failed to log at least one key piece of evidence. Bill advises him to ease off. Cops in small towns like Altoona have never encountered anything like this their point of contact is more used to dealing with shoplifters and underage kids buying beer so Holden should be sympathetic and not so quick to condescend. Similar scenarios played out in great 1992 neo-noir One False Move, about a small-town sheriff (the late Bill Paxton, in one of his best roles) who inserts himself into an LAPD murder investigation, and Bong Joon-hos Memories of Murder, about the hunt for South Koreas first serial killer. Theres a gap between Holden and Bill, who are venturing to talk to mass murderers around the country, and the denizens of a town where this kind of thing never happens. Holden doesnt have the common touch and wants to castigate the Altoona police for multiple breaches of protocol. But Bill, the good father, talks him down. Dillingers The BTK Killer is on the move again in the pre-credits sequence, this time creeping around a Wichita home, ostensibly in his capacity as the ADT security rep. Given how angry a missing electrical-tape core made him last episode, the woman of the house asking him about selling ADT stickers and signs without installing the actual sensors is a five-alarm fire. A stressor, as Carr would put it. Not all of the wisdom in this partnership is coming from Bill. It frustrates him that they seem to be offering sickos like Rissell a shoulder to cry on, and hes particularly annoyed to hear therapy-speak from mental institutions echoed back at him. But Holden makes the point that theyre better off keeping these men talking. They can sort out the insight from the bullshit later. Carr meeting Holden and Debbie for drinks has the feel of a romantic triangle in the making, but it would be nice for Debbies specialized knowledge to play a factor, too. Shes too much of an afterthought so far. $385,000 in research grants would seem to be enough to take Bill and Holden out of the basement, but a clean, well-lighted place wouldnt make it a David Fincher project anymore, would it? This may surprise you, but things are still pretty bad in France. Dr. Enys is looking increasingly depressed. Meanwhile, Pug Lady is helping set up a Royalist fleet to free all the prisoners, which seems excessive? Ross is hugely skeptical of the plans success, and for once I must agree with him. War isnt something you can dabble in, Pug Lady! To remind us that we are in the past, where things are bad, young Valentine has been diagnosed with rickets, which George naturally does NOT accept. Elizabeth is pretty chill about it, probably due to the laudanum, though it seems George is getting frustrated with Elizabeths new what, me worry? sensibility. He doesnt understand why Morwenna isnt bored out of her tree at Trenwith and begging to come back and hurl herself into the arms of that horrible Mr. Whitworth. We naturally cut to a happily gamboling Morwenna and Drake. Aunt Agatha, leaning into her vaguely mystical Cornish thing, is staring balefully at them while turning up what seems to be a rather ominous tarot card. I cant imagine HOW this can go wrong! Agatha begins putting the fear of God into Morwenna. This is a mild surprise to me, because Agatha is such a shit-disturber (as Canadians say), but as she explains, George has very little power over her because she is an old woman. Morwenna has a long life ahead of her, and George is a cruel man. Not to mention that it wont be Morwenna who truly suffers if they try to marry, since she is Elizabeths cousin. No, the full force of Georges wrath will fall squarely on Drake. Agatha begs her to give him up. The news from France has become increasingly dire, and you can see Ross pondering the wisdom of waiting out Pug Ladys plan. Sport executions, horrible conditions, the word hellhole is actually used. As you can imagine, Demelza is NOT thrilled at the idea of Ross sneaking back into France by way of Falmouth with the Royalists to personally boost Dr. Enys out of prison, but thats never stopped him from doing precisely what he wants at every turn. She reluctantly bids him farewell, having decided not to tell Pug Lady of this new strategy in case it fails. Thats just as well, as Ross promptly ditches the squabbling Royalists to go it alone. Meanwhile, a bashful and tense Morwenna has the Talk with her young man, and takes the tack of I dont really love you, so we must stop this. Not being a TOTAL dummy, he of course can tell that her heart was not in this denial, but still must wander the Cornish cliffs looking glum and contemplating suicide. He confides in Demelza, who is, happily, a really good listener. That doesnt keep him from blowing town and leaving behind a sad note for her. Where is the lad? STOWING AWAY ON ROSSS SHIP. They cant exactly return to drop him off, so theyre stuck with him. Back in London, Mr. Whitworth has hooked George up with the invitation hes been angling for, but with the understanding that Morwenna WILL have to seal the deal shortly. He promises him that Morwenna will accept the proposal within the month, which is optimistic to say the least. George demands that Elizabeth recall the girl at once, but Elizabeth has her own plan. The two of them depart for Trenwith. (Also: George, having heard of Rosss plan, is absolutely delighted at the prospect of seeing his rival fail AND having his chances of being elected to Parliament fail.) Pug Lady, seeking distraction, asks Demelza to accompany her to a fancy society thing. (Its the same event that George has shaken down an invite to attend, of course!) I LOVE when Demelza puts on the fancy, so this is great news. The party is the same as all parties in all period shows: people dance really slowly and elaborately and everyone wants introductions to everyone who might help them climb. George gives Demelza some excellent stink-eye. He also begins spilling Rosss dirt to anyone who will listen. Lord Falmouth is less impressed by his weaseling than he had hoped, which confuses him. In France, Ross and his very doughty associates begin their attempt to somehow enter a heavily guarded French prison, which they do by having Tholly present a bound Ross as an English prisoner. Once inside, fisticuffs immediately ensue and the rest of them storm the joint. I thought they would be sneakier than this! They do only want to spring Enys, so after they disarm and/or kill the first few guards, they go back to stealthing their way through. When they find Enys, its not the welcome they had hoped for. He has no intention of abandoning his men to sneak off like a thief in the night, despite the unbelievable risks that Ross and his associates have taken on his behalf. One of the prisoners takes this opportunity to alert the guards to their presence, which is a REAL dick move. Theres a tremendous firefight, during which one of our lads is promptly shot to death. Drake is also wounded and it doesnt look great. (Im sure hell live, because plot, but it really ups the tension.) Back at the party, a.k.a. the only place worse than a French prison, Whitworth is sliming all over Morwenna. George takes this opportunity to talk shit to Demelza, who is NOT having it. He basically looks like a prat in front of a lot of very important people, which is SO satisfying. The reason for his spectacular failure to bash Rosss plot becomes apparent: Lord Falmouth has a son in a French prison. Ross & Co. collect about a dozen strays fleeing the prison, and even Enys appears to accept they need to get the hell out of France, honor be damned. They are now attempting to row back to their ship in BROAD daylight, which is extremely dangerous! Ross has begun to have really rockin stress hallucinations, blessedly halted by the sight of their ship. Its a grim lot who return to Cornwall their stated mission has been accomplished, but at great personal cost. We close on the marvelous news that Hugh Armitage, one of the prisoners sprung by Ross, is the aforementioned nephew of Lord Falmouth. The look of misery on Georges face is even sweeter to me than the joy on Pug Ladys when she sees her husband safely returned. Photo: Ronald Gran/Universal Pictures/Everett Collection Somehow, the Childs Play franchise has persisted for 30 years. Its star, a maniacal doll named Chucky, is not always counted among his 1980s horror-villain brethren Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Leatherface, Freddy Krueger. And yet, the seventh installment of the franchise, Cult of Chucky, in theaters now, is the second chapter in a row to receive strong critical praise, suggesting that Don Mancinis deranged creation has accomplished a rare feat: a horror franchise thats actually aged well. Chucky has never been rebooted or remade or reinvented. The 80s-kitsch design of the doll has barely changed in three decades, because, as the doll himself tells us in Bride of Chucky, a true classic never goes out of style. Mancini has written every Childs Play since the beginning (and directed the last three), giving the chronicles of Chucky a more logical narrative progression (contextually, at least) and consistent mythology than any of those bad-guy franchises mentioned above. You can actually draw a straight line through all the movies, which is not something The Texas Chainsaw Massacre can claim. That consistency is on display in Cult, with Brad Dourif returning to voice Chucky for the seventh time, and series favorite Jennifer Tilly appearing as the killers paramour and co-conspirator for the fourth time; even the actor who played Chuckys first target, Andy, has reprised his role to settle scores with his friend till the end once and for all. But before you dive back into the franchises uncanny world, brush up on your Chucky history with this guide to the previous six films. Childs Play (1988) Childs Play opens with our first look at the Lakeshore Strangler, Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif), as he flees from the police. Lee runs into a toy store before being gunned down, but right before he dies, he recites a voodoo spell that transports his soul into a Good Guy doll with burning-red hair, freckles, and little overalls. Little Andy Barclay wants one of those Good Guy dolls for his sixth birthday, but Karen cant afford it, so she buys one for cheap in a back alley near her work. Andy is over the moon about his new friend till the end, who reveals to only the boy that his name is actually Charles Lee Ray, or Chucky for short. Chucky starts killing people almost immediately, and essentially framing Andy for it. During a house call to his voodoo instructor, John Bishop, Chucky learns that to get back into a human body, he must transfer his soul into the first person he told his secret to. After a climax in which Karen confronts said voodoo instructor about Chuckys sentience and in which Chuckys possession of Andy is thwarted and the doll is set on fire the the possessed toy is finally killed after being shot in the heart by a police officer. Childs Play 2 (1990) Ever since Karen Barclay insisted that a childs toy went on a killing spree, shes been locked up in a psychiatric care facility. Andy, meanwhile, has gone into foster care, and the Play Pals company that makes the Good Guy dolls has decided for some reason to refurbish Chucky instead of just incinerating his charred remains, which have, as you may recall, been shot through the chest. This means Chucky is coming back and since hes basically been reincarnated, he has a new chance to make Andy his human host before the fusion between his soul and the doll becomes permanent. Naturally, once Chucky finds Andy, he mutilates his foster parents; the living situation wasnt really working out, anyway. Chucky does, at last, get his tiny hands on Andy, but by the time he recites the prayer to Damballa, its too late. His soul is stuck in the toy, so that means he has to kill Andy (and the foster sister whos taken a liking to her new foster sibling). One of the best things about the Childs Play movies are the spectacular ways that Chucky is killed over and over again; this time, Andy vanquishes him in the Good Goy toy factory by spraying him down with molten rubber, and then shoving an air tube into his mouth, causing his body to expand until it explodes. Childs Play 3 (1991) Its now 1998, and 16-year-old Andy is going from foster homes to military school. At the same time, Play Pals has decided that enough time has passed since the PR disaster wherein one of its dolls became a serial murderer. As such, they can confidently relaunch the extremely profitable Good Guys toy line. The old factory where Chucky was killed gets dusted off and fired up again, and when his body is melted down and repurposed, a new incarnation of Charles Lee Ray is born. And once again, hes coming for Andy. (Before that, though, he kills the Play Pals CEO, and Dourif delivers one of his best lines of the franchise: Dont fuck with the Chuck.) Chucky finds Andy in the Play Pals database and ships himself to the Kent Military Academy, where hes intercepted by a little boy named Tyler. Chucky realizes he doesnt need Andy if he tells Tyler his secret, so he does, but is thwarted before successfully finishing a game of hide the soul with him. In the final battle between boy and doll which takes place inside a ride at an amusement park Andy shoots Chucky multiple times before throwing him into a giant ventilation fan and dismembering him. Andy will get a 19-year break before being summoned for Chucky duty once again. (For the actor, Alex Vincent, it will be a 26-year break.) Bride of Chucky (1998) Bride of Chucky opens on the evidence locker where Chuckys dismembered body is being kept; we also see the masks of Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers, as well as a chainsaw, and Freddys blade glove. We watch as a cop smuggles out Chuckys remains because a woman paid him to but he doesnt know that woman is Charles Lee Rays ex-girlfriend. Enter: Jennifer Tilly as Tiffany Valentine. Tiffany sews Chucky back together and uses the book Voodoo for Dummies to resurrect him; once he rises, she says shes been searching for him for ten years. That means the events of Bride and CP3 happened in immediate succession, and that both movies took place in 1998. Related Stories Five Easy Steps to Making a Better Horror Sequel After a brief and loving reunion, however, the couple gets into a fight, and Chucky kills Tiffany before transferring her soul into a doll body. According to the Voodoo for Dummies guide, the plastic duo need to retrieve an amulet called the Heart of Damballa if they want to take new human hosts and since Charles was wearing it at the time of his burial, they have to go to his home state of New Jersey to exhume him and get it back. At this point, the story has moved from Chicago to wherever Kent Military Academy was to New York state, and since theyre tiny dolls that cant drive, Chucky and Tiffany stow away with two runaway teen lovers, one of whom is Katherine Heigl. Chucky and Tiffany then force the couple to take them to Jersey, kill a bunch of people along the way, and have awkward doll sex. In a final death match at Charles Lee Rays gravesite, Tiffany is burned to death and Chucky is fatally shot. But, twist! Tiffany actually got pregnant from the doll sex with Chucky and a demon spawn springs from her doll uterus before the credits roll. Seed of Chucky (2004) Within the Chucky Cinematic Universe, a movie called Chucky Goes Psycho is being made, following the murderous adventures of Chucky and Tiffany. This movie-within-a-movie stars Jennifer Tilly as a fading star who keeps losing roles to Julia Roberts and is thus forced to take parts like Tiffany. And remember that demon doll baby? Turns out its a gentlehearted creature thats been taken captive and forced to participate in a ventriloquist act. (Its also, inexplicably, British.) When the child, going by the name Shitface, sees its parents on TV, it escapes its cage and sets out for L.A. to find them on the movie set. Shitface managed to escape the graveyard where it was born with the Heart of Damballa, and so resurrects its doll parents once more. (Heres a funny thing: When Chucky and Tiffany come to life, they know their child needs a real name, but since it has no genitalia, they cant decide if its a boy or a girl. Chucky insists its a boy, so calls it Glen, and Tiffany insists its a girl, so calls it Glenda. But Glend[a] basically identifies as nonbinary, saying, Sometimes I feel like a boy. Sometimes I feel like a girl. Can I be both? And Tiffany tells him/her, No matter what happens, well deal with it together, which feels like a real progressive moment for a horror comedy thats also the fifth installment of a slasher franchise in 2004.) The movie gets pretty crazy immediately thereafter. Redman, playing himself and also a film director, gets disemboweled. A lot of jokes are made about Jennifer Tillys career. Tiffany and Chucky try to break their addiction to murder for Glend[a], who hates killing. Chucky forces Britney Spears off a cliff in her car, which blows up. John Waters has his face melted off with acid. Tiffany and Chucky inseminate Jennifer Tilly with his semen, which results in her giving birth to twins. But ultimately it comes down to this: After another spat, Chucky kills Tiffany, and in a fit of rage Glend[a] kills Chucky for going after his mom. However! Tiffany was first able to transfer her soul into Jennifer Tilly, who then transfers the warring souls inhabiting Glend[a] into the new twin babies. Cut to five years later, when Glen and Glenda are celebrating their birthdays with their adoring mother Tiffany/Jennifer Tilly, and Glen receives the dismembered arm of Chucky in the mail, which attacks him. Fade to black. Curse of Chucky (2013) The new and old eras of Chucky collide when the doll gets shipped to the Pierce household. Were never told how he was brought back this time around (after being torn apart by Glend[a] in Seed), but according to Curse, its the Pierces hes been hunting down from the start. Chucky arrives in a box at the home of Sarah Pierce and her paraplegic daughter, Nica, and after mom is promptly murdered, the rest of the family shows up to handle her affairs. That, of course, means theyre all about to get killed by Chucky, and that Nicas niece, Alice, is lined up to be his new vessel. But heres the important (important) part: In Curse, we learn that the night Charles Lee Ray ran from the cops in Childs Play, he was being pursued for holding a pregnant woman prisoner in her home and assaulting her. That woman was Sarah Pierce. Turns out Charles was a family friend of the Pierces, and became so obsessed with Sarah that, after her husband died tragically, Charles showed up to play house. Sarah rejected the advances of Charles, so he stabbed her in the stomach, causing baby Nica to be born paralyzed. That all would have happened in 1988, the year of the original movie, which means that in Curse, its 25 years later, and Chucky is back to destroy the family he terrorized decades ago. By the time the police arrive at the end of the movie, everyone is dead except Nica, so naturally, she is the prime suspect in the murders of her entire family (minus Alice, who escapes alive). Nica is ruled mentally unfit to stand trial and shipped off to a psychiatric care facility, and the movie ends with Tiffany returning to once again swipe Chuckys remains from police evidence, and shipping him to Alice so they can finally play a game of hide the soul. Cult of Chucky (2017) Nica is under the watch of a creepy doctor. Chucky has learned how to multiply himself. Andy Barclay is all grown up with a serious case of PTSD, and Tiffany/Jennifer Tilly is still aiding and abetting her murderous boyfriends agenda. The classic is back, and hes growing a whole cult around him. Last season of The Walking Dead ended on an optimistic note for the survivor-warriors of Alexandria, Hilltop, and the Kingdom, but it also ended with a bit of the ol sad trombone for me. Sure, it was encouraging to see Rick finally pick himself up off the canvas and come at Negan swinging (with a little help from Zombie Sasha and Shiva the Somehow-Very-Well-Fed Tiger). Still, I felt a wave of walker-induced existential angst sweep over me. What happens when Negan is eventually killed, as Rick has repeatedly promised? Are they stuck in an endless loop of meeting and beating Big Bads, like a video game with no end? Are we running out of ways to be shocked and surprised? These questions feel especially appropriate as weve reached this landmark 100th episode. But as Negan might say, Well, shit, snowflake! You bitch and you moan and yet here you are, back for more. Buckle up or go watch This Is Us. So lets fret about the future later and celebrate a solid premiere that lives up to this seasons tagline, All Out War. It could easily have been a simple, slow-build battle with the Saviors. Instead, theres some intriguing time-shifting throughout the episode. Rick is ugly-crying again? And then Rick is old? (Its worth noting that showrunner Scott Gimple has confirmed that Rick is not waking from his coma, so thankfully the series hasnt been a Dallas-style dream.) The action and this episode is almost all action begins with Rick, Ezekiel, and Maggie rousing their troops for an elaborate assault on the Sanctuary. For the zillionth time, the survivors concoct a plan that requires Swiss watch precision, Broadway-level choreography, and Michael Baysize explosions. A herd of walkers are led toward the Sanctuary by a series of blowups, which are a perfect excuse to watch Daryl cruise away on his hog as fireballs burst behind him. (I really hope theres an episode where his bike gets wrecked and hes forced to use a Vespa.) Before the undead arrive, Rick rolls up to Negans front door with some heavily armored vehicles and a buttload of guns-n-ammo. This was all made possible thanks to Daryls inside man, Dwight, who kindly detailed the locations of each Savior lookout. (Daryl wins best kill for taking a guards gun and his smoke. Runner-up: the tree-stand stooge who ends up as zombie food. Honorable mention: Rick and the moron who unwisely says, I saw you begging, crying. Youre gonna beg again, Rick. Your boy is gonna die. Do those teary-eyed shots of Rick suggest this dirtbag may prove to be right?) A few noteworthy moments arrive before the Rick-Negan showdown. Carl stumbles across a mysterious guy at a gas station whos babbling about a microwave that was thrown at him, his mother talking about helping the traveller, and a quote from the Koran. Rick scares the dude away, but Carl returns to the scene with an offering of canned food. My hunch: This fellow is a troubled guy, but good, and he will be useful in some way. For all the knocks on this show, one thing its done well is create strong female characters. Maggie has grown from apprehensive farm girl to fearless leader whos putting maternity leave on hold for one last scrum. (Points to Rick for telling her that when this whole Negan business is over, Im following you.) But its Jerry who delivers the best speech of the day, as he instructs Enid on body-armor usage. (Duuuude! Sternum!) Zeke quotes the Bard and delivers another ren-faire ramble about day defeating the night and believing the children are our future. And Rick repeats his promise that hes gonna kill Negan. Oh, yes. He. Will. Kill. Negan. Yeah, well, about that. Negan finally appears and thinks Gregory is his ace in the hole, when in fact, hes just an asshole. Rick declares that Negan is the only one who needs to die, begins a countdown to showtime, and then in a move that Negan probably respects starts blasting by the count of seven. Why, I wonder, did no one manage to hit Negan and his fleeing lieutenants? Perhaps because Eugene and double-agent Dwight were in the way. So the RV crashes and explodes into the compound, Negan runs out limping, and Rick needs Gabe to drag him away from maniacally firing on his nemesis. Theres a schedule, dude! This aint about you, remember? Perhaps the point of firing all that ammo was to simply keep the Saviors at bay until the walker horde arrived. Still, seems like a lot of valuable ammo wasted on windows and walls. Just as Father Gabriel was beginning to grow on me, he makes the inexplicable decision to risk his life for Gregory, whos done nothing but betray Ricks crew at every turn. To only Gabes surprise, Greg flees and leaves him stranded as the zombies overrun the Sanctuary. In the ultimate good news/bad news scenario, the priest finds cover, but hes trapped with a giddy Negan. Unfortunately for them both, Gabe likely left his shitting pants back at A-town. Of course, were saving the episodes biggest moment for last: the slowly unfolding scene with Old Rick, which is set just a few years in the future, based on Judiths age. What is he recovering from? Whats the meaning of the big owl outside and this festival that everyones taking so seriously, according to Michonne? Why is Weird Als Another One Rides the Bus playing? Is it possible Weird Al is still alive? Do they not have access to Eat It or Amish Paradise or White and Nerdy or My Bologna? Is this a glimpse into a certain future, or merely a possible one? The gauzy, overlit look of these scenes suggests theyre more fantasy than future. Whats real is red-eyed Rick muttering through his tears, My mercy prevailed over my wrath. What did he just see? Or do? Only two things seem certain: The body count this season will be high, and however the war with Negan ends, Rick isnt destined for a life of late mornings in bed. Harvey Weinstein. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images The New York attorney general has opened a civil-rights inquiry into the Weinstein Company to investigate whether allegations surrounding former co-chair Harvey Weinstein were a part of broader practice of gender discrimination. Weinstein, who was fired from the company October 8 and resigned from its board last week, has been accused by over 40 women of sexual misconduct ranging from harassment and groping to rape. On Monday, the attorney generals office sent a subpoena to the Weinstein Company asking for personnel files, harassment complaints, and other documents, according to the New York Times. No New Yorker should be forced to walk into a workplace ruled by sexual intimidation, harassment or fear, New York attorney general Eric T. Schneiderman said in a statement. If sexual harassment or discrimination is pervasive at a company, we want to know. The inquiry comes as the company is in flux: Colony Capital is in negotiations to buy some or all of the studio as many studios and talent have pulled their projects from the embattled company. Earlier this month, the Times reported on eight payments to women to settle sexual-harassment disputes, and the company has said they were aware of four. The attorney generals inquiry will also look into whether the company bears financial responsibility for Weinsteins misconduct, according to the Times. As for Harvey himself: Hes still under investigation by detectives in Los Angeles, London, and New York City. Actor Tom Wopat stands during arraignment in August in Waltham, Massachusetts, on indecent assault and battery and drug possession charges. Wopat who played Luke Duke on the 1980s television show, "The Dukes of Hazzard," pleaded not guilty to the charges. To watch Thai ice cream rolls being made is a little show, conducted on a metal surface called an "anti-griddle" kept at temperatures below zero. Jacob Carrizal, the president of the Dallas chapter of the Bandido motorcycle group, is the first of more than 150 bikers indicted in the deadly May 17, 2015, shootout at the former Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco to stand trial for his alleged role in the melee. Nine people were killed and dozens more were injured in the brawl and shootout between rival biker groups and their support clubs. A Twin Peaks shootout defense attorney claims a 2013 email from an FBI agent to local authorities proves McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna lied when he claimed last week he is not now, nor has ever been, under federal investigation. Waco attorney Robert Callahan, who is representing biker William Chance Aikin, of Talco, released an email from FBI agent Dan Brust to Waco police detective Sherry Kingrey and two other local investigators sent in February 2013. In the email, Brust asks all three investigators about unspecified information regarding the potential corruption, and possible information confidential informants may have. It makes it clear that there was an investigation into public corruption by the FBI in 2013, Callahan stated in an email. One of the recipients of this email, former Waco PD officer Sherry Kingrey, has agreed to speak to the press and confirm that she is aware of the investigation against Reyna and that this email is addressing that investigation. Kingrey, who retired from Waco Police Department in March, verified that she had visited with Brust about information she had received, but declined via text message to elaborate on the information Monday. She said she forwarded unverified information to federal authorities. The email release comes after Dallas attorney Clint Broden filed a motion Friday in the case of his client, Matthew Clendennen, of Hewitt, alleging Reyna is under federal investigation for selective prosecution for political gain. Callahan said Reynas office should not be prosecuting criminal trials if his office is under federal investigation. Federal authorities on Friday would neither confirm nor deny if Reyna is the subject of a federal investigation. Last week, Broden claimed he obtained very credible information indicating Reyna has been and continues to be under federal investigation. In response to Brodens claims, Reyna made a public online social media post Saturday afternoon, saying the federal investigation allegations are ridiculous and untruthful. He declined to make a statement to the Tribune-Herald last week and Monday. First Assistant District Attorney Michael Jarrett also declined to comment. Mr. Brodens most recent ridiculous and untruthful allegation regarding a make-believe federal investigation, is proof that this saying is true, Reyna said, in part, on the social media post. Its unfortunate that the same whisper campaign, carried out by the same individuals during my last re-election bid in 2014, has found a new mouthpiece in Mr. Broden two weeks before his client is set for trial. The claim that I am aware of some federal investigation or that prosecutors in this office have been interviewed by the FBI is patently, 100 percent false. Callahan said Reynas statement to local media and Facebook post prompted him to release the email from Brust. He said the information verified that federal authorities were speaking with officials about Reynas alleged misconduct. In connection to the alleged FBI probe into Reynas potential corruption, Broden issued subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum, requiring a person named in the subpoena to produce certain books, papers, or other tangible things for the court. The subpoenas were issued for a Thursday hearing in Clendennens case, but the state has filed a motion for a continuance until after the trial of Jacob Carrizal is finished. Carrizal, the first biker to be prosecuted in the Twin Peaks shootout, is currently on trial in 54th State District Court. Reyna, Jarrett and Assistant District Attorney Amanda Dillon are prosecuting Carrizal. Broden requested all documents, including emails, notes or any document produced in preparation with meetings with federal authorities in relation to any ongoing criminal investigation into Reyna. Those subpoenas included assistant district attorneys Jarrett, Dillon, Joseph Layman, former first assistant Greg Davis, Reynas former administrative assistant Julissa West, FBI agent Fred Rhea, Brust, and Kingrey. Brodens request for materials from Jarrett also included any and all documents reflecting the purchase or maintenance of a covert mobile telephone for the purpose of communicating with federal prosecutors and/or FBI investigators in relation to the federal criminal investigation regarding McLennan County District Attorney Abelino Reyna. Callahan said he will file similar motions to disqualify Reyna and assistant district attorneys. Brodens motion also stated that assistant district attorneys have visited with federal investigators. I am going to be seeking the same type of relief, Callahan said. The district attorneys office has no business prosecuting these cases. Art Center of Waco board members and staffers likely wont be going back to the building they called home for more than 40 years, after a structural problem forced its evacuation Oct. 4. Board President Jill Michaels said the departure, forced by a critical support beam pulling away from an exterior wall, likely will be permanent as Art Center board members, administrators and supporters accelerate their search for a new building or space. McLennan Community College officials closed the building, which it leases to the Art Center of Waco, after an inspection found the structural problem was getting worse. The action temporarily moved the centers current photographic exhibition and Art Center staff to Cultivate 7twelve, a gallery and arts space in downtown Waco. As Art Center officials looked at the possible timeline of repairs and the upcoming expiration of their building lease, they realized the time to move has come. MCC, and rightly so, puts safety before everything else, Michaels said. The reality of this is that we are not able to return to our building. The center has used that building, built in the 1910s as the summer home of the William Cameron family, since 1976, after a major renovation of the property funded by Art Center donors and the college. A board subcommittee had been exploring relocation options for some time and started to intensify its efforts after MCC informed the center this summer that it would not renew its lease on a long-term basis when it expires in September 2018. Michaels said the board felt it likely that, given a possible 90-day lease extension, the center would have until the end of 2018 to move. Discovery of the structural problem and the scale of its repair, however, threw that timetable out the window. MCC officials are awaiting a report on what repairs are needed and at what cost, but Sid Ross, MCC director of facilities, planning and construction, said the structural problem likely wont be a quick or cheap fix. The beam in question lies under the main gallery floor and supports second-story floor joists. It had begun to pull away from the centers east exterior wall, causing minor sagging of the gallery floor and a two- to 3-inch gap between the floor and wall inside. If the beam should suddenly fail, it could pull the floor down with it and possibly cause the exterior wall to collapse, a potential life-threatening disaster if anyone were in the building at the time. We shut it down in the name of safety, Ross said. The center and MCCs Northwood House, the Cameron familys former carriage house, are the campus oldest buildings, constructed roughly a century ago. Even before the structural issue, MCC officials knew the Art Centers building was due for a major remodeling. The potential cost of that led to the decision not to renew the centers lease next year, said Stephen Benson, vice president for finance and administration. The Art Center has paid MCC $10 annually for the lease, while the college covers maintenance and utilities, Benson said. Its been a good partnership for the college and the Art Center, he said. The major expense of building renovation, however, made college officials consider changing its use for a more direct benefit for MCC, such as office or classroom space or as a community-use venue, Benson said. MCCs plans for the Art Center building will hinge on what a report from an architect and structural engineer finds. In the next month or two, well know the extent of what repairs need to be done and how much to fix it, Benson said. With the realization they are unlikely to return, the Art Center has redoubled its efforts to find a location downtown or nearby. Much of the Art Centers income comes from memberships, fundraisers, including one scheduled Friday at Balcones Distillery, classes and courtyard rentals. The center will be able to continue its courtyard rentals, but the loss of some classes and its gift shop due to the building closure will hit its budget, as will the extra expense of renting office and storage space, Michaels, the board president, said. We are very concerned and dipping into the money that was going toward a new building, she said. For years, Art Center of Waco administrators and board members have discussed the possibility of moving to a more central site, its present north Waco location on the edge of the MCC campus viewed as hard for a visitor to find. The Art Center of Waco bought a 2.2 acre tract in downtown Waco from the Waco Independent School District in 2001, but after the center failed to build on the property, the district bought back the land in 2007. Downtown development in recent years has heated up real estate prices, complicating the boards search. Renovation of an existing building is more likely than construction of a new facility, but options are open, Michaels said. Everybody wants us downtown. Whether thats Elm Street, midtown, uptown or downtown, we dont know, she said. I feel confident we can find a space. Lincoln Hills School for Boys has been plagued by stories of prisoner abuse, violent incidents and prisoner unrest. Changing the juvenile prisoner system would be expensive, but the current facility is pricey with the potential to get much pricier, reporter Patrick Marley said. By Mary Wilsey. Rome was threatened with water rationing at the end of July but political bickering and mismanagement are as much a problem as the shortage of water itself. Roma, Regina Aquarum are the words that jump out at you when you look at the website of Rome's water supplier, ACEA. Rome, Queen of Water might once have been a suitable epithet to describe the city but not in the summer of 2017. A city that still prides itself of its ancient Roman aqueducts and its renaissance fountains has demonstrated that it is less capable today of managing its water resources that it was two millennia ago. Admittedly it has been a hot and dry summer. Lack of rain throughout the winter has left many of the lakes around the city at dangerously low levels. But this is only part of the story. Underinvestment in infrastructure, political bickering and lack of planning tell the rest of the tale. At the end of July ACEA threatened to ration water in Rome to eight hours a day. It is possible that the utility company was just highlighting a serious problem in the most dramatic way it could, but the threat was there. At the same time the governor of the Lazio region, Nicola Zingaretti, announced that he would prevent water being fed from Lake Bracciano, north of the city, into Rome's system. Given the perilously low level of the lake and the ecological threat this poses to the surrounding area, his action looked justified. The danger to Rome was averted only at the last moment when the ministry of the environment stepped in on the grounds that turning off water supplies would be detrimental to public health and tourism. The city's mayor, Virginia Raggi, claimed the credit for preventing the city from running dry, and throughout the rest of the summer most of the fountains sparkled on (except those in the Vatican, which were turned off in a gesture of goodwill to the city) and the 19th-century cast-iron water dispensers, or nasoni, continued to trickle. If there was ever a cost-effective and public-spirited way of supplying water in Rome it must have been the installation of nasoni throughout the city at the turn of the 20th century. Those were the days of lavish public works and monumental projects to celebrate the unification of Italy. The courts of justice, the Bank of Italy, the new state's various ministries in the Via Nazionale area and of course the Altare della Patria which towers over Piazza Venezia are the most obvious examples of the building spree. But rather than build lavish fountains like the papal rulers they replaced, the architects of the new Italy decided to go for street-level water dispensers as the best way to ensure that the inhabitants of the rapidly expanding city had plentiful and clean drinking water at a time when running water in houses was still not widely available. These were a much less grandiose answer to the ancient Roman aqueducts and much less flamboyant than the renaissance and baroque fountains the popes commissioned to enhance their prestige. Sturdy, stubby and totally utilitarian, they appeared all over the city. Their one extravagance was that they provided a constant flow of water from the outlet (or nasone, which gave the drinking fountains their name) into the little run-off hole in the ground.Some of the original models, especially around the Vatican, have now been fitted with pressure taps to regulate the flow of water, but there are still many where the water flows non-stop.Surprisingly they remain a vital part of the city's services. They supply tourists with free water; they provide washing facilities for the ever-growing number of homeless; they are still used by stall holders in the dwindling street markets to wash fruit and vegetables.Cutting off their supply this summer would have been one way of bringing public attention to the water shortage in the city, but it was more a shock tactic than a solution to the real problem. Closing the nasoni is about as effective as not washing teeth or hands under running water; it is a feel-good reminder that water is a precious resource but the saving is minimal.Although cutting off water from Lake Bracciano led to alarmist headlines it would have been inconvenient rather than decisive for Rome; the lake supplies only about three per cent of the city's water. By far the largest part, about 85 per cent, comes from springs in the province of Rieti along the Peschiera aqueduct. The remainder is supplied mainly from wells around the city.The Peschiera aqueduct is not part of the ancient Roman system, some of which is still used, but was first contemplated and then designed in the early 20th century at the time of the post-unification building boom in the new capital. Construction did not begin until 1937 and was then suspended at the outbreak of world war two. Work on it did not start again until the end of hostilities and then trickled on until it was finally completed in the 1980s.Luckily for Rome water along the Peschiera is still abundant thanks to the heavier than usual snow falls in the Apennines last winter.Mount Nuria, which feeds the Peschiera, is southeast of Rieti close to Cittaducale, bordering the Abruzzo. It is one of the largest springs of drinkable water in Italy and most unusually its water is so pure that it does not have to be treated. It is joined at Salisano north of Castelnouvo di Farfa by water from various basins, called Le Capore. The hydroelectric power station built at Salisano also provides electricity for Rome. Most of the aqueduct's 130 kms are underground, which is perhaps why it is not as well known as its majestic-looking ancient Roman equivalents. Nor does its final fountain in Rome, in Piazzale degli Eroi, have a fraction of the pull of either the Trevi (fed by Acqua Vergine) or the Fontanone (fed by Acqua Paola). The Peschiera-Capore aqueduct is about as utilitarian as Rome's nasoni, which are in fact mainly supplied by the Peschiera. But it is the city's life line and although it is not threatened by drought at least not yet it runs through earthquake territory and the recent devastating seismic upheavals along the central Apennines must have given ACEA engineers some sleepless nights. Maintenance is in fact one of the major problems for almost all of Italy's water utilities. It is estimated that in some areas, particularly in the south, water seepage from leaking pipes means that over 40 per cent of water runs to waste. The problem is not quite as acute in Rome but maintenance is difficult especially in the historic centre. Not far from Piazza Navona, home of Bernini's magnificent Four Rivers Fountain commissioned by Pope Innocent X in 1651, there is a narrow street with a permanent wet patch next to a nasone with a malfunctioning pressure tap that could be quickly fixed. But the permanent puddle has been there all summer, seeping from some underground hole. Only a few months ago the street was closed for maintenance to a gas pipe (or was it electricity cables or telecommunication fibre optics?) and the sampietrini, or cobblestones, have only just been replaced. The water maintenance crews are unlikely to return for a while. Maintenance would be easy enough given sufficient money, political will and organisation ability. However, water rights are a far more serious difficulty. The codice civile, Italy's civil code, has whole sections dedicated to water rights, as indeed did the ancient Roman codes on aqueducts. But today who should pay what price for the water flowing through the Peschiera aqueduct has been argued back and forth since the last agreement came to an end in 1996. In theory the city of Rome, as the major shareholder of ACEA, should pay water dues to the province of Rieti for drawing water out of its mountains. But who decides how much it should pay? Lazio's governor Zingaretti, of the Partito Democratico, managed to negotiate an agreement last year for an annual payment plus a one-time sum to cover the arrears since the last contract ended. However Rome's mayor, from the Movimento 5 Stelle, says the city won't pay. And so the stalemate continues. Playing political games with water is akin to playing with fire. Rationing domestic supplies may lose votes but in the end it is more an annoyance than a hardship. It is always possible to fill up the bathtub and buckets and wait until the water returns. But cutting off water to industry, agriculture and the construction sectors would have a potentially devastating effect. Anyone who has watched a block of flats go up will know how much water is needed in its construction. Even the ancient Romans knew this. The Roman aqueducts were not constructed just to provide the wealthier citizens with their hot baths and the poorer ones with uncontaminated water. The abundance of water then, just as now, was fundamental to the economic growth and power of the city. If Mayor Raggi won't pay the city's water bills today and if, just if, Rieti, hard hit by the financial damage done by last year's earthquake, turned off the taps of the Peschiera, Rome's economy would be in as great danger of decline as its citizens would be of going thirsty. Water referendum 2011 In two referendums on the supply and the cost of water in June 2011 Italians voted overwhelmingly that supply and distribution should be managed by public authorities rather than private interests and that the price consumers pay for water should not reflect the real cost of investment to suppliers. While Italians clearly believe that water supply should be a public service, central, regional and local authorities as well as the suppliers themselves are still wondering how best to pay for the service and encourage investment in badly maintained infrastructure and remodernisation. New amendments to old laws have been put forward, regulations have been drawn up and various courts have had their say. In the six years since the referendum the overlapping jurisdictions between central, regional and local authorities, combined with a number of conflicting court rulings, have proved that a clearly defined policy on water is almost impossible. The complex situation is not helped by the fact that not all households have water metres, the historic centre of Rome being a case in point. In such cases payment according to consumption regardless of who supplies the water and whether it is subsidised or at a market price is not feasible anyway. New Queensland coal seam gas production and an expanded northern gas pipeline may alleviate the east coast gas shortage. Earlier this year the Australian Energy Market Operator forecast a gas shortfall of 54 petajoules in 2018 and 48 petajoules in 2019. The Northern Territory is aiming to open up the eastern seaboard as a new market. Credit:Bloomberg While a deal has since been struck with large gas producers Origin, Shell, and Santos, to meet the domestic supply gap, the price of gas has continued to rise. Now, plans to widen links between the east coast energy network and the Northern Territory's gas fields, as well as new Queensland gas sources due to come online before the end of the year, may drive down gas prices due to increased supply. The 27th WCO Asia/Pacific Regional Contact Points Meeting was held from 11 to 13 October 2017 in Cairns, Australia. The objectives of the meeting were for the delegates from the Asia/Pacific region to share experiences and discuss issues of common interest of the region and to formulate recommendations to the Heads meeting in the coming spring. Delegates from 22 Members in the Asia/Pacific region, representatives from the WCO Secretariat, Asia/Pacific Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB A/P), Asia/Pacific Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO A/P) participated in the meeting, which was opened and chaired by Mr. Visvanath Das, Chief Executive Officer of Fiji Revenue and Customs Service and Vice-Chair for the Asia/Pacific region. Mr. Visvanath Das welcomed all delegates to Cairns, Australia. Ms. Becos-Cole, Acting Assistant Secretary, Trusted Trader and Industry Engagement Branch, Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection, delivered the keynote address. She emphasized the impact of economics on the global landscape, trade modernisation and the importance of e-commerce within the customs environment, and highlighted the significance of big data analytics in combating terrorism and transnational crime in the global arena. The meeting reviewed the progress made under the Regional Strategic Plan 2016-2018 and, based on the results, discussed the next Regional Strategic Plan for 2018-2020 in break-out groups. The participants also shared their experience on the six priority areas of the WCO, namely Trade Facilitation, Customs-Tax Cooperation, E-Commerce, Illicit Financial Flows, Security and Performance Measurement, and had intensive discussion on each topic to make way forward. The WCO Secretariat provided updates on strategies and initiatives under the six priority areas and this years theme "Data Analysis". The Secretariat also shared information on newly developed tools and programmes to enhance the knowledge and capacity of Customs administration. The ROCB A/P and the RILO A/P reported on activities conducted, all of which contributed to the lively exchange of views on the Regional Strategic Plan and WCO priorities. CALEDONIA Son, pops, bro. Those are the words emblazoned on a memorial along Douglas Avenue after Michael Fuchsgurber, a 39-year-old father, lost his life Friday following a hit-and-run crash. Tyler J. Martinez, 27, of the 3600 block of 10th Avenue, Racine, has been charged in connection with the crash in which Fuchsgurber was struck on his bicycle Friday evening while on a ride with his 15-year-old son along Douglas Avenue. Condolences and other mournful sentiments were echoed on Fuchgurbers Facebook page, with friends leaving comments such as He was a great guy! Prayers to you all. And Your family and friends are in my prayers. Tragic. Fridays fatal hit-and-run Martinez was charged Monday with felony hit and run resulting in death. According to a criminal complaint and a Caledonia Police Department media release: At about 9:47 p.m. Friday, police and fire units responded to the 5400 block of Douglas (Highway 32) near Middle Road for a hit and run, car-versus-bicyclist crash. Paramedics rushed Fuchsgruber to the emergency room at Ascension All Saints Hospital in Racine, but he succumbed to his injuries. According to the complaint, Martinez called his father after hitting something along Douglas Avenue at about that time. His father then called 911 to report the crash. When police talked to Martinez, he told them he didnt stop because he thought he hit a mailbox. He was also concerned because he thought his license was suspended, although police later verified he had a valid license. In addition, Martinez was concerned about calling police because he had been cited for speeding and inattentive driving in the past. After talking to Martinez, police informed him that he did not hit a mailbox; he had hit a person. Martinez was visibly shocked, the complaint said. Martinez then asked if the person was OK. That is when police told him Fuchsgruber had died. During the investigation, police issued Martinez a Breathalyzer test and he allegedly blew a 0.0, showing no signs of intoxication. Police also searched his phone and didnt find any texts or phone calls that were conducted during the time of the crash. Initial appearance During Martinezs initial appearance on Monday afternoon, Assistant Racine County District Attorney Christoper Steenrod asked Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch for a $75,000 cash bond. I am concerned Mr. Martinez is a flight risk, Steenrod said. It appears that he was aware he hit something on the side of the road, and rather than stopping to investigate what he had hit, he continued driving. So I am worried about his willingness to appear in court as scheduled. Assistant State Public Defender Gregory Holdahl asked Rudebusch to consider a small cash bond, citing Martinezs lack of criminal past, employment, willingness to cooperate with police and his responsibilities at home with his girlfriend and two small children. I dont think hes a flight risk based on the criminal complaint, which listed that he cooperated with the police when they showed up, Holdahl said. He showed genuine remorse and scaredness of the news, and hes basically done everything he could to ensure that he was cooperating with the police ... I understand the charges are serious, but I dont think anything in the criminal complaint indicates hes a flight risk. Rudebusch set a signature bond $50,000. Under conditions of the bond, Martinez is not to drive under any circumstances or have contact with the victims family. The maximum sentence for felony hit and run resulting in death carries a fine of up to $10,0000 and/or imprisonment for 25 years. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 8 at the Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 23, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 23, 2017 | 11:57 AM | PADUCAH, KY A Missouri man was hurt Monday morning in a crash after police say he fell asleep while driving. The McCracken County Sheriff's Office says deputies responded at around 6:40 a.m. to a wreck on KY 286 near the Ballard County line. Deputies said 38-year-old Ryan Claus of Cuba, MO was driving east on KY 286, when he fell asleep and ran off the right side of the roadway. Claus then struck a utility pole head on and his vehicle flipped over. Claus was able to get out of the vehicle after the crash and move to the side of the road. A short time later a west bound vehicle driven by Ronnie Giles III of Barlow topped a hillcrest and was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting Claus' vehicle. Claus was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. Giles was not injured in the crash. Deputies said Claus was driving on a suspended license from from a previous DUI conviction. They charged him with Operating on a DUI Suspended license. The roadway was shut down for about an hour and a half after the crash. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 23, 2017 | MURRAY, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 23, 2017 | 01:14 PM | MURRAY, KY A pursuit that started in Henry County, Tennessee Sunday morning ended in Calloway County with the arrest of three people. At about 3 am, the Calloway County Sheriff's Department was notified by the Henry County Sheriff's Department that the pursuit was headed toward the state line. They learned that the pursuit was initiated by suspicion of an aggravated burglary by someone in the vehicle. Deputies deployed stop sticks at Eldridge Lane to flatten the vehicle's tires, although one of them was already flat when the suspects crossed the state line. Calloway County Deputies took over the pursuit at Old Salem Road as it continued on Highway 121 to Murray, then Highway 641 to Utterback Road to North 16th, where the vehicle was disabled. Three people were arrested on multiple charges, including drug offenses for two people from when they were searched before being booked into Calloway County Detention Center. Twenty-eight year-old Michelle L. Robins of Martin and 40-year-old Emily L. Blackard of Dresden were charged with fleeing or evading police in a vehicle, 3 counts of wanton endangerment, changing drivers with a car in motion, disregarding a stop sign, not wearing a seat belt, and driving on a suspended or revoked license. Robins also faces 3 counts of disregarding a traffic control device, criminal mischief, and not having vehicle insurance. Blackard faces additional charges for possession of methamphetamine and promoting contraband. A passenger in the vehicle, 33-year-old Shanda Bomar of Paris, faces of possession of methamphetamine and promoting contraband. There was also a bench warrant for her arrest for failure to appear in court. The investigation by the Henry County Sheriff's Department is ongoing. Consumer advocates are raising concerns about a bill in the Wisconsin Legislature that could give utilities the upper hand when it comes to raising rates or getting approval for expensive projects. Among other things, the 2017 Public Service Commission Reform Act establishes a framework for settling contested cases that come before the PSC. Public hearing Wednesday on Xcel rate case Local residents can weigh in Wednesday on Xcel Energys proposal to raise energy prices for some 257,000 Wisconsin ratepayers. When utilities apply to raise rates or to undertake a major project such as a high-voltage transmission line, groups representing different customer classes can participate as intervenors. These include the Citizens Utility Board, which represents homeowners, renters and small businesses; the Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, which represents the largest customers; and even individual businesses such as Walmart, which frequently participates in rate cases. The utilities file detailed financial information and testimony to show their proposed rates are reasonable, and these intervenors are able to review that information some of which is confidential and demand additional evidence. Utilities can also negotiate outside settlement agreements with the consumer advocates. Under the bill, a utility could reach a settlement with one or more groups without giving other intervenors access to all the information traditionally required for a contested case. Those nonsettling groups would then be given just 30 days to respond. That could leave consumer advocates flying blind and with little time to respond, said Tom Content, executive director of the CUB. These can be pretty complex proceedings, Content said. We traditionally go through process of hiring experts to evaluate (them). That process itself takes more than 30 days. Clean Wisconsin has raised similar concerns and is calling for changes that would permit only unanimous settlements. This is putting into statutes a process that stacks the deck against the public interest and the little guy, said Sarah Barry, director of government relations for the environmental advocacy group. Content said the CUB does not oppose settlements and has participated in many over the years, but the proposed law would put consumer groups in the position of having to show why utilities shouldnt be allowed to raise rates without access to all the information. Currently the burden is on the utility to prove their projects or rate structures are necessary. This new process is being proposed at a time when Wisconsin is rated as having one of the most shareholder-friendly regulatory structures in the country and among the highest electricity rates in the country, Content told an Assembly committee this week. WIEG is officially neutral on the bill, though executive director Todd Stuart said, It depends on how its used. The CUB has proposed amendments that would require utilities to still file the standard information when reaching non-unanimous settlements and providing 60 days for nonsettling parties to respond. The bill has the support of the states largest investor-owned utilities as well as their trade association, which argues it will help avoid costly litigation. Youre saving staff time and resources., said Bill Skewes, executive director of the Wisconsin Utilities Association. Thats going to save everybody time and hassle and money. Skewes notes that the PSC would retain the authority to approve or reject a settlement proposal. And the bill says the PSC must find the public interest is adequately represented by the parties who entered into the agreement. According to the PSC, which supports the bill, 39 states have rules or laws allowing settlement agreements, although some, such as Minnesota, allow only unanimous settlements. Placing such a framework in statute provides all parties clarity and transparency with respect to the process necessary for participation in and fair resolution of contested matters, PSC chairwoman Ellen Nowak said in comments to the Legislature. Another provision of the bill would allow utilities to rebuild transmission lines without PSC approval so long as they retain roughly the same footprint and voltage. That raised concerns for Rob Danielson, secretary of the Vernon County town of Starks energy planning committee, which has been active in opposing high-voltage transmission projects, including CapX2020 and Badger Coulee, which both cross the La Crosse area. With decades-old transmission lines nearing the end of their lifespans, Danielson argues the PSC should retain oversight to ensure ratepayers dont get saddled with billions of dollars worth of unneeded re-building projects. The bill was authored by Rep. Mike Kuglitsch, a Republican from New Berlin who chairs the Assembly committee on energy and utilities and in the past two election cycles has received more than $19,000 in campaign contributions from utilities and their employees, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign database. A companion bill in the Senate is scheduled for a public hearing at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Welcome to The Independent Herald E-Edition! Check back each week on Tuesday to see our[Read More] Community members are invited to tea with artist Anna Metcalfe at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum on Saturday, Oct. 28. Come and share tea and treats together with an art project about the Mississippi River called Upstream. Each participant will be invited to drink tea and share a story about life along the Mississippi River with the artist and other participants using a handmade traveling tea set. In exchange for your stories, you will have the opportunity to take a handmade cup home with you as a river souvenir. Tea will be served at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The event is free, but you must reserve a timeslot by calling 507-474-6626 or emailing dcasey@mmam.org. Tea will be held outside on MMAMs riverwalk, so please dress accordingly. Metcalfe works in the intersection of public art, social engagement and craft. She makes work inspired by water, agriculture, food and community. Metcalfe is a 2017 recipient of an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. In the fall of 2016, Bailey Bestul was in his senior year of high school and getting ready for college life in the Twin Cities. But as a young entrepreneur, he also had a business to think about. The high school student had started Pointour, a walking tour business highlighting 25 different locations in Winona, all seen from a tourists own two feet and eyes. I noticed that there was no walking tours going on and was like, We need this, Bestul said. Instead of letting the business he had worked hard to establish die out, Bestul reached out to Hamid Akbari, Winona State Universitys dean in the College of Business. Bestul and Akbari had already met through a WSU and Live Well Winona Walk and Talk event, and Akbari said Bestul was aware of Akbaris belief in the connection between walking and creativity. So, Bailey offered the business to WSU. My reaction was one of delight and intrigue, Akbari said in an email. I had already known Bailey doing this tour and admired him as a young and talented high school student who had combined his passion and purpose in forming a business in service of the City of Winona. Working through 2016 and into the summer of 2017, students at Winona State University have re-built Pointour into Walkabout Winona, re-branding and re-establishing the already successful walking tour business into one of their own. The business offered a free tour this last Friday morning and will continue offering tours for $10 for adults and $8 for students, seniors and veterans until the end of its season in mid-November. Children under the age of 12 are free. The tours will start up again next spring, with a date that has yet to be determined, according to Jacob Klister, with Walkabout Winona and a junior marketing student at WSU. Klister became involved with the project as the deans College of Business project leader. With $5,000 from the WSU Foundation, Klister said the students who currently run the organization re-branded the business into their own shop but still relied on Bestul for help in taking over the tours. Klister described Bestul as having a computer for a mind, essentially laying out all the information for the new team. The new group also relied on help from Lee Gundersheimer, who became involved with the business before taking on his new role with the city as the arts and culture coordinator. Gundersheimer said he was interested in helping expand the business with the WSU students because of the impact it could have on establishing Winonas downtown, and while it is not directly affiliated with the city, Gundersheimer said Walkabout Winona does a good job of overlapping the goals of the city with the goals of the business. I have a desire to see Winonas downtown and Winona itself become that much more of a destination, Gundershemier said. I took the tour with Bailey, and I thought he did such an interesting job. And it taught me a lot of what sort of rich history (is) part of Winona. With experience in helping non-profit start-up organizations, Gundershemier offered his expertise to Akbari and Bestul as they worked through this transition. That connection to Winona was important to Klister too, who said the students running Walkabout Winona want to see it act as a bridge between the university and the community. Were just not college students, Klister said. We want to make sure that were there for the community as well. Comprised of three tour guides, Walkabout Winona began practicing with mock-tours, collecting data and making sure they were still operating a legal business within Minnesota before launching late this summer. Walkabout Winona had their first test of tour groups late this summer, when they took 90 first-year students from the College of Business on tour around the town. It was scary, Klister said of the first tour. I trusted everyone, but its actually happening. Once Klister and other leaders in the business graduate, the business will get passed down to other students. Short-term goals for the business someday, Klister said, would be to become profitable, but in the long term, he would like to see the business sustain a scholarship for a student in the College of Business. And just like the young entrepreneur who started the whole walking tours, Klister knows Walkabout Winona comes with a level of responsibility for himself and future student business leaders. What a position Ive been in, Klister said. Winona Friday 7:49 a.m. Benjamin James Rotering, 30, was cited for trespassing at the Freedom Valu Center on the 200 block of Johnson Street. 8:49 a.m. A man reported a bicycle missing from near the intersection of Franklin and King streets. 8:18 p.m. Colton Michael Liehr, 18, Stillwater, was cited for minor consumption near the intersection of King Street and Harriet Street. 9:37 p.m. Hannah Grace Manche, 18, River Falls, Wis., was cited for minor consumption after being stopped for walking with a beer on the 250 block of Mark Street. 9:55 p.m. Bryce William Whitehall, 20, Harmony, was cited for under 21 drinking and driving after being stopped for having expired registration near Huff Street and Sanborn Street. 10:09 p.m. Hayley Jo Marsolek, 19, Blair, Wis.; Molly Christine Toraason, 19, Whitehall, Wis.,; and Amanda Baures Mohan, 20, Whitehall, Wis., were all cited for a loud party or gathering on the 250 block of East Broadway Street. Saturday 12:35 a.m. A woman reported a window broken in her home on the 500 block of East Mark Street. 1:34 a.m. Trevor Lee Boysen, 19, Chatfield, was cited for public urination and public consumption on the 250 block of West Mark Street. 2:31 a.m. A 16-year-old girl was cited for underage consumption and fleeing officers on foot after she ran when they approached her near King and Wilson streets. 7:44 a.m. A woman reported approximately $50 in damage to a fence overnight on the 250 block of West Broadway. 9:06 a.m. Jose Luis Najera Rodriguez, 45, Winona, was cited for failure to stop at a stop sign at Fourth and Franklin streets after colliding with another vehicle. 2:52 p.m. Jacob Joseph Andre, 20, Winona and Kalia Letitia Nelsen, 20, Center City, were cited for underage consumption after police responded to a complaint of a loud party on the 50 block of West King Street. 4:45 p.m. Jarrod Maynard Kressin, 19, Bloomer, Wis., was cited for fourth-degree criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct after being stopped for spray painting several houses on the 400 block of Center Street. 7:45 p.m. Ross Richard Withington, 20, Coon Valley, Wis., was cited for underage consumption after being stopped for carrying a rental units sign near Broadway and Center streets. 10:03 p.m. Reed Michael Collins, 19, Farmington, was cited for underage possession and consumption of alcohol near King and Center streets. 10:21 p.m. Charges of possession of stolen property along with citations for the possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia were referred against Shawn Michael Fort, 26, Winona, after he was stopped for not having bike lights near Fifth and Market streets and the bike he was riding had been reported stolen. 10:48 p.m. Sandra Lizbet Santos Calvillo, 19, Rochester, was cited for fourth-degree drunken driving after being stopped near Sarnia and Winona streets for improper lane usage and havig a blood alcohol of 0.13 percent. Sunday 9:29 a.m. A woman reported that between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. a window in her car was broken on the 1300 block of West Broadway, and a iPhone and purse removed. Winona County Friday 9:35 a.m. Charges of driving after cancellation-inimical to public safety were referred against Heidi Lynn Delossantos, 35, Rochester, after being stopped for speeding in Stockton. Saturday 3:28 a.m. Charges of third-degree drunken driving and open container were referred against Tristan Chaz Dahl, 21, Rushford, after being stopped for weaving in the roadway and driving overly slow near Hwy. 61 and Huff Street, and having an unsealed bottle of liquor in the car as well as a mug with ice and a mixed drink in it. 2:04 a.m. Charges of fourth-degree drunken driving and underage consumption were referred against Trevor Guy Minnnich, 20, Rochester, after being stopped for not having taillights on near Broadway and Wilson streets. Sunday 3:14 a.m. Charges are pending but havent been referred for a 45-year-old Dakota man was taken to the hospital with injuries to his head and burns after police responded to a call from Xcel Energy concerning a snapped power line which had been hit by a Polaris side by side earlier in the night. The man was found at home and was taken to the hospital. A 37-year-old Dakota man who was a passenger had been taken earlier to the hospital by someone else and was found there by deputies. He reported that he had broken a kneecap and separated his shoulder. 11:45 a.m. Adan Juarez Quechulpa, 20, Altura, was cited for not having a Minnesota drivers license and not having insurance after being approached by police for having his vehicle in the median near Hwy. 61 and Hwy. 248. A passenger was arrested on a warrant. 25 years ago this week (1992) An act of charity by Jefferson Meadows Care Center will make life easier for some European victims of war. On Thursday, the care center donated 90 beds that will be used in hospitals in either Croatia or Bosnia-Herzegovina. The beds were picked up by Milwaukee members of a Catholic relief organization. From Baraboo, the beds will be transported to Virginia and then shipped to Europe. John Hrdi Jr., a native of Croatia and a member of a Croatian church in Milwaukee, paused while loading the beds to comment on the immense need for medical items that exists in the war-torn area. Even hospitals have not been spared from the terrible devastation of the war, Hrdi said. When Jefferson Meadows purchased new beds for its residents, it needed to remove the existing beds, Craig Ubbelohde, director of the center, said. When the center learned through the Catholic Health World publication that an organization was interested in collecting beds for hospitals in the war zone, the center responded. 50 years ago this week (1967) Sauk County Sheriffs officers have received word from the Dane County Sheriffs Office to prepare for possible assistance in riot control in Madison. Complying with the Mutual Aid Pact, signed this summer, officers from surrounding counties assist other counties in crowd or riot control whenever requested by the area in need. Dane County asked for help this morning, thus putting Sauk County Sheriffs officers on alert. If officers are sent to Madison to help in maintaining peace on the University of Wisconsin campus, they will remain there until Dane County officers have the situation under control. Mrs. Lester Wiese of Loganville did just what everyone told her to do; she won a mink stole. Mrs. Wiese was the winner of the 6th annual Dairy Main Dish Bakeoff. She was one of nine county contestants for the two hour demonstration on WKOW-TV. Her prize-winning recipe, Dairyland Chicken Dinner, contained an abundance of dairy products donated by Wisconsin dairies. 75 years ago this week (1942) Word of the death of their son, Corporal Robert J. Adams, 24, was received last night by Mr. and Mrs. George Adams, who reside on the old Devils Lake Road, the first house past Crawford Crossing. A wire received last night states: The Secretary of War desires to express his deep regret that your son, Corp. Robert J. Adams, drowned Oct. 12th in the southwest Pacific area. Letter follows. Robert had been in the service since two years ago in October, leaving here as a member of Company H, Baraboo national guard unit. Baraboo is asked to furnish some men for the token crew of the mighty U.S. battleship Wisconsin, a super dreadnaught which is now being built. Attorney Walter T. Jenks is chairman of the local committeemen which is endeavoring to secure several enlistments for the U.S. Navy before Oct. 27, Navy Day. All other cities in the state are also taking part in this campaign to secure a token crew for the Wisconsin, and a navy recruiting officer will be in Baraboo Friday at the American Legion clubhouse to interview applicants and accept enlistments. If enough men signify their intention of joining this token crew, a suitable program will be held and they will be inducted into the navy in a group. 100 years ago this week (1917) Orriel Philbrick has sold the Ford business that he has conducted for a number of years and has enlisted in the aviation corps. The Gem City garage has been a favorite place for the Ford, and hundreds have been sold under his management. Mr. Philbrick has sold to Raymond Wheeler, who recently moved here from Madison. A few days ago, Mr. Philbrick and Raymond Roser passed the examination at Chicago and expect to be called soon. The examination was very rigid and required several hours. Both young men are very patriotic, Mr. Philbrick sacrificing his business to go. This morning, two strangers stopped at the home of N.C. Crawley west of Baraboo and stated they were selling glasses. Mr. Crawley was under the impression they had no license and notified the authorities in Baraboo. A warrant was issued and Sheriff William Welk hurried away in an automobile. They had evidently come to Baraboo for their dinner, for the officer overtook them west of town going away from the city in a Ford. They returned with him to the office of Justice H.L. Halsted, where they paid a total fine and costs of $29.72. One of them plunked down a bill and both were in such a hurry to get away that they did not stop to receive the change. As they left the office, one of them told those present to buy cigars and then both disappeared down the stairs. Baraboo leaders will vote Tuesday on selling forest land to a neighboring village for $133,000. The Common Council is considering selling the 34-acre school forest or city forest off Sauk County Highway BD to West Baraboo. The council has made selling excess properties a priority, and the village has been setting aside money to buy the forest for use as a park or nature conservancy. The property is located in a part of the village thats short on park land. Also on Tuesdays agenda, the council will discuss its 2018 budget and consider an ordinance governing sexting by minors. The sexting ordinance won approval during the councils previous meeting, but requires a second reading. Although its located in the village, the land was donated to the city in 1950 for use by the local schools as an outdoor laboratory. At that time, the city owned and operated the school system. Split by the highway, the land near Terrytown Road has gone largely unused in recent years. Earlier this year, realtors estimated the forest propertys value at $70,000 to $153,000. Discussions about the city selling the forest to the village have gone on for a generation, and in recent years West Baraboo has budgeted money for the purchase. Selling the forest could help Baraboo afford its share of another trail project, a foot bridge planned for the Riverwalk. The city Parks Commission has granted its blessing to sell the forest, with hopes most of the property would remain green space, and that the money would be used for park projects. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Carmen Rivera wanted to help victims in Puerto Rico. The New Lisbon Marine is from the U.S. territory, and has family and friends on the island who were impacted by the Category 4 storm. The hurricane caused massive flooding and destroyed power grids when it hit the island in September. According to the Puerto Rico government, 80 percent of residents still are without power, and 30 percent do not have running water. I talk to my father every other day or so, and its definitely rough out there, Rivera said. They still have no electricity. Although the island is very small, there are places that are very remote, and due to landslides and things like that, no aid has been able to get to them yet. Rivera said she talked with Jose Vera, owner of Joses Authentic Mexican Restaurant in Baraboo, about her desire to help Puerto Ricans affected by the hurricane. She said Vera connected her with Baraboo nonprofit People Helping People. I was talking to Jose, and I told him that my whole family is out there, and I was feeling like I wasnt able to do much, and I wanted to do something to help, she said. Rivera met with People Helping People founder Bill Harris and talked about ways they could coordinate a local relief effort for those affected by the storm. The organization reached out to area grocery stores, restaurants and other businesses, which donated water, personal health and hygiene items, food and other necessities. We said, Lets pray about it, so we prayed about it and God said, Bill, theres a lot of relief efforts out there, but do something, Harris said. Carmen said the most important thing they needed was water. Though their efforts, Rivera and People Helping People shipped 170 cases of water and other supplies to UTurn Covenant Church in Chicago earlier this month. The group collected the donations and sent the supplies and other resources to Puerto Rico. Rivera said the supplies have made it to the island and are being received by victims of the hurricane. Care packages go a long way at this point, she said. The donations have gone a long way. Harris said he would like to thank Baraboo Walmart, Joses Authentic Mexican Restaurant, Terrytown Plumbing, Action Electric, the Grainery, St. Vincent De Paul and FM Max radio 97.9 for donating time and resources to the relief effort. We want to thank those individuals that stepped up so we could be part of the hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, he said. My University of Wisconsin-Madison graduating class marked its 55th anniversary this year, giving us a front-row seat to just how much times have changed, particularly when the proverbial shoe is on the other foot. Back in the 1950s and 60s, the conservatives of the time the political ancestors of todays Robin Voses, Jesse Kremers and Steve Nasses also were declaring war on the university, its students and faculty. But instead of todays legislative crusades to protect right-wingers when they speak on campus, they were busy trying to keep the left-wingers from speaking at all. One of the most intense battles during those years centered around a planned appearance at the Memorial Union Theater by Gus Hall, the longtime chairman of the Communist Party USA. The announcement of Halls lecture infuriated the Republicans at the Capitol. They demanded UW put a halt to it. Some got busy crafting legislation to penalize such outrageous anti-patriotism. Others issued press releases urging the Board of Regents to put its collective foot down. Leaders of the American Legion insisted that if the speech took place, the UW president (there was no chancellor at the time) be fired. Some students vowed to make sure this commie wouldnt be heard. As the 60s and its civil rights and then Vietnam War issues erupted, the outrage over the choice of campus speakers grew even more intense. Republican state senators demanded the resignation of UW President Fred Harvey Harrington for failing to stop student speakers who they claimed were fomenting anti-war demonstrations. As the New Yorker magazine reported earlier this month, then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan, the hero of our legislative Republicans today, wanted to blackball Stokely Carmichael, the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, from appearing on University of Californias Berkeley campus. Here in Madison, outrage boiled over an invitation to Angela Davis, the fireball anti-war and civil rights crusader. Real students were urged to protest these un-American speakers. The Republicans of those days had no sympathy for the free speech rights of controversial figures like Gus Hall, Stokely Carmichael or Angela Davis and dozens more who held views that didnt, in their minds, deserve to be heard. Yes, how those times change. Todays Wisconsin politicians on the right have suddenly caught free speech fever, especially when it applies to people like Ben Shapiro, the Breitbart alumnus who is famed for his alt-right bigotry, and Milo Yiannopoulos, who delights in goading black students with outrageous comments. Both Shapiro and Yiannopoulos arent above purposely creating the kind of student reaction that excuses conservative legislators to push legislation to protect them. The real objective is to cleverly create a perception that college campuses and their leaders arent open to anything but left-wing speech. Not surprisingly, the Wisconsin Legislature gleefully obliged. Although they havent yet given final passage to a bill to punish students who shout down speakers, they exerted enough pressure so the Scott Walker-dominated Board of Regents has now done it for them. Its a tricky rule that calls for expelling students accused of thwarting speech on three different occasions, in some ways restricting the free speech rights of some so that others may have them. Back in our day, the Board of Regents and the UW president resisted the calls of partisan politicians and the speeches took place, although not always without incident. Regardless, all sides were heard. But dont bet this current group of hardline conservatives will be quick to bellow free speech to protect speakers from the left when they are the ones who get shouted down. In the Donald Trump era, that time might come, and quicker than anyone thinks. HORICON At 4 a.m. Saturday, 77 U.S. military veterans and active-duty personnel headed to the southern edge of the marsh for the eighth annual Horicon Marsh Veterans Hunt. They came from across the country for a weekend of duck hunting, home-cooked meals and brotherhood. The guided hunt is put on by Horicon Marsh Veterans Hunt Inc., a group of community volunteers who wish to say thank you to members of the military by providing them with a free fun-filled event where they can reconnect with one another. Every moment, from well before dawn until after dusk, is packed with activity. Veterans begin gathering Friday evening and get to know one another over dinner and a bonfire. Saturdays itinerary begins with breakfast and a morning duck, goose and pheasant hunt, followed by lunch, an afternoon hunt, dinner, bonfire and raffles of donated items. The weekend concludes Sunday with breakfast and a final morning hunt. Retired Navy veteran Russ Bachman of Oconomowoc has taken part in the hunt since 2011. He said he looks forward to seeing familiar faces and met a lot of new people this year. It was real warm today, so the hunting wasnt that good, but thats not why most people come here, Bachman said on Saturday. If you get any ducks, thats great, but most people, including myself, come for the camaraderie. Following the mornings hunt, retired Marine Corps veteran Bob Chriske of City Point explained what the hunt meant to him while sitting around the campfire. This is my first year here. Its a fantastic hunt for the vets and I am so impressed not only with the guys that put this on, but with the volunteers and the kids, Chriske said. You know those kids are going to grow up to be good people. You can just see it by how theyre wanting to help. I had quit duck hunting about five years ago because it was too hard. I couldnt get around in the mud anymore. When I was invited here, they said I dont have to get out of the boat. The technology they have with these boats now, you can run them right up onto the weeds and theyre perfectly stationary and that makes a big difference for me. We only got one shoveler (duck) this morning, but I enjoyed the marsh so much and it was a beautiful sunrise. If I am able next year, I will be here. Kari Voy, executive director of Horicon Marsh Veterans Hunt Inc., said her husband, Ryan, and Chuck Dodge came up with the idea for the annual hunt over a campfire one Memorial Day weekend. The two friends were thinking of a way to honor veterans and about what they could offer. This was their brainchild; theyre avid hunters, Voy said. They came to me and asked if Id be willing to help and I said, Lets do it. We have five board members and three committee members and none of us are veterans. We just wanted to give back to those who served. This year, there are 53 local guides that come in and donate their time, boats, gas, gear, dogs, ammo and whatever the guys need. Then we have about 50 general volunteers to help with cooking, cleanup, tents and other things. The event, held at the Voys boathouse property along the Rock River, has steadily grown through the years. The first hunt had about 10 veterans and there were 80 registered this year. Planning for the event has become a year-round process for the nonprofit organization, yet all administrative hours are donated. Voy said individuals from Horicon and surrounding communities have responded enthusiastically to requests for items for the hunt. (For breakfast alone they needed 30 pounds of sausages, 40 dozen eggs and 40 pounds of bacon). Businesses graciously contributed food, supplies and raffle items. The local machinists union, IAM Lodge 873, provided its hall as a barracks for the weekend. A welcome addition to the event the past couple years was a Heroes Hunt boat that comes from Louisiana. They have a wheel chair hoist in the boat, which helps make the duck hunt accessible for more veterans. Although the hunting weekend is meant for the veterans, it has affected civilians as well, such as Damon Hesse of Deerfield, who has been a guide since the hunts beginning. Im always impressed by the sacrifices these guys make, he said. The first year, I took out a guy who had a daughter born while he was deployed and he had a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old at home. My kids at that time were about the same age. It really put things in perspective for me: This guy was leaving his family and going to a place where he could get shot. Thats what the vets are willing to give for us. Im grateful I can give back to them in some small way. It is becoming clear that Californias move into legal marijuana is not going to be smooth or easy. One sales pitch made to voters who approved Proposition 64 last November is that legalization of recreational pot would lessen the grip of drug gangs. For years, the concern was about the involvement of Mexican cartels in large marijuana farms in northern California. Now Chinese operations are popping up in illegal grow houses. Several recent raids in Sacramento, Placer, Yolo and Yuba counties resulted in arrests of Chinese citizens, the Sacramento Bees Brad Branan and the McClatchy D.C. bureaus Stuart Leavenworth reported last week. One indictment alleged money sent from a bank in southern China was used to make down payments on houses. This raises all sorts of troubling questions about who is financing and running these grows and whether they will multiply once commercial grows become legal next year. Law enforcement officials say that illicit growers and smugglers are targeting California because they believe they can hide in the shadows of legal operations. Already, illegal indoor grows are a major problem across the state. Last year, federal authorities seized 313,000 indoor plants in California, 75 percent of the national total. There are between 800 and 1,000 illegal grow houses just in Sacramento, so City Hall sent an alert this week that it is cracking down. On Monday, police executed a search warrant at a house in Meadowview, arrested two occupants and seized nearly 500 plants. The city imposed a $239,000 fine. Since Sept. 28, it has been illegal to grow more than six plants in a residence in Sacramento. A search at another house resulted in 1,100 plants being destroyed and $560,000 in fines. The city also has sent out 800 warning letters to property owners. While Sacramento is ahead of many other cities in preparing for commercial pot, there are warning signs as well. A new audit concludes that some of the 30 authorized medical marijuana dispensaries may be underreporting their income. Some refused to turn over financial and membership documents, and one wouldnt let auditors inside. That suggests that while the city collected about $4.5 million in business operation taxes from dispensaries in 2016, it may be losing out on revenue. The auditor calls on the citys revenue division to improve its monitoring and collection and to consider issuing fines when it doesnt get financial documents. That is essential, both to ensure medical pot businesses are paying up and to send a clear signal to commercial operations that they must follow the rules. Directly below the brilliant Bethel White Vermont granite dome of the Wisconsin state Capitol is the states meeting place. The rotunda of the Capitol building is 360 degrees of balconies spanning three floors, with ample space on all sides of the marble railings for groups to gather and say their piece. And they do in droves. Rallies, protests, demonstrations, marches, actions however they are advertised are as much of the architecture of the Capitol as the gilded bronze Wisconsin statue on the buildings highest point and the ancient fossils embedded in its floors. In fact, the Capitol was designed to invite Wisconsin residents to congregate and air grievances or celebrate victories en masse. The building is designed for public assembly, said Matthew Kearney, a UW-Madison Ph.D. candidate who studies Wisconsin protest movements. The architect actually did that deliberately. Within the rotunda, throughout the Capitols floors, out on its lawn and in the streets that surround the building have been demonstrations opposing wars, supporting immigrants in Wisconsin illegally, promoting equal treatment between blacks and whites and even seeking to allow phony butter on Wisconsin dinner tables. Protests against a single issue have topped 100,000 people crammed inside and outside of the Capitol, and have been as small as a single man singing alone in the rotunda over the noon hour holding a sign criticizing the governor. Just about every week, it seems, lawmakers, office workers and Downtown residents are treated to rhythmic chants and the sight of homemade signs bobbing along as protesters march east on State Street toward the glowing white dome. I live on the Capitol square, and practically every weekend theres a group of people who are meeting out here, and they have their loudspeakers which is fine, said state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison. Our country was not only formed on protests, but thrived I dont have any problem with them. I think peaceful protests actually strengthen democracy. Risser, 90, has been making laws in the Capitol for 60 years and has vivid memories of some of the most notable protests tied to the state Capitol, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Chief among them were a series of demonstrations against the Vietnam War, spanning 10 years in the 1960s and 1970s, which marked the beginning of a lifelong political career for Madisons longtime Mayor Paul Soglin, who has overseen the citys government off and on since then. While many of the rallies, sit-ins and marches were concentrated near the UW-Madison campus, the movements often trickled up to the state Capitol about six blocks away. Historian Michael Edmonds in his 2017 book The Wisconsin Capitol noted anti-war protests swelled in 1965 and remained mostly peaceful but occasionally erupted into minor violence. Risser also recalled anti-war protesters camping out on the Capitol lawn until Capitol police officers turned on hoses to flood the grounds. A number of notable protests enveloped the Capitol during the 1960s, including two of the most dramatic. In 1961, an attorney who served in the state Assembly and was president of the state NAACP organized a 13-day sit-in at the Capitol to push for passage of legislation guaranteeing fair housing and civil rights. Eight years later, a Roman Catholic priest and civil rights leader from Milwaukee led a march to Madison to protest cuts to welfare programs. His protest culminated with the taking over of the Capitols Assembly chambers, forcing lawmakers to flee the building. While protecting civil rights remains a chief goal of many protesters, other notable demonstrations have sought to allow the use of oleo (or margarine) in 1931, and annual gatherings on the Capitol lawn beginning in the 1970s celebrated marijuana use and protested its legal ban. But the granddaddy of all Wisconsin protests was the 2011 occupation of the Capitol by those opposed to Republican Gov. Scott Walkers legislation that effectively eliminated collective bargaining for most public employees and dramatically reduced the power of labor unions. For weeks, protesters in the tens of thousands swarmed the Capitol, even sleeping in the rotunda and adjoining hearing rooms. Protests against the law that would become known as Act 10 which hit 100,000 at its peak continue to this day in the form of daily protest songs in the Capitol rotunda. No single theme unites the various protests other than a desire to change the status quo, Kearney said. What tends to galvanize protest in Madison, and probably elsewhere, is when lawmakers do something thats a clear break with past practice with easily understandable consequences that harm someone, Kearney said. The Vietnam War draft was like that. The welfare cuts that prompted the short 1969 Assembly chamber protest was like that. Act 10 effectively ending public unions was like that. The Capitol is an obvious target for demonstrations because of what happens inside. But the surrounding citys political leanings and its large university contribute significantly to the activist atmosphere that surrounds the Capitol, Kearney said. There is a pedigree of activism here Theres a sense that (activism) is something we do here, Kearney said. It helps that the Capitol is very accessible, and its centrally located. In fact, its hard to avoid it it rises above everything else. In Madison, even the right to smoke weed can be cause for public assembly. For 47 years, hundreds have gathered on the state Capitol lawn to protest marijuanas illegal status in Wisconsin and the country. The Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival is held each fall to push for the legalization of marijuana. Many of the protesters have been farmers seeking to add another crop to their rotation. The festivals often focused on various legislative efforts to legalize pot, including medicinal marijuana in later years. The rallies often convened near UW-Madison and finished with marches to the Capitol. The annual gathering represented a reunion of the cannabis community of the Upper Midwest, event organizer Gary Storck told a Wisconsin State Journal reporter in October 2006. Were good members of the community, he said. Were otherwise law-abiding citizens who are taking a safer alternative to alcohol. We shouldnt be punished for that. Over the last three weeks, the University of Wisconsin Systems leaders have adopted new policies to curb disruptive protests, largely mirroring a controversial Republican bill. They have given members of the Board of Regents more power in picking campus leaders. And they have announced a sweeping reorganization of UWs two-year colleges and Extension program, surprising faculty and students who were left out of that planning process. Two higher education experts see a common theme in the actions: An embrace of top-down decision-making and conservative ideas about higher education by the UW Systems administration and its Board of Regents, which is now almost entirely made up of Republican Gov. Scott Walkers appointees. The actions have further strained relationships with UWs faculty and students, many of whom were already distrustful of System leaders after actions in recent years that weakened tenure protections and the role of those groups in campus governance. According to Barmak Nassirian, director of federal relations and policy analysis with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and Noel Radomski, managing director at the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education, the alignment between System leaders and conservative lawmakers could threaten the independence that distinguishes UW from other, more politicized state offices. Theres a pattern here of ideologically driven decision-making, Radomski said. The culture has changed significantly its gone 180 degrees. The independence that the UW System Board of Regents used to have, and the quasi-independence that the System administration used to have, is gone. System President Ray Cross and Regents President John Behling declined interview requests through a UW spokeswoman, who provided a statement from Behling. The actions the Regents have taken during the last few months reflect national trends in higher education and address issues raised throughout the country and our state, Behling said. Just as was the case with board members appointed by governors (Tommy) Thompson and (Jim) Doyle, our job is to balance the politics of the day with what is best for the University System, our students, and our faculty and staff. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, did not see System leaders actions as sea change embracing Republican ideals. A more conservative UW would have sought savings by shutting down some of the 13 two-year UW Colleges, Vos said Cross plan to turn them into branch campuses of four-year universities found a middle ground. I certainly dont view (the Regents) as some kind of conservative bastion pushing a right-wing agenda, Vos said. Faculty, students not consulted on plan Like members of other shared-governance groups which represent students, faculty and staff, and traditionally have crafted policies along with campus administrators UW-Madison English professor Anja Wanner said the UW Colleges and Extension reorganization plan took her by surprise. The proposal calls for UW-Madison to absorb several UW Extension programs. It just rained down on us, said Wanner, who is chairwoman of the University Committee, the executive arm of the Faculty Senate. Asked in an interview last week on WISN about criticism from shared-governance groups about how the policy was drafted, Cross said UW officials consulted with business leaders and other community leaders. But, he acknowledged, We did work on this without bringing a lot of input in. Wanner and Maria Berge, president of the student government at UW-Oshkosh, which would absorb two UW Colleges under Cross merger proposal, said failing to involve their groups weakens policies, because leaders dont take into account the expertise and knowledge of people on campus. Critics have raised several concerns about the proposal since it was announced, including how campuses would manage faculty tenure given the differences in roles between professors at two-year colleges and those at four-year universities. Radomski has criticized UWs aggressive timeline for rolling out such complex changes the Board of Regents is expected to vote on Cross plan next month, and it would go into effect before the next academic year, if approved. Theres a lot of small, minutiae-type things that System presidents and Regents might not know about, Berge said. It would be very valuable to get all of these different perspectives. Asked about the criticism, System spokeswoman Stephanie Marquis said, The first step was making a decision to put forth a proposal for restructuring, and our next step is to move into the planning and design phase. We value the input of our faculty, staff and students and they will have a voice in the process, Marquis said. Colleges plan follows controversial moves Nassirian said criticism of the merger proposal had more to do with the process by which it was created, rather than opposition to the idea itself. And the reaction from faculty and students was amplified, he said, because it came soon after another move to consolidate power under administrators a new policy requiring that Regents hold five of the 10 seats on committees that search for UW chancellors. Faculty will have two seats while students and staff would each have one; the last would be filled by a community member or alumnus. The policy included other changes meant to speed up the process for selecting chancellors and allow for leaders to come from outside academia. It was approved during a board meeting earlier this month at which the Regents also adopted new rules requiring campuses to suspend or possibly expel students who repeatedly take part in disruptive protests. The Regents policy on speech borrowed heavily from a piece of Republican legislation that passed the Assembly on a party-line vote in June, and came as conservative lawmakers across the country sought to restrict protests that they say threaten the open exchange of ideas on college campuses. Nassirian said the changes pursued by UWs Regents and administration are similar to those in other states where Republicans have dominated state government, such as Iowa and North Carolina. He noted a significant reorientation under University of North Carolina system President Margaret Spellings, a former Bush administration education secretary. You see situations where the policy community in the state takes a much dimmer view, I would say, of some of the traditional practices of higher (education), such as shared governance, Nassirian said. But Vos said he didnt see a problem with Cross process for creating the UW Colleges proposal, despite the complaints from shared-governance groups. UW administrators need to be able to take action quicker, according to Vos, and shouldnt have to study something to death in a drawn-out process. I hope this is a model for how things are going to be in the future, Vos said. As new questions are raised over the risk to humans of chronic wasting disease carried by deer, researchers are scraping for data on the health of herds in Wisconsin. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency conducted a study in which it exposed monkeys to meat from CWD-infected animals. The results, released this summer, suggest the disease may be more contagious than previously thought, though what that means for Wisconsin hunters is unclear. Thats the $64,000 question, said University of Wisconsin veterinarian and Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory outreach coordinator Keith Paulsen. Really what it shows us is that we dont know enough about this disease and the argument that This has been around forever and has never been a problem is really short-sighted. And this is new information that it could affect more than just one species and we need to know more. Chronic wasting disease is a spongiform encephalopathy, meaning a disease caused by a prion, a protein that is neither a bacteria or a virus, and can survive exposed to the elements outside of a host animal. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources warns hunters that the disease has been found at a higher rate in southern Wisconsin and should take precautions when taking animals for game meat. Estimated infection rates have been developed based on positive tests in Wisconsin labs, but those numbers are flawed, particularly since 2015 with the widespread use of remote animal registration by phone. Its not a random sample; its convenience, Paulsen said of the system in which hunters are advised to have animals tested if they show strange behavior or if meat is suspicious, skewing samples toward animals appearing to already be sick, coming from areas already known for the presence of CWD. In 2016, the WVDLs total tally of tested animals included about 8,500 white-tail deer from Wisconsin. This is from a population of animals taken estimated upwards of 100,000. Nobody really knows, on the public side, what the prevalence is or what is going to change to make personnel in Wisconsin to say, Yeah, we need to spend more time or money on it, Paulsen said. What we are saying now is that testing is free and we would really like to know more and if you have any questions, here are your resources. If you cant get your deer tested at a sampling site for gun season, here are your options. Awareness increases Larry Clark, president of the Lodi Sausage Company and Meat Marketm saiid venison processing has been increasing over the past few years as people become more educated about CWD and it has become less of a factor in processing the meat. We process whole deer and people bring us a lot of trimming material to make sausage too, Clark said. Although CWD has not stopped the company from dealing in venison, there have been precautions put in place when handling the 600-700 deer it handles each year. We do our deer at the end of the day after we have done all of our other animals and cleanup, Clark said. And during the rifle season, we shut down our beef and pork and just do deer for 10 days. Actually, we at this point are not requiring that people show that they have had them tested, said Ginny Wyttenbach of Wyttenbach Meats in Prairie du Sac. We saw the article in October, so our sausage maker takes all the venison that looks bad or doesnt look clean and throws it away. At this point, its not an issue. We have a meat inspector here six days a week, so thats never been an issue for them. And let me tell you, theyre looking at everything else. With venison, it isnt a for-sale product unless venison is raised on a registered deer farm. No authority We dont have any regulatory authority over the processing of venison, said Raechelle Cline-Belli, spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection. The only authority that we do have is related to making sure that the processing of venison is separated and cleaned prior to processing red meat. When game does come in contact with commercial production, state regulations require that a processor go through a process of a dry cleaning period, a rinse, wash, another rinse and sanitizing. Its a time-consuming process to go through all that cleaning and thats why many meat establishments shut down their red meat processing during deer season, because they dont need to worry about switching back and forth, Cline-Bell said. She said the department does not track the numbers of venison processors. Its primarily because all the venison is processed for the consumption by the hunter and that hunters family and not sold on the open market, Cline-Bell said. The WVDLs Paulsen agreed with an oft-cited response among those who continue to process venison that risk is significantly lowered by the fact that brain, lymph and spinal tissue is typically avoided. To what degree that risk is lowered has yet to be determined, but according to Paulsen, it is not zero. More research, more data and more tested deer are needed, he said, to determine what that risk actually is. Adding yet another layer of complication to this search for clarity is that the prions that cause chronic wasting disease do not simply arrive and kill the animal, but lay dormant before the animal begins to show symptoms. In the case of elk, it can be five years and in white-tailed deer more toward two years. If the prevalence of the disease reaches a certain point, the population wont survive, Paulsen said, briefly taking the personal food safety question out of the equation. A study out of Colorado suggests that with elk, once prevalence reaches 40 or 50 percent, it will wipe the whole herd out and we dont know what that is in white-tailed deer. Fairfield Inn and Suites, Lake Delton, celebrated its opening with a party and tour of the new hotel for local business people Oct. 10. The hotel, part of the Marriott chain, at 511 Wisconsin Dells Parkway, opened to guests Aug. 8. It is next to the Springhill hotel, another Marriott-branded hotel. Both are franchises of Parkway Hotel Group, LLC, and were built after the village purchased the lots as part of its Tax Incremental Finance Group 4 for $700,000. The land was provided to the hotels under a plan to bring more brand-name hotels to the village. The Marriott chain has more than 6,000 properties in 122 countries. The Fairfield by Marriott named brand has nearly 900 locations worldwide and in October is celebrating its founding from its inspiration, the Fairfield Farm, owned by J.W. and Alice Marriott in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. A press release from Marriott said, the farm served as a retreat from the everyday chaos where the Marriott family perfected their art of hosting they hosted friends, business associates, and dignitaries alike (including U.S. presidents Eisenhower and Reagan) and seeded the inspiration for the brands founding in 1987. Like its namesake, the brand was founded to provide a calm and seamless stay for all types of travelers. The hotel is not at all farm-like, but is designed to serve all types of travelers in comfort and with many services. As part of its 30-year anniversary, the chain is featuring a modern design with elements such as a farmhouse table in the lobby for larger groups to connect, photography from Fairfield Farm as artwork in rooms and the lobby, and a history wall highlighting the brands roots. To show off its hotel, members of the Fairfield staff took visitors Oct. 10 on a tour that included stops in the hotels meeting room, available to groups and corporations, a business center with equipment for use by guests in the lobby area, a 24/7 fitness center complete with a small, saltwater pool, and sample rooms available for guests. Rooms have queen or king beds, one or two televisions, closets with irons and ironing boards, refrigerators, coffee pots, microwaves, and some with sofa sleepers. The hotel also has rooms with king-sized beds and bathrooms with a roll-in shower for handicapped guests. Each room also has a pull-out desk and an ottoman with wheels that can be pulled to a chair for someone wanting to put up their feet. After the tour, guests were treated to drinks, hors doeuvres and cheesecake in the area of the lobby that daily provides a free breakfast for guests. Sara Ramlinge, general manager of the Fairfield Inn and the Spring Hill hotels, said the Fairfield has 105 rooms. It employs about 30 people in the summer and will have about 20 employees the rest of the year. The hotel will work with the whole community on providing rooms for conferences when the hotel hosting the conference is sold out, Ramlinge said. It also caters to bus tours, reunions, small groups of business people for meetings and other business travelers. Ramlinge, who grew up in Merrimack, started work in the hotel industry at age 18 at the Grand Geneva resort in Lake Geneva and worked her way up to her management position. It (hotel industry) is one of the few industries where experience goes a long. She also said it is a fast-paced industry and is a good career choice for those who do not want to be bored. Assistant general manager of the Fairfield is Mary Macina. Both Macina and Ramlinge also manage the SpringHill Suites, next door to the Fairfield. It opened in 2016. A few hundred yards from the UW-Madison College of Engineerings core campus is a fresh example of why engineering is more than classrooms and theory: Its a hands-on discipline for turning ideas into prototypes and products that help people. Opened in September, the Grainger Engineering Design Innovation Laboratory is a makerspace open to inventors, designers, builders and old-fashioned tinkerers, primarily within the College of Engineering, but also to students and faculty elsewhere on campus. Occupying 12,000 square feet in Wendt Commons, the space comes equipped with 3-D printers, laser cutters, machine tools, virtual and augmented reality software, microscopes, soldering irons, a paint shop and more tools to put physical form to ideas. The makerspace also represents the changing face of higher education and why Wisconsin has advantages worthy of nurturing through public and private support. The UW-Madison College of Engineering leveraged a gift from the Grainger Foundation to outfit the makerspace, which is already producing innovative devices such as a haptic stethoscope, an electronic page turner and new ways to help visually impaired people find their way around a building. Meanwhile, the college is busting at the seams when it comes to accepting students who want to be there and meeting industry demand for its graduates. There are roughly 4,500 undergraduate students in UW-Madisons engineering sequence today. About 6,600 applied last year, including many qualified applicants from outside Wisconsin who could add to the states talent base. The main barrier to taking more is a lack of faculty to educate more students without diminishing the quality of the experience for all. Private gifts help, but the core funding for faculty hires comes from state government support and student tuition. Neither source has grown much for years. As a result, the college has seen some peer rankings slip, even though none of its core departments biomedical, chemical, civil and environmental, electrical, engineering physics, industrial, materials science and mechanical ranks below 24th nationally. Some are within the top 10. The issue is similar in other colleges and universities, even as those institutions are being asked to produce more graduates to meet the demand for skilled workers in Wisconsin. One of the reasons Foxconn Technology Group settled on Wisconsin as the site for its North American production facility is the quality of its education programs and partnerships, from Gateway Technical College, UW-Milwaukee and Marquette University in southeastern Wisconsin to UW-Madison and Madison Area Technical College in south-central Wisconsin and well beyond. Even with the signed contract pending, members of Foxconns team have been combing the state to establish relationships with schools and other sources of talent. The same search for talent is true with existing Wisconsin companies and others hoping to expand in Wisconsin. With more baby boomers retiring, companies often look to higher education which produces about 75,000 graduates per year in Wisconsin to help them attract and retain workers. At a recent meeting of the Wisconsin Technology Council board of directors, two researchers independently noted the mismatch between the states population growth and the much slower growth in supply of workers. Thats largely driven by the aging of the workforce, although a failure to attract and keep enough younger workers is also a problem. Investing in proven sources of talent will help provide a solution. When the UW-Madison College of Engineering turns away qualified students by the hundreds, the state of Wisconsin is missing a chance to attract and keep some of the best and brightest. Higher education is evolving to become more responsive, but it cant do so by itself. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Rosatom chief sees no impact from sanctions 23 October 2017 Share The economic sanctions the USA and the European Union have imposed on Russia are not impacting the work of the state nuclear corporation Rosatom, its director-general Alexey Likhachov told delegates at the World Festival of Youth and Students in Sochi earlier this week. According to TASS news agency, Likhachov said that "officially, neither Rosatom companies nor its employees are included on any sanctions list, but we feel the restrictions imposed both by Washington and Brussels on our contacts". Likhachev noted that sanctions had damaged the development of nuclear energy in countries that adhere to sanctions, adding however that Rosatom can cope with the sanctions. Speaking about the overall economic impact of sanctions, Likhachev said that, in his opinion, restrictions had harmed world trade. "I believe that sanctions have caused serious harm to world trade, not only Russian, but in general any sanctions taken in circumvention of the UN's official procedures are harmful to trade - they give rise to instability, they give birth to conflicts and do not promote the exchange of goods and services, nor technological development," he said. The value of Rosatom's foreign order book is approaching $300 billion, Likhachev said, adding these include orders for the construction of 34 nuclear power units in 12 countries. By the end of this year Rosatom expects its overseas portfolio to be worth about $137.3 billion over the next 10 years. Likhachev stressed that the construction of nuclear power plants helps overcome energy poverty. "The main activity is concentrated on those regions where the problems of energy poverty are the most urgent," he said. He also said Rosatom not only works on nuclear power plant construction, but also on the development and improvement of the safety of nuclear technologies. As an example, he cited work on fast neutron reactors and thermonuclear fusion both in international projects and in Russia. Nuclear technologies used for water purification and in agriculture are also among Rosatom's activities. It is also working to expand the nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet, he added. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics South Korean president accepts public decision 23 October 2017 Share South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said he will respect the decision of a Citizens' Jury that construction of units 5 and 6 of the Shin Kori nuclear power plant should continue. In a statement yesterday, he said construction of the project will resume soon, but that no more new plants will be built. President Moon made an election pledge to phase out South Korea's use of nuclear energy. Following his election, he said plans for new power reactors will be cancelled and the operating periods of existing units will not be extended beyond their design life. Moon said he would reach a "social consensus" as soon as possible on whether the construction of Shin Kori 5 and 6 will proceed. In July, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) decided to suspend construction work on the two APR1400 units while a government-appointed committee debated the country's nuclear energy policy. Following months of debate, the Citizens' Jury announced on 20 October that it recommended construction of the two units should be resumed. The panel - comprising 471 randomly-selected citizens - voted 59.5% in favour of construction proceeding. In a statement released by the presidential office, the Cheong Wa Dae, Moon said the government will "quickly resume" the construction of the Shin Kori 5 and 6 "in accordance with the outcome of the debate". Media reports suggest President Moon will deliver a construction resumption order at a cabinet meeting tomorrow. He thanked the committee for "making the difficult choices on behalf of the people". Moon said, "I believe democracy becomes perfect when people have the right to discuss, and when they accept the outcome of such discussions. I also ask those who supported my election pledge to halt construction to respect and accept the public debate commission's recommendation." However, he maintained that the government will not allow the construction of other new reactors and aims to suspend the operation of the Wolsong 1. "We will further strengthen nuclear safety standards so that local residents can be rest assured, and we will improve the transparency of nuclear power plant management by addressing nuclear power plant irregularities," Moon said. He noted the use of renewable energy and natural gas will be expanded to reduce the country's dependence on nuclear energy. In addition, the government will also focus on developing and exporting technology for decommissioning nuclear power reactors to offset losses associated with the export of nuclear power technology. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics IAEA missions see progress in Lithuania and Jordan 23 October 2017 Share Lithuania has established and maintains a robust and comprehensive physical security framework, a team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded. A separate team has found that Jordan has significantly strengthened its regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety in recent years. International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) missions are intended to help IAEA member states strengthen their national nuclear security regime through peer review advice and IAEA guidance. A team of international experts assesses a nation's physical protection systems, compares it with international best practices and recommends improvements. IPPAS missions are conducted both on a nationwide and facility-specific basis. The scope of the latest IPPAS mission to Lithuania - between 9 and 20 October - included the legislative and regulatory framework for nuclear security, the physical protection of nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities and activities, including computer security. Lithuania's implementation of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials (CPPNM) was also included in the scope of the mission. The amendment - ratified by Lithuania in 2009 - entered into force last year and provides a strengthened framework for protecting nuclear materials and facilities. An eight-member team, led by Nancy Fragoyannis of the USA's Nuclear Regulatory Commission, visited the Ignalina nuclear power plant, which is being decommissioned. They also visited facilities on the Ignalina site, including the Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility. The team visited facilities that use or store radioactive sources, including the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences hospital in Kaunas. It also met in Vilnius with officials from the State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (Vatesi), the Radiation Protection Centre (RSC), the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of National Defence and the State Security Department. The IAEA team concluded Lithuania has a well established nuclear security regime that incorporates the fundamental principles of the amended CPPNM. The mission team said it had identified good practices that can serve as examples to other IAEA member states to help strengthen their nuclear security activities. The team also made recommendations and suggestions to support Lithuania in enhancing and sustaining nuclear security. Muhammad Khaliq, head of the IAEA's nuclear security of materials and facilities section, noted this was the third time an IPPAS mission had been invited to Lithuania. The country hosted an IPPAS mission in 1999 and a follow-up mission in 2002. "Lithuania's example in applying IAEA nuclear security guidance and using IAEA advisory services clearly demonstrates its strong commitment to nuclear security and its enhancement," Khaliq added. Vatesi head Michail Demcenko said, "The IPPAS team gave us a comprehensive and competent external view of our system to ensure security of our nuclear facilities and activities. The recommendations and suggestions provided by the IPPAS team will help us to further maintain and enhance our regulatory framework in line with the international requirements and best practices." Albinas Mastauskas, director of RSC, said: "The recommendations and suggestions will support us in the continuous improvement of the existing security system for radioactive sources, to ensure that they are securely protected during and at the end of their useful lives. This includes an effective national legislative and regulatory infrastructure, promotion of a security culture with regard to radioactive sources, and adequate education and training of regulators and operators." Regulatory improvement in Jordan An IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) team completed an eight-day mission to Jordan on 22 October. The mission - hosted by the government and the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) - was a follow-up to a mission conducted in 2014. IRRS missions are designed to strengthen the effectiveness of the national radiation safety regulatory infrastructure, while recognising the responsibility of each member state to ensure nuclear and radiation safety. The missions compare regulatory technical and policy issues with IAEA safety standards and, where appropriate, good practices elsewhere. The regulatory review process also draws directly upon the wide-ranging international experience and expertise of the regulatory review team members. The review results in a report that identifies good practices and provides recommendations and suggestions for improvement. The 11-member team said Jordan had effectively addressed the findings of the previous mission and made notable progress in enhancing its regulatory framework. It noted that EMRC had either fully implemented all the recommendations and suggestions from 2014 or made considerable progress towards that goal. Team leader Nikolay Vlahov of the Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency said, "This is a major achievement. The EMRC has shown commitment to continuously improving its regulatory practices." However, he noted, "Maintaining and expanding staff competence and knowledge will be a continuous challenge as the number of radiation facilities is growing, a research reactor is close to start-up and a nuclear power plant is being considered." The IRRS mission team recommended EMRC revises its regulatory framework to include classification of exposure situations and requirements for protecting workers undertaking remedial actions. It also suggested EMRC considers completing its internal arrangements regarding the organisation of the team acting on its premises during an emergency. It also suggested the regulator establishes a minimum duration of training of medical personnel with respect to patient radiation protection, as well as implementing the accreditation of radiation and nuclear safety inspectors. EMRC chairman HE Farouq Al-Hyari said, "Since 2014, the EMRC has made great efforts to meet IAEA safety standards and to improve the national safety infrastructure. These efforts for further enhancement will continue." Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Madisons Overture Center announced Monday that it will cut ties with Tom Wopat, the former TV star for whom Overtures regional Tommy Awards program for youth talent was named, after the Lodi native was charged with indecently grabbing or touching actresses in Massachusetts. Wopat, 66, who achieved fame in the 1980s action/comedy series The Dukes of Hazzard and went on to a Broadway career, faces charges that he groped an adult female cast member and that he was indecent toward a 16-year-old girl while rehearsing for the musical 42nd Street at a theater near Boston, the Boston Globe reported late last month. In the latter charge, Wopat is accused of poking the girl in the stomach, hitting her buttocks with a script and intruding in a female dressing room, the Globe reported. Given the recent news surrounding Mr. Wopat, Overture Center for the Arts has severed all ties with him and will be moving forward with discussions for the high school musical awards programs name, said a statement from Overture Center. However, the program will continue to be known as the Tommy Awards, at least into mid-2018, Overture officials said. Live shows headlined by Wopat scheduled for this fall and winter at the Janesville Performing Arts Center and Stoughton Opera House were recently canceled. Overtures decision is a moral dilemma for me because I am a strong believer in (presumed innocence) and we should be in this day and age, said Tim Sauers, vice president of programming and community engagement, who created the Tommy Awards nine years ago to encourage and honor excellence in high school musical theater. But the allegations against (Wopat) have just been building, Sauers said. Even if he comes off innocent, its tarnished our program. We feel this is an unfortunate decision, Wopats publicist Dan Fortune said. Tom would love to do an interview when these legal issues are settled. Sauers said news of the allegations against Wopat nearly brought him to tears. I love this program and I love the kids, and I love everybody whos involved with this. At the launch of the Tommy Awards, Wopat agreed to let Overture use his name, but he has not participated in or supported the program financially, according to the performing arts center. Advocacy for theater The Tommy Awards program sends skilled reviewers to see high school productions and rate them. The top shows and performers are honored at an annual awards gala in the centers Overture Hall. In the 2016-17 season, the judges viewed 87 productions at 82 Wisconsin schools in 23 counties, according to Overture. More than 400 students performed in the annual Tommy Awards ceremony. The wealth of regional talent discovered through the program led to the creation of the Tommy Ensemble, a performance group of top high school talent. The next Tommy Awards will be on June 10, 2018, and the name will remain until then, Sauers said. Program partners, alumni, schools and others will be consulted as the program is renamed, he said. We want to do this in a very thoughtful, inclusive way, and we see that rolling out after the end of our fiscal year on June 30, he said. With news of the first allegations, Overture removed Wopats signature from electronic media and contacted him by email about the change, Sauers said. UAE celebrates international collaboration 23 October 2017 Share As the UAE progresses steadily with its peaceful nuclear energy programme, the nation continues to work closely with international experts to ensure the highest levels of nuclear quality and safety. This international collaboration has been an essential part of the programme throughout, and is a key feature that all new nuclear energy projects around the world can learn and benefit from, writes Hamad Alkaabi. It fills me with immense pride to now see more than 400 Emiratis who have obtained nuclear energy related qualifications. As the first Emirati nuclear engineer, I gained detailed insights and knowledge from the international community early on in my career and continue to do so today. I believe that global knowledge transfer and sharing of experiences are critical for the ongoing development of our industry. An increasing number of countries see civil nuclear energy programmes playing an essential role in addressing climate change and contributing to their sustainable development goals. Thirty countries already operate nuclear energy plants that provide 11% of the world's electricity without emitting carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. More countries around the world are considering peaceful nuclear energy programmes, with an additional thirty nations assessing or preparing to introduce nuclear energy plants. At the end of this month, we will welcome high-level delegations and international experts at the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century, organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to be held in Abu Dhabi. This is the first time a high-level IAEA conference on nuclear power will be held in the Middle East, which is a testament to the progress the UAE has made in its peaceful nuclear energy programme. It also marks the significant relationship between the IAEA and the UAE and the strong ties that link the two. Cooperation between the IAEA and the UAE is important on a global level, because when the nation started out on its journey to develop a peaceful nuclear energy programme, the UAE was the first to do so in more than 30 years. Today, less than 10 years later, we are in the advanced stages of the nuclear energy programme, providing a recent and successful experience to the global community. In 2016, the UAE nuclear project, under construction by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, contributed 53% of all operational experience content for nuclear projects under construction globally, establishing and demonstrating a strong commitment to transparency and enhancing institutional learning for the global industry. This has only been achieved as a result of us learning from global experts and exchanging best practices. We have been a Member State of the IAEA since 1976. The undertaking of a nuclear energy programme was accompanied by the establishment of a transparent and detailed policy framework followed by the development of comprehensive nuclear infrastructure and dedicated institutions. It is a programme that has been developed according to IAEA guidance and best international practices. The UAE has benefited greatly from the transfer of knowledge and guidance from the IAEA. We have recorded more than 3700 UAE participants in various IAEA activities since 2010, and have welcomed nine major review missions from the IAEA. The IAEA has played a pivotal role in assisting the UAE and other member states in the areas of peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear applications. This international cooperation has facilitated the transfer of nuclear technology and knowledge, and helped us implement international agreements and conventions, obtain assistance and advice from experts, and request peer reviews of UAE activities. Working with international experts is critical for new nuclear programmes in developing technical expertise in the areas of nuclear energy security, safety and other nuclear applications in various fields. We advise and recommend all nations considering developing new nuclear energy projects to learn from our case and to work closely with the global community to ensure the highest levels of nuclear standards are met. The International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century is another major opportunity for us to learn more from other nations, exchange best practices and share insights on a number of key areas. We look forward to welcoming the international nuclear energy community in Abu Dhabi, showcasing our pride and our success in developing the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme and to continue working closely together in the future. Comments? Please send them to editor@world-nuclear-news.org Hamad Alkaabi is UAE Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century will be held in Abu Dhabi between 30 October and 1 November. Related topics The Republic of Ecuador is located in northwest South America and has a geographical coverage of 109,484 miles. The language commonly used is Spanish. Quito is the capital city. It has many natural features among them mountains that are very tall and a haven for hiking. Most of them are still active volcanoes. The tallest mountains in Ecuador include the following: Highest Mountains in Ecuador Chimborazo Chimborazo Mountain is the most notable physical feature found along the equator bulge Southwest of Quito. It is an inactive volcano having lastly erupted approximately 1,400 years ago. During the same period, masses of snow and rocks fell down the mountains shattering like broken glasses. Chimborazo covers a periphery of more than 78 miles while the distance across its breadth is 30 miles. The crater is 820 feet in depth. The mountain has 4 peaks: Veintemilla, Whimper, Politecnica, and Nicolas Martinez. Cotopaxi The second highest mountain in Ecuador, Cotopaxi, was formed through composite volcanic action. Scientists have it that it was formed due to continuous explosions causing lava to flow then harden to form a cone. Records have it that the major eruptions occurred in 1744, 1768, 1877, and 1904, while minor eruptions occurred in 1940 and 2015 leading to temporary closure of the mountain to climbers. The tallest point is 19,393 feet above the sea level, and a diameter of approximately 2,300 feet at the top from North to South. Cayambe Cayambe is the third highest mountain, located 40 miles northeast of Quito. The equator crosses its summit dividing it into north and south hemispheres. The highest peak is called Cambre Maxima. It is 18,996 feet tall with an ultra-prominence summit of 6,806 feet. It has a 8.49 square miles ice cap. Despite being inactive, it is not safe for climbing due to an extended mass of ice from melting snow. The first people to ascend to the peak were Edward Whymper and Jean-Antoine in 1880. Cayambe is the only snowcapped mountain directly on the equator. Antisana Antisana is the fourth tallest mountain in Ecuador, located 31 miles southeast of Quito. It is a stratovolcano with four peaks. The last eruption was in 1802. During formation, it left a mound of lava that is currently being mined for building material. The mountain measures 18,714 feet. Not many people can make it to the top of Antisana due to technical threats posed by active glaciers. On the other hand, one needs to seek permission from the people who own land around the mountain to access it. El Altar El Altar, also called Capac Urcu, is one of the most magnificent views due to a ring of nine summits, the tallest being Obispo. It is located on the western side of Sangay National Park about 105 miles south of Quito. It is covered with snow at the peak and 16,000 feet high. The route towards the lower side is muddy. Proper dressing is necessary due to abrupt weather changes. It is impossible to forecast the weather which is mostly cloudy hence the site receives few tourists. December and February are the best times to attempt to climb the mountain. Did You Know? Ecuador is one of the countries with many snow-capped mountains. Due to the effects of albedo the snow covering on these mountains is slowly melting away. Ecuadorans gets their constant supply of water from the glaciers melting off the mountains. The mountains are also important tourist attractions despite the challenges of climbing some of the mountains like Antisana. Most of the mountains are active volcanoes with a possibility of erupting at any time. There are many stereotypes associated with Africa, including it being nothing but jungle and tribes, or warring nations with genocide, or where the children are always hungry. In reality, Africa is a group of countries that have dealt with years or even centuries of colonial rule, the effects of which some countries do still struggle to overcome. But despite that, it is a bustling hub for trade in the world, being rich in oil, growing fruits and crops for export, and with emerging business centers. Each one of Africas largest countries is unique in its own way, with some being predominantly religious, some, at war, and others just existing peacefully, with hard-working nations everywhere, attempting to make a good standard of living for their children. Algiers, Algeria. Image credit: Oguz Dikbakan/Shutterstock 1. Algeria - 2,381,741 sq. km Algeria is the biggest country in Africa and tenth-largest in the world, covering the land area of 2,381,741 sq. km. This was not always the case, with Sudan having held the rank of largest African country until South Sudan separated in 2011, dividing the nation into two countries. 90% of Algeria is desert, and only 12% of it is inhibited by people. Since Islam is the main religion in Algeria, alcohol is absent from the majority of the stores, and often goes unlisted on the menus even if it is available. Algeria was a French colony from 1830 to 1962, so much of the population speaks French, along with Arabic and Berber. Women hold a lot of power in Algeria, with 60% women judges and 70% women lawyers. The student body is also made up of 60% women, and for the most part, women receive higher incomes than men. This is a very unique case for Islamic nations or in Islam traditionally. Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Image credit: Alexandra Tyukavina/Shutterstock 2. Democratic Republic of the Congo - 2,344,858 sq. km With the equator crossing much of the African continent, the Democratic Republic of the Congo occupies much of this part of Africa. It is Africa's second-largest country by land area at 2,344,858 sq. km, and boasts a tropical climate at and near the 0 latitude. Not to be confused with the Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo is often referred to by the acronym DRC, or by its capital and administrative center name, Kinshasa. Situated on the South-east side of the Congo River and the South Western border with the Republic of Congo, Kinshasa serves as the country's main port. The Republic of the Congo is often referred to plainly as Congo, or Brazzaville, which is its capital sitting on the north-west side of the Congo River. In the late 1400s, this delta in the Congo River with the two port cities at each side was a major hub for trade, where the local inhabitants first came into contact with the Europeans who established control: the Belgians on the south-east bank and the French on the north-west. The history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo dates back to the Leopold II of Belgium who claimed the land as his own in 1885, which was then taken over by the Belgian Government in 1908. On June 30, 1960, the Democratic Republic of the Congo proclaimed its independence. The French-claimed Congo received independence soon after, on August 15. Meroe pyramids, Sudan. Image credit: Martchan/Shutterstock 3. Sudan - 1,861,484 sq. km Although pyramids are often associated with Egypt, Sudan, with over 200 of the ancient structures, is the land with the most pyramids in the world. On July 9, 2011, South Sudan seceded after a vote supported by 98% of the southern Sudanese, which makes South Sudan the youngest country in the world, and leaves Sudan in the third place of African countries ranked by land size, at 1,861,484 sq. km. This was a long-term after-effect of the African civil war, while the dispute over the right to the oil-rich Abyei region still persists today. Sudan lost over 75% of its oil supply as a result of this separation. The first warrant for arrest was issued in 2008 for the former military leader and the last president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir. He was finally placed under arrest after a military coup in 2019 for his crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the genocide in Darfur, and his trial began in July 2020. In Sudan, it is prohibited to consume alcohol ever since the Sudanese president, al-Nimeiry, enforced sharia law throughout the country and poured the entire stock of it into the Nile river, in 1983. Premarital sex and drinking in Sudan are punishable by whipping, theft by amputation, and homosexuality by death, but more commonly the accused are whipped. Tripoli, Libya. Image credit: TheRunoman/Shutterstock 4. Libya - 1,759,540 sq. km Covering the land area of 1,759,540 sq. km, Libya's population is 6,890,535, and one out of every five Libyans is unemployed. This is still an improvement over its 30% unemployment rate in 2004 in this nation that was once an Italian colony. Sharing very different views on power, Libya has been in a long-standing conflict with the US: from bombings to embargos on oil, to attempts at reconciliation, thwarted by the nation's leader until 2011 Muammar al-Qaddafi's criticisms of the Western nation. After a protest against Qaddafi turned into a massive killing in February 2011 by the security forces, warplanes and helicopter gunships, more protests arose throughout the country, igniting the Libya Civil War. With over the 48 billion barrels of oil reserves on its territory, Libyas civil war around oil wealth also contributed to the present-day civil war, involving ISIS and other military groups scattered around the country. Agriculture is a predominant economic sector in Chad. Image credit: mbrand85/Shutterstock 5. Chad - 1,284,000 sq. km Fifth in size on the African continent with the land area of 1,284,000 sq. km, Chad has a very low population density of 20 persons per square mile. Remarkably, it features the lowest unemployment rate out of the countries on this list, at 2%, speaking volumes for its nationals, who work mostly in agriculture, growing cotton in the south, and raising cattle in the central regions. Chad is a former French colony. The French overthrew the dictator Rabih in 1900 and established the colony under their protection, but due to France's involvement in both World Wars, their protection did not do much for progression in Chad. The nation of Chad assisted the French during the Second World War, and France rule over the country was lifted in increments until its independence in 1960. (Scroll down for video) A man from Scotland, who was visiting the United Arab Emirates, was shocked to be charged with public indecency just for touching a mans hips at a bar in Dubai. 27-year-old Jamie Harron of Stirling was also charged with alcohol consumption after admitting to drinking alcohol at the Rock Bottom Bar. Harron was sentenced to serve 30 days in prison for drinking alcohol and making a rude gesture. He was facing up to 3 years in prison for touching another man on the hips at the bar. Harron was released from the Al Barsha prison on bail, but his passport was taken from him. Harron needs to stay in Dubai until the end of his criminal case. Harron admitted to touching the man on the hips but he did not mean it in a sexual way. He claimed that the bar was very crowded when he got himself a drink. In order to avoid spilling the drink while moving through the crowded bar, Harron kept one hand in front of him to warn others. When he reached the accuser, who was identified as a man from Germany, Harron placed his hand on the mans hip to make sure the drink does not spill on him. However, the man called the police and filed a complaint against Harron for touching him in an indecent manner. Harron was relieved to hear that the man eventually dropped the complaint, but prosecutors decided to go ahead with the case without the complainant. Harron was sentenced to 3 months in prison and will be deported. Harron plans to appeal the sentence. Update: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, who is the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, issued a pardon, canceling the conviction and prison sentence. Harrons passport was returned to him and he is free to leave the country. UW-Madison faculty are reviewing a proposal that calls for the Wisconsin School of Business to suspend admissions into its full-time Master of Business Administration program for one year while leaders undertake a long-term review of program offerings, officials said Monday. The head of the schools MBA programs acknowledged in an email to current students last week that officials are considering a plan that could include discontinuing the full-time program. That proposal, which the business school outlined in greater detail Monday, would pause admissions, and involve a timely review of how the WSB graduate portfolio should evolve, according to school officials. During a meeting with the programs current students Monday to discuss the plan, business school Dean Anne P. Massey stressed that a final decision about the future of the full-time MBA program has not been made. Business school faculty are expected to vote on the proposal in November. But Massey argued UW-Madison needs to respond to a changing market, citing national trends that indicate students are moving away from the traditional, two-year MBA model as other options such as online programs and one-year degrees become more popular. To be relevant, to be agile, in order to be significant, weve got to always refresh and renew and review, Massey told the students. It would be irresponsible for me or the faculty or the school more broadly to not have these discussions. The State Journal obtained a recording of Masseys meeting with students in UW-Madisons Grainger Hall after business school officials denied a reporter access to the event, saying it was for students only. Its not clear when the plan would suspend admissions. A spokeswoman said timing will depend on if and when faculty approve the proposal, and whether they make changes to it. The business school is accepting applications now for next falls MBA class. About 200 students are currently enrolled in the full-time program, and they will be able to finish their degrees no matter what happens with the proposal, business school officials have said. The plan also would not affect the schools evening and executive MBA programs. But several students have said they are concerned that a decision to suspend the program or shut it down permanently could tarnish its reputation and reduce the value of their degrees. We all left our jobs to come to this school, and now we are seeing that our whole MBA programs reputation is at stake, first-year student Pradeep Raghuwanshi said after leaving Mondays meeting. Rather than suspend admissions, Raghuwanshi said he would rather see the business school continue its full-time MBA during the long-term review, saying he was concerned that even a temporary move could reduce students interest in the Wisconsin program. Applications for full-time MBA programs nationally have declined in each of the last four years, according to a survey of institutions by the Graduate Management Admission Council, and several major universities have shuttered their programs. The trend is less clear at UW-Madison the number of applications for the full-time program, which enrolls about 100 students per year, averaged 466 from for the fall 2010-14 classes, then spiked to 800 for the 2015 class, and has since declined to 548 for this falls cohort. Massey attributed the jump to a change in how applications were classified. In response to concerns about the programs reputation, officials countered that the value of a Wisconsin School of Business degree is strong because of the institutions curriculum, faculty and professional connections not the format of its programs. And Massey told students that successfully innovating in response to trends in business and higher education adds value to your degree. I do not want to be a player, I want to be a leader, she said. Over 2,700 pledge support to Save Wrexham Music Service petition This article is old - Published: Monday, Oct 23rd, 2017 Over 2,700* people have pledged their support to a petition calling on Wrexham Council to rethink plans to cut its funding to the Wrexham Music Service. The petition was launched last week after a council report revealed that cutting funding to the music service would feature as part of the upcoming Difficult Decisions consultation. Currently Wrexham Council provides a music service to schools which :includes peripatetic instrument tuition (i.e. tutors visiting different schools), facilitating orchestras and youth choirs to a number of pupils. However as this service is not a legal requirement, Wrexham Council are proposing the funding is withdrawn to help meet an estimated budget shortfall of around 13m over the next two years. It is anticipated the cuts to the service could generate savings of approximately 300,000 in 2019/20. The proposal has generated a strong response from the public and local politicians, who have called on Wrexham Council to reconsider the proposals. At the time of writing over 1,500 people have signed a Save Wrexham Music Service petition, which smashed its initial target of 1000 signatures within 24 hours. The petition is now just over 300 short of hitting its new target of 2000. Cutting the school music service funding is one of several proposals to feature in Wrexham Councils Difficult Decisions consultation, which will ask members of the public how they will help save 13 million over the next two years. The consultations often generate anything between a few hundred to just over 1000 responses, so if there is something you disagree with, make sure this year you have your say. Facebook comments and tweets do not count! The proposals will be debated by the Executive Board at 10am on Tuesday 24th October. For those who cant attend the meeting it will be webcast online. It is anticipated that the Difficult Decisions consultation will launch on October 25th after Executive Board approval. Of course we will be signposting to the consultation and encouraging as many people as possible to get involved when its up and running! *Note at the time of writing this article on Sunday evening the petition had over 1,600 supporters. As of Monday at 9:15pm it is just 250 short of 3,000! Following the elections in Germany and Austria, Sundays parliamentary election in the Czech Republic also resulted in a sharp shift to the right. The Action for Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO) of billionaire Andre Babis, who is also referred to as the Czech Trump, secured a landslide victory with close to 30 percent of the vote. In total, nine parties will have representation in the new parliament. Far behind in second place were the conservative Citizen Democrats (ODS) with 11.3 percent of the vote. The Social Democratic Party (CSSD) of current Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, which has dominated Czech politics with the ODS since 1990, was decimated and won just 7.3 percent. The CSSD finished sixth, behind the newly formed Pirate Party (10.8 percent), the right-wing extremist Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) of Czech-Japanese businessman Tomio Okamura (10.6 percent), and the orthodox Stalinist Communist Party (7.8 percent). For the CSSD, which is divided into three factions, this could mean the end of their party. The result expresses the vast gulf between the population and established parties. Like the last election, turnout was just 60 percent. 28 years after the so-called velvet revolution, which laid the basis for the reintroduction of capitalism, the overwhelming majority of the population has lost all confidence in the countrys bourgeois democratic institutions. Almost 60 percent of voters backed populist or protest parties. Western media outlets note that the country is doing better than at any time in its recent past. According to the Suddeutsche Zeitung, unemployment is at around 3 percent the lowest in the entire European Union, growth rates are among the highest, and wages continue to rise ever more strongly. Yet this only underscores how far removed the media and official politics are from social reality. Although the Czech Republic directly borders Germany and Austria, average Czech wages are less than one third of the average in the neighbouring countrieswith prices comparable to the levels in Western Europe. The minimum wage has been 66 crowns (2.44) since January. In the textile industry, which has grown rapidly, wages are sometimes less than the legal monthly minimum of 407. Strikes have broken out in many sectors recently as a result. However, the pent-up social anger finds no progressive outlet. The established parties are generally seen as corrupt due to a series of affairs. Focused above all on enriching themselves, wealthy oligarchs direct them behind the scenes. Many also blame the European Union for the poor social conditions. Just 29 percent of the population think the EU is a good thing. And although the Czech Republic has met all of the requirements, 85 percent oppose the introduction of the euro. Under these conditions, right-wing parties were able to expand their influence with slogans against corruption, the EU, and, in a country where there are hardly any, against refugees. Babis, the election victor, polemicised against the EU and established parties. He claimed not to be a politician and said he would lead the country to success like a private corporation. He promised to cut taxes, chase corrupt politicians out of the country and seal off Europes borders so that not a single refugee would be accepted in the Czech Republic. Yet Babis embodies more than anyone else the kleptocracy that has plundered the country since the reintroduction of capitalism. He is a billionaire and considered to be the Czech Republics second richest man. A member of the Communist Party from 1978, he used his connections after the capitalist restoration to privatise sections of state-owned property into his own hands. Forbes Magazine estimated his total wealth at around $4 billion. He owns a conglomerate of more than 250 firms in 18 countries with 34,000 employees in the chemicals, agricultural and food sectors. In addition, he owns a media empire that he deployed against his opponents in the election. He owns three daily newspapers, Mlada fronta Dnes, Lidove noviny, and Metro, the radio channel Radio Impuls, and weekly newspapers Tema and 5 plus 2. ANO already became the second-largest party four years ago with 18.7 percent of the vote, entering the government as the Social Democrats junior partner. Babis became deputy prime minister and finance minister, and continued to expand his wealth. He was forced to resign in May when he was accused of tax fraud. He has since been charged. It is also suspected that he was a spy for the communist intelligence service, which would prevent him from holding a senior government post. The formation of a new government will be very difficult. It is practically impossible to do so without ANO, but ANO will also find it hard to find coalition partners. A continuation of the previous government with the Social Democrats and right-wing KDU-CSL would be mathematically possible, but this time under ANOs leadership. However, this could prove problematic given the Social Democrats crisis. A coalition between ANO and the conservative ODS would also enjoy a small majority, but is considered politically unlikely. A coalition between ANO and the right-wing extremist SPD is also being discussed. Such an alliance would hold only 100 of the 200 seats, but could be tolerated by the ultranationalist Communist Party. The SPD, led by the former reality TV star Okamura, focused its entire campaign on slogans against refugees, Muslims and the EU. The 45-year-old called for a vote to leave the EU. He compared Islam with the Nazis, claimed it is not a religion, but an evil ideology, and demanded it be banned. He called for zero tolerance towards foreigners, and urged people to stop buying doner kebabs. He walked provocatively in front of mosques with pigs and called for them to be torn down. The Pirates, who received votes above all from younger people, are by contrast not seen as a potential coalition partner. The party campaigned without any real programme, railed against rampant corruption and demanded the legalisation of marijuana. All parties are agreed on the strengthening of the state apparatus at home and abroad. The Czech Republic plans to significantly expand its army. Over the next five to seven years, the number of military personnel will rise from 23,000 to 30,000, and the defence budget will increase to 1.4 percent of GDP, as outgoing Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky announced in July. The army was already increased by 1,300 personnel in 2016. All parties want to meet the demand of the US and NATO that defence spending rise to 2 percent of GDP. The rise of the right is symptomatic of a development across Europe and will intensify the contradictions within the EU. Far-right governments hold power in Poland and Hungary, and the Peoples Party, an openly fascist party, is expanding its influence in Slovakia and increasingly has Prime Minister Robert Fico under its control. Right-wing extremist parties thus have considerable influence in all of the Visegrad states. Austrias incoming chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, who won the election with a xenophobic campaign and is seeking a coalition with the right-wing extremist Freedom Party (FPO), is heading in a similar direction. Babis has already described him as an ally for a strict anti-refugee policy. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has apologized for using the term terrorists to describe three Republican senators who struck a last-second budget deal with Gov. Scott Walker. In a statement Monday, Vos said the remark bucked his own efforts to make the Legislature more civil. I now regret using the word terrorist because it goes against the guidelines Ive set for our chamber and myself, Vos said. But Vos said he remains concerned with the demands of what he called rogue holdouts in the GOP legislative ranks. In a WISN-TV interview that aired Sunday, Vos blasted three hard-line conservative senators Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, and Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville for making what Vos called a backroom deal with Walker last month to enable passage of the 2017-19 budget. I dont want to see the constant, defiant demands of a few derail our progress, Vos said. Hours before Vos statement was released Monday, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, in a rare rebuke from one top Republican to another, said Vos should apologize for his choice of words. Nass and Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin, the influential Koch-funded conservative advocacy group, also called on Vos to apologize. Vos choosing to take this to a level so personal is severely inappropriate, Kapenga said. The latest flap between Republican legislative leaders also could have implications for the remainder of the 2017-18 legislative session. Nass said in a statement that Vos comments likely are a shallow political ploy to thwart conservative legislation from advancing in the fall floor session. Nass spokesman Mike Mikalsen said Nass believes Vos sought to portray the three senators as untrustworthy and difficult to work with in order to lay footings to block Senate legislative priorities. For the remainder of the session, lawmakers are expected to consider proposals from business and conservative groups to change the workers compensation system, loosen mining restrictions and wetland protections and scrap state family and medical leave protections that overlap with federal ones. They also will grapple with bills targeting so-called sanctuary cities, restricting use of fetal tissue in research and allowing concealed firearms to be carried without permits and in school zones. Part of the disagreement, Mikalsen said, also stems from a clash between rank-and-file lawmakers and legislative leaders such as Vos who, according to Mikalsen, want top-down control of the budget process. Its really a fight about how the institution should be run, Mikalsen said. Walker spokesman Tom Evenson had called Vos comments unacceptable. In the WISN interview, Vos blasted the senators who were poised last month to block passage of the 2017-19 state budget until they struck a last-minute deal with Walker last month to ensure its passage for what he described as taking hostages and circumventing the normal budget process. Contents of the deal were not released until after the budget passed the Legislature. As part of it, Walker used his line-item veto authority to strip certain provisions out of the budget. In so doing, the three senators did an end run around the Legislatures budget-writing, 16-member Joint Finance Committee, members of which are appointed by legislative leadership. Vos said in the interview that the budget might not have passed the Legislature had lawmakers known about the deal when they voted on the budget. As part of the deal, Walker used his line-item authority to make a repeal of the states prevailing wage requirement set to take effect immediately, instead of a year later. He also limited the days on which school districts may hold referendum votes; removed funding for the states Transportation Projects Commission, a study of highway tolling and a renovation of the state Capitol basement; and stripped out an expansion of power for the state Public Finance Authority. Senate Democratic Leader Jennifer Shilling of La Crosse, meanwhile, said the flap is a product of President Donald Trump and Walker creating an unhealthy political atmosphere in this state. Normalizing this kind of hyperbole has been extremely damaging to our political dialogue, she said. When former Trump Senior Adviser and current Breitbart News editor Steven Bannon told delegates at the California Republican Party convention that there has not been a more destructive presidency than George [W.] Bushs, he was greeted with loud applause. The very mention of Bush, the partys previous president, and of 30-year Senator John McCain provoked boos from the audience. Bannons attacks on Bush and McCain follow public statements they made against Trump in recent days, although neither used the current presidents name. Speaking in New York on Thursday, Bush took aim at Trump, saying, Weve seen nationalism distorted into nativism and our discourse degraded by casual cruelty. Last Monday, McCain attacked Trumps half-baked, spurious nationalism. Leaving aside the highly hypocritical character of such condemnations from the perpetrators and apologists of the Iraq War and other imperialist slaughters, the fight between Bannon and his allies and the Republican establishment is developing into an internal fight that could destroy or radically alter the 163-year-old capitalist party. Bannon is fanning and exploiting the escalating divisions to carry out his long-term goal of either transforming the Republican Party into an explicitly fascistic party or splitting sufficient politicians and donors from the Republicans to establish a new far-right party of his own. This perspective animates Bannons effort to recruit challengers in the 2018 Republican primaries, which take place in the spring and summer. He recently pledged to wage civil war on Republican leadership, singling out enemies like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, and others. At the California Republican convention, he said he was trying to build a grassroots army to revolt against Republican establishment. He seeks to ensure the primaries take place amid a political climate of reaction, jingoism, and anti-immigrant hysteria. But his current tactic is also aimed at appealing to lower-ranking Republican officials and their financial backers to join him in opposing Republican leadership. Referencing Trumps 2016 victory, Bannon told the California Republican Party that Trumps 2016 campaign was based on a coalition approach: This is why it had to be the Republican establishment, it had to be limited-government conservatives, it had to be libertarians, it had to be populists, it had to be economic nationalists, it had to be evangelical Christians. The aim of this maneuver, offering of the olive branch to sections of the Republican establishment, is two-fold. Bannon hopes to build a political bridge between the far right and the Republican Partys wealthy donors. And he hopes to drive a wedge between the so-called establishment section of the party and its financial and fundamentalist backers. In this way, he can either isolate and purge the pro-McConnell and neo-conservative elements or win sufficient support to justify formally breaking with the Republicans to found a third party. Bannon has been traveling across the country in recent weeks, raising money for Breitbart and for efforts to fund primary challengers to a number of Republican senators. He has boasted on Breitbart that he is winning support from a number of wealthy Republican donors, including Dan Eberhart, John Childs, Susan Gore, Eric Crown, and Sheldon Adelson. On Wednesday, he met with a group of establishment Republican donors in New York to pitch his 2018 midterm strategy against Republican incumbents, according to Breitbart. Bannon says he will back mainstream Republican candidates in states without Republican incumbents, but that he will challenge six of the seven sitting Senate Republicans who are up for reelection in 2018. The coalition Bannon is constructing will be based on mercenaries, war criminals, speculators, evangelical preachers, and out-and-out fascists. He is urging Erik Princeformer Blackwater CEO and brother of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVosto run against Senator John Barrasso in Wyoming. He is also supporting challengers in Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Nebraska, and Mississippi, where some of the candidates Bannon supports have closer ties to the Republican establishment. In Alabama, Bannon backed the evangelical zealot Roy Moore, who defeated the establishment candidate Lester Strange in Septembers Republican primary run-off. Bannon also met with former-Republican Congressman and current Breitbart correspondent Tom Tancredo last month and the two discussed Tancredo running for governor of Colorado in 2018. Tancredo is ferociously anti-immigrant and has called for the establishment of brownshirt-style neighborhood militias to fight immigration and Islamism. In other words, Bannons coalition would weave together the most reactionary threads of American politics, drawing veterans of the criminal wars in the Middle East, the Southern evangelical churches, and the anti-immigrant militia. The Republican leadership has thus far attempted to downplay the threats from Bannon-backed primary challengers, calling the schism an interparty skirmish that will harm the Republicans chances in 2018. Bannons strategy is drawing increasing attention in the bourgeois press. On Saturday, the Washington Post wrote, Friends say Bannon is invigorated with a singular focus. He is trying to build the equivalent of his own political party, one that aims to explode the Republican establishment and what he and his allies dismiss as the McConnell industrial complex, all while shrouding it in the cloak of advancing Trumps agenda. The journalist Joshua Green notes in his book Devils Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency that Bannon told him, Five, 10 years from now the Republican Party will be a different party. Youre going to have a workers party. Bannon, like Hitler, adopts the term workers party to provide a populist veneer for his fascist agenda. The growing influence of fascistic elements within the American political establishment is not the product of the maneuverings of one individual, and a lackluster one at that. Bannon is a former naval officer and Wall Street executive whose intellectual activity consists of reading pulp military hagiographies and the ramblings of 20th century fascist mystics. The fact that he has tapped into the financial resources of a growing faction of the American oligarchy and threatens to take over one of its two major parties is an expression of the rot of the capitalist system. At the beginning of this year, on January 3, a statement published on the WSWS noted: A specter is haunting world capitalism: the specter of the Russian revolution. Confirmation of that assessment came in the Australian Senate on October 18, when Senator Cory Bernardi, head of the Australian Conservatives since he split from the governing Liberal Party earlier in the year, and one of the most extreme right-wingers in the parliament, rose to his feet to move a resolution rejecting any celebration of the Russian Revolution. It read: That the Senate (a) takes note of an event scheduled to occur on 26 October 2017 at the Australian National University entitled Celebrating the 1917 Russian Revolution, organised by Socialist Alternative; (b) observes that this year marks 100 years since that revolution, which led to a litany of human rights abuses and approximately 10 million deaths; (c) notes that the 1917 revolution promoted Leninist and Marxist teaching to a broader world; and (d) rejects any assertion that the teachings of Lenin or Marx should be celebrated in a liberal democracy. The motion was not debated; it was immediately put to the vote. It was carried 28-26, with a number of absent senators failing to take part. Government members supported it, together with Nick Xenophon, a right-wing nationalist senator on the cross benches. Labor and the Greens, clearly keen to disassociate themselves from Bernardi, voted in opposition. As a man steeped in some of the most reactionary dogmas of so-called religious teachings, perhaps Bernardi thought that an incantation in the Senate might help exorcise the spectre of the world-shattering events of 100 years ago: in vain. Material forces, far more powerful than the doctrines of Bernardi and his ilk, are motivating the disgust and hatred felt by millions towards the political establishment and the growing interest in socialism, history and revolution, especially among young people. Bernardi is not unaware of this. Last year he spent three months in the United States, during the US presidential election campaign, where he was clearly invigorated by Trumps victory. However, speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald upon his return last December, Bernardi made special mention of the support received by the self-proclaimed socialist Bernie Sanders. He recounted that he had been shown polling indicating that 50 percent of young Americans believe socialism or communism is a preferable system to capitalism. Recognition that such beliefs can rapidly transform into a powerful socialist movement is what preoccupies Senator Bernardi. That is why he feels the need to elevate the Big Lie about the Russian Revolution to the level of a motion in the Australian parliament. This is the conception that the revolution inexorably passed from the conquest of political power by the working class to the gulags of Stalinism. And it is not only promulgated by frothing right-wingers, such as Bernardi himself, but has become the dominant theme of liberal and left historians as well. Without the slightest concern for historical truth, these historical falsifiers simply pass over the actual nature of the revolutionthe greatest mass movement of the working class and oppressed masses in historyand the subsequent intransigent struggle waged by genuine Marxists, under the leadership of Leon Trotsky, against its Stalinist degeneration. A rather different attitude prevailed in 1967, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the revolution. Then, it was widely acknowledged, at least beyond virulent anti-communist circles, that, whatever ones attitude towards it, the revolution was an important chapter in world history, with significant and continuing contemporary relevance. Today, the positions espoused by Bernardi have become all-pervasive, above all, among left academic and political circles. What is to account for this shift? Its source is the growing fear of a rebellion from below, produced by the putrefaction and decay of so-called liberal democracy, and the emergence, once again, of the objective material conditions that gave rise to October 1917 in Russia. A quarter-century ago, the Stalinist apparatus, which had usurped political power from the working class and betrayed the revolution, carried out its last great service to world imperialism when it liquidated the Soviet Union and restored capitalism. This was greeted with a wave of triumphalism and celebration throughout the bourgeois world, summed up in the claim by the American academic Francis Fukuyama that the dissolution of the USSR represented the end of history. By this, Fukuyama did not mean that historical events would no longer occur, or that no further conflicts would arise. Rather, he meant that history had demonstrated that no existential or inherent challenge any longer existed to capitalism, the free market and liberal democracy. The so-called Marxist meta-narrative, which saw the Russian revolution as arising out of the contradictions of the capitalist system, signifying the beginning of the transition to socialism on a global scale, was declared dead and buried. Now, freed from its nemesis, capitalism would lead mankind to a new era of peace, democracy and social progress. A quarter-century on, what has been the result? Continuous bloody wars, initiated by the United States, the so-called leader of the free world, as it seeks to maintain its global dominance. These conflagrations threaten to culminate in another world war, which could be triggered in any one of a number of flashpoints, including the Middle East, North Korea, Russia or China. The possible nuclear consequences would see the destruction of human civilisation itself. At the same time, the operations of the free market have set off a chain of economic and financial disasters, each one more serious than the last. The world capitalist economy, dominated by giant finance houses and corporations, and presided over by an ultra-rich oligarchy, functions as a giant vacuum cleaner, sucking up all available resources for the exclusive benefit of huge corporations and billionaire oligarchs. Social inequality has reached historically unprecedented proportions. Eight billionaires now own more wealth than half of the worlds seven billion people. Such deepening social and class polarisation is incompatible with democratic rights. That is why, in every country, the political landscape is dominated by the emergence of ever more authoritarian forms of rulethe arming of the forces of the state with new and sweeping draconian powers, the increased militarisation of society, and ever more pervasive censorship. In short, all the conditions that led to the revolution of 1917, and drove the working class to take political power, have returned with a vengeance on a global scale. Herein lies the reason for Senator Bernardis denunciation of the Russian revolution. It represents an attempt to bury the only genuine and historically viable perspectiveworld socialist revolution, initiated in 1917under lies and falsifications. But there is an obvious contradiction in Bernardis motion. If liberal democracy were in such a strong position, instead of disintegrating, why would he feel compelled to take to the floor of parliament to try to defend it? Moreover, within his motion lies an implicit recognition that words alone may not prove sufficient. His rejection of any assertion that the teachings of Lenin or Marx should be celebrated in a liberal democracy contains the veiled threat that they should not be tolerated either, and should, therefore, be expunged, censored and criminalised. The senator has not arrived at that position yet, but it is the next logical step. In the meantime, he carefully seeks to deflect attention away from the only tendency on the planet that bases itself on the political and theoretical foundations of the Russian Revolution, seeking to advance the struggle for world socialism in the international working class: the International Committee of the Fourth International. Throughout 2017, the ICFI and its Australian section, the Socialist Equality Party, have placed the celebration and commemoration of the October revolution at the very centre of our political work, with lectures, articles and analyses produced on a daily basis. Bernardi, however, chose to hang his motion on an event called by Socialist Alternative, a component of the pseudo-left milieu that works to tie workers and young people to the pro-capitalist Labor and trade union apparatuses. The ICFI and the World Socialist Web Site, the only representatives of genuine Marxism, are the great unmentionables in Australian and world politics, for fear that the scientific socialist perspective we advance is becoming increasingly attractive. The WSWS concluded its statement on the Russian revolution last January by explaining that in confronting the great problems of this epoch it is necessary to study that historical event and assimilate its lessons and that the most appropriate way to celebrate the centenary was to join and build the ICFI as the world party of socialist revolution. This is the only way to transform the specter haunting the ruling classes, and their parliamentary representatives, into a material force, capable of overthrowing the old order and completing the task, on a world scale, that was begun, in Russia, one hundred years ago. Thousands of people are without homes in Northern California in the wake of deadly fires that ravaged more than 330 square miles. The fires have killed 42 people and destroyed more than 8,000 buildings, mainly homes. Preliminary estimates of the damage exceed $1 billion. The battle to contain the deadly wildfires made progress over the weekend. Rainfall on Thursday was a boon to the more than 8,000 firefighters who have been working extended shifts since the fires broke out two weeks ago. On Sunday, Cal Fire reported that the Nuns and Tubbs fires, closest to the city of Santa Rosa, in Sonoma County, were 89 and 94 percent contained, respectively. California has fires every year, but they are usually confined to the more rural areas. This time, fire invaded the heart of cities, sometimes fanned by winds up to 50 miles per hour. Whole neighborhoods went up in minutes. In Santa Rosa, 50 miles north of San Francisco, dozens of city blocks in the central northern part of the city were burnt, including most homes in the Coffey Park and Fountain Grove neighborhoods. At the height of the fires, 100,000 residents were evacuated. They have spent each night in makeshift accommodationlocal hotels, the homes of friends, sheltersunable to go to work and not knowing whether they have homes to return to. Many of them have lost everything. Residents in Sonoma County were forced to flee their homes in the very path of the flames in the early hours of October 9, when officials decided not to activate the cell phone warning system. People awakened by smoke and heat rushed to warn neighbors by hammering on doors and honking car horns. One family fleeing by car was overtaken by flames and severely burned, one fatally. Anyone with mobility issues faced almost insuperable odds. Many of the victims were elderly. A WSWS reporting team went to Santa Rosa on Friday and found people lined up to get into the crowded local assistance center of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Forms were brought out for them to fill out as they waited to be admitted to the building. The team brought a copy of the WSWS article, Why werent residents warned about the Northern California fires? The leaflet was warmly received. The near total lack of warning was a burning topic of discussion and a good deal of anger among those who had been impacted by the fire. Scott told the WSWS that there had been a community meeting the night before that got quite heated. Several of the residents complained that they had received no warning of the fire and had barely gotten out with their lives. They grabbed a few key documents and left their homes within minutes. Kimberly, who lined up at the FEMA center with her mother, Kelly, was also angry about the lack of warning to residents when the fire broke out. They can send amber alerts. Its shameful they didnt warn us. Its just BS when they say they couldnt send alerts. We were in Coffey Park. A cop came down the block with no siren on. They needed to warn people. Not only did the authorities fail to notify the population of the imminent danger; in some cases they provided misinformation to the residents. Another resident, Andrea said, As I saw the fire approaching, I called 911, and they said that my area was ok. I went online, and it wasnt. They should have told us that if youre within a mile: get out. We scrambled to get out, but it was absolute chaos. You dont know what to take. Joey said, My familys house burned down near Fountain Grove. Their lives were saved when he was awakened by residents urgently honking their car horns. Joey looked out the window to see the sky was glowing red and everyone was leaving the area. I had to wake up my parents. We only had a few minutes to get out. Fleeing residents noticed the density of the tinder-dry undergrowth, the result of years of cuts in fire prevention budgets. Kimberly said, There was so much brush around; they should have been clearing it. Scott, a contractor, added, The shocking thing was to see all the brush laying all around, just fuel for the fires. You have to clear the danger and prepare in advance. Proper building codes would have saved many homes. That was not done. Preparations for the future urgently need to be taken, he said. The situation is not a question of if there is another a fire, but when this will happen again. Those lined up outside FEMA spoke of how their lives were devastated by the fire. They had none of their possessions but needed to return to work. Kimberly said, Three of us have been staying at my brothers place. Ive been off work two weeks. I had to buy new work clothes and boots. Many lost everything they possessed in the fire. Insurance companies, they informed the WSWS, wanted them to write down a complete list of their destroyed property. Kimberly said, The insurance companies are insane, wanting you to write down everything youve lost. How do you begin to figure that out? Andrea asked, Weve lost everything. We didnt have any rental insurance and everything burned to the ground. So much that we lost cannot be replaced. Family photo albums, all of our memories and keepsakes. On Friday people were allowed to start returning to their neighborhoods to view the devastation. They face a daunting prospect. The California Department of Public Health has warned that toxic chemicals will be present in the ash. People should wear tight-fitting N95 or P100 respirator masks, sturdy gloves, long-sleeved shirts and long pants when cleaning up ash, and persons who get ash on their skin should wash it off immediately, as the wet ash can cause chemical burns. Anyone who has lost a home now confronts the difficulty of finding another one in a region that has suffered a severe housing crisis for decades. According to KTLA, a California television station, Santa Rosa was one of the last vestiges of affordable housing compared with the rest of the Bay Area. Figures from the National Association of Realtors indicate that in 2017 a typical home in Santa Rosa was valued around $600,000, compared with San Franciscos $1.2 million and Marin Countys $1 million. Before the fires, Santa Rosa had a severe lack of housing, with a vacancy rate of only 3 percent. Rick Laws, senior vice president in Santa Rosa for Pacific Union International real estate agency, told KTLA that about 5 percent of the housing stock of Santa Rosa has been destroyed by the fires. Thats huge, he said. The annual meeting of the Democratic National Committee, held in Las Vegas October 18-21, showed that party operatives are preparing for the 2018 election year with a distinct shift to the right in personnel, policy and candidates. DNC Chairman Tom Perez, installed by the Clinton wing of the party establishment in a narrow victory over Representative Keith Ellison, a Sanders supporter, nominated a slate of candidates for top party committees that excluded several longtime activists who backed Sanders against Clinton in the campaign for the 2016 presidential nomination. Among those removed from the executive committee were James Zogby, the highest-ranking Arab-American on the DNC; New Hampshire state party chairman Ray Buckley; longtime DNC Secretary Alice Germond, and Barbra Casbar Siperstein, the first transgendered member of the DNC. All either supported Sanders against Clinton, or Ellison against Perez, or both. Initial press reports highlighted the protests by the former Sanders supporters, portraying the shake-up in the DNC committees, particularly the executive committee and the rules committee, as a purge of dissenters, although the actual policy differences involved are minimal. Buckley told NBC News, I understand the chair can do as he pleases, but still, its all just very disappointing. Zogby tweeted, this doesnt bring the party together. It deepens the divide at a time we need all hands on deck for 18 & 20. There was also criticism of Perez for including former chair Donna Brazile on his slate of 75 at-large members for the DNC, given her role in 2016 when she gave Clinton a preview of questions before candidate events held on CNN. Her role was made public when WikiLeaks published Braziles contemporaneous emails. Another Perez selection was Manny Ortiz, a lobbyist for the huge Wall Street bank Citigroup. The rules committee is particularly sensitive, since it will be charged with implementing the recommendations of a special Unity Reform Commission created by Clinton and Sanders as part of his agreement to endorse the Wall Street favorite after she corralled the majority of Democratic convention delegates. The commission is drawing up recommendations on changes in state rules for delegate selection, including the role of so-called super-delegates, elected officials and DNC members who are given votes at the convention in addition to those delegates elected in primaries and caucuses. Virtually all super-delegates, the personification of the party establishment, backed Clinton. While the Unity Reform Commission was balanced between Clinton and Sanders supporters, the rules committee that will receive its report and take action is stacked 5-0 in favor of former Clinton supporters, following the removal of Buckley. Perez denied that there was any effort to remove former Sanders supporters or punish them. A spokesman used identity politics to justify the changes in composition, claiming that the Perez slate of committee members and at-large nominees reflects the unprecedented diversity of our partys coalition by increasing the number of Native American, gay and Puerto Rican members, as well as trade union officials. Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party and a Sanders supporter, criticized the diversity claims, telling Huffington Post, Its not only misdirection, but its also divisive. She added, It continues to paint the Bernie people as not caring about our native and Latino and black brothers and sisters, which is complete nonsense. At one point on Friday, Karen Carter Peterson, DNC vice chair of civic engagement and voter participation, accused Sanders and Ellison supporters of seeking to remove black women from party leadership, citing, among others, Donna Brazile. In another demonstration of the right-wing character of the party leadership, Perez named as a deputy finance chair of the DNC Dan Halpern, a former chairman of the Georgia Restaurant Association and past board member of the National Restaurant Association. Both these organizations are strident opponents of any increase in the minimum wage, let alone the $15-an-hour minimum to which the Democratic Party is nominally pledged. Another effort to attack the Sanders camp was turned back Friday when the DNC rejected by voice vote a resolution urging Sanders to register or affiliate with the Democratic Party rather than continuing to hold his Vermont Senate seat as an independent. Zogby called this an effort that puts salt in a wound that we need to be closing right now. In a cosmetic effort to cover up the corporate domination of the party, the DNC adopted language rejecting contributions from corporate donors that conflict with our DNC platform. This had been rejected by the platform committee but was then approved by the full DNC. While described as anti-corporate, the measures real significance can be judged by its chief sponsorChristine Pelosi, the daughter of longtime Representative and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and her multimillionaire real estate investor husband Paul Pelosi. Ms. Pelosi was ludicrously described in press accounts as a San Francisco activist, with no mention of her family connection. In his closing address to the DNC meeting on Saturday, Perez sought to cover up the right-wing shift in the party with a blast of anti-Trump demagogy. He denounced Trump as an existential threat to the nation. We have the most dangerous president in American history and one of the most reactionary Congresses in American history, he told his audience. From the standpoint of the Democratic Party, however, the danger posed by Trump is not the danger of a nuclear war on the Korean peninsula or the attack on democratic rights and social benefits at home, but rather the completely unsupported claims that Trump was elected because of Russian intervention in the 2016 elections, and thus embodies a Russian takeover of the White House. The anti-Russia campaign is the main focus of congressional Democrats, who are otherwise seeking to engage the White House in collaboration on questions such as immigration, tax and budget policy, and infrastructure, while joining with the Republicans in bipartisan support for military operations in Korea, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe. The anti-Russia campaign is given a particularly sinister character by the recruitment of a half dozen former CIA and military intelligence officers to run as Democratic candidates in critical marginal seats in the House of Representatives. As the Washington Post put it, in a report published on the newspapers website October 18, The spooks have come in from the cold, and theyre running for Congress. Three former CIA officers are seeking the Democratic congressional nomination in key districts, including: Abigail Spanberger in Richmond, Virginia; Elissa Slotkin in Brighton, Michigan; and Jeff Beals in a Hudson Valley district in New York state, where one of his opponents for the Democratic nomination is former Army intelligence officer Patrick Ryan. Gina Ortiz Jones, a former Air Force intelligence officer, is running in a Texas district where the incumbent Republican, Will Hurd, is a former CIA agent. Still another intelligence operative, Jay Hulings, a staff member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is also seeking the nomination to challenge Hurd. Spanberger cited Trumps derision of the CIAs finding of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 elections, telling the Post, It is wholly unfortunate that the presidentat least through his actions and wordsisnt appreciating what they [the CIA] do. In August, the World Socialist Web Site launched an online petition against Googles blacklisting of left-wing, progressive and anti-war websites and platforms, including the WSWS. More than 5,000 people from all over the world have now signed the petition, and support for the WSWS campaign in defense of free speech continues to grow. In April, Googles vice president of engineering, Ben Gomes, announced that Google had changed its search engine algorithm to promote more authoritative content and weed out so-called fake news. This was in the midst of the neo-McCarthyite campaign against Russia, accused without any factual verification of meddling in the 2016 US election campaign and spreading social and political unrest by means of false information. This campaign, backed by the US intelligence agencies and spearheaded by the Democratic Party and allied news outlets such as the New York Times, has increasingly been directed toward cracking down on social media such as Google, Facebook and Twitter, as part of an attack on free speech. Googles actions resulted in precipitous declines in search traffic for leading left-wing websites, especially the World Socialist Web Site. Thirteen sites that regularly publish left-wing or anti-war content have seen their search traffic from Google decline by an average of 55 percent, with the World Socialist Web Site experiencing a 74 percent decline. News platforms such as Salon and RT, and even the New York Times, have in recent days quoted members of the WSWS editorial board and cited information published by the WSWS documenting the drastic decline in referrals since Google implemented its censorship program. In an October 18 article, RT wrote that critical news sources are now at risk of being censored by internet companies working in league with nefarious US government intelligence. The same day, Salon published an article headlined Fake news or free speech: Is Google cracking down on left media? The article quoted WSWS writer Andre Damon as saying, The universality of it makes it clear that this is deliberate. Our view is that there should be a free and open exchange of ideas. Democratic Senators Mark Warner and Amy Klobuchar introduced a bill last Thursday requiring online platforms to make reasonable efforts to ensure that foreign individuals and entities are not purchasing political advertisements in order to influence the American electorate. This, combined with Googles blacklisting, represents a clear attempt by the ruling class to attack freedom of information on the Internet. Google has still not responded to the allegations brought forth by the WSWS, including in an August 25 open letter addressed to top company executives and written by David North, the chairperson of the WSWS International Editorial Board. Escalating its attack on left media, Google has also begun to remove websites and particular journalists from Google News. As reported by the WSWS last Friday, a search for World Socialist Web Site on news.google.com did not return a single recently published article. Chris Hedges, whom David North recently interviewed on Googles censorship, told the WSWS that his articles have ceased to appear as well. Since then, Google News has added a small selection of articles from the WSWS and Chris Hedges, possibly in response to the World Socialist Web Sites expose, but the vast majority remain excluded. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) have been engaged in a campaign against Internet censorship since August. The broad and passionate response from workers, students and youth in the United States and internationally is indicative of widespread opposition to censorship and attacks on democratic rights. Michael A. from Sydney, Australia stated, The breakdown of capitalism is seeing the world spiral closer towards WW3 between nuclear armed powers. The working class is facing attacks on democratic rights. The attacks on the WSWS and other left-wing sites by Google underscores the savage attempts to suppress any antiwar opposition and stop the working class not only realising the imminent danger but that there is also an alternative. Jesse B. wrote that wsws.org is a reputable and accurate source for both news and historical analysis. That Google is restricting its traffic on the claim that is a fake news site is slanderous as well as criminal. Marcus D. said, The billionaires who own Google are terrified of workers learning what genuine socialism is. This monopoly collects the most detailed information about its users lives and shares it with the intelligence agencies, while simultaneously asserting that they have the right to decide what people can and cant read. Googles censorship must stop! John T. from the United Kingdom stated, I regard the WSWS as the most reliable source of intelligent news and analysis. The increasing dangers of imperialist war and financial collapse means that the international working class is in desperate need of such a resource as the WSWS represents. We should do all we can to ensure its continued availability. Jeremy E. from Michigan wrote, While I do not agree with all of the points of the World Socialist Web Site, I am against Google (who holds a majority share of control over how people access information on the Internet) deliberately censoring a lawful website. WSWS journalist Andre Damon said, The widespread support for the WSWS campaign to oppose Googles censorship of left-wing sites makes clear the overwhelming opposition throughout the world to Internet censorship. We will continue to press forward with this fight. The WSWS urges all readers and supporters of democratic rights to sign the petition demanding an end to Google censorship and to share it on social media. The author also recommends: Google escalates blacklisting of left-wing web sites and journalists [20 October 2017] The US Department of Justice (DoJ) is attempting to block a 17-year-old undocumented immigrant from receiving an abortion. The case combines two of the Trump administrations major anti-democratic campaignsattacks on immigrant rights and on the right to an abortionand presages further attacks on the democratic rights of the population. The immigrant teenager, an unaccompanied minor from an unspecified Central American country, is, due to her age, known as Jane Doe in court documents. As an unaccompanied minor, Doe is overseen by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Doe reportedly fled abusive parents and in September arrived in Texas, which has restrictive abortion laws. Under Texas law, she can get an abortion only with parental permission or a judicial waiver. However, in spite of obtaining a judicial waiver, she has been blocked from receiving an abortion. Because Texas abortion law only allows for abortion in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, and Doe is approximately 15 weeks pregnant, time is of the essence in this case. Because of this, her case is quickly progressing through the courts and various levels of appeal. The cause of Does pregnancy has not been made public, but immigrants are often subject to sexual assault and rape in both their home countries and on their journeys to the United States, during which they are often at the mercy of human traffickers. After President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January, he appointed Scott Lloyd to head the ORR. Lloyd, a Virginia-based attorney, is a longtime opponent of abortion rights. He hopes to defeat Roe [v. Wade], which established womens rights to an abortion. He has called the Roe v. Wade decision a moral failure and faulty jurisprudence, and closed an article written on the 40th anniversary of the landmark decision with, Let us continue to pray that one day soon our current justices follow (the lead of the Roe v. Wade dissenters). According to Slate, In March, ORR announced that federally funded shelters could not take any action that facilitates abortion for unaccompanied minors, including scheduling appointments, transportation, or other arrangement, without direction and approval from Scott Lloyd, the agencys director. Lloyd has denied Does request. In another instance, he attempted to dissuade an immigrant seeking an abortion by calling her. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is representing Doe in this case, notes that the shelter does not have to take any positive action to allow her to receive an abortionall the arrangements have been taken care of privately. Nevertheless, the ORR shelter is refusing to let her leave to have the abortion, effectively holding her hostage under the anti-immigrant, anti-choice regime established by Trump and Lloyd. The Justice Departments arguments against Does right to an abortion have an extreme right-wing character. Slate calls this case Trumps Dred Scott in an article noting the similarities between the governments arguments in 2017 and the notorious 1857 Dred Scott decision, in which the Supreme Court found that black people were not persons and therefore had no constitutional rights. In an echo of Dred Scott, during an earlier hearing before US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, DoJ lawyer Scott Stewart declined to make the concession that Doe, as an undocumented immigrant, has any constitutional rights whatsoever. The argument that undocumented immigrants and other non-US citizens are not protected by the Constitution is so flagrant that it has been emphatically rejected before. In a 6-3 opinion issued by the Sixth US Circuit Court of Appeals in 2003, the court rejected the Bush administrations argument that undocumented immigrants are not afforded substantive due process: If excludable aliens were not protected by even the substantive component of constitutional due process, as the government appears to argue, we do not see why the United States government could not torture or summarily execute them. [W]e do not believe that our Constitution could permit persons living in the United Stateswhether they can be admitted for permanent residence or notto be subjected to any government action without limit. Fridays arguments saw a certain retreat from this position, which is both constitutionally and politically untenableat least at this stage. DoJ lawyer Catherine Dorsey, in response to a question from Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, also appointed by George W. Bush, said that the government has not taken an official position on whether undocumented immigrants have a constitutional right to an abortion. When pressed, Dorsey conceded that Doe may have a base constitutional right to an abortion, but that the government is not obliged to facilitate it. The governments arguments traded the shocking (to quote the ACLU lawyers) assertion that undocumented immigrants may not have any constitutional protections, for the absurd argument that they are not unduly burdening Doe from receiving an abortion because she could leave the United States to do so. Yet, when asked by the judge if Does home country permitted abortion, Dorsey said she believed it did not. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Friday morning on the case. In an evident attempt to avoid addressing the serious constitutional questions involved, the court ruled that the government has a deadline of October 31 to find a private sponsor for Doe, which would make the ORRs obligations to her a moot point. However, finding a sponsor is a difficult and time-consuming process, and may not be logistically possible in the next week. If the government cannot find Doe a sponsor by then, the lower court will be able to consider ordering the government to stop holding her hostage so she can get an abortion, and the government can then appeal the order. The government may be attempting to run out the clock on Texas 20-week window for abortions, thereby forcing Doe to carry her unwanted pregnancy to term. Professor Steve Vladeck of the University of Texas law school said: This is kicking the can down the road. And because of the strict abortion laws in Texas, theres not a lot of road left. However Does case proceeds, the governments arguments in this case are clearly oriented at least in part to whipping up a fascist movement. In earlier hearings, government lawyers argued, according to the Los Angeles Times, Requiring the government to allow her to go to a clinic for an abortion could incentivize illegal immigration by pregnant minors. This argument tracks along racist screeds against so-called anchor babies, or infants guaranteed US citizenship because they were born on US territory. The fascistic right wing claims that such infants prevent their mothers from being deported. Trump, during the presidential campaign, advocated removing birthright citizenship, which was one of the great democratic gains resulting from the American Civil War, enshrined in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Thousands of members and supporters of far-right nationalist political parties and organizations marched in Kiev on October 14 in a parade they dubbed a March to the Glory of Heroes. The parade marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and gave the countrys far-right political groups an opportunity to pay their respects to Ukrainian nationalist war criminals such as Stepan Bandera. Since 2014, the date has been recognized in Ukraine officially as the Defender of Ukraine Day. The march was organized jointly by the Right Sector and Svoboda political parties, along with the Ukrainian National Corps, which is a civil military organization constituted mainly of members from the far-right paramilitary Azov Battalion. Participants carried torches, flares, portraits of Bandera and flags of their respective far-right parties, while chanting right-wing slogans and performing the Sieg-Heil. Many marchers were dressed in full paramilitary garb. Svoboda Party leader Oleh Tyahnybok xenophobically warned the crowd against foreigners within the country, stating that the UPA fought against the Moscow invaders, against the Polish, German, Magyar occupiers. And we see that the current situation in Ukraine is pretty much the same. The official Ukrainian press agency attempted to downplay attendance numbers at the fascist march, stating that only 2,000 people had attended, while the marchs organizers put the numbers at approximately 20,000. It was clear, however, from videos of the event and reports from other media outlets that attendance was well above the official number given by the Ukrainian government. The march took place as rumors swirled in the Ukrainian press that Arsen Avakov, the Minister of Internal Affairs, was preparing a coup against President Poroshenko on the same day at the march. On October 11, Ukrainska Pravda reported that Avakov had joked with reporter Oleksiy Bratuschak, stating, Were preparing a coup. Seconds later, he added, however, Against Poroshenko I am not planning any subversion, I am not preparing a coup. Avakov is known for his relationships with Ukraines far-right. Through his control of Ukraines National Guard, he would be capable of attempting a coup against the oligarchic Poroshenko regime, which is not deemed sufficiently nationalistic or militaristic by Ukraines extremist right-wing groups. There is widespread speculation within Ukraine that Poroshenko will be unable to complete the remaining years in his presidential term due to his enormous unpopularity. Poroshenkos current approval rating is less than 20 percent. The week following the fascist march in Kiev another political rally calling itself a meeting for Great Political Reform was held in the countrys capital directly in front the Ukrainian Parliament. The event was led by former Georgian president and governor of the Ukrainian city of Odessa Mikheil Saakashvili, who used the rally as an opportunity to denounce corruption within the Poroshenko regime. Saakashvili had previously been an ally of the Poroshenko regime, but was stripped of Ukrainian citizenship and exiled from the country in July after a fallout with Kiev. Saakashvili was able to return to the country last month after crossing the Polish border with assistance from right-wing forces within the Ukrainian government. The rally was also supported by the party of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, as well as the Self-Help, Democratic Alliance, Automaidan, and the far-right Svoboda parties. Tymoshenko has already announced plans to run against Poroshenko in the next presidential elections in 2019. The protesters, carrying shields and UPA flags, clashed with police, attacked parliament members and attempted to set up tents in an effort to initiate a new Maidan. Prior to the rally, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced they had thwarted plans by right-wing forces to carry out armed provocations with rocket launchers and automatic weapons. Referendums promoted by the separatist Lega Nord (Northern League) were held Sunday in the northern Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto. Citizens were being asked to back granting their regional presidents the authority to initiate negotiations with Italys central government in Rome on autonomy. In both regions, which are among the wealthiest in Italy, members of the right-wing Lega Nord serve as president: in Lombardy, Roberto Maroni, and in Veneto, Luca Zaia. The Lega Nord is promising voters that within the framework of greater autonomy, it will be able to exert control over tax revenue and not have to transfer it all to the central government, Roma ladrona (Rome, the thieves). Late Sunday, both Maroni and Zaia claimed victory, with more than 90 percent backing autonomy in both regions, according to preliminary results. Maroni said the outcome meant both regions could unite their forces for the battle of the century. Autonomy is being sought in 23 spheres in which the regions would control their own affairs. These include the areas of internal security and immigration, research and science, education, environmental policy, andmost importantlytax revenues and economic relations with the world market. Maroni told the Financial Times, If I only had half of the taxes we send to the south, I could solve all of Lombardys problems. With an eye on the bitter Catalonian conflict in neighbouring Spain, commentators are attempting to deceive the European and Italian public. The issue in Italy is by no means a separation of the regions from the central state, they claim, but is purely a consultative referendum that is non-binding and, moreover, in conformity with the constitution. Nonetheless, the outcome of the referendums will have serious implications, both for Italy and Europe as a whole. The Lega Nord is attempting to mobilise petty bourgeois sections of the population, who are suffering in the crisis, behind the policy of a regional carve-up and ultimately a sharp shift to the right in Italy. Maroni, who served as a minister in Silvio Berlusconis government on several occasions in Rome, noted in an interview with the New York Times, The more people vote, the greater bargaining power I will have. The Lega Nord, under leader Matteo Salvini, has developed over the past four years from a regional into a national party. The party gave up its original demand of a separation of the Padua region from Italy. Instead, it pursues an anti-European Union (EU), right-wing extremist and racist programme along the lines of Marine Le Pens National Front in France. This continued to be the case, even after Salvini claimed following Le Pens defeat in the French presidential election, We are not Le Penisti. Salvini is hoping for a victory in the upcoming parliamentary election, which must take place by May 2018. He is prepared to make a series of concessions to this end. In last Junes municipal elections, the Lega Nord formed a coalition with former prime minister and multi-billionaire Berlusconi and neo-fascist Georgia Meloni from Fratelli dItalia. In this way, the party managed to benefit most from the collapse of the social democratic Democratic Party (PD). However, Fratelli dItalia advocates a strong, authoritarian centralised state. They were the only party to oppose the referendums in Lombardy and Veneto. The votes were an insult to the fatherland, according to Meloni. Taking account of this, Salvini put the regional campaign for the referendums on the back burner. This became clear when the right-wing separatist South Tyrol Freedom celebrated the outcome of the October 1 referendum in Catalonia with a demonstration on the Brenner Pass highway (between Italy and Austria) and promoted the slogan, Today CataloniaTomorrow South Tyrol. The Lega Nord effectively played no role in the rally. The long-term goal of entering the government in Rome was more important. New election law Rosatellum 2.0 The new election law, passed by the chamber of deputies October 12 and referred to as Rosatellum 2.0 (after the PD parliamentary leader Etore Rosato), comes at just the right time for Salvinis hopes of power. The law still has to be adopted by the Senate and signed by President Sergio Mattarella. Since the failure of former prime minister Matteo Renzis constitutional reform on December 4, 2016, Italy has not had a valid election law. The law combines elements of first-past-the-post and proportional systems and explicitly permits the combining of party lists. It contains a 3 percent hurdle for parliamentary representation, which increases to 10 percent for party list coalitions, although the hurdle for each party in such an alliance will only be 1 percent. This makes the conclusion of alliances much more advantageous. The law acknowledges the fact that no party in Italy is capable any longer of mobilising more than a quarter of the voters. A poll on October 16 had Beppe Grillos Five Star Movement (M5S) as the largest party: it would secure 27.6 percent of the vote, ahead of the governing PD with 26.3 percent. The new election law is tailor-made for the right-wing alliance, which would secure close to 34 percent of the vote (Lega Nord with 14.6 percent, Forza Italia 14.2 percent and Fratelli dItalia 5 percent). If an election were held today, the right-wing alliance would win. The M5S would not even benefit from emerging as the strongest party. A bonus of seats for the largest party, which was contained in an earlier draft of the law, was removed from the legislation. For this reason, the M5S strongly protested the election law and voted against it. Now, it is calling on the president not to sign it into law. Decline of the Democrats The rise of the right is both an expression and a result of the political disintegration of the parties which emerged from the Communist Party in the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This applies chiefly to the PD, but also Rifondazione, the Rainbow Left, the alliances around Nichi Vendola (a former leader in Rifondazione and president of Apulia for 10 years) and several trade union leaders. Over the past 25 years, these forces have persistently supported the camp known as the centre left, which alternated in power with the gangster capitalist Berlusconi and pursued the interests of Italys banks and major corporations against the working class. The new election law is a measure of just how little democratic norms still exist in Italy. A government that comes to power on the basis of the law has virtually no democratic legitimacy. While the law encourages alliances, they are not binding. Following the election, the strongest party on the list that wins the election can enter a coalition with an entirely different party. Everything is possible, and the voters have almost no influence on the formation of the government. The last two prime ministers (Renzi and Paolo Gentiloni, both PD) came to power without an election. They pursued policies in the interests of big business and the EU, and trampled popular demands under foot. Both Renzi and Gentiloni launched new attacks on workers rights, including with the introduction of the Jobs Act, attacks on Fiat workers and the current destruction of Alitalia, where 6,000 out of 11,000 jobs are being eliminated. At the same time, the ruling politicians continue to transfer vast sums to the indebted banks. They have driven ahead with plans for war in Libya, and Interior Minister Marco Minniti (PD), together with the EUs Federica Mogherini (also PD), is enforcing the brutal fortress Europe policy against refugees in the Mediterranean. As a result, the PD is experiencing an ever-deepening crisis. It has lost large sections of its base in the trade unions and municipalities, particularly following the referendum defeat of December 2016. Last February, several factions left the party, with one group joining Vendolas new party, Italian Left. Shortly thereafter, the faction around Pier Luigi Bersani and Massimo DAlema split off and founded a new party, Articolo 1Movimento Democratico e Progressista (MDP). Another group of discontented PD members aligned themselves with the former mayor of Milan, Giuliano Pisapia. Almost all of the prominent ex-Stalinists have now left the PD. The disappointment with the established parties initially resulted five years ago in the rise of the M5S. The party of the former comedian Grillo, which incessantly railed against corrupt politicians, enjoyed a meteoric rise and benefited from widespread dissatisfaction. In reality, M5S sought with its nationalist policies to mobilise frustrated sections of the middle class against impoverished workers and refugees. In content, M5S shares many positions with the Lega Nord. As soon as Grillos party was compelled to assume government responsibility, securing the positions of mayor in Rome and Turin, it quickly became clear that M5S is no less corrupt than the other parties. The gulf between official politics and the population continues to grow. This can also be seen in the numbers of people emigrating. A report published October 17 revealed that 124,000 people left Italy in 2016, a rise of 15 percent from the previous year. Almost 40 percent of emigrants are young people between the ages of 18 and 34. These developments are creating an enormous political vacuum, while social anger is growing. The working class and young people confront round after round of attacks. At the same time, every partyincluding the pseudo-left around the Italian Left and the trade unionsadvances a nationalist programme that strengthens the ruling class. The country increasingly resembles a social powder keg. Two weeks after a worker died at the Taylor Preston meat processing plant near Wellington, New Zealands capital, the company, the NZ Meat Workers Union (MWU) and government officials are maintaining a wall of silence over the tragedy. Since October 9, when the incident occurred, neither management nor the MWU has released a statement. The media has not reported it. In a written response to a WSWS inquiry, a spokesperson for WorkSafe, the governments safety watchdog, stated: The incident is currently under investigation. Investigations can take up to a year to complete. We are unable to provide any further details at this time. The WSWS understands that the worker, a woman in her thirties, died after falling 10 feet from a platform in the beef slaughter board, near the start of the processing chain. The accident occurred near the shift start time at 6:30am. One witness told his co-workers the victim fell backward off the platform. She was initially resuscitated with a defibrillator, but died some days later in hospital. WorkSafe inspected the site the day of the death. The department was closed for the day while it was certified safe, but the rest of the plant remained in operation. Several workers reported the incident to the WSWS, speaking on condition of anonymity. One said: There should be a way to prevent people from falling off the platform, for whatever reason. There is apparently CCTV footage of the incident, but no one has seen it apart from management, and possibly WorkSafe. There are two health and safety committees. At the time of writing, neither has been called together to discuss the incident. Inside the plant there has been no release of information, and workers are largely in the dark over the circumstances. One worker told the WSWS the victim was known to have had a Pacemaker fitted some time ago and may have suffered a heart problem. Another said it was her first morning back at work after a week. As the sick leave was due to a leg infection, she may have not been well enough to work. The company, the worker declared, is quite notorious in terms of pushing people back into work. You know how they are. They dont want anybody to be on their ACC books. They hate spending money. ACC, the Accident Compensation Corporation, is the governments accident insurance and rehabilitation service provider. One MWU member said there had been no official statement from anyone, including the union, although he personally spoke about the death with a foreman. He said the incident should never have happened, adding the company is playing wait and see, theyll be lawyered up, because of past incidents where Taylor Preston was taken to court. The companys silence reveals a contemptuous lack of concern over the fate of the victim and the safety of more than 800 workers. For Taylor Preston, along with the MWU, a key consideration will be the possible consequences for the companys involvement in the ACCs Accredited Employers Programme (AEP). Introduced by a Labour Party government in 2000, the AEP grants large employers the ability to self-manage their workplace health, safety and rehabilitation procedures. The scheme aimed to cut costs for both employers and the government. In return for meeting self-management criteria and a demonstrated commitment to injury prevention and rehabilitation, participating employers can reduce their ACC levies by up to 90 percent, in some cases saving millions of dollars. Taylor Preston has been in the AEP for more than a decade. One worker scathingly described it as ACC jumping into bed with the big companies, all to get workers back to work. It was necessary, he said to find out if there is oversight, if the company is complying. He complained that injured workers are often ill-informed about their legal rights and what they can expect. The WSWS understands that on October 19, 10 days after the fatal incident, a night shift worker lost three fingers in the mutton department. In 2015 the company was convicted and fined $72,500 after a cleaners fingers were caught in an unguarded part of a conveyor. The company, then had seven convictions under the Health and Safety in Employment Act since 2005, pleaded not guilty to failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the workers safety. The presiding judge noted the company did not have a good record, with a previous conviction coming only months before this incident. In 2013, Taylor Preston had lost an appeal against a fine of $64,000 after a worker lost two fingers in a membrane-removing machine. Another conviction in 2007 came after a cleaners hand was caught in unguarded rollers. A 2005 case involved a machine operator who suffered an amputation of a fingertip while attempting to clear a blockage in an unguarded auger. None of this is exceptional in the meat processing industry. Ruthless competition in the face of global volatility has seen factory closures, cost-cutting and ramped-up worker exploitation to maintain profits. Taylor Preston, with a workplace regime of wage rates barely above the legal minimum of $15.75 an hour, widespread casualisation, and highly insecure conditions, sets benchmarks for attacks at other plants. Principal responsibility for poor working conditions, including health and safety, rests not only with rapacious employers but successive governments, led by Labour and National, who have imposed waves of deregulation, and the trade unions. In response to New Zealands well-documented high rates of worksite deaths and injury, the unions and the Labour Party have promoted the establishment of health and safety committees with compulsory worker representation. Changes to the law in 2013 and 2015 to provide for such committees have made no difference whatsoever. According to recent Statistics NZ data, workers are still being killed at the rate of one a week39 so far this year. On average, someone is seriously injured at work every day. Five of the 2017 deaths have been in the forestry industry, which is held up as a model for employer, union and government collaboration under the Forest Industry Safety Council. These corporatist bodies are a complete fraud. The unions role within them is to keep the industries profitable and prevent any fight by workers to demand decent, safe working conditions. At Taylor Preston, the health and safety committee has about 50 worker representatives, yet cannot counteract the relentless drive for profits that is the source of industrial accidents and deaths. The author also recommends: The way forward for New Zealand meat workers [27 June 2017] Agreement terms expose New Zealand meat unions sellout at Taylor Preston [18 May 2017] Pike River mine disaster families make Supreme Court appeal [10 October 2017] Spate of deaths in New Zealands forestry industry [24 May 2016] The militarist diatribe by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a retired Marine general, at a White House press briefing last week laid bare an open secret of American politics: behind the facade of democratic rule, the United States increasingly resembles a military dictatorship. Firing back at criticisms of President Donald Trumps handling of the October 4 deaths of four US soldiers in Niger, Kelly called members of the US military the best one percent this country produces. He then announced that he would take questions only from journalists who were family, friends or acquaintances of soldiers killed in action. In an expression of undisguised contempt for the civilian government, Kelly denounced Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who had publicly exposed Trumps callousness in his condolence call to the widow of one of the soldiers killed in the October 4 incident. Kelly falsely accused Wilson of bragging about securing funding for a government building in Miami named after slain FBI agents, saying of her: Empty barrels [make] the most noise. The next day, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders implied at a press briefing that any questioning of the pronouncements of the military was out of bounds. If you want to get into a debate with a four-star Marine general, she said, I think that thats something highly inappropriate. Concerned over the White Houses undisguised contempt for the constitutional principle of civilian control over the military, some military figures sought to verbally distance themselves from Kellys statements. ABCs This Week program on Sunday led with an interview with retired four-star army general and former CIA director David Petraeus, who declared, We in uniformare fiercely protective of the rights of our fellow Americans to express themselves, even if that includes criticizing us. Kellys remarks evoked such defensive statements not because they challenge nearly 250 years of civilian rule in the United States, but because sections of the US political establishment see it as necessary, at least for the time being, to cloak the massive power exercised by the military over political life with the formal trappings of civilian rule. This task, however, is increasingly difficult. Shortly after Petraeuss appearance, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer appeared on NBCs Meet the Press, where he had an extraordinary exchange with moderator Chuck Todd. Asked whether as Senate Democratic leader he had been briefed on the situation in Niger, Schumer nonchalantly replied, Not yet. When Todd asked whether Schumer knew the US had a thousand troops stationed in Niger, Schumer replied, Uh, No, I did not. Todd pressed him further: How do you describe it any other way than never-ending war? Schumer gave a meandering reply that ended with the words, We have to keep at it. In other words, the countrys civilian leadership neither knows where the US military operates, nor dares to inquire. Wars are not declared. Those who lead them are not accountable to Congress or the people. The military is deployed at the discretion of the president and his generals, as in the over one dozen African countries where US troops are engaged in combat operations. The ranking member of the nominal opposition party has no problem with this state of affairs. Should anybody be surprised, then, when Kelly, one of three generals occupying the most sensitive positions in Trumps cabinet, denounces a member of Congress for daring to question the commander-in-chief? One need only consider the rest of Sundays broadcast of ABCs This Week interview program. With only the slightest modifications, the entire program could have been produced in a country run by a military junta. In the midst of host Martha Raddatzs interview with Petraeus, the program cut to a prerecorded segment showing Raddatz on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan as it carried out a war exercise off the Coast of North Korea, with Raddatz declaring enthusiastically, The Sea of Japan is bristling with warships. The segment featured statements by the captain, the commander, a signal officer and a pilot aboard the ship. Raddatz concluded, With the region remaining on the brink, they have to be ready to fight tonight. The program then went on to preview an upcoming eight-part miniseries by the National Geographic Channel glorifying the Iraq war. By this point, three quarters of the program had elapsed and not a single nonmilitary figure had made an appearance on one of the premier political talk shows of the worlds leading democracy. Kellys comments triggered statements of concern among some segments of the US press. A military dictatorship: that appears what the White House thinks the United States is, declared CNN anchor Erin Burnett. Masha Gessen wrote in the New Yorker, Consider this nightmare scenario: a military coup. You dont have to strain your imaginationall you have to do is watch Thursdays White House press briefing, in which the chief of staff, John Kelly, defended President Trumps phone call to a military widow, Myeshia Johnson. The press briefing could serve as a preview of what a military coup in this country would look like. But this raises the question: Would the United States really need to have a coup to transition to military rule? Would it really look much different from todays democracy? There would be the same parade of generals serving as talking heads on the news, the same embedded reporters interviewing commanders on the front lines, the same members of Congress (most dictatorships do not dissolve parliament) declaring they had not yet been briefed on what the military has decided to do. One could object that a military dictatorship would censor the press. But this has already in large measure been accomplished. The search engine giant Google has announced that it is promoting authoritative news content, while it buries links to left-wing sites in search results, almost entirely removing results on Google News for the World Socialist Web Site. The ever-growing power of the military in the United States is not some accident or fluke stemming from the personality of Donald Trump. Despite being at war for his entire two terms in office, Trumps Democratic Party predecessor Barack Obama never once went to Congress for authorization to use military force, and he defended his orders for drone assassinations of US citizens as part of the prerogatives of the commander-in-chief. In the current political furor over the deaths of the soldiers in Niger, the Democrats have not questioned the legality of the deployment of thousands of US troops to Africa, carried out without any public discussion and behind the backs of the population, but instead sought to attack Trump from the right for being insufficiently deferential to the military. After all, it is the Democrats and newspapers generally aligned with them, particularly the New York Times and the Washington Post, which praised General Kelly, together with fellow generals H. R. McMaster (national security adviser) and James Mattis (secretary of defense) as the grown-ups in the White House, with Times columnist Thomas Friedman calling on the generals to reverse the moral rot that has infected the Trump administration in the person of the president. The increasingly dictatorial forms of rule emerging in the United States are the outcome of protracted and deep-rooted processes. Amid levels of social inequality that eclipse even those of the Gilded Age, bourgeois democracy in the US is collapsing, replaced by direct rule by the oligarchy and its partners in the military. This process has been accelerated through a quarter century of aggressive wars, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which have reached such a pitch that never-ending war, in the words of NBCs Chuck Todd, is the new American reality, presently reaching a higher stage with the looming threat of nuclear war over North Korea. The move toward dictatorship in the United States, accompanied by the drive to world war, is proceeding at breakneck speed. There is not much time. Workers and young people must mobilize now to oppose it on the basis of a socialist and internationalist program aimed at overthrowing the root cause of war, social inequality and dictatorshipthe capitalist system. US-backed forces announced on October 16 they had fully captured Raqqa, the Syrian city on the Euphrates River that the fundamentalist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had styled the capital of its caliphate. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), largely comprised of Kurdish nationalist militias, laid siege to Raqqa in June. For four-and-a-half months, ISIS fighters and tens of thousands of civilians in the city were subjected to relentless, daily air strikes by American, French and British fighter-bombers. Hundreds of American special forces personnel served as advisors and spotters. A US marine unit provided ground artillery support. By all accounts, Raqqa has been destroyed, with at least 80 percent of all buildings uninhabitable and the remainder severely damaged. Major General Igor Konashenkov, the main spokesperson for the Russian Defence Ministry, told journalists: Raqqa has inherited the fate of [the German city] Dresden in 1945, wiped off the face of the Earth by Anglo-American bombardments. Of the citys pre-ISIS takeover population of more than 200,000, barely 45,000 remain. The rest are dead or scattered in refugee camps. The exact casualties may never be known. The monitoring organisation Airwars claims to have verifiable reports that airstrikes killed at least 1,300 civilians. It notes allegations that the figure is as high as 3,200. During the final stages of the offensive and the intense bombardment, hundreds more may have been killed and left buried under tonnes of rubble. The number of ISIS fighters killed is also unknown. It certainly runs into the thousands. As during the US-backed assault on ISIS in the Iraqi city of Mosul, no mercy has been shown, especially to foreign fighters. Brett McGurk, the White House special envoy to the US-led anti-ISIS "coalition," told Dubai television: Our mission is to make sure that any foreign fighter who is here, who joined [ISIS] from a foreign country and came into Syria, they will die in Syria. So if theyre in Raqqa, theyre going to die in Raqqa. McGurk first went to Iraq in 2004 as part of the US occupation regime, and has held increasingly responsible positions in the region through the Bush, Obama and now Trump administrations, symbolizing the continuity in the US imperialist intervention in the region. Up to 6,000 people are believed to have come from Europe alone to join ISIS in Syria. They particularly came between 2011 and 2014, when ISIS and other fundamentalist organisations were treated as de-facto allies of the US and European powers in their efforts to overthrow the Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. The end of ISIS control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq has not ended the carnage in both countries, but opened up a potentially even bloodier stage. The focus in Washington is shifting to a stepped-up confrontation with Iran and Russia, which have provided significant military assistance to the Assad government and its armed forces against both the imperialist-backed rebels and ISIS. Iran also has given large-scale support to the Shiite-based political parties that dominate the Iraqi government. The October 21 Washington Post editorial asserted that the terrorists defeat raises complex challenges for the United States in Iraq and Syria, where Iran and Russia are consolidating their influence at the expense of US allies. In Iraq, the editorial complained, the US remained passive as Iranian-led militia forces helped the Iraqi army push US-allied Iraqi Kurds out of the disputed city of Kirkuk and nearby oil fields. The Russia-Iran-Assad coalition, the Post continued, used the preoccupation of the US-backed forces on re-taking Raqqa to launch its own operations and was winning what has been a race to grab territory in eastern Syria, including the countrys main oilfields. The editorial concluded: A failure by the United States to defend its allies or promote new political arrangements for the two Arab states will lead only to more war, the rise of new terrorist threats and, ultimately, the necessity of more US intervention. Frederick Kagan, a bellicose advocate of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and regime-change in Syria, was even more explicit in calling for the US to initiate a military confrontation with Iranian and Russian forces. Writing in the Hill, Kagan accused the Obama and Trump administrations of acquiescence to Iranian military dominance and expansion in Syria, which was incompatible with a strategy of shattering Irans influence in the Middle East. Kagan called for the American military to counterattack and retaliate, if any US-allied militias came under attack from Syrian, Iranian or Russian forces. The US, he declared, should be prepared to risk war with nuclear-armed Russia and Iran, as they would back down in the face of American military superiority. In a measure of the reckless and even deranged discussion underway in sections of the American establishment, Kagan suggested Moscow would not escalate a conflict even if the US military attacked and destroyed Russian ships and aircraft. Kagan opined: This is the calculation and the principle that underlies deterrence and that can allow an intelligent American strategy to escalate against Iran in Syria with a reasonable expectation of avoiding all-out war. The Trump administration had already signalled a sharp intensification of US hostility toward Iran with its demand on October 13 for the renegotiation of the nuclear deal struck with Tehran in 2015. In defiance of the support for the deal by the key European allies of the US, the Trump administration is moving toward the unilateral re-imposition of sweeping sanctions against Iran. Over the weekend, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ramped up the denunciations of Iran during his visit to Saudi ArabiaTehrans main regional opponent, which the United States has armed to the teeth. Tillerson demanded any foreign fighters in Iraq need to go home and allow the Iraqi people to regain control of areas that had been overtaken by ISIS that have now been liberated. The US official was referring only to Iranian forcesnot the thousands of American troops and mercenary contractors in the country. Tillerson declared that both the US and Saudi Arabia believe that companiesincluding European companiesmust stop conducting business with Iranian corporations linked to the countrys Revolutionary Guard. Even as the prospect of a catastrophic war launched by the US hangs over the Korean peninsula, Washington is heightening tensions and the danger of war in the Middle East. On October 19, WSWS journalist David Walsh spoke to Cindy Sheehan, the antiwar activist whose 24-year-old son, Casey, was killed during the Iraq War in early April 2004. A little over a year after this tragedy, in August 2005, Sheehan came to prominence when she set up an antiwar camp, Camp Casey, outside George W. Bushs ranch in Crawford, Texas. The month-long protest focused the attention of large numbers of people, in the US and around the world, on the human cost of the neocolonial invasion and occupation of Iraq. When, in May 2007, the Democrats in Congress facilitated the authorization of an additional $100 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Sheehan was outraged. In an open letter May 26 to the congressional Democrats announcing her departure from that party, she wrote, You think giving him [Bush] more money is politically expedient, but it is a moral abomination and every second the occupation of Iraq endures, you all have more blood on your hands. Recently on her blog, Sheehan denounced actor/director Rob Reiner and actor Morgan Freeman for their video, announcing the formation of the Committee to Investigate Russia. This organization, which includes extreme right-wingers and assorted warmongers, was formed, according to the foul video, to help Americans understand the gravity of Russias continuing attacks on democracy. Freeman intones, We have been attacked. We are at war, and proceeds from there. In her comment, Sheehan recounted her experience with Reiner and his wife, Michele, who approached her in 2005 and attempted to bring her into the Hillary Clinton for president camp. As she noted on her blog and below, when she rejected that attempt, they ultimately reneged on their promises of assistance. Sheehan concluded her piece, Reiner et al, are enemies of truth; they are enemies of peace; they are enemies of true democracy; they should be exposed and shamed. * * * David Walsh: Could you explain for the benefit of our readers your experience with Rob and Michele Reiner in 2005? Cindy Sheehan: In August 2005 when I was in Crawford, Texas, Rob Reiner sent his wife Michele and a couple of people from his production team to Camp Casey to film a television commercial. It had me speaking about my son Casey, the war and how Bush lied. I demanded that Bush speak with me. Of course, I thought it was because the Reiners cared about the wars. But it was actually because they wanted to further their anti-George Bush agenda, to benefit the Democrats. I didnt know that at that time. They also filmed a couple of other Gold Star families and then the commercial was aired. After Camp Casey was over, I was invited to Rob and Michele Reiners house. I had never met Rob before, Id only met Michele. So we went, and Stephen Bing was also there. I didnt know him. He is a movie producer, a businessman and a multi-, multi-millionaireand a big funder of the Democratic Party. The meeting wasnt so much about the Iraq War; it was about how I should support Hillary Clinton for president in 2008. DW: Because you had a considerable following CS: I said, I cant support Hillary Clinton, shes pro-war. Ive given my promise that Im not going to support any more pro-war politicians. She not only voted for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, she was actually one of the chief promoters of the wars. She provided Democratic Party cover and credibility, so to speak, for the lies justifying the wars. But they were lies no matter who told them. Bing then looked at me and said, Cindy, shes our only hope. I said, I dont know who youre talking about when you say, shes our only hope, but I cannot support her, and if shes the only hope, were in very serious trouble. So are people all over the world. He said to me, Shes really against the wars, and shes going to come out against them when its politically expedient. At that point, I started to cry. I said, I cant believe you just said that to me. She thought it was politically expedient to support the wars in 2001, 2002, 2003, and now my son has been killed. Youre saying that political expediency is more important than human life. We ended the meeting at the Reiners more or less like that. They were still supportive of me and my organization at the time, Gold Star Families for Peace. Our main office was in Los Angeles. My sister, Dede, was working there and she worked with Reiner and his team. They were helping us get our 501c3, our nonprofit status, they were paying for it, they were doing the legal work. I was in Brooklyn to give a speech not too long after that, which of course was part of Clintons constituency, because she was one of the senators from New York. I told an anti-war rally what Bing had told me. He didnt say it was a secret. And if he had, I probably would have reported it anyway. I said, we have to pressure her, because shes not going to come out against the wars until its expedient. I knew my audience, I knew they didnt like her. Then, shortly afterward, I took part in a meeting with Hillary Clinton. She was really cold and callous. I was with another Gold Star mother, and my sister. The three of us poured our hearts out, we were crying. After the meeting, Clinton spoke to a reporter from the Village Voice and said, Yes, I heard what they had to say, but I met with other Gold Star families before they came, and they want us to continue the mission to make sure that their loved ones sacrifices are honored. She added, I agree with them, the other families. In November 2005, there was a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in Los Angeles, and I was going to go down and protest at it. Michele Reiner called me that morning, and said, Cindy, please dont go and protest. I had planned to get on a plane and go down there, from Northern California. Michele begged me not to go. I said, Out of respect for the help youve given Gold Star Families for Peace, I wont go. However, my sister and other antiwar activists still went. Rob and Michele Reiner saw them and actually gave them a middle finger. That was a Saturday. On Monday, Reiners assistant called my sister and told her, Were not supporting Gold Star Families for Peace anymore. DW: They pulled the funding, and the support? CS: Yes. We were right in the middle of getting our 501c3. After Rob and Michele treated my sister and my comrades so rudely, I wrote an article about how the antiwar movement shouldnt support Hillary Clinton. It was posted at the Huffington Post. Thats the last contact Ive had with the Reiners or Bing. That was one of my early eye-opening experiences. When my son was killed, I wasnt an activist, a political person. I didnt know who were true opponents of the war and who were just against the Republicans, or simply against Bush. Because it doesnt seem as though many of these people are against the wars now that Trump is president. Or theyre not protesting, in any case. I didnt know. I thought that if people came to help, they were there because they had the same goals we did, and that would be ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of those people were just there to end Republican rule. DW: Basically, they packed up the antiwar movement in 2006 when the Democrats retook Congress. There hasnt been a major demonstration since that time. And the election of Barack Obama completed the process. CS: Exactly. Of course, I was told by all the Democrats in 2005, Nancy Pelosi included, that if the antiwar movement helped them get back in power, in the elections of 06, they would help us end the wars. Then, in 07, they were sworn in and it wasnt even on their agenda. They had their top 10 items they were going to work on, and ending the wars wasnt there at all. Howard Dean told me, Cindy, the wars are so hard. Screw you. My son is dead, and so are many others. In 2008, on the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, several antiwar organizations said that we shouldnt have any protests in D.C. because it would embarrass the Democrats. One of them, United for Peace and Justice, was significantly supported by the Communist Party, and we know they have long been in the back pocket of the Democratic Party. I would normally say, up the butts of the Democrats, but Ill try and be a little more dignified in this interview. The so-called left ! This anti-Russian campaign is horrible. Would you really rather have a nuclear war than admit that your candidate, Clinton, lost because shes a terrible person and ran a terrible campaign, and many people hate her? DW: Lets talk about the anti-Russian campaign. In our view, its both a matter of divisions over foreign policy within the ruling elite, and an effort to channel social anger in a reactionary direction. The Democrats have not challenged Trump on his extreme right-wing program, but primarily accused him of being soft on Russia, or a Russian puppet. CS: Right. They cant attack for him continuing the wars either, because the Democrats are part and parcel of that. To me, its just so patently bullshit, the propaganda about Russia. People just want to cling onto it. In the Committee to Investigate Russia video, Morgan Freeman said, For 241 years, our democracy has been a shining example of what we can all aspire to. Really? Youre a black man, how can you even say that? A descendant of slaves. What about the genocide of the indigenous population? An example of democracy to whom? Freeman suggests some gravitas. Whether he actually has it or not, he can act like he has. People see that and say, he was the president of the United States, in a movie, so I believe him when he says that Russia and Trump are destroying American democracy. Blah, blah, blah DW: The propaganda campaign has reached the most preposterous levels. Theyre now arguing that basically every sign of discontent in the United States has been instigated by Russian agents. I dont frankly think most people believe it. CS: I hope not. That would make me very sad. Im very active on social media, and there are a lot of people who are buying this. Rachel Maddow is another pusher of this. DW: Thats the whole pseudo-left and miserable liberal-left, all of these people have gone over to or become the pro-war camp. CS: There are hundreds of people thanking her DW: Dont be too impressed. There are empty-headed types and loudmouths, or people who dont see things yet. Its a big country. But the social conditions in America are devastating. I dont think that many people believe that anger in America is Russian-made! They know where the anger comes from and what its about. CS: Well, theyre trying their hardest to confuse people. DW: Of course. Now, your friend Clinton has accused WikiLeaks of being a tool of Russian intelligence. Theyre all demanding that the Internet be censored. The great fake news story they dont want people to receive or hear is that American capitalism is a disaster. You made another point in your article: The [Reiner-Freeman] video obviously was made to sink us back into the lowest depths of the McCarthy witch hunts and HUAC hysteria and as a Cold War Kid, I dont find this stuff amusing anymore, (Paul Simon, Graceland). Could you talk about that a bit, about being a Cold War Kid? CS: I think post-9/11 America might be even more propagandized and intimidated by the government and the corporate media than during the Cold War. But, oh, my goodness, from the time I was in the first grade until I was in the sixth grade every Friday we had those nuclear bomb drills where a siren would blow and we had to climb under our desks. We were told how evil and violent the Soviet Union was, along with Red China. You couldnt say China, you had to say, Red China. When I was in the second grade, my teacher asked usmind you, we were 7- and 8-year-old kidswhat would we do if a red Communist came up to us and told us not to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and if we did it anyway, he would blow our heads off? I raised my hand, she called on me, and I said, I wouldnt say it! That was not the answer she was looking for. DW: Better dead then red. CS: She dragged me to the corner, and she was calling me a traitor and anti-American. I was standing in the corner, and thinking, I dont care what you say, I still dont want to get my head blown off. It was child abuse the way we were terrorized. After my son was killed, I went to Venezuela and other places, I talked to people who had been harmed by the US government and its policies, and I had been digging into what this country does. But when I went to Cuba in January of 07, I was still a little bit trepidatious because of all the propaganda we had been taught about Cuba. If you live one way for 45 years, you have it pounded into your head how evil Castro and the Cuban revolution are, its kind of hard to break free of that. DW: You also mention that this is the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution and that youre studying it. Im curious what books youre reading or what studying youre doing. CS: I just finished The Emancipation of Women by Lenin. Ive read pamphlets by Lenin. And works by other people. DW: You should read Trotskys The History of the Russian Revolution. CS: I have read some Trotsky. I love your analysis on the World Socialist Web Site. Ive been trying to dig into the background and the heroism of the Bolshevik Revolution, because I have been so propagandized my whole life about the Soviet Union. I was taught about how America saved the world from fascism, but it was mainly the sacrifices made by the Soviet population that defeated Hitler. DW: So you read the WSWS? CS: Oh, all the time. I share it on my Facebook page a lot too. I have learned a lot from the analysis. DW: Glad to hear it. Let me ask you one more, and difficult, question. Its been 13 years since your son died. This is not something you ever get over. How has that pain changed over the years, if it has? CS: Ive been thinking about it a lot, because my sister passed away in January. That was another huge blow to our family. Recently, some US special forces were killed in Niger, in West Africa. Theres a big controversy because the family said that Trump upset them. Trump said something like, he [the dead soldier] knew what he was signing up for. Its really hard because Casey and millions of others should still be alive. The liberals are mad at Trump for upsetting the family, but theyre not asking, what are US Special Forces doing in Niger? Theres been so much death and destruction, and so my pain has become global instead of just local. As far as Caseys death is concerned, you learn how to live with it, but we still get assaulted all the time, by current events, and the news, and the lies. As an activist, its just something thats constant. Sometimes I have to pull back, Im going to binge on Netflix for the rest of the day, watch something funny. I have to remove myself from it occasionally, because it never stops. I also have to mention my five grandchildren, from nine years old down to two. They helped me go through my sisters terrible situation. I was her caregiver for two years. They just live life. So theyve given me back a lot of my joy in living. Then I feel bad, because I ask myself, what kind of world are we giving them? A pretty shitty one. DW: Well change it. CS: Well, were trying. On Saturday, three weeks after the savage police crackdown on the October 1 Catalan independence referendum, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy formally announced the invocation of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution to strip Catalonias regional government of its powers. In its place, Madrid is to install an unelected government in Barcelona backed by the Spanish army, Guardia Civil paramilitary police and other police units. The implementation of Article 155 will inevitably involve the Spanish regime in a violent confrontation with broad masses of the Catalan population, where there is deep opposition to Madrids turn to dictatorship. As Rajoys Council of Ministers formulated the measures on Saturday, a half million people marched in Barcelona against Madrids arbitrary arrest of two Catalan nationalist politicians, Jordi Sanchez of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Jordi Cuixart of Omnium Cultural. The measures laid out by the Council of Ministers entail the suspension of democratic forms of rule in Catalonia and the installation of what is a government of military occupation in all but name. They include: * Removing Catalan Premier Carles Puigdemont and all Catalan regional ministers and replacing them with organs or authorities created for this purpose or designated by the [Spanish] government. * Transferring their authority to call regional elections to the Spanish government. * Granting full powers for Madrid to control the Catalan regional police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, to deploy police or Guardia Civil units to the region, and to take other security measures. * Assigning control of economic, financial, tax and budgetary powers in Catalonia to the Spanish Treasury. * Stripping the Catalan parliament of power to name a government or exercise oversight of the authorities set up by Madrid in Catalonia. * Transferring control of Catalan public media to Madrid, which will control them so as to guarantee respect for the values and principles contained in the Spanish constitution. These measures are to be approved at the end of the week by the Spanish Senate, where Rajoys right-wing Popular Party (PP) has an absolute majority. Madrids move to suspend Catalan autonomy marks a historic collapse of democratic forms of rule in Western Europe. It is 40 years ago today that Catalan nationalist politician Josep Taradellas returned to Barcelona from exile in France to lead the Catalan government, as the fascist regime installed by Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War collapsed amid mass struggles of the working class. The granting of language rights and self-government to Catalonia was seen as key to overcoming the fascist heritage of Franco, who had banned the public use of the Catalan language. Now Madrid is moving with the support of the European Union to repudiate the concessions in terms of social and democratic rights of the post-Franco period. At last weeks EU summit in Brussels, held after Rajoy pledged to invoke Article 155, EU leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron, all explicitly endorsed Rajoys onslaught against Catalonia. Not only Guardia Civil, but also Spanish army units, including the Arapiles motorized infantry regiment in Catalonia, are being prepared for action. An explosive conflict with revolutionary implications is being set into motion. Madrids imposition of an unelected dictatorship, after the October 1 referendum produced a 90 percent vote by over 2 million people for Catalan independence, will provoke mass resistance. The PP, which received a mere 8 percent of the vote in Catalonias last regional elections, has virtually no support or electoral presence there. In Barcelona, La Vanguardia warned of the deep-rooted opposition Madrids power grab will unleash. Among Catalans, it wrote, many are those who, without being secessionists, will cry bitter tears at the imminent collapse of the self-government obtained in 1977. It continued: Politics in the Iberian peninsula does not admit nuance. The message written in the sand is this: Catalonia is to be punished. On Saturday, buses and trains were packed as people came from across Catalonia to Barcelona for the 450,000-strong protest against the jailing of Sanchez and Cuixart. Puigdemont joined the protest, as did representatives of Catalonias main political parties, trade unions and associations. Protesters whistled and booed at Guardia Civil helicopters that flew overhead and shouted the anti-Franco slogan of the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War, No pasaran (They will not pass). Workers at Catalan public television and radio are making clear they do not intend to obey Madrids diktat. TV3 workers issued a statement denouncing Article 155 as a direct, unworthy and impudent attack on freedom of expression, of information and of the press and on the professionalism of the workers. They said they would remain loyal to the Catalan parliament, democratically elected on September 27, 2015. The works committee at Catalunya Radio issued a statement with the heading: Without public media there is no democracy. The statement pledged to defy the PP. It warned that if the central government chose a new director for the radio station, we will have no other choice than to refuse to recognize his authority. It is vital for workers across Spain and Europe to oppose Madrids plans for more bloody repression in Catalonia. The political goal of the onslaught being prepared by Rajoy and the EU against the workers and masses of Catalonia is ever clearer: it is to stabilize a crisis-ridden EU by terrorizing the workers with the example of police-military dictatorship over an entire province. The assault on Catalonia is exposing the class content of the vast attacks on democratic rights launched around the world since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Attempts by US and EU authorities to justify the massive build-up of police units, electronic spying capabilities and domestic military deployments like the French state of emergency by referring to a so-called war on terror are a political fraud. The main target is not Al Qaeda-linked Islamists, many of whom are financed by allies of the EU and the United States in wars for regime-change in Syria and beyond. In Catalonia, the EU powers all support Madrids use of these powers to target peaceful political opposition because they are preparing to do the same. Madrids claim, supported explicitly by the EU, that military rule is the only possible response to the Catalan independence referendum is an absurd lie, drenched in imperialist hypocrisy. Scotland held a referendum on independence from Great Britain in 2014, and Quebec held referendums on independence from Canada in 1980 and 1995. Neither London nor Ottawa marched tens of thousands of paramilitary police and army units to assault peaceful voters and forcibly preempt moves by these areas from seceding. On the other hand, the NATO imperialist powers repeatedly invoked their supposedly sacred duty to defend secessionist movementsin Kosovo in 1999 and in Benghazi, Libya in 2011to justify attacking countries such as Yugoslavia and Libya they were targeting for conquest. It requires no great imagination to see how advocates of humanitarian imperialism like the Green politician Daniel Cohn-Bendit and the New Anti-capitalist Partys Olivier Besancenot would have reacted had videos emerged in 2011 of Libyan security forces assaulting peaceful voters and beating elderly women, as the Guardia Civil did on October 1. Denouncing Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi for attacking his own people, they would have demanded that NATO accelerate its timetable for bombing Libya and assassinating Gaddafi. Cohn-Bendit is not, however, calling for bombing Madrid or murdering Rajoy. He is holding friendly meetings with Macron as Paris gives a green light for Rajoy to launch a neo-Francoite assault on Catalonia while preparing a further police-state build-up under cover of the French anti-terror law. In an all-night secret meeting at an apartment in Petrograds Vyborg District on October 23, Lenin, joined by Trotsky, secures a majority vote in the Bolshevik Central Committee in favor of armed insurrection. October 23 (October 10, O.S.): Bolshevik Central Committee votes for armed insurrection At 10 p.m., about a dozen of the Bolshevik Central Committees 21 members gather at a secret location in Petrograd. The meeting takes place at the apartment of the left-wing Menshevik Nikolai Sukhanov, who is not at home, but whose wife is a Bolshevik. It is the first meeting of the Central Committee, with Lenin physically present, in months. Lenin, who is still persecuted by the Provisional Government, shows up in disguise. The meeting is organized and chaired by Yakov Sverdlov. The other CC members attending this historic meeting are: Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Grigory Zinoviev, Lev Kamenev, Feliks Dzerzhinsky, Aleksandra Kollontai, Grigory Sokolnikov, Georgy Lomov, Andrei Bubnov, Moisei Uritsky and Varvara Iakovleva, who takes the minutes. The meeting begins with an hour-long report by Lenin, who pleads for immediate action. Over the past weeks, Lenin has conducted a determined campaign to prepare the Central Committee for an armed insurrection. However, he still must fight considerable opposition from the party leaderships right-wing, headed by Zinoviev and Kamenev. The short and incomplete official transcript of the meeting notes: Comrade Lenin maintains that a sort of indifference to the question of insurrection has been noticeable since the beginning of September. But this is impermissible if we are issuing the slogan of the seizure of power by the Soviets in all seriousness. It is therefore high time to pay attention to the technical aspect of the question The international situation is such that we must take the initiative Absenteeism and indifference on the part of the masses is due to their being tired of words and resolutions The agrarian movement is also developing in that direction, for it is obvious that extreme effort would be needed to stem that movement. The slogan of the transfer of all land has become the general slogan of the peasants. The political situation, therefore, is mature. We must speak of the technical aspect. That is the crux of the matter. Nevertheless we, like the defencists, are inclined to regard the systematic preparation of an uprising as something in the nature of a political sin. It is senseless to wait for the Constituent Assembly that will obviously not be on our side, for this will only make our task more involved. The discussion about Lenins report is tense and prolonged, and lasts throughout the night into the next morning. Kamenev and Zinoviev continue to oppose Lenins call for an insurrection, arguing that the party should instead adopt a defensive posture and focus on acquiring the strongest possible representation at the Constituent Assembly. An insurrection, in their view, would be untimely. They argue that it would only precipitate an attack by the counterrevolution, which would find support in the petty bourgeois democracy. Apart from the ongoing differences with Zinoviev and Kamenev, the discussions among the Central Committee members now revolve not so much about whether or not to prepare the uprising, but when and how. In contrast to Lenin, whose concern is that the right time for the uprising not be missed by the party, Trotsky argues that the insurrection should be prepared by a non-party body, and scheduled so that it can be sanctioned by the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets, which is due to take place in early November. In the end, the overwhelming majority of the Central Committee adopts Lenins proposed resolution with 10 votes for, and only two, Kamenev and Zinoviev, against it. This historic resolution states: The Central Committee recognizes that the international position of the Russian revolution (the revolt in the German navy which is an extreme manifestation of the growth throughout Europe of the world socialist revolution; the threat of peace by the imperialists with the object of strangling the revolution in Russia) as well as the military situation (the indubitable decision of the Russian bourgeoisie and Kerensky and Co. to surrender Petrograd to the Germans), and the fact that the proletarian party has gained a majority in the Sovietsall this, taken in conjunction with the peasant revolt and the swing of popular confidence towards our Party (the elections in Moscow), and, finally, the obvious preparations being made for a second Kornilov revolt (the withdrawal of troops from Petrograd, the dispatch of Cossacks to Petrograd, the encircling of Minsk by Cossacks, etc.)all this places the armed uprising on the order of the day. Considering therefore that an armed uprising is inevitable, and that the time for it is fully ripe, the Central Committee instructs all Party organizations to be guided accordingly, and to discuss and decide all practical questions (the Congress of Soviets of the Northern Region, the withdrawal of troops from Petrograd, the action of our people in Moscow and Minsk, etc.) from this point of view. No specific date for the insurrection is set yet. However, the Committee resolves to form a Political Bureau (Politburo), consisting of Lenin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Stalin, Bubnov and Sokolnikov, which is specifically tasked with directing the insurrection. Italian Front, October 24: Battle of Caporetto leads to collapse of Italian army, government With a massive poison gas bombardment, Austro-Hungarian and German troops launch the Battle of Caporetto (also known as the Battle of Kafreit) at 2 a.m., leading quickly to the near-implosion of the Italian army and, within two days, to the collapse of the Paolo Boselli government. The attack, which has been jointly organized by the two Central Powers in a bid to knock Italy out of the war, sees their forces make major advances during the day. Some Austro-Hungarian and German troops gain 25 kilometres. Many Italian troops defending the frontline flee, and others are killed or pushed back by a major artillery barrage and the detonation of large mines between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. The defeat exacerbates a crisis in the Italian army. Around 265,000 soldiers are taken prisoner, many of whom are demoralized and no longer willing to fight due to the harsh discipline imposed by the armys chief commander, General Luigi Cadorna. Italian ruling circles are extremely concerned about the influence of Bolshevism among the troops. In letters to Prime Minister Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, Cadorna refers to the need to clamp down on defeatists, a direct reference to those who have been influenced by Lenins program and no longer wish to continue the war. Republican politician Napoleone Colajanni seeks to discredit the socialist opposition to war by associating it with support for Germany, writing, the action of the Russian revolutionaries ensures the victory, not the defeat, of German armies. Vittorio Emanuele imposes a strict gag order on the press, fearing that news of the defeat will strengthen anti-war sentiment among the troops and population at large. The battle culminates in a catastrophic defeat for the Italians, with 10,000 soldiers killed and 30,000 injured. Italian troops retreat across the Tagliamento River, pursued by Austro-Hungarians and Germans. They take up new positions near the Piave in early November. Reports even circulate that the Italian government is considering moving to Naples in the expectation of further attacks. Its army is saved from complete collapse largely by more than 200,000 British and French troops sent as reinforcements. Their central mission is not to fight, but to prevent the dissolution of the Italian army. Although the battle is a victory for the Austro-Hungarian and German troops, conditions for them are little better. Their advance faces the immediate problem of poor supply lines under conditions in which the troops are already short of food and other necessities. The Austro-Hungarian and German forces lose an estimated 70,000 casualties and prisoners of war during the battle. The battle, also known as the Twelfth Battle of Isonzo, has been fought over the past two years. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers have been slaughtered on both sides over the mountainous area. October 25 (October 12, O.S.): Petrograd Soviet Executive Committee endorses Military Revolutionary Committee The Petrograd Soviet endorses the plan to organize the Military Revolutionary Committee along guidelines that convert it into an instrument of insurrection. The plan is drafted by the Left Socialist Revolutionary Pavel Lazimir who, like many Left SRs, strongly sympathizes with the Bolsheviks. The Defense Committee, suggested at the session on October 22 by the Mensheviks and SRs as a means of helping the Provisional Government to defend the city against the looming German onslaught, is now in the process of evolving into the central tool for the overthrow of the Provisional Government. When the Mensheviks and SRs see the guidelines they are both taken aback and dumbfounded. The Left Menshevik Sukhanov later commented, Here they said one thing and meant another. Indeed, the regulations provide for the establishment of departments of defense, supplies, communications, and intelligence under the supervision of the Committee. In other words, the Committee, a non-party body sanctioned by the Petrograd Soviet, is to become a counter-headquarters or a nucleus for a new government. A central aim of the Committees work is to increase the fighting capacity of the Petrograd garrison, not in defense of the Provisional Government, but rather in opposition to it. Trotsky later commented in his History of the Russian Revolution: The Mensheviks observed with helpless indignation that an idea advanced by them for patriotic purposes was being converted into a screen for the preparation of an insurrection. The camouflage was by no means impenetrableeverybody understood what the talk was aboutbut at the same time it could not be broken through. Had not the Compromisers themselves behaved in exactly the same way in the past, grouping the garrison around themselves at critical moments and creating sovereign bodies parallel with those of the government? The Bolsheviks were merely following the traditions, so to speak, of the dual power. But they were bringing a new content into these old forms. What had formerly served the purpose of compromise was now leading to civil war. The Mensheviks demanded that it be placed in the record that they were against the undertaking as a whole. This platonic request was granted. The Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee will serve as a role model for dozens of similar Military Revolutionary Committees that are formed in other cities and regions in the following days and weeks, and will play a critical role in the extension of workers power throughout the country. October 26 (October 13, O.S.): The Soldiers Section of the Petrograd Soviet debates the Military Revolutionary Committee In one of the most significant signs of the sharp shift to the left in Russia, the Soldiers Section of the Petrograd Soviet, for months a stronghold of Menshevik and SR influence, speaks out in favor of the creation of the Military Revolutionary Committee. In his speech, the sailor Pavel Dybenko from the Central Baltic Fleet (Tsentrobalt), expresses the growing insurrectionary moods among broad layers of soldiers and sailors. Trotsky would later recall his speech as follows: Dybenko told about the final break of the fleet with the government and their new attitudes to the command. Before the latest naval operations began, he said, the admiral addressed a question to the Congress of Sailors then sitting: Will they carry out military orders? We answered: We willunder supervision from our side. But ... if we see that the fleet is threatened with destruction, the commanding staff will be the first to hang from the mast-head. To the Petrograd garrison this was a new language. Even in the fleet it had come into use only in the last few days. It was the language of insurrection. The little group of Mensheviks grumbled distractedly in a corner. The prsidium looked out with some alarm upon that compact mass of grey soldier coats. Not one protesting voice from their ranks! Eyes burned like coals in their excited faces. A spirit of daring was in the air. In conclusion, stimulated by the universal sympathy, Dybenko confidently exclaimed: They talk about the need of bringing out the Petrograd garrison for the defense of the approaches to Petrograd and of Reval in particular. Dont believe a word of it. We will defend Reval ourselves. Stay here and defend the interests of the revolution ... When we need your support we will say so ourselves, and I am confident that you will support us. This challenge, which exactly matched the mood of the soldiers, called out a veritable whirlwind of sincere enthusiasm in which the protests of a few individual Mensheviks were completely drowned. The question of removing the regiments [from Petrograd] was settled from that moment. The Soviets Soldiers Section officially ratifies the plan for the creation of the Military Revolutionary Committee a few days later, on October 29 (October 16, O.S.) October 25-26, Ireland: Sinn Fein party convention agrees on new party constitution The Irish nationalist Sinn Fein adopts new political goals at its Ard Fheis (party convention). Delegates approve a formulation designed to reconcile the Republican wing of the party with the traditional faction under founder Arthur Griffith, who since founding the party in 1905 has called for the establishment of a dual monarchy between Britain and Ireland along the lines of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Republicans such as Cathal Brugha and Michael Collins demand an explicit commitment to republicanism. Although Sinn Fein did not participate as an organization in the 1916 Easter Rising, this would amount to an adoption of the rebels program. Republicanism has strengthened since the rising, with the emergence of Liberty Clubs and the growth of the Irish Volunteers. After Republicans led by Brugha organize a walkout, Eamon de Valera, who served as a commandant in the rising, proposes a compromise. It is ultimately backed unanimously by the congress. The agreement commits the party to secure the international recognition of Ireland as an independent Irish republic. It adds, Having achieved that status, the Irish people may by referendum freely choose the form of government. To achieve these ends, the congress agrees to Deny the right and oppose the will of the British Parliament and British Crown or any other foreign government to legislate for Ireland and Make use of any and every means available to render impotent the power of England to hold Ireland in subjection by military force or otherwise. The armed struggle referred to is to be led by the Irish Republican Army. Brugha is also appointed the IRAs chief of staff this month. Sinn Fein and Irish nationalist groups enjoy a dramatic rise during this period. At the same time, the struggles of the working class are intensifying. Mass strikes are a regular occurrence, and Irish workers are closely following developments in Russia. When news comes of the Bolshevik seizure of power, it will be greeted by a mass meeting of 10,000 in Dublin. The political domination of the nationalists is above all due to the failure of the Labour Party and other workers organizations to offer a clear alternative to Irish nationalism. Founded by James Connolly and his allies in the trade unions prior to the war, Labour adapts to Irish nationalism and permits Sinn Fein to dominate the mass opposition to British rule after 1916. Isolated by the betrayal of the Second International, Connolly made concessions to the nationalists prior to the rising. After his execution by the British in the wake of the rising, Connollys successors intensify this policy. This will culminate in the disastrous decision not to stand any Labour Party candidates in the parliamentary elections of 1918, leaving the field clear for the nationalists of Sinn Fein to sweep the board and strengthen their popular support. October 29 (October 16, O.S.): Enlarged Central Committee meeting confirms resolution on armed uprising Kamenev, left, and Zinoviev, Old Bolsheviks and close collaborators of Lenin, oppose the insurrection The Central Committee meets with representatives of the Bolshevik Military Organization and the Petersburg Committee to discuss remaining differences about the armed insurrection, which has been decided upon in a CC resolution from October 23 (October 10, O.S.), and concretize plans for the uprising. Countering the opposition still voiced by Lev Kamenev and Grigory Zinoviev to an armed uprising by the working class under the leadership of the Bolshevik Party, Lenin insists in the opening report: We cant be led by the masses mood, because it changes and defies calculation. We must proceed through objective analysis and estimation of the revolution. The masses trust the Bolsheviks and demand deeds of them, not just words. They demand a decisive policy of struggle against the war and against ruin. A basic political analysis of the revolution makes this absolutely clear, and recent anarchistic uprisings corroborate this. In his report, Yakov Sverdlov documents an enormous growth of the party membership to now some 400,000. Sverdlov further reports on the mobilization of counter-revolutionary forces in the Donetsk Region, Minsk and the Northern Front. Bokii and Krylenko, representing the Petersburg Committee and the Military Organization, respectively, provide differing assessments of the moods of workers and soldiers in the key districts and garrisons of Petrograd. Krylenko, reflecting the ultra-left tendencies still strong in the Bolshevik Military Organization, argues that the troops are with us to a man and dismisses technical aspects of the preparation for the insurrection. Kamenev and Zinoviev reiterate their opposition to an armed insurrection, and urge the Central Committee to renounce the resolution from October 23. Zinoviev warns of a position that completely isolates us. Kamenev supports him, arguing, We have no apparatus for an insurrection; our enemies have quite a strong apparatus, and it probably has grown during this week All the resolution did was allow the government to get organized itself Our forces are not adequate to ensure victory in an insurrection, but adequate to prevent extreme reaction. There are two tactics at conflict here: the tactic of conspiracy and the tactic of faith in the Russian revolutions motor forces. Their arguments are countered by several Central Committee members, including the Ukrainian Bolshevik Mykola Skrypnyk who states, according to the transcript, If we do not have the strength now, we will not have more later. If now we cant keep power, later it will be even worse. There is no guarantee for victory, Skrypnyk continues, but Kamenev and Zinoviev are repeating what the Mensheviks and SRs said when power was offered to them. We are talking too much, when what is needed is action. The masses demand this of us. If we give them nothing, they will regard it as a crime. What is needed is preparation for an insurrection and a call to the masses. Toward the end of the meeting, according to the transcript, Lenin argues that If an insurrection is politically inevitable, then we must speak about insurrection as an art. And politically, it already has ripened. It is precisely because there is bread for only one day that we cannot wait for the Constituent Assembly. Lenin proposes that the resolution be confirmed and that decisive preparations be made. Then let the Central Committee and the Soviet decide when. At the end, the Central Committee adopts Lenins resolution with 20 votes, reaffirming the necessity to prepare for an armed uprising. Kamenev and Zinoviev vote against the resolution, and three other members abstain. The Committee then selects a Military-Revolutionary Center, composed of Sverdlov, Stalin, Bubnov, Uritsky and Dzerzhinsky. This Center is designed to become part of the Soviet Revolutionary Committee that had been formed by the Petrograd Soviet. Thereby, the Central Committee for the first time suggests that the Military Revolutionary Committee might becomeas it indeed willthe main body directing the seizure of power. Transcript quoted from Michael C. Hickey: Competing Voices from the Russian Revolution, Greenwood 2010, pp. 427-439. Also this week: Petrograd, October 29-November 1 (October 16-19, O.S.): Workers cultural and educational organizations establish what will become the Proletarian Culture movement All the proletarian-educational organizations in Petrograd hold a conference to discuss the establishment of a centralized cultural institution among workers, first in the city and then throughout Russia. The Bolshevik Anatoly Lunacharsky has been working on the organization of such a conference for some time. In August, he addressed cultural issues at a gathering of factory committees. He argued, according to historian Lynn Mally, against those who seemed to think that culture was some sort of dessert, a treat to be enjoyed when the political situation had stabilized. At the conference, held in the Petrograd city duma, some 200 workers and intellectuals meet to discuss the role of arts and education in the working class movement. Lunacharsky presides, assisted by Fedor Kalinin (the younger brother of Mikhail Kalinin), a former weaver who is there representing the unions; and two Bolshevik organizers, longtime party member Konkordiya Samoilova, and Yuri Steklov, the Old Bolshevik, journalist, and historian. The audience is split over the question of past culture and whether it can be of value to the proletariat. Lunacharsky endorses the idea of proletarian culture, but reminds workers they have much to learn from the culture of the past. The final resolution reads: In both science and art the proletariat will develop its own independent forms, but it should also make use of all the cultural achievements of the past and present in this task. Alexander Bogdanov, the champion of utopian-idealist conceptions of proletarian culture and related ideas and Lunacharskys longtime mentor, is not present. He will organize a similar meeting in Moscow in February 1918. EDGEWATER, Fla. (AP) - A sheriff's deputy was stabbed as he tried to help a neighbor whose ex-girlfriend had set his home on fire. In a Daytona Beach News-Journal report , Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Michael DeMalia ran to the Edgewater home of reserve deputy Cliff Williams to seek help Saturday. Authorities said 26-year-old Brittany Bonin had come to DeMalia's home demanding repayment for gifts she bought for his daughter, then set his house ablaze. Chitwood said Bonin stabbed Williams as he tried to subdue her. Williams was treated at a hospital and released. Bonin was held without bond on charges of aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, first-degree arson, tampering with a witness and battery. Jail records did not show whether she had an attorney. BAKER CO., GA (WALB) - Officials have identified the man who died after driving off a bridge in Baker County Monday morning. It happened around 1:30 a.m. on Highway 200 near Jericho Road. Troopers said James Wallace, 23, was driving down Highway 200, almost into Calhoun County when his car began to hydroplane. As the car drove off the road, it hit the guardrail and a traffic sign before crossing the bridge and falling about 170 feet down, rolling over several times. Officials said Wallace was not wearing a seatbelt. He was thrown from the car and transported to Pheobe where he died a few hours later. A passenger in the car, Kadedra Wallace, 21, told troopers the Wallace was driving too fast into the curve and lost control. The incident is still under investigation. Copyright 2017 WALB. All rights reserved. MOBILE USERS: Download our WTXL news app on your Apple and Android devices for the latest from South Georgia and North Florida. Also, download our WTXL Weather Now app for Apple and Android devices to get the latest local weather wherever you go. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for additional local news and hourly updates. Copyright 2017 WTXL via Raycom News Network. All rights reserved. Its no secret this country is extraordinarily divided on the issue of gun rights, and common ground has been hard to come by. Thats why its heartening to see fact-based evidence of a law that has produced results in curbing gun deaths without infringing on the rights of lawful owners to purchase weapons. A new and rigorous study by Harvard Business Research shows states with gun-purchase waiting periods consistently show 17 percent fewer gun homicides than states without such laws, saving 750 lives a year nationwide. Researchers project a nationwide waiting period could save an additional 900 lives annually. The findings come from a rigorous analysis of 45 years of data on every change to state and local waiting periods between 1970 and 2014. The results, researchers said, confirmed a large and robust effect of waiting periods on homicides. Findings on suicides were less consistent, but showed between 7 percent and 11 percent fewer gun suicides than in states without waiting periods. That could save a substantial number of lives, given that about half the suicides in the United States are caused by firearms, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. What exists now is a hodgepodge of state regulations. California requires 10 days for all firearms purchases. Minnesota has a weeklong waiting period on handguns and assault-style rifles unless the weapon is bought through a private sale or the buyer already has a permit. (Wisconsin repealed its 48-hour waiting period on handguns in 2015.) A waiting period wont prevent all gun deaths, but researchers found that gun deaths resulting from impulsive emotion can be reduced through such measures. Visceral factors, such as anger or suicidal impulses, can spur people to inflict harm on others or themselves, but tend to be transitory states, the study noted, with a cooling-off period of as few as 48 hours producing noticeable reductions in gun deaths. The study drew on another set of data: The four years in which the United States did have a nationwide waiting period, replaced in 1998 by the current system of instant background checks. Researchers found the same 17 percent drop. Background checks have their own merits, but some are done in minutes. Having both waiting periods and background checks makes more sense. Gun owners may find a waiting period irksome, but it is a minor inconvenience weighed against lives saved. No one qualified to own a gun is denied one. The wait is, in most instances, not much more than for an Amazon delivery. Some states have exceptions for urgent situations, in which local law enforcement can authorize a bypass of the waiting period. Thats an important safeguard. Whats remarkable about the Harvard study is that it exists at all. For 20 years a ban on federally funding research has suppressed reasonable, fact-based debate, allowing tribalistic hyperbole to dominate discussions. Guns kill tens of thousands annually in the U.S. and seriously injure thousands more. Yet this country is kept deliberately in the dark as to possible effective remedies. Other experts agree with the Harvard findings. Christopher Herrmann, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said his 20 years of study including years with the New York Police Department have convinced him that waiting periods are effective, particularly for workplace violence and domestic violence. The guy who got fired, goes out, buys a gun and kills his boss and himself thats the kind who needs a cooling-off period, Herrmann said. For domestic violence, he said, ready access to a gun can turn an assault into a homicide. Its a violence-reduction technique, he said. You are minimizing the opportunity individuals have to kill themselves or others.... Harvard is to be commended for expending its own resources to provide factual evidence for what works. What is needed now is for Congress to act on it. Restore a national waiting period. Make it applicable to every gun purchase, including private sales. Not one individual in the United States will lose their right to own a gun because of it. The public strongly supports waiting periods. As Herrmann noted, They are easy to understand, tangible and practical. There may be no better start to breaking the paralysis in this country on gun issues than a reasonable, nationwide waiting period. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Leon County Chairman John Dailey and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum are meeting Monday to discuss the recent spate of violence and possible solutions. It's the type of partnership Gillum has been pushing for, calling on all local government and law enforcement to activate a central action center at the Public Safety Complex under the leadership of Sheriff Walt McNeil. Ahead of the meeting, Dailey says that while he's glad he and the mayor are talking about this issue face-to-face, he has doubts about turning Leon County's Emergency Operations Center into a crime-fighting hub. Dailey and Gillum will meet at the Leon County Courthouse. MOBILE USERS: Download our WTXL news app on your Apple and Android devices for the latest from South Georgia and North Florida. Also, download our WTXL Weather Now app for Apple and Android devices to get the latest local weather wherever you go. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for additional local news and hourly updates. Copyright 2017 WTXL via Raycom News Network. All rights reserved. MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - An oyster bar opening in Overton Square in December is already causing a controversy. Indian Pass Raw Bar is a seafood restaurant under construction on Madison Avenue. It's a Florida-based restaurant set to expand into Memphis. However, some people are not happy about the upcoming establishment. "It's just disrespectful and inappropriate," Lisa Moore said. "I understand that this is a restaurant that is branching out from Florida, where it's an area where Indian pass is a street name or something like that, but to translate that into the Memphis market doesn't translate." Moore said Indian Pass is especially insensitive in Memphis because of the Trail of Tears. Trail of Tears is the name given to the forced removal of Native Americans by the U.S. government in the 1830s. Thousands of Native Americans were killed in Trail of Tears. "I think it disregards a cultural heritage and history here that's just inappropriate," Moore said. The owners of Indian Pass said the name is not meant to be offensive. "People there know that Indian Pass represents fresh seafood. That name 'Indian Pass' is where the fresh seafood is gathered, so that's what the name represents, and it's the name of the family business like I said since 1929," the business owners said. Moore understands that not everyone will be offended by the name, but she said she thinks it should be changed. "I think we have to start holding each other and businesses accountable for being aware--woke if you will--about what the history is, what the market is," Moore said. Indian Pass is scheduled to open December 9. Copyright 2017 WMC Action News 5. All rights reserved. MOBILE USERS: Download our WTXL news app on your Apple and Android devices for the latest from South Georgia and North Florida. Also, download our WTXL Weather Now app for Apple and Android devices to get the latest local weather wherever you go. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for additional local news and hourly updates. Copyright 2017 WTXL via Raycom News Network. All rights reserved. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - At the Florida historic Capitol, dozens gathered for a protest against police brutality. Organizers of the rally Sunday said they also want to establish a citizen police accountability counsel for oversight. They say similar committees already exist in cities like Jacksonville and Chicago. The rally was organized by the group: Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society. MOBILE USERS: Download our WTXL news app on your Apple and Android devices for the latest from South Georgia and North Florida. Also, download our WTXL Weather Now app for Apple and Android devices to get the latest local weather wherever you go. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for additional local news and hourly updates. Copyright 2017 WTXL via Raycom News Network. All rights reserved. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Tallahassee Police are searching for a woman caught on camera walking out from the Walmart on Apalachee Pkwy with over $600 in merchandise. TPD says a female entered the Walmart at 3535 Apalachee Pkwy picked numerous items. They say the woman passed all points of purchase without offering payment for the merchandise in the shopping cart. The total amount stolen was over $600. Police say she left the area in a black vehicle with a Georgia tag. If you recognize her or have any information, please call TPDs Property Crimes Unit at 850-891-4200 or Crime Stoppers at 850-574-TIPS. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Police have arrested a man accused of stealing four flatscreens and a generator from a Tallahassee apartment complex during Hurricane Irma. Officers say Michael Lee Sinclair Jr. stole the items from the Osceola Apartments on Chapel Drive. According to a probable cause document, Sinclair Jr. made several trips in and out of the complex's lounge between Sept. 11 and Sept. 15. Officers say that on seven different incidents, Sinclair Jr. was caught on surveillance footage forcefully removing the televisions from the wall. They say each time Sinclair Jr. came in he'd take one television and return about an hour later to get another. The report say the total value of the items stolen came up to $3,500. On Sept. 18, investigators positively identified the suspect as Sinclair Jr. and issued a warrant for his arrest. He was taken into custody over the weekend. Sinclair Jr. was charged with seven counts of burglary during a state of emergency and seven counts of petit theft. Authorities say he faces elevated burglary charges due to Florida being under a state of emergency during the thefts. Sinclair Jr. remains in the Leon County Jail. You are the owner of this article. Vickie Ybarra, director of research and policy for the Division of Children, Youth and Families for the State of Washington, will speak at Thursday's dinner. (Submitted photo) Dreamers. Its a word that for some can seem a little muddled underneath all the political red tape surrounding DACA, the more common name given to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. This is the U.S. immigration policy designed to allow deferred action from deportation to some minors who entered the country illegally. The Dreamers must fit certain criteria, all of which point to individuals who have resided in the U.S. since a young age and are working toward making a contribution in work, school, or military service. One of these Dreamers is 18-year-old Oswaldo Zotelo, a recent A.C. Davis High School graduate who is a freshman this fall at Yakima Valley College. Having lived in Yakima since 2002, when he came to the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 3, Zotelo spent his entire school life in the Yakima School District, starting at Garfield Elementary. Throughout elementary and the beginning of middle school, Zotelo believed he could succeed, and says he worked hard at his studies. Then, during middle school, his peers told him he could not attend college because he was not a legal citizen. Zotelo found this information to be devastating. He encapsulates his reaction by recalling: If it doesnt matter how good my grades are, then whats the point in trying? Zotelos motivation, but not his goals, crumbled, along with his grades. Then as a freshman entering Davis, he met Maria Urena, a counselor at school. She helped him apply for DACA, and changed his outlook. All his life he had lived in fear. The worry of being caught and deported or given jail time was constant for Zotelo, from when he was a small child when he had moved to the U.S. from Mexico until he received his DACA status. Without DACA, he lived in paranoia. Zotelo says it was enormous pressure to be a child and be afraid of being removed from the familiar setting of his life or placed in jail. He did not know how to apply for DACA before Urenas help.He said the application efforts involved an arduous and expensive process, one that typically can take two or three months. The paperwork had to be done correctly, otherwise it would be sent back, and another fine would be charged. Submitting the application cost $495 and, to ensure it was done correctly by the use of lawyer as Zotelo did, the process cost about another $500. Although some help centers will check paperwork for free, there is a long wait for those, Zotelo explained. Zotelo was able to quality for DACA, and his life was changed again. Receiving his DACA status was like re-igniting the flame for college. He put extra effort into his school work, with hopes of being able to study computer science in college. During his senior year, Zotelo had another slump. He could only apply for Washington state financial aid, since federal financial aid is not available to DACA students. His heart burned to attend a college like Western Washington University or Washington State University, but his Washington financial aid package was not exactly the amount needed to attend those schools. He also couldnt take out student loans. With that in mind, he chose to go to YVC, prompted by Urena. Looking back, Zotelo feels DACA changed his life, giving him the motivation and ability to go to college. He says DACA provided him with more than just a scholastic opportunity, but also eased his concerns about deportation, and allowed him to live a more normal life. Zotelo says the best part about DACA is: (It) helps you with living an honest life. Amelia Pruiett is a senior at Davis High School and a member of the Yakima Herald-Republics Unleashed program for teen journalists. An IDF brigadier-general was interrogated by the army's Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Sunday following a suspicion he received and possessed military and civilian equipment illegally. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The Reshet Bet radio station originally reported the officer was interrogated for allegedly hiding an AK-47 assault rifle and other armaments in a container accompanying him throughout his stay in different IDF bases. The IDF has yet to decide whether to suspend the officer involved, and a decision will be made in accordance with the findings of the inquiry, which is still ongoing. Footage of the container's search X The senior officer held a private container in the base in which he served that contained an AK-47, a handgun, night-vision instruments and bullets, Reshet Bet reported. The officer allegedly improved, renewed and utilized the weapons for his own purposesand then had his personal driver hide it. The contents of the officer's container The AK-47 may have been taken as a spoil of war, possibly used by Hamas in the past. The officer has been interrogated two weeks ago, the report said. The driver who hid the weapons under the officers ordered was interviewed by Reshet Bet, and said he felt ill at ease with the acts. The container hiding the illicit equipment also held various appliances such as a television set and washing machine. "The officer has an immaculate combat service record in a number of central roles and in leading soldiers in different sectors. He indeed owns a container that intermittently followed him to new bases in which he was stationed containing personal effects and other objects intended for IDF soldiers. The officer is principled and honest and has been fully cooperating with investigators and provided his account. He is convinced the inquiry will conclude without finding any criminality," said Chief Military Defense Councils, Colonel Ran Cohen and Lieutenant Ariel Hebron, who represent the officer. Voters in the wealthy northern Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto were deciding Sunday if they want to seek greater autonomy from Rome, riding a tide of self-determination sweeping global politics, most vociferously in Catalonia. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter While the twin referendums are non-binding, a resounding "yes" vote would give the presidents of the neighboring regions more leverage in negotiations to seek a greater share of tax revenue and to grab more responsibility from Italy's central government. A woman casts her vote in Sunday's autonomy referendum in northern Italy (Photo: Reuters) Unlike in Catalonia, the referendums do not seek independence and have been approved by Italy's constitutional court. Still, the autonomy drive is a powerful threat to Rome's authority. Together, Veneto and Lombardy account for 30 percent of Italy's GDP and nearly one-quarter of the nation's electorate. 'A page of history is being written' At their respective polling places, Lombardy President Roberto Maroni and Veneto President Luca Zaia cast the referendum as a historic opportunity. Veneto President Luca Zaia said the referendum was a historic opportunity (Photo: Reuters) Maroni, speaking as he voted in Varese province north of Milan, said the referendum represented "a historic occasion" for the two leaders to seek "greater responsibilities and resources." Maroni said he would be happy if 34 percent of the region's 7.5 million voters cast ballots, equal to the national turnout in a 2001 constitutional referendum. Veneto's aspirations will wither if voter turnout is below 50 percent plus one of the region's 3.5 million voters. Lombardy President Roberto Maroni (Photo: Reuters) By noon, nearly 11 percent of Lombard voters had cast ballots while the Veneto turnout was 21 percent, according to the Italian news agency ANSA. 'Management of immigration policy has to be done at national level' Critically, some of the key areas where the two northern regions want more autonomyincluding greater fiscal control, immigration and security issuesare beyond the scope defined by the constitution, thereby requiring difficult-to-achieve constitutional changes. "I don't think this is possible," said Paolo Natale, a political scientist at Milan's state university. "It will be difficult for the state to accept that they take over education and security policy. The management of immigration policy has to be done at a national level." Advertisements announcing the referendum in Venice (Photo: AFP) Other policy areas where autonomy is easier to winincluding environmental and cultural protectionhave not been on the front lines of the referendum campaign. Both regions are run by the anti-migrant, anti-Europe Northern League, which has long given up its founding goal of secession as it seeks a national profile. Also voicing their support for the referendums were former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's "Forza Italia" party and the anti- establishment "Five Star Movement." With the Democratic Party urging its voters to abstain, the votes Sunday will measure the mood ahead of a national election next year, when Berlusconi says he will make autonomy for all of Italy's regions part of the center-right agenda. Critics argue the non-binding votes carry no legal weight, are not needed to trigger autonomy negotiations and are a costly waste of resources. Photo: Reuters The Italian constitution already grants varying levels of autonomy to five regions in recognition of their special status: the largely German-speaking Trentino-Alto Adige; the French-speaking Aosta; the islands of Sardinia and Sicily; and the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia for its position on the border with then-Yugoslavia as a Cold War hedge. Veneto was twice denied by the constitutional court requests for referendums for fiscal autonomy before a 2001 constitutional change defined the policy areas for which Italy's 15 ordinary regions can seek autonomy. After first arresting him on Saturday night, the court decided to release radical anti-assimilation group Lehava leader Benzi Gopstein, over suspicion that he led other members in intimidating Arab men rumored to be in a romantic relationship with Jewish women. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Lehava's right-wing rhetoric propagates the separation of Jews and Arabs, especially as it pertains to personal relationships. Gopstein was detained for questioning along with 14 other Lehava members on charges of intimidation. Their modus operandi is believed to have been circulating a message titled "an end to assimilation" on the encrypted social network Telegram, which included a list with the personal details of Arab men romantically involved with Jewish women, and then proceeded to threaten the men to break off the relationships. Gopstein (Photo: Alex Kolomosiky) Ten of those arrested were later released without intention of bringing them to trial. A source in the police stated that "there is evidence that anyone who dates a Jewish woman is harassed and threatened. They have a team of 'hunters,' as they call them, who as soon as they got information on an Arab man who is dating a Jewish woman, they would transfer the information on him via Telegram and threaten him. They had intel and would write each Arab to ask whether they should come see him with their faces covered or use another method." Gopstein's arrest came following several police raids carried out at Lehava members' homes over the past few weeks in the Jerusalem, Central, South and West Bank districts. It was the Central Police Investigation Unit that eventually raided Gopstein's home, confiscating his personal computer, cellular phone and several documents. During a hearing on Sunday over Gopstein's arrest, the police requested that he remain in custody for an additional five days, stating that he is suspected of a single count of threat. Gopstein's lawyer, Itamar Ben Gvir, claimed that acts aiming to prevent assimilation are not akin to racism. After hearing both sides, presiding Judge Eitan Cohen stated he found that "the suspicion surrounding Gopstein is circumstantial and flimsy." He ruled that Gopstein would be released from police custody but remain under house arrest until October 26, and that he will be forbidden from contacting others involved in the case for the next 30 days. Prior to entering Sunday's hearing, Ben Gvir stated that "it's a dark day for democracy, a disgrace that the Israel Police arrests my client for telling a Jewish woman it's not right for her to go out with Arabs. What's going on here? Have we turned into Iran? Iraq? Syria? Where's the freedom of speech in the State of Israel? Ben Gvir (Photo: Ido Erez) "There's no doubt that this investigation, carried out in the dead of night, only came about due to pressure from the reformists, pressure from all kinds of radical Left organizations that appealed to the High Court against my client. These organizations and the police need to understand that Israel is a democracy, and that people are allowed to speak in Israel, even Benzi Gopstein." Gopstein himself also spoke prior to the hearing. "A bunch of cops came into my house. They wanted to search the house and started yelling. I told them I've got nothing to hide, everything's legal, that they should wait, that they could be decent about it. I told them I'd go with any officer to ask me. They decided to take me away by force. They took my children's computers, office computers. "They accused me of telling a girl that 'if she continues to go out with Arabs, bad things will happen to her,'" continued Gopstein. "I didn't say this, though it's true, because if she continues to go out with Arabs, bad things will happen to her. "No one has accused me of assault. I only told (a womaned) that her grandfather and grandmother are crying over it in heaven," added Gopstein. "I've been receiving a little sympathy from the public, so they decided they need to diminish that sympathy and said, 'Let's arrest him,' but it won't help. Every arrest like this one only makes me and the Lehava organization stronger." Israel Police issued a statement in response, saying that "lately, the police and security apparatus have been dealing with several incidents involving the attack and harassment of minorities in Jerusalem by members of Lehava, on the matter of assimilation. "The police's decision to detain and/or arrest the activists is intended to nip this phenomenon and prevent its proliferation, while simultaneously preventing the group's activities from becoming more extreme and harming others." "The Israel Police will act anywhere criminals take justice into their own hands, threaten, extort and act violently for any reason, to protect the decent way of life." US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson took the Trump administration's case for isolating and containing Iran in the Middle East and beyond to two Gulf Arab nations on Sunday, pushing for Saudi Arabia and Iraq to unite to counter growing Iranian assertiveness. He also called for a quick resolution to the ongoing crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors, which he said was unintentionally bolstering Iran. In Saudi Arabia and later Qatar, Tillerson denounced Iran's "malign behavior" and urged nations of the region and elsewhere, notably Europe, to join the administration to halt any business they do with Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps. He also demanded that Iranian and Iran-backed Shiite militia in Iraq either return to their homes, integrate into the Iraqi army or leave the country. "Those fighters need to go home," Tillerson said. "Any foreign fighters need to go home." A Palestinian was killed and another was seriously injured in a traffic accident on Road 5066 in the West Bank. An Israeli woman was moderately injured and evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, along with two other Israelis who sustained minor injuries. Two Palestinians were also lightly injured. Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri said during his visit to Tehran that the terrorist group hopes to continue to receive Iran's support in their resistance against Israel and vowed they will never disarm, rejecting Israeli preconditions for any peace talks. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "The main and primary benefactor supporting the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades in developing their capabilities, whether through knowledge or assistance, is Iran," al-Arouri openly stated at a meeting with Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani in Tehran. "We hope this will continue until the occupation is defeated." "Iran's support continues and has not stopped despite what has happened in our political relations with it in recent years," he added, thanking Larijani. Saleh al-Arouri (L) at a meeting with Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani, Tehran (Photo: Reuters) "We will continue to resist the occupation and will not give up our arms," he reiterated. "Hamas does not recognize Israel and does not give up its right to resist. The issue of resistance and its weapons was not discussed in the reconciliation talks. "As long as the occupation exists and expands, it is natural that we strengthen our capabilities and improve in order to deal with it. We will not agree to negotiate the weapons of resistance as long as there is occupation." Saleh al-Arouri (L) and Ali Larijani (Photo: Reuters) Al-Arouri is heading the Hamas delegation to Iran, which for the second time in two months has visited the Islamic Republic after years of diplomatic stagnation following former Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal's outspoken support of the resistance groups opposing the Syrian regime, who Iran labels as terrorists. In recent weeks, senior Fatah officials, led by PA President Mahmoud Abbas, have reaffirmed that they will not accept a reconciliation agreement without full security control over the Gaza Strip. The agreement, however, was signed without any mention of Hamas' disarmament or forfeiture of their security control over the strip. Last week, President Donald Trump's special Mideast envoy Jason Greenblatt said if Hamas wants to play a role in any Palestinian government it must renounce violence and commit to peaceful negotiations with Israel. Fifty-one Palestinian residents of Isawiya, an east Jerusalem Arab neighborhood, were arrested overnight Sunday when hundreds of policemen and Border Policemen descended on the neighborhood as part of an operation to apprehend people suspected of terrorisms, rioting and other criminal acts. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter In an attempt to curb the residents' hostile reaction, the police were joined by scores of Jerusalem municipality employees who, in parallel to the arrests, examined the licensing and safety conditions of businesses providing services in the neighborhood, installed and fixed lighting in public spaces, cleared garbage dumps and safety hazards, removed and repaired street signs, erased graffiti and the like. The overnight operation (: ) X During the course of the operation, the police carried out targeted searches and arrests of suspects against whom they had evidence of participation in recent violent riots, such as footage of them throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at vehicles and security forces. The detainees were brought to the district's police station for further questioning, and will be subsequently brought before the court for a remand hearing. Jerusalem District Police Commander Yoram Halevy defined the operation as a combination of determined enforcement against those involved in criminal or security offenses and an improvement in the quality of life of the normative residents of the village. "This activity is a direct continuation of the police struggle against violent crime, disturbances and terrorism and against those who take an active part in violent disturbances against civilians and security forces," the police said in a statement. However, others were less than enthusiastic about police measures. "Mass arrests in the middle of the night and hundreds of armed Border Police officers in residential neighborhoods will not bring peace to the residents of Jerusalem," Said Aviv Tatarsky, researcher at pro-coexistence Israeli non-profit organization Ir Amim. "Instead of understanding that our policy is undermining Jerusalem and harming all its residents, the Israeli authorities continue to use disproportionate force that will only exacerbate the crisis in the long run." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday Islamic State killed at least 128 people in the Syrian town of al-Qaryatayn in central Homs over a three-week period before the Syrian army recaptured it on Saturday. There was no immediate comment from Syrian government officials or state media on the report. Israeli lawmakers returned to the Knesset on Monday to kick off its winter session, where political parties outlined their primary objectives which, for opposition parties touched primarily on toppling the government, and for coalition parties centered on maintaining the Rights grasp on power. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Bayit Yehudi) was first to speak to the press at a party faction meeting, where he took aim at the Supreme Court, saying there are judges in Jerusalem who have forgotten there is also a government in Jerusalem. Speaking ahead of the plenum session, Bennett outlined the fundamental goals of his party, saying he was determined to pass the constitutional plan that will return the power to govern back to the government. The government will govern, the Knesset will legislate and the judges will judge. Naftali Bennett (Photo: Gil Yohanan) Bennett, together with Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Bayit Yehudi), announced their intention to work in order to complete the constitution in Israel by advancing amendments that would prevent the Supreme Court from intervening on matters of legislation in the Knesset and impose practical limits on judicial censure. According to Bennett and Shaked, the aim was to reinstate a balance between the three branches of authority in Israel, which would require the appendage of a brand new of the Basic Law on legislation, which they contend is missing from the Israeli constitution and is required to join the Basic Laws on the Knesset, the government and the judiciary. The Supreme Court is not supposed to intervene and tell us if it likes or doesn't like a specific law. That is the job of the Knesset, Bennett said, spelling out his grievances before the journalists. The Supreme Court cannot nullify the will of the nation just because it doesnt like this law or that law. The time has come to determine when the Supreme Court can disqualify a bill against the Knessets will and when it has to be approved by the Knesset. This will strengthen the State of Israel and we will work to codify it. One of the most hotly contested bills which is expected to spark a raucous debate in the Knesset is the Likud-sponsored bill designed to shield a sitting prime minister from being investigated. PM Netanyahu (Photo: Gil Yohanan) Dubbed the French Bill, the legislation draft was spearheaded by MK David Amsalem (Likud) as a means to extricate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from a web of corruption investigations at which he is the center. The controversial bill has come under attack on numerous occasions since Amsalem submitted it for consideration. As recently as Monday, State Prosecutor Shay Nitzan slammed the notion that any senior official should be immune from scrutiny and investigation for alleged wrongdoing, describing it as a total mistake." Addressing the bill before the plenum, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid denounced the proposed bill, insisting that it should be renamed from the French Bill to the Benjamin Netanyahu Bill. Yair Lapid (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Lapid sought to emphasize that the main focus of the coalition's talks was not centered on peoples everyday lives, but rather on protecting Netanyahu. What is the prime minister advancing and what is his coalition arguing about? The minimum wage? Education? Of course not. The only thing that is interests them is to quickly pass the bill so the prime minister cant be investigated, Lapid said. There is nothing French about this bill. Lets call it by its real name The Benjamin Netanyahu Bill, which is intended to stop his investigations. After slighting the prime minister, Lapid set out the aims of his own party which he said affected the lives of regular citizens, beginning with the reinstatement of the Conscription Law. We will implement again the Conscription Law, he promised. I want to see who this government is for: IDF soldiers or political blackmail. We will submit (Menachem) Begins version of the Nationality Bill. The real Nationality Bill without an attempt to fan the flames between Israeli citizens. Finally, the Yesh Atid leader pledged he would seek to impose a two-term limit on any prime minister. Anyone who is disappointed with Netanyahu sees how important it is to submit this bill. Four terms is too much. It produces disasters such as the submarine affair which harms the holy of holies and harms the states security. There will be no hiding from investigating Netanyahu in this affair. Recently appointed leader of the opposition Zionist Union camp Avi Gabbay also reserved the majority of his remarks for targeting Netanyahu. Avi Gabbay We will create an alternative to the current regime, he told the journalists. We will focus together and unify and create a practical program for the day after this current regime. We will be everywhere the current regime isnt. The government, he said was on permanent absence from the State of Israel. Determined to pinpoint the flaws in Netanyahus government and prove he can lead the opposition to to victory in the next general elections, Gabbay scolded the current government discussions for being almost entirely bereft of matters relating to peoples lives. Every bill being proposed now has no bearing on civilians. Their sole goal is to be elected again. Speaking at his Yisrael Beytenu party faction, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman concentrated on the last wave of hostilities that erupted between Israel and Syria, insisting that the five rockets fired at it by Syrian artillery cannons early Saturday was not errant fire. Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) The fire was carried out by a local cell operated by Hezbollah, Lieberman said. Hezbollah did this in isolation of the Assad regime. There was a personal instruction given by Nasrallah to compartmentalize Assad and his regime from carrying out this shooting. About 1,000 ultra-Orthodox demonstrators are protesting in front of the Knesset building in Jerusalem as part of their protest against the draft law. The demonstrators attempted to break into the Knesset by force. President Reuven Rivlin lamented Monday attempts to weaken and undermine the Supreme Court, describing it as "a continuous attempt to weaken the gatekeepers of the Israeli democracy." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Speaking in front of Israel's legislators during the opening meeting of the Knesset's winter session, Rivlin warned of the attempt done by the government and Knesset to politicize the State of Israel's different institutions. "We are witnessing the winds of change, or a second revolution. This time, the majority rule is the only ruler. The whole country and its institutions are full of politics," the president said. "A new reality is being created in which everything is politicizedthe media, the democratic institutions, all the way to the state comptrollerpolitical. The Supreme Courtpolitical. The security forcespolitical." President Reuven Rivlin (Photo: Motti Kimchi) "This revolution seeks to finally rip the mask of alleged hypocrisy off the gatekeepers," Rivlin continued. "In this revolution, the ruler is also the victim. 'We'll show them' is the soundtrack of the revolution. The stateliness has gone from our country, after us the deluge." He spoke of a chasm "between the responsible attempt to the define, after many years, the breach in the relationship between the legislative and judicial branches; to delineate judicial criticism; to ask questions about the mechanism through which the appointments of judges to reach a more varied and representative judges' panel, and between attempts to terrorize the court and weaken it, to actively invite the public to undermine its authorities and rulings. How can a threatened, conformist and toothless court be in the interest of the State of Israel? Of Israeli democracy?" During a Bayit Yehudi party meeting earlier in the day, party leader Education Minister Naftali Bennett took aim at the Supreme Court, saying there are judges in Jerusalem who have forgotten there is also a government in Jerusalem. Bennett outlined the fundamental goals of his party, saying he was determined to pass the constitutional plan that will return the power to govern back to the government. The government will govern, the Knesset will legislate and the judges will judge. Naftali Bennett (Photo: Gil Yohanan) Bennett, together with Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Bayit Yehudi), announced their intention to work in order to complete the constitution in Israel by advancing amendments that would prevent the Supreme Court from intervening on matters of legislation in the Knesset and impose practical limits on judicial censure. According to Bennett and Shaked, the aim was to reinstate a balance between the three branches of authority in Israel, which would require the appendage of a brand new of the Basic Law on legislation, which they contend is missing from the Israeli constitution and is required to join the Basic Laws on the Knesset, the government and the judiciary. The Supreme Court is not supposed to intervene and tell us if it likes or doesn't like a specific law. That is the job of the Knesset, Bennett said, spelling out his grievances before the journalists. The Supreme Court cannot nullify the will of the nation just because it doesnt like this law or that law. The time has come to determine when the Supreme Court can disqualify a bill against the Knessets will and when it has to be approved by the Knesset. This will strengthen the State of Israel and we will work to codify it. Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein also addressed the issue from the podium at the Knesset. "Israel's separation of powers has become a myth, a legend. The Knesset's standing has been reduced to almost nothing," he asserted. "We're at a point where we have no other choice but to stop and do something about it in this coming session in order to restore the separation of old. I beseech opposition members, don't forget that your frequent appeals to the High Court carry a heavy toll on our democracy," Edelstein added. With the Knesset reconvening for the beginning of its winter session Monday, as many as six different demonstrationsincluding disabled persons, the blind, police and Israel Prison Service retirees, environmentalists, cannabis legalization activists and Haredimwere held simultaneously outside the Knesset building, all vying for attention from the government and parliament members. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter First on the scene were members of the groups of disabled people objecting to the agreement recently signed with representatives of some of disabled protest groups and government representatives to raise disability benefits. The newly erected disabled protest tent will be manned 24 hours a day (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) With prior police consent, the disabled activists erected a protest tent opposite the Knesset building, to be manned 24 hours a day for a week, serving as headquarters for activists leaving for protests all over the country, including to participate in blockings of roads and strategic buildings. Dr. Amihai Tamir, chairman of one organization, explained the reasoning behind the tent's creation. "Knesset returns to work (Monday), and this is the money time for us. The entire disability benefits issues will be resolved in this winter session, for better or worse. This is where things will be decided, and that's why we're here to express our just protest until an amendment is made to the National Insurance Institute Law allowing us to make a respectable living," he said. A view from outside the protest tent (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) The leader of the Disabled Panthers group, Eyal Cohen, explained the protest was intentionally staged outside the Knesset so "MKs could see us and know we're here. Some people will be going into the building to participate in discussions and we want MKs to come to our tent to talk things over and resolve this crisis." The chairman of the organization of people afflicted with polio, Yehuda Doron, said, "We tried not reaching the point where we have to create a protest test and get every disabled person on board with us until we get the result we want. This tent will be a second home to the disabled, from which activities will be carried out nationwide. We plan to close the country's sea and airways, its refineries and other strategic locations. We're also planning a 'day of rage' wherein every group of disabled people will block access to their city's most important buildings. It may be the only recourse we have left." Photo: Amir Alon As the chairperson of the disabled protest's headquarters Naomi Moraviawho supported the government agreementleft the Knesset, she was accosted by protesters who tried to break through police barricades to get to her. Another, somewhat more welcome guest, was Minister of Labor and Welfare Haim Katz, who met with the protesters objecting to the agreement reached between some of the protesting organizations and the Histadrut Labor Federation and government representatives. Katz criticized the agreement, partly due to the fact no paper was signed and only verbal agreements were made, but also for the fact neither he nor the people in his ministry were party to the negotiations. "Frankly, I think you deserve minimum wage and I spoke to the prime minister about it," Katz added. Near the disabled protest's tent, some 80 blind people demonstrated as well, calling to raise the mobility benefit they receiveintended to pay for transportationfrom NIS 790 to the sum of the benefit received by the disabled, NIS 2,364. Blind protesters were also on hand to demand their transportation benefits be equated to disability benefits (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) Later this week, a petition will be submitted to the High Court of Justice seeking to put an immediate stop to what the blind activists have called discrimination. Director of the Israeli Center for the Blind Nati Bialistok-Cohen said, "People afflicted with blindness are forced to be prisoners in their own homes and to live in abject loneliness, because they simply can't afford to leave." "I get an NIS 470 benefit for mobility every month. It's enough to go to the supermarket every now and again and to go to Tel Aviv for a doctor's appointment once a month. The rest of the month I simply can't afford to leave home," said Hisham Husham, one of the blind protesters. Blind protesters near the Knesset (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch) Another participant in the blind protest said the government "sentenced the blind community to a life of loneliness. Many blind people are forced to think twice before ever leaving their house. We don't want more than we deserve, merely to receive the same benefits as those with disabled limbs. Our blindness is no less of a disability, and despite the fact our legs work, we can't walk on our own." Haredi protesters near the Knesset, hanging a sign saying, "We'll happily fill the prisons" (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) The recent wave of Haredi protests, demonstrating against the arrest of draft dodgers and against conscription to the IDF in general, reached the Knesset as well, with some 1,000 protesters arriving to demonstrate there, trying to force their way into the building. Haredi protesters clashed with police retirees also demonstrating near the Knesset (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) Also picketing near the parliament were police retirees, who demonstrated to receive the same pension as retired army personnel. The police retirees had a shouting match with the Haredi protesters, with the former calling on the latter to enlist and the latter shouting back it was the "army of heretics." Police retirees demonstrating for higher pensions (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) While their compatriots were protesting near the Knesset, members of the hardline Jerusalem Faction blocked both the entrance to Jerusalem and exit from it near the Chords Bridge. Haredi protest near Jerusalem's Chords Bridge (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) Hundreds of protesters there broke the windows of a bus nearby and disrupted the light rail's traffic in the area. Police on the scene instructed them to clear the area, as they were there unlawfully, and when the Haredi protesters refused they were dispersed using crowd-control methods. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dedicated his speech at the opening meeting of the Knesset's winter session on Monday to attacking his critics. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "The industry of gloom still exists and has honorable representatives in this house and in the media. Recently, a new branch has been addedthe sourpusses," he declared. "They say the public's feelings have soured, that 'Netanyahu is walking around with a sour face.' They can't make up their minds whether I'm sour or smug or both," Netanyahu continued. Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo: Reuters) "You keep missing opportunities and you keep attacking, constantly whining and also cursing, unfortunately ... Deep in your heart, you sourpusses know that in a democratic election, we would win because we represent deeply-rooted things, important values for many among the people. The ministers, the committee chairpersons, the MKs are all doing excellent work together." His attacks also went from the general to the specific, addressing the Iranian threat. "I remind you, these are the same people who criticized my speech in Congress against Iran, doing so with authoritative and serious voices," he said. Turning to the opposition leader, Netanyahu continued: "Herzog, you said this speech sabotages Israel-US relations. (Yesh Atid leader) Lapid, you said my view of America was outdated and irrelevant. You told me: You don't know America... Senior commentators said it was doubtful the speech would have any effect." (Photo: Motti Kimchi) The prime minister argued his speech had a considerable effect on US President Donald Trump, who decided not to recertify the Iran nuclear deal and threatened to back out of it altogether. "It says a lot about the diplomatic understanding and foresight of the sourpuss industry," Netanyahu noted. He asserted that Israel was experiencing a "golden age... unprecedented diplomatic and economic boom." "The citizens of Israel know it's good to live here. Israel is a beloved homeland, a warm home and, without a shred of cynicism, a wonderful country. Israelis go abroad in immense numbers... and when they return to Israel, what do they say? We hear this time and againthey say there's no country like our country, there's no country like Israel... we are turning Israel into a cyber, hi-tech, intelligence and water world power." (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Netanyahu warned, "Let any enemy who threatens us with annihilation know he is putting himself at risk of a fatal blow." "We have power, but we're not drunk with power. We're not complacent," he stressed. "We are still facing great challenges both inside the country and outside of it, primarily the need to thwart Iran's attempts to establish a military foothold in Syria. We act constantly to defend our borders and when the need arisesbeyond our borders as well. At the same time, we're determined to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons to annihilate us. If it wasn't for our consistent and determined activity throughout the years, Iran would've had nuclear weapons a long time ago." "At the same time, our hand is outstretched in peace to all of our neighbors," he added. "We desire genuine peace, not fake reconciliation with elements who still aspire to chase us away from here." Herzog slams Netanyahu: You're dividing the people Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union), who went up to the podium to speak after the prime minister, said Netanyahu's speech was creating divisions and rifts among the people of Israel. "Instead of providing your people with security, you scare them. Instead of giving them hope, you depress them," Herzog told the prime minister. "Instead of allowing their spirit to soar and their hearts to beat with love, brotherhood, peace and friendship, you divide them and tear them apart. Both the people living in Israel and those in the Diaspora." "Everything is allowed, everything is possible, all lines have been crossedall to protect your rule. 'The country is me, and I am above all,'" Herzog continued. Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Photo: Yitzhak Harari/Knesset PR) He accused the coalition of allowing this behavior without doing anything to stop it or to protect democracy. "You don't seem to have internalized how nations and countries collapsed and crumbled, why our Temple was destroyedover unjustified hatred, and the crawl toward fascism, which begins with legislation the likes of which we've seen in this house," the opposition leader charged. "You've turned anyone who thinks differently into a traitor. You made the word 'Left' synonymous with 'enemy.' Even coalition members whose conscience won't settle find themselves under unprecedented attacks only for daring to express a moral position, and you call them a fifth column," Herzog continued. "Every time anyone voices a moral position or facts different to yours, you immediately shut their mouths and terrorize them. Especially you, Mr. Netanyahu." Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid also accused Netanyahu of trying to divide the people. "The prime minister and his group of sycophants have nothing to offer us in education, health, welfare, in uniting the people. They have one thing left: To make sure we fight with each other," Lapid said. "There are two main topics the Knesset will deal with in the coming session," the Yesh Atid leader continued. "The first one is Prime Minister Netanyahu, his investigations, his hatred and his paranoia, as well as his attempt to strong-arm the police and to pass laws to save his own skin." Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) "The sad fact is the corruption encircling him on all sides has now reached the holiest of holies: national security," Lapid lamented. "The second item on the Knesset's agenda is a byproduct of the first. The Knesset will be dealing with yet more attempts to drive a wedge and split the people of Israel apart, with a live demonstration of that coming in the form of the prime minister's speech just now. It wasn't the sourpuss speech, it was the stressed-out speech," he quipped. Minister of Finance and Kulanu Chairman Moshe Kahlon said during a meeting of his party's parliamentary group Monday his MKs would be free to vote their conscience. "No member of this party will vote against the dictates of their conscience," he said in light of controversy around the so-called "French law", barring police from investigating the affairs of a sitting prime minister. "We'll live up to everything included in the coalition agreements. As for what's not in them, every Kulanu member will be free to vote according to their conscience. The State of Israel is too precious for us to let it be susceptible to all kinds of laws and harming the democratic systems vital for us as well as the next generation," he added. In his opening speech of the Knesset's winter session, Opposition Chairman Yitzhak Herzog attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The problem isn't governability, it's the person doing the governing," he said. "Netanyahu's government is the one who decided to raise the elections threshold in the first place, and now it wants to wave it all away. All born of the most narrow-minded political expediency," he attacked. ADEN Suspected al Qaeda militants attacked a military checkpoint in the southern Yemen province of Abyan on Monday, killing four soldiers and wounding 10, a military official said. Four men wearing explosive vests emerged from their truck at the checkpoint in the town of Mudia while the driver detonated the vehicle, the official said. All five attackers were killed in the explosions, which could be felt throughout the town, he said. Al Qaeda's local affiliate in Yemen, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), later claimed responsibility for the attack in a message on its Telegram channel, according to the SITE monitoring center. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Gaza's Hamas-run Interior Ministry says three Palestinian smugglers who were believed to have been kidnapped in a tunnel along the Egyptian border have returned home. The ministry said earlier Monday that the men had "disappeared" from a tunnel. Militants from the Islamic State group's local affiliate in neighboring Egypt were suspected. Later Monday, the ministry said the three men had been located and were back in Gaza. It gave no additional details.. BEIRUT Islamic State killed more than 60 civilians and left 100 others missing in a town in Syria's central Homs province over three weeks before the Syrian army recaptured it on Saturday, the provincial governor said. Syrian troops and allied forces regained control of al-Qaryatayn town "after eliminating terrorist Daesh (Islamic State) groups that had infiltrated it," state media said on Saturday. A Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Islamic State had killed at least 128 people in the town. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit spoke about the "French law", barring police from investigating a sitting prime minister, in a Tel Aviv event attended by top Ministry of Justice officials. "What the law means is you'll have to wait eight years. If you know a prime minister accepted a bribe, is that really what you want to do? That's what this law means. It's a hypothetical example, but that's what will happen. We don't want to be that sort of country. It's neither right nor proper and unsuitable for our country," he said. Minister of Culture Miri Regev commented on President Reuven Rivlin's speech in the Knesset earlier Monday, which was critical of the government. "A president who disrespects politicians disrespects the will of the people and strikes at the very heart of democracy," she attacked. "President Rivlin harmed statism today as no president before him. It's the most un-statesman-like and undemocratic speech ever given by an Israeli president, and it's worth remembering this one was a politician for a long time and was voted president by other politicians. In his speech today, the president bit the hand that fed him," Regev said. Haredi protesters threw rocks at a Border Police patrol car in Jerusalem's Bar Lev road, the police said. The car's front windshield was damaged but no one was wounded. Police is searching for the perpetrators. The Jerusalem District Court has decided to release Lehava leader Benzi Gopstein, who was sent to a five-day house arrest Sunday, from custody. The city's Magistrates' Court denied the police's request to remand Gopstein Sunday, ordering to release him to house arrest, but postponed the verdict's implementation to Monday so the police may appeal itand now the appeal has been rejected and Gopstein released. Lehava is a radical right-wing anti-assimilation group propagating the separation of Jews and Arabs, especially as it pertains to personal relationships. MOSCOW The Russian National Guard says one of its officers shot and killed four other servicemen at a barracks in the Russian republic of Chechnya before guards fatally shot him. The agency said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the incident happened Monday in Shelkovskaya, a Chechen village. It said the officer fired on his comrades inside the National Guard barracks, then was shot and killed by guards on duty there. Banks are cracking down on loans to borrowers buying into Brisbane's over-supplied apartment market, with a number of risky postcodes identified, which require bigger deposits. Suncorp has blacklisted nearly 40 postcodes in the Queensland capital, including Inner Brisbane, Teneriffe, Fortitude Valley, Bowen Hills, and Herston. Meanwhile, many banks are refusing to loan more than 80% of the cost of a unit due to weaknesses in the investment market, as well as the current oversupply in inner-city apartments. Prices for apartments in inner-Brisbane have dropped to their lowest level in three years and a recovery is not expected for at least another 12 months. According to the Domain Groups State of the Market report for the September quarter, Brisbanes median apartment price was $376,685 during that quarter down more than 3% over the quarter and more than 6% year-on-year. Andrew Wilson, chief economist at the Domain Group, said the supply of apartments in suburbs such as the West End has outstripped demand. Even some of the outer suburbs such as Chermside have had significant levels of development recently, and as a consequence, supply has moved ahead of demand, he told ABC News. But if we look at the approvals that [has] declined sharply so when the existing stock is soaked up there certainly will not be a lot of replacement stock coming through. Last month, RBA Governor Philip Lowe said that Brisbanes property market was coming under closer scrutiny. We are watching the Brisbane property market carefully, particularly the effect on prices of the large increase in the supply of new apartments, he said during a dinner. According to the Reserve Banks latest Financial Stability Review, nationally, apartment prices have continued to record weaker price growth than detached housing a weakness that is consistent with the increased supply of apartments. Some concerns remain about the process of absorbing the substantial increase in new apartments in Brisbane. Brisbane apartment prices continue to fall, although the rate of decline has slowed, the RBA said. Here are the top 10 Brisbane postcodes that require a 20% deposit: 4000 Inner Brisbane 4010 Albion 4006 Fortitude Valley, Bowen Hills, Newstead, Herston 4101 Highgate Hill, South Brisbane, West End 4102 Dutton Park, Woolloongabba 4005 New Farm, Teneriffe 4011 Clayfield, Hendra 4032 Chermside 4122 Mansfield, Mount Gravatt, Wishart 4171 Balmoral, Bulimba, Hawthorne Related Stories: Brisbane Apartment Values Could Fall Drastically Brisbane Apartment Market Is Softening As a homeowner, you probably already know that you should be working to maintain your home. But, chances are, you Read More By Mark Q. Rhoads - My Confirmation name is Patrick to honor my mother's great-grandfather, Francis Patrick Kelly, who came to America from Ireland in 1871. I was always proud of her family's Irish roots until Oct. 10 when I saw that the Irish Post Office issued a commemorative stamp to honor the 50th anniversary of the death of Che Guevara. Many stupid explanations have been offered by the Irish Post Office including the fact that a very distant ancestor of Che Guevara was born in Galway in 1715. I wrote a letter of protest to Mr. Brian O'Brien, the Consul General of Ireland in Chicago, just to point out that a truly great Irish statesman, Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847), once famously said that "Nothing can be politically right that is morally wrong." Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey Tuesday appointed former Arizona state legislator Justin Olson to serve on the Arizona Corporation Commission. Olson served from 2011-2017 in the Arizona House of Representatives, where his assignments included serving as Chair of the Appropriations Committee. He currently works as a Senior Tax Analyst for the Apollo Education Group in Phoenix. Prior to that, he worked as Senior Research Analyst at the Arizona Tax Research Association and a Congressional Aide for U.S. Representative Trent Franks. He earned a bachelors degree and a Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University. The Arizona Republic has called Olson a staunch fiscal conservative, who is transparent, and has the ability to compromise. "As appropriations chair, Olson set up town halls across the state to gather public input on the budget, the newspaper wrote. Justin has built a reputation as a strong proponent for taxpayers and an incredibly hard worker, said Governor Ducey. He is someone with a proven record of service whose detailed understanding of regulatory and policy issues prepares him to hit the ground running from day one. Im pleased to be filling this important position with someone with Justins significant experience and qualifications. Im honored to have the opportunity to represent Arizona citizens again in this new capacity, Olson said. My approach to governing and legislating has always been to keep an open mind, study the issues careful and thoroughly, be transparent, look out for the hard-working taxpayer, and put my constituents first. I will bring that same mindset to this important position with which I have been entrusted." Olson and his wife Karyn, both native Arizonans, live in Mesa, where they just welcomed their ninth child to their family. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced inmate Jason Bullard, the ringleader of a property fraud title scheme, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Co-conspirator Rockney Martineau was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the fraud scheme. Bullard has been incarcerated in Arizona for more than 25 years. However, Bullard and Martineau have a history of attempting to take over deeds to properties they dont own. The defendants falsely claim to be the homeowners and attempt to take loans out against the property. The true owner is then left with a costly legal battle to reclaim the title to their own home. Bullard and Martineau claim they have the right to do this as sovereign citizens. The most recent conviction comes after Bullard and Martineau attempted to file a quit claim deed on a property in Mesa. The Maricopa County Recorders Office pulled the deed since it looked "odd." A manager at the Maricopa County Recorders Office is familiar with both defendants due to their fraudulent filings over the years and immediately contacted the Mesa Police Department. She did not record the deed. A jury found Martineau and Bullard guilty of Attempted Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, Conducting an Illegal Enterprise, and Forgery. Assistant Attorneys General Shawn Steinberg and Michelle Hogan prosecuted this case. Arizona News Globe, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced an Arizona State Grand Jury indicted 40-year-old Dr. Jamison Mark Foster on 30 felony charges including Acquisition of Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs by Fraud, Fraudulent Schemes, Forgery, and Taking the Identity of Another. The indictment alleges Dr. Jamison Foster, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, practicing as a general surgeon, forged the signature of a Phoenix doctor to obtain opioids for his own personal use. Dr. Foster had been previously employed by the victim doctor. The investigation began in May 2017 when Dr. Foster allegedly attempted to fill a forged prescription for Oxycodone at a pharmacy in Globe. The pharmacist reached out to law enforcement after growing suspicious of the alleged forged prescription. Investigators contacted the victim doctor and discovered she had not authorized the 71 prescriptions that Dr. Foster allegedly filled at pharmacies across Arizona from June 2016 to May 2017. Assistant Attorney General Jarred McBride of the Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Section of the Arizona Attorney Generals Office is prosecuting this case. All defendants are presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law. Border News Nogales, Arizona - Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Nogales DeConcini crossing arrested a 32-year-old woman returning from Mexico with her three children late Sunday, after discovering more than 41 pounds of cocaine in her vehicle. Officers discovered the narcotics, valued at approximately $465,000, after a CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted to the vehicles rear wheel-wells during secondary inspection. Officers arrested the female driver after the discovery of the narcotics was made. The vehicle and illicit narcotics were seized. The woman was turned over to U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, while her juvenile children were turned over to the custody of a family member. Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nations ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles, and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases. Border News Nogales, Arizona - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Nogales and Tucson Stations arrested four Mexican nationals who were previously convicted for felonies in the United States and Mexico. On October 13, 2017, Nogales agents arrested Marcos Cruz-Castro, 21, after he illegally entered the country near Nogales, Arizona. During processing, agents discovered Cruz was convicted in Wisconsin on felony charges of exposing a child to harmful materials, and misdemeanor charges of sexual assault. Agents arrested Jose Burrola-Pliego, 40, after he entered the country illegally near Nogales. Agents conducted a records check on Burrola and learned he was incarcerated in Mexico following a murder conviction in 2011. He had also served time in the United States for extensive immigration violations. On Sunday afternoon, Nogales agents arrested Luis Vargas-Vargas, 26, shortly after he illegally entered the United States. A subsequent records check indicated Vargas was convicted on two counts of felony sexual conduct with a minor in Phoenix in 2013. Early Monday, Tucson Station agents working near Sasabe, Arizona arrested Aloberto Hernandez-Ortiz, 44, for being in the U.S. illegally. When agents conducted a records check on his fingerprints, they found Hernandez was convicted for murder in Florida and was removed from the U.S. in 2014. All four men are currently in custody awaiting a disposition on felony criminal immigration violations. All individuals apprehended by the Border Patrol undergo criminal history checks using biometrics to ensure illegal immigrants with criminal histories are positively identified. Border News Nogales, Arizona - Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Nogales DeConcini crossing arrested a previously deported MS-13 gang member Monday evening. Officers referred Jose Daniel Calderon-Canada, 29, for further inspection when he applied for entry into the United States claiming to be a U.S. citizen. During a secondary inspection, officers determined he was lying about his citizenship. Subsequent records checks identified Calderon as a Mexican national and an MS-13 gang member with multiple deportations and an extensive criminal history. Officers arrested Calderon for making a false claim to United States citizenship. He was then referred for federal prosecution. Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nations ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles, and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases. Border News Nogales, Arizona - Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizonas Port of Nogales searched a 24-year-old Tucson mans vehicle early Tuesday and found more than 51 pounds of methamphetamine, valued at almost $154,000. When the man applied for entry into the United States through the ports DeConcini crossing, officers referred him for a secondary inspection of his Chevrolet Impala. During the inspection, a CBP narcotics-detection canine helped officers locate 48 packages of meth in the vehicles rear bumper, quarter panels, firewall, and roof. Officers arrested the man for narcotics smuggling and turned him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations. CBP officers also seized the vehicle and drugs. CBP officers are trained and skilled at what they do to prevent drugs from entering the country as proven in this case, said Efrain Solis, CBP Nogales Port Director. While smugglers will continue to make these attempts, they will not thwart CBP's efforts. They need to know they will be caught. Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nations ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases. Border News Tucson, Arizona - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Nogales Station apprehended three male Mexican nationals and rescued a fourth west of Nogales early Thursday. Agents on horseback and ATVs arrested three men for entering the country illegally. The men told agents they had abandoned another man who crossed with them after he lost consciousness. Agents located the unconscious man and requested emergency medical assistance from the Nogales Fire Department. Nogales FD arrived shortly after and transported the man to a local hospital and was subsequently flown to a Tucson hospital for more advanced medical care. Agents arrested the other three men and transported them to the Nogales Station to be processed for immigration violations, in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines. The fourth Mexican national will also be processed for immigration violations after he is released from medical care. Border Patrol officials encourage anyone in distress to call 911 or activate a rescue beacon before becoming a casualty. The Border Patrol, along with Customs and Border Protection, welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free. All calls will be answered and remain anonymous. Border News San Luis, Arizona - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizonas Port of San Luis arrested a U.S. citizen attempting to smuggle nearly 4 ounces of methamphetamine inside a body cavity Thursday. Officers referred the 28-year-old female for further inspection as she attempted to enter the U.S. via the pedestrian lane that morning. Subsequently, a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted officers to the presence of drugs. Upon questioning, the woman admitted she had narcotics concealed inside her groin area. The methamphetamine weighed nearly 4 ounces and has a $700 street value. The concealment of narcotics inside the body is an extremely dangerous method often attempted by smugglers, said John Schwamm, San Luis Port Director. It can be instantly fatal should the narcotics seep through the packaging and be absorbed into the body. Officers seized the drugs and arrested the woman for narcotics smuggling. The subject was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations. Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows for filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nations ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases. Border News Tucson, Arizona - Diana Hadley of the Northern Jaguar Project (NJP) discusses the impact the USMexico border wall has on the migration patterns of native wildlife. Learn how the border wall disrupts valuable wildlife habitats in ecologically rich areas such as Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, and the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. A binational nonprofit, NJP is revitalizing northern Mexicos jaguar population by maintaining a protected reserve and by working with ranchers, schools, and local communities to promote conservation. Date:Wednesday, October 25Time:12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Place:The National Parks Store 12880 N. Vistoso Village Dr. Tucson, AZ 85755 United States + Google Map Contact:520-622-6014 Cost:Free Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - On October 18, 2017, the Yuma City Council approved the use of grant funds provided by the Arizona Companion Animal Spay and Neuter Committee. The Yuma Police Department received a grant, which provides $10,000 to assist with spaying and neutering of domesticated dogs and cats and $6,000 to assist with spaying and neutering of feral cats. Through the grant, City residents are eligible to have their pet dogs or cats spayed or neutered at a reduced price through the Humane Society of Yuma. Vouchers will be issued which will cover some of the cost of the surgery. In order to use the vouchers, the pets must receive an anti-rabies vaccine and a City license as part of the process. The cost of the vaccine and license must be paid by the citizen. The City of Yuma Animal Control Unit will be issuing vouchers worth $15 to $75 based on household income. Citizens should expect to pay between $20 and $125 to have their pet/s spayed or neutered. Residents who are interested are urged to call the City of Yuma Animal Control office at (928) 373-4795 (option #4) for more information. An order asking the US Air Force to put nuclear-armed bombers on 24-hour alert amid the ongoing tension with Kim Jong un-ruled North Korea. If the order is issued, it will be for the first time since the end of cold war in 1991 that B-52s will return to war-ready front. According to Defense One, the US bombers, armed with nuclear weapons, would be set to take off at a moments notice once the order is in place. The report quoted US Air Force chief of staff David Goldfein as saying that the move is not a plan for any specific event, but for the current global situation. He said that the US is ensuring that they are prepared to go forward. Though the alert orders are yet to come, preparations are already underway. The report further cited three major reasons for this move North Koreas aggression with nuclear arsenal, US President Donald Trumps confrontational approach to Kims regime, and Russias active armed forces. This comes almost a week after North Korea warned that a nuclear war might break out at any time as the situation in the Korean peninsula had reached the touch-and-go point. North Korea's deputy UN ambassador Kim In-ryong had told the UN general assembly's disarmament committee that Pyongyang had the right to possess defense nuclear weapons. He had said that North Korea was the only country in the world that had been subjected to "extreme and direct nuclear threat" from the United States since the 1970s. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later asserted that the diplomatic efforts to relax tensed relations with North Korea would continue "until the first bomb drops". He had also said that Trump had instructed him to try and reduce stress between the two nations through diplomatic efforts. North Korea had recently called on its citizens to be ready for a nation-wide struggle against "war thirsty" US President Donald Trump and his "gangster-like moves for domination and aggression." (With agency inputs) A drunk man raped a woman in broad daylight on a footpath in Vizag on Sunday. An auto driver recorded the entire incident from his phone and handed it over to the police to lodge a complaint. The 20-year-old man who was seen in the video has been arrested. The victim was sitting on the footpath of the main road when the man forced himself upon her. The incident took place on Sunday at 2 pm during the day. The horrific video shows the incident took place on a busy road where people can be seen walking down the road where the victim was being raped. However, no one came to help her. Kabul: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who made a brief, unannounced visit to Kabul on Monday, has said that India has a positive role to play to achieve peaceful and stable Afghanistan. "We believe India has very important positive role they can play in process to achieve peaceful and stable Afghanistan. They (India) already are providing important economic activity and creating jobs, which is important for future Afghanistan." he said. On Pakistan's role, Tillerson said, "Made specific requests of Pakistan in order for them to act to undermine support Taliban and other terror organisations receive in Pakistan. Pakistan needs to take clear view of situation they are confronted with in terms of number of terrorists groups that find safe haven inside Pakistan." He added, "We want to work closely with Pakistan to create a more stable and secure Pakistan as well. Our relation with Pakistan will also be conditions based, it will be based upon whether they take action that we feel as necessary to move process forward of creating opportunity for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan and also ensuring stable future of Pakistan," ANI reported. At the same time, US Secretary of State reaffirmed the US` commitment to working with the Afghan government and partners in the region to achieve peace in Afghanistan and "deny safe havens to terrorists who threaten that goal". Tillerson`s visit, ahead of his visit to Doha, Qatar, and Pakistan, was shrouded in secrecy and comes amid a spike in Taliban violence in the country, that has claimed around 200 lives in the past week. Tillerson, who was in Kabul for just over two hours, met President Ashraf Ghani, CEO Abdullah Abdullah and National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar. He then departed for Doha. According to a US Embassy statement, Secretary Tillerson and President Ghani met in Kabul and together reaffirmed the US-Afghan commitment to achieving peace, stability and long-term prosperity in Afghanistan. In related news, the CIA has decided to send in small, experienced teams to Afghanistan to hunt down Taliban commanders - a move that has been welcomed by the Afghan government, as per IANS. The Afghan Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday welcomed the move by the United States` Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to ramp up efforts to target Taliban leaders and commanders in Afghanistan, Tolo reported. The top US commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson has said based on the new US strategy for Afghanistan, not only will the pressure be increased on insurgents, but the countries that support them will also come under serious pressure. President Trump outlined a revamped strategy for Afghanistan in August, with measures including more troops, lifting restrictions on commanders in the field imposed by the Obama administration, and increasing pressure on Pakistan to stop providing a safe haven to militant groups along its border. (With Agency inputs) The security of Chinese citizens once again took centerstage in relations between China and Pakistan on Monday. This time China has asked Pakistan to ensure the security of its top diplomat in Islamabad. The threat, Beijing said, was from a terrorist who has sneaked into Pakistan to kill its newly appointed ambassador. In a letter to Pakistan's Interior Ministry, a Chinese embassy official identified the threat as Tuersuntuoheti Abuduwaili, an alleged member of the proscribed East Turkestan Independence Movement (ETIM). The letter included the passport details and the mobile phone number of the alleged terrorist. The letter, dated October 19, claimed Abuduwaili was in Pakistan to assassinate Yao Jing, China's Ambassador to Pakistan. It asked the Interior Ministry to increase security to Chinese companies and citizens in Pakistan. Two points stand out as unusual in the letter, indicating that China might be sending a strong message to Pakistan over the security of its citizens. First, it was written by Peng Yunfei, the Chinese focal person for the troubled CPEC project, which was the target of an attack in Gwadar just last week. Second, Peng asked the Interior Ministry to arrest the alleged terrorist quickly and requested that he be handed over to Chinese authorities. This is unusual considering Pakistan and China do not have an extradition treaty despite calling each other the best of friends. ETIM has long been a pain point in China-Pakistan relationship. ETIM is a separatist organisation with al-Qaeda that aims to server the Muslim-majority Xinjiang region from China. It was among the organisations whose members had been trained on Pakistani soil and sent into Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union in the 1980s. After the end of the fighting in Afghanistan, these Pakistan-trained ETIM fighters turned their attention towards their separatist struggle. New Delhi: Hundreds of Shell companies which have seen deposits and withdrawal running into several crores post government's note ban announcement last year face criminal action, media reports have said. Under the revamped Companies Act, relating to fraud, the law provides for imprisonment of three to 10 years in case of fraud. A penalty equal to the value of the offence may also be added, reports further said. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) this month disqualified more than two lakh directors of shell companies, for not filing their financial statements or annual returns for two straight years, violating provisions of the Companies Act, 2013. Last month, the government imposed restrictions on operations of bank accounts of over 2 lakh 'struck-off' companies. Terming it as a "major breakthrough" in fight against black money and shell companies, it said the first instalment of data pertains to about 5,800 companies -- out of more than 2 lakh that were struck off -- involving 13,140 accounts. With PTI Inputs New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the bail plea of Unitech`s Sanjay Chandra and asked the real estate major to deposit Rs 1,000 crore to prove its bonafides. Refusing the bail plea, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud suggested to that the partially complete flats of the real estate major spread over its 64 projects across the country be auctioned. The suggestion came after senior counsel Ranjit Kumar told the court the company could sell the flats in the 64 projects to raise money to refund the flat buyers. At the outset of the hearing, the amicus curiae Pawanshri Agrawal told the court that Rs 1,865 crore was needed to pay the flat buyers who want refunds. Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Unitech, urged that Chandra be granted bail for four to five weeks, adding he would during this period submit plans for raising the money for refunding the flat buyers. He arged that Chandra cannot raise the money required both for refunds and completing the ongoing projects without coming out. The National Green Tribunal on Monday issued show cause notice to the Delhi Jal Board and the Delhi government for failing to comply with its orders to clean river Yamuna. The NGT had on Monday summoned the Delhi Chief Secretary in connection with the delay in the first phase of river Yamuna cleaning project and asked the Delhi chief secretary to explain why action should not be taken against him and others for it. Taking note of the additional time taken in the process, the NGT had on October 17 asked the chief secretary, Vice Chairman of Delhi Development Authority (DDA), CEO of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and top most officer of the project proponent, L and T, to appear before it on October 23 to explain the reasons of the delay. While Phase-I of Yamuna cleaning project aims to lower the pollution levels in the Najafgarh and Delhi Gate drains, Phase-II deals with Shahdara, Barapullah and other drains. During the proceedings, DDA had said that they had complied with the NGT orders and released Rs 37 crore as demanded by the DJB. The green panel has maintained that pollution in Yamuna is of serious concern as it was highly contaminated by industrial effluents and sewage. It had also asked Haryana and Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board to jointly conduct a study of water quality and the flow of Yamuna at the point it enters Haryana, and submit the list of industries located in the catchment area. The green panel had noted that almost 67 per cent of the pollutants reaching Yamuna would be treated by the two sewage treatment plants (STP) located at Delhi Gate and Najafgarh under the first phase of the Maili se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Project 2017. Ahead of elections in Gujarat, the Bharatiya Janata Party is facing allegations of bribing Patidar leaders to join their fold. Nikhil Sawani, a former aide of Hardik Patel, on Monday resigned from the BJP within a few days after joining the party. He alleged that the party promised a lot of things because of which he had decided to join them but he is leaving it now as none of those promises are being fulfilled. "I resigned because they are just offering lollipop, fulfilling nothing," he alleged. Sawani even said that he is open to meeting Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi to discuss his ideas. His resignation comes soon after Narendra Patel, another patidar leader who had joined BJP, quit the party and alleged that he had been offered Rs 1 crore to join the saffron brigade. In a press conference on Monday, Patel showed Rs 10 lakh cash that he claimed was given to him by a BJP leader on Sunday, with a promise that he will be given the remaining Rs 90 lakh on Monday. Sawani congratulated Patel for speaking against the BJP. "Heard about Rs 1 crore offer by BJP to Narendra Patel, I'm upset. I congratulate him. He comes from a small family but still he didn't choose Rs 1 crore," he said. "I agree with Narendra Patel. Even I have heard a lot about money being offered to conveners & others," Sawani claimed. Narendra Patel, who had last month lodged a police complaint against Hardik Patel and three supporters in Patan in North Gujarat and later withdrew it, told a press conference that Patidar leader Varun Patel who joined the BJP on Saturday evening took him to meet Gujarat BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani and other leaders on Sunday. Varun took me around in Gandhinagar and then took me to Shree Kamalam office of the BJP and introduced me to Jitubhai Vaghani and some ministers. He then took me to a room and handed over a bag of Rs 10 lakh cash as token and promised to pay me Rs 90 lakh tomorrow after a party function which I was required to attend, Patel told a crowded a press conference late on Sunday. They made a deal of Rs 1 crore on me. One crore? Even if they bestow the entire Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on me, I will not be bought over. Even if I have to die, fighting for the cause, Patel claimed. Ahmedabad: The already heated up political atmosphere in Gujarat got curiouser on Monday evening amid rumours that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi quietly met Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel, who has been maintaining that he would not join the opposition and his fight was against the ruling BJP. After local Gujarati TV channels splashed CCTV grabs of Patel entering a luxury hotel around 2 am and leaving after Rahul Gandhi had checked in there, Hardik Patel admitted at a public meeting and then told reporters in the evening that he met AICC general secretary in-charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot, but stressed that he did not see Gandhi. "The Congress leaders had invited me to meet them but I was at a rally in Mahisagar district. I reached very late, may be 3 a.m., and met Ashok Gehlot. I presented the demands of the Patidars and the issues we are concerned about," Patel said. "It had got very late, so I put up at the hotel and left in the morning," the Patel leader said. He stressed, "It is absolutely wrong that I met Rahul Gandhi. I will meet when he comes next. And if I want to meet him, I don't have to do so secretly. I am not meeting a terrorist, or meeting Nawaz Sharif at midnight like Narendra Modi did." Earlier, at a public meeting in Mandal in North Gujarat, Patel said, "If BJP is a mahachor, the Congress is a chor. And if a chor's help is needed to trounce a mahachor, we will do that also." Meanwhile, Ashok Gehlot demanded to know through a tweet how could the police or the government ask for CCTV grabs of a hotel. "I met Hardik and Jignesh in Ummed Hotel. IB, Police are checking hotel rooms. What is happening in Gandhi ji's Gujarat?" "I condemn all this surveillance being done on BJP's orders." "Are HardikPatel and Jignesh Mevani criminals or absconders? If that is so, BJP must clear its stand. When they met BJP leaders, then their offices were not checked. Why it is being done now?," he asked. "The rooms which have been booked in my name are being checked. We are openly saying, we have met them and will keep meeting them in future too," he said. Interestingly, the CCTV grabs were almost simultaneously telecast by all Gujarati TV channels, each one claiming it to be an exclusive. Ahmedabad: Patidar leader Narendra Patel on Sunday alleged that he was offered Rs 1 crore to join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat. Patel, a Patidar leader from north Gujarat and the convenor of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) Mehsana, displayed Rs 10 lakh currency notes during a press conference on Sunday. Earlier, it was reported that the Patidar leader was to join the BJP, however, by Sunday evening he changed tunes and addressed the media, and levelled horse-trading charges against it. Narendra Patel, who had last month lodged a police complaint against Hardik Patel and three supporters in Patan in North Gujarat and later withdrew it, told a press conference that Patidar leader Varun Patel who joined the BJP on Saturday evening took him to meet Gujarat BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani and other leaders on Sunday. Varun took me around in Gandhinagar and then took me to Shree Kamalam office of the BJP and introduced me to Jitubhai Vaghani and some ministers. He then took me to a room and handed over a bag of Rs 10 lakh cash as token and promised to pay me Rs 90 lakh tomorrow after a party function which I was required to attend, Patel told a crowded a press conference late on Sunday. They made a deal of Rs 1 crore on me. One crore? Even if they bestow the entire Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on me, I will not be bought over. Even if I have to die, fighting for the cause, Patel claimed. Ahead of the Gujarat Assembly Election 2017, the Congress and the BJP are trying to get Patidar leaders into their fold. While young Gujarat OBC leader Alpesh Thakore on Saturday announced he was joining the Congress, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got a boost as two leaders from Patel's Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) shook hands with the party. Hardik Patel is expected to meet Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday. Panchkula: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's 'adopted daughter' Honeypreet Insan will be produced before a court here on Monday. Earlier, the Panchkula District Court on October 13 had sent Honeypreet and accomplice Sukhdeep Kaur to judicial custody till October 23. Honeypreet, whose real name is Priyanka Taneja, is lodged in Ambala central jail. The police had earlier sought police remand for Honeypreet, saying she was the closest aide of the rapist sect chief and knew many things about the activities of the sect and its role in the violence in Panchkula and other places after the August 25 conviction of Ram Rahim on two counts of rape. Honeypreet and Kaur were questioned by the Haryana Police in connection with the violence that followed the sect head's conviction on August 25. Honeypreet was at the top of a list of 43 people "wanted" by the state police in connection with the violence. The Haryana Police had on September 1 issued a look-out notice against Honeypreet and another key aide of the Dera chief, Aditya Insan, following apprehensions that they might try to "escape from the country". Honeypreet had remained fugitive for 38 days after she was booked by Haryana Police on charge of sedition. She was arrested on October 3 from the Zirakpur-Patiala highway, about 15 km from Chandigarh. An arrest warrant was also issued against Honeypreet, and two key Dera functionaries Aditya Insan and Pawan Insan. Her name has been included in an FIR in which Dera functionaries Aditya Insan and Surinder Dhiman, among others, were booked on the charge of sedition, inciting violence and arson, the police had said earlier. Ram Rahim has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of over Rs 30 lakh. His conviction led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving 41 people dead and over 260 injured. Isolated incidents of violence were also reported from Delhi and several places in Punjab. The fresh bribery allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by Patidar leaders in Gujarat has provided ammunition to the opposition to target the ruling party. Attacking the BJP over the issue, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday tweeted that the state of Gujarat can never be bought. Gujarat is priceless. It has never been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought, tweeted Rahul Gandhi. The Gandhi scion is slated to take part in 'Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan' in Gandhinagar on Monday and is also expected to meet Patidar leader Hardik Patel, who has been on an offensive against the BJP government. His attack comes after two Patidar leaders who had joined the BJP decided to part ways and alleged that the ruling party had offered to bribe them. One of the leaders, Narendra Patel, held a press conference wherein he alleged that the BJP had offered him Rs 1 crore. He even displayed Rs 10 lakh, allegedly given to him by one BJP leader, at the press meet. Patel, who had last month lodged a police complaint against Hardik Patel and three supporters in Patan in North Gujarat and later withdrew it, told a press conference that Patidar leader Varun Patel who joined the BJP on Saturday evening took him to meet Gujarat BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani and other leaders on Sunday. Varun took me around in Gandhinagar and then took me to Shree Kamalam office of the BJP and introduced me to Jitubhai Vaghani and some ministers. He then took me to a room and handed over a bag of Rs 10 lakh cash as token and promised to pay me Rs 90 lakh tomorrow after a party function which I was required to attend, Patel told a crowded a press conference late on Sunday. They made a deal of Rs 1 crore on me. One crore? Even if they bestow the entire Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on me, I will not be bought over. Even if I have to die, fighting for the cause, Patel claimed. The other Patidar leader, Nikhil Sawani, quit the BJP on Monday, just a few days after he joined it. Speaking to mediapersons, he said that the ruling party did not fulfil any of the promises made to him when he joined them. "I resigned because they are just offering lollipop, fulfilling nothing," he alleged. Sawani also said that he was open to meeting Rahul Gandhi to discuss his ideas. He also congratulated Narendra Patel for speaking against the BJP. "Heard about Rs 1 crore offer by BJP to Narendra Patel, I'm upset. I congratulate him. He comes from a small family but still he didn't choose Rs 1 crore," he said. "I agree with Narendra Patel. Even I have heard a lot about money being offered to conveners & others," Sawani claimed. (With agency inputs) Dhaka: India will resolve all irritants in ties with Bangladesh with sincerity, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday. On the last day of her Bangladesh visit, Swaraj lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the opening of the sprawling new chancery complex of the Indian High Commission. During the ceremony, she also launched 15 development projects being funded by India in Bangladesh, which officials said have been planned as per the country's geographical spread, socio-economic benefits and priorities. The development projects, worth about USD 8.7 million, are in the areas of education, health care, information technology, water supply, and social welfare. They include installation of 11 water treatment plants in southwestern coastline of Pirozpur to benefit some 150,000 people, 36 community clinics, and reconstruction of Dhaka's historic Ramna Kali Temple which was destroyed by invading Pakistani troops in the 1971 liberation war. "India is following a policy of neighbours first, and among the neighbours Bangladesh is foremost," Swaraj said at the function. She added that the relations between the neighbours are now outstanding, and that both countries are working to resolve these irritants in the spirit of "friendly relations and with right intention". The EAM did not specify the nature of the issues, but the water sharing of common rivers, particularly the Teesta, has long been pending between the two neighbours. "I can assure you we (both countries) will solve all irritants with sincerity," she said. The minister maintained that Bangladesh comes first among all of India's neighbours as part of the neighbourhood policy adopted by her government. Swaraj arrived in Bangladesh yesterday for the annual meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission with her counterpart AH Mahmood Ali. After talks with Ali, she had said, "India attaches the utmost importance to its relations with Bangladesh. Our partnership today touches upon virtually all areas of human endeavour. Our relations are based on fraternal ties and are reflective of an all-encompassing partnership based on sovereignty, equality, trust and understanding that goes far beyond a strategic partnership." The EAM had added, "We are both determined to protect our societies from the threat of ideologies of hate, violence and terror by adopting a zero tolerance policy and a comprehensive approach in fighting violent extremism and terrorism at all levels." " We are satisfied with progress achieved in areas such as trade and investment, security, connectivity, border management, power, energy, shipping, people to people exchanges, to name a few," she had further said. Swaraj returned to New Delhi today wrapping up her two- day Dhaka visit, her second since assuming office in 2014. EAM @SushmaSwaraj & Foreign Minister #Bangladesh inaugurated 15 projects of BDT 750 million under Indian Grant Assistance #IndiaBangladesh. pic.twitter.com/X4GAkSZocC October 23, 2017 (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Joti on Monday said multiple factors, including weather had come into play when deciding why to hold elections in Himachal Pradesh earlier than Gujarat. Joti said political parties and the state administration in Himachal Pradesh had requested the election commission to organise the polls before mid-November as there was probability of snowfall in three districts of the hill state. "When we went to Himachal Pradesh, the state election commission there, political parties and the state administration had requested that on account of likelihood of snowfall, three districts - Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti and Chamba - are likely to experience snowfall. Therefore, a request made to conduct the elections in early November so that voters do not get affected and can cast their votes," said Joti. The CEC further asserted that the election commission would plan the poll schedule in Gujarat in such a way "the outcome of the result should not affect the voting in Gujarat." "Another main reason is that Himachal and Gujarat are not adjoining states. If multiple states go for polls, they are adjoining states. The EC has always made sure that the voting pattern of one state does not affect the voting pattern of another state, and that is why the counting period in Himachal Pradesh has been kept on 18th December 2017. We had stated that we would plan the election schedule in Gujarat in such a way that polling in Gujarat is over prior to Himachal result, so that the outcome of the result should not affect the voting in Gujarat," Joti said. The CEC, citing an office memorandum issued by Ministry of Law and Justice in 2001 and approved by the Supreme Court, said, "The commission shall announce the date of any election which shall be a date ordinarily not more than three weeks prior to the date on which the notification is likely to be issued in wake of elections. The day we make the announcement, the model code of conduct is applied from that day till the poll is over. So, if the states share the border, it should have been an issue, but with Gujarat, the situation is very different." Further referring to the Gujarat floods, which claimed hundreds of lives and caused huge damage to infrastructure, the CEC averred that the state had to undergo restoration before elections could be organised. Joti also underlined the fact that the government staff which would carry out the restoration work is the same lot which would carry out services during the elections. And that once the announcement for the polls is made the government employees will have to leave the restoration work and perform election related duties. In July, parts of Gujarat were ravaged by incessant rains and floods that claimed more than 200 lives. "And at a time when restoration work is done, it involves a lot of government force. A total of 26443 employees of the state government will be given election duties. So the staff, which manages the restoration work will only be assigned the election duties as we don't supply staff," he said. "So, once the moral code of conduct is implemented these government employees will have to leave all the revamping and start performing their duties in connection with elections," he added. New Delhi: Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan on Monday said that the Narendra Modi government is hell bent on destroying the independence and integrity of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Reacting to the elevation of Rakesh Asthana as Special Director CBI, Bhushan said that the appointment is totally illegal. "Rakesh Asthana's name figures in diary of Sterling Biotech, on which CBI itself has registered an FIR," Bhushan said adding that he will challenge his appointment. In a major bureaucratic reshuffle on Sunday, Gujarat cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Rakesh Asthana was appointed as the special director of the CBI. Asthana is presently Additional Director in the agency and is handling a number of important investigations, including AgustaWestland probe. A 1984 batch police service officer, Asthana headed the special investigation team which probed the burning of Sabarmati Express in Godhra in February 2002. He is also investigating Lalu Prasad Yadav and family in a hotel deal that was signed during the RJD chief's tenure as railway minister in the UPA regime. Apart from Asthana, seven others 1984 batch IPS officers have also been promoted. IPS officers Deepak Kumar Mishra and Sudeep Lakhtakia have been posted as Special Director General (DG) in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), while Gurbachan Singh has been elevated as Special Director in Intelligence Bureau (IB). Rajesh Ranjan and AP Maheshwari have been promoted as Special DG in the Border Security Force (BSF). A 1984-batch IPS officer, Javeed Ahmed, who served as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh has been given the rank of Special DG at the Centre. The promotion of officers was announced by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training. San Francisco: Tech giants Samsung Electronics and Apple will face each other in court for another trial looking into design patent infringement as a US federal judge has ordered a new trial in the case. "The judgement was made by Judge Lucy Koh of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, with the ruling spotted and shared by patent lawyer Florian Mueller," The Verge reported on Monday. "Apple and Samsung now have until October 25 to propose a date for the retrial, although Mueller suggests there is a 30 per cent chance that the two companies will settle out-of-court instead," the report added. Earlier in 2012, the lawsuit was settled with a court ordering Samsung to pay damages to Apple. The federal judge signed an order instructing the two companies to return to court and said that the onus would be on Apple to make its case. Samsung and Apple, the world`s top two smartphone makers, have been embroiled in a legal battle called "patent war of the century", in more than 10 countries across the globe since 2012. San Francisco: Refuting media reports of sharing revenue with news publishers, Google has said there is no deal lined up with them and that its subscriptions project is in its early stages. "We have not reached any conclusion on the revenue side," Google spokeswoman Maggie Shiels was quoted as saying by CNET late on Sunday. "We haven`t reached any conclusion [regarding] subscriptions and need to speak to publishers." The tech giant has called the report of sharing revenue with news publishers "totally wrong" and said it is yet to reach any conclusion on the revenue side. Earlier in the day, reports said that Google will give news publishers revenue-sharing deals similar to what it grants YouTube personalities and third-party ad hosts -- helping them connect with a subscriber base. "Google would likely take a cut of less than 30 per cent of subscription revenues," Richard Gingras, Head, Google News, was quoted as saying by Financial Times. The revenue-share agreements with the publishers could be similar to the company`s AdSense business that allows the web publishers to place ads on their site. New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday announced that former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma will be the special interlocutor for sustained dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir. Here are 10 things to know about Dineshwar Sharma: 1. As the Centres Special Representative, Sharma will hold a rank equivalent to a Cabinet Secretary. 2. "Sharma will initiate a sustained interaction and dialogue to understand the legitimate aspirations of people in Jammu and Kashmir," Rajnath said. 3. Sharma was the Centres internal intelligence boss as director of the IB between December 2014 and 2016. He is known to keep a low profile. 4. Key events he dealt with as director of the IB include 2015 Gurdaspur attack, aftermath of the encounter of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in Kashmir, Uri attack in 2016, rise of ISIS recruitment in Kerala 5. This is not the first time Sharma is serving as an interlocutor. He has earlier served as the mediator for talks with various insurgent groups based in Assam. 6. He also has experience in Kashmir. He has served as DIG of the Border Security Force (BSF) and as the IG of CRPF in charge of Jammu and Kashmir. 7. His appointment as the Special Representative for dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir comes against the backdrop of a rising insurgency in Kashmir. 8. He has also served as Joint Director of IB (Islamist Terrorism Desk) from 2003-05 and as director of the BSF Academy. 9. During his 2-year tenure as Director IB, the agency busted a number of espionage modules including the one at the Pakistani high commission in Delhi 10. Sharma is a retired officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS), from the 1979 batch of the Kerala cadre. New Delhi: Ending its three-day losing run, BSE Sensex on Monday closed higher by nearly 117 points or 0.36 percent. The recovery was made on the back of gains in telecom, energy, oil & gas, banking and auto stocks. The 30-share index settled higher by 116.76 points or 0.36 per cent, at 32,506.72, driven by gains in Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel, ICICI, HDFC Bank and Infosys. The broader Nifty of National Stock Exchange scaled the 10,200 mark intra day before closing at 10,184.85, showing a sizeable gain of 38.30 points, or 0.38 per cent. It shuttled between a high 10,224.15 and low of 10,124.50 in day trade. The Nifty managed to end on a positive note, courtesy to smart buying in the latter half of the day, Sameet Chavan, Chief Analyst-Technical and Derivatives, Angel Broking, said. "Market regained after a weak start due to expectation of earnings growth and positive global growth. Telecom sector outperformed on value buying in expectation of normalisation of tariffs, consolidation in the industry, and better outlook on data usage," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services Ltd. Covering-up by speculators, who had been creating short positions, gave equities a push, a broker said. Sentiment also got a lift after Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia suggested some rejig in GST rate structure to reduce the burden on small and medium businesses, brokers said. Besides, positive cues from Asian markets with the Japan's Nikkei posting the longest winning-streak of 15 days in its nearly 70-year history as markets cheered the weekend election victory of pro-business prime minister Shinzo Abe, had a positive impact, they said. After a long Diwali break, market commenced higher at 32,411.86 points, tracking a firm trend at Asian markets. But stocks quickly slipped into negative terrain to hit a low of 32,312.74 as participants booked profits at improved levels. However, revival of buying towards the middle of the session helped the index wipe out losses and touch a high of 32,614.89 before settling 0.36 per cent higher. Overall, in the last three straight sessions, the 30- share barometer had lost 243.68, including 194.39 points on the first day of Samvat 2074 in one-hour special 'Muhurat' session on Thursday on sustained foreign fund outflows. Buying activity was so strong that sectoral indices, led by telecom, energy, realty and oil and gas, ended in the green. Optimistic buying in some bluechip companies ahead of quarterly earnings to be released later this week too supported the rally. Tracking overall trends, the broader markets were also in better shape with the mid-cap surging 0.45 per cent and the small-cap index rising 0.09 per cent. Among 30 Sensex scrips 16 ended higher while remaining 14 closed lower. Bharti Airtel emerged as top performer with 4.99 per cent rise, followed by Reliance Industries at 3.05 per cent. With PTI Inputs Melbourne: Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who was recently appointed as the new chairman of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), says he is ready to work with the students and hear them before taking any steps. Kher says though it is too early for him to list his "to do things", he hopes to inspire the students by sharing his experience as an actor. "I don't want to carry the burden of being Anupam Kher. I will ask the students and work with them and may be come up with something," Kher told PTI. "I think it's important to give them a vast knowledge of world cinema and inspire them. Sometimes you can inspire them by telling your own stories." The actor says his stories are not just about his triumphs but also about his defeats and failures. "I am the sum total of my successes and failures. All those years of my days spent on streets of Mumbai are also a part of my knowledge sharing with students." Kher is all set to visit Australia in December this year to attend an 'In conversation' event series and award night launched by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Kher says while Indian cinema and talent are being recognised globally, Indian audience is also becoming more knowledgable. "Because of satellite channels, multiplexes, Indian audience has become more educated and just won't accept anything that is shown to them. "So many actors, technicians and camera men are emerging and if you are hardworking and an optimist in today's time you will find work." Kher is currently working on his new book "Lessons Life Taught Me Unknowingly", to be released next April. He will next star in Hotel Mumbai, an American Australian film directed by Anthony Maras. The movie is based on the 2009 documentary "Surviving Mumbai", about the Mumbai attacks in 2008 at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. New Delhi: Retirement fund manager EPFO has recently launched an online facility for its subscribers to link their 12-digit unique Aadhaar number with their Universal (portable PF) Account Number (UAN). Meeting the know your customers (KYC) norms by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) subscribers help them access a host of online services. Here is how to link Aadhaar with UAN account online - The facility has been made available at EPFOs website www.epfindia.gov.in >> Online Services >> e-KYC Portal>> LINK UAN AADHAAR. - Using the facility, the EPFO members can online link their respective UAN with Aadhaar. - While using the facility, the member will have to provide his/her UAN. - An OTP will be sent on his/her mobile linked with UAN. - After OTP verification, members will have to provide his/her Aadhaar number. Another OTP will be sent to his/her mobile/email linked with Aadhaar. - After OTP verification, if UAN details are matched with Aadhaar, then UAN will be linked with Aadhaar. - After linking, the EPFO member may avail online EPFO services linked with Aadhaar. New Delhi: Private sector bank ICICI has committed financial assistance of Rs. 10 crore to the Indian armed forces. The country's largest lender said that it will pay the assistance in two equal tranches in 2017 and 2018, which will be utilised towards welfare activities and betterment of the families of ex-servicemen who have lost their lives guarding the nation. MD and CEO ICICI Bank, Chanda Kochhar handed over a cheque for Rs 5 crore to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at a function in the Raksha Mantralaya recently. This fund will be used for two programmes to support the daughters of the armed forces personnels. The first will be used towards the postgraduate education of the widows of ex-servicemen and also support education for their wards. The second scheme will be used to provide financial assistance towards marriages of the daughters of the ex-servicemen. This donation is aligned to ICICI Bank's commitment towards nation building through various initiatives that promote inclusive and sustainable growth. The Kendriya Sainik Board, an apex body of the Government of India, which formulates policies for resettlement and welfare of ex-servicemen and their dependents, will undertake the administration of the programme. Jaipur: Despite criticism from various quarters, the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, which seeks to amend criminal laws to protect both serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in Rajasthan from investigation for on-duty action without the state government's prior sanction, was tabled in the state Assembly on Friday. The bill was introduced by Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria among uproarious scenes as the main opposition Congress walked out from the assembly. Senior BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari also walked out in protest of the bill. The Vasundhara Raje headed Rajasthan government has already brought an ordinance to this effect as the state assembly was not in session in early September. The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, promulgated on September 7, also sought to bar the media from reporting on accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe was obtained. In the ordinance, namely Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 amendments have mainly been made in Criminal Procedure code, 1973 and Indian Penal Code, 1980. It has certain prohibitory provisions to restrain the courts to order an investigation against a person, who is or was a judge or magistrate or a public servant, in respect of the act done by them during the discharge of their official duties. Besides, no investigation will be conducted by any investigating agency against the persons specified without there being any prosecution sanction. The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, promulgated on September 7, also sought to bar the media from reporting on accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe was obtained. The sanctioning authority will have to take its decision within 180 days from the date of the receipt of proposal. The ordinance also provides that in absence of a decision within the stipulated time period the sanction will be deemed to have been granted. It is also noted in the ordinance that no one shall print or publish or publicise in any manner the name, address, photographs, family details or any other particulars which may lead to disclosure of identity of a judge or magistrate or a public servant against whom proceedings under this section is pending, until the sanction has been deemed to have been issued. Jaipur: Rajasthan Congress President Sachin Pilot along with other party workers was on Monday detained in Jaipur during a protest march to Raj Bhavan. "We were doing a peaceful march to Governor House in Jaipur against the ordinance. We have been detained by police. We will continue to fight and protest against this," Sachin Pilot said. Congress has been protesting against the state government's move to make amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, and Indian Penal Code, 1980. The ordinance stops courts from ordering an investigation on both serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state. Besides, no investigation can be conducted by any probe agency against them without there being any prosecution sanction. It also stops the media from reporting on the issues until the sanction has been issued. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had also slammed Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje saying "it's 2017, not 1817". "Madam Chief Minister, with all humility we are in the 21st century, Rahul had tweeted on Sunday. Meanwhile, a PIL challenging the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance 2017 was filed in the High Court on Monday. The plea comes a day when the Vasundhara Raje government tabled the controversial bill in the Rajasthan Assembly. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered its registry to disburse the principal amount of 26 home buyers who had booked flats in a Supertech project at Noida in Uttar Pradesh whose demolition was ordered by the Allahabad High Court. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra considered the report of advocate Gaurav Agarawal, who is assisting it as an amicus curiae, which said that out of several home buyers of Supertech's twin Emerald Towers, 26 have not received any refund. The bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said that Rs 20 crore has been deposited with the apex court registry by the prominent real estate firm and the money would be used in paying back the principal amount to the home buyers who have received nothing in refund. It also asked Amicus Curiae Agarawal to assist in disbursal. The court said the issue of interest and the deduction of return on investment (RoI) from the principal, payable to home buyers, would be dealt with at later stage. Advocates Akhilesh Kumar Pandey and Shoeb Alam, appearing for some home buyers, said the interest of the hassled home buyers needed to be protected. The bench, which had asked the amicus curiae to set up a web portal to deal with grievances of home buyers on September 22, said that Rs two lakh be paid to him towards expenses incurred in setting up of the portal. It posted for December 4 the final disposal of appeals of Supertech filed against the Allahabad High Court's April 11, 2014 verdict ordering demolition of the twin towers--Apex and Ceyane-- and directing the realty major to refund money to home buyers with 14 per cent interest in three months. Earlier, the top court had asked the home buyers to register and lodge their grievances on the web portal set up by the amicus curiae. It had asked the amicus curiae to include in the web portal the entire details of home buyers of these twin towers and the money paid by them and refunds made by the firm. The real estate firm had said it had deposited Rs 20 crore with the apex court registry for refunding money to the home buyers who did not want flats. The apex court, on August 14, had asked Supertech to deposit Rs 10 crore for refunding money to the investors who wanted to opt out of its Emerald Towers project, which comprises two 40-storey residential buildings in Noida. Prior to this, it had said that if the two residential buildings in Noida were constructed without proper sanction, these would be "demolished". The High Court's verdict had come on the plea of some residents of other buildings who had alleged that the twin towers were constructed on a green area. The towers have 857 apartments, of which about 600 flats have already been sold. The counsel for Noida authority had earlier told the bench that the sanctioned plan for the building was in accordance with the guidelines and it was aggrieved by the high court's finding in this regard. Lucknow: With the tagline US in UP, 26 major American companies will interact with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adtiyanath here on Monday to explore investment opportunities in the state. Cabinet Minister Siddharth Nath on Sunday said that on the lines of Vibrant Gujarat, US in UP event is being organised in which 26 US firms headed by Boeing will explore investment avenues in the state. The delegation will visit the state under the aegis of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), Singh, who is UP Health Minister, said. The USISPF is committed to creating the most powerful strategic partnership between the US and India and promoting bilateral trade is an important task, the Forum said. But, our mission reaches far beyond this. It is about business and government coming together in new ways to create meaningful opportunities that have the power to change the lives of citizens, the USISPF said. It said in a statement that investment incentives offered by the state under the new chief minister translates into a business-friendly climate for industry. Singh said taking a cue from Vibrant Gujarat, the idea of US in UP has been mooted to showcase the states investment avenues in chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, cement, gems, textiles and engineering sectors. Washington: President Donald Trump struggled to remember the name of the US soldier killed in an ambush in Niger when he called the man's widow for condolences, the woman told a TV channel on Monday. In an interview with ABC`s "Good Morning America," Myeshia Johnson, the pregnant widow of Sergeant La David T Johnson, said Trump had made her "cry even worse" in a condolence telephone call when he said that her husband "knew what he signed up for." She also said she has been told little about how her husband was killed and has not been allowed to see his body. La David Johnson was one of four US Army soldiers killed on October 4 in an attack in the West African nation. Last week, a member of the US House of Representatives, Frederica Wilson, said she had listened to the call from Trump and that he had upset the family by saying Johnson "knew what he signed up for." That drew an sharp rebuke from the President, who dubbed Wilson "whacky" and denied her account of the call. "I didn`t say what that congresswoman said," Trump told reporters last week. "I had a very nice conversation with the woman, with the wife who... sounded like a lovely woman," Reuters reported. Myeshia Johnson said, "The President said that he (her husband) knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway ...And it made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he couldnt remember my husbands name." Johnson said that when Trump called, she and other family members were in a limousine riding to an airport where her husband`s body was shipped. Wilson was also in the car. Johnson said she did not say anything during the call, adding that afterward, she was "very upset and hurt." Asked what she might now say to Trump, Johnson said she had "nothing to say to him." The widow also said that the military has told her little about what happened in Niger, and that she is upset that she has not been allowed to see her husband`s body. "I don`t know what`s in that box," said of her husband`s coffin. "It could be empty for all I know." On the other hand, Trump responded by posting on Twitter, "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation." I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2017 The attack earlier this month, which US officials suspect was carried out by a local affiliate of Islamic State, has thrown a spotlight on the US counter-terrorism mission in Niger, which has about 800 US troops. Meanwhile, people took to Twitter and reacted to the whole controversy. Following are some of the reactions: "If he's putting his life on the line for the country, why can't you remember his name?" -- Myeshia Johnson to Trump on @GMA T.J. Holmes (@tjholmes) October 23, 2017 As a military veteran, I never thought I'd see the day when a widow and patriot like Myeshia Johnson is insulted by a Commander-in-Chief. Charles Clymer(@cmclymer) October 23, 2017 Past presidents have stood and been berated by fallen soldiers' families. Trump trashes Myeshia Johnson bc he can't admit a wrong. Pathetic Nicole (@NicoleMT16) October 23, 2017 "Myeshia Johnson" Her husband's courage and strength, and hers, define patriotism. October 23, 2017 I believe Myeshia Johnson... Ron Holland (@ronholland) October 23, 2017 (With Agency inputs) The Israeli police arrested a man for posting good morning on social media website Facebook. The translation of good morning by a software led to the arrest of the man in the West Bank. He had reportedly posted good morning in Arabic on Facebook, but the software translated it as attack them. The automatic translation by the social media giant showed his good morning as attack them in Hebrew and hurt them in English. The man, Halawim Halawi, a Palestinian builder by profession, had posted good morning in Arabic along with his photo. The police became suspicious as a bulldozer was seen in the picture, reported Haaretz. Halawi was interrogated by the police on suspicion of incitement of violence. However, the cops realised that it was an error and set him free in few hours. According to reports, the man deleted the Facebook post after his arrest. Beijing: When Xi Jinping warned against "pleasure seeking" in a stern message to the Communist Party congress last week, the audience included few women and some notable absentees -- officials ousted by graft scandals involving illicit affairs. The scene was a reminder that China`s leadership remains a man`s world, where women have been excluded from the highest echelons of power and men have abused their positions in sex-for-favours scandals. Women represent only a quarter of the 2,300 delegates attending the week-long congress held just twice a decade, highlighting the yawning gender gap in the world`s most populous nation. Since the Communists took power in 1949, under Mao Zedong who famously declared that "women hold up half the sky", no woman has ever risen to the top ruling council. Delegates at the congress will choose members of the party`s Central Committee, where women account for just 4.9 percent of the 205-strong membership -- down from 6.4 percent in 2012. The committee then has the task of selecting the 25-person executive Politburo, which currently has only two women, and its elite standing committee -- which boasts seven ageing men. When the new Politburo Standing Committee lineup is unveiled on Tuesday or Wednesday, no woman is expected to break the glass ceiling and join them. Guo Jianmei, a leading lawyer and women`s rights advocate, had prepared a letter to the party congress criticising China`s lack of attention to women`s participation in politics. "The letter describes this situation but there is no way to submit it, because no party representative is willing to help us," Guo told AFP. "China has generally not given any thought on how to promote women`s leadership status."Gender equality is enshrined in the constitution but analysts say traditional social structures have kept women from gaining more space in politics, pressuring them to prioritise family roles over their careers. The official All China Women`s Federation coined the derogatory term "leftover women" in 2007 to describe unmarried professionals after the government announced a campaign to improve population "quality" by encouraging educated women to have babies. A party congress delegate from Shanghai said she did not see a problem. "China has already achieved equality between the sexes. The government supports women`s aspirations," she told AFP, declining to give her name. While women have been left out of top jobs, Xi`s anti-corruption drive has revealed a large number of cases involving men committing adultery, which is against party rules. "All thinking and behaviour in the vein of pleasure seeking, inaction and sloth, and problem avoidance are unacceptable," he intoned last week, reminding party members to lead by example. The most prominent figure netted so far in the graft campaign is 74-year-old former security tsar Zhou Yongkang, who was accused of committing adultery with a number of women "in power-for-sex and money-for-sex trades". And last month rising political star Sun Zhengcai from the Chongqing megalopolis was expelled for "serious violations of party discipline" including allegations that he took bribes and "exchanged money for sex", state media said. The litany of alleged crimes in corruption cases can sometimes be cover for factional score-settling. But official data shows that men in power hand ample ammunition to their critics. A 2013 study from Renmin University in Beijing found that 95 percent of corrupt officials had extramarital affairs, and at least 60 percent had kept a mistress, which typically involves providing an apartment and an allowance. "It`s definitely still prevalent," said Beijing-based writer Zhang Lijia, who conducted research on China`s sex industry for her novel, "Lotus". "The traditional practice of men showing their social standing with numerous concubines has returned in the form of mistress culture." In recent years, authorities have jailed and intimidated outspoken critics on women`s issues. Ye Haiyan, one of China`s most prominent feminist activists, gained fame for her brazen protests against a string of child sexual abuse cases. But she said she does not dare to even write blog posts about women`s rights issues now. "They get deleted right away, and authorities have pressured multiple landlords to evict me," she said. "The harassment only stopped after I moved in with my husband." CLARK FREEPORT ZONE: The threat from North Korea has grown to a "critical and imminent level" and the United States, Japan and South Korea must address the matter, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told his US and South Korean counterparts in talks on Monday. Onodera`s remarks underscored the deep concern in Tokyo after North Korean weapons tests, including test firing missiles over Japan, as Pyongyang seeks to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States. His comments broke from more measured language on Monday by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-Moo, as the three men met on the sidelines of a gathering of Asian defense chiefs in the Philippines. "(The) threat posed by North Korea has grown to the unprecedented, critical and imminent level. Therefore, we have to take calibrated and different responses to meet with that level of threat," he said, speaking through a translator, at the start of talks in the Philippines. South Korea`s Song also acknowledged that "North Koreas provocative behavior is becoming worse and worse," in public remarks before reporters were escorted out of the meeting room. Mattis renewed sharp criticism of North Korea`s tests, saying they "threaten regional and global security." Mattis, who kicked off a week-long trip to the region on Monday, has been eager to emphasize diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully as escalating tension between Washington and Pyongyang stoked fears of `armed confrontation.` Asked about his conversation with Onodera after the two met earlier in the day, before joining South Korea`s Song, Mattis said they discussed "maintaining stability and peace in support of the diplomats." Meanwhile, former US President Jimmy Carter said he is willing to travel to North Korea on behalf of the Trump administration to help diffuse the situation, the New York Times reported. Mattis has been more cautious in his public remarks than US President Donald Trump, who has been locked in a war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, threatening to destroy North Korea if necessary to defend the United States and its allies. Kim has blasted Trump as "mentally deranged." Mattis is at the start of a week-long trip to Asia and will attend meetings hosted by defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Philippines. ASEAN defence ministers, in a joint statement, expressed "grave concern" over North Korea`s nuclear and missile programmes and urged the reclusive country to meet its international obligations and resume communications. They underscored the "need to maintain peace and stability in the region" and called "for the exercise of self-restraint and the resumption of dialogue to de-escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula." Mattis` trip, which will include a stop in Thailand, comes before Trump`s first visit to Asia next month, including a stop in China. Trump has been pressuring China to do more to rein in North Korea`s missile and nuclear programmes. China is North Korea`s neighbor and biggest trading partner. Mattis, while in the Philippines, said he will commend themilitary for defeating insurgents in Marawi City on the islandof Mindanao. The Philippines said on Monday it has ended five months of military operations in Marawi after a fierce and unfamiliar urban war that marked the country`s biggest security crisis in years. Some experts see the Marawi insurgency as a prelude to a more ambitious bid by Islamic State loyalists to exploit Mindanao`s poverty and use its jungles and mountains as a base to train, recruit and launch attacks in the region. "It was a tough fight," Mattis told reporters on his flight to the Philippines, adding he thought the Philippines` military had sent "a very necessary message to the terrorists." On Thursday, Mattis will lead the US delegation in Thailand for the cremation rites for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Clark: US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said Monday that curbing military threats from North Korea would be high on the agenda on his Asian tour this week, ahead of a visit by Donald Trump. Tension has been high on the divided peninsula for months with Pyongyang staging its sixth nuclear test and launching two ICBMs that apparently brought much of the US mainland into range, while Trump and the North`s leader Kim Jong-Un trade threats of war and personal insults. Mattis, on his way to the Philippines for security talks with Southeast Asian defence ministers, said he would discuss the "regional security crisis caused by reckless... North Korea" among other issues. At the forum, Mattis is also expected to hold three-way talks with his counterparts from South Korea and Japan -- key US allies in Asia -- before visiting Seoul for annual defence talks. "We will discuss... how we are going to maintain peace by keeping our militaries alert while our diplomats -- Japanese, South Korean and US -- work with all nations to denuclearise the Korean peninsula," Mattis told reporters on his aircraft. He stressed the international community`s goal was to denuclearise the flashpoint region, adding: "There is only one country with nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula." Mattis` visit to Seoul comes ahead of Trump`s first presidential trip to Asia next month, which also includes South Korea. All eyes will be on Trump`s message to the isolated North. His recent remark that "only one thing will work" with North Korea fuelled concerns of a potential conflict. But even some Trump advisers say US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South Korean capital Seoul -- only around 50 kilometres from the heavily-fortified border and home to 10 million people. Washington: The US wants Myanmar to set conditions for the return of Rohingya Muslims as it believes that this "humanitarian catastrophe" can be used by some as a way to foment hatred along religious lines and then violence, a senior Trump administration official has said. Nearly 600,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since late August to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State where the army has launched a crackdown against militants. Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country. "It is a very significant humanitarian and security concern. Because there are those who will use this humanitarian catastrophe as a way to foment hatred along religious lines and then violence," the senior administration official said. "So, it's important for Myanmar to do more, to set conditions for the return of refugees," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. As such it is important for the international communities do everything they can to alleviate the tremendous humanitarian suffering and to ensure that basic services, including education for children are met. Meanwhile, the US government yesterday announced to have provided nearly $40 million in life-saving emergency assistance in direct response to the Rakhine State crisis since August 25. This brings the total US humanitarian assistance in 2017 to the displaced in Myanmar and the region to nearly USD 104 million, the State Department said. The US assistance goes to its international organisation partners on the ground, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The organisations helps in providing protection, emergency shelter, food and nutritional assistance, as well as health care and psychosocial support for the more than half a million displaced refugees in Myanmar, Bangladesh and the region. "We applaud Bangladesh's government generosity in responding to this severe humanitarian crisis and appreciate its continued efforts to ensure assistance reaches people in need," the department said. Welcoming Myanmar's commitment in bringing long-term peace and stability to Rakhine State by implementing the recommendations of the Kofi Annan-led Special Advisory Commission report, the department in a statement called for an immediate end of the violence in northern Rakhine State and for the Myanmar's government to allow refugees to return home voluntarily, safely and with dignity. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has great potential to develop scientific tourism, Areg Mikayelyan Director of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, told Armenpress, stating that active steps are being taken to increase the tourism flow to the Observatory. Already meetings were held with the State Tourism Committee. The discussions focused on issues to develop scientific tourism in Armenia considering the scientific places, institutions, archeological sities, museums and etc. Armenia is very rich of its scientific heritage and current potential. It is necessary to present the country as a rich scientific heritage and a state with great scientific potential, Areg Mikayelyan said. In this regard he considered the Byurakan Observatory as an important link which can be interesting for tourists. If we look at the scientific sites of different countries, the experience shows that tourists mainly prefer observatories among them. There are countries with great attractiveness where tourists are mainly interested in observatories. Now we can organize the same here, he said. The Observatory has already started working with tourism companies, they are trying to develop joint tour packages. Visits of tourism companies to the Observatory have been organized aimed at understanding the opportunities. Areg Mikayelyan said the tourism companies gave their recommendations in terms of creating conditions and providing infrastructures. Today as well tourists visit the Byurakan Observatory, but these visits are not organized. These visits are not well organized. I am sure that in case of organizing we will be able to increase the number of visits for several times. By this we will contribute to increasing the interest of tourists towards Armenias scientific heritage, potential, he said. The Byurakan Observatory hosts more than 10.000 visitors annually, but the visits are mainly from Armenian educational institutions. Tourists mainly are from US, Russia, Iran, Georgia, Ukraine and etc. At the moment works are being done to include the Observatory in tour packages. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. On October 22 the Azerbaijani forces, violating the recent agreement reached between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Geneva by the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group, fired artillery weapons at the north-eastern direction (Martakert-Mataghis) of the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, as well as fired 5 shells and SPIKE anti-tank guided missile at the Armenian positions, the defense ministry of the Artsakh Republic told Armenpress. This incident shows again that Baku is not inclined to direct the agreement reached to the peaceful settlement of the conflict and exclusion of unjustified losses, but quite the contrary, it destabilizes the situation through deliberate provocations. Taking into account the need to effectively implement the processes of the international community and the OSCE Minsk Group to peacefully settle the Azerbaijani-Artsakh conflict, the Artsakh Armed Forces refrained from taking counter measures. But this doesnt mean that the adversarys actions will remain unanswered in case if the events develop with this logic. The defense ministry of the Artsakh Republic with full responsibility warns Bakus military-political leadership that if provocations continue, inadequate and quite painful response will be given. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. No precipitation is expected in Armenia from October 24 to 27, the ministry of emergency situations told Armenpress. In the evening hours of October 28 basically in northern regions short rain with thunderstorm is predicted. Southwest wind speed is 3-8 m/s. On October 25-26 the air temperature will increase by 2-3 degrees, on October 27 it will decrease as much. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Agriculture minister Ignati Arakelyan on October 23 held a meeting with newly-appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Syria to Armenia Mohammed Haj Ibrahim aimed at discussing the bilateral cooperation prospects in agriculture field, press service of the ministry told Armenpress. The minister congratulated the Ambassador on assuming the post and expressed hope the Armenian-Syrian relations will continue strengthening and developing during his tenure. The Syrian Ambassador thanked the Armenian government for the support, and said Syria plans to implement the future cooperation with the Armenian side both through the involvement of public and private sector. In order to put the cooperation with Armenia on firmer basis and expand it, the Syrian Ambassador proposed to organize the session of the Armenian-Syrian intergovernmental joint commission in Damascus which was previously held in Yerevan in 2009. The Ambassador expressed confidence that it would be possible to carry out mutually beneficial activity within the framework of the joint commission. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on October 23 hosted Papal Legate for the Mekhitarist Congregation of Venice, Primate of the Armenian Catholic Diocese in Turkey Archbishop Levon Zekiyan who arrived in Yerevan on the sidelines of events dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the Mekhitarist Congregation in the island of San Lazzaro, press service of the Presidents Office told Armenpress. The events are being held in Yerevan from October 20-24 on this occasion. Welcoming the guest and the delegation members accompanying him, the Armenian President once again congratulated on the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the Mekhitarist Congregation highlighting its irreplaceable and significant role which made it as a spiritual, educational, literary and scientific-cultural center. The President noted that three centuries ago since the moment of starting its activity the institution founded by Mkhitar Sebastatsi had an exclusive significant contribution in the preservation of Armenian identity the vivid proofs of which are the numerous manuscripts and records of the Armenian cultural heritage being kept in the monastery complex of the Mekhitarist Congregation. Serzh Sargsyan said during his visits to Italy and Austria he tries not to miss the chance to visit the Mekhitarist Congregations of Venice and Vienna. He stated that the Congregation should continue its productive activity, adding that any difficulty, problem is possible to solve only through Armenia-Diaspora close cooperation for which both sides are ready. The Armenian President highly appreciated Archbishop Levon Zekiyans activity aimed at making the spiritual, cultural heritage of the Armenian people recognizable to the world, preserving the Armenian identity and educating the generations. Archbishop Levon Zekiyan thanked the President for warm and encouraging words, stating that always feeling the support of the Fatherland is very important. He warmly remembered the Presidents visits to Congregations institutions and expressed hope there will be such chances in future as well. The Congregation together with its members and friends, as well as under the auspices of you, Honorable President, and Your Holiness, must make efforts to properly celebrate the jubilee year of the 300th anniversary, he said. During the meeting the sides also discussed issues relating to the Armenian Catholic community of Turkey. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. The defense ministry of the Artsakh Republic released a video of the launch of SPIKE anti-tank guided missile used by Azerbaijani forces on October 22 and the trace left by it, the ministry told Armenpress. Earlier the Artsakh Defense Army issued a statement on this incident which says: On October 22 the Azerbaijani forces, violating the recent agreement reached between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Geneva by the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group, fired artillery weapons at the north-eastern direction (Martakert-Mataghis) of the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, as well as fired 5 shells and SPIKE anti-tank guided missile at the Armenian positions. This incident shows again that Baku is not inclined to direct the agreement reached to the peaceful settlement of the conflict and exclusion of unjustified losses, but quite the contrary, it destabilizes the situation through deliberate provocations. Taking into account the need to effectively implement the processes of the international community and the OSCE Minsk Group to peacefully settle the Azerbaijani-Artsakh conflict, the Artsakh Armed Forces refrained from taking counter measures. But this doesnt mean that the adversarys actions will remain unanswered in case if the events develop with this logic. The defense ministry of the Artsakh Republic with full responsibility warns Bakus military-political leadership that if provocations continue, inadequate and quite painful response will be given. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan on October 25 will participate in the session of the Eurasian Inter-governmental Council in Yerevan, press service of the government told Armenpress. The session will be attended by heads of government of the remaining member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Tigran Sargsyan. The session agenda includes issues relating to the activity of domestic markets, trade, agroindustry, energy and infrastructures. During the session the development process of initiatives within the frames of the implementation of EAEU digital agenda, as well as the action plan (roadmap) of eliminating the 2018-2019 restrictions in the EAEU domestic market will be discussed. The session participants will also touch upon issues relating to the formation of information exchange system within the EAEU common energy market. The session will also announce the countries where the traditional Eurasian Week exhibition forum will be held in 2018-2020. Given the cadre changes in Kyrgyzstan, the candidacy of the countrys new representative will be approved in the EEC Board session. The place of holding the next session of the EAEU Inter-governmental council will also be determined. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov on October 23 hosted members of the Parliament of Mexico Blanca Margarita Cuata Dominguez, Maria Cristina Teresa Garcia Bravo, Carlos Hernandez Miron and persons accompanying them, press service of the Armenian Parliament told Armenpress. The meeting was also attended by head of Armenia-Mexico parliamentary friendship group Karen Avagyan and group member Gagik Melikyan. Welcoming the guests Vice Speaker Sharmazanov said the visit of Mexican parliamentarians is unique in a sense that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Mexico. Talking about the bilateral ties, Sharmazanov expressed confidence that the work of the parliamentary friendship groups will open new page and will increase the existing relations to higher level both in political, economic and other spheres. Sharmazanov extended his condolences to the lawmakers over the recent earthquake in Mexico, stating that the Armenian people understand well the pain of the Mexican people. The meeting also focused on Armenias foreign policy priorities. As for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Sharmazanov said: Our fight is for justice and prevention of genocides. We dont consider any people, including the Turkish people, as an enemy, we think that Turks first of all need to recognize the Armenian Genocide and face with their own history since denial and falsification can result in new genocides and tragedies. Mr. Sharmazanov informed that next year marks the 70th anniversary of UN Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide adopted on December 9, 1948, thus Armenia in this sense will present new initiatives. Speaking about the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Sharmazanov touched upon the two resolutions adopted by Mexicos parliament of the previous convocation in 2011, stating that they not only were of anti-Armenian nature, but also were directly opposing the assessments of the international community. The UN has given the mandate of solving this issue to the Co-Chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group. We need to take steps in international structures which will not be against to the assessments of the international community. This is a human rights protection issue, rather than a territorial dispute: the people of Artsakh have as much right to live independently as a citizen of any subject of the former USSR, Sharmazanov said. Mexican MPs Blanca Margarita Cuata Dominguez and Carlos Hernandez Miron in their remarks supported the principle of exercise of peoples right to self-determination. Blanca Margarita Cuata Dominguez expressed confidence that their visit will give a new impetus and will develop the existing relations between the two countries for which they are ready to do the utmost by using the parliamentary platform. The guests were interested in Armenias shifting to a parliamentary system of governance, as well as considered Armenia as a gate in terms of entering the markets of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and other neighbor countries. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. A stamp dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the Mekhitarist Congregation in the island of San Lazzaro was cancelled and put into circulation, reports Armenpress. The stamp was put into circulation on October 23 during the event in Matenadaran. The event was attended by Diaspora minister Hranush Hakobyan and Primate of the Armenian Catholic Diocese of Turkey Archbishop Levon Zekiyan. I am grateful that we celebrate this beautiful jubilee event in Armenia, in Matenadaran. The Congregation on the map is a small point, but it is great with its cultural, scientific, educational and spiritual activity that managed to strengthen and become the subject of Armenian peoples pride for 300 years. We are proud that we have a Mekhitarist Congregation which managed to reach our days and leave a great heritage. The key contribution of the Mekhitarists in Armenian peoples life is connecting the Armenian culture with the European culture, the Diaspora minister said. According to her, currently the Mekhitarist schools are one of the best schools of the Diaspora. Their manuscript records are the vivid presence of the Armenian people in Italy. Archbishop Levon Zekiyan said its a great honor to assume the position of representative of 300 years of history. The stamp costs 230 AMD. It was printed in one of the French printing houses with 40.000 copies. The designer of the stamp is Vahe Muradyan. Exhibition dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Congregation also opened during which books published in the San Lazzaro island of Venice in the 17-18th centuries were presented. STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. On October 23 Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan attended a ceremony of donating Armenian style carpets to Artsakh churches held in the Gandzasar monastic complex, press service of the Artsakh Presidents Office told Armenpress. President Sahakyan expressed gratitude to the authors of the initiative and all those who had been involved in its implementation highlighting its cultural, ethnographic and public significance. YEREVAN, 23 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 23 October, USD exchange rate is up by 0.32 drams to 482.25 drams. EUR exchange rate is down by 3.09 drams to 566.07 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is up by 0.02 drams to 8.39 drams. GBP exchange rate is up by 1.20 drams to 635.03 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price is down by 67.39 drams to 19864.62 drams. Silver price is up by 0.95 drams to 264.74 drams. Platinum price is down by 21.53 drams to 14248.82 drams. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. The armed forces of Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire regime in the eastern direction of ARtsakh-Azerbaijan contact line at about 15:05, October 23, firing SPIKE anti-tank guided missile. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of the Republic of Artsakh, the Defense Army units continued to show restraint and took no retaliatory measures not to escalate the tension on the contact line. Yesterday, on October 22, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, violating the agreement reached recently at the meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Geneva, in the north-eastern direction of the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border (Martakert-Matagis), applied artillery. The opponent fired from mortars (5 rounds) and the Spike ATGK (1 missile) in the direction of the Armenian positions. What happened shows that as always Baku is not inclined to use the reached agreements for a peaceful settlement of the conflict and for the elimination of unjustified losses, on the contrary, with deliberate provocations, it is destabilizing the situation. Considering the need for effective implementation of the processes for the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, Artsakh's Armed Forces refrained from responding. However, this does not mean that if this logic of development of events continues, the actions of the opponent will remain unanswered. The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Artsakh with all responsibility warns the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan that if the provocations continue, the answer will be disproportionate and rather painful. LUXEMBOURGJobSoap.com has launched to help professionals in the adult industry find jobs. The company says, "Finding a career can be challenging, and even moving from one company to another isnt always easy when you work in the adult industry. You need to have direct connections to the people who actually do the hiring at companies you really want to work with and getting that access isnt always easy." Posting positions in the hope of finding the right candidate for an open spot at your company was also a challenge with many job sites blacklisting adult entirely, the founders say. Now JobSoap.com says it's here to simplify it all with its job hunt platform. 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Understanding their sincere thinking in their extreme position: How will you still vote on this election day? Democrat; because the continuance of this Democracy from the existential threat of extreme Republicans is paramount. Republican; the process of having a choice is the democratic method within what so called "Democracy" does exists. We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Do you dream of becoming a digital nomad? Ever since our shift to remote and hybrid work models, many folks have transitioned or are considering careers that allow them to work from READ THE REST Purdue cynically created the American opiod epidemic through a combination of bribing medical professionals to overprescribe Oxycontin, publishing junk science, and aggressively lobbying regulators at every level to turn a blind eye to the destruction of the lives of millions of patient; while the company settled a record-setting criminal case, the name of the secretive family of billionaires who run Purdue and profited from the Oxy epidemic is best known for philanthropy, not profiteering: the Sackler family. The Sacklers directly managed and oversaw the development and sale of Oxycontin, including an aggressive campaign to expand the kinds of pathologies that would be treated with the powerfully addictive painkillers. The company admitted that it knew that doctors harbored incorrect beliefs about the strength and addictiveness of its products and that they traded on this because it was making them billions. Princeton economist Alan Krueger believes that one in five Americans who no longer participates in the labor force does so because of addiction to Oxtcontin. The Sackler family are prominent philanthropists whose donations have bought them naming rights at some of the world's great museums, galleries and universities. But for all that name recognition, the source of their fortune is largely unknown according to the director of Yale's Raymond and Beverly Sackler Institute for Biological, Physical and Engineering Sciences, "neither students nor faculty have ever brought up the OxyContin connection." The deliberate strategy of profiting through abuse of OxyContin is not behind the Sacklers. Today, Mundipharma also owned and controlled by the Sacklers is pursuing overseas markets for Oxycontin using the same playbook that devastated America. Campaigns in overseas territories seek to convince doctors and patients that many conditions should be treated with the long-term use of powerful, addictive opiods, despite the clinical evidence that this is both ineffective and dangerous. Both the World Health Organization and a bipartisan Congressional coalition have issued warnings about Mundipharma's plans, warning other countries' governments that they face grave problems if the Sacklers are allowed to re-run their American addiction project in other nations. In May, a dozen lawmakers in Congress, inspired by the L.A. Times investigation, sent a bipartisan letter to the World Health Organization warning that Sackler-owned companies were preparing to flood foreign countries with legal narcotics. "Purdue began the opioid crisis that has devastated American communities," the letter reads. "Today, Mundipharma is using many of the same deceptive and reckless practices to sell OxyContin abroad." Significantly, the letter calls out the Sackler family by name, leaving no room for the public to wonder about the identities of the people who stood behind Mundipharma. The final assessment of the Sacklers' global impact will take years to work out. In some places, though, they have already left their mark. In July, Raymond, the last remaining of the original Sackler brothers, died at ninety-seven. Over the years, he had won a British knighthood, been made an Officer of France's Legion d'Honneur, and received one of the highest possible honors from the royal house of the Netherlands. One of his final accolades came in June 2013, when Anthony Monaco, the president of Tufts University, traveled to Purdue Pharma's headquarters in Stamford to bestow an honorary doctorate. The Sacklers had made a number of transformational donations to the university over the yearsendowing, among other things, the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences. At Tufts, as at most schools, honorary degrees are traditionally awarded on campus during commencement, but in consideration of Raymond's advanced age, Monaco trekked to Purdue for a special ceremony. The audience that day was limited to family members, select university officials, and a scrum of employees. Addressing the crowd of intimates, Monaco praised his benefactor. "It would be impossible to calculate how many lives you have saved, how many scientific fields you have redefined, and how many new physicians, scientists, mathematicians, and engineers are doing important work as a result of your entrepreneurial spirit." He concluded, "You are a world changer." THE SECRETIVE FAMILY MAKING BILLIONS FROM THE OPIOID CRISIS [Christopher Glazek/Esquire] (Image: OxyContin setup, 51fifty, CC-BY-SA) (via Naked Capitalism) Alberta mother's 6-year campaign to toughen impaired driving laws gets backing from Conservative MP A Beaumont, Alta., mother whose son was killed by a drunk driver is keen to bolster a federal bill to amend the criminal code on impaired driving. Sheri Arsenault lost her teenage son Bradley in 2011. She has since become a strong advocate for harsher punishments against drunk drivers. She joined Conservative MP Michael Cooper on Sunday for a small press conference in St. Albert to urge Canadians to sign a petition calling for tougher penalties. 'It never goes away' Six years after Bradley, 18, died in a violent crash, Arsenault said she still expects him to walk through the door. Bradley was killed when a drunk driver slammed into the back of his car on a highway near Beaumont in 2011. His friends Thaddeus Lake, 22, and Kole Novak, 18, also died in the crash. Arsenault wears a metal locket with Bradley's picture around her neck. She says the weight is a constant reminder of the child she lost. The names of her son and his two friends also circle Arsenault's wrist on three rubber bracelets. "It never goes away. Every day you wake up and your child is on your mind," Arsenault said. "When a young, innocent life is taken, it's very hard for anyone to fully recover from that." The man convicted in her son's death was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2014, with a lifetime driving prohibition. Earlier this year, he became eligible for parole. 'It's very black and white' After her son's death, Arsenault joined Families for Justice to lobby for reforms to Canada's impaired driving laws. "For me, it's very black and white we want accountability," Arsenault said. "We want a reasonable sentence that not only gives a little more justice to the victims or the victims' families, but also demonstrates deterrence for the general public not to commit this crime in the first place." In 2014, she met with then justice minister Peter MacKay. The following year, she stood with MacKay in Ottawa as he introduced legislation to create harder penalties for impaired drivers, including a mandatory minimum sentence of six years for those whose actions end up killing someone, Story continues MacKay proposed the changes less than a month before Parliament recessed for the summer. The Liberal party won the election that fall and in early 2017, tabled its own legislation to stop impaired driving. Bill C-46 includes reforms such as greater maximum sentences and higher minimum fines for impaired drivers. Cooper, the MP for St. Albert-Edmonton, is gathering signatures for a petition to include minimum sentences for impaired driving offences. Arsenault said she hopes their combined advocacy will move the federal justice minister to create tougher penalties than those proposed in the bill. 'A recognition of what they have lost' Cooper argues that Bill C-46 doesn't go far enough to punish drivers who kill people while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. "Whether it does have a deterrent effect or not, the fact is that this is about justice," Cooper said. "This is about justice for the victims and their families... It's a recognition of what they have lost." Cooper is one of three Conservative politicians on a 12-member federal standing committee on justice and human rights studying amendments to the criminal code through Bill C-46. On Friday in Parliament, Cooper argued for "common sense Conservative amendments to Bill C-46, which would have strengthened penalties for impaired driving offences." "Despite Liberal opposition, there is still hope that Bill C-46 can be fixed," he added. Cooper said he expects there to be a vote on the bill in the House of Commons this week, after which it will go to the Senate. Bob Rae, special envoy to Myanmar, holds a press conference in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Photo from CP Images Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed this week that he had appointed a special envoy to help resolve the ongoing crisis in Myanmar. Trudeau selected Ontarios former premier and ex-Liberal MP Bob Rae. His appointment comes as the Rohingya mark two months of mass exodus into neighbouring Bangladesh. Raes new role in the government is one of the first concrete steps the government has taken in addressing the crisis. Rae announced in a Monday news conference in Ottawa that he would be heading to Myanmar next week to meet with senior officials from the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh. I do think its worthwhile for us to keep on as many paths as possible in reinforcing the message about the extent of the crisis in Myanmar thats causing this extraordinary exodus of over half a million people since August, said Rae. I think the more we can do to reinforce that, the better off we are. He didnt cast any judgments on the situation in Myanmar, dodging questions about what he hoped to discover during his mission that wasnt already reported by non-governmental organizations operating there. Rae said his purpose was to come to a resolution aimed at ending the violence, rather than make accusations against specific parties. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, who was also at the news conference, said Raes appointment was meant to show the Myanmar government the seriousness with which Canada takes the persecution of the Rohingya. The prime minister is not only putting one of our smartest, best people on the case, said Freeland. These are crimes against humanity and the responsibility for ending the ethnic cleansing falls squarely on Myanmars military leadership and its civilian government. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled their homes since a long-simmering campaign against them in the Rakhine state intensified two months ago. According to the United Nations latest figures, 900,000 Rohingya are now refugees in Bangladesh, with 600,000 arriving since the end of August. Story continues Meanwhile, the countrys notorious Nobel laureate and honorary Canadian citizen, Aung San Suu Kyi, has failed to seriously condemn what Amnesty International has called a targeted campaign to push the Rohingya people out of Myanmar. Canada has been one of the few countries to repeatedly call attention to their plight, both on the international stage and at home. The Rohingya population has been stateless since 1982, when the Myanmar government did not acknowledge their ethnic group. Even prior to 1982, the Rohingyas status in Myanmar was uncertain. The country was once administered as part of the British India, and so internal migration was normal, Al Jazeera reports, citing the Human Rights Watch. Following Myanmars independence in 1962, the Rohingya Muslims were given foreign identity cards, hindering their ability to secure employment and education. In Canada, Parliament has devoted time to discuss the Rohingya crisis, with an emergency debate convening in the House of Commons on September 26. Members of Parliament provided testimony that they had received about atrocities committed by Myanmars army from survivors of the violence during a fact-finding mission. Soldiers shot them and in some cases used knives to inflect fatal wounds to necks, said Garnet Genuis, a Conservative MP, speaking about the situation in Myanmar. We have here a clear textbook case of ethnic cleansing, of genocide against the Rohingya people in Burma. Freeland seemed to agree with that assessment. The security operations that followed were grossly disproportionate, and the Rohingya suffered many human rights violations, including arson, rape and torture, she said. Raes mandate will last until the end of January 2018. He will pen a publicly-available report to the government and the prime minister on the situation in Myanmar at the conclusion of his time as a special envoy. There are currently no plans to resettle any Rohingya in Canada, but Freeland left the door open to that question. We are looking at all different ways that Canada can be supportive in this crisis, she said. Its going to take an international approach. By Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi defended the role of an Iranian-backed paramilitary force at a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday in Baghdad. Tillerson arrived on Monday hours after the Iraqi government rejected his call to send home the Popular Mobilisation, an Iran-backed force that helped defeat Islamic State and capture the Kurdish-held city of Kirkuk. In his opening remarks at the meeting with Tillerson, Abadi said Popular Mobilisation "is part of the Iraqi institutions," rejecting accusations that it is acting as an Iranian proxy. "Popular Mobilisation fighters should be encouraged because they will be the hope of country and the region," he added. Iraq is one of the few countries allied closely to both the United States and Iran, and Tillerson's effort to drive a wedge between Baghdad and Tehran appeared to have backfired, drawing a sharp statement from the prime minister's office. Tillerson visited Iraq a day after a rare joint meeting with Abadi and Saudi Arabia's King Salman in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. After that meeting, he called on Iraq to halt the work of the Tehran-backed paramilitary units, which have operated alongside government troops in battles against Islamic State and, since last week, in a lightning advance that seized the oil city of Kirkuk from Kurdish security forces. At his meeting with Abadi in Baghdad, Tillerson urged the Iraqi government and Masoud Barzani's Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil to resolve their conflict on Kurdish self-determination and disputed territories through dialogue. "We are concerned and a bit sad," Tillerson said. "We have friends in Baghdad and friends in Erbil, and we encourage all parties to enter into discussion ... and all differences can be addressed." Iraqi forces are deploying tanks and artillery just south of a Kurdish-operated oil pipeline that crosses into Turkey, a Kurdish security official said, the latest in a series of Iranian-backed operations against the Kurds. "Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against Daesh and ISIS is coming to a close, those militias need to go home," Tillerson said on Sunday in Saudi Arabia. Abadi's office responded sharply. "No party has the right to interfere in Iraqi matters," a statement from his office read. It did not cite the prime minister himself but a "source" close to him. It referred to the mainly Shi'ite Popular Mobilisation as "patriots". One of the closest groups to Iran within Popular Mobilisation, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, reacted to Tillerson's comment by saying it would be Americans who will be forced to leave Iraq. "Your forces should get ready to get out of our country once the excuse of Daesh's presence is over," said Asaib's leader, Sheikh Qais al-Khazali, according to the group's TV channel, al-Aahd. SAME SIDE The international battle against Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq since 2014 saw the United States and Iran effectively fighting on the same side, with both supporting the Iraqi government against the militants. Washington has 5,000 troops in Iraq and provided air support, training and weapons to Iraqi government forces. At the same time, Iran armed, trained and advised Shi'ite paramilitaries that often fought alongside the army. The latest twist in the Iraq conflict, pitting the central government against the Kurds, is trickier for U.S. policymakers. Washington still supports the central government but has also been allied to the Kurds for decades. Iran is the pre-eminent Shi'ite power in the Middle East. Shi'ites, including Abadi, are the majority in Iraq, but it also has large Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities. In the campaign for the Kurdish referendum, Iran backed the government against the Kurds. Major-General Qassem Soleimani, commander of foreign operations for Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, repeatedly warned Kurdish leaders to withdraw from the oil city of Kirkuk or face an onslaught by Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed fighters, Kurdish officials briefed on the meetings said. IRAN DISMISSES TILLERSON REMARKS Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed Tillerson's remarks. The paramilitaries could not go home because "they are at home" already, he was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA. Abadi has asserted his authority with the defeat of Islamic State in Mosul and the Iraqi army's sweep through Kirkuk and other areas that were held by the Kurds. The buildup at the Kurdish oil export pipeline is taking place northwest of Mosul, an official from the Kurdistan Regional Government's security council said. The loss of Kirkuk dealt a major blow to the Kurds, who had been steadily building an autonomous region in northern Iraq since a U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein, who oppressed them for decades. "We are concerned about continued military build-up of Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces towards the Kurdistan Region," said the Kurdistan Region Security Council in a statement. Elections for the Iraqi Kurdistan region's presidency and parliament set for Nov. 1 will be delayed because political parties failed to present candidates, the head of the electoral commission, Hendrean Mohammed, told Reuters. Parties have been unable to focus on the elections in the turmoil that followed the referendum, a Kurdish lawmaker said on condition of anonymity. (Additional reporting by Jon Landay,; writing by Michael Georgy,; editing by Peter Graff, Larry King) Rumble Our lives are full of moments where we must interact with each other and make compromises for the sake of coexisting. We face complicated social involvements that require some give and take to get things done and to benefit everyone. A life full of selfish decisions and actions would make everything harder for all involved. But occasionally, this compromise is difficult and emotions and pride get the better of us all. Tact an diplomacy gives way to anger and resentment and the sparks fly. This is what happened here in a simple and easily solved dilemma. As cars made their way through the parking lot, two met bumper to bumper and reached an impass. Onlookers could hear horns honking and impatient voices. It seemed that either could have backed up a little to make way, but the moment became tense and both dug in their heals. Cameras came out as people watched the exchange. Two grownups should have been able to resolve the matter without a spectacle. The man in the car with the trailer has difficulty in backing up. And in fairness, he has not blocked anything but his own lane. He wants to go forward and around the corner. The lady coming around the curve has entered into the middle of the lane and she could either adjust to her right, or back up out of the way. But she has her sights on a parking spot that is being blocked by the car and trailer. She may be afraid to back up, but she has the option to veer out and to her right. The car and trailer could pull forward and completely resolve the matter. What she does not like is the escalation in his voice as she hesitated and tried to decide what to do. Her initial reaction was to stop and do nothing. The man honked. She stared at him. He gestured and told her to move her car. And this is where it seemed to become unfriendly. Her passenger got out of the car, stood in the lane and began smoking a cigarette. She said she could not move as she was waiting for him to get back in. This was clearly a move of defiance. The camera recorded the moments that followed that initial meeting and up to that point. The man's impatience is now at a peak as the minutes have dragged on. Traffic has built up behind both vehicles. Backing up now is tricky for the woman, and impossible for the man. Other horns honked. The man began to swear and the passenger of the woman's car makes a deliberate show of taking his time getting back into the car. Spectators began to talk about intervening with advice or a reprimand. The cars behind both vehicles backed up and out of the way, leaving just the two in the predicament. The man finally got into the vehicle and the woman made a very slow move forward and out of his way. For Canada, this is an unusual display of impatience that left people shaking their heads. What had gone on for nearly 5 minutes was a seemingly needless showdown. Who is more to blame in this scenario? Is it the man with his rude demands, or the woman with her reluctance to move her car over to the right? STEM Equity Meredith College Wins Nearly $1 Million to Support Women in STEM The School of Natural and Mathematical Sciences at Meredith College has won nearly $1 million from the National Science Foundation to help support women pursuing education in STEM fields. The college will use the grant money, estimated to be $997,077, to launch the Advancing Women's Education in STEM (AWE-STEM) Scholars Program, which will aim to offer additional scholarship and programming support for women in STEM majors beginning next fall. "The AWE-STEM Scholars Program is consistent with the mission and vision of Meredith College to help young women realize and build on their strengths, to broaden their perspective and to prepare them for roles of impact and leadership," said Professor of Chemistry Walda Powell in a prepared statement. A $4,500 per year scholarship will be awarded to students who qualify based on merit and need. AWE-STEM scholars will also participate in a learning community, a mentoring program, a women in STEM speakers program and, if they choose, a summer institute. "Meredith is a smaller liberal arts college that has a strong background in preparing and supporting women for careers in STEM-related fields," said Jennifer Hontz, professor of mathematics at Meredith, in a prepared statement. "To be awarded the grant from NSF is both validating and rewarding it is an exciting opportunity to continue and to expand the level of support for women in STEM." Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, October 23, 2017Sudanese authorities should immediately release al-Tayar Editor-in-Chief Osman Mirgani from prison and drop all charges against him and al-Tayar columnist Mohamed Zine al-Abidine, the Committee to Protect journalists said today. A Sudanese criminal court today sentenced Mirgani to six months in jail for violating the journalism code of ethics and threatening public order for publishing an article in the privately owned daily al-Tayar that accused Sudans first family of corruption, according to news reports. According to the reports, the court also sentenced Zine al-Abidine, the journalist who wrote the article, to a three-year suspended sentence on the same charges. The court ordered Mirgani to pay a fine of 10,000 Sudanese pounds (US$1,428) or go to prison for six months. According to Agence France-Presse, Migrani refused to pay the fine in protest. Authorities are holding the editor at al-Huda prison in the city of Omdurman, according to reports from local journalists, which an al-Tayar statement confirmed. The journalists lawyer, Abbas Ibrahim Ahmed, said the journalists plan to appeal, according to the local newspaper Sudan Tribune. Sudanese authorities are trying to silence critical journalists by harassing them and sending them to criminal court just for doing their jobs, CPJs Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington D.C. We call on the authorities to release Osman Mirgani immediately and not to contest his appeal or that of Mohamed Zine al-Abidine. Al-Tayar did not immediately respond to CPJs request for comment sent via social media. The Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) originally filed charges against Mirgani and Zine al-Abidine following the publication of a column in al-Tayar on February 23, 2012, in which Zine al-Abidine discussed the family of President Omar al-Bashirs alleged involvement in corruption, according to news reports. After the articles publication, the NISS also confiscated all copies of the al-Tayars issue from February 23, 2012, but local newspapers and blogs republished the column in solidarity with al-Tayar, local media reported at the time. NISS did not immediately respond to CPJs email requesting comment. Sudans intelligence and security services banned al-Tayar indefinitely in June 2012, local media reported, but the Sudanese Supreme Court intervened, allowing al-Tayar to resume publishing in March 2014, according to news reports. According to CPJ research, the NISS has repeatedly confiscated the newspaper and filed multiple lawsuits against its journalists. In 2015, CPJ documented how Sudanese authorities confiscated editions of Al-Tayar along with 13 other newspapers, without providing an explanation. In recent years, the countrys security service has confiscated entire print editions on days when a paper publishes content of which it disapproves as a way to censor the news and force publications to incur significant financial losses. 4th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus to be held in Philippines Published: October 23, 2017 The fourth edition of ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM)-Plus will be held in Philippines. India will be represented by Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. It is her first foreign visit as Defence Minister. Key Facts The ADMM Plus meeting is expected to discuss ways to enhance defence and security co-operation among the member nations to effectively counter various transnational security challenges facing the region. It is also likely to discuss enhancing maritime security cooperation among the member countries. It will also deliberate extensively on the situation in Afghanistan and Syria besides Chinas growing military presence in the disputed South China Sea. ADMM-Plus The ADMM-Plus is platform for ASEAN and its eight dialogue partners to strengthen security and defence co-operation for peace, stability, and development in the region. Its objective is to promote mutual trust and confidence between defence establishments through greater dialogue and transparency. The inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2010. The defence ministers then had agreed on five areas of practical cooperation, including maritime security, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance. Month: Current Affairs - October, 2017 Category: Defence Current Affairs Topics: ADMM Plus ASEAN ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Defence Nirmala Sitharaman Philippines Latest E-Books Current Affairs Today - Current Affairs - 2021 | Current Affairs - 2022 GKTodays Current Affairs Today Section provides latest and Best Daily Current Affairs 2021-2022 for UPSC, IAS/PCS, Banking, IBPS, SSC, Railway, UPPSC, RPSC, BPSC, MPPSC, TNPSC, MPSC, KPSC and other competition exams. ! The Global Shield Against Climate Risks initiative was launched on November 14, 2022 by the Vulnerable Twenty (V20) countries and G7 countries. While V20 countries represent 58 countries that are vulnerable to climate change, the G7 represent seven of the worlds most industrialized countries. ContentsAbout the initiativeHow will the initiative be implemented? About the initiative .. Month: Current Affairs November, 2022 Category: Environment Current Affairs International / World Current Affairs Topics: Climate change Climate change adaptation COP27 G7 Group of Seven UNFCCC Vulnerable Twenty (V20) Indonesia Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) was launched at the G20 Summits side event Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII). ContentsWhat is Indonesia Just Energy Partnership?How will this agreement be implemented?Background What is Indonesia Just Energy Partnership? Indonesia Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) is a long-term political agreement between the Indonesian Government and International .. Month: Current Affairs November, 2022 Category: Environment Current Affairs International / World Current Affairs Topics: Clean Energy Transition Energy transition G20 Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) Climate Change Performance Index 2023 was released jointly by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network. ContentsWhat is Climate Change Performance Index?What are the key features of the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023? What is Climate Change Performance Index? The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is released every year at the UN Climate Change .. Month: Current Affairs November, 2022 Category: Environment Current Affairs Reports & Indexes Current Affairs Topics: Climate change Climate Change Performance Index Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 1. India recently announced a contribution of USD 5 million to the Science and Technology fund of which bloc? [A] SAARC[B] ASEAN[C] G-20[D] ISA Show Answer Correct Answer: B [ASEAN] Notes:India announced an additional contribution of USD 5 million to the ASEAN-India science and technology fund. The contribution aims to enhance cooperation in sectors of .. Category: Current Affairs Quiz - 2022: Daily Objective Current Affairs MCQ Quiz Tags: Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2022 The tech giant Google is currently developing an AI model that supports 1,000 most spoken languages of the world. ContentsWhat are the AI language models?About Googles 1,000 Language AI ModelHow is this new language model different from the existing AI models?Other AI language models What are the AI language models? AI language models aims to .. Month: Current Affairs November, 2022 Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs Topics: AI language model Artificial intelligence Artificial Intelligence (AI) artificial intelligence (AI) led innovation Artificial Intelligence (Al) A bilateral agreement worth 74.5 million USD was signed by Britain and France to boost their efforts to curb illegal migration from the English Channel crossings. ContentsWhat are key features of the agreement?Significance of the deal What are key features of the agreement? The agreement, worth $74.5 million (72.2 million euros), aims to stop migrants .. Month: Current Affairs November, 2022 Category: International / World Current Affairs Topics: English Channel Foreign relations of France France Illegal immigration United Kingdom PM launches South Asias first Ro-Ro ferry service in Gujarat Published: October 23, 2017 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated first phase of Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) ferry service between Ghogha in Bhavnagar district and Dahej in Bharuch district in the Gulf of Cambay, Gujarat. It is South Asias first world class Ro-Ro ferry service. Key Facts The Ro-Ro ferry services are vessels made to carry wheeled cargo (such as cars, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers, and railroad cars) that are driven on and off ferry on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle. It is opposite of lift-on and lift-off (lo-lo) vessels which uses crane to load and unload cargo. The first of its kind Ro-Ro ferry in India will be able to carry up to 100 vehicles and 250 passengers between the two ports. It will reduce the distance between Ghogha in Saurashtra and Dahej is South Gujrat from 310 kilometres by road to 30 kilometres. Besides, it will also reduce seven to eight hours of travel time to link Saurashtra with South Gujarat to one hour. Benefits The ferry service will save travel time and fuel and reduce pressure on congested roads. It will promote regional trade and business and prove to be game-changer for transportation of goods and passengers. It will provide at least one crore jobs in the next 4-5 years. It will give a boost to the local economy. Background Ro-Ro ferry is a small part of Sagarmala project of Central Government that aims to promote port-led development in the country by harnessing Indias 7,500-km long coastline, 14,500-km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes. Month: Current Affairs - October, 2017 Topics: Gujarat Narendra Modi National Ro-Ro ferry service Sagarmala Project Transportation Latest E-Books Sri Lankan Coast Guard commissions OPV SURAKSHA gifted by India Published: October 23, 2017 Sri Lankan Coast Guard has commissioned Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) SURAKSHA gifted by India at Colombo port. It is first OPV of Sri Lankan Coast Guard. Sri Lankan Coast Guard Ship (SLCGS) Suraksha earlier belonged to Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and was known as Varuna. It was officially handed over to Sri Lanka Navy at ceremony held at Kochi Port in India in September 2017. SLCGS Suraksha SLCGS Suraksha is 74.10m in length and 11.4m in breadth. It has displacement of 1,160 tons. It can sail at speed of 22 nautical miles per hour. It can cover 8,500 nautical miles maintaining speed of 16 nautical miles per hour. It is manned by crew of 14 officers and 86 sailors. It will be used by Sri Lanka Coast Guard for patrolling and surveillance in Sri Lanka waters, humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, prevention of maritime pollution as well as training purposes. Besides it play a crucial role in strengthening the Sri Lankas naval capabilities INCG Varuna It was inducted into Indian Coast Guard in February 1988 and provided three decades of service in India. It was fourth of in its class of OFV built by the Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock. It has numerous operational achievements and had recorded a number of arrests of smugglers with gold worth several crore in the late 1980s. It was used as cadet training ship for the last 10 years and was part of the 1st Training Squadron (1 TS) of the Indian Navy which trains officer sea trainees of both the Navy as well as the Coast Guard. Month: Current Affairs - October, 2017 Category: Defence Current Affairs Topics: Defence INCG Varuna India-Sri Lanka Indian Coast Guard maritime security National Latest E-Books The judiciaries in many countries also discourage death penalty, but Bangladesh has not been able to come to that position yet, says the High Court The High Court has said that Bangladesh is still not in the position to abolish the death penalty but it may consider introducing a guideline on what and how the sentencing system should be applied. About 104 countries have abolished the capital punishment until 2016, while 63 countries retained it, according to Amnesty International. The court on Sunday said that the judiciaries in many countries also discourage death penalty but Bangladesh has not been able to come to that position yet. It made the observations in the full text of the June 5 verdict where it commuted the death sentence of Oyshee Rahman for killing her parents - Special Branch (SB) inspector Mahfuzur Rahman and his wife Swapna Rahman - back in 2013. The full verdict was published on the Supreme Court's website on Sunday. Citing the criminal justice system in India, the High Court also said that the punishment for murder is usually life imprisonment and the court has to reason a death penalty if they award that in a verdict. The death penalty there is usually awarded in extreme cases, such as to the perpetrators of the 2012 Delhi gang rape case. In comparison, the High Court said that in Bangladesh the 1st option for sentencing in a murder case is the death penalty and then life imprisonment, and explain why the death sentence has been commuted. "Our criminal justice system has no provision to reduce the death sentence by mitigating circumstances as the rights of the offender but in practice the judges have powers to determine the punishment to be awarded for an offender," it observed. "So, in order to impose the sentence upon a perpetrator, if proved, there must be a guideline or rules as to how it can be imposed." | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Dhaka Tribune, October 22, 2017 2 high-profile death penalty cases in western South Dakota have led to large increases in funding for a county courthouse and public defender's office. Defending 2 men facing the possibility of the death penalty in a murder case will cost a western South Dakota county's budget as much as $1 million more in 2018. Pennington County commissioners granted the request made by the courthouse and public defenders last month for more than $500,000 increases each to their 2018 budgets. A large portion of those will go toward defending two men facing the death penalty on 1st-degree murder charges, the Rapid City Journal reported . Jonathon Klinetobe, 28, and Richard Hirth, 36, have been charged with murder, kidnapping and conspiracy in the disappearance and death of Jessica Rehfeld, 22, in 2015. Klinetobe is represented by 3 appointed lawyers, 2 from the county public defender's office and 1 private attorney. Hirth has 2 court-appointed private lawyers. The law requires defendants who can't afford to hire a lawyer be appointed one by the court. Death penalty cases require at least 2 lawyers, but defendants are responsible for repaying the county the cost of their legal defense. Death penalty cases are "exceedingly expensive" and taxpayers can reasonably expect to shoulder up to $1 million for the prosecution and defense such a case, said Eric Whitcher, director of the county public defender's office. "The people who are available to handle those cases are highly specialized, and they cost significant funds," he said, including criminal investigators, lab analysts, psychiatrists, crime scene analysts and pathologists. Klinetobe and Hirth have been detained at the county jail since May 2016. It's unclear when they will go to trial, but their cases will likely again come under the spotlight in budget hearings for 2019 if they aren't tried before then. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Associated Press, October 22, 2017 If I left DC to drive to New York at 3p.m. today, Google Maps estimates that I would arrive in about 5 hours. Flying would take me about 50 minutes, plus the 2 hours or so required to get through check-in and security, and the time to get to and from both airports. Elon Musk claims he could get me there in 29 minutes with a new technology called Hyperloop, a pod travelling underground in a tunnel. Musks vision is one step closer to reality because the State of Maryland has given his company permission to build a tunnel beneath the state-owned portion of the route. Maryland will not incur any of the expenses of building the tunnel. The federal government owns about two-thirds of the relevant land, and it is not clear where Musks company stands in terms of getting the go-ahead at the federal level. In August 2013, Musk released a design of Hyperloop, spurred by disappointment in Californias new high-speed rail. He outlined a small passenger train called a pod that travels in low pressure tubes. By eliminating friction and accelerating to 700 miles per hour, travel time from San Francisco to Los Angeles could drop from a 6-hour drive to a 30-minute Hyperloop ride. Other high speed rail options such as Californias high speed rail, which is still under construction, and Chinese bullet trains, have a steady speed of around 220 miles per hour. Elon Musks Hyperloop Alpha Design Source: SpaceX Musk initially opted to open-source his idea instead of holding exclusive rights, allowing competition among companies to fulfill his vision. Unaffiliated companies such as Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), Transpod, Arrivo, and Hyperloop One are working on the design. Hyperloop One, formerly Hyperloop Technologies, the only company with an operational system, is the furthest along the path to success. Its design aims to use electricity to propel pods containing passengers or cargo. As the pod accelerates, it begins to levitate magnetically above the track. Hyperloop One has conducted two successful test runs on a functioning track. Hyperloop One is working to meet its goal of 3 operational production systems by 2021. Hyperloop One has already begun discussing Hyperloop plans with various governments in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, India, and several others across Europe. Hyperloop hopefuls must first address the regulatory limitation to Hyperloop construction Musk admitted in June that permits [are] harder than technology, so getting the Maryland permit is a substantial step forward. Permits would also be needed for Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and the federal government for the Washington-New York Hyperloop to be completed. Another problem that needs addressing is who is going to support the costs of Hyperloop. Musk has a history of relying on government subsidies to help promote his visions. The LA Times estimates that as of May 2015, he and his organizations had collected an aggregate $4.9 billion in government subsidies in various efforts, including Tesla and SpaceX. This information is now outdated, as he has continued and completed additional expensive projects requiring subsidies in the last two years. Canadian competitor Transpod estimates the cost of its prospective Toronto-Windsor Hyperloop will cost around $10.3 billion. This roughly 4-hour, 230-mile drive is comparable in length (and likely cost) to Musks proposed DC-NYC Hyperloop. A prospective Stockholm-Helsinki Hyperloop had a higher estimated cost of about $21 billion. While costs will differ due to length, region, etc., essentially all existing estimates for Hyperloop projects thus far dramatically undercut the roughly $68 billion needed for Californias high speed rail. Further, while Hyperloop holds potential to transform the way people travel, it is unlikely to be built with private funds alone. If taxpayer funds are involved, it is vital that governments assess the significant risk of the investment. Transportation projects have a habit of overrunning their budgets. For example, the proposed California high speed rail system was estimated to cost between $33 billion and $37 billion. Now 7 years behind schedule, the cost continues to push upward towards taxpayer funds of $100 billion. Ideally, Hyperloop would be funded by the private sector. The government has a role in funding basic research, but not in helping firms fund entire projects. While no transportation project of this scale has been completely privately supported, Amtrak is partially fiscally independent, which might suggest that it can be done. As test runs continue to show promise of future growth and profit, Hyperloop projects might increasingly be considered a worthy investment for private investors. Perhaps companies would have to work at a loss until the system is operational, but that would not be a first. Amazon has netted very little revenue since its birth in 1997. It relies heavily on investors, and it prioritizes growth over net income. It was never a guarantee that Amazon would become the e-commerce giant that it is. Hyperloop companies might see the greatest success by trusting the Amazon business model. If private investors, like Elon Musk himself, show their faith by investing in Hyperloop infrastructure now, the payout could be monumental in a few years. Haley Skinner is a contributor to Economics21. 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. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has made major inroads toward improving the Agencys rule-making processes by abandoning the sue and settle practices that had gained heightened prominence under the Obama administration. Sue and settle occurs when activist groups circumvent the usual regulatory processes outlined by Congress by filing suit against government agencies to compel determinations. Private resolution of these legal actions by the EPA with the litigant in a settlement agreement then forms the basis of the Agencys regulatory enforcement program. These court-approved settlements have also included provisions for the Agency to cover the legal expenses of the environmental groups in bringing the claims, providing a taxpayer-funded mechanism to fuel the practice by defraying attorney fees. Corrosively, these settlement agreements give the impression of collusion between the regulators senior staff and green lobbyists. A fundamental objection to the practice is that sue and settle allows the Agency and activist groups to privately determine the substance of environmental regulations. This circumvents the Administrative Procedure Acts regulatory process and does not take into account the interests of other stakeholders, notably state governments and regulated entities. Amongst the interests side-lined by these practices are those of the broader public who bear the cost of regulation that is inevitably passed on in higher prices and reduced consumer choice. In effect, sue and settle represents an inverted form of regulatory capture in which environmental groups hijack the EPA and its regulatory agenda to the exclusion of the wider community of stakeholders. The practice is also used to funnel tax dollars from the Agency to special interests, making it reinforcing and the regulator a patron of the environmental groups. That such an approach to regulation would be adopted during the Obama years is not surprising. Any loss of transparency, legitimacy and the cynicism engendered by a deliberately non-inclusive process were apparently assessed as being worth sacrificing. Implicit in such an approach is an assumption that only the rights of green groups are worthy of consideration and that regulated entities have nothing to contribute in terms of improving regulatory outcomes. Needless to say, both contentions are without merit. More insidiously, sue and settle invites cynicism with respect to the role and motivation of the EPA and its senior staff. In a fractious political environment, where trust is already greatly diminished, anyone with a serious interest in restoring faith in public institutions has a stake in restoring proper process to government. This is particularly the case for those who favour regulatory intervention in the economy in order to achieve social and environmental objectives. Sue and settle practices were no less dubious when carried out by the EPA during the George W. Bush Administration. Although the practice was less prevalent, during this period it was the case of regulated entities privately negotiating settlements with the regulator instead of environmental groups. Skewing the EPAs regulatory processes in favour of any group will adversely affect regulatory outcomes. Inherent in regulatory interventions is a trade-off between the interests of affected parties to achieve overarching policy objectives. Failure to consider the legitimate interests of any stakeholder in the process compromises that assessment and unbalances the regulatory regime. In short, sue and settle practices involve agencies cutting deals with environmental groups while sidelining other stakeholders. Regulation through litigation by-passes the normal rule-making process set in place by Congress that allows the interests of all parties to be properly balanced in accordance with the law. On those terms, sue and settle is correctly conceived of as an abuse of process. The practice offends transparency and inclusiveness. Administrator Pruitts new directive ends sue and settle by transforming the way in which the Agency will approach consent decree and settlement agreement processes. Henceforth, the EPA will inform the public when the Agency is being sued, notify affected parties and seek their participation in the process, and will no longer pay litigants attorney fees. Proposed consent decrees and draft settlements will be posted online for review and comment by the public. Proper process is fundamental to effective regulation. The reform of the EPAs settlement procedures should be welcomed as a positive development. No longer will business or the general public be subjected to one-sided regulatory interventions brokered behind closed doors by environmental groups. Burchell Wilson is a contributor to E21. 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. The United States has announced it will withdraw from UNESCO at the end of 2018. UNESCO is the Paris-based UN body whose mission is to coordinate international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication. A well-known part of its job is to help protect the worlds important cultural and natural heritage sites through the World Heritage program. State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said the decision to withdraw from UNESCO came after a long and deliberative process. The decision was based on a number of concerns. The United States is in arrears to UNESCO in the amount of almost $550 million dollars. Thats because under federal legislation passed in the 1990s, the United States is required to stop sending funds to any UN agency that grants Palestinians recognition as a full member state. The fact is such a move disregards the necessity for negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis that will result in a Palestinian state making a real difference in the lives of both peoples. In 2011, UNESCO made such a move, and the United States, as legally required, cut off its funding to the organization A second concern governing the U.S. decision to withdraw is the increasing politicization, including anti-Israel bias, at UNESCO. In July, for example, as the US Mission to the United Nations noted, UNESCO made its latest politically biased decision designating the Old City of Hebron and the Tomb of the Patriarchs as part of Palestinian territory. Such an action is an outrageous attempt to separate Israel and the Jews from their history of thousands of years. Finally, Spokesperson Nauert cited the need for fundamental reform at UNESCO, as President Donald Trump has called for across the United Nations. She added, however, that the United States wants to remain engaged with UNESCO and will seek to become a non-member observer state, in order to contribute U.S. views, perspectives and expertise on some of the important issues undertaken by the organization. The decision to withdraw will also not alter U.S. policy supporting international cooperation in educational, scientific, cultural, communication and information activities where there are benefits to the United States. Josefina Manresa, Miguel Hernandez widow, said her husband liked to imitate nightingales and tell dirty jokes. The first thing she loved; the second, not so much, recalls Lucia Izquierdo, the poets daughter-in-law who in charge of his legacy. Recently she accompanied professor Jesucristo Riquelme in the presentation of a new edition of the authors Complete Works (19101942), published by Edaf. Miguel Hernandez leaving the International Congress of Writers for the Defense of Culture, held in Valencia in July 1937. WALTER REUTER (FONDO ZUNIGA) It is an exhaustive compilation, with everything he left behind thoroughly edited. The collection includes about 3,000 corrections to his writings, 30 unpublished works of different genres and 50 texts, which are conspicuously altered from what was previously known, says Riquelme. Few poets are as generous and luminous as the boy from Orihuela Poet Pablo Neruda It has taken this professor of language and literature at the University Miguel Hernandez of Elche more than eight years to complete this project, with the help of the publisher Carlos R. Talamas. He has examined the poets legacy, retraced his footsteps, and analyzed everything from manuscripts to correspondence. What remains is this volume of almost 2,000 pages, where his poetry shines along with his war stories, press articles, dramatic works, images and traces of a happy, desolate, and combative biography. It is about the writer who has turned the poetic word into ethics, says the person responsible for this exhaustive literary work. Ambition and passion From his style reminiscent of the Basque poet Luis de Gongora, to his breakout Perito en Lunas (Expert on moons), Miguel Hernandezs brilliant journey to the heart of literature lasted a decade. His vitality, ambition, and passion took him to the top of the Generation of 27, a group of influential Spanish poets. He was encouraged and supported chiefly by the poet Vicente Aleixandre and received with reservations by the poet Federico Garcia Lorca. He retreated to the mud of the trenches, roused the militiamen, never forgot his peasant origins and hours among herds as a shepherd, and he died sighing for his children in a prison corridor. His belongings at the time of death included: a jumpsuit, two T-shirts, a sweater, a dress shirt, a pair of underpants, two pillowcases, a belt, a towel, a napkin, two handkerchiefs, a pair of socks, a blanket, a pot and a jar. That is all he had in his jail cell in Alicante, a city in southeastern Spain, when he died on March 28, 1942, 75 years ago. His pages were his more valuable possessions, with poems that offer a full portrait of the man. His life dazzled poet Pablo Neruda. Few poets are as generous and brilliant as the boy from Orihuela, said Neruda, about Hernandez who came from Orihuela in Alicante province. The awful, awful beauty of his ingrained heart, said a captivated Juan Ramon Jimenez, a fellow Spanish poet. His poetry shines alongside his war stories and dramatic works But it was Aleixandre who took care of him, guided him and made him great after his death by helping his widow in the postwar years. Josefina Manresa was a constant muse for the poet. But one must not forget the passion he once had for the surrealist painter Maruja Mallo. Together with her, he discovered a carnal love, an almost orgiastic experience, that marked him tremendously, said Riquelme. This new edition brings new light to that relationship. In many of the poems, the change of a word completely disrupts its meaning. We have verified errors involving draft revisions, adds Riquelme about his editing. He has had a great deal of time and access to the poets work but gaps remain, like a collection of letters. It's still early. We constantly receive unpublished letters from different archives. While finishing up this project, we will have received about 100 new letters. The collected letters is underway, but it must be dealt with carefully. For now, this new collection replaces the other two editions of Hernandez complete works. This new volume also includes an archive of images with photographs, documents and originals. These are keys for reading the book, and they are important as many of the texts, Riquelme concludes. English version by Debora Almeida. A Catalan police officer in front of regional government headquarters in Barcelona. Massimiliano Minocri The Spanish government is aiming to remove a minimum number of key Catalan officials when it implements emergency measures to restore the law in the breakaway region next Saturday. Following the Spanish Cabinets approval of emergency powers this weekend, when Article 155 of the Constitution was invoked, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced that Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont, his deputy Oriol Junqueras and the other members of the regional cabinet will be removed from their posts. The idea is that these will be replaced with the second or third highest-ranking official within each department. The option of early elections is not on the table right now Jordi Turull, Catalan government spokesperson With this move, Madrid hopes to halt the secessionists ongoing drive to create a parallel legal system in Catalonia as a prelude to declaring outright independence. The Spanish government has resorted to Article 155, an obscure constitutional provision that has never been used before, after official requests for Puigdemont to stop the breakaway process went unheeded. The Rajoy administration wants to leave another 180 high-ranking Catalan government officials in their posts, as well as the heads of the regions public companies. But if these individuals fail to obey the law, they will be replaced as well. Madrid is aware that it will not be easy to keep replacements down to a minimum. All were going to ask of them is to act like professionals and keep doing their job by running their department, so that services will continue to be delivered to citizens, said a government source. This same source dismissed rumors that the central government is going to introduce new guidelines for each department. If anyone thinks that Madrid is going to dictate orders so the (Catalan) departments of education, health or justice will make changes to their everyday affairs, they are deeply mistaken, said the source. Theres not going to be more Spanish language classes at school, or different content taught in history class. Snap election? Rajoy, of Spains ruling Popular Party (PP) also said on Saturday that there will be a new regional election in Catalonia within the space of six months. His goal is to schedule the vote as soon as possible so that the emergency measures can be rolled back, and control handed over to the new government chosen at the ballot boxes. There are no plans for making changes beyond stopping the kind of unlawfuless that the Catalan government and its allies have been committing, said sources at La Moncloa, the seat of the Spanish government. Oriol Junqueras (L) and Carles Puigdemont at a protest march on Saturday. EFE Last week, some Socialist Party (PSOE) officials suggested that it would be good if Puigdemont were to call a snap election himself. The PP, PSOE and center-right party Ciudadanos all of whom worked on the emergency measures together all believe that calling early elections would be the best response by Puigdemont to the rising political, institutional and social tension in Catalonia. This move is also supported by elements of Puigdemonts own Democratic Party of Catalonia (PDeCat), which governs in coalition with the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) as Junts pel Si (Together for Yes) after earning 48% of the vote at the 2015 election. Because the coalitions joint 62 deputies in the 135-seat assembly are not enough for a majority, it relies on a far-left party called CUP that wants Puigdemont to unilaterally declare an independent republic. So far, the Catalan premier is resisting the idea of early elections. The option is not on the table right now, said Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull on Sunday, adding that the Catalan government will act to defend the Catalan institutions and to complete the mandate that emerged on October 1, alluding to the banned referendum held that day. In the meantime, the governing group is planning to hold a plenary session of the regional parliament on Thursday, a day before that the Spanish Senate is due to green-light the emergency measures approved by the Cabinet on the weekend. The session could serve to declare full-blown independence in the region, following a symbolic declaration made by Puigdemont earlier this month. Puigdemont is now faced with the dilemma of pressing ahead with the independence declaration or calling early elections before losing control of his government. English version by Susana Urra. Police break up a group of voters on October 1 in Barcelona. PAU BARRENA (AFP) In turbulent times, when events change in a matter of hours, it is even more annoying to write knowing that whatever you write will reach readers two weeks later. But on the Catalan issue, there is something that will not have changed, nor will it ever, and that is the outrageous, offensive way in which words are cheapened or emptied of meaning. Catalan pro-independence politicians, and not just them (also the leaders of pro-independence organizations Omnium and ANC, previously Muriel Casals and Carme Forcadell, and now Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez, whom nobody elected yet who have proclaimed themselves top representatives of their land) have been offending profusely for many years. But Im not going to discuss the countless affronts to other Spaniards, with a particular fondness for insulting the people of Extremadura, Andalusia and the wicked Madrilenos. Lets leave that aside, and refrain from giving relevance to that which lacks it. The greatest offenses have been against the people of the world, both past and present The greatest offenses have been against the people of the world, both past and present. These offenses are the result of constantly trivializing serious, weighty words that cannot be used lightly without causing affront. A land with a higher degree of self-government than any equivalent entity in Europe or the Americas (greater than Germanys Lander or than US states); where people have been voting freely in various elections for nearly four decades; where the language is protected and no restrictions of any kind placed on it; a land that is, or was, one of the most prosperous places on the continent; where there is, and has been, absolute freedom of speech and freedom to defend any and all ideas; where people live, or used to live, in peace and comfort; a place praised and admired by the rest of the planet, and rightly so, for its extraordinary cities and villages and for its dazzling cultural traditions; despite all this, for the last five years its governing leaders and its fanatics have been plaintively crying out Visca Catalunya lliure! (Long live a free Catalonia) and displaying signs with the slogan Freedom for Catalonia. They claim to be oppressed, occupied, and humiliated, and constantly appeal to democracy while brazenly violating the very same democratic principles that they wish to eliminate in their republic without dissidents, where judges will be appointed and controlled by politicians, where freedom of the press will be curtailed if not eliminated altogether, where those who are considered hostile to or unenthusiastic about the regime will be reported (desafectos, for hostile, and tibios, for unenthusiastic, are terms that were once used by the Franco regime in its own insatiable purges). They take the liberty of calling Joan Manuel Serrat and Isabel Coixet, along with over half of the Catalan people, fascists, while the writer Juan Marse is described as a traitor and a renegade. Nobody should feel bitter or downcast about this: it is as though Mussolinis minions were to call them fascists. Imagine the value of such an insult from the lips of those who are issuing it. To describe their actions as brutal and savage is to know nothing about brutality and savagery. And thats a good thing. The truly great offense is against those individuals who really are, or have been, oppressed and deprived of freedom; those who have not enjoyed one ounce of democracy in their entire lives, and never had the chance to vote. To begin with, theres all the Spaniards like myself who experienced and suffered through Francoism, when there were no political parties and no freedom of speech, and a student could spend two years in jail for handing out pamphlets, not to mention what would happen if a unionist was caught doing so. It was not just Catalans who suffered it, nor did they suffer the most, and many fellow Catalans embraced and lent support to the regime. It is an offense against the populations of Iraq and Syria, which are or have been under the boot of Daesh now that is untold oppression and humiliation. It is an offense against women in Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries where they lack rights and are reduced to living like minors or conjugal slaves. It is an offense against the Cubans, who have not been able to vote on anything for six decades; against Chileans and Argentineans who went through their own respective military dictatorships, when people were disappeared and tortured. To talk about the polices torture methods on October 1, like CUP spokeswoman Anna Gabriel shamelessly did, issuing blatant lies, represents an unfathomable offense against people who have suffered real torture, and continue to do so, on this planet. As for the savage repression of that day, I dont know what adjective they would use for the police charges during Francos dictatorship, which many of us have personally experienced. Extensive harm was done during those police charges, and in countless ones across the globe, as it is done today in places like Venezuela. Yes, the National Police and the Civil Guard should have refrained from using a single truncheon, but to describe their actions as brutal and savage is to know nothing about brutality and savagery. And thats a good thing. Lets hope that todays generations continue to be ignorant of such things. The way words are being mishandled and defiled represents the biggest offense and the greatest lack of respect. Even more so than the way numbers are being twisted out of shape, such as when at the last Catalan election a result of 47% or 48% was turned by the chieftains and witch-hunters (not by all the separatists, of course) into a distinct majority and a clear mandate emanating from the Catalan people. That was the warning sign that we are, to all effects and purposes, in the presence of Mussolini imitators who oddly describe themselves as oppressed, humiliated and without freedom, and who perpetrate the infamy of calling fascists those who could soon become their victims. English version by Susana Urra. She looked tired, sad, and worried on Saturday morning. As she tried to talk about life and cinema, the Prime Minister and his cabinet were in the process of activating Article 155 of the Constitution, a move which will lead to the removal of Catalan regional premier Carles Puigdemont from power. Spanish film director Isabel Coixet, in Valladolid, where her new movie had its premiere. Javier Alvarez Isabel Coixet opened the Valladolid International Film Week, held in the northwestern city in Spain, with her movie La libreria, or The bookstore, which is a beautiful story of the love of books and the struggle to hold onto ideals in difficult situations. Speaking about the movie during those painful moments full of uncertainty, Coixet wanted to highlight the moral compass of the film and the idea of empathy for an adversary: something she admits she has always found in reading. Some see her film as an allegory for the situation in Catalonia, but the director from Barcelona upholds that it is a universal story that goes much further than current events. I am a nuanced person and the situation we are living through now seems to have no room for nuances Director Isabel Coixet Theyre throwing us out of Catalonia. I often think about the possibility of leaving Catalonia. If you leave, its because youve been kicked out. Perhaps the only thing holding me back, although its childish, is the satisfaction that me leaving would give some people, said Isabel Coixet in an interview with EL PAIS, while highlighting the strange schizophrenia that the independence movement has brought to Catalan society. I often think I must be more thick skinned than I believe because I havent collapsed yet, she adds as she recounts how she she was insulted on the street before running into a couple who embraced her while crying and thanking her for her condemnation of the crisis. It affects me a lot, my health too. I have bouts of anguish, but Im not the only one. At this time, there are many people in a state of deep anguish and sadness, in a state of uncertainty. It is very difficult to live this way every day, adds the director. Right now in Barcelona, it is very difficult to breathe and think, says Coixet who denounces the harassment she and many others have suffered for airing their beliefs. There are so many things to talk about besides Catalonia. I want to talk about the world Director Isabel Coixet I am a nuanced person and the situation we are living through now seems to have no room for nuances. They label you persona non grata despite the fact that I protested against the police brutality on October 1. But its not just me. They are sweeping us away and it is not something that has just started. All this comes from a long way back, from the moment you proclaim that bilingualism is something to be treasured. In Catalonia, there has been a lot of silence for many years, but also a huge amount of idleness and lack of work on the part of the PP government [of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy], continues the director who says that the only ones benefiting from the situation are the Chinese with the increase in flag purchases. And psychiatrists. Her teenage daughter is struggling to deal with the situation too, while her mother has a deep Catalan pride, but a passion for Salamanca, the university city in Castile and Leon. Coixet has not broken ties with her pro-independence brother, because they respect each others opinions, but they have stopped talking about Catalonia. It's okay, there are so many things to talk about in the world, she says relieved. I want to talk about books, movies, food, stores and shopping. I want to talk about butterflies. I want to talk about the world. But it is The bookstore which has won the prize for the best literary adaptation at the Frankfurt Book Fair, that most concerns Coixet. It is very close portrait of her character and her dreams. The film is based on the novel by English writer Penelope Fitzgerald, co-produced between Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany, and starring Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson and Bill Nighy. It tells the story of a young widow who decides to open a bookstore in a small town in England and the obstacles she faces with the people in the town. In the end, they throw her out of town and she leaves. Coixet says the only people benefiting from the situation in Catalonia are the Chinese with the increase in flag purchases, and psychiatrists When she read Penelope Fitzgeralds novel, whose daughter, Tina, traveled to Valladolid to attend the films premiere, Coixet saw herself in Florence Green, the main character. Her reactions, naivety, and not weighing up how much you face up to really evil people in life. Her passion for books, which is one of my shelters. In all this, I see myself very clearly, says Coixet who has changed the end of the novel too nihilistic to give the story a little light and hope. Light and a hope that she herself needs. English version by Debora Almeida. Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont (R) with his deputy Oriol Junqueras. Quique Garcia (EFE) Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont is considering appearing before the Senate committee that will handle the Spanish governments proposal to temporarily intervene the regions affairs. The Spanish Senate, which must give the final go-ahead to the measures approved by the Cabinet last Saturday, has offered Puigdemont the chance to appear before the committee on Thursday afternoon, or else at the plenary session scheduled for Friday. It is within his reach, and nobody elses, to prevent 155 from being applied Oscar Puente, PSOE spokesman On Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced the measures that his Popular Party (PP) administration has drafted with support from the Socialist Party (PSOE) and Ciudadanos to restore the law in the breakaway region. The measures, which include removing Puigdemont and his entire governing team from their posts and calling new elections in the region within the next six months, are the result of invoking Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution. This provision, which has never been used since the Constitution was signed in 1978, allows the central government to take the necessary measures to compel regional authorities to obey the law. The PSOE on Monday told Puigdemont that Article 155 can still be avoided if he returns to legality and calls an election of his own free will. It is within his reach, and nobody elses, to prevent 155 from being applied, said Oscar Puente, spokesman for the party executive. We are asking him to restore constitutional order. Catalan pro-independence graffiti in Barcelona. Jack Taylor (Getty Images) But so far the Catalan leader has shown no indication that he is going to do so. Catalan authorities have already scheduled a plenary session of their own at the regional parliament on Thursday and Friday to debate the liquidation of our self-government. The decision to hold this session was adopted following a petition by Junts pel Si, the governing coalition in Catalonia, and its ally party CUP. Together, these pro-independence groups hold a majority of 72 seats in the 135-seat chamber. Junts pel Si and CUP want to hold a two-day debate inside the Catalan assembly, to be followed by a vote and the possibility of Puigdemont formally declaring independence. This event would coincide in time with the Spanish Senates own vote to greenlight the emergency control measures. Xavier Garcia-Albiol, the head of the PP group inside the Catalan parliament, warned that his group will not participate in any vote that could lead to a declaration of independence. He also insisted that the emergency measures are not aimed at cancelling or suspending Catalan self-government but, on the contrary, at restoring it after being abused by separatists in recent years. EU backing Claudi Perez / El Pais The European Commission said that the measures adopted by the Spanish government on the basis of Article 155 of the Constitution respect Spains constitutional and legal order, said Margaritis Schinas, spokesman for EC President Jean-Claude Juncker. Felipe Gonzalez, who was Spains longest-serving head of government and steered the country into the European Community, said that Article 155 is as constitutional as Articles 1 and 2 and that it is Catalan authorities who have violated and stepped over regional autonomy with their breakaway laws. Lluis Corominas, speaker of Junts pel Si in the Catalan parliament, has so far avoided using the word independence, and has instead stated that the plenary session will serve to provide an answer to the aggression involved in the application of Article 155. The assemblys legal team has been instructed to adopt all available legal action against the Spanish Cabinets decision. Corominas has stated that the agreement to adopt emergency measures in Catalonia is even subject to criminal prosecution; he has accused the Spanish government of practicing institutional, police and judicial violence against Catalonia. Spain is acting like a dictatorship that imposes the law through judges, prosecutors and the police, he said, describing Catalonia as occupied for weeks now by members of the Civil Guard and National Police stationed in the region since before the referendum of October 1. Meanwhile, the anti-capitalist CUP has announced a week of non-violent struggle to show opposition to Article 155, which it considers an aggression against the pro-independence majority in the Catalan parliament and against Catalan citizens as a whole. There will be a response in the form of massive civil disobedience by citizens, warned the CUP. English version by Susana Urra. Iran keeps quiet about its oil contracts with foreign companies in order to avoid provoking Saudis and Israelis, oil minister Bijan Zanganeh was quoted as saying. In an interview with Tasnim News Agency, MP Hossein Naghavi Hosseini quoted Zanganeh as saying, If Saudi Arabia and Israel find out about Iran's contracts, they will obstruct their finalization. Iranian oil minister reportedly stated that in a meeting with conservative MPs on Sunday. Saudi Arabia and Israel are among countries that oppose the nuclear deal with Iran that has enabled Tehran to come back to the oil market and to cut deals with energy companies such as the French giant Total. According to Zanganeh, Total would withdraw from its recent deal with Iran if the U.N. Security Council imposes new sanctions on Tehran and in such a case, Chinese would take over. Total announced earlier in July that it had signed a $4.8 Billion agreement with Iran on the development of an Iranian offshore natural-gas field -- the first major Western energy investment since international sanctions were lifted against Tehran under its nuclear accord with world powers. The deal was criticized by Iranian conservative politicians and the Revolutionary Guard that has a major stake in the countrys economy and wanted to secure the lucrative deal for itself. Totals Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne said in an interview with International Oil Daily last week, the company would examine the consequences of Trumps decision, and if there are any laws that obliges the company to withdraw from the agreement, then it will comply. U.S. President Donald Trump recently refused to certify that Tehran was complying with the nuclear agreement. The U.S. Congress has now less than 60 days to decide whether to re-impose economic sanctions on Tehran that were lifted under the nuclear agreement. Zanganeh reportedly has said that Europeans have not been able to impose sanctions on Russia because of Moscows $10 billion oil export to Europe and suggested that similarly, Iran should increase its energy export to European countries for the sake of its national security. If we have contracts worth of $40 billion with Europeans, their interests would not allow them to impose sanctions on us. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Irans foreign minister was quick to respond to the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who called on Irans Revolutionary Guards and Shiite militias in Iraq to go home now that ISIS has been defeated. Zarif defended Irans involvement in the region and said, these forces have been fighting for stability and peace, IRNA reported. The people of Syria, Iraq and the Kurdish autonomous region were able to resist ISIS with the help of Iran, Zarif reiterated and claimed, If it was not for the Defenders of the Shrine, now ISIS would have been entrenched in Damascus, Baghdad and Erbil. Zarif also did not miss the chance to jab at Saudi Arabia, saying that U.S. allies who want to plunder oil dollars, dance to the tune and have caused instability and crisis in the region. He called on U.S. officials to correct their course and not to support Saudi Arabia in killing children and the elderly in Yemen. Hours before Zarifs remarks, Tillerson who was meeting with Saudi officials and the Iraq prime minister called on Iranian forces and its militias to go home and let the Iraqi people rebuild their country. "Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against Daesh and ISIS is coming to a close, those militias need to go home. The foreign fighters in Iraq need to go home and allow the Iraqi people to regain control," Tillerson said at a joint news conference with Saudi foreign minister Adel Jubeir. Tillerson trip to Saudi Arabia and the region was partly to neutralize Irans growing influence, by strengthening Saudi-Iraqi cooperation, among other things. In addition to the dominant role Iran is playing in Syria, it also controls tens of thousands of Shiite militiamen in Iraq and is said to wield a lot of influence with the Iraqi government. Iraqi Kurds bitterly complained that the commander of Irans Quds force, General Qasem Soleimani travelled to Iraq to strongly warn them not to resist Iraq forces advancing on the disputed city of Kirkuk. They also said that Iranian troops were among Iraqi Shiite militiamen attacking to retake Kirkuk from Kurdish forces. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Bakhtiyar Hajiyev Trend: An attempt by representatives of the illegal regime established in the occupied Azerbaijani territory Nagorno-Karabakh to participate in the fourth congress of Armenians of Europe held last week in the European Parliament building in Brussels, which was organized by the Armenian diaspora, failed. So, despite the fact that the head of the illegal regime, Bako Sahakyan, and his assistants arrived in Brussels and wanted to take part in the congress, this was stopped. Thus, the desire of these representatives to address the event was not destined to come true. The question arises: what is the purpose of Armenia in carrying out such provocations? The fact is that the occupying country wants to create the appearance that allegedly European institutions recognize the illegal regime, and for this purpose, whenever possible, attempts are made to organize visits of representatives, leaders of this regime to Brussels. As it is known, all these attempts have failed completely in recent years. Despite the fact that Sahakyan arrived in Brussels on October 18-19 as a guest of the fourth congress of Armenians in Europe, he was not even allowed to go to the European Parliament building where the event was held, he was not received at local executive bodies and the federal parliament. Bako Sahakyan concluded his tourist visit to Belgium with meetings with representatives of Armenian diaspora organizations, as well as meetings held in the Armenian church in Brussels. At another meeting, organized by the lobbying organization European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy led by businessman, millionaire Gaspar Karapetyan, Bako Sahakyan was unofficially received by 3-4 regional MPs. The parliaments of the Brussels capital region and the Flemish region, in which the MPs are represented, stressed that these informal meetings are solely the initiative of the MPs themselves and have nothing to do with the activities of parliaments. It should be reminded that earlier these MPs, under the influence of the Armenian lobby in Belgium, illegally visited the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan with the organizational support of Gaspar Karapetyan, and also organized the slanderous actions of the Armenian lobby in Belgium. Thus, despite the efforts of the Armenian lobby, Bako Sahakyans attempts to impart legitimacy to the illegal regime during his Brussels visit failed. 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, Oct. 23 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Mr. Ghulam M. Isaczai, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Azerbaijan, talks to Trend on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of establishment of UN-Azerbaijan relations. This year marks the 25th anniversary of relations between Azerbaijan and United Nations. How do you assess this 25-year long cooperation? 2017 is a very special year for UN-Azerbaijan relations in that we are concurrently celebrating the 25th anniversaries of Azerbaijans membership of the United Nations as well as United Nations presence in Azerbaijan. These celebrations provide an opportunity to reflect on the many achievements of Azerbaijan-UN partnership and define prospects for further cooperation. I would like to categorize these relations in three periods of our 25-year history. Firstly, in the initial years of Azerbaijans independence, UNs assistance was primarily focused on the immediate needs of refugees and internally displaced persons affected by the conflict in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. The UN supported the government efforts in providing the affected population with emergency food, shelter, and health, education and water and sanitation services. I believe our role was crucial in averting a major humanitarian disaster in early years of the conflict. Secondly, when Azerbaijan regained some sense of stability, the United Nations shifted its focus from humanitarian assistance to post conflict rehabilitation improving the livelihood of displaced persons and providing infrastructure support. Two vivid examples of this support centered on funding and building the capacity of the Azerbaijan Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (ARRA, established in 1997) and Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA, established in 1998), both of which continue to operate successfully to date. Thirdly, following the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000, the UN system focused its attention on supporting Azerbaijans long-term development plans and strategies, including the development and implementation of two state programs on poverty reduction. The UN system contributed to Azerbaijans achieving many of the MDGs, including reduction of poverty from 49% to 5%, almost 100% enrolment in all levels of education and major progress in women empowerment. In addition, the number of death among children under the age of 5 per 1,000 live births has fallen to 12.8 from 28, maternal and infant mortality has been reduced significantly, the struggle against infectious diseases has been strengthened, and malaria has been fully prevented. Moreover, in a relatively short timeframe, Azerbaijan has transformed itself from a transition economy into an upper middle-income country with a high human development index. This progress has made Azerbaijan an assertive and important international and regional player. These are just some outcomes of our partnership. It is evident that after 25 years of a very fruitful cooperation, we have in place a solid foundation over which we can build a better future for all Azerbaijanis. To mark this important milestone, we have prepared a book, which illustrates our close cooperation and partnership in the past 25 years. The book is available on our website. Despite years-long efforts of international organizations, including the UN, the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unresolved. What input could the UN introduce to push off the lingering conflict from the dead point? The UN has a profound interest in the speedy peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to help the sides achieve progress in this regard. In his October 16 statement, the UN secretary general welcomed the summit held in Geneva, Switzerland, between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. He was encouraged by the presidents agreement to take measures to intensify the negotiation process and to take additional steps to reduce tensions on the Line of Contact. The secretary general encouraged the sides to build on the positive momentum created by this summit to reach a peaceful negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It should also be noted that on the margins of the recent UN General Assembly session in New York, the secretary general met separately with presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan and exchanged views on the recent developments related to the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. He also underlined UN's continued support for the ongoing peace efforts. The UN Security Council adopted four resolutions demanding unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Azerbaijans occupied lands. However, Armenia hasnt fulfilled those resolutions so far. Which mechanisms should UN apply to achieve fulfillment of the resolutions? Throughout the conflict in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, the United Nations, including the secretary general, have been fully supportive of the important ongoing efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to reduce tensions and to achieve a peaceful and lasting negotiated settlement of the conflict. In his February 21 remarks to the UN Security Council open debate on Conflicts in Europe, held on February 21, 2017, the UN secretary general noted that direct challenge to national sovereignty and territorial integrity are reminders that we must collectively work to preserve and strengthen a rules-based international order in order to maintain peace and security, in accordance with the Charter. To that end, the UN supports the full adherence to all provisions of the UN Charter, as well as the implementation by member states of all UN Security Council resolutions. How do you evaluate Azerbaijans efforts in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals? On September 25, 2015, 193 UN Member States, including Azerbaijan, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This identified 17 universal Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 196 targets to be achieved by 2030. Today, 18 United Nations resident and non-resident agencies continue to work in close partnership with the government and support Azerbaijan's efforts to achieve these 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Azerbaijans political commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda has been demonstrated at the highest level when the president of Azerbaijan signed a decree creating the National Coordination Council for Sustainable Development on October 6, 2016. The main aim of the Council is to coordinate the efforts of the government and other national actors in the nationalization, mainstreaming and monitoring of the SDGs. Ever since its establishment, the Council has been closely collaborating with the United Nations agencies on the adoption and nationalization of the SDGs availing itself of the vast of array of knowledge, experience and expertise available within the United Nations system. In July 2017, Azerbaijan was among 43 countries to report its progress towards achieving the SDGs as part of the Voluntary National Review to the High-Level Political Forum at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. As part of its commitment to global goals and agreements, Azerbaijan has also taken a major step in signing and ratifying the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change along with 173 other countries. The United Nations stands ready to support Azerbaijans commitments under the Paris Agreement. In January 2017, UN and Azerbaijan created three working groups for the implementation of the United Nations-Azerbaijan Partnership Framework (UNAPF). Could you please update us on the implementation of the document? The UNAPF is the fourth cooperation document signed between the United Nations agencies and the government, which marks a transition from assistance-based to a partnership-based cooperation. The framework was guided by the countrys development aspirations as set out in Azerbaijan - 2020: The Vision of the Future as well as the SDGs. It was developed following consultations with a number of development partners, including the civil society. It outlines the UN's support in three strategic and interlinked priority areas: promoting sustainable and inclusive economic development underpinned by increased diversification and decent work; strengthening institutional capacities and effective public and social services; and improving environmental management and resilience to hazards and disasters. To achieve these goals, the UN in close coordination with the Ministry of Economy and other government institutions established three UNAPF results groups in May. They developed three joint work plans for 2017, which included specific actions and resources required to achieve broad UNAPF strategic outcomes. How do you assess Azerbaijans contribution to the development of inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue in the world? In recent years, Azerbaijan has hosted a number of high-profile events in close cooperation with the UN to demonstrate its commitment to promoting intercultural dialogue and religious tolerance among nations and raising the profile of the country. Azerbaijan hosted the 7th UN Alliance of Civilizations Global Forum in Baku in 2016 and the 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in 2017 with the theme Advancing Intercultural Dialogue: New Avenues for Human Security, Peace and Sustainable Development, in cooperation with UN agencies and the Council of Europe. These were the latest events in a series of conferences organized as part of the Baku Process which was initiated in 2008 with the aim of building mutual understanding, respect and tolerance among peoples and cultures of the world. Azerbaijan is a dynamically developing country that is building a modern secular state, based on strong cultural traditions. The tolerance of Azerbaijans people, the political leadership of President Ilham Aliyev have combined to foster an environment where people of various religions and ethnicities have lived together in mutual respect and harmony for national development. Azerbaijans experience is an example of a country moving forward to substantive progress through inclusion and an excellent model to reach the three major pillars of the United Nations: peace and security, human rights, and development. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 Trend: Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has left for Italy to attend the OSCE Mediterranean conference on "Advancing Mediterranean security and cooperation in an age of large movements of migrants and refugees" to be held in Palermo, October 24-25, 2017. The Foreign Ministry reported that Mammadyarov will deliver a speech at the event. On the sidelines of the conference, he will have bilateral meetings with counterparts. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan agreed with the statement that was meant to be declared after his recent meeting with Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev, but right after the meeting he uttered the very first thing that came to his mind, Novruz Mammadov, assistant to the president for foreign policy issues, head of department, told reporters in Baku Oct. 23. Mammadov said that Sargsyan voiced ideas that were incompatible with the spirit of the meeting. Azerbaijani president, other officials responded to the Armenian president, noted the official. "Sargsyan promised in front of the co-chairs that he agrees to bring the concrete ideas to the world community after the meeting, but after the meeting, he acts hypocritically and speaks otherwise," said the top official. "If the Armenian president did not agree with the statement, he could have said so during the meeting. He should've said that following the meeting, he would be speaking anything that comes to his mind," Mammadov said. In this case, how will the Armenian people trust him? How will he ensure the development and welfare of his people? What do the co-chairs think about the president who promises and then takes a different step?! If you have a status as head of state, you can't be hypocritical and lie. The Armenian people are in a a tough situation due to such leaders, said Mammadov. Armenians are leaving their country. Only 2.5 million people live in Armenia today. According to forecasts, if this situation continues, the population will not exceed 2.5 million people in 20 years, he noted adding that meanwhile, Azerbaijans population has increased by three million people since the country gained its independence. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs speech at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly was a speech necessary not only for Azerbaijan, Novruz Mammadov, assistant to the president for foreign policy issues, head of department, told reporters in Baku Oct. 23. The presidents speech was a message to the international community, according to him. Mammadov noted that over the past few decades, the situation on the international arena has dramatically changed and worsened, stability and security have been impaired in certain regions, and today ensuring a world order that secures stability and sustainable development has become a problem. From this point of view, the speech of Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly means that it is not correct to follow this path, as it contributes neither to the resolution of conflicts nor to ensuring stability, security and sustainable development. Therefore, it is necessary to abandon double standards, lies and biased positions. From this point of view, the speech of Azerbaijani president was a message to the world community. Today there is a lot of tension between large countries. And it is very difficult to predict what the end will be, he said. He noted that Azerbaijan played a big role in returning Russia-Turkey relations to normal. There are many such examples, and in this regard, Azerbaijan plays a very important role on the international arena, Mammadov added. Details added (first version posted on 16:26) Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 Trend: The conflicts existing in the world today are not the result of small states activities, but the consequences of policies pursued, in particular, by Western states, Novruz Mammadov, assistant to the president for foreign policy issues, head of department, told reporters in Baku Oct. 23. This is returning to Europe as a boomerang, he said. There are enough moments in Europe that can be a source of separatism. They face such problems today because they did not initially take fair positions, but openly and implicitly supported separatism, noted Mammadov. Back in the day, we told the countries facing these problems to express their position against separatism. Now these same countries tell us that we should voice our position against separatism, said Mammadov. Recently, two regions of Italy wanted economic independence. This may be the first step. The UK has such problems in connection with Northern Ireland, Scotland. If instead of submitting to geopolitical interests they would have demonstrated fair principles, there would not be such phenomena today. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately predict the processes in Europe and the world. Unfortunately, such situation exists today, he added. The top official noted that in the beginning of 1990s, troubling conflicts existed in ten countries, but today these things are already occurring in 50 countries. If the West, the world justly treated the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and it would has been resolved in a timely and fair manner, then, perhaps, there would not be a majority of these conflicts today, added Mammadov. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Gulgiz Muradova - Trend: Vice-President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Jiri Sestak believes that only solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is peaceful one. "I think through our own historical experience, which shows that the only solution that does not conflict between countries or does not set up in the future of an even greater deepening of the conflict, is a peaceful, bilateral one, where the two countries listen, perceive the opinions of the other parties and are looking for a solution," Sestak, who is on a visit to Baku, told Trend. Asked how could Prague contribute to the resolution of the long-lasting Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Sestak noted that positive contribution of the Czech Republic in this matter may be an encouragement to this path and helping to achieve a peaceful solution. For more than two decades Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a state of war following Yerevans aggression, ethnic cleansing policy and illegal territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia keeps under control over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions in a brutal war in the early 1990s. Despite a fragile ceasefire agreement signed in 1994, Armenia keeps violating armistice with Azerbaijan by regular provocations on the contact line of troops. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 Trend: Azerbaijans Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has met with the newly appointed head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Azerbaijan, Ambassador Kestutis Jankauskas, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a message Oct. 23. Having congratulated the ambassador with the beginning of his activity in Azerbaijan, Minister Hasanov wished him success in developing relations between Azerbaijan and the EU. During the meeting, issues related to the current situation in connection with the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were discussed. Having informed the guest of the continuing occupation of Azerbaijani territories, recognized by the international community, for more than 20 years, as a result of which more than one million people became internally displaced persons, Hasanov noted that Armenia continues to aggravate the situation until today. The defense minister stressed that due to threats to the lives of civilians and military personnel as a result of provocations by the Armenian armed forces, the best way to resolve the conflict is the unconditional withdrawal of the occupation troops from the territory of Azerbaijan in line with the norms and principles of international law. Ambassador Jankauskas, for his part, emphasized that the European Union is a supporter of the early and peaceful resolution of the conflict, and the continuation of negotiations in this sphere in order to ensure stability in the region. The parties also exchanged views on the military, political situation in the region and other issues of mutual interest. 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. Registration of participants for the second CEO Lunch Tbilisi which will take place in Georgia on October 27 is ongoing, First Deputy Chairman and CEO of the Caspian European Club and Caspian American Club Telman Aliyev said. According to him, the registration for the forum at http://www.caspianenergy.org/index.php/ceo-lunch/item/125-ceo-lunch-tbilisi-gruziya-27-10-2017 will be open till October 26. First Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Finance of Georgia Dimitry Kumsishvili and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Georgia Dursun Hasanov, First Deputy Minister of Finance of Georgia Giorgi Tabuahsvili, Deputy Minister of Finance Lasha Khutsishvili, Deputy Minister of Finance Nikolas Gagua, Deputy Minister of Finance Giorgi Kakaurdize will attend the event as honorary guests, Telman Aliyev said. Telman Aliyev highlighted personal support and involvement of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Georgia Dursun Hasanov who individually spoke to each company-participant of CEO Lunch Tbilisi, inquired about their problems, listened to their proposals on establishment of bilateral economic and business relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia. He also noted that the first CEO Lunch Tbilisi attended by Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili, took place on Septmeber 29 in Georgia within the framework of the official ceremony dedicated to the resuming of the work of Caspian Energy Georgia, third CEO Lunch Tbilisi will be held on December 1. Telman Aliyev added that the 5th International Caspian Energy Forum will be held in March 2018 with the support of the Government of Georgia and Azerbaijan Republic, as well as the Caspian European Club. Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili is expected to attend the opening ceremony of the Forum. CEO LUNCH is one of the key instruments of networking and is held to create opportunities for heads of companies to communicate and establish new contacts in an informal environment. He noted that Caspian European Club and Caspian American Club hold CEO Lunch attended by top-managers of CEIBC member companies every third Wednesday of the month in Baku and each last Friday of the month in Tbilisi. The Caspian European Club, which brings together over 5,000 member companies and organizations from 50 countries, was established in June 2002 with the support of the largest oil and gas companies operating in the Caspian-Black Sea region. The Caspian European Club actively supports the dialogue between the government agencies and the private sector, and provides information and organizational support to projects on development of small and medium-sized businesses and start-ups. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: In total, 856.324 million liras will be allocated for the construction of a high-speed railway to run through Turkeys Konya, Aksaray and Nigde provinces, the countrys Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications told Trend. The total length of the railway will be 86 kilometers, according to the ministry. Seven bridges and 55 pedestrian underpasses will be built as part of the railway construction. Currently, the length of high-speed railway lines in Turkey is 1,213 kilometers and construction of another 4,000 kilometers of railway lines continues. Also, research is being conducted for the construction of additional 5,000 kilometers of railway lines. The length of high-speed railway lines will be brought up to 10,000 kilometers in the country until 2023. Turkeys first railway was built in Izmir Province in 1860. Its length was 357 kilometers. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Details added (first version posted on 12:01) Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 Trend: SOCAR Methanol LLC, the methanol plant of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR, has completely fulfilled its production plan for 2017, Elnur Mustafayev, head of SOCAR Methanol LLC, said. He made the remarks Oct. 23 in Baku at an event titled Industry Development: Support for Processing Spheres organized by Azerbaijans Economy Ministry and SOCAR Methanol LLC. The companys production plan for 2017 was 250,000 tons of methanol. As much as 95 percent of the manufactured products was exported, Mustafayev said. There is great demand for methanol in the world - about 40 million tons [a year]. Five percent is sold on the Azerbaijani market to several companies. We hope that after todays event, the interest for methanol in the country will grow. He added that increasing production capacity and reducing the cost of goods are the strategic objectives of the methanol plant. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.23 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Unplanned global oil supply disruptions fell to 1.6 million barrels per day (b/d) in September, the lowest level since January 2012, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Over the past six months, unplanned oil supply disruptions have fallen by more than 1 million b/d, as outages in Libya, Nigeria, and Iraq abated, said the report. The duration of any supply outage mainly depends on the cause of the disruption. When an outage, or shut-in, is related to weather, natural disaster, labor strikes, technical failures, or accidents, the shut-ins generally end within weeks, such as the recent outages in Canada caused by wildfires and those in the United States caused by hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. Disruptions tied to political disputes or conflictssuch as in Libya and Nigeriaoften last for years, said EIA. Analysts pointed out that more recently, Libya has had some success in reducing unplanned outages, particularly since the beginning of this year. Crude oil production restarted at a number of oil fields in the country, including the countrys largest, the 270,000 b/d Sharara field, with production rising to more than 1 million b/d in July and unplanned outages averaging 295,000 b/d, the lowest since May 2013, said the EIA analysts. In Nigeria, disruptions fell from an average of 370,000 b/d in April to 200,000 b/d in September, in part as a result of the Trans Forcados crude oil export pipelineone of Nigerias main crude oil streamsresuming production, according to the report. In Iraq, a pipeline explosion in the Kirkuk area and a loss of production at the Rumaila field led to an increase in disruptions in spring 2017. Since then, disruptions fell to 50,000 b/d in September, said EIA. By comparison, recent outages in non-OPEC member countries have been attributable to weather events, according to the report. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Huseyn Veliyev Trend: The State Fund for Development of Information Technologies of Azerbaijan has put forward an idea of public-private partnership (PPP) between the state and the private sector, Founder & CEO of Neuron Technologies LLC Ismayil Alakbarov told Trend Oct. 23. Alakbarov said that this envisages the cooperation of the State Fund and IT companies in the formation of a startup accelerator, which will operate at the ADA University. This idea of the State Fund was supported by private business, but for its real formation it will be necessary to develop an effective model, noted the CEO. Neuron Technologies, according to him, attaches much attention to this issue, and today digital transformation passes through the ecosystem of startups, as ideas that change the world and have a great influence on society, in most cases pass through this ecosystem. He added that the company is negotiating with heads of several potential projects to support its access to international market. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Nigar Guliyeva Trend: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has offered Uzbekistan to hold an international conference in 2018 dedicated to the impact of civil aviation on national economies of the regional countries. This proposal was made at a meeting hosted by Uzbek flag carrier airline, Uzbekistan Airways, with a delegation led by IATA Regional Manager for Central Asia Jordan Karamalakov, Uzbekistan Airways said Oct. 23. The sides expressed views on the impact of civil aviation on tourism development in the region and the need to create regional routes. During the meeting, Karamalakov offered to consider the ratification of the 1999 Montreal Convention as a more modern legal basis for unification of rules of defining the limits of airlines liability to passengers. The sides also discussed such topical issues as the modernization of Uzbek airports through consulting services, organization of staff training at IATA courses, etc. Following the talks, it was decided to develop and coordinate a joint action plan of Uzbekistan Airways and IATA for 2018-2019. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 23 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Turkmen farmers have fulfilled contractual obligations by having harvested over 1.05 million tons of raw cotton, the countrys State News Agency reported. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov congratulated farmers and cotton growers, machine operators and other workers of the agro-industrial complex on this occasion, according to the report. The Turkmen farmers are provided with fertilizers, seeds, chemicals and maintenance at discounted prices, the report noted. Turkmenistan systematically purchases modern high-performance agricultural equipment of world-famous brands, said the report. Cotton is a significant export product of Turkmenistan and is a demanded raw material for dozens of modern companies of the countrys dynamically developing textile industry. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 23 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: President of Singapore Halima Jakob expressed her desire to expand cooperation with Turkmenistan, said in a letter to the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Noting that friendly relations were established between two countries, Halima Jakob "expressed confidence that mutually beneficial Turkmen-Singapore cooperation will be activated along the entire spectrum of directions." Earlier it was reported that two countries discussed issues of cooperation in the field of transport, in particular in the field of aviation and maritime transport. Singapore also purchases Turkmen cotton. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Oct. 23 By Diana Aliyeva Trend: On Oct. 21, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree On simplification of visa procedures for citizens of Turkey, the Uzbek State Committee for Tourism Development said. The document was signed in order to further enhance Uzbek-Turkish political, trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural cooperation. Multiple entry visas with validity of up to one year for Turkish citizens visiting Uzbekistan for business purposes will be processed within three working days (excluding the day of receiving documents) at the foreign institutions of Uzbekistan, according to the decree. Besides, legal entities, who invite Turkish citizens to Uzbekistan, will no longer have to appeal to the countrys Foreign Ministry. Also, visas with validity of up to one month for Turkish citizens visiting Uzbekistan as tourists will be processed within three working days (excluding the day of receiving documents) and the Turkish citizens will no longer have to submit their tourist vouchers and invitations of the Uzbek State Committee for Tourism Development and other tourism organizations of the republic. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Khalid Kazimov Trend: Iran has launched a long-awaited national scheme to curb the huge and growing market for smuggled cellphones. Under the scheme, cellphone users in the country need to register their devices with the countrys telecommunications user database, local media outlets reported. Meanwhile, Iran Customs Administration has imposed a 5-percent customs duty on the imports of cellphones. The importers of cellphones also need to pay the 9-percent value added tax (VAT). According to the media reports, those devices not registered with the database will be considered contraband and will be rendered unusable in the country. According to Iranian officials 12.5 million cell phone devices are smuggled into the country depriving the government of $350 million in tax revenues. The officials have estimated that worth of $2.5 billion of phone devices are smuggled into the country per year. The annual demand for phone devices in the Iranian market is reportedly about 14 million devices and about 90 percent of this amount is smuggled into Iran. Tehran, Iran, October 21 By Mehdi Sepahvand Trend: The fact that Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) has started this week with a new record shows that it has been placed on the right track and hopes are it will continue to do successfully in the future as well, a monetary market expert believes. On Saturday, the starting day of the week in Iran, the TSEs main index hit a new record of 84,430 by rising 663 points. This new record was unprecedented in the past 45 months in the TSE. This new record is especially noteworthy in light of last weeks threat to the Iranian business and monetary markets posed by a new Iran strategy of the United States, Mohammad Barzegar told Trend October 21. On October 13, US President Donald Trump refused to rectify the Iran deal of 2015, aka JCPOA, paving the way for new sanctions against Iran. However, later the US administration said the to-be restrictions will not pose any threat to economic ties of international businesses with Iran. In the days to Trumps Iran strategy announcement deal, the TSE recorded a downward trend. In the October 21 workday, however, 662 million bonds worth 1.87 trillion rials ($54.5 million) were traded at TSE. The value of the capital market also stood at 3.47 quadrillion rials ($101 billion). Tehran, Iran, October 23 By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend: An Iranian delegation is planned to visit Baku, Azerbaijan in the coming weeks in order to discuss the funding of an international railway project, according to Abbas Nazari, the director for international affairs at the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI). The talks will serve the two countries to draft the text of the $500 million agreement that will oversee completing the Rasht-Astara section of the North-South Corridor, Nazari said, RAI public relations office told Trend Oct. 23. The official noted that the Astara-Astara section (from Iranian city of Astara to the Azerbaijani city with the same name) of the railroad is under construction with a $60 million finance. The upcoming talks, he explained, will serve building the remaining section from Rasht to Astara (Iran), which is 164 kilometers long. The talks will be held during a trip to Baku by Minister of Finance Masoud Karbasian, Nazari said, adding the two sides have already agreed on the general framework of the deal. The Astara-Astara section of the North-South Corridor consists of a 2 km railroad in the Iranian territory, an 8 km railroad in the Azerbaijani territory, and a bridge over the Astarachay River (which is being built jointly by Iran and Azerbaijan). The strategic North-South Corridor, when completed, will cut the Mumbai-Moscow cargo travel time from 40 to 14 days. Tehran, Iran, October 22 By Mehdi Sepahvand Trend: While Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has named employment as one of the areas whose improvement he will specifically follow in his current administration, his vice president has become the target of harsh criticism over figures he represented of job creation. First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri this week claimed the government created 1.5 million jobs in the first half of the current fiscal year (March-September). Critics did not hesitate to rebuff the claim, going so far as to force the head of Iran Statistics Center, Omid Ali Parsa, to state the official figures gathered by his respective organization. Parsa said that the employment statistics of last spring season stood at about 700,000, while that of the summer about 795,000. It seems here that a misinterpretation of technical terms has become the source of dispute. A source from the Ministry of Labor was unavailable to comment on this. Following Jahangiris statements, MP Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, a political rival, said the government should explain where the money to create 1.5 million jobs has come from. "Each job will take 100 million rials (each USD at 34,311 rials) to create. Jahangiris statement means 150 trillion rials money has been spent. Why is the Parliament unaware of such money?" the MP said. Mehrdad Bouj Lahuti, another MP, said it is impossible to create 1.5 million jobs in six months "since in the first four months of this fiscal year, we had 25 percent increase in imports and 15 percent decrease in exports." "Also, it has been stated that with $770 billion investment, $65 billion of which should come from foreign resources, 1 million jobs can be created. This is while so far at most $15 billion foreign investment has been materialized," Lahuti said. Also, Morteza Afagheh, an economist, said no trace of 1.5 million new jobs can be seen in peoples lives right now, adding it is unlikely that 700,000 jobs were created during the summer. Officials have been giving contradictory reports over unemployment in Iran. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli last week said the rate reached 60 percent in some cities. Government spokesperson Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, however, denied that. Irans unemployment rate this summer (June 21-Sept. 22) stood at 11.7 percent, according to the latest report from Iran Statistical Center. All Iranians aged over 10 years, who worked at least one hour a week or temporarily left their work during the survey week, were included as employed labor force in this summers report by the Statistics Center. In the last fiscal year, which ended March 20, the government created 650,000 jobs, while the desirable number was 1.3 million, Hamid Reza Haji Babaei, a member of the parliament and former minister of education, recently said. Tehran, Iran, October 21 By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend: Although the fact remains that the United States has put effective boycotts on business ties with Iran and nevertheless banned Iranian nationals from its territories, America nonetheless revels in the joys it can find only in Iran. Under years-long sanctions, part of which were lifted in 2016 following Irans nuclear deal, Irans business ties with the US remained meager. Even after that, a primary set of US sanctions prohibited world companies from trading with Iranian entities in the USD. In 2017, nevertheless, President Donald Trumps ban on Iranian nationals, along nationals of a few other countries, worsened the situation for Iranians. However, both under sanctions and after they were nominally removed, some sectors still survived the bans and luxury Iranian products such as pistachio and carpet were exported from Iran to the States, however in small quantities. Besides very few sectors, such as carpets and food, Iranians cannot do business with the US due to remaining sanctions, a legal expert told Trend October 21. "Travel ban is by definition an obstacle to do business in the US for Iranian nationals, but more generally the remaining US sanctions and the attitude of Trump are bigger obstacles for Iranians to do business in the US," Baki Maneche, the managing partner at Ferdowsi Legal (France/Iran) noted. "I personally think the travel ban together with the aggressive attitude of Trump are far more against the Iranian people/nation than against business opportunities for Iranians in the US," Maneche observed. In the first half of 2016 (right after sanctions were lifted under the JCPOA), Irans non-oil exports to the United States grew by degrees to reach $39 million. The Persian rug had the greatest share in the exported value. In 1985, Iranian raw pistachios accounted for 42 percent of the US market. Then, a 241-percent tariff on Iranian pistachio came as a hard blow to Iranian pistachio traders. However, the American market has not been completely without Iranian pistachio since then. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Khalid Kazimov Trend: Iran and Oman are planning to launch a direct shipping route, an Iranian trade official said. The co-chairman of Iran-Oman trade chamber, Mohsen Zarrabi, has said that the trade chamber is seeking to implement the agreements achieved between the two countries, Irans news channel IRINN reported. At a meeting with Saud bin Ahmed bin Khalid Al-Birwani, the ambassador of the sultanate to Tehran, Zarrabi touched upon plans to export Irans date to international markets in collaboration with Oman, describing the plan as significant. In turn, Al-Birwani expressed his satisfaction over the expansion of trade ties between the two countries, saying the banking ties between Iran and Oman are also improving. The long-awaited plan for launching a direct shipping route to Oman is expected to help diversify access to international export markets for the Islamic Republic. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Fatih Karimov Trend: The European Unions trade with Iran amounted to 13.2 billion euros in the first eight months of 2017, according to the latest figures released by the European Unions statistics agency Eurostat. The figure indicates a 75 percent rise year-on-year compared to 7.5 billion euros in the same months of 2016. Irans exports to the EU stood at 6.5 billion euros from January to August 2017, 144 percent more compared to 2.7 billion euros during the same time span in 2016. Meanwhile, Irans imports from the 28-member Union increased by 37 percent to 6.7 billion euros in first eight months of 2017. International and Western sanctions on Iran, including the banking related sanctions, were removed in January 2016. From January to August 2017, EU28 exports of goods stood at 1,233.3 billion euros, registering an increase of 9.3 percent compared with January-August 2016. The imports of the 28 EU countries amounted to 1,227.8 billion euros, 9.4 percent more year-on-year. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Khalid Kazimov Trend: Two high-ranking Iranian delegations headed by the new Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Masoud Karbasian and Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli are expected to pay separate visits to Azerbaijan within the coming weeks. Mohammadreza Najafi, the press officer of Irans Embassy to Azerbaijan, told Trend that the first delegation headed by Masoud Karbasian will arrive in Baku for a two-day visit on October 26. This is Karbasians first visit to neighboring Azerbaijan as the finance minister and the co-chairman of the joint economic commission of the two countries. The press officer further added that Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli is also scheduled to arrive in Baku in early November. The interior ministers visit will take place within the joint rescue and relief drills to be held between the littoral states of the Caspian Sea in November, he added. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Gulgiz Muradova - Trend: The South Caucasus is one of the most highly militarized regions in the world, which is extremely dangerous, said Amanda Paul, Senior Policy Analyst at European Policy Centre (EPC). Paul made the remark while talking to Trend over news that the Armenian side has approved the deal with Russia on weapons supply to Armenia through a $200 million deal. The Armenian government approved the first $ 100 million loan package, which will be extended to Armenia for 20 years. Paul stressed that the militarization of Armenia and more broadly the region is not positive, but, Yerevan obviously feels the need to match and outdo Azerbaijani military capabilities. "The biggest benefactor is Russia because it is Moscow that not only has a military base in Armenia, which allows Russia to project power, it also sells vast amounts of arms to both Armenia and Azerbaijan, declaring that this is part of Moscows balanced policy," she wrote in an email to Trend. Emphasizing that in this respect Russia is contributing negatively to the conflict, Paul noted that more than anything it allows Russian to have a large regional influence. Armenia, probably best known for occupation of Azerbaijans internationally recognized territories and attacks to the neighboring countries, is the aggressor side, while Azerbaijan is the country suffering from Armenias aggression for over two decades. Therefore, supplying Armenia with weapons can be regarded as the support to aggression rather than balanced policy between the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Although, Baku is loyal to the Karabakh peace process, Yerevan refuses to fulfill the UN four resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan and continuously resorts to provocations. Azerbaijan is currently ranked 58th among 133 countries considered for the annual GFP reviews, with power index rating of 0.8875 (0.0000 being perfect). The Armenian Army took the 93rd place. A 17-year-Latvian attacked and injured "several" people with an axe in a Swiss village on Sunday night, Telegraph reported. Police have said there is no indication of terrorism. St. Gallen canton (state) police said the rampage began shortly after 8pm when the teenager attacked several people at a town square in Flums in the northeast of the country. He then fled with a stolen car, which later was involved in an accident. Police closed roads and helicopters flew overhead as they tried to apprehend the assailant, according to reports. The suspect continued on foot before attacking more people at a gas station shop, where he was arrested, police said. Police think the arrested teenager acted alone and the statement said there was no indication he has ties to extremists. Police didn't specify exactly how many people were hurt and said they were working to determine how serious the injuries were. No information on a possible motive was provided. The teenager reportedly escaped in a car after the attack. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 Trend: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is on an unannounced trip to Iraq just hours after returning from a similar surprise visit to Afghanistan, Bloomberg reports. Tillerson arrived in Baghdad Monday evening for talks with senior officials about Iran, a newly invigorated Kurdish independence movement and efforts to rebuild after the defeat of the Islamic State group in major towns and cities. Former CIA director and US general David Petraeus said that he severely doubted the possibility of a US nuclear war with North Korea, as the White Houses pugnacious rhetoric on the isolated Asian nation was meant to improve the US leverage in negotiations with an entirely different country, Sputnik reported. Petraeus said that he doubted that the US would wage a nuclear war against North Korea no matter how high the tensions ran. Instead, Petraeus said, the tough talk on North Korea from US President Donald Trump is aimed at a totally different party: Chinese President Xi Jinping. "This is about getting President Xi's attention so that China will really clamp down on the umbilical cord through which 90 percent of the trade that goes to and from North Korea transits," Petraeus told ABC News. "I don't think [nuclear war is] likely, no. I think, in fact, that again all of this is a communications strategy that is trying to make sure that China understands that this administration is in a very different situation from any of its predecessors, that North Korea on this president's watch could have the capability to hit a city in the United States with a nuclear weapon." Despite rumored disagreements between Trump and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Petraeus said that both men were targeting China to get to North Korea. "This is aimed at China," Petraeus said. "Secretary Tillerson is undertaking the kind of strategic engagement that is necessary here to build that relationship." He added that he believed China's economic and political leverage over Pyongyang could "bring North Korea to its senses but doesn't want to bring it to its knees," echoing comments from US Pacific Commander Admiral Harry Harris when the crisis first began in April. "I think there's still an opportunity here [for a diplomatic solution]," Petraeus said. Trump's rhetoric on North Korea is far harsher than that of his predecessors, and US military action in the Korean Peninsula has been equally intense. On Sunday, stories broke that the US fleet of B-52 nuclear bombers may be preparing to resume 24-hour red alert status for the first time since the Cold War ended. If the order to raise the alert status is made, the bomber fleet will stand ready to drop cruise missiles equipped with W80 nuclear warheads on the socialist country at any time. North Korea replied with outrage at the announcement, calling Trump "heinous and reckless" and his threats "a big miscalculation and an expression of ignorance" in an open letter on Monday. They added that Trump was "trying to drive the world into a horrible nuclear disaster." Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkish Armed Forces continue to create roadblocks in Syrias Idlib city, Turkish military sources were cited by the countrys media Oct. 23. At present, roadblocks are also being created near Syrias Afrin city. Eight roadblocks have been installed in Idlib city. In general, it is planned to create roadblocks in more than 10 districts of Idlib city. The Turkish military will create roadblocks inside Idlib city, while the Russian armed forces - outside of it. Turkey has been moving military equipment to its border with Syria since June 21. Military equipment was deployed in Turkeys south-central province of Kilis, which borders Syrian territories controlled by YPG and PYD. On Aug. 24, 2016, Turkish Armed Forces, with the support of the Syrian opposition, launched the Euphrates Shield operation against the IS militants and liberated the city of Jarabulus as well as the city of Al-Bab in northern Syria. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The Turkish Air Force killed 47 militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq as a result of an air operation, the Turkish General Staff said in a message Oct. 23. "The air operations were launched in Iraqs northern Zap region on October 18," the message said. The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has continued for more than 30 years and has claimed more than 40,000 lives. The UN and the European Union list the PKK as a terrorist organization. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Marking the end of a nearly quarter-century era in Turkey's capital, the mayor of Ankara's Greater Municipality is set to step down, announcing late Monday he will submit his resignation on Saturday, Anadolu reported. On Twitter, Ibrahim Melih Gokcek said he had met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. "Inshallah, I'll extraordinarily convene Ankara Municipal Council on Saturday, bid farewell to our Council Members & submit my resignation," Gokcek said on his official English Twitter account. Gokcek has been Ankara's mayor for 23 years. Following his meeting with Gokcek, Erdogan stressed his confidence in Turkeys youth, a theme he has recently sounded in moves to freshen the ranks of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party. "In due course our young people will take over the significant duties of this nation," he wrote on his Twitter account. What matters is "love of service," not love of ones post, Erdogan added. KYODO NEWS - Oct 23, 2017 - 17:57 | World, Feature, All The Philippines declared Monday that a five-month military operation against Islamic State-inspired militants who had seized parts of the southern city of Marawi has ended, after the intense fighting claimed more than 1,000 lives. "After 154 days of the siege of Marawi...we now announce the termination of all combat operations," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said at a news conference, adding that 42 bodies of the last group of militants have been recovered. Government forces had been fighting members of the Abu Sayyaf and Maute militant groups that were holding the predominantly Muslim city on Mindanao island with the ostensible aim of establishing an Islamic caliphate there. The government forces last week killed the two remaining leaders of the groups, prompting President Rodrigo Duterte to declare Marawi "liberated from the terrorist influence." But over two dozen militants were subsequently killed, military officials said. In making his declaration at a meeting of Southeast Asian defense ministers in Clark Freeport Zone, north of Manila, Lorenzana said the security forces "have nipped the budding infrastructure and defeated terrorism in the Philippines." The defense chief touted the development as a manifestation of regional cooperation in countering terrorism, thanking such countries as the United States, Australia, China and Indonesia for their cooperation. The presidential office likewise declared an end to what it called "the most serious threat of violent extremism and radicalism" in the Philippines and in the region. The heavy fighting in Marawi resulted in the deaths of almost 50 civilians, nearly 170 government troops and over 900 militants, while leaving the lakeside city heavily damaged. "With the liberation of Marawi, our focus now shifts to the enormous and challenging task of rebuilding, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Islamic city," presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said, noting the damage done to both infrastructure and private properties inside the city. On May 23, government forces tried to serve an arrest warrant on Isnilon Hapilon, a top leader of the Abu Sayyaf. This led to armed clashes with the Maute militant group, an ally of the Abu Sayyaf that took entrenched positions in buildings and mosques within the city. On Oct. 16, Lorenzana said government forces, in a predawn assault earlier in the day in the heart of the main battle area, killed Hapilon and Omar Maute, a founder of the Maute group. Malaysian Mahmud Ahmad, who is suspected of playing a key role in financing the two groups' siege in Marawi, was killed in a military operation in the city, a military spokesman said Friday. The spokesman said Mahmud's death was witnessed by one of the hostages held by the militants, but authorities had not yet recovered his body. By Keiji Hirano, KYODO NEWS - Oct 23, 2017 - 16:13 | Arts, Feature The late 1960s was a time of antiwar protests, citizen activism and a nationwide student movement that questioned the political and social framework of postwar Japan. That tumultuous era, centering on the year 1968, is recalled at an exhibition currently taking place at a museum near Tokyo, which showcases around 500 documents generated by diverse social movements ranging from the anti-Vietnam War protests and resistance to the construction of Narita airport to the struggle for justice by victims of Minamata disease. "1968: A Time Filled with Countless Questions" at the National Museum of Japanese History in the city of Sakura, Chiba Prefecture, also shows how college students in the late 1960s struggled to improve the educational environment as they sought to grapple with issues such the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and United States control of Okinawa. "We try to shed a spotlight on the time around 1968 when people's pro-democracy movements gained ground globally," Hiroshi Kurushima, director general of the museum, said, referring to such events as the student protests and general strikes in France, known as the May Events, as well as the Prague Spring and subsequent military intervention by Warsaw Pact forces to quell it. "It is about time to look back 50 years and think about the meaning of those days," Kurushima said. The exhibition begins with an introduction to the antiwar movement, with fliers and journals issued by the Japan "Peace for Vietnam! Committee," known by its Japanese acronym "Beheiren," displayed. These documents, which were provided by the Research Center for Cooperative Civil Societies at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, include Beheiren's antiwar ad carried by the New York Times on Nov. 16, 1965, titled "Can bombs bring peace to Vietnam? An appeal from citizens of Japan," and a forged passport that the group created to help U.S. deserters made their getaway. "It is significant that Beheiren promoted cross-border campaigns at the grassroots level" at a time when international society was mainly controlled by states, said Shoji Arakawa, a professor at the museum who is supervising the exhibition. Beheiren was launched in 1965, with influential young writer Makoto Oda issuing a pamphlet: "We are ordinary citizens. Being ordinary citizens means that office workers, teachers, carpenters, mothers, journalists, florists, writers and boys studying English and you, who read this pamphlet, are among us. And what we want to say is only 'Peace for Vietnam!'" In its last journal issued in March 1974, Oda noted, "We, small people, have managed to promote this campaign by gathering small power." The exhibition also casts light on how ordinary people, caught up in postwar Japan's rapid economic growth, fought to protect the sanctity of their daily lives. In the rural village of Sanrizuka, east of Tokyo and located near the museum, farmers staged a long-term protest against the construction of a new international airport, Narita, which was initiated without their consent. Elsewhere, in the quiet coastal city of Minamata in southwestern Japan, fishermen and their families were exposed to mercury poisoning from industrial waste. The exhibits, which include photographs and letters exchanged between those involved in activist movements, indicate the strains imposed on society during the pursuit of profit and the public interest. A flier, believed to have been distributed in 1970 in the vicinity of the site for the new airport, notes, "We will not give up. We will protect our homes, our lands and our dignity, maintaining our stance to oppose the airport construction here." In the section on Minamata disease, documents expose the deep chasms that opened up in the local community as victims and their families fought for compensation from Chisso Corp., the chemical maker responsible for the disease, which had been dumping mercury tainted water in the sea. While some local residents supported them, including members of Chisso's labor union, others expressed discomfort with their actions, arguing that they were hurting the city's reputation. Addressing the victims, a flier noted, "How can we earn our daily bread without the company (Chisso)? You must realize that you antagonize not only the company but also other Minamata citizens." Narita Airport and Community Historical Museum, Supporting Center for Minamata Disease and other institutions and individuals contributed the documents for this section of the exhibition. The year 1968, meanwhile, marked the formation of the All-Campus Joint Struggle League at Nihon University and the University of Tokyo. Known in Japanese as Zenkyoto, it eventually expanded to other universities nationwide. At the University of Tokyo, students occupied the Yasuda Auditorium, the symbol of the college, during their struggle for campus democracy. The university authorities called in the riot police to deal with the situation, prompting criticism that the intervention infringed college autonomy. "Those involved in the Zenkyoto movement are aging, while related documents have been scattered and lost over the past 50 years," said Arakawa. "We need to initiate research into how to locate the student movement in our history." Hirofumi Ushiba, a Rikkyo University graduate student of the history of social movements who was visiting the exhibition, said, "Each document highlights the actual lives of those involved in the campaigns." "Confronted by these countless voices, I feel overwhelmed. It's made me aware how these decades-old campaigns carry significant meaning for society today," he said. "1968: A Time Filled with Countless Questions" runs through Dec. 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays. KYODO NEWS - Oct 22, 2017 - 22:43 | All Voters, including teens eligible to vote for the first time, cast ballots in Sunday's lower house election amid growing fears about North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. In Tokyo, many indicated they voted for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party, filled with anxiety that recently established parties, including Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's Party of Hope, may be unable to handle the North Korean threat. "We saw the Democratic Party of Japan's poor handling of the nuclear accident" at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011, said 37-year-old Daisuke Kai, citing the moribund party that was in power for around three years until December 2012. "I'm worried about whether a new party can manage the government in an appropriate manner," the company employee said. Akihiro Matsumoto, a 28-year-old employee of an IT-related firm, also said he voted for the long-dominant LDP. "I think it was good (for Abe) to call a snap election before the North Korean crisis becomes more serious," Matsumoto said. Abe dissolved the House of Representatives on Sept. 28, with concern mounting that North Korea could carry out more provocations, such as its seventh nuclear test or the launch of an advanced intercontinental ballistic missile with an enhanced engine. Takeshi Yamada, a 25-year-old graduate school student, said, "I am not a supporter of the LDP. But I voted for the party this time, believing that the experienced party can tackle the situation surrounding North Korea." Other voters said they decided which candidate and party to vote for after taking into account the planned revision of the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution by the LDP and other conservative forces. With the LDP and other pro-amendment forces likely retaining a two-thirds majority in the lower house, in addition to the upper chamber, Abe is expected push ahead with revising the Constitution. A 42-year-old female part-timer said she voted for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, a new liberal party formed earlier this month that opposes amending the country's supreme law. "I do not want lawmakers to change the Constitution. We might be involved in war if Japan changes its Constitution," she said. Sunday's lower house election was the first in which 18- and 19-year-olds could vote, after a legal change took effect last year. An 18-year-old male high school student said, "I felt tense when I cast the first vote in my life into the ballot box." "I want politicians to make every effort to create a country where we can have hope for the future," he added. In the western Japan city of Hiroshima, devastated by a U.S. atomic bombing in August 1945, 18-year-old Sachiko Hashida cast a vote hoping for peace, saying Japan should join a treaty banning nuclear weapons that was adopted by the United Nations in July. "I would like politicians pursuing nuclear nonproliferation to do their best," Hashida said. Japan refused to participate in the treaty, along with the world's nuclear weapon states and other countries under the U.S. nuclear umbrella. Some other voters, meanwhile, appeared at voting stations in an apathetic mood, with an 83-year-old woman saying, "I wasn't able to recognize policy differences between the parties." By Lakshana N Palat: Secret Superstar, starring Zaira Wasim and Aamir Khan, has received much praise for its emotional story and heartfelt acting by the performers. The story revolves around a 15-year-old girl and her journey to become a singing sensation. What's interesting is that Aamir, who has a superstar status in the industry, plays the supporting role of a mentor in the film. Instead of looking at supporting roles as a confinement and limited, he has expanded on his skill and prowess, without taking away the limelight from Zaira. advertisement This isn't the first time Aamir has essayed such a role. In Taare Zameen Par, he played the role of an art teacher who encourages a boy, struggling with dyslexia, to pursue his love for art. The film struck the right chords, and walked away with several accolades. Not just this, Aamir still managed to create an impact, even while in the back seat. In Dangal, he let the girls take centre-stage. How often have we seen Bollywood actors, superstars, especially, who are secure enough to play second fiddle to the main protagonist? Two examples would be Shah Rukh Khan in Dear Zindagi and Akshay Kumar in Oh My God. SRK played the charming and witty psychiatrist, Dr Jehangir Khan in Dear Zindagi, and the spotlight continued to be focussed on Alia Bhatt. Though we knew bits and pieces about his life, it didn't detract from the main story. Akshay played the role of God in Oh My God, but the story centered around Paresh Rawal. And that's about it. 'NO SMALL ROLES, ONLY SMALL ACTORS' Theoretically, this is something that all actors are taught. Unfortunately, there is cut-throat competition in the industry with everyone in the rat race to impress the audience and filmmakers and get their fat paychecks. So, we continue hearing stories like, "XYZ refused a film because he wasn't given the lead role". Aamir, too, was one of these, a long time ago - case in point being when he reportedly refused doing Josh, to avoid playing the second male lead to SRK. However, the actor seems to have evolved over the years. In an interview during the Toronto Film Festival, Anupama Chopra asked Priyanka Chopra about the 'one thing she could do in Hollywood that she can't do in Bollywood'. Using her forthcoming Hollywood film A Kid Like Jake as an example, Priyanka said, "The lead cast is Claire Danes and Jim Parsons. But, it's such an incredible story. It's based on a play, it's a first-time director. It's about a four-year-old child who has a gender crisis and the parents don't know how to deal with it. He wants to be Rapunzel instead of Spider-Man. How the school reacts and I'm the neighbour whose son doesn't have gender issues and they are friends. You have people like Octavia Spencer. You have such incredible actors who have come together just to do four or six scenes. That's the only thing that I miss in India," she said. advertisement Priyanka, who is also a producer, revealed her woes about trying to cast a 'big time female actor' for six scenes in a kid's film. "My mother said 'the entourage of the actor would cost more than the budget of the film,' which is probably true. My idea was to get a really big actor to support a film on an issue with children and stray dogs. Anyway, I'll probably end up doing it myself at some point," said Chopra. Sadly, actors forget, that their audience's opinion depends on their craft, and not on the length of their roles. Let's not forget Rajkummar Rao, who played supporting roles in Queen and Humari Adhuri Kahaani, and managed to make an unforgettable impact even with the few scenes that he had. A DIFFERENT SCENE IN HOLLYWOOD advertisement Hollywood doesn't seem to be too bothered about minor or major roles. A few examples are Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle, Brad Pitt in 12 Years A Slave, or even Magic Mike (yes, we went there too), where Channing Tatum, Matthew McConnaughey and Matthew Bomer had lead roles. Here, all these actors have sunk their teeth into minor roles and executed it with finesse. CONTENT IS KING Bollywood seems to be making the shift towards more content-driven stories, rather than star-studded dramas. So, instead of dismissing "lesser" or "supportive" roles, our superstars should look upon these as opportunities and use their stardom to tell different stories. In the journey, they will have the box-office success of Secret Superstar to look up to. ALSO WATCH: Exclusive: Aamir Khan and Zaira Wasim open up on their Secret Superstar journey --- ENDS --- By PTI: Islamabad, Oct 23 (PTI) Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has become the first Pakistani premier to fly a military chopper as he piloted a Turkish T-129 attack helicopter on a test flight. Abbasi, an aviation enthusiast, took the helicopter for a test flight yesterday, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. The Pakistani premier, 58, was in the Turkish capital Istanbul for the ninth summit of D-8 nations. advertisement The D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, also known as the Developing-8, is an eight-nation grouping of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey. On Pakistans plan of purchasing Turkish T-129 attack helicopters, he said the Army is evaluating the helicopter and is negotiating the contract and terms. He termed the Turkish chopper as an "impressive and good machine". The prime minister also inspected the helicopter, and was briefed by Turkish aviation officials about the specifications and technical parameters of the combat chopper. Last month, Abbasi had participated in an exercise training mission aboard a Pakistan Air Force F-16 jet. PTI KUN AKJ KUN --- ENDS --- By PTI: By Lalit K Jha Washington, Oct 22 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has met top scientists and food experts in the US to learn more about best global practices in the field of agriculture and allied industries. Naidu said he aims to make Andhra Pradesh the most advanced agricultural state in the country. "The government believes that agricultural growth is only possible by combining advanced technology with effective policies," Naidu said after he concluded his three-day tour of the US later this week. advertisement Naidu was here to participate in an internationally renowned World Food Prize-2017 award ceremony event held in Des Moines, Iowa, during which he met top agricultural scientists, food experts and representatives from top seed and agro companies over roundtables and one-on-one meetings, according to a statement by the Andhra Pradesh chief ministers office. "Governments primary focus is on accelerating agricultural growth, farmers welfare is also being ensured. We are making efforts to transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge-based economy, with an expansion of horticulture by following efficient cropping practices," Naidu said. Naidu participated in a roundtable meeting with seed experts at the Iowa State University Seed Park. He also visited DuPont Pioneer, leading producer of hybrid seeds and genetically modified crops, as part of his goal to learn more about the latest technologies in the areas of seed quality, climate and soil management, crop genetics and farm productivity. "We will make use of advanced technologies to turn agriculture profitable in the state. There are lot of experiments being done in farming across the globe. There is a need to study them and tune accordingly and adopt for our farmers benefit," Naidu said at the conclusion of these meetings. "Through technology, we will conduct soil tests and rightly guide farmers on the crop. We saved acres of crops by inter-linking of rivers which is a first in the country," he said. Iowa State Governor Kim Reynolds praised Naidus efforts towards eradicating hunger and ensuring food security. He is also being invited to participate on global platforms to share Andhra Pradeshs journey towards sustainable agriculture, the statement said. The state government is partnering with global institutions like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Economic Forum, World Food Prize and Iowa State University in adopting best practices being implemented in agriculture across the world. The foundation for a mega seed park was recently laid in Kurnool district in the state in partnership with the Iowa State University. To encourage innovations and best practices from various stakeholders, the government is organising an international agriculture summit in Visakhapatnam next month for which Microsoft Founder Bill Gates will attend, the statement said. PTI LKJ UZM --- ENDS --- advertisement Workers will be able to contribute $500 more to 401(k) plans in 2018. The income limits to qualify for tax breaks by participating in traditional and Roth IRAs and claim the saver's credit will also increase slightly. Here's a look at the 401(k) and IRA changes coming next year. [Read: Social Security Changes Coming in 2018.] Higher 401(k) contribution limit. The contribution limit for 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans and the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan will increase by $500 to $18,500 in 2018. "Take advantage of the additional pre-tax savings and future tax-deferred growth," says Patrick Rush, a certified financial planner and chief executive officer of Triad Financial Advisors in Greensboro, North Carolina. "If an employee is paid biweekly, that's equivalent to about $20 extra per pay period. You probably won't even notice less dollars in your paycheck, but those additional dollars can compound nicely throughout a working career." The catch-up contribution limit for employees age 50 and over will remain unchanged at $6,000. Increased IRA income limits. If you or your spouse has access to a workplace retirement plan such as a 401(k), you may not be able to additionally make a tax-deductible contribution to an IRA if you earn too much. The IRA tax deduction is phased out for those who earn more than $63,000 ($101,000 for couples) in 2018, $1,000 more per person than last year. And 401(k) participants who earn more than $73,000 ($121,000 for couples) cannot deduct an IRA contribution on their tax return. If only one member of the married couple has access to a workplace retirement account, the tax deduction is phased out if the couple's income is between $189,000 and $199,000. Those who don't have access to a 401(k) or similar type of workplace retirement account are eligible to make tax deductible contributions to an IRA regardless of their income level. The IRA contribution limit is unchanged at $5,500, with an additional $1,000 catch-up contribution allowed for those age 50 and over. [Read: How Super Savers Max Out Their Retirement Accounts.] Bigger Roth IRA income limits. When you contribute to an after-tax Roth IRA you set yourself up for tax-free investment growth and tax-free withdrawals in retirement. Individuals who earn less than $135,000 ($199,000 for couples) are eligible to make Roth IRA contributions in 2018, and Roth IRA eligibility is phased out for those with incomes above $120,000 ($189,000 for couples). However, some people are able to get around these income limits by converting traditional IRA savings to a Roth and paying the resulting tax bill. Relaxed saver's credit income limit. Workers can earn $500 more and still qualify for the retirement savings contributions credit. Retirement savers who earn up to $31,500 as an individual, $47,250 as a head of household or $63,000 as part of a married couple are eligible for this tax credit worth between 10 and 50 percent of retirement account contributions up to $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for couples. The biggest credits go to retirement savers with the lowest incomes. The saver's credit can be claimed in addition to the tax deduction for saving in a traditional 401(k) or IRA. No more myRA. The U.S. Department of the Treasury discontinued the myRA program in 2017. New deposits will no longer be accepted beginning December 4, 2017. Savers who want to continue to enjoy the tax benefits the myRA provided will need to roll over their balance to a Roth IRA. "One of the attractions to myRA is there were no fees and the minimum requirements were very low," says Ted Beck, president and CEO of the National Endowment for Financial Education. "So with a new account you will want to pay particular attention to minimum requirements and fees." [Read: How to Get a Good 401(k) Match.] Emergency withdrawals allowed. Recent hurricane survivors are eligible to take hardship distributions from 401(k) plans, 403(b)s and 457(b) plans in order to pay for storm-related expenses until Jan. 31, 2018. The usual six-month ban on new contributions to 401(k)s and 403(b)s will not apply to distributions for storm costs, but income tax and the early withdrawal penalty will continue to be due. "Hardship withdrawals and loans from retirement funds are always a bad idea, in my view, unless it is a real emergency," says Vid Ponnapalli, a certified financial planner for Unique Financial Advisors in Holmdel, New Jersey. "The reasons are obvious: missing out on investment growth for their important retirement goal, tax consequences and potential penalties for early withdrawal." 401(k) participants will also be allowed to borrow up to 50 percent of their vested account balance up to $50,000 for storm expenses, but could be charged fees for the loan. "If they have to use their retirement funds to recover from the losses, I suggest a 401(k) loan as opposed to a hardship withdrawal," Ponnapalli says. "While a loan would still cause them to pay interest and lose on the investment growth, it would at least save them from penalties and tax consequences." Those who live outside the disaster area are eligible to use loans and hardship distributions to assist a son, daughter, parent, grandparent or dependent who lives or works in the disaster area. Emily Brandon is the author of "Pensionless: The 10-Step Solution for a Stress-Free Retirement." More From US News & World Report Defense giant Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC is scheduled to release third-quarter 2017 results on Oct 25, before the opening bell. Aerospace segment continues to be the major growth driver for Northrop Grumman. The companys third-quarter results too is expected to be gain from the same. Substantial inflow of orders from Pentagon for the companys varied product offerings also remains a major catalyst. Lets discuss the factors influencing Northrop Grummans quarterly results, in brief. Aerospace Segment A Key Catalyst Aerospace Systems segment that fetch almost half of Northrop Grummans sales is a primary contributor of the companys quarterly growth. Notably, increased demand as well as deliveries of manned aircraft mainly boosts this segments sales growth. In the third quarter, the company won a number of contracts from the Pentagon in this regard. Among them, the significant one is an Army contract worth $117 million for offering logistics support services for government-owned fixed wing fleet performing special electronic mission aircraft missions. Impressively, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the Aerospace Systems segment stands at $2,928 million, reflecting annual growth of 12.9%. Northrop Grumman Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Northrop Grumman Corporation Price and EPS Surprise | Northrop Grumman Corporation Quote Order Flows to Drive Sales Defense majors have been receiving a slew of contracts from Pentagon and foreign U.S. allies. Northrop Grumman too has been no exception in this regard. During the third quarter, the companys notable contract wins include a contract worth $124.7 million to support the AN/APR-39 program, a $329 million Air Force contract for the Ground-based Strategic Deterrent and another order of $409 million for Next Generation Thermal, Power and Controls (NGT-PAC) program. Consequently Northrop Grumman is expected to gain from the number of contracts it has won in the third quarter. Evidently, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys third-quarter sales is pegged at $6.3 billion, reflecting 2.6% year-over-year growth. Story continues Other Factors to Consider Segment-wise, Mission Systems business unit has been benefiting from the companys successful cost-reduction initiatives. Considering this trend to continue in the second half of the year, Northrop Grumman has increased this units annual sales expectation during second-quarter earnings call. Keeping this into consideration, we may expect the third-quarter results to reflect strong sales growth for this unit. Evidently, our consensus estimate called for sales of $1,156 million for Mission Systems, reflecting annual growth of 1%. On the flip side, increased unallocated corporate expenses and effective tax rate dented the companys second-quarter earnings growth. Anticipating similar expenses to linger, our consensus estimate for Northrop Grummans earnings of $2.92 per share reflects 3.2% annual decline. Around the end of the third quarter, Northrop Grumman announced that it has agreed to acquire rocket-maker Orbital ATK OA for $9.2 billion. Although no direct impact of this deal will get reflected in the upcoming results, further updates from the transaction can be expected once the company releases its third-quarter report. Earnings Whisper Our proven model does not conclusively shows that Northrop Grumman is likely to beat earnings this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. This is not the case here, as we have mentioned below: Zacks ESP: Northrop Grumman has an Earnings ESP of -1.93%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate is pegged at $2.87, lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.92. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Northrop Grumman currently carries a Zacks Rank #2, which along with a negative earnings ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. Meanwhile, we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks that Warrant a Look Here are some defense companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. HII is expected to report third-quarter 2017 results on Nov 8. The company has an Earnings ESP of +2.04% and a Zacks Rank #2. Leidos Holdings, Inc. LDOS is expected to report third-quarter 2017 results on Nov 2. The company has an Earnings ESP of +3.75% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Recent Peer Release Textron Inc. TXT recently reported third-quarter 2017 adjusted earnings from continuing operations of 65 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 62 cents by 4.8%. Total revenues in the quarter were $3.48 billion, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.54 billion by 1.5%. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII) : Free Stock Analysis Report Leidos Holdings, Inc. (LDOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Orbital ATK, Inc. (OA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Textron Inc. (TXT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research WEC Energy Group WEC is slated to report third-quarter 2017 results before the market opens on Oct 26. In the second quarter, the company reported a positive earnings surprise of 6.78%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this earnings season. Factors to Consider WEC Energy expects its earnings in the third quarter to be in the range of 63-67 cents per share, assuming normal weather, which is lower than the year-ago quarter earnings of 69 cents. Earnings in the last year quarter benefited from weather that was 43% warmer than normal. Nearly 99% of its earnings come from regulated operations, which provided excellent visibility on its future performance. The economic growth in its service territories and systematic investment in regulated operation is expected to boost the bottom line. WEC Energy is currently providing services to a higher number of customers than the last-year level, which is expected to have a positive impact on demand and earnings. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that WEC Energy is likely to beat earnings this quarter as it does not possess the key components. A stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. However, that is not the case here as you will see below. Zacks ESP: The companys Earnings ESP is -0.25%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: WEC Energys Zacks Rank #3, when combined with a negative Earnings ESP makes a beat unlikely this quarter. Note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing a negative estimate revisions momentum. WEC Energy Group, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise WEC Energy Group, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | WEC Energy Group, Inc. Quote Stocks to Consider Here are some companies from the industry that you may want to consider instead, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. ALLETE Inc. ALE is expected to release third-quarter 2017 results on Nov 1. The company has an Earnings ESP of +2.89% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. NiSource Inc. NI has an Earnings ESP of +7.69% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is expected to release third-quarter 2017 results on Nov 1. Eversource Energy ES has an Earnings ESP of +1.85% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release third-quarter 2017 results on Nov 2. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report WEC Energy Group, Inc. (WEC) : Free Stock Analysis Report NiSource, Inc (NI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Allete, Inc. (ALE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Eversource Energy (ES) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Investors stand in front of the logo of Saudi state oil giant Aramco during a January, 2016 forum in Riyadh (AFP Photo/Fayez Nureldine) (AFP) Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Aramco's initial public offering will take place in the second half of 2018, CEO Amin Nasser said Monday, dismissing reports that the oil giant's plans could be shelved. "We have always said that we will be listing in 2018, and to be more specific, in the second half of 2018," Nasser said in an interview with CNBC television. "The IPO is on track. The listing venue will be discussed and shared in due course," Nasser told the channel in Riyadh. The Aramco chief also said Saudi authorities were not in talks with Chinese or other investors to sell a stake in the firm, estimated to be worth around $2 trillion. Aramco, which controls Saudi Arabia's massive energy assets, plans to list nearly five percent of its shares in the stock market. The IPO is expected to be the largest in history, raising around $100 billion in much-needed revenue for the kingdom, which has posted $200 billion in deficits in the past three fiscal years. Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, whose Kingdom Holding Co. rivals the state-owned Public Investment Fund, has also hinted that Aramco might be headed for even more stock sales in the years to come. "If you go five percent, there's nothing that prohibits you from going another five percent next year, and five percent the third year and fourth year, and so forth, depending on the situation," he told CNBC on Monday. The potential Aramco listing is a cornerstone of an ambitious economic reform programme launched by powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last year. The programme, known as Vision 2030, aims to balance the Saudi budget after the OPEC kingpin lost hundreds of billions of dollars because of the slump in oil prices. Doubts have been swirling around the viability and ambitious timeline of the Aramco IPO. Saudi Arabia had laid out plans for a dual listing on the Saudi stock market and an international exchange for 2018, with markets in New York and London vying for the offering. But the company has struggled to select an international venue for its listing. Third-quarter 2017 earnings season for the auto sector is in full swing. Some important companies which have already reported results include Harley-Davidson, Inc. HOG and Genuine Parts Company GPC. While Harley-Davidsons third-quarter 2017 earnings per share came in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate, Genuine Parts Company reported lower-than-expected earnings. That said, three auto giants General Motors Company GM, PACCAR Inc PCAR and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. FCAU are expected to come up with their results on Oct 24. Per the latest Earnings Outlook, as of Oct 18, 52 companies from the S&P 500 category have already announced their results. These companies registered earnings and revenues beat ratios of 76.9% and 73.1%, respectively. As of that date, 10% companies from the Auto sector have reported earnings for the quarter ended Sep 30, 2017. However, third-quarter 2017 earnings and revenue growth for auto companies are expected to be in the negative territory. Auto stocks are expected to register 17.4% and 5.6% year-over-year decline in earnings and revenues, respectively. However, the S&P 500 companies are expected to register 3% and 4.9% year-over-year growth in earnings and revenues, respectively, during the quarter. Automakers are witnessing a radical shift in their operations. The speed at which consumers preference pattern is changing, has prodded a number of automakers to reassess their strategies. Added to this is the compulsion of manufacturing electric and green cars, which are likely to bring in numerous changes in the industry. Lets take a look at the three auto companies scheduled to announce their results tomorrow. We relied on the Zacks methodology, combining a favorable Zacks Rank Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) and a positive Earnings ESP, to predict the chances of a beat this quarter. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Per our proprietary methodology, Earnings ESP shows the percentage difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Research shows that with this combination of Zacks Rank and ESP, chances of a positive earnings surprise are as high as 70% for the stocks. Detroit, MI-based General Motors is a leading global automotive company. Our model predicts that the company is likely to deliver a positive surprise as it currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.14% and a Zacks Rank #3. General Motors has a positive outlook for 2017, mainly driven by robust retail crossover sales. In September 2017, the companys total U.S. vehicles sales increased 11.9% year over year. In August, too, the auto giants total U.S. sales rose 7.5%. Higher retail sales and rise in fleet vehicle deliveries were responsible for this rise in sales in two consecutive months (Read more: General Motors Q3 Earnings: Is a Beat in the Cards?). Story continues General Motors Company Price and EPS Surprise General Motors Company Price and EPS Surprise | General Motors Company Quote Headquartered in Bellevue, WA, PACCAR Inc. is the third largest manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks in the world and has substantial manufacturing exposure to light/medium trucks. Per our model, the company is likely to deliver a positive earnings surprise, as it currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.82% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. For fiscal 2017, the company anticipates to sell 200,000-220,000 units of Class 8 retail in the United States and Canada, driven by robust economy and high levels of freight tonnage. For Europe, the company estimates to sell about 290,000-310,000 units (Read more: PACCAR to Report Q3 Earnings: Is a Beat in Store?). PACCAR Inc. Price and EPS Surprise PACCAR Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | PACCAR Inc. Quote Fiat Chrysler is engaged in designing, engineering, manufacturing, distributing, and selling vehicles, components, and production systems. The company is unlikely to deliver a positive surprise as it currently has an Earnings ESP of -10.00% and a Zacks Rank #1. For 2017, Fiat Chrysler anticipates revenues to be in the range of 115-120 billion ($123.4-$128.8 billion) compared with the 111 billion earned in 2016. The company projects adjusted net profit of more than 3 billion ($3.2 billion), up from 2.52 billion recorded in 2016 (Read more: What's in the Cards for Fiat Chrysler in Q3 Earnings?). Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. Price and EPS Surprise Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. Price and EPS Surprise | Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. Quote Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report PACCAR Inc. (PCAR) : Free Stock Analysis Report General Motors Company (GM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCAU) : Free Stock Analysis Report Genuine Parts Company (GPC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Cyber warfare is fast developing as one of most important fields of concern for Indian forces. By Ajit Kumar Dubey: Seeking to open new avenues for women officers in the force, the Indian Army is planning to deploy them as cyber warriors to deal with the threats in the domain. The proposal has been discussed by the army chief, Gen Bipin Rawat, with his senior commanders and would be implemented in the near future as the force wants to utilise the women officers "more advantageously". advertisement "The force has plans of utilising the women officers more effectively in new cadres such as cyber which is a fast emerging trade in the armed forces as they face major cyber security threat from both state and nonstate actors," army sources told Mail Today here. The women officers would also be included in the field of language training to the army personnel and architecture as permanent commission officers, they said. CRUCIAL FIELD Cyber warfare is fast developing as one of most important fields of concern for the forces as their networks and computers are continuously under the threat from adversaries such as China and Pakistan. The three services are coming up with a cyber warfare agency under the integrated defence staff to tackle the attacks as well as to create an offensive capability to deal the issue. Recently, the Shekatkar Committee also recommended that officers of the army education corps could also be used as cyber warriors as the branch is getting disbanded. MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN The sources said the intention of the army is to provide more opportunities in the women officers in the fields where they can contribute their best. would also be favourably considering the grant of permanent commission to the women officers provided they meet the benchmark. The army has been granting permanent commission to women officers in limited number of branches such as legal and education but is yet to induct them in direct combat units such as infantry. On the language courses to be imparted by women officers, sources said a large number of troops and officers are getting trained in important international languages such as Mandarin and Arabic to deal with the emerging threats. WOMEN AS JAWANS Army is going to induct women as jawans also as it plans to hire 850 of them in the military police branch where they would help the troops to handle situations where women are involved like females pelting stones at forces carrying out operations. After having 850 of them initially, their numbers would be increased gradually in the lower ranks as females are till now limited only in officer cadre. advertisement The roles of military police include policing the cantonment and army establishments, prevent breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required. Very few countries including Germany, Australia, Canada, the US, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and Israel have allowed women in combat roles. The Indian Air Force has also inducted three women officers as fighter pilots and would be joining a MiG 21 squadron in near future. --- ENDS --- By Tina Bellon and Nate Raymond (Reuters) - A California judge on Friday threw out a $417 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit by a woman who claimed she developed ovarian cancer after using its talc-based products like Johnson's Baby Powder for feminine hygiene. The ruling by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maren Nelson marked the latest setback facing women and family members who accuse J&J of not adequately warning consumers about the cancer risks of its talc-based products. The decision followed a jury's decision in August to hit J&J with the largest verdict to date in the litigation, awarding California resident Eva Echeverria $70 million in compensatory damages and $347 million in punitive damages. Nelson on Friday reversed the jury verdict and granted J&J's request for a new trial. Nelson said the August trial was underpinned by errors and insufficient evidence on both sides, culminating in excessive damages. Mark Robinson, who represented the woman in her lawsuit, in a statement said he would file an appeal immediately. "We will continue to fight on behalf of all women who have been impacted by this dangerous product," he said. J&J in a statement said it was pleased with the verdict, adding that it will continue to defend itself in additional trials. The judge added that there also had been misconduct of the jury during the trial. J&J said declarations by two jurors after the trial showed that three members of the 12-person jury who voted against finding the company liable were improperly excluded from determining damages. J&J says it faces lawsuits by 4,800 plaintiffs nationally asserting talc-related claims. Many of those cases are in California, where Echeverria's case was the first to go to trial, and in Missouri, where J&J has faced five trials. The Missouri litigation led to four verdicts against J&J in which juries issued verdicts totaling $307 million. The company has only won one trial. Story continues But the Missouri cases, which have largely been brought by out-of-state plaintiffs, have faced jurisdictional questions after the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June that limited where personal injury lawsuits could be filed. On Tuesday, a Missouri appellate court threw out a $72 million verdict by a jury in February 2016 to the family of a deceased Alabama woman after ruling the case should not have been tried in St. Louis. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston and Tina Bellon in New York; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) Who hasnt thought about becoming a flight attendant, at least once? You get to fly around the world, the outfits are sleek, and your PA announcements could make you a viral sensation. Delta Air Lines (DAL) might give you that chance. On Monday, the Atlanta-based airline announced that they will hire 1,000 flight attendants for 2018. Applicants must be 21-years-old, service-oriented and obviously, not afraid of flying. While Delta is looking for new flight attendants, landing the job wont be easy. In 2016, 150,000 people applied for the job, and only 6,000 received in-person interviews. From that, Delta hired just 1,200 new flight attendants, less than 1% of the applicant pool. Delta currently employs about 20,000 flight attendants, American Airlines has about 25,000, and United Airlines employs nearly 24,000. Though getting hired could be an uphill battle, its clear that the airline industry needs quality flight attendants. In 2016, Boeing predicted that the worlds airlines will need to hire 814,000 flight attendants by 2020. This is due to a potential wave of retirements and increased use of single aisle jets, like the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320, both of which are frequently used and require rotating crews of at least four flight attendants. So, the demand is there. The only question is: Are you qualified? So, what does it take to get hired at Delta? At minimum, the ideal candidate must have a high school degree (or GED), be able to work in the U.S., and speak/read/write English fluently. Other minimum requirements include: Ability to work a flexible schedule Willingness to comply with uniform and appearance guidelines, including no visible tattoos or piercings like earlobe plugs. Ability to obtain and keep current a passport and travel documents to freely enter and exit places where Delta flies Successfully complete a pre-employment U.S. Department of Transportation drug test and comprehensive background check, including government-required fingerprint-based criminal history records check Ability to work in a physically demanding role which requires frequent standing, walking, bending, stooping, pushing, pulling, reaching and lifting (i.e., pushing/pulling beverage or food carts and lifting and opening emergency aircraft doors) Story continues Sounds straightforward, but applying is just the tip of the iceberg. After making it through the highly competitive and exhaustive selection process, they put all their previous experience and skills to the test during our flight attendant initial training, said Allison Ausband, Deltas senior vice president of In-Flight Service. The eight-week training program takes place at the Atlanta headquarters, and requires participants to complete tests on everything from CPR, putting out fires, to water evacuations and meal presentations. Only after successful completion will flight attendants earn their wings. How much do flight attendants make? There are a lot of perks to becoming a flight attendant. There are a lot of different factors that will determine how much a flight attendant earns. That said, the average entry-level flight attendant can expect to make $25,000 per year, with an opportunity to earn more depending upon schedule. In addition to salary, Delta has a competitive compensation package which includes health and insurance coverage, 401(k) with a company match, a profit-sharing program, and worldwide travel privileges. According to Glassdoor, a job search site, flight attendants at Delta have the opportunity to take home between $48,000 and $98,000 a year during their careers. Nationally, the average flight attendant makes $53,210 per year. There are a few factors that can put you at the higher end of that pay scale. If you speak a language other than English, Delta may consider you for Language of Destination flight attendant roles, which offer additional pay as well as more responsibilities. Having a college education and more than one year of work experience in a personalized customer service, patient care, or similar role can also help you earn more money. Pros and cons of the job The biggest plus to being a flight attendant is the travel. Many flight attendants enjoy long layovers in different cities, allowing them to explore and see the sites. The accommodations will be paid for in whatever city or destination you land, so thats more money you can spend on experiences. For leisure travel, airline employees also receive free or discounted air travel for themselves and family members. On the blog, The Flight Attendant Life, one woman details how travel agreements allowed her to fly from Hawaii to New Zealand for just $90 USD. Tickets can even be free on certain routes, especially those within the U.S. Also, flight attendants work less than your typical 9-to-5 worker. According to the Association of Flight Attendants or (AFA), flight attendants can work anywhere from 65 hours to 95 hours a month, compared with the standard office worker who logs about 160 hours a month. On the flipside, working as a flight attendant has some setbacks. According to The Flight Attendant Life, the work/life balance can be difficult for new hires. New flight attendants dont have much say on where they fly and may have to pick up a shift at the last minute. This also means you wont have weekends off. Jet lag is also a real obstacle. Jumping from time zone to time zone will affect your bodys circadian rhythm. In a recent Los Angeles Times article, one flight attendant revealed that many of his colleagues rely on prescription meds just to get some rest after a long flight. Its not ideal, but sleep is an issue that most flight attendants have to face sooner or later. If you can handle all of this, then perhaps a career as a flight attendant in in your future. Applications are currently open. Brittany is a reporter at Yahoo Finance. Theres an air traffic controller shortage. Are you qualified? Delta CEO explains why airlines prefer segmented cabins Stranded by Delta? You can get a refund The Directors Guild of America has launched disciplinary proceedings against disgraced ex-mogul Harvey Weinstein, which could lead to his expulsion. The move was announced Saturday afternoon by DGA President Thomas Schlamme following a national board meeting in New York City. The guild said it filed the disciplinary proceedings on Oct. 13. The DGA has a long-standing practice of not commenting on internal union matters, but has decided to make an exception in this case to acknowledge the filing of charges, the guild said. However, because of due process concerns that are a part of federal requirements for labor unions, the DGA cannot comment further. Weinstein is listed as a DGA member on the dga.org site. Weinstein and his brother Bob Weinstein are credited as the co-directors on the 1986 movie Playing for Keeps. The DGAs move underlines how rapidly Weinsteins career has descended since the Oct. 5 publication of a New York Times article detailing the settlements of eight lawsuits, including those filed by Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan. The expose has prompted dozens of women to come forward with allegations of sexual harassment and assault. Along with the announcement about the disciplinary proceedings against Harvey Weinstein, the DGA also issued a strong condemnation of sexual harassment. Heres the entire statement: The DGA condemns sexual harassment. There must be no tolerance for such deplorable abuses of power. This isnt about one person. We must recognize sexual harassment is endemic in our society, and painfully, in our industry. We believe that every individual has the right to a safe workplace. The unfortunate truth is that there are those who abuse the power that they hold. For far too long, many have not spoken out directors, agents, crew, executives, performers, producers, writers. This shameful code of complicity must be broken. As directors and team members who solve problems for a living, we are committed to eradicating the scourge of sexual harassment on our industry. Story continues Previously, SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild of America West, and the Writers Guild of America East have condemned Harvey Weinstein following explosive allegations of harassment and assault. The Producers Guild of America moved this week to start the process of expelling Weinstein as a PGA member. All four organizations have promised to step up efforts to deal with the issue of sexual harassment and assault. Related stories 21st Century Fox Defends Renewing Bill O'Reilly Contract Despite New Sexual Harassment Settlement Quebec Radio Star and Producer On Leave Over Sexual Harassment Allegations Harvey Weinstein Fallout: Entertainment Figures Accused of Sexual Harassment Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts! F5 Networks Inc. FFIV is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2017 results on Oct 25. The company is likely to report lower revenues in the quarter due to a volatile spending atmosphere and competitive threats. This in turn, is likely to result in lower earnings for the quarter. Last quarter, the company's adjusted earnings of $1.55 per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.59 per share. Moreover, F5 Networks revenues of $517.8 missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $525 million. Challenges for the Company Cisco Systems CSCO poses the most significant competitive threat to F5 Networks, given the dominance of the former in the overall networking market. Cisco has tremendous engineering and marketing resources at its disposal. Although F5 Networks technology leads in the networking market, Cisco could become more competitive if it invests aggressively. Additionally, Citrix Inc., Juniper Networks, Checkpoint Systems, and Barracuda Networks also have strong technology platforms that could pose significant competitive threat on improved execution. Notably, F5 Networks continues to acquire a large number of companies. While this improves revenue opportunities, business mix and profitability, it also adds to integration risks. Moreover, frequent acquisitions are a distraction for management, which could impact organic growth in the long run. A substantial portion of the companys sales is derived from outside the United States. Notably, the company garnered approximately 43.6%, 42.7% and 43.1% of total revenues in currencies other than the U.S. dollar during fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. This exposes the company to exchange rate fluctuations and counterparty default risk. Consequently, an economic condition, which impacts foreign currency exchange rates, does result in transaction exposure, which leads to profit fluctuation. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Product revenues is currently pegged at $248 million, significantly down from $253 million reported in the year-ago quarter. Story continues F5 Networks, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise F5 Networks, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | F5 Networks, Inc. Quote What the Zacks Model Unveils Our proven model does not conclusively show that F5 Networksis likely to beat earnings this quarter as it does not possess the key components. A stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. This is not the case here as you will see below: Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is -0.93% with the former currently pegged at $2.18 and the latter at $2.20. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: F5 Networkscarries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Strong Sell) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing a negative estimate revisions momentum. Stocks With Favorable Combination Here are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat: NVIDIA Corporation NVDA has an Earnings ESP of +1.06% and a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Applied Materials, Inc. AMAT has an Earnings ESP of +0.37% and a Zacks Rank #1. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report F5 Networks, Inc. (FFIV) : Free Stock Analysis Report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Ahead of Alphabet's (GOOGL) earnings report later this week, investors will want to identify the company's key growth catalysts. With the Pixel smartphone lifting year-over-year comparisons, could Google have a secret weapon this quarter? In an incredibly packed week of earnings announcements, the upcoming report from Alphabet Inc. GOOGL should emerge as one of the technology sectors most important bellwethers. The Google parent has its hands in nearly every corner of the tech world, so investors will want to pay close attention when it releases its Q3 report on Thursday afternoon. Based on our latest consensus estimates, we expect to see Alphabet post earnings of $8.39 per share and revenues of $21.94 billion, which would represent year-over-year growth rates of -7.4% and +20.1%, respectively. Litigation costs, including a massive anti-trust fine from the European Commission, have cut into Alphabets bottom line this year. Nevertheless, Google and the other subsidiaries under the Alphabet umbrella hold a strong position in several emerging marketsincluding cloud computing, mobile payments, ecommerce, and artificial intelligenceand should continue to witness strong growth on the top line. One of the most exciting growth prospects for Alphabet right now is its Google other revenues category. The companys advertising business is still its bread and butter, but this segment includes several rising stars, including Google Cloud, Google Play Store, and several new hardware initiatives. Investors will remember that Alphabet debuted a new line of Google-branded hardware devices in October 2016. This new line included the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, as well as the Google Homethe companys new AI-powered smart speakers. Since these debuted after the end of 3Q16, were still seeing the effects of these products in Alphabets year-over-year comparisons. With that said, the Google other revenues category could be a key growth catalyst for Alphabet this quarter. But what kind of performance can we actually expect from this unit? Well, using our exclusive non-financial metrics estimates file, we can gauge analyst sentiment and prepare ourselves for Alphabets report. Story continues These important stock drivers are from our exclusive non-financial metrics consensus estimate file. These estimates are updated daily and are based on the independent research of expert stock analysts. Learn more here>>> According to our latest consensus estimates, we expect Alphabet to report Google other revenues of $3.43 billion. This would represent year-over-year growth of 41.2% from the $2.43 billion recorded in the year-ago quarter. While we wont know for sure how much of this revenue is coming from the companys hardware initiatives, it is reasonable to assume that this year-over-year comparison is lifted by the debut of these new products. For more stock-moving estimates ahead of Alphabets Q3 report, check out our full guide: 3 Key Estimates for Google's Q3 Earnings Report And make sure to check back here for our full analysis of Alphabets actual results later this week! Want more stock market analysis from this author? Make sure to follow @Ryan_McQueeney on Twitter! Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani will be in India on Tuesday on the invitation of Prime Minister Modi to review the bilateral relations between the two countries. By Geeta Mohan: Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani would be in Delhi on Tuesday for a one day 'working visit' to review the bilateral relations between the two countries. He will be here at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which was extended to the him by India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval when the latter visited Kabul on the 16th of October. advertisement One of India's most important strategic partners in the neighbourhood, President Ghani and Prime MInister Narendra Modi will hold detailed delegation level talks. President Ghani will also meet with his Indian counterpart, President Kovind. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will call on the Afghan President. He will also address a public gathering at the Vivekanand International Foundation. An Afghan government official told India Today that "trade, security and regional issues are the main topics of discussion." A statement from Ministry of External Affairs read, "Both sides will have the opportunity to review the entire gamut of multifaceted bilateral strategic partnership, including the New Development Partnership; hold consultations and coordinate on furthering the shared objective of promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and efforts to combat the menace of terrorism; and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest." The visit of President Ghani comes after high level bilateral exchanges between the two countries, including the recent visits of Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive of Afghanistan and that of the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Salahuddin Rabbani to India for the meeting of the bilateral Strategic Partnership Council which was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. --- ENDS --- A Barclays bank building is seen at Canary Wharf in London, Britain May 17, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (Reuters) By Eric Onstad LONDON (Reuters) - Hedge fund Red Kite has filed a lawsuit against Barclays Plc, alleging the bank manipulated the copper market to its advantage, causing the hedge fund to lose $850 million. The case pits one of the world's biggest metals hedge funds, whose co-founder Michael Farmer was a former treasurer of Britain's Conservative Party, against one of Europe's biggest investment banks. In court papers, Red Kite alleges that Barclays committed market abuse by manipulating market prices and using information from Red Kite about the hedge fund's copper positions from 2010 to 2013 to take lucrative opposing trades on metals markets. The initial legal documents were filed in Britain's High Court in October last year but only recently made public. Barclays has denied the claims in a court filing. "Barclays had detailed policies and procedures in place for protecting confidential information, in particular that of its clients," it said in the document. Barclays said its executives only used Red Kite's confidential information on its market positions for legitimate business purposes, such as assessing the fund's credit exposure to the bank. Red Kite agreed when signing the bank's terms of business that "Barclays would remain free to have interests and duties adverse to the interests of the proprietary (Red Kite) funds," the bank's defense document said. The bank declined to elaborate further. Red Kite did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. MR. COPPER During the period covered by the case, copper prices surged to a peak of just over $10,000 a tonne in 2011, one of the boom years for commodities, driven by China's appetite for raw materials to build infrastructure. Excess supply later pushed prices to a low of about $4,300 by early last year. The Red Kite Group, which has hedge funds, physical trading and mining finance, has about $2 billion of assets under management, according to its website. Story continues Red Kite said in the court filing that Barclays' proprietary traders were able to see the hedge fund's confidential trading positions on the London Metal Exchange (LME) that were being executed by another division of Barclays. As a result, Barclays traders executed trades based on that inside knowledge which resulted in profits for Barclays but damaged Red Kite's stance, the hedge fund said. "Being able to see the Red Kite funds' orders and open positions, traders with the Commodities Division (of Barclays) ... were able to and did anticipate the Red Kite Funds' future market behavior," the court filing said. Barclays denied that its traders were able to access Red Kite's confidential information. "Futures Clearing was on a different floor to the Commodities Division, in a segregated area of the floor with specific entry restrictions," Barclays said in its defense document. The bank sought to "manipulate the LME by 'ramping' prices in a manner favorable to Barclays" during closing trading, the hedge fund said in the court filing. The LME, owned by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd, declined to comment specifically on the legal case, but referred to its regulations. "The LME has strict rules regarding market manipulation and abuse. Anyone found in breach of LME rules could be subject to disciplinary proceedings." Red Kite said in the court filing that staff from the two Barclays' divisions also shared information when they socialized together. The filing also said a daily email was circulated in the bank giving details of Red Kite's short-term positions. Barclays also requested more collateral from Red Kite for what it regarded as risky positions in copper while Barclays held opposite positions, Red Kite's court filing said. "Accordingly the Red Kite funds were effectively forced by Barclays to close out positions at a time and in a manner profitable to Barclays," the court filing said. Barclays said in its defense document that positions sometimes needed to be closed to maintain position limits, which was made clear in its terms of business. The case is not due to go to trial before June 2019, according to a separate court filing earlier this month. (Additional reporting by Lawrence White and Pratima Desai, editing by Jane Merriman and David Evans) Hans Van Bylen, chief executive officer of German consumer goods group Henkel is seen next to the company's logo at the annual general shareholders' meeting in Duesseldorf, Germany, April 11, 2016. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German consumer goods group Henkel (HNKG_p.DE) may further expand its business in the United States via acquisitions, Chief Executive Hans van Bylen told Welt am Sonntag in an interview. "If there are opportunities for acquisitions, we will take a look at whether they are a good fit in terms of strategy and price. In the United States we are for instance not yet a leading seller of beauty care products," he said. Henkel's beauty care brands include Syoss and Schwarzkopf hair care products as well as Dial soap. He also said that there was opportunities around the world for purchases in the laundry care, detergents and adhesives sectors. Acquisitions are a key part of Henkel's strategy. Earlier this year it made a binding offer to buy sealant maker Darex Packaging Technologies for $1.05 billion. Last year, it spent $3.6 billion to buy North American detergent maker Sun Products, known for its Snuggle brand. Van Bylen also told Welt am Sonntag that profit margins at Henkel's U.S brands Purex, Dial and Sun had been improving. "Henkel will have a very successful 2017 in the United States. That will also be reflected at the group level," he said. Henkel is due to publish third-quarter financial results on Nov. 14. (Reporting by Maria Sheahan Editing by Jeremy Gaunt) Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.s BWLD third-quarter results, scheduled for Oct 25, are expected to reflect a decline in profitability, given the high costs faced by the company. For the quarter, the company expects cost of sales to be roughly 31.5% of total revenue. It is to be noted that Buffalo Wild Wings promotion of Half-Price Wing Tuesdays has been pressuring its cost of sales as the high priced wings items are offered at lower prices. Meanwhile, management stated that cost for traditional chicken wings for the first two months of third quarter remained elevated and was at an average of $2.13 per pound, reflecting an increase of 24% over the prior-year quarter. Costs related to companys other sales boosting initiatives like unit expansion and higher labor costs due to the competitive labor market are further likely to continue to hurt profits. Resultantly, management expects third-quarter EPS to be below $1. In fact, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 79 cents, reflecting a decline of 35.4% year over year. Also, our quantitative model predicts that Buffalo Wild Wings does not have the right combination of two main ingredients a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or higher for increasing the odds of an earnings beat. Zacks ESP: Buffalo Wild Wings has an Earnings ESP of -2.89%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Buffalo Wild Wings has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). As it is we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Strong Sell) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Other Factors Likely to Influence Q3 Results It is to be noted that Buffalo Wild Wings has been persistently missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings and revenues, over the past few quarters. In fact, comps have been much under pressure so far in 2017, further adding to the woes. Story continues Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. Quote Buffalo Wild Wings efforts to revive comps growth via menu innovation, promotional offerings, augmented focus on take-out and delivery services, investing in Guest Experience, better food presentation and operational efficiency bodes well. Still, the menu price increases made by the company and a choppy sales environment in the U.S. restaurant space are likely to affect traffic trends in the third quarter as well, thereby weighing on comps. In fact, per the Zacks Consensus Estimate, company-owned comps are expected to decline 2.2% compared with the 1.2% dip witnessed in the last quarter. Meanwhile, the same for franchised comps is pegged at a negative 2.3%. Notably, comps had declined 2.1% in the previous quarter. Nevertheless, the companys aggressive unit expansion strategy is expected to add to its top-line. Increased investments in technology-driven initiatives including the revamp of its mobile app are likely to further boost sales. Markedly, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter revenues is pegged at nearly $501 million, reflecting an increase of 1.4% year over year. Stocks to Consider Here are a couple of stocks, which, as per our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. Noodles & Company NDLS has an Earnings ESP of +66.67% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. LOCO has an Earnings ESP of +6.74% and a Zacks Rank #3. DineEquity, Inc. DIN has an Earnings ESP of +5.14% and a Zacks Rank #3. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (BWLD) : Free Stock Analysis Report DineEquity, Inc (DIN) : Free Stock Analysis Report El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Noodles & Company (NDLS) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 23, 2017 / Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q3 Earnings Call to be held on October 23, 2017 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. To listen to the event live or access a replay of the call - visit https://www.investornetwork.com/company/1895. To receive updates for this company you can register by emailing info@investornetwork.com or by clicking get investment info from the company's profile. About Investor Network Investor Network (IN) is a financial content community, serving millions of unique investors market information, earnings, commentary and news on the what's trending. Dedicated to both the professional and the average traders, IN offers timely, trusted and relevant financial information for virtually every investor. IN is an Issuer Direct brand, to learn more or for the latest financial news and market information, visit www.investornetwork.com. Follow us on Twitter @investornetwork. SOURCE: Investor Network Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abewon a key parliamentary election despite broad unpopularity among voters. But the electoral triumph isn't expected to boost his ratings. A lack of a strong opposition helped his ruling coalition government, led by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, retain its super majority in the lower house of parliament on Sunday. That's despite waning public appeal for the 63-year-old leader amid a string of scandals . "This is a curious election, the LDP had a landslide with a prime minister who's quite unpopular," said Gerald Curtis, a political science professor at Columbia University. "The overwhelming opinion is that Abenomics has not been a great success but everything the opposition offers as an alternative would be much worse." Only half of citizens endorsed Abe's job performance, according to a Gallup poll conducted between April and July. Not much has changed since: Around 59 percent of the public don't approve of Abe, local broadcaster NHK reported on Sunday. Meanwhile, a Kyodo survey conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 showed 46 percent of respondents disapproved of Abe's administration, versus the 40 percent who expressed support.Sunday's victory "was not necessarily an endorsement of Abe personally," explained Tobias Harris, Japan vice president at advisory firm Teneo Intelligence. "If you talk to voters, there are a lot of people who are uneasy about the various influence-peddling allegations that came up over the past year." In February, claims surfaced that Abe and first lady Akie Abe granted financial favors to an education group accused of promoting bigotry. In May, the LDP head was criticized for allegedly granting special concessions to another educational institution headed by a longtime friend. The prime minister has denied both assertions. Incidents involving Abe's team haven't helped former Defense Minister Tomomi Inada resigned in July over a cover-up involving Japanese troops in South Sudan. Voter weariness is another factor weighing on the leader's popularity. A five-year reign colored by scandals and unpopular policies regarding nuclear energy and security laws is "exhausting in some ways and I think there's a sense of fatigue among the public," said Harris. Support to remain weak Sliding approval ratings were actually a key reason why Abe called for snap elections in the first place. But that isn't seen changing even after Sunday's landslide performance, which was underlined by Abe's tough stance on North Korea in addition to splintered opposition factions. Chart courtesy of Danske Bank"The elections have obviously distracted from the cronyism allegations but I think they will resurface in coming months and I would expect the Cabinet Office's approval rating to remain low," said Marcel Thieliant, Japan economist at Capital Economics. "As such, PM Abe will probably face a contender for LDP leadership in the upcoming elections in September, unlike in 2015 when he won uncontested." Harris also said he expects public frustration to persist, noting that it will further complicate Tokyo's efforts to revise the pacifist constitution . The move to strengthen Japan's dormant military is deeply controversial, so Abe is expected to move cautiously on that front."Many polls show that most voters are already opposed to Abe getting a third term, and he does not want to make himself appear as a political liability," said Scott Seaman, Asia director at consultancy Eurasia Group. "He might propose making a less controversial revision of some kind next year in an effort to soften the ground for more politically challenging changes later." Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a key parliamentary election despite broad unpopularity among voters. But the electoral triumph isn't expected to boost his ratings. A lack of a strong opposition helped his ruling coalition government, led by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, retain its super majority in the lower house of parliament on Sunday. That's despite waning public appeal for the 63-year-old leader amid a string of scandals . "This is a curious election, the LDP had a landslide with a prime minister who's quite unpopular," said Gerald Curtis, a political science professor at Columbia University. "The overwhelming opinion is that Abenomics has not been a great success but everything the opposition offers as an alternative would be much worse." Only half of citizens endorsed Abe's job performance, according to a Gallup poll conducted between April and July. Not much has changed since: Around 59 percent of the public don't approve of Abe, local broadcaster NHK reported on Sunday. Meanwhile, a Kyodo survey conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 showed 46 percent of respondents disapproved of Abe's administration, versus the 40 percent who expressed support. Sunday's victory "was not necessarily an endorsement of Abe personally," explained Tobias Harris, Japan vice president at advisory firm Teneo Intelligence. "If you talk to voters, there are a lot of people who are uneasy about the various influence-peddling allegations that came up over the past year." In February, claims surfaced that Abe and first lady Akie Abe granted financial favors to an education group accused of promoting bigotry. In May, the LDP head was criticized for allegedly granting special concessions to another educational institution headed by a longtime friend. The prime minister has denied both assertions. Incidents involving Abe's team haven't helped former Defense Minister Tomomi Inada resigned in July over a cover-up involving Japanese troops in South Sudan. Voter weariness is another factor weighing on the leader's popularity. A five-year reign colored by scandals and unpopular policies regarding nuclear energy and security laws is "exhausting in some ways and I think there's a sense of fatigue among the public," said Harris. Support to remain weak Sliding approval ratings were actually a key reason why Abe called for snap elections in the first place. But that isn't seen changing even after Sunday's landslide performance, which was underlined by Abe's tough stance on North Korea in addition to splintered opposition factions. Chart courtesy of Danske Bank "The elections have obviously distracted from the cronyism allegations but I think they will resurface in coming months and I would expect the Cabinet Office's approval rating to remain low," said Marcel Thieliant, Japan economist at Capital Economics. "As such, PM Abe will probably face a contender for LDP leadership in the upcoming elections in September, unlike in 2015 when he won uncontested." Harris also said he expects public frustration to persist, noting that it will further complicate Tokyo's efforts to revise the pacifist constitution . The move to strengthen Japan's dormant military is deeply controversial, so Abe is expected to move cautiously on that front. "Many polls show that most voters are already opposed to Abe getting a third term, and he does not want to make himself appear as a political liability," said Scott Seaman, Asia director at consultancy Eurasia Group. "He might propose making a less controversial revision of some kind next year in an effort to soften the ground for more politically challenging changes later." More From CNBC Las Vegas Sands Corp. LVS is slated to report third-quarter 2017 numbers on Oct 25, after market close. Last quarter, the company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings owing to an improvement in revenues. Also, Las Vegas Sands has a decent earnings surprise history. Evidently, the companys earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, with an average positive surprise of 10.88%. Las Vegas Sands Corp. Price and EPS Surprise Las Vegas Sands Corp. Price and EPS Surprise | Las Vegas Sands Corp. Quote However, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-quarter earnings of 67 cents reflects a year-over-year decline of nearly 7%. Also, a look at the companys price performance shows that it underperformed the industry. Shares of Las Vegas Sands have gained around 0.4% for the three-month period (ended Sep 30, 2017), underperforming growth of 5.5% recorded by the industry. Will the upcoming earnings release give a boost to Las Vegas Sands stock? Well, this depends largely on whether the firm is able to post a beat in the third quarter. Our proven model shows that Las Vegas Sands has the right combination of the two key ingredients a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better to increase the odds of an earnings beat in the third quarter. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at +3.73%. This is a major indicator of a likely positive earnings surprise. Zacks Rank: Las Vegas Sands Zacks Rank #3 when combined with a positive ESP makes us reasonably confident of an earnings beat. Also, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues of $3.12 billion for the to-be-reported quarter reflects year-over-year growth of 5.1%. Factors Likely to Affect Q3 Results Per Macaos Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), gross gaming revenues (GGR) rose in all the three months of the quarter. This, in turn, indicates that the casino hub is firmly on its path to recovery. In fact, Macaos VIP numbers is reported to have witnessed 35% expansion in the quarter, with VIP baccarat leading the surge of casino GGR. The companys Macao operation is thus set to experience strong growth in both the VIP segment and mass gaming revenues in the to-be-reported quarter, given the improved operating environment there. Particularly, its industry-leading Cotai Strip property portfolio in Macao is witnessing strong visitation and higher hotel occupancy rates buoyed by the addition of The Parisian Macao. In fact, the resort is expected to have continued attracting tourists and leisure gamblers, thereby boosting up revenues in the to-be-reported quarter. We note that the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues at The Venetian Macao and Sands Cotai Central is pegged at $709 million and $461 million, reflecting a sequential rise of 3.2% and 3.6%, respectively. However, stringent capital controls by the Chinese government and increased audits of the junket industry by DICJ in order to stop money laundering might have somewhat restricted gaming revenues in Macao. Also, excess supply, especially in the Macao market, is likely to reduce Las Vegas Sands market share and weigh on results. Meanwhile, the companys focus on renovation and promotion of its Las Vegas properties are likely to result in high occupancy rates, besides driving segmental performance. In fact, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Las Vegas Operations revenues is pegged at $400 million, reflecting an increase of 4.2%, on a sequential basis. Stocks That Warrant a Look Here are some stocks that you may want to consider as according to our model, these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. Penn National Gaming, Inc. PENN has an Earnings ESP of +4.55% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Wynn Resorts, Limited WYNN has an Earnings ESP of +3.38% and a Zacks Rank #2. Eldorado Resorts, Inc. ERI has an Earnings ESP of +15.79% and a Zacks Rank #3. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Wynn Resorts, Limited (WYNN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Penn National Gaming, Inc. (PENN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Eldorado Resorts, Inc. (ERI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. BJP MLA Kamakhya Prasad Tasa while addressing a public gathering compared the ideas of Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi to garbage. Protests broke out, and the state Congress has filed a complaint against the MP. By India Today Web Desk: The Assam Congress on Sunday filed a complaint against BJP MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa for comparing Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi with "garbage". Speaking at a public gathering he said that all these leaders were garbage. "The Congress has pushed the Nehru-Gandhi garbage into the minds of people over the years and there is now no space for any other theory," the Lok Sabha member from Jorhat Kamakhya Prasad Tasa said on Saturday at a public rally at Sonari in Sivsagar district. advertisement As the comment went viral, widespread protests broke out in the state with the Congress demanding the MP's arrest, the IANS reported. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was also seated on the podium where Tasa was speaking. "The MP...described Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi as garbage. Therefore, we seek his immediate arrest and prosecution under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)," read the FIR. Congress is also planning a protest across state for the same. Assam Congress leader Ripun Bora told IANS that comparing Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru with garbage is an "unpardonable offence" and demanded his immediate arrest. (With inputs from IANS and Monogya Loiwal) --- ENDS --- Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and Defense Secretary James Mattis, speak to members of the media after their meeting Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican Sen. John McCain left no doubt Monday that he was thinking of President Donald Trump as he criticized the draft system during Vietnam for forcing low-income Americans to serve while the wealthy could avoid war with a doctor's note. McCain, a former Navy pilot and prisoner of war, stopped short of labeling Trump a "draft dodger" for getting five draft deferments. But the senator's comments came with Trump already immersed in controversy over how he honors U.S. troop deaths, and underscored the remove between the billionaire president and the military system he now controls as commander in chief. McCain's criticism also continued a long-running clash between the two men on the eve of a visit by Trump to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to court Senate GOP votes for his tax plan, a meeting that could contain more than a few awkward moments. "I don't consider him so much a draft dodger as I feel that the system was so wrong that certain Americans could evade their responsibilities to serve the country," McCain said on ABC's "The View." He was being pressed about comments in a C-SPAN interview aired Sunday where he lamented that the military "drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur." One of Trump's deferments came as a result of a physician's letter stating he suffered from bone spurs in his feet. Trump's presidential campaign described the issue as a temporary problem. McCain, meanwhile, spent 5 years as a prisoner of war after his plane was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967. Yet during last year's presidential campaign Trump said McCain was not a war hero because "I like people who weren't captured." The senator made clear during Monday's interview that he had been referring to Trump in making his C-SPAN comments. When one of the hosts remarked that people thought he was talking about Trump because the president had sought a medical deferment, McCain interjected, "More than once, yes." Story continues McCain was asked to describe his relationship with the president. "Almost none" he simply said. The six-term Arizona lawmaker, battling brain cancer at age 81, made his appearance on "The View" in honor of his daughter Meghan McCain's birthday. She recently joined the daytime talk show as one of its panel of co-hosts. The White House declined to comment on McCain's remarks. The tacit criticism reflected the ongoing tension between Trump and McCain, which began during last year's campaign and has flared on and off. Trump responded furiously when McCain's "no" vote sunk Senate efforts to repeal and replace "Obamacare" earlier this year. And last week, in a speech in Philadelphia, McCain questioned "half-baked, spurious nationalism" in America's foreign policy. Trump lashed out, insisting he would fight back and "it won't be pretty." That prompted McCain to retort: "I have faced tougher adversaries." The senator burst into sustained laughter on Monday when one of the hosts mentioned Trump's threats and asked McCain, "Are you scared?" After he stopped laughing, McCain said, "I mentioned that I had faced greater challenges." "Let's stop insulting each other. Let's start respecting each other," McCain recommended. The back-and-forth between the president and McCain stands as the latest skirmish between the two Republican Party heavyweights and another example of Trump tangling with GOP senators who could make or break his agenda in Congress. Trump in recent weeks has feuded with Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, although the president joined with the Kentucky senator at the White House last week to publicly declare they were on the same page. Both Corker and McCain could be critical to the success or failure of the president's push to overhaul the tax system. During Trump's presidency, McCain has questioned the president's immigration policies and warned him against cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The senator also criticized Trump in August for saying that both white nationalists and counter protesters were responsible for violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia. McCain insisted in a tweet at the time that "there's no moral equivalency between racists & Americans standing up to defy hate and bigotry" and the president should say so. The senator underwent surgery in mid-July to remove a 2-inch (51-millimeter) blood clot in his brain after being diagnosed with an aggressive tumor called a glioblastoma. It's the same type of tumor that killed Sen. Edward M. Kennedy at age 77 in 2009 and Beau Biden, son of then-Vice President Joe Biden, at 46 in 2015. Nielsen Holdings plc NLSN is set to report third-quarter 2017 results on Oct 25. Last quarter, the company delivered a negative earnings surprise of 24.24%. Notably, Nielsen missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average negative surprise of 26.48%. Also, shares of Nielsen have lost 0.45% year to date, underperforming the industrys 25.3% rally. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Watch Segment Strength to Drive Revenues In the second quarter, Watch business revenues of $821 million contributed 50% to the total top line and were up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. This figure is expected to increase in the to-be-reported quarter driven by continued strength in Audience Measurement and Marketing Effectiveness. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Watch revenues is currently pegged at $845 million. Partnerships & Agreements to Boost Results Nielsen has been partnering with big companies to extend its TV ratings service beyond the Nielsen Local TV Ratings Service. Recently, Nilesen announced that it will start crediting Facebook, Alphabet (GOOGL) owned YouTube and Hulu distributed video content through its Digital Content Ratings system launched in September last year. With the new move, both digital and TV publisher clients of Nielsen will be able to get a comprehensive view of the different ways their digital content is watched across these platforms. These partnerships will help Nielsen to expand its client base and boost its Watch segment revenues in the upcoming quarter. Weakness in the Buy Segment Could Hurt Results In the second quarter, Buy business revenues of $823 million declined 3.4% year over year and 2% on a constant-currency basis. The figure is further expected to decrease in the upcoming quarter due to softness in the U.S. market. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Buy revenues is currently pegged at $798 million. Increased Investments Could Weigh On Profits In the last quarter, the companys diluted net earnings of 50 cents per share, missed the Zacks Consensus estimate by 16 cents. Nielsen has been making continuous investments to expand its client base and increase its international presence. Although these investments will increase the companys top-line figures, it is likely to impact the companys bottom line in the upcoming quarter. Story continues Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Nielsen is likely to beat on earnings this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is not the case here as you will see below. Zacks ESP: Both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at 69 cents. Therefore, Earnings ESP for Nielsen is 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Nielsencarries a Zacks Rank #3, which increases the predictive power of ESP. However, the companys 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is witnessing negative estimate revisions. Nielsen N.V. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Nielsen N.V. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Nielsen N.V. Quote Stocks to Consider Here are a few stocks you may want to consider, as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. Applied Materials, Inc. AMAT, with an Earnings ESP of +0.37% and Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Texas Instruments Incorporated TXN, with an Earnings ESP of +0.07% and Zacks Rank #2. Extreme Networks, Inc., EXTR with an Earnings ESP of +9.75% and a Zacks Rank #3. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Extreme Networks, Inc. (EXTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Nielsen N.V. (NLSN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research (Adds U.S. national security adviser, paragraphs 18-21) * North Korea suggestion that war declared 'absurd' - White House * China calls for calm amid shrill rhetoric from U.S., N. Korea * North Korea has right to take countermeasures - foreign minister By Michelle Nichols and Christine Kim NEW YORK/SEOUL, Sept 25 (Reuters) - North Korea's foreign minister said on Monday President Donald Trump had declared war on North Korea and that Pyongyang reserved the right to take countermeasures, including shooting down U.S. bombers even if they are not in its air space. Ri Yong Ho said a Twitter message by Trump on Saturday, in which the president warned that the minister and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "won't be around much longer" if they acted on their threats, amounted to a declaration of war. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Monday denied the United States had declared war, calling the suggestion "absurd". Speaking earlier in New York, where he had been attending the annual U.N. General Assembly, Ri told reporters: "The whole world should clearly remember it was the U.S. who first declared war on our country." "Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make countermeasures, including the right to shoot down United States strategic bombers even when they are not inside the airspace border of our country. "The question of who won't be around much longer will be answered then," Ri added. On Saturday, U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers escorted by fighters flew east of North Korea in a show of force after a heated exchange of rhetoric between Trump and Kim over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. "That operation was conducted in international airspace, over international waters, so we have the right to fly, sail and operate where legally permissible around the globe," Pentagon spokesman Colonel Robert Manning said on Monday. North Korea, which has remained technically at war with the United States since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce and not a peace treaty, has been working to develop nuclear-tipped missiles capable of hitting the U.S. mainland and conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test this month. Story continues FEARS OF MISCALCULATION Pyongyang, which has pursued its missile and nuclear programs in defiance of international sanctions, accuses the United States of planning to invade and regularly threatens to destroy it and its Asian allies. However, recent rhetoric from both sides has been unusually harsh, raising fears of miscalculation that could have massive repercussions, even though U.S. officials have repeatedly stressed the administration prefers a negotiated solution. The latest round of heavy verbal salvoes began when Trump threatened in his maiden U.N. address last Tuesday to "totally destroy" North Korea, a country of 26 million people, if it threatened the United States or its allies. In an unprecedented direct statement on Friday, Kim called Trump a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard" he would tame with fire. Kim said North Korea would consider the "highest level of hard-line countermeasure in history" against the United States and that Trump's comments had confirmed Pyongyang's nuclear programme was "the correct path". Ri told the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday targeting the U.S. mainland with its rockets was inevitable after "Mr Evil President" Trump called Kim a "rocket man" on a suicide mission. On Twitter late Saturday, Trump replied: "Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!" On Monday, White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster defended Trump's rhetoric, saying he agreed with the U.S. president that the risk was that Kim Jong Un might fail to realize the danger he and his country were facing. McMaster voiced confidence that the United States could, for example, impose a military blockade if it chose, perhaps even as a part of a multinational effort. But he acknowledged risks of escalation with any U.S. military option. "We don't think there's an easy military solution to this problem. There's not a precision strike that solves the problem. There's not a military blockade that can solve the problem," he said, adding that ultimately it would come down to an international effort. Still, McMaster told a conference hosted by the Institute for the Study of War, Washington was concerned a nuclear-armed North Korea capable of hitting the United States was likely to engage in "nuclear blackmail," for instance to try to achieve its goal of getting U.S. troops off the Korean peninsula. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said it was vital Seoul and the United States handle the situation "with astuteness and steadfastness ... to prevent a further escalation of tension or any kind of accidental military clashes in the region which can quickly spiral out of control." "There cannot be another outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula; the consequences would be devastating," she told Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. CALLS FOR RESTRAINT Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the most senior serving U.S. official ever to visit Pyongyang, said it was "important to lower the temperature" of rhetoric. "I'm kind of concerned about accidents of some kind that might happen," she said. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the only solution to the crisis was a political one. "Fiery talk can lead to fatal misunderstandings," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. China, North Korea's neighbour and main ally, which has nevertheless backed U.N. sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear program, called for restraint on all sides. "We want things to calm down. It's getting too dangerous and it's in nobody's interest," China's U.N. Ambassador Liu Jieyi told Reuters. "We certainly hope (the United States and North Korea) will see that there is no other way than negotiations to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula ... The alternative is a disaster." China's said it was vital that everyone implement all North Korea-related U.N. resolutions, which call for both tighter sanctions and efforts to resume dialogue. Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking to British Prime Minister Theresa May by telephone, said he hoped Britain could play a constructive role in achieving a peaceful solution via talks, Chinese state media said. Defense experts said North Korea would have difficulty shooting down a U.S. bomber with missiles or fighter planes given its limited capabilities, and if it tried and failed, would appear weak. "It is unlikely to take such a risk," said Bruce Bennett of the Rand Corp think tank. "So this sounds like another attempt by North Korea to 'deter by bluster' U.S. actions the regime does not like." Ri warned on Friday North Korea might test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific Ocean, in what would be North Korea's first atmospheric nuclear test. Experts said such a move, while perhaps not imminent, would be proof of North Korea's ability to successfully deliver a nuclear warhead on a missile. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York, Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Christine Kim in Seoul; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom, Idrees Ali, Doina Chiacu, Phil Stewart and Matt Spetalnick in Washington, Zhu Zhang in Beijing, Elizabeth Piper in London and Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo; Writing by Philip Wen and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Grant McCool and James Dalgleish) Saudi billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal told CNBC on Monday that bitcoin will implode one day. Saudi billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said Monday that bitcoin will "implode" one day. "It just doesn't make sense. This thing is not regulated, it's not under control, it's not under the supervision" of any central bank, Alwaleed said in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "I just don't believe in this bitcoin thing. I think it's just going to implode one day. I think this is Enron in the making," Alwaleed said. The billionaire investor was referring to the massive accounting fraud that took Enron, a U.S. energy-trading and utilities giant, into bankruptcy in late 2001. Alwaleed runs Kingdom Holding, a massive conglomerate whose investments include Citigroup, Apple and Twitter. The company is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Digital currency bitcoin has surged about 500 percent this year and hit an all-time high above $6,100 on Saturday. Bitcoin traded 2 percent lower around $5,847 Monday, according to CoinDesk. Bitcoin has shaken off an August split into bitcoin and bitcoin cash, and a Chinese crackdown in September on digital coins. The massive gains are fueled by growing interest from some institutional investors and Japanese investors. Trading in Japanese yen accounted for about 62 percent of total bitcoin trading volume Monday, according to industry website CryptoCompare. Trading in U.S. dollars accounted for roughly 21 percent, the site showed. But most major investors remain skeptical of bitcoin. Alwaleed said Monday he agrees with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, who last month called bitcoin a "fraud" that will eventually blow up. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has also called the digital currency an "index of money laundering" for its ability to facilitate illegal commerce on the internet. However, JPMorgan and other financial institutions are investing in blockchain, the technology that enables bitcoin to transfer value nearly instantly without a third-party intermediary. Story continues The development of digital currencies has also spawned the growth of token sales, or initial coin offerings, which have taken off this year. The coin sales have raised $3.04 billion, according to financial research firm Autonomous Next. Jordan Belfort, the infamous "Wolf of Wall Street" penny stock broker, told The Financial Times in an interview published Sunday that initial coin offerings are the "biggest scam ever." More From CNBC By Stephen Kalin and Jonathan Landay RIYADH/DOHA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Sunday it was time for Iranian-backed militias and their Iranian advisers who helped Iraq defeat Islamic State to "go home", after a rare joint meeting with the leaders of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The United States is concerned that Iran, a Shi'ite regional power, will take advantage of gains against IS in Iraq and Syria to expand the influence it gained after the U.S. invasion in 2003, something Sunni Arab rivals such as Riyadh also oppose. "Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against Daesh and ISIS is coming to a close, those militias need to go home. The foreign fighters in Iraq need to go home and allow the Iraqi people to regain control," Tillerson said at a joint news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir. Tens of thousands of Iraqis heeded a call to arms in 2014 after IS seized a third of the country's territory, forming the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which receive funding and training from Tehran and have been declared part of the Iraqi security apparatus. A senior U.S. official said Tillerson had been referring to the PMF and the Quds Force, the foreign paramilitary and espionage arm of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif berated Tillerson's remarks as influenced by Iran's oil-rich regional rival Saudi Arabia. "Exactly what country is it that Iraqis who rose up to defend their homes against ISIS return to?," Zarif said in a tweet. "Shameful US FP (foreign policy), dictated by petrodollars." Iraq's military, armed by the United States but supported by the PMF, ejected the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim militant group from Mosul and other cities in northern Iraq this year. Several thousand U.S. troops are still in the country, mostly for training but also to carry out raids against IS. The campaign to uproot the militants left whole cities in ruins and has hit Iraq's economy. A new joint ministerial-level body between Iraq and Saudi Arabia convened its inaugural meeting earlier on Sunday to coordinate their fight against IS and on rebuilding Iraqi territory wrested from the group. Jubeir emphasized historic ties between the two neighbors, which share a border, vast oil resources and many of the same tribes. "The natural tendency of the two countries and people is to be very close to each other as they have been for centuries. It was interrupted for a number of decades. We're trying now to make up for lost ground," he said. The rare senior meeting, signaling a thaw between states that have been at loggerheads for decades, was also attended by Saudi King Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. WINNING THE PEACE Tillerson said the council would contribute to reforms to build Iraq's private sector and encourage foreign investment. "This will be critical to winning the peace that has been earned through the hard-fought military gains," he said. State media said the council had expressed satisfaction with global oil markets' recovery as a result of a deal with other countries to boost prices by limiting production. The council also agreed to reopen a Saudi Basic Industries Corp office in Iraq and grant Saudi agriculture company SALIC an investment license. A second meeting will be held in Baghdad but no date was mentioned. Saudi Commerce and Investment Minister Majid al-Qusaibi told Reuters his country seeks to boost exports and is eyeing investment opportunities in Iraq's agricultural and petrochemical sectors, among others. He said backing from the highest levels of both governments would produce "quick results on the ground". "Let's not cry over spilt milk. Whatever happened in the past has happened. The good news is we are all here toward building a prosperous and beneficial future for both countries," he said in a telephone interview. Tillerson and Jubeir also discussed Washington's hawkish new policy towards Iran, including a possible withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and new sanctions on the IRGC. "Both our countries believe those who conduct business with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, any of their entities, European companies or other companies around the world really do so at great risk," Tillerson said. Relations between Riyadh and Baghdad were cut for 25 years, before recent rapprochement, after former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates, is wooing Baghdad now in an effort to halt the growing regional influence of Iran. Arriving in Doha later on Sunday for the next leg of a multi-country trip, Tillerson told a news conference that there was little chance of a swift breakthrough to resolve a blockade imposed on Qatar by Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies. The kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain imposed trade and travel curbs on Doha in June for alleged support of terrorism and friendship with Iran - charges Qatar denies. "There is not a strong indication that the parties are ready to talk yet," Tillerson said. The secretary of state's six-day trip will also take him to Pakistan, India and Switzerland. (Additional reporting by Eric Knecht, and Dubai newsroom; Writing by Noah Browning; Editing by Dale Hudson and David Evans) Mitch McConnell speaks to the media with U.S. President Donald Trump at his side in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on October 16, 2017: REUTERS/Yuri Gripas Republicans are still uncertain what Donald Trump wants to do on healthcare and are awaiting the Presidents direction, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said. What Im waiting is to hear from President Trump what kind of healthcare bill he might sign, Sen McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said during an appearance on CNNs State of The Union. Despite both houses being controlled by Republicans Congress has repeatedly failed to repeal Barack Obamas landmark healthcare law, falling short on a longstanding conservative campaign pledge. With legislative efforts foundering, Mr Trump moved to dismantle a central aspect of the law by revoking payments to health insurers. Amid warnings that the pullback would upend insurance markets, Republican senator Lamar Alexander and Democrat Patty Murray announced a deal to sustain the payments - a bill that has since attracted support from both parties. The president has sent mixed signals on the bill, saying Im not going to do it and then thats a very good solution during the same appearance next week. Asked about what comes next, Sen McConnell appeared uncertain about the Presidents intentions. We need a bill the president will actually sign and Im not certain yet what the Presidents looking for here, but Id be happy to bring a bill to the floor if I knew the president would sign it, Sen McConnell said. In a separate interview on Fox News, Mr Trump praised the authors of the new bill but was vague about whether he would support the measure. He noted that the secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services has tremendous leeway to administer the law (his pick to lead the agency, Tom Price, recently stepped down amid reports of his use of private and military aircraft) and said he believed a full repeal would still advance. Well have that long before the election in 2018, Mr Trump said. The President has clashed with Sen McConnell and other Senate Republicans over their failure to advance a healthcare repeal bill and, increasingly, over their questioning his foreign policy. Asked about his public spats with Republican senators Bob Corker and John McCain, both of whom have warned that Mr Trumps foreign policy is destabilizing the world, Mr Trump said the bickering and feuding was useful. Sometimes it helps, Mr Trump said. Sometimes it gets people to do what theyre supposed to be doing. surgery Private hospitals group Spire Healthcare has rejected a takeover by rival Mediclinic that valued the firm at around 1.2bn. Shares in the firm rose as much as 14.16pc to 298.3p on Monday after Spire confirmed that approach, which took place last week. South Africa-based Medicare, which already owns 29.9pc of Spire, offered 150p a share in cash and 0.232 new Mediclinic shares per Spire share to take over the rest. However, Spire said that its board, excluding Mediclinic chief executive Danie Meintjes, had reviewed the proposal and unanimously rejected it on the basis that it significantly undervalues Spire and its prospects. The FTSE 250 company "strongly advised" its shareholders to take "no action" in relation to the proposal. Mediclinic said it was considering its position, adding that the terms valued Spire at a 30pc premium to its closing price the evening before the offer was made. Spire Healthcare Spire suffered a 31pc plunge in its share price during September, which had made it a more enticing target, and rumours that Mediclinic was going to try to increase its stake have been swirling for some time. Last month it said it had mothballed plans for a new 500m private London hospital amid a slowdown in health tourism and spiralling property prices, as well as fewer NHS referrals. But it saw its share price rally last Wednesday after a note from analysts at Berenberg suggested that the downward trend in NHS referrals might be less severe than initially thought. James Vane-Tempest, an analyst at Jefferies, said he was unsure that Mediclinic would have the backing of its shareholders for any deal. MDC is still turning around the Al Noor asset it acquired in the UAE, and we are unsure of MDCs shareholders appetite for another large transaction so soon, he said. By India Today Web Desk: The Supreme Court today has demanded an explanation from the Gujarat government within four weeks on whether any departmental action had been initiated against the police officers convicted in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case. Bano, a gangrape survivor, sought grant of adequate compensation and initiation of departmental action against the errant police officers. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud also allowed Bilkis Bano to file a fresh appeal seeking enhancement of the compensation earlier granted to her in the gangrape case that had taken place during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The Supreme Court asked the counsel for the rape survivor to file a separate appeal challenging a high court order on the issue of compensation. advertisement THE BILKIS BANO CASE The Bombay High Court on May 4 this year upheld a trial court's sentence awarding life imprisonment to 12 people in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case while setting aside the acquittal of seven persons including policemen and doctors. The bench had convicted seven persons, including five policemen and two doctors, for not performing their duties (sections 218) and tampering of evidence (section 201) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The convicted policemen and doctors are Narpat Singh, Idris Abdul Saiyed, Bikabhai Patel, Ramsingh Bhabhor, Sombhai Gori, Arun Kumar Prasad (doctor) and Sangeeta Kumar Prasad (doctor). Bilkis Bano, who was six months pregnant, was gangraped during the communal violence that erupted in Gujarat in 2002. Fourteen members of her family were also brutally murdered by a violent mob. The trial began in Ahmedabad but the Supreme Court transferred the case to Mumbai in August 2004 after Bano expressed fears that witnesses could be harmed and the Central Bureau of Investigation evidence could be tampered with. (Inputs from Anusha Soni and agencies) ALSO WATCH: Happy with verdict; wanted justice, not revenge: Bilkis Bano --- ENDS --- Facebook, Twitter and Google once seemed to encapsulate freedom and connectivity. At a hearing on 1 November a new question will be posed: have they become a tool for foreign autocracies and domestic extremists? The hearings will seek to understand what the big tech companies knew about Russian attempts to influence the US election. Photograph: Sam Morris/Guardian Design Team/Getty Images A showdown is looming in Washington between Congress and the powerful social media companies that have helped define the current unsettled age in western democracies. The immediate issue before the Senate and the House intelligence committees, which have summoned representatives from Facebook, Twitter and Google to appear on 1 November, is to determine the extent the companies were used in a multi-pronged Russian operation to influence the 2016 presidential election. All three companies have admitted that Russian entities bought ads on their sites in an effort to skew the vote. In Facebooks case, ads pushing divisive messages were bought by fake American accounts and focused on swing states. On Twitter, vast armies of automated user accounts bots and fake users helped promote fake news stories, damaging to Hillary Clinton and favourable to Donald Trump. Russian-funded accounts spread bogus stories across the Google search engine and its subsidiary YouTube. The wider question hovering over the committee hearings on 1 November is whether these organisations, which once seemed to encapsulate the spirit of free speech and communication in the 21st century, have become Trojan horses used by foreign autocracies and domestic extremists to subvert democracies from the inside, exploiting openness, blurring fact and fiction and fuelling civil conflict. What should alarm the American people is the brazen exploitation and distortion of popular opinion by a hostile foreign power amounting really to an attack on our democracy, Richard Blumenthal, Democratic senator for Connecticut, told the Guardian. This attempt to disrupt our elections by surreptitiously targeting voters in certain places with certain backgrounds and views is a clear threat to our democratic process, so Americans should be as alarmed about it as they would by an act of war. Story continues What should alarm the American people is the brazen exploitation and distortion of popular opinion by a foreign power Senator Richard Blumenthal Facebook, Twitter and Google will send their general counsels to testify before the congressional panels. They will face unprecedented questions about how the companies plan to police themselves. With those hearings looming, Trump sought on Saturday to downplay the importance of Russian ads and fake news during the election. Keep hearing about tiny amount of money spent on Facebook ads, the president tweeted. What about the billions of dollars of Fake News on CNN, ABC, NBC & CBS? Crooked Hillary Clinton spent hundreds of millions of dollars more on Presidential Election than I did, the president wrote in another tweet. Facebook was on her side, not mine! Nonetheless, momentum is building in Congress to start regulating and patrolling the open plains of social media. On Thursday, a bipartisan bid was launched in the Senate to exercise some control over online political advertising. The Honest Ads Act, sponsored by Democrats Amy Klobuchar and Mark Warner and Republican John McCain, is aimed at preventing foreign influence on elections by subjecting political ads sold online to the same rules and transparency that applies to TV and radio. Unfortunately, US laws requiring transparency in political campaigns have not kept pace with rapid advances in technology, allowing our adversaries to take advantage of these loopholes to deceive millions of American voters with impunity, McCain said on the bills launch. Donald Trump in the Oval Office. The Honest Ads Act is aimed at preventing foreign influence on elections by subjecting online political ads to the same transparency that applies to TV and radio. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP Social media companies have fought off such attempts at regulation for years, but a tech company employee who requested anonymity to speak about candidly about internal industry discussions suggested Silicon Valley might now be open to narrowly tailored regulation on political ads. In 2011, when political advertising on social media were more of a fledgling industry, companies were more concerned that a disclaimer would be problematic and hurt the industry, the employee said. The social and political ad space is so established now that its hard to see campaigns pulling out of the market based on that. However, it is not clear how much support the bill will attract from the Republican leadership, which has resisted efforts to restrict anything it sees as related to campaign finance. Totally divisive material The climate in which the legislation is debated will be determined to a great extent by the outcome of the 1 November hearings. Social media executives are going to be asked what they knew about Russian subversion of their platforms and when they knew it. There will be also be sharp questioning over whether the precise targeting of divisive ads and fake news in areas that proved critical to Trumps victory showed any evidence of collusion. CNN has reported that Russian-purchased ads were targeted in sophisticated ways on key demographic groups in Wisconsin and Michigan. In central Pennsylvania, another state won narrowly by Trump, there is evidence of outside tampering designed to depress the Clinton vote. John Mattes, a former Senate investigator who helped run the online campaign in San Diego for Bernie Sanders, Clintons challenger for the Democratic nomination, has found Sanders supporters sites riddled with eastern Europeans posting fake news under false names. More recently he has come across the same phenomenon in a Facebook supporters group in central Pennsylvania. One troll, calling himself Stephen Woods, shared a series of fake news stories targeting Clinton, Muslim refugees and African Americans. I dont want anyone to use our tools to undermine democracy. Thats not what we stand for Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook Woodss profile claimed he was from Los Angeles, but his details were thin and he had not bothered to delete posts before February 2015 that were all in Macedonian. Mattes suspects, as do US intelligence agencies, that many Macedonian trolls, who were responsible for a substantial amount of the fake news circulated during the election, are funded by and fed material from Moscow. Obviously he was not doing this for economic reasons, Mattes said. This was totally divisive material intended to depress turnout for Hillary among Sanders supporters in a critical swing area. As the evidence of social media manipulation has grown, Facebook has mounted a campaign to address its vulnerabilities and repair the damage to its reputation. I dont want anyone to use our tools to undermine democracy. Thats not what we stand for, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a 21 September post, on returning from parental leave. He listed nine remedial actions the company was going to take, including measures that would disclose who paid for a political ad and allow their Facebook page to be visited to see what ads they were posting to other audiences. Sheryl Sandberg at the US Capitol. She has said of the thousands of political ads paid for by a Russian entity: Were going to be fully transparent. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images Facebook has handed to the special counsel and congressional investigators looking into the Kremlins interference the content of 3,000 political ads paid for by a shadowy Russian entity called the Internet Research Agency (IRA). The companys chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, said Facebook owed the nation not just an apology but determination to defeat attempts to subvert US democracy. In an interview with the Axios media site, Sandberg did not address whether Russian trolls were targeting the same users as the Trump campaign, which would point towards collusion. But she did promise: When the ads get released we will also be releasing the targeting for those ads. Were going to be fully transparent. However, she was vague on the question of when Facebooks management became aware of large-scale Russian manipulation, saying only: We started to hear the rumours around the election itself of a different kind of attack. Facebook will be asked to be more specific regarding questions about when red flags were raised inside the company and when an internal examination was launched. It will also be asked for a better sense of the true scale of its Russian infiltration, of which the IRA ads may only the tip of the iceberg. Facebook has said it has taken down 470 accounts linked to the IRA but Senator Warner has pointed out that it took down 50,000 accounts in France. It just still seems scale-wise, I think theres more to do, he said. The perfect disinformation platform Twitter has taken a less forthcoming approach, not revealing numbers regarding the proportion of suspected bots among its users. Some analysts believe fake activity could account for more than half Twitters traffic Buzzfeed reported that the company took 11 months to take down a Russian troll account impersonating the Tennessee Republican party which had more than 130,000 followers, despite the complaints of the real GOP in the state. Furthermore, in the course of the election Twitter changed its privacy policy in a way that has made it harder to investigate the Russian influence campaign, according to Thomas Rid, a strategic studies professor and cybersecurity expert at Johns Hopkins University in Washington. Before the change in policy, tweets deleted by users would remain in archives maintained by the handful of data companies who subscribe to full firehose access to the complete Twitter feed. The fact that we are in a democracy and we dont know the answers to these questions is unacceptable Thomas Rid, cybersecurity expert After the policy change, which some evidence suggests was made in September 2016, tweets deleted by their authors also have to be deleted in the archives, making it impossible to carry out a forensic analysis of campaigns to promote certain links, stories and hashtags by anyone seeking to cover their tracks. Rid, who has been analysing the Twitter privacy policy change, said this made it easier to destroy a lot of forensic evidence that would have been useful for an investigation. The fact that we are in a democracy and we dont know the answers to these questions is unacceptable, he said. Were the KGB to hire a contractor to build the perfect disinformation platform, they could not have done a better job than Twitter. Senator Warner has called Twitters response inadequate on every level. Photograph: Kacper Pempel/Reuters In a statement on 28 September, Twitter said it was implementing policies aimed at weeding out bots and had found a total of 201 accounts that appeared to be linked to the Russian propaganda campaign. The company is reported by the Daily Beast to have handed over details of tweets promoted by the Kremlins English-language TV network, RT. That was a tiny figure compared with the scale of intrusion suggested by outside researchers. Warner called Twitters response on the issue inadequate on every level. Google said last month it had found no evidence of a Russian propaganda campaign. But the Washington Post reported on 9 October that an internal investigation had in fact found Russian operatives spread disinformation across Googles many products, which include YouTube, as well as advertising associated with Google search and Gmail. The congressional hearings will represent an opening skirmish in a struggle over the limits of internet freedom. The Silicon Valley giants will be protecting a worldview as well as their profit margin. There is a Californian libertarian mentality that assumes everyone is good at heart and that if you create an open platform, great things happen, said one investigator looking into Russian manipulation of social media platforms. But there are bad people out there who want to do bad things. The question about all this freedom is what is a cost worth paying? Saudi billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal told CNBC on Monday that electric cars will eventually hurt the demand for oil. "All other companies are going into the Tesla (TSLA) path of electric cars and even autonomous cars, so five, 10, 20 years [from now] there is no doubt the dependence on oil will have to diminish," he said in an interview on " Squawk Box ." Alwaleed, chairman of Kingdom Holding, said cars account for more than 70 percent of oil consumption, so his country must anticipate a world with lower demand for oil. "Saudi Arabia's move to reduce its dependence on oil is very important and smart," he said. "We would like to celebrate when we export the last drop of oil and be dependent on other sources of wealth." On Tesla, the investor isn't a buyer at these levels. "Maybe some people believe the value is right. It's not for me to enter [at] that price. It's too exuberant for me right now," he said. Alwaleed said he bought a stake in ride-sharing company Lyft because he was able to get a "better entry point" in terms of valuation versus its competitor Uber. The prince spoke to CNBC from the headquarters of his Kingdom Holding in Riyadh. Tesla shares are up more than 60 percent this year. Tesla has reached an agreement with the Chinese government in Shanghai to build a production facility in the citys free-trade zone, potentially giving the carmaker a unique edge in the worlds largest market for electric vehicles. Details of the deal, as reported Sunday morning by the Wall Street Journal, are still being worked out. But it is the first of its kind for a foreign car manufacturer, and could drastically cut production costs for Teslas sold in China and the deal is expected to exclude the kind of technology-sharing agreements that can deter innovative international companies from setting up shop there. Tesla has been pursuing a Chinese factory for years, and the Shanghai deal started to come into focus in June. That followed the announcements that Tesla sold $1 billion worth of cars in China in 2016, and that it had accepted a large investment from Tencent Holdings, a technology giant in China. Get Data Sheet, Fortunes technology newsletter. But Teslas progress in China faced a big hurdle thanks to in part to import duties, a Tesla sells for around 50% more in China than in the U.S. A plant in Shanghais free-trade zone would reduce labor and transportation costs (though the latter are generally a very small part of the total cost of goods). CEO Elon Musk said in 2015 that a factory in the country could cut the price of vehicles sold in China by a third. The Journal writes, though, that cars produced under the new factory deal are still likely to be considered imports and face a 25% duty. In the past, foreign carmakers have only been able to avoid that tariff by forming joint ventures with local manufacturers, which often include technology-sharing provisions. China is aggressively pursuing total electrification of its vehicle fleet, making it a vital market for Tesla. But according to some experts, Chinese manufacturers reliance on borrowed intellectual property could harm not just foreign companies looking to compete there, but innovation in clean vehicles more generally. Tesla gaining an independent toehold in China, then, is not just good news for the company, but for the world even if it means accepting a steep tariff. President Donald Trump speaks to the National Association of Manufactures at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, in Washington. A Florida congresswoman who was brought to the forefront of the national conversation this week after she criticized President Donald Trumps phone call to a Gold Star widow was lambasted by the president during an exclusive interview on "Sunday Morning Futures." When she made that statement, Trump told Maria Bartiromo, I thought it was sickening actually. The controversy began when Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) lashed out at the president for his five-minute phone call to Myeshia Johnson, the wife of U.S. Army Sgt. La David Johnson, during which he reportedly told the pregnant widow that her husband knew what he signed up for...But when it happens, it hurts anyway. Johnson was among four service members who died in Niger during an ambush. Trump responded in kind on Twitter, writing that Democrat Congressman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action (and I have proof). Sad! Gen. John Kelly, Trumps chief of staff who lost his son, Second Lt. Robert Kelly, in 2010 during an ambush in Afghanistan, defended the president during an impromptu, and emotional, press conference at the White House on Thursday. He expressed surprise, and shock, that a U.S. representative would criticize the president for his condolence call. "I went to walk among the finest men and women on this earth, and you can always find them because they're in Arlington Cemetery, he said. I walked among the stones, some of whom I put there, because they were doing what I told them to do when they were killed. The president applauded Kellys speech, and the job that hes doing as chief of staff, seeking to dismiss rumors of malcontent between the two men. Some speculated that Kelly, the former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, was brought in to help bring some discipline to the political neophytes. Hes just an elegant man and a wonderful man, Trump said. And he is a doing a fantastic job as chief. Related Articles President Donald Trump tweeted Monday there will be no change to a popular retirement savings plan under the new GOP tax bill. "There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays!" Trump said in a tweet. Tweet Right now, taxpayers can set aside a certain amount in 401(k) retirement savings plans without paying taxes up front. Recent discussion has raised lowering that tax-deferred amount in order to boost tax revenue. Meanwhile, the Internal Revenue Service has announced higher contribution limits for 2018. Next year, workers can contribute up to $18,500 in their 401(k), up from $18,000 for 2017. For those age 50 or older, a so-called catchup contribution of $6,000 is permitted for a total of $24,500. Lower thresholds discussed Lawmakers discussed reducing that tax-deductible amount to as low as $2,400, according to published reports. That's below the $5,500 allowed for Individual Retirement Accounts (with a $1,000 catchup contribution for those age 50 and older). While the allure of a tax deduction is one of the appeals of contributing to a 401(k) plan, participants are taxed at ordinary income rates when they take withdrawals from their account once they reach age 59. Contributions to a Roth IRA or a Roth 401(k), on the other hand, are not tax-deductible. Yet on the other end, in retirement, the withdrawals are tax-free. More than 94 million American workers are covered by defined contribution plans like 401(k)s, according to a recent Vanguard study. Total assets in such plans stand above $7 trillion. More From CNBC By PTI: Jaipur, Oct 23 (PTI) Senior BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari today joined the Congress and the NPP in opposing a Rajasthan government ordinance, and the corresponding bill, to protect judges and public servants from being investigated without its prior sanction. "This is a kala kanoon (black law) and I am against it," the senior BJP MLA told reporters on the Assembly premises. advertisement Led by Leader of the Opposition Rameshwar Dudi, the Congress legislators, their mouths covered with black bands, took out a protest march from the MLA quarters to the Assembly building. Holding placards and shouting slogans against Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, the MLAs entered the Assembly premises and accused the BJP government of patronising corruption. The governments move to bring the ordinance and now a bill clearly shows that it has no respect for democracy and is working against the principles of democracy, Dudi told reporters. He alleged that the government was also trying to strangulate media. Dudi said that the opposition would protest in the Assembly and outside. NPP MLA Kirori Lal Meena said that his party was with the Congress on this issue. "The governments move will only push corruption in the state and I also oppose the bill," he said. Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria today tabled the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2017, which seeks to replace the September 7 ordinance, in the Assembly. The Rajasthan government had last month promulgated the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, that seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on- duty action, without its prior sanction. It also bars the media from reporting on such accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe is given by the government. PTI SDA AG SMN --- ENDS --- For Immediate Release Chicago, IL October 23, 2017 Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses the eCommerce, including Apple, Alphabet, Samsung, Alibaba, Paypal, Facebook and Twitter. Industry: eCommerce Link: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/132998/ecommerce-looking-for-another-strong-holiday-season The earnings picture for the Business Services group is better than broader market. In Therefore the Zacks Industry Rank is a good indicator of investment opportunities within an industry at any given time. Moreover, because stocks in the same X industry have certain common positive or negative factors affecting them, it has been observed that there is some positive correlation between them. As depicted above, the Internet-supported buying and selling process includes four Zacks categorized segments, i.e. Internet - Commerce, Internet - Services and Internet Services - Delivery and Internet Software/Services. In the last six months, the Internet - Commerce segment outperformed the S&P 500 by a wide margin. The market appreciated 23.1% during the period, compared to the S&P 500s 8.8%. It also appreciated 51.7% year to date compared to just 14.2% for the S&P 500. Revenue growth over the past year (ending June 2017 when results were last reported) was 34.9%. EPS before non-recurring items was up 6.3% on a more or less consistent share count. Forward earnings estimates are showing little appreciation, however, indicating that the industry is currently in investment mode. The Internet - Services segment hasnt done quite as well, having grown 19.7% in the last six months and 27.8% year to date. The business has a stronger margin profile, with revenue growth of 22.0% over the past year, EPS decline of around 11.8% on a share count that dropped 3.9%. Forward earnings estimates for the December quarter and fiscal years 2017 and 2018 are all trending down. It is apparent that the industry is seeing significant investment, which is why the high revenue growth is not dropping to the bottom line. Story continues The Internet Services - Delivery segment has been the most sluggish, growing 19.6% in the last six months and just 2.1% year to date. Revenue growth of 32.9% brought the industry back to profits despite a modest increase in the share count. Op-ex and interest expense remain high, impacting the EPS before non-recurring items. The debt level has shot up with no positive impact on the cash position. On the other hand, rising intangibles could indicate industry consolidation but increase risk. The debt-to-total capitalization ratio remains manageable in the 43-44% range with the current ratio being maintained above unity. The Internet Software/Services segment is up 7.5% in the last six months and 29.7% year to date. Revenue grew 16.5% off a much smaller base with EPS before non-recurring items growing 11.8% on a slightly lower share count. Still, there are opportunities here that can be exploited. Market Trends The ecommerce marketplace is influenced by both buyers and sellers. Moreover there are multiple trends, both big and small, and old and emerging, that are always in play. So it helps to take a quick look at whats going on- Buyer Trends & Preferences Mobile, Wearables : These remain as important as ever as users are increasingly accustomed to anytime anywhere shopping. The online store never closes, nor does the online payments machinery. Even brick-and-mortar sales are supported by mobile apps that increase awareness of products and push promos at opportune moments. Payments tech from Apple , Alphabet , Samsung , Alibaba , Paypal and others help the electronic transfer of funds to stores. eMarketer estimates that smartphones will remain a huge driver, growing to 50% of mobile commerce in 2017 and 53.5% by 2020. Larger mobile screen sizes, new categories (cars, grocery, luxury that were earlier restricted to offline purchase) and greater comfort in using online payment systems are the main drivers. Social Networking : The traditional buying experience often involves friends or family getting together to look through merchandise and select after much discussion. The online experience has been more restrictive in this respect. Despite the fact that personal recommendations and comparison shopping have been around for a while, these are helpful in making a selection, but dont make buying a collaborative exercise. So the shopping experience has been more of a chore than fun. Once the novelty of doing things online wears off or for those who have been doing it online from the get-go, there will be a natural tendency to start looking for more, so this is where social networks like Facebook and Twitter for example will start playing a bigger role. Others like Pinterest are already travelling this path. Voice Search : Merkles Digital Marketing Report for the first quarter indicates that Google AdWords increased 19% sequentially and 21% year over year in the first quarter of 2017 with product listing ads being one of the hottest trends. Product listing ads (PLAs) accounted for more than half of retail search ad clicks, growing 48% sequentially. Spending on Google Shopping increased 32% year over year. The continued popularity of mobile search helped Google. Google has said that 20% of searches through its mobile app and Android devices are voice searches. Therefore, its clear that voice search is no longer a novelty but an emerging trend for shoppers. Geography Isnt A Barrier Any More : These days, if people want to buy something they dont get at the retail store, the first thing they do is check online (or they might check online first and decide their point of pickup accordingly). So the world is getting ever smaller as shoppers see local, state, national and international barriers melt away. Satisfaction of course leads to higher expectations. According to Frost & Sullivan, Southeast Asia (only Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) is poised to become one of the world's fastest-growing regions for e-commerce revenues, growing from around $11 billion in 2015 to more than $25 billion by 2020. According to Forrester research, the five key Asia/Pacific markets of China, Japan, South Korea, India and Australia will almost double from $733 billion last year to $1.4 trillion in 2020. Size and population density in China and India make them very important markets. So lets just touch upon prospects in the Chinese and Indian markets since they are on a very strong growth trajectory. China According to Forrester, China will remain the biggest ecommerce market in the next few years generating 9X the size of the Japanese market and 17X the size of the South Korean market by 2020. eMarketer estimates that ecommerce will be 23.1% of total retail sales in China, growing to 40.8% of total sales by 2021. More than 75% of these sales will be through mobile devices by 2021. With the digital revolution in China, many Chinese have multiple devices they use to research a product or shop on. Devices will take a new turn this year as virtual reality (VR) starts playing a bigger role taking consumers from the VR cafe experience they enjoyed in 2016 to devices enabling the experience. eMarketer quotes a GfK forecast that retail sales through virtual reality (VR) devices in China will grow from RMB 650 million in 2016 to RMB 1.6 billion in 2017. Moreover, all the big ecommerce companies like Alibaba, Tencent and LeEco will continue to invest heavily in VR this year. Cross-border trade is another driver, as Chinese youngsters are extremely brand conscious and like to buy foreign goods, especially if theyre from the U.S., South Korea or Japan and especially in categories like food, dairy, personal care and beauty. But local brands are increasingly capturing mind share, especially in electronics and mobile phones. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce says that cross-border transaction value will make up 20% of total Chinese foreign business and continue to grow at over 30% a year. The Ministry also sees a growing number of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities coming online with only 10.6 million of the estimated 159.9 million new users between 2015 and 2018 coming from Tier 1 cities. Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has more than doubles the market from 1988 through 2016. Its average gain has been a stellar +25% per year.See these high-potential stocks free >>. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zacksresearch Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates. Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research PARUN, Afghanistan -- As Afghanistan grapples with a spate of deadly attacks by the Taliban, one remote provincial capital seems to have figured out a way to address security concerns. Residents of picturesque Parun, the capital of eastern Nuristan Province, have united to keep the local peace and keep insurgents at bay with the backing of Afghan authorities. As a result, the forested Hindu Kush valleys of Parun district -- unlike surrounding regions -- have become immune to insurgent attacks and Afghan and NATO military sweeps to counter them. Parun resident Khan Gul is laboring hard in the main valley of Parun. Dotted with pine and oak forests and bisected by a river, the valley serves as Nuristans capital and houses most of its government offices. It also boasts a modest heliport. Gul now ekes out a living as a day laborer building a new government hospital that will serve the regions estimated 15,000 residents. We always work with one hand while holding a gun in the other to protect ourselves against the insurgents, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. We are united, we have the governments support, and we are successful at keeping the insurgents out. Lawmaker Mawlawi Zeenatullah says the exemplary unity among the residents of Paruns six villages helps keep insurgents out in a remote region where militant groups have a long history and where Afghan and international forces have endured relentless attacks. We have established a shura [council] comprising the elders of six villages, he said. They help maintain unity among the communities and facilitate cooperation between the authorities and locals. Almost all of Paruns residents are Nuristanis, a close-knit community bonded by kinship, tradition, and religion. Their close ties have prevented outsiders from wreaking havoc in their peaceful lives. They frequently patrol their valleys, keeping an eye out for troublemakers and ready to lend their guns to the government if needed. This has helped shape Parun as an oasis amid turmoil in several eastern Afghan provinces, where insurgents overran large swathes of the countryside following the departure of most NATO troops in late 2014. The peace in Parun has attracted residents of neighboring Barg-e Matal, Kamdesh, Waygal, and other Nuristan districts displaced by the relentless fighting in their home regions. Despite its modest economy reliant on farming, forestry, and construction, laborers and traders from neighboring Kunar and Badakhshan provinces travel to work and invest in Parun. We live in tents in the open without any protection, but we fear nothing, says Akbar Jan from Kunar. Jan is part of a crew experienced in building irrigation channels to water fields from the regions fast-flowing whitewater rivers. We are very happy to live in peace amid so much insecurity and fear, Jan added. Unlike many Afghan provincial chiefs barricaded in their offices, Nuristan Governor Hafiz Abdul Qayum freely roams around Parun. He proudly credits locals for establishing peace. People here consider themselves partners with the government, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. Our people here are involved in governance because we constantly consult them on security, development, and other issues. He says that by giving locals a stake in making decisions about their lives, Parun residents are voluntarily sharing a large burden in keeping the region safe. Along with our security forces, the local people have a dominant part in protecting this region from harm, he said. Parun is practically crime-free. None among the dozen prisoners in the local jail is a local. Unlike the rest of Afghanistan -- where family, clan, and political feuds often morph into large-scale fighting and insurgencies -- Parun residents are united in resolving disputes and addressing grievances through their shura. Nuristan, however, has been a hotbed of instability for decades. The region borders Pakistans Chitral district to the east and is surrounded by the northeastern Afghan provinces of Badakhshan and Panjshir. It is joined by Kunar and Laghman provinces to the south. Nuristan has a long history of Salafi activism. Various militant groups emerging in the region have claimed to be inspired by the teachings of this hard-line sect of Sunni Islam. Remote Nuristan was largely free during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Maulavi Afzal, a local Salafi cleric and community leader, even claimed to have established an Islamist mini-state. Following the demise of the Talibans hard-line Islamist regime in 2001, Nuristan became a hotbed of insurgency and one of the most dangerous frontier regions for international forces. In 2008, U.S. forces engaged in a major battle in Wanat, the site of a remote outpost in Nuristans Waygal district. In recent years, Kabul and local communities have been concerned over the emergence of Islamic State militants in parts of Nuristan. Late last year, Afghan authorities called on Nuristans elders to help them prevent IS militants from gaining a foothold in the province. Abubakar Siddique wrote this based on Rohullah Anwaris reporting from Parun, Nuristan in eastern Afghanistan. French English Consolidated results for the first nine months of 2017 Highlights: 8% increase in the Group's customer base which exceeds 56 million customers; 2.3% increase in consolidated Outgoing Services revenues; EBITDA margin up 1.3 points, to reach 50% at constant exchange rates; Group share of adjusted* net income up 4.2 % at constant exchange rates; Confirmation of return to growth of Outgoing Mobile revenues in Morocco, thanks to the strong enthusiasm for Mobile Internet; Acceleration of the roll-out of Very High Speed networks in Morocco to meet strong demand; Sustained growth of new subsidiaries: 11% revenue growth and 42% EBITDA growth at constant exchange rates, for the first nine months of 2017. 2017 outlook maintained, at constant scope and exchange rates: Slight decrease in revenues due to new regulatory measures; Stable EBITDA; CAPEX of approximately 23% of revenues, excluding frequencies and licenses. To mark the publication of this press release, Abdeslam Ahizoune, Chairman of the Management Board, made the following comments: "The results of the third quarter confirm the improvement in trends observed in the first half of the year and validate the Group's strategic choices that are the International development and the accelerated rollout of Very High Speed Fixed-Line and Mobile networks to support the growing use of Data. The implementation of the massive investment and modernization plans of the new African subsidiaries is ongoing, and is beginning to bear fruit in terms of growth and contribution to the Group's performance." *adjusted from the impact of restructuring charges in 2017 and disposal of real estate asset in 2016 (cf: appendix 1) group adjusted* consolidated results IFRS in MAD million 9M-2016 9M-2017 Change Change at constant exchange rates(1) Revenues 26,674 26,020 -2.5% -2.3% EBITDA 12,934 12,960 +0.2% +0.4% Margin (%) 48.5% 49.8% +1.3 pts +1.3 pts Adjusted EBITA 8,064 8,088 0.3% +0.5% Margin (%) 30.2% 31.1% +0.9 pts +0.9 pts Group share of adjusted net income - 4,302 4,482 +4.2% +4.2% Margin (%) 16.1% 17.2% +1.1 pts +1.1 pts CAPEX(2) 5,170 5,430 +5.0% Of which frequencies & licenses 888 149 CAPEX/revenues (excluding frequencies & licenses) 16.0% 20.3% +4.3 pts Adjusted CFFO 7,767 7,870 +1.3% * Details of the financial indicator adjustments are provided in Appendix 1. Customer base The Group's customer base amounted to over 56 million customers at September 30, 2017, an increase of 7.7% year-on-year, driven by an expansion in the Mobile customer bases in Niger, Togo and Ivory Coast, as well as by the sustained growth of the Mobile and Fixed-Line broadband customer bases in Morocco. Revenues Maroc Telecom Group's revenues for the first nine months of 2017 amounted to MAD 26,020 million, down slightly by 2.5% (-2.3% at constant exchange rates). This change was due to a decline in incoming revenues following the liberalization of IP telephony in November 2016 in Morocco and the decrease in mobile termination rates in Morocco and in the African subsidiaries. Revenues from Outgoing Services were up 2.3% thanks to the growth in the customer base and increased Data usage. Earnings from operations before depreciation and amortization At end-September 2017, Maroc Telecom Group's earnings from operations before depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounted to MAD 12,960 million, up 0.2% (+0.4% at constant exchange rates). The 12.2% growth in EBITDA (+12.8% at constant exchange rates) from International operations more than offset the 5.8% decline in EBITDA in Morocco. The EBITDA margin was up 1.3 pts year-on-year, and reached a high level of 49.8% thanks to significant efforts to optimize costs, and to the favorable impact of decreases in Mobile termination rates at the Sub-Saharan subsidiaries. Earnings from operations At end-September 2017, Maroc Telecom Group's consolidated adjusted earnings from operations (EBITA)(4) amounted to MAD 8,088 million, up 0.3% from the same period in 2016 (+0.5% at constant exchange rates) thanks to the increase in EBITDA. The adjusted EBITA margin rose by 0.9 pts at constant exchange rates to 31.1%. Group share of net income The Group's share of adjusted net income amounted to MAD 4,482 million, up 4.2% at constant exchange rates compared to the same period of 2016, thanks to the strong increase in net income from International operations driven by the success of the restructuring of the new Moov subsidiaries which are now showing an overall positive net result. Cash flow In the first nine months of 2017, adjusted cash flow from operations (CFFO)(5) was MAD 7,870 million, up 1.3% from the first nine months of 2016, driven by an improvement in CFFO in Morocco despite the intensification of the pace of capital investment. review of the group's activities Details of the financial indicator adjustments for "Morocco" and "International" are provided in Appendix 1. Morocco IFRS in MAD million 9M-2016 9M-2017 Change Revenues 16,216 15,316 -5.6% Mobile 10,717 9,999 -6.7% Services 10,452 9,851 -5.7% Equipment 265 147 -44.5% Fixed-Line 6,740 6,696 -0.7% Of which Fixed-Line Data* 1,798 1,980 +10.1% Eliminations and other income -1,241 -1,379 EBITDA 8,630 8,133 -5.8% Margin (%) 53.2% 53.1% -0.1 pts Adjusted EBITA 5,829 5,320 -8.7% Margin (%) 35.9% 34.7% -1.2 pts CAPEX 2,355 3,127 +32.8% Of which frequencies & licenses CAPEX/revenues (excluding frequencies & licenses) 14.5% 20.4% +5.9 pts Adjusted CFFO 4,902 5,328 +8.7% *Fixed-Line Data includes Internet, ADSL TV and corporate Data services Revenues from operating activities in Morocco was MAD 15,316 million for the first nine months of the year, down 5.6%, following the reintroduction of asymmetric mobile termination rates in March 2017 and the liberalization of IP telephony in November 2016. Revenues from Outgoing Services grew by 1.2%, sustained by the success of Mobile and Fixed-Line Data services, whose revenues registered strong growth of 55% and 10.1% respectively. Earnings from operations before depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the first nine months of 2017 amounted to MAD 8,133 million, down 5.8% compared with the same period of 2016 due to the decline in revenues. The EBITDA margin was almost stable (-0,1 pts) thanks to the 0.5 pts improvement in the gross margin and the 3.4% decline in operating costs reflecting the success of the voluntary redundancy plan that benefited to 1,026 employees. Adjusted earnings from operations (EBITA) were down 8.7%, to MAD 5,320 million. This decline was due to the drop in EBITDA and the 0.7% increase in depreciation charges reflecting heavy investments to extend the 4G+ network and the fiber-optic network. The adjusted EBITA margin was 34.7%. Adjusted cash flow from operations in Morocco was up 8.7% to MAD 5,328 million, thanks to close management of working capital requirements (WCR). Mobile Unit 9M-2016 9M-2017 Change Mobile Customer base(6) (000) 18,628 18,898 +1.5% Prepaid (000) 16,913 17,140 +1.3% Postpaid (000) 1,715 1,758 +2.5% of which Internet 3G/4G+(7) (000) 7,471 9,737 +30.3% ARPU(8) (MAD/month) 61.9 57.8 -6.6% As of September 30, 2017, the Mobile customer base(6) was 18.9 million customers, up 1.5% year-on-year, thanks to the 2.5% increase in postpaid customers and 1.3% increase in prepaid customers. In a regulatory environment that remains restrictive, due to the reinstatement in March 2017 of 20% asymmetry on call terminations in favor of other operators, and the decline in incoming international traffic following the liberalization of IP telephony, Mobile revenues decreased by 6.7% compared with the same period of the previous year, to MAD 9,999 million. Revenues from Outgoing Services were up 0.6% in the first nine months of 2017, driven by the 55% growth in Mobile Data which more than offset the drop in Voice revenues. Blended ARPU(8) for the first nine months of 2017 remains at a high level of MAD 57.8, down however by 6.6% compared with the same period in 2016. Mobile Data continued to expand with 30% growth of its customers and 82% increase of its traffic, sustained by increasingly extensive 3G and 4G+ networks covering 93% and 86% of the population. Fixed-Line and Internet Unit 9M-2016 9M-2017 Change Fixed-Line Fixed lines (000) 1,615 1,682 +4.2% Broadband access(9) (000) 1,204 1,319 +9.5% The Fixed-Line customer base increased by 4.2% to 1,7 million lines. The broadband customer base increased by 9.5% to 1.3 million subscribers. In the first nine months of 2017, Fixed-Line and Internet operations in Morocco generated revenues of MAD 6,696 million, relatively unchanged (-0.7%) from the same period in 2016 despite the 14.7% drop in income from international transit minutes, which is a very low-margin business. Fixed-Line Data is still growing strongly (+10.1%) driven by growth in the ADSL customer base (+9.5%). International Financial indicators IFRS in MAD million 9M-2016 9M-2017 Change Change at constant exchange rates Revenues 11,485 11,616 +1.1% +1.5% Of which Mobile Services 10,374 10,589 +2.1% +2.5% EBITDA 4,303 4,827 +12.2% +12.8% Margin (%) 37.5% 41.6% +4.1 pts +4.1 pts Adjusted EBITA 2,234 2,768 +23.9% +24.6% Margin (%) 19.5% 23.8% +4.4 pts +4.4 pts CAPEX 2,815 2,303 -18.2% Of which frequencies & licenses 888 149 CAPEX/revenues (excluding frequencies & licenses) 16.8% 18.5% +1.8 pts Adjusted CFFO 2,865 2,542 -11.3% In the first nine months of 2017, the Group's International operations posted revenues of MAD 11,616 million, up 1.1% (+1.5% at constant exchange rates) driven by the 10.9% increase in revenues at the new subsidiaries (at constant exchange rates), despite the impact of the drop in call termination rates and the deactivation of unidentified customers. In the third quarter alone, revenue growth at subsidiaries accelerated (+4.7% at constant exchange rates) thanks to gains in market share and substantial investments to support the growth in Voice and Data usage. At end-September 2017, Maroc Telecom Group's earnings from operations before depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounted to MAD 4,827 million, up 12.2% (+12.8% at constant exchange rates). The EBITDA margin rose by 4.1 points to 41.6%, thanks to the favorable impact of the fall in call termination rates leading to an improvement in the gross margin (+0.5 point at constant exchange rates) and the Group's ability to reduce its operating costs in its subsidiaries (-7.5% at constant exchange rates). Adjusted earnings from operations (EBITA) was MAD 2,768 million, up 23.9% (+24.6% at constant exchange rates), reflecting the sustained growth of EBITDA and virtually unchanged depreciation charges (+0.4% at constant exchange rates). Over the same period, adjusted cash flow from international operations declined by 11.3% to MAD 2,542 million due to the increase in CAPEX. Operating indicators Unit 9M-2016 9M-2017 Change Mobile Customer base(6) (000) Mauritania 2,051 2,140 +4.3% Burkina Faso 6,968 7,086 +1.7% Gabon 1,726 1,626 -5.8% Mali 6,062 6,803 +12.2% Ivory Coast 6,305 7,587 +20.3% Benin 3,700 3,901 +5.4% Togo 2,352 2,782 +18.3% Niger 1,208 1,993 +65.0% Central African Republic 145 140 -3.4% Fixed-Line Customer base (000) Mauritania 47 49 +4.9% Burkina Faso 72 76 +5.9% Gabon 18 21 +12.2% Mali 145 152 +4.9% Fixed-Line broadband Customer base(9) (000) Mauritania 11 12 +10.8% Burkina Faso 14 13 -6.2% Gabon 12 15 +26.4% Mali 60 63 +5.6% Notes: (1) At a constant exchange rate for the MAD, ouguiya and CFA franc. (2) CAPEX corresponds to purchases of tangible and intangible assets recognized for the period. (3) Maroc Telecom consolidates the following companies in its financial statements: Mauritel, Onatel, Gabon Telecom, Sotelma and Casanet, as well as the new African subsidiaries (in the Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Niger, and the Central African Republic) and Prestige Telecom, which has provided IT services to those companies since their acquisition on January 26, 2015. (4) EBITA corresponds to earnings from operations before the amortization of intangible assets acquired through business combinations, write-downs of goodwill and other intangible assets acquired through business combinations, and other income and expenses relating to financial investment transactions and transactions with shareholders (except when recognized directly in equity). (5) CFFO includes net cash flow from operations before tax, as set out in the cash flow statement, as well as the dividends received from companies booked at equity and non-consolidated equity investments. CFFO also includes net capital expenditure, which corresponds to net uses of cash for acquisitions and disposals of tangible and intangible assets. (6) The active customer base consists of prepaid customers who have made or received a voice call (excluding ERPT or Call-Center calls) or sent an SMS/MMS or used Data services (excluding ERPT services) during the past three months, and postpaid customers who have not terminated their agreements. (7) The active customer base for 3G and 4G+ Mobile Internet includes holders of a postpaid subscription agreement (with or without a voice offer) and holders of a prepaid Internet subscription agreement who have made at least one top-up during the past three months or whose top-up is still valid and who have used the service during that period. (8) ARPU is defined as revenues (generated by inbound and outbound calls and by data services) net of promotional offers, excluding roaming and equipment sales, divided by the average customer base for the period. In this instance, blended ARPU covers both the prepaid and postpaid segments. (9) The broadband customer base includes ADSL access, Fiber To The Home and leased lines in Morocco, as well as the ADMA customer base for the historical subsidiaries. Important notice: Forward-looking statements. This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Maroc Telecom's financial position, income from operations, strategy, and outlook, as well as the impact of certain transactions. Although Maroc Telecom believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, they do not amount to guarantees for the company's future performance. The actual results may be very different from the forward-looking statements, due to a number of risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown. The majority of these risks are beyond our control, namely the risks described in the public documents filed by Maroc Telecom with the Moroccan Capital Markets Authority (www.ammc.ma) and the French Financial Markets Authority (www.amf-france.org), which are also available in French on our website (www.iam.ma). This press release contains forward-looking information that can only be assessed at its publication date. Maroc Telecom does not undertake to supplement, update, or alter these forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or for any other reason, subject to the applicable regulations, and especially to Articles III.2.31 et seq. of the circular issued by the Moroccan Capital Markets Authority and to Articles 223-1 et seq. of the French Financial Markets Authority's General Regulations. Maroc Telecom is a full-service telecommunications operator in Morocco and the leader in all of its Fixed-Line, Mobile and Internet business sectors. It has expanded internationally, and currently operates in ten African countries. Maroc Telecom is listed on both the Casablanca and Paris Stock Exchanges, and its majority shareholders are Societe de Participation dans les Telecommunications (SPT*) (53%), and the Kingdom of Morocco (30%). *SPT is a company incorporated under Moroccan law and controlled by Etisalat. Contacts Investor Relations relations.investisseurs@iam.ma Press Relations relations.presse@iam.ma Appendix 1: Relationship between adjusted financial indicators and published financial indicators Adjusted operating income, Group share of adjusted net income, and adjusted cash flow from operations (CFFO), are not strictly accounting measures and should be considered additional information. They are a better indicator of the Group's performance as they exclude non-recurring items. Orange Belgium delivered a good financial performance in the first nine months of 2017, against a roaming headwind. The group achieved a total turnover of 933.7 million euros in the first nine months of 2017, an increase of 1.5 % year-on-year (+4.7 % underlying growth after adjustment for the 28.0 million euros related to EU roaming). Despite the decrease of the adjusted EBITDA in the third quarter of 2017 mainly due to lower MVNO revenues, Orange Belgium Group's adjusted EBITDA increased 1.3 % in the first nine months of 2017 to 240.3 million euros, compared to 237.1 million euros a year ago. This result was achieved despite the negative EBITDA contribution of the standalone cable business of 14.9 million euros in the first nine months of 2017. Orange Belgium Group invested 114.6 million euros in the first nine months of 2017, of which 35.5 million euros was related to cable activities. Despite these growth related investments, an operational cash flow of 137.4 million euros was generated in the first nine months of 2017. At the end of September 2017, the net financial debt stood at 288.3 million euros. As a result, the net financial debt/reported EBITDA ratio stood at 0.9x. Latvian English Daugavpils, 2017-10-23 12:38 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On 24 October 2017, the mandatory share redemption concerning shares of AS Daugavpils Lokomotivju Remonta Rupnica will start. Hereby, AS Daugavpils Lokomotivju Remonta Rupnica informs that on 24 October 2017 the mandatory share redemption offer made by OU Lokomotiiv Investeeringud concerning the shares of AS Daugavpils Lokomotivju Remonta Rupnica will start based on decision No 168 of 17 October 2017 of the Financial and Capital Market Commission. Information about the offer Target Company: AS Daugavpils Lokomotivju Remonta Rupnica, registration number 40003030219, registered address: Marijas iela 1, Daugavpils LV-5404, Latvia, telephone number: + 371 65404420, fax number: + 371 65404421, e-mail address: info@dlrz.lv, web page address: www.dlrz.lv. Offeror: Company OU Lokomotiiv Investeeringud, registered with the Enterprise Register of Estonia on 7 January 2005 with registration number: 11096115, registered address: Tartu mnt 18-18, Kesklinna linnaosa, Tallinn, Harju maakond, 10115, Estonia. On the date of signing of the prospectus, the offeror together with the shareholders of the Target Company who on the extraordinary shareholders meeting of 7 September 2017 have voted for exclusion of the companys shares from the regulated market own 63.31% of all voting shares of the Target Company. The redemption price is EUR 0.44 per one share. The offer term is 30 (thirty) calendar days starting from 24 October 2017 (until 22 November 2017 including). Attached: Prospectus of the mandatory share redemption offer of AS Daugavpils Lokomotivju Remonta Rupnica Natalija Petrova Member of the Board t. 65404420, petrova@dlrz.lv CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stratabound Minerals Corp. (TSXV:SB) (Stratabound or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire an option on the Golden Culvert Gold Project located in the Upper Hyland Valley in the southeastern Yukon Territory approximately 20 kilometres northeast of and parallel to Golden Predator Mining Corp.s 3 Aces property. The LOI provides for the transfer of the underlying option by the current optionee, South Shore Partnership Inc. (South Shore) to the Company. Stratabounds Director and VP Exploration Michael Page, FAusIMM, has completed a due diligence site inspection of the property. Golden Culvert Property The Golden Culvert Property is located in the Little Hyland Valley District of the Southeastern Yukon Territory, approximately 205 kilometres north of the town of Watson Lake. The property lies parallel to and about 20 km northeast of the 3 Aces Project of Golden Predator Mining Corp. Significant gold mineralization up to 22.8 gpt Au from a chip sample on the exposed Main Culvert quartz vein has been reported on filed assessment reports. Gold occurrences in the upper Hyland River valley form a 50-km-long belt that is considered to be the easternmost portion of the Tombstone Gold Belt (Hart and Lewis, 2008). The entire 800 kilometre long Tombstone Belt of gold deposits and occurrences lies within the greater Tintina Gold Belt that includes Fort Knox, Pogo, Brewery Creek and Dublin Gulch. Golden Predators 3 Aces project has attracted investors such as Sprott, McEwen Mining and PowerOne Capital Markets. Other developing projects in the immediate district receiving significant recent investment include the Rackla Project of ATAC Resources, in which Barrick has a significant interest, and the Plateau Project of Goldstrike Resources, in which Newmont has invested. Golden Culvert covers 83.8 square kilometres across a 24 kilometre strike. The property is a relatively new discovery, first staked in 2005. Work filed in Yukon mineral claims assessment reports has outlined a northerly trending, 3 kilometre by 250 metre anomaly of +30 ppb Au up to 791 ppb Au gold-in-soils that remains open at both ends. The gold-in-soils anomaly is sometimes coincident with silver and copper alteration patterns. The soils anomaly is centred around partially exposed, near vertically dipping sub-parallel quartz shear veins, with adjacent wallrock alteration, containing gold and sulphide mineralization. The assessment filings report chip sample assays of the veins of 22.8 gpt Au (#G071512), 17.3 gpt Au (#C-OC2), 11.95 gpt Au (#RS68) and 9.48 gpt Au (#C-RF4). Chip sample RS57 sampled across 2.4 metres of wall rock assayed 1.28 gpt Au not including quartz veins. The veins and coincident soils anomalies strike parallel with the regional March Fault approximately 3 km to the west. The main shear veins noted above are associated with sub-perpendicular flat, sheeted extension veinlets that strike parallel to the main shear veins. A third set of veins that strike perpendicular to the main shear veins was recently observed by Stratabound personnel during the recent due diligence site visit. The three vein sets appear to characterize a quartz vein stockwork zone. Furthermore, the stockwork is hosted within pervasive, highly silicified phyllites with disseminated sulphide mineralization in a zone at least 30 metres wide where exposed. Samples taken of the mineralized host rock are pending along with other confirmation samples. New Discovery Green Dragon A new 2-3 metre wide copper mineralized quartz vein, 1.4 kilometres south along strike of the original Culvert Main Vein showing was discovered in September, 2017. The new discovery is dubbed the Green Dragon due to patches of green malachite copper oxide mineralization. The vein was located as a result of prospecting along the southern open soils anomaly extension. Stratabounds due diligence site visit confirmed the presence and location of the Green Dragon occurrence (assays pending). Future Plans The majority of the soil anomaly is covered with talus scree and even though significant discoveries have been made to date there is much more work required to define the full potential of the Golden Culvert Property. Upon closing of the option acquisition, the Company will complete an NI 43-101 report that is already underway. The Company plans in the coming field season to fill in the gaps in the soils survey, complete geological mapping and structural studies, perform trenching and enhance road access in preparation for an initial drill campaign. Permitting and Infrastructure The Central Culvert group of claims has a 10-year Class III Land Use Approval from the Yukon Energy, Mines and Resources to November 16, 2026 that allows for a camp, access roads, trenching, diamond drilling and bulk sampling. The all-seasons Nahanni Range Road crosses directly through the middle of the claim group. Over $360 million in combined federal and territorial funding was announced on September 2, 2017 to improve road access including the Nahanni Range Road that crosses through both the Golden Culvert and 3 Aces projects. LOI and Option Terms The terms of the LOI provide for the payment to South Shore of $100,000 at closing and an additional $100,000 four months after closing upon completion by Stratabound of a $1,000,000 private placement, plus the issuance to South Shore of 12,000,000 common shares of Stratabound at closing. Further issuances of 5,000,000 common shares upon each of the first and second anniversaries of the closing are also required. Both the LOI with South Shore and the Option with the current owners of the claims are for acquisition of a 100% interest in the properties. The Option, which is in two separate agreements, can be exercised upon completion of payments of $1,720,000 ($125,000 of which was paid by South Shore) and work commitments totaling $700,000 over a five-year period. Stratabound will have the right to make one-half of the payments in shares. The properties are subject to an aggregate net smelter returns (NSR) royalty of 2.5%, payable to South Shore and the current owners of the claims. The Company is finishing due diligence and plans to close the option acquisition in late November after all approvals are obtained. Appointment of President, CEO and Director Mr. R. Kim Tyler, P.Geo., has been appointed President, CEO and a Director of the Company. Mr. Tyler is a mining and exploration professional with over 40 years of progressive management and executive experience in gold, base metals and industrial minerals with companies including Vale, Rio Tinto, Royal Oak Mines and Cominco Ltd. Mr. Tyler brings strong technical expertise that, besides mineral exploration, includes mine operations management experience in both open pit and underground mining operations. Since 2007 Mr. Tyler has served as President and Director of Canadian Arrow Mines Limited, a junior exploration and development company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. During his tenure leading the executive team through exploration to pre-development phases, Mr. Tyler has managed successful financings, property acquisitions, NI 43-101 Resource and PEA studies, and various mining agreements including First Nations, custom milling and concentrate off-take agreements. Under his leadership the Company was awarded Developer of the Year in 2008 by the Northwestern Ontario Prospectors and Developers Association and received a public award of recognition for best business practices by the Grand Chief of the First Nations within Treaty #3. Mr. Tyler has also held positions as Manager of Projects Evaluation North America for a TSX listed mid-tier gold producer as well as Operations Manager for two other TSX-listed junior gold development companies. Mr. Tyler is a Professional Geoscientist registered in both British Columbia and Ontario. He has worked within both junior and major mining and exploration environments. As such he has had exposure to innovation and best industry practices from a number of corporate cultures. As an incentive for Mr. Tyler to join the Company, the Board of Directors of the Company has granted Mr. Tyler 3,000,000 stock options. The stock options are exercisable into common shares of Stratabound at an exercise price of C$0.05 per share for a period of five years. Stratabounds common shares closed at C$0.045 on the TSX Venture Exchange on October 13, 2017. In addition, eight of Stratabounds largest shareholders, including the management team, have granted Mr. Tyler options to acquire a total of 7,000,000 common shares at an exercise price of $0.005 per share for a like period of five years. With the Companys change in focus to exploration, and to accommodate the addition of Mr. Tyler to the Stratabound executive team, current President and CEO Terrence Byberg has accepted the position of Executive Vice President. He remains a director of the Company. Dr. Peter Calder has retired from the Stratabound board of directors, and the Company wishes to thank him for his service. Completion of Private Placement The Company announces also that it has completed the private placement announced on October 19, 2017 of 1,500,000 units (the Units) of the Company, at a price of $0.05 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $75,000. Each Unit consisted of one common share and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant is exercisable for one common share at $0.075 for 24 months from the date of issue. Securities issued under the private placement are subject to a four-month hold period. The subscriber of this private placement was Bellport Resources Ltd. which is controlled by the Companys largest shareholder, William Bell. The Company is deeply appreciative of the ongoing support of Mr. Bell. Former President and CEO Terry Byberg stated, I welcome Kim to Stratabound. He has brought the Company opportunities that offer the Companys shareholders immediate benefits and significant long term potential. His extensive exploration experience will bode well for the Company and shareholders with this directional change from near-term operator to exploration. Chairman of the Board of Directors Margaret Kent commented, I am very pleased to welcome Kim Tyler in joining the Stratabound team as we have worked together in the past on other successful exploration and development projects including the Pamour Superpit in Timmins, Ontario. Incoming President and CEO Kim Tyler commented, I very much look forward to joining the Stratabound team and building shareholder value through developing this excellent project as well as other excellent opportunities we are contemplating. The Golden Culvert Project is an exceptional exploration target for us, and I am confident that the junior markets will see the similarities between Golden Culvert and the nearby 3 Aces property, which has become Golden Predators keystone asset. I will be sharing the Golden Culvert information with the geological community in Canada over the next several weeks. Michael Page, FAusIMM, Stratabound Vice President Exploration and Qualified Person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information presented in this press release. For further information contact: R. Kim Tyler, President and CEO 416-915-4157 info@stratabound.com www.stratabound.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. WARNING: the Company relies upon litigation protection for forward looking statements. The information in this release may contain forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. This forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking information. Factors that may cause actual results to vary materially include, but are not limited to, inaccurate assumptions concerning the exploration for and development of mineral deposits, currency fluctuations, unanticipated operational or technical difficulties, changes in laws or regulations, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approval, the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits, changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets and the inability to raise additional financing. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update this forward-looking information after the date of this release or to revise such information to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. How to tackle every single GMAT SC Problem Blog The new image of Stone Age people as systematic hunters of large animals, rather than merely scavenging for meat, have emerged from the examination of tools found in Germany, including three wooden spears that archaeologists believe to be about 400,000 years old. (A) merely scavenging for meat, have emerged from the examination of tools found in Germany, including (B) as merely scavenging for meat, have emerged from examining tools found in Germany, which include (C) as mere meat scavengers, has emerged from examining tools found in Germany that includes (D) mere scavengers of meat, has emerged from the examination of tools found in Germany, which includes (E) mere scavengers of meat, has emerged from the examination of tools found in Germany, including Heres our framework again:Ready?Glance: What have we got?than merelyIm wondering what the than is a part of, so my eye goes a little further back:rather than merelyOohcomparison! What about the beginning of the answers?(A) merely scavenging(B) as merely scavenging(C) as mere meat scavengers,(D) mere scavengers(E) mere scavengersAll right, weve got an X rather than Y comparison structure. Were going to have to figure out what the X is and that will indicate what form we need to choose for the Y. (You may decide to jot down X rather than Y to remind yourself to address this issue.)Time to Read the sentence! Whats it saying?The new image of Stone Age people as systematic hunters of large animals, rather than merely scavenging for meat, have emerged from the examination of tools found in Germany, including three wooden spears that archaeologists believe to be about 400,000 years old.Strip that down to the core:The new image of (some) people as X, rather than Y, have emerged from the examination (of tools).What do you notice?Wait a sec: theres an error in the core sentence! You can choose to stick with the original comparison issue, or you can switch gears and Work on the subject-verb issue first. Im going to do the latter:The new image have emerged.No way! Image is singular, so it should say the new image has emerged. Say goodbye to answers (A) and (B).Answers (C) through (E) are all okay on this point, so now loop back around. Luckily, weve already identified the second potential issue: that comparison.The new image of (some) people as systematic hunters of large animals, rather than Y, have emerged from the examination (of tools).X is hunters (of large animals), so Y should be in the same noun form. Hmm. This is another reason to get rid of (A) and (B), but (C) through (E) all use the proper match, scavengers.Aside: Im not thrilled with mere meat scavengers in (C). Id prefer mere scavengers of meat, as in (D) and (E). But there isnt a strong grammatical reason why I couldnt use mere meat scavengers, so Im going to ignore that and look for something else. Loop around again!Now, when youre down to a small number of choices, compare the remaining answers, looking for differences. There are a couple, but theyre all actually part of a big modifier, so I recommend looking at them as one big chunk:(C) from examining tools found in Germany that includes(D) from the examination of tools found in Germany, which includes(E) from the examination of tools found in Germany, includingThe three structures at the end are used for three types of modifiers.That includes, in (C), signals an essential noun modifier: the modifier must be included in the sentence or the basic meaning of the core sentence will be nonsensical.Further, the noun should be as close as possible to the modifier. In this case, the noun Germany is right before the comma. Logically, the modifier should refer to tools. In certain circumstances, it is possible to have a short separation of the noun and the modifierbut is it okay in this case to say that the that includesmodifier refers back to tools, with a short found in Germany modifier in between?Try it out: from the examination of tools that includes Oops. No, its not possible in this case because tools is plural and includes is singular. Logically, the modifier points to tools, but structurally it points to the singular Germany (or maybe even the singular examination?). None of these works; eliminate (C).Can you use the same reasoning to eliminate either (D) or (E)?Yes! Answer (D) changes the modifier to the non-essential structure comma which includes, and this modifier has the same problem: includes would have to be plural in order to point to tools. Eliminate (D).But wait a second. Answer (E) doesnt seem to be doing what its supposed to be doing either. It uses a comma ing modifier:The new image of (some) people as X, rather than Y, has emerged from the examination of tools found in Germany, including (some spears).A comma ing modifier refers back to the entire preceding clause, but is it really the case that the three spears refer back to the image has emerged from the examination?Weve just uncovered one of the few exceptions to the general comma ing rule: when using the word including, the sentence really can just be giving examples of something (usually a noun) that was named shortly before the comma. Unlike the modifiers in answers (C) and (D), the including modifier in (E) does not contain a verb that needs to match the noun tools, so there are no problems with the construction. Key Takeaways Key Takeaways for Every Problem You Will Ever Do: (1) First, see whether a quick look can give you an early idea of what the question may be testing. On SC,glance at the word right before the underline and at the first word of the underline: any clue markers there? Next, compare the first word or two of each answer choice: do the differences signal any particular issues?(2) Next, Reflect on what youve been given and Organize your thoughts. If youre lucky, youll spot more than one potential issue to tackle. In that case, pick the issue that you think is the easiest or most straightforward.(3) When you know youve got an error, cross off that answer choice and any others that repeat the same error. Once youve finished dealing with the first potential issue, youll likely still have more than one answer left, so its very useful if you came up with two ideas to start. Now you know exactly what youre going to tackle next!_________________ OE from Veritas Prep:As in any boldface CR problem, you should first read all elements of the argument to understand it generally and then hone in on the boldfaced portions. In this argument, the first two sentences simply provide context for what follows. You learn poaching nearly led to the extinction of the rhino and elephant, and as a result numerous nations supported a ban. The first boldfaced portion then supplies an unexpected fact after learning the context before: several major African nations are selling confiscated ivory in spite of the continued moratorium. Even more surprisingly, you then learn in the second boldfaced portion that those countries have the support of the conservationists who helped impose the ban in the first place. The last part of the argument provides an explanation (i.e. a premise) for why the three governments have that support.So initially you should realize that the first boldfaced portion is a fact and the second portion is the conclusion. By asking Why? to the conclusion you see that the last section following because is the support for the conclusion. Given this you should then dissect each answer choice:(A) The first boldfaced portion does not support the conclusion rather it seems to undermine it so this description is incorrect. The second boldfaced portion is indeed the conclusion but the first portion of the answer choice makes it incorrect.(B) In this answer choice you should start with the second description, as it is clearly wrong. The second does not provide support for anything rather it is the conclusion that is supported by what follows.(C) Correct. The first boldfaced portion is indeed a fact that seems completely contradictory to the conclusion. If these governments are selling ivory in spite of a moratorium, then why would they have the support of the conservationists? The second is the conclusion.(D)/(E) These answers, like (B), improperly describes the second portion as a premise so are incorrect._________________ By PTI: Jammu, Oct 23 (PTI) Calling on the youth of Jammu, Kashmir Valley and Ladakh to become part of a movement for change, Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) chief Poonam Mahajan said today that the three regions of the state should be made the countrys "golden triangle". Referring to her visit to Srinagar yesterday, the BJP MP said there was a time when people were put behind bars to stop them from unfurling the national flag in the citys Lal Chowk. advertisement Today anyone can go there and unfurl the tricolor and it is an achievement of this government, the BJP youth wing president said. "There are three regions in Jammu and Kashmir and it is the responsibility of the youth workers of these regions to work together to make it a golden triangle," Mahajan said addressing a youth convention of the party here. She said India was passing through a golden era. "Unless the youth of Jammu, Kashmir valley and Ladakh become a part of the movement, the India will not move forward. The youth is our power," she said. Mahajan asked youth workers to work in different regions instead of concentrating only on their home regions. "The youth of Jammu need to take the responsibility of Kashmir unit and work there and the youth of Ladakh should come to Jammu. Similarly, the youth of Kashmir should go to Leh to make the three regions a golden triangle," she said. It will strengthen brotherhood, unity and communal harmony in the state and the stones in the hands of the youth will turn into flowers, she added. Referring to her maiden visit to Srinagar, the BJYM chief said she was feeling happy as the youth are getting connected in a very good manner and the BJP flag was fluttering there as a result of the efforts of its youth wing. "There was a time when we were stopped and put behind bars to stop us from unfurling the national flag in Srinagars Lal Chowk. Today anyone can go there and unfurl the tricolour and it is the achievement of this government. It is a good change," she said referring to the BJPs Ekta Yatra which was not allowed in the state in 2011. She said the youth do not want to follow "negative politics" and want to connect with the development of the country. "My Srinagar visit was beyond my expectations. Over 1,500 youth activists attended the convention which reflected the change. There were equal number of boys and girls and my meeting with various delegations including students continued throughout the day. There is a rapid and welcome change," she told reporters, terming her day-long stay as "not enough". advertisement Mahajan said there were youth who wanted to connect. "We paint everyone with same brush. There are youth who want to do good but there are some who are misled. But it is our duty to bring them back," she said. Mahajan said that she will take 10 youth who had done "wonderful work" in Srinagar to Mumbai and ensure they meet film personalities. PTI TAS AB ADS --- ENDS --- It is 185 miles from Binghamton to New York City. If a bus takes 2 hou [ #permalink Bunuel wrote: It is 185 miles from Binghamton to New York City. If a bus takes 2 hours to travel the first 85 miles, how long must the bus take to travel the final 100 miles in order to average 50 miles an hour for the entire trip? (A) 60 min (B) 75 min (C) 94 min (D) 102 min (E) 112 min hour The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance. ~Einstein I stand with Ukraine. Donate to Help Ukraine! Signature Read More Average speed = \(\frac{TotalDistance}{TotalTime}\)AND (just rearranging)Total time = \(\frac{TotalDistance}{Average\\Speed}\)In miles per, then, the total time it would take to average 50 miles per hour:\(\frac{185}{50}\) = 3.7 hoursThe bus has already traveled for 2 hours. Subtract that, and do not worry about the rate for those 2 hours. Rate for both legs has been accounted for in the "time taken" equation.(3.7 - 2) = 1.7 hours still left to travelMultiply any fraction of an hour by 60 to get minutes.Minutes still remaining to travel the last leg (100 miles) of the trip:1.7 hrs * 60 = 102 minutes, OR\(1\frac{7}{10} = \frac{17}{10}hrs * \frac{60min}{1hr} = (17 * 6)mins\) =102 minutesAnswer D_________________ Until recently, few historians were interested in analyzingthe similarities and differences between serfdom in Russia and slavery in the United States. Even Alexis de Tocqueville, who recognized the (5) significant comparability of the two nations, never compared their systems of servitude, despite his interest in United States slavery. Moreover, the most simultaneous abolition of Russian serfdom and United States slavery in the 1860--- riveting (10) coincidence that should have drawn more modem scholars. In a comparative study of the two systems of servitude----has failed to arouse the interest of scholars. Though some historians may have been put off by the forbidding political differences (15) between nineteenth-century Russia and the United States-one an imperial monarchy, the other a federal democracy-a recent study by Peter Kolchin identifies differences that are illuminating especially with regard to the different kinds of (20) rebellion exhibited by slaves and serfs. Kolchin points out that nobles owning serfs in Russia constituted only a tiny proportion of the population, while in the southern United States, about a quarter of all White people were members (25) of slave-owning families. And although in the southern United States only 2 percent of slaves worked on plantations where more than a hundred slaves worked, in Russia almost 80 percent of the serfs worked for nobles who owned more than a (30) hundred serfs. In Russia most serfs rarely saw their owners, who tended In rely on intermediaries to manage their estates, while most southern planters lived on their land and interacted with slaves on a regular basis. (35) These differences in demographics partly explain differences in the kinds of resistance that slaves and serfs practiced in their respective countries. Both serfs and slaves engaged in a wide variety of rebellious activity, from silent sabotage, much of (40) which has escaped the historical record, to organized armed rebellions, which were more common in Russia. The practice of absentee ownership, combined with the large numbers in which serfs were owned, probably contributed (45) significantly to the four great rebellions that swept across Russia at roughly fifty-year intervals in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The last of these, occurring between 1773 and 1774, enlisted more than a million serfs in a futile attempt In (50) overthrow the Russian nobility. Russian serfs also participated in smaller acts of collective defiance called the voinenie, which typically started with a group of serfs who complained of grievances by petition and went out on strike. Confrontations (55) between slaves and plantation authorities were also common, but they tended to be much less collective in nature than those that occurred in Russia probably in part because the number of workers on each estate was smaller in the United States than (60) was the case in Russia. Show Spoiler A 1. Which one of the following best states the main idea of the passage? Show Spoiler B 2. According In the author, de Tocqueville was similar to many modem historians in his Show Spoiler C 3. Which one of the following assertions, if true, would provide the most support for Kolchin's principal conclusion regarding the relationship of demographics to rebellion among Russian serfs and United States slaves? Show Spoiler C 4. The fact that United States slavery and Russian serfdom were abolished during the same decade is cited by the author in the first paragraph primarily in order to Show Spoiler A 5. The author cites which one of the following as a factor that might have discouraged historians from undertaking a comparative study of Russian serfdom and United States slavery? Show Spoiler D 6. According to the passage, Kolchin's study asserts that which one of the following was true of Russian nobles during the nineteenth century? Show Spoiler D 7. The passage suggests that which one of the following was true of southern planters in the United States? (A) Differences in the demographics of United States slavery and Russian serfdom can help explain the different kinds of resistance practiced by slaves and serfs in their respective countries.(B) Historians have yet to undertake an adequate comparison and contrast of Russian serfdom and United States slavery.(C) Revolts by Russian serfs were commonly characterized by collective action.(D) A recent study has questioned the value of comparing United States slavery In Russian serfdom, especially in light of the significant demographic and cultural differences between the two countries.(E) De Tocqueville failed In recognize the fundamental differences between Russian serfdom and United States slavery which more recent historians have identified.(A) Interest in the demographic differences between Russia and the United States during the nineteenth century(B) Failure to undertake a comparison of Russian serfdom and United States slavery(C) Inability to explain why United States slavery and Russian serfdom were abolished during the same decade(D) Overestimation of the significance of the political differences between Russia and the United States(E) Recognition of the essential comparability of Russia and the United States(A) Collective defiance by serfs during the nineteenth century was confined almost exclusively to their participation in the volnenie.(B) The rebellious activity of United States slaves was more likely to escape the historical record than was the rebellious activity of Russian serfs.(C) Organized rebellions by slaves in the Western Hemisphere during the nineteenth century were most common in colonies with large estates that normally employed more than a hundred slaves.(D) In the southern United States during the nineteenth century, those estates that were managed by intermediaries rather than by the owner generally relied upon the labor of at least a hundred slaves.(E) The intermediaries who managed estates in Russia during the nineteenth century were in general much more competent as managers than the owners of the estates that they managed.(A) Emphasize that rebellions in both countries eventually led to the demise of the two institutions(B) Cite a coincidence that de Tocqueville should have been able to foresee(C) Suggest one reason why more historians should have been drawn to a comparative study of the two institutions(D) Cite a coincidence that Kolchin's study has failed to explain adequately(E) Emphasize the underlying similarities between the two institutions(A) Major differences in the political systems of the two countries(B) Major differences in the demographics of the two countries(C) The failure of de Tocqueville to address the subject(D) Differences in the size of the estates on which slaves and serfs labored(E) The comprehensiveness ofKolchin's own work(A) They agreed to the abolition of serfdom in the 1860s largely as a result of their having been influenced by the abolition of slavery in the United States.(B) They became more directly involved in the management of their estates as a result of the rebellions that occurred in the previous century.(C) They commonly agreed to at least some of the demands that arose out of the volnenie.(D) They had relatively little direct contact with the serfs who worked on their estates.(E) They hastened the abolition of serfdom by failing to devise an effective response to the collective nature of the serfs' rebellious activity.(A) They were as prepared for collective protest as were their Russian counterparts.(B) Few of them owned plantations on which fewer than a hundred slaves worked.(C) They managed their estates more efficiently than did their Russian counterparts.(D) Few of them relied on intermediaries to manage their estates.(E) The size of their estates was larger on average than the size of Russian Legit.ng earlier reported that a Chaplain to the Bishop of the African church in Ondo, was abducted by some unknown gunmen who asked for N100m ransom. According to reports from Punchng, Reverend David Ayeola who was abducted by unknown gunmen on his way to Abeokuta, Ogun state, from Ekiti state, is dead. Ayeola who had been travelling alongside Bishop Samuel Ojo, his wife and driver, was the only one taken away by the kidnappers after the others managed to escape into the bush. The kidnappers had asked for a N100m ransom from the church, and according to reports, they only managed to raise N500,000 and also involved the police who attempted to rescue the chaplain. Reverend David Ayeola was shot dead by his abductors READ ALSO: Gunmen allegedly kidnap chaplain, ask for N100m ransom A source said: They later contacted the headquarters of the church at Akure and demanded N100m. The church, however, offered them N500,000, which they turned down. A top leader of the African Church, said the church's leadership made a decision to involve the Ekiti state police in search for late Ayeola while trying to buy some time with his abductors. He said: On Saturday, the police swooped on the hideout of the kidnappers and there was an exchange of gunfire between them. The police team was overpowered and the kidnappers decided to shoot the priest. He was shot in the side; they (kidnappers) left his corpse behind. The family has taken the body to the morgue." READ ALSO: Catholic priest escapes after kidnappers allegedly drank his wine and slept off The Diocesan Public Relations Officer, Alex Akande, said the church's leadership would meet, saying: The case is with the police. I dont want to divulge too much information because I need to get clearance from the churchs headquarters. We will be having a meeting tomorrow (Monday); maybe I can talk after that. READ ALSO: BREAKING: Evans in court for second arraignment According to Punch Metro, Ayeola was still single and had only just finished from the seminary. Confirming his death, Ekiti state Police Public Relations Officer, Adeyemi Ademola, said: Yesterday evening (Saturday), we received intelligence about where the reverend was being kept by the kidnappers. The police and some hunters went to rescue him. We discovered that the place was a very thick forest. When the kidnappers noticed that the police and the hunters were coming, they shot the reverend and escaped. We went after them for a while, but the team had to turn back when it was getting dark. This was to avoid endangering the lives of members of the team in a terrain that the kidnappers may be more familiar with. We took the reverend to a general hospital, but sadly, we lost him. So sad! RIP to him! Legit.ng visits kidnappers' den discovered in Lagos - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng A Facebook user, Shadrack Okpume, has revealed that a Kano-based catholic priest named Rev. Fr. Gospel .J. Inalegwu, who recently dumped the priesthood has gotten married. Father Inalegwus resignation comes more than one year after he was kidnapped at his parish at St Joseph catholic church, Jitan-Dutse, in Tudun Wada local government council, Kano state. Shadrack claimed that Father Inalegwu knew that he was going to quit the priesthood but pretended for 11 years in the seminary. Catholic Priest who dumped priesthood to get married READ ALSO: Gunmen allegedly kidnap chaplain, ask for N100m ransom Read his full post below; During the week report come in that Rev Fr Godspower Inaelegwu who resigned in Kano got married even before his resignation, also rumour has it that he actually faked his kidnap in order to quit the Priesthood , so pathetic and some persons will come and tell me to pray for him, when he himself allowed the devil to use him, accumulating wealth for himself through the Priesthood, rubbish rubbish. "He knew quite alright he wasnt capable yet he pretended for 11 years in the seminary, its time CBCN ,come up and address this issues ,its becoming so annoying that some hungry men now see the Priesthood as an avenue to make money just as Fr Edet did ,and report coming from his end has it he is also planning to walk down the aile any time soon. Too too bad. READ ALSO: Reverend fathers spotted drinking bottles of beer with Catholic sisters (photos) "The reasons Latin rite priests cant marry is both theological and canonical. "Theologically, it may be pointed out that priests serve in the place of Christ and therefore, their ministry specially configures them to Christ. As is clear from Scripture, Christ was not married (except in a mystical sense, to the Church). By remaining celibate and devoting themselves to the service of the Church, priests more closely model, configure themselves to, and consecrate themselves to Christ. "As Christ himself makes clear, none of us will be married in heaven (Mt 22:2330). By remaining unmarried in this life, priests are more closely configured to the final, eschatological state that will be all of ours. "Paul makes it very clear that remaining single allows ones attention to be undivided in serving the Lord (1 Cor 7:3235). He recommends celibacy to all (1 Cor 7:7) but especially to ministers, who as soldiers of Christ he urges to abstain from "civilian affairs" (2 Tm 2:34). "Canonically, priests cannot marry for a number of reasons. First, priests who belong to religious orders take vows of celibacy. Second, while diocesan priests do not take vows, they do make a promise of celibacy. READ ALSO: Catholic priest escapes after kidnappers allegedly drank his wine and slept off "Third, the Church has established impediments that block the validity of marriages attempted by those who have been ordained. Canon 1087 states: "Persons who are in holy orders invalidly attempt marriage. "This impediment remains as long as the priest has not been dispensed from it, even if he were to attempt a civil marriage, even if he left the Church and joined a non-Catholic sect, and even if he apostatized from the Christian faith altogether. He cannot be validly married after ordination unless he receives a dispensation from the Holy See (CIC 1078 2, 1)." READ ALSO: Falana agrees with Okogie's controversial statement on RCCG PAY ATTENTION: Download Legit.ng mobile app Ex Bishop David Abioye's driver quits Living Faith Church, converts to Islam - On Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ By PTI: found: police (Eds: updating with more details) By Seema Hakhu Kachru Houston, Oct 23 (PTI) Police in the US today found the body of a small child in a culvert, which they say is "most likely" that of a 3-year-old Indian girl who went missing over two weeks ago when her foster father sent her outside alone late in the night as punishment for not drinking her milk. advertisement Sherin Mathews, who has developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills, was last seen outside her familys backyard in Richardson city in Texas on October 7 after her Indian-American father Wesley Mathews upbraided her and sent her alone outside late at night as punishment for not finishing her milk. The Richardson Police announced that they discovered the remains of a small child in a tunnel beneath a road, expressing apprehension that it was "most likely" of Sherin. They, however, did not confirm the identity. The body was found about one km from the house of her adoptive parents Wesley and Sini Mathews. The body was found in a culvert beneath a road around 11 AM (local time) with the help of search dogs. Police have not released any details about how the child died. The body was found in a culvert beneath a road, Sergeant Kevin Perlich, spokesman for the Richardson Police Department, told reporters. An arrest has not been made in connection with the discovery of the body. While a medical examiner has yet to see the childs body and make a positive identification, Perlich said, "It is most likely" Sherin Mathews, and her parents have been notified of the discovery. The cause of death has yet to be determined. The area has been blocked off as a crime scene, he said. The identification process was underway. The medical examiner was working to determine the cause of death, he said. The childs foster father, Wesley Mathews, 37, was arrested on October 8 on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child. A day later, he was released from custody after posting USD 250,000 bond. As per an arrest-warrant affidavit, Mathews, hailing from Kerala, told police that he sent Sherin outside and told her to stand next to a large tree at around 3 AM October 7. Mathews admitted to police that he knew coyotes or wild dogs had been seen in the alley, the affidavit said. advertisement Some 15 minutes later, Mathews went to check on Sherin but did not find her, it said. After looking around for her, he said he then went inside to do laundry and decided to wait until morning to continue searching or for her to return on her own, Perlich said. Police were not alerted to her disappearance until about five hours later. Child Protective Services took custody of the Indian- American couples other biological daughter, age 4, shortly after Wesley was arrested. The Mathews reportedly adopted Sherin two years ago from an orphanage in Bihar. Investigators combed Sherins neighborhood and surrounding area with K-9 teams, drones and helicopters and executed a search warrant at the Mathews home on October 10, police said. Police had also taken DNA swabs, receipts, grass and other debris from three vehicles belonging to the Mathews family. The Richardson Police Department said on October 12 that one of the Mathews vehicles had left the residence the morning Sherin went missing, between 4 and 5 am, between the time Mathews said Sherin disappeared and the time he called police. Sini Mathews, the girls mother does not face any charges. She was in the house at the time, but was reportedly asleep and unaware of what her husband was doing, police had said earlier. advertisement Sherins case also caught the attention of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. "We are deeply concerned about the missing child. Indian Embassy in US is actively involved and they keep me informed," Swaraj tweeted on October 19. "We are closely monitoring the Sherin Mathews case. We have established contact with the community and authorities," Indias Consul General in Houston, Anupam Ray had tweeted. PTI SHK CK KUN AKJ AKJ --- ENDS --- Rakesh Asthana was promoted to the rank of special director in CBI as as government sources said that reports of the vigilance commission's selection committee blocking Asthana's elevation were false. Rakesh Asthana was promoted to the rank of special director in the CBI By Rahul Shrivastava: The Cabinet Committee on Appointments late Sunday announced several high-level promotions and postings of senior officers within the Central Reserve Police Force, the Intelligence Bureau and the Central Bureau of Investigation. A total of eight officers were promoted or assigned new ranks (see below), but the appointment of Rakesh Asthana as a special director in the CBI is raising eyebrows. He was serving as an additional director at the premier investigative agency, which he once headed in an interim capacity. advertisement Top sources had earlier said that the Central Vigilance Commission's (CVC) Selection Committee had rejected the proposal to promote Asthana by invoking the "integrity cause". The Selection Committee is chaired by Central Vigilance Commissioner KV Chowdary and plays a role in clearing or not clearing appointing to the rank of joint director and above in the CBI. Government sources, however, denied the CVC's Selection Comittee had rejected the proposal to promote Asthana to special director. A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "The announcement by the Cabinet Committee on Appointments settled the issue as due procedure is followed in such cases." Among the other officers promoted or assigned new ranks include Gurbachan Singh, who was elevated to the rank of special director in the IB, Sudeep Lakhtakia, now a special DG (Director Genral) in CRPF, IPS officer Javeed Ahmed, who has been given the rank of special DG, Arvind Kumar, who has been promoted to the rank of special director in the IB, Dr AP Maheshwari, appointed as a special DG in the BSF, and Deepak Kumar Mishra, who is now a special DG in the CRPF. SELECTION COMMITTEE MEETING Sources had earlier said that the CVC Selection Committee met on Saturday and put on record "issues regarding integrity clause" while rejecting Asthana's promotion. Apart from the central vigilance commissioner, the committee also includes two other vigilance commissioners, the home secretary, the secretary of the Department of Personal and Training, and the CBI director. Unanimously rejecting the proposal to promote Asthana, the committee stated that his name was found in "Diary 2011", a piece of evidence mentioned in a recent FIR registered by his the CBI itself in a corruption case. The FIR was filed by the CBI's Delhi unit on August 30 against three senior Income Tax Commissioners for accepting bribes from the Gujarat-based Sterling Biotech and Sandesara Group of Companies. The FIR says there exists a "Diary 2011" which was found during raids against a company. The diary, sources say, contains details of monthly payouts made to the accused Income Tax commissioners as well as several other police officials and politicians in Gujarat and Delhi. Sources suggested that the diary noting also had Asthana's name too. This too was denied by sources within the government. Notably, in 2014, the CVC Selection Committee in a similar manner had rejected the appointment of Archana Ramasundaram as an additional director in the CBI. advertisement But then CBI Director Ranjit Sinha appointed Archana anyway, an appointment that was later struck down by the Supreme Court. --- ENDS --- And this is what Trump did. He decertified Irans compliance with the JPCOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). Responses to this varied. Iran, of course, was not happy. The President of the Islamic Republic, Hassan Rouhani, slammed Trumps position. Angrily. On the other hand, the countries that are negatively impacted by Irans actions in the region have spoken out in praise for Trumps decision. They also criticised the silence that has accompanied Irans belligerence. It is this very silence that has let the Iranian regime move further and further across the weapons with the use of conventional weapons and the support of its many militias and proxies. There has been so much attention drawn to the nuclear threat coming from Iran, but very little is said about the political threat. Irans aim is regional hegemony. It sponsors, trains and assists numerous sectarian groups and militias, notably the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is one of the most dangerous forces that spreads terror and intervenes in many political and security situations in the country. Worryingly, it is in complete control of a large portion of the countrys economy. The Quds Force, a branch of the IRGC, intervenes abroad. Its commander, Qassem Suleimani, despite being listed as a terrorist, regularly flaunts around in front of media on the front lines in Syria and Iraq. It must also be remembered that there is another aspect to Irans nuclear threat. Parts of Iran are home to extremely unstable seismic fault lines, on top of which Iran has placed many of its reactors and other nuclear installations. If we look back to 2011, the Fukushima disaster in Japan reminds us just how urgent the situation is. The United States is relatively alone in its strong condemnation of the nuclear deal. The United Kingdom, Germany and France the European signatories of the deal have all criticised Trumps decertification and reiterated that they remain committed to keeping the deal in place. Unfortunately, it seems likely that these countries are very keen to keep the deal intact because their countries stand to make a great deal, financially, from it. These governments have been encouraged by their banks and enterprises in their country to make the most of the promising Iranian market. However, let us not forget that Iran is responsible for the refugee crisis that the West has experienced recently and it is the number one sponsor of terrorism in the Middle East. The Iranian regime suppresses its people at home and it targets religious and ethnic minorities. It is one of the leading countries in terms of executions per capita, and the justice system is so corrupt that people are executed without due process. It is time for the leaders in the international community to acknowledge that Irans behaviour must be linked to the Iran nuclear deal. A deal was also made, on the quiet, to make sure that Peshmerga went away without causing a scene. After the independence referendum last month, the commander of Irans Quds Force Qassim Soleimani paid several visits to the Kurdish region. He made offers to Jalal Talabanis family (the late leader of the PUK, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) which basically involves making PUK-controlled regions a territory of Iran. There were also threats to PUK Peshmerga officers saying that if they resist, they will be crushed. There is a very big risk that the city of Kirkuk will end up under the control of a party that is ambivalent to the interests of the people. In the military operation last week, the Interior Ministry which is teeming with Irans allies played a big role. Thousands of people fled their homes from militias that are backed by Iran who executed people and burned down houses. The Prime Minister called for Hashd forces in Kirkuk to withdraw. Although this has partly happened, there are some towns that are still occupied. The Iranian proxies are keen to keep control over territories they can, especially after investing the past three years into it. This is a failing of the international community that is allowing Iran to get away with such action. Although United States President Donald Trump has vowed to be tough on Iran, he has yet to react in this regard. Many are saying that the Kirkuk annexation is Irans response of defiance to Trumps decertification speech. All Trump has said is that the United States will not take sides and we dont like the fact that theyre clashing. This is disappointing seeing as the president has said on numerous occasions that he will do what he can to stop Iran creating chaos in the region. Masoud Barzani has managed to keep going. The United States has abandoned the issue and Ankara, Baghdad and Tehran have plotted against it. The different Kurdish parties are blaming each other and enemies are propagating the situation. Civil war is on the cards. This is something that Iranian regime has been counting on as it will benefit greatly from the conflict. The Kurdish cause can be understood and it makes sense for there to be a system of limited autonomy. Yet, lets not forget that separatism causes instability and political weakness. If Iran is left to meddle away in Iraq, it can only be expected that Iraq falls apart and Iran will jump in at the first opportunity to make the most of the situation. This is why Iran needs to be removed urgently. For 50 years, the National Geographic Society has been holding 100 hours of film of Jane Goodall in storage. Now, those images of Goodall and her work with chimpanzees in the forests of Tanzania, have been made into a film documentary. Jane, the name of the new movie, begins in 1960 when Goodall was 26 years old. The film documents her early life working in a remote area, far from Tanzanias major cities. Goodall never had a university education. Yet her untraditional ways of studying chimpanzees tested scientists beliefs about what it means to be a human being. Goodall spoke to VOA at a special showing of the film Jane in Los Angeles. Well, more than any other documentary that's being made, it does take me back into the actual feeling I had when I was out there in the forest and so it's very moving. Goodall made news by discovering that chimpanzees are intelligent, social animals who use tools to gather food. At the time, the scientific community believed only humans had that ability. "It's not quite family but, it's not quite like friends, but I'm part of their lives, they accept me. I can watch what they do. And, of course, in the time of the movie, we had a really close touching relationship, which we don't have anymore. When asked whether she would have done anything differently in her research, Goodall said, "Everything worked out perfectly. Were mistakes made? Of course, but one learns from mistakes, and so I wouldn't have changed anything really." The music in the documentary is by Philip Glass. When Goodall saw the film with the music, she described it as "magical." Glass says he was moved when he saw images of Goodall sitting with chimpanzees who had accepted her. "The very intimacy is when she's sitting with them, and they're like children to her. She's combing their hair and she talks with them and they're just with her as if they've accepted her totally. The movie includes images of National Geographic filmmaker Hugo van Lawick, Goodalls first husband. Director Brett Morgen watched the original footage. "Going through 100 hours of Hugo Van Lawick's footage is a dream. You know, Hugo's one of the greatest wildlife cinematographers in the history of filmmaking. At the Los Angeles showing, Hollywood actor Jamie Lee Curtis described why she respects Goodall. "She has, just by doing what she loves, has brought us all along on the journey and that's a message if anything. Be uncompromising in your vision, uncompromising in your attack and attitude of what it is that you do. Even in present day, Goodall continues to travel, speak about protecting chimpanzees and urge people to protect the natural world. Im Susan Shand. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story remote adj. removed from something; outside; far away magical adj. of or related to special or supernatural powers intimacy n. something of a private or personal nature combing v. cleaning and separating ones hair cinematographer n. a movie maker or photographer journey n. trip vision n. the act or power of seeing something attitude n. a feeling or way of thinking; behavior We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Did you know about the health benefits that follow the stringent practice of Chhath Puja? By India Today Web Desk: A prominent festival for the North Indian state of Bihar and certain regions of Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, Chhath Puja rituals start on the sixth day of Hindu calendar month, Kartika. Starting tomorrow, October 24 , Chhath Puja festivities span across four days and are observed to worship the Sun god and seek his blessings for the overall prosperity of the family. The fervour around the puja is marked by offering prayers to the Sun god, fasting and taking dips into the holy waters of Ganga (however, with time people have evolved and become less rigid about this rule). advertisement The grandest festival for those who observe it, Chhath Puja is also a stringent one that encourages frugality and abstinence from food and water. Here's everything you need to know about the legend, significance and rituals around Chhath Puja. Legend: While the exact origins of Chhath Puja remain undefined and ambiguous, some believe it dates all the way back to Hindu epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata.The two legends associated with Chhath Puja are as follows: Ramayana Said to be a descendant of the Sun god, some say Lord Rama has a lot to do with the inception of Chhath Puja. On returning to Ayodhya after the exile, Lord Rama and Sita observed a fast in honour of the Sun god and broke it only at the break of dawn next day--a ritual that subsequently evolved into the Chhath Puja. Mahabharata Prominent mythological character Karna is said to be the child of Sun god and Kunti. It is said that Karna religiously offered his prayers while standing in the water and distributed prasad among the needy.Yet another story mentions how Draupadi and the Pandavas performed a similar puja to win their kingdom back. Photo: Pinterest Also Read: #Diwali2017: Why does everyone decorate their homes with marigold flowers and mango leaves? Scientific Signifiance Some say Chhath Puja also has roots in science as it helps the human body get rid of toxicity. Taking dips in water and exposing oneself to the Sun increases the flow of solar bio-electricity that improves the overall functionality of the human body. Some also believe that Chhath Puja helps eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses from the body--thus preparing one for the onset of the winter season.Also Read: 5 tips to snap out of post-Diwali blues and get your life back on track. Rituals Day 1: Naha Kha/ Nahaye Khaye (October 24, 2017) On the first day of Chhath, devotees do not consume food before taking a bath, after which they prepare food items like chane ki daal, kheer, kaddu ki sabzi among others. Day 2: Kharna (October 25, 2017) advertisement Devotees fast till the Kharna puja concludes. After which a combination of jaggery-laden kheer and puris is offered to the gods and distributed among those who'd observed the fast. Also Read: #Diwali2017: Here's how different regions of India celebrate the Festival of Lights Day 3: Pehla Arghya (October 26, 2017) The toughest and third day of Chhath has devotees--mostly women--observe a rigid fast where they neither consume water nor food. Dedicated to Sun god's consort, Chhathi Maiya this day is marked with folk songs and taking dips in the holy waters of Ganga, Kosi and Karnali--that go on till the sun sets. Photo: Pinterest Day 4: Doosra Arghya/ Paaran (October 27, 2017) Devotees break their long fast after offering prayers to the rising Sun. --- ENDS --- Witnessing a neutron star violently crash into another has helped astronomers uncover secrets of the universe including how gold was created. Neutron stars are the collapsed centers of stars. These two neutron stars circled each other at a very fast rate, getting closer and closer. Then they crashed into each other in an event called a kilonova. This collision created a burst of gamma rays, or electromagnetic energy, and gravitational waves, which make a weak signal when they reach Earth. Vicky Kalogera is an astrophysicist with Northwestern University near Chicago. She explains what the astronomers heard and saw two months ago. "So this is the first time that we hear the death spiral of two neutron stars. And we also see the fireworks that came from the final merger." What they saw was a bright, blue light. The colliding stars released very hot wreckage. All that material, the light and heavy elements, is now speeding through the universe in different directions. This is an artist's animation of what it looked like when the two neutron stars crashed, with gravitational waves and gamma ray bursts (pink or magenta) shot out. Debris was sent out too. Credit: NASA Goddard. Some of the material joined together to form metals, like gold, platinum and uranium. Scientists had thought neutron star collisions had enough power to create heavy elements, but they had not been sure until they observed it. David Reitze is with the California Institute of Technology and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, or LIGO. At a press conference last week in Washington D.C., he held up his great grandfathers gold watch. "It's about 100 years old. The gold in this watch was very likely produced in the collision of two neutron stars approximately billions of years ago. We don't know exactly when. So this is really an amazing discovery." Gravitational waves are very small ripples, or movements, through space time in the universe. Albert Einstein was the first person to suggest the existence of such waves. Researchers were first able to observe them with the LIGO detectors in 2015. Earlier this month, three scientists won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work measuring gravitational waves. The first gravitational waves ever measured were produced by black holes, which do not let out any light. So, they were not seen. But they had been heard. This is what they sounded like. Listen for the chirp sound. The signal arriving on August 17th was a different story. Around the world, astronomers reacted to the sign quickly when they recognized it. They aimed telescopes on every continent, and even those orbiting Earth, on a distant spot in the sky. This time, there was plenty to see. What they saw was the long ago, and far away, crash of two neutron stars. They were so dense that a teaspoon of their matter would weigh 1 billion tons. It took the signal 130 million light years to reach Earth. The sound and light from the crash told the story of one of the most violent acts in the universe. The ability to see the light from gravitational waves was just one of the mysteries solved, noted Daniel Holz. He is an astrophysicist working at the University of Chicago, and one of the more than 4,000 scientists who witnessed the event. "Not only did we detect that but we detected this burst of gamma rays. That's also never been done before, so now we get to say when two neutron stars crash into each other, they create a gamma ray burst. We get to connect two very mysterious happenings in the universe together and that's a big deal." This is helpful information because gamma ray bursts release deadly radiation -- strong enough to destroy planets. Holz added that all the information collected from this event provided scientists with another important discovery. They now get a new measurement for the size of the universe and how quickly it is expanding. Astrophysicist Vicky Kalogera said the scientific community gained a lot from this one event. "So it's amazing to think that in one day, in a few hours and the weeks that followed, all these predictions were confirmed. So we solved a lot of mysteries. But at the same time, we also opened up a few questions, as Julie said. Not everything fits perfectly in the puzzle." Scientists say that this single kilonova event increased their understanding of the universe. They also say it marks the beginning of a new area of scientific study: gravitational wave astronomy. Julie McEnery, is an astrophysicist working at the American space agencys Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. She told VOA Were able to combine dramatically different ways of viewing the universe, and I think our level of understanding is going to leap forward as a result. Im Anne Ball. Anne Ball wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Her story was based on reports from the Associated Press and the Reuters news agency. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Quiz Now, test your understanding with this short quiz. Quiz - Scientists Strike Gold With Cosmic Crash Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story neutron star n. a very dense object in space that consists of closely packed neutrons and is produced by the collapse of a much larger star gamma ray n. a ray that is like an X-ray but of higher energy and that is given off especially by a radioactive substance gravitational wave n. a very small ripple or movements through space time in the universe. spiral n. a circular curving line that goes around a central point while getting closer to or farther away from it watch n. a device that shows what time it is and that you wear on your wrist or carry in a pocket leap v. to jump from a surface India's most famous attraction, the Taj Mahal, is under attack by some members of the country's ruling party. The most recent attack came from Sangeet Som, a lawmaker from the Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP. According to Som, the monument is "a blot on Indian culture" that was built by "traitors." This isn't the first time that India's Islamic past has come under attack by members of the BJP or other Hindu groups. In Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, the government removed the Taj Mahal from its official tourism booklet. The booklet was published earlier this month. The federal government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been accused of trying to change history textbooks especially India's past of Muslim rulers. Som's comments drew criticism from federal lawmaker and Muslim leader Asaduddin Owaisi. He asked if the government would urge tourists not to visit the Taj Mahal and other monuments built by India's former Muslim rulers. The BJP distanced itself from Som's comments. The party's general secretary, Vijay Bahadur Pathak, said the Taj Mahal is part of Indian pride. "Whatever Som said is his personal view. BJP has nothing to do with it," he noted. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built between 1632 and 1654 for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. He planned on being buried with her. The Taj Mahal complex has their graves as well as several other graves of lesser Mughal royalty. The monument is India's top tourist attraction. It draws some 3 million visitors every year. I'm John Russell. Biswajeet Banerjee reported on this story for AP News. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story monument n. a building or place that is important because of when it was built or because of something in history that happened there blot n. a mark of shame or dishonor populous adj. having a large population United States officials now have permission to collect usernames and other social media information from all immigrants seeking to enter the country. The new rule went into effect October 18 as an amendment to the U.S. Privacy Act. The Privacy Act establishes policies for how the government can collect and use information about individuals. The measure was enacted in 1974 after Richard M. Nixon resigned from the presidency. The new amendment gives the Department of Homeland Security permission to collect social media handles, aliases, associated identifiable information and search results. The rule affects both permanent U.S. residents and naturalized citizens. The collected information becomes part of the persons immigration records. The amendment also gives the government rights to monitor information on relatives of immigrants and doctors who treat immigrants. It also includes monitoring of law enforcement officials involved in investigations of immigrants, and lawyers and others who help immigrants. The amendment says the information can be gathered from the internet, public records, public institutions, interviewees or commercial data providers. The Department of Homeland Security, DHS, has yet to announce specific collection or processing methods for personal information from social media. Joanne Talbot is a spokesperson for DHS. In a statement to media last month, she said the amendment does not represent a new policy. She said the agency has already been able to monitor publicly available social media to protect the homeland. Many privacy groups have criticized the collection of usernames and other social media information by U.S. border agents. They say such questioning fails to follow existing rules and violates the privacy rights of travelers. Seamus Hughes is with the Program on Extremism at George Washington University in Washington. He says one problem is the huge amount of social media data the government will collect. Purely from a practical standpoint, I dont see how DHS has the resources to implement this, he said on Twitter. U.S. officials have defended information gathering as a way to prevent possibly dangerous people from entering the country. Some experts say there is evidence the information can be helpful to the government if it is used in the right way. Major General Charles J. Dunlap Jr. is head of the Center on Law, Ethics, and National Security at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. I cant think of any situations where this monitoring and record-collection has been used in an abusive way, Dunlap said. However, he added that the program needs to be closely monitored and any abuses quickly investigated and fixed. Im Bryan Lynn. Paul Ross reported this story for Student Union. Bryan Lynn adapted his report for VOA Learning English. His story has information from the U.S. Federal Register. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story handle n. a nickname alias n. another name a person sometimes uses resident n. someone who lives in an area for some length of time monitor v. to watch, observe or check over something institution n. an established organization commercial adj. related to the buying and selling of goods and services practical adj. relating to what is real rather than what is possible or imagined implement v. to begin something or make it active The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 13125882 Canada Inc., 211 E. Russell Road LLC, 4458664 Canada Inc., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. 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Read More The Foreign Ministry in Beijing said on Monday that it was the "obligation" of any host country to ensure safety of diplomatic personnel. By Ananth Krishnan: China said on Monday that it was the "obligation" of any country to protect diplomatic personnel and overseas missions, a day after it emerged that Beijing had asked Pakistan to increase security for its envoy in Islamabad. Reports in Pakistan said the Chinese Embassy there had sent a letter to the Interior Ministry asking for increased security for recently appointed envoy Yao Jing. The letter, reports said, had detailed a specific security threat, identifying a terrorist named Abdul Wali who had recently crossed over into Pakistan. Wali was said to be with the banned East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which has been behind attacks in China's western Xinjiang region. The letter had reportedly demanded "immediate action" to hand over Wali to China. advertisement While not commenting directly on the case, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said on Monday that it was the "obligation" of any host country to ensure safety of diplomatic personnel. "I am not aware of the information mentioned by you," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said. "The ETIM is a terrorist organisation listed by the United Nations Security Council. Combating ETIM is an important part of international counter-terrorism efforts." "I think it is the obligation of a sovereign country to protect diplomatic missions and personnel according to the Vienna Convention," Geng added. China's reported concerns come as it goes forward with massive investments in Pakistan under its $46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor plan, with thousands of Chinese workers and personnel set to move to Pakistan to push forward projects there. Last week, at least 38 people were injured in twin attacks in Balochistan province, including one grenade attack on a workers' hostel that injured 26 in Gwadar, the port city that is a centre of China's CPEC plan and where China is building an economic and logistics zone. --- ENDS --- President Donald Trump claps after presenting the Medal of Honor to retired U.S. Army Capt. Gary Michael Rose for his actions during the Vietnam War, on Oct. 23, 2017. President Trump Awards Medal of Honor to Special Forces Medic President Donald Trump has awarded the United States highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, to Capt. Gary Michael Rose, who risked his own life to save others during the Vietnam War. For many years, the story of Mikes heroism has gone untold. But today, we gather to tell the world of his valor and proudly present him with our nations highest military honor, Trump said during a ceremony on Oct. 23. Rose was born in Watertown, New York, and was taught by his father, a metalworker and World War II veteran, that he should always love, cherish, and defend his country. He enlisted in the Army after his first year in college. At age 22, Rose was a medic for the 5th Special Forces Group in the Vietnam War. Trump recalled the harrowing mission during which Rose performed his heroic acts. Rose was the only medic for 136 men who were deployed on Operation Tailwind in Laos. Their mission was to prevent the North Vietnamese from funneling weapons along the Ho Chi Minh Trail to use against American troops. Mike and his unit slashed through the dense jungle, dodged bullets, dodged explosives, dodged everything that you can dodgebecause they threw it all at himand continuously returned fire as they moved deeper and deeper and deeper into enemy territory, Trump said. The Vietnamese were well-armed and numerically superior to the U.S. special forces deployed. The U.S. troops were continuously engaged during the four days, and were hit by B-40 rockets and mortar rounds, as well as machine gun fire. In one instance, Rose braved the hail of bullets and sprinted to a wounded soldiers side, using his own body to protect him. He then carried the soldier through the bullet-ridden combat zone to a safer area. This was only one instance of many in which Rose risked his own life and exposed himself to enemy gunfire so that he could reach wounded soldiers to administer saving aid. At one point, Rose was knocked down and injured in his head, hand, and foot, when an enemy B-40 rocket exploded just feet away from him. Rose ignored his own wounds and continued to provide aid to other injured soldiers. After extraction helicopters arrived, Rose helped to put the wounded on the first set of helicopters, and then returned, while under fire from enemy soldiers, to move more wounded soldiers. When the last extraction helicopter arrived, the gunner was shot in the neck. Rose administered critical medical treatment to him aboard the helicopter, thus saving his life. The helicopter crashed just a few hundred yards from the extraction point, injuring Rose and the others aboard. Despite his multiple sustained wounds, Rose continued to pull out other wounded troops, some of whom were unconscious, from the burning wreckage, and administer aid. Finally, another helicopter rescued them, and by the time they reached the base, Mike was covered in blood. He refused treatment until all of his men had been cared for first, Trump said. Nations are formed out of the strength and patriotism that lives in the hearts of our heroes, he said. Rose was joined by 10 members of his unit attending the Medal of Honor ceremony. After Operation Tailwind, Rose continued to serve in the Army as an officer for over 20 years. Rose seems to exemplify the focus Trump has placed on patriotism throughout his time in office. In his inaugural address, Trump said, At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. At the White House ceremony, Trump said Rose lives by a core conviction: that you serve your country by fixing your block or fixing your neighborhood. Mike volunteers with the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus, and many other organizations. He volunteers at a local soup kitchen, fixes broken appliances for elderly and disabled neighbors, donates his hair for those suffering from cancer, makes lunches for children in need, and organizes community gatherings to bring people closer togetherwhich is something we need all over the world and certainly in our country, he said. Credit: CC0 Public Domain People who show characteristics of autism are more at risk of attempting suicide, according to a Coventry University study whose results are being presented to a United States federal advisory committee tomorrow. Researchers found that people who exhibited higher levels of autistic traits were more likely to try to end their lives than people without the traits because they felt they were excluded from society, were a burden on friends and family, and because they experienced depression. Previous research has already suggested a link between autistic people and an increased risk of suicide. However, this is the first study to suggest those who have not been diagnosed with autism but had certain traits typical of autistic people were also more at risk of attempting suicide. Academics say understanding how these factors are linked is vital in helping to reduce deaths by suicide and that more research is needed in this area. The findings coincide with the launch of an urgent appeal by UK charity Autistica calling on the autistic community to get directly involved in further research by signing up to its new autism research network, Discover autistica.org.uk/take-part which will link the local autistic community with the Coventry investigators as well as other top UK research centres. The Coventry University study published in the journal Autism Research involved 163 people aged between 18 and 30 who completed an online survey which asked a range of questions to establish the level at which they showed characteristics of autism, depression and suicidal behaviour. Autistic traits include social and communication difficulties, attention to detail and the tendency to have narrow obsessive interests. It also examined interpersonal feelings which may be associated with attempting suicide, such as believing they do not belong or fit in the world, and that they are a burden on others. The academics used standard tests and a psychological model to investigate associations between autistic traits, depression, feelings of not belonging and of being a burden, and suicidal behaviour. The results suggested that those participants who exhibited higher levels of autistic traits were more at risk of suicidal behaviour during their lifetime. Higher levels of autistic traits were also associated with increased vulnerability to experiencing feelings of depression, feeling they are a burden on others, and do not belong in the world, which may put them at more risk of attempting suicide. The academics say the psychological model can be used to predict people who will exhibit suicidal behaviour and once further developed could make a huge difference to creating effective assessment, support and treatment for people at risk of suicide. The research was carried out by Mirabel Pelton as part of her thesis for her MSc Psychology at Coventry University. She is now working towards a PhD and is expanding her research on the topic. Mirabel said: "These are life and death issues. Research to date has failed to understand the link between autistic traits and suicide but this study suggests that promoting social inclusion and independence could literally save lives." Dr Sarah Cassidy, who supervised the research, will tomorrow (October 24) present it to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), a US federal advisory committee, at a meeting in Rockville, Maryland, USA. She said: "This is a shocking wake-up call for society, when a significant section of the population feel that they don't belong in the world. As a society we urgently must do more to value neurodiversity. This could ultimately save lives." Dr James Cusack, director of science at research charity Autistica, funding further work on autism and suicide, said: "We know mental health problems and suicide are a huge problem in autism but there is little high quality research to help us understand how we can improve services and the lives of autistic people. "In light of these and other deeply worrying findings, we are urging more people to join our new autism research network, Discover, that will link the local autistic community with top UK research centres such as Coventry University. The more we understand the causes, the better we can support all autistic people to live long, healthy, happy lives." Autistica, together with its research partners, aims to recruit 5,000 autistic people, their families and carers to Discover by the end of 2017. More information: M. K. Pelton et al. Are autistic traits associated with suicidality? A test of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide in a non-clinical young adult sample, Autism Research (2017). Journal information: Autism Research M. K. Pelton et al. Are autistic traits associated with suicidality? A test of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide in a non-clinical young adult sample,(2017). DOI: 10.1002/aur.1828 Delivering news about end-of-life issues is one of the most difficult tasks clinicians encounter in medical practice. Researchers from the Texas Medical Center on behalf of the ETHICS study investigators, in Houston, Texas, aimed to assess how prepared health-care providers feel in communicating end-of-life issues and determining if proper training had been given to health-care providers. A 30-question survey addressing opinions regarding ethical issues, religion, and attitudes on specific group of patients, and communication skills was administered in 174 different institutions across 40 countries. 10,106 surveys were completed, showing that 30% of all health-care providers, and 11.5% of physicians let someone else give notice of a patient's death to the patient's relatives. The authors concluded that only one-third of the health-care providers surveyed had undergone formal training in delivering bad news. Medical students received less training than other health-care professionals. Among physicians, more years of experience appear to compensate for the lack of training in delivering bad news. The study also found that nurses with no ICU experience do not deliver bad news to patients or their families. Women were more likely to communicate the death of patients than men. "Learning good interpersonal communicationskills, including delivering bad news, should be part of all health education programs globally," states lead researcher Dr. Joseph Varon, "efforts to provide tools for communication skills are necessary in delivering better patient care." Further results from this study will be shared at CHEST Annual Meeting 2017 in Toronto on Wednesday, November 1, 1:30 PM-2:30 PMat the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall, Poster Number 105. The study abstract can be viewed on the journal CHEST website. More information: Andrea Almaguer et al, Are We Prepared to Give Bad News? An International Survey Analysis, Chest (2017). Journal information: Chest Andrea Almaguer et al, Are We Prepared to Give Bad News? An International Survey Analysis,(2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2017.08.869 Chris Fagundes. Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University People who exhibit even a few depressive symptoms before a major life stressor, such as a disaster, may experience an increase in inflammationa major risk factor for heart disease and other negative health conditionsafter the event, according to new research from Rice University. The findings have important implications for survivors of crisis situations, according to Chris Fagundes, an assistant professor of psychology at Rice and one of the study's authors. "An Evaluation of Perceived Health Risk and Depressive Symptoms Before a Disaster in Predicting Post-Disaster Inflammation" will appear in an upcoming edition of Psychosomatic Medicine. The study followed 124 people (38 males and 86 females, including whites, Hispanics and African-Americans) who lived in Texas City, Texas, before and after a petrochemical refinery in the city exploded March 23, 2005. The explosion killed 15 workers, injured more than 170 others and shook buildings as far as 10 miles away. The researchers found that after the disaster, study participants who beforehand exhibited even minor depressive symptoms (such as a feeling of fatigue or sadness) and identified concern for their physical health had a 75 percent increase in their blood of C-reactive protein, Tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and Interleukin 6, all of which are immune markers that signal inflammation in the body. Participants who did not display depressive symptoms or identify concern for their physical health beforehand saw no increase in the immune markers after the disaster. "We found that people who are slightly depressed and stressed out about their health risks prior to a disaster had a negative response to the actual disaster in the form of these immune markers showing up in their bloodstream," Fagundes said. "If you're already above the baseline for mental and physical health, your immune system is primed to have a much more dramatic effect. This could explain other researchers' findings demonstrating increased cardiovascular events (any event that can damage the heart muscle) following natural disasters." Before the explosion, participants had completed the Concern About Petrochemical Health Risk Scale, a four-item measure of one's subjective risk of health problems due to living near a petrochemical plant. The four items focused on concerns of health risks stemming from pollution, accidents, stored waste and generally living near oil and chemical industries. Participants indicated their degree of concern for each item on a scale ranging from 1 (not at all concerned) to 5 (extremely concerned). Also before the explosion, participants completed a 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale survey and indicated symptoms of depression they had experienced during the previous two weeks on a scale ranging from 0 (rarely) to 3 (most or all of the time). Collection of follow-up information took place between May and August 2005 (two to six months after the explosion). Participants also gave samples of their blood both before and after the explosion. The pre-disaster data used in this study was initially being collected for another study, Fagundes said. The researchers put together the resources to implement a study after the disaster to assess changes, which is similar to what Fagundes is doing now following Hurricane Harvey. Fagundes said the study is especially timely following Hurricane Harvey in Houston. "It is certainly possible that we will see these same health patterns in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey," he said. Fagundes hopes the study will encourage future work focusing on exposure to disasters and the related negative mental and physical health outcomes. One of my first jobs was to keep a lookout for lions. There are some occupations that are not suitable for someone with untreated narcolepsy and this is probably one of them. I was 22, a recent zoology graduate studying meerkats in the Kalahari desert in South Africa. We worked in pairs, one of us on foot, walking with meerkats, the other in the jeep scanning the horizon for signs of leonine danger. On many occasions, I awoke with the imprint of the steering wheel on my forehead, realising that meerkats and colleague had wandered out of sight. I would look for signs of life and, as the panic grew, signs of death. I can tell this story now only because nobody got eaten. I have not always been like this. For the first 20 years of my life, I had a healthy relationship with sleep. Shortly after my 21st birthday, though, I began to experience symptoms of narcolepsy, a rare but not-so-rare disorder thought to affect around one in 2,500 people. If people know one thing about narcolepsy, it's that it involves frequent bouts of uncontrollable sleepiness. This is true, but the condition is so much more disabling, often accompanied by cataplexy (where a strong emotion causes loss of muscle tone and a ragdoll-like collapse), trippy dreams, sleep paralysis, frightening hallucinations and, paradoxically, fractured night-time sleep. There is no cure. Yet. In the Kalahari, back in 1995, I was new to these symptoms. I had little sense of the incalculable toll that fighting a never-ending battle against sleep (with defeat the inevitable outcome) would take on mind, body and soul. I was not alone. Few family doctors had heard of the disorder, let alone encountered a patient. Some neurologists knew what to look for, but many did not. Not even sleep specialists could explain why this disorder would suddenly strike, with peak onset at around 15 years of age. A lot has changed in 20 years. There is now overwhelming evidence that by far the most common cause of narcolepsy is an autoimmune attack, where the body's immune system mishandles an upper respiratory infection and mistakenly wipes out the estimated 30,000 neurons in the centre of the brain. In an organ of up to 100 billion cells, this might not sound like too much to worry about. But these are no ordinary cells. They are found in the hypothalamus, a small, evolutionarily ancient and unbelievably important structure that helps regulate many of the body's basic operations, including the daily see-saw between wakefulness and sleep. The cells in question are also the only ones in the brain that express the orexins (also known as hypocretins). This pair of related peptides short chains of amino acids were completely unknown at the time of my diagnosis in 1995. The story of their discovery, beginning in the 1970s, is a brilliant tale of chance and luck, imagination and foresight, risk and rivalry, and involves a colony of narcoleptic Doberman pinschers to boot. It might even be the perfect illustration of how science works. Yet while there are drugs that can help manage the worst of the symptoms of narcolepsy, none of these comes close to repairing the underlying brain damage. It is remarkable that a lack of two chemicals results in such a bewildering constellation of symptoms. The answer to my problems appears to be simple I just need to get the orexins (or something similar) back inside my brain. So why am I still waiting? In April 1972, a toy poodle in Canada produced a litter of four. Eager families were quick to snap up the cute puppies, but one of them, a silver-grey female called Monique, soon developed what her owners described as "drop attacks" when she tried to play. These did not look like sleep; they were mostly partial paralyses: her hind legs would go weak, her bottom would slump to the floor and her eyes would become still and glass-like. At other times, particularly when fed, Monique would be struck by a full-blown attack. When vets at the University of Saskatchewan observed Monique, they suspected these were bouts of cataplexy, and hence figured this might be a case of narcolepsy with accompanying cataplexy. As luck would have it, Monique's diagnosis coincided with the arrival of a peculiar circular from William Dement, a sleep specialist at Stanford University in California. He was on the lookout for narcoleptic dogs. The Saskatchewan vets wrote back to him immediately. With Monique's owners persuaded to relinquish their pet, all that was needed was to figure out a way to get her to California. I met Dement, now 89, to find out what he remembers about those early years. He retired several years ago, but still lives in a leafy neighbourhood on the edge of the Stanford campus. His office is a large, shed-like structure attached to the main house and not unlike a Scout hut. The walls are wood-clad and covered with framed posters, photographs and miscellaneous memorabilia from an illustrious career in sleep medicine. Dement's desk is a picture of organised chaos. Among all this is a water pistol. I ask him why. "It's for when students fall asleep in class," he explains, referring to an incredibly popular lecture series on sleep and dreams he instigated in the early 1970s. In 1973, Dement approached Western Airlines to see if they could fly Monique down from Saskatchewan to San Francisco. They had a strict 'no sick dogs' policy. "It's not a sick dog. It's a dog with a brain abnormality," he told them. "It's an animal model of an important illness." Eventually, with some political lobbying, Dement succeeded in persuading the airline to help. Once in San Francisco, Monique quickly became something of a celebrity. "Monique is very likely to collapse when she's eating something she especially likes, or when she smells a new flower outside, or romps around," Dement's colleague Merrill Mitler told the Associated Press for a story that ran in dozens of newspapers across the USA. "We hope to discover exactly where in the brain the dysfunction occurs that causes narcolepsy," Mitler had told the newspapers soon after Monique's arrival at Stanford. "This could be the first step towards developing a cure." Mitler is now a forensic examiner based in Washington, DC, specialising in litigation arising from fatigue-related accidents. I ask him if the story of the discovery of narcolepsy is really as good as it appears. "In a word, yes," he says. "In the Seventies, we didn't know what we didn't know about narcolepsy." There is simply no way anyone could have anticipated how profitable the research into Monique and other dogs would turn out to be. The plan at that stage, he admits, was simply to use the animals to test new drugs that might improve treatment of the symptoms and to carry out autopsies in case there were some obvious physical changes to the brain. Word began to spread, and soon Dement and Mitler were looking after Monique alongside several other narcoleptic dogs, including a Chihuahuaterrier cross, a wire-haired griffon, a Malamute, Labrador retrievers and Doberman pinschers. The fact that narcolepsy appeared to be more common in some breeds than others suggested there could be some kind of genetic basis to the disorder. Then came the breakthrough: a litter of around seven Doberman puppies, all of them with narcolepsy and cataplexy. "Within 24 hours or less we saw the first of the litter and then the last of the litter all collapse," says Mitler. "There was a large group of us at Stanford and we collectively had our chins on the floor." It turned out that in Labradors and Dobermans, the disorder was inherited. Dement made the decision to focus on Dobermans and, by the end of the 1970s, he was the proud custodian of a large colony and had established that narcolepsy in this breed was caused by the transmission of a single recessive gene. By the 1980s, methods of genetic analysis had advanced just enough to contemplate an effort to hunt down the defective Doberman gene. I can never reconstruct the combination of factors that led to the onset of my own narcolepsy, but the stage was set at the moment of my conception in 1972, at around the time of Monique's birth in Saskatchewan. My one-cell self inherited a particular version of a gene (known as HLA-DQB1*0602) that forms part of a set that helps the immune system distinguish friend from foe. HLA-DQB1*0602 is pretty common around one in four people in Europe boasts a copy but it plays a key role in many cases of narcolepsy, and is present in 98 per cent of those with narcolepsy and cataplexy. On top of this genetic background, there may have been some bad timing too. People with narcolepsy are slightly but significantly more likely to be born in March (as, indeed, I was). This so-called 'birth effect' is seen in other autoimmune disorders and is probably explained by a seasonally variable infection at a particular moment in development. In the case of narcolepsy, it seems that those of us born in March are just a little bit more vulnerable than others. While other infections during my childhood, hormonal fluctuations and emotional stress may also have played a part, it was in late 1993 that I probably encountered a key pathogen an influenza virus or Streptococcus perhaps. It was this that took me to an autoimmune tipping point and resulted in the rapid dismantling of my orexin system. In short, most cases of narcolepsy are probably the result of an unfortunate combination of events that create the perfect immunological storm. Around this time, the Doberman project in Stanford was on the verge of unravelling the genetic basis of narcolepsy in this breed. The man tasked with hunting down the mutation responsible was Emmanuel Mignot, who subsequently succeeded Dement as director of the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine. We meet in his office there, joined by Watson, a narcoleptic Chihuahua he adopted a few years ago. "It's such a silly breed," he says, holding down Watson's ears to prevent them from burning, then setting him on the floor. "Not one I would ever have chosen myself." At first, Watson is wary of me, keeping his distance and growling. When I get down to his eye level, he yaps and jumps in at me, then out, pretending he is fiercer than he is. I can empathise, even across the gulf that separates his species from mine. I know about the excessive daytime sleepiness. I know about the cataplexy, how it feels to have emotions short a neurological circuit in the brainstem and cause a muscular collapse (just as occurs in the rapid eye movement, or REM, stage of sleep, when most dreaming takes place). I wonder if Watson suffers the total terror of sleep paralysis and the supernatural hallucinations that often accompany it. As he looks back at me, his eyelids close and open with a dullness I recognise. He turns, daintily steps into his basket and curls up for the rest of the interview. Back in the 1980s, the idea of locating the gene for canine narcolepsy was off-the-scale ambitious. Breeding narcoleptic Dobermans is harder than it sounds, as the afflicted tend to topple over mid-coitus, temporarily paralysed by a cataplectic thrill (a so-called 'orgasmolepsy' that can occur in humans too). This impracticality aside, there was also the task of locating a gene whose sequence was not known, in a genome that was, at the time, a no man's land. "Most people said I was crazy," says Mignot. In a sense, they were right, because it took him more than a decade, hundreds of dogs and over $1 million. And he was nearly beaten to it. In January 1998, after more than a decade of painstaking mapping, and just as Mignot's team was closing in on the gene, a young neuroscientist called Luis de Lecea at the Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, and colleagues published a paper describing two novel brain peptides. They gave them the name 'hypocretins' an elision of hypothalamus (where they were found) and secretin (a gut hormone with a similar structure). They appeared to be chemical messengers acting exclusively inside the brain. Just weeks later, a team led by Masashi Yanagisawa at the University of Texas independently described the exact same peptides, though called them 'orexins' and added the structure of their receptors into the bargain. They speculated that the interaction of these proteins with their receptors might have something to do with regulating feeding behaviour. "We didn't even think about sleep at all," admits Yanagisawa, now director of the International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine at the University of Tsukuba in Japan. Back at Stanford, Mignot heard about the two papers, but there was no reason to imagine this new pathway had anything to do with narcolepsy or sleep. By the spring of 1999, however, he and his team had worked out that the recessive mutation had to lie in one of two genes. One was expressed in the foreskin. "It didn't look like a candidate for narcolepsy," says Mignot. The smart money was on the other gene, which encoded one of the two orexin receptors. When he got wind that Yanagisawa had engineered a mouse lacking orexins that slept in a manner characteristic of narcolepsy, the race was on. Within weeks, Mignot and his team had submitted a paper to the journal Cell, revealing a defect in the gene encoding one of the orexin receptors. "This result identifies hypocretins [orexins] as major sleep-modulating neurotransmitters and opens novel potential therapeutic approaches for narcoleptic patients," they wrote. Kahlua one of a litter of Dobermans all named after alcoholic beverages lay sprawled across the cover of the issue. Yanagisawa and colleagues added their experimental evidence to the mix just two weeks later, also in Cell. Under normal circumstances, a chemical messenger and its receptor work a lot like a key and lock. A key (the messenger) fits into a lock (its receptor) to open a door (cause a change within the target cell). In the case of Mignot's Dobermans, a massive mutation had effectively jammed the lock of the orexin receptor, rendering the orexin useless. Whether it's the lock that doesn't work, as in this case, or that the keys are missing, as they were in Yanagisawa's mice, the upshot is the same. The door won't open. The orexin system is broken. In human narcolepsy, there are many ways to break the orexin system. Occasionally, a brain tumour or head trauma is sufficient to do the damage. In most cases, however, narcolepsy is caused by the series of unfortunate events outlined above. The orexin neurons are a very big deal, and not just for those like me who've lost them. Present in every major class of vertebrate, they have to be doing something seriously important. When de Lecea first described the orexins in 1998, he was in his mid-20s and had only recently moved from Barcelona in Spain to San Diego. In 2006, he made the move from there to Stanford to be closer to the sleep action. "To be honest, I thought we'd understand the system much better at this point than we actually do," he says. But we have found out a lot, particularly thanks to optogenetics, a technique de Lecea helped pioneer. By deploying a virus, a promoter and a gene found in blue-green algae, it is possible to render a particular population of neurons sensitive to light. To illustrate this wizardry, de Lecea brings up a video on his laptop. There is a mouse in a cage that has been engineered so its orexin neurons will fire in response to light. There is a thin fibre-optic cable running into its brain. "The mouse is asleep," he says, waves of electrical activity characteristic of deep sleep spooling across an inset video at the top of the screen. The optic cable comes alive, a pulse of bluish light flashing for precisely ten seconds. The light-sensitive orexin neurons release their neuropeptides and, all of a sudden, the mouse wakes up. When the light goes off, it falls asleep as rapidly as it awoke. There can be few more striking illustrations of the power of the orexins than this. Completely unexpectedly, I feel my tear ducts tingling and for a split-second I almost envy the mouse. Using optogenetics and other methods, de Lecea has been able to show that the orexins have a powerful effect on many important neurological networks. In some settings, they act like neurotransmitters, crossing gaps in neurons to activate target neurons that release a chemical called norepinephrine throughout the brain's cortex. In other settings, the orexins act more like hormones, working further afield in the brain. This is how orexins influence other brain chemicals, including dopamine (essential for the processing of reward, in planning and for motivation), serotonin (strongly associated with mood and implicated in depression) and histamine (an important alerting signal). "In most other neural networks, there are parallel and multiple layers of security," says de Lecea, so if something isn't working properly, there are systems that can step in and pick up the slack. In the case of the orexins, however, there appears to be little or no backup at all. So, manipulating this system produces the kind of clear-cut response that scientists can work with. "It is a brilliant model for understanding neural networks more generally," says de Lecea. What we now know about orexins also helps explain why losing just a few tens of thousands of cells should result in a disabling, multi-symptomatic disorder like narcolepsy something that messes with wakefulness and sleep, body temperature, metabolism, feeding, motivation and mood. These proteins are giving us a privileged insight into how the human brain does what it does. All this makes the orexin story sound like the archetypal double helix-like tale of scientific discovery, the perfect illustration of how science works. There's an underlying puzzle (narcolepsy), an origin story (Monique), foresight (Dement), ambition (Mignot), technological developments (genetics), a photogenic animal (Dobermans), a race (with Yanagisawa), it looks like science (optogenetics) and there's a still-higher purpose (sleep and the brain). It is elements like these that can transform everyday scientific events into a compelling cultural narrative, says Stephen Casper, a historian of neurology at Clarkson University in New York. "It has all the ingredients of something that I think physiologists and neurologists in the early part of the 20th century were looking for and hoping they would find, something that would bring together heredity, biochemistry, biophysics, neurology and psychology." But there is a pattern in biomedical research of niche disorders opening up promising avenues of research that never end up helping the patients themselves, Casper adds. The narrative around narcolepsy has something missing, he says: "A good story should have a clear happy ending." We are still waiting for that happy ending. Even if I could get my hands on a vial of orexin-A or orexin-B, how would it get into my brain? Swallowed in solution, the enzymes in my gut would make short shrift of it, plucking off the amino acids like beads off a necklace. Injected into muscle or the bloodstream, not enough would make it through the bloodbrain barrier. There have been some experiments on a nasal delivery, suggesting that sniffing orexins may be a way to smuggle some of them into the hypothalamus via the olfactory nerve, but there has been relatively little investment in this approach. This does not mean that the pharmaceutical industry has ignored the discovery of the orexin pathway. Far from it. Within just 15 years of the Cell publication by Mignot and colleagues that linked a loss of orexin to narcolepsy, Merck had received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for suvorexant (or Belsomra as it's known in the trade), a small molecule capable of getting through the bloodbrain barrier and blocking orexin receptors. A drug that promoted sleepiness was not the application that most people with narcolepsy were looking for. By preventing the orexins from binding to their receptors, Belsomra effectively creates an acute case of narcolepsy, but where the fog, ideally, will have started to lift by the morning. Sleeping pills commonly used to treat insomnia tend to work by depressing the central nervous system as a whole, says Paul Coleman, a medicinal chemist who works at Merck's laboratories at West Point, Philadelphia, and who was instrumental in the development of Belsomra. "What's so exciting about Belsomra is that it is very selective for blocking wakefulness, so it doesn't affect the systems that control balance, memory and cognition," he says. In his career, Coleman has developed drugs to treat a range of different infections, illnesses and disorders, but the orexin system stands out. "Narcolepsy has given us a thread we can pull on to unravel a lot about what underlies the systems that govern wakefulness and sleep," he says. "Wakefulness is a pretty central process for everybody, whether you are a healthy person or have narcolepsy or insomnia. It's the most exciting thing I've had a chance to work on." The applications of Belsomra may be wider still, with clinical trials proposed to investigate its potential to help shift workers sleep during the hours of daylight, improve the sleep of Alzheimer's patients, help those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, combat drug addiction and ease human panic disorder. I am delighted to see these developments, but the millions of us with narcolepsy are still hoping for a drug that could work in the brain to rouse rather than silence the orexin system. This has been a long-term project for Masashi Yanagisawa, who was in the race with Mignot to link the orexins with narcolepsy 20 years ago. But designing and synthesising a compound that will make it through the gut intact, that has what it takes to find its way from blood to brain, and that boasts the perfect configuration to activate one or both of the orexin receptors is "a very, very high challenge" he says, one that is "significantly" greater than finding a compound to interfere with the receptor as Belsomra does. Earlier this year, Yanagisawa and his colleagues published data on the most potent such compound to date, a small molecule called YNT-185. Injections of this molecule into narcoleptic mice significantly improves their wakefulness and cataplexy and reduces the abundance of the REM stage of sleep in which most dreaming occurs (one of the characteristics of narcolepsy). This, says Yanagisawa, is a "proof of concept". Although the affinity of YNT-185 (how strongly it binds to the orexin receptor) is not great enough to warrant a clinical trial, Yanagisawa's team has already hit upon several other potential candidates. "The best one is almost 1,000 times stronger than YNT-185," he says. While the symptoms of narcolepsy can vary wildly from one person to the next, the underlying pathology the absence of orexins is still the same. "If this compound works, it'll work for all those patients," he says. "In that sense, it's a relatively simple clinical trial compared to many other disorders." A still more futuristic avenue involves stem cells. Sergiu Pasca has the office next to Emmanuel Mignot at Stanford and in 2015, he and his colleagues developed a way to take induced pluripotent stem cells (fashioned from skin cells) and direct them towards a new life as brain cells. "You can use this system to derive various brain regions and like a Lego game, assemble them to form circuits in a dish," he says. Recently, his lab has developed methods to do something similar for people with narcolepsy, starting with a skin cell and ending up with a fully functional orexin neuron. In theory, it should be possible to transplant this into the brains of people with narcolepsy and restore some of the function. This is, however, not something to be taken lightly. For a start, the cells themselves are unlikely to be exactly the same as orexin cells, inserting a needle into the brain is not a risk-free exercise, and there's always the possibility that the immune system might make another assault on the transplanted cells. So, will the tale of the orexins really have a happy ending? The translation of basic research into the clinic is notoriously difficult and expensive, says Casper. (The cost of the current best available treatment for narcolepsy sodium oxybate, or Xyrem is such that it is not routinely available for adults in England, even though it could transform the lives of many.) There is a widespread perception that narcolepsy is a rare disorder with a small market, so any pharmaceutical research and development in this area would be unlikely to reap a significant return. This ignores the fact that narcolepsy is probably undiagnosed in many people, and that someone who develops narcolepsy in their teens and lives into their 80s would need some 25,000 doses over their lifetime. Even more compellingly perhaps, the orchestrating role that the orexins play in the brain suggests the market for such a drug would go far beyond narcolepsy. Something that tickled up the orexins would be useful for any condition where excessive daytime sleepiness is an issue, not to mention the myriad other situations where low levels of these messengers may play a role, including obesity, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and dementia. There is, I believe, one other reason why this story has not yet reached its conclusion. For too long, sleep has been undervalued, seen as an inconvenient distraction from wakefulness. With this mindset, research into the neuroscience of sleep does not seem like it should be a priority. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is now abundant evidence that poor sleep can have devastating consequences for physical, mental and psychological health. Sleep is not incidental. It is fundamental, a matter of serious public health. Investing in sleep research is not just about the few with demonstrable sleep disorders. It is about everyone. Provided by Mosaic ESMO, the leading European professional organisation for medical oncology, was present at the WHO Global Conference on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) that finished last Friday in Montevideo, Uruguay. From 18 to 20 October 2017, Heads of State, Ministers, top WHO and UN officials, as well as NGOs and other stakeholders, attended the forum hosted by the President of Uruguay with the aim of enhancing policy coherence in order to attain the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 of a one-third reduction of premature deaths from NCDs by 2030. Alexandru Eniu, Romania, ESMO Global Policy Committee Chair, and Eduardo Cazap, Argentina, Deputy Chair, attended the Conference on behalf of ESMO. "ESMO welcomes the outcomes of the WHO Global Conference on NCDs in Uruguay. NCDs are considered a major health challenge of our times and the meeting's conclusions represent many hours of careful debate," said Eniu. "It is important to stress that most premature deaths from cancer, or other NCDs, are preventable or curable if health systems respond more effectively to the needs of their populations. Therefore, influencing public policies in sectors within and outside health (such as environmental, fiscal, educational, agricultural policies, among others) is essential," he explained. "Based on the slow rate of decline in premature mortality from the four main NCDs seen today, if nothing is done, the world will not be able to meet the Sustainable Development Goal target 3.4, let alone achieve universal health coverage," Eniu pointed out. Eniu highlighted that addressing cancer specifically is a must: "Cancer is on the rise globally with the number of new cases expected to reach about 70% over the next two decades. National cancer-specific targets and indicators need to be included now in the emerging NCD global and national agendas. Global recommendations are important, but change happens at the local level," he stressed. "No one should be left behind!" emphasized Cazap. "Health authorities must make sure that universal health coverage is available. Countries should offer basic packages of cancer services that promote prevention, but also provide timely access to care and to essential cancer medicines. With inexpensive and easy-to-implement measures we could reduce mortality now," he said. "The oncology community is ready to help," explained Eniu. "ESMO and other organisations can provide valuable tools and guidance that will help authorities achieve their goals. For example, ESMO worked together with other societies to propose updates to the most recent WHO Model List of Essential Medicines in Oncology (6). There are about 20 inexpensive essential medicines used in the treatment of 80% of cancers. The 2013-2020 WHO Global Action Plan on Prevention and Control on NCDs has a target of 80% availability of essential medicines for NCDs by 2025. The WHO Model List is a reliable tool supporting national efforts to identify and improve access to essential cancer medicines and to help develop sustainable treatment of cancer." "Cancer patients need proper and timely care today, as set out earlier this year in the 2017 World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolution on Cancer prevention and control in the context of an integrated approach (7)," said Eniu. "Cost effective measures to detect and treat cancer exist. They should be implemented without further delay to reduce the inequalities in cancer care we see today," he concluded. More information: Andreas Ullrich et al. ESMO and WHO: 14 years of working in partnership on cancer control, ESMO Open (2016). Andreas Ullrich et al. ESMO and WHO: 14 years of working in partnership on cancer control,(2016). DOI: 10.1136/esmoopen-2015-000012 In a first for hospital infection control, the UC San Francisco Health Informatics team has used electronic health records (EHRs) to track down a source of a common hospital-acquired infection by tracing the movements of more than 85,000 patients over a three-year period. A bacterium known as Clostridium difficile (colloquially called "C. diff") is the leading cause of infections in healthcare settings, but the complex interactions and location changes that take place in hospitals often make it difficult to identify the source of these infections. UCSF is committed to reducing rates of hospital acquired C. diff. In the new study, published October 23, 2017 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, the UCSF Health Informatics team used time and location stampswhich are entered in EHRs whenever patients undergo procedures, such as radiological scans or operations, or are moved to different parts of the hospitalto map 435,000 patient location changes throughout the UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus between 2013 and 2016. Ultimately, first author Sara Murray, MD, MAS, assistant professor of medicine at UCSF, and her team were able to use the data to construct a map of where all patients with C. diff infections had travelled in the hospitaland exactly when they had been in each placeover the course of the three-year study period. Murray and colleagues then looked to see what happened to the patients who visited the same locations within 24 hours of an infected patient, the period in which that location was considered, for the purposes of the study, to be "potentially contaminated." Patients who passed through a space while it was potentially contaminated were considered "exposed" to C. diff. The team then calculated the odds of C. diff infection as a result of exposure by comparing infection rates over the next two months for those considered exposed to rates for those who passed through the same spaces at a time it hadn't recently been used by a patient with C. diff. This controlled for the different characteristics of patients who visited these spaces, which could confound the results. "Most studies looking at C. diff in hospitals typically only look at whether patients were on the same hospital floor," said Russ Cucina, MD, senior author on the study and chief health information officer at UCSF. "Some studies look at whether patients were roommates or occupied a bed recently vacated by an infected patient. But they don't think about everywhere else in the hospital patients go. If we just look at transmission in their room, we're missing potential opportunities for disease transmission." The very broad analysis used in the new study revealed that one locationa particular CT scanner in the Emergency Departmentwas a significant source of exposure-related infections. Patients who entered that scanner within 24 hours after C. diff-positive patients were more than twice as likely to become infected with the bacterium themselves: 4 percent of the patients who were considered exposed in the scanner contracted C. diff within two months; the overall rate of infection for patients who passed through the scanner was 1.6 percent. The hospital moved swiftly to standardize the cleaning practices for that scanner to match those used in other radiology suites. No other sites at the hospital raised concerns regarding C. diff transmission in the three years under review. "This shows the potential for what can happen when thoughtful data scientists leverage electronic health records to tackle a common healthcare problem," said Niraj Sehgal, MD, MPH, vice president and chief quality officer for UCSF Health and professor of medicine at UCSF, who was not involved in the study. "Their novel approach helped bolster our infection prevention strategies but also demonstrated the answers that can come from studying the vast sources of data generated through a patient's hospitalization." Hospitals have had EHRs for a number of years, but the field of clinical informatics, which aims to discover meaningful patterns in large medical datasets, is relatively new, and researchers are only just discovering how to use these records to improve patient care. EHRs contain voluminous data in UCSF's case, spanning some 16,000 tablesand these data can be hard to interpret. "There are just so many places data are stored, and one of the challenges is ensuring that the data you choose truly represent what they appear to," said Murray. "The key to success with these kinds of studies is careful attention to detail and validation of the work." The authors said the current study is just a beginning, and that UCSF's health informatics team will continue to probe EHRs for the who, what, when, where, and why of what happens to patients in the hospital. "The electronic health record is a treasure trove of clinical data and insights, but we are just beginning to discover how to unlock its secrets," said Robert Wachter, MD, chair of the UCSF department of medicine and author of the bestselling book The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine's Computer Age. "This study demonstrates the potential to transform patient care when innovative clinicians and technology experts join hands to tackle healthcare's hardest problems." Mike and Julie were eagerly counting down the days until they'd get to meet their baby girl, Emma. But hours after her birth, their joy turned to worry. Doctors had made a discovery that shocked them: Their newborn daughter had what appeared to be testes. The next 24 hours were a blur as Emma underwent several tests, and her parents were told that for unexplained reasons, she was born with XY chromosomes. "They told us 'you don't need to raise your baby as male or female. You can be gender neutral for the first year,'" Julie remembers. "It blew our mind. Maybe in a perfect world we could, but this isn't a perfect world and society doesn't allow you to raise a nongender child. How could we ever choose a gender for our child? My heart was just broken for her imagining how hard her life would be." "At the time, we were just so uneducated about this topic. We felt extremely alone and isolated." About 1 in 1,500 babies are born with a disorder, or difference, of sex development (referred to by some outside the medical community as intersex), in which development of the sex chromosomes, gonads or sex anatomy is atypical. While families are then often faced with the difficult and controversial decision of whether they should surgically reinforce a child's gender, few hospitals are equipped with specialist teams highly qualified to treat these conditions. In fact, there's significant difference in how institutions across the country respond to such caseshaving a major impact on a family's experience and decisions about sometimes irreversible procedures, according to a new study led by members of the DSD team at University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. "A family's experience and potential care for these conditions may be drastically different depending on where their child is born," says senior author David Sandberg, Ph.D., a pediatric psychologist at Mott. "We found substantial variability across health care institutions in the ways that they organized and delivered care for these patients and families as well as how families were counseled prior to genital or reproductive anatomy surgery." The study included 22 sites that offer DSD services and is the first to examine clinical practices for these conditions at U.S. medical centers. The findings were published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, along with a second U-M-led study addressing the importance of psychosocial screenings in DSD care. "Our findings suggest the field has significant room to improve guidelines for diagnosing and treating disorders of sex development," Sandberg says. "We need stronger collaboration among providers to determine the most effective practices to guide families as they make major decisions about their child's well-being and future." The first few days after Emma's birth at a Grand Rapids-area hospital were brutal for Mike and Julie as they tried to educate themselves on Emma's condition and determine the best next steps. "People were just flooding our room and we were putting on smiles when inside we were broken. We didn't know who to tell," Julie says. "We spent the first 10 months living a double life, having test after test done and still not knowing exactly what she had or what to do. "We had one endocrinologist actually tell us that we would know what gender to pick by age 2 or 3 depending on if our child played with Barbies or cars and dinosaurs. That made us lose faith in the system." A year later, through their own research and a DSD support group, the couple connected with other experts and found their way to Mott, where their experience immediately changed. There, they found an interdisciplinary team of endocrinologists, geneticists, urologists, surgeons, gynecologists, social workers, psychologists and others who worked as a team to customize care for each family. Through further testing, the couple learned they each had rare genetic traits that increased the chance their children would be born with the specific DSD condition Emma had. And a few years later, Emma's younger sibling was born with the same one. This time, they were more prepared and supported by their health care team and other families they had connected with who had similar journeys. "We felt more informed and had doctors who understood us and were on our team. We needed that big-time," Julie says. "We felt so fortunate to have found them; it solidified that this was what it was supposed to be like. This team is pioneering the way it should be handled everywhere. Nobody should have to experience what we did the first time." "We want to protect our children's privacy but also want to share our story in order to raise awareness about DSD," she adds. "There can be so much stigma and shame attached but mostly because people aren't educated about DSD, just like we weren't until it affected us." Optimizing care in the future While most sites in the U-M study reported some degree of involvement of pediatric urology, surgery and endocrinology in the care of DSD patients, gynecology and neonatology were most frequently not represented. Sites were surveyed on multiple areas of practice, including the consent process for helping families understand potential risks of treatment, the possibility a child later identifies with a different gender, surgical complications, possible effects on sexual function and fertility,hormonal consequences of removing the gonads (accompanied by the need for lifelong hormone replacement) or psychological impacts. Sandberg says the survey suggests that sites would benefit from a network that facilitates the sharing of resources and strategies to improve care and patient outcomes. He notes that clinician perceptions of service may also differ from the experience of patients. "All institutions share the goal of optimizing care of patients with DSD, but delivering patient- and family-centered care for these conditions is often complex and challenging, requiring the input of multiple providers and families," Sandberg says. "Many factors likely play a role in why there is so much variability in practices, but we need to better understand the reasons so we can establish which practices and model of care are associated with the best patient outcomes. We need to work together as providers to identify opportunities for change that enhance health and quality of life outcomes for patients and families affected by DSD." Congress leader Ashok Gehlot alleged today that police were checking hotel rooms booked in his name, after he met with Patidar leader Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani. By India Today Web Desk: "What is happening in Gandhiji's Gujarat?" That's what Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said today, after alleging that police were checking hotel rooms booked in his name, after he met with Patidar leader Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani. He alleged that this "surveilance" was being done on the BJP's orders. In one of a series of tweets, he asked "Why CCTV footage was taken by IB and police from (the) hotel? Is the right to privacy, sole proprietorship of Jay Amit Shah?" The rooms which hv been booked in my name are being checked. We are openly saying, we have met them n will keep meeting them in future too.- Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) October 23, 2017 When they met BJP leaders, then their offices were not checked. Why it is being done now? #Gujarat- Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) October 23, 2017 advertisement "Are Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mevani criminals or absconders? If that is so, BJP must clear its stand?" he asked. The Congress had invited both Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mevani to join it ahead of Assembly polls in Gujarat, which has long been a BJP stronghold. Mevani has told NDTV he won't join any political party, but that he "will do what needs to be done to bring down the BJP." WATCH | Rahul Gandhi launches scathing attack on BJP in poll-bound Gujarat, calls GST Gabbar Singh Tax --- ENDS --- Molecular micro graphical abstract. Credit: Calvopina et al 2017 Resistance to antibiotics is becoming increasingly prevalent and threatens to undermine healthcare systems across the globe. Antibiotics including penicillins, cephalosporins and carbapenems are known as -lactams and are the most commonly prescribed worldwide. In the first paper, University of Bristol researchers defined the relative importance of two mechanisms associated with -lactam antibiotic resistance. In one, bacteria restrict the entry of antibiotics into the cell; in the other, bacteria produce an enzyme (a -lactamase), which destroys any antibiotic that gets into the cell. The latter was found to be the more important of the two mechanisms. These findings imply that if chemicals could be developed to inhibit -lactamase enzymes, a significant proportion of antibiotic resistance could successfully be reversed. Building on these findings, and working in partnership with chemists at the University of Oxford and the University of Leeds, in the second paper, Bristol researchers studied the effectiveness of two types of -lactamase enzyme inhibitor in a bacterium known to be highly resistant to common antibiotics. Using a variety of approaches, the authors studied avibactam, an inhibitor that has recently been introduced into clinical practice, and a "bicyclic boronate" inhibitor, which was first reported by the Oxford/Leeds/Bristol team in 2016. They found both inhibitors failed to consistently protect the -lactam antibiotic, ceftazidime, from attack by the -lactamase enzyme. However, when paired with a different -lactam antibiotic =, aztreonam, the inhibitors worked extremely well and killed some of the most resistant bacteria ever seen in the clinic. Dr Matthew Avison, Reader in Molecular Bacteriology from the University of Bristol's School of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, and senior author for both studies said: "Our bacteriology research has further demonstrated that -lactamases are the real "Achilles heel" of antibiotic resistance in bacteria that kill thousands of people in the UK every year. "Structural/mechanistic work on -lactamase enzymes, including that led by my colleague Dr Jim Spencer, is helping to drive the discovery of wave after wave of -lactamase inhibitors, including the potentially game-changing bicyclic boronate class, shown to be effective in our research, and recently successful in phase one clinical trials. "Two -lactamase inhibitors have recently been licenced for clinical use: avibactam and vaborbactam. Our work shows that avibactam might more successfully be deployed with aztreonam instead of ceftazidime as its antibiotic partner. We are delighted to see that this combination has entered clinical trials, and has recently saved the life of a patient in the USA who was suffering from a previously untreatable infection." "This is an exciting time for researchers studying -lactamase inhibitors. At the risk of sounding like King Canute, it is the first time for a decade that there is some genuine positivity about our ability to turn back the rising tide of -lactam antibiotic resistance." More information: Juan-Carlos Jimenez-Castellanos et al, Envelope proteome changes driven by RamA overproduction in Klebsiella pneumoniae that enhance acquired -lactam resistance, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (2017). Juan-Carlos Jimenez-Castellanos et al, Envelope proteome changes driven by RamA overproduction in Klebsiella pneumoniae that enhance acquired -lactam resistance,(2017). DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkx345 Karina Calvopina et al. Structural/mechanistic insights into the efficacy of nonclassical -lactamase inhibitors against extensively drug resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia clinical isolates, Molecular Microbiology (2017). DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13831 Journal information: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy , Molecular Microbiology Left retina with blot hemorrhages and scar tissue from diabetic retinopathy. Credit: M. Elizabeth Hartnett, M.D. For millions of Americans, their world is dissolving into an unrecognizable blur. Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease affecting one-third of the estimated 30 million Americans who struggle with diabetes. As the patients' vision slowly fades, it never recovers and few treatments are available. Researchers at University of Utah Health have identified a protein (ARF6) that when inhibited reduces diabetic retinopathy, a condition that results when blood vessels at the back of the eye leak fluid into the eye, impairing vision. Published in the October 23 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation, these results offer an opportunity to develop new treatments for this eye disorder. "What is exciting about this study is that we and our collaborators identified a compound (NAV-2729) that inhibits ARF6, which is crucial for the development of diabetic retinopathy," explained co-first author Weiquan (Wendy) Zhu, Ph.D., research assistant professor in Internal Medicine at U of U Health. Studies were conducted in rodents treated to simulate the diabetic condition. By injecting NAV-2729 into the eyes of these animals, vessel leakage, as well as, the overgrowth of blood vessels, another driver of disease, were significantly reduced. The long-term efficacy of treatment remains unknown. It also remains to be determined whether the drug will be suitable as a therapeutic intervention for people. "ARF6 acts like a traffic cop at a busy intersection within a cell," explained Dean Li, Ph.D., vice president, Head of Translational Medicine at Merck & Co. and senior author on the paper. Li is the former associate vice president and chief scientific officer at U of U Health and co-founder of Navigen Inc. "ARF6 orchestrates multiple inflammatory signals that contribute to inflammation common in many diseases, including diabetic eye disease." ARF6 amplifies and maintains the signal protein (vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)) receptor, which stimulates a series of cascading responses, leading to a diseased state in the eye. Today, patients with diabetic eye disease can receive monthly anti-VEGF injections directly into the eye to reduce inflammation, a treatment that is successful in only 40 percent of patients. In the study, injections of NAV-2729 into the eyes of diabetic mice were more effective in reducing blood vessel leakage than the anti-VEGF injections. "Diabetic retinopathy can develop over time, leading to dramatic vision loss that may not be improved with glasses," said M. Elizabeth Hartnett, M.D., professor in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Moran Eye Center and a contributor to this study. "New treatments are needed, because diabetic retinopathy is increasing world-wide and anticipated to increase more in the next decades." Also new to this study, the researchers identified two proteins ? GEP100 and ARNO ? that play a critical role in the signaling process. These proteins activate ARF6 at two different locations in the cell to continue the signaling cycle. "We think these results are important because they identified a mechanism by which ARF6 controls VEGF receptor signaling and therefore may have much broader implications, extending to other diseases that involve VEGF receptor activation, such as cancer," said Shannon Odelberg, Ph.D., research associate professor in Internal Medicine at U of U health and corresponding author on the study. According to Odelberg, ARNO activates ARF6, which shuttles the VEGF receptor into the cell where its signal can be amplified. GEP100 activates ARF6 to recycle the VEGF receptor back to the outside of the cell where it can be reactivated for the signaling process to begin again. This signaling loop triggers disease by increasing blood vessel leak and the formation of new and weak blood vessels. The team of researchers plan to continue to explore the role of ARF6 in other inflammatory diseases. NAV-2729 was identified by A6, a subsidiary company of Navigen Inc, a Salt Lake City drug discovery and development company, whose research scientists contributed to this study. According to Zhu, A6 researchers are pushing forward with development of other compounds, which are more suitable as potential new treatments. Provided by University of Utah Health Prostate cancer. Credit: Almac Diagnostics Queen's University Belfast has led the world's largest research study using a diagnostic test developed by Almac Diagnostics, to better understand the biology of prostate cancer tumours, which could lead to a transformation in how prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated. Whether a prostate cancer patient has a slow-growing or aggressive tumour will affect the type of treatment required. It is only through understanding the type and genetics of the particular cancer tumour that clinicians will be able to put an effective treatment plan in place. Lead researcher, Dr Suneil Jain from the Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology at Queen's University Belfast explains: "Current diagnosis of prostate cancer involves biopsies, scans and blood tests to determine how aggressive the cancer is and subsequently to develop an appropriate treatment plan. Doctors repeatedly report that these tools aren't always effective in determining how aggressive the cancer is, which can mean it is difficult to decide on the best treatment for an individual patient." Global Personalised medicine company Almac Diagnostics has developed a gene expression biomarker, known as Metastatic Assay, which aims to quickly diagnose the type of prostate cancer. The test analyses the genetics of the tumour enabling clinicians to understand the type of tumour, whether it is a slow-growing or aggressive and if the latter, to what extent. Researchers at Queen's University Belfast led the world's largest study of this kind, using Metastatic Assay on prostate biopsies from 248 patients who had previously been treated for prostate cancer. The research findings, published in Annals of Oncology, found the diagnostic test to be more effective than the standard clinical tests. Professor Richard Kennedy, Global VP and Medical Director at Almac Diagnostics and McClay Professor in Medical Oncology at Queen's University Belfast commented: "The assay has now proven to be superior to conventional clinical tests at predicting aggressive disease in two independent studies, the first of which used surgical tissue, while this study used tissue taken from needle biopsy. We believe it will play an important role in identifying men who may benefit from treatment intensification." Treatment options available to prostate cancer patients include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, brachytherapy and hormone therapy. Although radiotherapy is often used to effectively treat patients with prostate cancer, 20- 30% of patients can relapse within five years. Dr Jain explains: "The relapse of many prostate patients could be avoided through undergoing more intensive treatment including higher dosages of radiotherapy. There are also potential side-effects associated with administering more intensive treatment so a test that enables us to deliver the right treatment to the right patient would be extremely beneficial in clinical practice." The project was funded by Prostate Cancer UK and the Movember Centre of Excellence, a joint venture between Queen's University Belfast and academic colleagues in Manchester. Dr Iain Frame, Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK said: "This research could provide clinicians with the answers they need to identify which cancers are likely to spread and give men peace of mind that the decision they make regarding their treatment is the right one. It's still early days but it's great to see how the work taking place at the Movember Centres of Excellence has the potential to bring about real change for men. We look forward to further results." More information: S Jain et al, Validation of a Metastatic Assay using biopsies to improve risk stratification in patients with prostate cancer treated with radical radiation therapy, Annals of Oncology (2017). Journal information: Annals of Oncology S Jain et al, Validation of a Metastatic Assay using biopsies to improve risk stratification in patients with prostate cancer treated with radical radiation therapy,(2017). DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx637 Many people associate the word "bacteria" with something dirty and disgusting. Dr. Pere Santamaria disagrees. Called the microbiome, the bacteria in our bodies have all kinds of positive effects on our health, Santamaria says. "The bacteria we have in our gut actually have many beneficial functions. They help in our digestion, prevent infection by pathogens and educate our immune system on what to fight." Now, a new function of a protein in the gut microbiome reveals potential impacts for those who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Published last week in Cell, a study by Santamaria and Kathy McCoy, PhD, from the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) reveals a new mechanism in the gut microbiome that regulates pro- and anti-inflammatory cells. "We found that a protein expressed by gut bacteria called Bacteroides works to prevent IBD by rapidly recruiting white blood cells to kill a cell of the immune system that is responsible for orchestrating IBD," says McCoy. "We think that this mechanism is likely involved in preventing most people from developing IBD." However, there is a flipside to the protein's call for help. "In some people, the white blood cells overreact to the presence of the IBD bacteria. This is what causes problems like IBDit's not the bacteria itself, but the immune system's severe reaction triggered by the protein. These same overstimulated white blood cells are also the cells that cause other autoimmune disorders like diabetes," says Santamaria. "This discovery demonstrates the effect the gut microbiome has on the immune system and unearths a novel mechanism via which changes in the gut microbiome can increase the risk of autoimmune disorders. While we looked specifically at IBD, it is likely there are many proteins in the gut that contribute to the development of other autoimmune disorders via similar mechanisms." Research into the gut microbiome requires the isolation of a single bacterium in animal models in order to rule out other environmental factors. "It was germ-free mice that first began our research collaboration," says McCoy. Prior to joining UCalgary, McCoy was working with germ-free mice at the University of Bern, Switzerland. "Dr. Santamaria sent me his mouse strains to make them germ-free and then we were able to add back single microbial species that did or did not express the protein in the gut to investigate their effect." Six years later, the pair are still working together and looking ahead to the future impacts of their discoveries. While more research is necessary, Santamaria and McCoy are optimistic that new therapies will be developed that harness the power of the gut microbiome. The new Western Canadian Microbiome Center (WCMC)'s germ-free facility, opening in November 2017 at the CSM, will provide the perfect space to investigate gut bacteria. "We will be able to study specific gut microbiomes without other environmental variables to consider," says McCoy, who is the director of the WCMC. "This will help us further this research, as well as complete many other studies into the effects of the microbiome." More information: Roopa Hebbandi Nanjundappa et al. A Gut Microbial Mimic that Hijacks Diabetogenic Autoreactivity to Suppress Colitis, Cell (2017). Journal information: Cell Roopa Hebbandi Nanjundappa et al. A Gut Microbial Mimic that Hijacks Diabetogenic Autoreactivity to Suppress Colitis,(2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.09.022 For children with type 1 diabetes, daily monitoring of blood glucose levels is vital for since glucose level awareness dictates the rest of their diabetes care, like insulin dose adjustments, eating behaviors, and physical activity. However, studies have shown overall diabetic glycemic control often deteriorates during adolescence, leading to increased risks of costly and potentially life-threatening complications. A new study shows that using small financial incentives and accessible monitoring tools such as wireless glucometers and apps may motivate young people to engage in playing a more active role in the management of their condition. The results of a randomized control trial, led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Duke University School of Medicine, show that participants in the intervention group, where a $60 monthly credit was on the line, were nearly three times more likely to achieve daily glucose monitoring goals. Behavioral economic interventions using financial incentives have been successfully used to increase adherence to chronic disease management regimens in adult populations, but have not yet been widely tested in younger populations. The authors say the study, published today in JAMA Pediatrics, shows that the strategy may be an effective way to reach a population that has historically been considered difficult to engage. "Young people are often financially dependent on others, such as their parents, making financial incentives an attractive option for encouraging them to become more engaged in their own health as they move into adulthood," said lead author Charlene Wong, MD, an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Duke University School of Medicine, who was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar and senior fellow in Penn's Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the time of the study. "Our results showed that offering a small monthly financial incentive significantly improved daily glucose monitoring, and suggests similar financial incentives could also be an effective way to improve management of other chronic health conditions in youth, such as medication adherence in those who have received transplants or have asthma." In the study, ninety participants between the ages 14 and 20 with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes receiving care at the Diabetes Center for Children at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia were given daily blood glucose monitoring goals of four or more checks per day with one or more levels within the goal range (70-180 mg/dL). Checks and levels for all participants were collected using a wireless glucometer, which transmitted data onto participants' smartphones, allowing them to see their progress and trends over time. During the three-month intervention period, participants in the incentive arm received $60 in a virtual account at the beginning of each month, from which $2 was deducted for every day that check goals were not achieved. During the three month follow-up period, incentives were discontinued. All participants received daily monitoring feedback letting them know whether they'd reached their daily goals and, if applicable, the remaining balance in their account. Results of the study showed in the financial incentive group, participants achieved check goals roughly 50 percent of the time, compared to only 18.9 percent of the time for participants in the control group. Adherence to glucose monitoring goals decreased in both groups during the follow-up period (15.3 percent in the intervention group and 8.7 percent in the control group). Despite a significant increase in daily monitoring, changes in blood glucose levels did not differ significantly between the groups during either the intervention or follow-up periods. "Digital health applications and wireless devices are growing in popularity especially among younger populations, but there has been limited evidence on how these approaches can benefit those with chronic conditions," said senior author Mitesh Patel, MD, MBA, MS, an assistant professor of Medicine and Health Care Management and director of the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit. "This is one of the first studies to combine financial incentives with wireless glucometers and demonstrates that behavioral economic approaches show promise in helping youth to better manage their diabetes." Following the study period, participants were interviewed for their feedback on the study design and their performance. The authors say based on participant feedback, future studies should examine the effectiveness of using financial incentives that are linked not only improve glucose monitoring but also overall glycemic control. Additionally, given improvements in monitoring dropped quickly in the follow-up period, the authors say there is a need for more research to improve sustainability of the desired outcomes. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Getting enough vitamin D during infancy and childhood is associated with a reduced risk of islet autoimmunity among children at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes, according to a study published this week in the journal Diabetes. The study's lead author, Jill Norris, MPH, PhD, of the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz, and her co-authors examined the association between vitamin D levels in the blood and islet autoimmunity. Islet autoimmunity, detected by antibodies that appear when the immune system attacks the islet cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, is a precursor to type 1 diabetes. "For several years there has been controversy among scientists about whether vitamin D lowers the risk of developing of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes," said Dr. Norris. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease that is increasing by 3-5 percent annually worldwide. The disease is now the most common metabolic disorder in children under age 10. In younger children, the number of new cases is particularly high. And the risks seem to be greater at higher latitudes, further north from the equator. Vitamin D represents a candidate protective factor for type 1 diabetes as it regulates the immune system and autoimmunity. Moreover, vitamin D status varies by latitude. But associations between vitamin D levels and islet autoimmunity have been inconsistent. This may be due to different study designs, population variation in vitamin D levels, or a failure to account for the combined effect of exposure and underlying genetic variation in the vitamin D pathway. The findings are part of The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study, a large, multi-national study funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. TEDDY's effort began in 2004 with children from six clinical centers: three in the U.S. (Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes at CU Anschutz, the Pacific Northwest Research Institute in Seattle, and Augusta University in Georgia) and three in Europe (Universities of Turku, Oulu, and Tampere in Finland, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen in Germany, and Lund University in Sweden). The aim of the study is to search for triggers and protective factors for type 1 diabetes in 8,676 children with elevated type 1 diabetes risk. The TEDDY children were followed with blood samples drawn every three to six months from infancy, to determine the presence of islet autoimmunity, as well as levels of vitamin D. The authors compared 376 children who developed islet autoimmunity with 1,041 children who did not. The authors found that in children with a genetic variant in the vitamin D receptor gene, vitamin D levels in infancy and childhood were lower in those that went on to develop islet autoimmunity compared with those that did not develop autoimmunity. This study is the first to show that higher childhood vitamin D levels are significantly associated with a decreased risk of IA. "Since this association does not prove cause-and-effect, we look to future prospective studies to confirm whether a vitamin D intervention can help prevent type 1 diabetes," Dr. Norris said. Catalunya accuses Spain of attempted coup after Rajoy outlines plans for temporary direct rule ARCHIVED ARTICLE Members of the regional cabinet in Catalunya could be removed from office by this Friday The conflict between the Spanish government and the separatist regional government in Catalunya continued to occupy the majority of the attention of the Spanish and European press over the weekend, the main focus being on the revelation by President Mariano Rajoy on Saturday of more details concerning how he and his colleagues intend to implement Article 155 of the Constitution, which enables them to impose direct rule on any region where the government seriously prejudices the general interests of Spain. The key elements of the press conference at which Sr Rajoy explained the proposals which he will present for approval to the Senate this coming Friday are the removal of Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and his ministers in the regional government from their posts, the taking on of their responsibilities by the appropriate Ministers and Departments of the central government in Madrid and the calling of a regional election within six months. On the other hand, at the same time it has been decided that the regional parliament of Catalunya will remain operative, although the national executive will have the power to veto resolutions which contravene the Constitution or Spanish law. Assuming that the Senate approves the measures outlined, it will be possible to implement them on Friday afternoon, meaning that for the first time since democracy was restored in Spain after the death of General Franco the central government will be in a position to partially rescind the autonomy granted to one of the 17 regions. While announcing these measures, Mariano Rajoy was careful to clarify that his intention is not to completely do away with the degree of autonomy enjoyed by Catalunya, but to remove from positions of responsibility the individuals who have placed the Catalan government outside the boundaries of Spanish law, and that the ultimate aim is to re-establish peaceful co-existence in the region as soon as possible. This mentality was reiterated during the weekend in English by Alfonso Dastis, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, during an interview with the BBC. Saturdays press conference followed the second public pronouncements by King Felipe VI on the subject of Catalunya since the disputed referendum on 1st October, during which he stated that Spain must confront an unacceptable attempt at secession. Speaking at the ceremony for the Princesa de Asturias awards in Oviedo, he added that Catalunya is and will be an essential part of Spain. In response to the announcement of these measures on Saturday, Carles Puigdemont has called a full session of the Catalan parliament in order to debate how to react to the attempt to liquidate the regional government. He referred to the activation of Article 155 as a coup detat perpetrated by Spain, and reiterated his call for the release of Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, the separatist activists accused of orchestrating mob violence against the Guardia Civil on 20th September. The Guardia Urbana of Barcelona estimate that as many as 450,000 people took part in a demonstration to demand their release on Saturday, as well to protest against the implementation of Article 155. Switching from the Catalan language to Castilian Spanish, and also expressing himself at times in English, Sr Puigdemont lamented the worst attack on the institutions and people of Catalunya since the decrees of the dictator Francisco Franco, and although it is not clear what the outcome might be of the parliamentary debate in Barcelona he has discounted the calling of a regional parliament by his executive. He remains under pressure from many to declare independence without any ambiguity, lifting the temporary suspension he placed on the process of separation from Spain just seconds after accepting the mandate of the Catalan people to guide them towards an independent republic. Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news, events and information in the Murcia region: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/ Netflix does not believe it should pay the FPBs online content licence fee, as it is a service offered through the global web. Netlifxs comments follow the FPBs publication of new draft tariff regulations which propose price increases for classifying films, series, and games. The FPB currently charges R795,000 for a licensing fee for online distribution. In February 2017, several online distributors refused to pay the fee including Microsoft and Netflix. Under the new regulations, the FPB wants to charge online distributors an annual fee per title on their platform. Netflixs 2,005 movies and 691 series would cost it R1,076,979. No charge Netflix doesnt believe the FPB has a right to regulate the Internet, and the content found on it. However, Netflix said it does try to be a good player when it comes to local age restrictions and as a rule it will comply with legitimate local regulations. It will also attempt to work with local regulators to self-rate content. This allows Netflix to take a nimble approach to age restrictions. The whole benefit of Netflix is being able to watch our content anywhere in the world at the same time as everyone else, said Netflixs head of corporate communications for EMEA, Yann Lafargue. If every piece of content Netflix plans on releasing has to be watched by committees of censors, global simultaneous releases wont be possible. For this reason, Netflix is conducting self-rating trials in markets like Australia and is open to similar discussions elsewhere. Over-regulation is never something good, at least not for users. It can also cause price increases, and may result in content creators finding it impossible to please all ratings bodies around the world. There will always be someone who disagrees or finds fault with content, and if all those dissenting voices are listened to, it will impact on the freedom to create, said Lafargue. Netflix has said it wants to bring South African movies and shows to a global audience through its platform. There are great stories to be told here. Its just the question of finding the right story, said Yann Lafargue, head of Netflix corporate communications for EMEA. He said Netflix is not looking for content that will only appeal to a local audience. As with shows like Narcos, they want local stories that may travel globally. One of the ways Netflix finds such content is through its content acquisition team, which scouts for places where there are good storytellers. People will also come with near-finished films or episodes for shows, while others will only have a script to pitch like the Duffer brothers did with Stranger Things. Regardless of which category creators fall into, Netflix said it is best to get an agent to promote your idea. Networks It may also happen that a film or series has attracted the attention of TV networks, in which case there will be a bidding war where the highest bidder usually wins. Lafargue said he could not promise Netflix will pick up South African content, but now that they are officially in South Africa, he is sure they will receive pitches from local creators. Netflix is spending billions of dollars on original content, which it said drives subscriber growth and keeps users on the platform. Lafargue said they also expect to charge South African subscribers in rand soon within the coming weeks or months. Netflix has not announced the rand prices. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has wished all matriculants all the best for their final exams, which get underway today. I wish the best of luck to all the candidates sitting for the examinations this year. Keep your head down, study hard, stay focused and I am confident you will make us proud. After at least 12 years in the education system, you owe it to yourself to put your all into these examinations so that you are able to take advantage of post schooling opportunities. The world is your oyster. Good luck to all of you, said Minister Motshekga. In a statement on Sunday, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) said it is ready to administer the exams. Final preparations are in place for the 2017 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations. A total of 634 527 full-time and 168 109 part-time candidates have been registered. KwaZulu-Natal has once again presented the highest number of full-time candidates with 153 624 candidates. Gauteng, with 41 952 candidates, has contributed the most part-time candidates in the 2017 NSC examination. The DBE has made provision for 3 805 full-time and 544 part-time special needs candidates with barriers to learning such as dyslexia, blindness and deafness. DBE, together with provincial Education Departments, has been hard at work ensuring an appropriate and enabling environment is set to enable seamless administration of the 2017 NSC examinations, the department said. The examination system will, however, be fully tested on Tuesday when more than 630 000 candidates will sit at 9am for English Paper 1 at Home Language and First Additional Language levels. Interventions Having experienced challenges in the better part of the year, an intervention plan was put in place to support the 1 657 matric learners in secondary schools in Vuwani, Limpopo. The department concluded intensive final state of readiness visits to the nine provinces that concluded on 6 October. The visits also included scheduled engagements with school principals led by Director-General Mathanzima Mweli. The department said it has done work to mitigate risks associated with the storage and movement of examination scripts. Security and the protection of the integrity of the NSC examinations has remained a priority. The department has therefore continued to put significant focus on ensuring that it mitigates risks associated with the storage and movement of examination scripts employing the Just in Time printing approach. The approach allows for examination scripts to be printed as close as logistically possible to the writing of the examination. In KwaZulu-Natal, the recent bad weather has not put a damper on the provinces examination preparations and all centres across the province have been audited by provincial Education Department officials. Enrolment subjects Mathematics Literacy with 356 016, Life Sciences with 356 149, Mathematics with 279 144 and Physical Sciences with 199 874 candidates present some of the highest enrolment subjects for 2017. The department encouraged learners to continue to be diligent in their studies and take advantage of the various catch-up and revision lessons available across various platforms. Candidates are encouraged to visit the departments website, www.education.gov.za, the departments Facebook page, DBE SA, or follow the Twitter handle, @DBE_SA for links, podcasts and revision lesson times. Examination results Minister Motshekga will release the examination results on the evening of 4 January 2018. Candidates will be able to access their results from Friday 5 January 2018 through the DBE website and through the various media outlets through which the results will be made available. Now read: The matric numbers the government tried to hide from you Congress state units remain riddled with warring factions - an old guard and a relatively younger face backed by Rahul. In MP, Jyotiraditya Scindia's name is doing the rounds as CM's face but Congress leader Digvijaya Singh (left) has backed Kamal Nath for the post. In Rajasthan, supporters of Ashok Gehlot (right) want him to be projected as CM even though Sachin Pilot app By Sweta dutta: As the Congress party takes a generational leap with the imminent elevation of Rahul Gandhi to the top job, the predominant sentiment within the party is that the old guard must not be ignored. Be it Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat or Delhi, the state units remain riddled with warring factions - an old guard that is still politically active and relevant, and a relatively younger face backed by Rahul. advertisement With the assembly polls round the corner in Gujarat, the rift in the state unit grew in August when former CM Shankersinh Vaghela quit the party, following inconclusive talks with Rahul. Despite several desperate attempts to initiate a dialogue, Vaghela left taking with him several sitting MLAs. This put a severe dent in the organisational strength of the state unit. "Today young OBC leaders are being roped in to project an inclusive image of the party, but what happened with Vaghela is still fresh in mind. It could have been handled better and even if the party did not want to project him as the CM face, it could have just pacified him and retain him. To say that his departure is no loss is foolish," said a senior party functionary. HIMACHAL PRADESH In Himachal Pradesh, despite Rahul's displeasure, sitting CM Virbhadra Singh managed to have his say and was declared the party face in the upcoming polls, trumping state party president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, brought in by Rahul. Sources in the state unit say the absence of a strong challenger within the party helped Virbhadra stay afloat. RAJASTHAN In Rajasthan, former CM Ashok Gehlot continues to be backed by a dominant section of the party organisation. With state Congress chief Sachin Pilot at the helm of affairs and backed strongly by Rahul, several social media pages such as 'Ashok Gehlot fans', 'Ashok Gehlot for Rajasthan CM' have mushroomed over the past few weeks. "There have been several MLAs who asked for a poll on who should be projected as CM face -Pilot or Gehlot. Though the top leadership has indicated that Pilot will lead the charge, the Gehlot camp has strongly been seeking another opportunity for him. There is no doubt that Pilot has worked very hard in the state for the past four years, but Gehlot's mass appeal remains very strong and the common man in Rajasthan still identifies with him," said a former Congress MLA, requesting anonymity. advertisement MADHYA PRADESH In Madhya Pradesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia's name has been doing the rounds as the probable CM candidate for the upcoming polls, but, according to sources, former CM Digvijaya Singh has been batting for former Union minister Kamal Nath as the party face. Though Nath has made public statements accepting Scindia's leadership, a section of the party insist Singh and Nath continue to be a formidable team in the state. DELHI In Delhi, Ajay Maken might have nudged out former CM Sheila Dikshit, but a section of the party still insists on her comeback for the party's revival. "The Congress in Delhi has sunk under Maken and the municipal polls are a big lesson in front of us. The party refuses to take note of these," said a local Congress leader. --- ENDS --- Local police informed that several people were injured as a result of a teenager attacking with an axe in Flums, Switzerland, reported RIA Novosti news agency of Russia. They added that the incident occurred in the evening, and it started with an attack at the town square. Subsequently, the teen attempted to escape with a stolen car, but he had an accident. Again attempting to escape, he attacked several more people at a gas station, whereupon police detained him by using weapons and injuring him. Law enforcement, however, does not link this incident to terrorism, and believes that the teenager had acted alone. Azerbaijani armed forces on Sunday used artillery weapons in a northeasterly (Martakert-Mataghis) direction of the line of contact between the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR) and the Azerbaijani opposing forces, and fired five mortars and one anti-tank missile toward the positions of the NKR Defense Army. The Artsakh Ministry of Defense (MOD) statement in this regard also noted that this fact proves that, as always, Baku destabilizes the situation by way of deliberate provocations. The Artsakh armed forces, however, have refrained from taking actions in response. But this does not at all mean that the adversarys aggressive actions will go unanswered if events continue unrolling in this way. Also, the NKR MOD warned the military and political leadership of Azerbaijan that if provocations continue, the response will not be equivalent and it will be quite painful. Mexican parliament members Blanca Margarita Cuata Dominguez, Maria Cristina Teresa Garcia Bravo, and Carlos Hernandez Miron on Sunday paid a visit to the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. They placed flowers at the Eternal Flame, and paid a silent tribute to the Holy Martyrs of this tragedy, the National Assembly of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. Also, the guests toured the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, and signed its guestbook. Blanca Margarita Cuata Dominguez, who heads the Mexico-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group at the Mexican legislature, said it was a great honor for her to visit this great country, and to get to know a heroic people who enjoy great respect in the world. Maria Cristina Teresa Garcia Bravo, for her part, noted that they express their compassion to and solidarity with the Armenian people. And Carlos Hernandez Miron stated that hatred is a path to failure, and that humanity supports and honors the Armenian people. Anwar Gargash: UAE has no interest in choosing sides between great powers Ukraine suspends oil pumping through Druzhba pipeline towards Hungary Germany urgently needs gas turbines to stabilize power grids Polish media report on fall of two missiles on country's territory Economic downturn worsens in eastern EU due to a spike in inflation U.S. believes that meeting between Biden and Jinping was strong signal to rest of world Karabakh MFA welcomes resolution adopted by French Senate Italy bans facial recognition technology and smart glasses Germany to establish maintenance center in Slovakia for weapons supplied to Ukraine Energy Ministry: Russia carried out most massive shooting of Ukraine's energy system since war starts French Senate passes resolution calling for sanctions against Azerbaijan Rishi Sunak hints that he will abandon plans to declare China 'threat' to national security EU supports any call to phase out fossil fuel use Secretary of Security Council of Armenia receives delegation of EU special envoys, member states Armenian President Vahagn Khachatryan receives newly appointed ambassador of Cyprus Zelenskyy's adviser: The situation after Russian shelling is critical Newly appointed ambassador of Cyprus visits Armenian Genocide memorial Borrell: EU countries must work together to replenish their military stocks French Senator: Are the lives of Armenians worth less than the lives of Ukrainians? Turkey plans to strike targets in northern Syria Emergency power outages in Kyiv due to explosions Lavrov calls Zelenskyy's speech at G20 summit performance beyond all regulations and decency Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince embarks on Asian tour Ukrainian media report missile strikes in number of areas Chinese 50-year-old man runs marathon smoking Pashinyan receives delegation of EU special envoys, EU member states on Eastern Partnership Bloomberg: Paris overtakes London to become Europe's largest stock market Anti-Iranian rally held in Baku Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin: Pashinyan's approaches and wordings do not contribute to solving urgent problems Borrell announces appearance of EU rapid reaction force in 2023 Norwegian Defense Minister pledges $30 million to NATO fund for Ukraine Italy auctioned biggest truffle for record 184 thousand euros Serviceman kills fellow soldier in Armenia Kyodo: 67-year-old Japanese princess diagnosed with breast cancer Mehriban Aliyeva hurriedly gives up her role of UNESCO 'Goodwill Ambassador' before French Senate meeting Jeff Bezos says he's ready to give away most of his fortune Britain to allocate $11.8m to rebuild Ukraine's energy infrastructure Peskov: Kyiv cannot and doesn't want to negotiate, SVO will continue Turkey detains another suspect in planning terrorist attack in Istanbul Tasnim: Iranian authorities released 38 protesters in southeast Terrorist attack: Number of detainees in Istanbul grows to 50 Armenian FM presents to Europeans consequences of September Azerbaijani aggression Biden and Erdogan back extension of grain deal Macron and Erdogan meet on G20 margins UN: Earth's population is 8 billion people Indian PM urges G20 countries to find peaceful solution to Ukraine Minimum wage to rise in Armenia Ministry: Air pollution level in Armenia up by 30-40% over the past five years Erdogan and Biden hold talks in Bali Media: Macron asks Xi Jinping to 'pressure' Putin to return to negotiations UN: Armenia's population will decrease by 2050 Zelenskyy states that only realistic model of POW exchange is all for all Ameriabank launches Google Pay, Google Wallet support for card users in Armenia Argentine President Fernandez feels ill at G20 summit Ruben Vardanyan receives head of ICRC mission: We must ensure a peaceful childhood for children living in Artsakh Copper rises in price Newspaper: Armenian Prime Minister wants to hold referendum on constitutional amendments in spring Ardshinbank showcases the Google Pay for Android fans in Armenia Zelenskyy calls not to offer Ukraine compromise with territory and independence Secretary of State: U.S. stands ready to continue support for Karabakh settlement Google Pay is a new contactless payment option for Converse Bank customers French Senate to consider resolution on sanctions against Azerbaijan Zelenskyy addresses G20 leaders: It's time to stop Russia's war Karen Vardanyan donated 112 million drams for the medical equipment for National Center for Infectious Diseases Another four-day parliamentary session begins in Yerevan Gold declines in value World oil prices go down Plans to build 'death pyramid' in London that will hold millions of bodies Armenian and Georgian Foreign Ministries hold consultations in Tbilisi Azerbaijani and Iranian FMs hold phone conversation Steve Jobs' sandals sold for more than $200,000 Armenian PM accuses Azerbaijani leader of terrorizing Armenian civilians Azerbaijan shells Armenian positions on border again OPEC downgrades its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2022 White House: Biden and Xi Jinping agree on Blinken's visit to China CNN: CIA chief Burns meets with SVR director Naryshkin in Ankara Turkish FM Cavusoglu thanks Ararat Mirzoyan for condolences Putin signs decree allowing stateless persons to serve in Russian army Airbus CEO: There is no question of them breaking off trade ties Armen Grigoryan receives Igor Khovayev Britain and France sign agreement on strengthening cooperation on illegal migration US updates its sanctions list for Russia: Milur Electronics LLC, an Armenian company listed Potatoes prices grow by 20%: expert claims agriculture collapse in Armenia Peskov says Russian-American talks in Ankara initiated by Washington Morgan Stanley: UK and euro zone economies are likely to face recession Xi Jinping hopes for comprehensive dialogue between NATO, the EU and the US and Russia Japan proposes to deploy Australian nuclear submarines Biden calls talks with Xi Jinping at G20 summit frank WB: Debt levels among low- and middle-income countries soared in 2021 Xi Jinping: China does not intend to challenge the U.S. Scholz: Adopting a joint G20 summit statement is a tough task Biden and Xi Jinping oppose use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine Nikol Pashinyan receives Russian co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group IMF head warns of risks for world economy because of rivalry between China and US Irakli Garibashvili: Georgia is ready to promote in every possible way the dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan Red Wings airline launches direct flights from Makhachkala to Yerevan Olaf Scholz: EU should expand its cooperation with Southeast Asian countries Global Leadership Foundation will visit Armenia Kurdistan Workers' Party denies its involvement in Istanbul terrorist attack NATO Secretary General says they must not make mistake of underestimating Russia YEREVAN. Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan on Wednesday will attend the regular meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. The event will bring together the heads of governments of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member countries. Chairman of the Board of Eurasian Economic Commission (EAEC), Tigran Sargsyan also will be in attendance. The event agenda covers domestic markets activities, trade, agro-industry, energy, and infrastructure press office of the Government of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. The meeting will address the process of elaborating initiatives within the frame of the EAEU Digital Agenda and the 2018-2019 Action Plan aimed at lifting the applicable restrictions in the EAEU domestic market (roadmap). The discussants will focus also on the formation of an information exchange system within the framework of the EAEU Electric Energy Market. One of the agenda items will be the discussion of the phases of implementing a coordinated transport policy and the program of main directions of EAEU-member states activities from 2018 to 2020. The meeting will also name the EAEU-member countries where the traditional Eurasian Week expo forum will be held during these. Due to leadership changes in Kyrgyzstan, the meeting is expected to approve the candidacy of the new representative of this country. In conclusion, the participants will name a venue for next meeting of the EAEU Intergovernmental Council. The Eurasian Economic Union comprises Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Election methods of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) were approved at a presidium meeting Friday afternoon, Xinhua reported. The presidium of the 19th CPC National Congress held its second meeting presided over by Xi Jinping. The participants approved the draft resolutions on the report of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the work report of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and the amendment to the Constitution of the CPC. The three draft resolutions will be submitted to all delegations to the congress for discussion. The meeting decided to submit the proposed name lists to all delegations for consideration. A name list of ballot scrutineers was also approved by the presidium, and will be ratified by the congress before the final vote begins. The verbatim of the controversial immunity Bill tabled by the Rajasthan government in Vidhan Sabha. CM Vasundhara Raje's detractors allege the Bill aims to shield corrupt babus and curb freedom of speech. By India Today Web Desk: The Vasundhara Raje government today tabled the controversial Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 for approval of state assembly. The Bill aims to amend the Criminal Code of Procedure, 1973 and also bars the media from naming the public servant till the Rajasthan government allows the case to be investigated. The Rajasthan government has drawn serious flak over the immunity Bill. The Opposition Congress and the Editors' Guild have termed the Bill an attempt to muzzle freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution as fundamental right. advertisement The Bill is divided in to three chapters and five sections. The operative parts of the Bill are reproduced hereunder. Chapter II of the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 proposes amendment in the Core of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The amendment is proposed in the Section 156 of the Central Act No. 2 of 1974. "In Section 156 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Act No. 2 of (1974), hereinafter referred to as the Principal Act after the existing sub-section (3), the following provisions shall be added, namely:- "Provided that, under the aforesaid sub-section, no Magistrate shall order an investigation nor will any investigation be conducted against a person, who is or was a Judge or a Magistrate or a public servant, as defined under any other law for the time being in force, in respect of the act done by them while acting or purporting to act in the discharge of their official duties, except with previous sanction under section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Act No. 2 of 1974) or under any other law for the time being in force: Provided further that the sanctioning authority shall ordinarily take a decision within one hundred and eighty days from the date of the receipt of the proposal for sanction: Provided also that if the sanctioning authority fails to issue prosecution sanction within one hundred and eighty days, the prosecution sanction under section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Act No. 2 of 1974) or under any other law for the time being in force shall be deemed to have been issued: Provided also that no one shall print or publish or publicize in any manner the name, address, photograph, family details, or any other particulars which may lead to disclosure of identity of a Judge or Magistrate or a public servant against whom any proceeding under this section is pending, until the sanction as aforesaid has been or deemed to have been issued." Section 3 of the Ordinance/Bill, proposes amendment in the section 190 of the Central Act No. 2 of 1974. It states, "Provided that, under the aforesaid sub-section, no Magistrate shall order an investigation nor will any investigation be conducted against a person, who is or was a Judge or a Magistrate or a public servant, as defined under any other law for the time being in force, in respect of the act done by them while acting or purporting to act in the discharge of their official duties, except with previous sanction under section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Act No. 2 of 1974) or under any other law for the time being in force: advertisement Provided also that no one shall print or publish or publicize in any manner the name, address, photograph, family details, or any other particulars which may lead to disclosure of identity of Judge or Magistrate or a public servant against whom any proceeding under this section is pending, until the sanction as aforesaid has been or deemed to have been issued." Section 4 of the Ordinance/Bill proposes amendment in the First Schedule, Central Act No. 2 of 1974. It will bring changes in the "offences under the Indian Penal Code after the existing entries of section 228-A, and before the existing entries of section 229, of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act No. 45 of 1860)" by inserting six entries for section 228-B, disclosure of identity of certain public servants, imprisonment for two years and fine, making it cognizable and bailable offence. advertisement The Chapter III of the Ordinance/Bill proposes amendment in the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Section 5 of the Bill provides for insertion of section 228-B in the Central Act No. 45 of 1860. It states, "228-B. Disclosure of identity of certain public servants:- Whoever contravenes the provisions of fourth proviso of sub-section (3) of section 156, and fourth proviso of sub-section (1) of section 190, of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Act No. 2 of 1974) shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years and shall be liable to fine." The Bill was tabled in Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha despite strong protest by the Congress. --- ENDS --- Pro-IS Telegram Channels Urge for Increased IS Presence in Indonesia Will cut-rate German grocers Aldi and Lidl destroy Walmart Stores Inc. (WMT) - Get Free Report as they rapidly expand their U.S. presence? Probably not. Aldi said in June that it would add 400 new stores through 2018 to its current U.S. store count of 1,600, spending $1.6 billion to remodel 1,300 of those locations. By 2022, Aldi's U.S. store base is expected to hit 2,500, with Aldi spending $3.4 billion to open the new locations, for a total U.S. investment of $5 billion. While Aldi has had a presence in the U.S. since 1976 and holds a roughly 3% edible grocery market share there, rival Lidl is only now entering the country, opening 15 new stores in June, primarily in the southeast. Bernstein analyst Brandon Fletcher expects Lidl to build between 100 and 200 new U.S. locations per year, with a total of about 600 U.S. stores by 2022, when, combined, he expects the German stores' U.S. market share to hit 7%. Walmart is primed for the challenge, while Lidl struggles to gain enough customers. Lidl pursued a different model in the United States than that it perfected in Europe: attracting more affluent customers, with higher squares per square foot than Aldi to run profitable stores. Yet with lower prices comes a quirk, noted Bernstein analyst Bruno Monteyne; affluent U.S. customers still believe that lower prices spell lower quality. "Lidl's objective to appeal to a more affluent customer base isn't working. It's still a limited-assortment retailer, lacking key brands, for which there is currently limited appeal in the US," he wrote. "Instead of attracting Trader Joe's- and Whole Foods-style customers, they are fighting for the same customers as Aldi and Walmart," with failing results. The German rivals' focus on low-cost in-store shopping also runs contrary to trends in retail, where "we've seen this tremendous march toward what it means to be multichannel or omnichannel," said J. Neely, the Global M&A Strategy practice lead at consultancy Accenture plc (ACN) - Get Free Report . "The notion of pure-play is almost beginning to disappear. At one level or another, every player out there is starting to get a foot in some digital channels." The particular challenge in the grocery industry is mastering the correct mix of channel offerings, including online, subscription, brick-and-mortar, delivery and so on, he added. Online Grocery Is Where It's At At Walmart's recent investor day presentation, a third of the slideshow focused online grocery, suggesting it's a key priority for CEO Doug McMillon. Walmart's prices are about the same as Lidl's, while Aldi's are even lower, giving consumers little recent to pick Lidl. Further, Aldi and Walmart have managed to lower prices at their locations close to Lidl stores, a "fierce and pre-emptive response...[which] seems focused on hurting the Lidl entry, and it is working," wrote Monteyne. Aldi has mastered keeping costs low, stocking 90% private label products, charging for shopping bags and carts, displaying products in their shipping boxes and not publicizing the local stores' phone numbers so employees aren't on the phone, Fletcher noted. The 1,400 stock-keeping units (SKUs) per Aldi store is a fraction of Walmart's 90,000 SKUs, and Aldi's items are "almost exclusively...low-profit grocery." At both Aldi and Lidl, it's "nearly impossible to do a complete grocery trip," with 94% of the stores' U.K. customers visiting one of their major competitors at least once a month. U.S. consumers aren't embracing this "Therefore even if the hard discounters manage to take sales from the large grocers, the share they take will be on the least-profitable items, and large grocers will still be needed to sell the items where they make the most money," Fletcher said. Walmart Is At the Ready Walmart is pumped to go after the new competition; although it's "one of the most efficient retailers in the world," Fletcher pointed out that its grocery operating margins are just 3% and they've already been "pre-emptively brought down" by over 1% since 2015, in contrast to the larger margin declines at U.K. retailers like Tesco. The tech-heavy investments that create an omnichannel experience are expensive, and the likes of Aldi and Lidl may be unwilling to abandon their cost-cutting focus. Walmart, for example, recently unveiled mobile returns, on top of existing capabilities like mobile pharmacy and money transfers. Walmart's $3.3 billion acquisition, closing September 2016, of e-commerce company Jet.com, followed by more recent e-commerce acquisitions-startups like Modcloth, Moosejaw and Bonobos are now part of the Walmart e-commerce stable, and have "dramatically" improved Walmart's brand perception, said Gordon Haskett analyst Chuck Grom, which leaves Walmart well situated to attract more millennial customers in the years to come. Walmart is also expanding its private label offerings, announcing at its investor day on Oct. 10 that Jet.com will also have its own private label brand, Uniquely J, a "more premium" brand across categories. Walmart is no stranger to the category: Jet founder Marc Lore noted that Walmart owns three of the top five largest private label brands in the country, along with "many [other] billion-dollar private label brands." The overall size of Walmart's U.S. e-commerce business is undervalued, according to Barclays analyst Karen Short, who noted that if the segment were valued at 3 times its sales like other companies focused on e-commerce, Walmart's market capitalization would add about $100 billion. Since the business isn't profitable, and Walmart investors focus on earnings rather than shares, the size and growth of the e-commerce operation is unappreciated by the market, said Short. Lore is also changing how Walmart sources its products, which will no doubt help keep costs down and compete with the likes of Aldi. He touted a "cost of goods reduction program called cost analytics, which was essentially a much more fact-based approach to our negotiations with both vendors, whether they're big branded vendors or private label vendors," which has been successful. Vendor Negotiations Falter Campbell Soup Co. (CPB) - Get Free Report is one victim of recent vendor negotiations. CEO Denise Morrison said in August that the company had failed to "reach an agreement with a large customer on a promotional program for soup." The customer is widely believed to be Walmart, which accounts for about a fifth of Campbell's soup sales. "Shifting demographics, changing consumer preferences for food with a focus on fresh and health and well-being, increased snacking behavior, a range of socioeconomic forces and technology advancements" are among the many changes food companies are grappling with, Morrison told analysts. The food industry is "hyper-competitive," she added, due to "value players expanding their presence in the U.S., the growth of store brands and the explosion of e-commerce and meal delivery services disrupting the market." Echoing Morrison, one grocery veteran said that Walmart, never a shrinking violet when it comes to pricing, is much more combative with vendors than it's been in recent years. Walmart is also experimenting with new in-store experience. In March, the retailer launched a tech startup incubator, Store No. 8, which has partnered with Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global and Accenture to initially focus on virtual reality in the grocery space. Walmart is already using virtual reality to train employees, for instance. Ultimately, Store No. 8 will allow Walmart to "redefine the physical store experience of the future," according to Cowen analyst Oliver Chen. With Lidl struggling to find the right identity and Aldi caught off-guard by the speed of Walmart's response, Bentonville can be assured that its billions in digital innovation will stave off the competition. Lastly, Walmart's vast scale makes any attempt to fight it a slog. The company says 99% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart, and it can deliver to 87% of Americans with next-day ground shipping and 99% with two-day. That's hard to beat. If you do decide to head over to Aldi, don't go unprepared: More of What's Trending on TheStreet: Editors' pick: Originally published Oct. 18. Whenever two giant companies come together, you have to assume there are going to be some early headaches as the newly combined entity goes through the initial restructuring and builds a coherent long-term strategy. That seems to have been the case with Baker Hughes, a GE Company's (NYSE: BHGE) most recent quarterly results. (Side note: We're calling it BHGE from here on out, and if by chance a company exec is reading this, please change the name.) Let's take a look a BHGE's most recent results, how much all the corporate changes cost the company, and what investors in this intriguing oil services and equipment giant should be thinking as the company comes into its own. Oil-rig worker at pump. Image source: Getty Images. By the numbers Metric Q3 2017 Q2 2017* Q3 2016* Revenue $5.37 billion $5.41 billion $5.37 billion Operating income ($122 million) ($147 million) ($156 million) EPS ($0.24) N/A N/A Free cash flow ($405 million) N/A N/A Source: BHGE earnings release. EPS = earnings per share. *Pre-merger results on a combined business basis BHGE's result for the third quarter doesn't look great, especially when compared to other oilfield services companies. Schlumberger's (NYSE: SLB) most recent quarter benefited immensely from robust growth in North America and some mixed results internationally. To be fair to BHGE, though, this quarter included approximately $350 million in charges for impairments and restructuring. It was inevitable that a company this size, and from relatively disparate parts of the oil services industry, was going to have to work out a few kinks. So those results can be somewhat forgiven. On the brighter side, the company did note that orders for all four of its business segments were up compared to this time last year. The largest of those gains coming from oilfield equipment and digital solutions. That's encouraging, since those two segments were the ones that saw revenue decline year over year. Story continues BHGE operating income by business segment for Q3 2016, Q2 2017, and Q3 2017. Shows gains for year-over-year declines for all segments except for oilfield services. Source: BHGE earnings release. Chart by author. Because of the way the BHGE reports its results, it's much harder to discern how these results broke down along geographic lines. Management noted that its oilfield services business reported a 5% gain in North American revenue and a 3% gain internationally. Perhaps the most notable news of the quarter were some of the large orders it received. The company was awarded two separate equipment contracts related to Eni's and ExxonMobil's Coral South floating-LNG project off the coast of Mozambique. It also received two large subsea equipment orders for deepwater projects in Papua New Guinea and Egypt. Also, not to be outdone, its digital solutions business netted a $300 million asset performance management contract using parent company General Electric's Predix platform. What management had to say Based on CEO Lorenzo Simonelli's statement on the quarter, it was clear that he and his management team are focused on the integration and restructuring of these two businesses. As far as his outlook for the industry, in general, Simonelli's statement was a bit more pessimistic than what we have been hearing from other oil and gas executives lately. We expect the overall oil and gas environment to remain challenging for the rest of the year. We have seen some improvement in activity but we have not seen meaningful increases in customer capital commitments. Oil prices remain volatile and, as a result, our customers remain cautious. We continue to support our customers through innovative solutions and solid execution and are focused on integrating and driving the best of both legacy businesses. What a Fool believes Considering that it has been less than a quarter since the consolidation, I think it's fair to say management gets a pass until it completes its restructuring plan. After all, the company's results without writedowns and restructuring costs look halfway decent, and the company has a net cash position that gives it a lot of options to deploy capital. It may take a while until we see the full strength of this company, but BHGE is worth watching closely in the upcoming quarters. More From The Motley Fool Tyler Crowe owns shares of ExxonMobil and General Electric. The Motley Fool owns shares of ExxonMobil. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. "From "No talks" to "Talks with all stakeholders" is a major victory for those who had strongly argued for a political solution in J&K," Chidambaram tweeted. By India Today Web Desk: Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said he hopes Dineshwar Sharma's appointment's is an admission on the part of the Narendra Modi government that it's "muscular approch" in Jammu and Kashmir has failed. "From "No talks" to "Talks with all stakeholders" is a major victory for those who had strongly argued for a political solution in J&K," Chidambaram tweeted. With appointment of interlocutor, I hope government has finally admitted 'muscular approach' has failed in J&K. advertisement Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday announced that former Director IB Dineshwar Sharma was handpicked by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to hold a dialogue with stakeholders in strife-torn of Jammu and Kashmir. Congress leader Manish Tewari said realists had prevailed. Aptt of interlocutor in J&K is indicative that realists in Govt have prevailed over Hawks.Hard Power is not an end but means towards an end- Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) October 23, 2017 But Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti, whose People's Democratic Party governs Kashmir jointly with the BJP, was full of praise for the move. Welcome the initiative of Union Government, appointing an interlocutor for leading a sustained dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir.- Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 23, 2017 Dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward.- Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 23, 2017 This dialogue initiative is in line with P.M @narendramodi s 15th August speech na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmir ki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se.- Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 23, 2017 WATCH | Dineshwar Sharma, ex-IB chief appointed Centre's representative on Kashmir --- ENDS --- this is horrific, that poor girl. Reply Thread Link jfc :( how awful. that poor girl. Reply Thread Link Good for Alyssa for helping to bring attention to this. This case has been making me so angry and like... sad? Kind of an angry sad. Reply Thread Link Edited at 2017-10-23 05:36 am (UTC) I don't remember what it was like to not be angry sad. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, I don't either. Reply Parent Thread Link Same. It's been constant smadness since November tbh. Reply Parent Thread Link yeah =\ Reply Parent Thread Link FUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKY OUFUCKYOUFUCK YOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOU FUCKYOUFUCKYOU https://t.co/7xT6qGyuJt Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) October 23, 2017 Oh yeah, the tramp admin wants to replace birth control with a method that has a 25% failure rate and cut funding for or eliminate programs that prevent pregnancy too. Womenz are getting too spoiled with our freedom, education, and careers! Reply Thread Link UUUUUUUUUUUGH. Fuck him with a chainsaw. Reply Parent Thread Link these dumb fucks really want to take us back to the 1850s. Reply Parent Thread Link Yup. White men can't stand the thought of true equality between genders or races. Reply Parent Thread Link He must gtfo immediately. Like, hurry the fuck up and get shit done, mueller. Like.... don't half ass or fuck this up etc please. Get to it when you guys are done and meant it. Reply Parent Thread Link All the better to confine women to the home and bolster the military. Keeling over from a heart attack is too good for this scum. I wish him unbearable pain and immobility. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link This is the dumbest shit I've ever read Reply Parent Thread Link WHAT THE FUCK Reply Parent Thread Link fucking christ these guys prob whack off to the handmaid's tale Reply Parent Thread Link I want to see him and Jeff Sessions in a televised jigsaw style trap. Reply Parent Thread Link It's crazy to me how these things are happening in "the free world" and yet people on the progressive side keep pretending being born female has nothing to do with our oppression. Basically, if you have a pussy/uterus combo - no matter what you call yourself - you are literally fucked. These people in power will allow an abortion here and there if they don't want to have anymore kids themselves, or if they need to keep a mistress secret. But the rest of all female people, women and trans and agender and whatever, can enjoy being bound to our reproductive systems. This is how we've beek kept down since forever and if we don't fight back it will never end. Edited at 2017-10-23 11:31 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link These people are crazy for some many reasons. Like, even on the logistical level this method is a mess. Never mind that some people like me aren't even having sex, but are on birth control because periods. Really these men seem like the only way they want women to ensure they don't get pregnant is to not have sex, a plan I don't see really working out for them... Reply Parent Thread Link The fuck! I live with a constant fear that I'm going to lose my birth control coverage. My first child was a preemie and my second pregnancy was considered high-risk due to that + age (I'm over 35). I will fucking FIGHT ANYONE who thinks they have the right to take away my protection - protection for myself and my family, since getting pregnant again would be incredibly irresponsible and dangerous for me and the baby. And I guess I can forget the weekly progesterone shots I would need to reduce the chances of a premature birth if he gets his way on insurance! Fuck him and fuck his fucking drama llama administration. All of them. Fuck them all. Edited at 2017-10-23 03:02 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link this was why i got the IUD Reply Parent Thread Link Christ, that poor girl. :( Good on Alyssa for speaking out. Reply Thread Link So true Reply Parent Thread Link I thought the judge had ruled a few days ago that she could? so what exactly are these idiots thinking? if she doesn't have the baby it's murder in their eyes, but if she does, it's an anchor baby. fucking republicans man. Reply Thread Link Jeff Sessions team went back and appealed: "On Wednesday, United States District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered the government to allow Doe to leave for the procedure. But the government appealed, and on Friday, a new court order bought the government some time: ORR now has until October 31 to transfer Doe from the shelter into the care of a qualified sponsor who will let her get an abortion. If such a sponsor cant be found, the ACLU can return to court to seek another order requiring ORR to release Doe for the procedure." Reply Parent Thread Link Jeff Sessions can die choking on his own severed dick Reply Parent Thread Link I cant believe this is this sort of stupid shit the JD is focusing on...I mean, considering its Sessions JD, I can but, JC...out of all the things ailing our society and system and this is what they choose to focus on. I really do hate that asshole. Reply Parent Thread Link May his eyeballs melt in the sockets. May his face start rotting off. May gangrene settle in his feet. May he segway off a cliff. Reply Parent Thread Link how evil can you be Reply Parent Thread Link Fuck every last anti-choice sadist attempting to force this girl to give birth. Reply Thread Link This is beyond appalling... I can't imagine how terrified this young woman is... Being forced into having a child while in detention. This is beyond barbaric. Between his 3 wives & his sexual Vietnam, I wonder how many abortions the orange fuckface is responsible for. Would Ivanka be forced to carry a child against her will? Or Tiffany (didn't daddy want her aborted)? Or Melania? Reply Thread Link wouldn't put it past him to force them to have an abortion/keep a child they don't want (whatever suited his fancy). It's all about controlling women. Edited at 2017-10-23 12:50 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah I saw that somewhere earlier. That was a hell of a wild ride to read cos this was so incredibly fucked up big time omg Reply Thread Link this country is a fucking nightmare Reply Thread Link It really is. If things dont start turning around by the next presidency or two, Im gonna start looking into emigrating elsewhere. Theres just no excuse to be dealing with shit this ridiculous nowadays. Reply Parent Thread Link No one looks favourably upon immigrants so I think you have a better chance staying put. Reply Parent Thread Link Ten steps ahead of you. I've got applications in to companies in Norway, Italy and Japan. Reply Parent Thread Link It truly is and I have no idea what its going to take to get this fucker out of the WH Reply Parent Thread Link Poor girl. I bet its an incest rape fetus too Reply Thread Link I was wondering, too, who the "father" is. Young immigrant women are at huge risk for abuse. Reply Parent Thread Link Yea it says she hopped the border to escape abusive parents :( thats why my mind went there Reply Parent Thread Expand Link This world is a waking nightmare. God, I hope she gets her justice. Reply Thread Link This is so fucking disgusting, this girl wanted to escape abuse and now the US government is basically abusing her by forcing her into continuing a pregnancy she doesn't want/shouldn't have to go through with. It's beyond appalling. Edited at 2017-10-23 06:02 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link The vile and blatant misogyny is ASTOUNDING. Reply Thread Link Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that Sharma will be the government's representative in Kashmir, who'll be free to decide whom to talk to. Home Minister Rajnath Singh wants a sustained dialogue with separatists in Jammu and Kashmir | Inset: Dineshwar Sharma By Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu, Kumar Shakti Shekhar: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday announced that former Director IB Dineshwar Sharma was handpicked by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to hold a dialogue with stakeholders in strife-torn of Jammu and Kashmir. Singh told reporters that a sustained dialogue will be initiated with all shades of opinion in Kashmir Valley. advertisement This comes just days after Sushma Swaraj met Pakistan's new ambassador to India, Sohail Mahmood. "Welcome the initiative of Union Government, appointing an interlocutor for leading a sustained dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir," the state's CM Mehbooba Mufti said. Sharma, a 1976 batch Kerala cadre IPS officer, retired as director of the IB on December 31, 2016. He will hold the the position of a Cabinet Secretary. However, on talks with separatists, Rajnath said the interlocutor will be free to decide whom to talk to. A senior officer in Jammu Kashmir said "Sharma is a seasoned man who served in the intelligence bureau in the early 1990's and has perhaps seen the worst phase. He knows the phase Kashmir is in. While there is skepticism around, there is still hope." Sharma, took charge as the interlocutor for peace talks with Assam's insurgent groups, including the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). Rajnath Singh himself led an all-party delegation to the Kashmir Valley, especially after a long spell of violence, following the killing of Hizbul Commander Burhan Wani. Following his death, Singh had instituted a committee on pellet guns, to placate mounting anger. The UPA government also formed a group of three interlocutors in 2010 to hold a sustained dialogue with all sections of the people in Jammu and Kashmir. They were noted journalist Dilip Padgaonkar, Prof. MM Ansari, Information Commissioner and Prof. (Mrs) Radha Kumar, trustee of Delhi Policy Group. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had this to say about Sharma's appointment. Centre announces an interlocutor to engage with stake holders in J&K. Will keep an open mind & wait to see results of the dialogue process. https://t.co/OxzD0FwkmJ- Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 23, 2017 The legitimate aspirations?? of people of J&K is an interesting formulation. Who gets to decide what is legitimate? https://t.co/Qa97vrntuh- Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 23, 2017 What does this mean for the NIA investigation in J&K? Will investigation be suspended to facilitate dialogue with detained Hurriyat leaders? https://t.co/zcNYVu7lso- Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 23, 2017 The acceptance of the political nature of the #Kashmir issue is a resounding defeat of those who could only see use of force as a solution.- Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 23, 2017 One cant get everything so for now well take what we can get. More important than the person is the mandate & absence of pre-conditions. https://t.co/DWmRbeaine- Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 23, 2017 advertisement Violence in Jammu and Kashmir peaked this year with most number of terrorist - nearly 180 - killed in a single year by security forces. Compared to previous years, terrorist infiltration from Pakistan and the number of security personnel killed have also been high this year. The Modi-led NDA government Kashmir policy has been underlined with a marked toughness, unlike previous governments. It has refused to engage separatists. On the contrary, it has cracked down on funds reaching them. The National Investigative Agency (NIA) has arrested several Kashmiri separatist leaders and businessmen for channeling slush funds into Kashmir. Also, interestingly, the appointment of a representative to take forward the political process comes days before US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson makes his maiden visit to India. advertisement Announcing the appointment, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh skirted the thorny question - will his newly appointed interlocutor will engage separatists? "It is for interlocutor to decide," he said. The minister, however, defended appointing a police officer to take forward a political initiative, saying "it is important that the person doesn't have any political affiliations." --- ENDS --- Medical Device Manufacturing in Puerto Rico Still Challenged: FDA Chief More than 50 medical device manufacturing plants operated in Puerto Rico, employing about 18,000 people, prior to the hurricane. Collectively, they manufacture more than 1,000 different kinds of medical devices. Medical device and drug manufacturing are significant industries in Puerto Rico, and the FDA is monitoring those companies' recovery after two damaging hurricanes, Irma and Maria. FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb issued a statement Oct. 20 saying manufacturing remains fragile there and the potential for device shortages persists. "As we continue to monitor at-risk products, the FDA is taking other steps to mitigate the potential for shortages. This includes considering, when necessary, importing a device from outside of the U.S., or allowing manufacturers to shift production to alternative sites," he said. "We know it will likely be months before power is fully restored and medical product manufacturing returns to pre-hurricane levels. The FDA is committed to helping restore the medical product manufacturing in Puerto Rico as part of our efforts to protect the health of Americans and help the people of Puerto Rico recover their local economies and livelihoods." The agency has been monitoring more than 40 drug products made in Puerto Rico and working with dozens of pharmaceutical and medical device companies to help them get their facilities get back online, get employees to return to work, increase their production of vital medical products, he explained. More than 50 medical device manufacturing plants operated in Puerto Rico, employing about 18,000 people, prior to the hurricane. "Collectively, they manufacture more than 1,000 different kinds of medical devices. These include simple but essential products like surgical instruments and dental products as well as highly complex devices such as cardiac pacemakers and insulin pumps," he wrote. "To date, we're monitoring about 50 types of medical devices manufactured in Puerto Rico that are critically important to patient care because they may be life-sustaining or life-supporting and/or because there may be the single manufacturer of that device type. The FDA is working closely with about 10 manufacturers some of which are the sole manufacturer of a certain device type to prevent medical device product shortages across the U.S. We are particularly focused on blood-related medical devices. Thanks to the largest gift from an alumnus in school history, Milwaukee School of Engineering will erect a new $34 million academic facility on the northwest corner of Milwaukee and State Streets. The announcement was made Monday at the school's Kern Center before a packed gym of students, staff and others. "It's a special day for MSOE," said university Chairman Dr. Scott Moon. "This new building is the first step in transforming the heart of campus to ensure current and future students, faculty and staff, and industry leaders and employers are at the forefront of evolving technology," said MSOE President Dr. John Walz. "Put simply, MSOE is positioned to be a national leader in artificial intelligence education." The Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall is being funded by Dwight Diercks, who earned his bachelors degree in computer science and engineering in 1990. From left, Dian Diercks, Dwight Diercks and MSOE President Dr. John Walz at Monday's announcement. (PHOTO: Bobby Tanzilo) Diercks senior vice president at the California-based NVIDIA, a technology company that focuses on artificial intelligence, supercomputing and visual computing is also an MSOE regent and holds an Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from the university. Groundbreaking is expected to take place sometime in early- to mid-2018 with expected completion in 2020. "With this," Diercks told the audience Monday, "MSOE will have a data center with the mechanics of what's required for a supercomputer." And, indeed that GPU-accelerated supercomputer (pictured below) is a major component of the project. It will be available to students, faculty and staff at MSOE, but also to businesses across a range of industries that will be invited to collaborate with the university in using it. The building was designed by Milwaukees Uihlein-Wilson architects. The lot was once the site of the First Welsh Presbyterian Church, built in 1854 and purchased a century later by MSOE, which long used the building as its bookstore. That building was razed in 1988 and the site has been a surface parking lot ever since. Here are some key features of the new building: Season's eatings! The weather may be getting colder, but Dining Month on OnMilwaukee is just cooking up, dishing out your winning picks in this year's Best of Dining poll. Dining Month is brought to you by Fein Brothers, your premier food service equipment and supply dealer in Wisconsin since 1929. Congratulations to all of the winners, and happy eating for all those who voted! See all the winners for the month so far here. In this series, well be hiking the burger trail to find the latest, greatest and most delicious burgers in Milwaukee. Click here for an explanation of the criteria used to rate each burger. Where have we been? Check out the complete catalog of burger reviews here. Palomino 2491 S. Superior St. (414) 747-1007 palominobar.com In many ways, Palomino is the quintessential Milwaukee bar and grill. Located in a primarily residential area in Bay View, its got a corner bar feel. Its just divey enough that theres never pretense, folks are friendly and the scratch-made food is both comforting and delicious. Southern fare is the emphasis at Palomino these days and youll find dishes like fried chicken, a veggie po boy, pulled pork and sides like pimento macaroni and cheese, spicy street corn and handmade tots. Youll also find a great dessert menu with housemade pies and cake. The bar is a great place to hang, and youll find a stellar beer list, an amazing whiskey collection and great cocktails, including offerings like a beer-barrel aged old fashioned. As it turns out, its also a great spot to get a burger. The double brisket burger features two quarter-pound patties, American cheese, chopped onions and pickles, and secret sauce on a brioche bun with a side of fries ($13). Presentation: 8 Give this one a medal for looking great right out of the kitchen. Delivered on a classic diner-style plate, the burger features a beautifully shiny browned brioche bun stacked high with beef patties that are covered in beautifully melted cheese. Youll also find house pickles (so good) and plenty of fries on the side. Bread/bun: 9 Brioche is always a nice choice for a burger, but somehow this bun was particularly good. It was perfectly browned and shiny with a pillowy soft texture that gave in immediately to the pressure of my fingers as I picked it up to take a bite. The cut sides of the bun were grilled to crisp, offering up a bit of texture and defense against the juicy burger. Burger: 10 It makes a huge difference when spots take care with their burgers. In this case, brisket is freshly ground, hand patted (you can tell by the burgers thickness and irregular shape) and perfectly cooked. The burgers are thin, so you wont find them cooked to order. But, what you will find are two juicy patties with a big beefy flavor. Toppings: 9 The burger patties at Palomino shine. But, the toppings are what give the burger its ultra-classic flavor. American cheese offers up a dose of umami thats balanced by a "secret sauce" thats tangy and creamy (and delicious enough that Id be tempted to order a cup of it to eat with my fries). The pickles keep things fresh and crisp. Meanwhile, raw onions give the burger that classic burger joint flavor. Value: 8 For $13, youre unlikely to walk away hungry. The double burger is substantial in and of itself, and its delicious. Its got all the flavors of a solid, classic diner-style burger with upgrades including the burger mix, which makes great use of brisket, one of the meatiest, most delicious cuts on any cow. Total: 44/50 The brisket burger at Palomino is a great example of a classic diner-style burger thats been elevated with the use of exceptionally high quality ingredients. Its a must try. Palomino is open Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. US Defence Secretary James Mattis on Monday praised the Philippines for its successes in battling Islamic State supporters, as he began an Asian trip aimed at reaffirming American support for regional allies. Mattis echoed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's statement last week that Filipino forces had "liberated" the southern city of Marawi, after five months of bitter urban fighting that had claimed more than 1,000 lives, even though battles have continued. "One of the first things I'm going to do when I get there is commend the Philippine military for liberating Marawi from the terrorists," Mattis told reporters on the flight to the Philippines, according to an official transcript. "It was a very tough fight as you know in southern Mindanao (the local region). And I think the Philippine military sends a very strong message to the terrorists." Gunmen who had pledged allegiance to IS occupied parts of Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23 in what Duterte said was a bid to establish a Southeast Asian caliphate there. Hundreds of insurgents withstood a US-backed military campaign, including near daily air strikes and artillery fire, that displaced more than 400,000 people and left large parts of Marawi in ruins. Duterte last week travelled to Marawi to declare it had been "liberated", a day after the Southeast Asian leader for IS, Isnilon Hapilon, was shot dead there. However deadly fighting has continued, with the military reporting dozens of militants are still resisting in a small pocket of the city. Mattis flew to the Philippines to attend a meeting hosted by Southeast Asian defence ministers at the former American military base of Clark, two hours' drive north of Manila. The Philippines is a former American colony and the two nations are bound by a mutual defence treaty. But relations have soured under Duterte as he has sought to build closer ties with China and Russia. Defence ministers from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Russia are also scheduled to attend the two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) event. Mattis' Asia trip, which will also take him to Thailand and South Korea, comes ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to Asia next month. Some American allies in the region have become wary of Trump's interest in Asia. Mattis sought to reassure allies. "The US remains unambiguously committed to supporting ASEAN," Mattis said. Chishuru, a male African elephant, indicates a target scent during trials. Credit: Graham Alexander For 27 years Angola was gripped by civil war. Half a million human lives were lost and wildlife, too, was decimated to sustain troops. Rhino and elephants became valuable targets rhino horn and ivory served as currency for arms among rebel forces. During the conflict elephant populations fled across the border into Botswana, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When the war ended in 2002 animal populations slowly started to return to their pre-conflict grazing grounds. But a huge problem remained: millions of landmines were still in situ and undetonated across Angola. Many elephants were killed and maimed by the explosives as they attempted to recolonise. Data collected from collared elephants moving through the affected areas showed herds avoiding minefields. This suggested that at least some of the returning elephants had associated minefields with danger. What could this association be based on? Had the minefield-avoiding elephants seen others killed in those areas? Or had they associated the smell of landmines with danger, extrapolating risk to other areas where the odour was present? We couldn't answer all these questions. To narrow down our search my colleagues and I set about finding out whether elephants could smell the main component of landmines Trinitrotoluene (TNT). TNT has a low volatility the ease at which a substance moves into the air column. This makes it difficult to detect using smell. But some animals are excellent landmine sniffers among them dogs and Gambian Pouched Rats. Bees are also good at it. Genetic aspect What gives an animal a wide sense of smell comes down to how many different kinds of olfactory receptors it has, and this is determined by the species' genes. African elephants have more than double the number of genes associated with olfactory reception compared with dogs: about 2000 versus dogs' 811. This suggests that olfaction must play an enormous role in elephants' lives. In fact, elephants have the highest count of any species tested to date, meaning that they could quite possibly be the best smellers in the animal kingdom. Not only were we eager to find out whether they could detect TNT using olfaction, but also how their abilities compared to those of highly trained, TNT-detection dogs. To do this, we enlisted the help of three African elephants at "Adventures With Elephants" an educational tourism facility focused on raising awareness about conservation. Using reward-based training techniques, we trained the elephants to indicate whenever they could smell TNT among a lineup of blank, non-smelly samples initially and then later, highly volatile distractor odours. Samples were individual filter papers loaded with trace amounts of one of the following odours: TNT; petroleum; acetone; bleach; detergent; tea; or nothing at all (blanks). These filter papers, or samples, were placed individually into a bucket, and sample buckets (eight in total) were placed 6 metres apart, in a straight line. The elephants were trained to walk along the line and investigate each bucket, raising their front leg and waving it over the selected bucket whenever they thought they could smell TNT. The results suggest that elephants are even better at one aspect of the sniffing process than dogs, the animals currently considered the gold standard in landmine detection. Sensitivity and selectivity Two metrics, sensitivity and selectivity, are incredibly important in detection science. Measures of these allow researchers to understand how well a biodetector such as a dog or elephant is performing. They also allow for comparisons across species. Mussina, a female African elephant, is put through her TNT-sniffing paces. The elephants missed only one out of 97 TNT samples during our trials. This translated into a phenomenal sensitivity score of 99.7%. Sensitivity is the propensity to indicate whenever a target substance (in this case TNT) is present. In comparison, sensitivity scores for TNT-detection dogs have been reported as 93.7%. The elephants only made six false-positive indications, mistaking five out of 53 acetone samples and one out of 24 petrol samples for TNT. This incredibly low frequency of false-positives resulted in a respectable selectivity score that is, the propensity to only indicate TNT, and not just any odourous substance of 95.1%. This is a bit shy of the 100% score reported for dogs. Our findings indicate that elephants are almost 5% more likely than dogs to indicate the presence of TNT when, in fact, there is none. But dogs are almost 6% more likely to miss TNT than elephants are. It's obviously better for TNT detectors to be prone to false positives rather than false negatives: in fact it could be the difference between life and death. Real world application So does this mean that elephants should take over TNT-sniffing dogs' duties? No, absolutely not. We have no intention of putting elephants in harm's way: their sheer size and weight makes them completely unsuited to being infield TNT detectors. But remote elephant teams could act as valuable support to current demining operations in countries like Angola. Samples collected via Remote Explosive Scent Tracing by unmanned vehicles such as drones could be sent to the elephants for screening. The information gathered from TNT-detection elephants could be passed on to demining teams working at the front lines, even before they are deployed. This early warning system could potentially save the lives of the deminers and their dedicated biosensor companions. Other areas to explore Elephants' ability to correctly identify and discriminate a learned scent from other odours suggests that they may also be useful in other biosensor fields such as early disease detection. Detection dogs are used in medical and biological settings. I have used them myself as a biologically-relevant model to demonstrate that puff adders are undetectable via olfaction. Specially trained dogs already screen for cancers, diabetes, epilepsy, alien invasives, harmful microbes and pests. Some scent-matching dogs are even able to match collected samples to individuals, forgoing the need for expensive and time-consuming genetic testing. The dogs' performance in these fields is, in most cases, proving more reliable than mechanical devices. Elephants could rival dogs' sensitivity abilities in these fields, as they did for TNT-detection. They require less maintenance training than dogs to keep them on the target scent. Our elephants were able to repeat the same tests with high success a year after their last trial, with no intervening maintenance training. In addition, given their longevity they can live to around 60 years in the wild elephants, once trained, could serve as long-standing biosensors that far outlive any of their current biosensor counterparts. And, importantly, biologically appropriate tasks that engage natural behaviours to gain reward is highly stimulating for captive animals. So not only could elephants potentially save lives while sniffing out danger they could have fun at the same time. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Credit: University of Sheffield Archaeologists at the University of Sheffield are investigating how lead poisoning affected human health in the Roman Empire. The research, jointly led by Professor Maureen Carroll from the University of Sheffield's Department of Archaeology and Dr Tracy Prowse from McMaster University, Canada, is the first study to investigate lead production and use in the Roman Empire, using archaeological and skeletal evidence from a specific site in Roman Italy. In the Roman world, lead was a valuable and abundant commodity with many uses that are described in ancient written sources and through the recovery of artefacts from archaeological sites. The toxicity of lead has led to sensational claims by modern authors that lead poisoning caused the fall of the Roman Empire through its ubiquitous use in aqueducts, water pipes, household implements, and medicine. However, the actual production, use, and physical effects of this material on human health have not been widely studied for the Roman period. Until now, there has been no study of the remains of individuals who are known to have been regularly exposed to lead, as indicated by archaeological evidence for lead production and lead use on the site where they once lived and worked. Now, the international research team is investigating the archaeological evidence for lead production and use at a Roman rural estate in Vagnari, Italy, along with the physical remains of Romans who were exposed to lead on a regular basis. Professor Maureen Carroll, whose research previously revealed that Roman Imperial leaders produced wine on a grand scale in their private lives, said: "Our project focuses on the site of a rural estate which Roman emperors used as a source of revenue through agriculture and industry. Thanks to our previous research, we have the advantage of knowing exactly where people lived on the site and where some of them worked with toxic lead on a regular basis. These people were buried in the village cemetery. "The village's inhabitants almost certainly were of varying social status, from slaves to free-born, and from local workers to immigrant labourers and tenants, so this research will give us an important insight into lead production and exposure among different tiers of Roman society." Dr Tracy Prowse from the McMaster University's Department of Anthropology, added: "This project integrates research expertise from various disciplines to explore the entire picture of lead production and consumption at a rural Roman estate. "It gives us new insights ranging from the physical context of manufacturing in the estate's village, the procurement and processing of ores, to the physiological effects of lead production on men, women and children living and dying in the area. It will also give us a new understanding of the long-term consequences of lead in the environment and the associated risks to human health." The Deadly Lead project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Insight Development programme. Every year, Archaeology students from the University of Sheffield participate in the excavations and research at Vagnari. The project also involves graduate students in research and dissemination activities, providing key opportunities for young scholars to train in advanced scientific methods, data collection, and scholarly discourse. Many argue the Great Recession could have been ameliorated through strategic policies, but the government ignored warning signs of coming economic distress. Instead, increased borrowing incited a financial and real estate boom, which resulted in a bubble that eventually burst. Yet, for anyone who lived through the early 1980s and early 1990s, the Great Recession two decades later should not have been a surprise, according to a working paper published by Princeton University. Similar to the Great Recession, there was a large rise in lending in the 1980sboth to individual households and to corporations and firmswhich was followed by a recession. At the same time, U.S. states gradually deregulated their banking sectors, allowing banks from other states into their markets. These factors make the timeframe ripe for economic study: Was the credit boom the result of looser financial markets, or were more people just borrowing money? Did the boom affect individual households more than corporations? And how did this influence the economy overall? Atif Mian and Emil Verner from Princeton and Amir Sufi from the University of Chicago examined the effect of these local credit supply "shocks" on employment, consumer spending, house prices and indebtedness, across states. Their results are distributed as an online working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). They found that states like New York, which deregulated relatively early, experienced bigger credit boomsboth among households and corporationsin the 1980s than states with tighter restrictions on the banking sector, like Illinois. However, additional lending resulted in higher local demand, through more lending to households, and not increases of firms' productivity, investment in new capital, for example. These early state deregulators also experienced crushing lowshigher household debt levels, a worse recession, and big losses in the banking sectorby the end of the decade and into the early 1990s. "There were quite relaxed credit markets in the 1980s, so it is a perfect device for studying how credit supply booms affect the economy," said Mian, the John H. Laporte, Jr. Class of 1967 Professor of Economics, Public Policy and Finance at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. "We are not making any policy judgments about whether deregulation is good or bad, but more that deregulation can be a driver." "If you have an environment where credit markets are optimistic and credit supply is loose, then a more deregulated system can unleash stronger credit growth," Verner, a Ph.D. candidate, said. The results mirror what the researchers previously found for the Great Recession of 2008, and it also matches what happened in Ireland and Spain, countries which both experienced an increase in capital flow and lending, thanks to cross-border exchanges across Europe. The methodology outlined by Mian, Verner and Sufi can address whether credit booms are affecting productivity or investment among corporations or individual borrowing among households. If it's the latter, then the potential risks should be evident: increased household borrowing can result in people incurring far too much debt, creating adverse effects in the housing market and the local economy. "This test can help identify the type of boom occurring, and if you identify that it's a boom on the demand side, then that's where these macro-prudential policies come into play, where you might want to take a look at restricting how the household sector is borrowing, for example," Verner said. "A number of countries already have rules like thishow much a person can borrow in relation to their income, for example." By PTI: By K J M Varma Beijing, Oct 22 (PTI) The 73-day-long Dokalam standoff was "safely resolved" after several rounds of talks with India, a top Chinese military official said today on the sidelines of the ongoing Congress of the ruling CPC. Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) official Liu Fang spoke about the resolution of the Dokalam standoff citing it as an example of how the Chinese military is trying to resolve issues through dialogue mechanisms with different countries. advertisement "We also conducted a lot of practical cooperation," she said referring to the Dokalam standoff which began on June 16 when the Chinese military attempted to build a road in the territory claimed by Bhutan close to the Chickens Neck area connecting Indias north eastern states with the mainland. The standoff ended on August 28 with mutual understanding after China halted the construction of the road. "Of course it is safely resolved right now," Liu said. "My colleagues in the military and other ministries worked very closely and held negotiations with the Indian side many times," while China clearly reiterated its position, she said. "All of this contributed a lot to the peaceful resolution of China-India cross border dispute," she said, referring to the standoff. Observers attach significance to the PLA acknowledging peaceful resolution of the Dokalam standoff, at the CPC Congress which is set to endorse a second term for President Xi Jinping. The Chinese military is working hard to build up new platforms and measures to improve international cooperation she said, adding, "we already have dialogue mechanisms with 28 organisations". Referring to the address of President Xi at the once-in- five-years Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on October 18, Liu said she is "very very inspired" by the report delivered by him outlining "tremendous progress and achievements". In his address, Xi had spoken about plans to turn the PLA into a world class force. Terming the speech as "profound and fundamental," she said "we totally agree with it". Besides being president, Xi also heads the CPC and the countrys military as chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high command of the 2.3 million-strong PLA, the worlds largest army. Liu said China is playing a larger and greater role in increasing its international influence. China is making efforts in international peacekeeping, maritime cooperation and disaster relief. "All this shows our responsibility as a big power nation. We keep our voice louder and louder at the international stage," she said. advertisement The Chinese military is showing its confidence in the international arena and its spokesmen actively interacted with the international media to explain the version of Chinese army and also correct misunderstandings, she said. "By doing so we want to convey the correct, clear and accurate information about Chinas military development," Liu said. She along with other young military officials interacted with the media sharing their experiences in the military and their appreciation of Xis leadership. The Chinese military, which has undergone a massive reform drive since Xi took power in 2012, has an annual budget of over USD 141 billion, next only to the US. PTI KJV KUN --- ENDS --- Credit: CC0 Public Domain Ever since the days of Aristotle, people have made the counterintuitive observation that hot water sometimes freezes faster than cold water. In modern times, the observation has been named the Mpemba effect after Erasto Mpemba, an elementary school student living in what is now Tanzania in the early '60s. When making ice cream, Mpemba observed that using warmer milk causes the ice cream to freeze faster than when using colder milk. In the last few decades, the Mpemba effect has been studied and observed in several physical systems besides water, including carbon nanotube resonators and ice-like water cages called clathrate hydrates. Despite these findings, the causes of the effect are not well-understood. Proposed explanations include the presence of impurities, hydrogen bonding, and supercooling. Even the mere existence of the Mpemba effect remains controversial, as one recent study found insufficient evidence to replicate a meaningful effect. Now, their interest rekindled by a recent paper proposing a generic mechanism for similar effects, scientists Antonio Lasanta and coauthors from universities in Spain have returned to the question in a new study published in Physical Review Letters. In their work, the researchers theoretically demonstrate and investigate the Mpemba effect in granular fluids, such as those made of sand or other small particles. Using simulations of granular systems and a simple kinetic theory approach, the researchers were able to determine that the initial conditions in which the system is prepared play a critical role in determining whether or not the system exhibits the Mpemba effect. Their analysis also enabled them to identify the initial conditions required in order for a granular system to exhibit the Mpemba effect. "Our work shows that the existence of the Mpemba effect is very sensitive to the initial preparation of the fluid or, in other words, to its previous history," coauthor Andres Santos at the University of Extremadura in Badajoz, Spain, told Phys.org. "In our opinion, this may explain the elusiveness and controversy of the Mpemba effect in water, as a consequence of the lack of control on the detailed initial preparation of the sample." As the researchers showed, if a system is not prepared under certain initial conditions, then the colder system cools down more quickly than the warmer one, as expected, and there is no Mpemba effect. "We theoretically showed, at least in the case of a gas, that a system's temperature evolution and thus its cooling and/or heating rate do not depend on initial temperature alone, but also on the previous history of the system that control the initial value of the additional variables," Santos said. "Therefore, it is perfectly possible that an initially heated system cools down quicker than a colder one with a different history." As the researchers explained further, the simplicity of the Mpemba effect in granular fluids compared to water and other systems enabled them to reach this conclusion. "Our results show that the Mpemba effect is a generic non-equilibrium phenomenon that appears if the evolution of temperature depends on other physical quantities that characterize the initial state of the system," Santos said. "In practice, such an initial state can be experimentally achieved if the system is taken by some physical procedure very far away from equilibrium (for instance, by a sudden heating impulse prior to cooling down). Our theoretical and computational work shows that the Mpemba effect is particularly simple in a granular gas, since, in practice, there is one single extra parameter controlling the Mpemba effect. This parameter is the kurtosis, which measures the deviation of the velocity distribution function from a Gaussian distribution." With this new understanding, the researchers could estimate a range of initial temperatures for which the effect emerges and determine how different the initial values of this parameter must be in order for the Mpemba effect to appear. The results also support predictions of the existence of an inverse Mpemba effect: when heated, a colder sample may reach a hot target temperature sooner than a warmer sample. The researchers plan to investigate this area and others in the future. "On the theoretical side, we plan to carry out a similar study in the case of a molecular solute (where collisions are fully elastic) suspended in a solvent that produces a nonlinear drag force on the solute particles," Santos said. "Going back to granular fluids, we also want to analyze the impact of particle roughness and spin on the Mpemba effect. In the latter system, the simplest model would couple the temperature evolution to that of the parameter measuring the non-equipartition of energy between the translational and rotational degrees of freedom. "On the experimental side, we think that reproducing in a laboratory the Mpemba effect in a granular gas would be a breakthrough. We are currently working on the design of an ad hoc experiment." More information: Antonio Lasanta et al. "When the Hotter Cools More Quickly: Mpemba Effect in Granular Fluids." Physical Review Letters. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.148001. Also at arXiv:1611.04948 [cond-mat.soft] Journal information: Physical Review Letters 2017 Phys.org According to Pew Research center, in 2013, about six out of ten Americans searched for health information online in the past year. With patients regularly turning to the internet for health advice, a group of researchers aimed to evaluate the educational quality of seasonal influenza videos on the user-generated, video-sharing platform, YouTube. Researchers conducted akeyword search of "seasonal influenza" from January 28 to February 5, 2017. The top most viewed videos that appeared in the search results were included and analyzed for video characteristics, source, and content. The source of videos was then classified as health-care provider, alternative-medicine provider, patient and/or patients' parents, company, media, or professional society. Utilizing the latest CDC guidelines, a scoring system was created to evaluate the quality (-10 to +40). Negative points were provided for misleading information. Ten blinded reviewers scored each video independently. Three hundred videos were analyzed, with a median of 341 views, 1 likes, 0 dislikes, and 0 comments. More video presenters were male (39.3%) and the predominant race depicted was Caucasian (73.6%). The most common type of video source was professional societies (38.3%) and least represented was alternative medicine provider (1.3%). Among the six video sources, the mean scores showed a statistically significant difference from each other (p<0.001). There was a higher mean score for health-care provider (4.50) when compared with other video sources (mean scores ranging from 0.47 to 4.17). "This study confirmed that most YouTube videos on seasonal influenza are provided by professional societies and health-care providers, with over half of the videos attempting to educate patients," says Dr. Lakshmi Kallur, lead researcher and resident physician in the Department of Internal Medicine at East Tennessee State University's Quillen College of Medicine, "these videos, although containing accurate information, did not fulfill our criteria as far as educating patients thoroughly." Further results from this study will be shared at CHEST Annual Meeting 2017 in Toronto on Wednesday, November 1, 1:30 PM-2:30 PM at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The study abstract can be viewed on the journal CHEST website. More information: Lakshmi Kallur et al, Dr. YouTube's Opinion on Seasonal Influenza: A Critical Appraisal of the Information That is Available to Patients, Chest (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2017.08.152 Journal information: Chest Despite widespread concern about potential human health impacts from hydraulic fracturing, the lifetime toxic chemical releases associated with coal-generated electricity are 10 to 100 times greater than those from electricity generated with natural gas obtained via fracking, according to a new University of Michigan study. The study is a comparative analysis of the harmful health effects of electricity produced from shale gas and coal. It looks at the amount of toxic chemicals released into the air, soil and water during both the resource extraction and electricity generation phases of both technologies and concludes that the potential human health impacts of electricity from coal are much higher. The findings suggest that as the U.S. energy market continues to shift from coal to natural gas, the overall "toxicity burden" of the electricity sector will decrease, said study corresponding author Shelie Miller, an environmental engineer and an associate professor at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability's Center for Sustainable Systems. "This analysis does not imply that concerns associated with shale gas production are unfounded, only that the overall toxic load of coal is definitely greater," Miller said. "And while the study doesn't address this directly, we should be pursuing renewables more aggressively if we really want to decrease the human toxicity burden of our energy system." The study was published online Oct. 10 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. The other authors are Brian Ellis of the U-M Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Lu Chen, a recent graduate of the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability. In recent years, the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (commonly known as fracking), have helped unlock vast stores of natural gas in shale formations. Increased shale-gas production created a boom in some parts of the country but has also led to concerns over potential contamination of drinking water and possible human health impacts related to hydraulic fracturing. Given those concerns and the ongoing shift to shale gas, Miller and her colleagues felt it was important to place into proper context the potential human health impacts of shale gas relative to coal. In their comparative study, called a lifecycle impact assessment, the researchers used Pennsylvania as the point of origin for both shale gas and coal, since both energy sources are abundant in the state. For the coal system, the study estimates the toxicity associated with air pollutants emitted during power generation, as well as toxic chemical releases during the coal-mining process from acid-mine drainage and coal-ash impoundment. The air pollutants analyzed for the coal system included particulate matter (soot), mercury, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. For the hydraulic fracturing system, the study estimated the toxicity of the fracturing fluid chemicals used to crack rock and release natural gas, as well as the wastewater associated with shale-gas extraction. The researchers also looked at air pollutants emitted during both shale-gas extraction and electricity generation. In both systems, particulate matter released into the air from power plants during electricity generation was the dominant toxicity contributor and outweighed chemical releases that may occur during extraction. And the harmful air emissions from coal-fired power plants were much worse than those from cleaner-burning natural gas plants, Miller said. "We looked at the total mass of emissions released per unit of electricity generated throughout the lifetime of both systems, and the overall toxic load is much greater for coal," she said. "Emissions of particulate matter pumped into the air every single day by coal-fired power plants have greater potential human health impacts than any of the other chemicals we examined." The study by Miller and her colleagues is believed to be the first head-to-head comparison of coal and shale gas from the resource extraction phase through electricity generation. While the results provide a comparison of relative toxicity between the two systems, large uncertainties and lack of data precluded a full-blown risk assessment. Much of the uncertainty relates to the hydraulic fracturing process. The chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluid are considered proprietary, and the magnitude and frequency of water-contamination events are not well-documented. When faced with uncertainties about the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process, the researchers deliberately overestimated the amount of toxic chemicals that would reach the environment to ensure they weren't minimizing fracking's health impacts, Miller said. Even in a seemingly implausible accidental-release scenario in which all of a well's hydraulic fracturing fluid and untreated wastewater were discharged directly into surface waters for the lifetime of the well, shale-gas electricity had a lower lifetime human toxicity impact, or HTI, than coal electricity, according to the study. To calculate the health impacts of particulate matter from power plants, the researchers collected emissions data from 23 natural gas and 13 coal-fired power plants in Pennsylvania. Data from 2,900 hydraulically fractured wells in the state were used to estimate potential releases of fracturing fluid chemicals and wastewater. Two different assessment methods were used to estimate health impacts. Various statistical tests were conducted to verify the results, suggesting 90 percent confidence in the overall finding that the HTI of shale gas is lower than the HTI of coal. PhD student Britt Huhmann measures arsenic in rice paddy soil using a field kit in Faridpur, Bangladesh. Credit: David Funkhouser Groundwater in rural Bangladesh contains arsenic at 10 to 100 times the amount of safe consumption levels, but is consumed as drinking water from wells and has led to cases of heart disease and cancer. Traces of arsenic are also consumed through rice, a staple food of the densely-populated country. Professor Charles Harvey and graduate student Brittany Huhmann, both from the MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), traveled to Bangladesh during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons to see how contaminated groundwater, deposited through irrigation, impacts rice yields. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that is found across the world, but certain locations have elevated arsenic concentrations in groundwater. Such is the case in Bangladesh. While drinking the tainted water remains a critical issue, the arsenic-laced water also has an impact on crop yields when used for irrigation in agricultural settings. Harvey and Huhmann pursued this study to get a broad understanding of how arsenic impacts rice yields across Bangladesh, and the potential magnitude of this occurrence. "Most people [in rural Bangladesh] are relying on untreated groundwater for their drinking water. There isn't a lot of centralized water treatment, especially in rural areas," says Huhmann, the lead author on a recent paper describing the team's research. "So most of the time in the areas we worked, each family would have their own well that they drink out of, and a lot of those wells have arsenic, unfortunately, and people may or may not know." Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology The findings of the study, conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, Cornell University, and Columbia University, were recently published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. Rice is a major crop in Bangladesh, and it is the primary source of calories in the country of about 160 million people. Independent farmers primarily grow two types of rice, which are harvested on a seasonal cycle. Aman rice is grown during monsoon season, June through mid-November, and uses the natural rainfall to grow in flooded fields. Boro rice, on the other hand, is cultivated during the dry, winter season, and requires irrigation. The water used to irrigate the farmland comes from groundwater through wells, ultimately depositing various levels of arsenic into the soil. In 2015, Harvey, Huhmann and their collaborators embarked on a two-year study to document the impact of arsenic on crop yields. Unlike previous studies into this issue, the researchers conducted their study in the field rather than in controlled settings, such as greenhouses. They also accounted for a myriad of other factors by researching soil from a number of rice farms to get a more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of arsenic on rice yield across Bangladesh. "To make real progress on this kind of difficult problem, you really have to work in the region for an extended time," Harvey says. "Brittany has conducted the kind of study requiredcareful controlled field experiments covering large areas and multiple years." A farmer transplants rice seedlings in Faridpur, Bangladesh. Faridpur is known to have high levels of arsenic in their groundwater, which gets deposited into rice fields with irrigation. Credit: Britt Huhmann To determine the impact of contaminated water on the boro rice crop yield, Harvey, Huhmann, and their collaborators worked with 16 local rice farmers to evaluate their fields. The different locations allowed the researchers to account for a variety of field conditions and arsenic levels. The team selected rice fields studied in the Faridpur district of Bangladesh due to their proximity to wells known to have high arsenic concentrations. "A lot of the farmers were really interested [in the project]. They hadn't thought about the fact that arsenic could be affecting their crops," Huhmann says. "Some of them had heard about arsenic and drinking water and how that's bad for them, but most of them hadn't thought about arsenic and irrigation water or what issues that could cause. They were interested to participate because they wanted to know what was going on, and we could give them more information about their crops, and what types of things were affecting their crops." In studying contamination in the soil, the research team looked at arsenic concentrations using an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer at each of the field sites. These measurements gave insight into the levels of arsenic build up in each rice field studied, and ensured they could accurately compare measurements between plots of land with higher and lower amounts of arsenic buildup in the soil. "We wanted to look not just at one field and one farmer, but at many fields and many farmers. We wanted to have this design where we had both the control plots and intervention plots, so we could compare plots that are as similar in as many ways as possible, except for their arsenic content," Huhmann explains. A pump house and flooded rice fields in Faridpur, Bangladesh. Credit: Britt Huhmann The researchers also weighed and recorded rice harvest from the different rice fields and found that the amount that rice production is reduced depends on the amount of arsenic in the soil. The researchers were also able to determine that between 7.4 percent and 26 percent of the annual boro harvest yield was lost as a result of the arsenic in soil. "It's a pretty broad range, but this is the first study that has actually done work at a scale that can allow us to make this type of estimate," Huhmann says. "Our hope is that future studies can build on this and we can get a better understanding of what types of impacts arsenic is having on rice yield." In the meantime, the researchers found that excavating and replacing the top few layers of soil with uncontaminated soil temporarily improves crop yield, a promising indication for potential solutions to the agricultural issue. "We found that arsenic in irrigation water is causing significant negative effects on rice fields in Bangladesh," Huhmann says. "This is something that people should be paying attention to and should be thinking about what to do about it." This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching. Illustrative transverse plane through the small trunk, showing the three naturally-fractured parts. Credit: Xu and Berry, 2017. The first trees to have ever grown on Earth were also the most complex, new research has revealed. Fossils from a 374-million-year-old tree found in north-west China have revealed an interconnected web of woody strands within the trunk of the tree that is much more intricate than that of the trees we see around us today. The strands, known as xylem, are responsible for conducting water from a tree's roots to its branches and leaves. In the most familiar trees the xylem forms a single cylinder to which new growth is added in rings year by year just under the bark. In other trees, notably palms, xylem is formed in strands embedded in softer tissues throughout the trunk. Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists have shown that the earliest trees, belonging to a group known as the cladoxlopsids, had their xylem dispersed in strands in the outer 5 cm of the tree trunk only, whilst the middle of the trunk was completely hollow. The narrow strands were arranged in an organised fashion and were interconnected to each other like a finely tuned network of water pipes. The team, which includes researchers from Cardiff University, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and State University of New York, also show that the development of these strands allowed the tree's overall growth. Rather than the tree laying down one growth ring under the bark every year, each of the hundreds of individual strands were growing their own rings, like a large collection of mini trees. As the strands got bigger, and the volume of soft tissues between the strands increased, the diameter of the tree trunk expanded. The new discovery shows conclusively that the connections between each of the strands would split apart in a curiously controlled and self-repairing way to accommodate the growth. At the very bottom of the tree there was also a peculiar mechanism at play - as the tree's diameter expanded the woody strands rolled out from the side of the trunk at the base of the tree, forming the characteristic flat base and bulbous shape synonymous with the cladoxylopsids. Co-author of the study Dr Chris Berry, from Cardiff University's School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, said: "There is no other tree that I know of in the history of the Earth that has ever done anything as complicated as this. The tree simultaneously ripped its skeleton apart and collapsed under its own weight while staying alive and growing upwards and outwards to become the dominant plant of its day. "By studying these extremely rare fossils, we've gained an unprecedented insight into the anatomy of our earliest trees and the complex growth mechanisms that they employed. "This raises a provoking question: why are the very oldest trees the most complicated?" Dr Berry has been studying cladoxylopsids for nearly 30 years, uncovering fragmentary fossils from all over the world. He's previously helped uncovered a previously mythical fossil forest in Gilboa, New York, where cladoxylopsid trees grew over 385 million years ago. Yet Dr Berry was amazed when a colleague uncovered a massive, well-preserved fossil of a cladoxylopsid tree trunk in Xinjiang, north-west China. "Previous examples of these trees have filled with sand when fossilised, offering only tantalising clues about their anatomy. The fossilised trunk obtained from Xinjiang was huge and perfectly preserved in glassy silica as a result of volcanic sediments, allowing us to observe every single cell of the plant," Dr Berry continued. The overall aim of Dr Berry's research is to understand how much carbon these trees were capable of capturing from the atmosphere and how this effected the Earth's climate. More information: Hong-He Xu el al., "Unique growth strategy in the Earth's first trees revealed in silicified fossil trunks from China," PNAS (2017). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1708241114 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Few scientists regard the 1997 movie Volcano, in which flaming magma suddenly spews from the La Brea tar pits and incinerates much of Los Angeles, as a means to foster scientific literacy. After all, Southern California has no magma to spew. But geophysicist Seth Stein sees it differently. "Scientists have a choice," said Stein, William Deering Professor in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Northwestern University. "We can complain about all the horrible mistakes that are in a lot of movies, or we can say, "hey, this is a really great opportunity to get the class interested.'" Stein argues that scientific errors in movies, from impossibly large tsunamis to caverns in Earth's mantle, can be used to teach scientific lessons and foster a healthy sense of skepticism. By training students to spot the errors and seek out true explanations, Stein often incorporates scientifically disastrous disaster movies into his classroom lessons on tectonics, Earth's interior, and geo-physical data analysis. Stein and his coauthors, geologists Reece Elling, Amir Salaree, and geophysicist Michael Wysession of Washington University, plan to share their approach at the Geological Society of America's Annual Meeting on Monday, 23 October, in Seattle, Washington. There's no shortage of scientific unlikelihood to choose from. In the 2003 movie The Core, for example, a team of "terranauts" venture into Earth's core inside a vessel made of "unobtanium," where they encounter gaping voids in our planet's interior and crash through fields of sparkling, jagged minerals. The 2004 television miniseries "10.5" portrays destruction brought on by an earthquake of an absurdly large magnitude. By identifying these errors and learning why they're inaccurate (caverns and the minerals shown simply couldn't exist at those depths and pressures, nor would an M10.5 earthquake strike our planet), Stein said he offers students an entertaining way to connect with their inner skeptic: a vital trait for young scientists in training. "Scientists are supposed to be skeptical," said Stein. "We're not supposed to believe what authorities tell us. We're supposed to question and challenge everything." Stein said the errors extend beyond film. He's spotted inaccuracies in widely-used educational software, science museum animations, popular geology textbooks, and even drafting errors in his own books. Among the most pervasive movie errors, Stein said, is the ubiquitous "lack of geological constraints on the world," and that "you can just have volcanoes popping up everywhere." It looks as if Stein will receive more teaching opportunities just before GSA 2017, as the new movie Geostorm, in which a weather-controlling satellite system turns nefarious, instantly freezing an entire Afghani village and unleashing packs of tornadoes on unsuspecting civilians, comes out 20 October. Yet Stein's presentation comes at a time when movie and television crews often hire scientists as consultants, who do everything from writing equations on background classroom boards to reviewing scripts for gross scientific inaccuracies. Stein refers to The Martian, whose production was thoroughly informed by NASA specialists, as one of the more accurate films of late. "There was only one thing they had to fudge," said Stein, "which was the initial scene where the mission was destroyed by the wind storm. It's true that the wind speeds on Mars are very high, but because the density of the atmosphere is so low it wouldn't actually matter." Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA This image, captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows what happens when two galaxies become one. The twisted cosmic knot seen here is NGC 2623or Arp 243and is located about 250 million light-years away in the constellation of Cancer (The Crab). NGC 2623 gained its unusual and distinctive shape as the result of a major collision and subsequent merger between two separate galaxies. This violent encounter caused clouds of gas within the two galaxies to become compressed and stirred up, in turn triggering a sharp spike of star formation. This active star formation is marked by speckled patches of bright blue; these can be seen clustered both in the center and along the trails of dust and gas forming NGC 2623's sweeping curves (known as tidal tails). These tails extend for roughly 50 000 light-years from end to end. Many young, hot, newborn stars form in bright stellar clustersat least 170 such clusters are known to exist within NGC 2623. NGC 2623 is in a late stage of merging. It is thought that the Milky Way will eventually resemble NGC 2623 when it collides with our neighboring galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy, in 4 billion years' time. Provided by NASA Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega (R), flanked by his wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo (L), speaks to supporters in Managua on July 7, 2017 during the celebration of the 38th anniversary of "El Repliegue" at Victoria Square in Managua Nicaragua signed the Paris climate agreement Monday, leaving the United States and Syria as the only two holdouts on the global climate pact. The government of President Daniel Ortega said the global 2015 pact represented "the only international instrument that offers the conditions to face global warming and its effects," according to a statement read out by vice president Rosario Murillo. Monday's announcement leaves the United States and Syria as the only countries holding out on the Paris deal, which set measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to prevent temperatures rising by more than two degrees. US President Donald Trump in June announced the start of a three-year process to pull out of the agreement, signed by 195 countries, on the grounds that it would put the US at an economic disadvantage. Ortega said last week that Nicaragua would sign the pact, but did not say when. The tiny central American country had previously refused to sign the agreement on the grounds that it did not go far enough to combat global warming. In September, the leftist Ortega announced during a private meeting with World Bank directors in Managua that his country would join the agreement, but the news was later removed from the official government website without explanation. 2017 AFP Though found in 1996, this manakin wasn't discovered to be a new species until researchers listened to its song years later. Credit: Andy Kratter/Florida Museum of Natural History A new species of bird from the heart of Peru remained undetected for years until researchers identified it by its unique song. In 1996, a group of Louisiana State University and Florida Museum of Natural History researchers traveled to the Cordillera Azul, an isolated mountain ridge in Peru, where they discovered a previously unknown manakin species. With its bright yellow front feathers, the bird was different from the local subspecies of striped manakin, but nearly identical to the subspecies Machaeropterus regulus aureopectus found in the distant Venezuelan tepuis. But it has a completely different voice. The newly discovered manakin's song lacks undertones and has a one-noted rising vocalization, rather than two-noted falling vocalization with undertones or a falling monosyllabic vocalization with undertones. It was given the name Machaeropterus eckelberryi, commemorating the 20th century bird illustrator Don Eckelberry. Andy Kratter, a museum ornithology collection manager, said the differences went unnoticed for years because the research team didn't have vocalizations for all of the bird species. "We kind of sat on it for a long time because we didn't have vocalizations of the birds in Venezuela, and this bird is different from the local birds but close enough to the Venezuelan birds that it might have been considered the same species," he said. "In manakins, it's often subtle clues that might be different among species." Researchers found this manakin, Machaeropterus eckelberryi, in 1996 but didn't realize for years that it was a new species. Its unique song gave it away. Credit: Daniel Lane/Louisiana State University The discovery of the new species and details of the expedition were recently published in Zootaxa. Kratter said finding the new species and the isolated mountain ridge were important for the scientific community, in part because the discovery spurred Peru to preserve the area. "The Peruvian government established a national park in the area in the early 2000s, mainly as a result of finding this novel diversity in this area, which our expedition did," he said. "Finding these guys opened up a little more inventory and exploration, which led to the formation of this gigantic national park." Dan Lane, leader of the expedition and a research associate at LSU, was the first to record the new species, and he said it is one more bird for the ornithological community to include in their studies. "Even if we weren't discovering new species, just exploring regions of the world that are still poorly known and getting a better picture of where species are distributed, what habitats they use and how we may use this knowledge to preserve them is a worthwhile activity," he said. "Peru still has many treasures hidden in unexplored nooks and crannies, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the opportunity to uncover them. To this day, it may be some of the most virgin terrain I've ever visited." More information: Daniel F. Lane et al, A new species of manakin (Aves: Pipridae; Machaeropterus) from Peru with a taxonomic reassessment of the Striped Manakin (M. regulus) complex , Zootaxa (2017). DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4320.2.11 Journal information: Zootaxa People who perceive they are part of a disadvantaged group are more likely to have an unrealistic belief in the greatness of their nation and support populist ideologies. A team of psychologists and political scientists from the universities of Kent (UK), Warsaw (Poland) and Maryland (USA) found in three studies that national collective narcissism was linked to support for populism. In the UK, collective narcissism predicted support for Brexit, in the US it predicted support for Donald Trump, and in Poland it predicted support for the populist Law and Justice party. The study found that collective narcissism, i.e. an unrealistic belief in the greatness of the nation, increased in response to group feelings of being disadvantaged, especially when this was long lasting. The researchers suggest that the narrative of relative disadvantage, fuelled by populist leaders, might reinforce a 'defensive and destructive' national perspective. Narcissistic beliefs about the in-group greatness are a way to compensate for feelings of being worse off than other groups. One of the team, Dr Aleksandra Cichocka of the University of Kent's School of Psychology, said that the results might partially explain why populism is often linked to prejudicial attitudes and behaviours. In the first study, data from Poland in 2014 was used to examine the relationship between national collective narcissism versus conventional national identification and support for the populist Law and Justice party and its leader. The researchers found that collective narcissism, rather than mere strength of national identification, was a significant predictor of support for this party. Study two was conducted around the EU Referendum in the UK. Researchers found that a perception of long-term group disadvantage resulted in a higher willingness to adopt populist views reflected in Brexit support. They found that this link was driven by national collective narcissism. Study three examined support for Donald Trump. Researchers found that feelings that Americans were being disadvantaged relative to immigrants was associated with national collective narcissism, which in turn predicted preference for Trump. The Editors Guild of India, in a hard-hitting statement, said it wants the Rajasthan government to "immediately withdraw the ordinance and desist from making it into law." By India Today Web Desk: The Editors Guild of India strongly denounced the Rajasthan government's move to convert a controversial ordinance protecting public servants from probe without prior sanction into an act. The guild called the ordinance, which was promulgated by the Vasundhara Raje last month, a "pernicious instrument to harass the media, hide wrongful acts by government servants and drastically curb the freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution of India". advertisement The Raje government plans to introduce the ordinance at the state's legislative assembly in order to turn it into an act. Any ordinance promulgated by any state government must be passed by respective assembly within six months, or it lapses. The Rajasthan assembly begins a new session today, and the opposition is likely to corner the Raje government on the issue. The Editors Guild of India, in a hard-hitting statement released Sunday night, said it wants the Rajasthan government to "immediately withdraw the ordinance and desist from making it into law." "Rather than taking stern measures to prevent and punish those who indulge in frivolous or false litigation, the Rajasthan government has passed an ordinance that is bent on bludgeoning the messenger," the statement continued. "The Guild has always stood for fair, balanced and responsible reporting of FIRs filed in courts of law..." the statement added. "[But] it [the guild] believes that the remedy being employed by the Rajasthan Government is draconian and gives it untrammelled power to even imprison journalists for reporting matters of public interest," the statement said. This was in reference to a provision in the ordinance that bars journalists from naming public servants who have been accused of impropriety until the Rajasthan government gives the go-ahead for an investigation to be launched against the individual. The Raje government has attracted criticism from several quarters over the ordinance, which amends certain sections of the Criminal Procedure Code that allow magistrates to order investigations against public servants if the police fail to register an FIR based on a person's complaint. The amendment prohibits magistrates from ordering the police to lodge an FIR or probing allegations against a public servant until the government sanctions the investigation. The Rajasthan government has defended itself saying that it wants to protect public servants from false complaints. --- ENDS --- Some tribal members in Dulac have elevated their houses to deal with the all-too-frequent flooding. But the cost is often prohibitive, and such housing creates new problems for people with limited mobility. Photo by Shirell Parfait-Dardar. Credit:Shirell Parfait-Dardar Rising sea levels and human activities are fast creating a "worst case scenario" for Native Americans of the Mississippi Delta who stand to lose not just their homes, but their irreplaceable heritage, to climate change. "This took a long time to evolve," said Shirell Parfait-Dardar, Chief of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Indians in Dulac, Louisiana. Canal construction, oil and gas extraction from the Gulf Coast, climate change and the routing of the Mississippi River and its land-building floods away from other delta areas have made the loss of land inevitable. "It's gotten so bad there is no way to repair it." The landscape has gradually become more of a waterscape, resembling a "laced doily" of land when seen from the air. Sea-level rise and subsidence of the Mississippi Delta are causing large swaths of land to turn to marsh, then open water, leaving narrow strands of land barely above the muddy waters. "It can be a bit deceiving. It's absolutely beautiful here," said Parfait-Dardar of what people see from the roads. "You can still see some trees in spots. But I'm on a sliver of land. Everything has changed." The story of what this and other bands of Mississippi River Delta Native Americans are experiencing will be presented on Monday at the meeting of the Geological Society of America in Seattle, Washington. Presenting for Parfait-Dardar will be Williams College geoscientist Ronadh Cox, whose students have benefited from visiting Dulac and learning the plight of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Indians from Parfait-Dardar. Tribal members live 17 miles (27 kilometers) from the coast, but despite this the community has been losing land at an average of 1% per year between 1974 and 1990, according to previous research. A more recent analysis shows that subsidence rates in the Dulac area average 12.5 millimeters (one-half inch) per yearamong the highest in southern Louisiana. Fields and woodlands in which Parfait-Dardar and tribal members wandered as children now have to be crossed by boat. In Dulac, areas that never flooded from the sea now do so regularly. It no longer takes a storm to flood the area: A strong south wind coinciding with a high spring tide is all that's needed. "Younger people, they get out. They have to survive," she said. But that survival comes at a high cost. "We're losing our culture and our people. You don't just lose your home, you lose who you are." Even ancestors are not spared. Coffins frequently come loose during floods and float away. Some are not recovered. To mitigate the effects of flooding, many homes have been elevated 13 feet (4 meters) with stilts. There's even one that's 19 feet (5.8 meters) high, Parfait-Dardar said. But this poses yet another problem: Many of the people living in these elevated houses are Elders. Navigating stairs and being cut off from services is not safe for them. Many others, however, cannot afford to elevate their houses. A lot of properties have been abandoned due to repeated flooding, said Parfait-Dardar. Relocating is not an easy option, since ties to traditional ways of life are strong and hard to leave behind and relocation require financial resources that are beyond the reach of many tribal members. The Grand Caillou/Dulac Band is not the only Native American group being threatened. Others include the Grand Bayou Atakapa tribe, whose homes are accessible only by boat. Another is the nearby Isle de Jean Charles band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw who are currently undergoing federal resettlement, making them the first American "climate refugees." Figure 1. (Left) Supercooled water is frozen with shocks (Copyright: Takeshi Fujino, KOWA Corporation, Niigata, Japan) (Right) Snapshot of supercooled water calculated from our computer simulations (red: oxygen, white: hydrogen, yellow bond: hydrogen-bond). Credit: Osaka University When Einstein was working toward his PhD, he was among the first to explain how particles exhibit random motions in fluids. Diffusion is an important physical process and the StokesEinstein relationship describes how particles diffuse through a fluid based on the hydrodynamic theory. But mysteriously at low temperatures below the melting temperature, something changes in supercooled liquids and the resulting highly viscous glassy behavior can no longer be explained by the simple StokesEinstein relationship. Now, two researchers from Osaka University and Nagoya University have simulated supercooled water in unprecedented detail to explain the anomalous behavior at low temperatures. They recently published their findings in Science Advances. "Most liquids obey the StokesEinstein equation over a wide range of temperatures, but some unexpected changes in behavior are found in supercooled water and other glassy materials," coauthor Kang Kim, of Osaka University, says. "Breakdown of StokesEinstein behavior suggests some kind of anomalous molecular motions even in a liquid state, but it's not clear what those behaviors are." The simple StokesEinstein relationship is based on arguments about how molecules move randomly at the microscopic level. But in supercooled water, molecules start to slow down irregularly. The researchers showed through simulations that some regions of the water become affected more than others, forming hydrogen bonds heterogeneously with partial solidification. Water molecules move through the viscous supercooled water in jumps related to hydrogen bond breaking. The erratic timing of this kind of movement is not accounted for by the StokesEinstein equation. Figure 2. In the supercooled water, two hydrogen-bonded water molecules (red: oxygen, white: hydrogen) exhibit jumping motions with hydrogen-bond breakage. The other water molecules are colored by light blue. The hydrogen-bonds are colored by yellow. Credit: Osaka University Their simulations allowed them to examine how the supercooled water hydrogen bonding network changed over time. Their modelling clearly showed that an intermittent hydrogen bond breaking timings contributed to the breakdown of StokesEinstein behavior. "There are interesting physical implications of these findings as the StokesEinstein violation is regarded as a hydrodynamic anomaly of many glassy materials systems," Kim says. "Our simulations help to answer questions about what happens in pure supercooled water and could also help to explain other dynamic behaviors in other technologically important glassy materials." More information: Takeshi Kawasaki et al. Identifying time scales for violation/preservation of Stokes-Einstein relation in supercooled water, Science Advances (2017). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1700399 Journal information: Science Advances By India Today Web Desk: It was in April this year that the news of Hema Malini's daughter Esha Deol expecting her first child with husband Bharat Takhtani came out. And after months of wait, Esha and Bharat welcomed a baby girl on October 20 at Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital. According to Mumbai Mirror, Esha delivered the baby around afternoon on Friday (October 20). advertisement After five years of marriage, the much-in-love couple decided to start a family. It is for the second time that Hema Malini has become a grand mom. "It's hard to express how happy i feel today! I think the baby looks like me and when she smiles, the world smiles at you. Esha and her bonding is divine," Bharat told Mumbai Mirror. Bharat also told the daily that they have already decided the baby's name, but would reveal it during the naming ceremony only. It was in 2012 that Esha tied the knot with Bharat. The two were childhood friends, but later lost touch. But it was during the shooting of Hema Malini's directorial, Tell Me O Kkhuda that the two fell in love. ALSO WATCH: Esha Deol gets married to Bharat Takhtani --- ENDS --- New solution will help the 60 percent of people who say they dont know where their card credentials are stored PURCHASE, N.Y. October 23, 2017 Do you know all the places youve stored your payment card details? From shopping sites to billers, keeping track of where your card credentials are held can be a daunting task. Today, Mastercard Consumer Control was introduced to address just this. The solution provides consumers a central view of where their cards are stored across all digital channels, as well as the ability to control how, when and where those cards are used. This solution enables consumers to look no further than their own trusted bank or credit union to take control of their digital payment footprint across devices and channels. Through this solution, issuers can help their cardholders more easily add their cards to their preferred shopping sites and payment devices, and optimize spend across the digital ecosystem. As digital payments continue to evolve, cardholders have more and more options to enable new types of devices for payment, and to pay in new ways online and in-app, said Jessica Turner, executive vice president Digital Payments & Labs, Mastercard. In our ongoing commitment to deliver consumer-centric solutions, Mastercard is introducing a series of APIs that will give the consumer direct control to view where their card is stored and manage spend across all digital channels all from right within their mobile banking app or website. Your Bank Your Control According to the findings of a recent Mastercard study, about three-quarters (73%) of Americans are interested in digital management of their credit/debit card information, and they want it from their bank or credit union. Mastercard Consumer Control uniquely empowers issuing partners to deliver a bank-branded, all-digital payment solution to provide consumers full oversight of their digital payment footprint. The solution helps issuers differentiate their mobile banking offering by adding powerful new functionalities. First Tech Federal Credit Union will be among the first issuers to support Mastercard Consumer Control. The Simplest, Most Secure Path Forward Mastercard is also partnering with token service providers, merchants and device manufacturers like Fitbit (NYSE: FIT), Fitpay and Garmin to enhance the overall consumer experience while delivering a streamlined solution across card on file and IoT devices. Layering services including tokenization with bank identification and verification of cardholders, Mastercard Consumer Control also leverages the most advanced security methods today. And with more than three quarters (78%) of survey respondents hesitant to store their financial information online, this added peace of mind is critical. Consumer Control is one of the more than 35 APIs available through our Mastercard Developers [1] portal. Mastercard envisions a future powered by an API for everything one that inspires innovators to bring their ideas to life by plugging our technology into their solutions without having to start from scratch. Through our Payments, Data Services and Security APIs, we enable customers and partners to easily integrate Mastercard proprietary technology, products and services into their digital solutions. In the last year alone, the Mastercard API Platform has seen a 400% increase in usage. Other Point of Sale News Redrock Biometrics Announces Availability of PalmIDTM With Multiple Features Company Joins the Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator to Advance Security and Authentication efforts for Payments, Banking, and Ecommerce SAN FRANCISCO October 23, 2017 Redrock Biometrics, an innovator in biometric solutions, today announced commercial availability of PalmIDTM, the first market-ready, and secure, palm-based biometric authentication solution. PalmID features enrollment portability when users enroll with PalmID on one device, they are automatically enrolled on other devices with PalmID installed. Redrock has also joined the Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator program to speed development of its advanced palm-based solution targeted to a wide range of industries including payments, banking, and e-commerce. Redrock Biometrics will work closely with Wells Fargo business and technology leaders through the program, exploring use cases and experimenting with the PalmID biometric solution, an alternative to passwords and PINs. The Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator is always on the lookout for companies that can help advance convenience and security for our customers alongside a beautiful user experience, said Bipin Sahni, head of Innovation Research & Development for the Wells Fargo Innovation Group. We see numerous applications for PalmID biometric authentication in payments, banking, and other financial institutions. We are excited to collaborate with Redrock Biometrics on new ways to keep critical information safe and secure. According to a recent report from Risk Based Security, more than 4.2 billion user credentials and passwords were stolen in 2016, with approximately 95 passwords stolen every second.[1] Forrester estimates that account takeover causes at least $6.5 $7 billion in annual losses across a broad range of industries including financial services, insurance, e-commerce, and healthcare.[2] PalmID is the first enrollment-portable biometrics solution that is commercially available. PalmID SDK is available for sign-in authentication for Windows, Android, iOS, Mac OS, and Linux as well as configurable for standalone and client-server architectures. It can be integrated into any device with an RGB or IR camera and CPU. End use applications include point-of-sale systems and ATMs, as well as consumer electronics, AR/VR, medical equipment, IOT and automotive. With a simple wave of the hand, PalmID converts the palm image into a unique signature and authenticates the user in 10-100 milliseconds depending on CPU speed. The Palm ID Capture Module uses sophisticated machine vision techniques to detect palm in a video stream and pass its descriptor for enrollment or verification. The PalmID Matching Module can run server side or locally and matches the verification request against the enrollment template, using proprietary algorithms extensively tested against tens of thousands of palms. Palm-based biometrics are an ideal authentication solution for the payments, banking and e-commerce markets due to ease of deployment by POS providers, consumer electronics and ATM manufacturers, as well as ease of use by consumers, said Hua Yang, Cofounder and CEO of Redrock Biometrics. The portability feature designed into PalmID is likely to increase consumer acceptance of biometrics as an authentication solution. Interested in connecting with Redrock Biometrics at Money20/20? Contact us at contact@redrockbiometrics.com or visit our kiosk # K64 to see a live demo of the newly released PalmID solution. Other Point of Sale news: GVL Narasimha Rao said during a debate that most actors have very low IQ and general knowledge. By India Today Web Desk: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao stirred up a hornet's nest when he said during a debate on a leading channel that "most of our film stars have very low IQ, very low general knowledge." His remark has rubbed Farhan Akhtar the wrong way, who took to Twitter to express his objection. "How dare you, sir?? @GVLNRAO And to all film people in his ranks.. here's what he thinks of you. #shame," he wrote. How dare you, sir?? @GVLNRAO advertisement And to all film people in his ranks.. heres what he thinks of you. #shame https://t.co/6C8v6hZa23- Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) October 22, 2017 The BJP leader promptly responded, "Farhan ji, Expressing an opinion is not a dare. Respect stars4work. Pl do take criticism in stride. No intolerance please!! @FarOutAkhtar." Farhan ji, Expressing an opinion is not a dare. Respect stars4work. Pl do take criticism in stride. No intolerance please!!@FarOutAkhtar https://t.co/Fn1igWvKHi- GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) October 22, 2017 Incidentally, the debate was over the recently released Vijay-starrer Mersal, which criticised Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Digital India. Several leaders of the BJP have hit out at Atlee's film for its "incorrect references" and demanded a removal of the scenes . In light of this, it is ironic that GVL Narasimha Rao tells Farhan Akhtar to "take criticism in stride (sic)" and advocates "no intolerance". ALSO WATCH: BJP against Vijay's Mersal for portraying GST, demonetisation in bad light --- ENDS --- The remote locations that have been detected on the earth have many names like Point Nemo, in Latin, it is called as No One and the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility. The exact coordinates of these remote locations are 48 degrees 52.6 minutes south latitude and 123 degrees 23.6 minutes west longitude respectively. As per the report, the spot is located around 1,450 nautical miles from any point of land. Its location has made it a perfect place to dump all old and dead spacecraft. NASA named that place as Space cemetery. As per the statement given by NASA, the Pacific Ocean is situated very far away from human civilization. An aerospace engineer and atmospheric reentry specialist, Bill Ailor stated that that place is good to put things down without hitting anything. Smaller satellite doesnt end up at pint Nemo. By explaining about this NASA said, to destroy a satellite it needs more hit which can be produced from more friction. So when the satellite falls toward Erath with a speed of thousand miles per hours, it produces high friction and heat as well. That level of heat can burn up the satellite. Besides this, there is still a problem. It is difficult to burn up larger objects, for example, Tiangong-1. This space station was launched in September 2011, and its weight is around 8.5 tons. The length of this space station is 34-foot. Now, this big space station is doomed to crash by 2018 as China has lost control over it in March 2016. Now the big question is where exactly the spacecraft will crash. No exact information on it has been given yet. Ailor, from the nonprofit Aerospace Corporation, said, the company will not forecast anything in it until five days before the space station is expected to break apart. Is it also said that, when it will happen, the parts of this big spacecraft like titanium scaffolding and glass fiber wrapped fuel tanks can hit the ground at a speed of more than 180 miles per hour. After losing its control over the space station, China is now not in a stage to tell whether the spacecraft will disintegrate over the Point Nemo, the Pacific Ocean. As per the information, starting from 1971 to 2016, space agencies from all over the world dumped around 260 spacecraft into this region, and now the rate is rising significantly. SALTO Systems Names Gerry Rupper As Regional Sales Manager for New York City SALTO Systems has appointed Gerry Rupper to the commercial sales team position of Regional Sales Manager. SALTO Systems has appointed Gerry Rupper to the commercial sales team position of Regional Sales Manager. Rupper will oversee sales of SALTO products in New York City and will also host partners, consultants and prospects at SALTOs new XSperience Center located near Penn Station in Manhattan. The XSperience Center is a unique resource dedicated to demonstrating and training for SALTOs comprehensive and versatile range of solutions. Based in Long Island, Rupper will report to SALTO Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales Michael J. Mahon. Gerry has invaluable security sales experience and we are thrilled to have him representing SALTO in the very important New York market a market that Gerry has worked in for decades, said Mahon. Gerry will also serve as an important representative for our new XSperience Center which is quickly becoming a vital SALTO product and training resource for the East Coast. Gerry joins SALTO from manufacturers representative Rupper Associates where he served as president and provided consultation, project specification, system design, team sales, seminars and training in access control, CCTV and emergency communications systems. Gerry has also served as district sales manager for LCA Sales Company and sales engineer for Vicon Industries. He is a graduate of Hofstra University. Im excited to be joining an organization like SALTO, a company that represents such innovative thinking toward security, said Gerry. SALTO offers truly leading-edge solutions to many of access controls challenges. My new position will give me the opportunity to provide these solutions to an ever-growing market. Gerry can be reached by email at g.rupper@saltosystems.com or by phone at (770) 510-9386. If you are looking for free legal advice on your legal issue, visiting a legal clinic may be an ideal solution. There are many legal clinics in Singapore, organised by both governmental and non-profit organisations. Here are 9 of them. Contents Menu Multiple locations: Community Legal Clinics, by The Law Society of Singapore Open to applicants of all nationalities: Legal Clinic by the Singapore Management University Pro Bono Centre For litigants-in-person: On-Site Legal Advice Scheme, by the Community Justice Centre Consumer complaints: Legal Consultation by the Consumer Association of Singapore For women only: Legal Clinic by the Association of Women for Action and Research For start-ups: Legal Clinic by the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) Intellectual property matters: IP Legal Clinic, by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore Syariah law matters: Jamiyah Legal Clinic by the Muslim Missionary Society Singapore (Jamiyah Singapore) For migrant workers: Legal Clinic by the Migrant Workers Centre 1. Multiple locations: Community Legal Clinics, by The Law Society of Singapore Community Legal Clinics accept appointments from Singaporeans and Permanent Residents living in Singapore who need legal advice on personal matters (i.e. investment, business and professional matters are not applicable). The clinic is only open to people who have never sought legal advice before, and who are not represented by lawyers. At the legal clinic, you will be able to see a volunteer lawyer for 20 minutes on a strictly confidential basis. Community Legal Clinics are held every Monday to Thursday (except public holidays and eves of public holidays) at 4 different locations. These locations are: North West District: Woodlands Civic Centre South East District: Wisma Geylang Serai South West District: The JTC Summit Central Singapore District: HDB Hub To make an appointment, you can call 6536 0650 or email the Pro Bono Services Office at clc@lawsocprobono.org. You should also bring all relevant documents to the session to help the lawyer to best understand and advise on your situation. Story continues Visit the Law Society Pro Bono Services Offices website for more information on the Community Legal Clinics. 2. Open to applicants of all nationalities: Legal Clinic by the Singapore Management University Pro Bono Centre Conveniently located in town, the Singapore Management University (SMU) Pro Bono Centre welcomes applicants of all nationalities (including foreigners) to its legal clinic. To be eligible for a consultation with the clinics volunteer lawyers, you must be from a low-income or disadvantaged group. Your matter must also be a personal matter (i.e. not a business, corporate or investment matter). As the legal clinic is held every Friday evening, the SMU Pro Bono Centre legal clinic is also an option for people who require urgent, last-minute legal advice before attending court hearings the following Monday. To make an appointment, you can: Visit the SMU Pro Bono Centre website for more information on its legal clinic. 3. For litigants-in-person: On-Site Legal Advice Scheme, by the Community Justice Centre The Community Justice Centre is a non-profit organisation which looks out for the interests of litigants-in-person (i.e. people who are representing themselves in court, without a lawyer). It organises the On-Site Legal Advice Scheme, providing free and immediate advice to litigants-in-person who urgently need legal advice on personal matters. It is unable to assist litigants-in-person with commercial/corporate/business matters. The clinic operates on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment is required. Clinic sessions take place at the State Courts and are available from Mondays to Fridays (except for public holidays), 10am to 12.30pm and 2.30pm to 5pm. On the other hand, bankruptcy-related sessions are held at the Supreme Court every Monday (2.30pm to 5pm) and Thursday (10am to 12.30pm, and 2.30pm to 5pm). All sessions are conducted by volunteer lawyers and last for up to 20 minutes. Litigants-in-person may make use of this service only once. Visit the Community Justice Centre website for more information on the On-Site Legal Advice Scheme. 4. Consumer complaints: Legal Consultation by the Consumer Association of Singapore The Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to protecting consumers interests. If you are involved in a consumer-to-business dispute, you can consult a CASE officer. During the consultation, the officer will assess your case and make recommendations accordingly. You can walk in to consult with an officer at the CASE office between 9am to 4pm from Mondays to Fridays. For general inquiries, you can also call CASE at 6100 0315 from Mondays to Fridays, between 9am and 5pm. Visit the CASE website for more information on the consumer dispute resolution services provided by CASE. 5. For women only: Legal Clinic by the Association of Women for Action and Research The Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), a non-governmental organisation advocating for gender equality, offers free one-time legal consultations to women only. To qualify for free legal advice at AWAREs legal clinic, applicants must require assistance with a personal matter (e.g. divorce, family violence or Syariah matters). They must have also not already engaged lawyers. Each session lasts 20 minutes, and clinic times and dates depend on the matter that you need advice on. All cases are kept strictly confidential. To make an appointment, you can call the AWARE hotline at 1800 777 5555. The hotline is open from Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm. Visit the AWARE website for more information on its legal clinic. 6. For start-ups: Legal Clinic by the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) If you are a start-up, you may be eligible for complimentary legal advice for your business at the ACE Legal Clinic. Backed by the Ministry of Trade & Industry, the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) is a private organisation that supports entrepreneurship initiatives in Singapore. The ACE Legal Clinic operates on alternate Tuesday afternoons at the JTC LaunchPad @ one-north. Each legal consultation session will last up to an hour. You can register for a consultation on the ACE website. ACE will then get back to you to confirm your appointment. 7. Intellectual property matters: IP Legal Clinic, by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore If you need legal advice on intellectual property matters, consider visiting the IP Legal Clinic organised by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS). Clinic sessions are usually held on Thursdays and last around 45 minutes. You will have to pay $200-$400 for the session to the lawyer handling your case, but IPOS will reimburse you this fee afterwards. You can make an appointment at the IPOS website. When making the appointment, you will need to provide your IP application/registration numbers (if any) and the details of the other party involved. Visit the IPOS website for more information on the IP Legal Clinic. 8. Syariah law matters: Jamiyah Legal Clinic by the Muslim Missionary Society Singapore (Jamiyah Singapore) If you need free legal advice in matters relating to syariah law, you can visit the Jamiyah Legal Clinic by the Muslim Missonary Society Singapore (also known as Jamiyah Singapore). While the clinic will refer cases relating to syariah law to a special panel of Muslim lawyers, it also offers advice on issues not relating to syariah law for people of all races and religions, which includes family disputes, matrimonial problems, and division of property. Applicants can also request to meet either a Muslim or non-Muslim volunteer lawyer. Consultations are by appointment only, and your eligibility is determined when you call to make the appointment. To set a date and time for an appointment, you will have to call 67431211. Applicants must attend in person. The legal clinic operates on Wednesdays (6pm to 7pm) and Saturdays (10am to 12pm) at Jamiyah Centre Level 4, 31 Lorong 12 Geylang. If the applicant is elderly or frail, and has difficulty in coming down to the clinics main address, the legal clinic also provides video-conferencing services at special kiosks at Kaki Bukit Community Centre and Eunos Community Club. These iCounsel clinics operate from 7.30pm to 9.30pm on every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Should you need more information about the Jamiyah Legal Clinic, you can contact them via the Jamiyah Singapore website. 9. For migrant workers: Legal Clinic by the Migrant Workers Centre Work Permit and S Pass holders in Singapore who need legal advice can approach the Migrant Workers Centre, which holds a free legal clinic on every first and third Saturday of the month, 12 to 2 pm. To get started, call the Migrant Workers Centre helpline at 6536 2692, or email feedback@mwc.org.sg. Need Extra Help? Legal aid If you need to hire a lawyer but worry about not being able to afford one, you may consider applying for legal aid. This allows you to obtain legal services from a lawyer either free of charge or at a subsidised rate. You may need to a pass a means test to qualify for legal aid. Read our other article for more information on obtaining legal aid in Singapore. Call a Lawyer service If you dont qualify for legal aid or for free legal advice at the above legal clinics (for example, if you represent an SME requiring legal advice on a business matter), and your issue does not require a lengthy discussion with a lawyer, you may use our Call A Lawyer service. For just S$59, you can get a 20-minute phone consultation on your legal matter by a Singapore-qualified lawyer within 24 hours. >> Schedule your phone consultation with a lawyer for just $59 Find a Lawyer service Alternatively, if you find yourself needing a lawyer for more detailed legal advice or legal representation, you may find one using our Find A Lawyer service. This online service allows you to contact and receive non-obligatory quotes from up to 5 experienced lawyers of your choosing. Use of this service is free. >> Get up to 5 non-obligatory quotes from experienced lawyers for free here The post 9 Legal Clinics Which Offer Free Legal Advice in Singapore appeared first on SingaporeLegalAdvice.com. A member of Iran's Revolutionary guard stands at attention during an anti-U.S. ceremony in Azadi (freedom) Square in Tehran April 25, 2010. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl/Files By Parisa Hafezi and Jonathan Saul ANKARA/LONDON (Reuters) - Irans elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a military force with political clout and an industrial empire, stands to benefit from heightened tension between Washington and Tehran, officials and analysts said. President Donald Trump broke ranks with other major powers earlier this month by disavowing Iran's compliance with a 2015 multinational nuclear deal, complicating life for foreign investors nervous of possible new U.S. sanctions. The IRGC, which reports directly to Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, began rapidly expanding its commercial interests a decade ago, before U.S. and EU sanctions were imposed on Iran's oil and finance sectors in 2012 over the country's nuclear programme. It controls businesses ranging from ports management to telecommunications and has made the most of both cooling and warming ties with the West. When Western oil companies vacated energy projects in Iran after 2012, the Guards took them on; after the penalties were lifted in 2016, the IRGC, through front companies, served as a conduit for foreign business flowing into Iran. If investors are put off again, the IRGC is ready to step in, said an official from Khamenei's camp. "We want foreign investors to stay, but if they leave because of (U.S.) pressure, the Guards can easily replace them. There is no better alternative," the official said, declining to be named because he was not authorised to speak to media. "LIMITED OPENING" Under sanctions, Iran's clerical rulers rewarded the Guards by showering them with contracts for skirting the restrictions as well as for suppressing dissent at home and helping Tehrans regional allies from Iraq to Lebanon. The IRGC's lack of technical expertise and concern over the viability of its economic ventures under sanctions meant it later welcomed pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani's deal that eased sanctions in return for curbs on the nuclear programme. Story continues Khamenei, a hardliner who holds ultimate authority on matters of state in Iran, guardedly endorsed the nuclear accord but has said Rouhanis economic follow-through has fallen short. To bypass existing unilateral U.S. sanctions, which bar any business with the Guards and its affiliated firms, many of the IRGC's front companies are not even formally owned by the Guards, but by individuals and firms linked to it. Rouhani has tried to encourage reluctant major European firms and banks to return to Iran by seeking to curb the Guards' involvement in the economy, which led to the IRGC transferring ownership of some companies to the state. In recent months, the IRGC, which sees itself as a bulwark against Western influence, has responded by criticising Rouhani for viewing foreign countries as the key to economic growth. "The IRGC will be the main beneficiary of the tension with Washington ... In order to protect its economic dominance, the IRGC prefers only limited opening to the West," said a Western diplomat who follows Iran closely. While backing the nuclear deal, Europeans share Washington's concern over Iran's ballistic missile programme and "destabilising" regional behaviour. The IRGC has vowed to accelerate the disputed missile program and Iran's Shi'ite militia proxies have made big military gains in recent months in Syria and Iraq, part of a decades-old tussle for influence in the Middle East with Sunni powers. Tehran emphasises its role in battling Islamic State. Many foreign firms remain hesitant to invest in Iran for reasons including lingering unilateral U.S. sanctions imposed over human rights violations and alleged Iranian links to terrorism, and the dominant role of the IRGC in the Middle Easts second largest economy. Among European firms that have announced big deals in Iran since last year are planemaker Airbus AIR.PA, French energy group Total TOTF.PA, and Germanys Siemens SIEGn.DE. Planemaker Boeing is the only U.S. company that has been granted direct access to the Iranian market with a deal to sell 110 plans to two Iranian carriers. But Trumps hawkish new approach towards Tehran, coupled with banking worries and domestic political turbulence in both countries, are causing growing uncertainty over Irans plane deals. Iranian officials have acknowledged publicly that major international companies are still wary of providing finance for Iran-related business, fearing potential fines resulting from existing U.S. sanctions, which include a ban on dollar related trade with the country. FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN JEOPARDY Iran needs the equivalent of billions of dollars in investment to revitalise industries including oil and gas and develop sectors held back by a lack of Western financing and the wide economic influence of the IRGC. These factors have all added to the difficulties faced by foreign investors looking to tap Iran's market. The commercial issue is the turbulence that Trump creates, Andreas Schweitzer, managing director with London-based M&A and investment advisory firm Arjan Capital Ltd, which has been investing in Iran since 2009. He said transactions were nevertheless still taking place, including in the automotive, energy and industrial sectors, in the one hundred million to two hundred million euros sphere. Merger and acquisition deals were among them, he said. "We keep the same mindset as of 2009 we assume the worst case, including that the Revolutionary Guards could be sanctioned, although we dont deal with them and if sanctioned parties are involved somewhere we wont touch the transaction or the company. We are and remain very cautious and so far we never have had a problem. Following Trump's speech, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he planned to impose new sanctions on the Guards and would work with international counterparts on the issue. Charles Blackmore, chief executive of London-based due diligence specialists Audere International, which is active in Iran, said the policy shift by Washington would have an adverse effect upon the more risk adverse investor. "For those who are already invested and know the country well, this will not make a blind bit of difference, he said. "There are enough issues at the moment making people aware of how much of the economy is controlled by shadow shareholdings and opaque structures of the IRGC. The survival of the nuclear deal is up to the U.S. Congress, which has 60 days to decide whether to reimpose broad sanctions on Iran. The U.S. administration has said Washington will not stand in the way of European trade and business transactions with Iran. Matthew Oresman, counsel with law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, who advises companies on Iran compliance issues, said Washington had considerable power and leverage to disrupt trade with Iran if that served its national security interests. "But the European governments have ways to dampen this and protect their businesses if they so desire, he said. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Philippa Fletcher) A Muslim activist accused of campaigning in refugee camps for the unconditional return of displaced Rohingya to Myanmar has been arrested in Bangladesh, police said. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August 25, when coordinated attacks by the Rohingya insurgency prompted a massive crackdown on the Muslim minority by the Myanmar military. Only accredited charities are allowed to operate in the sensitive border region and Bangladesh has heavily curtailed access to the vast camps. Mahbubul Alam Minar was detained more than a week ago but police only confirmed late Sunday he was being held on suspicion of erecting banners listing Rohingya demands in English and Bengali. An investigation has been opened into Minar, who has links to Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh, deputy police chief in the Cox's Bazar border district Afrozul Haq Tutul told AFP. Bangladesh authorities are wary of Islamist groups -- most notably the armed Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army fighting for the stateless minority -- gaining a foothold in the vast refugee camps. Police believe Minar acted alone in hanging the banners, which claim to represent the previously-unknown Committee on Rohingya Rights Establishment, and broadcasting his efforts on social media. The banners called for all displaced Rohingya to be granted safe passage back to Myanmar, compensation for their destroyed homes and return of seized land. They also demanded Myanmar's westernmost Rakhine State adopt the Rohingya name Arakan, and that Muslims there are granted full religious freedom, rights to education and a separate judiciary. Bangladesh wants the Rohingya repatriated and has offered to stage a joint military push with Myanmar against the militants active in the border regions. It has reinforced police checkpoints, deployed plain clothes officers and bolstered security in the camps to intercept any militants trying to mingle with civilians crossing the border. "There is no way they can enter here," Cox's Bazar police chief Iqbal Hossain told AFP. Police in Rio de Janeiro said Monday they accidentally shot dead a Spanish tourist who was visiting a violent favela slum where earlier two officers had been wounded. A car "broke through a police blockade" in the Rocinha favela, police said in a statement, and officers who did not know there was a tourist aboard opened fire. "During a check, the vehicle was found to be for the transport of tourists. One Spanish woman who was wounded was taken to the Miguel Couto hospital but died of her wounds," the statement said. The incident occurred an hour after police from an elite unit fought with narcotics gang members in two locations in Rocinha, a giant favela that has long been almost out of control of the authorities. In the clashes, two police were hospitalized with wounds, along with a suspected gang member, police said. A Glock pistol was confiscated. Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers have been deployed to help police in crackdowns on Rocinha in September and October after rival drug gangs battled each other with automatic weapons in the densely populated neighborhood. Violence is common in favelas, where around a quarter of Rio's population of 6.5 million live. Drug gangs control much of the territory and police are forced to remain on permanent alert, leaving large areas in the hands of local gunmen. Tourists are routinely warned to keep away from favela neighborhoods, with few exceptions. G1 news site identified the slain tourist as Maria Esperanza Ruiz Jimenes, 67. This could not be immediately verified. The Spanish embassy in Brasilia told AFP that it was in contact with the authorities over the incident. By Prak Chan Thul PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Monday it was "a fact" that the main opposition party would be dissolved as he spoke on the anniversary of the peace agreement that established multiparty democracy. More than 50 rights groups called on the countries that signed the Paris Peace Agreements in 1991 to reconvene urgently because of the threat to democracy in the Southeast Asian country. Hun Sen's government has asked the supreme court to dissolve the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) after its leader, Kem Sokha, was arrested on Sept. 3 and charged with treason. The court has yet to rule on whether the CNRP will be dissolved. "Because they didn't respect the Paris Peace Agreement, the political party will be dissolved in the future, this is a fact," Hun Sen said at a ceremony marking the construction of a new bridge in Phnom Penh. Dissolving the party would eliminate the challenge to him prolonging more than 32 years in power in next year's election, but Western donors have criticised the move and called for the release of Kem Sokha. Hun Sen accused the United Nations of failing to bring peace despite organising the first election in 1993 and said guerrilla fighting had only ended because of his own negotiations with leaders of the genocidal Khmer Rouge. Hun Sen's critics accuse him of trying to turn the country into a one-party state for the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP). On Sunday, he said any elected officials who defect from the CNRP to his party would be allowed to keep their positions once the opposition party is dissolved. In a joint open letter on Monday, more than 50 rights groups called for the Paris Conference on Cambodia to be reconvened. "There is an urgent need for decisive action from the international community, to ensure that the democratic vision for Cambodia outlined in the Paris Peace Agreements is not completely forsaken," said the letter. Story continues Hun Sen said calls for the original signatories to be reconvened were "out of date and impossible". He noted that one of the signatories, the Soviet Union, no longer exists. In the face of the Western criticism since the arrest of Kem Sokha, China has given verbal support to Hun Sen's government. China is by far the biggest donor to Cambodia and its biggest investor. China's influential Global Times tabloid said in an editorial on Sunday that Cambodia's "growth trend should not be interrupted by the country's rising political tension". "As an important economic partner of Cambodia, China will pay close attention to the situation in the Southeast Asian country and willingly provide the necessary help," it said. (Editing by Matthew Tostevin) Tycoon James Packer Monday said plans for gaming empire Crown to expand into the lucrative Japanese market were "off the table" as the company focuses on developing a flagship Sydney casino. The Australian billionaire outlined his interest several years ago in building a resort-casino in Japan to tap the country's love of gambling. But the firm is now pursuing a restructure amid a Chinese gambling crackdown, exiting its holding in Melco Resorts in Macau this year and shelving plans for a Las Vegas casino. Packer said he did not want management "distracted" by participating in any competitive bidding process to build an integrated resort in Japan, should a casino licence become available in Yokohama. "There isn't a great opportunity to get back into Vegas. And there isn't an opportunity to get back into Macau. I don't want our management to be distracted," he told The Australian newspaper. "People talk to me about Japan. I don't believe it is realistic for us to win a licence in Japan." Asked if that meant a Crown resort in Japan was off the table, Packer replied: "It is off my table. But I am only one director and I havent had the conversation with the board. "I am not saying 'no forever', but what I am saying 'no' to is writing a Aus$500 million or Aus$1 billion cheque to go into Japan next week." Japan has long been viewed as the Holy Grail of Asian gaming because of its wealthy population, proximity to China and appetite for other forms of legal gambling, including horse racing and pachinko, a slot machine-style game. The newspaper said the international casino industry was still waiting to see a formal bill setting out the main principles under which Japan's casino industry would be run. Crown is undergoing a revamp after 19 current and former employees were held for 10 months in China on charges of luring rich Chinese to Australia. They were released in August. The case hurt Crown's high roller revenues, with anti-corruption laws in China banning organising gambling activities overseas for wealthy Chinese. The company is now focusing on its casinos in Melbourne and Perth and developing a Aus$2.4 billion ($1.9 billion) gaming resort in Sydney which Packer called the "most important building built in Australia for a long time". Akhilesh Yadav said that he will also canvass for the Congress candidates if that party gives some seats to the SP to contest. Akhilesh Yadav will campaign in Gujarat for the SP candidates. (Photo: Reuters) By India Today Web Desk: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has said that his party will fight on five seats in Gujarat Assembly elections. However, he has not specified the seats on which his party will contest the elections. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister further said that SP will support Congress on the remaining seats in Gujarat. Yadav will campaign in Gujarat for the SP candidates. He has said that he will also canvass for the Congress candidates if that party gives some seats to the SP to contest. advertisement He said the SP is ready to form an alliance with the Congress in Gujarat. The two parties had contested this year's Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh by stitching an alliance. While the BJP won 312 of the 403 seats, SP bagged 47 and Congress just seven. Being the ruling party, SP was a senior partner in UP. However, in Gujarat, SP will have to play second fiddle to the Congress. Despite being a nominal player in Gujarat, SP had surprised both the ruling BJP and the main opposition Congress in Kathlal municipal elections in Kheda district last year. SP won 23 of the 24 seats in the municipal elections held in February 2016. Buoyed by the result, SP has decided to field five candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections. Besides, it has offered to campaign for the Congress if it gets some more seats to contest. Yadav hopes that Congress would show some "dostana" (friendship) by offering some seats from its quota. --- ENDS --- New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu speaks at the "Curbing the Opioid Epidemic" session at the National Governors Association summer meeting in Providence, Rhode Island, U.S., July 13, 2017. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (Reuters) By Scott Malone BOSTON (Reuters) - New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu on Monday publicly called on U.S. President Donald Trump, a fellow Republican, to halt an effort to deport 69 Indonesian Christians who fled violence in that country two decades ago and are living illegally in the state. The group had been living near the state's coast under the terms of a 2010 deal worked out with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that allowed them to remain so long as they handed in their passports and turned up for regular check-ins with immigration officials. That changed starting in August when members of the group who arrived for scheduled meetings with ICE officials at the agency's Manchester, New Hampshire, office were told to buy one-way plane tickets back to Indonesia, which they fled after 1998 riots that left about 1,000 people dead. "I am respectfully requesting that your administration reconsider its decision to deport these individuals, and I urge a resolution that will allow them to remain in the United States," Sununu said in a letter to Trump dated Friday, which his office made public on Monday. Several members of the group, who are all ethnic Chinese, told Reuters they fear that they would face discrimination or violence if they returned to the world's largest majority-Muslim country. "While I firmly believe that we must take steps to curb illegal immigration, it is also imperative that we make the process for legal immigration more streamlined and practical," Sununu wrote. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Immigration advocates have filed lawsuits in Boston on behalf of 47 members of the group asking a federal court judge to intervene. Chief U.S. District Judge Patti Saris has ordered a stay to the deportations, but has indicated that she has little jurisdiction over immigration, which is handled by the Executive Office for Immigration review. She is currently weighing whether she can order a longer delay to give the affected people, many of whom have U.S.-born children, time to renew their efforts to gain legal status. Most of the group entered the United States legally on tourist visas following the riots, which erupted at the start of the Asian financial crisis. They overstayed their visas and failed to apply for asylum on time, but have been allowed to live openly under the accord with ICE, negotiated with the help of U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat. (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Susan Thomas) U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson answers a reporter's question alongside Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani during a media availability after their meeting, in Doha, Qatar October 22, 2017. REUTERS/Alex Brandon/Pool By Stephen Kalin and Jonathan Landay RIYADH/DOHA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Sunday it was time for Iranian-backed militias and their Iranian advisers who helped Iraq defeat Islamic State to "go home", after a rare joint meeting with the leaders of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The United States is concerned that Iran, a Shi'ite regional power, will take advantage of gains against IS in Iraq and Syria to expand the influence it gained after the U.S. invasion in 2003, something Sunni Arab rivals such as Riyadh also oppose. "Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against Daesh and ISIS is coming to a close, those militias need to go home. The foreign fighters in Iraq need to go home and allow the Iraqi people to regain control," Tillerson said at a joint news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir. Tens of thousands of Iraqis heeded a call to arms in 2014 after IS seized a third of the country's territory, forming the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which receive funding and training from Tehran and have been declared part of the Iraqi security apparatus. A senior U.S. official said Tillerson had been referring to the PMF and the Quds Force, the foreign paramilitary and espionage arm of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif berated Tillerson's remarks as influenced by Iran's oil-rich regional rival Saudi Arabia. "Exactly what country is it that Iraqis who rose up to defend their homes against ISIS return to?," Zarif said in a tweet. "Shameful US FP (foreign policy), dictated by petrodollars." Iraq's military, armed by the United States but supported by the PMF, ejected the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim militant group from Mosul and other cities in northern Iraq this year. Several thousand U.S. troops are still in the country, mostly for training but also to carry out raids against IS. Story continues The campaign to uproot the militants left whole cities in ruins and has hit Iraq's economy. A new joint ministerial-level body between Iraq and Saudi Arabia convened its inaugural meeting earlier on Sunday to coordinate their fight against IS and on rebuilding Iraqi territory wrested from the group. Jubeir emphasized historic ties between the two neighbours, which share a border, vast oil resources and many of the same tribes. "The natural tendency of the two countries and people is to be very close to each other as they have been for centuries. It was interrupted for a number of decades. We're trying now to make up for lost ground," he said. The rare senior meeting, signalling a thaw between states that have been at loggerheads for decades, was also attended by Saudi King Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. WINNING THE PEACE Tillerson said the council would contribute to reforms to build Iraq's private sector and encourage foreign investment. "This will be critical to winning the peace that has been earned through the hard-fought military gains," he said. State media said the council had expressed satisfaction with global oil markets' recovery as a result of a deal with other countries to boost prices by limiting production. The council also agreed to reopen a Saudi Basic Industries Corp office in Iraq and grant Saudi agriculture company SALIC an investment licence. A second meeting will be held in Baghdad but no date was mentioned. Saudi Commerce and Investment Minister Majid al-Qusaibi told Reuters his country seeks to boost exports and is eyeing investment opportunities in Iraq's agricultural and petrochemical sectors, among others. He said backing from the highest levels of both governments would produce "quick results on the ground". "Let's not cry over spilt milk. Whatever happened in the past has happened. The good news is we are all here toward building a prosperous and beneficial future for both countries," he said in a telephone interview. Tillerson and Jubeir also discussed Washington's hawkish new policy towards Iran, including a possible withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and new sanctions on the IRGC. "Both our countries believe those who conduct business with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, any of their entities, European companies or other companies around the world really do so at great risk," Tillerson said. Relations between Riyadh and Baghdad were cut for 25 years, before recent rapprochement, after former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates, is wooing Baghdad now in an effort to halt the growing regional influence of Iran. Arriving in Doha later on Sunday for the next leg of a multi-country trip, Tillerson told a news conference that there was little chance of a swift breakthrough to resolve a blockade imposed on Qatar by Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies. The kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain imposed trade and travel curbs on Doha in June for alleged support of terrorism and friendship with Iran - charges Qatar denies. "There is not a strong indication that the parties are ready to talk yet," Tillerson said. The secretary of state's six-day trip will also take him to Pakistan, India and Switzerland. (Additional reporting by Eric Knecht, and Dubai newsroom; Writing by Noah Browning; Editing by Dale Hudson and David Evans) Indonesia's military chief is free to travel to the United States, the US embassy said Monday, after the general was apparently stopped as he tried to board a flight. Jakarta has demanded an explanation for the incident after General Gatot Nurmantyo -- who is believed to harbour presidential ambitions -- was refused boarding in Jakarta by the US Customs and Border Protection agency. Nurmantyo had been invited to Washington by the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph F. Dunford, America's highest-ranking military officer, where he was due to attend a conference. Erin Elizabeth McKee, acting deputy ambassador to Jakarta, told reporters there were "absolutely no issues" with the general's ability to visit the US. "General Gatot is able to travel, there are no restrictions, the United States welcomed his participation in the conference that General Dunford invited him to," she said. Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said the US ambassador had apologised, but had offered no explanation. "We have told them that we still demand a clarification and explanation on why the incident happened, we told them we are still waiting," she said. Nurmantyo will not attend the conference unless this clarification is received, the military said. "If there has been a mistake, there must be an apology, not to the military commander but to the government," a military spokesman said. Since being appointed armed forces chief by President Joko Widodo in July 2015, Nurmantyo has been at the centre of several controversies. Earlier this year he abruptly suspended all military cooperation with Australia in a row over teaching materials, and he has been rebuked by members of President Joko Widodo's cabinet for making misleading public remarks. Nurmantyo will step down as leader of the armed forces in 2018 and many analysts believe he has political ambitions. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to reporters after having a telephone call with U.S. President Donald Trump at his official residence in Tokyo, Japan in this photo taken by Kyodo on August 15, 2017. Kyodo/via REUTERS/Files (Reuters) TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he would discuss North Korea "thoroughly" with U.S. President Donald Trump when he visits next month, and reaffirm the two countries' commitment to working together in dealing with the country. Abe was speaking at a news conference after his ruling coalition scored a landslide victory in the lower house election on Sunday. [nL4N1MX00Q] (Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim) KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia has asked Interpol to try to locate a Malaysian financier for questioning over his suspected involvement in a multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the deputy prime minister said on Monday. The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to seize $1.7 billion in assets that it said were bought with misappropriated funds from 1MDB, according to dozens of civil lawsuits filed by the department in the past two years. The assets include a private jet, a hotel and real estate in New York, and a $107 million interest in EMI Music Publishing bought by Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, the lawsuits said. Low, whose whereabouts are unknown, has not been charged with any crime. But U.S. authorities have said they are pursuing a criminal probe into 1MDB-linked transactions. "We are confident Interpol will act professionally, but the police have yet to receive any detailed information (on Low's whereabouts)," Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in parliament. A spokesman for Low could not be reached for comment. Low has previously denied any wrongdoing, saying that the U.S. Justice Department's actions were "a further example of global overreach in pursuit of a deeply flawed case". Interpol did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. 1MDB, founded by Prime Minister Najib Razak, is facing money laundering probes in at least six countries including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore. A total of $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB by high-level officials of the fund and their associates, according to the U.S. lawsuits. Low is accused in the lawsuits of using 1MDB-linked funds to buy Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio a $3.2 million Picasso painting, and giving about $9 million in jewelry to Australian model Miranda Kerr. DiCaprio and Kerr have turned over the items to U.S. authorities and promised to cooperate in the 1MDB probe. The lawsuits also said $681 million from 1MDB was transferred to the account of "Malaysian Official 1", which U.S. and Malaysian sources have previously identified as Najib. Najib has denied any wrongdoing and a Malaysian government investigation has also cleared him of any wrongdoing. A Malaysian police probe into 1MDB is under way. (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Nick Macfie) Politicians and dignitaries paid their respects on Monday at a mass for slain Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia -- though her family, which has accused the establishment of complicity in her death, was notably absent. Malta's archbishop led the service at a chapel just a few hundred metres from the site where the anti-corruption blogger was blown up by a car bomb last week. "Whoever killed Daphne Caruana Galizia wanted to scare and terrorise us," Archbishop Charles Scicluna told the congregation. "What happened last week was intended to make us fear." The mass started at 3pm (1300 GMT), the time of her death one week ago, with former presidents, former prime ministers and members of parliament among those attending. The ceremony came after Pope Francis sent a rare letter of condolence to Malta saying he was praying for Caruana Galizia's family and the Maltese people -- an unusual gesture from the Vatican on the death of a private citizen. Flowers, cards and the national flag have also been placed at the scene of the explosion. "Your pen is mightier than Semtex. What you wrote and what you uncovered cannot be blown away," said one message. The 53-year old blogger had made repeated and detailed corruption allegations against Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's inner circle, and had recently turned her investigative scrutiny on the leader of the opposition as well. Caruana Galizia's sons were conspicuous by their absence. After her death they accused Muscat of filling his office with crooks and creating a culture of impunity that turned Malta into a "mafia island". "Our resolve today is that where there is violence we will work for peace, where there is hatred we work for love, where there is injustice we strive for justice, where there is fear we work for courage," Archbishop Scicluna said. By Matthias Williams and Andrei Makhovsky MINSK (Reuters) - Belarus's reputation as a hard place for private entrepreneurs to succeed is starting to fade as the Soviet-style economy frays and the president who once denounced them as "leeches" tries to woo them. The former Soviet republic, squeezed between Russia and the European Union, is still dominated by the state, weighed down by bureaucracy and dependent on Russian money and subsidies. Its record on human rights and democracy has been widely criticised. But President Alexander Lukashenko, who has faced protests over unemployment and low living standards, plans to sign a series of business-friendly decrees shortly to build on other reforms he has launched to encourage private companies. The private sector accounts for less than a third of gross domestic product. But some private firms are blossoming and say Belarus is a good place to do business because it has a cheap, educated workforce, competition is not fierce and corruption is less rife than in some neighbouring countries. "Belarus is a blue ocean for investment. Not all Western investors realise this, but this is also one of our advantages," said Sergey Riabuhin, deputy director of Zubr Capital, which launched the country's first private equity fund last year. Zubr Capital's portfolio includes online retailer 21vek.by. Launched with a small stock room by three law students in 2004, it is now the market leader in Belarus, has more than 500 employees and expects revenues to rise by more than 50 percent this year from $48 million in 2016. "I believe that, in the European Union and in the USA, they overestimate the barriers and the troubles small businesses and middle-sized businesses may have in Belarus," said Ivan Pliuhachou, 21vek.by's 34-year-old business development manager. The company's headquarters has modern Belarussian art on the walls and a hoverboard on the floor near the entrance. Story continues But outside, streets are still named after Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx, the founders of modern communism, and a statue of Soviet state founder Vladimir Lenin stands on the capital Minsk's main Independence Square. Although Minsk also now has some smart Western shops and McDonald's fast-food restaurants, the contrast underlines how far Belarus has to go to shake off its image abroad as being stuck in a time warp. STREET PROTESTS Lukashenko, 63, has ruled the country of 9.5 million people since 1994, brooks little dissent. With the economy propped up by Russian subsidies, he has avoided carrying out liberal market reforms on the same scale as some other ex-Soviet republics. But with financial help from Moscow declining as Russia faces its own economic problems, and the Belarussian economy hit by recession in 2015 and 2016, unemployment has grown, salaries have dropped in real terms and public discontent has mounted. Street protests earlier this year, against a "parasite tax" levied on the unemployed to compensate the state for lost taxes, were the biggest anti-government protests for years. Lukashenko has increased support for private companies, though without reforming state firms -- a way of boosting the economy and potentially averting more unrest. One decree he signed has cut red tape for starting a tiny business such as a hair salon or a bakery. He has also tightened regulations for the inspection of companies and made it illegal to halt a company's operations without a court order. Decrees in the works will cut the number of licences firms need, reduce state interference in the private sector in favour of self-regulation, and put a moratorium on the introduction of any new taxes or increase of current taxes until 2020. Private entrepreneurs welcome the changes, hoping the number of foreign and Belarussian companies that flourish will rise. RED TAPE Successful foreign investors include Switzerland's Stadler Rail, which opened a rolling stock factory in 2014. Philipp Brunner, chief executive of Stadler Minsk, said the company was attracted by tax breaks, an educated workforce, an onsite customs clearance facility and Belarus's membership of the Eurasian Economic Union, a trading body whose other full members are Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. "Belarus was and still is a very good location for us to invest," he said. Even so, he said, cumbersome bureaucracy pushes up costs and Stadler in Belarus is less competitive than its factories in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Brunner studied the Soviet planned economy in books but came up against it in real life during the construction of the plant. At a high government level, in some instances "there is still a completely different approach and there is not much understanding for the private sector," he said. Andrey Serikov, chief executive of Mark Formelle, a clothing label that employs 2,000 people across 11 factories, also says government regulations can be difficult to navigate and that violations of administrative procedures are punished harshly. "For example, as a result of a mistake in documents, you can lose the goods," he said. Another private company, ADANI, now sells medical X-ray equipment, airport screening machines and body scanners for prisons in 70 countries, including the United States, after being created in 1991. In the World bank's latest ease of doing business index, Belarus has risen to 37th from 91st in 2010, and ranks higher than Russia, Belgium, Italy and Hungary. The economy ministry says the share of private sector jobs has risen to 32.8 percent from 28 percent in 2010, though the private sector's contribution to GDP -- put by the EBRD at up to 30 percent -- is still much smaller than in some neighbouring states. Deputy Economy Minister Dmitry Matusevich said the national authorities were making life easier for entrepreneurs and Western attitudes towards Belarus had changed. When one speaks of the command economy, "many investors associate it with stability and some kind of guarantee that they won't lose their money," he said. (Editing by Timothy Heritage) Soldiers stand on guard and look at damaged buildings and houses after government troops cleared the area from pro-Islamic State militant groups inside the war-torn area in Saduc proper, Marawi city, southern Philippines October 22, 2017. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco By Roli Ng and Manuel Mogato MARAWI CITY/CLARK, Philippines (Reuters) - The Philippines on Monday announced the end of five months of military operations in a southern city held by pro-Islamic State rebels, after a fierce and unfamiliar urban war that has marked the country's biggest security crisis in years. Offensive combat operations were terminated after troops put a stop to the last stand of rebel gunmen who clung on inside several buildings in the heart of Marawi, and refused to surrender. Artillery and automatic gunfire were still heard on Monday and Reuters journalists saw flames behind a mosque. The bodies of 40 fighters and two of their wives were found there and in two buildings close by. Ernesto Abella, spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte, said the Philippines had prevailed against "the most serious threat of violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia". Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the security forces had "nipped the budding infrastructure" of extremist groups. "In crushing thus far the most serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and in the region, we have contributed to preventing its spread in Asia," Lorenzana said in Clark at a meeting of regional defence ministers. The rebel occupation stunned a military inexperienced in urban combat and stoked wider concerns that Islamic State loyalists have gained influence among local Muslims and have ambitions to use the island of Mindanao as a base for operations in Southeast Asia. Those fears are compounded by the organisation of the militant alliance and its ability to recruit young fighters, lure foreign radicals, stockpile huge amounts of arms and endure 154 days of ground offensive and air strikes. The authorities said 920 militants, 165 troops and police and at least 45 civilians were killed in the conflict, which displaced more than 300,000 people. The centre of the picturesque lakeside town is now in ruins due to heavy shelling and aerial bombing. Story continues LURKING 'STRAGGLERS' The deputy task force commander in Marawi, Colonel Romeo Brawner, said troops would secure the city from militant "stragglers" who might still be alive. "If we find them and they will attack our soldiers or even the civilians, then we will have to defend ourselves," he told reporters. After months of slow progress, the military has made significant gains in retaking Marawi in the week since Isnilon Hapilon, Islamic State's "emir" in Southeast Asia and Omarkhayam Maute, a leader of the Maute militant group, were killed in a nighttime operation. Another leader and possible bankroller of the operation, Malaysian Mahmud Ahmad, was likely killed also, the military said. Military spokesman, Major General Restituto Padilla, confirmed there was still gunfire ongoing, but there were "no more terrorists" and the army's last battles were with an enemy decimated by the loss of its leadership. "They were formless, they had no place to run," he said. Duterte had declared Marawi City liberated six days ago, even though fighting was not actually over. On Sunday, he said it was important to be vigilant because no country could escape Islamic State's "clutches of evil". "I'm not trying to scare you, but let's just be prepared for any event," he said. Lorenzana said six battalions of troops would remain in Marawi and though the battle had been won, the enemy's radical ideology had not been completely annihilated. He thanked the United States, Australia, Singapore and China for providing weaponry and technical support, including surveillance aircraft, and said the conflict would be a catalyst for closer international cooperation against extremism. The government estimates the rebuilding of the heart of Marawi could cost in excess of $1 billion. (Additional reporting Romeo Ranoco in MARAWI and Neil Jerome Morales and Manolo Serapio Jr in MANILA; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Michael Perry) AFP News Kenya's former president Uhuru Kenyatta arrived Tuesday in eastern DR Congo's main city of Goma, as fresh clashes with M23 rebels occurred just to the north, sending thousands fleeing. Troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were battling M23 fighters in Kibumba, 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Goma, security officials and local residents said. The M23 has recently seized swathes of territory in North Kivu province, displacing tens of thousands of people in their advance. Kibumba is considered one of the last obstacles to the rebels before Goma, a commercial hub of one million people on the Rwandan border. On Tuesday afternoon, rumours that the M23 was approaching sent a fresh wave of people fleeing to the Kanyaruchinya displacement camp, south of Kibumba. About 40,000 people are currently in the camp, according to its head. A security official who asked for anonymity said that people began to flee after seeing soldiers themselves retreating towards Goma after clashes with M23 rebels. North Kivu's military governor, General Constant Ndima, urged people to remain calm late Tuesday. "I want to reassure you... Loyalist forces are containing the enemy on the heights of Kibumba," he told reporters. The crisis has cratered relations between the DRC and its smaller central African neighbour Rwanda, which Kinshasa accuses of backing the militia. Uhuru Kenyatta, a mediator for the seven-nation East African Community (EAC), arrived in Goma on Tuesday and visited Kanyaruchinya. He told reporters late Tuesday that the stories he had heard were "heart-breaking". "I cannot ignore what I have seen," Kenyatta said. "I must say to all parties: You cannot negotiate in the face of human catastrophe". - 'De-escalation' - Kenyatta's visit to the DRC is the latest in a round of diplomatic bids to defuse the crisis in the impoverished country's volatile east. The former president landed in the Congolese capital Kinshasa on Sunday for talks, following on the heels of a visit from Angolan President Joao Lourenco. The EAC has also called for a "peace dialogue" in Kenya's capital Nairobi on November 21. In addition, the bloc has agreed to send a peacekeeping mission to eastern DRC. Kenyan troops arrived in Goma over the weekend, as part of that operation. On Monday, Kenyatta urged armed groups to put down their arms and return to the negotiating table. "There is nothing that can be gained through the barrel of a gun," he had told reporters. On Tuesday, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had discussed the situation with Rwanda's Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta, on the margins of the G20 meeting in Indonesia. "I underscored the United States deep concern about the continuing violence in eastern DRC, and called on Rwanda to take active steps to facilitate de-escalation," he said in a tweet. - Rebel return - Biruta, for his part, tweeted that Rwanda is committed to regional diplomatic mechanisms to bring peace to eastern DRC, as well as to finding a political solution to the crisis. Over 120 armed groups roam the region, many of which are a legacy of regional wars which flared at the turn of the century. The M23 -- a mostly Congolese Tutsi group -- first leapt to prominence in 2012 when it briefly captured Goma before being driven out. But the rebel group returned in late 2021 after years of dormancy, claiming the DRC had failed to honour a promise to integrate its fighters into the army, among other grievances. It captured the strategic town of Bunagana on the Ugandan border in June. In recent weeks, the rebels have also won a string of victories against the Congolese army, edging closer towards Goma. The DRC expelled Rwanda's ambassador in late October amid the renewed M23 offensive. Despite official denials from Kigali, an unpublished report for the UN seen by AFP in August pointed to Rwandan involvement with the M23. Rwanda accuses the Congolese government of colluding with Hutu militants who fled across the border after the 1994 Rwandan genocide. hbm-at/eml/kjm By Dahlia Nehme BAR ELIAS, Lebanon (Reuters) - A new girls' school for Syrian refugees in Lebanon's poor Bekaa region is aiming to give girls from conservative backgrounds the chance at a formal education. Gaining access to education in general is difficult for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, but for girls from socially conservative families who disapprove of mixed schools, it is even harder. Zahra al-Ayed, 14, and her sister Batoul, 17, were from a village in Syria's northern Idlib province where women were expected to marry young. But the experience of fleeing war and living in harsh poverty woke her parents to the life-changing importance of education, the girls' mother Mirdiyeh al-Ayed said. "My eldest daughter tells me that she will not marry until after she finishes her education. She even wants to travel abroad and learn," she said. Human Rights Watch organisation said in its latest report in April that more than half a million refugee children are out of school in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. In Lebanon, international donors paid for 200,000 public school spaces for Syrian children in 2015-2016, according to the HRW report, but only 149,000 children actually enrolled. Lebanese and international non-governmental organisations have been striving to fill the gap, and to eliminate the legal, financial and language barriers preventing refugee children from getting their education. For the al-Ayed family, used to Syria's system of gender segregation after the age of 12, one big barrier to enrolling the girls was the lack of single-sex schools in Lebanon that accept refugees. SYRIAN REFUGEES The new school that Zahra will attend is in Bar Elias in the Bekaa valley and was opened on Thursday by the Kayany Foundation, a Lebanese charity. It educates 160 Syrian girls aged from 14-18 who have missed school for several years. Those who manage to pass the Lebanese system's eighth grade exams - usually taken at the age of 14 or 15 - can join the local Lebanese public school in Bar Elias, which Batoul al-Ayed has done. Story continues The Kayany Foundation school teaches the official Lebanese curriculum, which includes science, mathematics, Arabic and English, in addition to vocational skills. The school, built from colourful pre-fabricated classrooms, is its seventh in the Bekaa valley, where the majority of the Syrian refugee communities are located in Lebanon. It was meant to address the Syrian parents' concerns about sending their teenage daughters to schools for both girls and boys. All its teachers are women and it provides transportation for students between home and school. "Education is salvation for the refugee girls," said Nora Jumblatt, head of the Kayany Foundation, at the opening ceremony. Funding for the school was secured for this year from international charity Save the Children and the United Nations Women For Peace Association, according to Kayany officials. "I have a dream to become a pharmacist," Rama, 19, who is preparing to apply for the eight grade exams at Kayany school said. In normal times, Rama would already have been applying for university at that age. "I still want to go back to Syria and fulfill my dream there, in Damascus University," she added. (Reporting by Dahlia Nehme, editing by Angus McDowall/Jeremy Gaunt/LK) Nikhil Sawani is the second Patidar leader to quit the BJP in two days in poll-bound Gujarat. By India Today Web Desk: In second instance of embarrassment for the BJP in two days, Patidar leader Nikhil Sawani today quit the party alleging the government has not done anything to ensure quota for Patels in Gujarat. Announcing his decision to quit the BJP, Nikhil Sawani said, "I had joined the party as it was doing some good works. But, their commitment towards reservation for Patidars was not firm. They said Patidars should get reservation. This is the lollipop that they have been offering for years." advertisement "I resigned because they are just offering lollipop and fulfilling no promise... The (Patidar) community will not forgive the BJP... I was not offered money to join the BJP," Sawani said, adding the government did not do anything for Patidars. Sawani said that he was going back to Hardik Patel's organisation Patidar Anamat Andolan. However, he also said that he would meet Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. "I will seek Rahul Gandhi's appointment, meet him and put forward my viewpoint. I have not sought time yet to meet Rahul Gandhi," Sawani said. "I congratulate Narendra Patel. He comes from a small family but still he didn't choose Rs 1 crore," Nikhil Sawani said on the resignation of fellow Patidar leader from the BJP. "I heard about Rs 1 crore offer by BJP to Narendra Patel. I am upset. I am leaving the BJP today," Nikhil Sawani said. Earlier, Narendra Patel had resigned from the BJP alleging that he was offered Rs 1 crore by the party to join it ahead of Gujarat Assembly election. Narendra Patel quit the BJP yesterday evening. (With inputs from Gopi Maniar in Ahmedabad) ALSO WATCH | Nikhil Sawani quits BJP, alleges party trying to buy Patidar leaders --- ENDS --- If we could somehow resurrect John Dos Passos to update his U.S.A. trilogy for the post-1960s era, hed be hard-pressed to find a character more compelling than Jann Wenner, founder and publisher of Rolling Stone magazine. No media magnate has been more influential in shaping the cultural legacy of The Sixtiesnot the years themselves, but the idea of themthan Wenner, nor has anyone proved so talented at profiting off that idea. In 1967, Wenner, then a 21-year-old Berkeley dropout, started Rolling Stone in San Francisco, and over the next decade he made it into one of the great magazines of the 20th century. He had a preternatural gift for what Joe Strummer once called turning rebellion into money, like a bridge between the revolutionary Sixties and the rapacious Eighties made flesh. In the 50 years since his magazines founding, Jann Wenner has been many things to many people: genius and opportunist, visionary and plunderer, hero and scoundrel. He has sometimes been all of these things to the same people. (In the interest of full disclosure, I interned at Rolling Stone as a college student in 2002my interactions with Wenner were rare, always brief, and never unpleasant.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The HBO documentary is intermittently enjoyable but overly puffed up, an infomercial dressed up as history. While hes never been a shrinking violet, Wenner and Rolling Stone have been garnering an unusual amount of attention as of late. He is the subject of a terrific new biography, Joe Hagans Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazine, the first full-length book on the publisher. Hagan was hand-picked by his subject and given unprecedented access to Wenner, his archives, and scores of his associates, but shortly before the books publication, writer and subject had a falling out that was chronicled last week in a dishy back-and-forth in the New York Times. And on Nov. 6 and 7, HBO will air the four-hour, thoroughly authorized documentary Rolling Stone: Stories from the Edge, directed by Alex Gibney and Blair Foster and co-executive produced by Wenner himself. The documentarys ostensible occasion is the magazines anniversary (the cover date of Rolling Stones first issue was Nov. 9, 1967), but its carefully manicured celebration of the magazine cant help but feel like a counteroffensive to Hagans book. Stories from the Edge is intermittently enjoyable but overly puffed up, an infomercial dressed up as history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hagans book is nowhere near as flattering, but its scope and rigor ultimately do far more to honor its subject than the HBO special. Wenner has attacked Sticky Fingers as deeply flawed and tawdry, rather than substantial, an assessment that is both incomplete and incorrect. Hagans book is certainly flawed and certainly tawdry (its rock n roll, after all), but its undeniably substantial, an engrossing and exceptionally well-reported chronicle of a cultural empire and its emperor. Rolling Stones table of contents pages have long been crowned with the credo All the News that Fits, an irreverent tweaking of the New York Times high-handed motto; by this standard, Hagans book is surely worthy of its subject. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The book is nowhere near as flattering, but its scope and rigor ultimately do far more to honor its subject. We tend to think of Rolling Stone as a quintessentially Sixties artifact, and the publication certainly presents itself as such. But the magazine gained its true foothold in the 1970s, when it was regularly printing groundbreaking work from the likes of Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe, Greil Marcus, Ben Fong-Torres, and Annie Leibovitz along with ample doses of nostalgia. To later generations of readers, Rolling Stone often seemed like it was incessantly reflecting the Sixties generation back to itself through a soft lens, but the truth is that the magazine had pretty much always been doing that: Read critics like Jon Landau and Lester Bangs in the magazine in the early 1970s, and their writing is already shot through with loss and creeping disillusion. Cameron Crowe, who became one of Rolling Stones star feature writers during the 1970s while still a teenager, recalls landing assignments to cover bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple and Black Sabbath simply because none of his elders at the mag wanted to write about them. Rock and roll was already dead by then, anyway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Hagans book shows, the driving, irresolvable tension behind both Wenner and his magazine from the beginning was the clash between the desire to do meaningful journalism and the desire to be near fame. For all the great music writing that Rolling Stone has produced, Wenner has also enjoyed being friends with rock stars and has been known to value those friendships at the expense of editorial credibility, or simply good taste. Hes long given certain stars the right to edit their own interviews before going to press, and the line between criticism and hagiography has frequently blurred, particularly as Wenner and his favorite artists have aged. See this five-star review of Mick Jaggers 2001 solo effort Goddess in the Doorway, penned by the publisher himself, or more recently, the time Rolling Stone declared U2s eminently forgettable Songs of Innocence the best album of 2014. Hagan reveals that Wenner demanded the ranking personally. (My dictate. By fiat, buddy. Thats that.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And the line between starfucking and fucking stars over was crossed early and repeatedly. Theres no artist more central to the Rolling Stone mystique than John Lennon: He graced the cover of the magazines first issue back in 1967, and Leibovitzs photo of Lennon and Yoko Ono that appeared on the front of the Jan. 22, 1981 issuereleased shortly after Lennons murder and entirely dedicated to remembrances of the late Beatlemight be the most famous magazine cover in American history. (If youve never read this issue, Id strongly recommend tracking it down: It is, from front to back, a masterpiece.) Wenner and his magazine have kept Lennons memory and legacy alive with purposeful ferocity: Since his death, Lennon has appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone, either by himself or as a member of the Beatles, no fewer than 15 times. Advertisement And yet as Hagans book makes clear, the reality of Lennon and Wenners relationship was far more complicated than most people knew. In December 1970, Wenner coaxed Lennon into sitting for a lengthy conversation that was published in Rolling Stone in two parts under the title Lennon Remembers. It was an extraordinary coup for the young publisher, and to this day it remains the most famous interview Lennon ever gave. Shortly after it ran, Wenner received an offer to turn the interview into a book for $40,000. Lennon was vehemently opposed, but the cash-strapped Wenner did it anyway, and the two never spoke again. (Lennon was so angered that he later supported a short-lived competing magazine, called SunDance, with the intent of putting Rolling Stone out of business.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a terrific story in Hagans telling, a perfect combination of myth-busting and muckraking. The print-the-legend nature of Wenners personal and professional philosophy has been absorbed into his magazine from its beginnings, and its this spirit that Hagans book most successfully captures, in all its highs and lows. Late in the book Hagan provides a sobering account of Wenners reaction to the disastrous 2014 article A Rape on Campus, which was published (and subsequently retracted) while Hagan was shadowing Wenner for the biography. Wenners dismay and pain at a scandal that would scar the reputation of the magazine he built comes through viscerally, offering one of the most human moments of the book. Advertisement The line between starfucking and fucking stars over was crossed early and repeatedly. Some of Wenners criticisms of Sticky Fingers are well-founded. For starters, Hagan spends too much time on Wenners love life, building the publishers struggles with his sexuality and marital strife into a central motif of the book, which sometimes feels extraneous and prurient. And the books focus on Wenner himself, sometimes at the expense of the and Rolling Stone Magazine part of its subtitle, occasionally causes Hagan to lose the forest for the trees. Hagan isnt a music writer, which is mostly for the best as he doesnt get dragged into internecine squabbles over Rolling Stones place in pop discourse. (The word rockism doesnt appear once in these pages, thank God.) But there can be a tendency in books like this to assume their subjects significance rather than illuminating it, and theres far too little here about Rolling Stones impact as postwar Americas premier institution of music criticism. Sticky Fingers spends more time on Rolling Stones splashy features and its dishy Random Notes section than its vaunted reviews section, where generations of teenaged music geeks dreamed of one day seeing their bylines. And Hagan makes only a single passing mention of 1976s landmark Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, which is still probably the most influential anthology of American rock writing ever published. Wenner recently announced that hell be selling his controlling stake in Rolling Stone, which will make him an even richer man and likely leave him with some time on his hands. I hope he gives Hagans biography another read. Its 500-plus pages, flawed and tawdry as they sometimes are, are a formidable tribute to an American original and a titan of his age, an age were arguably still living in. Sticky Fingers really does print the legend and all the news that fits. After their original plan was trashed for being an obvious giveaway to corporations and the rich, congressional Republicans are reportedly thinking twice about how much their upcoming tax bill should slash rates for millionaires. The framework party leaders floated last month would cut the top income tax rate to 35 percent, down from 39.6 percent today. But according to Axios, key Republicans are now exploring whether to leave the top rate as is for those making $1 million or more per year. While anti-tax jihadi Grover Norquist is already upset over the idea, sources tell the site that, despite sounding a bit ambivalent about it in public, President Donald Trump doesnt really object to keeping the higher rate for the highest earners. Advertisement He basically thinks they [rich people] are fine and he believes they dont care that much about the individual rate so long as they get all the other goodies, like the corporate rate and expensing, the official told Axios. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, for once in his presidency, is probably correct here. Given the other goodies Republicans are planning to deliver them, Americans lucky enough to be pulling down seven figures probably wont care much if the top marginal income tax rate stays put. The president, of all people, should know. The key thing to realize is that Americas millionaires and billionaires make a great deal of their money off of things other than their salaries. The richer households get, the more of their income tends to come from ownership stakes in businesses, as well as investments in securities like stocks and bonds. Within the rarefied world of the top .1 percenthouseholds that make $2 million a year or more, approximatelythis sort of capital income often dominates tax returns. Advertisement Advertisement These families will benefit handsomely from the GOPs proposed corporate tax cuts, which should keep stock prices high and leave companies with more profits left over for dividends. But perhaps even more importantly, they stand to reap a big windfall from the GOPs plan to create a special low rate for pass-through businesses, whose owners currently pay taxes on their profits as personal income, with the top rate at 39.6 percent. The vast majority of businesses in the country are organized as pass-throughsincluding big law firms, hedge funds, some manufacturers, and the presidents very own Trump Organization. The GOP wants to cut the top tax rate for these businesses all the way down to 25 percent. Advertisement Advertisement Republicans have tried to frame this proposal as a way to help small businesses stay competitiveTrump himself gave a whole speech about how the cut would benefit truck drivers. But mom-and-pop stores and guys who haul freight for a living likely wont benefit much; those sorts of business generally pay far below the top rate today, since their profits arent all that big. Advertisement Advertisement The move will, however, be an enormous boon to Americas millionaires. Among the top 0.1 percent of taxpayers, for instance, nearly 80 percent report income from a pass-through, according to a recent working paper by researchers at the University of Chicago; University of California, Berkeley; and the Treasury Department. More than 75 percent of those businesses have at least $5 million in sales; more than one-third have more than $50 million in sales. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is unclear exactly how broad the tax cut for pass-throughs will be. It may only apply to some kinds of businesses, or may limit how much income a business owner can report as profit as opposed to salary. But unless its structured only to benefit truly small businesses, which at this point seems unlikely, the change will almost certainly make members of the GOP donor class (and rich Democrats) wealthier. What Republicans are struggling with, then, isnt really whether to lower taxes on millionaires and billionaires. Its whether to give them a jumbo, new mansion-in-the-Hamptons-sized tax cut, or something slightly more modest, but much harder for the public to spot. Customer experience took center stage today as an estimated 750 guests arrived for the first day of NextCon in Scottsdale, Arizona. The conference, now in its second year,is put on by cloud business phone service provider Nextiva. The focus on customer experience is actually a new part of the conference this year. Last year, the conference featured about double the amount of attendees and a more general lineup of speakers and sessions. However this year, the company wanted to take a more focused approach and only feature speakers, sessions and tools specifically geared toward creating great experiences for customers. For that reason, the conference sold out weeks ago. But in an interview with Small Business Trends, Nextivas Chief Marketing Officer Yaniv Masjedi said he hopes those who did make the cut wont be disappointed with the renewed focus of the conference. The approach is far more focused this year. Last year it was more of a general business conference. And this year we chose to focus on just one subject and with that take on the many different angles related to it, Masjedi said. Customer Experience Tools Showcase Over the next three days, at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale. At the event, Nextiva and its partners will showcase all the latest tools and methods businesses need to create the experiences that modern customers expect. We bring the best minds in the world of customer experience and businesses and have them join us on stage for three days, Monday through Wednesday, Masjedi said. And the purpose is to highlight how businesses can improve the customer experience by unlocking the customer experience tools of tomorrow. Were really passionate about it. And with the needs of customers changing tremendously even in the past five years, businesses need to be moving forward and not just look at whats happening today. So we bring in the best minds and leaders to share their insights. This years lineup of speakers includes authors, CEOs and top decision makers at big name companies like Nordstrom, The Ritz-Carlton and Google. While Masjedi says that all of the speakers bring a unique and valuable perspective to the conference, he pointed out two that might be particularly interesting. Brian Solis, futurist and principal analyst for Altimeter is slated to speak on the customer mindset for 2018. And Carol Roth, entrepreneur and author of the best-selling book The Entrepreneur Equation is slated to speak and moderate a panel dedicated to delivering experiences that exceed customer expectations. Nextivas CEO Tomas Gorny will also give a keynote presentation on the first day of the conference, addressing the challenge of exceeding customer expectations in todays business climate. He really is a visionary, a pure innovator, Masjedi says of Gorny. So anytime I get the opportunity to see him talk about the world of customer experience and helping companies deliver great experiences, thats something I want to be a part of. The event will feature training and information about actual tools that businesses can use to create those positive experiences, including Nextivas cloud based phone system and other communication tools. In the future, Masjedi says the event will likely continue to change and improve. But he thinks that keeping it focused specifically on improving the customer experience, rather than trying to touch on a variety of different business topics, is a great way to give real value to attendees. Highly compelling copy the kind that rattles the questions of your audience, and shockingly, (and instantly) gives them the answer isnt easy to do. Its an even greater challenge when youre targeting multiple generations at once. In this article, youll learn the three components of turning good copy into I gotta buy this branding, no matter how old or young your viewers may be. First Up: Know the Difference Between X and Y (Even Z!) While you may know a millennial when you see one, do you know how to reach them in a sentence or two? Do you know how to turn a Generation X viewer (otherwise known as a latchkey kid) into a devoted consumer? Dont sweat it out. Instead, learn the key psychological components of what makes them click and buy and then sit back, ride the waves of high sales and repeat: Generation X . Generation X are those who were born between 1966-1976. From no technology to highly sophisticated technology, theyve come a long way. However, they also tend to get overwhelmed by too much digital noise. Consider Generation X your highest educated generation (26 percent have a bachelors degree, or higher). Lead them into full-fledged online engagement by education based products, facts or interview-type posts. . Generation X are those who were born between 1966-1976. From no technology to highly sophisticated technology, theyve come a long way. However, they also tend to get overwhelmed by too much digital noise. Consider Generation X your highest educated generation (26 percent have a bachelors degree, or higher). Lead them into full-fledged online engagement by education based products, facts or interview-type posts. Generation Y. Generation Y, otherwise known as the Millennials, dominate on social media. Born between 1977-1994 they are career professionals, many of whom learned in the early 2000s how to create a website, sell a product and market it to the masses. Now in their 30s and 40s, they are prone to ignoring the typical marketing pitch, and look for compelling content, fine-tuned sales funnels and impeccable images to stay engaged. Theyve been in the presence of technology since childhood, and crave a variety of digital content, such as ezines, podcasts, and blog posts. Blast them with a variety of marketing content and youll keep them engaged and excited for whats next. Want to grab hundreds (or thousands) of leads within days and watch your business skyrocket? Give them a free gift (like an ebook or meditation track) in exchange for their email. They want instant gratification now, and theyll become a loyal customer if you can offer something of high value. Generation Z. There isnt as much market research for Generation Z, because theyre the babies of all generations. Born between 1995-2012, they may grow up to be the most technologically savvy of any generation. Chances are, they will be raised to expect diversity in their classroom (and online learning, such as social media), through interactive learning platforms (live streaming, anyone?). One of the greatest marketing tactics you can use to reach them as they grow up? Interactive webinars, and eCourse platforms. Three Techniques to Reach Each Generation on Social Media Instantly Now that you know what each generation is about, its time to dive head first into targeting each generation on social mediaand meet them where they already are. Here they are: three generations, and three strategies that payoff: Generation X. The baby boomer generation is most responsive to emails, so use it to your advantage! Create an email marketing campaign (do this easily by using a service like Aweber or MailChimp) and grab their attention with three inspiring or informative blog posts a week sent right to their inbox. Being the most financial responsible of all generations, hook their loyalty with online deals, home ownership tips, or freebies (for example: offer free customization on a product you sell). Generation Y. Ah, the millennials. The generation that makes up for over 70 million, and the potential to become your target audience, alone. Sharp, smart and innovative, they are thirsty for more knowledge constantly. According to The New York Times, over 64 percent of millennials would rather make less than $45,000 a year doing what they love than make more money, doing something they arent inspired by. Create content that inspires them. Promote a product that will trigger fearlessness in them to do what they love, increase their productivity, or allow them to instantly achieve greater work/life balance. Just make sure its 100 percent you. Dont fake your way to building a brand. Speak, write about, or post videos that are in alignment with your vision, and that youre passionate about. When youre you and your brand is authentic, theyll beg for more. Generation Z. According to a study done by Forbes.com, Generation Z spends 74 percent of their time on social media. While they might not be as technologically experienced as Generation Y, theyre on social media constantly and expect instant contact. Cater to your generation Z audience by developing (and maintaining) a strong presence on Snapchat, or with Instagram Stories (they respond well to stunning visuals and fun filters!) Kill two birds with one stone by live streaming videos on Facebook, and/or weekly YouTube videos. Do you know what generation your audience is composed of? Or, is it a combination X, Y and Z? To know your audience is to compel them to fall in love with your brand. Use the above techniques and see what works best! Republished by permission. Original here. It is pointless to talk about the wins and losses of Czech political parties - the one who lost is the Czech Republic. Font size: A - | A + In Slovakia, we have long felt that the Czechs are in a different place politically. While we struggled for democracy against Vladimir Meciar, who was not anchored in any ideology but was driven by a thirst for power, in the Czech Republic the struggle was about ideas. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Left or right? ODS or CSSD? There was a legitimate conflict that takes place in advanced countries among whom we too wanted to belong. The tax rate, ethics, and other often quite inspiring discussions were part of the political scene. Racism is back But that is over now. The Czech Republic lost on Saturday, and the struggle over ideas is past. Instead, the time has come when voters are addressed through populist slogans. The high result of Tomio Okamura dispels the idea that there is no place for racism in Czech politics. Historical former watchmans cabin has been reconstructed to house the new centre for visitors near a tourist attraction. Font size: A - | A + The visitorss centre near the mausoleum of the noble Andrassy family in the Krasnohorske Podhradie village near Roznava, in south-eastern Slovakia, ceremonially opened on October 21. The former watchmans cabin near the tourist attraction has become part of the tourist infrastructure with modern standards. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement It is our long-term goal to increase the quality of services and develop the cooperation with institutions that have regional powers, head of the Slovak National Museums branch Betliar, Julius Barczi, said for the TASR. We managed to change the watchmans cabin, 113 years old, into a modern visitorss centre. Both the monument itself and visitors in the 21st century deserve it, he summed up. The new centre offers the purchase of tickets, as well as necessary information and renovated toilets. The nearby parking lot had been there even earlier. The renovation project of the watchmans cabin was prepared for the SNM Museum Betliar by the Andoras civic association, and it received a financial support of 15,000 from the Kosice Region. Andoras strives to develop, popularise and present the legacy of the Andrassys. Read also: Read also: The Andrassy Mausoleum Read more The establishment of the visitorss centre is another piece of good news for the Kosice Region tourism, CEO of Kosice Region Turizmus tourist board, Lenka Vargova Jurkova, told TASR, adding that only ten kilometres form the mausoleum there lies the Krasnohorska Jaskyna cave, inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. What is the Andrassy mausoleum about? The mausoleum in Krasnohorske Podhradie belongs among the unique architectural monuments of the early 20th century. It was built by Count Denes Andrassy (1835-1913), according to the blueprint of Munich architect Richard Berndl, in 1903-1904. It was built for his beloved wife, Francisca Hablawetz (1838-1902). The story of their marriage and love resembles some of the finest soap operas. Read also: Read also: Andrassy mausoleum and park Read more Denes, the youngest male heir of the younger part of the Andrassy family, married Franciska against the will of his parents, as she was of burgher origin in Pisa, Italy, on 6 April 1866. Breaking with aristocratic traditions, Denes was disinherited. He and his wife then lived abroad, alternately in Munich and Vienna, while also travelling a lot. In 1871 Denes only brother Gyorgy died, followed by their father one year later. There being no other male descendants (Denes also had two sisters Maria and Erzsebet), and thus, the large fidei-commissioned property was reverted to him, according to contemporary Hungarian law. However, he never returned to permanently live in Hungary. The couple was childless; the statue of their faithful dog, a dachshund (a work of H. Bauer from Munich), is placed close to the mausoleum. Read also: Read also: Visitors centre and parking to be added for the Andrassy Mausoleum Read more In 1904, a house was build opposite the mausoleum, in which the family of the tomb keeper used to live. In 1992, it lost its original function though, and the growing numbers of visitors and increasing demands for tourist services have been behind its rebuilding into a modern visitorss centre. The Slovak unemployment rate in September continued to fall to new historic minimum levels, despite the traditional influx of secondary school leavers, according to an analyst. Font size: A - | A + The unemployment rate in Slovakia stood at 6.42 percent in September, down by 0.12 percentage points (p.p.) month-on-month and by 3.00 p.p. year-on-year, Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Centre (UPSVaR) general director Marian Valentovic said on October 20, as cited by the TASR newswire. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The number of jobseekers immediately able to take up a job was 175,021 in September, a decrease of 3,232 individuals m-o-m and of 80,898 y-o-y, Valentovic. The unemployment rate calculated from the total number of jobseekers amounted to 7.59 percent in September, down by 0.11 p.p. m-o-m and by 3.24 p.p. y-o-y, he added. The total number of jobseekers reached 206,887 in September, falling by 3,031 individuals m-o-m and by 87,208 y-o-y, the UPSVaR head summed up. Regional and age differences As for individual regions, all Slovak regions but Zilina recorded cuts in the unemployment rate in September, with the Presov region seeing the most significant drop (0.26 p.p.). On the district level, the unemployment rate was down in 61districts in Slovakia in September, while increases were recorded in 17 districts, and it did not change in one district. The highest unemployment rate was in the district of Rimavska Sobota (20.28 percent), with the lowest rate posted in the district of Piestany (2.39 percent). In terms of disadvantaged job applicants there was, in line with expectations, an m-o-m increase in the categories of young people, mainly graduates, where an increase of 3,117 people was recorded, Valentovic said. In terms of young job applicants up to 29 years of age, the increase amounted to 1,675 persons. In all the remaining categories, such as job applicants over 50 years of age, we posted a monthly drop of 1,496 persons. Similarly, in the long-term unemployment (more than 12 months) category, there was reported a monthly decline of 2,793 job-seekers. Labour offices reported 74,942 job vacancies in late September, up by 5,838 vacancies m-o-m. The highest number of jobs was available in the Bratislava region (16,703), while the lowest was in the Kosice region (4,489). Analyst sees reasons behind it all The unemployment rate in September continued to fall, reaching new historic minimum levels, despite the traditional influx of secondary school leavers on the labour office registers, who are no longer studying, UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia Lubomir Korsnak said. Just as the number of university graduates who registered in the labour offices in the spring went down compared to previous years, the same applies to secondary school leavers in September, he noted. This confirms the fact, according to him, that a strong labour market is capable of absorbing a significant part of fresh graduates from schools relatively quickly. Moreover, even those graduates who do register at the labour offices usually remain on the register for a much shorter time. The unemployment rate has been falling mainly thanks to a cyclical revival in the economy, the analyst went on to say. This economic growth is relatively demanding as for labour unlike the past decade that drew more from massive investments in modernising the economy, which increased labour productivity, and thus reduced the demands on new labour. He further pointed to the fact that the statistics on job vacancies and employing foreigners have shown that the drop in the unemployment rate could be even more significant, but the inappropriate structure of jobseekers appears to limit this tendency. The growing economy should be able to generate new jobs in the upcoming months and push the unemployment rate to a new historic minimum, Korsnak predicted. Employing foreigners Big regional disparities and the deepening lack of available labour in the west are also confirmed by the statistics of foreignerss employment: in September, their number increased by 38 percent y-o-y, to 46,000. Foreigners constitute about 1.8 percent of those employed in Slovakia and are mostly concentrated in the west of the country, the analyst informed. Most of them can be found in the Bratislava, Trnava and Nitra regions, where almost three-quarters of all foreigners work. New employees are being sought after more outside the European Union. Most foreigners now coming to Slovakia are from Serbia (almost one quarter), also marking the biggest jump in number year-on-year, followed by Ukrainians (who are fifth in number). The second, third, and fourth overall place in the number of workers imported go to Romania, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The number of Ukrainians working in Slovakia has started to increase very dynamically mostly in recent months, after the visa duty was cancelled, Korsnak noted, adding that this trend could continue in the upcoming period. The level of foreigners working in Slovakia often do not differ from those of locals: 45 percent are not even secondary school graduates (i.e. they do not have A-level school-leaving certificates), but due to higher wages in Slovakia, they are willing to travel to find a job. While the prime minister has called extremist Marian Kotleba evil in the long term, the wife of the new head of the anti-corruption office heads Kotlebas HR department. Font size: A - | A + In summer 2017, Prime Minister Robert Fico introduced Peter Kovarik, head of the new department meant to improve the image of the fight against corruption. The latters wife, Alena Kovarikova, leads the HR department of the Banska Bystrica Regional Governor, Marian Kotleba, the Dennik N wrote on October 22. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement She was working in this position during the term of Kotlebas predecessor, governor Vladimir Manka (of PM Ficos ruling Smer party). After Kotleba became the regional governor, she remained in office. As entitled by her position, and charged with personnel-selecting tasks, Kovarikova employed Kotlebas relatives, including his brother, his future wife and dozens of members of his extremist LSNS party, Dennik N wrote, adding that under Kotlebas helm, the Banska Bystrica region lost financing from EU funds due to illegal employment and violations of labour law. Robert Fico deems Kotleba evil, and has been calling on firm police measures against demonstrations of extremism since 2006. More recently, he evaluated this experiment (i.e. Kotleba as governor) as harmful to Banska Bystrica, in not using EU funds, not repairing or building infrastructure and only promoting extremism through skinheads marching in the regional offices lobbies, shouting Nazi greetings. Radovan Branik, who focuses on extremism, notified Dennik N of Kovarikovas position at the Banska Bystrica region al office. Hardik Patel graduated from an Ahmedabad college with less than 50 per cent marks in 2013. Two years later, Hardik Patel was telling huge crowds across Gujarat that Patidars deserved reservation for their uplift. By Prabhash K Dutta: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel has emerged as the biggest challenge to the BJP government in Gujarat even though he maintains that he will not contest election. The BJP has been trying to pacify him through back channels or weaken his organisation by winning over his close aides. Some of them have even joined the party ahead of Gujarat election. But, the 'cash-for-membership' allegation by Narendra Patel has embarrassed the BJP. advertisement The Congress, on the other, has publicly offered Hardik Patel a ticket and urged him to join the party in order to strengthen its electoral fight against the ruling BJP. Though, Patels form only 12 per cent of Gujarat's population, they are a dominant player in the state politics. This is why the BJP has been wary of Hardik Patel's popularity. WHERE DID HARDIK PATEL COME FROM? Hardik Patel's popularity seems spontaneous. Till the first half of 2015, Hardik Patel was an almost unheard character. He suddenly appeared on the national television screens with huge rallies across Gujarat fiercely demanding reservation for Patel-Patidars. Hardik Patel spent his childhood in rural Ahmedabad. Before turning to caste-based activism, Hardik Patel helped his father run a small submersible water pump business at Viramgam in Ahmedabad. Reports suggest that he graduated from Ahmedabad's Sahajanand College with grace marks securing less than 50 per cent numbers. In 2010, Hardik Patel, then 17, joined the Sardar Patel Group (SPG), an outfit for Patidar youths. Hardik Patel benefitted from the interaction with a group of 50,000 members. He impressed the leaders of the SPG with his oratorical skills. Within a month, Hardik Patel was the president of the Sardar Patel Group's Viramgam branch. At the SPG, Hardik Patel learnt that the economic slowdown had affected the Patidar youths adversely. Their agriculture showed decline. The Patidar businessmen faced failures in their traditional businesses due to fierce competition from online outlets. The diamond industry was in distress and more than small businesses owned by Patidars were being shut down. The Patidars did not get jobs easily due to tough competition and reservation to OBCs and other classes. These were startling discoveries for a young Hardik Patel. He was getting more agitated at the Sardar Patel Group leading to rift with the senior leaders. Finally, in 2015, Hardik Patel was thrown out of the SPG following a conflict with its leader Lalji Patel. EMERGENCE OF HARDIK PATEL The ouster from the SPG was timed with another significant event of Hardik Patel's life. In 2015, two years after Hardik Patel graduated, his sister Monica joined the Bachelor of Arts Degree in English. advertisement The same year, Monica failed to secure a government scholarship. This wasn't a welcome news for Hardik Patel. He soon came to know that a friend of Monica, who secured less marks in the qualifying examination, got the same scholarship through OBC quota. This was the turning point in Hardik Patel's life as an activist. He had already been ousted by the Sardar Patel Group. He now launched Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PASS) in July 2015. The objective of the PAAS was to secure OBC quota for Patidars while remaining apolitical. Hardik Patel took to social media for promotion and attracting Patidar youths from all across Gujarat. He organised his first public rally at Visnagar in Mehsana district - the home district of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Hardik Patel claimed in his rallies that "a Patidar student with 90 per cent marks does not get admission in an MBBS course while SC, ST or OBC students get it with 45 per cent marks." Soon, he was addressing rallies across the state. His Surat rally was reportedly attended by 4.5 lakh people. Hardik Patel's massive rallies became too frequent and uncomfortable for the Gujarat government. His rallies at Gandhinagar, Rajkot and Vadodara brought him in the national headlines. advertisement Hardik Patel also engaged with Kurmi and Gujjar communities from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in an attempt to form a bigger group of Patidar community. He also formed the Patel Navnirman Sena to launch a national level stir. SEDITION CASE AGAINST HARDIK PATEL With rising popularity, Hardik Patel also courted controversies and had a run-in with the law. In October, 2015, Hardik Patel was booked for insulting the national flag in Rajkot. Soon, a case of sedition was slapped against him for his alleged "killing cops" remark at a rally at Mehsana. The case was filed at Surat. He was arrested by Gujarat police on sedition charge. Hardik Patel was granted bail in July 2016 on the condition that he would stay out of Gujarat for six months and not return to Mehsana for nine months. During this period Hardik Patel stayed at Udaipur in Rajasthan. Now, he has come back and again galvanising Patidar community attacking the BJP government. Hardik Patel has been campaigning against the BJP government alleging that it has failed the Patidar community. Hardik Patel is still drawing huge crowds in Gujarat keeping the BJP on its toes on the eve of Assembly election. advertisement However, there is an interesting link between the BJP and Hardik Patel. Like the BJP, Hardik Patel proclaims himself to be an avid follower of former Union Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Lord Rama. But, the Gujarat election could prove to be a different ball-game altogether. --- ENDS --- The reason is a vulnerability in the chips that are used in Slovak ID cards Font size: A - | A + The state is temporarily suspending electronic government services (eGovernment) that require the use of a secured electronic signature. The reason for this step is that the certification authority cancelled the validity of their security certificate, the State Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Denisa Sakova, announced on Monday, October 23. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement A number of experts have warned recently that a research team from Masaryk University in the Czech Republic has discovered a vulnerability in the chips that are used in Slovak ID cards. As a result, a private key can be calculated from a public key, enabling an attacker to sign documents electronically in the name of the victim. Read also: Read also: E-ID cards have serious problem Read more We are suspending and deactivating the service issuing guaranteed electronic signature certificates for eID cards, said Sakova as cited by the TASR newswire. The Interior Ministry will keep all previously issued guaranteed electronic signatures valid for the time being, but deactivate all services requiring a guaranteed electronic signature as part of e-Government. The Interior Ministry plans to upgrade the certificates within the next few days. These new keys will boast a significantly higher level of security, said Sakova, adding that approximately 70 percent of services do not employ guaranteed e-signatures and will not, therefore, be deactivated. Sakova added that the certificates are also used by Austria and Estonia and that mistakes on the part of the German supplier have caused serious problems in those two countries as well. We will be pursuing financial compensation, said Sakova, without detailing the potential claims. Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates through Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farms in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Ecopetrol S.A. operates as an integrated energy company. The company operates through four segments: Exploration and Production; Transport and Logistics; Refining, Petrochemical and Biofuels; and Electric Power Transmission and Toll Roads Concessions. It engages in the exploration and production of oil and gas; transportation of crude oil, motor fuels, fuel oil, and other refined products, including diesel, jet, and biofuels; processing and refining crude oil; distribution of natural gas and LPG; sale of refined and petrochemical products; supplying of electric power transmission services; design, development, construction, operation, and maintenance of road and energy infrastructure projects; and supplying of information technology and telecommunications services. As of December 31, 2021, the company had approximately 9,127 kilometers of crude oil and multi-purpose pipelines. It also produces and commercializes polypropylene resins and compounds, and masterbatches; and offers industrial service sales to customers and specialized management services. It has operations in Colombia, the United States, Asia, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, South America, and internationally. The company was formerly known as Empresa Colombiana de Petroleos and changed its name to Ecopetrol S.A. in June 2003. Ecopetrol S.A. was incorporated in 1948 and is based in Bogota, Colombia. Ducommun Incorporated provides engineering and manufacturing products and services primarily to the aerospace and defense, industrial, medical, and other industries in the United States. It operates through two segments, Electronic Systems and Structural Systems. The Electronic Systems segment provides cable assemblies and interconnect systems; printed circuit board assemblies; higher-level electronic, electromechanical, and mechanical components and assemblies, as well as lightning diversion systems; and radar enclosures, aircraft avionics racks, shipboard communications and control enclosures, shipboard communications and control enclosures, printed circuit board assemblies, cable assemblies, wire harnesses, interconnect systems, lightning diversion strips, surge suppressors, conformal shields, and other assemblies. It also supplies engineered products, including illuminated pushbutton switches and panels for aviation and test systems; microwave and millimeter switches and filters for radio frequency systems and test instrumentation; and motors and resolvers for motion control. In addition, this segment provides engineering expertise for aerospace system design, development, integration, and testing. The Structural Systems segment designs, engineers, and manufactures contoured aluminum, titanium, and Inconel aero structure components; structural assembly products, such as winglets, engine components, and fuselage structural panels; and metal and composite bonded structures and assemblies comprising aircraft wing spoilers, large fuselage skins, rotor blades on rotary-wing aircraft and components, flight control surfaces, engine components, ammunition handling systems, and magnetic seals. It serves commercial aircraft, military fixed-wing aircraft, military and commercial rotary-wing aircraft, and space programs, as well as industrial, medical, and other end-use markets. The company was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, California. By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 23 (PTI) State-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) today strongly pitched for going ahead with the fifth-generation fighter jet project with Russia, though the Indian Air Force is understood to have reservations over it. HAL Chairman and Managing Director T Suvarna Raju said the multi-billion dollar co-development project with Russia will be an opportunity as no country has ever offered such critical technology to India. advertisement "We are still hopeful. It is an opportunity for the industry as well as for the country. This is an opportunity for us to go in for this kind of (high) technology which has not been offered to us by any other country (except Russia)," he said. Asked about IAFs reservations about the project, Raju did not give a direct reply and insisted that it would help Indias aerospace sector to a great extent. "The impact of the project will be very positive. FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft) is my dream, I am hopeful about it," Raju told reporters on the sidelines of an event. He said it will take three years for the first FGFA to fly from the day the government gives the go ahead to the project. A high-level committee set up by the government to examine various aspects of the project has recently submitted its report and the defence ministry is likely to take a call on it soon. In 2007, India and Russia had inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project. In December 2010, India had agreed to pay USD 295 million (Rs 1,897 crore) towards the preliminary design of the fighter, which is called in India as the Perspective Multi- role Fighter. However, the negotiations faced various hurdles in the subsequent years. In February last year, India and Russia revived talks on the project after a clearance from the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. Raju also said that HAL was looking at utilising the Sukhoi manufacturing facility for carrying out maintenance of the fleet as well as there is no future order for the jet. On the Indo-Russian joint venture to produce 200 Kamov light weight multi-role military helicopters, he said things are moving fast and that a request for quotation (RFQ) is likely to be issued by the government soon. In October last year, India and Russia had finalised a broad agreement for a joint venture between HAL and two Russian defence majors. advertisement India is procuring Kamov choppers to replace its ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. Sixty Kamov-226T helicopters will be supplied to India in fly-away condition, while 140 will be manufactured in India. PTI MPB RT --- ENDS --- GSK plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the creation, discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products, vaccines, over-the-counter medicines, and health-related consumer products in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals R&D, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare. The company offers pharmaceutical products comprising medicines in the therapeutic areas, such as respiratory, HIV, immuno-inflammation, oncology, anti-viral, central nervous system, cardiovascular and urogenital, metabolic, anti-bacterial, and dermatology. It also provides consumer healthcare products in wellness, oral health, nutrition, and skin health categories. The company offers its consumer healthcare products in the form of nasal sprays, tablets, syrups, lozenges, gum and trans-dermal patches, caplets, infant syrup drops, liquid filled suspension, wipes, gels, effervescents, toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes, denture adhesives and cleansers, topical creams and non-medicated patches, lip balm, gummies, and soft chews. It has collaboration agreements with 23andMe; Lyell Immunopharma, Inc.; Novartis; Sanofi SA; Surface Oncology; Progentec Diagnostics, Inc.; Alector, Inc.; and CureVac AG., as well as strategic partnership with IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. and Vir Biotechnology, Inc. The company was formerly known as GlaxoSmithKline plc and changed its name to GSK plc in May 2022. GSK plc was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Brentford, the United Kingdom. BP, plc, once known as British Petroleum, is one of the worlds 7 oil & gas supermajors with operations spanning the globe. In terms of revenue, it ranks 4th on the list and the company is vertically integrated as well with operations in all segments of the oil and gas sector. Operations are currently underway in 80 countries around the world, the company can produce 3.7 million barrels of oil equivalents per day, and it lays claim to nearly 20 billion barrels in proven reserves. On the retail end of the business, the company operates more than 18,700 fuel stations and its largest segment is in the US. The company was founded in 1908 with the purpose of exploring for and producing oil in the middle east. The company expanded into Alaska in 1959 and then accelerated its expansion when it merged with Amoco in 1998. Another merger with Burhman Castrol in 2000 created the company that is traded today. BP, plc rebranded itself in 2000 giving new meaning to its name. The once British Petroleum is now Beyond Petroleum and focused on a major shift in its business. The company is working hard to move away from non-renewable carbon-based energy and into biofuels, solar, and wind. The company hopes to be net-zero in regard to carbon emissions and production by 2050 or earlier and is well on the way to doing so. Among the many avenues of advance are the build-out of solar and wind farms as well as the expansion of a major EV charging network. The network totaled more than 9,000 stations around the middle of 2022 and expansion was ramping in order to meet the goal of 100,000 EV stations before 2050. BP p.l.c. currently operates through 4 segments including Gas & Low Carbon Energy, Oil Production & Operations, Customers & Products, and Rosneft segments. The company produces and trades in natural gas and oil liquids, offers biofuels, and operates wind and solar power generating facilities. The company also provides de-carbonization solutions and services, such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, as part of its green agenda. In addition, it produces and refines oil and gas for its downstream operations as well as invests in upstream, downstream, and alternative energy companies including advanced mobility. Advanced mobility is the future of transportation and includes technologies like EV, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cells. To that end, the company is building 7 hydrogen production and storage hubs in key locations around the world. The company aims to produce blue and green hydrogen for the global transportation industry with production beginning in 2027. Blue hydrogen is hydrogen captured from the companys natural gas deposits using a process that captures the waste carbon. By PTI: Lucknow, Oct 23 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today said that there was immense potential for tourism in the Bundelkhand region. According to an official statement issued by the state government here, the chief minister was speaking at a public meeting in Chitrakoot. He also promised that Chitrakoot would be linked to a highway and observed that the district was extremely important from cultural and security point of view, and a work plan should be made for its planned development. advertisement "To attract tourists, Kalinjar Fort (in Banda district) and Rani Lakshmibais Fort in Jhansi will be developed. The state government will extend its full support and also seek support from the Centre," he said. Adityanath also laid the foundation stone of the Ramayan Gallery and Tourism Facilitation Centre, Parikrama Marg covered shed and laser show at Ramghat. "The state government is making every effort to usher in happiness in the lives of the people of Bundelkhand," he said. Adityanath distributed certificates to beneficiaries of various schemes and also undertook a surprise inspection of the district hospital. Later, chairing a review meeting of law and order and developmental works, he said, "Action should be taken under the provisions of Gunda Act and Gangster Act against those indulging in smuggling of animals, land mafia, mining mafia, dreaded criminals and those involved in illegal trading of tendu leaves." He also issued directives to effectively curb crimes committed against women. PTI NAV AAR --- ENDS --- NASA has found some important information regarding the red planets magnetic field. The latest data was discovered by NASAs Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission Spacecraft (MAVEN). As per the information, the magnetic field around Marc is not visible to naked eyes. The magnetic tail looks like a rotating tail, and it is said that the reason behind this formation is the solar winds that have been stripping the planet of its atmosphere and that also allows the red planets gases to escape into the space. NASAs Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission Spacecraft was launched four years back, i.e., in 2013. Since that, the spacecraft has been examining the climate history of Mars and is also trying to gather information on whether the planet may have any form of life in the past. It also targeted toward acquiring information about the process by which Mars lost much of its atmosphere and water. The new study informs that, the magnetic field which is also called as magnetotail is formed by the twisted interaction between the solar wind field and the Martian surface field. This process called as magnetic reconnection. When they interact with each other in the opposite direction, the solar winds charges some particles presented in the upper Martian atmosphere, and then those particles respond to electrical and produce magnetic fields around the mars. This new information was given at the 49th annual meeting of the American Astronomical Societys Division for Planetary Science in Provo, Utah. The meeting was held on 19th October 2017. Project scientists of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Centre, Gina DiBrccio, has presented the data in the meeting. The scientists said this type of magnetic field is different from Earths magnetic fields and Venus magnetic fields. Gina DiBraccio said that they have found that Mars magnetic tail or magnetotail is unique in the solar system. DiBraccio further stated that it is not like the magnetic field seen at Venus which has no magnetic field of its and also it is different from the magnetic field of Earth. The magnetic field detected surrounding Earth is a hybrid between the two magnetic fields. Sources said, billion years ago, the red planet had lost its global magnetic field. Only the fossil of those magnetic fields is left now in some particular places of Mars. Now NASAs scientists are examining those readings from MAVEN to confirm that reconnected magnetic fields are the main reason behind the atmospheric loss and to what extent. USC Dornsife scientists are developing unique ways to extend battery life and increase the amount of power they can deliver. Credit: John Livzey for USC Dornsife Magazine In Edmond Hamilton's 1940 novella Revolt On The Tenth World, the science fiction author describes "solid power the most super-valuable substance in the Solar System." Solid power is "compressed energy 'frozen' by temporary transformation into artificial atoms. Trillions of units of power compressed thus into an inch-square cube." Hamilton and other sci-fi writers throughout the life of the genre have fantasized about similar compact energy sources. They've had to. What else could make their starships fly, their laser guns blast and their communicators buzz? The closest we come to these powerhouses in reality are rechargeable batteries. Our "communicators"cell phones, tablets, laptop computers and similar devicesrely on the "solid power" in these batteries to keep us connected. Similarly, hybrid and electric vehicles use much larger versions to transport their occupants to far-off destinationsor at least across town. Currently, lithium-ion batteries represent the most energy-dense batteries available for practical use, storing hours of electricity for most devices in a relatively compact, lightweight size. But Sri Narayan, professor of chemistry at USC Dornsife and co-director of the USC Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute, wants to do better. Power up First inspired to pursue chemistry by a high school teacher, Narayan went on to attend graduate school in India, where he began studying power cells based on magnesium, an element that is readily available from sea water. After earning his Ph.D., he wanted to continue his work with batteries, but by then lithium-based technology was emerging. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory was hot on this trend, since lithium could provide a great deal of power while adding little weight to a spacecraft (a dream come true for sci-fi enthusiasts and scientists alike). Narayan joined JPL in 1992 and spent nearly 20 years advancing various types of batteries and fuel cells, including the lithium-ion battery technology used on the Mars Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity rovers. He came to USC Dornsife in 2010 to expand his work on batteries into new areas. "USC has been very good because I have good students, I have good support from the faculty and it's a very collaborative environment," he said. Among other pursuits, Narayan is working on a way to bring lithium-sulfur batteries into widespread use. These batteries pack two to three times more energy than their lithium-ion counterparts. They're also less prone to overheating, which means they don't need the complex control systems that keep lithium-ion batteries from exhibiting one of their more inconvenient tendencieserupting in flame when overcharged or overtaxed. Increased safety, and the fact that sulfur is abundant and cheap, means lithium-sulfur power packs would be much less expensive to produce than lithium-ion batteries. Unfortunately, lithium-sulfur batteries don't hold a charge or withstand recharging worth a hoot. "Lithium-sulfur, today, is at a hundred cycles. That's all. It's pathetic," Narayan said. Given that most people charge their phones daily, this means replacing the battery within three months. Lithium-ion batteries generally last two to three years, and sometimes more. The short life of the lithium-sulfur batteries stems from the tendency for sulfur ions, called sulfides, to cling to one another and then escape from the positive electrode (the cathode). The polysulfide ions flee to the negative electrode (the anode), where they grab electrons and head back to the cathode. In this "polysulfide shuttle," many of the sulfide ions react with lithium ions to form lithium-sulfide, which is insoluble and utterly useless to the battery. Both discharging and recharging the battery accelerate this shuttling process, degrading the cathode and anode until the battery goes kaput. Narayan and Ph.D. student Derek Moy, however, developed a way to overcome the polysulfide shuttle and give these batteries longer lives. Their solution is called a "mixed conduction membrane," or MCM. This thin, nonporous material conducts lithium ions but blocks the polysulfide reactions that degrade the battery. Batteries with the MCM lasted through as many as 500 cycles with no loss of charge capacity, Narayan said. He thinks that may be enough for cell phones, at least. "Every couple of years you're probably going to get a new phone anyway," he said. "Five hundred cycles is plenty." While Narayan cautions that the technology is in its infancy and needs more research before they gain popular use, he thinks the advantages of lithium-sulfurinexpensive, abundant materials and more energy per unit weightcould soon benefit handheld electronics and eventually vehicles. "Lithium-sulfur will probably find its place in cell phones before it makes it into cars. That's a natural projection," he said. But there's another level of need when it comes to batteriessomething on a much larger scale. Professor of Chemistry Sri Narayan has a unique take on batteries using compounds found in plants to hold and deliver charge. Credit: University of Southern California Gridlock Just off Interstate 15, about five miles west of the California-Nevada border in the far northeast reaches of San Bernardino County, thousands of mirrors glitter in the dry desert heat, focusing the day's unrelenting sunshine onto three colossal towers in their midst. The focused light and heat converts thousands of gallons of water within the monolithic structures to steam. That steam drives a turbine that producesin theory, at leastan average of about 2.5 billion watt-hours of renewable electricity for power-hungry customers each day. At night it produces nothing. Solar energy farms throughout the countryand across the globeface this issue. When the sun disappears at night or slips behind dark clouds, the fields of solar collectors have little or no light energy to gather and convert to heat or electricity. The same is true for wind farms, which rely on the motion of air moving through enormous windmill blades to keep the electricity flowing into the electrical grid. When the winds calm, the blades stop, and the electrons stop moving. Batteries may provide a solution, storing excess renewable energy and feeding it to the grid when needed. The idea has been around for years, but it remains problematic for a number of reasons. For Brent Melot, assistant professor of chemistry, it boils down to materials sciencefinding the resources that can fulfill the need safely and at reasonable cost. Like Narayan, Melot focuses much of his research on advancing battery technology, developing efficiency and life for lithium-based units. Current lithium-ion batteries, he said, could store enough power in a reasonable amount of space, but there are safety concerns. Batteries large enough to store enough energy to supply the grid would require sophisticated (read "expensive") systems to ensure they don't overheat or malfunction. Also, they contain cobalt and nickel, which are exorbitantly costly. Oh, and both are toxic. "Cobalt ore right now costs about $46,000 per metric ton," Melot said. Nickel rings up at about $10,000 per metric ton. Lithium itself is about the same. In addition, these metals are available from limited locations on the planet, making their availability vulnerable to changes in the geopolitical climate. Ideally, Melot suggests, more abundant and readily accessible materials would be idealsomething like iron. "If we can find chemistries that are actually based on iron, iron ore is $90 per metric ton," he said. It's also nearly ubiquitous, virtually eliminating political concerns. And it won't foul up the local landfill. It so happens that Narayan is working on a couple of battery solutions addressing safety and cost, one of which produces electricity through the oxidation of iron in the presence of air. Aside from reducing costs significantly, these iron-air batteries would be much safer, containing no corrosive or flammable solvents or dangerous heavy metals. Iron-air batteries have been around for decades, but they suffered from extreme inefficiency, losing half their power to a side reaction that produces hydrogen. Narayan and his colleagues managed to reduce the loss to just 4 percent, bringing the technology much closer to practical use. That technology is now in the hands of a company that aims to bring it to market. Go with the flow Narayan has also been working on a radical idea called a redox flow battery. Like their iron-air cousins, flow batteries have been under investigation for decades. Narayan, however, has been taking a new angle, working to find and use materials that will improve both the efficiency and stability of these systems while using safer materials. In redox flow batteries, electrons move from a tank of electrochemical solution, through the load (a washing machine or light bulb) to another tank of solution. One advantage is that the batteries don't age the way solid batteries do; there are no electrodes to break down over time. Perhaps more important, though, is the system's flexibility: The solutions can undergo rechargingby a renewable energy source, for instanceor they can simply be replaced with fresh, fully charged solutions. Concentrating on sustainability, Narayan has focused on developing flow batteries that use water-soluble organic compounds commonly found in plants. "These compounds are essentially nontoxic and won't catch fire the way solvents in lithium batteries can," he said. They're also simple and inexpensive, and they're efficient, lasting a very long time. Professor and Chair of Chemistry G. K. Surya Prakash collaborates with Narayan in identifying and synthesizing the water-soluble, electroactive organic compounds for the flow batteries. Director of the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute and holder of the George A. and Judith A. Olah Nobel Laureate Chair in Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Prakash touts the Earth-friendly nature of Narayan's flow batteries. "Water-based organic flow batteries are game changers," Prakash said. "They use very little or no metal, the organic materials used are easily derived from earth-abundant, carbon-based resources, and they can also be made from recycled carbon dioxide, making them renewable." While redox flow batteries haven't yet progressed the way iron-air batteries have, Melot puts his money on them as a solution for large-scale use. "[Narayan's] stuff, I think, is going to be the answer for grid level. It's really innocuous, scales very easily and does the job," he said. Whether iron-air or redox flow technology, Narayan believes that sustainable energy storage with batteries will be the key to the ultimate success of renewable energy. "It's just not possible to do anything that isn't sustainable," he said, "and I view the field of electro-chemistry as being pivotal in ... the future use of renewable energy. Make chemicals; make electrons from chemicals; store the electrons. All these are possible with electro-chemistry." Credit: Check Point Researchers Security people at Check Point Research have warned us and it is not very pretty. A new Internet of Things botnet storm is in the wings. The team turned up the siren on October 19, warning of a botnet targeting IoT (Internet of Things) devices and saying that it is on the move. Other tech-watching sites are not in denial. A massive botnet is forming to create a cyber-storm that could take down the Internet, said Check Point, and an estimated million organizations have already been infected. The botnet is recruiting devices such as IP wireless cameras to carry this pending nightmare forth. Wired referred to it as The Reaper IoT botnet and said it was known alternately as IoT Troop or Reaper. Check Point is calling it IoTroop. John Leyden, The Register, used an army metaphor to explain that it is being assembled, and said it was a "cyber-militia of compromised gadgets." Andy Greenberg in Wired called it a "zombie connected-device armies run amuck." Leyden said the malware has been evolving to exploit vulnerabilities in wireless IP-based cameras, routers, storage boxes, Wi-Fi points, and so on. What's the motive? A gruesome ha-ha? Political grudge? Seeking money, or just seeking global attention? It is too early to assess the intentions of the threat actors, Check Point said. Numbers, however, seem frightening. Ken Munro of Pen Test Partners was quoted in The Register. "We don't know how many have already been compromised, but I've seen comment elsewhere that suggests about 2 million are in a queue to be exploited." What is a botnet? It is a collection of devices that are Internet-connected. The devices are infected and controlled by malware. IoT botnets are Internet connected smart devices infected by the same malware and controlled by a threat actor from a remote location, said Check Point. "They have been behind some of the most damaging cyberattacks against organizations worldwide, including hospitals, national transport links, communication companies and political movements." Who made the discovery? Wired said researchers at the Chinese security firm Qihoo 360 and the Israeli firm Check Point had details about the new IoT botnet. HotHardware said, "Researchers at Chinese security firm Qihoo 360 and Israeli outfit Check Point have investigated Reaper and found that it contains millions of potentially vulnerable device IPs, all queued up and ready to be processed by an automatic loader that injects code." How Check Point took notice: "Our research began at the end of September '17 after noticing an increase in attempts to penetrate our IoT IPS protections. Following this suspicious activity, we soon realized we were witnessing the recruitment stages of a vast IoT Botnet." The Register described its behavior. The Reaper malware is spreading by exploiting various vulnerabilities in embedded devices, to commandeer them. Andy Greenberg in Wired: "Instead of merely guessing the passwords of the devices it infects, it uses known security flaws in the code of those insecure machines, hacking in with an array of compromise tools and then spreading itself further." Maya Horowitz, the manager of Check Point's research team, was quoted in Wired: "The main differentiator here is that while Mirai was only exploiting devices with default credentials, this new botnet is exploiting numerous vulnerabilities in different IoT devices. The potential here is even bigger than what Mirai had." Tech watchers suggested taking various actions. Leyden in The Register suggested (1) to check if you are exposing a vulnerable device to the internet (2) apply any patches if possible (3) watch out for suspicious behavior on your network and (4) take a gadget offline if infected. "The best thing you can do at the moment is to update any Internet-connected devices you own, and to continue checking for updates," Paul Lilly said in HotHardware. 2017 Tech Xplore Improvements in the quality of Vietnamese pork are crucial if the countrys vision of becoming a major exporter of the meat is to be realized, experts said at a forum in Hanoi last week. The forum, held on Friday by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, sought solutions to Vietnams flagging pork export industry. Vietnams total pork production in 2017 is forecast at around 2.75 million metric tons, ranking it sixth in the world behind China, the European Union (EU), the U.S., Brazil and Russia. However, Vietnam exports a mere 20,000 tons on average per year, or less than 0.73 percent of its total production, despite growing global demand. China currently imports nearly 2.2 million tons of pork per year, Japan 1.36 million tons and the Philippines 195,000 tons, according to experts attending Fridays forum. Vietnams low transport and labor costs, coupled with the implementation of new technologies, have enabled the country to produce pork at a more competitive price than its competitors. However, concerns over the quality and safety of Vietnamese pork have stopped importers from opening up their markets. Earlier this month, thousands of pigs were found to have been injected with sedatives shortly before slaughter at Ho Chi Minh Citys largest slaughterhouse. Though all of the sedated pigs have since been scheduled for incineration, the scandal shook the publics perception of the popular meat. Lee Jong-beom, deputy general director of South Korean Daewon Machinery Co., Ltd, stressed the importance of food safety and hygiene for aspiring exporters like Vietnam. South Korea imported US$5.8 billion worth of pork in 2016, Lee said, though most came from trusted sources like the U.S., Germany and Spain. Vu Manh Hung, general director of Hung Nhon Group, said that most of his foreign partners had asked for their pork imports to be of traceable origin and risk-manageable before signing any contracts. This poses an immediate challenge for local producers, who have become used to selling their pork without providing any information regarding its origin, Hung said. The latest effort by Ho Chi Minh City officials to impose a ban on so-called homeless pork pork without tracking tags that provide a history of its journey from farm to slaughterhouse to market stalls was met with widespread criticism by local merchants. According to Nguyen Xuan Cuong, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the value of Vietnams pork industry is higher than rice, but export revenues paint a totally opposite picture. Businesses have begun, Cuong said, but the remaining task is for the authorities to promote trade and open up foreign markets. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! By PTI: By Gurdip Singh Singapore, Oct 23 (PTI) India is an attractive market for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) spot trade though its power generating sector will continue to rely significantly on coal, energy industry executives said here today. "The LNG market is getting shorter, more liquid and transparent that suits market like India as there are going to be more LNG available on the spot (trade),? said Martin Houston, vice chairman of the Texas-based LNG company Tellurian Inc. advertisement "With the increasing number of terminals along the coasts and pipeline connection, I see great amount of LNG being sold to India (in the coming years),? he told a press conference at the Singapore International Energy Week which opened today. But India will also have to maintain some long-term LNG supply contracts for stability, added Keisuke Sadamori, director at the Directorate of Energy Markets and Security in the International Energy Agency. He noted that India has joined Japan, South Korea and China in calls for global LNG suppliers to offer competitive prices. Houston noted that India is renegotiating long-term contract for lower LNG prices as price will remain a determinant in lowering energy cost in India. "There has been willing buyers and willing sellers and gas continued to be supplied to India despite the re- negotiation of termed contracts," he said. However, coal will continue to play a significant role in India?s power generating sector as the government continues with its efforts to reach out with electricity across the country, both executives and delegates at the conference pointed out. Emphasising on Indias ongoing renewable energy programme, the executives saw the significance of coal as it would remain the cheapest fuel for generating electricity. India is going to be dependent on coal for a long-time, said clean energy consultant Ken Hickson, managing director of Singapore-based ABC Carbon. Though Indian renewable energy targets are applaudable, some 275 GW by 2027, according to National Electricity Plan 3, Hickson noted that the progress on some of the green projects have been slow. India has vast renewable energy resources, hydro-power, solar and wind being among the main sources, according to Hickson. He observed that Indian renewable business is one of the most attractive investment segments but the processes of getting on with project were still slower despite the improving ease of doing business in India. PTI GS PMS --- ENDS --- Not many can remember when the Internet was in its infancy in Vietnam just over two decades ago. NetNam Co., based in Hanoi, is considered the pioneering Internet provider in Vietnam. Founded in 1994, the firm was among the countrys first four Internet Service Providers (ISP) back in the 1990s, according to its website. The companys Internet, online and managed services have been highly trusted by individual users, organizations and enterprises ever since. Feeling their way Internet services were officially introduced in the Southeast Asian country in December 1997. However, insiders began seeking ways to obtain a permit from the government as far back as 1993. In 1991, Dr. Mai Liem Truc, head of the National Administration of Posts (now the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group), attended an international seminar in the U.S., where he was first introduced to the Internet. The National Administration of Posts was the countrys watchdog and sole supplier of post and telecoms services back then. Applying his great vision, Truc was positive the Internet would be indispensable to his countrys integration and growth. The global computer network would help Vietnam free itself from isolation and connect to and keep pace with the rest of the world. NetNam, originally comprising scientists from the Institute of Information Technology under the Vietnam Institute of Science and Technology (now the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology), was tasked with the mission of pioneering the countrys first Internet services. Despite Vietnam not adopting an open-door policy until the 1990s, the Vietnam Institute of Science and Technology had earlier sent its academics to Eastern and Western European countries for training, according to Tran Ba Thai, a former NetNam director. Employees work at a software company in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre This greatly facilitated the institutions and NetNams efforts as pioneers, he noted. Thai along with some other pundits from the institute attended an international conference in Kobe, Japan in 1992, when the use of the global network was limited to the intelligentsia and a number of universities in the U.S. and Europe. We initially considered the Internet an instrument for scientific study only, he added. The Internets comprehensive value soon dawned on the scientists, however, who later formed a partnership with a research group from the Australian National University (ANU), a national research university located in Canberra, to test the network. Bound by destiny, Thai and Professor Rob Hurle from the Australian institution soon embarked on experiments in connecting computers in Vietnam and Australia through landline phone lines. Hurle designed a new piece of software for the UNIX system, a family of multitasking, multiuser computer operating systems, so that modems could be utilized to link computers in Vietnam, allowing the exchange of computer information. The experiment was a success, delivering the earliest experiences of the Internet to Vietnamese users, who could then use their own email boxes, though with the Australian domain .au. Thai and Prof. Hurle were then able to exchange emails, believed to be Vietnams first-ever email system. In September 1993, Prof. Hurle and a colleague from the University of Tasmania, also located in Australia, partook in a seminar in Hanoi to address plans to foster Internet use in the Southeast Asian country. With Vietnams domain .vn not yet registered, our first email address was registered in Australia, hanoi@coombs.anu.edu.au, and we used it to receive and send emails from Vietnam to people around the world, Thai recalled. Users in Vietnam had an email address using the Vietnamese domain, username@hanoi.ac.vn, to which the coombs.anu.edu.au was affixed for international exchange, he explained. Driving forces One of the main facilitators of the introduction of the Internet to Vietnam was Thais awareness of its immense potential, working as a chief engineer of a United Nations information technology project back then. Another stroke of luck was that the visionary leaders of the Vietnam Institute of Science and Technology at that time were warmly receptive to change and supportive of our drive to explore the Internet world, Thai stressed. A senior citizen gets access to the Internet on a laptop in Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre The third element was the relatively lax government control. These three factors were conducive to our initial successes in connecting Vietnam to the global network, the expert added. State agencies, however, were not really ready for the launch. We met with tremendous hurdles because of high-ranking officials reluctance. Opponents raised concerns including risks of revealing confidential state information, spreading defamatory, anti-state information, and users exposure to morally and culturally corrupt content, Dr. Truc, the then-leader of the countrys post and telecoms sector, elaborated. After providing a complimentary email service on a two-year pilot basis, NetNam became the countrys first carrier of Internet services in 1994, offering the Vietnamese domain .vn in their email addresses. Thousands of users gained access to free email-based services such as forums, internal communication and electronic libraries only one year following the launch, with NetNam receiving sponsorship from the Australian government and Telstra, Australia's leading provider of phones and broadband Internet, to cover international connection expenses. We tried to talk the high-ranking officials into embracing the Internet launch by underlining its various merits and suggesting ways to keep a rein on its problems, Dr. Truc recalled. They finally gave their nod on the establishment of the National Internet Coordinating Committee in Vietnam, he said. In March 1997, the government issued temporary statutes on the management, tapping and usage of the Internet, followed by the National Administration of Posts granting a temporary Internet Service Provider (ISP) permit to the Institute of Information Technology in October 1997, before the network was officially launched just over one month later. In 2001, Asia Week named Tran Ba Thai, along with two others from India and Mongolia, Digital Revolutionaries for their tremendous efforts in bringing the Internet to their communities. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Fish have died en masse at a dam in the central Vietnamese province of Quang Ngai, worrying local residents. The incident occurred at the Ho Chuoi dam in Binh Trung Commune, Binh Son District, Quang Ngai. According to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, the dead fish were covered with flies and were emitting an unpleasant odor, posing a serious risk of water pollution and requiring immediate action. Local resident Pham Tan Thanh said that the fish died for unclear reasons, adding that the chickens and ducks of some local farmers had also died after eating them. People are now concerned that their water resources and health could be directly impacted. They claim that fish deaths happen at the dam every year, but not on such a large scale. Cu Van Hung, another resident, said that the situation began after a downpour three days ago. Local farmers have reported that their farm-raised fish and shrimp in nearby areas had also been killed. A woman salvages some dead fish. Photo: Tuoi Tre About 100 kilograms of my farm-raised fish are dying on a daily basis, causing me several millions of dong worth of losses [VND1 million = US$44], farmer Do Thi Van explained. I am uncertain when the mass deaths will stop. According to Trinh Phu Dinh, chairman of the Peoples Committee in Binh Trung Commune, a team of officials have been tasked with examining the situation to figure out the cause and come up with a solution. Meanwhile, the administration in Binh Son District only became aware of the incident on Sunday and will also assist with efforts. Dead fish wash onto the bank. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Le The Chu, Acting Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, has been appointed its Editor-in-Chief after over ten months of filling the vacancy left by his predecessor. The appointment was announced on Monday morning in a ceremony held at the headquarters of Tuoi Tre in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City. Dinh Minh Trung, the papers Chief of Office and a member of the editorial board, was named Deputy Editor-in-Chief in the same ceremony. Chu and Trungs promotions were signed into effect in separate decisions on Friday by Pham Hong Son, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, which overlooks the newspapers operations. Each of them will serve a five-year tenure before further appointments are made. Speaking at Mondays ceremony for the first time as Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre, Chu asserted his vision to develop the Ho Chi Minh City-based media house into a humane newspaper that contributes to Vietnams development and social progress. With my new responsibility, I will work with the editorial board to connect the members of our newspaper to form a unified team that works creatively to uphold the identity and values of the newspaper, Chu, who was born in 1965, said. With nearly 30 years of experience in printing press, Chu is the former Editor-in-Chief of Khan Quang Do (Red Scarf), a teen publication, before his appointment as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre in 2010. He was appointed Acting Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre in December last year after its former Editor-in-Chief Tang Huu Phong became Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Tan Phu District in Ho Chi Minh City. Pham Hong Son (L), Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, presents the appointment decision to Le The Chu, Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre, October 23, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre Trung, 42, began working at Tuoi Tre in 2004 as an accountant, before being promoted to the post of a senior accountant and the chief of office and director of Tuoi Tre Tower. Since November 2015, he has been the papers Chief of Office and a member of its editorial board. Tuoi Tre is a media group that consists of the daily Tuoi Tre, the socio-political weekly magazine Tuoi Tre Cuoi Tuan, the satirical magazine Tuoi Tre Cuoi published twice a month, the online newspaper Tuoi Tre Online, Tuoi Tre TV, and the English-language publication Tuoi Tre News. The group also owns a building, now for lease, a printing house in Ho Chi Minh City and other assets. Dinh Minh Trung (C), Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre, receives congratulatory flowers from Than Thi Thu (L), head of propaganda at the Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, October 23, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre Pham Hong Son (R), Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, presents the appointment decision to Dinh Minh Trung (L), Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre, October 23, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Ministry of Information and Communications has ordered the reversal of a monetary penalty against a doctor and a local government agency to apologize to him, following public criticism of the agency penalizing him for allegedly slandering the health minister. Dr. Hoang Cong Truyen, a practitioner at a medical center in Phong Dien District, Thua Thien-Hue Province, in July posted a status to his personal Facebook page asserting that Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien should resign due to her poor performance in advisory work and other matters relating to security at local hospitals. Dr. Truyens Facebook post included an image of Minister Tien together with the call for her to step down. A verification process that followed found Truyens Facebook post to be of offensive nature and hurt the health ministers reputation and dignity, giving grounds to a monetary penalty of VND5 million imposed by the provincial Department of Information and Communications. The doctor was also required to write a report on his violation and reprimanded by the healthcare center in August. The punishment of Cuongs outspoken criticism of Minister Tien has been met with public and media backlash, forcing relevant parties to promise a revocation of the disciplinary action against the doctor last week. Speaking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday, Dang Anh Tuan, chief inspector of the Ministry of Information and Communications, confirmed that Minister Truong Minh Tuan had ordered the revocation of the penalty against Dr. Truyen. What Truyen posted on his Facebook account was not enough to constitute a slander, and until further evidence against him is found, the disciplinary action must be revoked and the doctor shall receive a formal apology from the department, the minister said. Slandering others on social media must be strictly handled, but nobody shall be unfairly penalized, Minister Tuan underlined. An urgent meeting was held by the Department of Information and Communications of Thua Thien-Hue on Sunday to implement the ministrys order. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The subcommittee of security and health for the 2017 APEC summit ran the exercise on Sunday morning, aimed at ensuring maximum safety for the Economic Leaders Week, scheduled for November 6 to 11. A ceremony was held on the same morning to introduce police and military officers in charge of security during the event, along with equipment and vehicles. A ceremony was organized in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang on October 22, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre During the drill, two scenarios were role-played by security units. In the first, officers were required to free a group of APEC delegates who were ambushed by terrorists after leaving the airport. The second scenario included the rescue of hostages captured by terrorists on a tourist boat on the Han River. Multiple security units are introduced at the ceremony. Photo: Tuoi Tre The APEC is a regional economic forum established in 1989, comprising 21 member states, including Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam among others. The Economic Leaders Week is the culmination of Vietnams year of hosting a series of APEC meetings. World leaders such as U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are all expected to attend the event in Da Nang. The White House has confirmed that Trump will travel to Hanoi for an official visit and bilateral engagements with Vietnams State President Tran Dai Quang and other senior Vietnamese leaders on November 11, following his participation in the summit in Da Nang. Mobility police units stand at the ceremony. Photo: Tuoi Tre Military officers. Photo: Tuoi Tre Firefighting police units. Photo: Tuoi Tre A motorcade of traffic police units. Photo: Tuoi Tre A mobile operation center. Photo: Tuoi Tre Special armored vehicles from the Ministry of Public Security. Photo: Tuoi Tre Fire trucks of the Da Nang Department of Firefighting Police. Photo: Tuoi Tre Officers take part in martial art performances during the ceremony on October 22, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre Officers take part in martial art performances during the ceremony. Photo: Tuoi Tre A group of terrorists hijack a bus in an anti-terror drill scenario. Photo: Tuoi Tre Officers enter a building from the rooftop. Photo: Tuoi Tre A terrorist is apprehended. Photo: Tuoi Tre Medics provide emergency care for the hostages. Photo: Tuoi Tre Officers attempt to rescue hostages on a cruise ship in the Han River. Photo: Tuoi Tre A suspect is arrested. Photo: Tuoi Tre The victims are brought to safety. Photo: Tuoi Tre Firefighting units put out a fire on the ship after a bomb has exploded. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Businesses that purposely find ways to evade paying social insurance for their employees will not only receive administrative fines but also attract steep monetary penalties once a new law comes into effect next year. In Vietnam, insurance is not calculated based on the full salary of an employee, rather a part of it only, known as the fund used to calculate insurance payment. For instance, an engineer might have a total wage of VND7 million (US$308), however, the fund used to calculate his or her insurance payment may be only VND4 million ($176). As of June 2017, an employer is required to pay 17.5 percent of this fund to social insurance, three percent to healthcare insurance and one percent to unemployment insurance on behalf of its employees. Employees must themselves also contribute to the insurances, with respective rates of 25.5 percent, 4.5 percent and two percent of the salary fund used to calculate insurance payment. From January 2018, when the amended law on social insurance takes effect, any employer caught evading these payments on purpose will be fined between VND50 million ($2,200) and VND200 million ($8,810). They may also face non-custodial sentences of up to one year, or imprisonment of three to 12 months, Nguoi Lao Dong (Laborer) newspaper reported on Sunday. The new law also stipulates cash fines ranging from VND200 million to VND500 million ($22,000), or jail terms of six months to three years for violations including evading insurance payments worth between VND300 million ($13,200) and VND1 billion ($44,000) and for dodging payments for between 50 and 200 employees. If the evaded insurance payments are worth more than VND1 billion, or more than 200 employees are involved, fines will be set at VND500 million to VND1 billion, or two to seven years of imprisonment. FILE PHOTO - Luxembourg's Minister of Finance Pierre Gramegna speaks during the opening ceremony of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing, China, January 16, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Schiefelbein/Pool (Reuters) By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - The City of London must remain the top global financial centre after Brexit to avoid its financial services drifting to other parts of the world, Luxembourg Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna said on Monday. Financial centres such as Luxembourg, Paris and Frankfurt are battling each other to attract banks, insurers and asset managers in Britain who need an EU base after the UK departs the bloc in 2019. Companies from across the EU use London for currency trading, derivatives and managing investment funds. Some EU policymakers want parts of these activities shifted to the continent after Brexit to avoid relying on what will then be a foreign financial centre. "It's key for Europe ... that the Number 1 financial centre in the world remains in Europe," Gramegna told students at the London School of Economics. There was a need to harness the City of London to Europe to ensure that London continued to perform well, Gramegna said. Punishing London to get a "chunk" of the pie was a very short-term view, and a "no deal" Brexit would not benefit the EU, but send UK financial services to countries outside Europe, Gramegna said. Britain would then, in a sense, drift away into the Atlantic, he added. "I find that a balanced final agreement with the UK, specifically for financial services, is in the interests of Europe itself," Gramegna said. Britain and the EU have held several meetings to agree a divorce settlement, with too little progress to begin talks on future trading relations. Gramegna declined to put a figure on Britain's divorce bill, a key stumbling block. "What is the value of access to the EU single market? Can you put a figure on that? I cannot. Money is really not what's the most important," he said. As regards Britain's future trading relations with the EU, he said Switzerland has shown how it could work when it comes to the free movement of people, which many Britons want to curb. Story continues He urged British and EU politicians to "dedramatise" the divorce talks, avoid megaphone diplomacy, and focus on the factual. "We must be neither complacent, nor try to punish the UK," he said. Having no trading deal would be bad for both sides. A transition period between Brexit and new trading terms was needed to reassure business, he said. "The pressure on companies is much higher than what governments anticipated," he said. Financial technology firms in London, for example, have already met with Luxembourg, saying they need access to EU customers after Brexit. "This is much more of an urgent matter than people think," Gramegna said. (Reporting by Huw Jones, editing by David Evans) Head of the People's Party (OeVP) Sebastian Kurz arrives to meet head of the Social Democrats (SPOe) Christian Kern for talks on a possible coalition government in Vienna, Austria, October 22, 2017. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader By Francois Murphy and Shadia Nasralla VIENNA (Reuters) - Austrian conservative leader Sebastian Kurz said on Monday he needs more time to decide which party he will hold coalition talks with but did nothing to dampen expectations that he will turn to the far right. Kurz's People's Party (OVP) won last week's parliamentary election with 31.5 percent of the vote, well short of a majority, which means it needs a partner to form a stable government. "It has yet to be decided with whom we want to start negotiations. I will clarify that in the coming hours or days," Kurz said after meeting President Alexander Van der Bellen. He had been expected to announce which party he would be inviting to coalition talks on Monday after spending the weekend talking with the leaders of all parties entering the new parliament. "There are certain issues that I would like to discuss again informally or clear up before I start negotiations," he told reporters, declining to elaborate. European leaders have expressed guarded concern about the possible return to power of the Freedom Party (FPO), which was founded in the 1950s by ex-Nazis and was last in government more than a decade ago. The FPO once argued against membership in the European Union but has become steadily more mainstream in recent years, dropping those calls and expelling members for anti-Semitic statements. Kurz, who is 31, has maintained that any future government will be pro-European. But he campaigned on an anti-immigration platform very similar to the FPO's, after Europe's migration crisis left many voters feeling Austria was being overrun. TAME THE WOLF? Only two parties - the Social Democrats (SPO), who came second in the election, and the FPO, which came third - have enough seats to give Kurz a majority if they go into coalition with him. But a partnership between the two centrist parties has never been the most likely outcome, even though they have governed together for 44 of the 72 years since World War Two. Story continues Kurz forced last week's election when he called an end to the current coalition with the SPO after he took over as OVP leader, and the two sides are now at loggerheads. Chancellor Christian Kern, leader of the Social Democrats, ruled out a coalition with Kurz but said his party might still support a minority government headed by Kurz as an alternative to an OVP-FPO, or "black-blue", coalition. "I have always said that my electoral aim is to prevent black-blue, and therefore it is an option that one should think through in such a case. But I believe it is thoroughly unlikely," Kern told ORF TV late on Monday, adding that he believed Kurz would go into government with the FPO. In principle, any other tie-up between two of the top three parties could take place. Kurz has hinted at being prepared to go into coalition with the SPO if Kern is deposed as leader, though that appears to be off the cards for now. If Kurz fails to put a government together, a 'coalition of losers' between the FPO and Social Democrats is still possible. The head of Austria's main Jewish group on Sunday warned Kurz not to do business with "the wolf" of the FPO. "When the nationalist wolf puts on a blue sheep skin it does not change its nature, only its appearance," the head of Austria's main Jewish group, Oskar Deutsch, said in an open letter to both centrist parties. Blue is the colour of the FPO, which is staunchly anti-Islam but now openly courts Jewish voters, with limited success. "If OVP and SPO believe they can tame the wolf, they are deceiving themselves," Deutsch said. The FPO's David Lasar, a Jewish lawmaker, responded by saying in a statement: "The FPO has always been committed to the safety of Austria's Jewish population." (Editing by Sonya Hepinstall and James Dalgleish) Jamie Harron has been freed from a Dubai jail after being given a three-month sentence (PA) The Briton sentenced to three months in a Dubai jail for touching a mans hip in a crowded bar has reportedly been freed. Jamie Harron has been given his passport back after he was sentenced on Sunday, according to the 27-year-olds representatives. Ruler of the emirate Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum made a special order for cases against Mr Harron to be dismissed. Mr Harron was arrested after he touched a mans hip in a crowded bar (PA) Mr Harron, from Stirling, Scotland, was arrested in July over the incident in which he said he put his hand on a mans hip to avoid spilling a drink in a crowded bar. Campaign group Detained in Dubai (DiD) said he was sentenced to three months imprisonment at court on Sunday, but has now had his passport returned. Radha Stirling, CEO of DiD, said: We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Sheikh Mohammed for his personal intervention in this case, and for exonerating Jamie at long last. MORE: Oui oui: Watch moment Macrons dog takes pee during government meeting MORE: White Widow Sally Jones tried to recruit Pizza Express chef to assassinate the Queen on VJ Day anniversary This was a courageous and honourable decision on the part of Sheikh Mohammed, and while it highlights the urgent need for judicial reform in the country, it is also a hopeful sign that the United Arab Emirates leadership possesses the will and vision to pursue such reforms in the future. Mr Harron had been working in Afghanistan and was on a two-day stopover in the United Arab Emirates at the time of the incident. After his arrest for public indecency, he lost his job and was told he could have faced up to three years in jail. The 27-year-old has had the cases against him dropped (PA) Mr Harron had been working in Afghanistan and was on a two-day stopover in the United Arab Emirates at the time of the incident (PA) He had already been sentenced in absentia to 30 days in prison for failing to appear at a court hearing for making a rude gesture and drinking alcohol during the same July incident. In relation to the alleged public indecency charge, Mr Harron is said to have been holding a drink, moving through a crowded bar and held a hand in front of him to avoid spilling it on himself or others. He then touched a man on his hip to avoid impact. He was initially jailed for five days and then released on bail with his passport confiscated. Police in Dubai are said to have called Mr Harron on Monday morning, telling him the cases against him had been dismissed and he could collect his passport. By PTI: (Eds: Adding details of talks) By Anisur Rahman Dhaka, Oct 22 (PTI) India and Bangladesh today discussed the common challenge of terrorism and resolved to fight the scourge together even as New Delhi reaffirmed its status as a reliable development partner of Dhaka. "We are both determined to protect our societies from the threat of ideologies of hate, violence and terror by adopting a zero tolerance policy and a comprehensive approach in fighting violent extremism and terrorism at all levels," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said after talks with the Bangladeshi side as part of the fourth Joint Consultative Commission (JCC). advertisement "We discussed the common challenges that we are faced with today. One such challenge is that of terrorism, extremism and radicalisation and we will continue to fight this scourge together and along with other like-minded countries," she said. Swaraj, who arrived here on a two-day visit, said "India has been a longstanding and reliable development partner of Bangladesh". "Totally, three lines of credit amounting to USD 8 billion have been extended by India to Bangladesh so far. This is by far the largest development assistance that India has extended to any country worldwide," she said. India has also been extending grant assistance for small socio-economic projects in Bangladesh. In the past three years alone, 24 such grant projects have been completed which include construction of students hostels, tube-wells, cultural centres, and orphanages among others. Presently 58 projects, including city development projects in Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet, are under implementation, she said. "India is now supplying 660 MW of much needed power to the Bangladesh people and this figure will double, if not triple, in the foreseeable future. We will work together as founding members of the International Solar Alliance, for which Bangladesh has just confirmed its accession. This alliance is expected to make solar energy affordable," Swaraj said. The two nations have already agreed on the construction of a petroleum products pipeline that will link Siliguri with Parbatipur, for the benefit of the people of northwestern Bangladesh, as a grant in aid project. The setting up of LNG terminal, supply of natural gas by pipeline and investments in the upstream sector are also under consideration, she said. She said restoration of pre-1965 links encompassing road, rail, water and coastal shipping links is being planned to increase connectivity, citing increase in frequency of the Dhaka-Maitri express. The inaugural run with end-to-end Immigration and Customs services for the Maitri Express and the inaugural commercial run of the Kolkata-Khulna Bandhan service are all expected soon, she said. In order to facilitate people-to-people contacts, she said the Indian Mission and Posts in Bangladesh issued 9.76 lakh visas in 2016 and these are expected to grow to about 14 lakh visas in 2017. advertisement Swaraj said India will also offer five-year multiple entry visas for Bangladeshi freedom fighters and is planning a scheme for their medical treatment in India. On the sidelines of the JCC meeting, India and Bangladesh also signed bilateral documents on capacity building in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), sale purchase agreement between Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation and Indias Numaligarh Refinery. Ali handed over to Swaraj the Instrument of Ratification for the Framework Agreement on International Solar Alliance (ISA) which Dhaka signed in August this year. Both the foreign ministers described their JCC talks as very fruitful with Ali calling India the "most important, trusted and friendly neighbour" while Swaraj said "Our partnership today touches upon virtually all areas of human endeavour". The Bangladesh foreign minister said during the talks Dhaka raised the issue of the long pending Teesta water sharing deal and "recalled this statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April, 2017 that the Teesta Agreement will be signed during the current tenure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Modi". "Water resource must act as a uniting force between our two countries," Ali said. advertisement He said Dhaka also requested India to facilitate the removal of anti-dumping duty on jute and jute products. The meeting discussed issues to facilitate trade and investment further including progress in the implementation of Indian SEZs in Bangladesh. Swaraj on her part said "We are aware of the outstanding issues and we assure you that we are working to resolve them". In a significant development for growing bilateral energy cooperation, India agreed to supply 340 MW of additional power to Bangladesh while it currently exports 660 MW, Ali said. He said Dhaka proposed some new bilateral and regional connectivity initiatives through rail, road, water and air also involving Bhutan and Sri Lanka while the Indian side "agreed to positively consider these proposals". The JCC also decided to soon prepare a trilateral MoU for hydropower cooperation to help Bangladesh import hydro energy from Bhutan while "India also agreed to facilitate import of electricity to Bangladesh from hydro projects in Nepal". This is Swarajs second visit to Bangladesh and comes after the recent trip of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during which India operationalised a USD 4.5 billion line of credit to Bangladesh to enable implementation of development projects in key areas, including power, railways, roads and shipping. advertisement The announcement of the line of credit was made during Hasinas visit to India in April. The development is also seen as Indias attempt to counter rising Chinese influence in Bangladesh, where Beijing is trying to make inroads in infrastructure ventures. PTI AR KUN AKJ KUN --- ENDS --- By Alexandre Meneghini and Sarah Marsh HAVANA (Reuters) - At dusk, when the worst of the Caribbean heat has subsided, parks around Cuba fill with families video chatting with loved ones abroad or scrolling through social media, their animated faces lit by telephone and tablet screens. The introduction of Wi-Fi hotspots in Cuban public spaces two years ago has transformed the Communist-run island that had been mostly offline. Nearly half the population of 11 million connected at least once last year. That has whet Cubans' appetite for better and cheaper access to the internet. "A lot has changed," said Maribel Sosa, 54, after standing for an hour with her daughter at the corner of a park in Havana, video chatting with her family in the United States, laughing and gesticulating at her phone's screen. She recalled how she used to queue all night to use a public telephone to speak with her brother for a few minutes after he emigrated to Florida in the 1980s. Given the relative expense of connecting to the internet, Cubans use it mostly to stay in touch with relatives and friends. Although prices have dropped, the $1.50 hourly tariff represents 5 percent of the average monthly state salary of $30. "A lot more could change still," said Sosa. "Why shouldn't we be able to have internet at home?" A tiny share of homes has had broadband access until now, subject to government permission granted to some professionals such as academics and journalists. The state telecoms monopoly has vowed to hook up the whole island and connected several hundred Havana homes late last year as a pilot project. In September, it said it would roll that service out nationwide by the end of 2017. Cubans say previous promises for such access have not been fulfilled, so their expectations are not high. They also say the cost is prohibitive, with the cheapest monthly subscription priced at $15. Havana says it has been slow to develop network infrastructure because of high costs, attributed partly to the U.S. trade embargo. Critics say the government fears losing control. Story continues Cubans who can afford it flock to Internet cafes and 432 outdoor hotspots where they brave ants, mosquitoes and the elements. Here they laugh, cry, shout, and whisper. Black market vendors weave in and out among them, trying to hawk pre-paid scratchcards allowing Wi-Fi access. The ping of incoming messages and ring of calls fill the air. "There's absolutely no privacy here," said Daniel Hernandez, 26, a tourist guide, after video chatting with his girlfriend in Britain. "When I have sensitive things to talk about, I try shutting myself into my car and talking quietly." The quality of connections is often good only at specific spots, he said, and when fewer users are connected. Otherwise, the screen tends to freeze mid-chat. Hernandez said he also uses the internet to search for news. In Cuba, the state has the monopoly on print and broadcast media. A few meters further on, Rene Almeida, 62, sat in his taxi checking email. He said he felt lucky that his two children had moved to the United States where communications are better than ever. It was only in 2008 that the government first allowed Cubans to own cell phones. He, too, complained of the lack of privacy and the expense. "It's better than nothing," he said. "But it should improve. It will." (Reporting by Alexandre Meneghini and Sarah Marsh, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) By Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi defended the role of an Iranian-backed paramilitary force at a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday in Baghdad. Tillerson arrived on Monday hours after the Iraqi government rejected his call to send home the Popular Mobilisation, an Iran-backed force that helped defeat Islamic State and capture the Kurdish-held city of Kirkuk. In his opening remarks at the meeting with Tillerson, Abadi said Popular Mobilisation "is part of the Iraqi institutions," rejecting accusations that it is acting as an Iranian proxy. "Popular Mobilisation fighters should be encouraged because they will be the hope of country and the region," he added. Iraq is one of the few countries allied closely to both the United States and Iran, and Tillerson's effort to drive a wedge between Baghdad and Tehran appeared to have backfired, drawing a sharp statement from the prime minister's office. Tillerson visited Iraq a day after a rare joint meeting with Abadi and Saudi Arabia's King Salman in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. After that meeting, he called on Iraq to halt the work of the Tehran-backed paramilitary units, which have operated alongside government troops in battles against Islamic State and, since last week, in a lightning advance that seized the oil city of Kirkuk from Kurdish security forces. At his meeting with Abadi in Baghdad, Tillerson urged the Iraqi government and Masoud Barzani's Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil to resolve their conflict on Kurdish self-determination and disputed territories through dialogue. "We are concerned and a bit sad," Tillerson said. "We have friends in Baghdad and friends in Erbil, and we encourage all parties to enter into discussion ... and all differences can be addressed." Iraqi forces are deploying tanks and artillery just south of a Kurdish-operated oil pipeline that crosses into Turkey, a Kurdish security official said, the latest in a series of Iranian-backed operations against the Kurds. Story continues "Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against Daesh and ISIS is coming to a close, those militias need to go home," Tillerson said on Sunday in Saudi Arabia. Abadi's office responded sharply. "No party has the right to interfere in Iraqi matters," a statement from his office read. It did not cite the prime minister himself but a "source" close to him. It referred to the mainly Shi'ite Popular Mobilisation as "patriots". One of the closest groups to Iran within Popular Mobilisation, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, reacted to Tillerson's comment by saying it would be Americans who will be forced to leave Iraq. "Your forces should get ready to get out of our country once the excuse of Daesh's presence is over," said Asaib's leader, Sheikh Qais al-Khazali, according to the group's TV channel, al-Aahd. SAME SIDE The international battle against Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq since 2014 saw the United States and Iran effectively fighting on the same side, with both supporting the Iraqi government against the militants. Washington has 5,000 troops in Iraq and provided air support, training and weapons to Iraqi government forces. At the same time, Iran armed, trained and advised Shi'ite paramilitaries that often fought alongside the army. The latest twist in the Iraq conflict, pitting the central government against the Kurds, is trickier for U.S. policymakers. Washington still supports the central government but has also been allied to the Kurds for decades. Iran is the pre-eminent Shi'ite power in the Middle East. Shi'ites, including Abadi, are the majority in Iraq, but it also has large Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities. In the campaign for the Kurdish referendum, Iran backed the government against the Kurds. Major-General Qassem Soleimani, commander of foreign operations for Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, repeatedly warned Kurdish leaders to withdraw from the oil city of Kirkuk or face an onslaught by Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed fighters, Kurdish officials briefed on the meetings said. IRAN DISMISSES TILLERSON REMARKS Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed Tillerson's remarks. The paramilitaries could not go home because "they are at home" already, he was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA. Abadi has asserted his authority with the defeat of Islamic State in Mosul and the Iraqi army's sweep through Kirkuk and other areas that were held by the Kurds. The buildup at the Kurdish oil export pipeline is taking place northwest of Mosul, an official from the Kurdistan Regional Government's security council said. The loss of Kirkuk dealt a major blow to the Kurds, who had been steadily building an autonomous region in northern Iraq since a U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein, who oppressed them for decades. "We are concerned about continued military build-up of Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces towards the Kurdistan Region," said the Kurdistan Region Security Council in a statement. Elections for the Iraqi Kurdistan region's presidency and parliament set for Nov. 1 will be delayed because political parties failed to present candidates, the head of the electoral commission, Hendrean Mohammed, told Reuters. Parties have been unable to focus on the elections in the turmoil that followed the referendum, a Kurdish lawmaker said on condition of anonymity. (Additional reporting by Jon Landay,; writing by Michael Georgy,; editing by Peter Graff, Larry King) By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli military officials were quoted on Monday rowing back from an assertion by the defence minister that Hezbollah was behind a spate of shelling from Syria, which could increase tension on Israel's northern frontier. The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been warning that Israel, which has largely stayed out of the six-year-old Syrian civil war, could step up attacks in retaliation for shelling across the frontier, or to block Damascus's Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah reinforcements from setting up bases. That could thrust the Israelis into confrontation with Syria and potential run-ins with its big-power backer, Russia. Israel last battled Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006, and has occasionally fired on Syria to attack what it said were Hezbollah or Iranian targets during the civil war, but has mainly avoided direct fighting against Syria since their last war in 1973. Twice last week, mortar rounds or rockets launched from Syria hit areas of the Israeli-held Golan Heights, causing no casualties but drawing Israeli artillery fire against Syrian army posts. Addressing his parliamentary faction on Monday, Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, a far right politician, said the Golan shelling was carried out by a Syrian cell on Hezbollah's orders without Damascus having been informed, to stoke Israeli-Syrian fighting. Lieberman did not detail the source of his information. "There was a personal instruction by (Hezbollah leader Hassan) Nasrallah to compartmentalise Assad and his regime from the execution of this shooting ... with the goal of dragging us into the Syrian mire," Lieberman said in the televised remarks. "Therefore I call here both on the Assad regime ... and also on the Russian forces that are present there, to restrain Hezbollah." Within hours, every major Israeli media outlet aired remarks attributed to unnamed military officers casting doubt on Lieberman's account. Story continues "NO INFO" SUPPORTING STATEMENT "We have no information supporting Lieberman's statement purporting that the (Syrian shelling) cell was run by Hezbollah personnel," the top-rated Channel 2 television quoted "sources in the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)" as saying. Lieberman's office did not immediately respond to the comments contradicting him. A Lieberman confidant who requested anonymity told Reuters: "The defence minister spoke based on his own judgement and assessment." Hezbollah did not respond to Lieberman's allegations, but its affiliated TV station Al-Manar noted the Israeli media dissent. In what appeared to be a reference to Israel's efforts to coordinate its actions in Syria with Moscow, Lieberman said Russian military commanders in Syria "have received all the (information) that they need on this matter". There was no immediate comment from officials in Moscow. Syria's Foreign Ministry said after Saturday's exchange of fire on the Golan that Israeli strikes would have "grave consequences". Lieberman says Israel is doing everything in its power to stave off military confrontation on the northern front. (Additional reporting by Angus McDowall in Beirut; Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Jeffrey Heller, Alison Williams and Peter Graff) Abdullah's comment came shortly after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced that former Director IB Dineshwar Sharma had been chosen dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir. By India Today Web Desk: National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah today said Pakistan is one of the parties to the problems in Jammu and Kashmir, and that India should talk to Islamabad too. Pakistan is also one of the parties to the problems of the state (J&K): Former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah- ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017 Abdullah made these remarks shortly after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced that former Director IB Dineshwar Sharma had been handpicked by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to hold a dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir. advertisement Speaking exclusively to India Today shortly after his appointment, Dineshwar Sharma said he will hold talks with the Hurriyat too. "The announcement has been made just today. I will start dialogues as soon as possible," he said. Dineshwar Sharma, a 1976 batch Kerala cadre IPS officer who retired as IB director on December 31, 2016, said he would visit Jammu and Kashmir in a "week or 10 days" to hold dialogues with the stakeholders. (With inputs from ANI) --- ENDS --- Argentina's President Mauricio Macri speaks during a news conference at the Casa Rosada Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina October 23, 2017. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci By Luc Cohen and Cassandra Garrison LANUS, Argentina (Reuters) - Adriana Rodriguez, a 59-year-old vendor at an open-air market in an industrial city in Argentina's Buenos Aires province, never imagined her home would be connected to the sewage system. But as business-friendly President Mauricio Macri invested in infrastructure ahead of Sunday's legislative election victory, sewage construction in her hometown of Lanus advanced to within two blocks of Rodriguez's house. She expects pipes to reach her home soon. "My husband and I thought we would die without getting connected to the sewage system," she said. "It is a step forward." Like many of the working-class suburbs surrounding Argentina's capital that collectively make up the country's most important electoral region, Lanus has long been a bastion of support for the Peronist movement, which generally emphasizes strong unions and redistributive policies. Macri's coalition, which initially struggled to appeal to the working class, went after those votes with a 150 billion peso ($8.7 billion) public works plan in Buenos Aires province, home to more than a third of Argentine voters. It paved roads and built express bus lanes after a decade of stagnant infrastructure investment under former populist President Cristina Fernandez. That helped Macri's "Let's Change" coalition defeat Fernandez in the province's Senate race on Sunday. In Lanus, Macri's candidate beat Fernandez with 40.8 percent of votes versus 38.9 percent. That compared to a virtual tie in an Aug. 13 primary. "People now identify 'Macrismo' with public works," said Marcos Buscaglia, founding partner at Buenos Aires political and economic consultancy Alberdi Partners. "It has given them a lot of hope to actually see paved roads, sewers, and the like." When a Macri ally took over as Lanus mayor in December 2015 from a Peronist, just 35 percent of the city's residents were connected to the sewage system. The municipality is aiming for 100 percent connection by 2019, and state-run water service company AySA says it has invested 5.6 billion pesos ($321.7 million) in Lanus, including 60 sewage pipe projects benefiting nearly 300,000 residents. Story continues Some remain sceptical. Many of the projects are being financed with debt, a hot button issue in Argentina due to still raw memories of the country's 2001 debt default and economic crisis. In August, the Inter-American Development Bank pledged $305 million to fund water projects, including sewerage in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area. "The moment will come when the lenders want to collect," said Alberto Francisco, a 46-year-old shopkeeper in Lanus, a Fernandez supporter. "We will end up like in 2001: without money." (Reporting by Luc Cohen and Cassandra Garrison, Writing by Luc Cohen, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) FILE PHOTO - Migrants rescued by "Save the Children" NGO crew approach the ship Vos Hestia in the Mediterranean sea off Libya coast, June 18, 2017. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini/File photo (Reuters) By Steve Scherer ROME (Reuters) - International humanitarian group Save the Children said on Monday it had suspended migrant rescues in the Mediterranean Sea as departures from Libya slow and security conditions worsen. Save the Children has operated a ship, the Vos Hestia, since September last year, rescuing more than 10,000 migrants from dangerous and overcrowded boats launched by people smugglers. "For too long we have been the substitution for the inexistent and inadequate European policies for search and rescue and for hosting migrants," Save the Children Director General Valerio Neri said in a statement. Italian police searched the Vos Hestia on Monday as part of a wider investigation into the role non-government organisations are playing in picking up migrants off the Libya coast and bringing them to Italy. Save the Children said its decision to halt rescues was already planned before the police search. Earlier this year, the government asked humanitarian groups to sign a "code of conduct". The government said the rescuers were providing an incentive for smugglers to put migrants to sea. Police in August seized a migrant rescue boat operated by a German aid group Jugend Rettet. The chief prosecutor in the Sicilian city of Trapani said he had evidence of encounters between traffickers, who escorted illegal immigrants to the NGO boat, and members of its crew. Jugend Rettet denied any wrongdoing. Save the Children said in a statement it was not under investigation and was cooperating with authorities. The documents seized by police on Monday concerned "presumed illegal actions committed by third persons", it said. Several months ago some 10 rescue ships took turns patrolling the North African coast, picking up migrants who reached international waters and bringing them to Italy. Now only one large ship and a few small ones remain, with many organisations -- including Doctors Without Borders -- pulling out for various reasons, including security concerns and unhappiness with the attitude of the Italian authorities. Story continues The Libyan Coast Guard, funded and trained by Italy, has taken a hostile stance towards the humanitarian boats in a series of incidents on the high seas. In August, a Libyan vessel intercepted a charity ship and ordered it to sail to Tripoli or risk being fired on. Departures from Libya have fallen dramatically since July, when an armed group that had been deeply involved in smuggling from the city of Sabratha began blocking departures. So far in October sea arrivals to Italy are down more than 75 percent compared with the same month last year. (Reporting by Steve Scherer; editing by Peter Graff) U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley delivers remarks at a security council meeting at U.N. headquarters during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, U.S. September 21, 2017. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith (Reuters) By Michelle Nichols ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - The United States is considering how to pressure South Sudan's President Salva Kiir into peace, but withdrawing aid may not work, U.S. envoy to the United Nations Nikki Haley said ahead of a visit to South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia on Tuesday. Haley plans to visit Gambella in western Ethiopia, where nearly 350,000 refugees have flooded across the border from South Sudan since the country spiralled into civil war in 2013, just two years after it gained independence from Sudan. "You have to really think hard before you pull U.S. aid because President Kiir doesn't care," Haley said. "He doesn't care if his people suffer and that's the concern we have as we don't know that will make a difference." "That's a conversation we will have and we will try and see exactly what will move President Kiir so that he does ... start to really look at creating a safe position for his people," she told reporters in Addis Ababa late on Monday. Haley will this week be the most senior member of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to visit South Sudan, where she is due to meet with Kiir. But first, she will see how the conflict has threatened to spillover through deadly cross-border raids into Gambella, Ethiopia by gunmen from South Sudan. Trump's new aid administrator, Mark Green, visited South Sudan last month, telling Kiir that Washington was reviewing its policy towards his government. He called on Kiir to end the violence and implement a "real" ceasefire. The war in South Sudan was sparked by a feud between Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar. It has plunged parts of the world's youngest nation into famine and forced a third of the population - some 4 million people - to flee their homes. Machar fled and is now being held in South Africa to stop him stirring up trouble, sources told Reuters in December. A fragile peace deal broke down last year amid gun battles between soldiers and rebels in the capital Juba. International efforts to bring warring sides to new talks have not succeeded. Story continues "We can't see any more deaths, we can't see anymore famine, we've got to start seeing the situation start to get better and I think that the pressure is only going to continue until President Kiir makes a difference," Haley said. The Trump administration last month imposed sanctions on two senior South Sudanese officials and the former army chief for their role in the conflict, atrocities against civilians and attacks against international missions in South Sudan. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols) The City watchdog has published an interim report into the treatment by Royal Bank of Scotland small business clients, though it said the bank remained under investigation over some unnamed matters that could see further regulatory action. The Financial Conduct Authority on Monday revealed some top-level details of the independent 'skilled person' report into the treatment of by Royal Bank of Scotland of small and medium-sized enterprise customers transferred to its Global Restructuring Group. After reviewing the case, the FCA agreed that RBSs proposals, including to establish a complaints scheme and automatic returning of some fees, "were appropriate steps". However, under pressure from the Treasury Select Committee, the 'interim' skilled persons report being published on Monday is being examined by a legal counsel to assess whether its is a "fair and balanced summary" and if so, the FCA will publish a final version of the account and make clear anything that has changed as a result of the Committee's legal review. Andrew Bailey, the FCA's chief executive, said the regulator was also "investigating the matters arising from the skilled persons report and are focussing on whether there is any basis for further action within our powers". "We cannot comment any further on this." Nicky Morgan MP, chair of the Treasury Committee, said: It has taken the FCA too long to publish its summary of the skilled persons report, so this is not before time. The Committee has put in place an arrangement to ensure maximum possible transparency is brought to this issue." She added that the Committee will consider whether further steps are required when its independent adviser reports back later this week. RBS CEO Ross McEwan said he was pleased that the FCA has confirmed the findings from last November and that the most serious allegations made against the bank have not been upheld. We have acknowledged for some time that mistakes were made and have apologised that we did not always provide the level of service and understanding we should have done for these customers in the aftermath of the financial crisis," he said. The regulator has again confirmed that the remediation steps we announced in November to address concerns for customers are appropriate. Any customer who feels they were treated inappropriately whilst in GRG should make use of the complaints process." Its not every day that an opportunity arises to join together to fight an enemy as potent and pernicious as poison ivy. Those who have suffered from the angry red rash and insidious itching inflicted by this green villain are all too aware that poison ivy/oak lurks in yards and around sidewalks and walking trails, where it waits to make contact with unsuspecting victims. In the years ahead, increases in carbon dioxide levels will amplify this noxious weed, helping it to grow faster, bigger, and stronger. This intruder must be stopped now, before its power magnifies. John Jelesko, an associate professor of plant pathology, physiology, and weed science from the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has taken on this task. His mission? To find new, environmentally sustainable ways to combat poison ivy in managed landscapes. Jelesko is ready to save the day. His lab is the only research facility in the world entirely dedicated to poison ivy/oak research. In fact, his nationally recognized program recently inspired the creation of a fictitious cartoon character named Professor J.J. Burkman. In the cartoon, Burkman aids the famed Partners 5 superheroes in their bid to fight the megalomaniac poison ivy, named Heart Root. Much like Burkman, Jelesko is working with a team of collaborators to understand the fundamentals of poison ivy ecology and metabolism in order to pinpoint the weeds vulnerabilities. With this vital information in hand, he will then develop environmentally sustainable ways to control the weed. This is where you come in. The team has launched The ITCHY Project, a crowdfunding opportunity that could, with your support, ensure that you and your family never have to fear this rash-inflicting rogue weed again. With your support, Jelesko will: 1. Conduct additional research into a native fungus that kills poison ivy seedlings. See video. 2. Further develop the ITCHY cell phone app to enable citizen scientists to collect and share poison ivy data with the Jelesko lab. 3. Complete DNA sequencing of the poison ivy genome to understand the plants genetic blueprint. Will you be a genuine hero by joining in this fight? Jelesko and his superhero friends are calling upon you to donate to The ITCHY Project to advance poison ivy science. Everyone who donates will receive a Poison Ivy League decal. For high-level donors (at or above the $43 level), there will be opportunities to receive information and/or samples of an over-the-counter treatment for poison ivy/oak rash from leading firms, such as Zanfel. Join the fight today to put an end to the itch. Written by Amy Painter By PTI: Jammu, Oct 23 (PTI)Senior BJP leader and MP Poonam Mahajan said India wanted good relations with its neighbours but could not remain patient in the face of continued provocation. The BYPJM president, who was addressing a youth convention here, said wars were thrust upon India but the country wanted peace with its neighbours. "They threw stones, bullets were fired for so many years. They are not ashamed of pushing the infiltrators or blaming us for terrorism in their country. We have peace, power, will and patience but you cannot question our patience," she said. advertisement "(Former prime minister A B) Vajpayee took the bus to Lahore (Pakistan), former Pakistan premier (Nawaz Sharif) was invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his oath taking ceremony," she said. Mahajan said the surgical strikes were a like a big punch in response to the "continuous interference" which left the country surprised and speechless. She said India wanted to seal its borders with Bangladesh despite it enjoying good relations with the country due to "continuous infiltration of people" who had reached Kashmir and even Mumbai. "Already India is a country with 130 crore people. How much more we will take," she said. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was following the doctrine of Vajpayee as nothing could match the policy of "Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat and jamhooriyat". She said the government was treating the Kashmir issue with utmost seriousness, unlike any other government in the past. She said their association with Jammu and Kashmir was unique and they always want to connect with the state by heart and added that now peace can be seen returning to the state. Hitting out at opposition parties, she said there were people who wanted to play politics over various issues to undermine the efforts of the government in the state. "Two families are doing politics to keep Kashmir at loggerheads with India to continue the exploitation of the people. They spent vacations in London and have bank accounts in foreign banks," she claimed in an apparent reference to the National Conference and the Congress. She said it took her 12 years to become the president of the youth wing of the BJP. "Im not from the Congress and could not have risen with the support with my father or someone else," she claimed. Mahajan said the BJP was in power in the state due to the people of the Jammu region who always supported the party. Earlier, BJP general secretary (organisation) Ashok Kaul accused the Congress and the National Conference of launching a misinformation campaign against the party for electoral gains. advertisement "The parties are targeting the government for not announcing a public holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh and driving out Rohingiya Muslims settled in the state," he alleged. He said the peoples support to the BJP had unnerved opposition parties and added that people were acknowledging that the state had seen a corruption-free government for the first time. 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A. de C. V., Gatorade Puerto Rico Company, General Bottlers of Hungary Inc., Golden Grain Company, Goveh S.R.L., Grayhawk Leasing LLC, Green Hemlock International LLC, Grupo Frito Lay y Compania Limitada, Grupo Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Mabel, Grupo Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gulkevichskiy Maslozavod JSC, Hangzhou Baicaowei Corporate Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co, Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Tao Dao Technology Co. Ltd., Health Warrior, Health Warrior Inc., Heathland LP, Helioscope Limited, Hillbrook Inc., Hillgrove Inc., Hillwood Bottling LLC, Hogganfield Limited Partnership, Holding Company "Opolie" JSC, Homefinding Company of Texas, Hudson Valley Insurance Company, IC Equities Inc., IZZE Beverage Co., Inmobiliaria Interamericana S.A. De C.V., Integrated Beverage Services Bangladesh Limited, Integrated Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., International Bottlers Management Co. LLC, International KAS Aktiengesellschaft, Inversiones Borneo S.R.L., Inversiones PFI Chile Limitada, Inviting Foods Holdings Inc., Inviting Foods LLC, KAS Anorthosis S.a r.l, KAS S.L., KFC, Kevita Inc., Kinvara LLC, Kungursky Molkombinat JSC, Larragana S.L., Latin American Holdings Ltd., Latin American Snack Foods ApS, Latin Foods International LLC, Lebedyansky, Lebedyansky Holdings LLC, Lebedyansky LLC, Limited Liability Company "Sandora", Linkbay Limited, Lithuanian Snacks UAB, Mabel, Marbo Product d.o.o. Beograd, Marbo d.o.o. Laktasi, Matudis - Comercio de Produtos Alimentares Limitada, Matutano - Sociedade de Produtos Alimentares Lda., Mid-America Improvement Corporation, Mountainview Insurance Company Inc., Muscle Milk, NCJV LLC, New Bern Transport Corporation, New Century Beverage Company LLC, Noble Leasing LLC, Northeast Hot-Fill Co-op Inc., Office at Solyanka LLC, Onbiso Inversiones S.L., One World Enterprises LLC, One World Investors Inc., P-A Barbados Bottling Company LLC, P-A Bottlers Barbados SRL, P-Americas LLC, PAS Luxembourg S.a r.l, PAS Netherlands B.V., PBG Canada Holdings II LLC, PBG Canada Holdings Inc., PBG Cyprus Holdings Limited, PBG Investment Partnership, PBG Midwest Holdings S.a r.l, PBG Soda Can Holdings S.a r.l, PCBL LLC, PCNA Manufacturing Inc., PR Beverages Cyprus Holding Limited, PR Beverages Cyprus Russia Holding Limited, PRB Luxembourg S.a r.l, PRS Inc., PSAS Inversiones LLC, PSE Logistica S.R.L., PT Quaker Indonesia, Papas Chips S.A., Pei N.V., Pep Trade LLC, Pepsi B.V., Pepsi Beverages Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bottling Group Global Finance LLC, Pepsi Bottling Group GmbH, Pepsi Bottling Group Hoosiers B.V., Pepsi Bottling Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bugshan Investments S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Colombia Ltda, Pepsi Cola Egypt S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Panamericana S.R.L., Pepsi Cola Servis Ve Dagitim Limited Sirketi, Pepsi Cola Trading Ireland, Pepsi Logistics Company Inc., Pepsi Northwest Beverages LLC, Pepsi Overseas Investments Partnership, Pepsi Promotions Inc., Pepsi-Cola Advertising and Marketing Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bermuda Limited, Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Holding C.V., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Of St. Louis Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Ft. Lauderdale-Palm Beach LLC, Pepsi-Cola Company, Pepsi-Cola Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Co. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Finance LLC, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Poland Sp. z o.o., Pepsi-Cola Industrial da Amazonia Ltda., Pepsi-Cola International Cork, Pepsi-Cola International LLC, Pepsi-Cola International Limited, Pepsi-Cola International Limited U.S.A., Pepsi-Cola International Private Limited, Pepsi-Cola Korea Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Management and Administrative Services Inc., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Of Uruguay S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing International Limited, Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Mediterranean Limited, Pepsi-Cola Marketing Corp. Of P.R. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mediterranean Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mexicana Holdings LLC, Pepsi-Cola Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Pepsi-Cola National Marketing LLC, Pepsi-Cola Operating Company Of Chesapeake And Indianapolis, Pepsi-Cola Sales and Distribution Inc., Pepsi-Cola Technical Operations Inc., Pepsi-Cola Thai Trading Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola de Honduras S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola of Corvallis Inc., PepsiAmericas Nemzetkozi Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, PepsiCo ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Alimentos Antioquia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Colombia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Ecuador Cia. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Z.F. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos de Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Amacoco Bebidas Do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCo Asia Research & Development Center Company Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Cyprus Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Limited Partnership, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 1 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 2 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Australia Holdings Pty Limited, PepsiCo Australia International, PepsiCo Austria Services GmbH, PepsiCo Azerbaijan Limited Liability Company, PepsiCo BeLux BV, PepsiCo Beverage Sales LLC, PepsiCo Beverage Singapore Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Beverages Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Beverages International Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Italia Societa' A Responsabilita' Limitata, PepsiCo Canada Finance LLC, PepsiCo Canada Holdings ULC, PepsiCo Canada Investment ULC, PepsiCo Canada ULC, PepsiCo Captive Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Caribbean Inc., PepsiCo China Limited, PepsiCo Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo De Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Del Paraguay S.R.L., PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH, PepsiCo Eesti AS, PepsiCo Euro Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Euro Finance Antilles B.V., PepsiCo Europe Support Center S.L., PepsiCo Finance Americas Company, PepsiCo Finance Antilles A N.V., PepsiCo Finance Antilles B N.V., PepsiCo Finance South Africa Proprietary Limited, PepsiCo Financial Shared Services Inc., PepsiCo Food & Beverage Holdings Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Foods A.I.E., PepsiCo Foods China Company Limited, PepsiCo Foods Group Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Foods Guangdong Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Nigeria Limited, PepsiCo Foods Private Limited, PepsiCo Foods Sichuan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Taiwan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company, PepsiCo France SAS, PepsiCo Global Business Services India LLP, PepsiCo Global Business Services Poland Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Global Holdings Limited, PepsiCo Global Investments B.V., PepsiCo Global Investments S.a r.l, PepsiCo Global Mobility LLC, PepsiCo Global Real Estate Inc., PepsiCo Global Trading Solutions Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Golden Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Group Finance International B.V., PepsiCo Group Holdings International B.V., PepsiCo Group Spotswood Holdings S.a r.l, PepsiCo Gulf International FZE, PepsiCo Hellas Single Member Industrial and Commercial Societe Anonyme, PepsiCo Holding de Espana S.L., PepsiCo Holdings, PepsiCo Holdings LLC, PepsiCo Holdings Toshkent LLC, PepsiCo Hong Kong LLC, PepsiCo Iberia Servicios Centrales S.L., PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited, PepsiCo India Sales Private Limited, PepsiCo Internacional Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., PepsiCo International Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo International Limited, PepsiCo International Pte Ltd., PepsiCo Investments Europe I B.V., PepsiCo Investments Ltd., PepsiCo Ireland Food & Beverages Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Japan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Light B.V., PepsiCo Logistyka Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., PepsiCo Management Services SAS, PepsiCo Manufacturing A.I.E., PepsiCo Max B.V., PepsiCo Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo Nederland B.V., PepsiCo Nordic Denmark ApS, PepsiCo Nordic Finland Oy, PepsiCo Nordic Norway AS, PepsiCo Nutrition Trading DMCC, PepsiCo One B.V., PepsiCo Overseas Corporation, PepsiCo Overseas Financing Partnership, PepsiCo Panimex Inc, PepsiCo Products B.V., PepsiCo Products FLLC, PepsiCo Puerto Rico Inc., PepsiCo Sales Inc., PepsiCo Sales LLC, PepsiCo Services Asia Ltd., PepsiCo Services CZ s.r.o., PepsiCo Services LLC, PepsiCo Twist B.V., PepsiCo UK Pension Plan Trustee Limited, PepsiCo Ventures B.V., PepsiCo Wave Holdings LLC, PepsiCo World Trading Company Inc., PepsiCo Y LLC, PepsiCo de Argentina S.R.L., PepsiCo de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda., PepsiCo do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCola Interamericana de Guatemala S.A., Pet Iberia S.L., Pete & Johnny Limited, Pine International LLC, Pine International Limited, Pinstripe Leasing LLC, Pioneer Food Group Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Groceries Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Group Ltd., Pioneer Foods Holdings Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods UK Ltd, Pioneer Foods Wellingtons Pty Ltd, Pipers Crisps Limited, PlayCo Inc., Pop corners, PopCorners Holdings Inc., Portfolio Concentrate Solutions Unlimited Company, Premier Nutrition Trading L.L.C., Prestwick LLC, Prev PepsiCo Sociedade Previdenciaria, Productos Alimenticios Rene LLC, Productos S.A.S. C.V., Productos SAS Management B.V., Punch N.V., Punica Getranke GmbH, Q O Puerto Rico Inc., QFL OHQ Sdn. Bhd., QTG Development Inc., QTG Services Inc., Quadrant - Amroq Beverages S.R.L., Quaker Development B.V., Quaker European Beverages LLC, Quaker European Investments B.V., Quaker Foods, Quaker Global Investments B.V., Quaker Holdings UK Limited, Quaker Manufacturing LLC, Quaker Oats Asia Inc., Quaker Oats Australia Pty Ltd, Quaker Oats B.V., Quaker Oats Capital Corporation, Quaker Oats Europe Inc., Quaker Oats Europe LLC, Quaker Oats Limited, Quaker Sales & Distribution Inc, Raptas Finance S.a r.l., Rare Fare Foods LLC, Rare Fare Holdings Inc., Reading Industries Ltd, Real Estate Holdings LLC, Rockstar Energy Drink, Rolling Frito-Lay Sales LP, S & T of Mississippi Inc., SIH International LLC, SVC Logistics Inc., SVC Manufacturing Inc., SVE Russia Holdings GmbH, Sabritas LLC, Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Sabritas Snacks America Latina de Nicaragua y Cia Ltda, Sabritas de Costa Rica S. de R.L., Sabritas y Cia. S en C de C.V., Sakata Rice Snacks Australia Pty Ltd, Sandora Holdings B.V., Saudi Snack Foods Company Limited, Sea Eagle International SRL, Seepoint Holdings Ltd., Senselet Food Processing PLC, Senselet Holding B.V., Servicios GBF Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Servicios GFLG y Compania Limitada, Servicios Gamesa Puerto Rico L.L.C., Servicios SYC S. de R.L. de C.V., Seven-Up Asia Inc., Seven-Up Light B.V., Seven-Up Nederland B.V., Shanghai PepsiCo Snack Company Limited, Shanghai YuHo Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Shoebill LLC, Simba (Proprietary) Limited, Simba Proprietary Limited, Sitka Spruce, Smartfoods Inc., Smiles and Bites Holdings S.de R.L. de C.V., Smiths Crisps Limited, Snack Food Investments GmbH, Snack Food Investments II GmbH, Snack Food Investments Limited, Snack Food-Beverage Asia Products Limited, Snacks America Latina S.R.L., Snacks Guatemala Ltd., So Spark Ltd., Soda-Club CO2 Atlantic GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 Ltd., Soda-Club Switzerland GmbH, Soda-Club Worldwide B.V., SodaStream, SodaStream Australia Pty Ltd, SodaStream CO2 SA, SodaStream Canada Ltd., SodaStream Enterprises N.V., SodaStream France SAS, SodaStream GmbH, SodaStream Iberia S.L., SodaStream Industries Ltd., SodaStream International B.V., SodaStream International Ltd., SodaStream Israel Ltd., SodaStream K.K., SodaStream New Zealand Ltd., SodaStream Nordics AB, SodaStream Poland Sp. z o.o., SodaStream SA Pty Ltd., SodaStream Switzerland GmbH, SodaStream USA Inc., SodaStream Osterreich GmbH, South Beach Beverage Company Inc., South Properties Inc., Spitz International Inc., Sportmex Internacional S.A. de C.V., Springboig Industries Ltd, Spruce Limited, Stacy's Pita Chip Company Incorporated, Star Foods E.M. S.R.L., Stokely-Van Camp Inc., Stratosphere Communications Pty Ltd, Stratosphere Holdings 2018 Limited, Streamfoods Ltd, TFL Holdings LLC, Tasman Finance S.a r.l, The Gatorade Company, The Good Carb Food Company Ltd., The Pepsi Bottling Group Canada ULC, The Quaker Oats Company, The Smith's Snackfood Company Pty Limited, Thomond Group Holdings Limited, Tobago Snack Holdings LLC, Tropicana Alvalle S.L., Tropicana Beverages Limited, Tropicana Europe N.V., Tropicana United Kingdom Limited, Troya-Ultra LLC, United Foods Companies Restaurantes S.A., V-Water, VentureCo Israel Ltd, Veurne Snack Foods BV, Vitamin Brands Ltd., Walkers Crisps Limited, Walkers Group Limited, Walkers Snack Foods Limited, Walkers Snacks Distribution Limited, Walkers Snacks Limited, Whitman Corporation, Whitman Insurance Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Beverages JSC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Brands Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Central Asia-Almaty LLP, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods LLC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Georgia Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann JSC, and Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine PJSC. Read More Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, including auto financing, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its advice centers, RBC insurance stores, and mobile advisors; digital, mobile, and social platforms; independent brokers; and travel partners. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset servicing, custody, payments, and treasury services to financial and other investors; and fund and investment administration, shareholder, private capital, performance measurement and compliance monitoring, distribution, transaction banking, cash and liquidity management, foreign exchange, and global securities finance services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, advisory services, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Robert Half International Inc. provides staffing and risk consulting services in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company operates through three segments: Temporary and Consultant Staffing, Permanent Placement Staffing, and Risk Consulting and Internal Audit Services. It places temporary services for accounting, finance, and bookkeeping; temporary and full-time office and administrative personnel consisting of executive and administrative assistants, receptionists, and customer service representatives; full-time accounting, financial, tax, and accounting operations personnel; and information technology contract professionals and full-time employees in the areas of platform systems integration to end-user technical and desktop support, including specialists in application development, networking and cloud, systems integration and deployment, database design and administration, and security and business continuity. The company also offers temporary and full-time employees in attorney, paralegal, legal administrative, and legal secretarial positions; and senior-level project professionals in the accounting and finance fields for financial systems conversions, expansion into new markets, business process re-engineering, business systems performance improvement, and post-merger financial consolidation. It is involved in serving professionals in the areas of creative, design, marketing, advertising, and public relations; and placing various positions, such as creative directors, graphics designers, web designers, media buyers, front end developers, copywriters, digital marketing managers, marketing analytics specialists, brand managers, and public relations specialists. The company provides internal audit, technology consulting, risk and compliance consulting, and business performance services. It serves clients and employment candidates. Robert Half International Inc. was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. By PTI: (Eds: Correcting words in para 2,3) Jammu, Oct 23 (PTI)Senior BJP leader and MP Poonam Mahajan said India wanted good relations with its neighbours but could not remain patient in the face of continued provocation. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president, who was addressing a youth convention here, said wars were thrust upon India but the country wanted peace with its neighbours. advertisement "They threw stones, fired bullets for so many years. They are not ashamed of pushing the infiltrators or blaming us for terrorism in their country. We have peace, power, will and patience but you cannot question our patience," she said. "(Former prime minister A B) Vajpayee took the bus to Lahore (Pakistan), former Pakistan premier (Nawaz Sharif) was invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his oath taking ceremony," she said. Mahajan said the surgical strikes were a like a big punch in response to the "continuous interference" which left the country surprised and speechless. She said India wanted to seal its borders with Bangladesh despite it enjoying good relations with the country due to "continuous infiltration of people" who had reached Kashmir and even Mumbai. "Already India is a country with 130 crore people. How much more we will take," she said. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was following the doctrine of Vajpayee as nothing could match the policy of "Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat and jamhooriyat". She said the government was treating the Kashmir issue with utmost seriousness, unlike any other government in the past. She said their association with Jammu and Kashmir was unique and they always want to connect with the state by heart and added that now peace can be seen returning to the state. Hitting out at opposition parties, she said there were people who wanted to play politics over various issues to undermine the efforts of the government in the state. "Two families are doing politics to keep Kashmir at loggerheads with India to continue the exploitation of the people. They spent vacations in London and have bank accounts in foreign banks," she claimed in an apparent reference to the National Conference and the Congress. She said it took her 12 years to become the president of the youth wing of the BJP. "Im not from the Congress and could not have risen with the support with my father or someone else," she claimed. Mahajan said the BJP was in power in the state due to the people of the Jammu region who always supported the party. advertisement Earlier, BJP general secretary (organisation) Ashok Kaul accused the Congress and the National Conference of launching a misinformation campaign against the party for electoral gains. "The parties are targeting the government for not announcing a public holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh and driving out Rohingiya Muslims settled in the state," he alleged. He said the peoples support to the BJP had unnerved opposition parties and added that people were acknowledging that the state had seen a corruption-free government for the first time. PTI TAS AB AAR --- ENDS --- By PTI: Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand), Oct 23 (PTI) Indian Army is one of the strongest armies in the world, thanks to its committed regiments and personnel like those in the 3 Kumaon Rifles, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said today. The Army chief was here to honour soldiers, retired personnel and veer naris (wives of soldiers killed on the line of duty) of the 3 Kumaon Rifles, which is celebrating its centenary year. advertisement He also released a postage stamp on this occasion. In his 45-minute speech, General Rawat spoke highly about the valour and glorious history of the 3 Kumaon Rifles. "The valour displayed by Kumaunis of 3 Kumaon Rifles and Kumaon Regiment in battles right from the first World War to those fought in the post-independence era bears testimony to their exemplary contribution in securing the countrys borders," he said. The jawans of 3 Kumaon Rifles also held a parade to mark the event. General Rawat also asked officers to dispose off matters related to pension and other benefits of ex-soldiers on priority basis. "No delay in these matters will be tolerated," he added. The 3 Kumaon Rifles organised several programmes on the occasion including an attractive parade, band display, dog show and exhibition of handicrafts by local artisans. PTI COR ALM MG DIP --- ENDS --- In an exclusive interview with India Today Group, Congress leader P Chidambaram has hit out at the BJP over Mersal row and for questioning party vice-president Rahul Gandhi's growing presence on social media. By Kumar Vikrant Singh: Senior Congress leader and former Union home minister P Chidambaram, in an exclusive interview with India Today Group, today hit out at Union minister Smriti Irani for questioning party vice-president Rahul Gandhi's growing popularity on social media and the Election Commission for not announcing the Gujarat election dates along with those for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls. advertisement Chidambaram also blamed the BJP government of Jharkhand for reported starvation deaths in the states. The activists have claimed that the deaths happened after the victims' families were denied ration from the PDS shops for failing to furnish Aadhaar numbers. The excerpts from the interview: Q. Several deaths have been reported from Jharkhand due to starvation. What is your take on this? Why these deaths are happenings? A. There are enough foodgrains. The government stocks are more than adequate to address starvation and hunger. If people are dying for want of food, the blame has to be laid squarely at the door of the government, state government in this case. Such deaths mean that the NFSA (the National Food Security Act) is not being implemented. The Department of Food and Civil Supplies has been negligent and the district administration has been callous. Q. The BJP wants deletion of some of the scenes and dialogues about GST in a movie. Is this suppression of freedom of expression? A. Yes, it is. A movie is an expression of speech. A movie can criticise a government. No one has the right to demand that such dialogues should be deleted. Q. Union Minister Smriti Irani alleged that spurt in following or retweets of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's Twitter handle is due to bots. What do you have to say on this? A. How many bots have been found and located? Why assume that if there is a re-tweet from a foreign country, that must be by a fake handle? Even if we assume for the sake of argument that a dozen re-tweets were fake, what about the thousands of re-tweets from persons admittedly living in India? What about the thousands of likes? Q. What do you think about the Election Commission's decision not to announce dates for Gujarat Assembly election along with Himachal Pradesh's? The Congress has openly attacked the Election Commission accusing it of being biased. What is your take? A. The Election Commission's decision to announce the date for Himachal Pradesh election and to withhold the announcement for Gujarat election was a clearly partisan act. If there were genuine reasons to defer the announcement in the case of Gujarat, then the announcement in the case of HP should have also been deferred, and both announced simultaneously, say, after a week. Doubts arise because the Model Code allows the carrying on of flood relief and calamity relief work even after the announcement of elections and even after the Model Code came into effect. --- ENDS --- advertisement I recently attended the 7th Annual EXPO MRO show in Juarez, Mexico. This annual trade fair focuses on suppliers involved in maintenance, repair and operations. I have been going to this show since its inception, when just a few companies participated to display their products/services at trade booths. During the past seven years, I have watched this show grow steadily until last year, when the parking lot was packed and an adjacent lot had to be used for parking overflow. The Cuatro Siglos event center, where the show is held, was almost completely full of exhibitors last year. This year, I attended the show as usual, but with more curiosity as to whether the attendance would be down because of President Donald Trumps threats to cancel NAFTA, and his antagonism toward Mexico during the campaign and while in office. As was the case last year when I arrived early at the show, the main parking lot was packed. I again was directed to the empty parking lot adjacent to the convention center. To my surprise and horror, this parking lot was completely packed. After going around and around, I finally when to the deep end of the lot, which had been overgrown by weeds and shrubs, and managed to park my vehicle. Upon entering the venue, I felt that I was at some type of party thrown by friends. People from both sides of the border, whom I know and work with, came up to give me hugs and handshakes. We found that we had to shout over the noise, which was being generated by conversations all around us and disco music being pumped out by a DJ. After the shows inauguration and welcoming speeches ended, I proceeded to my booth with one of my team members and got ready for the show. After setting up, I walked around the trade fair to gauge who was participating and which prospects might be good for our objectives. My concern that the show would have decreased attendance was quickly dispelled. Every inch, and I mean every inch, of the massive convention center was occupied by participants, vendors and show managers. One organizer told me that more than 120 people were contracted to set up the show three days prior to the event. Walking the floor, I got lost a couple of times. All around me were both Mexican and American business people, not by the hundreds, but by the thousands. Booths represented companies from the U.S., Mexico, and all around the world. I stopped to chat with several of the exhibitors. There was a vibrancy and energy flowing through the building. When our conversations veered to the North American Free Trade renegotiations and Trumps trade stances, collective eyes started rolling. The consensus was that there was business to be made on both sides of the border, and that was the focus, not what could possibly come out of ongoing negotiations. I did not meet one businessperson at the event, either American or Mexican, who said that they were holding back business operations until the air cleared on NAFTA. So much of trade occurs locally. Sure, there are multinational corporations that ship and receive products without ever getting to personally know or understand their counterparts. However, much of trade requires human interaction to really get to know who you are dealing with and to personally see and feel the products/services that are being offered. Between the U.S. and Mexico, there is such a need for the exchange of talent and products/services. We are neighbors, and as the EXPO MRO experience clearly demonstrated, trade occurs naturally. If the worst scenario occurs and the Trump administration decides that the NAFTA renegotiations did not produce the expected results, feels backed into a corner, and decides that it has to pull the U.S. out of the agreement to save face, trade between U.S. and Mexican businesses would still occur. This was the case before NAFTA was signed into law, and it will be the case if there no longer is a NAFTA. Comparative advantages will continue to exist on both sides of the border, which necessitate that trade and interactions occur. Neither Washington, D.C., Ottawa, or Mexico City will ever completely eradicate these. Taking the U.S. out of NAFTA would certainly have one major effect: Consumers will ultimately pay the price in higher tariffs and increased inefficiencies that would certainly ensue. Canada and Mexico might decide to keep a version of NAFTA in place between them. Because all three NAFTA nations are members of the World Trade Organization, its most likely tariffs would be regulated by this agency. These uncertain outcomes notwithstanding, there is a buzz at the border reflecting the entrepreneurial spirit on either side that results in cross-border trade. Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com. This fall, 20 University of New Mexico graduate students are designing new rehabilitation devices to help patients recover from things like strokes, trauma and other injuries. Four student teams are designing four different products: new exoskeletons for post-operative rehabilitation; flexible sockets for lower-extremity prothesis to allow patients to begin physical therapy earlier; tools to eliminate or reduce pressure ulcers for immobile patients in beds or wheelchairs; and a mobile system for immediate diagnosis of concussions. The Science and Technology Corp., UNMs tech-transfer office, will help with patent protection and potential commercialization once the designs are complete at the end of the semester. And in December, the teams will compete for $50,000 in funding to build a prototype of their design, with judges from the UNM Health Sciences Center, the School of Engineering, STC and the business community. Its all part of the universitys Biodesign course, begun three years ago as a partnership between Health Sciences and the engineering school to give students hands-on training in innovation and design that applies engineering skills to medical problems, said Christina Salas, an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation with a joint appointment in mechanical engineering. The goal is to present a new clinical focus each year to the students, Salas said. This year, we chose a clinical focus in physical therapy and rehabilitation. Faculty from both Health Sciences and engineering guide each team of students, and many continue to work with the students on potentially promising designs after the semester ends, said Health Sciences Executive Vice Chancellor Dr. Richard Larson. The program teaches our students and faculty to be better innovators and inventors, which can lead to more discoveries over time to improve health and health care, Larson said. As a result, we now have some new inventions in the pipeline that could impact health. The effort by Health Sciences and engineering faculty began about five years ago with funding from the UNMs Clinical and Translational Science Center. We put engineers and clinical faculty together in small teams to brainstorm on ideas that would then be pared down over months to focus on the most promising ones for funding, Larson said. We did that for several years just with faculty, and then we decided to move it into the classroom with student teams who compete with each other. Students in the Biodesign program, who come from many departments across campus, have created a variety of products in the last couple of years. That includes, among others, a new clamp or pressure device to reduce hemorrhaging in severe pelvic injuries, and a lifting device, now dubbed the banana lift, that allows emergency medical teams to more easily move extremely overweight patients of 400 pounds or more, Salas said. The course benefits students from many different engineering and clinical disciplines through applied design engineering, Salas said. It can also directly influence surgical or clinical practices with new, low-cost technologies that can be applied in the field. This year, program coordinators partnered with the Lovelace UNM Rehabilitation Hospital, run as a partnership between Lovelace Health System and the UNM Health System, to help student teams assess clinical problems they could work on. Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation assistant professor Rebecca Dutton led students on a visit to the hospital early this semester to interview physical therapists and nurses to learn about patient needs. Dutton will also lead the process of helping the winning student team test its new design in a clinical setting after the semester ends. One of the goals in rehabilitation is promoting function and independence, Dutton said in a statement. That will hopefully be the underlying goal of any design solutions. UNM faculty, along with staff from Lovelace UNM, helped this years student teams focus on urgent needs and feasible solutions. That helped them whittle the list of potential product designs from 11 initial ideas to four concrete projects, Salas said. Each team will do a written proposal on its product design, which is then sent to the STC for provisional patent protection. The teams will compete for funding in end-of-semester oral presentations. The winning teams $50,000 award is funded by the Clinical and Translational Science Center and the School of Engineering. The winning team will use the money to develop a full prototype and test it, Salas said. In that process, the goal is to build enough preliminary data to seek additional funding to continue working. The STC will also reach out to investors to help move the product into commercialization. Larson called the programs focused, problem-solving approach a hallmark of research under way at UNM. The university has pumped about $1.5 billion into research in the life sciences in the past decade. NEW YORK Getting a bank loan is still a struggle for many women who own businesses. Kirsten Curry has had three rejections in the past six months and is waiting to hear from a fourth bank. Curry, owner of Seattle-based Leading Retirement Solutions, has applied to national banks, a regional bank and a credit union. The problem is that her 8-year-old retirement advisory firm lost money last year as it invested in technology to help it expand. Although revenue has consistently risen and her company has no debt, her expenses last year were a red flag. Though we know were going to see growth, its not necessarily guaranteed, Curry says. A survey of businesses conducted this summer found that 30 percent of companies owned by women were able to get bank loans during the previous three months, compared to half of all the owners surveyed. The survey conducted by researchers at Pepperdine Universitys Graziadio School of Business and Management and Dun & Bradstreet Corp. questioned owners of companies with up to $100 million in annual revenue. Only 21 percent of the women surveyed said they expected it would be easy to raise debt financing essentially loans in the next six months, compared with 44 percent of all companies. Fewer of those owners said they were likely to pursue a bank loan, at 67 percent compared with 75 percent of all owners. Women were also more pessimistic about the impact on their companies of not being able to get financing 64 percent predicted slower growth versus 44 percent of all business owners. Many women will turn to personal savings, friends and family, credit cards and other alternatives. Curry isnt optimistic about an approval from the fourth bank, so she and her finance manager, Jaime Humphrey, are working with a referral program to link them up with other banks. The number of U.S. businesses owned by women grew nearly 27 percent from 2007 to 2012, rising to nearly 10 million from 7.8 million, according to the most recent Census Bureau figures. The total number of businesses grew less than 2 percent. There arent official tallies of lending to companies owned by women. Under federal anti-discrimination laws, banks cannot ask loan applicants about their gender, race or ethnic background. Agencies including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. compile statistics on small-business lending but those dont reflect gender or other demographic information or whether companies obtained loans or had their applications denied. Banks track lending to women through their own surveys. Bank of America found this year that 11 percent of owners who are women applied for loans the past two years versus 13 percent of owners who are men. Some banks have realized they need to be more aggressive in lending to businesses owned by women; Wells Fargo set a goal of $55 billion in loans by 2020, but surpassed that number in 2016, spokesman Jim Seitz says. The financing issues come on top of the struggles small businesses historically have had getting bank loans. Its especially the case for the newest companies without track records showing years of rising revenue and profits and since women have been starting companies at a high rate in the past decade, many have young businesses. They also may not have developed a long relationship with bank branch managers who might advocate for them with loan underwriters. Academic research has also found that women who start companies have a tougher time getting loans, and that bank officers used different criteria for them. A 2014 study by professors at Northeastern University and Babson College found that women received smaller loan amounts than men whose companies had similar characteristics like past performance and number of employees. There is such a dominant conception in the world of finance that the successful entrepreneur is a young white guy, says Lakshmi Balachandra, a professor of entrepreneurship at Babson and a co-author of the study. The financial crisis of 2008 and its aftermath have also made loans harder to get. Bankers became even more wary about lending to businesses that werent a sure bet not only did they have business loans go bad, theyre now under more federal scrutiny. Many community banks that catered to small companies have failed or merged into larger institutions. Carolyn Thompson, a business owner for two decades, says shes gotten six business loans over the years because she applied at community or regional banks. I learned a long time ago that as a small-business owner, you cant go to a large bank, says Thompson, president of Merito Group, an employment consulting firm based in Vienna, Va. With a smaller bank, its easier to get to know employees who have a hand in making loan decisions. A sales person isnt the same as someone whos going to speak to the underwriter, she says. When Jennifer Philbrook and business partner Abbie Ellis applied for a loan this year at the national bank where they have accounts, they learned what other small business owners have that relationship is no guarantee of a loan. They had little communication from the loan department; the rejection letter gave no reasons, and a meeting with a bank employee yielded no information. We pretty much gave up the entire idea of a loan, says Philbrook, whose 3-year-old Chicago-based company Stitch Method helps educate entrepreneurs in the fashion industry. The partners did eventually get a loan after taking part in a program aimed at helping small businesses succeed; a banker whose company was one of the sponsors worked with them and within a few weeks they got a loan. Kate Lesters application was rejected by the big bank where her family had eight personal accounts. They didnt give us a reason, says Lester, who owns a 6-year-old eponymous interior design firm in Hermosa Beach, Calif. Lester began searching for alternatives online and found a company that arranges whats known as peer-to-peer lending loans from private lenders or investors. Shes already repaying the 5-year loan, which she has invested in a retail store selling home decor and design services. The loan interest is higher than what a bank would have charged, but Lester says its money well spent. After the first month of being open, the store exceeded our sales predictions, she says. In its zeal to undo the legacy of our 44th president, the Trump administration is now undoing the future of our children and grandchildren by repealing the Clean Power Plan, a policy designed to reduce the heat-trapping emissions that make our climate more and more inhospitable. How inhospitable? Weve gotten a frightening glimpse of an altered climate recently with disasters fueled by warmer temperatures: Hurricane Harvey turned much of Houston into a lake after dumping 50 inches of rain. Damage estimates have ranged up to $150 billion. After flattening the Keys, record-setting Hurricane Irma roared up Floridas west coast, leaving most of the state without power and damage estimated to cost $100 billion. Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, leaving most of the islands residents without power or clean water. Recovery costs could easily reach $95 billion. Out west, wildfires intensified by hot, dry weather have charred millions of acres, with the most recent fire in Santa Rosa killing at least 15 people. Its clear our unstable climate is putting bigger and bigger burdens on our economy. Its also clear that the current White House is determined to remove regulations on the use of dirty fuels contributing to that unstable climate. Those who cheer the EPAs move should remember that President Obama initiated the Clean Power Plan in 2015 in the face of Congresss inaction on climate change. Without effective legislation to combat climate change, a future president could just as easily go down the path of executive action and regulations again. The best answer here is for Congress to pass legislation putting the market to work on solving climate change. The policy that finds favor across the political spectrum is a steadily-rising fee on carbon with revenue returned to households. This approach uses the power of the market to hold fossil fuels accountable for the damage they inflict on our society. A straightforward carbon fee will drive investment and consumer behavior toward low-carbon energy and energy efficiency, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By returning revenue from the carbon fee equally to all households, we can shield individuals and families from the economic impact of rising energy costs associated with the fee. A study from the well-respected Regional Economic Models, Inc., looked at a policy with a fee starting at $10 per ton of carbon dioxide that increases $10 per ton each year. In their models, all revenue was distributed evenly to every household. REMI found that after 20 years, CO2 emissions would be reduced 50 percent below 1990 levels. At the same time, 2.8 million jobs would be added because of the economic stimulus of returning revenue to consumers. In other words, this policy is a win-win for both our environment and our economy. For those despairing that Congress will never address the climate crisis, there is encouraging news. Two Florida congressmen from opposite sides of the aisle have formed the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus in the House of Representatives. Membership in the caucus, which is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, has risen from 18 to 60 since the beginning of the year. This bipartisan dialogue seeks common ground between the two parties for legislation that reduces the risks we face from climate change. Across Capitol Hill, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham recently stated the need to address global warming and said his preference is a price on carbon. The Climate Leadership Council, led by former Secretaries of State George Shultz, James Baker, and other influential conservatives, also advocates for a carbon pricing plan that returns revenues to households. In repealing the Clean Power Plan, the Trump administration shows that its bent on removing government regulations around climate change. That means its up to Congress to make the market solve this problem instead. Failure to act will lead to the day when climate-related disasters outpace our ability to recover and adapt. To paraphrase Groucho Marx, President Donald Trump has a position on the Lamar Alexander/Patty Murray health care deal, and if you dont like it, he has another one. Within hours, Trump veered wildly on the bipartisan compromise on Obamacare that the Tennessee Republican and the Washington Democrat forged at his personal urging. At times supportive, noncommittal and opposed, Trump finally came out against, his final answer until further notice. It isnt unusual for a politician to wobble when confronted with a nettlesome issue or a shifting political environment. To live is to maneuver, said the great 20th-century conservative Whittaker Chambers. Its downright weird, though, for a president to rapidly switch sides on something he gave every indication that he wanted. The Trump administration has formidable obstacles in the way of substantive success a slender Senate majority, lack of staffing, an unrelenting opposition but none looms quite as large as the fact that Trump himself has no idea how he wants to govern. Trumps decision to end Obamacares cost-sharing reduction payments made sense as a political strategy only if he wanted to pressure congressional Republicans into a bipartisan deal. The termination of the payments wasnt going to discomfit the Democrats, who could scream sabotage and blame Trump and Republicans for every failing of Obamacare going forward. It was nervous Republicans who were going to feel compelled to remove the political heat by propping up Obamacare. It seemed that this is precisely what Trump wanted. The president initially took credit for forcing Republicans and Democrats to talk about a health care deal. Yet he turned around and opposed the deal, saying he couldnt support bailing out insurance companies. Trump cant decide who he wants to be. As a matter of substance malleable and nonideological and self-image the ultimate deal-maker he should be with Republican moderates. This is the Trump who encourages Lamar Alexander to get together with Patty Murray and talks a DACA deal with Chuck and Nancy. As a matter of affect unapologetically outrageous and sensibility thoroughly anti-establishment he should be with the House Freedom Caucus. This is the Trump who pulls the plug on CSR payments over the advice of more cautious advisers and releases immigration principles that will never be realized in any bipartisan agreement. Which of these Trumps predominates depends on which meeting the president happens to be in. At the moment, pro-Trump operatives want to go out and kill elected Republicans who dont support the Trump agenda, even though its vague what exactly that is and its subject to constant change. Alexander is as sensibly establishment as GOP senators come, and thought he was not just supporting the Trump agenda but doing the presidents bidding. Is he a friend, or an enemy, or a befuddled would-be ally? In terms of internal Republican politics, if nothing else, it suits Trump to be up for grabs. Both major factions within the party are vying for his affections. Steve Bannon wants to persuade the president to support a crusade on behalf of True Trumpism; Mitch McConnell wants the president to steer clear of dubious candidates and show a little discipline. Trump is happy to keep a foot in each camp. He can say nice things about Bannon but suggest hes not on board with everything hes doing, while at the same time touting his great relationship with McConnell, yet prodding him on Twitter whenever he feels like it. Trumps approach keeps everyone guessing and keeps him from getting pinned down, but it is no way to lead a party. This is why Trumps strong suit is things he can do on his own, namely culture-war battles, fights with the news media and other critics, and executive actions. These dont involve many moving parts and dont require much constancy. For Trump, very little is ever truly ruled out or ruled in, and before long, a bipartisan health care deal will surely again strike his fancy. Rich Lowry can be reached via e-mail at comments.lowry@nationalreview.com; (c) 2017 by King Features Syndicate. WASHINGTON One person who obviously didnt know what he was signing up for is President Trump. Others include Trump voters who believed they were electing a decent human being to be commander in chief. What Trump reportedly said to the grief-stricken widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who gave his life for his country, is not some kind of minor miscue or media-fueled distraction. It speaks to the core issue of Trumps character and demonstrates, as clearly as any incident to date, his unfitness for the office he holds and dishonors. Johnson and three other U.S. soldiers Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson, Staff Sgt. Bryan Black and Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright were killed Oct. 4 in Niger, apparently ambushed by Islamic State-affiliated militants. Exactly what happened is unclear, and Congress should be as dogged in investigating these deaths as it was in probing Benghazi. For 12 days, Trump said nothing, not even a tweet, about the four Americans killed in action, and had no contact with the loved ones they had left behind. Pressed by reporters to explain his silence, Trump reacted by slandering his predecessors, especially President Obama, falsely claiming that they, too, neglected to console the families of the fallen. Trump then placed a phone call to Myeshia Johnson, La David Johnsons widow. The truism better late than never is not always true. According to two people who overheard the call, Trump told Johnson that her husband knew what he was signing up for although his death must still be painful. One witness who confirms these were Trumps words is the woman who raised La David Johnson as a son, Cowanda Jones-Johnson. The other is Rep. Frederica S. Wilson, D-Fla., who was with the family when Trump called. Wilson was so dumbfounded and angry that she quickly called Trump out publicly for what he had said. Trump tweeted a denial and said he had proof but of course produced none. The president has shown himself to be such a liar that its impossible to take his word over almost anyone elses. Wilson was furious because instead of lessening Myeshia Johnsons grief, Trump had deepened it. Surely that was not his intent. But mindless cruelty is still cruel. Offering succor to the families of service members killed in the line of duty is one of the most solemn exercises a president must undertake. It is a task requiring, above all, a sense of humility. In the hope that it may be no intrusion upon the sacredness of your sorrow, I have ventured to address you this tribute to the memory of your brave and early fallen child, Abraham Lincoln wrote to the parents of a fallen Union soldier. Unlike true leaders, however, Trump seems to associate humility with weakness. When confronted with an error, big or small, he never just says, Im sorry, I made a mistake, I apologize, and leaves it at that. He always seeks to deflect responsibility. Somebody else is really at fault. Others who came before him have done worse. Bad people in the media are treating him unfairly. Trump is a weak, narcissistic man in a job that requires strength and empathy. Im not sure that empathy is a concept he even understands. He acts as if he believes that feeling someone elses pain is strictly for losers, not winners. None of this is a surprise. We learned a lot about Trump during the campaign when he attacked the Khan family, who lost a son in Iraq, for having the temerity to attack him politically. We have a president who believes that making the ultimate sacrifice for the nation is less important than supporting or opposing Trump. The Washington Post reported last week that earlier this year, Trump phoned the father of Army Sgt. Dillon Baldridge, who was killed June 10 in Afghanistan. In the course of the conversation, Trump offered to send the father a personal check for $25,000 but did not follow through. The check was finally sent this week only after the Post asked about it. Sadly, thats typical Trump. He makes a grand promise, which allows him to feel big and generous which is the whole point. Even in interactions with Gold Star families, its all about him. Later, having played the role of Trump the Munificent, he forgets about it and goes in search of the next opportunity to shore up his fragile ego. No one should expect him to grow in office. Hes 71. At that age, either you have compassion, self-knowledge and a conscience, or you dont. Robinsons columns, including those not published in the Journal, can be read at abqjournal.com/opinion look for the syndicated columnist link. E-mail: eugenerobinson@washpost.com; copyright, Washington Post Writers Group. Dozens of New Mexico high school students from five towns and cities experienced science disciplines firsthand at a national wildlife refuge, thanks to a partnership between Highlands University and the Denver Zoo. The STEM Showdown event took place at the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge last month, a 4,224-acre property on the Mora River 30 minutes north of Highlands main campus in Las Vegas, N.M. The Denver Zoo co-manages the refuge with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Speaking to scientists in this setting allowed students to learn that scientists are ordinary people who overcame their own challenges to do what they love, said Edward Martinez, Highlands vice president of strategic enrollment management. Students had the opportunity to learn about the many options available in science careers. Students from seven high schools in Las Vegas, N.M., Albuquerque Espanola, Santa Rosa, and Bernalillo participated at the showdown last month. The students learned about science firsthand in 30-minute field sessions on a variety of topics like hydrology and wetlands, veterinary medicine, beaver ecology, geospatial science, and amazing race species. Students also had the chance to sit down and talk with scientists, asking questions on topics likes academic preparation for careers, internships, career decisions, and the importance of mentors. Having conversations with scientists helps students realize they could be scientists someday, said Martinez, who is also a natural resources management professor at Highlands. Martinez said the New Mesa MESA middle and high school program was another important partner for the STEM Showdown. MESA stands for mathematics, engineering, and science achievement. More than 20 Highlands faculty, staff and graduate students participated in the STEM Showdown, along with other science professionals. Joe Zebrowski directs geospatial technology at Highlands, and is the universitys liaison with the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge. Highlands University science professors and students have conducted research at the Rio Mora site since 2005, when it was Wind River Ranch. Copyright 2017 Albuquerque Journal William Wilson and Michelle Martens are the poster children for Gov. Susana Martinezs attack on a voter-approved constitutional amendment she once supported that allows judges to hold dangerous suspects in jail before trial and release others not deemed to be a danger or a flight risk. Martinez twice last week took to Facebook to announce her campaign to repeal and replace the bail reform amendment and court rules that implement it. She wants the Legislature to take action as early as the 30-day legislative session, which begins Jan. 16. But her two examples may not be the best argument: Martens is still in jail pending trial on charges related to the horrific murder of her daughter. And a court audiotape shows the prosecutor in the Wilson case never filed the paperwork to hold him in jail without bail. Wilson was killed in a shootout with State Police in San Juan County on Aug. 27. Martinez didnt post the messages on her governors Facebook page, but on her Stand with Susana page, which describes her as a politician. In early 2016, she joined the state District Attorneys Association in supporting the bail reform amendment on its journey through the Legislature. The Republican governor then publicly endorsed the amendment last fall, releasing a statement that as a 25-year prosecutor she understands that we need to do more to keep dangerous, violent criminals off the streets. The amendment passed with 87 percent voter approval. Asked about her new stance, a spokesman for Martinez told the Journal in an email Friday, The Governor called for bail reform to allow judges to keep the most dangerous criminals in jail. Unfortunately, both the legislature and the judiciary failed to deliver and misled voters with a proposal that is putting more violent criminals out on the streets. Thats why the Governor is once again calling on lawmakers and the courts to act and end the revolving-door criminal justice system. She joins a chorus of most of New Mexicos 13 district attorneys who have criticized the way the amendment has been implemented. The prosecutors are asking the state Supreme Court to make changes but have stopped short of calling for outright repeal. Meanwhile, the bail bond industry has consistently opposed the amendment and has gone to federal court seeking to invalidate it. Advocates of the amendment argued that releasing suspects on monetary bail sets up a two-tiered justice system that permitted the wealthy to bail out, while the poor sat in jail until trial. Bail is still permitted under the amendment, but judges now have new discretion to hold certain dangerous defendants without bail. The amendment also allows low-risk defendants to be released pending trial without bail. Martinezs Facebook message says, Its clear that the judiciary is using these new provisions to return criminals back to our neighborhoods and it must stop. She wants the legislature to bring this issue to the voters immediately. In her Facebook post on Oct. 17, she blamed the San Juan County judge who released Wilson from custody on Aug. 2. District Judge John Dean Jr. required Wilson post a $25,000 unsecured appearance bond, wear a GPS monitor and stay with a third party pending trial on charges of burglary and stealing firearms from his uncles house in 2015. Wilson, a convicted felon, was previously jailed under a $20,000 cash bond his attorney said he couldnt afford. An audio recording of an Aug. 2 hearing obtained by the Journal shows the judge made his decision to release Wilson after an assistant district attorney who called Wilson a one-man crime wave conceded that the DAs Office had never filed the paperwork to seek the defendant to be held without bail. Procedural rules in criminal cases require a prosecutor to file a written motion with a district court to request pretrial detention of a defendant. District Attorney Rick Tedrow of Farmington didnt return a Journal phone call last week. Neither the judge nor Wilsons public defender responded to Journal requests for comment. At the Aug. 2 hearing, court records show, Assistant District Attorney Brian Decker told the judge, It is telling that we have not filed, to the best of my knowledge, a motion for a no-bond. I dont see one in the file, the judge responded. We have not, Decker said. So the court has to decide what conditions to let this man out on under the new rules. Later in the hearing, Decker told the judge: At a minimum, we would ask that a GPS monitor be in place. After the judge inquired further, the prosecutor said, Our recommendation, your honor, is that he stay in custody, but I understand that may be problematic. So at least a GPS monitor, at a minimum, we would ask for. Wilson, 26, was killed weeks later in a shootout in which police say he shot at a New Mexico State Police officer. He was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by a San Juan County sheriffs deputy the morning of Aug. 27. The occupants were suspected in connection with the theft of a trailer and other cases of larceny and burglary. Wilson was being handcuffed by the State Police officer who arrived on the scene when Wilson retrieved a gun, believed to be a revolver, State Police said. Wilson shot a State Police officer, hitting his law enforcement badge and bulletproof vest. The officer sustained bruising and shrapnel in the face. It isnt clear whether Wilson had been subjected to a pat-down for weapons before the shooting. Within hours of the shootout, San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christesen, a Republican, put the blame on the constitutional amendment and bail reform. Theyre putting dangerous criminals back on the streets, he said. This nonsense of catch and release needs to stop, he added. Victorias mom In a follow-up Facebook post on Thursday, the governor brought up the high-profile case against Martens, who is being held on $1.5 million bail after being charged in the Aug. 23, 2016, sexual abuse, murder and dismemberment of her 10-year-old daughter, Victoria. Had the current catch and release system been in place at the time of her murder, Victorias mom would likely be free right now, Martinez said. She wrote that in applying the new amendment, judges created rules and a scoresheet to determine if an accused criminal can be let back out on our streets. Under that score sheet, which is produced through a risk assessment tool used in Bernalillo County, Martens would have only scored a 2, making it very likely that she would be free today, Martinez wrote. District judges in Bernalillo County began using the risk tool last year but the scores arent binding. In fact, state District Judge Christina Argyres of Albuquerque on Sept. 16, 2016, dismissed the risk assessment score to allow Martens to be released to a third-party with intensive supervision pending trial. The score was based on the fact that Martens had no criminal history. But the judge noted the heinous circumstances of crimes alleged. The hearing occurred prior to the passage of the amendment. So Argyres increased the amount of bail for Martens, 35, from the original $1 million set upon her arrest to $1.5 million. She also retained the original $1 million cash bail each for co-defendants Fabian Gonzales, 31, and Jessica Kelley, 31. The risk assessment tool takes into consideration the criminal history of a defendant only when it involves a conviction. Critics fault the tool for not also taking arrests and certain other factors into account. Read on to find out why Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be India's Republic Day chief guest in January. By India Today Web Desk: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told his country's Parliament, the Knesset, that he will visit India in January 2018, to reciprocate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip from earlier this year. How do we know? A Reuters reporter tweeted this earlier today. Israel's @Netanyahu to parliament: In January I'll be making a reciprocal visit to India as @NarendaModi's guest.- Dan Williams (@DanWilliams) October 23, 2017 advertisement Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a historic three-day visit to Israel, the first ever by an Indian PM. The trip was marked by a remarkable display of friendship between Modi and Netanyahu. The two spent most of the trip together. Netanyahu personally received Modi at the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. And the Israeli PM saw his Indian counterpart off as the Indian PM departed for Germany. During his trip, Modi went to the Haifa World War I memorial, and made a trip to Olga beach. WATCH | Benjamin Netanyahu talks of yoga, dinner date with Modi --- ENDS --- Copyright 2017 Albuquerque Journal State Police officer Raymundo Lujan III has taken more than 100 drunken drivers off the street since January but its the ones he doesnt catch that stick with him. The ones you hear on the news the next morning, Lujan said, of those who end up in a deadly crash, killing themselves or someone else. Why couldnt you be in that area? Why couldnt you have stopped that person? The 26-year-old officer, recognized last month by his agency for his triple-digit arrest count and 90 percent conviction rate, said a lot more goes into a DWI conviction than just slapping the cuffs on. Very long hours you have to have a passion for it, he said. You can honestly say that you saved somebodys life at the end of the day. Whether its pretrial interviews, MVD hearings or the multitude of court settings, it all comes down to preparation and running through any what if scenarios that could impede conviction. Its just like a test in high school or college, you prepare yourself. You dont want to go in there and fail, he said. If the case gets dismissed someway, somehow, I learn from that mistake. Lujans supervisor, Sgt. Kurtis Ward, said mistakes are what make a great officer. Thats how you learn to win cases, is by losing, he said. You have to raise your game up. Ward said prosecuting DWIs is time consuming and, often, can be harder than homicide investigations. These guys literally work sometimes until the suns coming up, sleep for two hours, and then theyre back in court, he said. The dedication it takes to want to keep doing that and the toll it takes on your personal life thats what sets them apart. What makes the State Police DWI unit so time consuming is what also makes for higher conviction rates, Ward said. Whereas the Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office often have multiple officers involved in a single DWI arrest, Lujan will work an arrest alone from start to finish. Where cases get lost, more often than not, is by officers not showing up to court, he said. We make the stop, we do the investigation, we make the arrest, we do everything. Ward has known Lujan since the beginning, having met him, in the summer of 2015, as a full-time instructor at the academy, and now supervises Lujans unit. Ive had a front row seat to all that, Ward said. To see him get to that level, in under two and a half years, its phenomenal. Aside from Lujans determination, Ward said the officer is not hot-headed or heavy-handed but respectful and professional. With at least nine out of 10 of his arrests leading to convictions, and despite all the praise, Lujan remains humble about his achievements. I necessarily wouldnt say that Im better than anybody else, he said. Its more or less Ive always been this way. Although Lujan has been with the DWI unit since April 2016, the New Mexico native has wanted to be an officer as long as he can remember. As a full-time DWI officer, Lujan is assigned to Albuquerque but also patrols around the state. We want to get that perspective that we are everywhere, he said. Our ultimate goal it to deteriorate it and make sure it doesnt happen around the state, make sure the roads are a safer place. So far in 2017, at least one-third of all vehicle fatalities are alcohol-related, according to the New Mexico Department of Transportation. As of August, this year saw 92 alcohol-related fatalities while the yearly totals for 2016 and 2015 were 173 and 120, respectively. For Lujan, a father of two, the most impactful arrests are those involving children. He recalls one in particular when, after arresting a drunken driver, their daughter excitedly told him all about her new school clothes, backpack and shoes. She had no idea what was going on, but she was so excited about the following week when she was starting school, he said. That kind of touches home it makes you take a deep breath. Lujan said every case is different and, although he sees his fair share of repeat offenders, they are all frustrating. There are so many different resources out there to prevent it. It doesnt really matter if its the first time or their 10th time, he said. The blame falls on the individuals that continue to drink and drive. In addition to patrolling, court hearings and everything in between, Lujan also travels around the state, teaching recruits at academies the proper methods and standards to make DWI stops. Despite being both mentally and emotionally draining, Lujan loves his job. He doesnt plan to take his foot off the gas anytime soon. We are doing everything we can and, if there was anything else that we could do to better it, we would do it in a heartbeat, he said. I dont plan on going anywhere. Three New Mexicans were recognized by PETA president Ingrid Newkirk on Sunday for their animal activism efforts. Newkirk presented the first Compassionate Activist Award to Jess Weston, Valencia County animal control director, who has dramatically transformed the shelter since he took it over in August 2016, Newkirk said. The second award went to Karla Reyes and Victor Flores, two local PETA activists known for organizing protests, documenting zoo conditions and arranging well-attended vegan potlucks. The awards were presented before a crowd of about 100 people during the Albuquerque stop on Newkirks speaking tour during which she recounted the progress the organization has made, and urged locals to continue fighting animal abuses. BERLIN Israeli says it has signed an agreement with the German government to receive three new submarines that would go into service from 2027. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that his government signed a memorandum of understanding with the German government earlier in the day. Israel already ordered six submarines from Germany over the past two decades. Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said the German government would participate in the financing of three new vessels, as in previous deals. Seibert, who noted our historical responsibility toward the state of Israel, said the two sides agreed not to disclose details. The signing comes amid an Israeli investigation of a possible conflict of interest involving purchases of German submarines. Netanyahus personal attorney represented the German firm involved and is suspected of trading his influence over the premier for a hefty cut of a deal. Speaking at the opening of parliaments winter session Monday, Netanyahu dismissed the allegations of corruption. BAGHDAD U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Monday just hours after returning from a similar surprise visit to Afghanistan, meeting the top political leaders in each of the embattled countries. Cloaked in secrecy, Tillerson flew into Iraq from Qatar. Earlier in the day, he traveled back and forth from the gas-rich Persian Gulf country to Kabul. In Baghdad, Tillerson was meeting with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi for the second time in as many days to discuss reconstruction projects after the defeat of the Islamic State group in major Iraqi cities and towns. The pair will also discuss a resurgent Kurdish independence movement in the countrys north, where widely-criticized independence referendum last month has sparked tensions within Iraq and with its neighbors. Tillerson on Sunday said although the United States joined many in opposing the referendum fearing it would distract from ongoing efforts to oust IS from its remaining strongholds the Kurds have legitimate grievances that should be addressed within the framework of a unified Iraq. We did not support the Kurdish independence referendum, he said at a news conference with Qatars foreign minister in Doha. We did not believe it was time given that the battle to defeat ISIS is still underway. And while there have been significant victories and significant progress in Iraq, that task is not yet complete. Still, Tillerson said he believed Abadi was committed to resolving Kurdish complaints. He called for restraint on all sides. We have encouraged the parties strongly to engage in Baghdad to fully implement the Iraqi constitution, he said. The Kurdish people have a number of unfulfilled expectations, rights that were promised them under the constitution that were never delivered upon, and so there are a number of actions that need to be taken by the parties to fulfill the Iraqi constitution itself. We hope the Kurds will engage with Baghdad in a very productive way to see that the constitution is fully implemented, Tillerson said. I think many of the Kurds concerns will be addressed through that process. So we encourage the parties to not escalate the situation, not lead to conflict, and stay coordinated, and not forget that the war to defeat (IS) is not yet over and that remains the greatest threat to Iraq. Tillerson spent the weekend making the Trump administrations case for an Arab alliance to blunt Irans increased influence in the Middle East. He attended the inaugural meeting of the Saudi Arabia-Iraq Coordination Council on Sunday to urge the longtime rivals to set aside past differences. The administration sees an alignment of Riyadh and Baghdad as key to containing what U.S. officials refer to as Irans malign behavior in the region. ___ Lee reported from Doha, Qatar. Rebel Donut lovers could soon taste some distinctly Caribbean flavors in their doughnuts with fruits and spices newly introduced to the local baking team by a Haitian candy maker. Likewise, patrons of Marie Flore Moretts Delices confectionery business in Haiti could soon savor doughnuts alongside the soft candies her team sells in Port-au-Prince. Morett has been working with Rebel Donut since early October, sharing recipes and learning how the Albuquerque business manages its operations. Shes one of 10 entrepreneurs from various Latin American and Caribbean countries now in Albuquerque under a Professional Fellows Program run by the U.S. State Departments Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative. The program is sponsoring 250 fellows for four-week stints this fall in 24 U.S. cities, allowing them to enhance their business and professional skills through workshops, mentoring, networking, and internships at local businesses. The fellows all met up in Atlanta and then headed off in teams to cities around the country, including 10 that were hosting in Albuquerque, said Adelle Lees, executive director of Global Ties ABQ, the local arm of the State Departments Global Ties U.S. network. All the Albuquerque fellows are now embedded in local host businesses and nonprofits that focus on the same industries in which the visitors are involved at home, Lees said. Some, like Morett, are immersed in day-to-day operations. Others are working on joint projects with their hosts. The fellows are also attending the weekly networking meetings 1 Million Cups Downtown and Taza at the South Valley Economic Development Center. Both fellows and hosts say the program is mutually beneficial. Rebel Donuts founder and CEO Carissa Vender said shes now testing some typical Haitian confectionery ingredients in doughnuts, such as fresh coconut, spicy chile and passion fruit. Marie has encouraged us to rethink some ingredients we might have overlooked before, Vender said. Morett, in turn, is acquiring critical business skills to better manage her operations in Haiti. A social worker by profession, Morett established Delices to provide income for struggling single mothers who grow the raw ingredients for candies. Im a social worker, and being a business leader doesnt come naturally to me, Morett said. Juan Manuel Arellano of Mexico said Albuquerque software development company Matterform is helping him improve the technology behind his new business, Medicheck, which offers a web platform and mobile app to connect Mexican doctors, clinics and patients online. On the other hand, his host, Matterform CEO Michael Herrick, said hes become more aware of potential business opportunities in Mexico. Other fellows said they may seek to replicate business programs theyve seen in Albuquerque. Suriname fellow Jason Jones, whose firm Brilliant Solutions employs university students to build online platforms for small businesses, may launch a coding boot camp modeled on Central New Mexico Community Colleges Deep Dive Coding program. And Daniela Berrio of Colombia, who runs a hostel in Medellin that connects visitors with local arts and culture, is considering a local version of 1 Million Cups and Taza for her home city. Israeli police arrested a Palestinian man after relying on the automatic translation feature on Facebook that completely changed the meaning of what he had posted on the social media platform. By Indo-Asian News Service: Israeli police mistakenly arrested a Palestinian man after they thought he had published a Facebook post saying "hurt them" when he originally wrote "Good morning", a media report said. According to a spokeswoman for the Israel Police's West Bank district, the police arrested the man relying on the automatic translation feature on Facebook that completely changed the meaning of what he had posted on the social media platform, The Times of Israel reported on Sunday. advertisement The man, a construction worker, was arrested "on suspicion of incitement" and released shortly after the assumption turned out to be false. In the post on October 15, the man was seen smiling and holding a cup of coffee and a cigarette while standing alongside a bulldozer at a construction site in the Beitar Illit settlement. "No Arabic-speaking officer read the post prior to the arrest, which was carried out by officers who relied solely on Facebook's automatic translation," Haaretz newspaper was cited as saying. The report in Times of Israel said that there is only a single letter's difference between the colloquial Arabic phrase for "good morning to you all" and "hurt them". Police combined the false translation with the image of the bulldozer -- a vehicle that has been prominently used in terror attacks in the past -- and assumed the man has the intentions to do the same. The police came to know the reality after they interrogated him and released him after realising their mistake. --- ENDS --- This year, as in the case of the last 2-3 years, saw e-commerce players bullish on festive season buying frenzy and spending big monies on advertising their various online sale events. However, this aggressive push notwithstanding, a study conducted by Velocity MR, a leading market research and data analysis company, shows that despite the advances in technology, Indians prefer to stick to tradition when it comes to important festivals like Diwali. According to the study, Indians prefer buying sweets from regular shops than buying it online as 76 per cent buys from regular sweet shops and only 30 per cent buys it online. The study, which was carried out in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Patna, monitored the shifting trends in shopping in the age of the internet and online shopping. The study had a sample size of 2,028 adults in the age group of 25 to 55 years, with a 60:40 split between women and men, respectively. Jasal Shah, Managing Director & CEO of Velocity MR, commented, Diwali is the most celebrated festival in India and is symbolic of Indian culture the world over. This festival brings every Indian back together with their closest family and makes them want to do everything traditional and ritualistic. This is probably the month that results in the maximum shopping as a result in the country with Dussehra and Diwali back to back. Highlights of the Study Radio City 91.1FM, Indias leading radio network, today announced a social awareness drive to highlight the importance of celebrating a smoke free Diwali with Radio City ke phatake : Is Diwali, khushiyan hogi, dhua nahi- a national on air activity ,where listeners can request for bursting firecrackers on Radio City during the Diwali week and celebrate a pollution free Diwali. Through this campaign, Radio City urges the listeners to enjoy a smoke free experience with a zing of music on Radio City. The money you save can light up somebodys Diwali. Radio City, has found an innovative solution that will let cracker-lovers across the nation enjoy the festival without hurting the environment. Radio City ke patakhe a Diwali initiative where the channel will burst crackers on the radio. The initiative is launched with an ad film created by Scarecrow Communications - Patakhon ka Aurangzeb that will remind people of the nostalgic Malgudi Days. As a part of the national on-air activity, Radio City encourages the idea of celebrating Diwali without the use of crackers to help make this a smoke free and environmental friendly festival. Watch the entire video here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbjEZ0CbcW0&feature=youtu.be Radio City also pledged its support to the underprivileged by initiating a crowd funding campaign Diwali Ek Rupaye Wali, in association with the NGO, Ketto. The network has urged every Mumbaikar to contribute one rupee to share the happiness and help brighten the festivities for the needy. Inspired by real life human stories, Radio City has pledged to support causes ranging from women empowerment, community development, health to helping the physically challenged. The response has been overwhelming donations pouring in Commenting on the launch of these initiatives Mr. Kartik Kalla, EVP and National Head, Programming, Marketing and AudaCITY, Radio City 91.1 FM said, Radio has the impact and the potential to reach out to the masses and we at Radio City want to leverage this to promote the true essence of Diwali. With #DiwaliEkRupayeWali, by donating just one rupee, we can empower the less fortunate to be a part of the celebrations. Through Radio City ke patake , we also want to educate people to look beyond crackers this festive season and inculcate the culture of a safe, and pollution-free Diwali. The star of India's official entry to the Oscars - Newton, Rajkumar Rao, while promoting his movie, Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana says, I believe that the festival of Diwali is about sharing happiness with everyone in the community especially with the less fortunate. Diwali Ek Rupaye Waali is an amazing initiative undertaken by Radio City to make Diwali happy and prosperous for the underprivileged. Radio City is not just entertaining the listeners but is also working for the society and fulfilling its social responsibility. I personally support the cause and urge everyone to contribute a minimum of Rs. 1, like I did, because your 1 rupee can make a difference to light up faces and dreams of Mumbaikars. Wish you a happy and a prosperous Diwali. The fund-raising campaign will address the requirements of the people who are striving for the welfare of the needy. The campaign strives on fulfilling dreams of 5 people Gauri, Shahbaz Khan, Tabrez Khwaja, Rajan Nair and Ravi Kumar, where one wants to build shelter for kids in Kamathipura, one wants to conduct workshops for Dharavi kids, one wants to provide free ambulance service to one wanting to buy a DSLR to teach photography to kids in the hospital.The activity allows every listener to make a difference by donating just one rupee by clicking on https://radiocity.ketto.org/. Leading Bollywood stars like Varun Dhawan, Bobby Deol, Taapsee Pannu, Kiku Sharda, Shraddha Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Richa Chadha and Rajpal Yadav, along with Jt. Commissioner Traffic - Amitesh Kumar and colleges like NITIE, Chetna have left no stone unturned to contribute to this heart-warming cause HONG KONG, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Premia Partners, the Hong Kong based investment firm that focuses on ETFs and smart beta solutions, announces the launch of two smart beta China equity ETFs designed to provide investors with diversified exposure to the China A-shares markets. The ETFs track the CSI smart beta indices which employ methodology provided by Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta ("Caixin Rayliant") led by Dr. Jason Hsu, Chairman and CIO of Rayliant Global Investors, and Co-founder and Vice Chairman of Research Affiliates. The two HKEX listed ETFs utilize a fundamental, multi-factor approach, and each consists of approximately 300 Shanghai and Shenzhen listed stocks. Both ETFs are physical A-shares ETFs utilizing Stock Connect and have a total expense ratio of 0.50% compared to the 1% average fee typically observed in the industry. The Premia CSI Caixin China Bedrock Economy ETF ("China BEI ETF") (Ticker: 2803 HK) tracks the CSI Caixin Bedrock Economy Index, which aims to capture leading companies that drive the mainstream economy of China , based on economic size, financial health and low risk characteristics, ("China BEI ETF") (Ticker: 2803 HK) tracks the CSI Caixin Bedrock Economy Index, which aims to capture leading companies that drive the mainstream economy of , based on economic size, financial health and low risk characteristics, the Premia CSI Caixin China New Economy ETF ("China NEI ETF") (Ticker: 3173 HK) tracks the CSI Caixin New Economic Engine Index, which aims to capture leaders from new economy industries, selected based on non-fixed asset size, financial health and growth characteristics. With the inclusion of China A shares in the MSCI Emerging Market index, investors are increasingly looking for strategies that provide efficient access to the Mainland markets, while seeking to generate above-market returns relative to simply buying the largest companies by market capitalization or taking concentrated bet in the SOE or financial sectors. The Premia ETFs leverage on Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta's academic research, which identifies several equity factors -- including value, quality, low volatility, size -- as having the potential to outperform the broader A-shares equity market over the long term. The fundamental beta approach also introduces a buy-low, sell-high discipline into factor investing, as opposed to traditional market capitalization approaches that exhibit tendency to buy-high and sell-low. "We are very excited to partner with CSI, Madam Hu Shuli and Dr. Jason Hsu and their team at Caixin Rayliant in offering these two ETFs," said Rebecca Chua, Managing Partner of Premia Partners. "Dr. Hsu has long been the leading voice in the smart beta and factor investing world, with his work at Research Affiliates widely recognized and adopted by investors globally. We are honoured to be able to leverage on him and the Caixin Rayliant team's insights and expertise in bringing to market the world's first fundamental multi-factor China A-shares ETFs. These strategies are based on robust academic research into China factor performance and are the first to capture the nuances of mainstream and new economy Mainland markets instead of following a narrow market capitalization approach." Hu Shuli, editor-in-chief of Caixin Media and founder of Caixin Insight Group said: "As the Chinese economy continues to expand, its financial markets become increasingly relevant for global investors. We are committed to provide the best financial content through our international platform, Caixin Global, and Caixin Rayliant which empowers investors with world class smart beta capabilities to participate in China's growth." Dr. Jason Hsu. Chairman and CIO of Rayliant Global Advisors and Vice Chairman of Research Affiliates: "We are so pleased to be working with Premia Partners on the NEI and BEI ETFs. Premia shares our passion for bringing to market state of the art investment strategies at low cost that generate long term value for investors. Particularly in Asia, where there is a culture of high fees and short-term performance selling, such strategies are in great need and Premia is taking a lead to fill the gap. These two ETFs offer the opportunity of excess return through low cost exposure to systematic sources of returns." Media Enquiry Premia Partners Company Limited +852-2950-5777 enquiries@premia-partners.com About Premia Partners Premia Partners is an investment firm founded in Hong Kong in 2016, by a group of enthusiasts who believe in enabling investors with efficient investment tools and see enormous scope for innovation in the Asian ETF industry. The team came from various incumbent global and regional industry leaders and shares one common goal -- to reshape the ETF landscape in Asia by applying our collective knowledge and execution experience as well as by collaborating with the best-in-class global experts to curate ETF and smart beta solutions for investors. In Asia, and for Asia -- because this is our home. For more information, please visit www.premia-partners.com. About Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta Caixin Rayliant Smart Beta is the joint venture formed in 2017, between Caixin Insight of Caixin Media Group and Rayliant Global Advisors. This partnership brings together the vast data, research, and publishing capabilities across the Caixin family of companies, and the smart beta, factor investing and index-construction expertise of Rayliant Global Advisors ("RGA"). The joint venture is led by Dr. Jason Hsu as the Chief Index Architect and Dr. Jason Tuan as the CEO. Dr. Jason Hsu is the Founder and Chairman of RGA and co-founder and Vice-Chairman of Research Affiliates. Dr. Jason Tuan is a Managing Director at RGA. For more information, please visit www.caixinrayliant.com. About Caixin Insight Group Caixin Insight Group is founded by Caixin Media Group's Editor-in-Chief and the internationally acclaimed journalist Madam HU Shuli. It is a sister company of Caixin Media (www.caixin.com), the leading financial and business news provider. The company focuses on providing best in class Chinese business and financial database, macroeconomic research, big-data analytics, smart beta index and strategy consulting services, with the goal of helping Chinese and global institutions better navigate through the structural economic development, internationalization, capital markets development and other important strategic agenda on China. About Rayliant Global Advisors Rayliant Global Advisors (RGA) is a Hong Kong-based investment management group founded in 2012. RGA specializes in Greater China equity strategies. Its unique quantamental approach of incorporating fundamental insights into a quantitative based portfolio construction process seeks to overcome challenges inherent in either fundamental-only or quantitative-only investment strategies. RGA is led by Dr. Jason Hsu, a well-established leader in factor investing and co-founder of Research Affiliates. Jason has published over 40 journal articles and has won numerous awards for his work. He is Adjunct Professor of Finance at the University of California, Los Angeles, and visiting professor at National Chengchi University in Taiwan and Kyoto University. For more information, please visit www.rayliant.com. Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS), the leading data research platform and business intelligence tool for corporate, academic and government institutions worldwide, is pleased to announce the University of Gothenburg as the winner of the WRDS-SSRN Innovation Award for the EMEA region. The award, created through a unique collaboration with SSRN, the worlds leading research paper repository, and its parent company Elsevier, a global information analytics company specializing in science and health, honors emerging business school that produce exceptional research. A part of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, WRDS provides global corporations, universities and regulatory agencies the thought leadership, data access and analytics needed to enable impactful research. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171022005043/en/ Mireia Gine (Wharton Research Data Services) and Patrik Strm (University of Gothenburg) (Photo: Business Wire) Dr. Mireia Gine, Director of International Initiatives for WRDS presented the award to Helena Sjholm and Patrik Strm from the University of Gothenburg during the AACSB EMEA Conference in Malta. The WRDS-SSRN Innovation Award is an important element of the collaboration. Three winning institutions will be selected annually from across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions based on their ability to demonstrate innovation and research excellence. Winners will receive a monetary prize and promotion. To learn more, go to http://www.whartonwrds.com/about/our-impact I am delighted to present the WRDS-SSRN Innovation Award to the University of Gothenburg, said Mireia Gine, Director of International Initiatives for WRDS. It is exciting to recognize the excellent research taking place at the University of Gothenburg, and the schools commitment to advancing its business program. We are honored to receive the WRDS-SSRN Innovation Award. As one of the first Schools in Sweden to use WRDS we see how it strengthens our research. It is also very helpful in meeting the data requirements of students. We are convinced that WRDS will continue to be a useful resource as we improve the research capabilities of the School, said Associate Professor Jan Marton, Vice Dean, the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg. Gregg Gordon, Managing Director of SSRN, added: On behalf of everyone at SSRN, I am pleased to congratulate the University of Gothenburg on winning this WRDS-SSRN Innovation Award. The award and the WRDS Research Paper Series, a new, searchable platform on SSRN that showcases research conducted by WRDS, offer business programs and researchers greater visibility and opportunities to share their important work. ABOUT SSRN SSRN is a worldwide collaborative of over 330,600 authors and more than 2.2 million users that is devoted to the rapid worldwide dissemination of research. Founded in 1994, it is now composed of a number of specialized research networks. Each of SSRNs networks encourages the early distribution of research results by reviewing and distributing submitted abstracts and full text papers from scholars around the world. SSRN encourages readers to communicate directly with other subscribers and authors concerning their own and others research. Through email abstract eJournals SSRN currently reaches over 400,000 people in approximately 140 different countries. ABOUT ELSEVIER Elsevier is a global information analytics company that helps institutions and professionals progress science, advance healthcare and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and professional education; including ScienceDirect, Scopus, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, more than 35,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Grays Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics to professionals and business customers, in a wide range of industries. www.elsevier.com ABOUT WRDS Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) is the leading business intelligence, data analytics, and financial research platform for global institutions enabling comprehensive thought leadership, historical analysis, and insight into the latest innovations in academic research. WRDS provides researchers with one location to access over 250 terabytes of data across multiple disciplines including Accounting, Banking, Economics, ESG, Finance, Healthcare, Insurance, Marketing, and Statistics. Flexible data delivery options include a powerful web query method that reduces research time, the WRDS Cloud for executing research and strategy development, and the WRDS client server using PCSAS, Matlab, and R. Our Analytics team, doctoral-level support and rigorous data review and validation give clients the confidence to tailor research within complex databases and create a wide range of reliable data models. An award-winning data research platform for over 50,000 commercial, academic, and government users in 30+ countries, WRDS is the global gold standard in data management and research all backed by the credibility and leadership of the Wharton School. ABOUT THE WHARTON SCHOOL Founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. With a broad global community and one of the most published business school faculties, Wharton creates economic and social value around the world. The Wharton School has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 9,000 participants in executive education programs annually and a powerful alumni network of 96,000 graduates. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171022005043/en/ Wharton Research Data Services Robin Nussbaum Gold wrds@wharton.upenn.edu October 16, 2017 The popularity of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has spiked, at least on social media, following US President Donald Trump laying out a new strategy on Oct. 13 that increases the likelihood of not only the collapse of the nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers, but also the likelihood of a military conflict and aggressive efforts to bring about regime change in Tehran. In the same strategy speech, Trump said he had authorized the Treasury to impose additional sanctions on the IRGC, describing it as "the Iranian Supreme Leaders corrupt personal terror force and militia." A day after Trump's speech from the White House, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted, Today, Iranians boys, girls, men, women are ALL IRGC; standing with those who defend us & the region against aggression and terror. On Oct. 11, President Hassan Rouhani also addressed the IRGC and the possibility of US sanctions against them. He remarked, If America wants to commit its next big mistake and take action against the IRGC, this is a mistake upon a mistake. Rouhani continued, The IRGC is not only a military organization, but the IRGC is in the hearts of the people and has defended the nation any time there has been a danger against national interests. He added that the IRGC is not only popular among the Iranian people, but also in Iraq, including Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria and Lebanon. In response to Trumps speech and Zarifs tweet, #Love to IRGC began trending on Persian-language Twitter. Love to IRGC is that feeling of security which is like seeing Haj Qasem [Soleimani] and his friends, read one tweet. With the Islamic State's seizure of territory in Iraq, Irans neighbor to the west, Soleimani, commander of the IRGCs Quds Force, has become one of the more popular figures in Iran, according to domestic and foreign polls, with his profile raised by his force's assistance in the battle against the extremist group. The tweet by Zarif and the comments by Rouhani have also received some pushback. In an article in Javan, the newspaper of the IRGC, Sadegh Parsa wrote that had Zarif tweeted [We] are all IRGC four years ago, many of the Reformists would have disavowed him. The article went on to say that since Trumps speech, however, Iranians are more united than ever. Parsa also noted that Trump is not the first US president to use threats and insults against Iran and that his policies and tone have been the norm since Jimmy Carter, who was president at the time of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Rouhanis administration has not always had a positive relationship with the IRGC and some social media users reminded the president of that fact. In a December 2014 speech, Rouhani, without mentioning the IRGC by name, criticized the aggregation of power by one institution. He said that with one institution having guns, money, newspapers, websites, there will be corruption. The IRGC, which began as a military power parallel to the army and answerable to the supreme leader, has over the decades become an economic force, entering various industries, including construction and telecommunications. Much of its financial and construction work has been through Khatam al-Anbia Construction Headquarters, which can be loosely compared to the United States Army Corps of Engineers. October 20, 2017 TEHRAN, Iran Economic growth is generally generated by four sources: increasing private consumption, expanding private investment, higher government consumption and investment, and more exports. At present, when it comes to the first three, there is no potential for picked up economic output in Iran. Although efforts have been made to increase private investment, the data still show that Iran is faced with an outflow of capital. Hence, the only option for the Iranian government to pursue sustainable economic growth is to elevate exports. In this vein, economists believe that if exports rise, production will also follow suit. This, in turn, will boost employment, which has long been a key challenge for successive Iranian administrations. Mindful of the above, it should be borne in mind that the products any country usually makes are for two purposes: first for domestic consumption and second for exports. Various figures show that domestic consumption is not likely to experience an uptick due to lower disposable incomes of ordinary Iranians. Consequently, in such circumstances, the country should proceed toward exports and, in particular, non-oil exports, namely goods and services. As stated, there are two fundamental reasons why President Hassan Rouhanis economic team should raise exports to tackle rising unemployment in the country. Having said that, Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) reports show that the country's trade balance surplus, which stood at about $246 million in the previous Iranian calendar year ending March 20, alarmingly reversed its course in the two consecutive quarters in the current Iranian year starting March 21. This year, imports have increased dramatically while non-oil exports have been dropping. The high volume of oil and gas, petrochemicals and minerals, and the existence of only one main agricultural export commodity (pistachio) is a revealing testimony of the continuation of the production policy of low value-added and crude exports in Iranian industry. It is worth noting that the value of each ton of exported goods in the previous Iranian year was just about $339 per ton on average. Whereas this was $1,308 per ton for imported goods in the same corresponding period, a bit less than fourfold of the exports value. While there are a vast number of countries with diverse needs and preferences, Irans exports are worryingly confined to just a handful of them majorly, China, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Turkey and Korea. These trade partners purchase about 81% of Iran's total commodity exports. This trend is indicative of the vulnerability of the nations exports to a limited number of countries, since possible diplomatic standoffs with any of these countries can enormously jeopardize Irans exports to them. Also, the composition of non-oil export items should be defined in a manner that it precludes gas condensate and petrochemicals that generally have an oil base. Relying on figures taking into account these two types of goods cannot provide a clear notion of foreign trade. According to the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, a significant portion of Iran's non-oil exports is products such as petrochemicals, bitumen, gas condensate and the like. But what is called non-oil exports is not indeed categorized as such. While IRICA has placed natural gas and condensates in the non-oil trade list, they are all part of oil exports in the World Trade Organizations (WTO) definition of oil and gas products. Interestingly, there are differences in the actual number of statistics. For example, the statistical data of WTO, IRICA and the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) point to differing figures regarding non-oil exports of the country in 2015-16. This is due to different interpretations of the term oil and non-oil export segmentation. For instance, if the WTOs definition is applied, then $7 billion in fuel exports would be eliminated from non-oil exports outright and consequently the 2015-16 trade balance would turn negative. As such, the positive trade balance is not only not compatible with the definitions of international organizations, but these statistics also differ significantly between the two domestic governmental agencies (IRICA and CBI). Having said that, according to Mohammad Lahouti, the president of the Export Confederation of Iran, the country has failed to materialize its non-oil export goals. A look at the country's statistics shows that [exports] have been registering a weaker performance than expected in order to achieve defined targets, he said in an interview with the leading economic weekly Tejarat-e- Farda on Oct. 19, 2016. In Lahoutis telling, while the annual growth rate of non-oil exports had long averaged 20%, this figure was only about 5% under Rouhanis first administration (2013-17). Additionally, the government is currently aiming to fill the vacuum of exports decline by reducing imports in a move to keep in check the negative trade balance, albeit with abnormal practices. It is notable that IRICA has recently issued an order to reduce imports and restrict importation of certain items, including cars, to make up for the negative trade balance in the current Iranian year. Primarily hurting Iranian consumers and handily giving way to smuggling and the expansion of an informal economy are the only end results of such impulsive decisions without properly leading to any concrete solution. Even though the amount of smuggling dropped from $15.5 billion in 2015-16 to $12-$13 billion in 2016-17, this roughly constituted up to 30% of imports in the previous Iranian year. Indeed, had these items been imported via formal border crossings, then the government would have no positive trade balance to boast. Most countries in the world change import tariff rates as high as 1-2%. While in Iran there were decrees that hiked import tariffs by astonishingly several thousand percent, even when there were periods when the currency rate remained unchanged, said Mahmoud Beheshtian, a consultant to the Chief Customs Officer of Iran, with a history of four decades working at IRICA, in an interview with Tejarat-e Farda on Sept. 23. He said, Frequent requests from different organizations or parliamentarians, currency issues and legislation such as the budget laws are obstacles that do not allow tariff rates to remain constant for several years. Regrettably, the implication is that current priorities are not based on the realities of the Iranian economy, while more often than not, business favoritism continues to undermine the overall economy. All in all, decreasing the country's dependence on oil revenues would increase the chances of non-oil exports expansion in the long term. As a result, expanding the competitive environment of the Iranian economy in parallel with widening international exchanges with foreign parties are primary prerequisites to reinforce the country's non-oil exports. By doing so, economic output growth will help solve the unemployment dilemma, which is on the verge of a major crisis in Iran. October 19, 2017 Turkey is moving forward with controversial plans to build a canal to rival Suez and Panama, but it threatens to wreak environmental havoc, destroy budgetary balances and drive sprawl in Europes biggest city. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Oct. 10 that "ground-breaking" would take place within months for the Istanbul Canal, which he dubbed his crazy project when he introduced it in 2011. God willing, we will lay the foundation for a new canal parallel to the Bosporus, what we call the Istanbul Canal my dream most likely at the end of this year or at the beginning of 2018, Erdogan said. There is a Suez, a Panama and there will be an Istanbul Canal. The 43-kilometer (27-mile) canal would slice through forest and farmland to connect the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and render half of Istanbul an island. The project is part of the governments $250 billion infrastructure-building spree by 2023 to power economic growth. Supporters say the Istanbul Canal will transform Turkey into a global trade and energy hub and reduce risks posed by the 53,000 ships, many carrying hazardous materials, that each year transit the Bosporus, which twists through Istanbul and is lined with priceless villas and palaces. The Montreux Convention of 1936 guarantees free passage for civilian ships sailing through the Bosporus and the Dardanelles at the other end of the Sea of Marmara, and it is not clear how Turkey will compel vessels to use the canal for a fee. Environmentalists say the impact will be profound in one of the worlds most earthquake-prone nations. Pollution from Black Sea littoral states would flow to the Mediterranean, and the canal could alter sea currents and temperatures on both sides. Water pouring in from the Black Sea, which has less salinity than the Sea of Marmara, could destroy sea life. Erdogan has already overseen a makeover of the skyline of 8,000-year-old Istanbul, digging rail and car tunnels linking Europe and Asia beneath the Bosporus and topping a hill with a $100 million mosque. The worlds biggest airport is being constructed near the expected mouth of the canal, and a bridge and motorway, for which officials said they razed nearly 400,000 trees, are now open to reach it. The government is like the pharaohs, building pyramids with these megaprojects. But too much infrastructure without enough human capital to use is a waste of money, Atilla Yesilada, an analyst at GlobalSource Partners, told Al-Monitor. Financing and the manner in which we build these through public-private participation is a disaster. The government contracts these out to private companies, which cant finance them, so the Treasury guarantees loans and the state promises them a profit, paid through taxes, he said. Guarantees for infrastructure likely exceed $123.5 billion. Political patronage also plays a part, Yesilada said. Uncompetitive tenders are tailor-made for companies close to the government, which are said in turn to donate money to the ruling party to help finance lavish election campaigns. Details of the Istanbul Canal have been cloaked in secrecy, with the unparalleled feat of engineering possibly costing three times the official estimate of $10 billion. Last month, Transportation Minister Ahmet Arslan said the government had signed a deal for surveying after choosing a route, though he did not specify the location. He also said the project will be integrated with the new airport and the state-run home builder is involved, rousing concerns the scheme is, at heart, a real estate development project. The plan has already sparked speculative land purchases, real estate agents in nearby areas say. Property listings along the expected route boast of early investment opportunities, and a map at one realtors office shows more than a half-dozen future suburbs for hundreds of thousands of people. The motorway, Istanbul Canal, bridge and airport are the transportation projects needed to build a new city. Once you build the roads, people will come, Onur Akgul, a member of the Northern Forests Defense, a group of activists working to save parts of Istanbuls hinterland, told Al-Monitor. For now, the area on the western fringes of Istanbul, a heaving city of more than 15 million people, is spotted with bucolic villages, archaeological heritage and streams frequented by fishermen. Workers late last month were spotted surveying land south of a picturesque Ottoman-era dam. Plainclothes police spent a full day tracking a group of hikers exploring the area. On the banks of the Kucukcekmece Lake is the long-lost Hellenistic settlement of Bathonea dating to the 4th century B.C., which risks being at least partially submerged by the canal. The Yarimburgaz Cave is one of Europes oldest habitation sites, dating back as far as a half-million years. Researchers have unearthed artifacts there that shed light on mans migration from Africa. Environmentally, culturally, historically this area is home to unbelievable riches. It is also the center of an ecological system that includes water catchment basins and the main source of Istanbuls drinking water, said Akgul. Its trees produce the oxygen we breathe. He added, Its either Istanbul or the canal we cant have both. October 20, 2017 A series of shortcuts undertaken by the Italian government in Libya to stop migration flows in recent months has had serious repercussions. Earlier in October, the human smuggling hub of Sabratha erupted in battle between warring militias as a direct result of Italys interference in Libyan domestic affairs. The origin of the battle can be traced back to the summer, when Italy allegedly started paying militias to halt human smuggling. Italian government figures deny these claims despite widespread reports to the contrary. Working through the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) of Fayez al-Sarraj, the Italians funded the Martyr Anas al-Dabashi militia, commonly known as al-Ammu's militia (the uncles militia), and Brigade 48, according to these reports. Libya has been a fractured state since the 2011 civil war that overthrew Moammar Gadhafi. Today, the state has two large ruling forces with Sarraj in the west and Gen. Khalifa Hifters Libyan National Army (LNA) running the east. The two figures are competing for legitimacy in Libya and from international actors. Under Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, the country has primarily worked with Sarraj. But at the same time, there is ambivalence in its actions as it has ramped up its relations with Hifter. [Italian Interior Minister] Marco Minniti and his colleagues have been smart, from their own selfish perspective, Jalel Harchaoui, a doctoral candidate in geopolitics at Paris 8 University and a frequent commentator on Libyan affairs, told Al-Monitor. Their strategy has not hesitated to make use of several contending actors in Libya. From the perspective of Libyans, however, there has been destruction, suffering and mayhem since mid-September, triggered by Italys interference in northwestern Libya this reality must be recognized, he said. In August, the number of boats reaching Italian shores decreased considerably thanks to Italian funding going to militias attempting to stifle migrants and refugees leaving Libyan shores. But it was an attempt at a quick fix from Italy, as hundreds, if not thousands of migrants and refugees became stuck in eastern Sabratha under terrible conditions, while tensions simmered between human smugglers and the militias suppressing the smuggling. After a month of suppressing human smuggling, the al-Ammu militia allegedly clashed with smugglers trying to move boats filled with aspiring travelers. Pushed by the European Union and Italy, the GNA in Tripoli granted legitimacy to Brigade 48 and al-Ammu. And their rivals [a group called] the Operations Room and al-Wadi deemed that unacceptable, Harchaoui said, noting that the LNA provided military help. On Sept. 17, a paramilitary force attacked al-Ammus militia, kicking off a battle that left nearly 100 people dead and many more wounded in addition to the destruction of houses and other vital infrastructure. The LNA-backed Operations Room now controls Sabratha. Said differently, Italy interfered. It altered a fragile equilibrium, and the Hifter camp seized the opportunity to make advances, Harchaoui said. And now, a couple of weeks after the conclusion of a battle that dragged in all of Libyas major actors, analysts say Italys troubling influence may have further destabilizing effects on Libya. Harchaoui added, What I expect in the coming weeks is a backlash from all those anti-Hifter factions once they have regrouped and merged forces. I expect ugly battles in that same area between Ras Jdir and Tripoli, perhaps along the littoral or perhaps further inland, in the Nalut district. It is not going to be an uninterrupted series of rosy victories by the LNA, I don't think so. Italy will likely continue to work with both the GNA and LNA, looking for the simplest solutions to complex problems. Italy is set for parliamentary elections in 2018, and immigration is the leading issue for the nation. The battle in Sabratha stemmed from the Italian governments attempts to curtail immigration, and despite the destruction and loss of life, it may still be a political victory for a group of politicians and parties who seemingly have little interest in the life or well-being of refugees and migrants. The coming weeks will tell whether the new group in control of Sabratha is effectively curtailing the flows, Mattia Toaldo, a Libya expert and policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Al-Monitor. He explained, Last year, October was one of the months with the highest flows, and so far 3,000 [people] have already arrived. For Italy, moderate flows would still be OK as the government has convinced public opinion that the problem is sorted for the moment and the domestic mainstream media has not been very curious to find out why, Toaldo said. The Gentiloni government works closely with the GNA not because it believes it will last, but mainly because Gentiloni is in a hurry, Harchaoui noted. The government in Rome is focused on delivering results on the migrant-crisis front before the elections in 2018. It seems a delicate peace has been ripped apart in northwest Libya. A country conflicted by sporadic battles in and around other major cities may now have a new area prone to the occasional armed conflict. For Libya, what happened in the last two months was the destabilization of the northwest of the country, an area so far covered by local cease-fires since the spring of 2015, said Toaldo. The balance has been broken. Well have to see if the losers will fight back." October 16, 2017 The last remaining rebel-held suburbs of south Damascus may soon fall under a new "de-escalation zone," according to a tentative agreement announced by rebel representatives in Cairo on Oct. 12. Jaish al-Islam political representative and former chief rebel negotiator Mohammad al-Alloush announced the deal, reportedly signed with Russian guarantees, in an address broadcast by Egyptian state TV. Alloush described the agreement as preliminary, but added that it would provide for the continued opening of crossings in the south of the capital to allow in humanitarian aid, and protect against forcible displacements in areas where the deal was implemented. The agreement, which was signed by Jaish al-Islam, another rebel faction and a Hamas-affiliated Palestinian militia originally from Yarmouk camp, took effect at noon Cairo time Oct. 12. The new deal would impose a de-escalation zone in south Damascus, similar to the ones formed in the wake of the international agreement signed in the Kazakh capital, Astana, in May. The deal set out tentative cease-fires in four mostly rebel-controlled areas of the country with Russia, Turkey and Iran acting as guarantors. There was no mention in the deal of two other districts of south Damascus, Yarmouk camp and Hajar al-Aswad, which remain under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Islamic State (IS). On Oct. 13, Syrian jets launched at least 14 airstrikes on IS-controlled Hajar al-Aswad. And the incredibly complex state-of-play in and around the last rebel-held south Damascus suburbs could pose problems in the future, said Valerie Szybala, The Syria Institutes executive director. The regime was not part of the talks in Cairo, so its reaction will be important in determining how things play out, Szybala told Al-Monitor on Oct. 12. Given Iran's interest in this geographical area, I imagine it is a place where they [with the regime] would be willing to challenge or undermine a deal made by Russia that they don't like. She added, Many of the armed opposition groups in the southern suburbs were not part of the negotiations either, so there is the potential for them to create issues as well if they decide at some point that they don't like it. Rebel groups, despite signing partial truces with the regime in 2014, still control four areas of south Damascus: al-Qadam in one pocket, and Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem in another. Only three local rebel forces signed the Oct. 12 document in Cairo. Prior to this latest announcement, the fate of south Damascus hung in the balance. An imminent evacuation deal meant to remove hundreds of rebel fighters from the most isolated of the last rebel-held suburbs of Damascus, al-Qadam, was postponed without explanation in late September. That deal was supposed to see evacuations from al-Qadam to either Idlib or Jarablus in Syrias north. However, on the day evacuations were set to begin Sept. 26 al-Qadams local council said the deal had been postponed until further notice. A source at al-Qadam's local council told Al-Monitor last week that evacuations had indeed been delayed, albeit for unknown reasons. Local activist and journalist Mattar Ismail told Al-Monitor that IS had threatened to bomb [al-Qadam] if people tried to leave, while Lebanese Hezbollah made its own threats to stop the convoy and arrest people, to advance its demand to get families of fighters out of Kefraya and Fua. South Damascus neighborhoods had previously been included in the four towns agreement negotiated between rebels, Qatar, Iran and Iranian-backed Hezbollah in late March. That agreement connected the fates of four besieged towns Fua and Kefraya in the north besieged by rebel and jihadi groups, and Madaya and Zabadani in the southwest besieged by Hezbollah so that evacuations from one pocket would be replicated in another. Under the deal, south Damascus was given a formalized nine-month cease-fire beginning March 28 that would have run out in two months. Ismail said that those two months would have been critical in deciding the future of Damascus, before adding that the Oct. 12 announcement sets out a cease-fire to stop military clashes with the regime, with terms and conditions that are very clear to give the regime authority in [south Damascus] again and the opportunity to control the area. The Syrian government has long-attempted to regularize the status of civilians and fighters in south Damascus through reconciliation regime-speak for a slew of truces that are usually followed by sieges and forcible evacuations. Some suggest the agreements are in contravention of international law. While fighters and civilians in al-Qadam were due to be evacuated, in Babila, Beit Sahem and Yalda the regime has previously tried to negotiate for fighters to join a pro-government militia force tasked with providing local security. Negotiations in the three villages have been ongoing since October 2016 without tangible results. Almost every actor involved in the Syrian conflict is now in some way engaged in the south Damascus suburbs. The regime negotiates with the rebels. Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias, stationed around the nearby Sayyida Zeinab shrine, use the hugely symbolic Shiite site as a rallying cry for their own interests in Syria and a staging post for influence in the citys south. Northwest Yarmouk is under the control of a small Hayat Tahrir al-Sham force that is besieged by an IS contingent still controlling much of the camp and neighboring Hajar al-Aswad. The force was previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra. In a sense, the southern suburbs enclave is a condensed window into the complex nature of Syria. It distills down the essence of how there are no clear rules, Szybala said. The ocean shipping schedule and booking network provider has partnered with carrier Transmar to provide electronic booking and processing in the Middle East, Red Sea, Arabian gulf and East Africa region. Ocean shipping e-commerce platform INTTRA and container shipping line Transmar Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of IACC Holdings, have partnered to offer electronic booking and shipping instructions processing in the Middle East, Red Sea, Arabian Gulf and East Coast of Africa. Transmar customers may now send their booking and shipping instructions through INTTRAs global network to provide more efficient services for customers by shifting to digital transactions and improving operational efficiencies, the companies announced on Monday. Transmars path to achieving growth and customer satisfaction is through digitization and optimization, which has the potential to take cost out of our operations said Mohamed El Ahwal, CEO of Transmar. INTTRA and its network will enable us to expand by reducing manual bookings, and building a more efficient booking experience for our customers. INTTRA has seen several other carriers join its network, with the latest being SM Line in August. Several smaller Asian carriers joined its network last year, while larger ocean carriers ZIM and NYK Line implemented INTTRAs VGM solution last year as well. We are delighted to see the growing number of carriers joining INTTRAs network to provide a better service to their customers, said Inna Kuznetsova, INTTRAs president and COO. The addition of Transmar as one of our newest carriers to address the Middle East, Red Sea, Arabian Gulf and the East Coast of Africa, means their customers will have a more efficient way to book containers and receive container tracking information. Former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar said that democracy is not subservient to a particular thought or a political party. By Manjeet Sehgal: Former president of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) Kanhaiya Kumar today said that Freedom of Speech is understood differently by different people and for him speaking against the Prime Minister is not against the country. Kanhaiya Kumar, who was in Chandigarh today, said that democracy is not subservient to a particular thought or a political party but added that people with vested interests are dividing the country on the basis of caste, colour and creed. advertisement On the controversy surrounding Taj Mahal, Kanhaiya said that it is not the name but the monuments' architecture and timeless beauty that attracts lakhs of visitors everyday. "Call it a Taj Mahal, Teju Mahal, Moti Mahal or Modi Mahal, it will always remain Taj Mahal and the controversies will not impact its existence," he said. Attacking the Central government for failing to keep its electoral promises, Kanhaiya said that rather than giving priority to basic amenities such as roti, kapda, shiksha and swasthay, it remained busy safeguarding its vote bank by giving precedence to building tallest statue of Lord Rama, bringing converted Hindus back to the fold and operation Clean Ganga. "I do not say that cleaning Ganga is not important but providing a shelter, food and basic health amenities to the common people was more important," Kanhaiya said. Kanhaiya praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking up issues of corruption and upliftment of the poor but in the same breath added that he (Modi) has not acted on these issues. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has two faces--one which, while addressing people, talks about their sufferings. I am with this face, but the other face just talks and does nothing (sic)," Kanhaiya said. Launching an indirect attack on the Election Commission of India, Kanhaiya Kumar said that the Gujarat Assembly election poll dates were not announced as the EC wanted to give an opportunity to the Prime Minister to visit his home state and make announcements to lure voters. On the Patidar community's role in Gujarat election, Kanhaiya Kumar said that given the popularity of leaders like Hardik Patel, the BJP is trying to break them. "It is good to support people who actually are fighting for the commoners but still I don't endorse some of the issues raised by Hardik Patel. I am not a voter in Gujarat so cannot say who should be given preference but people should vote for political organisations which believe in action. Those who are doing a lip service should not be voted for," Kanhaiya said. advertisement ALSO WATCH: Kanhaiya Kumar raised no anti-India slogans in JNU, says lab report --- ENDS --- Over the past few months, plenty of companies have announced and launched Google Assistant-enabled speakers. Like the Sony LF-S50G, JBLs LINK series, and Anker will soon be launching its Zolo Mojo Google Assistant Speaker. However, one thing that all of these have in common is the fact that they will not be sold on Amazons website. This issue is likely extending from when Amazon blocked Chromecast, Android TV and Apple TVs from being sold on its site (although it has made up with Apple and the Apple TV is back on Amazons website, interestingly enough Android TV boxes like the NVIDIA SHIELD TV are there, but not Chromecast still), which was all about how Chromecast doesnt have Amazons Prime Video app installed by default when actually it has zero apps installed by default, as they are all installed on your smartphone. Amazons Jeff Bezos explained the decision to drop Chromecast back in 2016 after dropping it in 2015. Advertisement It appears that the reason that Amazon is not selling items like the Anker Zolo Mojo, Google Home, Google Home Mini or the JBL LINK 300, is all due to the agreement that it was not able to come to with Google. Which is a bad deal for consumers. But its a good thing for Amazon, as it is able to push its own personal assistant-enabled products a bit more, like the Echo, Echo Spot, Echo Show and many others. Which do have a leg up, already, on Google Assistant, with it working with more smart home products and having plenty more skills than the Google Assistant has. We have reached out to Amazon for a comment on this, but they have not yet gotten back to us. Well be sure to update this story when and if they get back to us. There is one Google Assistant product that is available on Amazon, and thats the Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones. However, if you check out the description and the entire product page for the QC35 IIs, youll notice that there is zero mention about the Google Assistant. If you scroll down on the page to the Product Description youll see that it mentions that you can use the microphone with your phones personal assistant, but the Google Assistant still is not mentioned: The built-in microphone also gives you easy access to your phones default virtual assistant, like Siri. So it appears that Bose was able to get around the issue with Google and Amazon, by neglecting to mention the Assistant. You may also be thinking, but Google Assistant-compatible smart home products are sold on Amazon? And that is true. The Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Cam, Nanoleaf Aurora, LIFX smart bulbs and many other products are sold on Amazon that work with the Google Assistant. However, they also work with Amazon Alexa, so theres little reason for Amazon to block that. That is also the case for the Sonos One that launches tomorrow. Its an Amazon Alexa speaker, that will get the Google Assistant next year, but since it works with both personal assistants, Amazon wont block it. Advertisement This is a topic that likely wont get a whole lot of attention, but it really should. Its going to cost Google quite a bit of sales of its Assistant speakers, seeing as most people search Amazon for something to buy rather than searching Google. And if you search Google Assistant on Amazon, the very first product to appear is the Amazon Echo Dot and that is likely no coincidence. This could end up a big deal for Amazon, where it is essentially blocking a competitor in Google Assistant, from competing directly with its personal assistant, Alexa. Hopefully Google and Amazon can come to terms on some sort of deal to where Google Assistant products can be sold on its store once again. The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus may feature a notch on the bottom of their display panels which would house a fingerprint recognition sensor, as suggested by a recent design patent that Samsung filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPRIS). The sole existence of the patent doesnt guarantee it will ever be commercialized, let alone that it will find its way to the Galaxy S9 lineup specifically, but any technology Samsung uses in its upcoming Android flagship series will have to be patented prior to launching early next year. The newly uncovered patent was just made public on Monday after Samsung initially submitted it for review in April 2016. The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus have been the subjects of numerous rumors and reports in recent months, with some insiders claiming that neither device will have an on-screen fingerprint scanner that Samsung has been developing for several years now but still isnt capable of commercializing due to a number of technological limitations and yield rates that are supposedly deemed too low for reliable flow production. The fingerprint reader placement has been one of the rare complaints consumers and reviewers had about the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, with the Galaxy Note 8 introducing more space between the rear-mounted sensor and its dual-camera setup but still not debuting any radical redesigns. With recent reports suggesting that Samsung wont be able to mass-produce any handsets with optical fingerprint sensors before the Galaxy Note 9 is set to hit the market, its possible that the company is trying to do what it can to reposition the scanner on the Galaxy S9-series devices despite the technological constraints its presently said to be facing. The hypothetical product described by the vague patent would have a screen with a small cutout similar to the one found on the top of the Essential PH-1, with the opening itself being on the bottom of its front panel. While the solution would not be as elegant as an on-screen fingerprint reader, it could serve as a stop-gap between rear-mounted sensors and optical ones that Samsung is hoping to deliver in the second half of 2018. Googles Vice President of Security and Privacy Engineering, Gerhard Eschelbeck, thinks that the world needs to wake up about the dangers associated with cyber threats. In the U.S. in particular, he postulates, cyber attacks and a lack of understanding about the importance of cybersecurity put personal data, infrastructure, and even democracy itself at risk. The fact of the matter is that cyber attacks are already prominent at hospitals, power plants, government offices, and politically-aligned institutions. Thats leaving alone mobile security threats and vulnerabilities that seem to dominate technology news headlines at least once a month. Eschelbeck continues to outline how what he thinks the underlying problem is. While he says that new protection measures based on automation and encryption have come a long way in the past several years, people seem to be less interested or committed to security. Eschelbecks argument does make some sense. The most commonly chosen password over the past year was 123456 and most users dont keep all of their software up-to-date on a regular basis, despite that it is a big concern for security experts. Problems found with some two-step authentication methods, meanwhile, are likely part of the reason people dont bother enrolling in those programs, in addition to inconveniences those can cause. Moreover, it is easy to become desensitized or to begin thinking the added security layers offer no benefit with new stories rolling out every other week or month about new vulnerabilities or cybersecurity breaches. Adding to the problem is the fact that high-level security smashing tools, such as those typically used by government-backed agencies or government entities are readily available and often at no cost to anybody willing to utilize them. Meanwhile, the threat is also real from governments or government-backed groups, as well, that are either perpetrating or thought to be perpetrating some of the more high-profile attacks. With as many as 70-percent of large corporations based in the U.S. and Europe expected to see increasingly intense cyber attacks by 2019, organizations, governments, and people cant afford to be lax about security, Eschelbeck claims. Eschelbeck goes on to say that the solution needs to start with education and that the conversation about how to stay secure using two-step authentication, installing updates, and taking other steps needs to start at home and to be included as part of schools curriculum. Beyond that, governments need to fund cybersecurity organizations and citizens need to pressure representatives to provide funding for national cyberdefense measures regardless of party affiliation, as a bipartisan effort. Recent decisions to by some local authorities in the U.S. to harden the security of electronic voting machines and efforts from the current and previous administrations to raise funding and budgets, he says, are good starts but are not nearly enough. Meanwhile, organizations and businesses need to look to security experts or hire dedicated security experts to provide oversight of corporate activities in order to maintain strong security through security policies, procedures, and strategies for dealing with possible problems. The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are now available for pre-order in Australia, straight from the companys official website. The smartphones made their debut earlier this month, sporting high-end specs and features, while also serving as launch vehicles for the latest Android 8.0 Oreo operating system. As expected from Googles smartphones, both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL feature stock Android versions, without the customizations that OEMs typically place on top of the OS. Both smartphones are premium, competing at the flagship segment of the smartphone market, and they come with premium prices to match. The Google Pixel 2 is priced at AUD 1,079 (roughly $844) for the base model with 64GB of storage space, or AUD 1,229 (about $961) for the higher-capacity version with 128GB of storage space. The Pixel 2 XL, meanwhile, starts at AUD 1,399 (about $1,047) for the 64GB version and goes up to AUD 1,549 (roughly $1,211) for the 128GB model. The shipping times will vary based on device and model. Google is ready to start shipping the Pixel 2 on October 27, but the Pixel 2 XL will take between four and seven weeks to ship, depending on variant. The Pixel 2 is available in Just Black, Clearly White, Black and White, and Kinda Blue color options, albeit the latter is just for the 64GB version. The Pixel 2 XL is available in Just Black and Black and White color options. For those unfamiliar with the handsets, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL share many specifications, but their design sets them apart. While both handsets sport a mostly metallic build with a bit of glass on the back, the Pixel 2 XL is significantly larger and features significantly slimmer bezels around the display. Hardware-wise, both handsets pack the 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor under the hood, paired with 4GB of RAM. Both feature 12.2-megapixel rear cameras, 8-megapixel selfie cams, rear-facing fingerprint scanners, Android 8.0 Oreo, and fast charging technology. The Pixel 2 has a 5-inch AMOLED display with a full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, while the Pixel 2 XL has a 6-inch pOLED display with a QHD+ resolution of 2,880 x 1,440 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Pixel 2 has a 2,700mAh battery, while the Pixel 2 XL has a 3,520mAh unit. Australian customers can currently secure the smartphones only from the Google Store, but the handsets will also start shipping from third-party retailers such as JB HiFi and Telstra starting on October 31. The new Nokia 3310 with 3G connectivity is ready to hit the United States, available for pre-order now from Best Buy. The device stirred a lot of interest when it made its debut earlier this year, bringing the iconic Nokia 3310 feature phone back from the grave under HMD Globals umbrella. The phone was a symbol of durability and reliability and the rebooted version brings it to the modern age, capitalizing on nostalgia to revive the affordable handset. Upon its debut, the new Nokia 3310 featured 2.5G connectivity and it did not work on U.S. networks, but that issue has since been resolved. Following great demand from fans, HMD Global has now announced that its launching a 3G version of the handset in collaboration with Best Buy. The Nokia 3310 3G is now available for pre-order at Best Buy, sporting a $59.99 price tag and an October 29 launch date. The smartphone comes in a number of cheerful color options, including Yellow, Charcoal (dark gray), Warm Red, and Azure (light blue). All colors sport a matte finish, and all feature silver keyboards. Nokia touts that it enhanced the retro user experience of the device for an improved, customized user experience. Best Buy is offering the unlocked GSM version of the Nokia 3310 3G, which means that the handset will work with GSM carries such as AT&T and T-Mobile, but it is not compatible with Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, or any other CDMA carriers. The 3G connectivity will drain the phones battery a bit faster than the 2.5G one, but HMD says the handset should still last for up to 6.5 hours of talk time, and 27 days of standby time. The Nokia 3310 3G features a modest 2.4-inch TFT display with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels, 16GB of internal storage space expandable up to 32GB with a microSD card slot, a 2-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, and an FM radio app. The handset also brings back the widely popular Snake game with an updated version that aims to enhance the experience. The Nokia 3310 3G does not have a front camera, and it doesnt support Wi-Fi. With Best Buy on board, the Nokia 3310 3G will enjoy mass retail availability in the United States. Google said recent reports about its new subscription business model designed to share revenue with media outlets are totally wrong, according to a statement provided to CNET by company spokeswoman Maggie Shiels. The firms subscription-related plans were initially reported by Financial Times on Sunday, with the publication basing much of its information on statements attributed to Google Vice President of News Richard Gingras. While Ms. Shiels didnt deny that Mr. Gingras spoke with FT, she explicitly stated that the companys subscription initiative is in an early phase of development and Google has yet to even approach a single potential partner, let alone agree on a deal with any of them. FTs original report also suggested that Google already decided on the approximate revenue share it would apply to all subscriptions it helped broker but the companys subsequent statement on the matter dismissed that notion as well, adding that no firm decisions on how much revenue would be shared with publishers if the program was to ever go live have yet been reached. No major components of the subscription model will be defined until the Mountain View, California-based tech giant receives input from various news publishers, Ms. Shiels indicated, revealing that the talks themselves are yet to start taking place. Mr. Gingras was yesterday quoted by FT as promising a very generous revenue share to media outlets which was supposed to be larger than the one the company uses for its advertising business which gives at least 70 percent of all revenue to publishers. While the clarification provided by Google dismisses the majority of the Sunday report, it does acknowledge that the internet firm has a news subscription initiative in the making and will presumably complete the development of its upcoming product in the near future. Alphabets subsidiary just recently revamped its one-click policy which penalized websites that opted to put hard paywalls in front of their content by ranking them significantly lower in Search results. The company appears to still be in the process of assisting news outlets in becoming more successful after some of them accused it of damaging the profitability of the industry by devaluing ads and making it harder for non-free websites to receive organic search traffic. The OnePlus 5T leaks are quite persistent lately, weve seen quite a few of them in the last couple of weeks, and several new images have just surfaced as well. If you take a look at the gallery down below, youll be able to see three new images of the alleged OnePlus 5T which is due to launch in the coming weeks. Several reports suggested that the phone will arrive in November, while some of them said that OnePlus has no plans of announcing the OnePlus 5T, and will, instead, jump straight to the OnePlus 6. Now, if the latter info is accurate, then OnePlus could launch the OnePlus 6 earlier than expected. In any case, the newly-leaked images are showing off what seems to be a leaked listing of the OnePlus 5T on the companys official website. One of these images actually gives us a really good look at the phone itself, and the device looks like the rebranded version of the OPPO R11s, at least based on leaks of that phone, as the OPPO R11s will be announced on November 2, but a ton of images surfaced thus far. Now, if the OnePlus 5T ends up resembling the OPPO R11s, that would not exactly be surprising, as the OnePlus 5 is essentially a rebranded OPPO R11 as far as the design is concerned, even though the OnePlus 5 is quite a bit more powerful. Its also worth noting that the OnePlus 5 is no longer available for purchase in most markets, including Europe and the US, which suggests that a new version could be on the way as well. OnePlus CEO, Carl Pei, actually said, via Twitter, that the demand for the OnePlus 5 was higher than the company anticipated, pushing that as a reason why the OnePlus 5 is no longer available, but all in all, it seems like a new variant is coming, OnePlus probably would not let its stock dry up just like that if it is not planning to release a new phone. In any case, as you can see, the OnePlus 5T will sport considerably thinner bezels than the OnePlus 5, but chances are it will also sport a larger display. The OnePlus 5T is expected to arrive with a 5.99-inch fullHD+ (2160 x 1080) AMOLED display, while its display will also sport rounded edges. The device will probably be fueled by the Snapdragon 835 64-bit octa-core processor, and sport 6GB or 8GB of RAM, depending on which variant you opt to purchase. The OnePlus 5T will, almost certainly sport a dual camera setup on the back, and it will ship with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box, with the companys OxygenOS installed on top of it. Advertisement Buy the OnePlus 5 T-Mobile on Monday released its consolidated financial report for the third quarter of the year, revealing it generated $10 billion in total revenue over the three-month period ending September 30th, in addition to posting several records and signaling its ready to end the year on a high note by maintaining its present momentum. T-Mobiles historic achievements made in Q3 2017 include a free cash flow of $921 million, net cash inflow from operating activities amounting to $2.4 billion, $7.6 billion in service-related revenue, and $2.8 billion in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). The Bellevue, Washington-based mobile service provider said it managed to widen the gap between the speed of its network and those of its competitors, proclaiming it still has the fastest network in the United States for the 15th consecutive quarter despite this particular claim recently being challenged. The companys latest financial report reiterated that its 600MHz deployment is going according to plans and that the second device to support the technology after the LG V30 is to be released this holiday season. While that point hasnt been further elaborated by the company, recent reports suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active is the 600MHz-enabled device in question. The wireless carriers opened 1,200 new stores and 1,300 new MetroPCS retail locations in the first nine months of 2017 and is planning to establish 500 more in the final quarter. T-Mobiles Q3 2017 net additions amounted to 1.3 million in total, with the company recording 595,000 branded postpaid phone adds and 226,000 prepaid ones, with the latter being largely prompted by the performance of MetroPCS. The wireless carriers churn rate fell by nine basis points compared to Q3 2016 and amounted to 1.23 percent. Branded postpaid net customer adds reached 817,000 over the same period, with T-Mobile expecting this figure to once again be the highest in the industry after the firm started leading this category 21 months ago. T-Mobiles consolidated financial report wasnt accompanied by an earnings call that the company traditionally holds, likely in an attempt to avoid questions from investors and analysts about a merger with Sprint thats been in the making for several months now. The two telecom giants were initially expected to announce their merger proposal alongside their Q3 2017 earnings reports but ultimately ended up delaying it after their tie-up negotiations stalled, industry insiders said earlier this month, adding that the consolidation is now planned for an announcement in the second half of November. HMD Globals rumored budget-friendly Android smartphone called the Nokia 2 was recently spotted on the website of U.S. online retailer B&H Photo Video. The page has been shut down shortly after going live, indicating that its brief appearance was likely an accident, but traces of the pages existence have remained in Googles cache and reveal a pre-order price tag of $99 and confirm the devices dual-SIM capabilities and model number. According to the information briefly revealed by B&H Photo Video, the Nokia 2 bearing the model number TA-1035 will be available for pre-orders in black. Its unclear whether the device will also be available with a single SIM card slot, though its likely that the Nokia 2 will be released in at least two color options including white or silver. The cached pre-order page doesnt reveal many other details about the device, and no exact shipping dates have been listed aside from the promise that the handset will be coming soon. In any case, its worth noting that four different model numbers have been previously associated with the Nokia 2, including the TA-1035 listed by B&H Photo Video, as well as the TA-1007, TA-1023, and TA-1029. All of those model numbers have been approved by the FCC this August and all should make use of roughly the same hardware components. The Nokia 2 was previously spotted in the GeekBench database where some of its other hardware characteristics have been revealed, including a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 1,280 x 720, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 chipset featuring four ARM Cortex-A7 CPU cores clocked at up to 1.1GHz, and an accompanying Adreno 304 graphics chip. The device should also house at least 1GB of RAM and 8GB of on-board memory, and some sources previously suggested that the smartphone could be powered by a 4,000mAh battery. Either way, rumors indicate that HMD Global could release the Nokia 2 at some point before the end of November, and with at least one online retailer now seemingly preparing to offer the device on pre-order terms, evidence suggests that the smartphone should be officially introduced soon. Pricing has not been officially confirmed so whether the $99 price tag will stick remains to be seen, but the Nokia 2 should be more affordable than the Nokia 3 which is currently retailing for approximately $139, depending on the market. The Service you requested is not available at this time Regret the inconvenience caused. Try again after sometime. The Motorola Moto Z2 Force is receiving a new update on Verizons network, getting a couple of notable improvements such as a BlueBorne vulnerability fix and support for Gigabit Class LTE. The update brings the software to version NDX26.183-15 and it also includes the Android security patch for September, as well as device performance optimizations and some other bug fixes. The package is rolling out over the air in stages, so it may take a few days or even weeks to reach all devices. Verizons upcoming Gigabit Class LTE will become available later this year, coming as an upgraded LTE network with faster speeds. While several carriers including Verizon are already working on the next-generation 5G technology, 5G is still over a year away from wider commercial availability and Verizon wants to deploy Gigabit Class LTE in the meantime as a stepping stone toward 5G. The new update now prepares the Moto Z2 Force for faster data speeds, although the smartphone will likely not reach the 1.07 Gbps speeds Verizon previously achieved under ideal and perfectly controlled conditions. The Moto Z2 Force packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with an X16 modem and when Verizons Gigabit Class LTE is ready to roll out, the device should enjoy faster internet speeds compared to many other smartphones currently available on the market, according to the carrier. The BlueBorne vulnerability patch, meanwhile, will fix the critical flaw that could allow hackers to hijack Android devices via a Bluetooth connection. BlueBorne can infect handsets with malware or ransomware and can even be exploited even if ones device was not paired with an infected device, and even if it was not set as being discoverable or scanning to connect with another product. Infected devices could further spread the malicious software and the owner would not even be aware of it. To install the latest update for the Moto Z2 Force, Verizon recommends connecting to a reliable Wi-Fi or cellular network, albeit the latter might incur some extra data charges. As always, its also advisable to ensure the device has enough battery life left before proceeding with the update so that the process goes smoothly and without interruptions. The alleged Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 surfaced on TENAA (Chinas equivalent to the FCC) quite recently, which essentially means that it got certified in China, and now several new images of this handset popped up as well. If you take a look at the images down below, you will be able to see the device in the flesh, and this time around we actually see the phone with its display turned on. As you can see, the phone will sport really thin black bars around its display, which was to be expected, but its bezels remain quite thin despite of that. In one of the images down below, you will notice that a pair of earphones are plugged into the Redmi Note 5, without a dongle, which confirms that the phone will sport a 3.5mm headphone jack, and that port will be placed in the upper right corner of the device. The Redmi Note 5s display will sport rounded corners, and the device will be made out of metal. A fingerprint scanner will be included on the back of the Redmi Note 5, while the device will ship with a 5.99-inch fullHD+ (2160 x 1080) display, if TENAA is to be believed. The Redmi Note 5 will also sport 3GB / 4GB of RAM and 32GB / 64GB of expandable storage, while Android 7.1.2 Nougat will come pre-installed on the phone, with Xiaomis MIUI 8 OS. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is expected to sport a 4,000mAh non-removable battery, while a 13-megapixel snapper will be included on the back of this device. TENAA also reported that a 5-megapixel snapper will be available on the front side of the Redmi Note 5. Now, if TENAAs listing is anything to go by, the Redmi Note 5 will be available in a number of color options, the device will, allegedly, arrive in Black, Rose Gold, Gold, White, Blue, Red, Pink, Gray and Silver color variants. This essentially means that it will be available in more color variants than any of its predecessors, and that is quite interesting. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is rumored to arrive on November 11, though Xiaomi still did not confirm its release date, so it is possible that such info is inaccurate, well just have to wait and see what will happen. Advertisement UPDATE: It turns out these are only concept renders created by Waqar Khan. Buy the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 By PTI: Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 23 (PTI): About 35 lakh children have been covered under the measles-rubella vaccination drive in Kerala as per state government figures. The drive, which began earlier this month, is for protecting children from the two major childhood diseases. State health services director Saritha R L said the health department has set a target to vaccinate 75 lakh children, belonging to the age group of nine months to 15 years under the initiative. advertisement "The core objective of the drive is to prevent both the diseases-measles and rubella-through the single vaccine. The campaign is immensely successful in Kerala," she said here. The first phase of the drive, held via government and private schools in the state, had achieved 46 per cent success, the official said in a statement. As many as 56 lakh children are targeted to be given the vaccine via schools, while the rest would be given through state-run hospitals, primary health centres and anganwadis. Besides schools and hospitals, various other agencies including Indian Medical Association, on were also cooperating with the drive. A high level meeting of health department officials also decided to carry out intensive campaign in those districts where the vaccination drive did not achieve expected results, the Health Director added. PTI LGK BN TRK --- ENDS --- Free newsletter Subscribe to our FREE newsletter service and well keep you up-to-date with the latest breaking news, cutting edge opinion, and expert analysis affecting both your business and the industry as whole. Please enter your email address below and click on Sign Up for daily newsletters from Australasian Lawyer. Two international law firms have announced extended footprints with the opening of new offices. Herbert Smith Freehills has launched a new Milan office with a senior hire from Simmons & Simmons. Laura Orlando was previously head of the Dispute Resolution and IP practice at Simmons in Italy.She specialises in contentious and non-contentious IP, with a focus on patent and regulatory law in the life sciences sector, which has seen growth in Milan.Meanwhile, Kennedys has a new member of its network; Bermuda firm Sedgwick Chudleigh, significantly expanding its capabilities to an important insurance and financial centre.Sedgwick Chudleigh was formerly associated with US firm Sedgwick LLP and makes Kennedys the first on-shore law firm to establish a presence in Bermuda.The office will continue to be led by partner Mark Chudleigh and further expansion of the office is planned.Reed Smith has hired Bree Miechel as a partner in its Energy and Natural Resources Group in Singapore.The projects and construction lawyer was previously at Simmons & Simmons where she led the Southeast Asia construction practice.Brees vast experience with major energy and infrastructure projects, her particular experience in procurement and delivery strategies, and her overall thought leadership in construction and environmental law, complements our strong existing energy practice in the region and makes her a very valuable addition to our growing team in Singapore, said Barry Stimpson, Reed Smiths Singapore Office managing partner.Investment in legal tools in small and mid-sized law firms remains low despite firms acknowledging their ability to improve efficiency.A survey of lawyers by LexisNexis found that 92% said that technology is no longer optional but 81% of firms spend less than 10% of their turnover on legal tools and 58% spend less than 5%.The reason appears to be a high level of law firms believing that they are already efficient.While more than half of those that use legal tools say they are a significant contribution to their business, and 30% of non-users saying that investing in tools would improve efficiency; 49% of lawyers said their firms efficiency is average and 36% said it is above average.The top reason for maintaining efficiency among respondents was not dabbling outside your practice area (41%), well above investing in new technology (17%). Ninety-five percent of lawyers said they refer business to other firms if it is outside their practice focus.Law firms must align their working practices with that of their increasingly tech-savvy and informed client base, commented Jon Whittle, Market Development Director at LexisNexis. One of the problems is getting lawyers to take a long term view. While their firms may be thriving now, if they dont take a commercially savvy, customer-centric, progressive view of the business and invest in solutions that drive efficiency today, this will not be in the case in five years. The Land Of The Rising Sun is very lucrative for the Raging Bull from SantAgata Bolognese. Head honcho Stefano Domenicali highlights that Japan is the second-biggest market for Lamborghini, and thats impressive in its own right considering that the UK trails in third and Germany in fourth. The powerhouse known as China? Well, thats the brands seventh market by sales.In light of the commercial success of Lamborghini in Japan, as well as the 50th anniversary since the first Lamborghini was imported to the island nation, the Italian automaker came up with a special-edition Aventador S Roadster. Its the first of five 50 Japan models, and its exterior appearance is a nod to one of the five natural elements of Japanese culture. Water, that is.Developed by the companys Ad Personam department in collaboration with Centro Stile, what you see here is an Aventador S Roadster painted in a deep blue with a shading effect that tends to black. Lamborghini says the artisan creation of the paintwork required 170 hours of labor and the contribution of ten specialists, and boy, does it look alright with all that exposed carbon fiber!Look closely at the interior, and youll notice a plaque made from carbon fiber that features the kanji for mizu. And as you might have guessed by now, mizu means water in Japanese. The cabin also features a smaller carbon fiber plaque that reads opera unica, which means unique work in Italian, a.k.a. one-off.As we wait for the other four 50 Japan special-edition Aventador S Roadster models to come out of the oven, Lamborghini underlines that it has high expectations from the Urus, both on a worldwide scale and in Japan. As a brief refresher, the big reveal is set for December 4. ECU Going past such thoughts, we're here to show you just such a battle, one that saw the two slabs of Germany going at it on an airfield. As such, the drivers could fully unleash the might of their machines.Now, before we invite you to check out the sprinting footage, we need to talk about each of the go-fast machines we have here.We'll start with the hot hatch, since this M135i doesn't come in stock condition. Instead, the 3.0-liter straight-six of the beast has been gifted with an entry-level, such as a decatted exhaust, a performance air intake and anremap, with the latterWe're not aware of the spicy compact's output, but you can expect the thing to deliver over 350 horses. Oh and that wild exhaust is also the reason for which you'll get to hear the violent shifts of its eight-speed auto - the Bimmer was used as the camera car for this clip.As for the Porscha , the mid-engined delight came in factory condition. This means we're talking about a 300 hp machine, albeit one who power-to-weight ratio is still superior to that of a stock M135i.The two went for a rolling start, so there's no need to talk about the grip factor here. For the record, we're talking about the entry-level Porsche sporscar model, which can play the quarter-mile game in 12.7 seconds, despite using a 2.0-liter four-cylinder mill.Now, we don't want to throw too many spoilers your way, but we will mention the fact that one of the cars crushed the other. EV Tesla made no exception and reports of talks with the local authorities have constantly made the news throughout this year, with the Shanghai name coming up most of the times. Even the company admitted it was in talks with its Municipal Government over the possibility of building a factory on Chinese ground.As you may probably already know, the Asian country is very protective of its domestic market charging a 25 percent import tax for any vehicles built outside of its borders. Setting up a production plant in China isn't such a straightforward affair either as it requires forming a joint venture with a local company , further protecting the country's interests.A lot of the U.S. and European carmakers have such deals in place (General Motors, Daimler, Volkswagen ) allowing them to bypass the tax and sell their vehicles at more affordable prices. Tesla, however, does not. And while it hadn't been such a big deal until now with the Model S and X falling into the luxury segment and thus appealing to well-off buyers, the Model 3 would have a much harder time competing with the much more conveniently-priced local EVs.If the report coming from Wall Street Journal (paywall) is correct, this agreement over the construction of a new factory will not solve the problem. That's because the plant would be built in Shanghai's free-trade zone and be fully-owned by Tesla , therefore not meeting the prerequisites for the tax exemption.Even so, it would still boost the presence of themaker in the Asian area significantly, ensuring lower production costs and a much shorter supply chain. If correct, the report also shows that Tesla isn't keen on making any deals that would require splitting profits and, most importantly, technology with other companies, even if that meant skipping the 25 percent tax.The Palo Alto manufacturer has not made any comment so far, reiterating it would make an official statement on the matter by the end of the year. One way or the other, Tesla is bound to make a move for the Chinese market, and even though it's not what everyone was expecting, this might be it. Welcome to today's Trump Top 5, where we bring you 5 stories to get you smarter for the day ahead. Check out our Apple News channel for the latest smart brevity on politics, tech, business, science and the future of work, and sign up here for our free newsletters. Thanks for reading! Be sure to follow Axios on Facebook and Twitter for all of your news needs throughout the day, and if you want to read even more Axios, dive into our stream. Nagorno-Karabakhs Armenian-backed military threatened painful retaliation on Monday as it accused Azerbaijani forces of shelling its frontline positions for the first time in two months. The Defense Army claimed that they fired five mortar shells and one anti-tank rocket in northeastern Karabakh on Sunday. It released video footage purportedly showing two such shells exploding in a field and the Israeli-made Spike rocket flying over a Karabakh military facility and hitting the ground. In a statement, the Karabakh army warned that it will retaliate in a disproportionate and quite painful fashion if the Azerbaijani side continues such deliberate provocations. Another statement issued by it later in the day said Azerbaijani forces fired another Spike rocket at a different section of the line of contact around Karabakh on Monday afternoon. It said Karabakh Armenian troops again did not shoot back in order not to deepen tension on the frontlines. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry dismissed the first Karabakh statement as slander. It said that the Armenians themselves resorted to a provocation by killing an Azerbaijani soldier on Sunday. The ministry did not specify the frontline section where the soldier, identified as Jabbar Zeynalov, died. The truce violations were reported one week after a meeting of Armenias and Azerbaijans presidents held in Geneva. In a joint statement issued there, their foreign ministers and international mediators said Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliyev agreed to take measures to intensify the negotiation process and to take additional steps to reduce tensions on the Line of Contact. Just three days after the Geneva summit, an Armenian soldier was killed in Karabakh by Azerbaijani sniper fire. Armenias ruling party responded by accusing Baku of trying to walk away from the understandings reached in Geneva. Still, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian made clear on Friday that Yerevan will not avoid further talks with Baku. The joint statement released in Genevan said the U.S., Russian and French mediators co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group will soon hold follow-up working sessions with Nalbandian and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. 23 October 2017 10:12 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 132 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on October 23. Armenians were using large-caliber machine guns. 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. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 October 2017 14:32 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Dozens of foodies have gathered in Baku to celebrate World Chefs Day. Delicious smells and flavours filled the air in the restaurant "Serin" on October 20. The festive event was co-organized by the National Culinary Center and the Azerbaijan's National Culinary Association, Trend Life reported. The evening started with the performance of Natig Rhythm Group. The musicians won the hearts of the listeners with brilliant performance. Addressing the event, Head of the National Culinary Center honored worker of culture Tahir Amiraslanov said that the project aims to demonstrate Azerbaijan's culinary traditions, to reveal some secrets of preparing the ancient national dish-fisinjan. Traditionally the dish is cooked from chicken, or lamb and beef with a sweet-and-sour source, made of plum sauce, walnuts, onion and spices. Fisinjan is served to the pilaf. Azerbaijani chefs often presented the fisinjan dish abroad at culinary festivals and events dedicated to the Azerbaijani national cuisine. Several kinds of delicious fisinjan were presented to foodies as part of the event. At the same time, visitors enjoyed delicious dishes of Turkish, Uzbek and Chinese cuisine. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 October 2017 14:51 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The nature protection should be one among the main concerns of every state in the world, as the well-being of a country and its population starts from a favorable environment. The nature conservation issue is always on the agenda of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, and recently, three poachers have been detained and fined in the country. The staff of the ministry conducted a raid on October 20 to study the situation with observance of requirements of the laws On hunting and On wildlife, and to prevent cases of illegal hunting of wild birds and animals. During the raid, a resident of the countrys Jalilabad region Agil Abdullayev, resident of Shabran region Sadig Gamzayev and the UAE citizen Suleiman Mohammad Hassan Fakher were detained for illegal hunting in the Shabran region in the coastal zone of the Caspian sea. The staff of the Ministry discovered and seized prohibited hunting instruments, such as doubles and nets for catching falcons, as well as 10 pigeons. The ministry staff drew up administrative protocols in accordance with legislation against the violators. Based on the relevant article of the Code on Administrative Offenses, each of them was fined 1,000 manats ($589), the prohibited hunting tools were destroyed, and the doves were released. Azerbaijan that locates in nine of eleven possible climatic zones enjoys a great diversity of flora and fauna, and is kind of a heaven for hunters. Here, in the different periods of the year, hunters can hunt for Dagestan wild ox, wild pig, hare, wood pigeons, quail, partridge, waterfowl, sandpiper, woodcock, and chamois. The hunting season in the country opens traditionally in late May-June. However, the country prohibits hunting in some areas of the country as well as the Caspian Sea islands, green zones, protected areas, near the cities and resort areas. In order not to be among the violators, hunting enthusiasts should apply to the Baku Ecology and Natural Resources Department and the Ecology and Natural Resources Departments to acquire a hunting permit. Foreigners can receive a permission to hunt on the territory of Azerbaijan by the decision approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2004 and the law On hunting. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By India Today Web Desk: You have heard of globetrotters before--from those who sold all their property to those who are traversing the world naked, all for the love of travel. While each may be exceptional in his or her own efforts, the way Meigo Mark is living his travel adventures is too good to be true. Mark is a 27-year-old traveller from Estonia, who started his expedition with about Euros 8 (Rs 611.08) in his pocket and a tent to camp in, reported Her World Online. How could he even buy a flight ticket with that much money? Well, he didn't; he set out on his journey on foot. advertisement Mark had always nurtured his passion for travel, but it was in May, 2014, that he decided to embark on a new adventure--to walk around the world. And in these three years, he has walked all the way from Estonia to Singapore. What is it that motivated him to take up such a challenge? Mark had heard about Jean Beliveau, a Canadian TED Talk speaker and author, who spent 11 years to complete his feat. Besides, he had heard inspirational stories of other explorers like Sir Francis Charles Chichester KBE, who single-handedly sailed around the world in the 1960s. Also Read: This couple is travelling all over the world, but doing it naked Soon, Mark sold his house and started walking around the world. He walked 30-40 km on an average, followed by periods of rest that could span between a day and two weeks. To mark his route, he followed Google Maps and Maps.Me, to enjoy walking through peaceful neighbourhoods rather than busy highways. He crossed rivers and seas on boats, ferries, ships and airplanes, but stuck to walking when on land. However, Mark is no regular tourist, visiting famous attractions across destinations. He is a traveller, in the true sense of the term, who, for all these years, took to couchsurfing, not to save money, but to avail the opportunity to learn about people and their cultures, which included villages of Sikkim and Assam too. Meigo Mark in Assam. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Meigo Mark On one hand, he slept with humble workers in their slum. On the other, he had lunch with mafia-type drug dealers, armed with guns. "The longer I travel, the more optimistic I get about humans and our willingness to help each other when in need," Mark was quoted as saying by the website. ''Meeting so many different social groups, I've found ways to see not just the differences but the similarities, which make us human and help us connect. We both see the same sun and moon. As a traveller, it's interesting to see what's different in terms of culture, food and language, but at the same time, I try to see the similarities,'' he added. Meigo Mark in Sikkim. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Meigo Mark In the past three years and five months, Mark has walked 17,850 km, in 21 countries. He is currently on his 21st pair of shoes, but it doesn't seem like he will stop anytime soon. He plans to continue the journey, but not for setting any benchmark, stated Mark. "I'm not trying to make or break any record. For me, this journey is a great learning experience,'' he said. Meigo Mark celebrating Diwali in Delhi. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Meigo Mark Meigo Mark celebrating Diwali in Delhi. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Meigo Mark advertisement And what has he learnt? "I see how I talk differently. Sometimes I wonder if we really change or become more ourselves. Everything that is not part of me or for me, just falls away. I've also become more easy-going meeting different people," reflected Mark. Today, he is inspiring youngsters to chase their dreams as a professional speaker. So far, he has visited up to 25 schools and universities to give talks. But there's only one fear that he is gripped by, ''negative emotions or selfish dynamics - and it's very scary,'' revealed Mark. That's when he goes back to his old travel photos and videos to relive the positive vibes he's received throughout his journey. --- ENDS --- 23 October 2017 14:31 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan agreed with the statement that was meant to be declared after his recent meeting with Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev, but right after the meeting he uttered the very first thing that came to his mind, Novruz Mammadov, assistant to the president for foreign policy issues, head of department, told reporters in Baku on October 23. Mammadov said that Sargsyan voiced ideas that were incompatible with the spirit of the meeting. Azerbaijani president, other officials responded to the Armenian president, noted the official. "Sargsyan promised in front of the co-chairs that he agrees to bring the concrete ideas to the world community after the meeting, but after the meeting, he acts hypocritically and speaks otherwise," said the top official. "If the Armenian president did not agree with the statement, he could have said so during the meeting. He should've said that following the meeting, he would be speaking anything that comes to his mind," Mammadov said. In this case, how will the Armenian people trust him? How will he ensure the development and welfare of his people? What do the co-chairs think about the president who promises and then takes a different step?! If you have a status as head of state, you can't be hypocritical and lie. The Armenian people are in a a tough situation due to such leaders, said Mammadov. Armenians are leaving their country. Only 2.5 million people live in Armenia today. According to forecasts, if this situation continues, the population will not exceed 2.5 million people in 20 years, he noted adding that meanwhile, Azerbaijans population has increased by three million people since the country gained its independence. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 October 2017 16:34 (UTC+04:00) By Trend The Azerbaijani army is ready to once again prove its strength, the Defense Ministrys press service said on October 23. Immediately after the Geneva meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, the Armenian side that had killed an Azerbaijani soldier, again spread information full of slander about the situation on the frontline, which was aimed at hiding their provocations and diverting world attention from the crimes committed, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said. In the April events, the Azerbaijani soldiers showed the enemy its place. And now, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, using military equipment and weaponry available in their arsenal, are ready to once again prove their power. 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. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 October 2017 15:33 (UTC+04:00) By Trend The invitation for President Ilham Aliyev to attend the 9th Summit of the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) in Istanbul demonstrates the high level of friendship, brotherhood and partnership ties, and the existence of special ties between Azerbaijan and Turkey, said Novruz Mammadov, assistant to the president for foreign policy issues, head of department, on October 23. Mammadov said that in 2015, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan invited Azerbaijan as a special guest to the G20 summit. At that time, Turkey had the right to invite one state, and the president of Turkey invited Azerbaijan, Mammadov noted. At the D-8 summit, the president of Turkey also chose Azerbaijan. In fact, this should be considered as something natural, because indeed Azerbaijan is one of the developed countries, and is even ahead of many of them for a number of achievements and parameters. You know that Azerbaijan ranks 35th in terms of competitiveness in the world. Some time ago, the country ranked 37th and has already risen by two steps. It is not us who determines this - this is defined by the analytical center of Davos. From this point of view, Azerbaijans participation in the D-8 summit was of great importance both for Azerbaijan itself and for those states, Mammadov said. Novruz Mammadov stressed that at the summit, the president of Azerbaijan also participated in discussion of issues and exchange of views regarding the forthcoming tasks, further strengthening of cooperation, and other ties. The place, role and position of Azerbaijan in such issues are already visible and taken into account, Mammadov said. Although Azerbaijan isn't a big state, sometimes it plays the role of an intermediary, and sometimes the role of a participant and initiator not only at the regional level but also on a global scale. This is very important. Our region is very complex. The processes that are taking place here concern all countries. Azerbaijan is an economically developed state and is also considered a state of great political importance according to its place, position on international arena, and its status. Therefore, taking part in the D-8 summit, the president of Azerbaijan delivered a meaningful speech worthy of attention on the situation in Azerbaijan, steps taken so far, and at the same time the work done on the international arena, including the steps taken towards Islamic solidarity and combating Islamophobia, Mammadov said. Everyone welcomed his speech with applause. Mammadov went on to add that in general, the D-8 is a strong organization, the total population of its member countries is about 1.1 billion, and the trade turnover among the countries exceeds $100 billion. At the summit, the participants discussed further strengthening of the D-8 organization, increasing trade turnover, and at the same time more active participation in the processes that are taking place in the world, resolving conflicts, he said. An exchange of views was also held on Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims becoming refugees and the need to help them. That is, in addition to friendship and brotherhood, there was a need for Azerbaijans participation in this summit, he noted. One of the appeals at the summit was that this structure may be expanded. The D-8 organization may become D-20, D-40 in the future. That is, the organizations doors are open. Mammadov said he does not see any problem in Azerbaijan's becoming a D-8 member. "I've heard that there will be such a proposal. Azerbaijan will voice its position in this regard," he said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 October 2017 16:35 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs speech at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly was a speech necessary not only for Azerbaijan, Novruz Mammadov, assistant to the president for foreign policy issues, head of department, told reporters in Baku on October 23. The presidents speech was a message to the international community, according to him. Mammadov noted that over the past few decades, the situation on the international arena has dramatically changed and worsened, stability and security have been impaired in certain regions, and today ensuring a world order that secures stability and sustainable development has become a problem. From this point of view, the speech of Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly means that it is not correct to follow this path, as it contributes neither to the resolution of conflicts nor to ensuring stability, security and sustainable development. Therefore, it is necessary to abandon double standards, lies and biased positions. From this point of view, the speech of Azerbaijani president was a message to the world community. Today there is a lot of tension between large countries. And it is very difficult to predict what the end will be, he said. He noted that Azerbaijan played a big role in returning Russia-Turkey relations to normal. There are many such examples, and in this regard, Azerbaijan plays a very important role on the international arena, Mammadov added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 October 2017 15:03 (UTC+04:00) By Sara Israfilbayova World oil prices are rising on Monday morning, as investors are positive about comments from the meeting of the technical committee on monitoring the implementation of the agreement on the oil production cut of OPEC+. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude is up by 0.39 percent and stands at $52.04 per barrel, meanwhile Brent crude jumped by 0.21 percent-at $57.87 a barrel, according to Reuters. The countries, participating in the deal, fulfilled its obligations by a record 120 percent in September. This level is the highest since the beginning of the implementation of the deal. In August this indicator was 116 percent. The surplus of oil and oil products in the world continues to decline, in the countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), thus in September the indicator was 159 million barrels higher than their average level in five years. In August, this indicator was 171 million barrels. Investors are also reacting to the statistics of Baker Hughes, a GE company-American industrial service company, which reported on the dynamics of the number of drilling rigs in the U.S. So, for the week ended on October 20, the number of drilling rigs in the U.S. fell by 15 units, or 1.6 percent, to 913 units. In annual terms, the number of installations increased by 360 units, or by 1.7 times. The number of oil drilling rigs fell by seven, or by 0.9 percent, to 736 units. U.S. production was also recently impacted by a hurricane for the second time in as many months and the number of U.S. drilling rigs declined for the third week in a row, said William OLoughlin, analyst at Rivkin Securities. Among other factors supporting oil prices is an active oil demand in Asia, especially in China and India. So, in January-September, China's oil imports updated the record and grew by 12 percent to 318 million tons, or 8.5 million barrels per day, in the annual comparison. Procurement of oil by India in September amounted to 4.83 million barrels per day, which is 4.2 percent higher than the same period of last year, and the level of August by almost 19 percent. OPEC and other major oil producers such as Russia and Azerbaijan reached an agreement in December 2016 to remove 1.8 million barrels a day from the market. OPEC and its partners decided to extend its production cuts till March 2018 in Vienna on May 25, as the oil cartel and its allies step up their attempt to end a three-year supply glut that has savaged crude prices and the global energy industry. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 October 2017 12:31 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva The Astana talks might welcome new negotiators on the Syrian crisis. Kazakhstans Foreign Ministry admits the possibility of the appearance of new participants at the seventh international meeting on the settlement of the situation in Syria in Astana. This was stated by Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov on October 23, TASS reported. "No, I do not exclude it. All depends on how much the guarantor countries will now be able to coordinate their work," he said answering the question about the probability of the appearance of new negotiators. The composition of participants to the talks will be disclosed "during this week", according to the minister. The seventh high-level international meeting on Syria within the framework of the Astana process will be held on October 30-31. During the talks, it is planned to approve the provision on a working group on the release of hostages, prisoners, the transfer of bodies of the dead and the search for missing persons. The parties also intend to consider combating international terrorism and adopt a joint statement on humanitarian demining in Syria. Astana talks also involve Kazakhstan - as an organizing country, sides to the Syrian conflict - governmental and opposition, and observers from the United States and Jordan. To date, six rounds of negotiations on the ongoing Syrian conflict were held in Astana. The sixth round of talks in Astana ended in September with the adoption of a joint statement confirming the intention of the parties to continue work on establishing de-escalation zones in Syria and other decisions previously adopted in the course of the Astana process. Guarantors of a nationwide Syrian ceasefire regime - Russia, Turkey and Iran - had agreed on May 4 in the Kazakh capital, Astana, to establish "de-escalation zones" in war-torn Syria. The zones would cover the city of Idlib and certain parts of Latakia, Homs, Aleppo and Hama as well as Damascus, Eastern Ghouta, Daraa and Quneitra. The establishment of the fourth one in Idlib province was the spotlight of the sixth meeting in Astana. De-escalation zones in Syria allowed to significantly reduce the scale of the conflict and contributed to the improvement of the humanitarian situation in Syria. While the Astana process is separate from the UNs Geneva talks on Syrian crisis, the attendance of the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura links the Kazakh platform to broader international efforts. Syria has been locked in civil war since March 2011. According to UN's special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, around 400,000 people have died in the conflict while half the population has been driven from their homes. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 October 2017 15:18 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva Uzbekistan, which aims at developing its textile industry, brought the internal processing of cotton fiber to 70 percent in 2017. This was stated by the chairman of the management board of Uzpahtasanoatexport holding company Akmal Kamalov at the opening of the 13th International cotton and textile fair in Tashkent on October 23, podrobno.uz reported. "If in 1991 the volume of fiber processing did not exceed 7 percent, then by 2017 this figure reached 70 percent. During this period, there was a significant, almost 30-fold increase in exports of light industry products," he said. An increase in domestic consumption of produced fiber is of great importance, according to Kamalov, who noted that the increase in the volume of deep cotton processing is realized due to the annual growth in the number of textile enterprises. "By 2020, more than 150 new projects in the field of light industry worth more than $2 billion are planned to be implemented in Uzbekistan," Kamalov stressed. Thanks to the development of production capacities, the export of finished goods has already exceeded $1.3 billion, he added. Uzbekistan will achieve full processing of cotton fiber in 2021, according to the Economy Ministry. At the same time by 2021 the production of textile and clothing and knitted products will increase by 2.2 times compared to 2016, including ready-made fabrics - 2.7 times, knitted fabrics - 3 times, knitted goods 3.4 times, hosiery 3.7 times. It is planned to increase the export of products by 2 times. One of the policy priorities of Uzbekistan, the worlds sixth-largest cotton producer, is further development of its textile industry. Uzbekistan takes consistent steps to increase the volume of cotton fiber processing. In particular, it is planned to create 112 modern, high-tech industrial factories, expand, modernize and technologically upgrade 20 operating capacities. All this will increase the export potential of the industry up to $2.5 billion a year and create more than 25,000 jobs. In the period 2010-2014, the textile industry of Uzbekistan received and spent foreign investments worth $785 million while 147 new textile enterprises with participation of investors from Germany, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, the U.S., Turkey and other countries were commissioned. Export potential of these enterprises amounted to $670 millions. Currently, Uzbekistan continues to attract foreign investments for construction of textile enterprises in Uzbekistan. In late August, another Polish company Polcotton agreed to invest about $60 million in the construction of the textile complex in Uzbekistan. The future factory is expected to have a capacity of 10,000 tons of finished products per year and to generate as many as 1,200 new jobs. Previously, Uzbekistan and Russia agreed to further expand cooperation in textile industry which is a strategic centerpiece of the Uzbek economy. Particularly, they intend to create a "green corridor" for the supply of textile products. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 October 2017 16:56 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva Russias Federation Council urges the U.S. Congress to use all opportunities to preserve Iranian nuclear deal, according to the draft statement, which is expected to be adopted by the chamber on October 25. The Councils International Committee considered and supported the document on October 23, RIA Novosti reported. "The Federation Council appeals to the members of the U.S. Congress with an urgent request to use all possible resources to prevent the emergence of this extremely dangerous situation," the document said. The Federation Council also calls on the parliaments of Germany, France, China, Great Britain and the European Parliament "to use their high influence on the political leadership of their states in order to maintain the historic agreement on the Iranian nuclear program." Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed the view that the EU would have supported U.S. sanctions on Iran if he was insistent. But, according to the U.S. president, he allowed Germany and France to keep making money with Tehran as America was capable of putting pressure on Iranians on its own. On October 13, U.S. President Donald Trump, long been known as the main critic of the landmark deal, declared his view of the JCPOA, saying that he would not certify Irans compliance with the deal. At the same time he did not challenge the compliance of Iran at the international level. The move paves the way for Congress to put new restrictions on Iran. However, it is believed that Trump would not recommend the Congress to re-impose sanctions in order to reach a compromise with many congressional leaders who stand for keeping the deal at least with some changes. In case sanctions are applied, the United States would find itself in breach of its commitments. This means a unilateral withdrawal from the agreement, which will damage the reputation of the U.S. in the eyes of world community. The Iran nuclear deal was negotiated in July 2015 between Iran, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany. By ratifying the plan, Iran agreed to scale down its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. At the same time, the U.S. retains sanctions against Iran on the missile program, human rights and on suspicion that Tehran sponsors terrorism. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Physician Dallas Bailes, MD, plans to open a freestanding emergency room in Steamboat Springs, Colo., according to a report from Steamboat Today. Here are five things to know: 1. Dr. Bailes previously opened a freestanding ER in Texas and decided to transplant the model in Colorado. Dr. Bailes' model focuses on aesthetics in addition to care, and is designed to treat and discharge people within 24 hours. 2. Board-certified physicians will staff the freestanding ER 24/7. The ER features a CAT scan, 24-hour ultrasound, radiology, EKG machines, and medications for acute stroke and heart attack. 3. The physician-owned ER will accept most insurance plans, according to the report, and payment plan options to un- and underinsured individuals. The center doesn't accept Medicare or Medicaid, but Dr. Bailes said the facility would "find ways to work with people who need financial help." 4. Dr. Bailes hopes the freestanding ER will provide patients with more efficient care than the ERs at local hospitals. Blaming US and its president for pushing the world towards the Third World War by his foolish acts, North Korea said Donald Trump has aroused worldwide derision. By Santosh Chaubey: Following Kim Jong-un's declaration that North Korea is a "fully-fledged nuclear power", the country has now warned that it may strike at any moment in its self-defense and the attack would be on an unprecedented scale. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop earlier in the day said she had received a letter from the North Korean dictator, addressed to different countries, which said, "It will be a big miscalculation and an expression of ignorance if US President Donald Trump thinks that he would bring North Korea, a nuclear power, to its knees through nuclear war threat." advertisement Blaming US and its president for pushing the world towards the Third World War by his foolish acts, a KCNA released said Trump is being seen as a 'dangerous element', has aroused worldwide derision and even his key confidants are dumping him. "As the aggressors and provokers have become all the more undisguised in their hysteric war frenzy, the DPRK's appropriate actions for self-defense will be taken any moment as a strike beyond imagination," the KCNA release announced. Targeting the joint US-South Korea naval drills, North Korea said its repeated tough offensives had put US in despair and horror dealing a heavy blow to the world's only superpower and the US could no longer help the South Korean puppet forces. "The South Korean puppet forces should clearly understand that already in hand are the toughest countermeasure of Korean style to cope with the US' reckless military act," the KCNA release further said. The war of words between US and North Korea has seen regular war rhetoric but its intensity has really gone up after North Korea's successful nuclear capable ICBM test and hydrogen bomb detonation. What has irked the Trump administration even more that North Korea did all this despite a clear warning that US would never allow the country to have an ICBM or a hydrogen bomb. Reports have emerged that US has put its nuclear bombers on 24-hour alert to meet any emergency, a first since the Cold War days. Trump revealed in a Fox News interview yesterday, "You would be shocked to see how totally prepared we are if we need to be." --- ENDS --- Cleveland Clinic, in partnership with Mechanicsburg, Pa.-based Select Medical, opened a 60-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital Oct. 10, according to the Beachwood Patch. The facility located in Beachwood, Ohio will serve patients impacted by stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, amputation, neurological disorders and orthopedic conditions. "The demand for rehabilitation is rising across Northeast Ohio and this beautiful new facility will allow patients to access state-of-the-art treatment," Frederick Frost, MD, chair of Cleveland Clinic's Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, told the Beachwood Patch. Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation Hospital is the third inpatient rehabilitation facility opened in Northeast Ohio by Cleveland Clinic. The American Hospital Association put out an advisory encouraging its hospital members to prepare for a yearlong media investigation into healthcare pricing conducted by Vox Media Senior Correspondent Sarah Kliff. "We encourage you and your entire team to be certain that you remain familiar with your organization's policies and procedures on patient billing, financial assistance policies and how to talk about them with patients, their families and the public," AHA said in a statement to members. The project's first focus is emergency department facility fees, which can range from $533 to more than $3,000, according to Ms. Kliff. She is soliciting facility fee bills from readers who have visited an emergency department in the U.S. within the past five years. The AHA advised hospitals to identify spokespeople who can talk about pricing and billing, discuss these ideas among staff, and prepare to share information about billing and price transparency. An AHA spokesperson told Becker's in an email the advisory was for members only. "We alert members to news stories that are relevant," said Marie Johnson, vice president of media relations and digital media at AHA. Editor's note: Please note Vox Senior Correspondent Sarah Kliff, who is not affiliated with Becker's Healthcare, is a keynote speaker at the Becker's Hospital Review 9th Annual Meeting, along with together with Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Teri Fontenot, John Noseworthy, MD, and Bernard Tyson, among other hospital and healthcare leaders. Click here to learn more. More articles on finance: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics reduces deficit to $3.1M $19M in grants to go toward addiction services in New York State 11 recent hospital, health system outlook and credit rating actions Pacific Alliance Medical Center in Los Angeles will close Dec. 11. The hospital, which has provided care for more than 150 years, cited the costs of retrofitting its facilities to meet California's seismic standards as the reason for the closure. California law requires medical facilities in the state to meet certain seismic standards by Jan. 1, 2030, and Pacific Alliance Medical Center said it lacks a financially responsible way to make the required updates. "PAMC does not own the land on which our hospital sits, and the owner is unwilling to sell the land to us," the hospital said in a statement to Becker's Hospital Review. "The hospital building does not meet current California seismic standards, and it is not economically viable for us to invest nearly $100 million to build a hospital on land that we would not own." Although a California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice indicates all 638 of the hospital's employees will be laid off, PAMC said the facility will "remain appropriately staffed until it closes." "We did not take this decision lightly, and we are committed to doing everything we can to ease the transition for affected employees," the hospital said. "We will work with other local hospitals to help find employment opportunities for our impacted staff." PAMC, which ended the first quarter of fiscal year 2017 with a $12.2 million net loss, is not the only California hospital closing due to the cost of meeting the new seismic requirements. Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health will close Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley in 2030, as it is not feasible for the hospital to be retrofitted by the last day of 2029. The hospital's services will be consolidated at Sutter's hospital in Oakland, Calif. More articles on healthcare finance: Tenet to close 232-bed Phoenix hospital HCA reports $140M hit from hurricanes, expects 31% drop in Q3 profit CMS releases preliminary CJR program results: 7 things to know White River Junction, Vt.-based Brookside Health and Rehabilitation Center, a 67-bed nursing home, will close late November following a Medicare contract termination notice from CMS, according to Valley News. Residents of the nursing home were notified of the closure Wednesday five days after CMS announced it would cease Medicare payments to the facility Oct. 30 due to its "failure to meet Medicare's basic health and safety requirements for skilled nursing facilities." The termination notice from CMS came after the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living found patient care lapses including improper staffing levels, food safety concerns and failure to ensure that patients saw their physicians regularly. According to the report, on Sept. 5 staff failed to supervise and assist 13 of the 39 residents at Brookside Health and Rehabilitation Center. The exact date the facility will close was not revealed. Brookside Health and Rehabilitation Center declined Becker's Hospital Review's immediate request for comment. Start your week off right by taking a look at some of Becker's Hospital Review's top stories from last week. Leadership exodus at Baptist Health System CEO, CFO, COO & VP to depart Four executives from San Antonio-based Baptist Health System are leaving their roles, a Baptist spokesperson confirmed to Becker's Hospital Review. 29 latest hospital, health system executive moves Becker's Hospital Review reported on the following hospital and health system executive moves in the last week. They are listed below, beginning with the most recent. Former executive of Cleveland Clinic spinoff charged in $2.8M fraud scheme The former chief technology officer of a Cleveland Clinic spinoff company was arrested Thursday and charged for his role in a conspiracy to defraud the hospital system out of at least $2.8 million, according to the Department of Justice. UnitedHealth to add 500 jobs in Kansas, with 150 heading to OptumRx Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group will hire 500 employees in Kansas, according to a KCUR 89.3 report. Orlando Health CEO David Strong on the details of crisis response few people anticipate On June 12, 2016, a shooter opened fire on Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Fla., killing 49 and injuring 58 more. At the time, it was the deadliest terrorist strike in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks and the nation's deadliest mass shooting. All of the victims were rushed to Orlando Health, where CEO David Strong's team was charged with not only caring for dozens of critically injured patients, but navigating the aftermath of unprecedented tragedy. US uninsured rate grows to 12.3%, highest since 2014 The percentage of Americans lacking health insurance grew to 12.3 percent in the third quarter of this year, up from 11.7 percent in the previous quarter, according to a Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index poll. What CEOs think about MACRA, value-based care Health system CEOs agree the healthcare industry is moving to value-based care, but it's much slower than they expected, especially in the commercial payer market, according to a report from Deloitte. Seven spine surgeons discuss the latest trends in spine procedures performed in the outpatient setting. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next week's question: Would you recommend spine surgery to the younger generation of surgeons? Why or why not? Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, May 10, at 5 p.m. CST. Question: What are the key trends in outpatient spine surgery? J. Brian Gill, MD, MBA. Nebraska Spine Hospital (Omaha): The overall trend is trying to move more procedures to an outpatient setting. This varies on a state-by-state basis as each state has its own regulations. Some states define outpatient stays as 23 hours, so an overnight stay is acceptable. Other states mandate that patients must be discharged before midnight the day of the procedure. These legislative regulations dictate what can and cannot be done in an outpatient setting. Yet more insurers and health systems want more procedures performed in outpatient settings. Innovative procedures, smaller procedures and multi-modal pain management techniques are enabling more procedures to be done in an outpatient setting. Moreover, patients want to go home from a procedure the same day or the following day. Patients are buying into outpatient procedures as a better, safer and more cost-effective delivery of healthcare and this is also driving the trend. Kern Singh, MD. Co-Director of Minimally Invasive Spine Institute at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (Chicago): As developments continue to occur in minimally invasive spine surgery, more procedures can be offered in the outpatient setting. Many new options are becoming available for patients instead of procedures that traditionally require a longer hospitalization. These minimally invasive procedures not only allow patients to return home the same day, but also have faster recovery times. This trend towards minimally invasive spine surgery improves patient satisfaction while reducing healthcare costs. Richard Kube, MD. Founder and CEO of Prairie Spine & Pain Institute (Peoria, Ill.): I think the bundled payment models are on their way. There are multiple companies now all trying to act as third-party administrators for the self-insured groups. The concept of doing [outpatient] spine cases is becoming more mainstream. As the self-insured folks start to realize that ambulatory settings are safe for spine procedures, I think there will be an even greater shift of elective spine cases to this setting. Value provision is in the wheelhouse of ambulatory spine, and we are only starting to scratch the surface of what can be done in terms of volume. Vladimir Sinkov, MD. Spine Surgeon at New Hampshire Orthopaedic Center (Nashua): As the postoperative pain management techniques and less invasive procedures become more advanced, more spine procedures are going to be done in an outpatient setting. This will drive down the cost of care and will shorten postoperative recovery. Endoscopic procedures will become more accepted as the techniques and the instrumentation become more simplified and reliable. Brian R. Gantwerker, MD. Founder of the Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: The key developments revolve around increasing the number of cases being done as outpatient. As surgery centers provide a superior patient experience for less cost, we will see them become more profitable while being in network. Fewer ASCs will be out of network and I think the hospitals' appetite for the ASCs will increase as larger systems will try to acquire them. My belief is not all of these systems know how to let the ASCs do what they need to stay in the black. Neel Anand, MD, Clinical Professor of Surgery and Director of Spine Trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles: The key trends that I am seeing are consolidation, in-network contracting as well as single-level fusion procedures and more complex surgeries being gradually moved to and performed at the outpatient surgery center. Payam Farjoodi, MD. Spine Surgeon at Center for Spine Health at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center (Fountain Valley, Calif.): Increasing minimally invasive techniques have allowed more types of spine surgery to be done in an outpatient setting. It is common now to see not only decompressions done in surgery centers, but also simple single-level fusions or disc replacements in young healthy patients. I think as more outcomes data is collected, we will see this shift accelerate if it demonstrates significant benefit to the patients and the health systems. A woman pleaded guilty to illegally receiving 8,000-plus hydrocodone pills in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina Oct. 4, according to The Chronicle. Here are six things to know: 1. She pleaded guilty to "two counts of using forged and fraudulent prescriptions to obtain the hydrocodone pills, one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft," The Chronicle reports. 2. The woman used a Duke Medicine neurosurgeon's name and Drug Enforcement Administration number to fill 132 prescriptions. The Department of Justice report didn't disclose the neurosurgeon's name. 3. She used the opioids herself as well as gave some to family and friends. Overall, she received 8,000-plus pills. 5. Hydrocodone is a Schedule II controlled substance. 6. The woman's sentencing date is Jan. 18, 2018. Retired general surgeon Lars Aanning, MD noted for his role in bringing down Allen Sossan, MD, whose botched surgeries led to patient paralysis and death surrendered his medical license, according to a report from The Argus Leader. Here are five things to know: 1. The South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners was scheduled to hold a hearing to revoke Dr. Aanning's medical license on Oct. 27 based on his admission to lying under oath more than 20 years ago. In 2016, Dr. Aanning wrote a column in The Yankton County Observer, later published in ProPublica, confessing he lied under oath to protect his partner and explaining why he did it. 2. Since retiring from medical practice and penning his op-ed, Dr. Aanning has devoted his time to patient advocacy. He told ProPublica he wanted to tell the truth about his own lie to expose flaws in the court system. "It seems that the courtroom is not the arena for adjudication of medical right or wrong. I shared my story to give an explicit example of why you can't always rely on physician testimony in court." 3. While the statute of limitations on the lie has expired, the board said Dr. Aanning committed "moral turpitude"; however, The Argus Leader reports Dr. Aanning believes the board "is pursuing his license because of his role in exposing shoddy medicine." Dr. Aanning reported Dr. Sossan, who eventually racked up several malpractice suits against him due to botched surgeries. Dr. Sossan has since fled the country. 4. Dr. Aanning decided to surrender his license instead of attending the hearing to potentially have his license revoked. 5. The board has not decided whether to accept Dr. Aanning's surrendered license. ein Google-Unternehmen Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. 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Sofern relevant, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auerdem, um Inhalte und Werbung altersgerecht zu gestalten. Wir verwenden Cookies und Daten, umWenn Sie Alle akzeptieren auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auch, umWahlen Sie Weitere Optionen aus, um sich zusatzliche Informationen anzusehen, einschlielich Details zum Verwalten Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellungen. Sie konnen auch jederzeit g.co/privacytools besuchen. The two women poured kerosene over themselves and threatened to self immolate in front of the Tamil Nadu chief minister and deputy chief minister. By Pramod Madhav: The two women poured kerosene over themselves in an attempt to self immolate in front of the Tamil Nadu chief minister and deputy chief minister. In a shocker, two women attempted to self immolate in front of Tamil Nadu chief minister Edapadi Palanisamy and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. CM Palanisamy and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam were in Sivakasi to celebrate the year-long birth anniversary of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran. The two were present on an elaborate stage decked up for a routine celebration. advertisement EPS and OPS finished their speeches and stood up once the national anthem was played to conclude the program. It was then that two women pushed their way into to the front and faced the leaders shocking everyone. The two women poured kerosene over themselves and threatened to self immolate. Policemen had to rush and stop the women from setting themselves on fire. The cops found out that that the older lady was named Kanagalakshmi, who had brought her daughter along with her to the event. Kanagalakshmi alleged that she couldn't take the police harassment anymore and decided to kill herself and her daughter in front of CM and DCM. Apparently multiple cases have been filed upon Kanagalakshmi's husband Munusamy for robbery and theft. Kanagalakshmi stated that every night cops would come to her home and harass her family under the pretext of seeking information about her husband's whereabouts. Kanagalakshmi and her daughter were taken to Sivakasi government hospital. --- ENDS --- Big US firms to meet Adityanath under US in UP 'US in UP' has been mooted to showcase the state's investment avenues in chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, cement, gems, textiles and engineering sectors. With the tagline "US in UP", 26 major American companies will interact with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adtiyanath to explore investment opportunities in the state. "Headed by Boeing, 26 US firms are on their way to Uttar Pradesh to explore investment avenues in the state. The tagline is 'US in UP' on the lines of 'Vibrant Gujarat'," senior cabinet minister Siddharth Nath Singh told. The delegation will visit the state under the aegis of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), Singh, who is UP Health Minister, said. The USISPF is committed to creating the most powerful strategic partnership between the US and India and promoting bilateral trade is an important task, the Forum said. "But, our mission reaches far beyond this. It is about business and government coming together in new ways to create meaningful opportunities that have the power to change the lives of citizens," the USISPF said. It said in a statement that investment incentives offered by the state under the new chief minister "translate into a business-friendly climate for industry." Singh said taking a cue from 'Vibrant Gujarat', the idea of 'US in UP' has been mooted to showcase the state's investment avenues in chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, cement, gems, textiles and engineering sectors. He said a small delegation had visited this state two months back and realising the "tremendous investment potential" in the state, a bigger delegation will be travelling to the state tomorrow. Singh said the foundation for the high-profile tour was laid when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the United States in June and invited CEOs of top US companies to invest in India, saying GST was a game changer that made the country a business-friendly destination. UP Chief Secretary Rajive Kumar will brief the delegation on investment opportunities along with the UP Industries Development commissioner and principal secretary for industries. MSF has witnessed the negative impact of monopoly pricing on life-saving medicines and vaccines in its medical projects all over the world. As 16 countries negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement meet this week in Incheon, Korea, the international medical humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is appealing to Korea and Japan to withdraw proposals that could hinder global access to affordable generic medicines and life-saving vaccines. Negotiators from the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its free trading partners Korea, Japan, China, India, Australia, and New Zealandare meeting in Incheon for the 20th round of negotiations on RCEP, a multilateral trade deal that covers nearly half of the worlds population. The governments of Korea and Japan are pushing for measures in the RCEP deal that would extend pharmaceutical corporation power through broader intellectual property (IP) protection that hinders competition and trade in life-saving generic medicines and vaccines. The measures go beyond what is required by the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS), and are called TRIPS-plus provisions. This would mean extending drug and vaccine patent terms and entrenching new monopolies in the national drug regulatory system (data exclusivity) in countries like India, which is known as the pharmacy of the developing world. This, in turn, would delay market entry of other manufacturers, blocking price-lowering competition in drugs and vaccines that would benefit people across the world. MSF has witnessed the negative impact of monopoly pricing on life-saving medicines and vaccines in its medical projects all over the world, including for medicines used to treat HIV, drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and hepatitis C, as well as with pneumonia vaccines. The balance between public health and the intellectual property regime seems to be broken, said Thierry Coppens, General Director of MSF Korea. Protection of unmerited intellectual property is blocking development and introduction of new and affordable quality drugs and vaccines. This impacts humanitarian actors like MSF globally, but also hinders Korean patients from accessing more affordable health products in a timely manner. A large number of patents and other intellectual property rights held by global pharmaceutical corporations stand in the way of Korean manufacturers who are pioneers in the development of more affordable biological medical products such as life-saving vaccines from making them available to people and governments. The burden of the broken balance falls not only on our patients, but also on health systems that are struggling to provide health care in the midst of spiraling monopoly prices for medicines. Weak and evergreening patents granted in South Korea and India already block the early launch of more affordable pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) needed to tackle the increasing burden of infectious pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal bacteria are one of the leading causes of pneumonia in children, and nearly a million children lose their lives to the disease every year. Pfizer has been building so-called patent thickets, restricting development and competition in the area of PCV. Pfizer (previously Wyeth) filed and obtained patents in South Korea and India to create barriers to the development of less-expensive versions of PCV. One such evergreening patent involves the mere addition of serotypes to the already established 7-valent pneumococcal vaccine - a tactic to preserve Pfizers monopoly - for many more years. MSF and vaccine manufacturers are challenging Pfizer, and trying to get the patent revoked. It is ironic that the RCEP agreement will not address the issue of evergreening practices that lead to patent offices erroneously granting monopolies on inventions for obvious modifications of existing medical products, but instead aims to extend the terms of such unmerited and spurious patents. As a result, Korea and India will have to rely on imported pneumonia vaccines, despite their own manufacturers having the capacity to develop and market more affordable versions, said Leena Menghaney, MSF Access Campaign representative who is in Incheon to follow the RCEP IP negotiations, which start October 21. Today, high medicine prices charged by pharmaceutical corporations with monopolies are already straining the budgets of governments around the world, and leaving treatment providers like MSF, and patients, without access, including in high-income countries. In MSFs experience, competition among generic producers has proven an effective way to bring medicine prices down and increase access to treatment for people in need. For example, in 2000, when MSF began providing antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for HIV/AIDS, the cost of treatment was more than $10,000 per year for one patient. Today, thanks to affordable generic drugs, the cost of treatment has dropped by more than 99% to less than $100 per year per patient. But for other diseases today, prices can exceed $100,000 per person for new cancer therapies, and $1,000 per pill in some countries for hepatitis C drugs, because of pharmaceutical corporation market monopolies. These medicines mean life or death for patients the world over, including those in high-income countries like South Korea. Extending the intellectual property regime is not a solution to the lack of innovation and access to medicines for patients across the globe, said Brian Davies, East Asia Head for MSFs Access Campaign. It is time for the governments to rethink the right balance between public health and corporate gains and stop pushing for ever-higher levels of monopoly control of medicines through free trade agreements. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala will formally launch the project on December 4 The Virology Institute of Kerala which was proposed to be established by the Kerala Biotechnology Commission (KBC) will start functioning by July 2018. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala will formally launch the project on December 4. The transit campus will be based at Life Science Park, Thonnakkal. The 500-crore project has the built-up area of 25,000 sq ft will come up on 25 acres in the park. The recruitment to key posts including Director, scientists and technicians to the institute is scheduled to be completed by June 2018 along with the purchase and instalment of equipment will be completed by July. The institute will also be equipped with latest technologies for high-end research to study viruses and viral infections along with bio-safety measures to handle high-risk viruses and facilities for the development of novel anti-viral drugs and vaccines and molecular diagnostic tools. According to the statement by some of the officials, The earlier decision to locate the virology institute in north Kerala was changed to take advantage of the presence of allied research institutions like the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology and CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology in the capital city. By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 23 (PTI) Showing a growing traction for mutual funds among investors, the number of folios has grown by over 66 lakh in the first six months of the current fiscal on account of strong participation from retail investors. According to data from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on total investor accounts with 42 active fund houses, the number of folios rose to a record 62,049,189 at the end of September, from 55,399,631 in March-end, a gain of 6.65 million or 66.5 lakh. advertisement Folios are numbers designated to individual investor accounts, though one investor can have multiple accounts. "The rise in number of folios has mainly come from the retail category, which can be seen by growth in folios in equity, balanced and debt segments," BNP Paribas Mutual Fund Chief Investment Officer Ritesh Jain said. "Besides, low interest has been attracting investors into mutual funds," said Vidya Bala, head of mutual fund research at FundsIndia.com. Participation in MFs from retail investors, especially from small towns, has been growing. Further, measures taken by markets regulator Sebi such as giving extra incentives for fund houses expanding to smaller cities, coupled with increasing investor awareness programmes by Asset Management Companies (AMCs) and industry body Amfi to increase penetration of mutual funds also helped. Retail investor accounts?defined by folios in equity, equity-linked saving schemes (ELSS) and balanced categories? grew by over 61 lakh to more than 5 crore during the period under review. Overall, mutual funds have seen an infusion of Rs 2 lakh crore, while equity, ELSS and balanced categories together attracted an impressive inflow of over Rs 1.27 lakh crore. Going ahead, Atul Kumar, head of equity funds at Quantum Mutual Fund, said that the fund house remain positive on Indian equities over long term. "High GDP growth relative to rest of the world, increasing consumption and likely investment in infrastructure are key drivers for equity returns. However, we are cautious on equities in the near term. Markets have been running up which is not supported by earnings growth. Most sell side brokers continue to revise their earning estimates downward," he added. A mutual fund pools the assets of its investors and invests the money on behalf of them. It provides diverse investment instruments like stocks and bonds without requiring investors to make separate purchases and trades. PTI SP SA --- ENDS --- Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/10/2017 (1851 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. BOISSEVAIN The threat of North Korea has re-emerged as a leading news topic during recent weeks, but for Korean War veteran Roger Goodin it has been top of mind for decades. Memories of the year-plus he spent living in bunkers while being fired upon continue to haunt the 88-year-olds dreams, despite a few stints in the hospital and medication to help deal with the mental scars of battle. I came out with my mind all shot up instead of me all shot up, he said while discussing his wartime experience at his Boissevain home on Friday morning. Tyler Clarke/The Brandon Sun Korean War veteran Roger Goodin is seen outside of his Boissevain home on Friday, with his wartime medals. In 2008, Goodin marked the 55th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement by revisiting South Korea with his son, Daniel, courtesy of Veterans Affairs Canada. During wartime, Goodin said that the South Korean children soldiers came across were so impoverished that theyd felt bad for the youngsters and would save their rations to help feed them. By 2008, the country was perfect, Goodin said, adding that it had new roads, all paved up, kids going to school with good, clean clothes on Oh boy, did it ever change, and did they ever like Canadians. Goodin grew up on a farm near Deloraine, where his parents operated a mixed farm. Whereas his brother, Francis Goodon (his siblings spell their last name three different ways) joined the Second World War effort, Goodin was too young to enlist. A few years later, Canada would go on to enter the Korean War, giving Goodin the chance hed been looking for. He became one of more than 26,000 Canadians to serve in the Korean War, which would take place from 1950 to the armistice signing three years later. Serving as a wireless operator, Goodin was charged with forging ahead in order to relay observations back to others waiting in the wings. Operators such as these were typically the first ones shot at, he said, reiterating how lucky he was to have survived. During Goodins time in Korea, his radios antennas were knocked off more than once by artillery, a shell landed where hed been standing a few seconds previous and he stepped on a landmine, which smoked but failed to detonate. While Goodin was one of more than 26,000 Canadians to make it back home alive, 516 Canadians died in service during the Korean War. As scary as it was to be in Korea during wartime, Goodin said that a renewed war effort would be even worse. Given the modern firepower thats out there, he said that hes afraid that more people would die. Goodin and his wife Shirley, who died in 2015, had six children, who went on to have numerous children of their own, who in turn have given Goodin great-grandchildren. Its these new generations that he thinks about when watching recent news reports, wherein political leaders flex their weapons of mass destruction. Its crazy, he said. You cant start a war, now, and finish and think youre going to win. tclarke@brandonsun.com Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB By PTI: Islamabad, Oct 23 (PTI) Pakistans embattled Finance Minister and ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharifs close aide Ishaq Dar today appeared before an anti-corruption court here for the seventh time in his trial in a graft case in the Panama Papers scandal. At todays hearing, the anti-corruption watchdog National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecution presented two new witnesses against the minister, Dawn reported. advertisement The NAB on September 8 filed the case against 67-year-old Dar following the July 28 verdict of the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case that indicted Sharif and his family. The apex court had also disqualified Sharif and ordered corruption cases against him, his children Maryam, Husain and Hasan and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar. The first witness, Abdul Rehman Gondal, branch manager of a private banks parliament branch, has completed his statement and is being cross-examined by Dars counsel Khawaja Haris, the report said. Gondal provided details of the account held by Dar in the bank. He informed the court that NAB had summoned him along with relevant documents on August 16 and he submitted the requisite record concerning Dar to NABs investigating officer, it said. Gondal said he had provided bank statements of Dar ranging from March 25, 2005 to August 16, 2017 to NAB. The bank transaction details provided by the witness were made part of case record by the court, the report said. The second witness, Masood Ghani, the operations manager in a private bank, will give his testimony later in the day. The court had on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of the graft cases till October 23 after the ministers senior counsel left the country in a rush. In the preceding hearing of the case, Haris had cross- questioned Al-Baraka Islamic Banks Assistant Vice President Tariq Javed ? the prosecutions third witness. The court had indicted Dar last month in a NAB case pertaining to his owning assets "beyond his known sources of income". On October 19, the anti-graft court had indicted Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law in a corruption case related to the Avenfield properties in London. The case was one of the three cases registered by the NAB on September 8 against 67-year-old Sharif, his children and son-in-law in the Accountability Court in Islamabad. PTI AMS AKJ AMS --- ENDS --- By PTI: (Eds: Updating with fresh inputs) Islamabad, Oct 23 (PTI) Ishaq Dar, Pakistans embattled Finance Minister and ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharifs close aide, indicted in a graft case in the Panama Papers scandal, today appeared before an anti-corruption court here for the seventh time. The National Accountability Court had indicted Dar last month in the case pertaining to his owning assets "beyond his known sources of income". advertisement At todays hearing, the anti-corruption watchdog National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecution presented two new witnesses against the 67-year-old minister, the Dawn reported. The NAB on September 8 filed the case against Dar following the July 28 verdict of the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case that indicted Sharif and his family. The apex court had also disqualified Sharif and ordered corruption cases against him, his children Maryam, Husain and Hasan and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar. The first witness, Abdul Rehman Gondal, branch manager of a private banks parliament branch, has completed his statement and is being cross-examined by Dars counsel Khawaja Haris, the report said. Gondal provided details of the account held by Dar in the bank. He informed the court that the NAB had summoned him along with relevant documents on August 16 and he submitted the requisite record concerning Dar to the investigating officer. Gondal said he had provided bank statements of Dar from March 25, 2005 to August 16, 2017 to the NAB. The bank transaction details provided by the witness were made part of case record by the court, the report said. The court directed to him appear in the next hearing with additional record. The second witness, Masood Ghani, the operations manager in a private bank, gave his testimony regarding Dars bank record. His cross-examination could not be completed today and the court ordered him to appear in the next hearing with the record sought by the defence counsel. The hearing was subsequently adjourned till October 30, the report said. The court had on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of the graft cases till October 23 after the ministers senior counsel left the country in a rush. In the preceding hearing of the case, Haris had cross- questioned Al-Baraka Islamic Banks Assistant Vice President Tariq Javed ? the prosecutions third witness. On October 19, the anti-graft court had indicted Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law in a corruption case related to the Avenfield properties in London. The case was one of the three cases registered by the NAB on September 8 against 67-year-old Sharif, his children and son-in-law in the Accountability Court in Islamabad. PTI AMS AKJ AMS --- ENDS --- advertisement Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/10/2017 (1853 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The base commander of CFB Shilo and the Director of Military Family Services (MFS) have suspended funding to the Shilo Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) after a dispute between the board of directors and a staff member. It was serious enough that weve asked them to get the board in order, so that it functions effectively, Col. Dan Harris, director of MFS, said. But at the same time, we were very serious in that we wanted to make sure that none of the families and the services to families were negatively impacted. File photo CFB Shilo Lt.-Col. Dave MacIntyre, commander of CFB Shilo, said after reviewing the boards handling of an internal labour relations challenge, a decision was made to suspend funding. Harris said MFS provides the Shilo MFRC with about $850,000 in federal funding annually, half of which has been given for the first two quarters of the fiscal year. I dont want to think that I have to consider additional steps, but if it was necessary, we could go through some alternate service delivery avenues just to make sure that families do have access to services as they need, Harris said. But I dont believe that we will need to get there. The volunteer board chair Wendy Knee, Corey Morton, Michelle Hegg, Kiana Wiebe, Kim Kooistra, Shannon Barnes-Girouard, Candace Dyck, Shauna Wright, Bobby Billard, Darryl Gould, Shannon MacIntyre and non-voting members Vanessa Durand, Capt. Pitkin, Capt. Moslberry and Willemien van Lankvelt of the MFRC is elected by the Shilo community. Representatives for the base commander, 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, 2 Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry and the MFRC executive director sit on the board as non-voting members. Lt.-Col. Dave MacIntyre, commander of CFB Shilo, said after reviewing the boards handling of an internal labour relations challenge, a decision was made to suspend funding. This is us indicating that we take that funding very seriously and they need to take it seriously as well. The base and MFS have given the board a list of conditions which need to be met before its funding can be restored, the details of which were provided by Wendy Knee, chairperson of the Shilo MFRC Board of Directors. She said the board will be required to develop a plan to ensure it is functioning effectively, improve relations with staff and have a plan to strengthen the centre moving forward. The Base, Board of Directors, Military Family Services and MFRC staff remain committed to the families of Shilo and the surrounding communities and are working together to ensure services are uninterrupted, Knee said in an email statement. The board has since scheduled a special meeting for Nov. 1 at 5:30 p.m. at the MFRC to discuss these issues. In the meantime, there will be no changes to services, activities or planned events, Knee said. Furthermore, daycare funding has not been effected and daycare services will not be impacted. The base provides about $190,000 annually to the MFRC, half of which has already been given. The money is used for different programs, said MacIntyre, including community busing, medical services, counselling and second language training. The Department of National Defence was unable to confirm how much money it gives to the MFRC, or how much has been withheld, before deadline. It is unclear what exactly took place between the board and the staff member in question, whose name has not been released. Knee did not respond to a follow-up email asking about the dispute. MacIntyre said the matter happened back in May, although he did not go into further detail citing privacy and confidentiality. From my perspective, if we get to a point where services are affected then thats where we would expect to see different decisions being made. The staff member involved is still employed with the MFRC, but MacIntyre stressed that withholding the money was not because of this or the misuse of any funds. However, he said the board is moving in the right direction. I think were getting there and I do have confidence in the process. CFB Shilo Major Kathy Haire has been assigned as a mentor to help the board fulfill its list of requirements. mlee@brandonsun.com Twitter: @mtaylorlee Electric car maker Tesla says it is talking with the Shanghai municipal government to set up a factory in the region and expects to agree on a plan by the end of the year. China levies a 25 per cent duty on sales of imported vehicles and has not allowed foreign car makers to establish wholly owned factories in the country, which is the world's largest car maker. Those are problems for Tesla, which wants to expand its presence in China's growing electric vehicle market without compromising its independence or intellectual property. China's government has considered allowing foreign car makers to set up wholly owned factories in free-trade zones, in part to encourage more production of electric and hybrid vehicles - which the government calls "new energy vehicles" - to meet ambitious sales quotas. The public service commissioner has defended his links to right-wing think tank the Institute of Public Affairs, rejecting suggestions he gave it special access and research. John Lloyd faced a barrage of questioning about his connection with the IPA on Monday from senators, who raised an email he had sent to a member of the group with an attachment showing generous provisions in public service enterprise agreements. Australian Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd. Credit:Jay Cronan Mr Lloyd rejected a suggestion at a Senate estimates hearing from Labor senator Kimberley Kitching that he provided the think tank "special access" or research, saying the information he sent was publicly available. "My sense of it is there's nothing untoward there," he said. At least $74 million has been spent on marketing, lawyers and consultants for the privatisation of NSW electricity network businesses in what the state opposition has criticised as a "feeding frenzy" for the big end of town. Treasury figures confirm that the biggest winner from the transactions was consultancy Ernst and Young, which reaped $24.5 million for providing financial, accounting and tax advice to the government. Ernst and Young wrote the report used by the then Baird government to bolster its argument for partially privatising the NSW electricity network. The report concluded that customers have paid lower charges in Victoria and South Australia after privatisation. A convicted rapist has given authorities the slip after removing his electronic monitoring strap in Brisbane's south on Monday afternoon. Damien Kennedy The last known location of Damien Paul Kennedy, 28, was the suburb of Salisbury at 4.13pm. The sexual offender has been described as about 171 centimetres tall, 125 kilograms, with a fair complexion, blue eyes, black hair and clean shaven. He also has several tattoos including a Chinese demon on his right shin, 'love and hate; on his right inner forearm and 'Southside' across his neck. Mr Kennedy pleaded guilty to the rape of a 49-year-old sex worker in the Brisbane District Court, with the offences taking place on the afternoon of March 7, 2008. An "abundant amount of hail" is hanging over south-east Queensland, with the early stages of tornadoes also spotted as the Bureau of Meteorology continues to warn residents of more severe weather on the way. Brisbane was expecting showers and storms into the afternoon and evening, with the potential for those to become severe as well. The showers and storms were forecast to linger into the early hours of Tuesday morning before clearing into the Coral Sea. Dark clouds linger over Brisbane City on Monday afternoon. Credit:Jono Searle - AAP BoM meteorologist Lauren Pattie said a "very cold" upper low over the south-east was bringing the showers, storms and "an abundant amount of hail". However, rainfall totals were lower than expected, with the upper low bringing more hail than rain. The highest rainfall was recorded at Tallai on the Gold Coast with 42 millimetres, while Wellcamp in Toowoomba received 30 millimetres but generally the south-east picked up falls between five and 15 millimetres. Four men photographed swimming into a baited croc trap not far from the scene of a fatal attack in Queensland appear to be vying for the "idiots of the century award", a local mayor says. Photos of the men swimming around and even climbing into the trap at the Port Douglas Marina have surfaced online, leaving Douglas Shire Mayor Julie Leu stunned. The men who were photographed in a crocodile trap near Port Douglas have been widely criticised. Credit:Facebook "I was absolutely gobsmacked, this is incredibly stupid and dangerous behaviour. I'm wondering if these fellows are vying for the idiots of the year award or the idiots of the century award," she told ABC radio. The pictures show the men frolicking in the water, climbing on top of the trap and sitting in the mouth of it. The marina is not far from where a 4.3-metre crocodile took 79-year-old dementia sufferer Anne Cameron. A body found at a vacant property on the Mornington Peninsula was buried in a shallow grave, police say. Homicide detectives spent Monday scouring the property at Tyabb, about an hour south-east of Melbourne, following the discovery at 9pm on Sunday night. On Monday evening, State Emergency Service volunteers joined the search for evidence at the 29-acre property on Dandenong-Hastings Road. The body was reportedly exhumed on Monday evening, as line searches continued through long grass and dumped rubbish. By PTI: 16th week (Eds: Minor correction in headline) Jammu, Oct 23 (PTI) The cross-LoC bus service on the Poonch-Rawalakot road between Jammu and Kashmir, and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) remained suspended for the 16th week today due to ceasefire violations by Pakistan, an official said. The bus service was suspended on July 10 due to heavy firing and shelling from the Pakistani side. Since then no bus has crossed the Line of Control from Chakan-da-bagh. advertisement "The weekly cross-LoC bus service via Poonch-Rawalakot road remained suspended even today. The LoC bus service has been shut for the last 16 weeks," custodian of LoC trade (Poonch) Mohmmad Tanveer told PTI. He said the bus service was shut because of the Pakistani Army often resorting to shelling and firing along the LoC in Poonch district. "Nothing can be said about resumption of bus service and trade through Chakan-da-bagh as of now," Tanveer said. Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed the worst border skirmishes between India and Pakistan along the LoC this year. According to Indian Army figures, till August1, there were 285 such violations by the Pakistan Army, a sharp increase, while in 2016, the number was 228 for the entire year. Eleven people, including nine soldiers, were killed and 18 injured in ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army in July, according to the Army data. There were as mnay as 83 ceasefire violations, one BAT (border action team) attack andtwo infiltration bids from the Pakistani side in June in whichfour people, including three jawans, were killed and 12injured. PTI AB MG NSD NSD --- ENDS --- Officials at Parliament House concede they have no idea who has possession of a 1000-page security manual lost in November last year, despite calling in private investigators. Labor senator Kimberley Kitching used Senate estimates hearings on Monday to reveal the sensitive security manual had been lost by a "private entity", and ask officials from the Department of Parliamentary Services why an investigation was not launched until February. Senate President Stephen Parry said there was no indication security had been compromised but the investigation had failed to find the sensitive material. The Australian Federal Police were informed the contractor had lost the manual, but senior political figures including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Attorney-General George Brandis and Justice Minister Michael Keenan were not immediately informed. A crackdown on polluting industries in northern China for an unprecedented five months over winter is not a one-off and could hit Australian iron ore and coal exports. The winter pollution shutdown, which began in September and will run until March, is set to continue, China's environment minister says. Australian iron ore and coal exports have been hit by a slowdown in Chinese demand since the crackdown on pollution. Steel mills and cement makers in some provinces have had to cut production by 50 per cent, and the sale and use of coal is banned in other cities. In previous years, the winter shutdown has only lasted a few weeks."This is not a one-off, it will continue in the future," said environment minister Li Ganjie of the new measures. Wellington: This morning Labour Leader and Prime Minister-elect Jacinda Ardern received a call from US President Donald Trump congratulating her on the outcome of the New Zealand election. "The President was genuinely interested in our election, and spoke about the coverage it had received in Washington DC," Ms Ardern said of the five-minute phone call which came three days after a deal with the NZ First Party landed her the post. NZ's Prime Minister-elect Jacinda Ardern receives a phone call from US President Donald Trump. "We are likely to meet at APEC where I look forward to carrying on talks around our role in the Asia Pacific region, and our commitment to a strong relationship with the United States. "The President also asked that I pass on his warm regards to the people of New Zealand." Washington: Fox News ran a story on October 8 about a decorated Vietnam War US Navy SEAL and glass artist who created an enormous presidential glass seal he hoped to give to President Donald Trump. On Thursday, 11 days later, the network retracted the story after being told the Trump supporter never served in Vietnam at all, much less earned commendations for his service. Fox News aired an interview with John Garofalo who falsely claimed he served with a US Navy SEAL team in the Vietnam War. Credit:Screengrab In the segment, John Garafalo said he served in the Vietnam War with the US Navy SEAL team. Fox News reported that he also received two Purple Hearts and about two dozen other medals. The man's claimed record turned out to be a fabrication, first discovered by former Navy SEALs. Both these SEALs and family members of Garofalo had contacted Fox News about the story, according to the Navy Times. Easter Island has long been a source of intrigue and mystery. How did such a small community of people build so many impressively large statues? And what happened to cause that community to collapse? Researchers have also been curious about what kind of contact the Easter Islanders might have had with South Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans. Earlier evidence seemed to support early contact between the island people and Native Americans. But a new study, co-authored by an archaeologist from the University of Bristol, of ancient DNA evidence collected from archaeological samples and reported in Current Biology now calls those findings back into question, finding no evidence that ancient inhabitants of Easter Island intermixed with South Americans. Lead author, Lars Fehren-Schmitz of the University of California, said: While the findings cant exclude the possibility that cultural contact took place between the two populations, if those long-distance treks across the ocean were occurring it did not leave genetic traces among the individuals samples. We were surprised that we didnt find any Native American admixture in our ancient Rapa Nui specimens. The idea that there had been early Pacific contact with South America, or even that a Southern Pacific migration route contributed to the peopling of the Americas has been a long-standing debate in the field. In the new study, the researchers wanted to find out what DNA from ancient Rapa Nui samples had to say on the matter. The researchers including Cat Jarman, from Bristols department of Anthropology and Archaeology, and Pontus Skoglund of Harvard Medical School sequenced DNA from five individual samples representing Rapa Nui both before and after European contact. They report that the DNA, including both complete mitochondrial genomes and low-coverage autosomal genomes, indicate that the DNA of those individuals falls within the genetic diversity of present-day and ancient Polynesians. Cat Jarman said: This new research shows how state-of-the-art scientific techniques can now start to really answer questions we have been asking for a long time. Interdisciplinary research is key to this and our project included archaeologists, geneticists, and geochemists. But the DNA results also demonstrate the importance of understanding more recent population dynamics if we are to untangle more distant historical events. For the Rapa Nui population, slave trade and colonial ventures had devastating effects. Our paper suggests that this is the cause of the difference between modern DNA analyses, which showed South American admixture, and our study, which did not. This has important implications for reconstructing migration and population movement elsewhere in the world as well. The huge advancements in ancient DNA analysis -- my colleagues at UC Santa Cruz were able to extract genome-wide data from very small fragments of poorly preserved human bone -- will significantly add to this in the future. Lars Fehren-Schmitz added: We can reject the hypothesis that any of these individuals had substantial Native American ancestry. Our data thus suggest that the Native American ancestry in contemporary Easter Islanders was not present on the island prior to European contact, and may thus be due to events in more recent history. The new study highlights the value of ancient DNA for testing hypotheses about the past. Its clear from earlier evidence that living Rapa Nui do have a small proportion of Native American ancestry. But, the researchers on the new study say, it is especially difficult to disentangle movements of people in the prehistoric period from more recent times. The question remains: how and when did this population exchange happen? The researchers say theyd now like to generate genome-wide data from additional ancient Oceania and Western South American populations. The goal is to develop a more detailed picture of the population dynamics of these regions and potential interactions between them. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams This ban is a walk in the park! Mayor DeBlasio on Monday permanently banned cars inside Brooklyns Backyard beginning in January, claiming bikers, joggers, and nature-lovers deserve a sanctuary from the hazards and racket of the morning rush. Restoring Prospect Park as a car-free oasis will improve the lives of the millions who use this park today and of generations to come, Hizzoner said. Downtown-bound motorists are currently allowed on the meadows East Drive from 7 to 9 am on weekdays, and drivers who rely on the route have until Jan. 2 to suss out a detour. The indefinite exile follows a summer-long ban on traffic from the road, during which the citys transportation department studied the embargos effects on surrounding streets. Analysts are still reviewing data from the parks completely-car-free trial, but DeBlasio moved forward with the prohibition claiming the temporary bans effect on traffic was negligible and that enough people supported it to give drivers the boot. The mayor axed Coney Islandbound vehicles from the parks West Drive in 2015, and his transit experts said the fallout from that closure a roughly 1-minute delay on alternate routes is comparable to what East-Drive commuters can expect when the thoroughfare shutters. Transportation department honchos estimate that the parks early-bird bikers and pedestrians outnumber its motorists by roughly three to one, and more than 1,000 park-lovers signed a petition demanding a permanent vehicle ban following the summer-long embargo. And once cars are gone for good, park-users who shied away from the East Drive during the morning rush will flock to the meadow, according to a local bike advocate and mom. I know a lot of kids who bike to school, but they dont typically go through the park because of the cars, said Hilda Cohen, a member of pro-cyclist group Kidical Mass who lives in Fort Greene with her 15 and 12-year-old. It will have an impact on so many people. Popular support for exiling vehicles from Prospect Park was not always in such high demand and, as recently as 2008, ardent pro-bike groups struggled to advocate for a prohibition. But the city has become friendlier to cyclists, and this summers ban on cars from the East Drive the first time since the invention of the automobile that motorists couldnt cruise the park in addition to children-led anti-car rallies and efforts by radar-gun-toting bicycle advocates showed the time was right to evict drivers once and for all, according to Cohen. Ten years ago this was a small campaign. Now, theres really no opposition, she said. And even some car-users welcomed the ban, according to one driver, who said she often frequents the park without her vehicle and welcomed the mayors announcement. Im a driver and I also ride my bike in the park, said Kate U., who lives in Ditmas Park. Im happy to hear the news. Ireland's largest wind farm has entered commercial operation and is now Irelands largest and best performing wind farm, generating more green energy than any other wind generation site on the island. Galway Wind Park has been developed by SSE and Coillte at a joint investment cost of over 280m, with 90m contributed to Irish Gross Domestic Product during construction, and 20m spent with local suppliers and contractors. The power generated at Galway Wind Park will be now provided to SSEs retail arm SSE Airtricity, Irelands largest green energy provider. Located south-west of Oughterard, Galway Wind Park comprises 58 Siemens 3MW wind turbines, each rated to the highest international standard and specifically engineered for the prevailing wind conditions at the Connemara site to optimise generation output performance. SSE and Coillte forecast that Galway Wind Park will produce over 600GWh of green energy each year enough renewable energy to power over 140,000 Irish homes. This means Galway Wind Park can power more than the equivalent of every home in Galway city and county. Furthermore, Galway Wind Park will boast a multi-million euro community fund aimed at recognising the support, cooperation and needs of local people. The fund, currently being designed by SSE and Coillte in consultation with local communities, will be launched in the coming months and will operate for the lifetime of the wind farm. Commenting on the project, Managing Director at SSE Ireland, Stephen Wheeler said, "The development of Galway Wind Park demonstrates how two industry leaders can join forces to deliver the countrys largest onshore wind farm. As Irelands largest single generator and provider of renewable energy, were extremely proud at SSE that Galway Wind Park will make the biggest single contribution of any renewable energy site towards greening our national energy supply and decarbonising power generation across the island." He added, "Were equally proud that over its lifetime Galway Wind Park will help transform the local and regional economy and communities through a multi-million euro community fund." Source: www.businessworld.ie The latest 2017 Melbourne Mercer Global Pensions Index (MMGPI) has ranked Ireland 12th out of 30 countries and awarded an overall B rating. The Irish pension system achieved high scores for both the adequacy of the expected benefits and the governance standards applied. However, Ireland continues to lag in 20th place when it comes to the issue of providing sustainable income for people in retirement. The results indicate that action is required to improve the sustainability of Ireland's pension system, in order to protect Irelands ageing population and to combat the negative impact of low levels of occupational pension coverage. Now measuring 30 countries and covering 60% of the worlds population, this years ninth edition of the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index urges countries with unsustainable pension systems to take action now, rather than risk the need to take even more drastic action in the future. This years Index reveals that Denmark, in its sixth year running, has retained the top position with an overall score of 78.9, ahead of the Netherlands and Australia at 78.8 and 77.1 respectively. Ireland ranked 12th out of 30 countries in this years index compared to 10th position out of 27 countries in 2016. Irelands overall rating improved from a C+ to a B, primarily due to the inclusion of a real economic growth indicator in the sustainability sub-index for 2017. Given recent and projected strong economic performance, this new indicator also contributed to Ireland being raised from an E to a D on the sustainability sub-index. An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, recently reaffirmed his strong commitment to the introduction of a universal savings scheme aimed at increasing pension coverage amongst private sector workers. He noted that a five-year roadmap for pension reform is expected before the end of the year with first payments being made to these new individually held funds in early 2021. Mercer welcomes this commitment and looks forward to hearing further details of the scheme, in particular the minimum contribution rates, eligibility criteria and tax relief arrangements. Senior DC Consultant at Mercer in Ireland, Peter Burke said, "The results from the 2017 Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index indicate that the time is right to develop a clear roadmap and timeline for the introduction of an auto-enrolment pension system to cover all employees. As we are living longer and spending more time in retirement, this will help to ensure that the Irish pensions system can support the population in achieving adequately funded retirements." Source: www.businessworld.ie Reacting to a report by India Today on Patidar leader Narendra Patel's allegation that the BJP offered him Rs 1 crore to join the party, Rahul today said that Gujarat is priceless. By India Today Web Desk: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today said that Gujarat is priceless and that it will never be bought. Rahul's comment on Twitter comes in the wake of Patidar leader's sensational claim that BJP had offered him Rs 1 crore to join the party. Narendra Patel, a local convener of Hardik Patel's Anamat Andolan Samiti, alleged that he was offered Rs 1 crore by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Patel's claim comes a day after he joined the BJP. On Sunday late night, Patel who called a press meet in Ahmedabaad, said that he was given Rs 10 lakh advance amount. advertisement The Gandhi scion had retweeted a report by India Today about Patel's press conference where he exposed the ploy of the BJP. Gujarat is priceless. It has never been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought.https://t.co/czGCQzrxY4- Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 23, 2017 Patel elaborately described the transaction and the meeting. While speaking to media persons, Patel said that he was 'made' to say that he was joining BJP. He added that he felt it was wrong and that the Patel community was being betrayed. He said that the BJP will fall in Gujarat while displaying the bundle of notes allegedly given to him by the BJP. ALSO WATCH | Nikhil Sawani quits BJP, alleges party trying to buy Patidar leaders --- ENDS --- Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Mr. Jim Daly TD, has today turned the sod on the Northern Block Expansion project at Bon Secours Hospital Cork. The development will provide for the introduction of new services and the expansion of existing services at the Hospital. It also signals 50 new jobs at Bon Secours Hospital Cork as well as construction jobs throughout the project. The extensive expansion costing some 77m is the largest ever investment undertaken by the Bon Secours Health System and is a key part of the 150m investment by the Health System as part of the recently launched 2020 Plan in its 5 acute hospitals in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Tralee and Dublin as well as its Care Village in Cork. Bon Secours Hospital Cork is the largest private hospital in Ireland and has been treating patients in the Munster region for over 100 years. Speaking today, Minister of State at the Department of Health, Jim Daly said, "The Bon Secours Health System has been part of life in Ireland for more than 100 years. The turning of the sod on this major development in Cork marks another significant development for the organisation and for the Bon Secours in Cork particularly, and I want to congratulate all involved on their achievement." Group CEO of the Bon Secours Health System, Bill Maher added, "I am delighted that Minister Daly marked the commencement of this key development and turned the sod on our major expansion of services in our flagship hospital in Cork. This is a proud day for the hospital, the Bon Secours Health System and all of our staff. This 77m development is another exciting project as part of our ambitious 2020 plan to deliver Advanced Medicine and Exceptional Care." Source: www.businessworld.ie The number of companies listing roles with on-the-job perks increased by 6% in the first quarter to the third quarter of 2017 compared to the same period last year, and by 135% compared to the same period five years ago, in 2012. This is according to new statistics released today by Jobs.ie. A job perk is distinct from a job benefit, like annual leave or a pension contribution. Whereas the latter is typically included as part of a salary, perks are provided on a daily or regular basis to encourage productivity and creativity. The research shows that jobs offering perks like a free lunch, Friday beers, bring your dog to work policies and gym membership are on the rise. Jobs.ie believe the upward trend in job perks shows that companies are increasingly putting people at the heart of their business. General Manager at Jobs.ie, Christopher Paye says, "Ireland is hungry for talent, particularly in emerging industries like tech and financial services. Professionals are free to shop around for the best employment package, and on-the-job perks can help to sway them one way or the other. Perks are no longer the exclusive remit of American multinationals. In addition to competitive salaries and benefits, like annual leave and health insurance, many Irish companies are prioritising their employees happiness by providing catered meals, gym membership and team bonding events. To a prospective hire, this shows a commitment to culture and a positive working environment." He added, "As employers demand more from their employees in terms of hours worked and always-on availability, perks also help to reduce stress and offset personal costs, particularly food spend. In the long term, this encourages loyalty and improves employee retention. Likewise, as the office perk culture becomes commonplace, employees will increasingly come to expect it from their employer. Companies that dont take this on board risk losing out in the war for talent." Source: www.businessworld.ie Initiative Ireland has today announced the launch of Irelands first syndicated property finance platform (www.initiativeireland.ie). Initiative Ireland is headquartered at NovaUCD, the Centre for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs at University College Dublin and is supported by Enterprise Ireland as a high-potential start-up. It was founded in 2015 by an experienced financial services team, with the goal of providing increased financial inclusion, competition and sustainability to the Irish finance market. The launch coincides with the companys pre-approval of a 1.5 million secured loan, which has been approved for funding via the platform. The largest crowd-lending loan approved to date in Ireland, the loan will fund the development of 10 social housing apartments and a ground floor restaurant on the North Strand Road, Dublin. The loan has already been guaranteed funding, subject to final legal due diligence, by Initiative Irelands institutional members but will be made available for syndication to its other private members from today via the new platform. The loan is secured with a first legal charge, and will see phased syndication and release of funds to the borrower over 12 months, subject to ongoing certification of works by the companys partnering quantity surveyors. Membership is free although a minimum of 10,000 must be committed per loan, to participate in a Private Syndicate at this time. Initiative Ireland has also partnered with regulated European payment institution Mangopay to offer regulated electronic money accounts to its members via the platform. Initiative Ireland aims to provide competitive terms and rates to experienced property developers exclusively. Primarily focused on residential developments, with planning in place, the company provides up to 80% of required funding up to a maximum of 10 million per loan. Each loan is carefully assessed and pre-approved by an internal credit risk committee prior to syndication amongst members. In July of this year, the company announced its ambition to finance approximately 250 new family homes by end 2018. With a pipeline of projects already in place, todays announcement is expected to be the first of a series of high-value secured property loans to be funded by the company and its members. All loans are secured with a 1st lien against Irish real estate and must have a clearly defined exit strategy. In return, Initiative Ireland offers highly competitive finance terms and rates. As such, the company aims to become the lender of first choice for experienced developers who are working to deliver much needed family homes. For its private lending members, it offers them returns of up to 7.50% APR on their committed funds and an opportunity to support the construction of New Housing across Ireland. Speaking today, CEO of Initiative Ireland, Padraig W. Rushe said, "Over two years ago we set out to launch a new honest, fair and inclusive finance model for Ireland. From today, our private members will be among the first to gain access to what is an exclusive secured asset class, often available only to Banks and specialist institutions. We look forward to welcoming new borrowers and lenders alike and are committed to delivering sustainable value to the Irish Housing Sector." Source: www.businessworld.ie The Intelligence Bureau Assistant Central Intelligence Officer (IP ACIO) Grade II Executive Exam was conducted on October 15, 2017. After the exam, there was a certain backslash from the candidates, who on various social media outlets complained about the question paper for the exam. In reply to such complaints, the Ministry of Home Affairs published an official notification, about the IB ACIO Tier I 2017 results. According to the notification 4 of the questions from the paper has been cancelled. They will not be taken into consideration for the evaluation process for IB ACIO Tier I Exam 2017. The final marks will be calculated on the basis of the remaining questions. The question numbers 2, 23, 25 and 78 are canceled from the evaluation process. The rest of the 56 questions will remain the same. The notification also brought some clarity on the request that was made by many students for a re-examination. The notification read that re-examination will be not be conducted. The papers will go through the evaluation process as per the details produced in the earlier released notifications and the negative marking will be still be applied. What's Next? The cumulative results will be decided and based on them, a cut off percentage will be released. The candidates who make it to the minimum cut off percent will be called for the Tier II exam. The candidates who make it through the Tier II exam will have to go for the interview round. The candidates will be selected based on the marks obtained from Tier I, II and Interview round. The IB ACIO Tier I exam was conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, in which 7.5 Lakh candidates appeared for the exam from 33 cities. Important Dates for IB ACIO Examination The Tier II IB ACIO exam will be conducted on January 7, 2017. The results for the IB ACI Tier I exam will be out in the month of December (tentative) Candidates can check the official notification on the recruitment website of Ministry of Affairs -www.recruitmentonline.in/mha11/ MPSC Recruitment 2017: Apply for Assistant Section Officer Post! Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has invited the applications for Junior Engineer in Civil, Electrical and Mechanical posts. The last date to apply for the post is November 17, 2017. The job location for the recruitment process will be all over India. Candidates are requested to check for the official notification and read through the information provided in it. The candidates are requested to make sure that they are eligible to apply for the post before they send in the application. Important Dates for SSC Recruitment 2017 The application process ends on November 17, 2017. The last date to pay the fees is November 17, 2017. The Computer-based exam will be conducted from January 05 to January 08, 2017. The answer keys for the exam will be available in the month of January 2018. Vacancies for SSC Recruitment 2017 Organisation Post Central Water Commission Junior Engineer (Civil) Central Water Commission Junior Engineer (Mechanical) CPWD Junior Engineer (Civil) CPWD Junior Engineer (Electrical) Department of Post Junior Engineer (Civil) MES Junior Engineer (Civil) MES Junior Engineer (Electrical and Mechanical) MES Junior Engineer (Quantity Surveying and Contract) Farrakka Barrage (Project) Junior Engineer (Civil) Farrakka Barrage (Project) Junior Engineer (Electrical) Farrakka Barrage (Project) Junior Engineer (Mechanical) Director General Border Roads Organisation Junior Engineer (Civil) Director General Border Roads Organisation Junior Engineer (Electrical) Director General Border Roads Organisation Junior Engineer (Mechanical) Central Water Power Research Station. Junior Engineer (Civil) Central Water Power Research Station. Junior Engineer (Electrical/Mechanical) Dte. Of Quality Assurance (Naval) Junior Engineer (Naval Quantity Assurance) - (Mechanical) Dte. Of Quality Assurance (Naval) Junior Engineer (Naval Quantity Assurance)- (Electrical) National Technical Research Organisation Junior Engineer (Civil) National Technical Research Organisation Junior Engineer (Electrical) National Technical Research Organisation Junior Engineer (Mechanical) Eligibility for SSC Recruitment 2017 The candidates need to check the official notification for more information related to educational qualifications and age limit for the recruitment process. Application Fees for SSC Recruitment 2017 The fees for candidates from General and OBC categories is Rs. 100. There is no fees for females candidates and candidates from SC/ST/PH categories. The application fees can be paid through debit card, credit card, net banking or can be paid offline by e-challan mode. How to Apply for SSC Recruitment 2017? Visit the official website of SSC - ssc.nic.in Find the notification on the homepage. Read through the notification and make sure you are eligible for the post. Download the form and fill in the important details in the space provided. Send the application form along with necessary documents to the address mentioned in the official notification. Also Read: Sikkim Public Service Commission Recruitment for Assistant Professor A number of vacant seats have been made available by the Union Public Service Commission. This is for various Central ministries. Vacancy Availability Total number of posts: 64 Government departments: Ministry of Commerce and Industry Ministry of Defence Ministry of Health & Family Welfare etc Department wise vacancy Deputy Controller of Explosives, under Ministry of Commerce and Industry: No. of posts- 17 (SC-05, OBC-07, UR-05). Scientific Officer (Electrical), under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution: No. of posts- 3 (UR-03). Junior Technical Officer, Integrated Headquarters (Navy), under Ministry of Defence: No. of posts- 3 (SC- 01, ST-01, OBC-01). Specialist Grade-III (Cardiology), under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare: No. of posts- 1 (OBC-01). Specialist Grade III Assistant Professor (ENT), under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: No. of posts- 3 (OBC-01, UR-02). Specialist Grade III Assistant Professor (Preventive and Social Medicine), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare: No. of posts- 10 (OBC-05, UR- 05). Seven Specialist Grade-III, Assistant Professor (Psychiatry), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare: No. of posts-7 (OBC-05, UR-02). Deputy Director (Safety) (Electrical), Directorate General Factory Advice Service & Labour Institute, Ministry of Labour and Employment: No. of posts- 2 (OBC-02). Deputy Director (Safety) (Mechanical), Directorate General Factory Advice Service & Labour Institute, Ministry of Labour and Employment: No. of posts- 1 (OBC-01). Sub-Regional Employment Officer, Directorate General of Employment, Ministry of Labour & Employment: No. of posts- 8 (SC-02, ST-01, OBC-03, UR-02). Assistant Controller of Mines, Indian Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Mines: No. of posts- 8 (OBC-02, UR-06). Assistant Director (Physical Education), Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute of Technology, Andaman and Nicobar Administration, Pahargaon, Port Blair: No. of posts- 01 (UR-01). Application fee: To apply for UPSC, candidates are required to pay a fee of Rs. 25 only either by remitting the money in any branch of the SBI by cash or by using net banking facility of the SBI or by using visa/master credit/debit card. No fee for SC/ST/PH/Women candidates of any community. No "fee exemption" is available to OBC male candidates and they are required to pay the full prescribed fee. Selection process "Candidates shortlisted for interview on the basis of the information provided in the online applications submitted by them will be required to send self-attested copies of documents/relevant certificates in support of the claims made in the application as and when demanded by the Commission, " the UPSC has said. How to apply for UPSC recruitment 2017? Candidates can apply on the official website upsconline.nic.in Deadline The last date of submitting the application is November 2, 2017 till 23:59 hrs. The last date for printing the online application is 03.11.2017 upto 23:59 hrs. Also Read: UPSC CAPF AC Recruitment Results 2017 Released: Check Now! DR Congo slaps ban on cement imports 23 October 2017 The Ministry of External Trade in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has imposed an import ban on a selection of goods, Including cement which is expected to impact on Zambian cement producers. A circular dated 25 August 2017 and signed by Minister of External Trade Jean-Lucien Bussa Tongba, included cement on this list of products, reports the Zambia Daily Mail Ltd. The ban is meant to protect local industries, as well as to curb fraud and other illegal practices in the importation of goods. The Global Cement Report,12th Edition, stated that DR Congo imported 2.2Mt of cement and clinker in 2015 and was forecast to import 1.8Mt in 2017. Published under Cementos Molins relocates registered address to Madrid ICR Newsroom By 23 October 2017 Spanish cement producer Cementos Molins is moving its registered address from the town of Sant Vicenc del Horts in Catalonia to Madrid. Sources close to the step have said the reason for the move is the legal uncertainty in Catalonia. While the companys plant will remain in Sant Vicenc del Horts, the publicly-traded copany and the groups holding through which it channels its foreign investments will take up residence in Madrid. The company plans to invest EUR350m to expand its production around the world. Published under By India Today Web Desk: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi told a rally in poll-bound Gujarat's Gandhinagar that every time they took a selfie, a Chinese youth got employment. Rahul's potshot at the BJP government came ahead of a Assembly Election, for which dates haven't yet been announced. The Congress VP's point was that Make In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign to boost foreign investment in Indian manufacturing, had failed, and that jobs were going to China instead. advertisement Rahul Gandhi also mocked PM over demonetisation, saying, "PM said I don't like 500-1000 notes so I'm discontinuing them". Ahead of the Assembly election in Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi attended the Narsarjan Gujarat Janadesh rally with OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, who recently announced he would join the Congress. Also Watch : Twitter war: What Smriti Irani said on surge in Rahul Gandhi's social media popularity --- ENDS --- Most of us take a few risks when we try a new food. After all, theres always a chance that well hate whatever it is. And most of us would really think twice before ingesting foods that are banned in the United States. Scarily enough, those banned foods arent the only ones that can have some pretty terrifying consequences. Amazingly, people regularly eat deadly foods both in the U.S. and around the world. Read on to check out these deadly foods, ranked from the least harmful to those that induce the scariest symptoms or could even kill you. 17. Blood clams The risk: Viruses and bacteria, including hepatitis If the gruesome name isnt enough to make you think twice about sampling this delicacy, the off-putting appearance might. The New York Times notes that blood clams get their bloody appearance from high levels of hemoglobin. (Most other kinds of clams, for the record, have clear blood.) Cultivated in Southeast Asia, blood clams filter 40 liters of sea water per day. That means that the clams absorb harmful bacteria and viruses, including hepatitis, typhoid, and dysentery, when harvested in areas without standard sanitary regulations. The hepatitis virus, for instance, can survive for as long as three months in the clams and can infect people who eat them. With proper medical attention, youll likely live but you probably wont want to eat blood clams ever again. Next: These berries might grow wild on your property 16. Elderberries The risk: Hydrogen cyanide Elderberries might not kill you, but you definitely need to cook them properly unless you want to feel like youre going to die after you eat them. Almost every part of the elderberry tree contains hydrogen cyanide or its chemical precursors. That includes the berries and leaves. Cooking the berries destroys the compound, but jam, juice, and wine made from elderberries that werent correctly processed can still poison people. If you eat unripe or improperly cooked berries, they can cause severe diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, headache, rapid heart rate, and even seizures. But again, elderberries wont kill you unlike some of the other deadly foods that people actually eat. Next: A root crop thats still an important food source in some parts of the world 15. Cassava The risk: Cyanide poisoning Next on the list? A root crop that could kill you if you eat it raw. Cassava is the third most-important food source in tropical countries. (Its also a key source of carbohydrates for subsistence farmers in Africa.) But the roots and leaves of improperly processed cassava plants contain a substance that produces cyanide when eaten. The unprocessed plants contain potentially toxic levels of a cyanogen called linamarin. To reduce the linamarin content, you must dry, soak in water, and rinse or bake cassava. Shortcut processing techniques yield toxic cassava products that have killed people and induced serious health disorders, especially in malnourished populations. Next: An dairy product that yields deadly drinks as well as deadly foods 14. Unpasteurized milk The risk: Bacteria, including E. coli, listeria, and salmonella Many countries in Asia dont require pasteurization of milk, and in rural parts of France and England, people often dont pasteurize milk. You can even buy raw milk in the United States. But unpasteurized milk and products made from it, like artisan cheese or queso fresco exposes you to bacteria including E. coli, listeria, and salmonella. Drinking raw milk or eating a product made from it can give you brucellosis, which causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, aches, and sweats. It can also cause liver enlargement. Plus, you may not even know what hit you once you get sick. Travel + Leisure reports that the sickness can incubate for up to 20 weeks. Fortunately, a round of antibiotics will knock it out, which makes unpasteurized milk a little less scary than some of the deadlier foods people eat. Next: A delicacy that makes other deadly foods look pretty tame 13. Casu marzu The risk: Maggot infestation Even adventurous foodies pass up the chance to try casu marzu, a sheeps milk pecorino cheese, because it contains live insect larvae. (Cheese makers deliberately introduce cheese flies, who lay eggs. The eggs hatch, and the larvae begin to eat through the cheese.) According to Travel + Leisure, many people say that the cheese is safe if the maggots are alive and that its only gone bad if the larvae die. But if you eat the maggots alive, they can survive the trip through your stomach and set up camp in your intestines. Sure, that sounds terrifying. However, casu marzu doesnt get a higher ranking on the list of deadly foods because while the maggots burrow into your stomach lining and cause vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps, they almost always make their way out without medical intervention. Next: A certain amphibian that can cause temporary kidney failure 12. Giant bullfrog The risk: Toxic kidney failure The French only eat frog legs, which seems wise given the fact that the rest of the frog, especially its skin and organs, can be toxic to eat. But in Namibia, people consider the entire giant bullfrog minus a few particularly toxic organs a delicacy. They consider the giant bullfrog safe to eat if its harvested after mating season and the third rain, when their levels of toxins have fallen. However, if you get the wrong frog parts or eat a frog that was harvested before the mating season, you could develop a type of temporary kidney failure that necessitates immediate medical attention. You wont die, which explains why the giant bullfrog doesnt rank closer to the top of the list of the most deadly foods, but you probably wont make the same mistake twice. Next: A sea creature that can sting you as well as poison you 11. Echizen kurage The risk: Toxicity when cooked improperly Most people know that jellyfish can sting you, but did you know that people eat these soft-bodied aquatic animals? Or that you can die if you eat the wrong jellyfish? Echizen kurage, also known as Nomuras jellyfish, is a Japanese delicacy, but Traveller reports that the jellyfish is only safe to eat when you cook it properly and remove its toxic parts. Japan experiences a now-annual bloom of these huge jellyfish. (Each one can grow to the size of a large refrigerator.) Making the jellyfish into a popular food may actually help to solve the proliferation problem so long as each jellyfish gets cooked correctly. Next: A deadly fruit you might encounter on a trip to the Caribbean 1 0 . Ackee The risk: Jamaican vomiting sickness The ackee is a Jamaican fruit that is surprisingly dangerous to eat unless you know how. Only the inner, yellow part of the fruit is safe to consume. The red portions and black parts of the fruit can actually kill you. Jamaicans eat ackee frequently, so many of its fans know how to peel and cut the fruit correctly. You can even find it canned or sample it in Jamaicas national dish of ackee and codfish. If you happen to eat the wrong parts of the fruit, youll contract Jamaican vomiting sickness, which can cause seizures, coma, or even fatal hypoglycemia. That means that ackee is definitely a deadly food youll want to consume carefully. Next: Another deadly fruit that will poison you with cyanide 9. Buah keluak The risk: Cyanide poisoning, leading to coma Another fruit that can kill you? The buah keluak fruit, which grows on the Pangium edule tree in the mangrove swamps of Southeast Asia. The wood and leaves of the tree, along with the flesh and seeds of the buah keluak fruit, all contain a glycoside compound that converts to hydrocyanic acid, also known as cyanide. If you ingest enough of the toxin, youll experience symptoms including shortness of breath, headache, dizziness, seizures, and excessive sleepiness before a coma sets in. Concentrated amounts can even cause cardiac arrest and death. To make the seeds safe to eat, you have to strip off the flesh of the fruit and soak, boil, or bury them in ash. Next: Tentacles that still move when you eat them 8. Sannakji The risk: Choking Sannakji, also called wriggling octopus, wont hurt you once youve managed to eat it. But Travel + Leisure notes that actually eating it is where things get dicey and potentially lethal. Nakji is a small octopus served in Korea. The chef removes the legs while the animal is still alive. So the limbs continue wriggling once they land on your plate. If that doesnt sound scary enough, the tentacles suction cups can actually stick to your cheeks or inside your throat. You can easily choke on the delicacy. In South Korea, about six people die each year after eating it. Want to try Sannakji without dying? Remember to drink lots of liquids, chew thoroughly, and try to eat it while youre sober, not tipsy. Next: A seafood dish neither Anthony Bourdain nor Gordon Ramsay can stomach 7. Hakarl The risk: Trimethylamine poisoning leading to convulsions and death Want to learn about another scary seafood dish? Hakarl consists of a Greenland shark that people cure, ferment, and hang to dry for months. Its Icelands national dish, but both Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay have characterized it as one of the worst foods in the world. And Business Insider reports that the Greenland shark is actually poisonous if eaten fresh; it can cause illness and even death, hence the requirement for intentional rotting. The flesh of these giant sharks contains high levels of trimethylamine oxide. When you digest it, that compound breaks down into trimethylamine. And trimethylamine causes intestinal distress, neurological effects, and even convulsions and death if eaten in large enough quantities. Next: More fermented fish that can poison you with botulism 6. Fesikh The risk: Botulism Another kind of fermented fish, called fesikh, hails from a very different part of the world but can have equally deadly effects. USA Today reports that each year, many Egyptians are rushed to the hospital after eating the traditional delicacy of fermented, sometimes rotted, gray mullet fish to celebrate the spring festival, Shem el-Nessim. To prepare the dish, people dry the fish in the sun and then ferment it in salt for up to a year. This preparation method puts those who eat the delicacy at risk of botulism, a potentially fatal type of food poisoning caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Even microscopic amounts of this neurotoxin can kill. Next: Deadly foods that look almost exactly like completely safe foods 5. Wild mushrooms The risk: Variety, from liver failure to death This deadly food is one that you can find in many parts of the world. Many people love foraging for wild mushrooms, especially because you can find so many delicious varieties. But as Travel + Leisure points out, toxic mushrooms often look almost exactly like safe ones. And just one poisonous mushroom that gets mixed in with a batch of safe mushrooms can have dangerous consequences. Symptoms range from stomach cramps and headaches to liver failure and death. Make sure that you consult an expert source if want to try wild mushrooms. If you arent 100% sure that a mushroom is safe to consume, just dont eat it. Next: Seafood youve almost certainly eaten before 4. Crab The risk: Cholera Seafood like crab, shrimp, clams, mussels, and oysters sounds pretty safe, but Travel + Leisure reports that you really need to make sure your shellfish is cooked correctly. Otherwise, you could end up with cholera, a bacterial disease typically contracted from an infected water supply. If you seek appropriate medical attention, you likely wont die from contracting cholera from poorly cooked shellfish as tourists have in Latin America. But youll experience severe diarrhea and vomiting, which can bring on devastating dehydration. Without treatment, victims can die within hours. Next: A deadly food you thought existed only in movies 3. Monkey brain The risk: Mad cow disease Though Travel + Leisure notes that its the stuff of urban legend in many Western cultures, monkey brain is actually a delicacy served in countries ranging from China to Malaysia to Singapore. Its usually not toxic. (Hows that for reassurance?) But there is a chance you could contract variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, also known as mad cow disease, from eating monkey brains. The disease causes dementia and progressive neurological deterioration until death. Its transmitted through an infected animals neural tissue, which is exactly what youre ingesting if you eat an infected monkeys brain. Next: Deadly fish that can paralyze and kill you 2. Silver-stripe blaasop The risk: Paralysis, possibly death A black-spotted fish called the silver-stripe blaasop is a favorite of fishermen in the Indian Ocean. The fish can reach about 3 feet in length and offers plenty of food, but you have to take out the fishs liver and reproductive organs if you dont want to ingest deadly toxins. According to Travel + Leisure, those toxins can cause paralysis, breathing trouble, and even death. And following the Suez Canal, the species has migrated to the eastern Mediterranean where unsuspecting fisherman have eaten it and died. Pass on this deadly delicacy if you dont want to risk it. Next: The most notoriously deadly food of all 1. Fugu The risk: Tetrodotoxin poisoning, leading to paralysis and asphyxiation A delicacy, fugu is the most notoriously deadly food that people eat despite the danger involved. Travel + Leisure reports that fugu, also known as the blowfish or pufferfish, can kill you within hours if its not prepared properly. Chefs who want to prepare it undergo a three-year apprenticeship to learn how to remove the liver and reproductive organs correctly. A poorly-prepared fugu will poison you with tetrodotoxin, which paralyzes the muscles and eventually causes asphyxiation. Theres no antidote for the poison, but victims can survive if they get assistance with respiration until the poison wears off. Read More: 18 Foods Banned Around the World California wildfires latest news, updates: Map reveals extent of damage done; light rainfall allowed for lesser fire activity Whether man-made or due to a natural phenomenon, the wildfires that are currently happening in California have inflicted some serious damage, not just in the environment but towards people as well. As reported by The New York Times, the Tubbs fire destroyed thousands of homes and structures in its path. It was therefore dubbed the most destructive wildfire in the state's history and the most lethal, as it claimed 42 lives. The map showed how much it spread within hours on Oct. 8. It started at 9:43 p.m. and spread to a deadly extent around 10:30 p.m. By 11:00 p.m., firefighters arrived and called for residents in the area to evacuate, but the fire had already claimed its first victim. By 11:58 p.m., the fire had spread down even more, with firefighters continuously asking residents to evacuate downhill. Unfortunately, the fire was pushed downhill just as quickly due to the strong winds that went past 50 miles an hour. The burning embers were being blown by the wind and, therefore, started new fires. In three hours, the fire had reached Santa Rosa, alarming all the authorities based there as well as residents who were unprepared. Fortunately, a few days ago, after what seemed to be quite an ordeal on all fronts, some light rain started to fall in Northern California. This somehow helped firefighters fight the flames. As told by the Los Angeles Times, 11,000 firefighters were present, who have been using everything in order to put a stop to this natural disaster. The day following the light rainfall, firefighters were able to obtain majority containment. Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant stated that parts of the affected areas were able to see up to three quarters of an inch of rain overnight. He went on to say that it allowed minimal fire activity and continued to give them an opportunity to move forward with their containment lines, even strengthening them in other affected areas. The rain, along with the cooler temperatures as well as high humidity, served to help the firefighters put out the wildfires. Even though the temperatures have risen over the weekend, Berlant said that the conditions remained to be favorable for them. Dating across the divide: Israeli police detain 15 extremists accused of threatening Arab men who date Jewish women Israeli police said yesterday that they had detained 15 suspected Jewish extremists after an undercover investigation into a group accused of tracking down and threatening Arab men dating Jewish women. Among those arrested was a prominent leader of the Israeli extreme right group Lehava, Benzi Gopstein, according to the news agency AFP. Police said that arrests and searches for evidence were carried out simultaneously at addresses in Jerusalem, northern and southern Israel and in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. 'Fifteen suspects known to the police as active in the Lehava organisation were arrested or detained for questioning during the night as part of a police investigation on suspicion that they acted to locate and threaten [Arab] minority members with connections to Jewish young women or girls,' a police statement said. Five of the suspects were later taken for remand hearings, police added. Gopstein insisted that he had done nothing wrong. He told reporters at his hearing at Jerusalem magistrates' court that he was arrested for telling a Jewish woman that she should not date an Arab man, adding: 'Lehava operates within the limits of law only. It's all nonsense.' Gopstein was put under house arrest by the court, while the remand of two others was extended by two days. The remaining 12 were allowed to return home, according to the newspaper Haaretz. Lehava is opposed to inter-marriage, and in August 2014, its activists held a rally at which racist slogans, including 'Death to Arabs!', were shouted at the wedding of a Muslim man and Jewish woman near Tel Aviv. In April six Israelis, including two soldiers, were arrested for alleged racist attacks against Arabs with knives and other weapons, and charged with 'terrorist' offences, with police saying that they were influenced by a Lehava video. In 2015, Gopstein was also questioned by police after he condoned torching churches in Israel, in accordance with a mediaeval Jewish commandment to destroy places of idol-worship. Yesterday's police statement said that the latest arrests were the result of an undercover investigation. 'It uncovered organised and pre-meditated activity believed to have been carried out by the suspects, known members of Lehava,' the statement said. Arabs make up some 17.5 per cent of Israel's 8 million population. Day one, year zero: October 23, 4004 BC How old is the universe? Scientists say it's around 14 billion years; young-earth creationists, perhaps around 10,000 years. For Archbishop Ussher, however, today's the day: because according to him, the world was created on October 23, 4004 BC. Ussher was the Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland during the most turbulent period of modern British history, the terrible Civil War. He was a fervent anti-Catholic Protestant, though a Royalist who supported King Charles; he watched his execution, but fainted before the axe fell. Ussher believed the creation began on Sunday, October 23. And far from the popular belief that he arrived at his conclusion just by adding up the numbers given for different generations in the Bible, it was actually a considerable intellectual feat. Not only did he have to deal with the Bible's chronology, but he had to work out which calendar to use and even which version of the Jewish Torah to use, as they gave different figures for the number of years between the Flood and the Creation. He also had to decide when Jesus was born, settling on 4 BC, and cross-reference the dates given for Jewish kings with events known from outside the Bible. Ussher used the Jewish calendar to establish that the Creation began in the autumn the Jewish new year on a Sunday near the autumnal equinox. It had to be a Sunday because on the seventh day the Jewish Sabbath, or Saturday God rested from his work. After all this he used Kepler's astronomical tables to fix the final date. Ussher wasn't the only person to try to do this, but his formidable learning gave him considerable authority. His became the generally accepted version, though, because from 1701, his dates were included in the margins of the King James Bible. Very few Christians today would think Archbishop Ussher got it right, and most wouldn't argue with scientists over the age of the earth. However, we can sometimes learn from the mistakes of others as well as from their successes and if Archbishop Ussher teaches us anything, it's that we should go to the Bible for what it does teach us, not for what it doesn't. As Galileo is believed to have said: 'The Bible teaches us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go.' Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods Greek Orthodox Church's transgender prayer NOT for transition surgery, hierarchy insists The Greek Orthodox Church is hitting back at claims it has a prayer for people undergoing gender transition while strictly opposing any liberalising of the LGBT-rights laws. Reports last week suggested a prayer, written by a senior Orthodox bishop in the 1980s and published in a book of prayer endorsed by the Church's synod, affirmed and asked for God's blessing on gender reassignment surgery. Titled 'A Prayer at the Giving of a New Name Upon Modification of Gender', it asks God's blessing on the person undergoing transition and says, 'for the biological alteration of nature is a wondrous work of Your all-powerful right hand and Your inscrutable will'. But senior Orthodox officials are rejecting claims it applies to transgender, saying the prayer refers to rare cases when children who were born without complete gender organs or for those born hermaphrodites. It was not, a number of critics claimed, a prayer for transgender people undergoing transition. Father Peter Heers, a professor at the Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in New York, said the prayer was 'composed to address children born bisex or confusion as to the sexual organs and following a medical assessment they were deemed to have been incorrectly diagnosed and were medically "corrected" to their most dominant of two genders'. He told Christian Today: 'If a person had the wrong organ removed at birth and was raised as the wrong gender by their family, it is not inappropriate to have a prayer that not only mentions the success of the reparatory surgery, but also the psychological impact of "switching" back to their biological gender and birth identity. 'If this is the intention, there is no problem. Indeed, it would be the opposite of what the gender change proponents are working.' Archimandrite Georgios Chrysostomos, the current metropolitan of Kitros, Katerini, and Platamon, also wrote on the official Greek Orthodox Church website that the prayer concerned was for 'the very rare cases of children born with organic sex confusion, with incomplete or dual-developed sex organs,' and 'only concerns infants after the rehabilitation of a sexual complication', according to another blog, Orthodox Christian. It comes after the prayer was highlighted by the Pappas Post blog which suggested it was in support of gender transition therapy. The current Greek Orthodox Church leadership is outspoken in their opposition to Greece's new legislation to allow people to legally change their gender on all official documents. Greek Orthodox leaders have urged churches to ring funeral bells every day to mourn the new policies and clergy have threatened excommunication in light of the laws. The Bishop of Piraeus said: 'Anyone who votes for the law need not set foot in the Greek Orthodox Church again,' according to the Pappas Post. An English translation of the prayer reads: All-good and greatly compassionate Lord, above [all conceptions of] being and divinity, Who alone exists eternally and without change: "He who is" unto the ages; Whose glory is incomprehensible and Whose mercy is immeasurable; Who created the entire human race to dwell over the entire face of the earth; and Who honored the human being with Your image, newly shaped in form and beauty from a rational soul and dignified body; Who made male and female and gave to each its own appearance and substance; Who knows the weakness of our nature and knows the name and age of each; Who gives each a name to be distinct, distinguished in their own appropriate gender, personality and worth. Master, Yourself acquiring our infirm and impoverished blend [of soul and body] in Your saving dispensation, accept at this time Your servant (new name, if applicable) as You accepted Peter the first Chief [of the Apostles], formerly Cephas, son of Iona, to whom You gave the keys to the Kingdom of the Heavens; [as You accepted] Paul the Renown, formerly Saul, whom You showed to be the Herald of the Gospel by a revelation and a chosen vessel. Likewise, send down upon [Your servant] Your heavenly grace upon undergoing the organic modification of gender, for the biological alteration of nature is a wondrous work of Your all-powerful right hand and Your inscrutable will, and amazed by this new and astounding work, we confess Your grace, we herald Your mercy and, declaring Your magnificence, we glorify Your indescribable love for humanity. Grace Your servant (name) in Your sanctification and make HIM (or "HER") worthy to keep HIS (or "HER") own vessel without stain and blameless, likewise guarding the pledge of baptism inviolate and undefiled, and as a child of light, advancing in Your precepts and completing HIS (or "HER") remaining years, ascribing glory to You all the days of HIS (or HER) life. By the intercessions of Your All-pure Mother, the radiant Archangels, the Honourable Forerunner and Baptist John; the holy glorious and all-famed Apostles, and all Your saints. Amen. Hard-up cathedrals beg for 'expert' volunteers to save national treasures Hard-up cathedrals are begging for expert volunteers to come to the rescue and save England's crumbling national treasures. The Association of English Cathedrals is looking for 'competent and experienced' volunteers as around half of their 42 Anglican cathedrals are in dire financial straits. Cathedrals are visited by more than 10 million people each year and are seeing a surprising spike in attendance for regular services. However, many struggle to pay vast maintenance costs with some buildings almost 1,000 years old. The army of volunteers will form a 'cathedral projects support panel', according to the Times, and will advice bosses and deans on business plans, renovations and expansions. The professions needed includes architects, financiers, retail managers, IT consultants, archaeologists and engineers, all of whom will be unpaid although there is a 10,000 fund for 'reasonable expenses'. It comes after a review commissioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury found Church leaders were trained in preaching and pastoral guidance but not given teaching in managing large budgets, business plans and the major projects often involved with running cathedrals. The 2014 report chaired by Lord Green, former chairman of HSBC, states: 'Leaders of the Church are priests, prophets, theologians, evangelists and heirs of the apostles. Alongside the apostolic call, bishops, like deans, are also responsible for extensive budgets and investment portfolios, for business and for process.' But despite the lack of business training it is the dean and chapter who are typically tasked with running cathedrals, described as 'often the oldest and most complex historic building in a city' by Becky Clark, director of churches and cathedrals. The Association seemed to agree as it admitted church bosses often need 'handholding' when coming up with briefs for big projects amid the 'extreme resource constraints' they are facing. The Dean of Lichfield Cathedral and chair of the Association of English Cathedrals, the Very Rev Adrian Dorber, said the expert panel would act as 'wise elders' to share expertise and contacts. 'We've been concerned for a number of years about the big demands building projects put on cathedral staff and chapters,' he said according to the Times. 'Most of us are fairly small outfits with limited resources, but we have to do things very well and up to the standard the Church and state expect of us. Most of us have pretty big liabilities in terms of the upkeep and conservation of our buildings and sometimes getting the professional skills in [at the early stages of a project] can be very difficult.' How crack SAS snipers saved a Christian family seconds from death Elite British special forces snipers shot dead two terrorists seconds before they murdered a Christian family near Mosul, Iraq, it has been revealed. The event is said to have taken place in July, following the fall of Mosul, although details of it only began to emerge last week. A joint SAS and Peshmerga patrol moved in after they received warning of black-clad gunmen who were targeting Christian families. The snipers shot dead two Islamic State fighters who were holding knives to the throats of a Christian father and son following their refusal to convert to Islam. The execution was just seconds away when the SAS patrol commander ordered two snipers to fire. Both executioners died instantly after being struck from a range of one kilometre. Seconds later, snipers targeted and shot dead two more gunmen. The rest of the killers then began to panic, a defence source revealed. The source also told the Daily Star on Sunday: 'It was a chance encounter. The SAS patrol just happened to be in the right place at the right time. 'The killers were moving around the area executing villagers. Muslim families were accused of being spies and Christians who refused to convert to Islam were beheaded.' The battle lasted for about half an hour until the terrorists were killed or dispersed and the family were rescued. The source told the Daily Star: 'It was a great day for the SAS. They managed to kill up to 15 terrorists and save the lives of a family facing execution.' L'Arche founder Jean Vanier recovering in hospital after having stent fitted Jean Vanier, the Canadian Catholic philosopher and theologian who founded L'Arche, the community for disabled people and their carers, is recovering in hospital after having a stent fitted. A spokesperson for Vanier, who is 88, told Christian Today: 'He's well and he's taking a convalescence period before going back to home.' L'Arche The Ark emerged from a community started 53 years ago by Vanier in his home town of Trosly-Breuil, a small French village north of Paris where the former naval officer still lives. Then in his mid-30s, Vanier visited an institution for so-called 'idiots' before deciding in 1964 to invite two men from the institution to live with him. L'Arche is now based in some 50 countries around the world, and has 10 communities in the UK. In an interview with The Spectator over the summer, Vanier said of the disabled people at L'Arche: 'Because they are people of fun, they love to celebrate. Every meal can become a celebration. That doesn't mean to say that now and again people won't prod their next-door neighbour with a fork this is life. But the fundamental movement from many people with disabilities, they have been so pushed down, they don't know they're lovable, and then the day that they discover that they are lovable and they can trust themselves, then it becomes whoopee!' Microsoft Surface Phone release date, specs rumors: Future of next iteration uncertain with Windows 10 mobile now dead With Microsoft's recent announcement about the demise of Windows 10 Mobile, rumors about the Surface Phone appear to have died down. However, some tech enthusiasts are still hopeful that Microsoft's next smartphone sporting the Surface label will see the light of day. As reported by Tech Times, Microsoft revealed in Twitter that they are no longer focusing on the Windows 10 mobile platform. The Redmond-based tech giant said that they have already spent much resources to keep the Windows 10 mobile OS going. The demise of Windows 10 Mobile would also mean that the chances of Surface Phone being developed is almost non-existent, given that the Surface device is likely to run the Windows 10 mobile OS, just like the Lumia series. In spite of the Surface Phone rumors dwindling down, there are still leaks surfacing online about the device's supposed specs and features. One particular leaked report suggested that the Surface Phone can still exist even as Microsoft has already stopped supporting the Windows 10 Mobile. This is due to an all-new Windows mobile OS that will boast major improvements over the Windows 10 Mobile. According to some rumors, the Surface Phone is likely to introduce the first ever Windows Core operating system, which will be known as a "modular and universal OS." Aside from a new Windows mobile OS, there is more proof that Microsoft is still pushing through with the Surface Phone. Phone Arena reported that Pegatron, the tech company behind the production of Surface Studio, has already commenced the production trails on the Surface Phone. It is unclear when will Microsoft unveil the Surface Phone, as earlier projections regarding the device's launch did not pan out. First reports about a Windows-powered handset coming from the Surface family appeared in 2016, with some analysts thinking that the Surface Phone would launch during the Windows 10 Creators Update event in October last year. It is also worth noting that the previous Microsoft hardware events made no mention of an upcoming Surface mobile device. The actor, along with his Bareilly ki Barfi co-star Kriti Sanon was shooting for an episode of the show when he accidentally fell while jumping from a height and suffered fractures in his left ankle. Rajkummar Rao shared this photo on Twitter, thanking Farah Khan and apologising to his fellow participants of the show. By Mail Today Bureau: Rao got injured on the sets of reality show Lip Sing Battle in Mumbai on Sunday. The actor, along with his Bareilly ki Barfi co-star Kriti Sanon was shooting for an episode of the show when he accidentally fell while jumping from a height and suffered fractures in his left ankle. A source told Mail Today, "Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Sanon were shooting for an upcoming episode of Lip Sing Battle when the actor injured his leg while performing a stunt." He tweeted to his fans about the incident. advertisement He wrote, "Yes, I broke a leg. Thank u @TheFarahKhan@Patralekhaa 9 4 being d best supprt systm & sorry @kritisanon & team couldn't finish d show #LipSing." They were shooting at Andheri's YashRaj Film Studios when the mishap happened. The 33-year-old was immediately rushed to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital where his leg was plastered. He has also shared a photo where he can be seen sitting on the hospital bed with a smile on his face and a plaster on his left leg. Lip Sing Battle show host Farah Khan can be seen sitting beside him in the picture. Rajkummar has reportedly postponed his shoot commitments for the time being as he has to be on bed rest for a while. The actor will next be seen in Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana. The film, directed by Ratnaa Sinha also stars Guest Iin London actress Kriti Kharbanda opposite him. The movie is slated to hit theatres on November 10. He is also a part of forthcoming movies like Fanney Khan, where he stars alongside Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anil Kapoor and Hansal Mehta's Omerta. --- ENDS --- Pope Francis slaps down cardinal: You cannot 'impose' your interpretations of liturgy Pope Francis has rebuked one of his Cardinals in a row over whether Rome can 'impose' its interpretation on different bishops' conferences around the world. Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea, head of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, wrote a commentary claiming he could still tell different areas of the Catholic diaspora how to interpret certain liturgies. In doing so he was downplaying the significance of Pope Francis's recent document Magnum Principium where he stated that local hierarchies should have the power to translate liturgy into their own local language. Pope Francis' unusual public correction is the second time he has rebuked Cardinal Sarah and the 72-year-old is increasingly at odds with the pontiff. In a letter sent to Cardinal Sarah and then released by the Vatican, Francis corrects his view, saying translations 'should not lead to a "imposition" to the Episcopal Conferences of a given translation made by the Dicastery, as this would undermine the right of the bishops'. Except from 'obvious cases' it is up to local bishops, not the Vatican, to translate, Francis said, adding 'a detailed word-by-word examination' was not required by Cardinal Sarah and his team. The change now allows local bishops' conferences the right to judge 'authenticity and consistency of one and the other terms in translations' which should take place in 'dialogue with the Holy See', he said. The dispute is unusual because Francis typically does not respond to his critics, previously saying he 'doesn't lose any sleep' over his opponents. But Cardinal Sarah's seniority and position within the Vatican may have elicited the formal rebuke with Pope Francis feeling a correction was necessary. Scientology is back in the news. Here are 6 things Christians should know about this dubious 'Church' Scientologists, never far from the headlines, are once again in the news this week after the 'Church' of Scientology opened a 4.2m headquarters in Birmingham, and the ex-wife of Elvis Presley denied she had left the religious sect. In the Moseley suburb of Birmingham, the organisation opened its HQ in an extravagant ceremony at the Grade II listed Pitmaston House, which was bought in 2007 by the group, founded by science fiction author L Ron Hubbard. The building will supposedly house a training centre and a chapel. Meanwhile, publicists for 72-year-old Priscilla Presley said yesterday that she remains a member of the Church - which counts the actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta as members after a source told The Mail on Sunday that Priscilla said she's 'had enough' of it. Here are six things Christians should know about Scientology. 1. The two 'faiths' are mutually exclusive According to one former member, despite what the 'Church' claims, in practice you cannot be a Christian and a Scientologist. 'I remember listening to an advanced teaching where Hubbard said Jesus was just a hologram projected onto the earth to trick people into following a lie,' said the former member. 2. Scientology's founder was opposed to Jesus In A Piece of Blue Sky, the author Jon Atack writes, 'In confidential materials, Hubbard attacked Christianity as an "implant," and said that Christ was a fiction.' The former member wrote of Scientologists' attitudes: 'Their definition of Jesus changes as you move up in the system and goes from good teacher in the basic teachings to a fraud in more advanced lectures.' 3. A different view of life and mankind In the basic tenets of Scientology, 'man is basically good', experiences multiple lifetimes (reincarnation) and increasingly develops control over his or her own life. 4. Disdain for all people outside the sect Where Christianity emphasises the dignity of every human person, Scientology looks with disdain on non-Scientologists. Hubbard usedthe term 'wog' to describe anyone who is supposedly not clever enough to be a Scientologist, and those in the group still use the term today. 5. Higher value on celebrities Scientology is always looking to recruit high-profile celebrities, who it appears to value over ordinary people. As the former Scientologist writes: 'When I worked on staff at the Celebrity Centre there was always a huge push to draw in celebrities, or "opinion leaders" as they were called, because they could draw so many more new recruits into the organization simply because anything they did was deemed "cool" by their followers and copied. 'The more a celebrity gets sucked in, the more dirt the Church has on them from notes from counseling sessions. That is used as blackmail to keep them from ever becoming antagonistic towards the mission and goals of the "Church." The threat of personal, intimate, potentially embarrassing facts about the celebrity being made known to the public is an effective weapon to keep these opinion leaders positive towards the organization and silent about their concerns.' 6. Emphasis on the individual not on God Unlike the three monotheistic faiths, God is not central to the Scientology 'religion'. In Scientology, according to the 1998 book, Sects, Cults, and Spiritual Communities, 'vastly more emphasis is given to the godlike nature of the person and to the workings of the human mind than to the nature of God'. Tyler Perry confirms having discussions with Marvel and DC for superhero film Imagine director Tyler Perry making a Marvel or DC film. The filmmaker said that he has had discussions with both Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures about taking on directorial duties for a superhero movie. Perry, who has been involved in all stages of his film productions, from writing to directing to producing and acting, reprises his role in the recently released "Boo 2! A Medea Halloween." It seems that he fits into the mold of what Marvel and Warner Bros. are looking for to helm their superhero movies. In a conversation with ScreenRant, Perry detailed what went down during his meetings with the two giant film companies. "I've had a couple of conversations, but I would always say, 'I'm not the guys to do this' ... That doesn't work for me. I saw that in a couple of sci-fi movies that I've been a part of and I think, 'Uhh, I'm not doing that,'" the director explained. It's an admirable trait of Perry to be honest about what sort of stories he gravitates to and it seems that these superhero movies clearly have a different vision from what he normally does. If anything, the success of his "Medea" franchise has proven Perry's gravitas about being an independent filmmaker. He has a deep knowledge of films not just from a financial standpoint but also in being able to consistently deliver what the audience wants. Perry in his own right has been very successful. His "Medea" film franchise has been a massive hit with the moviegoers. Last year's release, "Boo! A Medea Halloween," earned almost $74 million in the United States against a budget of $20 million. It managed to open at the top of the movie charts beating the Tom Cruise movie "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back." While fans might not see Perry directing the next hit superhero film, the director has appeared in a couple of genre films such J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" reboot back in 2009. Why God lets His people experience spiritual darkness Many Christians all over the world wonder why God allows His people to experience spiritual darkness. Some ask, "how could God allow me to experience this?" If you're that person, let me encourage you: there's a purpose for that. A world of darkness Friends, it's a fact that the world we live in is marred by sin. From the time Adam and Eve sinned, the world, which was put under their dominion (see Genesis 1:26-30), began seeing death and decay. Simply put, we are living in a fallen world. Because we live in a fallen world, we can't and must not expect that there's no darkness around us. Where sin is, there will always be darkness. Think about what the Lord Jesus says about sin and darkness in John 3:19-20, saying: "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed." Friends, the Lord Jesus Himself said that sin loves to hide. Where there is sin, either unconfessed or cherished, there will always be darkness. Spiritual darkness But what if you, a Christian who lives a repentant life devoid of intentional and cherished sin, experience darkness? Does that mean that you love sin and want to hide it from God? No, it doesn't mean that! Again, we live in a world of darkness that is continually being ravaged by sin. Satan still tries to cover the earth in darkness even when he knows he was already defeated and put to shame by Christ on the cross! "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He (Jesus) made a public spectacle of them (the devil and his minions), triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:15, emphasis mine) So why does God allow His people to experience spiritual darkness if Christ has already defeated Satan? Let me give you two reasons: 1. For His people to seek Him First, it's for His people to seek Him. Did you know that Jeremiah 29:11, one of the most quoted verse in the Bible, was mentioned at a time when the people of Jerusalem were captive in Babylon? In their captivity, God promised them, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity..." (Jeremiah 29:11-14) 2. For His people to shine for Him Another very important reason for this is so that we would shine! Did you know that in Christ, we are lights that should shine in this world to the glory of the Father? Think about what Jesus said: "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16) Rejoice! Friends, when God allows us to experience spiritual darkness, it's an opportunity for us to seek Him and shine for Him. It's a win-win situation when we have faith in God! I leave you with this passage that all Christians must take to heart: "Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." (Isaiah 60:1-3) Yes, 'Gunpowder' is violent that's what happens when religion goes bad Judging by the first episode, the BBC's Gunpowder offers plenty of dramatic bang for the licence-payer's buck. But this tale of a thwarted 17th-century terrorist outrage has got viewers fizzing with outrage. Even today, when extreme on-screen violence has been normalised (who, after Game of Thrones, is going to be worried by anything at all they see on TV?) the sight of a woman being pressed to death and a man being hanged, drawn and quartered is too much. The BBC has declined to say how many complaints it received, but Twitter was very active, with one person confessing to vomiting at the blood and gore. We did not, in fact, see the quartering, though those axe thuds played havoc with our imaginations, but we did see the disembowelling. Should it have been shown? There are certainly arguments against. Personally, I'm not a fan of graphic violence on screen. I think it can feed demons that are best starved of nourishment, and it can normalise a certain way of dealing with problems: shoot people, stab them or bludgeon them, and they go away. Back to GoT again: I'd have a lot more respect for people who are horrified about the amount of flesh on display if they were half as outraged about films that normalise killing. But there's one reason I'm basically OK with the violence of Gunpowder. It's because that's the way it was. While Dorothy Dibdale is an invention, it is true that people who refused to plead guilty or not guilty were pressed to death had huge weights piled on them that crushed and suffocated them. One of them was a Catholic saint, Margaret Clitheroe, who refused to plead when accused of harbouring outlawed priests, because if she were tried her children might be implicated. She died after weights totalling 700 lbs were piled on her. And yes, people were hanged until they were nearly dead, then had their bowels cut out, then had their arms and legs cut off. But the point isn't just that these things happened: it's that, particularly at this time in our chequered history, they were done by Christians to other Christians and we need to remember this (and, by the way, not try to weasel out by saying they weren't real Christians). During the reign of the Protestant James I and VI (the first James of England and the sixth of Scotland, he united the two countries under one monarchy) the fear of Catholicism was real and to an extent justified. Catholics owed their ultimate allegiance to the Pope, not the King, was the thinking. Pope Pius V had excommunicated Queen Elizabeth in 1570, and from then on England's Protestant rulers were fair game for Catholic conspirators. It was only a few years before that Philip II's Spanish Armada had been fought off; and Bloody Mary's Protestant bonfires were well remembered too. The Catholic clergy who hid in specially-made 'priest holes', some of which can still be seen, might for the most part have been spiritual figures intent on ministering to their frightened flocks, but as far as James's ministers were concerned, they were the enemy within, intent on fomenting rebellion and as the Guy Fawkes plot to blow up Parliament with King and Council inside it shows, they were not always wrong. Does this justify the torture and the barbarous executions? Of course not we cannot judge the 17th century by the standards of the 21st. But we should remember, and mourn, the depths to which fear and hatred can drive Christians who believe they are fighting for truth and righteousness. Sometimes we believe we are doing the right thing, and the devil is laughing. And we should learn from history, too. For Britain today, the enemy within is not Catholic. For all too many, it's Muslims and the identification of ordinary Muslims with terrorist fanatics is just as corrupting to truth and justice. It makes people stupid, and it makes them cruel. Not just in Britain but in the rest of Europe, and in the US, Muslims are being challenged to prove their loyalty, and the bar is set very high. And when a government minister, Rory Stewart, can say that British jihadists need to be killed rather than captured and dealt with through the courts, the 17th century seems uncomfortably nearer than we thought. Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods Our weekly summary of the latest movers in the charity sector. Chief executive Legal charity Public Concern at Work has appointed qualified solicitor Francesca West as its new chief executive. West joins the charity to replace departing chief executive Cathy James, who is stepping down from the organisation after six years in the role. James worked at the charity for over 12 years in total. West has worked at the charity for the last decade first as its legal officer and then as its director of policy and then its deputy chief executive. A qualified solicitor and non-practising barrister, PCaW said West has substantial experience of advising people how and when to raise a concern at work. Madeleine Cassidy has been appointed chief executive of neonatal development charity, The Brazelton Centre UK. Cassidy was previously the chief executive of Essex-based sight loss charity Support 4 Sight for 12 years. Prior to this she worked in marketing in the private sector. She has also held a number of non executive board roles in the charity sector, including as chair of Essex Vision. She is also a trustee of the Small Charities Coalition. Finance and strategy The Childrens Society has appointed Dara de Burca as its new director of children and young people. She will be joining the organisation from CLIC Sargent, where she is currently director of services. In her new role at The Childrens Society, she will be responsible for leading the charitys frontline services to support vulnerable children and young people across the country. Before joining CLIC Sargent, de Burca was head of Hackney Youth Services. She will take up her new role in mid-January 2018. Non executive Legacy Foresight has announced the appointment of Amanda Poole and Karl Weaver as its two, new non executive directors. Poole is an independant consultant, specialising in "strategic evaluation, market entry assesment and business planing". She is also an associate fellow of the Said Business School at the University of Oxford and a trustee of the Thames Valley Air Ambulance and chair of the organisation's fundraising committee. Meanwhile Weaver is a marketing executive who has worked with a number of large, multi-national roganisations. He is currently the chief executive of digital agency Isobar UK and is a mentor for the London Business School's MBA entrepreneurship programme. The British Heart Foundation has announced the appointment of the Rt Hon Lord Andrew Feldman of Elstree and Daryl Fielding to its board of trustees. They will both take up their roles tomorrow and have been appointed to replace Richard Hytner and Dr Evan Harris, who have both served the maximum two three-year terms on the BHFs board. Lord Feldman will bring legal, business and political experience to the board. In his career to date, he has been in practice as a commercial barrister, chief executive of a manufacturing business and most recently chairman of the Conservative Party. Daryl Fielding has led the brand and marketing strategies for some of the worlds most recognisable brands, including Vodafone, The Independent and Mondelez. To launch Charity Fraud Awareness Week, which encourages those working in the charity and voluntary sector to become more fraud aware and resilient, Jonathan Orchard, partner at Sayer Vincent, has come up with a five-step plan to reduce charity fraud. Fraud is on the rise and its estimated by the Annual Fraud Indicator 2016 to cost the UK economy 193bn per year. Charities are far from immune. We simply do not know how much money is lost to charities as a result of fraud but some estimates have put at the figure at up to 2bn a year. The most common types of fraud include internal fraud, such as misuse of charity money and false expenses, and external fraud, such as false invoicing, credit card scams and unauthorised fundraising. The Charity Commission reported last year that more than a third of fraud incidents reports it received involved a charitys staff, trustees or volunteers. The consequences of fraud can be devastating and even lead to charities having to close. In July, a Welsh homelessness charity, Cyrenians Cymru went into liquidation largely as a result of a former head of finance being found guilty of a 1.3m fraud conducted over a six-year period. Cybercrime is also presenting a major new challenge for organisations and the sector has seen a significant increase in phishing incidences over the past few years. Just this year Chester Zoo fell victim to an email scam that saw it pay 1.3m into the bank account of fraudsters. Unwittingly, staff at the zoo were tricked into believing an email they received, telling them about a change in bank details was from a contractor they were working with to build a new safari experience. This error resulted in them paying almost 1.3 million into a fraudulent bank account. While no organisation can eradicate fraud completely, there are steps a charity can take to reduce fraud risk. We advocate a simple five step plan that can help charities reduce fraud. 1. Accept that fraud exists Organisations are estimated to be losing between 3 to 8 per cent of their income due to fraud income that wont get through to beneficiaries. Additionally, the impact of fraud on a charitys work, beneficiaries and reputation can be hugely damaging, so the first step towards reducing fraud is to accept it exists. 2. Understand your own vulnerabilities Charities need to think like fraudsters and really scrutinise their organisations weaknesses and vulnerabilities. There are common areas for fraud such as payroll and expenses, payment and procurement processes, fundraising and of course cyber risks which must all be considered. Given the scale of cyber risks, we advise that charities should consider what information they are putting in the public domain and how that information could be used in the wrong hands. For example, publishing important contact details such as finance personnel or the names of key suppliers or senior managers on their website. Having access to these contacts makes it easier for fraudsters to engage in phishing. 3. Build awareness and the right culture Fraud risks should be openly discussed internally with trustees, staff and volunteers. There needs to be clear policies around fraud, bribery and corruption that everyone understands. To develop the right culture, employees need to understand what fraud and theft means to the charity, the responsibilities of staff in managing fraud, details of any whistle blowing plan or policy and crucially, how the charity will react to fraud. 4. Review and assess controls Just because your charity has controls in place, dont assume you are safe. Risks keep evolving and charities must too. New trends are always emerging and controls must be up dated and regularly assessed. Charities should also be regularly stress testing their controls to ensure they arent weak and ensure their board is making decisions based on risk assessment. If Chester Zoo had questioned the email and called up their contractor to double check if their bank details had been changed, perhaps they would have been alerted to the email scam before paying the invoice. 5. Report and take action Does your charity have a fraud response plan in place or does it need one? How will it respond to fraud? If the fraud response policy is to take decisive action against fraud, then the organisation must follow through and report fraud to the police or Action Fraud. With charities having to work harder than ever to survive, its imperative they take fraud seriously and ensure they have robust checks in place to minimise the risks. National Charity Fraud Awareness Week promotes fraud awareness and runs from 23 to 27 October 2017. The revelation that Bill OReilly paid $32 million to a former Fox News colleague is shocking only in the settlements size and and timing. OReilly, of course, was removed from his perch as the king of Foxs primetime lineup in April after The New York Timess Emily Steel and Michael S. Schmidt reported on five previous settlements with women who had accused the host of sexual harassment. According to Steel and Schmidts Saturday story, longtime Fox News legal analyst Lis Wiehl alleged repeated harassment, a nonconsensual sexual relationship and the sending of gay pornography and other sexually explicit material to her. Though Fox was already under fire at the time for its handling of complaints against Roger Ailes, the network rewarded OReilly with a new contractand a significant raisejust a month after he settled with Wiehl. ICYMI: The NYT tweet on books by women that didnt play well Fox News is already under investigation by the US Department of Justice for its handling of harassment complaints, and the new reporting by the Times raises questions about the Murdochs handling of their company. The situation at Fox News could also cause trouble for 21st Century Foxs bid to take over British broadcaster Sky. The value of persistent reporting by Steel and Schmidtlike that of their colleagues Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey in breaking the Harvey Weinstein storycant be overlooked when discussing the current focus on sexual harassment in the workplace. In the face of nondisclosure agreements and out-of-court settlements, the journalists got the story and changed the national conversation. Writing on the ties between OReilly and Weinstein, the Timess Jim Rutenberg notes that, a full, public airing did not come to be until those meddling reporters came along. Given the attention that Fox News hosts have paid to the Weinstein story, it will be interesting to see whether OReillys massive settlement receives much, or any, coverage from the networks primetime opinionators and moralists. Ill be watching Tucker Carlson tonight Sign up for CJR 's daily email ICYMI: Newspaper publishes shocking teacher investigation Below, more on OReilly, Fox News, and the Weinstein effect. Other notable stories Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Pete Vernon is a former CJR staff writer. Follow him on Twitter @ByPeteVernon. I ARRIVED AT THE TRACES OFFICE in Brooklyn on the morning of October 2 to find one of our editors, Miles Kohrman, listening intently to a recording of Stephen Paddocks attack hours earlier on the Las Vegas strip. Minutes later, Miles shared this note in our internal Slack channel: Videos of the shooting show a really strange and inconsistent rate of fire. It almost sounds . . . bump-fired? It was a good hunch. A dozen bump stocks, which use a rifles recoil to simulate automatic fire, were found attached to weapons in Paddocks Las Vegas hotel room. Our nonprofit newsroom was already familiar with the accessories we first wrote about them in 2015. In the days that followed, we reported on how the products skirt the federal ban on new machine guns, and collaborated with The New Yorker on an animation showing how the devices work. Our reporting also helped inform other news organizations reporting on the attack. ICYMI: Prominent journalists accused of sexual misconduct Not every outlet got their coverage right. During a discussion of bump stocks, CNN aired a photo of a rifle equipped with a grenade launcher and silencer but not a bump stock. Rightwing media, eager to unearth evidence that gun reporting by mainstream outlets is not to be trusted, quickly pounced on the inaccurate image. Guns mean different things to different people, but underneath the political debate are the physical products, which come with their own vocabulary. Many firearms owners pride themselves on their technical know-how. And when journalists get the details wrong in their reporting, those same gun owners tune out. The most pernicious challenge facing any outlet that covers gun violence is one of emphasis: the blanket coverage of mass shootings, and underreporting on daily gun violence. The most common mistakes concern how firearms function. Journalists confuse magazines, essentially a spring-loaded box that pushes ammunition up into a guns chamber, with clips, small metal parts that hold rounds together in place without any moving parts. They misunderstand the effectiveness of silencers, which make gunfire less loud, but not at all quiet. Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project In the aftermath of Las Vegas, some outlets inaccurately characterized automatic firearms as banned under federal law, even though tens of thousands are in private hands. (Fully automatic weapons manufactured before 1986 can be purchased legally, though obtaining one is a difficult and expensive process.) In our newsroom, we may describe AR-15s as semiautomatic rifles, or sometimes assault-style weapons, but never as assault riflesa term that typically refers to weapons with variable modes of fire, including fully automatic. Reporters also frame stories in ways that make it clear they see gun-owning Americansroughly 22 percent of people in the USas distinctly other. A particularly irksome example: first-person accounts, with the reporter as a buyer, of how easy it is to purchase a scary-looking firearm (frequently a semiautomatic rifle) in minutes from a gun shop. As problematic as these errors and practices are, the most pernicious challenge facing any outlet that covers gun violence, including The Trace, is one of emphasis: the blanket coverage of mass shootings, and underreporting on daily gun violence. Even as we cover attacks like those in Orlando and Las Vegas, we do so with the recognition that they are not a good proxy for understanding the epidemic of gun violence in America. In the seven days following the Las Vegas attack, at least 809 people were shot in the US, 247 of them fatally. They were shot by rivals, friends, strangers, and family members. Despite the increasing frequency of attacks with high body countssix of the 10 deadliest modern mass shootings happened during the past decadethese events account for only about 2 percent of all gun deaths. In the seven days following the Las Vegas attack, at least 809 people were shot in the US, 247 of them fatally, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. They were shot by rivals, friends, strangers, and family members. This is a partial accounting, taken from news accounts and police reports, and is almost certainly a significant undercount, especially of suicides. These deaths and injuries are not evenly distributed, geographically, or demographically. The national violent crime and homicide rates are half what they were in the mid-1990s. The country, as a whole, is much safer than it used to be. But for some Americans, the risk of violent death remains exceptionally high. The murder rate in parts of St. Louis, Baltimore, and Chicago rival some of the deadliest places in the world. That risk is increasinga spike in violence in these cities has pushed the national homicide rate higher in each of the last two years. Those most at risk are younger, black males. Those most likely to die from a self-inflicted bullet wound are older, white males in rural areas. That risk is also increasing. Public perceptions of risk do not match with this reality. Many Americans wrongly believe that crime is up and that their safety is more imperiled than ever before. This notion, which is reinforced by the gun lobby, helps explain why gun sales surge after mass shootings. It also explains why gun restrictions have been rolled back in dozens of states. A key reason mass shooting victims attract more empathy is because bloodbaths that claim dozens of innocent lives become media spectacles. In the two years since The Trace began, weve seen news organizations take strides toward closing the coverage gap between mass shootings and everyday gun violence. A Drumbeat of Multiple Shootings, But America Isnt Listening, from The New York Times, is a sobering examination of multiple-casualty shootings that dont make headlines. FiveThirtyEights multipart series Gun Deaths in America is especially notable for its exploration of gun suicide. Just last week, ProPublica Illinois explored how guns get into Chicago, a city with strict laws and the most gun homicides in America. Local news organizations also cover everyday gun violence, of course, and many do so very well. Last year, the Baltimore Sun reported on increasing lethality rates from high-caliber weapons equipped with large magazines. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other media partners published 100 stories as part of their Precious Lives series, which described the toll of gun violence on young people. WLRN in South Florida has been documenting the trauma experienced by gunshot wound survivors. But the 2 percent still draw, by any measure, vastly more attention than practically any gun assault that happens inside a home, or in neighborhoods where shootings are common and the victims mostly people of color. RELATED: The phrase journalists used to describe Vegas shooter, and the unspoken implication Media organizations from around the globe did not show up at the Casa Grande, Arizona home of Crysta Procto, who was fatally shot along with three of her friends on October 5 by her estranged husband, or to Chicago the week before to cover the shooting deaths of Terrence Carter and Charnella Lemon, gunned down while sitting in a parked car. Lemon was pregnant: her daughter was delivered, but died four days later. Lois Beckett, who has covered gun issues for several years for The Guardian, recently wrote about the empathy gap in the gun control debate. Mass shootings, in which the perpetrator kills complete strangers at random in a public place, prompt an outpouring of grief for the innocent lives lost. . . .The roughly 60 gun suicides each day, the 19 black men and boys lost each day to homicide, do not inspire the same reaction, even though they represent the majority of gun violence victims. Beckett directed her article at activists. But a key reason mass shooting victims attract more empathy is because bloodbaths that claim dozens of innocent lives become media spectacles. Its not that these events shouldnt attract hordes of journalists. But the slow-rolling mass shooting that ends more than 12,000 lives each year, or the suicide-by-gun epidemic that claims twice that number deserves equal billing. In a line that has been retweeted thousands of times, liberal blogger Oliver Willis was agog that two weeks after the worst mass shooting in modern American history, the story has already gone away. But as those who follow the issue know, for so many shootings and so many victims, the story is barely covered to begin with. On Sunday, October 15, a gunman opened fire in the breezeway of an apartment complex in southwest Houston. Four people were shot, two fatally. One of the deceased was a four-year-old girl. No one has been arrested. The crime received scant coverage outside of Texas. TRENDING: Site sparks uproar on social media with Vegas massacre headline Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Ben Hallman is deputy editor of The Trace, where he oversees the reporting team. He was previously special projects and investigations editor at HuffPost, a business reporter at The Center for Public Integrity, and a legal affairs reporter at The American Lawyer. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was trolled on Twitter after he tweeted praises for Air India. By Hemender Sharma: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan got the taste of the troll medicine after he praised Air India for its world class services Chouhan who left for the US on Saturday tweeted from his verified handle, "on my way to USA for several important meetings. Flying with @airindiain always feel wonderful. World class service with Indian hospitality." On my way to USA for several important meetings. Flying with @airindiain always feel wonderful. World class service with Indian hospitality. pic.twitter.com/ESW0ryZ8iS- ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) October 21, 2017 advertisement One user Bhagyashree Pancholi replied to this tweet, tagging both Chouhan and Air India "Yup ,tax payers tax payers' money is always sweet. At least hoping that AI will improve its services 4 us so that v can afford more air travel 4 u #loot" Another user Ricky Peyush Pandey while replying to Chouhan said, "Sir, Kabhi Chakghat-Rewa-satna ka ruka hua 4 lane highway bhi dekhne aa jaiye.12000 km dur ja sakte hain par apne state k public ka kasht dekhne nahi aa sakte. (Sir, sometime please come to see incomplete work of the Rewa- Satna four lane highway. You can travel 12,000 Km to the US but you cannot come to see the difficulties being faced by the people of your own state.)". Twitterati raised issues like farmer suicide, development work in the state and even the usage of taxpayer's money for travelling in first class. Users urged him to travel economy class. Fathers are doing suicide while son's of Their busy in USA meeting and hospitality @2nd most corrupt state of India.- rishabh pachauri (@rishabhpachauri) October 22, 2017 Sir,May u go economy class We can afford it only not ur luxury classPlease first visit each city of the state.We have voted u for state- future_PM (@i_m_hoax) October 22, 2017 Try someday on economy class.. u will have even better feeling!!- Rahul Shrivas ????? (@imRshrivas) October 21, 2017 It will be wonderful sir as you are traveling first class on public money.!! It will be wonderful- Abhinav Mahajan (@amtraveller2016) October 23, 2017 Only so called world class service to vvip 4 ordinary travellers it's absolutely rubbish, nt at all compare to other airlines- Bhavin Panchal (@Bhavin7795) October 21, 2017 --- ENDS --- The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department faced a voracious, frustrated media in the days after 58 concert-goers were gunned down by a fusillade raining from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay resort. The motive of the deceased shooter remained a mystery, and unanswered questions abounded about his seemingly banal background and how he assembled his mass murder armory inside a heavily surveilled casino-hotel. Then, at a press conference on October 3, Undersheriff Kevin McMahill tossed the jackals some red meat: A compilation of three minutes of footage from body cameras worn by police during the October 1 massacre. I think this video will speak for itself, McMahill said, but Ill kind of narrate a little bit for you as we go through. As one might expect, what unspooled were jerky sequences in which officers yelled at concert-goers to take cover or run a certain way amid intermittent riots of gunfire. ICYMI: We analyzed headlines around the Las Vegas shooting. There were some unsettling trends. The media, of course, ate it up. Nobody quizzed McMahill about why this particular footage had been selected or when, if ever, the rest of what must be dozens of hours of video from hundreds of officers responding to the massacre would be available. The only reporter questions McMahill took were about how they could obtain their own copies of the file to show on their sites and newscasts. But the swift release of the Vegas video did raise eyebrows among police transparency activists who have spent years first pushing officers to wear body cams and then for departments to make footage available to the public in a timely, organized manner. The Vegas video, which merely illustrated the horrors chaos, added little to the publics understanding of the event that wasnt already obvious from countless videos shot on concert-goer smartphones and circulating widely in the media. Instead, it felt like just the latest example of a police department using footage from body-worn cameras to promote itself or its own particular version of a story. Two weeks later, as questions festered about the shifting timeline of the shooting and the response of police inside the Mandalay Bay, Vegas police released no further footage even though it could, in theory, clarify the precise times and locations of all officers in the hotel. Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project What were seeing in practice on the ground is that even though body cams were sold to us as a police accountability tool, theyre really being used for public relations purposes, to make the police look good, says Alex Vitale, Brooklyn College sociologist and author of The End of Policing. The media should be asking for unedited footage and should be demanding access to footage that plays a role in accountability, not in PR. Harlan Yu, a principal at the Washington-based technology policy research organization Upturn, found the Vegas polices decision baffling because Im not sure exactly what the purpose was. The suspect is dead. What kind of transparency were they really trying to provide into this situation? Jumana Musa, senior privacy counsel or the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, also was flummoxed: In the middle of a fairly horrific and massive crime, wouldnt they have had something better to do with their time than putting together this little best-of hits off of the body-cam video, she says. I mean, they werent falling under criticism for their behavior. RELATED: The phrase journalists used to describe Vegas shooter, and the unspoken implication For their part, Vegas police asserted via e-mail to CJR that the footage did, in fact, have news value. The mass shooting at Mandalay Bay was obviously a unique situation, a spokesman wrote. It was decided early on that releasing a small portion of body-worn camera footage from the shooting location would accurately communicate the extreme danger faced by concert-goers and the officers scrambling to save them. It certainly proved popular. Unsurprisingly, the polices footage ran virtually on repeat on cable news in the following days. TMZ called the video terrifying, Maxim.com and People both touted it as chilling and Inside Edition dubbed it pulse-pounding and heart-stopping. The LA Times and NBCs Today each drew about a half-million YouTube views for their use of the footage. Even Russia Today nabbed more than 22,000 views by posting it. *** THE VEGAS FOOTAGE is only the most high-profile recent example of police departments discovering the benefits of material over which, in most cases, they have sole control and discretion. YouTube is awash in video voluntarily released by police that show such heroics as: the rescue of an autistic Topeka, Kansas, boy from a pond; people being pulled alive from a burning car in Atlanta, officers in Albuquerque reviving a puppy and administering first-aid to an epileptic baby with seizures; and a cop in Hamden, Connecticut tackling a suicidal man about to leap from a building. Body-cam footage has even spawned a YouTube channel, PoliceActivity, that boasts more than 360,000 subscribers and has amassed more than 137 million views. We believed that there was a public interest in seeing the video and that it could benefit law enforcement as a positive story, Topeka Police legal advisor Luther Ganieany wrote in response to CJR questions about the May pond-rescue footage. Therefore, we elected to discretionarily release the video. We blurred the faces of individuals on the video out of respect for privacy. We also redacted a swear word made by the officer when he discovered his radio had gotten wet and wouldnt work. The 80-second Topeka video proved just how far a little video of a relatively routine incident in the lives of police can go. Ganieany said the department posted it on Facebook, thinking it could help with community relations and recruiting new officers, and he was soon slammed with media requests. Outlets from People to the Daily Mail in Great Britain picked up the story, and ABC News reunited the cop and the boy for a segment on Good Morning America. All of that would be fine, body-cam advocates say, if departments were more consistent about how and when they provide public access to raw, unedited body-worn camera recordings. Instead, they say, theres this haphazard practice in which footage in controversial situations such as officer-involved shootings can be difficult to obtain. I have a little Twitter notification for body cam video, and I noticed when looking through them, a lot of them are positive thingspolice rescuing someone, maybe getting a cat out of a tree or officers exercising restraintwhich is good and terrific and Im glad those videos are out there so the public can see what law enforcement officers are doing and doing well, but you cant have it both ways, says Adam Marshall of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. You cant say, Oh, were going to release everything that makes us look good and then withhold everything in which there are questions of what law enforcement did in a particular situation. The push to have officers wear cameras emerged over the past decade in response primarily to complaints from minority communities about how police interacted with them and to provide more accountability in cases of officer-involved shootings and other deadly encounters. Many police departments agreed to adopt the technologyat great expense to taxpayersin part to counter the onslaught of bystander cell-phone video that they said often gave inaccurate views of controversial incidents. Advocates also expected the cameras would change police behavior, a theory that a study of 2,000 police officers in Washington, DC, suggests is off base. The 18-month study, released Friday, found the body cams had no effect on use-of-force incidents and civilian complaints. Billions of dollars are being spent on body cameras and storage, and the reason for that is to foster accountability of police, says Barry Friedman, director of New York Universitys Policing Project and author of Unwarranted: Policing Without Permission. You cant have accountability without access. Without access, you get another tool for police and prosecutors to use in prosecution and new concerns for the public about privacy. Whats important is that there is an upfront policy that does not include cherry-picking. Their legitimacy in this regard is going to be determined in the long run by the publics perception if the release of body camera footage is being gamed. *** RULES FOR RELEASE of body-cam footage vary from state to state, department to department, and even case to case. In states where it falls under a public records law, the police usually have wide discretion to exempt the material from release on grounds it might violate someones privacy or is part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Other departments have made fulfilling requests prohibitively expensive, as in the cases where the Sarasota police billed the ACLU $18,000 and the New York Police Department demanded $36,000 of the news channel NY1 to fulfill records requests. Atlanta Police spokesman Carlos Campos says the decision to release is just a lot easier when its a non-controversial event. Where weve released them for positive purposes because theres really not a question about the incident. In the case of Las Vegas police, the spokesman said the department takes pride in being the only law enforcement agency in the world with a consistent history of releasing officer body worn camera footage pertaining to critical incidents, primarily in relation to incidents in which officers used deadly force. The spokesman pointed CJR to the departments Use of Deadly Force YouTube channel, where every media briefing about an officer-involved shooting since April 2013 is posted. ICYMI: One questions that turns courageous journalists into cowards Yet a careful review of the more than 130 videos on that channel shows that body-worn camera video is played in some cases but not others, is always presented with a narration by the officer giving the briefing, and is almost never the full, unedited video or inclusive of all footage shot from every officer present at an event. The spokesperson responding to CJR acknowledged as much, explaining that when it helps explain the officers actions, our press conferences often feature the release of body-worn camera footage. That is the opposite of accountability, Vitale says. Putting a PR video clip out is obscuring reality. The Vegas case also points to an inconsistent policies about release of video that occur within the same event. The three-minute clip was voluntarily shared two days after the massacre when the police were being widely praised for their heroics, and it reinforced a beneficial narrative for the the agency. But two weeks later, after the sheriff had changed the official timeline of the massacre in a way that suggests a faster response to the floor and suite where 64-year-old Stephen Paddock was staging his assault could have altered the outcome, the department declined to release further video from other officers or even comment on why. *** EFFORTS ARE AFOOT to reform how body-cam footage is managed, but most of those aimed at expanding access face steep odds. In California, a pending bill written by Assemblyman Phil Ting would require the release of body-cam footage under the public records law and force police departments to formally justify decisions not to release it. That bill has been tabled until at least January, and in the meantime local departments are working on the issue on their own. The Los Angeles Police Commission, a civilian board overseeing the LA Police Department, is expected in the next month to announce a new policy. Body camera footage wasnt meant to be edited, it wasnt meant to be changed, it was meant to be raw footage that people could look at and form their own decision whether law enforcement is doing or not doing their jobs, Ting says. We need a statewide policy so the public knows when they can get footage and not. And if its not released, it has to be for a legitimate reason. One lofty solution floated by both Vitale and the NACDLs Musa would compel police departments to give control over the release and usage of body-cam footage to an independent third party. Yet the current legislative trend is clearly towards restricting, not expanding, public access to footage. In New Jersey, an attorney general directive requires a court order for body-cam footage related to a criminal investigation to be released in most instances. In Texas, lawmakers have exempted all body-cam footage from any form of disclosure except when it is used as evidence in a criminal case. A law in Iowa makes all footage requestable only by people featured in it, leaving no avenue for independent media access. Police departments insist they dont only release footage in favorable instances. Topeka police, Ganieany notes, acceded to media requests in August 2015 to release an unedited 14-minute video of a startled cop shooting a retired judges 26-pound dog. That incident resulted in significant criticism for the department, additional training for officers and a change in our policy, he says. I dont believe it is a fair criticism to say that we only release videos that favor us. Still, the absence of consistent policies keeps these decisions squarely in the hands of police and provides little recourse for appeal. Yu said he wishes the media would be more critical and circumspect when using the footage provided by police, rather than merely tossing it online or on the air so willingly. The medias job is to insist on consistency, Yu says. There may very well be footage from the Vegas incident that doesnt show officers acting in the right way. It certainly seems to be the case that Las Vegas police were cherry-picking the good from the bad and just showing the good stuff. (Las Vegas police say they have no plans to release any more massacre footage.) By and large, that rarely happens. If anything, police departments are realizing just how useful it can be to exploit journalists eagerness for video for their websites. The media absolutely love body-cam footage, they ask us for it, says Campos, the Atlanta Police spokesman. They learn about these incidents, they cover them. They come to us and they say, Can we get body-cam? Can we get dashcam? Its almost the new it thing. TRENDING: Site sparks uproar on social media with Vegas massacre headline Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Steve Friess is a freelance journalist based in Ann Arbor and a journalism instructor at Michigan State University. Follow him at @SteveFriess. A northwest Missouri man has filed a civil lawsuit for a workplace accident that resulted in the loss of his lower arms. The News-Press Now reports that Brent Sherman was a sanitation worker responsible for cleaning blenders and other meat-processing equipment in use at the Hillshire Brands plant in St. Joseph when the February 2015 accident occurred. The lawsuit says Sherman was cleaning the blender when it suddenly started without warning. Shermans forearms got caught in the machine. He sustained bilateral arm amputations below his elbows. The lawsuit seeks medical expenses, disability and incapacity, pain and suffering and loss of employment for life, among others. None of the parties have responded to the lawsuit except for Hillshires sanitation department superintendent, who maintains the suit doesnt set forth allegations against her. According to a 2016 OSHA report on the impact of its severe injury reporting program, Shermans injury was one of 2644 amputations reported in 2015. As a result of the new reporting requirement, the employer re-engineered the blenders computer control system, changed safety interlocks and revised worker training and supervision. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A settlement has been reached between two Oklahoma oil and natural gas companies and a woman injured in a 2011 earthquake. Prague resident Sandra Ladra filed the lawsuit in 2014 against New Dominion LLC, Spess Oil Co. and 25 other unnamed companies, The Oklahoman reported. The lawsuit alleges the companies are liable because they operated wastewater disposal wells that triggered the largest earthquake in state history, a 5.7-magnitude temblor in 2011. Ladra said the quake crumbled her fireplace, causing rocks to fall on her knee. The companies tried to get the lawsuit dismissed, saying Ladra waited too long to file it. Lincoln County District Court Judge Cynthia Ferrell Ashwood dismissed the case in October 2014, saying the district court does not have jurisdiction and that the case should instead be handled by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. But the Oklahoma Supreme Court reversed that decision in June 2015 and sent the case back to district court. Court records show the case was dismissed this month when Ladra reached a settlement with New Dominion. She reached a settlement with Spess Oil in July. Details of the settlements werent disclosed. Ladras attorney, Scott Poynter, said hes also filed a potential class-action lawsuit for Prague resident Jennifer Lin Cooper. She also seeks damages related to the earthquake. Cooper is seeking class-action status so she can include people whose homes or home values have been damaged by the earthquakes in Lincoln County and eight other counties that surround it. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. California officials have raised the number of homes and structures destroyed in this months wildfires to nearly 8,400 and said Friday that the number will likely climb as crews continue assessing areas scorched by the blazes that killed 42 people. The estimate of homes and structures burned was boosted to 6,900 from 5,700 as fire crews returned to hard-hit neighborhoods and assessed remote and rural areas they could not get to earlier, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. He said most of the newly counted destroyed buildings burned on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 when the wildfires broke out in Northern Californias wine country and other nearby areas. The estimates are in structures and our mostly homes, but also includes commercial structures and outbuildings like barns and sheds, Berlant said. Twenty two of the 42 deaths in Californias October fires happened in a Sonoma County wildfire, making it the third deadliest in California history. A 1993 Los Angeles fire that killed 29 people was the deadliest, followed by a 1991 fire in Oakland that killed 25. California Gov. Jerry Brown late Wednesday issued an executive order to speed up recovery efforts as fire authorities say theyve stopped the progress of wildfires. Tens of thousands of people have been allowed back home but more than 15,000 people remain evacuated Thursday, down from a high of 100,000 last Saturday. Browns order also allowed disrupted wineries to relocate tasting rooms and suspended state fees for mobile home parks and manufactured homes. The order extends the states prohibition on price gouging during emergencies until April 2018 and expedites hiring of personnel for emergency and recovery operations. In Los Angeles County, authorities said a charred body was found on Mount Wilson, where crews were trying to surround a smoldering wildfire in steep terrain. The male body discovered late Wednesday was recovered by the coroners office, which will try to identify it, said Sheriffs Sgt. Vincent Plair. California firefighters were also battling a blaze that sent smoke billowing into the college beach town of Santa Cruz. The wildfire in steep and rugged terrain had grown to nearly half a square mile (1.3 square kilometers) and the number of houses threatened by the fire had doubled to 300. Several firefighters suffered minor injuries. Californias insurance commissioner has said preliminary estimates of the wildfire losses exceed $1 billion and that the figure is expected to rise. (AP reporter Christopher Weber contributed from Los Angeles.) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Sridevi in this golden saree will lighten up your day. By Shivani Chhabra: As beautiful as Sridevi is, in the past few months, the actress' looks have been pictures of sheer disappointment. While she did show up looking heavenly in a pink dress once, most of her public appearances have left us scarred, thanks to her velvet suit , night suit and a lot of other tacky outfits. We were rather disappointed when she appeared in an ugly-looking, green jumpsuit last week that ruined the idea of bling for us. And today, draped in this scintillating, golden saree, she has redeemed herself. advertisement Also Read: Karisma Kapoor in this gold outfit will make your eyes hurt The '70s sensation was a sight to behold, as she donned a beguiling, golden saree by ace designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. From intrinsic, gold embellishments in floral patters to a soothing amount of bling, the outfit hit all the right notes with its beautiful design. Picture courtesy: Instagram/yahya3 While the nine-yard ensemble looked regal to bits, we just loved the trendy, pleated details it boasted of. It was impressive how the saree looked super-elegant, while being supremely trendy with a gorgeous, fringe on the pallu. Also Read: 8 pictures of Malaika Arora's fashionista avatar, because she's too hot for words Sri teamed an embellished, sleeveless blouse with the attire that looked just so perfect, and accessorised it with a pair of statement, gold earrings. With a low-tied, simple bun, Sridevi completed the look, and redefined magnificence for us. --- ENDS --- By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Neighbours are given priority in India's foreign policy, and Bangladesh is the first on that list, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today in Dhaka. Swaraj's remarks came while she inaugurated the new Chancery Complex of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Monday. She promised to sincerely resolve "irritants" between Bangladesh and India. Relations between India and Bangladesh are now outstanding, and both countries are working to resolve these irritants in the spirit of "friendly relations and with right intention", she said. advertisement Swaraj inaugurated as many as 15 India-funded development projects in Bangladesh. According to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, these projects, worth Tk 720 million, have been chosen keeping in mind geographical spread, Bangladesh's priorities, and socio-economic benefits for it. The projects cover sectors such as education, healthcare, IT, water supply and social welfare. Eleven water treatment plants are being built in southern Bhandaria Upazila in Pirojpur. They will provide desalinated potable drinking water to 150,000 citizens. Some 36 community clinics will also be built. One of the projects is the reconstruction of Ramna Kali Temple, which was destroyed by the invading Pakistani forces in 1971. The project includes the construction of the main temple, a five-store guesthouse, a deep tube-well in the temple premises and the construction of the main entry gate of the temple. Also Watch : RSS chief Bhagwat on Rohingya: Humanitarian view at cost of one's security is not good --- ENDS --- The grandson of Spanish artist Joan Miro, Joan Punyet Miro at a recreation of the studio of the painter Joan Miro The most commonly held belief about creativity is that it's elusive, esoteric and unique only to the anointed few. The ancient Greeks believed that creativity was this divine attendant spirit that came to human beings from some distant and unknowable source, for distant and unknowable reasons. They called these spirits daemons. The Romans had a similar idea as well but called the spirit a genius. Centuries later, not much has changed. The only difference is that we no longer attribute creativity to divine spirits, but to special individuals. We think that it's only Beethoven, Picasso and Mozart who have creative genius. Except that's not true. More from Louis Chew: Trends don't last focus on what doesn't change instead Hacking the habit loop: How to manifest sustained behavioral change You need mental toughness to stay bulletproof in life. Here's how to build it. Today, we deconstruct and analyse even the most elusive of processes. We come to understand that there are specific behaviors and mindsets which anyone can use to reach a desired result. Here are the seven behaviors of highly creative people. 1. Steal like an artist There is a truth that the aspiring creative must first recognize. We need only turn to Austin Kleon's book, Steal Like an Artist, to learn this: "What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original." One must realize that the idea and inspiration for a piece of work comes from many sources at once. Every new idea is just a mashup or a remix of previous ideas. It's why, quoting Jonathan Lethem, Kleon writes that "when people call something 'original,' nine out of ten times they just don't know the references or the original sources involved." Hence the recommendation steal like an artist. The good artist emulates the style of another as closely as he can. The great artist selects elements from others' work and incorporates them into his own mix of influences. He does so tastefully, knowing that the right fusion will create something that is uniquely his, although not completely original. So learn to steal like an artist the entire world is up for grabs. 2. Always be researching To find something worth stealing, one must look in the right places. Input facilitates output. There's no getting around that. The quality of the information one consumes determines the quality of work one will produce. In a world where noise often drowns out the signal, finding the best ideas can often be difficult. There are two ways to get around this. The first is what Kleon calls branching, which is useful for exploring variations of an idea. "Chew on one thinker. Study everything there is to know about that thinker. Then find three people that thinker loved, and find out everything about them. Repeat this as many times as you can. Climb up the tree as far as you can go." That's not the only method of sieving out valuable ideas. Originality stems from creating something that has never been seen before. Which is why bestselling author Ryan Holiday turns to the classics whenever he is in doubt. Classic pieces are 'classic' for a reason. They've survived the test of time. The philosophy of Stoicism goes back to the ancient Greeks, but Holiday showed how those ideas are relevant today in his books "Ego Is The Enemy" and "The Obstacle Is The Way." He didn't come up with those ideas; he applied them. It's not enough to just observe your surroundings. The creative actively seek out the best ideas from all places. They're always researching. 3. Enter new domains As we gain more experience and expertise in our work, we become more entrenched in a particular way of viewing the world. It makes us more efficient as we eliminate part of the thinking process, but the downside is that we become less receptive to new ideas and less responsive to changes. It's as Abraham Maslow observed: he that is good with a hammer tends to think everything is a nail. That's a death sentence for any creative who hopes to do good work. It's also the surest way for a company to go out of business within the next few years. Consider the ubiquity of Google today. Search engines had existed long before Google along, but were limited in use. Google changed that when it adopted a new approach for returning results, choosing to focus on quality rather than popularity. The inspiration for this change? Academic publishing. In the academic world, one can easily determine the quality and relevance of a paper by how often it is cited. The best research papers rise to the top, while the more limited ones fade into obscurity. It was an elegant idea which Larry Page was only too happy to introduce into Google's search algorithm. It's now known in the world of Search-Engine Optimisation (SEO) as back-links. Original and creative solutions don't always come from reinventing the wheel. Rather, it comes from developing innovative applications, not imagine completely new concepts. You can start by finding two completely different ideas and combining them. Or as James Altucher puts it: have idea sex. 4. Be more prolific Thomas Edison was famous for being relentless in experimenting. The sheer quantity of his experiments would eventually result in him holding the record for having the most patents over 1090 in his name. Picasso painted over 20,000 works. Bach composed at least one work a week. Most of these works never amounted to much. They were creations which the average man on the street would never have taken a second look at. It turns out that none of us can accurately predict which ideas will hit and which will miss. The solution? Produce so much work that one piece will inevitably stick. If only one idea for every ten that you come up with is good, all it means is that you should be working on a hundred ideas to come up with ten good ones. The same goes for writing, composing, or painting. It's widely assumed that there's a trade-off between quantity and quality if you want to do better work, you have to do less of it but this turns out to be false. Quantity breeds quality. The act of creating something, no matter how lousy, is practice for creating a better one. And that's why Steve Jobs rightly said, "real artists ship". 5. Give yourself permission to suck Creating more work sounds like a good idea in theory, but it's difficult in application. The single and most important reason is that we don't give ourselves permission to suck. Stephen Pressfield knows this too. In "The War of Art," he names the fear that all creatives have he calls it the Resistance. "The amateur, on the other hand, over-identifies with his avocation, his artistic aspiration. He defines himself by it. He is a musician, a painter, a playwright. Resistance loves this. Resistance knows that the amateur composer will never write his symphony because he is overly invested in its success and over-terrified of its failure. The amateur takes it so seriously it paralyses him." The problem is that we've been trained to tie our self-worth to our accomplishments. If that's the case, who then, would willingly create a piece of work that would be used to judge him? For this reason, Pressfield says that we must turn from amateur to professional. Only then can we produce truly creative work. "Resistance wants us to stake our self-worth, our identity, our reason-for-being, on the response of others to our work. Resistance knows we can't take this. No one can. The professional blows critics off. He doesn't even hear them. Critics, he reminds himself, are the unwitting mouthpieces of Resistance." The way to creativity is to create a lot, and the way to create a lot is to give ourselves permission to suck. People will forget the mistakes and garbage we make, but will remember our best works. 6. Embrace constraints There are many barriers that can prevent us from creating a good piece of work. But the essence of creativity is making do with what we have. In fact, Austin Kleon suggests that it is necessary: "Nothing is more paralysing than the idea of infinite possibilities. The best way to get over creative block is to simply place some constraints on yourself." He goes on to explain how having less helps us: "One, getting really good at creative work requires a lot of time and attention, and that means cutting a lot of fluff out of your life so that you have that extra time and attention. And two, creativity in our work is often a matter of what we choose to leave out, rather than leave in what is unspoken vs. spoken, what isn't shown vs. what is, etc." Constraints are not the enemy. Many creatives understood that and went on to produce masterpieces because of constraints, not despite them. Dr. Seuss was challenged to write a children's book with only 50 words. The result was "Green Eggs and Ham," which went on to sell over 200 million copies. Having constraints was so vital to fueling creativity that Dr. Seuss would set his own limits to work with for his other books. For example, "The Cat In The Hat" was written using only a first-grade vocabulary list. But perhaps the most famous example is Hemingway's six word story. Nobody is likely to forget For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn anytime soon. 7. Develop your ritual Chinese investors are buying up assets in Australia from housing to ports to agriculture. One area where that trend is particular noticeable: Chinese investment in Australia's agricultural sector went from $300 million to more than $1 billion over the past year. Part of what's driving that trend is Chinese investors looking to Australia as fertile ground to produce goods that they'll sell back in China. There's heavy demand from China's booming middle class for Australian-produced fruits, meats, wine, dairy and minerals. In fact, those shoppers have grown to trust "Made in Australia" on the whole. After outbreaks in China from tainted infant formula, Australian-produced formula has been a market winner for Chinese consumers. China's wealthy impact Australian housing Home prices in Sydney are up 98 percent since the global financial crisis, and in Melbourne they're up 84 percent, according CoreLogic, a data, information, analytics and services provider in Australia. Concurrent with rising prices is increased Chinese activity in the market. Last year, was the biggest year for Chinese investment in Australian residential real estate, according to Juwai.com, an international property website. In New South Wales, the Australian state in which Sydney is located, foreign buyers (87 percent of whom were Chinese) acquired a quarter of new property supply, according to a recent report by Credit Suisse. Not everyone is happy about the trend Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe delivers a speech during the official opening of the third session of the eight parliament of Zimbabwe in Harare on September 15, 2015. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has been removed as a goodwill ambassador, the World Health Organization said on Sunday, following outrage among Western donors and rights groups at his appointment. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus named Mugabe to the largely ceremonial post at a meeting on Wednesday in Uruguay on chronic diseases attended by both men. At the time, Tedros praised Zimbabwe as "a country that places universal health coverage and health promotion at the centre of its policies to provide healthcare to all." But Tedros said in a statement that he had listened to those expressing concerns and heard the "different issues" raised. "Over the last few days, I have reflected on my appointment of H.E. President Robert Mugabe as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for NCDs (non-communicable diseases) in Africa. As a result I have decided to rescind the appointment," Tedros said. The decision had been taken after consultation with the Harare government and was "in the best interests of the World Health Organization," he said. Jeremy Farrar, a global health specialist and director of the Wellcome Trust charity and the NCD alliance, representing health groups combating chronic diseases, welcomed the reversal. "Dr Tedros deserves all our support to ensure he and WHO build a global health movement that is inclusive and works to improve health for everyone," Farrar said in a statement. Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Walter Muzembi accepted the move while insisting that WHO had "benefited tremendously" from having nominated Mugabe and the media buzz it brought to health issues. "So on the balance, it is wiser to let go, and help WHO focus on its mandate while we focus Zimbabwe on its membership obligations," Muzembi said in a government statement. Several former and current WHO staff had said privately they were appalled at the "poor judgement" and "miscalculation" by Tedros, elected the first African head of WHO in May. Mugabe was head of the African Union when the bloc endorsed Tedros a former health and foreign minister of Ethiopia over other African candidates for the top post, without any real regional contest, they said. Mugabe, 93, is blamed in the West for destroying Zimbabwe's economy and for numerous human rights abuses during his 37 years leading the country as either president or prime minister. Britain had said Mugabe's appointment as a goodwill ambassador was "surprising and disappointing" and that it risked overshadowing the WHO's global work. The United States, which has imposed sanctions on Mugabe for alleged human rights violations, also voiced disappointment. "He (Tedros) has to remember where his funding comes from," said one health official who declined to be identified. The Trump administration, which is already questioning financial support for some United Nations agencies, is WHO's largest single donor. WHO is struggling to recover a reputation tarnished by its slowness in tackling the Ebola epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa from 2014-2015 under Tedros' predecessor, Margaret Chan. The agency is now grappling with a massive cholera outbreak in Yemen that has infected some 800,000 people in the past year and a plague outbreak in Madagascar that has killed nearly 100 in two months. The American people were treated today to another example of the congressional Republicans' contortionist act. This time it was over 401(k) plans. But the real story is how much the GOP congressional leaders will twist and turn and basically make themselves into a pretzel all to avoid one thing: Cutting the spending. First, let's look at the most recent details. A report surfaced late Friday that the Republican tax-reform bill may include a provision that would limit tax-free contributions to 401(k) plans to $2,400 per year. An understandable howl went up over that one, as 401(k)s have become a major staple of retirement savings for millions of Americans, a key benefit employers offer via matching contributions, and a big money maker for Wall Street firms. The good news for everyone worrying about this came early Monday, with a tweet from President Donald Trump promising no changes: That could be the happy ending to a scary story if it weren't for the fact that there's no indication the Republicans in Congress won't try to come up with another cockamamie idea to raise tax revenue. Just to review, they've already tried the Border Adjustment Tax that would have taxed imports and gutted major retailers' profits. That idea lived for much of the spring and summer before it was scrapped in late July. They're still holding on to the plan to eliminate state and local tax deductions and even kept that plan alive with a 52-47 vote in the Senate Friday. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, is predicting that the national outrage over this plan will only get louder as the weeks go by. There are more not-so-brilliant ideas, too, like reducing the deductions allowed for mortgage interest. But the bottom line is that the GOP wants to support tax cuts without giving up some level of the moral high ground it believes it owns when it comes to opposing the exploding national debt. That debt has basically doubled to $20 trillion since President Obama took office in 2009, and deficits are still growing under President Trump. The stakes are being raised even higher as the GOP tax plan as we know it now will only grow deficits more. The Congressional Budget Office is projecting it would add $1.5 trillion to the debt over the next 10 years. The Trump administration is calling those projections inaccurate and also insisting that the added economic growth coming from tax cuts would boost revenues much more than the CBO estimates. You can learn a lot from studying one business pitch. You can learn even more from studying 30,000. Sean Wise, an entrepreneurship professor at Ryerson University, start-up expert and best-selling author, says he's always receiving pitches. Whether he's at a restaurant with his family or heading to the restroom, he says, there's someone eager to pitch a business idea. "But I can't tell if a pitch is a good or bad idea in five minutes," the professor tells CNBC Make It. "It's disrespectful and a disservice to them." However, Wise says that there are five things he's learned about creating a successful business after studying over 30,000 pitches: 1. Turn your problems into opportunities Whether you're looking to create your own company or pitch an idea at your workplace, always be your own customer, says Wise. "Companies led by founders that are also their own customer do better," he says. "By being your own customer, you gain access and insight." If you can't be the customer, then it's also vital to understand how your customer's mind works. A student musician will best be able to understand what issues student musicians face, he says, and a single father will best be able to explain what issues other single fathers face. "Look at a problem in your own life," says Wise. "How do you turn it into an opportunity?" Having this problem-solving mindset, he says, will help you be successful in any field. 2. Focus on the need you're filling The order for putting an idea into fruition used to be "ready, aim, fire," says Wise. Now, it's ready, fire then aim. Wise says that you no longer have to have all of your ducks in a row before creating a product. Years ago, you'd first find an investor, get funding, create a prototype, do a launch and then go to sale. "Now, that's a huge mistake," says Wise. Instead, it's better to find the customer, connect with the market need and then launch the service or product. "Kickstarter is a great example of that," he says. In fact, he says people committed more than $692 million in 2015 through the crowdfunding platform to products that were not yet built. "Now you can find a community to fund your business idea," says Wise. 3. Fund your idea yourself If you truly believe in your idea, fund it yourself, says Wise. "There are no gatekeepers anymore," he adds. "You don't need an investor. You actually don't need much money to start anymore." In the past, you'd need about $500,000 to fund an idea, he says. In 2017, the most you really need is $5,000. Even if you don't have the cash right away, he says, if your idea is good enough you can put it on a credit card. In fact, he notes that that's how YouTube got started. "Use that money to start the idea, have it go big then go back to investors," he says. "Also, you don't need to quit your job right away." 4. Figure out the value Your boss, your CEO or your potential investor doesn't care about your idea, says Wise. It could be the most well-thought-out idea and their only question for you will be: Why does this matter and who cares? That's why it's important to always pinpoint the value proposition of whatever concept it is that you're trying to pitch, says Wise. By focusing on the value from the onset, he says, you can easily show whomever is on the receiving end how supporting the idea benefits them. 5. Get your evidence lined up said on Monday that it received 238 proposals from "cities and regions in 54 states, provinces, districts and territories around North America" who want to host the company's second headquarters. Bids for the new headquarters were . Cities big and small, from Newark, NJ to Boston, MA are trying to woo Amazon and the more than $5 billion it plans to spend on its second headquarters. One Georgia town's mayor even said he would if the company agreed to build there. Amazon had for cities that were interested in placing a bid. The company wanted a city with an established mass transit system, easy access to international airports, universities and a population of at least 1 million people. Amazon is expected to reveal the home of its new headquarters in 2018. Wozniak who is known to carry several new phones at once made the remarks just ahead of preorder sales, which open on Oct. 27. "I'd rather wait and watch that one. I'm happy with my iPhone 8 which is the same as the iPhone 7, which is the same as the iPhone 6, to me," Wozniak said, speaking from the sidelines of the Money 20/20 conference. "For some reason, the iPhone X is going to be the first iPhone I didn't on day one upgrade to. But my wife will, so I'll be close enough to see it." Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said he's not in a hurry to buy the next iPhone even though he usually rushes out to upgrade on opening day. For more than a year before it was released, the iPhone X was hailed as a revolutionary new form factor that could spark a "super cycle" of sales. The phone, unveiled in September, features an edge-to-edge 5.8-inch bright, sharp display, with a smaller chassis than the iPhone 8 Plus. It also has facial recognition. But Wozniak also said he was skeptical that the Face ID feature would work the way it is supposed to. Wozniak isn't the only onlooker who's uncertain about the new handset. Because the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X were not released at the same time this year, some analysts have struggled to get a handle on how well the phones will sell. Surveys show that a high percentage of consumers plan to purchase a new iPhone in the next three months but that the iPhone 8 series is accounting for a smaller share of sales than the new iPhones this time last year, according to UBS analyst Steven Milunovich. "This softness could be good or bad depending on whether users are waiting on the iPhone X," Milunovich wrote in a Monday note. Venture capitalist Gene Munster noted that Google searches for "iPhone" seem to have declined 10 percent year over year. But Munster said his firm's surveys show "positive data points for Apple." "The release of the iPhone 8 was underwhelming compared to past iPhone launches, but this is not bad news for Apple. This year's iPhone cycle will have its units and revenues split between the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X," Munster wrote. "Historically about half of the iPhones purchased in a given year are the most recently released model. This bodes well for iPhone revenue growth." Apple 's chief operating officer Jeff Williams believes that advances in hardware and AI will revolutionize the way health care is delivered. Williams delivered the remarks on Monday at an event hosted by Taiwanese chip maker TSMC about the company's next decade. "Probably one of the most significant examples of this is the opportunity to use transistor tech advances and power scaling to revolutionize health care. We think the (health) industry is ripe for change," he told the audience. "We think there is tremendous potential to do on-device computing, to do cloud computing as well, and to take that learning through machine learning, deep learning and ultimately artificial intelligence, change the way health is delivered," he said. "We can't think of anything more significant than this." Apple has made some early forays into health care with its software toolkits for developers, ResearchKit, HealthKit and CareKit, as well as through its health and fitness-tracking Apple Watch. At its most recent developers conference, WWDC, the company also shared stories of how Apple Watch's heart rate sensor picked up on the early signs of disease, prompting users to seek help before it was too late. Now, the company is investing big in research to find out if it can use the device's existing sensors to detect serious medical conditions. The iPhone maker is also working on several research and development initiatives, including novel blood sugar sensors that might someday benefit millions of people worldwide with diabetes. The company is also exploring a move into primary care to improve the processes of care delivery. This is one of the few occasions that Williams has spoken out about health care. Apple CEO Tim Cook has also talked about Apple's interest in the space, even taking steps to learn about the experiences of patients by sporting a glucose monitor. Watch the full speech here. Former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly dismissed as "lies and smear" the details in a New York Times report saying 21st Century Fox had signed O'Reilly to a contract extension months after O'Reilly reached a $32 million sexual harassment settlement with longtime network analyst Lis Wiehl. The settlement, revealed by the Times in an article Saturday, was one of several such deals involving O'Reilly. The controversial commentator was re-upped in February only to be dismissed by Fox in April after the Times reported on some of them. O'Reilly was combative and unapologetic on Twitter. "My investigative team has done a superb job in exposing the lies and smear," O'Reilly tweeted late Saturday. "I will speak with you on Monday." He also posted a statement from spokesman Mark Fabiani saying the Times "once again... maliciously smeared Bill O'Reilly, this time even failing to print a sworn affidavit from his former lawyer, Lis Wiehl, repudiating all allegations." Fabiani accused the Times of ignoring sworn evidence in favor of "unsubstantiated allegations, anonymous sources and incomplete leaked or stolen documents." More from USA Today: Report: Fox kept Bill O'Reilly despite $32M sexual harassment settlement Tapper shades O'Reilly for ratings jab: You were 'humiliated in front of the world' Ousted Fox News host Bill O'Reilly launches online news show The Timesquickly rejected Fabiani's claims. Reporter Michael S. Schmidt, who wrote the story with Emily Steel, tweeted that O'Reilly "falsely says our story didn't mention affidavit Lise Wiehl signed" and showing two such mentions in the article. The Timesalso issued a statement through the Associated Press: "Mr. Fabiani addresses everything but what the story actually says. This article, like our previous reporting on the subject, is accurate and deeply reported and we welcome any challenge to the facts." The Times cited sources briefed on the case for the settlement details, including allegations of repeated harassment and a non-consensual sexual relationship. Previous harassment settlements involving O'Reilly total at least $45 million, the Times claimed. O'Reilly told the Times the allegations were politically and financially motivated and that he "never mistreated anyone." Fabiani accused the Times of printing leaked information that was "out of context, false, defamatory, and obviously designed to embarrass Bill O'Reilly and to keep him from competing in the marketplace." In February, about six months after the Wiehl settlement, 21st Century Fox struck a new four-year contract worth $25 million annually with O'Reilly to continue as host of what was Fox News's signature show, The O'Reilly Factor. 21st Century Fox issued a statement Saturday acknowledging that the company was aware of the harassment suit but said O'Reilly assured them that he had "settled the matter personally." The company also said the contract included protections allowing for O'Reilly's dismissal if more damaging information surfaced. @jaketapper tweet Fox News ousted chairman Roger Ailes last year amid his own sexual harassment scandal. Gretchen Carlson, a former Fox News host, filed the bombshell lawsuit against Ailes that ignited a broad discussion into sexual harassment and corporate culture. Carlson weighed in on the latest O'Reilly settlement on Twitter: "Nobody pays $32m for false allegations - nobody." Disappointed with continuous harassment by money lender, Isakimuthu took wife and daughters to Tirunelveli on the pretext of meeting the Collector and set them ablaze. Onlookers came to the rescue of the children after their father set them ablaze outside the Collector's office in Tirunelveli. By Pramod Madhav: A daily wage labourer today set his wife and two daughters on fire outside the Collector's office in Tirunelveli. Isakimuthu and his wife Subbulakshmi were allegedly being harassed by a money lender even after they paid the dues. Subbulakshmi had borrowed Rs 1.45 lakh from Muthulakshmi eight months ago, which she claims to have repaid. Subbulakshmi had paid around Rs 2.35 lakh including interest, however, the money lender was demanding more money in form of interest. According to Isakimuthu's brother, they filed a complaint with the police but no action was taken. advertisement Disappointed with the continuous harassment and inaction by the police, Isakimuthu (28) took his wife (25) and daughters, aged 5 and 2, to Tirunelveli on the pretext of meeting the Collector over a solution on the issue. He then poured petrol on them and set them ablaze before attempting self immolation. Onlookers immediately came to the rescue of the family and poured water on them. Police officials then rushed the four to the nearest hospital. "It took me almost 20 minutes to realise what I was witnessing. I don't think the children will survive," said an eyewitness. "The problem was with loan sharks. The police were taking the money lender's side. Isakimuthu couldn't do anything. When he tried seeking help from the Collector, he was directed to the SP's office and then back to the police station, which was hand in gloves with the loan sharks. There was no other way out, which is why Isakimuthu must have done this," said his brother. --- ENDS --- "I think some people will call it a fraud. I don't think it's fraudulent But it doesn't solve a main need in society right now." "The purpose it [bitcoin] seems to serve today is really to help move money in a hidden way and facilitate, potentially facilitate, criminal activity of moving money in an undetected way," McKay told CNBC in an episode of Life Hacks Live. Now Royal Bank of Canada CEO, David McKay, is joining in calls to question the utility and legitimacy of bitcoin. From JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon , to the IMF's Christine Lagarde , bitcoin has become a major talking point for the finance world's established voices. McKay doubts bitcoin's legitimacy in the face of the pound, euro or dollar. "A currency is a promissory note on a future good and service and economy. I hold a dollar, or a pound, or a euro because I want to exchange it for physical good or a service sometime in the future and I'm confident in holding that note because of the political system backing it, because of the strength of the economy, because of a central bank with reserves." "So when you look at those characteristics and the real need for a currency, how do you apply that to a cryptocurrency? Most of those criteria don't fit; it's not backed by a government, it's not backed by rule of law, it's not backed by economy, there's no reserve against it, you actually have to mine it in a distributed chain environment," said McKay. Though bitcoin may "serve a need in the future" in reducing the friction in moving money, it's potentially illicit activity means it's in need of regulation, said McKay. It's the technology underpinning bitcoin rather than the cryptocurrency itself that excites the CEO. "Most people in the world aren't talking about bitcoin. They're talking about blockchain, the distributed ledger private or public that underpins the bitcoin application of it," said McKay. "It has a chance to transform everything from our capital markets, and our trading businesses, our security settlement businesses, right into our retail franchise. And so that technology, that ability to work in code and build solutions, are two new technologies and areas that we need." The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note sat higher at around 2.372 percent at 12:32 p.m. ET, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was up at 2.883 percent. Bond yields move inversely to prices. U.S. government debt yields were lower Monday, as investors switched focus to the latest developments coming out of the auctions sphere and U.S. Federal Reserve. While no major speeches are expected to take place by members of the U.S. Federal Reserve on the first trading day of the week, discussion about who should lead the U.S. central bank from early 2018 is likely to be on the lips on many investors Monday, as a verdict looms. At present, five individuals have been named as potential candidates to take on the position of Fed Chair a role currently held by Janet Yellen. However, recent news suggests the number could be narrowing. In an interview aired in recent days, President Donald Trump acknowledged that the markets expected he would likely choose Stanford University economist John Taylor or Fed Governor Jerome Powell for the top role. One of the two could end up being put up for the position of Fed chair, while the other could be nominated for the vice chair role, an FBN report suggests. A decision is expected to be made before the president's trip to Asia in early November. In politics, Trump is expected to meet with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the White House on Monday. The two leaders will likely comment upon how each nation can strengthen their ties on a political, economic, and social basis, as well as discussing security. CNBC's Jeff Cox contributed to this report China's exports to North Korea jumped an annual 20.9 percent in the first three quarters of 2017, customs data showed. From January to September, Asia's largest economy exported $2.55 billion in value to the pariah state, the data showed, according to Reuters. Imports from North Korea during that nine-month period actually fell 16.7 percent, according to the data, and so the total trade figure only saw a 3.7 percent increase, Reuters said. Of note, both exports and imports between the two nations fell in September from the previous month, according to the data: Exports to North Korea sank from $315.97 million to $266.35 million, and imports from North Korea fell from $288.29 million to $145.82 million. The figures come as much of the world, including the United Nations, calls for tight economic sanctions on the rogue nation. The government in Pyongyang is paying for a rapidly expanding nuclear weapons program, and it has verbally threatened several countries with attack. Last month, Beijing announced its intention to restrict trade with Pyongyang on several key items, including textiles, seafood and petroleum products, in compliance with U.N resolutions. Chinese President Xi Jinping's administration has also banned mainland lenders from doing business with North Korean clients. The rising pressure comes amid a tense war of words between North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, which has stoked fears of military action on the Korean Peninsula. Last week, a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier conducted drills with South Korea's navy in an exercise aimed at showing off Washington's defense capabilities. CNN is hitting back against President Donald Trump's claims that the network reports "fake news." In a tweet early Monday, CNN launched a "Facts First" campaign in response to "consistent attacks from Washington and beyond." The 30-second video shows an apple while a voice-over says: "Some people might try to tell you that it's a banana." CNN tweet "They might scream banana, banana, banana, over and over and over again. They might put banana in all caps," it says. "You might even start to believe that this is a banana. But it's not. This is an apple." Trump assailed media outlets during his presidential campaign, and continued his aggressive rhetoric after Inauguration Day, attacking organizations such as CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times and NBC. He has called CNN "unwatchable" and "the enemy of the American People." Trump Tweet CNN CEO Jeff Zucker said in a statement the campaign was launched "to take a clear stand for who we are and what we believe in." The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Disclosure: NBC and CNBC are owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal unit. While the chances of lawmakers drastically cutting 401(k) contribution limits are slim, CNBC's Jim Cramer still doubled down on why the cuts would be especially harmful to the middle class. "The whole point of a 401(k) plan is that your contributions are tax-deductible up to $18,000 a year. They want to slash that to $2,400? It's hard to imagine a less popular way to pay for the massive tax cuts that President [Donald] Trump assures us [will] make our companies more competitive while helping the middle class," the "Mad Money" host said. "But if you neuter 401(k)s, then really, you're just punishing individuals who save in order to give corporations a tax break. Well, that's just crazy," he added. After The Wall Street Journal reported that GOP lawmakers considered slashing 401(k) contributions as a part of tax reform, Cramer went on NBC's "TODAY" on Monday to explain why the cuts would negatively affect consumers. Shortly thereafter, Trump tweeted that the 401(k) change would not be put in place. "There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays!" the president wrote. Even so, Cramer said slashing the limit would throw a wrench in the more than $5 trillion that middle-class Americans have saved via 401(k)s. "[401(k)s are] widely viewed as a bulwark against the possibility of cuts in Social Security, something that seems politically unthinkable even as the actuarial tables say it might be inevitable," Cramer said. Moreover, financial services companies, which receive fees from 401(k) plans, would undoubtedly fight back against the limits, the "Mad Money" host said. Cramer said the defense against cutting 401(k) contributions is fairly straightforward. Taxing savings at the rate of withdrawal encourages people to save, something that U.S. citizens were not very good at doing before Congress enacted 401(k) plans in 1978, he said. And the ability to save pre-tax earnings and be taxed later unlike Roth IRAs, which take after-tax contributions and generally aren't tax-deductible is very attractive to the average citizen. "The whole attraction of a 401(k) is you pay into it using pre-tax income, and this would wreck that whole system," Cramer said. The "Mad Money" host even wondered if lobbyists leaked the $2,400 number on purpose in order to rally the retirement lobby and consumers close to retirement against the plan. Changing the limit to $2,400 would hit consumers in their 50s especially hard because, as the 401(k) plan stands now, contribution limits expand to $24,000 a year when participants turn 50. "For all of those reasons, I think this proposal to make 401(k) contributions taxable at a much lower level is dead on arrival," Cramer said. "The most important takeaway is that the guys running this process in Congress, some could say that they're clowns. They should've known this proposal would face massive resistance." It almost seems to Cramer that there are interest groups and other forces laser-focused on making this consideration fail, let alone Trump's broader plans for tax reform. "To me, that means the only way we're going to get tax reform is if it's much smaller than what we're currently being promised, small enough that it doesn't have to be offset by something unpopular like this," Cramer said. "There were no denials about this potential slash by anyone in the House GOP leadership," he continued. "It's on the table for them, even if it isn't for the president. This proposal will end up being on the butcher block and it won't get done even if, by some miracle, tax reform passes, but it is a tremendous example of what's wrong with this whole process and why I remain steadfast that you focus on corporate profits, not corporate welfare, from Washington." watch now Cryptocurrencies are "not mature enough" yet to assess the impact they could have on regulation and the economy, a senior advisor at Saudi Arabia's financial regulator told CNBC Sunday. Abdulmalik Al-Sheikh, senior advisor at the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), said cryptocurrencies are not something the body is looking to regulate right now. "Cryptocurrency is still at its infancy, its pilots, trials, here and there. I don't think that there is something strong where we need to jump into it currently," Al-Sheikh told CNBC at the Fintech Abu Dhabi event. watch now "I think all the central banks are observing, trying, trying to measure the impact of that. I think it's about another five years before we can really see whether there is a real impact on the currencies in general (and) what will be the future operating model of cryptocurrency." Al-Sheikh also said the regulator is taking a wait and see approach to initial coin offerings (ICOs). This is a way for start-ups to raise money by issuing a virtual coin. But investors don't typically get equity stakes in a company like they do with an initial public offering (IPO). Over $3 billion has been raised via ICOs this year, according to industry website CoinSchedule. "For us it's still not something that is traded and accepted globally, it's something that is done and traded in different markets. As I mentioned before we are observing that and monitoring what's happening and try to measure the risks associated." watch now Rupert Murdoch leaves the News Corporation building with his son Lachlan Murdoch (R) on July 21, 2016 in New York City. The proposed takeover of European broadcaster Sky by 21st Century Fox has hit another hurdle after it was reported that Fox News host Bill O'Reilly had his contract renewed despite the settlement of a $32 million sexual harassment lawsuit against him. O'Reilly was granted a four-year contract extension in February that would pay him $25 million a year, according to a report in The New York Times on Saturday. Documents seen by the newspaper suggested that Rupert Murdoch and sons James and Lachlan senior executives at 21st Century Fox decided in January to hold on to O'Reilly in spite of the allegations. O'Reilly subsequently lost his job in April; he said in a statement at the time that the claims against him were "completely unfounded." watch now But in light of the Times report over the weekend, the U.K.'s shadow culture secretary Tom Watson has said he will write to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) urging it to turn down 21st Century Fox's 11.7 billion ($15.4 billion) takeover of Sky. TWEET "The latest revelations about Bill O'Reilly are depressingly familiar. They show that 21st Century Fox engaged in a prolonged campaign to cover up allegations of serious sexual harassment by a senior employee instead of investigating the claims and taking action against him," Watson said in a statement emailed to CNBC. "The fact that Fox handed Mr O'Reilly a lucrative new contract worth $25 million months after he reportedly paid $32 million to settle a claim by a colleague is jaw-dropping. It raises yet more questions about the corporate culture at 21st Century Fox," he added. Watson compared the O'Reilly allegations to the phone-hacking scandal that caused the 2011 closure of the News of the World, a U.K. tabloid newspaper then owned by News Corp, also run by Murdoch family members. "Instead of admitting wrongdoing, the Murdoch family's first instinct is to deny it took place and, in many cases, to label those who try to establish the truth as liars or fantasists. It is a pattern that keeps on repeating itself," Watson said. 21st Century Fox owns 39.1 percent of Sky and in December 2016 it bid to take over the remaining proportion. It must go through EU and U.K. approvals in April, the European Commission green-lit the deal. However, British Culture Secretary Karen Bradley referred the case in September to the CMA to examine how a takeover would affect media plurality. The CMA will consider whether one person or group has too much influence over public opinion or the political agenda, and its provisional findings are due in December. Bill O'Reilly Getty Images A special-purpose chip for artificial intelligence and other tasks in new Pixel smartphones draws on technology. In addition to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip, the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL both feature a new custom co-processor, which is meant to improve speed and battery life when shooting photos with Google's HDR+ technology, and better handle AI workloads in apps, Google has said. But the company didn't disclose details about its partners on the chip. Then, last week, device repair website iFixit published a teardown of the Pixel 2 XL that showed what the Pixel Visual Core chip actually looks like. The serial number on the chip in a photograph begins with "SR3," like some Intel chips. In an email to CNBC, a Google spokesperson confirmed that the company worked with Intel on the Pixel Visual Core and noted that no existing chip had exactly what Google wanted for the new Pixel devices. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL may not sell well the first generation Pixels, released in 2016, barely made a dent. Even so, the collaboration with Google on the Pixel Visual Core chip is a win for Intel. Last year Intel canceled some chips for smartphones and tablets, although certain commercially available phones and tablets still have Intel chips or modems inside. It's also some evidence that Intel is making some progress in AI, where Nvidia's graphics processing units are popular among researchers. Last week the company said it's collaborating with Facebook to develop AI chips for data centers. Google has a mixed relationship with Intel when it comes to AI. Waymo, Google's sister company working on self-driving cars, has for years, but Google has done a lot of work on its own to develop its for accelerating AI workloads in its data centers. Apple, for its part, designed its own for its upcoming top-of-the-line iPhone X. Intel declined to comment. (Clarification: A quote from Google was mistakenly included in a previous version of this story.) "My dad sits down with me, and he says 'I went through hell so that you could have the opportunity I never had,'" Herjavec reveals on "Shark Tank." As a young person, Herjavec had odd jobs like delivering newspapers and waiting tables. Then, a conversation with his father changed his perspective, and helped him to find the drive to succeed. "I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was a bit of a mess, partying, hanging out," he says on Sunday's episode of "Shark Tank." "People would say, 'What do you want to do with your life?' I'd go, 'Ah, it doesn't matter.'" At 55 years old, Robert Herjavec has found great success. He is the founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm Herjavec Group , a star of ABC's " Shark Tank ," and a best selling author. But when he was 21, he was lost. For his father, that hell began in Croatia, formerly Yugoslavia, where he was persecuted for speaking against Communism. "My dad was thrown in jail 23 times," Herjavec says on "Shark Tank." When Herjavec was 8, his dad escaped from jail and rushed the family to Canada, where they arrived with only $20 and a suitcase to call their own. And, life in a new country wasn't easy. "My dad was a factory worker. When we came here, he worked in a factory and swept floors," Herjavec says during a 2012 episode of 'Shark Tank.' "People made fun of him, because he wasn't American. They called him all kinds of names, and it hurt him deeply." To get to work, his father would walk two miles each way to the factory in order to save bus fare. At times, Herjavec was embarrassed of his dad and the family's poverty. "He was poor, he was rough around the edges and I just didn't want to be like that," Herjavec tells Inc. "When I was growing up, I was really embarrassed of him." But the sit down as a 21-year-old changed his outlook, and taught him a lesson about seizing opportunities. "Now, I realize the sacrifice that he went through, in order to give me this opportunity," Herjavec explains to Inc. "I had this incredible sense of desperation that if I didn't do something with my life, all the sacrifice wasn't worth it." He went on to get a job selling IBM products at Logiquest, and fell in love with technology. Now, his cybersecurity business has nearly 300 employees, according to Fortune. And still, that lesson from his dad continues to motivate him. "People have said 'How do you work so hard? You only sleep three hours a day!'" Herjavec says on "Shark Tank." "Anything I do in my lifetime will never be as hard as what that man went through." Don't miss: Mark Cuban gives a 17-year-old who pitched him on 'Shark Tank' his top advice for getting ahead Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook! Disclaimer: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank." This story has been revised and updated. Income tax collections generated more than $3.3 trillion for the federal government in 2015, according to latest Internal Revenue Service figures. Along with that money, tax season also produces tens of thousands of tax rip-offs that cost individual taxpayers and the IRS much time and many millions of dollars. Tax rip-offs come in two main types. Identity theft involves obtaining enough information about a taxpayer to file a fraudulent tax return and then collecting a refund. In the other variety, a scammer impersonating an IRS official contacts an unwitting taxpayer and tricks the victim into handing over money. Alexandra Iakovleva | Getty Images A taxpayer whose identity has been used to file a fraudulent return may be significantly inconvenienced. For example, his or her legitimate refund may be delayed nine months or more, rather than the customary three weeks or less, once a scammer has filed a false return using that taxpayer's information. However, identify theft fraud is unlikely to cost an individual taxpayer any actual money. The government, not the taxpayer, bears the cost of fraudulently obtained refunds. Tax scams, on the other hand, result in direct financial losses to victims. When a taxpayer gives funds to scammers impersonating an IRS agent, the money is lost. Frequency of tax stings Of the two types of tax rip-offs, identity theft is more common. From late January to early March 2017, the IRS identified 14,068 fraudulent returns involving identity theft, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) said in its April interim report on 2017 collections. The final report is due in September 2017. Impersonation scams were somewhat less common. From October 2013 through June 2017, TIGTA reported 10,911 cases of someone impersonating an IRS agent. TIGTA didn't supply a dollar value for the costs of fraudulent returns, but says taxpayers lost $57,963,603 to impersonation scams during that period. How to avoid being scammed Fending off tax scammers is often easy, according to experts. Swindlers impersonating IRS agents typically phone victims, tell the taxpayer that he or she owes the IRS and threaten legal action unless payment is made immediately. Neil Becourtney, an Eatontown, New Jersey-based CPA with New York accounting firm CohnReznick, says clients have contacted him after calls from scammers impersonating IRS agents. "They say you have a balance and if it's not paid we're going to lock you up," Becourtney said. "They ask for gift cards, debit cards or money orders. More from Investor Toolkit: Health care an ever-bigger part of retirement planning Don't get emotional about your investments How to plan financially for divorce "They'll sometimes ask for your bank information so they can transfer funds out of your bank account." Scammers may trick caller ID to show a call as coming from IRS, offer badge numbers and otherwise convincingly portray IRS agents. However, no matter how persuasive the message, if it comes by phone it's a scammer, according to the IRS. "Our normal correspondence is a letter in the mail," said IRS spokesman Raphael Tulino. "It's not a random threatening phone call." Nor, according to a July 2017 IRS scam alert, will agents contact taxpayers by email, text message, fax, social media or a knock on the door, all of which have been used by scammers to set up their victims. Fending off identity fraud Identity theft fraud can be harder to defend. Identity thieves often operate by sending taxpayers so-called "phishing" emails or text messages purporting to be from the IRS and containing links that, if clicked, will transmit identity details to criminals. "Phishing emails are designed to look like legitimate emails from the IRS or other financial institutions, but are actually from a cybercriminal looking to steal your personal information," said Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist for cybersecurity firm McAfee. "If you suspect an email is a phishing email do not click any of the links in the email, and instead go directly to the purported source's website." But even ignoring every suspicious email may not be enough. "A new scam in tax season 2017 involved an IRS impersonator calling individuals to verify tax return information over the phone," said Nathan Rigney, tax research analyst at H&R Block's Tax Institute. "The scammer claims to have the taxpayer's return, but needs to verify the taxpayer's identity to ensure the return was not fraudulent," Rigney said. "The scammer goes on to ask for the taxpayer's Social Security number or even bank account information." Rigney says a caller who asks for personal information is likely not from the IRS. "The IRS will never seek to verify a taxpayer's identity by seeking personal information over the phone or through email," he said. Other ways fraudsters steal IDs In order to file a fraudulent return, however, a criminal needs only a taxpayer's name, birth date and Social Security number. And a scammer may get these without contacting a taxpayer, such as from a data breach at another organization. "There are many ways to get a Social Security number, name and date of birth," said Paige Hanson, identity education lead for cybersecurity firm Symantec. "And those are the things the fraudsters are using." A taxpayer's most effective way to keep anyone from filing a fraudulent return in his or her name may be to file as early as possible, Hanson says. The bottom line is that under no circumstances will the IRS initiate contact out of the blue asking you to click on a link. Raphael Tulino IRS spokesman By PTI: (Eds: Correcting in figures in para 7,8, minor changes) Lucknow, Oct 22 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government is mulling forming a "UP Muslim Waqf board" by merging the Sunni and Shia Waqf boards to prevent "wastage of money", Minister of State for Waqf Mohsin Raza has said. He alleged that with corruption charges being levelled at both the boards, the government was considering dissolve them soon. advertisement Though a final decision is still to be taken, the minister said the UP Muslif Waqf board, when constituted, would include members of both Sunni and Shia communities and its chairman would be selected from among them. "The government has got a number of letters and suggestions from various quarters regarding the merger of the Sunni and Shia Waqf boards. After the Law departments review of the proposal, the government will consider it and form the UP Muslim Waqf board," Raza told PTI. He also said all states except UP and Bihar had only one Waqf board. According to Raza, it was not "legal" to have separate Waqf boards in the state. Quoting the Waqf Act 1995, he said Shias or Sunnis should have at least a 15 per cent share in the total Waqf units for the constitution of separate boards, which he said was not the case in UP where Shias accounted for only 5,000 units of the total 1,24,000 Waqf units. "There should be at least a 15 per cent of share of Shia or Sunni among total Waqf units. In UP there are 1,24,000 waqf units, of which Shia waqf has only about 5,000 units, which is only 4-5 per cent. Legally it should not be like this," he said. The minister further said as per the Central Waqf council, there were only 3,000 units of Shia Waqf Board. There was no point in having a separate Shia board, he said. "Separate chairman, CEO and other staff incure heavy expenses. It is a wastage of money," Mohsin Raza said. Reacting to the development, Shia Waqf board Chairman Waseem Rizvi said there was no provision to separate Sunni and Shia boards which were constituted in 2015 for the the tenure of five years. "There is no provision to dissolve the board. After the tenure ends, the government can inquire about the number of Waqf units and their income to proceed further," Rizvi said. Rizvi also alleged that the share of income of Shia Waqf board was over 15 per cent of the total income. However, Chairman of UP Sunni Waqf Board Zufar Farooqui said they welcome the initiative of merging both the boards into one. advertisement He, however, wondered why the state government was changing a decision taken under the BJP rule in 1999 by then Chief Minister Kalyan Singh. "In 1999, when the BJP was in power and Kalyan Singh was the Chief Minister he constituted separate Shia and Sunni Waqf boards. Question arises whether the present government does not endorse the previous BJP governments decision," Farooqui asked. PTI ABN MG DIP BDS DIP --- ENDS --- Huda Kattan can contour. And Huda Kattan can connect. The beauty blogger turned makeup entrepreneur has a social media following so vast it has provoked the question of whether she is the world's most influential beauty blogger. And now investors ask: what is the financial value of that influence? The Dubai-based beauty maven is shopping a small minority stake in her company Huda Beauty with the help of investment bank Financo, sources familiar with the situation said. The business has roughly $100 million in sales and is looking for a financial partner to help continue its growth, the sources added. A valuation of the company could not be immediately determined. The sources requested anonymity because the process is confidential. Financo declined to comment. Kattan wasn't immediately available to comment. The stake sale comes as the cosmetic industry undergoes deep change. Shoppers no longer choose their makeup from gussied-up ladies at the mall. In fact, they barely go the mall at all. Instead they are buying online and at the recommendations of the personalities that checker YouTube, Instagram and other social media platforms. Kylie Jenner sends a tweet and her lip-kit sells out. Because consumers can buy directly from her website, the need for any form of store is diminished. Shares of Ulta , once viewed as the last man standing in retail, have declined 34 percent since June despite strong earnings and likely due to fear of e-commerce. In response, retailers like Ulta and Sephora are launching online exclusives to draw shoppers to their webpages. Cosmetic giants like Estee Lauder are pouring money into their brand websites, looking for a venue to communicate with and sell directly to customers. They're also making acquisitions: L'Oreal acquired social media darling NYX cosmetics for $500 million and Estee Lauder acquired Too Faced for $1.45 billion. But Too Faced and NYX combined don't have the 22 million Instagram followers that Kattan does. To put Kattan's reach in perspective, she also has more Instagram followers than Leonardo Dicaprio (20.1 million), Louis Vuitton (19.5 million) and Kris Jenner (18 million). Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a key parliamentary election despite broad unpopularity among voters. But the electoral triumph isn't expected to boost his ratings. A lack of a strong opposition helped his ruling coalition government, led by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, retain its super majority in the lower house of parliament on Sunday. That's despite waning public appeal for the 63-year-old leader amid a string of scandals. "This is a curious election, the LDP had a landslide with a prime minister who's quite unpopular," said Gerald Curtis, a political science professor at Columbia University. "The overwhelming opinion is that Abenomics has not been a great success but everything the opposition offers as an alternative would be much worse." Only half of citizens endorsed Abe's job performance, according to a Gallup poll conducted between April and July. Not much has changed since: Around 59 percent of the public don't approve of Abe, local broadcaster NHK reported on Sunday. Meanwhile, a Kyodo survey conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 showed 46 percent of respondents disapproved of Abe's administration, versus the 40 percent who expressed support. Sunday's victory "was not necessarily an endorsement of Abe personally," explained Tobias Harris, Japan vice president at advisory firm Teneo Intelligence. "If you talk to voters, there are a lot of people who are uneasy about the various influence-peddling allegations that came up over the past year." Mexican Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal looks on during a press conference at the conclusion of the fourth round of negotiations for a new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) at the General Services Administration headquarters in Washington, DC, on October 17, 2017. Deteriorating trade deal talks is a major downside risk for Mexican stocks, according to a top Wall Street firm. Government officials from the U.S., Canada and Mexico announced last week the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation talks will go into next year due to "challenges" in reworking the trade deal. NAFTA took effect in 1994 to lower trade barriers among the three countries. JPMorgan derivatives strategist Shawn Quigg told investors to bet against Mexican shares Monday especially after the market's strong run so far this year. The iShares MSCI Mexico Capped ETF (EWW) is up 18 percent year to date through Friday versus the S&P 500's 15 percent return. "NAFTA renegotiation talks have taken a turn for the worse, and the launch of the political cycle is quickly approaching. NAFTA renegotiations appear at an inflection point as many of the issues presented by the White House are being outright rejected by both Mexican and Canadian authorities," Quigg wrote in a note entitled "Mexico: Cheap Volatility & Approaching Confluence of Potentially Highly Negative Events - Buy EWW Puts." The strategist said the firm's Mexico equity strategist Nur Cristiani is concerned "chances of a 'worst case' or no-deal scenario have significantly increased." JPMorgan's team is worried over the timing of the talks into Mexico's presidential election next year. The fifth round of trade talks will be conducted Nov. 17 to 21. "This leaves little time for Mexican authorities to renegotiate before political campaigns officially begin in March," he wrote. "It is important for Mexico to have an agreement in place prior to the 2018 presidential elections to avoid NAFTA becoming a political tool." Quigg recommends buying January 2018 iShares MSCI Mexico Capped ETF $51 strike put options. The only way of dealing with British ISIS fighters in Syria "in almost every case" is to kill them, a British government minister told the BBC on Sunday. Rory Stewart, an international development minister and former diplomat, said converts to the terror group should expect to be killed because of the "serious danger" they posed to British security. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics, Stewart appeared to echo comments made by Brett McGurk, a top U.S. envoy for the coalition fighting ISIS, who had said his mission was to make sure every foreign ISIS fighter in Syria died there. "They are absolutely dedicated, as members of the Islamic State, towards the creation of a caliphate. They believe in an extremely hateful doctrine which involves killing themselves, killing others and trying to use violence and brutality to create an 8th Century, or 7th Century, state," Stewart said. "So I'm afraid we have to be serious about the fact these people are a serious danger to us, and unfortunately, the only way of dealing with them will be, in almost every case, to kill them." A U.K. government spokesperson said Stewart's comments were in line with Britain's stated position. "Anyone who does travel to Syria, for whatever reason, is putting themselves in considerable danger particularly if they are fighting for our enemies," he said via email. Retirement savings plans known as 401(k)s are essential, and using tax reform to alter their tax benefits would be "politically dumb," Chris Edwards, Cato Institute director of tax policy studies, said on CNBC Monday. Right now, taxpayers can set aside a certain amount of pre-tax dollars in 401(k) plans each year. For 2017, the limit is $18,000; in 2018, it will be $18,500. Workers age 50 and older can make so-called catch-up contributions up to an additional $6,000. Lawmakers have discussed lowering that tax-preferred amount to as low as $2,400 in order to boost revenue to support tax reform, according to published reports. That kind of change would affect a lot of taxpayers. Three-quarters of Americans contribute more than $2,400 per year, Seth Harris, former acting secretary of Labor under President Barack Obama, told CNBC Monday. Edwards said on CNBC's "Power Lunch" that 401(k)s are "an essential part of financial security for tens of millions of Americans." "[The government is] signaling here to Americans that tax reform could be a danger to them, which is really politically dumb," he said. "There's no economic advantage to reducing 401(k) putting these limits on." Harris said a lower pre-tax contribution limit would result in people saving less, at a time when Americans need to be saving substantially more. "Fewer than a quarter of the people in the Baby Boomer generation, which is the generation that's retiring right now, feel that they're going to have enough money to support them for the rest of their lives," he said. "We need to increase savings and increase the tax protection of savings so that those folks can stay in the middle-class once they're in retirement." Instead of reducing the tax break on 401(k)s, Edwards suggests a different move. "I think instead, we ought to take Roth IRAs and expand them and supercharge them into things called universal savings accounts," he said. "This is what Britain and Canada have done. ... They would expand savings opportunity, rather than cutting back." Earlier Monday, President Donald Trump tweeted there will be no change to 401(k) limits under the new GOP tax bill. "There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays!" Trump said in a tweet. Tweet CNBC's Evelyn Cheng and Sarah O'Brien contributed to this report. A firestorm that began in Napa Valley's Calistoga destroys more than 1,000 homes and businesses in just the northwestern Coffey Park neighborhood as viewed in this aerial photo taken on October 12, 2017, in Santa Rosa, California. State officials are calling the Tubbs Fire the most destructive wildfire in history. The number of structures destroyed by the 245,000-acre Northern California wildfires climbed to 8,400 and authorities warned Monday the total could continue to go up as crews assess damage in scorched areas. "The numbers are going to continue to increase," said Robert Foxworthy, a spokesman for Cal Fire. "The reason the numbers are increasing is because our damage assessment teams are getting into the areas and finally getting an accurate count." Cal Fire said Friday there were 7,700 structures destroyed, so Monday's increase to 8,400 represented a significant jump and includes homes as well as other structures. There remain five large fires burning in the Northern Bay region of the state, although many were at least 90 percent contained as of Monday morning. The wildfires in the state's wine country started Oct. 8 and have claimed at least 42 fatalities, with 23 of those from Sonoma County. There were 21 people still missing in Sonoma County as of Monday morning, said Misti Harris, a spokesperson for the county sheriff's office. The investigation into the cause of the fires is still ongoing, and Foxworthy said it could still "be weeks" before the probe is complete and details are released. Last week, Moody's estimated the insured losses for property and casualty insurers from the Northern California blazes "will be among the costliest wildfires on record for U.S." P&C insurers were already hit by high third-quarter catastrophe losses from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the Mexico earthquakes. The credit ratings firm estimates the losses will total "$4.6 billion or higher," noting that its estimate was based on Cal Fire's earlier 5,700 structures figure. Moody's also issued a separate report Monday saying the Northern California wildfire disaster is "unlikely to have a lasting material credit impact on affected municipal issuers." Preliminary insurance loss claims so far in the fires are about $1 billion, the state revealed last week. Meantime, the Sonoma County Sheriff's spokesperson said Jesus Fabian Gonzales, who was arrested for starting a fire Oct. 15, is still in custody. But she emphasized he's "not a suspect in these wine country fires. His arson case is a small fire out of the Sonoma County." About 5,000 firefighters remain on the California blazes, which include not only the wine country region fires but incidents in Santa Cruz County and parts of Southern California. At an afternoon press conference Monday, state and federal officials responded to concerns about the toxic health hazards created by the wildfires. The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services said crews will start physically removing toxic waste from burned homes and other sites this week in Sonoma County. The toxic waste clean-up process is expected to run into 2018 and will be supervised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, officials said. The household hazardous debris targeted for removal includes everything from Freon, chemicals and batteries to electronic waste and asbestos fibers, which could become airborne. Soils also will be tested after the removal of debris, and toxic soil removed if needed, officials said. "As citizens, we have the responsibility to lead healthy lives, and share the fiscal consequences of our decisions when we don't. Until we do so, health care costs will continue to escalate, while our collective health declines further." The current health care debate in Washington centers around who should pay. Democrats want universal coverage with the state paying for those who cannot afford it. Republicans prefer a private system while continuing Medicare with constraints. After Republican bills to "repeal and replace" ACA failed three times, the President shifted his focus to undermining it by executive orders. But the reality is that neither political party's actions will result in a sound, sustainable health care system focusing on improved health. Instead of waiting until people are seriously ill with chronic, often incurable diseases, America should shift its efforts to keeping people healthy in the first place. As citizens, we have the responsibility to lead healthy lives, and share the fiscal consequences of our decisions when we don't. Until we do so, health care costs will continue to escalate, while our collective health declines further. A recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) demonstrated 80 percent of coronary artery disease could be prevented by four basic lifestyle improvements: Don't smoke (or quit if you do) Maintain a healthy weight Be active and exercise Eat a healthy diet Note that Harvard is not suggesting anything radical, or even increases in cardiovascular drugs, in-patient programs, or unproven forms of medical treatment. The HSPH study indicated these four improvements could reduce 50 percent of ischemic strokes, 80 percent of sudden cardiac deaths, and 72 percent of premature deaths related to heart disease. Public opinion shifts and common-sense laws have dramatically reduced the number of Americans who smoke. Now, the same can be done to address obesity, inactivity, and excessive stress, which are the major causes of cancer, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, joint and spinal surgery, and many other chronic diseases. Efforts for healthy living are accelerating across the country, but are disproportionately concentrated among those who can afford them. People in lower social-economic categories are more likely to live in "food deserts," areas that lack access to healthy foods. They have more limited opportunities for exercise. In addition, they are often beleaguered by toxic stress and trauma serious problems that are better handled outside institutional health care. There are no easy or immediate solutions to such intractable problems. Achieving success will require sustained commitment across the country from government programs working in public-private partnerships with health care institutions, corporations, and non-profit organizations. A comprehensive plan should include these elements: Develop a nationwide public awareness program to encourage healthy eating, exercise and stress reduction programs through electronic and print media and social media. Broaden reimbursement for complementary procedures such as acupuncture, therapeutic massage, physical therapy, and weight reduction programs that have been verified by research. Establish local community health centers concentrated in economically-disadvantaged areas, supported by local, state and federal resources, with an emphasis on group classes for healthy eating and nutrition, exercise, and healing from trauma and toxic stress. Introduce mindfulness programs for stress reduction in schools and communities. Address the growing opioid crisis with drug addiction programs offered locally. The resolution of our nation's health care problems won't happen overnight. Steady progress can only be achieved by a sustained national effort, just as it was with smoking. If instrumented correctly, this type of comprehensive program will prevent expensive medical treatments, and population health cost will fall. Such proof points will provide a model for more expansive government programs. Unless we have the will to address these root causes of America's health care problems, costs will continue to rise rapidly as health declines further, regardless of what politicians in Washington decide. Commentary by Bill George, a senior fellow at Harvard Business School, former Chairman & CEO of Medtronic, and the author of "Discover Your True North." Follow him on Twitter @Bill_George. For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter. A toxicity charge aimed at discouraging the use of polluting vehicles in central London has come into force. As of Monday morning, drivers of "older, more polluting petrol and the dirtiest diesel vehicles" will have to pay a 10 ($13.18) "T-Charge" on top of the long-standing 11.50 Congestion Charge. Authorities said that as many as 34,000 vehicles per month are liable for the T-Charge, which will be applicable on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. The charge will apply to vehicles that do not meet 'Euro 4' standards for particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions. Authorities said that 'pre-Euro 4' vehicles were usually those registered before 2006 and more than 12 years old. Transport for London is also advising motorists with cars registered before 2008 to check if their vehicle is liable for the charge via a free, online checker. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said he was determined to take urgent action to help clean up London's "lethal air." "The shameful scale of the public health crisis London faces, with thousands of premature deaths caused by air pollution, must be addressed," Khan said. "Today marks a major milestone in this journey with the introduction of the T-Charge to encourage motorists to ditch polluting, harmful vehicles." The problem of air pollution in London is a serious one. At the beginning of October, research showed that every resident in the city lives in an area where the World Health Organization's (WHO) guidelines for toxic PM2.5 particles are exceeded. The study, which was based on the updated London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, also claimed that 7.9 million Londoners live in areas where WHO guidelines are exceeded by 50 percent or more. The Royal College of Physicians' Stephen Holgate said that air pollution had "a substantial impact on many chronic long-term conditions, increasing strokes and heart attacks in susceptible individuals." Holgate described the implementation of the T-Charge as being a "positive step" towards cleaning up London's air. The new T-charge was also welcomed by environmental groups. "It's just not possible to clean up London's air without cleaning up London's roads, and that's why we support the mayor's first steps to tackle air pollution by introducing the T-charge," Rosie Rodgers, clean air campaigner at Greenpeace, said. "London now joins Paris, Copenhagen and many other progressive cities in taking urgent steps towards removing polluting diesel cars from their streets." Ellen Gaugler remembers driving her father to the Bethlehem Steel mill, where he spent his working years hauling beams off the assembly line and onto rail cars. When the Pennsylvania plant shut down about two decades ago, Ms. Gaugler thought it was the last time she or anyone in Bethlehem would come to its gates to find a job that paid a decent wage for a physical day of work. But she saw an ad in the paper last year for a position at a local warehouse that changed her mind. She'd never heard of Zulily, the online retailer doing the hiring, but she knew the address: It was on the old mill site, steps from where her father worked. More from New York Times: Tesla plant in China may be a first After Weinstein scandal, a plan to protect models At BuzzFeed, a pivot to movies and television "When I came for the interviews I looked up and said, 'Oh, my God, I feel like I am at home,'" Ms. Gaugler said. She got the job. As shopping has shifted from conventional stores to online marketplaces, many retail workers have been left in the cold, but Ms. Gaugler is coming out ahead. Sellers like Zulily, Amazon and Walmart are competing to get goods to the buyer's doorstep as quickly as possible, giving rise to a constellation of vast warehouses that have fueled a boom for workers without college degrees and breathed new life into pockets of the country that had fallen economically behind. Warehouses have produced hundreds of thousands of jobs since the recovery began in 2010, adding workers at four times the rate of overall job growth. A significant chunk of that growth has occurred outside large metropolitan areas, in counties that had relatively little of the picking-and-packing work until recently. "We are at the very beginning of a rather large transformation, and the humble warehouse is the leading edge of this," said Michael Mandel, chief economic strategist at the Progressive Policy Institute in Washington. "These fulfillment center jobs are not being created in the tech hubs that were growing before. We've broadened the winner's circle." Americans have grown more comfortable ordering everything on the internet, including bulky wares like canoes and refrigerators. Warehouses, as a result, have become gargantuan, doubling in size since 2010, according to CBRE, a real estate services firm. And while robots have started to intervene in the process, it still takes a lot of bodies to move hundreds of thousands of boxes in and out of these buildings every day. Warehouses serving the largest e-commerce sites typically employ upwards of 2,000 people. The hubs of this network are far-flung. In Bullitt County, Ky., south of Louisville, warehouse employment surged to 6,000 in 2017 from 1,200 in 2010, according to the Labor Department. In Kenosha, Wis., once a manufacturing hub whose auto plants turned out Nash Ramblers and Plymouth Horizons, warehouse jobs grew to 6,200 from 250 in the same period. Those places have the advantage of being surrounded by highways and rail lines that lead to some of the nation's largest cities. They also have an abundance of cheap land and labor, two assets that have become increasingly vital to companies selling online. The same calculus has made a warehouse mecca out of the land that houses the carcass of Bethlehem Steel, giving natives like Ms. Gaugler a sense that their hometown may be thriving. Ms. Gaugler, 54, earns $13.50 an hour putting together shipments at the Zulily warehouse, where employees tend to refer to their end customer as "Mom." She works 10-hour shifts from Wednesday through Saturday, and puts in for overtime whenever she can. "I like to get those orders out to Mom," she said. The work is physically demanding, she said, but it's straightforward. She gets a list of items to pull from shelves every morning toys, glassware, baby clothes and works her way to the bottom as quickly as possible. She's gotten two raises, of 25 cents each, over the last year. There are people in town who are nostalgic for the time when the mill filled the sky with black smoke and the furnaces churned all day. Not Ms. Gaugler. "These are secure jobs," she said. "With the steel, you didn't know if you would have a job the next day." Her father may have had a better deal at the mill he got 13 weeks of vacation and "didn't have to worry about bills every so often," Ms. Gaugler said. But she only has an associate degree, and said this job pays better than most of her alternatives. It also comes with health insurance, paid time off and a 401(k) retirement plan. Before the warehouses came to the area, it had little to offer in the way of decent-paying, low-skilled work. But Amazon saw something promising in the city's bones. It is flanked by Interstate 78, providing a gateway to the nation's biggest metropolitan area New York is 80 miles away and putting seven other states within a day's drive. "It's location, being able to serve customers on the Eastern Seaboard and the Mid-Atlantic," said Ashley Robinson, an Amazon spokeswoman. "It's the infrastructure available to move those trucks out of the Lehigh Valley. It's the work force." The company opened two modest facilities outside Allentown, Bethlehem's neighbor to the west, a place made famous by a Billy Joel song about the death of factory jobs. Other retailers rushed in, drawn partly by incentives, including abatements and credits, allowing companies that developed on the steel mill land to save hundreds of thousands on their tax bills over 10 years. As a result, the stretch of eastern and central Pennsylvania that includes the Lehigh Valley has grown faster than any other market in the country over the last five years, according to CBRE. While retailers tend to bulk up their facilities with temporary helpers around the holidays Amazon has announced plans to hire 120,000 seasonal employees by the end of the year they have also taken on an army of full-time workers. Warehouse employment in a two-county area that includes Bethlehem jumped to 15,200 in 2017, from 5,200 in 2010. "I don't know of another place in the world that has gone from a submarket to a global hub in eight years," said David Egan, the global head of industrial and logistics research at CBRE. "It's undeniable that it is a key, crucial market for global trade." Some of the biggest players in the warehouse game have staked a claim to Lehigh Valley land. Walmart has two huge facilities in Bethlehem. FedEx is building one of its biggest ground locations in the nation in the area, and the United Parcel Service opened a new hub near the New Jersey border last year to handle the torrential volume of traffic coming through eastern Pennsylvania. The boom in warehouses has created a seemingly endless appetite for stockers, pickers and packers, turning the town into a magnet for people in need of a second chance. Omar Pellot is one of them. Mr. Pellot left the Bronx, where he was born, because it seemed as if the city had run out of jobs for people with his particular resume. He says he started dealing drugs at the age of 8, on the guidance of his father, a "drug dealer turned drug addict." He was in and out of jail as a teenager and spent a year on Rikers Island as a 17-year-old, he said. After that stint, he had a hard time finding work in New York, so he relocated to Florida and eventually moved to the Lehigh Valley, where, he had heard, the job market was "awesome." He got a job at Amazon almost immediately. When the company asked about his background, he said, "I explained it to them you know, I was young and naive and stupid." In a year as a picker retrieving items from vast shelving units Mr. Pellot said he walked about 10 miles on his night shift, and got two raises that pushed his hourly pay to $14.30. He passed a test to become a forklift driver and has his sights set on becoming a supervisor. Now 38, he spent his childhood "thinking that street life would make me a man," he said. "But this is what makes me a man, working hard." The shifts in warehouses may be long, and the work tedious and exhausting, but they are a better bet for people like Mr. Pellot than anything else in eastern Pennsylvania. The average warehouse worker in the area earns $14.46 an hour, compared with $12.67 for those in retail sales and $10.85 for waiters. "The conventional wisdom is that retail jobs are better and that losing them is bad for an economy," said Don Cunningham, president of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. "The reality is that fulfillment jobs are paying a higher wage and offering more long-term opportunity." Lingering over Bethlehem is the unnerving question of when, exactly, the robots will ruin the party. In a Walmart fulfillment center that takes up as much land as a big-league ballpark, machines have begun to take on some of the tasks involved in getting people their goods within a day of a click. As boxes careen down a conveyor belt on their way out of the building, tiny devices known as "shoes" follow alongside and jerk forward to push the packages into chutes that funnel them into the truck they are destined for. Box-shaped machines glide along shelves to snatch crates and deposit them onto a conveyor. There are no accidents on these routes right before two boxes are about to crash into each other, a combination of sensors and software stops one and lets the other pass. But for now, humans are still needed, in ever-increasing numbers. "There's still a lot of stuff that gets done not necessarily by hand, but aided by the use of labor," said David Tarnosky, the general manager of the warehouse. Walmart started the year with around 1,100 full-time employees there, and doubled that number by October. "We won't stop hiring through peak of this year," Mr. Tarnosky said. By this time next year, he will have hired hundreds more. The populism threat in Europe continues to worry investors despite a string of election results that suggested the movement was in decline, according to the CEO of Chantico Global. At the beginning of the year, possible far-right election victories in the Netherlands, France and Germany were perceived as the biggest threat to European politics. However, wins by established parties in each country eased populist fears. In recent days, however, the instability in Catalonia has escalated; right-wing conservative Sebastian Kurz won Austria's general election on an anti-immigration platform; the Czech Republic elected the populist Andrej Babis as its new prime minister; and the two richest regions in Italy held referendums asking for more autonomy from Rome. The threat of populism, therefore, remains, Gina Sanchez, chief executive officer of Chantico Global, told CNBC Monday. "I think it's something worth watching, especially as we've seen Austrian elections, what is happening in Spain, in Italy," she said. "We thought we were passed (the populist threat) with Macron and with the Dutch elections and the German elections, but it turns out, that populism is still rearing its ugly head." Looking ahead, Sanchez suggested it's important to keep an eye on the peripheries of the European Union. These "can create a lot of headache for the European Union," she said. Francois Savary, chief investment officer at Prime Partners, told CNBC: "I believe people didn't realize quickly enough that extreme right parties were growing with the globalization process. It's not that suddenly globalization became a problem; globalization was becoming a problem year after year, but the elite wasn't listening to those people." Pakistan needs to take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they're confronted with in terms of terrorist groups that find safe haven inside of Pakistan, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said during a surprise visit to Afghanistan. By Geeta Mohan: States of America has reiterated its stand on terror safe havens in Pakistan and the need to dismantle the terror infrastructure. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in surprise visit to Afghanistan met with President Ghani and later addressing the press at Bagram airfield said that the US has made "specific requests" to Pakistani leadership to "take action to undermine the support that the Taliban receives and the other terrorist organisations receive in Pakistan." advertisement He in no uncertain terms reiterated the focus of Trump administration's policy on South Asia saying that the whole strategy is a "conditions-based approach". "It will be based upon whether they take action that we feel is necessary to move the process forward of both creating the opportunity for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan, but also ensuring a stable future Pakistan," Tillerson said. "In our conversations with Pakistani leadership, we're as concerned about the future stability of Pakistan as we are in many respects here in Afghanistan. Pakistan needs to, I think, take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they're confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organizations that find safe haven inside of Pakistan," he added. "And so we want to work closely with Pakistan to create a more stable and secure Pakistan as well." Secretary Tillerson is on scheduled trip from 20 to 27 October to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, India, Switzerland. His visit to Afghanistan was unscheduled and the statement on Pakistan comes a day before his visit to Islamabad. "I thought it was very important to stop here in Afghanistan coming to the South Asia region as part of the recently announced policy and strategy that President Trump put forth," Tillerson said after meeting with Ghani for about an hour. He was referring to a U.S. buildup in Afghanistan that will add about 4,000 troops, for a total of 13,500 in the country. He will be in Pakistan on Tuesday and then will be in New Delhi on Wednesday. This marks Tillerson's first visit to South Asia as secretary, according to the State Department. --- ENDS --- Alwaleed runs Kingdom Holding, a massive conglomerate whose investments include Citigroup , Apple and Twitter . The company is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia . The billionaire investor was referring to the massive accounting fraud that took Enron, a U.S. energy-trading and utilities giant, into bankruptcy in late 2001. "I just don't believe in this bitcoin thing. I think it's just going to implode one day. I think this is Enron in the making," Alwaleed said. "It just doesn't make sense. This thing is not regulated, it's not under control, it's not under the supervision" of any central bank, Alwaleed said in an interview on CNBC's " Squawk Box ." Digital currency bitcoin has surged about 500 percent this year and hit an all-time high above $6,100 on Saturday. Bitcoin traded more than 4 percent lower around $5718 Monday, according to CoinDesk. Bitcoin has shaken off an August split into bitcoin and bitcoin cash, and a Chinese crackdown in September on digital coins. "Saying this is going to blow up is not profound. It does that on a regular basis," Ritholtz Wealth Management CEO and CNBC Contributor Josh Brown said Monday on CNBC's "Halftime Report." "You should expect regular blow ups because it's all speculative. Doesn't mean it's [not] going to outlive each and every blow up along the way." Brown also said it should not be surprising that Alwaleed is critical of bitcoin, because of his ties to the authoritarian Saudi Arabian rulers. A major factor behind bitcoin's development is its ability to be a global currency outside government control. Bitcoin trading is available in Saudi Arabia, according to exchange websites. However, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority warned in a July tweet about dealing with bitcoin because the digital currency which is not supervised by the government might have negative consequences on individuals' investments. The monetary authority did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment on bitcoin's legality Monday. Tweet Bitcoin's massive price gains are fueled by growing interest from some institutional investors and Japanese investors. Trading in Japanese yen accounted for about 62 percent of total bitcoin trading volume Monday, according to industry website CryptoCompare. Trading in U.S. dollars accounted for roughly 21 percent, the site showed. But most major investors remain skeptical of bitcoin. Alwaleed said Monday he agrees with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, who last month called bitcoin a "fraud" that will eventually blow up. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has also called the digital currency an "index of money laundering" for its ability to facilitate illegal commerce on the internet. However, JPMorgan and other financial institutions are investing in blockchain, the technology that enables bitcoin to transfer value nearly instantly without a third-party intermediary. The development of digital currencies has also spawned the growth of token sales, or initial coin offerings, which have taken off this year. The coin sales have raised $3.04 billion, according to financial research firm Autonomous Next. Jordan Belfort, the infamous "Wolf of Wall Street" penny stock broker, told The Financial Times in an interview published Sunday that initial coin offerings are the "biggest scam ever." CNBC's Fahiemah Al-Ali contributed to this report. Protesters gather in the city centre to demonstrate against the Spanish federal government's move to suspend Catalonian autonomy on October 21, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. Jack Taylor | Getty Images A far-left separatist party in Catalonia has called for "mass civil disobedience" after the Spanish central government sought to crush the region's independence movement by triggering its so-called "nuclear option" over the weekend. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced plans to dissolve the Catalan parliament on Saturday, under a previously unused article of the country's constitution. He vowed to curtail some of the freedoms of Catalonia's parliament, fire some of its political players and hold regional elections within six months. In response, the CUP party a key ally to the separatist coalition in Catalonia's regional parliament said Monday that Rajoy's unprecedented move to intervene in the running of the region was "the greatest aggression against the civil individual and collective rights of the Catalan people" since the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, who died in 1975. Why is this happening? Spain was plunged into its worst constitutional crisis in decades after Catalonia held an independence referendum on October 1. Of the 43 percent of Catalans reported to have taken part, around 90 percent are believed to have voted in favor of independence. The Catalan government, led by Carles Puigdemont, has consistently argued that the "yes" vote provides the Catalonian region with a mandate to announce a split from Spain. However, Madrid has consistently dismissed the legitimacy of the outcome, saying the referendum was illegal. Several days after the vote, Spain's government apologized to injured demonstrators hurt during police efforts to stop the referendum taking place. The Catalan health department said 1,066 people required medical attention after police attempted to seize ballot boxes and disperse voters. What happens next? Rajoy's announcement over the weekend, which coincided with nearly half a million people protesting in Barcelona, Catalonia's biggest city, still requires the approval of the upper house of the Senate. A vote is scheduled to take place in Spain's upper houses of parliament on Friday. However, the Catalan parliament is reportedly expected to meet on the same day to debate the crackdown. Puigdemont has said Catalonia will not accept direct rule. While Catalan separatists have called for outside intervention as a means to potentially help end Spain's ongoing political crisis, it has not yet come close to producing a solution. The European Union has said the matter of regional independence is an internal affair for Spain to decide. Almost 7.5 million people live in Catalonia, an economic powerhouse situated in the northeast of the country. Spain's total population is nearly 49 million. What is the so-called 'nuclear option'? Chipotle Mexican Grill might have made a big splash with its queso dipping sauce debut last month, but industry analysts are not convinced the cheesy condiment will help stabilize the fast-casual chain's margins. RBC Capital Markets' David Palmer and Wedbush's Nick Setyan may not have agreed on their top picks for stocks this season, but the two were simpatico when discussing Denver-based Chipotle on CNBC's "Power Lunch" on Monday. The chain unveiled its queso last month in a strategic move to win back customers after a spate of food borne illnesses, leadership scandals and legal struggles sent even loyal fans running for the hills. The execution was lacking, however, according to Palmer. "The early feedback has been mixed from the consumer," he said on Power Lunch. "Social media postings have been negative to mixed." Some experts say the company's high profile and history with food safety issues opens it up to broader scrutiny, especially on social media. Still, the queso has drummed up interest and boosted business. Setyan noted that the dip boosted Chipotle's run rate by about 3 to 5 percent, although that short-term boost should not be interpreted as a measure of the company's strength. "I don't see this being a medium or a long-term driver. I continue to think margins are going to be under pressure," Setyan said. "If you can't build sales, whether through queso or some other measures, the margin profile is something much, much, much lower than what current expectations imply." The idea might have worked out better as a major business driver for Chipotle, Palmer said, if the execution had been better. "Unfortunately, it feels like this is something that could be reformulated in the future or just be a miss, but what a great opportunity this could be to broaden the user base if they executed it well," he said. A portion of Saudi Aramco may not go public until late next year. But when it does, it could stunt price growth in crude oil, Dennis Gartman said Monday. Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser told CNBC on Sunday his plan to take part of the world's largest oil company public remains on track for the second half of 2018. Recent reports have suggested the offering may be delayed into 2019 or even shelved. When a portion of it does go public, it's going to be "very difficult" for U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude to break $55 a barrel and "tough" to push Brent crude past $60 per barrel, Gartman told CNBC's "Fast Money." On Monday, WTI traded at $51.90 and Brent crude traded at $57.33. "So I think yes, the IPO when it comes it is a long way away, it's the next half of next year but I think that probably shall mark a very important high for the crude oil market for many years into the future," said Gartman, editor and publisher of The Gartman Letter. If Gartman was forced to invest in oil, he would choose refiners rather than the producers. "If you have to have something in the oil business, if you want to own oil in some manner, own the refiners," he said. "I think that's a better trade." watch now Saudi Aramco's plan to take a portion of its business public next year remains on track, the oil giant's chief executive Amin Nasser told CNBC in an exclusive interview. Nasser made his comments Sunday following recent reports that the initial public offering for the world's largest energy company could be delayed into 2019 or shelved in favor of selling private shares to sovereign wealth funds. Saudi Aramco has tried to swat down those rumors, and Nasser denied the reports again in an interview with "Squawk Box" in the command center at Saudi Aramco headquarters in Dhahran. "We have always said that we will be listing in 2018, and to be more specific, in the second half of 2018," he said. "However, I think journalists and writers they are expecting more and more information, and we are governed by, you know, certain rules with regard to talking about the IPO and all of that." "The IPO is on track. The listing venue will be discussed and shared in due course," Nasser added. Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company, plans to list its shares on the Saudi domestic stock market, the Tadawul, and one or more foreign exchanges. However, it has yet to choose the overseas market, fueling speculation about the kingdom's plans. The Financial Times reported last month that China was emerging as a front-runner in the possible plan to delay the IPO and sell shares to sovereign wealth funds. watch now Asked directly about the report, Nasser denied it. "Saudi Aramco are not talking, as I said, to the Chinese or others," he said. "All of that analysis is being reviewed in detail ... to make a decision at a certain stage, and we're not going to be pushed, you know, by a journalist saying this needs to be talked about or not." The IPO for roughly 5 percent of the company is widely expected to be the largest in history. Saudi officials have said Aramco could attract a $2 trillion valuation, though others forecast the offering will value the company at $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion. In any case, investment banks tapped to handle the transaction stand to reap a huge windfall. The share sale is also critical to Saudi Arabia's economic future. The kingdom aims to raise about $100 billion to underwrite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's efforts to diversify the nation's economy through a plan called "Vision 2030." Nasser believes Saudi Aramco is at the heart of that plan and the kingdom's transformation. He said the IPO will facilitate key initiatives to grow private business' share of the economy, create more small- and medium-sized enterprises, boost industrialization and employment and encourage women to join the workforce. Addressing investor concerns Some fund managers recently told CNBC their concerns about the IPO include minority shareholder rights, the transparency of oil reserves, the viability of fossil fuels and how the Saudis will balance national priorities and their duty to shareholders. The headquarters of Saudi Aramco in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Mary Catherine Wellons | CNBC Saudi oil revenues have historically funded its social spending, a critical aspect of its pact to provide for its citizens and its large royal family. That pact is seen as the key to maintaining relative stability in a region rocked by social upheaval in recent years. Nasser predicted it will be easy to convey to investors how Saudi Aramco's focus on long-term planning has allowed the company to drive past results. He believes the interests of its sole current shareholder the government and its future investors are aligned. "I think both are looking for results," he said. "Both are going to be looking for a better performance, and I don't see any issues between our current shareholder and the public that will be participating when we are listed because ultimately we need to deliver better results." Nasser also addressed the issue of transparency. Some investors have questioned Saudi oil reserves, which have remained roughly constant at about 260 billion to 265 billion barrels since 1989. watch now "Clearly, this [stock wealth] was created because of health care will be finalized and the tax reforms more importantly will be finalized also. There are a lot of good policies by Trump," the prince said in an exclusive interview on "Squawk Box " from the company's headquarters in Riyadh. Alwaleed said the investments in his holding company, Kingdom Holding, have gone up "several billion dollars" since Trump was elected in November. Kingdom Holding invests in many U.S. corporations, including Citigroup , Twitter , and ride-hailing service Lyft. President Donald Trump is correct in saying $5.3 trillion in U.S. stock market value has been created under his watch, Saudi billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal told CNBC on Monday. "My company, Kingdom Holding, would benefit a lot from Trump's policies," he added, but warned the U.S. needs to keep an eye on budget deficits." Alwaleed said people should accept Trump's style of making policy pronouncements on Twitter. "President Trump has his own way of governing," Alwaleed said. The prince also welcomed Trump's straight talk. "When he said that Puerto Rico is bankrupt and Puerto Rico will never pay its debt, he's right. He is not wrong in this. But we're used to presidents being diplomatic and very politically correct," the prince said. "It's just like Greece. It's never going to pay its debt." "When he says you should stand for the national anthem, he's right on this," Alwaleed said. "You have to respect your national anthem." "He says America first. He is saying something [is] wrong. You expect him to say America is No. 2?" the prince said. "I hope he's successful in his presidency." watch now Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal told CNBC on Monday that the high price of a stake in Uber is part of what pushed him to back Lyft. "We were in discussions with both Uber and Lyft, but when we evaluated both companies, we thought that Lyft is a better entry point for us. Because at that time, Uber's price was at a plateau of its highest height. So we invested in Lyft, and we have a very good relationship with .... the management," Alwaleed said in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box. "But Uber still is a great company, obviously, and Uber is the company that began with this whole idea of shared rides. Our choice was to go with Lyft but it doesn't mean that Uber is not good." related investing news Activist investor Bill Ackman increased his stake in rail stock Canadian Pacific Alwaleed, who runs Kingdom Holding, made his comments on the heels of a Wall Street Journal report that another Saudi fund, state-owned Public Investment Fund, was struggling to deal with a disappointing investment in Uber. Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Fahad Shadeed | Reuters Uber lost key staffers in operational roles this year, including co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick. The company is recovering from a damaging workplace culture investigation and a series of scuffles with regulators. Uber's latest challenge has been to smooth things over with London regulators, who stripped the company of its license to operate in London. Alwaleed said he's confident the company can recover. "We have a new CEO there, just appointed, and I think we should give him the time to get the company back on track. Travis was a genius in what he did, he is very smart," Alwaleed said. "Uber is at the vanguard of this project. Uber's going to make it for sure, no doubt about that." Uber and Lyft, like many other companies, are looking at new ways to approach transportation. As more companies lean toward "the Tesla path" of electric vehicles, Alwaleed said Saudi investors are looking to diversify away from oil-related assets. Alwaleed's reach extends far beyond transportation technology he's also a prominent investor in Twitter. That company competes for advertising dollars with the like of Google and Facebook, but hasn't had the same quick ascent to dominance in the industry. "Our investment in Twitter is part and parcel of a plan whereby Kingdom Holdings is moving from the old investments that we had to the new investments, like JD.com in China, like Twitter, Lyft, and Careem, which is another ride-hailing [company] in the Middle East," Alwaleed said. "We are very optimistic about that, obviously Twitter. It's not going to be easy because now they're facing some difficulties. But our entry point was very reasonable so right now it's holding our breakeven point. So any good news from Mr. Jack Dorsey and his team at Twitter will reflect very much on Twitter." Alwaleed said he thinks Twitter's rivals are monopolies. But while he has wound down his stake in Apple, he said he doesn't agree with calls for more regulation on big tech. watch now Contactless payments, instantaneous transfers, chip and pin the way we bank and manage our money has changed dramatically over the past few years. Today, many of us send money and manage our finances using our smartphones. A recent report from U.K. Finance and EY, for example, stated that 19.6 million people in the U.K. used banking apps last year. As technology continues to develop at a rapid pace, our relationships with our banks and how we interact with them will change too. For Josh Bottomley, global head of digital for retail banking and wealth management at HSBC, the bank's relationship with its customers will continue to shift over the coming years. "I really do think we are going to get rid of passwords, because we are going to use biometrics, so accessing the services (is) going to be better," he told CNBC. Bottomley added that HSBC had recently launched a stock trading app in Hong Kong, while the U.K. has seen the launch of the HSBC Beta app, which allows customers to view all of their bank accounts in one place. Among other things, the app will also show users how much disposable cash they have before their next payday. Harsh Sinha, vice president of engineering at fintech firm Transferwise, described the way in which cell phones had changed over the last decade as a "massive leap." In some instances, Sinha explained, the business was getting users to take a selfie with their ID next to their face as a quick way to ascertain if someone was trying to use a fake ID. "It's hard to get a fake face," he said. Looking at the broader picture, Sinha said he believed that the internet should become a basic human right. "It should be just like having clothing (or) food in your life, you should also have connectivity to information and the internet." His views echo those of the United Nations. In 2016, the UN Human Rights Council issued a non-binding resolution in which it condemned, unequivocally, "measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to, or dissemination of, information online in violation of international human rights law." Sinha added that without internet connectivity people would face a range of disadvantages, from finding their next job to finding their next house. Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. There have been massive protests cutting across party lines, in the media, and among lawyers, against the amendment. By Rohit Parihar: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is reviewing the controversial Criminal Law (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 and is likely to defer it by referring it to a select committee of the house. Raje called BJP state president Ashok Parnami and cabinet ministers Gulab Chand Kataria, Yunus Khan, Arun Chaturvedi and Rajendra Rathore to her residence late on Monday evening to discuss the situation that had arisen after promulgation of the ordinance (about the amendment), and the introduction of a bill in the assembly to get it through. advertisement There have been massive protests cutting across party lines, in the media, and among lawyers, against the amendment. The bill prohibited magistrates from ordering the registration of FIRs, or from launching an investigation while deciding an application moved under Section 156 (3) of CrPC. It also proposed up to a two-year sentence for anyone revealing or publishing the identity of the suspects or their family members. Sources said that on Tuesday morning, the five leaders will decide how to go about the bill, and call for its review before referring it to the select committee. Earlier in the day, it was indicated that government would remove the provision of prosecuting anyone - including media persons - for revealing the identity of the accused. During the day, a few PILs challenging the ordinance and the bill were filed before the Rajasthan High Court. Advocate Ajay Kumar Jain, who filed one such PIL, said the amendment was unconstitutional and such gag orders or curb on the powers of magistrates was totally unacceptable in any democracy. WATCH | Rajasthan: Vasundhara Raje government tables controversial immunity bill, uproar in State Assembly --- ENDS --- A key Democratic senator on Monday disputed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's assertion that it is "very hard" not to chop taxes for the wealthy. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota said Republicans could reduce the tax burden on the middle class without helping the rich. "When you lower the upper tax ... rate from 39 to 35 and you take away the alternative minimum tax, of course this is going to spin to the rich," she told CNBC's "Squawk Box." "But if you said look when the secretary, Secretary Mnuchin said there's no way you can give a tax break to the middle class without advantaging the rich that's not true. I could do a tax credit to just those earners," Heitkamp said. The White House and congressional Republicans are crafting a tax-cut plan that they hope to pass this year. The framework calls for across-the-board income tax reductions, a cut to the corporate tax rate and the removal of some provisions like the alternative minimum tax and estate tax. It also doubles the standard deduction. An independent analysis by the Tax Policy Center estimated the richest 1 percent would get more than half of the benefits under the plan. It could also increase the tax burden on 28 percent of middle-class workers over time, according to the analysis. Last week, Mnuchin defended against criticism that the plan helps the wealthy more. "The top 20 percent of the people pay 95 percent of the taxes," he said in an interview with Politico. "The top 10 percent of the people pay 81 percent of the taxes." "So, when you're cutting taxes across the board, it's very hard not to give tax cuts to the wealthy with tax cuts to the middle class. The math, given how much you are collecting, is just hard to do," Mnuchin said. Heitkamp on Monday called for a plan in which the "bulk" of, "if not all," of the tax decrease benefits the middle class. The North Dakota Democrat is among the senators in her party up for re-election next year in a state President Donald Trump won in 2016. Trump has aimed to win support from those Democrats, though they appear reluctant to back the GOP plan. Trump partly used a speech in North Dakota last month to try to rally Heitkamp's support for the tax plan. Billionaire businessman Guo Wengui speaks during an interview in New York City, April 30, 2017. Casino tycoon Steve Wynn may have played a central role in a U.S.-Chinese diplomatic episode strange enough that the Wall Street Journal wrote it was "worthy of a spy thriller." The billionaire CEO of Wynn Resorts , who maintains substantial holdings in the Chinese region of Macau, hand-delivered a letter to President Donald Trump written by the Chinese government, the Journal reported. The letter urged the president to return Guo Wengui, a Chinese businessman who fled the country in 2014 and is now seeking asylum in the United States. Wynn is the Republican National Committee finance chairman. The White House and Wynn did not respond to requests for comment from CNBC. Wynn resorts told the Journal the report was false. Wynn's China properties account for a significant share of his business. Those properties include the Wynn Macau and the Wynn Palace, a $4.1 billion gambling giant that opened in Macau in 2016. Macau is a so-called "special administrative region" of China that operates with some legal autonomy, according to an agreement signed by China and Macau in 1999. It's one of the world's gambling capitals, and gaming taxes account for more than three quarters of the region's tax revenues. Both properties are operated on land leased under multi-decade agreements from the government. The casinos are subject to a license renewal process that takes place once a year, according to the company's SEC filings. The Wynn Palace has been a successful venture for the company. Earlier this month Deutsche Bank analysts raised their price target for Wynn Resorts after the casino posted results that beat expectations. J.P. Morgan upped its earnings estimates for the property Oct. 5, saying the casino was benefitting from a substantial VIP presence. In 2016, the Macau properties accounted for more than 60 percent of the company's net revenues, according to the company. Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell: Hasbro The toymaker earned an adjusted $2.09 per share for its latest quarter, 15 cents a share above estimates. Revenue also beat forecasts. Hasbro's results were helped by strong demand for My Little Pony and Transformers toys. Hartford Financial The insurer bought Aetna's group life and disability unit for $1.45 billion, making Hartford the second largest group life and disability insurer in the U.S. Halliburton The oilfield services company beat forecast by five cents a share, with quarterly profit of 42 cents per share. Revenue also topped expectations. The company said its North American business is strong and that international operations are performing well in a challenging environment. Roku The maker of video streaming devices was rated "buy" in new coverage at Needham, calling it a pure play on the growth of "over the top" video. VF Corp. The maker of Timberland, North Face, and other branded apparel beat forecasts on both the top and bottom lines, raised its full-year forecast, and increased its dividend by 10 percent. General Electric The stock was downgraded to "neutral" from "buy" at UBS, which cited disappointing third-quarter earnings, the company's forecast, and the risk that GE might cut its dividend. Cisco Systems - The networking equipment maker is reportedly near a deal to buy telecommunications software maker BroadSoft . Reuters reports the price would be close to $2 billion. AstraZeneca The drugmaker received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a new formulation for its type-2 diabetes treatment Bydureon. JPMorgan Chase The bank is launching a new smartphone app today that will offer its first ever online bank accounts. The app is called "Finn by Chase" and lets consumers open a bank account, make payments, and set up savings. Apple Apple and contract electronics manufacturer Foxconn will hold a meeting of executives to discuss production problems with the new iPhone X, according to published reports in Japan. Tesla Tesla reached a deal to set up a manufacturing plant in Shanghai without a local partner, according to The Wall Street Journal. Separately, the automaker announced it has increased its borrowing capacity for its car lease program to $1.1 billion from the prior $600 million. Potlatch Potlatch announced a deal to combine with lumber competitor Deltic Timber in a stock swap transaction. Deltic shareholders will receive 1.8 Potlatch shares for each share they now own. ServiceNow ServiceNow was upgraded to "overweight" from "neutral" at Piper Jaffray, which made the call following channel checks and conversations with various companies in the human resources software industry. Rio Tinto Rio Tinto was downgraded to "sector perform" from "market perform" at RBC Capital, which cited the mining company's exposure to commodity volatility. Royal Philips Royal Philips reported slightly better than expected earnings for its latest quarter, although both sales and profits were down from a year earlier, and the Dutch technology company reaffirmed its full-year forecast. GlaxoSmithKline The drugmaker won FDA approval for a new shingles vaccine, an injectable drug known as Shingrix. The drug outperformed Merck's Zostavax in clinical trials. One of that group's members, the Czech Republic, voted in by a landslide last Saturday a euroskeptic ANO ("Yes" in the Czech language) party, firmly opposed to Germany-dictated immigration policies and the European single currency. True to form, that party has been instantly branded as a bunch of "reactionary populists." They will most probably be joined in the new government by even more euroskeptic and "populist" constituencies. And that now brings us to Germany, the crux of the EU disarray. The country's center-right political leadership came out from September's elections significantly weakened, internally fractured and seriously threatened by right-wing upstarts thriving on Merkel's immigration policies. Until recently triumphantly feted as "the most powerful European leader," Merkel is now desperately trying to reach out to improbable coalition partners in order to cling to power. But to show who was the new boss, Christian Lindner, the leader of the FDP (one of potential partners), unceremoniously reminded Merkel that she had no right to take any decisions in the name of Germany. No wonder that the best the Germans could show for their four-party talks last Friday was that they spent five hours together in a "friendly atmosphere." Some achievement indeed for a company mixing up arch-conservative Bavarians and leftist Greens. Summing up the exploratory talks, a stern Bavarian leader observed that they were still thousands of kilometers apart. A few hours before those show talks in Berlin, the Germans, and a widely suspected German-friendly EU Commission, took care, during the EU summit in Brussels, of the neophyte's reformist zeal volunteered by French President Emmanuel Macron. The French media reports sounded like Macron's excellent and detailed EU and euro area reform proposals had been relegated to that cylindrical file cabinet one usually calls a trash can. Those proposals were meant to strengthen the euro area, place the EU and the monetary union's decision making in the space of legitimate democracy to demolish the political terrain currently occupied by euroskeptic right- and left-wing political parties. I have rarely seen in the German media so much vitriol and total caricature of a thoughtful official initiative taken at the highest level of the French state. And that humiliating treatment was not a media invention. Departing German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, the architect of austerity policies and the Greek tragedy, summed it up in his newspaper article by saying that the EU did not need new layers of bureaucracy that would merely create additional public debt instruments. The chastised Macron looked and sounded undaunted at the conclusions of the EU summit proceedings last Friday. What he calls his "German friends" have pushed him into a corner and opened him to hostilities of anti-German "souverainistes" (Front National, La France Insoumise, Debout la France and the angry fractions of a deeply wounded Socialist Party) accounting for more than half of the popular vote. Macron will now have to respond, and the only way he can do that is by adopting a less friendly and cooperative attitude toward his German "friends," whoever they might be when, and if, Germany gets a new government in the months ahead. Seventeen years ago, I competed against Mike McCue, who is currently the Founder and CEO of Flipboard. Back then, he was the co-founder and CEO of Tellme Networks and I was the VP of Business Development at a company called VoiceGenie. I met Mike for the first time two weeks ago at the Flipboard offices on a quiet street in Palo Alto, in a converted bowling alley. Mike and I quickly started going through the talented team that he built at Tellme. In many ways, they were the first unicorn. Raising hundreds of millions of dollars in the late 90s dot com bubble from Kleiner Perkins, Jim Barksdale and many others on the promise of delivering "dial tone 2.0." For the first time, you'd be able to pick up the phone any phone and use your voice to ask for anything you wanted. Now, this vision is commonplace with Siri, Cortana, and Alexa. But it was trailblazing back then. But after the bust, Tellme had to retrench, lay off people, and focus on using voice automation to save companies on their customer service costs. Founder CEOs back then didn't yet have the power that Mark Zuckerberg does today to write their own ticket. Mike was forced to step aside for a hired gun "professional" CEO from Cincinnati Bell for a couple of years. But he never quit. He resumed the CEO title later, kept fighting, sold Tellme to Microsoft for between $800 million and $1 billion, and stayed on for two years after the sale. Tellme is one of the best Silicon Valley companies you've never heard of. Its talent depth wasn't appreciated then and hasn't been recognized since. Some of the best Tellme people have gone on to have dramatic effects on the tech landscape in the nearly two decades since. Here's a summary of the Tellme talent tree: Bill Hinton | Getty Images The iPod, Facebook, "smart" televisions: the 21st century has seen a host of innovations that have transformed the way we live. The rise of the so called internet of things, or IoT, is another technological development that is starting to become an increasingly common presence in our day-to-day lives. Here, CNBC takes a look at the internet of things: what it actually means, how it is changing our homes, and its potential in the years ahead. Breaking it down The European Commission describes the internet of things as merging "physical and virtual worlds, creating smart environments." In the business world, chip-making giant Intel refers to the internet of things as being a "robust network of devices" that are embedded with electronics, software and sensors. These allow the devices to both exchange and analyze data. Breaking it down a bit further, think of devices that are connected to the internet and able to "talk" to one another. One example would be a thermostat in your home that you are able to control with your smartphone from your office. Another would be a wearable device that can monitor your physical performance during a run and store it online for analysis. There's also industrial internet of things (IIoT), which broadly refers to manufacturers and businesses that use the internet of things to boost productivity. Building it up Economically, the internet of things could have a significant impact in the years ahead. According to analysis from the McKinsey Global Institute, the potential economic impact of the IoT in 2025, including consumer surplus, could be anything between $3.9 and $11.1 trillion. Elsewhere, Accenture has estimated that the industrial internet of things could add $14.2 trillion to the global economy by the year 2030. Too much information? A major advocate for Russian sanctions said his U.S. visa waiver has been restored after his placement on an Interpol wanted list snarled his travel plans. Over the weekend, The Guardian reported that Russia was finally successful in pushing Interpol to place Bill Browder on its wanted list. Browder, a British citizen, said that his Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which grants visa-free travel to the U.S., was revoked because it appears the system is tied to the Interpol list. DHS' Customs and Border Patrol told CNBC in a statement that Browder's visa-free travel authorization remains valid. A CBP representative said that Browder's authorization had been manually approved on Oct. 18, allowing him to travel to the U.S. Browder told CNBC in an email that there was some confusion about the timeline because his global entry status had been revoked the following day on Oct. 19. He later told MSNBC that he is "very happy" that U.S. officials resolved the issue. Earlier Monday, Browder had said on CNBC's "Power Lunch" that a quick fix would indicate the matter was simply a bureaucratic issue. He said that failure to do so would suggest that "there's obviously something more sinister at foot." Although the matter appears to have been settled, Browder said "this whole incident has left a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth." After his appearance on MSNBC, Browder tweeted that he was able to confirm that his authorization had been restored. @Billbrowder: GREAT NEWS! My ESTA (US visa waiver) was restored. I successfully checked into a US flight. Now we need to fix bogus Interpol arrest warrant While the ESTA restoration allows Browder to enter the U.S. legally, travelling internationally remains an issue. The Hermitage Capital Management CEO explained that he cannot cross an international border right now without being arrested because of his placement on the Interpol list. Interpol did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. When MSNBC asked if he felt he belonged on the list, Browder responded that Russian President Vladimir Putin is the one who belongs on the list. The Hermitage Capital Mangement CEO called Putin a criminal and a killer. Browder, formerly the largest foreign investor in Russia, pushed Washington to pass the Magnitsky Act, which froze the U.S. assets of certain Russian officials. The sanction legislation is named for Russian accountant Sergei Magnitsky, who died in a Moscow prison in 2009 after investigating fraud involving Russian tax officials. The Magnitsky Act targets those who are said to have been involved in the accountant's detention. Browder said that Putin "hates" the sanction because it "targets his wealth and the wealth of other human rights violators in Russia." Canada recently passed its own version of the Magnitsky Act, which Browder says "infuriated" Putin. "As these external sanctions start to gather momentum, he feels more and more helpless about what he's going to be able to do," Browder said on Monday. On Sunday, The New York Times reported that Russian prosecutors plan to accuse Browder of colluding with British intelligence agency MI6 in murdering Magnitsky a case that the newspaper said seemed to "be entering the realm of farce." The Times noted that this theory was first disseminated on Russian media, but had been disregarded as propaganda as part of a disinformation campaign against Browder. "The president said that 'he knew what he signed up for but it hurts anyways.' It made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it. He couldn't remember my husband's name," she told ABC's "Good Morning America." Myeshia Johnson's husband, Army Sgt. La David Johnson, was one of four Americans killed in Niger earlier this month. Myeshia Johnson said Trump's tone in their phone call last Tuesday made her "angry." The widow of a slain American soldier said Monday that President Donald Trump 's phone call "upset" her and made her "cry," but the president later disputed the account, calling the conversation "very respectful." 2017Myeshia Johnson, wife of U.S. Army Sergeant La David Johnson, who was among four special forces soldiers killed in Niger, kisses his coffin at a graveside service in Hollywood, Florida. "The only way he remembered my husband's name, because he told me he had my husband's report in front of him. And that's when he actually said, 'La David.' I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name, and that's what hurt me the most," she said. "Because if my husband is out here fighting for our country, and he risked his life for our country, why can't you remember his name? And that's what made me upset and cry even more." In a tweet Monday morning, Trump described the conversation as "very respectful" and claimed he mentioned La David Johnson's name from the "beginning, without hesitation!" Trump: I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! Trump's tweet will do little to shut down a controversy that has swirled around the president since last week. The issue of condolence calls to the families of fallen soldiers came to the forefront last week, when Trump falsely claimed that his predecessors did less than he to reach out to Gold Star families. Following the call Tuesday, Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., who was with Johnson at the time of her call with Trump and heard it on speakerphone, said she heard Trump say that La David Johnson "knew what he was signing up for." Trump on Wednesday claimed Wilson "totally fabricated" the contents of the conversation, saying that he had "proof." On Monday, Myeshia Johnson called Wilson's telling of the conversation "100 percent correct." Even more attention surrounded the conversation on Thursday when White House chief of staff John Kelly, a retired Marine general whose son died in Iraq, defended the president. President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Diplomatic Room following a shooting that injured a member of Congress and law enforcement officers at the White House June 14, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump on Monday awarded the Medal of Honor to retired Army Capt. Gary M. Rose for "conspicuous gallantry" during the Vietnam War. "You've earned the eternal gratitude of the entire American nation. You faced down the evils of Communism. You defended our flag. And you showed the world the unbreakable resolve of the American armed forces," Trump said, addressing both Rose and 10 members of his combat unit who were in attendance at the White House. Noting that Rose's story has "largely gone untold," Trump recounted how Rose, an Army medic in Laos in 1970, had ignored his own serious injuries in order to deliver lifesaving medical care to more than 50 of his fellow soldiers over four harrowing days under constant enemy fire. Trump called Rose "a true patriot, who always stands strong for God, for family, and for country." But the White House ceremony was partially overshadowed Monday by controversies swirling around the president and his relationship with the military. Two public feuds, one with the widow of a slain soldier and the other with a celebrated veteran, as well as mounting questions about a deadly mission in North Africa threaten to damage the president's standing among the military forces under his command. Hours before Trump was scheduled to bestow the Medal of Honor on Rose, the president publicly contradicted the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, who was one of four special operations soldiers killed in action during an ambush in Niger on Oct. 4. Trump telephoned Johnson's widow, Myeshia Johnson, early last week to offer condolences after the White House came under pressure for having remained silent about the Niger attack for nearly two weeks. On Monday, Johnson told ABC's "Good Morning America" that the president's call left her distraught and angry because the president had been unable to remember her late husband's name. "It made me cry, because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said he couldn't remember my husband's name," Johnson told host George Stephanopoulos. "The only way [Trump] remembered my husband's name is because he told me he had my husband's report in front of him, and that's when he actually said 'La David.' I heard him stumbling, trying to remember my husband's name and that's what hurt me the most," she said. Within minutes, Trump issued a rebuttal on Twitter. Trump tweet Johnson's interview Monday and Trump's subsequent tweet were the latest chapter in a controversy that has roiled the White House for the past week, as presidential aides struggled to defend Trump's version of the call while Trump repeatedly lashed out at a Democratic member of Congress on Twitter. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., said Trump told Myeshia Johnson that her husband "knew what he was signing up for, but when it happens, it hurts anyway." Wilson's account of the call was confirmed by Johnson's widow and his mother. Trump immediately denied having said this, and accused Wilson of having "totally fabricated her account." Trump tweet 2 As the White House played defense over Trump's handling of calls to the families of fallen soldiers, Trump's draft deferments during the Vietnam War earned fresh criticism from one of the nation's most celebrated combat veterans. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who spent five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, took a thinly veiled swipe at Trump over his five draft deferments in an interview Sunday with C-SPAN about the Vietnam War. "One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest-income level of America, and the highest-income level found a doctor that would say that they had a bone spur," McCain said. In 1968, after having received four educational draft deferments, Trump got a fifth deferment after he produced a doctor's letter stating that he had bone spurs. In 2015, Trump was asked in a news conference which foot had suffered the bone spur. Trump said he couldn't remember. His presidential campaign later said it was both feet. In addition to the controversies over Trump's phone calls to families and his service record during Vietnam, a third specter loomed over the emotional Medal of Honor ceremony Monday: Unanswered questions about what happened during the ambush in Niger on Oct. 4 that cost four American service members their lives. As The Atlantic's Siobhan O'Grady writes: There is deep confusion over exactly what went wrong, including why U.S. troops were traveling in unarmored vehicles, how Johnson was separated from the group, how he died, and why it took so long to find him. As public scrutiny of the incident intensifies, so too do the many stories about what may have taken place. On social platforms like Twitter, people are sharing graphic details about the troops' final, brutal hours. But there's little clarity, and certainly sparse information from public officials about what actually happened. Following Trump's Medal of Honor ceremony Monday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joe Dunford took questions from reporters at the Pentagon regarding the events in Niger. Dunford said the public and the families of the fallen soldiers deserve answers. The general added that the four U.S. soldiers died after a battle that started on Oct. 4 in a "complex situation," leading to a "difficult firefight." Reached on Monday, the White House did not immediately respond to questions from CNBC about how the current controversies could impact the president's standing among the troops. The Associated Press contributed to this article. Correction: This article has been revised to correct the spelling of the name of Army Sgt. La David Johnson. U.S. President Donald Trump said he would make his choice to lead the Federal Reserve soon and was still weighing at least three people: Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell, Stanford University economist John Taylor and current Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. "I will make my decision very shortly, pretty shortly," he told Fox Business Network in an interview that aired on Monday. The Vasundhara Raje government is facing backlash because of its plan of turning the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, into an Act. As expected, there was an uproar in the Rajasthan state assembly today as Congress legislators protested against it. By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: As expected, there was an uproar in the Rajasthan state assembly today as Congress legislators protested against tabling of Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) ordinance. However, the assembly has been adjourned till tomorrow. The Vasundhara Raje government was cornered by Congress legislators inside the state Assembly at the beginning of a Special Session today. The government is facing backlash because of its plan of turning the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, into an Act during the Session. It is likely that the Session will witness uproar by the Congress MLAs . advertisement The Ordinance which prohibits investigations into allegations against current and former judges, magistrates and civil servants without previous permission, was put into effect last month. Talking about the ordinance, MoS Law and Justice PP Chaudhary said that it is "perfect and balanced". "Individual rights and media have been taken care of and there is a need for this Amendment", he added. People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) had earlier hit out at the Vasundhara Raje government because of this Ordinance. "The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 promulgated on 6th September, 2017, published on the 7th of September, 2017 in the Gazette is a sinister attempt of the Government of Rajasthan to abridge the fundamental right of speech and expression guaranteed under the Indian Constitution and to thwart the citizens right to access criminal justice system in cases of complaints against abuse of law by public servants by introducing 2 provisos to Sec. 156 (3) and Sec. 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and by inserting a new offence in the Indian Penal Code by way of introducing a new clause, Sec. 228-B, which makes an offence termed "disclosure of identity of certain public servants," a statement issued by the PUCL read. The Ordinance also prohibits publishing any news about the judges, magistrates or public servants against whom sanction to hold investigation is pending. "We should point out that the amendments are superfluous and unnecessary as the existing provision in section 197 already provides protection to public servants by making it mandatory for a court to take cognizance of an offence against public servant only after getting "prior sanction" of the government. The ominous intention the amendment becomes clear when we notice that while section 197 uses the term "cognizance" the new amendment refers to the word 'investigate'",the PUCL statement further mentions. Congress leader Sachin Pilot told ANI that he was a part of a peaceful march to Governor's house against the ordinance but police detained him and a few others. "We will continue to fight and protest against this", he said. --- ENDS --- The British government must act urgently to secure a Brexit transition deal or risk losing jobs and investment in the country, business leaders representing millions of workers are due to warn. In a draft letter due to be sent to Brexit minister David Davis, Britain's five leading business organizations said a deal to provide a status quo transition was needed as soon as possible, as companies prepare to make their investment decisions in early 2018. Prime Minister Theresa May has promised to retain full access to the EU's single market for two years after Brexit to limit the disruption for companies as they leave the European Union, but the two sides are yet to discuss the details. "Agreement (on a transition) is needed as soon as possible, as companies are preparing to make serious decisions at the start of 2018, which will have consequences for jobs and investment in the U.K.," the letter says, according to a person familiar with the situation. An Air Force representative on Monday denied a report that B-52 bombers rigged with nuclear weapons are being prepared for 24-hour alert. The report quoted a senior Air Force official as saying the preparations were already underway. If the bombers were to be put on 24-hour alert, it would be the first time since the Cold War. In the report by security news website Defense One, Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force's chief of staff, said U.S. military leaders are reacting to new threat levels. "The world is a dangerous place and we've got folks that are talking openly about use of nuclear weapons," he said, according to the report. Goldfein said that while no official order had been given to put nuclear bombers on alert, preparations were underway. "This is yet one more step in ensuring that we're prepared," he said during a tour of Air Force bases home to nuclear bombers, according to Defense One. "I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure we're prepared going forward." Laura M. McAndrews, a spokeswoman for the Air Force, denied the report and told CNBC that there were no plans or preparations to put the bombers back on 24-hour alert. Refurbishments are reportedly being made to Barksdale Air Force base in Louisiana, home to the 2d Bomb Wing and Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees U.S. nuclear forces. Beds are being installed for more than 100 crew members that would operate as many as nine bombers positioned on the runway. Defense One also reported that Barksdale and other bases with nuclear bombers are preparing storage facilities to house a new model of nuclear cruise missile. McAndrews said that updates to base infrastructure "are necessary to maintain a baseline level of readiness." "We do this routinely as part of our organize, train and equip mission so our forces are ready to respond when called upon," she said. Read more of Defense One's article here. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gestures as he talks to the media during a news conference at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela October 17, 2017. Venezuela blew past another two bond payments this past weekend, adding hundreds of millions of dollars to a growing pile of unpaid bills just days before the first of two can't-miss debt deadlines. The beleaguered petrostate has now missed $586 million in payments tied to the debt of the government; state oil giant Petroleos de Venezuela, SA; and the utility Electricidad de Caracas, three investment firms focused on developing and frontier markets confirmed. "I don't see how any person who's involved in Venezuelan debt can be anything except concerned, except for those who have credit default swaps," said Russ Dallen, managing partner at Caracas Capital Markets. Holders of the swaps benefit in the event of a debt default. As of last Friday, Venezuela had racked up $349 million in unpaid bond interest. This weekend, it failed to make payments totaling $237 million due on another two sovereign bonds. There is some consensus forming around the idea that Venezuela is squirreling away its pennies to make sure it is able to pay the $841 million in principal, plus interest, due on Friday on a bond issued by PDVSA, the state oil company. The collateral against the bond is Citgo, PDVSA's Houston-based refining and retail subsidiary. Intense price swings in cryptocurrencies are luring the highest-volume traders on Wall Street as they search for relief from the low volatility blanketing financial markets. Proprietary trading firms, which bet their own capital in markets from stocks to futures, are wading into bitcoin, ethereum and other cryptocurrencies better known as a playground for small speculators and a haven for money-laundering. DRW of Chicago, one of the world's largest proprietary trading companies, has led the charge. About a dozen of its more than 800 employees buy and sell bitcoin at a subsidiary named Cumberland Mining, which was established in 2014. Other firms have followed, including Jump Trading, DV Trading and Hehmeyer Trading + Investments, according to industry executives. At a trading industry conference in Chicago last week, a standing-room-only crowd massed for a panel on cryptocurrencies. "The volatility in asset classes is at all-time historic lows everywhere except for cryptocurrencies. So there's obviously a lot of interest in this space," said Garrett See, chief executive of DV Chain, which DV Trading launched as a cryptocurrency affiliate last year. Even as the stock market crests to record highs, it has notched few daily moves of more than 1 per cent. By contrast, bitcoin, the most widely owned cryptocurrency market, was up nearly 6 per cent on Friday to more than $6,000. Proprietary trading firms are jumping in ahead of banks, as the estimated value of all cryptocurrencies soars above $170bn. Such firms are renowned as high-frequency traders, using computing firepower and telecommunications hardware to execute deals in millionths of a second. But in cryptocurrency, they are conducting many of their trades with tools such as email, Skype and phones. Cryptocurrencies are digital assets that can be used to transfer value from one person to another, secured by cryptography. The controversial technology has struggled to gain traction among established financial firms. Last month Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, dismissed bitcoin as a "fraud" that was "stupid" to trade. Some proprietary groups said they refused to trade the products until they were listed on established, regulated exchanges. Scepticism has not dissuaded some hedge funds, family investment offices and wealthy individuals from getting in on the land rush. Proprietary firms make markets for these investors, while also amassing large coin inventories themselves. "The flavour of the counterparties has definitely shifted pretty dramatically in the last year," said Don Wilson, DRW chief executive. DRW has long-term holdings of cryptocurrencies, giving it stocks to be able sell to buyers. In March 2015, it bought 27,000 bitcoins that the US government had confiscated in a case involving a drug marketplace called Silk Road, according to a report by Coindesk. Worth $7.6m at the time of the auction, the sum would now be valued at about $160m. Jump Trading declined to comment on its trading activities. Hehmeyer, led by a longtime Chicago futures executive Chris Hehmeyer, was advertising a job opening for a "crypto trade engineer" who has a "passion for cryptocurrencies and the role they play in global markets". "It is exploding," Mr Hehmeyer said. "It's a rapidly growing set of instruments, unlike anything we have ever seen. There are risks but we are cautiously in." More from the Financial Times: Amazon to open AI centre in Germany's Cyber Valley End of Australian carmaking is warning to rich nations VC firm targets budding ancillary cannabis market The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form Its January 2012. Seven months earlier, the SNP won a majority in the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, on a manifesto pledging to hold an independence referendum. The Coalition government in Westminster pledged to respond to this request, and the time to do so has come. There will be no referendum, David Cameron announces. Alex Salmond replies that he has a mandate to hold one, and hold one he will. The UK government goes to court to prevent him from doing so, and secures a court order that Scotlands intention to hold a referendum is illegal. The SNP presses ahead regardless, so Westminster ups the pressure. Police Scotland are judged to be unreliable, so thousands of English police officers are deployed in Edinburgh and Glasgow. They arrest senior SNP activists and MSPs in overnight raids. When referendum day comes, riot police storm several polling stations, beating and brutalising Yes supporters. The worlds television cameras watch on, and images of civilians bleeding and cradling broken limbs are broadcast round the world. Turnout in the referendum is low, below 50 per cent. Those who do vote overwhelmingly vote Yes unionists have stayed away from the polls. Under pressure from Westminster, Salmond wavers refusing to openly state whether or not Scotland is declaring unilateral independence. Cameron presses on with the clampdown. There are more police raids targeted at the SNP. Two prominent nationalists are charged with sedition. And Westminster moves to revoke devolution and dissolve the Scottish Parliament, under a catch-all law empowering the Government to take all measures necessary. What would the outcome of such a strategy be for the Union? Pretty obviously, it would not nip Scottish nationalism in the bud. It would inflame it all the arguments that Westminster was a hostile power, that it loathed the idea of Scots deciding their own future, and so on, would be fuelled by a bullying Government acting as if they wanted to prove the SNPs point. Unionist arguments about fellow-feeling, shared interests and the fundamental democracy of the shared endeavour would be undermined. Whether immediately or later, the chances of Scottish independence would be markedly increased. Obviously mercifully the UK did not follow in Scotland the approach that Spain is pursuing in Catalonia. Cameron understood that he had two more practical and productive options available to him options that were open to Madrid until a few weeks ago. The first would have been to use the self-importance that many nationalists tend to display against them. A referendum? Well, if you really want to hold a pretenderendum as a PR stunt, then no-ones going to stop you, but unionists should sensibly boycott it and it has no basis in law. You should be getting on with the important job of governing with the powers you already have, not wasting time and resources on self-publicising nonsense like this. A referendum would have gone ahead, but without the participation of the unionist side it would have lacked legitimacy the nationalists would still be there, banging their drum, but they wouldnt have advanced much if at all. The second was to call their bluff by granting a referendum, then winning it for No. As this is what really happened in the UK, we know the outcome it was a risk, but a risk that paid off. The SNP isnt defeated, but its case is hobbled for some time to come. While the defeat galvanised the nationalist vote to deliver a landslide in Scotland in 2015, the referendum campaign sowed the seeds of a unionist fightback, costing the nationalists MPs and MSPs and putting fire back into the unionist cause. Unexpectedly, it even delivered over a dozen Scottish Conservative MPs to Westminster this year. Of the three options available, Madrid has plumped for the approach most likely to help, not hinder, the Catalan separatist movement. In doing so the arrests at dead of night, the riot cops smashing civilians to the ground Spain has shamed itself on the international stage. In the backdrop to this domestic battle sit the leaders of the EU. Weve heard a lot over the years about European values, and the EUs supposed role as a champion of liberal democracy. And yet where were Messrs Tusk and Juncker when the crunch came in Barcelona? The answer: standing squarely behind Madrid, and its heavy-handed clampdown. The SuperStar Gemini is moving to homeport in Bangkok in December for a five month program, offering two- and three-night cruises. The SuperStar Libra launched its triple homeport deployment program in September, sailing from Port Klang, Penang and Phuket, offering three- and four-night cruises. In Taiwan, the SuperStar Aquarius sails from Keelung to Japan, and the SuperStar Virgo is set to continue her China-based program through the end of November, according to Moo Lim Ang, president of Star Cruises. As Stars ships are strategically deployed throughout Asia, the attention is on 2020, when the first of at least two Global-class 5,000-passenger ships join the company. We commissioned the design of the new ships to meet the growing demands of the Asian cruise market with facilities and experiences to appeal to the interests of the discerning Asian vacationer, Ang said. Looking ahead to next year, Ang said total ALBD (available lower berth days) for China cruise capacity is expected to drop, with Western brands pulling capacity back to Europe and North America, or shortening their deployments in China. We are very optimistic of the market opportunities in China as we feel that there is still plenty of room for growth in the countrys cruise market with penetration relatively low, Ang said. Read the full interview with Moo Lim Ang in the Cruise Industry News Fall 2017 Quarterly Magazine. --- For insight and in-depth analysis of the Chinese cruise market, download the 2018 China Market Report. About the 2018 China Market Report The 2018 China Market Report by Cruise Industry News is the only resource covering the future trajectory of the Chinese and Asia-Pacific cruise industry, presenting the past, present and future in a concise 95-plus page PDF download. It is the only forward looking and independently-researched data available on the Chinese cruise market. Cruise Industry News profiles all the major cruise lines operating in Asia, from Carnival Corporation to Royal Caribbean and local operators. In addition, there are discussions with leading Chinese travel agents about the charter model and pricing trends, port news and updates from across the region, and a look at the fleet of ships in Asia through 2027. There is also exclusive analysis and statistics of the Asia-Pacific market going back to 1998 and supply projections through 2027, in addition to a break-down of Asia-Pacific and China by operator and market capacity. Click here to learn more. Yogi Adityanath confidently said that Gujarat will win over 150 seats in the much-anticipated Assembly election. By India Today Web Desk: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in an exclusive interview to India Today said that Gujarat will replicate the success of UP in the upcoming Assembly election. The chief minister said that development in Gujarat will speak for itself. Yogi Adityanath confidently said that Gujarat will win over 150 seats in the much-anticipated Assembly election. advertisement "Our national president has set a target of 150 seats in Gujarat and we are confident that we will surpass the set limit," said Yogi Adityanath. The chief minister did not mince words when it came to criticising Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Adityanath said that Rahul was only active during elections. He also slammed the Gandhi scion calling him a 'seasonal politician'. "Rahul is active only during election. After election, he vanishes and he has not done anything for 'vikas'," said Adityanath. The chief minister targeted Rahul by saying that he has not done anything for the development of Amethi, a constituency held by his family for too long. YOUTH ALLIANCE AGAINST BJP When asked about burgeoning young leaders against the BJP in Gujarat, Yogi Adityanath, inferring to Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi leader Akhilesh Yadav, asked where are the two youths who challenged BJP in Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. He further said that people of Gujarat have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development and vision. Upon being asked about Rahul's claim of development gone 'crazy', the chief minister said that those criticising development were doing so because they were unable to see it. He added that development of Gujarat has not gone mad; but its development gave prosperity to the country. Yogi said that Rahul's comments were an insult to Gujarat. Yogi said Gujarat's development has not gone mad, but it is Rahul's mentality that needs to change. STINT WITH PATIDARS Amid the political tussle in Gujarat, a local convenor of Hardik Patel's Anamat Andolan Samiti, Narendra Patel, alleged that BJP leadership had offered him Rs 1 crore to join the party. Patel called a press conference and displayed Rs 10 lakh allegedly given to him by BJP leaders. Meanwhile, when asked about Patidar leadership growing closer to the Congress, the Gujarat BJP leader Varun Patel denied it by saying that the community is more inclined towards BJP. Patel asked why Narendra Patel called press meet after accepting Rs 10 lakh and not Rs 1 crore. Patel added that it was a conspiracy by Gujarat Congress. advertisement YOGI CLARIFIES ON GALA DIWALI CELEBRATION Uttar Pradesh chief minister's grand Diwali celebrations had made headlines. Talking to India Today, Yogi clarified that celebrations were not held using the money of taxpayers. He said that the large scale event was held in order to conserve and promote heritage. "Ayodhya, Chitrakoot or Varanasi, the objective of events being organised here is to promote their heritage. It is not only mine but the moral obligation of the people Uttar Pradesh," said Yogi. When asked about allegations of using taxpayers' money, Yogi said that the UP government is undertaking such events for public interest. "We did the events with the support of the common people and the cooperation of the saints. All were from Ayodhya and Chitrakoot and no one came from outside. Thousands of people will get employment with such events that also promote tourism," said Yogi. WATCH | Yogi Adityanath confident of BJP win in Gujarat; calls Rahul 'seasonal politician'; more --- ENDS --- Norwegian Cruise Line is targeting multigenerational families on a varied deployment mix on the Norwegian Joy out of Chine this November. Sales materials in the Chinese market on October 20 showed the cruise line pitching family travel, with an array of short cruises and varying destination options in the month of November from Shanghai on the new Norwegian Joy. Norwegian noted that 60 percent of crew onboard are Chinese speaking, with plenty of Chinese menu options available in multiple restaurants across the ship. The voyages offered start with a five day cruise calling in Fukuoka, Japan, leaving on October 29. Norwegian is also recommending regional travel agents for passengers to book with. The October 29 sailing is followed by another five-day sailing calling in Nagasaki, Japan. On Nov. 6, the Joy sails a four-day cruise to nowhere, which is followed by two longer, six-day day trips with calls in both Nagasaki and Fukuoka. A special Thanksgiving voyage is being offered on Nov. 19, sailing five days to Fukuoka November closes out with a week-long cruise with three port stops: Nagasaki, Miyazaki and Kochi. Update 10/23/2017: Kaspersky Lab has announced a transparency initiative, opening their source code up to independent review. The announcement comes after reports form the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, stating that Russian hackers used Kaspersky's product to steal sensitive materials from an NSA contractor's computer. Kaspersky denied any cooperation with the Russian government at the time those stories were printed, and continues to do so. In a press release, Kaspersky says the transparency initiative will involve submitting the source code of its software including updates and detection rules for independent review. The aim is to give those with relevant interest a chance to validate and verify the code's trustworthiness, as well as the trustworthiness of the company's internal processes and business operations. However, while the initiative is a solid starting point, it doesn't address the real concern, wrote Rick Ledgett, the former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency. Anti-virus software is designed to have access to all the files on a customer's computer. In this case, the customer was an NSA contractor. By design, Kaspersky's software would have scanned those files, and if there was a signature match, it's possible they would have collected them for further analysis. "So that is what Kaspersky has been accused of doing: using (or allowing to be used) its legitimate, privileged access to a customer's computer to identify and retrieve files that were not malware," Ledgett explained. "Eugene Kaspersky's proposal to have experts analyze Kaspersky anti-virus code is irrelevant in this case, because the code is doing exactly what it has been designed to do, but in a way that is inconsistent with what customers expect and are paying for. It's not the code itself, it's the use of the code. The experts will find that the code does exactly what it's supposed to do, and he knows that." This circles back to the original question. Did Kaspersky willingly share their trusted access, or were they victims too? The original story, as well as all previous updates are below. Update 10/10/2017: On Tuesday, the New York Times published a story connecting Israeli spies to the 2015 data breach at Kaspersky. It was during the Israeli operation that they noticed the NSA tools on Kaspersky's network, and reported their discovery to the NSA. The NSA launched an immediate investigation, which is what eventually led to the black balling Kaspersky faces in the U.S. today. The original NYT story is here. In a statement, Kaspersky denies any involvement and says they have no knowledge of the intelligence operation described in the Times' article. "Kaspersky Lab was not involved in, and does not possess any knowledge of, the situation in question. As the integrity of our products is fundamental to our business, Kaspersky Lab patches any vulnerabilities it identifies or that are reported to the company," the company said in a prepared statement. "Kaspersky Lab reiterates its willingness to work alongside U.S. authorities to address any concerns they may have about its products as well as its systems, and respectfully requests any relevant, verifiable information that would enable the company to begin an investigation at the earliest opportunity. In addition, Kaspersky Lab has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyberespionage efforts." Update: After this story was published, Salted Hash was made aware of statements from Eugene Kaspersky on his blog. "While protecting our customers, we do as any other cybersecurity vendors check the health of a computer. It works like an X-ray: the security solution can see almost everything in order to identify problems, but it cannot attribute what it sees to a particular user," Kaspersky said in his post addressing the WSJ report. "In the wake of the last article I want to emphasize: if our technologies detect anything suspicious and this object is identified as malware, in a matter of minutes ALL our clients no matter who and where they are, will receive protection from this threat." As for the notion that his company product was hacked: "Now if we assume, that what is reported is true: that Russian hackers exploited a weakness in our products installed on a PC of one of our users, and respected government agencies concerned of national security knew about that, why didnt they report it to us? We patch the most severe bugs in a matter of hours, so why not make the world a bit more secure by reporting the vulnerability to us? I cant imagine an ethical justification for not doing so." Original Story: A report in The Wall Street Journal says that hackers working for the Russian government stole sensitive documents from a NSA contractor's home computer. The story goes on to say the contractor was targeted after the files were discovered by Kaspersky's Anti-Virus software, somewhat explaining the U.S. government's push to ban Kaspersky on its systems. "The theft, which hasnt been disclosed, is considered by experts to be one of the most significant security breaches in recent years. It offers a rare glimpse into how the intelligence community thinks Russian intelligence exploits a widely available commercial software product to spy on the U.S. The incident occurred in 2015 but wasnt discovered until spring of last year, said the people familiar with the matter," the WSJ reported. If the story proves to be true, the bigger picture is that the NSA suffered a third data breach of its hacking tools. As to how Kaspersky ties into this data breach, the WSJ report says U.S. investigators believe the unnamed contractor's use of Kaspersky Anti-Virus (KAV) alerted the Russian hackers to the presence of the files. "Experts said the software, in searching for malicious code, may have found samples of it in the data the contractor removed from the NSA. But how the antivirus system made that determination is unclear, such as whether Kaspersky technicians programed the software to look for specific parameters that indicated NSA material. Also unclear is whether Kaspersky employees alerted the Russian government to the finding," the WSJ reported. One of the major unanswered questions in this story is what caused KAV to hit on these files? If the files were related to Equation Group, then it should come as no surprise that Kaspersky's software scanned for known files and flagged them for further analysis. All anti-virus vendors do this, including those developed in the U.S. In 2015, Kaspersky disclosed a nation-state level attack on their network (Duqu 2.0), and said the attackers were focused on their work related to APTs and nation-state attacks, including Equation Group and Regin. Considering the timeline, this suggests that Duqu 2.0 was some sort of retaliation for the compromise of the contractor's system but that's just speculation. The other big question: How did the Russian hackers get information from KAV? Well, there are no solid answers to that million-dollar question. The idea that Russian intelligence compromised Kaspersky's network in an effort to leverage their install-base isn't as far-fetched as it sounds. No one, not even Kaspersky, can thwart nation-state actors forever. Eventually, they will get what they're after. However, there isn't any proof such a scenario happened. Did Kaspersky willingly hand over access to the Russian government? Again, while unlikely, there is no proof either way and Kaspersky denies any such cooperation with intelligence services. In briefings with the private sector, urging them to dump Kaspersky products from their network, the FBI wouldn't get into much detail other than to essentially say, "Kaspersky, bad. Anything else, good." and leave it at that. While it isn't clear what initially triggered the U.S. government's investigation into Kaspersky, Thursday's WSJ report certainly feels like a better explanation. They feel the software was used as a tool to compromise a NSA contractor. Another interesting question stemming from the WSJ report centers on the hackers. What is the evidence that points to them working with or for the Russian government? If the usage of Kaspersky's software is the only link, that's a bit flimsy. Kaspersky is a software company, they're not immune from exploitable flaws. In 2015, Kaspersky worked with Tavis Ormandy to address a number of software flaws, "which could result in a complete compromise of any Kaspersky Antivirus user." Is it possible one of those flaws, prior to being patched, led to outsiders compromising the software and the contractor's files? Maybe, but that would be speculation. Again, the larger story is the third data breach of NSA hacking tools. This incident started with a contractor taking sensitive information home. Leaving Kaspersky completely out of the picture, this was never a good idea and placed that data at extreme risk. Should enterprise managers consider today's story when selecting an anti-virus vendor? If Russia is part of your threat model, then perhaps Kaspersky isn't the best choice. At the same time, there is a reason Kaspersky has a reputation before being aggressive and hard to avoid in the malware world. They're good at what they do. However, risks should be weighed individually. What doesn't work for one organization might be fine for another. In this reporter's opinion, it feels as if someone hacked Kaspersky's product and was able to access files that were being flagged for analysis. If this is the case, then the NSA's third data breach is the fault of an unknown contractor who took files home and a group of criminals who hacked a security vendor. If Russian intelligence was responsible, then Kaspersky could be nothing more than a pawn in a political chess match. If anything, the WSJ shows just how hard it is for the NSA to control their tools and contractors. The bad blood between Russia and the U.S. has placed Kaspersky in a crossfire, and today's story won't do them any favors. Social media monitoring combined with Facebooks AI mistranslating a post led to a man being wrongfully arrested for suspicion of incitement. A smiling Palestinian construction worker posted a photo of himself leaning against a bulldozer and holding a cup of coffee and a cigarette. He posted the photo on Facebook along with good morning in Arabic. Israeli police, relying on Facebooks translation service, believed the post said attack them. Haaretz reported, The automatic translation service offered by Facebook uses its own proprietary algorithms. It translated good morning as attack them in Hebrew and hurt them in English. The Palestinian mans photo showed a bulldozer on the construction site in the Beitar Illit settlement, which is located on the West Bank near Jerusalem. Bulldozers have been used in terror attacks against Israelis in the past. Israeli police did not consult any Arabic-speaking officer, but instead relied completely on Facebooks translation. As a result, the Palestinian man was arrested. Haaretz explained, Arabic speakers explained that English transliteration used by Facebook is not an actual word in Arabic but could look like the verb to hurt even though any Arabic speaker could clearly see the transliteration did not match the translation. The Times of Israel added, There is only one letters difference between the colloquial Arabic phrase for good morning to you all and hurt them. A spokesperson for the Israel Polices West Bank district confirmed the arrest of the construction worker to The Times of Israel, adding that the man was released after a few hours when the police realized Facebook mistranslated the good morning post. Facebook's new machine translation praised, but still needs humans Facebook Artificial Intelligence Researchers (FAIR) published a research paper and toolkit for its convolutional neural networks in May. This new machine translation approach reportedly could achieve state-of-the-art accuracy at nine times the speed of recurrent neural systems. Wired suggested, Facebooks new AI could lead to translations that actually make sense. The AI researchers explained that their better translations were a result of multi-hop attention and gating. A distinguishing component of our architecture is multi-hop attention. An attention mechanism is similar to the way a person would break down a sentence when translating it: Instead of looking at the sentence only once and then writing down the full translation without looking back, the network takes repeated glimpses at the sentence to choose which words it will translate next, much like a human occasionally looks back at specific keywords when writing down a translation. Multi-hop attention is an enhanced version of this mechanism, which allows the network to make multiple such glimpses to produce better translations. These glimpses also depend on each other. For example, the first glimpse could focus on a verb and the second glimpse on the associated auxiliary verb. Better translations are a good thing, but it seems like a human might be consulted about an AI translation before a person is arrested. Like most government agencies, Israels security services conduct social media monitoring; it led to the arrests of 400 Palestinians suspected of planning attacks in April. Israel claimed its social media monitoring had stopped a total 2,200 Palestinians who were planning attacks. The Palestinian construction worker deleted his good morning post after the police released him. Read more: STORY LINK Catalonian Crisis Damages EUR GBP Exchange Rate, ahead of Government Takeover EUR Drops as Spanish Government Prepares for Catalan Crackdown Im under the impression thatsome wanted to reach this situation. It wasnt our intention [to shut down the government, but] no government of any democratic country can accept that the law is ignored, violated and change. The Spanish government has proclaimed itself the representative of the people of Catalonia in an illegitimate manner. We must rally together to defend our institutions. GBP Advances despite Warning from UK Business Heads Just left Frankfurt. Great meetings, great weather, really enjoyed it. Good, because I'll be spending a lot more time there. #Brexit. EUR GBP Exchange Rate Outlook: Euro Recovery possible on Confidence Flash Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: Last week saw the Euro make a minor advance against the Pound, from an opening exchange rate on Monday of 0.8889.While the Euro rose to a high of 0.9021 during the week, it ultimately closed only slightly higher at a rate of 0.8933.A worsening of the political situation in Spain has kept the Euro in check today, leading to a decline against the stronger Pound.Following the passing of yet another deadline last week, the Spanish government has finally had enough and decided to take control of the Catalonian government.Last week, Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont was faced with the choice of shutting down the independence campaign or officially declaring independence.He did neither, which led to Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy taking this unprecedented step. Rajoy said on Saturday that;Seemingly making up for his past indecision, Carles Puigdemont responded by saying;The Spanish governments plan is to disband the Catalonian government, then hold elections within six months.The action of both these measures could further weaken the Euro. If there are violent protests to the shutdown of the Catalonian government, the Euro could tumble because it signifies a widening rift between the region and country as a whole.In the latter case, if regional elections result in more pro-independence politicians gaining power, the move could backfire and just bring more powerful opposition to Spanish rule.While there are also background issues in the UK today, the Pound has still appreciated regardless.The main news has revolved around a joint letter from five UK business groups, addressed to Brexit Secretary David Davis.Leaders of groups such as the British Chambers of Commerce and Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have called on the government to commit to a Brexit transitional deal, urgently.The issue is that with talk circulating of the government preparing for a Hard Brexit or even walking away without a deal, there is a great deal of uncertainty among UK businesses.The situation has not been helped by a recent social media post from Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs.While the bank does maintain an office in London, Blankfein has recently tweeted;This was deemed by some to be a veiled criticism of the UK government, as it came just as Prime Minister Theresa May was entering negotiations with EU officials.In early October, it was reported that Goldman Sachs had rented office space in Frankfurt, which has reignited fears that major companies in the UK financial sector could abandon London in droves if Brexit goes sour.Other UK news has emphasised the Euros greater weakness against the Pound - Confederation of British Industry (CBI) business optimism stats have shown an -11 point decline for the Q4 estimate.The next Eurozone data to watch out for will come this afternoon, consisting of a consumer confidence flash for October.In a minor ray of hope for the Euro, estimates are for a small improvement from -1.2 points to -1.1. The flash figure is only an estimate, so the actual final figure could prove even better in the coming weeks.Outside of any surprise Brexit developments, the Pound is only expected to be affected by GDP data on Wednesday.This will consist of GDP growth estimates for the third quarter and traders predict that a small year-on-year slowdown will take place. 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: Euro Pound Forecasts Singapore: The Place To Launch Cyber Attacks From Singapore has overtaken nations including the US, Russia and China as the country launching the most cyber-attacks globally, according to Israeli data security firm Check Point Software. The company, whose software tracks an average of eight to 10 million live cyber-attacks daily, said Singapore rose to pole position after ranking in the top five attacking countries for the previous two weeks. It is not particularly unusual for Singapore to be featured among the top attacking countries, said Eying Wee, Check Points Asia-Pacific spokeswoman. A key Southeast Asian technology hub, much of the Internet traffic flowing through Singapore originates in other countries. That means a cyber-attack recorded as coming from Singapore may have been launched outside the country. The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore said there are a number of reports measuring cyber-attacks, which are based on various methodologies and therefore provide different perspectives of the situation. As a commercial hub with high interconnectivity, Singapore is undoubtedly an attractive target for cybercriminals, a spokesman for the agency said in an email, adding that its important for the nation to maintain high cybersecurity standards and take necessary measures to protect its systems and data. The city-state, which wants to become a global technology hub, recently stepped up efforts to tighten cyber security after several high profile attacks on government agencies and companies. Singapore has now found itself on someones list, Singapores Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said in July. The attacks are orchestrated, the attacks are targeted, they want to steal specific information, there are minds behind this orchestration. Earlier this year, Singapores military established a cyber defence unit while the government drafted legislation to impose new cyber security requirements aimed at helping companies protect critical information infrastructure. In May, Singapore stopped most of its public servants from being able to access the internet from their work computers. The nations central bank has also set up an international advisory committee dedicated to enhancing the safety and resilience of Singapores financial sector. Independent: You Might Also Read: Singapores Mounting Cyber Threats: Singapore Defense Ministry Under Remote Attack: With no path to win, Mastriano still silent on conceding blowout loss Get the Asia AM Digest every day before Tokyo equity markets open sign up here ! The US Dollar is broadly higher at the start of the trading week amid hopes that a bit of the so-called Trump trade may come to fruition. Markets hoped fiscal stimulus via tax cuts, deregulation and infrastructure spending after the Republican triumphed in last years presidential election. Prospects for the first of these brightened after the Senate adopted a 2018 budget resolution last week. The Yen is weakest on the day after the coalition led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe retained a two-thirds parliamentary majority in a snap election over the weekend, opening the door for the administration to remain in place through 2021. The prospect of fiscal policy stability has pushed Nikkei 225 index futures sharply higher ahead of the opening bell in Tokyo, weighing on the perennially anti-risk Japanese unit. Meanwhile, the New Zealand Dollar continues to suffer after last weeks news that opposition Labour emerged victorious in post-election coalition negotiations. Incoming Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has called capitalism failure, threatened to pull the island nation out of the TPP free trade accord and suggested a revision of the RBNZs mandate away from a strict focus on price stability. DailyFX Economic Calendar: Asia Pacific (all times in GMT) DailyFX Webinar Calendar CLICK HERE to register IG Client Sentiment Index Chart of the Day: USD/JPY CLICK HERE to learn more about the IG Client Sentiment Index Retail trader data shows 48.4% of traders are net-long USD/JPY, with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.06 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 5.7% higher than yesterday and 7.7% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 7.5% lower than yesterday and 18.7% lower from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests USD/JPY prices may continue to rise. Yet traders are less net-short than yesterday and compared with last week. Recent changes in sentiment warn that the current USD/JPY price trend may soon reverse lower despite the fact traders remain net-short. Five Things Traders are Reading To get the Asia AM Digest every day before the Tokyo cash equity open, sign up here To get the US AM Digest every day before the US cash equity open, sign up here To get both reports daily, sign up here National Retail Properties is a REIT focused on retail-oriented properties across the United States. The company invests in high-quality retail properties subject to long-term leases that generate stable, consistent, predictable income. The company laid claim to 3,305 properties enclosing 33.8 million square feet of space in 48 states leased to 380 tenants engaged in 37 trades as of October 2022. National Retail Properties was formed in 1984 as Golden Corral Realty Corporation. The company was intended as a means for employees to invest in Golden Corral but it soon took on a life of its own. The company split from its parent in 1993 and then became a REIT in 1998. Since then a number of mergers and acquisitions resulted in the company that is traded today. National Retail Properties seeks to generate returns for shareholders through capital appreciation and dividends and is one of the most stable dividend payers in the REIT universe. The company made its 33rd consecutive distribution increase in 2022 ranking it 3rd on the list of REITs with sustained annual dividend increases. In regard to all publicly listed companies, there are less than 90 which have increased their payout for as many years or more as National Retail Properties. The compound annual growth rate runs in the range of 4% to 5%. National Retail Properties is not limited in scope to the type of business it will lease to. The top four sectors occupying its space, however, are convenience stores, automotive-related, full-service, and limited-service restaurants which command a lions share of retail dollars. These segments made up nearly 49% of the portfolio in 2022 with no tenant making up more than 5% of the total income. The top three tenants at the time are 7-11, Mister Car Wash, and Camping World followed by L.A. Fitness, GPM Investments (convenience), and Dave & Busters. The firm's average lease runs in the range of 10.6 years and occupancy runs high and above 99%. Properties are all single-occupier and leased on a net basis. Most properties are leased on a triple-net basis which means National Retail Properties is insulated from taxes, maintenance, and insurance costs. Other notable tenants include Yum! Brands and Wendys. National Retail Properties uses leverage to enhance its returns. The companys debt ratio is low however and its debt carries an investment-grade rating from Standard & Poors and Moodys. By India Today Web Desk: Zaira Wasim has become one of the most talked-about Bollywood actresses in no time. After Dangal, Zaira impressed the audience with her heartfelt performance in Secret Superstar, which also starred Aamir Khan. The film opened to positive reviews from critics and got a lot of praise from fans, as well. This happiness seems to have coincided with Zaira's birthday, which is today. The actress, who turned 17, cut a cake with her Secret Superstar director Advait Chandan. Click here to Enlarge Photo: Milind Shelte, India Today advertisement Aamir Khan came and wished her as well. Zaira seemed overwhelmed with all the love flowing her way, and said that she had never expected to be cast in Dangal. Click here to Enlarge Photo: Milind Shelte, India Today Zaira has a steady stream of offers coming in, but she hasn't decided on any of them as yet. In fact, she has said that she isn't is sure whether she will take on acting as a full-time profession in future. ALSO WATCH: Exclusive: Aamir Khan and Zaira Wasim open up on their Secret Superstar journey --- ENDS --- Oil States International, Inc. engages in the provision of manufactured products and services used in the drilling, completion, subsea, production and infrastructure sectors of the oil and natural gas industry, as well as in the industrial and military sectors. It operates through the following segments: Well Site Services, Downhole Technologies and Offshore or Manufactured Products. The Well Site Services segment includes a broad range of equipment and services that are used to drill for, establish and maintain the flow of oil and natural gas from a well throughout its life cycle. The Downhole Technologies segment provides oil and gas perforation systems and downhole tools in support of completion, intervention, wireline and abandonment operations. It also designs, manufactures and markets its consumable engineered products to oilfield service as well as exploration and production companies. The Offshore or Manufactured Products segment designs, manufactures, and markets capital equipment utilized on floating production systems, subsea pipeline infrastructure, and offshore drilling rigs and vessels, along with short-cycle and other products. The company was founded in July 1995 an Crestwood Equity Partners LP develops, acquires, owns, controls, and operates assets and operations in the energy midstream sector in the United States. It operates through three segments: Gathering and Processing North; Gathering and Processing South; and Storage and Logistics. The Gathering and Processing North segment offers natural gas, crude oil, and produced water gathering, compression, treating, processing, and disposal services to producers in the Williston Basin and Powder River Basin. This segment owns and operates natural gas facilities with approximately 0.4 Bcf/d of gathering capacity and 0.5 Bcf/d of processing capacity; crude oil facilities with approximately 150,000 Bbls/d of gathering capacity and 266,000 Bbls of storage capacity; and produced water facilities with approximately 130,000 Bbls/d of gathering and disposal capacity. The Gathering and Processing South segment provides natural gas gathering, compression, treating, and processing; and produced water gathering and disposal services to producers in the Marcellus, Barnett, and Delaware basins. This segment owns and operates natural gas facilities with 2.5 Bcf/d of gathering capacity and 0.7 Bcf/d of processing capacity; and produced water facilities with approximately 75,000 Bbls/d of gathering and disposal capacity. The Storage and Logistics segment offers natural gas liquids, crude oil, and natural gas storage, terminal, marketing, and transportation, including rail, truck and pipeline services to producers, refiners, marketers, utilities, and other customers. Crestwood Equity GP LLC serves as the general partner of Crestwood Equity Partners LP. The company was formerly known as Inergy L.P. and changed its name to Crestwood Equity Partners LP in October 2013. Crestwood Equity Partners LP was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. The following companies are subsidiares of Pfizer: AH Robins LLC, AHP Holdings B.V., AHP Manufacturing B.V., Agouron Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alacer, Alpharma Holdings LLC, Alpharma Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alpharma Specialty Pharma LLC, Alpharma USHP LLC, American Food Industries LLC, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Angiosyn, Array BioPharma, Ayerst-Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, BIND Therapeutics Inc., BINESA 2002 S.L., Bamboo Therapeutics, Bamboo Therapeutics Inc., Baxter International - Marketed Vaccines, BioRexis, Bioren, Bioren LLC, Blue Whale Re Ltd., C.E. Commercial Holdings C.V., C.E. Commercial Investments C.V., C.P. Pharmaceuticals International C.V., CICL Corporation, COC I Corporation, Catapult Genetics, Coley Pharmaceutical GmbH, Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Coley Pharmaceutical Group Inc., Continental Pharma Inc., Covx, Covx Technologies Ireland Limited, Cyanamid Inter-American Corporation, Cyanamid de Argentina S.A., Cyanamid de Colombia S.A., Distribuidora Mercantil Centro Americana S.A., Encysive Pharmaceuticals, Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc., Esperion LUV Development Inc., Esperion Therapeutics, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals Inc., Farminova Produtos Farmaceuticos de Inovacao Lda., Farmogene Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Ferrosan A/S, Ferrosan International A/S, Ferrosan S.R.L., FoldRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Foldrx Pharmaceuticals, Fort Dodge Manufatura Ltda., G. D. Searle & Co. Limited, G. D. Searle International Capital LLC, G. D. Searle LLC, GI Europe Inc., GI Japan Inc., GenTrac Inc., Genetics Institute LLC, Greenstone LLC, Haptogen Limited, Hospira, Hospira (China) Enterprise Management Co. Ltd., Hospira Adelaide Pty Ltd, Hospira Aseptic Services Limited, Hospira Australia Pty Ltd, Hospira Benelux BVBA, Hospira Chile Limitada, Hospira Deutschland GmbH, Hospira Enterprises B.V., Hospira France SAS, Hospira Healthcare B.V., Hospira Healthcare Corporation, Hospira Healthcare India Private Limited, Hospira Holdings (S.A.) Pty Ltd, Hospira Inc., Hospira Invicta S.A., Hospira Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, Hospira Ireland Sales Limited, Hospira Japan G.K., Hospira Limited, Hospira Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Hospira NZ Limited, Hospira Nordic AB, Hospira Philippines Inc., Hospira Portugal LDA, Hospira Produtos Hospitalares Ltda., Hospira Pte. Ltd., Hospira Pty Limited, Hospira Puerto Rico LLC, Hospira Singapore Pte Ltd, Hospira UK Limited, Hospira Worldwide LLC, Hospira Zagreb d.o.o., ICAgen, Idun Pharmaceuticals, Industrial Santa Agape S.A., InnoPharma, InnoPharma Inc., International Affiliated Corporation LLC, JMI-Daniels Pharmaceuticals Inc., John Wyeth & Brother Limited, Kiinteisto oy Espoon Pellavaniementie 14, King Pharmaceuticals Holdings LLC, King Pharmaceuticals LLC, King Pharmaceuticals Research and Development LLC, Korea Pharma Holding Company Limited, Laboratoires Pfizer S.A., Laboratorios Parke Davis S.L., Laboratorios Pfizer Ltda., Laboratorios Wyeth LLC, Laboratorios Wyeth S.A., Laboratorios Pfizer Lda., MTG Divestitures LLC, Mayne Pharma IP Holdings (Euro) Pty Ltd, Medivation, Medivation Field Solutions LLC, Medivation LLC, Medivation Neurology LLC, Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC, Medivation Services LLC, Medivation Technologies LLC, Meridian Medical Technologies Inc., Meridian Medical Technologies Limited, Monarch Pharmaceuticals LLC, Neusentis Limited, NextWave Pharmaceuticals, NextWave Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, P-D Co. LLC, PAH USA IN8 LLC, PF Americas Holding C.V., PF Asia Manufacturing B.V., PF PR Holdings C.V., PF PRISM C.V., PF PRISM Holdings S.a.r.l., PF Prism S.a.r.l., PFE Holdings G.K., PFE PHAC Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Pfizer Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Wyeth Holdings LLC, PFE Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) LLC, PHILCO Holdings S.a r.l., PHIVCO Corp., PHIVCO Holdco S.a r.l., PHIVCO Luxembourg S.a r.l., PN Mexico LLC, PT. Pfizer Parke Davis, Parke Davis & Company LLC, Parke Davis Limited, Parke Davis Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Parke-Davis Manufacturing Corp., Parkedale Pharmaceuticals Inc., Peak Enterprises LLC, Pfizer, Pfizer (China) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Pfizer (Perth) Pty Limited, Pfizer (Thailand) Limited, Pfizer (Wuhan) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer AB, Pfizer AG, Pfizer AS, Pfizer Africa & Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Veterinarian Products & Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer Anti-Infectives AB, Pfizer ApS, Pfizer Asia Manufacturing Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Pfizer Atlantic Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Australia Holdings B.V., Pfizer Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Pfizer Australia Investments Pty. Ltd., Pfizer Australia Pty Limited, Pfizer B.V., Pfizer BH D.o.o., Pfizer Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer Biofarmaceutica Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Pfizer Biologics (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Pfizer Biologics Ireland Holdings Limited, Pfizer Biotech Corporation, Pfizer Bolivia S.A., Pfizer Canada Inc., Pfizer CentreSource Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Chile S.A., Pfizer Cia. Ltda., Pfizer Colombia Spinco I LLC, Pfizer Commercial Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Commercial Holdings TRAE Kft., Pfizer Commercial TRAE Trading Kft., Pfizer Consumer Healthcare AB, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare GmbH, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Ltd., Pfizer Consumer Manufacturing Italy S.r.l., Pfizer Corporation, Pfizer Corporation Austria Gesellschaft m.b.H., Pfizer Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Pfizer Croatia d.o.o., Pfizer Deutschland GmbH, Pfizer Development LP, Pfizer Development Services (UK) Limited, Pfizer Domestic Ventures Limited, Pfizer Dominicana S.R.L, Pfizer ESP Pty Ltd, Pfizer East India B.V., Pfizer Eastern Investments B.V., Pfizer Egypt S.A.E., Pfizer Enterprise Holdings B.V., Pfizer Enterprises LLC, Pfizer Enterprises SARL, Pfizer Europe Finance B.V., Pfizer Export B.V., Pfizer Export Company, Pfizer Export Holding Company B.V, Pfizer Finance Share Service (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Pfizer Financial Services N.V./S.A., Pfizer France International Investments, Pfizer Free Zone Panama S. de R.L., Pfizer GEP S.L., Pfizer Global Holdings B.V., Pfizer Global Supply Japan Inc., Pfizer Global Trading, Pfizer Group Luxembourg Sarl, Pfizer Gulf FZ-LLC, Pfizer H.C.P. Corporation, Pfizer HK Service Company Limited, Pfizer Health AB, Pfizer Health Solutions Inc., Pfizer Healthcare Ireland, Pfizer Hellas A.E., Pfizer Himalaya Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Holding France, Pfizer Holding Ventures, Pfizer Holdings Corporation, Pfizer Holdings Europe Unlimited Company, Pfizer Holdings G.K., Pfizer Holdings International Corporation, Pfizer Holdings International Luxembourg (PHIL) Sarl, Pfizer Holdings North America SARL, Pfizer Hungary Holdings TRAE Kft., Pfizer Inc., Pfizer Innovations AB, Pfizer Innovations LLC, Pfizer Innovative Supply Point International BVBA, Pfizer International LLC, Pfizer International Markets Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer International Operations, Pfizer International S. de R.L., Pfizer International Trading (Shanghai) Limited, Pfizer Investment Capital Unlimited Company, Pfizer Investment Co. Ltd., Pfizer Investment Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Ireland Investments Limited, Pfizer Ireland PFE Holding 1 LLC, Pfizer Ireland PFE Holding 2 LLC, Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Ireland Ventures Unlimited Company, Pfizer Italia S.r.l., Pfizer Italy Group Holding S.r.l., Pfizer Japan Inc., Pfizer LLC, Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Limited, Pfizer Laboratories Limited, Pfizer Laboratories PFE (Pty) Ltd, Pfizer Leasing Ireland Limited, Pfizer Leasing UK Limited, Pfizer Limitada, Pfizer Limited, Pfizer Luxco Holdings SARL, Pfizer Luxembourg Global Holdings S.a r.l., Pfizer Luxembourg SARL, Pfizer MAP Holding Inc., Pfizer Manufacturing Austria G.m.b.H., Pfizer Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland GmbH, Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland Grundbesitz GmbH & Co. KG, Pfizer Manufacturing Holdings LLC, Pfizer Manufacturing Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Manufacturing LLC, Pfizer Manufacturing Services, Pfizer Medical Technology Group (Belgium) N.V., Pfizer Medicamentos Genericos e Participacoes Ltda., Pfizer Mexico Luxco SARL, Pfizer Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pfizer Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Animal Health and Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer New Zealand Limited, Pfizer Norge AS, Pfizer North American Holdings Inc., Pfizer OTC B.V., Pfizer Overseas LLC, Pfizer Oy, Pfizer PFE ApS, Pfizer PFE AsiaPac Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Australia Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Australia Pty Ltd, Pfizer PFE B.V., Pfizer PFE Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer PFE Belgium SPRL, Pfizer PFE Brazil Holding S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE CIA. Ltda., Pfizer PFE Chile Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Colombia Holding Corp., Pfizer PFE Colombia S.A.S, Pfizer PFE Commercial Holdings LLC, Pfizer PFE Croatia Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Eastern Investments B.V., Pfizer PFE Finland Oy, Pfizer PFE France, Pfizer PFE Global Holdings B.V., Pfizer PFE Ireland Pharmaceuticals Holding 1 B.V., Pfizer PFE Italy Holdco 2 S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Italy Holdco S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Pfizer PFE Limited, Pfizer PFE Luxembourg S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Mexico Holding 3 LLC, Pfizer PFE Netherlands Holding 1 C.V., Pfizer PFE New Zealand, Pfizer PFE New Zealand Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Norway Holding S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE PILSA Holdco S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Peru Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Peru S.R.L., Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Israel Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Israel Ltd., Pfizer PFE Private Limited, Pfizer PFE S.R.L, Pfizer PFE Service Company Holding Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer PFE Singapore Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Singapore Pte. Ltd., Pfizer PFE Spain B.V., Pfizer PFE Spain Holding S.L., Pfizer PFE Sweden Holding 2 S.a.r.l., Pfizer PFE Sweden Holding S.a.r.l., Pfizer PFE Switzerland GmbH, Pfizer PFE Turkey Holding 1 B.V., Pfizer PFE Turkey Holding 2 B.V., Pfizer PFE UK Holding 4 LP, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 1 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 2 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 3 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 4 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 5 LLC, Pfizer PFE spol. s r.o., Pfizer PFE Ilaclar Anonim Sirketi, Pfizer Pakistan Limited, Pfizer Parke Davis (Thailand) Ltd., Pfizer Parke Davis Inc., Pfizer Parke Davis Sdn. Bhd., Pfizer Pharm Algerie, Pfizer Pharma GmbH, Pfizer Pharma PFE GmbH, Pfizer Pharmaceutical (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Pfizer Pharmaceutical Trading Limited Liability Company (a/k/a Pfizer Kft. or Pfizer LLC), Pfizer Pharmaceuticals B.V., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Global B.V., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Israel Ltd., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Korea Limited, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals LLC, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Pfizer Pigments Inc., Pfizer Polska Sp. z.o.o., Pfizer Private Limited, Pfizer Production LLC, Pfizer Products Inc., Pfizer Products India Private Limited, Pfizer Research (NC) Inc., Pfizer Romania SRL, Pfizer S.A., Pfizer S.A., Pfizer S.A. (Belgium), Pfizer S.A. de C.V., Pfizer S.A.S., Pfizer S.G.P.S. Lda., Pfizer S.L., Pfizer S.R.L., Pfizer SRB d.o.o., Pfizer Saidal Manufacturing, Pfizer Sante Familiale, Pfizer Saudi Limited, Pfizer Seiyaku K.K., Pfizer Service Company BVBA, Pfizer Service Company Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Services 1, Pfizer Services LLC, Pfizer Shared Services Unlimited Company, Pfizer Shareholdings Intermediate SARL, Pfizer Singapore Holding Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Singapore Trading Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Spain Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Specialties Limited, Pfizer Strategic Investment Holdings LLC, Pfizer Sweden Partnership KB, Pfizer TRAE Holdings Kft., Pfizer Trading Polska sp.z.o.o., Pfizer Transactions Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Transactions LLC, Pfizer Transactions Luxembourg SARL, Pfizer Transport LLC, Pfizer Ukraine LLC, Pfizer Vaccines LLC, Pfizer Venezuela S.A., Pfizer Venture Investments LLC, Pfizer Ventures LLC, Pfizer Worldwide Services Unlimited Company, Pfizer Zona Franca S.A., Pfizer spol. s r.o., Pharmacia, Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc., Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn S.A. de C.V., Pharmacia Brasil Ltda., Pharmacia Hepar LLC, Pharmacia Holding AB, Pharmacia Inter-American LLC, Pharmacia International B.V., Pharmacia LLC, Pharmacia Limited, Pharmacia Nostrum S.A., Pharmacia South Africa (Pty) Ltd, PowderJect Research Limited, PowderMed, Purepac Pharmaceutical Holdings LLC, Redvax, Renrall LLC, Rinat Neuroscience, Rinat Neuroscience Corp., Roerig Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Roerig S.A., Sao Cristovao Participacoes Ltda., Searle Laboratorios Lda., Serenex, Servicios P&U S. de R.L. de C.V., Shiley LLC, Sinergis Farma-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Site Realty Inc., Solinor LLC, Sugen LLC, Tabor LLC, The Pfizer Incubator LLC, Therachon, Thiakis Limited, Treerly Health Co. Ltd, US Oral Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd, Upjohn Laboratorios Lda., Vesteralens Naturprodukter A/S, Vesteralens Naturprodukter AB, Vesteralens Naturprodukter AS, Vesteralens Naturprodukter OY, Vicuron Holdings LLC, Vinci Farma S.A., W-L LLC, Warner Lambert, Warner Lambert Ilac Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Warner Lambert del Uruguay S.A., Warner-Lambert (Thailand) Limited, Warner-Lambert Company AG, Warner-Lambert Company LLC, Warner-Lambert Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Warner-Lambert S.A., Whitehall International Inc., Whitehall Laboratories Inc., Wyeth (Thailand) Ltd., Wyeth AB, Wyeth Australia Pty. Limited, Wyeth Ayerst Inc., Wyeth Ayerst S.a r.l., Wyeth Biopharma, Wyeth Canada ULC, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare LLC, Wyeth Europa Limited, Wyeth Farma S.A., Wyeth Holdings LLC, Wyeth Industria Farmaceutica Ltda., Wyeth KFT., Wyeth LLC, Wyeth Lederle S.r.l., Wyeth Lederle Vaccines S.A., Wyeth Pakistan Limited, Wyeth Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Company, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals FZ-LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Limited, Wyeth Puerto Rico Inc., Wyeth S.A.S, Wyeth Subsidiary Illinois Corporation, Wyeth Whitehall Export GmbH, Wyeth Whitehall SARL, Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) Limited, Wyeth-Ayerst International LLC, and Wyeth-Ayerst Promotions Limited. Read More BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. South Jersey Industries, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides energy-related products and services. The company engages in the purchase, transmission, and sale of natural gas. It also sells natural gas and pipeline transportation capacity on a wholesale basis to residential, commercial, and industrial customers on the interstate pipeline system, as well as transports natural gas purchased directly from producers or suppliers to customers. As of December 31, 2021, the company had approximately 147 miles of mains in the transmission system and 6,815 miles of mains in the distribution system; and served 384,062 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southern New Jersey. In addition, it markets natural gas storage, commodity, and transportation assets on a wholesale basis for energy marketers, electric and gas utilities, power plants, and natural gas producers in the mid-Atlantic, Appalachian, and southern regions of the United States. Further, the company owns and operates rooftop solar-generation sites. Additionally, it owns oil, gas, and mineral rights in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania; acquires and markets natural gas and electricity to retail end users, as well as provides total energy management, fuel management, and energy procurement and cost reduction services. The company was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in Folsom, New Jersey. TransUnion provides risk and information solutions. The company operates in three segments: U.S. Markets, International, and Consumer Interactive. The U.S. Markets segment provides consumer reports, actionable insights, and analytics to businesses. These businesses use its services to acquire new customers; assess consumer ability to pay for services; identify cross-selling opportunities; measure and manage debt portfolio risk; collect debt; verify consumer identities; and mitigate fraud risk. This segment serves various industry vertical markets, including financial services, insurance, tenant and employment, collections and services, technology, commerce and communication, public sector, media, and other markets. The International segment offers credit reports, analytics, technology solutions, and other value-added risk management services; and consumer services, which help consumers to manage their personal finances and consumer credit reporting, insurance and auto information solutions, and commercial credit information services. This segment serves customers in financial services, retail credit, insurance, automotive, collections, public sector, and communications industries through direct and indirect channels. The Consumer Interactive segment provides credit reports and scores, credit monitoring, identity protection and resolution, and financial management solutions that enable consumers to manage their personal finances and take precautions against identity theft. This segment offers its products through online and mobile interfaces, as well as through direct and indirect channels. The company serves customers in approximately 30 countries and territories, including North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, India, and the Asia Pacific. The company was formerly known as TransUnion Holding Company, Inc. and changed its name to TransUnion in March 2015. TransUnion was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Citigroup Inc. is one of the worlds largest financial institutions. It is the 13th largest bank globally by assets and 8th by market cap with operations in consumer and institutional banking. In the US, Citigroup is the 3rd largest bank by assets and one of the Big Four deemed systemically important and too big to fail. Citigroup Inc. was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. The bank was run by Samuel Osgood who led the company with success for many years, even throughout the War of 1812. The bank was later renamed the National City Bank of New York in 1865 and by 1895 is the largest bank in the US. In 1913 it was the first contributor to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a few years later it began to expand into overseas territories. The bank became the First National City Bank of New York after another merger in 1955 and then later, the New York part was dropped off as part of the 150th-anniversary celebration. By 1974 the company is known as Citicorp which is still the operational branch of the business and a global banking powerhouse. A merger with Travelers insurance group in 1998 resulted in the name Citigroup but the joint venture did not last. By 2002 Travelers was publicly traded once again but Citigroup retained the new name. Today, the company is headquartered in New York, New York but boasts more than 200 million customer accounts in 160 countries worldwide. As of mid-2022, it operated 2,649 branches in the United States, Mexico, and Asia. The company reports nearly 725 branches in the US and 1499 in Mexico with the rest scattered throughout its territory. Total annual revenue topped $75 billion in 2022. Citigroup is a diversified financial services holding company that owns Citicorp among other assets. The companys mission is to serve as a trusted partner providing responsible financial solutions to its clients. Citigroup provides financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions. The company operates in two segments, Global Consumer Banking (GCB) and Institutional Clients Group (ICG). The GCB segment offers traditional banking services including deposit and saving accounts, credit cards, personal loans, home loans, and investment services. This segment operates through local branches and digital means. The ICG segment offers wholesale banking products and services to corporate, institutional, public sector, and high-net-worth clients. Coeur Mining, Inc. explores for precious metals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, silver, zinc, and lead properties. It holds 100% interests in the Palmarejo gold and silver mine covering an area of approximately 67,296 net acres located in the State of Chihuahua in Northern Mexico; the Rochester silver and gold mine that covers an area of approximately 43,441net acres situated in northwestern Nevada; the Kensington gold mine comprising 3,972 net acres located to the north of Juneau, Alaska; the Wharf gold mine covering an area of approximately 3,243 net acres situated in the northern Black Hills of western South Dakota; and the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead mine comprising 97,298 net acres located in northern British Columbia, Canada. In addition, the company owns interests in the Crown and Sterling projects located in southern Nevada; and the La Preciosa project located in Mexico. Further, it markets and sells its concentrates to third-party customers, smelters, under off-take agreements. The company was formerly known as Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation and changed its name to Coeur Mining, Inc. in May 2013.Coeur Mining, Inc. was incorporated in 1928 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. PPG Industries, Inc. manufactures and distributes paints, coatings, and specialty materials worldwide. The company's Performance Coatings segment offers coatings, solvents, adhesives, sealants, sundries, and software for automotive and commercial transport/fleet repair and refurbishing, light industrial coatings, and specialty coatings for signs; and coatings, sealants, transparencies, transparent armor, adhesives, engineered materials, and packaging and chemical management services for commercial, military, regional jet, and general aviation aircraft. It also provides coatings and finishes for the protection of metals and structures, such as metal fabricators, heavy duty maintenance contractors, and manufacturers of ships, bridges, and rail cars; paints, wood stains, adhesives, and purchased sundries for painting and maintenance contractors, and consumers for decoration and maintenance of residential and commercial building structures; and paints, thermoplastics, pavement marking products, and other technologies for pavement marking. The company's Industrial Coatings segment offers coatings, adhesives and sealants, and metal pretreatments, as well as services and coatings applications for appliances, agricultural and construction equipment, consumer electronics, automotive parts and accessories, building products, kitchenware, and transportation vehicles and other finished products; and on-site coatings services. It also provides coatings for metal cans, closures, plastic tubes, and promotional and specialty packaging; amorphous precipitated silica for tire, battery separator, and other end-uses; TESLIN substrates for labels, e-passports, drivers' licenses, breathable membranes, and loyalty and identification cards; and organic light emitting diode materials, displays and lighting lens materials, optical lenses, color-change products, and photochromic dyes. The company was incorporated in 1883 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases. The company's marketed products also comprise Synagis for respiratory syncytial virus; Fluenz Tetra/FluMist Quadrivalent for Influenza; Seroquel IR/Seroquel XR for schizophrenia bipolar disease; Nexium, and Losec/Prilosec for gastroenterology; and Vaxzevria and Evusheld for covid-19. The company serves primary care and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a collaboration agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule medicines for obesity; Neurimmune AG to develop and commercialize NI006; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop eplontersen, a liver-targeted antisense therapy in Phase III development for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis; Proteros Biostructures GmbH to jointly discover novel small molecules for the treatment of hematological cancers; Sierra Oncology, Inc. to develop and commercialize AZD5153. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom. National Grid plc transmits and distributes electricity and gas. The company operates through UK Electricity Transmission, UK Electricity Distribution, UK Electricity System Operator, New England, and New York segments. The UK Electricity Transmission segment provides electricity transmission and construction work services in England and Wales. The UK Electricity Distribution segment offers electricity distribution services in Midlands, and South West of England and South Wales. The UK Electricity System Operator segment provides balancing services for supply and demand of electricity on Great Britain's electricity transmission system; and acts as an agent on behalf of transmission operators. The New England segment offers electricity and gas distribution, and electricity transmission services in New England. The New York segment provides electricity and gas distribution, and electricity transmission services in New York. It also engages in the provision of transmission services through electricity interconnectors and LNG importation at the Isle of Grain; sale of renewables projects; and leasing and sale of commercial property, as well as insurance activities in the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Steelcase Inc. provides a portfolio of furniture and architectural products in the United States and internationally. It operates through Americas, EMEA, and Other segments. The company's furniture portfolio includes furniture systems, seating, storage, fixed and height-adjustable desks, benches, and tables, as well as complementary products, such as work accessories, lighting, and mobile power and screens. Its seating products comprise task chairs; seating for collaborative environments and casual settings; and specialty seating for specific vertical markets, including education and healthcare. The company's interior architectural products comprise full and partial height walls and architectural pods. It also provides textiles, wall coverings, and surface imaging solutions for architects and designers; and workplace strategy consulting, lease origination, and furniture and asset management services. The company markets and sells its products to corporate, government, healthcare, education, and retail customers under the Steelcase, Designtex, Coalesse, AMQ, Smith System, Orangebox, and Viccarbe brands. It distributes its products and services through a network of independent and company-owned dealers, as well as directly to end-use customers. The company was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE), an S&P 500 urban office real estate investment trust ("REIT"), is the first, longest-tenured, and pioneering owner, operator, and developer uniquely focused on collaborative life science, technology, and agtech campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, with a total market capitalization of $31.9 billion as of December 31, 2020, and an asset base in North America of 49.7 million square feet ("SF"). The asset base in North America includes 31.9 million RSF of operating properties and 3.3 million RSF of Class A properties undergoing construction, 7.1 million RSF of near-term and intermediate-term development and redevelopment projects, and 7.4 million SF of future development projects. Founded in 1994, Alexandria pioneered this niche and has since established a significant market presence in key locations, including Greater Boston, San Francisco, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle. Alexandria has a longstanding and proven track record of developing Class A properties clustered in urban life science, technology, and agtech campuses that provide our innovative tenants with highly dynamic and collaborative environments that enhance their ability to successfully recruit and retain world-class talent and inspire productivity, efficiency, creativity, and success. Alexandria also provides strategic capital to transformative life science, technology, and agtech companies through our venture capital platform. We believe our unique business model and diligent underwriting ensure a high-quality and diverse tenant base that results in higher occupancy levels, longer lease terms, higher rental income, higher returns, and greater long-term asset value. The following companies are subsidiares of InterContinental Hotels Group: 2250 Blake Street Hotel LLC, 24th Street Operator Sub LLC, 36th Street IHG Sub LLC, 426 Main Ave LLC, 46 Nevins Street Associates LLC, Allegro Management LLC, Alpha Kimball Hotel LLC, American Commonwealth Assurance Co. Ltd., Asia Pacific Holdings Limited, BHMC Canada Inc., BHR Holdings B.V., BHR Luxembourg SARL, BHR Pacific Holdings Inc., BHTC Canada Inc., BOC Barclay Sub LLC, Barclay Operating Corp., Bristol Oakbrook Tenant Company, Cafe Biarritz, Cambridge Lodging LLC, Capital Lodging LLC, Compania Inter-Continental De Hoteles El Salvador SA, Crowne Plaza Amsterdam (Management) B.V., Crowne Plaza LLC, Cumberland Akers Hotel LLC, Dunwoody Operations Inc., EVEN Real Estate Holding LLC, Edinburgh IC Limited, General Innkeeping Acceptance Corporation, Guangzhou SC Hotels Services Ltd., H.I. (Ireland) Limited, H.I. Soaltee Management Company Ltd, HC International Holdings Inc., HH France Holdings SAS, HH Hotels (EMEA) B.V., HH Hotels (Romania) SRL, HI Sugarloaf LLC, HIM (Aruba) NV, Hale International Ltd., Hoft Properties LLC, Holiday Hospitality Franchising LLC, Holiday Inn Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Holiday Inns (China) Ltd, Holiday Inns (Chongqing) Inc., Holiday Inns (Courtalin) Holdings SAS, Holiday Inns (Courtalin) SAS, Holiday Inns (England) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Germany) LLC, Holiday Inns (Guangzhou) Inc., Holiday Inns (Jamaica) Inc., Holiday Inns (Malaysia) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Middle East) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Philippines) Inc., Holiday Inns (Saudi Arabia) Inc., Holiday Inns (South East Asia) Inc., Holiday Inns (Thailand) Ltd., Holiday Inns (UK) Inc., Holiday Inns Crowne Plaza (Hong Kong) Inc., Holiday Inns Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Holiday Inns Inc., Holiday Inns Investment (Nepal) Ltd., Holiday Inns of America (UK) Ltd., Holiday Inns of Belgium N.V., Holiday Pacific Equity Corporation, Holiday Pacific LLC, Holiday Pacific Partners LP, Hotel Inter-Continental London Limited, Hotel InterContinental London (Holdings) Limited, Hoteles Y Turismo HIH SRL, IC Hotelbetriebsfuhrungs GmbH, IC Hotels Management (Portugal) Unipessoal Lda, IC International Hotels Limited Liability Company, IHC (Thailand) Limited, IHC Buckhead LLC, IHC Edinburgh (Holdings), IHC Hopkins (Holdings) Corp., IHC Hotel Limited, IHC Inter-Continental (Holdings) Corp., IHC London (Holdings), IHC M-H (Holdings) Corp., IHC May Fair (Holdings) Limited, IHC May Fair Hotel Limited, IHC Overseas (U.K.) Limited, IHC UK (Holdings) Limited, IHC United States (Holdings) Corp., IHC Willard (Holdings) Corp., IHG (Australasia) Limited, IHG (Marseille) SAS, IHG (Thailand) Limited, IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan LLC, IHG ANA Hotels Holdings Co. Ltd., IHG Bangkok Ltd, IHG Brasil Administracao de Hoteis e Servicos Ltda, IHG Commission Services SRL, IHG Community Development LLC, IHG Cyprus Limited, IHG ECS (Barbados) SRL, IHG Franchising Brasil Ltda, IHG Franchising DR Corporation, IHG Franchising LLC, IHG Hotels (New Zealand) Limited, IHG Hotels Limited, IHG Hotels Management (Australia) Pty Limited, IHG Hotels Nigeria Limited, IHG Hotels South Africa (Pty) Ltd, IHG International Partnership, IHG Istanbul Otel Yonetim Limited Sirketi, IHG Japan (Management) LLC, IHG Japan (Osaka) LLC, IHG Management (Maryland) LLC, IHG Management (Netherlands) B.V., IHG Management MD Barclay Sub LLC, IHG Management SL d.o.o, IHG Management d.o.o. Beograd, IHG Orchard Street Member LLC, IHG PS Nominees Limited, IHG Systems Pty Ltd, IHG Szalloda Budapest Szolgaltato Kft., IHG de Argentina SA, IND East Village SD Holdings LLC, Inter-Continental D.C. Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Investment Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Partner Corp., Inter-Continental Hospitality Corporation, Inter-Continental Hoteleira Limitada, Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Owning Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation, Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation de Venezuela C.A., Inter-Continental Hotels of San Francisco Inc., Inter-Continental IOHC (Mauritius) Limited, Inter-Continental Management (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental (Branston) 1 Limited, InterContinental (PB) 1, InterContinental (PB) 2, InterContinental (PB) 3 Limited, InterContinental Berlin Service Company GmbH, InterContinental Brasil Administracao de Hoteis Ltda, InterContinental Gestion Hotelera S.L., InterContinental Hotel Berlin GmbH, InterContinental Hotel Dusseldorf GmbH (Germany), InterContinental Hotels (Puerto Rico) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Canada) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Espana) SA, InterContinental Hotels Group (Greater China) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (India) Pvt. Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Japan) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (New Zealand) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Shanghai) Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Customer Services Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Healthcare Trustee Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group Operating Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group Resources Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group Services Company, InterContinental Hotels Group do Brasil Limitada, InterContinental Hotels Italia S.r.L., InterContinental Hotels Limited, InterContinental Hotels Management GmbH, InterContinental Hotels Nevada Corporation, InterContinental Management AM LLC, InterContinental Management Bulgaria EOOD, InterContinental Management France SAS, InterContinental Management Poland sp. z.o.o, InterContinental Overseas Holding Corporation, Intercontinental Hotels Corporation Limited, KG Benefits LLC, KG Gift Card Inc., KG Liability LLC, KG Technology LLC, KHP Washington Operator LLC, KHRG 11th Avenue Hotel LLC, KHRG 851 LLC, KHRG Aertson LLC, KHRG Alexandria LLC, KHRG Alexis LLC, KHRG Allegro LLC, KHRG Argyle LLC, KHRG Austin Beverage Company LLC, KHRG Baltimore LLC, KHRG Born LLC, KHRG Boston Hotel LLC, KHRG Canary LLC, KHRG Cayman Employer Ltd., KHRG Cayman LLC, KHRG DC 1731 LLC, KHRG DC 2505 LLC, KHRG Donovan LLC, KHRG Employer LLC, KHRG Goleta LLC, KHRG Gray LLC, KHRG Gray U2 LLC, KHRG Hillcrest LLC, KHRG Huntington Beach LLC, KHRG King Street LLC, KHRG La Peer LLC, KHRG Miami Beach LLC, KHRG Muse LLC, KHRG NPC LLC, KHRG Onyx LLC, KHRG Palladian LLC, KHRG Palomar Phoenix LLC, KHRG Philly Monaco LLC, KHRG Pittsburgh LLC, KHRG Reynolds LLC, KHRG Riverplace LLC, KHRG SFD LLC, KHRG Sacramento LLC, KHRG Savannah LLC, KHRG Schofield LLC, KHRG Sedona LLC, KHRG State Street LLC, KHRG Sutter LLC, KHRG Sutter Union LLC, KHRG Taconic LLC, KHRG Tariff LLC, KHRG Texas Hospitality LLC, KHRG Texas Operations LLC, KHRG Tryon LLC, KHRG VZ Austin LLC, KHRG Vero Beach LLC, KHRG Vintage Park LLC, KHRG WPB LLC, KHRG Wabash LLC, KHRG Westwood LLC, KHRG Wilshire LLC, KHRG Zamora LLC, Kimpton Hollywood Licenses LLC, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group LLC, Kimpton Phoenix Licenses Holdings LLC, Kimpton Sedona Licenses LLC, Louisiana Acquisitions Corp., MH Lodging LLC, Mercer Fairview Holdings LLC, PML Services LLC, PT SC Hotels & Resorts Indonesia, Pollstrong Limited, Powell Pine Inc., Priscilla Holiday of Texas Inc., RM Lodging LLC, Regent Hotels and Resorts, Resort Services International (Cayo Largo) L.P., SBS Maryland Beverage Company LLC, SC Cellars Limited, SC Hotels International Services Inc., SC Leisure Group Limited, SC NAS 2 Limited, SC Quest Limited, SC Reservations (Philippines) Inc., SCH Insurance Company, SCIH Branston 3, SF MH Acquisition LLC, SPHC Group Pty Ltd., SPHC Management Ltd., Semiramis for training of Hotel Personnel and Hotel Management SAE, Six Continents Corporate Services, Six Continents Holdings Limited, Six Continents Hotels Inc., Six Continents Hotels International Limited, Six Continents Hotels de Colombia SA, Six Continents International Holdings B.V., Six Continents Investments Limited, Six Continents Limited, Six Continents Overseas Holdings Limited, Six Continents Restaurants Limited, SixCo North America Inc., Solamar Lodging LLC, Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation (BVI) Ltd., Southern Pacific Hotels Properties Limited, Universal de Hoteles SA, White Shield Insurance Company Limited, and World Trade Centre Montreal Hotel Corporation. Read More Mohawk Industries, Inc. designs, manufactures, sources, distributes, and markets flooring products for remodeling and new constructions of residential and commercial spaces in the United States, Europe, Russia, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Global Ceramic, Flooring North America (Flooring NA), and Flooring Rest of the World (Flooring ROW). The Global Ceramic segment provides a range of ceramic tile, porcelain tile, and natural stone products; and sources, markets, and distributes other tile related products. This segment markets and distributes its products under the American Olean, Daltile, Eliane, EmilGroup, KAI, Kerama Marazzi, Marazzi, and Ragno brands. The Flooring NA segment offers floor covering product lines in a range of colors, textures, and patterns, including carpets, carpet tiles, rugs and mats, carpet pads, hardwood, laminate, medium-density fiberboards, luxury vinyl tiles (LVT), and sheet vinyl products. This segment markets and distributes its flooring products under the Aladdin Commercial, Durkan, IVC, Karastan, Mohawk, Mohawk Group, Mohawk Home, Pergo, Portico, and Quick-Step brands. The Flooring ROW segment provides wood flooring and vinyl flooring, as well as laminates, roofing elements, sheet vinyl, LVT, insulation boards, medium-density fiberboards, chipboards, and other woods products under the Feltex, Godfrey Hirst, Hycraft, IVC Commercial, IVC Home, Leoline, Moduleo, Pergo, Quick-Step, and Unilin and Xtratherm brands; and licenses its intellectual property to flooring manufacturers. Mohawk Industries, Inc. was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Calhoun, Georgia. Dominion Energy, Inc. produces and distributes energy in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Dominion Energy Virginia, Gas Distribution, Dominion Energy South Carolina, and Contracted Assets. The Dominion Energy Virginia segment generates, transmits, and distributes regulated electricity to approximately 2.7 million residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental customers in Virginia and North Carolina. The Gas Distribution segment is involved in the regulated natural gas sales, transportation, gathering, storage, and distribution operations in Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina, Utah, southwestern Wyoming, and southeastern Idaho that serve approximately 3.1 million residential, commercial and industrial customers. It also has nonregulated renewable natural gas facilities in operation. The Dominion Energy South Carolina segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 772,000 customers in the central, southern, and southwestern portions of South Carolina; and distributes natural gas to approximately 419,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in South Carolina. The Contracted Assets segment is involved in the nonregulated long-term contracted renewable electric generation and solar generation facility development operations; and gas transportation, LNG import, and storage operations, as well as in the liquefaction facility. As of December 31, 2021, the company's portfolio of assets included approximately 30.2 gigawatt of electric generating capacity; 10,700 miles of electric transmission lines; 78,000 miles of electric distribution lines; and 95,700 miles of gas distribution mains and related service facilities. The company was formerly known as Dominion Resources, Inc. Dominion Energy, Inc. was incorporated in 1983 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Penske Automotive Group, Inc., a diversified transportation services company, operates automotive and commercial truck dealerships. The company operates through four segments: Retail Automotive, Retail Commercial Truck, Other, and Non-Automotive Investments. It operates dealerships under franchise agreements with various automotive manufacturers and distributors. The company engages in the sale of new and used motor vehicles, and related products and services comprise vehicle and collision repair services, as well as placement of finance and lease contracts, third-party insurance products, and other aftermarket products; and wholesale of parts. It also operates a heavy and medium duty truck dealership, which offers Freightliner and Western Star branded trucks, as well as a range of used trucks, and maintenance and repair services. In addition, it imports and distributes Western Star heavy-duty trucks, MAN heavy and medium duty trucks, buses, and Dennis Eagle refuse collection vehicles with associated parts in Australia, New Zealand, and portions of the Pacific. Further, the company distributes diesel and gas engines, and power systems. The company operates 320 retail automotive franchises, including 146 franchises located in the United States and 174 franchises located outside of the United States; 23 CarShop used vehicle dealerships in the United States and the United Kingdom; and 37 commercial truck dealerships in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia, Utah, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, and Oregon, as well as Canada. Penske Automotive Group, Inc. was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions. It also offers ProxyEdge, an electronic proxy delivery and voting solution; data-driven solutions and an end-to-end platform for content management, composition, and omni-channel distribution of regulatory, marketing, and transactional information, as well as mutual fund trade processing services; data and analytics solutions; solutions for public corporations and mutual funds; SEC filing and capital markets transaction services; registrar, stock transfer, and record-keeping services; and omni-channel customer communications solutions, as well as operates Broadridge Communications Cloud platform that creates, delivers, and manages communications and customer engagement activities. The company's Global Technology and Operations segment provides solutions that automate the front-to-back transaction lifecycle of equity, mutual fund, fixed income, foreign exchange and exchange-traded derivatives, order capture and execution, trade confirmation, margin, cash management, clearance and settlement, reference data management, reconciliations, securities financing and collateral management, asset servicing, compliance and regulatory reporting, portfolio accounting, and custody-related services. This segment also offers business process outsourcing services; technology solutions, such portfolio management, compliance, fee billing, and operational support solutions; and capital market and wealth management solutions. The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Lake Success, New York. EnerSys provides various stored energy solutions for industrial applications worldwide. It operates in three segments: Energy Systems, Motive Power, and Specialty. The company offers uninterruptible power systems applications for computer and computer-controlled systems, as well as telecommunications systems; switchgear and electrical control systems used in industrial facilities and electric utilities, large-scale energy storage, and energy pipelines; integrated power solutions and services to broadband, telecom, renewable, and industrial customers; and thermally managed cabinets and enclosures for electronic equipment and batteries. It also provides motive power products that are used to provide power for electric industrial forklifts used in manufacturing, warehousing, and other material handling applications. In addition, the company offers mining equipment, diesel locomotive starting, and other rail equipment. Further, it provides specialty batteries for starting, lighting, and ignition applications in transportation; and energy solutions for satellites, military aircraft, submarines, ships, and other tactical vehicles, as well as medical and security systems. Additionally, the company offers battery chargers, power equipment, battery accessories, and outdoor cabinet enclosures, as well as related after-market and customer-support services for industrial batteries. The company sells its products through a network of distributors, independent representatives, and internal sales forces. The company was formerly known as Yuasa, Inc. and changed its name to EnerSys in January 2001. EnerSys was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. Stepan Company, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells specialty and intermediate chemicals to other manufacturers for use in various end products. It operates through three segments: Surfactants, Polymers, and Specialty Products. The Surfactants segment offers surfactants that are used as principal ingredients in consumer and industrial cleaning products, including detergents for washing clothes, dishes, carpets, and floors and walls, as well as shampoos and body washes; and other applications, such as fabric softeners, germicidal quaternary compounds, disinfectants, and lubricating ingredients. Its surfactants are also used in various applications, including emulsifiers for spreading agricultural products; and industrial applications comprising latex systems, plastics, and composites. The Polymers segment provides polyurethane polyols that are used in the manufacture of rigid foam for thermal insulation in the construction industry, as well as a base raw material for coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers (CASE); polyester resins, including liquid and powdered products, which are used in CASE applications; and phthalic anhydride that is used in unsaturated polyester resins, alkyd resins, and plasticizers for applications in construction materials, as well as components of automotive, boating, and other consumer products. The Specialty Products segment offers flavors, emulsifiers, and solubilizers for use in food, flavoring, nutritional supplement, and pharmaceutical applications. It serves in the United States, France, Poland, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, and internationally. Stepan Company was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois. Summit Midstream Partners, LP focuses on owning, developing, and operating midstream energy infrastructure assets primarily shale formations in the continental United States. The company provides natural gas gathering, compression, treating, and processing services, as well as crude oil and produced water gathering services. Its unconventional resource basins include the Utica and Point Pleasant shale formations in southeastern Ohio; the Williston Basin that consists of the Bakken and Three Forks shale formations in northwestern North Dakota; the Denver-Julesburg Basin, which include the Niobrara and Codell shale formations in Colorado; the Permian Basin that comprise the Bone Spring and Wolfcamp shale formations in New Mexico; the Piceance Basin, which include the Mesaverde formation, and the Mancos and Niobrara shale formations in western Colorado; the Barnett Shale formation in north-central Texas; and the Marcellus Shale formation in northern West Virginia. The company also owns an ownership interest in Ohio Gathering, which owns and operates natural gas gathering and condensate stabilization facility in the Utica Shale in southeastern Ohio. It serves natural gas and crude oil producers. Summit Midstream GP, LLC operates as a general partner of the company. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. The Fight for $15 and self-rule Organizations such as Greater Birmingham Ministries have worked since the late 1990s to raise wages in the city. But it wasnt until Birminghams chapter of Fight for $15, called Raise Up for $15, got going in 2015 that they started to see action. The glue that held that together was the weight of the authenticity of the Fight for $15 workers, says Scott Douglas, executive director of Greater Birmingham Ministries. Raise Up for $15, SEIU and Greater Birmingham Ministries staged a number of rallies and demonstrations in support of a wage increase. In April 2015 the Birmingham City Council passed a resolution calling on the Alabama legislature to pass a statewide minimum wage of at least $10 an hour. The state never responded. As far as we can tell, they basically put that in the wastebasket, says Rouco. So activists targeted the city government, demanding it raise workers minimum wage to $10.10. Its a tactic thats increasingly taken root across the country, particularly as Congress has failed to raise the federal floor for eight years. Before 2012, only five localities had passed their own minimum wage laws. Today, 39 cities and counties have passed them, with 20 going as high as $15 an hour. At first, Birmingham lawmakers protested, arguing that they didnt have the legal authority to pass their own minimum wage. But nothing in the state constitution said they couldnt. Then the councilors voted to raise wagesfor themselves, lifting their base pay from $15,000 to $50,000. That lessened the resistance, says Douglas with a laugh. In August 2015, the council passed an ordinance to increase the wage floor to $10.10 within two years, making it the first city in the South to raise its minimum wage. Sherrette Spicer, a Raise Up for $15 organizer who works at a local Cracker Barrel, was outside the City Council when it happened. There were some moments of elation, she says. We were excited. Derrick Miller was one of the low-wage workers who stood to get a raise. At the time that the City Council passed the increase, he was working at Hardees, making $7.65 an hour. Miller, 36, has a smile that lights up his face and pushes up the apples of his cheeks toward his soft brown eyes. But his smile covers hardships. He has four children, ages 4 to 16. And hes always worked in jobs where he earned close to the minimum wage, making it a challenge to get by and provide for his kids. So when he found out that the City Council had passed the raise, he recalls, grinning, I tell everybody everything gonna be alright. Im telling my childrens mom everything gonna be alright now. He was looking forward to being able to afford a car on $10.10 an hoursomething he desperately needs, living far from mass transit. But the excitement in Birmingham didnt last. Derrick Miller was struggling to get by on $7.65 an hour when the $10.10 minimum passed. He recalls, I tell everybody everything gonna be alright, Im telling my childrens mom everything gonna be alright now. (Photo by Lynsey Weatherspoon) We started almost immediately to get rumors from the legislature that they gonna pass a bill to annul it, Douglas says. On the first day of the next legislative session, Feb. 9, 2016, a bill was introduced by Rep. David Faulkner (R), a white lawmaker who represents the wealthiest community in the state, which is over 96 percent white. Faulkners bill didnt just prevent future minimum wage increases by cities and counties. Nor did it halt at rolling back the victory in Birmingham. It said that only the state can regulate private employers wages and benefits, taking that power completely out of city and county governments hands. Faulkner, an attorney who represents Home Depot and has served on several local Chambers of Commerce, explained the bill as a response to an attack by labor unions coming in [and] getting cities to raise minimum wages. The bill made it from introduction to passage in 16 days. Frankly unprecedented, is how Rouco describes it. The only similar legislation the state had ever considered was a bill in 2013 prohibiting municipalities from regulating guns. This was far broader. The $10.10 minimum never saw the light of day. Miller found out what had happened to his pending raise while watching the news. It was a shock, just like a slap in the face, he says. He has yet to make $10.10 an hour. Instead, after traveling to join a mass Fight for $15 demonstration in front of McDonalds headquarters in Illinois, he was fired from Hardees, where he had worked for five years. (Hardees did not return a request for comment.) After that, everything changed, he says. When he talks about the next phase of his life, all traces of a smile fade from his face and he stares down at his lap. He and the mother of his children lost their house and had to move in with her mother. Between the stress of that transition and his struggle to find a new job, his partner ended the relationship after eight years and three kids together. She thought I was trying to, you know, sit around and not try to find a job, he says. That aint what it was. It was an incredibly difficult time. My grandmother like, You aint the same person, he recalls. It took him some time before he could laugh and joke and be [himself]. Today, he still lives with his grandmother in a home crowded with his grade-school trophies and class photos. After a year of unemployment, he got a new job working at McDonalds for $8 an hour. The pride he takes in his work is clear. Hes quick to boast of how well he handled the breakfast rush at Hardees. When he wasnt getting enough hours at McDonalds, he says, he started working harder, faster, learning how to do extra tasks. But he still struggles to get by on $8 an hour, even full time. I want to work, but I dont make no money, he says. You might be alright making $7.50 for yourself, but if you got children, oh lord. His dreams of going back to school to get a better-paying job still hinge on being able to afford a car. His grandmother, who is 81, has to drive him to and from work, and hes nervous about making her drive farther at night. He sees his kids on his days off, but its difficult without a car, and its never enough time. I dont want to be away from my family, he says. Miller is one of an estimated 40,000 workers who stood to benefit from Birminghams $10.10 minimum wage. Thats a big number in a city of about 210,000. A page from ALEC State legislators didnt come up with the idea of preemption all by themselves. After Colorado and Louisiana passed minimum wage preemption laws in the late 1990s, the American Legislative Exchange Councila corporate-backed conservative coalition funded by the likes of Exxon, Koch Industries and AT&T that spreads model legislation on its pet issuestook up the charge. In 2001, ALEC came up with what it calls the Living Wage Mandate Preemption Act. It was a template for states to block cities and counties from raising pay in their own communities. It didnt set a floor below which cities couldnt go; it set a ceiling based on state law. States took ALEC up on its idea, often in response to campaigns to raise wages in places such as Atlanta and San Antonio. Four states passed minimum wage preemption laws between 2002 and 2005. But activity mostly petered out after that. Then, in 2011, SEIU launched the Fight for $15, a nationwide campaign for $15 and a union. It made headlines with the first-ever fast food strike in 2012, a one-day action that has since been repeated in hundreds of cities across the country. Workers have convinced a number of city governments to take action on the minimum wage. But the movement to increase local wages coincided with conservative lawmakers seizing control of statehouses. In the 2010 midterm elections, Republicans won more than 680 seats, the most since 1938, taking complete control of government in 21 states. ALEC decided to make another push on preemption in 2013 and found a warm reception among Republican lawmakers in state legislatures and governorships. All of a sudden, we saw a slew of states deciding to pass preemption laws [that] looked very similar to its model bill, says Marni von Wilpert, associate labor counsel at the Economic Policy Institute. Between 2011 and 2013, 105 preemption bills undermining wages were introduced in statehouses, about two-thirds of which were sponsored or co-sponsored by legislators who were affiliated with ALEC. At least 25 states have now instituted laws that usurp city and county power to take action on their own minimum wages. More than half have passed since 2013. Five states joined the list in 2016 alone, with three more this year so far. And preemption laws are becoming both more expansive and more punitive. What weve seen is preemption on overdrive, says Lisa Graves, executive director of the Center for Media and Democracy. Its not just about the minimum wage anymore; states have blocked cities from taking action on issues such as paid sick leave, anti-discrimination rules, fracking, and even the regulation of plastic bags and e-cigarettes. States have also started enacting what anti-preemption advocates dub super preemption: legislation that allows state lawmakers to punish local governments for bills that conflict with state law. In some, such as Florida and Indiana, local officials can be held personally liable if they vote for laws and refuse to rescind them, including being sued, fined or removed from office. In others, such as Arizona, the state has threatened to strip cities of funding. Theres another innovation in the current wave of preemption laws: Some have been implemented after a city already raised its wage. In St. Louis, workers just had their pay increases taken away. Wanda Rogers works at a McDonalds in St. Louis. The 43-year-old lives in a two-bedroom apartment in low-income housing with her daughter and two grandchildren. She worries that her housing situation is hurting the children. We have to constantly watch for mice, because we have mice everywhere, starting to climb into the bed, she says. She wont let her grandchildren play outside because shes afraid of violence and crime. Yet she cant afford to move anywhere else; she can barely afford to keep this place. St. Louis $10 an hour minimum wage ordinance meant that McDonalds worker Wanda Miller no longer had to choose between paying rent, my gas and light [or] food. Then the state revoked it. (Photo by courtesy of Wanda Rogers) These worries began to melt away after her City Council implemented a minimum wage increase in 2015, which brought her pay from $7.70 to $10 an hour in May of this year. It was a great, great big help, she says. It gave me 200 more dollars on my check, which made me not have to decide how Im going to pay my bills or if Im going to pay my rent, my gas and light [or] food. But shes lost that raise, along with about 35,000 other St. Louis residents. The Missouri legislature passed a law earlier this year that blocks cities from increasing their minimum wages. It went into effect in August, lowering the wage floor in St. Louis back to $7.70 and reversing raises that employees had already gotten. Organizers came up with a new tactic to try to preserve the citys higher pay: a campaign called Save the Raise that pressures local employers to continue paying $10 an hour despite what the law says. So far 140 have signed on, including Casey Miller, who owns two restaurants and a record store with her husband. When youre a small business you cant go hide up in an office, she says. I couldnt take that money away from my employees and just keep coming around. Shes watched her 40 or so workers turn around and spend their wages in the neighborhood, bolstering sales for everyone. I feel like its good for business, its good for community, its good for my employees, she says. But big corporate employers such as McDonalds, where Rogers works, havent gotten on board. Well go back to struggling again, Rogers says. If I could keep my raise, that could help me get out of here. I wish people at the top making all this big money could come see my apartment, spend one night in my apartment, she adds. McDonalds did not respond to a request for comment. Cities may have few tools in their toolbox to undo passed state lawsputting a heavy emphasis on preventing them in the first place. A new initiative launched in January aims to coordinate efforts across the country: the Campaign to Defend Local Solutions, the brainchild of Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who was personally sued by the gun lobby for refusing to repeal a ban on shooting guns in public parks. We felt like there was a need for local elected officials and local governments around the country to push back against the trend of preemption, says Mike Alfano, the campaign manager. The folks pushing these preemption laws are so coordinated and coalesced that theres no other way to successfully slow it down or ultimately defeat it. The organization is focused on educating the public on this little-noticed trend, as well as supporting legal efforts against preemption. But it will take significant work to raise its profile enough to make an impact. The question is which moves these state electeds more: the money [from ALECs corporate interests] or the organizing and the shaming from workers and people in their communities? says Tsedeye Gebreselassie, a senior staff attorney at the National Employment Law Project. An answer is urgently needed. Reminders of the civil rights movement, which based many of its actions and strategy sessions in Birmingham, are scattered throughout the city. The A.G. Gaston motel, where Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders held their strategy sessions, is just a few blocks from the 16th St. Baptist Church, where a bomb planted by the KKK killed four young girls in 1963. Theyre also a reminder of the importance of legislative change for improving the well-being of people of color. In an era when the federal government is going through a phase of being nonresponsive and non-responsible, then there are going to be increasing efforts to win and defend victories at the local level, Douglas says. Everyone is still waiting to see whether local democracy can prevail. Bryce Covert is an independent journalist writing about the economy. She is a contributing op-ed writer at the New York Times, has written for The New Republic, The Nation, the Washington Post, The New York Daily News, New York magazine and Slate, and has appeared on ABC, CBS, MSNBC and NPR. She won a 2016 Exceptional Merit in Media Award from the National Womens Political Caucus. Google has been in the automobile industry for a while now. The internet giant has dabbled with cars for almost a decade, but not until the recent years have its efforts been truly noticed, talked about and even had a major impact on the rest of the industry. In fact, Google is now addressed as one of the very first movers in a segment that is expected to lead automobile innovation in the coming years, and that is owing to this one particular crazy experiment. The Google Self-Driving Car Project Quite aptly referred to as Project Chauffeur, the Google Self-Driving Car Project begun way back in 2009, with only one goal in sight building a completely autonomous car by 2020. The idea was to build one prototype that would be able to successfully drive itself across real-life scenarios, and then replicate the technology en masse. How it all began Google chose Stanford University professor Sebastian Thrun to head this project. Interestingly, Thrun was working on making cars drive themselves for a while, and had won the $2 million grand prize of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge in 2005. He led a team of Stanford students and faculty to built Stanley a robot car based on a 2004 Volkswagen Touareg R5 TDI, fitted with an Intel-powered six-processor computing platform, and a host of actuators and sensors. Aiding the Stanley robot car across nearly 230 kilometres through the Mojave desert were experts from The Volkswagen of America, Intel Research and others. It is this expertise, along with the basic formula of using peripheral imagery and feeding it to onboard computers to make a car drive itself, that Thrun brought to Google. In 2009, the Google Self-Driving Car Project began with other notable engineers like Chris Urmson (who won the same DARPA Challenge in 2007) and Anthony Levandowski, who has more recently been the centre of the Uber v. Google controversy. Alongside Thrun, Levandowski has been one of the key first innovators in the autonomous vehicle space. He founded two companies that were later acquired by Google 510 Systems and Anthonys Robots. While the former worked on Lidar modules, which as we know now are crucial for self-driving cars, the latter was focused on getting an actual self-maneuvering car on public roads. Levandowski used a Toyota Prius, calling it Pribot, and fitted it with a Lidar unit and other technology that he himself was working on, and succeeded in putting out a trial on public terrain. Googles first self-driving car, the Toyota Prius The Pribot, while not belonging to Google, can be hailed as the first indirect predecessor to Googles eventual self-driving efforts. The company brought Thrun, Levandowski and 13 other engineers together to form a team, and got a fleet of six Toyota Prius and one Audi TT as the test rig. Along with Lidar modules, each of these vehicles included cameras, imaging sensors, an onboard computer circuit and necessary signal processors and algorithms that would automate customised levers to operate acceleration, braking and steering the three key functions. The initial goal was to drive 10 separate 100-kilometre stretches without accidents and interruptions, in full autonomous mode. Needless to say, this got the ball rolling more than successfully, and laid the foundation for other technology and automobile companies to follow. Fun fact: It is this experiment that opened a new job designation at Google, that of a driver with perfect driving records. The company, now an independent entity Waymo parented by Alphabet, continues to hire for this designation even today. On-road success, and Firefly Beginning with the first Toyota Prius vehicles, Googles on-road self-driving experiments gradually turned into success. This was a gradual process, and one that saw Google constantly evolve its technology. The company further added three Lexus RX450h crossovers to its fleet, cars which would soon become immediately identifiable with Google. One big milestone was the licensing of the first autonomous vehicle in history, when one of Googles self-drive Toyota Prius cars was registered in Nevada, where it was testing its cars. The pattern chosen for identifying self-driving cars was a red background, with the infinity symbol to the left of the number plate, denoting one for the future. Simultaneously, it is Googles efforts in the autonomous vehicle space that first sparked off the legal debates. While it primarily originated in USA, the context was to adjust rules pertaining to Artificial Intelligence taking over. All driving rules, pretty much all over the world, have required the compulsory presence of a human in sound mental and physical condition behind a steering wheel. Now, with the need for steering wheel in question and drivers set to become mere passengers, the lawmakers called for discussions to revise laws pertaining to autonomous cars. Regional implementation of laws surrounding autonomous cars were first facilitated by Google, beginning with the state of Nevada. Other states in the USA that now permit autonomous vehicle testing on public roads include Florida, California, Michigan and Texas. The laws have, for now, made the presence of a human imperative in any self-driven car. The person behind the wheel must also be in sound condition, and be able to intervene into the systems and take charge of the autonomous car whenever necessary. As a result, the person is also required to remain alert to his surroundings. Waymos flagbearer - the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid The on-road success has seen Google notch up over two million reported miles, making it the most experienced company so far when it comes to on-road autonomous driving. The company has since replaced its existing fleet of test cars with 23 Lexus SUVs, and more recently, struck a deal for 100 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to test autonomous, ride-sharing journeys on road in Phoenix, Arizona. Through all this, Google also built its own car, and killed it too. The Firefly was shown in its prototype form in May 2014, and it was unlike anything that we had seen before. It looked affable, was shaped like a pod, and only had two seats inside its cabin no steering wheel, no pedals, nothing. It was launched by 2015, and was fitted with a beacon-like Velodyne 64 Lidar unit that provided a high definition, precise map of the surroundings to the cars computers. That, along with the onboard cameras, sensors and computers, helped it gauge its way around without any possible human interference. Firefly is particularly important for four reasons. One it was the first car that Google really built for itself, in association with a few other companies of course. It stands as Googles first car that was used to show the fruits of its alleged $1.1 billion investment in the segment till now, over eight years. Two it not only became the face of Googles self-driving efforts, but of all autonomous car efforts worldwide. Three it gave the worlds first truly autonomous ride on public roads to a common citizen, when Steve Mahan, a legally blind person, was taken around without any supervision at all. And finally, it is the short-lived Firefly on which Google spun off its self-driving car project to Waymo a completely independent entity under its parent, Alphabet. Waymo, and the way forward With most of the brunt work of establishment achieved, Waymos present task is to teach the intricate bits to its cars. The company has initiated the ride-sharing model with its Pacifica minivans, has bid goodbye to the Firefly, which served as a noble prototype for testing, and is now engaged in making the cars practical outside of the pre-mapped, controlled roads. Waymos objective is to make its cars viable across all roads, where they would be able to identify minor obstacles from major ones, realise manual traffic alerts a-la police officers, and iron out these glitches from the software. Of the 15 accidents that Google (and Waymo) have been involved in, the other human drivers were at fault for 14 out of the 15 times. For the solitary mistake that its cars have made, it mistook sandbags as obstacles that needed to be avoided, and veered off course to bump into a bus that was passing on its side lane. Waymo will also intend to refine the design of these cars, and find a way to retrofit the Lidar and other sensors in a way as to not disrupt the visual appeal of our future vehicle. In short, Waymo now has all the hardware it needs for the autonomous cars. All it needs now, is the perfect software. Android Auto It is in search of this perfect software that Android Auto came into being. While self-driving cars are certainly much more exciting and challenging, the need to provide a familiar infotainment interface for the millions of Android smartphone users worldwide became a compelling case for Google. Googles most successful auto effort so far At I/O 2014, Google announced Android Auto as a simplified, ergonomic interface for drivers to access connected applications via a cars infotainment system. A few months earlier, at the Consumer Electronics Show 2014, Google announced the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA) yet another consortium that would indicate the nature of collaborative alliances that have now become common in the automobile space. The OAA is a group of companies that aim to use Android as the platform of operation within cars, not just for infotainment. This alliance suggests the use of Android OS as the core platform on which car systems can be built, and have their own suite of connectivity options and apps. This, in turn, will facilitate phone-free usage of car systems, which till now have been heavily reliant on phones. The OAA has Nvidia as the prime chip provider, and Google as the software maker, with a wide range of notable car makers and in-car system manufacturers listed as partners. Nevertheless, the first leg of the OAAs mission has been to establish Android Auto as a de facto infotainment standard in cars, and to an extent, it has managed to strike a balance between form and functionality, although not without compromises. First introduced with Android Lollipop (v5.0), Android Auto presents a familiar Android interface with floating cards that provide information, and can be operated via touch, physical control buttons on the cars dash, or voice. It also integrates the Google Assistant voice assistant that allows users to feed navigational information, make calls, change songs and more. Application support has been Android Autos greatest strength, and along with Google Maps, Play Music, Android Auto supports a host of third party applications like WhatsApp, Spotify and more. For a more detailed analysis of Android Auto, and how it fares against Apple CarPlay, click here. Android in Cars The next step, seeing that Android Auto is almost nearing maturity, is to present systems that run directly on Android OS. These systems will benefit from the rising connected car telematics, wherein in the car itself integrates data connectivity into its system, and the system functions pretty much like an independent smartphone. Your future car will run on electricity and Android As a result, a user can leave their phone behind, and still get all call and message prompts on his car system, as long as the accounts are synced. Alongside, the system will integrate all car dynamics, mechanical data, sub-systems (air conditioning, seat adjustments, etc.) along with an app store, and live GPS data, to aid cross-car connectivity. In functionality, Android in cars is similar to the likes of Automotive Grade Linux, which also aims to provide an open source platform for automobile manufacturers to collaborate and build on. Having a common software platform helps in tackling security threats, and also build application support. As of now, the likes of Volvo and Audi have partnered with Google in this space. While Google has enjoyed a head start in the autonomous car space, and even with its system-on-interface car system Android Auto, it is seemingly yet another contestant in the connected car race. Despite being one of the most successful with its prototype tests, Google is still tangibly far from introducing a driverless car running on its technology. All of this brings up one point, where Google, despite practically being the forefather of sorts for connected car technology, has not yet managed to deliver sound end products yet (apart from Android Auto, which also has many areas to improve on). The next three years will be crucial in this space, and by 2020, we at least expect to see Waymo open an autonomous ride sharing service, and Googles Android interface in cars becoming increasingly commonplace. For more details on Android in cars, click here. HTC U11 Plus will be Taiwan-based company's first smartphone to feature a bezel-less design. The handset is expected to launch alongside mid-range U11 Life with Edge Sense feature. HTC is hosting an event on November 2 where it is expected to launch its next flagship smartphone alongside a cheaper variant in the U series. The Taiwanese smartphone maker is expected to launch the flagship U11 Plus smartphone and the mid-range U11 Life at the event. There have been multiple leaks leading up to the launch invite revealing the details of the two devices and now we have more information about both the smartphones. The HTC U11 Plus will be the flagship handset that the company believes will resurrect it's declining prospects in the premium smartphone segment. The smartphone has made its way through China's TENAA revealing the design and complete specifications. HTC U11 Plus will be the first smartphone from the company to feature new bezel-less design, already adopted by its peers including Samsung, Apple, LG and even Xiaomi. The smartphone will sport a 6-inch WQHD+ IPS LCD display and will come in two variants: 4GB RAM with 64GB storage and 6GB RAM with 128GB storage. As far as the camera is concerned, the U11 Plus is expected to sport a single 12MP rear camera with f/1.7 aperture and dual-LED flash and an 8MP front camera. The handset is expected to be 9.2mm thick and pack a 3930mAh battery. Other features include IP68 water resistance, Edge Sense and BoomSound support. HTC U11 Life, on the other hand, is also expected to debut on November 2 with mid-range specifications. The handset has passed through GeekBench revealing 3GB RAM, Snapdragon 660 chipset and Android 7.1.1 operating system in the process. The U11 Life is expected to sport a 5.2-inch display and sport a 16MP front and dual rear camera. The smartphone is expected to pack a 2600mAh battery. HTC U11 Life is also rumoured to be the first smartphone from the company to embrace Android One. The company is expected to join Google as the third major Android One partner after Xiaomi and Motorola. The smartphone is expected to support Edge Sense, USonic and IP67 water and dust resistance. HTC recently sold part of its engineering division to Google for $1.1 billion raising questions about company's future in the smartphone business. However, HTC is not giving up on making smartphones just yet and on November 2, the Taiwanese tech giant could detail its future plans alongside the launch of new smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy J7 started emitting smoke 15 minutes in-flight. The crew had to put the smartphone into water as the fire extinguishers were not working. A Samsung Galaxy J7 smartphone reportedly caught fire on a Delhi-Indore flight on October 20. The smartphone belonged to a Delhi resident, Arpita Dhal. According to a report by Hindustan Times, the smartphone was kept in her handbag which was placed under her seat. About 15 minutes into the flight, Dhal noticed smoke rising from her handbag and called the cabin crew for help. The Galaxy J7 was kept along with three other smartphones in the bag. The fire extinguishers onboard were not working and the flight crew decided to dump the phone in water to stop the fire. As a precaution, other two phones were also submerged in a water-filled tray. A spokesperson for Jet Airways said that the device has been confiscated and will be returned after a complete investigation. Jet Airways crew immediately took charge of the situation, as also all necessary steps as precautionary measure, and as per the prescribed guidelines, the spokesperson told Hindustan Times. A Samsung India spokesperson said, We are in touch with relevant authorities for more information. At Samsung, customer safety is top priority. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was banned in flights after it caught fire on a Singapore-India bound flight. The smartphone was reported to be the cause of 35 similar global incidences and after their investigations, the company said that it was an issue with its battery cell. The company had to recall 2.5 million Note 7 smartphones sold to customers worldwide. The British oil and gas company, Doriemus, was informed about the UK government's final approval for its Field Development Plan Addendum at the Brockham Oil Field. Operators of the oil field told Doriemus that the UK Government's Oil and Gas Authority granted it final permission to carry out development plans at the Brockham Oil Field, in which Doriemus owns a 10% direct interest. Final regulatory consent was now needed from the authority in order to begin production from the Kimmeridge layers in well BR-X4Z, the company said. David Lenigas, Doriemus's executive chairman, commented: "This is excellent news for the Brockham Oil Field. We at Doriemus now have a great deal of activity happening at both our Brockham and Lidsey Oil Fields and will soon be conducting the extended well testing programme at the Horse Hill -1 "Gatwick Gusher" well as announced last week." Georgia Healthcare Group declared on Monday that its pharma business had acquired the international private label brand- "Attirance", in line with the company's strategy to accumulate the share of private label products in its pharmacies and increasing its retail margin in the process. The "Attirance" brand, specialising in natural cosmetics and personal care products, had developed over 400 of its original products and recipes, according to the company. Nikoloz Gamkrelidze, CEO of Georgia Healthcare Group, said:"I am very pleased to have made further progress towards delivering our strategy in the pharma business by adding private label Parapharmacy to our broad range of products. The acquisition will enable us to present private label personal care products in our pharmacies from 2018, further improving our margins and profitability. It also further enhances our position as the market leader in this segment." Catalan president Carles Puigdemont may travel to Madrid to argue against the central government's stated intent to implement article 155 of the Spanish constitution, which it was expected would see the region's autonomy partially 'intervened' until fresh elections were held. According to local daily La Vanguardia, Puigdemont was planning to speak the Spanish Senate's committee which had been created to study the central government's proposals to trigger article 155. Another option being evaluated would be for the Catalan leader to address the Senate directly. However, the exact timing was still 'up in the air' with Puigdemont alleging conflicts in timing due to Monday's decision by regional leaders to hold their own plenary session of the regional parliament next Thursday. Hence, the two options now under discussion were on Thursday at 1600 BST or on Friday morning. Car dealership Pendragon warned on Monday that full-year profit will be hit by weaker new car demand and pricing on used cars, as it announced that chairman Mel Egglenton has stepped down with immediate effect. The company said it now expects pre-tax profit of 60m in 2017 against previous expectations of around 75m, but sees a return to profit growth in 2018. Chief executive Trevor Finn said: Following a strategic review, the board is now committed to focussing on reshaping the business to accelerate transformation. We are placing our software and online technologies at the heart of our business as a platform to fulfil customers' vehicle and servicing needs. We believe this strategy will provide more reliable and sustainable returns. Pendragon remains committed to its strategic goal to double used car revenue over the five years to 2021 and in order to maintain growth in its used car and aftersales business it will continue to invest in capacity across the UK in both of these areas. Meanwhile, it is conducting a strategic review of the premium brands to evaluate by manufacturer the investment appeal of their franchise proposition. In addition, it will review capital requirements by manufacturer and only allocate capital where it sees strong future prospects for reliable returns. Pendragon expects the new car market to continue to decline this year and during the first half of next year as car manufacturers adjust to the reduced level of demand for new cars. Nevertheless, it said its business is underpinned by stable aftersales profitability and it expects its used car volumes to continue to grow. The group said revenue grew by 3.7% in the three months to the end of September on a like-for-like basis. The company also said that chairman Egglenton was leaving for personal reasons, with Chris Chambers, a non-executive director since January 2013 and the senior independent director since November 2014, appointed as chairman. Spreadex analyst Connor Campbell said: "Its the latest sign of retail-woe in the UK, especially among companies dealing with big ticket items, as the household spending squeeze continues." At 0815 BST, the shares were down 18% to 23.91p. Ghana Seeks to End Chaining of 'Mad' People Published: 2017-10-23 Author: Modern Ghana | Contact: modernghana.com Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A Additional References: Library of African Disability News Publications Synopsis: It is time for the Ghana government to invest in mental health services, so people with psychosocial disabilities can get support, instead of ending up in shackles. Making the announcement during the commemoration of Mental Health Day, the head of the MHA stated that "the country's ban on shackling - is in place since 2012 - will finally be properly enforced." advertisements Main Digest Making the announcement during the commemoration of Mental Health Day, the head of the MHA stated that "the country's ban on shackling - is in place since 2012 - will finally be properly enforced." Citing an example, he mentioned that the MHA oversaw the release of more than a dozen people with disabilities who were chained in Nyakumasi Prayer Camp in the Central Region in July this year. Peter Yaro, Executive Director of BasicNeeds, a mental health non-governmental organisation, in a statement to mark the day disclosed that "people in Ghana resort to shackling people with psychosocial disabilities because they see no alternatives." "It's now been five years since the passage of the Mental Health Act and it is high time for the government to invest in community-based mental health services, so people with psychosocial disabilities can get the support they want, instead of ending up in shackles," Peter Yaro said. The issue with mental disabilities in Ghana is highly prevalent. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately three percent of Ghana's 28.2 million people suffer severe mental disorders, and 10 percent suffer from mild to moderate mental disorders. These mild disorders include anxiety disorders and depression, two very curable cases. In Ghana, mental health conditions are perceived to have a spiritual basis, thus, sending many individuals to prayer camps and other faith-based healing options to get treated, yet studies show that the prayer camps are laden with ill-treatment and degrading living conditions for the mentally ill. The Coalition on Non-Governmental Organisations in Mental Health, adding their voice, demanded that people with mental health conditions in Ghana should no longer be subjected to inhumane treatment. Instead, they suggested to government to ensure that people with psycho-social disabilities are treated with dignity and be made to live full and independent lives. They called for more programmes to combat the stigma associated with mental health, especially at workplaces. 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Retrieved November 15, 2022 from www.disabled-world.com/news/africa/mad.php Permalink: Ghana Seeks to End Chaining of 'Mad' People [October 23, 2017] Institute of Human Virology Hosts 19th Annual International Meeting of Top Medical Virus Researchers in Baltimore, Maryland The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine today commenced IHV's 19th Annual International Meeting, which will be held through Thursday, October, 26 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. IHV's Annual International Meeting attracts hundreds of elite scientists who descend upon Baltimore to share ideas and inspire medical virus research collaborations. "Our meeting is designed to highlight cutting-edge science and provide a rare platform for provocative discussion," said Robert C. Gallo, MD, The Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine, Director, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, who is most widely known for his co-discovery of HIV as the cause of AIDS and, along with his coworkers, for the development of the HIV blood test. "This year's meeting has more emphasis on cancer from the aspects of infectious agents to advances in cancer therapies, and there will be a special symposium on advances in viral diagnostics to analyze recent progress made in the field." The meeting program's organization was led by Man Charurat, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine. In addition to emerging concepts i cancer therapy, cancer and stem cells, infectious agents and cancer, and viral diagnostics, the meeting will include intense discussions on HIV "cure" research, preventative and therapeutic vaccines, immunology and viral pathogenesis, public health science and responses on a global and local level, and clinical virology. Global health representatives from around the world including, among others, Isaac Adewole, FAS, The Honorable Minister of Health from Nigeria, Anthony Fauci, MD, Director, U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and, John Martin, PhD, Executive Chairman, Gilead Sciences, will focus on translating laboratory discoveries into public health practice. During a gala held Wednesday, October 25, the 2017 IHV Lifetime Achievement Awardees, who are nominated and voted upon by IHV faculty, will be honored. The 2017 IHV Lifetime Achievement for Scientific Contributions will be awarded to Peter Palese, PhD, Professor & Chair of Microbiology, Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Center of Excellence, Global Virus Network (GVN), Member, IHV Board of Advisors. "When I think of the greatest virologists in the world who are making the most important contributions to translational medical research while concomitantly being on the top of fundamental research on viruses, Dr. Palese is always in the top few, if not the top of that list," said Dr. Gallo. "It is an honor for me to honor him for his fundamental studies in the biology of human viruses that cause serious disease and epidemics, most notably the influenza virus." The 2017 IHV Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service will be awarded to Quarraisha Abdool Karim, PhD, Associate Scientific Director, Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Adjunct Professor in Public Health, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Salim Abdool Karim, MBChB, PhD, DSc, Director & Professor for Global Health Department of Epidemiology, Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. "To me, both of these renowned individuals have made some of the greatest contributions in the history of HIV/AIDS in public health and epidemiology relevant to prevention and care of infected people," said Dr. Gallo. "I don't know any person or persons who have done more to advance the proper care of people with HIV infection or the prevention of HIV infection among a population." In 1996, Dr. Gallo co-founded the IHV with colleagues Robert Redfield, MD, The Robert C. Gallo, MD Endowed Professorship in Translational Medicine, Associate Director, Director of the Division of Clinical Care and Research, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine and William Blattner, MD, who is retired since January 2016 and a Member of the IHV Board of Advisors. Since its founding, the Baltimore-based Institute faculty and staff have grown from 50 to more than 300, and the Institute's patient base has grown from just 200 patients to currently nearly 20,000 in Baltimore and Washington, DC, and more than 1,000,000 in 10 African and 2 Caribbean nations since 2004. IHV is also internationally renowned for its basic science research, which includes the search for a functional HIV "cure" and a promising preventive HIV vaccine funded largely by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and, in part, by others including NIAID. For more information, visit www.ihv.org and follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @IHVmeeting and #IHVmeeting. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023005169/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 23, 2017] Redrock Biometrics Announces Availability of PalmID, Featuring Enrollment Portability, High-Performance, Secure Authentication Redrock Biometrics, an innovator in biometric solutions, today announced commercial availability of PalmID, the first market-ready, and secure, palm-based biometric authentication solution. PalmID features enrollment portability - when users enroll with PalmID on one device, they are automatically enrolled on other devices with PalmID installed. Redrock has also joined the Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator program to speed development of its advanced palm-based solution targeted to a wide range of industries including payments, banking, and e-commerce. Redrock Biometrics will work closely with Wells Fargo (News - Alert) business and technology leaders through the program, exploring use cases and experimenting with the PalmID biometric solution, an alternative to passwords and PINs. "The Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator is always on the lookout for companies that can help advance convenience and security for our customers alongside a beautiful user experience," said Bipin Sahni, head of Innovation Research & Development for the Wells Fargo Innovation Group. "We see numerous applications for PalmID biometric authentication in payments, banking, and other financial institutions. We are excited to collaborate with Redrock Biometrics on new ways to keep critical information safe and secure." According to a recent report from Risk Based Security, more than 4.2 billion user credentials and passwords were stolen in 2016, with approximately 95 passwords stolen every second.1 Forrester (News - Alert) estimates that account takeover causes at least $6.5 - $7 billion in annual losses across a broad range of industries including financial services, insurance, e-commerce, and healthcare.2 PalmID is the first enrollment-portable biometrics solution that is commercially available. PalmID SDK is available for sign-in authentication for Windows, Android (News - Alert), iOS, Mac OS, and Linux, as well as configurable for stand-alone and client-server architectures. It can be integrated into any device with an RGB or IR camera and CPU. End use applications include point-of-sale systems and ATMs, as well as consumer electronics, AR/VR, medical equipment, IOT and automotive. With a simple wave of the hand, PalmID converts the palm image into a unique signature and authenticates the user in 10-100 milliseconds depending on CPU speed. The Palm ID Capture Module uses sophisticated machine vision techniques to detect the palm in a video stream and pass its descriptor for enrollment or verification. The PalmID Matching Module can run server side or locally and matches the verification request against the enrollment template, using proprietary algorithms extensively tested against tens of thousands of palms. "Palm-based biometrics are an ideal authentication solution for the payments, banking and e-commerce markets due to ease of deployment by POS providers, consumer electronics and ATM manufacturers, as well as ease of use by consumers," said Hua Yang, Cofounder and CEO of Redrock Biometrics. "The portability feature designed into PalmID is likely to increase consumer acceptance of biometrics as an authentication solution." Interested in connecting with Redrock Biometrics at Money20/20? Contact us at [email protected] or visit our kiosk # K64 to see a live demo of the newly released PalmID solution. About Redrock Biometrics Redrock Biometrics, Inc. is the creator of PalmID, a patented palm-based authentication software development kit and platform. PalmID is the first commercially-available solution combining high-performance, secure, contactless and affordable biometrics for virtually any device with a camera - with enrollment portability - the ability for users to enroll with PalmID once and be automatically enrolled across all devices with PalmID installed. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in San Francisco. To learn more about Redrock Biometrics or request a demo visit: www.redrockbiometrics.com. 1 https://www.riskbasedsecurity.com/2017/01/2016-reported-data-breaches-expose-over-4-billion-records/ 2 https://reprints.forrester.com/#/assets/2/73/'RES121265'/reports View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171023005188/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] BEIJING The Chinese Environmental Bureau says it has penalised tens of thousands of manufacturing factories in the country, after surprise, recent inspections from local authorities that have reportedly caught textile firms and other manufacturing sectors off guard. Its reported that Chinas Ministry for Environment, inspections have taken place in 10 provinces and around 80,000 factories have been either fined, criminally charged or officially reprimanded by the government. The grisly video above shows a coho salmon struggling to survive in polluted stormwater runoff on the Duwamish River in Washington. This contaminated waterfilled with oil from cars, pesticides, dirt and debriscan kill this particular species of Pacific salmon in hours, according to Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, which posted the clip on Oct. 21. Sadly, it appears that this fish is one of many coho salmon in the Puget Sound Basin that have died, and will continue to die, from this man-made tragedy. A new study, published in the Ecological Society of Americas journal Ecological Applications, has found that contaminants in stormwater runoff from the regional transportation grid likely caused these mortality events. Further, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to reverse historical coho declines without addressing the toxic pollution dimension of freshwater habitats, the authors note. Stormwater runoff comes from rain that falls on streets, parking areas and other developed land and flows directly into waterways. As it flows, the water can collect a potentially toxic cocktail of oil, grease, animal waste, litter, pesticides, fertilizers and other potential pollutants. The new analysis was compiled by researchers at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle along with collaborators at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, local tribes and the Wild Fish Conservancy. For the study, researchers surveyed coho mortality rates at 51 spawning sites in Puget Sound and were able to positively link die-offs to increased road density and traffic intensity, among other variables. Citing the study, the Herald Net wrote, The results show that in an estimated 40 percent of their range in the Puget Sound Basin, 10 to 40 percent of coho salmon die before they can even spawn because of pollution. Earlier experiments have also found that coho salmon swimming in untreated stormwater experienced 100 percent mortality, while coho swimming in stormwater filtered by soil, bark chips and gravel survived. The team was able to generate a predictive mortality risk map for the entire Puget Sound Basin. It can be extremely useful for urban planning to know that if you develop this area and in an old-school way you are going to take out a lot of coho, Blake Feist, lead author on the paper, told The Seattle Times. We have to act now, said Jay Davis, an environmental toxicologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who coordinated field research for the study. Davis told the Washington Post that the coho population could crash in as little as six years. Incidentally, coho is the only one out of the five salmon specieschinook, sockeye, pink and chumthat is experiencing this rate of mortality, a great mystery that we are working on, Nat Scholz, NOAA research zoologist, told the Washington Post. The solution could lie in green infrastructure and similar clean water strategies could prove most useful for promoting species conservation and recovery, the authors note. Puget Soundkeeper Alliance also suggested that smarter development of land and on-site filtering of stormwater, which helps control both pollution and flooding. As it happens, four species of coho salmon are protected under the Endangered Species Act throughout the West Coast, including the Lower Columbia River (threatened), Oregon Coast (threatened), Southern Oregon and Northern California Coasts (threatened), and Central California Coast (endangered). Elsewhere, the Central California Coast coho salmononce plentiful in local rivers and streamsis now living on the edge as it faces challenges such as multiyear droughts and the increased presence of fine sediment, rocks and fallen trees from damming and logging activities, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. And as Mongabay reports, northwest salmon fisheries have been struggling due to warming oceans and overdeveloped, dammed and silted spawning rivers and streams. While federally funded local, state and tribal programs administered by NOAA have helped declining salmon fisheries, President Trumps 2018 budget would cut all those programs. For now, Congress has restored them. You can learn more about the threat of toxic runoff and how you can help here. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt has been noted for taking unusual steps to operate with extreme caution at the jobincluding the installation of a $25,000 soundproof communications booth and contravening a bi-partisan EPA transparency practice of keeping his schedule secret. Now, CNN reports, the EPA is expanding Pruitts security detail with an additional 12 agents, meaning his total security fleet stands at 30 bodyguards. This will cost the department $2 million a year in salaries alone and does not include training, equipment or travel. Meanwhile, President Trumps budget blueprint would cut the EPAs funds by more than 30 percent. Before the new hires, Pruitts security detail had already demanded triple the manpower of his predecessors and is forcing officials to rotate in special agents from around the country who otherwise would be investigating environmental crimes, the Washington Post reported last month. No other administrator has needed 24/7 security but Pruitt has reportedly received more death threats than any other EPA chief. The inspector general said the office has launched investigations into more than 70 such threats. We have at least four timesfour to five times the number of threats against Mr. Pruitt than we had against Ms. McCarthy, said assistant inspector general Patrick Sullivan, referring to President Obamas EPA administrator, Gina McCarthy. The EPA is a lightning rod. We get threats from both sides of the spectrum, Sullivan told CNN. Some people believe the EPA is not doing enough to enforce environmental laws, and theyre upset about that. Other people think the EPA is doing too much, vis-a-vis enforcing environmental laws and theyre upset about that. However, eyebrows are raising over Pruitts questionable use of taxpayer money. In August, the inspector general launched a preliminary investigation into Pruitts frequent trips back to his home state of Oklahoma at taxpayer expense following congressional requests. Airfare for these trips reportedly cost more than $12,000. Ever since Scott Pruitt took the helm of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), he has worked to undo decades of hard-fought climate protections, denied that carbon dioxide is a primary contributor to climate change, and even removed mentions of the term climate change from agency websites. Now, the agency has canceled the speaking appearances of three of its scientists to discuss the topic at a conference in Rhode Island on Monday, highlighting widespread concern that the EPA will silence scientists from speaking publicly on climate change, the New York Times reported Sunday. EPA research ecologist Autumn Oczkowski, EPA postdoctoral fellow Rose Martin and EPA consultant Emily Shumchenia were scheduled to speak at the State of the Narragansett Bay and Watersheda conference timed with the release of a 400-page report on the state of the watershed and estuary. Oczkowski was due to give the keynote speech. Martin and Shumchenia were due to speak on a panel about the biological implications of climate change. The scientists also contributed substantial material to the report, which features findings on how climate change affects the areas air and water temperatures, precipitation, sea level and fish. Tom Borden, program director for the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, confirmed that the EPA canceled the appearances and said that no other agency staff or affiliates will speak at the event. I was not really provided with a clear explanation, Borden said. The Narragansett Bay Estuary Program is one of 28 state-based estuary programs funded by the EPA. The agency provides about $600,000 annually to the Narragansett Bay program. Pruitt, however, plans to eliminate the national program in his 2018 proposed budget. Its definitely a blatant example of the scientific censorship we all suspected was going to start being enforced at EPA, said John King, who also works on the program. They dont believe in climate change, so I think what theyre trying to do is stifle discussions of the impacts of climate change. Jack Reed, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, also tweeted: Muzzling #EPA scientists wont do anything to address #climatechange. We need well-informed policy & action. But EPA spokesperson John Konkus wrote in an email to Washington Post that EPA scientists are attending, they simply are not presenting, it is not an EPA conference. The Post also reported that at least one senior regional EPA official will attend the event. By Steve Horn U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) have introduced a bill to fast-track the regulatory process for the export of small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG). The bill, titled Small Scale LNG Access Act, was introduced on Oct. 18 and calls for amending the Natural Gas Act to expedite approval of exports of small volumes of natural gas. The proposed legislation follows in the footsteps of the U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) proposed rule which would assume that all U.S. small-scale exports of LNG, with the gas mostly obtained via hydraulic fracturing (fracking), is in the public interest as defined by the Natural Gas Act. The public commenting period for the DOEs proposed small-scale LNG rule ended on Oct. 16, with 81 comments posted on Regulations.gov. DOE, alongside the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), oversees the regulatory process for LNG exports and the industry has long complained that the process is too onerous. On Oct. 5, Cassidy, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) also wrote a letter to U.S. Energy Sec. Rick Perry in support of the proposed rule. We write in support of the Department of Energys (DOE) proposed rule to expedite the approval of small-scale exports of natural gas, they wrote. We appreciate this proposal and the series of steps the Department has taken to decrease burdensome regulations and increase the United States energy security. The current permitting process for LNG export facilities is expensive, and small-scale projects often are not cost effective under current conditions. The Rubio-Cassidy bill also calls for small-scale LNG exports to be considered by default in the public interest, as defined in Section 3(c) of the Natural Gas Act. Nothing Small Scale Small-scale LNG does not refer necessarily to the actual amount of LNG which will be exported from the site, but rather the size of the tankers carrying the natural gas. Meg Gentle, CEO of Tellurian, said so herself in a March interview. So people have started talking about small-scale and mid-scale and weve sort of chuckled at that. As you would imagine, there is nothing small scale about LNG, Gentle said. Its just making the refrigerator component itself a little bit more modular, repeatable and standardized. But were still using the largest [General Electric] turbines, the largest storage tanks ever built. In June, Cassidy also introduced the License Natural Gas (LNG) Now Act, which calls for expedited permitting for conventional large-scale LNG export projects. On the U.S. House side, Cassidys bill was introduced by U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), whose district sits in a major planned hub for the LNG industry. Rubio and Cassidy both represent states which have companies interested in jump-starting the so-called small-scale LNG business. For Rubio, the company Eagle LNG has plans to export LNG from a small-scale facility in Jacksonville, Florida and Carib Energy intends to export LNG from Martin County, Florida. Cassidys state, meanwhile, is home to Chenieres Sabine Pass LNG terminal and Tellurians planned Driftwood LNG site. Exxon, Koch Connection In January, Eagle LNG received DOE authorization to export small-scale LNG from its site in Maxville, Florida, in September. Eagle LNG is owned by Ferus, Inc. and financed by Energy & Minerals Group. John Raymond, son of former ExxonMobil CEO Lee Raymond, serves as the CEO and co-founder of the Energy & Minerals Group. Lee Raymond also serves as a senior partner at the firm. As a streamlined and nimble operation, were able to respond quickly to the changing tides within the industry and swiftly develop solutions to any challenge, but the valuable resources and years of experience that Ferus holds give us the ability to turn our visions into realities, Eagle LNG explained of its business model. Combining the know-how of the Ferus group of companies with the financial strength and commitment of our sponsor, the Energy & Minerals Group, Eagle LNG is unmatched in its capability to provide solutions to clients considering LNG for fueling and small-scale utility requirements. In June, Eagle LNG signed an agreement with ExxonMobil and the Jacksonville, Florida-based Crowley Maritime Corporation to collaborate on the development of LNG as a marine fuel. Crowley also owns Carib Energy, the first company ever to receive a small-scale LNG export permit from the DOE. ExxonMobil will provide its technical support and expertise to help the parties carry out safe bunkering operations and sell LNG bunker fuel to vessel operators, explained the press release. Eagle LNG Partners will supply the LNG and will design, build, and operate small-scale production and storage facilities as well as coordinate land-based LNG transportation. Crowley will provide bunker logistics and ensure safe and reliable operations. Rubio has taken over $1.1 million in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry during his U.S. Senate career, which began in 2010. During his 2016 re-election run, Rubio took $10,000 from ExxonMobil, $5,000 from the American Petroleum Institute, $5,000 from Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), $1,000 from Cheniere, and $7,500 from American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM). Rubio also received $2,700 from Crowley for his 2016 race, while taking $68,340 from Koch Industries throughout his political career, the latter a company which has its own vested interest in small-scale LNG exports. Koch subsidiary Flint Hills Resources received a permit to ship batches of small-scale LNG from the DOE in 2016. Unleash American Energy Like Rubio, Cassidy also became a senator in 2010 and has taken $62,200 in campaign contributions from Koch Industries throughout his Senate career. Cassidy received $3,500 from Cheniere during his 2016 re-election race, $2,000 from IPAA for his 2010 race, and $5,500 total from Exxon during both of his Senate races. As another sign of his commitment to the cause, Cassidy asked Perry if the DOE intended to expedite the regulatory process for LNG exports in questions sent to the agency in July regarding its proposed 2017-2018 budget. In response, DOE affirmed its commitment to LNG and exporting it in a robust way. Ultimately, the market will determine how much U.S. LNG export capacity is built and utilized, wrote DOE. In addition to promptly reviewing LNG export applications as part of our regulatory responsibility, DOE is working with the Administration, industry, other Federal and state government agencies, and our international partners to help U.S. companies maximize opportunities in the global LNG market. Both Rubio and Cassidy discussed explicitly how the industry will reap the benefits from the move in their respective states in the press release announcing the bills introduction. Expedited approval of small-scale natural gas exports would strengthen an emerging sector of Floridas economy, Rubio stated. In addition to the economic advantages for Florida, this measure would bolster our existing ties with Caribbean and Latin American nations while ensuring that bad actors in the region, including Cuba and Venezuela, do not reap its benefits. Cassidy echoed Rubio in discussing how the bills passage would impact his own state, Louisiana, and the oil and gas industry located within it. This bill promotes the growth of American natural gas, creating well-paying jobs with good benefits for hardworking families in Louisiana, said Cassidy. The faster approval of small-scale natural gas shipments will create American jobs, improve Caribbean energy security, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The Trump administration has also made its stance clear on small-scale LNG and its rationale behind the proposed DOE rule. The Trump administration is focused on finding ways to unleash American energy and providing a reliable and environmentally friendly fuel to our trading partners who face unique energy infrastructure challenges. The Department of Energy and this Administration are wholeheartedly committed to strengthening the energy security of the United States and our allies, Perry said in a September press release announcing the proposed rule. Reposted with permission from our media associate DeSmogBlog. By Pete Stauffer Its nearly impossible to convince certain people, most notably leaders of our federal administration, that bold action is needed on climate change, but recent events have certainly made a compelling case. Three major hurricanes have battered U.S. coasts in recent months, impacting the lives of millions of people and causing billions of dollars in damage. Although no single storm event can be blamed directly on climate change, scientific experts agree that the warming climate and ocean waters contribute to the frequency and scale of hurricanesputting the residents, natural resources and economic security of coastal communities at elevated risk. This makes the Trump administrations proposal to expand offshore oil drilling off U.S. coasts all the more dubious. As Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico struggle to recover from hurricane damage, our federal government is seeking new ways to increase carbon emissions and put our nation at even greater risk. Following an executive order earlier this year, Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke announced plans to revise the nations Five-Year Offshore Drilling Plan, threatening the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and Arctic Ocean with the prospect of new offshore oil rigs. Congress leaders are also discussing the proposed Accessing Strategic Resources Offshore (ASTRO) Act, which would fast-track offshore drilling by removing critical safety and environmental protections. The drilling, rigs and transportation tankers required for offshore drilling release a brew of toxic chemicals and leaked oil. High concentrations of metals have been found around drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, and have been shown to accumulate in fish, mussels and other seafood. Offshore drilling also regularly leads to oil spills. Since 1969, at least 44 major oil spills (of more than 10,000 barrels or 420,000 gallons of oil per spill), have been recorded in U.S. waters. This includes the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010, which poured about 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over the course of 87 days. The spill devastated beaches and coastal wetlands from Louisiana to Florida. It killed birds, fish and marine mammals, and delivered a serious blow to the recreation and fishing-based economies of the Gulf States, which have yet to fully recover. Oil Spill Off Louisiana Coast 2X Bigger Than Original Estimate https://t.co/6t2LieyYbD @Greenpeace @World_Wildlife EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) October 21, 2017 Even though recent history is full of lessons that we can learn from, leaders in Washington appear to be turning a blind eye and prioritizing the private interests of the fossil fuel industry. The federal government continues to push offshore drilling and defy widespread opposition from the scientific community and publiceven though a proposal from the previous administration for new drilling off the Atlantic coast was soundly rejected by scientific analysis and millions of Americans. More than 130 municipalities, 1,200 elected officials and an alliance representing 35,000 businesses and 500,000 fishing families have publicly opposed oil and gas development in the Atlantic. And this spring, a bipartisan group of more than 100 lawmakers in the House of Representatives signed a letter urging the Department of Interior not to allow any new offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Such a groundswell of oppositionfrom local communities to government leadersis an acknowledgement that the risk of offshore drilling is simply not worth it. New offshore drilling would threaten thousands of miles of coastline and economies worth billions of dollars for a finite amount of oil. On top of that, ocean tourism and recreation, worth an estimated $100 billion annually nationwide, provides 12 times the amount of jobs to the U.S. economy, compared to offshore oil production. Nevertheless, the Trump administration is moving forward with plans for new offshore drilling, and by the end of this year, the Department of Interior will release its draft proposal of where new oil and gas drilling will be allowed. Fortunately, federal law requires an extensive public review process that can take two or three years to complete. Thats why Americans need to mobilize and call their representatives in Congress, submit comments to the Department of the Interior and boldly voice their opposition to offshore drilling. In the past few months, coastal communities were devastated and displaced by Harvey, Irma, Maria and other storms; their journey to recover and rebuild will continue for years. Offshore drilling will only exacerbate the symptoms of climate change, and therefore increase the rate and intensity of the extreme weather our nation has recently endured. What we need from our government now is policies that will protect and strengthen our coastal communitiesnot more oil rigs. Pete Stauffer is the environmental director for the Surfrider Foundation and manages the organizations campaigns and programs to address the protection of our ocean, waves and beaches. Based in San Clemente, California, Pete supports Surfrider chapters and staff across the U.S. to advance local, state and national priorities. By Frank Jossi In what is regarded as an unusual step, a group of 13 young people have joined together to become court sanctioned intervenors as they fight a proposed Enbridge Energy pipeline through northern Minnesota. Intervenors are sanctioned by the state Public Utilities Commission to represent parties in contested cases. They are generally lawyers and experts hired by energy firms, clean energy organizations, environmental groups, governmental agencies and an occasional citizen or two. Its rare to see millennials attending a PUC hearing, or even someone not on the payroll of an organization involved in the process. But administrative law judge Ann OReilly accepted the argument by Youth Climate Intervenors that their generation will disproportionately feel the burden of climate change. In a landmark decision she granted us standing, said Akilah Sanders-Reed, the 23-year-old who founded the group. She acknowledged we (young people) had a stake in it and that we deserved a seat at the table. What that means is that the Youth Climate Intervenors have the same rights in that courtroom as Enbridge Energy does. A recent ThinkProgress article on millennial climate change activists said the organization is the only youth group nationally ever granted intervenor status in a pipeline case. The PUC continues to hold hearings across the state to allow supporters and opponents of the Enbridge line to make their case. In St. Paul a few weeks ago, more than 1,000 people showed up at a pipeline hearing, among them members of the Youth Climate Intervenors. Judge OReilly is hearing, reading and collecting testimony which she will then use to make a recommendation to the PUC next year on whether the more than $2 billion project should be builtand if so, what route it should follow. The Canadian firm Enbridge Energy wants to replace its aging Line 3 pipeline with a newer version that would travel a new route south of the existing path. The new Line 3 would transverse wetlands and wilderness, while delivering 760,000 gallons of oil daily along a 337-mile route in Minnesota from Clearbrook to Superior, Wisconsin. The oil originates from the Alberta tar sands. An otherwise unheard voice As a college student and a young adult, Sanders-Reed was active for a time in the Citizens Climate Lobby and serves on MN350.orgs board of directors. The idea behind Youth Climate Intervenors was to create an organization that could have a place at the PUC table and a more prominent voice in the debate. Sanders-Reed reached out to other young activists, including four from indigenous tribes, and petitioned the PUC to become an intervenor in late May. Although Enbridge objected to allowing the group to have status as intervenors, OReilly ruled in their favor in July. Natalie Cook, an organizer with the Sierra Clubs Northstar Chapter, said the presence of the youth group is providing a critical and otherwise unheard voice in the process. Citizens can intervene and its not unheard of but Ive never seen young people intervene in this way before. The Youth Climate Intervenors takes seriously bringing forth views and perspectives that would otherwise not be heard by regulators, she added. About half the youth intervenors group hasnt even graduated from high school, and they have no attorney to represent them. Nearly all of them are attending high school or college, she said. The group sees the pipeline as carrying some of the dirtiest oil in the worldfrom the Alberta tar sandsand as potentially harmful to Minnesotas lakes and wetlands if an accident occurs. In 2010, an Enbridge pipeline that ruptured in Michigan resulted in 843,000 gallons of water being released into a creek that flowed into the Kalamazoo River. The cleanup cost more than $1 billion. Tar sands oil produces three times the greenhouse gas emissions as conventional crude oil and enormous ponds of toxic waste, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Tar sands is some of the most carbon intensive oil on earth, Sanders-Reed said. This pipeline would lock in billions of dollars of climate damages, which is a price tag my generation will have to pay in the form of public health problems, natural disasters, crop failures and increased cost of living. In addition, the proposed pipeline would run through the headwaters of the Mississippi River and through some of the best wild rice lakes in the world, she said. Members of the group have reached out to several experts, among them Oil Change International, NRDC, well-known Twin Cities meteorologist Paul Douglas, professors from local colleges, native American representatives, a health care professional and others. The 13 of us worked incredibly hard, everyone worked really hard on this, she said. One of the high schoolers was calling up college professors and asking them to help. One of our University of Minnesota students was calling indigenous people from the community that she knows. All these experts have been so thrilled to work with Youth Climate Intervenors and have been so encouraging to us. One of those intervenors who made calls to experts is Jada Brown, 20, a University of Minnesota student. She found in the Standing Rock protests a growing movement against big energy projects with what she sees as potentially destructive consequences. Being an indigenous woman and Youth Climate Intervenor, its a responsibility of mine to speak out and fight for climate justice and protect the land and water, especially for those who are disproportionately affected by it or dont have a voice, said Brown in a profile in Power Shift, an climate advocacy website. Ambitious goals Frances Wetherall, a sophomore at Gustavus Adolphus College, was inspired after attending the Peoples Climate March in Washington, DC. Her sister knew one of the Youth Climate Intervenors and she signed on to be a member. Although attending a college more than an hour southwest of St. Paul, Wetherall plans to make time to attend the evidentiary hearings where intervenors can question their own experts and those of pipeline supporters. She does not want a pipeline of any sort to cross Minnesota. What Im hoping for is the tar sands Enbridge is trying to move stay in the ground, which I know is rather ambitious, she said. My attitude is like the Green Eggs and Ham story in that I do not want it by rail, I do not want it by pipeline, I do not want it all. Instead I want Minnesota to lead the nation in clean energy. Leili Fatehi, an attorney working for the Sierra Club, calls the intervenors incredibly brave for involving themselves in an administrative process that can be intimidating to non-experts and those unaccustomed to PUC hearings. Moreover, the Sierra Club and other intervenors represent a broader mix of ages than the Youth Climate Intervenors, but that is their strength. These guys, by virtual of the fact theyre young, are bringing forth arguments about what it means for people under 25, she said. After all, they will pick up the majority of the costs for this It will impact their health care, where can buy property, the cost of insurancethe real wealth impact of climate change. In February, the administrative judge is expected to issue a recommendation to the PUC either supporting or denying Enbridges certificate of need to build the pipeline and weigh in on the chosen route. The PUC will then make its own decision, likely in April. Sanders-Reed, a 2106 Macalester graduate in environmental studies, began her career in political activism in her hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Minnesotas environmental ethos drew her to attend Macalester. I came to Minnesota because Minnesota seemed like the kind of place that could be a leader in clean energy and have a future I want to see, she said. And I still believe in that. I have so much faith in the people of Minnesota who have stood up to this pipeline and for renewables, and for clean water, time and time again. I hope our elected officials and Judge OReilly hear that loud and clear. Reposted with permission from our media associate Midwest Energy News. Consumers have long slapped state-issued school report cards with a failing grade. Parents and statisticians alike have lodged complaints about their dizzying, colorless rows of data punctuated with jargon, clauses, and meaningless explainers. Now, those much agonized-over and politically fraught web portals for conveying how schools stack up are set for a head-to-toe makeover, both in how they look and the information they provide. The Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to visualize in an easily accessible and user-friendly way plenty more data points than was required under No Child Left Behind, including school-by-school spending, stats on teacher and principal quality, school discipline rates, and preschool, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate offeringsall broken out by more than 10 student subgroups. In all, states will have to shove into its report card an estimated 2,107 data points about its public school system, the Council of Chief State School Officers predicts. New ESSA Requirements The Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to create and publish annual report cards that include a wealth of data broken out by student racial and economic subgroups and, for the first time, for military, foster, and homeless students. Among the key elements: A description of the states accountability system and a definition of its indicators and ranking methodology. Where schools rank on the states accountability system. A breakdown for different types of students of schools standardized test scores and a cross-tabulation of student data. The number of inexperienced, ineffective, and out-of-field principals and teachers. Graduation rates Disciplinary data including student arrest rates, out-of-school and in-school suspensions, and incidences of violence, including violence and harassment. The states results and ranking on the National Assessment of Educational Progress compared with the national average. The number and percentage of students enrolled in preschool programs, Advanced Placement courses, and International Baccalaureate courses. The per-pupil spending rates by school, with a breakdown of personnel versus non-personnel costs and how much of that money came from the local, state, and federal government. Source: Council of Chief State School Officers Its an effort to break away from test dependency, paint a more holistic view of schools and jolt local communities into adressing disparities and lagging results. But how to organize and visually display that taxonomy of school success on departments websites has sparked a wide-ranging debate over the politics of language, the explicit and implicit meanings of color shades, and what parents wantversus what they needto know about their local schools. People were hurt that the emphasis on school success [under NCLB] was based on a single end-of-the-year test score, said Brennan McMahon Parton, the director of policy and advocacy for the Data Quality Campaign. Now, under ESSA, theres a requirement for painting a much bigger picture. But this is a real test of prioritization. As a state, youre saying, heres what our priorities are and heres how schools are doing based on those priorities. We value and trust this information because were making it available to you. State report cards have long been described by parents and educators alike as clunky, confusing and close to impossible to navigate. Transparency Builds Trust A 2016 study by the Data Quality Campaign found that more than a third of state departments buried their report cards in hard-to-find corners of their websites, 10 states hadnt for years updated test scores and graduation rates, and only four states actually met No Child Left Behind reporting requirements, even though the law was passed 15 years prior. This lack of transparency breeds mistrust between families and the education systems serving their children, the organization concluded. State Report Cards Georgia Georgia plans to revamp its state report card to include baseline information (with no glossary or explanation of scores) and then a series of tabs to direct consumers to more in-depth data. Its prior report card was criticized for being cluttered, clunky, and hard to understand. Interact with the image below to see key factors. Enlarge this image. California The states redesigned report, like those in many states, is using a dashboard approach to display school quality. Interact with the image below to see key factors. California does not provide an overall rating. Enlarge this image. In recent years, startups, local school districts, and companies like Great Schools have replaced state departments report cards, relying on their own data and ranking methodology. Thats helped worsen a gap between parents perceptions of their local schools performance and how schools actually perform in states accountability systems. While a third of Americas students meet state reading and math standards, 90 percent of parents think their child is doing perfectly fine, according to a survey conducted by Learning Heroes. Community members are sometimes baffled when the state comes in to take over an academically failing school. If a parent believes that everything is humming along and going well, and they dont have very specific information of where their childs or schools needs are, theyre not taking actions most needed because they dont know what problem needs to be solved, said Bibb Hubbard, the founder and president of Learning Heroes, a nonprofit that consults with states to develop more parent-friendly report cards. Redesigning report cards is one of the most laborious and tricky tasks under ESSA. States must come up with common definitions for things such as absenteeism and school spending, figure out a way to collect all the new data from its districts, and, most politically vexing, design a way to publicly display all that data in digestible chunks on their (sometimes outdated) websites. State departments and their boards in the coming months will be tugged in several different directions by business leaders, politicians, and education advocates on what to highlight on report cards and how to highlight it. Even among parents, the primary report card consumers, needs vary depending on where they live and what theyre looking for. Its as much politics as it is data availability, said David Stewart, the founder of Tembo, which has been hired to redesign several states report cards, and the former school accountability director of New York Citys Department of Education. How much information do you want to allow parents to know and how refined do you want that information to be? State departments this fall have launched statewide tours to survey the public and test different design types, and most plan to release redesigned report cards in late 2018 or the spring of 2019. Many departments are attempting to strip from their report cards the jargon that has long confused parents (does school climate refer to the discipline or temperature in the school?). At least four states wont come up with single scores for their schools, allowing the public to draw their own conclusions of school quality using an array of information on the report cards. And the majority of states indicated in their ESSA plan that they will use a dashboard to display school success. Similar to the dashboard of a car, the style of reporting categorizes indicators of success and lets users dive more deeply into areas theyre interested in. But critics say this style is confusing to parents. Twelve states will create letter grades calculated with lots of data inputs and a weighted formula. Detractors say that style is oversimplistic. A handful of states, including California, Louisiana, Georgia, and Nevada have already redesigned their report cards or plan on launching them in the coming weeks. See Also Webinar: ESSA and State Report Cards The Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to give parents and the public a wealth of information on school quality and performance. But with a federal deadline looming, making these school report cards both complete and simple-to-use is no easy task. Join our guests for a deeper look at the solutions you may need to weather the ESSA implementation storm. Register now. Those states report cards are much more nimble than their previous ones, with spaced out columns, tabs, filters and pie charts; a sort of choose-your-own venture display style. Schools can be compared to other schools with similar demographics or to a states most successful schools. In some states, new report card designs have been highly controversial. The Los Angeles Times editorial board referred to Californias redesigned report card as an indecipherable and a color-in-the-blank chart. State board chair Michael Kirst said he was pleased with the outcome. I expected a lot of controversy and we got it, he said. Terri Hodges, Delawares PTA President said their group got so frustrated with the states old report card they invited Great Schools to the PTAs annual conference to help parents learn how to use the Great Schools report card instead. The states department of education has held a series of meetings in the past few weeks asking the public what theyd like to see in the new report card. Weve seen so many initiatives that have really been nothing more than attempts to label and define our schools, casting most of them in a negative light, Hodges said. If this is done correctly, this can be a fantastic opportunity for Delaware to guide the conversation. Louisianas department of education will release its redesigned report card, funded by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, next month. The redesign process took more than a year and a half and involved extensive debates over how to display achievement gaps between racial groups, which shades of orange, blue, and red to use for the states letter grades and whether to prioritize student progress over performance. Report cards are only as good as the conversations that go along with them, said Annie Morrison, the states director of educator communications. We realize, were releasing this great new shiny new tool but unless we at the state level are ready to have conversations with leaders and advocates about what this data means, we can still keep parents in the dark. BEER-SHEVA, Israel...Oct. 23, 2017 - Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have begun to discover preferences in human-robot interactions and the need to personalize those encounters to fit both the human's preferences and the designated task. According to a new study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, the researchers tested user preferences when interacting with a robot on a joint movement task as a first step toward developing an interactive movement protocol to be used in rehabilitation. Dr. Shelly Levy-Tzedek, head of the Cognition, Aging and Rehabilitation Lab in BGU's Department of Physical Therapy and a member of the University's Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, focuses her research on the use of robots for rehabilitation of patients. Since many patients do not practice their physical therapy routines enough or at all at home, she is designing robot companions to encourage them to practice and track their progress. "In the future, human beings may increasingly rely on robotic assistance for daily tasks, and our research shows that the type of motions that the robot makes when interacting with humans makes a difference in how satisfied the person is with the interaction," says Dr. Levy-Tzedek. "People feel that if robots don't move like they do, it is unsettling and they will use them less frequently." In the study, 22 college-age participants played a leader-follower mirror game with a robotic arm, in which a person and robot took turns following each other's joint movements. When the robotic arm was leading, it performed movements that were either sharp, like dribbling a ball, or smooth, like tracing a circle. The study yielded three main conclusions. First, robotic movement primes the human movement. That is, the person tends to imitate the movements of the robot. "This is a very important aspect to consider, for example, when designing a robotic nurse who assists a surgeon in the operating room," Dr. Levy-Tzedek says. "You wouldn't want a robotic nurse to make sharp "robotic" movements that will affect the way the surgeon moves his or her hands during an operation." Second, there was no clear-cut preference for leading or following the robot. Half the group preferred to lead the human-robot movement while half preferred to follow. According to Levy-Tzedek, "This finding highlights the importance of developing personalized human-robot interactions. Just as the field of medicine is moving toward customized medicine for each patient, the field of robotics needs to customize the pattern of interaction differently for each user." Lastly, the study participants preferred smooth, familiar movements -- which resemble human movements -- rather than sharp ("robotic") or unfamiliar movements when the robot was leading the interaction. "Thus, determining the elements in the interaction that make users more motivated to continue is important in designing future robots that will interact with humans on a daily basis," says Levy-Tzedek. The initial research by undergraduate student Shir Kashi won a "best poster award" at the Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) Conference in Vienna in March. This study was a continuation of her research. Kashi completed her undergraduate degree in cognitive sciences at BGU, and is now embarking on her graduate studies in the lab. ### The study was funded by the Leir Foundation, Bronfman Foundation, Promobilia Foundation, and the Israeli Science Foundation (grants # 535/16 and 2166/16). Additional funding was provided by the Helmsley Charitable Trust through BGU's Agricultural, Biological and Cognitive Robotics Initiative, and by the AABGU Marcus Endowment Fund. About American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU) plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion's vision: creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University's expertise locally and around the globe. As Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) looks ahead to turning 50 in 2020, AABGU imagines a future that goes beyond the walls of academia. It is a future where BGU invents a new world and inspires a vision for a stronger Israel and its next generation of leaders. Together with supporters, AABGU will help the University foster excellence in teaching, research and outreach to the communities of the Negev for the next 50 years and beyond. Visit vision.aabgu.org to learn more. AABGU, which is headquartered in Manhattan, has nine regional offices throughout the United States. For more information, visit http://www.aabgu.org. TORONTO-(October 23, 2017) Delivering news about end-of-life issues is one of the most difficult tasks clinicians encounter in medical practice. Researchers from the Texas Medical Center on behalf of the ETHICS study investigators, in Houston, Texas, aimed to assess how prepared health-care providers feel in communicating end-of-life issues and determining if proper training had been given to health-care providers. A 30-question survey addressing opinions regarding ethical issues, religion, and attitudes on specific group of patients, and communication skills was administered in 174 different institutions across 40 countries. 10,106 surveys were completed, showing that 30% of all health-care providers, and 11.5% of physicians let someone else give notice of a patient's death to the patient's relatives. The authors concluded that only one-third of the health-care providers surveyed had undergone formal training in delivering bad news. Medical students received less training than other health-care professionals. Among physicians, more years of experience appear to compensate for the lack of training in delivering bad news. The study also found that nurses with no ICU experience do not deliver bad news to patients or their families. Women were more likely to communicate the death of patients than men. "Learning good interpersonal communicationskills, including delivering bad news, should be part of all health education programs globally," states lead researcher Dr. Joseph Varon, "efforts to provide tools for communication skills are necessary in delivering better patient care." Further results from this study will be shared at CHEST Annual Meeting 2017 in Toronto on Wednesday, November 1, 1:30 PM-2:30 PMat the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall, Poster Number 105. The study abstract can be viewed on the journal CHEST website. ### ABOUT CHEST 2017 CHEST 2017 is the 83rd annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, held October 28-November 1, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario. The American College of Chest Physicians, publisher of the journalCHEST, is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research, and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis,and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication, and research. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000+ members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. For more information about CHEST 2017, visit chestmeeting.chestnet.org, or follow CHEST meeting hashtag, #CHEST2017, on social media. TORONTO (October 23, 2017) -Researchers from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center conducted a prospective, observational study to assess the impact that weight and renal function have on venous thromboembolism (VTE) rates among in-patients receiving prophylaxis with low-molecular-weight or unfractionated heparin. Between September 2009 and 2011, 6599 patients were admitted to the hospital for at least two days. The mean age and body mass index (BMI) were 54.6 and 28.5, respectively. Among those who developed VTE, 165 (71.1%) were diagnosed during admission, 27 (11.7%) within 30 days, and 7.2% between 30 and 90 days after admission. They concluded that a person's body mass index (BMI) was not related to VTE rates, but renal function did have an impact. Creatinine clearance was not associated with VTE rates when unfractionated heparins or low-molecular weight heparins were given, but patients with acute kidney injury had higher VTE rates, even in the presence of prophylaxis. "Current unfractionated and low-molecular-weight heparin dosing in the presence of acute kidney injury may not be sufficient to prevent VTE," warns lead researcher Dr. Aaron Holley, "future studies need to address the optimal dosing of heparins in these cases." Further results from this study will be shared at the CHEST Annual Meeting 2017 in Toronto on Tuesday, October 31, 11:30 AM-11:45 AM at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Room 606. The study abstract can be viewed on the journal CHEST website. ### ABOUT CHEST 2017 CHEST 2017 is the 83rd annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, held October 28-November 1, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario. The American College of Chest Physicians, publisher of the journalCHEST, is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research, and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication, and research. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000+ members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. For more information about CHEST 2017, visit chestmeeting.chestnet.org, or follow CHEST meeting hashtag, #CHEST2017, on social media. TORONTO (October 23, 2017)--According to Pew Research center, in 2013, about six out of ten Americans searched for health information online in the past year. With patients regularly turning to the internet for health advice, a group of researchers aimed to evaluate the educational quality of seasonal influenza videos on the user-generated, video-sharing platform, YouTube. Researchers conducted akeyword search of "seasonal influenza" from January 28 to February 5, 2017. The top most viewed videos that appeared in the search results were included and analyzed for video characteristics, source, and content. The source of videos was then classified as health-care provider, alternative-medicine provider, patient and/or patients' parents, company, media, or professional society. Utilizing the latest CDC guidelines, a scoring system was created to evaluate the quality (-10 to +40). Negative points were provided for misleading information. Ten blinded reviewers scored each video independently. Three hundred videos were analyzed, with a median of 341 views, 1 likes, 0 dislikes, and 0 comments. More video presenters were male (39.3%) and the predominant race depicted was Caucasian (73.6%). The most common type of video source was professional societies (38.3%) and least represented was alternative medicine provider (1.3%). Among the six video sources, the mean scores showed a statistically significant difference from each other (p<0.001). There was a higher mean score for health-care provider (4.50) when compared with other video sources (mean scores ranging from 0.47 to 4.17). "This study confirmed that most YouTube videos on seasonal influenza are provided by professional societies and health-care providers, with over half of the videos attempting to educate patients," says Dr. Lakshmi Kallur, lead researcher and resident physician in the Department of Internal Medicine at East Tennessee State University's Quillen College of Medicine, "these videos, although containing accurate information, did not fulfill our criteria as far as educating patients thoroughly." Further results from this study will be shared at CHEST Annual Meeting 2017 in Toronto on Wednesday, November 1, 1:30 PM-2:30 PM at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The study abstract can be viewed on the journal CHEST website. ### ABOUT CHEST 2017 CHEST 2017 is the 83rd annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, held October 28-November 1, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario. The American College of Chest Physicians, publisher of the journalCHEST, is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research, and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication, and research. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000+ members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. For more information about CHEST 2017, visit chestmeeting.chestnet.org, or follow CHEST meeting hashtag, #CHEST2017, on social media. Cold Spring Harbor, NY - Life would be impossible if the DNA in dividing cells were replicated with anything less than near-perfect precision. Every time a nucleated cell commits to becoming two cells, every "letter" of its genome must be replicated once and only once. In humans, the task boggles the imagination. If unwound, the double helix crammed into each of our cells would measure 6 feet in length. In our bone marrow alone, half a billion new cells are born every minute. These cells alone contain enough DNA to wrap around the earth's equator 25 times. Within daunting tolerances, each new cell must have a genome identical to that of the cell that gave birth to it. Cancer and other diseases can result when the process goes awry. Figuring out how accurate replication works at the level of individual molecules and atoms is one of the great achievements of modern science. The journey of investigators is not yet done, however. A major unsolved part of the puzzle is understanding how the entire process of copying the genome begins. In new research, insight into how the two stands of the double helix separate in the earliest stages of replication is becoming clear. A longstanding collaboration by researchers in London, Grand Rapids, Michigan and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in New York reports the atomic-level structure of twin helicase enzymes loaded head to head, with the DNA double helix visible in the circular channel that runs though both helicases. The configuration, a part of the pre-replicative complex (pre-RC), has never been successfully imaged in this configuration before. The feat was made possible by a new cyro-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) facility at the Van Andel Research Institute, home of one of the lead investigators, Dr. Huilin Li. Dr. Li has collaborated with Dr. Bruce Stillman of CSHL and Dr. Christian Speck, Professor of Genome Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Imperial College in London for over a dozen years. In 1992, Stillman and colleagues discovered the protein complex called the origin replication complex (ORC), which assembles protein complexes at many locations called "start sites" along the double helix, where replication initiates. Dr. Speck's work showed that ORC combines with other proteins -- Cdc6, Cdt1 and the hexamer of Mcm2-7 -- to begin the process of duplicating DNA. A great deal of past effort has revealed how ORC assembles and finds start sites. There are many such sites, organized by domains, in the complex human genome; many fewer in simpler forms of life such as baker's yeast. The new research concerns what happens after the initial recognition of the start sites and how the DNA helix might be unwound. As vividly shown in the new cryo-EM "pictures," the twin six-sided Mcm2-7 helicase enzymes that surround the double helix look like symmetrical insects or, perhaps, twin spacecraft docked head to head. The question answered by the new structure is how the double helix is situated within the channel they form, and how DNA interacts with the surrounding structure. Based on that new knowledge, insight into how the two DNA strands separate, long a mystery, is beginning to be uncovered. "The new images show that once loaded into the double hexamer -- or DH, as we call the head-to-head helicases - the double helix takes a zig-zagging path through the central channel, which is sort of kinked," the authors explain. "The two barrel-shaped hexamers are poised in such a manner that they are ready to untwist the double helix when activated." One consequence is especially important: the twist in the structure of the complex formed by the double rings creates a tortional strain: they load with an inherent tension that makes them something like a coiled spring. Details in the structure not previously seen reveal how various protein subunits of the twin hexamers latch on to the double helix, via tiny loop-like structures. The scenario posited by Li, Speck, Stillman and their colleagues is that the twin hexamers load in tension, causing one of the two strands of the DNA passing through them to literally bunch up against a closed "door" on one side of the ring, and the other strand against another closed "door" on the opposite side. The team proposes that one of the two doors springs open when the replication process in activated (through the intervention of protein kinases and other helper molecules). Through the open door in the helicase - but only on one side - one strand of the double helix is forced out, or "extruded." The team proposes that it becomes what is called the "lagging strand" in the DNA replication process. The other strand, remaining in the center of the helical channel, becomes the "leading strand" in replication. Molecular motors loaded onto the two hexamers provide energy for their separation. One activated helicase passes the other, as replication of each strand proceeds in opposite directions, as deduced by biologists decades ago. The latest structures were made possible by advances in the technique called cryo-electron microscopy, where an electron beam is passed through frozen, single protein-DNA particles to obtain a near atomic-level 3-dimensional image. The key developers of the method, which is now widely used, received the 2017 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. ### This research was supported by the NIH, a UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Grant, a Wellcome Trust Investigator Award, a UK Medical Research Council Grant and the Van Andel Research Institute. Citation: Noguchi Y et al, "Cryo-EM structure of Mcm2-7 double hexamer on DNA suggests a lagging-strand DNA extrusion model" appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of October 23, 2017. About Van Andel Research Institute Van Andel Institute (VAI) is an independent nonprofit biomedical research and science education organization committed to improving the health and enhancing the lives of current and future generations. Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, VAI has grown into a premier research and educational institution that supports the work of more than 360 scientists, educators and staff. Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), VAI's research division, is dedicated to determining the epigenetic, genetic, molecular and cellular origins of cancer, Parkinson's and other diseases and translating those findings into effective therapies. The Institute's scientists work in onsite laboratories and participate in collaborative partnerships that span the globe. Learn more about Van Andel Institute or donate by visiting http://www.vai.org. 100% To Research, Discovery & Hope About Imperial College Imperial College London, founded in 1907, is the only UK university to focus entirely on science, engineering, medicine and business. Our international reputation for excellence in teaching and research sees us consistently rated in the top 10 universities worldwide. Generations of Imperial staff, alumni and students have changed the world with cutting-edge innovations; from the discovery of penicillin to the world's first invisibility cloak. Recognition of this ground-breaking work has come in the form of 14 Nobel Prizes, 81 Fellowships from the Academy of Medical Sciences, 77 from the Royal Academy of Engineering and 73 from the Royal Society. For more information, visit http://www.imperial.ac.uk About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory is led by Dr. Stillman and employs 1,100 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. The Meetings & Courses Program hosts more than 12,000 scientists from around the world each year on its campuses in Long Island and in Suzhou, China. The Laboratory's education arm also includes an academic publishing house, a graduate school and programs for middle and high school students and teachers. For more information, visit http://www.cshl.edu Cold Spring Harbor, NY - Our brains wire themselves up during development according to a series of remarkable genetic programs that have evolved over millions of years. But so much of our behavior is the product of things we learn only after we emerge from the womb. We aren't born with instructions to avoid putting our hands on a hot stove. That knowledge comes from experience. Literally and figuratively, it's easy to get burned, yet we survive and thrive thanks to hard-won knowledge obtained from our experiences. What happens in the brain when we learn that fire is very hot and can hurt us? It's the kind of learning that results from the association of a sensory stimulus and the perception of threat. New research in mice appearing today in Nature Neuroscience suggests that the accepted understanding of that critical operation is incorrect in important respects. A neuroscience team at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) led by Professor Bo Li studied the relationship between two parts of the brain's amygdala - an almond-shaped structure that comes in pairs, one situated on each side of the mouse and other vertebrate brains. The amygdalae are centrally involved in learning and memory. Textbooks indicate that the lateral portion of the amygdala is the place where associations are forged between information provided by the senses and the perception of threat. That linkage is a crucial example of learning - what scientists call aversive learning. Li's team performed experiments using several technologies, the results of which surprised them. They suggest that while the lateral amygdala is involved in aversive learning, it is not the seat of the process. The new evidence points to the central amygdala instead. If correct, this could change approaches to modify memory to treat disorders such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One series of experiments involved giving a mild foot shock to mice and then imaging the central and lateral parts of the amygdala. A fluorescent protein that registers when cells are active showed that the response to an uncomfortable feeling begins in the central amygdala, then registers in the lateral amygdala. In other experiments, the team blocked the activity of a particular set of neurons in the central amygdala - named for a protein they express called PKC-delta (protein kinase C-delta). When mice with this impairment were given a foot shock, there was greatly attenuated activity in the lateral amygdala. "If the conventional view was correct, you should see normal levels of activity in the lateral amygdala - where the activity supposedly begins. But this wasn't the case," says Li. A final set of experiments had the intriguing aim of giving mice artificial memories - memories of discomfort like that of getting a mild shock. This is done using optogenetics, a technology in which pulses of colored laser light are used to activate specific neurons, in this case the PKC-delta neurons of the central amygdala. "This causes no pain to the mice, but they don't like it - it makes them feel uncomfortable, just as getting a mild shock makes them uncomfortable. It's the kind of stimulation that leads to an aversive memory, the kind you learn from," explains Li. In effect, the scientists create a memory of a discomfort never actually experienced. The experiment shows that activation of the PKC-delta cells in the central amygdala is indeed at the heart of the aversive learning process. This was concluded after placing the mice given the optogenetic stimulus into a cage with two chambers. Mice that received the stimulation "remembered" the discomfort and associated it with the place where they experienced it - one of the two chambers. Later, given the freedom to move about in this space, none of the "treated" mice would venture back to the chamber where the stimulation was given. "It appears to be a stable memory," says Li. "After several days, we saw them continue to avoid the place associated with the discomfort." Among the take-away lessons of these experiments is that PKC-delta neurons play an important role in conveying information about unexpected discomfort from the central amygdala to the lateral amygdala. The research suggests that this subset of central amygdala neurons are "fear-on" cells. Li and his team hope that this information will inform ongoing attempts to find new ways to alter fear memories that are based on spurious associations - for example, a combat veteran freezing in fear or experiencing panic at the sound of a backfiring car. ### This research was supported by the NIH, Human Frontier Science Program, BBRF/NARSAD, National Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Louis Feil Trust, the Stanley Foundation , the simons Foundation and the Wodecroft Foundation. Citation: Yu K et al, "The central amygdala controls learning in the lateral amygdala" appears online in Nature Neuroscience October 23, 2017. About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory employs 1,100 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. The Meetings & Courses Program hosts more than 12,000 scientists from around the world each year on its campuses in Long Island and in Suzhou, China. The Laboratory's education arm also includes an academic publishing house, a graduate school and programs for middle and high school students and teachers. For more information, visit http://www.cshl.edu CUORE expected to reveal -- or rule out -- a possible explanation for why the universe favors matter over antimatter The first glimpse of data from the full array of a deeply chilled particle detector operating beneath a mountain in Italy sets the most precise limits yet on where scientists might find a theorized process to help explain why there is more matter than antimatter in the universe. This new result, published online at arXiv.org and submitted today to the journal Physical Review Letters, is based on two months of data collected from the full detector of the CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events) experiment at the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics' (INFN's) Gran Sasso National Laboratories (LNGS) in Italy. CUORE means "heart" in Italian. The Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) leads the U.S. nuclear physics effort for the international CUORE collaboration, which has about 150 members from 25 institutions. The U.S. nuclear physics program has made substantial contributions to the fabrication and scientific leadership of the CUORE detector. CUORE is considered one of the most promising efforts to determine whether tiny elementary particles called neutrinos, which interact only rarely with matter, are "Majorana particles" - identical to their own antiparticles. Most other particles are known to have antiparticles that have the same mass but a different charge, for example. CUORE could also help us home in on the exact masses of the three types, or "flavors," of neutrinos - neutrinos have the unusual ability to morph into different forms. "This is the first preview of what an instrument this size is able to do," said Oliviero Cremonesi, a senior faculty scientist at INFN and spokesperson for the CUORE collaboration. Already, the full detector array's sensitivity has exceeded the precision of the measurements reported in April 2015 after a successful two-year test run that enlisted one detector tower. Over the next five years CUORE will collect about 100 times more data. Yury Kolomensky, a senior faculty scientist in the Nuclear Science Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and U.S. spokesperson for the CUORE collaboration, said, "The detector is working exceptionally well and these two months of data are enough to exceed the previous limits." Kolomensky is also a professor in the UC Berkeley Physics Department. The new data provide a narrow range in which scientists might expect to see any indication of the particle process it is designed to find, known as neutrinoless double beta decay. "CUORE is, in essence, one of the world's most sensitive thermometers," said Carlo Bucci, technical coordinator of the experiment and Italian spokesperson for the CUORE collaboration. Its detectors, formed by 19 copper-framed "towers" that each house a matrix of 52 cube-shaped, highly purified tellurium dioxide crystals, are suspended within the innermost chamber of six nested tanks. Cooled by the most powerful refrigerator of its kind, the tanks subject the detector to the coldest known temperature recorded in a cubic meter volume in the entire universe: minus 459 degrees Fahrenheit (10 milliKelvin). The detector array was designed and assembled over a 10-year period. It is shielded from many outside particles, such as cosmic rays that constantly bombard the Earth, by the 1,400 meters of rock above it, and by thick lead shielding that includes a radiation-depleted form of lead rescued from an ancient Roman shipwreck. Other detector materials were also prepared in ultrapure conditions, and the detectors were assembled in nitrogen-filled, sealed glove boxes to prevent contamination from regular air. "Designing, building, and operating CUORE has been a long journey and a fantastic achievement," said Ettore Fiorini, an Italian physicist who developed the concept of CUORE's heat-sensitive detectors (tellurium dioxide bolometers), and the spokesperson-emeritus of the CUORE collaboration. "Employing thermal detectors to study neutrinos took several decades and brought to the development of technologies that can now be applied in many fields of research." Together weighing over 1,600 pounds, CUORE's matrix of roughly fist-sized crystals is extremely sensitive to particle processes, especially at this extreme temperature. Associated instruments can precisely measure ever-slight temperature changes in the crystals resulting from these processes. Berkeley Lab and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists supplied roughly half of the crystals for the CUORE project. In addition, the Berkeley Lab team designed and fabricated the highly sensitive temperature sensors - called neutron transmutation doped thermistors - invented by Eugene Haller, a senior faculty scientist in Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division and a UC Berkeley faculty member. Berkeley Lab researchers also designed and built a specialized clean room supplied with air depleted of natural radioactivity, so that the CUORE detectors could be installed into the cryostat in ultraclean conditions. And Berkeley Lab scientists and engineers, under the leadership of UC Berkeley postdoc Vivek Singh, worked with Italian colleagues to commission the CUORE cryogenic systems, including a uniquely powerful cooling system called a dilution refrigerator. Former UC Berkeley postdoctoral students Tom Banks and Tommy O'Donnell, who also had joint appointments in the Nuclear Science Division at Berkeley Lab, led the international team of physicists, engineers, and technicians to assemble over 10,000 parts into towers in nitrogen-filled glove boxes. They bonded almost 8,000 gold wires, measuring just 25 microns in diameter, to 100-micron sized pads on the temperature sensors, and on copper pads connected to detector wiring. CUORE measurements carry the telltale signature of specific types of particle interactions or particle decays - a spontaneous process by which a particle or particles transform into other particles. In double beta decay, which has been observed in previous experiments, two neutrons in the atomic nucleus of a radioactive element become two protons. Also, two electrons are emitted, along with two other particles called antineutrinos. Neutrinoless double beta decay, meanwhile - the specific process that CUORE is designed to find or to rule out - would not produce any antineutrinos. This would mean that neutrinos are their own antiparticles. During this decay process the two antineutrino particles would effectively wipe each other out, leaving no trace in the CUORE detector. Evidence for this type of decay process would also help scientists explain neutrinos' role in the imbalance of matter vs. antimatter in our universe. Neutrinoless double beta decay is expected to be exceedingly rare, occurring at most (if at all) once every 100 septillion (1 followed by 26 zeros) years in a given atom's nucleus. The large volume of detector crystals is intended to greatly increase the likelihood of recording such an event during the lifetime of the experiment. There is growing competition from new and planned experiments to resolve whether this process exists using a variety of search techniques, and Kolomensky noted, "The competition always helps. It drives progress, and also we can verify each other's results, and help each other with materials screening and data analysis techniques." Lindley Winslow of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who coordinated the analysis of the CUORE data, said, "We are tantalizingly close to completely unexplored territory and there is great possibility for discovery. It is an exciting time to be on the experiment." ### CUORE is supported jointly by the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) in Italy, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Physics, the National Science Foundation, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in the U.S. The CORE collaboration includes about 150 scientists from Italy, U.S., China, France, and Spain, and is based in the underground Italian facility called INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratories (LNGS) of the INFN. CUORE collaboration members include: Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), University of Bologna, University of Genoa, University of Milano-Bicocca, and Sapienza University in Italy; California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Berkeley Lab; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; University of South Carolina; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; and Yale University in the US; Saclay Nuclear Research Center (CEA) and the Center for Nuclear Science and Materials Science (CNRS/IN2P3) in France; and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. The U.S.-CUORE team was lead by late Prof. Stuart Freedman until his untimely passing in 2012. Other current and former Berkeley Lab members of the CUORE collaboration not previously mentioned include US Contractor Project Manager Sergio Zimmermann (Engineering Division), former U.S. Contractor Project Manager Richard Kadel, staff scientists Jeffrey Beeman, Brian Fujikawa, Sarah Morgan, Alan Smith, postdocs Giovanni Benato, Raul Hennings-Yeomans, Ke Han, Yuan Mei, Bradford Welliver, Benjamin Schmidt, graduate students Adam Bryant, Alexey Drobizhev, Roger Huang, Laura Kogler, Jonathan Ouellet, and Sachi Wagaarachchi, and engineers David Biare, Luigi Cappelli, Lucio di Paolo, and Joseph Wallig. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov. Benzo[a]pyrene is a potent carcinogen and mutagen present in cigarette smoke, automotive exhaust, burnt wood fumes, barbecued and smoked meat etc. Understanding the mechanisms whereby benzo[a]pyrene, which belongs to the class of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), may induce malignant transformation of human cells is the aim of a research project supported by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and coordinated by Ana Paula de Melo Loureiro, a professor at the University of Sao Paulo's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCF-USP) in Brazil. According to Loureiro, the idea is to identify the cellular pathways or sequences of biological reactions involved in the development of cancer and hence find possible targets for prevention or treatment of the disease. "Tests have shown that supplementing cell cultures with nicotinamide riboside, one of the components of vitamin B3, protects cells and prevents malignant transformation," she said. "We now want to find out exactly how this happens and whether the compound in question can be used in chemoprevention." A substance intensifies cell metabolism In experiments performed with regular lung cells - more precisely bronchial epithelial cells - cultures were exposed to 0.5 and 1 micromolar (M) benzo[a]pyrene for seven days. Recent data in the scientific literature suggest that the appearance of tumors is closely associated with genetic alterations and also with epigenetic alterations, which may activate the expression of protumoral genes or silence protective genes, for example. What most drew the scientists' attention, however, was a significant drop in the levels of metabolites involved in the production of energy for cells shortly after the first hour of exposure to benzo[a]pyrene. Throughout the exposure period, the cells readapted metabolically, and by the end of the period, the levels of metabolites had risen in exposed cells compared with the control group. "It was for this reason that we had the idea of supplementing the cultures with nicotinamide riboside, a precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide [NAD+], which is essential to cellular metabolism and to the production of ATP [adenosine triphosphate, a molecule that stores energy for cell use]," Loureiro said. Supplementation with nicotinamide riboside (1 M) began 24 hours before exposure to benzo[a]pyrene and was renewed daily with the latter. Because benzo[a]pyrene is absorbed rapidly and biotransformed, it has to be replenished in the cell cultures every day, Loureiro explained. Understanding the connection between benzo[a]pyrene and tumoral development At the end of the seven-day period, the cells were transferred to a semi-solid medium containing agarose, a polysaccharide obtained from algae, in order to prevent adhesion to the culture dish. The researcher says that a normal epithelial cell is unable to grow in this semi-solid medium without Anchorage. "To make this possible, the expression of a number of genes and proteins must be altered so as to favor tumor development, for example by silencing the expression of cadherins [calcium-dependent adhesion molecules that form junctions to bind nearby cells together]," said Loureiro. Analysis performed during the incubation period showed the occurrence of DNA alterations - both genetic (lesions that caused mutations in the nucleotide sequence) and epigenetic (increased levels of 5-methylcytosine, which alters gene expression). Cells grown in the semi-solid medium displayed global hypomethylation (reduction in levels of 5-methylcytosine), a characteristic of tumor cells. Supplementing cells exposed to the carcinogen nicotinamide riboside yielded positive results since they proved unable to grow in the agar medium, displaying similar behavior to the control cells, which were not exposed to benzo[a]pyrene. ### About Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) The Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. For more information: http://www.fapesp.br/en. GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- A new species of bird from the heart of Peru remained undetected for years until researchers identified it by its unique song. In 1996, a group of Louisiana State University and Florida Museum of Natural History researchers traveled to the Cordillera Azul, an isolated mountain ridge in Peru, where they discovered a previously unknown manakin species. With its bright yellow front feathers, the bird was different from the local subspecies of striped manakin, but nearly identical to the subspecies Machaeropterus regulus aureopectus found in the distant Venezuelan tepuis. But it has a completely different voice. The newly discovered manakin's song lacks undertones and has a one-noted rising vocalization, rather than two-noted falling vocalization with undertones or a falling monosyllabic vocalization with undertones. It was given the name Machaeropterus eckelberryi, commemorating the 20th century bird illustrator Don Eckelberry. Andy Kratter, a museum ornithology collection manager, said the differences went unnoticed for years because the research team didn't have vocalizations for all of the bird species. "We kind of sat on it for a long time because we didn't have vocalizations of the birds in Venezuela, and this bird is different from the local birds but close enough to the Venezuelan birds that it might have been considered the same species," he said. "In manakins, it's often subtle clues that might be different among species." The discovery of the new species and details of the expedition were recently published in Zootaxa. Kratter said finding the new species and the isolated mountain ridge were important for the scientific community, in part because the discovery spurred Peru to preserve the area. "The Peruvian government established a national park in the area in the early 2000s, mainly as a result of finding this novel diversity in this area, which our expedition did," he said. "Finding these guys opened up a little more inventory and exploration, which led to the formation of this gigantic national park." Dan Lane, leader of the expedition and a research associate at LSU, was the first to record the new species, and he said it is one more bird for the ornithological community to include in their studies. "Even if we weren't discovering new species, just exploring regions of the world that are still poorly known and getting a better picture of where species are distributed, what habitats they use and how we may use this knowledge to preserve them is a worthwhile activity," he said. "Peru still has many treasures hidden in unexplored nooks and crannies, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the opportunity to uncover them. To this day, it may be some of the most virgin terrain I've ever visited." ### A grant from the National Geographic Society's Fund for Research and Exploration funded the research in 1996. Imagine a tiny donut-shaped droplet, covered with wriggling worms. The worms are packed so tightly together that they must locally line up with respect to each other. In this situation, we would say the worms form a nematic liquid crystal, an ordered phase similar to the materials used in many flat panel displays. However, the nematic phase formed by the worms is filled with tiny regions where the local alignment is lost - defects in the otherwise aligned material. In addition, because the worms are constantly moving and changing their configuration, this nematic phase is active and far from equilibrium. In research reported in the journal Nature Physics, scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Leiden University in The Netherlands have described the results of a combined theoretical and experimental examination of such an active nematic on the surface of donut-shaped - toroidal - droplets. However, the researchers didn't use actual worms, but an active nematic composed of flexible filaments covered with microscopic engines that are constantly converting energy into motion. This particular active material, originally developed at Brandeis University, borrows elements of cellular machinery, with bundles of rod-like microtubules forming the filaments, kinesin motor proteins acting as the engines, and ATP as the fuel. When this activity is combined with defects, the defects "come to life," moving around like swimming microorganisms and exploring space - in this case, exploring the surface of the toroidal droplets. By studying toroidal droplets covered by this active nematic, the researchers confirmed a longstanding theoretical prediction about liquid crystals at equilibrium, first discussed by Bowick, Nelson and Travesset [Phys.Rev. E 69, 041102 (2004)] that nematic defects on the curved surface of such droplets will be sensitive to the local curvature. However, since the active nematic used in this work is far from equilibrium, the researchers also found how the internal activity changed and enriched the expectations. "There have been predictions that say defects are very sensitive to the space they inhabit, specifically to the curvature of the space," said Perry Ellis, a graduate student in the Georgia Tech School of Physics and the paper's first author. "The torus is a great place to investigate this because the outside of the torus, the part that looks locally like a sphere, has positive curvature while the inner part of a torus, the part that looks like a saddle, has negative curvature." "The quantity that characterizes a defect is what we call its topological charge or winding number," said Alberto Fernandez-Nieves, a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Physics and another of the paper's co-authors. "It expresses how the alignment direction of the nematic liquid crystal changes as we go around the defect. This topological charge is quantized, meaning that it can only take values from a discrete set that are multiples of one-half. " In these experiments, each defect has a topological charge of +1/2 or -1/2. To determine the charge and location of every defect, Ellis observed the toroidal droplets over time using a confocal microscope and then analyzed the resulting video using techniques borrowed from computer vision. The researchers found that even with the molecular motors driving the system out of equilibrium, the defects were still able to sense the curvature, with the +1/2 defects migrating towards the region of positive curvature and the -1/2 defects migrating towards the region of negative curvature. In this new work, the scientists took a step forward in understanding how to control and guide defects in an ordered material. "We have learned that we can control and guide partially ordered active matter using the curvature of the underlying substrate," said Fernandez-Nieves. "This work opens opportunities to study how the defects in these materials arrange on surfaces that do not have constant curvature. This opens the door for controlling active matter using curvature." An unexpected finding of the study was that the constant motion of the defects causes the average topological charge to become continuous, no longer taking only values that are multiples of one-half. "In the active limit of our experiments, we found that the topological charge becomes a continuous variable that can now take on any value," said Fernandez-Nieves. "This is reminiscent of what happens to many quantum systems at high temperature, where the quantum, discrete nature of the accessible states and associated variables is lost. Instead of being characterized by quantized properties, the system becomes characterized by continuum properties." Ellis' observations of the droplets compared well with those of numerical simulations done by Assistant Professor Luca Giomi and postdoctoral researcher Daniel Pearce at the Instituut-Lorentz for Theoretical Physics at the Universiteit Leiden in The Netherlands. "Our theoretical model helped us decipher the experimental results and fully understand the physical mechanism governing defect motion," said Pearce, "but also allowed us to go beyond the current experimental evidence." Added Giomi: "Activity changes the nature of the interaction between defects and curvature. In weakly active systems, defects are attracted by regions of like-sign Gaussian curvature. But in strongly active systems, this effect becomes less relevant and defects behave as persistent random-walkers confined in a closed and inhomogeneous space". There are many examples of active systems driven by internal activity, including swimming microorganisms, bird flocks, robot swarms and traffic flows. "Active materials are everywhere, so our results aren't limited to just this system on a torus," Ellis added. "You could see the same behavior in any active system with defects." The research sets the stage for future work in active fluids. "Our results introduce a new framework to explore the mechanical properties of active fluids and suggest that partially ordered active matter can be guided and controlled via gradients in the intrinsic geometry of the underlying substrate," the authors wrote in a summary of their paper. ### This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under award 1609841 and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring agencies. CITATION: Perry W. Ellis, Daniel J. G. Pearce, Ya-Wen Chang, Guillermo Goldsztein, Luca Giomi, and Alberto Fernandez-Nieves, "Curvature-induced Defect Unbinding and Dynamics in Active Nematic Toroids," (Nature Physics, 2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nphys4276 Boulder, CO, USA: Few scientists regard the 1997 movie Volcano, in which flaming magma suddenly spews from the La Brea tar pits and incinerates much of Los Angeles, as a means to foster scientific literacy. After all, Southern California has no magma to spew. But geophysicist Seth Stein sees it differently. "Scientists have a choice," said Stein, William Deering Professor in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Northwestern University. "We can complain about all the horrible mistakes that are in a lot of movies, or we can say, "hey, this is a really great opportunity to get the class interested.'" Stein argues that scientific errors in movies, from impossibly large tsunamis to caverns in Earth's mantle, can be used to teach scientific lessons and foster a healthy sense of skepticism. By training students to spot the errors and seek out true explanations, Stein often incorporates scientifically disastrous disaster movies into his classroom lessons on tectonics, Earth's interior, and geo-physical data analysis. Stein and his coauthors, geologists Reece Elling, Amir Salaree, and geophysicist Michael Wysession of Washington University, plan to share their approach at the Geological Society of America's Annual Meeting on Monday, 23 October, in Seattle, Washington. There's no shortage of scientific unlikelihood to choose from. In the 2003 movie The Core, for example, a team of "terranauts" venture into Earth's core inside a vessel made of "unobtanium," where they encounter gaping voids in our planet's interior and crash through fields of sparkling, jagged minerals. The 2004 television miniseries "10.5" portrays destruction brought on by an earthquake of an absurdly large magnitude. By identifying these errors and learning why they're inaccurate (caverns and the minerals shown simply couldn't exist at those depths and pressures, nor would an M10.5 earthquake strike our planet), Stein said he offers students an entertaining way to connect with their inner skeptic: a vital trait for young scientists in training. "Scientists are supposed to be skeptical," said Stein. "We're not supposed to believe what authorities tell us. We're supposed to question and challenge everything." Stein said the errors extend beyond film. He's spotted inaccuracies in widely-used educational software, science museum animations, popular geology textbooks, and even drafting errors in his own books. Among the most pervasive movie errors, Stein said, is the ubiquitous "lack of geological constraints on the world," and that "you can just have volcanoes popping up everywhere." It looks as if Stein will receive more teaching opportunities just before GSA 2017, as the new movie Geostorm, in which a weather-controlling satellite system turns nefarious, instantly freezing an entire Afghani village and unleashing packs of tornadoes on unsuspecting civilians, comes out 20 October. Yet Stein's presentation comes at a time when movie and television crews often hire scientists as consultants, who do everything from writing equations on background classroom boards to reviewing scripts for gross scientific inaccuracies. Stein refers to The Martian, whose production was thoroughly informed by NASA specialists, as one of the more accurate films of late. "There was only one thing they had to fudge," said Stein, "which was the initial scene where the mission was destroyed by the wind storm. It's true that the wind speeds on Mars are very high, but because the density of the atmosphere is so low it wouldn't actually matter." ### Poster Booth 192, Paper 165-2 "Science Misconceptions in Movies, Unintentional Comedy" Poster link: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2017AM/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/303706 Session link: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2017AM/meetingapp.cgi/Session/43300 Contact: Seth Stein, Northwestern University, seth@earth.northwestern.edu The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, is a scientific society with more than 25,000 members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, GSA encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth science education. CHARLESTON -- Nell Wiseman was a passionate, caring and energetic teacher and friend until the end. At least, that seemed to be the consensus of the hundreds who gathered in the Swickard Auditorium in the Charleston High School Sunday to celebrate the life of the long-time high school teacher. Her passion was teaching and helping students not only in English but to find their voice in everything they did. Tina Winings, an organizer of the memorial, said. That was her legacy. Wiseman who had taught English at the school since 1959 died October 10, in the St. Johns Hospital in Springfield, IL. But Sunday was a celebration of her life and not a reminder of the loss, Winings said. Students and teachers across generations arrived to remember Wiseman and the impact she had on the people that had crossed her path. As he glanced at photos of Wiseman that were strung up for the memorial, only a feeling came to mind for Darren Talbott, a former student from the 80s, when thinking about the teacher. Inspiration. She inspired me to become a teacher, Talbott said. Thinking back on his time as a student, Talbott remembers her intentionally treating everyone as equals. I just felt like she was the kind of teacher that all of her students were equal to her, he said. It didn't matter who you were or what you had. You were still an equal to her. For Ashlynne Tuchon, Wisemans impact was palpable. Tuchon, a 2012 graduate, said Wiseman played a role in getting her through college. She helped pay for my college applications and she also gave me funds for school supplies because she knew my family did not have a lot of money at that time, Wiseman said. She was a blessing. Tuchon noted that her first day with Wiseman in class created a clear picture to the type of teacher she was. On our first day of class, Mrs. Wiseman was just asking some general questions about the class and what we wanted to learn that year. The whole class was silent. So, Wiseman shut the lights off and sat down in the middle of the floor and waited for answers. Wiseman truly wanted to know about her students, she said. It was interesting to me how she was always more concerned about hearing our thoughts then talking, she said. Whispers of stories like these rang in and outside the auditorium during the celebratory remembrance of Wiseman. At the celebration of her life, people were asked to offer up photos of Wiseman as well as write thoughts and memories of the late English teacher on a banner with her name on it. People were also given twinkies and Dove chocolates as they left in remembrance of Wisemans two favorite treats. While not in attendance, Charleston Mayor Brandon Combs commended and recognized Nell Wiseman in a written proclamation. Winings added at the end of the program that Wiseman retired in the only way she could have done it. Several years ago when I retired, Nell told me, Oh yeah, next year is my retirement, Winings said. Then it was next year. And then it was next year. Nell retired the way she wanted to. She never wanted to give up teaching. Boulder, CO, USA: Rising sea levels and human activities are fast creating a "worst case scenario" for Native Americans of the Mississippi Delta who stand to lose not just their homes, but their irreplaceable heritage, to climate change. "This took a long time to evolve," said Shirell Parfait-Dardar, Chief of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Indians in Dulac, Louisiana. Canal construction, oil and gas extraction from the Gulf Coast, climate change and the routing of the Mississippi River and its land-building floods away from other delta areas have made the loss of land inevitable. "It's gotten so bad there is no way to repair it." The landscape has gradually become more of a waterscape, resembling a "laced doily" of land when seen from the air. Sea-level rise and subsidence of the Mississippi Delta are causing large swaths of land to turn to marsh, then open water, leaving narrow strands of land barely above the muddy waters. "It can be a bit deceiving. It's absolutely beautiful here," said Parfait-Dardar of what people see from the roads. "You can still see some trees in spots. But I'm on a sliver of land. Everything has changed." The story of what this and other bands of Mississippi River Delta Native Americans are experiencing will be presented on Monday at the meeting of the Geological Society of America in Seattle, Washington. Presenting for Parfait-Dardar will be Williams College geoscientist Ronadh Cox, whose students have benefited from visiting Dulac and learning the plight of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Indians from Parfait-Dardar. Tribal members live 17 miles (27 kilometers) from the coast, but despite this the community has been losing land at an average of 1% per year between 1974 and 1990, according to previous research. A more recent analysis shows that subsidence rates in the Dulac area average 12.5 millimeters (one-half inch) per year--among the highest in southern Louisiana. Fields and woodlands in which Parfait-Dardar and tribal members wandered as children now have to be crossed by boat. In Dulac, areas that never flooded from the sea now do so regularly. It no longer takes a storm to flood the area: A strong south wind coinciding with a high spring tide is all that's needed. "Younger people, they get out. They have to survive," she said. But that survival comes at a high cost. "We're losing our culture and our people. You don't just lose your home, you lose who you are." Even ancestors are not spared. Coffins frequently come loose during floods and float away. Some are not recovered. To mitigate the effects of flooding, many homes have been elevated 13 feet (4 meters) with stilts. There's even one that's 19 feet (5.8 meters) high, Parfait-Dardar said. But this poses yet another problem: Many of the people living in these elevated houses are Elders. Navigating stairs and being cut off from services is not safe for them. Many others, however, cannot afford to elevate their houses. A lot of properties have been abandoned due to repeated flooding, said Parfait-Dardar. Relocating is not an easy option, since ties to traditional ways of life are strong and hard to leave behind and relocation require financial resources that are beyond the reach of many tribal members. The Grand Caillou/Dulac Band is not the only Native American group being threatened. Others include the Grand Bayou Atakapa tribe, whose homes are accessible only by boat. Another is the nearby Isle de Jean Charles band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw who are currently undergoing federal resettlement, making them the first American "climate refugees." ### Abstract: RISING WATERS AND SINKING LANDS: THE PLIGHT OF NATIVE AMERICAN GROUPS IN SOUTHERN LOUISIANA: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2017AM/webprogram/Paper295019.html Monday, 23 October 2017 3:55 PM Contact: Ronadh Cox Williams College rcox@williams.edu The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, is a scientific society with more than 25,000 members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, GSA encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth science education. The world's seven most industrialized economies (G7) have released a declaration highlighting the transformative role of 5G communication systems in the Next Production Revolution (NPR), also known as Industry 4.0. G7 Ministers see 5G as a key enabler of the highly complex technological demands posed by the digital economy. The open encouragement by the Group of 7 of close international cooperation to spur the rapid development and deployment of 5G technologies is good news for pioneering initiatives such as 5TONIC. The top world economies are embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution brought about by the ongoing digitalization of the global economy, and the Madrid-based Open 5G Lab, launched by Telefonica, Ericsson and the research institute IMDEA Networks, where it is headquartered, provides a top-notch environment for collaborative research and innovation on the technologies and the digital infrastructures and capabilities required to make the Industry 4.0 happen. During the last 'G7 ICT and Industry Ministerial Meeting 2017' held last September in Torino, G7 Leaders set up three key policies to support and boost digital transformation: Inclusiveness, Openness and Security. The role of 5G was laid out within the second Key Policy Priority, where Openness was defined as "a key feature of the digital transformation, stemming from basic principles such as the global nature of the Internet and the free flow of information." The G7 declaration identifies the basic need to enable quality digital infrastructure to support inclusive access to NPR. In particular, the roll-out of high-speed broadband networks has become key if we are to reach the stated G7 goal "to bring 1.5 billion new Internet users online by 2020 and encourage the domestic deployment of connectivity to all people by 2025." In this context, the report highlights the importance of promoting the development and fast roll out of emerging technologies such as 5G in ways that meet industry and societal needs. The declaration acknowledges that 5G, specifically, "promises a step-change in connectivity, with enormous potential to boost productivity and grow the economy. It could unleash new technologies and transform how we interact with the world providing opportunities for wide-ranging and, as yet, unforeseen new applications, business models and enhanced lifestyles." NPR will have far-reaching consequences and pose evolving challenges impacting productivity, employment, skills, economic growth, trade, well-being and the environment. Those countries whose industries are well positioned in the digital race will benefit greatly from it. 5TONIC establishes a unique link between research, academic and industry to promote and give impulse to the digital revolution focused in the promise of 5G. ### More info: 'Towards the G7 Industry/ICT: Focus on Industry 4.0'. (Link to a news item in the website 'G7 2017 Italia'). Some scientists have suspected that the most common form of ovarian cancer may originate in the fallopian tubes, the thin fibrous tunnels that connect the ovaries to the uterus. Now, results of a study of nine women suggest that the genomic roots of many ovarian tumors may indeed arise in the fallopian tubes, potentially providing insights into the origin of ovarian cancer and suggesting new ways for prevention and intervention of this disease. The fifth largest cause of cancer deaths in women, ovarian cancer is generally diagnosed too late in most patients and less than 30 percent of women with the disease survive beyond 10 years. "Ovarian cancer treatments have not changed much in many decades, and this may be, in part, because we have been studying the wrong tissue of origin for these cancers," says study leader Victor Velculescu, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. "If studies in larger groups of women confirm our finding that the fallopian tubes are the site of origin of most ovarian cancer, then this could result in a major change in the way we manage this disease for patients at risk." For the new study, described in the October 23rd issue of Nature Communications, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston collected tissue samples containing normal cells, ovarian cancers, metastases that had spread elsewhere, and small cancers found in the fallopian tubes, which included single cell layers of cancer called "p53 signatures" and serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma, or STIC lesions. All of the samples came from five women who had been diagnosed with high grade serous ovarian tumors, the type of cancer that accounts for three quarters of the estimated 22,000 women diagnosed with ovarian cancers each year in the United States. The scientists also collected samples from STIC lesions and normal cells from four women who had undergone prophylactic removal of their ovaries and fallopian tubes because of hereditary gene mutations in the ovarian and breast cancer-linked BRCA gene, or -- in one case -- a pelvic mass. Because some of the cancers were extremely small -- some lesions were only one cell-layer thick -- postdoctoral fellows Eniko Papp from Johns Hopkins and S. Intidhar Labidi-Galy from Dana Farber, together with Velculescu and co-author Ronny Drapkin, M.D., Ph.D., formerly of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and now at the University of Pennsylvania, developed a way to isolate the relatively few cancer cells from the larger mass of adjacent normal cells. The researchers stained the small cancers to highlight the cells containing mistakes in the p53 gene, which have long been linked to the onset of many cancer types. Then, the scientists used an infrared laser to peel off the highlighted area of cancer cells. Next, the scientists performed what is known as whole-exome genome sequencing -- sequencing all known genes -- on all of the samples to create a catalog of the genetic blueprint of the protein coding genes in the cells' DNA. Without this approach, the results of genomic sequencing would have been swamped with DNA from normal cells, making it difficult to detect cancer-linked DNA errors, Papp says. The Johns Hopkins and Dana Farber research teams then searched for mistakes in the DNA sequences, including areas where one DNA molecule was switched for another, and spots where large regions of DNA in a particular chromosome were altered. The results showed that all nine patients lost identical regions of chromosome 17, where the cancer-linked p53 gene is located, in each of the cancer samples, including the early-stage STIC lesions, suggesting that the "misprinted" or flawed p53 gene is an early step in ovarian cancer development. All nine patients also had lost portions of chromosomes containing one or both BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which have long been linked to hereditary as well as sporadic breast and ovarian cancers. Four patients had deletions in chromosome 10 where another cancer-linked gene called PTEN is located. By using results of their genomic studies, the team estimated the fraction of cancer cells in which a mutation was likely to occur. Reasoning that there would likely be fewer mutations in the original cancer cells than in their successors, the scientists created an evolutionary tree among the ovarian cancers in the five women. They say the results led them to conclude that each of the women's cancers began with mistakes in STIC or earlier lesions located in the fallopian tubes. Additional DNA mistakes were found in cancer cells lodged in the ovary near the fallopian tube and in metastatic sites. Overall, they say, these analyses suggest that the development of cancer in the ovaries is the result of a seeding event from the initial tumor in the fallopian tubes that already contains the key DNA changes needed for this disease. To determine the length of time it likely took for the study patients' cancers to form, the scientists used multiple statistical models that took into account the patient's age when they were diagnosed and the total number of mutations in each patient's cancer. Their results indicate that ovarian cancers developed from STIC lesions within an average of 6.5 years among the patients analyzed. However, when the patients' cancers reached their ovaries, the progression to metastatic disease was estimated to have occurred rapidly, within two years, on average. "This aligns with what we see in the clinic, that newly-diagnosed ovarian cancer patients most often already have widespread disease," says Velculescu. Velculescu cautions that medical practice may not change much until additional studies validate their findings, and there are ongoing clinical trials studying the removal of fallopian tubes instead of ovaries in women with cancer-causing, hereditary BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Velculescu also notes that the fallopian-first theory may not apply to other, less common types of ovarian cancer. A confirmation of their work, says Velculescu, may help spare some women removal of their ovaries and the loss of hormones that leads to increased risk of heart and other diseases. He adds, "The window of time that exists between the development of a STIC lesion and metastatic disease highlights the importance of new screening approaches such as liquid biopsy methods for early detection of ovarian cancer." ### Additional Johns Hopkins scientific collaborators include Dorothy Hallberg, Noushin Niknafs, Ie-Ming Shih, Tian-Li Wang, Robert Kruman, Vilmos Adleff, Michael Noe, Rohit Bhattacharya, Jillian Phallen, Carolyn A. Hruban, Jillian Phallen, Carolyn Hruban, Laura D. Wood, Robert B. Scharpf, and Rachel Karchin. Additional researchers from Dana-Farber include Marian Novak and Cecile L. Maire; Michelle S. Hirsch, Douglas I. Lin and Michaela Bowden from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Lauren Schwartz from the University of Pennsylvania; and Jean-Christophe Tille from Geneva University Hospital; Ayse Ayhan from Seirei Mikatahara Hospital; and Sian Jones from Personal Genome Diagnostics. The research was funded by the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation, the Commonwealth Foundation, National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute (CA121113, CA006973, CA083636, CA152990, CA200469), the Department of Defense, the Honorable Tina Brozman Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research, the SU2C-DCS International Translational Cancer Research Dream Team Grant, the Foundation for Women's Wellness, and the Richard W. TeLinde Gynecologic Pathology Laboratory Endowment. Velculescu is a founder of Personal Genome Diagnostics and is a member of its Scientific Advisory Board and Board of Directors. Velculescu owns Personal Genome Diagnostics stock, which is subject to certain restrictions under university policy. The terms of this arrangement are managed by The Johns Hopkins University in accordance with its conflict of interest policies. The iron concentration in lakes is increasing in many parts of northern Europe, including Sweden. This has been shown in a study in which researchers at Lund University in Sweden examined 23 years of data from 10 countries. High iron levels contribute to browner water; furthermore, iron binds environmental toxins such as lead and arsenic. The research study shows significant differences between North America and Europe. While the iron concentration has increased in almost 4 out of 10 studied lakes in Europe, the corresponding figure is less than 1 in 10 in North America. In exact figures, this amounts to 84 out of 213 lakes and watercourses in Europe, and 11 out of 127 in North America. The study is unique because it examines the propagation of iron in a much larger geographical area than any previous study. In the water bodies in which researchers found a significant increase in iron, its concentration had risen by an average of 60 per cent. Among the 10 countries included in the study, the largest increases can be found in Scandinavia. "High iron concentration may have a negative impact and affect entire ecosystems. Together with carbon compounds, iron contributes to lakes becoming increasingly browner. Iron also binds environmental toxins, such as lead and arsenic. An increased iron concentration can cause such environmental toxins to become more mobile in the environment", says Caroline Bjorneras, doctoral student at Lund University. The researchers studied data series from environmental monitoring programmes in 10 different countries in Europe and North America. They had access to data from 1990 to 2013, and studied the iron concentration of 340 lakes and watercourses. Caroline Bjorneras led the study in collaboration with colleagues in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Germany, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. "We focused on locating where and to what extent the increases have occurred, and not so much on why. This will be our focus as we continue our work", she says. However, she highlights certain factors that have probably contributed to high iron concentration. Climate change with increased temperatures, more precipitation and longer growing seasons is one; the propagation of coniferous forests is another. In areas with a lot of spruce, the iron concentration increases significantly more than in areas dominated by other types of forests and vegetation. "We believe that the land use in catchment areas largely affects the amount of iron that ends up in the water", says Caroline Bjorneras."Regional differences in precipitation, temperature and land use could explain the major differences between Europe and North America, but this cannot be said with certainty". The results confirm the few minor studies that have been conducted. ### San Felipe, Baja California - Scientists with the VaquitaCPR conservation project and Mexico's Secretary of the Environment Rafael Pacchiano announced they succeeded in locating and rescuing a highly endangered vaquita porpoise yesterday, but in an abundance of caution the vaquita, which was a calf, was released. Experts say the calf was being closely monitored by marine mammal veterinarians and showed signs of stress, leading to its release. "The successful rescue made conservation history and demonstrates that the goal of VaquitaCPR is feasible," said Secretary Pacchiano. "No one has ever captured and cared for a vaquita porpoise, even for a brief period of time. This is an exciting moment and as a result, I am confident we can indeed save the vaquita marina from extinction. Experts had planned extensively for the scenario that unfolded on Wednesday and every precaution was taken to safeguard the health of the vaquita calf, which was estimated to be about six months old. "While we were disappointed we could not keep the vaquita in human care, we have demonstrated that we are able to locate and capture a vaquita," said Dr. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho, a senior scientist with SEMARNAT, CIRVA and VaquitaCPR Program Director. "We also succeeded in transporting one and conducting health evaluations that are part of our protocols safeguarding the animals' health." Scientists returned the vaquita calf to the same spot in the Gulf of California where it was originally located and where other vaquitas were observed. Before releasing the vaquita, various tissue samples were taken which scientists will analyze and share with colleagues at other research institutions like the Frozen Zoo in San Diego, California which will conduct genetic sequencing. The precedent-setting rescue comes as the bold conservation plan led by the Mexican government (SEMARNAT) to save the endangered vaquita porpoise from extinction enters its second week of field operations. During the first three days, scientists spotted several vaquitas using visual search methods and acoustic monitoring. Vaquitas were repeatedly located by the VaquitaCPR 'find' team. The vaquita porpoise, also known as the 'panda of the sea,' is the most endangered marine mammal in the world. Latest estimates by scientists who have been monitoring the vaquita for decades show there are fewer than 30 vaquitas left in the wild. The vaquita only lives in the upper Gulf of California. Secretary Pacchiano has visited the VaquitaCPR facilities in San Felipe several times and accompanied scientists during a day of field operations on the Sea of Cortez. "The individuals involved in this unprecedented conservation project are the best in their respective fields," said Secretary Pacchiano. "I've personally witnessed their dedication and incredible expertise. We're all committed to saving the vaquita porpoise and this is the team who can do it." The project, which has been recommended by the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA), involves locating, rescuing and then temporarily relocating the vaquitas to an ocean sanctuary off the coast of San Felipe. The explicit goal of CPR is to return the vaquitas to their natural habitat once the primary threat to their survival has been eliminated. Experts from all over the globe, including Mexico, the United States, Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are all working together on VaquitaCPR. VaquitaCPR field operations, including efforts to locate and bring vaquitas into temporary sea pens, began on October 12 and are expected to continue for several weeks. Windy conditions prevented VaquitaCPR field operations from taking place at sea for three days. When there are sustained winds of more than about eight knots, conditions on the water are too choppy for scientists to visually locate vaquitas. It also could risk the safety of vaquitas during the capture operation. "We've unfortunately been at the mercy of the weather and were in the position of 'waiting on the wind' for several days," said Dr. Cynthia Smith, VaquitaCRP Program Manager. "However, the time hasn't been wasted, as there has been a tremendous amount of productive discussion at all hours of the day as we continue to refine the process of rescuing the animals. Now that we're back on the water and conditions are better, the entire team is optimistic and working together seamlessly to support the mission." In an unprecedented move in April of 2015 that demonstrated Mexico's commitment to conservation, President Pena Nieto announced a two-year gillnet ban throughout the vaquitas' range, compensated fishermen and related industries for their loss of income, and enhanced multi-agency enforcement of the ban led by the Mexican Navy. In June of 2017, the ban on gillnet fishing was made permanent. The government also launched an extensive survey of the vaquita population using an approach that included both visual monitoring and advanced techniques that use sound to locate the animals. All told, the Mexican government has committed more than $100 million in an effort to protect the vaquita and support the local fishing community. A crucial part of CPR is the acoustic monitoring system that will help to locate the remaining vaquitas. This monitoring has been supported since 2012 by WWF and operated by the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change of Mexico (INECC) to help estimate the vaquita's population, and will continue during the CPR operations. WWF will also continue supporting the retrieval of lost or abandoned "ghost" nets, many of them illegal, which drift aimlessly and continue to entangle and kill vaquitas and other marine species. Both the acoustic monitoring and the net retrieval are conducted with the help and experience of local fishermen. VaquitaCPR is led by Mexico's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT). The National Marine Mammal Foundation, Chicago Zoological Society and the Marine Mammal Center are primary partners in this extraordinary conservation effort. VaquitaCPR operates as a private and public partnership, relying on both private donors and government funds. VaquitaCPR has many key collaborators including the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and groups like the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Baja Aqua Farms, and Museo de la Ballena. As part of VaquitaCPR, large floating sea pens will be anchored off the coast of San Felipe, where veterinarians and animal care experts will carefully monitor the health of any vaquitas that are successfully rescued. The sea pens have been designed and built by Baja Aqua Farms, a fish farm operation based in Ensenada. The Museo de la Ballena's mission is to promote the knowledge, study and conservation of cetaceans. Since the museum initiated a conservation operation last year, its vessel has succeeded in retrieving more than 900,000 linear feet of 'ghost' and illegal fishing nets. The museum is providing key logistical support for the VaquitaCPR team. In order to make the Gulf safe for the vaquita in the future, experts agree it's important to prevent illegal fishing of the also-endangered totoaba fish and to support alternative economies for the fishing community. ### VaquitaCPR has been adopted by Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) on the recommendation of their expert advisory group, the Comite Internacional Para La Recuperacion De La Vaquita (CIRVA). VaquitaCPR is an international conservation program led by SEMARNAT in coordination with the National Marine Mammal Foundation, The Marine Mammal Center, and the Chicago Zoological Society. Key collaborators in Mexico include Instituto Nacional de Ecologia and Climate Change (INECC), Asociacion Mexicana de Habitats para la Interaccion y Proteccion de Mamiferos Marinos (AMHMAR), Museo de la Ballena, and Baja Aqua Farms. United States collaborators include Duke University and the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contributing technical support. World Wildlife Fund is contributing with acoustic monitoring and the retrieval of lost or abandoned "ghost" nets from vaquita habitat. European collaborators include Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Aarhus University, and Fjord&Baelt. Additional support and expertise has been offered from Dolphin Quest, SeaWorld, and the Vancouver Aquarium. VaquitaCPR operates as a private and public partnership, relying on both individual donors and government grants. VaquitaCPR has received generous financial support from the Mexican government, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Global Wildlife Conservation, Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums, Africam, International Marine Animal Trainer's Association, Waitt Foundation, Disney Conservation Fund, YAQU PACHA, and the Firedoll Foundation. For information about the plan, visit http://www.nmmf.org/vaquitacpr-espanol.html To support the rescue effort, learn more about the vaquita and for information about VaquitaCPR, visit VaquitaCPR.org High school seniors appear to be underreporting their nonmedical use of amphetamine, despite reporting using Adderall without a doctor's orders, finds a study by the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at NYU Meyers College of Nursing. "Our findings suggest that many young people are unaware that Adderall is amphetamine," said CDUHR researcher Joseph Palamar, PhD, MPH, the study's senior author and an associate professor of population health at NYU Langone Health. "In addition, such conflicting reports mean that prescription stimulant misuse may be underestimated." Amphetamine is the most prevalent stimulant in the United States, commonly prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Adderall, a combination of amphetamine salts, has been linked to enhanced cognitive function and academic performance, which, in part, has led to its "nonmedical" use - where it is taken on one's own without a doctor's supervision - among high school and college students. Nonmedical use of amphetamine warrants concern due to its high potential for abuse and dependency, as well as potential adverse effects, including cardiovascular events and seizures. In addition, people who take prescription stimulants without a doctor's orders are more likely to engage in other drug use and risky behaviors. Considering the popularity and potential dangers associated with use of amphetamine-based stimulants such as Adderall, Palamar and NYU colleague Austin Le sought to better understand nonmedical amphetamine use - and in particular, how accurately teens report their use. In order to do this, the researchers compared whether teens reported nonmedical Adderall use and nonmedical amphetamine use when surveyed in the Monitoring the Future study (2010-2015), a nationally representative study of high school seniors. More than 24,000 high school seniors took part in the study. Students were asked if they had used amphetamines on their own in the past year without a doctor telling them to take them. Adderall was included in the definition of amphetamine for the students. Later in the survey, students were asked if they had used Adderall in the past year without a doctor's orders. While 6.9 percent of teens reported nonmedical Adderall use and 7.9 percent reported nonmedical amphetamine use, over a quarter (28.7 percent) of nonmedical Adderall users reported no nonmedical amphetamine use. "Over a quarter of teens who reported using Adderall without a doctor telling them to take it contradicted themselves by saying they do not use amphetamine," said Palamar. "As a result, the estimated prevalence of nonmedical amphetamine use of 7.9 percent may be an underestimate; it may be as high as 9.8 percent, or one out of 10 high school seniors, when considering the discordant reporting we found." Older students (ages 18 and up), Black students, and students with parents of lower educational attainment were more likely to report no nonmedical amphetamine use, despite reporting nonmedical Adderall use. Because of the underreporting found in their study, the researchers recommend taking steps to ensure accurate and consistent responses in future surveys. For instance, researchers conducting drug surveys may benefit from providing images of specific substances, both to help participants recognize which pill is which and to help them identify the drug class. "Alarmingly, we had similar findings regarding opioids in another study, with many teens appearing unaware that the Vicodin and OxyContin they took are opioids. Better drug education is needed to inform the public about common drugs like amphetamine and opioids," said Palamar. "Accurate data on the prevalence of drug use is critical for informing prevention efforts, as over- or under-estimation may result in inadequate public health responses," said Austin Le, the study's coauthor and a DDS candidate at NYU College of Dentistry. ### The study, "Discordant Reporting of Nonmedical Amphetamine Use among Adderall-Using High School Seniors in the US," is published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers K01DA038800 (PI: Palamar) and P30DA011041 (PI: Deren). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. About CDUHR The mission of the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) is to end the HIV and HCV epidemics in drug using populations and their communities by conducting transdisciplinary research and disseminating its findings to inform programmatic, policy, and grass roots initiatives at the local, state, national and global levels. CDUHR is a Core Center of Excellence funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Grant #P30 DA011041). It is the first center for the socio-behavioral study of substance use and HIV in the United States and is located at the New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing. For more information, visit http://www.cduhr.org. About NYU Langone Health NYU Langone Health is a world-class, patient-centered, integrated academic medical center, known for its excellence in clinical care, research, and education. Included in the 200+ locations throughout the New York area are five inpatient locations: Tisch Hospital, its flagship acute-care facility; Rusk Rehabilitation, ranked as one of the top 10 rehabilitation programs in the country; NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, a dedicated inpatient orthopedic hospital with all musculoskeletal specialties ranked top 10 in the country; Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, a comprehensive pediatric hospital supporting a full array of children's health services; and NYU Langone Hospital--Brooklyn, a full-service teaching hospital and level 1 trauma center located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Also part of NYU Langone Health is the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, and NYU School of Medicine, which since 1841 has trained thousands of physicians and scientists who have helped to shape the course of medical history. For more information, go to nyulangone.org, and interact with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. About the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing is a global leader in nursing education, research, and practice. It offers a Bachelor of Science with a major in Nursing, a Master of Science and Post-Master's Certificate Programs, a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and a Doctor of Philosophy in nursing research and theory development. Osaka -- When Einstein was working toward his PhD, he was among the first to explain how particles exhibit random motions in fluids. Diffusion is an important physical process and the Stokes-Einstein relationship describes how particles diffuse through a fluid based on the hydrodynamic theory. But mysteriously at low temperatures below the melting temperature, something changes in supercooled liquids and the resulting highly viscous glassy behavior can no longer be explained by the simple Stokes-Einstein relationship. Now, two researchers from Osaka University and Nagoya University have simulated supercooled water in unprecedented detail to explain the anomalous behavior at low temperatures. They recently published their findings in Science Advances. "Most liquids obey the Stokes-Einstein equation over a wide range of temperatures, but some unexpected changes in behavior are found in supercooled water and other glassy materials," coauthor Kang Kim, of Osaka University, says. "Breakdown of Stokes-Einstein behavior suggests some kind of anomalous molecular motions even in a liquid state, but it's not clear what those behaviors are." The simple Stokes-Einstein relationship is based on arguments about how molecules move randomly at the microscopic level. But in supercooled water, molecules start to slow down irregularly. The researchers showed through simulations that some regions of the water become affected more than others, forming hydrogen bonds heterogeneously with partial solidification. Water molecules move through the viscous supercooled water in jumps related to hydrogen bond breaking. The erratic timing of this kind of movement is not accounted for by the Stokes-Einstein equation. Their simulations allowed them to examine how the supercooled water hydrogen bonding network changed over time. Their modelling clearly showed that an intermittent hydrogen bond breaking timings contributed to the breakdown of Stokes-Einstein behavior. "There are interesting physical implications of these findings as the Stokes-Einstein violation is regarded as a hydrodynamic anomaly of many glassy materials systems," Kim says. "Our simulations help to answer questions about what happens in pure supercooled water and could also help to explain other dynamic behaviors in other technologically important glassy materials." ### PRINCETON, N.J.--Many argue the Great Recession could have been ameliorated through strategic policies, but the government ignored warning signs of coming economic distress. Instead, increased borrowing incited a financial and real estate boom, which resulted in a bubble that eventually burst. Yet, for anyone who lived through the early 1980s and early 1990s, the Great Recession two decades later should not have been a surprise, according to a working paper published by Princeton University. Similar to the Great Recession, there was a large rise in lending in the 1980s -- both to individual households and to corporations and firms -- which was followed by a recession. At the same time, U.S. states gradually deregulated their banking sectors, allowing banks from other states into their markets. These factors make the timeframe ripe for economic study: Was the credit boom the result of looser financial markets, or were more people just borrowing money? Did the boom affect individual households more than corporations? And how did this influence the economy overall? Atif Mian and Emil Verner from Princeton and Amir Sufi from the University of Chicago examined the effect of these local credit supply "shocks" on employment, consumer spending, house prices and indebtedness, across states. Their results are published as an online working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). They found that states like New York, which deregulated relatively early, experienced bigger credit booms -- both among households and corporations -- in the 1980s than states with tighter restrictions on the banking sector, like Illinois. However, additional lending resulted in higher local demand, through more lending to households, and not increases of firms' productivity, investment in new capital, for example. These early state deregulators also experienced crushing lows -- higher household debt levels, a worse recession, and big losses in the banking sector -- by the end of the decade and into the early 1990s. "There were quite relaxed credit markets in the 1980s, so it is a perfect device for studying how credit supply booms affect the economy," said Mian, the John H. Laporte, Jr. Class of 1967 Professor of Economics, Public Policy and Finance at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. "We are not making any policy judgments about whether deregulation is good or bad, but more that deregulation can be a driver." "If you have an environment where credit markets are optimistic and credit supply is loose, then a more deregulated system can unleash stronger credit growth," Verner, a Ph.D. candidate, said. The results mirror what the researchers previously found for the Great Recession of 2008, and it also matches what happened in Ireland and Spain, countries which both experienced an increase in capital flow and lending, thanks to cross-border exchanges across Europe. The methodology outlined by Mian, Verner and Sufi can address whether credit booms are affecting productivity or investment among corporations or individual borrowing among households. If it's the latter, then the potential risks should be evident: increased household borrowing can result in people incurring far too much debt, creating adverse effects in the housing market and the local economy. "This test can help identify the type of boom occurring, and if you identify that it's a boom on the demand side, then that's where these macro-prudential policies come into play, where you might want to take a look at restricting how the household sector is borrowing, for example," Verner said. "A number of countries already have rules like this -- how much a person can borrow in relation to their income, for example." ### The paper, "How do Credit Supply Shocks Affect the Real Economy? Evidence from the United States in the 1980s," was published in NBER as a working paper and was not peer-reviewed or subject to the review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications. It was supported by funding from the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, Julis Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy and Finance at Princeton, and the Initiative on Global Markets at Chicago Booth. CONTACT: B. Rose Kelly609-258-0157 (office)609-619-7097 (cell) People who exhibit even a few depressive symptoms before a major life stressor, such as a disaster, may experience an increase in inflammation -- a major risk factor for heart disease and other negative health conditions -- after the event, according to new research from Rice University. The findings have important implications for survivors of crisis situations, according to Chris Fagundes, an assistant professor of psychology at Rice and one of the study's authors. "An Evaluation of Perceived Health Risk and Depressive Symptoms Before a Disaster in Predicting Post-Disaster Inflammation" will appear in an upcoming edition of Psychosomatic Medicine. The study followed 124 people (38 males and 86 females, including whites, Hispanics and African-Americans) who lived in Texas City, Texas, before and after a petrochemical refinery in the city exploded March 23, 2005. The explosion killed 15 workers, injured more than 170 others and shook buildings as far as 10 miles away. The researchers found that after the disaster, study participants who beforehand exhibited even minor depressive symptoms (such as a feeling of fatigue or sadness) and identified concern for their physical health had a 75 percent increase in their blood of C-reactive protein, Tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and Interleukin 6, all of which are immune markers that signal inflammation in the body. Participants who did not display depressive symptoms or identify concern for their physical health beforehand saw no increase in the immune markers after the disaster. "We found that people who are slightly depressed and stressed out about their health risks prior to a disaster had a negative response to the actual disaster in the form of these immune markers showing up in their bloodstream," Fagundes said. "If you're already above the baseline for mental and physical health, your immune system is primed to have a much more dramatic effect. This could explain other researchers' findings demonstrating increased cardiovascular events (any event that can damage the heart muscle) following natural disasters." Before the explosion, participants had completed the Concern About Petrochemical Health Risk Scale, a four-item measure of one's subjective risk of health problems due to living near a petrochemical plant. The four items focused on concerns of health risks stemming from pollution, accidents, stored waste and generally living near oil and chemical industries. Participants indicated their degree of concern for each item on a scale ranging from 1 (not at all concerned) to 5 (extremely concerned). Also before the explosion, participants completed a 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale survey and indicated symptoms of depression they had experienced during the previous two weeks on a scale ranging from 0 (rarely) to 3 (most or all of the time). Collection of follow-up information took place between May and August 2005 (two to six months after the explosion). Participants also gave samples of their blood both before and after the explosion. The pre-disaster data used in this study was initially being collected for another study, Fagundes said. The researchers put together the resources to implement a study after the disaster to assess changes, which is similar to what Fagundes is doing now following Hurricane Harvey. Fagundes said the study is especially timely following Hurricane Harvey in Houston. "It is certainly possible that we will see these same health patterns in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey," he said. Fagundes hopes the study will encourage future work focusing on exposure to disasters and the related negative mental and physical health outcomes. ### The study's lead author was Kyle Murdock, a former postdoctoral research fellow in Rice's Department of Psychology (now an assistant professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State University). Fagundes was the senior author. Other authors included Raymond Stowe of Microgen Laboratories, Kristen Peek of the Department of Preventative Medicine and Community Health at the University of Texas Medical Branch and Savannah Lawrence, a Rice senior studying psychology. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. This news release can be found online at http://news.rice.edu/. Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews. Related Materials: Chris Fagundes bio: https://psychology.rice.edu/christopher-fagundes Rice Department of Psychology: https://psychology.rice.edu/ Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,879 undergraduates and 2,861 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for quality of life and for lots of race/class interaction and No. 2 for happiest students by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to http://tinyurl.com/RiceUniversityoverview. Saline lakes around the world are shrinking in size at alarming rates. But what--or who--is to blame? Lakes like Utah's Great Salt Lake, Asia's Aral Sea, the Dead Sea in Jordan and Israel, China's huge Lop Nur and Bolivia's Lake Popo are just a few that are in peril. These lakes and others like them are suffering massive environmental problems according to a group of scientists and water managers in Utah and Montana. Saline lakes are critically important for wildlife, industry, and human health. They provide habitat for migrating birds, minerals for extractive industries, and recreational opportunities, all of which are economically important. Great Salt Lake, for example, has an economic value of $1.32 billion per year. When full, saline lakes protect nearby residents from dust storms created by the dry lakebeds. This dust causes asthma and other respiratory diseases as demonstrated after the desiccation of the Aral Sea and California's Owens Lake. Although these lakes grow and shrink with natural climate cycles, human withdrawals of water create a persistent demand that lowers lake levels--sometimes drastically. In the recent Nature Geoscience paper, "Decline of the world's saline lakes," authors Wayne Wurtsbaugh, Sarah Null, Peter Wilcock and Frank Howe of Utah State University; Craig Miller of the Utah Division of Water Resources, Justin deRose of the U.S. Forest Service, Maura Hahnenberger of Salt Lake Community College and Johnnie Moore of the University of Montana describe the dramatic effects of water use and climate change on the world's saline lakes, dating as far back as 1300 years ago when the huge lakes of China's Tarim Basin were dried up due to water development of Himalayan Rivers. Focusing on the Great Salt Lake, the authors created a water balance that demonstrates how water development for agriculture and other uses over the last 160 years has caused the lake to decline approximately 11 feet and lose nearly 50% of its area. This has degraded habitat for the huge migrations of birds that use the lake for nesting and feeding, caused problems for mineral extraction and recreational use, and exposed nearby Salt Lake City to increasing dust storms from the exposed lakebed. "The Great Salt Lake is definitely shrinking," says lead author Wurtsbaugh, professor in USU's Department of Watershed Resources and the Ecology Center. "Although the lake has risen and fallen with droughts and floods in recent decades, the persistence of water diversions has decreased the lake's level about 11 feet and exposed a lot of lake bed. The state's plans to continue developing water in the basin will only worsen the problem." Instead, the researchers argue that additional water resources, approximately 29%, must be found to bring the lake back to a healthy state. "The state has had some success in water conservation for households, but since water for agriculture represents over 60% of water use, domestic conservation represents only a minor reduction," says Wurtsbaugh. "Reductions in water use from all sectors will be needed if we are to solve this problem." ### SPRINGFIELD -- The General Assembly will gather for its fall veto session on Tuesday with gun control legislation to consider again in light of national tragedy, including a provision to ban "bump stocks," the devices used by the gunman in what is now the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. At least two bills are being considered following the shooting in Las Vegas that left 58 people dead and more than 500 wounded on Oct. 1. House Bill 4107 introduced Oct. 5 by state Rep. Martin Moylan, a Des Plaines Democrat, would ban the sale of bump stocks, as well as assault weapons, large-caliber rifles and large-capacity magazines, described in the bill as holding 10 or more rounds of ammunition. Senate Bill 1657 would create state licensing for gun dealers and was filed by state Rep. Kathleen Willis, a Democrat from Addison. Gun control is a sore subject with gun enthusiasts, said Dan Cooley, owner of The Bullet Trap in Macon. We're keeping our customers abreast of the situation, and as soon as we can, we'll go ahead and file witness slips, Cooley said, referring to formal objections to legislation that can be filed by individuals or groups. We're giving instructions on our Facebook page for customers who want to object to it. Moylan has previously proposed similar measures, but they haven't passed the legislature. He thinks circumstances may change since it was discovered that Las Vegas shooter, Stephen Paddock, had reserved hotel rooms in Chicago overlooking the Lollapalooza music festival last summer. Paddock didn't use the rooms. "I'm passionate about it this time because of the events that happened in Las Vegas," Moylan said. "Especially since the guy was scoping out a Chicago site, I think this bears a lot of weight on it. I would hope I get a lot of support, both on Republicans and Democrats." HB 4107 is scheduled for a hearing before the House Judiciary-Criminal Committee at 3 p.m. Tuesday. SB 1657, which was filed in the Senate in February, is on the legislative calendar for a third reading and floor debate in the House, which is followed by a vote. It passed the Senate on April 27. But finding support among Central Illinois lawmakers may prove problematic for the bills sponsors. As a strong supporter of our constitutional rights, I will be voting against these anti-Second Amendment bills, and I urge my colleagues in the General Assembly to do the same, said state Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, who is not seeking re-election in 2018. State Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said he would oppose Moylans bill if it comes up for a vote in its current form. I represent a diverse Senate district, and my goal has always been to weigh all opinions on every piece of legislation, and that approach has been no different and will be no different for Moylan's bills. He has several bills or any bills that deal with gun control. Two sides of a very important debate are talking past each other, and I think the key to this is I think trying to find common ground. Recent tragedies Las Vegas is the most recent mass shooting that has caught the nations attention and sparked gun control talk in Illinois, which has spent years grappling with gun violence in Chicago while feeling pushback from downstate gun rights supporters. Paddock fired hundreds of rifle rounds from his suite on the 32nd floor of the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel into a crowd of concertgoers Oct. 1 in Las Vegas. About an hour after Paddock fired his last shot, he was found dead in his room from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His motive remains unknown. During his attack, Paddock used a bump stock to have his weapons mimic automatic firing. The devices, originally intended to help people with disabilities, fit over the stock and pistol grip of a semiautomatic rifle and allow the weapon to fire continuously, about 400 to 800 rounds in a single minute. Bump stocks were found among the guns Paddock used. On June 12, 2016, Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old security guard, killed 49 people and wounded 58 others inside Pulse, a nightclub in Orlando, Florida. He was shot and killed by Orlando Police Department officers after a three-hour standoff. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on Dec. 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children and six adult staff members. Prior to driving to the school, he shot and killed his mother at their Newtown home. As first responders arrived at the scene, Lanza killed himself. Chicagos homicide rate is ahead of the pace set in 2016, when it reached 400 homicides by July 31. There were 781 homicides in 2016, but the city didnt see its 400th killing until August. According to a homicide database compiled by the Chicago Sun-Times, at least two homicides have occurred per day so far in 2017, and the city reached its 400th homicide on July 31. Gun control legislation following mass shootings often focus on assault weapons, and high-capacity magazines that the killers often use. In addition to those, Moylans proposal also addresses large-caliber ammunition, such as a .50-caliber bullet, used mostly in machine guns and sniper rifles by militaries worldwide, but also for some hunting. Taking sides No one at the Locked & Loaded gun store near Pana is surprised legislators are making another run at more gun control measures in the wake of the Las Vegas massacre. But store co-owner and gunsmith Jarred Agney said that, as usual, it's misdirected effort. Agney said lawmakers call for bans on rifles labeled as assault weapons based on looks, like having a pistol grip, while having no idea how the weapons work. Some of these 'assault weapon' features you can find on bolt-action rifles, he said. The gunsmith said describing a high-capacity magazine as holding 10 or more bullets was also ridiculous. Many pistols today hold significantly more than 10 rounds, he added. Picking 10 is just taking an arbitrary number. Agney said the mass murderer of Las Vegas was an evil man intent on performing an evil act. He said lawmakers want someone to blame in the aftermath, and something to ban, and the anti-gun lobby looks for an opportunity to push their legislative agenda. But he said the bottom line is there is no law that would have stopped the Las Vegas shooter, or anyone bent on doing others harm. Agney said Locked & Loaded doesn't sell bump stocks and said for most shooting purposes they are useless. But he doesn't like the idea of legislation to ban them because he doesn't trust Illinois politicians who, he said, are always looking for the thin end of a wedge issue. What will happen, and we've seen it a hundred times, is they will have one issue and then pack everything else behind it, he said, referring to other gun laws and restrictions. But the legislation is a piece of a puzzle, said Colleen Daley, executive director of the Illinois Council Against Hand Gun Violence. "We are supportive of the measure. I don't think weapons of war should be on our streets," she said. "We ban automatic weapons for a reason. Bump stocks are not something people should have access to." It's part of a bigger issue of people having easy access to guns and the illegal trafficking of them, Daley said. "We definitely need to see some changes," she said. The Illinois State Rifle Association, the state arm of the National Rifle Association, said it is keeping an eye on all legislation as it relates to gun rights, but Executive Director Richard Pearson said he doesnt see much to support in the latest proposals. We oppose it ... no wiggle room (on Moylan's bill), Pearson said. There's a lot of bills out there right now; there's several bump stocks bills, so we'll be looking at those to see if there's anything we can deal with there. We're still watching things being proposed. We'll see what happens; we always look at legislation. While Moylans bill dealing with weapons and ammunition is just beginning its legislative journey, the bill to require state licensing of gun dealers has made it all the way to a floor vote in the House after clearing all its legislative hurdles since being introduced in February and passing the Senate. Willis, the Addison Democrat, said 16 states already require a state license for gun dealers in addition to a federal license. "This bill is something that has been worked on for 15 years," Willis said. "I don't think that it is definitely tied to the Las Vegas shootings. I think this is a good business practice bill." Agney called it a pointless exercise that will achieve nothing: It serves no purpose because we're already regulated by the federal government with pretty good oversight. Bullet Trap owner Cooley is against that, too. Firearms dealers already keep meticulous records, he said, and already have cameras in their establishments, and adding another layer of regulation is unnecessary. Rocky ground Common ground may prove an elusive goal, given the dichotomy of Chicago-area vs. downstate lawmakers, in addition to the Republican/Democrat divide on the issue, in Illinois. State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, prefaced that he had not read the legislation in full yet and would not make a final judgment until then, but he is opposed to what he did know of the two bills. State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, and state Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, did not return messages seeking comment. Righter called the Moylans measure an emotional and political response. "This is a pattern that we see in Springfield on a regular basis," Righter said. "There is a tragedy and the response from some in the General Assembly is, well, let's go file a gun control measure that may or may not have affected the situation." To Righter, gun violence is generally caused by those with mental illness or those with a "lack of respect for the sanctity of innocent life in some communities." "Clamping down more on law-abiding gun owners who have passed the criteria necessary to get a FOID (Firearm Owners Identification Card) or passed what was necessary to get a concealed-carry does nothing to address these issues," Righter said, speaking of an assault rifle ban. He felt similarly about the state licensing measure. "It is duplicitous. We have a federal system," Righter said. "The federal government has far more resources. ... What are the gaps in the federal system that this would fill?" Mitchell was more pronounced in his opposition. The liberal Chicago politicians are once again pushing their radical, gun-grabbing agenda in Springfield. Democrats have filed another so-called assault weapons ban and have advanced a highly restrictive gun dealer licensing bill to the House floor for a final vote in the coming weeks, Mitchell said. Law-abiding gun owners should not have their rights trampled upon by out-of-touch politicians looking to score cheap political points in the wake of recent tragedies. Said Manar: My opinion about this issue is reflective of the Senate district I represent. I can tell you today that there are many people in the 48th District that support Moylan's bill and many people that oppose it. "And I think my approach has always been the same, and especially bills that deal with firearms, you weigh the pros and cons and the different sides of the argument and try to make the best decision you can make. Geneticists from the University of Geneva have taken an important step towards true predictive medicine. Exploring the links between diseases and tissue-specific gene activity, they have been able to build a model that constitutes a first step towards the identification of specific sequences in the non-coding genome signalling their pathogenicity in the context of a specific disease. In a second study, they went even further by associating particular disease risks - including schizophrenia, cardiovascular disease and diabetes - to the variability of genome activity in various cell types, with surprising results. Their discoveries, which can be read in two articles published in Nature Genetics, may very well revolutionize how each one of us, depending on our genome, manage our health. Both studies rely on data gathered through the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) international project consortium, launched in 2010 and co-led by Professor Emmanouil Dermitzakis, geneticist at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and Director of the newly established Health 2030 Genome Centre. The GTEx project was designed to sample as many tissues as possible from a large number of individuals in order to understand the causal effects of genes and variants. Data made available in the past 7 years helped scientists around the world make tremendous progress in the analysis of tissue-specific genome variation and predisposition to disease. Examining many different types of human tissues sampled on hundreds of people gives new insights into how genomic variants - inherited spelling changes in the DNA code - can control how, when and how many genes are turned on and off in different tissues, and increase individuals' risk to a wide range of diseases. One of the main findings of the GTEx consortium is that the same variant can often have a different effect depending upon the tissue in which it is present. For example, a variant that affects the activity of two genes associated with blood pressure had a stronger impact in the tibial artery - even though there was greater gene activity in other tissues. Unravelling the pathogenicity of non-coding genome variants To gauge how variants affect gene activity, researchers perform eQTL analysis. An eQTL - or expression quantitative trait locus - is an association between a variant at a specific genomic location and the level of activity of a gene in a particular tissue. Comparing tissue-specific eQTLs with genetic disease associations therefore provides insights into which tissues are the most relevant to a disease. If it is now possible to locate an association between a genomic region and a phenotype (a disease, for instance), scientists are however unable to precisely determine what nucleotide- the bricks of our DNA- when mutated contributes to the phenotype in question. "Pinpointing the nucleotide is the ultimate resolution we require to understand how genome variability contributes to disease risk", underlines Prof. Emmanouil Dermitzakis. "We therefore needed to devise a model to precisely link causal variants to a particular disease. Our objective, put simply, was to locate the exact nucleotide which, when mutated, increases the risk for a disease, rather than just the associated region or gene." To build a robust model, the scientists performed eQTL analysis on hundreds of samples, and identified thousands of causal variants in the non-coding genome. Using this dataset, they started building models aiming to recognize these variants from specific DNA sequences, without having to link it to existing phenotypes. The objective is, as described by Andrew A. Brown, a researcher at the Department of Genetic Medicine and Development at UNIGE Faculty of Medicine and one of these studies first author, "To be able to recognize pathogenic variants without any other information other that this sequence. If our model is confirmed, we will solve one of the major problems of modern genomics: by just reading non-coding DNA sequences, we will be able to identify their pathogenic causal effects. It is the real future of predictive medicine." To each tissue its own risk To evaluate genetic predisposition to disease, genetic variants are typically associated with a phenotype. "Yet, this method only gives a partial image of a larger picture," indicates Halit Ongen, a researcher at the Department of Genetic Medicine and Development at UNIGE Faculty of Medicine and first author of the second study published in Nature Genetics. "The GTEx database allowed us to design a statistical model that links variants from the non-coding genome to genes and diseases. Nevertheless, to be valid, disease risk analysis needs to go a step further, by defining in which tissue is the gene misexpressed for that risk to go high. Gene expression varies across tissues in the same person, but which tissues are the most relevant in relation to genetic causality of a specific disease?" The scientists were able to rank the contribution of various tissues' genetic effect to diseases. And they had some surprising results. In the case of schizophrenia, for instance, brain tissues come out quite logically as first contributors to the risk of developing the disease. Much less obvious, the small intestine appears to be an important tissue contributing to risk. Clinical insights already point to the gut sending signals to the brain through the microbiome. Nevertheless, these results indicate that the genetics of small intestine could influence the microbiome that, in turn, affects the brain; this could be very helpful to drive research towards organs that, genetically, greatly contribute to a disease rather than limit research to the organs that are affected. For example, biomarkers could be identified to be used as warning signals for an upcoming disease. From accurate research to personalized prevention: a new tool towards high-precision medicine Better understanding of how an individuals' genome affects disease biology will also influence prevention. "We can now put variants, genes and tissues in a single framework; if for many people, the disease appear to be the same, the biological perturbations leading up to it may greatly vary", highlights Emmanouil Dermitzakis." Our discovery has many implications in personalized medicine, which are exactly the issues we want to address at the Health 2030 Genome Centre. Translating such fundamental research into clinical applications will benefit all, here in Switzerland, but will also allow us drive significant research that will shape tomorrow's medicine." ### In a first for hospital infection control, the UC San Francisco Health Informatics team has used electronic health records (EHRs) to track down a source of a common hospital-acquired infection by tracing the movements of more than 85,000 patients over a three-year period. A bacterium known as Clostridium difficile (colloquially called "C. diff") is the leading cause of infections in healthcare settings, but the complex interactions and location changes that take place in hospitals often make it difficult to identify the source of these infections. UCSF is committed to reducing rates of hospital acquired C. diff. In the new study, published October 23, 2017 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, the UCSF Health Informatics team used time and location stamps--which are entered in EHRs whenever patients undergo procedures, such as radiological scans or operations, or are moved to different parts of the hospital--to map 435,000 patient location changes throughout the UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus between 2013 and 2016. Ultimately, first author Sara Murray, MD, MAS, assistant professor of medicine at UCSF, and her team were able to use the data to construct a map of where all patients with C. diff infections had travelled in the hospital--and exactly when they had been in each place--over the course of the three-year study period. Murray and colleagues then looked to see what happened to the patients who visited the same locations within 24 hours of an infected patient, the period in which that location was considered, for the purposes of the study, to be "potentially contaminated." Patients who passed through a space while it was potentially contaminated were considered "exposed" to C. diff. The team then calculated the odds of C. diff infection as a result of exposure by comparing infection rates over the next two months for those considered exposed to rates for those who passed through the same spaces at a time it hadn't recently been used by a patient with C. diff. This controlled for the different characteristics of patients who visited these spaces, which could confound the results. "Most studies looking at C. diff in hospitals typically only look at whether patients were on the same hospital floor," said Russ Cucina, MD, senior author on the study and chief health information officer at UCSF. "Some studies look at whether patients were roommates or occupied a bed recently vacated by an infected patient. But they don't think about everywhere else in the hospital patients go. If we just look at transmission in their room, we're missing potential opportunities for disease transmission." The very broad analysis used in the new study revealed that one location--a particular CT scanner in the Emergency Department--was a significant source of exposure-related infections. Patients who entered that scanner within 24 hours after C. diff-positive patients were more than twice as likely to become infected with the bacterium themselves: 4 percent of the patients who were considered exposed in the scanner contracted C. diff within two months; the overall rate of infection for patients who passed through the scanner was 1.6 percent. The hospital moved swiftly to standardize the cleaning practices for that scanner to match those used in other radiology suites. No other sites at the hospital raised concerns regarding C. diff transmission in the three years under review. "This shows the potential for what can happen when thoughtful data scientists leverage electronic health records to tackle a common healthcare problem," said Niraj Sehgal, MD, MPH, vice president and chief quality officer for UCSF Health and professor of medicine at UCSF, who was not involved in the study. "Their novel approach helped bolster our infection prevention strategies but also demonstrated the answers that can come from studying the vast sources of data generated through a patient's hospitalization." Hospitals have had EHRs for a number of years, but the field of clinical informatics, which aims to discover meaningful patterns in large medical datasets, is relatively new, and researchers are only just discovering how to use these records to improve patient care. EHRs contain voluminous data-- in UCSF's case, spanning some 16,000 tables--and these data can be hard to interpret. "There are just so many places data are stored, and one of the challenges is ensuring that the data you choose truly represent what they appear to," said Murray. "The key to success with these kinds of studies is careful attention to detail and validation of the work." The authors said the current study is just a beginning, and that UCSF's health informatics team will continue to probe EHRs for the who, what, when, where, and why of what happens to patients in the hospital. "The electronic health record is a treasure trove of clinical data and insights, but we are just beginning to discover how to unlock its secrets," said Robert Wachter, MD, chair of the UCSF department of medicine and author of the bestselling book The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine's Computer Age. "This study demonstrates the potential to transform patient care when innovative clinicians and technology experts join hands to tackle healthcare's hardest problems." ### Other authors of the study include Joanne Yim, PhD; Rhiannon Croci, BSN, RN-BC; Alvin Rajkomar, MD; Gabriela Schmajuk, MD, MS; and Raman Khanna, MD, MAS, all of UCSF. About UCSF: UC San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy; a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic, biomedical, translational and population sciences; and a preeminent biomedical research enterprise. It also includes UCSF Health, which comprises top-ranked hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland - and other partner and affiliated hospitals and healthcare providers throughout the Bay Area. Please visit http://www.ucsf.edu/news. AURORA, Colo. (October 23, 2017) - Getting enough vitamin D during infancy and childhood is associated with a reduced risk of islet autoimmunity among children at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes, according to a study published this week in the journal Diabetes. The study's lead author, Jill Norris, MPH, PhD, of the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz, and her co-authors examined the association between vitamin D levels in the blood and islet autoimmunity. Islet autoimmunity, detected by antibodies that appear when the immune system attacks the islet cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, is a precursor to type 1 diabetes. "For several years there has been controversy among scientists about whether vitamin D lowers the risk of developing of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes," said Dr. Norris. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease that is increasing by 3-5 percent annually worldwide. The disease is now the most common metabolic disorder in children under age 10. In younger children, the number of new cases is particularly high. And the risks seem to be greater at higher latitudes, further north from the equator. Vitamin D represents a candidate protective factor for type 1 diabetes as it regulates the immune system and autoimmunity. Moreover, vitamin D status varies by latitude. But associations between vitamin D levels and islet autoimmunity have been inconsistent. This may be due to different study designs, population variation in vitamin D levels, or a failure to account for the combined effect of exposure and underlying genetic variation in the vitamin D pathway. The findings are part of The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study, a large, multi-national study funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. TEDDY's effort began in 2004 with children from six clinical centers: three in the U.S. (Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes at CU Anschutz, the Pacific Northwest Research Institute in Seattle, and Augusta University in Georgia) and three in Europe (Universities of Turku, Oulu, and Tampere in Finland, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen in Germany, and Lund University in Sweden). The aim of the study is to search for triggers and protective factors for type 1 diabetes in 8,676 children with elevated type 1 diabetes risk. The TEDDY children were followed with blood samples drawn every three to six months from infancy, to determine the presence of islet autoimmunity, as well as levels of vitamin D. The authors compared 376 children who developed islet autoimmunity with 1,041 children who did not. The authors found that in children with a genetic variant in the vitamin D receptor gene, vitamin D levels in infancy and childhood were lower in those that went on to develop islet autoimmunity compared with those that did not develop autoimmunity. This study is the first to show that higher childhood vitamin D levels are significantly associated with a decreased risk of IA. "Since this association does not prove cause-and-effect, we look to future prospective studies to confirm whether a vitamin D intervention can help prevent type 1 diabetes," Dr. Norris said. ### Original Publication: Norris JM, Lee H, Frederiksen B, Erlund I, Uusitalo U, Yang J, Lernmark A, Simell O, Toppari J, Rewers M, Ziegler A-G, She J-X, Onengut-Gumuscu S, Chen W-M, Rich SS, Sundvall J, Akolkar B, Krischer J, Virtanen SM, Hagopian W, for the TEDDY Study Group. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and risk of islet autoimmunity. Diabetes 2017. Birds will sometimes care for the offspring of other birds of their own species if they anticipate future benefits. Being tolerated in another bird's territory and the chance to inherit that territory later are considered rewards for which some birds are willing to postpone their own chance of reproduction. On 23 October 2017 veni researcher Sjouke Kingma from the University of Groningen has published an article on this subject in Nature Communications. In almost ten percent of bird species around the world, certain individuals postpone their own chance of reproduction to help birds of the same species to care for their offspring. This behaviour has also been observed in certain mammals, fish and insects. Since the days of Charles Darwin, biologists have assumed that all creatures are selfish, and do everything they can to maximize the chance of passing their genes to their offspring. So why do some birds sacrifice themselves for the sake of others? What do they gain by not producing their own brood and wasting energy to help others? Relations One hypothesis is that they only help their relations, i.e. younger brothers and sisters with whom they share their genes. This is thought to be a way for the helpers to pass on their genes, without reproducing themselves. In a recent study, evolutionary biologist Sjouke Kingma refutes this widely accepted vision by showing that these individuals are also trying to improve their own future prospects. Kingma compared 44 species of birds, some of which help other birds while denying themselves their own brood. Although some birds only help family members, his research showed that a lot of birds are even more keen to help non-family members if they stand to inherit their territory in the future. Territory Kingma concludes: 'Birds see their territory in the same way as we see our house. Some species of "home-owners" allow other birds to live in their territory and help them to care for their offspring. This may seem logical if the birds living in the same territory and helping each other are related. But this isn't always the case. My research reveals that the home-owners get much more help if the helpers stand to inherit their territory in the future. After all, you'd be much more inclined to help someone maintain their home if you thought you'd inherit it one day. This is precisely what a lot of birds do: they help the current owner so that the territory will be worth more when they inherit it.' Future helpers Kingma sees two benefits in this principle. 'Showing that you're prepared to help increases the chance that the nesting pair will tolerate you in their territory, which may ensure that you inherit the territory later on. In addition, if you help with the current owners' kids, you'll create your own future little helpers. By the time the territory is handed over, the helpful bird will have its own army of little helpers ready and willing to assist.' Planning The concept of helping each other is not strange to humans, but biologists have been puzzling about why wild animals would do this. This research shows that animals are capable of planning and modifying their behaviour to achieve future goals. ### Note to the editors - Direct benefits explain interspecific variation in helping behaviour among cooperatively breeding birds, Nature Communications, 23 October 2017. DOI 10.1038/s41467-017-01299-5. - Contact: Dr Sjouke Kingma, GELIFES -- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences of the University of Groningen, http://www.rug.nl/staff/s.a.kingma - Kingma's research was funded by a Veni grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Illustration: Babysitting for the Seychelles warbler, a species that has been monitored for over thirty years. Photo Sjouke Kingma CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Vastly expanding sugarcane production in Brazil for conversion to ethanol could reduce current global carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 5.6 percent, researchers report in the journal Nature Climate Change. This would be a massive undertaking, involving the conversion of hundreds of thousands of square miles - at its most ambitious, more than the combined land area of Texas and California - to sugarcane fields. But it can be accomplished without impinging on environmentally sensitive areas in Brazil and while allowing for the expansion of other agricultural crops and human needs, the researchers report. The carbon-related costs of converting the land to sugarcane fields were included in the analysis. The research relied on a new approach to modeling the precise behavior of sugarcane crops growing in regions that vary in soil composition, temperature, rainfall and numerous other parameters, said Stephen P. Long , a University of Illinois professor of crop sciences and plant biology who led the analysis with an international team that included scientists from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil. "Most models used to predict future crop production are statistical models that really don't take full account of the way changes in water, carbon dioxide and temperature interact to affect sugarcane production," Long said. "We've used a mechanistic model here that grows the plant, so it's driven by the factors that the plant is responding to on an hourly basis." The Brazilian government has mapped out ecologically sensitive lands that cannot be used for agriculture, industry or other types of development, Long said. "We've kept the proposed sugarcane production within the area that can be legally converted," he said. Brazil already has accomplished a lot with its sugarcane-to-ethanol industry, said study co-author Amanda De Souza, a postdoctoral researcher at Illinois and the University of Sao Paulo. "Unlike in the U.S., Brazil uses almost all of the sugarcane plant for energy, extracting the sugar to make ethanol but also burning the stem residue, known as bagasse, to power the mill, with the excess being used to generate and sell electricity," De Souza said. "The conversion of the cellulose component of the bagasse to ethanol is also likely to become cost-effective in Brazil. "Sugarcane-based ethanol production in Brazil today is much more efficient than corn ethanol, and generates only 14 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions of petroleum," De Souza said. Most cars in Brazil are flex-fuel, which can run on ethanol, gasoline or a mixture of both. By 2012, Brazilian gas stations were selling a greater volume of ethanol than gasoline, she said. "Brazil's sugarcane production is probably the most advanced in the world," Long said. And to reduce its carbon footprint even further, the government of Sao Paulo, the major ethanol-producing state in Brazil, recently outlawed the burning of sugarcane before harvest. A practice still common in the U.S. sugarcane industry, burning removes the leaves and reduces the bulk of material that must be hauled to the mill, but adds particulate pollution to the atmosphere and reduces soil organic matter, the researchers said. "Our conclusion is that this industry could expand quite a bit and make a significant contribution to decarbonizing fuel," Long said. The team looked at three scenarios that would increase the sugarcane footprint in Brazil between 37.5 million and 116 million hectares (144,788 to 447,879 square miles). "The larger scenario is similar to land area devoted to corn and soy in the U.S.," Long said. "We have about 90 million hectares in corn and soy in the U.S. - most of that, of course, in the Midwest." The Paris climate agreement of December 2015, signed by 196 nations, aims to limit average the global temperature to less than 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels, Long said. "The only way we're going to get there is to have a massive reduction in net CO2 emissions," he said. "No single solution will get us there. We'll need to implement a whole series of incremental steps. We're trying to point out that this could be a very important increment, and one that could be realized in a timely manner. "This expansion does not have to stop at Brazil," he said. "Many acres that once grew sugarcane - from the Caribbean to Hawaii - lie idle today. Sugarcane-to-ethanol production would provide a use for this land again." ### Stephen Long is a professor in the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at the U. of I. The Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation at Illinois funded this research. Editor's notes: To reach Stephen Long, call 217-217-244-0881; email slong@illinois.edu. The paper "Brazilian sugarcane ethanol as an expandable green alternative to crude oil use" is available to members of the media from the to U. of I. News Bureau. URBANA, Ill. - It's open season for Canada geese in Illinois from mid-October to mid-January. Unfortunately for hunters, Canada geese are finding a new way to stay out of the line of fire. Rather than being "sitting ducks" in a rural pond, they're setting up residence in the city. University of Illinois ornithologist Mike Ward says he and a team of researchers conducted a recent study to try to find out why there were so many Canada geese in Chicago in the winter. "We thought the geese would fly to forage on nearby agricultural fields during the day, then fly back to the city to roost, but that wasn't the case. What we learned is that they weren't going to the city for food, they were going there because there were no hunters," he explains. The study finds that 85 percent of the Canada geese wintered in the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area, and none made foraging flights to agricultural fields within or outside of the urban area. Their arrival demonstrated uncanny timing as well. Approximately 70 percent of the geese the researchers were tracking returned to the Chicagoland area prior to open hunting seasons. Ward says survival rate was also high. "All of the Canada geese that spent the winter in Chicago survived, whereas half of the birds that decided to leave the Chicagoland area and go to areas where hunting is allowed, and more prevalent, were harvested." According to Ward, the birds' ability to make use of nontraditional habitats in the city, such as green spaces, rooftops, and rail yards, and avoidance of agricultural fields suggests Canada geese may be minimizing risk rather than maximizing energy intake by using urban areas during winter. "During mid-November through late February 2014-2016, we captured and attached transmitters to 41 geese within the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area," Ward says. "To each goose, we attached an aluminum band and a GPS transmitter attached to a white plastic waterfowl neck collar." The birds were tracked to determine habitat selection and survival. As the winter months grew colder and the snow-depth increased, the geese chose green spaces 55 percent less often. Instead, they increased their selection of industrial urban areas, such as water treatment facilities and deep-water areas within shipping canals, by over 140 percent. Because Canada geese have become a nuisance to residential and urban areas, Ward says the research project also involved goose-aircraft collision risk. "We focused capture efforts where geese concentrated in fall and winter near Midway International Airport, including large parks, cemeteries, and the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant." With the tendency of Canada geese to stay put combined with their high survival rate when they choose to spend winter in the city, Ward says managing goose populations in the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area may be challenging. "Dense concentrations of geese in urban areas can pose threats to humans, including contamination of water sources, aggressive behavior toward humans, disease transmission, and strikes with aircraft," Ward says. "Geese are the largest bird commonly struck by aircraft in North America and were responsible for 1,403 recorded bird strikes to civil aircraft from 1990 to 2012." The study notes that goose-aircraft strikes destroyed a $190 million U.S. Air Force aircraft, resulting in 24 human deaths, and led to U.S. Airways Flight 1549 crash-landing in the Hudson River in New York after striking multiple subarctic-breeding Canada geese. Geese can also pose risks to human health and safety in urban areas, especially during winter months when large flocks congregate around limited resources and there is a strong disincentive (i.e., lower survival probability) for emigration outside of the city. So, how can the geese be encouraged to leave? "We have future studies that will investigate the best ways to harass geese to make them leave the city," Ward says. "We are approaching this from an energy use perspective. If the geese cannot find good sources of food and the harassment cause them to use energy, they may be forced to leave the city in search of food in agricultural fields." ### The paper, "Survival and habitat selection of Canada Geese during autumn and winter in metropolitan Chicago, USA," is published in The Condor: Ornithological Applications by the American Ornithological Society. The research was conducted by Brett E. Dorak, Michael P. Ward, Michael W. Eichholz, Brian E. Washburn, Timothy P. Lyons, and Heath M. Hagy. Funding for this work came from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Wildlife Restoration Program, Midway International Airport, and the University of Illinois. Mike Ward is an associate professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois. Support for populist ideologies linked to feelings of disadvantage and national narcissism People who perceive they are part of a disadvantaged group are more likely to have an unrealistic belief in the greatness of their nation and support populist ideologies. A team of psychologists and political scientists from the universities of Kent (UK), Warsaw (Poland) and Maryland (USA) found in three studies that national collective narcissism was linked to support for populism. In the UK, collective narcissism predicted support for Brexit, in the US it predicted support for Donald Trump, and in Poland it predicted support for the populist Law and Justice party. The study found that collective narcissism, i.e. an unrealistic belief in the greatness of the nation, increased in response to group feelings of being disadvantaged, especially when this was long lasting. The researchers suggest that the narrative of relative disadvantage, fuelled by populist leaders, might reinforce a 'defensive and destructive' national perspective. Narcissistic beliefs about the in-group greatness are a way to compensate for feelings of being worse off than other groups. One of the team, Dr Aleksandra Cichocka of the University of Kent's School of Psychology, said that the results might partially explain why populism is often linked to prejudicial attitudes and behaviours. In the first study, data from Poland in 2014 was used to examine the relationship between national collective narcissism versus conventional national identification and support for the populist Law and Justice party and its leader. The researchers found that collective narcissism, rather than mere strength of national identification, was a significant predictor of support for this party. Study two was conducted around the EU Referendum in the UK. Researchers found that a perception of long-term group disadvantage resulted in a higher willingness to adopt populist views reflected in Brexit support. They found that this link was driven by national collective narcissism. Study three examined support for Donald Trump. Researchers found that feelings that Americans were being disadvantaged relative to immigrants was associated with national collective narcissism, which in turn predicted preference for Trump. ### Their paper Populism and identity politics: Perceived ingroup disadvantage. Collective narcissism and support for populism (Marta Marchlewska, University of Warsaw, co-first author; Aleksandra Cichocka, co-first author; Orestis Panayiotou; Jude Batayneh; all University of Kent; and Kevin Castellanos, University of Maryland) is published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science. Health scientists at the University of Leicester and University of Nottingham have heralded the discovery of a gene associated with lung fibrosis as 'a potential new avenue of treatment for further research into this terrible disease.' The breakthrough is announced in a paper published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a debilitating lung disease, affecting ~6,000 new people each year, where scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs makes it difficult to breathe. IPF, on average, results in death 3 years after diagnosis. There is no cure for IPF, and currently available drugs can only slow the disease down, and do not stop, or reverse, it. Furthermore, some patients may suffer unpleasant side-effects. A better understanding of the disease is needed to develop even more effective treatments. Researchers Professor Louise Wain from the University of Leicester and Professor Gisli Jenkins from the University of Nottingham were lead authors of the study. They analysed the DNA from over 2700 people with IPF and 8500 people without IPF from around the world and found that people with IPF are more likely to have changes in a gene called AKAP13. The researchers were also able to show that these DNA changes affect how much AKAP13 protein is produced by the gene in the lungs. Researchers know from other studies, that AKAP13 is part of a biological pathway that promotes fibrosis (or scarring) and importantly that this biological pathway can be targeted with drugs. Taken together, the findings suggest targeting this pathway with drugs in people with IPF might lead to new treatments. To confirm this, the research team now need to undertake more detailed studies into the role of AKAP13 in people with IPF. The work was led by researchers at Leicester and Nottingham and brought together collaborators from around the world to form the largest combined analysis of people with IPF undertaken to date. Professor Wain, GSK/British Lung Foundation Chair in Respiratory Research at the University of Leicester, said: "We urgently need new ways to treat this terrible disease. Our findings highlight a potential new avenue for treatment and we now need more research to identify why this gene is important in IPF and how we can use that information to identify new therapies." Professor Gisli Jenkins, University of Nottingham, said: "What is really exciting about these studies is that this gene affects a pathway that can be targeted by drugs currently in development, opening the door to precision medicine in IPF." Ian Jarrold, Head of Research at the British Lung Foundation, said: "IPF is a condition with no known cause or cure and we urgently need to change this. Which is why funding for further research and campaigning for greater awareness is so crucial. This study is exciting and demonstrates that there is hope. We look forward to seeing how it develops." Steve Jones, Chair of Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis, said: "This is important research, which will give hope to the 33,000 people in the UK living with IPF and their families. We need more research like this into the genetic factors underlying the disease and possible treatments." ### The research was funded by the UK Medical Research Council, NIHR and BLF (and other non-UK funders). ANN ARBOR -- Despite widespread concern about potential human health impacts from hydraulic fracturing, the lifetime toxic chemical releases associated with coal-generated electricity are 10 to 100 times greater than those from electricity generated with natural gas obtained via fracking, according to a new University of Michigan study. The study is a comparative analysis of the harmful health effects of electricity produced from shale gas and coal. It looks at the amount of toxic chemicals released into the air, soil and water during both the resource extraction and electricity generation phases of both technologies and concludes that the potential human health impacts of electricity from coal are much higher. The findings suggest that as the U.S. energy market continues to shift from coal to natural gas, the overall "toxicity burden" of the electricity sector will decrease, said study corresponding author Shelie Miller, an environmental engineer and an associate professor at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability's Center for Sustainable Systems. "This analysis does not imply that concerns associated with shale gas production are unfounded, only that the overall toxic load of coal is definitely greater," Miller said. "And while the study doesn't address this directly, we should be pursuing renewables more aggressively if we really want to decrease the human toxicity burden of our energy system." The study was published online Oct. 10 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. The other authors are Brian Ellis of the U-M Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Lu Chen, a recent graduate of the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability. In recent years, the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (commonly known as fracking), have helped unlock vast stores of natural gas in shale formations. Increased shale-gas production created a boom in some parts of the country but has also led to concerns over potential contamination of drinking water and possible human health impacts related to hydraulic fracturing. Given those concerns and the ongoing shift to shale gas, Miller and her colleagues felt it was important to place into proper context the potential human health impacts of shale gas relative to coal. In their comparative study, called a lifecycle impact assessment, the researchers used Pennsylvania as the point of origin for both shale gas and coal, since both energy sources are abundant in the state. For the coal system, the study estimates the toxicity associated with air pollutants emitted during power generation, as well as toxic chemical releases during the coal-mining process from acid-mine drainage and coal-ash impoundment. The air pollutants analyzed for the coal system included particulate matter (soot), mercury, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. For the hydraulic fracturing system, the study estimated the toxicity of the fracturing fluid chemicals used to crack rock and release natural gas, as well as the wastewater associated with shale-gas extraction. The researchers also looked at air pollutants emitted during both shale-gas extraction and electricity generation. In both systems, particulate matter released into the air from power plants during electricity generation was the dominant toxicity contributor and outweighed chemical releases that may occur during extraction. And the harmful air emissions from coal-fired power plants were much worse than those from cleaner-burning natural gas plants, Miller said. "We looked at the total mass of emissions released per unit of electricity generated throughout the lifetime of both systems, and the overall toxic load is much greater for coal," she said. "Emissions of particulate matter pumped into the air every single day by coal-fired power plants have greater potential human health impacts than any of the other chemicals we examined." The study by Miller and her colleagues is believed to be the first head-to-head comparison of coal and shale gas from the resource extraction phase through electricity generation. While the results provide a comparison of relative toxicity between the two systems, large uncertainties and lack of data precluded a full-blown risk assessment. Much of the uncertainty relates to the hydraulic fracturing process. The chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluid are considered proprietary, and the magnitude and frequency of water-contamination events are not well-documented. When faced with uncertainties about the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process, the researchers deliberately overestimated the amount of toxic chemicals that would reach the environment to ensure they weren't minimizing fracking's health impacts, Miller said. Even in a seemingly implausible accidental-release scenario in which all of a well's hydraulic fracturing fluid and untreated wastewater were discharged directly into surface waters for the lifetime of the well, shale-gas electricity had a lower lifetime human toxicity impact, or HTI, than coal electricity, according to the study. To calculate the health impacts of particulate matter from power plants, the researchers collected emissions data from 23 natural gas and 13 coal-fired power plants in Pennsylvania. Data from 2,900 hydraulically fractured wells in the state were used to estimate potential releases of fracturing fluid chemicals and wastewater. Two different assessment methods were used to estimate health impacts. Various statistical tests were conducted to verify the results, suggesting 90 percent confidence in the overall finding that the HTI of shale gas is lower than the HTI of coal. ### The work was supported by the University of Michigan Water Center, U-M's M-Cubed program and a grant from the National Science Foundation. For the first time, a breeding technique known as genetic rescue has been shown to increase population numbers and survival rates of the endangered mountain pygmy possum, now at their highest numbers since 1996. The study was conducted by a team from the University of Melbourne, La Trobe University, CESAR, Mt Buller Mt Stirling Resort Management, and the University of New South Wales. Dr Andrew Weeks from the University of Melbourne led the project, published in the international journal Nature Communications. Genetic rescue was used to introduce male mountain pygmy possums, Burramys parvus, from a healthy population at Mt Hotham, to a recipient group of females at Mt Buller. The two groups had become physically isolated from each other over 20,000 years. This isolation had led to inbreeding and a lack of the genetic variation that is essential for overcoming disease and ensuring the ability to thrive. Dr Weeks says that since the genetic rescue program began in 2011, the possum population has gone through rapid growth and is now larger than when the population was first discovered in 1996. "Before 2010, there was thought to be only a handful of individuals at Mt Buller," Dr Weeks says. "Now, Mt Buller females from the genetic rescue are bigger and have more offspring that survive longer than the progeny of pygmy possums born outside the program. We now estimate the population to be over 200 possums," he says. Co-author Dr Ian Mansergh from La Trobe University says the study's findings mark an important development in conservation management. "Our study confirms genetic rescue as a successful conservation technique, especially when used for small, isolated populations of threatened species," Dr Mansergh says. Along with genetic rescue, there was also a program of habitat restoration, predator control and environmental protection instituted by the land manager, Mt Buller Mt Stirling Resort Management. The researchers say this was essential to avoid losing the benefits of genetic rescue if populations cannot expand and still face the threats that reduced the population in the first place. Dr Weeks and the University of Melbourne's Professor Ary Hoffmann, who co-authored the possum paper, are now also leading a genetic rescue program for the critically endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoot at Mt Rothwell Conservation Centre near Little River in Victoria. Prof Hoffmann says the long-term hope for genetic rescue is that it will provide endangered animals with enough genetic variation to adapt and evolve to new challenges, such as climate change. "These animals are now facing an extra threat. They are experiencing physical isolation and introduced predators as well as climate warming," Professor Hoffman says. "The hope is that animals can adapt if we give them the genetic tools to do so. "We have shown the technique is successful in the mountain pygmy possum, and hope the Eastern Barred Bandicoot can recover if they are also given enough support." ### MATTOON (JG-TC) -- The Lake Land College Board of Trustees is scheduled to consider appointing a new police chief for the college during a special meeting today. The current chief, Randy Ervin, of Lake Land College Police Department is slated to retire on Nov. 30. Ervin was hired as chief 20 years ago to help create this department. In other matters, the board is set to consider terminating an instructor at the Pinckneyville Correctional Center and terminating a paraprofessional employee during today's meeting. All three proposed actions will take place after the board discusses these matters during a closed session at the beginning of today's special meeting in Webb Hall 081 on the main campus in Mattoon. Penn study shows adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes were nearly three times more likely to monitor glucose levels when given a small financial incentive PHILADELPHIA -- For children with type 1 diabetes, daily monitoring of blood glucose levels is vital for since glucose level awareness dictates the rest of their diabetes care, like insulin dose adjustments, eating behaviors, and physical activity. However, studies have shown overall diabetic glycemic control often deteriorates during adolescence, leading to increased risks of costly and potentially life-threatening complications. A new study shows that using small financial incentives and accessible monitoring tools such as wireless glucometers and apps may motivate young people to engage in playing a more active role in the management of their condition. The results of a randomized control trial, led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Duke University School of Medicine, show that participants in the intervention group, where a $60 monthly credit was on the line, were nearly three times more likely to achieve daily glucose monitoring goals. Behavioral economic interventions using financial incentives have been successfully used to increase adherence to chronic disease management regimens in adult populations, but have not yet been widely tested in younger populations. The authors say the study, published today in JAMA Pediatrics, shows that the strategy may be an effective way to reach a population that has historically been considered difficult to engage. "Young people are often financially dependent on others, such as their parents, making financial incentives an attractive option for encouraging them to become more engaged in their own health as they move into adulthood," said lead author Charlene Wong, MD, an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Duke University School of Medicine, who was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar and senior fellow in Penn's Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the time of the study. "Our results showed that offering a small monthly financial incentive significantly improved daily glucose monitoring, and suggests similar financial incentives could also be an effective way to improve management of other chronic health conditions in youth, such as medication adherence in those who have received transplants or have asthma." In the study, ninety participants between the ages 14 and 20 with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes receiving care at the Diabetes Center for Children at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia were given daily blood glucose monitoring goals of four or more checks per day with one or more levels within the goal range (70-180 mg/dL). Checks and levels for all participants were collected using a wireless glucometer, which transmitted data onto participants' smartphones, allowing them to see their progress and trends over time. During the three-month intervention period, participants in the incentive arm received $60 in a virtual account at the beginning of each month, from which $2 was deducted for every day that check goals were not achieved. During the three month follow-up period, incentives were discontinued. All participants received daily monitoring feedback letting them know whether they'd reached their daily goals and, if applicable, the remaining balance in their account. Results of the study showed in the financial incentive group, participants achieved check goals roughly 50 percent of the time, compared to only 18.9 percent of the time for participants in the control group. Adherence to glucose monitoring goals decreased in both groups during the follow-up period (15.3 percent in the intervention group and 8.7 percent in the control group). Despite a significant increase in daily monitoring, changes in blood glucose levels did not differ significantly between the groups during either the intervention or follow-up periods. "Digital health applications and wireless devices are growing in popularity especially among younger populations, but there has been limited evidence on how these approaches can benefit those with chronic conditions," said senior author Mitesh Patel, MD, MBA, MS, an assistant professor of Medicine and Health Care Management and director of the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit. "This is one of the first studies to combine financial incentives with wireless glucometers and demonstrates that behavioral economic approaches show promise in helping youth to better manage their diabetes." Following the study period, participants were interviewed for their feedback on the study design and their performance. The authors say based on participant feedback, future studies should examine the effectiveness of using financial incentives that are linked not only improve glucose monitoring but also overall glycemic control. Additionally, given improvements in monitoring dropped quickly in the follow-up period, the authors say there is a need for more research to improve sustainability of the desired outcomes. ### Funding for the study was provided by the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT) at the University of Pennsylvania through the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (UL1TR000003). Other Penn authors on the study include Carol Ford, Victoria Miller, Steven Willi, Kathryn Murphy, Alexander Morris, Yoonhee P. Ha, Jingsan Zhu, and Wenli Wang. Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $6.7 billion enterprise. The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $392 million awarded in the 2016 fiscal year. The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine. Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2016, Penn Medicine provided $393 million to benefit our community. Even if it tastes like Gummi Bears and is inhaled as smoke-free aerosol, vaping higher concentrations of nicotine may increase how often teenagers use electronic cigarettes or smoke traditional cigarettes, according to a Keck School of Medicine of USC study. This is the first study to evaluate the association of e-cigarette nicotine concentration with future smoking and vaping behavior in youth, researchers said. "We know that smoking is one of the most dangerous things that you can do for your health, especially if you begin during adolescence," said Adam Leventhal, director of the USC Health, Emotion and Addiction Laboratory at the Keck School of Medicine. "Because nicotine has mood-elevating and addictive effects, teens who use e-cigarettes with stronger nicotine concentrations may be less willing to stop vaping and be more inclined to use other nicotine products, like conventional cigarettes," Leventhal said. The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics on Oct. 23, found that 43 percent of high school students who used high-nicotine e-cigarettes (18 milligrams per milliliter or more) at the start of the study were "frequent smokers" at the follow-up six months later, meaning they smoked traditional cigarettes at least three times in the past month. Only 10 percent of those who used low-strength e-cigarettes (1-5mg/mL of nicotine) and 6 percent of those who used nicotine-free e-cigarettes were frequent smokers at the follow-up. In comparison to teens who vaped nicotine-free e-cigarettes, those who vaped high-nicotine e-cigarettes smoked 14 times as many cigarettes per day, which translates to multiple cigarettes per day on average. "We know that teens who vape e-cigarettes are much more likely to become conventional cigarette smokers," Leventhal said. "Our study suggests that the nicotine in e-cigarettes may be a key reason why teens who vape progress to more frequent smoking." Tobacco use is the main cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 40 million adults in America smoke conventional cigarettes, and about 4.7 million middle and high school students use at least one tobacco product, including e-cigarettes. Every day, more than 3,800 people under 18 years old smoke their first cigarette. Nicotine is highly addictive and may harm the developing teenage brain by increasing the risk of attention problems and depression, Leventhal said. "While previous research reported that most adolescents were using nicotine-free e-cigarettes, results from our survey and other soon-to-be published studies show that many more teens are vaping e-cigarettes with nicotine than we originally thought," said Leventhal, associate professor of preventive medicine and psychology at the Keck School of Medicine. "Our study indicates that teens who vape more nicotine may be at greater risk for critical adverse health effects like becoming a regular smoker of conventional cigarettes and becoming a regular user of e-cigarettes." Students from 10 Los Angeles high schools The study included surveyed answers from 181 students at 10 high schools in Los Angeles. Initial data was collected in the spring of 10th grade. Follow-up survey data was collected six months later in the fall of 11th grade. The use of e-cigarette liquid with high concentrations of nicotine was associated with increased and more frequent use of both e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes. E-cigarette liquids are sold in nicotine concentrations ranging from 0 mg/mL to more than 25 mg/mL, the study reported. In the student survey, nicotine concentration was categorized as none, low (1-5 mg/mL), medium (6-17mg/mL) and high (18 or more mg/mL). For each level up in nicotine strength, participants were two times more at risk of smoking three days or more in the month preceding the follow-up. USC is devoted to promoting health across the life span. Previous e-cigarette research led by Keck School of Medicine researchers found that teens who are unlikely to have smoked cigarettes if e-cigarettes didn't exist are now vaping and that teens who vape are at increased risk of becoming conventional cigarette smokers. These studies raise concern whether e-cigarettes may slow the nationwide nosedive in tobacco use, possibly as a result of increased e-cigarette use among teens, Leventhal said. "It's feasible that youths who vape go on to smoke conventional cigarettes because they get used to the act of inhaling something and the sensation they get in their lungs even if they vape nicotine-free e-cigarettes," Leventhal said. "This study suggests that nicotine may be integral to transitioning from vaping to smoking in teens." Further research with a larger sample size is needed to clarify whether nicotine concentration causes smoking, increased vaping and subsequent nicotine dependence among youth. ### Nicholas Goldenson, Matthew Stone, Rob McConnell and Jessica Barrington-Trimis from the USC Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science for Vulnerable Populations at the Keck School of Medicine also contributed to this study. The study was entirely supported by federal grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in grants amounting to $14.4 million (R01-DA033296 and P50-CA180905). Lack of access to good-paying jobs is one of the primary products of a largely inefficient Dallas transit system, according to a city of Dallas-commissioned study conducted by Shima Hamidi, director of The University of Texas at Arlington's Institute of Urban Studies, and her research team. The study, which was presented to Dallas officials Monday, investigated how economic disparity and transportation are intertwined in Dallas. This study found that more than 65 percent of residents living in the transit-dependent core of Dallas have access to less than 4 percent of regional jobs within a 45-minute transit and walking commute time. The study also showed more than 65 percent of residents in the transit-dependent core have to spend at least 1.5 hours commuting per day by transit to gain access to less than 4 percent of jobs if they want to or have to take transit. The study showed that Dallas Area Rapid Transit ranks 23rd of 39 large- and medium-sized transit agencies in the nation in terms of the bus passenger miles per capita and passenger trips per capita. The city and the DFW region are facing transportation equity challenges when it comes into the transportation, according to the study. Hamidi says this has contributed to the increased poverty rate in Dallas, which has increased by 22 percent since 2000, while the total population increased by about 9.7 percent. "The city of Dallas could experience an even higher concentration of poverty if transportation practices remain the same," said Hamidi, who also is a UTA urban planning assistant professor in the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs. "From the planning perspective, these trends would cause the city to be more spatially segregated, especially in economic terms, and consequently the city could experience even more isolation of areas with poverty concentration." Theresa O'Donnell, chief resilience officer for the city of Dallas, said the study will help Dallas build a better transportation system that helps more transit-dependent residents. "Transportation Equity is one of the four discovery areas of the 100 Resilient Cities initiated by Rockefeller Foundation in Dallas," O'Donnell said. "Learning from Dr. Hamidi's study and incorporating its recommendations can improve quality of life for Dallas' residents in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, allowing them access to more jobs, economic opportunities as well as cultural events, parks, retail hubs and health-care facilities." Hamidi said that identifying transit-dependent populations is the first step in addressing these transportation challenges. "Quantifying and identifying Dallas' transit-dependent core, and where the majority of transit-dependent population lives compared with where employment centers are critical to better understanding potential spatial mismatches for disadvantaged groups of population," Hamidi said. Hamidi's study identified a hot spot core, largely in the southern part of the city, that is transit dependent. The results of hot spot analysis can be used to understand transit demand catchment areas within cities and regions. Transit demand catchment areas can be defined as the core location of transit riders with a high density of transit-dependent population. The study also quantified and measured various performance components of transit system. Here is a summary of the findings: A typical Dallas household spends more than 19 percent of its income on transportation which is much greater than the 15 percent transportation affordability threshold, as outlined by the federal Location Affordability Index. About 30 percent of Dallas' overall population and 41 percent of the city's transit-dependent population in the transit-dependent core has access to less than 1 percent of regional jobs in a 45-minute commute via transit. Except for a few block groups in downtown Dallas, almost the entire study area is shown to be unaffordable in terms of transportation costs. The majority of households, living in southwest and southeast neighborhoods in Dallas, spend between 20 and 26 percent of their income on transportation which makes it almost at the same level as housing costs for these households. Compared to other transit agencies, DART fare options are relatively affordable. A low-income household with a household size of 2.5 and one employee in the household would spend on average about 10 percent of income on transit fare if they use the daily pass for the entire year. Areas with a higher percentage of population below poverty level, particularly in south Dallas, receive better coverage and more frequent transit availability, but lower accessibility to jobs via transit when considering their entire commute trip. Even though the transit-dependent core has slightly better transit coverage than the rest of the city, more than a third of the population cannot access transit by walking. No physical access to a transit station means no transit use by a third of the population in Dallas, which could contribute to the low rate of ridership. ### For millions of Americans, their world is dissolving into an unrecognizable blur. Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease affecting one-third of the estimated 30 million Americans who struggle with diabetes. As the patients' vision slowly fades, it never recovers and few treatments are available. Researchers at University of Utah Health have identified a protein (ARF6) that when inhibited reduces diabetic retinopathy, a condition that results when blood vessels at the back of the eye leak fluid into the eye, impairing vision. Published in the October 23 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation, these results offer an opportunity to develop new treatments for this eye disorder. "What is exciting about this study is that we and our collaborators identified a compound (NAV-2729) that inhibits ARF6, which is crucial for the development of diabetic retinopathy," explained co-first author Weiquan (Wendy) Zhu, Ph.D., research assistant professor in Internal Medicine at U of U Health. Studies were conducted in rodents treated to simulate the diabetic condition. By injecting NAV-2729 into the eyes of these animals, vessel leakage, as well as, the overgrowth of blood vessels, another driver of disease, were significantly reduced. The long-term efficacy of treatment remains unknown. It also remains to be determined whether the drug will be suitable as a therapeutic intervention for people. "ARF6 acts like a traffic cop at a busy intersection within a cell," explained Dean Li, Ph.D., vice president, Head of Translational Medicine at Merck & Co. and senior author on the paper. Li is the former associate vice president and chief scientific officer at U of U Health and co-founder of Navigen Inc. "ARF6 orchestrates multiple inflammatory signals that contribute to inflammation common in many diseases, including diabetic eye disease." ARF6 amplifies and maintains the signal protein (vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)) receptor, which stimulates a series of cascading responses, leading to a diseased state in the eye. Today, patients with diabetic eye disease can receive monthly anti-VEGF injections directly into the eye to reduce inflammation, a treatment that is successful in only 40 percent of patients. In the study, injections of NAV-2729 into the eyes of diabetic mice were more effective in reducing blood vessel leakage than the anti-VEGF injections. "Diabetic retinopathy can develop over time, leading to dramatic vision loss that may not be improved with glasses," said M. Elizabeth Hartnett, M.D., professor in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Moran Eye Center and a contributor to this study. "New treatments are needed, because diabetic retinopathy is increasing world-wide and anticipated to increase more in the next decades." Also new to this study, the researchers identified two proteins ? GEP100 and ARNO ? that play a critical role in the signaling process. These proteins activate ARF6 at two different locations in the cell to continue the signaling cycle. "We think these results are important because they identified a mechanism by which ARF6 controls VEGF receptor signaling and therefore may have much broader implications, extending to other diseases that involve VEGF receptor activation, such as cancer," said Shannon Odelberg, Ph.D., research associate professor in Internal Medicine at U of U health and corresponding author on the study. According to Odelberg, ARNO activates ARF6, which shuttles the VEGF receptor into the cell where its signal can be amplified. GEP100 activates ARF6 to recycle the VEGF receptor back to the outside of the cell where it can be reactivated for the signaling process to begin again. This signaling loop triggers disease by increasing blood vessel leak and the formation of new and weak blood vessels. The team of researchers plan to continue to explore the role of ARF6 in other inflammatory diseases. NAV-2729 was identified by A6, a subsidiary company of Navigen Inc, a Salt Lake City drug discovery and development company, whose research scientists contributed to this study. According to Zhu, A6 researchers are pushing forward with development of other compounds, which are more suitable as potential new treatments. ### This work received funds from the National Institutes of Health, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, American Asthma Foundation and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. In addition to Zhu, Odelberg, Li, and Hartnett, contributors to the study include Dallas Shi, Jacob Winter, Bianca Rich, Lise Sorensen, Helong Zhao, Tara Mleynek, Jae Hyuk Yoo, Jing Ling, Jake Bergquist, Jackson Richards, Amanda Jiang, Lisa Lesniewski, Diane Ward and Kirk Thomas at U of U Health, along with Zongzhong Tong, Christine Dunn, Kirill Ostanin and Alan Mueller at Navigen Inc, Salt Lake City and Yi Huang and Zhengfu Tai at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China. University of Utah Health is the state's only academic health care system, providing leading-edge and compassionate medicine for a referral area that encompasses 10% of the U.S., including Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and much of Nevada. A hub for health sciences research and education in the region, U of U Health touts a $291 million research enterprise and trains the majority of Utah's health care professionals at its Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy and Health. Staffed by more than 20,000 employees, the system includes 12 community clinics and four hospitals -- University Hospital; University Neuropsychiatric Institute; Huntsman Cancer Hospital; and the University Orthopaedic Center. For eight straight years, U of U Health has ranked among the top 10 U.S. academic medical centers in the rigorous Vizient Quality and Accountability Study, including reaching No. 1 in 2010 and 2016. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Oct. 23, 2017) -- An international team, led by scientists at Van Andel Research Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Imperial College London, has shed new light on a critical step in DNA replication, offering fresh insights into a fundamental process of life and driver of many different diseases, including cancer. "Previous studies have described how enzymes assemble and gather around DNA to prepare it for replication. Here, we describe what these enzymes do to DNA once they are in place," says Huilin Li, Ph.D., a professor in the Center for Epigenetics and one of the senior authors on a study published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The work is part of a long-time collaboration between Li, Bruce Stillman, Ph.D., president of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Christian Speck, Ph.D., professor at Imperial College London. DNA replication is a tightly choreographed process that copies the genetic code, allowing its instructions to be passed on from one generation of cells to the next. In diseases like cancer, these mechanisms can fail, leading to uncontrolled or faulty replication with devastating consequences. "How this complex process starts is not well understood at the molecular level," Li adds. "Our hope is that the more mechanistic detail we learn about how replication works, the better able others will be in developing new treatments for cancer and other diseases." Their discovery wouldn't have been possible without a revolutionary technology called cryo-electron microscopy, or cryo-EM, which allows scientists to see critical biological components in exquisite, atomic detail. Using the powerful microscopes in VARI's David Van Andel Advanced Cryo-Electron Microscopy Suite, Li and his collaborators revealed the very first steps in DNA replication--the separation of the two DNA strands from one another. Before replication can take place, a pair of structures called heterohexameric minichromosome maintenance (Mcm2-7) helicases are assembled head to head on the DNA double helix as a double hexamer. They eventually separate into two functional helicases and, in the process, each push out one strand of the double helix. Later, when DNA replication starts, the two helicases each move on one strand of DNA in opposite directions to unwind the helix. Computational rendering of the cryo-EM images revealed the three-dimensional structure of these helicase enzymes. Imaging from the team's study shows the helicase enzymes binding to 60 base pairs of the DNA double helix. Li likens it to a spring-loaded mechanism that puts pressure on either side of DNA, bending the helix into a zig-zag shape. This positions the DNA strands toward two side-way gates, ready to be pushed out in the next stage when the two Mcm2-7 hexamers disjoin, going opposite directions to "unzip" the double helix. "These are processes at the very foundation of life that have largely remained a mystery to biologists since the discovery of DNA double helix more than 60 years ago," says Li. "Thanks to technologies like cryo-EM, we are able to 'see' the operational mechanism in action, which gives us valuable knowledge to improve health for people around the world." ### The work is part of a long-time collaboration between Li, Bruce Stillman, Ph.D., president of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Christian Speck, Ph.D., professor at Imperial College London. Previous studies from the group have evaluated how the helicase first assembles around DNA to prepare for the step described in today's paper. For more about how the helicase assembles around DNA, please see ORC as Loader of the Rings: Study details ringed structure of ORC in DNA replication, a February study published in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. Authors of today's paper are: Yasunori Noguhci, Sarah Schneider and Christian Speck, all of Imperial College of London; Zuanning Yuan, Lin Bai, Gongpu Zhao and Huilin Li, all of Van Andel Research Institute; and Bruce Stillman of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number R01GM111742. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. ABOUT VAN ANDEL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Van Andel Institute (VAI) is an independent nonprofit biomedical research and science education organization committed to improving the health and enhancing the lives of current and future generations. Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, VAI has grown into a premier research and educational institution that supports the work of more than 360 scientists, educators and staff. Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), VAI's research division, is dedicated to determining the epigenetic, genetic, molecular and cellular origins of cancer, Parkinson's and other diseases and translating those findings into effective therapies. The Institute's scientists work in onsite laboratories and participate in collaborative partnerships that span the globe. Learn more about Van Andel Institute or donate by visiting http://www.vai.org. 100% To Research, Discovery & Hope ABOUT IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON Imperial College London, founded in 1907, is the only UK university to focus entirely on science, engineering, medicine and business. Our international reputation for excellence in teaching and research sees us consistently rated in the top 10 universities worldwide. Generations of Imperial staff, alumni and students have changed the world with cutting-edge innovations; from the discovery of penicillin to the worlds first invisibility cloak. Recognition of this ground-breaking work has come in the form of 14 Nobel Prizes, 81 Fellowships from the Academy of Medical Sciences, 77 from the Royal Academy of Engineering and 73 from the Royal Society. For more information, visit www.imperial.ac.uk ABOUT COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory is led by Dr. Stillman and employs 1,100 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. The Meetings & Courses Program hosts more than 12,000 scientists from around the world each year on its campuses in Long Island and in Suzhou, China. The Laboratory's education arm also includes an academic publishing house, a graduate school and programs for middle and high school students and teachers. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu MATTOON -- A state group is scheduled on Friday to consider nominations to place a proposed Lumpkin Heights & Elm Ridge Subdivision Historic District and the Burgess-Osborne Memorial Auditorium on the National Register of Historic Places. Coles County Historic Preservation Advisory Council member Steve Thompson said he will present these two nominations during the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council's public meeting at 10:30 a.m. Friday in Foundation Hall on level two at the Old State Capitol in Springfield. The proposed Lumpkin Heights & Elm Ridge Subdivision Historic District encompasses more than 160 residences along much of Wabash, Lafayette and the south side of Charleston avenues between Sixth and Logan streets, and along the Elm Ridge circle drive. The city-owned Burgess-Osborne Memorial Auditorium is located at 1701 Wabash Ave. Thompson said some residents of Lumpkin Heights and Elm Ridge have indicated that they plan to attend the meeting in Springfield. He said people wishing to speak in support of the two Mattoon nominations need to submit their names to National Register officials at least three days prior to the meeting. Thompson said those interested in speaking can contact him at skthompson@mchsi.com or 217-254-1524. Friday morning, the two Mattoon nominations are at the beginning of the meeting agenda. Thompson said his presentations will likely start at approximately 10:45-11 a.m. and should be done by noon. Thompson said he anticipates that the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council will make a recommendation immediately after his presentations. If the council recommends historic designation for the two properties, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency staff will then evaluate forwarding on these nominations for possible listing on the National Register in early 2018. This registry is a National Park Service program. Thompson has said National Register listing is honorary in nature and will not place any regulations on the use of listed properties. National Register historic district status does bring opportunities for federal income tax incentive for rehabilitating income-producing places and for property tax assessment freeze incentives for rehabilitating single-family, owner-occupied residences. The Coles County Historic Preservation Advisory Council and the Wabash Avenue Neighborhood Association have worked together to nominate Lumpkin Heights and Elm Ridge as a district on the National Register of Historic Places. Lumpkin Heights was started in the early 1900s and was gradually developed during the course of more than 50 years, two world wars and the Great Depression. The Elm Ridge Subdivision was started in the mid-1930s. Thompson said more than a dozen styles of architecture can be found within this proposed historic district. "That is the most diverse architecture, consisting of many styles, of any place in Coles County," Thompson said. Regarding the other nominated property, Mattoon native Emily Burgess-Osborne established a trust for the creation of a building to host meetings and special events. The Burgess-Osborne Memorial Auditorium was subsequently constructed in 1953 in the post-World War II modern movement style. The nominations for the Lumpkin Heights & Elm Ridge Subdivision Historic District and the Burgess-Osborne Memorial Auditorium can be read online at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnrhistoric/Preserve/pages/illinois-historic-sites-advisory-council.aspx. An armed man got into a locomotive on an Amtrak train passing through southwest Nebraska early Saturday and pulled the emergency brake while about 175 passengers were on board, authorities say. Deputies from Furnas and Harlan counties responded to the incident in Oxford around 1:54 a.m. after being alerted that the eastbound California Zephyr was in emergency response mode, Furnas County Sheriff Kurt Kapperman said in a news release. Oxford is 23 miles southwest of Holdrege. Amtrak staff detained Taylor M. Wilson, 25, of St. Charles, Missouri, and turned him over to the Furnas County Sheriffs Department, the release said. Kapperman's deputies found a loaded Smith and Wesson .38-caliber revolver on Wilsons waistband and a speed loader for the weapon in his pocket. They also seized two bags containing three more speed loaders, a box of ammo for the revolver, a knife, tin snips, scissors and a ventilation mask, Kapperman said. Wilson was traveling from Sacramento, California, to St. Louis, and somehow got into the second locomotive and stopped the train using the emergency brake, the release said. It's believed Amtrak engineers in control of the train were in the first locomotive, which was at the front of the train and can't be accessed from the second locomotive directly behind it. Deputies arrested Wilson on suspicion of felony criminal mischief and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony. He was being held at the Furnas County jail on $25,000 bond. Kapperman didn't say how Wilson got the gun on board whether he carried it on himself or retrieved it from a checked bag. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said that detail was unclear and that the exact circumstances are under investigation. Amtrak only allows firearms in checked baggage, and only if they are unloaded. However, train passengers aren't required to undergo the level of screening required of airline passengers. The difference reflects the vastness of Amtrak's rail system and the "'open' and therefore porous transportation environment" it operates within, the company says on its website. Wilson had a Missouri-issued conceal-carry permit in his wallet, a Furnas County deputy wrote in court documents. Saturday's incident delayed the train by a little more than an hour, Magliari said. The eastbound train departed the Sacramento area Thursday morning, with its expected arrival in Chicago on Saturday afternoon. From Chicago, Amtrak trains connect to the St. Louis area. Its often a huge challenge to figure out what you should deliver to your subscriber members each month for maximum membership retention and renewal. Plus, you want to deliver something thatll create referrals and social buzz. This challenge is even more difficult when you are a subscription box trying to negotiate with a company to deliver hundreds or thousands of items so you can ship them to your subscribers as part of their monthly subscription box. There must be a constant balance between getting your hands on products and investing the time and relationship capital to obtain the ones thatll generate a huge impact. This is the same for a SaaS company choosing which new features to develop or a publisher working with editors to create content. In my recent interview with James Erickson, owner and CEO of Stridebox, a subscription box service for runners, we discussed his solutions to the problems of getting items for Stridebox that drive engagement, how to balance content that members would readily appreciate versus delighting them with new discoveries, as well as how to engage subscribers to create a community. James came from a background in newsletter publishing and transitioned into subscription boxes. From the outside, it may appear that these are very different, but to James, fulfillment and the need for membership retention were similar. He said, if you look at a printed newsletter you have a package, a newsletter, different inserts for the package and a mailing list. Its really very similar [to subscription boxes.] The big difference with newsletters and subscription boxes are the products that ride in the box versus the articles in a newsletter. What does it take to get the hundreds or thousands of products to ship out to your subscription box subscribers? James answered, I found out very quickly that it wasnt that difficult. Its one of those that if you ask, somebody is going to say yes eventually. Its just a matter of putting your head to the grindstone and doing your research on the products, and figuring out whats a good fit for your audience. But then theres a big question of which products will improve membership retention. Do you deliver products in your box that customers will recognize as valuable from brands that add to the prestige of your box, or do you focus on delighting your customers by helping them discover products theyve never experienced before? James answered, The first year, we tried to align ourselves with as many big companies as possible. We wanted the Power Bars in the box, because everybody knew about Power Bar. We wanted Gu in the box, because everybody knew what an energy gel was in our market. We tried to align ourselves with companies like Mizuno and Nike, and Adidas, and put their advertising or inserts in our boxes, or give discounts to our subscribers. We wanted to play ourselves as Were that brand with those connections. Today a lot of our product choices are based on things you dont see every day The mom and pop shop in Idaho thats cooking gluten-free, vegan cookies that are full of protein The place out of Washington called ZipFit that not everybody knows about thats like a powdered drink mix company. We dont want to give somebody the same thing, the same brand, the same flavors, two or three months in a row, because that doesnt lead to longevity of the customer. If you wrote the same article for your newsletter three months in a row, people would kind of get tired of it. And while including the best products is crucial for success, membership retention always comes down to the power of the community you build. For Stridebox, they put their subscribers into their box. James explains, we started doing a monthly card photo submission. Each month, we have whats called the Stride Guide. On the back of the Stride Guide are all of the products that are in the box, as well as a couple of sentences about them, a retail cost if you were to go buy it at your local running store, and then, a website where you can go to find more about it and purchase more. On the other side of that card we used to just put these motivational stock photos of sweaty runner people. At some point, we got tired of that. We thought, Well, lets just email the audience and see if we can get them to submit pictures. Well give away prizes. Theyll get to see themselves on this card that will go out to thousands and thousands of people. The first one, I believe, was we did medals. Like, take a picture of your favorite race medal that youve earned and send it to us. I think we got about 240 responses of medal pictures to page through and look through to pick out 24 that were going to go on the cover of the Stride Guide. That created a lot of work, but, it was a lot of fun. People started sharing that on social media, which was kind of the big, Aha, moment. From outside the subscription box industry it could look mysterious and challenging. In the end, its very similar to any subscription business. It all comes down to creating great deliverables your members eagerly use, delighting your members with something new each month and engaging subscribers into your vibrant tribal community. Discover more of James membership retention secrets in the full interview of Membership and Subscription Growth. Click on the links below to listen to the podcast or download the transcript. To continue to get updated and useful information as well as advice from some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the subscription economy, subscribe to Roberts podcast: Membership and Subscription Growth. Sunday, October 22, 2017 U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, and Mark Warner, D-Virginia, introduced a bill that would make political ads on platforms such as Facebook and Google transparent like those on TV and radio stations, reports Adweek, which added that the Honest Ads Act, co-sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, would require companies with more than 50 million monthly users to maintain a public database containing information about all ads bought by anyone spending more than $500 in a year. The record would include a variety of info: a digital copy of the ad, a description of the targeted audience, the average rate charged for the ad, the name of the candidate or issue the ad refers to and contact info for the buyer. Companies that dont comply would be subject to penalties by the Federal Elections Commission. At a news conference announcing the bill, Klobuchar and Warner said the legislation is needed to update election laws for the digital era, pointing out that a majority of the $1.4 billion spent on online ads went to Google and Facebook. The bill is also in response to the recent revelation that Russian accounts bought ads on a number of platforms including Facebook and Twitter that were seen by millions of people before and after the 2016 presidential election. While tech companies have opposed regulation in the past, Klobuchar said the Russian meddling has prompted some major tech companies to realize that were in a whole different area. Monday, October 23, 2017 The Washington Post and Arc Publishing, The Posts software-as-a-service business, took home top honors at WAN-IFRAs North America Digital Media Awards. The Post won for Best News Website and Arc was named Best Innovation New Product. As winners of the North America Awards, The Post and Arc qualify to compete for WAN-IFRAs World Digital Media Awards against the best digital projects of Africa, Asia, Europe, India, LATAM and the Middle East. The Post also took second place in the category of Best in Social Media Engagement for being the first national news publisher to launch on Reddit and Best Data Visualization for its coverage of the 2016 election. In other news from The Post, in September, it recorded 95.3 million total digital unique visitors, according to comScore, representing double-digit year-over-year growth. According to The Post, this is The Posts fourth highest digital audience ever. Mobile readership also continued to grow, with The Post recording 79 million readers in September, a 17 percent increase year-over-year and a five percent jump from August. Monday, October 23, 2017 After 10 years at WAMU, Pat Brogan joined the Harbour Group, a public relations firm in Washington, handling media relations, reports DCRTV, which added that while at the American University public radio news talker, he handled news, promos, and anchoring duties. Before WAMU, Brogan worked at WMAL as managing news editor. Bully Pulpit Interactive (BPI) announced that two former employees have rejoined the firm. Eric Reif joined as a Media Director, where he will oversee advertising strategy and planning for BPI clients. Jane Hughes has started as a Director, where she will run a client strategy team and craft marketing campaigns for some of the firms top political, corporate and advocacy clients. Both Reif and Hughes are returning to BPI after time spent at the Democratic National Committee and Maggie Hassans 2016 U.S. Senate campaign, respectively. Glen Echo Group announced that Tana Bosshard joined the D.C.-based agency as a Senior Associate. She previously served as an Associate at the Glover Park Group MILLERSBURG, Ohio Farmers, business owners and anyone else who would like to be proactive about conservation within the Muskingum Watershed have an opportunity to purchase conservation credits that can be used to promote their commitment to stewardship. The credits are calculated and made available as a result of the total nutrients and sediments saved through the Muskingum Watershed cover crop program. Each credit costs $10 and is about the equivalent of what it costs to save one ton of sediment, one pound of phosphorus, and two pounds of nitrogen. The project is being organized in cooperation with the Muskingum Watershed (SWCD) Joint Board, which is separate from the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District. The Muskingum Watershed is large covering more than 8,000 square miles or about a fifth of the state of Ohio. The value Jane Houin, fiscal and education specialist at Holmes Soil and Water Conservation District who is serving as marketing coordinator of the new program, said the credits do not count toward any regulatory or government program and are not part of a nutrient trading program. What the credits provide, however, is a way of calculating and verifying ones own conservation investment, and funding that is guaranteed to provide future conservation. What I think is valuable is that it actually places a value on the conservation that farmers and agriculture are doing, Houin said. A lot of time we see a lot of blame being placed this places a value. Houin said the donors of the funds can direct them to a specific county soil and water conservation district, or to be used across the entire watershed. She views the work thats been done so far as a commodity or even a crop something that holds value and is marketable. Its similar to a crop in that we produced these conservation savings, she said. Were going to take the sale of those (conservation credits) and plant our next conservation crop. Sustainability goals Another benefit for businesses is the opportunity to use the credits toward meeting their own environmental sustainability goals. The amount of available credits varies by county, based on the amount of sediment and nutrients that county saved. Holmes County, for example, saved 16,722 tons of sediment, and generated the same number of credits. Carroll County saved 2,839 tons of sediment and has that many credits. About 2,000 credits have been sold so far, but Houin believes that number will increase as more people learn about the program. The funds generated from buying the credits will be administered to the counties and the watershed, by the Muskingum Watershed Joint Board. Any programs funded by the purchase of credits have to follow standards of the USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service, Houin said. To learn more about the program, or to make a purchase, visit www.credits4conservation.com, or call Jane Houin at 330-674-2811. A sheep has died in Wales after it was shot "with nails", according to South Wales Police. A spokeswoman for South Wales Police said the force did not know exactly when the incident happened, but that the sheep was found dead on a mountainside in Hirwaun in the Cynon Valley on Monday (16 October). The animal was reportedly found by the farmer from the nearby Gellidafolog Farm. Now officers in the Rhondda Cynon Taf area are looking for anyone with any information to come forward, and put out an appeal on Thursday (19 October). The SW Police North Twitter accounts post said: "A sheep has died after being shot with nails in #Hirwaun if you have info please call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 occ1700402789." The RSPCA Cymru has said it sounded like a deeply harrowing incident. A spokesman for RSPCA Cymru added: Wed urge anyone with information to respond to South Wales Polices appeal. Animal welfare concerns can also always be reported to the RSPCA via our 24-hour Advice and Cruelty Line on 0300 1234 999. Farm finance is growing again, with access to pools of capital through specialist lenders. Its an attractive sector, as farmers need large loans that can be secured on real assets, but its also quite complex. With the high street having lost their agricultural teams, farmers are now able to access specialist business lenders such as UK Agricultural Finance proving much needed money to help build their businesses. UK Agricultural Finance is typical of the new lenders that have appeared, but with an unusual specialism, since it only lends to the agricultural sector. The company was formed to meet the demand from farmers for short and medium-term lending throughout England, Scotland and Wales, after the banks cut their specialist lending teams during the financial crisis. Its an area requiring specialist knowledge and a lender willing to offer traditional face to face underwriting. The government has recognised that farming requires high levels of investment and the lack of sufficient funding is a major threat to these businesses and their prospects. Fortunately, UK Agricultural Finances team knows rural property and rural businesses, the many challenges they face, but most importantly their appeal. They also understand how to make business loans against agricultural land where a one size fits all doesnt work. The company prides itself on working with the leading experts in agricultural valuation, security and restructuring to ensure swift informed and fair decisions. They lend their own funds and are committed to responsible lending, by always acting with integrity and delivering on time, every time. Their approach is pragmatic and flexible, with borrowers able to talk directly to the lending decision makers. Their core product is a bridge loan, but UK Agricultural Finance is excited to announce the launch of a medium-term, lower cost loan product providing finance up to seven years, growing the suite of solutions that the farming community can access for the financing needs. Showing how flexible their approach is, weve found farmers who have used their loans for: - Diversification Farmers have used their capital to diversify increasing revenue and reducing risk. The lending team understands this and the benefits it brings in the current market, as the team has direct experience of building new businesses. Purchasing new farmland Additional acreage or a unique property opportunity may come available at any time and often at short notice. UK Agricultural Finance can move quickly to help secure this and expand a farmers business Property Their finance has allowed farmers to develop, renovate or repair property for capital appreciation and income generation. Renewable energy Renewable energy projects can be a great source of additional income and add real value to under-utilised land on a farm, or even turn waste products into revenue. The company has provided the construction finance for various projects, allowing the farmer to retain ownership of the entire business and then access cheaper funds once the project is operational. Livestock Finance Farmers often need to finance to expand their livestock holdings and UK Agricultural Finances facility can provide a flexible option that can be used repeatedly, allowing them to make judicious purchases or sales, depending on the market. Recovery & Restructure UK Agricultural Finance understand the need to take control and rationally plan when financial pressure is acute and their facility can provide a window to achieve this. Tenancy Right to Buy Tenant farmers often have a right to buy their land, UK Agricultural Finance may be able to help with a loan based on the open market value of the land, rather than the actual discounted purchase price. Generational Transfer Farmers who are looking to transfer their farm to the next generation can use UK Agricultural Finances facility to help them achieve this. UK Agricultural Finance would be delighted to talk through any opportunity and look forward to working closely with the agricultural community, helping them find solutions for the massive demand for rural finance and any challenges or opportunities they may face. You can contact UK Agricultural Finance by clicking here, via email info@ukagriculturalfinance.com or phone 020 7030 4955 UK-Australia trade deal 'gave away far too much', Eustice admits Esha Deol and her entrepreneur husband, Bharat Takhtani, welcomed their newborn daughter home on Monday morning. The new parents took a moment to do photographs with their family outside the hospital.Former actor Deol gave birth to a baby girl around noon on Friday, October 20, at Hinduja Healthcare in suburban Mumbai.Talking about parenthood, a thrilled Takhtani said, I cant even express how happy I am today. I think the baby looks like me. When she smiles it seems the world smiles at you. This is a different feeling, which cannot be expressed in words.Takhtani later in the afternoon announced that they have named their daughter Radhya. "We are very happy to announce that our daughter will be named as Radhya Takhtani. The name has been jointly decided by Esha and me," he told IANS.Photographs: Yogen Shah Road-trip from Goa to Kerala over two weeks If youre looking to club adventure with a bit of R & R, youll love this road trip from Goa to Kerala. Go white-water rafting and on safaris at dawn, snack on momos in Tibetan settlements and end your trip with views of misty plantations. Its great for couples as well as families. Heres how we recommend you spend your days. If youre looking to club adventure with a bit of R & R, youll love this road trip from Goa to Kerala. Go white-water rafting and on safaris at dawn, snack on momos in Tibetan settlements and end your trip with views of misty plantations. Its great for couples as well as families. Heres how we recommend you spend your days. DAY 1. Drive from Goa to Dandeli. Begin on an active note with white-water rafting along the River Kali, safaris into Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, kayaking, mountain biking and more theres a lot to choose from. There are also caves like the Kavala Caves you can explore, trails to trek through and view-points to gaze at vistas from. DAY 2. A post shared by @shyamgeorge on Oct 20, 2017 at 5:27am PDT Start your day with an early-morning safari. Then drive to Devbagh. Theres a serene beach here its a great place to unwind and do nothing. Start your day with an early-morning safari. Then drive to. Theres a serene beach here its a great place to unwind and do nothing. DAY 3. Drive on towards Kundapur. Spend time hitting the waves, or go under you can snorkel or dive here. But if that demands too much effort, just wallow in the shallows. DAY 4. Wake up early and hit the water again for a boat ride this time. Early mornings are best for cruising along the coastline and backwaters of the River Sowparnika. After the boating and some breakfast, head on towards Coorg. Its a long drive, which means youll want to rest when you arrive. DAYS 5 & 6. Spend your days exploring the areas coffee plantations and going on coracle rides down the river. Many properties are sited on plantations and can offer guided tours and treks, so book your accommodation wisely. DAY 7. Set out early and drive towards Mysore via Bylekuppe. This is one of Indias largest Tibetan settlements, home to thousands of monks. Stop for lunch momos! thukpa! and explore the temple, market, and village while youre here. Once you get to Mysore, get a dose of culture at the Mysore Palace its worth checking out, even if only from the outside at sunset when its lit up. DAYS 8 & 9. A post shared by Abhishek Bhandurge Photography (@abhishekbhandurge) on Oct 17, 2017 at 9:10pm PDT Drive to Nagarhole. The national park here is rich in all things wild. Spend your days on the look out for leopards, tigers, and elephants. To explore a different side, cruise down River Kabini in a boat. Drive to. The national park here is rich in all things wild. Spend your days on the look out for leopards, tigers, and elephants. To explore a different side, cruise down River Kabini in a boat. DAY 10. Drive to Wayanad its not too far away and the quiet hill retreat is a great end to a holiday. Make sure you check into a homestay for extra cosiness. DAY 11. Go on a long walk through the plantations, or just bum around and enjoy the view. Its your last day after all, and if you havent had enough me-time, this is your last chance before you return to everyday life. When Bipasha Met Harman According to Spotboye, ''Bipasha Basu all decked-up and pretty, crossed paths with her ex-boyfriend, Harman Baweja. Not once, but twice over in the last three days.'' Uneasy Situation Mrs Karan Singh Grover found herself in an uneasy and embarrassing situation as she came face-to-face with the former love of her life at the recent Diwali parties. Inside Gossip From Ekta's Diwali Bash Ekta Kapoor's Diwali Party on Thursday evening saw the who's who of the Film and Television world in attendance. Bipasha Basu and her TV star turned Bollywood actor husband KSG attended the party. Recommended Video Bipasha Basu's EX Boyfriend Harman Baweja looks UNRECOGNIZABLE now; Watch video | FilmiBeat They Didn't Even Say Hi A source who was present at the party confirmed that things got icy cold on a balmy Bombay evening as Bipasha & Harman crossed paths. No pleasantries were exchanged. When KSG Came To Bipasha's Rescue Mr Grover came to his wife's rescue and whisked her away to meet Tusshar Kapoor, just at the right time. When The Ex-Lovers Met At Shilpa & Raj's Bash Again Very next day, Bipasha Basu & Harman Baweja found themselves under the same roof at Shilpa Shetty's Diwali bash. Shilpa Had Introduced Harman & Bipasha For those who are coming in late, Harman & Bipasha were introduced to each other through Shilpa Shetty, their common friend. Finally... After initial hesitation, good sense prevailed and the two exchanged pleasantries. He Congratulated Bipasha & Karan Harman even congratulated Bipasha & Karan on their marriage. There was visible awkwardness between the ex-lovers. Actor Amy Jackson has completed the shooting for the Rajinikanth-starrer "2.0". The 25-year-old actor is now in Canada to start filming the next episode for The CW's series, "Supergirl", in which she will portray the role of Saturn Girl. Amy took to Twitter to make the announcement. "Aaaand that's a wrap for '2.0'. The past 2 and a half years have been an absolute rollercoaster... but the outcome will knock ya socks offf! "A quick 26 hours later and I've arrived in Canada to start working on the next episode of @TheCWSupergirl," the actor wrote. Directed by Shankar, "2.0" is the sequel to the earlier blockbuster "Enthiran", released in 2010. Enthiran, released as Robot in other languages, had Rajinikanth in the lead as Vaseegaran and Chitti, the android. Akshay features as the antagonist in "2.0". The film is slated to release on January 25. October Baby Reportedly, Esha gave birth to her first child in the wee hours of Monday at Hinduja hospital. The Pregnancy Rumours It was April 2017 when Esha's pregnancy rumours made the rounds. Later, Ram Kamal Mukherjee, who wrote a book on Esha's mom and actress Hema Malini titled Beyond the Dream Girl, confirmed the news and told a tabloid, "Yes, Esha is pregnant and everyone in the family is delighted. After Ahana's son, Darein, Hemaji and Dharamji are eagerly waiting to be grandparents again." Hema Malini's Reaction Esha's mother, actress Hema Malini was quoted as saying to Pinkvilla, ""I was waiting for that (Esha's pregnancy) and sensed it was happening but I didn't want to ask. Esha told me when the time comes I will tell you. I said fine, I will wait. But we were always praying for the best to happen so we are very excited about it! My daughter is staying with me and I am looking after her as a mother. We keep talking about kya karna hai, kaise karna hai..." The Babymoon Esha and her husband Bharat had visited Greece for the babymoon and had even done a stunning maternity photoshoot. The Lavish Baby Shower A few days after her traditional godhbharai ceremony, Esha's younger sister Ahana had thrown a lavender-themed baby shower for her. Recommended Video Prabhas gets this LOVELY GIFT from Anushka Shetty; Know Here | FilmiBeat Today (October 23, 2017) is the birthday of 'Baahubali' aka Prabhas and for his fans, this day is nothing less than a festival. be it social media platforms or his residence in Hyderabad, people can't stop singing 'birthday wishes' for darling Prabhas. Amidst all the craze, Shraddha Kapoor meets her Saaho co-star Prabhas and we can't stop drooling over their first picture ever! On the other side, we also got to know, what Anushka Shetty has gifted Prabhas on his birthday. Prabhas-Shraddha's First Picture Saaho director Sujeeth shared this picture on his Twitter account and wrote, "You guys are amazing", with a heart emoticon. Here's What Anushka Gifted Prabhas According to BollywoodLife, Prabhas' rumoured girlfriend, Anushka Shetty gifted him a designer watch. Apparently, the Telugu star has a thing for watches. Prabhas' Transformation Prabhas' transformation from a ferocious king to a stylish spy is worth praising! Rajamatha Sivagami Wishes Baahubali Actress Ramya Krishnan shared this picture on her Twitter account and wrote, "Happy birthday to someone who is funny, charming, popular, loving and always a Darling." HBD To The 'Baahubali' Of The Film Industry Filmibeat wishes Prabhas aka Baahubali, a very happy birthday and may he keep entertaining us with his hard work & 'hatke' film choices! On a related note, Saaho is slated to release in 2018. Basking in the success of Judwaa 2, Varun Dhawan is all set to shift to a brand new apartment in Mumbai after wrapping up Shoojit Sircar's upcoming movie 'October'. The apartment is in its decorating stage and his mother Karuna Dhawan is looking over the details. Lingerie Shoot Of Amy Jackson For Lipsy London! View Pictures He shared a glimpse of the new apartment on Instagram and captioned it as, "#MYHOUSE. New feeling". 10 Hilarious Memes On The Iconic Movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge! "But he has managed to set things in motion with a pooja there when the October team got a brief break from the shoot for Diwali. Varun also attended a few Diwali bashes at friends' houses during the time, before flying back to Delhi." Trishala Dutt's Glam Quotient Gets Hotter By The Day! View Pictures Carlos Sainz says its hard to imagine how his first Grand Prix weekend with Renault could have gone much better after becoming the first driver since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2005 to score points in his debut race for the French marque. Despite having never driven the R.S.17 before Friday practice, the former Toro Rosso driver looked comfortable from the off in Austin, qualifiing a solid ninth before a feisty drive to seventh in the race where his charge was only blunted when he began to run low on fuel. I think everything exceeded a bit my expectations, said the Spaniard afterwards. I knew I could be quick I had confidence in myself knowing that I could adapt to a team quickly, otherwise this change wouldnt have been possible. Still, to do such a good quali and such a good race, such a complete race in general, right from FP1 to the last lap of the race, as my engineer said it was faultless. Im really happy and I have to thank the team for making me feel right at home from the beginning. Its very difficult to have gone any better than it did, he added to UK broadcaster Channel 4. In the race we went from less to more we were picking up pace, first attacking Checo [Perez] and then Esteban [Ocon]. Its a shame I ran out of fuel in the last three or four laps and couldnt attack Esteban, but [overall] really fun. Having almost equalled Renaults best result of the year in his very first race, Sainz said he expects things to only get better with time. I think we still have a big margin of improvement ahead of us, but it will come with more races and more experience. Weve done our first weekend very close to perfect, so we need to keep going like that. With the six points Sainz earned in Austin, Renault were able to vault Haas for seventh in the constructors standings and are now just five points behind sixth-placed Toro Rosso with three races to go. Scottish farmers have been promised that payments worth 254m will arrive in their bank accounts this week in the form of loans against their Basic Payment Scheme claims. Rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing announced in September that farmers would be able to secure up to 90% of their anticipated BPS support through a nationally funded loan scheme. The scheme forms part of a wider CAP stabilisation plan in Scotland, which aims to tackle persistent problems of payment delays and poor customer service. See also: Deadline days away for Scots BPS loan scheme Mr Ewing said one tranche of payments had already been made and a second would go out later in the week. These payments mean over 10,600 farmers and crofters will now have received up to 90% of their entitlement earlier than ever before. Although the deadline has now passed for applicants to be in the first tranche of payments, farmers can still apply for a loan, he added. All eligible businesses that have not yet been offered a loan should receive an offer by the end of October. These businesses can then expect payment before the end of November. Farmers and crofters are expected to receive the balance of their BPS entitlement between March and June 2018. Nokia 3 receives October security update; Android 7.1.2 Nougat update is yet to roll out News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Nokia 3 has received the October security update. Lately, we have been coming across several reports regarding the rollout of updates to Nokia 8, Nokia 6 and Nokia 5 smartphones. These reports prove the commitment that HMD has towards updating the Nokia Android smartphones. Following the above-mentioned models, it looks like it is time for the Nokia, the entry-level smartphone among the models that exist in the market to get the update. As per a NokiaPowerUser report, the Nokia 3 with the model number TA-1032 has received the October Security update. However, the smartphone is yet to receive the Android 7.1.2 Nougat update that was rolled out to the Nokia 6 and Nokia 5 along with the October Security update. The report shows a screenshot as seen above showing that the October Security update for the Nokia 3 measures 401.1MB. This update will be rolled out in phases to all the users of the smartphone across the world. The users of the Nokia 3 will get the notification to download the update. If not, the users can check for the same from the Settings menu on their smartphone. Nokia 3 is a durable budget Android smartphone, shows video When it comes to the October security update, from the official changelog, it looks like the update will bring about improvements to the system stability, user interface enhancements and others. One of the noticeable user interface enhancements is the round Google search box that is evident from the screenshot seen above. As mentioned above, the Nokia 3 is yet to receive the Android 7.1.2 Nougat update. But the company has already assured that this smartphone will also get the update and the Android Oreo update too by the end of this year along with the other models. In fact, the Nokia 3 will also receive the Android P update that will be launched next year by Google. 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 These Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 renders look pretty gorgeous News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is one of the highly anticipated smartphones. Xiaomi is prepping to launch the next generation Redmi smartphones and the Redmi 5A was announced last week in China. One of the most highly anticipated smartphones in the lineup is the Redmi Note 5, the successor of the bestselling Redmi Note 4. In the latest leaks, we got to know the possible specs of the Redmi Note 5 as the smartphone was spotted on the Chinese certification site TENAA. While there were reports that the device will feature dual rear cameras, it has been proved wrong by the TENAA listing that was spotted a few days back as the device appears to have a single rear camera sensor above the fingerprint scanner. Following the same, the gorgeous renders of the Redmi Note 5 have been leaked online by ITHome via GizmoChina. Bezel-less design The renders point out that there will be a bezel-less design on the Redmi Note 5 as it was speculated to. The smartphone might boast of a 5.99-inch FHD+ 2160 x 1440 pixel display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The device appears to have rounded corners and slim bezels just like the Mi Mix 2. Two variants possible The Redmi Note 5 is said to be launched in two variants - one with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage space and the other with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage space. From the existing reports, there are claims that the smartphone will be powered by a 630 SoC under its hood. A capacious battery The Redmi Note 4 is known for its good battery performance and its sequel will definitely keep up the same quality. We say so as the speculations hint at the presence of a 4000mAh battery operating within it. November 11 launch likely The current rumors hint that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 might be launched on November 11 in China that is before the Single's day in the country. Price is also out! The smartphone is believed to be priced at 999 yuan (approx. Rs. 10,000) for the base variant and at 1299 yuan (approx. Rs. 13,000) for the high-end variant. 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 Kellee Kucera-Moreno knows her husband screwed up. Out on parole in February, after being locked up for nearly a decade, Alfredo Moreno found the cops again. Or rather they found him, in a parked Pontiac Grand Am in a car wash lot in central Lincoln just before 10 p.m. Feb. 22. Police had dispatch run his name, learned he was on parole on drug and weapon charges and asked him if he'd used lately. In court records, they say Alfredo Moreno admitted, then and there, that he had used cocaine the night before and meth a couple days before that. Police say he told them to go ahead and search. They found a corner of a plastic bag with cocaine residue on the floor of the driver's seat and a tied-off plastic bag with a half gram of it on the passenger seat, along with a 5-inch knife, his brother's. Alfredo "Al" Moreno had relapsed and went to jail that night, then back to prison, his parole revoked. He finished the old sentence in June. But by August, a Lancaster County judge was sending Moreno back for five more years the max on the new charges: possession of a deadly weapon by a felon and attempted possession of cocaine, a misdemeanor. "My husband has a disease," Kellee Kucera-Moreno said. "I don't see him as a criminal. I see him as someone who relapsed." The reality is, according to the latest data sheet from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, more than 13.5 percent of the 5,293 people in prison here are there on drug charges. And that's not counting still more in prison on charges fueled by drug addiction, like thefts or burglaries. Some of the inmates are addicts, like Al, who relapse when they get out, leaving judges, parole officers and families to deal with the consequences. "We're talking about people who essentially have a health problem," said Lancaster County Public Defender Joe Nigro. He supports a drug diversion program that he says could keep some of these people from coming back. It would be a better investment than just locking them up, Nigro said. Despite sentencing reform passed by the Legislature in 2015 and 2016 aimed at reducing the population and a lawsuit filed by ACLU of Nebraska, the state's prison population has continued to grow, according to prison statistics released in August. In his weekly column, Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday that all three branches of government have taken an "all hands on deck" approach to justice reinvestment, which includes sentencing reforms. And the state is making strides within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services to better achieve its mission, he said. "From expanding facility capacity to automating sentence calculation processes and expanding programming, the agency has been adopting data-driven practices to modernize its operations and facilities," Ricketts said. He said he worked with the Legislature in 2015 to secure $37 million over two years for operations of the corrections system; in 2016 to allocate an additional $26 million to expand prison facilities; and this year to provide another $75 million to improve housing and care for elderly inmates and programming for inmates with behavioral health needs. "We are beginning to see tangible results from these investments," he said, while acknowledging there still is work to do. But he's made it clear what isn't on the table. "To just let people out of prison would endanger public safety," Ricketts said in August about the ACLU of Nebraska filing a federal lawsuit that could result in the court directing the state to drastically reduce the number of inmates at prisons. Kucera-Moreno would like to see the state transition more nonviolent offenders, like her husband, out of prison and into the community sooner. Her own family tells her, if you do the crime, you do the time, she said. But she sees it differently. "Relapsing is not a crime," she said. Kucera-Moreno also knows the man she married in May 2014, who she met at a meeting for recovering substance abusers, doesn't look good on paper, she said. The latest sentence is his fourth prison term, nearly all drug related. But it isn't an unusual situation for an addict, she said. As anyone who has tried to quit smoking knows, giving up a vice isn't easy, she said. But for parolees, the stakes are even higher. At some point people are going to have to consider that it's not just black and white, she said, and that the people going to prison are husbands and fathers and sons. "It's just devastating to the families," Kucera-Moreno said. She is on disability and cleans houses but lost her husband's truck after he went to prison because she couldn't keep up with payments. She can talk to her husband 15 minutes a day. Calling cards cost her $50 a month. She puts $10 a week on his books. Now he's been moved to a prison in Omaha. It all costs her time, money and energy, Kucera-Moreno said. "It's just so frustrating," she said. Kucera-Moreno said her husband knows he made a mistake, but he didn't hurt anybody. The state is locking up sick people, she said, and sending him back to an overcrowded prison doesn't help anything. One day not long ago, after cleaning a house near the prison's main office, she decided to stop and try to talk to Scott Frakes, the director of Nebraska's prisons. She couldn't get in to see him but left a message for him that the prison needs more AA meetings on the inside. Kucera-Moreno wishes there were more alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders like her husband. "Al's not a bad person. He made a bad choice," she said. "You just can't keep locking him up." His release date currently is projected for Dec. 2, 2019. DOT approves RCOM -SSTL merger News oi -Priyanka RCom reviewed the ongoing strategic transformation programme and considered alternate plans for debt reduction. The telecom ministry has finally cleared the merger between Anil- Ambani owned Reliance Communications and Sistema Shyam Telecom Limited (SSTL), ET reported. According to the report, the ministry has given its approval on October 20. The deal, which is valued at Rs 5,000 crore will help RCOM to acquire SSTL's 800 / 850 MHz band spectrum, ideally suited for 4G LTE services. This will extend the validity of RCOM's spectrum in 800 / 850 MHz bands in 8 important circles by a period of 12 years from 2021 till 2033 (Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Kolkata, UP (West) and West Bengal). As result of the demerger, SSTL will acquire and hold a 10 percent equity stake in RCOM and, later will assume the liability to pay the DoT installments for SSTL's spectrum, amounting to Rs. 392 crore per annum for the next 10 years. Meanwhile, the RCom has recently called off its merger with Aircel due to legal and regulatory uncertainties, and various interventions by vested interests, have caused inordinate delays in receipt of relevant approvals for the proposed transaction. The unprecedented competitive intensity in the Indian telecom sector, together with fresh policy directives adversely impacting bank financing for this sector, have also seriously affected industry dynamics. As a result of the various factors aforesaid, the merger agreement has lapsed. The Board approved the same, RCom said. In a meeting with Board of Directors, RCom reviewed the ongoing strategic transformation programme and considered alternate plans for debt reduction. The merger of a mobile business of RCom and Aircel lapses with mutual consent Rcom and Aircel Limited (Aircel) had signed binding agreements in September 2016 for the merger of Rcom's mobile businesses with Aircel, the company added. 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 Climate change sets the world on fire Deutsche Welle 18.10.2017 Southern Europe and western parts of Canada and the US have been devastated by wildfires this year. And they're not the only ones - it seems like much of the world is ablaze right now. And this could be the new normal. This year has been a terrible year for wildfires across the globe. And there doesn't appear to be an end in sight. Over the last several weeks, more than a dozen massive blazes have swept through Northern California, killing 41 people, destroying 6,000 homes and devastating the area's celebrated wine country. Authorities have called the disaster the deadliest and most destructive series of blazes in California history. Across the US, the government has spent more than $2.7 billion (2.2 billion euros) on firefighting in its just-finished budget year, a new record. Thousands have been evacuated in northwestern Spain in recent days, with fires killing at least four people. In neighboring Portugal, a series of wildfires broke out on Sunday in the center and north of the country, killing 41 and injuring another 71, according to the civil protection agency. These latest fires came after similar huge blazes in June killed 64 people, making 2017 the deadliest year on record for forest fires in the country. Over the summer, wildfires burned out of control on several continents. Southern Europe endured a record heat wave this year, creating hot, dry conditions that saw Italy, France, Croatia, Spain and Greece all swept by three times the average number of wildfires. The western Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia saw the worst season for fires since records began, with more than 1.26 million hectares (3.11 million acres) going up in flames by mid-October, according to provincial wildfire services. But it's not just North America and Southern Europe that have been hit. In Siberia, wildfires destroyed hundreds of homes, and around 700 hectares of Armenian forest were also destroyed by fire. Earlier this year, Chile saw wildfires that were unparalleled in the country's history, according to President Michelle Bachelet. Even Greenland, not known for its hot, dry conditions, suffered an unprecedented blaze this summer with a large grassy peatland fire burning for two weeks. Big picture "A lot of these things are happening locally, but people don't always connect them to climate change," said Kevin Trenberth, a scientist at the Climate Analysis Section of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the US. "But there is a real climate change component to this and the risk is going up because of climate change." With global temperatures rising, scientists say wildfires are likely to become increasingly frequent and widespread. Read more: How climate change is increasing forest fires around the world "What's really happening is that there is extra heat available," Trenberth told DW. "That heat has to go somewhere and some of it goes into raising temperatures. But the first thing that happens is that it goes into drying it dries out plants and increases the risk of wildfires." The map below, compiling NASA satellite data on fires from the beginning of 2017 until mid-October, makes it looks as if the whole world is on fire. So has 2017 been a record year for wildfires? Tough competition It certainly looks like it's been a big year for fires in Europe and North America. But Martin Wooster, professor of earth observation science at King's College London, said other parts of the world have seen worse in recent years. "For example, this year, fires across Southeast Asia are extremely unlikely to be anything like as severe as they were in 2015," he told DW. Two years ago, drought caused by the El Nino weather system created lethal conditions for Indonesian forests and peatlands already degraded by draining and logging. The smoldering peat ancient, decayed vegetable matter condensed into a carbon-heavy fuel kept fires burning for months on end. "This led to huge fires, far bigger than any seen in Europe, and some of the worst air pollution ever experienced," Wooster said. Longer fire seasons, longer recovery But there does appear to be a distinct trend, as fire seasons seem to be becoming longer and harsher. "In the western United States, the general perception is that there is no wildfire season any more, but that it's continuous all year round," said Trenberth. In many parts of the world, wildfires are part of a natural cycle. Savannas, for example, are maintained by fire. Some trees not only survive fires but need them to release their seeds. Human intervention can disrupt these cycles, the scientific discipline of fire ecology has found. Putting out small fires can allow flammable debris to accumulate until a colossal fire starts that cannot be controlled. But global warming is resulting in hotter, drier conditions that mean such infernos are becoming more common, even with careful forest management. And the changed climatic conditions can mean forests take far longer to recover. Meanwhile, fires are also starting in areas like the tropics that have no natural fire ecology. Human fingerprints Climate change isn't the only man-made factor. Fires can also be started by careless humans dropping cigarettes or letting campfires burn out of control. And in regions like the Amazon, where the annual fire season increased by 19 percent between 1979 and 2013, fire is deliberately used to clear forest to make way for agriculture. "Farmers light fires to clear an area and what happens in drought conditions is that these fires become wild because the vegetation is so dry, it gets out of control," said Trenberth. All this can have a feedback effect more fires mean more carbon released into the atmosphere, which in turn drives climate change. Deutsche Welle NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CIA shifts its Afghanistan strategy amid open-ended campaign to tackle terrorism: Report Iran Press TV Sun Oct 22, 2017 09:28PM The US Central Intelligence Agency is reportedly expanding its covert operations in war-ravaged Afghanistan. The spy agency is set to deploy "highly experienced officers and contractors" in a stated effort to take on Taliban militants, The New York Times reported on Sunday. "The new effort will be led by small units known as counterterrorism pursuit teams. They are managed by CIA paramilitary officers from the agency's Special Activities Division and operatives from the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan's intelligence arm, and include elite American troops from the Joint Special Operations Command," the report said. The measure serves as a shift in the CIA's policy towards Afghanistan, under Director Mike Pompeo, according to two senior US officials. "We can't perform our mission if we're not aggressive," the CIA chief said at a security conference at the University of Texas earlier this month. "This is unforgiving, relentless. You pick the word. Every minute, we have to be focused on crushing our enemies." 'Hidden from public view' In August, US President Donald Trump vowed to take a harsher stance in the so-called war on terror in Afghanistan. "The killers need to know they have nowhere to hide, that no place is beyond the reach of American might and American arms," said the president at the time. "Retribution will be fast and powerful." Shortly after winning the US presidency, Trump made a blatant U-turn from his campaign pledges to end the US occupation of Afghanistan on the pretext of fighting extremist groups. "The CIA's expanded role will augment missions carried out by military units, meaning more of the United States' combat role in Afghanistan will be hidden from public view," read the Times report. Under Republican George W. Bush's presidency, the United and its allies invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 as part of Washington's so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban regime from power, but after more than 15 years, the foreign troops are still present at the country. After becoming the president in 2008, Barack Obama, a Democrat, vowed to end the war -- one of the longest conflicts in US history but he failed to keep his promise. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sisi says Egypt more determined in terror fight after attacks Iran Press TV Sun Oct 22, 2017 06:27PM Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has declared that a recent attack on police forces outside Cairo has not dented his government's resolve in fighting terrorism. "Egypt will continue its confrontation against terrorism and those financing and standing behind it, with strength, decisiveness and efficiency, until it's curbed," Sisi said during a special security meeting in Cairo on Sunday, a day after scores of police forces were killed in an ambush outside the capital. Egypt is still in shock after the massive attack which began late Friday just 135 kilometers outside Cairo where police forces reportedly tried to raid a major terrorist hideout. Authorities said 16 police officers were killed in the ambush but security sources have put the death toll on more than 50. The confusion surrounding the incident and how it unfolded has sparked widespread criticism among the public. No group has claimed responsibility for the high-profile attack. It is the latest to rock Egypt since the overthrow of the country's first democratically-elected president Mohammed Morsi in 2013, a coup many say was orchestrated by Sisi, the then army chief. A branch of Daesh, a Takfiri group which is losing its foothold in the Middle East, has launched numerous attacks against security forces and civilians across Egypt and in the restive Sinai Peninsula over the past years. Recent ambush on police took place near Egypt's western desert region, where militants from neighboring Libya have carried out attacks in the past. Sisi said in his Sunday meeting with top security officials, including defense and interior ministry representatives, that his government would try its best to secure Egypt's borders and hunt down militants. Rights groups say Sisi's large-scale crackdown on followers of the Muslim Brotherhood, the oldest political party in the Arab world and the most popular in Egypt, has been to blame for the increased insecurity across Egypt. Hundreds of Brotherhood supporters have been killed since Morsi's ouster while courts across the North African country continue to issue death and life sentences to people deemed to be linked to the group. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Seven dead in roadside explosion outside Somali capital Iran Press TV Sun Oct 22, 2017 01:58PM A powerful roadside bomb explosion has claimed the lives of at least seven people, mostly women, in an area outside the Somali capital, residents and the army say. The bombing hit a minibus in Daniga village, about 40 kilometers to the northwest of the capital Mogadishu, on Sunday. The region is dominated by the Takfiri al-Shabab militants. "We heard a huge crash today and we went to the scene, we saw a ruined minibus and at least seven dead bodies, mostly women. We could not identify some people, they were just pieces of human flesh," Reuters quoted farmer Nur Abdullahi as saying. "We are scared," Abdullahi said, adding, "Hundreds of masked militants are everywhere and we anticipate the government will attack here. They also planted mines everywhere and today we pack our clothes to flee." Captain Isa Osman of the Somali National Army confirmed the bombing and said the death toll might be higher. "We know the minibus left Afgooye (town) this morning and it was carrying farmers, mostly women." "It was carrying more than 10 people. We cannot get many details because the area is not controlled by government," the army officer added. Last weekend, a truck bombing in Mogadishu killed nearly 360 people, with over 50 people still missing. Almost all of the dead were civilians. Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has vowed to step up the fight against al-Shabab following the truck bombing. Government forces have been battling al-Shabab since 2006. The militants controlled Mogadishu between 2007 and 2011, when they were driven out of the capital with help from African Union troops. A period of relative calm started in Mogadishu afterward. However, since last month, the group seems to have started to resume its attacks in the capital. The extremist group is only one of the challenges facing the new Somali government, which is still struggling to expand its authority beyond the capital and other selected areas. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Billionaire Babis becomes Czech's prime minister Iran Press TV Sun Oct 22, 2017 06:54AM The centrist party of Czech billionaire Andrej Babis has scored a victory in the country's parliamentary elections, winning almost 30 percent of the votes, amid allegations of fraud and a corruption scandal. The ANO (YES) movement garnered 29.6 percent of the votes, or 78 of the 200 seats in the Czech Republic's lower house of parliament on Saturday, making Babis the next prime minister of the central European country on an anti-establishment and Eurosceptic campaign platform. The center-left Social Democrats (CSSD) party of the outgoing government received only 7.3 percent of the votes 15 seats while the Christian Democrats, part of the ruling coalition, obtained a 5.8-percent support or 10 seats. The Pirate Party came in third with 10.8 percent of the votes, and the radical anti-migrant, anti-Muslim Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), was in fourth place with 10.6 percent support. Babis has promised that "the Czech Republic will not adopt the euro" and has said he wanted "a single Europe that plays fair and where nobody is a second-class member." The Slovak-born centrist leader has also pledged to bring his business expertise to government, aiming to resist deeper integration with the European Union (EU) and any efforts in Brussels to force the country of 10.6 million to accept refugees. "I believe we will build a government that will be one team," Babis told supporters and journalists during his victory speech. "We want to fulfill our program for a better life in our country." The 63-year-old business mogul, who is dubbed the "Czech version of Trump," is the country's second-richest man, with a media empire that includes two major newspapers and a popular radio station. Babis, with promises to cut taxes, lift public investment, and fight immigration, faces alleged charges of having illegally received a two-million-euro EU subsidy for his companies. He has dismissed the charge as politically motivated. Corruption has remained endemic in the Czech Republic an EU member since its 1993 split with Slovakia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas: We will never sever ties with Iran as perquisite for talks with Israel Iran Press TV Sun Oct 22, 2017 09:35PM The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has stressed that it will never sever ties with Iran as prerequisites for talks with the Tel Aviv regime. Hamas's deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri made the remarks in a statement released on Saturday. Aruri is leading a high-ranking Hamas delegation which arrived in Tehran on Friday for talks with Iranian officials including Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Aruri noted that Israel had set three preconditions for the beginning of negotiations, including the disarmament of Hamas, recognition of Israel, and severing ties with Iran. "In response to the first prerequisite that was disarmament of Hamas, we have declared that we don't accept it at all," he said, adding that they also totally reject the second condition of recognizing Israel. "Our presence in Iran is the practical denial of the third precondition that was cutting ties with Iran," Aruri stressed. On Thursday, the head of Hamas said that "no one" can force it to disarm or recognize Israel after the US demanded the resistance movement meet those conditions as part of an emerging Palestinian unity government. "No one in the universe can disarm us. On the contrary, we will continue to have the power to protect our citizens," Yahya Sinwar said. "No one has the ability to extract from us recognition of the occupation," he added. Netanyahu's cabinet said in a statement on Tuesday that Tel Aviv would not engage in negotiations with a future Palestinian unity government that had the backing of Hamas. Both Hamas and its Ramallah-based rival Fatah were quick to brush off Netanyahu's threats, with the Palestinian Authority saying such a hostile stance would not affect the nation's resolve to pursue its goals. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Populist Babis's Party Scores Big Victory In Czech Parliament Elections October 22, 2017 Populist Andrej Babis's centrist ANO movement has won a decisive victory in the Czech Republic's parliamentary elections, paving the way for the billionaire to become the country's next prime minister. Results released late on October 21 showed the ANO movement with 29.6 percent of the vote, about three times as much as any other of the nine parties that secured seats in parliament's lower house. The votes would give ANO 78 of the 200 seats in parliament. Babis, 63, is the county's second-richest man, leading a media empire that includes two major newspapers and a radio station. He campaigned on a Euroskeptic and antiestablishment platform. Still, he said he would not pull the country out of the European Union, although he would not bring in the euro currency to the Czech Republic. Babis has been linked to several scandals, including being charged by police with fraud concerning EU subsidies. He will need to put together a coalition to govern, and it was not immediately clear which parties he would look to cooperate with. Several parties have said they would not work with Babis. The opposition conservative Civic Democrats came in a distant second with 11.3 percent, or 25 seats. The Pirate Party won seats for the first time, coming in third with 22 seats. The most radical antimigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-EU party -- Freedom and Direct Democracy -- ended up in fourth place, also with 22 seats. Based on reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/czech- elections-populist-babis-wins- pirates/28808824.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Key US Senators Call for More Information on Niger Attack By Ken Bredemeier October 22, 2017 Key U.S. senators called Sunday for the White House to be more forthcoming about the country's military involvement in Niger after four U.S. soldiers were killed in an ambush there earlier this month. In separate interviews on NBC's "Meet the Press" news show, Republican Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senate leader Charles Schumer said they support an effort last week by Republican Senator John McCain to find out the details of the attack as well as the scope of the U.S. campaign against Islamic State in the west African country. Both Graham and Schumer said they had been unaware of the substantial number of the U.S. troops in Niger. "I didn't know there was 1,000 troops in Niger," Graham said. "This is an endless war without boundaries and no limitation on time and geography. You've got to tell us more. "We don't know exactly where we're at in the world militarily and what we're doing," Graham said. "So John McCain is going to try to create a new system to make sure that we can answer the question, why were we there, we'll know how many soldiers are there, and if somebody gets killed there, that we won't find out about it in the paper. "I can say this to the families," Graham said. "They were there to defend America. They were there to help allies. They were there to prevent another platform to attack America and our allies." Schumer said, "We need to look at this carefully. This is a brave new world. There are no set battle plans." He said that he would favor revisiting the current congressional authorization for overseas military action that is 16 years old, an agreement stemming from the 2001 terror attacks on the U.S. "There is no easy answer but we need to look at it," he said. "The answer we have now is not adequate." Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Graham and McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, last week that the military is shifting its counter-terrorism strategy to focus more on Africa. The defense chief said military leaders want to expand their ability to use force against suspected terrorists. U.S. officials believe the Niger attack was launched by a local Islamic State affiliate, but the Pentagon is still investigating the circumstances of how it occurred. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former Boko Haram Hostages Stranded at Cameroon-Nigeria Border By Moki Edwin Kindzeka October 22, 2017 Boko Haram's renewed campaign of suicide bombings in Far North Cameroon has bred suspicion that remains even as attacks have died down. Local communities are currently blocking 400 former Boko Haram hostages from returning home. Hundreds of former Boko Haram hostages and fighters are lining up to be served food at Mozogo, on Cameroon's northern border with Nigeria. They look tired and hungry. Among them is 45-year old Asta Hamina brought into the camp a week ago by the Cameroon military. She said she was found around Sambisa forest, a former stronghold of the insurgents. She said when she remembers the torture she went through in the Sambisa forest, she is frightened and prays that such a thing should never happen again. She said her wish is to return home and start her life all over again. But her dream of returning home may not be achieved soon. Some of hostages have confessed that after they were taken hostage by Boko Haram fighters during attacks on their villages and taken to Nigeria, they were forced to join the jihadist group as fighters and their children were used as suicide bombers. Arouna Abba, a community leader at Mozogo, said they are not ready to accept the former hostages in their villages for fear of being infiltrated once again by the terrorists. He said some of them may be spies or been brainwashed with Boko Haram ideology. He said they first of all want the government of Cameroon to assure them of their security and safety. He said their resources are stretched and the economic needs of villagers who braved attacks and stayed home will increase if they allow the former hostages to return. Abba said villagers already lack water to drink and it will terrible if they share the little they have. Some of the former hostages said they spent two years with Boko Haram and decided to flee and hand over themselves to the military or local self-defense groups. Others said they had fought for Boko Haram but chose to lay down their arms because they realized they were misled. Mozogo is one of the Cameroon towns that have suffered severe Boko Haram atrocities, with schools, markets, churches and Mosques burned by members of the group. Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of Cameroon's far north region is pleading with communities to receive the former hostages, and assuring them that the government will protect them. He said many of the former hostages have assured him that they do not have anything to do with the terrorist group and are ready to contribute to building their country. Bakari said among the returnees in the camp are 120 girls, 125 boys and many children of school age and they have been asking the UNHCR to consider either creating an orphanage or opening a school in the camp should the returnees' stay be extended. He said Cameroon's president, has asked for a more secured site to be provided to the returnees for the meantime. Soldiers from Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger, part of a multinational joint task force of the lake Chad Basin Commission have rolled back Boko Haram gains since last year, but the insurgency remains a potent threat. The conflict that began in northeast Nigeria 8 years ago has left at least 25,000 people dead and led more than 2.6 million others to flee their homes. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Slovenia - Politics Prime Minister party term Lojze Peterle SKD 1990 1992 Dr Janez Drnovek LDS 1992 2000 Dr Andrej Bajuk SLS+SKD SPP 2000 Dr Janez Drnovek LDS 2000 2002 Anton Rop LDS 2002 2004 Janez Jana SDS 2004 2008 Borut Pahor SD 2008 2012 Janez Jana SDS 10 Feb 2012 27 Feb 2013 Alenka Bratusek 27 Feb 2013 03 May 2014 Miro Cerar SMC 18 Sep 2014 14 Mar 2018 Janez Jana SD 14 Mar 2018 Though it is a small country, Slovenia is by no means a monolithic whole. The difference in perspective, attitude, and opinion between the inheritors of the socialist legacy on the left, and the former dissidents now in power on the right, is profound. In security policy, economic policy, and in terms of their general attitude towards the U.S., the two camps have divergent positions. Slovenia, though making strides to expand its world view, is a relatively parochial, homogenous society. Religious and political extremism are very rare in Slovenia. With a homogeneous population of only two million people, Slovenian society and politics function on the basis of strong social networks that foster a culture of compromise, consensus, and centrism. Nevertheless, the same factors that work to make Slovenia a tightly-knit community also create insularity and suspicion towards foreigners, which at times borders on intolerance and xenophobia. The latter is manifested most noticeably with regards to the 0.2 percent of the population (roughly 3,500 people) who are Roma and, to a far lesser degree, the 2.4 percent of the population who are Muslim (roughly 50,000 people). Sitting on the crossroads of Western and Muslim civilization, Slovenia's Muslim community is well integrated into Slovenian society and has exhibited no overt manifestations of religious extremism. At the end of March 1989, a general election with multiple candidates for president of the presidency of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was held, albeit still organised by the Socialist Association of the Working People. The outcome was that the surprise winner, running against Marko Bulc, the governments official candidate, was one Janez Drnovek, a relatively unknown public figure at the time. In order to ensure increased sovereignty for the Republic, the Slovenian assembly adopted several amendments in September 1989. The Slovenian constitutional amendments were met by extreme opposition from the federal authorities and the leadership of the Yugoslav Communist Party, going to great lengths to prevent implementation. Ever since Slovenia achieved independence, Slovenian politics (governments) have often been reproached for not being able to meet policy challenges. Frequent generous promises and commitments reflect the lack of clear priorities in Slovenian politics. Though largely homogeneous and prosperous, Slovenia has not fully addressed the need to modernize its socialist-era economy and welfare system. Stark internal differences and festering regional animosities, many dating to World War II and earlier, have made consensus elusive and fueled political polarization. Slovenes still must develop a sensitivity about human rights which they lack. Observers attribute this to years of socialist rule, which assumed all people's rights were ensured by the state which guaranteed jobs, healthcare etc. Slovenia is regarded today as a free country and consolidated democracy, with some problems with corruption, independent media, and independent judiciary. Since its independence in 1991, Slovenia has put in place democratic institutions of state organization, undergone major capital rearrangements, and achieved both of the starting objectives of new international involvement by entering the EU and NATO. On 01 January 2007, Slovenia was the first among former socialist countries to take on the common European currency. Slovenia has been subject to highly varying assessments during the construction of its democratic political system; it has been acknowledged as a ripe democracy, complete democracy, or, alternatively, apparent or virtual democracy. The more negative assessments of the Slovenian political system are related to the persistence of authoritarian behavior patterns and manipulation of democratic institutions that have found its way into the structures of political parties. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Forces Officially Complete THAAD Unit Setup in South Korea - Reports Sputnik News 17:50 22.10.2017(updated 17:53 22.10.2017) The US has been deploying THAAD systems in South Korea since 2016 in response to the continuing missile and nuclear tests performed by the North. MOSCOW (Sputnik) US Forces Korea (USFK) officially confirmed on Sunday that it had deployed a unit in South Korea charged with operating the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, the Yonhap news agency reported Sunday. According to the news agency, sources in the USFK said that an official ceremony was held on Thursday to transfer the Delta Battery of the 11th Air Defense Artillery (ADA) from Fort Bliss in the US state of Texas to the 35th ADA Brigade in South Korea. In July 2016, Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy the THAAD system in South Korea's Seongju County amid growing tensions spurred by North Korea's ballistic and nuclear tests. The THAAD system is designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles at the terminal incoming stage. The final units of the THAAD were deployed in early September after North Korea launched several missiles and conducted a nuclear test, however, the military unit and specialists operating were not fully in place at that time. The deployment of the system has been held amid strong opposition from China and Russia, who cited national security concerns. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IAEA not authorized to inspect Iran's military sites: Russia Iran Press TV Sun Oct 22, 2017 04:52PM A senior Russian diplomat has criticized certain countries' calls for the expansion of the International Atomic Energy Agency's inspections to include Iranian military sites, saying the IAEA has no authority to carry out such inspection. "I would like to say absolutely clear and directly that acquiring some false topicality [about] the theme of the IAEA work on Section T of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA) over the Iran nuclear program has no topicality for us although it is a talking point now," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told TASS on Saturday. Section T of the JCPOA bans any development activity by Iran on nuclear weapons technology and restricts dual-use items that could be used to research warhead design. Iran has repeatedly said that it does not possess or seek nuclear arms. The high-ranking Russian diplomat said IAEA could not be tasked with carrying out inspections of Iran's military sites, "because Section T highlights the issues of the agency's competence." However, he added that some P5+1 parties prefer to "call black white and vice versa...We cannot get them to understand this evident logic and obvious truth." "Since they are insisting, we say if you cannot do without discussions on the theme, it should be raised at the [Iran-P5+1] Joint Commission when the next session is convened," Ryabkov noted. The Russian deputy foreign minister expressed his country's readiness to discuss the issue with other signatories to the JCPOA and announce Moscow's stance. Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China plus Germany signed the nuclear agreement on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016. Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran. The JCPOA is regarded as the most significant diplomatic success for the 28-nation bloc in several decades. Speaking at an international nonproliferation conference in Moscow on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected the need for further inspection of Iran's nuclear sites beyond the JCPOA requirements, noting that the IAEA "performs regular checks and confirms their [Iran's] strict fulfillment of obligations." US President Donald Trump delivered an anti-Iran speech on October 13, in which he said he would not be certifying Iran's compliance with the terms of the JCPOA under a domestic American law. While Trump did not pull Washington out of the JCPOA, he gave the US Congress 60 days to decide whether to reimpose economic sanctions against Tehran that were lifted under the pact. Reimposing sanctions would put the US at odds with other signatories to the accord and the European Union. The US president insists that the nuclear deal should be renegotiated, or else it may face the prospect of total collapse. This is while all other signatories, including Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China have stressed their full commitment to the JCPOA. Iran has vehemently rejected the possibility of renegotiation, warning that any hostile action against the JCPOA will jeopardize regional and global peace and security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Europe's stance on JCPOA different from that of US: Iran official Iran Press TV Sun Oct 22, 2017 01:42PM A senior Iranian official says European countries oppose the United States' moves in violation of the 2015 nuclear agreement and pursue a different stance on the deal. "The policy adopted by Europe, including the Netherlands, on the nuclear issue is different from the policy of the United States of America," Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said on Sunday. Velayati made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a meeting in Tehran with a senior member of Netherland's House of Representatives Raymond Knops and his accompanying delegation. He added that European countries did not accept the US violation of the international nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and would remain committed to the accord. The senior Iranian official noted that members of the Dutch parliamentary delegation criticized the US failure to remain committed to the JCPOA and reiterated their country's full commitment to the agreement. US President Donald Trump delivered an anti-Iran speech on October 13, in which he said he would not be certifying Iran's compliance with the terms of the JCPOA under a domestic American law. While Trump did not pull Washington out of the JCPOA, he gave the US Congress 60 days to decide whether to reimpose economic sanctions against Tehran that were lifted under the pact. Reimposing sanctions would put the US at odds with other signatories to the accord and the European Union. Speaking at a nonproliferation conference in Moscow on Saturday, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi criticized the United States for preventing Iran from benefiting from the JCPOA, warning that such a move "will have its consequences." "This negative atmosphere created by the US administration is in fact violation of the JCPOA, preventing Iran from benefiting from sanctions lifting," Araqchi said. In a related development, European Union foreign ministers held a closed-door meeting, chaired by EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, on the best way to proceed on the Iran issue in Luxembourg on October 16. They reaffirmed their support for the historic nuclear agreement and said the accord was working and was a key part of nonproliferation efforts. Elsewhere in his remarks, Velayati pointed to his talks with the Dutch parliamentarians and said the Netherlands was keen to make investment in Iran. Noting that Tehran and Amsterdam enjoyed growing relations, he added that the Netherlands sought to improve trade and economic cooperation with Iran. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Debate Sharpens in Washington on Nuclear Pact With Iran By Michael Bowman October 22, 2017 Debate is intensifying in Washington on the merits and potential pitfalls, the risks and possible rewards, of the United States possibly pulling out of the international nuclear accord with Iran. The U.S. Congress has decisions to make now that President Donald Trump has withheld certifying Iran's compliance with the pact co-negotiated by the Obama administration. As a candidate and as president, Trump has consistently bashed the nuclear accord with Tehran as "one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into." The pact halted much of Iran's nuclear activities, but left a multitude of other thorny topics unaddressed, from Tehran's ballistic missile program to its support for international terrorism. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley says a new approach is needed. "The United States has now embarked on a course that attempts to address all aspects of Iran's destructive conduct, not just one aspect. It's critical that the international community do the same," Haley said. Some on Capitol Hill applaud the move. Among those agreeing the president is Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. "I think it was one of the worst deals I have ever seen, and President Trump has every right to change it or tear it up," Graham said. America's closest allies are urging caution. Speaking Friday at the Center for Strategic and International studies in Washington, French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said she saw no alternative. "We need the JCPOA," she said, referring to the Iran deal by its formal name the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. "Scrapping it would be a gift to Iran's hardliners and a first step towards future wars." That argument is echoed by prominent Democrats in Congress. Among the deal's supporters is Senator Tim Kaine. "If you weaken diplomacy, you raise the risk of unnecessary war, and that's what this president is doing. If we take a step back from the deal, Iran will take a step back. And what will they ask for, that they get to now increase centrifuges or get some of their enriched uranium back? I do not want to give Iran one thing back from this deal," said Kaine. Iran says it is adhering to the nuclear pact, at least for now. But that is not good enough for some Republicans. "Under the deal, after the passage of 15 years, the Iranians can enrich and reprocess [uranium], no matter how they are behaving," Senator Graham said. Defenders of the accord note that Congress already provided tools to punish Tehran for behavior not covered by the nuclear accord. "We have given the power to the president to impose more sanctions on Iran for bellicose behavior, for activities in other countries, for violations of human rights, for violating U.N. Security Council resolutions on their missile program," Senator Kaine said. "The president should use the sanctions power we just gave him." Under former president Barack Obama, the United States committed to the nuclear accord as an executive agreement that can be revoked, not as a formal treaty binding future administrations. For many Republicans, pulling out would be an appropriate use of President Trump's authority. According to many Democrats, it would be a dangerous mistake. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi fighter jets kill 25 Daesh militants near Syria border Iran Press TV Sun Oct 22, 2017 03:35PM More than two dozen members of Daesh Takfiri terrorist group have been killed when Iraqi Air Force fighter jets bombarded their positions in the country's troubled western province of Anbar near the border with Syria. The media bureau of the Iraqi Defense Ministry announced in a statement on Sunday that 25 Daesh militants were killed as Iraqi military aircraft launched precision strikes in the desert region of the province, English-language online newspaper Iraqi News reported. The statement added that 13 vehicles used by the Takfiris were also destroyed in the aerial assaults. On October 10, 17 Daesh militants were killed as Iraqi warplanes pounded a militant convoy travelling along a road linking the small town of Akashat to the militant-held town of al-Qa'im, located nearly 400 kilometers northwest of the capital Baghdad. Brigadier General Saleh Ali said at the time that the airstrikes also destroyed a number of Daesh arms depots and vehicles in the surrounding areas. On October 5, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Iraqi armed forces had liberated Hawijah, driving Daesh Takfiris out of their last bastion in the oil-rich northern province of Kirkuk. Abadi said on August 31 that the northwestern city of Tal Afar, located 200 kilometers northwest of Kirkuk, and the entire Nineveh province had been purged of Daesh Takfiri terrorist group. The recapture of Tal Afar was made possible with the help of the Iraqi army, Federal Police, Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) units, fighters from Popular Mobilization units commonly known by their Arabic name, Hashd al-Sha'abi - and the Interior Ministry's elite rapid response forces, the Iraqi prime minister stated. Daesh extremists are now only in control of al-Qa'im and Rawah, in Iraq. Both towns lie on the Euphrates River, and are situated in Anbar province. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi MPs seek halt to transfer of arms for Peshmerga Iran Press TV Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:27AM Iraq's parliament has called for a halt to foreign transfer of arms to Peshmerga after reports that the Kurdish militants had used German weapons to attack government forces in Kirkuk. Iraqi al-Hadath TV said Sunday that the legislature's National Security and Defense Committee had sent an advisory to the country's defense ministry, calling for measures to stop such shipments. "The aim of stopping supply of arms to Peshmerga forces is to halt the weapons from being used against the Iraqi armed forces," Hakem al-Zameli, the head of the committee, said as he asked countries to halt their arms sales to the fighters. The call came after an Iraqi military statement said Kurdish militants were increasingly using US and German weapons against the army which overtook the control of the oil-rich city of of Kirkuk last week. The statement said German rockets supplied to Peshmerga were used in Altun Kupri and Qush Tapa, causing casualties among government troops. The clashes are getting more fierce as government forces are closing in on Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. Baghdad launched the military operation after Kurdish militants did not heed a government ultimatum to withdraw from Kirkuk. The offensive to recapture Kirkuk came after the northern Iraqi Kurdistan Region held a controversial referendum on secession on September 25 despite international opposition. Germany and several other Western countries have been training Kurdish militants and supplying them with weapons for years. Berlin's packages have included Milan anti-tank missile launchers with rockets, plus Panzerfaust anti-tank missile systems. Zameli on Sunday said a decision has to be made soon about the fate of some Peshmerga-linked outfits. Among the Peshmerga dispatched to Kirkuk, there were fighters from the ranks of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by the European Union and the US, has been fighting for an independent state in neighboring Turkey where tens of thousands of people have been killed in clashes. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tillerson Promotes Closer Iraq-Saudi Ties By Ken Bredemeier October 22, 2017 U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday promoted improving ties between Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a way to counter Iran's growing military assertiveness in the region. Tillerson, participating in the initial meeting of the Saudi Arabia-Iraq Coordination Committee in Riyadh, told Saudi King Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that their improving links showed "great potential." He cited the August reopening of a major border crossing between the two countries and the resumption of direct flights between Baghdad and Riyadh. "Both represent the beginning of what we hope will be a series of even more tangible actions to improve relations and strengthen cooperation on a host of issues," Tillerson said. "Your growing relationship between the kingdom and Iraq is vital to bolstering our collective security and prosperity and we take great interest in it." The top U.S. diplomat said the United States is "grateful for this progress and urge you to expand this vital relationship for the stability of the region. The United States stands ready to support continued cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Iraq and we congratulate you." Salman said, "We are facing in our region serious challenges in the form of extremism, terrorism as well as attempts to destabilize our countries. These attempts require our full attention. ... We reaffirm our support for the unity and stability of our brother country of Iraq." Abadi voiced his approval of "the thriving relations between our two brotherly countries. We are open and we want to move away from the past. The region cannot tolerate any further divisions. Interference in the internal affairs of other states should stop." Shi'ite-majority Iraq and Sunni-led Saudi Arabia were estranged for several decades following Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. But Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Baghdad in 2015 after a quarter century, with a Saudi foreign minister visiting last February, followed by the reopening of the border crossing and the resumption of flights between the two capitals. Complicated relationship Still, the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iraq is complicated by Iranian military actions in the region, with Tehran-backed militias playing a key role in helping Iraqi security forces overtake Kurdish forces in the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk last week and in supporting the ouster of Islamic State forces of Raqqa in northern Syria, the jihadists' self-declared capital of their religious caliphate. Despite Tillerson's success if bolstering ties between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, he held out little hope of ending the four-month diplomatic standoff between the Saudis and other Arab nations and Qatar. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of promoting terrorism and fostering closer ties with Iran, which Doha has denied. "I do not have a lot of expectations for it being resolved anytime soon," Tillerson said in advance of his trip to Riyadh. But after his Riyadh meetings, Tillerson headed to Doha for talks with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, later telling reporters, "We have expressed our view that we think it's time, that it's time for solutions be sought. "The United States remains concerned, as concerned today as we were at the offset," Tillerson said. "The dispute has had negative consequences economically and militarily for those involved, and certainly the United States has felt the effects of that as well. We ask that everyone minimize the rhetoric and de-escalate the tensions, take steps to do so. It's not a healthy environment that we find the current situation." Tillerson is heading to Doha later Sunday for talks with Qatari leaders, before visiting Pakistan, India and Switzerland on a six-day trip. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM Abe set to win by landslide in Japan snap elections Iran Press TV Sun Oct 22, 2017 02:35PM A coalition led by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is set to win by landslide in the country's snap parliamentary elections. A projection published by private broadcaster TBS said the LDP-led conservative coalition would win 311 seats in Japan's 465-seat parliament. Abe's main rival, the new center-left Constitutional Democratic Party, was on track to win 58 seats while the Party of Hope, led by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, trailed behind with around 50 seats, the projection said. Abe called election a year earlier than expected in a bid to solidify his mandate in dealing with a belligerent North Korea and to shore up the world's third largest economy. Millions turned out to vote on Sunday, braving torrential rains and driving winds, which have soaked Japan for the past days. Local media said results of the vote would be a landslide for Abe as he seeks to strengthen his position in the parliament. However, it was not clear from the vote projections whether the LDP-led coalition could retain its majority of 310 seats in the parliament. Such "super-majority" would give Abe the desired power to push ahead with changes in Japan's pacifist constitution. Under increasing pressure from the United States, Japan's main military ally, Abe has been seeking a more aggressive role for the Japanese armed forces when it comes to dealing with alleged threats from countries like North Korea and China. North Korea fired two missiles over Japan in an interval of a month recently, prompting Abe to revisit his government's military strategy in the face of Pyongyang's growing threats. North Korea has been locked in a major standoff with the US since July and has warned that Japan would be an easy target for its long-range missiles should a confrontation erupts. However, critics fear Abe's move to increase Japan's military spending would undermine the country's efforts to spur economic growth. They say Abe has capitalized on nationalist sentiments against North Korea to advance his policies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Exit Polls: Japan Abe's Coalition Set to Win Snap Vote By VOA News October 22, 2017 Exit polls indicate Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition is on track for a comfortable victory in Sunday's general election. Japanese media predicts Abe's Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition winning a majority, possibly even retaining the two-thirds "super majority" it held in parliament's lower house before Abe dissolved the chamber in September. A victory in the snap election will likely ensure Abe receives another three-year term as head of the LDP coalition next year, making him Japan's longest serving leader. Seeking to take advantage of rising public support for his hardline stance against the North Korean nuclear threat, Abe recently dissolved the lower house of parliament to call for a "snap" election this month, rather than wait for the legislative term to end in December, 2018. But the Japanese public remains divided over Abe's proposal to allow the military more latitude to counter potential threats from countries like North Korea and China, and to support allies like the United States. President Trump's threatening rhetoric to totally destroy North Korea if attacked has heightened concerns for Abe opponents, who argue that loosening restrictions on the use of force will entangle Japan in U.S.-led conflicts. Millions of Japanese voters braved crushing rain and winds to vote as Typhoon Lan is set to make landfall. Two people have been reported dead and tens of thousands ordered to evacuate as the storm barreled toward Japan's main island. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN group says over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh Iran Press TV Sun Oct 22, 2017 06:05PM Over 600,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since violence against the persecuted minority erupted in Rakhine state in August, the United Nations say. In a report released on Sunday, the UN-led Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) said an estimated 603,000 refugees from Rakhine had crossed the border into Bangladesh since August 25. "Cross border movement of over 14,000 newly arrived refugees has been verified in the past week," said the ISCG, which is directing the humanitarian effort in the region. The report came as authorities in Bangladesh have been bracing for another possible surge in Rohingya refugee arrivals. Commander of Border Guards Bangladesh Lieutenant Colonel S.M. Ariful Islam told AFP that Rohingya refugees had received videos from families across the border showing displaced Muslims massing near crossing points, while waiting for an opportunity to cross. "We have seen some videos sent by people across the border. There are many gathered there. The number could be big," the Bangladeshi official said. Last week, about 10,000 refugees were left stranded in no-man's-land near Anjumanpara village for three days after being prevented from crossing into Bangladesh. Iqbal Ahmed, a spokesman for Border Guards Bangladesh, confirmed that an estimated 10,000-15,000 refugees were heading to Anjumanpara, adding, "We heard from their relatives that the Myanmar army has stopped them from heading to the border." In recent days, hundreds of refugees have crossed the Naf River dividing the two countries. "Those that came told us thousands were still stranded on the other side of Naf," Jashim Uddin, a volunteer for the International Organisation for Migration, said. Refugees arriving on Sunday described violence in their villages in Rakhine and food shortages. "We hardly had any food for the last 10-15 days. They torched our home. We did not have any choice but to leave," said a Rohingya refugee from Myanmar's coastal village of Shah Porir Dwip. Authorities are on high alert for fishermen seeking to ferry refugees to Bangladesh via the open sea. "It is risky, but you can make a lot of money ferrying Rohingya to Bangladesh," said local fisherman, Shawkat Hossain. Buddhists hold anti-Rohingya protest On Sunday, hundreds of hard-line Buddhists held a protest rally to urge Myanmar's government not to repatriate the Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh. The protest took place in Sittwe, the capital city of Myanmar's Rakhine state. Protesters, including some Buddhist monks, demanded that the government not take back the refugees. Aung Htay, a protest organizer, said, "But if these people don't have the right to be citizens ... the government's plan for a conflict-free zone will never be implemented," Under pressure from the international community, the government of Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, recently said it was willing to take back Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh. The Rohingya have been fleeing Myanmar amid persecution at the hands of extremist Buddhists and the military. Since October 2016, Myanmar's army has been carrying out a military crackdown in Rakhine, where a large number of the Rohingya live. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Opposition Politician Navalny Addresses Astrakhan Rally After Release From Jail RFE/RL's Russian Service October 22, 2017 Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny addressed supporters in the southern city of Astrakhan hours after his release from a Moscow detention center following a 20-day term served for organizing unsanctioned protests against President Vladimir Putin. Speaking in the rain to about 300 people, Navalny on October 22 said, "Do we need this kind of power that makes fun of us? No, and that's why I'm a candidate, the right candidate for Astrakhan." The 41-year-old Navalny, who has vowed to run in the March 2018 presidential election, said he was "ready to work" after his release from the Moscow detention center. Navalny left the detention center early on October 22 after serving the 20-day sentence imposed by a Moscow court that found him guilty of repeatedly violating laws regulating protests and demonstrations. "Hi. I'm out," Navalny wrote on his Instagram account, posting a picture of himself on a street. Earlier in the day, Navalny supporters hung a banner on a bridge close to the Kremlin reading, "It's time to get rid of Putin and time to elect Navalny," AFP news agency reported. Navalny has campaigned actively ahead of the 2018 vote, building a formidable base among Russians, particularly younger voters, who have taken to his message of fighting corruption among top government officials. However, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said in June that he is ineligible to run for public office because of a financial-crimes conviction in one of two high-profile cases that he says were fabricated by authorities for political reasons. CEC chief Ella Pamfilova said on October 17 that Navalny cannot run for office until "sometime in about 2028 plus six months" due to the conviction. However, in a posting on his website after the rally, he said he would continue his presidential campaign and that he had a right to take part in the 2018 election. "We have more right to take part in the elections than all the other candidates combined," Navalny wrote. A spokeswoman for Navalny said the authorities had authorized the rally at the Druzhba (Friendship) park in Astrakhan, located 1,300 kilometers southeast of Moscow near the Caspian Sea. The activist has organized protests in cities nationwide on several occasions in recent months, including on Putin's 65th birthday on October 7. Demonstrators called on the authorities to let Navalny run in the presidential election, and hundreds were detained by police. Rattling The Kremlin In addition to organizing street protests, Navalny has rattled the Kremlin by publishing reports alleging high-level corruption among allies of Putin. Although Putin, who has held power as president or prime minister for 18 years and remains widely popular, has not officially announced he will run in 2018, he is expected to do so and to secure an easy victory. During Navalny's latest jail term, Ksenia Sobchak, the Russian socialite, TV personality, opposition activist, and daughter of a former St. Petersburg mayor, said she would run in the presidential election. Sobchak, 35, said her candidacy would serve as a way to cast a protest vote, a "vote against all" -- a reference to a feature that was common on many Russian election ballots until it was outlawed in 2006. There was no immediate response from Navalny or his Anticorruption Foundation. Last month, however, the crusading lawyer publicly mocked the idea of Sobchak standing for office, saying she would be endorsed by the Kremlin as the liberal rival to Putin. Analysts say the Kremlin is eager to bolster turnout and strengthen Putin's mandate in what could be his fourth and last presidential term. With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/navalny-scheduled-to- leave-jail/28808667.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US-backed SDF militants capture key oil field in Syria's Dayr al-Zawr Iran Press TV Sun Oct 22, 2017 10:01AM The US-backed alliance of militants, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), says it has seized control of one of Syria's largest oil fields in the eastern Dayr al-Zawr Province. The SDF announced on Sunday the capture of al-Omar oil field, situated some 10 kilometers north of the town of al-Mayadin, which was recently liberated from the grip of Daesh terrorists by government forces. With Daesh on the retreat amid government advances in Dayr al-Zawr, the SDF has recently pushed to capture as much territory as possible in the province, including a number of gas fields. The developments are seen by analysts as a prelude to further flare-up of tensions in the region. The SDF, which is dominated by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, has reportedly shelled the positions of pro-Damascus troops on several occasions. Earlier this week, Daesh terrorists left Raqqah, their former "capital" in Syria, as part of a deal with the SDF and the US-led coalition. Thus, the SDF announced full control over the city. Kurdish militants in neighboring Iraq have likewise overrun territory in the course of fighting with Daesh there. On Thursday, the YPG militants held a "victory" parade in Raqqah, during which they put up a huge poster of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that is outlawed in Turkey. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the raising of the Ocalan banner by the US-backed Kurdish forces was proof that Washington "is not only cooperating with terrorists, but they are endangering the future of Syria." US raze Raqqah like Dresden: Russia Separately on Sunday, Russia drew a parallel between the destruction caused by the US-led coalition in Raqqah and the bombing campaign on the German city of Dresden during the World War II. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that Raqqah "inherited the fate of Dresden in 1945, razed to the ground by Anglo-American bombings." The Russian Defense ministry further said that Western countries are now pumping humanitarian aid into Raqqah in a bid to mask the degree of destruction inflicted on the city. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Democratic Forces Recapture Oil Field in Deir ez-Zor Province Sputnik News 12:42 22.10.2017 The US-supported alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias continue to advance in Syria after Raqqa's liberation. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Sunday that their units restored full control over the Al Omar oil field in the Deir ez-Zor province. According to the SDF's official website, the Syrian government forces are deployed nearly two miles away from the field. In late September, the Syrian Gas Company representative in Deir ez-Zor, Amin Hamid, told Sputnik that Daesh militants (a terrorist group, outlawed in Russia) controlled nearly 80 percent of oil fields and most gas deposits in the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor. The terrorists gained control over the facilities in April 2014. The Syrian Army is also conducting a military operation in the province. Last month the country's forces managed to capture Deir ez-Zor from Daesh terrorists after a unmerciful three-year blockade, called by some people Syria's "Leningrad Seige." The victory enabled road traffic between Palmyra and Deir ez-Zor and thus, allowing humanitarian convoys to enter the war-torn region. On October 20, the SDF announced the full liberation of Raqqa from terrorist militants, which was confirmed by the US-led coalition. US President Donal Trump called the SDF military gains in the region a "critical breakthrough" and claimed that a "transition into a new phase" would be forthcoming. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MERCEDES-BENZS X-Class is one of the most hotly anticipated, yet controversial new models in years with its entrance into the popular one-tonne utility segment and reliance on the Nissan Navara as a donor model and our first drive proves it is indeed worthy of the three-pointed star badge. Ever since the first concepts were shown a year ago ahead of the production models unveiling in July, the German prestige manufacturer has been at pains to assure journalists, the broader industry and the buying public that only the bare structure and four-cylinder powertrains from the Navara will carry through to an otherwise completely redesigned final product. After driving the X-Class over several hundred kilometres in Chile last week, we can definitively state that the segments first truly premium offering is not only worthy of the luxury brands famous badge but will be a benchmark for all others to follow in key areas such as ride quality and cabin quietness. Final pricing and specifications will be released before Christmas, but GoAuto understands that the positioning of its main rival the Volkswagen Amarok, which is priced between $38,490 and $67,990 (plus on-roads costs) provides a rough guide, even if a long list of luxury extras could push the X-Class flagship up to $80,000 and beyond. As previously reported, the W470-series X-Class will launch next April with three specification grades (Pure, Progressive and Power), two dual-cab body styles (load-bed and cab-chassis) and a pair of Nissan-supplied Euro 5-compliant 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel powertrain choices. The base X220d is a 120kW/403Nm single-turbo six-speed manual 4x2 rear-driver, while the X250ds 140kW/450Nm twin-turbo comes in the same manual or with a seven-speed torque-converter automatic, in 4x2 and selectable four-wheel drive guise. The latter also includes a differential lock as standard. In Euro-spec X250d 4x4 auto format, the X-Class can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 11.8 seconds, hit a top speed of 175km/h and achieve combined-cycle figures of 7.9 litres per 100km and 207g/km of CO2. A V6 diesel 4x4 auto flagship is due around mid-2018, employing Daimlers own 190kW/550Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel paired with a 7G-Tronic seven-speed torque-converter auto with 4Matic permanent AWD. No petrol models are slated for right-hand-drive markets, so the 122kW X200 four-pot turbo opener aimed primarily at African and Middle Eastern markets remains out of bounds. All RHD X-Classes will be sourced from Nissan Motor Ibericas plant in Barcelona, Spain, which also produces the Nissan iteration for Europe (our Navaras hail from Thailand) as well as the upcoming and very closely related Renault Alaska pick-up. Despite the X-Class looking like a Navara with a Mercedes nose simply grafted on, no body panels are shared between the two models. With a shorter front overhang, extended tail and wider body, overall proportions have been altered, while a closer look at the details reveal a less pronounced upsweep in the back-door window line, a slightly stepped rear roof section in order to improve headroom, wider rear glass and fatter wheelarches. Pictures alone dont quite convey the level of change between the two vehicles. Like its Nissan and Renault cousins, the X-Class employs body-on-chassis construction, with a steel ladder-type frame and coil springs at each end. The front has double wishbones while the solid rear axle employs a multi-link suspension arrangement. Steering is via a modified hydraulic rack and pinion set-up, while braking has been boosted with four-wheel vented discs. There is no regional or model-specific chassis tune differentiation, V6 excepted. Standard wheels are 17 inches, rising to 18-inch on the Power. Nineteen-inch rims are optional. While the Nissan, Mercedes and Renault utes all share a 3150mm wheelbase, other dimensions vary. The X-Class overall length, width and height comes in at 5340mm, 1920mm and 1819mm respectively, and front/rear tracks are 1632/1625mm. The load-bed length is 1587mm, width 1560mm and height 475mm. A Euro pallet fits in, apparently. Australian-bound versions will sit on the higher-riding Off Road suspension that allows for 222mm ground clearance, 20mm above the standard European set-up. The 4x4 variants include hill-descent braking, can climb 45-degree angles and cope with 49-degree tilt angles. Ramp break-over angle is 22 degrees, front angle approach is 30 degrees, rear is 25 degrees, maximum gradeability is 100 per cent and fording depth 600mm. The four-cylinder diesel variants payload ranges from 998kg to 1092kg, while their maximum braked towing capacity is either 3200kg (4x2) or 3500kg (4x4), matching the equivalent Navaras. Most of the components and tuning are unique to the Mercedes, with engineering work commencing in earnest during 2014. Development took place mainly in Germany and Spain, with further shakedown testing in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia since the beginning of last year. Work on the V6 has yet to be completed, hence the delay. Over the Navara, the X-Class frame and body feature additional bracing and reinforcement, while added sound deadening and better sealing treatments have been applied in areas such as the firewall and transmission tunnel. The manual gearbox shifts to a cable mechanism, further reducing vibration and harshness. These and other such measures strive to achieve Mercedes goals of class-leading comfort, refinement and safety. With the X-Class claimed to be on a par with the companys V-Class vans, has Stuttgart succeeded?Externally, in ute-obsessed Chile, the X-Class proved to be a real head-turner, constantly eliciting big thumbs-up gestures. Handsome, well-proportioned and surprisingly un-Nissan-like in the flesh, perhaps it was the showy grille that garnered the most attention. Yet the slim non-wraparound tail-lights are especially evocative, recalling mid-century Ford F100 trucks as if paying some retro lip-service to this oh-so-American genre. As Mercedes is making such a big deal about elevating pick-ups to new heights, nothing less than a quantum interior leap over the Navara is in order, and the airy, expansive cabin does step up. And that is true whether you are using your eyes, ears or buttocks to judge. The dash, for instance, ably walks the line between functionality and finesse. All key Mercedes passenger-car reference points are present from the contemporary on-brand instrument dials and steering wheel to the switchgear and touchpad-activated central display screen. While the Pure is a tasteful confluence of austerity and monochromatic plastics, the up-spec Powers (available) wood veneer, brushed aluminium, suede-like inserts and stitched vinyl dash and door cap coverings convey upmarket aspiration. Add firm yet supportive front seats aiding a fine driving position, and youre soon aware that this is the most car-like truck, bar none. Even the rear bench is spacious and accommodating although folk over 185cm might find scalps scratching ceilings back there. Another striking X-Class feature is the lack of obtrusive noise during our drive program in the anticipated volume-selling X250d Power 4x4 auto even under acceleration the Nissan diesel is subdued, the tyres arent droning and there isnt much to be heard at speed from the pillars or mirrors. On the South American concrete, gravel and dirt, all peppered potholes, cracks, craters and debris, the isolation was exemplary. Beyond Volkswagen Amarok refinement though? Well have to wait to see. Cabin downsides were pleasingly in short supply. While the base Pures plastic-only wheel and vinyl floor coverings arent that much of a surprise if youve ever sat in a Mercedes Vito van, its the up-spec Powers Nissan keyless remote fob and non-reach-adjustable steering column that raise eyebrows hardy as they seem, some of the lower-level plastics are very bourgeois and the floor-mounted shifter surround looks and feels cheap. Such complaints, however, are quashed by the sheer suppleness of the X-Class ride, which proved revelatory on the 255/60R18 tyres as fitted. On- or off-road, the levels of compliance plus quietness is surely standard-setting. When the current Navara was launched three years ago with four-coil suspension, we expected car-like comfort but instead were disappointed the X-Class not only delivers on the original promise, it exceeds some current Mercedes passenger-car efforts. Astounding. Our initial 150km-plus stint as a front-seat passenger had us scrambling for (relative) superlatives, for no contender in this segment has displayed such composed softness. It even made the newly-hushed 140kW Nissan-sourced four-cylinder twin-turbo diesels only-adequate performance more palatable, matching our expectations in terms of acceleration (sufficient) and overtaking power (a little leisurely but thats what the coming V6 alternative will address). Mated to the willing seven-speed auto, the powertrain was more than up to the job, whether in the hilly areas by the Andes or around the sprawling Santiago capital, where it managed to zip in between rare gaps with ease. Steering feel, or rather lack thereof, is where our positive feelings towards the X-Class came a little unstuck. While the chassis is tuned to provide appreciably steady and planted roadholding, even at speeds that might seem incongruous for a pick-up, there isnt enough helm weight or feedback coming through to the driver, eroding confidence somewhat. Clearly most consumers of this type of vehicle wont care, but the high benchmark set by the best-selling Ford Ranger remains unassailed by Mercedes, which is a bit of a shock considering the dynamic focus of most other Benzes. Furthermore, at some speeds or when off-throttle cruising, some discernible vibration in 4x4 mode was detected, although one engineer reckons this will be rectified by the time production goes into full swing. Mercedes has really come out swinging hard with its first ute since the Argentinian W114 220D pick-up of the early 1970s. Unless the Germans become greedy with pricing, the X-Class which is set to come equipped with an extremely high level of equipment across the range, particularly in terms of safety will give the class-leading Ranger and Amarok a velvet-gloved beating. Thanks to unheard of levels of comfort and refinement, the X-Class pick-up has the power to silence critics as surely as it quells bumps and noises. Lets see if this silk purse can impress as effortlessly in Australia. Roll on April 2018. Czech Republic Ambassador Hynek Kmonicek on Monday celebrated Nebraska's deep and personal ties to Czechoslovakia while promoting increased cultural and economic interaction with the state. Nebraska, where 83,000 people can claim Czech heritage, is "a wonderful home for Czechs," he said during a news conference with Gov. Pete Ricketts. "If you hear people on the street speak with a strange accent," Kmonicek said, "they come from Wilber or the Czech Republic." In Nebraska, he said, he feels "not so far away." Ricketts said Nebraska is the state with the highest per capita presence of Czech-related residents. Nebraska also has a long relationship with the Czech military through a partnership with the Nebraska National Guard that was established in 1993, Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, the state's adjutant general, said. "About 60 Czech soldiers were in training with us this summer," Bohac said. In a light moment before the news conference began, Ambassador Kmonicek corrected Bohac on how he pronounced his own name. Kmonicek, who was making his first trip to Nebraska, celebrated the close relationship by naming University of Nebraska-Lincoln Professor Dr. Mila Saskova-Pierce as an honorary Czech Republic consul in Nebraska. Saskova-Pierce, who teaches the Czech language, said she will promote the Czech Republic during cultural and economic events and be available to assist Czech citizens. The Czech language has been taught in Nebraska for more than 100 years, she said. "There's still a sizable population in Nebraska that speaks Czech as a choice," Saskova-Pierce said. Wilber in Saline County is known as the "Czech Capital of the USA" and hosts an annual Czech festival in August. Ambassador Kmonicek said he already is making plans to return to Nebraska for upcoming events, including a 100th anniversary celebration of Czech independence in 2018. These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. The upcoming entry-level Nokia 2 smartphone was briefly listed on a US retailer's website. The B&H Photo listing - which has since been taken down - not only revealed the device is coming to the US, but also gave away the phone's pricing - $99 - and color options (black and white). The phone recently got certified by authorities in Russia and is expected to go official sometime next month. Leaks so far claim the Nokia 2 features onscreen buttons, which is unlike other Nokia-branded smartphones from HMD. Other rumored specs for the phone include Snapdragon 210 or 212 chipset and a 4,000mAh battery. Via The Nokia 6, which arrived in the US back in July this year, has now become more widely available in the country. The device is no longer an Amazon-exclusive, as another online US retailer - B&H Photo - has also started offering it. Available color options include blue, silver, copper, and black (Matte Black). Pricing remains the same at $229. It's worth mentioning that Best Buy is also including a couple of freebies - tempered glass and silicone clear case - worth around $30. Source Tate looks back on 10 years of selling county to industry Andrew Tate speaks at a Partnership for Economic Development event. Having led Henderson Countys industrial recruiting efforts since 2007, Andrew Tate agreed to an exit interview with the Hendersonville Lightning at Southern Appalachian Brewing Co. Related Stories On his watch, the Partnership for Economic Development has recruited 15 facilities that have invested almost $800 million and hired 2,070 people. As hes done consistently throughout 10 years of conducting this phenomenally successful recruiting effort, he plays down his own role and praises the volunteer board members who guide the Partnership for Economic Development, the elected county commissioners who approve tax incentives for new factories and plant expansions and what he describes as an unusual spirit of cooperation that greases the machinery. In his new job, Tate will be working on the railroad the North Carolina Railroad and he will still be working on economic development, on an even bigger scale than in Henderson County. His last day at the partnership is Oct. 27. A 40-year-old father of three, Tate worked under Scott Hamilton at the Committee of 100 the predecessor to the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development until 2004. He returned to his hometown of Fuquay-Varina to serve as executive director of the Chamber of Commerce before coming back to Hendersonville to head the partnership. Heres the Lightning interview: Any regrets? Oh, yeah. Weve Ive made mistakes with projects, mistakes with personnel, relationships. So, yeah, lots of regrets. The fish that got away? Not so much. I cant point to heres where we messed up and lost the big deal. But even the ones that we won I think we could have done better or handled differently. I think sometimes in the pursuit of trying to win an economic development project it was a little too easy for me to stay so focused on the outcome that I sacrificed some of the important relationships or community dimensions. Was there a turning point in your efforts? "We chased a big projection years ago called Coyote. It was an aviation final assembly project and we were a finalist on it and we didnt win it. Truth is, it never went anywhere, it stayed where it was. So it wasnt a loss in the traditional sense but it was a huge exercise for our whole community. We had elected officials involved, we had board members involved, we had university officials involved. It was the first time I felt like we really exercised our whole team and saw heres where weve got to make improvements in strategy. Under your leadership, the county earned a Duke Energy and state Commerce Department site certification that makes it easier and quicker to locate industry at Ferncliff Industrial Park. Why was that important? No. 1, it shows everybody involved that somebody that knows what theyre doing thinks youre worth investing in. So when Duke Energy says were going to invite you to be part of this program theyre displaying confidence and your ability to pull off a win. No. 2, it makes the case more compelling for why (an industrial target) should partner with us. Everything we do is about either mitigating risk for a client or speeding things up and those two programs accomplished both of those and give us great intel so when the next client shows up we can speak with confidence about every issue that might affect the development timeline. Theyve been to two communities before they came here and theyre going to go to six more after they leave and we know now that other people stumbled with those questions. They didnt have clarity. They didnt have a timeline. They didnt have a cost. They didnt say who was going to pay for it. You said mitigating risk or speeding things up. You didnt say tax incentive payments. More often than not (with tax incentives) what were trying to do is level the playing field or resolve some weakness that we have in our offer. Theyre a necessary tool. But nobody gets a big check. How big was Sierra Nevada? It was my first home run, right? But the thing about it for me was I was a fan of the company before we ever had a chance to chase the product. You chase ABC Widget Co. and you dont have a consumer connection to the product. The other thing that was a home run is the fact that it combined what we were good at traditionally, which is manufacturing projects, with a company that cared about the community its in, made sustainability a feature of its corporate culture and a big piece that I still love had this manufacturing plant that made a product like anybody else but then it had this tourism/visitor/retail component, which gave you the chance to interact with this product. And to me thats something that Western North Carolina has a unique advantage, where you can capitalize on your manufacturing sector and tourism sector in one project. How valuable is Sierra Nevada as a recruiting tool? I cant think of a project weve hosted since the facilitys been open we havent hosted there at some point. By hosting, I mean even before it was open it was a drive-by or a walk-through or a meet Stan. Now its become a lot more sophisticated with real dinners and more opportunities for interaction. Once, when GF Linamar executives met there for a meeting, co-manager Stan Cooper walked in. He said, Let me tell you what its like to do business here, and just laid the whole thing out from the very beginning. He said, They did everything they told us theyd do. They took care of us. And then as they were walking out (second-generation Sierra Nevada owner) Brian Grossman came out and greeted them and said, Wed love to have you as neighbors. Absolutely, its an anchor and a magnet. How big an issue is workforce housing? I think it depends on who you talk to. I know that there are several hundred units that are going to come on line in the city of Hendersonville alone in 2018. The first volume is coming from South Buncombe. Its a factor but I will tell you its rarely if ever a factor in a recruitment effort. Weve got a 3.8 percent unemployment rate, the fifth lowest out of 100 counties, so realistically when any project lands here, to think that all those jobs are going to be filled by Henderson County residents is just not realistic at all. We know that more and more of our workforce here is commuting from surrounding counties, where it is more affordable. The outcome is I think that Henderson County is becoming more of an employment destination in the region for Western North Carolina. The partnership formed a spinoff nonprofit to identify and preserve land for industry. Are we at risk of running out of industrial land? Inventory is a challenge for us. We may have two years of inventory left, we may have five or 10. Theres 76 acres in Ferncliff, theres 90 acres across the street in Broad Pointe, theres 319 acres in Taproot (dairy farm, which is on the market), theres new property coming on line in the Dana, Upward area now. Our organization has gone through a really extensive planning effort to look at the next 10 to 20 years worth of inventory and determine where it is. So I think we got a head start on it. How do you assess the future of Henderson County? I see no reason why Henderson County economic development success wont continue. I think its going to change. I think its going to be a little different than what were used to. I think its going to be a little harder than what it used to be. GF Linamar, people think, oh, this is an aluminum die-casting factory. They overlook the fact that its that companys headquarters engineers, finance, sales and marketing, HR the whole team is there. We do well there because people truly want to live here. Whats the new job? Im going to go work for the North Carolina Railroad as vice president of real estate. North Carolina Railroad Co. is a private company that its only shareholder is the state of North Carolina. It goes back 168 years. Its the first private corporation in North Carolina. They own a 300-plus mile corridor from Charlotte to the port terminal in Morehead City and real estate assets in different places across the state. My responsibility there would be to manage those assets, sometimes dispose of real estate or at times acquire real estate and a lot of that real estate work would be performed in a way to support the states economic development goals. Why did you take a new job? Ive been here for 10 years. Sometimes I question whether I had the best ideas for what the organization needed going forward. Also I knew that if I was going to leave I needed to leave while our kids were small. Is part of it that youve done all you can do here? I never thought in those terms. Ive been asked that several times. When I came here almost 11 years ago, I was by no means a competitive candidate for that position. They gave me a courtesy interview because they hadnt seen me in three years. It was years later that I found out I was not seen as a candidate. The important thing is, when I asked, What does this look like if its successful? and when I think through everything I heard from that group of roughly eight people in 2006, almost everythings marked off that list. We need a new set of goals, we need a new vision and I can envision that it would be better for the organization to have someone draft and consider those things with fresh eyes. Any last words? One of the things that makes this community and the partnership successful I told you how were always asking someone for a favor Can you help me out with this? Its shocking how many times people say yes. There is an interesting era of cooperation here that is primarily what sets us apart from other communities. Volleyball playoffs: Hubs, Blazers will play for state titles North Hagerstown got past Magruder in four sets in the 3A semifinals, and Clear Spring swept Forest Park in the 1A semifinals. Finals are Wednesday. RACINE Thomas Bolger, president and CEO of Johnson Financial Group, Monday announced his plans to step down as CEO at year end. James Popp, current president of Johnson Bank, will succeed Bolger as Johnson Financial Groups new CEO. Johnson Financial Group, or JFG, is a privately owned financial services company comprised of Johnson Bank, Johnson Insurance and Cleary Gull Advisors. The $4 billion financial services company, based at 555 Main St., operates in Wisconsin, Arizona and Minnesota. Principal owners of Johnson Financial Group are members of the late Sam Johnson family. In a message to the companys 1,200 associates, JFG Chairman Helen Johnson Leipold communicated Bolgers decision to retire and shared the news that Popp would become the companys next CEO effective Jan. 1. Tom and his team successfully led our company out of the economic recession and helped us work through the market disruption in this industry, Johnson Leipold said. Tom has seen us through significant changes and is leaving us better positioned for the future. After more than 40 years in this industry, Ive decided its time to step down and begin the next phase of my life, Bolger stated. It has been an honor to work with Helen and all of our associates to build a strong and stable company, together. The company also announced that Popp has been appointed president of JFG, effective immediately. Popp joined Johnson Bank in May following a nearly three-decade career with the New York City-based banking and financial services firm JP Morgan Chase. During his time there, he was the president of Chase in Wisconsin and Minnesota and the managing director for Chase Middle Market Banking in Wisconsin. Jim came to us with 30 years of proven and successful experience in the banking industry and understands and values our approach to serving our customers and communities, Johnson Leipold stated. Its a privilege to continue the meaningful work that Tom and the team have started at Johnson Financial Group, Popp stated. We are in a strong position to grow our business, and Im looking forward to helping our team grow and deepen our relationships in all the markets we serve. Popp, a Mequon resident, is active in and sits on the boards of various organizations in the region, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association for Commerce, Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin and Greater Milwaukee Committee. RACINE In about two weeks, the City Council will be voting on its operating and capital budget. Among the most high-profile items in the plan has been a proposal to study a possible 2019 renovation of the former Majestic Theater in Uptown. City Development Director Amy Connolly said Friday that she has not yet talked to the owners of the theater at 1426 Washington Ave. to learn their interest in the project or their interest in selling. But before doing that, she wanted to gauge the interest of the members of the City Council and make sure there was money allocated. Randall and Peggy Larson, who own the Uptown theater building and Peg & Lous Bar at 3113 Douglas Ave., declined Friday to comment on the citys plans for the theater. The budget proposal asks for $75,000 to perform a feasibility study and $50,000 to perform market analysis in 2019. The plan also proposed that $10 million to be allocated in 2021 for property purchase and construction costs. The city would use $5 million of a tax increment financing district bond and $5 million from private development to fund the project. Over the years, there has been interest expressed in renovating the Uptown theater, but the city has to do its due diligence to ensure the project is feasible, Connolly said. A feasibility study would help determine the condition of the building. To do that, with something such as a historic theater, would require city officials to bring in someone with knowledge of acoustics and other specialties. Its much more complicated than bringing in a contractor to estimate a project in your home, Connolly said. We are talking about historic preservation, she said. This is how the process works, Connolly said. You have to spend money upfront to see investment in the years to come. Connolly said at this point its too soon to say if the city would want to buy the property or if it would stay with the current owner. Although the city doesnt own the property, that doesnt mean it cannot study the property, Connolly said. A catalytic development Projects like this are catalytic, Connolly said. Its a catalytic development that spurs economic development. If you have 500 or more people going to Uptown on a night for an event, think about the economic impact that has to the area around it, Connolly said. That could include additional housing and businesses such as bars and restaurants. We need to do everything we can do to put plans in place to spur economic development, Connolly said. The City Council is scheduled to approve the budget at its Nov. 7 meeting, the same day Mayor-elect Cory Mason is to be sworn in. While the theater is an item on the capital improvement budget, interim Mayor Dennis Wiser, who is planning to go back to his aldermanic seat after Mason is sworn in, said the Nov. 7 vote is just the initial step. There will still be step-by-step approval, Wiser said. Contracts and other funding will need to be approved by aldermen at a later date, he said: This is not the final thumbs up, thumbs down. F rom a young police constable pounding the beat in Paddington Green in 1985 to her current job as chief executive of the powerful lobby group, the British Property Federation, Melanie Leechs career is impressive. She read maths at Oxford, but didnt want to be an accountant. After the Metropolitan Police, she worked in what is now HMRC, then ran the office of the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service a job at the heart of government, which gave her many contacts. In 2005, she went into the Food and Drink Federation. Now she represents the property industry at a crucial time. What links all her jobs is a commitment to public service. People dont realise how important property is, how it underpins everything. Its critical, and its interests should be listened to, Leech says. Few people know that the British Property Federation represents the interests of companies who range from vast FTSE 100 developers such as British Land to planners to architects. Building is crucial to the UK economy. she says. WHOLE INDUSTRY ANXIOUS OVER BREXIT UNCERTAINTY Whether houses, offices, shops or plazas, we spend our work and leisure time in and around them. The market value of UK real estate is 1.6 trillion; 21 per cent of our net wealth. Real estate contributes 94 billion annually to the UK economy and directly employs 2.1 million people almost seven per cent of the labour force. From 1,600 a month: build-to-rent flats at Tipi in Wembley come with an on-site gym. Utility bills are included Those direct employees include construction workers, and as Brexit looms, this is an area where Leech and the BPF are vocal. In the London construction industry, were reliant on about 30 per cent EU workers, she says. The BPF has published a Brexit Manifesto, one of whose five planks is a call to Government to ensure a continuing supply of labour from abroad post-Brexit. She acknowledges that there is anxiety in the whole property industry about the uncertainty around Brexit, which, she says, could result in the loss of billions of pounds in terms of derailed projects. No projects, no customers, no jobs, no money. FIXING THE BROKEN HOUSING MARKET As successive governments fail to meet housing targets, Leech sees the Prime Ministers recent announcement of 2 billion investment in social housing as marking an important shift of thinking. Its a recognition that the Government and councils have to build; a recognition of the return of the council house and social housing. She talks refreshingly straight: The term affordable is a misnomer, she says. Its a slight discount, which isnt the same as making housing available to everyone. So it is significant if the Government accepts that commercial builders cannot build all the housing we need. Two billion pounds isnt going to meet the need, but if the Government gets good council proposals, working together with housing associations, it will create momentum. You cant build 50,000 more homes than there were yesterday overnight, reversing 25 years of undersupply. Its a good start, but it wont solve the problem on its own. BUILD TO RENT IS A KEY LONG-TERM INVESTMENT The BPF backs build to rent, which invests money, often from pension funds, in blocks of flats (usually) for rent. It also backs the Governments commitment to offering three-year tenancies, so crucial for stability, and 20 of its members so far have signed a promise to offer them. 1,595 a month: M&G Real Estates one-bedroom build-to-rent flats at Rehearsal Rooms in North Acton Leech says with a rare, wry grin: We promoted the build-to-rent idea to the Government like a five-year Chinese water torture, until they understood it and put it in place. She explains that unlike normal building to sell, where units are sold off along the way to create finance for the ongoing build, build-to-rent needs all the money upfront, so its a different way of working, a long-term investment. Nevertheless, it is a safe home for investors money, with a constant good return. And now it can be taken up, developments of 500 units at a time are being built, creating good-quality homes. Leech, who has two boys of 13 and 17, says shes glad that when the eldest comes out of uni, they might be there for him to live in. INNOVATION IS FINALLY COMING TO HOUSEBUILDING Innovation is overdue in the housing sector, Leech says; shes excited by so-called Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Done for decades in Europe, British factories are now building pre-fabricated, very high-spec sections of houses off-site, which go up quickly. A far cry from post-war prefabs, its a great way to build very energy-efficient homes very fast, and the BPF backs it. One of Leechs members, Legal & General, now has an MMC factory in the Midlands. Overall, weve got a long way to go to reverse a long trend of undersupply, and we need to turn all the statements from Government into reality. But maybe elements of the jigsaw are coming together. CALEDONIA Son, pops, bro. Those are the words emblazoned on a memorial along Douglas Avenue after Michael Fuchsgurber, a 39-year-old father, lost his life Friday following a hit-and-run crash. Tyler J. Martinez, 27, of the 3600 block of 10th Avenue, Racine, has been charged in connection with the crash in which Fuchsgurber was struck on his bicycle Friday evening while on a ride with his 15-year-old son along Douglas Avenue. Condolences and other mournful sentiments were echoed on Fuchgurbers Facebook page, with friends leaving comments such as He was a great guy! Prayers to you all. And Your family and friends are in my prayers. Tragic. Fridays fatal hit-and-run Martinez was charged Monday with felony hit and run resulting in death. According to a criminal complaint and a Caledonia Police Department media release: At about 9:47 p.m. Friday, police and fire units responded to the 5400 block of Douglas (Highway 32) near Middle Road for a hit and run, car-versus-bicyclist crash. Paramedics rushed Fuchsgruber to the emergency room at Ascension All Saints Hospital in Racine, but he succumbed to his injuries. According to the complaint, Martinez called his father after hitting something along Douglas Avenue at about that time. His father then called 911 to report the crash. When police talked to Martinez, he told them he didnt stop because he thought he hit a mailbox. He was also concerned because he thought his license was suspended, although police later verified he had a valid license. In addition, Martinez was concerned about calling police because he had been cited for speeding and inattentive driving in the past. After talking to Martinez, police informed him that he did not hit a mailbox; he had hit a person. Martinez was visibly shocked, the complaint said. Martinez then asked if the person was OK. That is when police told him Fuchsgruber had died. During the investigation, police issued Martinez a Breathalyzer test and he allegedly blew a 0.0, showing no signs of intoxication. Police also searched his phone and didnt find any texts or phone calls that were conducted during the time of the crash. Initial appearance During Martinezs initial appearance on Monday afternoon, Assistant Racine County District Attorney Christoper Steenrod asked Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch for a $75,000 cash bond. I am concerned Mr. Martinez is a flight risk, Steenrod said. It appears that he was aware he hit something on the side of the road, and rather than stopping to investigate what he had hit, he continued driving. So I am worried about his willingness to appear in court as scheduled. Assistant State Public Defender Gregory Holdahl asked Rudebusch to consider a small cash bond, citing Martinezs lack of criminal past, employment, willingness to cooperate with police and his responsibilities at home with his girlfriend and two small children. I dont think hes a flight risk based on the criminal complaint, which listed that he cooperated with the police when they showed up, Holdahl said. He showed genuine remorse and scaredness of the news, and hes basically done everything he could to ensure that he was cooperating with the police ... I understand the charges are serious, but I dont think anything in the criminal complaint indicates hes a flight risk. Rudebusch set a signature bond of $50,000. Under conditions of the bond, Martinez is not to drive under any circumstances or have contact with the victims family. The maximum sentence for felony hit and run resulting in death carries a fine of up to $100,000 and/or imprisonment for 25 years. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 8 at the Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. On October 24, 2017 the Russia Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference will take place at the Radisson Blu Belorusskaya, hosted by Bench Events, co-founder and organiser of market leading annual conferences for those working in the hotel and restaurant investment sector in EMEA and South America, including the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference and the Africa Hotel Investment Forum. There are more than 80 investment and development companies confirmed including: A.N.D. Corporation, AFK Sistema, Amtel Properties, Capital Group, ESTA Holding, Fosun Group, Gleden Invest, L&RP, IFD Lukoil, Kortros, Patero Development, RCI Investments, Red Square Development Company, RDIF, Russia China Investment Fund, Russky Dom Nedvizhemosti, SEZAR GROUP, Solo Alliance International, Stroyservis Voronezh Rossiya LLC, Summit Ascent Holdings Limited, TBF Development, VEB Capital, Venture Investments & Yield Management LLP (VIYM), Vesper Moscow, Zavidovo Development LLC and many others. The investors will be joined by representatives of the major hotel management companies including AccorHotels, Alliance Hotel Management, AZIMUT Hotels Company, Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Cosmos Group, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Hilton, IHG, IFK Hotel Management, Marriott International, Meininger Hotel Group, 7Days Premium Hotels and Wyndham Hotel Group. Financiers, consultants, lawyers, architects, designers and tourism officials will also be participating. The conference will be opened by Alexey Konyushkov, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Tourism, and discussions will focus on strong macro and micro trends, hotel investment overview from industry leaders, honest and targeted closed-door discussions with relevant hot topics and networking opportunities par excellence. The conference will look at the potential for investors in the Russian Federation and CIS countries and discuss hotels as profitable business, bringing in the best expertise from around the region. The opening remarks will be followed by Christopher J. Weafer, Founding Partner of Macro-Advisory Ltd who will give attendees an update on the Russian economy, macro-trends and key drivers for success. Vladimir Pantyushin, Director of Research at JLL will follow up with presentation on the Real Estate Investment Outlook and Thomas Emanuel, Director of Business Development at STR will present a Hotel Performance Report. Tatiana Veller, National Director and Head of Hotels & Hospitality Group at JLL Russia & CIS, will then be joined by a panel of investors and developers to discuss the most promising investment opportunities in the market and where the big players think the future lies. Veller will be joined by Alexei Litvintsev, Senior Investment Director for Fosun Eurasia Capital; Igor Roganovich, Investment Director at JSFC Sistema; Igor Romanov, Member of Board of Directors at Azimut Hotels Company and Andrey Yakunin, Co-Founding Partner at VIY Management LLP. Other plenary sessions will discuss how market performance is influencing hotel development, whether the Russian market is recovering enough to drive new investment and what the most promising investment opportunities are outside of Russia for outbound investment. Following the plenary sessions, attendees will break up into smaller boardroom meetings and discussions include: Georgia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan what are the unique selling points of each investment destination and is there still potential for hotel development? Rise of the third-party management companies Independent hotels vs. branded hotels the pros and cons Transforming top emerging domestic destinations from Sochi to Altai and Kamchatka Alternative accommodation investment Services apartments, hostels, co-living what's next? Mixed-use development - What are the current trends and opportunities? Is there an "ideal mix" or "best recipe"? Jonathan Worsley, chairman and founder of Bench Events commented "As well as offering engaging content and outstanding speakers, this conference will provide a valuable networking platform. We are excited to be returning to Moscow this year, Russia remains a huge market with so much potential for growth and investment." For more information, please visit Russia Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference. About Russia Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference Organiser: Bench Events; Founder Sponsor: JLL; Platinum Sponsor: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group; Gold Sponsor: AccorHotels, AZIMUT Hotel Group, Cosmos Group, Cushman & Wakefield, EY and 7Days Premium Hotels; Official AV Supplier: Synchrotel. About The Bench The Benchhas established a legacy for delivering world-leading investment forums and conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The key principle behind these platforms has remained "dealmaking'. Transforming the way business connect, Bench has developed a reputation for creating innovative and high-impact meeting spaces for the industry. For over two decades - government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel & tourism associations, the world's most influential hospitality brands, hotel owners & investors, renowned restaurant groups, airlines & aviation authorities, destination developers, asset managers, financial groups and consultants have been participating in The Bench's events for their respective objectives. These include AHIC, AHIF, GRIF, FHS, AHF, IDEEA, AviaDev and RENEW where industry players showcase their brands, position themselves as thought leaders or innovators, and connect with the right opportunities and knowledge. Learn more on thebench.com About MEED Launched on International Women's Day 1957, the Middle East Economic Digest, MEED, is a well-known and trusted brand used by governments and businesses operating in the region. Encompassing a business intelligence service, digital media, publications and events MEED provides exclusive daily news, data and analysis. We are responsible for keeping our audiences of subscribers, registered users and event attendees informed, helping to facilitate decision making and connections. Our marketing solutions team provides clients with access to our audiences. We partner with local and international companies who need to reach our high-value communities. In consultation with our clients we utilise tried and tested methods to target and engage decision makers to announce and explain, lead and grow and to contact and convert business leaders into customers. MEED is wholly owned by data and intelligence company GlobalData Plc which means that our marketing solutions clients are also able to access a network of over 13m digital users per month across 18 different sectors. Learn more on meed.com Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Date: 19-21 September 2022 Location: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE Sponsors Host Sponsor: Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts Platinum Sponsors: Accor, Dur Hospitality, Hilton, Marjan, Millennium Hotels & Resorts and Radisson Hotel Group Emerald Sponsors: Emaar Hospitality Group, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, NEOM, Rotana, Royal Commission for AlUla, SMIT Morocco and Taiba Investments. Gold Sponsors: Aleph Hospitality, CBRE, Colliers, Compass Project Consulting, Dentons, ELAF Group, ENVI Lodges, GG&Grace International, Hospitality Management Holding, HVS, The Indian Hotels Company, Insignia, Interior360, Ishraq Hospitality, IT Hospitality Group, Knight Frank, Louvre Hotels Group, LXA, Mapal Group, Minor Hotels, OBMI, PwC Middle East, QUO, SSH, STR, Valor Hospitality Partners and Voltere by egis. Silver Sponsors: Deutsche Hospitality and Katch. Supporters: The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA), Sustainable Hospitality Challenge, and Women in Hospitality (WiH). Jonathan Worsley The Bench WASHINGTON, D.C. Historic Hotels of America has inducted more than 300 historic hotels. Many of these legendary places are reported to have some spirited guests who continue to roam the halls of these historic hotels long after they should have checked out. These ghosts represent all ages, males and females, hired help to wealthy patrons, numerous professions, and others suffering from broken hearts to broken fortunes. If you are interested in a stay in a historic hotel with a paranormal twist, here is the Historic Hotels of America Top 25 Most Haunted Historic Hotels for 2017 along with some of America's best hotel ghost stories: Concord's Colonial Inn (1716) Concord, MassachusettsDue to the hotel's age and role in the Revolutionary War, the Inn has been rumored to have a few resident ghosts. Many wounded patriot soldiers were taken to Concord's Colonial Inn, which served as a hospital during the war. The most famous and sought-out spooky guestroom is 424. The room was once the operating room of Dr. James Minot, who had a practice in the inn during the Revolutionary War. Many guests who've spent the night in the infamously haunted room have reported some strange activity. Admiral Fell Inn (1770) Baltimore, MarylandThe Admiral Fell Inn is no stranger to ghost stories. Guests have often reported seeing floating sailors and disappearing butlers knocking on their doors. A hotel manager is also said to have heard a loud party after the hotel was evacuated during a hurricane. This comes as no surprise as parts of the building dates back to the 1770s when it was a theater and boarding house where seamen, immigrants and "ladies of the night" would pass through. The Red Lion Inn (1773) Stockbridge, MassachusettsGhostly rumors continue to swirl at the inn which has seen the likes of many paranormal investigators and mediums. The fourth floor, in particular, has been said to have the most activity. Both cleaning staff and guests have claimed to see a "ghostly young girl carrying flowers" and "a man in a top hat." It has been said that guests have awoken to the feeling of someone standing over them at the foot of the bed. Cold spots, unexplained knocks, and electrical disturbances have all been reported. Guestroom 301 is also known to be a haunted hot spot. Hanover Inn Dartmouth (1780) Hanover, New HampshireDartmouth College ghost stories include the tale of nine fraternity brothers who perished in 1934. More than one Dartmouth student has come face to face with a room that isn't there and a party of those young men and their dates. Ghosts may also haunt Baker Library, Panarchy and the Inn. Omni Parker House, Boston (1855) Boston, MassachusettsThis hotel was opened by Harvey Parker and he was involved with the operations of the building until his death in 1884. Over the years, many guests have reported seeing him inquiring about their staya true "spirited" hotelier even after his death. The Sagamore (1883) Bolton Landing, New YorkThe Sagamore has its own American ghost story. Opened in 1883 as a playground resort for summer residents of Millionaire's Row, this rambling historic hotel sits on a 6 million-acre state park is rumored to accommodate a ghost or two. Stories persist of the ghost of a silver-haired woman wearing a blue polka-dot dress descending from the second floor to the Trillium, the hotel's fine dining restaurant. 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa (1886) Eureka Springs, ArkansasMany people know of the most of famous "guests who check out but never leave" at the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa. They include Michael, the Irish stonemason who helped build the hotel in 1885; Theodora, a patient of Baker's Cancer Curing Hospital in the late 1930s; and "the lady in the Victorian nightgown", who likes to stand at the foot of the bed in Room 3500 and stare at guests while they sleep. These are only three of the dozens upon dozens of spirits that guests and visitors have reported encountering in this historic hotel in the Ozark Mountains. Hotel Monteleone (1886) New Orleans, LouisianaA maid, known as "Mrs. Clean" reputedly haunts the hotel. Paranormal researchers once asked why she stayed, and the maid, whose mother, grandmother and great-grandmother also worked at the hotel, said she was picking up after housekeeping to ensure high standards. Jekyll Island Club Resort (1886) Jekyll Island, GeorgiaThis hotel has a rumored bellman with a cap and suit like the ones we see in movies of the 1920s, a far different look from actual bellmen who greet you at this historic hotel today. This bellman, from post WWI days, is very particular about delivering freshly pressed suits to bridegrooms. He has been seen, mostly on the second floor of the club building, knocking gently on a guest room door and announcing his purpose. Many guests, who had not ordered these services, have inquired about the mysterious bellman. Green Park Inn (1891) Blowing Rock, North CarolinaThis 1891 hotel also keeps a "Ghost Log" in the lobby for its guests to peruse (and add to when they have their own encounters to share). Pay attention to notes regarding Room 318, where Laura Green died. Laura was the daughter of the inn's founding family and she was jilted at the altar. Reports are that she and her would be groom continue to be seen on the third floor. The Pfister Hotel (1893) Milwaukee, WisconsinCountless visiting athletes and celebrities have seen hauntings by the ghost of this hotel's original owner. It is rumored that Charles Pfister still roams the halls to ensure that his guests are well taken care of at his century-old "Grand Hotel of the West." Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa (1901) Honolulu, HawaiiOn February 28, 1905, the untimely death of Jane Stanford, co-founder of Stanford University, made headlines everywhere. Stanford, who was vacationing in Hawaii following a strychnine poisoning attempt on her life, died in her room at the Moana. There have been reports that the ghost of Stanford still frequents the hotel, whose beautiful ocean vistas brought her short-lived peace. Guests and hotel staff have said that they've seen her walking at night trying to find her room. Omni Mount Washington Resort, Bretton Woods (1902) New HampshireKnown affectionately by staff members as "the princess", Caroline Foster, was a long-time inhabitant of the hotel. Princess Caroline Foster's ties to the resort go back to its inception when her husband, railroad tycoon Joseph Stickney, built the grand resort in 1902. Incorporating special accommodations for his wife, construction of the resort included an indoor swimming pool and a private dining room for Caroline known today as the "Princess Room." A prominent figure at the resort since its opening, many guests who have visited continue to report sightings of the regal Caroline. Visions of an elegant woman in Victorian dress are often spotted in the hallways of the hotel, there are light taps on doors when no one is outside and items suddenly disappear and then reappear in the exact place they were lost. But perhaps the most common sighting of the beloved Caroline is in room 314, where guests report seeing the vision of the woman sitting at the edge of their bed. The Seelbach Hilton Louisville (1905) Louisville, KentuckyLegend says two lovers were to be married at the hotel in 1907, but the groom met an untimely death on his way to the wedding. His then distraught bride threw herself down the elevator shaft, falling fell ten stories to her death. The bride is said to continue to haunt the halls of this historic hotel. Boone Tavern Hotel of Bera College (1909) Berea, KentuckyThe historic Boone Tavern Hotel attracts ghosts hunters by the score with its three-day ghost hunts, and some guests report seeing the apparition of a young boy in their photographs. In the hotel basement, the voice of a boy named Timmy can sometimes be heard. The Stanley (1909) Estes Park, ColoradoThe inspiration for Stephen King's book, "The Shining," The Stanley has lots of haunting appeal, especially when guests tour the creepy underground tunnel that runs beneath the hotel. But that's not the hotel's most haunting aspect. The hotel's original owner, F.O. Stanley is known to haunt the hotel. He and his wife have been seen dressed in formal attire on the main staircase and in other public areas, and Flora's piano occasionally echoes in the ballroom. The Omni Grove Park Inn (1913) Asheville, North CarolinaFor nearly half a century there has been the belief that there is a ghost who roams the hallways of the main inn. She is referred to as the Pink Lady because of the flowing pink gown she wears. It is believed that this young woman was a guest in room 545 in the 1920s and that she either jumped or was pushed to her death in the Palm Court, five floors below. No records exist that support any of these claims but it may have been hushed up to avoid negative publicity. Reports of her sightings still occur, some say they just see a pink mist, others a full apparition of a young long-haired beauty in a pink gown. La Fonda (1922) Santa Fe, New MexicoShot to death in 1867 in the hotel lobby, John P. Slough, Chief Justice of the Territorial Supreme Court, is said to have never left. Meanwhile, a distraught salesman, who jumped into the hotel well after losing a card game, has been seen emerging from the fountain by visitors and guests alike. The Emily Morgan San Antonio - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (1924) San Antonio, TexasThis hotel, known as "the official hotel of the Alamo" has known to have ghosts haunt the halls. At one time, the hotel housed a medical facility, which had a morgue and a psychiatric ward on site. Reports of unexplained noises, apparitions, and the feeling of being touched have been reported by guests. The floors with the most paranormal activity that have been reported are the seventh, ninth, eleventh and twelfth floors. Francis Marion Hotel (1924) Charleston, South CarolinaIn the early 1930s, New Yorker Ned Cohen was visiting his Southern lady friend in Charleston. Whatever happened was never clear, but he was found face down, body smashed in the middle of King Street facing toward the old Citadel's parade grounds. Today, visitors hear eerie and unexplained sounds at night, all too familiar to the bell staff and room attendants walking the halls. Sounds of rustling silk drapes, rattling windows, and an unexplained vision of a man questioning either himself or the witness. Some see the image in shirt sleeves, others just feel his presence throughout the hotel. Hawthorne Hotel (1925) Salem, MassachusettsThe city of Salem is notorious for the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 and is prone to hauntings and spirits of its own. The hotel has ghost stories of its own, mostly attributed to the sea captains who were returning to their gathering place. In particular, rooms 621 and 325 have had reports of lights turning off and on and a general uneasy feeling throughout the rooms. The Hollywood Roosevelt (1927) Hollywood, CaliforniaThis historic hotel is haunted by multitudes of ghosts including the most famous, Marilyn Monroe. She has been said to haunt the full length mirror that was once in her suite. Room 928 is believed to be haunted by the restless spirit of Montgomery Cliff, the film and stage actor best known in the film Red River in 1948. Lord Baltimore Hotel (1928) Baltimore, MarylandGuests and staff alike numerous times have seen a little girl, wearing a long, cream-colored dress and black, shiny shoes, running by the open doorway, bouncing a red ball before her. There have been many times when guests have asked, "Little girl, are you lost?" and the hallway has been completely empty. The Don CeSar (1928) St. Pete Beach, FloridaThomas Rowe met his beloved Lucinda in the 1890s when Rowe was studying in Europe. Lucinda's parents forbade the relationship and the forlorn Rowe returned to America. For years his letters to her were returned unopened. In 1925, Rowe built the Don CeSar Beach Resort and Spa. The lobby of the hotel included a replica of the courtyard and fountain where Rowe and Lucinda used to meet. Although the fountain no longer exists, employees at the Don CeSar tell tales of seeing a couple who suddenly appear walking hand-in-hand in the hotel and then disappearing. Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC (1930) Washington, DCDuring the Shoreham's early years, three people died unexpectedly in suite 870. At that time the apartment was occupied by one of the hotel's owners, Henry Doherty. Juliette Brown, the family's housekeeper dropped dead mysteriously one night at 4 am. Doherty's daughter and wife also perished mysteriously in the same suite. During its vacancy there were claims of mysterious noises, doors slamming shut and furniture movingmany of which happened around 4 am, the time of Juliette's death. "The best guest comment a hotelier likes to hear is we don't want to leave or we can't wait to come back," said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Director, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. "At many historic hotels across the USA, hoteliers have told us that they have former guests that never left and these ghosts are visible only to some guests, most frequently at night, and even more frequently during the fall and winter. Or, as I understand, they checked in and never checked out." About Historic Hotels of America Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the finest historic hotels in the United States of America. To be nominated and selected for membership in this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historical significance. Of the more than 300 historic hotels inducted into Historic Hotels of America from 44 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, all historic hotels faithfully preserve their sense of authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity. For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org Heather Taylor Manager, Marketing Communications +1 202 772 8333 Historic Hotels of America Most of us get rid of old autos when their engines finally give up, but one man has turned his battered old VW Beetle into what he claims is the world's smallest hotel. And Mohammed Al Malaheem, 64, says guests sleeping in his converted jalopy in the Jordanian desert village of Al Jaya will enjoy a five-star experience. "This village is my homeland, I was born here, I grew up here, I lived here," says Al Malaheem -- who goes by the name Abu Ali. "I wanted to start a project that improves its situation and places it on the tourism map, because it truly overlooks some of the most beautiful scenery in the region." Largely deserted by residents who have left in search of a more modern lifestyle, Al Jaya is located near Al Shoubak, home to an imposing 12th century castle called Montreal. 'World's smallest hotel' created in VW Beetle (CNN) - Most of us get rid of old autos when their engines finally give up, but one man has turned his battered old VW Beetle into what he claims is the world's smallest hotel. And Mohammed Al Malaheem, 64, says guests sleeping in his converted jalopy in the Jordanian desert village of Al Jaya will enjoy a five-star experience. Read the full article at cnn.com InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a management agreement with BIM Group to develop the first Holiday Inn hotel in Vientiane, Laos. This will be IHG's third project with BIM Group, who also owns Crowne Plaza Vientiane and the upcoming InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort & Residences. Set to open in 2019, the 250-room Holiday Inn & Suites Vientiane, which includes 50 long-stay suites, will be part of a mixed-use development consisting of the existing Crowne Plaza Vientiane, office towers and a retail mall. Located within the vicinity of the city centre, the new-build hotel will be less than three kilometres away from the airport, promising an easy commute to the hotel and convenient access to embassies, government offices, banks and corporate offices in the city. IHG's Kenneth Macpherson with Doan Quoc Huy, Vice President BIM Group at the Holiday Inn & Suites Vientiane signing ceremony With a selection of lifestyle offerings within and around the mixed-use complex, leisure travellers will be able to enjoy shopping and dining options at their doorstep, take a short stroll to the downtown core, or explore key tourist attractions located nearby, such as the Lao National Museum, night market and Mekong River. Holiday Inn & Suites Vientiane will be equipped with versatile function spaces for meetings and events, including a large ballroom capable of seating more than 1,000 people - banquet style. This is in addition to a business centre, outdoor swimming pool, gym, and two dining establishments. The hotel will also provide the Holiday Inn brand's signature offerings such as the Kids Stay and Eat Free programme, where kids under the age of 12 can stay and dine for free making it ideal for family, leisure and business travellers alike. Laos is one of the fastest-growing nations in South East Asia, with up to eight per cent GDP growth over the past few years. In addition to infrastructural and industrial developments underway that are set to boost economic growth and attract foreign investment, there is also a strong upward trend in its tourism sector. Last year, Laos received 4.23 million visitors a 10 per cent growth over the last five years, and visitor arrivals are expected to double to 8.2 million by 2025. Commenting on the partnership, Rajit Sukumaran, Chief Development Officer, Asia Middle East Africa, IHG said: "The country's growing prominence as a business and tourism destination is in line with our strategic expansion plans in Laos, which include Crowne Plaza Vientiane, the first internationally branded upscale hotel in Vientiane, and the upcoming Holiday Inn & Suites Vientiane. With the excellent experience we've had working with our partner, BIM Group, we are excited to continue this relationship, bringing our mid-scale offerings to the Laotian capital with the debut of our trusted Holiday Inn brand." The developer, BIM Group owns two other IHG hotels Crowne Plaza Vientiane, which opened earlier this year, and InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort & Residences in Vietnam. Doan Quoc Huy, Vice President, BIM Group said: "With its strong track record in operating world-class hotels and our success with Crowne Plaza Vientiane, we are delighted to partner with IHG once again to grow our hospitality portfolio in Laos. The Holiday Inn brand is one of the most recognised hotel brands in the world; combined with its excellent location and strong offerings at the hotel's doorstep, we are confident that Holiday Inn & Suites Vientiane will be well-received when it opens in 2019." Hotel Conveniently Located Off I-40 and Eubank Leo Spriggs, President and CEO of Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC), is pleased to announce the addition of this 104-room Holiday Inn Express in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to their portfolio of managed hotels. HMC will be working in partnership with new ownership group Newstream Commercial, headed by Scott Tarwater, President of the companys Hotel and Resorts Division. HMC continues its ongoing business expansion which is made up of full service, conference center, select service and limited service hotels. HMC is one of the countrys largest third-party privately held hotel management companies, ranked in the top 40 of all third party and owner operated hotel management corporations. The hotel is conveniently located off Interstate 40 at exit 165 and many guest rooms offer unobstructed views of the Sandia Mountains. This Holiday Inn Express is the most convenient hotel in the area to Sandia Labs and Kirtland Air Force Base. Popular local attractions include the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, University of New Mexico (UNM), Sandia Peak Ski & Tramway, Old Town, St. Clair Winery, Rio Grande Zoo, National Atomic Museum and numerous casinos. Within a short drive are the Ice Caves and Bandera Volcano or guests can enjoy glider flights in Moriarty only 20 minutes from the property. The hotels amenities include an indoor pool, hot tub, fitness center, complimentary hot breakfast buffet and Wi-Fi. Room service is provided by the Owl Cafe, a 50s style diner offering a delicious traditional menu including burgers, blue plate specials, milkshakes and ice cream sodas. We are delighted to be joining efforts with Scott and his team from Newstream Commercial. Our goal is to create a welcoming environment for visitors to the Albuquerque area, whether for business or to enjoy the numerous activities the surrounding community offers. By providing the highest level of training and motivation to the current hotel staff, we will increase sales, customer service and overall profitability for the property, shared Patrick Bajdek, HMCs Vice President of Development. Holiday Inn Express 10330 Hotel Avenue NE, Albuquerque, NM 87123 (505) 275-8900 www.ihg.com About Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC) Founded in 1971, HMC is a privately owned independent management company and one of the oldest independent hotel management firms in the U.S. lodging industry. For over four decades, HMC has been a leader in providing hotel management services for institutional and private owners and continues to strive for excellence in hospitality management and hotel development across the United States. Since its inception, the companys headquarters have been in Dallas, TX. For more information on Hospitality Management Corporation, please contact Leo Spriggs, President and CEO, at (972) 934-2040 or lspriggs@hospitalitymgt.com. For the latest updates visit www.hospitalitymgt.com |www.facebook@dfwHMC. About Newstream Hotels and Resorts Newstream Hotels and Resorts is the hospitality division of Newstream Commercial, a Dallas commercial real estate development company founded in 2015. Newstream prides itself on offering exceptional commercial property development founded on core Christian principles and bringing a high degree of character and trustworthiness. Newstream has recently completed 2 mixed-use commercial buildings in Roanoke, Texas featuring Craft & Vine Taproom & Eatery, Wise Guys Pizzeria, Fosters fine sushi and Newstream Commercials new corporate headquarters. www.newstreamcommercial.com In the third quarter of 2017, Europe's hotels saw occupancy increase 2.2% year over year to 79.2%, while ADR rose 4.5% to 119.17 ($139.89) and RevPAR climbed 6.9% to 94.36 ($110.77). Europes hotel industry reported positive results in the three key performance metrics during Q3 2017, according to data from STR. Euro constant currency, Q3 2017 vs. Q3 2016 Europe Occupancy: +2.2% to 79.2% Average daily rate (ADR): +4.5% to EUR119.17 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +6.9% to EUR94.36 Local currency, Q3 2017 vs. Q3 2016 Germany Occupancy: +1.9% to 75.9% ADR: +2.0% to EUR102.21 RevPAR: +3.9% to EUR77.60 The absolute levels in each of the three key performance metrics were the highest for any quarter on record in Germany. STR analysts note that performance was driven primarily by weekdays, which indicates strong corporate business in the country. At the market level, Berlin also reported strong performance with an 82.8% occupancy level and an all-quarter ADR record of EUR98.07. Additionally, Frankfurt posted its highest ADR (EUR117.28) for a third quarter, benefitting as host of the biennial Automobile Trade Fair (IAA) in September. Portugal Occupancy: -0.5% to 86.4% ADR: +13.7% to EUR137.65 RevPAR: +13.1% to EUR118.89 Despite a slight dip in occupancy, Portugals ADR and RevPAR levels were the highest for any third quarter on record in the country. Lisbon, which hosted the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in September, posted its highest ever Q3 ADR at EUR124.27. During the 5-day conference, year-over-year ADR increases ranged from 75.5% to 92.8%. Slovakia Occupancy: +1.8% to 73.3% ADR: -5.6% to EUR62.99 RevPAR: -4.0% to EUR46.19 Slovakias year-over-year comparisons were hindered mostly by September performance, with a 1.6% decline in occupancy and a 13.0% drop in ADR. However, STR analysts note that there was a high basis of comparison in September 2016, when EU presidency meetings were held in Bratislava. Year-over-year comparisons were difficult in July as well due to a busy month in 2016, with events such as the European Summits of Regions and Cities. Download the Global Performance Review STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com. Mondrian Park Avenue in NoMad sbe has confirmed another 10 deals to bring its hotels, residences, and restaurants to new territories in Latin America and the Middle East, through a mix of management and licensing agreements. Building on its already robust pipeline, the company stands to double its global hotel footprint by 2021. Additionally, an estimated 24 restaurants and lounges are going to be part of the new and existing hotel pipeline, further emphasizing the company's stance on offering a 360-degree experience for guests. Sam Nazarian, Founder and CEO of sbe, said: "sbe is further expanding our global footprint across our entire portfolio from luxury hotels and residences to fast casual dining. With these 10 new deals, we are enhancing our already extensive pipeline and enjoying a period of unprecedented growth. Our pipeline demonstrates the versatility and strength of our brands on a global scale, and we look forward to continuing to develop our brands both domestically and internationally." Licensing and management deals have been signed for sbe's flagship SLS brand with plans to open in Mexico, Qatar, Uruguay and Argentina. Adding to its Middle Eastern pipeline, sbe is working with its partner from Mondrian Doha, Al Hamla Real Estate Investments LLC, to introduce the SLS brand to The Pearl development in Doha, Qatar. The SLS Doha will comprise a 200 key managed hotel, 100 key residences, 50 serviced apartments and three restaurants. It is slated to open in 2020. In Latin America, sbe will manage SLS Mexico City Pedregal, a 150 key hotel with 150 key branded residences located in the upmarket Pedregal area of Mexico City. The agreement with IDU, Mexico City's largest residential developer, will see the ground-up build open in 2021. Additionally, sbe has approved projects with approximately 300 keys for developing SLS Punta del Este Residences in Uruguay. SLS Pilar Residences will also open in 2020 a 173 key residential project in Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina with BARZA. sbe's Mondrian brand will make its debut in Mexico in Playa del Carmen with a licensing deal for a 100 key condominium hotel expected to open in 2021. The deal with Howard Hospitality Group will see the Mondrian brand hotel built on the Yucatan Peninsula's Riviera Maya in downtown Playa del Carmen. Ground breaking will commence in Q3 2018. Mondrian Doha marked the opening of sbe's first Middle Eastern hotel this October. Designed by Marcel Wanders, Mondrian Doha boasts 270 distinctive rooms, a culinary emporium, the largest ESPA spa in the world, and one of the most ornate ballrooms in Qatar. The company has plans to open two new properties in Dubai, United Arab Emiratesincluding a Mondrian in 2019 and Delano in 2018. Owned by IFA and managed by sbe, Delano Dubai will feature 110 hotel rooms and 95 residences. Hyde Doha will introduce 114 managed serviced apartments to Doha's business district near Rawdat Al Khail Street, which is expected to open in 2020. The development will include three food and beverage outlets and rooftop lounge and pool. The Sanderson Ortaky will launch in Istanbul, marking the brand's first foray outside of London. The boutique hotel will be managed by sbe, owned by EMTA AS, comprise over 40 keys and will be situated in a highly coveted location on the Bosphorous. Following the announcement of Mondrian Park Avenue which opened this October, sbe looks to further strengthen its presence in North America, including plans to manage an Originals in a prime Los Angeles location. In addition to the recent appointment of Daniel Del Olmo as CEO of sbe subsidiary, Disruptive Restaurant Group, the company announced exciting plans to further expand its award-winning gourmet burger brand, Umami Burger, around the world. Umami has signed a multi-restaurant deal with one of Mexico's best operators to open 10 restaurants with the potential to grow to 30. Additionally, the brand that started in Los Angeles is also in discussions to open outlets in the Gulf Region, including the most sought-after locations in Dubai over the next few years. The 10 new deals add to a rapidly expanding global growth pipeline which will see sbe open SLS Hotels and Residences in key strategic locations including SLS Baha Mar Hotel & Residences at the $4.2 billion resort destination in the Bahamas (November 2017); SLS LUX Brickell, sbe's second SLS Hotel & Residences to open in the bustling Miami area along with a Katsuya and SBar (February 2018); SLS Hotel & Residences Philadelphia, US, designed by Philippe Starck(2019); SLS Atlanta, US (2019); SLS Washington D.C., US (2019) designed by Piero Lissoni; SLS Cancun, Mexico (2020); and SLS Zihuatanejo, Mexico (2020). WATERFORD At a special meeting on Oct. 16, the Waterford Village Board decided to hire Zeke Jackson as its next village administrator. Jackson has been the administrator for Sister Bay since 2013. Sister Bay, which has a full-time population of 925 and about 7,500 in the summer months, is one of the tourist centers of northern Door County, located on the Green Bay side of the Door peninsula. Jackson holds a masters degree in public administration from Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas. Prior to working in Sister Bay, he worked in administration for the Town of Exmore on Virginias eastern shore. Jacksons contract with Waterford is for three years at $87,500 per year. His start date has not been set, but interim Village President Don Houston said village officials hope Jackson can start within 60 days. Jackson said Friday that he was planning to try to spend one day a week working in Waterford until mid-December, at which time he would be fully in place. That will allow him time for relocation. Were excited, said Houston. We think hes going to do a great job here obviously, otherwise we wouldnt have hired him. Jackson will replace Rebecca Ewald, who served as village administrator for 11 years. Ewald left Waterford to become village manager of Shorewood in Milwaukee County. Ewald grew up in Whitefish Bay, which borders Shorewood, and said the move to the Milwaukee suburbs made sense for her family. On Friday, Jackson said several factors made the Waterford job attractive to him. I tried to find a community that was poised for a balance of growth and development and quality of life and excellent schools, Jackson said. I have a daughter in kindergarten, so the schools in Waterford are actually a little better than the schools in Door County. Jackson also said he looked forward to working in a community that has more of a dynamic than solely being based on tourism. He noted that Waterford has an industrial park, is a growing bedroom community for the greater Milwaukee area, and likely would experience some ripple effects from the Foxconn project in Mount Pleasant. He is scheduled to meet with the Waterford Village Board tonight to discuss transition plans. And while he said its too early to talk about goals for his new position, some of what he has experienced in his previous jobs will be helpful in his work in Waterford. Cunard Returns to Alaska with the Launch of Queen Elizabeth's 2019 Voyages To start the Alaska program, Queen Elizabeth will sail from Tokyo (Yokohama) to Vancouver with a 27-night voyage on May 5, 2019 (Q915). Guests will cross the International Date Line sailing to the Alaskan port of Kodiak, home to the Alutiiq people for more than 7,000 years. In 2019, Cunard will sail to Alaska, bringing the beauty of the Pacific Northwest to guests once again. A series of voyages beginning in May 2019 will combine the magnificence of Alaskawith the luxury of Cunard as Queen Elizabeth sails from Japan to Alaska and then remains in the region through June. The ship will then transport passengers down the West Coast of the United States, through the Panama Canal to New York, on to Iceland and the British Isles. "Cunard is thrilled to make our return to Alaska with our youngest ship Queen Elizabeth," said Josh Leibowitz, Senior VP, Cunard North America. "Our guests can now explore the region on the best itinerary in Alaskafour 10-night round-trip Vancouver sailings with more time in port and opportunities to visit the natural wonders of Tracy Arm Fjord and Hubbard Glacier." To start the Alaska program, Queen Elizabeth will sail from Tokyo (Yokohama) to Vancouver with a 27-night voyage on May 5, 2019 (Q915). Guests will cross the International Date Line sailing to the Alaskan port of Kodiak, home to the Alutiiq people for more than 7,000 years. The next stop is the beautiful capital of Juneau, then passing the pristine Tracy Arm Fjord or Endicott Arm, on to the quaint town of Skagway, and Icy Strait Point before visiting Sitka, Ketchikan, Victoria and Vancouver. Launch fares from $4,409 per person. Once in Alaska, Queen Elizabeth will offer four 10-night roundtrip Vancouver sailings, departing May 21, 31, June 10 and 20, 2019. Itineraries feature scenic cruising through the scenic waterways of the famous Inside Passage as well as full days in several of the region's highlight ports to discover the history and culture of the area. Guests will experience the gold rush spirit of Skagway and Juneau, the native tribes of Ketchikan and the Russian charm of Sitka. The itinerary also includes the Tracy Arm Fjord or Endicott Arm, Icy Strait Point, Hubbard Glacier and Victoria. Launch fares from $1,699per person. From Vancouver, Queen Elizabeth heads to the vibrant cities of San Francisco and then Los Angeles, for a rare overnight stay on July Fourth, a perfect way to celebrate the diverse beauty of North America. Fares start at $779 per person for these three- or five-night deployments. For those looking to expand their adventure, guests can remain on board for the full Grand Voyage. After departing from Vancouver and stopping in California, the ship continues through the Panama Canal to Ft. Lauderdale or New Yorkbefore crossing the Atlantic to reach the dramatic shores of Reykjavik, Dublin, Glasgow on to London. Grand Voyages can be booked from 21- to 49-nights with launch fares from $3,479 per person. Rocky Mountain Rail Land Tours are offered pre- and post- cruise including three or five nights' accommodation and two full days aboard the train. The journey travels through a spectacular array of scenery with glacier and snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies, through winding river canyons, mountain passes and remarkable tunnels. Highlights include the Continental Divide, Kicking Horse Canyon, Spiral Tunnels and the rushing waters of Hell's Gate in the Fraser Canyon. Early booking is available to World Club members beginning October 30, 2017 with reservations being opened to the general public starting on October 31. For those looking to enjoy the coveted Grills experience, an early booking benefit of complimentary drinks and gratuities is available from October 30, 2017 to February 28, 2018. More information on Cunard's Alaska voyages can be found here. Last week Rep. Frederica Wilson claimed that Donald Trump made insensitive comments to the widow of a fallen soldier. After Army Sgt. La David Johnson passed away in the October 4th killings in Niger, Donald made a call to the former soldiers wife, Myeshia Johnson, where he reportedly said: he knew what he signed up for, but I guess it still hurt. Myeshia has now come forward to speak on the record with a live interview on Good Morning America, where she confirms that the President did say those comments, and didnt even remember her husbands name. I heard him say, Well I guess you know, he knew what he was signing up for, but it still hurts,' Myeshia says in the interview. I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husbands name, and thats what hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risked his life for our country why cant you remember his name. Myeshia says the congresswoman was 100 percent correct with her reports on the call. Despite what Myeshia says of the conversation, Donald is not backing down from his side of the story tweeting: During her interview, Myeshia gives details on whats been happening since she found out her husband has passed on. She says that she has been barred from seeing her husbands body, or given any information on how he died. I need to see him so I will know that that is my husband, she says. They wont show me a finger, a hand; I know my husbands body from head-to-toe and they wont let me see anything. All she has seen is his casket, but she says thats not enough. I dont know how he got killed, where he got killed or anything, she says in the interview. I dont know that part; they never told me and thats what Ive been trying to find out since day one, since October fourth. Watch the full interview here. Talib Kwelis newest project, Radio Silence, has been a body of work with origins that can be traced as far back to 2015, and now it is set to arrive next month. After dropping off a few singles ahead of the release, weve been gifted with the official track list, and all signs point to this forthcoming effort being a certified goodie. Packaged into 11 tracks in total, Radio Silence will get here on November 17th and is set to feature 12 additional guest appearances. These include spots from the likes of Rick Ross, BJ the Chicago Kid, Waka Flocka, Jay Electronica, and Anderson .Paak. The last full-length effort we got from Talib was his The Seven EP, a collaborative project with Styles P released back in April of this year. The end product was a 7-track offering with appearance from the remaining members of The Lox, Common, Rapsody, and Chris Rivers. Previously, weve received taste of the forthcoming Radio Silence through the drop of tracks like Heads Up Eyes Open, featuring Rick Ross and Yummy Bingham, Shes My Hero, a cut written in honor of 14-year old Bresha Meadows who shot and killed her father after allegedly suffering years of abuse, and the most recent Let It Roll. In addition, this year also marks the 15th anniversary of Kwelis debut Quality album, and hes since announced a solo residency at New York Citys Blue Note with select dates throughout the fall and winter. Hell be playing the venue November 9-11, and again at the top of the new year between January 25-28. Peep the full track list of Radio Silence below: 1. The Magic Hour 2. Traveling Light f. Anderson .Paak 3. All of Us f. Jay Electronica & Yummy Bingham 4. Shes My Hero 5. Chips f. Waka Flocka 6. Knockturnal 7. Radio Silence f. Amber Coffman & Myka 9 8. The One I Love f. BJ the Chicago Kid 9. Heads Up Eyes Open f. Rick Ross & Yummy Bingham 10. Let It Roll 11. Write at Home f. Datcha, Bilal & Robert Glasper Rick Ross T.I. said what he said. It was back in April that the self-proclaimed King of The South made headlines after claiming that he created the subgenre of Trap music. Naturally, it sparked a sea of controversy and some informative debate with many unearthing what they perceived to be the origins of the southern Hip-Hop subgenre. A lot of people really dont know that I created trap music, T.I. said in an interview with Angie Martinez, there was no such thing as trap music prior to [T.I.], it didnt exist. Despite all the pushback, it seems that the rapper, born Clifford Harris, isnt rescinding anything he said, and in a new interview with HipHopDX, he declares that facts are facts. In a recently published exchange with the publication, T.I. was questioned on his thoughts on the expansion of trap music, since he did claim to have invented it. After a very brief back-and-forth, TIP attempted to get his interviewer, Dana Scott, to admit he did, in fact, create trap music before even answering the question. Wait a minute, I dont want it to be hearsay like Im speculating or proclaiming this personally, he said. I want you to tell me when did you first hear the words trap music put together before Trap Muzik dropped? Im from Connecticut where boom-bap production was more prevalent back then, Scott noted. So I wasnt familiar with the term. It doesnt matter where youre from. Facts are facts, the Hustle Gang honcho proclaimed. We can go back historically and check actual references that before that album dropped, the term didnt exist. Just say it how it is, he went on to add. But it has grown from the contributions of others who have taken it far beyond where I left it or where I could have taken it. It has expanded so much, so wide, and so broad that at this point you just have to sit back and watch and just be proud. As long as its people who come from that walk of life who could look to the charts and feel like there are hit records out there right now that represent them and their lifestyle, and talk about how they live every day, I feel like trap music is very much alive. No matter what your stance on the topic is, its undeniable what T.I.s influence on the sound has been, and theres certainly no debating his role in popularizing the term, and it looks like TIP still couldnt agree moreand then some. T.I We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector RACINE For Jim McVeighs oldest son, reading a book before bed became uninteresting. He would memorize books when he was getting bored with it, McVeigh said. Then he just said to me one night, Dad, youre from Ireland, tell me a story about Ireland. Having emigrated to the U.S. from Belfast, Northern Ireland in the 1990s and now living in Racine, McVeigh did what many parents do and made up a story. His story about was Farty McFee, a giant boy with farting power, and he made it rhyme. McVeigh said his son loved it and wanted to hear the story almost every night. From that point, McVeigh thought the story might make a good childrens book. McVeigh approached his friend William Johnson, a Racine native, to illustrate the book. Jim never asked me if I wanted to illustrate (the book) he told me I would, Johnson said. He pretty much put me into indentured servitude. McVeigh said: Its the Irish way of asking. After thinking about it, Johnson said it was a good opportunity and McVeigh is full of creative ideas. I took it as a challenge to try to do it not simply as a boy who farts, but really try to make it look and feel as though its already a classic story, Johnson said. In 2014, the duo released The Ballad of Marty McFee and have received good reviews from readers. The book, McVeigh said, has had a positive impact on the children who read it. Boys are notoriously difficult to get to be able to read and become interested in reading, said McVeigh, who has three sons. The Farty McFee book has proven to be very popular with boys. However, weve also found the girls love it as well grandmas love it. They think its hilarious. McVeigh said one parent told them the book helped them potty-train their child. It also includes recipes for families to cook together with their child. Second book coming But unlike more current childrens books with a moral or message, McVeigh and Johnson didnt want their book to be politically correct with a happy ending. I dont think they should have a message, Johnson said. Little Red Riding Hood did not have a happy ending in the original, Little Red Riding Hood does not get rescued. The wolf eats her and thats the end of the story. The moral was dont talk to strangers. Johnson said if theres any message to the Farty McFee book its have fun, be curious. In the illustrations theres something for the parents and grandparents, also. Johnson, a fan of old movies, said he puts in little Easter eggs in the book in the hopes that maybe somebody will pick up on it. McVeigh and Johnson are releasing a second Farty McFee book, Farty McFee and The Dark Goblin, and are launching the book at Wilsons Coffee and Tea Shop, 3306 Washington Ave., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. At the event there will be displays of original artwork by Johnson that are included in the book, traditional Irish music and musicians, and a reading from each book with sound effects. When I do readings, throughout the book, not all the time, Ill have to bring up the word fart or farting, McVeigh said. (Johnson) develop these long trumpet-like things that we call fart-in-ators and we have the kids volunteer to come up and produce the next sound effect. Gondhoraj Momos Take Over West Bengal; Have You Tried Them Yet? Balbriggan Beach in north Dublin amid warnings about sewage from the Environmental Protection Agency About 10 tonnes of raw sewage and water from sinks and drains is pumped into rivers and seas around Ireland every minute, environment watchdogs have warned. A review of the standards of waste treatment in towns and cities found 16 plants which were due to be built or upgraded this year have been delayed until 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said sewage from 120,000 people - on average 120 litres per person - still enters the tides and rivers untreated at 44 areas each day. The scale of the problem was laid bare yet again months after the European Commission warned it was taking Ireland to court over the practice and leaving the country potentially liable for millions of euro in anti-pollution fines. That case relates to missed deadlines for sewage plants to be built or upgraded by the end of 2000 and 2005. But in its latest report on waste water standards for last year the EPA said five towns are hoping to see work on new sewage treatment plants finish this year - Youghal, Belmullet, Rush, Bundoran, and Killybegs. But David Shanon, an EPA inspector, said: "There's not enough money being invested in waste water treatment. "We are spending 100 million euro less per annum than we are a decade ago. "We have this legacy of under-investment. We need to see more money going in." The EPA said four swimming spots - Loughshinny in north Dublin and Merrion Strand near Ringsend on the south side and Clifden beach and Ballyloughane in Galway - were not safe enough for bathing because of the sewage issue. The report warned that waste water treatment at 50 of the country's 185 large towns and cities misses pollution and public health standards. Gerard O'Leary, director of the EPA's Office of Environmental Enforcement said: "Wastewater from over half our population failed to meet environmental standards. "For many years Ireland failed to address the deficiencies in wastewater treatment. Substantial and sustained investment is now required to protect our valuable waterways and protect public health." The EPA also warned about Ringsend, where a relatively new treatment facility is operational. But the facility is essentially overloaded as it was designed for a population of 1.6 million but handles sewage from two million and also does not have specialist treatment to remove specific nutrients from water being pumped into Dublin Bay. Irish Water's head of asset management Sean Laffey said: "The EPA report correctly reflects the size and scale of the challenge facing Irish Water as we work to meet the needs of homes and businesses around the country and facilitate future growth." It said it was spending about 326 million euro on the issue up to 2021. ESB Networks said it was aware of the huge problems facing communities remaining without power About 6,000 homes, farms and businesses remain without power, energy chiefs have said. While the vast amount are still dealing with the impact of ex-hurricane Ophelia, ESB Networks said some of those cut off were affected by Storm Brian. The worst areas for the blackouts are parts of Cork and Wexford. "ESB Networks is acutely aware of the tremendous difficulties and frustrations of communities in areas that remain without power," the company said. "We sincerely apologise to those affected and we ask the public to reach out to those in their communities that are without supply." There was some localised flooding following Storm Brian but there was only limited damage from the Atlantic weather system. The Blackwater burst its banks in north Cork but there was only minor impact in both Mallow and Fermoy. A combination of high tides, the storm winds and high water in the Shannon caused flooding in Limerick with some homes, businesses and public offices affected. Flood defences held back most of the high tide at the Spanish Arch in Galway. Gardai search an area in Brookview Lawns in the Jobstown area of Dublin during the manhunt Garda at a property in Brookview Lawns, in the Jobstown area of Dublin, during the manhunt for the gunman A man in his 30s has been arrested and a suspected gun seized in a busy shopping centre after a near eight-hour manhunt. The suspect was detained just after lunchtime in Citywest Shopping Centre on the outskirts of Dublin as stunned and frightened onlookers and shop workers hid or ran from stores in the complex. The man was restrained by several gardai with about 10 patrol cars and armed response units quickly on the scene after a pursuit across Tallaght. Gardai had issued a public appeal for sightings of a suspected gunman and an alert to the public to stay away from him f ollowing a series of incidents in the area from before dawn. It is understood the manhunt was launched after a disturbance at a house, believed to have been a domestic issue, in the Brookview area of Tallaght at around 6.30am. In what gardai described as a "series of incidents" over the next few hours, a man was assaulted after a break-in at his home and a number of cars were stolen at gunpoint and either crashed or abandoned. Following the disturbance at the first home, a car was taken from the property and crashed nearby at Russell Square. Subsequently, another car was hijacked on the street and abandoned before the gunman smashed his way into a house in the Watergate area of Tallaght just before 7am. After breaking glass in the front door and forcing his way inside, the armed man beat a man around the head with the butt of the gun before demanding car keys. A black Renault Kadjar SUV was stolen from the house. The injured man described the firearm as a machine gun. The suspected gunman is then believed to have hijacked at least three other vehicles during a rampage around Tallaght before being rammed while in a black Mercedes at the Citywest Shopping Centre. It is understood he fled from the car and into the shopping complex. Gardai said a suspected firearm, which will undergo technical examination, was recovered at the scene of the arrest. Witness Kian McGuirk, 15, was in a car on the grounds of the shopping centre with his mother when the arrest incident unfolded. "Me and mam had just driven out of the shops. She was just getting a few bits and bobs and we heard the helicopter and the sirens," he said. "I only live up the road and I said to my mam I'd just walk around to the house. She said 'no' but then she said 'OK, but don't get too close'. The schoolboy, who lives in Citywest and was in the area for an appointment, said: "The main doors were across the road from me. "I could see someone sprinting out. I saw the fella sprinting out to the main doors. He dropped his jacket, a black jacket. "I saw the gardai running into the shops. And they just jumped on him, put him on the ground and then handcuffs." The suspect had suffered a minor cut to his face. Some workers in the shopping centre were too shocked to talk, with some in tears, following the incident. Niall Collins, manager of Streat cafe in the Citywest centre, said gardai chased a man into the centre and towards Dunnes before the arrest was made. "We heard the commotion out in the hall," he said. "We didn't see much. We went to the front door and the gardai followed him in. Then there were a couple of customers sitting out the front of the cafe so we brought them in and pulled down the shutters." Four samurai swords were also taken from a house in the Brookview area of Tallaght in a follow-up search by gardai. Gardai said the arrested man was detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and taken in for questioning to Tallaght station. They repeated their appeal for witnesses to come forward. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar voiced his concerns about the deadlock in Northern Ireland as he attended the European Council summit The Taoiseach has expressed frustration at the length of time the powersharing crisis has lasted in Northern Ireland, pointing out that many pregnancies are shorter. With the Democratic Unionist and Sinn Fein still at loggerheads over a return to devolved government and the spectre of Westminster direct rule looming ever larger, Leo Varadkar urged the region's political leaders to "do what's best for the people" and get back into government. Powersharing imploded in January when the late Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned amid a row over the DUP's handling of a botched renewable heat energy scheme. That stand-off opened up more deep-seated divisions between the parties. Months of talks aimed at restoring powersharing have failed, with proposed legislation to protect Irish language speakers now the main obstacle. Mr Varadkar voiced his concerns about the impasse as he attended the European Council summit in Brussels. "The Northern Ireland parties are now up to nine months - you can bear a child in less time," he said afterwards. With four UK government deadlines for a deal have already fallen by the wayside, Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire has now identified October 30 as the latest cut-off point for a deal. The Taoiseach warned that Stormont's budget was running out and the stand-off was badly impacting public services. "There are big decisions to be made in relation to Brexit which involves them and affects them," he added. "If I was an elected politician in Northern Ireland I would really want to be in an executive and an assembly as soon as possible so I could influence those decisions. "No one can force the DUP and Sinn Fein to share power. "If the guiding principle is doing what's best for the people of Northern Ireland, the citizens, Catholic, Protestant and no religion or other religion, you would form a government." Back in Northern Ireland, DUP leader and former first minister Arlene Foster told a business event in Ballyclare said it was "disappointing" the region was still without a ruling executive. "A mere 18 months ago Martin McGuinness and I were issuing statements that the 2016-2021 term was about getting down to business," she said. "It was to be the term of greatest delivery by an executive - on health, education and jobs. "It is time to get back to that vision and commitment. Northern Ireland needs to see that stability restored. Northern Ireland needs a working executive that lasts." The issue of Brexit was the main focus when Sinn Fein's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill met the UK Government's International Trade Secretary Liam Fox on Friday. "We made it clear to him in no uncertain terms that the Tory Brexit agenda would have disastrous consequences for the Good Friday Agreement and for Ireland, north and south, in terms of citizens' rights, trade, our economy and the issue of the border," she said afterwards. "In today's meeting we told Liam Fox it is clear that he and his fellow Brexiteers in the Tory cabinet simply regard the north and its people as collateral damage in the Brexit process." Flood preparations are under way in the south and west of Ireland as Storm Brian sweeps in. Less than a week after ex-hurricane Ophelia battered the country, resulting in three deaths, high winds and huge Atlantic waves are predicted through Friday night and into Saturday. The weather warnings are not quite as dire as those ahead of ex-hurricane Ophelia, when Met Eireann issued a red alert for the entire Irish Republic on Monday. However, an orange wind warning, the second highest, has been issued for southern and western coastal areas, spanning counties Mayo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Wexford. Gusts of up to 130 km/h are forecast. A yellow wind warning is in place for the rest of the Irish Republic. A yellow rain warning covers counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford. In Galway city a temporary flood barrier was erected close the Spanish Arch landmark on Friday evening while sand bags were also being used to protect vulnerable properties in various locations impacted by the orange warning. There are concerns the River Shannon could rise significantly, potentially causing flooding of low lying areas. Storm Brian is the result of a "weather bomb" of low pressure in the Atlantic Ocean. It has arrived in Ireland as the country is still picking up the pieces in the wake of Ophelia. Electricity network operator ESB warned that the latest burst of bad weather will hamper efforts to restore power to around 37,000 customers still without electricity in the wake of Monday's violent winds. Brexit is likely to lead to a rebalancing of the profile of the Irish banking sector, with an increase in operations and its overall size, the Central Bank said. An internal report from the bank's Brexit Task Force, published by the regulator, noted that engagement with firms potentially looking to shift or set up operations here had levelled off ahead of the summer months. But it said the intensity of the interaction with international firms that had already expressed interest in moving here had substantially ramped up. There has also been a rise in the number of banks looking to engage on the potential establishment of investment firms in Ireland, the documents stated. "Based on engagements to date and depending on actual applications received, it is likely that there will be a rebalancing of the profile of the Irish banking sector, with a more even split between the total size of banking assets broken down by international wholesale banking activities versus domestic retail focused banking activities," the bank noted. The Brexit Task Force is made up of representatives from divisions across the bank, and reports to the Central Bank Commission on a quarterly basis. The bank's chief economist, Gabriel Fagan, said yesterday that the probability of a very severe Brexit can't be ruled out. He also said there could be knock-on effects that haven't been thought of. "What will the legal basis be of contracts in a post-Brexit EU for international contracts?" he asked. "There are some people who are saying maybe Irish law will become the basis, just like Delaware law is the basis for a lot of US financial law. If that were to become the case, then it would have some very big implications for the legal system in Ireland. "The legal profession in Ireland would become somewhat more prosperous. There are many such issues, things that you haven't thought about, about the implications." Meanwhile, the bank has fractionally upgraded its growth forecast for this year and next, to 4.9pc and 3.9pc respectively. Europe has told Britain that it must come up with "flexible and imaginative solutions" to avoid a post-Brexit hard Border in Ireland. The demand is among the conclusions reached by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the other leaders of the 27 remaining EU member states at the end of a crunch meeting in Brussels. They have agreed that not enough progress has been made on Irish issues, citizens' rights and the divorce bill Britain will have to pay. Brexit negotiations will not move on to phase two - trade and the UK's future EU relationship - until later this year. Despite the failure for talks to progress further, British Prime Minister Theresa May said she was "ambitious and positive" about the negotiations while conceding: "I know we still have some way to go". In relation to Ireland, she spoke of the "vital" need to protect the peace process. Both sides agree that the common travel area must continue, and that "there cannot be any physical infrastructure at the Border". The prime minister also said Northern Ireland's "unique circumstances demanded specific solutions". The Taoiseach welcomed the remarks, but also said Mrs May must explain what she meant. "Whether you use the term specific or unique, I'm happy to use either term. We will need to get to the point though of talking about what that actually means," he said. Mr Varadkar was also pleased with Mrs May's comments on the need to avoid physical infrastructure on the Border, but said: "We need to get down now to the detail of how that can be realised." He was asked whether it would be helpful for Ireland if the EU allowed more flexibility in the negotiations between now and the new December deadline for progress, given the weakness of Mrs May's position in her own party at home. Read More Mr Varadkar said he "has no crystal ball" when asked if progress is more likely by December, after the European Council's two days of meetings this week. But he insisted he remained "confident" sufficient progress can be made in the next eight weeks. European Council president Donald Tusk denied there was deadlock in the Brexit talks, saying that any such reports are exaggerated. German Chancellor Angela Merkel predicted the future trade talks would "undeniably" be more complicated than the first round of negotiations. European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU's assumption was not that there would be a "no-deal scenario". He added: "I hate the no-deal scenario... I want to have a fair deal with Britain." The European Council decided that the remaining member states would begin internal preparations for chief negotiator Michel Barnier's mandate ahead of the next phase of talks. Meanwhile, it set out its reasons why not enough progress has been made to move on to the trade negotiations and what Britain can do about it. The council said progress had been made in relation to protecting the Good Friday Agreement and maintaining the common travel area. Its conclusions state that the UK is expected to "present and commit to flexible and imaginative solutions called for by the unique situation of Ireland". That includes suggestions for how to avoid a hard Border. The council also welcomed progress on citizens' rights but this needs to be built on to provide the "necessary legal certainty and guarantees" for citizens. It noted the UK has yet to make a "firm and concrete commitment" on how it will settle its financial obligations. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox outside 10 Downing Street, London, after Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker agreed to "accelerate" efforts to find a Brexit deal but offered little sign of tangible progress. Steve Parsons/PA Wire Brexit talks on a future trade relationship will only be complicated if the European Union decides to "punish Britain for having the audacity" to leave, Liam Fox has said. The International Trade Secretary warned Brussels to put the prosperity of EU citizens ahead of any desire to make the UK pay a price for quitting the bloc, and sign a mutually beneficial trade agreement. Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry warned that "intransigence" from Theresa May has left Britain "heading for no deal". And Dr Fox said leaving without an agreement and trading on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms was "not exactly a nightmare scenario". But he stressed he would "prefer to have a deal because it would give greater certainty and almost certainly greater openness" and said reaching agreement does not need to be complicated if there is political will. "I don't think they're (the negotiations) difficult in terms of the trade law or the trade negotiations themselves. The difficulty is the politics," Dr Fox told ITV's Peston On Sunday. "In other words, how much does the European Commission and the European elite want to punish Britain for having the audacity to use our legal rights to leave the European Union. "That's the thing. "And what will the price be for the prosperity of European citizens of that decision? "I would hope that economic sense would dictate that we put the prosperity agenda of the whole of the European continent in a global context at the top of that agenda not ever closer union, in other words the drive by the Commission towards their political objective which has a near-theological level." Dr Fox also dismissed suggestions from French president Emmanuel Macron that "secondary players" in the UK were "bluffing" about the possibility of a no deal outcome because Mrs May did not mention it when she addressed EU leaders over dinner on Thursday. The International Trade Secretary said Mr Macron was "completely wrong about that" and the Government was working out the potential costs of no deal and how to mitigate them for different industries. Reports suggest the Government may use the coming weeks to step up preparations for no deal in an attempt to force the EU's hand in negotiations by showing the UK is ready to leave without a trade agreement, in the hope that it could lead to a more favourable outcome including fewer concessions on an exit payment. But Ms Thornberry warned that it was Tory splits holding up Brexit negotiations rather than inflexibility in Brussels. "I think what we may be seeing is the Europeans trying to make it clear that it is not their fault that there are these difficulties, the intransigence does not come from their side, it comes from Theresa May's side," she told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show. "And in the end I think the reality is intransigence is on Theresa May's side, because she doesn't have the strength or the authority to be able to control her backbenchers, let alone her Cabinet, and I think we are heading for no deal, and I think that that is a serious threat to Britain and it is not in Britain's interests for that to happen. "We will stop that." Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said Labour will join forces with Tory rebels in an attempt to force the Prime Minister into giving MPs a veto on the final Brexit deal. The shadow Brexit secretary demanded six changes to the "paused" repeal Bill, formally known as the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, including Parliament being given final approval of the exit agreement, warning that the Government faces defeat if it does not listen to MPs. Pro-EU Labour MP Chuka Umunna said there has been "an unprecedented" level of cooperation among backbenchers of all parties over Brexit. "In the end you've got to put aside the party political stuff on this issue, because history is not going to be kind to people who if you do, say, do things in their own self-interest here," he told Marr. "For me this is one of those issues, a bit like when you're voting for military action, you don't simply blindly follow your whips, you do what you believe is the right thing by your principles and your constituents." European Commissioner Phil Hogan has launched a stinging attack on the UK's approach to Brexit, warning: "We're now so close to the cliff edge of a hard Brexit that we can see the drop almost in front of us." Mr Hogan also said that "it's painfully clear the UK government is not going to propose workable solutions for the benefit of the island of Ireland". He also hit out at hardline Brexiteers who he claimed are "hooked on brinkmanship". During a speech in Brussels, the Irish Commissioner also spoke of the urgency of an agreement for the return of the Northern Ireland Executive and the need for renewed North-south co-operation to discuss potential solutions to a hard Brexit. His outspoken remarks come ahead of a European Council meeting where the remaining 27 EU member states are set to decide that not enough progress has been made in the first phase of Brexit talks to move onto the issue of future trade with the UK. Mr Hogan said he fears "common sense left the building a while ago" in the UK Brexit debate. He argued that "unfortunately facts and details are derided by the Brexiteers" and that "at a time when all the talent and energy of British politicians should be focussed on delivering a good result in the London-Brussels negotiations the unfortunate reality is that the London-London negotiation is still going on". He said it's his view that the October target for moving on to the next phase of talks has been missed and that "only serious engagement and realism can deliver an agreement by December". However, Mr Hogan said: "What becomes more obvious day to day is that the Brexiteers are hooked on brinkmanship and have been since the beginning." Solutions Mr Hogan claimed that the hardliners' "only approach is the tough-guy approach". "No matter what Brussels says or does. No matter what business in the EU says or does, no matter how many companies announce plans to move workers from the UK to new European Union headquarters, the hardliners cannot get it out of their heads the idea that if they bully their way towards the wire, the union's nerve will crack. "They need to get it into their heads that this is not the way that the European Union works," he added. "Unfortunately we're now so close to the cliff edge of a hard Brexit that we can see the drop almost in front of us. "We have to hope that between now and December that other voices will be louder and heard and that managed Brexit will emerge as a credible option." The European Council meeting in December is set to become the new deadline for completing phase one of the talks that involve Irish issues and the so-called divorce bill the UK will have to pay to settle its EU commitments. "It's painfully clear that the UK government is not going to propose workable solutions for the benefit of the island of Ireland," Mr Hogan said. "Indeed the low priority afforded to Northern Ireland over in London is very disheartening." Mr Hogan was speaking at the Brussels launch of RTE correspondent Tony Connolly's book 'Brexit & Ireland. The Dangers, the Opportunities, and the Inside Story of the Irish Response'. An artists impression of the exterior and interior of AIBs new premises at No 10 Molesworth Street AIB has signed a lease with Irish property-investment firm Iput for No 10 Molesworth Street, a 10,680 sq mt (115,000 sq ft) office building being developed in the heart of Dublin's central business district. The bank, which is still largely owned by the taxpayer, will occupy the entire seven-storey building on a 20-year lease. Iput is understood to have a agreed to a rent of 57.50 per square foot for the property. The figure represents a moderate discount on the rate of 62.50 currently being commanded by equivalent Prime Grade A office space in the central business district. AIB's pre-letting of No 10 Molesworth Street was formally confirmed in an announcement by Iput yesterday. Iput's chief executive officer, Niall Gaffney, said: "The completion of this major letting to AIB means we have now fully pre-let all of our development projects, bringing our total lettings for the year to date 2017 to 400,000 sq ft, generating 16m in new rent for our shareholders in 2017." No 10 Molesworth Street bears the distinction of being the first newly-constructed office in Ireland to achieve platinum accreditation through the LEED system of rating for sustainability. The building is due for completion in the first quarter of 2018, No 10 Molesworth Street is the second lease to have been signed by AIB this year. In February, the bank agreed a rent of 301 per sq m (28 per sq ft) with Green Reit for Block H at Central Park in Sandyford. Extending to 14,083 sq m (151,586 sq ft), the eight-storey building has the capacity to accommodate 1,500 employees. AIB is set to occupy the property on a 20-year lease with the first 12 months rent-free under the terms of its agreement. The bank's decision to enter into long leases at Central Park and on Molesworth Street represents a change of course from the past number of years, in which it had been renting a number of office premises on short-term leases. Those lettings had been necessitated by its decision in 2006 to sell four blocks at its Bankcentre headquarters in Ballsbridge to developer Sean Dunne in a 207m sale-and-leaseback deal. The bank vacated the four Bankcentre buildings in July 2011. While AIB's intended movement of employees to Molesworth Street was being welcomed yesterday by the bank's management and by its new landlords, Iput, the announcement came in for criticism from the Financial Services Union (FSU). In a statement, the union's senior industrial relations officer, Billy Barrett, said the FSU would be seeking a comprehensive agreement on staff relocations in AIB following a recent series of moves that have affected staff. "While the bank hails this as the beginning of an 'exciting period', for many staff the move will result in disruption to their work-life balance," Mr Barrett said. The International Monetary Fund's chief has reassured German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble that the IMF plans to remain constructively engaged in talks about further aid for Greece. Christine Lagarde spoke with Schaeuble about Greece's bailout programme during the World Economic Forum in Davos this week and told him the IMF aimed to continue its participation, the spokesman told a regular government news conference. The German Finance Ministry this week denied a report in Bild newspaper that Berlin was preparing for a deal without the IMF, which has said it will take part only if it includes significant debt relief. "Mrs. Lagarde again reassured the finance minister that the IMF is participating constructively in the ongoing discussions and continues to work for a quick agreement on full participation in the rescue programme, including funds from the IMF," the spokesman said. He said it was speculative to discuss what Germany would do if the IMF did pull out. Germany, Europe's largest economy, wants the IMF to have a stake in the bailout to give the rescue plan greater credibility, but also opposes granting Athens significant debt relief. Disputes over labour reforms, fiscal targets and debt relief have prevented Greece and its foreign lenders from concluding a compliance review of its current bailout programme, the third since 2010. Read More Schaeuble last week raised the possibility of a new programme for Greece without the IMF should the Fund decide to bow out. Bild said Schaeuble thinks the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the euro zone's bailout fund, would be tapped to plug the hole left by an IMF departure. But his spokesman declined to discuss that prospect, citing Lagarde's latest comments about the IMF's commitment to participation in the Greek bailout. Expand Close Wolfgang Schaeuble / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Wolfgang Schaeuble Greece's EU lenders want the country to achieve and maintain a primary surplus - after interest payments - of 3.5pc of GDP beyond 2018, when its current programme ends. The IMF says that unless Athens adopts more austerity measures and legislates them upfront, the surplus will only reach 1.5pc. Greek government officials said last week that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras - who is sagging in polls - would welcome an IMF exit, hoping it might help conclude the review without legislating more austerity now. Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performs after receiving a Crystal Award during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos January 20, 2015. More than 1,500 business leaders and 40 heads of state or government will attend the Jan. 21-24 meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to network and discuss big themes, from the price of oil to the future of the Internet. This year they are meeting in the midst of upheaval, with security forces on heightened alert after attacks in Paris, the European Central Bank considering a radical government bond-buying programme and the safe-haven Swiss franc rocketing. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT) The InterContinental hotel is seen through barbed wire in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos January 20, 2015. More than 1,500 business leaders and 40 heads of state or government will attend the Jan. 21-24 meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to network and discuss big themes, from the price of oil to the future of the Internet. This year they are meeting in the midst of upheaval, with security forces on heightened alert after attacks in Paris, the European Central Bank considering a radical government bond-buying programme and the safe-haven Swiss franc rocketing. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) Pharrell Williams had the biggest-selling single of 2014 in the UK Brian Moynihan (L), Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Bank of America and Liu Mingkang, Distinguished Fellow, Fung Global Institute of Hong Kong address The New Banking Context event in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos January 21, 2015. More than 1,500 business leaders and 40 heads of state or government will attend the Jan. 21-24 meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to network and discuss big themes, from the price of oil to the future of the Internet. This year they are meeting in the midst of upheaval, with security forces on heightened alert after attacks in Paris, the European Central Bank considering a radical government bond-buying programme and the safe-haven Swiss franc rocketing. Workers set up logos of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the congress center in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos January 20, 2015. More than 1,500 business leaders and 40 heads of state or government will attend the January 21-24 meeting of the WEF to network and discuss big themes, from the price of oil to the future of the Internet. This year they are meeting in the midst of upheaval, with security forces on heightened alert after attacks in Paris, the European Central Bank considering a radical government bond-buying programme and the safe-haven Swiss franc rocketing. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) Swiss police walk along a street near the World Economic Forum (WEF) venue in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos January 20, 2015. More than 1,500 business leaders and 40 heads of state or government will attend the January 21-24 meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to network and discuss big themes, from the price of oil to the future of the Internet. This year they are meeting in the midst of upheaval, with security forces on heightened alert after attacks in Paris, the European Central Bank considering a radical government bond-buying programme and the safe-haven Swiss franc rocketing. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) Hilde Schwab of the Schwab Foundation speaks ahead of the Crystal Awards ceremony during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos January 20, 2015. More than 1,500 business leaders and 40 heads of state or government will attend the Jan. 21-24 meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to network and discuss big themes, from the price of oil to the future of the Internet. This year they are meeting in the midst of upheaval, with security forces on heightened alert after attacks in Paris, the European Central Bank considering a radical government bond-buying programme and the safe-haven Swiss franc rocketing. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) Nobel Peace Prize laureate Al Gore, former U.S. Vice-President and Chairman and Co-Founder of Generation Investment Management speaks at the What's Next? A Climate for Action event in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos January 21, 2015. More than 1,500 business leaders and 40 heads of state or government will attend the Jan. 21-24 meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to network and discuss big themes, from the price of oil to the future of the Internet. This year they are meeting in the midst of upheaval, with security forces on heightened alert after attacks in Paris, the European Central Bank considering a radical government bond-buying programme and the safe-haven Swiss franc rocketing. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich U.S. boxing great Muhammad Ali poses during the Crystal Award ceremony at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland in this file photo from January 28, 2006. Ali has been hospitalized for follow-up care for a urinary tract infection that he received treatment for in recent weeks, and he is expected to be released in a day, a spokesman said January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Andreas Meier/Files (SWITZERLAND - Tags: SPORT HEADSHOT BOXING) A Swiss special police officer observes the surrounding area from atop the roof of the Davos Congress Hotel in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos January 20, 2015. More than 1,500 business leaders and 40 heads of state or government will attend the January 21-24 meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to network and discuss big themes, from the price of oil to the future of the Internet. This year they are meeting in the midst of upheaval, with security forces on heightened alert after attacks in Paris, the European Central Bank considering a radical government bond-buying programme and the safe-haven Swiss franc rocketing. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) A participant arrives by private helicopter for the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos January 20, 2015. More than 1,500 business leaders and 40 heads of state or government will attend the January 21-24 meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to network and discuss big themes, from the price of oil to the future of the Internet. This year they are meeting in the midst of upheaval, with security forces on heightened alert after attacks in Paris, the European Central Bank considering a radical government bond-buying programme and the safe-haven Swiss franc rocketing. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Nobel Peace Prize laureate Al Gore (L), former U.S. Vice-President and Chairman and Co-Founder of Generation Investment Management listens to singer Pharrell Williams, Creative Director and Brand Ambassador of Bionic Yarn at the What's Next? A Climate for Action event in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos January 21, 2015. More than 1,500 business leaders and 40 heads of state or government will attend the Jan. 21-24 meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to network and discuss big themes, from the price of oil to the future of the Internet. This year they are meeting in the midst of upheaval, with security forces on heightened alert after attacks in Paris, the European Central Bank considering a radical government bond-buying programme and the safe-haven Swiss franc rocketing. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich (SWITZERLAND - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS POLITICS) Some of the world's most powerful and influential political and business leaders got down to business today at the Swiss alpine resort of Davos, as the World Economic Forum kicked off. A Live Earth music event to demand action on climate change will be held on June 18 across seven continents, including Antarctica, former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore and pop star Pharrell Williams announced today. After a welcome reception and concert last night that included a performance by renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, the various panel discussions and debates got underway this morning. The yearly gathering is being attended by more than 2,500 participants from 140 countries, including 40 heads of state, and comes at a time of renewed terror threats after the recent attacks in Paris. Global leaders including US Secretary of State John Kerry, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and China's Premier Li Keqiang will join business chiefs such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg. Irish participants include Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who will arrive this evening, Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and Digicel chairman Denis O'Brien. Mr Kenny will attend a private dinner this evening, and will take part in a panel discussion tomorrow morning entitled 'Europe's twin Challenges: Growth and Stability', alongside Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb and Sigmar Gabriel, German Vice Chancellor and Federal minister of Economic Affairs and Energy. It is understood the Taoiseach will also take part in a dinner organised by the IDA tomorrow night in Davos, at which about 40 company representatives will attend. The IDA will also be conducting a series of investor meetings. Ahead of the dinner, IDA chief executive Martin Shanahan said the Davos gathering provided an excellent platform for the IDA to attract further investment into Ireland. ''IDA Ireland will meet with a number of existing client companies to discuss new opportunities for investment within their Irish operations, as well as targeting companies that have not yet set up in Ireland to discuss the advantages of doing business here,'' Mr Shanahan said. ''Participation at Davos increases Ireland's profile internationally and places the country on the world stage.'' Companies attending the Summit fall into IDA's target sectors including life sciences, technology, and financial services. Archbishop Martin will contribute to two sessions, including one entitled 'Mastering the Machines: Are we masters of our fate or will technologies take over?'. Ahead of the gathering today, Mr O'Brien, who is the largest shareholder in Independent News & Media, told Bloomberg that the trade relationship between Russia, the US and Europe was the greatest geopolitical issue facing the world's economy. ''The US and Europe have the wrong approach on Russia,'' he said. ''The big issue here is whether the EU, the US and IMF will help Ukraine prevent a default. If Europe doesn't stand firm with the Ukrainians, the country will melt down.'' He also predicted he Fed will not increase rates until later this year or the beginning of next year. As Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the rest of world's business and political elite ascends the Swiss Alps for an annual bout of crystal-ball gazing, history suggests Davos pundits are likely to get plenty of things wrong. Of course few got things more badly wrong than Mr Kenny himself when he told an audience in the Swiss resort that everybody in Ireland was to blame for the crash just weeks after a television address where he told the Irish people that they were not to blame. This year, Mr Kenny will be among 1,500 business leaders and 40 heads of state or government at the meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) from today to network and discuss big themes, from oil prices to the future of the internet. They are meeting in the midst of upheaval, with security forces on heightened alert after attacks in Paris, the European Central Bank considering a radical government bond-buying programme and the safe-haven Swiss franc rocketing. The mountain air encourages confident pronouncements but the accuracy of Davos predictions has been mixed. Dud forecasts from last year include Bank of Japan chief Haruhiko Kuroda declaring the situation in his country was "completely changed". Japan's economy is now back in recession. And no one last year saw Russia's annexation of Crimea, the rise of Islamic State or oil at $50 a barrel. The twin crises in the Eurozone and the banking sector have also been notorious for wrong-footing policymakers and pundits. In 2011 the French finance minister at the time, Christine Lagarde, declared the Eurozone had "turned the corner" and told financial markets not to "short Europe". The bloc went on to have an awful year in which short-selling would have been a decidedly smart tactic. In 2012 the tables were turned when economist Nouriel Roubini, nicknamed Dr Doom after he forecast the US sub-prime mortgage crisis, predicted Greece would leave the euro within a year. It didn't happen, though "Grexit" talk is back on the agenda for this year's shindig. The nadir for predictions, however, was January 2008. Despite the onset of the US sub-prime crisis, the Davos crowd overwhelmingly failed to spot the coming crash sparked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers only eight months later. A comment from Kuwait Investment Authority head Bader Al Sa'ad that bargains in the US financial sector represented "a pure investment opportunity" summed up the overconfident mood at the time. In the technology world, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates famously promised in 2004 to rid the world of spam email within two years. Three billion internet users are still waiting. But Davos has been good at spotting some mega-trends, such as the rise of emerging markets and, more recently, the shale gas-driven rebalancing of US growth. It also flagged future global tensions, such as access to water and cybersecurity. The Alpine zeitgeist has a better track record when viewed from the perspective of the business community as a whole. An annual survey of confidence among chief executives, unveiled each year at Davos by PricewaterhouseCoopers, shows that CEOs had a reasonably good idea of what was in store in 2007, 2009 and over the past three years, if not in 2008 and 2011. Of course, for most of the 2,500 participants, the event is more about meeting contacts and swapping ideas than pinning down firm predictions. "Clearly, there are things that are missed," said Mark Spelman, managing director at consultancy Accenture, who has been coming to Davos for over a decade. "But it gives me a picture of how 2015 may play out and it's impossible to get the same quantity or quality of interaction in such a condensed period of time in any other place on the planet." This year worries about international conflict are a major concern for the global community, according the WEF's annual Global Risks report, though economic fears are still very real. Davos Diary: Love is in the air in idyllic Alps For Martin Sorrell, a quarter century of journeying up the Alps to the forum each January has paid off in expected, and unexpected, ways: government contacts, business contracts and, eight years ago, love. "I met my wife in Davos," said the founder and chief executive of advertising giant WPP. "You could say I've got more than I bargained for." * Call them the Davos Ironmen. Of the 2,500 people participating this year, dozens have been making the pilgrimage to Europe's highest town for decades. Archbishop Martin has been coming since he was a young cleric in Rome while Peter Sutherland and Denis O'Brien have also been visiting for several years. The champ is Wilfried Stoll of Germany's Festo Holding: He has participated in all 36 conferences since his first in 1979, according to the forum's organisers. * The event has ballooned in size and cost over the years and companies pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for executives to participate. But former ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet is a fan. "Over the years, as I passed through different jobs, I found that the chats I had on the sidelines of Davos had no equivalent because of the diversity of the people," said Trichet, a veteran of 22 sessions. Taoiseach Enda Kenny has vowed that Ireland's "comprehensive and consistent tax policy" will not change. Mr Kenny was addressing more than 50 ceos and executives from major multi nationals at an IDA dinner at a the World Economic Forum in Davos. "Ireland will continue its pro-enterprise policies which have been the corner stone of our economy for many years," said the Taoiseach at the oversubscribed IDA dinner. "Ireland is prepared and work is well under way for the challenges posed by Brexit," Mr Kenny told the group of existing and target investors. "We have an open, educated workforce. We will be the only English speaking country in the EU and will remain a member of the Union. "Leadership is about courage. The courage to sometimes make decisions and sometimes the courage to say no. When you look back at where we as a country have come from a few short years ago, it has been a remarkable journey. "Now we face a fresh set of challenges". The Irish delegation at Davos has played down the question of Ireland's corporate tax regime and pressure in Europe to move towards a common, consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) in the wake of the 13bn Apple tax ruling which the Government is appealing. Instead the delegation, including Finance Minister Michael Noonan and IDA chief executive Martin Shanahan, have been telling investors that Ireland is a stable proposition post Brexit and capable of attracting more, not lest FDI into the country when Britain leaves the single market. Speaking after the dinner, Martin Shanahan said: "We've never had more people employed in FDI companies in Ireland - it was fantastic to have so many senior decision makers from different industries in the room tonight to hear, first-hand, why Ireland is such a great place to invest." Despite positive appearances, quality of life for families is of growing importance as Ireland faces increasing competition for inward investment. Photo: Stock image Real pressure points are forming in the economy. The favourable winds that helped bring our unemployment rate down from 15pc in 2011 to below 7pc now are shifting. One of the problems for Ireland is remaining attractive as a place to live and work. Sometimes that is about more than just wage rates or taxation. It is also about housing, quality of life, transport and what plans we have for the development of our cities. Some warning clouds are already appearing. We have had genuine investment gains in relation to attracting financial services companies to Dublin in the wake of the Britain's Brexit vote but we have also lost out on several other big wins we were competing for, such as insurers AIG, Lloyds and Standard Chartered. Our reputation is suffering as a result of Apple tax rulings and comments from Brussels to Washington DC about our corporate tax practices. Chief executives might actually love it, but it doesn't mean it helps with attracting skilled workers. On a different note, a survey of staff at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in London, found that 45pc of them said they would be unlikely to want to relocate to Ireland. The EMA is expected to move out of London after Brexit to a new EU location and Ireland would see itself as in the running to win this major prize. Unfortunately, Dublin was not among the top five locations favoured by EMA staff. We came in seventh - behind Amsterdam, Barcelona, Vienna, Milan, Copenhagen and Brussels. Staff preferences may not be the deciding factor on where the agency goes, but it will count for something. More importantly, we should ask why not Dublin, compared to those other cities. Bear in mind, the EMA is likely to have a multicultural workforce that currently lives in an English-speaking city. Yet, more of them would rather go to Austria or Denmark. This doesn't say much for the clap on the back we constantly give ourselves about the success of 'Brand Ireland' and our reputation abroad. It gets a lot more serious when the head of international financial services at IDA Ireland, Kevin Donoghue, is telling a Brexit conference that companies want to know about our future plans for our cities, how they will develop and issues like housing and infrastructure. Ireland's tourism industry is riding high with record levels of international visitors. But wanting to come here for a holiday is different to wanting to live here. They are connected in so far as they both rely on a positive international reputation or brand, but it wouldn't take somebody very long to Google the price of a three-bed semi D in Dublin or a one-bed apartment to rent. The results might be shocking. I am sure the average employee in the EMA in London is paying a right whack in mortgage or rent but they have a transport network to match. Issues around quality of life, the social and physical environment, public amenities, infrastructure, healthcare, culture, as well as personal taxation, are becoming ever more important in the battle to attract investment. Fixing the housing crisis isn't just a social imperative. It is also an economic one. Future investment decisions are taking account of new factors like having a plan for tackling the social challenges of a rising population with a greater concentration on the east coast. Dublin is a great place to live if you can get an affordable roof over your head. Galway is a wonderful city if you can get through the traffic. Unfortunately, it is a bit annoying to think the Government might really start to work on fixing these things when we think it is affecting our international image and reputation. Of course we should seek to fix these issues for the people who already live in Ireland and not just those who might come. Equally, there is an imperative to safeguard future jobs so we can retain the workforce and money required to fix these problems in the first place. But there have always been contradictions around Ireland's international image. Back in the 1980s we had postcards for tourists with donkeys, and blokes with enormous beards. There was even the famous one of the woman with a seagull on her head. At the same time IDA promotional literature was seeking to present us as the "young Europeans" full of education, ambition and progressive modern thinking. Ironically, we have got so much right for both the tourist market and the foreign direct investment sector. In a way, both have worked. But we may be running out of steam if we cannot back up the investment promises we make to multinationals or provide a better quality of life for our citizens. Many chief executives making investment decisions will look at the corporate tax rate, the business and regulatory environment, the educated workforce and the cost of doing business. But increasingly they have to examine the cost of living for potential employees, the cost of housing, health services and schools. Ireland has traditionally performed reasonably well in global reputational and brand surveys. But we have to be careful about reading too much into surveys. Like any brand in any business, perception is valuable but it has to be matched by the reality behind it, or you will eventually get caught out. We featured as No 1 in the world Good Country Index 2014, which was supposed to reflect perceptions about contributions to humanity, equality and all of that good stuff. But the following year we had fallen back to 11th. It turns out the 2014 result was based on data from 2010 and the 2015 was based on data from 2011 - the year the troika set up shop. Such swings might not say much for the usefulness of some surveys but perceptions really do count. We have consistently scored well in surveys like the Anholt Gfk Roper Nation Brand Index, which gathers the views of 20,000 people around the world. Perceptions are polled on exports, governance, culture, people, tourism and immigration/investment. Ireland typically comes in around 18th or 19th. It isn't bad for a country of our size but it has to be borne in mind that we are usually behind Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Austria and Scotland. The top five don't change that much and include the US, Germany, UK, Canada and France. International surveys about doing business, are a dime a dozen but we usually score fairly well. Best Countries for Business had us in fourth last year. However, that isn't going to cut it for much longer. In the competition to win inward investment lots of other countries are catching up. Our business environment might appear very positive on one level. But having access to world class accountancy firms doesn't count for much if all your staff can afford to rent is a bunk bed in Dorset Street. The enhancement to our international reputation of paying up on our banking debts may well evaporate in time from the 200bn of national debt we clicked up in standing over those bond repayments. Back in 2012 the founder of the Gfk Roper Nation Brand Index, Simon Anholt, suggested that Ireland could "position" itself differently in the future after the financial crash. He suggested we could brand ourselves as "the first country to pilot and prove a new form of capitalism - more moral, more fair, more balanced, more human". Five years later we can already see that we have missed the boat on that one. A farmer is entitled to some 299,000 damages, plus interest, over the Department of Agriculture's failure to return 233 of 355 cattle seized from his farm following a dispute about their welfare, the Supreme Court has ruled. In a case dating back to 2006, the Department had appealed a High Court decision assessing damages for Co Tipperary farmer John Hanrahan at 304,320, plus interest, but did not appeal findings he was entitled to damages over its failure to return the cattle, which it sold. An expert for Mr Hanrahan put his damages at 834,638 before interest but an expert for the Department calculated his losses at 1,979 or "virtually nil". While not criticising the individual experts in this "difficult case, such a "high ball-low ball" approach was an example of a "more widespread phenomenon" raising issues about expert evidence, its acceptance and treatment, Mr Justice Donal O'Donnell noted in his Supreme Court judgment. The costs of the seven day High Court case to assess damages may outweigh the actual damages, he observed. This was no criticism of the High Court judge, who had to allow the sides make whatever cases they wished, "however unrealistic". It was difficult to believe justice "may not have been done more cheaply" if a "more focused and realistic" approach was taken by the parties. In this case, Mr Hanrahan's method of conducting his business during the relevant period was "somewhat unorthodox" and it appeared the assessment of damages was on the basis there were no relevant books, records or even tax returns establishing the profitability or otherwise of his farm during the period, the judge said. Only at the end of the High Court case had it emerged there was a "complicated and undisclosed arrangement" between Mr Hanrahan and a brother-in-law in the UK to fund the operation of his farm in a sum exceeding 1m, he said. It was clear there was some "distrust and misunderstanding" between the sides and "frustration and scepticism" on the part of the Department with Mr Hanrahan. As often happens, parties may become entrenched to the point where the logic of pursuing a claim, or its defence, becomes secondary "and it would not be surprising if this occurred in this case". Having analysed the damages awarded under various headings, he said the Supreme Court was varying aspects of the damages awarded by the High Court but its total award, of 299,000, was just some 5,000 less than the High Court's. The award includes some 161,320 for the value of the cattle. The exact sum, including interest, will be finalised later. The court disallowed a cross-appeal by Mr Hanrahan alleging there were material errors in the High Court judgment. 2006 Seizure of Cattle Mr Hanrahan sued the Minister for Agriculture arising from the Department's March 2006 seizure of 355 cattle from his farm at Ballcurkeen, Carrick-on-Suir. The High Court later found welfare issues justified the seizure at that time. An agreement was reached between Mr Hanrahan and the Department in April 2006 under which cattle would be returned to his farm so as to bring the total animals up to a maximum 328 livestock units. The Department later claimed Mr Hanrahan had not complied with the agreement and said some animals would be sold. 149 animals were returned to Mr Hanrahan and the Department sold 223 others for 55,250 in June 2006. In the High Court in June 2009, Mr Justice Bryan McMahon found the Minister breached the April 2006 agreement in failing to deliver the 223 cattle back. He later assessed damages. Mr Hanrahan previously came to prominence in the 1980s when he won a high-profile legal battle against pharmaceutical giant Merck, Sharp and Dohme over emissions which, he alleged, had decimated his dairy herd. UK farmers will be encouraged to grow more here to prevent increases in food prices potentially caused by a no deal Brexit, a senior Cabinet minister has suggested. Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, said he believed Britain and Brussels will be able to reach a sensible agreement on the UKs terms of withdrawal from the European Union. However, he insisted that the UK will succeed come what may as he sought to downplay concerns that leaving the bloc without a deal could lead to large increases in food prices. He warned that no deal would cause damage to food producers on the continent but suggested the UK could counteract any problems by boosting domestic production in comments which echoed the famous Dig for Victory campaign of the Second World War. Told that British families could be hit hard by rising food prices if new, post-Brexit trading arrangements are not put in place, Mr Grayling said: Well, what we will do is grow more here and well buy more from around the world. But of course that will mean bad news for continental farmers, and thats why it wont happen. Because its actually in their interest to reach a deal. The Dig for Victory campaign was set up by the British Ministry of Agriculture during the Second World War to encourage people to grow their own food to reduce the UKs reliance on imports. Mr Grayling, a prominent Leave campaigner, told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show that he believed pressure from EU-based farmers would ensure a deal is done. Asked what a no deal outcome would do to food prices, he said: Well, what it would do is that it would mean that producers, supermarkets, bought more at home, that British farmers produced more, that they bought more from around the world. And it would damage French producers and continental producers. You may remember the brouhaha over the Walloon farmers when they were objecting to the Canadian trade deal. I had a look at the time to see who their biggest customer was. Us. We are the biggest customers of the Walloon farmers. They will be damaged if we dont have a deal. Despite his optimism, Mr Grayling said it was right for the Government to prepare for all eventualities. I remain absolutely of the view that Britain will succeed come what may, he said. But I also believe well end up with a sensible agreement with the European Union because its in both of our interests that that should happen. But of course we must plan for all eventualities. People would think it was ridiculous if the government wasnt planning for all eventualities. Labours Jenny Chapman, a shadow Brexit minister, said Mr Graylings suggestion of increased food production was another example of the Tories' chaotic approach to negotiations. She said: "Rather than planning for no deal, ministers appear to be telling us to dig for no deal. British farmers already work incredibly hard and to suggest that they could simply grow more food is ridiculous. France will propose changing the European Commissions mandate to negotiate a trade deal with South Americas Mercosur bloc to include food safety provisions, its envoy to Brazil said on this week. French ambassador Michel Miraillet said there was heightened concern in the European Union over food safety after a series of recent scandals, including the bribing of inspectors by meatpackers in Brazil to overlook sanitary practices. Miraillet said France expected four or five EU countries to back its plan to propose updating the Commissions negotiating authority. We dont know what will happen, but this is one proposal that will be made. The mandate dates from 1999 and needs to be modified, the diplomat told Brazilian reporters. The government of President Emmanuel Macron is under pressure from French farmers to avoid competition from cheaper Mercosur products, especially meat and ethanol. At a gathering of farmers and food producers last week, Macron said he was in no hurry to conclude by the end of the year trade negotiations that have dragged on for 18 years. Brazils foreign ministry declined to comment on the ambassadors comments. A European diplomat, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Frances planned request was a delaying tactic. A Brazilian diplomat, who also requested anonymity, said the French proposal was an attempt to intimidate Mercosur, whose members are seeking greater market access for food exports to the EU. Mercosur members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay want the EU to improve an offer to open its markets to South American beef and ethanol if it wants to seal a trade deal by year-end. Europe has offered to allow 70,000t of beef and 600,000t of ethanol to enter the EU with reduced import duties, which Brazilian and Argentinian negotiators described as disappointing. The European Commission, which negotiates on behalf of all EU countries, has to balance the interests of members pushing for a trade deal and those such as France and Ireland that are concerned about a glut of agricultural imports from Mercosur. The pace of access for Irish beef to the massive Chinese market is in the hands of Chinese authorities, the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed has said. He said China is a high priority for beef market access and significant progress has already been made. The BSE ban in respect of Irish beef was lifted by the Chinese authorities in early 2015. This was a very positive development which paved the way for the start of the process to secure access. The Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) then carried out a systems audit in Ireland in January 2016. In April 2017 together with the AQSIQ Minister Zhi Shuping, the Minister signed a Protocol on the requirements for Frozen Beef to be exported from Ireland to China. The signing of this Protocol was another significant step towards securing beef market access. A veterinary health certificate based on this Protocol is being finalised and will be submitted to the Chinese Authorities shortly. In response to questioning from Fianna Fails Agriculture Spokesperson Charlie McConalogue, the Minister said in August 2017 my Department hosted an audit visit from the Chinese Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) who undertook a series of plant inspection visits in order to assess the applications by Irish beef processors to gain access to the Chinese market. Feedback from the audit team was broadly positive and we are now awaiting the official report of their audit visit. Despite this significant progress, the fact is that the pace of market access will be determined by the Chinese authorities, and not by my Department. My officials continue to liaise closely with their Chinese counterparts to ensure every assurance is provided in relation to the quality and safety of Irish beef, he said. This 865kg April 2005 Charolais X bullock sold for 2,300 at the 50th anniversary sale in Kilcullen Mart. Photo Roger Jones. TURKEY has an import requirement for 500,000 head of live cattle each year and Ireland could supply up to 100,000 head on an annual basis, said IFA National Livestock Chairman Angus Woods following an IFA and Bord Bia meeting with Turkish officials in Ankara last week. There are a number of consignments currently being assembled for Turkey by Irish exporters, with further shipments anticipated over the coming months. To date this year, almost 17,000 Irish cattle have been exported to Turkey. Almost 20,000 head in autumn 2016. Farmers at the IFA protest outside the EU Parliament offices in Dublin voiced their concerns over the potential Mercosur trade deal. PADRAIG O'DRISCOLL Limousin suckler farmer, Caheragh, Cork "This has to be tackled prior to Brexit as Brexit, as we all know, will put a serious dent in it. Britain will have a free hand very, very soon to purchase wherever they want to. Automatically, they will go for cheap food. An awful lot of people don't understand about the quality in our Irish food at the moment so I've no doubt the English don't understand about it either. Expand Close Robert Ellis / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Robert Ellis "We know the quality is below ours. However, the price is going to dictate where the consumer will go. "If they can get 10kg of Brazilian beef for four or five kg of the Irish beef, they'll forget about quality." ROBERT ELLIS Beef finisher/suckler farmer, Drinagh, West Cork "It worries me very much - we got all the hormone beef banned here," he said. "We are doing everything by the book and the price of our beef today is hopeless. The suckler farmer needs to be supported as it is top quality and they have no problem taking this South American beef that is all hormones. "We have perfect beef to sell. We are not going to be getting the price we should be as we are up against it. People will tear into supermarkets and look to buy beef as cheap as they can, but they haven't a clue what they are buying. That is a big problem. The drive towards low-cost food is a major issue. The price of beef today is at least 50c/kg less than it should be." Expand Close Edel Gahan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Edel Gahan EDEL GAHAN Dairy and beef farmer, Boolavogue, Wexford "It will have an impact on the beef industry in Ireland and across Europe. The price being paid at the moment for beef is very poor and the beef industry will hit the floor. How can people continue to make a livelihood? "Brexit has already had an impact with sterling. It is just one thing after another. It is going to affect so many industries." Irish dairy processors have been accused of "enhancing their own margins at the expense of their suppliers". A number of co-ops have held their August milk price for September, a move that has been criticised by ICMSA. ICMSA Dairy Chairman Ger Quain said the decision by Kerry and Glanbia represented a deliberate choice "to enhance their own margins at the expense of their farmer-suppliers". Dairygold Board decided to hold the price for milk supplied in September at 36c/L including 0.5c/L quality bonus and Vat. Mr Quain accepted that dairy markets had weakened in recent weeks, but he claimed the full benefits of the market improvements had not worked their way back to farmers. "Farmers will clearly point to the investment in value added over the last number of years made by these two processors and, indeed, their own investment at farm level -including in SDAS - and they will ask the very simple question: why is their milk price still below the average EU milk price and not far ahead of the Fonterra price, which is broadly based on commodity-type products?" he said. Disadvantage The IFA also expressed disappointment with the decision of Kerry and Glanbia to hold milk prices and they called on processors to deliver a 1c/l increase for September. "At a time when our European fellow dairy farmers have received increased September milk prices and further uplifts have been announced for October milk, it is crucial that dairy co-ops in Ireland would not leave their suppliers at a disadvantage," said IFA dairy chairman Sean O'Leary. Lakeland Dairies kept its base price, but has added a 1c/L Butter Bonus for all milk supplied including all fixed price contracts. With this bonus for September, it takes the Lakeland payment to a gross 36.5c/L including VAT. However, Lakelands has cautioned that the outlook for 2018 is not as positive for milk prices. "Unfortunately butter prices have passed peak and are now much weaker as we face into 2018, and powder prices are returning less than intervention," the co-operative warned. Some co-ops are 'enhancing their margins' at farmers' expense, claim ICMSA Lakeland Dairies has increased its payout for September milk. Compared to August It will pay a 1c/L butter bonus for all milk supplied including all fixed price contracts. This takes the Lakeland payment to a gross 36.5c/L including VAT. This reflects the higher butter price that has underpinned and driven all the milk price increases for 2017. However, Lakeland also said that butter prices have passed peak and are now much weaker as we face into 2018, and powder prices are returning less than intervention, the co-operative said. Yesterday Glanbia announced that it will pay suppliers 35c/L (including VAT) for September milk. It announced today that the 35c/L including VAT is for September manufacturing milk supplies at 3.6pc butterfat and 3.3pc protein. This price is unchanged from the August price. IFA Dairy Chairman Sean OLeary said the decision by the Glanbia board to hold their September milk price at the August level is disappointing, and definitely falls short of EU market returns, as reported by the EU Milk Market Observatory. He called for other co-op boards, rather than blindly follow Glanbias lead, to pay farmers at least 1c/l more for September supplies. "The cows got used to it a lot quicker than I did - it was simply amazing how easily they adapted," said Mary Casey on the change over to robotic milking for a 100 cow herd. The two-unit Lely Robotic Automated Milking Units operate on the farm near New Inn in South Tipperary. Mary's husband, Donal (pictured), runs a construction contracting business, but dairying is in the blood of his Cork-born wife and she says switching to robotic milking has made a huge difference to her daily work load on the farm. "My biggest job each day is changing the (paddock) fencing for the cows, because the incentive for them to move is getting fresh grass every eight hours. "I was a bit worried in the beginning as to how the cows would take to it and what would happen if something went wrong. It took me a lot longer to get used to not having to worry about it than for the cows to adapt. The way the cows adapted was just amazing," said Mary. Her husband Donal added: "The workload with 100 cows on the robotic is a lot less than 64 cows was with the conventional system. It does make the job a lot easier." Expand Close Robotic milking has reduced the need to be present for the dairy milking routine. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Robotic milking has reduced the need to be present for the dairy milking routine. Mary reckoned: "It has reduced the work load by at least three hours per day." She concedes that robotic systems are more expensive to install, and service and operational costs are higher than for conventional systems. However, major breakdowns are now the exception and both day-to-day performance and reliability has become very satisfactory. Installation costs Expand Close Waterford farmer Ken Murphy with his Lely Astronaut robotic milking system. Photo: Sean Byrne. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Waterford farmer Ken Murphy with his Lely Astronaut robotic milking system. Photo: Sean Byrne. Installation of a single unit costs in the region of 125,000, with a two unit system usually installed for a little over 200,000. Service contacts run at around 2,000/unit per annum and electricity can cost up to 2.2c/1. Jordan Molloy of Lely explained that one unit may be sufficient for up to 90 cows depending on yield, but most farmers milking more than 80 cows should be considering a two unit system. "The hardware of the system is pretty much perfected now and I don't see many further changes coming. The software is constantly being further developed and we upgrade the software in the system regularly," she said. "On most farms the quarterly service under the contract is sufficient for maintenance. Service call-outs in between are rare enough now. For something small we can usually give instruction to the farmer over the phone." Jordan said that the experience with the introduction of the robotic systems now is that most cows adapt to it very quickly and the change over is easier for the animals than for the farmer. It was generally agreed that the robotic system is more capital demanding for the farmer who wants to expand the system for bigger throughput at a later stage unless adequate provision is made at the initial planning stage. On the plus side, promoters of the robotic system claim that the option for the cow to choose the frequency of milking can contribute to increased yield. Investment needed on dairy farms The majority of dairy farmers - at least three in every four - will be faced with considerable investment in updating or expanding facilities within the next few years, said Teagasc area manager Donal Mullane. His concern is that "very many of them could make costly mistakes" unless they put adequate thought into what is best suited to their particular needs and financial situation "both of which will vary a lot from farm to farm". "The Tipperary advisors and myself have been discussing the capital investment on dairy farms for some time," he said, adding they feel farmers must carry out significant investigation before making their decision. "The background is an expanding dairy industry and almost every dairy farmer either has, or will have to, spend some money on facilities. With that in mind we don't want to see people making mistakes which at the end of the day could be very costly," he added. Brian Prendergast, Lely area sales manager, south west region, told the Farming Independent that sales of robotic milking systems in Ireland are up 70pc on 2016. "Ireland is now the largest market for our robotic milking systems in Europe," he said. There is now a lead time of up to six months for supply from the placing of the order with the Lely European production plant in Holland because of the demand. "Farmers are adopting to robotics more easily, and the systems are more reliable because the guesswork is gone. A lot of farmers are going robotic because of the labour saving. "Most of the farmers are including heat detection and SCC monitoring in their systems but they are not anxious to overspend and more or less installing what is considered necessary," said Mr Prendergast. The number of robotic milking systems installed by the company in Ireland and the UK has now passed 1,500 units and sales have grown rapidly since the abolition of EU milk quotas Meanwhile, Donal Mullane cautioned: "The biggest mistake a farmer can make is to put in a system that they find out afterwards is not suited to their particular situation, be that the type of unit, the size of the unit, or the location of the unit on their farm. Building the dairy unit in the wrong place can become a big issue on some farms. "We are asking farmers to consider where they plan to be in five to 10 years and make their decision to fit in with that." A 'super' cow family is breaking records for longevity and consistent transmission of exceptional breeding genes for Henry O'Keeffe's spring calving herd on his North Cork dairy farm. The 'Odetta' breeding line succession has produced sires for some of the leading AI centres in the country, and bulls and heifers have been sold to scores of Irish breeders over the past three decades. Bulls from the herd offered at IHFA shows and sales over the years have consistently sold for prices in the top five. Earlier this year the Radney herd, which calved down 115 cows and heifers in 2017, was named Spring Calving Herd of the Year in the Cork Holstein Friesian Club. The club recently hosted a field evening for club members at the farm at Knockilla, Freemount. The herd, which had a yield average of 8,124kg at 3.94bf and 3.78pr in 2016, is largely made up of four 'families' of cows - Odetta, Gerrard, Deborah, and Ostrictch - of which the former is a rare leader across the Holstein breed in Ireland and abroad for performance and gene transmission. "The herd was depopulated in 1987 and when I was restocking I decided to start the pedigree herd," says Henry on the decision which laid the foundation of "a very lucky" breeding policy on the farm. "I bought the first Odetta cow from Mary Burns (Kanturk) at that time, and her successors have turned out to be super cows. "She wasn't a big cow, but she has bred great cows that make up nearly a quarter of the herd today." A daughter of the cow by Barold Rock Seal had 16 calves, and became the first cow in the herd to yield over 4pc protein. Radney Merci Odetta 4, in her 15th lactation, is predicted to yield 7,451kg at 3.70 bf and 3.75pr, having maintained a record of regular calvings and passing on the exceptional Odetta genes. Some of the cows now milking in the herd are third- and fourth-generation followers of the founders, and the original quality traits have continued down the line. The "queen" of the herd is Radney QUR Odetta, an 11-year-old cow, with five daughters now milking in the herd, explained Henry. She hit yields of almost 11,600kg at 3.88bf and 3.75pr in 2013 and 11,000kg at 4.71bf and 3.88pr in 2015. Each of her daughters is high in yields and good solids, and no wonder she has earned the title of the "Queen" in the herd with followers like Radney MIW Odetta 2 (10,328kg, 3.96bf, 3.63 pr), Radney DUT Odetta (10,409kg, 4.70bf, 3.80 pr), Radney DUT Odetta 6 (9,435kg, 3.67bf, 4.05pr), Radney RXO Odetta (9,549kg, 3.83bf, 3.72pr) and first lactation Radney MWL Odetta 3 (7,721kg, 4.05bf, 3.78pr). The "queen" also has a son and grandson currently in AI to further spread the breeding line. "The Deborah and Gerrard families are all really good cows, but the Odettas are super," says Henry. Flushed The top cows in the herd are flushed each year, with calves being born from up to three-quarter of the embryos. The focus on high protein production and consistency of generations of maternal breeding has been recognised by breeders across the country when purchasing bulls, as shown in the prices achieved for Radney Breeding Bulls at the annual sales. At the 2017 IHFA Premier Bull Sale, three bulls from the herd sold for a combined total of 8,250, while a previous sale recorded 5,500 for a Radney-bred bull. "Most of the bulls are sold at home - I usually only take a few to the sales each year - and I have a lot of repeat customers who have been coming back for years. One man has bought 18 bulls over the years" says Henry. Bulls from the herd are currently available from both Dovea AI and Eurogene AI centres. The herd is also a regular target for dairymen searching for quality in-calf heifers which are largely off the farm sales each season. "It is great to get customers coming into the yard to buy bulls and heifers and especially when previous buyers come back, because that shows that they are happy with the value they are getting," adds Henry. His son, Liam, is studying agricultural science in college and looking forward to becoming the next generation running the farm to continue the herd record into the future. In Aglish, Co Kilkenny, Storm Ophelia has come at a sobering cost for farmer Thomas Dermody who lost two four-year-old Friesian dairy cows - electrocuted after a power line had come down in his field. The damage was 2,500, he said. "We'd been told they were safer outside than in barns that might come down - but that wasn't the case here," he said grimly. He had knocked a hole in a ditch to retrieve the other eight cows that had been standing just 40 metres away from the dead livestock. But these weren't the big losses, he said, mindful of the death toll, with Michael Pyke (31) having lost his life not too far away in Cahir. Just up the road, farmer Stephen Wall had been forced up onto a treacherous barn roof in the middle of the storm to secure it after it had collapsed, threatening to send sheets of rusting metal flying into the road. It had been a big operation in high winds, said his wife Debbie. Expand Close Damage to a barn in Carrigen, Co. Waterford caused by Hurricane Ophelia. Photo: Tony Gavin 17/9/2017 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Damage to a barn in Carrigen, Co. Waterford caused by Hurricane Ophelia. Photo: Tony Gavin 17/9/2017 "But it had to be done, he couldn't risk it hurting someone," she said. Milking parlour lost Dairy farmer Paul Keating from Kildorrery,Co Cork said he feels lucky to be alive as Storm Ophelia wiped away the majority of his milking parlour roof on Monday. He said that he put tyres down on top of the parlour roof to try and secure it but that they hadnt been enough to stop the force of the wind destroying most of it. Were all lucky to be alive and safe. Id never seen anything like it. We milked the cows very early as we thought the power would go out. It ripped the roof to pieces and the water pipes and electrics were torn to shreds. Luckily an electrician friend of mine got us back up and running on Tuesday morning but were still without a roof. Weve a canopy roof at the moment. Hopefully insurance will cover it all. Cattle shed 'blown to pieces' West Cork farmer, Tom Wilson from Enniskeane added that he has been left without power, while three quarters of his cattle shed was blown to pieces due to Mondays high winds. Its very disappointing as weve still no power and cows had been milking well all year. Its the worst Ive seen in all of my days and Ive been milking all my life, he said. Conor Creedon, from Rathmore, Co Kerry is also without power. Although he has access to a generator, it is not strong enough to cool his milk. He feels that farmers are being left until last by the ESB. Expand Close Tom Wilson shed with roof blown off / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tom Wilson shed with roof blown off We havent seen any ESB vans around here. Its the same situation three miles north of us. A fuse blew in a friend of mines farm. Were being left until last. We hope to get power back soon but I cant see that happening, he said. According to Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) President John Comer the most pressing matter is power outages in milking parlours and that everything needs to be done to make sure farmers have access to generators. The ESB stated that they are: "prioritising repairs to higher voltage lines. While obviously frustrating for customers living in smaller clusters, this is the most effective way of restoring power following an unprecedented weather event such as Storm Ophelia. At the height of the storm, 385,000 customers were without power but 170,000 have now had their power restored." Appeal for generators Meanwhile, a large number of milk suppliers remained without power last night, according to Ireland's largest milk processor Glanbia Ireland. Those without access to generators face a very difficult situation with herds now requiring milking urgently. It said the worst affected regions are Waterford, Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary but issues are not confined to these areas. On Tuesday afternoon, the number of seriously affected Glanbia farms was estimated at approximately 500. Glanbia Ireland said it is working with suppliers, collecting milk as frequently as possible where access is safe. In some of the worst affected areas, access to some farms is still not possible due to the presence of fallen trees with attached power cables. Glanbia Ireland Chairman Henry Corbally said there is a severe shortage of suitable generators available. "I would urge farmers in areas that have not been adversely affected by Storm Ophelia to consider making suitable mobile generators available to dairy farmers in affected regions. Abducted Indian trader rescued Police investigation has revealed that the kidnappers of Indian trader Amit Sharada were planning to demand Rs 30 million ransom for his release. It's all about milk and honey at Kevin Collins's dual enterprise farm in West Cork where it's a toss up every year as to whether the cows or the bees will bring in the most profit. "I'd say it's about 50-50. The milk price can go up and down while the honey is sold at the same price, so it probably favours the cows with prices the way they are at the moment," says Kevin. He farms 230 acres in Timoleague where he runs a pedigree-registered herd of up to 200 Holsteins, some British Friesians along "with a bit of Jersey thrown in." He supplies milk to Barryroe who are currently paying "43c/l with high fat." "The price this year is okay especially when compared to the previous two years. We are making a margin. We are not living on the minimum wage. But you need over 30c/l to make a decent wage and milk prices have a habit of diving when they hit the 40c/l mark," Kevin enumerates. When not milking the herd Kevin switches his attention to the honey business. This involves 300 bee hives which are located at Timoleague and across host farms from Kinsale to Macroom. Expand Close Kevin Collins's Father Jerry farmer based in Timoleague, Milk and Honey Molaga Honey Pic. Emma Jervis Photography / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kevin Collins's Father Jerry farmer based in Timoleague, Milk and Honey Molaga Honey Pic. Emma Jervis Photography Kevin produces his own Black and Green labelled honeys under the Molaga brand. The brand's name derives from St Molaga who ministered in the Timoleague area in ancient times and was a friend of St David, the patron saint of Wales and, some would say, the patron saint of bees. He has distribution agreements with Tesco and Musgraves for the Molaga brand and also organises distribution to MACE and other outlets himself. The Black label brand is produced from the 300 "home hives" and some locally bought-in honey. About two tonnes of honey are used for the Black label while an extra seven tonnes is imported from Portugal for the Green label brand. Three generations of the Collins family have kept bees. Kevin learned the art from his father, Gerry who still manages the apiary on the Timoleague farm to this day. Both enterprises create spin-off work locally with the dairy employing a full-time man and the hives creating work for a few local lads and a part-time office administrator. Kevin, who has an infectious enthusiasm about bees, is always puzzled why honey curds are not very popular with consumers. "The older people tend to buy them but there seems to be no interest among the younger people for them. The curds always have the best honey in them," he says. Expand Close Kevin Collins farmer based in Timoleague, Milk and Honey Molaga Honey. Pic. Emma Jervis Photography / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kevin Collins farmer based in Timoleague, Milk and Honey Molaga Honey. Pic. Emma Jervis Photography Kevin says it is important where the hives are sited. He had a hive near an ESB power line once and he immediately noticed that the bees began to die off quickly, but when he relocated them away from the power mast, they thrived once again. "All the honey, whether Irish or Portuguese, is fully traceable down to the last barrel," he stresses. Kevin, who has been farming with his father since he completed his agricultural studies at Clonakilty in the mid 80s, is married to Kay and the couple have four children - Caoimhe (15), Mira (13), Riona (11) and Darragh (9). Off farm, his interests centres on the local GAA club and with helping to organise the annual Timoleague Harvest Festival. He has been working with the festival committee for over 10 years now. It attracts top like Nathan Carter, Mundy and Aslan, it puts another buzz into the rural life around the old parish of St Molaga in West Cork. In conversation with Ken Whelan Farmers across the country are bracing for extreme weather this morning as storm Ophelia moves across the country. Although the weather phenomenon is now officially classed as an ex-hurricane, Met Eireann have explained that although the conditions of the hurricane have changed, the power of the wind will not have changed when it hits Ireland. Ophelia has been classed as a post-tropical cyclone but she is expected to bring hurricane force winds to Ireland from 9am. Irelands largest milk processor Glanbia has warned that the weather conditions may cause some disruption to milk collection in some areas over next 24 hours. Farmers have been warned to ensure that any equipment they have is secured. Coillte would like to remind the public to be vigilant for fallen trees and to contact emergency services if any roads or access routes are blocked by fallen trees. The Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed has urged farmers, fishermen and people in rural areas to be extra vigilant and take precautions. The Minister was speaking after the Committee on Emergency Planning meeting this morning at which his Department was represented. Commenting the Minister said urged farmers and all people in rural areas to ensure that they are ready for the approaching storm and ask them to follow closely the advice of the authorities particularly for those in the worst affected Counties. Priority is obviously the safety of people and I would reiterate the advice that only essential travel should be taken. For farmers they should ensure that their yards are secured by securing loose objects". Expand Close Latest guidance from the National Hurricane Centre. Bear in mind times shown are AST so add 5 hours. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Latest guidance from the National Hurricane Centre. Bear in mind times shown are AST so add 5 hours. The Minister also reminded landowners of the dangers of fallen trees in particular the impact this can have on electric wires. The assessment of damage in such circumstances should only be carried by appropriately trained professionals from the electricity companies. Shed doors should be securely fastened and older slat roofs sheds avoided. If you have to check on livestock, bring a family member or neighbour and in more exposed and remote areas, wait until the storm abates. The Minister also asked people to check on elderly neighbours in rural areas and importantly avoid any risks. Fishermen should take particular care as the force of the storm will be felt most along the western coastline. Met Eireann 's website currently reads; "A STATUS RED WARNING IS IN OPERATION COUNTRYWIDE FOR TODAY." They have forecast that today will be stormy with spells of heavy rain and widespread gales. "Winds mainly from the southeast during the morning will give some severe and damaging gusts, before veering southwest later," the forecast reads. "Some violent gusts between 120 and 140 km/h, and storm surges near coasts may give local flooding." The ex-hurricane is due to hit the south and south-west of the country at approximately 9am. It will travel upwards through the country, hitting the south-east by noon. The revival of energy crops such as miscanthus and willow was being forecast following the Government decision to commit 7m to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme (RHI) in last week's Budget. Industry sources pointed out that exchequer supports for the RHI scheme are set to increase from 7m to 90m annually as the initiative becomes fully operational and that this will completely change the outlook for energy crops. "This is very positive news. At long last the road ahead is bright," said Paddy O'Toole of Quinns in Baltinglass. Details of the initial 7m package are expected to be announced by the end of November, when the support payments for users of renewable heating fuels will be made known. The RHI scheme will cover the higher cost of generating heat from renewable sources such as willow, wood chip, wood pulp, straw and miscanthus. The support payment will be calculated on a per-unit-of-energy-produced basis. Given the controversy from the 'cash for ash' scandal in the North, it is anticipated that a tiered payment system will be employed by the authorities here. Ireland must increase the proportion of energy it produces from renewable sources from the current 9.2pc to 16pc by 2020, or face annual fines of around 90m for every percentage point it is below this target. The most challenging component of this target is in heat generation, where we currently produce just 6.2pc from renewable sources and must increase this to 12pc by 2020. It is envisaged that applications to participate in the scheme will open in July 2018, with the scheme being fully operational by 2019-2020. The administration of the scheme will be handled by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Although much of the biomass material for the scheme will have to be imported, industry sources maintained that it will provide a ready market for locally produced willow, miscanthus, wood pulp and straw. Barry Caslin of Teagasc said that the scheme will increase demand for energy crops. It could also put a floor price on straw, as well as offering alternate land uses - such as producing silage for anaerobic digestion - for farmers who currently struggle to get an adequate return from conventional enterprises. Paddy O'Toole claimed that the scheme could also rehabilitate the reputation of miscanthus by providing cereal growers with an alternative crop and the potential for a guaranteed return where supply contracts are agreed. He insisted that supporting miscanthus was also a "no brainer" for the Government. "Each tonne of miscanthus that replaces fossil fuels will save this country 460 in penalties," Mr O'Toole claimed. The rise in demand for non- GMO (genetically modified organisms) products in Germany is not an immediate threat to Irish agri-food exporters, but it is a trend that we need to respond to, Bord Bia analysts say. At present, Ireland produces no GMO-free products, even though yields of GM-free crops and the launch of GM-free dairy products are becoming more widespread in places like Germany, the US and Scandinavia. Germany is Ireland's sixth largest market and was worth 600m in exports in 2016. Speaking at the recent ANUGA food trade fair in Cologne, Bord Bia's German manager Donal Denvir said that the demand for non- GM products is very "real" in the German dairy sector and that meat is not far behind. "It has arrived in the mainstream in dairy. If you go to Lidl in Germany you can now buy GM-free milk for a very cheap price and it's locally produced. We haven't really seen it at the same level in meat but it exists. So my analysis of that is that trend will continue," he said. While Irish products have a high reputation in Germany, Mr Denvir added that non- GM products produced in Germany also market themselves in this way and that the Irish food sector has to be ready to face this threat. "Our position in Germany is already very strong but beef consumption there is around 70pc domestic so the regionality trend is huge in Germany, and that same sentiment of regionality that people are looking for is expressed in non- GM. If Germany can produce it they would be looking at entering that space and building on it," he said. Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy told the Farming Independent that they are in the middle of tendering out a large study on GM. She said the research will help them determine whether non- GM is a trend that is worth the Irish food industry investing in or whether it is just a consumer fad. "Non- GM is a very big trend both in the US and Germany. What we're looking to do is to understand the industry because it's a relatively new industry and there are a lot of feelings about it; what we're trying to do is gather the data. Fundamentally, good decisions are based on good data." Costs "Is it a real structural change that is happening in the industry or is it just a fad? Is it trendy to be GMO one year and non-GMO the next?" She added that if Ireland were to invest in non- GM, it would be a costly process as at present no such products are made here; she pointed out that therefore investment should not be made on a whim. "If Ireland were to follow the non-GM model there would be huge cost implications. It's not something that should be based on the opinion of one or the opinion of ten, so what we're looking at is going around the world to understand the data and bring that back to Ireland and allow informed decisions to be made," she said. According to Bord Bia's director of markets Padraig Brennan, the sustainability-type messaging and grass-fed image that Ireland is pushing in Germany at the moment fits in with a lot of the requirements that those interested in non- GM products look for. "From own point of view, that grass-fed approach of non-GM fits well in to what we offer as a country anyway. In markets like Germany, the non-GM trend is there but when you dig in to see what a consumer thinks of when they think of non-GM, that can vary. We need to be clear on what that is and where we can fit in," he explained. Across the water, Jane King, CEO of the UK's Agricultural and Horticulture Development Board, said that in this Brexit climate we should look at non- GM trend more seriously. "There's very much a green mentality in the EU. I think there are some people in the UK in this post-Brexit world that think it's something we should look at more seriously," she said. "There may be some more freedoms there, but of course in Scotland, they are anti-GM. I think all of these things will need to be revisited in the light of the changing landscape." Leading Irish food companies are not concerned by the growing trend. Denis O'Riordan of Kerry Foods said that he doesn't feel Ireland's grass-fed reputation would be enhanced by non- GM. "I wouldn't say non-GM is a threat. We deal with a fantastic dairy company here in Bavaria and they launched a GM-free product last year and it didn't go that well. I'm not sure if people understand what it is. I'm not sure it has the extra appeal people talk about," he said. For Rory Fanning of Slaney Meats, non- GM is not an immediate concern, but he said that the industry should be more open to discussing it as it is a growing topic. "For me it's not a worry, it's a matter of being ready and being out there communicating so there is total transparency about what is happening, whether it's climate sustainability or animal welfare," he said. "Overall Ireland has a fantastic message to bring." New regulations around NCTs for tractors is due to come into force from May 2018, which one TD has called 'madness' and said it would force older tractors onto the roads. The Minister for Transport Shane Ross signed a new Statutory Instrument in September, which calls for all tractors involved in haulage of a distance over 25km to under go an NCT. Farming organisations have criticised the move and said they were not fully engaged with during the consultative process. Michael Moroney, CEO of Farm Contractors Ireland said he was "flabbergasted" at the move by the Department of Transport and the Road Safety Authority (RSA). He said that at a meeting this week with the RSA, farming organisations were told that tractors capable of travelling 40km or more when hauling loads more than 25km from their base would be classed as commercial haulage and would need to undergo an NCT. He also said that the term 'agricultural activity' remained unclear for haulage purposes, as transporting baled silage was considered commercial haulage, but transporting unwrapped bales was not. Moroney also questioned the practicality of a 25km distance and said that not only would agricultural contractors' work be spread beyond a 25km radius, many farmers are renting land that is further than 25km from their home farm. According to the Department of Transport SI agricultural purposes means not commercial road haulage means carriage of goods or passengers for hire and reward and carriage of goods by a person in the course of a trade or business carried on by him for the purpose of delivery to a customer in a vehicle owned by that person'. Independent TD Mattie McGrath said the move was effectively blindfolding and hugely damaging to agriculture. "Indeed, fodder is being transported to the west because of the storms. This came out of the blue, without consultation. I want a moratorium placed on this, because it is going to have a huge impact." He also said it would force older tractors with a lower speeds, which are totally unsuitable, onto the roads. "It is madness. The RSA has to be reined in because it is totally out of touch and is trying to destroy rural Ireland." Michael Sheehan, Chairman of Professional Agricultural Contractors of Ireland said the organisation has secured a meeting with the Department of Transport in early November where stakeholders will be able to address their serious concerns on this and other issues surrounding S.I. 413/2017. "This (regulation) has serious implications particularly for agricultural contractors as travelling outside the 25km radius will be deemed to be commercial use and bring with it compulsory roadworthiness testing." The family of farmer Tom Oliver is appealing to the public over his murder. RTE's Crimecall tonight hears from the family of Tom Oliver, who speak for the first time since the Co. Louth farmer was murdered in 1991. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. "We went to bed as a normal family and we woke up the next morning and our Daddy was gone," one of his daughters tells Crimecall. "It shattered us is so many ways." His son said he remembers his uncle saying there was no easy way to tell him that his father had been killed. Gardai also released information about a car that Tom Oliver made a note of the registration that day. It was a black Toyota Carina mark 2, with the number plate UIR 919. Mr Oliver, a sheep farmer, was abducted, tortured and brutally murdered by the IRA on July 19, 1991 and Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams told LMFM radio that Mr Oliver's death was "politically motivated" and suggested that his killers should go unpunished. A number of Government politicians including the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed were critical of Adams' comments and said that any information that Sinn Fein has on the killing of Louth farmer Tom Oliver must be forwarded to the appropriate authorities. Adams also told LMFM radio that he was in in the area at the time. "I was actually in, by complete fluke, I was on holidays down in Galway and came back up. I was in the Cooleys at the time Tom Oliver was killed. I was with my family in the Cooleys at that time," the Louth TD said. A minute's silence will be observed at marts around the country this week, in remembrance of people who have been killed in farming accidents. It comes as details emerge of two men losing their lives over the weekend when working on farm buildings damaged by Hurricane Ophelia. It is hoped that the minutes silence will also promote safety awareness and to further ignite a continuing commitment to farm safety among the farming community, the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has announced. According to ICOS, each Mart Manager will make a speech at 1.00pm and the Minutes Silence will then be observed. Michael Spellman, Chairman, ICOS National Marts said livestock farming is a challenging and labour intensive enterprise at the best of times. "It is physically demanding and it carries associated safety risks due to the requirements to manage and control animals which requires a careful approach and the need to be alert to danger at all times. There are also serious ongoing risks from machinery and equipment." He reminded farmers that a routine can take hold when working on a farm and they should remember that the daily routine on every farm is actively reducing and eliminating the safety risks that exist. Staying safe on the farm requires vigilance and prevention. Keeping yourself, your family and your workers safe must become a key part of the daily routine for every farmer because one injury or one life lost, is one too many, and none of us ever want that kind of tragedy visited upon us." He said that safety must not be left to chance, farmers need to manage health and safety on their farm and effectively plan work activities. "This planning must include planned safety maintenance on farm tractors machinery, equipment, facilities and time management. Michael Spellman expressed sympathy and solidarity on behalf of the co-operative livestock farming community to the families of 197 people, including children, who were killed in farming accidents between 2007 and 2016. He said the high number of serious and fatal accidents is a cause for great concern and changing unsafe working behaviour is the key to sustaining a reduction in the number of serious and fatal accidents on farms. A special focus needs be given to farmers 65 and over as they generally represent over 50pc of the fatal accident on Irish farms. The physical capabilities of older farmers vary by individual. While some people maintain good strength, flexibility, eyesight, and hearing well beyond age 65, others do not." Like farming, politics also has its seasons. So autumn brings us the political conferences where the party loyalists gather and mingle to consider policy and political plots. If you like your politics - and I do - they have a certain compelling side. Fianna Fail were at it this past weekend, back at their old haunt in the RDS. Next month will see the Fine Gael faithful make the trip to Cavan, on November 9 and 10, while Sinn Fein will also hold court back at the RDS on the following weekend. Up to very recent times these events used to command a lot more media attention. There was usually an hour-long, mind-numbing leaders' speech, full of multitudinous aspirations, most of which were happily never again heard of. But we live in busier and quicker times. So, often these events do not get much airplay beyond the political bubble. That is probably as it should be. But all of that being said, they can throw up matters of longer-term interest. At lunchtime on Saturday, the London-based politics professor, Dr Tim Bale, addressed the Fianna Fail faithful and had some very interesting things to say. Prof Bale charted the slow struggle of the British Conservative Party to re-build following the fall of Maggie Thatcher in 1990. Since Fianna Fail's electoral meltdown in February 2011, he has been advising them to good effect and they had him back this weekend to give an update. Naturally, he referred to Brexit, reinforcing many of the grim things we already know. "The bad news is that there is no good news." But he focused on what happened in the UK during the so-called "snap election" of June 8. This proved a calamity for Prime Minister Theresa May as voters utterly rejected her claims that she was calling this election, two years after the last one, to strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations. British voters saw her election gambit "entirely as a self-interested move" by the Conservative Party - and they accordingly punished her. The message was simple for Fine Gael and Fianna Fail: efforts to "catch each other on the hop" by causing an early election would very probably backfire on the party deemed responsible for causing such an election. The second pointer to be taken from the UK election was that "campaigns do matter". There was a posh assumption that parties were often just going through the campaign motions with little effect on the election outcome. But all the research now points out that voters are making up their minds later and later, very many deciding in the final week, but a sizeable number leaving their decision until polling day. In Britain last summer, Theresa May had a very bad campaign while Labour's Jeremy Corbyn had a much better than expected campaign. Another big out-take was that it is wrong to bank too much on the cult of the leader. Bread-and-butter policy issues must be addressed, and voters suspect parties which put too much emphasis on the leader of trying to hide things. The same can be said of negative campaigning - the Tories did too much slagging off of Labour and it backfired. You don't need to be a politics professor to see his point that general elections are always about the economy. These issues must be addressed in a fairly specific messages. A party which goes "too catch-all" risks being seen with a sort of "Vote for us and get a free kitten." That, of course, means destroyed credibility. These lessons to be taken offered much food for thought. John Downing is an Irish Independent political correspondent Cabinet endorses HPE ordinance The Cabinet on Monday endorsed the Heath Profession Education (HPE) ordinance to address the demands of Dr Govinda KC. The commencement of advance payments under the 2017 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and the Greening Payment has been announced. These payments, worth some 700m to 111,000 farmers and come following recent discussions between the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed and the EU Commission. Minister Creed also confirmed that the level of the advance payment is set at 70pc for 2017 rather than 50pc as provided for in the EU legislation. "Every year, the advance payment of the BPS is a vital support for farmers across sectors in terms of maximising cash flow. It is a priority for my Department that these payments issue in the most efficient manner possible, and that they commence on the earliest date possible under EU Regulations. The Minister also commented that I am happy to confirm that the 111,000 farmers paid in the initial tranche of advance payments represent an increase over the 109,000 farmers paid at this stage last year. "Over 90pc of eligible applicants for the BPS have now been paid in this first tranche. As we move to full online application by 2018, my Department will be able to introduce further efficiencies into the processing of payments which will be of direct benefit to farmers. Payments under the Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme also continue to issue as cases are cleared for payment. Minister Creed added that the advance BPS payment and the ANC payments taken together mean that over 880m has now issued to Irish farmers in the last month. "These payments provide a significant financial boost for individual farmers and the wider rural economy. I was delighted to secure an increase in the ANC scheme allocation for 2018. This 25m increase will provide direct financial support to farmers in the most marginal areas of the Country." The Minister indicated that advance payments will continue issuing regularly until mid-November, with balancing payments to commence issuing from early December. In order to facilitate farmers who wish to contact the Department in relation to their BPS or ANC payments, extended hours are now in place for the Direct Payments Helpline. For the period from October 17 to October 21, farmers can ring the Department at 076 106 4420 between 9am and 8.30pm on weekdays and from 9am to 1pm on Saturday. The Minister also confirmed that payments under the 2017 National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme will commence early in December 2017 The Minister said payments under the BPS and ANC scheme will continue to issue as individual cases are cleared. "I will continue to prioritise the ongoing processing of payments, subject to the requirements of the schemes being met," he said. Studies have shown that farmers who have a designated successor for their farm business are considerably more motivated to drive on their businesses than those who do not. When the topic of 'no successors' is discussed, many think of farm families who have no children, but the real 'no successor' story concerns farmers with children who are not interested in farming or taking over the farm business. A recent survey stated that 50pc of farmers have no successors. I often wonder about such results, as these surveys pose the succession questions to farmers and not the successors. The farmer might have a successor in mind, but that child/successor may have a different plan altogether. Therefore, there may be many more farm businesses without successors. Most adult children are interested in getting ownership of the land but many have no interest in a career in farming. This situation has prompted me to consider why many farm businesses have no successors and look at the options open to farmers. Here are the five main reasons why 50pc of Irish farms have no designated successor: 1 Farm Size / Viability The average Irish farm is approximately 40ha and the average income in 2011-2016 was 25,362. Clearly this is not an attractive career for today's millennials, who are attracted by the bright lights of the city and the salaries/ modern working conditions in the Googles and Apples of this world. However, larger, developed farm businesses will provide the income and standard of living expected in today's world. 2 Discouraged by parents Children from farm families are very well represented at our universities and ITs. We all remember our parents encouraging us to get a good education as there is no living out of farming. Today it important that parents know the possibilities for the farm business and educate or encourage their children appropriately. 3 Generation gap is too short Even on viable farms a 25-year-old successor may not relish the thought of working with 55-year-old parents for 15 years until they reach a pension age. This is a new problem caused by people living longer and the funding of more extravagant lifestyles in retirement. Perhaps parents who want the family farm business to continue should consider exiting the business at an earlier age to give the necessary freedom to successors. 4 Lifestyle Like it or not, farming is a tough physical job, and many of today's millennials simply choose not to live the lifestyle irrespective of the salary. This is just a fact of life. 5 Career choice The ease of access to third-level education and the globalisation of the workforce provides a multitude of choice for today's children; they are fully entitled to explore their dreams and ambitions in other careers. The challenge here is to make farming a more attractive career so at the lease it is considered by our best and brightest. What are the options for the farmers whose children choose a different career path? For me to advise these farmers, their farm business must first be categorised into a) viable or b) non-viable farm businesses. Viable farm businesses If your family have spent generations building a viable farm business and you are now faced with no successor to continue this progress there many options to consider. The first consideration is to continue the business, and the first step is to replace oneself. A farm manager could be employed to run the farm or one could enter a partnership with a young farmer or another farmer. This type of arrangement would suit a well-developed, profitable farm business. The farmer can build in whatever involvement he or she chooses - in fact the 'no successor' children with zero interest in physical farm-work may also become involved in the management of the business, physically or remotely. Imagine a 200-cow dairy farm now run by an ambitious young trained farmer who is in partnership with the retired dairy farmer and his son or daughter who works as a surgeon in New York. This was not common in the past because the size and viability of Irish farms would not support all parties. I foresee more of this type of arrangement in the future and who is to say that the surgeon's children mightn't one day return to be full-time farmers on the family farm again. Non-viable farm businesses If the family business is not generating enough profit to attract a partner or simply there is no desire to continue the farm business, then the options are simple. Sell, long-term lease, plant with trees or transfer the farm to the non-farming children. Many farmers shy away from being proactive and making the big decisions about their land. Instead they hide behind a will, or worse again, do absolutely nothing. It is vital for farm owners to face up to their responsibilities in respect of succession, given that they were designated to manage the family silver for a generation. Get the relevant advice, and remember that the non-farming children can also be successful successors of the family farm business. Mike Brady is a Cork-based agricultural consultant and land agent email: mike@bradygroup.ie Students are currently studying for their Green Cert from as far away as Perth in Australia and Abu Dhabi. An initiative to provide the Green Cert course for students on an island off the west coast has acted as the springboard for a novel educational service. Westport College of Further Education (CFE) is this year delivering an online Green Cert course to around 100 people, with some students thousands of kilometres away. The online Green Cert is also good for the environment, as Westport CFE claimed this year's course had saved 300,000km of travel - and that's not counting the lads on the other side of the world. The concept of the online course grew from an enquiry to Westport CFE from the development company on Clare Island off Louisburgh, Co Mayo on how eight students could best access the college's Green Cert course. "The teachers going out to provide the course on the island, or the students coming in to Westport, didn't work with the ferry times," college principal, Michael Murphy, recalled. It was then proposed that the classes could be streamed live on the internet to the eight students. This solution worked so well that 12 more students on the mainland enrolled for the online classes. This year the college has around 100 students doing the Green Cert online, with three separate classes. Live classes Mr Murphy explained that keeping the class sizes at around 30 means that students can ask specific questions. The classes can be received on a laptop, a personal computer or a mobile phone, with the input of each student, and interactions between the teacher and students, relayed to all the class. The classes take place two nights a week and last for three hours. There are 60 classes in total over the 30-week term, and the students must log in for the live classes to meet the attendance requirements. The reaction to the online classes has been exceptional, Mr Murphy said. Although some of the students are overseas, he said most were based in Ireland. "We have students from Tipperary and from Donegal," Mr Murphy said. "We also have a lot of teachers based in Dublin that do the course." Asked about the overseas students, he said the two lads doing the course in Perth are from Tipperary. "They get up at 4am and can do the course before work," the Wesport principal explained. The pair can also work around the four practical farm days that the course demands, with these being scheduled on back-to-back Saturdays. These are held on a holding outside Westport which the college specifically leases for this purpose. While the time difference is perfect for those working in Australia and the Middle East, Mr Murphy pointed out that North American residents are generally working at class time. Galway's hurlers swept all before them in the spring and summer, but their farmers are being hammered by the Department of Agriculture this autumn, local TD Michael Fitzmaurice has claimed. Deputy Fitzmaurice said a quarter of Galway's farmers who were inspected by Department officials this year had received penalties of some description. The introduction of a 'yellow card' system which allowed farmers a specified time-frame in which to iron out difficulties that are identified during inspections should now be considered as a matter of urgency, the Independent TD maintained. "Reports over the past week have emerged that one in four farmers in Co Galway received a penalty after being inspected by the Department of Agriculture," Deputy Fitzmaurice said. "When we were in the talks for the formation of a Government last year, it was agreed that there needed to be some kind of a yellow card system introduced to give a farmers three weeks or a month to get things in order after an inspection." The Roscommon-Galway TD added that such a system was especially needed in the west of Ireland because the direct payments were small, so penalties had a disproportionate impact. "It is alarming to see that 25pc of farmers are getting penalties when the figures for other parts of the country are not nearly as high," Deputy Fitzmaurice said. High levels of penalties in North Tipperary provoked protests from farmers earlier this year. One farmers' representative blamed the problems on "over-zealous inspectors" and the rules behind the inspections which he said are inflexible and too severe. It is understood that close to 40pc of penalties nationally involve Nitrates Directive infringements. The Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has confirmed that he is aware of a recent report of alleged illegal movement of sheep into the Republic of Ireland. The Department of Agriculture confirmed that confidential information was received regarding possible breaches of intra-community sheep movement requirements. It said this information is being examined at present and therefore it is not appropriate to make any further comment at this time lest any investigation be compromised. Minister Creed said the health of the national sheep flock relies on the observance of identification and trade rules. Sheep smuggling results in the breach of these rules and could pose disease risks for the national sheep flock. Reports of illegal movement of sheep are examined by staff in my Department. Where evidence of a breach of identification or trade requirements is established, such cases may be prosecuted, provided the evidence is considered sufficient to sustain a conviction. My Department works closely with An Garda Siochana and with the corresponding authorities in Northern Ireland in an effort to combat farm-animal related crime. Should evidence of illegal movement of sheep into the country be substantiated, every effort will be made to have the matter prosecuted, he said. EU governments and farmers should do more to limit the use of pesticides, the bloc has warned. As a row rages over the re-licensing of controversial weedkiller glyphosate, the European Commission said governments should clamp down on aerial spraying of pesticides, train farmers on chemical risks and come up with non-chemical alternatives. Malting barley growers are calling for the price of a pint of Guiness to be reduced by 10c, as they say the malting barley they grow has fallen. The Irish Grain Growers Group is holding a demonstration outside the main malting barley buyer, Boortmalt, tomorrow to highlight issues they say are putting Irish malting barley growers out of business. "We are immediately calling on Diageo/Guinness to drop the price of the pint of Guinness by at least 10c due to the fact that malting barley is so cheap to buy." Malting barley farmers, they say, are being offered 155/t for this year's harvest - down from 250/t they received in 2012. Group Chairman Bobby Miller said this year's price barely covers the cost of production. "The economic cost of production at target yields is 282 and 244 for distilling (6.5t/ha) and brewing (7.5t/ha) malting barley respectively; compared with 205 for winter feed barley. "The most recent harvest price of malting barley, 154.80, barely covers cost of production excluding land rental and labour; so malting barley growers are working for nothing and would be better off from an income prospective leasing out their land, particulars since this can be earned tax free." According to the farmers, the deal negotiated by IFA does not compensate for the higher cost of production of distilling malting barley versus brewing as no additional premium for distilling malting barley is paid and is calling on IFA to step away from negotiating on behalf of growers. "It has led us to a situation where malting barley contracts are valueless and malting barley no longer a premium crop to grow. Its a sad reflection when feed barley far out performs malting barley when it comes to a profit margin. "IFA has agreed to unworkable specification changes and pandered to the requests of Boortmalt by sacking a democratically elected chairman of the malting committee and signing up to a Memorandum of Agreement including a code of conduct which no grower has sight of let alone agreed to." The tillage farmers are also calling for the IFA levy to be removed from their Boortmalt contracts and says farming organisations must support a campaign for growers to have a minimum price of 200 for brewing spec malting barley and 220 for distilling spec malting barley for 2018. "Boortmalt/Axereal must step up to the plate as a farmer owned Co-op and deal with farmer issues and stop sucking the life out of the Irish malting barley farmer since their arrival in to Ireland." Malting barley growers, they say, only receive their contracts detailing their terms and conditions, after they have sowed their crops. I recently brought up the topic of potato production and some of the problems that lie within that sector. It's easy enough to point out flaws in this, and indeed any sector. The problem arises when you go about suggest solutions to these problems. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is the UK body charged with promotion of UK agriculture. The section on potatoes however, strikes a very apologetic tone, admitting the UK is dependent on imports from mainland Europe to meet requirements. 'We are doing our best' is the tone. The UK grows about 139,000ha of potatoes for a population 65 million. That would work out at about 9,700ha for a population of 4.5 million. We in Ireland on the other hand, tell all and sundry about our wonderful potato industry, how unique it is, how 'we luv our spudz' that kind of guff. Yet our production area is 8,900ha, for a population of 4.5 million, 2,000 acres less than the UK equivalent per capita area. That in a nutshell is the problem. We are more dependent on imports to feed ourselves than the UK is, but we prefer to ignore the facts and to believe the marketing spin about Ireland being 'the food island'. How do we go about correcting the problems in the Irish potato sector? Well I have four suggestions. 1 Acknowledge the problem Production area is reducing, sales are dropping, innovation is non-existent, stagnation is the order the day. It's time to forget the spin and get to work on the reality. The industry is slipping away and unless or until all the stakeholders, or actors in the supply chain are brought round the table, it's not going to improve. 2 More variety The dominance of the variety Rooster has to be addressed. It matures too late, it is prone to skin blemishes, but more importantly, it is, for all intents and purposes, the only offering we have to the consumer. It's getting boring. Expand Close Fresh potatoes are the only major carbohydrate grown in Ireland / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fresh potatoes are the only major carbohydrate grown in Ireland We need to strongly market a companion variety that is 'second early' maturing, stores easily, white skinned that won't show up every blemish, yields well and most importantly, eats well. There are plenty of varieties that hit that spec. Pick one and start marketing. Or better still, forget the variety, develop a brand of readily identifiable packs that the consumer knows will meet their requirements. The potatoes in the bag can be different varieties, according to season, time of year, regions, market fluctuation etc. When it's on the plate no one worries about the variety. As long as it does what it says on the tin, (or bag), consumers will purchase. 3 Cash in on our chips A third suggestion is that we have to retake the fresh chip market away from UK imports towards home produced. It's a ready-made market on our doorstep and needs consistent supply all year round. Expand Close Harvesting potatoes on the Meade Potato Company farm in Co Meath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Harvesting potatoes on the Meade Potato Company farm in Co Meath In fairness, there is the beginning of this on the ground already, with some very exciting varieties available to finally attack the dominance of UK varieties. However, this seems to be done on the basis of discounting this Irish produce, which is nonsense, given that the quality, provenance and 'story' is much better with home grown well selected varieties, than imported produce. The fresh market chip shops are rightly flying their Irish credentials, it is time to put it up to them to supply chips from Irish potatoes. There are very few actors involved in supplying this market, it shouldn't be too hard to knock some heads together. 4 Use our own seed The final suggestion is so obvious it's nearly silly to have to point it out. Not only is the market readily available, we are the market. There is also so few actors in this sector there is nearly not enough of them to crack their heads together. The Irish seed industry is a shell of its former self, and there is absolutely no scientific or structural reason why our 9,000ha can't be grown using Irish seed. But it is not, we have allowed the market be completely dominated by imported seed. This has to change, from the perspective of a 'new' market opportunity, or from the perspective of food security and provenance. The potato industry has still the potential to become a very viable niche of the overall agricultural industry. Over the last 30 years, very, very few in the industry have covered themselves in glory. Mistrust is and was the order of the day. However, production costs, falling consumption and supermarket domination have cleared out the industry to such an extent that it is a blank canvas ripe for improvement. We should seize the opportunity and let the industry reach its potential and become a sector we can all be proud of, and put the Irish back into Irish potato. Richard Hackett is an Agronomist based in North County Dublin and is a member of the ITCA and ACA One of the largest growers of pumpkins in Ireland, Lispopple Apples, will sell 25,000 pumpkins this year as demand for the squash grows. And, according to Denise Buckley there is no such thing as a perfect pumpkin. Youll always have marks on pumpkins and Ive seen amazing and very imaginative carving with odd-shaped ones. Denise, who runs the farm with her mother Maura, first started growing pumpkins in the North Co Dublin farm 25 years ago. She has worked on the family farm, which has been in the Buckley family for three generations, since she left school and was looking for alternatives to grow. We started with courgettes and then pumpkins, she says and today Lispopple Apples supplies SuperValu shops around the country. It takes 9ac of land to grow the 25,000 pumpkins and the same soil can only be used for two years. We plant the seeds in April indoors and then outdoors in May and harvesting begins from the end of September. The pumpkins grew quite well this year, although we could have done with more sunshine. While Denises favourite pumpkin dish is stirfry or roast pumpkin, she says there is no waste with them as her husband, who runs a sheep farm, takes any pumpkin waste there is for the sheep. Keelings also supply SuperValu who sell around 120,000 pumpkins from five Irish growers. Dolakha sees highest number of candidacies for elections Dolakha, a district in Province 3, is at the top in terms of the registration of candidacies (first-past-the-post system) for the first phase of elections to the House of Representatives and State Assemblies scheduled for coming November 26. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. So too is the road to recovery. And at some point in the recovery process, the penitent returns to the fray, to restore lost trust. Bernard Byrne, chief executive of AIB, was mere months into his new role as the pillar bank's chief financial officer when the State pumped more than 20bn into the lender to keep it afloat in late 2010. It fell to figures such as former AIB chief executive Eugene Sheehy and former chairman Dermot Gleeson, to don the sackcloth and ashes and seek forgiveness for AIB's sins. Both men left their roles at the height of the global financial crisis in 2009. But it is Byrne, the affable Dublin-born chartered accountant who took over the role of chief executive from David Duffy in May 2015, who is the public face of AIB's new phase: rehabilitation. The initial public offering (IPO) of AIB last June, when the sale of a 28.8pc stake to stock market investors generated 3.4bn, was a landmark for the bank - and the Irish economy. Investment bank Morgan Stanley hailed the partial relisting - which was more than four times oversubscribed - as the "crescendo" of AIB's rehabilitation. But Byrne insists that Ireland's largest bank is nowhere close to the end of the journey. "The future of the bank is making sure that we have a proper social licence to operate," says Byrne who led AIB's IPO after a decade of turmoil and uncertainty that decimated the trust of its customers, shareholders and society. Later this week Byrne and AIB chairman Richard Pym will host a major conference to facilitate what the lender describes as "a conversation on the need to align both commercial and social objectives to create real value in business and for society". An array of speakers including Bill McDermott, chief executive of SAP and Volvo's chief futurologist Aric Dromi, will descend on Croke Park to take part in a debate that is part of AIB's own efforts to win back public trust. Byrne, whose bank has set aside close to 200m to compensate customers embroiled in the system-wide tracker mortgage scandal, knows that many may give short shrift to the thought of AIB - or any bailed-out bank - leading talks on sustainability. "We're not completely virtuous, we're not trying to pretend we are," says the budding triathlete. "Nobody trusted us and that was totally understandable. Big statements and big positions about how wonderful we're going to become have no credibility. What we had to do and must continue to do is prove by doing." The sale by the Government of the first tranche of its AIB stake (the State maintains a 71pc ownership) followed a prolonged and painful restructuring of AIB's balance sheet. It was a process which saw the bank shed almost a third of its branch network and saw its employee base shrink to some 10,000 from a peak of almost 26,000 in 2007. AIB has emerged from the global financial crisis with a cleaner, healthier balance sheet. But with some of the highest exposures, relative to its European peers, to non-performing loans (NPLs), AIB has some way to travel before it completes its journey from perdition to redemption. AIB's non-performing loans remain high in a European context: at some 19pc, they are well above the 5.4pc European Union average. And, at 12.1bn, they represent approximately 88pc of AIB's 13.8bn market cap. With the spectre of the supervision arm of the ECB looming large over the Irish banking sector, Byrne is firmly within Frankfurt's sights as he seeks to reduce AIB's non-performing loans to 5pc by 2019. How fast and by what means, write-downs or loan sales to so-called vulture funds, can AIB run down the remainder of its bad loan book in two years? AIB took steps recently to deal with some of its most embattled borrowers when it entered into a deal with David Hall of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation (IMHO) to support a not-for-profit mortgage to rent scheme. "Even Jesus Christ couldn't restructure these mortgages," said Hall, who believes the scheme, if adopted by other banks, could help up to 50,000 homeowners to stay in their homes. Byrne thinks the scheme, which is only open to people who qualify for social housing due to their low income - and who will have to undergo an affordability test - may ultimately help hundreds of borrowers in AIB's 'Come to Jesus' category. But he warns that unless banks or private-equity investors can realise their security in the form of repossessions or other means, the cost of credit will rise for all. "If, long-term, people form a view that actually you can't exercise security, then fundamentally the cost of credit just rises," says Byrne, adding that he believes AIB can effectively sell its problem portfolios "if that's what we need to do". The plight of thousands of tracker mortgage holders, some of whom gave harrowing testimony to the Oireachtas Finance Committee last week, has further dented the banking sector's rehabilitation efforts. In some cases, customers were moved off a tracker to a more favourable rate for a fixed period of time only to be refused the right to revert. In other cases, customers were charged a much higher rate than stipulated in their contracts. AIB has set aside 190m to deal with its tracker issues. To the outside world, the debacle, which could cost 1bn across the sector, bore all the hallmarks of a concerted scheme. Central Bank Governor Philip Lane has described the scheme as 'system wide'. And although the regulator spoke to the gardai about the issue of tracker loans being wrongly taken from customers, the Central Bank has stopped short of describing the scandal as systemic. Byrne says there is no one within AIB who set out to harm its customers. "We haven't found any systemic issue," says Byrne. "What happened was as a result of the tracker being effectively suspended in 2008 because the market dislocated. "It took quite a while to track through into a systems issue. So it effectively took quite a while. And remember 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, banking wasn't in the sort of position where people were thinking about these things - they were thinking about pure survival." One issue Byrne is not apologetic about is the fact that AIB will pay no tax on profits for up to 30 years due to the huge losses it racked up over the course of the financial crisis. In presentations given to investors in the run up to the IPO last June, the bank described how its deferred tax asset (DTA) of 3bn gave it advantages over many other listed banks, sending customers and commentators into further apoplexy. "Can I offer a different perspective?" says Byrne, who explains that because the 3bn was part of AIB's capital structure, the State didn't have to put in 3bn. "If that didn't exist we would have had to put in another 3bn. The second point is we're selling the bank now, or the State is selling the bank, and it's realising more than tangible book value. And 3bn of that book value is deferred tax. "Do you want the 3bn up front or do you want it over a time period? Which is better for the State: to get 3bn up front or on a very slow curve?" Despite Brexit and renewed efforts at EU level to harmonise the bloc's corporate tax and other tax areas, Byrne - whose business mantra is 'don't panic' - is upbeat on the Irish economy. AIB has deployed 21 'Brexit champions' around the country to help SMEs navigate the twin challenges of currency and competitiveness. "We see our job as supporting those businesses. Some of those will reposition some of their activities into the UK in order to effectively take out the hedge position. But most of them will effectively end up looking for alternative markets to supplement what'll probably come from a changed position on the trades environment." Byrne sees no major threat to Ireland's 12.5pc corporation tax rate, but says we need to maintain a broader tax competitiveness to attract key overseas talent and multinationals to Ireland. "We need to make sure Ireland is well positioned to encourage senior employment in the economy, because senior employment tends to attract junior employment," says Byrne. "Making sure that the economy is seen as an attractive location, not just for indigenous firms but for international firms and international players to exist." A vastly-accelerated rundown of impaired loans will prime AIB for a full return to the stock market.It's a decision that falls ultimately to Finance Minister Paschal Donohue. But Byrne, who says last summer's IPO was "about as clean and textbook an IPO as you could possibly get", is aiming to wrest AIB from State ownership within two to three years. AIB is "genuinely within touching distance" of repaying back all of the State's 20bn injection, says Byrne who spent the best part of his career in the State-owned electricity supplier ESB. "Ireland Inc did well out of it [the IPO] because we were effectively internationally marketing Ireland and then the bank. Ireland first and then the bank," says Byrne. "It's a good time. Those investors are still there and there's a broad pool who didn't participate who are interested in this story. So there's an opportunity in the shorter term rather than in the longer term to continue to run on it". "AIB will need to start thinking about doing different things in a two to three year time frame as well," adds Byrne. "Whether that's regulation, virtual integration of fintech - whatever it is. State ownership isn't necessarily the right ownership model when businesses have to start to think about the next thing." A BID to address the shortfall in hotel rooms for Dublin has received a setback with An Bord Pleanala refusing planning permission to a large scale hotel for Clonshaugh in north Dublin. It upheld the appeals of several local residents and refused planning permission for a 427-room hotel planned for a site near Clonshaugh Road, close to Dublin Airport. Residents had claimed to the board that the proposal would have a negative impact on existing residential amenities in the area and would result in a loss of privacy. The planned 10-storey building consisted of 317 bedrooms and 110 suites and included leisure facilities, meeting and conference rooms, cafes, restaurants and parking spaces for almost 440 vehicles. The applicant in the case is Carra Shore Hotel Ltd and is run by Irish-based Jalaluddin Kajani, a Pakistan-born businessman who owns two boutique hotels in Kensington, London. The site is located close to the junction of the M50 and the M1 motorway on a site beside the existing Carlton Hotel. Advancing the case for its plan, Carra Shore told the appeals board that "there is a shortage of hotel rooms in Dublin and the proposed co-located hotel rooms would add a significant quantum". The firm said the hotel would provide an appropriate and complementary land use within the High Technology zone and that the site is close to the airport. In its submission to the appeals board, Fingal County Council justified its decision to grant permission, stating that "the proposed development is in keeping with the pattern of new development in the areaa nd that it will not detract from adjoining residential amenity". However, the location of the hotel on a site zoned for high technology in the Fingal Development Plan proved crucial in the board refusing planning permission. In its formal order, it pointed out that hotel uses are not permitted in principle within this high technology zone but are encouraged under other land use zoning objectives of the Development Plan. The board further stated that the site "is located in an isolated area that does not have the benefit of high capacity public transport". As a result, the board found that the proposed hotel use does not accord with the overall zoning objective and policies relevant to the area as set out in the Fingal County Development Plan 2017-2023 and that the proposed development would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. Five separate third-party appeals were lodged by local residents against the decision by Fingal County Council to give the development the go-ahead. The board decision followed a recommendation of its own inspector to grant planning. In recent submissions on other planned hotel developments for the capital, Failte Ireland said there is a major threat to the future of tourism in Dublin because of the acute shortage of hotel bedrooms in the city centre. Mary Stack of Failte Ireland told Dublin City Council recently: "The current demand far exceeds supply and inevitably in a scenario such as this prices are inflated, giving the message internationally that Dublin is not a competitive destination." Professor Richard Conroy said that he was "excited" by the results from the programme to-date. Dublin-based Karelian Diamond Resources has announced that an extensive work programme is underway to find the source of the green diamond discovered by the company earlier this year. In January the company confirmed that it had discovered a green diamond in Finland. The work programme follows on from the high kimberlite indicator minerals ("KIMs") counts reported in September, which has considerably narrowed down the search area, a statement from Karelian said. The objective of the programme is to locate the kimberlite body from which the green diamond originated. As a kimberlite body erodes over millions of years KIMs spread out to form a fan shaped train which may extend for many kilometres. The work programme is designed to identify the kimberlite train and follow it back to source. The work involved includes the use of a systematic excavator pit programme for till sampling and bedrock identification, together with analysis of airborne geophysics and a ground geophysical survey, as well as analyses by Scanning Electron Microscopy of previously taken samples showing high indicator counts for precise classification. Commenting on the news, Professor Richard Conroy, chairman of Karelian, said that he was "excited" by the results from the programme to-date. Founded in 2005, Karelians shares started trading on the Enterprise Securities Market (ESM) of the Irish Stock Exchange in December 2009. Companies trading on the ESM need to have a minimum market capitalisation of 5m, and, unlike the Main Securities Market, a three year trading record is not required and no minimum level of shares must be made available to the public. Veteran banker Gabriel Bannigan has stepped down from his role as head of Bank of Ireland Private after the lender shifted responsibility for the business to Sean O Murchu, head of Bank of Ireland Life. It is understood that Mr Bannigan is in line for another senior position as details about the full extent of the merging of the Private Bank with the rest of the group emerge. Bank of Ireland confirmed that it has recently completed what it described as a "series of corporate alignment improvements" across its Wealth platform including the appointment of Sean O Murchu as director of Wealth Distribution. The changes come as the new Bank of Ireland CEO Francesca McDonagh, who took over the reins from Richie Boucher earlier this month, considers a fresh strategic course for the group. It also follows a string of senior executive departures in recent months. These include Mick Sweeney, who led the group's wealth-management operations for almost six years and acted as interim CEO at the group's insurance subsidiary, New Ireland Assurance, as well as the former head of business banking, Mark Cunningham. While Mr Bannigan's new role remains unclear, sources said he was parachuted into the role of head of private banking last year, charged with executing what the bank viewed as a complex and difficult merger. The consolidation was concluded in September and has seen the bulk of BoI's private banking operations merging onto the platform of the Bank of Ireland Life division, headed by Mr O Murchu. Mr Bannigan was redeployed to the unit in April 2016 and sources said his appointment was part of a strategy to fold the relatively expensive operations of the private bank into the group. Bank of Ireland's wealth-management business oversees three main business lines: mass wealth, premier wealth and the more exclusive, high-net-worth division. Under the far-reaching overhaul - designed partly to streamline operations ahead of looming EU regulations, known as Mifid II - Mr O Murchu now has oversight of both the mass wealth management and high-net-worth elements. Bank of Ireland Life also holds compliance oversight of the premium-end banking division, although sources said this unit does not report into Mr O Murchu. The scale of the overhaul raises questions about Bank of Ireland's strategy for its private banking division. It is understood that the lender may purse more bolt-on acquisitions, similar to the Covestone Asset Management purchase in January. Mr Bannigan briefly led Bank of Scotland Ireland's retail business. His senior roles at Bank of Ireland include a stint as managing director of the group's Bristol & West subsidiary in the UK, which is regarded as one of the bank's most high-profile positions. 'Oakes, who founded Irelands first regulatory technology support group, Fintech Ireland, is surprised by the absence of comment by the Central Bank' A former Central Bank regulator has warned Irish investors about the risks associated with a wave of unregulated "bitcoin-fuelled investment fund mania". The warning comes after Enterprise Ireland ordered two fintech firms to remove website information and amend details in an investment prospectus that may have led investors to believe Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) valued at 2.5m were endorsed by the State agency. Cryptocurrency firm MingoCoin - which is chaired by former Baltimore Technologies chief Fran Rooney and cites One Direction star Niall Horan as a shareholder and brand ambassador - aimed to raise 2m in a token presale which ended on October 9. The pre-sale raised over 650,000 in the first hour alone. The firm, which has received startup funding from Enterprise Ireland (EI), was contacted last week by EI officials and ordered to amend or remove promotional material linked to the ICO that could be misconstrued as an endorsement by the Stage agency. Mingocoin founder and ceo Joe Arthur confirmed the firm has held talks with Enterprise Ireland about its use of the State agency's name in promotional material. "They have asked us to clarify the position in relation to the ICO," Arthur said. "We have discussed that with them and obviously we have clarified that in our prospectus." A second Irish-based bitcoin startup, Confideal, which has already raised about 550,000 in a pre-sale and is preparing to start an ICO on November 2, was also ordered by Enterprise Ireland to remove website material that suggested the state agency was a 'partner' and had endorsed its initial coin offering. Initial Coin Offerings are typically used by startups to bypass regulated venture capitalists and banks. Enterprise Ireland is exercising caution as ICOs are arousing greater scrutiny from regulators worldwide, it is believed. China and South Korea have banned ICOs and the UK's financial watchdog, the FCA, has cautioned investors and consumers. Peter Oakes, a former director of enforcement at the Central Bank, believes that the lack of disclosure about the risks of investing in ICOs, including the loss of the entire amount invested, is not being explained clearly to Irish investors. With bitcoin popularity taking hold in Ireland, and with investment in ICOs worldwide estimated at 2.4bn, Oakes said: "No wonder firms and investors are jumping on the bandwagon. And no wonder some regulators are finally catching up." Oakes, who founded Ireland's first regulatory technology support group, Fintech Ireland, is surprised by the absence of comment by the Central Bank. "On the one hand, you could take the simplistic view that it is a case of 'caveat emptor'," Oakes, pictured, said. "On the other hand, you could ask if the Central Bank needs to consider doing more under its 'protecting consumers' and investor protection mandates, especially that it wasn't long ago that money managed by supposedly expert and regulated advisors was misappropriated," he said, referring to the collapse of Bloxham Stockbrokers and Custom House Capital. The Central Bank said it is examining the potential risks posed by virtual currencies. ICOs currently fall outside the scope of Irish law. 'The mine, if granted approval, will intensify the focus on Ireland's prospectivity for gold.' Stock photo: Reuters Minerals explorer Dalradian has agreed to raise CAD$85m (57.5m) to advance a planned gold mine in Northern Ireland. The Toronto-listed company is raising the money from US mine finance company Orion and Canadian business Osisko Gold Royalties. Dalradian has been preparing a planning application for the construction of a mine at the Curraghinalt project in Co Tyrone. It has been carrying out exploration and appraisal work at the site for seven years. In a recent letter to residents Dalradian said it expected to create more than 350 jobs. Dalradian chief executive Patrick Anderson said the deal was "a strong vote of confidence in both the Curraghinalt Gold Project and in Northern Ireland as an investment destination by two highly respected mining finance groups". "Today's placement, together with all recent warrant exercises, will provide the company with additional equity funding in excess of CAD$110m. "This means that the company is now well-funded to move Curraghinalt through permitting, while continuing to expand and improve the value of the project through further investment in exploration and engineering." Another company called Galantas operates a gold mine nearby at Omagh. Osisko chairman and chief executive Sean Roosken said it was "very pleased to participate in the advancement of one of the world's top undeveloped gold projects in a new emerging gold district." Dalradian acknowledged that there has been concern expressed by the community at the prospect of the mine being built. "The idea of a gold mine in our area has worried some people. We hope that through the application process, as people become familiar with details of the proposal, they will be reassured about our plans," the company said. The mine, if granted approval, will intensify the focus on Ireland's prospectivity for gold. Conroy Gold and Natural Resources - which has been the subject of a major dispute between its chairman and biggest shareholder - is among the companies with prospecting licences in the northern part of the country. The price of gold per ounce is up about 13pc so far this year. Irish protective-clothing company Portwest is close to completing a second multi-million takeover of an Australian company in just six months. The Mayo company acquired Prime Mover Workwear in a deal worth 7.5m in March. The latest acquisition, which will cost close to 10m, will see the firm's Australian turnover double to 20m a year. Portwest hasn't revealed the name of its latest acquisition, citing a non-disclosure agreement, but the company is based in Melbourne. Westport-based Portwest is lead by brothers Cathal, Harry and Owen Hughes. "Our sights are firmly fixed on our new markets of the US and Australia and we have an outstanding pipeline of new designs and innovations to drive this growth," CEO Harry Hughes said. The brothers made headlines at home when the family bought the historic Westport House in Co Mayo for around 10m. The latest deal was announced at an Enterprise Ireland business lunch in Melbourne, attended by 200 business leaders from Ireland and Australia. Julie Sinnamon, Enterprise Ireland CEO, described Portwest as an outstanding success story. Fire guts property worth Rs 6.7 m in Morang Property worth around Rs. 6.7 million was destroyed in a fire that broke out at a house in Miklajung Rural Municipality-5 of Morang on Sunday. John Conroy is a keen student of global politics and its impact on the business environment. Picture by David Conachy Three years ago, John Conroy walked away from Merrion Capital, the firm he founded with six of the country's leading brokers in 1999, taking with him a key lesson on building up a successful business. Finding the right people is as important as identifying an opportunity in the market. Having kept a low profile since then, Conroy has this month launched his new venture, the Acton Health and Wellness Fund, again bringing on board an impressive team. The fund, which has been gestating for some time, brought in Olympian Eamonn Coghlan and former Eircom vice-chairman Con Scanlon at an early stage. Several leaders from business, the food sector and medical world have also now come on board, including: Niall Fitzgerald, the former chairman of Unilever; Paul Finnerty, the former chief executive of ABP Food Group; and renowned US investment banker John Duffy. For Conroy, he wanted to mark his new project out by the calibre of the people involved. "There are a huge amount of investment ideas coming through any family office now. I think we have an advantage because a lot of people have a personal interest in what we are doing," he says. "It gets us in the door. After that, it is down to the quality of the product and the people." The new fund seeks to ride the growing wave of interest in wellness and the opportunity which technology might bring in terms of making us healthier. Conroy explains: "What are the issues today? From a governmental perspective, the very high spending on health worldwide and an increasing burden on the budget as people are living longer. "You have this dichotomy, a section of the population is fitter than ever and another section has major health issues." There are several opportunities for businesses delivering solutions, such as "trying to reduce the reliance on primary care and other trends are that more people want to take control of their own health and more people are using more technology. "The two silos we are focusing on are consumer-focused digital health and also functional foods. We feel that the opportunity is big in these areas," he says. "So we are looking to invest in companies operating in those sectors, mainly in Ireland." Conroy believes that Ireland also has an advantage in these areas, with 18 of the world's leading medtech companies having operations here. In addition to this, Ireland has produced Kerry and Glanbia, two world leaders in the food sector. He says that in the area of functional food "not many people have made money out of it yet but I think we are at an inflection point". Conroy, originally from Portlaoise, started his career by studying civil engineering in UCD, before joining Dublin County Council and being seconded out to McCarthy & Partners. With an innate interest in business, he took an MBA in the evenings at Trinity College, Dublin. Conroy was then recruited into NCB stockbrokers in 1986, which was at the time breaking the mould in Dublin's cosy stockbroking world. He impressed people with his appetite for hard work, his intellect and ability to read world politics and business and understand its implications for Irish business. Starting off as an equity analyst, he soon moved into managerial roles, eventually becoming head of equities. NCB was later bought by Ulster Bank and in the late 1990s after a new ceo had taken the reins at the broker, Conroy decided to break away from NCB and set up a new firm with several of his colleagues. The team included Adrian O'Carroll, who Conroy says was "the best stockbroker in Dublin". "Merrion was an exciting enough adventure," recalls Conroy. "The critical thing for us was at the outset to get a good partner on board. We talked to many, many people, both domestically, in the UK and one or two in New York." He was introduced by the Smurfits to Allen & Co, a renowned but low-key boutique investment bank, which went on to take a 30pc stake. As far as Conroy knows, Merrion has been its only investment outside of US. Allen & Co has tremendous business links in the US and is behind the annual Sun Valley conference, which attracts the likes of Tim Cook, John Malone and Rupert Murdoch. Allen & Co heavyweights Walter O'Hara and Paul Gould joined Merrion's board. "We were very privileged, this tiny little start-up in Ireland getting these power players from the US and guys whose reputations stood above a lot of global players. "Allen didn't want to own us," says Conroy of the minority stake. "Their attitude was, 'you do well and we'll do well'. That suited our entrepreneurial spirit at the time. "The question was whether or not there was room for another stockbroker. We had to make room. So for us, it was very important to differentiate ourselves and we did that by being independent and objective." It was not without its challenges, however. Merrion launched in 2000 and the tech bubble burst soon afterwards. There were also other headwinds, like the Enron scandal and 9/11. "It wasn't a good time to be setting up a business. But we came through it," says Conroy. "By the mid-2000s, from a standing start, we were making 25m-26m a year," he says. "Any time we looked to make a very significant move, I would ask how would this sit with the reputation of Merrion, because I don't want to damage it. And it was a good discipline and we minded the brand really well." In November 2005, they started talking about a possible sale to Iceland's Landsbanki and a deal was done by December. Under the deal, 50pc of the sale price was paid up front, with the remaining 50pc sold over three tranches and linked to performance. The 2008 payment never happened as the Iceland economy felt the bite of the recession ahead of Ireland and others in Europe. "We could see it, they were distracted," he says. "What happened in Iceland was a harbinger of what happened here." Merrion, once again backed by Allen, bought the business back. "It wasn't as easy as people think. The public sentiment turned against the banks and asset sales. Landsbanki had gone on a shopping spree across Europe. In London, Paris.. a lot of it was rubbish." However, Merrion had been a prized asset bringing the Icelanders into the high-profile deals, such as the Aer Lingus IPO, for example. In 2014, there was again a change of ownership at Merrion, with Conroy exiting and taking some time out. Looking back on Merrion, Conroy counts his exposure to the US through Allen & Co's involvement as a huge positive. By nature, he is hugely interested in world politics and business. "I have been observing the US for a while and I have great admiration for the might of the economy and their military force and all of that. However, what I'm seeing is that the US is losing itself. "What has sustained the US is the entrepreneurial culture they had and still have and the technology lead." Conroy also believes that the US has benefited from strong leadership. "This has all allowed the US to be the dominant force in our lives anyway. "Looking at it now, the entrepreneurial culture is still there. On leadership, I'm not a fan of Trump; he is divisive and will only become more divisive." He says that the election of Donald Trump as president may be a reaction to the lack of leadership on both sides over the past two decades. A Democrat by nature, he says recent presidents have been 'nothing to write home about'. "The few recent presidents have pursued their own agenda, which has tended to be narrow." However, from an Irish perspective, this presents an opportunity. "There is a great opportunity for us because there is a dearth of leadership in the US and the UK where not alone is there not a governing party, there is no opposition. "Having said that, we don't do plans in Ireland, we do forecasts. There is no sense of where we need to be, which areas of the economy we need to be promoting, etc." He believes there are many creative and entrepreneurial Irish companies out there. "But we have a natural disadvantage due to our small population and so a lot of these good ideas never make it. "If you were in the US, you would be much more inclined to hold on for the bigger pay cheque. "I would contend that we could help companies in terms of managing and mentoring, commercialisation, getting what I would call the shelf space and that means getting products accepted by some of the big players." His hope is that several investments backed by the fund will become "national champions and international success stories". Name John Conroy Age 58 Position Chief executive and founder of the Acton Group Lives Dublin Education Civil engineering, UCD and MBA Trinity College Dublin Previous experience Founder of Merrion Family Married to Yvonne, three children Interests Sport, theatre, reading, and interesting people The firm is marketing a device for the placement of ear tubes (grommets) in children without requiring general anaesthetic. (Stock picture) Cork-based medical technology firm AventaMed has raised 1.6m in funding from the Halo Business Angel Network (HBAN). The sum represents the highest amount ever raised under the 'angel' investor scheme. The round brings to 3.1m raised by the Bishopstown startup, a spin-out company from Cork Institute of Technology that was set up by co-founders Olive O'Driscoll and John Vaughan in 2013. The firm is marketing a device for the placement of ear tubes (grommets) in children without requiring general anaesthetic. The insertion of grommets is used to treat recurring ear infections and hearing loss in children and adults. AventaMed, which employs five people, will use the cash to focus on clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration, which is required for the product to enter the US market. "We are already treating patients in Europe with the Solo device," said O'Driscoll, co-founder and chief executive of the company. HBAN is a joint initiative of Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland, set up to promote business angel investment across the island. Its umbrella group focuses on early-stage entrepreneurs. Ireland's CRH is among companies considering a counterbid for PPC that could trump an offer by Canada's Fairfax, according to sources, adding a potential new twist to the battle for South Africa's largest cement-maker. The Irish building-materials supplier has held early deliberations about pursuing an acquisition of the Johannesburg-based company, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the plans aren't public. A final decision hasn't been made and the company may decide against an offer in favour of US acquisitions, the people said. PPC has a market value of SAR11bn (690m). A CRH bid for PPC would open a new front for the Irish company, headed by CEO Albert Manifold, that has emerged as a consolidator in the global building-materials industry. CRH agreed last month to take over Ash Grove Cement of the US for $3.5bn, but earlier this week Denver-based construction supplier Summit Materials made a rival bid. Issues yet to be settled include how the Dublin-based company would address the requirement of a black economic empowerment deal, a way to comply with South African government initiatives to redistribute wealth to those discriminated against during apartheid, one of the people said. The takeover would also likely require support from state-owned Public Investment Corp, Africa's biggest money manager and a top shareholder in PPC.Spokespeople for CRH and PPC declined to comment. PPC's future as an independent company has been clouded for months after talks about a tie-up with rival AfriSam Group failed and Toronto-based insurer Fairfax made a partial offer for SAR2bn rand of PPC stock at SAR5.75 a share. Fairfax's offer is conditional on PPC merging with AfriSam, and the South African company has appointed Investec to review the proposal. Dangote Cement, Nigeria's biggest company, considered making a counteroffer but withdrew its interest last week. PPC said on October 3 it had received two "credible indicative proposals" as well as the Fairfax offer, one of which was from Dangote. It didn't identify the third potential bidder. CRH is just one of a number of parties considering whether to bid for PPC, one of the people said. Bloomberg News reported in September that LafargeHolcim, HeidelbergCement and Titan Cement of Greece were also in the mix. (Bloomberg) Minister Paschal Donohue's new sugar tax may have taken the fizz from many drinks-makers but at least one Irish manufacturer is celebrating. Low-calorie vitamin drink firm Vit Hit, founded by former rugby professional Gary Lavin, has benefited from similar moves elsewhere. The drinks contain just 1.3 grams of sugar per 100ml, well below Donohoe's 8g limit. The company is already predicting a sales boost of at least 40pc next year on the back of major international expansion after it won a number of big distribution deals in recent weeks. Vit Hit has a turnover of approximately 8m and this is expected to rise to 12m next year, Lavin told this newspaper. A new deal with WH Smith will see Vit Hit available at 15 UK airports. It has also agreed new distribution deals for 300 stores in Finland, 1,200 stores in the Netherlands and 2,000 stores in South Africa. Walmart is to expand a trial US distribution from seven to 30 stores. An imminent sugar tax in the UK has led to a big upsurge in interest from distributors there, said Lavin. "We are actually the fastest-growing health drink in Sainsbury's with organic growth there last year of 35pc. We hope to be the market leader in the UK in this segment in the next 24 months." Brian Caulfield, managing director, Draper Esprit, rings the bell at the IPO in Dublin, watched by Orla OGorman, head of equity at the Irish Stock Exchange Dublin- and London-listed venture-capital investor Draper Esprit has said it will target up to 75m (85m) of investment in seed funds across Europe over five years. The firm said this included commitments to invest in the latest funds of Seedcamp and Episode1 Ventures - two UK seed-fund platforms - and has backed crowdfunding companies Crowdcube and Seedrs. Last year, Draper Esprit raised 102m from investors in a stock market flotation and is positioning itself as a fund of funds venture capital house. Its backers include the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (Isif), UK-based investment managers Woodford Investment Management and Baillie Gifford, and China Huarong International Holdings. Its latest commitment is in addition to Draper Esprit's strategy to invest up to 100m a year in technology businesses at series A, B, and C+ rounds. "By partnering with the best seed funds, we can help them scale up their series A and B funding rounds more quickly, which in turn will accelerate growth for the most ambitious entrepreneurs," CEO Simon Cook said. He linked the decision to support UK funds to the fall-out from Brexit. "Post-Brexit, it is imperative that UK investors continue to have access to the best early-stage investment opportunities. Having established itself as a leading hub for technology entrepreneurs from all over the world, the UK needs to keep supporting all stages of venture funding." Last week, Brian Caulfield, who heads Draper Esprit's Irish arm, gave a cautious welcome to the to the new KEEP scheme for share-based remuneration scheme for SMEs, as announced in Budget 2018. Dublin-listed Draper Esprit has announced a strategy to target up to 75m (85m) of investment in seed funds across Europe over a five-year period. The venture capital firm has committed to invest in the latest funds of both Seedcamp and Episode1 Ventures - two UK seed fund platforms - while the company is already an investors in crowdfunding companies Crowdcube and Seedrs. The move complements Draper Esprit's strategy to invest up to 100m a year in technology businesses at series A, B, and C+ rounds across the group's funds, with investment from the company's balance sheet representing approximately 60m per year. Describing the companys mission as being to "democratise the venture capital model," Simon Cook, CEO of Draper Esprit, said that the company's plan was to create a significant fund of funds business, which will target investment in 10 to 20 seed funds, angel networks and early stage investment platforms over the coming years. "By partnering with the best seed funds, we can help them scale up their series A and B funding rounds more quickly, which in turn will accelerate growth for the most ambitious entrepreneurs," Mr Cook said. Meanwhile Simon Murdoch, managing partner of Episode 1, said that the company was "excited" to be working with Draper Esprit again. "As a leading seed fund our role is to find and accelerate UK start-ups helping them to become the sort of rapidly growing businesses that Draper Esprit want to invest in and grow to global success stories," Mr Murdoch said. In early 2016 the Draper Esprit raised 102m from its stock market flotation in Dublin and London. Its backers include the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, UK-based investment managers Woodford Investment Management and Baillie Gifford, and China Huarong International Holdings. Cork-based education software developer Akari has signed 5m worth of deals with Australasian universities. The company, which first launched in the Australian market in December 2015, signed contracts with Curtain University in Western Australia, Bond University, the University of Sydney, the University of Wollongong, the University of Tasmania and Massey University in New Zealand. "It is 5m of deals in five months," its CEO, Eoghan O'Leary, said. "This means that Australia is now our single largest source of income. We have very important clients in Ireland but Ireland was essentially our test bed." Monaghan specialist forklift company Combilift announced that it has signed a AUS$1m (666,000) contract with Civmec, an Australian construction and engineering company. Dublin-based technology company Oneview said its Australian export deals could open trade links with other markets. Oneview Healthcare produces software for hospitals, including products that can help integrate IT systems across devices like bedside terminals, TVs and smartphones. This week the company launched a new app that allows families and doctors to be in contact pre-admissions and post discharge. The announcements were made at an Enterprise Ireland lunch at Sydney Opera House, attended by over 200 Irish and Australian business leaders. It came as Central Statistics Office (CSO) data yesterday showed seasonally adjusted Irish goods exports fell 4pc to 9bn in August. Goods imports increased 2pc to 5.4bn, giving a trade surplus of 3.6bn for the month. THREE executives who resigned last month from an Irish and US-based aviation leasing group are trying to set up a rival $100m company using confidential information taken from their former employer, it has been claimed in the High Court. Former Stellwagen Group chief financial officer Howard Millar and two other directors, Edward Coughlan and Edward Hansom, are behind what Stellwagen founder and chief executive, Douglas L Brennan, says is their unlawful and clandestine misuse and distribution of commercially sensitive and highly confidential material acquired by them during their employment. He claims there is clear evidence of a concerted effort by the defendants to divert highly valuable business away from the group companies, which include Stellwagen Capital, Seraph Aviation Management and Guardian Holdings. Mr Justice Paul Gilligan, following an ex-parte (one side only represented) application by James Doherty SC, with Stephen Byrne BL, granted interim orders preventing the three from using, disposing or dealing with confidential information, and requiring them to comply with non-compete and non-solicitation clauses in their contracts. The order also requires them not to delete any information held by them. The case comes back to court next week. Mr Brennan says, in an affidavit, their activities commenced prior to their resignations which all came in the space of a minute on September 4 last. Their letters were phrased in similar terms and did not offer any reason for resigning. They were among the most senior executives in the group and privy to "an enormous quantity of documentation and information of the utmost commercial sensitivity", he said. Mr Brennan says Mr Howard consistently refused to accept he remains bound to confidentiality as per his contract and is now claiming he was constructively dismissed. Following investigations, the group has discovered clear and cogent evidence of extensive efforts by all three to breach the legal and fiduciary duties owed by them to the group. The investigations, by a forensic IT company, have discovered dealings by the defendants relating to major aircraft leasing contracts involving Air Senegal and the Abu Dhabi Financial Group in the UAE. A matter of "greatest concern" was discovered this week when a number of documents were uncovered in a downloads folder in Mr Coughlan's laptop relating to a business venture called "Airgreen" under which it is proposed to raise $100m in equity by November 30 next. Mr Millar is to be chief executive of the new venture while Mr Hansom is to be chief risk officer and Mr Coughlan the chief commercial officer, according to the uncovered documents. On the face of it, the draft heads of terms of this new venture amount to a "blatant and concerted attempt by the defendants to divert business holding a major commercial value" away from the Stellwagen Group, Mr Brennan said. Govt set to enact law through ordinance The government is set to enact a law incorporating the provisions of the Health Profession Education (HPE) Bill through an ordinance in an effort to address the demands of Dr Govinda KC. Falcon's share price has already gone up fourfold this year but could jump even higher if Justice Rachel Pepper's long-awaited report recommends the lifting of a ban on all fracking in the Northern Territories. (stock picture) An Australian judge is due to issue a report within weeks that could have a profound impact on the future of Irish oil and gas exploration company Falcon Oil & Gas. The Dublin-headquartered company, headed up by exploration veteran Philip O'Quigley, owns a 30pc share of the huge Beetaloo Basin shale gas field, 600 miles south of Darwin, where it and partner Origin Energy believe they have a major gas discovery, which they claim could help tackle Australia's growing energy shortages. Falcon's share price has already gone up fourfold this year but could jump even higher if Justice Rachel Pepper's long-awaited report recommends the lifting of a ban on all fracking in the Northern Territories that was implemented by the province's government in September of last year. The judge has since carried out an extensive examination of the issue and has said she will publish her report early next month. The inquiry has looked at the impact of fracking in the sparsely populated region from a range of different standpoints, including economic, scientific, environmental and social. Origin, Australia's largest integrated energy company, which farmed into Falcon's acreage and is paying for and operating a nine-well drilling programme at Beetaloo, the last four of which will be drilled if the moratorium is lifted, has estimated a contingent resource of 6.6 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable gas, up to 100 times the size of Ireland's Corrib gas field and comparable to some of the biggest shale gas fields in the world. O'Quigley told this newspaper that he believes the publication of Pepper's report, which will make a recommendation on the moratorium to the government, could be "the next major catalyst for the share price of this company." "I can say this with confidence because we have lived with the moratorium for over 12 months. It's coming to a conclusion," he said. "We are more than hopeful that the report will contain a positive determination to the moratorium." The implementation of the fracking ban has become a hugely political issue in Australia. But O'Quigley said that the Northern Territory's chief minister had already come out and confirmed that he will act in accordance with the determination. "This is where it gets really, really exciting. Assuming I am right, and that we get a favourable determination; and assuming I am right and the government moves to lift that moratorium, we are back drilling. And back drilling means drilling five more wells on our property. "Four of them are what I like to call 'all-singing, all dancing' multi-frack wells, estimated to cost $115m at zero cost to Falcon as part of the deal we negotiated three years ago," said O'Quigley. The aim of the new drilling programme will be to move the field from resource potential to a declaration of commerciality, he added. Earlier this year, Davy, which acts as broker to Falcon, predicted "considerable additional upside" for the company, saying that it could double to over 40 pence per share from its current price of around 22 pence. "In any event, Falcon's business model was always to create value at the asset level and exit prior to the development and production stage," it said. Shares in UK regional airline Flybe plunged by as much as 20pc in early trading yesterday as it issued a profit warning - its second in just over six months. The carrier, headed by former CityJet boss Christine Ourmieres-Widener, warned that its first-half loss would be lower than anticipated due to higher -than-expected maintenance costs. Some of Flybe's services are operated on a contract basis by Dublin-based Stobart Air, which also operates the Aer Lingus Regional service. Flybe said that the higher-than-expected aircraft-maintenance costs it has incurred in the first half of its financial year "reflects the drive to further improve the reliability of its aircraft, particularly the Bombardier Q400 turboprop". "A full review of the maintenance strategy has now been launched which aims at a significant improvement of aircraft performance and costs," it added. The airline now expects its adjusted profit before tax to be between 5m ( 5.6m) and 10m (11.2m) in the first half of its financial year. That compares to a pre-tax profit of 15.9m (17.5m) in the first half of its previous financial year. It added that the figure for the first half of the current financial year includes 6m of additional IT costs as Flybe rolls out a new digital platform. Flybe also issued a profit warning back in March, as it shouldered unexpected costs. "While half-year profits are lower than expected, I am confident that we are still on a clear sustainable path to profitability in line with our stated plan," Ms Ourmieres-Widener said. "The increased maintenance costs are disappointing, but we are already addressing these in the second half and remain focused on improving our cost base and reliability performance," she said. The chief executive, who took over at the airline at the beginning of this year, added that Flybe's business-improvement plan was delivering benefits, with its fleet size reducing, and yield and load factors increasing. Flybe has struggled in recent years, battling intense competition and fare wars across Europe. It floated on the stock exchange in 2010, but its shares were changing hands yesterday at just 37p, having originally listed at 2.95. The airline had to raise an extra 150m in 2014. It has posted a full-year, pre-tax profit only twice since the initial public offering. The airline reported a loss of 20m (22.4m) in its last full financial year as it continued efforts to realign its service with demand. That compared to a 2.7m profit in the previous financial year. Its revenue rose by 13.4pc to 707.4m, however. Flybe's fleet size peaked at 85 aircraft this year and is declining as it cuts capacity from its network. "Flybe has never been in this position before," Ms Ourmieres-Widener told the Irish Independent in an interview earlier this year. "We control our fleet. Being able to fly a network with only routes that are profitable has never happened for us in the past few years. We can look at what routes are profitable, what routes are in difficulty." Businesswoman Deirdre Foley is seeking that the buyers of Clerys store cover all of her firm's legal and other costs in its legal action against a State agency. This is disclosed in new accounts for Ms Foley's D2 Private Ltd which confirm that the company recorded a loss of 324,591 last year. This followed the company recording a loss of 774,155 in 2015. At the end of December last, D2 Private Ltd's accumulated profits had reduced to 449,556. Its cash pile had decreased from 2m to 778,638 last year. Ms Foley's D2 Private Ltd currently has an application before the Court of Appeal in a bid to overturn a High Court ruling last year dismissing the company's challenge against a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) investigation into the circumstances around the redundancy of 130 workers at Clery's in June 2015. Ms Foley has a 20pc share in the purchaser of Clerys store, Natrium, and has been the public face of the firm. As a result of that investigation, Ms Foley is facing a charge of impeding a WRC inspector and three counts of breaking protection of employment laws. The hearing in the case is due to be heard next year at Dublin District Court. The Clery workers were made redundant by the operator of the business, OCS Operations Ltd. In the D2 accounts, a note sets out Ms Foley's and D2 Private's stall in relation to the roles of the firm and Ms Foley in the redundancy of the Clerys workers. The note states: "Neither D2 Private Ltd nor any employee of D2 Private, including Deirdre Foley, was ever the employer of those employees at OCS Operations Ltd who were made redundant in June 2015." The note adds that "nor was D2 Private, Deirdre Foley or any other employee of D2 Private ever a director of OCS Operations Ltd and nor did they ever purport to act in the capacity of a director". The note states that the appeal of the High Court decision by D2 Private is supported by Natrium. The note adds that 'an indemnity has been sought from Natrium Ltd in respect of all legal and other costs". Earlier this year, An Bord Pleanala gave go-ahead for a 150m redevelopment of Clerys after trade union Siptu withdrew its opposition against the plan following Ms Foley reaching a deal with former Clerys workers. It was reported at the time that the workers were to share a compensation package of more than 1m. The new development will create 3,990 jobs. The former chief executive of Merrion Capital, John Conroy, has launched a 100m health and wellness fund that has a strong emphasis on tech The former chief executive of Merrion Capital, John Conroy, has launched a 100m health and wellness fund that has a strong emphasis on tech. Conroy is pitching the Acton Health and Wellness Fund to family offices and institutions, with interest from Irish investors expected to be keen. Several high-profile business people are involved in the project, which aims to invest in up to 16 companies. His high-powered advisory team will be chaired by former Unilever ceo Niall FitzGerald and will include entrepreneur Mary Ann O'Brien. Several leading medical and food experts are also involved, including professor Richard Reilly, director of bioengineering at Trinity College. The investment committee is chaired by Paul Finnerty, the former ceo of ABP Foods, and he is joined by Trevor Bowen, a former director at Principle Management - which managed U2. Conroy has been working on the project for some time and it previously emerged that former world champion athlete Eamonn Coghlan and former vice-chairman of Eircom Con Scanlon were involved. The fund plans to invest in companies that are innovating in the areas of health and wellness. "The two silos we are focusing on is consumer-focused digital health and also functional foods. We feel the opportunity is big in these areas," Conroy said. "You have this dichotomy, a section of the population is fitter than ever and another section has major health issues." There are several opportunities for businesses delivering solutions, he said, such as "trying to reduce the reliance on primary care, and other trends are that more people want to take control of their own health and more people are using more technology". Conroy believes that Ireland is uniquely positioned to develop companies in the health and wellness area give the strong presences of global medtech companies here, as well as the thriving food sector, which has produced world-class companies such as Glanbia and Kerry. He believes that with the fund's backing some emerging companies have the opportunity to become international players. Conroy founded Merrion Capital in 2000 when he and six colleagues left NCB Stockbrokers. They were backed by boutique investment bank Allen & Co, which has high-level business connections in the US. Conroy and Allen exited in 2014. See interview page 6 Half of all economic activity in the State is generated in Dublin and the capitals reach now extends into 11 counties. A stark report to be published today paints a grim picture of a two-tier Ireland, where a flight from rural Ireland is resulting in isolation among the elderly, while workers grapple with hour-long commutes and are forced to travel long distances to access basic services including healthcare. The Ireland 2040 document, which will be launched today by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Housing Minister Simon Coveney, says that half the population growth in the last two decades has been largely centred on Dublin. Many built-up areas, stretching north from Cavan, south to Wexford and east to Longford, are effectively Dublin commuter towns. Employment is centred in an increasingly smaller number of areas while new homes are spread out. Unless radical action is taken, some 75pc of the projected population and new homes will be clustered around the capital city by 2040. Growth The document says Dublin generates some 49pc of national economic growth, which is way in excess of the London figure, which stands at 32pc. Failure to address growth in the Dublin City-Region may risk competitiveness and ability to attract companies in the wake of Brexit, it warns. There has been an increasing concentration of population and economic activity in the east of the country, with much of the growth associated with Dublin being accommodated in 10 other counties, extending from Cavan to Wexford. We know that present trends take us to an Ireland where around three quarters of the extra population and homes will happen on the eastern side of the country, much of it clustered around but not necessarily happening in our capital city. This will further exacerbate massive and increasingly unmanageable sprawl of housing areas, scattered employment and car-based commuting, presenting major challenges around lop-sided development, under-utilised potential, congestion and adverse impacts on peoples lives and the environment. It also says there has been over-development in some places and a decline in others, particularly in parts of rural Ireland which are poorly served by roads and public transport. This has meant that services and facilities are rapidly required in many different areas, but can be under-utilised elsewhere. This makes it costly and difficult to plan for future needs, it warns, adding that many towns experiencing rapid population growth in recent years are not equipped to deal with growing numbers. This will lead to situations such as children not being able to secure a school place in their local area and pressure on basic facilities such as access to healthcare. Brexit The report comes after the launch of the Governments Action Plan for Jobs and recent launch of a programme to develop rural Ireland. It warns that failure to curb the growth of the economy puts the entire country at risk, and suggests that attracting businesses in the wake of Brexit may prove difficult unless action is taken. Dublins success as a city-region is a double-edged sword, it says. It has enabled Ireland to compete in an international context but such success has also given rise to pressures in areas such as housing, transport and infrastructural requirements, which affect competitiveness. If Dublin is under-performing, Ireland is under-performing. Should the Dublin City-Region suffer a loss of competitiveness and become a less attractive place in which to invest as a result of housing and infrastructural bottlenecks, investment and influence will inevitably be attracted to other similar city-regions in Europe or elsewhere. Growth since the early 1990s has been unprecedented, but almost half of the population growth has been in the local authority areas of Fingal in north Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Laois and counties Galway and Cork. Populations fells in Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Monaghan. It says the defining pattern of development has seen settlements where people live becoming more spread out, with employment in a smaller number of areas. Unless car use is curbed, rural towns and villages will die due to a rise in out-of-town shopping centres. IMAGINE taking a waste product and transforming it into more than 1000 profit and all while studying in national school. One group of fifth and sixth class pupils from Chaoimhin Naofa school in Glendalough, Co Wicklow, did just that when they acquired a local joinery companys leftover wood. The schoolchildren created their own business, Set A Blaze and asked members of their local community how much theyd be willing to pay for wood pellets to light household fires. Settling on a 2.50 price tag for material set to wind up in a bin, the children realised they had a goldmine on their hands. Pupil Lochlan Sweetman, 12, said: The pellets are renewable and it was a handy waste product. We sold a lot of bags. Its pretty hard being an entrepreneur and you need to think outside the box but I learnt how to work as a team and listen to everyones ideas. The children took part in the project as part of the Junior Entrepreneur Programme (JEP) - a scheme which has this month been extended to take new applicants right up until October 24. JEP is a free 12-week programme led by entrepreneur Jerry Kennelly from software company, Tweak Cloud. And if the children had continued their business, theyre confident theyd have made even more money. Expand Close Scoil Chaoimhin Naofa National School pupil Holly Shanks / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Scoil Chaoimhin Naofa National School pupil Holly Shanks 40,000 pupils have started classroom businesses and collaborated with local businesspeople on the initiative since 2010. The programme is helping children across Ireland learn entrepreneurialism, which complements what theyre learning on the curriculum and as Ireland increasingly moves towards a gig culture more young people may find such skills vital. Read More I might be an entrepreneur some day hopefully, said Lochlain, who also dreams of being CEO of Ferrari. I learnt how it felt to be in business and it was very social. The most exciting part was selling logs and going to a business showcase day. The other business people there thought our product was great. The logs help the environment because they are not producing carbon dioxide which goes into the atmosphere worsening global warming and theyre processed from managed sustainable woods. Pupil Kate Byrne, 12, said: I used to be scared to share my ideas in large groups but after JEP Im not scared anymore. Being part of the programme made me more confident to speak up. I want to be a meteorologist or a writer one day and I definitely think the business skills Ive learnt would assist me in one of those careers. Ive improved in English and maths since taking part in JEP, so its helped me in school too. Read More Leonora Doyle, fifth and sixth class teacher, said: The programme was very inspirational for the children and myself, it inspired them to believe anyone could be an entrepreneur. They could put anything into it and make money out of it. This was a meaningful way to teach them how to make profit. I noticed a huge change in the children. Their confidence improved, they came out of themselves. Some kids were shy and werent used to talking to people but it wasnt as daunting for them because they wanted to make money. And when the kids started to see the profits come in, the more effort they put into the project. Id encourage any school to take part in JEP because its given the children here a world of opportunity to realise what they can do if they put all their efforts into it. The class sold 1,308.30 of pellets and made a profit of 1,151.80. To apply to take part in the Junior Entrepreneur Programme log onto www.juniorentrepreneur.ie. The deadline is October 24. A few years ago Ciara Clancy went to a dinner where a lot was at stake. One of the dinner guests was going to get 20,000 for their business, and if it wasn't her, Beats Medical would probably be no more. It was right before the deadline for submitting patents, and the company - which makes a smartphone app that provides therapies for people with Parkinson's and other neurological conditions - had run out of money. "We hadn't raised a large round at that point and when it comes to fundraising in healthcare a lot is put on patents. They say without a patent it's very hard to raise, so I suppose I knew if we lost that, our ability to raise would be compromised," says Clancy. People were already relying on the product so the stakes were higher than would be the case for most startups on the brink. But Clancy won the prize and immediately sent a photo of the oversized novelty cheque to her patent lawyer - the patent was submitted. Fast forward to today and now Clancy is looking to raise 3m in Series-A funding to help drive the company to the next level. It's currently available directly from the app store to customers for 1 a day, but Clancy thinks business-to-business sales is what will really help scale the company quickly. The proceeds of the fundraising exercise will in large part be deployed towards growing that part of the business. Devising corporate strategy is not something Clancy ever thought she would end up doing. From a young age she knew she wanted to enter the caring professions, and in her teens a volunteering stint with a local physiotherapist convinced her she wanted to help people struggling with Parkinson's. As a keen dancer, movement was a source of much joy in her life, and she wanted to help people reclaim their ability to move. She went to Trinity and studied physiotherapy - but by the time it came to hands-on work with patients, she was left unsatisfied. "I really felt after all those years that I was falling short, that I wasn't doing everything I thought I could do. I thought I was going to help all these people with Parkinson's disease, and I was helping them - but it was on such a small scale. I was helping them in hospitals and they were going home and the symptoms were persisting." The vast bulk of the care for Parkinson's and other neurological conditions takes place in the home and so Clancy wanted to develop something that would work there. So-called "metronome therapy" (where patients are asked to respond to a beat to train the brain to work more efficiently) had been shown to be effective but it was only available in hospital because it had to be individually tailored every single day. So Clancy went about building the research that would enable her to develop algorithms for individualised prescriptions. Once that problem was solved, building a business became the challenge. There was just one difficulty - she had no business experience. "Growing up, there were absolutely no plans to go into entrepreneurship. I had no interest in business. People say they set up mini-businesses and lemonade stands and things like that. I did none of that," says Clancy. She decided to build an advisory board that would enable her to leverage the experience of others. Telecoms entrepreneur Sean Melly - also an early investor - joined, as did Trinity physiotherapy professor Emma Stokes and Philips online sales veteran Graham Merriman. All of this was designed to help deliver Clancy's vision of making Beats the number one provider of non-intrusive solutions for neurological conditions. Among its functions are speech and language therapies, dexterity exercises, and tailored metronome therapy to help improve patients' movement. One of the biggest challenges, Clancy says, has been to convince people to embrace digital health products. "Beats Medical didn't look like a pill. It didn't look like how you treat Parkinson's disease. We had people with Parkinson's who this was helping who said: 'Don't make us wait for the HSE to cover it, we want this now.' "So we started selling direct to customers - and now we have users in 44 countries through that selling. "But hospitals and insurers, particularly across the States, are embracing digital health like never before in the last 12 months, which has very much started to flip our business model from a B2C to a B2B model, which is one of the reasons why we're raising the Series A." She says she has been surprised by the power of B2C in helping to build sales. "We do go to health professionals first but in countries where we don't have a presence, what's been very powerful is one individual, telling others, who tell the neurologist and then health professionals prescribe from there. "The B2B allows us to have much more significant impact in a much more rapid way. In a sense it's also much more accessible for individuals as well. "If it's covered by their insurer or their major hospital scheme, you can have thousands of people coming in to the same hospital group, getting on the system and off they go. It is a potentially more sustainable model for an impact business to be B2B." As the company grows, the pressure on Clancy grows and she wants to make sure that she continues to develop her skills as a leader and chief executive, even as a scaling business creates more and more demands on her time. Personal mentors have included Intel vice-president Margaret Burgraff and Keelings boss Caroline Keeling. Important too, says Clancy, is fitting in time for physical exercise which helps keep her fit for the demanding job of running the business. Surfing, hip-hop music, rock climbing and, perhaps surprisingly, breakdancing are among the hobbies she pursues during her time off. What also helps provide sustenance is the positive feedback from customers who have used the app. The woman who could write Christmas cards for the first time in years, for example, or the man who managed to walk from one end of Britain to the other. This, says Clancy, is the well from which she draws energy. In its last financial year the company lost almost 220,000 but Clancy says the last two quarters have been the company's best thus far. "This is in line with much of the growth that we've been taking. The previous year we were developing products for other neurological conditions. "With technology it's never about standing still so it is very much about taking that next step to push the boundaries of what you can achieve - trying to push for more rather than let one thing do well." As for the future, Clancy just wants to make sure the business fulfils her vision of helping as many people as possible. A trade sale or a partnership might make more sense than an IPO in achieving that vision, but nevertheless Clancy believes it's important to build a business that has the potential to go public off its own bat. As well as Parkinson's, the company's other areas of clinical focus are cerebral palsy, dyspraxia, stroke and multiple sclerosis. "Neurological conditions are so undermanaged and they're going to become a bigger and bigger problem ... this challenge isn't going to change, it's just going to get worse. "I believe that Beats Medical will be staying in the neurological space because you could just keep going. There are multiple neurological conditions that require treatment for speech, mobility, fine-hand movements, etc." It's a challenge that Clancy won't walk away from until she feels satisfied she has made a difference. "I feel like I could dedicate a lot of my life to helping people with neurological conditions. I went into that for this reason and I feel like for the future I want to play a role in making sure that happens. "I probably won't sit happy until I know that happens. I wouldn't be able to walk away without making sure that the change we want to create has happened. "I wanted this impact since I was quite young, and that's the reason I went into business." Name Ciara Clancy Age 27 Position Founder and chief executive, Beats Medical Lives Dundrum, Dublin Education PhD Neurosurgery Outcomes, Trinity College Dublin Postgraduate certificate Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Trinity College Dublin BSc Physiotherapy, Trinity College Dublin Previous experience Physiotherapist, Caritas Convalescence Pastimes Breakdancing, surfing International contracts- for-difference (CFD) provider and spread-betting firm IG is closing its Irish sales office. The UK company has written to clients in Ireland informing them of the decision to close the Dublin base. "We're writing to let you know that over the coming weeks we will be closing our local sales office in Dublin," it said in the letter. "Rest assured that this won't affect your account in any way, or the way you deal with us." It added its Irish clients' margin trading customer agreements and share dealing agreements will remain with IG Markets, and spread betting customer agreements will remain with IG Index. "Both of these companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK," noted IG. "The FCA has always regulated, and will continue to regulate, the main activities in respect of your CFD, spread betting or share dealing accounts. This includes the way we execute your orders and hold your money and assets." It noted its Irish sales office was supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland only in respect of the activities it undertook locally. "Our client services team will continue to operate as normal from our London office, and is always on hand to help you with your trading," the firm told clients. IG, which was founded in 1974 as the world's first spread-betting firm, now bills itself as the world's number one spread-betting and CFD provider. Last month, it reported that its revenue in the quarter to the end of August jumped 21.4pc to 135.2m (152m) as its client base expanded. Revenue in the UK jumped 11pc to 58.8m. AIB's blockbuster loan sale, Project Redwood, will top 3.76bn in face value, the Irish Independent can reveal. As this newspaper reported yesterday, the State-controlled bank intends to begin the largest-ever portfolio deal in its history at the end of next month. But internal confidential documents, seen by the Irish Independent, lay bare the full scale of its ambition. In total 10,901 crisis-era loans have been earmarked for the portfolio sale as AIB ramps up efforts to purge its balance sheet of soured debts amid a fresh crackdown on the sector from the European Central Bank. According to the document up to 2,712 of the loans are buy-to-let mortgages with a face value of 702m. The average amount outstanding on these loans is 260,000. But it is the portfolio's stack of soured commercial property investment loans that are worth the most, accounting for 941m in value. AIB intends to offload up to 1,242 of these exposures with the average balance remaining sitting at 760,000. The portfolio also includes 108m of commercial development loans and 693m worth of mortgages attached to land, all of which are likely to whet the appetite of potential bidders. At this stage it is understood Deutsche, Goldman Sachs, CorVal, Cerberus and Oaktree have all expressed interest in the upcoming deal, although the field may include an array of financial services firms and private equity buyers including KKR which remains active here. According to sources Project Redwood may change hands for over 2bn - reflecting a 40pc-plus discount on the loans. But it is not just the ECB clampdown that has spurred AIB's efforts to cleanse its balance sheet. AIB's return to normal trading on the London and Dublin stock exchanges in June also creates pressure, as investors snapped up 3.4bn worth of shares in the bank partly on the basis that its return to health would free up capital and lead to a bigger dividend - as well as one-off payouts in the form of special dividends. Investec's Owen Callan predicts the lender will return close to 300m to shareholders next year, possibly in two instalments, but that figure is projected to grow to 500m by 2020. A smaller load of legacy loans also avoids further punitive measures from the ECB, which is tackling banks with stubbornly high levels of non-performing exposures (NPEs). Under new rules, set to be introduced in January, banks must hold higher levels of capital against new NPEs. There are fears these measures may be intensified - possibly by extending them to the legacy book --on those banks still burdened by double-digit NPE ratios. As at June 30, NPE's accounted for 19pc of AIB's total loan book, or 12.1bn. It aims to cut this to 3bn-4bn in the medium term, bringing it in line with the European norm. However the bank counts the impaired book, which stands at 7.76bn, as its key challenge, since these represent the toughest loans to restructure and are likely to pose the greatest drag to the balance sheet. Project Redwood will cut a swathe through this figure and the bank hopes to finalise a deal by the time it publishes its annual results in early March. AIB declined to comment. Shaun Murphy, managing partner of KPMG, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, Ray Gray, DAA, Dalton Philips, DAA and David Meagher, partner KPMG, at the Budget 2018 event presented by INM and sponsored by KPMG in the St Stephens Green Hibernian Club EU countries with similar views on corporation tax need to come together to make their voices heard, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said. Addressing the Independent News & Media Budget 2018 business breakfast last week, Donohoe said Ireland and other small European countries will meet next month to set out their views to the European Commission on corporation tax. The European Commission wants to press ahead with a shake-up of European tax rules to standardise the way that corporation tax is calculated, a move that is opposed by Ireland. Donohoe was speaking to an audience of industry leaders including business magnate Denis O'Brien, KPMG managing partner Shaun Murphy, new Dublin Airport Authority chief executive Dalton Philips, Permanent TSB chief executive Jeremy Masding, Lidl Ireland ceo JP Scally, former Fitzwilton chairman and INM director Dr Len O'Hagan, and INM Editor-in-Chief Stephen Rae. After the minister spoke, INM business columnist Richard Curran hosted a panel discussion, which included contributions from Sunday Independent Business Editor Samantha McCaughren, columnist Colm McCarthy, KPMG's Conor O'Brien and Ibec's Fergal O'Brien. Heavyweights in Nov 26 clash As nominations for the first phase of federal parliament and provincial assemblies conclude, Gorkha Consti-tuency No 2 is set for a major clash between heavyweights Baburam Bhattarai, coordinator of the Naya Shakti Party Nepal, and Narayan Kaji Shrestha, senior leader of the CPN (Maoist Centre). Irish companies should look east to find a rising marketplace for quality goods and services. Increased middle-class income has transformed dynamics in the Chinese market. Until recently, competing on price was a serious barrier for exporters targeting China, but a shift in consumer preferences has expanded opportunities for overseas businesses. With the review and comment sections of e-commerce websites increasingly influencing purchasing decisions, price is no longer the consumer's main priority; product quality has become almost as important. This has created opportunities for Irish exporters to invest in e-commerce and serve a growing taste for quality goods. Irish companies and brands already have the advantage of being perceived by Chinese consumers as supplying premium products and services associated with a high level of quality. One such exporter, Felim Meade, MD of Emerald Green Baby, describes the commercial landscape that attracted his company to the region: "Everyone knows the Chinese market has huge potential. With the government's five-year plan for 6.5pc annual growth and its 'Belt and Road' initiative driving connectivity between Eurasian countries, the opportunities for growth are endless. "The challenge lies in accessing China's potential in a cost-effective way. Emerald Green Baby has been selling in China for three years but spent years researching how to sell there. China is a very sophisticated and dynamic market, far more advanced than we are used to in Europe and America. The potential for e-commerce is clear: in China 51pc of goods are bought online and 80pc of online sales are done by mobile phone." China is the world's top online shopping market, accounting for over 40pc of global e-commerce retail sales. Two of China's biggest e-commerce players played a major part in that growth. In 2016, Alibaba's profit almost doubled to $2.1bn and Tencent's grew 70pc to $2.7bn. WeChat agency WalktheChat expects the cross-border e-commerce market to reach a 7.5 trillion RMB volume (1 trillion) in 2017, demonstrating how appealing foreign brands are to local consumers. This year, the Chinese government announced it plans to establish more cross-border e-commerce pilot zones to support international companies' attempts to gain access to the Chinese market. While China's regulatory environment can still pose a challenge to cross-border opportunities, these pilots are an example of how the situation has relaxed in recent years. Enterprise Ireland has increased support to encourage more companies to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the Chinese e-commerce market in 2018. Several Enterprise Ireland client companies, including Emerald Green Baby, Ovelle, Irish Breeze and Clevamama, already sell on e-commerce platforms in China. Irish companies considering China are encouraged to conduct diligent market research and visit the region to ensure they understand consumer preferences in their sector before committing to a plan. Market research will also help companies to determine which e-commerce platform best suits their offering. Some local platforms are not well known outside China, but they are no less important within the market itself. Enterprise Ireland's Market Research Centre will help companies considering e-commerce expansion to China. When visiting the region, Irish companies should aim to meet potential partners and distributors to get a practical sense of the market and explore demand for their products or services. Relationship building is essential to doing business in China and often must be done face-to-face. Many businesses credit interpersonal relationships as key to successful business in China. It is a reminder that, in some markets, personal connections and recommendations outweigh simpler considerations - like price. Sarah Connelly is a Marketing Executive at the Enterprise Ireland office in Shanghai The Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) has signed a contract with Innovate Business Technology for the delivery of cloud managed services, which will bring the sport much closer to its followers, both on and off track. Innovate, an Irish cloud service and IT solutions provider, will provide infrastructure that will enable the IGB to expand the use of video services, seamlessly cope with peaks in betting demand, and also improve their on-premise customer experience, in a five year partnership. The service involves the migration of the IGBs infrastructure from Amazon Web Services to Microsoft Azure, and optimises the companys investment to allow for future growth and innovation. "Our partnership with Innovate will produce many obvious boosts to the racing consumer, such as enabling us to seamlessly integrate their tote betting, refreshments, food and drink onto a single payment point," Joe Lewins, director of Tote and Wagering at the IGB, said. Mr Lewins went on to say that the IGB is looking to expand the use of video services to increase its target audience and revenue streams through an easily accessible and reliable video stream. Dublin hotel room rates have continued to rise, with the revenue per available room jumping 9.2pc in September and average room rates up 10.1pc, according to data from STR Global. The increases came just before this month's Budget, when Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said he would retain the special 9pc VAT rate for the hospitality sector. The figures from STR Global confirm the resurgence of the capital's hotel business, which has recovered sharply since the downturn. An under-supply of rooms has helped operators to squeeze more profits from existing room stock. It's been predicted that 5,000 new rooms could be added to the capital's hotel stock by 2020. The data shows year-to-date revenue per available room rose 7.5pc in Dublin, with occupancy having edged 0.3 percentage points higher in the period. The STR figures also reveal that hotels outside Dublin have continued to see an improvement in their performance. Outside the capital, revenue per available room jumped 12.1pc in August, with occupancy increasing 3.8 percentage points. Average room rates in regional hotels here rose 7.1pc. In the year to date, revenue per available room is 9.9pc higher outside Dublin. Mr Donohoe said earlier this month he was aware that hotel room rates in Dublin were rising, but said he had to take into account the sector across Ireland, not just in one city. Mr Donohoe said in the Budget that in deciding whether or not he should retain the special 9pc VAT rate, he had to look at the country as a whole. "While I note that prices in Dublin continue to rise, I have said before that VAT policy cannot be decided on the basis of one location only but in the context of the national interest," Mr Donohoe said in his Budget speech. "Accordingly, I have decided not to change the VAT rate on the tourism and services sector in Budget 2018." A recent survey by accountancy and advisory firm Crowe Horwath found that average room rates in Dublin jumped by 16.44, or 14.7pc, to 128.27 a night during 2016. The special 9pc VAT rate was introduced in 2011 in an effort to boost the tourism sector in particular. It also applies to a limited number of other enterprises, including hairdressing, takeaways, cinemas, fairgrounds and newspaper publishing. Dalata is Ireland's biggest hotel group. Davy Stockbrokers said yesterday that Dalata should continue to outperform the broader Dublin market given its on-going efforts to improve room rates in hotels acquired during the past couple of years. If parties allow human rights problems to fester, new issues will crop up With a lamentable performance in regards to the transitional justice process, Nepal has already attracted criticism for its approach to the post-conflict regime and overall human rights issues. The directors of a Kerry luxury hotel group have sounded warnings over the short to medium-term impact on business of Brexit, the US election "and the troubling state of the EU". The directors of the Swiss-owned Killarney Hotels Ltd sounded the note of caution as revenues continued to increase last year at the group to 19.2m. New accounts show that revenues at the group - which operates two five-star hotels in Co Kerry, The Europe Hotel & Resort and the 102 bedroom Dunloe Castle - last year increased by 13pc to 19.2m. Turnover at the group has increased by 126pc since 2011, when revenues of 8.49m were recorded. However, hefty non-cash depreciation charges of 6.2m resulted in Killarney Hotels Ltd last year recording an pre-tax loss of 5.5m. Along with operating The Europe Hotel & Resort and Dunloe Castle Hotel, Killarney Hotels also operate the four-star Hotel Ard na Sidhe. The group recorded a pre-tax loss of 5.5m last year and this followed a pre-tax loss of 4.9m in 2015. According to the directors' report for 2016, they "consider the performance of the company to be in line with expectation". The directors are listed as Michael Brennan, Gerry Browne and Adrian Stehr and remuneration for the directors last year jumped to 606,694 including 34,776 in pension contributions. Numbers employed increased from 175 to 191 with staff costs increasing from 7.3m to 8m. The firm's shareholder funds totalled 3.5m. The company's cash pile increased from 6.6m to 8m. French President Emmanuel Macron delivering his speech to set out plans for reforming the European Union at the Sorbonne in Paris Photo: REUTERS/Ludovic Marin/Pool There is no sign of our European partners giving up on the idea of getting global multinationals to pay more tax in Europe, most likely at the expense of Ireland's investment proposition. In a week when US President Donald Trump was sounding off about slashing American corporation tax, the more ominous signs for us were coming from the Sorbonne University in Paris, compliments of a speech given by French President Emmanuel Macron. In a major speech on the future of Europe, Macron said divergence in corporate tax rates "feeds a form of disunion, breaks apart our social models. It creates fragility throughout Europe." He was echoing recent remarks by his finance minister when he implied that facilitating corporations in paying very low taxes, as he believes Ireland does, is one of the reasons behind the shift to the right in European politics. In other words, if Irish tax advisers hadn't come up with things like the Double Irish, there wouldn't be a Marine Le Pen or an AfD far right party in Germany. I think this is stretching things more than just a little. Indeed Macron was emphasising greater EU democracy and sovereignty. He wants more eurozone integration with a eurozone budget, finance minister and all the rest. He wants minimum and maximum corporate tax rates to be set in the 2020 EU budget. More threateningly, he went on to say that access to EU cohesion funds must be conditional on respect for those rates. "One cannot benefit from European solidarity and play against the others," he said. This sounds awfully like trying to change the rules by dictating the terms. In Ireland we of course cannot forget the European "solidarity" that was shown when we were threatened by the ECB of the implications of burning bondholders. This contributed to our legacy of 200bn in national debt. And France is not exactly in a position to lecture anybody about fiscal rectitude and sticking to European rules. France and Germany were the first to break the stability pact guidelines back in 2003 and avoided financial sanction. France has run up a deficit every year since 2007 and will struggle to bring its budget deficit under 3pc next year as it has pledged to do. It must deliver two years below the 3pc threshold to exit an EU excessive-deficit procedure it has faced since 2009. France hasn't begun to take any of the real pain of tightening public finances. It is pledging to cut public spending by an extra 4.5bn while also reducing wealth and local residency tax. Attracting a big slice of new tax from digital multinationals might allow it to avoid some of those public spending cuts. But it could come at a price for Ireland. State bailout of AIB cost us all 3bn more than headline figure It was reported in this newspaper at the time of its IPO that AIB would not have to pay corporation tax for the next 20 years. But hearing it come out of the mouth of the bank's chief executive at the Oireachtas committee meeting last week brought it home. The arguments about the money end up getting fudged. AIB has 3bn in deferred tax assets (DTAs) resulting from its losses during the bad years. If it wasn't given those, the argument goes, the bailout would have needed to be 3bn more. So there is no additional cost to the exchequer. But look at it another way. Given that the state did the bailing out, does that not mean the cost of AIB's collapse was effectively 3bn more than the 20bn headline figure, because it will receive 3bn less in corporation taxes? The circular argument states that with the tax losses, AIB will enjoy higher profits. Because the state owns the bank, the state will get more in higher dividends from AIB's enlarged profits, and get the money back that way. However, the state no longer owns all of the bank and is unlikely to own very much of it in five years' time, when there will still be another 15 years to run on the tax losses. The state is already recouping 60m per year from AIB through the bank levy and that is legislated to run until 2021. At least that is something. If AIB makes 1.6bn in profit this year, its tax bill should be around 200m. The private investors who own 28pc of AIB are benefiting from their pro-rata share of that tax bill which would be 56m this year. There is also a point of principle here too. It goes like this: A bank that recklessly lost so much money and had to be bailed out by the state, should not be able to avoid paying corporation tax to the state (Revenue Commissioners) on its profits in the future on foot of its reckless losses of the past. Paddy Power's late great Pauline conversion on "toxic" FOBTs Paddy Power Betfair has undergone a "Pauline conversion" on the issue of lowering the maximum bet on fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) in British betting shops. Described by some as the "crack cocaine" of gambling, punters can bet 100 every 20 seconds on FOBTs and they can be a source of enormous misery for gambling addicts. The British government is in advanced stages of a report which looks set to recommend slashing the maximum bet, possibly to as low as 2. Betting chains in Britain have been fighting hard and lobbying to retain the limit or only have it slashed to around 30. But Paddy Power Betfair chief executive Breon Corcoran broke ranks and wrote a letter to the Department saying FOBTs had become a toxic social issue and bets should be dropped to 10 or less. First of all, Corcoran has done a positive thing and that should be acknowledged. But his competitors are questioning the move, saying it will give Paddy Power Betfair a commercial advantage because it isn't as reliant on FOBTs for revenue. A cut to 2 would cost Ladbrokes 449m in lost revenue, while William Hill would see revenues fall by 284m. Paddy Power would see a 55m drop in revenue. While Corcoran's view might be good for tackling problem gambling, there are a few home truths here too. Firstly, he is leaving the company and will become the third former director of Paddy Power to question the value of FOBTs. Former director and Paddy Power founder Stewart Kenny and former chairman Fintan Drury have gone on record criticising them in the past. Corcoran's timing is interesting because it has come very late in the process. The committee has been reviewing this issue for a long time and is due to report next month. Why not say it earlier and why not say it publicly? Corcoran's stance came in the form of a letter written last month to the Department rather than a public statement. It is still true that somebody could bet hundreds of pounds in seconds playing some of Paddy Power or other online games. It is debatable whether it is easier to monitor a person's gambling online or in the corner of a betting shop. Either way, Paddy Power has probably secured a nail in the coffin of FOBTs. Despite the ire it has drawn from the betting fraternity in the UK, that can't be a bad thing. Nama is poised to pay off the last of its Government guaranteed debt, three years ahead of schedule. It is understood that the move will not bring forward Nama's final timeline to shut after 10 years in 2020, but lifting the debt burden may free the agency to make greater use of funds it receives for sales of assets, of which as much as 4bn remain to be sold. It is understood the final 500m payment from the original 30.2bn of senior bonds will be paid within weeks. The senior bonds were used to buy vast numbers of property loans from the banks in the wake of the financial crash. Nama chairman Frank Daly said removing the so-called "contingent liability" for taxpayers means the agency has delivered on its core objective. "Today we have delivered on Nama's core objective - an objective many people thought unachievable at the outset. "This reflects the enormous progress that Nama has made since its first loan acquisition over seven years ago," he said. Finalisation of details on the last payment, which will go mainly to AIB and Bank of Ireland, is expected within weeks. A remaining 1.2bn of so-called subordinated debt will still be owed by Nama, but isn't due to be repaid until 2020. Unlike the bulk of the Nama debt, the subordinated bonds were never guaranteed, so if Nama had failed to pay that back taxpayers weren't on the hook. A relatively small 56m is also owed to Nama shareholders. Nama's debt repayments have accelerated rapidly in the past three years, as by 2013 just 7.5bn had been paid back to the banks, from asset and loan sales and money raised in rents and interest on Nama-controlled property and loans. The remaining 20bn-plus has been raised and repaid in the interim. Nama CEO Brendan McDonagh said redeeming the debt three years ahead of schedule was significant, and that early repayment had boosted the State's ability to borrow on the markets. "The progress made in reducing the guranteed senior debt by two-thirds between 2014 and 2016 contributed substantially to the strong performance of the Irish economy and to the ability of the State to fund itself and to achieve reductions in the funding cost if Ireland's debt," Mr McDonagh said. He told the Irish Independent that Nama's decision in 2010 to substantially sell off overseas assets, in particular in the UK, had been a significant move, and means the agency now has an exposure of just 500m to the UK housing market as it faces into Brexit. Pumping more than 30bn back into the bailed-out Irish banks had helped AIB and Bank of Ireland to move towards privatisation, he said. While Nama has reduced the scale of assets it manages, and has shed significant staff numbers as a result, the agency's chief expects that the final sales of assets and ongoing legal cases where the agency is a party will run right to the end of its 10-year term. In numbers 71.2bn Total loans of 850 borrowers transferred from banks 30.2bn Amount paid in Nama bonds for the loans representing haircut of 58pc 41bn The hole left in the banks balance sheets to be filled by the taxpayer 299m The amount advanced to Nama from the Central Fund (ie the taxpayer) by September 30, 2010 NUI Galway has received a loan of 60m for campus development from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The funding will be used to help cover the cost of construction of new student accommodation, as well as a new building for its college of medicine, nursing, and health sciences. "The support from EIB will assist in the completion of our new Human Biology Building, which will transform the learning environment for our health science students, as well as the development of new campus student accommodation," Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway said. In addition to the funding for NUI Galway, Dublin Institute of Technology is expected to receive 110m from the EIB to assist with work at its Grangegorman campus over the coming months. Over the last decade the EIB has provided 1.2bn for education investment across Ireland, including 675m for investment in third level education in the country. "Less than three years ago the EIB set out to ensure that all Irish universities could benefit and now Ireland is the only country in Europe where all universities have benefited from EIB backed investment," Richard Bruton, Minister for Education and Skills, said. The new financing was formally signed ahead of a briefing for the Presidents of the seven Irish universities outlining new opportunities to broaden EIB group support. This includes new financing of campus investment, support for urban development and possible provision of new loans to facilitate international mobility of postgraduate students under the Erasmus Plus initiative already rolled out in other EU countries. Over the last decade the EIB has provided 28bn for education investment across the European Union including support for construction and modernisation of schools, improvement of vocational training, university campus development and student mobility. 'Staff at Aer Lingus have demanded that the supplementary pension, known as Pot B, be frozen until concerns around its wind-up are allayed.' Photo: Bloomberg Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty has contacted the chief executive of the Pensions Authority to express concern at how funds from a special 100m Aer Lingus pension pot are being distributed, this newspaper has learned. Staff at Aer Lingus have demanded that the supplementary pension, known as Pot B, be frozen until concerns around its wind-up are allayed. Doherty has asked the authority to look into the matter and to contact the trustee, it is understood. The trustee of the scheme has received as many as 400 complaints about the winding up of Pot B, from which 2,300 staff are due to receive a share. This newspaper has previously reported huge differences between what many fund members with similar age profiles will receive. Independent TD Clare Daly, who as a former Aer Lingus employee is a beneficiary of the scheme, wrote to the trustee claiming she was aware of one staff member who would get less than 2,000 from the scheme, while a colleague would receive 61,000 - over 30 times more. "It is incumbent on you to explain the fairness of this staggering inequity," wrote Daly. The scheme was originally set up with a 34m Exchequer payment to compensate workers for the Aer Lingus flotation. Joint panel to implement pact A Joint Technical Committee of Joint-Secretary of Nepal and Jordan will be formed for the implementation of labour agreement signed between the two countries, according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Myadi police aspirant dies during fitness test A youth aspiring for Myadi police (temporary police for election security job) lost his life during physical fitness test in Hetauda Sub-metropolis-4 on Monday. NAC to purchase 4 Viking Twin Otters National flag carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), has started laying the groundwork to buy at least four Twin Otter aircraft in a bid to serve remote areas of the country. Nepal Bhawan to be built in Kolkata A building named Nepal Bhawan is to be built in Kolkata, the capital of the Indian State of West Bengal, at the initiative of the Nepali Welfare Trust established by the India-Nepal Peoples Friendly Cultural Forum of Kolkata. NIC Asia cash stolen in cyber heist Unidentified cybercriminals have reportedly hacked into the SWIFT system of NIC Asia Bank to steal money, exposing vulnerability in the information technology system of Nepali banks. Paddy production increases in Bhaktapur Bhaktapur district has witnessed an increment in the paddy production by four-fold with the plantation of the improved hybrid seedlings of Chinese species. Donald Trump has implied that Facebook is colluding with the New York Times, major cable networks and the Washington Post against him. The suggestion comes after Facebook agreed last week to give Congress 3,000 political ads from the 2016 election that were linked to Russian actors hoping to influence the campaign. Those ads were previously only released to special investigator Robert Mueller, who is in charge of investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. "Facebook was always anti-Trump. The Networks were always anti-Trump hence, Fake News, New York Times (apologized) & Washington Post were anti-Trump. Collusion?" Mr Trump wrote in a tweet that followed the release of campaign ads. The social media network said last month that they had identified $150,000 of political ads it sold and ran on its platform that were purchased by fake accounts linked to Russian actors. Of those, roughly $100,000 of those ads, or about 3,000 of them, could be linked to Russian propaganda group named Internet Research Agency. Another 2,000 ads worth about $50,000 were also found by filtering out accounts registered through American internet addresses, but whose accounts were set to the Russian language. Facebook had found those accounts and suspended them long before their September disclosure, writing a vague blog post on the subject as a means of letting the world know what had happened. The company then stayed mum on the issue for months until it disclosed that they had shared the information with Mr Mueller's team, and that it would also hand over that information to Congress. The company hasn't agreed to testify or meet with Congress for further questioning. Facebook was always anti-Trump.The Networks were always anti-Trump hence,Fake News, @nytimes(apologized) & @WaPo were anti-Trump. Collusion? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2017 Mark Zuckerburg, the founder and CEO of the social media company, previously called allegations that Russians influenced the 2016 election, but it was recently discovered that former President Barack Obama had met with the businessman before Mr Trump's election, and had urged him to take the issue seriously. Mr Obama told him that if Facebook didn't do more to mitigate fake news that has proliferated on the platform, and stop the proliferation of foreign political propaganda ads, that the problem would become much worse during the next election. Mr Zuckerburg announced late last month that his company was analysing the political ads that it sold to determine if any further ads were paid for by Russian sources, and indicated his company would continue to work with the government on the issue if they discover more. In that announcement, Mr Zuckerburg outlined changes that would be made to his company's election-integrity processes, including new requirements that advertisers disclose who paid for any particular ad. The company will also require political advertisers to publicly catalogue the variations of ads that they target to different audiences. The monetisation of digital media has yet to be cracked by the publishing industry, co-founder of Irish internet payments firm Stripe told attendees at the Web Summit today. Whether it be pay-walls, leaky paywalls or advertising, experimentation is continuing, John Collison said on the second day of the Summit- where 40,000 delegates are descending on Dublins RDS over three days. Limerickman John is the co-founder of Stripe with his brother John. Stripe recently completed a new round of funding which valued the firm at 4.6bn (5bn). The company is also working with The Guardian newspaper, powering some of its existing subscription services in the UK while also exploring the potential of the service to support the firms audience revenue streams worldwide. Stripe has doubled its workforce over the past five years and recently expanded into Brazil and Portugal with the UK now its second biggest market. And Collisons advice to the budding entrepreneurs in the audience: "don't be afraid to start a business that feels it has no precedent. Parties field nominees for Phase 1 polls Candidates of the major political partiesNepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre)on Sunday filed nominations for the first round of provincial polls scheduled for November 26. There are 74 constituencies in the election to be held in 32 districts of six provinces. If Catalonia declares independence from Spain this week, one community in the region's mountainous north might declare independence from Catalonia. Most people in the picturesque Aran Valley - a semi-autonomous community nestled among the Pyrenees - want to stay with Spain, and the area has the right to self-determination under a law passed in 2015 by the Catalan parliament. "We're a little spot on the map and often we're not taken into account," said Maria Verges Perez, the deputy mayor of Aran's capital, Vielha, a cluster of stone-and-slate houses on the valley floor ringed by autumnal forests. "But we will exercise our right to decide our future." Catalan President Carles Puigdemont is expected to declare independence today in Spain's worst constitutional crisis since the return of democracy in the 1970s. The roughly 10,000 people of Aran, on the border with France, have a language and culture distinct from the rest of Catalonia, which itself differs from the rest of Spain. The valley's economy is heavily dependent on winter-sports tourists from Spain and the EU. Their politicians say the 2015 law gives them the right to vote on whether they want to break away with Catalonia - something which Catalan officials do not dispute. The Spanish government has vowed to prevent Catalonia seceding. Losing the region would deprive the country of 16pc of its people and a fifth of its economic output. But while Madrid insists Spain is indivisible under its constitution, the Aran Valley underlines the complex nature of nationhood in such a culturally diverse country. Ever since Spain's return to democracy in the 1970s, Madrid has struggled to balance the country's patchwork of regional identities, including its decades-long fight to quell separatism in the northern Basque Country led by violent militants ETA. Few in the medieval villages along the Aran Valley doubt the community would opt to stay with Spain if asked to vote. "The people here feel very far away from what is going on in Barcelona," said Carlos Barrera, head of the Aran government, at a rural festival in Salardu village where locals judged stocky Pyrenean horses and handed out racks of blood sausages. The valley had the lowest voter turnout by far in Catalonia's independence referendum on October 1, which had been declared illegal by Spain's constitutional court. Across Catalonia there was a 43pc turnout, with most people who wanted to remain in Spain staying home, and 90pc of those who voted backed secession. In Aran, just 24pc voted, with 84pc of those backing independence. Many people in Aran fear Catalan independence would destroy its tourism economy which revolves around Baqueira-Beret, Spain's most popular ski resort. About two-thirds of the population in Aran depend on the ski resort for jobs. In the winter, the population triples with the influx of skiers drawn to the same slopes used by Spain's royal family. Since the referendum, Verges Perez, the Vielha deputy mayor, said potential visitors had cancelled almost 30pc of hotel reservations for next week's local holidays. And if an independent Catalonia was no longer part of the EU, Aran's reliance on agreements to use French hospitals for medical emergencies would be jeopardised, she added. (Reuters) The gadfly that will not go away Dr Govinda KC reminds me of Socratesthe relentless critique of maleficence in the Athenian State. Socrates was, in words attributed to him in Platos Apology, a gadfly attached to the Athenian state. Unable to silence him, the Athenian authority charged him for corrupting the mind of the young and sentenced him to death by poisoning. The logical step Nominations for First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) candidates were submitted yesterday for the first phase of federal and provincial elections. With Proportional Representation (PR) candidates selected last week, momentum towards elections has gathered significant steam. 50p coin marking the 375th anniversary of the birth of Sir Isaac Newton next to a prism Credit: CPG Photography Ltd/The Royal Mint/PA Wire A new 50p coin celebrating Sir Isaac Newton can be snapped up by people visiting his birthplace and family home from this week. Just 375 Sir Isaac Newton 2017 50p circulating coins are being released into tills at Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire. The initiative is the result of a collaboration between the Royal Mint and the National Trust, to celebrate 375 years since his birth. The Mint also says it is "imminently" releasing more of the coins into circulation across the country. This means that they will soon start to show up in people's change generally. Anne Jessopp, the Royal Mint's director of consumer coin, said: "As well as undertaking pioneering work in the fields of physics and astronomy - work for which he is widely known - Isaac Newton was also master of the Royal Mint for three decades, so we couldn't think of a better place to issue a special release of these coins than Woolsthorpe Manor, Newton's birthplace." Expand Close 50p coin marking the 375th anniversary of the birth of Sir Isaac Newton next to a prism Credit: CPG Photography Ltd/The Royal Mint/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 50p coin marking the 375th anniversary of the birth of Sir Isaac Newton next to a prism Credit: CPG Photography Ltd/The Royal Mint/PA Wire Commemorative editions of the coins in gold, silver and collectable brilliant uncirculated finishes are also available to buy from the gift shop at Woolsthorpe Manor, as well as directly from the Royal Mint website. As well as helping to shape our understanding of maths and physics, Sir Isaac was master of the Royal Mint for nearly three decades. When he was appointed warden of the Mint in 1696, at the age of 53, he was already a well-established scientist. A report he produced in 1717 helped to establish gold coin as the pre-eminent currency of the UK, paving the way for the introduction of the "gold standard". The 50p coin has been designed by Aaron West, one of the Mint's team of graphic designers. Jannette Warrener, operations manager at Woolsthorpe Manor, National Trust, said: "This is the perfect way to celebrate the 375th anniversary of Isaac Newton. "We are forging a link between two of the places that played an important role in his life - Woolsthorpe Manor, where he was born but also where he achieved some his most notable and world-changing scientific thinking, and the Royal Mint, where he spent much of his working life." Beds, table service, and a cocktail bar will be some of the luxurious additions to the cinematic experience at the newly refurbished Stella Cinema in Rathmines. The Stella Theatre has been in existence for 94 years and when it opens on October 31 it will be unveiled in all its original 1923 glory, with a single screen and restored original features including a decorative ceiling. Theater Director Karl Geraghty describes it as a "grown-up cinema" and a "proper luxury cinema". Speaking to Ryan Tubridy on RTE Radio 1 he said, "There's going to be fresh food- small plates - and the food will be brought to your table at the start of the film." Expand Close PIC: Stella Theatre Facebook / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp PIC: Stella Theatre Facebook There will be luxury furniture including armchairs and ottomans and even beds down by the screen. The first floor has been restored and will be the Stella Cocktail Club, a sister of the Vintage Cocktail Club in Temple Bar, accessible to both people attending the movie and anyone who just wants a drink. The cinema originally catered for 1200 but there is now space for 217 people so there is a lot more room. "It's a lot more luxurious," said Karl. "I don't think there's anything like it in Ireland. People are completely blown away by it." Speaking about the restoration, he added, "A huge amount of love and care and attention went into it to the point where when you come into the cinema you see the screen and the curtains and they got photos of some of the details on the cinema that had been destroyed and had been on the wall where the screen is. They restored those details, pillars and a reed feature behind it, even though nobody will ever see it. There's that level of detail." There will be late night screenings and the film choice for the first screening is up for public vote. The options are: Casablanca, The Dark Knight Rises, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Pulp Fiction, Carrie, Intermission, Ferris Beuller's Day Off and Cinema Paradiso. Expand Close Of all the gin joints: Humphrey Bogart and Madeline Lebeau, who was the last surviving member of the cast of Casablanca. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Of all the gin joints: Humphrey Bogart and Madeline Lebeau, who was the last surviving member of the cast of Casablanca. For more information check out Facebook The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed they are aware of the case An Irishman has died following a drowning accident in the Maldives. It is understood that the man got into difficulty while swimming. It is believed he was on his honeymoon on the Indian Ocean group of islands when tragedy struck yesterday. The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed to the Irish Independent that it is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance to the deceased man's family in Ireland. There is no Irish embassy in the Maldives. However, officials at the Irish embassy in New Delhi in India are liaising with the authorities in the Maldivian capital of Male following the death of the Irishman. The Maldives consists of almost 1,000 coral islands spread across hundreds of kilometres. However, just over 100 of the islands are inhabited and it has a flourishing tourist industry. The destination has been gaining in popularity with Irish holidaymakers in recent years and is particularly popular among young and honeymooning couples. A number of Irish-based tour operators organise holiday packages to the Indian Ocean islands. As you probably have heard, RSV is hitting early and hitting hard this year. Here at Winona Health, my fellow caregivers in Pediatrics and Family Medicine and I are fielding many questions from concerned parents and child care providers. We are always happy to be your resource! While a certain tee-total individual may be busy making America great again, as others steel their nerves by gazing into the bottom of a glass, there will no doubt be a resolute clinking of glasses this weekend as the celebrations for the USA's Independence Day on Tuesday get under way. In keeping with Fourth of July tradition, the White House will greet a procession of dignitaries, followed by parades, fireworks, and live music to salute the American dream. But Trump himself will be toasting the day with an alcohol-free glass, "Not that there's anything wrong with that", as Jerry Seinfeld said in another context. While Trump is not the first president to forswear drink - George W Bush banished the divil from his highly indulged palate on his 40th birthday, quite a bit before he upgraded to the oval-shaped office, and Jimmy Carter was bone dry in his hospitality during his reign - Trump does hold the distinction of being the only US president to have shied away from drink throughout his life. Fr Mathew would be proud. As I am married to an American, whose mother was born on July 4, this is always a day for celebration in our house. If we celebrate in the US, Californian Chardonnay with steamed lobster on one of Maine's wonderful wharfs is the order of the day, but beyond the shores of those 50 states, I tend to forget to seek out American wines. This is something I have started to change. In case your reference point for American wine is a blush pink, easy drinker loaded with sugar, it's time to think again. While Zinfandel may be used for rose, which is the number one wine for export, people are discovering that there is a lot more to American wine than the low-cost, high-volume supermarket wines. California, with its Mediterranean climate, is the number one producer, and Washington state and Oregon come in strong as the next biggest states producing quality wine. In the US, rather than the Zinfandel blush we so often see, the top varietals are Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Blended Red, Pinot Grigio/Gris, Merlot and Pinot Noir. And Pinot Noir is the breakout star. It's not just the Sideways effect - cooler climate wines are the hot trend in the US and at the recent London Wine Trade Fair, Pinot Noir made a big impact. Much of this comes from the fact that wine buyers and sommeliers outside of the US are beginning to realise that top US wines offer great value for money and, at the same time, consumers have started to trade up to more premium bottles. But it's not just about the perfect climate for growing grapes which have global appeal. California takes sustainable practices in vineyards seriously and organic is becoming the norm. Trump may have withdrawn from the climate agreement, but the state of California hasn't. Mendocino County in California is one of the greenest agricultural growing areas in the world and has the highest density of organic vineyards globally. Of particular note is Parducci Wine Cellars, where a water conservation programme captures, treats, and reuses 100pc of the water used in winery operations, and the wildlife habitat in the wetlands beside the vineyard provides biodiversity and a natural system for managing the vineyard's pest population. This all makes for very good wines, so do check out wines from Mendocino, as well as other regions of California, Oregon and Washington State. 4 wines to try... Atalon Paulines cuvee 2011 14.5pc, 27.45 OBriens Sideways may have shunned Merlot, but this beautiful Pomerol-style Merlot is a stunner. With an intense aroma of ripe plums, cherries and a touch of spice, this beautifully structured wine is rewarding on the palate. Worth every cent. Cambria Estate Julias Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2012 13.5pc, 29.95, OBriens The cool climate of Santa Barbara Countys Santa Maria Valley ensures that this beautifully crafted Pinot Noir is awash with lots of red fruit rich cherry and raspberry with notes of vanilla and spice. Perfect for a special occasion. Parducci Chardonnay 2011 13.5pc, 23-24.95, Redmonds of Ranelagh, Jus de Vine, and Blackrock Cellar, all in Dublin; Parting Glass, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow; and leading independent off-licences Lively and well balanced, the flavours of Asian pear, apple and wildflower honey in this Chardonnay finish with a touch of vanilla and nutmeg. Ravenswood Zinfandel Old Vine Lodi 2011 13.5pc, 20, McHughs, Whelehans Wines, Donnybrook Fair, all in Dublin; La Touche Wines, Greystones, Co Wicklow From the Sonoma Valley, this smooth Zinfandel has a delicious nose of ripe blackberries, cherries and plums. Round and easy to drink, theres a touch of sweetness on the finish. City colour... Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the Thames and the London Eye just a few of the many attractions to keep any visitor to London busy It was in the spirit of Dr Johnson's great maxim, "He (or she) who is tired of London, is tired of life," that a city break there was chosen to celebrate the big birthday of a dear friend. Tired of life - perish the thought. Her appetite for fashion and the finer things of life have merely grown with the years and it seemed the gods had conspired to provide an embarrassment of events to satisfy her. Top of her list of things to see were the Diana collection in Kensington Palace and the Balenciaga Exhibition in the Victoria and Albert Museum, so an easy-to-access hotel was a must, and an invitation to stay at the recently refurbished Lanesborough hotel on Hyde Park Corner in London SW1 was timely. We couldn't have got more central or more luxurious; the hotel is right next to the Tube but in fact we were able to walk to both our exhibitions, and to Harrods and Harvey Nicks. Heaven. Frankly however, after settling into our hotel we really didn't want to move, it was so delightful. It's a stunning combination of old world elegance and cutting-edge technology. The building, built in 1719 was originally the private townhouse of Viscount Lanesborough and has all the gorgeous features of the period - high ceilings, marble mantelpieces, wonderful cornices - and when it was recently renovated it was decided to make the most of these elements. It's also been decorated in the warm colours favoured during the Regency period. Decorating techniques such as stencilling, gold leaf and trompe l'oeil, were employed extensively in those days as were fabrics like silk and taffeta, and there is impressive use of all in the redecoration, both in the public areas and the bedrooms - apparently 42,000 sheets of gold leaf were used. One really outstanding feature was the green tented room - a little sitting room just off the reception area. The room represents the kind of battle tent used by Napoleon and which Wellington would have purloined as part of the spoils of war, and it was given the tented effect by means of painstaking trompe l'oeil paintwork that took one expert six months to paint. The 18th century theme is continued in the artwork - it's the hotel has the largest known collection of 18th century art outside of museums. By way of complete contrast to all this elegance is the ultra-luxury modern spa and the technology in each room - TVs in the mirrors, TVs that slide out of sight when not needed and Sony tablets controlling lighting, curtains, and hotel information, and it was fun testing all the things that could be done. Each room is also assigned a butler around the clock but it was all so perfect I couldn't think of a thing I needed the butler to do. She was particularly keen to pack my case on my departure but I declined her offer thinking my bits and pieces too flimsy to be bothered with. Later I was kicking myself that I didn't accept her offer and learn her secrets. Another time, I hope. Despite all the technology, the excellent personal service was really the highlight of the hotel and this was nowhere more evident than at dinner in the Michelin-starred Celeste restaurant, where we were treated like queens. The food was sublime. Foie gras, lobster, prawns, duck are flat words on a page but given the Michelin-starred Celeste treatment, they became the sustenance of the gods. And of course it wasn't just any old lobster, it was native blue lobster and the lamb was home country lamb - in other words the acme of local ingredients. For me the dessert is always the most important part of a meal, and it didn't disappoint. The Celeste doesn't go in for fancy titles so it was simply called 'chocolate' but as I discovered it was the best - it was Guanaja chocolate mousse, with caramelised cashew nut praline and vanilla ice cream. My friend is something of a connoisseur of fine food and wine being a regular at Patrick Guilbaud's, and to her delight she knew the sommelier on the night, Pierre Marie, who had worked at Guilbaud's for years. He seemed thrilled to see Irish faces and plied us with an incredible selection of wines. We had to remind ourselves that we came to London to see some sights, so early the next morning we took ourselves across Hyde Park, through Kensington Park and into Kensington Palace to see a selection of Princess Diana's clothes, from her early days as a gauche teenager to the elegant fashion leader she went on to become. It was interesting to note that when she started dating Prince Charles she had only one good dress, one blouse and one pair of good shoes - it was hardly a money problem so it can only be deduced that she had no interest at the time and yet she developed such incredible style. Her most beautiful dresses were certainly the ones she wore after she and Charles divorced, when she consciously used fashion to express her liberation from monarchical constraints and her new iconic international status. It was quite moving to see them there on the tailors' dummies - no longer worn, pristine, lifeless. The exhibition continues until February 2018 (www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/explore/diana-her-fashion-story) Diana spent her last night on earth at the Ritz, Paris - we couldn't go there so instead we went to the Ritz London, for champagne afternoon tea, where we toasted her style, in style. I never realised it before but there was actually a Mr Ritz; Cesar Ritz founded the hotel and the phrase 'Puttin' on the Ritz' from the musical actually came from the hotels. And afternoon tea there is like something from a Broadway show. The Palm Court where the famous afternoon tea is served is delightfully over the top, all gold and pink with plasterwork cherubs, art deco mullioned mirrors and a profusion of fresh pink roses and ferns. The waiters race around in matching tails carrying heavy silver teapots and pushing vast trolleys groaning with eye-watering confectionery and tiered silverware of finger sandwiches. The clientele was a fascination too - lots of young women in head-to-toe Chanel and other designer brands nibbling at the corner of a tiny sandwich without actually ingesting any of it, as well as jolly family gatherings celebrating birthdays and other anniversaries. Naturally we devoured it all. My friend is coeliac and her whole tea was specially gluten-free, and she declared it delicious. There was a rather dramatic moment when she decided to break her own rules and have some of a particularly inviting cake that was not a gluten-free option. Our waiter summoned the head waiter who solemnly advised her of the dangers to her health but foolhardy woman that she is, she ignored him. Happily all was well. (www.theritzlondon.com) After another wonderful night at the Lanesborough we headed to the Victoria and Albert Museum for the Balenciaga show (runs until Feb 18, 2018, www.vam.ac.uk). The V&A always does things brilliantly, and this was no exception. As well as photos, videos and endless examples of the avant garde creations of this great Spanish designer of the early-to-mid-twentieth century who influenced all who came after him, including Dior and St Laurent, there are tributes from many contemporary designers including our own Simone Rocha and JW Anderson; they explain in what ways Balenciaga influenced them. Balenciaga who created many shapes, including the baby doll dress, the sack dress and the balloon hem is widely credited with changing the way we dress. The funnest part of the exhibition was a copy of a skirt/cape that Balenciaga designed to be worn both ways and which was available for all to try, and like all the other women visitors we had to put on a Balenciaga if only for a moment. Karl Lagerfeld famously said fashion is neither moral or immoral, it's for rebuilding the morale, and our weekend of luxury, fashion and fun certainly did that for us. Take Two Top attractions Liberty of London No trip to London is complete without a visit to Liberty, one of the worlds most beautiful department stores with its mix of fashion, iconic fabrics, antiques and rare finds. www.libertylondon.com National Gallery To mark the centenary of his death, the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square is staging a wonderful exhibition of Degass paintings (until May 2018). More details: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/ Getting there Expand Close The gorgeous Celeste Restaurant at The Lanesborough / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The gorgeous Celeste Restaurant at The Lanesborough Rates at The Lanesborough start from 645 per night on a room-only basis. For more information, you should visit www.lanesborough.com/eng/home Aer Lingus, Irelands only four-star airline, flies up to 30 times daily from Ireland to London, Gatwick and Heathrow, flying out of Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Shannon and Knock. Fares start from 27.99 one-way including taxes and charges. See aerlingus.com for latest offers. It took a week of sulking in traffic to finally cop on... I was nursing a Highland hangover. It wasn't brought on by a sweet bottle of single malt, but a longing to be back at Eagle Brae. I'm normally a content commuter. I'd have podcasts and music at the ready and luckily, I've never found sitting in traffic much of a chore. But after spending a few days nestled cosily in the Scottish wilderness - when the only road delay we faced was a minor halt when a doe stopped on the dirt road leading to our cabin to feed her two hungry fawns - I was pining. Inspired by their love for northern India, owners Mike Spencer-Nairn and his wife Pawana set about creating Himalayan hospitality in the Highlands. Their initial plan was to build Himalayan huts on the estate Mike's family has owned since the 1930s, but building regulations and the small problem of getting skilled craftsmen from India to northwestern Europe knocked that one on the head. Their compromise is seven luxurious pioneer-style Canadian log cabins built on a tranquil hillside between Glen Affric and Glen Strathfarrar, two areas of extraordinary natural beauty just waiting to be explored, just a 30-minute drive from Inverness. Comprising of enormous interlocking cedar wood logs, these incredible hand-built structures are a stunning addition to the natural beauty of the area. The transformation of the estate took eight years and you only have be in Mike and Pawana's company for about 30 seconds to realise the warmth they have for their creation and each other. At radiates from cedar wood once you set foot inside your cabin. If the haunting scenery doesn't take your breath away, the cabins themselves will have you gasping for oxygen. With soaring, pitched ceilings; mezzanine floors and terraces that look out over the rolling hills and valleys, engraved wooden balconies lovingly created by Pawana's relatives in India, colourful hand-woven textiles, various wildlife carved into the cedar wood by skilled Canadian craftsmen, antler chandeliers (Mike's handiwork) and two wall mounted jackalope heads (a mythical crossbreed between a jack rabbit and an antelope)... the interior is bright and playful. A fully-fitted kitchen will cater to your needs and the wifi coupled with the satellite TV and a PC and printer upstairs will make sure than you're not completely cut off from the rest of humanity... but you can be if that's what you wish. Underfloor heating and a wood burning stove in the living area will keep you nice and cosy throughout your stay. What sets Eagle Brae apart from its competitors is the proximity to wildlife and scenic vistas. Hikers will marvel at what Glen Affric and Glen Strathfarrar has to offer including the astounding Plodda Falls, which includes a viewing platform which allows you to look town as the water vanishes 150ft into a ravine. There are no trespass laws in Scotland so you are free to explore what the Highlands has to offer. Before you contemplate shelling out big bucks to travel to Africa to drive alongside lions and giraffe, you should take a closer look on what is available via a short plane ride to Inverness. Apart from Eagle Brae's resident goats Barnaby, Billy and Bakra, who tend to the wild flower and grass roofs of each cabin, and the gorgeous Kyla (below), who will greet you on arrival, the estate offers so many other ways to get closer to nature. Expand Close Kyla / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kyla Fishing enthusiasts can try and land a salmon, trout or pike in Eagle Brae's own waters and rods and permits can be purchased at the reception. Outside of summer months, they also offer sled-dog rides around the wildflower meadow directly across from the log cabin village, other activities like archery, pony trekking or kayak trips are also available. The immediate area surrounding Eagle Brae is a haven for avid birdwatchers. Raptors including the golden eagle (where the village gets its name), osprey, red kite, merlin, sparrow hawk, kestrel, peregrine falcon, barn owl and the tawny owl have all been spotted. The area is also inhabited by large numbers of deer. The resident gamekeeper can take you out "camera stalking", where you shoot only with a lens, but still get to crawl around the countryside on all fours. On your arrival at Eagle Brae, you'll be treated to a hamper including a range of Highland goodies, including shortbread, honey, oatcakes and chutney. A concierge service is also available for groceries and homemade meals. The estate also produces its own wild venison burgers, as well as pork from rare-breed Berkshire pigs and lamb from four-horned sheep. Knowledgeable mushroom foragers might also be tempted by the estate's chanterelle slope. Eagle Brae is the perfect escape from drudgery of everyday life... the only problem is the Highland Hangover when you return home. Get there Loganair (logainair.co.uk) flies directly to Inverness from Dublin and back daily. Eagle Brae: (0044) 7738 076711; eaglebrae.co.uk). Three of the cabins sleep six people, the remaining four sleep two and range in price. Dogs are allowed in all seven cabins. Weekly rental starts from 1,259 (1,420). Read more: It was a daring move. A city-break, with kids. So I was expecting fights, trauma, tantrums, tears, refusal to walk any further and so on. And that's just the adults. But we were staying with Martinhal, the small Portuguese group whose mission it is to help you to enjoy a holiday with your kids without compromising on things. And they say they have come up with a family-friendly way of doing a city break. A previous trip to their Sagres outpost at the far end of the Algarve remains one of the most idyllic, chic yet relaxed holidays we've had with the kids. But this was a challenge on another level. Maybe they thought their Lisbon outpost, Martinhal Chiado Family Suites, could make a city break with children work. But they haven't met my children. This would be their ultimate test. The hotel itself is gorgeous, one of the reconditioned period buildings you see all over Lisbon, tastefully done but with period details intact. It is set out in small apartments, again appealingly decorated and artfully arranged to feel spacious but chic. Our studio had loads of room, a full kitchen and living area. And bunk beds. There was a bit of fighting over the bunk beds, obviously, but we agreed to let the kids have them in the end. Just down the cobbled hill from the hotel is one of those reasons why you imagine the Web Summit is in Lisbon. Time Out magazine, for some reason, has taken over a big old wholesale market, and now it's full of food stalls and mini restaurants, some of them offshoots of the starred restaurants from the Lisbon dining scene. Nothing costs more than a tenner, and you can get all kinds of little bites and nibbles. Expand Close The Pool Hangout at Martinhal Cascais, Portugal / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Pool Hangout at Martinhal Cascais, Portugal It was amazing. Like Taste of Dublin squared - seafood, burgers, Portuguese cuisine, small plates, cured meats, a sardine boutique that looks like a Willy Wonka sweet shop. We ate way too much, perused the little artisan shops and then got the kids out of there. Then the four of us wandered for a while, because Lisbon is a perfect place for wandering, full of texture and colour. And the beauty of it was that once one kid refused to do any more city break, her mother was happy to bring her back for a chill in our bijou city apartment, while the elder one and I broadened our horizons by buying up a storm in H&M and Tiger. But the best bit was to come. Believe it or not, the kids were going to the kids club in the hotel for the evening, and we were allowed out, in a foreign city, at night, on our own. So we left them on the climbing wall, happy as Larry, and went to see how much food and drink we could squeeze into a few hours. We sat in sun-dappled side streets, where they served caipirinhas on the steep steps that lead from one street up to the next. We had a beer down by the water and watched the joggers, the chic Lisboeta commuters and the other tourists, all the time tacitly agreeing to imagine a time when our kids did not exist and we were young. And then, unable to commit to just one restaurant, we wandered back to the Time Out Market to try everything we hadn't tried earlier. Expand Close Lisbon. Photo: Deposit / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lisbon. Photo: Deposit The next morning we relaxed over coffee while the kids played around the decommissioned Smart car in the breakfast room, it was time to head off on the second leg of our journey. Cascais is one of several cool coastal towns just half an hour outside Lisbon and while it has gone a bit more upmarket since we visited in our pre-children life, it still retains that kind of shabby-chic vibe you get on this coast. Martinhal Cascais is a few miles out of town, nestled amid pine trees, and it's amazing. People who've been to Martinhal in Sagres speak in hushed tones about it, about the fact that somehow, you can actually relax, and have your children with you. And they've pulled it off again in Cascais. My major memory of the place will be what might seem like an insignificant detail: the Pool Hangout was incredible. Essentially it's a large grassy area, almost in the shape of a gently sloped amphitheatre. You locate yourself on beds and beanbags, and then the kids all gravitate towards the middle, where two safe roundy pools are situated. There is a trampoline set into the grass, a shaded play area with art supplies and a ping-pong table, swingball, even a fountain set into the ground, that spurts water 30ft into the air on command. It's all surrounded by trees, so it basically feels natural and organic and peaceful despite all the children and the high jinks. It's like you are enjoying a really relaxed country house weekender where you don't need to get too involved with anyone else, but the kids bond and have a ball, while the parents keep half an eye on them, secure in the knowledge that the whole area is enclosed. I'll say it again: it actually felt at times as if we had no kids. It was amazing. Back up the other end of the property was a huge, grassy playground based by a building that housed the kids' club and a restaurant upstairs. Of an evening, while we finished our food, the kids could dash off to play bouncing on the trampolines, whizzing on the zipline, climbing the huge tunnel slide. It was securely gated, but its vastness gave a sense of freedom - for adults and children. They loved it. You could easily not leave at all, but we did. We hired bikes a couple of days, and cycled into Cascais. The younger was in a trolley behind me while the elder triumphantly completed the 5km journey herself, hills and all. This was all doable because once you get down to the main road, there is an extremely safe cycle track that runs along the Atlantic coast. It's so safe that everyone gets to enjoy the view of the waves and the big sky as you cycle along. Cascais is a perfect town to have nearby, where we swam at two family-friendly beaches. One was more of a local beach with kids and sandcastles, while the other was a bit more buzzy. The town itself has plenty of casual eating and drinking and plenty of what are known in our family as "the crazy shops", where we pore over cheap tat while the kids decide how to spend the money their granny gave them. In fact, the crazy shops were a bit more upscale in Cascais, but that was to be expected, as that's what you're getting here, a slightly cooler, slightly more organic kind of tourism. The local texture has been preserved, and a laid-back surfy influence blends nicely with that of the wealthy Lisboetas who keep their weekend houses out here. I never used to envy Portuguese people. But my eyes have been opened. Expand Close Double room in Cascais / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Double room in Cascais One of my happy places I'd go to in my head used to be the beach at Martinhal Sagres. Now the Pool Hangout in Cascais has joined it. We came back from our short holiday relaxed and on good terms with each other, which is a result. And when it was time to go home, I realised that even the airport, which I hadn't really noticed on the way in, is really modern and tasteful as well. Damn those Portuguese. Get there Martinhal Cascais has sailing breaks from September 10-October 31, 2017. A sailing try out costs from 110 per session (min five people) or five-day sailing course from 197.50 per person (min four people). Deluxe Room rates from 121 per adult sharing. Rates for interconnecting rooms and villas are also available. Lisbon city breaks to Martinhal Chiado in September/October 2017 from 250 per night in a studio apartment. November 2017 from 200 per night. Complimentary kids club until 10pm, breakfast and access to play area. Rates for larger apartments also available.See martinhal.com for more info. Read more: The highlights of Legoland really depend on your age - and while the children love the theme park rides and activities, parents tend to prefer the joys of an on-site hotel Legoland is not just for kids. I applaud any excuse to canter around a children's park like a caffeinated Pokemon and be considered normal. I think you will too. That's not to say I was looking forward to the long sweaty queues, explosive meltdowns and fast food that like to accompany theme park holidays. Steady on! It was closer to a stomach-churning mixture of fear and pleasant hysteria. There isn't even an emoji that understands me. Maybe you do? While California likes to boast the best Legoland party, we have a number of kickass hosts to choose from across Europe without submitting to a 12-hour flight - Germany, Denmark and the UK. Based on the assumption that my braincells would feel like an upside down creme caramel by lunchtime on day one, I chose the English-speaking country. Legoland Windsor runs across 150 acres of parkland just 20 minutes outside Heathrow. Inside the hive you'll find over 80 million Lego bricks, a cartoon-style hotel, toddler-themed water park, around 60 rides and attractions, and a monumental Lego store. Wahey! It's the new Croagh Patrick for guilt-ridden Irish parents, looking for absolution. (No emoji for that either). Expand Close Benjamin and Marty show their delight at visiting Legoland Windsor / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Benjamin and Marty show their delight at visiting Legoland Windsor My sons Benjamin (seven) and Marty (five) saved up all their pocket money to buy the plane tickets. This was a big deal, which took over two years for completion. On the morning of our departure, I thought they would self-combust with excitement. So naturally, our holiday began with my youngest taking 90 photographs of his nose in the airport, clogging up my photo library and disabling storage with unprecedented speed. I've read about these moments in child psychologist Steve Biddulph's books. But I never thought they'd actually happen. Mary Poppins would be proud. I had 650g of dark chocolate and a Spotify playlist compiled for such an occasion, including Enya's Orinoco Flow and Guns N'Roses Don't Cry (see Top Tips). As I was zoning out with my solar plexus chakra, Aer Lingus staff were incredible with my little ones, cracking jokes and sneaking them high fives. It was probably the most enjoyable flight I've ever been on, enhanced by the self-induced chocolate coma. We stayed just one night at the plastic-fantastic Legoland Windsor Hotel nestled in the corner of the park. It comes complete with low ceilings and patterned carpets to help absorb the sonic airwaves that a gaggle of toddlers can simultaneously create. Clever, I guess, as well as aesthetically bold. The best surprise was arriving at our balloon-filled room to celebrate Benjamin's birthday. Every room gets a treasure hunt too, complete with a map, puzzles, a code-breaking safe and a little Lego gift each. Nice touch. The highlights of Legoland really depends on your age. I loved the ease and comfort of an on-site hotel (yo, I'm turning 40), and making silly Lego mini figures of my friends. I chose Wonder Woman's hair and undies, with Batgirl's onesie. I've never looked better. Marty went for an aspirational Eminem vibe, backwards Lego cap and tiny legs to demonstrate his age. Dad looked somewhere between Disco Cop and a Jurassic Park tour guide. Instagram went wild. The seven-year-old thrived on the simple pleasures of choosing what to do, and holding the Legoland map in his hands as if it were the winning Wonka ticket. He was happy as long as our feet kept moving. Being the eldest, Benjamin loved having his own money to spend, squirrelled away over the past two years of emptying the dishwasher and giving mummy foot massages. (Kidding! Mostly). He even wanted to pay for the taxi from the airport with the air of a newly-minted oil baron. Expand Close The hotel in Legoland Windsor / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The hotel in Legoland Windsor And as long as my five-year-old was lording it up in a hired buggy, he remained relatively sprightly. Rather surprisingly, he preferred to watch Benjamin enjoy the attractions and rides than to take part himself. The outdoor stunt show mesmerised both of my boys, which gave me breathing space for a fag. (Kidding! Mostly). Look, it wasn't all tulips and fizz bombs. By 3pm on the first day, it felt like I had been in battle with a combine harvester. The queues for the cafes are gobsmacking, and if you're lucky enough to nail a table you will undoubtedly be unlucky enough to sample their menu. It was typical fast food. I managed to pack a few lame vegan nut bars from my emergency fanny bag, infuriating all the unprepared mothers within a 20-mile radius. To recharge, we repaired to our hotel and love bombed its indoor water arena. Hotel guests are able to soothe their aching limbs in the toddler pools, while children water-pistol the staff. Bliss. I'm not going to tell you which rides you'll enjoy more than others. That's just nonsense. I can, however, help equip your day with a swathe of golden tips I wish I had before nose-diving into 48 hours of Lego abyss. Ready? Top 10 Tips * Only consider visiting off-peak (Monday-Friday) unless you think sanity is overrated. * Hire a double buggy for 15 (17). My eldest pushed me around in it, after my tantrums subsided. * Don't get the Legoland App - your kids will resent you being absorbed by a smartphone. It's not appropriate, in my opinion. (Mainly because you'll lose the pesky rascals as soon as you take your eyes off them). * Measure your child's height in advance, and check online which rides are suitable. It's also worth having a stash of surprises in your handbag if your child is too small for some of the rides and his expectations are suddenly mangled. Grab a few packets of mini Lego figures for 2.50 (3) at the park entrance. * Don't bother packing stuff for every conceivable eventuality. You can buy spare socks, togs, towels and clothes on site at regular high street prices. The Legoland Hotel even sells Calpol, paracetamol, nappies and Sudocrem. Just bring food, and... *... bring tissues. Lots of them. My scarf doubled up as a snot rag. I even sacrificed a sock at one stage (no further comment). Loki's Labrynth is like an adult comfort blanket in the middle of all the madness. Your children are guaranteed to get lost in this maze for at least 30 celestial minutes. * Have an emergency Spotify list on your iPhone, when something tripwires your patience. It will help save your family photo album. * Don't mention the cinema. Or the biggest Lego store in Europe. Code Red. * You can bag a great deal online if you wait for the next one to pop up on www.legolandholidays.co.uk (assuming you're not under a ticking toddler time bomb). All that being said, don't even think about missing Pirate Falls or Laser Raiders. Oh and getting your own Lego Driver's Licence at the L-School. Just saying. TAKE TWO: Top attractions Saddle up for fun Mias Riding Adventure is a fast-spinning, hair-raising ride on a Lego Friends plastic pony. My seven-year-old looked like he could vaporise with happiness. Tiny queue too. Skip the queues Kids and queues go together like lemon and milk. For 20pp you can get your mitts on a queue-skipping gadget called a Q-Bot. I would have imploded without one. Definitely my top attraction. Get there Expand Close The hotel in Legoland Windsor / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The hotel in Legoland Windsor Legoland Windsor is a 20-minute taxi ride from Heathrow Airport. Direct flights from Cork and Dublin are available with Aer Lingus and Ryanair. Book six months in advance for amazing budget deals with both airlines. Prices for a one-night stay in Legoland range from 390-800, for a family room for five. This includes park entry, indoor waterslide access and a treasure hunt for the younglings with Lego prizes. You will also be given access to the park 30 minutes before it opens to the public every morning. Yahtzee! Legoland Windsor is opening a Castle Hotel this summer - this is where you want to be. Ask for a room on the top floor, where the acoustics are kinder to your melatonin. Lower levels are noisier, with families bouncing in rooms overhead. Susan Jane White is a regular columnist for the Sunday Independent's LIFE Magazine, a cookbook author, and mother of two high-speed vandals The Glenfinnan viaduct, as featured in the movie versions of Harry Potter, by JK Rowling Theres more to Scotland than the Six Nations, you know. Here are Pol O Conghaile's six tips to have up your sleeve... 1. The Boy Who Lived Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone was first published in June 1997, 20 years ago. JK Rowling famously wrote in Edinburgh city cafes including The Elephant House (elephanthouse.biz). She sat in the back room overlooking the castle. 2. Duck-fat chips Scotlands food scene is upping a gear, something I can vouch for, having scoffed the twice-fried chips and more besides at Ox and Finch (oxandfinch.com) in Glasgow. The sea-trout ceviche and slow-cooked pork belly arent bad either... read my feature on a gourmet getaway in Glasgow here. 3. Self-catering in a bus No, really. The Bus Stop (thebusstop.scot) is a single-decker on a working farm in East Lothian. Its got a glass roof and barbecue too. 4. Georgian Shadows 2017 is Scotlands Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, and this event (February 23March 26) celebrates the 250th anniversary of Edinburghs New Town. Six buildings will be creatively lit to tell stories, with a lumiere piece on St Andrew Square. 5. Scotland in a glass Its whisky, of course. Most distilleries have visitor centres but see visitscotland.com for day and multi-day tours offering tastings and behind-the-scenes access in five distilling regions. A parental escape, perhaps? 6. Dark Skies Galloway Forest Park was the UKs first dark-sky park. Its observatory has two telescopes book ahead for a look (scottishdarkskyobservatory.co.uk). Festival fever Expand Close On with the old (town), and the new: The only problem Edinburgh poses for the visitor is trying to fit all the attractions into a short visit / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp On with the old (town), and the new: The only problem Edinburgh poses for the visitor is trying to fit all the attractions into a short visit Edinburgh marks its 70th anniversary as a Festival City this year. It now hosts 12 major festivals, with The Edinburgh International Festival first established in 1947 to create a flowering of the human spirit in the capital. August, when the Fringe takes place, is a glorious time to visit but prices are at a premium. For family visits, why not check out Imaginate (May 27June 4), the international festival of performing arts for children and young people. It opens with its own Family Fringe weekend at the National Museum. See edinburghfestivalcity.com for more. Get there Expand Close Scottish Highlands - some spectacular drives. Photo: Desposit / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Scottish Highlands - some spectacular drives. Photo: Desposit Its never been easier for Irish holidaymakers to get to Scotland. Aer Lingus Regional (aerlingus.com) has direct flights from Dublin to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen; from Cork to Edinburgh and Glasgow; Shannon to Edinburgh and Donegal to Glasgow. Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Dublin to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Need the car? Stena Line (stenaline.ie) sails from Belfast and P&O (poferries.com) from Larne to Cairnryan, 80 miles southwest of Glasgow. Youll also find seasonal passenger ferries from Ballycastle (kintyreexpress.com). Read more: The Aurora Borealis on the morning of June 23, 2015 over O'Brien's Castle on Inis Oirr, Aran Islands. Photo: Cormac Coyne Our travel editor shares his tips on how to see the Northern Lights this winter. I'll never forget the first time I saw the Northern Lights. It was early evening, in a snow-dusted Reykjavik. I was walking to my hotel, cribbing about the cost of things, when I looked up. The sky wasn't clear. But it was clear enough to see a spectral wave of green, billowing like a shawl overhead. That was the moment I understood that Iceland was a once-in-a-lifetime destination. The hook was in me. Expand Close The Aurora Borealis on the morning of June 23, 2015 over O'Brien's Castle on Inis Oirr, Aran Islands. Photo: Cormac Coyne / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Aurora Borealis on the morning of June 23, 2015 over O'Brien's Castle on Inis Oirr, Aran Islands. Photo: Cormac Coyne The aurora borealis are generated when electrically-charged solar particles collide with the earth's atmosphere. Aurora activity is cyclical, peaking roughly every 11 years - we've really been spoiled these past few winters, seeing the lights as far south as Inishowen, and even Inis Oirr (above). But the cycle is now set to wane again, with spectacular events the exception rather than the rule - this winter could be a last chance saloon for sightings. Top tips Expand Close Northern Lights over Jokulsarlon, Iceland. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Northern Lights over Jokulsarlon, Iceland. The best time to see the aurora is late October through March, with hours of darkness increasing the further north you travel. The best place is typically above 65-degrees latitude, where the skies are clear, and there's an uninterrupted view of the northern horizon - Norway, Iceland and Finland, for example. Or further afield, in Canada or Alaska. Remember, full moons and city lights can obscure the aurora, and sightings are never guaranteed - so try to manage your expectations. Travelling for longer, and to several destinations, increases your chances. Here in Ireland, you can also sign up for the Astronomy Ireland newsletter (astronomy.ie) to get aurora alerts. Happy hunting! Splash Expand Close Kakslauttanen, Finland / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kakslauttanen, Finland Project Travel has direct flights from Dublin, two nights in Tromso and a three-night, full-board Hurtigruten cruise from 1,495pps. It also has five-day packages to Tromso from 795pp.Other activities, such as dog-sledding, can be added on at additional costs. Contact 01 210-8391; Project-Travel.ie. Meanwhile, Finnair (finnair.com) flies to Helsinki and onwards to Ivalo, a 30-minute drive from Kakslauttanen (kakslauttanen.fi, above), an Arctic Resort tailor-made for Northern Lights lovers. Why? Glass igloos, that's why. Glass igloo rates start from around 206pp. The resort also includes log cabins, snow igloos and the chance to ski and take reindeer safaris. Read More Another option is a winter trip to Lapland, with packages available from Sunway (sunway.ie), Falcon Holidays (falconholidays.ie) and Visit Santa.ie among others. These aren't cheap - two-night trips with Sunway, for example, start from around 1,269pp. Adventure Holidays (adventure-holidays.ie) also do packages. Save Expand Close The Northern Lights, photographed with wildflowers in Landmannarlaugar, Iceland. Photo: Deposit / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Northern Lights, photographed with wildflowers in Landmannarlaugar, Iceland. Photo: Deposit If you can bag a low fare with Wow air (wowair.ie) or easyJet (easyjet.com), which fly from Dublin and Belfast to Reykjavik respectively, you're off to a good start. Going to press, one-way fares to Iceland start from 49.99 (excluding bags), and you can tack on a three-hour Northern Lights tour from ISK5,325pp (43pp). Airbnb (airbnb.ie) has rooms in Reykjavik from around 29, and there are hostel options too... the city can get very expensive, see our tips for Iceland on a budget. Here in Ireland, Visit Inishowen has produced an interactive map (visitinishowen.com/northern_lights) featuring recommended lookout points when conditions are favourable on the peninsula. Read more on the Northern Lights in Ireland here. You can also follow @aurora_Ireland for alerts, updates and photos on Twitter. NB: All prices subject to availability. This article has been updated to reflect changing prices and tours. Read more: Being a Jackeen, I don't immediately appreciate the poetry of my nightcap in Cork's hottest new cocktail bar. I'm in town for a collaboration between one of Galway's most creative chefs, JP McMahon of Aniar, and one of Cork's, Bryan McCarthy of Greenes Restaurant; and we're finishing the night in the newly-opened Cask. Mine's a Katty Barry: an elegant but earthy coupe of gorse-infused Bombay, woodruff, Irish pears and Prosecco. As I later learn, it's named after a local hospitality legend immortalised in song for selling crubeens (pig trotters) "fairly bursting at the seams". How better to end a memorable meal that celebrated the locality through dishes like Irish halibut and Ballyhoura mushrooms with foraged sea radish and pepper dulse? Expand Close English Market / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp English Market Cork may be the nation's second city, but it boasts our island's richest food heritage. Just look at the quality of its markets, from the historic English Market (englishmarket.ie), where locals stock up on offal, olives and everything in between, to the unique food purveyors and producers at farmers' markets like Mahon Point (mahonpointfarmersmarket.com). The Leeside city's bountiful hinterland gave us our first artisan food producers, with pioneering farmhouse cheesemakers leading the way for craft smokers, charcuterie makers and real bread bakers. More: For decades, in fact, it was Cork's chefs and restaurants that pushed boundaries in Irish food. Myrtle Allen redefined Irish country house cooking at Ballymaloe House (ballymaloe.ie); baker Declan Ryan (arbutusbread.com) secured one of Ireland's first Michelin stars at Arbutus Lodge; Seamus O'Connell of The Ivory Tower (ivorytower.ie) introduced fusion flavours in the 1990s; and Denis Cotter of Paradiso (paradiso.restaurant) proved that menus don't need to revolve around meat - plant-based cooking can produce top-class dishes too. For years, the rest of the country scrambled to catch up with these trailblazers. But then, things seemed to quiet down in by the River Lee. Compared to Galway's giddy buzz and Dublin's generous range, it lagged and lost grip on its claim to the 'food capital of Ireland' title. But lately it seems a new energy is stirring, so I've come to nosy around and ask if Cork is on a culinary comeback. Recession hit the city hard, says food blogger Billy Lyons (corkbilly.com), one of my dining companions at Greenes. "For a while there were new places opening but places closing again as quickly," he tells me. But there was never a shortage of interesting spots in which to eat, he adds, and a 30-something couple at our table agree - though I'm struck by how many of their favourite haunts lie beyond the city centre: 12 Tables in Douglas (12tables.ie), Bastion in Kinsale (bastionkinsale.com) and Sage in Midleton (sagerestaurant.ie), for example. Expand Close l'Attitude 51 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp l'Attitude 51 Read More Cork's city centre is evolving, says Beverley Matthews of l'Atitude 51 wine bar (latitude51.ie), where I earlier sampled a bowl of Hederman smoked mussels with a glass of manzanilla sherry. "Maybe it's people coming back from abroad who have tasted exciting things and want to bring a little bit of that home," she conjectures, citing the buzz created by "really good and very different types of eateries" like Miyazaki (twitter.com/miyazakicork), Iyer's (facebook.com/iyerscafe) and Ali's Kitchen (aliskitchencork.com). Recession seems finally to be loosening its grip, too. "Cork is changing," agrees Rebecca Harte of Farmgate Cafe (farmgate.ie) in Cork's English Market - a guardian of the city's food traditions if there ever was one. "There is significant inward investment and a new lightness and energy to the city. It's palpable." It certainly seems that way. The opening of Cask on MacCurtain Street is just part of a major public and private investment in the streetscape, hotels and hospitality offers of Cork's Victorian Quarter. And it's not the only area starting to buzz. Over on Washington Street, the recent opening of Rachel's (rachels.ie) by Rachel Allen is one of several new arrivals to the 'hood. "I just hope we retain its heart and soul as we move forward," adds Harte. Judging from my visit, they're doing just that - bringing a typically independent twist to international trends and grounding a taste for exotic flavours in a deep-rooted loyalty to local produce. Dublin and Galway had better watch out: Cork has got its mojo back - and it's coming after that food capital crown. Local produce, international palate Expand Close English Market, Cork. Photo: Failte Ireland / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp English Market, Cork. Photo: Failte Ireland Corkonians have never been shy of earthy flavours and nose-to-tail cooking. The English Market's treasured Farmgate Cafe (farmgate.ie) is the place to sample tripe and drisheen (a unique local beef and sheep's blood sausage), while I spot roast bone marrow and lambs' kidneys on several menus including Crawford Cafe (crawfordgallerycafe.com). My vegetarian waitress at House Cafe (corkoperahouse.ie) encourages me to order deep-flavoured fritters of fresh blood black pudding from McCarthy's of Kanturk, and they make a fine lunch. Of course the city also boasts some of the best vegetarian food in the land, from the sure-handed sophistication of Paradiso (paradiso.restaurant) to the hearty wholefoods of Quay Co-Op (quaycoop.com) and the bright salads and pickles at The Rocketman Food Co (therocketman.ie). Expand Close Takashi Miyazaki / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Takashi Miyazaki Don't be surprised to find a taste for exotic flavours in this centuries-old trading hub, from which salted butter and beef were shipped around the world, and salt and spices shipped in for use in traditional specialties like Cork's famed spiced beef. Today, spice fiends flock to the family-run Iyer's (facebook.com/iyerscafe) for cheap-as-chips southern Indian treats like masala dosa (a fermented rice-flour pancake) or to neighbouring Thali (thalinepal.com) for a Nepalese alternative. One of contemporary Cork's most exciting chefs, Takashi Miyazaki (above) is building a sizeable reputation for his tiny six-seater ramen bar and takeaway on Evergreen Street (instagram.com/miyazaki_cork). Diners think nothing of queuing for an hour to eat his nuanced Japanese creations, while his regular pop-up collaborations in intriguing settings (the Mitchelstown Caves, for example, or Dublin's Fumbally Stables) are piquing national interest in Cork's newfound pep. An appetite for culture Expand Close Cork. Picture: Failte Ireland / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cork. Picture: Failte Ireland Cork's thriving cultural scene has long fostered some of its best food offerings. Thirty years young, the Crawford Gallery Cafe (crawfordgallerycafe.com) remains one of the best lunch spots in the city, even with stiff competition from the nearby House Cafe in Cork Opera House (corkoperahouse.ie). Meanwhile, arts and exhibition centres like Triskel Christchurch and St Peter's are hot-housing indie cafes like Gulpd (facebook.com/gulpdcafe) and Portafilter (stpeterscork.ie/filter-cafe). The Farmgate Cafe hosts regular cultural gatherings, talks and workshops, often in collaboration with UCC scholars and writers, and their 'poetry wall' was joined last year by a striking photographic installation of radical and revolutionary Women of the South. In another feat of creative programming, The Montenotte Hotel (themontenottehotel.com) has been opening its in-house Cameo cinema to non-residential guests with a movie-and-meal special offer. And l'Atitude 51's (latitude51.ie) lively calendar of wine-focused events includes movie nights where guests enjoy food and wine inspired by films as diverse as Jiro Dreams of Sushi or Natural Resistance. Several new food and drink-focused festivals have sprung up too, including ones dedicated to burgers in January, whiskey in April and dessert in June (festivalcork.com). Bon appetit! Rebel trends Expand Close Cask / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cask From baristas to brewhouses, smoking to small plates, Cork has a typically independent take on international trends. For every Umi or Bunsen that opens in the city, as Dublin-based operators recognise the upswing in Cork, there's a locally owned EAST falafel hatch (facebook.com/east bytherocketman) or Son of a Bun (sonofabun.ie) burger joint. Cork adapted fast to the slow 'n' low pit-smoked barbecue trend, with Bad Boys BBQ (badboysbbq.ie) and White Rabbit Bar & BBQ (whiterabbit.ie) of MacCurtain Street hot on the heels of John Relihan, pit master at Holy Smoke (mardyke.com/holy-smoke) and former head chef at Jamie Oliver's Barbacoa. At the clubby Elbow Lane Brew & Smoke House (elbowlane.ie), I wash down a sublime house-smoked monkfish pastrami with rye porridge with their own Herkules-hopped Angel Stout brewed at an in-house nanobrewery. Read More Small plates are big news in Cork, especially when paired with well-considered drinks. Jacques (jacquesrestaurant.ie) is rejuvenating a long-standing business with an Irish gin menu and tapas with a local twist. Chef Bryan McCarthy of Greenes brings a fine-dining sensibility to small plates at sister establishment Cask (caskcork.com, above): think salt cod brandade with pickled dillisk and scurvy grass served with farm-to-glass cocktails from award-winning bartender Andy Ferreira. Coffee lovers can fuel up on brews from local roasters Rebel City Roast at Cork Coffee Roasters (facebook.com/Cork Coffee) and The Golden Bean at The Rocketman (therocketman.ie) or two Filter outlets (twitter.com/filtercork) where a menu of various roasters, origins and brewing styles is despatched with pure Cork charm. Elsewhere, Ali's Kitchen bakehouse (aliskitchencork.com) pairs Cloud Picker coffee with superlative doughnuts (caramel custard and praline, anyone?) while Oh My Donut! (facebook.com/OhMyDonutCork) is injecting a dash of candied colour to an up-and-coming Washington Street. Where to stay Paradiso Rooms Diners at the celebrated Paradiso restaurant can stay in an ensuite guest bedroom upstairs, where a breakfast of baked pastries and breads, farmhouse cheeses, granola and fresh fruit is delivered to your room. See: paradiso.restaurant Hotel Isaacs Cork Enjoy a discounted meal at Greenes Restaurant and a nightcap at neighbouring Cask before retiring to a recently modernised room in this sister hotel, knowing that breakfast will be as well-sourced as dinner.See: hotelisaacscork.com The Montenotte Hotel This recently refurbished four-star hotel is a good base to explore Corks rebranded Victorian Quarter keep an eye out for good deals on rooms as well as movie-and-dinner offers. See: themontenottehotel.com. Read more: City of lights: Philadelphia skyline and the Schuylkill River at night Pictured striking her 'Rocky' pose, from the film synonymous with Philadelphia City, was Mae McGreevy, Aer Lingus Cabin Crew. Picture Jason Clarke Pictured striking her 'Rocky' pose, from the film synonymous with Philadelphia City, was Mae McGreevy, Aer Lingus Cabin Crew. Picture Jason Clarke Philadelphia, here we come... Aer Lingus has announced a new, direct flight from Dublin to Pennsylvania's largest city. The new route will operate four times weekly on a Boeing 757 from next March 25th, and competes directly with an existing service by American Airlines. Fares will start from 199 each-way, when booked as a return trip. The announcement was made during Aer Lingus's unveiling of its 2018 summer schedule. Next year will see the airline's largest ever transatlantic programme, it says, with total capacity to North America reaching 2.75 million seats on 14 routes. Since its acquisition by IAG in 2015, Aer Lingus has received four new long-haul aircraft, opening up new routes to Los Angeles, Newark, Hartford and Miami. Additional transatlantic expansion next year will include twice-daily flights to Chicago and a daily service to both San Francisco and Los Angeles. Expand Close City of lights: Philadelphia skyline and the Schuylkill River at night / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp City of lights: Philadelphia skyline and the Schuylkill River at night Transatlantic traffic booms The expansion comes at a time of booming transatlantic air travel - Dublin Airport's traffic to North America is up 67pc in the past five years, while North American visitors to Ireland have increased 17.9pc between January and August of this year alone. Both Aer Lingus and Dublin Airport, with its US Customs and Border Protection Preclearance facilities, are driving to build a major gateway for transatlantic traffic in Europe. They're not alone - United, Delta and American Airlines all operate US services from Dublin, and Norwegian launched new low-cost flights from Dublin, Cork and Shannon this summer, a move Aer Lingus followed with its own 169 "unbundled" fare offering. Aer Lingus will also add eight Airbus A321 Long Range aircraft to its fleet in 2019 and 2020 (the narrow-body aircraft can serve both long and short-haul routes, with business and economy classes) and another new Airbus A330 will be delivered at the end of 2017. The airline has been examining a potential seasonal service to Las Vegas. Expand Expand Previous Next Close Aer Lingus A330 Aer Lingus Cabin Crewmember: Michelle Thompson. Picture: Jason Clarke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aer Lingus A330 Summer 2018 in Europe Today also saw Aer Lingus announce its European schedule for summer 2018. No new routes were revealed, but the airline does plan to add an additional 96,000 seats on services including Malaga, Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon, Prague and Vienna. Flights to Sicily (Catania) and Split in Croatia will increase from two to three weekly, it says, with six weekly flights to Prague and eight to Venice. Fuerteventura will increase to twice-weekly, Camino fans will get five weekly flights to Santiago de Compostela, and Dubrovnik will become a daily summer service. "Each new Aer Lingus transatlantic route opens up new tourism and business opportunities and builds connectively to the Dublin Gateway," Mike Rutter, Chief Operating Officer said. The airline is currently recruiting for cabin crew, and will soon launch a recruitment drive for pilots, resulting in more than 100 new jobs in 2018. The eight new Airbus A321LR aircraft will add a further 700 jobs, he said. Read more: Two drops. Sixty cents. One life protected. For less than the cost of a coffee, members of Rotary International and four partnering organizations can administer a potentially life saving dose of the polio vaccine, bringing the world one step closer to abolishing the disease. Our hope is by 2019, we can say the world is indeed polio-free, said former Rotary Club of La Crosse president Patricia Boge. Since 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, supported by the Rotary, World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has immunized more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries, eliminating the virus in all but Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Today marks the fifth annual World Polio Day, an opportunity to celebrate the 99.9 percent reduction in cases worldwide. At 4 p.m., community members are invited to Grounded Specialty Coffee, 308 Main St., to see a webcast from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation followed by a proclamation from Mayor Tim Kabat, declaring Oct. 24 World Polio Day in La Crosse. Its been a worldwide effort to eradicate polio ... and here in La Crosse Rotary clubs have played a huge role in both raising money and doing immunizations around the world, Kabat said. La Crosse has some really special connections in the effort to end polio worldwide. The United States has been polio-free since 1979, the same year the Rotary launched a mission to immunize 6 million children in the Philippines. By 1987, Rotary had raised $247 million for immunization efforts, and during the past 30 years that number has reached $1.2 billion, with over $400,000 coming from the nine La Crosse area chapters. With the Gates Foundation matching each dollar raised two to one, the Rotary hopes to raise an additional $450 million by 2020. Organizations like Rotary, the people involved, theyre making all the difference in the world, said Joe Durst, a Rotary member of 25 years. Youre kind of proud to be a little involved. Durst, 96, worked directly with polio patients in the 1950s, when he was an obstetrician and gynecologist in La Crosse. Polio, typically contracted through contaminated water, has no cure, and became a stateside epidemic in 1952. (I saw) paralysis mostly, Durst said of those afflicted. Trouble breathing most of the time is what killed them. Some of them salivated a lot and they would actually be drowning in their own fluids. Thats what stuck with me the most. Durst recalls one woman who brought in her polio-stricken baby, and by morning she herself was dead. Most of those who died were children, as polio is typically contracted by children 5 and younger. Thats really tough because the mothers and fathers would be there and their child would die, Durst said. In 1954, Durst delivered a baby to a woman in an iron lung, something he would do twice more. Both mother and child survived each time. When Durst started out, patients were receiving injections of Jonas Salks dead-virus vaccine, but by 1962 Albert Sabin had created a live-virus oral version, which was both cheaper and easier to administer to children. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative still uses the live virus drops, and Boge, a Rotarian of 26 years, helped administer doses to 228 children on her first day on a mission northern India last spring. Boge was accompanied by 31 other Rotarians from all over the world in recognition of National Immunization Day. While India has been officially free of polio since 2014, the influx of people from neighboring Pakistan continues to pose a threat, and children are immunized a total of three times. Many are accompanied by older siblings to the open air tents, furnished with a single table and a cooler of inoculations. The clinic travels from village to village, and each childs pinkie finger is colored purple upon receipt of the dose. Children in the slum areas dont have access to clean water, Boge said. There is constant dysentery ... the vaccine has to be in the gut long enough to work. During a tour of a local hospital and an artificial limb factory supported by Rotary, Boge saw firsthand the devastating effects of the condition. Those who contract the virus may suffer from muscle pain and weakness, and some lose limbs. At St. Stevens Hospital thats when I lost it, said Boge, who toured the wards of those stricken. The doctors told us, especially for the women, life is basically over. Theyre not marriageable, their families might abandon them when theyre crippled ... getting a limb gives people their lives back. Fellow La Crosse Rotarian Joyce Wichelt, who returned from her first Rotary mission in Ghana on Oct. 12, wasnt able to visit a hospital but helped immunize some of the 500 babies and children served in a single day. Its very rewarding, a very meaningful experience, Wichelt said. They welcomed us into their culture. As of Oct. 20, only 11 cases of polio have been reported this year six in Afghanistan, five in Pakistan and none in Nigeria and Durst sees eradication by 2019 as a real possibility, save the potential of a few isolated cases. Its practically eradicated, Durst said. You cant ask for much more than that. Mae McGreevy strikes a Rocky pose the film synonymous with Philadelphia at the flight launch. Photo: Jason Clarke Aer Lingus has announced a new, direct flight from Dublin to Philadelphia as part of a bumper 2018 schedule. The new route will operate four times weekly on a Boeing 757 from March 25, and competes directly with an existing service by American Airlines. Next year will see the airline's largest ever transatlantic programme, with total capacity to North America reaching 2.75 million seats on 14 routes. Further transatlantic expansion next year will include twice-daily flights to Chicago and a daily service to both San Francisco and Los Angeles. "Each new Aer Lingus transatlantic route opens up new tourism and business opportunities and builds connectively to the Dublin Gateway," Mike Rutter, chief operating officer, said. In Europe, no new routes were revealed, but it does plan to add an extra 96,000 seats on services to destinations including Malaga, Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon, Prague and Vienna. Over 300,000 travellers took part in Conde Nast Traveler's 2017 Readers' Choice Awards, submitting millions of ratings between them. The results amount to one of the world's most influential travel splashes, naming everything from the world's best hotel (La Reserve Paris Hotel & Spa) to its top airline (Air New Zealand) and No.1 city (Tokyo, followed by Vienna and Kyoto). Last year, Ireland's Ballyfin (above) was voted best hotel in the world, and this year the Co. Laois five-star ranks 13th, with Ashford Castle named among Europe's Top 10 resorts. Here are the travel bible's reader favourites in Ireland. Conde Nast's Top Hotels in Ireland 2017 Ballyfin, Co. Laois The Lodge at Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo Lough Eske Castle, Donegal The Shelbourne, Dublin Waterford Castle, Co. Waterford The Killarney Park Hotel, Co. Kerry The Merrion, Dublin Clontarf Castle Hotel, Dublin The Westbury, Dublin The InterContinental, Dublin "If youve ever dreamed of summering at a country house, you couldnt do much better than this stately, 20-room Georgian home," it says of Ballyfin. B&B rates at the hotel start from 590 per room, midweek, with full-board rates rising to 1,650 per night in its top suite at weekends. Expand Close The Lodge at Ashford Castle / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Lodge at Ashford Castle In other categories, Dublin squeezed into the Best Cities in the World list at 39th place. The capital is "renowned for its medieval buildings, live music, stately churches, and of course, Guinness," Conde Nast says, but "underneath it all hums a modern heart." "Get a sense of whats new in the capital by seeking out its edgiest artists at Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, trying the fish of the day at Catch-22 or sampling the wares of Teeling, the first whiskey distillery to open in Dublin in 125 years." Last weekend, Ireland retained its crown as 'Best International Destination' at the 2017 Group Leisure & Travel Awards in the UK. See the full Conde Nast Traveler Awards here. Read more: Why would you worry about looking like a tourist? Its always been my feeling that it comes with certain disadvantages. You get treated differently occasionally better, but often much worse. You are an obvious target for sales scams. And crucially, I think, you tend to feel more alienated distanced from a destination and its culture. By contrast, if you manage to blend in just a little, you are responding to that culture rather than just imposing yourself; you can become an observer, not a spectator. Here are 10 of my tips. 1. Smarten up In most places the smarter you are, the less likely you are to be categorised as a tourist. The key is to observe locals. In the United States you could wear shorts, T-shirts and sandals with socks and blend into the background. In Paris or Tokyo, you wont. Bulky money belts and cargo shorts are real giveaways. 2. Avoid daypacks Expand Close On the tourist trail... Photo: Deposit / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp On the tourist trail... Photo: Deposit Do you really need all that stuff? Put some essentials in a carrier bag from a local supermarket and your image will be instantly transformed. 3. Take the bus Thats what locals do, whereas tourists opt for the metro system. 4. Photograph less Smart phones have eliminated that giveaway SLR hanging around a tourists neck but if you spend more time observing and less time framing photographs, youll look and feel less like a visitor and ultimately, I think, see more. 5. Eat off the beaten track If you walk a few streets back from the main tourist drag and find a place without a tourist menu, youll probably pay less, eat better, and feel more part of the place. 6. Use Airbnb or rent a flat Expand Close Segway tour of downtown Philidelphia / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Segway tour of downtown Philidelphia You wont be surrounded by hotel guests and youll use local food shops and markets. 7. Go somewhere different Tourists are easy to spot in Barcelona, Venice, Amsterdam, Rome and Florence. That's because, on any given day, about 95 per cent of people within a mile of the city centre are on holiday. So go somewhere different. Instead of Amsterdam, try Utrecht. Avoid Venice in favour of Annecy. Swap Prague for Bratislava. 8. Don't use a Segway How did the Segway city tour become a thing? Why would you want to bomb around in such a conspicuous manner on what is essentially a mobility scooter? They are the transport equivalent of a bum bag, guaranteed to make you look like a foolish tourist. 9. Ditch the guidebook And leave your phone in the hotel, while youre at it. Just go out there and get lost, follow your nose. And learn a bit of the local language. 10. Travel out of season An obvious way to avoid looking like a tourist is to avoid visiting when everyone else is. The weather is often just as good in the shoulder season and most of the shops and restaurants are open. The added bonus? Its usually a bit cheaper. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] There are no direct flights from Ireland to Las Vegas. Still, tens of thousands of Irish make the 13-plus hour trip every year. They are honeymooners. Holidaymakers on stopovers. Groups of friends on lost weekends ('What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas'). They are Conor McGregor fans, following the MMA messiah. And numbers are growing. Why do they go? For a grown-up Disneyland. Sin City is a desert mirage where the quietest of office workers can morph into talk show hosts, where the casinos have no windows or clocks, where real gondolas glide over fake canals and hotel fronts take the form of rollercoasters and replica Eiffel Towers. It's surreal. But it's not just skin-deep. Las Vegas's food and shopping scenes are among the best in the US, its old downtown is pure Americana, and its shows are stunners - from Celine Dion to Cirque du Soleil. Now this. Suddenly, one of those shows is a crime scene. Like the Bataclan in Paris, the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, like Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, a night out has metamorphosed into a horrific mass murder. Vegas will bounce back quickly. I'm certain of it. There's a resilience to the city, to Americans, to humans. While destinations like Egypt and Tunisia have been wiped off the tourist map by mass shootings and terror attacks, big cities tend to rebound, tourists to return. Think London. Nice. Madrid. Berlin. Of course, that's no comfort to Las Vegans today. Yesterday, the Department of Foreign Affairs did not specifically mention the city on its US travel advice page. But it did have a poignant general warning. "There is an increased threat of terrorism and extremist violence worldwide and this should be borne in mind by Irish citizens living and working in the USA. The USA has also witnessed a number of mass shootings in recent years." Pol O Conghaile and Independent Travel's Disney experts share tips on making the most of your time and money at the parks. With the original Disney resort celebrating its 60th anniversary, and Star Wars and Frozen taking centre stage in Florida and Paris, Disney is shaping up for its coolest summer ever. While a visit can make dreams come true, however, poor planning can end up in a nightmare. That's why it pays to know the do's and don'ts of Disney before you go. On this week's Travel TV, I'm joined by Mark Evans - Travel Editor with The Herald, recently returned from Walt Disneyworld in Florida - and Sarah Blake Knox, a Sunday Independent travel writer who has paid several visits to Disneyland Paris as well as working for a summer at the Orlando parks. Their advice is a must for anyone planning a trip - from when to book to what to wear... and, of course, how to shorten the queues, saving yourself some serious stress. Getting there: Book packages to Disneyland Paris with Independent Travel here, or to Walt Disneyworld in Florida here. View the latest independent.ie exclusive holiday deals on this destination and from around the world Read more: In considering the clinical impact of the Eighth Amendment, it is important to define and understand what is meant by termination of pregnancy, defined as the "intentional procurement of miscarriage prior to foetal viability". Foetal viability is approached at approximately 24 weeks of gestation when sophisticated neonatal intensive care provides an approximate 50pc chance of foetal survival. Other factors also impact on the prospect of foetal viability, such as foetal size and the presence of foetal abnormalities. A baby who is born after viability has been reached and intensive care provided is defined as a delivery. In Ireland, a woman qualifies for a termination of pregnancy if there is a real and substantial risk to her life that may be removed only by termination of pregnancy. The process that determines this qualification is cumbersome, and despite the fact that it relies on clinical judgment delivered in good faith to save a woman's life, it is framed in a criminal context in which an error may be punishable by a custodial sentence of up to 14 years for both the mother and her doctor. In pregnant women with additional serious medical problems, such as cystic fibrosis or congenital heart disease, the added physiological burden of pregnancy can create significant maternal risk. It must be recognised that it is clinically difficult, if not impossible at times, to distinguish with certainty the difference between risk to health and risk to life. This is real-life medicine, but there is arguably no other circumstance in medicine where such risks to life are balanced in the shadow of criminality. The critical question arises as to how a substantial risk of mortality is defined. Is it a 10pc risk of death or an 80pc risk of death, or a requirement for intensive-care support? A woman will have a view as to what constitutes a substantial risk to her life, and her view deserves consideration. In pregnancy, we deal with two lives inextricably linked by a complex physiology. This is dealt with in our Constitution by a balance of rights - the equal right to life of the mother and the foetus. From a medical perspective, this provision creates difficulty in its presumption that the implications of a range of complex medical disorders can be reduced to a matter of right and quantifiable risk. Once foetal viability is achieved, we have the option of delivering the baby and attempting to save both lives. However, prior to foetal viability, we do not have the option of delivering a foetus because the foetus cannot survive, and if a pregnant mother dies, her baby dies, too. Therefore, prior to foetal viability this Constitutional provision makes no clinical sense, but its presence facilitates a real possibility that clinical decision-making may be delayed or distorted as clinicians ponder the law rather than medicine. Unfortunately, approximately 2pc-3pc of all foetuses have a significant congenital abnormality. The specialty of foetal medicine is advancing in complexity and our ability to identify genetic and structural abnormalities in the foetus is increasing. Foetal imaging has also improved, including enhanced ultrasound and MRI imaging. A scan performed at 18 to 22 weeks' gestation to detect foetal abnormalities is a standard of care, but one-third of units in Ireland do not provide this basic service, which is hard to justify in 2017. The identification of a foetal abnormality before birth allows parents and medical teams an opportunity to prepare for birth and to optimise outcome where possible. However, in some cases an abnormality is so complex that a baby may die in utero or shortly after birth. The realisation that a baby has a complex severe foetal abnormality is devastating for families. When a patient is given such a prenatal diagnosis, non-directive counselling is provided. This means that all options for management are discussed in a non-judgmental manner. One option for pregnancy management is to continue with the pregnancy and to provide perinatal hospice care. There are now national standards of bereavement care that address anticipatory bereavement with strategies including an individualised multi-disciplinary approach, memory making, bereavement support and advice for family members. The alternative option in this situation is to not continue with the pregnancy, which means undergoing pregnancy termination outside of this jurisdiction. Patients who select this care pathway, after non-directive counselling, are supported to the extent that is permissible by our legislation. This includes providing contact details of foetal medicine centres in the UK. We do not make direct referral for pregnancy termination or advocate for one management option over another. Parents must make their own appointments and make their own travel arrangements. Parents also bear the cost of treatment in the UK, which can run to several thousand euro, including medical treatment, flights, accommodation, laboratory bills and the cost of bringing their baby's remains home. More than 100 women attending our hospitals travelled to the UK for termination of pregnancy in the context of foetal abnormality in 2016. Parents frequently report feeling abandoned, and the tragedy of their loss is exacerbated by the practical difficulties of bringing foetal remains home, navigating a different healthcare system, being separated from their families at such a difficult time and the shame and stigma associated with travelling to the UK for termination of pregnancy. From a clinical perspective, care between two different jurisdictions is inevitably disjointed and clinical risk is increased. It is far from an ideal that a complex medical diagnosis is made in one jurisdiction while treatment is provided in another without the capacity to make a formal appropriate clinical handover. Lack of continuity of care, incomplete evaluation of prenatal diagnosis and incomplete analysis of implications for future pregnancies are further hazards. We have direct experience of our patients having suffered severe complications while travelling for these purposes. We believe that the issue of criminalisation of medical care relating to termination of pregnancy in the setting of foetal abnormality and maternal illness needs to be changed. Secondly, we believe that doctors and hospitals in Ireland should be allowed to provide all pathways of care for our patients when a diagnosis of a complex foetal abnormality is made, without having to export our challenging cases to another jurisdiction to complete care. We make these observations as clinicians facing real-life clinical challenges and as witnesses to the very difficult and complex clinical situations faced by our patients. Professor Fergal Malone is Master/CEO of the Rotunda Hospital Dublin and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland School of Medicine. Dr Rhona Mahony is Master of the National Maternity Hospital Premium Brendan O'Connor Opinion Mid-life Crisis: Meeting my match in the flight queue I could sense the tension from behind me. I had got up and started the queue for boarding the plane. I know, Im that person. But someone has to do it. And what with everyone carrying a small suitcase on these days, Im more relaxed standing there, knowing I will get my bag into the overhead, than I would be sitting down. Premium Colette Browne Opinion Every effort must be made to retrieve oral histories of mother and baby home survivors With three days to go until the Mother and Baby Homes Commission ceases to exist as a legal entity, we are being told that audio recordings of hundreds of witnesses which were deleted may not actually be gone forever. It is another usual twist in a most emotional saga. For decades, survivors of mother and baby homes have been denied a voice and denied autonomy. When they fell pregnant, many through rape and abuse, they were marched to the doors of religious institutions. Premium Dan O'Brien Opinion While we catastrophise about Covid, we ignore risk of running out of cash We Irish view the world in an increasingly strange and unhealthy way. We catastrophise about Covid in a way other European countries do not. We focus on how bad the effects of the virus could get, on how many more restrictions might be imposed by Government and how helpless we are in the face of the virus. Theater is coming back to La Crosses Central High School. For the first time since 2008, Central will host a fall play, The House at Pooh Corner, directed by teacher Dawn Martin. The performances next weekend will be in room 232 and will feature 11 Central students portraying iconic Winnie the Pooh characters from Christopher Robin to Tigger. After the previous director left the school, Central combined with Logan on theatrical productions, Martin said. With enthusiasm for theater and drama building at the school, Martin said it was time to bring productions back to the school. Instead of using Centrals auditorium, which is dominated by band, choir and show choir groups, the players will perform in one one of the larger classrooms at the school. Martin compared the more intimate environment and simpler performance space to those of black box theaters. It is exciting to be back, she said. The kids are excited to be here. Ive seen a lot of energy in the cast. The House at Pooh Corner focuses on the adventures of Christopher Robin and the animals of the Hundred Acre Wood as they try to put off Christophers impending first days of school with a plan to flee to the South Pole. The title of the work comes from a portion of the story that focuses on the animals desire to build a house for Eeyore, the gloomy, pessimistic gray donkey. Auditions started in mid-September, Martin said, and she and the students are getting some help from Viterbo University theater student Abigail Seefeld, who is doing hair and makeup, and helping directing the play. Central senior Erick Hunter plays Christopher Robin, and this is his third fall play as a high school student. He said he was excited to be bringing theater back to his school and audiences would like the different, more lively performance venue. He thought the play was pretty funny, for both adults and kids. This is his first exposure to the world of Pooh, and he is excited to bring it to audiences next week. This is the first play for senior Katy Zimmerman, who auditioned after Martin asked her to try out for the play. It has been a lot of fun getting to know the students, she said, and she was excited by the challenge of learning all the intricacies of theater, from memorizing lines to blocking movements onstage. Winnie the Pooh is my childhood favorite, she said. I think the play will turn out really good. Premium Eoghan Harris Opinion Misery media fails to give due credit to the Taoiseach Taoiseach Micheal Martin must drive his advisers mad. Unlike Leo Varadkar or Donald Trump, he never bigs up success stories such as the effect of Level 3 Plus on Covid or his visionary Shared Island project. Last Friday, Tony Holohan and RTE cheerleaders seemed to imply Level 5 was responsible for the improved Covid situation. Not so. From the outset the Government has adopted a deliberate strategy to side with the European Union's 27 countries in negotiations between the EU and UK on Brexit, adopting a view that to diverge from Europe would be the worst possible position to take. This was a wise course to take. Since his election, the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar has hardened Ireland's position in this regard, if anything, to apply increased public pressure on the UK to devise its own proposals to concur with the decision by referendum of its citizens to leave the EU. Since that referendum, and the subsequent triggering of Article 50, negotiations between the EU and the UK has been tortuous to say the least, culminating to date in a European Council Summit last week which offered relatively encouraging signs that at least some progress can be made before the end of the year. However, the EU's formal announcement remains that "sufficient progress" on the withdrawal arrangements has not been achieved. Obstacles remain in relation to money, a deal on citizens' rights, said to be "within touching distance", and discussions on Northern Ireland. That said, the EU has decided to open its internal preparatory discussions on transition and trade, as encouragement to the UK Prime Minister Theresa May, who is in the most dreadful domestic political circumstances. Ireland's strategy all along has been to make our problems the EU's problems. In effect, this is an implicit admission that should Ireland isolate itself we really will be on our own, that we are too small to matter to either the EU or the UK, although that would never be stated publicly. In these negotiations Ireland can not be seen to be playing both sides. However, it remains to be seen for how long that delicate position will be sustainable. Both the EU and the UK are still aiming to secure a comprehensive free trade agreement, with close cooperation on other issues such as defence and security. Walking away without a deal remains neither side's first preference, and would be economically damaging to both, but particularly to Ireland. As the UK positions itself toward a less integrated relationship with the EU, a lot of the so-called 'no-deal' preparations are underway. Notwithstanding the improvement in mood music last week, it would be advisable for Ireland to also prepare for a 'no deal' outcome. Indeed, it would seem remarkably little preparation has been made in this regard, and that is remiss. The time has perhaps come for the Taoiseach to make clear that should we end up with a hard Brexit, with the UK outside the customs union and single market, as it intends, and in the absence of proper trade arrangements, that Ireland will seek from the EU special treatment in the form of substantial financial aid for this country, and for a lengthy period, to transition and adapt to what will be a stark new landscape. While Ireland will remain a member of the EU, a relationship which, by and large, has been positive and productive for this country, there is also reason to recall that, in the recent past, Ireland has, indeed, seemed 'too small' to matter. The opportunity now exists for Ireland to make its voice heard. That opportunity should not be missed, whether privately at this stage or publicly in due course. There have been calls for a second Garda station in the town There were many interesting aspects to emerge from the recent annual public meeting of the Joint Policing Committee. Perhaps the most interesting and novel proposals was for the establishment of a Garda sub-station in the town centre, which was made by Cllr Mark Dearey. It is easy to dismiss such a proposal and see it as pie-in-the-sky, unrealistic nonsense. Why would Dundalk need a second Garda station? Obviously there are budgetary issues which will make it difficult for the provision of a second Garda station or even a sub-station in Dundalk. There has been Garda station closures throughout rural Ireland in recent years and the reopening of the Garda Station in Stepaside in Dublin has become a hot political potato. For those considerations alone, the opening of a sub-station in Dundalk's town centre seems unlikely. However when you look behind the reasons for making the proposal, the reasoning is well founded and should be explored further with a task set to Garda management and the local authority to come up with a creative solution. Retailers in the town centre are concerned about the lack of Garda presence on the main streets of the town centre and the lack of engagement from the Gardai in responding to their calls. On many occasions traders in the town call upon the Gardai for their services. These calls are not normally 999 emergency calls which require a blue light and wailing siren response but are still genuine calls for assistance. The scale of drug use in the town is a concern and traders are obviously worried when drug users are taking drugs and discarding needles in plain sight of their premises. This problem is a daily occurrence in parts of the town and traders are frustrated at the level of support and assistance they are getting from the Gardai. Senior Garda management have acknowledged that they see merit in having a sub-station in the town centre which will provide more visibility on the streets for their members and assist in improving their relationship with traders and improve their customer service profile with the general public in dealing with services provided by the Gardai such as passport applications. The reality however is that a sub-station will be a pipe-dream unless it is really embraced by local Garda management and the local authority and they are imaginative and determined in their approach. Neither have infinite budgets, indeed both have far smaller budgets and manpower than they would ideally like, but if both parties really put their minds to it they could come up with a creative solution in finding a suitable premises in the town centre which would be open from 10am to 5pm six days a week to provide Garda services in the town centre. It won't be an easy argument to win with Garda management and they will need strong support from local government if there any hope of a sub-station being provided On Saturday night I headed for the Cooley Kickhams clubrooms where a special 80s disco was being run as a fundraiser for the club and coming out of retirement to spin the discs for one last time was Dynamo Disco's peninsula legend DJ Michael Duffy who had resurrected his original 80s disco unit complete with Fal lights and turntables. I was only in the door when I met up with Gerry Maloney from Petestown who was busy on the door and told me it was going to be an excellent night and no mistake. Next I headed over for a chat with Sean and Joanne Traynor from Greenore who told me they were far too young to remember any of the 80s and were only there to see what their parents were enjoying in their heyday! I then headed over for a word with Kevin and Julia Long from Willville who told me they remembered when Dynamo Disco was in action in the front hall of the Cooley Complex each and every Friday night and that was what kept them sane during the week, looking forward to Friday nights. Seated close by were Donal and Eunice Rice from Rockmarshall who were enjoying the tunes and told me they were waiting for Donal and Anne McDonald to get there, they were still over in Long's pub getting a few in before they came over. After this I got a word with Kevin Copas from Drogheda and Garreth McKevitt from Kilkerley who were enjoying the nostalgia and had a photo on their phone of the 1st year from Bush School from 30 years ago and were busy picking out all the heads they knew. Just arrived in were Brian and Susan Rafferty from Ballagan who told me that once Mickey was on the decks they were guaranteed a great night. Brian went on to talk about the Bellurgan and Lordship halls that were in use for discos in the 80s as well and the mad nights they had. Heading for another table I then got a word with Kevin 'Angus' Smyth and Ricky Watters both from Lugbriscan. Kevin was in full Angus Young fancy dress, complete with his electric guitar and the lads told me they couldn't wait to boogie, but were hoping the DJ's selection was better than what he plays up in Oriel Park! The lads were with their wives Angela Malone and Regina Watters from Lugbriscan who told me they only had vague memories of the 80s because they would have been far too young then. Seated close by I then had the pleasure of talking to Margaret Sheelan from Irish Grange, Colette Sheelan from Rathcor (official photographer for the night) and Josie Tuohy from Riverstown who remember the 80s discos and were huge fans of Prince, Madness and the Police back in the day. Just arrived in the door was Mary and Elvis Murphy from The Bush who were with Mary's brother Neil McNally from Knockbridge and Paul Callan from Louth Village. Mary said she was far too young to remember the 80s and was only there to keep Elvis company! I headed over for a quick word with Seamus Fee from Carlingford who told me he's actually the DJ's security guard and would be keeping an eye on everything for the main man. Meanwhile up near the bar I met up with Margaret Guy from Omeath, Breda O'Shea from Gaultrimsland and Fidelma Elmore from Greenore who were just in and were ready for some serious fun with all their friends there. Finally, before I departed I got a word with Karen Kane from Ballinamara, Audrey O'Rourke from upper Willville, Sandra Gormley from Rathcor, Una McGoley and Susan Reilly both from Carlingford who were in fantastic from and were going to have a mad night with everyone there. Dundalk comedian Lisa Casey has been shortlisted for the Irish Comedian of the Year Awards after making it through the semi-finals in Belfast recently. The 26 year old from Ard Easmuinn will vie for the top prize at the Vodafone Comedy Festival Lisa has been making a name for herself on the comedy circuit with her stand up and sketches which gives a no holds barred look at life as experienced by a young woman in contemporary Irish society. Lisa was short listed for the Funny Women Awards in 2016. She also won the Corrupt Comedy Competition at 2016's Hardy Har Comedy Festival. Two years ago she was a finalist for the Budweiser Dream Job competition. The Irish Comedian of the Year final is due to take place in Galway on Monday, October 30 at the Vodafone Comedy Carnival. At the recent National Womens Enterprise Day Conference at CityNorth Hotel were Regina Behan of Network Louth, Caroline Keeling of Keelings and Sarah Mallon of Local Enterprise Office Louth At the recent National Womens Enterprise Day seminar at City North Hotel were Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty TD, event speakers Roisin Hogan, Niamh Sherwin Barry, Margaret Robb and Margie Burns with Sarah Mallon of LEO Louth and Lorna Cooney of LEO Meath. Guest speakers at the recent National Womens Enterprise Day conference at City North Hotel were Roisin Hogan, Margie Burns, Caroline Keeling, Niamh Sherwin Barry and Margaret Robb National Women's Enterprise Day took place countrywide on last Wednesday. The event seeks to celebrate and support female entrepreneurship in Ireland and wow, it certainly did that! The Local Enterprise Offices in Louth and Meath joined forces to plan a superb, inspiring and educational event. Women from all across the north east travelled to CityNorth Hotel in Gormanston to both learn and network. 'Our theme this year was 'Opening Doors to New Markets'', explains Regina Behan, President of Network Louth. 'We invited guest speakers who, through their work to date, have moved into new markets and grown their businesses. We wanted to know what they had learned along the way.' Sarah Mallon of Local Enterprise Office Louth explained. 'Recent research indicates that 27% of early stage female entrepreneurs in Ireland expect to get more than a quarter of their revenues from overseas work. That's why the theme of "Opening Doors to New Markets" was so important. We wanted to give them the opportunity to learn from others who had been down that road. But we also wanted them to know that their Local Enterprise Office offers a range of supports to help them realise those expectations.' The event was a huge success. The conference opened with a keynote address by Caroline Keeling, CEO of Keelings. She was followed by IBYE winner Roisin Hogan of Hiro by Roisin in Drogheda. The mid-morning session featured Niamh Sherwin-Barry from Tullyallen of the Irish Fairy Door Company, Margaret Robb of Sweet Little Babies in Dundalk and Margie Burns of Aviation Selection Consultants. Each speaker brought their own insights. Delegates listened intently, soaking up all the valuable advice. They eagerly asked questions and the room buzzed during coffee break with opportunities to meet new people and find out more. To find out more about the supports that the Local Enterprise Office offers to entrepreneurs, (both male and female), visit www.LocalEnterprise.ie/Louth. Local Enterprise Office, your port of call for business supports! From clifftop views to cookery schools, you will be surprised at what you find when you go off the beaten track in Fermanagh. Just 90 minutes from Dundalk, Fermanagh is Northern Ireland's lake district, beloved for its stunning scenery, historical landmarks and diverse experiences. Tourism Northern Ireland have launched a campaign in Louth in a bid to attract visitors to Fermanagh. From the Cuilcagh Mountain boardwalk, to the breathtaking drive through Navar Forest there is a sea of sights and sounds to experience. Discover some Celtic mystery at the cemetery on Boa Island which is home to two unique stone idol carvings dating back to Celtic times. The larger is a fascinating Janus figure; the smaller, known as 'Lustyman', is thought to be a female. Close by are White Island and Devenish Island also full of Celtic mythology and early Christian symbols. Explore it all via a pleasant boat trip from Castle Archdale Forest Park. A 'stay and cook' kind of place, Belle Isle Cookery School is right next to the luxury Belle Isle Castle and a host of cosy self-catering cottages. Chef Joe Kelly and his assistants will take you on a culinary adventure whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced cook. County Fermanagh is full of excellent restaurants and pubs to enjoy the craic and a pint of something black by a lit fire. The School of Business & Humanities at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), has launched its Entrepreneurship Guest Lecture Series 2017 with an exciting programme of guest lectures and panel discussions from leading academics in the field as well as dynamic entrepreneurs. The lecture series is for DkIT students from all disciplines and is also open to the general public. It is an opportunity to listen to individuals and their entrepreneurial journeys as they detail their successes, failures, and any lessons they have learned along the way. It is provides a forum for students to explore entrepreneurship as a viable career option, not to mention a great opportunity for them to network. The first guest lecture was delivered by DkIT Social Care graduate Mark McCormack who spoke about his experience as founder of a new social enterprise, Create The Great In You which is focused on youth empowerment among transition year and leaving certificate students. Chris Gordon, CEO of the Irish Social Enterprise Network and BCorp Ireland, showcased social entrepreneurship and gave students more insight into the skills required to start a career in this area. The lecture series is part of DkIT's continued strategy to introduce students from all backgrounds to enterprise learning environments to help nurture desirable graduate attributes such as creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and of entrepreneurship. In 2016, DkIT was identified by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as one of leading institutes in Ireland for embedding entrepreneurship in higher education and featured in a published case study of best practice. More recently DkIT was named national winner of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards 2017 for its development of the BSc.(Hons) in Engineering Entrepreneurship programme. DkIT Lecturer in Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation, Angela Hamouda who led the organisation of the Guest Lecture series, said: 'I am delighted to welcome such esteemed entrepreneurs and leading academics to participate in our lecture series. 'We have a vibrant programme of speakers from a variety of backgrounds and wide ranging topics from social entrepreneurship to family business. 'I am confident that our students wll be inspired and learn from these shared experiences as they plan and consider their future careers.' Upcoming lectures this semester include: 'Changing Views on Entrepreneurship and implications for policy and practice', by Simon Bridge, Thursday October, 19th: 'Minority Entrepreneurship', by Professor Thomas Cooney, Thursday 7th December. This will be followed by a continued series in Semester 2. Anyone interested in attending any of these events, please contact Angela Hamouda (Angela.Hamouda@dkit.ie). Last week's budget is 'good news for families here in Louth who will have a solution to their housing needs,' Louth Fine Gael TD Peter Fitzpatrick has said. The allocation of 1.9 billion to housing programmes will meet the needs of 25,500 households in 2018, he said. He said the 2018 Budget represents an increase of 46% on 2017. A large element of this funding (1.14 billion) is for the delivery of almost 5,900 social homes through a range of construction and acquisition programmes. 'The balance of the funding will be used to add additional tenancies, and maintain existing ones. This will be done by funding the existing Rental Accommodation Scheme and the Housing Assistance Payment. Louth County Council has the funding available to increase the housing supply in Louth. 'To further increase supply the Minister announced the establishment of Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI). He has allocated 750 million of the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund available for commercial investment in housing finance.' 'To get up and running quickly, HBFI will draw on the extensive skill and expertise in residential development funding that currently resides in NAMA,' Deputy said. 'The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund and NAMA are already supporting the commercial delivery of 30,000 houses and apartments over the period to 2021 and these additional funds have the potential to fund the construction of an additional 6,000 homes. 'The real way to tackle homelessness and to make housing more affordable for everyone is to increase housing supply. This budget will see an increase in funding for Homeless Services a further 18 million to over 116 million to ensure that emergency accommodation and other supports are available to those who need them. 'An increase of 31 million has been allocated to the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme bringing the total to 115 million. This will deliver an extra 4,000 social housing homes next year. 'The Housing Assistance Payment Scheme will be increased by 149 million in 2018, enabling an additional 17,000 households to be supported and accommodated in 2018 while we steadily increase our housing supply. 'Changes to the vacant site levy will mean developers need to get on with the task of developing lands urgently or risk seeing the levy they pay on their undeveloped sites increase dramatically. 'This will stop the hoarding of development land here in Louth" the Fine Gael TD said. 'The message from Government to vacant site owners is clear - to have the levy lifted, they need to get on with developing your lands urgently. 'Fine Gael is determined that everyone has an opportunity to a home of their own, that's why we're committed to creating a functioning housing market, unlike the boom and bust that we have witnessed in the past. 'We are committed and determined to a long term, sustainable housing model that provides security for tenants,' Deputy said. Dundalk Chamber of Commerce held their annual Budget Breakfast in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk. Sponsored by Paypal, the event was a sell out with just on 200 in attendance. Attendees from financial, professional and the wider business community came out early to hear speaker Enda Jordan, Tax Director with Ernst & Young unravel the complexities of this year's budget. Paddy Malone PRO of Dundalk Chamber commented that 'The Chamber welcomes the general features of the budget and in particular the fact that neither diesel nor alcohol saw changes to their tax. He also noted that the sugar tax will be coordinated with UK to ensure no smuggling of soft drinks. He welcomed the finance plan to support SME in light of Brexit. However he asked that this include retail and other businesses and not just exporters. He noted that the Chamber's call for Living City Initiative, general rates support and other proposals were NOT acted on. Paddy took the opportunity to thank Rodd Bond and Pat McCormick for assisting him in our submission on National Development Plan. This has resulted in Dundalk being reinstated as a primary town for Investment and IDA support President of Dundalk Chamber Michael Gaynor also asked all attendees to consider buying the new 'Shop Local Gift Vouchers' if they are considering giving Christmas bonus or other one off payment. There is no better cost effective way of putting up to 500 in an employee's hand, with no PAYE, USC or PRSI cost. The Chamber is meeting ALL administration costs and as a result a 100 voucher costs the employer 100 and the retailer gets 100 back from the Chamber. This was endorsed by Enda Jordan. The voucher which can be spent in Gift shops, Butchers, Wine, hairdressers, beauticians, car parts, gyms, clothes shops, toy shops, video game shops restaurants, travel agents and much more He would also encourage members of the public to buy them as they are the ideal Christmas, wedding or Birthday gift. This scheme means cash will be spent locally assisting Dundalk businesses and thereby increasing employment. This is a win win deal. The number of students who use the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program to attend Aquinas Catholic Schools continues to rise. Numbers released Monday by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction showed more than 140 students at Aquinas had enrolled in the choice program, up more than 30 percent from 109 students last year. Aquinas has seen growth in the choice program, which provides public funds to private schools for each student enrolled, since the program began in 2013. The choice program allows an opportunity for parents to pick the best educational fit for their children, Aquinas President Ted Knuston said. It makes Aquinas and other participating private schools available to more families. Choice students made up nearly 15 percent of the student population at Aquinas, according to Third-Friday-in-September headcounts the school provided to the state. Of the 32 new students this year, 13 already were enrolled at the private Catholic school system before receiving a voucher, Aquinas President Ted Knutson said. Aquinas has an operating budget of nearly $8 million and is estimated to receive $1.07 million in funding for the choice students. Children who enrolled in the program before 2015 receive their payment from the state, while those enrolled after receive their funding from the local school district in which they reside. The Wisconsin Parental Choice Program will provide more than $34 million to the 154 private schools and more than 4,500 students across the state participating in the program this year. Families who meet eligibility and income guidelines can apply for the program, which provides up to $8,176 per student to attend a private school. The DPI also provided stats on the number of full-time equivalent students residing in each public school district that have enrolled in the choice program. The state counts students in some grades such as 4-year-old kindergarten less than a full FTE, and as a result, Aquinas only had an FTE count of 138 choice students compared to a headcount of 142. In La Crosse County, the La Crosse School District had 80 FTE students enrolled in the choice program, with Holmen reporting 21 students. Onalaska reported 14 FTE, with Bangor and West Salem reporting 10 FTE combined. La Crosse Superintendent Randy Nelson said he was concerned about the continued trend of vouchers going to students who already attend Aquinas. In the first years of the program, nearly all of Aquinas enrollees already had attended a private school before receiving the benefit. Critics have claimed this results in the voucher program being a subsidy for private schools, and lawmakers have attempted to address the issue by restricting applications to the program by private school families to those entering kindergarten and ninth grade. Competition for students is not new for Wisconsin public schools, Nelson said, as the states open-enrollment program has been in place for over a decade. Choice program enrollment is capped at 2 percent of a districts total membership, and Nelson said he was glad the district has not hit the 135 FTE cap yet, as well as the 66 net students the district received this year through open enrollment. We are obviously in an era of expanded choice and choice options, he said. Families have much more opportunities than they did in the past. Onalaska Luther High School officials have stated plans to apply for the choice program starting in the 2018-19 school year. Luther had an enrollment of 226 students in grades nine through 12 in 2016, according to the DPI. Knutson said he welcomes the addition of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod high school into the program, as it would provide even more choices for area families. He said western Wisconsin has some of the best schools, both public and private, it is just about making sure families can send their kids to the school that best fits their needs. We provide a style of instruction some families prefer, he said. Having choice makes it a great opportunity for families to pick the right school for their students. One size does not fit all. Bernie Bingham conducts the Dundalk Brass Band at Diwali-Festival of Lights held in Blackrock Community Centre Aswati Santhosh, Sona Sani and Merin Thomas at Diwali-Festival of Lights held in Blackrock Community Centre Ankitha Francis Joseph and Ann-Maria Sebastian at Diwali-Festival of Lights held in Blackrock Community Centre Swapna Sarita Mishra and Pallabika Das at Diwali-Festival of Lights held in Blackrock Community Centre The Diwali Festival was marked in Blackrock when the Kalinga Academy of Social Sciences Ireland (KASSI) hosted a cultural event to mark this festival of light on Saturday October 7, in Blackrock Community Centre. Presenters Mr. Manju Roy and Dr. Anjana Satpati were welcomed by Dr. Pardeep Sayal to what proved a spectacular and colourful event where performers from majority of Indian states along with performers from various Irish dancing school participated. Special Odia dance performer Dr. Natali Rout, winner of various world awards travelled from the United Kingdom and won the heart of everybody in the audience. Dundalk Brass Band was in full swing and played the National Anthems of India and Ireland along with a popular tunes. Performers from the Mona Roddy Dancing School Irish Dance, Corrigan White Irish School of Dancing Irish Dance, South Indian School of Dancing and from many individual performers from the age of 4 years onward delighted the audience as did the singing of local teacher Jebun Nahar. This event was attended by Honarable Mrs Vijay Singh, Ambassador of India in Ireland, Declan Breathnach TD attended, along with Councillors Emma Coffey and Maria Doyle, who lit the candles for special prayers. Candles were also lit by two of the local Irish dancers to wish every body Happy Diwali. Dr. Dilip Mahapatra, chairman, explained the objectives and goals of KASSI and thanked everyone for attending. Mr. Durgesh Tiwari and many more worked very hard to organise what proved a most entertaining evening. The evening ended with mouth watering special Indian dishes dinner and a raffle draw, which was supported by Euroasia, Mystique Beauty salon, Dr. Dhara Mishra and Dr. Dilip Mahapatra The event was sponsored by Lugh Medical centre, M L Quinn construction, Dexascan and bone metabolism unit, New Ireland Assurance, Lyca Mobile, and RK marketing. Dundalk born Sean Campbell was delighted to accept the EU Citizenship Prize as CEO of the Irish youth organisation Foroige at the EU Parliament in Brussels. Sean, who is originally from McSwiney Street but now living outside Athlone, describes himself as 'a very proud Dundalk man' who regularly visits his hometown where his brother Gerry and sisters Ann and Catherine still live. He could also say that he is very proud of Foroige as he speaks passionately about the work which organisation does for the young people of Ireland. Having attended the De La Salle College in Dundalk, Sean went on to study at UCD and worked as a teacher for a number of years before joining Foroige in the late 'eighties. 'I worked at different levels and places around the country before becoming CEO in 2003,' he says. Foroige, he explains, grew out of a network of rural youth clubs to an organisation which now provides services to over 50,000 young in towns, cities and villages across the country, making it the largest youth organisation in Ireland. 'We have 60,000 adult volunteers, over 400 full time staff, over 600 youth clubs and youth cafes, as well as 60 special youth projects working with young people facing challenges, as well as our Big Brother Big Sister mentoring programme.' As the parent of three children he says, 'if I ever needed convincing, and I didn't, I just had to look at my own kids and saw how Foroige helped them in different ways. I am passionate about what Foroige does as I know it works - I've seen it with my own kids.' Thanks to funding from Atlantic Philanthropies, Foroige has, over the years, been able to develop a suite of programmes aimed at giving young people the life skills and confidence to face whatever challenges come there way. 'Foroige helps give young people a good social network where they can go to events and learn interpersonal skills as well as technology.' Every generation of young people face challenges and Foroige can help them negotiate the minefield of relationships, drinking, sexuality, mental health and health and well being. 'It's fundamentally about giving young people life skills and helping parents to deal with the issue of those difficult but also happy teenage years which mark the transition between childhood and adulthood. 'The skills young people get from Foroige are the ones they don't get in school but are the ones they need for life,' he says. He is particularly pleased that Foroige's Citizenship Programme, which encourages young people to get involved in their local communities, has been recognised by the EU. A Louth man accused of IRA membership and directing the activities of the dissident organisation denied buying Shamrock glucose in his alleged capacity as an IRA member, the Special Criminal Court has heard. Seamus McGrane (63), of Little Road, Dromiskin, County Louth has pleaded not guilty to membership of the IRA between January 18th, 2010 and May 13th, 2015. He has also denied directing the activities of an unlawful organisation, styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA, between the dates of April 19th and May 13th, 2015. Detective Garda Colm Finnerty, of the Special Detective Unit, told prosecuting counsel Tara Burns SC that on April 15th 2015 Mr McGrane was interviewed by gardai under Section 2 of the Offences Against the State Act. The section allows a court to draw inferences from a suspected person's failure or refusal to answer questions regarding alleged IRA membership. The court heard that Mr McGrane denied he was a member of the IRA. Det Gda Finnerty said that the accused man was also asked if he had ever bought Shamrock glucose in his capacity as an IRA member and he again denied membership. Previously, the court had heard an audio recording of a conversation between Mr McGrane and Donal O'Coisdealbha in the snug of a Dublin pub that had been bugged by garda detectives in which the accused man spoke of using Shamrock glucose to manufacture explosives. Earlier, the court heard 'belief evidence' from Chief Superintendent Sean Ward that the accused man was a member of the IRA between the dates in question. Detective Garda Noel Mohan, Dundalk garda station, told prosecuting counsel Tara Burns SC that he saw Mr McGrane in Dundalk at republican marches commemorating the 1916 Rising every year from 2011 to 2015. He said that men convicted and jailed by the Special Criminal Court also attended these marches. The court was told that the prosecution had closed its case. Michael O'Higgins SC, for Mr McGrane, said the defence was not going into evidence. Following closing speeches by both defence and prosecution, judgement was reserved until October 31st. Over 24,500 in cash suspected to be linked with criminal activity was seized by Revenue officers in Dundalk last Thursday. Two houses in the Dundalk area were searched by Revenue officers, supported by members of An Garda Siochana as part of an intelligence-led operation targeting the illegal importation, supply and sale of tobacco products, The money was sniffed out by Revenue's detector dog Bill who uncovered more than 24,500 in cash. This money is suspected to be the proceeds of, or intended for use in, criminal activity, and was seized in accordance with the proceeds of crime legislation. At a sitting of Drogheda District Court on Friday officers were granted a three month detention order to facilitate further investigation. Members of the public who feel they have information that someone is evading tax or is involved in smuggling, are urged to report it. Contact Revenue's Confidential Freephone 1800 295 295. There were three Wicklow winners at the Network Ireland annual awards, which took place in the Druid's Glen Hotel on Friday, October 6. Audrey Dalton of Pawtrait Photography won the Blink Design Award in the Arts Section while the Outstanding Contribution Award went to Molly Comish of Dignity Packs Ireland. Molly Williams of Hidden Valley Holiday Park in Rathdrum won the highly commended award in the CPA Ireland Skillnet Established Small Business Category and Leigh Williams from Wicklow Brewery in Redcross was a runner-up. A delighted Audrey Dalton said the win was a 'great validation that you're on the right path with your dream' and said she had met the 'most wonderful women' through the network, who have provided her with great support. Molly Williams said she was 'extremely proud and honoured' to have won the highly commended award and said that, with Hidden Valley currently in expansion mode, the business will be When it came to the Outstanding Contribution Award, Rebecca Harrison, Network Ireland President and MD of Fishers in Newtownmountkennedy, said it wasn't difficult coming up with a worthy winner. 'Molly, while still a schoolgirl, has achieved so much and helped so many with founding Dignity Packs Ireland. Her story of starting small with her tip money and how it's hit a chord with so many people and now she has sponsorship and awards to beat the band' said Ms Harrison. Earlier in the day, top international speakers from the business world addressed Network Ireland's annual conference, which was also held at Druid's Glen. There were over 250 delegates present and speakers at the conference included Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ireland, Her Excellency Hana Mottlova, and Wicklow business women Catherine Fulvio from Ballyknockan and Rachel Doyle from the Arboretum. Cllr Gerry Walsh, Cathaoirleach of Greystones Municipal District and Chair of Wicklow County Council's Economic Development and Enterprise Support, Strategic Policy Committee, welcomed everyone to Wicklow and congratulated Network Ireland President Ms Harrison on bringing this national event to Wicklow. The Wicklow branch of Network Ireland will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, November 21, in Fishers from 7 p.m., where Elaine Madigan, creator elegant jewellery and traditional watches, will share her story. Aldi's Bray store staff have awarded Purple House Cancer Support a 500 grant in recognition of its tremendous work within the local community and to help support its vital services. The 500 grant was presented to Stephanie Murphy of Purple House Cancer Support. Commenting, Finbar McCarthy, Group Buying Director, Aldi Ireland, said, 'The work and services provided by Purple House Cancer Support are crucial to the local Wicklow community. We are delighted our Bray store employees have chosen to support the organisation. 'Giving back to the local communities our stores serve is something we are passionate about and we are proud to support the vital work done by charities and not-for-profit organisations across Wicklow. Last year we helped 120 charities and not-for-profit organisations nationwide and we hope to surpass that number this year.' Now in its second year, Aldi's Community Grants Programme provides each Aldi employee with the opportunity to nominate a charity, community group or not-for-profit organisation within their local community for support. Nominated charities are assessed according to a defined selection criteria, with the organisation deemed the most worthwhile receiving a 500 donation from Aldi. Last year over 120 Irish charities benefited from the initiative. The owner of local convenience store Candy's Gala, Carnew is off to the Big Apple for Christmas after winning a trip for two at the annual Gala Conference. Michael Kelly of Candy's Gala won the trip as part of a prize draw at the annual conference, which took place at the Malton Hotel, Killarney. The conference also incorporates the Gala BEST awards ceremony and a trade expo, which features almost 80 suppliers. The trip to New York includes a five night stay at the four-star Fitzpatrick Hotel in Manhattan, as well as 1,000 spending money. Mr Kelly said: 'I'd like to say a big thanks to Gala Retail for such an incredible prize. I'm looking forward to heading off to the Big Apple before Christmas.' The Gala Conference brings together all the retailers in the Gala Group for an inspirational day of motivational speeches, a trade fair and an update on the Gala business and new initiatives. The event was launched by a panel of Irish sporting greats, including Tracey Piggott and former Munster player, Frankie Sheahan. A significant number of people took risks by the coast last Monday during Hurricane Ophelia. This was according to Dermot Macaulay Greystones Coastguard. He said that volunteers were patrolling Wicklow to Shankill for the duration of the storm, with a nationwide red alert in place. 'There were people down piers and on beaches with children' said Dermot. They also encountered four teenagers who wanted to go in for a swim. 'We advised people to stay away from the sea. Some people chose to ignore it. There was a significant amount of people taking risks.' He said that the majority of people they spoke to took their warnings seriously and left. 'We went out at 12 and thought we'd be finished by 6 p.m. but we had to carry on until midnight,' said Dermot. 'If someone got washed in there's not a lot we could do. You can't launch a boat in that weather.' In Bray, seven people availed of overnight accommodation in Fassaroe Community Centre, and a further seven in Wicklow Homeless Five Loaves on Albert Walk. 'We had a number of volunteers helping out,' said a representative of the community centre. As well as the seven sleeping over, one or two came in for food and a shower. They were overwhelmed at the centre by the generosity of the public who dropped off supplies all throughout the day. Deputy John Brady said that they are now trying to secure more permanent accommodation for the people who stayed in Fassaroe on Monday. At Five Loaves, the cook was serving up hot meals all day, and the seven people staying over got fold-up beds delivered by the civil defence. There was a good atmosphere at the Albert Walk facility, despite the confined spaces. The jolly atmosphere continued to the following morning when a hot breakfast was served. Members of the Order of Malta called in on Monday night to check everyone was okay. There were no major incidents in the north Wicklow area, but trees did come down on Bray's Herbert Road, Vevay Road, King Edward Road onto an ESB cable, Cookstown Road in Enniskerry into ESB cables, and on Blacklion Road in Greystones as well as Sea Road in Greystones. Trees also came down on the grounds of Oldcourt House on Vevay Road. Electricity supply was affected in large areas of Bray for most of the afternoon and evening. The Department of Education announced yesterday evening that schools and colleges will re-open today (Wednesday). Brian McNamara, the Chair of the Wicklow Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), has welcomed the retention of the 9 per cent tourism VAT rate in the Budget. The 9 per cent VAT rate for tourism-related activities such as restaurants, hotels and cinemas was introduced to encourage growth and employment in the sector. Mr McNamara feels that the rate has been instrumental in the recovery of the tourism industry, with 60,000 new jobs created since the measure was first introduced in 2011. He said: 'Tourism is an indigenous export industry which not only supports approximately 230,000 jobs, equivalent to 11 per cent of total employment in Ireland it also plays a vital role in addressing the regional imbalance in our economy. The 9 per cent VAT rate has been the single most important fiscal initiative for Irish tourism in the last decade and we are pleased the Government has retained the measure. 'It demonstrates that it has been highly effective in job creation and also acknowledges that we have a pro-tourism Government who see the value the industry brings to every part of our country. The decision is a critical vote of confidence in the tourism industry at a time when it faces significant risks, most notably from Brexit.' Mr McNamara, who is General Manager of the Glenview Hotel, believes that tourism plays a vital role in the Irish economy, providing over 230,000 jobs and set to create a further 40,000 new jobs by 2021. 'Direct actions by the government including the 9 per cent VAT rate and the zero rate travel tax have helped level the playing field for tourism businesses to compete for visitors with other European destinations and are vital in underpinning and sustaining that growth. Tourism makes an important contribution to the economy of every county and town in Ireland. While the industry has returned to growth, with Brexit looming and a continued slowdown in tourism growth, there is no room for complacency.' In the fall of 1969, Wisconsin lawmakers were poised to vote on a state budget that included cuts to the states social welfare programs. But just as the special session on Sept. 29, 1969, was about to be called to order, many of the residents facing the effects of those looming cuts stormed the Capitol. Led by the Rev. James Groppi, a Roman Catholic priest and civil rights activist from Milwaukee, dozens of black and Latino families forced their way into the Assembly chambers and took over the lawmakers desks and made their case from the rostrum. The families had marched for two weeks from Milwaukee to the state Capitol to protest the cuts. I work hard. I do without. I have also walked 90 miles and Im not afraid to go to jail, an unnamed mother of four from Milwaukee shouted through tears. The crowd grew to as many as 1,000, forcing lawmakers to flee the building. Gov. Warren Knowles called in just as many troops with the National Guard. The group included welfare mothers, welfare fathers, dazed children, young black militants, migrant farm workers, university students and housewives, The Capital Times reported. After 11 hours, the protesters and Groppi finally left after a Dane County judge issued an injunction barring Groppi from the building. The next morning, lawmakers reconvened to take up the budget with National Guardsmen standing nearby to prevent demonstrators from disrupting the session a second time. Lawmakers quickly adopted the cuts, and Groppi was charged with contempt of the Legislature and jailed for one month. John Keefe noted in his Sept. 30, 1969, story in the State Journal on the episode that the chances of success for the marchers cause werent worth a loaf of stale bread. In fact, then-Assembly Majority Leader Paul Alfonsi, R-Minocqua, said the demonstration cost the welfare recipients any chance of winning substantial restoration in the budget. I work hard. I do without. I have also walked 90 miles and Im not afraid to go to jail. An unnamed mother of four from Milwaukee, shouting through tears The emergency services, community volunteers, utility companies, the Government and state agencies deserve praise for their response to Hurricane Ophelia which battered much of the country on Monday. Often the Government and our local authorities have been criticised for their response to potential and unfolding disasters but in this case the systems put in place have worked remarkably well. The hurricane caused death and devastating damage across vast swathes of the country that will likely cost many millions of Euro to fully repair. However, the early warnings from Met Eireann and the Government's National Emergency Co-ordination Group almost certainly saved many more people from serious injury or worse. We won't learn the full toll of Ophelia for several days - perhaps even weeks - but even at this early stage we can say with some certainty that the State's response prevented even greater damage and destruction. Irish people often have a blase attitude to weather warnings but the Government's efforts to hammer home the safety message meant that by Sunday everyone should have been well aware of what lay in store. In the face of such looming threats it's not unusual to see schools and public sector offices and facilities closed but it was encouraging to see the private sector looking after the safety of their staff. Across Ireland, businesses - from major chains to small shops - closed for the day and it was reassuring to see that, for once, the pursuit of profit took second place to people's well-being. The many businesses that opened their doors to shelter the homeless from the wrath of the storm should also be applauded. Local authorities in the affected areas also did sterling work providing constant updates on the fast unfolding situation. Our state bodies are frequently - and often justifiably - criticised for their inability to work together efficiently. The reaction to Hurricane Ophelia shows that when the chips are down our state agencies can pool their resources and co-operate in a productive and streamline manner. If we can take one positive from the storm it's that, though it is a shame that it takes a crisis to prove it. The greatest praise however must go to the thousands of selfless men and women who risked their lives on Monday to keep the rest of us safe. Be they members of the emergency services, volunteers on sea and land rescue teams, local authority workers or staff from bodies like the ESB or Irish Water, they all deserve our sincere thanks. While hundreds of thousands of people followed the Government's advice and sheltered in their homes these brave, altruistic men and women were out, braving the very worst of the weather, striving to keep their communities safe. To them, from all at this paper, we say a heartfelt well done and a sincere thank you. Cork North West TD Aindrias Moynihan has said that Fine Gael turned a blind eye to two major issues affecting Cork last week when a meeting of the Government took place in Cork City. "Last week we heard the Government make positive noises about the M20 motorway project. While positive, there is a still a long way to go, and many local people will only believe the Government's commitment when they see the road being actually built," said Deputy Moynihan in the wake of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar saying the motorway would certainly be going ahead. "However, last week, despite the government coming to Cork, there was no mention of the Macroom Bypass of the N22 or indeed no discussions between government ministers and local people on the ongoing boundary dispute between the city and the county," said Moynihan. "These two issues are some of the most pertinent issues being discussed right across the county at the minute. "A bypass of Macroom can breathe new life into the town, and can be a major economic catalyst for the wider South West region. Again, there was no news about this important project following last week's meeting of the Government. "One would have thought that if it was a priority for them that they would have been shouting about it from the rooftops. "Equally as important is the decision to expand the City Council's boundaries to include large chunks of the county. I'm baffled as to why there was no meeting between government ministers and local people and community organisations in the county. "These two issues are really important to the people of Co Cork. It's disappointing the Government chose not to discuss them when they visited. Is it a case of them only announcing and discussing good news?" concluded Moynihan. Sean Moylan Commemoration Committee members John O'Keeffe, John Paddy Joe Murphy and Vincent Guiney presenting a commemorative scroll to Nellie May Foley, Glash. Nellie May's volunteer relative was James Foley. Photo by Sheila Fitzgerald The Sean Moylan Commemoration Committee presented commemorative scrolls to over 300 people at a ceremony at Kiskeam Community Centre recently - and there was a deluge of other scrolls posted abroad. Throughout the country, there were many towns and villages hosting the commemoration to mark such a pivotal event in Irish history as the Rising. There were parades and State funerals for patriots and household names such as Padraig Pearse, Eamon De Valera and Michael Collins. However, behind those events there are equally so a thousand more untold tales. They are often lost to time, faded away like old newspaper. But the enterprise and heroism of ordinary men and women was the foundation of the national effort. Their individual lives may not fill the pages of text books but they are forever etched into the greater national story. The event in Kiskeam on Saturday night was about paying tribute, however small, to their memory and ensuring that their lives and actions are counted. In Kiskeam and the surrounding areas men and women motivated by patriotic pride took the fight to the British empire. In the face of terrible circumstances, personal sacrifice and often great loss they endured. It is hoped that the scrolls, a gesture of remembrance, act as a symbol of those stories from the past - stories that can still inspire so many and children in the years and decades to come.Further scrolls can be obtained by contacting Vincent Guiney on 086/8937612 or John O'Keeffe (johnokeeffe74@eircom.net). An amazing stock of wedding dresses will be sold off at bargain prices to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society. Epiphany Weddings & Events are hosting the Ever After Bridal Sale on October 28 and 29 in the Clayton Hotel, Lapps Quay, Cork city and have over 100 bridal gowns up for grabs. Prices range from 50 to 500 so there's something to suit all budgets and there will also be a selection of bridesmaid dresses, occasion dresses, flowergirl dresses, veils, accessories and jewellery on sale. Kelly O'Callaghan-Gaughan of Epiphany Weddings & Events was devastated at the death of a dear friend to cancer shortly after her own wedding earlier this year. The wedding planner decided to host an event to raise funds to support others affected by cancer. She now has over 100 dresses ready for sale, some of which have been kindly donated, and proceeds from the day will go to the Irish Cancer Society. For more information on the event or to donate your dress contact Kelly on 087 7673693. Tickets are available on Eventbrite www.eventbrite.ie/e/ever-after-bridal-sale-tickets Leo Varadkar, Enda Kenny, Gerry Adams, Michael D Higgins, Bono, Liam Neeson, Martin O'Neill, Ireland's world famous list could go on and on. But when it comes to someone that world leaders really want to engage with and explore new ideas about the very future of the planet - they ring a chap at Beaulieu Cross on the Termonfeckin Road and ask him to fly half way around the planet for a chat! Philip McCabe can hardly believe the company he keeps. Be it world leaders, ministers, kings and princes, he has become accustomed to rubbing shoulders with them all. Philip is entering his second year as President of Apimondia - basically the world organisation of beekeepers. He readily admits that Ireland is way behind when it comes to realising how important bees are to the planet - and it's not just bees that are endangered - it's all insects. He tells of a meeting with Prince Albert of Monaco some time ago. The prince wanted a quick few lines to sum up how endangered insects are in general in the present world. 'I told him, years ago when I used to drive from Dublin to Galway, I'd arrive there and the first thing I'd have to do was to clean my windscreen and the front of the car because it would be covered with dead insects. Do that journey now and that does not happen. It's simple,' he stated. And when you stop and think about it - he's spot on. 'Sometimes I think Malachy McCloskey (Boyne Honey) is the only person that knows me in this country,' he states. All over the planet, bees are huge business. In the Arab countries, they pay $150 a kilo for raw honey to feed race horses. In the US, business values hit 115bn. European countries are doing all in their power to learn more. 'They are all at a level we can't imagine,' Philip states. He has spent time in Russia, Denmark, Serbia and Slovenia this year and Finland is next. They wanted him in China last weekend and he couldn't make the trip. Beekeepers get paid for pollination in some places. It means more bees, more honey, more insects, more birds - saving the planet. 'We had Prince Albert over in the summer to Drogheda and the local schoolchildren did a project on biodiversity but most ended up doing projects on fish, because they couldn't source enough insects - and that's around here.' He has just returned from the 45th international Apimondia congress in Istanbul in Turkey. Over there they know their business and in 2016 exported 10,000 tonnes of honey. Philip brought a couple of locals with him for the congress and their jaws dropped when they saw the place. 13,000 people attended from 129 countries around the world. 'It was massive,' he explained, adding that ministers were coming up and asking him how Enda Kenny was keeping! They even got to see original Whirling Dervishes. Various speakers addressed many issues, but huge emphasis was put on the fact that honey is the original 'energy' drink - long before the present day brands. While Philip heads up the organisation, the team behind him spread the planet, from Japan to the US, Australia to all parts of Africa. The group was formed in 1897 and the basic aim is to promote scientific, ecological, social and economic beekeeping development around the world and more and more conservation is a huge topic. The name Apimondia is a compound word made from api, referring to honey bees, and mondia, meaning the world. Philip still has two years to run on his four year term as president and in that time will do all he can to continue to promote the survival of the bee population. Louth County Council has no plans to altar its current arrangement for the former O'Reilly Brothers property in Narrow West Street, it has been revealed. In a notice of motion, Mayor Pio Smith asked the council to outline the future plan for the property.In response, the council said a large portion of the property is currently occupied by St Vincent de Paul for us in the selling of donated goods to raise finance for it's charitable work. 'The council has no plans to alter this arrangement and expects to use the remainder of the property as storage or office accommodation when the refurbishment of the Drogheda Civic Offices get underway,' it added. Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Smith said: 'That's fair enough but I think Narrow West Street is dying on its feet. We're all hoping we'll be included in the Living City initiative plan. I think the council needs to have more longterm plans for the building and how it's going to develop in the future.' He went on to say that as far back as 2007, a report said the town will never win a Tidy Towns competition as long as Narrow West Street and the old derelict Mill across the river remain as they are. Supporting the motion Councillor Frank Godfrey said something needs to be done to provide quality shops on Narrow West Street. The motion was also supported by Councillor Kevin Callan who said there have been a number of quick, short term projects in this area of town, such as the clean up of Old Abbey Lane, but he agreed a more medium to long term plan is needed. Councillor Oliver Tully also supported the motion and agreed that an overall plan was needed for Narrow West Street. Senior Engineer Pat Finn said the council have taken action under the dangerous structures act in Drogheda and this included buildings in Narrow West Street. Cllr Smith asked whether the council could ask Anthony Abbott King to come to the next meeting. 'He was working on plans for this area and gave a presentation on it,' he said. 'I would like to see him come and address the meeting. I would also like to see the outcomes of the enforcement orders served.' A multi-milion euro school campus, to cater for students from two special schools, is to be created on 4.5 acres of land on the Cement Road in Drogheda. The site, adjacent to the Pitch and Putt club, will be a state-of-the-art building and comes after years of effort. The campus will serve St Ita's on Crushrod Avenue and St Mary's Special School in Drumcar and will meet the needs of children in Drogheda, Mid and North Louth, Meath and North County Dublin. "I am frankly estatic with this development which is the result of my determined campaign launched when I was Mayor of Drogheda in 2010 and almost concluded in my term as Cathaiorleach of Louth County Council which concluded three months ago,' Cllr Paul Bell stated this week. He says there has been 'immense' goodwill shown towards the project from Irish Cement, the Department of Education and Louth CC. 'There is a total desire to do the right thing for the children of St Ita's and St Mary's, both having outgrown their existing facilities at Crushrod Avenue and Drumcar which have been chronically overcrowded and deemed unsuitable for the past several years,' he said. He says there are some technical issues to resolve, but the next phase is set to come rapidly and that includes planning and the continued support of the council to deliver the project. 'I wish to sincerely thank senior management of Irish Cement Limited, the executive officers of Louth County Council as well as the Department of Education, the patrons and staff of St Ita's special school and St Mary's, Drumcar for their support and encouragement of my work on the children's behalf. I feel deeply humbled and privileged to have served those citizens providing and in need of special education,' he added. For Archdeacon Jim Carroll, chairperson of the Board of Management at St Ita's, it's a day that has been years in the making. With 145 pupils, it has long since outgrown its site on Crushroad Avenue and they've been working on a new home for some years. 'Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny came to see us a few years ago and he asked then Education Minister Ruairi Quinn to come along and he said he was very much disposed to a new building but the site was the problem,' he explained. St Ita's is a regional school and has a very experienced and talented staff, as well as huge community support. 'The goodwill in all of this has been great, from councillors, TDs and senators, they've all supported us,' the Archdeacon added. 'We must especially thank Cllr Paul Bell and Louth CC on behalf of the department.' He said this is the 'first step' in a major project. When St Ita's school was opened officially in September 1966 by Mr. Donagh O'Malley, the Minister of Education, it was the first permanent school for children with specific needs to be built north of Dublin. It consisted of four large classrooms and an occupational therapy room. Prior to the school development, pupils with special needs attended a section of St Brigid's school on Bothar Brugha for four years, thanks to the intervention of then Monsignor, JF Stokes, who devoted part of the school to the children. The new school was built at a cost of 60,000, designed by Turlough Lynch, assisted by Mr Boyd Barrett, and was built by the Tredagh Building Company. It had four teachers and was due to cater for 80 children. St Mary's School is based in Drumcar and is a recognised special national school operating under the Department of Education and Science (DES). It also caters for a wide area. The vast majority of 16 year olds are not self sufficient in Ireland, so why is there such a push to grant them voting rights? The voting age in Ireland has once again been up for discussion but is it really necessary to consider reducing it from 18 to 16? Those in favour of this change have expressed the view that those aged 16 and upwards are being discriminated against and that their views should be taken into account regarding elections and referenda. I disagree with this. I think that 18 is an appropriate age for voting rights to come into effect and that it is a suitable age for adulthood, in the legal sense to commence. Without sounding patronising, who, at the age of 16 has it all figured out? Many of us still don't well into adulthood so why should anyone, who is legally still a child in this country be allowed to vote? Two years is not that long to wait, yet the growth both intellectually and emotionally that most young people will go through during that time is immense. The vast majority of 16 year olds are not self sufficient in Ireland, they don't earn a wage and they haven't completed even second level education so why is there such a push to grant them voting rights? Some might say that it would spark an interest in politics from a younger age but not having a vote would not preclude a teenager from following Irish politics. It's not as if we all wake up on our 18th birthdays chomping at the bit to cast out vote. Irish people can't vote in elections in other countries yet we can follow what is happening and take an interest. Just look at how the USA presidential election enthralled the entire world. This wasn't' just because of the drama surrounding Donald Trump as US elections have captured the world for generations. I'm not saying young people's opinions aren't valid or well-informed but I feel that at the age of 16 or 17 there is still so much for a person to discover and so many life lessons - many of which become clear from the age of 18 when third level education or the workforce calls. Some life experience outside home and school can make a huge difference in one's views of the world and politics. Your priorities change and what is important to you changes and it is very rare that at 16 you will hold the same opinions that you will as an adult. While 16 year olds are not children, they are still not yet adults - no matter how opinionated they are. Nearly 150 cars of every kind of make and model descended on Bunclody recently for the second annual Aaron 'Chip' Byrne Memorial Run. While last year's event was somewhat of a last minute affair, this year Aaron's family and friends were determined to make it as big as possible and raise a significant amount of money for The Irish Kidney Association and Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin. Aaron passed away in August of 2015, aged just 24, after a lengthy battle with kidney illness. He spent a lot of time in Crumlin as a child and it's for that reason that these charities were picked as beneficiaries. While the conditions were far from perfect with torrential rain over the course of the day, there was an extremely strong showing of local car enthusiasts from all over Wexford and Carlow. In particular, there was a strong showing of Japanese cars, a favourite of Aaron's with his own Honda Civic being his pride and joy. The drivers didn't let the conditions hamper them too much in any case and there was a great atmosphere as the run made its way from Bunclody to Kildavin, Clonegal, Ardattin, Tullow, Castledermot and Carlow where they stopped for a while before returning through Ballon. 'We're absolutely delighted with how it went, except for the weather,' said Aaron's sister Cora. 'We had double the amount of cars that we had taking part last year. In total, between the street collection on the Friday and Saturday and the run itself, we managed to raise 10,000, so we're delighted with that. The money will be divided equally between both charities and we'll have a presentation night in the River's Edge soon.' Although they may not have been as gleaming when they returned, the cars were shining as they set off and there were prizes on offer on the day too. John Byrne from Ferns won Best Vintage Car, Best Japanese Car went to Willy Power from Kilrush and the overall Show and Shine went to Joe JR Nolan from Enniscorthy. With the event proving such a success, thoughts have already turned to next year and the organisers will perhaps be hoping for a little bit of sunshine in which participants can show off their gleaming cars. Superstar Ed Sheeran donated the shirt off his back to the son of a Wexford expatriate as a lasting memory of a concert he and his family attended in Boston recently. John Furlong, who is originally from Carrig-on-Bannow, said his daughter Julia is a huge Ed Sheeran fan and the family bought two tickets for the Friday night show and four for the Saturday night performance. 'For Saturday night we had two seats in nosebleed section and other two seats were down lower but partially obstructed view way on the side,' said John. He said Ed's tour manager, Amanda, picked about 20-25 people at random just walking among the crowd and upgraded them to front row. 'She picked my wife Karyn and son first and then as my wife was explaining to her that our daughter was the main fan and asked if she could swap out with her, the tour manager said "I'll upgrade her as well". So it was pure luck that we ended up in the front row. I snagged one of the guitar picks that he flung off stage,' said John, who left for the USA after completing his Leaving Cert at Good Counsel in New Ross in 1989. 'Then to top it all off, for the encore he came out wearing a Boston Celtics jersey and played two final songs. (The) House lights came on and we were taking a few final photos when one of the roadies came over to my son Eamon and asked him if he enjoyed the show and had a good time. 'Eamonn said he did and the roadie handed him the Celtics jersey that he wore for the encore and said "Here, Ed wanted you to have this",' said John, who lives with his family in Hampton, New Hampshire, about an hour north of Boston. 'It was a once in a lifetime experience and as both kids said, it was the best night of their lives,' he said. John said he tried to make a trip home every year, usually for the first two weeks of July and had been back in Ireland for the Leinster final this year. 'We are heading back for Christmas this year which will be the first time in 11 years that we will be there on Christmas Day itself,' he said. John said he had a large number of family members still living in the county. events in Catalonia have led to a renewed focus on the importance of democracy and a peoples' right to have a say in how they are ruled and who rules them. The Spanish Government's decision to forcibly prevent an independence referendum in Catalonia has been condemned by various Irish civil liberty groups and political parties including Sinn Fein, Labour, the SDLP and the Socialist Party. A unifying theme among many of those who have condemned the violent crackdown by Spanish authorities is that the government in Madrid should have allowed the referendum take place to recognise the democratic will of the people. The current crisis is one of the biggest faced by Spain since the death of Franco and restoration of democracy in 1976. Rather than launching a violent police crackdown - which has only served to inflame the situation - the Spanish Government should have taken part and argued its case. The Government might even have won and resolved the Catalan Independence question, at least in the short term. That might sound preposterous but a closer look at opinion polls in the lead up to the Catalan referendum tells a very different story to the one dominating global headlines. In the wake of the referendum on Sunday, Catalonia's regional government said that 90 per cent of the voters who came out on Sunday had opted for independence from Spain. It sound's like an overwhelming majority - akin to those seen in North Korea or Iraq under Hussein - but a few other factors have to be considered. First - probably due to the threat of violence and the police action that shut half of the polling stations in the region - turnout was remarkably low, with just 42 per cent of Catalonia's 5.3 million voters actually casting a ballot. It is logical to assume that the most motivated voters - those most willing to defy the police and risk violent reprisals - were on the pro-independence side and presumably they came out in far greater numbers than those who wish to remain part of Spain. Indeed, pre-referendum polls suggest the remain and leave sides in Catalonia are far closer than the referendum result implies. While an overwhelming 85 per cent of voters in Catalonia - on both sides - wanted a referendum on independence, the pro-independence movement only had a six per cent lead over the pro-Madrid 'remainers'. An average of 53 opinion polls taken in Catalonia since September 2010 has the pro-independence movement on 44 per cent compared to 38 per cent for the pro-Madrid said. These polls also showed that 14 per cent of Catalan voters were undecided and - if a full lawful referendum had been allowed to proceed - it is these people who would have decided the issue. Both Brexit and the last General Election in the UK proved how crucial undecided voters can be. In the wake of the weekend's violence one imagines many of those undecided Catalonian voters are now firmly in the pro-independence ranks. Spain's Government has thrown away a huge opportunity and handed a major propaganda coup to their Catalan opponents. Jim Roche, Director and Actor in 'A Face in the Crowd' Wexford Mental Health Association's highly-successful Discover Recover Theatre Project - 'A Face in the Crowd' will be touring this November and January. Now in its second year, the group will perform in The George Bernard Shaw Theatre, Carlow, on Thursday November 16, The Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy, on Friday, November 17 and Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24. The tour will culminate with a performance at the prestigious Mental Health Awareness festival First Fortnight in Dublin's Smock Alley Theatre, in Temple Bar, on Thursday, January 4. The Discover Recover Project was set up by Paula Lowney and Mairead Connaughton, both Senior Occupational Therapists, along with the playwriting skills of Community Mental Health Nurse Niall O'Muiri. They asked people with 'lived experience' of mental health challenges to share their stories and their experiences of recovery with the aim that others would have the opportunity to learn from them. Through the shared stories the group developed a written piece of drama which resulted in the development of 'A Face in the Crowd'. 'The real human experience of mental health difficulties, are all around us, but we often don't see it. It is rarely spoken about and the details of the impact on individuals and families are rarely shared. This project through the sharing of sincere true life stories offers not only a rare glimpse into a hidden world, but also offers enlightenment and hope,' said Paula. This project is a partnership between the HSE Mental Health Services, the Wexford and Carlow Mental Health Associations, ESB Funds for Generations and the National Lottery. The project originated in Wexford in 2015, with sell-out performances in the Wexford Arts Centre between December 2015 and January 2016. In November, 2016 a schools version toured secondary schools in Wexford County with very positive feedback. Schools performances will take place ahead of the main venue performances followed by feedback sessions. For more information on the project call Paula Lowney 087 2754752 paula.lowney@hse.ie A flavour of history was enjoyed by all at Newbridge House Donabate at the recently held Fingal Festival of History. This family-friendly history event organised by Fingal Libraries had something of interest for everyone. On the Friday evening the audience listened to the story of 'Thomas Ashe: The Revolutionary Teacher' told by Brian Arnold along with Ireland's relationship with Russia during revolutionary times through Donal Fallon. On the Saturday, Ann Brophy manager of Newbridge House started the festival events of the day with a talk on the house. Before refreshments children and adults enjoyed the 1916 Show by Michael Moylan where they were able to learn about Irish history, dress-up in clothes and hold weaponry from the period. Susan Lovatt, Fingal librarian commented that the 'adults seemed more excited about dressing up than the children'. In the afternoon the audience were enthralled with a talk by Hugh O'Donnell on the Embers of Empires followed by a fascinating insight into the family and life of Newbridge House in the period of 1914-1918 by Cathal Dowd Smith. On the Sunday, Cathal Boland the secretary of Ballyboughal Historical Society spoke about The Kettles Family from Fingal; the audience were then treated to a tour of Newbridge House. Following refreshments they relaxed watching a screening of Fingal's Finest - a feature length drama documentary, telling the extraordinary and little-known story of the 5th 'Fingal' Battalion, Dublin Brigade of Irish Volunteers and their actions during the 1916 Easter Rising'. 'Fingal libraries and Newbridge House were delighted with the number of people who attended the events over the weekend and showed such interest in the topics discussed. We hope this will be the first of many Fingal Festivals of History,' according to a spokesperson.. Some 166 participants turned out to walk the annual River Valley Walk in aid of the Irish Cancer Society recently, an event that has raised more than 100,000 for the society in its 11 year history. The event is organised by local woman, Margaret Harris who decided to raise money for the society after receiving a cancer diagnosis in 2003. Margaret is still going strong 14 years later and leads the way in the 5k walk through the valley which has grown from just 30 participants in its first year to 166, this year. So far, this year's event has raised 4,000 to add to the fundraising pot and the money is still coming in from the event. Margaret thanked everyone who took part in the event this year and all the local businesses who supplied prizes for the raffle, as well as her volunteers and in particular, her right-hand woman, Kathleen Corby. Peacock's restaurant also deserves special mention as they provide much needed refreshments for the tired walkers after the event. Among the other primary sponsors of the event are the local Dunnes Stores, Supervalu and Centra as well as Fyffes, Keoghs Crisps and Keelings. Last year, the walk broke the 100,000 barrier in its 10th year and The Irish Cancer Society honoured Margaret for her efforts and continue to be grateful for her great commitment to the charity. Jack Kelly and Shauna Cannon at the Balbriggan Youthreach awards ceremony in the Bracken Court Hotel Anthony Lawrence Johnny Buceanu at the Balbriggan Youthreach awards ceremony in the Bracken Court Hotel David Farrell and Jasmine Murray at the Balbriggan Youthreach awards ceremony in the Bracken Court Hotel A fantastic celebration of the achievements students of Youthreach Balbriggan was held as students were awarded certificates in a wide range of disciplines from 'first responder' training to culinary skills. Youthreach Balbriggan held recently their certificate presentation in the Bracken Court Hotel. The event was held to recognise and celebrate students' achievements over the last year. There was a great atmosphere at the event as past and present students were joined by family and friends and Youthreach centre staff came as they all came together for the presentation evening. Over the evening, students received certificates for courses and programmes they participated in during 2016 and 2017. The courses and programmes the students successfully completed included QQI, Job Seeking Skills, Culinary Skills, First Responder Training and Foroige's Drug Education programme. During the course of the evening, Jack Kelly and Shauna Cannon (past students) spoke positively about their experience of Youthreach and the positive influence it had had on their lives. One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of Balbriggan Youthreach's 'Student of the Year Award' for 2016/2017 which went to Sarah Ashe, a very popular and worthy winner. Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board were represented at the ceremony by Regional Youthreach Co-ordinator, Ken Smartt. Representatives from local community organisation, Foroige Youth Service were on hand to present certificates to students who had completed the various programmes with the service. The Fingal Baha'i community will join millions of people around the world in celebrating the 200th anniversary of its founders birthday this weekend. Inspired by the teachings of Baha'u'llah, who was born on October 21 1817, the community will celebrate the occasion at Malahide Rugby Club on Saturday. Baha'u'llah was born in the city of Tehran, Persia. He suffered imprisonment, torture and exile for His beliefs and teachings at the hands of the Persian Shah and Sultan of Turkey before finally being incarcerated for life in the Ottoman penal colony of Acre, now in modern day Israel. Alison Maloney, a young member of the Fingal Baha'i community living in Swords said: 'Baha'u'llah taught that God is one, that God is the source of the world's great religions and that mankind is one. He proclaimed 'the earth is one country and mankind are its citizens' and promoted the elimination of racial, religious and social prejudice by declaring 'ye are the leaves of one branch and the fruits of one tree.' Sarah Wilson, a representative of the Swords community said: 'His writings proclaim that man is essentially spiritual by nature; that men and women are equal in the sight of God; that education is a right to be enjoyed by all children; promotes economic principles for the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty.' 'It calls for the adoption by governments of an auxiliary international language as a practical measure for the establishment of international peace by promoting understanding and dialogue between peoples of the world; promotes the establishment of an international parliament to administer the affairs of an increasingly interdepended global community; and calls upon his followers to pursue a life dedicated to the betterment of the world and service to humanity.' In this bicentenary year world political and religious leaders have paid tribute to Baha'u'llah's contribution to the furthering of international peace and reconciliation. International scholars and leading academics have acknowledged the uniqueness of his writings. Alison added that 'the Fingal Baha'i community is looking forward to the bicentennial celebration and we are extending an open invitation to the people of Fingal who may like to join us'. The afternoon of celebration at Malahide Rugby Club runs from 3pm to 4.30pm. Further details from Ray Maloney at 089 7001917. Fingal Local Enterprise Office (LEO) has launched the country's biggest Student Enterprise Programme, with over 2,000 secondary school students eagerly committing to establishing their very own new business. With the guidance of experienced business mentors provided by the LEO, the savvy students will develop their own actual businesses, researching, resourcing, and trading services and products. Now in its sixteenth year, the Student Enterprise Programme will this year, see over 22,000 students compete on the national stage. There are 31 Local Enterprise Offices nationwide and Fingal LEO co-ordinates and presents the largest number of participants every year, for a place in the County Finals in March 2018. Category winners will then advance to the National Final, in April 2018. The secondary schools programme is sponsored, for the ninth consecutive year, by the Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board. Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise, in Fingal said: 'Every year we see a fantastic array of innovative and exciting new business ideas emerging from Fingal students that participate in the Student Enterprise Programme. 'I am delighted that we have such a wealth of young entrepreneurial talent coming through.' Mr Geoghegan added: 'The programme is unique in that it gives young people an opportunity to learn at first hand how they can put their business idea into practice.' Putting context on the significance of supporting student enterprise, Paul Reid, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council added: 'The bulk of new jobs in Ireland are being created in local and small businesses. 'In order to maintain a healthy local economy and create jobs, it is imperative that we encourage a strong entrepreneurial culture. 'Fingal County Council, through the Local Enterprise Office, is determined to ensure that the next generation of entrepreneurs are given every encouragement and stimulation to pursue their dreams. That's what the Student Enterprise Programme is all about.' The programme is still open for secondary school entries, further information is available by e-mailing serena@aboutcommunications.ie or by visiting www.studententerprise.ie / facebook.com/pages/Fingal-Student-Enterprise-Award Fingal-based fresh fruit producer and supplier Keelings has raised 15,556.50 for Dyslexia Association Ireland. Founded in 1972, the Dyslexia Association of Ireland works with people affected by dyslexia, by providing information, offering appropriate support services, engaging in advocacy, and raising awareness of dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning difficulty, which affects the capacity for fluent and accurate reading and spelling skills with approximately 10% of the population affected. Keelings hosted a number of fundraising events throughout 2017 in aid of the charity, which were widely supported by Keelings staff. David Keeling, CEO of Keelings Retail said: 'We are delighted to have raised funds for 'Dyslexia Association Ireland'. The DAI are doing a fantastic job for people that live and work with Dyslexia. 'I would also like to thank the staff at Keelings who got behind each fundraising event and showed great enthusiasm and support. All proceeds from the fundraising event go to DAI.' Rosie Bissett, CEO of Dyslexia Association of Ireland said: '"This fantastic result wouldn't have been possible without the brilliant staff at Keelings. I would like to thank everyone who generously gave up their time and kindly donated to the DAI.'. Vastly outnumbered and cut off from supply lines with only rudimentary weapons at their disposal, 155 men under the command of the brilliant and courageous Commandant Pat Quinlan held out for a week in the Congo of 1961 as they endured what has become known as 'The Siege of Jadotville'. This December, those men will finally get the recognition they deserve as they are awarded medals for their courage during that fateful week and a Malahide school has played a pivotal part in winning that long overdue concession to the soldiers and now wants the State's highest military honour to be awarded to the Jadotville men's Commandant, Pat Quinlan. Pat's son, Michael works at Malahide Community School where students recently wrote no less than 1,074 letters to An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar demanding the Medal of Honour for Commandant Pat Quinlan. It was their letter writing campaign last year along with a similar campaign in a Galway school that won a meeting with Enda Kenny at the end of his tenure in Taoiseach which moved the retiring Fine Gael leader to write a more than 50-year wrong and announce on his very last day in office that all the men of Jadotville would receive a medal of recognition for their conduct in that fateful week back in 1961. Michael Quinlan and the whole school community were united in the effort by campaigning history teacher at the school, Kevin Manning who invited Michael's brother and Pat's other son to the school last week to deliver a talk on the events of Jadtoville to Transition Year students. His talk was preceded by the showing of the film based on those events starring Jamie Dornan and following the screening, Leo Quinlan who became a Commandant in the Irish Army just like his father, spoke to the Fingal Independent. He explained how the film and his talk complimented each other in telling the story of Jadoville. 'The students will have seen the film and I expect now that they will fully understand the film. The film could only touch on two days of the battle and the talk will give the reality of it and the lead into what happened, the aftermath and the real story. 'While the film itself, the veteran's tell me, is about 95% accurate including the battle scenes, the talk will kind of put the icing on the cake and dot the i's and cross the t's so to speak.' Talking about his father's role in the Siege of Jadotville, Leo said: 'He was 42 years of age at the time and he, like the rest of the company had never been in action before. It was a big shock to them, I imagine but as history shows they acquitted themselves not only well, but extraordinarily well. 'My father seemed to have an instinct for strategy both on the ground and in terms of tactics. He was good at his job but so were his officers and his men - they were absolutely superb. When you think he had to maintain the morale of 155 guys under a terrible situation and even more so at the end of the battle, when he had to go and negotiate a cease fire in the absence of any instruction of guidance from any higher authority - on his own as a Commandant, dealing with a minister for a foreign Government. 'He negotiated a ceasefire that protected the lives of his men and then during six weeks of captivity he had to keep morale high. And of course, after that he was back in action again. He had to be a leader of a certain ability - a very high ability - to manage all of that.' Asked if his father ever talked about the events of Jadotville, Leo said: 'He didn't talk about it for a few years. A lot of the Jadotville fellows never spoke about it. 'When I was working with some of the veterans, I didn't know they were at Jadotville for a few years. It's not they were ashamed of it, it's just they were hurt by the lack of recognition they got when they came back. Then as I got older and I started to make my own place in the army, my father did start to tell me things about it and the veterans started to tell me things. By the time I was a Commandant myself, I knew practically everything about it.' Because the week of resistance ended in a negotiated ceasefire, the soldiers who endured that extraordinary week so valiantly were never recognised for their efforts and the story was largely buried for decades. But despite that, Pat Quinlan never expressed any malice towards the powers that be that may have suppressed the story. Leo said: 'He never said anything bad of anybody in higher authority - all he talked about was his men and the tactics and the lessons to be learned from it and how good his men were. 'He never spoke ill of anybody which, in later years, I failed to understand why he didn't but that was him. He tried to try to keep me informed about the best tactics to use in perimeter defence situation - we used to discuss it almost as equals because I was then educated but he had the practical experience. He thought of it as a learning experience and he wrote about it in his diary and letters to people.' While it is hoped a Medal of Honour may be awarded to Pat Quinlan before a ceremony in his native Kerry at the end of this month to honour him is held, that remains to be seen. What is certain now is that all the men of Jadotville will be officially recognised for their efforts by the State in December and that already means a lot to the Quinlan family. Leo explained: 'It's fantastic to get final recognition for the men. You have probably 40 of the 155 still alive and for them personally and for their families and the families of deceased veterans, it's really, really fantastic and brings closure to the whole business.' He praised the Malahide students for their role in the campaign, saying: 'It is amazing what they have done here. You just look around you and see #medal4Quinlan all over the walls. This kicked off in a community college in Galway who are here today. 'They kicked off the medal of recognition campaign for Jadotville with the powers that be and this school immediately picked up on it and went at it big time last year and this year again. I understand that in recent weeks, 1,074 letters from here were sent to the Taoiseach calling for a posthumous medal for Commandant Pat Quinlan - it's quite amazing actually.' Leo said that what his father did in that week in the Congo is a 'source of great pride' for his family. He said: 'It is a great source of pride, because the more I read about it and find out about it, the more I realise what a difficult task it was that he was faced with and yet, he came through it. The big thing about all of this is that my father always felt that the decisions he made brought home everybody alive. It would have been very easy for him to make a different decision and they would have all been killed - that was the harsh reality.' Leo's brother, Michael has the catering contract in the Malahide school and was touched by the school's involvement in gaining recognition for the men of Jadotville. He reflected that many of the men that fought so bravely in Jadotville were no older than the students listening to his brother's talk. Michael was only 10 when Jadotville happened but remembers a lot of misinformation circulating at the time and even remembers going to a special Mass for 'the souls of the men who were killed at Jadotville'. Thankfully, none of his father's company died that day and a couple of months later he would be reunited with his father. It was not until both men were much older that Jadotville was discussed and Michael said his father was 'always disappointed that the people he recommended for medals were totally ignored'. He said he had been 'surprised and delighted' by the school's campaign for recognition of the men of Jadotville but said he won't believe that medals are being awarded until he sees it happen. He said: 'Why it has been ignored for so long is a mystery to me, it really is. They should have been honoured long before now. The tactics they used that week are being taught in military colleges around the world to this day.' Ireland's 40 per cent Renewable Electricity target is likely to be achieved in the short term by wind farms that already have planning permission, but are not yet built. For the first time, Eirgrid has quantified the installed renewable electricity generation capacity required to achieve the 40 per cent target which is between 3,900 and 4,300 MW and secondly, Eirgrid also states that the renewable electricity generation capacity already built and installed is 3,150 MW. To achieve the 40 per cent target, approx 500 turbines generating 1,000 MW are required to be installed in the country. To put the prospects of achieving or exceeding this target into perspective, Kerry alone has 200 turbines permitted, not yet installed, to generate roughly 400MW. Of those, 113 are currently under construction in Kerry, according to Kerry County Council's own figures as of last May. Based on replies to Freedom of Information requests from four west coast county councils, details of the number of turbines granted planning permission, but unbuilt, are not available. This needs to be verified by a higher authority. This essential information requirement is a main finding of the report. Is Ireland continuing to accept new planning applications without knowing the generating capacity that has already got planning and remains unbuilt? These planning permissions are typically of 10 years duration with extensions of duration being given. Government Policy has not put a ceiling on the number of wind farms to be allowed in the country or in any particular county. This results in an imbalance of developments into rural areas with 70 per cent of wind generated electricity being generated by six west coast counties. At the extreme of this trend is North Kerry, a landmass roughly a quarter of its county large but currently producing 10 per cent of the entire nation's wind-generated electricity. This is with only half of the total number of turbines (270) that have planning permission in North Kerry actually installed. The vital electricity export capacity is a bottleneck, the essential increase of interconnector capacity needs to be actively considered in the short term to match the pace of the wind turbines being rolled out. When the 40 per cent target renewable generated electricity of 4,300 MW is achieved, it is possible that renewable generated electricity will frequently exceed demand (at night-time, demand falls to 2,500 MW - Eirgrid Smartgrid Dashboard) requiring much increased export capacity. We are currently exporting 500MW of excess electricity every night to the UK mainland which is the maximum capacity of the sole interconnector at present. This is before we reach the 40 per cent target level of renewables generation. If the excess electricity cannot be exported, it will probably be necessary to compensate producers for having to switch off turbines. This becomes more serious if the 40 per cent target is over achieved. Such excess exported renewable electricity production is highly-subsidised electricity currently costing 70 per MW while the benchmark cost is 45 per MW (according to the Commission for Energy Regulation's figures for this year and next). In return, Ireland receives electricity from the UK, so we are paying a subsidised high rate for electricity for export while receiving cheaper electricity in its place. Consideration of the possible impacts of wind farms on Ireland's 5Bn Tourism industry are just coming to the fore as the prevalence of wind farms increase. The cost of electricity to the consumer will increase under the present 15-year Public Service Obligation (PSO) subsidy as the proportion of Ireland's electricity generated by renewables increases. Meanwhile, the cost of the PSO levy paid by the consumer in 2017/18 is approx 460 million, figures released by the CER reveal. In 2008 Eirgrid budgeted to spend 4 billion in taxpayers' money by 2025 in extending the electricity transport network, increasing the carrying capacity with new high-powered pylon lines in order to transport the substantial increase in wind generated electricity to the east of the country and to new interconnectors for export. Welcome! Discover your full benefits as a Premium subscriber. (L-R) Jenna Elfman, Laura Prepon, Erika Christensen and Danny Masterson attend the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre's 21st "Christmas Stories" at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre on December 14, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. "Christmas Stories" benefits the Hollywood Police Department's Youth Development Programs for underprivileged children. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) (L-R) Jordan Masterson, Alanna Masterson, Bijou Phillips and Danny Masterson attend the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre's 21st "Christmas Stories" at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre on December 14, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. "Christmas Stories" benefits the Hollywood Police Department's Youth Development Programs for underprivileged children. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Danny Masterson arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere of Marvel Studios 'Ant-Man' at Dolby Theatre on June 29, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Danny Masterson arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere of Marvel Studios 'Ant-Man' at Dolby Theatre on June 29, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Actor Danny Masterson attends the Ninth Annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic at Liberty State Park on June 4, 2016 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Veuve Clicquot) Ashton Kutcher, left, and Danny Masterson, right, in 2016's The Ranch on Netflix Actor Danny Masterson is being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department over sexual assault complaints. The LAPD are looking into the tv star, who featured on That '70s Show from 1998 to 2006, over claims made against him by three women. "The Los Angeles Police Department Robbery Homicide Division, Sexual Assault Section, is conducting an investigation involving the actor Danny Masterson. "Three women have come forward and disclosed that they were sexually assaulted by Masterson during the early 2000s," the LAPD confirmed in a statement. Expand Close Danny Masterson in That '70s Show / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Danny Masterson in That '70s Show The actor is a member of the Church of Scientology and three other members allege the organisation tried to cover up their complaints, which date back to the early 2000s. One woman filed claims against the actor after watching Leah Remini's Scientology miniseries, while another is an ex-girlfriend. Masterson has denied any wrongdoing in the three cases and his representative issued a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, saying: "We are aware of [redacted]s 16-year-old allegations. It was only after [redacted] was in contact with Leah Remini that she made allegations of sexual assault by Mr. Masterson. "Based on reading the anti-Scientology blog that posted this story, these false allegations appear to be motivated to boost Leah Reminis anti-Scientology television series since [alleged victim's] only came forward after connecting with Leah Remini." Expand Close Danny Masterson arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere of Marvel Studios 'Ant-Man' at Dolby Theatre on June 29, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Danny Masterson arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere of Marvel Studios 'Ant-Man' at Dolby Theatre on June 29, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) "The alleged incident occurred in the middle of their 6 year relationship, after which she continued to be his longtime girlfriend." "When Danny ended the relationship she continued to pursue him. In fact, we are informed by the Church that the only demand [redacted] made of the Church after Danny broke up with her was asking for their help to intervene so the breakup would not be permanent," the statement adds. Video of the Day One woman claims claimed Masterson had sex with her while she was asleep and another alleges she "sexually assaulted the victim while she was passed out." The latter claims were sourced by former Scientologist and journalist Tony Ortega's The Underground Bunker and the case became public after Ortega published a blog post detailing the investigation on Friday. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are seen on day 8 of the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 on September 30, 2017 in Toronto, Canada Meghan Markle's arrival into the upper echelons of the British royal family has ruffled feathers as expected. She's American! She's a divorcee! She wears ripped jeans! Expand Close Britain's Prince Harry (R) arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Blinch / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Britain's Prince Harry (R) arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Blinch But royal experts herald the arrival of the American actress into boyfriend Prince Harry's life as serendipitous timing, bringing with her a certain je ne sais quoi not seen since his late mother Princess Diana. While sister-in-law Kate Middleton is often criticised by the media for her worst crime of all - being "boring" and quiet - she's widely beloved, with even Prince William acknowledging that the public tend to prefer a visit from his glamorous wife over him. But Harry has always been a rogue, the daring one who didn't have the same stresses of pomp and decorum as the future King of England. And it appears his girlfriend of 18 months has the same joie de vivre and her self-assurance is rubbing off on her other half for the better. "She's clearly very self-assured, fearless even. in that respect, she is really a breath of fresh air. She's not a blank canvas on to which royals can project an image, but already has a clear idea of who she is and what she wants to achieve. You haven't seen anyone like this since Diana," royal author Katie Nicholl told Grazia. "Meghan doesn't seem to be intimidated by the royal family. She has taken everything in her stride and handled her foray into the royal family with impressive confidence. Expand Close Support: Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games opening ceremony. Photo: Danny Lawson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Support: Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games opening ceremony. Photo: Danny Lawson/PA Wire "Having observed Harry for the past decade, it's very apparent to me that she's had a really positive influence on him. He's dropped his guard and really seems to be enjoying life. We've heard from him more than ever before and he's been honest about his mother, to his great credit. It feels like he's met the right woman at the right time in his life." While most women have to give up their lives (as they know it) when they marry a prince, Markle is reportedly ready to move on from acting and her career defining role as Rachel Zane in US legal drama Suits. Expand Close SUITS "Skin In the Game" Episode 701 -- Pictured: Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane -- (Photo by: Ian Watson/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp SUITS "Skin In the Game" Episode 701 -- Pictured: Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane -- (Photo by: Ian Watson/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) "Meghan has privately told friends she feels she has reached the pinnacle of her career and has enjoyed her success. What she really wants to do is focus on her humanitarian work - her interest in philanthropy is genuine," a source told the mag. "As Prince Harry's girlfriend and possible fiancee, she will have a unique spotlight on her. She feels she can make a real difference." Among the largest and most sustained protests at the Capitol in the last 100 years occurred over three weeks in 2011 when tens of thousands of demonstrators occupied the building to oppose Gov. Scott Walkers proposal effectively wiping out the power of public sector unions. They came with signs, drums, balloons, horns, costumes and a previously unmatched endurance to protest legislation the Republican governor authored as part of a bill shoring up a shortfall in the next budget. The proposal, which would become known as Act 10, was a death knell for public unions, among Democrats strongest financial supporters. On Feb. 7, 2011, Walker unveiled the proposal at a dinner meeting with his Cabinet which he had just recently filled following his election in November of 2010. According to a Feb. 27, 2011, story in the Wisconsin State Journal, Walker held up a photo of President Ronald Reagan, who had famously fired striking air-traffic controllers, and said his plan to sweep away decades of protections for state public employees in a stop-gap budget bill represented our time to change the course of history. A few days later, after news of the pending bill was reported, union chiefs and organizers began what one described as a freakout of a long weekend. What resulted was the largest series of protests at the Capitol since the Vietnam War. The crowds reached 100,000 in early March, after the bill had been signed by Walker, and Democrats who had fled to Illinois to avoid voting on it returned home. Hundreds flooded the Capitol and occupied the building around the clock for nearly a month moving in with pillows and blankets turning the statehouse into a congested maze of protesters, lawmakers, lobbyists and reporters. At times, the crowds grew so large that Capitol staff worried the buildings upper levels might collapse under the weight of so many people. The large protests lasted nearly a month, but in some way never ended. Nearly seven years later, small groups of protesters still gather in the Capitol rotunda or on its lawn every day at noon to sing songs of protest against the governor. At least 19 migrants are presumed to have drowned after 160 people were forced from a boat into rough seas off the coast of Yemen by smugglers in what may be a worrying new trend, the UN migration agency has said. The report from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) came less than a day after it said up to 50 migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia were "deliberately drowned" by smugglers who pushed them from a separate boat off the coast of Shabwa province in southern Yemen. "We're wondering if this is a new trend," said Olivia Headon, an IOM spokesperson. "The smugglers are well aware of what's happening in Yemen, so it may just be they're trying to protect their own neck while putting other people's lives at risk." Six bodies were found on the beach, while 13 remain missing, presumed dead, Ms Headon said. Smugglers were pushing migrants into the sea away from the mainland for fear of government boats, amid reinforced border controls, or to avoid encountering armed groups on shore in the war-torn country, the IOM said. They were then going back to Africa to pick up more migrants. The passengers were mostly from Ethiopia and had an average age of around 16. In the first drowning, on Wednesday, smugglers pushed 120 passengers into the water using guns and other weapons. The narrow waters between the Horn of Africa and Yemen have been a popular migration route despite Yemen's ongoing civil war. Migrants, most of them Ethiopians, try to make their way to the oil-rich Gulf countries. Along the route, they are vulnerable to abuse by armed trafficking rings, many of them believed to be connected to the armed groups involved in the war. "They're sold this idea of a future that probably doesn't even exist in the Gulf countries where they can make money they wouldn't make at home, where they can get a job and start providing for themselves or their families," Ms Headon said. "Unfortunately this dream can become death, because they are not equipped with all the information about the dangers of the route. "Right now, it's the windy season, it's not safe to be in these small boats crossing these waters. Yemen is in conflict, they might be aware of that, but they might not know the whole extent. What it comes down to is that they know the risks, but they've got this pitch that has been sold to them by these salesmen, these absolute criminals. It's like a balancing act: 'Do I stay here or do I go to this place that has been sold to me as heaven, even when I know the risk and could be abused along the way?'" Yemen's conflict itself is a deadly risk. In March, Somalia's government blamed the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen for an attack on a boat that killed at least 42 Somali refugees off Yemen's coast. More than 111,500 migrants landed on Yemen's shores last year, up from about 100,000 the year before, according to the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat, a grouping of international agencies that monitors migration in the area. Already this year 55,000 migrants have taken the hazardous route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen to seek possible opportunities offered in the Gulf, the IOM said. Yemen itself is beset by a two-year civil war in which forces loyal to the Saudi-backed government are pitted against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. ( Independent News Service) Opposition to the war in Vietnam defined Madison in a way that remains unmatched by any other protest or series of demonstrations in the city and at the Capitol. The protests lasted for years, at times became violent and helped launch a lifelong career in public service for Madisons longtime Mayor Paul Soglin. The UW-Madison campus was home to many of the demonstrations, including the infamous 1967 riot that exploded between students and police over student protests of job recruiting on campus by Dow Chemical, which manufactured napalm a flammable substance used by American soldiers in combat that severely burned the skin of its victims. The episode, which resulted in dozens being sent to the hospital, solidified Madison on the national map as a bastion of activism, which at many times during the conflict spilled into the Capitols halls and on its lawn. In October 1965, hundreds of protesters participating in the International Days of Protest convened on the Capitol Square to listen to speakers and then marched to Truax Field to arrest the military bases commander. Many were arrested, according to historian Michael Edmonds in his 2017 book The Wisconsin Capitol. War supporters grew angry with the anti-war sentiment and at one point that fall pelted the protesters at the Capitol with eggs, according to Edmonds. At times, local veterans gathered in greater numbers than the antiwar protesters. Longtime state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, said that at the height of the Vietnam War protests, the Capitol police secured the building to make it difficult for protesters to get in and out. Some actually had tents out there and they would camp on the Capitol grounds, Risser said. I remember that the police used to turn on the hoses and let the water run down so it would interrupt and interfere with people who were sleeping on the grounds. While Risser said he remembers the protests being mostly peaceful, in 1970 about 8,000 protesters gathered for a peaceful demonstration were interrupted by about 500 violent protesters voicing support for the Viet Cong, according to Edmonds. The conflict ended with store windows being smashed on State Street, vandalism to Downtown property and overturned cars. Police fired smoke bombs and charged the crowds with nightsticks. The violence resulted in more than $100,000 in damages and 35 buildings had windows smashed during the riot, according to a Wisconsin State Journal story on April 20, 1970. Nineteen youth were arrested and more than a dozen people and police were injured. State Journal reporter Barbara Greenwood wrote the morning after the riot that the buildings on State Street and in the nearby Bassett Street area looked as though they had survived an air raid. Capital Times reporter Jim Hougan in his story on the same day characterized the riot as some of the most vicious street fighting to occur in this city. The police used to turn on the hoses and let the water run down so it would interrupt and interfere with people who were sleeping on the grounds. Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison Last week a National Public Radio reporter interviewed a woman whose sisters family as well as her home had been destroyed by the recent wildfires in northern California. Its a devastating story, hard to listen to: The Shepherds lived in Redwood Valley, deep in the forest. They had built their dream home and hoped to raise their children in a natural setting, away from the city. When the fire swept through with almost no warning, they tried to escape on a long, unimproved road but were overtaken by the flames. The parents were badly burned, and their son, Kai, 14, was killed. Their 17-year-old daughter, Kressa, was burned so badly that her legs have been amputated below the knee. At the time of the interview she was only marginally conscious and suffering from severe lung damage. Kressas aunt, the interviewee, was struggling with her emotions. The NPR interviewer, Robin Young, was professional, but more than once her own emotions were evident as she expressed her condolences to the Shephard family. Her questions for the aunt were thoughtful and sympathetic. But heres a question that she didnt ask: Why the Shepherds chose to reside deep in a forest in an area prone to wildfires, a location so remote that they werent even able to purchase fire insurance. Shouldnt they have known better? Its a reasonable question. We might also ask why Texans and Floridians continue to build homes in areas that are subject to devastating floods like those produced by Harvey and Irma. But Young didnt ask that question because she has the same emotional maturity that most of us have, the wisdom to understand that we dont remark on the extent to which suffering victims are responsible for their own misfortunes. This interview reminded me of President Trumps awkward phone call with Myeshia Johnson, widow of La David Johnson, one of four American soldiers killed recently in Niger. Trump reportedly told Ms. Johnson that her husband knew what he signed up for. She and others who heard the exchange took offense. In fairness, its hard to know precisely how to take Trumps comment. His chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly, tried to spin it, comparing it to what he was told by military officials when he was informed that his own son had been killed in action. He said that his son knew what he was getting into by joining that 1 percent. He knew what the possibilities were because we were at war. This may be a reasonable way to read Trumps comment. He isnt known for his emotional warmth, but its difficult to believe that he would maliciously suggest that Johnson was responsible for his own death. The problem is that Trump could have explained this himself or he might have found a better way to express his sympathies. Even he recognizes that the remark was a misstep, which explains why he later denied that he ever made it at all. Unfortunately, Trumps natural instinct is to assign blame to others. His world is occupied by winners and losers, and the losers are usually responsible for their own failures. We could probably think of other examples the media, the Mexicans, the Chinese but Puerto Rico is a good one. When his administrations response to the crisis after Hurricane Maria was called into question, he pushed responsibility in the direction of the island itself, which was in very poor shape before the hurricanes ever hit. Puerto Ricos electrical grid was destroyed before the hurricanes got there. He claims that massive amounts of food and water have been delivered, but the Puerto Ricans have failed to distribute it. Empathy isnt instinctual with Trump. His emotional maturity isnt as well developed as the NPR reporters or probably yours or mine. At the least Trump failed at an essential presidential responsibility, feeling and expressing sympathy in the face of a tragic loss in war. That is a worrisome failure in the man with the power to send American troops into harms way all over the world. A picture of Theresa May looking supremely lonely at an EU Summit has received the meme-treatment. The prime minister was in Brussels meeting EU leaders in an attempt to speed up the Brexit negotiations. However, as she waited for the European Council president Donald Tusk to turn up for a meeting, she was snapped looking rather awkward. Twitter users sprang into action on finding the photo, dreaming up all sorts of scenarios, including a funeral, school discipline and a lonely restaurant booking. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference The Apprentice also featured heavily in the meme-fest. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Some tried to think of solutions for the Prime Ministers loneliness. Perhaps a pet, or some clones? We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Others felt a bit sorry for her. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference In reality, May was joined by Donald Tusk shortly after the photograph was taken. Heres a picture of her looking much happier. Men are sharing details of how they can change their ways in an effort to stop the cultural epidemic of sexual harassment and assault experienced by women. The campaign comes in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which triggered the #MeToo trend of women sharing if they have ever been victims of sexual assault and harassment to show the scale of the problem. Men are now acknowledging their role through #HowIWillChange. It has drawn attention from celebrities including Mark Ruffalo, who has pledged to stop catcalling women. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference He explained on Twitter that he had learned from movies that a cat call was a compliment. I would do it to friends and girlfriends, he wrote. Sunrise (Coigney, his wife) clued me in that it was totally inappropriate. Not cool. Not a compliment. Gross. #HowIWillChange. Expand Close Mark Ruffalo and Sunrise Coigney (Yui Mok/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mark Ruffalo and Sunrise Coigney (Yui Mok/PA) The movement was started by Australian journalist Benjamin Law, who said simply: Guys, its our turn. After yesterdays endless #Metoo stories of women being abused, assaulted and harassed, today we say HowIWillChange. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Law said he will donate to womens shelters in his area and pull up men on sexism. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Acknowledge that if all women I know has been sexually harassed, abused or assaulted, then I know perpetrators. Or am one. His tweet was picked up by Charmed actress Alyssa Milano, who added: Men, how will you help us change the cultural epidemic of sexual harassment and assault. Men were soon offering different ways they could be more supportive. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Many were starting the change close to home, schooling their own family in good behaviour. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference And pledging to call out wrongful actions. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference A male secret shared by Julian Assange has received a novel response from men on Twitter. The WikiLeaks founder, using Twitters extended 280 character limit, wrote that men who claim to be feminists are often predatory sleaze bags and intensely disliked by other men due to being manipulative. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Assanges tweet attracted a huge amount of attention online, with more than 13,000 retweets and 32,000 likes and while some did agree with his view, there was also a significant number of negative responses. Some accused the 46-year-old of mansplaining while another, Glenn Fleishman, said Assange is an expert on being intensely disliked by other men. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference However, others who seemed to disagree with Assanges view decided to take things a step further mocking him by coming up with some male secrets of their own. For example, Joe here revealed that sofa stairs magic is indeed a trick after all. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference This guy had something to say about the great toilet seat debate. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Meanwhile, this bloke offered a revelation on pockets. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference And finally, Mark here appeared to reveal that men are actually robots. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Assange has lived in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012 after the country granted him asylum under the threat of extradition to the United States for WikiLeaks publication of sensitive state documents. This year a seven-year investigation into sex-related allegations against him was dropped by Swedens prosecution authority. A mother called the police on her own son after spotting his picture in an appeal posted on social media. Police in Ohio praised the mother for calling the authorities after she recognised her son, and a friend, in surveillance pictures taken during an alleged burglary. Columbus Division Of Police first made an appeal on October 6 asking for help in identifying two people caught on security camera footage. ***UPDATE 10/12/17 One of the suspect's mothers called us with their names. Charges are pending. Thankful she did the Posted by Columbus Division of Police on Friday, October 6, 2017 They updated it a few days later, adding: One of the suspects mothers called us with their names. Charges are pending. Thankful she did the right thing. Police say more than $6,000 (about 4,500) worth of musical equipment and electronics were taken on September 27. The world will start to call it a day on Sunday. This is the latest theory from Christian numerologist David Meade, who suggests seven years of nuclear war and natural disasters will begin on October 15 a day of rest of all days. Meades theory is based largely on numeric interpretations of scripture and the concept of Planet X, or Nibiru a hidden planet which will supposedly one day collide with Earth. So why October 15? Well its apparently linked to the solar eclipse which bathed the US in shadow in August and natural disasters which have happened since, such as hurricanes and the earthquake in Mexico, are further evidence. Its the beginning, Meade is quoted by various news outlets. Ever since the Great American Solar Eclipse of August 21 we have been hit by a continued series of judgements. Expand Close A car after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A car after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico Perhaps we should take Meades theory with a teeny-tiny pinch of salt though. In September he predicted the world would end on September 23, colliding into the hidden planet Nibiru and yet here we are. Meanwhile, Nasa has publicly refuted the claim Planet X exists, so there will be no collision the fact they did so, on more than one occasion, is an indication of how popular Meades theories have proved. Meade addresses Nasas rebuttals by claiming the space agency is hiding the truth citing unfounded, mysterious deaths of astronomers who have supposedly tried to study the hidden planet, according to a report in the Metro. Perhaps the theories are harmless though, just fuel for clickbait and Meades many books, including Planet XThe 2017 Arrival and The Coup Detat Against President Donald J Trump a book proposing criticism against the US president is part of a conspiracy. Harmless? Not so for UK entertainer and mentalist David Meade, who unfortunately shares a name with the apocalyptic theorist. Expand Close BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition Last month when the doomsday predictor did his thing the mind reader received a torrent of abuse and five death threats, not helped by some news sites even incorrectly linking to the mind readers page. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference When people were arriving on my site they were seeing things like mentalist, mind reader, Meade, the mentalist, told the BBC. That probably sounds like the sort of person that would predict the end of the world. The Northern Irishman said it was verging on worrying and had to address the issue with a statement offering a 1000% refund on tickets for his tour should an apocalypse occur. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference What might irk him to know is that the conspiracy theorist actually appears to be using a pen name with David Meade his name of choice, according to an article he wrote on Planet X News. So then, should you be worried about the world ending on Sunday? Tickets refunded at 10 times their price and an internationally-renowned space agency says no and for the sake of one Northern Irish mentalist, perhaps its best to ignore it altogether. In the rainy season the illusion never changes. It is the same sea every time. The same beguiling confluences of water and gold, sunlight and vivid green, wooden stilt bridges, small figures far below in the dusk as the plane banks over the Mandalay hills. There is no more beautiful approach to the land anywhere on earth, a descent that is like an ascent: your body is coming to the earth but the heart soars in the presence of such beauty. The rice paddies have been flooded since the first rains came in May giving the impression of a flooded civilisation above which the golden pagodas seem suspended in air. It is impossible to conceive of this as a place in which hatred might blossom. The stillness of a pre-industrial landscape, the body reduced to listlessness by the pressing heat, the smiles on every passing face, those lines of saffron-robed monks clutching their alms bowls. All that and generations of conditioning of a western mind which sees the word Buddhism and instantly thinks of the Dalai Lama, celebrities like Richard Gere, meditation, thousands of self-help books, and appeals for compassion and tolerance. It is the last part, or rather their absence, that is causing the problem in Myanmar now. Numerous friends have asked me in tones of disbelief if Buddhists could really be capable of the crimes being attributed to them now, a nastiness that has driven over 400,000 people to flee from their homes into makeshift camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, perpetrate rape and murder, and sow landmines on paths used by refugees? I have news for you, my friends. They are capable. More than capable. Like the rest of us of all faiths and none, they can, in fact, be ferociously enthusiastic about slaughtering their ethnic, religious or political enemies. That I should have to explain this says much for the power of stereotype and broader ignorance of the history of South East Asia. Being a devoutly Buddhist country does not give immunity to the vice of hatred. Anybody remember Cambodia and the devoutly Buddhist society that gave us the genocidal Khmer Rouge? Or Sri Lanka and its savage war with the Tamils? Or the vicious crackdowns in Thailand, where tolerance is so valued that the mere hint of a comment that might be seen to disrespect the monarch can land you in jail? There are numerous other examples of viciousness in the Buddhist realms. But the issue is not a belief system. The fault does not lie with Buddhism as such, no more than the fault lay exclusively with religion in our own blood quarrels. Or with religion in the current wars in Syria or Iraq. It is the misuse of religion that brings untold grief. And yes, we need to acknowledge that faith can be the most powerful of all flags. Men can unleash their most vile instincts under the pretence of doing holy work. But scrape away the flaking paint and there is a different fresco on the ancient walls, a hatred borne of fear of the 'other' and usually an 'other' whose existence is resented for the most basic, non-sectarian reasons. Do the Rakhine Buddhists hate the Rohingya because they face Mecca to pray and revere a different holy book? Of course they don't. They fear them because they themselves are among the poorest of the country's poor and they have been told by the military for generations that the Rohingya want to take what they have. They have been told that unless they fight back they will be swamped and destroyed, that their women will be seduced and used as vehicles to breed Muslim babies and dilute the race. To students of genocide or ethnic cleansing, this language will be familiar. It is what usually comes in the preparatory stages. These hateful falsities have been encouraged by a self-serving elite composed of the military and some senior Buddhist clergy. They have been enabled by a pro-democracy movement that has decided to remain silent, not least because of fear of alienating a larger population that, by and large, has accepted the agenda of untruth. Blame the sealing of Myanmar from the world over decades on the ability of the elite to preserve the ugly mythologies of race and faith. The Buddhist monks of Ma Ba Tha have led the way in Muslim baiting. This popular movement was banned last July by the government of Aung San Suu Kyi. But the ban has not been enforced, perhaps because of a lack of enthusiasm among the security forces. I went to meet the monks in Mandalay for an encounter they filmed and which involved them scolding me for the BBC's use of the term 'Rohingya' when "no such race existed." There were eight monks facing me in a semi-circle and all repeated the same ethno-sectarian polemic. These men have, in the past, derided Aung San Suu Kyi. But her stance on the Rohingya issue pleases them. She has described the problems in Rakhine state as 'terrorism' and written-off reports of ethnic cleansing as an "iceberg of misinformation." One Monk told me "she is on the right side in this Bengali (the pejorative term for Rohingya) issue." Aung San Suu Kyi does not control the military. The compromise that allowed for democratic elections involved ceding control over the army, borders and domestic security to the military. But this does not absolve a Nobel Laureate from the responsibility to call for tolerance and an end to abuses. Knowing the military as well as she does, Aung San Suu Kyi knows precisely what they are capable of in Rakhine state. The 'iceberg of misinformation' line is disingenuous, to put it mildly. Some diplomats have suggested she will not speak out where she believes private pressure is best. Private pressure has achieved nothing. The blame for ethnic cleansing lies with the military and its chief, General Min Aung Hlaing. But it is Aung San Suu Kyi's government that has cooperated in the banning of independent aid workers and journalists, and refused to utter a single public word urging restraint on the military. True, in a country where the majority regards the Rohingya as interlopers, she risks political isolation by speaking out. But five years ago over 100,000 Rohingya were driven out and she said nothing. She was not in government then, not tied to the military. There have been many times since then when she could have spoken but chose to stay silent. Leadership involves unpleasant compromises. But it also means speaking out when your country is being consumed by catastrophe. Now it is the military hawks and Buddhist hardliners who are in the ascendant. Perhaps the time when Aung Suu Kyi might have made a difference, has passed. Fergal Keane is a BBC Special Correspondent Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, yesterday told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that "enough is enough", adding that while America does not want war, "our country's patience is not unlimited". Military leaders in South Korea claim to have seen indications that the North is preparing an attack and believe it has successfully miniaturised a nuclear weapon to fit onto an intercontinental ballistic missile. Sunday's nuclear test by North Korea had an estimated strength of 50 kilotons - three times bigger than the US device that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945 - Seoul defence ministry officials told a parliamentary briefing yesterday, as they agreed "it is time to strengthen" a military response. The South responded to the nuclear test, which the North claimed was of a hydrogen bomb, with live-fire drills off its eastern coast yesterday that were meant to simulate an attack on the North's main test site. North Korea responded that its enemies are "hell-bent on escalating confrontation", as it launched a scathing attack on the "warmongers" in Seoul. The UN Security Council is holding its second emergency meeting about North Korea in a week in New York to discuss responses to the test. Last August, it imposed sanctions targeting North Korean exports. Expand Close United Nations US ambassador Nikki Haley speaks with her Chinese counterpart before the Security Council meeting. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp United Nations US ambassador Nikki Haley speaks with her Chinese counterpart before the Security Council meeting. Photo: Getty Images China has warned North Korea against proceeding with plans to launch another ballistic missile, saying it should not worsen tensions, but said Donald Trump's trade threat was "unacceptable". America has warned that any threat to itself or its allies would be met with a "massive military response", but British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson cautioned against a military strike. Downing Street yesterday restated the UK's "overwhelming" preference for a "peaceful and diplomatic resolution". Ms Haley urged the UN Security Council to impose the "strongest possible measures" against North Korea. "Only the strongest sanctions will enable us to resolve this problem through diplomacy," she said. "When a rogue regime has a nuclear weapon and an ICBM pointed at you, you do not take steps to lower your guard. "No one would do that. We certainly won't." The United States, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea requested the urgent meeting after North Korea detonated what it described as a hydrogen bomb designed for a long-range missile. Ms Haley declared that the "time for half measures is over", suggesting the council must significantly ratchet up the pressure with biting sanctions to be decided in a new resolution. The US ambassador did not spell out what measures Washington would support, but diplomats have indicated that an oil embargo would have a crippling effect on the North Korean economy. Japan, France and Britain called for the swift adoption of a new sanctions resolution, but the call was expected to face opposition from Russia and China which maintain that sanctions alone will not resolve the crisis. Japan has urged the UN Security Council to agree on a plan to draft a new sanctions resolution to punish North Korea after its sixth nuclear test. The Brics group of five major emerging economies on Monday denounced North Korea's latest nuclear test at a summit in China that seeks to enlarge the organisation's presence on the world stage. The nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - agreed in a joint declaration to strengthen cooperation against a range of organisations it described as terrorist, including some based in Pakistan. In the 43-page declaration, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Michel Temer and South African President Jacob Zuma said they would work together to improve global economic governance to foster "a more just and equitable international order". They also strongly condemned North Korea's sixth - and most powerful - nuclear test that took place Sunday and has overshadowed the two-day Brics summit in the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen that China is using as a showcase for its growing international status. Meanwhile, neutral Switzerland said it was prepared to act as mediator to help resolve the North Korea crisis, including by hosting ministerial talks, Swiss President Doris Leuthard said. She said Swiss troops were deployed on the demarcation zone between South Korea and North Korea and the country had a long history of neutral diplomacy. But China and the United States had to take their share of responsibility, she added. "We are ready to offer our role... as a mediator," Ms Leuthard told a news conference. "It is really time now to sit down at a table. Big powers have a responsibility." A South Korean lawmaker says North Korean hackers may have stolen highly classified military documents that include US-South Korean wartime "decapitation strike" plans against the North Korean leadership, according to South Korean media reports. The United States, meanwhile, staged another show of force meant to deter any North Korean aggression by flying two B-1B supersonic bombers on Tuesday night from an air base in the US territory of Guam to the South for drills with South Korean jets. Such flights by the powerful aircraft based in Guam incense the North, which claims they are preparation for war; Pyongyang has threatened to send missiles into the waters around Guam. If confirmed, the reported hacking attack by the North would be a major blow for South Korea at a time when its relations with rival North Korea are at a low point. The South has taken an increasingly aggressive stance toward the North's belligerence amid back-and-forth threats of war between North Korea and US President Donald Trump. North Korea's possession of secret war plans would require a major overhaul of how South Korea and its ally Washington would respond if there's another war on the Korean Peninsula. An unusually aggressive approach to the North by Trump, which has included rhetoric hinting at US strikes and threatening the destruction of North Korea's leadership, has some South Koreans fearful that war is closer than at any time since the Korean War ended in 1953 in a shaky ceasefire, leaving the Korean Peninsula still technically in a state of war. Rep Lee Cheol-hee, a lawmaker for the ruling Democratic Party who sits on the National Defence Committee, cited unidentified defence officials as saying the hackers stole the US-South Korean war plans last year, according to news reports on Tuesday. Lee did not respond to attempts to confirm the stories. Defence officials refused to comment on Wednesday. Among the classified plans allegedly stolen from the South were said to be blueprints for targeted attacks by Seoul and Washington to eliminate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if a crisis breaks out or appears imminent. The South's Yonhap news agency quoted Lee as saying that 235 gigabytes of military documents were taken. While nearly 80 per cent of the documents had not yet been identified, they reportedly included contingency plans for South Korean special forces and information on military facilities and power plants, it said. Seoul says North Korea has repeatedly staged cyberattacks on South Korean business and government websites. North Korea routinely denies responsibility. Not long after the news of the alleged cyberattacks broke, two B-1B bombers few from Guam to conduct drills with two South Korean fighter jets on Tuesday night, a South Korean Defence Ministry official said, requesting anonymity because of department rules. North Korea has yet to comment on either the bombing drills or the hacking claims. Thousands of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar fled to Bangladesh yesterday in a new surge of refugees driven by fears of starvation and violence the United Nations has denounced as ethnic cleansing. About 519,000 Rohingya have crossed the border since August 25, when attacks by Rohingya militants on security posts in Rakhine state sparked a ferocious military response. The EU is proposing shunning contact with Myanmar's top generals as a first step towards sanctions to punish the military for the violence, according to a draft document. On the Bangladeshi side of the border, in Palong Khali district, several thousand people crossed yesterday from northern Rakhine, filing along embankments between flooded fields and scrubby forest. "Half of my village was burnt down. I saw them do it," said Sayed Azin (46), who said he had walked for eight days carrying his 80-year-old mother in a basket strung on a bamboo pole between him and his son. Soldiers and Buddhist mobs had torched his village, he said. "I left everything," he said. "I can't find my relatives... I can't take this any more." Some new arrivals spoke of bloody attacks by Buddhist mobs on people trekking towards the border. Refugees and rights groups say the army and Buddhist vigilantes have engaged in a campaign of killing and arson aimed at driving the Rohingya out of Myanmar. Myanmar rejects accusations of ethnic cleansing and has labelled the militants from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army who launched the initial attacks as terrorists who have killed civilians and burnt villages. Among those fleeing were up to 35 people on a boat that capsized off the Bangladesh coast on Sunday. At least 12 of them drowned while 13 were rescued, Bangladeshi police said. "We faced so many difficulties, for food and survival," said Sayed Hossein (30), adding that his wife, three children, mother and father-in-law had drowned. Myanmar leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has faced scathing international criticism for not doing more to stop the violence, although she has no power over the security forces under a military-drafted constitution. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, gestures at an election campaign rally in Tokyo, Japan October 21, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon Japan is voting in a general election that will most likely hand prime minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition a majority in parliament. Up for grabs on Sunday are 465 seats in the more powerful lower house, which chooses the prime minister. Mr Abe dissolved the chamber less than a month ago, apparently judging that the political environment turned in his favour. A small earthquake near North Korea's nuclear test site on Saturday was probably not man-made, the nuclear proliferation watchdog and a South Korean official said, easing fears Pyongyang had exploded another nuclear bomb just weeks after its last one. China's Earthquake Administration said the quake was not a nuclear explosion and had the characteristics of a natural tremor. The administration had said earlier the magnitude 3.4 quake detected at 0829 GMT was a "suspected explosion". The CTBTO, or Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty Organization, which monitors nuclear tests, and officials of the South Korean meteorological agency said they believed it was a natural quake. The Pentagon and the U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment A U.S. intelligence official and U.S.-based non-governmental experts said their initial assessment was that the quake was either natural or connected to North Korea's latest and largest nuclear test on Sept.3, and not caused by a new nuclear test. "It seems likely that these small tremors are related to the shifts in the ground due to the recent large test," said David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists in the United States. Expand Close North Korea leader Kim Jong-un meets supporters yesterday. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp North Korea leader Kim Jong-un meets supporters yesterday. Photo: Getty Images The seismic activity came just hours before North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, who warned on Thursday that North Korea could consider a hydrogen bomb test of an unprecedented scale over the Pacific, was due to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Ri did not respond when asked by reporters whether North Korea had conducted a new nuclear test. A U.S. government intelligence analyst said the events could have been a mine-type" collapse of tunnels damaged by North Korea's previous nuclear test, but was more likely a small earthquake. An official of South Korea's Meteorological Agency said acoustic waves should be detected in the event of a man-made earthquake. Expand Close North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Photo: AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Photo: AP "In this case we saw none. So as of now, we are categorising this as a natural earthquake." The earthquake, which South Korea's Meteorological Agency put at magnitude 3.0, was detected 49 km from Kilju in North Hamgyong Province, where North Korea's known Punggye-ri nuclear site is located, the official said. Read More All of North Korea's six nuclear tests registered as earthquakes of magnitude 4.3 or above. The last test registered as a 6.3 magnitude quake. A secondary tremor detected after that test could have been caused by the collapse of a tunnel at the mountainous site, experts said at the time. Satellite photos of the area after the Sept. 3 quake showed numerous landslides apparently caused by the massive blast, which North Korea said was an advanced hydrogen bomb. The head of the international nuclear test monitoring agency CTBTO said on Saturday that analysts were "looking at unusual seismic activity of a much smaller magnitude" than the Sept. 3 test in North Korea. "Two #Seismic Events! 0829UTC & much smaller @ 0443UTC unlikely Man-made! Similar to "collapse" event 8.5 mins after DPRK6! Analysis ongoing," CTBTO Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo said in a Twitter post, referring to the Sept. 3 test. Russias emergency ministry says background radiation in nearby Vladivostok was within the natural range. The U.S. Geological Survey said it could not conclusively confirm whether the quake, which it measured at magnitude 3.5, was man-made or natural. "The depth is poorly constrained and has been held to 5 km by the seismologist," USGS said. Jeffrey Lewis, head of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of Strategic Studies at Monterey, California, said: "Seismologists are very good at discriminating between earthquakes and explosions. I see no reason to doubt that it was an earthquake." There was no immediate reaction from China's Foreign Ministry, but the news was widely reported by Chinese state media outlets and on social media. Tensions have continued to rise around the Korean Peninsula since Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear test, prompting a new round of U.N. sanctions. U.S. President Donald Trump called the North Korean leader a "madman" on Friday, a day after Kim dubbed him a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard" who would face the "highest level of hard-line countermeasure in history". Kim was responding to a speech by Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in which Trump said the United States would "totally destroy" North Korea if it threatened the United States or its allies. On Thursday Trump announced new U.S. sanctions that he said allows the targeting of companies and institutions that finance and facilitate trade with North Korea. Earlier on Saturday, China said it will limit exports of refined petroleum products from Oct. 1 and ban exports of condensates and liquefied natural gas immediately to comply with the latest U.N. sanctions. It will also ban imports of textiles from North Korea. North Korea's nuclear tests to date have all been underground, and experts say an atmospheric test, which would be the first since one by China in 1980, would be proof of the success of its weapons programme. North Korea has launched dozens of missiles this year, several of them flying over Japan, as it accelerates a weapons programme aimed at enabling it to target the United States with a nuclear-tipped missile. Five women who won the Nobel peace prize have told Aung San Suu Kyi she has a personal and moral responsibility to defend the Rohingya people in Myanmar. In a letter the laureates accuse the de-facto Myanmarese leader of indifference over the plight of the Muslim minority - thousands of whom have been killed while hundreds of thousands of others fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. "As a fellow Nobel laureate, a worldwide icon for the universal freedom and human rights, and now state counsellor and de-facto prime minister of Myanmar, you have a personal and moral responsibility to uphold and defend the rights of your citizens," the Nobel Women's Initiative wrote. "How many Rohingya have to die; how many communities will be razed before you raise your voice in defence of those who have no voice? "Your silence is not in line with the vision of 'democracy' for your country that you outlined to us, and for which we all supported you over the years." Five Nobel laureates signed the letter - Mairead Maguire, from Northern Ireland; Jody Williams from the US; Shirin Ebadi from Iran; Leymah Gbowee from Liberia; and Tawakkol Karman from Yemen. According to the UN, 270,000 Rohingya Muslims have crossed into Bangladesh in the past two weeks. The exodus began after Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts in Myanmar, leading the military to respond with "clearance operations" to root out fighters hiding in villages in Rakhine state, prompting accusations of ethnic cleansing. Ms Maguire said the Nobel Women's Initiative had been in contact with Ms Suu Kyi since her release in 2010 and raised concerns about the Rohingya people with her in person at the UN last year. "We just hope out of her conscience she will realise that she has to speak and that this is ethnic cleansing that is going on," Ms Maguire said. The letter added: "In the words of fellow laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu: 'If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep.' "The time is now for you to stand for the rights of Rohingya people, with the same vigour and conviction so many around the world stood for yours." On a sunny June day in 2012, a slightly built woman with flowers in her hair took the podium in Oslo's city hall to deliver a speech that left the assembled crowd spellbound. Among the many memorable lines in her address that day was the following: "Wherever suffering is ignored, there will be the seeds of conflict, for suffering degrades and embitters and enrages." The woman speaking was Aung San Suu Kyi. The occasion was her receiving of the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded in 1991 while under house arrest as Myanmar's most famous dissident. The Nobel citation praised her "non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights", which the prize committee considered "one of the most extraordinary examples of civil courage in Asia in recent decades". Five years on and Ms Suu Kyi's words that day seem deeply ironic as she equivocates on the most recent wave of violence against Myanmar's long-persecuted Rohingya population. The Rohingya, who number around 1.3 million, are Muslims living in a predominantly Buddhist nation. The government refuses to recognise the Rohingya as citizens and has subjected them to restrictions on marriage, employment, healthcare and education. Tens of thousands of Rohingya have been fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh in recent weeks as government forces in Myanmar stand accused of carrying out mass killings. Myanmarese authorities claim about 400 have been killed so far, though UN officials in the country have estimated the death toll at more than 1,000. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has described the violence as being on the verge of ethnic cleansing. Now Myanmar's de facto civilian leader, Ms Suu Kyi's response to the escalation against the Rohingya has earned her the opprobrium of fellow Nobel laureates including Desmond Tutu and Malala Yousufzai amid calls for the once internationally celebrated politician to be stripped of her peace prize. Hopes that Ms Suu Kyi would bring an end to the repression of the Rohingya when she was elected in 2015 have come to nothing. Last year, the Myanmarese military began a military crackdown against the Rohingya, claiming they were battling "terrorism". Pressed on the subject by BBC journalist Mishal Husain, Ms Suu Kyi was heard to complain afterwards that no one told her she would be interviewed "by a Muslim". The UN has warned that up to 300,000 Rohingya could stream into Bangladesh as they escape what the Myanmarese authorities have chillingly termed "clearance operations". "The de facto leader needs to step in - that is what we would expect from any government, to protect everybody within their own jurisdiction," Yanghee Lee, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar said this week. But a post on Ms Suu Kyi's Facebook page blamed "terrorists" for "a huge iceberg of misinformation" about the violence, and tellingly made no mention of the Rohingya who had fled. In her first spoken remarks about the unrest, Ms Suu Kyi told Asian News TV channel this week that her government was facing its "biggest challenge". In what amounted to an extraordinarily mealy mouthed defence of what is happening in Rakhine - the region where most of the Rohingya live - she said: "It is a little unreasonable to expect us to solve the issue in 18 months...the situation in Rakhine has been such since many decades. Our resources are not as complete and adequate as we would like them to be but still, we try our best and we want to make sure that everyone is entitled to the protection of the law." Defenders of Ms Suu Kyi insist she has to navigate the tricky politics of a country where the military, once her nemesis and jailer, remains the real power and is allied with Buddhist nationalists, many of whom have stoked anti-Muslim sentiment. I visited Myanmar in 2014 and interviewed many Rohingya in the miserable, water-logged camps of Rakhine where thousands of displaced Rohingya struggle to survive. "The government is keeping us here like chickens under a net," one man told me. "It is like living in a prison." I also met radical Buddhists in Rakhine and other parts of Myanmar who supported the persecution of the Rohingya and actively encouraged it. One was the infamous Buddhist monk Wirathu, whose anti-Muslim rhetoric has helped trigger communal bloodshed across the country. Wirathu praised Ms Suu Kyi as the "mother of the nation" and told me she had visited his monastery in the northern city of Mandalay shortly after her release in 2010. The monks are a powerful political force in Myanmar, given their influence on the population, and Ms Suu Kyi clearly feels she needs them on her side. In her Nobel lecture, Ms Suu Kyi spoke stirringly about how her fight for democracy in Myanmar was rooted in the conviction that democracy was essential for human rights. The damning question now is whether the erstwhile heroine considers the Rohingya less deserving of those rights. On Nov. 1, Linn Benton Food Shares warehouse in Tangent received two truckloads of food and household supplies arranged by the local branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. WILD elephants have attacked a new camp where Rohingya refugees were sleeping, killing a woman and her three children in southern Bangladesh. District forest official Mohammed Ali Kabir said a herd of elephants entered the Balukhali camp in Ukhiya town and trampled tents where several refugees were sleeping. North Korea said on Saturday firing its rockets at the U.S. mainland was "inevitable" after U.S. President Donald Trump called Pyongyang's leader "rocket man", in a further escalation of rhetoric between the two countries over the North's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho's remarks before the United Nations General Assembly came hours after U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers escorted by fighter jets flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea in a show of force the Pentagon said demonstrated the range of military options available to Trump. Ri's speech capped a week of escalating rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang, with Trump and Kim Jong Un trading insults. Trump called the North Korean leader a "madman" on Friday, a day after Kim dubbed him a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard." On Saturday, the mudslinging continued with Ri calling Trump "a mentally deranged person full of megalomania and complacency" who is trying to turn the United Nations into a "gangsters' nest". Ri retorted that Trump himself was on a "suicide mission" after the U.S. president said Kim was on such a mission. Expand Close Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans gather at Kim Il Sung Square to attend a mass rally against America (AP/Jon Chol Jin) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans gather at Kim Il Sung Square to attend a mass rally against America (AP/Jon Chol Jin) "'President Evil' is holding the seat of the U.S. President," Ri said, warning that Pyongyang was ready to defend itself if the United States showed any sign of conducting a "decapitating operation on our headquarters or military attack against our country". Now we are finally only a few steps away from the final gate of completion of the state nuclear force, Ri told the annual gathering of world leaders. He said sanctions would have no effect on Pyongyang's resolve to develop its nuclear weapons, with the ultimate goal being "balance of power with the U.S." Trump announced new U.S. sanctions on Thursday that he said allow targeting of companies and institutions that finance and facilitate trade with North Korea. Earlier this month the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted its ninth round of sanctions on Pyongyang to counter its nuclear and ballistic missiles programs. The U.S. bombers' flight was the farthest north of the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea that any U.S. fighter jet or bomber has flown in the 21st century, the Pentagon said. "This mission is a demonstration of U.S. resolve and a clear message that the President has many military options to defeat any threat," said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White. "We are prepared to use the full range of military capabilities to defend the U.S. homeland and our allies." North Korea has launched dozens of missiles this year, several flying over Japan, as it accelerates its program aimed at enabling it to target the United States with a nuclear-tipped missile. Pyongyang conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sept. 3 and has threatened to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific. The Pentagon said the B-1B bombers came from Guam and the U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter escorts came from Okinawa, Japan. It said the operation showed the seriousness with which it took North Korea's "reckless behavior." The patrols came after officials and experts said a small earthquake near North Korea's nuclear test site on Saturday was probably not man-made, easing fears Pyongyang had exploded another nuclear bomb just weeks after its last one. China's Earthquake Administration said the quake was not a nuclear explosion and had the characteristics of a natural tremor. The CTBTO, or Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty Organization, which monitors nuclear tests, and officials of the South Korean meteorological agency also said they believed it was a natural quake. The earthquake, which South Korea's Meteorological Agency put at magnitude 3.0, was detected 49 km from Kilju in North Hamgyong Province, where North Korea's known Punggye-ri nuclear site is located, the official said. All of North Korea's six nuclear tests registered as earthquakes of magnitude 4.3 or above. The last test registered as a 6.3 magnitude quake. Tensions have continued to rise around the Korean Peninsula since Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear test, prompting a new round of U.N. sanctions. Trump told the United Nations on Tuesday the United States would "totally destroy" North Korea if it threatened the United States or its allies. North Korea's nuclear tests to date have all been underground, and experts say an atmospheric test, which would be the first since one by China in 1980, would be proof of the success of its weapons program. The United States and South Korea are technically still at war with North Korea because the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce and not a peace treaty. The North accuses the United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, of planning to invade and regularly threatens to destroy it and its Asian allies. 'Mr Trump tweeted he had told Mr Tillerson he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.' Pic: AFP/Getty US President Donald Trump's latest tweets on North Korea, in which he said his top diplomat is wasting his time trying to start talks, were seen by some in Asia as sowing confusion and by others as hard reality. A South Korean newspaper condemned Mr Trump's remarks for belittling efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue, while a Chinese international affairs expert saw the tweets as a message to North Korea and China. The United Nations condemned North Korea's "outrageous" firing of a ballistic missile over Japan, demanding that the isolated country halts its weapons programme but holding back on any threat of new sanctions. North Korea said the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Tuesday was to counter US and South Korean military drills and was a first step in military action in the Pacific to "contain" the US territory of Guam. The North's leader, Kim Jong-un, ordered the launch to be conducted for the first time from its capital, Pyongyang, and said more exercises with the Pacific as the target were needed, the North's KCNA news agency said yesterday. "The current ballistic rocket launching drill, like a real war, is the first step of the military operation of the KPA in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam," KCNA quoted Mr Kim as saying. KPA stands for the Korean People's Army. North Korea this month threatened to fire four missiles into the sea near Guam, home to a major US military presence, after US President Donald Trump said that the North would face "fire and fury" if it threatened the United States. For its part, the US Defence Department's Missile Defence Agency announced a "complex" and successful missile defence flight test off Hawaii early yesterday, intercepting a medium-range ballistic missile target. The 15-member Security Council said it was of "vital importance" that North Korea take immediate, concrete actions to reduce tension and called on all states to implement UN sanctions. However, the US-drafted statement, which was agreed by consensus, does not threaten new sanctions on North Korea. Diplomats say veto-wielding council members China and Russia typically only view a test of a long-range missile or a nuclear weapon as a trigger for further possible sanctions. China's and Russia's ambassadors to the United Nations said they opposed any unilateral sanctions on North Korea and reiterated calls to halt deployment of a US missile defence system in South Korea. "I certainly hope that we'll be able to have a strong resolution following up this ... statement," Japan's ambassador to the United Nations, Koro Bessho, told reporters after the meeting. Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China was discussing the situation with other Security Council members and would make a "necessary response" based on the consensus reached. China is the North's lone major ally. "Any measures against North Korea should be under the UN Security Council framework, and should be carried out according to Security Council resolutions," he told a news briefing. Unilateral sanctions did not accord with international law, Mr Wang added, a reference to sanctions imposed on Chinese firms and citizens by the United States and Japan. Speaking during a visit to the Japanese city of Osaka, British Prime Minister Theresa May called on China to put more pressure on North Korea, saying Beijing had a key role to play. Asked about her comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said some "relevant sides" were only selectively carrying out the UN resolutions by pushing hard on sanctions yet neglecting to push for a return to talks. She said this was not the attitude "responsible countries" should have when the "smell of gunpowder" remained strong over the Korean peninsula. "When it comes to sanctions, they storm to the front but when it comes to pushing for peace they hide at the very back," Ms Hua told a daily news briefing. Mr Trump is to appoint as his next ambassador to South Korea an academic who favours putting China at the forefront of attempts to halt North Korea's military build-up. Victor Cha, a former director for Asian affairs on the White House National Security Council, is set to replace Mark Lippert as the next United States envoy in Seoul. Mr Cha, a Korean-American, is seen as being hawkish towards North Korea, which has escalated tensions with a series of missile tests in recent months. North Korea said yesterday that firing its rockets at the US mainland was "inevitable", in a further escalation of rhetoric between the leaders of the two countries. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho's remarks before the UN General Assembly came hours after US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers escorted by F-15C Eagle fighter escorts flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea in a show of force the Pentagon said demonstrated the range of military options available to Donald Trump. The flight, which was disclosed shortly before North Korea's foreign minister was due to address the UN, was the farthest north of the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea that any US fighter jet or bomber has flown in the 21st century, the Pentagon said. "This mission is a demonstration of US resolve and a clear message that the President has many military options to defeat any threat," said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White, calling North Korea's weapons program "a grave threat." "We are prepared to use the full range of military capabilities to defend the U.S. homeland and our allies." The US move came after North Korea's foreign minister boasted his country may test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean. The world hasn't seen an above-ground, atmospheric nuclear test since an inland detonation by China in 1980. North Korea's room for error would be minimal, and any mistake could be disastrous. Even if successful, such a test could endanger air and sea traffic in the region. Because of that, many experts don't think North Korea would take such a risk. But they're also not ruling it out, given the North's increasing number of nuclear and missile tests. The main reason for North Korea to take that risk would be to contradict outside doubts about whether it really has a thermonuclear weapon small enough to fit on a missile, said Jeffrey Lewis, a US arms control expert at the Middlebury Centre of International Studies at Monterey. So far, North Korea has been separately testing nuclear weapons and the ballistic missiles built to deliver them, rather than testing them both together. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho would not have spoken without approval from Pyongyang's top leadership when he suggested to reporters in New York on Friday that the country could conduct an atmospheric hydrogen bomb test. Hours earlier, the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, in an unusual direct statement to the world, pledged to take "highest-level" action against the United States over President Donald Trump's threat to "totally destroy" the North if provoked. Ri did not elaborate and said no one knew what decision Kim would make. If North Korea attempts an atmospheric nuclear test at sea, it would probably involve its most powerful ballistic missiles, such as the intermediate-range Hwasong-12 or the intercontinental-range Hwasong-14, experts say. The country lacks assets to air-drop a nuclear device, and sending a vessel out to sea to detonate a device raises the chances of being detected and stopped by the US military. For the nuclear missile to reach a remote part of the Pacific, it would have to fly over Japan, as the North did with two Hwasong-12 test launches in recent weeks. There have only been a handful of times when atmospheric nuclear tests involved ballistic missiles, including China's fourth nuclear test in 1966. That involved a midrange Dongfeng-2 missile being launched from a deep inland rocket facility to the Lop Nur nuclear test site in the country's far west. Lewis finds similarities between the current situation surrounding North Korea and the events that led to China's 1966 test, which was driven by US doubts of Chinese capabilities to place nuclear weapons on ballistic missiles. "The United States is still taking an attitude of scepticism towards North Korea's nuclear capabilities," Lewis said. "The difference, of course, is that China fired its nuclear-armed missile over its own territory, not another country." A nuclear launch by North Korea would come dangerously close to an act of war, said Lee Choon Geun, a missile expert from South Korea's Science and Technology Policy Institute. Missile tests can easily go wrong and the consequences of failure could be terrifying if the missile is armed with a nuclear weapon. A failed flight or an accidental detonation over Japan would most likely trigger retaliation from Washington and Tokyo that might result in a nuclear war, Lee said. "It's reasonable to think that Ri was bluffing," Lee said. "Would they be sure that the United States and Japan will just sit there and watch?" But Lewis said that's exactly what the US and Japan would do. "Though I am sure such a launch would be very alarming to people in Japan, there is little the US or Japan could do," he said. "Would we really start a war over such an act? I don't think so." An atmospheric nuclear test would be far more dangerous than detonations in controlled underground environments, both because of the force of the blast and unrestrained release of radioactive materials that could spread out over large areas. Such a launch would potentially endanger aircraft and ships because it's highly unlikely the North would give prior warnings or send naval vessels to the area to control sea traffic. An atmospheric thermonuclear blast would also raise the risk of damage caused by an electromagnetic pulse, an intense wave of electrical energy generated by the explosion that could destroy electronic devices and equipment over a vast area, Lee said. The US and the former Soviet Union combined to conduct more than 400 atmospheric nuclear tests before they and Britain signed a 1963 treaty banning tests in the atmosphere, outer space and underwater. The treaty was later signed by more than 100 other countries. China conducted 22 atmospheric nuclear tests, which frequently involved bombers dropping nuclear devices on test sites, before its last one in 1980. While the impact of previous tests hasn't been fully understood, damage from radioactive fallout could be serious. When the US detonated its most powerful nuclear device in a 1954 test code-named Castle Bravo, the radioactive fallout spread far beyond the test site in the Marshall Islands. Some 23 crew members of a Japanese fishing vessel that was 160km east of the detonation site were contaminated and suffered from radiation sickness. One of the fishermen, Matashichi Oishi, said he saw a flash before tiny white flakes fell on the crew members like snow. In the last few months, North Korea has been stepping up the aggressiveness of its nuclear and missile tests. The North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on September 3 in what it said was the detonation of a thermonuclear weapon built for its developmental Hwasong-14 ICBMs. In two July flight tests, those missiles displayed the potential ability to reach deep into the US. With its two Hwasong-12 launches over Japan in August and September, the North also broke from its previous test regime of firing missiles at highly lofted angles to reduce range and avoid other countries. The launches were seen as North Korea's attempts to win more military space in a region dominated by its enemies and evaluate the reliability of its missiles under operational conditions. Kim Dong-yub, a former top South Korean military official, said it is more likely the North's next significant launch would be a full-range test of an unarmed Hwasong-14 ICBM. The North could launch a missile 7,000km to display a capability to reach Hawaii or Alaska, he said. However he added that recent events teach us not to underestimate the North. Reuters Tensions between the US and North Korea are so high that war is "a real possibility" for which the world must prepare, a UK defence think tank has warned. Such a conflict would result in "hundreds of thousands" of casualties, severely disrupt the global economy, and have profound implications for the political and diplomatic landscape of East Asia, the report for the Royal United Services Institute says. "This report is not saying that war is likely. But the probability of war is an uncomfortably real prospect," said Prof Malcolm Chalmers, the report's author. The chilling assessment comes as South Korea prepares itself for more provocative acts by North Korea next month, to coincide with the anniversary of the founding of the North Korean Communist Party and China's all-important Communist Party Congress. During a meeting with President Moon Jae-in yesterday, national security adviser Chung Eui-yong said he expected Pyongyang to act around October 10 and 18. The South Korean security adviser's report also pointed to the risk that a military conflict could be sparked by "accidental incidents", said Park Wan-ju, a lawmaker and head spokesman of the ruling Democratic Party. "The president said the United States speaks of military and diplomatic options, but South Korea can't go through war again," said Mr Park. Tension on the Korean peninsula has risen in recent weeks as North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump exchanged war-like threats and insults over the North's nuclear and missile development programme. The North has accused Mr Trump of declaring war after he warned Mr Kim's regime would not last if he persisted in threatening the US and its allies, having earlier warned North Korea would be totally destroyed in such an event. Asked if China had a plan to respond to an emergency in North Korea, such as securing nuclear and missile sites, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said, "Military means cannot become an option," and urged talks to resolve the issue. "The Chinese military will make all necessary preparations to protect the country's sovereignty and security and regional peace and stability," he said, without elaborating. China has vowed to uphold UN sanctions against North Korea, besides seeking to get talks with Pyongyang restarted. Yesterday, China's commerce ministry said North Korean firms or joint ventures in China would be shut within 120 days of the latest United Nations Security Council sanctions, passed on September 12. Overseas Chinese joint ventures with North Korean entities or individuals will also be closed, the ministry said in a statement on its website, without providing a timeframe. The ministry had issued similar rules after a previous set of UN sanctions in August. The United States and South Korea are technically still at war with North Korea because the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce and not a peace treaty. Mr Park said Mr Moon told the meeting that Washington and Seoul agreed that pressure needed to be applied to North Korea. Chinese officials yesterday heaped praise on President Xi Jinping's political ideology, unveiled a day earlier at a key Communist Party congress, a sign that it could be enshrined in the party's constitution and further cement his power. Some ruling Communist Party officials were moved yesterday to song, dance and tears in adulation of Mr Xi, a day after he opened the twice-a-decade conclave pledging to build a prosperous "modern socialist country" for a "new era". Three outgoing members of the elite seven-man politburo standing committee that Mr Xi heads lauded "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era", according to the official Xinhua news agency. Such statements indicate that Mr Xi could cement his power with his new eponymous slogan being incorporated into the party's constitution. Whether the theory is included bearing his name will be a key measure of his status, analysts have said. No other leader has had an eponymous ideology included in the document while in office since Mao Zedong, the founder of modern China. Mr Xi is poised to begin a second five-year term next week. Party officials hailed Mr Xi as a wise and great "lingxiu", or leader, a reverent honorific bestowed on only two others: Mao and his short-lived successor Hua Guofeng - another sign that Mr Xi has accumulated more power than his immediate predecessors and could revive a party chairmanship as a precursor to staying on in some capacity beyond the end of his second term in 2022. "Xi Jinping...has obtained the heartfelt love and respect of the entire party, army and people, he deserves to be called wise leader," Beijing party secretary Cai Qi, a Mr Xi ally and one-time colleague, said at a meeting of the city delegation, according to the official 'Beijing Daily'. Officials lavishing praise on the party's top leader at a congress is not unusual, but overt displays of emotion or personal adulation are rare. One female delegate from the southern province of Jiangxi broke into a song to praise Mr Xi's treatment of ethnic minorities, while another from Guangdong province said that, listening to Mr Xi's speech, her eyes had brimmed with tears. "I feel that the reason for my country's accomplishments is fundamentally the helmsmanship of Xi Jinping," said Jing Junhai, Beijing's deputy party chief, invoking a phase often used to describe Mao. The 64-year-old Mr Xi has consolidated power swiftly since assuming the party leadership in 2012, locking up rivals for corruption, tightening controls on civil society, revamping the military and asserting China's rising might on the global stage. Some party officials painted Mr Xi as a saviour. "Because of the party central committee with comrade Xi Jinping as its core, in five years, the party has been saved, the army has been saved, the country has been saved," Liu Shiyu, head of China's securities regulator, said yesterday. Others were more restrained. Hu Chunhua, party chief in Guangdong province and a potential contender for a spot on the new politburo standing committee to be revealed next week, simply referred to Mr Xi as general secretary and did not mention his theory during an open session yesterday, in contrast with more than a dozen other delegates who spoke. State media reported that he had praised Mr Xi's theory the day before. The exact meaning of Mr Xi's new banner term is not yet clear, although it is not unusual for Communist Party leaders to announce lofty slogans and then fill in the details as they go. An ideology named after Mr Xi to guide China and the party would further consolidate his power, said Ryan Manuel, a Chinese politics expert at the University of Hong Kong. "This is a good umbrella for him to keep saying whatever he wants and the system having to respond and study it," he said. An Australian woman charged with providing commercial surrogacy services in Cambodia has told a court she has "lost everything" since her arrest eight months ago and is suffering from cancer. Cambodia banned commercial surrogacy last year after becoming a popular destination for would-be parents seeking women to give birth to their children. Tammy Davis-Charles, who was arrested in November, has said in previous court appearances that she launched her business in Cambodia only after consulting three local lawyers who assured her the clinic was legal. The surrogates were paid thousands for each pregnancy, she has said. On Monday, Davis-Charles said she has cancer in her left eye and wants to be reunited with her family in Australia, including her five-year-old twin sons. "I have lost everything," she said. The judge adjourned the case until August 3. Developing countries are popular for surrogacy because costs are much lower than in nations such as the United States and Australia, where surrogate services are around 150,000 dollars (115,000). The surrogacy business boomed in Cambodia after it was put under tight restrictions in neighbouring Thailand. There also were crackdowns in India and Nepal. After Cambodia's crackdown, the trade has shifted to neighbouring Laos. Billionaire businessman Andrej Babis is set to become the Czech prime minister after his populist ANO party scored a landslide victory in parliamentary elections. His triumph indicates that the anti-establishment wave sweeping through western democracies has now crashed on the Czech Republic's shores. Not only did Mr Babis' party almost double its number of seats, but four of the five top parties are now seen as populist or seeking radical change. Some call Mr Babis, who is the country's second-richest person, the Czech Berlusconi, - a reference to Italy's former billionaire premier. Others consider him as a local answer to US president Donald Trump. But while Czech president Milos Zeman is due to appoint Mr Babis prime minister in coming days, it is thought that he might struggle to form a government. People gather outside the Palau Generalitat in Barcelona, Spain, awaiting for Catalan President Carles Puigdemont's speech on Saturday (AP Photo/Santi Palacios) President of the Catalan parliament Carme Forcadell, centre, gathers to discuss with parliament representatives their next move after the Spanish government announced plans to remove members of the region's pro-independence government (AP) The ruling Catalan separatist coalition has said the regional parliament will hold a meeting on Thursday which many fear will become a cover for a vote on declaring independence from Spain. Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has asked the parliament to convene a debate and vote on how to respond to the central Spanish government's plan to take direct control of the north-eastern region. Mr Puigdemont's speech on Saturday was seen as a veiled threat of formalising an ambiguous declaration of independence earlier this month that he declared suspended in order to earn time for negotiations. The Spanish government said that no dialogue is possible with independence on the table and is manoeuvring to sack all the Catalan top officials and call a snap regional election in the next six months. Spain's political parties have designated 27 senators to study how the government might intervene in the running of Catalonia and halt the region's bid to declare independence. The commission formed on Monday comprises 15 members of Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy's ruling Popular Party, six from the leading opposition Socialist party, and smaller parties sharing the rest. The Article 155 measures it will study include dismissing the Catalan pro-independence regional government, including Mr Puigdemont and his ministers. The commission is expected to notify Mr Puigdemont of its plans and invite him to defend his case, most likely by Thursday, prior to a Senate vote on Friday to activate the measures. Mr Rajoy's party has an absolute majority in the chamber, thus guaranteeing approval. Pro-independence students are calling for a strike in Catalan universities on Thursday to urge authorities to push ahead with a declaration of independence. The Universities for the Republic group has staged several protests over the past month as the crisis escalated. The group said Thursday's strike is intended to urge Catalan authorities to proclaim the Catalan Republic and defend the territory's institutions. Pablo Neruda, poet and then Chilean ambassador to France, talking with reporters in Paris after being named the 1971 Nobel Prize for Literature (AP) Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda did not die of cancer or malnutrition, a team of international scientists said, deepening one of the great mysteries of post-coup Chile. The forensic experts, however, did not reveal the poet and Communist Party politician's cause of death or end the debate over whether he was murdered by agents of General Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship shortly after the country's 1973 military takeover. Panel members said they will continue to identify pathogenic bacteria that might have caused Neruda's death to determine if a third party was involved. The poet, who was 69 years old and suffering from prostate cancer, died in Chile's post-coup chaos. The official version was that he died of cachexia, or weakness and wasting of the body due to chronic illness - in this case cancer. "The fundamental conclusions are the invalidity of the death certificate when it comes to cachexia as a cause of death," said Aurelio Luna, one of the panel's experts. "We still can't exclude nor affirm the natural or violent cause of Pablo Neruda's death." Neruda's body was exhumed in 2013 to determine the cause of his death but those tests showed no toxic agents or poisons in his bone. His family and driver demanded further investigation. In 2015, Chile's government said that it's "highly probable that a third party" was responsible for his death. Neruda was reburied in his favourite home overlooking the Pacific Coast last year. Neruda was best known for his love poems. But he was also a friend of socialist President Salvador Allende, who killed himself rather than surrender to troops during the September 11 1973 right-wing coup led by Pinochet. Neruda was traumatised by the military takeover and the persecution and killing of his friends. He planned to go into exile, where he would have been an influential voice against the dictatorship. But a day before his planned departure, he was taken by ambulance to a clinic in Santiago where he had been treated for cancer and other ailments. Neruda officially died there on September 23 from natural causes. But suspicions that the dictatorship had a hand in the death remained long after Chile returned to democracy in 1990. AP A tourist stands behind a picture of Mao Zedong, right, founder of the People's Republic of China and North Korea's late leader Kim Il Sung on the Hekou Bridge (AP) China has said its trade with North Korea is permitted by UN Security Council resolutions which say sanctions imposed over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes should avoid hurting "humanitarian needs". A foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, said China "strictly implements" sanctions. Beijing has banned imports of North Korean coal, iron ore, seafood and textiles. China is the North's main trading partner. Customs data show Chinese exports to North Korea rose 31.4% in August from a year earlier while imports fell 9.5%. Mr Geng said: "China always strictly implements North Korea-related Security Council resolutions in their entirety." He added: "The Security Council pointed out that the relevant resolutions should not inflict negative impacts on the livelihood and humanitarian needs of North Korea." People carry the coffin of police captain Ahmed Fayez who was killed in a gunfight in al-Wahat al-Bahriya area in Giza province, during his funeral in Cairo (AP Photo/Alaa Elkassas) Egypt's president has vowed to press ahead with the country's war against terrorism, secure its borders and hunt down militants, after a deadly attack on the country's police force. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's remarks on Sunday came nearly 48 hours after authorities officially announced that at least 16 policemen were killed in a brazen ambush by militants south-west of Cairo. Security officials told The Associated Press and other media outlets that the death toll reached 54, making it one of the worst attacks against Egypt's police in years. It was not immediately possible to reconcile the conflicting reports. Chairing a meeting attended by the country's top security officials, Mr el-Sissi said: "Egypt will continue its confrontation against terrorism and those financing and standing behind it, with strength, decisiveness and efficiency, until it's curbed." His first remarks on the massacre came as there was confusion over the police raid gone wrong, with a lack of information, charges of incompetence and conflicting accounts by officials to media outlets. The ambush began when security forces acting on intelligence moved against a purported militant hideout some 85 miles outside Cairo. Backed by armoured personnel carriers and led by senior counter-terrorism officers, the police contingent drew fire and rocket-propelled grenades, according to the security officials. What happened next has not been clarified, but many officers were killed and others injured. The confusion around the incident sparked a debate on social media, with Egyptians divided over who to blame. Many suggested the police force had been infiltrated by Islamists given that some security officials said the ambush was carefully planned. Along with conflicting reports of the death toll, authorities have also denied the authenticity of audio recordings, aired by pro-government media outlets, allegedly of policemen who took part in the operation. The speakers on the recordings can be heard pleading for help. The interior ministry said the sources of the audio recordings are not known and that they carried "unrealistic details that have nothing to do with the reality". It also warned against circulating such recordings and sowing confusion. No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack which took place near Egypt's vast western desert, where a previous series of attacks were blamed on Islamic militants pouring in from Libya. Meanwhile, a local affiliate of the Islamic State group is spearheading an insurgency across the country and in the Sinai Peninsula. Rights advocates argue that the authorities' heavy crackdown on Islamists in the aftermath of the 2013 military ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi has fuelled an insurgency. Hundreds of Islamists were killed in mass demonstrations demanding Morsi's return after he was ousted, while thousands were jailed. In one of the latest trials involving Islamists, an Egyptian criminal court on Sunday confirmed death sentences for 11 men and handed down life sentences to 14 others over charges including the attempted murder of policemen. The defendants can appeal against the court ruling by Judge Mohammed Nagi Shehata, who is known for his severity. Five of those sentenced to death were tried in absentia. The suspects were referred to court in 2015, more than a year after the ousting of Mr Morsi, whose group, the Muslim Brotherhood, was outlawed and thousands of its members referred to courts over numerous charges. AP File photo dated 24/2/2017 of Matthew Scully-Hicks who is is on trail at Cardiff Crown Court accused of inflicting serious injuries on 18-month-old adopted daughter, Elsie Scully-Hicks, before her death in May 2016. Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire A father has described the day his adopted baby daughter was rushed to hospital after suffering catastrophic injuries, allegedly at the hands of his husband. Craig Scully-Hicks broke down in court as he described the phone call from his husband telling him that 18-month-old Elsie Scully-Hicks was really poorly. He rushed 100 miles from his work in Leicester to the hospital in Cardiff to find his daughter on the operating table. There were people everywhere and she was just lying on the table... the doctor said there was a problem with her heart and people are working on her, he said. His husband, Matthew Scully-Hicks, 31, is accused of inflicting a catalogue of serious injuries on Elsie Scully-Hicks before her death in May 2016. The couple formally adopted the little girl just two weeks earlier. A tearful Craig Scully-Hicks, 36, told the jury at Cardiff Crown Court that their home was filled with love. If I had suspected anything I wouldnt have tolerated it, he added. Matthew Scully-Hicks, from Delabole, Cornwall, denies murdering Elsie at the couple's four-bedroom home in Llandaff, Cardiff, on 29 May. The 18-month-old was rushed to University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff on 25 May but died four days later. Tests showed evidence that Elsie had suffered both recent and older bleeding in her brain, and haemorrhages in front of her eyes. A post-mortem examination revealed that she had also received several broken ribs, a fractured left femur and a fractured skull. Police found messages allegedly sent by Matthew Scully-Hicks, describing Elsie as a psycho and Satan dressed up in a Babygro. The court heard Matthew Scully-Hicks gave up full-time work to care for Elsie and her adopted sibling, while Craig Scully-Hicks worked. Elsie, who was removed from her natural mother within days of her birth in November 2014, went to live with the couple in September 2015. In November that year, Elsie fractured her right leg when Craig Scully-Hicks was at work. She suffered bruises to her head in December and January, and was taken to hospital in March 2016 after apparently falling down the stairs. Craig Scully-Hicks said his husband told him Elsie had tumbled down to the bottom after a stair gate accidentally opened. Elsie was taken to the University Hospital of Wales, where she was kept under observation for four hours before being allowed home. The court heard Elsie vomited three times after the fall and did not qualify for a CT scan in Wales. If my daughter's head had been scanned that day I wonder whether we would be here today, Craig Scully-Hicks told the jury. After returning home, Elsie lost confidence and the couple put symptoms - including vomiting - down to teething and allergies, he said. Now that I know what I should have been looking for, I would have taken her back to hospital, Craig Scully-Hicks added. The couple moved house in April 2016 and noticed Elsie seemed to be developing a squint a short time later. She was referred to an eye clinic but her appointment had not taken place by the time she died. Wales Ambulance Service received a 999 call from Scully-Hicks at about 6.20pm on 25 May, reporting that he had found Elsie unresponsive. Craig Scully-Hicks said he drove immediately to the University Hospital of Wales after receiving a call from his husband. I remember speaking to the doctor and asking if this was to do with her eye, he told the jury. He dismissed it. To be fair, everyone had dismissed it for weeks so it wasn't a surprise. The doctor said it was probably her heart. I said something to Matt like 'are you sure this isn't to do with her eye, what's going on?'. The court heard Matthew Scully-Hicks claimed he had changed Elsie for bed and left her on the floor of the lounge. She appeared to be asleep when he returned but it became apparent that she was not breathing and he called 999, he said. Elsie died at the hospital in the early hours of 29 May. Prosecutors allege that Elsie was gripped and violently shaken and suffered a head injury before her death. The court has heard Elsie may have had a vitamin D deficiency, which made her bones more susceptible to fractures. Craig Scully-Hicks said a doctor told him Elsie had a small brain, which may have caused developmental delay. Elsie did not start teething until she was 18 months old, and was not walking at the time of her death, he said. Scully-Hicks denies murder and the trial, expected to last for five weeks, continues. Police at the scene at Bermuda Park in Nuneaton where they are dealing with an ongoing incident Photo: Aaron Chown/PA Wire Emergency services near Bermuda Park in Nuneaton where police are dealing with an ongoing incident Photo: Aaron Chown/PA Wire Emergency services at the scene at Bermuda Park in Nuneaton where a gunman was holding two bowling alley members of staff hostage Photo: Aaron Chown/PA Wire Police at the scene at Bermuda Park in Nuneaton where a gunman was holding two bowling alley members of staff hostage Photo: Aaron Chown/PA Wire A gunman who held two members of staff hostage at a bowling alley in Warwickshire has been arrested. Bermuda Park in Nuneaton was locked down when the suspect held two male employees inside MFA Bowl for more than four hours. The hostage-taker was arrested and taken to hospital, and both staff members - a duty manager and a lane host - were unharmed. Chris Clegg, operations director of MFA Bowl, said: "He (the suspect) has been arrested and the two staff are safe." Expand Close Police at the scene at Bermuda Park in Nuneaton where a gunman is holding two bowling alley members of staff hostage Photo: Aaron Chown/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police at the scene at Bermuda Park in Nuneaton where a gunman is holding two bowling alley members of staff hostage Photo: Aaron Chown/PA Wire Officers are currently dealing with an ongoing incident at Bermuda Park, #Nuneaton. Please avoid the area. Warwickshire Police (@warkspolice) October 22, 2017 I'm stuck in the cinema. Are we safe? How long are we expected to be locked down? Paul Edgington (@_edgy_) October 22, 2017 People, including children, were evacuated from nearby properties in the retail park during the incident, which police confirmed was not terror-related. Mr Clegg said the suspect was handcuffed and the two employees were checked over for shock. He said: "Two people were taken to a safe place, obviously they were checked over because obviously they might be in shock. "It's obviously not an everyday situation. The ambulance, police were all checking them and making sure they were OK." Warwickshire Police said specialist firearms officers and police negotiators, along with other emergency services attended the scene at 2.30pm on Sunday. The force announced shortly after 7pm that the suspect had been arrested. Chief Superintendent Alex Franklin-Smith said: "We would like to thank local people for their patience and co-operation while officers dealt with this incident. "We are pleased that we were able to bring this incident to a peaceful resolution and that there were no injuries." Shortly after 6.30pm a series of loud bangs could be heard and about 10 minutes later an ambulance was allowed through the cordon and two people got out. The gunman had brandished his weapon above his head and yelled "game over" after arriving at the bowling alley, one witness said. Alex MulHolland said: "We were just having a game ... and a man who was also bowling ran across our lane and he was like 'get out, get out', shouting. "I was like 'what's going on?' so I turn around and there was a white guy, greyish beard, weird-looking man, he's got a gun up here, like this over his head. "He was saying 'game over, game over', everyone shouting, screaming, panicking, trying to get out and I didn't know what to make of it, really. "I ran, got my things as quickly as I could and get out of there." Asked about the man's weapon, his friend Liam Roberts said: "It was a shotgun, a long-looking thing. "I thought it was like a sword or a big knife but the second time when he came out near the door about 10 minutes after, this was to try and scare people, we knew it was a shotgun." Around 40 or 50 people, including children, were inside the complex at the time. "There was probably about 20 kids, crying, that were trying to get out - about five people at a time trying to get through a door." They speculated that the suspect was trying to clear the building of people at first. Mr Roberts said: "I think he was trying to make people scared, to know he was there." It is often asserted that the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 proved that HWA was right and he really did see the future. This of course is nonsense. Herbert W. Armstrong said that Christ would return within twenty years in his book Mystery of the Ages. (PCG has since deleted those words so someone in there knows HWA spoke nonsense.) How convenient for them to forget this. Also Herbert W. Armstrong never said the Soviet Union would collapse. He thought it would survive intact until a few years after Christ's return. It shows how biased some many in the COGs are that they never seem to notice this. This inconvenient truth is just tossed into the memory hole. It is true that HWA said that some Eastern European states would break away from Moscow's orbit and join the European Empire he said would arise at any moment. But he never talked of the Soviet Union collapsing. He did not teach that. Also he portrayed the rise of the European Empire to be far quicker then what has actually happened. In Mystery of the Ages Christ was supposed to return by 2005 at the most. So assertions that the fall of the Berlin Wall somehow prove that HWA was right is just complete nonsense spread by people who, for whatever reason, are still in denial that HWA was a false prophet who merely talked out of his own "human reasoning". British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said it's time to ramp up the pace of Brexit talks after the European Union's chief negotiator said they were deadlocked over money. "We're looking for some urgency from our friends and partners, time to put a bit of a tiger in the tank and get this thing done," he told reporters. He also said he had a message for Polish people in Britain: You are welcome to stay in Britain after Brexit. "I want to repeat the key message to the one million Poles here in our country: You are here to stay. You are welcome," Johnson said at a news conference in London beside Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski. Britain also needs to prepare for the possibility that no agreement will be reached with the European Union on a Brexit deal, he added. "The prime minister has made it very, very clear that we are going to get a deal, we are working for a great deal, but obviously we must make the right preparations as and when it is necessary for a no deal scenario. "Of course that's the responsible thing to do and that's what we are going to do." His comments follow David Davis, the Brexit secretary, heaping pressure on European Union leaders to grant chief negotiator Michel Barnier the flexibility to begin talks over EU-UK trade and a possible transition deal at crunch summit in Brussels next week. Mr Barnier was given a mandate by the 27 heads of state and government to helm the Brexit talks on their behalf but it restricts him from discussing the future relationship until the EU judges that sufficient progress has been made on the issues of the so-called Brexit bill, citizens rights and Ireland. Talks are deadlocked after five rounds of pressured negotiations with huge divisions between the two camps, especially over the so-called Brexit bill, despite Theresa Mays offering to pay 20 billion to the EU budget in her Florence speech. Gary Goldsmith, 52, who has been charged with assault by beating after an incident in Wimpole Street, London Justin Tallis/PA Wire KATE Middleton's uncle has been charged with assault by beating. Gary Goldsmith, 52, was charged with the offence after an alleged incident near his home in Wimpole Street, London, at around 1.20am on Friday. He was bailed and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on October 31, The Metropolitan Police said. Goldsmith is the younger brother of Carole Middleton, and attended the weddings of both Kate and Pippa. In the past he has spoken fondly of his nieces. Describing his pride at seeing Kate marry The Duke of Cambridge, he said: "She is this confident, clever, caring girl who has taken her responsibilities in marriage and job incredible seriously. "I think everyone thinks she's sincere, in love and doing her job to the best of her ability." Expand Close William and Kate. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp William and Kate. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Goldsmith was brought up with his sister in Southall, west London. Their mother worked in a shop and also did accounts, while their father was a painter and decorator. Builders have discovered a secret basement in Josef Fritzls guesthouse almost a decade after he was jailed for keeping his daughter captive. The notorious Austrian rapist imprisoned Elisabeth in a cellar, sexually assaulting her thousands of times over a 24 year period and fathering seven children with her. The case made headlines around the world. But it now appears that he had built another concealed basement at his guesthouse just outside the city of Salzburg. Workers found a staircase behind an improvised wall while measuring the building, according to local media. It was part of a routine building inspection. It is unclear whether police will investigate the building. Fritzl ran the Seestern guesthouse along with his wife Rosemarie in the town of Unterach am Mondsee before the couple moved to Amstetten in 1996. Expand Close A hidden bedroom at the house and hiding place, where Fritzl imprisoned his daughter for 24 years / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A hidden bedroom at the house and hiding place, where Fritzl imprisoned his daughter for 24 years There, he would keep his eldest daughter as a sex slave in a cellar, which included a kitchen and bathroom. She was also forced to bear his children without any medical help. Three were sent "upstairs" as small children and lived relatively normal lives looked after by Fritzls unsuspecting wife. The serial rapist told Rosemarie that Elisabeth had run away to join a religious sect and had dumped her newly born children on her parents doorstep. This was the same story he told to social services. Expand Close Josef Fritzl pictured during his trial in Austria. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Josef Fritzl pictured during his trial in Austria. Photo: Getty Images The other four were not allowed to leave the cellar which resulted in the death of one baby boy when Fritzl let the child die from breathing problems rather than call a doctor. He then cremated his infant son in a wood-burning stove. That property converted into a block of flats and the basement filled with cement by Austrian authorities, after Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment for the crimes against his daughter. He is currently being held in a special facility for mentally abnormal criminals at Austria's Stein prison. Elisabeth, 51, has a new identity and lives in Village X near to the house where she was held along with her remaining children. People react as they watch a session of the Catalonian regional parliament on a giant screen at a pro-independence rally in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: Reuters/Ivan Alvarado Dinner at the Barcelona home of Catalonia-born Montserrat Armisen, an independence supporter, can be a tense affair. "He criticises us and doesn't let us eat in peace," said Armisen of her husband, Gustavo Gomez, a Colombian who favours keeping the Spanish state intact, and their children, Jordi (18) and Nicolas (27). "We go to our protests, return and don't say anything, but he just carries on," said Armisen (55). "It bothers us because there is no respect for us from him." For many in Spain, the Catalonia crisis that threatens to fracture the country is also tearing at ordinary families and evoking painful memories of Spain's 1936-39 civil war. The prospect that Catalonia, a former principality which prides itself on its distinct language and culture, might break away has created divisions across Spanish society. Many in Spain regard Catalan secessionists as a noisy minority whose national identity is built on a misreading of history, ungrateful to a Spanish state that has underwritten the region's peace and prosperity. In their turn, some secessionists decry unionists as "fascists", harking back to dictator Francisco Franco, who suppressed Catalan language and traditions after his forces won the civil war until his death in 1975. Most Catalans backed the Republicans against Franco. Small groups of far-right activists have taken part in recent anti-independence protests, with a few giving fascist salutes or carrying the flag of the Falange, the dominant party under Franco. Neo-fascists are disowned by the vast majority of those who want to keep Spain intact but their appearance in public shows how the Catalonia crisis has re-opened some of Spain's most painful wounds. "If I say things I am called a fascist," said Armisen's husband, Gomez (58), who has lived in Barcelona with his family for a decade. "Telling them they should not be independent is not being a fascist. Everything that has been done, in my view, is completely illegal," he says, adding that his wife had even asked him to leave home - something she denies. "What am I doing here?" Gomez said, holding back tears. Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has pledged to follow through on the region's independence from Spain after Catalans defied a ban and police crackdown and, according to his government's count, voted to break away in an October 1 referendum. Madrid's reaction is likely to be swift and hard. "There is no room here for appeasement, nor mediation, nor surrender. We have nothing to negotiate with coup plotters," Pablo Casado, a spokesman for Spain's ruling Popular Party, told reporters on Monday. Rosa Borras (47) took part in a demonstration in favour of national unity in Madrid last weekend. Thinking of her relatives in Catalonia, the situation is deeply saddening, she said. "I've come because I feel very Spanish and it makes me very sad what's happened," she said. "I wanted to be here for unity, because I also feel very Catalan." Mr Puigdemont's announcement sparked scenes of celebration outside the regional parliament in the streets of Barcelona, where thousands had gathered to watch on a giant screen. Xavier Turo, a 45-year-old electrician, travelled to Barcelona from the village of Sentmenat with his wife to watch what he hoped would prove to be a historic day. "We are nervous, but happy. We have been waiting a long time for this. Our government is risking their necks for us," Mr Turo said. Not all Catalans in favour of independence are convinced that the current impasse will lead to a better future. Xavier, who works as a secondary schoolteacher in Oxfordshire and preferred not to give his full name, said he was worried that he will return home to Catalonia to find a "continued state of occupation of state forces". Although the 35-year-old is in favour of independence for Catalonia, he said he was critical of the fact that "there has been no debate about the future country. We cannot start building it like this". Ksenia Sobchak - the socialite, journalist, former opposition figure and daughter of Vladimir Putin's political mentor - announced her candidacy for president in Russia yesterday, courting a protest vote in a presidential bid that appeared to get official approval from the Kremlin. In a campaign statement in the Russian daily 'Vedomosti' that barely mentioned Mr Putin and focused instead on public dissatisfaction with Russian politics, she said that she was "outside of ideology" and not a fan of Russia's annexation of Crimea (though she denied being against it). Expand Close Mr Putin has been in power for more than 6,630 days, a month longer than former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev's 6,601 days in office. Photo: Reuters / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Putin has been in power for more than 6,630 days, a month longer than former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev's 6,601 days in office. Photo: Reuters "I am 'against all'," she wrote, announcing her candidacy. "You are not for Sobchak, you are voting against all - against Yavlinsky, Zyuganov, and Putin." The first two refer to opposition candidates Grigory Yavlinsky and Gennady Zyuganov. Mr Putin, who has not announced his candidacy despite the elections being less than six months off, has been president or prime minister of Russia since 1999. In the past six months, Russia has seen a rise in protest sentiment among young people in high schools and colleges, and the government is looking to channel that anger into a safe political movement. Those young protesters were largely inspired by the anti-corruption whistleblower and protest leader Alexei Navalny, who has been disqualified from running by multiple felony charges that he claims are politically motivated. Ms Sobchak announced her candidacy on the independent TV Rain channel. Half an hour earlier, Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin's personal spokesman, told the channel that her candidacy was seen as legitimate by the Kremlin. 'The New Times', a liberal Moscow weekly that reported her candidacy several hours before it became official yesterday, suggested that Sobchak was hoping to break back onto federal television channels, where she had made her name before being banned because of her political views. Her participation will probably split the protest vote, drawing from Navalny supporters, the magazine said. Family Ms Sobchak is the daughter of Anatoly Sobchak, the former St Petersburg mayor who hired a young Mr Putin as his deputy mayor in the tumultuous 1990s. It has been rumoured, though never confirmed, that Ms Sobchak is Mr Putin's goddaughter. Ms Sobchak's father died in 2000. Her mother, Lydumila Narusova, is a former member of Russia's upper house of parliament. Ms Sobchak, who is not backed by a political party, must collect 300,000 signatures to register as an independent candidate. She has an Instagram account with 5.2 million followers and is a regular guest at black-tie events. Mr Putin has not said that he plans to step down. He has been in power since December 31 1999, when then Russian president Boris Yeltsin announced he was stepping down. Mr Putin, who has shuffled between the presidency and the role of prime minister, has been in power for more than 6,630 days, a month longer than former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev's 6,601 days in office. A powerful oligarch, Mikhail Prokhorov, stepped in as a liberal candidate during the 2012 presidential elections, when he captured 8pc of the vote as an independent. Some thought his candidacy was welcomed by the Kremlin, making Mr Putin's inevitable victory appear more legitimate. Despite taking third place in those elections, Mr Prokhorov has since exited politics. Other candidates have run consistently since 1996 with little success. Mr Putin has regularly won more than 60pc of the vote and often more than 70pc. Ms Sobchak spoke during the 2011 and 2012 "white ribbon" protests against Mr Putin, which brought 100,000 people onto the streets in protest of alleged vote-rigging and Mr Putin's return to the presidency in 2011. But she has limited her role in politics since then, largely focusing on a television show on the independent (and often opposition) channel TV Rain, while working on other private projects. She first gained fame for her role on the Russian 'Big Brother' show called 'Dom-2', or 'House-2'. ( The Washington Post) Spain's central government threatened on Thursday to suspend Catalonia's autonomy after the region's leader said it could go ahead with a formal declaration of independence if Madrid continued its "repression". In an unprecedented move since Spain returned to democracy in the late 1970s, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he would hold a special cabinet meeting on Saturday to impose direct rule in Catalonia. Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, ignoring a 10 a.m. deadline to drop his secession campaign, threatened Rajoy with a formal declaration of independence in the Catalan parliament. The two statements increased uncertainty over a one-month political crisis that has raised fears of social unrest, led the euro zone's fourth-largest economy to cut its growth forecasts and rattled the euro. Spanish government bond yields rose and stocks sold off after the deadline passed, while the euro dipped into negative territory. "If the government continues to impede dialogue and continues with the repression, the Catalan parliament could proceed, if it is considered opportune, to vote on a formal declaration of independence," Puigdemont said in a letter to Rajoy. It is not yet clear how and when a Catalan declaration of independence would take place and whether it would be endorsed by the regional assembly, though many pro-independence lawmakers have openly said they wanted to hold a vote in the Catalan parliament to lend it a more solemn character. If Rajoy invokes Article 155 of the 1978 constitution, which allows him to take control of a region if it breaks the law, it would not be fully effective until at least early next week. It needs previous parliamentary approval, offering some last minute leeway for secessionists to split unilaterally. The terms of Article 155 are vague and could spur more wrangling with the restive region, though the government said on Thursday it had a wide political backing from other parties. "The government will use all the tools available to restore as soon as possible the law and the constitutional order, recover peaceful cohabitation between citizens and stop the economic damage that the legal uncertainty is creating in Catalonia," the government's spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo said in a statement. Madrid can in theory sack the local administration and install a new team, take control of police and finances, and call a snap election. But some members of the Catalan government have already questioned this interpretation of the constitution, suggesting the stand-off could extend for at least several more days. Puigdemont has already defied Rajoy once this week, when he ignored a first deadline to drop the independence campaign and instead called for talks. Rajoy says the Catalan government has repeatedly broken the law, including when it held a banned vote on independence on Oct. 1 and made a symbolic declaration of independence on Oct. 10, only to suspend it seconds later. Puigdemont says a violent police crackdown on the referendum and arrests of pro-independence leaders on charges of sedition show the Spanish state has become authoritarian. Iran has manufactured a 10-ton bomb comparable in scale to the United States "Mother of All Bombs", one the country's most senior general's has claimed. "These bombs are at our disposal, can be launched from aircraft and they are highly destructive," said General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Airspace Commander of Irans Revolutionary Guards Speaking to the country's state news agency FARS, Mr Hajizadeh described the bomb as the father of all bombs inviting comparison with the Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB) which the US Air Force dropped on tunnels in Afghanistans Nangarhar province from an MC-130 aircraft in April. The MOAB is the largest non-nuclear weapon ever used in combat by the US military, Its explosion is equivalent to 11 tons of TNT and the blast radius is a mile wide The announcement comes as tensions are escalating between the US and Iran over the development of its military program. Earlier this month, Iranian state media claimed the countrys military had tested its first ever long-range missile defence system. In 2015, crippling economic sanctions on Iran were lifted after the government agreed to restrict development of its nuclear weapons. The United Nations (UN) resolution, signed by five members of the security council, called upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology. Iran maintains it has complied with the UN accord. However, the Trump administration has repeatedly said it believes Iran is violating the terms of the agreement. In our view, Iran is clearly in default of these expectations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Mr Tillerson said this week at a press conference in London. The countrys actions were threatening the security of those in the region as well as the United States itself, he continued. Retaliating, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said: "The Iranian nation is standing firm and any wrong move by the domineering regime regarding the [nuclear accord] will face the reaction of the Islamic Republic." Damaged buildings in Raqqa, after Syrian Democratic Forces said military operations to oust Islamic State group had ended and their fighters had taken full control of the city (AP Photo/ Gabriel Chaim) Two Syrian soldiers in Qaryatayn, a town in central Syria which was recaptured from Islamic State group militants on Saturday (AP) More than 60 civilians whose bodies were found in a Syrian town taken back by government troops from Islamic State militants were killed in a "shocking massacre", a Syrian official has said. Talal Barazi, the governor of Homs province, where the discovery was made, said the search and documentation of those killed in the town of Qaryatayn is still under way. Mr Barazi said most of the bodies were of townspeople who were government employees or were affiliated with Syria's ruling Baath party. Mr Barazi said at least 13 residents remain missing, while six bodies have not been identified. He said the killings took place during the three weeks that IS was present in the town, "terrorising" its residents. Government forces regained control of Qaryatayn on Saturday. News of the discovery of at least 67 bodies began to emerge on Sunday. The death toll is likely to climb. Some were shot in the street as IS militants retreated from the town, because they were suspected of working with the governments, according to activists. At least 35 of the casualties were found shot and their bodies dumped in a shaft. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented the killings of at least 128 people in Qaryatayn during the last days of IS control of the town. The head of the Observatory, Rami Abdurrahman, said what happened in the town was a "massacre". The activist-run group said other bodies were also found in the town streets - apparently people who had been shot by pro-government forces and suspected of working with IS. T he Observatory also said it documented at least 12 killed at the hands of pro-government troops after they regained control of the town. IS militants first seized Qaryatayn in August 2015, and relied on the strategically-located town to defend another of their bastions, the historic city of Palmyra. At the time, thousands of the town's Christian residents fled, fearing the extremist group's brutality. With Russian backing, Syrian troops regained control of the town in April 2016. But IS, facing major setbacks around Syria and Iraq, launched a new attack on the town in late September and recaptured it. At the time, Russia accused the United States, which is battling IS, of looking the other way and allowing the militants to attack Qaryatayn. Most of the IS militants who were involved in attacks on the town were local residents. Pro-government media blamed the loss of Qaryatayn for the second time on what it described as militant "sleeper cells". There was no immediate comment from the government in Damascus on the discovery of the bodies in Qaryatayn. The apparent revenge killings underscore IS's ability to inflict heavy losses in Syria even while its militants are on the retreat in north and eastern Syria, days after having been defeated in Raqqa, the group's de facto capital. The deaths also raise the spectre of more revenge killings by the group while it fights to hang on to its last Syrian strongholds. Video footage shot as Syrian government troops recaptured Qaryatayn showed several bodies in the streets of the town. In the video, a town resident says IS "monsters" killed more than a 100 people, including soldiers and civilians. "These are people who don't know g od, they don't know anything," he said. "They killed children and women with knives, they beat women, broke their arms." Journalists gathered at the entrance of the Ekho Moskvy radio station's office after Ms Felgenhauer was attacked (AP) A top journalist at Russia's leading news radio station has been placed in a medically-induced coma after being stabbed in the throat by an attacker who burst into her studio. The attack on Tatyana Felgenhauer, the deputy editor-in-chief at the Ekho Moskvy station , is the latest in a string of assaults on journalists or opposition activists in the Russian capital. Ms Felgenhauer, 32, underwent surgery at a hospital and was put in medically-induced coma as doctors determine the best course of treatment, editor-in-chief Alexei Venediktov said. The attacker, after being apprehended, told investigators he had been in "telepathic contact with Felgenhauer" for five years. To get into the building, the man sprayed gas in the face of a security guard at the entrance on the ground floor then went up to the 14th floor, where the station's studios are located. "The man came here on purpose. He knew where he was going," Mr Venediktov told reporters. Ms Felgenhauer is best known for co-hosting a popular morning show. Ekho Moskvy is described as Russia's only independent news radio station. Its searing criticism has irked many in the Russian government and its hosts and journalists have previously reported death threats. Another popular Ekho Moskvy host, Yulia Latynina, fled Russia in September following a suspected arson attack on her car. The Investigative Committee, deals with high-profile crimes, said it is treating the attack as attempted murder. A spokesman for the Russian prosecutor general's office described the attack as "outrageous" and said prosecutors will investigate the case closely. The Tass news agency quoted Moscow police, however, as saying they suspect the man had a personal grudge against Ms Felgenhauer. State-owned Russian media have long targeted Ekho Moskvy for its critical reporting. The state television channel Rossiya 24 put out a report two weeks ago that described the station as an "arm of the US state department," saying it gets paid for "destabilising society" ahead of Russia's presidential election in March. Columnist Oleg Kashin, who survived in a brutal attack in 2010 which was never properly investigated, told the Dozhd television station that Ms Felgenhauer's "blood is on the hands of people from Rossiya 24, too". Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, said Russian authorities' failure to respond to the recurrent attacks and threats against independent journalists, activists and opposition leaders only makes further incidents more likely. AP Federal investigators probing the lobbying work of ousted US national security adviser Michael Flynn are focused in part on the role of Bijan Kian, Mr Flynn's former business partner, according to a person quizzed by the FBI. Investigators are also looking at whether payments from foreign clients to Mr Flynn and his company, the now-inactive Flynn Intel Group, were lawful, according to two separate sources with knowledge of the inquiry. That includes payments by three Russian companies and a Netherlands-based company, Inovo, controlled by Turkish businessman Ekim Alptekin, they said. The FBI's interest in Mr Kian has not been previously reported. Mr Kian played a central role in securing and overseeing the Inovo contract, two people with knowledge of that project said. It is not clear whether Mr Kian is a target of the criminal investigation or whether investigators are trying to build a fuller understanding of how Mr Flynn's company operated. A person recently interviewed by the FBI in connection with the Flynn investigation said agents from the bureau's criminal division had asked as much about Mr Kian and his work on the project with Mr Alptekin as they had about Mr Flynn. Mr Kian did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The FBI declined to comment. Mr Flynn's lawyer, Robert Kelner, did not respond to requests for comment. Mr Alptekin declined to comment for this story but last month denied any wrongdoing. The FBI has been investigating whether Mr Flynn's consulting firm lobbied on behalf of Turkey - after being paid $530,000 by Inovo - without making the proper disclosure. The federal investigation is being run by special counsel Robert Mueller, who has a mandate to investigate contacts between Russia and Mr Trump's 2016 election campaign team and any related matters. Mr Flynn was fired by the Trump administration in February after officials said he mischaracterised a series of phone calls with Russia's ambassador last December. The top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which has separately been looking into whether Mr Flynn made false statements in applying for security clearance, said he was also scrutinising Mr Kian. "I have an interest in Bijan Kian and his interactions with General Flynn based on specific documents already obtained by the Committee," Elijah Cummings told Reuters in an email. Mr Kelner has sought immunity for Mr Flynn in exchange for his testimony, saying his client "certainly has a story to tell". In private conversations with potential clients, Mr Kian portrayed himself as a rainmaker for Mr Flynn, tapping into connections cultivated during a five-year tenure as a director at the US Export-Import Bank, according to one person who worked with the firm. Mr Alptekin said in May that his firm hired Flynn Intel Group to research Gulen activities in the US, which he suspected were "poisoning" relations between the US and Turkey. A volunteer heads out on a jet ski to look for people in need of help in Orange, Texas, yesterday. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images The damage from Hurricane Harvey could hit $180bn (150bn), making it more costly than epic hurricanes Katrina or Sandy, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Harvey, which first came ashore on August 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in 50 years, has killed an estimated 47 people, displaced more than one million and damaged nearly 200,000 homes in a path of destruction stretching for almost 500km. Mr Abbott, who is pleading for US government aid for his state's recovery, said the damage would exceed that of Katrina, the storm that devastated New Orleans and surrounding areas in 2005, and Sandy, which overwhelmed New York city and the US Northeast in 2012. "Katrina caused if I recall more than $120bn but when you look at the number of homes and businesses affected by this I think this will cost well over $120bn, probably $150bn to $180bn," Mr Abbott said, warning: "This is far larger than Hurricane Sandy." Us President Donald Trump has asked Congress for an initial $7.85bn (6.6bn) for recovery efforts, which Mr Abbott called a "down payment". Even that amount could be delayed unless Congress quickly increases the government's debt limit, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said yesterday. The US is on track to hit its debt limit by the end of the month unless Congress increases it. "Without raising the debt limit, I am not comfortable that we will get money to Texas this month to rebuild," Mr Mnuchin said. Beyond the immediate funding, any massive aid package faces budget pressures at a time when Mr Trump is advocating for tax reform or tax cuts, leading some on Capitol Hill to suggest aid may be released in a series of smaller batches. The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) called federal aid a "ray of hope" but said state and local officials also needed to do their part. "They can't depend only on federal emergency management," said Fema administrator Brook Long. Houston was still struggling to recover yesterday, when the city forced the evacuation of thousands of people on the western side of town who were affected by the release of floodwater that had built up in a reservoir. The city cut off power to homes yesterday morning to encourage evacuation of those who had been reluctant to leave. McCain: "All the results so far are excellent." Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images US Senator John McCain has described his brain cancer as "vicious" but believes the treatment is going well. "This is a very vicious form of cancer that I'm facing," said Senator McCain, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2008. The 80-year-old Arizona senator was found to have an aggressive form of brain tumour, glioblastoma, after surgery in July for a blood clot above his left eye. "All the results so far are excellent," he said, adding that the prognosis was "pretty good". "I'm facing a challenge, but I've faced other challenges, and I'm very confident about getting through this one as well," the senator said. "I've had no side-effects, no nothing except frankly an increased level of energy." Mr McCain recently completed his first round of chemotherapy and radiation, and he said that he would have an MRI today, an imaging technique used to evaluate medical conditions. The senator, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee and was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam campaign, is also going to oversee work on a defence policy bill on the Senate floor next week. "Every life has to end one way or another," he said, adding that he was very happy with his life, including the 2008 campaign that he lost to former president Barack Obama. "I am able to celebrate a wonderful life and I will be grateful for additional time that I have," he said. Former President Barack Obama speaks at a rally with New Jersey Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Jim Murphy in Newark, New Jersey Former US president Barack Obama has called on fellow Democrats to reject the politics of "division and fear". Stepping into the political spotlight for the first time since leaving the White House in January, Mr Obama did not mention President Donald Trump in two campaign speeches, but he did tell crowds that they could send a message to the rest of the country in forthcoming elections. Earlier another former President George W Bush also attacked "bullying and prejudice" while defending immigrants and trade in a New York speech that appeared to be another critique of President Trump. Mr Bush (71) used a rare public address to discuss nationalism, racial divisions and Russia's intervention in the 2016 election, all flashpoints of his fellow Republican's nine-month White House tenure. Expand Close Former U.S. President George W. Bush speaks after being honored with the Sylvanus Thayer Award at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former U.S. President George W. Bush speaks after being honored with the Sylvanus Thayer Award at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, "Bullying and prejudice in our public life sets a national tone, provides permission for cruelty and bigotry, and compromises the moral education of children. The only way to pass along civic values is to first live up to them," Mr Bush said at the Bush Institute's National Forum on Freedom, Free Markets and Security. He told a rally in Virginia: "Why are we deliberately trying to misunderstand each other, and be cruel to each other and put each other down? That's not who we are." Mr Obama, who was campaigning with the party's gubernatorial candidates in Virginia and New Jersey, added: "Our democracy's at stake, and it's at stake right here in Virginia." Like Mr Obama, Mr Bush did not name Mr Trump, but he attacked some of the principles that define the 45th president's political brand. Mr Bush said: "We've seen nationalism distorted into nativism, forgotten the dynamism that immigration has always brought to America." He added: "We've seen our discourse degraded by casual cruelty. Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seem more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication. "We need to recall and recover our own identity. To renew our country, we only need to remember our values." Virginia and New Jersey are the only two states electing new governors this year and those November races will be considered a bellwether of Democrats' strength in the face of Mr Trump's victory last year. Mr Obama said: "Some of the politics we see now we thought we put that to bed. That's folks looking 50 years back. It's the 21st century, not the 19th century." The first black president offered himself as proof that the country could move forward, telling the crowd in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy, that he is a distant relative of Confederate president Jefferson Davis on his mother's side. "Think about that," Mr Obama said. Mr Trump has used nicknames to demean opponents, such as "Crooked Hillary" for Democrat Hillary Clinton and, more recently, "Liddle" Bob Corker for a Republican senator who dared to challenge him. Mr Bush, president from 2001 to 2009, emphasised the important role of immigrants and of international trade, two policy areas that Mr Trump has cracked down on while in office. "We see a fading confidence in the value of free markets and international trade, forgetting that conflict, instability, and poverty follow in the wake of protectionism," Mr Bush said. Asked whether the speech was aimed at Mr Trump, a spokesman for Mr Bush said the long-planned remarks echoed themes the former president had discussed for years. Mr Bush touted US alliances abroad, something Mr Trump has called into question, and he denounced white supremacy, which critics accused Mr Trump of failing to do quickly and explicitly earlier this year. Mr Bush described a decline in public confidence in institutions and a paralysis in the governing class. Mr Bush said Americans were the heirs of Thomas Jefferson, the third US president, as well as civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. "This means that people of every race, religion, and ethnicity can be fully and equally American," he said. "It means that bigotry or white supremacy in any form is blasphemy against the American creed." Mr Trump has had a rocky relationship with the Bush family. He belittled former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who was an early opponent of Mr Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, and has criticised George W Bush for the war in Iraq and for presiding over the September 11, 2001 attacks. Mr Bush said globalisation could not be wished away "any more than we could wish away the agricultural revolution or the industrial revolution". He also had harsh words for Russia and seemed to take aim at Mr Trump for playing down Moscow's intervention in the US election. "According to our intelligence services, the Russian government has made a project of turning Americans against each other. This effort is broad, systematic and stealthy," he said. A woman fatally shot her boyfriend in a YouTube stunt to "boost her online profile". Monalisa Perez, from Minnesota, claimed after being charged in the shooting that it was a stunt gone badly wrong. Ms Perez, who is pregnant, was charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of Pedro Ruiz III. According to a criminal complaint, 19-year-old Ms Perez told authorities Mr Ruiz wanted to make a YouTube video of her shooting a bullet into a book he was holding against his chest. She says she fired from about a foot away and then fled the house, screaming. Authorities say 22-year-old Mr Ruiz died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. Their three-year-old daughter was reportedly at the scene when the shot was fired at about 6.30pm on Monday. Ms Perez told deputies that the stunt had been Mr Ruiz's idea, and that he had to convince her to do it. The book was supposed to stop the bullet in order to create a viral video. The victim's aunt, Claudia Ruiz, told WDAY-TV that the couple played pranks and put them on YouTube. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Mr Ruiz's aunt said she carried out the stunt as she wanted to increase her online profile by gaining more followers on social media. Ms Ruiz said that her nephew had told her he wanted to do the stunt "because we want more viewers, we want to get famous". "He had told me about that idea and I said, 'Don't do it. Don't do it. Why are you going to use a gun? Why?'" Ms Ruiz told the news channel. "They were in love, they loved each other," she said. "It was just a prank gone wrong." Ms Perez, a mother-of-two, tweeted about the stunt before it happened. She wrote: "Me and Pedro are probably going to shoot one of the most dangerous videos ever HIS idea not MINE." She also posted on Facebook an hour before the incident, writing: "We are in the process of making Pedro a YouTube channel oh man is it going to be sweet! LOL." She added: "All the crazy stuff will [be] on his channel and mine. Will be our family life!!!" She has published many prank videos, including one where she tricks her boyfriend into eating "the world's hottest chilli pepper". Many of her videos are called 'Mami vs Papi', in which she played pranks on her boyfriend. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] One is a stetson-wearing Alabaman who said gay sex should be illegal. Another is a security mogul recently living in Abu Dhabi. A third is dubbed "Chemtrail Kelly" for an event discussing if jet vapours were used for mind control. And then there is the convicted felon. Meet the Donald Trump "mini-mes" looking to upend the Republican Party establishment and storm Congress. This "motley crew" lies at the heart of a civil war raging in Washington DC, the outcome of which will have a profound impact on the presidency. In their sights are the Republican incumbents up for re-election next year but vulnerable from a challenge within their own party. While backgrounds may differ, they have one thing in common - the zeal of an outsider that has left the party's base energised and its leaders shaking in their boots. "There's a time and season for everything," announced Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief of staff, this month. "Right now it's a season of war against a GOP establishment." His speech - aimed at the "Grand Old Party", the Republicans - included a direct threat to those senators seen as opposing Trump. "Nobody can run and hide on this one," Bannon said. "These folks are coming for you. The day of taking a few nice conservative votes and hiding is over." An explanation for the fury can be found in the last nine months. Since taking office, Trump has failed to pass a single piece of major legislation. That is all the more glaring given the Republicans, Trump's party, hold majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. It has left the US president fuming, often publicly, at his colleagues on Capitol Hill and riled up his support base. Now they are taking direct action. Bannon is touring the country meeting candidates and donors to find politicians who back Trump's agenda and can beat Republicans seeking re-nomination. By his side is Sebastian Gorka, another Trump adviser from the populist wing who left the White House this summer to campaign from the outside. Gorka is scathing about senior Republicans and unapologetic about seeking their demise. "Very simply, the Republican establishment, especially the leadership, has betrayed the electorate in terms of what they promised to do," he said. "If they're not spoiling Trump's agenda - and in cases like John McCain they are doing everything they can to undermine the president - then the fact is they are not doing anything for him." The strategy has already paid dividends. Roy Moore, he of the stetson hat, successfully beat incumbent Senator Luther Strange to selection in Alabama. Many more are lining up to follow the same path: Kelli Ward in Arizona, Erik Prince in Wyoming, Michael Grimm in New York. The candidates could even get some support from the man they call "Mr Brexit" - former Ukip leader Nigel Farage. He appeared on stage to support Roy Moore - triggering outcry at home - and does not rule out similar trips again. "I have a following with the base here, of that there's no doubt," Farage said, referring to his US trip last year to defend Trump when few others would. "Steve Bannon is absolutely determined to rid the Republican Party of its establishment wing," he added. "Anyone that underestimates him is making a huge mistake." Yet the risk is obvious. Like the Tea Party before it, this new insurgent movement could ultimately undermine the cause by replacing electable candidates with losers. Moore, having dispatched his Republican rival, is now facing a tight race against the Democrat opponent for the seat in Alabama, famous for its conservatism. Losing just a handful of seats next year would be enough to flip the Senate and give Trump's opponents a majority. Telegraph Spectators and patrons at Shaws Tavern in Washington, DC, watch as former FBI director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Photo: Getty Images Some people in Washington skipped work yesterday to watch former FBI director James Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. That wasn't necessary for Lillyanne Daigle, who simply followed the rest of her office to a bar. Ms Daigle, a 29-year-old who works at a nuclear non-proliferation advocacy group, wasn't playing hookey as she stood in line with hundreds of other people outside Shaw's Tavern, a DC bar that opened at 9.30am to show the Comey hearing on its big-screen televisions. All of her co-workers were there on an official field trip. "I've been in DC three years. This is my first DC scandal," Ms Daigle said, occasionally peeking at the block-long line of like-minded political spectators between herself and the door. "This is the most DC thing - watch a political scandal, at a bar." "At work", added Jennifer Knox, one of Ms Daigle's colleagues. Hangovers, power breakfasts, sporting events in distant time zones - people have many motives for walking through a saloon door before lunch. In most cities, the opportunity to watch jargon-studded Congressional testimony by a fired bureaucrat with the haircut of a 1950s Boy Scout is not among them. But anyone looking for evidence that Washington truly is a place apart from the rest of the country needed look no further yesterday morning than Shaw's, one of at least a half-dozen District watering holes that opened early to show Mr Comey's testimony. The crowd was a mix of young and old. Some, in ties or pantsuits, kept up a pretence of weekday seriousness. Others were at their summertime ease in salmon slacks and chequered linen shirts. Inside the bar, the crowd was not raucous. By mid-morning, most were still eating breakfast and favouring coffee to stronger beverages. But, in between long stretches of silence as Mr Comey spoke, the patrons weren't above an occasional demonstrative outburst - most of it, in a city that voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton, directed against US President Donald Trump. When Mr Comey referred to some of Mr Trump's statements as "lies, plain and simple," the room burst out in applause. Mr Comey's dry laugh-lines - "Yes, because I've heard the president say so," he deadpanned at one point when asked whether the FBI's investigation of Russian meddling in the election played a role in his firing - were duly met with guffaws. This being Washington, some people sought to fill the role of anonymous sources. Crazy "This is crazy, and just a total testament to how different DC is as a city," a lawyer told a reporter before remembering his government clients and catching himself. "I think it's probably best that we stay off the record," he added. Mohammad Al-Rousan, a 22-year-old intern freshly arrived in the capital from Dallas and still not practiced in the dark arts of not-for-attribution quotes, was less guarded. "I've never seen anything like this," he said, looking wide-eyed around the tavern. The closest he could recall, he said, was a mob scene at the mall for the release of the iPhone 7. Sasha Ghosh-Siminoff, Mr Al-Rousan's boss at an international aid and development outfit, said he wasn't expecting any smoking gun moments during Mr Comey's testimony. Nevertheless, he said he had decided a trip to the bar would be a fitting orientation for his new crop of interns. "What's more DC," Mr Ghosh-Siminoff said, "than making a huge political circus out of dry testimony in the Senate?" ( Washington Post Syndication) In this summers Wolf Warrior II, Chinese action star Wu Jing portrays a tough super-patriot who rescues both fellow countrymen and oppressed Africans with help from the Peoples Liberation Army. Audiences loved what became Chinas biggest-grossing movie ever. Some reportedly sang the national anthem as the movie closed on an image of a Chinese passport and the words, Please remember, at your back stands a strong motherland. This red-blooded nationalism has been channeled skillfully by President and ruling Communist Party leader Xi Jinping as he seeks to strengthen the partys role in Chinese life and shepherd the countrys rise to prominence at a time when the United States and others in the West are seen to be in retreat. Xis muscular foreign policy could become even more assertive following this months congress of the ruling Communist Party, where delegates will agree to support his policies and endorse his second five-year term as party secretary general, observers say. Xis on a roll, said June Teufel Dreyer, professor of political science at the University of Miami. She predicted he would continue expanding Chinas influence by gradually increasing pressure on other countries, a tactic seen in Beijings steady island-building efforts in the South China Sea, for instance. In an address Wednesday to the congress opening session, Xi reiterated that China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and maintains a defensive military posture. However, he also warned other countries not to underestimate Chinas willingness to stand up for itself. No one should expect China to swallow anything that undermines its interests, Xi told delegates at Beijings hulking Great Hall of the People. For years, after its emergence from hard-line Marxism in the late 1980s, China stuck to reformist leader Deng Xiaopings dictum to keep a low profile and bide ones time, while also getting things done. That began to change after the last decades global financial crisis, from which China emerged relatively unscathed, and the countrys foreign policy has since shifted into high gear under Xi. China has succeeded in leveraging its booming economy and mountain of foreign currency holdings to influence other nations and further its global ambitions. A key watershed came this year, when the Peoples Liberation Army began manning Chinas first overseas base in Djibouti, reversing decades of rhetoric eschewing such facilities as imperialist Cold War holdovers. The overall goal seems clear: Restore China to its traditional role as East Asias leading nation and a global economic and cultural force. Xi said as much in his opening address on Wednesday when he outlined a vision of raising Chinas international stature. By 2050, Xi said, China would be a global leader in terms of composite national strength and international influence. Xi presents very bold visions for where China should be headed and what China must become, said Jingdong Yuan, an Asia-Pacific security expert at Australias University of Sydney. A more forceful post-congress approach could include expanding Chinas role in international bodies and new China-sponsored initiatives such as the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank. China could also become more assertive in regional hot spots such as the South and East China Seas and its contested border with India. Perhaps no strategy reflects Xis vision more clearly than the Belt and Road Initiative launched around the time of Xis elevation five years ago. The massive undertaking seeks to link China to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond with a sprawling network of roads, railways, ports and other economic projects valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The goal is to make China an indispensable economic partner with expanded political influence, while offering new opportunities for Chinese businesses weighed down by overcapacity and shrinking markets at home. To do this, China has refined its diplomacy to take advantage of favorable global trends while not going so far that it would damage relationships with its neighbors and the United States, Yuan said. In some areas, China has proved unyielding. Beijing, for instance, angrily rejected last years ruling by an international tribunal in The Hague in a Philippine case that invalidated most of Chinas territorial claims in the contested South China Sea. It has also taken a hard line against South Koreas deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system that Beijing calls a security threat. South Korea has been vilified in Chinese state media, with Chinese group tours banned and South Korean businesses in China hit hard. However, the pragmatic approach more often wins out. Beijing has largely resisted the urge to fire back when U.S. President Donald Trump lambasts China for not doing enough on North Korea or allegedly cheating at trade, instead offering measured responses. Xi, meanwhile, pulled off a successful visit to Trumps Mar-a-Lago Florida estate that was heavy on the sort of positive optics Beijing prefers. Trump is now due to travel to Beijing in November. In Chinas latest border standoff with India, Beijing agreed to a mutual pullback of forces just days ahead of a China-hosted summit of large developing economies attended by both Xi and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. Beijing has also softened its approach to charm Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, offering him infrastructure investment and military assistance against Muslim rebels, while agreeing to allow Philippine fishermen to return to their traditional grounds in Scarborough Shoal, which China seized in 2012. The approach seems to be working. The results of a recent Pew Research Center survey show two-thirds of Filipinos believe strong economic relations with China are of greater importance, as opposed to 28 percent who say getting tough with China over territorial disputes is more important. When last asked the question in 2015, Filipinos were divided almost evenly on what was more important. Domestic politics also play a role in the shape of Chinese foreign policy. Leaders have traditionally used nationalism to blunt opposition and discontent, said Yinan He, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. If Xi fails to win total backing for his appointments and policies at the congress, he may continue to unleash foreign assertiveness, and may even seek out conflicts with certain countries that can arouse patriotic support at home, He said. Christopher Bodeen, Beijing, AP French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday urged Donald Trump not to take any hasty decisions on a global climate change deal that the US president threatened during his election campaign to abandon. Mr Macron and Mr Trump also discussed the Syrian crisis, counter-terrorism and defence spending over lunch at the US ambassador's residence in Brussels, their first meeting since Mr Macron was elected on May 7 after a turbulent campaign. Mr Macron, a centrist, described their conversation as warm and pragmatic but also said it had been "extremely direct and very frank", acknowledging there were subjects where the two leaders did not necessarily see eye-to-eye. French diplomats had said beforehand that Mr Macron would use the meeting to try to convince Mr Trump to stick to a global deal to combat climate change. Mr Trump, who doubts climate change is human-made and made a campaign pledge to "cancel" the 2015 Paris Agreement, has postponed a planned decision on whether to stay or leave that had been due before the May 26-27 summit in Italy. Mr Macron said he respected Mr Trump's decision to put the Paris agreements under review. "I reminded him of the importance these agreements have for us," Mr Macron said, adding that the pact was also important for job creation and economic development. "My wish in any case is that there should be no hasty decision on this subject by the United States because it is our collective responsibility to retain the global nature of this pledge, which was a first," Mr Macron told reporters. On the Syrian conflict, Mr Macron said he hoped all parties to the conflict could agree to create a diplomatic roadmap to a settlement, "and I think that he [Trump] shares this view." When the two leaders met, Mr Trump was fulsome in his congratulations on Mr Macron's election victory over far-right leader Marine Le Pen, saying he had run "an incredible campaign and had a tremendous victory". Although the two men barely know each other, they seemed to have a hard time letting go when they first met. Each man gripped each other's right hand so firmly that their knuckles turned white and their jaws seemed to clench. When Nato leaders greeted Mr Macron at the new alliance headquarters later, Mr Macron pointedly headed straight for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, embracing her and shaking the hand of Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg before another muscular handshake with Mr Trump. Meanwhile, in a stinging rebuke to Mr Trump, a US Appeals Court refused yesterday to reinstate his temporary travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority nations, delivering another blow to the White House in a legal battle which is likely to head to the Supreme Court. The decision described Mr Trump's executive order in forceful terms, saying it uses "vague words of national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance, animus, and discrimination." US President Donald Trump and high-ranking members of the White House staff were sued yesterday by America's Knight First Amendment Institute, which alleges the president's blocking of dissenting Twitter users violates the Constitution. The case filed in Manhattan federal court seeks a court order that Mr Trump stop the practice. The institute, a non-profit organisation affiliated with Columbia University, first warned it might seek an injunction in early June when it sent a letter to Mr Trump, his counsel, press secretary, and social media director. At the time, the institute represented two Twitter users, both of whom said they were blocked after criticising Mr Trump. Yesterday's lawsuit represents seven users. In the complaint, the foundation argued that the president's Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump, was "a public forum under the First Amendment" because of how Mr Trump and his staff used the account to communicate. Press secretary Sean Spicer previously said Mr Trump's tweets were official statements. "President Trump's Twitter account has become an important source of news and information about the government, and an important forum for speech by, to, or about the president," Jameel Jaffer, the institute's executive director, said. "The First Amendment applies to this digital forum in the same way it applies to town halls and open school board meetings. The White House acts unlawfully when it excludes people from this forum simply because they've disagreed with the president." The Knight Institute requested that the court move to declare "viewpoint-based blocking" by the president's account unconstitutional, unblock the plaintiffs, and pay the plaintiffs' attorney fees. A request for comment from the White House wasn't immediately returned. One plaintiff, comedian Nick Pappas, said he was blocked after replying to a tweet the president wrote about travel ban litigation. "Trump is right. The government should protect the people. That's why the courts are protecting us from him," Mr Pappas tweeted. He said he was blocked the day of his post, which got hundreds of retweets. Eugene Gu, another plaintiff, said he was blocked about two hours after tweeting at Mr Trump: "Covfefe: the same guy who doesn't proofread his Twitter handles the nuclear button." Trump had tweeted, and then deleted, a post including the mysterious word "covfefe". (Bloomberg) Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that US President Donald Trump had not divulged any secrets during a meeting in Washington with Russian officials and offered to prove it by supplying Congress with a transcript. But a leading US Republican politician said he would have little faith in any notes Mr Putin might supply. Two US officials said on Monday that Mr Trump had disclosed classified information about a planned Isil operation to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov when they met last week, plunging the White House into a fresh controversy just four months into Mr Trump's tenure. Mr Trump, whose administration has been dogged by allegations that Russia helped him win the White House and that he and his allies are too cosy with Moscow, has defended his decision to discuss intelligence with the Russians after media reports of the meeting alarmed some US and foreign politicians. Mr Putin deployed his trademark sarcasm yesterday to make clear he thought the accusation that Mr Trump had divulged secrets absurd. "I spoke to him [Mr Lavrov] today," a smiling Mr Putin told a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. "I'll be forced to issue him [Mr Lavrov] with a reprimand because he did not share these secrets with us. "Not with me, nor with representatives of Russia's intelligence services. It was very bad of him." Mr Putin, who still hopes Moscow can repair battered ties with the United States despite a deepening political scandal related to Mr Trump's purported Russian links, said Moscow had rated Mr Lavrov's meeting with Mr Trump highly. If the Trump administration deemed it appropriate, Mr Putin said Russia could hand over a transcript of Mr Trump's meeting with Mr Lavrov to US lawmakers to reassure them that no secrets were revealed. A Kremlin aide, Yuri Ushakov, later told reporters that Moscow had a written record of the conversation, not an audio recording. US Republican senator Marco Rubio was unimpressed with Mr Putin's offer and alluded to alleged Russian hacking of Democratic groups during the US presidential election. "I wouldn't put much credibility into whatever Putin's notes are," Mr Rubio said on Fox News. "And if it comes in an email, I wouldn't click on the attachment." Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, which is among those probing alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election, called Mr Putin's offer "quite amusing". "The last person Trump needs to vouch for him right now is Vladimir Putin," Mr Schiff said in an interview with CBS News. "If they want to send something, you know, hats off. Send it our way... Its credibility would be less than zero." Russia has repeatedly denied interfering in the US election. Mr Trump is also under pressure over accusations he asked then-FBI director James Comey to end the agency's investigation into the Russia ties of former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn. The allegation stems from a memo written by Mr Comey and seen by a source familiar with the contents of the memo. Complaining about what he said was "political schizophrenia" in the United States, Mr Putin said Mr Trump was not being allowed to do his job properly. "It's hard to imagine what else these people who generate such nonsense and rubbish can dream up next," said Mr Putin, referring to unnamed US politicians. "What surprises me is that they are shaking up the domestic political situation using anti-Russian slogans. "Either they don't understand the damage they're doing to their own country, in which case they are simply stupid, or they understand everything, in which case they are dangerous and corrupt." Russia has repeatedly said that Mr Trump's opponents are trying to damage him and Moscow by making what it says are false accusations about the billionaire president and the Russian government which initially had high hopes of a rapprochement. Officials have told Reuters that Mr Trump's alleged disclosure of classified information to Russia's foreign minister is unlikely to stop allies who share intelligence with Washington from co-operating. Congressional Republicans are increasing pressure on the Trump administration to produce documents related to the latest string of controversies involving President Donald Trump, amid flagging confidence in the White House and a growing sense that scandal is overtaking the presidency. A key House committee asked the FBI for records of communications between Donald Trump and the agency's former director James Comey on Tuesday night following reports that the president sought to shut down a federal investigation into former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn. Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, requested the documents be delivered by May 24 and said he would subpoena the information if necessary. In an interview, Mr Chaffetz said he wasn't prejudging the case. "I simply want to see the documentation," he told the 'Washington Post'. "We will let the evidence take us where it does." His request came in response to media reports disclosing the existence of a memo written by Mr Comey, whom Mr Trump fired last week, alleging that Mr Trump asked him to end the Flynn investigation during a meeting at the White House in February. Republican lawmakers began yesterday with rising concerns about the latest revelations that a memo by Mr Comey indicates that Mr Trump pressured him and that Mr Trump disclosed highly classified information to Russian officials in the Oval Office last month. Watergate Republican Senator John McCain said at an International Republican Institute dinner on Tuesday night that controversies in the Trump administration had grown to "Watergate size and scale", according to reports. Republican Senator Pat Toomey wants a Democrat to be nominated to lead the FBI because "changes are needed at the White House," a spokesman said, according to the 'Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'. And Republican Senator Ben Sasse said yesterday that "there's a lot here that's really scary." In a letter to FBI acting director Andrew McCabe, Mr Chaffetz cited a report from the 'New York Times' stating that Mr Comey's memo "describes a conversation in which the president referenced the FBI investigation . . . and said to Comey, 'I hope you can let this go.' " He asked the FBI to provide "all memoranda, notes, summaries and recordings" related to Mr Comey's communication with Mr Trump. The pressure on congressional Republicans to step up their oversight of the Trump administration intensified this week when the 'Washington Post' on Monday reported that the president shared classified information related to the Isil with Russian officials during an Oval Office meeting last week. The White House on Tuesday sought to tamp down the controversy with national security adviser HR McMaster telling reporters that what the president shared with the Russian officials "was wholly appropriate to that conversation and is consistent with the routine sharing of information between the president and any leaders with whom he's engaged." US President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son Barron Trump arrive at the Andrews Air Base in Washington, DC, yesterday. Photo: Getty Images US Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify publicly to a Senate panel today, the committee's chairman said, setting up another potentially dramatic congressional hearing on possible ties between US President Donald Trump's campaign and Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race. Mr Sessions is likely to face questions by the Senate Intelligence Committee over his dealings with Russian officials during the campaign and whether he had a role in firing former FBI director James Comey, who testified last week before the same panel. Expand Close Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Photo: Getty Images Until the panel chairman's statement yesterday, it had been unclear whether Mr Sessions would testify in an open or closed setting. Mr Comey told the panel last Thursday that the FBI had information in mid-February on Mr Sessions that would have made it "problematic" for him to continue leading a federal probe into Russian attempts to influence the presidential election. Mr Sessions recused himself from the inquiry in March after media reports that he had been in two previously undisclosed meetings last year with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak. Members of the committee are likely to ask Mr Sessions about a possible third undisclosed meeting that is now under investigation, according to media reports. Mr Sessions, a former senator and an early supporter of Mr Trump's election campaign, will be the most senior government official to testify to the committee on the Russia issue. The matter has dogged the Republican president's early months in office. A Justice Department spokeswoman said Mr Sessions requested the open setting because "he believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him." Media reports last week said Mr Sessions offered to resign because of tensions with Mr Trump over his decision to recuse himself from the FBI's Russia probe. The matter is also being investigated by several congressional panels, including the Senate Intelligence Committee. Russia has denied interfering in the US election. The White House has denied any collusion with Moscow. Meanwhile, Melania Trump has joined her husband in the White House after spending the first five months of his presidency in New York. The US first lady had stayed in Trump Tower after Mr Trump's inauguration in January until their 11-year-old son Barron finished the school year. "Looking forward to the memories we'll make in our new home!" Mrs Trump tweeted after moving in only days before the president's 71st birthday. The tweet came with a photograph of the Washington Monument as seen from what appeared to be the Red Room in the White House. Her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham confirmed the move. "It's official! @FLOTUS & Barron have made the move to DC! #WelcomeHome," she tweeted. Until now, the 45-year-old first lady has divided her time between Manhattan and Washington DC. Barron, who becomes the first boy to live in the White House since three-year-old John F Kennedy Jr in 1963, is to attend a private school in Maryland in the autumn. So far Mrs Trump's engagements have included entertaining the wives of heads of state, and presiding over events ranging from an International Women's Day lunch to the annual Easter egg roll for children on the White House lawn. Now she has moved in, pressure will build for her to be seen more and to do more. "I do think once she's in DC there'll be more pressure for her to be working on something that's her own, that's helping some segment of the population because that's what first ladies are supposed to do," said Professor Jean Harris at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. Sixty-seven agreements were signed at the 22nd Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) and the inaugural 2017 Portuguese- Speaking Countries Products and Services Exhibition (Macau) (PLPEX), both of which ended on Saturday. The agreements covered co- operation between governments and associations, as well as collaborations involving the sectors of agriculture, tourism, sport, education and product manufacturing. According to a statement issued by the organizer, the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), the pre-arranged on-site buyers conducted a total of 389 matching sessions in the Business Matching Area. The two concurrent events, held over the course of three days, conducted a total of 45 activities including forums, seminars and presentations. The forums and activities held at the events included the Angola, Guangdong and Macau Trade and Investment Forum, Cambodia Trade, Investment & Tourism Development Forum, The 7th Jiangsu Macau Portuguese-Speaking Countries Business Forum and Fujian, Macau and Portuguese- Speaking Countries Economic Exchange Networking Session. The 14th World Summit of Chinese Entrepreneurs, Lecture: How to Assist Portuguese-speaking Countries Products enter the Chinese Market and China and Portuguese Speaking Countries SMEs Investment and Trade Matchmaking Event were also held. The aim of the activities was to promote business, trade networking and collaboration between China and Portuguese- speaking countries, as well as idea exchange and communication between all parties. IPIM stated that the sessions assisted the enterprises in going global and exploring markets in countries and regions along the Belt and Road, increased multi-lateral economic and trade flow, and provided local enterprises and young people with more opportunities for co-operation and development. IPIM also stated that Sheng, an exhibitor from Jiangsu participating in MIF for the first time, has signed a co-operation intent with a bank in the region. Sheng stated that Macau has certain advantages that enable it to position itself as a Sino- Portuguese platform, aiding mainland Chinese enterprises in entering the markets of Portuguese-speaking countries and increasing international exposure. Having built a factory in Brazil after 2010, the exhibitor said that they have encountered different problems in terms of the legal environment, tax policies, labor environment, public safety, culture and customs when exploring markets in Belt and Road regions. He observed that the city enjoys advantages in term of bilingual specialists in the Chinese and Portuguese languages, human and cultural exchanges and financial resources, which can help enterprises adapt more quickly to the Portuguese-speaking countries markets. This year, MIG invited Angola and Guangdong as its Partner Country and Partner Province respectively, and set up thematic pavilions. Enterprises from over 50 countries and regions participated in MIF, with more than 1,500 booths. Meanwhile, PLPEX attracted over 210 participating enterprises and institutes. Crown Resorts Ltd., controlled by billionaire James Packer, has used an open letter to label allegations made by an Australian lawmaker that it skirted anti-money laundering rules and tampered with slot machines as unfair and unfounded. I am angered and disappointed by the outrageous allegations that have been leveled at us by Andrew Wilkie, Crown Executive Chairman John Alexander said in the letter. If he believes he has evidence of wrongdoing, he should stop the political games, step out of the parliament and make his claims without privilege. Crown, which is emerging from a legal scandal in China that prompted a retreat from its international operations, now faces regulatory and police probes at home after Wilkie on Wednesday tabled the allegations, made by three whistleblowers who identified themselves as former staff of the companys Melbourne casino. The identities of the three men were heavily disguised through image pixelation and voice altering. The whistleblowers said some Crown slot machines, commonly referred to as poker machines in Australia, were adjusted to allow buttons to remain pressed down to continuously generate bets at its Melbourne casino, against Victorian state laws. Some buttons were disabled to reduce the choice of consumers as to how much they bet, prompting the states casino regulator to order fixes, they said. They also alleged they were instructed to use different player ID cards when processing transactions above AUD10,000 (USD7,817) to avoid money-laundering oversight. The nations financial crimes agency Austrac and the Victorian gambling regulator have said they are investigating the claims, while Australian Federal Police is evaluating allegations and material referred to it by Wilkie. Crown operates in a strictly regulated environment, with multiple government agencies and state law enforcement bodies supervising our operations, Alexander said in the letter. We have a sophisticated anti-money- laundering program and we take compliance with Austrac requirements very seriously. The allegations are the latest setback for Melbourne-based Crown, which is now relying on domestic revenue to boost earnings. Its overseas strategy fell apart in the wake of a crackdown on its Chinese operations that saw some staff convicted in China in June of illegally promoting gambling. Packer, 50, returned to the companys board this year and closed most of its Asian offices to focus on profitable casinos in Australia. Packer said in an interview published in the Weekend Australian on Saturday that he had little choice but to withdraw from Macau after the arrests in China and felt let down over the scandal. Crowns experience in China has been very profitable but ended in a very embarrassing way, Packer said, according to the newspaper. Requests for comment to Wilkies spokesman on Saturday werent immediately responded to. Jason Scott, Bloomberg The centrist ANO movement led by populist Andrej Babis decisively won the Czech Republics parliamentary election Saturday in a vote that shifted the country to the right and paved the way for the euroskeptic billionaire to become its next prime minister. With all votes counted, the Czech Statistics Office said ANO won in a landslide, capturing 29.6 percent of the vote, or 78 of the 200 seats in the lower house of Parliament. Its a huge success, the 63-year-old Babis told supporters and journalists at his headquarters in Prague. Babis is the countys second-richest man, with a media empire including two major newspapers and a popular radio station. Although he was a finance minister in the outgoing government until May, many Czechs see him as a maverick outsider with the business acumen to shake up the system. With slogans claiming he can easily fix the countrys problems, he is, for some, the Czech answer to U.S. President Donald Trump. Since the leader of the strongest party usually gets to form a new government, Babis could be the countrys next leader despite being linked to several scandals including being charged by police with fraud linked to European Union subsidies. The charges will likely make it difficult for Babis to find the coalition partners he needs to build a parliamentary majority. He didnt immediately say which parties he preferred but has invited all parties that won seats in parliament for talks. In a blow to the countrys political elite, four of the top five vote-getting parties Saturday had challenged the traditional political mainstream. Some have exploited fears of immigration and Islam and have been attacking the countrys memberships in the EU and NATO. The opposition conservative Civic Democrats came in a distant second Saturday with 11.3 percent of the vote, or 25 seats. They were the strongest mainstream party. The Social Democrats, the senior party in the outgoing government, captured only 7.3 percent 15 seats while the Christian Democrats, part of the ruling coalition, won only 5.8 percent support or 10 seats. Its a voting hurricane, analyst Michal Klima told the Czech television, referring to the poor results for the mainstream parties. The Pirate Party won seats for the first time, coming in third with 10.8 percent of the vote, while the most radical anti-migrant, anti-Muslim, anti-EU party, the Freedom and Direct Democracy, was in fourth place with 10.6 percent support. The two parties won 22 seats each. Babis centrist movement stormed Czech politics four years ago, finishing a surprising second with an anti-corruption message. Babis has also been critical of the EU and opposes setting a date for when his country would adopt the shared euro currency. Like most Czech parties, ANO also rejects accepting refugees under the EUs quota system. But Babis played down his euroskeptic views after his victory. Were oriented on Europe, he said. Were not a threat for democracy. Im ready to fight for our interests in Brussels. Were a firm part of the European Union. Were a firm part of NATO. Still, some experts saw a strong shift to the right for the Czech Republic if Babis works out a coalition government with Tomio Okamura, head of the Freedom and Direct Democracy party, who wants to ban Islam and organize a referendum to exit the EU. Should [Babis] join forces with Okamura, the Czech Republic would be facing difficult times, Klima said. A record nine parties and groupings made it into Parliament. Those included the Communists, who got 7.8 percent of the vote and 15 seats, the pro-EU conservatives with 5.3 percent and seven seats and a group of mayors who won 5.2 percent support and six seats. Karel Janicek, Prague, AP The US military flew two strategic bombers over the Korean peninsula in a show of force, as President Donald Trump met top defence officials to discuss how to respond to any threat from North Korea. Tensions have soared between the US and North Korea following a series of weapons tests by Pyongyang and a string of increasingly bellicose exchanges between Mr Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. North Korea has launched two missiles over Japan and conducted its sixth nuclear test in recent weeks as it fast advances toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland. The US Air Force B-1B bombers were joined by two F-15K fighters from the South Korean military after leaving their base in Guam, South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said in a statement yesterday. The United Nations Organisation has been formally inaugurated during a short ceremony at the US State Department in Washington. A total of 29 countries ratified the United Nations Charter that was signed by 50 nations on 26 June in San Francisco. US Secretary of State James Byrnes signed the protocol and proclaimed the charter was now a part of the law of nations. He said it was a historic day for peace-loving nations of the world. But he warned peace was not based on documents but depended on the will of people to maintain it. He added the USA would do its best to promote international co-operation. The world security organisation aims to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and maintain international peace and security. The UN Charter upholds human rights and proposes that nations should work together to overcome social, economic, humanitarian and cultural challenges. The name United Nations was coined by US President Franklin D Roosevelt, and was first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942 when representatives of 26 nations pledged to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers. Further proposals for an international security organisation were discussed in August 1944 at Dumbarton Oaks, in the District of Columbia, USA. The final charter was then signed in June in San Francisco and ratified today. The UNs predecessor, the League of Nations, was established after the 1914-18 World War. It aimed to prevent another global conflict, but it failed to prevent the devastating world war that has just ended. Much of the leagues structure and many of its aims have been adopted by its successor. The organisation will consist of six organs: a General Assembly of all members; a Security Council with five permanent members China, France, Russia, the UK and the US and six temporary members; an Economic and Social Council; a Trusteeship Council to supervise administration of colonies, former mandates of the League of Nations and territories taken from defeated nations; an International Court of Justice to be based at The Hague in the Netherlands; a Secretariat. A Military Staff Committee will be charged with security and may take control of weapons such as the atomic bomb. The permanent headquarters of the UNO will be in the US although it has been revealed that France, the UK and the Netherlands voted against this decision. A preparatory commission will gather in London next month to prepare for the UNOs first General Assembly meeting in the British capital early next year expected to bring 2,000 people to the city. Courtesy BBC News In context United Nations Day is celebrated on 24 October each year. The United Nations Organisation became known simply as the United Nations and by 2005 comprised 191 member states. Its numbers were swollen as colonies became independent and the Soviet Union disintegrated. The Vatican and Taiwan remain non-members. Most members have permanent missions at the UNs main headquarters in New York. This was built in 1952 on land beside the East River donated by US millionaire John D Rockefeller. Fourteen independent agencies make up the UN System alongside many of the organisations own programmes and agencies. These include the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Health Organisation. Frictions between the Western nations and the Soviet Bloc during the Cold War dominated much of the organisations first four decades and hampered the functioning of the Security Council. Since the 1990s the UN has taken on an increasingly interventionist approach. Despite some successes in the peacekeeping arena, operations in Bosnia, Rwanda and Somalia were flawed, failing to prevent massacres and even genocide. At least 54 policemen, including 20 officers and 34 conscripts, were killed when a raid on a militant hideout southwest of Cairo was ambushed, officials said Saturday. The ensuing firefight was one of the deadliest for Egyptian security forces in recent years. Two police officials told The Associated Press that the exchange of fire began late Friday in the al-Wahat al-Bahriya area in Giza province, about 135 kilometers southwest of Cairo. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media. The firefight began when security forces acting on intelligence moved against a militants hideout in the area. Backed by armored personnel carriers and led by senior counterterrorism officers, the police contingent drew fire and rocket- propelled grenades, according to the officials. The officials said what happened next is not clear, but added that the force likely ran out of ammunition and that the militants captured several policemen and later killed them. The officials said the police force appeared to have fallen into a carefully planned ambush set up by the militants. The death toll could increase, they added. Those killed included two police brigadier-generals, a colonel and 10 lieutenant colonels. Egypts Interior Ministry, which is in charge of police, announced a much lower death toll, saying in a statement read over state television that 16 were killed in the shootout. It added that 15 militants were killed or injured, later releasing photos of some of them. The last time Egypts security forces suffered such a heavy loss of life was in July 2015 when militants from the extremist Islamic State group carried out a series of coordinated attacks, including suicide bombings, against army and police positions in the Sinai peninsula, killing at least 50. However, the army said only 17 soldiers and over 100 militants were killed. An official statement issued Saturday said Fridays incident would be investigated, suggesting that the heavy death toll may have been partially caused by incompetence, intelligence failures or lack of coordination. The officials said prosecutors will look into whether the polices counterterrorism agents failed to inform the military of the operation or include them. Two audio recordings purportedly by policemen who took part in the operation circulated online late Friday. One policeman, apparently using a two-way radio, was heard in the nearly two-minute recording pleading for help from a higher-ranking officer. We are the only ones injured, sir, the policeman said. We were 10 but three were killed. After their injury, they bled to death, sir. They took all the weapons and ammunition, he added, We are now at the foot of a mountain. The second recording was purportedly by a policeman warning others. I cant identify any direction. Only planes can see us. Take care every one, he was heard saying, adding that militants were pursuing them. The authenticity of the recordings could not be immediately verified. The heavy loss of life will likely lead to the restructuring and streamlining of the countrys counterterrorism effort, the officials said, with better coordination between the police, military and security agencies high on the list of objectives. Its also likely to be cited by government critics as a vindication of their long-held argument that suppressing freedoms, jailing opponents and cracking down on civil society does not, as the pro-government media insists, help in the war against terror. No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which bore all the hallmarks of the Islamic State group. A local affiliate of the extremist group is spearheading an insurgency whose epicenter is in the Sinai Peninsula, which borders Israel and the Gaza Strip. The United States condemned the attack in a statement issued by State Department, offering profound condolences to the families of the deceased and the government and people of Egypt at this difficult time. The incident comes a few days after militants staged a brazen daylight attack in the heart of el-Arish, the largest city in the Sinai Peninsula, attacking a church and a nearby bank and reportedly making away with some USD1 million. Seven were killed in the Monday attack. Attacks by militants have significantly increased since the 2013 ouster by the military of an Islamist president, who was freely elected but whose one-year rule proved divisive. Attacks have also spread outside Sinai and into the countrys mainland and areas close to the porous Libyan border to the west. The country has been under a state of emergency since April, following a spate of suicide bombings targeting minority Christians that have killed more than a 100 since December. The attacks were claimed by IS. Egypt blamed the attacks on the Christians on militant cells trained and armed in neighboring Libya, where mostly Islamist militias, including extremist groups like IS, control territory or maintain a foothold in the vast, oil-rich nation. In response, Egypt has stepped up security along its desert border with Libya, where it supports an eastern-based army general fighting militant groups. In July 2014, gunmen armed with rocket-propelled grenades attacked a border guard post in Egypts western desert in a brazen assault that killed 21 troops deployed close to the Libyan border. AP At first glance, it seems the perfect solution to the worlds most dangerous standoff: Find a way to get China to use its enormous influence to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear bombs. The countries, after all, share a long, porous border, several millennia of history and deep ideological roots. Tens, and possibly hundreds, of thousands of Chinese soldiers, including Mao Zedongs son, died to save North Korea from obliteration during the Korean War, and China is essentially Pyongyangs economic lifeline, responsible for most of its trade and oil. The notion of Chinese power over the North that the countries are as close as lips and teeth, according to a cliche recorded in the 3rd century is so tantalizing that Donald Trump has spent a good part of his young presidency playing it up. The reality, however, is that the complicated, often exasperating, relationship is less about friendship or political bonds than a deep and mutually uneasy dependency. Nominally allies, the neighbors operate in a near constant state of tension, a mix of ancient distrust and dislike and the grating knowledge that they are inextricably tangled up with each other, however much they might chafe against it. This matters because if China is not the solution to the nuclear crisis, then outsiders long sold on the idea must recalibrate their efforts as North Korea approaches a viable arsenal of nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, something the CIA chief this week estimated as only a matter of months away. The North Koreans have always driven China crazy, says John Delury, an expert on both countries at Seouls Yonsei University, and, for their part, the North Koreans have always felt betrayed by China. But both sides need each other in elemental ways. THE VIEW FROM CHINA: KIM FATTY One clue about how Chinese see the North can be seen in two widespread nicknames for the overweight, third-generation North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un: Kim Fatty The Third and Kim Fat Fat Fat. As China rises as an economic, military and diplomatic heavyweight whose reach extends from the Americas to Asia, many here resent being dragged down by an impoverished, stubborn, Third World dictatorship that allows its people to go hungry while its leader lives in luxury and expands a nuclear arsenal that could lead to war with Washington. North Korean missile tests hurt trade and tourism and strengthen the U.S. presence in a region that China believes it should dominate. North Korean nuclear tests set off earthquakes near the Chinese border and raise fears of radioactive contamination. Theres also scorn for the Norths brutal, nepotistic brand of socialism, and displeasure that North Korean aggression led South Korea to allow on its territory a U.S. anti-missile system that Beijing says can be used to spy on its operations. This growing disdain is reflected in Chinas willingness to permit criticism of the North in the press, and to allow tougher sanctions at the U.N. Beijing has suspended coal, iron ore, seafood and textiles from the North. Although North Korea takes pride in its ability to absorb pain, be it war, famine, sanctions or condemnation, Chinas tougher line will rob Pyongyang of key sources of foreign currency. Still, nothing China has done offsets its underlying fear that too much external pressure could collapse the government in Pyongyang. The nightmare scenario for Beijing is North Korean refugees flooding into its northeast after Seoul takes power in Pyongyang and U.S. and South Korean troops occupy lands that were once considered a buffer zone. It is true that China loathes North Korea and vice versa at the societal level, the leadership level and the governmental level, Van Jackson, a North Korea specialist and lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, wrote earlier this year. But Chinas emotions toward North Korea dont drive its policy. Beijing has also argued that it has less power over North Korea than people think. Some observers question whether China could force a change in the North, short of military intervention, even if it wanted to. North Korea relies on China for most of its oil, and outsiders have long argued that the best way to cripple the Norths economy and force it to submit would be to persuade Beijing to cut that flow. But even this may not work. North Korea gets its oil from China out of convenience, not necessity, according to Pierre Noel, an energy security specialist at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank. Would it be good news for North Korea if the oil stopped flowing? No. Is it likely to cripple the economy and force the government to change course on their foremost strategic priority? No. There are ample hydrocarbons in North Korea to substitute for those it imports from China. THE VIEW FROM N. KOREA: PROFOUND MISTRUST One way to gauge Pyongyangs feelings for Beijing is to consider that Kim Jong Un has yet to visit his only major ally, a country that accounts for 90 percent of North Korean trade, since taking power in December 2011. His late father, Kim Jong Il, hated to travel but went to China eight times during his rule, and Chinese leaders reciprocated with trips to Pyongyang. Since communication at the highest levels has now virtually disappeared, Kim Jong Un feels little need to pay attention when Beijing calls on him to stop testing nukes and missiles. In fact, North Korea has seemingly sought to humiliate Beijing by timing some of its missile tests for major global summits in China. Last month, North Korean state media accused Chinese state-controlled media of going under the armpit of the U.S. by criticizing Pyongyang. In May, the North vowed to never beg for the maintenance of friendship with China [or risk North Koreas] nuclear program which is as precious as its own life, no matter how valuable the friendship is. It can be argued that the North Korea-China relationship never really recovered from Beijings decision in 1992 to establish formal diplomatic relations with Seoul. But a big part of North Koreas profound sense of mistrust and long-term effort to resist Chinas influence stems from the 1950-53 Korean War, according to James Person, a Korea expert at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington. The war is often seen as the backbone of the countries alliance, he said, but the North blamed the failure to conquer the South on Beijing, which had seized control of field operations after the near-annihilation of North Korean forces. In the 1970s, with North Korea pushing the United States for a peace treaty to replace the Korean War cease-fire that continues today, Washington chose to work through China. By so doing, U.S. officials failed to see the limits of Chinese influence in the North, Person wrote last month on the 38 North website. Yet, nearly four decades later, asking China to solve the North Korean problem remains Washingtons default policy for dealing with Pyongyang. This, he said, is a recipe for continued failure. By Foster Klug, Beijing, AP New Delhi, Oct 23 (IBNS): Expressing concern over poor implementation of the Supreme Court ban order on sale of fire crackers in the DelhiaNCR, the ASSOCHAM today said ensuring a clean environment should be a combined responsibility of the Centre, state governments, civil society and public at large and not of the apex court alone. The economic interest of the traders and the manufacturers was involved; but once the Supreme Court had banned sale of fire crackers, the enforcement of the order should have been ensured by the Union Environment Ministry, Delhi Government, state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in the entire National Capital Region, the ASSOCHAM Secretary General Mr D S Rawat said. Though there was a voluntary compliance in the select areas, the ban was largely defied through sale of fire crackers on the sly inside the localities, with the result that though the damage to the environment this year was less than the previous few years, the air pollution in the NCR was still 18 times the limit allowed. The levels of PM 2.5 had risen, though there was a consolation of slightly less damage. Learning from the experience this year, there is a need for a well-coordinated action plan to control the air pollution not only during Diwali but throughout the year, more so during the winter when the sky is overcast with haze and toxic gases, severely damaging the health of millions of people, particularly the children, the chamber said. The public at large has to be involved much more vigorously and the message must go home about the ill effects of toxic fire crackers. In fact, the entire government machinery should prepare an action plan in consultation with the civil society, traders, crackers manufacturers. The festivities can be rejoiced without burning the damaging fire crackers; crackers with less pollutants can be manufactured with technological support to the manufacturers. This action plan should be presented before the apex court along with the National Green Tribunal. This is no reason why a pragmatic win:win solution cannot be found. As far as possible, the last minute situations should be avoided so that any move to clean pollution has a larger support of public and policy makers, the chamber said. Ottawa, Oct 23 (IBNS): Captain David Matschke is well aware of the dangers he faces on the job. A firefighter for 32 years, he is trained to race to the scene of house fires, car crashes and even industrial accidents, breaking through windows and doors to evacuate occupants and routinely putting himself in harmas way. But beyond fire itself, a study published today in the journal Environmental Science & Technology sheds new light on another, more insidious threat that may be putting firefightersa health at risk: toxic chemicals in smoke. A team of researchers at the University of Ottawa, working with Health Canada, the University of Toronto and the Institut national de sante publique du Quebec, examined chemical exposure experienced by Ottawa Fire Service firefighters during on-shift, emergency fire operations between January 2015 and April 2016. The team collected urine and skin wipe samples from the firefighters at the start of their shift as well as after a fire to measure whether they were exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can cause DNA mutations and cancer, and other harmful chemicals often found in smoke. Firefighters had from three to more than five times the amount of metabolites, or by-products of PAHs, in their urine after a fire compared to before the fire, says Jennifer Keir, researcher at the University of Ottawa and senior author of the study. Mutagenic potency of the urine, which reveals the potential for genetic mutations, also increased on average more than four times after a fire. Since urine contains waste and toxins filtered by the kidneys from the bloodstream, its mutagenic potency is a good indicator of the presence of noxious components in firefighters blood. Previous studies have shown that firefighters have increased risk of cancers and other serious illnesses compared to the general population, due in part to their exposure to hazardous chemicals found in smoke. This is the first study to examine chemical exposure occurring during emergency, on-shift fire suppression. An unexpected finding relates to the route by which the monitored chemicals enter a firefighters body. The team found a significant link between PAH metabolites found in urine and levels of PAHs on skin, suggesting that firefighters are exposed to these harmful chemicals mainly through contact with their skin, rather than by inhalation. Our study shows that the best way to reduce a firefighters exposure to harmful combustion products is to reduce chemical exposure to the skin, says Jules Blais, professor of environmental toxicology at the University of Ottawa and research team leader. Our research shows how firefighters are exposed to harmful chemicals, which helps us find ways to reduce those exposures - and hopefully reduce the onset of disease. I have witnessed many of my peers and friends battle job related illnesses, says Matschke. To have definitive proof of the chemicals that we are exposed to and the routes of our exposures will improve our procedures and our equipment, meaning reduced incidence of job-related disease and longer, healthier lives! Image:Wikimedia commons Dhaka, Oct 23 (IBNS): Exterbal Affairs Minister, who is currently in Dhaka, on Monday said Bangladesh gets priority among all other neighbours as per India's neighbourhood policy. She said the relationship between the two neighbouring nations are moving ahead at a faster pace. The Indian Minister also promised to resolve all irritants between the two nations. I can assure you we [both countries] will solve all irritants with sincerity [Imandari ke sath], she was quoted as saying by bdnews24.com. Sushma Swaraj opened the new chancery complex of Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Monday, according to media reports. India's High Commissioner to Bangaldesh, Harsh Shringla received Swaraj at the new chancery complex. Foreign Minister, Health Minister, and Forest & Environment ministers of Bangladesh were also present at the opening ceremony. The new complex is located in the Baridhara diplomatic enclave of the capital city. The High Commission was previously operating from a building in the Gulshan area. Swaraj and Bagladesh Foreign Minister inaugurated 15 projects of BDT 750 million under Indian Grant Assistance on Monday. They also met with the beneficiaries of 15 community development projects under Indian Grant Assistance. EAM Sushma Swaraj on Sunday reached Dhaka city to commence her two-day visit to Bangladesh. Image: India in Bangladesh Twitter page Gandhinagar,Oct 23 (IBNS) : Amid the sensation following the allegation of bribery that prompted a Patidar leader to quit BJP, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed a OBC rally on Monday, mocking at Prime Minister Narnedra Modi's 'Make in India' slogan while alleging that unemployment in the country is on steady rise. LIVE: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi addresses the Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. #CongressForA https://t.co/g1GVGWuPNi Congress (@INCIndia) October 23, 2017 Speaking at the rally- Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan'- Gandhi appeared to be bent on taking on Modi on his home turf as he alleged that despite all tall talks of the BJP, there are 30 lakh unemployed people in Gujarat which is being run by only five entrepreneur families. "There are 30 lakh unemployed youth in Gujarat and you have mortgaged the state into hands of five families. Youths can not have education or medical care for their family members as institutions demand massive amount," he said. , "You can forego the debts of industrialists like Vijay Mallya, you give land at cheap rate for Nano, but you can not waive the farmers' loan," he said. Taunting Narendra Modi over his call to fight corruption, Rahul slammed Narendra Modi for doling out favours to BJP President Amit Shah's son, Jay Shah, an entrepreneur, whose net worth, he said, soared 16 times. " Modiji had said, na khaunga, na khane doonga (neither I shall take bribe nor shall I let anybody to accept). He is now feeding others." The Congress vice-president's Gandhinagar visit comes a day after Narendra Modiaddressed a rally in Vadodara and hit out at the Opposition for questioning Election Commission over not announcing poll dates for Gujarat Assembly election. It also comes on a day when Patidar leader Nikhil Sawani quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and alleged that the government has not done anything to ensure quota for Patels in Gujarat. The Patidar leader said he will seek an appointment with the Congress vice-president. According to reports, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor is likely to join the Congress. Unconfirmed reports also said quoting Congress leaders that Patidar movement supremo Hardik Patel has met Rahul Gandhi at a hotel for 20 minutes. Image: Congress Twitter page New Delhi, Oct 23 (IBNS): Union Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday attacked the Congress party and called it "Dramebaaz number 1". He said Gandhi never performed politics for development. "Rahul Gandhi never performed politics of development.," Prasad told media, "Congress has today become a dramebaaz party number one," he said. He said: "Rahul Gandhi, has your party become so desperate after consistent defeat that you are reducing yourself gimmick to make yourself relevant." Amid the sensation following the allegation of bribery that prompted a Patidar leader to quit BJP, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed a OBC rally on Monday, mocking at Prime Minister Narnedra Modi's 'Make in India' slogan while alleging that unemployment in the country is on steady rise. Speaking at the rally- Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan'- Gandhi appeared to be bent on taking on Modi on his home turf as he alleged that despite all tall talks of the BJP, there are 30 lakh unemployed people in Gujarat which is being run by only five entrepreneur families. "There are 30 lakh unemployed youth in Gujarat and you have mortgaged the state into hands of five families. Youths can not have education or medical care for their family members as institutions demand massive amount," he said. , "You can forego the debts of industrialists like Vijay Mallya, you give land at cheap rate for Nano, but you can not waive the farmers' loan," he said. Taunting Narendra Modi over his call to fight corruption, Rahul slammed Narendra Modi for doling out favours to BJP President Amit Shah's son, Jay Shah, an entrepreneur, whose net worth, he said, soared 16 times. " Modiji had said, na khaunga, na khane doonga (neither I shall take bribe nor shall I let anybody to accept). He is now feeding others." He also slammed the PM over the Centre's move of banning old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes in 2016 and over the issue of implementation of GST this year. The Congress vice-president's Gandhinagar visit comes a day after Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Vadodara and hit out at the Opposition for questioning Election Commission over not announcing poll dates for Gujarat Assembly election. It also comes on a day when Patidar leader Nikhil Sawani quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and alleged that the government has not done anything to ensure quota for Patels in Gujarat. The Patidar leader said he will seek an appointment with the Congress vice-president. According to reports, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor is likely to join the Congress. Unconfirmed reports also said quoting Congress leaders that Patidar movement supremo Hardik Patel has met Rahul Gandhi at a hotel for 20 minutes. Image: BJP Twitter page Jaipur, Oct 23 (IBNS): Amid controversy, the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) bill, which prevents media from naming an accused public servants, including MLAs, government officials, till the state government considers it worthy to be probed, has been tabled in the state assembly by the Rajasthan government, media reports said. The principal opposition, the Congress staged a protest outside the assembly in the morning. The Congress even walked out of the assembly when the bill was tabled. The Vasundhara Raje government has brought a new ordinance that states public servants, including lawmakers, ministers and officials can only be probed after receiving government's consent, media reports said. Following the allegations against any public servant, the government will decide within six months whether the particular case is worthy to be probed or not. If the government fails to decide within six months time, it is bound to be sanctioned. The Rajasthan government is set to make the ordinance into a law in the ongoing assembly session. Challenging the order passed by the Raje government, a lawyer filed a petition in the court on Monday. The petition has stated the new order will invite the criminals to commit crime. The Editors Guild of India has also expressed deep regret over the new order passed by the Raje government. Urging the government to withdraw the order, the Guild was quoted by the Times Of India: "The ordinance, promulgated by the state government in September, was ostensibly done to protect the judiciary and the bureaucracy against false FIRs." "But, in reality it is a pernicious instrument to harass the media, hide wrongful acts by government servants and drastically curb the freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution of India... Rather than taking stern measures to prevent and punish those who indulge in... false litigation, the Rajasthan government has passed an ordinance that is bent on bludgeoning the messenger" the Guild said. Visakhapatnam, Oct 23 (IBNS): In yet another shocking incident, a woman was raped on a busy street of Vizag in Andhra Pradesh under broad daylight on Monday, receiving no help from the passerby, media reports said. One of the witnesses, an auto driver, recorded the entire incident on his mobile phone and later handed over to the police. The rapist, who has been arrested, was identified as Ganji Siva. The 21-year old rapist was fully drunk while he was raping the woman. The woman was sitting on one side of the footpath near the railway colony when Siva forced himself on her. Police officer Madhusudanamurthy told media: "The statements given by both were incoherent and inconsistent." New Delhi, Oct 23 (IBNS) In a major development, the Centre on Monday appointed Dineshwar Sharma, former Director of Intelligence Bureau, as the Representative of Government of India to initiate and carry forward a dialogue with the elected representatives, various organizations and concerned individuals in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Sharma will initiate a sustained interaction and dialogue to understand the legitimate aspirations of the wide cross sections of society, particularly the youth in Jammu and Kashmir and communicate them to the State Government and the Centre. The move comes in the wake of various steps taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the needs of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It may be recalled that during his visit to Srinagar on November 7, 2015, the Prime Minister had announced a package of Rs 80,068 Crores for the overall development of the State. He has also met the leaders of political parties from time to time and received suggestions with regard to the issue of peace and development in J&K. In continuation of this process, in his address to the nation on 15th August this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned that, Neither by bullet, nor by abuses but by embracing we can solve the problem of Kashmir. Subsequently, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has also visited J&K from September 9-12, 2017 and met a large number of delegations from wide spectrum of the society. Dineshwar Sharma is a Retired IPS officer from 1979 Batch of Kerala Cadre. During his distinguished career, he has served in J&K, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur and as Additional Director and Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau in the Headquarters. He has in-depth understanding of security related matters and considerable knowledge and experience of issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir. Image:google maps Mumbai, Oct 23 (IBNS): A 30-year old man has been arrested for harassing a woman on a Mumbai local train by masturbating in front of her, media reports said. The 23-year woman, who was traveling with her family, recorded the entire incident and later handed over to the police along with the lodge of a complain. The police, with the help of the video and the CCTV footage from several railway stations, arrested the accused on Monday. The accused has been identified as Kripa Bodheba Patel. He is a daily wager. The police has booked Patel under sections 354 and 509 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the charge of outraging the modesty of a woman. The woman was traveling from Nalaspora to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus when the incident happened. Japans ruling coalition appeared headed to an impressive win in national elections yesterday, in what would represent at least a partial comeback for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. A victory would boost Abes chances of winning another three-year term next September as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. That could extend his premiership to 2021, giving him more time to try to win a reluctant public over to his longtime goal of revising Japans pacifist constitution. In the immediate term, a victory likely means a continuation of the policies Abe has pursued in the nearly five years since he took office in December 2012 a hard line on North Korea, close ties with Washington, including defense, as well as a super-loose monetary policy and push for nuclear energy. Japanese media projected shortly after polls closed that Abes LDP and its junior partner Komeito might even retain their two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament. In unofficial results late yesterday night, the ruling coalition had won 264 seats in the 465-seat lower house, and other parties had 109 seats, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said. Final results may not be tallied until Monday. Abe said the results indicate that voters support his policies and want to see his political leadership continue. I think the results reflected the voters preference for a solid political foundation and their expectations for us to push polices forward and achieve results, Abe told NHK. Abes support ratings had fallen to around 30 percent in the summer after accusations of government favoritism to people connected to him, sparking talk that he might be vulnerable as leader of his party and prime minister. I will humbly face the victory and continue to work humbly and sincerely, he told NHK, noting lingering public distrust over the scandals. Abe dissolved the lower house less than a month ago, forcing the snap election. The lower house chooses the prime minister and is the more powerful of the two chambers of parliament. Analysts saw Abes move as an attempt to solidify his political standing at a time when the opposition was in disarray and his support ratings had improved somewhat. His plan was briefly upstaged by the launch of a new opposition party by populist Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, but initial excitement faded and Koike herself decided not to run for parliament. NHK projected that her Party of Hope would win just 38 to 59 seats. Koike called the results very severe in a televised interview from Paris, where she is attending a conference of mayors. She said some of her remarks might have been taken negatively by voters, and that she would take the blame. Projections indicated that another new party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, could outpoll the Party of Hope and become the biggest opposition grouping. The Constitutional Democrats are liberal-leaning, while both the Party of Hope and Abes Liberal Democratic Party are more conservative. Abes party and its nationalist supporters have advocated constitutional revisions for years. They view the 1947 constitution as the legacy of Japans defeat in World War II and an imposition of the victors world order and values. The charter renounces the use of force in international conflicts and limits Japans troops to self-defense, although Japan has a well-equipped modern military that works closely with the U.S. Any change to Japans constitution, which has never been amended, requires approval first by two-thirds of parliament, and then in a public referendum. Polls indicate that the Japanese public remains opposed to amendment. Ken Moritsugu, Tokyo, AP New Delhi, Oct 23 (IBNS): The Supreme Court on Monday observed that it is not compulsory for people to stand up in the cinema halls when the national anthem is played to prove their patriotism. The apex court asked the Centre to consider amending the rules for regulating playing of the national anthem in the theatres ahead of the start of the film. Supreme Court judge Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said that one need not stand up to prove his or her patriotism. Slamming the central government, the Supreme Court said, "Next thing will be that people should not wear t-shirts and shorts to movies because it will amount to disrespect to the National Anthem... where do we stop this moral policing?" In 2016, the apex court had stated that playing the national anthem in the theatres should be undertaken as a practice to "instil a feeling of committed patriotism and nationalism." Mumbai, Oct 23 (IBNS): Adding more flight options for the passengers, GVK Mumbai International Airport Private Limited (MIAL), the company that operates the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), saw the arrival of the maiden flight of Thai Smile which will operate 5 flights in a week on the Mumbai-Bangkok route. In the past few months, CSIA has been successful in establishing route connectivity to various new destinations, namely Jakarta (by Garuda Indonesia), Bali (by AirAsia X Indonesia), Brussels (by Brussels Airlines), Kigali (by Rwandair), Toronto (by Air Canada) and Beijing (by Air China). Moreover, Thai Lion was a new airline that commenced operations effective 27th September from Mumbai to Don Mueang, the second airport in Bangkok. Facilitating non-stop flights to and from the financial capital of India further strengthens the foundation of citys rapidly developing trade and commerce relationship with countries around the globe. Recognizing the importance of route development, CSIA focuses on offering diverse destination choices to the travelling public of Mumbai. As recognition to its commitment, the airport was recently awarded Highly Commended Airport for Marketing in the Asia Pacific region in the over 20 million passengers category at the Routes Asia Marketing Awards 2017 for its pioneering work in starting new routes out of Mumbai. Representing 17% of all India traffic, CSIA offers state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure that allows airlines to commence direct flight operations in order to support the burgeoning number of domestic and international travelers transiting through the city. As the airport offers the best-in-class infrastructure required to handle wide-bodied planes, more and more airlines are choosing to operate larger aircraft from the city. Handling the maximum daily air traffic movements (ATMs) on a single runway system in the world, CSIA also briefly earned the distinction of being the only airport in India to handle 4 code F operations per day. A key gateway of India, the Mumbai International Airport has over 45 airlines operating to 48 destinations from the city to various parts of the world. In FY 2017, CSIA, Mumbai welcomed 45.2 million air travelers (12.4 million international passengers) registering an annual growth of 8%. CSIAs strategic location makes it an ideal airport to connect the passengers from entire India to the world. In addition to this, the airport ranked second in the foreign tourist arrivals in India in FY 2017, constituting 17% of the countrys total foreign tourist arrivals and contributing 20% to Indias total tourists arrival on E-Tourist Visa. With 31 catchment airports within the flying range of 45 to 150 minutes, CSIA transferred 9.25 million passengers in FY 2017. Image: Wallpaper Tokyo, Oct 23 (IBNS): Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to win Sunday's vote, according to exit polls. The expected results have shown Abe and his party winning two-thirds majority and retaining their position in the parliament. Following the results, Abe has promised to deal with Pyongyang and take control of the Korea crisis. "As I promised in the election, my imminent task is to firmly deal with North Korea.... For that, strong diplomacy is required," he told media. Abe had called for an early election as he required a strong mandate to deal with the problems facing Japan. The win will allow the Japanese Prime Minister to amend the nation's post-war pacifist constitution. He had earlier called for the Japanese military to be formalised, which critics felt was a move to re-militarise the nation. According to another poll conducted months ago, it was found that Abe's popularity was plummeting, but two missiles launched by North Korea over Japanese space on August and September, paved a way for the former's glory to return. Abe is a strong critic of Kim Jong-un and North Korea, often demanding strong sanctions for the nation from international tribunals. Image: Wallpaper Ottawa, Oct 23 (IBNS): Ottawa, ON, Ruby Sahota, Member of Parliament for Brampton North was honoured to second a Private Memberas Bill introduced by Sukh Dhaliwal, Member of Parliament for Surrey-Newton, to recognize April as Sikh Heritage Month. I am extremely proud of the contributions that Sikh Canadians have made to Canada, and Bill C-376 will allow us to recognize those contributions and educate future generations about our language, traditions and place in Canada, said MP Sahota. I look at my personal story, the daughter of hard working immigrants, and how today, I was able to second this bill. I want other young visible minorities to know that anything is possible, and that their stories are Canadian Stories that must be shared as a part of our Canadian Heritage, she added. Bill C-376 has been placed on the list of Private Members Business Item Outside of the Order of Precedence and is set for second reading and reference to a committee in the coming weeks. Bill C-376 is an act to designate the month of April as Sikh Heritage Month. Toronto, Oct 23 (IBNS): The opening arguments are all set to start in the murder trial of a Toronto woman, Laura Babcock, who had vanished five years ago, media reports said. Dellen Millard (32) and Mark Smich (30), who have been accused of committing the murder, pleaded not guilty. While Millard is from Toronto, Smich is a Oakville man. Jutice Michael Code told the other jurors that the Crown had accused Millard and Smich of committing the first-degree murder, the media report said. Code said that the accused people had burnt Babcock's body in an incinerator, which was later found in Millard's farm house. He even told the jurors that the incinerator was bought before the murder of Babcock, whose body disappeared after that. Both the accused were charged in 2014, two years since Babcock's disappearance. Babcock was 23-year old when she was murdered in 2012 presumably. (Reporting by Suman Das) A subsidiary of an Alaska Native corporation is back in business after its operations thousands of miles away in Puerto Rico were affected by Hurricane Maria Despite the long distance between Alaska and Puerto Rico, Sitnasuak Native Corporation mobilized quickly in the aftermath of the devastating storm, which destroyed thousands of homes and structures and left the island without power. SNC Technical Services managed to get back on track within days, helping employees and their families in the process. Our traditional Inupiat values are part of our approach to business, Roberta (Bobbi) Quintavell, the president and CEO of Sitnasuak, which is organized as a village corporation . We are all responsible for each other, regardless of whether you are an employee in Nome or at a subsidiary halfway around the world. As Inupiaq, we take our responsibility to take care of one another seriously. SNC Technical Services, which produces uniforms and tactical gear for the U.S. military, operates out of two facilities in Puerto Rico. Although the buildings, one in Camuy and the other in Orocovis, suffered some damage, power was restored quickly, allowing them to serve as shelters, cafeterias and child care centers for the 800-plus employees of the subsidiary and their families. Hurricane Maria devastated the island, said Humberto Zacapa, the CEO of SNC Technical Services. While our plants suffered relatively minor damage, our employees have nearly 300 homes with damages and 57 homes that are a total lost. Weve tried to maintain some sense of normalcy and community by providing meals and shelter to our workers and their relatives. I cant say enough how proud I am of Alaskans that are jumping into action to support Puerto Rico during recovery and... Posted by Lisa Murkowski on Tuesday, October 10, 2017 Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Facebook: Sitnasuak Native Corp mobilizes in Puerto Rico Days after Maria touched ground on September 16, Sitnasuak chartered flights to bring essential supplies to Puerto Rico, large portions of which remain without power. With many roads impassable and some areas inhospitable, SNC has been operating buses to transport employees and their families. "Thank you to Ms. Quintavell and her staff for embodying their traditional Inupiat values and taking care of each other - no matter the distance," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said on Facebook in praise of Sitnasuak's work in Puerto Rico. President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration for Puerto Rico last month, enabling the flow of federal funds to the U.S. territory. He also visited the island on October 3, along with First Lady Melania Trump. "The devastation caused by Hurricane Maria will continue to affect our fellow citizens of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in many different ways, and the full recovery process will likely taking many months and even years," the first lady said in a statement . "However, the resilience and determination of the people I met today will outlast any damage that was left behind." More than a month after the storm hit, elected leaders and residents of the island have painted a different picture than the one offered by Trump and his administration. Some have repeatedly tangled with the president about the seemingly-slow pace of the federal government's efforts. "Well, if it is a 10 out of a scale of 100, of course. It is still a failing grade," Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz of San Juan, the island's capital, told CNN's New Day program on Friday . Trump had given himself a "perfect 10" grade when reporters asked about Puerto Rico a day earlier. Sitnasuak Native Corporation is headquartered in Nome, Alaska, with operations in Nome, Anchorage and Wasilla in Alaska. In addition to the Puerto Rico subsidiary, the corporation runs businesses in California and Virginia. Sitnasuak is the largest village corporation in the Bering Straits region Alaska. Join the Conversation In order to sow seeds of new endeavours for women officers in the force, Indian Army is now working on a plan that will have women officers deployed as cyber warriors. Also read: IPS Officer Gives The Most Fitting Reply To An Article Objectifying Women Officers In India aljazeera Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat along with his team of experts want to induce this practice in the system as soon as possible in a bid to use the skills of women officer vigorously. "The force has plans of utilising the women officers more effectively in new cadres such as cyber which is a fast emerging trade in the armed forces as they face a major cybersecurity threat from both state and nonstate actors," said a source, reports Mail Today. Also read: 6 Women Officers From Indian Navy Will Set Sail To Try & Circumnavigate The Earth India Cyber warfare is turning out to be a big challenge for the Indian forces, especially the threats from countries like China and Pakistan. Therefore, the selection of women in these cells will not only create more opportunities for them but will also be able to use their expertise to full potential. These women officers will further be trained to understand the language and architecture of the given field, to enhance their permanent commission in the area. ISIS is on the brink of extinction as it is losing its ground with each passing day. On June 29, 2014, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi in Mosul declared himself the leader of Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria, a theocratic state that was supposed to run according to Sharia law with al Baghdadi as the Caliph the religious successor to Prophet Mohammad. Reuters/Representational Image With the recent fall of Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS, it seems that the regime of terror that attracted jihadists from across the world is over. This victory against IS followed the battle of Mosul the largest city under its control from where it was driven out in July this year. How big was IS at its peak? According to the US Department of Defence, at its peak of territorial influence, IS held between 1.07 lakh to 1.11 lakh sq km of land mostly in northern Syria and northern and central Iraq. According to Rand Corporation, a US thinktank, IS territories had a population of over 11 million. By 2017, the territorial control fell to 45,377 sq km, with roughly 2.5 million people. With the fall of Raqqa and Mosul, it is believed that today the group retains only 10% of its peak territorial control. From where did IS generate money to fund its operations? Reuters/Representational Image Unlike other terrorist organisations, IS functioned as a sort of nation state with control on population and natural resources and so it was often called the richest terror outfit. A big chunk of its revenue came from taxes and fees levied on the population under its control. Oil also contributed to the group's finances. Apart from these steady sources, it raised money from kidnapping for ransom, theft from government banks, sales of government equipment, etc. Naturally, with the loss of territory and population, IS's revenue sources got drained and will most likely, to go down further. Who was fighting for the IS? Reuters/Representational Image In the early days, IS was a rather regional phenomenon with recruits mostly from Arab states, including Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and so on. Later, it effectively used social media for its propaganda to attract fighters from across the world. Starting from social media, the group was able to maintain direct contacts to recruit people from more than 80 countries. The numbers, however, started declining after its loss of territorial control. How did IS rule affect the people under its control? IS rule was initially welcomed in war-ravaged areas like Mosul and people willingly gave taxes to the group that promised to restore order. But soon the rule became totalitarian and with the government's blockade as well as continuous fighting, it triggered the largest refugee crisis in recent history. With the fall of the regime, it is possible that many of the refugees could return. Pakistan has violated the ceasefire 105 times along the international border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir in the first nine months of the year, said a senior BSF official. "There have been 105 ceasefire violations by Pakistan Rangers along the IB in Jammu frontier area in J&K in the past nine months period of this year", a senior BSF officer said. AFP/Representational Image A BSF jawan and a woman were killed and 19 others, including seven BSF men and 12 civilians, were injured in the shelling during the period, he said. Rangers hit over 30 to 40 hamlets close to nearly 200 km long IB, with mortar bombs and heavy weapons in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts and also targeted Arnia town in Jammu district heavily. Last month, they forced over 10,000 people residing along IB in Jammu sector to shun their homes by triggering fear psychosis. BCCL/Representational Image Last year, the ceasefire violations by Pakistan stood at 204, the officer said. 11 people including 3 BSF men and 8 civilians were killed and 56 others including 14 BSF men and 44 civilians were injured in the firing, the BSF said. In 2015, there were 152 ceasefire violations in which four BSF men were killed. There have been nearly 12,000 ceasefire violations by Pakistan since 2002, which have resulted in the killing of 313 people, including 144 security forces personnel. BCCL/Representational Image The highest number of such violations took place in 2002, when 8376 incidents were reported while 2045 incidents of ceasefire violations were reported in 2003. The ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) and IB in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003. For three years - 2004, 2005 and 2007 - there was not a single such violation on the border. Influential Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband on Saturday issued a fatwa against Muslim women who performed 'aarti' on Diwali in Varanasi, pronouncing that they can no longer be considered 'Muslim-Ulema' if they worship other gods. toi "If anyone worships any god except Allah they don't remain Muslim-Ulema," a representative for the Islamic seminary told news agency ANI. If anyone worships any god except Allah they don't remain Muslim-Ulema,Darul Uloom on Muslim women who performed aarti on Diwali in Varanasi pic.twitter.com/IgaLNcenGo ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 21, 2017 The edict comes days after a group of Muslim women performed aarti and dedicated prayers to Lord Rama on the eve of Diwali in Varanasi. The event was organised by Muslim Mahila Foundation and Vishal Bharat Sansthan to promote communal harmony. "Shri Ram is our ancestor. We can change our name and religion, but how we can change our ancestor? Singing in praise of Lord Ram not only bridges the gap between Hindus and Muslms, but also reflects the generosity of Islam," group leader Nazneen Ansari had remarked on the occasion. twitter/ani Of late, the Darul Uloom Deoband has been on a fatwa-issuing spree. On Wednesday, the Islamic school decreed that Muslim men and women should not upload photos of themselves or their family on social media platforms. Earlier this month, the seminary prohibited women against shaping their eyebrows and cutting their hair, terming all such hair-grooming activities as "un-Islamic". Half a century has passed and the king is dead, but the villagers of Huay Hom still havent forgotten the day Bhumibol Adulyadej descended by helicopter into their remote, impoverished mountain valley in northern Thailand and changed their lives forever. The king, they recall, brought electricity and a road that replaced the trail they trudged over for eight hours to reach the nearest roadhead. Coffee growing was greatly expanded and soon supplanted opium harvests, reaching such high quality that Starbucks is now a steady customer. The village even reaped profits from the royal-assisted raising of sheep and wool weaving, a rarity in tropical Thailand. So to thank the king on behalf of Huay Homs 72 now well-to-do families, Kamchai Sawankitsomboon traveled more than 750 kilometers to Bangkoks Grand Palace. There, after standing in line for 13 hours, he prostrated himself before Bhumibols coffin one of nearly 13 million people to do so during a year of mourning that will all but come to a close with the late kings cremation this coming week. The religious-like fervor surrounding this outpouring of grief stems from many things: nostalgia for the past, a very personal connection that millions of Thais felt they had forged with their monarch, and gratefulness, as in Kamchais case, for the decades Bhumibol put in working on behalf of the countrys have-nots. Regarded as a stabilizing figure amid political turbulence and headlong modernization, the kings passing on Oct. 13, 2016 also evoked anxiety about what comes next as the country confronts the close of an era. With his son King Maha Vajiralongkorn, a yet untested monarch, on the throne and an entrenched military regime promoting a meandering roadmap to guided democracy, several Thai academics at a recent international conference said the Bhumibol consensus has been replaced by politics of uncertainty. Thai people will never be the same again as Thailand will never be the same again, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Bangkoks Chulalongkorn University. Thais born when Bhumibols reign began 70 years ago who are still alive today have known 30 prime ministers and a succession of coups, constitutions and economic upheavals. But until last year they had had only one king who many credit with steering the country through these crises and presiding over evolution from a poor rural society to a modern $400 billion economy. Many were imprinted with his image at an early age. His persona became a part of their lives. Oraboon Imchai Bulut, a young businesswoman, vividly remembers seeing the kings portrait on the cover of her first school notebook. While she never met Bhumibol, a friend told her how her grandfathers eyesight was saved by an operation sponsored by the king. Waiting overnight to view the coffin, Oraboon brought along a photograph of her deceased father in what she said was a last chance to say goodbye. People in their 40s, 50s and 60s still feel very much related, involved and attached to his reign. The millennials perhaps less because His Majesty did less of the public engagements [after his illness], Thitinan said. By and large the vast majority of Thais today would more or less collectively feel the same: we are grateful for the reign. Criticism of the late monarch has surfaced in recent years. Some Thai and foreign analysts and activists say the king impeded the progress of the countrys still fledgling democracy by wielding too much power and often siding with the military and other conservative forces. Bhumibols near deification, critics say, has in part been driven by royalist propaganda and buttressed by strict laws outlawing insults to the monarchy. Others have noted that a society relying too heavily on one individual rests on fragile foundations. But such commentary has been largely subdued within Thailand as the nation prepares for the final farewell to Bhumibol, who died at the age of 88 after a prolonged illness. He will be cremated Oct. 26 within a soaring, purpose-built USD30 million pavilion. Officials expect a quarter million people clad in black to attend an elaborate, centuries-old ceremony that is probably the last of its kind in Asia. Bhumibol himself may prove to be the last monarch of his kind, someone embedded in the national psyche through his overreaching sway and historical circumstances. It was an extraordinary time and he was just an exceptional individual suited for it, Thitinan said. The country needed a lot of development so he spearheaded development projects. The country needed to keep away from communism so he was a rallying point, a unifying symbol against communism, he continued, referring to the Cold War when Thailands neighbors fell to communist regimes and the country tackled a domestic, Chinese-backed insurgency. It was during this era that many of the now more than 4,000 royal development projects were seeded. In Huay Hom village, cradled in a 1,000-meter, mist-streaked valley, a third generation of Christian inhabitants of the Karen ethnic minority relate how the Buddhist king built upon earlier help from American missionaries. Never a day goes by while in the village without one of the old timers reminding me of that day, writes Richard Mann, who accompanied Bhumibol and his family on that first visit. In an unpublished memoir, the American former head of a project to replace opium with profitable cash crops describes how the local church choir sang hymns to the royals in four-part harmony and how the elders were blunt in their requests for a road, a better school, medical clinic and electricity. All those needs, he wrote, have been met. Jirapan Davivongs, deputy secretary general of the Chaipattana Foundation which oversees a number of the royal development initiatives, said the projects will continue through government funding and other support. But Bhumibols most lasting legacy, he believes, was his concept of the self-sufficiency economy, which stressed smaller- scaled, sustainable production that could better withstand global shockwaves. That notion gained traction when Thailand was hit by forces largely out of its control during the 1997 Asian economic crisis, although some regarded it more as an idealized throwback to an older epoch rather than a viable economic system for an already highly capitalistic, globalized nation. How many of Bhumibols words and deeds endure remains to be seen. An editorial in the English- language Bangkok Post last week said that already in the past 12 months, state and other actors had failed in their pledges to follow in the kings footsteps. It cited matters Bhumibol had opposed: excessive military spending, scandals in sustainable agricultural projects, eviction of landless people and the disappearance of conservation activists. Merely paying lip service to his words and wishes is not enough, it said. Thitinan said that with a greatly transformed Thailand, the time had come to recalibrate the old political order to include more institutions and players, not just the military, bureaucratic and royalist power brokers. Now we have to find a system not based on one individual, he said. It cannot be the same as before. Denis D. Gray, Huay Hom, AP A Japanese company that owns the trademark for Animoji is suing Apple for using the name for its new iPhone X feature. Based in Tokyo, Emonster filed the suit on Wednesday in the US, accusing Apple of making the conscious decision to try to pilfer the name for itself. The companys CEO, Enrique Bonansea, is a US citizen living in Japan, who says he launched the app in 2014. It lets users send animated emoji loops by using modifiers like parentheses and brackets to specify what effects they want, much like you would write a line of code. The app costs $0.99 on the App Store. Apples feature of the same name, meanwhile, uses the front-facing camera to map a users expressions onto an emoji, so it smiles or frowns when you do. The complaint alleges Apple new about the existing app, seeing as that its own its own platform, and that it should be changed given that both use animated emoji as their peg. Emonster even says Apple offered to buy the trademark and, when they refused to sell, continued to use the name anyway. Now, Apple has filed for the trademark to be revoked because, in their eyes, Emonster registered it to a nonexistent business and therefore cant own the name Animoji. This despite the company owning the trademark since 2015. Its not yet clear what amount Emonster is seeking in damages, but it reportedly also wants a court order to block Apple from using the name anymore. Weeks after Puerto Rico lost most of its infrastructure to Hurricane Maria, the country now has basic communications up and running again thanks to Google. The Internet giant has teamed up with telecom company AT&T to bring internet connectivity back to the island, using its internet balloons. Google has announced that some of its Project Loon units have been deployed over Puerto Rico, to provide 4G LTE and text messaging access to smartphone owners in parts hardest hit by the hurricane. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had already provided authorization for Alphabet to conduct the test on the island, as part of rebuilding efforts following the disaster. Each of the balloons cover up to 5,000 square kilometres, so the entire deployment is expected to bring internet services to the entire island. Of course, the balloons only provide a signal, so the company had to tie up with local carriers for the actual networks. The move follows close on the heels of Tesla supposedly sending over a shipment of its Powerpacks, massive batteries to store solar energy for industrial and utility purposes. CEO Elon Musk had earlier promised to rebuild the islands power grid using solar technology as part of rebuilding efforts. Point Nemo (Latin for no one) is one of the most remote location on Earth. Its a spot in the South Pacific between Australia, New Zealand and South America thats farthest from any land. Another name it has is the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility, and its also where NASAs spacecraft go to die. Point Nemo is the farthest place on Earth from any human civilisation, which is why its home to NASAs spacecraft cemetery. In fact the International Space Station, which orbits 360 km above the Earth, is closer to Point Nemo than the nearest island. Basically, when the space agency needs to bring down a satellite or some such without risking collateral damage, thats where it goes. When NASA brings down smaller satellites, they can count on them entirely burning up in the Earths atmosphere on reentry. For larger craft however, they need to carefully time a crash at Point Nemo. Craft like the Chinese space station Tiangong-1, which we now know is slipping out of orbit towards Earth. The Chinese space agency recently announced the 7,700 kg space lab is expected to hit Earth between October 2017 and April 2018. Unfortunately, they have no way of steering the vast craft anywhere, and no way to predict exactly when or where its going to land. In fact, no one will know anything about how Tiangong-1 will make its landing until at least five days before it arrives. Worse, not all of the spacecraft will burn up in the atmosphere. Experts believe pieces weighing up to 100 kg will hit the planets surface at speeds of close to 300 km/h. And the Chinese have no way to direct the space station towards the uninhabited Point Nemo. Reports indicate at least 260 spacecraft have been dumped into the remote spot in the Pacific between 1971 and 2016, including an old Soviet space station, resupply vehicles, ESA cargo ships, and even one SpaceX rocket. Livestock Report Walsh Trading - 15 minutes ago Hogs limp higher Shootin' the Bull about higher corn Swift Trading Company - 1 hour ago Whether by intent or accident, Russia lobbed a couple of missiles at Poland during today's trading session. This caused traders to wipe away most of the gains in fat cattle and further increased losses... Inflation and Russian Missiles Blue Line Futures - 1 hour ago Our daily video . . . Nat-Gas Prices Climb on Forecasts for Colder U.S. Weather Barchart - 1 hour ago Dec Nymex natural gas (NGZ22 ) on Tuesday closed up +0.101 (+1.70%). Dec nat-gas on Tuesday posted moderate gains on the outlook for colder U.S. temperatures to boost heating demand for nat-gas. The Commodity... NGZ22 : 6.155 (+3.74%) Cattle Commentary Walsh Trading - 1 hour ago Live cattle futures bounced today as feeders sharply declined on breaking news of Polish missile strikes from the Russians sent the grain markets higher. February live cattle settled at 153.05, a change... Arabica Sharply Lower as Coffee Supplies Expand Barchart - Tue Nov 15, 1:41PM CST December arabica coffee (KCZ22 ) on Tuesday closed down -9.45 (-5.69%), and Jan ICE Robusta coffee (RMF23 ) closed down -22 (-1.21%). Coffee prices Tuesday sold off sharply, with arabica falling to a 16-month... KCH23 : 159.50s (-4.43%) RMF23 : 1,802s (-1.21%) Sugar Prices Underpinned on Reports of Defaults by Some India Sugar Mills Barchart - Tue Nov 15, 1:39PM CST March NY world sugar #11 (SBH23 ) on Tuesday closed up +0.46 (+2.32%), and Dec London white sugar #5 (SWZ22 ) closed up +10.70 (+1.88%). Sugar prices Tuesday extended their two-week rally, with NY sugar... SBH23 : 20.29s (+2.32%) SWH23 : 551.30s (+2.38%) Burma Breaking: Two Men Shot Dead in Northern Rakhine A wounded villager is pictured at Buthidaung Township General Hospital on Monday. / RMC / Facebook YANGON Four men were shot and two are dead in an attack in Aung Tha Pyay village in Rakhine States northern Maungdaw Township this morning, according to a border police major. Maj. Aung Win of Kyee Kan Pyin border police headquarters said the men were Daingneta sub-ethnicity of Arakanesebut declined to comment further, saying he has not received a full report of the crime. Staff at Buthidaung General Hospital said locals and police brought two men with bullet wounds to the hospital on Monday morning. Hospital supervisor Kyaw Naing Oo said the men were in a critical condition. Northern Rakhine State has been reeling from violence since Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) attacked police outposts in August, which intensified Myanmar Army operations, causing more than 600,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims to flee for Bangladesh. Estimates put the death toll of self-identifying Rohingya past 1,000 while about 30,000 Arakanese and Hindus fled militant violence, with reports saying the militants had targeted civilians. Thudatha Naka, abbot of Aung Tha Pyay monastery, told The Irrawaddy over the phone on Monday that the four Daingnet menMaung Ngay Hla, Shwe Thein Maung, Sein Hla Maung and Maung Ngay Tunwent hunting for boar in the forest in the Mayu mountain range on Sunday evening. They crossed paths with Muslim militants and were shot, he said. Maung Ngay Hla and Shwe Thein Maung managed to escape and are receiving treatment at the hospital. The two men who escaped told me a group of Bengali terrorists shot at them and two were killed on the spot, he said, using a term said locally and across the country to describe the self-identifying Rohingya. The Irrawaddy phoned Buthidaung Township police officers, but they decline to comment and directed calls to border police officials, as the Border Guard Force controls the area. Burma Food Running out for Displaced Shan IDP camps at Myanmar-Thai border. / shanhumanrights.org YANGON One of six refugee camps on the Thailand-Myanmar border in Shan State has run out of food supplies and five others only have enough food to last until the end of October, according to camp organizers. The six campsGawng Mung Mong; Loi Kaw Wan; Loi Tai Leng; Loi Lam; Loi Sarm Sip; and Koung Jorprovide shelter for more than 6,200 internally displaced persons (IDPs). Koung Jor ran out of food supplies at the end of September. The other five camps have enough food to last until the end of October. Koung Jor camp organizer Lung Sai Lieng said food was last delivered in September. But weve got nothing this month. We are surviving on leftovers from last month. People at the camp are expecting to get farming jobs in Thailand, but work hasnt started yet because of heavy rains, he said. The Border Consortium (TBC)a coalition of INGOS from the US, Britain, Ireland, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Australia and Norwayhas been providing assistance for accommodation, food and education of IDPs at Loi Kaw Wan; Loi Tai Leng; Loi Lam; Loi Sarm Sip; and Koung Jor. TBC informed camp organizers in February that it would stop providing assistance to the camps at the end of October although it has been informing camp leaders of the likelihood of this happening since 2015. A 60-year old woman in Loi Kaw Wan suffered a mental breakdown leading to her death on hearing news of the cuts, said Lung Sai Pieng, secretary of the Shan State Refugee Committee. Camps are short on food as October is ending soon, he said. The committee has contacted potential donors to ask for donations. Some have provided help, but it is short-term assistance. But then it is better than having no food at all, he added. Moreover, it is risky for IDPs to cross the border and work in Thailand because they dont have legal permits, he said. Id like to urge the government to provide help for IDPs here, he said. The homes of IDPs have been occupied by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Tatmadaw and militia, according to the Shan State Refugee Committee. Meanwhile, there is little land available for farming near the camps. The Shan Human Rights Foundation released a statement in August detailing the background and plight of IDPs in Shan State, saying that IDPs only get seasonal jobs at farms in Thailand and earn much lower wages than Thai workers. Some IDPs find it difficult to leave the camp and work, said the statement. Yet no international donor has come forward to provide food for the camps, said Lung Sai Lieng. I dont think it will be useful to talk to the government. It has no attention for IDPs because it focuses on political issues and relations with the military, he said. The Irrawaddy asked officials of Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signatories, members of political parties and government officials about repatriation of IDPs, but none of them gave clear answers. That will be the part of the rehabilitation and social plan. But so far, weve not discussed it yet, said Kwe Htoo Win, vice-chairman of ethnic armed group and NCA signatory Karen National Union (KNU). Officials of some other NCA signatories said it is the responsibility of the government to ensure IDPs are able to return home with dignity. What we can say is the peace process is still ongoing. It concerns trust building, and we are trying, said U Hla Maung Shwe, member of the governments peace commission, on the plight of the IDPs. Students at two Karreni IDP camps are facing difficulties because of declining international support, said secretary U Bwe Sae of the Karen Refugee Committee. Loi Tai Leng Camp was established in 1999, Loi Kaw Wan in 2001, Koung Jor in 2002, and Loi Lam and Loi Sarm Sip in 2006, and Gawng Mung Mong in 2007. They shelter people who fled clashes between the Tatmadaw and Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), and alleged torture by the military. The eight ethnic armed groups that signed the NCAthe KNU; Chin National Front; Arakan Liberation Party (ALP); All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF); Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS); Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army (Peace Council) (KNU/KNLA PC); Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA); and the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO)are based along the Myanmar-Thailand border, and have been holding political dialogue with the government for two years. The issue of IDPs is included under the social sectorone of five topics under discussion between the government and NCA signatories, but the parties are yet to reach any agreement. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. This report originally stated TBC informed camp organizers in July that it would stop providing assistance to the camps at the end of October. Actually, it informed camp organizers in February but had told them of this likelihood since 2015. It stated TBC provided assistance to Gawng Mung Mong. TBC has not provided assistance to Gawng Mung Mong. The original report also cited secretary U Bwe Sae of the Karen Refugee Committee that food supplies to Karen IDPs would be reduced or stopped in 2018. This was removed, as a decision is yet to be made on the matter. Burma Returning Self-Identifying Rohingya may Lose Land, Crops Under Myanmar Plans Rohingya refugees, who crossed the border from Myanmar two days before, walk after they received permission from the Bangladeshi army to continue on to the refugee camps, in Palang Khali, near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh October 19, 2017. / Jorge Silva / Reuters SITTWE, Myanmar, Oct 22 Self-identifying Rohingya Muslims who return to Myanmar after fleeing to Bangladesh are unlikely to be able to reclaim their land, and may find their crops have been harvested and sold by the government, according to officials and plans seen by Reuters. Nearly 600,000 self-identifying Rohingya have crossed the border since Aug. 25, when coordinated Muslim insurgent attacks on security posts sparked a ferocious counter offensive by the Myanmar Army. The United Nations says killings, arson and rape carried out by troops and ethnic Arakanese Buddhist mobs since late August amount to a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the self-identifying Rohingya. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has no control over the military, has pledged that anyone sheltering in Bangladesh who can prove they were Myanmar residents can return. Reuters has interviewed six Myanmar officials involved with repatriation and resettlement plans. While the plans are not yet finalized, their comments reflect the governments thinking on how Suu Kyis repatriation pledge will be implemented. Jamil Ahmed, who spoke to Reuters at a refugee camp in Bangladesh, is one of many who hope to go back. Describing how he fled his home in northern Rakhine State in late August, Ahmed said one of the few things he grabbed was a stack of papersland contracts and receiptsthat might prove ownership of the fields and crops he was leaving behind. I didnt carry any ornaments or jewels, said the 35-year-old. Ive only got these documents. In Myanmar, you need to present documents to prove everything. The stack of papers, browning and torn at the edges, may not be enough, however, to regain the land in Kyauk Pan Du village, where he grew potatoes, chili plants, almonds and rice. It depends on them. There is no land ownership for those who dont have citizenship, said Kyaw Lwin, agriculture minister in Rakhine State, when asked in an interview whether refugees who returned to Myanmar could reclaim land and crops. Despite his land holdings, Myanmar does not recognize Ahmed as a citizen. Nearly all the more than 1 million self-identifying Rohingya who lived in Myanmar before the recent exodus are stateless, despite many tracing their families in the country for generations. Officials have made plans to harvest, and possibly sell, thousands of acres of crops left behind by the fleeing Muslims, according to state government documents reviewed by Reuters. Myanmar also intends to settle most refugees who return to Rakhine State in new model villages, rather than on the land they previously occupied, an approach criticized in the past by the United Nations as effectively creating permanent camps. The government has not asked for help from any international agencies, who are calling for any repatriation to be voluntary and to the refugees place of origin. Ownerless Crops The exodus of 589,000 self-identifying Rohingyaand about 30,000 non-Muslimsfrom the conflict zone in northern Rakhine has left some 71,500 acres of planted rice paddy abandoned and in need of harvesting by January, according to plans drawn up by state officials. Tables in the documents, reviewed by Reuters, divide the land into paddy sown by national racesmeaning Myanmar citizensor Bengalis, a term widely used in Myanmar to refer to the self-identifying Rohingya, but which they reject as implying they are illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Kyaw Lwin, the state minister, confirmed the plans, and said there was a total of 45,000 acres of ownerless Bengali land. Two dozen combine harvesters operated by officials from the agriculture ministry will begin cutting stalks this month in areas under military control. The machines will be able to harvest about 14,400 acres according to official calculations contained in the plans. It is unclear what will become of the remaining crop, but officials told Reuters they would try to harvest all the paddy, recruiting additional labor to harvest manually if necessary. An acre of paddy in Myanmar typically makes more than US$300 at market, meaning the state will gain millions of dollars worth of rice. The harvested rice will be transported to government stores, where it would either be donated to those displaced by the conflict or sold, Rakhine state secretary Tin Maung Swe told Reuters by phone. The land was abandoned. There is no one to reap that, so the government ordered to harvest it, he said. Human Rights Watch (HRW) deputy Asia director Phil Robertson, said the government should at least guarantee that the rice would be used for humanitarian support and not for profit. You cant call a rice crop ownerless just because you used violence and arson to drive the owners out of the country, he said. Model Villages Many refugees are fearful to return and are skeptical of Myanmars guarantees. Those who do decide to cross back into Myanmar will first be received at one of two centers, according to government plans reviewed by Reuters, before mostly being relocated to model villages. International donors, who have fed and cared for more than 120,000 mostly self-identifying Rohingya internally displaced persons (IDPs) in supposedly temporary camps in Rakhine since violence in 2012, have told Myanmar that they will not support more camps, according to aid workers and diplomats. The establishment of new temporary camps or camp-like settlements carries many risks, including that the returnees and IDPs could end up being confined to these camps for a long time, said UN spokesman Stanislav Saling in an emailed response. Satellite imagery shows 288 villages, mostly self-identifying Rohingya settlements, have been fully or partially razed by fires since Aug. 25, according to HRW. Refugees say the army and Buddhist mobs were responsible for most of the arson. The government says self-identifying Rohingya militants and even residents themselves burned the homes for propaganda. The hamlets where self-identifying Rohingya farmers lived were not systematic, and so should be rebuilt in smaller settlements of 1,000 households set out in straight rows to enable development, said Soe Aung, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. In some villages there are three houses here, four houses over there. For example, theres no road for fire engines when fire burns the villages, Soe Aung said. Identity Checks Those who decide to cross back into Myanmar will first be received at one of two centers, according to government plans reviewed by Reuters. At the centers, officials said, the returnees will fill out a 16-point form that will be cross-checked with local authorities records. Immigration officials have for years visited self-identifying Rohingya households at least annually for checks, photographing family members. For refugees who lost all their documents, the government would compare their photos to those that immigration authorities have on file, said Myint Kyaing, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population. Officials will accept as evidence national verification cards handed out in an ongoing government effort to register self-identifying Rohingya that falls short of offering them citizenship. The card has been widely rejected by Rohingya community leaders, who say they treat life-long residents like new immigrants. We are not going to go back like this, said Mushtaq Ahmed, 57, a farmer from Myin Hlut village now living in the Tenkhali refugee camp in Bangladesh, where Jamil Ahmed is also staying. If I can go back to my house, and get my land back, only then I will go. We invested all our money into those paddy fields. They are killing so many of us with swords and bullets, and killing the rest of us like this. Burma State Counselor Calls for Unity, Asks Business Community to Help Rakhine Rehabilitation State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (Center) with businesspeople on Thursday at a ceremony to accept donations for Rakhine State. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy NAYPYITAW In her recent speech to the people across the country, Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said no matter what difficulties the country faces, they can be overcome by the unity of her people. In her call for peoples assistance, the State Counselor urged businesspeople to give a hand in rehabilitation works in Rakhine State, in a ceremony to accept donations for the restive state in Naypyitaw on Friday. Many in Myanmar would argue she has a right to believe so as history has proved it was the peoples unity that turned her National League for Democracy from an opposition party to the current ruling one. Now with mounting international pressure on the Rakhine State issue, the 72-year old has called on the peoples collaboration again. In the northwest of Myanmar, rehabilitation works are urgently in need after Muslim militant attacks and counter military clearance operations have sent more than 600,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims fleeing across the border to Bangladesh and displacing internally nearly 30,000 ethnic Arakanese and others. She encouraged businesspeople to provide input, admitting that measures taken in the past to address the issue were not sufficient. She called for collaboration so as to identify new approaches in solving the problem. Big businesspeople are the strength of the country. The government is also the strength of the country, and so are the people. I assume that the sound foundation of the Unions project for Rakhine State was laid today with these three strengths, said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Rather than financial help or material support, we are asking for mental helpI mean both from your head and heart. I would call it goodwill. I would urge cooperation for the country, she added. The government formed the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine on Oct. 15 to engage in humanitarian and rehabilitation works. Businesspeople donated nearly 18 billion kyats on Friday. Id like to urge the businessmen to provide frank suggestions. We may not be able to accept all the suggestions, but wed choose the most appropriate ones and implement them. In sorting out priorities, we also have to choose low-hanging fruit, and there are certain things that need to be implemented in the long-run, she said. We businesspeople stand by the government. We dont want to lose democracy from our hands. And we dont want to lose the Rakhine and border with Bangladesh. The government should adopt a firm plan and wed like to provide funds for it, said U Khin Shwe, chairman of Zay Kabar Co. U Aung Ko Win, chairman of Kanbawza, made the largest contribution of 3 billion kyats. U Maung Weik, chairman of Sae Paing Co, gave1.5 billion kyats, and other businessmen such as U Zaw Zaw, U Chit Khaing, U Tun Myint Naing, U Htay Myint and U Khin Shwe also made contributions. The event was in response to a request made by the businesspeople at the 2nd anniversary of nationwide ceasefire agreement signing on October 15 in Naypyitaw to provide assistance in Rakhine issue, U Zaw Htay, director-general of State Counselor Office told the reporters. There are three priorities, first is repatriation and resettlement, second is rehabilitation and the final one is development and ensuring of conflicts in the long-run, said U Zaw Htay. Burma Two Pilots of Missing Military Training Jet Confirmed Dead Pilot Maj. Kaung Htike of the G-4 military training aircraft. / Kaung Htike / Facebook PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region Two pilots aboard a missing military training jet found last week some 12 miles south of Gwa Township in Rakhine State after going missing last month were confirmed dead by the Tatmadaw medical team last week. The search and research team found the body of pilot Maj. Kaung Htike near the wreckage. Though the body of co-pilot Capt. Thaw Zin Soe was not recovered, the team found his personal belongings at the scene. Two pilot seats attached with parachutes, and two survival kits were found at the scene, according to a statement from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services. Though the body of Capt. Thaw Zin Soe was not found, his personal belongings including his watch were found. So the medical team confirmed the death of both pilots, a senior military officer who participated in search and rescue operation told The Irrawaddy. A military funeral will be held for Maj. Kaung Htike at the scene and well take back the ashes, he added. The G-4 military training aircraft disappeared during a training exercise over Pathein, Gwa, Hinthada, and back to Pathein, the capital of Irrawaddy Region, on Sept. 5. The plane lost contact about 36 miles northwest of Pathein. Parts of the aircraft were discovered last Wednesday on the 44th day of the search and rescue operation. The training jet had been used by Maj. Kaung Htike to train new pilots for the last three years. He passed the No. 64 piloting training from Namhsan Pilot Training School in Shan State, and was assigned to Mingalardon Air Base. Since 2007, he had been stationed at Pathein Air Base. He was survived by his wife and a daughter, and so is the case for Capt. Thaw Zin Soe. The training jet was a military training aircraft manufactured by Yugoslavia in 1984. The full name of the aircraft is SoKo G-4 Super Galeb, and it was worth US$4.2 million according to 2010 prices. From 1984 to 1991, Yugoslavia manufactured 85 G-4 aircrafts, and Myanmar Air Force has procured six of them. Serbian military still use the planes. Monday, Oct 23rd, 2017 (8:29 am) - Score 3,121 Several ISPs, including Sky Broadband, TalkTalk, Hyperoptic and Gigaclear, are reported to be considering a possible legal challenge if the Government chooses to adopt BTs voluntary proposal to deliver a 10Mbps minimum broadband speed across the UK by 2020. At present the Governments Broadband Delivery UK programme estimates that around 98% of premises across the United Kingdom should be within reach of a 24Mbps+ capable superfast broadband connection by around 2020, which would leave the remaining 2% to be catered for by a new legally binding 10Mbps+ Universal Service Obligation (USO). So far BT appears to be the only operator willing to actually deliver on the proposed USO (except KCOM in Hull), which the Government could impose through a strict mandatory policy. But at the end of July 2017 BT proposed an alternative / softer voluntary option (here), which would involve an estimated investment of 450m 600m. The cost for BTs plan could then be recovered from product charges, which wouldnt have a hugely negative impact on consumer prices, particularly if it were partly used to limit Ofcoms controversial price reduction on Openreachs 40Mbps FTTC broadband tier (here). Ironically perhaps, the Government has also just intervened to potentially limit that very same price reduction (here), which adds a new twist to this story. However a new report in The Times, which stems from an industry source, claims that Sky Broadband, TalkTalk, Hyperoptic and Gigaclear have been taking legal advice and might launch a legal challenge if the Government adopts BTs voluntary proposal instead of a true mandatory and legally binding USO. The rival providers fear that a voluntary USO could stifle competition, even though BTs investment would be commercial. The Scottish Government has also raised similar concerns, albeit partly for different reasons (here). The Industry Source said: The law is very clear on how a USO should be delivered. BT and government cant simply call the USO something else and hope the law doesnt apply. If BT persuades the government to ignore the legal framework, they could face years in court. That would derail the process and leave customers waiting even longer for the fast broadband they deserve. So far the Government has continued to say that they want a legally binding USO and as a result no firm agreement with BT has yet been established, although its looking more likely that a deal will be done and the devil could thus be in the detail. Put another way, is it really going to be a binding USO or more of a toothless Universal Service Commitment (USC) that is a USO in name only? The UK had a USC of sorts for 2Mbps and it wasnt very effective, although that ended up being more of a political state subsidy / voucher scheme for rural areas than a truly national deployment of new networks. Meanwhile BTs competitors appear to desire a fully regulated model, in which all broadband ISPs could invest, with costs recovered from consumers via a levy on profits or another funding mechanism. The problem for the Government is that they dont have a lot of public money spare and none of BTs rivals are willing to step in, which means theyre only left with one supplier. Finding the right model could be tricky. Last week the CEO of Ofcom, Sharon White, told a select committee inquiry that if a voluntary deal were reached then they would examine in detail what BT claims its cost are and what we believe are appropriate costs to be recovered it will be a robust process. The Government hopes to reach a conclusion by the end of this year and the last thing they need is another legal challenge, particularly given that one is already holding up Ofcoms 5G spectrum auction. UPDATE 12:49pm Gigaclear has sent us the following statement. Newly appointed lawmaker Davis Fong has acknowledged that he is likely to play a key advisory role in the upcoming gaming concessionaire negotiations. Speaking on the sidelines of the Sands China Responsible Gaming Team Training Program last week, Fong said that Lionel Leong, the Secretary for Economy and Finance, has already proposed several options to the government concerning possible terms for the new licenses. The gaming scholar said he would offer his advice and expertise on whichever approach is pursued. Its up to the government and the political climate at the time to choose which option to adopt, he said. Whatever the government adopts, I will provide my expertise and try my best to give my scientific view based on my research [background]. A scholar in commercial gaming and integrated resort management, Fong currently heads the University of Macaus Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming. Last month, he became one of seven lawmakers appointed to the Legislative Assembly by the citys Chief Executive, Chui Sai On, to act as the collective voice of the executive within the legislative branch of government. The latest legislative term will end in 2021, halfway through the expiry period for the licenses granted to the three concessionaires and three sub-concessionaires. MGM and SJMs licenses will expire in 2020, while those of Sands, Galaxy, Wynn and Melco Resorts will last until 2022. At a minimum, a blueprint for the new license terms will be established by the end of this legislative term. 2020 is quite a critical year for Macau, so I am expecting the government will initiate some actions to open the bid, said Fong. The new lawmaker is not the only member of the Legislative Assembly with a role to play in the discussion. Lawmakers Angela Leong and Zheng Anting also represent significant gaming interests in the legislature and will inevitably exert influence over the license renewal terms. The casino industry is responsible for an estimated 85 percent of the citys GDP and the employment of tens of thousands of residents, making it the most important element in Macaus socio-economic fabric. However, the terms and details of the license negotiations remain as speculation. Analysts suspect that political considerations will be made with respect to the decision. These considerations may include support for MSAR government-led initiatives and the scope of gaming operators contribution to the citys economic diversification and development as a world center for tourism and leisure. The licenses will not renew automatically in 2020 and 2022, but they can be extended for a maximum of five years, if a decision from the government has not been reached. After that, a new public tender must be launched. However, lawmakers and the government may still be a year or two away from even the commencement of formal negotiations. In the more immediate term, Davis Fong suspects that the effectiveness of the citys disaster response infrastructure is a more pressing item on lawmakers agenda. After the typhoon, local citizens have high expectations over how to improve the local disaster response infrastructure. I am waiting for the policy address released by the government, he said, adding that he expects Typhoon Hato and its related issues to dominate the address. Monday, Oct 23rd, 2017 (9:00 am) - Score 1,646 The 428m Digital Scotland (DSSB) project with BT (Openreach) has said theyre on-course to extend fixed line fibre broadband (FTTC/P) coverage to 95% of Scottish homes and businesses by the end of 2017. So far theyve reached a total of 800,000 additional premises since the scheme began. Back in June 2017 the programme announced that 90% of premises in Scotland had the ability to order a superfast broadband (30Mbps+) connection if they wanted (here) and related coverage is now reaching towards 92%, although we have our doubts about whether 95% can be achieved by the end of 2017 as per the SNP manifesto (note: the Digital Scotland website actually pegs completion for March 2018). On top of that we should point out that figures like 95% are a national average and that means some areas will get more coverage, while others will see less. For example, this figure drops to just 86% for the rural Highland and Islands region by the end of 2017 (here). More than 860 new fibre street cabinets are now live in the Highlands region. Fergus Ewing, Rural Economy Secretary, said: Fast internet connection is vital to the economic and social wellbeing of our rural communities, supporting businesses and improving lives of local people. Last year we made faster progress than any other part of the UK and we are on-track to meet our Programme for Government commitment of 95% coverage by the end of this year. However, these upgrades are not automatic. I would encourage more people to check whether they are eligible on the DSSB website and contact a service provider of their choice to start receiving faster broadband. I am not complacent I am aware that those who do not have access are at a disadvantage and our job is not done until everyone is connected. We are now focussing on the next steps to achieve 100% coverage by 2021. Matt Hancock MP, UK Minister for Digital, said: Im delighted that more than 800,000 Scottish homes and businesses have now had their internet speeds boosted as part of our UK wide rollout of superfast broadband. By the end of this year 95 per cent of UK properties will have access to superfast speeds, but more needs to be done to make sure no-one is left behind. We know just how important broadband is in the digital age, and well continue to support Digital Scotland delivering on the ground so that by 2020 everyone in Scotland, and the rest of the UK, will have access to a fast, reliable and affordable internet connection. As hinted above, the work doesnt stop once the current contract with BT comes to an end. The SNP ruled Scottish Government, which is headed by Nicola Sturgeon (First Minister), has already published their 2017 Digital Strategy for Scotland. This document reiterated last years R100 proposal by committing them to extend superfast broadband access to all by 2021, while encouraging the growth of ultrafast services, although so far there have been no solid details (a further 280,000+ premises could benefit from R100). The Scottish Government are also concerned about the UK central governments proposed 10Mbps Universal Service Obligation (USO) and its potential impact on competition and alternative network providers if BT were to secure a deal, which makes it more difficult for them to establish what their own R100 plan will become (here). Nobody wants to duplicate the investment or spend public money when its not needed. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly moving from a general concept in the enterprise to a deployable solution that is producing concrete changes in the way basic functions are addressed. One key area that is ripe for a dose of intelligence is storage, which is under increasing strain as both the volume and complexity of daily workloads defy the traditional approach of simply adding more capacity when drives max out. Silicon Angles Mark Albertson draws in interesting analogy in the rise of intelligent storage by noting that if data is the new oil, then storage is the new refinery. In the near future, simply pulling data from applications or other resources and bundling it into storage will not suffice. Instead, data will have to be conditioned, analyzed, processed, tagged and subjected to multiple other processes in order to effectively support analytics and the real-time applications that drive productivity. As well, organizations will have to dynamically migrate, replicate and mirror data across increasingly complex tiered infrastructure, which can only be accomplished through an intelligent automation stack or a virtual army of storage managers. Top storage vendors are already moving in this direction. HPE recently showed off the Nimble InfoSight predictive analytics suite for the 3Par storage platform, with expectations that it will hit the channel by the end of the year. The system is intended to provide a heads up for impending drive failures coupled with the ability to either resolve the problem or remove data from affected hardware without affecting application performance. The company says it can implement the software on both large and small 3Par deployments, providing a consistent experience for end-to-end data environments. It should also help organizations lower their storage costs by increasing efficiency and resource utilization. Hitachi is on much the same course with its Vantara platform, also due out in a few months. TechRepublic says the system is the product of a consolidation of the companys storage, analytics and IoT divisions, with an added boost from John Murphy, former VP of IBMs Watson division. The software is aimed primarily at industrial enterprises and features capacity planning, troubleshooting and application performance management modules. Eventually, however, the company expects it will be able to take on tasks like installation, management and maintenance of physical infrastructure, possible through integration with advanced robotics. Cloud providers are turning toward AI as well, hoping to draw enterprise workloads with higher-level management capabilities. Box, for instance, recently unveiled the Box Skills framework, which gives users an integrated platform to bring AI capabilities like automatic audio transcription and object recognition to their Box-hosted files at scale. According to Cloud Pro, the platform is a first step in what will become a shift in Box services across the board that will incorporate user utilization and interaction data, personalization tools and even developer kits to ensure that the Box ecosystem provides the storage capabilities that people need, not just a low-cost means of warehousing data. The enterprise should be careful, however, not to build AI into storage independently from other aspects of the data environment, namely compute, networking and virtual/cloud-layer infrastructure. To be truly effective, AI needs a broad view of all IT assets, plus the application- and user-goals it is expected to achieve. AI will eventually learn how to manage the data ecosystem largely on its own, which means conflicts between disparate intelligent engines will likely create more problems than they solve. Arthur Cole writes about infrastructure for IT Business Edge. Cole has been covering the high-tech media and computing industries for more than 20 years, having served as editor of TV Technology, Video Technology News, Internet News and Multimedia Weekly. His contributions have appeared in Communications Today and Enterprise Networking Planet and as web content for numerous high-tech clients like TwinStrata and Carpathia. Follow Art on Twitter @acole602. Telstra has, unsurprisingly, welcomed the decision of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission not to declared mobile roaming. The company's chief executive Andy Penn said in a statement that it was the best outcome for customers in regional areas. In deciding not to declare mobile roaming, the ACCC said it had identified many regulatory and policy measures that would improve mobile phone coverage and poor quality of service in regional Australia. Optus gave the decision a thumbs-up, while Vodafone said that too many Australians would continue to miss out as a result of the decision. Said Penn: Australia has world class telecommunications networks with strong incentives to invest and it was important to ensure that the policy settings continued to promote that investment." He said it was important for regional communities because they were dependent on coverage and future technology innovation. Todays announcement also continues to create a competitive environment to encourage others to invest as well. Telstra has always been a strong investor in regional Australia and leader in mobile telecommunications," Penn said. In August this year, we delivered on our promise to expand our 4G coverage to reach 99% of the population in 2017. As a result, Telstra now has more than 9000 mobile sites across the network. This includes 7300 4G sites, with more than 1100 of these upgraded to 4GX since the beginning of the year." He said the company's 3G and 4G coverage together reached 99.4% of the population and covered 2.4 million square kilometres, including many areas not served by any other carrier. Todays decision now paves the way for ongoing investments in coming years. Through our own direct investment, as well as co-investment, we expect to see up to $1 billion flow to small towns and regional centres across the country over the next five years," Penn added. We recognise that there are a number of regulatory and policy recommendations set out in the announcement aimed at addressing concerns raised during the consultation process. We will continue to work with government, industry, the ACCC and regional stakeholders on improving the experience we deliver our customers. Some local entrepreneurs are preparing to cash in on the launch of Amazon in Australia, as they already enjoy sales success with Fulfillment by Amazon into North America and Europe. With Amazon expected to "unveil its full retail offering as early as November in what is widely predicted to be a bonanza for local shoppers", some small Australian retailers "are also eagerly awaiting the imminent shake-up of the nations $300 billion retail sector". These small retailers believe this because Amazon already helps their sales into North America and Europe with the Fulfillment by Amazon programmes there, and that the upcoming Australian version of this programme will do the same here. Thus, James and Tristan Swanwick, founders of e-commerce startup Swanwick Sleep, which among other things sells yellow-tinted glasses that filter out blue light, are but one of a growing number of local entrepreneurs "already taking advantage of Amazon to sell directly to customers in North America and Europe". Since launching its "Swannies Blue Light Blocking Glasses" on the platform in America in 2015, the Brisbane brothers "have raked in more than US$1.5 million on Amazon alone". Tristan Swanwick, "one of the first local merchants to be granted access to Amazons Australian Marketplace", said "he and other experienced Amazon sellers 'couldnt wait' to start utilising the Fulfillment By Amazon service locally". Swanwick said: "In America and Europe you can send your products to Amazons warehouses and they will store them and then ship it to the customers when its sold. "Up until now that hasnt been available in Australia and its always been really frustrating that we can cater for customers in Los Angeles or New York City better than someone in Brisbane or Sydney. Swanwick also talked up the compelling advantages for small retailers to work with Amazon. "Amazon provides a platform to build a business from scratch with little more than a great idea, he added. "We went from zero to US$1.5 million in less than two years and theres no reason why other entrepreneurial Aussies cant do the same thing. It also serves as an able way to market one's business, while proudly boasting that the incoming Amazon armada is something you can work with, rather than against so good luck, and may all your shopping and shipping dreams come true! Embattled security firm Kaspersky Lab has announced what it calls a Global Transparency Initiative under which it will allow source code review by independent third parties. The company has also said it will undertake independent assessment of its secure development lifecycle processes and its software and supply chain risk mitigation strategies. Both these initiatives will be put in place by the first quarter of 2018. Additionally, Kaspersky said it would develop additional controls to govern the companys data processing practices in co-ordination with an independent party. The announcement comes after a torrid period during which Kaspersky Lab products have been pulled from the shelves of two major US retailers Best Buy and Office Depot and after the company has battled to fight a concerted US Government campaign to ban its software from use by the public sector. An offer by the US Congress to its founder, Eugene Kaspersky, affording him an opportunity to testify before a select panel about the issues that have arisen Kaspersky Lab also announced the creation of three Transparency Centres in the US, Asia and Europe, with plans to establish the first in 2018, to address any security issues together with customers, trusted partners and government stakeholders. Additionally, bug bounty awards of up to US$100,000 will be offered for the most severe vulnerabilities found under the companys Co-ordinated Vulnerability Disclosure programme. A statement from the company quoted Eugene as saying: "Internet balkanisation benefits no one except cyber criminals. Reduced co-operation among countries helps the bad guys in their operations, and public-private partnerships dont work like they should. "The Internet was created to unite people and share knowledge. Cyber security has no borders, but attempts to introduce national boundaries in cyber space is counter-productive and must be stopped. "We need to reestablish trust in relationships between companies, governments and citizens. Thats why were launching this Global Transparency Initiative: we want to show how were completely open and transparent. Weve nothing to hide. And I believe that with these actions well be able to overcome mistrust and support our commitment to protecting people in any country on our planet. But it may be that the company's initiative has come a little too late. Three reports in the three main US mainstream newspapers this month made extremely damaging allegations about the company, which Kaspersky has not directly refuted. A report in The Wall Street Journal on 12 October hinted that Kaspersky Lab could have made available its source code to the Russian Government. Prior to that, a report in The Washington Post on 10 October claimed that Israeli Government information security professionals had found NSA hacking tools in Kaspersky Lab's system when it gained access to the company's servers in 2014. And The New York Times claimed on 10 October that Russian Government employees had used Kaspersky's anti-virus software to search for the code names of US intelligence programmes, while Israeli intelligence officials looked on. iTWire sought answers to these allegations but did not receive answers that were to the point. Vumero Institute is pleased to announce the return of the Cyber in Business Conference to Melbourne , Australia. The Conference will be held on Thursday 26th October 2017 at the Rydges Melbourne, with 300+ attendees expected across 2 tracks. This is the second year that the conference has been held in Melbourne following a successful debut in December 2016. OVERVIEW OF THE CYBER IN BUSINESS CONFERENCE In todays hyper connected world, the question is not if an organisation will be attacked, but when, how and by whom. Cyber threats are no longer just an information technology issue; they go to the very core of all Australian businesses. The Cyber in Business Conference aims to equip attendees with the knowledge and skills to understand cyber security as a whole of business issue. A curated selection of leading industry practitioners will present across individual presentations, seminars, workshops, panel discussions and live hacking demonstrations. The Conference will also showcase the best local cybersecurity innovators and entrepreneurs in the Innovation & Startup Showcase Session, hosted by Craig Davies from the Australian Cyber Security Growth Network. GENDER DIVERSITY IN CYBERSECURITY Current studies indicate that women comprise only 11% of the cyber security workforce. Research also suggests that the best ways to empower women to succeed in cyber security is to give them the public platform to demonstrate their ability and leaderships. Striving to increase workplace diversity is not an empty slogan it makes businesses and the industry as a whole more successful. That's why Cyber in Business Melbourne is proud to have the strongest representation of female speakers at any Cyber Security Conference in Asia-Pacific. Simply put, Gender Diverse teams work better. Yet current studies indicate women comprise only 11% of the cyber security workforce. Research also indicates that one of the best ways to encourage women to succeed in cyber security is to give them the public platform to demonstrate their ability and leadership. This builds current practitioners skills and displays role models for others entering, or thinking of entering the industry. That's why Cyber in Business Melbourne is proud to have the strongest representation of female speakers at any Cyber Security Conference in Asia-Pacific. Striving to increase workplace diversity is not an empty slogan it makes businesses and the industry as a whole more successful. Cyber in Business Conference Melbourne is on Thursday 26th October 2017 at the Rydges Melbourne. If you'd like to learn more or register for this year's event then please see: www.cyberinbusiness.com/melbourne Claiming "too many Australians to continue to miss out", Vodafone is not happy, Jan, over the ACCC's decision not to declare mobile roaming. Quick off the mark after the ACCC decided not to declare mobile roaming this morning, Vodafone has come out with commentary from its chief strategy officer, Dan Lloyd. Lloyd said: "The ACCCs final report is a bad decision for regional Australia. Large parts of the country will continue to miss out on the mobile coverage and choice that it wants, needs and deserves. "This decision rings alarm bells for regional communities. The inquiry has shone a spotlight on the alarming lack of competition and high prices for mobile in many areas, but the ACCC seems to think that this is ok. "Regional Australia is crying out for better mobile services. Domestic roaming has been the answer in virtually every other large western economy and has successfully brought increased coverage and competition to countries including the US, Canada, New Zealand, Spain and France. "The ACCCs claims that many Australians prefer Telstra in some areas 'due to the quality of the network', flies in the face of public independent tests which show that Vodafone has the best performing network in cities with a population above 100,000." The stat of the tests is that "Vodafone ranked as the top-performing network in Australias cities with a population over 100,000 for aggregate voice and data in the independent CommsDay P3 network benchmark tests released in December 2016". Lloyd continued: "The status quo clearly isnt good enough for regional Australia. If domestic roaming isnt the answer, what is? While the ACCC refers to some alternative measures, such as more information on coverage and investment, these have already been in place for some time and have failed to deliver the coverage regional areas need. "Regulated domestic roaming could be a game-changer for regional areas, finally providing the right environment to encourage investment in new coverage and stronger competition. The extensive evidence and data put forward by Vodafone and others to support the case was compelling. It is disappointing for Australian consumers that a scare campaign with no facts or substance has succeeded. "It is extraordinary the ACCC has failed to intervene in a market where Telstra is clearly dominant, with the ACCC admitting Telstra has a regional market as high as 84% in some area. Telstra has received over $2 billion of handouts from government and its competitors over the last decade, and continues to receive more than $230,000 per hour of subsidies. "Its inexplicable that the ACCC thinks that a taxpayer subsidised regional mobile monopoly is reasonably effective competition when we provided compelling evidence that this is costing Australia up to $1.4 billion a year. "The reports findings are contradictory. This decision to protect a monopoly is inexplicable as it is at odds with the ACCCs usual reasoning. In every other context the ACCC is suspicious of markets with four or less players, but in this case it is strangely comfortable to allow a regional mobile monopoly to continue. "For example, when there are only four petrol retailers in Queensland, costing Queenslanders $50 million a year, the ACCC describes this as weak competition and expresses great concern. When there is a monopoly in regional mobile costing Australians $1.4 billion a year, apparently this is ok. The ACCC itself admits Telstra has little incentive to invest in regional Australia unless taxpayers fork out even more to subside its infrastructure. "The ACCCs final decision is particularly disappointing for regional communities given that the Federal Court hasnt yet handed down its ruling as to whether the ACCC inquiry was carried out properly and in line with the law. Given that the Federal Court decision is imminent, it is curious that the ACCC has chosen to side-step the court. "We are proud to continue to stand up for regional Australia. We will continue to pursue opportunities to drive competition in regional Australia, and to invest in sites in regional areas wherever there is a business case for us to do so." Over one million (45%) Australian households who have connected to the national broadband network experienced issues when transitioning across to the service, according to a newly published research report. Online comparison website iSelect says a new Galaxy Research study it commissioned to assess the attitudes of Australian households towards broadband services, reveals that 1.3 million Australian households who have connected to the NBN had issues with their transition. And, according to iSelect, Australians now voice concerns about the speed of their broadband service, not so much about price and data allowance as previously raised. According to the study, just over a third (36%) of Aussie homes have actually made the move across to the NBN. And, just 44% of homes with the NBN said their home Internet was meeting their expectations and allowed them to do everything they want online, compared to 40% of those using ADSL2+ or other connection types. But, once connected, those homes with an NBN connection were slightly more satisfied with their internet service, the research reveals. iSelect says the research also revealed that many Australians are very confused by NBN speed tiers despite the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's recommendation for Internet providers to move away from unclear language such as up to when describing NBN speeds. According to Laura Crowden, spokesperson for iSelect, the arrival of the NBN means customers now need to take speed into consideration when choosing the right broadband provider and plan. Aussies are used to choosing a home broadband plan based primarily on price and data allowance. For households moving across to the NBN, it can be really confusing to understand what the different NBN speed tiers mean and decide which one is right for them. Crowden welcomed the ACCCs request for retailers to make it clearer for what speeds customers can expect during peak periods. This is definitely a step in the right direction but there remains a lot of variation between providers in terms of both their speed ranges and the names they use to describe them, she explained. Terms like boost, max or superfast do little to clarify what speeds customers can realistically expect during busy times such as evenings. Its no wonder that many customers remain bamboozled by what the different NBN speed tiers will actually mean for them in reality. Crowden says Internet providers have designed their plans around the NBNs four speed tiers (12, 25, 50 & 100 megabits per second) but the NBN Co the builders of the NBN does not consider 12Mbps plans to be superfast broadband. And, according to Crowden, many households are automatically opting for the cheaper NBN 12 plans without realising they are likely to be similar or possibly slower than what they experienced on ADSL2. Both our demands and expectations of home internet has shifted in recent years, with the number of connected devices increasing dramatically in many homes. The right speed tier really depends on your internet needs and how many people and devices are connecting simultaneously, she explained. Households that have embraced internet streaming services such as Netflix, have multiple connected devices or regularly work from home really need to look at a NBN 25 speed tier plan or above to their expectations are met in terms of speed and reliability. While Aussie households may still be grappling with the different speed tiers available under the NBN, reliability remains their single greatest priority for their home internet connection (31%), followed by price (27%) and speed (26%). Crowden said the research revealed that Aussies were most annoyed by connection delays (41%) or interruptions (38%) to their Internet connection. Just over half (57%) of Aussie homes have experienced problems with their home Internet speed or reliability in the past six months, with those already on the NBN slightly less likely to experience issues (54%). Crowden said this highlighted the importance of seeking expert advice to find a broadband plan that offers the right balance between price, and speed and reliability. In the wake of the competition watchdogs decision not to declare mobile roaming services, the telecommunications consumer interest group ACCAN has called for existing mobile networks to be further upgraded to improve capacity and reduce congestion, particularly in regional and rural areas. Teresa Corbin, the chief executive of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, made the call on Monday when welcoming the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's decision not to declare mobile roaming. Corbin also took the opportunity to repeat previous comments that ACCAN was a strong advocate for better mobile services and coverage, and wanted to see improved competition in regional and rural parts of the country. The ACCC announced on Monday that it would not declare domestic mobile roaming but that it had identified a range of regulatory and policy measures that could improve inadequate mobile phone coverage and poor quality of service in regional Australia. Australias two biggest telcos Telstra and Optus both welcomed the ACCCs decision not to declare roaming services, while Vodafone said that too many Australians would continue to miss out as a result of the decision. Vodafone was vehement in its condemnation of the non-declaration of mobile roaming, with chief strategy officer, Dan Lloyd blasting the ACCCs final report as a bad decision for regional Australia. Large parts of the country will continue to miss out on the mobile coverage and choice that it wants, needs and deserves. This decision rings alarm bells for regional communities. The inquiry has shone a spotlight on the alarming lack of competition and high prices for mobile in many areas, but the ACCC seems to think that this is ok, Lloyd said. In its decision, the ACCC says it "must be satisfied that declaration would promote the long-term interests of end-users" but its inquiry had found that declaration would likely not lead to lower prices or better coverage or quality of services for regional Australians". But, ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the inquiry had heard from many regional consumers and businesses that inadequate mobile coverage in regional areas affects the social and economic well-being of regional communities". While giving the thumbs up to the decision not to declare roaming, Corbin also welcomed the ACCCs issues paper on measures to address regional mobile issues which maps out actions for improving mobile coverage in rural, regional and remote areas. Proposals by the ACCC include: Measures to achieve more transparent and consistent public information about network coverage and service quality from mobile network providers to guide consumer choice, policy decisions and programmes; More transparency about future network investment from mobile providers to assist in co-ordinating local investment in regional Australia; Measures to reduce the costs of building and improving mobile networks and supporting a competitive environment; and Arrangements for taking greater account of competition issues in the management and allocation of spectrum, which is essential for the operation of communications services According to Corbin, consumers and small businesses in regional, rural and remote areas need additional coverage where they live, work and travel. We believe the approach adopted by the ACCC acknowledges the potentially negative consequences of regulated roaming while identifying ways of improving competition to support better services. Existing mobile networks need to be upgraded to improve capacity and reduce congestion. Enhancements to mobile networks would go a long way in improving the daily lives of non-metro consumers and ensuring access to emergency services. Improving and extending mobile coverage in regional and rural areas needs to be a priority for the Government and the mobile network operators, Corbin stressed. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) New smart farm technologies can give Americas growers the ability to monitor crop conditions in real time, respond to technical problems before machinery breaks down in the field and consult with the worlds foremost agronomic experts with the push of a button. That is, as long as theyve got five bars of service and plenty of internet bandwidth. If not, the smartest piece of technology isnt worth its weight in good, quality fertilizer. And, according to Eric Lescourret, the Director of Strategic Marketing at AGCO Corporation, that dearth of rural bandwidth is the bottleneck thats standing between American farmers and the next great breakthrough in agricultural productivity. Thats the dilemma, that our farmers out there are collecting more data for every seed they plant than they can process, Lescourret says. All of them are located in rural areas, and the broadband infrastructure is not keeping up. Lescourret illustrated the true magnitude of the problem at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Tomorrows Topics Today booth during the International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) earlier this month. Even with the limited adoption of Smart Farm technology that is already underway, he says that American farmers are capturing one kilobyte of data per year for every seed that is planted. That may not seem like much at first. But when you consider that a typical corn field has about 32,000 plants, that means that every corn field is producing about 32 megabytes of data annually-or about as much bandwidth as it will take you to stream the first four singles off Taylor Swifts new album. But with 450 million acres of corn in the United States, that means that farmers are already producing 14.4 million gigabytes of data related to their corn crops annually-nearly 10 times as much bandwidth as has been used to stream Taylor Swifts latest single 205 million times this year on Spotify. On, perhaps, a more comprehensible scale, that much bandwidth would allow you to download the entire Library of Congress more than 50 times-just in the data captured from one years U.S. corn crop. And Lescourret says those numbers are only going to grow as companies introduce new and more powerful Smart Farm technologies, like a new combine from AGCO that features more than 60 sensors which capture data in every second of operation. In managing the amount of data we have to get through from our sensors, all the way to a hub, back to an agronomist, and back and forth to our machine, it takes a lot of infrastructure to do that, Lescourret said. Nationwide, cities that feature reliable, high-volume broadband service have proven themselves a draw for corporations seeking sites for new, advanced manufacturing facilities. But even as many farms increasingly resemble manufacturing operations, Lescourret says their decentralized, rural nature and the resulting poor access to broadband jeopardize the productivity gains they stand to reap. According to a 2016 report by the Federal Communications Commission, 39 percent of rural Americans lacked access to high speed broadband internet access (25 Mbps/3 Mbps), compared to just four percent of Americans in urban areas. There are a lot of areas that are very slow, Lescourret says of AGCOs use of Smart Farm technologies in rural areas. We still have to rely on USB sticks to transfer data, and the reason is we dont have cellular data coverage. If we dont have it, we cant transfer the data accurately. And in a business like farming where hours and minutes can be the difference between success and failure, Lescourrett says having to hand deliver data from the farm site to agronomy experts could do more than endanger the source of Americas food crops-it risks the nations strategic geopolitical standing with its trade partners and competitors. The Chinese, right now they need to import from us, Lescourret said. But its only a matter of time until they can grow their own crops and they become as productive as we are. So to me, (broadband infrastructure) is no less important than the defense industry, and its something we need to invest in. Whos going to invest the money, thats the question. And farmers will tell you they have no money to give right now. They can barely break even, so where are we going to find the funding? Ultimately, Lescourret sees growing pressure from utility groups, manufacturers and the agriculture community to leverage a federal investment in rural broadband. But until that happens, he says American farmers will be hamstrung in efforts to make productivity gains through the use of new and emerging technologies and meet the demands of a growing society. Every cent per acre that you can save, that you can reduce in input or increase in yield, you have to do it with this technology, Lescourret said. But you have to have the broadband infrastructure. Thats the dilemma, that our farmers out there are collecting more data for every seed they plant than they can process. All of them are located in rural areas, and the broadband infrastructure is not keeping up. Eric Lescourret, director of strategic marketing at AGCO Corp. in Kentucky The Vocus Group has decided to get its New Zealand operations ready for sale and is finalising the appointment of advisers, the company said on Monday. In an investor update, the company said its board was targeting a completion of the sale by the end of the financial year 2018. Vocus also said advisers had been appointed to look after the sale of its Australian data centre assets. The sale of assets is aimed at reducing the group's debt. It also said other non-core Australian assets would continue to be evaluated with regard to potential divestment or closure. The company said it expected its Australia-Singapore Cable to be ready for service in the first quarter of financial year 2019. The main cable lay is expected to be completed in the third quarter of FY18. The 4600-km cable links Australia to Singapore, Indonesia and Christmas Island. Vocus provides telco, data, cloud and energy services through its Commander, Dodo and iPrimus brands. It also owns Nextgen Networks which it acquired in October 2016. The managing director of the small ISP MyRepublic claims the average revenue per user earned by the NBN Co will continue to be low because bigger telcos like Telstra, Optus, TPG and Vocus push slow-speed connections to their customers in order to avoid popularising the NBN. Nicholas Demos (below, right) told iTWire that the big four had no interest in making the NBN an attractive proposition because it was a direct competitor to their businesses. He pointed to the statement made by NBN Co chief executive Bill Morrow on Monday, where the latter had said that the company was getting $43 per month from retail service providers but needed $52 if it was to break even. Demos said it was ridiculous that any company would offer plans with download speeds of 12Mbps on what was claimed to be a fast broadband network. "But that means the cost of the subscription is lower than if one wanted a 100Mbps plan. So the amount paid to NBN Co is less and that is what the big telcos want." He said he always put his NBN customers on 100Mbps plans; 90% of his customers were on the NBN and the remainder on ADSL. Thus, he said, there was an incentive for him to earn as much as possible from the NBN and also make it as attractive a proposition as possible to his customers. This was the direct opposite of what the big four were out to do, he claimed. He described the NBN as a network with disclaimers, and tore into Morrow for saying that it should not be compared to networks in other countries. "Its an NBN with disclaimers and the Australian public are being confused by a constant flow of excuses," Demos claimed. Of course we should compare ourselves to other countries, just like we should be able to compare our Internet speeds with our own next-door-neighbours. Not only that, consumers shouldnt have to experience lower evening peak rates because of the current flawed pricing model." This lower evening peak rates he tied to the lower purchase of bandwidth by RSPs due to the connectivity virtual circuit prices. While the price in Australia was between $10 and $15 for a 100Mbps connection, in Singapore it was a flat charge of $2, he pointed out. In New Zealand, there was no CVC, only an access virtual circuit charge. As MyRepublic pointed out to iTWire earlier this year, the charges are quite different. In Australia, the AVC charge for a 100Mbps connection is A$38 while the CVC is A$15.25 per Mbps (1.4Mbps required). In New Zealand, a connection of the same speed would cost between NZ$43 to NZ$45, which includes the CVC. For a 1Gbps connection in New Zealand, there was an AVC charge of between NZ$60 to NZ$65 which includes the CVC charge. In Australia, the AVC was A$150, while the CVC was A$15.25 per Mbps, with 2.5 to 3Mbps required. Costs such as backhaul, operations, sales and marketing and telephony costs are excluded from these amounts. In Singapore, the minimum speed on offer is 1Gbps and the government had met ISPs a couple of months to discuss whether this could be raised, he said. "The Singapore NBN was launched in 2012 as a PPP (Public, Private, Partnership). It was orginally called Opennet but then changed to NLT (Net Link Trust). Therefore public money and private money was used. The mandate was to become a public company within five years which it did two months ago," he explained when asked about the differences between the Singapore set-up and that in Australia. Demos said the NBN Co was more interested in making a profit than ensuring that customers were happy. The focus should be on customer value, not NBN Co needing protection to make a profit. As the fibre broadband leaders in the APAC region, we know the level of network capacity that is required to deliver whats promised. "The NBN Co pricing model isnt fit for purpose and its holding everything back. It needs to create more customer value, starting with abolishing low-speed tiers such as 25 Mbps and below." Reddit Email 389 Shares John Feffer | (Foreign Policy in Focus) | The evidence is in: The adults in the room at the White House have enabled Trumps worst impulses, not checked them. < In the middle of September, Harvard University announced that it was inviting two controversial new fellows to the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School: former Trump administration spokesman Sean Spicer and whistleblower Chelsea Manning. At the august institution, they would be joining Corey Lewandowski, one of Trumps campaign managers, along with several Democratic Party operatives. But it was not to be. Within a day of the announcement, Harvard rescinded Chelsea Mannings invitation because of controversy attending the offer. Dean of the Kennedy School Douglas Elmendorf had this to say: I see more clearly now that many people view a Visiting Fellow title as an honorific, so we should weigh that consideration when offering invitations. Strangely, the invitation to the thoroughly dishonorable Lewandowski did not seem affected by this rationale. Harvard snubbed Manning in part because people like Mike Pompeo, current head of the CIA, cancelled an appearance at a Harvard forum, saying that I believe it is shameful for Harvard to place its stamp of approval upon her treasonous actions. Im not a big fan of WikiLeaks even before its conduct in the 2016 elections but Id still be interested in hearing Chelsea Manning interact with other folks at the Kennedy School on questions of public service and morality. So, Im upset at Harvards retraction of the invitation. But what really bugs me is Harvards pandering to the Trump crowd as if they were legitimate political actors. Theyre not. Theyre collaborationists. They may or may not have collaborated with a foreign power against the United States (let the various investigating committees determine that). But Im expanding the term here to mean that they are collaborating with a political figure Donald Trump whose behavior is inimical to American democracy. Even if they arent ultimately thrown into jail for a variety of improprieties, the Trump collaborationists should be frozen out of the mainstream. Obviously Im thinking about the future, since places like Harvard are always kowtowing to those in power in the present. But Im looking forward to a day after, say, 2020, when America goes through its own de-Baathification process, and the leading lights of the Trump administration are purged from public life. Okay, maybe you dont want to go that far. De-Baathfication, after all, had lousy consequences for Iraq. Then lets just use Harvards language but apply it more appropriately. Many people view a Visiting Fellow title as an honorific, so we should weigh that consideration when offering invitations, Elmendorf said. Those who collaborated with the Trump administration those who served in high positions and profited materially and professionally from those positions should simply not be honored. Even if a departing Trump pardons all his cronies, they should feel the sting of public exclusion. Call it an anti-Trump blacklist, a political boycott comparable to the economic boycott of Trump products. Perhaps, youre wondering, why Im focusing on Trump. Many of his policies resemble those of previous administrations like those of Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush. Why not expand the boycott to include all the neoconservatives responsible for the Iraq War, among other catastrophes? Its equally galling to see a war criminal like Elliott Abrams still accepted in polite company (and the Council on Foreign Relations). I certainly disagreed with those figures and their policies. But this administration is different. Donald Trump has crossed the line on so many fronts. To ensure that his innovations in the realms of racism, misogyny, militarism, deception, secrecy, and the deconstruction of the administrative state do not become institutionalized in U.S. society requires not only broad-based condemnation but, eventually, public exclusion as well. Adults in the Room Shortly after the 2016 election, I was on an NPR program making my case for non-engagement with the Trump administration. The host was aghast: Didnt I acknowledge the important of adult supervision in the White House? Wouldnt it be better to have some sensible people near Trump to prevent him from flying off the nuclear handle? And who would these adults be exactly, I retorted? Steve Bannon? Michael Flynn? I doubted that anyone who made it through the vetting process would necessarily qualify as an adult at least in the sense that the NPR host meant and even if such a grey eminence managed to get into the administration, he or she would likely be brought down to Trumps level, not the other way around. In a recent article in The New York Review of Books, James Mann traces the origins of the phrase adults in the room and its associated phrase of adult supervision. Before Trump, this Washington lingo was usually a cover for policy differences, Mann writes. The adults were usually those who didnt stray too far from the political center, however that was defined at the moment. Bernie Sanders has never qualified as an adult in the Washington usage of the word, although he is old enough to collect Social Security; nor did Ralph Nader; nor did Rand Paul, though he is old enough to perform eye surgery. What made them deficient was not their character or their immaturity, but their views. Now, however, the phrase refers less to ideology and more to behavior. For the first time, America has a president who does not act like an adult, Mann continues. He is emotionally immature: he lies, taunts, insults, bullies, rages, seeks vengeance, exalts violence, boasts, refuses to accept criticism, all in ways that most parents would seek to prevent in their own children. And thus, America is supposed to breathe easier because a trio of military men (John Kelly, James Mattis, H.R. McMaster) and an oil company executive (Rex Tillerson) are in place to rein in Trumps more infantile impulses. Moreover, a rogues gallery of non-adults have already departed the administration as a result of scandal or sheer incompetence: the aforementioned Sean Spicer, his almost replacement Anthony Scaramucci, Steve Bannon, Sebastian Gorka, Tom Price, Reince Priebus, Mike Flynn. Some, like Trumps pick to head the Drug Enforcement Agency, withdrew from consideration even before he had to face withering questions about his support for the pharmaceutical industry. Surely the process works if it ejects such ridiculous figures as if they were tainted food in the political digestive tract. Poking fun at this list of not-so-dearly-departed administration officials is too easy. More important is to demonstrate that the so-called adults are doing as much if not more damage to this country than the people who didnt spend enough time in their jobs to screw things up royally. So, before assigning blame on specific issues, lets take a look at exactly how adult U.S. foreign policy has been over the last ten months. The United States has come close to tearing up the most important arms control deal of the last 25 years and edging closer to war with Iran. It has escalated the conflict with North Korea, which has raised the risk of a nuclear exchange. It has extended the longest American war by sending thousands more troops to Afghanistan. It has continued a misguided war on terrorism by supporting the Saudi devastation of Yemen, expanding the CIAs capacity for conducting drone strikes, and helping to create the next generation of anti-Western jihadists in Syria and Iraq. Beyond war and peace issues, it has pulled out of the Paris climate accord, withdrew from UNESCO, and reinstituted the global gag rule on abortion that will affect nearly $9 billion in U.S. funding of health initiatives around the world. It has continued to push for the building of the infamous wall on the border with Mexico, implemented several travel bans that disproportionately target Muslims, and gone after the Dreamers. It has proposed slashing foreign aid and State Department funding more generally. It has driven a stake through the heart of multilateralism. What exactly is adult about this rash and destructive foreign policy? Yes, the world hasnt been destroyed (yet) by nuclear war. But thats a pretty low bar for the administrations accomplishments. Nor is it possible to argue that Trump himself is solely responsible for this foreign policy. Trump has only a vague grasp of foreign policy to begin with. His impulse is to oppose whatever the Obama administration put together the Iran deal, participation in the Paris accords, various trade deals even where there might be bipartisan support. To get any of these concrete policies implemented, Trump needs foreign policy professionals who can, at the very least, spell words correctly and use the proper names of foreign leaders. Trump relies on these adults not to restrain him but to implement his craziest ideas. So, the only conclusion is that Tillerson, Mattis, McMaster, and Kelly have at least some, if not sole, responsibility for Trumps foreign policy. Tillerson has presided over the destruction of the State Department its personnel cuts, its circumscribed influence. Mattis has facilitated the significant budget increases for the Pentagon. McMaster has called the presidents tweets on North Korea completely appropriate and shares the presidents distaste for the Iran nuclear deal. John Kelly, in his former role as head of Homeland Security, was a big booster of the travel ban. The evidence is in. Engagement at the very highest levels with the Trump administration has not tempered its worst qualities. If anything, these adults have been the chief enablers of this most reckless of presidents. Theyve given him the thinnest frosting of legitimacy. Moreover, even these so-called adults dont rescue the Trump administration from being outside the norms of democratic discourse in this country. The Politics of Lustration In Eastern Europe, after the changes of 1989, the successor governments considered laws that would prevent those who collaborated with the Communist apparatus from serving in public office. These were controversial laws. It was often difficult to determine who had collaborated (as opposed to simply been accused of collaborating), and the process was quickly politicized by various political parties. Also, what constituted collaboration: membership in the Communist Party, working in the secret police, or just communicating with the secret police? Still, lustration served as a way of distinguishing one era from another, of drawing what the Poles called a thick line between unacceptable collaboration and legitimate politics. Lustration, like de-Baathification, was a deeply flawed process. But Im attracted to the idea of eventually drawing a thick line between acceptable democratic practice and what the Trump administration has attempted to do in this country. Im not talking about going after civil servants or low-level appointees. Im certainly not talking about Trump voters. No, only the topmost officials in the administration, including his Cabinet of Horrors, should be subjected, post-2020, to an informal ban on further public service or the receipt of anything that might be construed an honor at a major institution. Let me be clear. Im not talking about Republicans. Many Republicans have already taken strong stands against Trumps excesses, and many more will do so over the next three years. No, this campaign against collaborationists must be bipartisan. And the targets should certainly include registered Democrats like chief economic advisor Gary Cohn. It wont be a witch hunt. These people are extraordinarily rich and powerful. Their wealth and power will survive public shaming. But such a process will be absolutely important to discredit Trumpism not just as a belief system but as an ideology of power in which all methods of achieving wealth and position are legitimate. We cant put Trump and his claque into the stockade like in Puritan America. We cant ostracize them send them into foreign exile for 10 years, as the ancient Athenians did. But we can declare the collaborationists, including the adults in the room, an affront to human dignity and threaten to resign from, boycott, or malign any institution that dares to hire them, honor them, or work with them. Its something to look forward to during the long political winter ahead. Via Foreign Policy in Focus John Feffer is the director of Foreign Policy In Focus and the author of the dystopian novel Splinterlands. The Young Turks: John Kelly Lies To Cover For Trump Reddit Email 184 Shares Shang-Jin Wei | (Project Syndicate) | In recent years, many of the worlds most influential countries have turned inward, with politicians promising protectionism, immigration restrictions, and even border walls. But, to achieve stronger economic growth and development, the world needs initiatives focused on building bridges initiatives like Chinas Belt and Road. NEW YORK Since 2013, China has been pursuing its Belt and Road initiative, which aims to develop physical infrastructure and policy linkages connecting more than 60 countries across Asia, Europe, and Africa. Critics worry that China may be so focused on expanding its geopolitical influence, in order to compete with the likes of the United States and Japan, that it may pursue projects that make little economic sense. But, if a few conditions are met, the economic case for the initiative is strong. As a recent Asian Development Bank report confirms, many Belt and Road countries are in urgent need of large-scale infrastructure investment precisely the type of investment that China has pledged. Some, such as Bangladesh and Kyrgyzstan, lack reliable electricity supplies, which is impeding the development of their manufacturing sectors and stifling their ability to export. Others, like Indonesia, do not have enough ports for internal economic integration or international trade. [Project Syndicate: One Belt, One Road] The Belt and Road initiative promises to help countries overcome these constraints, by providing external funding for ports, roads, schools, hospitals, and power plants and grids. In this sense, the initiative could function much like Americas post-1945 Marshall Plan, which is universally lauded for its contribution to the reconstruction and economic recovery of war-ravaged Europe. Of course, external funding alone is not sufficient for success. Recipient countries must also undertake key reforms that increase policy transparency and predictability, thereby reducing investment risk. Indeed, implementation of complementary reforms will be a key determinant of the economic returns on Belt and Road investments. For China, the Belt and Road investments are economically appealing, particularly when private Chinese firms take the lead in carrying them out. In 2013, when China first proposed the Belt and Road initiative, the country was sitting on $4 trillion in foreign-exchange reserves, which were earning a very low dollar return (less than 1% a year). In terms of Chinas own currency, the returns were negative, given the expected appreciation of the renminbi against the US dollar at the time. In this sense, Belt and Road investments are not particularly costly for China, particularly when their far-reaching potential benefits are taken into account. Chinas trade-to-GDP ratio exceeds 40% substantially higher than that of the US owing partly to underdeveloped infrastructure and inadequate economic diversification among Chinas trading partners. By addressing these weaknesses, Chinas Belt and Road investments can lead to a substantial increase in participant countries and Chinas own trade volumes, benefiting firms and workers substantially. Help us improve our new site by giving us feedback. Click here This is not to suggest that such investments are risk-free for China. The economic returns will depend on the quality of firms business decisions. In particular, because efficiency is not the primary consideration, Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) might purse low-return projects. That is why Chinas SOE-reform process must be watched carefully. Nonetheless, while the Belt and Road initiative is clearly driven partly by strategic objectives, a cost-benefit analysis shows that the economic case is also very strong so strong, in fact, that one might ask why China didnt undertake it sooner. Even the United States and other countries may reap significant economic returns. A decade after the global financial crisis erupted, recovery remains weak and tentative in much of the world. Bold, large-scale infrastructure investments can provide much-needed short-run stimulus to global aggregate demand. The US, for one, is likely to see a surge in demand for its own exports, including cars, locomotives, planes, and high-end construction equipment, and financial, accounting, educational, and legal services. In the longer term, the new infrastructure will ease logistical bottlenecks, reducing the costs of production inputs. The result will be higher productivity and faster global growth. If Belt and Road projects are held to high environmental and social standards, significant progress can also be made on global challenges such as climate change and inequality. The more countries choose to participate in these projects, the better the chance of achieving these standards, and the greater the global social returns will be. In an era when some of the worlds most influential countries are turning inward, talking about erecting trade barriers and constructing border walls, the world needs initiatives focused on building bridges and roads, both literal and figurative initiatives like the Belt and Road strategy. Shang-Jin Wei, a former chief economist of the Asian Development Bank, is Professor of Finance and Economics at Columbia University. Licensed from Project Syndicate Reddit Email 270 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | Trump-style ignorance and faux pas are spreading, with Tillerson making missteps on Iraq. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for consultations, called on Iranian militias in Iraq to go home. There is one problem. There are no Iranian militias in Iraq. The Popular Mobilization Units or PMUs are drawn from Iraqi Shiites and are very, very, Iraqi. As Iraqi as Cockneys are British. So this is like Tillerson giving a speech calling on Cockneys in Britain to go home. Now it is true that these Iraqi Shiite militias receive money, training and advice from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), especially the elite special ops Jerusalem Brigade of that organization, led by Qassem Soleimani. But neither the IRGC nor the Jerusalem Brigade have many personnel in Iraq on a continuing basis. And despite a State Department attempt to clarify Tillersons remarks, it is clear that he simply did not understand that the PMUs are made up of Iraqi Shiites. It is possible that Tillerson does not know that Iranians speak Persian, an Indo-European language like English, while most Iraqi Shiites speak Arabic. Or perhaps he confused being Shiite with being Iranian. Iran is the most populous Shiite state, with 80 million people, of whom 92% adhere to the Shiite branch of Islam. Some 10% of the worlds Muslims are Shiites, believing that the prophet Muhammads cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 661), should have directly succeeded him as his vicar. Sunni Muslims hold that it was right and proper that Ali had to wait out the reigns of Abu Bakr, Omar and Othman before coming to power in 656. There are of course other differences between the two, as well. The US is attempting to sanction the IRGC officers, but it is not clear that the Europeans, Russians and Chinese will go along with this unilateral US obsession, which Washington shares with Tel Aviv. The reason Tillerson will fail in detaching Iraqi prime minister Haydar Abadi from the Shiite militias and from Tehran is that Abadi needs both to remain in power. Baghdad has excellent relations with Tehran, and the IRGC played a key role in defeating ISIL by its training and support for the Iraqi Shiite militias. During the fight against ISIL in Iraq, in fact, the US air force coordinated with the Iran-backed Shiite militias. That cooperation is now being covered up because ISIL is on its last legs. An anonymous state department source told the wire services that the US wants to see the Shiite militias absorbed by the regular Iraqi army. Thats a great idea, but it wont happen and by Iraqi law it need not happen. Last November, the Iraqi parliament voted to recognize the Popular Mobilization Units aka the Shiite militias as a sort of Iraqi national guard, with all the same privileges as the regular army. So not only dont the Iraqi Shiite militias have to go home (they are already home) but they also dont have to be integrated into the regular army, as the US insists they be. Im not sure why Tillerson thinks he can over-rule a sovereign parliament like Iraqs. It is something Iraqis, who have suffered since the teens of the last century with Western interventions, invasions, occupations, etc, wont put up with. It is touching that the US thinks the Iraqi regular army is less full of pro-Iran Shiites than the PMUs, but I have some news for Washington. Tillersons apparent hope of detaching Baghdad from Iran and having Shiite-majority Iraq instead hook up with Shiite-hating Wahhabi Saudi Arabia is about the most pitiful thing Ive ever seen. Americans are focusing on all of Trumps misstatements, but in fact his entire cabinet is full of people who are not in the reality-based community. Related video added by Juan Cole: EuroNews: Tillerson tries to limit Iran influence in Iraq VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 23, 2017 / Gungnir Resources Inc. (TSX-V: GUG, OTC PINK: ASWRF) ("Gungnir" or the "Company") is pleased to provide results from its recently completed Phase 1 drilling program at Knaften. Highlights: Company confirms near-surface gold mineralization; drills 13.7 m of 1.2 g/t Au in its first hole starting at a depth of 59.9m. Several kilometres open for expansion and exploration along strike. Drill discovery of new, highly anomalous copper-nickel sulphides hosted in layered gabbro; up to 0.53% combined Cu+Ni in assays and high Cu tenor. Numerous untested, highly conductive geophysical targets immediately to the south. "As relatively expected we confirmed near-surface gold mineralization in the area previously drilled at the Knaften 300 Gold Zone, but what we did not expect is drilling into new copper-nickel bearing sulphides on the property," stated Gungnir's CEO, Jari Paakki. "Not only do we have an excellent gold play, we now have copper-nickel targets at Knaften that could potentially add to our Sweden nickel-copper resources we already have (## historical resources of 70 million pounds of nickel). Now that we have completed a quick first pass, we plan to ramp-up drilling efforts in 2018 on both gold and base metals targets." - (## Gungnir is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources and that a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current resources. See news release dated February 24, 2015.) The Company is currently planning for the next phase of drilling at Knaften. On the gold side, step-out drilling to expand the Knaften 300 Gold Zone and wide-spaced drilling northwest and southwest along the regional magnetics break are being planned. For base metal targeting, ten electromagnetic conductors, many with very high conductivity, from Gungnir's 2017 ground EM survey located immediately southwest and south of KN17-05 are being evaluated for drill testing. A 4,000 to 5,000 metre phase 2 drill program is warranted. In the current drilling, Gungnir completed 546 m of NQ2 core drilling in 5 holes. The primary goals of the initial program were to ground-truth reported historic gold mineralization (KN17-01 to -03) at the now named "Knaften 300 Gold Zone" and to test magnetic geophysical targets that potentially relate to gold-arsenopyrite-pyrrhotite boulders (up to 8.5 g/t Au) discovered earlier by the Company (KN17-04 and -05). "See Figure 1." Hole KN17-01 was collared in a cluster of four historic drill holes; hole KNA01001: 14.45m of 2.13 g/t Au, hole 200601: 9.00m of 1.14 g/t Au, hole 95008: 7.24m of 1.29 g/t Au, and hole 96009: 10.75m of 3.45 g/t Au. KN17-01 cut 13.7m of 1.2 g/t Au starting at a down-hole depth of 59.9 metres, and is comparable to historic drill holes near-by. Gold mineralization is hosted by quartz diorite and quartz veins and shows a strong correlation with disseminated arsenopyrite. KN17-02 was collared 250 metres south-southwest of KN17-01. KN17-02 cut a broad interval of disseminated arsenopyrite hosted in quartz diorite from 10.4 to 29m down-hole. The upper 4.8 m portion of this mineralization assayed 0.65 g/t Au starting at the overburden-bedrock interface at a down-hole depth of 10.4 metres. Hole KN17-02 is within 5 metres of historic hole 200719 (see table below). A third hole, KN17-03, collared 370 metres south of KN17-02 was lost prior to hitting its target depth due to mechanical problems. Gold at the Knaften 300 Gold Zone occurs in both intrusive (quartz diorite to granodiorite) and adjacent sedimentary rocks (greywackes). Relatively uniform gold grades were returned from disseminated style gold mineralization in greywackes, whereas quartz vein style mineralization in intrusive rocks appears more erratic. Prior operators, Lappland Goldminers, noted visible gold grains locally in their drill cores which certainly would contribute to nugget-effect gold mineralization and differences between assays in neighbouring samples. Table 1: Confirmation Drill Holes New holes drilled by Gungnir are KN17-01 and KN17-02. Other holes tabled are proximal historic drill holes. Results are core lengths and may not represent the true width of the mineralization. Co-ordinates are in National System RT90. Azimuth and dip are in degrees. Hole KN17-04 and KN17-05 were drilled 3.5 and 4.7 km respectively northwest of the Knaften 300 Gold Zone. KN17-04 was collared to test a magnetic anomaly immediately up-ice (glacial ice direction) of a cluster of gold-arsenopyrite-pyrrhotite boulders discovered by the Company in 2014. The hole was abandoned in 36 metres of overburden after several attempts to reach bedrock. The drill was then moved 1.2 km northwest to another magnetics anomaly. KN17-05 drilled 212 metres of layered gabbro (its entire length) hosting three separate magmatic sulphide mineralized sections ranging from 0.3 to 6 metres consisting of variably disseminated, net-textured and blebby pyrrhotite with chalcopyrite. ** Tenors for individual samples ranged from 0.79 to 14.14% Cu and 0.54 to 2.06% Ni in 100% sulphide. Table 2: KN17-05 Assay Averages Results are core lengths and may not represent the true widths. Co-ordinates are in National System RT90. Azimuth and dip are in degrees. ** Tenors in above paragraph are calculated to 100% sulphide; a common practice in nickel-copper exploration to determine economic possibilities of a potentially discovered massive sulphide deposit on the property. All samples referred to in this release were tested at ALS Laboratories in Sweden. A 51-element package (ultra trace level method ME-MS41) by Aqua Regia and ICP-AES/ICP-MS was employed and method Au-ICP21, a 30-gram fire assay with ICP-AES finish, was used for gold analysis. Control samples (accredited gold standards and blanks) were inserted into the sample sequence on a regular basis to monitor precision of results. The technical information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Jari Paakki, P.Geo., CEO and a director of the Company. Mr. Paakki is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. About Gungnir Resources: Gungnir Resources Inc. is a Canadian-based TSX-V listed mineral exploration company (GUG: TSX-V) with gold and base metal permits in northern Sweden within a region hosting 12 million ounces of gold delineated in existing and mined resources plus several past-producing and producing base metal mines. The Company's key gold project, Knaften, is situated at the southern extension of the "Gold Line" which hosts a number of gold deposits including Faboliden and Svartliden (Dragon Mining), and Barsele (Agnico Eagle and Barsele Minerals). The Company also controls two nickel deposits in Sweden, Lappvattnet and Rormyrberget which collectively host 70 million pounds of nickel in historical resources (see NR dated February 24, 2015). Gungnir additionally holds a $5,000,000 royalty stream and received the first annual payment of $1,000,000 on May 2, 2017. The next annual payment of $1,000,000 is due on April 30, 2018. Further information about the Company and its properties may be found at www.gungnirresources.com or at www.sedar.com. QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Oct. 23, 2017) - Komet Resources Inc. ("Komet" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:KMT) is pleased to provide the following update on the latest developments regarding its production activities at the Guiro Mine and to present the various projected works aiming at increasing and stabilizing mill feed as well as setting up the conditions which will allow the Company to achieve, in the short term, its objectives of profitability. Over the last few months, the Company has carried out extensive optimization work at the mine site and has installed new state-of-the-art equipment at the plant while also reviewing and optimizing all processes in the production chain. Despite the inevitable slowdown in production rates and the delays and shutdowns caused by these major changes, Komet is encouraged by the fact that it has successfully completed all these transformations while minimizing the impact on both the level of production and the income from the sale of gold. In fact, during the last quarter (Q3), the Company managed to maintain gold sales of $840,544 compared to $1,223,925 in Q1 and $979,153 in Q2. With most of the work now completed, the Company now finds itself well-positioned to increase the level of production and to deliver the long-awaited earnings. Underground mining operation: 12 teams made up of a total of more than 120 miners spread over 3 8-hour shifts currently operate the Guiro mine 7 days a week. The number of tonnes hoisted per month in recent quarters averaged 1,575 tonnes in Q1 and Q2 and 1,770 tons in Q3. The number of tonnes hoisted in September was 2149 and our goal now is to hoist more than 2250 tonnes per month. The stopes currently being excavated are stopes 31 and 32 on level 2 on the west, stope 4-1 on the west and stopes 5-1 on the east and 5-2 on the west. Development drifts: More than 70 meters were excavated at level 3 West to reach hole GU2015-35 (1.4 m at 31.1 g/t Au.) and the mineralized vein has now been intercepted. More than 38 meters were excavated at level 4 east to reach hole GU2015-16 (4.3 m at 9.2 g/t Au). Development drift 4 West is planned to be excavated 170 meters to reach the new mineralized zones defined in the 2015 exploration drill campaign (GU2015-04 with 2 m at 5.8 g/t Au and GU2015-32 with 0.7 m at 8.7 g/t Au). Other underground work: Backfilling of stopes 4-2 and 4-3 is currently underway. This backfill is made from waste rocks blasted in the mine. The ventilation, air and water supply, and track road networks have been rehabilitated by Komet personnel and are fully operational in all mine work areas. Hoisting availability currently surpasses mining industry standards, with an availability rate of almost 100%. Ground support at the mine has been completely revised and all the excavations have been bolted and scaled correctly. Mine surveying is now 80% completed and it validates previous work. Exploration at the Guiro Mine: The development of an exploration drift north of level 3 was started with a total of 70 meters planned. This drift will be used to conduct future underground exploration drilling north of the Guiro deposit and to verify the mineralized interceptions encountered in previous diamond drilling campaigns. The development of another exploration drift south of level 4 is planned for the first quarter of 2018. This drift will aim to access the new Guiro South gold discovery located at 480 meters (at ground level) south of the extraction well of the Guiro mine. (See the May 25 press release) A second exploration drilling campaign from the surface is underway. The results expected in the coming weeks aim to define new projects near the existing drift. Mill: The installation of new equipment acquired at the beginning of the year is now completed and the plant currently operates at one third of its effective production capacity (2000 tons per month / 6000). The two Knelson centrifugal concentrators together produce a concentrate which is then treated by the Acacia reactor. At the exit of the concentrators, the rejected pulp is directed to a hydrocyclone which separates the fine and light particles which are directed to a Falcon continuous concentrator which produces a concentrate which is treated by intensive agitated leaching. The coarse and heavy particles are in turn redirected to the mill for recirculation in the gravimetric circuit. The output of the Falcon goes to the tailings pond to be ultimately leached in tanks (VAT Leaching). New Maintenance Director: Komet is happy and proud to welcome to its staff Mr. Issoufou Ouily, electromechanical engineer, June 2000 graduate of the National School of Electricity and Mechanics (ENSEM) of Casablanca in Morocco. Mr. Ouily has more than 20 years of experience in the mining industry and his appointment as Maintenance Director for the Guiro Mine represents an invaluable asset and a major addition for the Company. Before joining the Komet team, Mr. Ouily held a key position in the mining company Randgold, working for several years at the Loulo mine site in Mali, considered the largest underground gold mine in West Africa. His broad experience and vast knowledge will enable the Company to significantly improve its performance and rapidly increase the efficiency and profitability of its operations on the mine site. Mr. Andre Gagne, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are very excited about the current development of the Guiro Mine. The major changes made over the last few months and the ongoing exploration work at the mine will allow us to significantly increase production and, in the near future, enable us to generate profits from our mining operation, thus helping us achieve our main mission which remains "Discovering by Producing!". All assays reported were obtained by standard 30 grams fire-assaying-AA finish or gravimetric finish at the Company's mine site laboratory. Quality Assurance/Quality Control and interpretation of results is performed by qualified persons employing a QA/QC program consistent with NI 43-101 and industry best practices, including the introduction of standards or blanks with every batch of 3 samples analyzed. VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - October 23, 2017) - ATAC Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: ATC) is pleased to announce the results of 12 diamond drill holes from the Tiger Gold Deposit and Tiger East Anomaly, within ATAC's 100% owned Rau Project at the Rackla Gold Property, Yukon. The Rau Project is located at the west end of the Rackla Gold Property and is wholly outside of the area currently under option to Barrick Gold Corporation. The 2017 drilling program at the Tiger Gold Deposit focused on testing for additional high-grade gold mineralization in order to expand known sulphide and oxide resources within and adjacent to the proposed open pit as defined in the 2016 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). Highlights High-grade oxide mineralization at the Tiger Gold Deposit was extended to the east with 51.82 m of 5.66 g/t gold intersected in hole RAU-17-159; Hole RAU-17-156 intersected 56.77 m of 4.08 g/t gold and confirms sulphide grade and continuity; Hole RAU-17-154 extends sulphide mineralization to the west with an intersection of 64.01 m of 2.46 g/t gold; and, Discovery of new oxide gold mineralization from the Tiger East Anomaly where hole RAU-17-160 intersected 21.34 m of 2.59 g/t gold. "These high-grade results confirm both the continuity of gold mineralization and the potential to increase the value at the Tiger Gold Deposit. These results reinforce ATAC's commitment to advance Tiger through feasibility and permitting," states ATAC's President and CEO, Graham Downs. "The 2017 drilling was designed to build upon positive results from the Company's updated 2016 PEA which demonstrated that sulphide gold mineralization, previously classified as waste in the 2014 PEA, could be processed to increase the deposit's recoverable ounces of gold." Tiger Gold Deposit Diamond Drill Results Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Interval* (m) Au (g/t) Gold** (g x m) Type RAU-17-151 4.57 65.76 61.19 1.32 81 Sulphide incl. 4.57 9.54 4.97 5.01 25 Oxide RAU-17-152 13.72 50.29 36.57 2.02 74 Sulphide RAU-17-153 1.79 41.15 39.36 2.41 95 Sulphide incl. 24.38 38.10 13.72 4.46 61 RAU-17-154 42.67 106.68 64.01 2.46 158 Sulphide incl. 94.49 103.63 9.14 5.29 48 RAU-17-155 6.10 53.64 47.54 1.73 82 Sulphide RAU-17-156 49.63 106.40 56.77 4.08 232 Sulphide incl. 49.63 67.06 17.43 6.06 106 and incl. 94.49 103.63 9.14 8.07 74 RAU-17-157 42.13 79.25 37.12 5.23 194 Sulphide incl. 50.29 59.97 9.68 11.35 110 and 94.49 127.59 33.10 2.80 93 Sulphide RAU-17-158 46.32 61.57 15.25 4.61 70 Sulphide and 76.81 121.01 44.20 1.03 45 Sulphide RAU-17-159 30.48 82.30 51.82 5.66 293 Oxide incl. 70.10 82.30 12.20 13.54 165 * The reported intersections are drilled thicknesses and are believed to represent approximately 80 to 100% true widths. ** Gram metres are calculated by multiplying the gold grade (g/t) by the interval (m) and rounding to the nearest integer. TIGER GOLD DEPOSIT GEOLOGY AND MINERALIZATION The Tiger Deposit is an intrusion-related carbonate replacement style gold deposit. The mineralization is hosted within a moderately northeast dipping carbonate horizon located within a folded series of stacked limestone and volcaniclastic horizons. Gold mineralization occurs within both oxide and sulphide facies. Tiger Sulphide Mineralization Tiger sulphide mineralization is developed within ferruginous dolomite and iron carbonate minerals replacing the host limestone horizon. The sulphide zone exhibits at least three stages of mineralization consisting of disseminated to banded pyrite and arsenopyrite with subordinate pyrrhotite, bismuthinite, sphalerite and scheelite. Drilling of the sulphide portion of the Tiger Deposit in 2017 was designed to confirm grade and continuity of the sulphide resources and expand the areas of known sulphide mineralization. Eight drill holes targeted sulphide gold mineralization and all returned significant mineralized intercepts. Drill holes RAU-17-151 through 156 targeted mineralization along the western edge of the existing sulphide resource, while holes 157 and 158 were drilled to add confidence to sulphide grade. RAU-17-156 returned 56.77 m of 4.08 g/t gold including 9.14 m of 8.07 g/t gold with the three phases of sulphide mineral development present in the hole. This hole demonstrates the continuous, high-grade potential of the sulphide mineralization where previous drilling was widely spaced. Tiger Oxide Mineralization Oxide mineralization at the Tiger Deposit is completely devoid of sulphide minerals and ranges from very competent, weakly porous limonitic mud to rubbly porous limonitic grit. Complete oxidation extends from surface down to depths exceeding 250 m where cross faulting has facilitated the circulation of groundwater at depth. Hole RAU-17-159 targeted near-surface oxide mineralization on the eastern side of the Tiger Deposit and returned a high-grade intersection of 51.82 m of 5.66 g/t gold. Tiger East Anomaly Prospecting in 2016 of an underexplored gold-in-soil geochemical anomaly returned numerous samples with significant gold-in-rock values. Ten out of 21 oxide float composite grab samples collected over a 150 m long area at the Tiger East Anomaly returned values greater than 1 g/t gold with the most notable sample returning 18.30 g/t gold. Tiger East Anomaly Diamond Drill Results Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Interval* (m) Au (g/t) Gold** (g x m) Type RAU-17-160 9.14 30.48 21.34 2.59 55 Oxide incl. 27.43 30.48 3.05 9.97 30 RAU-17-161 No significant intersections * Based on the character of the mineralization and the limited drilling, it is not possible to determine the true width of the intersections at this time. ** Gram metres are calculated by multiplying the gold grade (g/t) by the interval (m) and rounding to the nearest integer. Three drill holes targeted the Tiger East Anomaly in 2017. RAU-17-160 returned 21.34 m of 2.59 g/t gold including 3.05 m of 9.97 g/t gold within a strongly oxidized interval of dolomitized limestone. Hole RAU-17-161 was drilled outside the apparent alteration and mineralized zone while RAU-17-162 was terminated short of its target due to mechanical issues with the drill. Future drilling is warranted at Tiger East. Additional prospecting and mapping was conducted in 2017 near the Tiger Deposit and throughout the Rau Project. Results from this program are pending. TIGER DEPOSIT RESOURCES AND ECONOMICS ATAC has explored the Tiger Deposit since 2008, and has defined a combined oxide and sulphide resource comprising measured and indicated resources of 485,700 oz gold (5,680,000 tonnes grading 2.66 g/t gold) and inferred resources of 188,500 oz gold (3,230,000 tonnes grading 1.81 g/t gold). Mineral resources are reported at a 0.5 g/t cut-off in oxides and 1.0 g/t cut-off in sulphides. An updated PEA was completed on the Tiger Deposit in 2016, with a pre-tax NPV (5%) of $105.5M, an IRR of 34.8%, and a payback period of less than 2 years, with a total production of 302,000 ounces of gold (see ATAC news release dated May 31, 2016). ATAC is currently in the process of permitting a private 65 km all-season tote road from the existing Yukon highway network near Keno City to the Tiger Deposit. Tiger Deposit Combined Oxide and Sulphide Resources Type Classification Au Cut-off (g/t) Tonnes > Cut-off Grade > Cut-off Contained Metal Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Au (oz) Ag (oz) Oxides Measured 0.5 2,600,000 3.1 4.77 259,100 398,700 Indicated 0.5 1,720,000 2.47 4.1 136,300 226,700 Sulphides Indicated 1 1,360,000 2.07 0.56 90,300 24,500 Total M+I 5,680,000 2.66 3.56 485,700 649,900 Oxides Inferred 0.5 280,000 1.52 5.67 13,700 51,000 Sulphides Inferred 1 2,950,000 1.84 0.47 174,800 44,600 Total Inferred 3,230,000 1.81 0.92 188,500 95,600 QA/QC Diamond drill samples were forwarded to ALS Minerals in Whitehorse, Y.T. or North Vancouver, B.C. where they were fine crushed before a 250 gram split was pulverized to better than 85% passing 75 microns. The pulverizing circuit was cleaned with quartz sand twice between samples. Pulps were then analyzed at ALS Minerals in North Vancouver, B.C. where gold determinations were carried out. Splits of the pulverized fraction were dissolved using a multi acid digestion and analyzed for 49 elements using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) together with mass spectrometry (MS) and atomic emission spectroscopy (AES). Gold analyses were by the Au-AA26 procedure that involves fire assay preparation using a 50 gram charge with an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish. Mercury analyses were digested with aqua regia and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Rigorous procedures are in place regarding sample collection, chain of custody and data entry. Certified assay standards, duplicate samples and blanks are routinely inserted into the sample stream of diamond drill samples to ensure integrity of the assay process. All diamond drill samples included in this news release have passed the QA/QC procedures as described above. PEA Disclosure It should be noted that the Tiger Deposit PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that the PEA forecast will be realized or that any of the resources will ever be upgraded to reserves. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Additional information about the Tiger Deposit PEA is summarized in ATAC's May 31, 2016 technical report titled "Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Tiger Deposit, Rackla Gold Project, Yukon, Canada" which can be viewed at www.sedar.com under the ATAC profile or on the ATAC website at www.atacresources.com. The 2017 program was managed by Archer, Cathro & Associates (1981) Limited (Archer Cathro). Technical information in this news release has been approved by Matthew R. Dumala, P. Eng., a geological engineer with Archer Cathro and qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101. About ATAC ATAC is a Yukon-based exploration company focused on developing Canada's only Carlin-type gold district at the Rackla Gold Property. Recent work on the ~1,700 km2 property has resulted in a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Tiger Gold Deposit, drilling of multiple high-grade Carlin-type gold zones and the identification of numerous early-stage gold exploration targets. ATAC and Barrick recently partnered to explore the Rackla Gold Property's Orion Project, with Barrick having the option to earn up to 70% of Orion by spending $55 million in exploration. ATAC is well-financed with approximately $14 million in its treasury and has recently completed a budgeted $10 million exploration program at the Osiris and Rau Projects (which are not subject to Barrick's earn-in right), while concurrently working with Barrick to advance the Orion Project. Highlights: Assembled a strong technical team with experience in the lithium industry, project engineering and geology. Advancing a scalable process to produce lithium hydroxide from lithium-bearing claystone. Conducting an exploration program with the objective of expanding and upgrading the existing NI 43-101 compliant resource. Engaged WorleyParsons to complete a NI 43-101 Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) by the end of Q2 2018. Approved budget of US$10.5 million through to 2018 for the 100%-owned Lithium Nevada Project. Examining future strategic partnership/financing alternatives to collaborate and develop the Lithium Nevada Project. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Oct. 23, 2017) - Lithium Americas Corp. (TSX:LAC) (OTCQX:LACDF) ("Lithium Americas" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the Lithium Nevada Project (the "Lithium Nevada Project") located in Nevada, USA. The Company is developing the 100% owned Lithium Nevada Project, a clay-based lithium resource in the McDermitt Caldera, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Lithium Nevada Corp. ("Lithium Nevada"). Building on years of exploration and testing, a Preliminary Feasibility Study (the "PFS") on the Lithium Nevada Project is expected to be complete by the end of Q2 2018 to demonstrate the economic potential of producing lithium hydroxide from lithium-bearing claystone. Technical Team: Lithium Americas has assembled a technical team that includes engineering alumni from several major industry participants, in addition to highly trained and experienced mining permit specialists and exploration and mining geologists. To manage the Lithium Nevada Project's development, Lithium Americas has appointed Alexi Zawadzki as the President of North American Operations who will work alongside Dr. David Deak, President of Lithium Nevada and Chief Technical Officer of Lithium Americas. Alexi has over 20 years of experience developing and constructing mining and energy projects across North and South America, in addition to the management of technical teams and business units. "Supported by one of the strongest technical teams in the industry, we intend to develop the Lithium Nevada Project into a globally significant source of lithium," commented Alexi Zawadzki. "Following the success of our partnership strategy with the Cauchari-Olaroz project in Argentina, we will continue to explore additional partnership opportunities for the Lithium Nevada Project with the goal of accelerating the timeline and lowering the development risk." Dr. David Deak added, "With considerable work invested in resource definition and process technology, we believe the Lithium Nevada Project has the potential to be a leading low-cost and large-scale source of lithium products in North America." Current members of the Reno-based Lithium Nevada Project team include: Dr. David Deak, DPhil - President of Lithium Nevada and CTO of Lithium Americas - has built his career on emerging technologies and supply chain development in renewable energy, energy storage, and electric vehicles. David's responsibilities include oversight of the overall development of Lithium Nevada. - President of Lithium Nevada and CTO of Lithium Americas - has built his career on emerging technologies and supply chain development in renewable energy, energy storage, and electric vehicles. David's responsibilities include oversight of the overall development of Lithium Nevada. Dr. Rene LeBlanc , PhD - Senior Process Development Manager - over 10 years of experience as a senior process development engineer at FMC Corporation's lithium division in Bessemer City, North Carolina and most recently at Tesla, Inc. Rene is focused on flowsheet development and overall management of the PFS. , - Senior Process Development Manager - over 10 years of experience as a senior process development engineer at FMC Corporation's lithium division in Bessemer City, North Carolina and most recently at Tesla, Inc. Rene is focused on flowsheet development and overall management of the PFS. Mr. Doug Morgan - Senior Process Engineer - over 30 years of experience in various chemical engineering roles, including six years as senior engineer at Rockwood Lithium (now Albemarle Corporation) based in Silver Peak, Nevada. Doug's focus is on process technology development, testing, and flowsheet validation. - Senior Process Engineer - over 30 years of experience in various chemical engineering roles, including six years as senior engineer at Rockwood Lithium (now Albemarle Corporation) based in Silver Peak, Nevada. Doug's focus is on process technology development, testing, and flowsheet validation. Ms. Catherine Clark - Environmental Director - over 30 years of experience in project management and development, and environmental regulatory compliance. Catherine serves as the Environmental Committee Chairperson at the Nevada Mining Association and is focused on accelerating the permitting process for the Lithium Nevada Project. - Environmental Director - over 30 years of experience in project management and development, and environmental regulatory compliance. Catherine serves as the Environmental Committee Chairperson at the Nevada Mining Association and is focused on accelerating the permitting process for the Lithium Nevada Project. Mr. Randal Burns - Senior Mining Geologist - over 10 years of experience in mining geology, including resource drilling, metallurgical testing and ore control for a highly clay-altered porphyry copper deposit, at Robinson Nevada Mining Co. in Nevada. Randal is focused on exploration, resource expansion, and block modeling. - Senior Mining Geologist - over 10 years of experience in mining geology, including resource drilling, metallurgical testing and ore control for a highly clay-altered porphyry copper deposit, at Robinson Nevada Mining Co. in Nevada. Randal is focused on exploration, resource expansion, and block modeling. Mr. Chaitanya Sharma, PE - Senior Systems Engineer - energy and mechanical engineer with experience in battery manufacturing and plant design, including a leadership role in designing the mechanical and process systems at Tesla, Inc.'s Gigafactory in Nevada. Chaitanya's role is to optimize mine site mechanical and energy systems, with a focus on energy efficiency, reduction, and recovery. PE - Senior Systems Engineer - energy and mechanical engineer with experience in battery manufacturing and plant design, including a leadership role in designing the mechanical and process systems at Tesla, Inc.'s Gigafactory in Nevada. Chaitanya's role is to optimize mine site mechanical and energy systems, with a focus on energy efficiency, reduction, and recovery. Ms. Melissa Boerst - Exploration Geologist - analytical geochemistry and QA/QC. Melissa leverages her years of experience in managing analytical laboratories and mine site exploration to maintain quality on our exploration program. - Exploration Geologist - analytical geochemistry and QA/QC. Melissa leverages her years of experience in managing analytical laboratories and mine site exploration to maintain quality on our exploration program. Dr. Thomas Benson, PhD - Geologist / Volcanologist Advisor - recently joined Lithium Nevada having been awarded a PhD from Stanford University where he specialized in lithium-bearing clay exploration from super-volcanoes. Tom brings a highly-specialized skill set that will assist in potentially expanding the resource at the Lithium Nevada Project and in identifying new exploration targets. Processing: The Lithium Nevada Project is advancing a process technology with the objective to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide from claystone. The flowsheet is designed to: (1) use leaching to liberate lithium from the ore, and (2) apply proven purification technology to produce high-quality lithium compounds. Leaching is believed to be advantageous when compared to previously considered processes as it avoids energy-intensive roasting, significantly reduces tailings volume, and maximizes the recovery of lithium through commercially-viable process technology. Test work is underway at a leading lithium manufacturing facility using a combination of laboratory and existing commercial production equipment. This strategic and cost-effective approach is targeted to advance the testing process towards final design and provides options for future strategic partnerships. Ongoing process test work is currently focused on refinement of the following aspects of the flowsheet: the characterization and beneficiation of ore; optimizing leaching and recovery conditions of lithium from claystone; and purification and production of high-value lithium compounds. "The process has been designed by challenging prior assumptions and leveraging commercially viable technologies. Our efforts are squarely focused on minimizing the cost," remarked Dr. Deak. "While proprietary, much of our work relies on the application of commercially available solutions that could be deployed quickly and reliably. Recognizing market need, our process is designed to produce lithium hydroxide, the preferred feedstock for high energy density lithium-ion batteries." Drill Program and Resource: The Lithium Nevada Project's lithium clay resource is the largest known lithium resource in the United States, and is unconfined by drilling. An exploration program commenced in 2017 at the Lithium Nevada Project (the "2017 Exploration Program") consisting of drilling and seismic work. The purpose of the 2017 Exploration Program is to: (1) increase the confidence of the identified resource, (2) potentially expand the size of the resource, and (3) better understand areas that are unconfined by drilling. A total of 70 drill targets have been strategically located within, and to the south and to the east, of the Lithium Nevada Project's Zone 1 (previously referred to as Stage 1 in the Company's June, 2016 technical report entitled "Independent Technical Report for the Lithium Nevada Property, Nevada, USA"), where some of the most highly-concentrated lithium clays in North America have been discovered. The 2017 Exploration Program is fully permitted, approximately 65% complete, and is expected to be concluded by early 2018. Seismic work was completed in 2017 and will be analyzed with the drilling data obtained from the 2017 Exploration Program to better understand the geological structures in areas unconfined by drilling to the east of Zone 1 of the Lithium Nevada Project. Additional seismic exploration is anticipated to be conducted in 2018. The resource at the Lithium Nevada Project is near-surface and in some areas the overburden consists of hectorite clay, which has commercial value in other industries. Due to the soft nature of the claystone, conventional open pit mining using truck and shovel methods is contemplated with blasting not considered a requirement for day-to-day operations. Mineral Resource Statement for Zone 1 (as of May 31, 2016)(1)(2) Category Tonnage (000 t) Avg. Li (ppm) Avg. Li (%) Avg. Li 2 O (%) LCE (000 tonnes) Measured 50,753 3,120 0.312 0.67 843 Indicated 164,046 2,850 0.285 0.61 2,489 Measured and Indicated 214,799 2,910 0.291 0.624 3,332 Inferred 124,890 2,940 0.294 0.63 1,954 Notes: 1. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the mineral resource will be converted into mineral reserves. 2. Resources presented at a Li% 0.20 [0.431% Li 2 O] cut-off grade which was determined using the following economic assumptions: US$3.36 Li carbonate/lb; 87.2% metallurgical recovery; US$66/tonne ore processed; US$2.75/tonne material moved Preliminary Feasibility Study: Lithium Nevada is in the process of completing a PFS compliant with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") to demonstrate the economic potential of extracting lithium hydroxide from claystone. The PFS is expected to be completed by the end of Q2 2018.The Advisian WorleyParsons Group ("WorleyParsons") has been appointed to lead the PFS and project design. WorleyParsons is a global full-service engineering firm with extensive experience in lithium project design, construction, and preparing NI 43-101 compliant reports. WorleyParsons will focus on project infrastructure, mineral processing and metallurgical testing, capital and operating costs and project economics. Mining Plus Pty Ltd., a sub-contractor to WorleyParsons, will focus on potential mineral reserve estimates and mining methods. Mining Plus is a fully integrated global mining consultancy that has experience in open pit mining, including the development and operation of large-scale lithium mining projects in Australia. Permitting and Conservation: Lithium Nevada is fully-permitted to complete the 2017 Exploration Program. Additional baseline environmental surveys are expected to begin in early 2018 with the major mine plan permit application expected to be initiated in H2 2018. Lithium Nevada has existing fully-certificated water rights within the Quinn River Valley (located 25 km east of the proposed mine site at the Lithium Nevada Project) totalling approximately 1,000 acre-feet annually, which is expected to be sufficient for a large-scale lithium mine and processing facility. Consistent with Lithium Americas' focus on environmental sustainability, Lithium Nevada and the University of Nevada, Reno ("UNR") have founded the Rangeland Rehabilitation Research Fund (the "Fund"). The Fund's mission is to improve sagebrush habitat through effective habitat rehabilitation methods. The Fund will be administered by UNR. Lithium Nevada is providing the seed financing to kick-start the long-term initiative and is entitled to one nominee on Fund's board of directors. It is expected that other industry partners will participate and expand the research program. More details can be found at https://www.unr.edu/cabnr/gbsr-fund. Anticipated Work Program and Timeline: Q4 2017 / Q1 2018 - complete 2017 Exploration Program. Q1 2018 - finalize process testing. Q1 2018 - advance additional baseline environmental surveys. Q2 2018 - complete PFS, including updated resource and reserve estimates. H2 2018 - initiate major mine plan permitting. H2 2018 - commence detailed engineering. Lithium Americas' Board of Directors have approved a budget of US$10.5 million to fund the Lithium Nevada Project through to 2018. In addition, the Company is examining future strategic partnership/financing alternatives to collaborate and develop the Lithium Nevada Project. Qualified Person: The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Rene LeBlanc, a Qualified Person for purposes of NI 43-101. Dr. LeBlanc is Lithium Nevada's Senior Process Development Manager. Information on the Zone 1 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Tim Carew, P.Geo., a qualified person for purposes of NI 43-10. Information on data verification performed on the mineral properties mentioned in this news release that are considered to be material mineral properties to the Company, as well as on known risks that could affect the potential development of such properties, is contained in Lithium Americas' most recently filed annual information form and the current technical report for each of those properties, all available at www.sedar.com. About Lithium Americas Lithium Americas, together with its joint venture partner, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A., is developing the Cauchari-Olaroz lithium project, located in Jujuy, Argentina, through its 50% interest in Minera Exar S.A. In addition, Lithium Americas owns 100% of the Lithium Nevada Project, and 100% of RheoMinerals Inc., a supplier of rheology modifiers for oil-based drilling fluids, coatings, and specialty chemicals. Dallas, Texas, 10/23/2017 /SubmitPressRelease123/ Using the internet to arrange or ask for sex or sexual contact with an underage individual is a serious crime under both federal law and Texas state law. Many people view the internet as a sort of Wild Wild West, in which the rules are lax and no one really polices conversations or exchanges. This is incorrect. In fact, law enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels actively monitor what occurs online. Furthermore, you dont have to actually make physical contact with a minor or even meet a minor in person to be charged with solicitation. Police Stings for Online Solicitation of a Minor in Texas Media reports state that police in Texas have been very active in targeting online predators and setting up sting operations designed to catch individuals who attempt to solicit sex or sexual contact with children over the internet. One report states that police in the Houston area arrested 13 people in a sting called Operation Broken Heart. The operation took place over two months between April and May. During the operation, police posed as underage individuals and interacted with men who sought to connect with minors using social media and other internet communication. In total, police arrested 13 men between the ages of 19 and 66. Three of the men arrested were also charged with possession, promotion, or distribution of child pornography. In a separate operation, the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office made at least 15 arrests in child sex stings between December 2016 and April 2017. In 2015, police departments from Missouri City, Fort Bend County, Katy, and Sugar Land arrested 23 men in connection with a sting involving the online solicitation of minors. In several of the cases, police also found weapons and illegal substances in the mens vehicles. Serious Penalties for Online Solicitation of a Minor Online solicitation of a minor carries serious penalties at both the federal and state level. Under federal statutes, a person convicted of online solicitation of a minor can be sentenced to life in prison under certain circumstances. At a minimum, an individual convicted of federal online solicitation of a minor can expect to spend 10 years in prison. These are felony convictions that stay on your criminal record forever. Under Texas state law, its a felony to use the internet to solicit sex with a minor. The crime can be charged as a second- or third-degree felony depending on the circumstances of the case. If an individual is convicted of a second-degree felony, the prison sentence ranges between two and 20 years. Conviction of a third-degree felony carries a sentence of two and 10 years. Contact a Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer About Your Case If youve been charged with a crime, dont hesitate to speak to an experienced Texas criminal defense lawyer about your case. Sources: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/texas/article/5-arrested-Central-Texas-online-child-sex-sting-11049130.php http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/sugarland/news/article/Houston-police-arrest-13-in-child-predator-sting-11234843.php https://www.click2houston.com/news/23-arrested-in-sting-operation-involving-online-solicitation-of-minors_20151123143036664 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2422 http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/penal-code/penal-sect-33-021.html Broden & Mickelsen Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers http://www.brodenmickelsen.com/ 2600 State St Dallas, Texas 75204 Main Phone: (214) 720-9552 source: https://www.brodenmickelsen.com/blog/online-solicitation-minor-texas/ Social Media Tags:Online Solicitation Minor Texas, Online Solicitation of a Minor, Online Solicitation of a Minor in Texas, Texas criminal defense lawyer Newsroom powered by Online Press Release Distribution SubmitMyPressRelease.com Like Us on Facebook It's only fair to share... Pinterest Linkedin email Print The Herald reports: Counties Manukau Health has dropped plans for a Ronald McDonald House for families of Middlemore Hospital patients after its public health specialists reportedly opposed links with the fast food giant. Yes it is far more important to stigmatise McDonalds than support families with kids with cancer!!! This shows how twisted and loathing some of those in the public health field have got. They hate so much what they see as big corporates that they put this ahead of everything else. Food and nutrition writer and Herald on Sunday columnist Niki Bezzant said: I have seen how the Ronald McDonald House at Auckland Hospital works and its a pretty amazing place and theres really no hint of the influence of fast food there except that [McDonalds] put up the money to pay for [the facility]. I dont think its intended to promote fast food to people who have got kids in hospital. Its not. I have friends who have had kids with cancer and the Ronald McDonald Houses have made a massive difference to their ability to be close to their children and support them through truly wretched times. In a statement the DHB said its executive had considered the approach from Ronald McDonald very carefully, as proposals of this nature can be very divisive with staff and public alike. On balance, we decided to take the advice of our public health team of doctors and to respectfully decline taking discussions further. We sincerely thank Ronald McDonald House Charity for their offer. This really makes my blood boil. It is beyond appalling. They put the welfare of kids with cancer second. Bezzant said Ronald McDonald House provided a place for parents to go during a really stressful time. It makes life pretty tough for parents from out of the area or from a long way away who have got kids in hospital because there is nothing for them in the hospitals, they have to sleep on the floor in the rooms and things like that. The first Kiwi Ronald McDonald House opened in Wellington in 1991 and the charity now operates two Ronald McDonald Houses in Auckland and one each in Wellington and Christchurch. It has other rooms and services across the country, too. Last year alone we supported over 3700 families and provided over 41,000 nights of accommodation, Howett said. It is a truly wonderful service in the places that have it. But I guess Counties Manukau thinks it is more important that the name Ronald McDonald is hidden from children than it is to support the families of children with cancer. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr By Stephen Costello Economic development remains the key to resolution of ongoing crises surrounding the Korean Peninsula. This was a central insight for Kim Dae Jung and other proponents of realistic and mutually beneficial agreements over the years. When the issues surrounding Pyongyang's dilemma were reduced to denuclearization without that key ingredient, they have failed, and will continue to do so. When they incorporated it, as they did in the 1994 Agreed Framework and South-North engagement, they have led to progress. The sad spectacle of the third US administration in a row 16 years now, and possibly 20 or more rejecting the primary economic interests of all the Northeast Asian countries, confirms the US's inability to help for the foreseeable future. Confusion and amateurishness among Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and President Donald Trump, were on display again last week as Tillerson visited China and Trump publically undercut him. Their bumbling, however, should not obscure the fact that there is no plan for denuclearization or any other practical goal on the US side. Not one US official or supporter has offered one. The fuzzy "talks" sometimes referred to are exclusively transactional, imagining what "price" the DPRK would demand in exchange for weapons controls, and ignoring US untrustworthiness. In this situation other parties are, thankfully, not standing still. One of the most promising was the visit to Washington last week of Chung Dong-young, senior People's Party leader, former Unification minister and former democratic presidential candidate. I've known Chung for over 15 years, and his convictions about the requirements for progress remain smart and compelling. He met Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang and went knee-to-knee with Dick Cheney in Washington. No other Korean leader can claim that kind of experience. We talked for three hours. Chung carried a short hand-out with him during his US visit. The most striking page contained two simple relationship charts. In one the tensions between North Korea and China, between China and the US, and between South Korea and China formed a destructive mutually-reinforcing cycle. In the other chart the real interests of South Korea, China, North Korea and the US both security and economic formed a constructive cycle. One could fanaticize that even Trump might grasp the truth of this concept. And Chung is not alone. Many of the most experienced and knowledgeable Assemblymen, former ministers, diplomats, journalists and officials agree on the emptiness of US ideas and the role Korea needs to play. Among those who continue to remind us of today's rare opportunities on the Peninsula is Donald J. Johnston, former head of the OECD and Canadian politician. Madam Lee Hee Ho invited him to speak at the KDJ Peace Institute on the anniversary of the breakthrough North-South meetings of June 2000. Johnston highlighted the contemporary importance and relevance of the Joint Declaration of 15 June. Its principles still form the bedrock for North-South and North-International engagement. He pointed out that in 1998 Kim Dae-jung led Korea's turnaround from the Asian financial crisis, in which the economy went from a 6% contraction to 10% expansion in 18 months. Since then Korea's GDP has more than doubled to over 1.5 trillion USD. Johnston suggested that Korean leadership, South and North, will now be required to grab possibilities that begin on the Peninsula but spread out positively to neighboring countries. How to help the North do what has been possible, and potentially transformative, for 17 years? Johnston has proposed an intensive and honest economic survey of the DPRK, to support its own roadmap to development. The idea is both brilliant and timely. It could be done by the OECD. A similar proposal has been sketched out to North Korean representatives for 20 years by World Bank specialists. In any case, he says, "A team acceptable to North Korea and financed by independent foundations could take the lead and seek a mandate from North Korea to undertake such an exercise as soon as possible." From the DPRK viewpoint, it would be hard to argue with this survey, as it tracks so closely to the expressed and logical hopes and plans they still harbor. There is no reason why the United Nations could not support and facilitate such a project. UN Secretary-General Gutierres has offered his "good offices" to convene and help link interested parties to peacefully resolve the North Korea issues. And there would be many of those interested parties, beginning with South Korea, China, Russia, Japan, Sweden, Norway and Germany, just as a start. The possibility that the survey could become the rallying point for a new roadmap including economic, security and political aspects makes it irresistible. Such a project would conflict with the current "extreme" global economic and political war being led by the Trump group. But it would also illuminate the degree to which that war is primarily a doomed gambit by amateurs and ideologues with fantastical worldviews. Assemblyman Chung's arguments are a reminder that political and policy debates are still ongoing in Seoul, and that forces largely responsible for the success of President Moon Jae-in's presidency are not satisfied with his performance. Senior figures who would support new non-US activism to incorporate economic plans into new comprehensive initiatives include our best thinkers and doers. From William Perry to Robert Gallucci to Jimmy Carter. From Bill Clinton to Madeline Albright to Kofi Annan. Many are working behind the scenes today on Track II meetings. But they need a plan and a leader. It is just possible both are now being prepared. Stephen Costello is a producer of AsiaEast, a web and broadcast-based policy roundtable focused on security, development and politics in Northeast Asia. He writes from Washington, D.C. He can be reached at scost55@gmail.com. What should you name a baby samurai? What food should a samurai bring to a battle? What is a samurai's most treasured possession? A newly translated 450-year-old book supposedly written by a renowned samurai provides answers to these and many other questions about the Japanese swordsmen. Called "The Hundred Rules of War," the book is a series of songs that could be sung by samurai, who had never gone into battle. It was supposedly written in Japanese in 1571 by a famous samurai named Tsukahara Bokuden, who lived from 1489 to 1571, during a war-ridden time in Japan. Stories told about Bokuden claim that he fought in over 100 battles and slew hundreds of swordsmen. The book was recently translated (opens in new tab) into English by Eric Shahan, who specializes in translating Japanese martial-arts texts. The book was first printed in Japanese in 1840, and has been republished in Japanese several times since then, Shahan told Live Science. [In Photos: The Last Century of Samurai Swordsmen] Though the text says that Bokuden wrote this book (which was re-copied over the centuries), that claim is impossible to verify, Shahan said. "[It] isentirely possible [that Bokuden is the author] but I have no way to confirm how authentic [the book] is," Shahan told Live Science. The Hundred Rules of War A statue of Tsukahara Bokuden (who lived 1489-1571), a famous samurai who supposedly wrote this newly translated book. (Image credit: Saigen Jiro, CC 1.0 Public Domain Dedication) "Samurai study a great many things; however, the single focus of their learning is death," one of the rules in the book says, as translated by Shahan. The rules in the book cover a wide variety of topics related to warfare, including archery, swordsmanship, spear fighting and horsemanship. "The most treasured possession a samurai possesses is his horse. Those who do not spend time to learn about horsemanship are cowards," one of the rules in the book says. The text also seems to equate small horses with a small samurai mind: "While small horses may be easier to handle as well as dismount from, those who prefer such animals are a bit dim witted," one of the book's rules says. [Photos: 19th-Century Martial Arts for Cops] The rules also highlight the importance of archery, even suggesting that the best name for a baby born into the samurai class is "Yumi," which means "bow." "To one born a samurai, the name Yumi is best. The name should be revered and held as high as the pine tree of Takasago," one of the rules reads in the new translation. The "pine tree of Takasago" probably refers to two pine trees at the Takasago shrine that grow from the same root, Shahan noted in the book. The trees, he said, "represent eternity and long life." Food for battle "If a samurai is preparing to step onto the field of battle, it is wise to avoid eating anything other than hot water poured over rice," a rule reads. Such a samurai may also want to drink a bit of alcohol in the days leading up to the battle. "Samurai that drink to excess are liable to blunder, while on the other hand samurai that do not drink are cowards," according to another of the book's rules. The book strongly advises that samurai, in addition to weapons and armor, bring roasted beans and dried plums with them into battle. "Of the things a samurai carries on the field of battle know that there is nothing better than plums that have been dried in the sun," reads one of the book's rules. To help understand this rule, and others, Shahan consulted a copy of the book that was reprinted in 1938 by Hori Shohei, a practitioner of Kendo a martial art that mainly uses swords. Shohei explained in his reprint that dried plums could quench a parched throat. Why roasted beans? "Samurai should remember that neglecting to carry around roasted beans may result in being caught out," reads part of the book. As for why samurai would benefit from such beans, Shahan isn't certain. "Possibly this means to carry around some food that will not spoil and can be eaten in case rations are not distributed," Shahan told Live Science. In any case, regardless of what food, weapons or equipment that are brought into battle, samurai should never be concerned about whether they live or die, the book emphasizes. "Samurai cast off thoughts of both life and death, their mind is set on moving forward," reads one of the book's final rules. Original article on Live Science. After decomposition, the bones were somewhat jumbled by the movement of the river. At Europe's oldest battlefield, archaeologists found new clues about who fought on the skeleton-strewn grounds some 3,250 years ago. Starting in the 1980s, people began finding ancient daggers, knives and other weapons in the river sediment around Tollense Valley in northeastern Germany. Several skulls were found, too. In 1996, an amateur archaeologist even discovered an arm bone, pierced with an arrow, sticking out of the ground. But it wasn't until 2007 that a systematic exploration of the site began. Over the last decade, archaeologists have unearthed a veritable battlefield, dating back to 1250 B.C., spread along the banks of the Tollense River, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Berlin. To date, the researchers have found the skeletons of 140 people, mostly men between the ages of 20 and 40, among the remains of military equipment and horse bones. [See Photos of the Bronze Age Battlefield] Archaeologists had lacked evidence of large battlefields from the Bronze Age in Europe, despite all the metal swords, hill forts, depictions of violence and scarred human skeletons from this period. (Around the Mediterranean, this was the era of the legendary Trojan Warand Egyptian warrior kings like Ramesses II, whose tombs document his battle with the Hittites.) A skull with a bronze arrowhead in it was found at the Tollense site. (Image credit: Volker Minkus for the Tollensetal project) Thomas Terberger, one of the German archaeologists who launched the excavation at Tollense Valley, said his team is now sure they're looking at a true battlefield. "We are very confident that the human remains are more or less lying in the position where they died," Terberger, of the Lower Saxony State Office for Cultural Heritage, told Live Science. What's been found so far at the site probably represents only a fraction of the carnage, Terberger added, as the winning side likely looted weapons from the fallen enemies and recovered most of their dead comrades for a more respectful burial. Terberger estimated that more than 2,000 people might have been involved in the fight. [10 Epic Battles that Changed History] "This is beyond the local scale of a conflict," he said, meaning that this was likely a major battle in the region, not a fight between neighbors. To get a clearer picture of who fought in the battle, Terberger and his colleagues decided to do a chemical analysis of the skeletons. The researchers looked for elements like strontium, a naturally occurring mineral in food that can leave a geographically specific signature in a person's bones. (For example, someone who spent most of his or her life in Scandinavia will have a different strontium signature than a person from Spain.) The results of the study, which were published in August in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (opens in new tab), showed that there was a large, diverse group of nonlocals involved in the battle. Unfortunately, strontium analyses are not so exact that archaeologists "can point to a map and say, 'They came from there,'" Terberger said. The results do at least suggest that many of these nonlocals came from the south, perhaps from southern Germany and Central Europe. This interpretation agrees with some of the archaeological finds; Central European-style arrowheads and dress pins have been found on the battlefield and nowhere else in northern Germany, Terberger said. At least in their chemical profile, the warriors also closely resembled the slain soldiers found in a nearby mass grave at Wittstock. That grave is much younger; it was filled in 1636 during the brutal Thirty Years War. But it could have some relevant parallels for the Bronze Age, Terberger and his colleagues argued. From historical accounts, archaeologists know there were mercenary soldiers from all over Europe fighting at Wittstock. If the fighters in the battle at Tollense likewise had multiethnic origins, Terberger said, it might mean "these were warriors who were trained as warriors." In other words, they were professionals,not simply villagers defending their farmsteads in a local dispute. The archaeologists are still searching for answers to the mystery at the heart of the battle: Why was it fought? Terberger said he and his team will look for more clues in the wider landscape. The Tollense River was important for north-south trade, and there is an "amazing" concentration of valuable artifacts, like gold rings and jewelry, found in the valley, he said. What's more, the battle took place right around a narrow part in the river where there was a wooden trackway that dates back to 1900 B.C. and was possibly a bridge connecting the two sides of the river. "It was probably an important crossing in the landscape," Terberger said. This time, in 1300 B.C. was also marked by cultural upheaval in Central Europe, when new ideologies were coming in from the Mediterranean with the start of the Urnfield culture (named for the way the dead were cremated and buried in urns). "It's not by accident that our battlefield site is dating to this period of time," Terberger said. Original article on Live Science. Move over Pi Day: Mayors across the U.S. are celebrating the day of the mole which began at 6:02 a.m. today (10/23) in honor of the vast number of atoms or molecules in a mole of matter (6.02 X 10^23) by advocating unfettered scientific research. So far, 20 mayors, whose cities, including Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Denver and Nashville, have a population of almost 6 million people, have signed the pledge, which states that government scientists and those who conduct federally or state-funded research should be able to share their results "without political interference." A handful of the mayors will share their reasons for signing the pledge on Facebook Live at 4 p.m. EDT today, including Nancy McFarlane, the mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina, since 2011, and a former pharmacist and businesswoman. [Best Supporting Role: 8 Celebs Who Promote Science] McFarlane said she plans to talk about how cities will combat climate change, despite President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement. "Cities are often the leaders in the introduction of new technology," McFarlane told Live Science in an email. "Despite the president's actions, many mayors not only remain committed to, but feel compelled to increase their commitment to sustainability, environmental protection and reducing their impact on carbon emissions in the air." The Mole Day pledge is being organized by 314 Action, a nonprofit committed to electing scientists to public office, much like Emily's List helps qualified women run for election. The group 314 Action was founded in July 2016 by Shaughnessy Naughton, a chemist and businesswoman who ran twice, but lost, for U.S. Congress in Pennsylvania's 8th district. About 7,000 scientists across the country have reached out to 314 Action over the past year, and several thousand have watched the group's online and in-person training sessions on how to set up a campaign, hire staff and consultants, and put together and broadcast a platform. These scientists aren't just interested in federal office, but are also running for state legislatures, city councils, school boards and even county coroner positions, Naughton told Live Science. Scientists attend a political-campaign training session held by 314 Action in Washington, D.C., on April 20. (Image credit: Courtesy 314 Action) But don't expect all 7,000 to run in 2018, Naughton said. "Scientists like to do their homework, so some of them are thinking of runs in 2020 and beyond," she said. "It's not just for this election cycle." As for Mole Day, Naughton said she couldn't resist taking the nerdy day that celebrates Avogadro's number to the mainstream. (Amedeo Avogadro was an Italian chemist who lived from 1776 to 1856.) "We thought it would be a good time to highlight our STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] principles" in light of the "proposals and things enacted by the Trump administration that are just a denial of science," Naughton said. For instance, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is keeping three of its scientists from attending an event in Rhode Island today that deals, in part, with climate change, according to the Associated Press. In August, emails obtained by The Guardian show that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees were told to stop using the term "climate change." And a 2015 report by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting found that in Florida, state employees had been discouraged from using the terms "climate change" and "global warming," according to The Washington Post. It's crucial that government officials learn about and act on climate change, McFarlane said. "As an elected official with a STEM background, I have a better understanding of the environmental impact of our decisions," McFarlane said. "I am less swayed by political banter and more interested in empirically proven data." (314 Action has endorsed McFarlane for political office; she is seeking re-election for mayor on Nov. 7.) People can ask their mayors to sign 314 Action's STEM pledge by filling out this form. Original article on Live Science. The quality of your sleep could play a role in how your brain responds to fear, which, in turn, could determine how likely you are to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a small, new study suggests. People in the study who got more "rapid eye movement" (REM) sleep had less activity in the areas of the brain linked to fear in the face of a frightening event, compared with those who got less REM sleep, according to the study, published today (Oct. 23) in the Journal of Neuroscience. The findings suggest that REM sleep may help keep fear levels low by altering how certain areas of the brain communicate with one another, the researchers wrote. This could mean that scientists could one day use a person's REM-sleep measurements, or how much time the person spends in REM sleep, to predict how resilient that person is to trauma or, conversely, how likely the person is to develop PTSD following a traumatic event, they wrote. [Get Better Sleep in 2017] The new study "is a very good first step in understanding the mechanism of resilience," said Anne Germain, an associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, who was not involved in the research. In the study, 17 healthy college students had their sleep monitored at home for between five and 13 days, to establish their baseline sleep patterns, including their levels of light, deep and REM sleep. The students were paid to participate in the study. Then, the students underwent a "fear conditioning" test: They were shown a series of red, yellow or blue lights that they had been conditioned to associate with mild electrical shocks. In other words, if a mild shock always followed a blue light, the student would anticipate, and likely fear, the shock when shown the blue light. During the test, the researchers monitored brain activity in the participants' amygdala, hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex areas of the brain associated with the fear response. (The colored-lights test is a widely accepted model for studying PTSD, Germain told Live Science.) Finally, the researchers sent the participants back to bed one more time. They monitored the subjects' sleep for one full night in the lab and then had them repeat the fear-conditioning test. The findings showed a noticeable correlation between the amount of REM sleep a person got and the magnitude of his or her fear reaction to the colored lights: The more REM sleep a person got during the baseline period, the less extreme his or her fear response was. The finding suggests that REM sleep may play a key role in helping the brain prepare itself for, and withstand the effects of, emotional trauma, the researchers said. There's growing evidence that the quality of a person's sleep has some link to the occurrence or severity of a number of psychological conditions, ranging from PTSD to depression. However, this study is the first significant one to explore whether a person's pattern of sleep can be used to predict whether he or she might be vulnerable to PTSD, the study authors said. The results of the new study could mean that scientists might someday be able to tell whether someone is suitable for a high-stress profession based on his or her normal sleep patterns, the researchers said. Still, more research is needed to fully understand how REM sleep and PTSD are linked. It's not clear, for example, if getting more REM sleep could help keep PTSD at bay. [5 Surprising Sleep Discoveries] Another question is whether a person can get too much REM sleep: Is there a "sweet spot" past whichtoo muchREM sleep might raise a person's risk of PTSD? REM sleep is when dreaming takes place, and there's a known connection between PTSD and intense dreams or nightmares, Germain said. Germain noted that the researchers looked only at the average amount of REM sleep the participants got over the course of the study, and how this compared to the fear response. So it would be interesting to see if the response would change based on the amount of REM sleep each person got each night. Still, the results are promising both for the field and people with PTSD, she said. "This is a really good example of the importance of sleep in maintaining healthy emotional health," Germain said. "Sleep is still considered to be that phase when you do nothing at night. We all tend to cut back on our sleep to do everything that's so important during the day. But by doing that, we're really cutting ourselves short and putting ourselves at a disadvantage when facing important life events." Originally published on Live Science. Local News, Crime, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: October 23 2017 In New Letter To Congress, States Chief Law Enforcement Officers Detail How Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act Would Undermine Local Public Safety Decisions, Endanger Communities & Police. New York, NY - October 23, 2017 - New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman led a coalition of 17 Attorneys General in forcefully opposing the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, arguing that the ill-conceived legislation would override local public safety decisions and endanger communities and police. The legislation (H.R. 38 / S. 446) would force states to recognize concealed carry weapon permits from other states. The letter , sent to House and Senate leadership, was led by Attorney General Schneiderman, and signed by the Attorneys General of New York, Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Collectively, these Attorneys General represent over 140 million Americans. Whats right for one state is not right for all. This lowest-common-denominator approach would undermine states basic responsibility to protect our communities including by determining who may carry a concealed, loaded gun within our borders, said Attorney General Schneiderman. After each tragedy we lament the loopholes in our federal gun laws; its vital that we not create another one. This legislation would risk the lives of our families and our law enforcement officers, while facilitating gun trafficking and promoting mass violence and Congress must swiftly reject it. As the highest ranking law enforcement officers for their states, the Attorneys General fear that, if enacted, the legislation would inevitably lead to the death of police officers and civilians, the proliferation of gun traffickers, and acts of terrorism and other mass violence. Under the legislation, our residents would lose the protections that their legislators and law enforcement agencies have deemed appropriate, in favor of rules made by States legislating for very different local conditions. Rather than creating a new national standard for who may carry concealed firearms, these bills would elevate the lowest state standard over higher ones and force some States to allow concealed carry by people who do not qualify under their laws, the Attorneys General wrote. That lowest state standard would, for example, weaken local prohibitions on concealed carry by violent misdemeanor offenders, domestic abuses, and others who states have determined would pose a danger. The Attorneys General also point out that our countrys Constitution and federalist system primarily reserve policing the public safety to the states, given the great diversity between them. We would not mandate that one State honor anothers fishing, liquor, or hunting permits, yet the proposed legislation applies that same flawed approach to the far more serious issue of who may carry a concealed firearm. The result of the proposed legislation would be a proliferation of potentially dangerous or irresponsible non-residents with concealed weapons in the States, cities, and towns across America that have made local judgments that certain regulations on the carrying of such weapons are necessary to protect public safety. Furthermore, the House bill would override some state laws that prohibit carrying concealed weapons in bars, schools, shopping malls, movie theatres, subways, or parks. States would not be able to enforce those restrictions; nor would local law enforcement officers reacting to specific risks to the public in such locations, which have tragically been the site of mass shootings in recent years, the Attorneys General wrote. The letter also highlights how the legislation would endanger local law enforcement officers by forcing them to determine quickly, and often under duress, whether an armed individual is allowed to carry a concealed weapon under his or her local laws. This is particularly disturbing, given that 12 states allow concealed carry without a permit. Finally, the legislation would facilitate gun trafficking, allowing traffickers to even more easily transport guns across state lines with just a drivers license from a permitless state. Please do not let concealed carry reciprocity become the next federal loophole lamented in the aftermath of a tragedy, the Attorneys General conclude. Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Health & Wellness, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: October 23 2017 Effective January 1, 2019, firefighters will be eligible for health benefits to support treatment for life-threatening cancers. Albany, NY - October 23, 2017 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation to deliver health care benefits to volunteer firefighters who have been diagnosed with certain cancers. "New York is forever grateful to the 96,000 volunteer firefighters who selflessly put their own personal safety at risk in order to keep their neighbors and communities safe, Governor Cuomo said. "With this measure, we will provide these courageous New Yorkers the protections they need and the peace of mind they deserve." Currently, volunteer firefighters are eligible for accidental disability and death benefits through Workers' Compensation if they are injured in the line of duty. Effective January 1, 2019, firefighters will also be eligible for health benefits to support treatment for life-threatening cancers. Under the bill (S1411B- A711B), volunteer firefighters who contract certain cancers will receive access to tax free disability and death benefits. Specifically, volunteer firefighters diagnosed with lung, prostate, breast, lymphatic, hematological, digestive, urinary, neurological, reproductive systems, or melanoma cancer will be automatically eligible for health benefits if: Upon entry to volunteer, a physical exam did not show any evidence of the cancers covered by this bill; Individuals have at least five years of service fighting fire in the interior of buildings; and The firefighter is currently active or within 5 years of his or her last active date. Senator Joseph A. Griffo said, "The brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day and volunteer to keep our communities safe should not be burdened with unexpected medical bills from illness they received while on the front lines of fire emergencies. Thanks to Governor Cuomo and the Legislature, these courageous New Yorkers will now receive the health benefits they deserve and the opportunity to lead a quality life in the community they have worked so hard to help protect." Assemblywoman Aileen M. Gunther said, "To the New Yorkers who may have contracted an illness due to their bravery battling flames and smoke - help is being delivered. Thanks to the Governor's action to provide benefits to our volunteers, we are taking necessary steps to support our heroic firefighters and thank them for their dedication to protecting communities across New York." Kenneth Pienowski, President of the Firemen's Association of the State of New York said, "This is a great day for New York State. Governor Andrew Cuomo and our elected representatives in Albany have acted to decisively protect those who protect the people of this great state. New York's brave volunteer firefighters now have the protections and help they need in the tragic event of a cancer diagnosis. We are tremendously grateful to the Governor for his action. We also thank State Senator Joseph Griffo, Assemblymember Aileen Gunther, Assemblymember Anthony Brindisi, and Assemblymember Brian Kolb for their leadership and support through this entire process. Because of them, the future generation of volunteer firefighters will not have to face cancer alone." John P. Sroka, President of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs said, "All firefighters, regardless of whether they are paid or volunteer, fight identical fires. Because of this, all firefighters should be treated equally and receive equal benefits in the event of a cancer diagnosis. Thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, this is now a reality. New York's selfless volunteers, who sacrifice so much to protect all of us, now have the benefits that they need. The Fire Chiefs of New York applaud Governor Cuomo and the Legislature for their actions today and throughout this year's session." Thomas Rinaldi, President of the Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York said, "The Fire Districts of New York are grateful to Governor Andrew Cuomo and bill sponsors State Senator Joseph Griffo, Assemblymember Aileen Gunther, and Assemblymember Anthony Brindisi for protecting New York State's brave volunteer firefighters. Presumptive cancer coverage is an essential benefit for 21st century firefighters, and the signing of this legislation ensures that all firefighters in New York State will be equipped for 21st century fires. It is fitting that volunteers who sacrifice their time, safety, and health to protect their communities now have essential assistance available in their times of need." Dr. Jacqueline Moline, Chair of the FASNY Health & Wellness Committee said, "Firefighters are exposed to an enormous variety of toxins and carcinogens in the line of duty and consequently are more likely to develop cancer than the general population. This is a medical fact. Because of this, it is necessary to offer additional benefits and protections to all firefighters so that if they do develop cancer, they are not left alone. The actions of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature will ensure that all firefighters in New York State will be recognized and assisted once they are diagnosed with cancer." This legislation builds on a number of actions taken by this administration to protect the lives of both career and volunteer firefighters in New York State. Most recently, the Governor signed legislation expanding benefits for New Yorker's who participated in 9/11 response and recovery efforts. Under the bill, residents are eligible for unlimited paid leave at 100 percent of their regular salary dating back to the time of their diagnosis. In 2015, the Governor announced the roll out of NY Responds, a universal approach to disaster response and recovery that connects emergency management agencies, fire and EMS responders with the New York State Emergency Operations Center in Albany. The Long Island Music Hall of Fame is a is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to recognizing the significant achievements of musicians who were either born or spent a significant part of their career on Long Island, Including Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Brooklyn. Beyond the recognition of famed composers, musicians and artists, LIMHoF has made significant inroads in support of music education on Long Island, including Educator of Note recognitions, scholarships for music students, and a new mobile music museum designed for school visits. For more information on the LI Music Hall of Fame, visit their website at http://www.limusichalloffame.org/ Local News, Health & Wellness, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: October 23 2017 Mangano: "It is an honor and privilege to have a global health care leader like Memorial Sloan Kettering invest in Nassau County." Mineola, NY - October 23, 2017 - Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano joined local leaders, as well as Sloan Kettering administrators and patients, to sign a symbolic beam, commemorating the official groundbreaking of the new Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on Thursday, October 19th at the Nassau Hub in Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano joined local leaders, as well as Sloan Kettering administrators and patients, to sign a symbolic beam, commemorating the official groundbreaking of the new Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on Thursday, October 19th at the Nassau Hub in Uniondale It is an honor and privilege to have a global health care leader like Memorial Sloan Kettering invest in Nassau County, said County Executive Mangano. This new state-of-the-art outpatient facility will offer critical cancer care to patients without the wear and tear of traveling to Manhattan. The project will also allow for the continued growth of Nassaus health care industry, and make Nassaus Hub the center for innovation in the healthcare field. I want to thank all those involved in working to make this project a reality. Local News, Crime, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: October 23 2017 Zeldin: "AG Sessions action sends a clear indication that gangs like MS-13 have no place here, and that we will never tolerate gang violence in our communities." Long Island, NY - October 23, 2017 - Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) released the following statement today to express his support for U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions designating MS-13 as a new focus within the Justice Departments Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces. Under this designation, the Justice Departments Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces will use the federal racketeering statute, or RICO, against this criminal organization. They will also enforce tax and gun laws. Congressman Zeldin said, President Trump, Attorney General Sessions, and the administration are taking a no nonsense approach when it comes to eradicating violent street gangs like MS-13 and other Central American gangs. It has been very welcome relief witnessing the President and his administration take such an active role to address this urgent threat, especially here in Suffolk County , where the rise in gang violence is hitting home in the most personal and tragic way. Innocent Long Islanders are being brutally murdered. Families and communities in Suffolk County are being torn apart. In April, the murder of four young men by MS-13 took place on Long Island; two of whom, Justin Llivicura, of East Patchogue , and Jorge Tigre, of Bellport , were residents of the First Congressional District. This is unfortunately just one of the many recent tragedies caused by MS-13 in our community. AG Sessions action sends a clear indication that gangs like MS-13 have no place here, and that we will never tolerate gang violence in our communities. Eradicating this criminal organization must be a top priority for our federal, state and local governments. Nature & Weather, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause By Long Island News & PR Published: October 23 2017 Kaminsky: "I am proud to host a cleanup at Smith Pond to further beautify our district and to continue creating a beautiful Long Island." Rockville Centre, NY - October 23, 2017 - Senator Todd Kaminsky was joined by 75 Senator Todd Kaminsky was joined by 75 Rockville Centre residents as they cleaned up Smith Pond Park. The movement to clean up the park was sparked by the RVC Conservancy and was co-sponsored by the Village of Rockville Centre and Assemblyman Brian Curran, who joined with: Raising Voices USA, Rockville Centre Coalition for Youth, RVC Youth Council, Girl Scouts of Nassau County, Lions International, Boy Scout Troop 214, Sonnys Canal House, RVC Conservancy, Boy Scout Troop 163, Daisy Troop 822, Rockville Centre Cub Scout Pack 31 and Boy Scout Troop 40. Our parks and waterways are one of the many shining treasures that make Long Island attractive, said Senator Todd Kaminsky. I am proud to host a cleanup at Smith Pond to further beautify our district and to continue creating a beautiful Long Island. Senator Kaminsky and volunteers were able to clean up the park and fill 50 bags of litter, and garbage. Their work will provide residents and wildlife alike with a cleaner, and more enjoyable park. It is always wonderful to join with our partners in government, as well as joining with the entire community to keep our parks pristine, and keep our parks a beautiful, safe place where families, children, and seniors can enjoy all that they offer, said Assemblyman Brian Curran. Our parks provide opportunities for people to play, learn, and lead healthy, active lives, commented Mayor Francis X. Murray. This cleanup and the volunteers who graciously donate their time and efforts play a vital role in preserving our green spaces. Their tireless work makes a difference to help make Rockville Centre a better and cleaner place to live, work, and play. Raising Voices USA is proud to partner with Senator Todd Kaminsky, Assemblyman Brian Curran, and the Village of Rockville Centre for this weekend's Smith Pond clean-up. As part of Raising Voices USAs commitment to environmental advocacy and our mission to engage community members in civic action, we are honored to participate in this event and look forward to future opportunities to make a positive and lasting impact on our community, said Emma Travers and Cindy Vaupel, Raising Voices USA Co-Founders. Through this community cleanup, we are helping to make Rockville Centre a better place to live and work. As a Drug Free Community Coalition, the Rockville Centre Coalition for Youth strives to make Rockville Centre a safe, healthy and drug free community. The Smith Pond Cleanup will increase visibility of the area and therefore help to decrease suspicious activity that may involve underage alcohol and illegal drug use, said Ruthanne McCormack, Project Coordinator at Rockville Centre Coalition for Youth. The Rockville Centre Youth Council, Inc., is proud to be part of Senator Todd Kaminsky's beautification project at Smith Pond. It is our pleasure to continue to support the community as the community always supports us. Thank you Senator Kaminsky and the Village of Rockville Centre for making this project possible and for allowing the RVCYC to participate in it. Love these kids and we love this town! said Andrea Connolly, Adult Chair of RVC Youth Council. Our mission says Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. What a great place to do just that: our own backyard, said Elana Wills, Service Unit Volunteer Manager, Rockville Centre Girl Scouts. The Rockville Centre Lions Club is proud to support Senator Todd Kaminsky's efforts to help not only the environment but the people in our community with this important initiative. Thank you Senator Kaminsky for working to bring people together to make our Community a better and healthier place to place to live, said Joan MacNaughton, President or Rockville Centre Lions. The scouts of Troop 214 RVC are always happy to lend a hand with projects involving service to the community, said Jim Plonsky, Scoutmaster, Boy Scout Troop 214. The conservation of our local waterways is an increasingly important issue, and one that calls for the awareness and action of our local residents. It is refreshing to see political activism behind this cause, and Sonny's Canal House of Baldwin Harbor is proud to lend our support, said Gareth Moore, Sonnys Canal House. RVC Conservancy is excited to partner with Senator Kaminsky and the Village to cleanup such an important historic location in Rockville Centre. Many residents arent familiar with this park and our hope is that this event will encourage more folks to enjoy the park,said Matthew Cliszis, Member of the RVC Conservancy. Eagle Scout Daniel O'Brien lead a lake-side clean up project here a few years ago. Troop 163 is always eager to lend a hand in our village, said Charlie Hart, Scoutmaster, Boy Scout Troop 163. RVC Troop 40 Scouts and their families happily joined the Smith Pond cleanup; another example of how they continuously help out in our community, said Patti Norton, Committee Chair, BSA Troop 40. RVC Cub Scout Pack 31 is proud to participate in the Smith Pond Cleanup. We are committed to service in our community. Thank you Senator Todd Kaminsky for putting this event together, said Mike O'Hare, Rockville Centre Cub Scout Pack 31. Troop 822 was so excited to be a part of this Community Cleanup. We are always trying to promote being good citizens/human beings and that includes making our daisies environmentally conscientious. Our troop is always looking for ways that we can be involved in community service, said Joy Pacella, Co-Leader of Daisy Troop 822. Local News, Crime By Long Island News & PR Published: October 23 2017 Christopher OBrien of Port Jefferson Station, 54, killed an Aquebogue man in a head-on collision while driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of Sunrise Highway in 2015. Christopher OBrien of Port Jefferson Station, 54, has been convicted of second degree manslaughter for driving drunk and killing an Aquebogue man in 2015. Suffolk County, NY - October 23, 2017 - After a two-week bench trial, State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho today convicted DWI defendant Christopher OBrien of manslaughter in the second degree for driving drunk and killing an Aquebogue man in a head-on collision as OBrien drove eastbound in the westbound lanes of Sunrise Highway in 2015, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said. Justice Camacho acquitted the After a two-week bench trial, State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho today convicted DWI defendant Christopher OBrien of manslaughter in the second degree for driving drunk and killing an Aquebogue man in a head-on collision as OBrien drove eastbound in the westbound lanes of Sunrise Highway in 2015, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said. Justice Camacho acquitted the Port Jefferson Station man of one charge of murder in the second degree by depraved indifference and multiple reckless endangerment charges. In addition to the manslaughter charge, Justice Camacho convicted OBrien of vehicular manslaughter in the second degree, driving while intoxicated, driving while ability impaired by a drug (cocaine), driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of alcohol and cocaine, and reckless driving. The victim, Thomas DEletto, 57, was driving his Toyota Corolla to work in Nassau County when he was killed in the Yaphank crash. Suffolk County crime lab tests reported OBriens blood-alcohol level at .17, more than twice the legal threshold of .08 for DWI. During the trial in Central Islip, witnesses testified that several motorists were forced from the roadway on the morning of Dec. 23, 2015 to avoid colliding with OBrien. In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, October 22, 2017 The Interactive Advertising Bureau will testify this week that it supports efforts to strengthen disclosure requirements for online ads that expressly advocate for particular candidates. But the group will also warn lawmakers that tightening those rules won't necessarily affect the spread of "fake news" online. "Enhancing the existing framework by clarifying the responsibility of publishers, platforms, and advertisers in making available these disclosures to the public would create greater legal certainty across the industry and provide valuable information," IAB CEO and President Randall Rothenberg plans to tell Congress in a prepared statement. "But the 'fake news' and 'fake ads' at the center of the current storm did not engage in such overt candidate support. So they were not, and based on current Supreme Court jurisprudence will not, be regulated under the Federal Election Campaign Act." advertisement advertisement Rothenberg will testify Tuesday before the House Oversight subcommittee on information technology, which is slated to hold a hearing about online political ads. David Chavern, CEO of News Media Alliance, will also testify Tuesday, as well as representatives from the Center for Competitive Politics, and the Brennan Center for Justice, among others. The hearing was announced late last week, shortly after Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and John McCain (R-Arizona) introduced The Honest Ads Act, which aims to subject large web companies to the same disclosure rules as broadcasters. Earlier this month, the Federal Election Commission invited public comments about whether online ads should be required to include the same disclaimers as TV and newspaper ads. Much of the activity on Capitol Hill stems from revelations about the Kremlin's involvement in the 2016 presidential election. Facebook said last month that accounts connected to Russia purchased around 3,000 political ads for $100,000 between June of 2015 and May of 2017. Twitter found 200 accounts connected to the ones identified by Facebook, while Google reportedly may have run at least $50,000 worth of ads connected to Russia. In addition to paid placements, many of the Russian-backed ads appear to have spread organically. For instance, the Twitter account @Ten_GOP, which claimed to be an unofficial account of Tennessee Republicans, was actually operated by Russian-backed group Internet Research Agency. That account reportedly was retweeted by Brad Parscale, the Trump campaigns digital director, Donald Trump Jr., and campaign manager Kellyanne Conway. (The campaign officials may not have known that the account was connected to Russia.) The current rules require some disclaimers on certain types of online ads, but not to the same extent as ads on TV. For instance, in 2010, the Federal Election Commission ruled that Google can run pay-per-click political ads without including disclaimers in the copy, provided that the text displays the URL of the sponsor's site, and that the landing page has a disclaimer. Rothenberg says the IAB supports "modernizing, clarifying, and reconciling any contradictions in these rules ... to require click-through, hover over, and similar types of disclosure," when ads overtly support political candidates. But, he adds, many of the "ads" and "fake news," in the recent election didn't explicitly support a candidate. "There were not a bunch of secretive Russian moles purchasing 'Vote for Trump' banner ads on carefully chosen web sites, nor pseudonymous Kazakh cells buying 'Hillary for President' pre-rolls on digital video platforms," he will tell lawmakers. "Rather, there were sophisticated posts about social and political issues, some of which were made more widely available because the operators paid for their posts to be more prominently featured in peoples social media feeds." He also plans to say that free speech principles may limit the government's attempt to regulate that type of material. "Robust political speech -- no matter who is paying for it, no matter how controversial it is, no matter who may be offering it -- is the essence of American democracy, and must not be stifled," his testimony states. At the same time, he will tell lawmakers that the industry can impose tough standards through its self-regulatory program. "We can monitor the financing chain, whether the paid support takes the form of conventional advertising, or whether it shows up in more contemporary or unfamiliar forms and formats, such as native advertising and branded content," his testimony states. "Our industry standards can be tough, encompassing speech that may be legally permitted, but nonetheless offensive to common-sense norms. Our disclosure mechanisms can follow the money closely and carefully and attack the problem at its roots." by Richard Whitman , Columnist, October 22, 2017 Accenture Interactive had a busy week bulking up on its ecommerce capabilities. First, it confirmed ongoing and exclusive talks to buy ecommerce specialist agency Altima, headquartered in France, with offices in the U.S., Canada and China. Later in the week, it announced a plan to develop a platform that will help clients build and curate contextual, personalized experiences for customers that span the entire commerce offering -- from marketing, ecommerce and offline shopping to customer service and loyalty management. That platform will expand an existing alliance with SAP in the ecommerce sector. No doubt about it -- consultants like Accenture, IBM, Deloitte and others are every bit as much as part of the Adland community as the WPPs and Omnicoms of the world. Agency leaders like to dismiss the consultants growing marketing-services businesses as a so-what on calls with analysts. But the presence and influence of consultants on Adland-related businesses is big and will only get bigger. Accenture Interactive reported it had $4.4 billion in revenue last year, which is about the size of a small Adland holding company. And its year-to-year growth was more than 50%. No wonder the 4As is considering extending membership to the consultant community. Why not? At this point, theyre not encroaching on the ad biz. They are a big part of it. Were excited to announce that metalbulletin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com. A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving metals market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets. Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials. If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details. 23.10.2017 LISTEN Award winning Ghanaian movie, Keteke is set to hold its European premieres during the Film Africa 2017- London at 18:15 on 31st October 2017 and 19:00 on 2nd November,2017 at Rich mix and Bennie Grant arts Centre respectively. The movie which won an award out of eight nominations at the Golden Movies Awards and bagged three nominations during the African Movie Academy Awards 2017 was produced and edited by Peter Orgnah Sedufia. Keteke has since its premieres in March, 2017 seen so much success with it currently been watched on many airlines across the Globe as disclosed by the Producer, Peter Sedufia during an exclusive interview with SBNs Gabla Godwin. He added that, the movie is expected to reach an even wider coverage by virtue of its European estrenos (Spanish-Premieres) which comes off at the end of October and 2nd November respectively in the United Kingdom. A couple, BOI (Adjetey Anang) and ATSWEI (Lydia Forson), living in Puna is bent on delivering their first baby in their hometown, AKETE. Very close to childbirth, the couple head to AKETE. Unfortunately, they miss their train meanwhile; the train service is the only means of transport from the outskirts to the town. In their haste to get there, they compound their situation with a wrong decision and they find themselves in the middle of nowhere. Now, will the couple make it on time for the delivery, or, risk losing the baby and mother? This is the story on which Keteke a movie set in the 1980s is focussed. For those who have still not watched the movie yet, if you are fond of travelling by air, you would get the chance to watch the movie on the following flights: KLM RwandAir Royal Air Maroc Ethiopian Airlines Emirates Qatar Airways Kenyan Airways Tunis Airways The movie is currently not available on DVD for public consumption but for anyone who would want to have a view of this highly-recommended purely Ghanaian movie, you can visit the Silverbird Cinemas at Westhills Mall. 23.10.2017 LISTEN David Millz proved M.I Abaga wrong on this response to the Choc City boss' "You Rappers Should Fix Up Your Lives". The Akwa-Ibom new school rapper and trapper displayed lyrical prowess as he debates on why the Nigerian Hip-Hop/Rap industry suffers set-backs. Even M.I Abaga himself had to hola at the young Star on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MI_Abaga/status/922028361576263680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw platform.twitter.com/widgets.js MyNotJustOk: https://my.notjustok.com/track/download/id/283574/by/qHQTMKSVBJ https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/347976612&color=%230066cc&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true Photo credit - Fotolia 23.10.2017 LISTEN Productive, respectful relationships between a boss and his or her employees is key to any companys success. While the boss top priority is likely to have hardworking employees who fulfill his vision for the company, its a safe bet that hed also like to have more than superficial relationships with the people he works with every day. After all, he probably spends more time with his staff than he does with anyone else. Of course, theres something in it for employees, too: The boss plays a key role in advancement opportunities , so the more he knows you, your work, and your work ethic, the more likely you are to be rewarded. A healthy, respectful relationship with your manager can improve your morale and productivity, and ultimately, it can boost your career. If you want a relationship that goes beyond we get along fine, here are five suggestions for building a stronger alliance with your boss. 1. Take the Initiative to Set Up Monthly Meetings When I first started my business, it was easy to meet with each employee almost daily , because I only had five employees. Now, with 19, it is more difficult to check in with every employee every day and keep tabs on all the tasks that each person is working on. So its important that my employees take the initiative to set up individual meetings with me throughout the month. This helps me know whats going on in the businessand shows me that they care about their jobs and are keeping my goals and expectations in mind. Your boss may be busy, but as an employee, you can and should take the initiative to meet with your boss one on one at least once a month. Use that time as an opportunity to discuss the status of your current projects, to present your ideas for the future, and to check in to make sure youre on track with your boss goals and strategies. 2. Demonstrate Your Innovation and Initiative Every CEO or manager wants a company full of motivated and productive employees. Showing that youre excited to take on on new projects will help both you and your boss be more successful. If you work in an office where people are constantly pitching ideas for new products, services, projects, or process improvements, dont be afraid to raise your hand and volunteer to take the initiative on something . If suggestions arent free flowing, keep a running list of your own ideas and offer them up at your monthly meetings with your boss. Being innovative and taking initiative shows your manager that youre invested in growing with the company, and that is bound to lead to a better relationship between the two of you. 3. Strive for Open Communication How many times have you told your boss that one of his or her ideas isnt so great ? Its a scary conversation for any employee, but its an important one. There have been a number of times that Ive shared ideas with employees, and theyve come back and suggestedpolitely of coursethat my idea may not be the best route. The reason I dont get upset is because, along with the rejection of my idea, they present a suggestion for something else. Or, better still, they consider how they can adapt my idea and make it work more effectively. The key is to remember that you were hired because you have a specific set of skills that the company values and, often, can offer a different perspective than your boss can. Feeling comfortable enough to disagree with your boss and have an open line of communication will build a strong relationshipone in which you know the best ideas will always rise to the top. 4. Remember Your Boss Is Human, Too Most leaders come to work with their professional game face on, armed with a to-do list a mile long . They spend their days focused on moving the company closer to its goals. However, even leaders appreciate when their employees see them as something more than the guy or gal who signs their paychecks. In a previous article where I discussed the questions you should ask your employees to keep them happy and loyal , I suggested that leaders ask their team, How was your weekend? However, I think it goes both ways: Employees should take the time to ask their boss questions like, How are you? or Did you do anything fun this weekend? This isnt about being best buddies or feeling like you need to hang out together outside of workits about communicating on a more personal level. 5. Be Yourself Youve probably heard some of your co-workers refer to their work wives or work husbands. Its usually said in jest, but theres some truth to the sentimentmany of us spend more time with our colleagues than we do with our actual families. And sometimes that commitment can cause friction at home or resentment at work. But unless your boss is famous psychic Theresa Caputo, he or she will have no idea that theres an issue brewing in your personal life. I would always rather have employees tell me when something at work or at home is affecting the rest of their lives than to wonder why their productivity has suddenly dipped or why theyve developed a bad attitude. So, if youre a parent whose office hours are taking a toll on your family, propose a schedule that allows you to work from home part-time . Or, if youre a part-time college student who needs some extra time off during finals week, see if there is a way to make up the time elsewhere in your schedule. Ask for what you need and be willing to compromise, and your relationship with your manager will be better for it. Keep in mind, your goal shouldnt be to become best friends with your boss . Instead, focus on establishing good communication skills and building trustand the rewards will follow. Photo credit - Mensxp.com 23.10.2017 LISTEN 5 Signs Your Employees Might Hate You In addition to all of your achievements, youre sure that youre a great boss . After all, your leadership skills have helped you climb the ladder of success. But some of the worlds top companies succeed in spite of poor leadership, a result of great products or concepts rather than motivated team members. According to entrepreneurial counselor Michelle McQuaid, bad bosses cost businesses $360 billion in lost productivity every year. The stress caused by difficult supervisors can negatively affect an employees overall health and workplace morale, eventually driving him or her out the door. Since losing one employee costs a business tens of thousands of dollars or more, your business will eventually suffer financially if you cant keep employee loss at a minimum. When youre a leader, its tough to know how others see you, especially if your work keeps you extremely busy each day. In my article 10 Signs Your Employees Are Happy , I discussed some great methods to determine whether youre doing a good job as a manager, but here are a few noticeable signs that may indicate your employees see you as a bad boss. 1. You Have High Turnover Does your staff have a revolving-door feel, with employees leaving almost as soon as youve hired them? If so, the fault is very likely yours. Either you arent taking the time to hire the right person for the job or your management style is sending them out the door. Whatever the cause of your low employee-retention rates, it not only can harm your bottom line but also have a direct effect on the morale of the rest of your team. Take a long, hard look at your staff and determine which employees have been with you for the longest. When your employees resign , is it with deep regretor with a dramatic exit? Once an employee is gone, its also important to make note of any post-employment interactions. If you encounter a former employee at an industry event or in a personal setting, is that person happy to see you, or does the encounter feel forced? A good boss generally hears from former employees over the years. Your ex-workers may ask you for recommendations or refer business partners or potential hires. Even if you have employees who have stuck with you for a long time, it may still not be due to your stellar supervisory skills. Some people will stay in a job for years when theyre unhappy, generally due to loyalty, fear of the unknown, or reluctance to change. For that reason, you can usually tell quite a bit from the morale of your team members, especially those who have been with you a while. 2. You Hear Complaints Complaints always seem to find their way to their subjects. In an office, that subject is too often the boss. If you have a human resources person or office manager, this individual can be a valuable resource in determining how your staff is feeling. Complaints will often be carried directly to HR, even if theyre about your management style . The key is to weed through complaints that are a symptom of people simply resisting authority to find true issues with your own management style. In todays open-office environment, its difficult to keep gossip under wraps for long. Eventually youll overhear snippets of conversation or youll see workers gathered together to talk, with one occasionally glancing toward your office. While its important not to fall victim to paranoia, its also important to notice the overall mood in the office. If things seem especially tense after team meetings or when new assignments are handed out, it might be a good idea to find ways to boost morale. 3. Your Employees Avoid You You say you have an open-door policy , but how many employees take you up on it? If you notice employees are taking wide paths around you, you may have an issue. Some bosses think true leaders should instill fear in their employees, but this type of work environment is considered a culture killer. While you likely wont be invited to employees houses on the weekend, your employees should see you as approachable. Another telltale sign of problems is employee behavior during staff meetings and one-on-one interactions. Body language is a key indicator, especially lack of eye contact. If employees tend to avert their gazes when you speak to them or, worst of all, exchange looks with other employees while youre talking, you can bet youre making a negative impression. As a leader, you, too, can send the wrong signals through your body language . Work to let your employees know that youre approachable through the way you respond to their ideas and concerns, whether in a group setting or individually. 4. You Have No Idea How Your Employees Feel As youre reading this, you may be thinking you have little sense of how your employees feel. That, in itself, is a bad sign. One frequent complaint from employees is that their leadership is out of touch with whats going on within the organization. Team members take assignments less seriously when they feel management has no clue what goes on throughout the company on a daily basis. Additionally, individual employees suffer from poor morale when they feel unappreciated and unnoticed. Performance evaluations and job descriptions are the perfect way to ensure regular communication with each member of your team. When expectations are outlined up front and supervisors provide feedback on how a worker is handling those expectations, all workers are aware management is watching. That makes them feel more accountable for their daily actions and more likely to want to do a good job to make a favorable impression. As part of your exit procedure, terminated employees should be asked to sit down with a human resources manager and discuss the problems that led to the departure . If your business is too small for a dedicated HR person, consider having a consultant interview exiting employees privately and provide recommendations based on what is said. 5. Youre Working Too Hard Age-old wisdom states that if a manager is correctly doing his job, he isnt working hard; hes working smart. In fact, many managers work harder than most of their team members. But the long hours youre putting in every day should be related to growing your business, not managing daily operations. If youre doing other peoples work because its easier than constantly staying on someone else to do it, it may be time to look at your management style. A good manager delegates work and trusts team members to do it, rather than standing over employees to make sure its done correctly. This means sometimes you may have to accept the fact that your employees wont necessarily do things exactly as you would do them, but the end result is the same. Your goal as a manager isnt to be each employees best friend, but it also isnt to be feared and reviled. When your employees like you, theyll want to do a good job to help you succeed. Keeping morale high not only improves productivity but also keeps the costs of employee turnover down and helps your business continue to grow and thrive. We just want to say thank you for all the wonderful work you do to protect the community like providing security, maintaining law and order and ensuring safety, were the words of Bishop Kofi Adonteng-Boateng as he spoke in his capacity as an International Police Chaplain in the United States (US) during his visit to the Franconia County District Police (FCDP) on October 20, 2017. Bishop Adonteng-Boateng was accompanied by members of his church; Divine Word International Ministries (DWIM), said the visit was to express appreciation for the exemplary work the police was doing in the community. He was met by Captain Michael F. Grinnan; Commander of the Franconia District Police Station. The late Friday morning visit by the Bishop was a successful one during which the Bishop flashed back to a September 2016 and 2017 visits respectively to his church by some members of the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD): your visits to our church is very much appreciated, so is your work in the community said the Bishop, who felt this visit was his own small way of making the police know they are appreciated. In an interview with TheAfricanDream.net at the Bishop said during the FCPD visit to our church, a majority of the members who are Africans and from Ghana saw them in a very friendly light. Their education, interaction and especially dancing at our church has gone viral online, (video here https://bit.ly/2ioo42y) , making people in the community wonder where such cool and friendly cops come from. Yeah I saw that video myself too said Commander Grinnan, saying the reason his officers felt OK mingling with the DWIM congregation is because its the way we train our officers, we train them to be interactive, we try to build good relationships between communities and thats what we are supposed to do. Commander Grinnan, however, said he couldnt take credit for everything, saying 2nd Lieutenant Tim Forrest who led the team to DWIM last September, his colleagues who accompanied him, and the entire FCPD is responsible for such professionalism and deserve credit too. Master Police Officer Allie Eggers said when we do come out and we do fellowship with you, we are there to embrace you guys, your community, and your culture. We do feel blessed to see people smiling and for me, it is a good positive experience that I will never forget. DWIM members at the end of the visit were led by the Bishop to pray for the police officers. Afterwards, the Bishop promised the strengthening of his churchs relationship with the FCPD by suggesting the church and police participate in the distribution of items the church is collecting for donation to the needy come Christmas 2017. FCPD is located at 6121 Franconia Road in Alexandria, Virginia, US. The Franconia district could be reached via email address [email protected] or phone number +1-703-922-0889 . More information is available online about DWIM at www.divinewordint.org Captain Michael F. Grinnan (in Police Uniform) Shakes Hands With Bishop Adonteng-boateng. Photo Courtesy Of Www.theafricandream.net Bishop Adonteng-boateng (left) Walks Into A Handshake From Master Police Officer Allie Eggers. Photo- Www.theafricandream.net Franconia Police Officials And Divine Word International Ministries Church Members Engage In Friendly Handshakes. Photo Courtesy Of Www.theafricandream.net Franconia Police Officials And Divine Word International Ministries Church Members Engage In Group Photo By Www.theafricandream.net 23.10.2017 LISTEN On Friday, October 13, 2017, my attention was drawn to accusations of rot and bankruptcy at the National Service Scheme (NSS) by the Ghana Palaver (a private newspaper), which was subsequently discussed in sections of the media. The inaccuracies contained in the reportage were addressed in a press statement signed by the Deputy Executive Director, (Nana Boakye) on the same day. In summary, the said allegations were palpably false. On Monday, October 16, 2017, while attending an event aimed at restructuring the NSS as an avenue to equip national service personnel with entrepreneurial skills, allegations of mismanagement have been made against me in a publication by The Herald (a private newspaper), which has also received wide media attention and discussions. Indeed, the NSS as the lead state agency, in collaboration with nominees from the private sector, academia, and other youth agencies in Ghana are attending a programme in the United States of America (USA) to restructure and harmonize the role of youth agencies to focus on encouraging entrepreneurship among the Ghanaian youth, particularly, the trained minds. Currently, on an annual basis, only 10% of the approximately 80,000 national service personnel leave the service and remain employed. The programme also seeks to provide a platform for these youth agencies to partner with like-minded foreign organizations to raise funds in support of the entrepreneurial ventures of the Ghanaian youth. The MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (REAP) provides opportunities for communities around the world to engage with MIT in an evidence-based, practical approach to strengthening Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurial (IDE) ecosystems. The MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program has helped many countries like Mexico, Spain, Singapore, Japan, Morocco, Ireland, etc. to improve the local environment that fosters innovation-driven enterprises by leveraging each regions unique comparative advantage. This is done by MITs faculty working with key regional stakeholders to understand its history, the key drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship, and opportunities to build unique comparative advantages. The Distortion The said newspaper, desperate for mischief, failed to verify the authenticity of its information to know the facts; but instead, took to the streets. Notwithstanding the fact that the paper may have sighted an invitation letter to John Kumah indicating that the initial workshop would span a period October 13 to October 20, 2017, it proceeded to publish in a sensational manner that the NSS under my leadership has spent $150,000.00 on a three-day MIT workshop in the USA. In truth, the partnership with the MIT is designed to last for a period of two years, starting with an initial workshop (presently underway), and three more at later dates within the period. The paper also got it wrong when it suggested that I and or the team departed the shores of Ghana on Thursday, October 12, 2017. Truly, departure was on Friday, October 13, 2017. Again, the delegation isnt made up of outsiders as the paper alleged. Instead, the programme is being attended by carefully selected Ghanaians who stand the chance to impact the younger generation. Moreover, members of the team would bring to bear their expertise in areas of entrepreneurship, risk assessment, etc. The paper once more got it all wrong when it alleged that the MIT Ghana team numbered eleven. In fact, in total, the delegation of Ghanas MIT REAP TEAM numbered sixteen (16). They are: Mustapha Ussif Acting Executive Director, NSS; Kosi Atwiwa Yankey Acting Executive Director, NBSS; John Ampontuah Kumah CEO, NEIP; Stephen Amoah CEO, MASLOC; Emmanuel Asigri CEO, NYA; Justin Kodua Frimpong CEO, YEA; Kenneth Thompson Rep. of Risk Capital & CEO of Dalex Finance; Morgan Asiedu ECOBANK, Rep. of Corporate GH; Victor Agyeman Director General, CSIR; Professor Kwaku Appiah Adu Office of the Vice President; Patrick Awuah President, Ashesi University; Kwabena Ampofo Appiah MD, State Housing Company; Yaw Owusu CEO, Venture Capital; Hene Aku Kwapong Rep. of Entrepreneurs; Professor Samuel Nii Odai Pro-Vice Chancellor, KNUST; Vincent Kwapong Ghana MIT REAP Team Co-ordinator. Bad journalism, to my mind, is when a person under the guise of being a journalist stumbles on information and hurriedly publishes it without recourse to the parties concerned. I implore all concerned to disregard reports on this matter as they are full of untruths. God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong. Signed MUSTAPHA USSIF ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 23.10.2017 LISTEN I will like to start by telling you the cardinal reason why I choose to write this article. It was not longer a news to those who are working in the State Ministry of Works particularly Engineering department that "Some civil servants mostly of the Engineering section in the State Ministry of Works has retired before now but they refuse to vacate office and nothing is done about it simply because they are from Kontagora Emirates while eating the future of their own children's. The rightful and competent people that are expected to legally occupy the positions hail from other regions of the state." Now I will like to give a brief definition of the above mentioned trending topics. Basically favoritism is just what it sounds like; it's favoring a person not because he or she is doing the best job but rather because of some extraneous feature-membership in a favored group, personal likes and dislikes, etc. Favoritism can be demonstrated in hiring, honoring, or awarding contracts. A related idea is patronage, giving public service jobs to those who may have helped elect the person who has the power of appointment. Favoritism has always been a complaint in government service. Cronyism is a more specific form of favoritism, referring to partiality towards friends and associates. As the old saying goes, "It's not what you know but who you know," or, as blogger Danny Ferguson put it, "It's not what you don't know; it's who your college roommate knows." Cronyism occurs within a network of insiders-the "good boys," who confer favors on one another. Nepotism is an even narrower form of favoritism. Coming from the Italian word for nephew, it covers favoritism to members of the family. Both nepotism and cronyism are often at work when political parties recruit candidates for public office. Probably the biggest dilemma presented by favoritism is that, under various other names, few people see it as a problem. Connections, networking, family-almost everyone has drawn on these sources of support in job hunting in the public sphere. The first issue is competence. For cabinet level positions, an executive will probably be drawn to experienced, qualified candidates, but historically, the lower down the ladder, the more likely for someone's brother-in-law to be slipped into a job for which he is not qualified for. Reasonable people will differ about the appointment of friends and family in high-level positions, but public officials should be aware that such choices can give the appearance of unfairness. And lastly, public officials should also note that dilemmas involving favoritism extend beyond hiring and contracting practices to the more general problem of influence. MoU and business partners, political associates, girlfriends and members of the same families, all are likely to exert a greater influence over an official than a stranger might. State members or legislators must make special efforts to ensure that they find a lasting solution to this menace of favoritism, cronyism and nepotism rather than just relying on the views or influence of the governor and people they know. Furthermore, many conscientious lawmakers have discovered that they must change their patterns of socializing when their work involves many decisions affecting friends and associates. At the least, they may choose to recuse themselves from votes where social relationships may exert undue influence. By Usman Mohammed 07060815443 [email protected] Wrote from Chenche House, Lapai-Niger State. 23.10.2017 LISTEN National Service (NS) has become an important component of our national life and mandatory for all graduants of tertiary institutions hence the expected unimaginable backlash received by Hon. Otiko Adiza Djaba (Minister for Gender and social protection) from all right thinking Ghanaians when during her vetting it was palpably realised that she dodged NS, the National Service secretariat had to cowardly give her a waiver letter to facilitate her approval by parliament. National Service Personnel are usually given a token to aid their survival, this was around GHC350 until last year when government increased it to GHC559 (though it was suspended and later fully implemented) which in my candid opinion is too small for upcoming youth considering the fact that the amount is less than GHC20 per day, this amount however small brings relief to the personnel and remove a huge burden from parents/guardians of these vulnerable personnel. However there is a huge untold story about NS that the public is unaware of. The NS has four categories; 1) Subvented category - they are fresh graduants who are absorbed into various government agencies and are paid the amount quoted above. 2) Non-Subvented category - They are in the same group as category one but they are posted to private entities and are paid the above amount or more, not by the (NSS) government but rather by the private entities (user agencies), the user agencies further pay 20% of the amount quoted above to the NS secretariat. 3) Post basics categories - They are the category of personnel who went to school through study leave with pay, they are posted back to their stations, NSS doesn't pay them, they take their usual and regular salary and rather pay 10% of GHC559 to NSS. 4) MoH sponsored category - These categories of NS personnel comprises nurses and other health trainees from MoH training institution, they take either rotation/internship allowance, this allowance is paid by MoH and not NSS, it is also slightly higher than the regular figure quoted above. The sad news is that since the the commencement of the service this year category 2 and 3 are effectively been sorted out, the government has communicated that plans are far advanced to sorting category 1personnel out, at least they fill forms every 15th in anticipation of their NS allowance , I remember very well that the secretariat clearly communicated in August this year on this website and the traditional media that a little over 91,000 personnel have been deployed ( https://nss.gov.gh/getconnected/press-release/194-nss-posts-over-91-000-service-personnel-for-2017-2018 ) (category 1 to 4), however just last week we heard through news portals that the Deputy Ececutive Director of NS (Henry Nana Boakye) stating that they have deployed over 100,000 personnel which they are preparing to pay ( https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Government-releases-funds-for-payment-of-NSS-allowances-592076 ) (Note that out of the 4 categories NSS pays only Category 1, and make money from category 2 and 3) The most depressing news is that the personnel in category 4 have been neglected and left to their unpleasant fate, they absolutely have no news about how they are going to be paid, and what the process leading to their payment even looks like, I understand when some aggrieved personnel made some follow ups to the Ministry of Health (MoH) they were given a monstrous excuse that MoH is waiting for financial clearance from Ministry of Finance (MoF). How can someone start service and over two months clearance has not been secured rather talking about commence of the pricesses, does the Ministry of Health actually plan? if they do they should have known right from day one that these cadres of health trainees would be commencing their NS in September. It takes an average of 3 months to process salary after IPPD form has been filled and submitted to controler and accountant general department (CAGD), so now that clearance is not granted and timeline has not been given what happens to to the psychy of these personnel. SHS students resumed around 12th September, Health trainees also resumed around this same time yet have been cleared financially and sorted out and these hardworking personnel of 4 categories who resumed work on 1st September don't even know their fate with regards to payment of their legitimate allowance, is this not a clear issue of placement government priorities? In conclusion I urge the NS secretariat to expedite action on the payment of the allowance for the category 1 personnel and be genuine with Ghanaians on the figures and not nflate it and create a nonexistent impression as if they are responsible for paying all NS personnel when indeed it just one category out of 4 categories. The MoH and MoF should quicken the process with the speed of light as they did for the health trainees allowance though they resumed school very late compared to the Service personnel; the neglect is causing needless frustrations and avoidable mental agony to these fine brains, after all the money would be paid and must be paid so why the unnecessary delay and creation of unhealthy pandemonium? Shaibu Issifu (A Health Intern) 0548437494 NEW Castle, Delaware, October 22, 2017: The Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA) is calling on the National Elections Commission (NEC) to take steps that would ensure that some of the lapses that evolved out of the October 10, 2017 general and presidential elections are not repeated during the November 7th run-off presidential election. ALJA says is it alarmed by the numerous complains of alleged electoral irregularities and the numbers of invalid votes that engulfed the first round of the presidential and legislative elections. The Association, in press release issued on Sunday, October 22, 2017, calls on the NEC and political parties to ensure election workers are properly trained for the smooth execution of the run off presidential election. ALJA also, urges the Commission to ensure that voters are fully educated about the location of polling centers and how to cast their ballots. The Liberian media advocacy group based in the United States urges political parties alleging electoral irregularities in the first round of the Presidential and General Elections in Liberia to fully exhaust the election guidelines and the legal process in the resolution of their grievances without any acts of violence. The Association is also cautioning supporters and sympathizers of political parties to refrain from all forms of violence as the legal process takes its course. ALJA calls on the NEC to move expeditiously in resolving the complaints filed by the various political parties. ALJA stresses the need for the Commission to be transparent and accountable in adjudicating the various parties complaints. Meanwhile, ALJA is condemning the recent arson attack on the home of Liberian broadcast Journalist Smith Toby. Mr. Toby is the station manager of the Monrovia based OK FM. According to media reports, the incident was perpetrated by unknown men on Wednesday, October 18, 2017, on the Robertsfield Highway. Reportedly Mr. Smith and his family escaped the fire outbreak unhurt. ALJA sees the attack on Mr.Tobys residence as counterproductive to press freedom and the peace and stability in Liberia during this critical period of electioneering. The Association calls on law enforcement agencies to vigorously pursue the perpetrators of this heinous crime and bring them to justice. In a related development, ALJA says its attention has also, been drawn to alleged reports of intimidation and harassment of journalists and media institutions in the performance of their reportorial duty by some unscrupulous individuals in the Liberian society. The Association says the reports are troubling and they have the propensity to rupture the peace and tranquility the country has enjoyed for the past 12 years. In the wake of these horrifying reports, ALJA is calling on the Liberian government and heads of political parties to ensure that journalists and media institution are protected especially in the performance of their professional duties. Signed: Charles Crawford Secretary General Approved: Moses D. Sandy National President Mobile money is great. However, MTN Mobile Money is far from great. In fact, it appears to be an endless case of fraud peddling from its mobile money vendors. It's strange how we hardly hear of TIGO CASH, VODAFONE CASH OR AIRTEL MONEY fraud cases yet MTN Mobile Money fraud seems to be everywhere (just like their tagline). This is despite the seemingly extensive anti-mobile money fraud campaign MTN has rolled out. MTN, you can do better. Just because your anti-mobile money fraud campaign is 'everywhere' doesn't mean it's working. Miscreants will always adopt new strategies to defraud customers so your campaign needs to keep evolving and remain one step ahead. So here's my MTN mobile money fraud experience. I went to a mobile money vendor /merchant at East Legon to deposit GHS 2,000 into my mobile money wallet in order to send some of it to two people. The merchant, PITHIAS ASTUGAH tells me he will not deposit it for me because he will not get any commission from it. First red flag. Well, I was in a hurry to get the transactions done, so I asked the agent to do it. (Send the money to my two colleagues through him, the merchant) Now to ensure the person withdrawing the cash received a round figure, I had to pay extra for the actual amount. So for GHS 500 to the first individual, I sent GHS 510; GHS 1020 instead of GHS 1000 for the second individual and GHS 365 instead of GHS 350 for the last transaction. Checking with all the other MTN mobile money merchants on that stretch of road, I discovered they all had the same approach as PITHIA ASTUGAH which made me wonder how in-touch MTN is with the activities of their vendors on the ground. I called the two individuals in front of the merchant to be sure they received the money and they confirmed that they had. But a few minutes after I left the scene and got to my office (which is also located in East Legon), I got a call from the first guy I sent GHS 1000 to and he said someone called him, claiming to be an MTN mobile money merchant with the number '0550354712' to say a lady came to East Legon to deposit money in to his wallet but due to a few issues which were being corrected, he would have to hold on for a while before he could receive the money in full. I quickly decided to drive back to the merchant to find out what was going on only for the second guy I sent money to, to call me with a similar story. I told the second guy not to take any action until I reached the vendor. When I got to the vendor he vehemently denied knowing anything about the call. PITHIAS ASTUGAH then calls the MTN office to find out if the money was actually deposited into the mobile wallets of the two individuals and they confirmed YES, which means the first guy I sent GHS 1000 to had his money withdrawn from his account in a fraudulent way. That was when I realized there was a sham going on. Luckily for the second guy, he did not follow the steps the unknown caller asked him to take so his money was safe in his mobile wallet. I asked myself several questions: I also deposited money into my mobile money account so why was I not called by the fraudster? Why did the caller find it necessary to describe me and the place I did the transaction? Why did all this take place less than 5 minutes after the deposit took place? Arguing with the vendor proved to be useless so I decided to report the issue to the EAST LEGON Police Station and upon his arrest, found out that: The merchant has had series of very similar cases in the past The boss of that merchant is a full-time worker at MTN Ghana (Head Office, to be precise) and deals in the supply of SIMs.(The Police visited the boss of the vendors house and indeed saw a lot of SIMS.I can authoritatively confirm) When I called MTN about the issue, the info was shared with the MTN Fraud Team via email and I was kept in copy. I also found out that the SIM used by the merchant is a 'directional SIM', something I did not really understand until I probed and discovered it basically means a SIM that has not been registered in the system. I contacted NCA about the directional SIM and a staff of the regulating body told me it's simply a case of SIM BOX FRAUD and per laid out regulations, the operator, MTN is supposed to follow through and resolve my case. It's been more than 2 weeks now. Has MTN taken any action on my case? No. Why? Well I suspect it's because the mobile money merchant has the help of an insider from MTN (which explains why he has managed to survive this long even after several fraud complaints). I speak for hundreds whose voices cannot be heard or perhaps have no network to channel this to .All they can do is to keep mute and suffer this unfortunate treat from MTN. And oh the saddest part is when asked why MTN and not the other and the response is they are the biggest. Really? So sad! Why do we keep using MTN when there's Vodafone Cash, Airtel Money and Tigo Cash? Especially when the instances of fraud with these other services seem to be far lower than MTN Mobile Money? Does MTN have any form of compensation for customers who lose money due to fraudulent activities? Or a dry apology is all they get? Will MTN finally sit up if they finally start losing money? How quickly and efficiently is MTN updating customers on the various strategies used by fraudsters? Is the MTN fraud alert campaign having the kind of impact it should have? My message to MTN is, IF YOUR CAMPAIGN STRATEGY IS NOT WORKING CHANGE IT. WILL PAYING EACH DEFRAUDED BE A BETTER WAY? MAY THE REGULATOR SHOULD LOOK AT THAT. SANITIZE THE SYSTEM MOST OF YOUR FRAUDULENT MERCHANTS ARE WORKING WITH INSIDE HELP FROM MTN STAFF. SCRAP VENDORS WHO HAVE HAD A SERIES OF FRAUDULENT COMPLAINTS LEVIED AGAINST THEM BY CUSTOMERS. MTN, I NEED MY MONEY BACK! My Plight [email protected] The Ashanti Regional Directorate of NADMO, has donated 60 mattresses, 90 Mosquito nets, plastic buckets, bowls, cups and other relief items to the T. I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School, Fomena, in the Adansi North District of the Ashanti Region. Parts of the new girl's dormitory block were gutted by fire two weeks ago. Another incident was recorded againon Tuesday in the same block. The Regional Director of NADMO, Kwabena Nsenkyire, speaking with Citi News, said NADMO is helping the school. The situation is a very sad one, so NADMO is helping with 60 mattresses, 90 mosquito nets, and some bowls and cups they will eat and drink from. The Headmaster of the school, Abdullah Ayuub, said the students were asked to go home a day after the incident. We were to have our midterms in two weeks' time, but because of this unfortunate incident, we have asked them to go home rather, and come back next week. We are calling on government, philanthropist and individuals to come to the aid of the school, it is very unfortunate, if the students return and nothing has been done, it will be a very big challenge. About 400 students were displaced following the fire incident which occurred around 12:30 on the afternoon of Monday, October 16, 2017. By : Loretta Timah/citifmonline.com/Ghana 23.10.2017 LISTEN Financial analyst and social commentator, Sydney Casely-Hayford, has said the retrospective sanctions imposed by the National Communications Authority (NCA) on some radio stations must be challenged in court. Speaking on Citi FM's news analysis program The Big Issue, he explained that, although he is not against the NCA sanctions on the defaulting radio stations, the regulator has broken certain constitutional provisions with the way the sanctions were imposed on 131 radio stations. The retrospective legislation to levy the fees in 2015, and taking it back to 2008, I think that is wrong, you cannot do that retrospective legislation, and then charge them the fees pegged from 2015. I think that is wrong and that can be challenged in court, and should be challenged in court, so we clear it once and for all he said. He emphatically stated that, any of the radio stations that fells the NCA hasn't acted fairly, can take the matter to court and have it addressed. Mr. Hayford seem to be in accord with Sam George, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, who argues that the NCA appears to have erred in its application of the law. Section 72 (1) (e) of Act 775, gives the NCA the power to manage and impose fines, and I have absolutely no qualms with that. However, any L.I or Act is subsidiary to the 1992 Constitution, Sam George said. 174 (2) [of the 1992 Constitution), which is where my argument is, says that where an Act enacted in accordance with Clause 1 of this Article, confers power on any person or authority (in this case the NCA), to waive or vary a tax as imposed by that Act, the exercise of the power of waiver or variation in favor of any person or authority, shall be subject to the prior approval of Parliament by resolution. Mr. Casely-Hayford, also stressed that, any of the radio stations that takes the matter to court should not base their argument on the fact that the sanctions are meant to collapse their business, since they clearly erred by not paying their fees. By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana The Assembly Member for Abesaasi-Twebaabi electoral area in the Berekum Municipality of the Brong-Ahafo Region, Atta Jacob, has said that plans are underway to constitute a task-force to commence an operation christened, 'Operation Cow Leg', which seeks to drive away recalcitrant Fulani herdsmen in parts of the region. According to him, the nomadic herdsmen, who settled in parts of the region about a year ago, agreed to vacate the area within six-months, but are still there, even though the grace period expired in September. He noted that, the leaders of the herdsmen pleaded with chiefs of the community for an additional one month to finally leave, which they agreed. But the assembly member for Abesaasi-Twebaabi says majority of the herdsmen still remain on their lands. A few have left, but many of them are still there, on our lands. Last Friday, heads of the Fulani herdsmen failed to turn up at a meeting with the municipal security, regional security, as well as chiefs of the area, because according to reports, the nomads were bereaved and therefore couldn't make it to the meeting. A situation the chiefs and the security agencies deemed disrespectful. If you have done such a thing, you should have come to the security agents and not wait for them to call you. So MISEC (Municipal Security Council) decided that they have given them (Fulani herdsmen) a period (to leave), and the period has elapsed, so theyre expecting them to go in peace. If not, they will write to the regional security council to request for military personnel to support the police personnel at Berekum so they can mount up Operation Cow Leg to drive them away from these communities. The decision to resort to the use of 'Operation Cow Leg,' was the outcome of the meeting, and it is expected to be implemented by a joint military and police task-force. Mr. Atta Jacob also stressed that, no further extension will be given to the Fulani herdsmen for evacuation, and that drastic measures will be taken to ensure their immediate eviction. They have exhausted all the time they have, so right now if they are there, they are there at their own risk. He said he was hopeful that the herdsmen will leave willingly and immediately, to avoid the use of force which may degenerate into brutalities. By: Marie-Franz Fordjoe/citifmonline/Ghana The Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company has been licensed by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to retail Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as they prepare to produce what they describe as explosion proof cylinders to support the Cylinder Recirculation Module. The Cylinder Recirculation Module was introduced by the government as part of measures to forestall gas explosions in the country. Board Chairman of the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company, Frank Boakye Agyen, told Joy News a mass sensitisation program will soon be rolled out to help address gas explosions at the domestic level. Our core mandate is to produce such cylinders that will be explode proof. Aside from that, there is the need to sensitise the Ghanaian. A whole lot of people are not going to be introduced to the use of cylinders. They have to be educated. When there is leakage how do you detect it? But we are saying that the cylinders that we are going to produce, we have such checks and balances to effect the first-last product that leakages and what not will be things of the past, Boakye Agyen said. The Cylinder Re-Circulation Module was developed in 2012 but not implemented. However, following a massive gas explosion at Atomic Junction, President Nana Addo issued a directive for the policy to be implemented. The fatal explosion claimed seven lives and injured hundreds of people. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com The rate at which subscribers of mobile money are being defrauded by both criminals and some staff of telecom companies has reached alarming proportions. The service, which has been touted as the innovation to bring banking to the doorsteps of the unbanked, is turning out to be a monster depriving mostly poor people of their little money. What is even worrying is that, it is very difficult for security agencies to track down the perpetrators due to the use of fake identities. The Director in charge of the Cyber Crime Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Superintendent Dr. Herbert Gustave Yankson, told The Finder that, as a result of fake identifies, the unit is able to investigate and prosecute only 10% of cases reported, due primarily to the use of fake identities to register SIM cards. Mobile money, a time-bomb. He described mobile money as a time-bomb waiting to explode, unless something drastic is done to curb the increasing fraud in the system. 50% of Subscribers experienced fraud or have been a target. It is estimated that, at least five out of 10 mobile money subscribers have either experienced one form of fraud or have been a target for mobile money fraudsters/scammers. How subscribers are targeted Subscribers are mainly targeted through Short Message Service (SMS), phone calls, e-mails and social media platforms, among others. Confidence in mobile money waning The increase in reported fraud cases involving some unscrupulous persons and confidence tricksters of mobile money services, is eroding confidence in the system. Telcos staff involved What is even disturbing is that, fraudsters arrested by the Cyber Crime Unit included staff of mobile telecommunication companies, who illegally infiltrate the database of telecom companies they work for, and use the information to commit mobile money fraud. Telcos staff infiltrate database The Finder learnt that, these employees, without authorization, access the database of mobile money merchants and change the registration details of customers in order to withdraw money from their accounts. Telcos staff change pin number of customers in the database. These staff of telecom companies who are in league with criminals then reset the number with the money to a new owner in the database, which gives the new owner access to change the PIN and withdraw monies. Telcos staff withdraw monies from customers' accounts. They then acquire new SIM cards and use the pins to withdraw monies from merchants. Other modus operandi of the fraudsters. Initially, the fraudsters could send a text or call and tell subscribers that they have won some lottery so they should send them money to claim their prize. The moment subscribers send the money, the fraudsters withdraw it and get rid of their SIM so that subscribers can never reach them again. Their recent strategy is to call subscribers and tell them that there is a problem with account and offer to help resolve the problem. For instance, victims are told that an amount they received in their account has been wrongly transferred as airtime, and the criminals offer to assist subscribers to convert it back to cash. The fraudsters then ask subscribers to get another phone so they can take the subscriber through the process, and if the subscribers are not conversant with the system (like most users who do not understand English properly and hence cannot figure out what they may be doing), the criminals make subscribers to generate a code for an ATM withdrawal or get subscribers to send money to their phones, and they bolt with it. Other criminals also call and tell their victims they have wrongly sent money to their account so they beg the subscribers in the name of all the deities to send it back to them, and once the subscribers do that, the criminals withdraw immediately and get rid of their SIMs. As the newest fraud technique emerging, some subscribers, without having performed any transaction, receive text messages of withdrawal of money from their accounts. Money laundering. Dr Yankson sees mobile money as fertile ground for money laundering considering the volume of money circulating through mobile money. Is BoG monitoring money laundering through mobile money? Till date, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has not made any pronouncement on monitoring of mobile money for money laundering transactions. Sale of pre-registered SIM cards Chief Superintendent Dr Yankson explained that agents of telecom companies are selling pre-registered SIM cards in contravention of the law. Use of fake identities for SIM cards registration In addition, he said the fraudsters also use fake identities to register SIM cards, and this is possible because the telecom companies are not doing real-time and post-registration verification of identities presented by subscribers. He stated that the telecom companies always use the lack of a national database as excuse for not doing real-time verification. Telcos say private solutions expensive. Even though there exists solutions developed by private companies, he said, the telecoms say they cannot afford. Proceeds of crime hidden on mobile money. Chief Superintendent Dr Yankson disclosed that use of fake identities has made it easy for criminals to also use mobile money to receive and hide proceeds of crime. He noted that when the right identity is used in registration, it makes fighting crime such as mobile money fraud easy and less expensive. Chief Superintendent Dr Yankson advised mobile money subscribers to change their Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) at least once every month, not to save their PIN Codes in their mobile devices, password protect their phones, and not share or give their PIN out to third parties. Law on SIM card registration. Parliament in 2012 adopted the Subscriber Identity Module Registration Regulations, 2011 (L.I. 2006) to give backing to SIM card registration in the country. Failed SIM card registration. Telecom companies were made to register all SIM cards, but at the end of the exercise, it was discovered that the registration was full of fake identities and other challenges. SIM card registration to be done again. Consequently, the government at the time decided that the registration should be repeated when the National Identification Authority builds the national database of all Ghanaians. By: Finder Newspaper Ghana could have six additional regions instead of the originally proposed four by end of 2018. This follows the increasing number of petitions received so far by the Ministry of Regional Reorganisation and Development that are proposing the carving out of additional regions from the existing ten regions. Speaking to Joy News Emefa Apawu, the Minister of Regional Reorganisation and Development, Dan Botwe, said every petition to the Commission of Inquiry will get the necessary attention as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution. There is a petition from Western Region, there is one petition to create another region in the Volta Region then there are two petitions from Brong Ahafo Regions and there are two from Northern Region. So if they succeed in all these, then we are talking about six additional regions. President Nana Akufo-Addo took a step closer to fulfilling the demand for the creation of four new regions by constituting a nine-member Commission of Inquiry to look into the proposals for the regions. The Commission is headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, S.A. Brobbey. If the work of the Commission is successful, the Electoral Commission (EC) will be required to organise a referendum to give meaning to the demand for the creation of the regions. The proposals for additional regions to be created from the existing ones are aimed at facilitating development and fast-tracking the decentralisation of the governance process. B/A chiefs sensitise citizens about proposed new regions In a bid to achieve the quest for the creation of a new region from the Brong Ahafo Region, the Ahafo Council of Chiefs has taken up the challenge to sensitise citizens about the need for the proposed Ahafo Region. If successful the Brong Ahafo Region will be split into the Ahafo Region and the Bono Region. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com 23.10.2017 LISTEN The Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Sir Dr. Sam E. Jonah, has said post-graduate degree holders hold the key to unlocking the solution to most of the nation's challenges impeding development. He has thus challenged graduate students to apply the knowledge they acquire in solving demanding socio-economic situations in the society, saying that will justify the investment made into their studies. The acclaimed scholar said, The post-graduate degree would affect your persistence, determination, intellectual prowess and your ability to handle challenging situations; these qualities are of great importance to employers. Sir Dr. Sam Jonah threw the challenge on Saturday, in his address at the 6th Session of the Congregation of the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Cape Coast. The Congregation for the School of Graduate Studies for the year 2017, recorded 1,307 men and women, passing out with doctorate and master's degrees across different disciplines. The Chancellor reminded graduates that, passing out as a post-graduate student comes with higher expectations from the local community level to the international level, saying, Your community and the nation are looking up to you, and the future of the nation rests on your shoulders. He stated that, as prospective employees, holders of graduate degrees would be expected to possess the qualities of stamina, discipline, leadership and the ability to work well with others in order to demonstrate success in the long-term situation, and that such qualities make them have greater opportunities for growth. For this level of achievement, no one would accept excuses or mediocrity from you, and brace yourselves for action, and if I may say so, act now, Sir Dr. Sam Jonah added. Of the five colleges that presented finalists for the post-graduate studies, the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, had the least female number of sixty-five, out of a total of two hundred and twenty-four from that college. By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana 23.10.2017 LISTEN On December 7, 2016 Ghanaians cast their ballot to elect Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo as president and thereby rejecting the second term bid of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. A result which was very much unexpected because of the unprecedented infrastructural and economical gains chalked by the John Mahama administration. The election of Nana Akuffo Addo was met with high expectations due to the gargantuan promises made by the NPP in order to secure the mandate of Ghanaians. Fast forward to October, 2016 and Ghanaians are all wailing and living in total regret. The NPP has woefully failed the people who entrusted the fortunes of the country in their hands and have given the Ghanaian people a raw deal. From the public service to the hawker on the street, everyone has taste the bitter pill of bad governance under Nana Akuffo Addo's government. Mismanagement of the economy, insecurity, corruption and nepotism are just but a few of the traits being exhibited the this clueless NPP administration. Ghanaians are therefore calling on His Excellency John Dramani Mahama and the NDC to come and rescue them from this cancerous and substandard government. It is on this backdrop that the 1 MILLION SANKOFA VOICES Project is being launched to collect signatures of 1 million Ghanaian voters across all 275 constituencies who are tired of the incompetence of the current government and will like to COMPEL His Excellency John Mahama to contest for the NDC flagbearership so that he will rescue Ghanaians from this severe hardship and monumental cluelessness. The Project will kick off in the Ashanti Region, the NPP's stronghold where we intend to get not less than 200,000 signatures from 47 constituencies. The project will proceed to other regions and will have constituency coordinators across every constituency in the country. The project will officially start on November 1, 2017 and is expected to end on or before February 1, 2017. The official petition will then be presented to the office of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama within four (4) weeks after the conclusion of the project. All persons desirous of joining this project should contact the National Coordinator or the deputy for further information. Signed Mallam Yahya Mohammed National Coordinator 0243728659 Evelyn Ajao Deputy National Coordinator 0262793192 Misogyny is alive and well in Ghana, alas. It is one of the reasons why one of the biggest societal problems that hinders the transformation of our homeland Ghana into a prosperous society, sexual harassment, is seldom discussed openly. Everywhere one turns in Ghana, one hears anecdotal stories of important men in high positions in both the public and private sectors, who either rape or demand sexual favours from their female colleagues. It is one of the areas of our nation that the National Review newspaper that one will soon be publishing, will focus on - in addition to fearlessly and creatively fighting those destroying what is left of our country's natural heritage. Ditto aggressively tackling the high-level corruption slowly bleeding Mother Ghana to death, in imaginative fashion. For the information of the more responsible sections of the Ghanaian media, the template for the fight against sexual harassment in Ghana, can be found in the U.S. media's ongoing focus on that dreadful global societal menace, which demeans the dignity of so many females across the globe. We must condemn, in no uncertain terms, the unpardonable, unspeakable and abominable cultural monstrosity that enables powerful and influential men (yes, the vast majority of those who sexually harass their fellow citizens in Ghana, happen to be males) to cause untold harm psychologically to so many women in Ghana. As our contribution to starting a national conversation (in the Ghanaian media) about how to effectively deal once and for all with this totally unacceptable cruelty that robs the dignity of so women in Ghana, today, we have culled and posted a Washington Post piece by Renae Merle, entitled, "Wall Street may have its own Harvey Weinstein problem". Finally, this is 21st century Africa (for heaven's sake). All those guilty of sexually harrassing others must be exposed and prosecuted in the law courts - and either they themselves or the entities they work for made to pay appropriate sums in compensation to their victims in addition to being jailed. The time has now come for the more responsible sections of the Ghanaian media to lead the fight to end the sexual harassment that robs so many Ghanaian women of their dignity. Haaba. Fidelity Investments chairman and chief executive Abigail P. Johnson interviews former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg about innovation at the Boston-based HUBweek earlier this month. (Brian Snyder/Reuters) Fidelity Investments, one of the worlds largest investment firms, has pushed out two high-level executives over the past few weeks amid sexual harassment complaints, according to two people familiar with the allegations. Former portfolio manager C. Robert Chow resigned earlier this month and Gavin Baker, a prominent tech fund manager, was fired by the company in September, according to the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly about the cases. Chow and Baker could not be immediately reached for comment. Their dismissals were first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Fidelity declined to comment on specific employees, but spokesman Vincent Loporchio said in a statement that its policies prohibit harassment in any form. When allegations of these sorts are brought to our attention, we investigate them immediately and take prompt and appropriate action. We simply will not, and do not, tolerate this type of behavior. Fidelity has also hired an outside consultant to review employee behavior in its stock-picking unit, according to one of the people familiar with the allegations. Economy & Business Alerts Breaking news about economic and business issues. Chow was accused of making inappropriate sexual comments to colleagues and Baker allegedly harassed a 26-year-old employee. Both worked in the companys powerful stock-picking division. An unnamed spokesman for Baker told the Wall Street Journal that he strenuously denies the allegations. The allegations come amid heightened sensitivity to sexual harassment complaints in corporate America. Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was recently fired as the head of his company after reports emerged that he had harassed dozens of women over decades. And on Friday, the New York Times reported that former Fox News host Bill OReilly secretly settled a sexual harassment allegation with a network contributor for $32 million. Wall Street, meanwhile, has long fought its reputation as a place where women and minorities struggle to succeed. None of the countrys leading publicly-traded banks JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup or Bank of America have ever been led by a woman. Last year, Bank of America was accused of running a bros club that underpaid female executives. Women account for just 2 percent of financial industry chief executives, according to research by Catalyst, a nonprofit group. They hold about 29 percent of executive or senior-level positions in the industry. Fidelity operates in the asset management world where such concerns have also lingered. Women and minorities are locked out of some of sectors most lucrative positions, managing just 1.1 percent of the $71.4 trillion of the industrys assets, according to a study commissioned by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Bella Research Group earlier this year. Fidelity is somewhat unusual in the financial world. It is led by a woman, Abigail P. Johnson, who has been chairman and chief executive since 2014. Johnsons grandfather started the firm, and she owns a significant share of the privately-held company, according to Forbes, which estimates her net worth at more than $17 billion. Johnson is considered one of the most powerful women in finance from her perch at Fidelity, which has more than $6 trillion in assets, including the retirement accounts of millions of Americans. It also has several women in senior leadership positions, including Kathleen Murphy, the president of personal investing, which controls more than $2 trillion in customer assets. The company held an emergency meeting last week in the wake of dismissals of the two executives, according to a personal familiar with the allegations. Brian Hogan, president of Fidelitys stock-picking division, stressed the companys intolerance of inappropriate workplace conduct during that meeting, the person said. Fidelity remains committed to providing all associates with an outstanding work environment and we will always work hard to ensure that we take swift and appropriate action when an individual violates our policies, and more importantly, our values, the companys statement said. Mr David Asante-Apeatu, IGP 23.10.2017 LISTEN Arguably the biggest legacy Mr. David Asante Appeatu, the current IGP and his administration will leave in the annals of history of this our police service is to insure every police officer Ghc 50, 000.00 as reported by Ghana News Agency, Citifm online and other media outlets. This will go a long way to immortalise him as one of the succeeding IGPs who indeed sought to transform the police service not by words of mouth but backed his words with actions. I hope you still remember my open letter to the president when Major Maxwell Adama Mahama and Lance Corporal Robert Ackah died? I am being dismissed for that. This report will go a long way to raise the morale of many police officers who are caught in a dilemma when it comes to fighting violence crimes like robbery. At times what comes into your head when you are called upon to go and fight robbery is "who will take care of my wife and children just in case I do not come back? Every police officer ponder over this rhetorical question anytime he is called upon to go and fight robbery. It's really scary at times but thank God that the IGP is allaying our fears and worries now. It is the duty of IGPs and their administrations to solve problems of police officers but not to compound them and I must say that the current IGP is delivering on his mandate creditably. At this juncture of our lives as police officers particularly junior ranks, we must all say ayekooooo to Mr. David Asante Appeatu and his administration to take this bold and giant steps to solve the problem of mass neglection and rejection the families of police officers who have died in line of duties face. This problem has been there for ages where a police officer who is also a human being full of flesh and blood is treated like a piece of rag when he dies in line of duties, thrown away just like that and the wife and children drove from barracks like none entities. Only God knows how miserable the wives and children of these officers become after their death. According to the report, the insurance package will cover police officers who sustain various degrees of injuries in line of duties and those that die naturally. What else should Appeatu do again? He has done what Napoleon could not do and it a yeoman's task well accomplished so he deserves a pat on his shoulder. He deserves our praises, salutations and our prayers. Since the inception of the C.I 76 some of us have bemoaned openly how regulation 80 of the C.I 76 which talks about scholarships and awards scheme has been neglected to the detriments of we the junior ranks who are always at the forefronts fighting robberies and other violent crimes. Some of us have raise loud concerns about it considering how police officers are dying in line of duties particularly in the hands of armed robbers but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears all these while. I remember I asked Mr. John Kudalor the immediate past IGP how he intends to reduce the killings of police officers by armed robbers and how to make effective regulation 80 of the C.I 76 which talks about scholarships and awards scheme after I had written an open letter to the then president and when he John Kudalor met the police officers at Ho. It is a worrying concern for we the junior ranks but thankfully Mr. David Asante Appeatu, our IGP says he is going to insure all of us. On the 8th June 2017, I wrote an open letter to the president and bemoaned how Lance Corporal Robert Ackah who was then escorting a bus from Accra to somewhere North was caught up in a friendly fire and died but seems to have been neglected. Somewhere around that same time Major Maxwell Adama Mahama who was my senior at St. John's School was killed through a mob action. Admittedly, regrettably and painfully as the death of the the soldier was, the death of the police officer was equally painful but prominence was given to the soldier over the police officer even though they both died in line of duties. In fact, the police officer was more on duty than the major who was reported to go on jogging to keep his fit but met his untimely and unfortunate death. The circumstances in which he died, should not be prescribe as the worst form of punishment for any criminal or murderers but aside the circumstances in which both the soldier and the police officer died, the bottom line was that they both died in line of duties and for that matter what is good for Goose should be good for the Gander as principles of fairness demands. I shared my views on it through an open letter that triggered a lot of discussions in the public domain and within police circles and that is the purpose of open letters but not meant for channelling grievances. Not quiet long, another police officer was gruesomely killed in Lapaz and for the first time in the history of Ghana and the police service, a sitting Vice President of the republic and the Interior Minister mourned with the bereaved families of the slain police officer. The whole police management board (pomab) lead by the IGP also went and mourned with the bereaved family and when it was time to bury the police officer, his burial was something equivalent to state burial. What else do serving police officers need apart from this ? Though the 8th June open letter was not my first one, I suffered acts of vindictiveness and victimisation for putting my thoughts together and expressed my views accordingly per the dictates of the constitution of the Republic of Ghana which grants me a fundamental right as a Ghanaian first before a police officer. I was quickly transferred from the police headquarters to Abokobi where I have to go from one bank to the other to contract "killer loans" to look for my own accommodation even though I am entitled to one. I have since used my almost 9 years savings as young police officer to rent a place to lay my head and work for Ghana Police Service. I must say I have become poorer than when I joined the police service. Just yesterday I was given a formal notice to appear before adjudicating officer for SERVICE ENQUIRIES as to why I wrote an open letter to the president even though that was not the first time I wrote an open letter. During the time of John Dramani Mahama as the president, I wrote several open letters and some were even directed to the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice of the time. That time there was no police administration and disciplinary authorities in the police service so nobody minded me until I wrote one in H.E Nana Akuffo Addo's time. Suddenly a rope was put on my neck like Alidu's goat and being tightened to suffocate me whilst I am being dragged to the slaughter house as to why I should write an open letter to the president. I must say that I do not smell any political persecution, intimidation, vindictiveness and victimisation in this service enquiries and the charges levelled against me for writing an open letter to the president but rather the usual machevelian and guerrilla tactics played by certain individuals in the police service who seek to suppress and oppress the welfare of members of the police service. The charges levelled against smacks of political persecution and it's a big worry that in a democratic Ghana we still have a police service that is still an agent of destroying fine talents thereby behaving like a brooding hen which consumes its own eggs. If today Mr. David Asante Appeatu in his own wisdom has seen the need to insure every single police officer Ghc 50, 000.00 and to cater for the children of deceased police officers up to tertiary level then I should be proud of myself no matter the trials and tribulations I am going through for writing such an open letter though I don't take the credit for the IGP's initiative. I only pat him on his shoulder and salute him as my Inspector General for giving a listening ears to our cries and paid attention to our plight as a father. As for those who are scheming to have me dismissed from the police service, I only advice them to watch their hands as they chew that of a Chimpanzee. In fact there is no difference between the hand of a Chimpanzee and that of human being and if you doubt it, take a critical look at it and you will realise that they are all five fingers just that the Chimpanzee's own is a little bit hairy than that of a human. Initially, I made up my mind not to take part of such premeditated, prejudicial, predetermined and preconceived service enquiry borne out of vindictiveness and victimisation meant to destroy my career as a police officer but per what Mr. David Asante Appeatu has done, I will plead guilty to all the charges levelled against me just to fast track my dismissal from the police service to the satisfaction of those who are hiding behind the police administration and the government to scheme against me because they believe I stood in their ways and prevented them from satisfying their parochial interests. I will leave their service for them even though the charges levelled against me are frivolous and I can defend myself without the services of a counsel. I leave them to their own conscience and on the blood of fallen police officers who died painfully in line of duties and their souls keep wailing from the land of the dead yet nothing was done for them and their families. Because I anticipated unsound reasoning into my open letter by certain individuals in the police service and also expected intimidation, vindictiveness and victimisation, I made my point clear that I have already secured some kiosk at Kantamanto "second hand" clothes section where I intend to take up a new trade. I think it's time to go now but this very generation of police officers and those yet to come will forever remember Ahanta Apemenyimheneba Kwofie III and how I put my issue across in spite of threats and intimidations. That makes me outstanding in my generation as a police officer with such a little rank like a Lance Corporal. To all police officers who will be benefiting from this insurance package, give all thanks to Mr. David Asante Appeatu and those right thinking police officers who sincerely and honestly admit that our police service needs a change. Just in case you pass by at Kantamanto don't forget to come for some fine "tops and downs selections". My name has always been Ahanta Apemenyimheneba Kwofie III, the one who torture the conscience of the evils in the police service and brings relieving comfort to every right thinking police officer whether senior or a junior rank. Like I said, don't forget to say thank you to Mr. David Asante Appeatu. As for the "evils" in the police, I leave them in the hands of Kennedy Agyapong. He is their karma. Such a misocaineaic institution we have found ourselves in the name of Ghana Police Service. Open letters are just too good for the police service and I will write more so let no one be deceived that threats of service enquiries will gag me. "Asase aban, me nte gyae" Ahanta Apemenyimheneba Kwofie III [email protected] #Ahantadiaries_23_10_17 23.10.2017 LISTEN The University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), on Saturday held its 6th matriculation ceremony to welcome newly enrolled students into programmes for the 2017/18 academic year. Speaking at the event, the Vice -Chancellor, Prof.Harrison K.Dapaah, who presided over the ceremony, in his address said the University admitted a total of 1887 students, bringing the total student population to 4887. He said,those admitted,1532 were undergraduate students,out of the number 495 representing 32% were females while 1037 representing 68% were males. " In the area of postgraduate admission, a total of 129 applicants were offered admission into master of Philosophy and Doctoral programmes,this represents over 100% improvement over last year's figures into the graduate school. Out of the number 18 representing 14% were females, while 111 representing 86% were males. The school that admitted 154 pioneers students in 2012 with only 3 programs has grown to accumulate students of 4887 running about 30 academic programs" he added. Prof.Harrison K.Dapaah,charged newly admitted students to do more to achieve the ultimate goal of academic success and project the good brand of the University during their stay and warned them to shun stealing, Physical and sexual assault,examination malpractice and others vices, adding that the University would not hesitate to expel any student found wanting. He urged students to involve themselves in extra curriculum activities but should not let them affect their academic abilities. The Vice -Chancellor, assured the students that staff and management of the institution would provide the enabling environment for them to excel. Prof. Harrison said "students and graduates of UENR are called technicians since they work with their heart and hands to make an impact in the world". He called on the Ghana Education Trust Fund(Get fund) to as a matter of urgency come to their aid to provide facilities and infrastructures that will enhance a proper teaching and learning in the school. He said the school has installed a 1.2 million dollar constellation observation system for meteorology and climate ground station to provide accurate meteorological information for Ghana and Africa He however lamented that the school also have a facility known as Advance Fire Information System (AFIS) that has a capacity to detect flood and fire outbreak in Africa but faced with infrastructural challenge hence he appealed to the Getfund to put UENR on its priority list as guaranteed by the Vice president Dr Bawumia during his presence at the school's second congregation held in August this year. The Central Regional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, COP Rev Ampah-Benin, has admonished wives of police officers to continue to offer the needed emotional and psychological support to their husbands as a way of boosting their morale to maintain law and order. He has told members of the Police Wives Association (POLWA), that how they treat their husbands greatly affects the officers' performance in fighting crime. The Commander said, To have your wife to support you in your work is the best assistance you can ever get (as a man), saying so far, our wives have set our hearts at ease. COP Ampah-Benin spoke to Citi News on Saturday at the Central Regional branch's celebration of the 30th anniversary of POLWA at Victoria Park, Cape Coast. This year's anniversary is under the theme, 'Empowering Wives to Support their Husbands to Succeed at Work', and POLWA Central Region has lined up clean-up activities, donations at health centres, health walk among others. Touting the relevance of the wives of police officers, the Regional Commander recalled that, Formerly, when we had not recruited police women, our wives served as aides to the husbands, and when we arrested female suspects, they were called on to search the suspects, and so they have been with us from the very beginning. He noted that, the difficulty of the work of police officers, calls for having a peaceful home, saying, This police work is very tedious, very demanding and any little problem at home can lead to serious catastrophe, but our wives have been supporting us a lot, so I am telling them we love them and we appreciate them and lot. On her part, the Central Region President of POLWA, Comfort Tsumidjor, said police officers face a lot of challenges ranging from misunderstanding about their job by the public to physical assault in some cases, and has called on the public to pray for the police to succeed in maintaining law and order. She also reaffirmed POLWA members' unflinching support for male police officers, admonishing members to do well to understand their husbands. The Police Wives Association, was formed in 1987 to bring together wives of male police officers to make them aware of the intricacies of their husbands' job, and to offer the husbands the support needed at home to work efficiently. By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana Deputy Director of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre, Maame Afia Akoto has revealed on Agoo TVs Yensempa show that some officials of the National democratic Congress made poor judgements and caused the country loss of money because they did not like reading. According to her, there was no justification for certain actions taken by the some officials of the previous administration and it was hard to determine if certain deals and contracts were signed to favour the country which those officials were supposed to be serving. The staunch member of the new patriotic Party said the NDC has overtime confirmed the assertion by vice president Bawumai that officials of the NDC do not read. Vice president Bawumia has been vindicated over time of accusing officials of the NDC of not reading. It is clearly evident they do not read because a contract like Ameri deal signed by Dr Kwabena Donkor would not have gone through if they had researched. She said She explained that she could not phantom how the leader of the delegation who were responsible for signing the deal could comeback two years after to tell Ghanaians he did not research into the terms of the deal he signed on behalf of the country. If Kwabena Donkor is telling us today that he did not get the chance to research on the deal and the monies involved, then it means he has agreed to causing financial loss to the country. She told host Bonohene Baffour Awuah Her comments follows a comment made by the former Energy minister, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, who said he did not personally do a background research on the AMERI deal prior to its signing in 2015. Speaking at Parliaments Mines and Energy Committee Friday, Dr Kwabena Donkor said an international lending institution that issued the letter of credit (LC) conducted the checks on the deal. According to her, some members of the former administration have lost the opportunity to criticise the Nana Addo Led government because their actions in government run down the country and there was no way they could make up for it. The AMERI deal signed by the erstwhile administration during the countrys power crisis has in recent time generated lots of controversies following a motion filed by Adansi Asokwa MP, K.T Hammond who filed an urgent motion to have the deal reviewed. According to the him, he has in possession some documents which pointed to some breaches in the deal signed by the former administration. Maame Afia Akoto has however called on the minority to apologize to parliament for the series of boycotts last week following the revelation made by the former Power minister who has accused himself of not doing the necessary research prior to the signing of the deal. After two hours of grilling of the former Minister of Power, Dr Kwabena Donkor, by the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament at its special sitting to look into the AMERI Energy contract on Friday, the ex-minister conceded that the Africa & Middle East Resources Investment Group LLC (AMERI) was smart in making a windfall of $150 million from that contract. According to him, it would not be out of place for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to re-engage AMERI Energy and re-negotiate the contract which yielded the windfall of $150 million from a $510 million contract for the company. AMERI later gave the contract to Power Project Sanayi, Turkey, without investing a pesewa into it, and it was signed between the Government of Ghana headed by then President Mahama and AMERI Energy. Dr Kwabena Donkor, however, said that the government, in thinking of renegotiating the contract, must be tactical and careful about the nature of the re-negotiation because of the possible repercussion on direct foreign investment in the country. Dr Donkor, who was the minister under whose term the agreement was signed between AMERI and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration in 2015, told the committee that due diligence was observed in the award of the contract. The former energy minister, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pru East in the Brong-Ahafo Region, travelled with then President John Mahama as chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee to sign the contract with a different power company in the Middle East, only to return with a deal with AMERI and Mahama created the Ministry of Power for him (Donkor) to head as minister. He indicated that even though due diligence was done under the emergency situation, which resulted in the enormous reaping of profit by AMERI Energy, things could have been done more critically and differently to ensure that there was greater value for money, if it had not been an emergency situation. Dr Donkor was subjected to a barrage of questions by the committee members, which included the MP for Adansi Asokwa, K.T. Hammond who is calling for the cancellation of the contract because of alleged fraud MP for Trobu, Moses Anim; MP for Abirem, John Frimpong Osei; MP for Kwadaso, Dr Samiu Kwadwo Nuamah; MP for Tarkwa/Nsuaem, George Mireku Duker; Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, with the chairman of the committee, Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi, MP for Odotobri, presiding. NDC members on the committee are boycotting the sitting, saying that revocation of the contract by parliament was not the way to go, if elements of fraud had been detected. Mr K.T Hammond last week Wednesday moved that parliament should withdraw the agreement due to what he called, misrepresentations by the company. Dr Donkor was grilled over why the government opted to engage AMERI after the Volta River Authority (VRA) had recommended that the project could have been done by the government at the cost of $411 million. He was also grilled over why AMERI, which signed the contract with consent of equity and raising loan to finance the project, eventually assigned the contract to AMRI Energy Power Equipment Trading LLC and further to Power Project Sananyi without the consent of the government. Mr Hammond, at the committee hearing, advised the former minister to be wary of the kind of lawyer he was engaging for any legal advice on the matter since the former minister had said that the assignment of contract particularly to Power Project Sanayi of Turkey with partial consent by the government, did not violate the overall contract. The chairman of the committee, Emmanuel Gyamfi, told DAILY GUIDE that the committee would do a thorough and professional job for parliament. According to him, it (committee) had received a lot of information from some other sources, which he said he was not ready to disclose because of the nature of the investigation being undertaken by the committee. He gave the assurance that the committee would critically analyse every piece of volunteered information to be able to produce a report that would stand the test of time. AMERI Fights Back Meanwhile, AMERI says its 2015 agreement with Ghana for the provision of a power plant offered the best value for money, despite the $150 million rip-off claim. AMERI, in a statement following an appearance before the Mines and Energy Committee on Friday, said the government has the right to review the deal if it feels it is being ripped off. AMERI acknowledges that the Government of Ghana has every right to assess all public contracts for value of money or quality of delivery. The company strongly believes the project delivered on both. An independent report by renowned auditors PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PwC) found that, out of 7 similar projects, the AMERI plant at Takoradi offered the best value for money, the statement indicated. According to the committee charged to review, restructure and recommend areas of amendment of the AMERI power deal, the company, in its agreement with the government dated February 10, 2015, is said to have charged Ghana significantly higher than what it was charged by the Turkish company PPR which financed and executed the project. The Turkish firm pegged the total cost of the project at a maximum of $360 million. By Thomas Fosu Jnr A major development ensued in the Ga traditional system last Friday when Dr King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II -known in private life as Dr. Kelvin Nii Tackie Abia Tackie was enstooled Ga Mantse (King), thus ending the controversial occupancy of the stool by Nii Adama Latse. His installation was carried out a day after another claimant to the Ga Mantse Stool, Nii Adama Latse, was inducted into the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs. The elaborate procedure was carried out without commotion, though under heavy security, by kingmakers of the Ga Paramount Stool, including Dzaasetse, Dr. Nii Tetteh Kwei and the Ga Stool Father (Ga Seitse), Nii Tetteh Ashong V. The enstoolment was preceded by the preparation of the stool house by the stool father featuring the slaughtering of fowls and livestock a cleansing exercise, according to the traditional authorities, since the place was illegitimately occupied. This was followed by perhaps the most significant segment of the elaborate programme the sitting on the Black Stool by the new king to signify his new authority. For those who opposed the occupation of the Black Stool, which they regarded as illegitimate, the moment was that of exhilaration. Those who had lost could only put up morose demeanour, unable to reverse what fate had visited. The new king is a descendant of the legendary King Tackie Tawiah I. King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, 46, hails from the Nii Teiko Tsuru We of the Akropong Royal House of the Ga Royal Stool, with his mother hailing from the Lantey Djan We/Naa Oyoe We of Abola Piam. He holds an MBA in Strategic Management and Consulting from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) School of Business. Earlier, the Acting President of the Ga Traditional Council, Nii Dodoo Nsaki II who is also the Otublohum Mantse had issued a statement demanding of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs to reverse the induction of Nii Adama Latse as the Ga Mantse, bringing him into the fold of the council. The President of the Council of Chiefs questioned the legitimacy of Nii Latse Adama as Ga Mantse, which according to him, is still a subject pending before the court, and so his induction into the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs was null and void. There are a series of suits pending against his illegality to occupy the position of the Ga Mantse, he said in the statement, adding, This is a breach of natural justice and fairness to the contending parties, which cases are pending before the Ga Traditional Council on the Djasetse suit, filed against Nii Yartey Otoga, purported kingmaker of Nii Adama Latse. The Ga Mantse is the head of the Ga Traditional Area, and if he is not accepted by the Ga Traditional Council, then his position is illegal.' The Otublohum Mantse referred to the injunction by the high court not to induct Nii Adama Latse into its fold. The Ga Traditional Council, on 13th February, 2017, was duly ordered that its defendants be restrained from inducting Nii Adama Latse as Ga Mantse, and also restrained from transmitting his chieftaincy declaration forms for Gazette notification at the National House of Chiefs, he asserted. The Ga State has witnessed its worst chieftaincy tangle in recent history, with some four persons claiming to be the legitimate kings. It would appear that a closure has been brought to bear on the issue, given the elaborate procedures which went into last Saturday's process. A leading Ga personality, who craved anonymity having been involved in the search for a lasting solution to the impasse told DAILY GUIDE a few hours after the installation of the new king that I was contacted and informed about the development. There is happiness in the Ga State that at last a closure has been brought to this fractious subject, which has threatened the peace of the nation's capital for far too long. The annual sprinkling of the traditional kpoikpoi a function of authority by the Ga King suffered security challenges over the years, because of the controversy surrounding the occupation of the Black Stool. In a correspondence dated 20/10/2017, Nii Adama Latse expressed concern about efforts to oust him and enstool Dr. Kelvin Nii Tackie Abia as Ga Mantse. He alleged in the statement that the efforts had the support of some government officials. We are further informed that there is a purported installation ceremony with dignitaries invited to partake during these same hours. We hereby bring this to your notice, considering the Public Order Act, according to the statement. The press release also referred to his induction, which procedure has been described as null and void by the Acting President of the Ga Traditional Council, Nii Dodoo Nsaki II. When I first completed school, I had always believed that I could walk into any newsroom and do well. But as the years went by, I began to doubt my capabilities; I began to doubt my capability of becoming a journalist. Even worse, my being fit to be alive even. I completed journalism school in 2007 (Diploma). To my uttermost shock, I was posted to a senior technical school in the Volta Region to teach for my National Service. Try as I did, this posting was not reversed. So I ended up moving to the school in the Akatsi District with loads of doubts in my mind. First of all, I have never ever tought before. Secondly, I am such a terrible teacher. Throughout my years of schooling, I struggle to explain any subject to my colleagues whenever they ask me to even if I have full grasps of it. Even after my explanation, I knew they still won't get it because I did such a terrible job of explaining. I am that terrible at teaching. Even worse, I am an introvert and hardly speaks. So how on earth was I suppose to teach those precious teenagers and prepare them to be externally examined? Well, I took the challenge and gave it my best shot. Some of the subjects l know I did quite well but in others I was terrible. Imagine me teaching General Science a subject I barely passed! But ooh the students, they were great especially outside the classroom. I particularly enjoyed their confiding in me with their teenage issues. There is an experience worth sharing. The girls hostel where I lived together with the other female teachers and of course the students, was located in a secluded area. So as we make our daily commute to and from school/town, we(teachers) adopted this strategy of tapping our feet to ward off snakes. And it worked! One day as I was walking alone through the narrow foot paths, I spotted a snake patiently waiting in the nearby bushes for the tapping feet to pass!!! That was a close shave you may say. And so has my life been after that; a close shave with death. So national service finally ended. I gave myself a 3-month break after which I started job hunting. For about 2 years, I wrote a number of applications and emails to media houses with no results. When it became apparent that getting a job in the media was problematic, I spread my wings to other industries with no luck. And for 4 solid years, I tried to find a job with no success. Those 4 years were the most depressing of my life. When it first started, I didn't know what it was. All I knew was this feeling of extreme sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness with little motivation to keep on living. At its peak, I felt okay for a day and for three days straight, miserable. I kept to myself even more; I would rather be left alone than be with people. To me, I was just a failure. For many, the dawn of a new day presents fresh opportunities and possibilities. But to me, it was pure torture; what do I fill this blank day with, I always wonder? And of course occasionally, I had suicidal thoughts. So why didn't I do it? Well, I will say God. I am a dedicated Christian and during that period, even though I was angry with God I didn't stop worshipping Him. I was angry with God because like the character Bruce Norlan in the movie ''Bruce Almighty,'' I felt God could fix my problem in a minute if he wants to but simply doesn't. In fact, if there was ever any moment in my life that I came close to denouncing my Christian faith, it was then. I remember any time I was going to church l told God, ''if you care about this relationship between us, give me a reason to keep worshiping you.'' And somehow he did. And ooh thank God for Hollywood. I immersed myself in that stuff. For the hours that I watched those season movies, I was lost in another world providing me an opportunity to forget my misery at least for a while. To the observer, I was just a lazy parson who locks herself up watching movies all day. But those movies probably saved my life. I finally got a stable job in an industry I never thought I could work in. However, I had to leave after a year. Oh boy, there is nothing worst than being unemployed again after tasting employment. It was like someone who after being beaten by the rain, takes a hot bath, changes into warm clothes and having to go back into the same rain. It is a fearsome experience. I wouldn't wish that for anyone.Thankfully, it didn't last too long. Now, some pieces of advice coming from someone who has been there. First, to the parents of the unemployed. I know you are probably pulling some strings. And if you are religious, praying for a miracle. But believe me, any time you see your ward 'lazing about' in the house, believe me, you have received your miracle. You can as well thank God because your ward could had been 6 feets under by now. And to the unemployed, don't give up. Keep on sending those applications and attending those interviews. Or if possible, start your own business; I know not everyone is a born entrepreneur. But by all means, keep the faith. That situation is not permanent, no matter how long you've been unemployed. It is but for a while. There may even be periods when you may be unemployed in between jobs but do not panic. You will overcome that also. It is but for a season. As long as there is life, there is hope. Just keep believing. I know it's not easy but please do choose life! Written by belindabe [email protected] Who on earth does not feel the heating impacts of global warming? US president Donald Trump last week appointed Kathleen Hartnett-White, a former chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, to head a key White House office that coordinates environmental and energy policies across the government. Perhaps if we knew who Kathleen is, we would know the depth of Trumps climate Cynicism. President Obama, and yes, he remains President, once said during the COP 21 Paris agreement that Cynicism is one of the greatest betrayal of climate efforts progress. But now with Trump, Obamas passion cannot hold. He simply sits and watches the nomination of Hartnett-White to chair the administrations Council on Environmental Quality. Like many other members of the Trump administration, she has long questioned the overwhelming scientific consensus on human-fueled climate change and has criticized the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a volunteer group of climate scientists whose findings are considered the gold standard of climate science. Trump himself might be influenced by gigantic oil and gas lobbies with undying political interests. But appointing Kathleen was like adding fuel to fire. Thats why, talking to CNN a day after, described efforts to combat global warming as little more than an attack on the fossil fuel industry. I am not at all persuaded by the IPCC science that we are standing on some precipice, Hartnett-White told The Washington Post last October, referring to the urgency to combat global warming. Were not standing on a cliff from which we are about to fall off. Hartnett-White is a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, an organization whose board of directors includes oil industry executives and GOP activists. Koch Industries, an oil-based conglomerate that has funded a variety of libertarian political groups, was among the groups broad range of original donors. The Council on Environmental Quality or CEQ, formed in 1970, doesnt just coordinate environmental policy at the White House. It plays a central role in the implementation of American Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, which requires an assessment of the environmental impacts of many proposed federal actions before they are undertaken. of energy and environmental policy at the Center for American Progress and a former managing director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, called Hartnett-Whites nomination a win for the industry interests. She advocates for the moral case for developing fossil fuels, which flies in the face of the responsibilities of the chair to engage the public on environmental issues and advise the president on how to protect the public from the greatest environmental threats, Goldfuss said in a statement. As communities rebuild across the country from climate fueled wildfires and hurricanes, her stated alliance with the fossil fuel industry makes her unfit to hold the highest environmental post in the government to advise the president on the real moral threat to our country: climate change. Even with the nomination of Hartnett-White, who must be confirmed by the Senate, the Trump administration has left empty dozens of key scientific posts throughout the government. The positions span high-level science advisory jobs in the White House, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. By Boaz Opio The Nana Akufo-Addo government has been accused of neglecting cocoa farmers in Ghana. This, they say, is evident in the cancellation of some road projects, challenges with cocoa mass spraying and replacement of free fertilizers with subsidized ones. Our dear farmers, it is sad to note that no provision was made for cocoa roads in the COCOBOD budget for 2017/18. This means that the cocoa roads which are deteriorating faster than anticipated due to the neglect of the NPP government is going to get worse, making users (mostly farmers) wretchedly despondent and low-spirited to continue to labour for our dear nation, said the Minority Spokesperson on Agric, Eric Opoku. Speaking at a press conference on happenings in the cocoa sector at Bodi in the Western Region on Monday, Mr. Opoku also accused the NPP government of sidelining perceived sympathizers of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the distribution of fertilizers, claiming that farmers are plunged into difficulties. The programme is over politicized and perceived NDC sympathizers are left out in the distribution of chemicals. He further challenged government to come clean on how much government has realized so far in the cocoa stabilization fund. You may recall that in the last press conference we made specific demands in respect of the Cocoa Stabilization Fund established in 2014 by the Mahama Government. Even though attempts were made to respond to the issues raised, specific questions were not addressed. We are still interested in knowing how much is accumulated in the Cocoa Stabilization Fund and its impact on the cocoa farmers in this critical period. On the subsidized fertilizer, Eric Opoku described it as broad day light robbery. On 21st June 2017, the Minority in Parliament held a press conference and drew the attention of the NPP Government to the fact that the Ghanaian Cocoa farmer had indirectly paid for the fertilizers procured for the 2016/17 season and therefore selling same to them amounts to broad day light robbery, we further explained that in Ghana, cocoa farmers are paid in kind and in cash and by replacing the free fertilization with subsidized system the NPP would inflict untold hardships on the cocoa farmer. The World Bank says it is embarking on a project to eradicate extreme poverty by the year 2030. According to the World Bank, a person is said to live in extreme poverty if he or she lives below US$1.90 a day. The bank has proposed to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030 through the use of social inclusion mechanisms. It made this known at the 25th anniversary of the World End Poverty Day at the World Bank offices in Accra. Social inclusion is the process of improving individuals and groups in society. So with this agenda, the World Bank seeks to find ways to get people with some social disability into the mainstream society to empower them to create wealth. These people include the youth, women, people living with disability and people living with a location barrier. The World Bank noted that it intends to improve the terms on which people take part in society means to enhance their ability and dignity. Africa was noted as a region which has a significant show of social exclusion. The most common drivers of social exclusion were determined as gender, race, caste, ethnicity, religion, age, occupational status, location and disability status. Social exclusion based on such group attributes can lead to lower standing, often accompanied by lower outcomes in terms of income, human capital endowments, access to employment and services and voice in both national and local decision making, a report given by the World Bank indicated. The report showed certain damning revelations about youth and women in Africa. It was discovered that because of the astronomical growth in the youth population of Africa, coupled with its low growth in employment opportunities in the next 10 years only 25 percent of African Youth would have a wage job. It also noted that almost 46 percent of all African women have either experienced sexual or physical violence in their lifetimes, which further excludes them from society and makes it less likely to empower them to create wealth. The Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Gifty Twum-Ampofo, who represented the government at the event, spoke of the ministrys commitment to end extreme poverty through some of these interventions. She highlighted the use of the National household registry initiative to meet the targets. She commended the World Bank for the work it was doing so far and promised them that come the 26th anniversary of the end poverty day, Ghana would have made major strides. Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG) has announced the appointment of Justice Georgina Wood, immediate past Chief Justice of Ghana, as the 2017-2018 AIG Visiting Fellow of Practice at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. The Fellowship is awarded each year to an individual from West Africa who has demonstrated evidence of outstanding contribution to the public good, through exemplary leadership in public service. In 2007, Justice Wood became the first woman to occupy the position of Chief Justice of Ghana; she is a member of the advisory organ, Council of State advising the President of Ghana. After a stellar career in Ghana's public service and judiciary, Justice Wood retired as Chief Justice in June 2017. Shortly after, and in the same month, she was sworn into the Council of State of Ghana a body established under the country's Constitution to counsel the President in the performance of his functions. She also serves on the boards of international justice and human rights organisations such as the Global Justice Center. This is a further exciting step in our partnership with Africa Initiative for Governance, said Professor Ngaire Woods, Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government. Chief Justice Wood (rtd.) has made an outstanding contribution to public service in Ghana. We look forward to learning from her during her Fellowship at the School. The AIG Fellowship is part of a five-year partnership established in 2016 between the Blavatnik School and AIG. In addition to making available five scholarships every year to talented, young West Africans from all backgrounds, the partnership also enables exceptional senior practitioners from West Africa to come to the School as AIG Visiting Fellows. In 2016, AIG and the Blavatnik School were proud to announce Professor Attahiru Jega, former Executive Chairman of Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the inaugural AIG Fellow. The AIG Fellowships were instituted to enable Fellows expand their knowledge and leadership in the field of public policy and, after the Fellowship period at the School, help to drive AIG's vision for transformational public-sector leadership across Africa, said Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, AIG Founder and Chairman. We are very pleased to have Justice Mrs. Wood (rtd.) as the AIG Fellow for 2017 to 2018. Her trail-blazing experience is truly inspirational and her wealth of knowledge will be of continued benefit to our continent and to young people who aspire to do great good in public service. I am honoured to serve as the 2017-2018 Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG) Visiting Fellow of Practice at the Blavatnik School of Government. I look forward with excitement, to utilising this platform to contribute to the deepening of democracy and good governance in Africa. I believe that a strong public service anchored on leadership with integrity is one of the key drivers of development that can transform the lives of our people positively, said Justice Wood. During their time at the School, AIG Fellows will have the opportunity to further develop their understanding of specific policy issues and solutions and to reflect on practices in other countries, with a view to returning to their country and helping to build competency and leadership capacity within the public sector, promoting the virtues of good public service and making the public sector attractive to the brightest minds. AIG Fellows will also serve as mentors to AIG Scholars. The Foods and Drugs Board (FDA) has said it cannot be held responsible for a consignment of rotten chicken allegedly discovered on the Ghanaian market. The Herald newspaper reported on Monday that thousands of Ghanaians may be in danger as credible information they have from the Tema Ports suggests that, some unwholesome frozen food products, have found their way into the country under bizarre circumstances. But according to the FDA, its officer assigned to the consignment realized that not all the chickens were rotten and thus ordered for the unwholesome ones to be destroyed but prevented the company from clearing a second consignment full of frozen chicken. Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on the matter, the Head of Public Affairs at FDA, James Lartey said although the second consignment was embargoed they realized that it had been cleared. He explained that their officer who was assigned to the consignment was subsequently able to detain 2,800 cartons of the embargoed consignment. I don't know why our officer should be blamed in this instance. In the first place, he has allowed a product to be clearedhe went there, he did sorting, there was a second institution that was among the sorting team, samples were taken, the wholesome ones were kept and the unwholesome ones were destroyed. What has he done wrong? I don't know how I'm going to blame our officer. Mr. Lartey noted that With the second consignment, he had clearly agreed that the product should not be cleared and it has been cleared, how do you blame him? He has followed up and found 2,800 cartons of the one that was not supposed to be cleared and he has detained it, and you blame the officer for what? Don't blame us CEPS The Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) division, of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has said it is investigating the matter. CEPS, however, said it cannot be blamed for the issue. Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, a member of the CEPS communication team, Paa Kow Ekumah, said although they do not think something untoward had occurred, they won't leave anything to chance, as a probe is underway into the incident. That issue has come up and we are seriously looking at it investigations are going on from different angles. It's a little sensitive now, and it's a little early to draw conclusions. But what we know is that, when it comes to Customs, we will always make sure that we will not find ourselves on the wrong side of the law. In the case of this chicken, yes, the full work hasn't been done yet, and we have our officers down there and I'm sure in a matter of a day or two, we will come to a conclusion on it. But nothing really has gone wrong that has to do with Customs having done the wrong thing or even the FDA, he added. Rotten products destroyed This comes on the back of some impounded rotten mackerel that found its way into the country. The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) also on October 1, 2017 , destroyed 4,500 cartons of unwholesome canned fish that were said to be in transit to Togo, but were diverted onto the Ghanaian market. The Minority in Parliament say the failure of government to increase cocoa price is unfair and amounts to stealing from the farmers. At a press conference Monday, the Minority argued the foundation laid by the former National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was good enough for an increase from the 475 per bag to be expected. They rejected the government's view that a drop in commodity price on the world market affected government's ability to increase the price to farmers. "The price of cocoa on the international market has witnessed a dramatic decline to a ten year low from more than $3000 per tonne only 10 months ago to as low as $1900 in recent months. The situation has compelled other countries to reduce drastically their producer prices of cocoa, the Agriculture minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said. Speaking ahead of the press conference, Sampson Ahi, an NDC MP from Bodi, a constituency in a cocoa-growing Western region said the former NDC government left about $400million in revenue from cocoa after leaving office in January 2017. The MP said, the NPP government could use this revenue to boost the price following the drop on the world market. He explained the NDC government went for a $1.8bn loan in October 2015 to improve cocoa fortunes after setting an 850,000 tonnes target for the 2015/2016 crop season. He said 750,000 metric tonnes was collateralized to pay for the loan. In the end, the government exceeded its target after cocoa farmers brought in for sale, 950,000 metric tonnes. Sampson Ahi In that sense, the excess 250,000 tonnes should translate into profit for the government after paying off the loan, he argued. The Bodi MP wants to know what government did with the excess revenue. "How is government going to spend the additional revenue," he asked on Joy News. The 475 per bag pegged in October 2016, he said, is simply "not enough" for the 2017 farming season. Read full statement from Minority MINORITY PRESS CONFERENCE ON HAPPENINGS IN THE COCOA SUB SECTOR UNDER THE NANA ADDO/ BAWUMIA GOVERNMENT HELD AT BODI, WESTERN REGION ON THE 23RD OCTOBER 2017 Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen , we thank God for the opportunity to engage you today. Our decision to interact with cocoa farmers in the Western Region is informed by the fact that Western Region is the leading producer of cocoa in Ghana today. We thank you for showing up in your good numbers and hope we could have a very informative, educative and insightful discussions which will inure to the benefit of all Ghanaians. Over the years, the cocoa sector has played a crucial role in the socio-economic development of our nation by contributing significantly to the gross domestic product (GPD) , being the major and reliable source of foreign exchange earnings, employment generation and has been very supportive to the nations infrastructural development, among others. It is therefore important for us to monitor developments in the sector to ensure sustainable growth and prosperity for well-meaning Ghanaians. COCOA PRODUCTION FOR 2016/17 SEASON Our dear farmers, we are happy to inform you that the pragmatic measures implemented by the Mahama led Government yielded more than the anticipated results in the 2016/17 cocoa year. The government rolled out numerous interventions including; Free fertilizationof cocoa farms Free supply of hybrid, early maturing and high yielding cocoa seedlings to cocoa farmers under the cocoa Rehabilitation/Replanting programme initiated by President Mahama Enhanced the cocoa mass spraying exercise Construction of cocoa roads cutting of mistletoe Incentivized producer price of cocoa (77.45%) of Net FOB in 2016/2017 The cumulative effect has been the colossal increase in cocoa production from a target of 800 Metric tonnes to over 966,400 Metric Tonnes in 2016/17 cocoa season which is the second highest production level in the history of cocoa production after Prof. Mills 1,000,000 Metric Tonnes record in 2011. We wish to register our displeasure and disappointment at the conspicuous attempts by the current NPP government to conceal information on this laudable and remarkable achievement in the cocoa sector to the general public. It must be emphasized that in consonance with the normal practice, we collateralized 750,000 metric tonnes of cocoa for the 1.8 billion dollar syndicated loan obtained for cocoa purchase in 2016/17 year. However, actual production in the year exceeded the collateralized figure by 216,400 metric tonnes and we must be interested in the utilization of the excess revenue to the NPP government. Our dear farmers, if a ton of cocoa is sold at $1,900 today then the excess production of 210,000 metric tonnes has raked in close to $411,160,000 dollars cedi equivalent of ( GHC 1.850 billion ) in the form of revenue to the NPP Government. The vexed question is where is the money? And how is the money being utilized? COCOA ROADS Roads linking our cocoa growing communities have been in deplorable state for a long time making the transportation of farm produce and movement of farmers to the urban centres extremely difficult. The situation is aggravated during the raining season. It is against this background that the NDC under former President John DramaniMahama rolled out a five year Cocoa Road Construction Programme at a cost $750,000,000 . Under this programme over 230 cocoa roads selected from all the cocoa regions in Ghana were awarded on contract to bituminous surfacing. On assumption of offive, the NPP Government has directed all the contractors working on these important projects to suspend work. This explains why works on several roads including the following have stalled: Samreboi Amoaku-Mumuni Mumuni-Prestea road Nkrankwanta-Adabokrom road Adobokrom kwadwo Armah road Amoaya kwasikrom - Dadieso Enchi road Elluokrom, oseikojokrom, EssemDabiso, Adwoafua, road Debiso Akatiso road Debiso - Adobokrom road Ellukrom Ntonsue road Ellukrom Fosukrom road Ahibenso - Bodi road Juaboso town road Benkyemajunction Adwoafua SefwiBoafo Sankore road Sankore Abuom Nakitey road Sankore Atekyem Kokooso No 3 Atekyem Asibirem TanoDumase road Anyinasi Nyamebekyere Asomasi Mumuni Junction Alatakrom Sewum Enchi Kordjor Susan - Motoso Our dear farmers, it is sad to note that no provision was made for cocoa roads in the COCOABOARD budget for 2017/18. This means that the cocoa roads which are deteriorating faster than anticipated due to the neglect of the NPP government is going to get worse making users (mostly farmers) wretchedly despondent and low-spirited to continue to labour for our dear nation. Government cannot pretend to beoblivious of Article 37:7 which states; As far as practicable, a government shall continue and execute projects and programmes commenced by the previous Governments. COCOA MASS SPRAYING The cocoa mass spraying is bedeviled with a lot of challenges this year. Farmers are not getting the needed quantity of chemicals to spray their farms Mass sprayers have not been paid for the last 4 months. The programme is over politicized and perceived NDC sympathizers are left out in the distribution of chemicals. The effect is that farmers are plunged into incessant difficulties. COCOA STABILIZATION FUND Ladies and Gentlemen, you may recall that in the last press conference we made specific demands in respect of the Cocoa Stabilization Fund established in 2014 by the Mahama Government. Even though attempt was made to respond to the issues raised, specific questions were not addressed. We are still interested in knowing how much is accumulated in the Cocoa Stabilization Fund and its impact on the cocoa farmers in this critical period. COCOA FERTILIZATION PROGRAMME Ladies and Gentlemen, on 21st June 2017 , the minority in Parliament held a press conference and drew the attention of the NPP Government to the fact that the Ghanaian Cocoa farmer had indirectly paid for the fertilizers procured for the 2016/17 season and therefore selling same to them amount to broad day light robbery, we further explained that in Ghana, cocoa farmers are paid in kind and in cash and by replacing the free fertilization with subsidized system the NPP would inflict untold hardships on the cocoa farmer. The NPP government demonstrated its insensitivity to the plight of the ordinary cocoa farmer by ignoring our wise counsel and proceeded to replace the free fertilization programmed with subsidized arrangement under which a bag of fertilizer which was given to the farmer for free is now sells at GHC 80.00 in spite of its embossment of strictly not for sale. Our gallant farmers, it is important to note that our checks from most of cocoa growing districts indicate that a sizeable percentage of granular fertilizers are still in the stores of the LBCs because cocoa farmers are unable to afford. The decomposition of the fertilizers in the stores would be a colossal loss to the state and the wisdom behind such actions cannot be comprehended. We are therefore urging government to act fast by reverting to the NDC/Mahamas free fertilization programme. POOR GOVERNANCE PRACTISES RESULTING IN CONFUSION AT COCOA BOARD We all know that Cocoa Marketing Company is a subsidiary of Ghana Cocoa Board but Cocoa Marketing Company has a board which functions according to the directives from Cocoa Board. The practice has been that the CEO of Cocoa Board chairs the board of the Cocoa Marketing Company so that whatever Cocoa Marketing Company does will be in consonance with the policies of Cocoa Board. Surprisingly under the Nana Addo/ Bawumia led government, the Chairman of the Cocoa Marketing Company has been appointed by the President outside The CEO of Cocoa Board is also appointed by the President and the Chairman of Cocoa Board is also appointed by the President so how will you define the relationship between the CEO of COCOABOARD who is the overall administrative head of the Cocoa Board structure with the Chairman of the Cocoa Marketing Company who is also an appointee of the President. Does he also report directly to the President? The President by his action has sown a seed of discord in Cocoa Board, this is why Cocoa Board is rocked with confusion everywhere. Dear farmers does this also explain why this year alone the CMC budget allocation has sky rocketed from 74.8 million in 2016 to 104 million in 2017 representing 38% increase? ABUSE OF POWER LEADING TO WASTEFUL EXPENDITURE BY THE NANA ADDO GOVERNMENT Ladies and Gentlemen, soon after the swearing in of the President, 20 members of the senior management staff of Cocoa Board were asked to proceed on leave. While on leave, they are paid all salaries and allowances due them at the end of every month. Some retirees who had been paid pensions from COCOBOD after their retirement have been re-engaged to fill those vacancies. This means that at the end of every month those on leave and those re-engaged are all paid salaries from the sweat and labour of you the cocoa farmer. This has ballooned the headquarters expenditure from GHC363 million to 538 million representing about 48% increase. Is this the prudent way of managing the resources of the cocoa farmer? The Minority has raised critical issues that go to the core of the survival of the cocoa sector and the general well-being of our cocoa farmers. Government must, as a matter of urgency look at the issues and address them in the interest of our dear nation. We wish to pledge our unwavering commitment to champion the well-being of our cocoa farmers. Our gallant and revered farmers, Ladies and gentlemen of the press, we thank you for your attention and will now take your questions. Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com Ghanas financial market has low local participation compared to its peers in some African countries, the maiden Africa Financial Markets Index launched in Washington D.C has revealed. The finding was after a research by independent think tank OMFIF and Barclays Africa Group. What is Africa Financial Markets Index? The index tracked performances of financial markets in 17 African countries on six main pillars; Market depth, Access to foreign exchange, Market transparency and regulation, Capacity of local investors, Macroeconomic opportunity and Enforceability of international financial agreements. The markets surveyed are; Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The Index tracked progress over a period, by supplying a toolkit for countries wishing to build financial infrastructure. South Africa topped the 2017 list, despite its recent poor Macroeconomic performance to the two institutions that put the report together. According to Barclays, South Africa came on top based on the strength of its financial markets as well as its relative openness and transparency for transactions. Mauritius and Botswana followed because of its strength in tax and regulation and access to foreign exchange. Kenya and Ghana provide signs of progress. Ivory Coast, with a low overall score, is home to a growing regional bourse, pointing to future improvement. Ethiopia showed the highest GDP growth prospects of the 17 countries even though it comes bottom of the list in terms of financial market prowess. The index is a comparison of a countrys financial market against the selected sample, a country can reach the maximum score of 100, in such scenario the country must achieve the maximum score of 100 in all the six pillars. The index showed that Ghana performed poorly when it came to the capacity of local investors or level of interest or holding that they in securities, stocks, and bonds on the capital markets. On this pillar, Ghana scored 12 out of 100, the lowest mark recorded in all the six pillars the country was reviewed. It was also ranked 15 out of the 17 countries that were reviewed in the Index that most local investors have not got the right level of savings or call it disposable incomes to hold most of these assets on the local market. Implications This meant that most assets on Ghanas markets were held by foreigners opening the countrys financial markets to some shocks. In essence, capital flight any time any of investors decide to repatriate all their investments at a go could bring serious pressure on the cedi. It could also lead to some depreciation of the local currency. Ghanas performance in other areas Despite the challenging result on local investor participation, the country made some strong gains in regulation, transparency, and tax, as it was ranked 8 out of the 17 markets assessed. Ghana was also ranked 7 out of 15 countries that were reviewed on this pillar of legality and enforceability of standard financial markets master agreement, beating other top countries like Namibia Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco. In all the country was praised for having a strong potential for growth and possible market leader in the region. South Africa came up top as the best market in the region for having a highly developed market. Response from government and Barclays Speaking at the launch of the Index in Washington D.C, Finance Minister Ken Ofori- Atta said government would look at how to use some of the pension funds to stimulate local participation in the capital markets. He added that government is committed to developing the capital market and encourage local investor interest. Speaking in an interview with JOYBUSINESS, Managing Director of Barclays Africa, George Asante said they want the report to be seen as the reference point for the financial markets in Africa. On Ghana, he said the country had made a lot of progress in terms of market development and openness, however, there are still some areas that need to be worked on to position Ghana as the best market in the region. Barclays Africa Chief Executive, Maria Ramos said, the Index provides countries with valuable insights and tools to improve the state of their financial markets. She believes this they can do "by broadening and deepening their understanding of the requirements of local and international investors, Africas leaders can develop robust markets a prime condition for sustainable, inclusive growth." 23.10.2017 LISTEN The Donkey Sanctuary, which is leading the efforts to draw world-wide attention to the trade in donkey skins for the use in traditional Chinese remedies, is in Ghana from today (Monday 23 October) with Ghana SPCA to urge law enforcement bodies to immediately enforce the ban on the slaughter and export of donkey skins that was passed at the beginning of the year. On 17 January 2017 the Ministry of Food and Agriculture authorised a ban on the slaughter and export of donkey skins from Ghana. Worrying evidence suggests that the law is not being enforced, even though the Veterinary Services Directorate has publicly said: The Veterinary Services Directorate has observed with alarm, a sharp increase in the number of donkeys being slaughtered on a daily basis especially in the northern parts of the country. At this rate, the population is likely to be depleted within two to three years.* They continued: The Veterinary Services Directorate has therefore decided to ban with immediate effect, the indiscriminate slaughter of donkeys and the export of their skins. All Regional Veterinary Officers are to ensure that this directive is strictly complied with. Anybody caught in defying this directive will be strictly dealt with.* Both The Donkey Sanctuary and Ghana SPCA are in strong agreement that if this law is not upheld then the welfare of donkeys and Ghanas poorest citizens who rely on donkeys for farming activities and the transportation of goods (especially in rural areas) are going to be affected in a catastrophic way. Alex Mayers, head of programmes, at The Donkey Sanctuary, who is in Ghana says: From evidence we have seen in recent days, donkeys are being slaughtered on a huge scale in northern Ghana for their skins. We have seen horrific evidence that the welfare of donkeys is compromised at all stages in the trade including transport, holding and slaughter. With only an estimated 14,500 donkeys in Ghana (according to FAOSTAT), even 100 donkeys being slaughtered per day would mean the entire population will be gone in six months. Imagine the devastation for the thousands of people who rely on donkeys for water, ploughing and rural transport. Alex continued: The species cannot be farmed at scale and the unchecked free-flow of donkeys coming from neighbouring countries to fill the demand creates serious disease-transmission concerns and additional welfare challenges. We celebrate the forward-thinking, progressive and timely ban on the export of donkey skins, but more urgently needs to be done to prevent the loss of the species, the spread of disease, and the loss of everything donkeys represent for rural Ghanaians. The Donkey Sanctuary is leading the efforts to draw world-wide attention to the trade in donkey skins for the use in traditional Chinese remedies. There is an unsustainable rise in the slaughter of donkeys for the skin trade - largely due to growing demand for ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine which uses the gelatin found in donkey hides for products alleged to offer anti-ageing properties. With skin supply unable to meet demand, criminal traders, including some linked to wildlife trafficking, have resorted to stealing working donkeys, and are selling their skins for premium prices to the ejiao industry. As well as sourcing, transporting and slaughtering these animals inhumanely, they are causing devastation to the people who depend on these domestic animals for their livelihood. Alex Mayers is available for interview to discuss the urgency of enforcing the ban and the unsustainable rise in the slaughter of donkeys for the skin trade. Alex is in Accra until Friday 27 October. *Quotes taken from a letter to all Regional Veterinary Officers from Dr Kenneth Gbeddy, Director, Vet Services. Dated 17 January 2017. Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the newly-installed Ga Mantse of the Ga State has stated that he wasn't installed by certain political powers. According to him, he was installed through the right process and by the right kingmakers. I'm here to fulfill the mandate of our fathers. Nobody will decide who becomes Ga Mantse apart from the Ga Paramount Stool Dzaasetse, Dr Nii Tetteh Kwei II, and his Ga Dzaase Council. The Sakumo Wulomo does rites for the Ga Mantse, but he does not install a Ga Mantse, the new Ga Mantse said shortly after he was installed. Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II added I have an agenda for the Ga girl child. There is cholera and several communicable diseases that affect our community and you sing and talk about a gazette that was acquired fraudulently. We appeal to the authorities to reverse that action because we have resolved that we are not afraid; politics will not be brought into this reign, I wasn't installed by politics, it was because people saw that the 2014 ruling which declared the Ga Stool vacant must be enforced and that was what was enforced. We didn't bring the stool house like how they [rival group] did. We asked for the keys and it was given willingly, not under duress, not with a gun, he noted. Ga has serious problems which need solutions. There are children who cannot read nor write. There are youth that need entrepreneurial skills Why are you using the little things to divide us? No law in the land will determine who Ga Mantse becomes, we are sons of the soil. The current Ga Mantse, Boni Nii Tackie Adama Latse II, was destooled from the Ga Mantse Palace following the installment of the new king in the divided kingdom of the Gas in the Greater Accra region. The new king Dr Kelvin Nii Tackie Abia Tackie, who was the running mate of Jacob Osei Yeboah in the 2012 elections, was installed Friday at the palace. He is married with two children. His stool name is King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II. Background It will be recalled that last week, the acting President of the Ga Traditional Council, Nii Dodoo Nsaki II, who is also Otublohum Mantse, asked the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs to reverse the induction of Nii Adama Latse as the Ga Mantse into its fold. In a statement, Nii Nsaki II questioned the legitimacy of Nii Latse as Ga Mantse since his status is a matter of dispute at the court. We ask that the position of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs is reversed to bring calm and peace to the Ga state. We vehemently condemn this induction and do not support it. The Ga Mantse is the head of the Ga Traditional Area, and if he is not accepted by the Ga Traditional Council, then his position is illegal. There is an injunction by the High Court on the Ga Traditional Council not to induct Nii Adama Latse into its fold. The Ga Traditional Council on 13th February, 2017, was duly ordered that its defendants be restrained from inducting Nii Adama Latse as Ga Mantse, and also restrained from transmitting his Chieftaincy declaration forms for Gazette notification at the National House of Chiefs, the statement said in part. Government has indicated that the country can make significant progress in the production of cereals and other crops in the coming years following the roll out of its Planting for Food and Jobs policy. Dr Sagre Bambangi, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, who disclosed this, said the policy would also enhance efforts being made by government to boost the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) driven Regional Food Security Storage Reserve Project (RESOGEST). Ghana has already provided some warehouses in Yendi in the Northern Region for the Regional Food Storage Reserve, he mentioned. Dr Banbangi, who disclosed this at the 2nd annual meeting of the members of the RESOGEST at the MIKLIN hotel, East Legon, Accra lately, gave assurance that Ghana will be the trail blazer in the promotion of this agenda. He averred that government has established the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to help stabilize food prices while ensuring their availability all year round. Qusseni Salifou, Executive Director of ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF), on behalf of Tchambakou Assayor, Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources, said the project team has in stock 11,180 tonnes of cereals comprising maize, rice, sorghum and millet. The Executive Director also averred that the initial success of the project enabled ECOWAS to make a donation of 130 tonnes of cereals to Nigeria as solidarity during the crisis in that country. Background ECOWAS, in 2013 at the Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire, enacted a supplementary Act establishing the Regional Food Security Reserve. It was aimed at complementing the efforts of member states to provide rapid and diversified food in the advent of an outbreak of a crisis, among others. The European Union Commission committed itself to providing 56 million Euros to implement the project. The Author[left] displaying the newly launched book 23.10.2017 LISTEN A book titled The Law of Mortgages in Ghana has been launched with a call on players in the financial and legal sectors to pay critical attention on mortgaging and its ramifications. The ten chapter book authored by Lawyer Godwin Djokoto, a lecturer at the University of Ghana Law School is expected to fill the void in legal landscapes due to the absence of a book solely devoted to discussions on mortgaging in the country. Launching the book in Accra on Wednesday, Justice Sulemana Nasiru Gbadegbe, a Supreme Court Judge expressed his satisfaction with the simple use of language by the author which makes the book easy to read and understand The Supreme Court Judge also welcomed the choice of title chosen for the book which he added has come at a time when mortgaging plays important roles in both the formal and informal sectors of Ghana respectively. The newly launched book according Justice Sulemana Gbadegbe will not serve as a reference point for players in the mortgage industry but to all employers and employees from different industries since mortgaging now cut across different endeavors. He referred to the launching of the book as a time to celebrate the author which also signifies the realization that has taken a long time to materialize. On his part, the author, Mr. Godwin Djokoto, noted that his experience as a bank lawyer and as a lecturer at the University of Ghana Law School offered him the opportunity to be able to author the mouthpiece. He added that the newly launched book furnishes readers with many Ghanaian cases studies which are truly adapted to the Ghanaian situation. The book amongst others seeks to explore the historical contours of mortgages tracing its evolution from ancient Roman times through its development in English law and how it was received in Ghana as a legacy of colonization as well as the statutory interventions in Ghana. Mr. Godwin Djokoto pointed out that the Law of Mortgages in Ghana further discusses the various ways in which a mortgage may be created under the Ghanaian law legally, equitably and customarily. He called on mortgagers particularly the banks and financial institutions to be very diligent in concluding mortgage transactions and to make the credit appraisal system more rigorous. They must pay proper attention to the identity of mortgagors and borrowers in third party mortgages. The Author further urged mortgagors to be very careful and weary of conditions stipulated in mortgage agreements and also seek advice when they are in doubt. He expressed his appreciation to his reviewers and all those who played divergent roles in ensuring the realization of his dream. The launching brought together people from the judiciary, academia, clergy, and players from financial and insurance industries as well as the media. 23.10.2017 LISTEN Government has reiterated its commitment to providing incentive packages for students in the technical and vocational institutions so as to make such institutions attractive to parents and their wards. According to Madam Ursula Owusu, the Sector Minister for Communications, the NPP government is determined to ensure that technical universities in the country focus on their core mandate of equipping their students with the relevant skills needed. The Minister was speaking on behalf of President Nana Addo Adankwa Akuffo Addo, during the occasion of the 16th Congregation of the Accra Technical University [ATU] formerly the Accra Polytechnic in Accra on Saturday. According to her government has put in place very important initiatives to ensure that the decision to focus on the Technical Vocational Educational and Training [TVET] succeeds and that for the One District One Factory flagship program to excel, access to technical and vocational institutions will be reinforced and increased by retooling and exploring of new avenues for existing vocational institutions. She mentioned that a key measure to ensure efficiency in the TVET sector is the decision by government to bring all technical and vocational institutions under the Education Ministry. By this decision, government is bringing the sixteen ministries which were offering some form of skills development under one umbrella to enable the Ministry of Education look at standardization, resource mobilization, certification and regulation in order to ensure that technical and vocational education become the number one choice of the youth she stated. Currently she noted, a bill is being worked on to be submitted to cabinet in order to get the approval of the TVET strategy of the country which will ensure that only managers with technical university background are put in charge of technical education. We are cognizant of the challenges bedeviling the educational sector and government is committed to dealing with those challenges. This is the reason we went to great lengths to clear the energy debts owed by most of our tertiary educational institutions including the Accra Technical University. Madam Ursula Owusu encouraged the graduands to take advantage of the newly launched national entrepreneurship and innovation plan aimed at helping upcoming entrepreneurs with startups to have access to mentoring and business development services. On his part, Professor Ralph Kinston Asabere, the Chairman of the University Governing Council indicated that the elevation of Polytechnics to Technical Universities is very prudent and if well accomplished, would make an enormous meaningful contribution not only to the technical educational system, but the economy of Ghana at large. Professor Asabere called on stakeholders in the educational sector including the government to ensure that all technical universities are well resourced with infrastructure, logistics and appropriate personnel. As the Chairman of the newly constituted ATU Governing Council, Professor Asabere has indicated his commitment to lead the new council to complete the unfinished businesses of the previous administration whilst channeling their efforts into putting the university on an enviable height. We shall seek to inject some operational efficiency into issues of students management through the modernization of our classrooms and other academic facilities by ensuring that the needed facilities are available for both students and staff use. Apart from the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training [COTVET] assisted projects, the university he pointed out shall look elsewhere for funds in order to build other structures for the use of staff and students respectively. The Acting Interim Vice Chancellor of the ATU, Prof. Edmund Ameku disclosed that in other to free the schools current physical space and make life easier for staff and students, they are developing a new 160 acres campus at Mempemehuasem, near Samsam, close to Nsawam. He further disclosed that ATU School of Engineering would be the first to relocate to the new campus in due course and that four new laboratories and workshops are currently under construction which is being funded by the Government of Ghana through the COTVET to the tune of Nineteen Million Eight Hundred and Thirty Six, Four Hundred and Twenty Seven Cedis. The Government through COTVET Prof. Ameku explained is also resourcing the four laboratories and workshops with tools, equipment, machines, instruments and other devices to train the students. He advised the graduands to continue to learn to improve and succeed in todays and future world of work. Let not todays ceremony signal a full stop, but rather a comma in your continuous quest for education and excellence. The 16th congregation of the school saw the conferment of various certificates to the 2015/16 and 2016/17 batches respectively. The graduation was delayed due to the absence of a governing council to administer the activities of the school. Mr Toku Mandela was adjudged the overall best graduating student, 2017 whilst Ms Afemeku Confidence Mawufemor was adjudged the overall best student for 2016 with receiving cash prizes, citations and medallion. 23.10.2017 LISTEN The razzmatazz is in full swing and the politicians are undercutting each other in the last bid to decide the winner of the election, as the presidential election goes for a runoff between the ruling Unity Party and the Coalition for Democratic Change. The two sides obtained the most votes in the first round of the polls, but neither side bagged the fifty percent plus one threshold of absolute majority to attain a win. Adherents of each side are purveying that their side will win, which has engendered a convoluted whoop-de-doo on social media as well as in the print and electronic media. The ruling Unity Party trades behind the Coalition of Democratic Change as per the conclusive result of the first round. The ruling party is faced with the daunting challenge of overturning a ten percent deficit and subsequently wooing the people to swell their number to gain a victory. Conversely, the elements of the CDC pontificates about a walk in the park as the result from eleven of the fifteen counties in the first round is a signal that the people are fixated on gambling with the governance of the state to them. While I leave the question of who will pull the strings in the runoff for apologists of the CDC n and the UP to ignite a deafening discourse about, I intend to dig deep in the CDC and its claim to catapult to power on the back of a distorted populist rhetoric heralded by half-baked ideological degenerates and social misfits. Very tawdry as the rhetoric is, it is only but proper that I delve into the nitty-gritty of their so-called claim to liberate this country whose growth has been stuttered because of corruption and the callous refusal of mercenaries in officialdom to promote pro-poor agenda geared at reducing inequality, decimating poverty, and ameliorating the standard of living of the mass majority of our people. Change is the lofty word that echo chambers of the Coalition for Democratic Change have premised their campaign on, which is attractive at once to those who have read not in the Ponzi scheme and see through the coliseum of absurdities purveyed by midgets that pride themselves in the stasis of fantasy. Resident in that argument is a contradiction that shattered its veracity and exposed its unreliability. After the cabal of economic gang rapists and scoundrels with such insatiable appetite to engage in primitive accumulation have unleashed themselves on the peoples resources like a pool of honeybees, they will hover between malady and paralysis as this has been their modus operandi. Apostles of the evangelism of change are contaminated with the political issue of blood and thus need cleansing as their dastard activity in the government of the National Patriotic Party is found wanting. In fact, the clique bartered the resources of the homeland to gangsters and crooks in exchange for arms and ammunitions, to ignite the rapacious adventurism for blood diamond in Sierra Leone and other countries in the subregion, in the great raid of the twenty century akin to mercantilistic imposition of feudal lords over a wailing population. The Hapless cabal of the debased Taylors cabal that despoiled the people of their resources in the great rush for material possession, which subsequently exported internecine conflicts to other countries in the subregion, because its emperor in Charles Taylor envisaged the control of a territorial stretch of land governed by the expansionist Roman Empire and Alexander the Great. Like a fake prophet marauding the street seeking to target people for victimization, the great rush for resources led this cabal to export conflict in places like Sierra Leone, Guinea, etc. Ellens faction in the Coalition for Democratic Change is ubiquitous and conspicuous, playing a key role in its operation. The economic vampires that ganged rape the Liberian economy are jumping shape to the CDC to maintain the pact of privilege and their grip on power. The NOCAL wrecker in Robert A. Sirleaf and the sole architect of the mahoosive social discard in the homeland is bankrolling the campaign of the Coalition for Democratic Coalition. The wrecker of our national treasury in Amara Konneh, and the PSDI man in James F. Kollie are composite part of the Change for Hope dogmatism. The CDC is saturated with the usual poster boys of Ellen in Gbezongar Findley, Togar McIntosh, complemented by national pariahs like Alex Tyler and James Binney, sandwiched by crook Cyril Allen, are the new evangelists of the Change for hope tomfoolery. These one want us to accept that they have undergone a Pauline conversion and are political-born-again that should be entrusted with the privilege of governing the state in a CDC-led government. Change for Hope should be about a break with the past, and the roll out of radical economic transformation geared at stimulating and sustaining growth, delivering on social goods, placing meaningful dent in poverty, reorganizing the productive sector to make agriculture the new frontier of growth in the economy. Conversely, the CDC Change for Hope is the mere change of government as opposed to the change of personnel and the transformation of the system. It is nothing but the nadir of hypocrisy and a classic metaphor of old wine in new bottle. About fortnight ago I busted the plan of the Coalition of Democratic Change to ignite violence if the CDC does not see its way out in the election. While the usual apologist of the Coalition were dogged in their usual staple of denial and traded insult at me to impress their mediocre bosses and justify their inclusion in a government of national parasites, vitriolic thugs, and economic hyenas, at least the masses of the people were aware of their plan and their subsequent imposition during the misrule of a Coalition government. Populist rhetoric is what the Coalition for Democratic Change trades in, elevating the hope of the people that they will initiative instant coffee solution to solve structural issues in the state and deliver on social goods. Although their manifesto is descriptive in terms of enumerating the problems, but it lacks the depth in regards to specific policy prescriptions to deliver social goods and raise the hope of the people. From the view of thing, the talk of a CDC-led government redeeming the homeland is a lousy facade traded by people that deal in scheme, lies, and theatrics. Similarly, Adolf Hitler rose to power on the back of populist rhetoric, but he later became a feigned dictator and started crushing opponents and purging individuals with whom he disagree. His Gestapo rounded up opponent and formed death squads to engage in the pernicious enterprise of terror and bloodletting. Thus, Germany started to exploit conflict outside of their borders. I must say that populist rhetoric is so lofty even the nemeses of the peoples aspiration to self-determination and self-actualization hang on this bandwagon to mobilize the masses behind their selfish agenda. After those counter revolutionaries obtained power, they implement their selfish agenda at full throttle. This has been the ultimate fate of most populist movement guided by disguised right wing bigots that obtained power. The Congress of Democratic Change, which is the largest member of the Coalition of Democratic Change, is threading the same path. It has a host of thugs named the SABU Unit which is akin to Taylors Anti-terrorist Unit, Hitlers Gestapao, and Mussolinis Black Shirt. This group is notorious for igniting violence, setting houses of targets ablaze, unleashing the rod of violence on individuals that express countervailing opinions to that of their party. For instance, in 2011, the Sabu Unit of the CDC visited petro bomb on the home of their former Secretary General in Lenn Eugene Nagbe when he crossover to the Unity Party. Every past chairman of the Congress of Democratic Change has either suffered physical brutality or attack from the SABU unit. Geraldine Doe-Sheriff, Orishall Gould, George Solo, to name a few, were afflicted with pain or almost got pained by the dreadful SABU Unit. In fact, even cadres of the party, for example, Salinto Montgomery who disagreed with its positions on some issues was beaten by the SABU Unit and shown the exit door. Imagine the CDC does not have the mantle of leadership to preside over the affairs of the state, it has engaged in terror on an industrial scale. When they are given power, one can only assume what will be the order of the day. Totalitarian tendency and the purging of dissenting view will be the signature activity of the SABU Unit. For some of us that believe in the plurality of views, the guarantee of civil liberties, we live in deep fear as the marriage between the rebel-ridden NPP and the riffraff CDC is reminiscent of the dark epoch in the history of the country, especially when the henchmen of the NPFL are wheeler-dealers in the Coalition. The indication of the return to misrule is rife, as the elements of the NPP and the SABU Unit are immune to the climate of freedom and democratic pluralism. The CDC is a loose assortment of hardened reactionary elements who are set to retort revenge and curtail the freedom of speech that is in full force under the Ellen-led government. The indication is so glaring owing to the extremity of intolerance of ranks and file of the Coalition against people that question the rationale of a CDC leadership of the state. Once you disagree with the deification of George Weah by calling his understanding to question on the issues of statecraft, negative elements of the Coalition revert to their primordial instinct of insult-pelting and brute force. Liberians must play no blind eyes to the writings on the wall; the signs are so visible to see. It is time that we exercise a bit of caution as we go to polls on November 7. I say to you the people get the leadership they deserve. So choose you now which side to support on November 7. Author's Statement: Alfred P. B. Kiadii is a student of the University of Liberia who studies Political Science and Public Administration. He is an ardent disciple and follower of the philosophical and Pan-Africanist ideological constructs of Dr. H. Boima Fahnbulleh, Jr, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Dr. Edward Wilmot Blyden, Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere, Amilcar Cabral. He believes in the concept of revolutionary violence as espoused by Frantz Fanon. Furthermore, he is the Director of the Bureau of Information, Press, Outreach and Mobilization of the Liberia National Students Union (LINSU). He can be contacted on [email protected] or +231888995870/775349651 Kamal-Deen Abdulai, the National Nasara Coordinator of the ruling New Patriotic Party has stated that the people of Northern Ghana are no more selling goats, sheep and Guinea fowl before they are able to fund their wards' Senior High School education. According the NPP Nasara Coordinator who has lived all his life in the Northern Ghana, life was a hell for parents in the North anytime school is reopening or JHS graduate are preparing for SHS. The three Northern Regions have enjoyed some kind of free SHS education since the days of Kwame Nkrumah. However, their version of the Free SHS was not as comprehensive as what has been introduced by the Akufo-Addo led government where students pay virtually nothing to receive SHS education. Kamal-Deen who is also aspiring to be the NPP's next National Youth Organiser who was addressing a gathering at Wa after a walk dubbed 'Barika for Free SHS Walk' organised by a Pro-NPP Youth group in the Upper West Region known as Patriotic Ambassadors of Upper West said despite the acute free SHS policy the people of the north were enjoying, parents did all kinds of jobs including selling of goats, sheep, Guinea fowl etc just to be able to afford the school fees of their wards. He said, it is a known fact that there is huge development gap between the North and the South and majority of the people in the north live below the poverty line adding that that made paying for the fees of their wards a hell. He admonished the people to embrace the Free SHS policy wholly and learn hard since education is the main panacea to ending poverty in this day and age. Kamal-Deen Abdulai who led the walk with the Upper West Regional Minister, the Upper West Regional Nasara Coordinator, the Wa West Constituency Chairman of the NPP, the Municipal Chief Executive of the Wa Municipality and several other party big wigs expressed appreciation to the people of Upper West for the love they have shown to the Free SHS Policy adding that 'I am going to Accra with a good message that the people of Upper West have embraced Free SHS.' On his part, the Upper West Regional Minister stated that every good policy is bound to have challenges at the initial stage of implementation calling on the beneficiaries to be disciplined enough not to mar the good policy with unnecessary demonstrations. Wealthy Benin businessman and failed presidential candidate Sebastien Ajavon is under investigation over an allegedly fraudulent export deal, a judicial source said on Monday. The source said Ajavon is alleged to have committed "forgery of official records, complicity in forgery of official records, falsification and fraud". The alleged offences date back to 2009 and could see him jailed if charged and convicted, the source added. Ajavon, who is known in Benin as "the chicken king", made his fortune in the agricultural feeds business and has faced a string of legal troubles in recent years. In October 2016, he was arrested after 18 kilograms (40 pounds) of cocaine with a street value of $16 million was found in a container destined for one of his businesses. He was released after eight days and subsequently said he had been the victim of a plot to discredit him. Charges were dropped several months later. In August this year, he was ordered to pay 167 billion CFA francs $300,000) after claims of tax evasion at several of his companies in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Last Friday, he was in court to respond to allegations that he allowed vegetable oil and frozen chicken to be exported to neighbouring Nigeria, in breach of a trade agreement. A former ambassador of Benin to Nigeria is one of his two co-accused. Ajavon's spokesman said the businessman preferred to let proceedings in court run their course and not to engage in a "media trial". Privately, members of Ajavon's entourage described the allegations as "premature", without elaborating. Ajavon stood for election in last year's presidential election that was won by another businessman-turned-politician Patrice Talon. He came third, with prime minister Lionel Zinsou in second. Ajavon won almost a quarter of the first-round vote and supported Talon in his run-off with Zinsou. Over one thousand employees of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), are yet to receive salaries owed them for the last three years. Some of these employees, who agreed to speak to Citi News on grounds of anonymity, said efforts to get management to release their monies have been met with threats of suspension and dismissal. According to the employees, many of whom were employed in 2013, they have only received a month's salary which was paid in November 2015, a situation they find financially and mentally strenuous. Meanwhile, management of the organization expects the workers to continuously show up at work. One of the affected employees said The situation is really bad. We are very worried. Meanwhile, we still go to work every day. Some of the employees say they have consequently suffered massive loss of properties due to indebtedness, as they have had to take loans from banks and borrow from people over the period. In April this year, the affected staff via a letter sought the intervention of the Ministry of Interior, but there was no response. Below is a copy of the letter addressed to the Interior Minister: P.O. Box JT 325 James Town, Accra 3rd April, 2017 The Honourable Minister Ministry of the Interior P.O. Box M42 Accra, Ghana Dear Sir, PETTITION FOR PAYMENT OF SALARY ARREARS It is with utmost distress and privation that we petition you officially by this letter, trusting that you would compassionately help us to be paid of our salary arrears to relieve us and our families from the many emotional anguish and financial difficulties we are currently going through. As employees of NADMO employed in the year 2013, we worked for two years eight months (32months) without salary. During those extremely difficult years and hard times, most of our colleagues suffered huge losses. Some lost their properties to banks for failure to pay back their loans; others lost their marriage and suffered many shameful experiences which cannot be mentioned. A lot of our colleagues were evicted from their homes by Landlords for failing to pay rent. And what is more pitiful? One of our colleagues sadly lost his son because there was no money to pay for the medical bill in time. As we continued to endure these undeserved hardships whilst working, surprisingly, there was no support of any kind from NADMO to help us cope with the situation. We were merely given the assurances by the Leadership of NADMO that Government would pay us. Eventually in November 2015 when Government decided to pay us (after waiting for 32months without salary), shockingly and perhaps more sadly, we were given one month salary each; and since then it has been one month salary every month. What is more frustrating is that Banks are on our necks to collect the moneys we took from them such that as soon as your salary hits your accounts, they deduct everything. Moreover, colleagues and friends are also chasing us everywhere for the moneys we owe them. Four years on after we got employment from NADMO, our lives have grown from bad to worst. As Government Employees, we had hoped that government would pay our salary arrears so that we also settle our creditors and have our freedom but unfortunately, someone in authority decided to punish us for no crime done. Because there is no one to speak on our behalf or fight for us, our two and half years' (32months) salary arrears have been swept under the carpet. The Holy Bible says; The labourer is worthy of his hire (1Timothy 5:18). Sadly enough, and perhaps more strangely, the Leadership of NADMO is silent on this very disturbing issue. It is in the light of these rather sad circumstances that we find ourselves that we respectfully petition you to come to our aid and address the issue as urgent as possible so that we can have our freedom and the peace of mind to work. In times like these, we can only look up to godly men like you who would show empathy and concern for the vulnerable. Counting on your undeniable support and consideration. Thank you. Yours faithfully, CONCERNED NADMO STAFFS Cc: The Finance Minister, Accra Ghana The Director General, NADMO Accra Ghana Stormy Winmill Date of Birth: August 21, 1988 Sex: Male Height: Six feet Weight: 190 pounds Hair: Blonde Eyes: Brown Race: White Wanted for: Failure to appear on the original charge of receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle, a felony. BOnd: $75,000 The Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office is asking that anyone having information, please call 735-1911 or Crime Stoppers at 732-5387 where you can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. The Paramount Chief of Agortime Traditional Area, Nene Nuer Keteku III, has said that his reign would not allow chieftaincy disputes to mar the beauty of their annual Kente Festival. The paramount chief noted with regret the recent incidents that led to the cancellation of the grand durbar that climaxes the annual Kente Festival of Agortime. Nene Nuer Keteku said the entire Paramountcy was taken aback by the resurrection of a chieftaincy dispute which they all thought had been fully resolved and consolidated by a feast held at his palace earlier this year. He said although the chieftaincy institution is generally revered as custodian of the peoples' culture, the overgrowing interests of certain individuals in the system is crushing its core mandates and derailing efforts that promote relevant elements of culture. The festival is for the youth, and if we don't empower the youth to take charge, it won't help us. All festivals that depend on Chiefs are bedeviled with challenges. Other traditional areas praise us for not leaving the organization of our festival in the hands of chiefs because of the recent chieftaincy dispute in the area, people are riding on it to cause troubles in the area which I would not allow he stated. The visibly disappointed chief has apologized to patrons of the festival for the inconvenience caused, and pledged to as a matter of urgency resolve the impasse among his sub chiefs. He therefore warned his subjects not to adulterate the beauty of the Kente festival with needless chieftaincy disputes. He said his outfit would continue to preserve and protect the festival, and would not allow chieftaincy issues to affect the Kente festival, and would continue to empower the youth to fully take charge of its organization. Whether chieftaincy or no chieftaincy, we did not back this festival with chieftaincy matters. At the helm of affairs, the planning of the festival is put in the hands of the youth, and they are doing marvelously well. So long as I live, we would not entertain anyone who brings chieftaincy into the festival. The youth would continue to organize the festival. he maintained. He commended the current members of the planning committee led by Mr. Eddie Akotey for bringing innovations into the festival and taking it a notch higher. The present committee did marvelously well because we have just been celebrating the festival without any results. But now, the palace is being constructed, the kente market construction is in progress; meaning we are now gaining something from the efforts of the present committee. The grand durbar of the annual festival, which sees patrons converge on Kpetoe to celebrate the beautiful Ghanaian cloth and promote the area's culture, was called off at the eleventh hour for reasons organizers gave as the failure of the Paramount Chief, Nene Nuer Keteku, to resolve an outstanding chieftaincy dispute. The abrupt cancellation the planning committee said, was to safeguard peace and security in the area. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the planning committee, told Citi News they are working closely with the chiefs and elders of the traditional area to bring a lasting solution to the problems to avert future disappointments. By: King Nobert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said his government intends to establish a National Cyber Security Centre, to liaise with relevant state agencies and the private sector to oversee cyber security operations at the national level. According to the President, the national identification system, the digital addressing system, e-payments, digital financial services as well as the various e-government initiatives being initiated by the government, could be adversely affected by cyber crime, hence the need for such a centre. Ghana cannot fully reap the digital dividends, associated with her adoption of ICT as a means of our socio-economic transformation, if the country fails to mitigate both existing and emerging cyber security threats, he explained. President Akufo-Addo made this known today [Monday], at the opening of the National Cyber-Security Week, and the inauguration of the National Cyber-Security Inter-Ministerial Advisory Council, at the Accra International Conference Centre, in Accra. He told the gathering that his government is undertaking specific policy and practical intervention initiatives, including capacity building, international co-operation, judicial enforcement of cyber-crime laws, and implementation of technical standards and safeguards to combat the scourge. It is for this reason, the President noted that, in July this year, he requested the Minister for Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, MP, to oversee the implementation of Ghana's National Cyber Security Policy & Strategy (NCSPS). This has led to our adoption of a multi-stakeholder approach, as a foundation for the effective implementation of the various cyber security activities and programmes. The National Cyber Security Technical Working Group (NCSTWG) and the National Cyber Security Inter-Ministerial Advisory Council (NCSIAC), would be the critical drivers of our effort, he said. The President also said his government has partnered with the United States government, through the Security Governance Initiative (SGI), and the European Union, through their GLACY project, to boost Ghana's efforts at addressing cyber security challenges. We will also engage with international institutions and technology partners, such as International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Google, Facebook and Microsoft, to ensure cyber safety for our citizens, especially children, he added. Criminal justice response to cyber-crime is another area of importance, and to this end, training for our judges, prosecutors and investigators, especially on cyber-crime laws and enforcement provisions, is a priority for government. Government, he assured, will enforce existing legislation, as it works to review and update it, if necessary, and will empower the Data Protection Commission to ensure enforcement of the provisions of the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843). We also intend to improve the forensic capabilities of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), and other law enforcement agencies, including the Economic & Organized Crimes Office (EOCO), to enable officers to investigate and prosecute cyber-facilitated crimes, the President added. By: citifmonline.com/Ghana The Minority in Parliament has downplayed the need for the construction of warehouses in aid of governments one district, one factory policy. President Akufo Addo last Thursday launched the policy at Ejura in the Ashanti Region, with a sod-cutting for the construction of a ten thousand metric ton capacity warehouse. But reacting to the policy, the Minority Spokesperson on Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Eric Opoku, said the government must rather focus on ensuring that farmers are not cheated on their produce. What the President launched, we are told that it will have a capacity of 10,000. We are talking about construction of 25,000 metric tonnes warehouse in the same place in the market by the previous government. If you create the impression that they do not have warehouse facilities so I want to give them warehouse so that they can have a place to sort their produce, that is not it. The facilities are there, and some are even being constructed, so adding 10,000 metric tonnes will not do anything different. As for the facilities, they have a lot of warehouse facilities in Ejura I am worried about the fact that President Mahama started work on 25,000 capacity, and that was no news, and now you start work on 10,000, and you say that it is the best thing that ever happened in the history of agriculture in Ghana just because it has been titled 1 district, 1 warehouse? Is it because of the name or what? Mr. Opoku asked. The warehouse, according to the President, will not only minimize post-harvest losses, but also boost efforts in ensuring food security. The purpose of these warehouses will be to hold produce, and store the anticipated surplus under the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, President Akufo-Addo had earlier stated. He also assured that the warehouses will be fitted with modern equipment. Government will accelerate the construction of the warehouse, and will ensure each of them is fitted with modern equipment including drying or freezing systems, the President stated. Deputy Minister of Energy, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, is leading a Ghanaian delegation including Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority, Hassan Tampuli, to the 2017 Oil Trading and Logistics conference in Lagos, Nigeria. The annual OTL Africa downstream week is the continents leading business forum for unique insights on markets and emerging opportunities in addition to knowledge development, in downstream petroleum value chain. Speaking at the event, Dr. Adam says the countrys downstream sector offers enormous opportunities for investors, especially at a time when the government of Ghana is determined to make the country a Petroleum hub in the sub-region. Our unique geographical positon, democratic stability and security require that we provide leadership in building an integrated infrastructure to serve the sub-regional petroleum industry. Dr. Adam said the regulatory regime has created a downstream sector offering an enormous benefits to the countrys economy. He said the sector has created a reliable legislative and regulatory regime that has delivered for the country a downstream industry, whose contribution to the economy has grown more than four-fold, with private players-both local and international-forming a major part of the industry. On the conference, he said it offers an opportunity for industry players in the region to harmonize their policies and programs, so they deliver on infrastructure and services required by the respective economies. Mr. Tampuli said safety remains a priority to the Authority and says everything is being down to adhere to that, while pushing for economic growth and development in the downstream sector. Read: Speech by Deputy Energy minister at African Downstream Oil Trading and Logistics Expo 2017 Fourteen people have died in the latest suicide bomb attack in northeast Nigeria, an official said Monday in an updated toll, calling for greater protection for those made homeless by Boko Haram. Three bombers, all of them women, detonated their explosives near the sprawling Muna Garage camp on the outskirts of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, on Sunday evening. The blasts came after warnings of a build-up of jihadist fighters outside the strategic city, the epicentre in the eight years of Islamist violence. Ahmed Satomi, from the Borno state emergency management agency, told AFP the death toll had risen since Sunday evening. "So far, we have 14 people killed and 18 injured in the triple suicide bombings last night," he said. He said the Muna Garage site, which in the last 18 months has developed from an informal settlement into a vast camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), was "vulnerable". "So far this year we have recorded 13 suicide attacks in the area, including that of yesterday. I think we need to revise the security situation in the area," he added. "We need to employ modern surveillance strategies which will enable us to identify potential attackers before they strike". The Boko Haram conflict, which began in 2009, has so far killed at least 20,000 people and displaced more than 2.6 million. There are currently about 1.7 million IDPs in Borno and the neighbouring states of Adamawa and Yobe staying in camps or with distant relatives or friends, according to UN figures. 'Major concern' Unlike most of the formal IDP camps, Muna Garage is not enclosed within walls, with access strictly controlled by civilian militia forces or soldiers. Instead, it lies on either side of the main road to Ngala, on the border with Cameroon, and near a bus station that attracts large crowds. Access is possible from the road or the fields beyond the city limits. Boko Haram, which has lost control of towns and villages that it occupied in 2014 and 2015, has increasingly used suicide bombers, particularly against civilian "soft" targets. The last attack in and around Muna Garage was on September 8, when two women blew themselves up at a checkpoint. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs last Friday said such attacks against IDPs in camps "continue to be a major concern". On September 20, nine IDPs from the Rann camp, in northern Borno near the shores of Lake Chad, were killed as they tended their fields. On September 8, at least seven people were killed when Boko Haram fighters fired a rocket-propelled grenade into the IDP camp in Ngala, which houses some 80,000 people. A week earlier, 11 people had died when militants stormed a camp in Banki, on the border with Cameroon, to steal food. Conditions in the camps, which have been hit by a cholera outbreak, led to a protest in Maiduguri last month that saw 10 arrested on breach of the peace and rioting charges. The 10 defendants were released on bail when they appeared in court on Monday. The case was adjourned until November 24. More support is building up for the suspended General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyepong, as some party activists have joined the appeal for his immediate reinstatement. Beyond the appeal for his reinstatement, the group expressed concerns that there was a veiled attempt to expel Kwabena Agyapong from the party Addressing the press, convener of the group, Jihan Efua Nuhu, said the NPP should be forthright and abide by the party's constitution if there were any attempts to expel Mr. Agyapong. Everybody is wondering if indeed, it is a removal rather than a suspension, she noted. Between the lines of the statement announcing the suspension of Mr. Agyapong, the group contended that, there was a carefully orchestrated ground machinery that propagated spurious allegations and very slanderous falsehood without providing a shred of evidence all calculated to tarnish the image of our elected General Secretary and facilitate casting aside the popular choice of the delegates. The NPP suspended its 2nd Vice Chairman, Sammy Crabbe, alongside Mr. Agyapong in 2015, after they were accused of publicly rebelling against the party's decision to indefinitely suspend its National Chairman, Paul Afoko. Mr. Afoko and Mr. Crabbe, subsequently filed a suit over their suspension, but both suits were thrown out by the court. Unlike the two, Mr. Agyapong did not seek legal action, which some have cited as proof of his loyalty to the party and an argument in favour of his reinstatement. Some constituency and polling station executives of the NPP in the Brong Ahafo Region, have already petitioned the party's hierarchy for the reinstatement of Mr. Agyapong. The petitioners argued that, his conduct towards the party, even after his indefinite suspension in 2015, was evidence of his unwavering loyalty. The group reminded the NPP of its democratic credentials, and urged that it abides by the partys constitution. If there is an intention to remove him, as it seems to us now, then the processes stipulated in the appropriate article of the partys constitution, Article 10, should have been respected Only an emergency delegates congress can attempt to remove an elected officer, Mrs. Nuhu said. The group concluded with an appeal to the National Council of the NPP to kindly lift the suspension and restore the General Secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, to his elected position. We are hopeful that in the spirit of fairness, our petition will meet a favourable response. Reasons for Kwabena Agyepong suspension A) Violation of Article 3(D) of the NPP constitution which enjoins members to publicly uphold the decisions of the party, through various acts including; i. His disregard for NEC decision on 23rd October, 2015, suspending Mr. Paul Afoko. ii. Various Public statements he made that cast the Party in bad light. B) He engaged in unilateral actions and activities without consultation of, or authorization by the NEC, such as; i. Writing to the Electoral Commission designating only himself and suspended Chairman Afoko as the only authorized signatories. ii. Granting waivers to parliamentary aspirants iii. Non-reference of legal matters to the proper legal Committee of the Party iv. Interference with Constituency primaries against National Appeal Committee decisions and also, Court decisions. v. Misrepresentation/misleading of NEC on status of some constituency primaries vi. He, in conjunction with suspended Chairman Afoko and Sammy Crabbe, launched Party cards without authorizations from NEC. By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana The Ashanti Regional Chairman for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has described the call by a section of the party supporters for the reinstatement of the partys embattled suspended General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyapong as impossible. He said Kwabena Agyapong has not regretted his actions and has not shown remorse since he was suspended prior to the 2016 elections, alongside the then chairman of the party, Mr Paul Afoko. Some constituency and polling station executives of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Brong Ahafo region have petitioned the partys hierarchy to reinstate suspended General Secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong. According to the petitioners, Agyapong has shown unwavering loyalty despite his suspension from the party, hence their call for his reinstatement. The NPP then in opposition suspended its 2nd Vice Chairman, Sammy Crabbe, alongside Mr Agyapong after the duo rebelled against the partys decision to indefinitely suspend its National Chairman, Paul Afoko. Despite the suspension, Mr Agyapong has been spotted severally at NPP gatherings, including Nana Addos swearing-in and at the partys national delegates conference at Cape Coast in the Central Region in August. To many NPP members, Kwabena Agyapong seems to have regretted his actions hence a series of petitions being cited on the social media and other publications calling for his reinstatement. Speaking in an interview with OTEC fm's Piesie Lardy, chairman Wontumi denied of any petition brought before the National Executive Council (NEC) to call back Mr Agyapong to his post. I am a member of NEC and I tell you for a fact that no petition of such have gotten to our end, Mr Boasiako confirmed. He explains that even though they have not received any petition, it is impossible for the party leadership to reinstate the suspended Secretary since he never wanted the party to win the 2016 elections. Chairman Wontumi believes Mr Agyapong has been persuading a section of the party supporters to make a call for his call back but will never succeed. "How can we allow someone who never wanted us to win an election take up a position, he questioned. According to him, it will be easier for Mr Asiedu Nketia who is the General Secretary for The opposition NDC take up an executive position in the NPP than Kwabena Agyapong. He however advised those behind the call for his reinstatement not to waste their time and resources since it is impossible. The Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is to stage a protest in the Kumasi on Tuesday 24th October against the invasion of the retail trade by foreigners. Speaking in an interview with Nana Kwabena Ampratwum, the host of Otec fm's morning show NYANSAPO on Monday, the Deputy Ashanti Regional organizer for GUTA, Tony Afoakwa said the protest is to remind the government to enforce laws that forbid foreigners from engaging in retail trading, which is reserved for Ghanaians. The protest, which will be in a form of a walk, will start from Suame, through Bantama and finally to Adum where there will be a press conference to express their disappointment against the government for not enforcing the laws. Mr Afoakwa stated that we want the government as a matter of urgency stop these foreigners from retailing, enforce the laws on retail, just as it is doing in the textiles industry, enforcing the pirating law by prosecuting offenders. How can we sit in our country and watch Nigerians, Indians and others take over our business, he questioned. Mr Afoakwa believed Nana Addos administration, which believes in the rule of law, will enforce the law to bring sanity in the retail business as it has done in the mining industry. He indicated that the growing involvement and dominance of foreign nationals in the retail trade had serious implication for Ghanaian, collapsing some retail businesses. It is of this view that we want the government to protect the local business from collapsing, by enforcing the retail laws, he added. Mr Tony Afoakwa disputed reports that GUTA is afraid of competing with the foreigners, hence pressuring the government to ban them from foreign, saying, they just want the law to work. We just want the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), whom we have accused of failing to rid Ghanas retail market off foreigners, to sit up and doing, he concluded. The deputy minister for agriculture and member of parliament for the Walewale constituency of the northern region, Dr. Sagri Bambangi has assured Ghanaians that, the Country will not suffer from food insecurity despite the armyworm invasion that the country experience this year. Many people fear that Ghana will suffer some kind of food insecurity due to the armyworm invasion that the country suffered, but interacting with journalists at the 7th annual pre-hervest agricbusiness event in Tamale, Dr. Sagri Bambangi said only 14,000 hectors out of the 112,000 hectors of farmlands that were attacked by the armyworm were completely destroyed describing it as a micro level. According to him, only those who had their farm lands completely destroyed may experience some kind of food insecurity but not Ghana as a whole. "With the armyworm invasion, of coarse, there has been some effects on food security in the country, but the effects on food security is at micro level. At the same time, at the micro level, I cannot say we will experience food deficit" he stated " I remember visitinga farm in kintampo North and 5 hectors of farmlands were totally destroyed, such a farmer will by all means suffer some food security challenges " he added. Asked whether farmers who had their farmlands totally destroyed will be compensated, Dr. Bambangi said the ministry has not been authorized to pay any compensation to any farmer, but explained that, the decision lies with the cabinet. "Whatever decision the ministry takes, until it is approved by cabinet in the budget of the ministry of finance, I cannot make any pronouncement now regarding compasation" he said. He noted that, the government's agricultural flagship program 'One-Village, One-dam' does not refers to one to one mapping as misunderstood by Ghanaians. He said the policy was aimed at providing water for farmers to irrigate their farms during the dry season. On his part, the Northern regional minister, Salifu Saeed whilst thanking the American people for their immerse support to the government of Ghana in the development of agriculture called on Ghanaians to rally behind the NNP government in ensuring food security in the country. He also said, Ghana has been earmarked as part of 12 countries targeted by the America's global hunger and food security innitiave aims at achieving global food security. He said the USAID through it's agricultural support program 'ADVANCE' has supported Ghana in the fight against the fall Armyworm pest that attacked the country during the farming season. On planting for food and jobs, Honorable Saeed said the policy was aimed at providing commodity market for farmers to increase their livelihoods. The annual pre-harvest agribusiness event is an innitiave by the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) which brings together farmers, buyers, processors, input deallers, banks and many other actors in the agricultural value chain to network, discuss contracts, and build business relationships. The event was organized by USAID with support from AFGRI and Ecobank Ghana with thousands of businesses exhibitors displaying their products and goods Recently, we all witnessed what happened in Sierra Leone, where over 400 people were confirmed dead and about 600 missing after a mudslide. This I can say is highly possible in Ghana given the disregard to proper town and country planning, especially in the southern part of the country. Such an atrocity is imminent in the country and may happen at the blind side of most policy makers, thus if the appropriate actions are not taken with a sense of urgency. Disaster management agencies in Ghana should be up and doing in forecasting and preventing national disasters, rather than running after relief items to distribute to affected victims, when those disasters occur. It is a common custom in our country that, agencies that are given the legal mandate to play some of these important roles have been rendered dormant. These agencies and institutions are rather practicing what I term as firefighting actions. that is to say, hastening, forming committees, blowing police motorcades, granting interviews on televisions and radio stations to the public with or without researched facts on disaster situations and presidents paying visits to affected victims. Indeed, this I can also attribute to the pure politically engineered ploy to loot state resources. Some monies will be lost in planning to undertake temporary measures to resolving such issues. Careful investigations and random inspections around some areas in the Greater Accra Region, give off signs of mudslides, especially along points marked as earthquake prone areas. And, these authorities are aware but have turned a blind eye on waiting for the looming danger to explode so they can sarcastically grin in front of cameras and share their unsought-for expert opinions. The signs are clear when one travels on slightly elevated areas in the Greater Accra Region- mud accumulating on the fringes of roads. Where do you think this mud comes from? Clear negligence on the part of disaster agencies, policy makers resulted in that massive death toll recorded in such situation as it has happened to our brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone. This we can also attribute to be a poor housing and planning in the capitals of those countries. So one will ask, where is the Town and Country Planning? To me, that agency has virtually lost its relevance. It has failed to ensure the planning and arrangement of our cities and making them proper habitation zones safe enough to accommodate the ever growing population. The result of this negligence on the part of mandated authorities has led to the indiscriminate construction of houses just everywhere and anywhere people find convenient. And the awful part is that, some of these settlements do not make room for other essential infrastructure such as parks, markets, etc. A clear case study of such situation, which is mostly likely to result in Ghana, is on the Weija and Kasoa corridors of hills along the Accra cape coast highway. This place has over the years experienced massive environmental destabilization on top of the hills by quarry activities and which is been back-filled with poor slit clay which is weak in adhesion bearing capacity. Due to that when it rains all the runoff water with thick silts from the top of the hill settle on the highway. And I am sure many of our policy-makers have plied this route and have seen the impending devastation looming to cause havoc. For me it is not just being pessimistic about events. But with my knowledge in environmental issues, I can conclude that, if we are so reluctant in forecasting and working to respond to disaster threats in our country, we will one day wake up to see a major mass burial and the humongous loss of properties around the Weija- Kasoa hill. Normally, we wait until there is actual destruction to lives and properties before we begin looking for the solutions. Just not long ago, there were rocks falls at Accra- Aburi highway posing a very major disaster threat to lives and properties, until government was forced to redirect its policy towards area to address it. Therefore by purely technical position, many areas in the capital are not habitable for human beings, due to geological disaster lines such as earthquakes, flooding prone zones and possible mudslides as well as rock falls etc., This I think we should pay close attention to if we love the lives of the people living in this country. I have taken a little pain to study and appreciate some of the problems pertaining to the weija situation and I think it needs serious action to resettle all those people who are currently living there. Going forward government can do proper reclamation of the area and make use of it as a vegetation belt for trees for natural conservation. This I recommend government should take it so serious, Godwin Dassah 0244790323 23.10.2017 LISTEN NDC agent-provocateurs and rubble-rousers like Mr. Eric Opoku, Member of Parliament for Asunafo-South, in the Brong-Ahafo, must be called to order and possibly sanctioned by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee. He appears to be one of those cynics who are hell-bent on putting stumbling blocks on the path of the yeomanly efforts of the Akufo-Addo-led government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to get the countrys educational system and economy functioning healthily again. In the latest of such dastardly instigation of student-trainees against the government, the ranking member of the Parliamentary Committee on Food and Agriculture has been roiling up students of five agricultural colleges to demand the restoration of their long-established allowances which were callously cut off from them by the Mahama-led government of the National Democratic Congress, on grounds that the national economy could no longer sustain the same (See Restore Allowances to Agric Students Minority to Government Graphic.com.gh 10/22/17). In principle, I am in favor of having the allowances of all professional student trainees at public tertiary institutions in the country restored. However, this is not going to happen for every one of these students and institutions overnight, for the simple reason that it takes far more planning and resources to rebuild than it takes to destroy in the manner that has widely come to be associated with the faux-socialist ideologues of the main opposition National Democratic Congress. As well, to the best of my knowledge, throughout Nana Akufo-Addos 2016 presidential election campaign, it was the savagely and scandalously withdrawn professional-trainee allowances for nurses and teachers that featured on his policy agenda, and not that of student trainees at any of our public agricultural colleges. This may have been largely because it was our nurse- and teacher-trainees who were mostly positioned on the frontlines of vehement protestation against the withdrawal of their allowances by then-President John Dramani Mahama and Mr. Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, his Deputy Education Minister. I never once heard of any trainees at any of our agricultural colleges either making public demands for the restoration of their allowances or demonstrating and picketing for the same. Consequently, I would not be the least bit surprised if it turns out that the restoration of allowances of student trainees at the nations agricultural colleges was not included in the 2017-18 budgetary statement read in Parliament by Mr. Kenneth Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. What this means is that our agricultural student trainees may have to wait for their turn sometime next year to have their NDC-withdrawn allowances restored. Nobody should expect such restoration to be effected retroactively or backdated. If these student trainees had given even half the care that our teacher- and nurse-trainees expended in demanding for the restoration of their allowances, they wouldnt be boycotting classes in fervid demand for the same presently. As the maxim goes: The monkey cannot always work and break sweat for the baboon to have a free ride. I also vehemently disagree with Mr. Opoku, the Asunafo-South NDC-MP, that the Akufo-Addo government needs to negotiate with our agriculture student-trainees. Just as the Mahama regime did not have any qualms with summarily abrogating the payment of these trainee allowances, the Flagstaff House must not feel obligated to do the same. The Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, may, however, arrange to have the agricultural student-trainee allowances restored in the near future. *Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs 23.10.2017 LISTEN For a nation to become strong politically, economically and socially, much depends on the attitude of its citizens. If I do recollect very well, without my retentive memory failing me, the late President of Russia, Mr Boris Yeltsin, once said, every strong nation in the world was built on the sweat and the blood of its citizens. Have Ghanaians ever bothered toiling to build their nation to appreciable standard? I doubt it very much! I am a full blooded-Ghanaian of Asante origin by both maternal and paternal birthright. However, I find the traditionally-obliged kowtowing or prostrating to our chiefs even in the event of such chiefs unreasonably lording themselves over us quite worrying. Such attitudes that forbid us to question our chiefs or elders or to stand up to tell them their faults have over the years contributed to strengthening the hands of our chiefs while weakening the subjects. This condescending attitude by the ordinary citizens has directly energized our chiefs to wreak havoc on our ecology as well as committing repugnant crimes with impunity. Are not our chiefs the orchestrators, if not the masterminds, of the destructive galamsey going on in Ghana? Is it not the chiefs that sell knowingly-litigious farmlands and building plots to unsuspecting Ghanaians? Is it not these same chiefs that were supporting the despicably corrupt former President John Dramani Mahama to execute his nation-ruining corrupt practices to the detriment of about 98% of the Ghanaian population through their acceptance of cars and other gifts from him? As they took gifts from him, they did not only help to prop his position but also, to fool their subjects into believing that former President Mahama was doing well whereas actually, he was performing criminally abysmally hence the difficult economic situation faced by Ghanaians today. In spite of the obviously deplorable behaviours by our chiefs, some Ghanaians out of ignorance or idiotic infatuation with tradition are still revering these corrupt chiefs. I would not have published this write-up if people had not phoned to seek my views on why Ashantis gave their Overlord Otumfuo Osei Tutu II a heros welcome this week when he returned from his foreign trip to countries including the United Kingdom. I cannot tell if they did give him a heros welcome but if they did, then to me, they had erred a big time. What has he done to merit such a welcome? Is it not the show of expression of inferiority on our apart? Why should they offer him emotional support just because they think he has wrongly been accused of money laundering? By such show of support, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will never realise his shortcomings but will rather see his actions heroic hence he will do bigger illegal things. He will take lands and things that do not belong to him. He will transfer his money overseas while Ghana is crying for investors to come and set up companies to create jobs for the citizens. Could he not use the money he is so spiriting off to foreign countries for safekeeping to create jobs for his Ashanti subjects? Being that unpatriotic, some Ashanti subjects are still prostrating to him singing his praises through hero welcome. His subjects are entitled to their views despite such opinions being potentially denigrating of them. What is a heros welcome? By definition, a heros welcome is a very enthusiastic reception from a group of people who show their admiration for something good that you have done. Going by that dictionary definition, may I pause to ask the fascinated fans and subjects of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II what good thing he has done to merit such a welcome from them? Should we not cease supporting evil by our untoward attitudes as hereby indicated in the show of this reported heros welcome; Ghana will continually be exploited to the hilt by a few selfish individuals including our politicians and chiefs. I am entitled to my opinion as you are entitled to yours. I do not expect you to cut your nose to spite your face just to please Rockson. However, if your nose is ugly, cant I say it? 23.10.2017 LISTEN (Accra - 23rd October 2017) UNICEF Ghana has renewed its commitment with Ghanas largest mobile phone network operator MTN to provide the Agoo mobile phone platform. The Agoo platform was created to help young people across Ghana access information on key issues relating to their physical wellbeing and social development. The Agoo service which is free for MTN subscribers was launched in 2015 in response to the Ebola outbreak. Subscribers were provided information on how to manage the outbreak of Ebola and cholera as it occurred. Now reaching at least 2,000 people a day, majority of whom are under 20 years old, the mobile phone platform has become a source to access vital health information. Now, in the second phase when mobile phone users will call short code 5100 the dedicated Agoo numberthey will hear important messages on health, education, sanitation and protected safe environments for children and youth. The recordings include ways in which young people can protect themselves from violence, learn basic tips on healthy lifestyles such as the importance of handwashing and hygiene management, and also receive advice on diseases and illnesses, including cholera and malaria. UNICEF Ghana Representative a.i., Rushnan Murtaza said, The Agoo platform has been very successful because it harnesses the power and popularity of the mobile phone and shares information that is relevant to young people their social and physical wellbeing. This platform is empowering for young girls and boys across Ghana. We greatly value our partnership with MTN on this exciting and innovative initiative which has so far shown remarkable results. We are delighted to commit ourselves to this partnership for another two years. The Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Asher Khan said, MTN as a technologically driven company, appreciate the partnership with UNICEF due to the impact and benefit Ghanaians will enjoy. Receiving vital information and preventive measures of any disease or sickness is key to promoting our health. MTN will continue to promote the Agoo platform partnership that supports the health and wellbeing of all Ghanaians, especially the Youth. Since 2015, Agoo has provided health information to over 900, 000 callers, 55% of whom were females. Agoo is bridging the gender and age gaps and making accurate information accessible to over 87% of its callers below 25 years. The huge response to the mobile interface is now set to widen its reach and relevance to the youth of Ghana. Over the years, Agoo has transitioned from an Agent-operated Call Centre in the first phase to an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. Agoo software is developed and managed by technology company, Votomobile. MTN Customers can access the service on short code 5100 whilst other mobile users can call 0540 118 999 to access the Agoo platform. Speakers and delegates at the maiden Executive Women Network (EWN)Annual Conference, held on Friday 20th October 2017 at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, have called for urgent and deliberate action to rebrand Ghana to attract business, investment and tourism. The conference, held under the theme: Rebranding Ghana to drive business growth: the perspective of women leaders, brought together over 300 women leaders from diverse backgrounds to chart the course to rebrand Ghana to attract business, local and foreign direct investment and profitable partnerships that will accelerate economic development. Chaired by the First Lady, Her Excellency Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the women leaders proposed practical and actionable steps to positively position Ghana as the preferred investment destination. In her opening remarks, Freda Freda Duplan, Chairperson of Executive Women Network and Managing Director of Nestle Ghana Ltd commended delegates for responding to the call to action. She said, " today marks a historic day in the life of our country. Gathered here today, is arguably the largest assembly of women leaders in Ghana, ably supported by men who believe in the critical role women play in the socio-economic development of our dear country, for a very important national cause - to shape the narrative and lead a call to action to rebrand Ghana for growth. History is made when collective action meets momentumand we are here for a very important national assignment to shape the narrative and lead a call to action to rebrand Ghana to drive business growth. Keynote address - Ghana at the Centre of the world for business and investment David Ofosu-Dorte, Executive Chairman of AB &David, the keynote speaker for the conference called on delegates and Ghanaians to align on a compelling brand identity for Ghana. Citing examples from several countries as well as Ghana, he challenged leadership at all levels to consciously build A brand Ghana that is attractive for business, investment and tourism. He explained that earlier attempts to brand Ghana as the gateway to Africa were not fully exploited - questioning why we would prefer to be a gateway instead of a destination. He proposed Ghana at the centre of the world for business, investment and tourism as a strong position to occupy in the mind of the rest of the world - tapping into the political stability, our vast human resource, rich culture and cuisines to shape the narrative about Ghana to attract business and investment into the country. Chairperson Rebecca Akufo-Addo called on women leaders to be part of the solution Her Excellency Rebecca Akufo-Addo in her remarks, commended EWN and stated that the conference is an opportune call to all women in business, civil society organizations and politics to be part of a national conversation. She challenged women leaders to play an active role in rebranding Ghana and not to leave this solely with state instititutions. She said One of the key challenges I have observed is that more often than not, we leave branding and positioning of our country in the hands of an entity, mostly a government parastatal, to lead this agenda whilst the rest of us focus on our individual businesses. This is one area we have mostly erred. I am aware of the amazing work government institutions such as the Ghana Investment Promotion Council are doing to promote Ghana to the outside world. But you see, we will not make much progress in this regard if we, as leaders, do not play an active role in how our country is positioned in the minds of the rest of the world. As business leaders, you are in charge of growing the businesses and brands that have been entrusted to you many of these are multinational brands that you have built and managed exceptionally well over the years. These brands have become strong selling points for their originating countries attracting further investment and to a large extent fuelling the tourism sector in these countries. Yet as the experts in building global brands, we leave the work of branding solely in the hands of government parastatals? Imagine for a moment the difference we can make if we apply the same rigor, commitment and expertise you all possess into branding our dear country. Other distinguished speakers included Akua Owusu Nartey, African Regional CEO for Ogilvy and panelists such as Patrick Awuah, Founder and President to Ashesi University who called for a deliberate strategy that positions Ghana as a hub for investment and business. Other distinguished panelists included Patience Akyianu CEO of Barclays Bank Ghana, Lucy Quist, International Business leader & co-founder of EWN, Theresa Ayoade, CEO of Charterhouse, Professor Robert Hinson of the University of Ghana Business School among others. The conference was powered by Upendi PR. A dynamic fully fledged Start up Public Relations firm About Executive Women Network (EWN) Executive Women Network (EWN), is a non-profit organization of women in senior management and executive positions in private organizations and women entrepreneurs of well established businesses in Ghana. For more information on EWN, please visit www.ewntree.com or like the Executive Women Network page via www.facebook.com/ExecutiveWomenNetwork The spirit of Africapitalism is beginning to take roots across Africa, as many private sector players are committed to investing in the youth of Africa. Just about a week ago, the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Africas leading philanthropy dedicated to supporting entrepreneurship wrapped its 3rd annual TEF Entrepreneurship Forum, in Lagos, Nigeria, where more than 1,300 participants from 54 African countries were hosted. Launched in 2015, the forum was born out of the Foundations $100 million commitment to identify, train, mentor and fund 10,000 African entrepreneurs, over a decade, through the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme. The Foundation founded by Tony Elumelu, a Nigerian economist, entrepreneur, and African philanthropist, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and Transcorp, which targets to create a million jobs, and add $10 billion in revenues to Africas economy, has so far trained, mentored and financially supported over 3,000 young African entrepreneurs for the past three years. Some of these young entrepreneur businesses have started bearing early fruits. For instance, The Gambian beneficiary of the programme started with a team of a few people to creating employment for some 146 people at his company, Tropingo Foods, a food processing company which focuses on adding value to the fruits industry. Momarr Taal turned over $1.6 million in 2015 and currently exports to Asia, Europe, among other places. He chalked this feat through the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme that he managed to make his business dream to come a reality. Interacting with some of the beneficiary entrepreneurs at the just-end TEF Forum , it was emphatic that Africa has tremendous potential entrepreneurs with great and creative ideas that can change the course of the African continent. It is abundant clear that entrepreneurship is key to achieving poverty reduction and empowering Africans to solve their challenges without dependence on aid from western countries. These young entrepreneurs are willing to revolutionalise all sector of the economies in their home countries with the enabling power of technologies. Africapitalism Mr Elumelu explained that the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme which is the largest African sourced philanthropic gift targeting the entrepreneurial sector was inspired by three guiding principles: the inclusive economic philosophy of Africapitalism, based on the belief that a vibrant African-led private sector is the key to unlocking Africas economic and social potential; commitment to drive African economic growth through the empowering of African entrepreneurship; and a mission to institutionalise luck by creating an environment where African entrepreneurs can get critical elements of support in the early stages of their business life. Africapitalism therefore means we cannot leave the business of development up to our governments, donor countries and philanthropic organizations alone, he said. We in the African private sector must wake up, recognize and embrace our role in driving the economic growth and the social development of Africa, and we must act on that responsibility in tangible ways. Entrepreneurs need more eco-systems to succeed in their business operations which will enable them to contribute to the development of the economy. Entrepreneurship is the cornerstone to African development and the key to local value creation in Africa. I am determined to ensure that Africas next generation of entrepreneurs have the platform they need to turn their entrepreneurial aspirations into sustainable businesses that will drive economic growth and job creation across Africa, Mr Elumelu told more than 100 African journalists at the UBA House in Lagos. The journalists are in Lagos at the invitation of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) to cover its TEF Entrepreneurship Forum 2017 underway. Changing Africas development paradigm The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Service Centre for Africa Director, Lamin Manneh underscored the need to change Africas development paradigm through investment and entrepreneurship. He noted: Supporting the private sector is critical in realising the development targets, predominantly through entrepreneurship. We have to give more attention and support to emerging African entrepreneurs to address poverty, inequality and unemployment challenges facing the continent. Mr Manneh added that investing in Africas emerging entrepreneurs will, not only help address inequality, but also stimulate innovative thinking among the youth and help in developing local solutions to local development challenges on the continent. He argued at the two-day forum that investing in entrepreneurship would drive industrialisation and cause structural transformation in Africa and hence bring about shared prosperity across the continent. The chief investment officer at Heirs Holdings, Sam Nwanze used the forum to challenge private companies to take the lead in Africas development journey, saying thats the only sure way to ensure sustainable development on the continent. We practice what we are talking about here at Heirs Holdings. We make investments that create both economic and development impact. This is how much private investments can work, he noted. Promised land is possible with Africapitalism Mr Elumelu who propounded the Africapitalism, the economic philosophy which is predicated on the belief that Africas private sector can and must play a leading role in the continents development, said their commitment is aligned to the understanding of the immense role that young people would play in the private sector once they are empowered, which would contribute significantly to developing the continent. Africas development, which must be private sector-led and entrepreneurially driven, will have at its heart young African innovators and their transformative ideas. Only they will create the millions of jobs Africa needs, Mr noted. We have committed to invest in the next generation of African entrepreneurs because we believe they are the right definition of Africapitalism. We are experiencing the transformative people of private capital in changing the lives of individuals and their communities, he added. So, the Africapitalism economic philosophy being espoused by Elumelu and other private sector players can truly lead Africa to the promised land of prosperity for all. Algerian authorities have arrested and deported more than 2,000 sub-Saharan Africans to Niger and Mali in the past month, Amnesty International said Monday. In what the rights group described as "arbitrary arrests" and "illegal" mass expulsions, the migrants were detained in the Algiers area and Blida, 50 kilometres (30 miles) to the southwest. They were then placed on buses and taken 2,000 kilometres south to Tamanrasset, it said. They were then "abandoned" on the Nigerien side of the border between the two countries. At least 100 others, dropped on the Algerian side of the frontier, had to walk for six hours in the desert, it said. It said migrants of several nationalities were also deported via the Malian border. Amnesty accused Algeria of "ethnically profiling" migrants and failing to check if they had official permission to stay in the country. It said some of those deported since September 22 had valid visas, and that the deportations "did not respect the guarantees of due process". Heba Morayef, Amnesty's North Africa research director, said Algeria "must urgently put an end to these illegal arrests and expulsions". The group said those deported, from various sub-Saharan African countries, included 300 minors -- some of them unaccompanied. NGOs say about 100,000 Sub-Saharan Africans live in Algeria, many in precarious circumstances. In September, Algeria repatriated 1,000 undocumented Nigeriens. In June, social media users sparked controversy with a hashtag calling for "no Africans in Algeria". Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia later accused "illegal aliens" of bringing "crime, drugs and other plagues" to the country. US soldiers will continue assisting local forces in Niger despite the deaths of four American soldiers in an ambush, the top uniformed American military officer said Monday. "Our intent is to continue operations there," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford told reporters as he provided new details on the October 4 attack by Islamic State-linked fighters. Dunford said the US has had up to 800 military officials in Niger recently, the largest American force anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa, training and supporting the Nigerien military in fighting insurgents. The four men were killed on a reconnaissance patrol on the Niger-Mali border directly north of Niamey. Dunford said five Nigerien solders were killed, and another two Americans wounded. The 12 American and 30 Nigerien soldiers on the mission were attacked by about 50 fighters Dunford characterized as locals associated with the Islamic state group. Dunford said an investigation is underway into what happened. He said the mission was originally set based on an assessment that they were "unlikely" to come into conflict with any local forces. "They did not expect resistance on their particular patrol," he said. Dunford also said that, based on what investigators know so far, the patrol did not call for support until one hour after being attacked, suggesting perhaps they believed they could handle the situation. The incident shocked many Americans unaware of the US military presence in the African country. "The majority of our operations in Africa are designed to support the training, advising and assisting of the local African partners," Dunford said. "We mitigate the risk to the US forces with specific guidance that we will only accompany those (local) forces when the prospects of enemy contact is unlikely." Dunford said the clash reflects the globalization of the fight against the Islamic State group as it is driven out of key bases in Syria and Iraq. "We are dealing with a challenge that exists from West Africa to Southeast Asia... We're dealing with a global challenge," he added. "That's exactly why we are conducting the kind of operations that we are conducting in Niger." Elephant poaching in Africa declined for a fifth straight year in 2016 but seizures of illegal ivory hit records highs, the CITES monitor said Tuesday, calling it a "conflicting phenomena". In its latest report, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species also noted that despite the overall fall in poaching, Africa's elephant population has continued to drop "due to continued illegal killing, land transformation and rapid human expansion." Global illegal ivory trade has remained relatively stable for six years, CITES reported. But 2016 saw a full 40 tonnes of illegal ivory seized, the most since 1989, as well as the hightest-ever number of "large-scale ivory seizures", the group said. "The overall weight of seized ivory in illegal trade is now nearly three times greater than what was observed in 2007", CITES added in a statement. That could be a result of increasing vigilance among border guards and "scaled up enforcement", said CITES secretary general John Scanlon. But Scanlon also speculated that the prospect of tougher enforcement along with the widening trend of countries moving to ban ivory may have had a ripple effect across the black market. "International syndicates behind this poaching and smuggling may be involved in a panic sell-off as they realise that speculating on extinction was a bad bet, with the an ever-increasing risk of getting caught," Scanlon was quoted as saying. Multiple studies from civil society groups have reported a 50 percent drop in ivory prices in recent years, according to CITES. The outlook for elephant populations across Africa is mixed, according to the report. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has previously found that Africa's elephant numbers fell by 111,000 between 2006 and 2015. But according to CITES, the population in southern Africa and much of East Africa is now either stable or increasing. Continent-wide, Botswana has the most number of elephants, while populations in Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda are holding steady or climbing. Illegal elephant killings however remain high in Central Africa, home to chronically restive countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic, where weak conservation efforts have failed to stem poaching. CITES monitors the international anti-trafficking agreement among countries that came into force in 1975 and has now been joined by 183 state parties. Bitcoin Price Reaches a Record High Over the weekend, bitcoin climbed to a record high above US$6,000. New highs for bitcoin is not all that surprising. It seems to climb higher and higher every month. The token is now up approximately 500% year-to-date: Source: Coin Desk When will this rise end? There of course has to be an end point. Bitcoin cannot continue rising forever. But that end might still be a long way away. According to some analysts, bitcoin could rise as high as US$25,000 by 2022. And that would be a conservative estimate, according to FundStrat Global Advisor co-founder, Tom Lee. As reported by Crypto Coins News: In the first episode of Business Insiders web segment the bit, Lee explained his methodology in arriving at the $25,000 number which he says is a conservative estimate. He revealed that FundStrat values bitcoin similarly to how it would value a social network using a principle known as Metcalfes law. He says that, according to Metcalfes law, the value of a network is the square number of its users. Lee explains: if you build a very simple model valuing bitcoin as the square function number of users times the average transaction value. 94% of the bitcoin moved over the past four years is explained by that equation And if personal information is our gold, bitcoin is our digital gold. So we think that the gold market, which is 9 trillion, and for a generation of investors gold was their store of value. I think this next generation of young people view bitcoin as their store of value. Lee estimates bitcoin could capture around 5% of the US$2.4 trillion gold market. Of course these are just estimates. I would take any prediction on bitcoin with a grand of salt. But it would be hard to argue that bitcoin wouldnt continue to rise as it becomes easier to trade the token. Blockchain Technology But even if bitcoin was to disappear tomorrow, the underlying blockchain technology would remain. Distributed ledger technology is become a huge growing industry. Companies are seeing the benefits of adopting such a method of recording and holding information. Even universities, like Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), are using blockchain technology to store and record degrees. Bloomberg columnist, Matt Levine wrote: This summer, as part of a pilot program, a cohort of 111 graduates became the first to have the option to receive their diplomas on their smartphones via an app, in addition to the traditional format. The pilot resulted from a partnership between the MIT Registrars Office and Learning Machine, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based software development company. The app is called Blockcerts Wallet, and it enables students to quickly and easily get a verifiable, tamper-proof version of their diploma that they can share with employers, schools, family, and friends. To ensure the security of the diploma, the pilot utilizes the same blockchain technology that powers the digital currency Bitcoin. This bitcoin boom isnt over yet. Its not too late to learn more about this revolutionary technology sweeping the globe. Cheers, Harje Ronngard, Junior Analyst, Money Morning A veteran is someone who wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount up to and including their life. This saying has circulated in the wake of President Donald Trumps feud with the family of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed Oct. 4 in Niger alongside three fellow U.S. soldiers. Its a thought thats never squared with me, though. Whether the president believes this, for me, is immaterial. Ive heard it said enough to know its part of the discourse over how America uses our military in service to our national interests. The reality about why we signed up, and why we stayed, is materially different. When I joined the Navy, I didnt write any blank checks. Like countless others, I accepted a job. I did it because it was an honorable profession and paid for my college. When that obligation was met, I stayed because it was a living that provided for my family. Eventually I tried to stop. But I couldnt. I didnt know how. When I started, I never thought my life was at risk any more than someone who drives on a freeway to work, or flies a plane for a living, or works at a high-rise construction site. Id like to think I chose the path I did out of patriotism, that I raised my hand because I loved my country and wanted to defend our way of life. Its not that I dont. Or that I wouldnt. Its just been a long time since anyone of us had to actually defend an Americans ability to live the American way. So when that particular reverence is paid to us, I struggle with it because, when were really honest, most vets would tell you what I just did. Theres something comforting about the notion that those who made the ultimate sacrifice had an expectation that their service may be their end. Somehow, it makes us feel better about it, maybe a little less guilty. They all knew what they were getting into, after all. The truth is that none of us did. We signed up for our own reasons and hoped for experiences that would help shape us. We wanted camaraderie and war stories. We wanted the glory of serving during battle and the recognition that came with it. None of us wanted to die. And almost none of us expected we would. But sometimes it happened, a heavy price to pay for which we all must account. Sometimes I run to the Cabrillo Monument, out at the end of Point Loma where I live in San Diego. The route winds through Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, where thousands of veterans are buried. Theres one marker that stands out: that of Sgt. Alejandro Dominguez, who was killed June 25, 2008, 10 weeks short of his 25th birthday. I didnt know him. We didnt serve together. But this is what Ive learned. He awoke on his 18th birthday, Sept. 11, 2001, to see that America had been attacked. Soon after, he enlisted and made multiple deployments to Iraq. During the last, his vehicle hit a roadside bomb, killing him, Spec. Joel Taylor and Pfc. James Yohn, two soldiers junior to him whose lives he no doubt felt responsible for. The narrative writes itself. Dominguez was born on 9/11. In an act of patriotism, he rushed out to defend his country and willingly sacrificed himself to defend our way of life. In the end, he paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. May he rest in peace. And theres probably truth to that. But its incomplete. Dominguez did his part. He raised his hand. And served his time. But he went back for more. Because like so many, he did write that blank check. Not to America. Not to all who live in a free and open society. He wrote that check to the life of a soldier at war. He may have started for America. But he went backbecause he didnt know how not to. In 2004, about the time Dominguez was leaving for his first deployment, I was coming home from back-to-back tours overseas. I was done, and soon left the Navy to be with my wife and start a family. But the Navy wasnt done with me. Less than two years later, I was recalled to active duty. And until that moment, while standing at the ramp of a C-17 bound for Iraq, I hadnt realized that I, too, had written a blank check. I felt whole againmore so than I ever felt as a husband and father. Perhaps thats what Dominguez felt watching over his two junior soldiers heading out the door one last time, leaving his wife and two young children behind, never to see them again. This life is hard to stop living. And the fallen of my generation, more times than not, fell before they had a chance to try. And too many more fell after they left, failing to find the purpose or the drive they once felt at war. The fallen are heroes of a different type. Not because they happily wrote a blank check to all of us but because they had loyalty to one another and to the life of a service member at war. All had plans for the days after they died. They had hopes to get out alive, even if they didnt know how. No one signed up to die on that mission in Niger. They signed up for their own reasons. And they stayed for each other. The Judiciary is one of the three arms of the Nigerian government. It is mandated to adjudicate disputes arising between individuals, governments and corporate entities in their inter-relationships within or outside the country under the law. There are different types of courts in Nigeria, all part of the country's Judiciary. The courts exist in a hierarchical order, with those on top being superior to the ones below. A judge using their gavel. Photo: pexels.com, @Ekaterina Bolovtsova Source: UGC Like in other counties, the Nigerian judicial system is made up of a network of appellate and original jurisdiction courts and tribunals, all with varying jurisdictions. What are the 9 types of courts in Nigeria? Types of courts in Nigeria and their functions Here is a look at the different types of courts and their functions in the Nigerian judicial system. The Supreme Court This is the highest judicial body in the hierarchy of courts in Nigeria. The Supreme Court of Nigeria is provided for under Section 230 of the country's 1999 constitution. The court's jurisdiction is the highest in the country, and its decisions cannot be appealed. The supreme judicial body was established in 1963 when Nigeria became a republic. The Supreme Court is the only body that can hear appeals from the Court of Appeal. Additionally, the court has jurisdiction over all federal and state courts in Nigeria. The Supreme Court is in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. It comprises the country's Chief Justice and an additional 21 justices of the Supreme Court appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Every serving member of this judicial body is given a mandatory retirement once they are 70 years of age. Here is a look at the Supreme Court's functions. It functions primarily as an appellate judicial body. It is the body that interprets the constitution and laws of the land. It is the court of last resort in Nigeria. This means that the judicial body serves as the final court of appeal. It plays an advisory role to the executive arm of government. It settles any dispute arising between state vs federal government or state vs state. It's the guardian of the country's constitution. The Court of Appeal The scales of justice. Photo: pexels.com, @Sora Shimazaki Source: UGC The Court of Appeal is the second highest-ranking judicial body in Nigeria. 72 Courts of Appeal in Nigeria are spread across the six geopolitical zones (South, South-East, South-West, Northcentral, North East, and North West). The body's primary jurisdiction is to hear and determine all disputes related to the vacancy of office, election, and terms of office of the President, deputy president, governors, and deputy governors. However, it also serves other functions. The Court of Appeal is provided for under Section 233 of the country's constitution. It is comprised of the President of the Court of Appeal and any number of justices not less than 49 and among which three must be conversant in Islamic law and three in customary law. The judicial body does not determine original issues. Instead, it examines how matters have been handled by other trial courts to ensure that proper procedures were followed. The Court of Appeal is in the Three Arms Zone in Abuja. Here is a look at this judicial body's other functions. It has the power to determine the results of presidential and gubernatorial elections as well as the office holders' terms in office. It hears and determines appeals from the district courts. It is the intermediate appellate judicial body in the country's justice system. Federal High Court The Federal High Court is the third-ranking judicial body in Nigeria. It is presided over by a Chief Judge and several judges as may be determined by the National Assembly. Federal High Courts can be found in more than 15 states in the country. The Federal High Court was created under Section 249 of the constitution. It has original jurisdiction over civil cases related to the revenue of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Such cases include admiralty, copyright, banking, excise duties, customs, and taxation. Here is a look at some other matters that these judicial bodies in Nigeria handle. Arms, ammunition, and explosives Aviation and safety of aircraft Bankruptcy and insolvency Poisons Mines and minerals (including Oil fields, Oil mining, geological surveys and natural gas) Weights and measures State High Court A judge and their gavel. Photo: pexels.com, @Ekaterina Bolovtsova Source: UGC The State High Court is more like the Federal High Court but at a state level. It is provided for under Section 255 of the country's constitution. The provision allows for a State High Court in each of the 36 states in the country. The State High Court is presided over by a Chief Judge and a number of judges determined by the National Assembly or State House of Assembly. The body has the widest jurisdiction of all judicial bodies in Nigeria on matters of civil and criminal law. Here are the main functions of this judicial body. It has the authority to hear and determine criminal and civil matters. It is an appellate body for all subordinate judicial bodies. National Industrial Court (NIC) This type of court in Nigeria is provided for under Section 254A of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is ranked fifth in the list of courts in Nigeria. The National Industrial Court has exclusive jurisdiction over all industrial disputes listed below. Factory Law Labour practices Trade Disputes Law Trade Union Law Workers' Compensation Law Additionally, the judicial body also hears and determines appeals from industrial arbitration panels and other bodies that handle employment matters. The body was established in 1976 with the primary aim of settling disputes between trade unions and trade unions, trade unions and workers, workers and workers, and workers and employers. The NIC has all powers of a State High Court as well as appellate jurisdiction. It is headquartered at 11, New Bussa Close, Area 3, Garki, with several branches in different states across the country. The Sharia Court of Appeal A woman holding a book about the law. Photo: pexels.com, @Mikhail Nilov Source: UGC This judicial body is provided for under Section 277 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It reviews cases involving the application of Sharia law, particularly in the northern areas of the country. The Sharia Court of Appeal is among the constituent judicial bodies of the unified justice system of North-East Nigeria. This is the region in which Sharia law is widely practised. The judicial body is presided over by a Grand Kadi and other Kadis. Here is a look at its primary functions. It handles Islamic litigation cases, especially those involving the poor. It interprets Islamic customary laws. Reviewing cases relating to Sharia and Islamic personal law. Customary Court of Appeal This body is presided by the President of the Customary Court of Appeal and is constituted of any number of judges as may be determined by the National Assembly. The body is provided for under Section 265 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This judicial body exercises appellate and supervisory jurisdiction over civil cases pertaining to customary law. It hears and determines appeals with questions arising from subordinate customary judicial bodies' interpretation or application of customary laws. The Magistrate or District Courts The magistrate court in Nigeria is the only one on the list not provided for under the 1999 Constitution. It is established by the House of Assembly and functions primarily as a judicial body of summary judgment. This means that all decisions in this particular judicial body are summarily determined. Both Magistrate and District courts refer to the same body only that the former term is widely used in Southern Nigeria while the latter is used in the northern parts of the country. This body is engaged in matters relating to civil law, with each region having slightly different rules. Special courts in Nigeria A judge in her chambers. Photo: pexels.com, @Ekaterina Bolovtsova Source: UGC Besides the eight main courts listed above, there are special judicial bodies in the country known as tribunals. Generally, a tribunal is a special judicial body created to settle disputes arising from a specific area of the law. Here is a look at the current tribunals in Nigeria. Code of Conduct Tribunal This tribunal was established under Chapter C15 of the Code of Conduct Bureau Act. It consists of the Tribunal's Chairperson, vice chair, and other members as may be appointed by the President upon recommendation by the National Judicial Council. The tribunal has powers to try those holding public offices in case they breach the provisions outlined by the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. Additionally, the body can impose any of the punishments outlined below. Disqualifying a member from holding any public office for a period not exceeding ten years. Seizing any property acquired as a result of corruption or abuse of power and forfeiting the same to the state. Vacating a public officer from office or legislative house. Appeals from the Code of Conduct Tribunal can be heard and determined by the country's Court of Appeal. Additionally, the decision of this tribunal does not shield the accused from having criminal charges preferred against them. Election Tribunal The election tribunal is a national electoral judicial body and is usually constituted by members of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. It is divided into several sub-tribunals. National Assembly Election Tribunal: This one hears and determines petitions involving the election of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. This one hears and determines petitions involving the election of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Governor and Legislative Electoral Tribunal: This one hears and determines petitions involving the election of governors and state legislators. This one hears and determines petitions involving the election of governors and state legislators. Presidential Election Tribunal: This one was created to determine election petitions arising from any presidential election. According to the country's constitution, the tribunal can only consist of Court of Appeal justices. How many Courts of Appeal do we have in Nigeria? There is only one Court of Appeal. However, it has 72 divisions spread across the 36 states in all six geopolitical zones. Which is the highest court in Nigeria? The Supreme Court of Nigeria is the highest court of the land. It consists of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and several Justices of the Supreme Court, not exceeding twenty-one, as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly. How many state law courts do we have in Nigeria? There are 36 state high courts in the country, one in each state. What are the 3 types of courts? Basic distinctions can be made between appellate and trial courts, criminal and civil courts, and between courts of general jurisdiction and those with limited jurisdiction. Who is the Chief Justice of Nigeria? The current Chief Justice is Olukayode Ariwoola. He was appointed on 27 June 2022 after the resignation of the former Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad. The different types of courts in Nigeria serve various functions and are bestowed with different original, appellate and supervisory jurisdictions. Like in most other countries, these judicial bodies make up the Judiciary, the body responsible for settling disputes in accordance with the country's laws. READ ALSO: What are the 10 economic problems that Nigeria is facing? Legit.ng recently explored the main economic problems plaguing Nigeria. Like other middle-income countries with emerging markets, the country has witnessed gradual expansion in communication, technology, finance, manufacturing, and service sectors. However, problems such as poor health facilities, high levels of crime, unemployment, and corruption continue to be pressing issues in the country's economy. Source: Legit.ng English is one of the most popular languages spoken and taught worldwide. What are some of the uses of English language in Nigeria? Women talking to each other. Photo: pexels.com, @picha-stock Source: UGC When Christian missionaries arrived from the UK long ago, they introduced western education to Nigerians. Prior to the middle of the 19th century, studies of the English language were informal. Basically, children learn about culture, traditions, and history from older relatives who passed on their knowledge. When education was brought to the official level, it was handled by missionaries who taught English to Nigerians of all ages. Uses of English language in Nigeria An earlier contribution to the English tradition was made when colonists and slavers invaded the West African coast in the 18th century. Records on culture and traditions documented during this period are still obtainable to this day. The locals adopted several local dialects of English language to make communication simple and convenient. When the British entered the territory of Nigeria in 1841, the question of language was considered very seriously. English became the link between the native inhabitants and guests. It so happened that the hosts had to accept the language of their guests because the British did not consider the local dialects of different ethnic groups practically applicable and convenient for use. By 1882, English had become well known by representatives of the elite and their children. It became the main educational channel, thereby receiving a public status. It began to be used in corporate organisations, schools, malls and airports. From the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, laws were issued in the country affirming English as Nigeria's official language. What are the functions of English language in Nigeria? Group of women sitting on couch. Photo: pexels.com, @pichastock Source: UGC The study of languages spoken around the world is becoming more popular every day. Some people learn them for work, others because they receive immense pleasure from the learning process, thus turning this activity into their hobby. What are the uses of English language? Listed below are the main reasons that should encourage everyone to learn how to speak English and the top 12 importance of English language in Nigeria. 1. Self-development Learning languages is the best way to train our minds. Within a few weeks of beginning a language learning process, you will find that your memory and capacity to perceive and systematise information have increased. It also makes you realise that it is past time to look for new job opportunities and advance your career as a specialist. 2. Career growth Another important role of English language in Nigeria is to help you nurture your career. Therefore, the knowledge of English will play a decisive role in your career development, or at least it will be an excellent addition. A job is only one of the essential elements in every person's life. It is not a secret that knowing how to speak English has helped many other people within and outside Nigeria land good jobs and also create good friendships with others. 3. It is the language of academia The relevance of English language in Nigeria is seen in education. Children are instructed in and encouraged to pick up English as a second language in many different nations. Most universities in Nigeria and the world at large use English as the main language of communication. To make the curriculum more approachable, many institutions study nearly all of their subjects in English. 4. Access to more entertainment Two woman in black sits on chair near table. Photo: pexels.com, @divinetechygirl Source: UGC Another use of English language in Nigeria is to make it easier for you to enjoy entertainment without having to strive to understand what is being said. You can understand the meaning of your favourite songs and even sing them. 5. Love and friendship The global network has expanded communication possibilities, making it easy to communicate easily with a foreigner. Moreover, pidgin English proficiency helps you make new interesting friends and expand your circle of acquaintances, making life brighter and more beautiful. Everyone knows that love can find anyone irrespective of age; it is also important to add that love can find you no matter your city, country or nationality; who knows, you may marry a foreigner. There are many couples from different nationalities, and we can confidently say that the knowledge of English helped these people find each other and their infinite happiness. Learning English allows you to travel without problems and confusion. 6. Safety in travel Many learn English to feel comfortable while travelling, to be able to ask for directions, meet new people, and have a good time. During trips around a new city or country, you should be able to understand what the guide says. You will not get lost in an unfamiliar place and you can easily navigate the city, which means you will know the state better, constantly communicating with its inhabitants. 7. An example for your children Woman Discussing With Her Colleagues. Photo: pexels.com, @divinetechygirl Source: UGC To know English is prestigious; that's why so many parents try to send their children to special schools to take language courses or to take private lessons with a tutor. Would you like your children to speak 2-3 languages? Would you like them to be able to study in international schools and not experience the hardship of learning the language themselves in adulthood? You and only you can serve as an example for your children, and you can help them learn the language quickly and easily! It is also worth mentioning that English can help to diversify your leisure and bring more pleasure. 8. Ability to watch your favourite movies without needing subtitles Having satellite TV allows you to watch foreign TV programs. Here again, you can't do this without the knowledge of English. In addition, it is much more interesting to hear actors' authentic voices and intonations than to read subtitles. 9. Reading necessary technical and professional literature Unfortunately, only a few literature materials get translated into less popular languages. In addition, such a translation, as a rule, is delayed for a year or two (according to statistics, this is about the amount of time needed for specialised books to be translated). During this time, the information may have lost its relevance. Most websites are also designed in English. Therefore, even if incomplete, knowledge of the language significantly increases your information awareness. 10. A good opportunity to earn money In this internet era, it is possible to conclude cooperative agreements with people from other countries. Most of the time, however, you must share your CVs and professional details in English. You can also earn money by translating issues, letters, articles, art and highly specialised works into English. 11. Memory training Man having a conversation with a woman sitting on orange sofa. Photo: pexels.com, @diva-plavalaguna Source: UGC The more you work with your memory, the better it becomes. You need a good memory in your daily endeavours, which you can train by learning foreign languages. Even if you believe that you know the English language well, you should remember that there is no limit to perfection. 12. Aid in running businesses Another important function of English language in Nigeria is that it aids in running various businesses successfully. It is one of the most commonly used languages in business meetings, negotiations, and even while discussing ideas. Today, having great business English abilities is critical to every employee's career success. What is the most used language in the world? The most widespread language in the world is English. This is a result of both the growth of American culture and the British Empire's colonial influence. Since there are more non-native speakers of English, it is spoken in a greater number of nations, especially in Africa. Why is English important for students? English language plays an essential role in our lives as it helps in communication. All around the world, it is the primary language used for studying various subjects. Additionally, it is crucial for students since it broadens their horizons, cultivates their emotional intelligence, and enhances their quality of life by opening doors to employment. The above are some of the major uses of English language in Nigeria. Study, develop, meet new people and enjoy all the possibilities the English language provides you. READ ALSO: List of computer professional bodies in Nigeria and their functions Legit.ng recently published a list of Nigerian computer professional bodies and their functions. In Nigeria, there are numerous professional bodies for computer experts. One of these entities' primary functions is to develop and maintain a registry of those who have registered to practise computing in Nigeria. Are you a computer professional in Nigeria looking to join a professional organisation? This article contains a comprehensive list of computer professional bodies in Nigeria that you can join. Source: Legit.ng Ruth Kadiri is one of the names that will come to your mind whenever Nollywood is mentioned. She is a super-talented Nigerian actress, screenwriter, film producer, entertainer and philanthropist. Nigerian actress Ruth Kadiri posing for the camera. Photo: @ruthkadiri Source: Instagram Her debut film was Boys Cot, and so far, she has starred in more than 100 films. Some of the films she has starred in are In Your Arms, Black Bride, Black Men Rock, Love is Beautiful and Too Old for Love, to mention a few. Profile summary Full name Ruth Kadiri Ezerika Born 24th March 1988 Birthplace Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria Residence Lekki, Lagos State, Nigeria Age 34 years (as of 2021) College Yaba College of Technology in Yana, Lagos State University University of Lagos, Nigeria Educational qualifications National Diploma in Business Administration Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communication Profession Actress, screenwriter, film producer, entertainer, philanthropist Nationality Nigerian Ethnicity Igbo Father Desmond Kadiri Mother's name Unknown Sister Precious Ehis Kadiri (Nollywood actress) Sexuality Straight Marital status Married Spouse Mr Ezerika (2018 to present) Children Reign Ezerika Net worth $700,000 Facebook @RuthKadiriOfficial Instagram ruthkadiri Twitter @teamruthkadiri Who is Ruth Kadiri, the Nigerian actress? Ruth Kadiri has been making waves in the Nigerian film industry. Her excellence speaks volumes about her hardworking nature. PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates! Who are Ruth Kadiri's parents? Ruth is the daughter of Desmond Kadiri (father). Although her mum's name is publicly unknown, the actress spent most of her childhood with her mother. Her dad mostly worked and lived outside Nigeria. She has a younger sibling named Precious Ehis Kadiri. Ruth Kadiri's sister is a renowned Nigerian movie producer and the Chief Executive Officer of Flore beddings. Where is Ruth Kadiri from? Since she was born on 24th March 1988 in Benin City, Edo State, Ruth Kadiri's age is 34 years as of May 2022. What tribe is Ruth Kadiri? She is an Edo State native but has never confirmed her ethnic group to the public. However, fans assume she is Igbo since it the most dominant tribe in Edo State. Other main ethnic groups in this state are the Esans, Etsako, Owans, Binis, and Akoko Edos. Educational background The actress completed her primary and secondary school education in Benin City, Edo State. She earned a National Diploma in Business Administration from Yaba College of Technology in Yana, Lagos State. She later graduated from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communication. Career history Kadiri joined Nollywood after completing her university studies and gradually built her career. She is now an actress, screenwriter, and producer. Ruth's first role was in the Boys Cot film. Ruth Kadiri's movies Her first project brought her to the public's eye and landed her more lead roles in Nollywood. Some of the most famous Ruth Kadiri movies include: Heart of a Fighter Matters Arising Black Men Rock Somebody Lied Sex and Love Over the Edge Unbreak Trouble Comes to Town Stolen Lives Wandering Soul Five Wives Biological Clock Breath of Love Ishaka Mad Couple Change of Ownership Made Sex This is not a Love Story Dear Ijeoma A Toast to Heartbreak Tiwa's Story Nchekwube , the Meat Seller , The Call Girls are not Smiling Limpopo Chicks Unconditional Honeymoon Guys Promises are Forever Miss Taken Paranoia Jack and Jill Broken Reed Keepa Heart Beat Deceptive Heart 1 and 2 Fair Play Ruth Kadiri's films as a screenwriter She has written and co-written numerous excellent movies alongside several other renowned screenwriters. Some of the movies that are in her credit include: Matters Arising Heart of a Fighter Ladies Men Sincerity First Class Over the Edge Ruth Kadiri's movies as a producer Ruth is one of the best film producers. She has played a huge role in the production of Nollywood films such as: Matter Arising Over the Edge Somebody Lied Memory Lane Ruth Kadiri's philanthropic works The actress is the founder of a charity organization known as the Ruth Kadiri Kids Foundation. The foundation was formed to help the less privileged children achieve their dreams and goals in life. She does this through inspirational talks and material donations. In 2012, the actress single-handedly sponsored five learners from First Foundation College in Ajegunle, Lagos State. According to her, nothing makes her happier than the smile of children. As a result, she aims to put a smile on the faces of different kids by catering for their needs. Awards and nominations The actress has taken home two wins and six nominations in her various acting roles. The awards include: 2015 - The Nigeria Entertainment Awards for the Actress of the Year (Winner) The Nigeria Entertainment Awards for the Actress of the Year (Winner) 2015 - Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards for the Best Female Viewers Choice (Nominated) Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards for the Best Female Viewers Choice (Nominated) 2015 - Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards for the Best On-screen Duo with Majid Michel (Nominated) Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards for the Best On-screen Duo with Majid Michel (Nominated) 2015 - Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards for the Best Actress (Nominated) Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards for the Best Actress (Nominated) 2018 - City People Movie Award for the Best Actress of the year (Winner) City People Movie Award for the Best Actress of the year (Winner) 2018 - City People Movie Award for the Face of Nollywood (Nominated) City People Movie Award for the Face of Nollywood (Nominated) 2019 - Ghana Movie Awards for the Best Movie African Collaborations (Nominated) Ghana Movie Awards for the Best Movie African Collaborations (Nominated) 2019 - Ghana Movie Awards for the Best Actress African Collaboration (Nominated) Is Ruth Kadiri married? Ruth Kadiri is a wonderful wife and mother. She tied the knots with the love of her life in 2018. It is believed that the couple in a private traditional wedding since they have never shared its details or photos with the public. Ruth Kadiri's child, Reign Ezerika, was born on 21st August 2019. Is Ruth Kadiri married to Eddie Watson? Actors Eddie Watson and Ruth Kadiri are not a couple in real life. However, they are good friends and have cordial working relationships as Nollywood colleagues. Eddie Watson's wife is actress Naomi Baaba Watson. Who is Ruth Kadiri's husband? The actress is married to Mr Ezerika. She shared a photo of her engagement ring on Instagram in December 2017 and captioned it with the following words: Merry Christmas, world. @ 12:15 am December 25, 2017; I said yes to the man who totally completes me. My daddyyyy, my friend, my brother, my pastor, my perv, my gossip partner. And my husband to be. God bless you and keep you safe for me. The first time Ruth shared her husband's picture on social media was on their first wedding anniversary. She pinned the kissing photo with this lovely message: Being your wife is so peaceful. I love it here. Happy anniversary to us. Which state is Ruth Kadiri's husband from? It is believed that Mr Ezerika is Igbo and a businessman from Anambra State. The father of Ruth Kadiri's child is also assumed to be in his 40s. Ruth Kadiri's dating history Before marrying Ezerika, Ruth dated a man who spent his time between Nigeria and London. She later realized his wife and two kids were in London. The actress was also dated Nigerian producer Stanley Ebonnie for some time. What is Ruth Kadiri's net worth? Ruth Kadiri's net worth of about $700,000 is from her acting career and brand endorsements. She has starred in numerous Nigerian films and received several awards. Ruth Kadiri's cars and houses Ruth owns a mansion in Lekki, Lagos State, an affluent residential area and home to many elites and celebrities. The public assumed she was dating journalist Kemi Olunloyo and he bought her an N24 million Range Rover. However, the actress refuted the claims. She later posted on Instagram a white BMW gifted to her by her lover in 2018. Ruth Kadiri is a household name across the continent. The actress is one of the few scandal-free movie stars in Nollywood. Her fans cannot wait for more movies from her. READ ALSO: Aidan Gallagher bio: Age, height, parents, girlfriend, movies Legit.ng also delved into the life of Aidan Gallagher. Aidan got fame from Nickelodeon's Nicky, Ricky, D*cky & Dawn comedy series, where he starred as one of the quadruplets. He also featured in the 2019 Netflix hit series The Umbrella Academy. Away from acting, Aidan is also passionate about environmental issues and has engaged in various campaigns. Source: Legit.ng - The Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) has berated Goodluck Jonathan for criticizing the present administration - The BMSG described Jonathan's criticisms as outrageous - They stated that Jonathan does not have the moral right to criticize the Buhari administration The recent criticism of the present administration by ex-president, Goodluck Jonathan, has attracted the attention of the Buhari Media Support Group. In a statement sent to journalists on Sunday, October 22, the president of the group, Austin Braimoh, opined that Nigerians still remembered that the looting of treasury was an at under the government of Jonathan. The group described as outrageous, what it said was Jonathans attack on the government after he ruined the country. READ ALSO: Kachikwu's memo: Presidency allegedly moves to prevent Senate from probing Baru To us, it was uncharitable for the former president to refer to APC as running a government of lies and propaganda, while all the same time, attempting to impress Nigerians that he ran a faultless government with time-tested achievements. We submit that the former president should always remember that Nigerians rejected him overwhelmingly during the 2015 presidential election on the alleged incompetent and directionless government he ran, all through, a reason he should avoid being brazenly judgemental. Indeed, the former president ought to be in the dock by now, answering charges on a welter of proven allegations bothering on phenomenal corruption, ineptitude, utter lack of focus and vision, all which combined to make Nigeria a pariah state under him, the group said. They stated that Nigeria fell into the abyss under Jonathan's administration, accusing him of wrecking the economy. They also accused the Jonathans administration of almost nailing the future of Nigeria. We, therefore, allude to the ability of President Buhari to infuse a sense of transparency, probity and accountability in the management of the national economy which has helped to curb looting, return stability to the Foreign Exchange Market while external reserve has continued to be on the sharp rise. It is also gratifying for Nigerians that the policy of diversification of economy has revived the agricultural sector, leaving farmers to smile to the banks amid the prospects of growth of agro-allied industries in Nigeria, the group said. Meanwhile, the national chairman of the state coordinators of the Buhari Support Organisation, Alhaji Umar Shuaibu, has stated that President Buhari needs a second term to consolidate on his achievements. Shu'aibu made the statement in an interview with Daily Trust published on Sunday, October 22. According to him, Nigeria does not have anybody who is more tested and trusted than Buhari in politics. READ ALSO: Buhari support group warns Nwodo not to incite Igbos Nigerians want PDP back in 2019 - Goodluck Jonathan declares at PDP Caucus Meeting on - Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - The federal government has denied the allegations that Nnamdi Kanu is in the Nigerian military's custody - The government denied allegations that Kanu is locked up in any custody of its security operatives - It accused Senator Abaribe, who stood as Kanu's surety in court, of hiding him from law The federal government of Nigeria has accused Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of hiding the leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from justice. The government denied that Kanu is in the Nigerian army's custody or any other security operatives custody. Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that Senator Abaribe, representing Abia south senatorial district prayed to the Federal High Court in Abuja to relieve him of his duty as one of Kanu's sureties. READ ALSO: Dogara traces beginning of his success to donating 6 months salary to Covenant University The federal government in a counter-affidavit and written address filed before the court to counter Abaribe's request said that the senator knows exactly where to finding the missing defendant, Kanu. The affidavit stated that Abaribe was aware that Kanu has long violated the bail conditions handed down by this honourable court on April 24, 2017 before September 11 when he claimed to have lost contact with the defendant. It stated: That it was at this point at violating the conditions at the bail that the senator surety ought to surrender the 1st defendant and or bring up this application; "That this application is belated and ill-timed; The applicant failed to apply to the court timeously, stating on oath that the defendant bound by recognizance to appear before this court had violated the bail condition given by this court. The prosecuting counsel, Shuaibu Labaran, argued in the written address that Abaribe failed woefully by allegedly aiding and abetting Kanu to flout his bail conditions. In a written address from Labaran, he argued that Abaribe was guilty of aiding and abetting Kanu. The written address read: My lord, the surety has failed woefully to abide by the terms of the contract he entered into with this court and therefore cannot claim frustration. My lord, we urge that the court hold, that surety having refused to do what he ought to have done pursuant to section 174 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 aided and abetted the 1st defendant in the flouting of the bail conditions of this court and should forfeit the bond he entered into. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app Labaran in the address, also reacted to the allegation that Kanu is in the military custody or any other custody with the knowledge of the Nigerian government. It read: That the military activities in Abia State tagged Operation Python Dance II was a routine exercise in its second year carried out by the military at the end of every year. That the 1st defendant is not in the custody of the Nigerian military or any other security agency in that regard. That the 1st defendant is in custody of the applicant (Abaribe). Kanu's whereabouts is still unknown and he was absent at his court trial on October 17, prompting his surety Abaribe to beg to be relieved of his duty as surety. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Prince Emma Kanu, younger brother of Nnamdi Kanu, said that the Igbos will not stay in Nigeria considering that the fact that one tribe determines what happens. The younger brother of the leader of the IPOB said in spite of the raid by the army, IPOB members remained in high spirit. 50 years later: Is Biafra really achievable? - Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - The chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to regain power at the federal level in 2019 are slim - This is the opinion of the Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson - Governor Dickson said some forces within the PDP are working against the party Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson, has said that the chances of the PDP regaining power at the federal level in 2019 is not feasible. According to the governor, forces within the PDP are hell-bent on frustrating the party not to make any progress in the forth coming election. He stated that the anti-democratic forces within the PDP are against a cohesive and a strong party that would take over power at the centre. READ ALSO: APC won't give up power easily in 2019 - Fani-Kayode The governor made the statement during a media chat at the Government House, Yenagoa, on Sunday, October 22. He said the major problem of the forces within the party is selfishness and egoism, adding that if nothing is done to address the problems, the party would not bounce back. His words: "I was very serious about rebuilding the party to take over power at the centre and everyone knows what I did. I did everything, built consensus but I think there are forces within the PDP that are against a cohesive and a strong PDP that will take power at the centre. "I pray that the party overcomes or realises the need to overcome these forces within the PDP that are placing selfish ambition and ego above the need to build a strong party that can take power at the centre. I am very prayerful and let me say that at this point I am hopeful that these forces that are trying to tear the party have the capacity to take the party from one crisis to another and to generate another crisis. "I have said that over and over again that we need a strong cohesive party in government, which incidentally, the All Progressives Congress is not. We should also pray for the APC to get their acts together." Governor Dickson expressed hope that the proposed convention of the party coming up in November would be able to address the internal problems of the PDP. He said: "We are proposing to have a convention. Let us see how it goes. I think basically the PDP is suffering from a preponderance of people who have never tasted opposition politics. "All their politics have always been with the party at the centre using everything for their election. They should learn from what we did here. I am the only governor who has won a governorship reelection in this state on the platform of a party that is different from the party at the centre; the only one so far. "Of all the governors, I am the only one that has won a reelection when the centre is a different party. Now, I think later in November we shall see what happens in Anambra state. A number of people take this background for granted. So, I pray that the PDP survives. Nigeria needs PDP; Nigeria needs a strong party in opposition. I wish my party and the Nigeria democracy the best." Meanwhile, the caretaker committee chairman of the Lagos state chapter of the PDP, Chief Babatunde Osolanke, is dead. According to media reports, the PDP chieftain slumped and died at a popular hotel in Ikeja, the state capital. He was reportedly rushed to the Lagos State university Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, after he slumped, but was confirmed dead on arrival. READ ALSO: 2019: APC constitution will determine our presidential candidate - Governor Abubakar Nigerians want PDP back in 2019 - Goodluck Jonathan declares at PDP Caucus Meeting on - Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - A fresh bomb blast has occurred in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state - Three suicide bombers were accused of orchestrating the blasts - More than 13 people have reportedly been confirmed dead but death toll is expected to rise Three Boko Haram suicide bombers attacked Muna Garage, general area in Jere local government area of Maiduguri, Borno state at around 8.30pm on Sunday. No less than 13 lives were confirmed lost and the death toll was expected to rise by morning as the rescue team could not work well at night. A rescue worker at the scene said the garage is not safe for rescue workers at night hence the decision to pull back and search for casualties in the morning. READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu is not in the custody of the Nigerian military - Federal government According to Daily Trust, the first bomber blew himself up at Muna Garage park, killing scores and injuring six. The second bomber detonated his explosives inside an IDP camp, injuring about 10 people while the third occurred along Gomboru Ngala road. A Civil Joint Task Force source said: "So far, information reveals that the first bomber at Muna garage park entrance killed 13 people and injured six others while the second bomber inside IDP camp injured 10 people." According to the police commissioner, Damain Chukwu, who confirmed the attack, there were two female suicide bombers and one male. Chukwu said: "On 22/10/2017 at about 20: 20 hours a male suicide bomber detonated IED strapped to his body at Muna Garage, killing himself and thirteen persons, while five others sustained injuries. In another development at Muna Dalti, two female suicide bombers detonated IEDs killing themselves and injuring 13 others. The Injured persons were referred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) for treatment and corpses were evacuated. Police EOD teams have been deployed to sanitise the scene. In all, 16 persons were killed and 18 others injured in the three explosions." PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Nigerian Air Force jet has destroyed Boko Haram camps in Konduga area of Borno state in the northeast part of the country. The Air Force confirmed the operation in a brief statement on Saturday, October 21. According to the release, the operation was carried out on Thursday, October 19 by an Alpha jet carrying bombs. Nigerian Air Force operations against Boko Haram - Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - Authorities in Kogi state have expressed shock over the death of a senior civil servant who reportedly killed himself because he had not been paid salaries - Deborah Ogunmola, the states head of service, said the death of Edward Soje should not be blamed on the government - Ogunmola said Soje continued to receive his salaries till December, 2016, even while he was accused of age falsification The Kogi state government on Sunday, October 22, said Edward Soje, the late director who recently killed himself was last paid salary in December 2016 because of age falsification. The government, however, dispelled rumours that Soje took his life because he was being owed salaries. Legit.ng gathered this in a statement by Deborah Ogunmola, the Kogi state head of service. READ ALSO: PDP cant win presidential election in 2019 - Governor Dickson Ogunmola, who claimed to be related to Sojes wife said there was no evidence that he killed himself because he had not been paid. The statement read: For the records, these are the facts surrounding Sojes employment with the Kogi state government: He continued to receive his salaries till December, 2016, even while the Staff Screening and Verification was ongoing. His pay was stopped after proof emerged that he falsified his age records. His confession to the offence is on video. Following engagements with labour, the Kogi state governor magnanimously commuted the disciplinary action due against certain categories of offenders by grant of pardon. Soje fell into one of the categories. Pardoned workers were processed for reinstatement and payment in batches. Soje was in the September 2017 batch and he was aware of this fact. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app The Kogi state teaching service commission, where he worked, had forwarded a template for payment to government and Soje was aware that he was listed to receive six months back pay, leaving only two months (August and September) outstanding. Edward Soje was not just member of my staff; he was also married to my sister-in-law. His death is shocking, both as one related to him, and one responsible for him in an official capacity. It was learnt that the head of service said she met with the deceased a few days before his demise. She said there was neither hint of the horrible decision in his demeanour nor did he appear as one who was depressed. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported Soje allegedly committed suic*de by hanging himself on a tree in Lokoja, the state capital. "We need a mass burial for our leaders!" man harshly criticizes the Nigerian government - Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit.ng - The Nigerian military's efforts to defeat Boko Haram insurgents has suffered a setback - About nine to 11 soldiers have lost their lives in Borno state - The incident happened after 411 members of the Boko Haram sect were killed in an air strike carried out by the military A report by Daily Trust indicates that about 411 members of the Boko Haram sect were killed in an air strike carried out by the Nigerian military on Saturday, October 21. According to the report, the airstrike was carried out in remote areas in the northern part of Borno state. The report quoted local hunters and members of the Civilian JTF saying the airstrike took place around forested areas in Gudumbali village. READ ALSO: Boko Haram ambush Army commanding officers convoy, kills six The insurgents were said to have been gathering for two weeks, stationing hundreds of the sect members at some of their camps located there, for a mission to launch coordinated attacks. "A military fighter jet had on Saturday destroyed all the nine camps of members of the Boko Haram sect, killing about 350 of them," a Civilian JTF personnel said. Elsewhere, 61 more Boko Haram militants were also killed by the military at Musune village in Dikwa local government area of Borno state. A guard who was privy to the attack said: "On Friday, the soldiers laid an ambush on the insurgents, killing 61 and recovering many weapons." The military's strike was carried out about 48 hours after nine soldiers were said to have been killed by some gunmen who launched an attack on their military base in Marte local government area. "On Thursday around 5:00pm, the gunmen just appeared there shooting sporadically. Nine to 11 soldiers have lost their lives while many have sustained injuries," a youth vigilante said. In a related development, a Nigerian Air Force jet has destroyed Boko Haram camps in Konduga area of Borno state. The air force confirmed the operation in a brief statement on Saturday, October 21. The operation was carried out on Thursday, October 19, by an Alpha jet carrying bombs. READ ALSO: Vigilante shoots self dead while testing a new charm Nigerian Air Force operations against Boko Haram - Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - These are sad times for workers in Kogi state as the state government has refused to pay their wages according to the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) - According to the workers, they have not been paid their salaries for three to 22 months - The workers are seeking the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue The leadership of the organised labour in Kogi state has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene over the issue of non-payment of salaries by the state government. According to the workers, the issue has resulted to the deaths of many workers in the state. Recently, a director in the Kogi state civil service, Edward Soje, committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree in Lokoja, the state capital. READ ALSO: Why we didnt pay directors salaries before he killed himself - Kogi government The dangling body of Soje was found on a tree behind the mammy market at the Maigumeri barracks, the Nigeria Army Command Record in Lokoja. The 54-year-old civil servant decided to take his life barely 10 days after his wife of 17 years gave birth to a set of male triplets in a private hospital in Abuja. The couple had been childless before then. Soje, a Grade Level 16 Officer in the Kogi state Teaching Service Commission, was being owed 11 months salary arrears as at the time he took his life. The secretaries of the state chapters of the NLC, Comrade Olakunle Faniyi, Trade Union Congress, James Kolawole and their Joint Public Service Negotiating Council counterpart, Comrade Isa Abubakar made the appeal in a statement issued in Lokoja. They stated that their earlier call on the federal government to treat Kogi workers as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and send relief materials to them was in view of the deplorable situation of the workers as a result of non-payment of their salaries for three to 22 months. They said the recent suicide incident of Soje, was a fresh reminder of the hardship the workers were going through. The decision taken by the civil servant to end his life in such a tragic way after he had sold all the property he laboured for due to non-payment of his salaries for eleven months is a true reflection of the agony Kogi workers are going through in the hands of Yahaya Bello administration, the organized labour said. They also chided the government for committing the scarce resources of the state in buying over 143 pages of a national newspaper to mislead the reading public that his government is not owing salaries of civil servants. Legit.ng had reported earlier that Dino Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West, had declared his readiness to fight to a standstill the government of his state over salaries of workers. In tweets late on Friday, July 14, Senator Melaye said the battle for workers salaries is a no retreat, no surrender one. READ ALSO: Arrest ex-pension boss now - Itse Sagay, Falana tells Buhari "We need a mass burial for our leaders!" man harshly criticizes the Nigerian government - Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - The Independent National Electoral Commission has said that the number of registered voters in Nigeria may likely increase before the 2019 general election - INEC said the number of these registered voters may hit 80 million - The chairman of the commission said about eight million permanent voters card are yet to be collected by its owners The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has projected that the registered voters in the country might increase by about 10 million to over 80 million by 2019. The chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, made the prediction at a roundtable organised by the European Union Electoral Follow-up Mission to Nigeria and West Africa, held in Abuja, NAN reports. A statement issued by the chief press secretary to INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, on Sunday, October 22, in Abuja, noted that the round-table was also attended by Civil Society Organisations and other stakeholders. Yakubu speaking on the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) said that no fewer than 3.2 million Nigerians had been registered in addition to the 70 million registered voters for the 2015 general elections. READ ALSO: PDP can't win 2019 presidential election - Governor Dickson According to him, the credibility of election depends on, the credibility of the voter register. We are now doing it continuously. We have seen some challenges and we are responding to them. We started in April and as at last week, and we have registered 3.2 million Nigerians on top of the 70 million registered voters for the 2015 general elections that we had before. Our projection is that the voter register will probably be over 80 million by 2019, Yakubu said. He also revealed that about eight million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were yet to be collected by their respective owners. He said: We havent made much progress in the last two years, but we have made elaborate arrangements with the states to ensure that the cards are collected. Giving a summary of the commissions preparations towards the 2019 general elections, Yakubu said that INEC would come up with a figure of the cost for 2019 general elections hopefully by next week. According to the chairman, the commission has a Strategic Plan 2017 2021 and a Strategic Programme of Action. READ ALSO: Liberian presidential candidate George Weah attends TB Joshua's church (photos) We have just completed the draft Election Project Plan for 2019, he said. Yakubu said that as at today, INEC had conducted elections into 172 constituencies since the 2015 general elections. He said: The last election was three weeks ago in Gombe, the next election will come up in eight days time in Sokoto, followed by the Anambra governorship elections. We have issued the timetable for Ekiti and Osun governorship elections. Yakubu said that in Bayelsa in January 2016, INEC combined accreditation and voting simultaneously, adding that it was well received and has been going on very well. Also speaking on the November 18 Anambra governorship election, Yakubu reinstated that the governorship election would be combined with the Idemili North state constituency election. According to him, all arrangements logistics, staff training, and security are already in place, while nine out of the 14 activities lined up for the governorship poll had executed. READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu is not in the custody of the military - FG opens up on IPOB leader's whereabouts On expressed fears that the security agencies could postpone the election at the last minute, the INEC chairman observed that the responsibility of securing the environment before, during and after elections was not within the commissions jurisdiction. He said be that at it may INEC would continue to maintains a close relationship with all security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). He said that was why the commission had also decided to issue the timetable and schedule of activities well ahead of all elections. In Anambra, we issued the timetable in February for an election that will take place in November. We have done the same for Ekiti and Osun. We have taken care, in both cases, to avoid party politics, national festivals and students examinations. The last (governorship) election in Ekiti took place on June 14, but June next year is likely to coincide with the fasting period and Salah. Since the law says that we should conduct the election at least 30 days to the end of the tenure (of the incumbent), we shifted it to July when there is no festival or examination. The same for Osun instead of August 4, well conduct the election in September. Interestingly in Osuns case, we have given a one-year notice and we have always made copies of the timetable and schedule of activities available to the security agencies, he said. On party primaries, Yakubu alluded to the Electoral Act, which provides that once the national headquarters of a political party recommends a candidate to the commission for election, the commission could not reject such candidate. READ ALSO: Kogi govt reveals why it didnt pay directors salaries before he killed himself The INEC chairman said: I think it was an amendment to the Electoral Act, borne out of our previous experience where the commission with the security agencies were disqualifying candidates. The power was taken from the commission and given back to the political parties. The parties have a role to play in strengthening our political processes. Yesterdays solution has apparently become todays problem because the political parties are now abusing the process. The chairman said that INEC looks forward to whatever it could do to engage with stakeholders and the National Assembly. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app He said that was not with the intention to have the power brought back to the commission, but in such a manner that could address some of the issues and challenges being witnessed. He warned that wherever a political party comes out openly to raise funds beyond the limits provided for in the Constitution, the commission will apply sanctions. Legit.ng earlier reported that INEC said it had discovered 150,000 multiple registration ahead of 2019 election. The commission said over 3,000 of these multiple registrations were discovered in Taraba state alone. INEC also warned against the registration of underage individuals by its officials. Buhari 2019 posters hit the streets: Too early or too bad? - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - President Buhari is alleged to be worried over allegations against Ibrahim Idris - Consequently, he is alleged to be on the lookout for a new inspector-general of police - Petitions against the police boss is said to have been forwarded to President Buhari and to the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) President Muhammadu Buhari is alleged to have ordered discreet screening of top police officers for a possible replacement of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris. It was alleged that the president is worried over allegations against Ibrahim Idris. Among the allegations of corruption levelled against the police boss are the one levelled by Senator Isah Hamman Misau, some serving police officers, as well as some lawyers, Independent reports. READ ALSO: BREAKING: Buhari sacks Maina from service The media outlet also reported that Idris is also accused of being sectional in the discharge of his national duty. It further reported that some of the petitions have been forwarded to President Buhari and to the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Quoting a source, Independent reports that the EFCC has comenced discreet investigation into the allegations: Though the presidency is yet to officially refer the case to us, we are already investigating the allegations based on petitions already with us. The media outlet also reported that one of the allegations levelled against Idris was that he allowed one Barrister Emma, a civilian who lives in Lagos to wield so much power and with unrestrained access to the IGPs office on 7th floor. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that on Thursday, October 12, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, filed a suit before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja. PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV He was seeking an order restraining the Senate and Senate president Bukola Saraki from going ahead with their plan to investigate allegations of malpractices against him. The IGP had denied the allegations against him, most of which were brought up by the lawmaker representing Bauchi Central senatorial district, Isah Misau. Is the Nigerian police your friend? - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng Two diaries kept by four of the kidnapped Chibok girls has given some much needed insight into the abduction saga that shook the world in 2014. Nigerian journalist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani in partnership with the Murtala Muhammed Foundation had a conversation with one of the girls who kept the diaries, Naomi Adamu, which was published by the BBC. The diaries which are the only ones that survived reveal the following six facts some of which are quite shocking: 1. Boko Haram did not plan the kidnap The diary entry reveals that the militants did not visit the school with the plan to kidnap the girls. They came to steal an "engine block". But when they could not find it, they argued over what to do with the students they had gathered in groups and finally decided to take the girls with them. The diary says: "They started argument in their midst. So one small boy said that they should burn us all and they said, 'No let us take them with us to Sambisa.' Another person said, 'No let's not do that. Let's lead them... to their parent homes.' "As they were in argument, then one of them said, 'No, I can't come with empty car and go back with empty car... If we take them to [Abubakar] Shekau [Boko Haram's leader], he will know what to do.'" 2 20 leaves notebooks survived the abduction and stored the girls' experiences Source: BBC 2. One of the girls prevented a lot more from escaping The diary also reveals that as the abductors drove away and some of the girls were jumping down to escape, one of them told the abductors. "Then one girl in the car said, 'Driver, some girls are jumping to escape.' Then the driver opened the door of the car then searched for them with the torch but didn't find anyone. So they said to them that they should stay [in] one place, that if they jump down again, if they saw her or any they will shoot her," the diary says. The pages were written by Naomi Adamu, Sarah Samuel, Rhoda Peter, Saratu Ayuba and Margaret Yama Source: BBC 3. The militants played cruel tricks on the girls The diary reveals: "Then they came to us and said, 'Those who are Muslim, it is time for prayer.' After they had prayed, [they said], 'Those who are Muslim, let them be on one side and those who are Christian let them too be on one side.' "Then we saw jerrycan in the car so we thought it was petrol. Then they said, 'Who and how many of you will turn to Muslim.' So many of us, because of fear, some of us stand up and went inside... So [they said], 'The rest that remain you want to die, is that why you don't want to be Muslim? We are going to burn you...' Then they give us that jerrycan which we thought it was petrol. It is not petrol, it is water." READ ALSO: Rescued Chibok girls are now university students - Osinbajo 4. They did not molest the girls The diaries show that the militants were livid about insinuations in the media that they were molesting the girls. Abubakar Shekau ranted about this a number of times, first in a recorded message that was played to the girls. "Then in the night, they gathered us and preached to us and put [on] a cassette. They said that cassette is from their master Mr Abubakar Shekau.... So he said that just because of they kidnapped us to come and teach us the way of God, then your parents and the government and your principal are crying to us and saying that we are (molesting) you and are doing bad, bad things to you We brought you to teach you the way of Allah." The girls hid the diaries by burying them in the ground or stuffing them in their underwear Source: BBC 5. Boko Haram fighters listened to the news always According to the diaries, the militants followed the news closely and videos were sometimes filmed straight after the militants listened to the news. "They stayed a little while and listened to the BBC [Hausa service]. As they finished listening to the radio, they called us one by one. They told some to stand and some to kneel and some to sit so they [filmed] us and told us to read. Then we read from [Islamic text]," the diary says. 6. Forced marriage proposals The girls also wrote about how they were pressured to marry the militants. "We saw the people come in two Hilux [vans]. Then they came asking for those who want to get married. They asked us and said anybody who accepts Muslim religion must get married if truly she holds the religion with two hands. "They gave us 30 minutes to give them their answer but we kept quiet. Then we stayed for an hour but nobody answered them. "Every day, they beat us. They tell us to marry and if you refuse, they will beat you. We will wash cloth, fetch water, do everything for their wives. We were slaves." PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV Legit.ng earlier reported that three Boko Haram bombers attacked Muna Garage, general area in Jere local government area of Maiduguri, Borno state at around 8.30pm on Sunday. No less than 13 lives were confirmed lost and the death toll was expected to rise by morning as the rescue team could not work well at night. Mother of Chibok girl laments - on Legit.ng TV. Source: Legit.ng - Former Governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido has declared intention to seek PDPs ticket in 2019 - Governor Fayose of Ekiti had recently declared his ambition to become the partys candidate in 2019 - But Lamido said that PDP must rekindle in Nigeria a new hope, a nation of united people with a common and assured destiny Sule Lamido, the former governor of Jigawa state has written to members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) informing them of his decision to fly the party's flag in the next presidential election. Lamido in a letter to all PDP members across the country said all the party needs to reposition the country is to take over power in 2019 and bring it back to its path of recovery. READ ALSO: Absence of judge stalls IPOB suit at Federal High Court Lamido in a statement issued by his media aide, Umar Kyari, lamented that the nation has departed from the dreams of its founding fathers. "Today, 57 years after the independence of our dear country, can we in all sincerity claim to have achieved the dream of our founding fathers? Where did we fail and from where did we begin to fail? Nigeria with its natural endowment and human capacity cannot be forgiven for being otherwise. We cannot even demonstrate our ability and capacity to meet domestic, regional and global challenges which currently seems to overwhelm us." "The PDP will and must lead the nation back into a bright, progressive, and innovative future," Lamido's letter reads. He said the PDP must rekindle in Nigeria a new hope, a nation of united people with a common and assured destiny. "To the world, Nigeria must demonstrate our confidence, tenacity in our ability and capability to address our domestic regional and global challenges that confront us. It is against this background that I offer myself to vie for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019 if my party finds me worthy to fly its flag." The letter reads. Lamido noted that the PDP have enough talents to salvage the nations from its current woes. "I am no means claiming to be the only capable material, any PDP member given the trust and support can fly our flag, and I expect many more aspirants will express the desire to run. My hope and prayer is that at the end of all the process which I hope will be open, fair transparent and credible is to give Nigeria in 2019 candidate who will lead the party and Nigeria. PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV This is because there is no alternative to PDP in 2019, it will be a defining moment in the Nigerian political evolution," Lamido said in the letter. He said why the clamour for restructuring rages, the most important aspects of addressing the Nigerian economy by creating prosperity will make the debate less emotional and sentimental. Our imperfect union as a federation should not be an excuse for our legendary failure which appears to have found vent in the call for restructuring. A union of multi-ethnic multi-lingual and multi-religious can certainly task the best of human capacities, but that is precisely the challenge and how to work on it and build a nation of people of a common destiny, and this is where the PDP must raise to the challenge. The starting point is where the PDP began in 1998 and critical to it is creating an open environment in which every Nigerian must not only been seen to be, but must be an equal stakeholder and therefore restoring trust and faith in our shared union and this PDP was able to achieve in its first four years," Lamido said. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that an ex-governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido, on Thursday, October 19, visited the former military head of state, Abdulsalami Abubakar. Nigerians want PDP back in 2019 - Goodluck Jonathan declares at PDP Caucus Meeting - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng By Lambert Strether of Corrente Puerto Ricos road system, devastated by Hurricane Maria, despite being not as newsworthy as its power situation, or providing as many heart-tugging photos[1] here is a fine write-up from Vox may in the end prove more intractable. To begin with, Puerto Rico is almost completely dependent on the automobile for transport. Bloomberg: Puerto Rico has one of the highest rates of car ownership in the world, thanks to urban sprawl and the governments failure to build public transportation that commuters might actually use. Puerto Ricans are isolated without cars About 931,000 Puerto Ricans drive or carpool to work out of 3.4 million total residents, according to U.S. Census data. [T]he island has the fifth-highest number of vehicles per capita in the world. So, a working road system isnt simply required to get the containers off the docks in San Juan[2], its required for every phase of life in Puerto Rico as an economic and social entity (getting to work; taking care of your grandmother). But I found this post a little dispiriting to write, not only because of the suffering I imagined, especially up-country, in the mountains, but because getting basic facts and figures was so hard. Ill start with one set of figures, then move through maps, then photos, and finally to positive measures that I found being taken (which seem rather small, and ill-coordinated, when set beside the requirements). A lot of this post ultimately depends on assumptions and knowledge about road construction, as well as potential miliary involvement, and I hope readers who have knowledge of either topic will jump in. Here is the most basic figure of all, from Axios, which I quoted on October 13: Only 392 miles of Puerto Ricos 5,073 miles of roads are open (The Axios post was updated 19 hours ago how I hate this fad of never giving an actual timestamp as of this writing, and the figure has not changed.) Axios says that its figures come from FEMA and the PR government site, so I went to both places to look. The PR dashboard has no figures for roads, so I assume the figure comes from FEMA, and after I clicked the Expand All Sections link, there it was, with a key disclaimer not mentioned by Axios or any of the other venues that quoted the figure[3]. As of October 18: 392 miles of Puerto Ricos 5,073 miles of roads are open, allowing for passage through the outer ring of the island . (No notes on how that figure was derived; I can imagine some contractor driving round the island on a Humvee, and then writing off the interior entirely). Here is a map from FEMA showing the status of that passable 392 miles of outer ring road: (This is from September 26, but its the latest available from on the FEMA site). And here is a map from MapHill showing the remaining 5,073 392 = 4681 miles of road: Of course, some of those 4681 miles of road in Puerto Rico will be passable. But we just dont know how many, which I find, as I said, dispiriting. However, I think we can assume that the damage was uniform, since Hurricane Maria engulfed the entire island: Here are some photos of what roads look like in the interior. First, some wind damage in Toa Alta, west of San Juan: It looks to me like Maria found an exposed edge of tarmac, and lifted it into the air. If indeed the damage is uniform, we can expect a lot of cases like this. Next, some erosion in Utuado, along the Rio Grande de Loiza, the largest river in Puerto Rico by volume: No doubt we can expect a lot of damage like this, along every river and stream. Finally, washed out roads and mudslides in the mountains, again near Utuado: Again, we can expect a lot of damager like this, since Maria engulfed the entire island, and one mountain road is much like another in its vulnerability. Besides roads, we have bridges. From the Times: More than 100 bridges in Puerto Rico were damaged by Maria and 18 have been closed indefinitely, according to Ivonne Rosario, a spokeswoman for Puerto Ricos transportation department. An unknown number collapsed during the storm, leaving entire communities like Charco Abajo stranded. I dont understand how this census could be made, given that most roads are impassable. And how is it that 18 have been closed, but an unknown number have collapsed? After this dispiritingly crude approximation of a sitrep, lets look at some efforts being made. The first is actually encouraging. From the U.S. Forest Service: If you can hear the speaker over the sound of chainsaws, youll hear him say (paraphrasing) that the locals had done a great job clearing the roads of brush and debris. (Of course, theyd need machinery to rebuild the roads, and thats another matter.) The second is mildly encouraging, for what it is: NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. 125 Soldiers of the New York Army National Guards 152nd Engineer Support Company headed for Puerto Rico from the air base on Oct. 18-19, the latest installment in the New York National Guards support to the island. The Buffalo, N.Y. based engineers are prepared to conduct debris removal, clear roads, and get lines of communication open, according to Capt. Nathan Attard, the company command. If we can generalize from the experience of the Forest Service, debris removal and clearing is under control, but getting lines of communication open will be something else entirely, if the wind, erosion, and mudslide damage in the interior is as bad as I think it is: The Soldiers of the 152nd construct things like roads, airfields and helipads, so his men and woman actually trained in the skills Puerto Rico needs, Attard said. Not only do we do this as Guardsmen but also a lot of us are professional construction workers, he added. Great! But Im guessing the scope of the project will require more than 125 soldiers. And more than one team of chainsaw-wielding Forestry Service workers. * * * According to the Republicans, everything is fine, or as fine as possible. Democrat Schumer has called on Trump to appoint a czar: Schumer, along with Representatives Nydia Velazquez and Jose Serrano, said a CEO of response and recovery is needed to manage the complex and ongoing federal response in the territory, where millions of Americans remain without power and supplies. This person will have the ability to bring all the federal agencies together, cut red tape on the public and private side, help turn the lights back on, get clean water flowing and help bring about recovery for millions of Americans who have gone too long in some of the worst conditions, he said. I find Schumers call for a CEO dispiriting, too. My first thought was to get the Army Corps of Engineers onto the island, and have them build some roads, but apparently they do waterworks and dams. My second thought was the Seabees (Construction Battalions) who do that kind of work.[4] This may not be the best of all possible ideas although I havent heard of private equity pushing Puerto Rican toll roads they would own but at least Im, well, trying to deliver a universal concrete material benefit to the people of Puerto Rico. While Trump blusters, all Schumer can do is call for a Man on a White Horse to come up with a plan, he himself having none of his own. The political class seems to have lost the capacity to mobilize on behalf of its citizens (although looting and internecine warfare proceed as normal). This too is dispiriting. NOTE [1] I loathe disaster porn. Please dont hate me. [2] As of October 19, Crowley Maritime: Crowleys Isla Grande Terminal in San Juan continues to experience high volumes of cargo on the terminal, though the dispatch rate is returning to close to the normal rate of 500 per day. The company has reported that increased terminal throughput has reduced the significant backlog resulting from on-island disruptions due to the hurricane, but that additional commercial and relief cargo reaching Puerto Rico is creating unusually high loads awaiting dispatch. I cant decrypt that to arrive at a figure of how many containers are actually still on the docks, but I take it that there is still a backlog, though its not as bad as it was. [3] FEMA seems to have obfuscated power and water figures, but not, apparently, roads. [4] Too bad we dont have a Jobs Guarantee. (Natural News) If you want to end human suffering, the leftist liberal approach of giving everybody more and more handouts is a TRAP. The real solution to ending human suffering is an expansion of LIBERTY. Big Government suffocates human freedom, destroys economic opportunities, crushes small businesses and turns citizens into entitlement beggars who are dependent on bigger government. Trapping people on food stamps and welfare is not compassionate, its cruel. The real solution, says Natural News founder/editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, is to fight for individual liberty and an end to insane big government policies that crush human freedom. He should know. Adams has long been an advocate for human freedom. Also, hes the publisher of several websites that all promote liberty and freedom for all: Liberty.news Freedom.news BigGovernment.news In a recent podcast, Adams noted that you dont help people by giving them money, and youre not doing anybody any good by writing checks to big non-profit organizations like the American Cancer Society. If you really want to help people in the world, fight for liberty, he added. That is key because the vast majority of human suffering in our world today is due to a lack of freedom. Hes right; the bulk of humanity currently lives under the yoke of oppression: Dictators of communist or socialist countries suppress freedom and keep their people in line through intimidation, imprisonment and death. But even in supposedly free countries like the United States and democracies in Europe, much of our lives are heavily regulated. Take Obamacare, for example: Though President Trump has recently gutted a huge portion of the law, many of its mandates and rules remain, meaning that Americans dont really have complete freedom to, say, try experimental drugs or alternative medical treatments. In most states, cannabis remains illegal, while children in other states are routinely injected with vaccines containing mercury. Probably a million lives a year could be saved if we could just tell the truth about natural medicine, Adams noted, and nutritional cures, and disease prevention, and treatment with herbs. So you see, he continued, while youre giving money to these non-profits and you think youre helpingyoure not solving the problem. All youre doing is keeping the non-profit alive that want the disease to continue so theyll keep getting donations. Adams noted in his podcast that he most certainly does support some regulation of industry and understands that a civil society must have rules of behavior in the form of laws, and that includes common sense environmental regulation. But he also realizes that too much regulation strangles freedom and destroys liberty. There is a role for regulation, but there is a point where it goes ballistic and gets too crazy and out of control, he said. Thats where we are now. Society, in order to thrive, should be conducive to the creation of businesses and commerce, which in turn creates jobs for people. The business environment should be such where they actually have some chance of earning a profit, says Adams, so that when they invest money they might actually earn a profit at some point instead of getting taxed to death, which is where we are now. Adams, himself a businessman, said that if he were just starting out today, because of the heavy freedom-shunting regulatory environment, he would not launch any ventures. The cards are stacked against you to such an extreme degree, theres almost no chance that you can get ahead in this society, he noted. There is so much more Adams has to say on this subject. Listen to this common-sense podcast below or click here and listen at the HealthRangerReport.com. (Natural News) It turns out that sex not love has the power to literally move mountains. Washington State Universitys School of the Environment associate professor and researcher Alex Fremier has discovered that the mating habits of the fish species salmon can bring changes to the profiles of stream beds, thus altering the entire composition of a particular watershed. The study is one of the first to show in a quantitative manner that the activities of salmon can have an effect on the geographical appearance of the land. In the study that was titled Sex that moves mountains: The influence of spawning fish on river profiles over geologic timescales that was published in the journal Geomorphology, Fremier says female salmon fluff soil and gravel on a river bottom as they create their nests, or redds. Flooding then does away with the stream gravel, resulting in the underlying rock being open to erosion. The salmon arent just moving sediment. Theyre changing the character of the stream bed, so when there are floods, the soil and gravel is more mobile, Fremier says. In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Idaho and Indiana University, Fremier was able to analyze the physical profile of streams that have salmon in them. He noticed that over a period of five million years, those streams gradually started having lower slopes and elevation. Any lowering of the streambed translates upstream to lower the entire landscape, Fremier says. In an article that was published in the journal Nature Geoscience in 2012, researchers gave a clear picture of how the banks of shallow rivers and streams in a certain landscape were easily eroded before the area was populated by trees more than 300 million years ago. Fortunately, tree roots stabilized river banks, giving rise to narrow, fixed channels and vegetated islands. The new setting thereby brought forward an increasingly diverse array of organisms. In the same manner, salmon can be giving rise to new stream habitats that facilitate the growth and development of new salmon species. This is why streams where the number of salmon have been constantly dropping may find themselves the subject of significant long-term changes in their profile and ecology. The evolution of a watershed can be influenced by the evolution of a species, Fremier says. Different salmon species bring about different effects. Chinook salmon can move bigger pieces of material, while coho salmon gravitate towards moving finer material. This diversity in movement can lead to different erosion rates and changes to the landscape, Fremier says. State of Alaska wants to scrap petition to ban projects on salmon habitats The State of Alaska filed an appeal to the Alaska Supreme Court on Friday, October 20 over the proposed ballot initiative 17FSH2, which was filed by the non-profit organization (NGO) Stand for Salmon in May 2017. Stand for Salmon said the proposed ballot initiative seeks to strengthen how salmon habitats are protected, noting, The initiative proposes simple updates to Alaskas 61-year-old fish habitat permitting law by establishing clear guidelines that would bring certainty and stability to the permitting process, protecting wild salmon habitat and promoting responsible resource development in a growing and changing Alaska. However, Alaska Lieutenant Governor Byron Mallott, as recommended by the Department of Law, refused to certify the ballot in September, saying that it is unconstitutional because the measure precludes the use of even a single waterway for a major development project. Because waters and fish are state assets, only the legislature has authority to choose between conservation and development. Stand for Salmon sued the state after Mallot refused to certify the proposed ballot initiative. Anchorage Superior Court Judge Mark Rinder earlier this month sided with the NGO, saying that 17FSH2 was constitutional and ordering Mallotts office to print petition booklets for circulation throughout the state and make them available to initiative sponsors no later than Oct. 17, 2017. The state Department of Law was quick to say that petition booklets were printed and given to initiative sponsors. (Related: Wild Salmon to be Extinct in 10 Years.) According to Alaska Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth, in answer to the superior courts decision, The question of whether a proposed ballot initiative makes an appropriation is an important constitutional question that should be answered by the Alaska Supreme Court. We take no position on whether 17FSH2 is good policy. This is about the superior courts legal conclusion and our duty to defend the Alaska Constitution, and we believe the superior court got it wrong. The Department of Law responded that the State will request expedited consideration by the Alaska Supreme Court in order to provide clarity before ballots have to be printed for next years elections. Read more stories about ecological science at Ecology.news. Sources include: ScienceDaily.com KTUU.com An American Red Cross center opened Sunday in Santa Rosa to help Sonoma County residents who were impacted by the Pocket, Tubbs and Nuns fires, American Red Cross officials said. The center will be open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. at 5297 Aero Drive every day during the same hours through Oct. 29. Families affected by the fires can meet with American Red Cross caseworkers who will assess each family's needs, offer information about recovery and other agencies that can help and provide financial assistance to families who qualify. American Red Cross officials are asking residents who come to the center to bring with them a utility bill or other proof that they lived in the area before the disaster. North Bay residents are urged to be cautious cleaning up ash from wildfires, Dr. Karen Smith, director and state health officer with the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement. The advisory comes as many residents in and around Santa Rosa who lost homes in the wildfires were allowed to return to the areas Friday. While ash from trees and other vegetation is relatively nontoxic and similar to ash found in a fireplace, ash from burned homes and otherproducts may contain chemicals, metals and even asbestos. That kind of ash may be toxic if it is inhaled or touched with wet skin, according to health officials. Ash that is inhaled can irritate the nose, throat and lungs and exposure could trigger an asthma attack. State health officials also urged residents to keep children from playing in ash and from areas where ash-covered materials are being disturbed. Residents should also wash ash off toys before children play with them and remove ash from pets. When cleaning, residents should wear a tight-fitting N95 or P100 respirator mask, gloves, long pants and long-sleeved shirts. They should also avoid getting ash on skin. Health officials said that if ash gets on the skin to wash it off immediately because some ash can cause chemical burns when it gets wet, state health officials said. Ash should also be kept from getting into the air by not sweepin up ash or using a leaf blower. Instead, use water and wet cloths to clean items and surfaces. Use a vacuum with high-efficiency particulate air filter rather than shop vacuum, which doesn't filter small particles. Smith urges North Bay residents to go to a doctor or hospital if they experience any health issues such as chest pain, tightness in the chest or shortness of breath. Smith said it's especially important to pay attention to the health of children and young adults who could be more susceptible to the health and emotional effects of the fires. Health officials also urge residents to avoid breathing wildfire smoke. Smoke can irritate eyes and the respiratory system and can cause more serious problems such as bronchitis and reduced lung function. Breathing the smoke can make asthma worse. People should stay indoors or reduce activity outdoors in areas where wildfires are still burning. People with respiratory or lung or heart problems are urged to limit their time outdoors. People with heart or lung problems should check with their doctor before wearing a respirator because respirators can make it harder to breathe. For more information, residents can visit http://bit.ly/2xBs2qt. An Uber driver transporting passengers was taken to the hospital after being shot along Interstate 380 in San Bruno late Sunday, according to the California Highway Patrol. The driver, who suffered a gunshot wound to the neck, is expected to survive, according to the CHP. The two passengers were not injured. The shooting occurred around 11 p.m. in the westbound direction near El Camino Real, according to CHP spokesperson Vu Williams. A black Toyota Corolla with an Uber decal on the back window was found next to the center divider "with several what looked to be like bullet holes," Williams said. A second car in the area also appeared to be struck by gunfire, according to Williams. Apparent gun shots damaged the vehicle's windshield and rear view mirror. No suspect information has been released at this time, but an investigation is ongoing, Vu said. Westbound traffic on Highway 380 was shut down for more than four hours, Williams said. Those lanes have since reopened. Further information was not available. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report. Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano on Friday challenged implications that a Sonoma Valley man who was arrested for arson over the weekend could be responsible for some of the fires that have been burning in the North Bay since Oct. 8. Giordano responded to a press release issued Wednesday by Thomas Homan, the Acting Director of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement about Jesus Fabian Gonzalez. Giordano said the press release was "inaccurate, inflammatory and damages the relationship we have with our community." On Sunday, the sheriff's office arrested Gonzalez, 48, for felony arson, which occurred at Maxwell Farms Regional Park in the Sonoma Valley where Gonzales was sleeping, Giordano said. Deputies recognized Gonzalez who told the deputies he lit the fire to keep warm. Gonzalez is being held in the Sonoma County Jail under $100,000 bail on the arson charge and under $100,000 bail for a misdemeanor drug related warrant from Ventura County, Giordano said. He was arraigned Wednesday in jail and his next court date has not been set. The Sonoma County Superior Court is closed until Monday because of the fires. ICE sent a request on Oct. 16 to detain Gonzalez for 48 hours past his scheduled release date from the jail, but the detainer was not signed by a judge and the sheriff's office could not legally honor it, Giordano said. ICE spokesman James Schwab said Wednesday ICE filed an administrative detainer to hold Gonzalez, but Giordano said administrative detainers are considered unreasonable search and seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment. "ICE has the ability to obtain a warrant for anyone they are interested in like we do everyday in this county. If ICE obtains a warrant I can legally hold the person and would be happy to do so," Giordano said. Gonzalez will remain in the Sonoma County Jail until his arson case is adjudicated and Ventura County will then prosecute Gonzalez, Giordano said. In his press release, ICE Acting Director Homan said, "Once again, a non-cooperative jurisdiction has left their community vulnerable to dangerous individuals and preventable crimes." Homan also said ICE lodged detainers against Gonzalez after four arrests on felony and misdemeanor charges in Sonoma County, and ICE was never notified about Gonzalez's various releases from custody. He also said Gonzalez returned to Mexico twice. "The residents of Sonoma County, and the state of California deserve better than policies that expose them to avoidable dangers," Homan said. "Non-cooperation policies - now enshrined in California state law - ensure only one thing: criminals who would otherwise be deported will be released and left free to re-offend as they please," Homan said. While Homan did not specifically say Gonzalez is suspected of starting any fires in the Bay Area, as reported in some media, he said the sheriff's office's action "is especially troubling in light of the massive wildfires already devastating the region." Conservative media outlet Breitbart reported on Tuesday that Gonzalez was arrested on suspicion of arson in Wine Country fires that have killed at least 40 residents. The website later issued a statement clarifying that "Gonzalez is not suspected of the recent Sonoma County fires that killed 40 residents." Despite attempts from the Sonoma County Sheriff's office to debunk the misinformation, the rumors keep spreading. Conservative political commentator Ann Coulter tweeted Monday: "Both the govt & media lie about illegals starting wildfires in our beautiful forests," and linked to a chapter of her book "Adios America" in which she claims the media is covering up immigrants crimes. Giordano said Cal Fire is investigating the cause of the Tubbs Fire, which has caused 23 deaths in Sonoma County, and other fires in the North Bay. "There is no indication that Gonzalez had anything to do with these fires and it appears highly unlikely," Giordano said. "ICE attacked the Sheriff's Office in the midst of the largest natural disaster this county has even experienced," Giordano said in his press release. "ICE's misleading statement stirs fear in some of our community members who are already exhausted and scared," Giordano said. The Sheriff said he will work with ICE cooperatively and within the sheriff's office's policy and the law. "Despite ICE's misleading statement, we will continue to protect and serve our community members with the strength and compassion they deserve. I hope to end this senseless public confrontation with these facts so that I may focus on the fire recovery," Giordano said. A neighborhood is stunned after a 7-year-old boy was attacked and killed by two pit bulls in Lowell, Massachusetts. It happened Saturday evening inside a fenced-in yard on Clare Street. Investigators say the 7-year-old boy entered the fenced-in area and was then attacked by the pit bulls. Now, there's a memorial near the scene as people try to figure out what happened, and candles and balloons mark the spot where the 7-year-old boy lost his life. Angel Argueta witnessed the attack and said, "it's sad, man. It's just tragic, so unfortunately this happened. I seen the mom earlier and she was in shock you know, trying to wake up from this nightmare." "There's nothing really we could do," said David Swiniarski, who also witnessed the attack. "Two 100, 120-pound pit bulls just getting his neck, his legs. It was actually horrific to watch." One dog escaped the fence after the attack but was later caught and euthanized. The other dog is with animal control. One neighbor says the dogs were never vicious to him. "I think they are very, very mellow dogs. Very nice dogs," said Roger Rodriguez. "I used to play with them. Even the cat in the house used to play with the dogs." Others avoided the animals. Kendra Rivera, a classmate of the 7-year-old boy, said, "We would always get scared of the dogs so we would always come on the other side of the road." An investigation is underway, but no charges have been filed at this time. The head of the U.N. health agency has revoked his appointment of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe as a "goodwill ambassador" after the choice drew widespread outrage and criticism. World Health Organization director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus last week told a conference in Uruguay on non-communicable diseases that Mugabe had agreed to be a "goodwill ambassador" on the issue. Mugabe was present at the announcement. After flood of outrage and concern was voiced by international leaders and health experts on Mugabe's appointment, Tedros said in a statement Sunday that he had "reflected" over the past few days and "decided to rescind the appointment." He said he revoked Mugabe's position in the best interests of the World Health Organization. Tedros also said he had consulted with the Zimbabwe government about his decision. The 93-year-old Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state, has long been criticized at home for going overseas for medical treatment as Zimbabwe's once-prosperous economy falls apart and the country's health care system deteriorates. Mugabe also faces U.S. sanctions over his government's human rights abuses. The United States called the appointment of Mugabe by WHO's first African leader "disappointing." "This appointment clearly contradicts the United Nations ideals of respect for human rights and human dignity," the State Department said. Health and human rights leaders chimed in. "The decision to appoint Robert Mugabe as a WHO goodwill ambassador is deeply disappointing and wrong," said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, a major British charitable foundation. "Robert Mugabe fails in every way to represent the values WHO should stand for." Ireland's health minister, Simon Harris, called the appointment "offensive, bizarre." ''Mugabe corruption decimates Zimbabwe health care," tweeted the head of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth. Two dozen organizations including the World Heart Federation and Cancer Research U.K. released a statement slamming the appointment, saying health officials were "shocked and deeply concerned" and citing his "long track record of human rights violations." The groups said they had raised their concerns with Tedros on the sidelines of the conference, to no avail. The heads of U.N. agencies and the U.N. secretary-general typically choose celebrities and other prominent people as ambassadors to draw attention to global issues of concern, such as refugees (Angelina Jolie) and education (Malala Yousafzai). The choices are not subject to approval. The ambassadors hold little actual power. They also can be fired. The comic book heroine Wonder Woman was removed from her honorary U.N. ambassador job in December following protests that a white, skimpily dressed American prone to violence wasn't the best role model for girls. Zimbabwe's government has not commented on the decision to revoke Mugabe's appointment, which the state-run Zimbabwe Herald newspaper had earlier hailed as a "new feather in president's cap." The southern African nation once was known as the region's prosperous breadbasket. But in 2008, the charity Physicians for Human Rights released a report documenting failures in Zimbabwe's health system, saying Mugabe's policies had led to a man-made crisis. "The government of Robert Mugabe presided over the dramatic reversal of its population's access to food, clean water, basic sanitation and health care," the group concluded. Mugabe's policies led directly to "the shuttering of hospitals and clinics, the closing of its medical school and the beatings of health workers." Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, has been criticized at home for his frequent overseas travels for medical treatment that have cost impoverished Zimbabwe millions of dollars. His repeated visits to Singapore have heightened concerns over his health, even as he pursues re-election next year. The U.S. in 2003 imposed targeted sanctions, a travel ban and an asset freeze against Mugabe and close associates, citing his government's rights abuses and evidence of electoral fraud. The appeal of a decision to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit against the maker of the rifle used in the 2012 Newtown school shooting is headed to Connecticut's highest court next month. The state Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments Nov. 14 in the civil case brought against North Carolina-based Remington Arms by some of the Newtown victims' families. A Superior Court judge dismissed the case last year. At issue were exceptions to a federal ban on most lawsuits against gun makers. The judge rejected the families' argument that the suit is allowed under the exceptions. Newtown shooter Adam Lanza used a Remington-made, AR-15-style rifle to kill 20 children and six educators. Lawyers for Remington have said the rifle was made, distributed and sold legally. A Danbury woman who had been missing since October 2017 has been found dead. Laelcira DeLima left home around 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, in a red 2016 Honda Accord and New York state police found her car, unoccupied, in the parking lot of the Putnam Diner and Restaurant in Patterson, New York, which is right over the Connecticut border, west of New Fairfield. Danbury police said that DeLima's remains were found in a wooded area off of Route 22 in Putnam, New York on Feb. 1. Police are investigating but said there is no indication of foul play. "This is a tragic end to a two and one-half year investigation into her disappearance, originally reported to the Danbury Police. Ms. Delimas identity was confirmed on February 10th by Putnam County officials, who subsequently notified the Danbury Police," Danbury police said in a Facebook post. "We refrained from making a statement until we were sure that next of kin had been notified. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Ms. Delimas family and friends." Several vendors were at a loss when they paid a business owner to attend an expo - but the event never happened. NBC Connecticut Responds tracked down the business owner who sold spaces for an expo, then canceled the event vendors say without warning. Alana Bossidy is one of the seven vendors and sponsors who say they lost more than $400 each on an expo that never happened. The Hartford Northeastern Womens Expo, run by Long Ridge Media, was first scheduled for June 10th and 11th. Owner Ken Cardelle postponed it to early-October because, he says, he couldnt get enough vendors. Weeks before the event and, according to Bossidy, it was clear that wasnt happening either. "This is right around the corner and I havent heard a thing," said Bossidy. "I should probably reach out and make sure, you know, what do I need to bring? Am I supplying my own lunch? Am I, you know, do I need parking passes? Can I bring another person to help me out?" Bossidy says she spent weeks calling and emailing Long Ridge Media, as did NBC Connecticut Responds. Those all went unanswered. NBC Connecticut stopped by Cardelles home twice, but he did not answer. Soon after, he called back and offered to meet in Monroe to say hes doing his best. "You just get to the point where you get 40, 50, 60 emails a day, where people are yelling at you," said Cardelle. "It just gets very difficult." Seven vendors and sponsors say Cardelle has been just about impossible to track down since early September. When one vendor asked for her refund in late August, Cardelle responded saying he lost $40,000 trying to put this expo together. When confronted on behalf of the people who say they received no notice of the cancellation, Cardelle said hes surprised, and that he has emails for every company involved. "I told everybody, 'Youre getting refunds,'" said Cardelle. "Im not going to cheat anybody. Im going to work very hard to refund everybody. I am refunding, I have refunded a number of people." Cardelle estimates he has issued refunds to 15 to 20 percent of his vendors. He also says he spent most of the money on marketing and his venue, the XL Center. But an XL Center spokesperson told NBC Connecticut although he was in communication with Long Ridge Media, the two never entered into a contract to host the event. "I said to my rep that Ill be sending it back in a few months, because I cant pay it right now. And that was ok with them," said Cardelle. That was for the June event. The XL Center hasnt heard from Cardelle since. A spokesperson said they never even went over October dates. Bossidy also says he went silent. "Im going on maternity leave," said Bossidy. "That would be a nice amount of money to have considering we have a baby coming." When asked when exactly he plans to complete his refunds, he said he will issue them within the next two months. Pets bring joy and love to peoples lives, however they also help keep people healthy. The key, is keeping your pets healthy. For some dog owners in South Windsor, that healthy solution is to bring their pups to Camp Bow Wow. The doggy daycare helps make vacation or days at the office easier for pet owners who can know their dogs are in good hands. They want to come here and play with their friends and socialize. I think it makes them overall happier, Katherine Foley said Wednesday during a day trip to daycare for her duo, Dunny and Dunkin. Claudia Conways dog, Buddy, was staying at Camp Bow Wow for a few days while she traveled for work. He's like my best friend. He's absolutely my best friend and he's my companion and he's just my soul guy, he's my fur baby, said Conway. He's just been awesome for my health and my life. Tami Sarra-Romejko owns Camp Bow Wow in South Windsor and has also spent her life as a physical therapist. She said, in her experience, dogs reduce stress, reduce blood pressure and make people more active. Health and wellness, just the way it all ties together, I mean dogs just make us feel good, said Sarra-Romejko. The dogs also get to exercise and play with other pups, so it is great for their well-being. If the owners are missing their animals, they can stay stress-free by watching the dogs play on the daycares live-stream cameras. I get to watch him from New York City off my app, which is awesome, said Conway. Pet parents can see the fun and at pick-up the serenade of barking is proof that a pet and playtime are perfect for peoples lives. I just think dogs enrich your life and I think if everyone can have a dog, they would be better off for it, said Foley. If you want to rescue a dog of your own, then the NBC Connecticut Health and Wellness Festival is the perfect place. Camp Bow Wow will have puppies available at the festival on Oct. 28 at the XL Center in Hartford. Learn more about Health & Wellness here. Lawmakers met on Monday to craft the final details of a bipartisan budget deal. In caucus meetings this afternoon, Democratic and Republican state senators are learning more about the tentative framework for a potential budget deal, after 115 days without one. "Were definitely cautiously optimistic we havent seen the final product but the thing we feel good about is that both sides really seem to be really talking in earnest and have been for the last couple of weeks," Joe DeLong, the executive director for Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, said. Before there could be a budget vote in both chamber sometime this week, leaders need to finalize the numbers on the major issue of municipal funding. The longer the state goes without a budget, the more dire consequences could be for families in the cities and towns across Connecticut, DeLong said. "Imagine a kindergarten child who has gone way to school for the first time away from their family theyre acclimated theyre comfortable they have a wonderful teacher and they find out in a few weeks your teacher is being laid off and youre now going into a classroom with 40 kids and starting in an environment all over again," DeLong said. Meanwhile, environmental groups are speaking out against part of the tentative deal that diverts millions of dollars from ratepayer-funded clean energy programs into the general fund. "Instead of the money going to where it supposed to, theyre going to raid it to plug a budget gap but that money creates further investments and creates further jobs and savings for those families that are putting that money into these funds," Claire Coleman, with the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, said. If there is a budget vote this week, the question is whether or not there will be enough support to make it veto proof. Governor Dannel Malloy already vetoed a GOP budget that passed that he called "illegal". Connecticut State Police were at Mansfield Middle School Monday morning after officials learned of a threatening social media post and a student has been issued a summons for breach of peace, according to state police. According to Mansfield Public Schools, officials learned Sunday of a message posted by a student that contained threatening language against the school. State police responded to the school and determined that there were no safety concerns. The school opened as usual Monday morning, but with extra police as a precaution. The student who made the post was issued a juvenile summons for breach of peace. The communication from the school did not specify what the post said. School officials are encouraging parents to monitor social media use. The investigation is ongoing. Middletown police are looking for a man who is accused of biting the victims lower lip off during a domestic violence incident. Police said 32-year-old Justin Ryals went into the victims home on Sept. 29, attacked the person and bit the victims lower lip off, all in the presence of children. Police said the victim had an active protective order against Ryals. U.S. marshals are helping Middletown Police look for Ryals, who has connections in Middletown, Connecticut and Brooklyn, New York. An arrest warrant for him includes the charges of first-degree assault, violation of protective order, risk of injury of a minor, home invasion and breach of peace. Ryals has two vehicles registered to him, a red 2002 Dodge Caravan SE with Connecticut plateAG35332 and a white 2012 Chrysler 200LX with Connecticut plate 6AXPA7. He is 5-feet-10, weighs 180 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair. The arrest warrant has a bond of $150,000. Anyone who knows where Ryals should call your local police department or the Middletown Police Department at (860) 638-4000. A racist letter was sent out from a high school teacher's email account that appeared to be hacked, the state's department of education said. The email came from a Wilcox Technical High School's teacher's account that was hacked around 2:17 p.m., police said. The writer emailed a staff member and cc'd entire staff and school body with a message that contained explicit language and racist comments. "The email sent today included deeply disturbing, inappropriate, and offensive racial comments that have absolutely no place in our schools. The Technical High School System and the Department of Education take these matters extremely seriously and are working with State Police to identify all individuals involved," Laura J. Stefon, the chief of staff with the Connecticut State Department of Education, said in a statement. Students told NBC Connecticut they were shocked by the message. "No matter color you are or anything, you shouldnt be disrespectful. Were all people. Inside youre the same," said Matt Adkins, a sophomore at the school. Within minutes of the offensive email being sent out, parents say they received messages from administrators explaining what had happened. Many credit the quick work of troopers and the schools principal. "I have confidence shes handled this and they have a good rapport with the state police who are stationed here," said Tracy Rosenzweig of Meriden. While there is no threat to any students, Connecticut State Police said an extra trooper will be at the school in Meriden during morning drop-off Tuesday. Stefon said the investigation is ongoing and school administration is working closely with state police. If it follows the advice of consultants, Denton City Council could move up its goal of 100 percent renewable energy in the city to the year 2020. The board meets Tuesday morning. Two years ago, Denton said it would reach a goal of receiving 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, such as solar and wind power, by 2035. That won't mean an influx of solar panels and wind turbines dotting Denton's landscape the city's municipal electric company purchases the power, which is generated outside Denton County. The benefits, say supporters, are many. "From the environmental side and the financial side," said Deborah Armintor, a member of Denton's Public Utilities Board, which heard from consultants Monday. Austin-based Enterprise Risk Consulting was hired to help develop the renewable energy plan. Part of a controversial approval of that plan in 2015 was the construction of a natural gas-fueled power plant. It would produce energy which would be used during times when solar and wind aren't viable. Enterprise Risk consultants conceded Monday that the plant would generate more power than what Denton would need. "What I did have a problem is with the way renewable was sold to us by the previous administration," Armintor said. "This is a bittersweet feeling. Denton is one of 72 Texas localities with its own municipal electric company. City leaders promise residents an open process regarding benefits and cost to ratepayers. "I think one of the opportunities we have is this process is have a very good public dialogue about these issues and these subjects," said Bryan Langley, Denton's assistant city manager. "And make sure all of our community understands what we mean when we say we want to use more renewables." City leaders believe that in the long run going to renewable energy and building the new power plant is the most cost-effective solution. President Donald Trump will be in Dallas on Wednesday to attend a campaign fundraiser. The fundraiser will be held at an undisclosed location. Tickets start at $2,700 and a photo with the President will cost you $35,000. President Trump was expected to attend the North Texas fundraiser back in September, but that event was canceled due to Hurricane Harvey. A Miami man accused of trying to bomb the Dolphin Mall after allegedly being inspired by Islamic extremists made his first appearance in federal court Monday. Vicente Adolfo Solano, 53, appeared before a judge to face a federal charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. The judge appointed an attorney for Solano, who works as a painter and doesn't own property or have any assets. Solano was arrested outside the mall on Friday following an undercover operation by an FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force, according to a criminal complaint released Monday. The investigation began in late September after an informant said Solano had "become increasingly upset with the policies of the United States government and its activities throughout the world," the complaint said. Solano was planning to strike at the mall on Black Friday, Nov. 24, the day after Thanksgiving and one of the busiest shopping days of the year, the complaint said. Authorities said Solano made pro-Islamic State videos before planning the attack, which included detonating a weapon of mass destruction, the complaint said. In the videos that Solano sent to the informant, he spoke in Spanish and wore a black mask while standing in front of an ISIS flag, the complaint said. "I love that there is going to be a holy war," he said in one video. "The United States is the most terrorist country of them all." Solano also referenced the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and Harlem Suarez, who received life in prison for a failed plot to set off a bomb on a crowded Key West beach, according to the complaint. "I am going to plant a bomb like in-like in Boston, in the name of Allah," Solano said, according to the complaint. "Like in Boston, like Suarez wanted to do in the Keys, that's how they're going to get it, and even worse." Solano later met with undercover agents and "described his feeling of exclusion that stems from his temporary immigration status," the complaint said. He also said he had gone to the mall to look for a spot to plant the bomb, and said he was considering the food court or an area where people sing. "Those are the areas where more people gather," he told one undercover agent, according to the complaint. Solano said he would plant the bomb in luggage and leave, and said the day of the attack didn't matter, "as long as there is [sic] a lot of people," the complaint said. On Friday, Solano met with the undercover agents at a hotel, where they put the device together. Solano practiced arming the device, which was inert and could never actually explode, the complaint said. Solano and one of the agents drove to the mall, where Solano took steps that he believed would arm the device, and the timer began to count down, the complaint said. When Solano got out of the car and approached the mall entrance, he was taken into custody. Solano remained in federal custody Monday. His detention hearing will take place Thursday, and his arraignment was set for Nov. 6. Sweetwater police were at the mall when Solano was arrested, backing up the federal agents. Officials said shoppers were never in danger. "We are aware statistically that Dolphin Mall is one of the three largest venues in the state of Florida and we take measure to ensure that there's enough police visibility and proactive work being done there," Sweetwater Police Chief Placido Diaz said. "While Dolphin Mall regularly partners with local and federal law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of our customers, it is inappropriate for us to comment on this case due to the ongoing FBI investigation," the mall said in a statement Monday. Solano lives in Sweetwater. Neighbors said he is from Honduras and rented a room at a townhouse for years. Records showed he has a long list of minor crimes in his background, including 47 traffic citations, a misdemeanor assault arrest, and a failure to appear in court for driving with a suspended license. The Brooklyn siblings who told police they were stalked by a man who left a note saying "Watch out. I am watching you!!" in their mailbox have recanted their claims, according to the NYPD. It comes hours after a 58-year-old man turned himself into police in the case. A law enforcement source said that he told authorities he "just wanted to clear things up" and had been cooperating with police. Police launched a search for an alleged stalker after the 8-year-old told police she noticed a bald stalker following her on her way to a bus stop in Crown Heights on Friday. The siblings said her brother tried to flag down his bus that afternoon, trying to pick him up. The girl then claimed she saw a stalker took pictures of the inside of the house; they both claimed the man asked where they slept. The case drew attention of higher-ups at the NYPD; Chief of Detectives Bob Boyce said the case evoked "an eerie feeling." It's not clear if any charges will be filed in the case, or what caused the siblings to recant their stories. Ivanka Trump is calling tax reform the top priority of her father's administration and something necessary to address the new realities of the modern American family. President Donald Trump's eldest daughter, who serves as a senior adviser, has focused on promoting a plan to expand the child tax credit. She said Monday at a town hall forum in Bucks County, Pennsylvania that the credit could help young people starting families, as well as families trying to balance key needs with their budget. The hourlong event took place at the James Kinney Senior Center in the Richboro section of Northampton Township. Along with Trump, U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza served on the panel while former New York congresswoman Nan Hayworth moderated. Trump told her audience of families and residents from the Bucks County area that the Trump administration's priority in tax reform is helping middle-income Americans. She added that tax reform will also keep America competitive as businesses consider where to start or grow. Protesters gathered across the street from the center ahead of Trump's remarks. The town hall came as President Donald Trump continues to urge House Republicans to move swiftly on passing a budget bill to clear the way for what he described as a historic push for tax cuts. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both joined the House GOP conference call Sunday in which Trump called on members to adopt the budget passed by the Senate this week, so that they can move on to passing his tax reform plan. Trump told the members they were on the verge of doing something historic, according to one Republican official on the call, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss publicly what was intended as a private update for members. President Trump also visited Harrisburg, Pennsylvania back on Oct. 11 and pitched his tax plan as a boost for truckers. What to Know In a speech to police chiefs from around the world, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a targeted effort to combat the MS-13 gang. MS-13 is known for violent tactics that have left people dead and communities in shambles. Sessions says that tax laws could be key in taking down the violent MS-13 gang. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Monday that he has designated MS-13, the violent street gang, as a top priority for a Justice Department task force that focuses on organized crime. "Now they will go after MS-13 with a renewed vigor and sharpened focus," Sessions said at gathering of police chiefs in Philadelphia. "I am announcing that I have authorized them to use every lawful tool to investigate MS-13." The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces involve federal prosecutors from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as other agencies. The designation directs officials to pursue all possible charges during prosecutions, including racketeering, gun and tax law violations. "Just like we took Al Capone off the streets with our tax laws, we will use whatever laws we have to get MS-13 off our streets," Sessions said at the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Center City Philadelphia. MS-13 has become a prime target of President Donald Trumps administration amid its broader crackdown on immigration. The international criminal enterprise has tens of thousands of members in several Central American countries and many U.S. states. The gang originated in immigrant communities in Los Angeles in the 1980s then entrenched itself in Central America when its leaders were deported. MS-13 is known for hacking and stabbing victims with machetes, drug dealing, prostitution and other rackets. Its recruits are middle- and high-school students predominantly in immigrant communities and those who try to leave risk violent retribution, law enforcement officials have said. MS-13 members have been accused in a spate of bloodshed that included the massacre of four young men in a Long Island, New York, park and the killing of a suspected gang rival inside a deli. The violence has drawn attention from members of Congress and Trump, who has boasted about efforts to arrest and deport MS-13 members across the United States. "MS-13 threatens the lives and well-being of each and every family and each and every neighborhood that they infest," Sessions said. "They leave misery, devastation and death in their wake. They threaten entire governments." Law enforcement officials believe some of the recent violence has been directed by members of the gang imprisoned in El Salvador. In July, Sessions went to El Salvador for a series of meetings with law enforcement officials in an attempt to step up international cooperation against the violent gang. Both Trump and Sessions have blamed Obama-era border policies for allowing the gang's ranks to flourish in the U.S., though the Obama administration took unprecedented steps to target the gang's finances. Federal prosecutors have gone after MS-13 before but say they've recently seen a resurgence. Sessions also addressed the gathering of law enforcement leaders on Saturday, focusing on "forging new relationships" between local and federal authorities. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Pennsylvania Representative is urging drivers in the state to get rid of their old registration stickers to avoid being pulled over by out-of-state police. Pa. State Rep. Mike Tobash of the 125th District shared the message on his Facebook page Thursday. Pennsylvania drivers are encouraged to remove expired registration stickers from their license plates as out-of-state police officers have pulled over drivers with outdated stickers, he wrote. Last year, Pennsylvania eliminated renewal stickers on license plates in a change that state officials said would lead to more than $3 million in annual savings of production and mail costs. Drivers must still have their vehicles inspected and produce a valid registration card when asked by police. They are also allowed to print out renewed registration cards online. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Yet while motorists are not required to scrape off or cover up the old stickers, Rep. Tobash says there have still been reports of out-of-state police officers pulling over Pennsylvania drivers who still have the outdated stickers on their license plates. The incidents are occurring despite PennDOT alerting police from other states and Canada of Pennsylvanias policy change, according to Tobash. Pennsylvania State Police encourage residents who are pulled over to politely explain the change to the officer and show him or her registration paperwork, which should be in vehicles at all times, Tobash wrote. Tobash is still encouraging Pennsylvania motorists to remove the stickers altogether to avoid any potential confusion however. Eight former federal energy regulators including five former commission chairs oppose a Trump administration plan to bolster nuclear and coal-fired power plants, arguing it would raise prices and disrupt electricity markets. The former officials, who served under presidents from both parties, call the plan "a significant step backward." The plan by Energy Secretary Rick Perry would reward nuclear and coal-fired power plants for adding reliability to the nation's power grid. Perry says the plan is needed to help prevent widespread outages such as those caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. The plan aims to reverse a steady tide of retirements of coal and nuclear plants, which have lost market share as natural gas and renewable energy flourish. President Donald Trump has vowed to revive the struggling coal industry and expressed strong support for nuclear power, while casting a skeptical eye toward renewable energy such as wind and solar power. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is considering the plan and could decide by mid-December. A letter signed by eight former energy commission members said "subsidizing resources" such as coal and nuclear plants "so they do not retire would fundamentally distort markets ... and inevitably raise prices to customers." The plan could backfire as investors lose confidence in energy markets, the former officials said. "This loss of faith in markets would thereby undermine reliability," they wrote. The letter was signed by officials who served under every president since Ronald Reagan, including former FERC chairs Elizabeth Moler, James Hoecker, Pat Wood III, Joseph Kelliher and Jon Wellinghoff. Moler, Hoecker and Wellinghoff are Democrats, while Wood and Kelliher are Republicans. The American Public Power Association also urged FERC to reject the plan, saying in a statement Monday it would "impose significant costs on customers without any justification." Energy markets "need significant reform, but the DOE proposal would take us in the wrong direction," said Sue Kelly, president and CEO of the power group, which represents community-owned utilities. The Utility Workers Union of America, meanwhile, supported the plan, noting that nearly 8,000 jobs have been lost in electric power generation by traditional fossil fuels since 2011, with another 6,500 nuclear jobs lost during that same period. "If baseload coal and nuclear generation are not properly valued for their services, thousands more workers are at risk of losing their jobs," the union wrote. Perry's plan would compensate power plant owners that maintain a 90-day fuel supply protected against the elements. The exact cost is unknown, but critics say it could result in subsidies worth billions of dollars. The proposal has drawn opposition from an unusual coalition of business and environmental groups that frequently disagree with one another. Environmental groups say the plan would boost dirty and dangerous fuels, while the energy industry warns about interference in the free market and manufacturers that use huge amounts of electricity complain about higher energy prices that could be passed on to consumers. Opponents say there is no evidence of a threat to the grid's day-to-day reliability that would justify the emergency action Perry is seeking. An Energy Department report in August called reliability "adequate," citing significant additions to the grid from natural gas, wind, and solar. Democrats in Congress have denounced the plan, while Republicans have generally taken a wait-and-see approach. Southern California was under a red flag warning Monday, signifying a high risk of wildfire amid a heat wave, gusty Santa Ana winds, and low humidity. Record-breaking temperatures and near-zero humidity were in the forecast for San Diego County. A red flag warning was issued, advising that if a fire starts there is the potential for "very rapid spread,'' the National Weather Service said. The warning will be in effect for San Diego County deserts, mountains and valleys through Wednesday due to low humidity, high temperatures, and gusty winds, according to NBC 7s First Alert forecast. Cal Fire and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) officials have increased staffing as a precaution. "Were in this for the long haul. We have to be ready and have things in place if anything should start," said Cal Fire Capt. Kendal Bortisser. The high in the city of San Diego today was forecast at 93 degrees, which would match the previous record high for the date set in 1965. If Vista hits its expected high of 102, it will break the previous record high of 99 set in 1965. El Cajon is expected to touch 100 to match the previous record high set in 2003, while Ramona's forecast of 99 would break its previous record high for the date, also set in 2003. If Alpine hits its forecast high of 99, it will break the previous Oct. 23 record of 98 set in 1959. With temperatures expected in the mid-90s along the coast, 85 schools in the San Diego Unified School District moved to minimum-day schedules. There was also a wind advisory in effect with gusts around 45 miles per hour possible until 2 p.m. Tuesday. Winds were at their strongest around sunrise, according to NBC 7 weather anchor Whitney Southwick. He said the forecast calls for stronger winds Tuesday. "At times, blowing 35-45 mph with gusts potentially hitting 60 mph," Southwick said adding that strong winds could occur along the coast from Camp Pendleton to Mira Mesa. San Diego County residents should be prepared and have an emergency plan ready in case of an evacuation. "If you havent yet talked to your family about an emergency plan, theres no time like the present," said SDFD Fire Chief Brian Fennessy. "Putting a plan in place and practicing that plan will give you the best chance of staying safe during an emergency." [[452215543,C]] The precautions come amid the 10th anniversary of San Diego's devastating and deadly Witch Creek Fire, and as firefighters in Northern California continue to battle nine wildfires burning across the state in the deadliest series of fires in Californias history. The October Fire Siege which began on Oct. 8 has spawned 21 wildfires that burned more than 245,000 acres, forcing evacuations and destroying 6,900 structures. Forty-two people died in the costly wildfires. Cal Fire said San Diego residents should be cautious during this fire danger period and remember the motto: "one less spark means one less wildfire." Evacuation tips can be found at this website. The onshore flow returns Thursday bringing cooler temperatures, winds from the west and recovering humidity levels, Southwick said. Download the free NBC 7 mobile app to stay updated on the heat and fire conditions. A school bus crashed onto its side on a highway in Maryland Monday morning -- injuring five people -- because the bus driver was speeding, police say. The driver lost control on Route 29 in Ellicott City just before 7 a.m. Two 15-year-old students from Mt. Hebron High School were hurt, along with the bus driver, the school bus aide and the driver of a car that smashed into the bus, Howard County police say. Police issued a citation for negligent driving to bus driver Tyra India Wilcox, 50. Information on how fast she was going was not available immediately. The bus fell onto its side as Wilcox headed westbound on Route 100 and exited onto Route 29 north. The driver of a 2005 Toyota Matrix then hit the bus. All five people who were hurt have minor injuries, police say. One of the students was treated at a hospital and released, a Howard County Public School System spokesman said. The second student is still being treated for minor injuries. The school principal has been at the hospital with the students and their families. Northbound U.S. 29 was closed for about two hours after the crash. The school bus driver has been suspended pending an investigation, the school system spokesman said. "Standard post-accident tests of the driver will be performed," he said. The victims of a shooting Sunday night in a park in Alexandria, Virginia, are a teenage girl who has died and teenage boy who is hurt, police said Monday. A 17-year-old girl, of Alexandria, has died. Police did not immediately release her name. A 15-year-old boy, also of Alexandria, has serious injuries and is in stable condition. The suspected shooter, Yerson Nunez Lopez, of Maryland, killed himself, Alexandria police say. He was 19. Friends of the victims say Lopez was the girl's ex-boyfriend and the 15-year-old is her brother. Police declined to comment on the shooter's motive. They said it was not gang-related. "It's a tragedy for the families that are involved," Capt. Len Fouch. "You have kids that are that young that feel that they have to resort to that type of violence to work something out. It's a tragedy all around." The attack remains under investigation. T.C. Williams High School, in Alexandria, released a statement saying the school was "impacted" by the shooting. It was not immediately clear if the shooting victims or suspect went to the school. School officials said they would not answer further questions, because of the ages of those involved. The school made counselors available to students and staff. Police were called to All Veterans Park near the 200 block of N. Pickett Street about 8:45 p.m. Sunday for a report of a shooting. A woman told News4 she heard at least five shots from her home. "All of a sudden a 'Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.' It was hard to determine where it came from, but a few seconds later, the sirens, the police. The area went wild," the woman said. Police searched the area with a helicopter and then announced they were no longer looking for the shooter. Police initially said they were investigating a shooting between the 100 and 200 blocks of North Pickett Street about 9 p.m. Sunday. They then said the shooting was "isolated to the park." The teen girl's death marks the sixth homicide in Alexandria this year. Anyone with information for police is asked to call 703-746-6751. Japan's ruling coalition appeared headed to an impressive win in national elections in what would represent an endorsement for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's nearly five-year leadership. A victory would boost Abe's chances of winning another three-year term next September as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. That could extend his premiership to 2021, giving him more time to try to win a reluctant public over to his longtime goal of revising Japan's pacifist constitution. In the immediate term, a victory likely means a continuation of the policies Abe has pursued since he took office in December 2012 a hard line on North Korea, close ties with Washington, including defense, as well as a super-loose monetary policy and push for nuclear energy. Japanese media projected shortly after polls closed Sunday that Abe's LDP and its junior partner Komeito might even retain their two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament. In unofficial results in the early hours of Monday, the ruling coalition had won 312 seats in the 465-seat lower house, exceeding a two-thirds majority at 310, and other parties had 143 seats, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said. Final results may not be tallied until Monday. Abe's ruling coalition already has a two-thirds majority in the less powerful upper house. Having the supermajority in both houses virtually gives them a free hand in pushing even divisive policies and legislation. Abe said the results indicate that voters support his policies and want to see his political leadership continue. "I think the results reflected the voters' preference for a solid political foundation and their expectations for us to push polices forward and achieve results," Abe told NHK. Abe's support ratings had fallen to around 30 percent in the summer after accusations of government favoritism to people connected to him, sparking talk that he might be vulnerable as leader of his party and prime minister. "I will humbly face the victory and continue to work humbly and sincerely," he told NHK, noting lingering public distrust over the scandals. Abe dissolved the lower house less than a month ago, forcing the snap election. The lower house chooses the prime minister and is the more powerful of the two chambers of parliament. Analysts saw Abe's move as an attempt to solidify his political standing at a time when the opposition was in disarray and his support ratings had improved somewhat. His plan was briefly upstaged by the launch of a new opposition party by populist Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike. But initial excitement faded and Koike herself decided not to run for parliament. NHK projected that her Party of Hope so far has won just 49 seats. Koike called the results "very severe" in a televised interview from Paris, where she is attending a conference of mayors. She said some of her remarks might have been taken negatively by voters, and that she would take the blame. Projections indicated that another new party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, could outpoll the Party of Hope and become the biggest opposition grouping. The Constitutional Democrats are liberal-leaning, while both the Party of Hope and Abe's Liberal Democratic Party are more conservative. Abe's party and its nationalist supporters have advocated constitutional revisions for years. They view the 1947 constitution as the legacy of Japan's defeat in World War II and an imposition of the victor's world order and values. The charter renounces the use of force in international conflicts and limits Japan's troops to self-defense, although Japan has a well-equipped modern military that works closely with the U.S. Any change to Japan's constitution, which has never been amended, requires approval first by two-thirds of parliament, and then in a public referendum. Polls indicate that the Japanese public remains opposed to amendment. A Massachusetts man is facing drug and alcohol charges in connection with a crash that injured five people, including a New England Patriots player and his wife. Police confirm that 25-year-old Kevin M. Conroy of Millis has been charged with possession of a Class E substance, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, a marked lane violation and possession of an open container of alcohol. Rookie Patriots linebacker Harvey Langi and his wife Cassidy were among those injured in the three-car crash on Oct. 13 in Foxborough at the intersection of Commercial and Fisher streets. Langi has since been discharged from a Rhode Island hospital, and was listed on the team's injury report with a back injury. His wife is still in the hospital. Three people in another vehicle involved in the crash were taken to Norwood Hospital. It's unclear if Conroy has an attorney or when he'll be arraigned on the charges. Last weekend, Cassidy Langi thanked the public for their support as they recovered from their injuries. "Thanks to everyone for the love and support," she tweeted. "We are both focused on recovering from this." Harvey Langi was signed by the Patriots as a rookie free agent in May after going undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. The 25-year-old Brigham Young University alum has played one game this season. Authorities are searching for a Connecticut man considered armed and dangerous in connection with a violent home invasion. Twenty-five-year-old Brandon Uzialko is wanted on several charges, including attempted murder, home invasion and assault. Norwich police say officers responded to a home on Quarto Road on Saturday night for a report of a stabbing and a home invasion. When they arrived, they learned the suspect entered the home and stabbed a male victim multiple times before leaving on foot. Uzialko had knives on him during the home invasion and is also believed to have had a handgun, according to investigators. The victim was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. He remains in intensive care. Uzialko is described as being about 5'10" tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen with a beard and wearing a light-colored sweatshirt with long sleeves and dark pants. Anyone who sees Uzialko is asked to call Norwich police at 860-886-5561. Correction: Previous story erroneously reported this happened in Massachusetts. Police in Malden, Massachusetts have located a missing 12-year-old boy who is autistic. Jake Kaplan, 12, is about four feet tall, 70 lbs with brown hair and eyes. He was last seen wearing a grey t-shirt and green, Ninja Turtles sweater, according to police. Kapalan was missing since around 2 p.m. when he walked away from an after school program. Police were searching in the area of 350 Cross Street. A veteran Vermont law enforcement officer is recovering at a hospital after suffering a serious medical emergency during a high-speed chase Friday. Al Buck, the chief of police in Richmond, who previously was a Vermont State Police captain, took a lead role tracking 52-year-old burglary suspect Jerry Savo of Burlington. The pursuit wove through several Vermont towns Friday. According to court papers, it hit 90 miles per hour, which is more than twice the speed limit in some spots. According to a report filed with the Vermont Superior Court's Chittenden County Criminal Division that was written by Det. Sgt. Michael Kamerling of the Vermont State Police, Savo allegedly passed vehicles on blind corners and nearly collided with oncoming vehicles. During that chase of Savo, Chief Buck suffered a heart attack. Cpl. Rick Greenough of the Richmond Police Department, who visited Buck in person at the hospital, said the chief went into full cardiac arrest. Greenough said his boss, who has nearly 40 years of service in Vermont law enforcement, showed remarkable skill and foresight by having the wherewithal to safely pull over before losing consciousness. As described in the affidavit by Det. Sgt. Kamerling, other officers involved in the pursuit slammed on their brakes and attended to Chief Buck, starting CPR. Greenough noted that Buck's vehicle was outfitted with a defibrillator that a Vermont State Police trooper used on the chief before he could be taken to the hospital. At first, according to the affidavit, Buck was in critical condition at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Over the weekend, the Richmond Police Department said Buck stabilized. Greenough said Monday the veteran law enforcement officer is now recovering well. "He's in good spirits," Greenough said. "He's understandably tired it's been sort of a long weekend for him and he's recovering better than could be expected." Geoff Urbanik, the town manager of Richmond, noted that in Richmond's small police department, Chief Buck is often out in the community, on patrol, or responding to incidents himself. Buck shows great enthusiasm for such assignments, Urbanik said. "He's always out there, always wants to be first on the scene, he's always involved, and he's really an amazing asset to the Richmond community," Urbanik told necn Monday. "And we all love him for it." Savo pleaded not guilty to several charges including burglary, resisting arrest, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Judge David Fenster ordered the suspect held on $25,000 bail. Cpl. Greenough said the department is optimistic Chief Buck will be released from the hospital later this week. Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon will be making an appearance in Manchester, New Hampshire, early this November. The chief executive of the controversial Breitbart News will be speaking at a dinner hosted by the 603 Alliance, which bills itself as an anti-establishment conservative group that seeks to unite Republican voters against moderate candidates for president. All proceeds from the event will go to benefit the 603 Alliance and its Initiative 18 project, which provides training, fundraising and support to candidates for New Hampshire state representative. Prior to returning to Breitbart News, Bannon, who has been called a white supremacist by several organizations, including the NAACP, held the newly created position of White House Chief Strategist in the Trump administration after helping Donald Trump win the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton. Bannon left the White House in mid-August, less than a week after violence broke out in Charlottesville, Virginia, during a white nationalist rally, killing one counter-protester and injuring dozens more. The dinner is being held Thursday, Nov. 9. Admission prices range from $150 for general admission to $750 for "Inner Circle Seating," with Bannon himself. Click here for more. After months of protests, and several failed attempts to repeal and replace it, open enrollment is about to begin for the Affordable Care Act. Some senators who fought to keep the health care law say they're still working to support the ACA. "The Affordable Care Act isn't collapsing, it's being mugged," said Sen. Angus King of Maine. The Independent has opposed Republican efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, and he worries that the Trump administration is attempting to undermine the ACA by making it harder to sign up. "I'm saddened by the actions of the administration," he said. Instead of a three-month enrollment period, this year, the sign-up window is only six weeks long, from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. On most Sundays during the enrollment period, the ACA website will be shut down for 12 hours. "I am concerned that actions taken ... were deliberately done in order to undermine participation, and therefore viability," said Sen. King. "But I don't think it's going to work." Sen. King held an event at the South Portland Opportunity Alliance with providers and ACA Navigators to get the word out about enrollment, and the variety of plans available. Deril Stubenrod, a Sidney resident who had a plan through the ACA in 2011-2012, said he would want to see major health care reforms before signing up again. Stubenrod said the premiums were too expensive, and the system was too difficult to navigate. "I understand why President Trump wants to have something different," he said. "As it exists right now, I would not be able to recommend the ACA." Stubenrod said he would advise potential ACA buyers to do their homework and compare plans. Sen. King highlighted the "ACA Navigators" on hand at The Opportunity Alliance, people trained in the health care website who can help consumers find the most appropriate plans. "This is a critically important program that's insuring tens of millions of people in this country," said King. To understand where we are going, we first must understand where we have been. This applies equally well to the history of nations across the globe as it does to computers and computer networking. With that in mind, were taking a slow (somewhat meandering) stroll through the history of how computers talk to each other. Last time, we talked a bit about dial-up Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) popular through the 1980s and the bulk of the 1990s. Also on Network World: The hidden cause of slow Internet and how to fix it Today, Id like to talk about one of the most influential, but rarely discussed, networking protocol suites: PARC Universal Packet (PUP). Finding a good place to start this wonderful tale of nerdiness is somewhat challenging, as there are so many people and projects that led to PUPs creation at Xeroxs Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). I think a nice starting point is 1973. Specifically, May 22of that year. On that day, Robert Metcalfe wrote a memo in which the name Ethernet was born. For those curious, it was named after Luminiferous ether, a disproven theory (in the 1800s) for omnipresent, completely passive medium for the propagation of electromagnetic waves. Of course, Ethernet, itself, is great. But having a networking protocol and suite to use with it is even better. Thus, PUP was born in 1974. Routing, packet delivery, a reliable byte stream, printer spooling, Telnet, FTP, name lookup PUP was a robust networking suite, to be sure. All of which came a few years before TCP/IP came into full existence. Xerox PUP inadvertently revealed That leads me to a story I find rather amusing a snippet from the oral history of Robert Taylor, manager of Xerox PARC throughout the 1970s, published by the Computer History Museum (pdf): The Xerox lawyers kept us from making PUP public, letting it outside. Vint Cerf at Stanford, who was a faculty member at Stanford in 1975, I think, or 1976, created a design committee amongst Stanford people mainly to come up with a protocol design to put on the ARPANET. He invited some people from PARC to come to these meetings, and no one outside of PARC knew that we had a working PUP. But the Xerox lawyers told the Xerox guys who went to this meeting at Stanford that they could go to the meeting, but they couldnt tell the people at Stanford about PUP. So, Metcalfe and [John] Shoch went to these meetings, and [Dave] Boggs and [Ed] Taft might have as well. So, the Xerox guys went to this meeting, and some Stanford guy would lay a design idea out on the table and the Xerox guy would say, Well, yes, but if you do that, you might have trouble with this idea over here or with this feature over here or this will get in the way of that. And this conversation went around and around for a few times, and finally one of the Stanford guys sat back from the table and said, You guys have already done this, havent you? And indeed, they had. So, Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn owe their fame to the Xerox attorneys. If it werent for the Xerox attorneys, nobody would have ever heard of TCP/IP. TCP/IP designs were based a lot on PUP. Thats right. Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn, often considered to be the fathers of the Internet, truly owe a great deal of that fame to the engineers at PARC who developed PUP. Thats a little fact of computing history that doesnt get talked about nearly enough. A few years later, in 1977, PUP was succeeded by Xerox Network Systems (XNS), which, in turn, influenced several other early 1980s networking systems, including AppleNet. But thats a story for another day. Finding of lung fibrosis gene highlights a potential new avenue for treatment Health scientists at the University of Leicester and University of Nottingham have heralded the discovery of a gene associated with lung fibrosis as 'a potential new avenue of treatment for further research into this terrible disease.' The breakthrough is announced in a paper published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a debilitating lung disease, affecting ~6,000 new people each year, where scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs makes it difficult to breathe. IPF, on average, results in death 3 years after diagnosis. There is no cure for IPF, and currently available drugs can only slow the disease down, and do not stop, or reverse, it. Furthermore, some patients may suffer unpleasant side-effects. A better understanding of the disease is needed to develop even more effective treatments. Researchers Professor Louise Wain from the University of Leicester and Professor Gisli Jenkins from the University of Nottingham were lead authors of the study. They analysed the DNA from over 2700 people with IPF and 8500 people without IPF from around the world and found that people with IPF are more likely to have changes in a gene called AKAP13. The researchers were also able to show that these DNA changes affect how much AKAP13 protein is produced by the gene in the lungs. Researchers know from other studies, that AKAP13 is part of a biological pathway that promotes fibrosis (or scarring) and importantly that this biological pathway can be targeted with drugs. Taken together, the findings suggest targeting this pathway with drugs in people with IPF might lead to new treatments. To confirm this, the research team now need to undertake more detailed studies into the role of AKAP13 in people with IPF. Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today The work was led by researchers at Leicester and Nottingham and brought together collaborators from around the world to form the largest combined analysis of people with IPF undertaken to date. Professor Wain, GSK/British Lung Foundation Chair in Respiratory Research at the University of Leicester, said: "We urgently need new ways to treat this terrible disease. Our findings highlight a potential new avenue for treatment and we now need more research to identify why this gene is important in IPF and how we can use that information to identify new therapies." Professor Gisli Jenkins, University of Nottingham, said: "What is really exciting about these studies is that this gene affects a pathway that can be targeted by drugs currently in development, opening the door to precision medicine in IPF." Ian Jarrold, Head of Research at the British Lung Foundation, said: "IPF is a condition with no known cause or cure and we urgently need to change this. Which is why funding for further research and campaigning for greater awareness is so crucial. This study is exciting and demonstrates that there is hope. We look forward to seeing how it develops." Steve Jones, Chair of Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis, said: "This is important research, which will give hope to the 33,000 people in the UK living with IPF and their families. We need more research like this into the genetic factors underlying the disease and possible treatments." Tokyo Medical and Dental University(TMDU) research team demonstrated that osteocytes have a crucial role in orthodontic tooth movement as the major source of receptor activator of nuclear factor-B ligand (RANKL), a protein crucial to bone remodeling. During orthodontic tooth movement, osteoclastic bone resorption is essential for alveolar bone remodeling. It is well known that the differentiation of osteoclasts is regulated by RANKL. However, the source of RANKL in the periodontal tissue during orthodontic tooth movement was not identified. Now, Japanese research coordinated by Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) has revealed that osteocytes mainly express RANKL and are the key to remodeling of the bone surrounding teeth during orthodontic tooth movement. The significance of RANKL in orthodontic tooth movement was first examined using an orthodontic tooth movement model in which open coil springs were inserted between teeth of mice to move first molars. Injection of a neutralizing antibody against RANKL reduced tooth movement. To identify the cellular source of RANKL in periodontal tissue, they established a novel method to fractionate cells in periodontal tissue. Notably, osteocytes were revealed to express much higher levels of RANKL compared with other periodontal tissue cells. Physiological significance of osteocyte RANKL in vivo was confirmed using osteocyte-specific RANKL deletion mice. Orthodontic tooth movement was significantly suppressed in these mice with a decreased number of osteoclasts on the bone surface around the tooth where mechanical force was applied. Thus, it is demonstrated that osteocytes have a crucial role as a major source of RANKL during orthodontic tooth movement. Optimal orthodontic treatment requires not only the acceleration of tooth movement toward the right place but also the suppression of unwanted tooth movement. In the clinics, suppression of tooth movement is achieved by anchoring teeth with devices such as implants, which can damage the oral tissue. Thus, pharmaceutical approaches are considered effective. Our findings suggest the efficacy of medication targeting osteocytes to regulate RANKL expression in controlling tooth movement. Queen's University Belfast has led the world's largest research study using a diagnostic test developed by Almac Diagnostics, to better understand the biology of prostate cancer tumors, which could lead to a transformation in how prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated. Whether a prostate cancer patient has a slow-growing or aggressive tumor will affect the type of treatment required. It is only through understanding the type and genetics of the particular cancer tumor that clinicians will be able to put an effective treatment plan in place. Lead researcher, Dr Suneil Jain from the Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology at Queen's University Belfast explains: "Current diagnosis of prostate cancer involves biopsies, scans and blood tests to determine how aggressive the cancer is and subsequently to develop an appropriate treatment plan. Doctors repeatedly report that these tools aren't always effective in determining how aggressive the cancer is, which can mean it is difficult to decide on the best treatment for an individual patient." Global Personalized medicine company Almac Diagnostics has developed a gene expression biomarker, known as Metastatic Assay, which aims to quickly diagnose the type of prostate cancer. The test analyses the genetics of the tumor enabling clinicians to understand the type of tumor, whether it is a slow-growing or aggressive and if the latter, to what extent. Researchers at Queen's University Belfast led the world's largest study of this kind, using Metastatic Assay on prostate biopsies from 248 patients who had previously been treated for prostate cancer. The research findings, published in Annals of Oncology, found the diagnostic test to be more effective than the standard clinical tests. Professor Richard Kennedy, Global VP and Medical Director at Almac Diagnostics and McClay Professor in Medical Oncology at Queen's University Belfast commented: "The assay has now proven to be superior to conventional clinical tests at predicting aggressive disease in two independent studies, the first of which used surgical tissue, while this study used tissue taken from needle biopsy. We believe it will play an important role in identifying men who may benefit from treatment intensification." Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today Treatment options available to prostate cancer patients include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, brachytherapy and hormone therapy. Although radiotherapy is often used to effectively treat patients with prostate cancer, 20- 30% of patients can relapse within five years. Dr Jain explains: "The relapse of many prostate patients could be avoided through undergoing more intensive treatment including higher dosages of radiotherapy. There are also potential side-effects associated with administering more intensive treatment so a test that enables us to deliver the right treatment to the right patient would be extremely beneficial in clinical practice." The project was funded by Prostate Cancer UK and the Movember Center of Excellence, a joint venture between Queen's University Belfast and academic colleagues in Manchester. Dr Iain Frame, Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK said: "This research could provide clinicians with the answers they need to identify which cancers are likely to spread and give men peace of mind that the decision they make regarding their treatment is the right one. It's still early days but it's great to see how the work taking place at the Movember Centers of Excellence has the potential to bring about real change for men. We look forward to further results." Patients significantly overestimate the anticipated amount of pain they'll experience following surgery, which researchers say can cause unnecessary anxiety in patients, according to a study being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2017 annual meeting. Patients who receive regional anesthesia, such as peripheral nerve blocks, epidurals or spinal anesthesia, were most likely to overestimate their postoperative pain. "We believe providers need to do a better job of counseling patients on realistic pain expectations," said study co-author Jaime L. Baratta, M.D., director of regional anesthesia at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. "This is especially true for patients receiving regional anesthesia who may not fully understand the benefits of nerve blocks and other regional anesthesia procedures aimed at preventing postoperative pain." During regional anesthesia, the physician anesthesiologist makes an injection near a cluster of nerves to numb the area of the body that requires surgery. The patient may remain awake or be given a sedative. Either way, the patient does not feel the surgery taking place. Patients receiving regional anesthesia before surgery may experience unnecessary anxiety and have exaggerated pain expectations simply because they do not understand regional anesthesia's pain relieving benefits, the researchers said. The study included 223 patients, averaging 61 years old, who were undergoing orthopedic, neurosurgical, or general surgery procedures. Of these, 96 received some type of regional anesthesia (spinal, epidural or peripheral nerve block). Of the 96 patients, 80 had no general anesthesia, while 16 had general anesthesia with a peripheral nerve block before or after surgery. The remaining 127 patients received only general anesthesia. Patients completed a questionnaire before surgery to evaluate what level of postoperative pain they expected on a 0-10 scale. Following surgery, they were asked about their level of pain in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) one hour following surgery and on the first day after surgery. Patients' average expected pain rating immediately following surgery was 4.66, compared to an actual pain rating of 2.56. The average expected pain rating on the first day after surgery was 5.45, compared to an actual pain rating of 4.30. Patients who had regional anesthesia had an average expected pain rating in the PACU of 4.63, compared to an actual pain rating of 0.92. The average expected pain rating for these patients on the first day after surgery was 5.47, compared to an actual pain rating of 3.45. "With advancements in regional anesthesia, great strides have been made in preventing postoperative pain. Given the clear benefit of patient education and anxiety alleviation on postoperative pain, providers must find ways to effectively manage patient expectations to help improve outcomes," said study co-author Amir C. Dayan, M.D. GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Heres why you can trust us. Cosmic Ghost Rider takes on his own doppelganger in his new ongoing title Cosmic Ghost Rider is riding into his first ever solo ongoing series this March The old mission of Calico Labs is to devise interventions that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives. The new mission is to harness advanced technologies to increase our understanding of the biology that controls lifespan. This is Brady Hartmans information at Longevity Facts. Bill Maris who proposed Calico has said thats possible that people could live for 500 years. Calico Labs is not just a pharmaceutical company, a technology company, nor is it involved in basic research. They are all three rolled into one. Calico Labs has linked three or more separate fields, joining the massive computational power of computers with basic research, genomics and drug development. Calico Labs is using a lot of mentions machine learning and artificial intelligence to breakdown genomics and other data. They are partnering with MIT, Buck Institute, Harvard and others and biopharma company AbbVie. Calico and AbbVie will jointly invest up to $1.5 billion in developing age-related therapies. Calico Labs is now focused on drug development, as the startup has formed many partnerships with drug companies. In 2017, they partnered with C4 Therapeutics to work on developing drugs for diseases of aging, such as type 2 diabetes and cancer. C4 Therapeutics is a private biotechnology company developing a new class of drugs based on Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD) to address a broad range of life-threatening and life-impairing diseases. C4Ts Degronimid platform uses small molecule drugs to direct the machinery of the ubiquitin-proteasome system to selectively degrade disease-relevant proteins for therapeutic benefit. Calico Labs has a partnership with University of California start-up QB3, a biotech incubator. Jackson Labs and Calico will jointly develop and Calico will fund research projects that utilize the unique resources and expertise of JAX to study the genetics of health and longevity. These studies may identify genes that associate with healthy aging. Calico has the option to obtain exclusive rights to discoveries made in these collaborative projects. The aging community has firmly decided that certain biochemical pathways are essential to aging. For example, one pathway involves insulin, and the other involves mTOR. Longevity researchers have already identified two anti-aging drugs, called geroprotectors that target those pathways. Metformin targets insulin (and to some extent mTOR), and the drug rapamycin targets its namesake, the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). Research studies have concluded that rapamycin extends lifespan in mice, and metformin extends lifespan in diabetics, by preventing cancer and warding off heart disease. In the longevity field, metformin and rapamycin are considered sure bets. In fact, the TAME Study is $65 million dollar trial to test the anti-aging effects of metformin. The other leading geroprotector rapamycin is also involved in clinical trials. Calico Labs is revisiting these proven concepts using the newest technologies. Calico Labs is making a heavy bet on basic biology. They are using less-conventional animal models in its laboratory research, such as the naked mole rat. Calico Labs built a machine that decodes a human genome from scratch. They used machine learning and not the official genome map. It worked. In July, 2017 Elon Musk said he was verbally approved to build a New York to DC Hyperloop. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has tweeted and stated his support for the Boring Company and the Hyperloop from Baltimore to DC. See more Our administration is proud to support The Boring Company to bring rapid electric transportation to MD connecting Baltimore City to D.C. pic.twitter.com/5DoLSLDesP Larry Hogan (@LarryHogan) October 19, 2017 If Elon Musks Boring company makes a New York City to Washington DC hyperloop tunnel, then it would be 226 miles long. This would be nearly three times longer than the current longest tunnel. Elon Musk tweeted out that he has been given verbal approval by someone in the US government to build a New York to DC hyperloop tunnel. Here is the wikipedia list of longest tunnels. The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is a railway tunnel in the heart of the Swiss Alps expected to open in 2016. With a route length of 57 km (35.4 mi) and the tunnel system totals 151.84 km (94.3 mi) of tunnels, shafts and passages. It is the worlds longest rail tunnel, surpassing the Seikan Tunnel in Japan. In July, 2017, Elon Musk had received verbal government approval for The Boring Company to build an underground NY-Phil-Balt-DC Hyperloop. NY-DC in 29 mins. This would be 29 minutes from New York city center to Washington DC city center. Boring Comapny would put up to a dozen or more entry/exit elevators in each city. See more Just received verbal govt approval for The Boring Company to build an underground NY-Phil-Balt-DC Hyperloop. NY-DC in 29 mins. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 20, 2017 See more For sure. First set of tunnels are to alleviate greater LA urban congestion. Will start NY-DC in parallel. Then prob LA-SF and a TX loop. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 20, 2017 Elon Musk says traffic jams will be eliminated with multi-level tunnel networks for cars and for Hyperloops. A snail can currently travel 14 times faster than a tunnel boring machine and a preliminary goal will be for the Boring Company tunneling machine to catch up to the snail. Tesla has a preliminary deal with the Shanghai municipal government that will give Tesla ownership of a new Tesla factory in Shanghais free trade zone. The preliminary deal still offers Tesla control over its trade secrets and may give the company leverage to negotiate better terms with the Chinese government in the future. Tesla hopes to complete the deal by the end of the year. Tesla to build cars in Shanghai while still paying tariffs on them would be a coup for the Chinese government. If Tesla were making cars in the Shanghai area, it would have a powerful incentive to buy many, if not most, of the parts in China, strengthening Chinas base of suppliers for the fast-growing electric car industry. China already has the worlds largest market for electric cars. LMC Automotive, a global consulting firm, estimates that 295,000 battery-electric cars will be sold this year in China, compared with 287,000 in the rest of the world combined. LMC predicts that Chinas total will nearly triple in the next two years, while the rest of the worlds will merely double. Chinese government regulations will require automakers starting in 2019 to sell ever-increasing numbers of electric cars and plug-in hybrids if they want to keep selling gasoline cars. China is and will be the largest consumer and producer of electric vehicles in the world. Tesla has to compete in China. China charges a tariff of 25 percent on imported cars, compared with 2.5 percent in the United States and 9.8 percent in the European Union. China also has a 17 percent value-added tax a kind of sales tax that is charged not only on the price of the car but also on the tariff, so that the taxes are effectively compounded. Latest update on NAC meeting The NAC meeting is crucial for the basic pay hike of CG employees to be revised. In principle the government has agreed for a revision of pay hike. Sources say that the meeting is expected to be held this month itself. The meeting was postponed several times this month on account of the various holidays. Now with work getting back on track and no major holidays in the offing the NAC is all set to meet. Delay should not deter CG employees Sources say that the delay of the NAC meeting should not deter both CG employees and pensioners. The delay is owing to the holidays and hence the meeting should not be convened. Sources say that whenever the meeting is held it has been decided to raise the fitment factor from 2.57 to 3 times. The fact is that the government has decided to revise the basic pay. No matter when the meeting is held, the government's final decision would come in January 2018 itself. Fixation of pay and grant of increment The matter regarding fixation of pay under pay panel in respect of employees promoted between 1st day of January and the date of notification of CCS(RP)Rules 2016 and methodology to be adopted in such cases has already been furnished. Of late, this HQrs has been receiving various references regarding application of the orders issued by AT-II Section of this office thereby seeking clarification regarding availability of option to switch over to 7th Pay COmmission from 07/2016 in cases where the official has been promoted between 1st January 2016 and the date of notification. In reply, Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure has clarified that -"the option to switch over to the revised pay structure either on 01.01.2016 or the date of next increment is applicable under Rule 5 of CCS(RP)Rules 2016 in case of post held on 01.01.2016. Further, they have clarified that if the date of next increment on 01.07.2016 for a post held on 01.01.2016 falls after the date of promotion, then the date of next increment for the post held on 01.01.2016 has no relevance for option. Thus, the option cannot be exercised from 01.07.2016 to switch over to revised pay structure. 7th Pay Commission, latest news and updates The latest news on the 7th Pay Commission is that the fitment factor would rise to 3 times. This would have an impact on both the CG employees and pensioners. This would mean that the basic pay would go up from Rs 18,000 to Rs 21,000. Employees have been asking for a hike of Rs 26,000, but the government is unlikely to go ahead with that and will stick to Rs 21,000. Its the final countdown: Army moves best of its men for last take down of terrorists India oi-Vicky By Vicky The Army is all set to make the final push in Kashmir. The presence of the Armed forces has been increased considerably at Shopian district which is considered to be the last bastion of terrorists in South Kashmir. A reserve battalion has been moved into the area in a bid to take down the remaining terrorists holed up in the district. Once seen as the 'ground zero' for terrorists, who used to roam openly in the area, problems started after April this year with security forces facing resistance in entering Heff- Shirmal area in the district, they said. Senior police, Army and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel started burning the midnight oil to overcome the crisis of controlling Shopian, which is located south of the Peer Panjal mountain range and can provide free access to terrorists to cross over to Doda, Kishtwar and Poonch area of Jammu, the officials said. After the killing of Burhan Wani of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit, on July 8 last year, the district has accounted for the disappearance of over 37 youths, who are believed to have joined various militant outfits. Officials said that after increasing the footprint, local intelligence has started flowing, resulting in encounters that saw top terrorist leadership, including the main recruiter for Hizbul Mujahideen Irfan Sheikh of Maldera and the group's financier Waseem Shah being eliminated. CRPF has also moved in a reserve battalion comprising nearly 1,000 men into Shopian. Victor Force, a counter-insurgency unit of the Army, headed by Major Gen B S Raju, and Deputy Inspector General of Jammu and Kashmir Police (South Kashmir) S P Pani along with CRPF officer brain stormed and started re-calibrating their plans for making Shopian a terrorist-free zone, they said. Jammu and Kashmir police moved in a considerable number of its personnel to various parts of the district and its crack teams of special operation group got attached with teams of the Army and CRPF to engage in a quick operation, whenever needed, they said. Army has established nearly five camps at Nagabal, Chillipura, Maitribugh, Zainpura and Larkipura besides increasing strength in existing camps in the area, the officials said. The most important was the Army camp at Chillipura, which is located next to Heff-Shirmal area, as it provided a safe haven to terrorists with a natural cover being provided by the lush green forests and apple orchards. Considered as a gateway to the Kashmir Valley for being strategically located en-route to the historical Mughal road, Shopian has at present nearly 15 active terrorists. Out of them, only Saddam and Zeenat-ul-Islam are A++ category terrorists who carry a cash reward on them. OneIndia News Bilkis Bano case: SC asks Guj govt for details on action taken against cops India oi-Vicky By Vicky The Supreme Court has asked the Gujarat government to report to it about the action taken against the policemen accused of dereliction of duty in the Bilkis Bano rape case. The court directed the Gujarat government to appraise it about the departmental action taken against those cops found guilty of dereliction of duty. It was alleged in the SC that the cops who were found guilty are back on duty. The Gujarat government however told the court that these persons had served out their sentences. The victim also submitted in the court that she wanted enhancement of compensation. To this the SC directed her to file a separate special leave petition. On March 3, 19-year-old Bilkis Bano along with her family were on their way, escaping a mob on a truck. Bilkis was five months pregnant and accompanying her were 17 other people in the truck, including her 2-year-old daughter. The truck was attacked by an armed mob, who gangraped her and killed 14 members of her family including her daughter, her mother Halima and cousin Shamim. The 19-year-old approached the local police station to register a case against the assailants. However, the police dismissed her case and threatened her with dire consequences if she proceeded with the matter. She then approached the National Human Rights Commission of India and petitioned the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court directed the CBI to probe into the matter. In the meantime, she along with her family were issued threats, which forced her to request the SC to move the case outside Gujarat. The SC then shifted the case to Maharashtra. In the Mumbai court, charges were filed against 19 men, including 6 police officers and a government doctor. In January 2008, 11 of them were sentenced to life imprisonment for gangrape and murder. OneIndia News Lack of development in J&K for decades was one of the reasons behind rise of terrorism: Rajnath Singh His contributions ignored: Why Rajnath Singh said Netaji was first PM of India Centre appoints former IB director to initiate sustained dialogue in the Valley India oi-Vicky By Vicky The government has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said. The government has appointed former director of the Intelligence Bureau, Dineshwar Sharma to lead the talks. Singh said that Sharma will be India's representative leading the talks on Kashmir. He would have rank that is equivalent to that of a cabinet secretary, Singh also informed. Sharma would initiate talks with all groups in Kashmir, Singh also said. The Home Minister also said that Sharma would initiate talks with political parties, elected representatives and other organisations in Kashmir. The decision was taken by the government in a bid to restore peace in the Valley, The team headed by Sharma would initiate a sustained dialogue in Kashmir. With the Army carrying out a clean up operation of terrorists in the Valley, the centre feels that it is necessary to initiate a sustained dialogue to restore and also maintain peace in the Valley. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 16:24 [IST] Congress demands arrest of Assam BJP MP for comparing Nehru-Gandhi with garbage India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Guwahati, Oct 23: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress in Assam have locked horns after a member of Parliament (MP) belonging to the saffron party allegedly compared Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru with "garbage". The man in the midst of a 'political' row in the state, BJP MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, who represents the Jorhat constituency, said his comments at a rally in Sivasagar district's Sonari on Saturday have been "misrepresented". "The Congress has pushed the Nehru-Gandhi garbage into the minds of people over the years and there is now no space for any other theory," Tasa said at the rally which was attended by Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal too. The Congress has filed a police complaint against Tasa and demanded his arrest. On Sunday, the opposition also hosted a state-wide protest against Tasa's "garbage" comment. "The MP ... described Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi as garbage. Therefore, we seek his immediate arrest and prosecution under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)," read the FIR. "Comparing Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi with garbage is an unpardonable offence and we demand his immediate arrest for the crime he has committed," said Assam Congress leader Ripun Bora. Tasa in his defence said: "I was wrongly interpreted. I have never taken the names of Nehru and Gandhi in the manner it has been projected. I said a lot of garbage has been drilled in the names of Nehru and Gandhi." OneIndia For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 8:53 [IST] SC notice to Centre on plea against supply of electoral roll to candidates EC to announce dates for Gujarat assembly elections 2017 today India oi-Madhuri The Election Commission (EC) will announce on Monday the dates for for the crucial Gujarat assembly elections 2017. Last week, Congress leader P Chidambaram had criticised the EC saying that by not announcing the Gujarat poll schedule, it has "authorised" Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the dates at his last rally, after all "freebies" for the state were doled out. The Congress had alleged that the NDA government had pressurised the EC to delay the announcement of Gujarat election schedule, so that the prime minister could offer sops to his home state before the model code of conduct came into force. The Gujarat elections would be a trilateral contest between Indian National Congress (INC), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) which is contesting for the first time from the state. The Gujarat Assembly, which comprises of 182 members, has 118 MLAs of BJP, 42 from Congress, 2 members of NCP and one member of JD (U). In two major developments, prominent Patidar faces and Hardik Patel's two close aides Varun Patel and Reshma Patel joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and popular OBC face Alpesh Thakor confirmed that he would join Congress. Varun and Reshma were among the prominent faces of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and remained critical of the ruling BJP. However, they decided to join the saffron party after a meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and state party chief Jitu Vaghani during its parliamentary board meeting, which was also attended by BJP president Amit Shah. On October 12, the EC had announced Assembly poll schedule for Himachal Pradesh but did not announce the dates for Gujarat, only saying that it would go to the polls before December 18. OneIndia News GST intelligence agency raids Tamil actor Vishal India oi-Vicky By Vicky A team of the Intelligence Agency of the GST conducted raids at the office of the Vishal Film Factory, the production house owned by actor and President of Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council Vishal. The raid took place at the premises of the Vadapalani office of the production house at around 2 pm. At first it was said that it was a raid by the Income Tax department, but the same was denied later. The raids were conducted to find out if there was any evasion of the GST amount paid. Following the raids, all necessary documents were produced. The GST intelligence agency was formed to find out if there was any evasion of the Goods and Services Tax. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 17:15 [IST] Thanks to BJPs hatred for criticism, love for communal politics, Mersal is a blockbuster After being targeted by BJP, Mersal star Vijay breaks his silence to thank his fans Mersal controversy: Freedom of expression is for all, says Madras HC How dare you! Farhan Akhtar jumps into Mersal row over BJP leaders low IQ jibe India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia New Delhi, Oct 23: The recently-released Tamil film, Mersal, has been hogging the limelight after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders protested over dialogues in the movie where the lead actor Vijay criticised Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Digital India initiatives. The saffron party demanded the removal of those scenes from the film critical of the Narendra Modi government. Several actors including Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth have expressed their support for the controversial movie. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attacked the Modi government over its demands to remove dialogues from Mersal. Till now, Bollywood has remained silent over the controversy that erupted last week. Now, a prominent voice from the Hindi film industry, Farhan Akhtar, an actor and a director, has jumped into the controversy over a derogatory remark against film stars made by a BJP spokesperson in the context of Mersal. BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao, criticising Mersal and its makers in a TV interview, said: "In any case, most of our film stars have very low IQ, very low general knowledge." Taking offence over the remark of Rao, Farhan on Sunday tweeted, "How dare you, sir?" "And to all film people in his ranks... Here's what he thinks of you. Shame sir," an angry Farhan wrote and tagged the BJP leader. How dare you, sir?? @GVLNRAO And to all film people in his ranks.. heres what he thinks of you. #shame https://t.co/6C8v6hZa23 Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) October 22, 2017 In Mersal, popular actor Vijay in seen in three roles that of a village head, a doctor and a magician. The film has been directed by Atlee. As a part of the BJP's attack against Mersal and its lead actor, a saffron party leader from Tamil Nadu also alleged that Vijay being a Christian criticised the Modi government in the film. Looking at how so many popular personalities, including celebrities and politicians, have joined the row over Mersal, which has been running successfully in theatres across several states, the controversy over the film is unlikely to die down soon. OneIndia For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 10:22 [IST] India informs Portugal about Salems conviction in Mumbai blasts case India oi-Vicky By Vicky The Portugal government has been informed about the sentence awarded to Abu Salem in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. The Ministry for Home Affairs while passing on the information to Portugal has attached a copy of the verdict. It may be recalled that Salem was deported from Portugal in 2005. The decision to inform Portugal was taken as per the requirement in the treaty. Officials said that the details of the judgment and the basis on which Salem was convicted was informed to Portugal. Salem has claimed in a petition before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that the sentence is violative of the extradition terms and that he be returned to Portugal. Salem's contention is that he cannot be imprisoned for more than 25 years. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 6:48 [IST] Issues between India-Bangladesh would be resolved with 'honesty': Swaraj India oi-Vikas By Vikas External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, on said that the unresolved issues between the two countries would be resolved "honestly". "There are some issues still left unresolved between us, we assure both are attempting to resolve them with honesty," she said in Dhaka today. The EAM on Monday also inaugurated new chancery of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Several Bangladeshi Ministers were also present on the occasion. Swaraj inaugurating new chancery Swaraj and her Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on Sunday co-chaired the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Committee meeting and 'reviewed' various aspects of 'bilateral relations'. Swaraj meeting Shahidul Islam, the new Secretary General of BIMSTEC "Our discussions today in the course of the 4th Joint Consultative Commission have been extremely useful. Even more important is the atmosphere of trust and understanding in which we carried out our discussions. We discussed the common challenges that we are faced with today. One such challenge is that of terrorism, extremism and radicalization and we will continue to fight this scourge together and along with other like-minded countries," Swaraj said in a press statement on Sunday. Swaraj met Raushen Ershad On Sunday, Sushma Swaraj metthe Leader of Opposition Raushen Ershad. Both leaders exchanged views on strengthening bilateral relations. Swaraj meets Chairperson of BNP Begum Khaleda Zia India has also been extending grant assistance for small socio-economic projects in Bangladesh. In the past three years alone, 24 such grant projects have been completed which include construction of students' hostels, tube-wells, cultural centres, and orphanages among others. Presently 58 projects, including city development projects in Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet, are under implementation, the EAM said. (All images - MEA/Twitter) This is Swaraj's second visit to Bangladesh and comes after recent trip of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during which India operationalised a USD 4.5 billion line of credit to Bangladesh to enable implementation of development projects in key areas, including power, railways, roads and shipping. The announcement of the line of credit was made during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in April. The development is also seen as India's attempt to counter increasing Chinese influence in Bangladesh, where Beijing is trying to make inroads in infrastructure ventures. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 13:11 [IST] Fact Check: PM Modi never told ICC to replay the India-England semi-final game at T20 World Cup PM Modi meets UK PM Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of G20 summit in Bali 'Health for all': WHO chief thanks PM Modi amid G20 Summit India does not think small anymore: PM Modi tells Indians in Bali What PM Modi said after meeting world leaders at G20 Summit PM Modi, Xi Jinping greet each other at G-20 dinner in first meet after Galwan clash Modi congratulates Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on re-election India pti-PTI New Delhi, Oct 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on his re-election and said he looked forward to further strengthening the relations between the two countries. Abe got a resounding victory in the snap polls held, with his LDF-led coalition winning two-thirds majority in the lower house of Parliament. "Heartiest greetings to my dear friend @AbeShinzo on his big election win. Look forward to further strengthen India- Japan relations with him," Modi tweeted. Modi and Abe share a great relationship and have met several times over the last three years. Abe was in India recently for the annual summit meeting with Modi. PTI Mukul Roy set to join BJP in first week of November India oi-Vicky By Vicky The Bharatiya Janata Party is set to induct former TMC leader Mukul Roy into the party. Roy's induction into the party is likely to take place in the first week of November. The announcement of his joining the party is expected to be made after BJP general secretary and West Bengal in-charge, Kailash Vijayvargiya meets party president Amit Shah this week, BJP party sources said. "If everything goes well, Mukul Roy will join our party within the first week of November. His joining can take place either in Kolkata or in New Delhi," a senior BJP leader, who is privy to the developments, said on condition of anonymity. Roy, however, could not be reached for a reaction. The state BJP unit, which was divided till last week on the question of inducting Roy into the party, has given up its reservations due to the keenness of the leadership, the sources said. Vijayvargiya has played a key role in convincing the BJP leadership about the positive impact of inducting Roy, who is known for his organisational acumen, into the party, they said. "Given the lack of good organisers in the state BJP unit, Kailashji was positive about Roy from the very beginning. He felt that inducting Roy would help the party in the rural polls in 2018 and Lok Sabha polls in 2019," another BJP leader said. "Roy's organisational acumen and ability to conduct polls have earned praise from everybody," the leader said. A BJP party source said, "You can expect an announcement after Kailash Vijayvargiya meets our party president this week. After the meeting the picture will be clear. Our party leadership is presently busy with the poll campaign in Gujarat." State BJP president Dilip Ghosh had recently lauded Roy as a "good organiser" and said that he had made a "big contribution" to the growth of the TMC in Bengal. The indication that Roy is likely to join the BJP came when he was invited for the birthday celebration of BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha that will take place on October 25. Roy, who was once the second in command in the Trinamool Congress after its chief Mamata Banerjee, had earlier in October resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the party. He had described BJP as a non-communal party and said that the TMC would not have tasted success without the backing of the saffron outfit at the national level in its initial years. Roy was in September suspended from the TMC for six years for indulging in anti-party activities after he announced that he would quit the party. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 6:39 [IST] Why Punjab farmers burn stubble at this scale when others do not In the killing of those protecting Hindus in Punjab, a massive ISI plot revealed NIA to begin probe into RSS workers murder next week India oi-Vicky By Vicky The NIA probe into the murder of an RSS leader from Punjab would commence from next week. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will start its probe into the killing of RSS leader Ravinder Gosain from next week. Gosain was shot dead by two bike borne men on October 17. The incident took place when Gosain was returning home after attending a morning drill (RSS shakha). Later, the Punjab government decided to hand over the case to the NIA, the orders for which were issued by the Punjab chief minister on the request of a RSS delegation. The DGP said that the state police sought assistance from central agencies such as the NIA so that they could work in coordination and explore all possible means to crack such cases. The killing of the RSS leader was the latest in a series of murderous attacks on right-wing and religious leaders in Punjab. This was the eighth such incident in the state since 2016. The DGP was non-committal on the role of 'Pro Khalistani' elements in the killings of RSS leaders Jagdish Gagneja and 60-year-old Gosain, and the other religious leaders. Last year, on August 6, Gagneja was shot in Jalandhar. He later died at the DMC hospital in Ludhiana. Arora assured Gosain's family that the police would leave no stone unturned to arrest the culprits at the earliest. However, he did not share details of the police's probe, saying that it would not be in the interest of the case. His meeting with the family lasted about 20 minutes. DGP (Intelligence) Dinkar Gupta, Ludhiana Police Commissioner R N Dhoke and BJP Ludhiana president Ravinder Arora were accompanying the Punjab police chief. OneIndia News Not only Opposition, some BJP leaders also against Rajasthan govt's 'draconian' ordinance India oi-Vikas By Vikas Rajasthan government's ordinance ordinance seeking to protect the government servants from being investigated has drawn flak not only from the Opposition, but also from withing the BJP. Rajasthan BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari opposed Vasundhara Raje government's immunity bill inside the Assembly where the controversial ordinance seeking to protect judges and bureaucrats from probe without prior sanction was tabled on Monday. "Such a draconian bill should not be brought in, we will raise this in a meet today," BJP leader N Rajvi told the media. Congress leader Sachin Pilot had earlier said that the state government is trying to safeguard the interest of people through whom they conduct corruption scandals in Rajasthan. Rajasthan state assembly was adjourned till Tuesday following the protest by Congress leaders over immunity bill. [Ruckus in Rajasthan assembly over immunity bill] The Ordinance which prohibits investigations into allegations against current and former judges, magistrates and civil servants without previous permission, was put into effect on September 7. Defending the government, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria had on Sunday told that there was no provision in the ordinance which will weaken action against corrupt officers. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 12:30 [IST] Passengers with no confirmed Rajdhani AC-I/II tickets, could soon opt to fly in Air India India oi-Madhuri Passengers with unconfirmed AC-I or AC-II tickets for Rajdhani Express can now fly to their destination instead by paying the difference, if any, in the price of the train and air tickets. According to TOI report, the chairman of the Railway Board Ashwani Lohani had planned this move when he was Air India chairman but the railways had not given any positive response. Speaking to TOI, Lohani said,''If Air India approaches us with this proposal, we will accept it.'' A large number of people end up with unconfirmed AC-II Rajdhani tickets almost every day due to a severe demand-supply crunch in the railways. But as the process to privatise or sell government-owned Air India is in its final stages, it is yet to be seen whether airline approves such a proposal. Meanwhile, Senior IAS officer Rajiv Bansal, who was given additional charge as AI chairman for three months in August-end, said he would not be immediately able to comment on the proposal. "This is the first time I am hearing of such a thing. There is difference in train and air fares..." he said. OneIndia News Cong for Muslims, BJP for Hindus: Did Rahuls temple visits in Guj help to bust the myth? Possibility of snowfall was a key factor to declare Himachal polls early: EC India oi-Vikas By Vikas With the Opposition parties up in arms over the Election Commision not declaring the dates for polls in Gujarat along with Himachal Pradesh, Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Joti on Monday said likihood of snowfall in some parts of the hill state was one of the main reasons for declaring elections early. The Congress had alleged that the NDA government had pressurised the EC to delay the announcement of Gujarat election schedule. Speaking to news agency ANI, Joti said that state administration and even the political parties had requested them to conduct the elections in early November so that voters do not get affected by snowfall. "Three districts - Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti and Chamba - are likely to experience snowfall. Therefore, a request was made to conduct the elections in early November so that voters do not get affected and can cast their votes," said Joti. The CEC also said that election results of one state should not influence the voters of another state becasue of which the counting fo Himachal Pradesh has been scheduled for December 18, by which time polling in Gujarat would be over. "We had stated that we would plan the election schedule in Gujarat in such a way that polling in Gujarat is over prior to Himachal result, so that the outcome of the result should not affect the voting in Gujarat," Joti told ANI. He also said that some parts of Gujarat are still recovering from devastating floods last month, adding that the government staff which is carrying out the restoration work is the same which would carry out services during the elections. On October 12, the EC had announced Assembly poll schedule for Himachal Pradesh but did not announce the dates for Gujarat, only saying that it would go to the polls before December 18. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 15:01 [IST] Stamp paper racket kingpin Telgi admitted to hospital in very critical condition India oi-Vicky By Vicky The kingpin of the fake stamp paper racket, Abdul Karim Telgi is in a critical condition. He has been admitted to a hospital in Bengaluru and is currently on life support. M T Nanaiah, the advocate who has represented Telgi in the case informed OneIndia that he remains in a very critical condition. He also informed that Telgi is suffering from brain fever. Nanaiah also said that there was some amount of delay on part of the jail authorities in admitting him to hospital. Nanaiaha however denied reports that Telgi had died. He has been admitted to the Victoria hospital in Bengaluru and is currently on a ventilator, Nanaiah further informed. Telgi was arrested several years back in connection with the multi crore fake stamp paper racket. The cases against him are in the trial stage. He was lodged in the Central Jail at Parapanaagarahara in Bengaluru. OneIndia News Mamata denied starvation deaths in Bengal, but survey says state tribals have food scracity Gap between rich and poor has widened, needs to be bridged: Gadkari Starvation deaths haunt Jharkhand, now, rickshaw puller dies of hunger India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Ranchi, Oct 23: It was only last week, when the report of death of an 11-year-old girl due to starvation in Jharkhand rattled the entire nation. Now, one more starvation death from the state has been reported on Sunday by various news organisations. According to reports, a 45-year-old rickshaw puller in Dhanbad's Jharia allegedly died of hunger due to "severe poverty-stricken conditions" of the family. #Jharkhand: Rikshaw puller allegedly died of starvation owing to severe poverty-stricken condition in Dhanbad's Jharia, his family claimed. pic.twitter.com/rEGJeKvPRM ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2017 However, officials maintain that the victim, Baijnath Ravidas, died because he was suffering from prolonged illness. A similar position was maintained by the Jharkhand officials when death of Santoshi Kumar was reported from Simdega. While Santoshi's family and food rights activists say she died of hunger, authorities in Jharkhand stated that the girl died on September 28 because of malaria. Ravidas died on Friday evening. Parwati Devi, the victim's wife, after performing the last rites on Saturday, said that her husband hadn't eaten anything for the past two days. "The oven in my house was not ignited for the last two days and he (Ravidas) succumbed to hunger," Parwati told reporters on Sunday. Baijnath left behind five children including three sons -- Ravi (20), Suraj (14), Neeraj (10) -- and two daughters Suman (16) and Sulekha (8). Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner A Dodde presented the family Rs 20,000 and assured to provide 50 kg of food grains immediately. "He had been bedridden for the last one month. After reports of his death, a probe was conducted. It was found that he died of illness and not hunger," Dodde said. According to reports, the rickshaw puller had applied for ration card in the second week of October. However, all the family members have Aadhaar Card. The mother of the 11-year-old alleged that the girl died as the family stopped getting rice under the government's Public Distribution System (PDS) as they had no Aadhaar card. Similarly, three brothers in Karnataka died in July due to alleged starvation as they too stopped getting rice under the PDS because they too had no Aadhaar card. OneIndia For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 8:09 [IST] The south Indian doctor who turned recruiter for the Islamic State India oi-Vicky By Vicky An Indian doctor who featured in an Islamic State video has left security agencies puzzled. The ISIS had released a 15.28 minute video in which it speaks about the health services that the group is offering. The Indian doctor in the video speaks about the health services that are being offered by the group. We have people from many countries working in the physiotherapy centre of the hospital, the doctor says. We have a team of female staffers for women and children who visit the hospital. We appeal to medical professionals from all over the world to come and join the Islamic movement, the doctor says. Indian agencies are currently decoding the video. An official informed OneIndia that it appears to be a message from the ISIS to rope in doctors from India. With the ISIS suffering heavy losses, it is in need of medical staff. Moreover the ISIS has always favoured nurses and doctors from India, the IB officer also said. In the video, the doctor is also seen calling on people from Sri Lanka, Australia and Russia as well. Although it is not clear who exactly this doctor, in the video he is referred to as Abu al Muqati. It is a code name, the officer says while also adding that the dialect suggests that he is from South India. He has been part of the group for sometime now and is actively trying to recruit Indians into the group, the officer also noted. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 15:26 [IST] Bigot or not: The debate over Tipu Jayanti celebrations in Karnataka Tipus descendants to sue BJP leader for mass rapist comment India oi-Vicky By Vicky The family of Tipu Sultan has decided to take legal action against BJP MP, Ananthkumar Hegde. The decision comes in the wake of Hegde calling the 19th century ruler of Mysore a mass rapist and brutal killer. Hegde made the comments while conveying his decision to the Karnataka government that he did not wish to be part of the Tipu Jayanti celebrations. Bhaktiar Ali one of the sixth generation descendants has decided to hold a meeting with the rest of the family members before moving the court against the MP's comments. Ali said that he was taken aback to hear such comments from the MP. He said that Tipu was a revered ruler and such comments have only tarnished his image. We are contemplating legal action against Hegde he also said. The family members want Hegde to tender an unconditional apology for his comments. On the other hand, Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said that Tipu was a freedom fighter who fought against the British. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 6:54 [IST] PM Modi, Xi Jinping greet each other at G-20 dinner in first meet after Galwan clash Why Modi mimicking Manmohan is unbecoming of a PM India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia New Delhi, Oct 23: Remember back in 2012, it was then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, who while attacking then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over several corruption cases against the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre, called him Maun (silent) Mohan Singh. Modi attacked Singh as he remained "mum" over the various scams that came to light during his tenure as the PM. While many supported such name-calling resorted by Modi, others said that Singh himself was a "clean man". It seems Modi, even after the passage of five years and winning the 2014 Lok Sabha elections handsomely, is still suffering from Manmohan phobia. Otherwise, why would he during his public rally in Gujarat on Sunday, after inaugurating a slew of projects, decided to impersonate Singh by trying to speak in the former PM's characteristic soft voice. Before mimicking Singh, Modi called the Congress "anti-Gujarat and anti-development" and thus the people of his home state should not vote for the grand old party during the upcoming Assembly polls in the state. Modi added that as the CM he suffered at the hands of the Congress-led UPA government as it would sit over development proposals. Alleging that during his tenure as the Gujarat CM, the then PM Singh always used to ignore his request about laying sluice gates at the Narmada dam. While narrating the incident when Singh allegedly dishonoured Modi's request, the incumbent PM actually imitated the former PM's voice to the utter shock of the audience. "Abhi tak aapka ka am nahi hua (Your work still not done)," Modi said in a soft voice trying to impersonate Singh. In fact, the PM repeated the statement twice to sound like Singh. Modi also mimicked former PM Rajiv Gandhi without naming him. "Humey dekhna hain, hum dekhenge, humey sochna hain, hum sochenge... We do nothing like this, we implement projects in a decided time-frame," Modi said, trying to sound like former PM Gandhi. Sharing my speech at the public meeting in Ghogha in Bhavnagar district. https://t.co/lZCPK46gXB pic.twitter.com/oQ7ZyIR0hY Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 22, 2017 Such attempts by Modi to win the hearts of voters of Gujarat, which is going to elections in December, by insulting two former PMs have been criticised by many. A political analyst, on condition of anonymity, said,"Mr Modi is our PM. When a PM imitates someone else, it shows poorly on him. He is our PM, he should act like one. Moreover, it was a vulgar way to insult two former PMs. This is totally unbecoming of a PM." Singh, on his part, too has criticised the Modi government, but it was always in a dignified manner laced with facts and figures. Last year, after PM Modi announced demonetisation, it was Singh, the well-known economist, who during his Rajya Sabha address predicted that because of note ban the Gross Domestic Prpoduct (GDP) of the country will slow down by at least two per cent, which will hurt the people in agriculture, small industries and in the informal sectors. Singh was bang on in his anlaysis. Nine months after Singh's prediction on demonetisation and its impact on the GDP, in August, when the figures of country's GDP for the first quarter of the current fiscal that ended in June were declared, the former PM and the economist was proved right about his assessment on the whole issue. It showed that India's economic growth has slid to a three-year low, partly due to demonetisation. India's GDP growth has sharply dipped to 5.7 per cent in Q1 Of 2017-18. The former PM's criticism on demonetisation was not to target the Modi government, but to tell the voters of India that how a "hasty and unplanned" economic decision could directly hit the GDP. Modi should definitely learn a few things from his esteem and wise predecessor, not only about "how to help the country's economy from falling", but also about civility and being a gentleman while holding the country's top post. OneIndia Will miss your tantrums, Sonia Gandhi told Pranab Mukherjee India oi-Vicky By Vicky I will miss his tantrums is what Sonia Gandhi had to say while bidding farewell to Pranab Mukherjee from the Congress party. "After briefing the meeting on the presidential election, Sonia Gandhi bid me an emotional farewell...Thereafter, with a mischievous smile she looked at me and said 'Along with that, of course, I will miss some of his tantrums'," Mukherjee writes in his just-launched book, 'The Coalition Years'. The former president's third political memoir gives several accounts of how the UPA chairperson remained reluctant to approve his name for the country's top constitutional post despite often acknowledging that he was the "most suited" for the office. Recalling the events in the run-up to the presidential elections in 2007 and 2012, Mukherjee said the Congress chief told him that he could not be spared by the party on account of the "crucial role" he played for it in the UPA government and Parliament. Narrating the sequence of the Congress Working Committee meeting on June 25, 2012, at the 7 Race Course Road residence of the prime minister, Mukherjee noted Gandhi, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party office-bearers and chief ministers present at the meeting finally gave him the green signal to run for the presidential office. Mukherjee earlier said that on May 29, 2012, the Congress president's political secretary Ahmed Patel had informed him that Gandhi had perhaps finalised his name as the party's presidential nominee but was also exploring the possibility of adequate support for then Vice President Hamid Ansari. "The bone of contention about my nomination remained the same as that in 2007," the former president said in the book referring to Gandhi's refrain over sparing him from the government. Mukherjee said that on June 2, 2012, he met Sonia Gandhi. "She told me frankly, 'Pranabji you are the most eminently suited for the office, but you should not forget the crucial role you are playing in the functioning of the government. Could you suggest an alternative?" Mukherjee records in the book, adding that he told Gandhi he would abide by whatever decision she took. "The meeting ended and I returned with a vague impression that she might wish to consider Manmohan Singh as the UPA presidential nominee. I thought that if she selected Singh for the presidential office, she may choose me as the prime minister. I had heard a rumour that she had given this formulation serious thought while on a holiday in the Kaushambhi hills," Mukherjee says in the book. He said there was no doubt that Gandhi considered him as an organisation man as she once chose him to reply in Parliament on a crucial topic when there was commotion by the then opposition BJP members. "The matter (in Parliament) was thus sorted out, but not before Sonia Gandhi commented, 'This is why you (Mukherjee) can't be the President'," he wrote. Disclosing dramatic events ahead of his name being cleared for the top post, Mukherjee documents that TMC chief Mamata Banerjee met Gandhi on June 13, 2012, and later Gandhi told him that the TMC chief had suggested two probables -- Mukherjee himself and Ansari, and also told her that she was in discussion with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and would inform her of the decision accordingly. "I am not aware of the discussion at Mulayam Singh Yadav's residence. But at a press conference jointly held that evening, they declared that their presidential nominees were APJ Abdul Kalam, Manmohan Singh and Somnath Chatterjee, in that order. "Mamata Banerjee also mentioned her meeting with Sonia Gandhi and insisted that Sonia Gandhi had suggested two names -- Hamid Ansari and Pranab Mukherjee -- both of which were unacceptable to them. I heard of this development but chose not to comment. A certain disappointment spread amongst my family and friends...," Mukherjee says. He later writes that the same night he received a call from Sonia Gandhi requesting for a meeting the next morning. "On June 14, I went to Sonia Gandhi at 11 am and had a long discussion with her. I found her to be in a decisive mood. She told me about her meeting with Mamata Banerjee. She was dismayed that Mamata Banerjee had not informed us about her decision after the meeting with Mulayam Singh Yadav and, instead, had disclosed information to the media," he said. Mukherjee said later Gandhi told him that the matter be discussed further at the Core Group meeting the same evening. After a slew of meetings, Manmohan Singh informed Mukherjee of a joint decision to nominate him as the presidential election nominee of the UPA. "Both of them were seized of the fact that we could not afford to lose the presidential election," he said. Chronicling the incidents leading to the 2007 presidential election, Mukherjee said, "When Manmohan Singh was holding discussions with the coalition partners on the presidential nominee I was told my name was proposed by the Left parties first and then seconded by others." The former president said the final decision was left to the Congress party. "Sonia Gandhi called me and said, 'your name is being suggested by some political parties as the presidential candidate, but it would be difficult for me to spare you as you are a strong pillar of the party in the government and in Parliament'," he said in the book. Later, Mukherjee said CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat told him that during the latter's meeting with Gandhi, she ruled out his name citing a number of reasons, including the fact that she did not have a substitute for him as the Leader of the Lok Sabha. Mukherjee also narrated the incident when Gandhi was to appoint a Prime Minister after she declined to take up the position in 2004. "There was intense speculation in the party and the media about her choice. Within the Congress party the consensus was that the incumbent must be a political leader with experience in party affairs and administration. Finally she named Dr Manmohan Singh as her choice and he accepted. "The prevalent expectation was that I would be the next choice for Prime Minister after Sonia Gandhi declined. This expectation was possibly based on the fact that I had extensive experience in government, while Singh's vast experience was as a civil servant with five years as a reformist finance minister," he wrote in the book. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 7:25 [IST] India will continue to rely on close cooperation of US to address global economic challenges: Sitharaman ASEAN meet in Philippines: Sitharaman to meet Mattis International pti-PTI Washington, Oct 23: A top Pentagon official has said that US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis will meet his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman in the Philippines this week at a conference of ASEAN defence ministers. The bilateral meeting between Mattis and Sitharaman would take place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defence Ministers' Meeting in the Philippines that begins today and ends on October 25. "I will have meetings while I'm in the Philippines at the ASEAN meeting with regional counterparts - Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines of course, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia," Mattis told reporters travelling with him to Philippines. This would be the first meeting between the two leaders after Mattis' successful trip to India last month. Mattis said the ASEAN defence ministers' meeting will be an opportunity to recognise ASEAN for 50 years of promoting peace and stability in the region. "They have done a very good job of it. Nations coming of age, many years finding, finding, basically a foundation where they can discuss things," he said. ASEAN, he said, provides an international forum, giving voice to those who want relations between states to be based on respect, not on predatory economics or on the size of militaries, in an apparent reference to China. "ASEAN nations have demonstrated that they can listen to one another, they identify opportunities to increase defence cooperation for their own security, and seek shared solutions to shared concerns," he said, adding that the US remains unambiguously committed to supporting ASEAN. PTI 32,000 girls converted to Islam and sold as ISIS slaves: This is The Kerala Story In revenge strike, ISIS killed 116 in Syria International oi-Vicky By Vicky In a revenge attack the Islamic State killed at least 116 people in Syria. The killings were undertaken as these persons were suspected of collaborating with the Syrian regime in Al-Qaryatain. "IS has over a period of 20 days executed at least 116 civilians in reprisal killings, accusing them of collaboration with regime forces," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. Regime forces retook Al-Qaryatain, which lies in the central Homs province, on Saturday, three weeks after the jihadists seized control of it. IS had first occupied the town in 2015 and lost it to a Russian-backed Syria forces last year. Following the take over on Saturday, the residents of the town found over 100 bodies on the streets. They had been shot dead and executed with knives, Rahman said. "Most of the IS fighters who attacked the town a month ago were sleeper cells... They are from the town, know the town's residents and who is for or against the regime," he said. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 15:09 [IST] North Korea, nuclear proliferation and the AQ Khan network International oi-Vikas By Vikas Recommended Video North Korea owes its Nuclear capabilities to USSR and Pakistan | Oneindia News North Korea's frequent threats to the US and Kim Jong-un's war of words with Donald Trump have been making headlines for quite some time now. Some view North Korea as a threat to global peace, especially Japan and South Korea. Japan and South Korea have left no stone unturned to approach the UN to impose sanctions on Pyongyang in hope that it may rein in Kim's ambitions. Whether maverick Kim will actually invite war or will just be content with chest thumping is something that remains to be seen. More that Pyongyang's missile capabilities, what is most worrying is the nuclear capability they have got. North's Hydrogen bomb testing in September has left even the most powerful nation in the world - the US- worried. What is more worrying is that Pyongyang's claim that they have developed a nuclear device that can be launched on a missile of intermediate or intercontinental range. North Korea's nuclear program: Although the efforts to develop nuclear technology by North Korea by began in the 1950s, the program got a major boost only after North Korea and the USSR signed a nuclear cooperation agreement in 1959. In 1962, Soviet Union helped North Korea set up its first nuclear research facility - Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center. The Soviets even helped North Korea set up its first nuclear reactor in 1964. The reactor was used to produce radioactive isotopes for medicinal, industrial and research purposes. But in the years that followed, the country began to explore weapons capabilities, summoning its best scientists home from different parts of the world. In the '70s and '80s, North Korea set about acquiring sensitive nuclear technologies from Europe. Then, the efforts were focused on Plutonium separation plant. N Korea also sent its scientists to different countries to learn more about the nuclear technology and slowly North Korea moved away from plutonium-based nuclear weapons to uranium-based ones. North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on October 9, 2006, at Punggye-ri Test Site. The yield of the first test was said to be between 0.7 - 2 KT. Then in 2009, 2013 and 2016 (two tests), North Korea conducted more nuclear test. The sixth and last till date test came on September 3, 2017, which North Korea claimed was a Hydrogen Bomb. South Korean Government's initial yield estimate is 100 kt, and it detected a 5.7 magnitude earthquake. Tremors caused were at least 10 times as powerful as the last time Pyongyang exploded an atomic bomb a year ago. North Korea, Pakistan and the AQ Khan network: North Korea and Pakistan began to share missile expertise in 1992. In 1993, December, former Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto initiated a deal with North Korea for Nodong missiles. Pakistan, at that time, was also worried about India's rapid advances in missile technology. Father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan then stepped in to provide Pakistan with an alternative nuclear weapons delivery option by obtaining intermediate-range liquid-fuel ballistic missiles from North Korea. In November 1995, North Korea and Pakistan apparently struck a deal for 12-25, Nodong missiles, and at least one transporter erector launcher or mobile erector launcher, 44 the delivery of which reportedly began in 1996-97. It is widely assumed that the provision of centrifuge technology was part of the deal and was given to North Korea in exchange for the Nodong missiles, according to a book "A.Q. Khan and onward proliferation from Pakistan". AQ Khan is also said to have helped Iran in developing nuclear weapons technology. AQ Khan's nuclear network came to light when American intelligence operatives about five giant cargo containers full of specialized centrifuge parts being loaded into one of the nondescript vessels that ply the Straits of Malacca. The shipment was later seized near Suez Canal. That seizure led to the unravelling of a trading network that sent bomb-making designs and equipment to at least three countries -- Iran, North Korea and Libya. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 9:06 [IST] If Modi was careful, Doklam stand-off could have been avoided To get China to budge, India brings in its best 3 PLA expresses satisfaction over resolution of Doklam standoff International oi-Vicky By Vicky The People's Liberation Army has expressed satisfaction over the manner in which the Doklam standoff was resolved. Liu Fang, staff officer at the office of International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission (CMC), China's top military body, referred to "the Indian military passing the border line into China's territory". China's defence and other ministries "worked very closely many times" during negotiations with the Indian side, Liu said at a press conference. "Of course, it is safely solved right now," she said. "We reiterated very clearly Chinese position and all of these actually contributed to the peaceful resolution of China-Indian cross border conflict," she said. Liu said the PLA has established regular channels of communications with the military of several countries which has proved to be very useful. "We have built many dialogues and dialogue mechanisms with many countries at the right levels," Liu said adding, "We don't work on a single point but we connect all the points together. We are expanding a net of cooperation," she also said. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 7:16 [IST] 'Enduring defeat of IS must be the goal' Trump enters US state department for first time as his favourite Mike Pompeo takes over as secy Rex Tillerson indicates tough stance towards Pak, stresses on India's role in Afghanistan plan International pti-PTI America's relationship with India is of strategic importance which is not limited to South Asia, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. Tillerson, who paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan, said the Trump administration was of the view that India can play a positive role in creating a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. "They already are providing important economic activity-creating jobs-which is important for the future Afghanistan. And we think they - we want to encourage that as well. We think they can be a very positive influence on creating the right environment for the future in Afghanistan," he said. "I think, our view of the relationship with India is one that's of strategic importance not just for this specific region, but in the context of that speech it was about a free and open Indo-Pacific region stretching all the way from Japan to India," Tillerson told reporters at the Bagaram Air Force Base on his arrival for his maiden visit to South Asia. He was responding to a question on his major India policy speech last week in which he sought broader goals for India-US relationship. In addition to Afghanistan, Trump is scheduled to travel to Pakistan and India during his current trip to South Asia. He said during his visit to Pakistan he would discuss with the Pakistani officials the role of India in Afghanistan. PTI US visa processing time expected to fall by mid-2023, says official Texas police find dead body who they believe could be of missing 3 year old Sherin Mathews International oi-Amitava By Amitava Texas police on Sunday discovered the body of a child who they believe could be 3 year old Sherin Mathews who has been reported missing since October 7. According to Dallas News, police have not yet confirmed the identity of the dead body. The Medical Examiner will identify the body and the cause of death. "The indications are that it is most likely her, however we have not had positive ID, so until we have positive identification we are not going to say it is Sherin" stated Sergeant Kevin Perlich. The body was discovered by search dogs in a culvert near East Spring Valley and South Bowser Roads, east of US Highway 75. The location is less than a mile away from the missing girl's home. Incidentally Wesley Mathews, the adoptive father of the missing girl had told the police that he had left the girl in an alley near the house located in the 900 block of Sunningdale at around 3am on that day as a punishment for not drinking her milk. The 37 year old claimed that he had returned after 15 minutes to check out on her to find her missing. Coyotes are known to frequent this area. Wesley had then gone indoors waiting for her to return on her own or had decided to launch a search later during the morning. He further claimed that his wife, the girl's mother Sini Mathew's was unaware of the incident as she was sleeping. Wesley Mathews was arrested for endangering the life of a child. He was later released from jail after furnishing a bond and surrendering his passport. He is also required to wear an electronic tracking device. On 9th October Child Protective Services also took custody of Sherin's 4 year old sister and placed her in foster care. Sherin's mother is engaged in a legal battle to regain custody of the 4 year old. Reports state that the Mathew's couple, originally from Kerala, had adopted this special needs child Sherin from an NGO in Nalanada, Bihar. The FBI have seized near 50 items from the Mathews' residence including trash bags, cell phones, laptops, washer dryer digital camera. The Indian Government has been closely following the case. Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister had recently tweeted "We are deeply concerned about the missing child. Indian Embassy in U.S. is actively involved and they keep me informed." "We are closely monitoring Sherin Mathews case. We have established the contact with the community and authorities," tweeted Anupam Ray, the Consul General of India in Houston. Following the recovery of the body, Richardson Police Chief Jimmy Spivey has tweeted "Will bring person(s) responsible to justice." OneIndia News US wants India to help strengthen Afghanistan to take on Taliban International pti-PTI Washington, Oct 23: To strengthen Afghanistan to take on a resurgent Afghan Taliban based in neighbouring Pakistan, the Trump administration wants India to step up efforts, a senior US official said. "Where the help is needed by India primarily is in areas of ensuring that Afghanistan can be strengthened as a state, that the state can be hardened and strengthened against any regenerative capacity of the Taliban which lies mainly across the border in Pakistan," said the official. The official was responding to a question on India's contribution in bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the new Afghan and South Asia policy announced by President Donald Trump in August. India's focus of assistance has mainly been on the developmental side, which the US wants to continue and accelerate further. "India is helping Afghanistan by helping the Afghan people. India has done a great deal of work to help Afghanistan in the area of water management for example. They've also helped foster some important industries that will lead to economic growth and employment in particular. The construction sector is another area where it does help tremendously," the official said. And as such, any help India can do here in those areas of economic development would be of great help, he said. Ideas and help in connection with working on solving the problem of the narcotics trade would be particularly helpful as well, he added. The US, he said, is doing a lot. "But as the president has said that he hopes others will share responsibilities and help share burdens to get Afghanistan on the path to enduring security, stability, economic growth, and reduction of dependence on international assistance. And that help can be in the areas of institutional reform for example as well," the official said. All these are aligned with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's initiatives. "I'm confident that he would welcome any assistance that India could give and in those areas," the official said. Responding to a question on India-US counter-terrorism cooperation in Afghanistan, the official said "our work in the defence sector in Afghanistan is really not the priority". The US wants to ensure that Afghanistan gains the security gains even as the US and the coalition have the lead in assisting Afghanistan's security sector and enabling the fight against the Taliban and the Haqqani network and other terrorist organisations on Afghan territory, he said. PTI India's stand on Rohingyas gracious so far but housing them would be risky The Rohingya influx continues as Tripura police nets seven of them Why Buddhists in Myanmar are protesting against the return of Rohingyas International oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Sittwe (Myanmar), Oct 23: On a day when India also stated that the return of the displaced persons (Rohingya refugees) to Rakhine State in Myanmar will restore normalcy, a protest in Myanmar broke out against the repatriation of Rohingyas to their 'homeland' on Sunday. The Myanmar government always maintained that the Rohingyas are not the citizens of the country, but are Bengali-speaking Muslim refugees from neighbouring Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh, which till now has given shelter to at least 600,000 Rohingyas in its refugees camps in Cox's Bazar since the exodus of the minority Muslim community from violence-hit Rakhine State began on August 25, maintains that ultimately Myanmar has to take back the Rohingyas as they belong to the country. While protesting, hundreds of hardline Buddhists urged the Myanmar government not to repatriate the minority Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh. The protest took place in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State, where many Rohingyas lived before an outbreak of inter-communal violence in 2012 forced them to flee their homes. Aung Htay, a protest organiser, said any citizens would be welcomed in the state. "But if these people don't have the right to be citizens ... the government's plan for a conflict-free zone will never be implemented," he added. Myanmar doesn't recognise Rohingyas as an ethnic group, instead insisting they are Bengali migrants from Bangladesh living illegally in the country. The Rohingyas are excluded from the official 135 ethnic groups in the country and denied citizenship. The Rohingyas from the northern Rakhine have fled to Bangladesh since August 25, when Myanmar security forces began a scorched-earth campaign against Rohingya villages. The Myanmar government said it was responding to attacks by Muslim insurgents, but the United Nations (UN) and others stated that the response was disproportionate. Earlier this month, Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi's government said that it was willing to take back Rohingya refugees who fled to southeastern Bangladesh. The government has agreed to form a joint working group to start the repatriation process. The protesters, including some Buddhist monks, demanded that the government should not take back the refugees. "The organisers of the protest applied to get permission for a thousand people to participate in it, but only a few hundred showed up," said Soe Tint Swe, a local official. During her two-day long visit to Bangladesh on Sunday, India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj expressed deep concern at the spate of violence in Buddhist-majority Rakhine State. "It is clear that normalcy will only be restored with the return of the displaced persons to Rakhine state. "The only long-term solution to the situation in Rakhine State is rapid socio-economic and infrastructure development that would have a positive impact on all the communities living in the State," she said. Bangladesh has sought India's "sustained pressure" on Myanmar for the resolution of Rohingya refugee crisis. "India is deeply concerned at the spate of violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State," Swaraj said. OneIndia For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, October 23, 2017, 6:54 [IST] From Strategic Culture Two very different faces of world leadership were on display this week. In Beijing, President Xi Jinping delivered a bold, outward-looking vision of Chinese global leadership. Meanwhile, in Washington President Donald Trump was embroiled in yet more egotistical infighting and tawdry claims of media lies. Addressing the 19th congress of China's Communist Party, 64-year-old Xi was reelected for a second five-year term. He is being talked about as the greatest Chinese leader since Mao Zedong who led the country's founding revolution in 1949. With dignified composure, Xi spoke to the Great Hall of the People about "a new era of modern socialism... open to the world." The Washington DC-based Council on Foreign Relations headlined: "Xi Asserts China's Global Leadership Role." The BBC reported Xi as telling the more than 2,000 delegates: "China has entered a new era in which it should take centre-stage in the world." Reuters reported: "In what was probably an indirect reference to US President Donald Trump's America First policy, Xi promised that China would be fully engaged with the world, and reiterated pledges to tackle climate change. Trump this year opted to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate pact." "No country can alone address the many challenges facing mankind; no country can afford to retreat into self-isolation," Xi told delegates during a three-and-half-hour address. Reuters again: "Xi set bold long-term goals for China's development, envisioning it as a modernized socialist country by 2035, and a modern socialist strong power with leading influence on the world stage by 2050." Fair enough, cynics may balk at "promise fatigue" and snipe that the Chinese leader's rhetoric was heavy on aspiration and light on specific enabling details. However, there is no denying that Xi was this week offering a vision of ambitious possibility for social progress and internationalism. Contrary to American leadership and Trump in particular, Chinese characteristics of global leadership are not marked by knuckle-dragging domination, militarism and aggression. The emphasis from the Chinese leader is on global cooperation and multilateralism. In short, a peaceful and prosperous world. Contrast that to Trump's tirade before the UN General Assembly last month when he rhetorically swaggered and threatened nations with "total destruction." In that regard, Russian President Vladimir Putin shares the same leadership qualities as China's Xi. No wonder the two leaders are visibly comfortable when they meet publicly, as they have done more frequently than any other two current heads of state. Quietly, with dignity, the two men seem driven to create a more progressive, peaceful world of co-development and co-existence -- in spite of American proclivities to create a world of chaos, conflict and hegemony. While Xi Jinping was conducting himself with dignity and dedication, on the other side of the world, physically and metaphorically, Trump was behaving like the antithesis. Again this week, Trump was bragging about massive tax cuts for the already mega-rich; about imposing stricter travel bans on foreigners; about ripping up international accords (the Iran nuclear deal); and showing appalling disrespect for his own country's military men and women -- despite at other times boasting about American military might. Trump's embarrassing boorishness is getting so bad, senior Republicans are deploring the country's "lack of leadership." Arizona Senator John McCain lamented that "America's leadership and ideals are absent." Last week, another senior Republican Senator, Bob Corker, said Trump was behaving like someone who should be confined to "an adult care center" and whose reckless rants are endangering the planet with World War III. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). See original here By Lorraine Chow Ever since Scott Pruitt took the helm of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), he has worked to undo decades of hard-fought climate protections, denied that carbon dioxide is a "primary contributor" to climate change, and even removed mentions of the term "climate change" from agency websites. Now, the agency has canceled the speaking appearances of three of its scientists to discuss the topic at a conference in Rhode Island on Monday, highlighting "widespread concern that the EPA will silence scientists from speaking publicly on climate change," the New York Times reported Sunday. EPA research ecologist Autumn Oczkowski, EPA postdoctoral fellow Rose Martin and EPA consultant Emily Shumchenia were scheduled to speak at the State of the Narragansett Bay and Watershed -- a conference timed with the release of a 400-page report on the state of the watershed and estuary. Oczkowski was due to give the keynote speech. Martin and Shumchenia were due to speak on a panel about the biological implications of climate change. The scientists also contributed substantial material to the report, which features findings on how climate change affects the area's air and water temperatures, precipitation, sea level and fish. Tom Borden, program director for the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, confirmed that the EPA canceled the appearances and said that no other agency staff or affiliates will speak at the event. "I was not really provided with a clear explanation," Borden said. The Narragansett Bay Estuary Program is one of 28 state-based estuary programs funded by the EPA. The agency provides about $600,000 annually to the Narragansett Bay program. Pruitt, however, plans to eliminate the national program in his 2018 proposed budget. "It's definitely a blatant example of the scientific censorship we all suspected was going to start being enforced at EPA," said John King, who also works on the program. "They don't believe in climate change, so I think what they're trying to do is stifle discussions of the impacts of climate change." Jack Reed, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, also tweeted: "Muzzling #EPA scientists won't do anything to address #climatechange. We need well-informed policy & action." But EPA spokesperson John Konkus wrote in an email to Washington Post that "EPA scientists are attending, they simply are not presenting, it is not an EPA conference." The Post also reported that "at least one senior regional EPA official" will attend the event. From The Hill American Flags (Image by pixabay.com) Details DMCA I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. These words tell timeless truths about the nation we love, a nation that is stronger when we are united and endangered when we are divided, and a nation where liberty and justice are the equal birthright of all. By contrast President Trump, from the moment he took office, has acted like the president of 35 percent of our people, demonizing and ostracizing huge numbers of Americans, deliberately dividing Americans against each other, fomenting hatred and fear of American against American, seeking to tear apart the fabric of our diverse society and violate the patriotic vision of Americanism upon which our Pledge of Allegiance is based. We now learn from criminal and counterintelligence investigations, and reporting in the free press of America, that a chosen tactic of the Russian dictator attacking democracy is to foment hatred of American against American, race against race, and religion against religion. This Russian tactic of stirring up racial and religious hatred in America, designed in part to elect an American president who has been praised by Nazis and members of the Ku Klux Klan, who have reciprocated with chants of "Russia is our friend" at white supremacist rallies, has found a powerful ally in the Oval Office who even slanders his predecessors in the presidency. Serious journalists, historians and psychiatrists should publicly consider the unnatural and destructive hatred that obsesses President Trump about former President Obama, and how this hatred has contributed to Trump's dangerous and irresponsible actions, from launching a wrecking ball attack against health care in America to ripping apart international agreements and increasing the dangers of environmental destruction and war. Trump hurts America, and helps our enemies, when he tells the lie that previous presidents of both parties did not care enough for troops who gave their lives in service and the families who love them. While Russian intelligence continues its attack against our democracy, Trump hurts America when he compares intelligence officers who defend our democracy to Nazi Germany, describes those investigating the Russian crime as pursuing a hoax, treats Gold Star families as political tools, accuses those who report the news of being enemies of the people, and wages aggressive war against the American and democratic notion of an informed citizenry making democratic decisions after an informed and respectful debate based on facts, truth and science. Russian President Vladimir Putin's project is to destroy the underpinnings of democratic values and the credibility of democratic institutions. Almost every day, whether he understands this or not, Trump is both a beneficiary and ally of Putin's attack against America. Trump hurts America when he falsely attacks the patriotism of black players in the NFL, a seamy tactic that has been reportedly embraced by the Russian cyberwar attack against America that has turned its bigoted aggression against the NFL. Trump divided America, hurt America and alienated America from friendly nations when he described Hispanic immigrants as rapists and criminals. Trump hurts America, endangers our democratic allies and increases the risk of war when he attacks a long and growing list of international agreements. Trump hurts America, including many Americans who voted for him, when he systematically attacks our health-care system without any cogent alternative through reckless actions that most experts believe is destructive in the extreme to the health of the nation. Trump hurts our national security when he praises foreign dictators, repels democratic allies, personally attacks and threatens the chairmen of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, and undermines our secretary of State during delicate and critical negotiations. Trump hurts America when he violates a cardinal tenet of our Pledge of Allegiance by dividing race against race, religion against religion, neighbor against neighbor, American against American and undermines the great patriotic notion that America is one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL. Adult ADHD has been a gold mine for Pharma. "Estimated to be twice the size of the pediatric ADHD population, the highly prevalent, yet largely untapped, adult ADHD population continues to represent an attractive niche to target," wrote the market research agency, Datamonitor, in 2008. Taxpayers Should Be Reimbursed for the Latest Pharma Ruse (Image by Martha Rosenberg) Details DMCA Pharma promotion of Adult ADHD for no other reason than to sell drugs is aggressive and shameful. Adult ADHD "affects up to 5% of adults. However, fewer than 20% of adults with ADHD are currently diagnosed and treated," screamed a 2014 "medical" article in The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders. The authors not only had 11 financial conflicts of interests to Pharma, some were actual employees of Eli Lilly. An ad from a website named consequencesofadhd.com tells doctors to "screen for ADHD" and warns that "adults with ADHD were 2X more likely to have been divorced." An ad from a website named depressionandadhd.com features a woman saying, "I'm depressed"" and proceeds to ask doctors, "Could it be ADHD? ADHD was found in 32% of adults with a depressive disorder. Look for ADHD in patients who present with depression." In 2009, Shire, who makes the ADHD drugs Adderall, Vyvanse, the Daytrana patch and Intuniv launched a Nationwide Adult ADHD Mobile Awareness Tour, which included a "mobile screening initiative" called the RoADHD Trip. Get it? The caravan, anchored by "the RoADHD Trip Tractor Trailer," turned into a tented area with eight "self-screening stations." For the screening campaign, Shire said it was partnering with the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), "a leading adult ADHD patient advocacy organization, in an effort to assist up to 20,000 adults to self-screen for this disorder." Medical professionals could "learn" from Pharma salespeople too! A "field-based team of experienced psychiatric nurses" would "provide in-office education to physicians and their staff on ADHD in adults," promised Shire. Screening for health conditions for which people have no symptoms but expensive treatments exist is widely seen as nothing but a marketing device that leads to overdiagnosis, overtreatment and overmedication and rising health care costs often on the taxpayers' dime. And there was more Adult ADHD marketing----like McNeil's scheme in New York City for Concerta. "Pedestrians mulling around Times Square in New York City can learn more about ADHD by responding to an advertisement on the CBS jumbotron, via text message," reported an article in Medical Marketing & Media. The 15-second ad--no attention problems there--read "Can't focus? Can't sit still? Could you or your child have ADHD?" and ran on a 26 x 20 foot screen four times per hour. When pedestrians texted "ADHD" to a certain number, they "received a near-instantaneous text message in return containing a link to the 'Concerta Mobile Web Experience,' a branded mobile-optimized platform for McNeil's ADHD drug,'" reported the article. Visitors to the McNeil website got a coupon for a 30-day free trial of Concerta. Pharma, as it does with other "awareness" campaigns to drive expensive drugs, has funded "patient" groups to market awareness of adult ADHD. One front group known as CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), receives payouts from Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson's McNeil division, Novartis, Shire US and UCB-----all ADHD drug manufacturers. Eli Lilly makes Strattera, Johnson & Johnson makes Concerta, Novartis makes Ritalin and Focalin and UCB makes Metadate CD. And, as Pharma does with its most expensive drugs, it relies on U.S. taxpayers to pay its outrageous prices. In 2010, CHADD lobbied for recognition of adult ADHD with the Social Security Administration and "the inclusion of AD/HD and other neurobiological disorders in the definitions/eligibility categories for government benefits programs such as SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, developmental disability, and vocational rehabilitation programs." CHADD even told a Social Security Administration Advisory Panel that: "A subset of adults with AD/HD is unable to be gainfully employed because of the chronic, substantial inattention and executive functioning challenges caused by the disorder." Now comes the news that----surprise!----Adult ADHD is likely another marginal "disease" trumped up by Pharma for no other reason than profiteering. "A new study suggests that adult-onset A.D.H.D. is rare -- if it exists at all," says the New York Times this week. The study "all but ruled out adult-onset A.D.H.D. as a stand-alone diagnosis," and "Most apparent cases of adult-onset attention deficits are likely the result of substance abuse or mood problems." Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). See original here Trump "has promised that he will have our backs," says CIA head By Andrea Germanos, staff writer Mike Pompeo, seen here in 2011, said Thursday that the CIA is 'going to become a much more vicious agency.' (Image by (Photo: Gage Skidmore/flickr/cc)) Details DMCA According to Mike Pompeo, the agency he leads -- which has supported coups across the globe, engaged in targeted killings, and led a detention and torture program -- has not been nasty enough. Speaking Thursday at a Foundation for Defense of Democracies forum, the CIA director, who has signaled support for torture, said "we've now laid out a strategy for how we're going to execute our strategy with incredible vigor. We're going to become a much more vicious agency in ensuring that we are delivering this work. We are going to go to the hardest places with some of the hardest people and of our organization to crush it." President Donald Trump, he said, "has promised that he will have our backs and that he will resource us." Addressing the threat posed by Kim Jong-un, Pompeo said the North Korean leader's "end-state... is the continued capacity to go to sleep in a really nice bed in Pyongyang every night." He said "we ought to behave as if we are on the cusp of them achieving [their] objective" of hitting the U.S. with a nuclear capability. Pompeo also said there should be focus on "the enormous conventional weapon systems put in the hands of this man, and the other elements of their nuclear program and other delivery technologies of those nuclear weapon systems." Asked by a Financial Times reporter what would happen if Kim Jong-un "kicked the bucket for whatever reason," Pompeo said, "you know, given the history of the CIA, I'm just not going to talk about that. Someone might think there was a coincidence if, you know, there was an accident," he said to laughter from the crowd. "It's just not fruitful. We have a clear U.S. policy. It is an effort to diplomatically and economically challenge the North Korean regime in such a way that they won't get to that end-state." He also said section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act "was skewed by Edward Snowden," adding that he's "very hopeful that Congress will renew" the surveillance authority, which is set to sunset at the end of the year unless Congress renews it. Digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation, meanwhile, has called it a "key legal linchpin for the National Security Agency's vast Internet surveillance program." This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License The leader of the dark forces of Shi'aism in the world Grand Ayatollah, Sayyed Ali Khamenei of Iran By Hamma Mirwaisi The growing power of the follower of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan's is deriving the leaders of the countries above to mental instability. The US government's support of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Syrian war is driving the above leaders to act not normally. The Syrian People's uprising began in mid-March 2011. The revolt quickly was taken over by the Islamic Sunni Arab extremist organization to remove Allawi President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. The Syrian people's nightmare started by the so-called 'domino effect'. Hezbollah of Lebanon of the Islamic Shi'aism loyal to the Ayatollah of Iran rushes to support fellow Alawites (the branch of Islamic Shi'aism) of Syria. President Erdogan of Turkey had the dream to establish new Islamic Empire similar to Ottoman Empire to lead Islamic Sunni extremist in the world to wage war against Russian and Europe and exterminate Kurds loyal to Abdullah Ocalan as Kurdish leader. The Persian Gulf Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia and Qatar supplied Islamic Sunni Arab terrorist forces to destroy Syrian government with the blessing of the Obama administration. The Syrian government was about to fall, Iranian government called on Shi'a extremist to save Allawi President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. The Islamic Sunni Arab invited Islamic Sunni extremist around the world to join them to establish the Islamic Sunni caliphate (Empire). President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's dream to become Islamic caliphate led him to open the gate for the Islamic terrorist forces around the world to join Islamic terrorist forces in Syria. Russian President Putin saw the weakness of the US President Obama in Syria; he took the opportunity to send forces to Syria to save Syrian government and establish the alliance with Islamic Shi'a Empire led by Ayatollah of Iran. Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan need one another's help one more time. The Islamic Arab extremist wanted Syrian Kurds to join them in the fight against Syrian government. Majority of Kurds did not want to do so; they wanted peace in their area and did not want to join either side. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan encouraged Islamic Sunni Arabs and Turks to eliminate Kurds in that region of Syria because they helped PKK in Turkey. Kurdish followers of Abdullah Ocalan, teaching established YPG local forces to defend Kurdish people in Syria. YPG success drove Massoud Barzani and Talabani mafia families to seek support from Turkey because both of them were afraid of growing power of Kurds loyal to Abdullah Ocalan's teaching. Both Barzani and Talabani mafia families kept the good relationship with Iran too. But to take the side in critical time, Barzani wants to be the servant of Turkey and Talabani wants to be the servant of Iran for families' protection from Kurdish people. Israeli leaders who involve in corruption are favoring Erdogan and Barzani to make money. The corrupt leaders in the US, EU countries, and Israel are in favor of Erdogan and Barzani and against Kurds loyal to Abdullah Ocalan's teaching. Ocalan's teaching is against corruption and Mafia families of Barzani and Talabani are for corruption. Oil deals divided people and countries in that part of Kurdistan. President Donald Trump helped the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in bringing benefit to the people in the US in the long range. And the SDF success led to the establishment of strange alliances of on and off between 'Russian, Turkey (puppet of Turkey is Barzani Kurds and corrupt ex-leaders from the US, EU countries, and Israel), and Iran (puppet of Iran are Syria, Iraq, Talabani Kurds and Lebonan). Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Quicklink Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their quicklinks after publishing them. To see if the quicklink was renamed or re-published, please click here. From Gush Shalom ONE DAY the Israeli Labor Party felt that it needed a new leader. That happens to this party every couple of years. The party is in bad shape. It looks more like a political corpse than a living organism. Wanted: a new leader, charismatic, energetic, enthusiastic. So they found Avi Gabbay. Why him? Nobody is really sure. Avi Gabbay has no visible qualities of political leadership. No charisma at all. No special energy. No enthusiasm himself and no ability to inspire enthusiasm in others. After serving as a government employee dealing with the mobile phone industry, he himself became the successful director of the largest mobile phone concern. Then he went into politics and joined a moderate right-wing party, and was appointed Minister for the Protection of the Environment. When the extreme right-winger Avigdor Lieberman was appointed Minister of Defense, Gabbay resigned from the government and his party and joined Labor. That was only a year ago. He has one significant asset: he is a Mizrahi, an oriental Jew. His parents are immigrants from Morocco, he is the seventh of eight children. Since the Labor party is considered a Western, Ashkenazi, elitist grouping, these passive attributes are important. Up to a point. GABBAY DID not waste time in presenting his political identity card. First he made a speech asserting that he will not sit in the same government with the "Joint List." The Joint List is the united (or disunited) list of the Arab community in Israel. It joins together the three very different "Arab" parties: the Communist party, which is overwhelmingly Arab, but includes some Jews (including a Jewish member of parliament), the Balad party, which is secular and nationalist, and a religious Islamic party. How come these diverse parties created a joint list? They owe this achievement to the genius of the great Arab-hater, Avigdor Lieberman (see above), who saw that all three parties were small and decided to eliminate them by raising the electoral threshold. But rather than perish separately they decided to survive together. There is no doubt that their list represents the vast majority of Israel's Palestinian citizens, who constitute more than 20% of the population. Strange as this may sound, every fifth Israeli is an Arab. The simple numerical fact is that without the support of the Arab members in the Knesset, no left-wing government can exist. Yitzhak Rabin would not have become prime minister, and the Oslo agreement would not have come into being, without the support "from the outside" of the Arab bloc. Then why did they not join Rabin's government? Both sides were afraid of losing votes. Many Jews cannot envision a government including Arabs, and many Arabs cannot envision their representatives sharing "collective responsibility" in a government mainly occupied with fighting Arabs. This has not changed. It is highly unlikely that the Arabs would join a Gabbay government if invited, and even more unlikely that they would receive such an invitation. 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). s With the advent of winter, the six-years-ago articulated pivot of Asia has taken momentum in the strategic seasons when Mr. Donald Trump has announced to set on an important diplomatic visit to the Asian countries newly relevant in the US policy pursuits. Certainly, the diplomatic interaction is the foremost factor in the international relations that highly affects the nation's policy-making calculus. Therefore, it is very relevant to assess the likely impacts in the wake of the announced visit of the American president. Accordingly, analysts have to observe several dynamic consequences. Firstly, EU has reservations on the American Asia-centric tilt and considers it as adverse to their strategic significance. Secondly, China perceives the American pivot to Asia as a strategy to contain it. Subsequently, there are two international actors that are significantly affected; EU and China . Under such circumstances, EU employs alternatives in its policy in order to mend the hedges against the said setback. It has worked enormously to increase paces for the friendly relations with Asians. It has forged relations with Afghanistan . EU has enjoyed good relations with Pakistan , concluding several agreements with Islamabad on security, energy and human rights. New Delhi is also enjoying closeness to EU in the wake of EUs ambitions. Trade-related relations are the integral destiny of the new interactions. In the Far East, Myanmar , Philippines and Singapore are the trade partners with EU. Similarly, EU also pursues South Korea for bilateral relations. Currently, Japan is the potential partner on trade, energy and security. The second international actor that is reacting remarkably in the wake of the US pivot of Asia is China . Chins is spending enormously to bridge over the shortcomings and is undertaking variety of mechanisms in order to meet the strategic requirements in its competition with US. The said mechanisms are BRICS ( Brazil , Russia , India , China , and South Africa ) and OBOR (One belt one road) directly aimed at boosting its soft power. (Image by Egberto Willies) Details DMCA This one beats them all. Churches continuously meddle in politics. They instigate the election of politicians with draconian policies. Now they are suing FEMA because it's following the law. Churches don't want the government involved in their business and they don't pay taxes. Now they want a handout after Hurricane Harvey. They don't want the responsibility of contributing some of their vast financial accumulation to society but want society to take care of them. Don't they have a bigger power that would make them whole after a hurricane likely intensified by human action? Redacted Tonight took on the churches suing FEMA. While it's amusing, it is very serious. Just like corporations get all kinds of preferential treatments at the expense of the masses, so do churches. Reuters reported the suit as follows. (Reuters) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been sued by three Texas churches severely damaged in Hurricane Harvey, over what they called its policy of refusing to provide disaster relief to houses of worship because of their religious status. In a complaint filed on Monday in federal court in Houston, the churches said they would like to apply for aid but it would be "futile" because FEMA's public assistance program "categorically" excludes their claims, violating their constitutional right to freely exercise their religion. They said FEMA's ban on providing relief where at least half a building's space is used for religious purposes, a policy also enforced after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012, contradicts a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision making it easier for religious groups to get public aid. ... The Texas churches that sued are the Rockport First Assembly of God in Rockport, which lost its roof and steeple and suffered other structural damage, and the Harvest Family Church in Cypress and Hi-Way Tabernacle in Cleveland, which were flooded. According to CBN News, Trump is backing the churches. President Trump continues to confirm his verbal support for Christians, with his actions--this time, standing up for churches barred from relief funding after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas. Trump tweeted Friday night: tter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/906320446882271232 The hypocrisy continues. Watch the full episode of Redacted Tonight here. "The following alterations are considered to be unsafe and use must stop immediately until corrections are made" - LAUSD Facilities Services Division The information within the unsigned letter sent to the "Granada Hills Charter Community" seemed innocuous. Framing the situation as a tenant/landlord dispute, Granada Hills Charter High School (GHCHS) said that during a routine inspection of the campus, the LAUSD's Facilities Services Division had found "several violations concerning modifications to the campus" that "were not performed in compliance with [their] Sole Occupant Agreement (SOA)" with the District. The school had been given an "April 3, 2017, deadline to remedy or develop an action plan to address [these] concerns" [emphasis mine]. The only mention of the welfare of the students attending the charter was a seemingly random statement that they "always keep the health and safety of our students and staff as [their] primary focus." (Image by LAUSD) Details DMCA (Image by LAUSD) Details DMCA Given the allegation that GHCHS has engaged in behavior that could dissuade students with disabilities from attending this publicly funded schools, it is concerning that the report also contains instances where the Americans with Disabilities Act was violated. These include: It is interesting to note that Bauer's response to the LAUSD on March 14, 2017, focused not on the safety issues but on what he considered simple violations of procedure. His main concern appears to be centered around whether the document he received was actually a Notice of Violation since it had not been "approved by the District Board before being issued." For this reason, he was adamant that it could "not be used to commence revocation proceeding against GHCHS". No mention is made of the immediate safety hazards facing the students under his care. These are not the actions of someone whose "primary focus" is the "health and safety of [his] students and staff". ____________________________________________ Carl Petersen is a parent and special education advocate, elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and was a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race. During the campaign, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action and Dr. Diane Ravitch called him a "strong supporter of public schools." His past blogs can be found at www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. From Al Jazeera Tel Aviv -- Human rights activists are stepping up efforts to expose Israel's long and covert history of supplying weapons and military training to regimes while they actively commit massacres, ethnic cleansing and genocide. The issue of Israel's trade with rogue regimes has been thrust into the spotlight again after revelations that it is sending weapons to Myanmar, in defiance of a US and European arms embargo. Formerly known as Burma, Myanmar was condemned last month by the United Nations for conducting what it called a "textbook ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are reported to have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in recent weeks, after evidence of the torching of entire villages, massacres and systematic rapes. Israel has not divulged details of its ties to Myanmar's military government, but public records show that it has sold the military there armed patrol boats, guns and surveillance equipment. Myanmar's special forces have also been trained by Israelis. Human rights groups are set to stage a protest outside Israel's parliament on October 30, calling for an immediate halt to the weapons sales to Myanmar. Israeli firms have also broken with the United States and Europe by supplying weapons and surveillance equipment to militias in South Sudan, where a civil war has raged since late 2013. Some 300,000 Sudanese are believed to have been killed in the fighting. Eitay Mack, a human rights lawyer, has submitted a spate of petitions to the Israeli courts in an attempt to bring to light details of Israel's trade with such regimes. He said the cases were designed to hasten war crimes investigations of the officials and contractors involved. "Many Western states sell arms, but what's unique about Israel is that, wherever war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed, you find Israel is present," Mack told Al Jazeera. "The companies selling the weapons, and the officials who quietly approve the trade, must be held accountable. Otherwise, why would this ever stop?" Mack said that Israel's collusion with Myanmar's military was part of a pattern of aiding rogue regimes that went back decades and reflected the importance of the arms trade to Israel's economy. Over the summer, it was revealed that Israeli defence officials approve 99.8 percent of all requests for arms export licences. As well as fueling the current violence in Myanmar and South Sudan, Israel has been accused of clandestinely providing arms used in notorious past episodes of genocide and ethnic cleansing in places such as Rwanda, the Balkans, Chile, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Haiti, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Israel also cultivated close ties to apartheid South Africa, Mack noted. 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). (Image by Egberto Willies) Details DMCA Donald Trump and his clan have been trying to discredit the media for years. The media seldom push back against the false accusations from this corrupt leader. It seems that is changing. The media is fighting back against Trump and his misinformers by pointing out their lies and making sure Americans understand their lying techniques. Earlier this year the New York Times put out the following video. They flashed a lot of information, many portrayed as the truth that could only be read in some instances by stopping frame after frame in a video editor. Some statements are definitely true, some are in the grey area. And some are completely false. They end the commercial pointing out that getting to the truth can be difficult. But that is their job. The truth is our nation is more divided than ever. The truth is alternative facts are lies. The truth is the media is dishonest. The truth is a woman should dress like a woman. The truth is women's rights are human rights. The truth is we have to protect our borders. The truth is refugee policy is a backdoor Muslim ban. The truth is we need a full investigation of Russian ties. The truth is leaking classified information is the real scandal. The truth is climate change is a hoax. The truth is the Supreme Court seat was stolen. The truth is this country was built by immigrants. The truth is 600,00 immigrants will be let in. The truth is the emails are dangerous. The truth is we do not know who is responsible. The truth is black lives matter is a simple statement of fact. The truth is all lives matter. The truth is we need new restrictions on gun control. The truth is our gun problem is bigger than mass shootings. The truth is we should support the president no matter what. The truth is he's not interested in uniting the country. The truth is we have a crime epidemic in our cities today. The truth is there is no evidence of voter fraud. The truth is Obamacare isn't affordable. The truth is we need to police the police. The truth is pro-life women weren't invited to the march. The truth is this administration has stumbled. The truth is executive orders have gone too far. The truth is banks need to be monitored. The truth is we must hold free speech sacred. The truth is hard to find. The truth is hard to know. The truth is more important now than ever. The CNN's ad is more in-your-face. In effect, it tells Americans to use common sense and stop being gullible. This is an apple. Some people might try to tell you that it is a banana. They might scream, "banana, banana, banana.," over and over and over again. They might put bananas in all caps. You might even start to believe that this is a banana. But it is not. But it is not. This is an apple. Facts first. One hopes all media will come out swinging against the deception by this president going forward. "At the time this pair met in a Canadian TV studio, Vaughan was blazing a trail into the blues world with his debut album, Texas Flood. King was long since a legend, and though he apparently didn't recognize the name "Vaughan," he immediately recognized the young guitarist who'd sat in with him whenever he played in Austin. The video dimension turns this session into a master class for both Vaughan and the viewer. Vaughan is seen soaking up lessons from King's guitar playing, stage manner and the verbal notes he provides between songs. What was previously a musical conversation now becomes a visual one as well. King is often seen marveling -- almost in surprise -- at Vaughan's playing, and Vaughan's expressions capture the joy he feels in so clearly making the grade. Without a live audience, the two bluesmen play for each other and for the blues." (Article changed on October 23, 2017 at 20:39) This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. Born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, a former businessman who had helped run companies into the ground, he was widely considered ill-prepared for the presidency, out of his depth, a lightweight in a heavyweight world. Still, having won the Republican nomination and then a uniquely contested election, once in the Oval Office he proved to have a striking inclination for backing extreme acts and seemingly no compunctions when it came to promoting torture, politicizing the Justice Department, or kidnapping terror suspects (the innocent as well as the guilty) anywhere on Earth. He was determined to fill Guantanamo to the brim, more than ready to loose the U.S. military and American air power across the Greater Middle East, pleased to see that military and the CIA experiment with powerful new weaponry, perfectly willing to kill civilians in significant numbers without mercy, prone to ramping up America's wars, ready to give the Pentagon whatever it needed (and more), eager to take down Iran and for that matter North Korea, and quite willing to put the fate of his foreign policy in the hands of "his" special general. Oh, you thought I was talking about Donald Trump? My apologies. I can understand the confusion, especially since who thinks about or remembers anything but our Tweeter-in-Chief these days? As it happens, the president I had in mind was George W. Bush. You've forgotten him? You thought he was a retired artist making a pretty penny on the lecture circuit? Well, I understand. The past is a long way off in the age of Trump. Still, it's worth calling to mind the president who launched our never-ending war on terror, sent the first drone assassination flights soaring, invaded and occupied Afghanistan and Iraq, oversaw the creation of global "black sites" where a man could experience the sensation of drowning 83 times in a single month, lumped Iraq, Iran, and North Korea together in an "axis of evil," was responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, and oversaw -- the single thing for which he seems to be remembered these days -- the mess that was the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort. (Say it ain't so, Brownie!) Like so many of the officials he worked with, whose grim pasts were cleansed, it seems that George W. Bush is now in the process of being forgotten and rehabilitated at one and the same time, possibly on the grounds that no former president could look bad with Donald Trump in the White House. In any case, one of the latest stops in Bush's rehab tour of America has been our leading military academy, West Point. Let a graduate of that school, Erik Edstrom, who also fought in George Bush's Afghan war, explain. Tom Duty, Honor, Atrocity George W. Bush Receives a Character Award at West Point By Erik Edstrom In George W. Bush's home state of Texas, if you are an ordinary citizen found guilty of capital murder, the mandatory sentence is either life in prison or the death penalty. If, however, you are a former president of the United States responsible for initiating two illegal wars of aggression, which killed 7,000 U.S. servicemen and at least 210,000 civilians, displaced more than 10 million people from their homes, condoned torture, initiated a global drone assassination campaign, and imprisoned people for years without substantive evidence or trial in Guantanamo Bay, the punishment evidently is to be given the Thayer Award at West Point. On October 19th, George W. Bush traveled to the United States Military Academy, my alma mater, to receive the Sylvanus Thayer Award at a ceremony hosted by that school's current superintendent and presented on behalf of the West Point Association of Graduates. The honor is "given to a citizen... whose outstanding character, accomplishments, and stature in the civilian community draw wholesome comparison to the qualities for which West Point strives." The Thayer may be one of the most important awards that hardly anyone has ever heard of. In a sense, it's a litmus test when it comes to West Point's moral orientation and institutional values. Academy graduates around the world -- in dusty GP medium tents as well as Pentagon offices -- all sit at the proverbial table where momentous, sometimes perverse decisions are regularly made. To invade or not to invade, to bomb or not to bomb, to torture, or not to torture -- those are the questions. As the Trump era has reminded us, the U.S. military's ability to obliterate all organized human life on Earth is beyond question. So it stands to reason that the types of beliefs pounded into cadets at West Point -- the ones that will serve to guide them throughout their military careers -- do matter. To the classes of cadets now there, this award will offer a message: that George W. Bush and the things he did in his presidency are worth emulating. I could not disagree more. The United States Military Academy is, or at least should be, a steward of American military values and yet the presentation of the Thayer Award to our former president represents an unprincipled lapse in judgment. In what it condones, it has committed a brazen violation of West Point's honor code, which instructs that "a cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." George W. Bush deceived the nation, cheated noncombatants of both their bodily autonomy and moral significance, and waged unjustifiable, unnecessary wars, which misallocated trillions of dollars that would have been better used to ensure the prosperity and well-being of Americans. And he once described his messianic mission as "this crusade." Is the world's premier military academy not then honoring the dishonorable? As I recall from my time wearing cadet grey, West Point regularly indulged in talk about doing "the harder right rather than the easier wrong," about exhibiting "moral courage," and about "Army Values." Our ethical compass was given to us, standard issue, early on, often in the form of quaint military parables. These were meant to set the ethical standards for behavior in war. Despite serious transgressions of those values by West Point graduates in these years, I still believe that the majority of West Pointers, even in the most stressful situations, are challenged by a nagging little voice asking what West Point would do. In a sense, we have all been hard-wired to follow the ethical protocols we learned at the academy. As far as I'm concerned, however, this award shifts the goal posts. It establishes a new moral paradigm for what should be considered acceptable behavior in war and foreign policy. As someone who also fought in one of those wars, let me just say that presenting Bush's legacy as a template for cadets to follow is -- not to mince words -- a moral obscenity. Once the collective "we" -- that is, West Point and its alumni -- acknowledge that Bush's wars and the state-sanctioned torture that went with them are not just acceptable, but laudable, we have lost any plausible claim to the moral high ground, the ground I once believed West Point was founded on. Now that the Thayer Award has been given to former President Bush and we, the alumni, have even officially sponsored the act (not me, of course), it seems that the values we were taught don't stand for anything at all. A Cadet Will Not Lie By idolizing Bush, a man whose major legacy is defined by acts of state terrorism (rebranded "counterterrorism"), West Point and its alumni have canonized by association his now-16-year-old war on terror. West Pointers have long been placed in a precarious position in relation to that war, simultaneously helping to perpetrate it and suffering from it. Too much energy has been devoted to pursuing it and too much lost for it not to have some grand meaning. By retrofitting the past, West Point and its graduates are now attempting to lessen the sting of, the reality of, those last 16 years. In the process, they are continuing to delude its graduates, who are still being deployed to commit political violence in, at best, a morally dubious set of wars. 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). Allen Maintenance, Inc. Commercial Cleaning Professionals http://www.allenmaintenancejanitorial.blogspot.com http://www.allenmaintenancejanitorial.com Reliability in a commercial service provider isnt easy to find. In fact, building bridges with a reliable commercial service provider requires investigating who it is, you seek to build a business relationship with.Allen Maintenance, Inc. promotes its services under its A+ Better Business Bureau accreditation, and its Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association membership. After all, potential clients can now log on to the Better Business Bureau Web site, and conduct a thorough investigation to learn more about the services provided.In fact, with a simple-Google search engine query, potential clients can effectively gain clarity about-Allen Maintenance, Inc. After all, on Google search engine-Allen Maintenance, Inc, ranks top of its competitors. There, you can also learn more about-Allen Maintenance, Inc. 25 or more years experience- in the field of commercial cleaning and building maintenance.Or, log on to their Web siteto review educational video clips excerpt from the Worldwide Cleaning Association Web site, as well as read intelligent Blog post- conveying techniques and practices utilized to enhance the services rendered by Allen Maintenance, Inc.Thus, when considering building a relationship with a commercial cleaning service corporation, you can rely on; consider building bridges with-Allen Maintenance, Inc. To learn more about this, Lincoln Park, Michigan corporation, who has been providing its professional services throughout the Eastern and Southeastern Districts of Michigan, log on to their Web siteAllen Maintenance, Inc. is a building maintenance and commercial cleaning service provider, rendering quality professional care, for more than 26 years, throughout the Metro Detroit and surrounding areas.4224 Dix Toledo Hwy.Lincoln Park, MI. 48146 Global Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market 2022- Intertek Group plc, Eurofins Scientific SE https://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1344318&type=E https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-genetically-modified-food-safety-testing-market-size-status-and-forecast-2022.htm https://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1344318&type=D http://www.qyresearchreports.com Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The new market report details in-depth current and past analytics and statistics about the global Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing market. 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This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeSGS S.A.Intertek Group plcEurofins Scientific SEBio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Silliker, Inc.Browse full table of contents and data tables of Report @Table of ContentsGlobal Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing1.1 Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market Overview1.1.1 Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook2 Global Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 SGS S.A.3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent DevelopmentsEnquiry For Discount Visit @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Product ScopeFigure Global Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2017)Table Global Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Global Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market Share by Regions in 2016Figure United States Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure EU Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Japan Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure China Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure India Genetically Modified Food Safety Testing Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com VRF System 2017 Global Key Players Daikin Industries (Japan), Mitsubishi Electric (Japan), Hitachi (Japan), Midea Group (China), United Technologies (US), Samsung Electronics (South Korea) Market Analysis And Forecast To 2022 VRF System Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2404942-global-vrf-system-detailed-analysis-report-2017-2022 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/2404942-global-vrf-system-detailed-analysis-report-2017-2022 VRF System Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com Adds VRF System-Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Description:This report mainly introduces volume and value market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also their price change details. As a Detailed Analysis report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinion in VRF System industry.This report splits VRF System market by System Type, by Component, which covers the history data information from 2012 to 2016 and forecast from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses Global market, it covers details as following:Major Companies:Daikin Industries (Japan)Mitsubishi Electric (Japan)Hitachi (Japan)Midea Group (China)United Technologies (US)Samsung Electronics (South Korea)Panasonic (Japan)Lennox International (US)Ingersoll Rand (Ireland)Fujitsu General (Japan)LG Electronics (South Korea)PETRA Engineering Industries Co. (Jodan)Voltas (India)Reznor (US)Request for Sample Report@Main Regions:North AmericaUnited StatesCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain Product Type:VRF System Market, by System TypeHeat Pump SystemsHeat Recovery SystemsVRF System Market, by ComponentOutdoor UnitsIndoor UnitsControl Systems and AccessoriesMain Applications:CommercialResidentialOthersEnquiry before Buying @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Contents:Global VRF System Detailed Analysis Report 2017-2022Chapter One VRF System Market Overview1.1 Global VRF System Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20221.2 VRF System, by System Type 2012-20221.2.1 Global VRF System Sales Market Share by System Type 2012-20221.2.2 Global VRF System Revenue Market Share by System Type 2012-20221.2.3 Global VRF System Price by System Type 2012-20221.2.4 Heat Pump Systems1.2.5 Heat Recovery Systems1.3 VRF System, by Component 2012-20221.3.1 Global VRF System Sales Market Share by Component 2012-20221.3.2 Global VRF System Revenue Market Share by Component 2012-20221.3.3 Global VRF System Price by Component 2012-20221.3.4 Outdoor Units1.3.5 Indoor Units1.3.6 Control Systems and AccessoriesChapter Three VRF System by Players 2012-20173.1 Global VRF System Sales Volume Market Share by Players 2012-20173.2 Global VRF System Revenue Share by Players 2012-20173.3 Global Top Players VRF System Key Product Model and Market Performance3.4 Global Top Players VRF System Key Target Consumers and Market Performance..Chapter Five Global Top Players Profile5.1 Daikin Industries (Japan)5.1.1 Daikin Industries (Japan) Company Details and Competitors5.1.2 Daikin Industries (Japan) Key VRF System Models and Performance5.1.3 Daikin Industries (Japan) VRF System Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.1.4 Daikin Industries (Japan) VRF System Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.2 Mitsubishi Electric (Japan)5.2.1 Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) Company Details and Competitors5.2.2 Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) Key VRF System Models and Performance5.2.3 Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) VRF System Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.2.4 Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) VRF System Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.3 Hitachi (Japan)5.3.1 Hitachi (Japan) Company Details and Competitors5.3.2 Hitachi (Japan) Key VRF System Models and Performance5.3.3 Hitachi (Japan) VRF System Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.3.4 Hitachi (Japan) VRF System Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.4 Midea Group (China)5.4.1 Midea Group (China) Company Details and Competitors5.4.2 Midea Group (China) Key VRF System Models and Performance5.4.3 Midea Group (China) VRF System Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.4.4 Midea Group (China) VRF System Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.5 United Technologies (US)5.5.1 United Technologies (US) Company Details and Competitors5.5.2 United Technologies (US) Key VRF System Models and Performance5.5.3 United Technologies (US) VRF System Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.5.4 United Technologies (US) VRF System Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.6 Samsung Electronics (South Korea)5.6.1 Samsung Electronics (South Korea) Company Details and Competitors5.6.2 Samsung Electronics (South Korea) Key VRF System Models and Performance5.6.3 Samsung Electronics (South Korea) VRF System Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.6.4 Samsung Electronics (South Korea) VRF System Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.7 Panasonic (Japan)5.7.1 Panasonic (Japan) Company Details and Competitors5.7.2 Panasonic (Japan) Key VRF System Models and Performance5.7.3 Panasonic (Japan) VRF System Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.7.4 Panasonic (Japan) VRF System Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.8 Lennox International (US)5.8.1 Lennox International (US) Company Details and Competitors5.8.2 Lennox International (US) Key VRF System Models and Performance5.8.3 Lennox International (US) VRF System Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.8.4 Lennox International (US) VRF System Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.9 Ingersoll Rand (Ireland)5.9.1 Ingersoll Rand (Ireland) Company Details and Competitors5.9.2 Ingersoll Rand (Ireland) Key VRF System Models and Performance5.9.3 Ingersoll Rand (Ireland) VRF System Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.9.4 Ingersoll Rand (Ireland) VRF System Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.10 Fujitsu General (Japan)5.10.1 Fujitsu General (Japan) Company Details and Competitors5.10.2 Fujitsu General (Japan) Key VRF System Models and Performance5.10.3 Fujitsu General (Japan) VRF System Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.10.4 Fujitsu General (Japan) VRF System Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.11 LG Electronics (South Korea)5.12 PETRA Engineering Industries Co. (Jodan)5.13 Voltas (India)5.14 Reznor (US)Continued..Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:: Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt Ltd: Pune 411028: Maharashtra,: Ph: +91 841 198 5042 Audio Interface Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast To 2022 Audio Interface Market https://www.marketresearchnest.com/asia-pacific-audio-interface-market-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2022.html https://www.marketresearchnest.com/purchase.php?reportid=271278 https://www.marketresearchnest.com/requestsample.php?reportid=271278 MarketResearchNest.com adds Asia-Pacific Audio Interface Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type And Application, Forecast To 2022 new report to its research database. The report spread across in a 124 pages with table and figures in it.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Audio Interface in Asia-Pacific market, especially in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, India and Australia. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, countries/Regions, type and application.Browse full table of contents and data tables atMarket Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversFocusrite Audio Engineering Ltd., PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. , Universal Audio, Zoom Corporation, Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH (Yamaha), Roland, Mackie (LOUD Technologies Inc.), M-Audio, Behringer (Music Group), MOTU,IK Multimedia, RME, Tascam (TEAC Corporation), ESI Audiotechnik GmbH, Lexicon, Audient.Market Segment by Countries, coveringChina, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, India, Australia.Market Segment by Type, coversUSB, Firewire, MIDI, Thunderbolt, Other.Market Segment by Applications, can be divided intoAmateurs, Professional.Order a Purchase Report Copy atThere are 19 Chapters to deeply display the Asia-Pacific Audio Interface market.Chapter 1, to describe Audio Interface Introduction, product type and application, market overview, market analysis by countries, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the manufacturers of Audio Interface, with profile, main business, news, sales, price, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the Asia-Pacific market by countries, covering China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, India and Australia, with sales, price, revenue and market share of Audio Interface, for each country, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5 and 6, to show the market by type and application, with sales, price, revenue, market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 to analyze the key countries by manufacturers, Type and Application,covering China,Japan,Korea,Southeast Asia, Taiwan, India and Australia,with sales,revenue and market share by manufacturers,types and application;Chapter 14, Audio Interface market forecast, by countries, type and application, with sales, price, revenue and growth rate forecast, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 15, to analyze the manufacturing cost, key raw materials and manufacturing process etc.Chapter 16, to analyze the industrial chain, sourcing strategy and downstream end users (buyers);Chapter 17, to describe sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers etc.Chapter 18 and 19, to describe the research findings and conclusion, appendix, methodology and data sourceRequest a sample copy atAbout Us:MarketResearchNest.com is the most comprehensive collection of market research products and services on the Web. We offer reports from almost all top publishers and update our collection on daily basis to provide you with instant online access to the worlds most complete and recent database of expert insights on Audio Interface industries, organizations, products, and trends.Contact UsMr. Jeet JainSales Managersales@marketresearchnest.com+1-240-284-8070(U.S)+44-20-3290-4151(U.K)Connect with us: Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Offshore Investment Market Expected to Recover during the Forecast Period until 2021 Market Research Hub https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1350115 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/offshore-investment-booking-center-preferences-2017-report.html https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=1350115 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently added a new report to its vast online database. "Offshore Investment: Booking Center Preferences 2017", report draws on our 2017 Global Wealth Managers Survey and Offshore Investment Analytics to analyze the performance of key booking centers over time. It has a particular focus on HNW individuals booking assets abroad. In particular it examines the propensity to invest offshore and booking center preferences for 20 key markets.Request For Free Sample -The value of the offshore investment market is growing once again, reassuring all banks and wealth managers serving this lucrative if challenging segment that the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and recent scandals have not put it into terminal decline. However, the shape of the post-CRS world is likely to be very different than what it was before: more concentrated, institutionally oriented, and slower growing.Specifically the report -- Analyzes the largest offshore investment centers and how this breaks down by asset class- Examines the performance of the offshore centers compares and what is driving this performance- Tracks how much wealth HNW individuals hold offshore and how this varies by country and region- Provides insight into the preferred centers for HNW offshore investments and how this varies by countryScope- Growth will slow in the retail non-resident sector as the CRS inclines more investors to book onshore and obtain their geographic diversification via other means.- The impact of the CRS upon wealth managers in the largest IFCs is likely to be quite muted, both because they tend to be diversified in terms of their offerings to both institutional and retail investors, and because they are attractive as major financial markets in their own right.- Booking centers with particularly fast growth in 2016 benefited from one-off adjustments such as the reopening of the economy to international investors (Argentina), or being rediscovered by investors as the local economic cycle turned back towards growth (Canada and Brazil).- Though the proportion of HNW wealth booked offshore has declined from previous years, there remain strong sectors in the Middle East & Africa along with sectors of Asia Pacific.- Branches in regional wealth management hubs remain critical, even as the offshore markets consolidate due to the preference for offshoring wealth only to the near-abroad.Browse Full Report With TOC -Reasons to buy- Understand how to best promote your offshore proposition- Gain insight into the impact of the CRS upon offshore investment trends- Understand HNW investors booking center preferences and how this is expected to change- Learn how different offshore centers have performed in recent years and adjust your offshore proposition accordingly.Table of Contents1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 11.1. Offshore investment is ever more skewed towards institutional investors 11.2. Key findings 11.3. Critical success factors 12. THE GLOBAL OFFSHORE MARKET IN CONTEXT 82.1. The overall offshore investment market was worth $68.5tn in 2016 82.1.1. Offshore investment growth is being driven by institutional investors 82.1.2. Ireland joins the top 10 offshore markets off the strength of its fund market 112.1.3. Broader investment outflows declined in 2016 as Europe turned off the taps 122.1.4. Offshore deposits are growing fast once again, as policy rates begin to rise 142.1.5. Continuing a long-term trend, offshore mutual funds advanced again in 2016 162.1.6. 2016 was particularly weak for offshore holdings of equities 172.1.7. Bond holdings increased as offshore investors rediscovered European debt 182.2. Offshore centers are typically adjunct to major financial markets but there is a role for specialists 192.2.1. The largest offshore centers are major financial markets, not tropical islands 192.2.2. Traditional offshore booking centers have fared poorly relative to the rest of the non-resident market 212.2.3. The Panama Papers caused a considerable storm and have stalled Panamas rise as an offshore private wealth hub 232.3. The fastest-growing centers include markets being rediscovered by international finance and key Middle East IFCs 252.3.1. Offshore investors have rediscovered the charm of some developing markets 252.3.2. Qatar and the UAE led the Middle East in attracting offshore investment 262.3.3. Switzerland continues to lose AUM, though it is coming to the end of its drought 272.4. CRS implementation has altered the calculus of HNW offshoring 292.4.1. The offshore wealth management sector now needs to deal with FATCA on steroids 292.4.2. 2017 is a watershed year for the offshore industry due to the initial CRS reports among early adopters 302.4.3. Booking centers dedicated to offshore wealth management need not lose out under the CRS 303. BOOKING CENTER PREFERENCES OF HNW INVESTORS 333.1. HNW individuals globally hold on average 14.7% of their wealth offshore 333.1.1. HNW investors from developing markets hold far more of their portfolios offshore 343.2. The varied and liquid financial markets of the US make it the top HNW offshore booking center 353.2.1. HNW booking center preferences vary significantly depending on nationality 363.2.2. European HNW investors are content to use local booking centers, while millionaires from MEA seek out globalContinue.Enquire About this Report -About Market Research Hub: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.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :Read Industry News at - Global Integrated Platform as a Service (IPaaS) Market is estimated to reach US$ 1.2 valuation by 2022 https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1351301 https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1351301 http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Enabling enterprises execute and govern the integration flows by connecting a wide range of data systems, processes and applications serves to be the key function of Integration Platform as a Service (IPaaS). The global market for IPaaS is characterized by increasing need for integration of business data among individual employees and across an enterprise. 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The scope of the report is to enable market participants in expanding their presence in the global IPaaS market as service providers. By assessing the trends and opportunities, and statistical inferences compiled in the report, key IPaaS providers can take steps towards boosting their business for the immediate future.ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at: Global Gummy Vitamin Industry Revenue, Sales and Growth Rate 2017-2022 Gummy Vitamin Market, Gummy Vitamin Industry, Gummy Vitamin Trends. https://www.marketresearchnest.com/global-north-america-europe-and-asia-pacific-south-america-middle-east-and-africa-gummy-vitamin-market-2017-forecast-to-2022.html https://www.marketresearchnest.com/purchase.php?reportid=233810 https://www.marketresearchnest.com/requestsample.php?reportid=233810 MarketResearchNest.com adds Global (North America, Europe and Global, South America, Middle East and Africa) Gummy Vitamin Market 2017 Forecast To 2022new report to its research database. The report spread across in a 117 pages with table and figures in it.This report studies the Serial USB Converters market, Serial USB Converters is used to convert the USB port into a serial port, which can easily achieve the conversion between the computer universal serial port and USB port.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Gummy Vitamin 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.Browse full table of contents and data tables atMarket Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversVS Vision Systems GmbH, CONTEC, Brainboxes Limited, RAYON, Moxa Europe, Digi International, OMRON, UTEK technology, Pixsys, Shenzhen 3onedata Technology, Wiretek, Nordfield Electronics, DTECH, METZ CONNECTMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversTriple, Combo, SingleMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoCommercial-grade, Industrial-gradeOrder a Purchase Report Copy atThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Gummy Vitamin market.Chapter 1, to describe Gummy Vitamin Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Gummy Vitamin, with sales, revenue, and price of Gummy Vitamin, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Gummy Vitamin, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Gummy Vitamin market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Gummy Vitamin sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceRequest a sample copy atAbout Us:MarketResearchNest.com is the most comprehensive collection of market research products and services on the Web. We offer reports from almost all top publishers and update our collection on daily basis to provide you with instant online access to the worlds most complete and recent database of expert insights on Global industries, organizations, products, and trends.Contact UsMr. Jeet JainSales Managersales@marketresearchnest.com+1-240-284-8070(U.S)+44-20-3290-4151(U.K)Connect with us: Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Global Medical Imaging Information System Market is expected to reach US$993.6 mn by the end of 2022 https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1351300 https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1351300 http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG The significant rise in the need for efficient management of medical imagery and associated information and data has fueled the demand for medical imaging information systems across the world. This research report presents a detailed assessment and forecast of this market, underlining its performance in various regions. It further provides the historical data of regarding this market while forecasting its status during the period of 2017 to 2022. The driving and restraining factors of this market, coupled with, their impact on the demand for these systems during the forecast period is discussed here with high importance. A thorough study of the opportunities available in this market on the global as well as the regional level has also been included in the market report.In an effort to offer the readers of this research report with a comprehensive overview of this market, researchers have included an in-depth competitiveness analysis and information about the unique selling propositions of the leading players. Further, the report includes analyses of the markets attractiveness and basis point share on the basis of the end-use, type, and power class of medical imaging information systems. The market numbers have also been estimated in this study on the basis of the average usage of medical imaging information systems in various application areas.Click to get sample PDF with TOC:The market size and predictions for each of the segment have been offered in the context of the global and domestic markets. The dynamics of medical imaging information systems market Japan, Asia Pacific excluding japan, North America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa have been taken into consideration for the estimation of the future growth of this market. The market has also been assessed on the basis of expected demand. The revenue generated from medical imaging information systems across the world have been derived using the regional pricing trends. The market data for each segment is based on the demand and the corresponding revenue.Global Medical Imaging Information System Market: SegmentationBroadly, the global market for medical imaging information systems is evaluated in the basis of the type of the software, end user, modality, and the regional presence of this market. Based on the type of the software, the market is bifurcated into PACS system management, radiology information systems, and integrated software solutions. By end user, the market is categorized into the Hospitals, diagnostic imaging centers, and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs).On the basis of the modality, the market is classified into computed tomography, positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray, ultrasound, and mammography. Geographically, the market is divided into North America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), the Middle East and Africa (MEA), Europe, Latin America, and Japan.The segmentation consist of the demand for medical imaging information systems in all the regions as well as their significant economies. The patterns of the demand for these systems in each of the regions have been determined while estimating the market for various application for medical imaging information systems in them. The segmentation of this market by the end user, modality, and the type of the software has been derived through the bottom-up approach, which is accumulative of the demand from each of the regions. The regional demand for medical imaging information systems is the summation of the prominent sub-regions and the economies within a specified region.Enquiry:Companies Mentioned in the ReportVarian Medical Systems, Mindray Medical International Ltd., Hitachi Medical Corp., Toshiba Corp., Fujifilm Corp., Siemens Healthcare, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Neusoft Medical Systems Ltd., Hologic Inc., GE Healthcare, and Esaote S.P.A. are some of the prominent companies in the global medical imaging information systems market.ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at: Global Food Ingredient Sterilization Market - Rising Heat on Food Makers over Product Recalls and Large-scale Food Poisoning Incidences https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=19133 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/food-ingredients-sterilization-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Ensuring quality of food and its ingredients is paramount, for which several sterilization processes as used such as heating, moisturizing, and radiation. These processes help in reducing or destroying the micro-organisms in the food ingredients and make them safe for consumption. Rapidly escalating population with which the food demand is increasing, and incremented rate of food product recalls across the world are the primary drivers of the global food ingredients sterilization market. With technological advancements, the risk of foodborne pathogens during the sterilization process has significantly lowered, which is further fueling the adoption of these sterilization equipment and methods. However, lack of awareness among the consumers pertaining to the benefits offered by food sterilization is hindering the market from achieving its true potential.The global food ingredients sterilization market was valued at US$326,069 in 2016, which is estimated to reach a valuation of US$452,046.9 by 2024, rising at a healthy CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.Get an exclusive sample of this report @Heat Sterilization Remains PopularBy method, the global market for food ingredients sterilization is segmented into moisture, heat, and radiation, with heat based sterilization posing most of the demand, followed by radiation and moisture. For extended shelf life, food ingredients and products are heat sterilized in order to reduce the possibilities of contamination. To inactivate the production of toxins inside the container during shelf life or transportation, the manufacturers of packaged food often use methods such as microwave-assisted thermal sterilization technology. In addition to that, food ingredient sterilization companies are focused on increasing their production capacity in the lucrative regions of Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe, which will help them serve to rapidly increasing consumer base. Technological advancements in the sterilization technologies is also expected to meet the extended demand coming from the popularity of packaged and ready-to-eat food products.Browse Press Release of this Research Report @Asia Pacific Offers Vast Unmet DemandThe developed regions of North America and Europe currently serve most of the demand for food sterilization, owing to stringent regulations for food safety and high demand for packaged food, especially in the developed countries such as the U.S. and Canada. However, Asia Pacific has been primed to escalate the demand at most robust rate during the forecast period due to the presence of vast population and rapid urbanization, with which lifestyles are changing and demand for ready-to-eat food is increasing. Lack of awareness among the consumers regarding the benefits of food ingredients sterilization in several countries such as India, China, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore is the only challenge faced by the vendors in the Asia Pacific region.Sterigenics International LLC, Balchem, Inc., Safe Spice, Croll Reynolds, and Wenda Ingredients are a few leading companies currently active in the global food ingredient sterilization market. Most of these key players are also indulged in providing sterilization processes for healthcare products and services to maintain their stronghold.About TMRTransparency 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.coWebsite: Living Room Furniture Market 2017- Revenue, Price and Gross Margin Research Report 2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2401143-living-room-furniture-2017 SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Living Room Furniture"Living Room Furniture 2017", report is part of Retails home retail series, providing a detailed analysis of the market, forecast to 2022 to enable retailers to target outperforming categories to ensure future revenue growth. The report provides quantitative and qualitative analysis of the UK market, evaluating major trends such as smaller living spaces and the influence of designers in the market. It also provides key insight into consumer attitudes to better understand your core demographic and an in-depth analysis of key market players to target growth opportunities in the market.The living room furniture market will decline by 1.8% in 2017 as a weak economic outlook deters many shoppers from investing in big-ticket items. This decline will be driven by categories such as suites, tables and other living room seating. However, the market prospects are set to improve as the living room furniture market is set to grow by 9.6% between 2017 and 2019, driven by the changing dynamics of consumer homes. Furniture demands will shift as consumers look to fit seating into compact spaces, while still maximising their floor space.The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the following - Key issues in the market and success strategies- Market sizing by category and growth forecasts- In-depth profiling of major retailers including market share and outlooks- Consumer analysis detailing how, where and why consumers are buying living room furnitureGET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- The online living room furniture market is set to grow 45.0% over the next five years, resulting in an online penetration of 24.5%. The rise of sofa online pureplays and large specialists developing their websites and online ordering facilities will encourage more consumers to make their big-ticket purchases through the channel.- The vast majority of would-be shoppers now research online before purchase. This indicates that bricks-and-mortar retailers' investment to build their online presence is working. The challenge, however, lies in ensuring instore browsers remain brand loyal.- The share of respondents with room capacity of less than five people grew by eight and a half percentage points versus last year's survey. With first-time buyers still being pushed to buy smaller properties, younger shoppers are opting for comparable items with a smaller footprint: side tables, chairs and armchairs are favoured. Those with a room capacity of one or two people are significantly more likely to have purchased these items in the past year than those with bigger homes.Key points to buy- Make informed strategic decisions using our five-year forecasts to 2022 for individual product categories such as armchairs and settees.- Review our analysis on key market issues, such as smaller seating space, and use our key strategies in overcoming this trend to better compete with your core competitors to grow market share.- Compare our analysis on major living room furniture retailers such as DFS and Harveys; enhance your understanding of their strengths and weaknesses and target important demographics in which they are underperforming.- Recognise which consumers to target and how to attract them by utilising our shopper penetration data and understanding what influences their retailer selection and spending motivations.- Realise the strength of the online market, reviewing retailer strategies to grow sales through this channel and use their tactics to develop your own online strategy.Table of ContentsDefinitionsOverall SummaryIssues And StrategiesThe MarketThe RetailersThe ConsumerFurther DetailsAppendixWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Home Furnishings Market Assessment Globally in 2017 Report https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request-sample/?post=314409 https://www.reportsmonitor.com/make-enquiry/?post=314409 https://www.reportsmonitor.com/global-home-furnishings-market-professional-survey-report-2017-2/ www.reportsmonitor.com Reports Monitor adds Global Home Furnishings Market Professional Survey Report 2017 to Its Database.This report studies Home Furnishings in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringIKEAWalmartBed Bath & BeyondMacysAholdCreative Co-OpAldiFuture GroupHaworthAshley FurnitureCarrefourJ.C. PennyContinental ChinaCrate & BarrelFred MeyerHerman MillerInditexFurniture Brands InternationalKimball InternationalGET SAMPLE REPORT @By Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaMore detailed information, please feel free to contact :On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoVentricular Assist DeviceCardiac Ablation DevicesCardiopulmonary Bypass EquipmentsBeating Heart Surgery TreatmentsPerfusion DisposablesBy Application, the market can be split intoHospitalsSpecialty ClinicsAmbulatory Surgical CentersTable of Contents1 Industry Overview of Home Furnishings1.1 Definition and Specifications of Home Furnishings1.1.1 Definition of Home Furnishings1.1.2 Specifications of Home Furnishings1.2 Classification of Home Furnishings1.2.1 Ventricular Assist Device1.2.2 Cardiac Ablation Devices1.2.3 Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipments1.2.4 Beating Heart Surgery Treatments1.2.5 Perfusion Disposables1.3 Applications of Home Furnishings1.3.1 Hospitals1.3.2 Specialty ClinicsBROWSE FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS and REPORT DESCRIPTION @About Us:Reports Monitor is a platform to meet the market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact Information:Jay MatthewsDirect: 1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite: UK Travel Insurance: Market Share, Growth, Size, Trends and Forecast 2017 2022 Market Research Hub https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1350117 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/uk-travel-insurance-market-dynamics-and-opportunities-2017-report.html https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=1350117 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently added a new report to its vast online database. "UK Travel Insurance: Market Dynamics & Opportunities 2017", provides an in-depth analysis of the UK travel insurance market. It looks at market size and profitability as well as changes in premiums, claims, travel trends, regulations, and opportunities. It provides a thorough overview of the market along with future forecasts.Request For Free Sample -In 2016, the UK travel insurance market experienced a decrease in the number of policies being written, which resulted in GWP dropping to 569.5m. Profitability within the market has remained low despite a slight increase in travel insurance premiums, as the number of UK residents visiting abroad without holding travel insurance also increased. The cost of claims for travel insurers increased further in 2016, despite the total number of claims falling. Medical expenses remain the largest cost to travel insurers, with the cost of cancellations also increasing.Scope- The travel insurance market may potentially benefit as a result of the UK leaving the EU.- Marginalized consumers require more guidance in order to access the market.- The UK travel insurance market is set to be worth 702m in 2021.Browse Full Report With TOC -Reasons to buy- Benchmark yourself against the rest of the market.- Ensure you remain competitive as new innovations and insurance models begin to enter the market.- Be prepared for how travel trends and the UK travel insurance market will be impacted by socio-political and economic factors over the next few years.Table of Contents1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 21.1. Market summary 21.2. Key findings 21.3. Critical success factors 22. MARKET DYNAMICS 72.1. Introduction 72.2. UK travel insurance market GWP declines further 72.2.1. Multi-trip policies continue to increase their share of market GWP 92.2.2. The number of policies written in 2016 declined 112.2.3. Average travel insurance premiums increased 122.2.4. The influence of age on premium prices 142.3. Travel insurance and added-value accounts 152.3.1. Added-value accounts remain popular with travelers 152.3.2. The disadvantages of added-value account travel insurance policies 162.3.3. Travel insurance complaints are on the rise 172.4. Travel trends among UK residents 172.4.1. Travel abroad by UK residents continued to increase in 2016 172.4.2. Holidays remain the main purpose of traveling abroad 192.5. The influence of economic, socio-political, and health events on travel 202.5.1. The state of the UK economy has an impact on travel 202.5.2. The influence of exchange rates on trips abroad by UK residents 212.5.3. Social unrest in travel destinations 222.5.4. Increased prevalence of the Zika virus 242.6. Travel insurance claims 252.6.1. The number of travel insurance claims continues to fall 252.6.2. Medical expenses continue to drive up total claims costs 272.6.3. Changes in booking culture could reduce the cost of cancellations 293. COMPETITOR DYNAMICS 303.1. AXA leads the way in the travel insurance space 30Continue.Enquire About this Report -About Market Research Hub: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.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :Read Industry News at - Global Functional Flour Market - Non-food Application of Wheat Flour to Create Lucrative Opportunities for Growth, https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=18248 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/functional-flours-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Functional flour is derived from a combination of various kinds of grain and non-grain flour or genetically modified grain, which primarily has low-gluten content than the traditional flour. Functional flour also offers numerous health benefits to consumers which are not provided by traditional flour. It is a mixture of wheat along with non-grain flour, such as soy flour, corn flour and pulse flour, among others. Improved nutrient quantity together with low-gluten content is pushing the demand for functional flour market globally.In addition, the rising consumer spending on processed food products is fuelling sales of functional flour products. Health benefits derived from these food products are expected to be the chief driver of the global functional flour market. On the flip side, several companies are reeling under price volatility of grains and stringent food label registrations. Nevertheless, the increasing non-food application of functional flour across diverse industries is likely to bolster market opportunities in the coming years.The global functional floor market stood at US$70.4 bn in 2016 and is expected to reach US$126.8 bn by the end of 2025. If these figures hold true, the global functional flour market will rise at a positive CAGR of 6.8% between 2017 and 2025.Get an exclusive sample of this report @Wheat More Popular than Other Segments as a Raw MaterialBased on raw material, the global functional flour market has been segmented into wheat, maize, rice, and others. Of these, wheat constituted the leading segment with a share of 40.49% in the overall market in 2016. It is further expected to remain dominant through the course of the forecast period. Maize and rise held the second- and third-leading market share, respectively in the same year. These segments are also expected to retain their positions over the forecast period.By type, the market is classified into pre-cooked flour, specialty flour, and fortified flour. Of these, the fortified flour segment held the dominant share of 41.28% in the overall market in 2016. Over the forthcoming years, the dominance of this segment is forecast to remain intact. Likewise, in terms of product, the market can be segmented into conventional flour, genetically modified flour, and additive based flour. Of these, the lead is expected to remain with genetically modified flour through the course of the forecast period.Browse Press Release of this Research Report @Asia Pacific to Emerge as Dominant Region in Coming YearsRegionally, North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa are the key segments in the global functional flour market. Among these regions, North America accounted for the leading market share in 2016. The region is witnessing high demand for gluten-free products among consumers. The increasing knowledge about health-benefits derived from functional flour, coupled with the rising demand for bakery products is aiding the expansion of the functional flour market in North America.However, Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the dominant regional market exhibiting the leading CAGR of 7.4% between 2017 and 2024. Factors such as the rising disposable income of consumers and increasing willingness to spend on health food, especially in countries such as India, China, and Japan are facilitating the markets expansion in the region. Besides this, emerging nations in the Middle East and Africa and Brazil are expected to showcase lucrative opportunities.Major players in the functional flour market are Cargill Incorporated, Archer Daniels Midland Company, The Scoular Company, Associated British Foods plc, SunOpta, Inc., The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., General Mills Inc., Parrish and Heimbecker, Limited, ConAgra Foods, Inc. and ITC Limited.About TMRTransparency 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.coWebsite: Hair Removal Machines Global Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Player and Forecast to 2022 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1314713-global-hair-removal-machines-market-research-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/1314713-global-hair-removal-machines-market-research-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1314713 In this report, the global Hair Removal Machines market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Hair Removal Machines in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringRequest a Sample Report @North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Hair Removal Machines market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingPhilipsTria BeautyPanasonicBraunFlycoPOVOSSIDRiwaPaiterTruemanRifengOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoLaser Hair Removal MachinesOtherOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingHomeholdCommercialMake an enquiry of this Report @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of ContentsGlobal Hair Removal Machines Market Research Report 20171 Hair Removal Machines Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Hair Removal Machines1.2 Hair Removal Machines Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Hair Removal Machines Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Hair Removal Machines Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Laser Hair Removal Machines1.2.4 Other1.3 Global Hair Removal Machines Segment by Application1.3.1 Hair Removal Machines Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Homehold1.3.3 Commercial1.4 Global Hair Removal Machines Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Hair Removal Machines Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Hair Removal Machines (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Hair Removal Machines Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Hair Removal Machines Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)2 Global Hair Removal Machines Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Hair Removal Machines Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Hair Removal Machines Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Hair Removal Machines Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Hair Removal Machines Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Hair Removal Machines Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Hair Removal Machines Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Hair Removal Machines Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Hair Removal Machines Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Hair Removal Machines Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Hair Removal Machines Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Hair Removal Machines Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Hair Removal Machines Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Hair Removal Machines Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Hair Removal Machines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Hair Removal Machines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Hair Removal Machines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Hair Removal Machines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.8 Japan Hair Removal Machines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.9 Southeast Asia Hair Removal Machines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.10 India Hair Removal Machines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Hair Removal Machines Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Hair Removal Machines Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Hair Removal Machines Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Hair Removal Machines Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Hair Removal Machines Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Hair Removal Machines Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Hair Removal Machines Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Hair Removal Machines Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Hair Removal Machines Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Hair Removal Machines Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Hair Removal Machines Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Hair Removal Machines Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Hair Removal Machines Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)ContinuedPurchase Report @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India emovis successfully delivers a complete All Electronic Tolling solution to Canadas A25 Highway Smart Toll-Based Solutions www.abertis.com www.emovis.com emovis has successfully completed the end to end upgrade of Concession A25s All Electronic Tolling Systems. CA25 operates a strategic highway corridor in the Montreal metropolitan area of Canada.The key challenge was carrying out this upgrade under live traffic conditions. To achieve this, emovis drew on its past projects & multidisciplinary teams to seamlessly migrate all customer accounts and financial records over a holiday weekend without affecting the revenue stream of the concessionaire.Mobility Solution of the FutureThe innovative solution engineered by emovis sets the future direction of tolling for highway operators.The new solution guarantees every penny of revenue, enhances customer experience, improves operational efficiency and provides flexibility in moving to new interoperability standards.- The new system uses multiprotocol readers accepting new 6C RFID tags in addition to the existing 6B and programmed to accept E-ZPass transponders. This will allow the Operator to have a smooth transition for its customers while rolling-out the new 6C tags.- The new multi-lingual tolling back office application with its integrated modular architecture, offers simplified interfaces giving the Operator greater flexibility.- In order to improve customer satisfaction, emovis will soon roll out a mobile application that will be directly interfaced with the new back-office. To that end, emovis will draw on its successful QuikPay mobile app. which it developed for Irelands M50 barrier-free toll system.- emovis will provide 24-hour support services to CA25 through its local subsidiary in Montreal.emovis is focused on keeping roads moving through toll-based smart mobility solutions. The company employs over 550 staff in 7 countries and operates some of the worlds largest All Electronic Tolling infrastructure in the UK, Ireland, US territory and Canada.emovis is 100% owned by Abertis () , the worlds leader in highway concessions with 8,300km/ 5,300 miles of roads under direct management.emovis86 rue Henri Farman92130 Issy Les Moulineaux, FranceContactBenoit ROSSIGlobal Head of Marketing & Communicationbenoit.rossi@emovis.com Healthcare Workforce Management Systems Market to increase rapidly by 2023 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=4031 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=4031 www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Healthcare Workforce Management Systems Market: SnapshotAn extensive variety of medicinal services associations and establishments are receiving healthcare workforce managements systems so as to defeat administration issues. From holding top ability to following patient's recuperation, these frameworks have quick turning into an essential piece of the worldwide market. The worldwide healthcare workforce management systems market is additionally being driven because of advantages it offers, for example, decrease of work expenses and reasonable utilization of work rules. The worldwide market is relied upon to witness a steady surge in the coming years as it permitting compelling streamlining of work.Request Sample Copy of the Report@The need for managements systems in the industry of healthcare have enlarged the development of the worldwide healthcare workforce management systems market. The colossal advancement and improvement of these arrangements has likewise elevated a few wellbeing suppliers to embrace these for guaranteeing smoother operations. The developing pool of geriatric populace, expanding consumption on social insurance administrations, and changes in the human services installment and conveyance models have additionally supported the worldwide market in late years.The other factors that are likely to have a huge impact on the progress of the market in the years to come are the growing need to lower the costs of healthcare services through the efficient administration of healthcare workforce. The integration of healthcare services into the healthcare workforce management systems is further anticipated to have a positive influence on the evolution of this market in the years ahead.Global Healthcare Workforce Management Systems Market: OverviewA wide range of healthcare organizations and institutions are adopting healthcare workforce management systems in order to overcome management issues. From retaining top talent to tracking patients recovery, these systems have fast becoming an integral part of the global market. The global healthcare workforce management systems market is also being driven due to benefits it offers such as reduction of labor costs and fair application of work rules. The global market is expected to witness a persistent surge in the coming years as it allowing effective streamlining of work.The research report thoroughly assesses the global healthcare workforce management systems market to provide its readers a fair picture. The publication studies the various strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities impacting the segments of the global market. Additionally, the research report also includes recommendations and comments by market experts to give the readers a valuable insight into the ever-changing market dynamics.Global Healthcare Workforce Management Systems Market: Key TrendsThe demand for management solutions in the healthcare industry have augmented the growth of the global healthcare workforce management systems market. The tremendous evolution and development of these solutions has also promoted several health providers to adopt these for ensuring smoother operations. The growing pool of geriatric population, increasing expenditure on healthcare services, and improvements in the healthcare payment and delivery models have also favored the global market in recent years.The World Health Organization (WHO) states that the geriatric population across the globe will reach 2 billion by the end of 2050 from 524 million in 2010. This rise would be predominantly seen in the developed countries of the U.K., the U.S., and Japan. This phenomenal growth is expected to be the primary growth driver for the flourishing demand of healthcare workforce management systems. The market is also likely to be favored by the growing number of regulatory reforms that are pressing organizations to adhere to utilization of workforce management systems. On the flip side, the global healthcare workforce management systems market is being restrained due to the concerns about data security, high cost of software and services.Global Healthcare Workforce Management Systems Market: SegmentationThe global healthcare workforce management systems is segmented on the basis end user into nursing homes, assisted living, long-term care centers, hospitals, and other healthcare institutions. The mode of deliveries available in the global market are web-based, cloud-based, and on-premise. The global market also includes various software and services. The software available in the global market are for managing time and attendance, HR and payroll, talent management, scheduling, and analytics among others. On the other hand, the services available are support and maintenance, implementation services, optimization services, and training and education.Global Healthcare Workforce Management Systems Market: Regional OutlookFrom a geographic point of view, the global healthcare workforce management systems market is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. The research report states that North America holds a dominant position in the global market due to a growing awareness about effective management of workforce in the healthcare industry. The regional market is also expected to thrive due to the high adoption rate of technology. Europe is expected follow North Americas lead closely as the region has a growing pool of geriatrics that is expected to demand healthcare workforce management systems for delivering efficient healthcare solutions.The publication also states that the Rest of the World and Asia Pacific are likely to be emerging markets in the overall healthcare workforce management systems. The improving economic conditions in the developing countries of these regions, large number of unmet medical needs, and increasing demand for healthcare IT solutions are expected to bolster the growth of the healthcare management systems market in the aforementioned regions.Request TOC of the Report@Key Players Mentioned in the Report are:The leading players operating in the global healthcare workforce management systems market are Automatic Data Processing, Inc., Infor, Inc., Kronos, Inc., Mckesson Corporation, Workday, Inc. and Cornerstone Ondemand, Inc., among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our 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.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Hospital Microbiology Testing Market trends estimates high demand by 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=4065 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=4065 www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Hospital Microbiology Testing Market: OverviewClinical microbiology plays an important role in an individuals health and helps to manage infectious disease outbreak by identifying pathogens having potential to infect people. Hospital microbiology testing is a part of clinical laboratory testing involved in conducting multiple tests and blood collections in hospitals. It enables adequate management of threats of infectious diseases. Timeliness of diagnosis, appropriateness of treatment, advances in infectious disease practices and training of future practitioners are some of the factors driving the global hospital microbiology testing market.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Maintaining high quality microbiological laboratories in hospitals is currently the best approach for management of emerging infectious diseases. Intense focus on controlling healthcare expenditure has led to important changes in managing various infectious diseases. Additionally, hospital based microbiology testing enables effective communication between the physician and microbiology laboratory is other important aspect of on-site microbiology testing. Also, training future healthcare practitioners in hospitals is made easy due to ready access to microbiology laboratory. Such trainings are bound to get hampered in cases where microbiology testing laboratories are at distant location from hospitals.Hospital Microbiology Testing Market: SegmentationThe global hospital microbiology testing market can be segmented based on disease type tests for AIDS, antrax, babesiosis, Candida, Adenovirus, Chancroid, chagas disease, Campylobacter, Brucella, Blastocystis hominis, Chlamydia, Cytomegalovirus, Clostridium difficile, Coxsackieviruses, Creutzfeldt-Jakob's disease, Coronaviruses, Cyclospora cayetanensis, E. Coli, Ebola Virus, EchoVirus, Enteroviruses, Encephalitis, Epstein-Barr virus, Gonorrhea, Giardia lamblia, West Nile Virus, Tuberculosis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Toxoplasmosis, Syphilis, Streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus and various others.The market is also segmented based on the diagnostic technologies used in global hospital microbiology testing market. The diagnostic technologies include molecular diagnostics, monoclonal antibodies, immunoassays, differential light scattering, liposome, flow cytometry, chromatography, gel microdroplets and others. Geographically, the global hospital microbiology testing market is segmented into four major regions namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World.Hospital Microbiology Testing Market: Trends and DriversHospital microbiology testing overcomes the drawback of the important aspects such as specimen handling and transport. Delay in transportation of the specimen in distant laboratories not only impacts the testing but also the integrity of the specimen. This may lead to a false positive or false negative result of analysis which can be life threatening. Few examples which show broad variety of specimen samples are affected by delay in transport or testing include overgrowth of Shigella species or death of meningococci in cerebrospinal fluid if not cultured rapidly which in many cases may lead to false negative results.Thus these issues are better addressed by inoculating specimens the hospitals itself and then transported to centralized laboratories if required. This initial process dictates the need of technologists and expertise in clinical microbiology and not generalist since initial processing of microbiology samples is critical.In addition, reductions in reimbursement provided by governmental healthcare providers have led most of the hospitals and medical centers to undertake enhancement of their microbiological laboratory capabilities. It has also been suggested that hospital based microbiology laboratories should be offered easily obtainable annual grants depending on the hospital size and criticality of care.With growing attention focused on increase in infectious diseases and improved quality of healthcare outcomes, it appears that managing of infectious disease can be best accomplished by maintaining microbiological testing laboratories on the same site i.e. in hospitals to promote good patient care outcomes and also to save money. Thus the goal of hospital microbiology testing includes achievement of excellence in patient care, affordable diagnosis and treatment and high quality outcome. Some of the key players contributing to the microbiology testing market include Abbott Diagnostics, Affymetrix, bioMerieux, Cepheid, Hologic, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Qiagen, Roche Diagnostics, Siemens and Thermo Fischer Scientific.Request TOC of the Report@The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our 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.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Stereotactic Surgery Devices Market Intelligence with Competitive Landscape 2023 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=4066 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=4066 www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Stereotactic Surgery Devices Market: OverviewStereotactic surgery is a minimally invasive technique to perform actions such as biopsy, ablation, lesion, stimulation, injection, radiosurgery, and implantation. Stereotactic surgery devices include radio frequency generator, stereotactic frames, and image-based planning software that are customized for these types of surgeries. With a 3D coordinate system, the stereotactic surgery helps the surgeons in detecting the exact location to perform the procedure. Owing to its apparent benefits and rapidly improving healthcare infrastructure across the developed as well as developing nations, the demand in the global stereotactic surgery devices is expected to increase at a healthy CAGR during the forecast period of 2015 to 2023.Request Sample Copy of the Report@This report on the global market for stereotactic surgery devices has been created to serve as a credible business document for the audiences such as the manufacturers of stereotactic surgery devices, traders and distributors, research and consulting companies, hospitals and medical schools, and governing bodies. The report includes an analysis of all the factors that may influence the demand for these devices until 2023. It also contains profiles of a number of key vendors currently operating in the global stereotactic surgery devices market, estimating their market share and overviewing their product portfolio and latest strategic developments.Based on equipment type, the global stereotactic surgery devices market can be segmented into the gamma knife, proton beam, and line accelerator (LINAC) machines. Application-wise, the market can be segmented into brain tumor treatment, Parkinsons disease, arteriovenous malformations treatment, Epilepsy, and others including trigeminal neuralgia. Geographically, the report studies the potential of the regions such as North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America.Global Stereotactic Surgery Devices Market: Trends & OpportunitiesThe growing preference of surgeons across the world for minimally invasive surgery is the primary driver of this market, as it provides several benefits to the patients such as quick recovery and mortality and morbidity. In addition to that, the prevalence of arteriovenous malformations, Parkinsons disease, and epilepsy is promoting the adoption of stereotactic surgery for neurosurgeries. This factor is also expected to increment the demand for these devices significantly during the forecast period. Rising geriatric population across the world, diseases caused by changed lifestyle such as diabetes and obesity, increasing demand for enhanced drugs, and growing awareness among the patients are some of the other factors favoring the growth of the global stereotactic surgeries devices.Parkinsons disease currently serves the maximum demand in this market as far as disease type segment is concerned, which is a reflection of increasing preference of stereotactic surgeries over traditional levodopa therapy, which often left to long term complications into the patients.Global Stereotactic Surgery Devices Market: Regional OutlookWith robust healthcare facilities and high adoption rate of new technology, countries such as the U.S. and Canada make North America the most lucrative region for the players in this market. However, Asia Pacific is projected to increment the demand for stereotactic surgery devices at most prominent rate during the forecast period owing to improving healthcare infrastructure in several emerging economies such as Japan, India, China, Malaysia, and South Korea.Request TOC of the Report@Companies mentioned in the research reportThe global stereotactic surgery devices market exhibits stiff competition between the leading companies such as Alliance Oncology, Micromar, adeor Medical AG, Monteris Medical, Elekta AB., and Inomed. Development of new products with reduced planning time and enhanced clinical outcomes is the primary strategy adopted by these players to gain ground over their competitors.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our 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.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Comprehensive Report on Canned Tuna Market by Transparency Market Research 2016 - 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18581 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=18581 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Canned Tuna Market: OverviewCanning of food product is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed under controlled atmosphere and conditions and sealed in an airtight container. Canning helps in increasing shelf life of a product typically ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances it can be much longer than that. Tuna fish has been widely popular since it has a specific taste along with various health benefits that lures the masses. Canned tuna was perceived in order to increase its shelf life plus feasibility to store it and import it to another countries where tuna fish is not easily available owing to lack of resources. Rising popularity of canned tuna among consumers will put the market on necessary thrust and escalate the market CAGR of canned tuna market.Canned Tuna Market: Drivers & RestraintsCanned tuna has been gaining popularity amongst the masses due to the fact that such canned tuna are processed to be consumed with or without other food items. Tuna fish provides various health benefits for which it has gained significant popularity amongst it consumers. Health benefits such as enhances heart health, controls blood pressure, helps in growth and development, assist in weight loss and obesity, boost immune system, fire up energy levels, increases blood circulation, cancer prevention, reduces probability of kidney diseases, reduce inflammation, cell membrane damage are associated with consumption of tuna fish. Increase in trade network among various nations. Rise in modern retail outlets, establishments of processed food industry across countries with development of food parks. Increase in investments by budding entrepreneurs in processed food industry are few of the viable factors which is driving the canned tuna market.Request For Report Brochure@Recent research study has revealed that canned tuna consumption can be hazardous to ones health, illegal fishing of tuna, depletion in tuna population are few possible restraint which can affect the growth of canned tuna market.Canned Tuna Market: Market SegmentationThe canned tuna market is segmented into four parts based on the product type, distribution channels, and geography. Few possible health benefits which canned tuna fish providesBased on the product type the canned tuna market is segmented into:Albacore TunaSkipjack TunaYellowfin TunaBigeye TunaBluefin TunaBased on the type of distribution channels canned tuna market is segmented into:Internet RetailingMass RetailersDirect SellingOthersCanned Tuna Market: Regional OutlookRegarding geography, canned tuna market has been categorized into five key regions including North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America is anticipated to witness canned tuna market to register a healthy CAGR during the forecast period. This is due to the very fact that packaged food has a strong demand in North America due to the prevalence of culture where such foods are preferred and moreover canned tuna has been a staple food for North American dwellers. Asia-Pacific represents the significantly higher market share next to North America over the forecast period. Countries in APEJ such as India, China, and Thailand are witnessing significantly higher demand for canned tunas due to increase in consumption of canned tunas among the masses. Western Europe stands next to APEJ for canned tuna market, where the consumers prefers canned tunas for breakfast and salads Eastern Europe has a similar trend alike Western Europe. Japan has been a strong market for canned tuna. The population of Japan have a special liking towards fish and sea products owing to its geography and canned tuna has been one of the favorites for Japanese. MEA and Latin America has also been witnessing affinity for canned tuna and over the forecast period the market of canned tuna will gain significant share in these regions.Visit For TOC@Canned tuna Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players identified in the canned tuna market are:-Wild PlanetAMERICAN TUNA INCThe Tuna Store LLCTrader JoeSafeway Inc.OthersAbout Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation 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 othersContact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Magnetite Market may grow exponentially over the projected period. https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1977 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/magnetite-market https://www.gminsights.com/request-toc/upcoming/1977 Magnetite Market size is expecting surge in demand over the forecasted period owing to its wide usage in steel making and various industries. It is a mineral and one of the main iron ore used as catalyst for industrial synthesis of ammonia. Product even occurs in sedimentary rocks, lake and marine sediments, due to its high iron content its usage in blast furnaces and steel conversion has significantly increased.Chemical Industry is expected to register over 3% CAGR by 2024. The product is widely used in magnetic recording, it is to store data on a magnetized medium using different patterns in the form of non-volatile memory. Additionally, it is often mixed with a liquid to produce thick, high density slurry that is used for specific gravity separations. Increasing usage of the substance in the chemical industry will significantly uplift magnetite market size.Make an Inquiry before buying @Extensive utilization of the substance in steel industry is another factor that drives magnetite market. Steel Industry is expected to grow with a rate of 2% by 2024. It is serving as magnetic decor for preventing trains moving off from the tracks, its industries importance lies in its usage in steel manufacturing. Compasses and navigation have magnetic properties that are inherited from the product. Its widespread properties is increasing its demand in diverse applications and industries.Product has enormous health benefits that subsequently elevated it demand worldwide. In ancient time, it was highly used as healing agent and in mental health problems. Some of its major application includes its non-toxic characteristic that covers three major meridians of liver, kidney and lung. Its main function is to calm the liver, nerves, improve vision, hearing and relieving asthma. Health advantage of the product boosts the magnetite market.Restraints in magnetite market includes its side effects on the body. Excessive dose of it can cause stomach discomfort, nausea, deafness, hearing loss, blurred vision, dizziness and stomachache. The product is non digestive in nature that causes spleen and stomach related problems. Health problems due to the substance and consumer awareness is hindering the magnetite market supply and consumption.Browse complete summary of this report @Magnetite market is classified on the basis of its end use industries that includes steel, chemical industry and health sector. The product is used in several applications including steel processing, magnetic recording and home remedies to prevent various disease.Asia Pacific, led by China, India and Japan are major producer of steel worldwide. China accounts for over 45% of worlds total steel production. Economy of China is highly driven by steel industry, emerging infrastructure, construction is influencing the demand of steel and boosting the magnetite market. Japan is amongst the highest exporter and of steel and the country hosts key companies of steel manufacturing including Nippon steel and JFE.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @Germany has major share in pharmaceuticals industry. The country has edge cutting research and technology, long production tradition and immediate excess to pharmaceuticals that is rising the demand for medicines. The substance is extensively used to fight disease related to lung, liver and kidney. Rising medicinal industry is influencing European growth in magnetite market.Gindalbie Metal, Sgmining, African Minerals, Kompass, Malu, BX Steel, Salasar Minerals and Tisco are major contributors in the global magnetite market. Tisco is implementing an expansion project at the companys Jamshedpur works to increase its capacity. The expansion aims increase in production capacity and global footprint of the company. The company acquired Natsteel, Millennium Steels and Corus in 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively. Objective of acquisition was to increase its revenue, capacity and global reach.About Global Market Insights, Inc.Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact UsArun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1 888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.com Cluster Packaging Market: Analysis and Forecast by Transparency Market Research 2016 - 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18704 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=18704 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Cluster Packaging Market: SnapshotPackaging industry has seen a significant evolution in the last few years. This growth was primarily down the rapid developments in the FMCG sector. Over the years, health supplements, electronic components, and food products sectors have experienced considerable improvements in demand and are now easily accessible because of effective packaging solutions. Cluster packaging allows to transport a bulk of products at a time and has proven to be very effective for the customers. Increased adoption of advanced packaging techniques across the globe is expected to fuel the global market for cluster packaging.The global cluster packaging market has seen a great boost in the recent times because people are ordering more products in bulk and with packaging value being high vendors offer better quality performance. Moreover, cluster packaging is more economical compared to smaller packaging solutions in terms of service capacity. Additionally, reusability properties of the cluster pack is also lending a helping hand in the growth of the global cluster packaging market. For instance, a Finnish food packaging company has developed a new standard for plastics-free paperboard that will be used for food packaging. The company has developed a disposable coffee cup that is without the standard coating of polyethylene making it 100% reusable. The disposable cup has passed all the required tests and is waiting for the certification.Request For Report Brochure@Prevailing environmental issues has forces the key players in the global packaging market to evolve and set their business strategies accordingly. Different regulatory bodies such as FDA of the U.S. and Food Safety Authority of Europe have imposed numerous regulations for using eco-friendly and safe products, especially in the food industry.Packaging market has been significantly grown in past few years because of the speedy development of FMCG sector. Moreover, food products, health supplements, and electronic components are some of the industries that have seen improvements regarding demand over the last few years and are more easily available due to an efficient packaging solution. Cluster packaging is useful to carry bulk products at a time and very handy for consumers. Demand for cluster packs is expected to be driven by increasing adoption of packaging technology across developing geographies of the globe.Cluster Packaging Market- Market Segmentation:The global cluster packaging market can be segmented on the basis of material type, product type, packaging style, number of tier type, end-use and by region. On the basis of material type cluster packaging can be segmented into paper & paperboard, plastic, and others. Further paper & paperboard can be categorized into corrugated paper, Kraft paper, poly coated paper, folding box board and others. On the basis of product type cluster packaging can be segmented into bottles & jars, cans, containers, boxes, cups, and others. On the basis of packaging style cluster packaging can be segmented into neck-through style, over the top style, handle based style, cluster sleeve style, cluster side style and others. On the basis of number of tiers, cluster packaging can be segmented into single tier cluster packaging and multiple tier cluster packaging. On the basis of end use cluster packaging can be segmented into food, beverages, pharmaceuticals & healthcare, personal care and cosmetics industry, industrial goods and others. On the basis of region, cluster packaging market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa.Cluster Packaging Market - Market Dynamics:Growth in demand for cluster packaging is expected to grow steadily for several reasons. One of them is increasing demand for flexible packaging which is driving the growth of the cluster packaging market. Another important factor contributing towards the growth of cluster packaging market are, expanded use of bulk products, higher value packaging that offer boosted performance and are more cost effective than smaller packaging with shorter term service capability. In addition the reusability feature of the pack is also contributing in the growth of cluster packaging market. Growing awareness of environmental issues is also a growth strategy that key players of cluster packaging market are adopting. Many regulatory bodies such as the European Food Safety Authority and U.S. FDA have implemented various regulations for the use of safe and eco-friendly products, mostly in the food industry. Also, the high initial cost of cluster packaging material is considered as another restraining factor towards the growth of cluster packaging market.Cluster Packaging Market- Regional Outlook:Geographically, the cluster packaging market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). The growth of global Cluster packaging market is expected to witness a healthy CAGR over the forecast period of 2016-2024. Moreover, Asia-Pacific is expected to witness a high growth of cluster packaging market due to the rising consumption of food and beverage products. The demand of the cluster packaging market is expected to witness an above average growth in North America due to the higher adoption of cluster packaging in beer and wine industries.Visit For TOC@Cluster Packaging Market- Major Players:Some of the key players of the global cluster packaging market are Westrock, Wipak, Mondi Group, PET Power, Smurfit Kappa Group PLC, Gerresheimer AG, and Klockner Pentaplast GmbH & Co. KG., Graham Packaging, Berry Plastic Group Inc., Alpha Packaging, Constar International, Dunmore, Yantai City Fushan District Long Tai Plastic Co., Linyi City Qingwen Plastic Products Factory, Laizhou Meiao Industry And Trade Co., Ltd., Yixing City Xingfei Bulk Bag Co., Ltd., Shanghai Wellzone Packaging Co., Limited.About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation 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 othersContact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Shipping Containers Industry Sales, Supply and Consumption 2017 Analysis and Forecasts to 2025 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2404340-global-shipping-containers-market-data-survey-report-2025 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/2404340-global-shipping-containers-market-data-survey-report-2025 SummaryWiseGuyReports.com adds Shipping Containers Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2025 reports to its database.Shipping containers are defined as containers that facilitate the transport and carriage of goods without the need to unload and/or reload the cargo at intermediate points. These containers are commonly large rectangular boxes made of a special corrosion resistant grade of steel and are characterized by high strength and durability. Containers are generally made up of aluminum and steel. The size and type built of each container comply with specifications and regulations formulated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).The global Shipping Containers market will reach Volume Million USD in 2017 with CAGR xx% 2018-2025. The main contents of the report including:Global market size and forecastRegional market size, production data and export & importKey manufacturers (manufacturing sites, capacity and production, product specifications etc.)Average market price by SUKMajor applicationsRequest a Sample Report @Key manufacturers are included based on manufacturing sites, capacity and production, product specifications etc.:SINGAMASCIMCCXIC GroupShanghai Universal Logistics EquipmentMaersk Container IndustryCharleston Marine ContainersSea BoxHoover Container SolutionsMajor applications as follows:Food TransportConsumer Goods TransportIndustrial TransportRegional market size, production data and export & import:Asia-PacificNorth AmericaEuropeSouth AmericaMiddle East & AfricaAt Any Query @Table of Contents1 Global Market Overview1.1 Scope of Statistics1.1.1 Scope of Products1.1.2 Scope of Manufacturers1.1.3 Scope of Application1.1.4 Scope of Regions/Countries1.2 Global Market Size2 Regional Market2.1 Regional Production2.2 Regional Demand2.3 Regional Trade3 Key Manufacturers3.1 SINGAMAS3.1.2 Company Information3.1.2 Product Specifications3.1.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)3.2 CIMC3.2.1 Company Information3.2.2 Product Specifications3.2.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)3.3 CXIC Group3.3.1 Company Information3.3.2 Product Specifications3.3.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)3.4 Shanghai Universal Logistics Equipment3.4.1 Company Information3.4.2 Product Specifications3.4.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)3.5 Maersk Container Industry3.5.1 Company Information3.5.2 Product Specifications3.5.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)3.6 Charleston Marine Containers3.6.1 Company Information3.6.2 Product Specifications3.6.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)3.7 Sea Box3.7.1 Company Information3.7.2 Product Specifications3.7.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)3.8 Hoover Container Solutions3.8.1 Company Information3.8.2 Product Specifications3.8.3 Business Data (Capacity, Sales Revenue, Volume, Price, Cost and Margin)4 Major Application4.1 Food Transport4.1.1 Overview4.1.2 Food Transport Market Size and Forecast4.2 Consumer Goods Transport4.2.1 Overview4.2.2 Consumer Goods Transport Market Size and Forecast4.3 Industrial Transport4.3.1 Overview4.3.2 Industrial Transport Market Size and ForecastContinued....Contact Us: sales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US) ; Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India